Cowboys lose to Jets: End of the Jason Garrett era?

After suffering their third-straight loss of the season, the 3-3 Dallas Cowboys are certainly underperforming. Is this the end for head coach Jason Garrett?

The Dallas Cowboys started the 2019 NFL regular season with three straight victories. But the team faced criticism for those early wins due to their low-level of competition, defeating the 2-4 New York Giants, the 1-5 Washington Redskins, and the 0-5 Miami Dolphins.

The Cowboys then failed to prove their naysayers wrong, losing their next two matchups against quality opponents in the 5-1 New Orleans Saints and the 4-1 Green Bay Packers. But Week Six offered an opportunity for redemption.

Facing the winless New York Jets, Dallas had a real chance to get right. Even with injuries ravaging their offensive line and an early quad injury suffered by number one wide receiver Amari Cooper, the Cowboys figured to have enough talent on both sides of the ball to beat the lowly 0-4 Jets.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys would suffer their third-straight loss of the season shockingly losing to the Jets 24-22, giving them a record of 3-3. Luckily for Dallas, they did not lose their spot atop the NFC East standings with both the 3-3 Philadelphia Eagles and the Giants losing to their Week Six opponents.

But the Cowboys are far from where they want to be. And with the loss suffered to the Jets, there has to be a real consideration to make a head coaching change. With their status in the division unchanged, head coach Jason Garrett may receive a short reprieve. But for anyone still having doubts, the team’s performance on Sunday should insure that Garrett is on the hot seat in Dallas.

After being named interim head coach of America’s Team midway through the 2010 regular season, Garrett received the official title in 2011. He proceeded to lead the Cowboys to three-straight 8-8 seasons without a postseason berth.

Garrett entered 2019 as a lame-duck coach, not having a contract with the Cowboys past this season. Entering his 10th year as the team’s head coach, the 53-year old former NFL backup quarterback has only two playoff victories under his belt in Dallas. And the Cowboys have never been able to get past the divisional round of the playoffs under his tenure, reaching the postseason a mere three times since he took the reins in 2010.

Now the question is if the Cowboys decide to pull the plug on Garrett, when might that be? The team does have a bye in Week Eight after a divisional battle against the 3-3 Philadelphia Eagles. And making a coaching change during the bye week would be ideal. But the real answer is that a head coaching change isn’t likely to happen anytime soon in Dallas. And here’s why …

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones will give Jason Garrett every opportunity for redemption. And with Dallas still being atop the divisional standings, the season can still be salvaged. But if the losses continue to pile up against questionable competition, and their playoff contention is in jeopardy, the pressure will mount. And as Jones displayed when he originally fired former head coach Wade Phillips to promote Garrett to the position back in 2010, he’s certainly capable of making a midseason change.