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SportsDayDFW.com
Jason Garrett’s first meeting with the players as interim head coach came nearly nine weeks ago. His message: it starts now.
Garrett spoke of looking forward, not back. He spoke of discipline and accountability and stacking one good day on top of another. He told the players they would face adversity. How they handled it would shape who they were as individuals and a team.
There were changes. The team began to practice in pads once a week in an effort to become more physical. Players were no longer allowed to saunter from one drill to the next. They had to jog or run.
Doors to the team meeting rooms were closed several minutes before meetings were scheduled to start and digital clocks were installed around the locker room so no one could say they had the wrong time. A more stringent dress policy for road games was instituted.
Garrett’s message was consistent. So was his refusal to talk about his future.
“I think I am at my best and I think we’re at our best when we focus on what’s right in front of us,’’ Garrett said.
“You’ve just got to go to work. It’s just the way you do it.’’
The Cowboys responded with a 5-3 record in the second half of the season under Garrett.
Garrett had eight games to state his case as to why he should be the head coach. Here is how his argument unfolded.
At NY Giants, 33-20 win: This set the tone. A team that hadn’t won in seven weeks, a team that had been outscored 114-39 since a second quarter lead against New York 20 days earlier, stunned the Giants. Garrett did what Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells all failed to do in their coaching debuts with the Cowboys. He won.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home against Detroit, 35-19 win: The team’s second win in eight days and their first at home all season. Garrett became only the seventh interim coach to win his first two games since the merger.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home to New Orleans, a 30-27 loss: The Cowboys overcame an early 17-0 deficit to take a four-point lead with 4:30 remaining. “We thought we had them on the ropes at the end,’’ tight end Jason Witten said. The rope got tangled around their necks when Roy Williams fumbled after a 47-yard gain and Terence Newman gave up a 55-yard completion on third down. Still, it was impressive how this team fought until the end.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At Indianapolis, a 38-35 overtime win: The Cowboys blew a 17-point lead in this one. The key stretch in this game came early in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis scored 14 points in two minutes -- the second touchdown on a blocked punt and return by Taj Smith -- to take their first lead of the game at 28-27. “When they scored a touchdown then come back to block the kick, you’ve got to look at each other and say, ‘let’s go, let’s go back to work,’’’ Garrett said. “It’s fun.’’ The team responded with an 18-play, 81-yard touchdown drive then won it on David Buehler’s 38-yard field goal.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home against Philadelphia, a 30-27 loss: This defeat officially eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs. The Cowboys lost a 10-point third quarter lead because they could not stop big plays by receiver DeSean Jackson and running back LeSean McCoy. “That was the point of emphasis all week long,’’ Garrett said. “You’ve got to prevent their big-play players from making big plays. Their guys are very dynamic.’’
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home against Washington, a 33-30 win: The Cowboys did pick up only their second home win of this season. But they blew a 20-point lead to a bad team and made Rex Grossman look like the second coming of Joe Montana.
Verdict: A push
At Arizona, a 27-26 loss: A dreadful start and David Buehler’s missed extra point late was the team’s undoing. The Cardinals had six yards in total offense and were up 14-0 because they had returned two Jon Kitna interceptions for touchdowns. Owner Jerry Jones said he was, “mad as hell’’ after the game but downplayed his anger a few days later, saying the performance would not count against Garrett in his evaluation. That’s hard to believe.
Verdict: Garrett hurt
At Philadelphia, a 14-13 win: This was a preseason game without the warm weather. Still, the Cowboys win with third-team quarterback Stephen McGee directing the winning drive in the closing seconds. “Sometimes it’s easy to throw your arms up and say, ‘hey, it wasn’t our year,’’’ Garrett said. “But our guys came to work every day, came to play every Sunday and they battled.’’
Verdict: A push
Jason Garrett’s first meeting with the players as interim head coach came nearly nine weeks ago. His message: it starts now.
Garrett spoke of looking forward, not back. He spoke of discipline and accountability and stacking one good day on top of another. He told the players they would face adversity. How they handled it would shape who they were as individuals and a team.
There were changes. The team began to practice in pads once a week in an effort to become more physical. Players were no longer allowed to saunter from one drill to the next. They had to jog or run.
Doors to the team meeting rooms were closed several minutes before meetings were scheduled to start and digital clocks were installed around the locker room so no one could say they had the wrong time. A more stringent dress policy for road games was instituted.
Garrett’s message was consistent. So was his refusal to talk about his future.
“I think I am at my best and I think we’re at our best when we focus on what’s right in front of us,’’ Garrett said.
“You’ve just got to go to work. It’s just the way you do it.’’
The Cowboys responded with a 5-3 record in the second half of the season under Garrett.
Garrett had eight games to state his case as to why he should be the head coach. Here is how his argument unfolded.
At NY Giants, 33-20 win: This set the tone. A team that hadn’t won in seven weeks, a team that had been outscored 114-39 since a second quarter lead against New York 20 days earlier, stunned the Giants. Garrett did what Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells all failed to do in their coaching debuts with the Cowboys. He won.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home against Detroit, 35-19 win: The team’s second win in eight days and their first at home all season. Garrett became only the seventh interim coach to win his first two games since the merger.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home to New Orleans, a 30-27 loss: The Cowboys overcame an early 17-0 deficit to take a four-point lead with 4:30 remaining. “We thought we had them on the ropes at the end,’’ tight end Jason Witten said. The rope got tangled around their necks when Roy Williams fumbled after a 47-yard gain and Terence Newman gave up a 55-yard completion on third down. Still, it was impressive how this team fought until the end.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At Indianapolis, a 38-35 overtime win: The Cowboys blew a 17-point lead in this one. The key stretch in this game came early in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis scored 14 points in two minutes -- the second touchdown on a blocked punt and return by Taj Smith -- to take their first lead of the game at 28-27. “When they scored a touchdown then come back to block the kick, you’ve got to look at each other and say, ‘let’s go, let’s go back to work,’’’ Garrett said. “It’s fun.’’ The team responded with an 18-play, 81-yard touchdown drive then won it on David Buehler’s 38-yard field goal.
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home against Philadelphia, a 30-27 loss: This defeat officially eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs. The Cowboys lost a 10-point third quarter lead because they could not stop big plays by receiver DeSean Jackson and running back LeSean McCoy. “That was the point of emphasis all week long,’’ Garrett said. “You’ve got to prevent their big-play players from making big plays. Their guys are very dynamic.’’
Verdict: Garrett helped
At home against Washington, a 33-30 win: The Cowboys did pick up only their second home win of this season. But they blew a 20-point lead to a bad team and made Rex Grossman look like the second coming of Joe Montana.
Verdict: A push
At Arizona, a 27-26 loss: A dreadful start and David Buehler’s missed extra point late was the team’s undoing. The Cardinals had six yards in total offense and were up 14-0 because they had returned two Jon Kitna interceptions for touchdowns. Owner Jerry Jones said he was, “mad as hell’’ after the game but downplayed his anger a few days later, saying the performance would not count against Garrett in his evaluation. That’s hard to believe.
Verdict: Garrett hurt
At Philadelphia, a 14-13 win: This was a preseason game without the warm weather. Still, the Cowboys win with third-team quarterback Stephen McGee directing the winning drive in the closing seconds. “Sometimes it’s easy to throw your arms up and say, ‘hey, it wasn’t our year,’’’ Garrett said. “But our guys came to work every day, came to play every Sunday and they battled.’’
Verdict: A push