Archer: NFC East awards - Jason Garrett, coach of the year

Cotton

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NFC East awards: Jason Garrett, coach of the year

February, 9, 2015

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

NFL Nation reporters from the NFC East -- Phil Sheridan, Dan Graziano, John Keim and Todd Archer -- have crunched the numbers, ran through the analysis, double-checked their notes and gone with some gut feelings.

This week, they are offering up their NFC East Awards.


We start off the week with the division’s Coach of the Year.

The winner was unanimous: Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.

Garrett led the Cowboys to a 12-4 finish and a playoff victory. He entered 2014 with his job on the line after three straight 8-8 finishes that included Week 17 losses to his NFC East counterparts in each of those seasons that kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs.

Garrett’s levelheadedness helped propel the Cowboys to their best record since 2007, when they were 13-3, and their first playoff win since 2009. Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly and New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin finished second and third. Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden did not receive a first-, second- or third-place vote.

Here is why they voted the way they voted:

Phil Sheridan: Boy, a year ago, I thought Chip Kelly had established himself as the rising star among coaches in the NFC East. But I had to vote for Jason Garrett here. In the most important game of the Eagles' season, Garrett’s team came to Philadelphia and beat the Eagles soundly. The Cowboys won the division and Garrett earned a nice new extension. At least Kelly still has a target to aim for.

Todd Archer: The vote didn’t go to Garrett solely because he was the best of bad options. If I had a vote for the AP Coach of the Year, I would have voted for Garrett over Arizona's Bruce Arians. Yes, I realize the Cardinals had issues at quarterback during the season, but the best the Cowboys were picked before the season was 8-8. Most people projected 5, 6 or 7 wins. Garrett had the Cowboys at 12-4 and within an overturned Dez Bryant catch of possibly playing in the NFC Championship Game.

Dan Graziano: I’ve long thought that Garrett has shown an aptitude for the leadership elements of his job as head coach. His players seem to play for him and to buy in. You never hear about locker room unrest, and he’s steered the team through some tough times the past couple of years. The issues were with play-calling, etc., and they finally figured out the right mix this year with his old friend Scott Linehan coming in to handle those duties. That allowed Garrett to concentrate on his strengths and the Cowboys to emerge as one of the year’s surprise teams. Easy call here.

John Keim: I thought the Cowboys were going to be a disaster this season, mostly because of their defense and Tony Romo's back. With 12 wins, the Cowboys were the only team in the division that exceeded expectations and they did so because, in part, Garrett changed the way they did business on offense. They were committed to being a running team all season after years of being pass happy. That enabled them to control the ball, yet still score touchdowns. And the defense, which was kept off the field, became a turnover producer.
 

jsmith6919

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Since when do they have a coach of the year for each division?
 

Chocolate Lab

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Todd Archer: The vote didn’t go to Garrett solely because he was the best of bad options. If I had a vote for the AP Coach of the Year, I would have voted for Garrett over Arizona's Bruce Arians.
:lol Of course.
 

Genghis Khan

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Leave it to the Philly writer to make 90 percent of his writeup on Garrett somehow be about the Eagles.

"In the most important game of the Eagles season..."

Wait, when were we discussing the Eagles season?

Effing douche.
 

Cotton

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Leave it to the Philly writer to make 90 percent of his writeup on Garrett somehow be about the Eagles.

"In the most important game of the Eagles season..."

Wait, when were we discussing the Eagles season?

Effing douche.
Hey, at least Kelly has a target to aim at now!
 

Genghis Khan

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Hey, at least Kelly has a target to aim at now!
:lol

God, Chip must've gotten pretty board with winning all those championships while he was waiting around for someone to give him a little competition.

It's about time, NFC East!
 

Cotton

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:lol

God, Chip must've gotten pretty board with winning all those championships while he was waiting around for someone to give him a little competition.

It's about time, NFC East!
Exactly. You are correct in the application of the douche label here.
 
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