Defense as well as offense responds to new Cowboys coach Garrett

One of the questions we were having about Jason Garrett’s rise to head coach of the Dallas Cowboys was how would the defensive players respond to him. When Wade Phillips was the coach Garrett had little to no influence on the defensive players and what they did week in and week out. Some of the players even criticized the Cowboys offensive player caller for not calling a balanced game until the Green Bay shellacking.

If I had to choose an image from Sunday’s win over the Giants, it would be that of OLB DeMarcus Ware joking and laughing with his new head coach on the sidelines as the clock was winding down. It wasn’t just Ware either, there were visible shots of Brooking, James, and Newman all exchanging hugs or joking with Garrett at the end of the game. It was an answer to the question that a lot of people were asking.

While one game doesn’t mean anything, it is great to hear that the defensive players have also bought into what Garrett is selling. “You feel a different vibe around here,” Bowen said, “Everybody was all in behind coach Garrett and you see what happened out there.” Bowen is just an example of the attitude that is starting to spread, not just amongst the defense, but the whole team.

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Garrett won’t raise fantasy values

Published: November 8th, 2010 | | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Charles Woodson, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Jerry Jones, Jason Garrett, Clay Matthews, Dez Bryant, Charlie Sheen, Albert Breer

The Cowboys let go of coach Wade Phillips and replaced him with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Confusing for a fantasy enthusiasts, considering how bad the Cowboys’ offense has been this year. This move is akin to firing the bartender and then promoting Charlie Sheen to the position.

Owner Jerry Jones is aware that the Cowboys scored only one touchdown on Sunday night right? Nobody can pick up a blitz and the Cowboys never made adjustments to what the Packers are doing. The Cowboys failed miserably in keeping LB Clay Matthews and CB Charles Woodson out of the backfield. And yet, Garrett was promoted.

The only upshot is that by being head coach, Garrett is no longer the offensive coordinator. Hooray! But will this move improve the Cowboys fantasy stars?

NFL Network’s Albert Breer said (via Twitter) that the Cowboys players do not like Garrett. But Breer was quick to point out that the players did like Phillips, so take that for what it is worth. Though it is hard to imagine the players rallying around Garrett, considering that they seemingly quit on Phillips.

So you know what that means … the Cowboys rally to play their best game of the season to beat the Giants. However, you still cannot trust any of the running backs. The only players you should feel comfortable starting are WRs Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. Maybe TE Jason Witten, but he has shaken my faith as well.

Good luck to those of you depending on Cowboys players this fantasy season.

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Can Cowboys get any better under Garrett?

Published: November 9th, 2010 | | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Wade Phillips, Brian Baldinger, Jerry Jones, Jason Garrett, Rod Woodson, Mike Mayock, Charles Davis, Fran Charles, NFL Total Access

As you can imagine, the Cowboys are still the big talk inside the walls at NFL Network, one day after Jerry Jones dismissed Wade Phillips in favor of Jason Garrett on an interim basis for the rest of the season.

So what, exactly, you say is left to talk about the 1-7 Cowboys? The “NFL Total Access” crew brought out the four-box during the A-block (TV lingo for the top of the show) Tuesday to let Brian Baldinger, Mike Mayock, Charles Davis and Rod Woodson hash out this question: Are the Cowboys any better under Garrett?

Here’s a brief recap of their answers with host Fran Charles, and check out the video to the right for the full segment.

Baldinger: “I think the one thing he can do right now is up the tempo of this team. Make them play faster. They can think quicker, react quicker. All those things can benefit (everybody) right now. Maybe just a different voice in the locker room, maybe the message gets through just a little bit clearer.”

Mayock: “A percentage of players will play hard just because it’s in their DNA. Another percentage will play hard because they have to, because they’re borderline players. There is also a big percentage that don’t care anymore. They don’t want to get hurt, and they know they’re not going to the playoffs. Those are the guys that Garrett has to motivate. It’s a thankless job, and very few men have been able to accomplish it.”

Davis: “It will be interesting to watch, because we always talk about pride in the NFL. We haven’t seen as much of that from the Cowboys lately, as one would have thought. Will (the coaching staff) jump up their game right now for Garrett and try to secure their jobs for next year?”

Woodson: “The one thing you can do as a coach, and what Garrett has to do, is to change the laziness and complacency of this year’s football team. The way you do that is to hold them accountable. You don’t flick on a light switch during a game. It happens in practice. If he can do that, maybe he can get something out of them.”

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