Jason Garrett coached the Dallas Cowboys for a decade and had some great moments along the way, including three NFC East championships. But he also went 2-3 in the playoffs and finished 8-8 four times, most recently in 2019.
Which is why Mike McCarthy in now the head coach.
Was this a good move for the Cowboys?
“Oh, absolutely,” Cowboys legend Drew Pearson said on Tiki & Tierney. “We needed a new vibe. We needed a new voice there. God bless Jason Garrett. He’s going to do all right with the New York Giants as a coordinator. That might be his niche as a coordinator as far as his coaching profession. But they needed a new voice. The 8-8s were pretty prevalent in Jason’s Garrett’s tenure. That’s mediocrity. As former Cowboys, we don’t like to be wallowing in mediocrity. We like to brag about the organization and what they’re doing.”
McCarthy, meanwhile, reached four NFC Championships with Green Bay and led the Packers to a Super Bowl title in February 2011.
“Mike McCarthy has set a different tempo, a different tone,” Pearson said. “There’s a different voice. Look at the size difference. Something coming from a guy that’s much bigger than Jason Garrett, it sets a little tone there of discipline and respect.”
Wait, the physical size of a head coach matters? Really?
“No, I don’t think it matters,” Pearson said. “It’s just his personality more than his size and his track record more than his size. But he brings that, too. It seems like the atmosphere is exciting and different. The players all have to be accountable now. Some people got comfortable in the situation with Jason Garrett there.”
The Cowboys lost eight of their last 13 games after a 3-0 start last season.
“We had 36 drops last season,” Pearson said. “That is unbelievable. That shows me that people aren’t being accountable for those kind of mistakes, and that’s why they keep happening. I think those kind of things will be corrected and making these players accountable so you won’t have that number of drops. Now when people make mistakes, they’ll be accountable to those mistakes. That makes a difference within your football team.”
The Cowboys open the season on the road against the Rams on Sunday Night Football on Sept. 13. Kickoff is slated for 8:20 p.m. ET.