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Updated: December 13, 2011, 4:03 PM ET
By Calvin Watkins
ESPNDallas.com
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Hot Button: Panic Time For Cowboys?
The NFL Live crew debates whether the Cowboys and their fans should be worried after blowing a 12-point 4th quarter lead to the GiantsTags: cowboys, giants, panic, hot button
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IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have blown five fourth-quarter leads, the coach was criticized for his late-game management leading to a loss at Arizona, there have been issues with the secondary and fourth-quarter penalties, but coach Jason Garrett's job status isn't a concern.
Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones was asked if the rookie head coach is in danger of losing his job.
"Well, that's not a question that's in my mind, kinda worth responding to," Jones said Tuesday morning on KRLD-FM. "But the answer is no and we're just getting started here."
Jones does like what Garrett has done around Valley Ranch.
Graziano: Good Answer, Jerry
Asking if Jason Garrett's job is in jeopardy in his first season is silly but Jerry Jones provided the perfect answer to the question, Dan Graziano writes. Blog
Garrett, in the first year of a four-year contract, makes players more accountable than before, and even he must answer for mistakes. Garrett admitted to the team that he didn't handle the end of the Arizona loss well.
Garrett also boosts his players, for instance, praising special teams players by placing their names on a poster board outside the locker room.
"I can't speak for everyone, but I'm a pretty good judge of our locker room and where my guys are. I feel like we're 100 percent in with Jason," veteran linebacker Keith Brooking said Tuesday. "I think he's done everything in his power as a head coach to put us in position to be successful. He inspires the hell out of me.
"I think that Jason's going to be here for a very long time. We've let him down. We've let our coaches down. And we're not making the plays we need to make when we've needed them. That's the bottom line. I don't think that has anything to do with Jason Garrett."
By all accounts, Garrett has this team playing harder than the first eight games of the 2010 season under then-coach Wade Phillips.
Yet the potential of a two-game lead in the NFC East is gone thanks to a two-game losing streak that has the Cowboys tied with the New York Giants with three games to play.
"I would have liked to have been closed out right now," Jones said. "If we had won the last two games, that would have happened."
Jones said certain factors have been outside the Cowboys' control.
"It shouldn't surprise us, here we are leading the league, and I'm not being facetious, but leading our division, but we got to fight it out, right down to the wire," he said.
The past two weeks have been difficult for the Cowboys because they've lost on field goals.
Dan Bailey missed a 49-yarder at the end of regulation, which eventually led to an overtime loss at Arizona on Dec. 4. Garrett nullified a made field goal by calling timeout. He was criticized widely when Bailey missed the next attempt.
Bailey had a 47-yard kick blocked Sunday night that would have tied the game against the Giants.
Jones was asked about fans' concerns that the team is not finishing games, something Garrett from the first day of training camp has preached to his team they must do.
"I do understand they're concerned and I would agree we've had a difficult time this year closing out," Jones said. "And we've had some games we should have, if you look back at it from that prospective, won."
Calvin Watkins covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com contributed to this report.
Follow Calvin Watkins on Twitter: @calvinwatkins
By Calvin Watkins
ESPNDallas.com
Archive
Hot Button: Panic Time For Cowboys?
The NFL Live crew debates whether the Cowboys and their fans should be worried after blowing a 12-point 4th quarter lead to the GiantsTags: cowboys, giants, panic, hot button
VIDEO PLAYLIST
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have blown five fourth-quarter leads, the coach was criticized for his late-game management leading to a loss at Arizona, there have been issues with the secondary and fourth-quarter penalties, but coach Jason Garrett's job status isn't a concern.
Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones was asked if the rookie head coach is in danger of losing his job.
"Well, that's not a question that's in my mind, kinda worth responding to," Jones said Tuesday morning on KRLD-FM. "But the answer is no and we're just getting started here."
Jones does like what Garrett has done around Valley Ranch.
Graziano: Good Answer, Jerry
Garrett, in the first year of a four-year contract, makes players more accountable than before, and even he must answer for mistakes. Garrett admitted to the team that he didn't handle the end of the Arizona loss well.
Garrett also boosts his players, for instance, praising special teams players by placing their names on a poster board outside the locker room.
"I can't speak for everyone, but I'm a pretty good judge of our locker room and where my guys are. I feel like we're 100 percent in with Jason," veteran linebacker Keith Brooking said Tuesday. "I think he's done everything in his power as a head coach to put us in position to be successful. He inspires the hell out of me.
"I think that Jason's going to be here for a very long time. We've let him down. We've let our coaches down. And we're not making the plays we need to make when we've needed them. That's the bottom line. I don't think that has anything to do with Jason Garrett."
By all accounts, Garrett has this team playing harder than the first eight games of the 2010 season under then-coach Wade Phillips.
Yet the potential of a two-game lead in the NFC East is gone thanks to a two-game losing streak that has the Cowboys tied with the New York Giants with three games to play.
"I would have liked to have been closed out right now," Jones said. "If we had won the last two games, that would have happened."
Jones said certain factors have been outside the Cowboys' control.
"It shouldn't surprise us, here we are leading the league, and I'm not being facetious, but leading our division, but we got to fight it out, right down to the wire," he said.
“
[Jason Garrett] inspires the hell out of me. I think that Jason's going to be here for a very long time. We've let him down. We've let our coaches down. And we're not making the plays we need to make when we've needed them. That's the bottom line. I don't think that has anything to do with Jason Garrett.
”-- Veteran linebacker Keith Brooking,
on coach Jason Garrett's job security
But the Cowboys do control their own destiny in some ways because winning two of the next three could get them into the postseason, and a sweep assures them of the NFC East title. The regular-season finale at MetLife Stadium against the Giants could determine the playoff berth.
”-- Veteran linebacker Keith Brooking,
on coach Jason Garrett's job security
The past two weeks have been difficult for the Cowboys because they've lost on field goals.
Dan Bailey missed a 49-yarder at the end of regulation, which eventually led to an overtime loss at Arizona on Dec. 4. Garrett nullified a made field goal by calling timeout. He was criticized widely when Bailey missed the next attempt.
Bailey had a 47-yard kick blocked Sunday night that would have tied the game against the Giants.
Jones was asked about fans' concerns that the team is not finishing games, something Garrett from the first day of training camp has preached to his team they must do.
"I do understand they're concerned and I would agree we've had a difficult time this year closing out," Jones said. "And we've had some games we should have, if you look back at it from that prospective, won."
Calvin Watkins covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com contributed to this report.
Follow Calvin Watkins on Twitter: @calvinwatkins
