The Dallas Cowboys are 4-4 and headed to another mediocre .500 season it looks like. An 8-8 season would be their third in a row. Despite the lack of success and trips to the playoff, head coach Jason Garrett is getting praise from owner Jerry Jones.

“If I were evaluating the season, looked at it and we’re 4-4, this one’s over, I would look and see how we got to 4-4,” Jones said on his twice-a-week radio show, via ESPN Dallas. “And his arrow would be pointed up.

“The key thing about Jason is his ability to take things that happened, experiences he’s had — things we learned the other day — and feel confident that as you go into the future, you’ll incorporate that in future decisions. I think we got that going for us. I wish everyone could see how hard he works, how conscientious he is, how smart, logical he goes about his business. All of this is good.”

The Cowboys are 20-20 under Garrett since he took over.

“I think when I look at where we are or where we can be as a team, then we’ve definitely benefited from how he is coaching the team as opposed to where he was as coordinator as well as head coach,” Jones said. “We’ve benefited from that. Now, we’re 4-4. It looks like we’re in a rut. But when I look at how close those games have been, then I can see it could’ve been better than 4-4. That’s the way I would look at it if this were it.”

Garrett is under contract through the 2014 season and could only get one more season after this to prove his worth.