Why Jason Garrett should get none of the reward for Cowboys season

From the title, one may think that this is an anti Ginger Jay (Jason Garrett post). It's not. I've been on the fence about Garrett since he arrived in Dallas. I've often said that Garrett's signing, as one of the highest paid assistant coaches at the time, 3 million, was made because of Jerry Jones biggest mistake.

This is MY team, kinda

With Jason Garrett it seems that the light has finally come on. I do, however find it hard to believe that Garrett's light came on. Any idiot could see what the problem in Dallas has been for the past 2 or 3 seasons. Garrett's turnaround is not just built on running the ball. Yes right now the Cowboys offensive line is the best in the NFL. It was also very good in 2013. The drafting of Travis Frederick will be looked upon in hindsight as an outstanding pick, if not this year when he is selected to the pro bowl (and possibly the top 100). Frederick gave this line a leader at the most important position within the front 5. There are other factors that should be credited with the Dallas turnaround. These factors are listed below.

#5 The Dallas Cowboys players penchant for the past.

We got iMacs. Wait, whats an iMac?

If you've been watching any sports network you may have heard analysis comparing this team being built similar to the Cowboys teams of the 90's. Well before the 2014 Cowboys were compared to the America's Teams of the past it seems that this 2014 Cowboys team may have been doing a little studying of their own.

At the end of the Saints and Seahawks game, before clocking the ball and doing what most thought was impossible only a year ago after being blasted by the Saints and taking down the champs in a place that was a death trap for any NFL team (except the Cardinals). The offensive line did a little homage of their own. Performing the Landry shift. This move one of coach Landry quieter marks on history. 



The Landry shift was also known as "pre-shifting" meaning the offense would shift from one formation to the other before the snap of the ball. The idea was to break the keys within the defense used to determine what the offense might do. An unusual feature of this offense was Landry having his offensive linemen get in their squatted pre-stance, stand up while the running backs shifted, and then go back down into their complete "hand down" stance. The purpose of the "up and down" movement was to make it more difficult for the defense to see where the backs were shifting (over the tall offensive linemen) and thus cut down on recognition time. While other NFL teams later employed shifting, few employed this "up and down" technique as much as Landry.
The shift was something Landry did to creative an offensive advantage, along with inventing the modern motion offense, to help his subpar teams get a leg up on NFL teams like Landry's former team the New York Giants. Speaking of the Giants. The O-line was not the only team members bringing Cowboys blasts from the past back.

This is how Irvin knows that Bryant "smells" like him.
-actual quote

Before last Sundays win over the Giants. DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant found there own little niche. Bryant and Murray gave a double handshake reminiscent of Michael Irving and Emmitt Smith's called double trouble. Even tho we have no footage of "double trouble". Irvin was sure to bring it up on his NFL network gameday final.


So we did find it...


#4 Garr-a-Han (Scott Linehan/Jason Garrett)

every picture we've found of these two, Garrett looks pissed

I wasn't critical of Linahan when he was first hired. However I wondered how a man who came from Detroit. The team that lost control of the NFC North with an injury to Aaron Rodgers. Could help us. Especially as a passing game coordinator. In Garrett's defense he has turned us into a much better passing team during his time here. He has also helped Romo cut down on INT's. What Linehan did do in Detroit is help resurgence Reggie Bush's career and make Joique Bell a staple in the Detroit offense. Linehan has used his players beautifully from the 5 wide receiver empty back sets, improving Williams routes and inserting Escobar in the red zone. He even taught Garrett to run to set up the pass philosophy.


Na-uh, I know how to pass to set up the pass...wait

#3 Expiring contracts

I once thought (but never took time to write about) if a NFL team could sign their players in such a way where a handful of their stars would have all have expiring contracts at the same time. Creating the effect of improved performance based on hopefully cashing in, either with their existing team or elsewhere.  Now this would be damn near impossible to accomplish but what if a team had say 3-4 key starting players in the position where all 3 of their more important players had expiring contracts.

http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20141014-linny.jpg.ece/BINARY/original/LINNY.JPG
This pic is just epic


We all know in the NFL when a player is approaching his free agency year. They perform and get paid. See the Jason Hatcher deal. Dallas is almost in this situation. Now Tyron Smith just signed a big deal so he is out of the picture. Dez Bryant, Bruce Carter, DeMarco Murray and Rolando McClain contracts are all up at the end of the year. All of these players are playing well especially Carter. Whom we thought had fell off of a cliff last season. This year Carter is much improved. This situation has a lot of players pegged to be free agents at the end of this year. Which is an underlying factor in the improvement in all named players above. Along with those 4 players like:

Justin Durant
Doug Free
Anthony Spencer
DeWayne Harris
Sterling Moore

All set to be free agents at the end of this year. These 4 are also playing well. Which contributes to the Cowboys perfect storm.

I'm helping too 
- Gavin Escobar

#2 The best offensive line in the NFL

Three offensive linemen drafted in the last four NFL drafts. This one is the key. It is another staple that I thought was a little unnecessary. Don't get me wrong I love when we drafted Tyron Smith and Travis Fredrick. At the time I thought that the 2014 first round pick should have went to defense. Jerry Jones' decision to go all in on the O-line is the lynchpin to the success of this team.

#1 Jerry Jone running out of friends

Beg for my FORGIVENESS

The last reason why I feel that Jason Garrett should get none of the reward for this team is the fact that I never really wanted Garrett to get fired. No, I wasn't a big fan of his over the last few years but I feel a team should give a coach that isn't an immediate success at least 5 years before deciding to change coaches. Pittsburgh  has done this to perfection. One of the NFL's oldest franchises has only had 3 head coaches since 1969. The coach hired in '69 was Chuck Noll, it took Noll four season to post a winning record (1973). He eventually lead them to winning 4 super bowls. I am not proclaiming Garrett is the next coach Noll. But I have always felt ANY coach on ANY team should get at minimum 4-5 years to be evaluated. It just so happens Garrett is in his 4th full season. Things seem to be paying off.

In a interview a year or two back, in jest, Jerry Jones joked about one of the reasons he didn't want to fire coaches is because all of the coaches he's ever had were his friends. That firing them (his friends) he wouldn't know who to turn to as he doesn't have many friends left. Maybe this is why Kiffin didn't get the ax last year. 
Why Jason Garrett should get none of the reward for Cowboys season Why Jason Garrett should get none of the reward for Cowboys season Reviewed by Mr. DCStands4 on 3:38:00 PM Rating: 5

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