MacMahon: If Cowboys improve, Jerry might admit mistake

[Cotton]

If Cowboys improve, Jerry might admit mistake

July, 27, 2013

By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com


OXNARD, Calif. -- Jerry Jones isn't quite ready to admit he made a mistake by insisting that Jason Garrett called plays the last two seasons.

But the Cowboys’ owner/general manager hopes the error of his ways will be clear after this year, now that Garrett has given up play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Callahan.

“The answer is, if it works and we break out of this 8-8 cycle on a positive basis, then I will wish that we’d have done it a couple of years earlier,” Jones said.

Jones realized after consecutive 8-8 seasons in Garrett’s first two full years as a head coach that his long-held belief that a head coach should have play-calling duties needed to be reconsidered. Suddenly, Jones decided that employing a “walkaround” head coach wasn’t such a bad idea.

Jimmy Johnson, the most successful Cowboys head coach in Jones’ tenure, tried convincing Jones and Garrett into delegating play-calling duties after Garrett’s promotion. However, Jones valued former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs’ opinion over Johnson’s.

“I felt that when he did become the head coach, the head coach being the coordinator on one side of the ball or the other [was best for the team],” Jones said. “And I’ve said that, and I got that really as much as anybody from Joe Gibbs. But we’ve got a game today that has expanded the scope of things to concentrate on. It’s just more than it was in years past, and we’ll benefit from that [change].”

So, in hindsight, was Jones wrong?

“Not really, because he knew that part of it,” Jones said. “That’s the most comfortable he was in his shoes. I could see where that would be the most comfortable he was, is having and being with the team in an offensive [role], using his knowledge and his background on offense.

“He still uses it, though. He still is obviously in real command of what we’re doing, so we benefit from that. Usually, a head coach has expertise on one side or the other and to some degree is a little bit reliant on the side of the ball that he didn’t spend his position coaching career. He’s usually, I’m not going to say hostage, but he’s counting on that other side of the ball to be pretty much delegated.

“To the extent that Jason with his skills can have better knowledge over on the other side of the ball, we’ll benefit from. And I see that. That’s what I see as our benefit, is that he’ll have and is and will have more attention to the whole picture, and certainly I think that’ll pay off for us in game-planning, game management, all of those areas.”

If it works this season, it’s fair to wonder whether the Cowboys could have made the playoffs the last two years if the owner/general manager – and head coach, for that matter – wasn’t so stubborn on the issue.

 

[2233boys]

If the owner would die the team would be better.

 

[Smitty]

Or it might be if Frederick's a hit, Free bounces back, and Leary takes on of the guard spots, giving us three upgrades.

 

[Cotton]

Or it might be if Frederick's a hit, Free bounces back, and Leary takes on of the guard spots, giving us three upgrades.

 

[Smitty]

Not very likely that they all show up, I know.

 

[ravidubey]

Doug Free will not bounce back. His being an effective starter at all was an illusion whose concealment may have been helped by mistakes at other positions.

2009 Free was getting blown back off the line in the playoffs, but you could easily chalk that up to his being called in emergency duty at a new position and in a hostile environment facing an All-Pro.

In 2010, Free statistically played well at LT, though it was clear he couldn't withstand any kind of serious pass rusher and probably at least contributed to Romo's being lost for the season. When the Cowboys shortened their patterns under Kitna, Free's job became much easier.

In 2011 Free was bad. People thought it was just a "bad season", but he may have been the worst Cowboy lineman.

In 2012 Free was worse, and this was at RT facing weaker pass rushers. Being next to Mackenzie Bernadeau didn't help, but Free's lack of power really stands out at RT.

Only the Cowboys would be unable to admit their own mistaken assessment of Free and still keep him as a starter for 2013. Giving him a paycut helps not one iota on the field, it only makes it easier in Jerry Jones' mind to allow a backup to finally take Free's role as starter.

But now Parnell is hurt and faces an uphill climb to unseat Free. I'd rather have Winston Justice, that's how bad Free is.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I'd rather have Winston Justice, that's how bad Free is.

Yep. It is by far the biggest hole on the team.

 

[junk]

I'm not a huge Callahan fan, but I do expect the offense to better this year simply because Garrett has been removed from play calling. All he has shown is that he can take a fairly talented bunch......and lead them to a middle of the pack ranking.

 

[Smitty]

Doug Free will not bounce back. His being an effective starter at all was an illusion whose concealment may have been helped by mistakes at other positions.

2009 Free was getting blown back off the line in the playoffs, but you could easily chalk that up to his being called in emergency duty at a new position and in a hostile environment facing an All-Pro.

In 2010, Free statistically played well at LT, though it was clear he couldn't withstand any kind of serious pass rusher and probably at least contributed to Romo's being lost for the season. When the Cowboys shortened their patterns under Kitna, Free's job became much easier.

In 2011 Free was bad. People thought it was just a "bad season", but he may have been the worst Cowboy lineman.

In 2012 Free was worse, and this was at RT facing weaker pass rushers. Being next to Mackenzie Bernadeau didn't help, but Free's lack of power really stands out at RT.

Only the Cowboys would be unable to admit their own mistaken assessment of Free and still keep him as a starter for 2013. Giving him a paycut helps not one iota on the field, it only makes it easier in Jerry Jones' mind to allow a backup to finally take Free's role as starter.

But now Parnell is hurt and faces an uphill climb to unseat Free. I'd rather have Winston Justice, that's how bad Free is.

Sad but most likely true.

 

[Smitty]

I'm not a huge Callahan fan, but I do expect the offense to better this year simply because Garrett has been removed from play calling. All he has shown is that he can take a fairly talented bunch......and lead them to a middle of the pack ranking.

He's never really had a good OL though. Average is about the best he's had. That's a huge drawback.

 

[Genghis Khan]

In no way shape or form is an average offensive line a huge drawback.

 

[junk]

He's never really had a good OL though. Average is about the best he's had. That's a huge drawback.

Yes, yes, we've heard your opinion on numerous occasions.

Do you really think the OL is entirely to blame for the offensive dysfunction last year? Way too many games where they were just out of it until they threw the game plan out the window and let Romo play streetball.

That bothers me more than anything. I can see that happening once or twice a year, but it seemed like a weekly occurrence.

 

[Smitty]

Yes, yes, we've heard your opinion on numerous occasions.

Well we've heard everyone else's too. You guys can stop wrongly placing all the blame at Garrett's feet and I'll stop correcting you.

Do you really think the OL is entirely to blame for the offensive dysfunction last year?

About 75% of it.

Way too many games where they were just out of it until they threw the game plan out the window and let Romo play streetball.

That bothers me more than anything. I can see that happening once or twice a year, but it seemed like a weekly occurrence.

Streetball wasn't particularly effective either compared to previous seasons, per Sturm. The whole year was a mess. Shocking... worst OL we've had here too last year.

 

[Smitty]

In no way shape or form is an average offensive line a huge drawback.

The fact that it's "never been better than average" and most of the time worse, is definitely a drawback.

Average isn't doing any favors, either.

And is average QB play a drawback? I'd say yes. So why isn't average OL play a drawback? It's the second most important position group to get good play from, behind QB.

 

[Jiggyfly]

The fact that it's "never been better than average" and most of the time worse, is definitely a drawback.

Average isn't doing any favors, either.

And is average QB play a drawback? I'd say yes. So why isn't average OL play a drawback? It's the second most important position group to get good play from, behind QB.

And once again both Arizona and Pittsburgh went to a Superbowl with below average offensive lines and last year Washington won the division with a line every bit a bad a Dallas had, yes its harder to win, but its not impossible.

The real issue is Garret never adapted to his talent like good coaches do every year.

Please explain why other teams have been able to work around deficiencies in the o-line yet in your mind Garrett gets a free pass?

 

[boozeman]

He's never really had a good OL though. Average is about the best he's had. That's a huge drawback.

And who's fault is that? Jerry's? Garrett has not been overruled yet like Fat Wade was with Solari, when Garrett stamped his feet for Houck.

 

[Smitty]

And who's fault is that?

Mostly the GM's.

Jerry's? Garrett has not been overruled yet like Fat Wade was with Solari, when Garrett stamped his feet for Houck.

That's true, but at the end of the day, it's not Garrett's job to bring in the right players. Nor are most coaches capable of doing both. Most of the time you see a coach try to coach and be GM, they fail at it. Even a guy we all love in Holmgren.... eh.... mostly mixed bag without Ron Wolf around.

 

[Smitty]

And once again both Arizona and Pittsburgh went to a Superbowl with below average offensive lines and last year Washington won the division with a line every bit a bad a Dallas had, yes its harder to win, but its not impossible.

Washington's line was not "every bit as bad" as ours, that's pure fantasy. You don't do what they did running the ball with the OL performance we had, it's simply not possible.

Garrett needs to do better. But it's 75% personnel. Until we've seen what he looks like with decent OL personnel, you can't properly judge him. It's not "impossible" to win with a horrid OL, but why are we considering the book closed on a guy who has to do something that's here "not impossible" (just horrendously more difficult) to be considered a success here? Oh.... so he has to do something that only a small handful of coaches can do, or he sucks and we should roll the dice on another Wade Phillips. Got it.

The real issue is Garret never adapted to his talent like good coaches do every year.

He has bottom-barrel OL talent and yet produces top 10 yardage and top-15 scoring results pretty consistently. That's adapting in my book.

Please explain why other teams have been able to work around deficiencies in the o-line yet in your mind Garrett gets a free pass?

Most teams can't. Being able to cite the Steelers doing it is like citing the Ravens and Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson.

 

[Jiggyfly]

Washington's line was not "every bit as bad" as ours, that's pure fantasy. You don't do what they did running the ball with the OL performance we had, it's simply not possible.

Garrett needs to do better. But it's 75% personnel. Until we've seen what he looks like with decent OL personnel, you can't properly judge him.



He has bottom-barrel OL talent and yet produces top 10 yardage and top-15 scoring results pretty consistently. That's adapting in my book.



Most teams can't. Being able to cite the Steelers doing it is like citing the Ravens and Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson.

And this were you lose all credibility once again Trent Williams was the only above average starter on that line and the RT was terrible before he got hurt.

You never addressed the topic of why has Garrett never adjusted his play calling to fit his talent, the difference with the teams you mentioned is that they all compensated for weaknesses something Garrett has never done.

 

[boozeman]

Mostly the GM's.



That's true, but at the end of the day, it's not Garrett's job to bring in the right players. Nor are most coaches capable of doing both. Most of the time you see a coach try to coach and be GM, they fail at it. Even a guy we all love in Holmgren.... eh.... mostly mixed bag without Ron Wolf around.

We all know Jones is handicapped because he is incapable of independent analysis on his own.

I think it is also clear that his coaches probably have more input than most across the league because he has that disability.

So why would you absolve the coaches for their role in the process?

Yeah, I get it Jerry should just hire a GM. But you know damn good and well, he only is as good as who is around him and that includes Garrett.