Cowboys Coaching: Should Jason Garrett Be Given A Chance?

I suppose it's inevitable. Whenever our beloved Dallas Cowboys hit the skids, we get hammered by the press and other fans, and they enjoy doing it. That's the price we pay for being the most-popular franchise in the NFL, and one of the biggest in the world. So it is, we are the subject of articles like this. But there was an interesting point brought up that was ripe for discussion.

Coach Wade Phillips will be fired, definitely before the 2011 NFL Draft but doubtfully this week, which is fine. Why should Jones be in a hurry to get his guillotine dirty with no real candidates on staff? There have been media calls for the immediate firing of Phillips and the elevation of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett as interim coach, but that would be pointless. You don't fire the class slacker just to promote the class clown.

Garrett once was a rising star, sure, but he's in full eclipse mode. The Dallas offense is a joke. The Dallas defense is worse, and the Dallas special teams are nothing to be proud of either, but Jason Garrett isn't part of the solution. He's part of the problem.

I agree that Wade Phillips is done, it's just a matter of timing. But I don't necessarily agree with the Jason Garrett part.

Yes, I have problems with some of the way Garrett has handled the offense. I've always thought he gets spooked to easily and jumps into a sling-the-ball mentality. I know, I've seen the stats (thanks OCC) and heard the arguments as to why, but this is not just a this-year thing, I've felt that way about it for the last few years. And his play-calling can be very random at times. The redzone woes are also noted.

On the other hand, the Cowboys have had one of the most potent offenses in the NFL over the last few years. Garrett's offense can generate yards, and they can have a quick-strike ability. He's been hampered this year with an injury-riddled offensive line, and with a talent-drain from the guys who have remained healthy. He's dialed back the vertical game in favor of quicker patterns to save Tony Romo (not that it helped in the end).

I can't say I'm totally sold on Jason Garrett, but I'm willing to entertain the possibility. Part of me wants Jerry Jones to fire Wade now, and promote Garrett. Give him half of a season to see what he could do with full control over the team. If he makes this team competitive again, then maybe we have something. If he bombs, well, we're bombing anyway, and we'll get a high draft pick.

I know there are a lot of Garrett haters out there, but I wanted to throw this out for discussion from all sides. How would you feel about a Jason Garret audition?