After their 13-9 loss to the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones declared that his coaching staff was outcoached, especially during the stretch. Even former Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant said the Patriots have better coaches than Dallas. With the loss that dropped the Cowboys to 6-5 despite having a star-studded lineup, head coach Jason Garrett is on the hot seat and could be booted after this season. It would be easy for the Cowboys to fire Garrett as he is in the last year of the five-year, $30 million deal that he signed in 2015.
With Garrett at the helm, the Cowboys have won just two postseason games and no championships. According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, there are several candidates that Jones could pursue in the offseason to replace Garrett.
Cowboys also considering Urban Meyer
In his column, Freeman said Jones could go after Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels or former Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. McDaniels is not new to head coaching as he had an unsuccessful stint as head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2008 and 2009. In 2018, he had a chance to work as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, but decided to stay with the Patriots at the last minute. Primarily, McDaniels is known for his work running the offense for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and might inherit his position if the veteran mentor decides to retire.
Meyer, for his part, has never coached in the NFL but won three national titles with the Buckeyes and the Gators before retiring from coaching in 2018. Aside from Meyer and McDaniels, the Cowboys are also looking at three potential candidates in New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Belichick sees Texans as a big challenge
In their first 11 meetings, the Patriots dominated the Houston Texans, winning 10 of their outings. Betting odds in Las Vegas also put the Patriots (10-1) as a 3.5-point favorite over the Texans (7-4). Despite this, Belichick said the Texans pose a huge challenge for the Patriots when they clash on Sunday.
In an interview with reporters, Belichick said the Texans would be a huge problem for the Patriots as they haven’t faced in a while. “Certainly, a lot of changes since the last time we played them,” said Belichick, referring to their 27-20 win over the Texans last season. Belichick said the Texans are a well-rounded team in all areas. Belichick also lauded Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, calling him one of the best coaches in the league. Earlier, Texans linebacker Brennan Scarlett said their defense would have its hands full against veteran quarterback Tom Brady.