Time To Eat Crow

by Mandmeisterx on Sep 15, 2009 10:46 PM CDT

I've never been too shy about letting my feelings about Jason Garrett as an offensive coordinator be known. I've always thought he ran a very vanilla, predictable offense that didn't play to our strengths. I didn't understand how he was being considered for head coaching gigs, and I surely didn't fathom his billing as an "offensive genius". But I'm not ashamed to say that he definitely lived up to that name in week 1. He picked Tampa's defense apart very methodically and did a great job of using motion and formations to exploit them and get us in favorable mismatches. Part of me wonders if it was that he felt he could do more with his personnel this year and part of me hopes he's evolving into a very solid offensive mind. I hope it's the latter. I'll reserve judgement on him in general for at least a few more weeks, but for at least one week, you've definitely earned my respect Red Jesus.

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.

Tweet Comment 26 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I think he's been working overtime this off-season

Game planning to utilize the weapons he has to maximize results. He did a great job vs TB. Romo looked more confident, and the WR’s & TE’s look well coached. I hope like heck the O-line can stay healthy and not break the continuity they’ve built together.

So it begins...

by APerfectStar on Sep 16, 2009 12:07 AM CDT reply actions

Game 1 was impressively called...

but its just game 1.

by foyesboys on Sep 16, 2009 12:21 AM CDT reply actions

not every team will have...

Sabby Piscitelli playing safety

by albyman32 on Sep 16, 2009 12:24 AM CDT reply actions

we can only wish….

by sduncan24 on Sep 16, 2009 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions

What?

You let frustration towards Garrett build up to the point where you couldn’t stand him, and now, after only one game vs a team that’s all kinds of screwed up, you’re letting him off the hook?

by sublimezg on Sep 16, 2009 12:43 AM CDT reply actions

haha

I think we’ll have a good idea by week 3 of the job garrett is doing…although I’m not sure the Panthers D is all that. But the GIants’ surely is.

by foyesboys on Sep 16, 2009 1:52 AM CDT up reply actions

HE WAS WHO YOU THOUGH HE WAS!

AND YOU LET HIM OFF THE HOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Sep 16, 2009 8:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Well,

as I stated I am reserving judgement until I see more. But if I’m going to call him out after a bad game, I ought to give him credit when he calls a great one.

by Mandmeisterx on Sep 16, 2009 9:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Foyesboys is exactly right

It’s only one game. I was watching the post game comments and I was hoping that someone, hell ANYONE, would step to the podium and when asked about the win would look at their watch and say “It’s September something, ask me again in late December”. That would be a good indicator that they know the real deal for this team. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m still watching.

by John Boy on Sep 16, 2009 7:05 AM CDT reply actions

I disagree

one week at a time, one practice at a time. Thats the right way to look at it, not looking ahead.

by Musiccitynorm on Sep 16, 2009 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions

It's a lot like the QB position

too much credit for success and too much blame for failure.

You touch on a key point – coaches have a philosophy or concept. They need the right players – healthy and trained up – to execute it properly. For now Garrett has the ingredients. He has two TEs who can both block and make plays down the field. He has WRs who run good routes. He has a collection of running backs who can fill all the RB roles – block, run, catch. He has a QB who can make all the reads and throws. And when healthy a good line to make it all possible. I think this is what they have been looking for but until now the pieces weren’t in place. They may still struggle because of injury or execution/mental errors but we should see a general upward trend in effectiveness.

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.

by dunkman on Sep 16, 2009 8:04 AM CDT reply actions

I think the 2 TE formation

with two outstanding TEs makes Garrett’s job much easier. Bennett is much more comfortable with the offense and he and Jason present severe matchups problems with most LBs and safeties.

Throw Felix into that mix, and Garrett is playing with a stacked deck against most teams.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Sep 16, 2009 8:48 AM CDT reply actions

One thing Tony needs to do though is realize how physically dominant Bennett is and look his way more often

I saw him open quite a few times in that game, and not to mention how easy it would have been to throw it up to him in the endzone not to the side…….seriously Barber is like half his size

by rioplayer7 on Sep 16, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Romo will throw to his first read who is open

that won’t change. Sometimes that will be Bennett, most of the time it won’t.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Sep 16, 2009 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions

I hated Brad Johnson but that pass to Roy Williams for his 1st td as a Cowboy was trusting in his physical receiver Romo needs to model that with those two guys he has (Roy and Bennet)

by rioplayer7 on Sep 20, 2009 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree

But that’ll come with time. You can’t expect a qb whose trying to be turnover conscience to totally trust his physical receivers (Roy, Bennett) that he hasn’t had a ton of time to get used to and trust. It’ll come with time.

by foyesboys on Sep 17, 2009 1:19 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah that throw in the end zone should have been a jump ball

Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey

by Seanrude on Sep 17, 2009 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions

Repeating what I said in an earlier post

I wonder if this ‘take what they give us’ philosophy combined with creating mismatches accounts for the ‘slow starts’ everyone is concerned with.

The 7th Rule of "Fight Club": Fights will go on as long as they have to.

by tdships on Sep 16, 2009 10:35 AM CDT reply actions

absolutely

Garrett and Romo feel out the defense early to see how they’re playing us then attack later on accordingly.

Fans who get their panties all up in a bunch over the slow starts just need to take a chill pill.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Sep 16, 2009 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Not exactly

I watched the tape again and it seems to me Romo just missed and had a bad first half. He wasn’t feeling out anything he just sucked.

I’ll wait, I know you can’t resist.

by Musiccitynorm on Sep 16, 2009 3:01 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

I know you're joking

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Sep 16, 2009 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions

You are right

He missed on a lot of throws.

Then he turned into Superman after the Austin TD.

Seriously, did the Bucs think for a second they could win with Romo heating up?

Ich bin ein Berliner--JFK

by HudBaby on Sep 16, 2009 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions

I have no doubt that Garrett and Romo

are looking to see how the defense is going to play this and that, and using that info later in the game.

But I have a hard time believing that Garrett draws up a plan for the first couple of series like he’s choosing doughnuts (I’ll have one of those, and one of these, and a couple of those).

I’m pretty sure he’s smart enough to cover all those possibilities within a scripted series or two that is still meant to put points on the board. So I can’t agree that the slow starts can be attributed entirely to feeling out the defense.

I think some of it can be attributed to the other teams being hyped to play us. But I still wonder if there are other reasons.

That said, when we do find our O groove, it’s a beautiful thing.

"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin

by 24Hz on Sep 16, 2009 3:52 PM CDT up reply actions

The problem with the slow starts is that the Cowboys will be staking early leads to good teams unless the defense plays well early in games

Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey

by Seanrude on Sep 17, 2009 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions

To an extent the O looked off

On the first FG drive they seemed quick and decisive, getting to the line with 7-8 secs left on the play clock. Later in the Qtr, that seemed lacking, time on the play clock was shorter and they had a couple of early timeouts

The 7th Rule of "Fight Club": Fights will go on as long as they have to.

by tdships on Sep 16, 2009 3:29 PM CDT reply actions

He’s not predictable at all, he doesn’t keep the same personnel on for very long, that’s why the Cowboys seem to be confused at the line sometimes, but eventually they’ll be flawless in switching. I think next game will be a true measure of his genius, he’ll bring the big boy tricks out, and really involve Felix. Should be great to watch the boys play o

by Why on Sep 16, 2009 10:49 PM CDT reply actions