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Why Cowboys' Garrett should take over play-call duties
MIKE FISHER
November 12, 2013, 2:15pm

IRVING, Texas – Coaching football is all about "putting people in position to succeed.'' If the Dallas Cowboys were to apply that same philosophy to their own staff, to themselves – coaches putting coaches in position to succeed – Dallas would be announcing a subtle-but-meaningful change right about now.

Jason Garrett would be announcing his decision to once again serve as his own offensive coordinator/play-caller.

Is there any sort of alteration like that brewing, Jerry Jones?

"No,'' the owner said flatly on 105.3 The Fan.

Was anything like that considered as the Cowboys enter their bye week, coach Garrett?

"That's not something we're really talking about,'' Garrett said when I asked the question. "We just need to play better on offense.''

The resistance to change is understandable. Garrett's entire foundation – not just as a coach but as a person – is unflappability. And Jones' stated position is sound as well.

"Being 5-5 is not acceptable," Jones said. "But we can we can say we were close in four of the games we lost. … Don't look at what happened to us the other night (in a 49-17 loss at New Orleans) and become panicky. I'm not going to address the coaching staff and whether they are safe. We are 5-5. We got players coming back. We got one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. It doesn't call for much change at all."

Dallas is also in first place in the NFC East, does indeed get this needed time to rehab a battalion of injured standouts, and in the final six games of the season will oppose three teams (NFC East foes New York, Washington and Philadelphia) that the Cowboys have already defeated this season.

So there is no absolute reason to panic, it is true. Nor should there be a change-for-the-sake-of-change approach, despite the pressure from disgruntled fans who visualize a third straight 8-8 season for Garrett's team.

Make a change in defensive leadership? That's an impractical fantasy for those unhappy about Monte Kiffin. Dallas is elite in the category of takeways, even as other defensive numbers put this crew on pace to be one of the statistically poorest in NFL history. But Kiffin's lieutenant – the right organizational-chart guy to step up in his absence – is assistant Rod Marinelli. Marinelli is a loyal man; remember, he took a lesser job (D-line coach) in Dallas rather than stay on in Chicago (as D-coordinator) because Bears management fired his boss, head coach Lovie Smith.

Marinelli is not going to step across Kiffin's fallen body. Besides, if Marinelli has some magical solutions, he's already on-staff and is free to pull those tricks from his sleeve.

Ah, but Garrett? He agreed to take his hands off the play-calling steering wheel at the end of last season at the urging of ownership. He handed the responsibility to offensive coordinator Bill Callahan.

The results? A lack of results.

If most of us are Jason Garrett, we certainly propose the idea to our ownership. We wouldn't sell ourselves as the panacea, as we realize that we lost this play-calling responsibility in the first place because the production was flawed. But we can note that while we don't support change-for-the-sake-of-change alterations, we do believe that even with the same recipe (playbook) and ingredients (players), a different chef might cook up a better meal.

We can note that our status as "walk-around coach'' isn't doing our failing defense any good.

We can cite recent history of teams that have made such a change looking for a spark … and the positive results. Jim Fassel put himself in charge of his own offense mid-season with the 2002 Giants in at 3-4 (nudgng aside Sean Payton) and New York won its final four games to make the playoffs In 2006, Brian Billick fired his Ravens coordinator (ironically, Fassel) even with their 4-2 record. Billick led Baltimore to a 13-win season. Last December, the Ravens did it again, firing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promoting Jim Caldwell and ended up winning the Super Bowl.

If we were Jason Garrett -- fully in charge of the Dallas offense until this season – we would be citing the history. And we would be itching to be fully in charge again.

Part of the natural itch: We as a coach can inform your boss that if we are going down (and if the Cowboys don't make the playoffs, "going down'' is likely Garrett's fate) we'd like to do it our way. We'd like to give it your best, last shot. We'd like to have the finest offensive mind in the organization --- ours – in place in order to save a season, save careers, save face.

Oh, and if the request is made and the boss says no?

You know even more about your fate being tied to playoffs-or-else, about your fate being sealed.

We asked Garrett if, hypothetically and despite the omnipotence of his boss, if he had the authority to take over play-calling duties if he thought that the best action. In other words, forget about "asking the boss.'' Could he just flip the authoritative switch.

"Absolutely,'' the coach said without equivocation.

Jason Garrett knows that coaching football is all about putting people in position to succeed. His best shot at achievement this year is to do himself the same favor he does his players.

Should he attempt to better himself and his team by becoming his own play-caller?

"Absolutely,'' I say without equivocation.
 

boozeman

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Not sure what Fisher's point is. He's already said he could do it but he's not going to.
 

ThoughtExperiment

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Gawd, get off Garrett's nuts, Fish.

Pretty much positive when Jerry gave the reins to Callahan, Fisher argued up and down that who called the plays didn't matter. Now, of course, it does.
 

Tabascocat

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Handing over plays to Garrett again is like choosing Brussels sprouts over Beets...they both taste like shit. How about mixing in a Filet Mignon next time and 86 that nasty rabbit food.
 

Hoofbite

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It is his system.

Not that it matters.

I hope he does. That way he can fall flat on his face again and Dallas can move on.
 

JBond

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Jones said. "But we can we can say we were close in four of the games we lost.… Don't look at what happened to us the other night."

I hate that I have come to despise the team I love.

:suicide
 

ThoughtExperiment

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We're gonna win just enough games for Garrett and everyone else to stay. Doesn't this team always break your heart?
 

junk

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We're gonna win just enough games for Garrett and everyone else to stay. Doesn't this team always break your heart?

Yep, they'll win the division and lose early in the playoffs. Everyone will claim success saying "Lookwhat we did with all these injuries". They'll restructure everyone, maybe fire a scape goat coordinator and plan to try it again next year
 

Jon88

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You thought this defense was bad? It's about to get worse without Lee. Plus I think the team has quit.

5-11 it will be.
 
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Fisher needs to get his nose out of ginger's glowing red asshole. This article, like most of what Fisher spews, makes zero sense. The Garrett experiment was over 2 years ago. He's Jim Zorn with freckles. That's all he ever will be.

Hate on Snyder all you want, but at least he was smart enough to can his Zorn. Fuck you, Jerry.
 

yimyammer

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Jones said. "But we can we can say we were close in four of the games we lost.… Don't look at what happened to us the other night."

I hate that I have come to despise the team I love.

:suicide


Right there with you brother, its only gonna get worse from here....I see 5-10 years of pure hell because I don't think they'll build a team around Tony before his talent erodes, Ware and Witten are on borrowed time and once Romo is gone, the search for another QB begins again. They're in deep shit barring some miracle.

The only joy I can find in the losses is whatever criticism gets heaped upon Jerry's fat, worthless head. It would kill me to see it happen but I'd almost rather things go horrendously bad and they go 1-15 or worse for several years so fans leave, money starts to dry up and the tide of criticism toward Jerry become so huge that he is humiliated beyond belief and this possibly opens the door to real changes that could make the franchise get on the right track, but parity will probably just continue to torture us all because Jerry will always base his decisions on what-ifs and close losses.

Nothings likely to change and we're all probably fucked as fans for the foreseeable future
 

yimyammer

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Yep, they'll win the division and lose early in the playoffs. Everyone will claim success saying "Lookwhat we did with all these injuries". They'll restructure everyone, maybe fire a scape goat coordinator and plan to try it again next year

No way they win the division, shits just gonna get worse from here, they're too injured and the Giants or Eagles will probably find a way to lap them at the finish line in some humiliating fashion as the season closes, my hope is all but gone
 

Bob Sacamano

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Sounds like the gripings and delusions of a homer.

'Oh, now it's time to give the play-calling duties back to Garrett, that'll fix it for sure!'
 

Bob Sacamano

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Right there with you brother, its only gonna get worse from here....I see 5-10 years of pure hell because I don't think they'll build a team around Tony before his talent erodes, Ware and Witten are on borrowed time and once Romo is gone, the search for another QB begins again. They're in deep shit barring some miracle.

The only joy I can find in the losses is whatever criticism gets heaped upon Jerry's fat, worthless head. It would kill me to see it happen but I'd almost rather things go horrendously bad and they go 1-15 or worse for several years so fans leave, money starts to dry up and the tide of criticism toward Jerry become so huge that he is humiliated beyond belief and this possibly opens the door to real changes that could make the franchise get on the right track, but parity will probably just continue to torture us all because Jerry will always base his decisions on what-ifs and close losses.

Nothings likely to change and we're all probably fucked as fans for the foreseeable future

I admire the effort here collecting those thoughts and typing it out for us. But it's useless.
 
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No way they win the division, shits just gonna get worse from here, they're too injured and the Giants or Eagles will probably find a way to lap them at the finish line in some humiliating fashion as the season closes, my hope is all but gone

All I can say is I will be so so so excited if the Giants beat us in two weeks.

That would be friggin hillarious.
 
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