Getty Images Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talking to head coach, Jason Garrett
A few weeks ago, Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was one of a handful of guys on the hot seat in the NFL. After a disappointing loss on Monday Night Football to the Tennessee Titans, Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones finally looked fed up with Garrett. Although he wouldn’t confirm if Garrett was on the hot seat or not, many would assume that another loss or two could be the end for Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, with the Cowboys going on a tear, it looks like Jason Garrett has bought himself some extra time once again. Dallas went on the road to Philadelphia and took down the defending NFC East champs. Then, they boosted their confidence some more with a last-second win against the Atlanta Falcons. After that, they added another ‘W’ in the win column for the division with a victory over the Washington Redskins, and they end up taking down the hottest team in the NFL on Thursday Night Football the following week. Just as nobody expected.
At this point, the Cowboys have no choice but to hold onto Garrett for the time being. Now that it is December, this is the perfect time for a team to get hot and attempt to make a playoff run. The Cowboys can’t get too cocky yet though, as there is still plenty of football left to be played. But if there’s one team within the NFC East who looks playoff ready, it’s the Cowboys. And we’re not sure what has gotten into the Cowboys coaching staff, but whatever it is, it worked out well over the last few games.
Garrett Earns Himself Some Praise from Mr. Jones
Before the Week 13 matchup between the Cowboys and the Saints, Dallas owner Jerry Jones had nothing but nice things to say about the New Orleans coaching staff. In the eyes of Jones, Saints head coach Sean Payton is considered to be one of the great ones. Well, Jones’ guy Garrett ended up defeating a great one on Thursday and gave the Saints their second loss of the season, which was the first loss they have taken since week one.
Although Jerry Jones doesn’t seem to want to give anybody a big head here, he still sent some praise towards Jason Garrett after the Cowboys victory. Here is what Jerry Jones had to say, courtesy of Pro Football Talk.
“Well, he’s won a big game tonight. I’ll just leave it at that. He won a big game tonight.”
Jones was later asked whether he was trying to be conservative in his praise of Garrett. Jerry apparently was flummoxed by the question.
“What?” Jones told reporters. “What? I’m not. Give him everything you should give him for having just beaten the top-rated team in the NFL. You’re the wordsmith. Give it to him. I’m serious. Give it to him, yes. Because we know how tough it is when it goes the other way. But give that to him, for sure.”
Typically, a win like this would have Jerry Jones ready to bust out his checkbook and extend somebody on the spot. Kind of like how Amari Cooper had his best week with the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, and Jerry Jones already started talking about an extension immediately after the game like it was nothing. For Garrett though, he still cannot seem to gain the trust of the owner, despite winning a big-time game to take over first place in the division.
It’s going to take more than a win over the hottest team in football for Garrett to stick around. That’s for sure. At this point, a playoff appearance along with a win would lock in some more time for Garrett and the Cowboys, but anything less than that could still keep him on the hot seat. Again, while Jones’ is currently satisfied with the situation in Dallas, it still seems like he keeps the head coach on a short leash.