Scruggs: Mike Lombardi Rips Jason Garrett's Coaching Ability

boozeman

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Mike Lombardi Rips Jason Garrett's Coaching Ability


By Newy Scruggs


ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys welcomes his players onto the the field as the Cowboys prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts at AT&T Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)


Jason Garrett won the NFL Coach of the Year award last season, but former NFL executive Mike Lombardi isn’t sold the Dallas Cowboys head coach is going to survive the 2017 season.

Lombardi, a staffer on the New England Patriots Super Bowl XLIX championship team, is now a media member and ripped Garrett’s coaching ability in his podcast. He started by talking about a point I think is legitimate in questioning why hasn’t he been better in his tenure as the leader of America’s Team. His overall record is a winning one at 58-46, but he's only produced two winning seasons.

“Jason Garrett been a head coach for six years. He’s 50 years old. He’s going to be 51 next year. He should be in the prime of his head coaching career," Lombardi said. “Instead, he’s made two playoffs. I mean he goes 12-4. Then he goes 13-3 last year and he loses at home to a bad Green Bay defense.”

“I don’t see Jason besides clapping and cheering players," he said. "Losing to Green Bay was a revealing loss in this sense. It showed that his team wasn’t ready to play and couldn’t play a different style.”

Let me take up for Garrett on that. He used to call plays when he took over, but owner Jerry Jones wanted him to give up the playcalling duties. Even former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson said it would serve Garrett better to give up the playcalling.

Lombardi is spot on about the Green Bay playoff loss at JerryWorld. Dallas wasn't ready for that game despite have a bye as the top seed in the NFC playoffs. The Cowboys were down 21-3 in the second quarter before tying the game at 31 with 35 seconds to play.

The skewering of the Cowboys head coaching continued as Lombardi raised the point of the Jones family possibly tossing Garrett overboard for a former Cowboys assistant coach in 2018.

“If I’m a Cowboys fan, I have real questions about Jason Garrett as the head coach," Lombardi said. "He’s supposed to be in the prime, he’s had six years to be a head coach. He was an offensive guru that never had a lot of roo in his goo. He was never really never this innovator offensive guy."

Lombardi added that while the 2016 Cowboys were very good, he expects a dropoff in 2017. And if this year's team underachieves in the playoffs again, Garrett should watch his back.

"I think head coaches make a huge difference come playoff time and Garrett has won one playoff game in his six year career. If I’m Jerry I’m nervous," Lombardi said. "The guy that’s always lurking, he’s always around the corner is Sean Payton.”

Mic drop….

But wait, there is more. Lombardi backed up the truck and ran Garrett over again.

“When you watch Jason Garrett coach, you really never sense he’s got control of the game. He’s subcontracted everything out. [Rod] Marinelli does the defense. [Scott] Linehan does the offense. [Rich] Bisaccia does the kicking game. I just don’t get the sense this guy’s command of the game and that’s really where the head coach needs to be.”

But wait, there is still more. Lombardi had this swipe of Garrett’s ability to get improve at his craft.


“I don’t see how Jason Garrett’s going to get better," he said. "He’s in the prime of his life and I don’t think he’s a good enough head coach.”

And the encore from Lombardi his desire to watch Garrett’s Cowboys this fall.

“I’m excited to see is Jason Garrett going to be the .500 coach I think he is or if has he done something this summer to really improve himself," he said. "I say the latter. I say he’s going to be a .500 coach.”
 

jsmith6919

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Let me take up for Garrett on that. He used to call plays when he took over, but owner Jerry Jones wanted him to give up the playcalling duties. Even former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson said it would serve Garrett better to give up the playcalling.
Hmmm, no mention of why Jerry wanted garrett to give up playcalling
 

L.T. Fan

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It's an accurate observation. Garrett just can't go balls out at crunch time. He curls up into a conservative ball. No killer instinct has ever been evident with him. That said he has a great opportunity to dispel that description if he acts on it going forward.
 

Genghis Khan

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. He’s subcontracted everything out. [Rod] Marinelli does the defense. [Scott] Linehan does the offense. [Rich] Bisaccia does the kicking game. I just don’t get the sense this guy’s command of the game and that’s really where the head coach needs to be.”

What a dumb criticism. Since when was a HC supposed to be a glorified coordinator?

I'd much rather my HC be a CEO and subcontract everything out.
 

townsend

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"I think head coaches make a huge difference come playoff time and Garrett has won one playoff game in his six year career. If I’m Jerry I’m nervous," Lombardi said. "The guy that’s always lurking, he’s always around the corner is Sean Payton.”
Payton has had 3 consecutive 7-9 seasons. He's had 3 dissapointing exits from the playoffs since 2010. Is there really anything Payton has done since Garrett started coaching that would show he's an upgrade over Garrett?
 

Chocolate Lab

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Payton has had 3 consecutive 7-9 seasons. He's had 3 dissapointing exits from the playoffs since 2010. Is there really anything Payton has done since Garrett started coaching that would show he's an upgrade over Garrett?
Lombardi only mentioned Payton because he's a known Friend of Jerry.

And he's one who has actually won something. Shockingly, it didn't take a decade of "building" to do it.
 

Rev

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He should have been gone long ago but he is the Thanksgiving Day Hero from years ago.
 

midswat

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This article is awesome. That is all I have to say at this time.
 

boozeman

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Lombardi only mentioned Payton because he's a known Friend of Jerry.

And he's one who has actually won something. Shockingly, it didn't take a decade of "building" to do it.
Obviously, you have a problem seeing what is being built here.
 

bbgun

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how many "coach of the year" winners have had their coaching challenged only months after receiving the honor? can't be that many.
 

Cowboysrock55

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What a dumb criticism. Since when was a HC supposed to be a glorified coordinator?

I'd much rather my HC be a CEO and subcontract everything out.
I agree, I don't want my head coach bogged down with play calling duties on game day. If he is doing that he won't have time to run the team as a cohesive unit. Part of being a good coach is making sure you have the right guys working under you who can do their jobs.

My assessment on Garrett has always been that he is sort of middle of the road head coach though. He makes stupid little mistakes on game day that everyone has gone over a million times. I'm right there cursing with everyone when he does. I just don't think right now is the right time to make any sort of a change. This is a young team that gelled last year. I don't want to do anything drastic at this point other then to continue on the path we are already headed with young talent and rebuilding this defense.
 

Genghis Khan

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I agree, I don't want my head coach bogged down with play calling duties on game day. If he is doing that he won't have time to run the team as a cohesive unit. Part of being a good coach is making sure you have the right guys working under you who can do their jobs.

Exactly.

Bellichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in the game, yet he's not the DC. Could have said the same about Jimmy Johnson and Tom Landry. Parcells never did both.

And hell, Jimmy didn't really start to win until he got his coordinators right.
 

Smitty

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“I’m excited to see is Jason Garrett going to be the .500 coach I think he is or if has he done something this summer to really improve himself," he said. "I say the latter. I say he’s going to be a .500 coach.”
Time to learn what "the latter," means.
 

midswat

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I'd also prefer a walk around head coach. But if you are a walk around head coach, you better have that situational football thing down pat. Garrett doesn't. He is still prone to stupid ass mistakes and decisions.
 

ravidubey

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Exactly.

Bellichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in the game, yet he's not the DC. Could have said the same about Jimmy Johnson and Tom Landry. Parcells never did both.

And hell, Jimmy didn't really start to win until he got his coordinators right.
It's clear Belichick runs his coordinators on both and probably all three sides of the ball. I can recall the aggressive offensive gameplan he fired up when facing an overwhelming Indy offense in 2009. That's typical Belichick (he lost, but it was all *his* gamble). As his coordinators have been hired away/hired back over the years his approach has been consistent.

Jimmy was a powerful personality who obsessively managed his team and also their various personalities. When that glue left, the ego-rich 90's team basically blew up.

Nate Newton would talk about how he wanted to promote a video while the team was in a playoff race and how Jimmy circled him the practice yard until Nate knew he had to give up the effort without a fight. He knew Jimmy counted on him to set an example. The players sensed how much Jimmy cared and that he wasn't going to let them be steered off course.

That's a huge relief when you know that kind of leadership is in place allowing everyone to focus on their jobs.

Jason's more of a good citizen than a leader. A smart guy and charismatic enough to at least play his part, but I don't see how he inspires or influences his players. This whole thing about him calling them by their numbers and slapping them in the helmet, that's superficial in the end.

Don't see the connection that Jimmy had.

Even Payton has a stronger personality than Garrett. The fight and intensity he showed during their Superbowl season was clear from a 1000 miles away and through camera lenses. Up close, the players had to have been affected.
 

Chocolate Lab

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Many of those "walk around" head coaches willingly delegated those responsibilities to someone else in order to free themselves up.

Garrett didn't. Jerry took it away from him kicking and screaming.

So now he has one job to do: Managing the game. And he still sucks at that.
 

Cotton

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I'd also prefer a walk around head coach. But if you are a walk around head coach, you better have that situational football thing down pat. Garrett doesn't. He is still prone to stupid ass mistakes and decisions.
Pretty much.
 
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