|
 His job doesn't depend on whether he gets that postseason berth.
At least that's what owner Jerry Jones said Thursday.
While saying he was "disappointed" in a 5-5 record that has dropped
the Cowboys out of the top spot in the NFC East for the first time
this season, Jones said Garrett will return in 2014 regardless of
whether the Cowboys end their three-year playoff drought.
"I'm disappointed we don't have a better record, but he has got us
in position to win the division and got a team here I firmly believe
has the ability to be one of the better playing teams at the end,"
said Jones, addressing about a dozen reporters on the team's
practice field. "A lot of this story is to be played out. It does
not have a bearing on whether or not he will be our coach next year.
It has no bearing on that."
Asked if Garrett would be his coach next year, Jones twice said yes.
The Cowboys are a half-game behind idle Philadelphia (6-5) going
into an important division game at the New York Giants (4-6), who
can tie Dallas for second after starting the season 0-6.
Garrett wasn't sentimental about returning to the site of his first
game — a 33-20 win after Wade Phillips was fired with the Cowboys at
1-7 in 2010 — and he wasn't particularly moved when told of Jones'
comments.
"We're talking about practicing well today," said Garrett, who was a
backup to Troy Aikman in the 1990s and was hired by Jones as
offensive coordinator in 2007 before Phillips was named head coach.
"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."
The Cowboys finish the regular season at home against the Eagles.
They have lost a playoffs-or-bust finale to a division rival each of
Garrett's two full seasons.
Dallas had its worst game under Garrett in a 49-17 loss to New
Orleans before last week's bye, gaining less than 200 yards for the
first time in a game Tony Romo started and finished, and giving up
more than 600 yards for the second time in three weeks. The defense
had never allowed that many yards in franchise history.
[to top of second column] |
The Cowboys are still in a favorable position
with a 3-0 division record, but a loss to New York would be
their third in four games after falling out of first during the
bye when Philadelphia beat Washington. Still, Jones doesn't want
to call Sunday's game a must for his team.
"Just how we see at any time how another team can win," Jones
said. "When you look at our division opponents and who they are
playing and you look at who we've got to play, it's hard to
measure from here."
Jones backed his coach in a similar way at the start of
training camp in July, saying he didn't believe this was an
"Armageddon" year for Garrett, who is 26-24 in his first 50
games. The owner's latest words were welcome news in the locker
room.
"He's a great coach," said defensive tackle Jason Hatcher, the
team's sacks leader. "I know you guys think differently. Y'all
rag him all the time, but I think he's an awesome coach and I
wish the best for him in the future and I'm glad the Cowboys
will have him back. He deserves it."
Receiver Dez Bryant has spoken frequently about Garrett's role
in helping a young player who struggled with his maturity on and
off the field.
"He always stays on me because he believes in me, and I thank
him for it," Bryant said. "He's always checking on us. He sees
how our day goes. I know everybody around the league don't get
that."
NOTES: The Cowboys released CB Micah Pellerin and signed LB
Orie Lemon, raising doubts about rookie LB DeVonte Holloman's
availability after missing four games with a neck injury.
Holloman practiced Wednesday but was not on the field Thursday.
Pellerin played in two games after signing off the practice
squad. Lemon signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in
2011. He played in five games last season. Kansas City released
him at the end of training camp, and he was signed to Arizona's
practice squad Oct. 8.
___
Online:
AP NFL website:
http://pro32.ap.org/
[Associated
Press; SCHUYLER DIXON, AP Sports Writer]
Follow Schuyler Dixon on
Twitter at
https://twitter.com/apschuyler.
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
