Dallas Cowboys' Jason Garrett Not Worried About Job Right Now
By Shawn Lealos
Heading into the 2014 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys were on the bubble as far as fans were concerned. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones allowed head coach Jason Garrett to make the changes he wanted to make, including bringing in an old friend in Scott Linehan to be his new offensive play caller. The idea was simple: If the Cowboys miss the playoffs again, this would be Garrett’s last year as head coach and Jones wanted to see what Garrett would do to fix things.
Seven games into the 2014 NFL season and the answer is awe inspiring. The new play caller that Garrett hired has worked miracles in this offense. Instead of just throwing the ball all over the field like Dallas has done for the past 10 years, they are running the ball. As a result, Dallas is 6-1. If they win two more games, they match their win totals from the last three seasons. In each of those, an 8-8 Cowboys team missed the playoffs in the final game of the season.
This season, it looks like it won’t come down to the final game. As a matter of fact, if the Philadelphia Eagles keep playing up to the level they have been, the NFC East could have two teams in the postseason for the first time in years.
The Dallas Cowboys have the second ranked offense in the NFL. They rank behind only the Indianapolis Colts in total yards. They rank first in the NFL in rushing offense with 159.7 yards a game. They are also in the top half of the league in passing yards with 242.4 yards a game. Their only downfall is turnovers, in which Dallas has lost five fumbles and Tony Romo has thrown six interceptions. However, they have also recovered five fumbles and picked off seven passes, so they are still on top with one in the turnover differential.
The rushing attack is especially important. DeMarco Murray leads the NFL with 913 yards, almost 300 yards higher than the second ranked rusher, Arian Foster. This has allowed the Cowboys to control the clock, something that they have been unable to do the last three seasons. This is why Dallas is winning - it is thanks to the play calling of Scott Linehan and an awesome offensive line, and Garrett is ultimately responsible for that.
However, Jerry Jones is not willing to talk about Garrett’s contract, which expires at the end of this season. Honestly, if Dallas keeps playing like they are, Garrett will get a new deal. Jones has always said that he sees Garrett with the team long term, but the season needs to play out like it has been. An early playoff exit could cost Garrett his job as much as missing the playoffs.
However, Jason Garrett is not worried about his job. He told ESPN on Monday that he is just concerned about winning the next game. Garrett said that doing the right thing will win games and the scoreboard will help his future take care of itself. He said he doesn’t want to talk about his contract again this season and that is the attitude that will help him continue to win games and secure his job in Dallas for the near future.
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Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.