Changes the Cowboys Need to Make NOW (Part 2)!

By:  Bobby Shores

(This is the second part of a two part series, the first part was released last week)


Yesterday and today we are taking a look at some changes that the Cowboys need to make NOW! While I know that most of them cannot be made until after the season, they need to start preparing, the window of opportunity with this core group of players is closing, and due to mismanagement of the players, coaches, staff, etc. this core group of players has not achieved what their talent level says they should have.

Cowboys Right Tackle Tyron Smith

3) Move Doug Free to Right Tackle and Tyron Smith to Left Tackle - After looking like a Top 10 left tackle last year and being rewarded with a big contract this year it looked like we would be set at left tackle for a couple of years and let Tyron Smith develop slowly at the right tackle spot. The $32 million contract for Free, a young player who looked like a Top 10 Left Tackle seemed like a steal, now it looks like we may have an overpaid Right Tackle.

After a year in which Free has looked like the rookie and Smith has looked like the chiseled veteran it is past time to move them. Free started off on the right side and excelled when he replaced Marc Columbo a couple years back and Smith looks mature beyond his years (mentioned previously here & here) and ready to handle the premier pass rushers of the NFL. Free cannot handle the speed rush or power rush moves of the elite defenders anymore, and it has been obvious nearly every single game this year. This change needs to be made soon before Romo suffers another serious injury.

5) Hire an Offensive Coordinator(OC) - I touched on this in last week's article, but I felt the need to touch on it again here, even after I felt that he called the best game since he took over as head coach this past week against the New York Giants. So what is my problem you are asking? As a head coach I feel you need to be involved in all facets of the game, offense, defense, special teams, etc., and while I don't know for sure I have a feeling that while the Cowboys defense was collapsing, Garrett was to busy dialing up offensive strategy for the next drive instead of helping Rob Ryan plug the hole.

Jerry Jones needs to force Garrett to hire an OC and/or pass/run game coordinators, either way he would still maintain final say over the game plan and play calls, but would also be able to help the defense and special teams. While Garrett is an offensive guy by trade, as a head coach and football lifer he should know enough about the other facets of the game to offer advice and help them reach their potential.

Recently Fired HC's Tony Sparano & Todd Haley

While I believe that Norv Turner is the logical offensive coordinator, if the Cowboys decide to go the route of passing and/or running game coordinator, there are already some good options out there, options that have a history with the Cowboys. Tony Sparano and Todd Haley. Both of these guys are recently fired head coaches who will need to prove themselves in a lesser capacity if they wish to reach the pinnacle of professional football again. With head coaching experience they will be able to help Garrett manage the game and the clock better and should know their role on the team and how to maintain that role.

The need for Garrett to focus more on the "big picture" reared its ugly head again this week when precious seconds ticked away at the end of the game with the Giants on the 1-yard line. The "Andy Reid" style of clock mismanagement has got to stop, and the only way is for Garrett to focus on the entire team and not just the offense.

What do you guys think of the changes? While I know that these are not exhaustive lists, I think they are a good starting point. Let me know what else, or what else we should do differently in the comments.

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What Changes Do The Cowboys Need? OC, Discipline, & Accountability

By:  Bobby Shores

Image Courtesy of DallasNews.com

Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett has a long history with the Dallas Cowboys. From his dad being a longtime scout for the team, to his 8 years as a backup (2nd & 3rd stringer) to Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, to his 2007 hiring that has led to his current role, it has been an interesting ride with America's Team. Prior to his coaching exploits, Garrett had achieved "folk hero" status in Dallas as Aikman's backup when he led the team to a 1994 Thanksgiving Day come from behind win over a young Brett Favre led Green Bay Packers by throwing for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns. He then bounced around the league holding a clipboard for a few years before being hired (prior to the head coach being hired) by Jerry Jones as the Cowboys offensive coordinator, with all of 2 years coaching experience....coaching quarterbacks for the Dolphins.

Fast forward....Wade Phillips was fired as head coach of the Cowboys in 2010 after a 1-7 start; Jason Garrett was named "interim" head coach and finished the season 5-3, which was good enough to make him the 8th head coach in the history of the Dallas Cowboys. It was widely believed that the quick turnaround orchestrated by Garrett was due to the immediate organizational and tempo changes. So how come those changes are not carrying over into his first full season?

Let's Fix The Cowboys Offense First...Simpler Than You May Think

The Cowboys offense has been....well....erratic since Garrett took over, finishing 2nd, 18th, 14th, 7th, and this year they are currently ranked 13th in what I perceive to be the most important straight up offensive category, points scored. To put that in perspective, teams like the 'Niners, Jets, and Ravens are all averaging more points per game, and those teams are routinely ridiculed as being the most "offensively challenged" in the NFL.

So why was Garrett's best year statistically his first year, has he just gotten worse, or was there something else involved? In my opinion it was because Garrett did not handle all the playcalling duties during the 2007 season. That year, current Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was the Cowboys offensive line coach/assistant head coach/running game coordinator who was heavily involved with the in-game direction of the offense. As soon as Sparano left for Miami following the 2007 season and Garrett has had sole responsibility of the the offense, they have struggled, particularly in scoring....

Editors Note: Take a look at the "Scoreability" statistics from my friends at Cold Hard Football Facts (CHFF), it is basically how well a team turns yards into points and is a great way to tell how efficient an offense is, or how inefficient an offense is as the Cowboys found out in 2009, having the second most yards in the NFL does not matter if you can't turn those yards into points....

I believe he needs playcalling help, particularly he seems to lack creativity in the red zone and other big moments. He reminds me of that really smart kid in high school, the one who is really book smart but has no common sense, he always knew what the book said to do but when things got hectic or out of control and he needed to improvise or "think outside the box" he froze. Which is precisely what happened to Garrett on Sunday against the Cardinals. I don't need to go over the details unless you have been living under a rock.

So what do they do? Hire Garrett's former mentor Norv Turner, not only is he an exceptional quarterbacks coach who I believe can get Tony Romo over the hump he has been stuck on for years, his offenses are always near the top of the league. Yes, I know that Turner is currently employed as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, but unless they go on an incredible run while Tim Tebow succumbs to satan's temptations, he will be fired and most likely have to go down to being an offensive coordinator for a couple of years.

This marriage works out well for both sides, Turner gets to come back home where he had his greatest success as the offensive coordinator of the 90's Cowboys dynasty (and where Jerry Jones nearly hired him over Phillips), where he coached Garrett, and since they already run Turner's offense here there would be little transition. Garrett will be able to focus more on being a head coach (organizational & discipline issues) and less about having to be the head coach AND offensive coordinator. We know that the Cowboys already have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball which would be very attractive to Turner.

One other benefit that having Turner on the staff gives the Jerry Jones is if Garrett does not work out then he will have 2 guys in Rob Ryan and Norv Turner that would seemingly be able to make the jump to the #1 spot.

Other Cowboys Problems That Need Fixing

One of the biggest knocks on the Cowboys during the Phillips era was discipline and accountability. During his 3 full years the Cowboys ranked 28th, 32nd, and 29th in penalties, with many of them coming in key situations that directly resulted in lost games. From the Alex Barron holding penalty that cost the Cowboys a win in the first game against the Redskins last year, to the repeated game changing celebration penalties by Roy Williams, Sam Hurd, and Marc Columbo. Now that Garrett has taken full control of this team, and has a reputation of a disciplinarian guy who demands perfection, you would expect the penalties to have decreased quite a bit, right? Guess again, 13 weeks into the season the Cowboys rank 26th, not much of an improvement....

#1 Cowboys fan & her car  Sabrina Elie

Again these penalties are killing drives, taking points off the board, and extending opponents drives and putting points on the board for them. Garrett seems to be a very intelligent, organized, Type-A personality kind of guy that demands a lot from his employees, I just think that it is getting lost with him trying to run the entire offense. If he hires Norv Turner he can still be involved in the game planning, strategy, playcalling, and execution of the offense, but will now have some help from an experienced OC with proven success and the same system.

When it comes to accountability, Garrett needs to have some for himself, it was so obvious that even Helen Keller knew he botched the clock management at the end of the Cardinals game, but instead of admitting that he screwed up he just continues to play the "it was not the wrong decision it just didn't work" card. No leader can demand accountability from his employees without being accountable for himself.


Hiring Turner is a win-win for not only Garrett and the Cowboys, but for all the frustrated fans that see the errors and predictability of this team before it happens, he just needs some help so that he can focus on the big picture. Garrett needs to put his ego to the side and do what is best for the organization

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