MacMahon: Jerry silently accepts fault for 2013 failures

[Cotton]

Jerry silently accepts fault for 2013 failures
January, 28, 2014

By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

If actions speak louder than words, Jerry Jones has accepted the lion's share of the accountability for the Dallas Cowboys' failures in 2013.

It might have required a lot of convincing from head coach Jason Garrett, but the fact of the matter is that the moves announced Tuesday night were about attempting to clean up the mess created by the owner/general manager during Jones' infamously "uncomfortable" offseason a year ago.

Bill Callahan was a poor fit as a playcaller in Garrett's system. Monte Kiffin is no longer a competent NFL defensive coordinator, much less an elite one as he was back in the day with Tampa Bay. Their authority has been stripped with a couple of the most politely phrased demotions in recent NFL history.

Garrett got to pick his playcaller, bringing in good buddy Scott Linehan, whose offensive philosophy is much more in line with the head coach's. He has a defensive coordinator who has proven he could be effective this decade with Rod Marinelli's promotion.

It's a bit puzzling to force Callahan to stay at Valley Ranch as the least powerful offensive coordinator in the NFL, perhaps even welcoming dysfunction on the coaching staff. Kiffin's title of assistant head coach/defense is amusing, but it at least makes sense for him to serve as a trusted advisor to his loyal, longtime lieutenant Marinelli.

So the staff's construction isn't perfect, but the compromises represent a major offseason win for Garrett.

For Garrett's sake, the Cowboys better follow the moves with the first winning season of his tenure as head coach.

Whether Jones verbalizes it or not, the blame for 2013 falls at his feet first. He created the perception that his head coach was a puppet and got nothing but another 8-8 season to show for it.

Garrett, who always managed to maintain his dignity and respect in the locker room, showed some serious backbone by fighting for the changes he felt were necessary. Good for Garrett.

It shouldn't be considered a significant development for a head coach to be able to make the staff changes he thinks are best for his team, but that's life at Valley Ranch. It's newsworthy any time the GM with bulletproof job security gets out of the way.

Garrett, the only person quoted in the Cowboys' Tuesday evening press release, got what he wanted. They better result in a winning record. Odds are his job is riding on it, although most thought the same thing at this point last year.

After all the dust cleared, however, Jones basically took the blame for 2013. Garrett got to keep his job and had some power restored. It's on a temporary basis at this point, but Garrett will gladly take it.

And Garrett will take the fall if these changes don't work. If 2013 is on the GM, the head coach's "Armageddon year" has officially begun.

 

[Smitty]

Oddly enough, we all thought Callahan was his pick when he was hired. I still think it was.... obviously his fault for not bringing in someone more in line with his philosophy to begin with.

 

[Plan9Misfit]

Oddly enough, we all thought Callahan was his pick when he was hired. I still think it was.... obviously his fault for not bringing in someone more in line with his philosophy to begin with.

The better question is: why hire someone as the offensive coordinator but not allow him to run his system? Garrett forced Callahan to call plays from a system that he's never used. Isn't it more prudent to allow the guy the opportunity to design an offense based on his specific expertise? Because all we did was try to hammer a square peg through a round hole.

 

[L.T. Fan]

The better question is: why hire someone as the offensive coordinator but not allow him to run his system? Garrett forced Callahan to call plays from a system that he's never used. Isn't it more prudent to allow the guy the opportunity to design an offense based on his specific expertise? Because all we did was try to hammer a square peg through a round hole.

Every system has a balanced structure. The key is to use the plays that will have the best chances of success and game control.

 

[Rev]

The better question is: why hire someone as the offensive coordinator but not allow him to run his system? Garrett forced Callahan to call plays from a system that he's never used. Isn't it more prudent to allow the guy the opportunity to design an offense based on his specific expertise? Because all we did was try to hammer a square peg through a round hole.

Well, Garrett is only learning from Jerry.

 

[UncleMilti]

Put me down as unimpressed.

Garrett's offense sucks....there is no reason to believe bringing Linehan is going to suddenly transform this offense into a juggernaut, unless Garrett gives up any hand in the play calling and Romo is reined in. Which is not going to happen....Jerry has already primed that pump with all the blabbering about Romo putting in Peyton Manning time into the game plan.

I can deal with Marinelli...at least he's proven he can do something when given some talent.

But anyone who thinks this team is going anywhere by adding coaches is kidding themselves. Jones runs this team the way he tried to drill for oil, by rolling the dice. Misses on players and draft picks are no big deal. Restructuring and extending old, poor performing players is ok. Switching defensive philosophies even though you don't have the players to run it. It all doesn't matter...the next swing might hit the gold. That's no way to run an NFL team. If it was, everyone would be doing it.

The dysfunction this organization has bleeds down into the players. This whole roster has basically been overhauled, but yet the team is still 8-8. That's all that needs to be said.

 

[Smitty]

The better question is: why hire someone as the offensive coordinator but not allow him to run his system? Garrett forced Callahan to call plays from a system that he's never used. Isn't it more prudent to allow the guy the opportunity to design an offense based on his specific expertise? Because all we did was try to hammer a square peg through a round hole.

Well, the head coach should be the one that picks the systems, but yeah, it's on him if he brings in staff of his own choosing, which I think he at least had a say in Callahan's hiring, who don't know how to run that system.

 

[ravidubey]

Well, the head coach should be the one that picks the systems, but yeah, it's on him if he brings in staff of his own choosing, which I think he at least had a say in Callahan's hiring, who don't know how to run that system.

Originally Callahan was supposed to be the OL coach. His role grew, and I'm pretty sure Jones was behind it since Jerry was always his most enthusiastic and vocal supporter. I think Jerry, like most of us, lost confidence in Garrett's coaching abilities thanks to the endless dumb game-losing calls and poor clock management, and Callahan was his way of hedging his bets.

It backfired like all of Jerry's wagers.

Kiffen's hiring was so left-field it had to be a Jerry-move, though it also had a nice side effect of bringing in Marinelli to coach the DL. Bottom line is the coach must feel comfortable with his assistants. This is Jason's opportunity and he deserves the right to make the most of it the way he sees fit, so I'm fine with Linehan. This lingering Callahan/Kiffen debacle is just the cost of being a HC in Dallas.