It's Preseason, Let The Jason-Garrett-On-The-Hot-Seat Stories Begin

Apparently, there are the equivalent of accepted truths in the NFL. Things that people just know, wisdom that transcends mere facts and data. For the Dallas Cowboys, one of these things-that-are-not-questioned is the portrayal of Jerry Jones as an impulsive and capricious man, quick to make snap decisions, and always placing winning now above every other consideration.

It has to be. Why else would an online betting site list Jason Garrett as the NFL head coach with the best odds of being fired this season?

As Jon Machota notes in the article linked above, this flies in the face of statements made just days ago by Jerry Jones.

Jerry Jones says this isn't a make or break season for Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, but the folks in the gambling world don't seem to believe him.

When you read things like this, you begin to get the idea that people don't believe what Jerry Jones says. Of course, he probably contributes to this by both saying a great deal and frequently changing his mind, but as a very close observer of the owner and GM of the Cowboys over the past few seasons, I find that he seldom says things he does not really mean. Again, given the speed with which he can change his mind as situations change, that is not any guarantee of how he will act in the future. However, in most cases, when you take a close look at what he winds up doing, it shows that he usually telegraphed things well in advance. He has been telegraphing his strong desire to see Jason Garrett succeed for some time. It would probably have been a good topic for someone to write about recently . . . oh, wait, someone did.

Of course, as proud as we are of our blog, a lot of people (including, it appears, Vegas oddsmakers) don't know about us, much less take what we write here to heart. And there is a deeply rooted image of Jones and his style in running the team that resists change even as evidence continues to mount that Jones is not the same GM he was in the 1990s or the 2000s. The clearest indication of that was during the first round of this year's NFL draft, when the floor of Radio City Music Hall was littered with the jaws of all the analysts who were already dissecting Johnny Manziel's future career in Dallas when Zack Martin's name was announced as the actual pick.

It is not that Jerry has become a different person. He recently admitted how badly he wanted to grab JFF in the draft. The wildcatting gambler is still there inside him. What he has done is become less impulsive and more reliant on the people around him. He no longer makes moves without seriously considering the best advice of people like his son Stephen and Jason Garrett. It is arguable that he listens more closely to Garrett than he has to any other head coach because of the long relationship he has with him. Relationships mean a lot to Jerry.

After writing about the Cowboys and following the news concerning them from all sources, I really should not be surprised that some guys in Las Vegas who work in the gambling industry don't know about the way Jerry Jones has changed in the past few years. But what is annoying is the underlying assumption of the article. For Garrett to be fired, the Cowboys will have to fail this year. So these guys have already written off Dallas for 2014.

Yes, the incessant barrage of negative reporting about the Cowboys is starting to grate just a tad. Everyone just knows Tony Romo is going to collapse like house of cards the first time a pass rusher touches him (just ask that renowned medical expert, Babe Laufenberg). None of the new defensive linemen are going to be worth a politician's promise. No one cares that one of the best offenses in the NFL looks to have gotten even better.

To quote Anthony McAuliffe, "Nuts!" I think Scott Linehan is going to unleash the whirlwind, leaving defenses reeling as he shuffles his weapons in and out. I think Romo is going to be fine. I think the addition of Martin has given Dallas one of the best, if not the absolute best, offensive lines in the league. I think Dez Bryant is going full out beast mode, while Cole Beasley will "fly" all over the field. DeMarco Murray is going back to the Pro Bowl. Rod Marinelli will find his rushmen. The secondary is going to start poaching some balls. And Rolando McClain will eat LeSean McCoy's spleen.

In short, the Cowboys will win this season. They will return to the playoffs. True, it is a fan's faith, and we seem to get way too optimistic every year. But until the games are played, I am not buying it when all the "experts" tell me that the team is going to be worse than it was last year.

And that is why Jason Garrett is not going to be fired. He'll be too busy negotiating the new contract with Jerry.