Garrett...Walk By FAITH & Not By SIGHT

Is this a bible verse?

Previous Cowboys Coach - Jimmy Johnson

Head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett, is trying to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Jimmy Johnson.  During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Jimmy was quoted as saying, 

"The No. 1 motivator (in the NFL) is fear. Fear of maybe letting down your teammates or being embarrassed or chastised or fear of losing your job,"  Also, "Where is the fear in Dallas? There is no fear in Dallas. It's a country club where everybody is buddies."

This is all true.  This was the coach who
took the the Miami Hurricanes to the National Championship in 1987.  Two years later in 1989, Jimmy accepted the NFL head coaching vacancy for the Cowboys behind the great Tom Landry. 

Jimmy only coached the Cowboys for 5 years.  Yes, 5 years.  In the 5 years of coaching the Cowboys, Johnson won 2 Super Bowls in his 4^th and 5^th seasons before quitting or being fired.  Not sure exactly, but he was no longer in Dallas after winning back-to-back Super Bowls against the Buffalo Bills.  Take a look at the coaching comparison between Johnson in his 5 years and Garrett’s 3 years of service so far:

Year	Jimmy Johnson	Jason Garrett
1	1-15	**5-3
2	7-9	8-8
3	11-5	***5-6
4	13-3	??
5	*12-4	??
Total	44W - 36L= 80	18W -17L = 35
Win %	44 / 80 = 55%	18 / 35 = 51%

* RB, Emmitt Smith held out the 1st two games of Jimmy’s 5th year-contract dispute

**Garrett took over as head coach the 2nd half of 1st season

*** Season currently in session with 5 games remaining

#79 - Erik Williams

The statistics say Jason Garrett will equal what Jimmy did if he is given one more year of opportunity.  The problem…Jimmy’s approach was walking by FAITH.  FAITH in his ability to hire tough-minded players who were nasty at their positions like the 1990's right tackle Erik Williams (photo to left).  These players were nasty, but played with in the rules of the game.  Jimmy also had FAITH that he would cut players immediately who were under performing and would not tolerate senseless penalties over and over.  Jimmy had FAITH in the biggest offensive line he hired to make holes for RB, Emmitt Smith to be the greatest RB in NFL history.  Also to block for QB, Troy Aikman who won 3 Super Bowls.  One was won under coach Barry Switzer from Jimmy’s left overs.

Jason Garrett on the other hand is walking by SIGHT.  Garrett was the backup QB to Aikman all those years under Jimmy. I have heard rumors, that once Wade Phillips was fired midway through the season, Garrett began running the practices exactly like Jimmy.  Wade went 1-8 before being fired and Garrett turned the same team into a 5-3 record with great practices.

Owner, Jerry Jones, saw just enough in the 5-3 mark to make Garrett head coach.  Garrett got rid of all the underperforming contracts like RB, Marion Barber, WR, Roy Williams, Guard, Leonard Davis and others.  Garrett was quickly drafting players he wanted and made sure he was building his roster with the similar playmakers he played with back in the 1990’s.

Coach Garrett & Dez Bryant

Garrett has the talent roster, but something is missing in his vision.  That something is the SIGHT he is confusing with Jimmy Johnson’s FAITH.  Garrett’s SIGHT is remembering Jimmy’s offensive line where the guys were the biggest in the league.  Guess what…Garrett has one of the biggest offensive lines in the league.  The problem with Garrett’s SIGHT, the lineman are big, but undisciplined and soft.  No nastiness like Jimmy Johnson FAITH group of the 90’s. 

Garrett’s SIGHT built a prolific passing game, but his QB, Tony Romo, continues to run for his life, because the lineman are not skilled and nasty enough to actually do their jobs and block.  The running game is currently averaging 83 yards per game, which ranks 29^th out of 32 teams in the league.  29^th in rushing!  Crazy!  Garrett cannot understand why the biggest offensive line can’t get the job done?  It’s because he’s walking by SIGHT and not by FAITH.

Why does Garrett continue to have his receivers run deep routes on almost every play, when the offensive line is not that good?  Ahhhh….it’s because he remembers his SIGHT in seeing WR, #80 Alvin Harper and #88 Michael Irvin run deep routes and catch bomb after bomb and win Super Bowls.  You know what…Jimmy had an offensive line who blocked for their QB. Romo cannot throw deep most of the time, because no one is blocking. 

Under Garrett’s tenure, whether it’s coordinator or head coach, Romo has suffered a season ending broken collarbone one year and a boken ribs against in week 2 of 2011.  Romo continued to play with a horrible line and broken ribs just to go 8-8 and miss the playoffs with the last game of the season.

If Garrett can walk by FAITH and not by the SIGHT he has been remembering he may be able to coach his team to victory.  As long as he remembers the good ole days of the 90’s, he will be searching for a new offensive coordinator job in the NFL or a head coaching job in the NCAA.

If I could reach Jason Garrett I would say, "It’s up to you Garrett to walk by Jimmy’s FAITH and not by your own SIGHT".  Better yet, try to create your own FAITH to believe in because the your method of positive conversation to players committing bone head mistakes week after week is not working.  Maybe you could just stick to Jimmy's FAITH.