2019 Dallas Cowboys: A Season Lost, A Decade Wasted

In the 2007 David Fincher thriller “Zodiac”, Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, cartoonist Robert Graysmith starts assembling all the information on the Zodiac investigation. He thinks there are pieces here and there scattered that, if combined, would paint a coherent picture of the investigation and possibly find a suspect.

That’s how I feel about Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. I see critiques and different articles about what makes him a good coach, and a lot more about why he’s a lame duck coach. But I can’t find anything comprehensive about his decade long tenure to put a finger on just how frustrating it has been.

That changes now. I’m going to try and put a new perspective on what us Dallas fans have been witnessing for the past 9 years with Garrett at the helm. It’s truly remarkable because of how ineffective he’s been and how long he’s been allowed to stay as head coach. It’s almost educational, actually. To look at Garrett’s tenure is a lesson on what I think a team should not do when hiring and keeping a coach. Without sounding too dramatic, I think it’s a fascinating lesson about leadership.

A Lost 2019 Season

Let’s keep it fresh with something that really stinks.

Following the Dallas Cowboys’ loss on Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles in a critical Week 16 matchup, Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence uttered a sentence that perfectly summed up this game, this season, and head coach Jason Garrett’s tenure:

“Talent without direction is nothing at all.”

I can’t think of a better way to explain what a disappointment the Dallas Cowboys have been this year, a true microcosm of what makes the Garrett era so maddeningly frustrating.

All the talent in the world will only get you so far. In sports, good coaching will help you get a few extra wins necessary to go all the way.

Dallas hasn’t had that in decades.

I’m a Cowboys fan since birth (born in NY, raised in FL, go figure), but what was once optimism has turned to realism and sports fatigue. I won’t switch to another team, but I’m practically numb to the idea this team under this coach will go all the way.

Jason Garrett has been the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys since 2010, when he took over for Wade Philips following a 1–7 start. Since then, the Cowboys have put up some nice numbers, won a few playoff games, and drafted well.

So why can’t they get over the hump?

They’re mired in mediocrity.

Just look at the circumstances surrounding this past game against the Eagles. Dallas was coming off their best win of the season, beating the Los Angeles Rams 44–21 (sadly, the only team Dallas beat this season with a winning record). They had the inside track to winning the NFC East all season (in large part because the division is terrible this year), and now they have to beat a team they crushed earlier in the season, the Philadelphia Eagles, a team missing so many key players, including their top 3 wide receivers. Dallas also had an undefeated record against the NFC East all season. Seems like a recipe for success, right?

The Garrett Cowboys can’t make things THAT easy.

Philadelphia outplayed and outlasted Dallas in a 17–9 “thriller”. The Cowboys, the team with the most total offensive yards and second most passing yards in the NFL, couldn’t score a single touchdown against a team that struggled to stop anyone this year.

There were player struggles: Cowboys receivers dropped passes, Dak overthrew receivers, defense couldn’t stop the Eagles from marching down the field.

But Garrett-led teams always feel under-prepared for the biggest games. This was a must-win. So what if the Cowboys are mathematically still alive to win the NFC East in Week 17? This was a winnable game; the odds were in their favor. And they couldn’t get it done.

But why are we surprised?

Garrett came into this season under a lot of pressure (same old story). Sure, they won a playoff game last year, but 2019 was Garrett’s final year under contract, and he wasn’t extended. Super Bowl expectations are a given for this team, especially with this level of talent, particularly on offense.

They promoted former Cowboys backup QB and QB coach Kellen Moore to offensive coordinator to spice up the offense and add new wrinkles missing under former coordinator Scott Linehan (the same guy who helped develop Dak as a rookie and was part the 2 best seasons under Garrett -2014 and 2016).

The first 3 games showed the potential of this new Cowboys offense. Dallas ripped through its first 3 opponents, winning by a total of 97 points to 44. Sure, they beat terrible teams, but that’s what good teams do. Dak Prescott was hearing chants of “MVP” and things felt good and different.

Then reality set in. Dallas lost a close game on Sunday Night Football to a good Saints team that just lost star QB Drew Brees. Then another loss to a good Packers team. Now we’re 3–2, but here comes the 0–4 Jets. This is the game we need to get back on track.

Except the train derailed in New York. The winless Jets upset Dallas 24 to 22 to get their first win of the season. Now Dallas is 3–3 and the future is murky. This wasn’t an aberration. This was a clue of what was to come.

Dallas goes on a “tear” against Philly and the Giants to improve to 5–3, then lose a winnable game against a good Minnesota team on SNF (see the pattern forming?). Genius coaching moment: Dak was moving the ball through the air with ease. They get into the red zone with less than 2 minutes left. Down by 4. So what do they do? They try and run the ball with Ezekiel Elliot. Twice. They weren’t even at the goal line yet, they were at the 19 yard line. Not only does it not work, but they lose yards and it wastes time. A final pass into the endzone goes nowhere. Dallas loses in primetime (again) 28–24.

Week 10: Next up, Dallas wins a close game against a bad Lions team that started a backup QB. But hey, a win is a win.

Week 11: They lose a tight slugfest against the mighty Patriots. It was cold, it was wet, it’s New England, but they had a chance. Garrett gets conservative toward the end with 6 minutes left and goes for a field goal instead of trying for a touchdown. Sure, they get the field goal, but it was too little too late. They lose 13–9.

4 days later, they lay an egg against the Bills at home on Thanksgiving. At this point in the season, Dallas is 6–6. I predict they go 8–8, a Garrett hallmark (more on that later).

Then a week later, Dallas loses to the so-so Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football pretty much the exact same way as the Bills loss (start off hot, then fizzle). The Chicago Bears have struggled offensively all year, yet they dropped 31 points on the Cowboys and made much maligned Chicago QB Mitch Trubisky look like Lamar Jackson.

The Rams anomaly comes a week later. Dallas FINALLY beats a team with a winning record and looks pretty good doing it in all phases.

The Week 16 Debacle in Philly erases all that good will and pretty much cements Garrett’s status in Dallas as soon to be unemployed.

My 8–8 prediction is almost true.

All these games were winnable; they were never out of any of them. The talent part keeps them in. But good coaching would give them a few more wins, I guarantee it.

A Lost Decade

I can’t think of a loss more embarrassing for the Cowboys under Garrett than this Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, considering all the circumstances.

But there are plenty of contenders.

In Jason Garrett’s first full 3 seasons as Dallas Cowboys head coach (2011–2013), the Cowboys finished 8–8 EACH of those 3 seasons. At the end of EACH season, Dallas lost a “win-and-you’re-in the playoffs” game against EACH of its 3 divisional rivals (NY Giants in 2011 on their way to a Super Bowl; Redskins in 2012, rallying from a 3–6 record to 10–6; and the Eagles in 2013 in Chip Kelly’s first season as head coach).

Some 2011 Notes:

Against the Detroit Lions, the Cowboys ran off with a 27–3 lead going into the third quarter. Dallas ended up losing 34–30, giving up 24 points — the biggest lead the Cowboys have ever given up (Second biggest lead given up? Also under Jason Garrett: 23 points in 2013 against the Green Bay Packers and their BACKUP QB Matt Flynn who threw for 4 touchdowns. Dallas lost 37–36).

Against the Arizona Cardinals, Garrett called a timeout in the final seconds of a tie game against the Cardinals. His timeout came as his kicker Dan Bailey kicked a field goal to win the game. Bailey tried again, missed, and the game goes into OT. Arizona gets the ball and scores a touchdown to win. Garrett is accused of icing his own kicker, even though his special teams coaches wanted him to call a timeout.

In 2014, Garrett seemingly broke through with a 12–4 record as QB Tony Romo had perhaps his greatest season behind a revamped offensive line and rejuvenated running game. They eked out a wild card win over the Detroit Lions and lost a close divisional round game to the Green Bay Packers (the first of 3 divisional round playoff losses for Garrett and the first of 2 against the Packers).

2015 was a big year for Garrett. He signed a 5-year, $30 million contract after his big 2014 season. Expectations were high, but once again, reality set in. Romo went down with a broken collarbone (twice) and Garrett and company couldn’t do much with a hodgepodge of backup quarterbacks (Brandon Weeden, Kellen Moore, and Matt Cassel), despite have a productive season from running back Darren McFadden. The team goes 4–12.

Things turned around in 2016. The Cowboys draft Ezekiel Elliot as their new stud running back, while unknowingly drafting Romo’s replacement, Dak Prescott, in the 4th round. Romo gets hurt again, Dak takes the reigns and never looks back. The team powers its way to a 13–3 season before ANOTHER divisional round loss to Green Bay.

The team goes 9–7 in 2017, thanks in part to Zeke’s 6 game suspension.

2018 was a little better. They go 10–6, boosted by a trade with Oakland to get wide receiver Amari Cooper. They actually win a playoff game before getting run over by the eventual NFC champs, the Los Angeles Rams.

There was always a sense that everyone else got blamed for the Cowboys failures, especially in the first few years of Garrett’s time. In 2011 and 2012, the defense was at fault, particularly defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and his “complicated” defense. So he was canned for Monte Kiffin, but he was replaced following the 2013 season with Rod Marinelli. On the offensive side of things, Garrett got an offensive coordinator in 2013 to help him manage the game. Bill Callahan was brought in, but the offense struggled, so he was moved to offensive line coach (a much better move) and Scott Linehan was put in. But Linehan’s magic was short-lived. He was scapegoated following the 2018 season, after critics said his play-calling was too conservative. So the Cowboys jump on the new trend of young, innovative play-callers with Kellen Moore, a man who never coordinated before and just came off his first year as a position coach.

At what point does the blame fall on the man in charge? (Yes, that applies to GM/President/Team Owner Jerry Jones, but we’ll get to him in a minute).

What is a Garrett Team?

I believe any team, sports or business, takes on the persona of its leader. It’s only natural, for better or for worse. The person in charge will rub off on others. In football terms, you see it in teams like the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints: smart, physical teams that don’t give up.

Jason Garrett’s teams have never had a consistent identity. I’ve rarely seen a Garrett team look hungry, look motivated, look hopeful in the face of adversity. Either they start hot and slow down (2019 Bills/Bears games), or start slow and pick it up when it’s too late (2019 Vikings/Packers games).

At some point, when you constantly deal with disappointment, you get dejected far easier. That’s what I see on the Dallas sidelines. They just look “blah”.

I see Garrett teams made dumb mistakes, things I don’t see on good, consistent teams. I can’t remember the last time I heard an announcer compliment the Cowboys on strategy.

Questionable play-calling is another staple. Garrett has very little accountability. If something goes wrong, he usually has an excuse. He’s not above throwing others under the bus, whether it’s a player or coordinator. At some point, as a head coach, you have to be accountable.

Admittedly, Garrett teams are disciplined and are generally competitive. And the Cowboys have drafted well overall under Garrett, with guys like Dez Bryant, Byron Jones, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Sean Lee, just to name a few.

What’s unfortunate is that talent like this has been wasted under Garrett. Pro Bowls are fine and gaudy stats are good, but these guys rarely get to taste postseason success, which is a shame, because there are stars on this roster.

What’s more, stalwarts like Tony Romo, Jason Witten, and Demarcus Ware never got to a Super Bowl after playing most of their careers under Garrett (at least Ware got a ring with former head coach Wade Phillips in Denver in 2015). True, Witten is still on the same, but how many more years does he have left? It was a shock to see him come back for the 2019 season.

At this point, I should probably confess: I don’t actually know what Jason Garrett does. He stands on the sidelines. He has a headset on. But I don’t know what he’s doing. He doesn’t read plays, but OK, he’s got coordinators for that. Yet he doesn’t yell at his players to fire them up. He doesn’t even really talk to his players on the bench.

So what does he do?

He claps. God, he claps. In the Clapping Hall of Fame, Garrett is Lombardi. I’ve seen him clap after a penalty, after a mistake, after settling for a field goal. How does that inspire confidence? Saying “Good job” after every play isn’t coaching. It isn’t managing the game. It’s just…clapping.

What else defines a Jason Garrett team? Well, he’s not interested in those fancy-schmancy “analytics” that some other weirdos use. Who needs ‘em?

Here’s more food for thought: Jason Garrett does not have a coaching tree. Think about that. He’s been a head coach for 9 years. He’s had some winning seasons. None of his assistants have gone elsewhere to coach. Some of them have been head coaches before, albeit it unsuccessfully (Bill Callahan, Scott Linehan, Rod Marinelli), but that’s not the same Thing. The Dallas Morning Star says 19 coaches have worked under the now 53 year old Garrett and none of them have gone elsewhere. For comparison purposes, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is 33 years old. He’s been a head coach for 3 years, and 2 of his former assistants are already head coaches (Matt La Fleur in Green Bay and Zac Taylor in Cincinnati).

FINAL THOUGHTS

I went through this whole diatribe without really talking about Jerry Jones. But he deserves blame here too. As owner/general manager/team president, he has to be the one to see when it’s time to move on from an ineffective coach. I credit Jones for being loyal; sometimes patience pays off with a coach, but in this case, the writing has been on the wall with a permanent marker, and he hasn’t seen it. Maybe if he had a proper GM, this could have been avoided, but that’s not how Jones wants it, and chances are, that structure won’t change.

My theory is Jones let Sean Payton go to the Saints, and he built a powerhouse there, so he didn’t want the same to happen to Garrett. But Garrett also has that persona that Jerry Jones prefers: someone who won’t talk back or fight Jones for control over the team.

What does Garrett have to show for his time so far? 3 division titles, 2–3 playoff record, and 2016 Coach of the Year award? Not bad, but since 2011, he’s the longest tenured head coach without a Super Bowl ring. With all the talent they’ve had on these teams, it’s just unacceptable.

I once asked my dad if any team won a Super Bowl with just talent alone. He said just one: the 1995 Dallas Cowboys under head coach Barry Switzer. That was a team built by Jimmy Johnson and eventually run into the ground after he left. Talent only gets you so far; you need good coaching for those extra couple of wins.

Garrett has a slim chance of getting into the playoffs this year. Dallas needs to beat the lowly Washington Redskins, while the Eagles have to lose to the Giants. But even if Dallas gets in, how do you trust this team going up against stronger teams (this is true for anyone in the NFC East this year, actually)?

Jerry Jones can’t keep Garrett around. He has a decade of proof to look at and realize they’ve wasted talent and resources on a team that is held back by the man supposed to move them forward.

Come the end of the 2019 regular season, specifically the infamous “Black Monday”, Garrett should be fired, and I can’t wait. No, I’m not excited because someone is going to lose his job. I will be relieved that the organization is finally moving in the right direction.

There’s no reason to keep him. Garrett isn’t the reason for every single problem in Dallas. But at some point, blame has to fall on the head coach. You can hire and fire coordinators, release and sign new players, but what’s the common denominator?

The man who claps on the sidelines.