Jones doesn’t seem too caught up in the issue now despite the Cowboys missing the playoffs for the fifth time in Garrett’s seven full seasons last year.
The outspoken billionaire started with a flat ”no” when asked if this was a playoffs-or-bust season for one of the backup quarterbacks from the Cowboys’ Super Bowl-winning era of the 1990s.
”That’s the best answer I can give Tony Dorsett Jersey ,” Jones said in his annual pre-camp news conference the day before Thursday’s first practice. ”And the fairest.”
Among the 11 current NFL coaches with at least seven years of experience, Garrett has the fewest playoff appearances with two. The only coach with fewer than Garrett’s one postseason win is Marvin Lewis, who is 0-7 in the playoffs in 15 years with Cincinnati.
Seven of the 10 besides Garrett have won at least one Super Bowl, and two others (Kansas City’s Andy Reid when he was in Philadelphia and Carolina’s Ron Rivera) have reached the title game. None of those numbers faze the leadership of the Cowboys.
”I think you can always pull up stats on a lot of different things,” executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said. ”We’re just big believers that, one, we really like Jason and what he’s all about as a leader and as a coach. We’ve had some really good football teams that he’s led.”
Garrett’s seat was the hottest going into 2014, when Dallas won the NFC East at 12-4 and just the franchise’s second playoff game since the last of five Super Bowl titles during the 1995 season.
Before that, the Cowboys finished 8-8 with season-ending losses that kept them out of the postseason in each of the first three full seasons under Garrett. He coached half the 2010 season after Wade Phillips was fired with Dallas at 1-7.
The Cowboys went first to worst at 4-12 in 2015 in large part because of quarterback Tony Romo’s twice-broken collarbone.
Then they were the top seed in the NFC a year later despite another Romo injury when Dak Prescott set an NFL rookie record for passer rating and fellow first-year sensation Ezekiel Elliott led the league in rushing.
There was another extenuating circumstance when Dallas missed the playoffs last year: Elliott’s six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations halfway through the season. The issue hung over the team all season.
”I think it’s as logical as watching my step as I walk off this stage that Jason is better and the right man for this job, even though he didn’t get coach of the year last year,” Jerry Jones said. ”We see better than anybody in the world, Jason. Consequently, I’m excited about him being our head coach.”
Garrett has steadfastly deflected talk about his job security with his ”control what you can control” mantra. That’s what he did as the last of three straight 8-8 seasons was ending in 2013 http://www.buffalobillsteamonline.com/patrick-dimarco-jersey , and again the next summer.
Then he had a season that earned him a five-year contract, and virtually guaranteed that Garrett would outlast all of Jones’ previous hires, including Bill Parcells. Garrett has two years left on that deal.
”I would think that every aspect of what my responsibilities are as head coach, hopefully I’ve gotten better at those things,” Garrett said. ”Everyone of us is a work in progress. I put myself at the top of the list as a person, as a coach, in every aspect of my life.”
Garrett is now second in tenure to Tom Landry, the franchise’s only coach for its first 29 years before Jones bought the Cowboys and hired Jimmy Johnson, a two-time Super Bowl winner.
The 52-year-old Garrett is also second to Landry’s 250 regular-season wins with 67. But his .558 winning percentage (67-53) trails Landry, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey and Phillips.
After missing the playoffs at 9-7 last season, the Cowboys changed much of the coaching staff under Garrett, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. But Jones hasn’t indicated that means the next overhaul starts at the top.
”If I may be so bold http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/ezekiel-elliott-jersey , I’d say he’s a lot better coach today than he was last year or the year before that or the year before that,” Jones said in response to the opening question, which didn’t have a specific reference to Garrett. ”That’s the way it works when you are driven and motivated.”
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Kyle Gibson recovered from a rough start to throw seven innings, and Max Kepler homered in his second straight game to lead Minnesota past Baltimore 5-4 on Saturday.
Bobby Wilson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Twins, who won their third in a row.
Gibson (3-6) allowed three runs in the first inning – including a two-run homer by Chris Davis – but only gave up two hits after that while striking out nine. It was Gibson’s highest strikeout total since fanning 10 batters on April 26 against the New York Yankees.
Kepler’s solo shot off Kevin Gausman sparked a three-run fifth that tied it. Wilson’s two-run double off Miguel Castro (2-5) in the sixth gave Minnesota the lead for good.
The team with baseball’s worst record, meanwhile, lost its fifth in the row.
Trevor Hildenberger worked a scoreless eighth for the Twins. Jace Peterson’s RBI double off Fernando Rodney pulled the Orioles to 5-4, but Rodney got Tim Beckham on a grounder to short to convert his 19th save in 24 chances.
CUBS 8, REDS 7
CHICAGO – Javier Baez homered and had four hits – including a game-tying infield single in the eighth – and Chicago rallied from a five-run deficit and over Cincinnati.
Anthony Rizzo’s RBI groundout capped a four-run eighth inning for Chicago, which has come from behind in each of its last eight wins.
Eugenio Suarez homered and Billy Hamilton added three hits and three stolen bases for Cincinnati, which had its five-game winning streak against the Cubs snapped.
Randy Rosario (4-0) allowed two hits in 2 1/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Marrow worked the ninth for his 20th save.
Jared Hughes (2-3) took the loss, part of three Reds relievers who allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings.
PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH – Nick Williams Clinton Portis Jersey , Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro drove in runs on consecutive at-bats in the seventh inning to help Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh and extend the first-place Phillies‘ winning streak to six games.
Jake Arrieta (6-6) worked around six hits with the help of eight strikeouts to hold the Pirates to two runs over seven innings.
Pirates starter Jameson Taillon (5-7) was charged with all three runs. He had allowed just two singles coming into the seventh. He struck out eight and walked none.
Starling Marte singled and scored in the first and homered in the second as part of a three-hit afternoon to stake the Pirates to an early lead.
Victor Arano worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his second save.
CARDINALS 3, GIANTS 2
SAN FRANCISCO – Carlos Martinez pitched seven effective innings for his third consecutive win and St. Louis beat San Francisco.
Martinez (6-4) allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts and did not walk a batter for the third time this season. The right-hander also drove in the Cardinals’ first run with an RBI double in the third.
Jordan Hicks allowed a run in the eighth and Bud Norris retired three batters for his 17th save.
Brandon Belt had three hits and drove in both runs for the Giants. San Francisco has been held to two runs or fewer in five of its last six games.
Jeff Samardzija had an uneven outing in his first start since May 29. Activated off the disabled list before the game, Samardzija (1-5) gave up three runs in five innings and repeatedly pitched with runners on base.
BRAVES 5, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE – Anibal Sanchez pitched effectively into the seventh and Freddie Freeman added three hits, lifting slumping Atlanta over Milwaukee.
Sanchez (4-2) retired 19 in a row at one point to help snap Atlanta’s season high four-game skid. He exited with two outs in the seventh after being hit by a liner on his right hip.
Atlanta got to Brewers spot starter Aaron Wilkerson (0-1) early to end Milwaukee’s five-game winning streak. Wilkerson had taken the rotation turn of Brent Suter, who went on the 10-day disabled list with left forearm tightness on Friday.
Sanchez struck out six in a row at one point. But after two easy outs in the seventh, his day ended quickly following a walk to Hernan Perez.
TIGERS 7, RANGERS 2
DETROIT – Nicholas Castellanos homered as part of a seven-run first inning for Detroit, and the Tigers cruised past Texas.
Cole Hamels (4-8) retired only two batters for the Rangers in his shortest start since 2010, and Adrian Beltre had a home run taken away when Detroit’s JaCoby Jones made a spectacular catch in left-center field.
Mike Fiers (6-5) allowed a run and five hits in six innings. He struck out six with one walk.
Rougned Odor hit a solo homer for Texas immediately after Beltre was robbed by Jones. Shin-Soo Choo doubled twice for the Rangers to extend his on-base streak to 46 games, tying Julio Franco’s club record set in 1993.
Niko Goodrum had four hits for the Tigers.
YANKEES 8, BLUE JAYS 5
TORONTO – Luis Severino pitched five innings to earn his major league-leading 14th win, Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge each hit solo home runs Da'Ron Payne Jersey , and New York beat Toronto.
Severino (14-2) won his fifth straight start, allowing three runs and five hits. Two of the hits were home runs, marking the first time this season that Severino has allowed more than one homer in a game. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 16 consecutive starts.
Jonathan Holder, David Robertson, Dellin Betances each worked one inning and Aroldis Chapman got the first out of the ninth before leaving with an apparent injury. Chasen Shreve finished for New York, giving up a solo homer to Aledmys Diaz.
J.A. Happ (10-5), a potential trade target for the Yankees, had a dreadful
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