Dallas Cowboys: Losing could be key to turnaround

A losing streak in their next five contests could be exactly what the Dallas Cowboys need to force their owner to make some hard, but necessary changes.

The 3-5 Dallas Cowboys are a mediocre team. And head coach Jason Garrett is a mediocre coach. And that’s not simply just opinion, but fact. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the records.

Garrett officially took over as the head coach for America’s Team in 2011. That was after a 5-3 stint as the interim head coach taking over midseason for a fired Wade Phillips the previous year. As the official head coach, Garrett starting his tenure in Dallas by leading the Cowboys to three straight 8-8 seasons without a playoff berth. Mediocre.

During his entire nine-year career as the head coach in Dallas, Garrett is a mediocre 70-58 (.547) including being just 1-3 in the playoffs. Only two other head coaches in Cowboys’ history have a worse winning percentage in Dallas. That’s Bill Parcells (34-30) and Dave Campo (15-33). Mediocre.

Yet, the Cowboys seem fine with mediocrity. Despite an embarrassing performance on Monday night in front of a primetime audience and two whole weeks to prepare for the lowly Tennessee Titans, Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan still have their jobs.

In fact, third-year quarterback Dak Prescott played so poorly against the Titans, owner and general manager Jerry Jones publicly announced that Dak’s getting a contract extension. It’s almost as if this front office loves anything mediocre.

But Cowboys fans should take heart. There is more losing ahead. And that may actually be the one thing that will force the owner and his front office to make the hard changes required to turn this team around.

Dallas is set to face a Murderers’ Row of opponents in the coming weeks. Those teams include the reigning Super Bowl champion 4-4 Philadelphia Eagles twice, the 4-4 Atlanta Falcons, the 5-3 Washington Redskins, and the 7-1 New Orleans Saints.

There is a very good chance the Cowboys could be 3-10 and out of playoff contention completely before facing the more favorable 3-5 Indianapolis Colts, the 3-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the struggling 1-7 New York Giants in the final stretch of the season.

After that many losses, the hope has to be that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will have no choice but to make the changes required in order to make America’s Team great again. That is, of course, only if Jones is finally tired of mediocrity.