Much is being made by Monday morning armchair quarterbacks about Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett’s play-calling at the end of his team’s 20-16 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. These people are saying Garrett was too conservative with his play-calling. The most notable of these accusations is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. After criticizing Garrett for being too aggressive in Dallas’ last game, now he’s saying the Cowboys’ head coach is too conservative.
“Last week we didn’t go conservative and we second-guessed that,” Jones said. “This week we went conservative and we’re going to second-guess that. I would have like to have seen him go for the first down.”
Does Jones have a severe case of short-term memory loss? Did he suddenly forget that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw three second-half interceptions in a 34-30 loss to the Detroit Lions two weeks ago (not “last week”)? Romo’s final of those three picks was on the Cowboys’ final drive with his team leading by three points with little time remaining.
Following that game, Jones publicly questioned Garrett for putting the game in Romo’s hands. This week Garrett did exactly as Jones wanted him to and now the Cowboys’ immature owner is saying the opposite. Jones changes his mind more often than Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. He referenced a Cowboys win in the 1993 NFC Championship game as his basis for being so wishy-washy.
“It could have been a tremendous boon for us,” Jones said. “That is the whole point. This is the kind game you throw off the goal line like we did in the championship game against San Francisco. You don’t usually make that call. But it won us the game. It was very similar situation in my mind.”
Yes, a first down was definitely on the mind of Garrett as was Romo’s recent late-game catastrophes. Cowboys rookie running back DeMarco Murray had played well in the contest and Garrett was confident his young running back could run out the clock. Regardless of that, Garrett was smart not to put the game in Romo’s hands and that has nothing to do with his confidence in the Cowboys’ quarterback.
If Garrett had opted to pass and Romo had given the game away at the end, the turmoil surrounding this team would have mounted to an unconquerable level. The negativity surrounding Romo has been almost overwhelming this season and another late-game giveaway would have ruined him for the season.
To top it all off, the Cowboys’ defense had held the Patriots’ offense in check for the entire game. Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit held Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at bay and Garrett believed he could do it again. That’s what championship coaches do; they believe in their players and their coaching staff. No, that doesn’t mean Garrett should have “believed” in Romo to throw the ball with a 3-point lead and little time left. As a coach, you believe in your players who have earned that respect and confidence. The defense earned Garrett’s trust in this game; Romo didn’t and hasn’t so far this year.
Garrett made the right call to run the ball at the end of the game, hands down. Anyone who thinks he should have put the ball in the air in that situation knows nothing about managing a football game, especially at the NFL level. Any Cowboys fan who thinks so is not a true fan because all the Dallas faithful were crossing their fingers, toes and eyes that Garrett wouldn’t allow Romo to throw the ball. This is just a classic case of America’s Team politics.
Contact Griffin at or on Twitter @Cowboys_Central
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I absolutely disagree. Jason Garret called a pathetic game. Facing one of the NFL’s worst defenses the Cowboys put up one touchdown. Jones should absolutely be mad, the Cowboys had the ball inside the Patriot 10 yard line twice in the second half and came away without any points. Garret absolutely blew the game and if it wasnt for Rob Ryans defense playing an incredible game, it would of been an absolute blow out. Jason Garrets offense has always been able to put up a lot of yards but they have always been absoltely terrible in the red zone. Give that talent to Belichek and he wins a superbowl guranteed!
Jason Garrett put game in Romo’s hands last week , now coach Garrett put in own hands this week. Coach Garrett now has to go for the kill every game like Jimmy Johson used to in the 90′s and start going for the kill the score board mentality !!!! Score and keep scoring ,way to much talent in offense to waste for the last four years ! This Team has to stop staying in games , and start finshing them before you can start playing Game clock control . What does Coach Garrett have to lose ? Coach Garrett will end up losing his Job being conservitive or Going for it , so either let this Ferrari of an offense shine or leave in the garage to collect Dust !!!!!!! Facts of Super Bowl winning Coaches !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I disagree you play just like you did the entire second half.you try to drive the ball down the field and put more points up .too damm conservitive .exspecially when we do not have a running back worth s–t.go for the first down. use some backbone,testicular fortitude. daaammmmm it!
Here we go again. Jerry Jones sticking his 2 cents in where it don t belong.
Leave the coaching 2 the coaches he caqn run the front office. Why do u think jimmy johnson, barry switzer and bill parcells didn t stick around. Jones couldn t lv his f—ing nose out of it.
Come on Jerry. Just shut up. The correct call is what Jason did. Run the ball and take down the clock. If you pass and its dropped no time off the clock and also you take the chance of a Int. He put the game on that O lines back and they failed. Blame them. The O line has been a big problem for the Boy’s for how many years now ? Last year they could not protect Romo and he got hurt and this year more of the same. Fix that problem Jerry.
If Jason Garrett believed in Tony Romo he would have passed to get those first downs instead of running the ball three consecutive times.This man has been calling stupid play since Wade was the head coach and it cost Wade his job because the defense was good and the offense sucked.T.O. had it right before they booted him off the team for saying Garrett play calling is predictable.Time told it back then and it is telling it now that this man has know idea how to play call.
Hello Fellow Life-Time Fans
I mostly agree with Jeric. Man, I hate to try been reasonable when no one else wants to be.
A few salient points to chew on:
1. Jerry Jones is a showman and a shrewd business man. The more controversies, while hopefully on the playoff bubble perennially, is his gig. Until the franchise value skids, he has no problems.
2. His 3 Superbowls was luck as much as anything, anybody still remember how 2 teams were resurrected because of two key trades? Herschel Walker brought the Cowboys the talents the Boys needed, and the Roy Williams trade helped revive the Lions.
3. Record consecutive years of success (anybody still remember Tom Landry?) are build on sound fundamentals and an eye for talents. The Boys were within a few points and 4 or 5 victories of being called the Team of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.
4. The common denominators of those glory decades were a stout OL and the Doomsday Defenses. If you cannot consistently ram it in on the ground with first and goal (Emmit Smith did not get all those touchdowns running behind UFAs and 7th round draft choices), trickeries will not get you home. Remember the OLs of John Niland, Erik Williams, Larry Allen…? And yes, those DD defenses would have stuffed Brady and Co. last Sunday.
But all is not lost, we are correctly REBUILDING under Coach Red. Manage your expectations and have patience my friends, we were 6-10 last year. Relax, be encouraging, supportive, and enjoy witnessing the transformation. That goes double for Jerry Jones – how many good drafts did we have with you as the GM before this year?
I foresee that in two years time, we will be on track for long-term success again. We need the time to attain the reps and more talent to upgrade the OL another notch, a Drew Pearson clone to emerge to move the chain and make the last 2-minute catches, a sure-fire big back for critical short-yardage needs, another Lee at ILB, a consistent OLB (Spencer?), and a secondary ball hawk like Ed Reed. That is a total of 6-7 improved players, time to “buy” some Lombardi Trophies through FAs? That is assumming Jones and the all knowing fans do not drive away Red and Romo first. I sure would like to see the Ravens if Red had accepted their head coach offer and took TR with him.
By the way, the 3 losses to 3 good/very good teams were also directly caused by an EASY blocked punt for a TD, a missed < 30 yard field goal, heavy injuries at important positions, the phantom hikes, and a confused defense that can not stop the other team's winning drive. So let's also publicly call out JJ, Joe D., Hudson H., the conditioning coach and trainers, and of course RR. Maybe JJ should replace the whole staff with all the arm-chair QBs and coaches.
Get with the program. How about them Cow Kids who will be Cowboys!