Sullivan: Garrett’s 3-Year Plan Among Random Thoughts

[Smitty]

Grim outlook, but a lot can take place in ten weeks to make geniuses look like dunces.

Garrett has a very long track record prior to these last five weeks of magic to foster enough doubt.

I am enjoying being able to talk mad shit at work right now, but I am not gullible enough to start stretching the moment into something more than it is.

This is a fun time. Enjoy it but it is dumb to expect it to continue until, well, it does.

FWIW we probably will still have a December lull. I don't think Garrett has any magic to get us past that.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

Grim outlook, but a lot can take place in ten weeks to make geniuses look like dunces.

Garrett has a very long track record prior to these last five weeks of magic to foster enough doubt.

I am enjoying being able to talk mad shit at work right now, but I am not gullible enough to start stretching the moment into something more than it is.

This is a fun time. Enjoy it but it is dumb to expect it to continue until, well, it does.

Definitely huge "prove it" time for Garrett. No doubt. It's just nice to be able to point to a few things now that have come together and we'll see if that translates into more success. There is little doubt there will be a couple of bad losses, it's just going to come down to whether they can limit it to "a couple" or let it fall apart and become "several". Early signs are good, but history can not be ignored.

 

[Clay_Allison]

If this team makes the playoffs and wins a game we'll get to see the real Garrett again as soon as Linehan gets another HC job. Then Schmitty can explain how part of Garrett's master plan was to stop running the ball as soon as he got control of the offense back.

 

[NoDak]

And it's board dogma that everything he does sucks. It's why, when you point out that no, he actually does do some things well, you get labeled a "Garrett lover."

That's not true at all. I've given Garrett credit for things in the past, and so have others. You're the one labeled a "Garrett lover" because you doggedly protect him over anything and everything that is even remotely negative. And your little drive by quips pertaining to him when he's not even the subject of discussion certainly don't help you avoid the tag, either.

 

[Carp]

FWIW we probably will still have a December lull. I don't think Garrett has any magic to get us past that.

There is no excuse for that if that happens.

 

[dallen]

Wait until our 1-3 December and this obvious process suddenly turns to obvious 'need a process'

Hopefully our lack of recent late season success will keep the team focused. Garrett certainly won't be lacking for bulletin board material after Thanksgiving

 

[superpunk]

If you want to ascribe credit to Garrett, knock yourself out.

or you can just ascribe it to absolutely nothing other than dumb luck because you have an ax to grind against everyone who actually deserves credit and you're too stubborn to admit when you're wrong

 

[Genghis Khan]

So we all credited Wade for the 2007 regular season, and 2009 season and playoff win, right? Or are we only concerned whether Garrett is credited for a strong start less than halfway through a season when the evidence for Garrett's credit is at best debatable?

 

[superpunk]

taking over someone else's team and winning with it then never replicating those results is alot different than taking over a stinker, overhauling it and then having success

like duh obviously

 

[Genghis Khan]

taking over someone else's team and winning with it then never replicating those results is alot different than taking over a stinker, overhauling it and then having success

like duh obviously

Wade didn't replicate the results in 2009? I think that's your "like duh obviously."

 

[superpunk]

not really that team wasn't nearly as good and was hanging on by a thread as shown the following season

 

[Smitty]

That's not true at all. I've given Garrett credit for things in the past, and so have others. You're the one labeled a "Garrett lover" because you doggedly protect him over anything and everything that is even remotely negative. And your little drive by quips pertaining to him when he's not even the subject of discussion certainly don't help you avoid the tag, either.

Well that's also "not true at all" -- I've agreed with many criticisms including poor clock management, pass happiness in general, and have advocated replacing him with a top tier coach.

I disagree with the people who foolishly insist he's one of the worst coaches in the league, give him credit for nothing, and find fault in every little playcall or game management decision, which most of the time amounts to nothing more than second guessing with hindsight. I've never, ever taken the position he is flawless, or even that he's the right coach to definitely get us over the hump.

I simply have pointed out that maybe the amazing options out there like Jeff Fisher or Lovie Smith --bang up jobs by those two!! -- maybe aren't as good as sticking with the status quo sometimes. At least not until an elite option rolls around.

 

[ravidubey]

FWIW we probably will still have a December lull. I don't think Garrett has any magic to get us past that.

The defense and OL are making huge strides and a few core players (Frederick, Martin, Witten, Scandrick, McClain) are taking what the coaches teach them and using it to make players around them better. Crawford, Terrance Williams, and Hitchens are lapping it up, and even Bruce Carter has been energized by it. Jeremy Mincey is taking to coaching the same way George Selvie did last year.

Three things made it happen:

1) Linehan taking over passing game design and play calling
2) Callahan focusing on the OL
3) Marinelli taking over the entire defense

Nothing Garrett can pull out of his ass will help now. It's up to those three to continue teaching and for more and more players to buy in.

When DeMarcus Lawrence and Josh Brent return with that kind of culture around them I see the potential for the defense to take a big step forward. Parnell and Bernadeau make me think the OL has the depth to last the full year.

So a December lull comes down to attrition by injury, because outside of that I can only see this team improving.

 

[Smitty]

If this team makes the playoffs and wins a game we'll get to see the real Garrett again as soon as Linehan gets another HC job. Then Schmitty can explain how part of Garrett's master plan was to stop running the ball as soon as he got control of the offense back.

Well as long as it hovers around 2007 levels then it will be exactly as I said... so... keep holding your breath.

 

[Smitty]

So we all credited Wade for the 2007 regular season, and 2009 season and playoff win, right? Or are we only concerned whether Garrett is credited for a strong start less than halfway through a season when the evidence for Garrett's credit is at best debatable?

Wade got credit for the defensive performance in 2009 because the evidence showed that he deserved it. He was the coordinator and yes, plenty of people said that he was responsible for that defensive run. I, for one, did not argue it because it was obvious.

I had a ton of other problems with Wade and those problems manifested in collapse just like I said they would. Similarly, you can have problems with Garrett without ignoring the things he is obviously influencing right now.

Unless you are a hater who just can't stomach admitting you were wrong that he is actually competent at some things.

 

[Cotton]

Wade was a better DC than Garrett was an OC.

 

[Smitty]

Wade was a better DC than Garrett was an OC.

As a pure Xs and Os guy, probably.

But I'd never want Wade anywhere near my team because of his toxic loser personality. Proven in like 6 stops now.

Maybe Garrett's approach actually is going to lead to improvement over time. Wade never accomplished anything but short term bump before collapse.

 

[Cotton]

I'll take the X's and O's guy over what amounts to a sideline clapper any day.

 

[ravidubey]

None of us really credited Garrett for 2007.

It was clear that Leonard Davis made a huge difference over Cory Proctor and Marco Rivera with Andre Gurode playing at a high level at center from day one. Marc Columbo and Kyle Kosier turned in solid years and above all Flozell Adams had a career season.

Tony Romo himself said the 2007 offense would probably gain big yards at the cost of completion percentage because their identity was to aggressively target further downfield than they did in 2006.

In 2007, TO was the best wideout talent this team had ever had maybe back to Bob Hayes, so the offense could afford to be that aggressive, especially with Romo actually able to step up in the pocket. When Owens and Gurode got injured at the same time it both handcuffed the offense and left it open to interior pressure.

With Tony Sporano, Dallas had the right combination of aggressiveness and creativity, and looking back from 2008 after Sporano left was the same aggressiveness playcalls but much less creativity or ability to adjust at halftime-- combined with a declining TO, OL, and no help at all from the Roy Williams trade.

Garrett made only two adjustments throughout:

1) In 2009 he ran that cool draw play between the 20's that helped keep a little balance. Then we never saw it again.
2) The instant Wade left he started running the ball more in 2010 and managed to go 5-3. Then we never saw it again.

That was it. 2011, 2012, 2013-- same old Garrett. Hyper-aggressively pass with Romo targeting way downfield, run occasionally and never to set any kind of tone, and never (I mean NEVER) throw to a running back by design because that is pure folly.

 

[NoDak]

As a pure Xs and Os guy, probably.

There it is again.



There is no probably. There is no doubt that Wade is a better DC than Garrett is an OC. To even try to argue otherwise is ridiculous.