Dallas Cowboys: Stubborn to the Bitter End

p1_

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
27,424
by Daniel Ruppert

With the stories surrounding Jason Garrett and the Tavon Austin punt return for the Dallas Cowboys, it shows Garrett will be stubborn until the end.

With the Dallas Cowboys chance of winning the game against the Minnesota Vikings dwindling, the Cowboys were poised to get the ball back. The punt came down and Tavon Austin called for a fair catch. Looking back at the footage, there could have been and should have been a return. Instead, Jason Garrett watched Austin call for a fair catch, which essentially threw out any hope outside of a Hail Mary.

Going back and watching the kick, one thing you will see is Jason Garrett on the upper left of the screen with his hands on his knees. When asked about the kick return he threw it on a decision of Tavon to fair catch. Garrett said that he gave Austin direction to only fair catch if there was no return available. We found out later, Garrett gave unclear directions to fair catch the ball either way.

Later, Garrett walked his comments back a little by saying that “they” weren’t clear enough to Austin. Essentially, Garrett tried to throw it back to Austin and a lack of communication. Never once throughout the day, for any of the bad decisions, did Jason Garrett assume any responsibility. The kick was just one example.

A few weeks ago, Jason Garrett was on the radio and in an interview was presented with the statistics of how often the Cowboys ran on first down. Garrett directly said he didn’t believe the stats were correct. Once again, when asked this week, Garrett tried to downplay the statistics and didn’t believe they were fully correct.

Ask anyone who has interviewed Jason Garrett and they will tell you he is fairly stubborn. He holds onto what he feels with a vice-like grip. He will fight it out to the end for what he sees as his truth. Right or wrong, it is his personality to hold onto his statements and views. Listen to enough press conferences and interviews, you can basically answer before he does.

For all of the good Garrett does with getting guys to like and play for him, he negates a lot of it with a stubbornness that has hurt the team on multiple occasions throughout the years. Sometimes, that stubbornness has worked well and has been a necessity. Other times, it has been a sticking point for why many feel Garrett needs to be replaced.

The Cowboys ran the ball two times inside the 10, when the Vikings were having trouble stopping the pass. Garrett’s reason? Balance. That same stubbornness has shown up throughout the years, against Atlanta being an example many remember off the top of their heads. He will blame execution but in this day and age of the NFL, you have to be able to adjust if the execution isn’t there.

Nothing shows such a stark contrast to today’s NFL and the way Garrett coaches then what Kirk Cousins said about the Vikings plan when Adam Thielen wasn’t playing. Cousins said, “we had to reinvent ourselves.” Even Jerry made sure to point to Mike Zimmer has a good coach in an interview. When was the last time Garrett reinvented anything due to injury?

It looks like the sun is setting on the Jason Garrett era. Unless the Cowboys make a run into the post-season and make the NFC Championship game the Cowboys will be looking for a new coach next season. My guess is, Jason Garrett will be stubborn until the end.
 

deadrise

DCC 4Life
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
934
Is Garrett stubborn? Or is he simply trying to avoid having to be innovative, to adapt to changing circumstances? The old saying is, if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

By relying on a O-line full of first and second round picks, and a star RB, Garrett relieves himself of the responsibility to find different solutions. In other words, it's not really stubbornness, it's that he's out of ideas -- or never had any other ideas in the first place. The stubbornness is an excuse, camouflage for a coach who lacks the ability to innovate or adapt.

When Garrett's offense stumbles or fails to produce in the clutch, he blames it on execution, which is shorthand for blaming it on the players. And that's another way he avoids responsibility. It's never him, it's never his stone-age offense, it's execution.

Somebody needs to fire his ass.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
60,956
Is Garrett stubborn? Or is he simply trying to avoid having to be innovative, to adapt to changing circumstances? The old saying is, if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

By relying on a O-line full of first and second round picks, and a star RB, Garrett relieves himself of the responsibility to find different solutions. In other words, it's not really stubbornness, it's that he's out of ideas -- or never had any other ideas in the first place. The stubbornness is an excuse, camouflage for a coach who lacks the ability to innovate or adapt.

When Garrett's offense stumbles or fails to produce in the clutch, he blames it on execution, which is shorthand for blaming it on the players. And that's another way he avoids responsibility. It's never him, it's never his stone-age offense, it's execution.

Somebody needs to fire his ass.
Absolutely. And if he fails trying to run the ball even though it's a terrible option he can say, it's Zeke and the O-line. He goes to the option that feels safest. The one that he thinks will cause him to receive the least blame if it doesn't work. If he punts from the other teams forty on fourth and short. He doesn't have to worry about being ripped apart for the failed fourth down play. If he tries the 57 yard field goal and misses it's on the kicker and not on him for going for it and failing. It's why it's easy for him to settle for field goals instead of looking at it as four downs to get a first when the team is in that area of the field.

Garrett doesn't care about winning as much as he cares about protecting his job security. Which is what is ultimately going to cause him to lose his job. You can't win big in the NFL being afraid to lose the game with your call.
 

data

Forbes #1
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
55,224
I bet we could get on the local news if we started passing out flyers to attend a Garrett GoingAway Party.

$5 entry fee to fund a cleverly disguised DCC Convention at the Dallas Hooters.
 
  • Props
Reactions: p1_

p1_

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
27,424
Is Garrett stubborn? Or is he simply trying to avoid having to be innovative, to adapt to changing circumstances? The old saying is, if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

By relying on a O-line full of first and second round picks, and a star RB, Garrett relieves himself of the responsibility to find different solutions. In other words, it's not really stubbornness, it's that he's out of ideas -- or never had any other ideas in the first place. The stubbornness is an excuse, camouflage for a coach who lacks the ability to innovate or adapt.

When Garrett's offense stumbles or fails to produce in the clutch, he blames it on execution, which is shorthand for blaming it on the players. And that's another way he avoids responsibility. It's never him, it's never his stone-age offense, it's execution.

Somebody needs to fire his ass.
I think it’s finally upon us. Can’t imagine a rally like last season
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
46,915
I think it’s finally upon us. Can’t imagine a rally like last season
I don't think we're going to make it to the playoffs this year but I can definitely imagine it. The talent is there, the schedule isn't that daunting, and the one team competing for the division with us is pretty mediocre.

Who knows how far we have to get, but I think Garrett has a real chance still, unfortunately.
 

jsmith6919

Honored Member - RIP
Joined
Aug 26, 2013
Messages
28,407
I don't think we're going to make it to the playoffs this year but I can definitely imagine it. The talent is there, the schedule isn't that daunting, and the one team competing for the division with us is pretty mediocre.

Who knows how far we have to get, but I think Garrett has a real chance still, unfortunately.
Yea we should win this next game easily without Stafford
 

deadrise

DCC 4Life
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
934
Absolutely. And if he fails trying to run the ball even though it's a terrible option he can say, it's Zeke and the O-line. He goes to the option that feels safest. The one that he thinks will cause him to receive the least blame if it doesn't work. If he punts from the other teams forty on fourth and short. He doesn't have to worry about being ripped apart for the failed fourth down play. If he tries the 57 yard field goal and misses it's on the kicker and not on him for going for it and failing. It's why it's easy for him to settle for field goals instead of looking at it as four downs to get a first when the team is in that area of the field.

Garrett doesn't care about winning as much as he cares about protecting his job security. Which is what is ultimately going to cause him to lose his job. You can't win big in the NFL being afraid to lose the game with your call.
Maybe you can if Jerry's your boss, and your his surrogate son.
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
24,092
I don't think we're going to make it to the playoffs this year but I can definitely imagine it. The talent is there, the schedule isn't that daunting, and the one team competing for the division with us is pretty mediocre.

Who knows how far we have to get, but I think Garrett has a real chance still, unfortunately.
Fly Eagles Fly
 
Top Bottom