Just three games into the season, it’s ridiculous to hit the panic button on any team and coach. But the Dallas Cowboys usually make a point of being ridiculous so that’s why the oddsmakers at DSI Sportsbook have asked the question below and are allowing you to wager your money on it.
Here it is.
Will Jason Garrett be the Cowboys head coach in 2019?
Yes: +135
No: -180
Let’s take a look at what we’ve seen so far. The Cowboys have opened the season 1-2. They lost 16-8 on the road to a Carolina Panthers team I think will go to the playoffs and will compete for the NFC South, so there’s no shame there. They beat the New York Giants 20-13 at home, then fell 24-13 to the Seattle Seahawks on the road.
Neither of those losses are bad defeats. CenturyLink Field is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL and, though the Seahawks are dealing with their own struggles, they still have Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson.
Still, there’s reason for concern. The Dallas offense has been anemic to say the least. Quarterback Dak Prescott hasn’t hit even 200 passing yards in a game yet. Now, he doesn’t exactly have a ton of weapons to work with in the passing game, but that’s Dallas’ own fault. They cut Dez Bryant after knowing they’d be without tight end Jason Witten this season, who retired.
Jason Garrett after:
1. DAL touchdown
2. Dak gets intercepted
3. Zeke scores
4. Brett Maher misses FG
5. Loved one dies
6. Literally anything pic.twitter.com/M8duD2BZQe— Adrian Loewen (@adrianjloewen) September 23, 2018
Cole Beasley is one of the best slot receivers in the game, but what makes a good slot guy is dangerous outside guys that keep the focus off Beasley as he works between the hashes. With the exception of one long play to Tavon Austin against the Giants, no Dallas wideout has delivered that. Allen Hurns, brought over from the Jacksonville Jaguars to help down the field, has caught just four passes for 51 yards in three games.
The defense is playing fine. It’s the offense, even with Ezekiel Elliott back, that’s stumbling and Garrett is an offensive coach, even if Scott Linehan is calling the plays.
Jason Garrett is scared of his own players. He has no control over his team. Keep clapping, bud. pic.twitter.com/HlJcOvt8ux
— Bob Wankel (@Bob_Wankel) September 23, 2018
The fact is, 1-2 start or not, Garrett was likely coaching for his job this season. The good news for him and the Cowboys is that their schedule offers some relief over the next two weeks with a home game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday and a road game at the hapless Houston Texans next week. The Texans have their own coach, Bill O’Brien, whose head is on the chopping block. Unlike Garrett, O’Brien might not make it until Christmas.
Checking out the rest of Dallas’ schedule, there are plenty of winnable games there. Two against the Washington Redskins, home games against the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They even finish up against the Giants, a team they handled pretty well a couple of weeks ago.
Can Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan pull a Vontae Davis and retire at halftime?
— Josh Sanders (@J_SAND3RS) September 23, 2018
The mark of a good coach is beating the teams you should, and then scheming and coaching your team to victory over teams you match up equally with, or teams that have more talent than you. Can Garrett do that? If he can, then the Cowboys easily win 10 games, make the playoffs and he keeps his job. If he can’t, then he and Bill O’Brien can start a new Fired Coaches show on the NFL Network or get an apartment together in Austin and start an acoustic folk band.
Back in the preseason, I’d have bet “yes” here and not doubted it considering what the Cowboys did two years ago. Until Garrett and Linehan prove they know how to consistently move the ball with this offensive group, “no” is probably the safer bet.
