The NFC team coming off a Super Bowl appearance made a bold move this week after three consecutive losses. The Dallas Cowboys, also losers of three straight, trotted out their owner/general manager Jerry Jones to once again say his head coach Jason Garrett would be a hot commodity on the open market. (Cue laugh track)
Cowboys fans would love to see Garrett hit the open market. He’s had his moments since becoming the full-time head coach prior to the 2011 season, but they aren’t memorable enough to overcome this latest stretch/stench. The Cowboys’ season is on the verge of collapse, and there are no daring trades on the horizon this time. Amari Cooper gave the Cowboys a shot in the arm last season, but this year’s team has to look within. And that doesn’t seem to be working at the moment. Injuries to both starting offensive tackles and a No. 1 receiver aren’t an adequate excuse. The Carolina Panthers lost their franchise quarterback…and they’ve won every game since with a guy who couldn’t keep the starting gig at Texas A&M, Kyle Allen.
The Los Angeles Rams felt their season slipping away after a demoralizing loss to San Francisco, so they sent two first-round picks to Jacksonville for cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The Rams may be fatally flawed due to an injured star running back and a backsliding franchise quarterback. But they aren’t going down without a fight. You have to admire how Rams GM Les Snead keeps going for broke every season, even though he might be undermining the team’s long-term efforts. Also, Snead has amazing hair.
That’s something that can’t be said about Jerry after he turned 77 last Sunday. This man talks about having a sense of urgency, but the Cowboys didn’t even make a play for Ramsey. And make no mistake, this team is hurting at both cornerback and safety. The Cowboys refuse to spend a premium pick on a safety, in part because of their curious devotion to Jeff Heath, who should not be starting in this league. He offered poor Chido Awuzie no help when Robby Anderson blew past him for a 92-yard touchdown last Sunday to make it 14-3, Jets.
The Cowboys are so frustrating right now that some fans of the team are openly rooting for a lopsided loss to the Eagles. There’s a growing belief four consecutive losses might cause Jones to throw Garrett overboard heading into the bye week. To be clear, no one from the organization has told me it’s a possibility. But I’ve been around Jerry long enough to know he’s capable of anything when he’s truly angry. Of course, there’s no clear-cut interim head coach on this staff. Rod Marinelli was a horrible head coach for the Detroit Lions. Kris Richard’s defensive unit is currently stinking up the joint, and Kellen Moore is calling plays for the first time in his career.
The best candidate for interim head coach is currently the Cowboys’ starting tight end. He would bring the fire on the sideline that’s rarely seen from Garrett. I believe Jason Witten wants to coach at either the college or NFL level at some point. Maybe his time is coming sooner than we thought. It’s not like he’s going to take another crack at the TV booth.
Witten would never lobby for this job out of respect for Garrett, but he’ll be ready for the call no matter when it happens. If Jones has had enough of Garrett after Sunday’s game, Richard would likely be the choice to guide the Cowboys the rest to the season. After that, all bets are off.
We knew Garrett was on the hot seat this season. But no one knew it would heat up this quickly. He may be coaching for his job Sunday night.
Best of luck to a swell fella.
