Should the Cowboys replace Jason Garrett with Sean Payton?

After the Dallas Cowboys fourth underwhelming season in five years, should the team consider replacing head coach Jason Garrett with Sean Payton?

It’s something that would have been laughable only months ago. Following a breakout 12-4 season and the Dallas Cowboys first playoff victory since 2009, why should America’s Team suddenly fire head coach Jason Garrett? At this same time, nearly two years ago, that answer was likely much different.

Garrett was coming off three consecutive seasons of 8-8 mediocrity without a postseason appearance going into the final contract year last season. The hot seat was primed and ready before former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray exploded for 1,845 rushing yards in 2014. Murray’s career year vaulted Dallas into relevancy for one season. And that sudden surge of success enabled Garrett to get a five-year, $30 million extension in January.

Then Murray left the Cowboys in free agency and starting quarterback Tony Romo fractured his clavicle twice, leaving Dallas with a 4-8 record and Garrett exposed 11 months after signing that extension. The young head coach’s inexperience has hurt this team in the past. And in these recent weeks without Romo under center, it has done so again.

More from The Landry Hat

Although Garrett spent 14 years as a back-up quarterback in the NFL, seven of which spent behind Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, and six more years as an offensive coordinator or positional coach in the league, the 49-year old never once was a head coach at any level until he replaced Wade Phillips in Dallas in 2010.

That inexperience has literally cost the Cowboys multiple seasons while Garrett went through on-the-job training in Dallas. And that lack of experienced has reared it’s ugly head again this year while trying to replace Romo under center with players like Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel.

Despite Weeden likely being the most overly prepared back-up in NFL history, Garrett and his coaching staff still felt the need to limit their gameplan, only allowing the former first round bust out of Cleveland to throw the short and intermediate routes. After three games where Weeden displayed improved accuracy but an inability to actually win a football game, he was replaced by Cassel and eventually released from the team altogether. In his absence, his replacement hasn’t fared much better.

Front office mistakes and coaching inexperience are the cornerstone of the Cowboys demise in 2015. The arrogance to believe they could replace Murray’s production with a running back by committee. The lack of coaching and/or misevaluation of talent behind wide out Dez Bryant on the recevier corps. The false belief in players like Weeden, running back Joseph Randle, safety J.J. Wilcox, right tackle Doug Free, fullback Tyler Clutts and others have led this team down a very dark road in 2015. Something has to change in Dallas.

Firing Garrett after a 12-4 season seems like madness or possibly a rash decision. But don’t so easily forget the struggles that got the team to this point. Remember Garrett’s first three seasons at the helm of America’s Team. When you do, I believe you’ll see it’s the smart move to replace him in Dallas…but only if you can get someone better. And that person is current New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton.

Payton should have been the head coach of the Cowboys back in 2006. The now 51-year old was in Dallas from 2003-2005 as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach under Bill Parcells. Payton is widely credited for discovering quarterback Tony Romo and bringing him to Dallas as an undrafted free agent back in 2003.

But the talented young coach left Dallas in 2006 to become head coach of the Saints. Parcells retired a year later (or a year too late), handing the Cowboys reins over to Wade Phillips instead. If the Big Tuna had gotten tired of football only a year sooner, Payton would likely be the Cowboys head coach now. The young coach brought a Super Bowl championship to New Orleans in 2009. And Dallas…got Garrett.

Earlier this month rumors about the Saints being willing to trade Payton began to surface, as they are in the midst of their own 4-8 season. New Orleans is suffering from more than questionable coaching, as the aging team made a huge mistake hiring Rob Ryan as their defensive coordinator. A mistake Dallas made as well. But Payton is still a valuable commodity in this league, as the Saints proved by being unwilling to outright fire their head coach.

With his ties to Dallas, a trade for the Super Bowl winning coach could be exactly what the Cowboys need to recover from this tragic season. Comparing the two coaches, Garrett has a 45–40 (.529) win/loss record as an NFL head coach. His first two playoff appearances as a coach, one win and one loss, took place just last season. Payton has career record 90–60 (.600) while winning six out of his 10 playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl win in 2009. As the Saints head coach for nine years, his teams have finished 10-6 or higher five times.

Beyond the numbers, I believe Garrett has reached a ceiling and he doesn’t possess the required coaching experience to go any further. And his constant message of improving everyday against a nameless, faceless opponent has been wildly ineffective and is starting to ring hollow with his players. Bringing in an experienced coach like Payton could be the jolt this team needs to get to the next level.

But what do you think? Should the Dallas Cowboys replace Jason Garrett with Sean Payton? Tell us your answer in the poll question below.

Next: Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers: Top 5 games ever!

Thank you for participating in the poll question above. It’s our sincere hope you’ll visit our site often as we work really hard to provide Cowboys fans with fresh, daily content about their favorite team from a fan’s perspective. Please feel free to take part in further discussions about this topic below in our comment section. All we ask is that each participant is respectful in both their responses and towards others. Thanks again and…Go Cowboys!

Home/Cowboys News