Tweet
IRVING, Texas -- After already saying during the summer that this is not an "Armageddon year" for coach Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones reiterated Thursday that Garrett will be his coach in 2014.
"I'm disappointed that we don't have a better record, but he has got us in position to win the division and has got a team here that I firmly believe has the ability to be one of the better-playing teams at the end," Jones said to reporters at Thursday's practice.
The Cowboys (5-5) are second in the NFC East and are coming off their worst loss in the Garrett era -- 49-17 to the New Orleans Saints -- as they get ready for Sunday's crucial division game against the New York Giants (4-6).
"We're positioned to get in the playoffs. We see logically how to get in the playoffs. We have that, for all practical purposes, in our control," Jones said. "Now that's a pretty good spot to be in after 10 games. A lot of this story is to be played out, but it does not have a bearing on whether or not he will be our coach next year. It has no bearing on that."
Asked whether Garrett would be the coach next season, Jones simply said, "Yes."
Garrett has a 26-24 record with the Cowboys, including a 5-3 mark as interim coach after taking over for Wade Phillips in 2010. The Cowboys went 8-8 in each of Garrett's first two full seasons and lost Week 17 matchups for the NFC East title to the Giants (2011) and Washington Redskins (2012).
Jones does not comment on the length of contracts for his head coaches, but in training camp he said Garrett had "multiple" years remaining.
Garrett is the seventh head coach since Jones purchased the team in 1989. Jimmy Johnson coached the most regular-season games (80) under Jones. Chan Gailey coached the fewest (32). Garrett will reach 56 at the end of the season.
Although Jones has thrown his support behind Garrett, he made similar comments in 2010 about Phillips' job security after the team got off to a bad start. With a 1-7 record, Jones made the first in-season coaching move of his ownership tenure and gave the job to Garrett.
When apprised of Jones' comments after practice, Garrett continued his in-the-moment mantra.
"We're talking about practicing well today," Garrett said. "That's what we're going to focus on and that's something we emphasize to our team. That's something we have to live as a coaching staff. We understand we have a great challenge this week and we're trying to get ready for it."
Jones also was asked if the Cowboys need more from quarterback Tony Romo.
"Yes," he said. "Yes, and [more] than we had against New Orleans. But yes, we do."
Since throwing for a career-high 506 yards in a 51-48 loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 6, Romo's numbers have declined. In the five games since, Romo has had two games in which he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes. He has two games with less than 200 yards. Against Detroit, he had 206 passing yards -- and 110 came on two plays (touchdown passes to Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams).
The Cowboys have had fewer than 300 yards of offense in three games this season. In their only win in the last three, they needed Romo to direct a 90-yard drive in the final minute to beat the Minnesota Vikings.
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/...s-cowboys-2014
"I'm disappointed that we don't have a better record, but he has got us in position to win the division and has got a team here that I firmly believe has the ability to be one of the better-playing teams at the end," Jones said to reporters at Thursday's practice.
The Cowboys (5-5) are second in the NFC East and are coming off their worst loss in the Garrett era -- 49-17 to the New Orleans Saints -- as they get ready for Sunday's crucial division game against the New York Giants (4-6).
"We're positioned to get in the playoffs. We see logically how to get in the playoffs. We have that, for all practical purposes, in our control," Jones said. "Now that's a pretty good spot to be in after 10 games. A lot of this story is to be played out, but it does not have a bearing on whether or not he will be our coach next year. It has no bearing on that."
Asked whether Garrett would be the coach next season, Jones simply said, "Yes."
Garrett has a 26-24 record with the Cowboys, including a 5-3 mark as interim coach after taking over for Wade Phillips in 2010. The Cowboys went 8-8 in each of Garrett's first two full seasons and lost Week 17 matchups for the NFC East title to the Giants (2011) and Washington Redskins (2012).
Jones does not comment on the length of contracts for his head coaches, but in training camp he said Garrett had "multiple" years remaining.
Garrett is the seventh head coach since Jones purchased the team in 1989. Jimmy Johnson coached the most regular-season games (80) under Jones. Chan Gailey coached the fewest (32). Garrett will reach 56 at the end of the season.
Although Jones has thrown his support behind Garrett, he made similar comments in 2010 about Phillips' job security after the team got off to a bad start. With a 1-7 record, Jones made the first in-season coaching move of his ownership tenure and gave the job to Garrett.
When apprised of Jones' comments after practice, Garrett continued his in-the-moment mantra.
"We're talking about practicing well today," Garrett said. "That's what we're going to focus on and that's something we emphasize to our team. That's something we have to live as a coaching staff. We understand we have a great challenge this week and we're trying to get ready for it."
Jones also was asked if the Cowboys need more from quarterback Tony Romo.
"Yes," he said. "Yes, and [more] than we had against New Orleans. But yes, we do."
Since throwing for a career-high 506 yards in a 51-48 loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 6, Romo's numbers have declined. In the five games since, Romo has had two games in which he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes. He has two games with less than 200 yards. Against Detroit, he had 206 passing yards -- and 110 came on two plays (touchdown passes to Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams).
The Cowboys have had fewer than 300 yards of offense in three games this season. In their only win in the last three, they needed Romo to direct a 90-yard drive in the final minute to beat the Minnesota Vikings.
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/...s-cowboys-2014
Comment