Dallas Cowboys: Jason Garrett approaching Jimmy Johnson milestone

Entering his tenth season as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett is about to pass a milestone of a coaching legend, Jimmy Johnson.

For the fans of the Dallas Cowboys, comparing current head coach Jason Garrett to the legendary Jimmy Johnson is like comparing the Earth to the Moon. Meaning, they’re miles apart. 238,900 miles to be exact.

But in the case of winning Super Bowls, they’re two apart. Winning playoff games? Johnson has won nine. Garrett, just two. Total wins? During a nine-year NFL career as a head coach, Johnson won a total of 80 games. Garrett, who has also been a head coach for nine years now, has 77 wins under his belt. Huh?

That can’t be right. In the exact same amount of time spent as an NFL head coach, both Garrett and Johnson have near-identical win totals? Yes, it’s true. And despite being a lame-duck coach entering the upcoming season on the final year of his current contract in Dallas, Garrett should pass his former mentor in career wins.

It’s a milestone pointed out by NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison during his recent 2019 NFL head coach power rankings in which he ranked Garrett 17th overall. Harrison believes Cowboy fans don’t give the former backup quarterback enough credit for his success in Dallas.

"“It might be hard for [fans] to believe that [Garrett] is only three wins shy of Jimmy Johnson’s career total, which spanned nine seasons, as Garrett’s has to this point (Garrett has also coached in eight fewer regular season games since he took over at midseason in 2010). Yet, the gulf between Garrett and his former coach is easily discernible. Johnson won, and won big, in the playoffs, taking back-to-back titles.”"

Harrison also pointed out that Garrett has won just two playoff games in nine seasons, something Johnson did during his four-year stint with the Miami Dolphins alone. But his point is valid. Garrett has secured more wins that the fanbase often gives him credit for.

Although longtime fans of the Cowboys will point out Johnson’s first season in Dallas, the Cowboys went 1-15, skewing the results just a bit. The following year, Dallas recorded a 7-9 record. And Johnson never posted anything less than an 8-8 record throughout the rest of his coaching career.

In turn, Garrett inherited a Cowboys team that went 11-5 in 2009. Named interim head coach midway through the 2010 season, Jason finished that year 5-3, earning himself the official title. Unfortunately, three 8-8 seasons would follow without a postseason appearance.

Although win totals are important, victories in the postseason create legends. Jimmy Johnson, who brought Super Bowl championships to Dallas in both 1992 and 1993 (arguably 1995 as well) is considered a Hall of Fame-level coach in the eyes of Cowboys fans. While Jason Garrett’s two playoff wins and inability to advance past the Divisional Round have made him an annual candidate for the hot seat. This season is no exception.