Why Hiring Jason Garrett Was Absolutely The Right Move By Dallas

It is now official. The Cowboys press conference today even said so. Jason Garrett will continue being Dallas's head coach and I think that not only is it a great move, I think it is the best move that Jerry Jones could've made.

Why is that? Why should Dallas keep an assistant of a team that was underachieving? Wouldn't it be better to clean house and start a new book?

All metaphors aside, I have to be honest. No, I don't think that starting over with a new head coach, with a new playbook, with a new mindset is the right thing because Dallas is not one of those teams that needs to start over. They need correction, they need modification, they need more discipline, but they do not need to start over.

If Dallas fixes a few problems here and there, and if Tony Romo does not go down in the middle of the season, then I think Dallas is in the playoff hunt. Whether you like or dislike the Cowboys, you cannot say they aren't talented. You just can't.

Jason Garrett is the right choice because the players know him. They know his methods, his mindset, his tendencies, and most importantly; they know his playbook.

How important is a playbook? Can a car run without a motor? Can a car run without a fuel pump? How about gas, axles, tires, steering wheel, carburetor or brakes? The playbook is the sum of all those parts because the players have to know what they are doing in order to execute and win.

It is so much easier for Dallas to go into training camp this offseason and know that they don't have to learn a playbook that's like 60 pages in length and detail.

Second, why in the world should Dallas get rid of a guy that turned the season around and went 5-3 with backup quarterbacks? Before anybody says that Dallas should've scrapped Jason Garrett; think! Think about how the players starting performing like they cared if they won or lost. Think about how they fought and clawed to get five more wins this season. Is Jason Garrett the reason for that? I think he is a major part of it.

Jason Garrett differed from Wade Phillips in his approach to the players. Wade Phillips was too soft on the players in the end, and Garrett had those guys practicing in full pads in the middle of the season. That made the players realize that "Hey, we gotta wake up or else we may be out of a job soon."

At first, I was curious as to how Garrett would do as a head coach. I had severe doubts, I'm not going to lie. I was thinking just what a lot of you are thinking now still. How can this guy be a great head coach when the Cowboys were struggling on offense all year long with him in charge as a coordinator?

Well, I can't explain it. Maybe Garrett was limited in playcalling by Wade Phillips, maybe the players finally woke up like I mentioned earlier, or maybe it was a combination of both and/or other things. Whatever the reason, the Cowboys started playing football again.

Garrett led them to a 5-3 record for a team that was 1-7 during the first half of the season. However, forget the five wins for just a second and look at the losses. We all know that every team is going to lose some games during the season; especially when they lose their Pro Bowl quarterback. The goal is to win every game, but you can't expect Garrett to run the table without Romo. However, he nearly did that.

The three losses Dallas had were by 30-27 to the New Orleans Saints, 30-27 to the Philadelphia Eagles, and 27-26 to the Arizona Cardinals. Look at the margins of defeat! Three points twice and the other was by an extra point? A loss is a loss, but common sense says that some games (like these) are lost because of one or two errors. A first down here or a third down conversion there can change that giant 'L,' to a 'W' like that.

Dallas had a chance to win every time they stepped on the football field with Jason Garrett in charge, and that is the best you can ask from a coach. That's why I'm throwing my support behind Jason Garrett. He's been the head coach in waiting for a period of time anyway. I think its time to give him his turn at the helm.

I look at Jason Garrett and, besides the gorgeous red hair (my sister has a crush on him), I get this feeling from him. Something is telling me that this is the guy that Dallas needs to trust. I didn't feel that with Wade. In fact, one of the few times I've felt that same feeling is when I watch Sean Payton of the Saints coach.

Throwing my gut instincts aside, look at the man's resume. He's won Super Bowls backing up Troy Aikman here in Dallas in the 90s, and Troy Aikman has repeatedly said, whether in interviews or on broadcasts, that Jason Garrett always was in the back of his mind to take away his spot if he did not perform well enough.

When Troy Aikman was injured during Thanksgiving in 1999, Jason Garrett led the Cowboys to a victory over the Packers. When he was asked to perform, he performed. Getting the picture I hope?

From a young age, he's seen great coaching by Jimmy Johnson, he knows what leaders are needed in the locker room from his time with the Cowboys dynasty, and he's always had a clipboard in hand as a backup. He knows the pride of wearing a Dallas star on his helmet, and I believe he's the best chance the Cowboys have to win with this team.

Will this team win? I can't predict the future or else I'd have this week's lottery numbers. But, I can say that the Cowboys have a great chance with Jason Garrett in charge. If they don't win, I highly doubt it will be because Jason Garrett was a bad coach. Some teams just don't win championships. The Philadelphia Eagles were the NFC's best team the previous decade, and they haven't won a championship. It just doesn't add up in the end sometimes.

Jason Garrett has a long way to go before the Cowboys achieve the ultimate prize, but I'm excited for next year, and all Cowboys fans should be too because we have a new head coach with a tougher mentality and hopefully, a healthy Tony Romo for the 2011 season.

No offense to the Cardinals, Eagles, Saints or Jon Kitna, but Tony Romo is worth a touchdown more than Jon Kitna at least. A touchdown is all Dallas needed to win those games.

So, before you leave this article; think about that for a few moments.

Update: Jason Garrett was signed to a four-year deal