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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Everything about Jason Garrett’s coaching career has been defined by what happens in MetLife Stadium. That’s no longer such a good thing for the Cowboys.
Garrett won his first game here as interim coach against the Giants in 2010. But his team lost games that frame an ultimately disappointing 2011 season here as well.
How things unraveled in an opening loss to the Jets was a mystery blamed mostly on late gaffes by Tony Romo.
But the biggest game of Garrett’s coaching career — one that could have sent Dallas to the playoffs — was just an ugly mess for the visitors.
The Giants stormed to a 21-point halftime lead, put it on cruise control for a bit in the second half and finally walked away with a 31-14 victory and the NFC East crown.
Technically, the Cowboys are a third-place team despite an 8-8 record that has them just one game in back of the Giants. Third place sounds just about right for what Garrett accomplished this season.
In other words, the Cowboys did what was expected of them.
Not much.
On one hand, there were blown fourth-quarter leads against the Jets, Lions, Patriots, Cards and Giants (first time around) that kept the record from being more presentable. On the other, the failure to secure those leads is a big part of the Garrett résumé.
But how the Cowboys finished the season is the thing that raises the most red flags about Garrett. And just because the organization (i.e. Jerry Jones) has a flawed coaching system doesn’t preclude head coaches from needing to prove themselves.
This was a 7-4 team in command of the division when it went to Arizona. That, of course, is where Garrett mangled the end of regulation by failing to call timeout when he should have, then calling a timeout that iced his own kicker, Dan Bailey.
The only victory Dallas managed in the final five weeks was against a Tampa Bay team that lost its last 10 games.
In spite of the manner in which this team staggered, blowing a late lead to the Giants three weeks ago and never really competing against the Eagles, the Cowboys had a trip to the playoffs in front of them Sunday night.
All that was required was a mild upset of a Giants team that had gone 2-5 since midseason and had lost more home games than it had won.
The halftime score of 21-0 said it all.
Garrett’s team looked ill-prepared in every way. Even if the most egregious mistakes came from
Terence Newman and the secondary, the offense that Garrett commands did nothing to keep from the beleaguered defense off the field.
By the time Eli Manning had built a 21-0 second period lead, the Giants had 277 total yards to the Cowboys’ 44.
Things that could have been built-in excuses for Garrett — injured Romo, injured punter, new holder on kicks — were not the things that hurt the team early. Sure, Romo was beat up and had made his share of mistakes by the end, but he was 16-for-18 with no turnovers when the score was 21-7.
Jones has said Garrett will return next year, and I’m not a fan of getting rid of him after one full season. But the clock has to be ticking now. Garrett has to do a better job in 2012.
At the very least, he has to develop a team that practices the boring mantra that he preaches about getting better every day, every game.
This team did not get better as the season went along. Its best win came in Week 2 at San Francisco. The 1-4 record after Thanksgiving is telling.
“Jason Garrett, I know for a fact, will be here for a long time and will win Super Bowls,” linebacker Keith Brooking said.
His enthusiasm was unmatched by any evidence.
By the standard that Jones has created since taking full control in the mid-’90s, Garrett’s work was all right. He did what Bill Parcells did half the time and what Dave Campo did all the time. He fell short of the playoffs.
But he has done nothing to provide proof that he’s the equal of Tom Coughlin or Andy Reid, let alone something that would make Cowboys fans with memories that go beyond the increasingly glorious Chan Gailey Era sit up and applaud.
Garrett won his first game here as interim coach against the Giants in 2010. But his team lost games that frame an ultimately disappointing 2011 season here as well.
How things unraveled in an opening loss to the Jets was a mystery blamed mostly on late gaffes by Tony Romo.
But the biggest game of Garrett’s coaching career — one that could have sent Dallas to the playoffs — was just an ugly mess for the visitors.
The Giants stormed to a 21-point halftime lead, put it on cruise control for a bit in the second half and finally walked away with a 31-14 victory and the NFC East crown.
Technically, the Cowboys are a third-place team despite an 8-8 record that has them just one game in back of the Giants. Third place sounds just about right for what Garrett accomplished this season.
In other words, the Cowboys did what was expected of them.
Not much.
On one hand, there were blown fourth-quarter leads against the Jets, Lions, Patriots, Cards and Giants (first time around) that kept the record from being more presentable. On the other, the failure to secure those leads is a big part of the Garrett résumé.
But how the Cowboys finished the season is the thing that raises the most red flags about Garrett. And just because the organization (i.e. Jerry Jones) has a flawed coaching system doesn’t preclude head coaches from needing to prove themselves.
This was a 7-4 team in command of the division when it went to Arizona. That, of course, is where Garrett mangled the end of regulation by failing to call timeout when he should have, then calling a timeout that iced his own kicker, Dan Bailey.
The only victory Dallas managed in the final five weeks was against a Tampa Bay team that lost its last 10 games.
In spite of the manner in which this team staggered, blowing a late lead to the Giants three weeks ago and never really competing against the Eagles, the Cowboys had a trip to the playoffs in front of them Sunday night.
All that was required was a mild upset of a Giants team that had gone 2-5 since midseason and had lost more home games than it had won.
The halftime score of 21-0 said it all.
Garrett’s team looked ill-prepared in every way. Even if the most egregious mistakes came from
Terence Newman and the secondary, the offense that Garrett commands did nothing to keep from the beleaguered defense off the field.
By the time Eli Manning had built a 21-0 second period lead, the Giants had 277 total yards to the Cowboys’ 44.
Things that could have been built-in excuses for Garrett — injured Romo, injured punter, new holder on kicks — were not the things that hurt the team early. Sure, Romo was beat up and had made his share of mistakes by the end, but he was 16-for-18 with no turnovers when the score was 21-7.
Jones has said Garrett will return next year, and I’m not a fan of getting rid of him after one full season. But the clock has to be ticking now. Garrett has to do a better job in 2012.
At the very least, he has to develop a team that practices the boring mantra that he preaches about getting better every day, every game.
This team did not get better as the season went along. Its best win came in Week 2 at San Francisco. The 1-4 record after Thanksgiving is telling.
“Jason Garrett, I know for a fact, will be here for a long time and will win Super Bowls,” linebacker Keith Brooking said.
His enthusiasm was unmatched by any evidence.
By the standard that Jones has created since taking full control in the mid-’90s, Garrett’s work was all right. He did what Bill Parcells did half the time and what Dave Campo did all the time. He fell short of the playoffs.
But he has done nothing to provide proof that he’s the equal of Tom Coughlin or Andy Reid, let alone something that would make Cowboys fans with memories that go beyond the increasingly glorious Chan Gailey Era sit up and applaud.
