Cowboys HC Jason Garrett alters sideline operation
By Mike Dyce
There was some debate about whether Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett would take back play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Bill Callahan. Garrett said he won’t, but he did alter the sideline operation during the bye week.
From ESPN Dallas:
"Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has changed the sideline operation for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants so that he will have direct contact with quarterback Tony Romo on the field as in previous seasons, according to a league source.Garrett, however, will continue to have offensive coordinator Bill Callahan call the plays. The change will also provide Garrett greater control of the play-calling as he can more easily make changes before delivering to Romo the call in the huddle."
While Garrett isn’t play-calling, it is an interesting change. Essentially, Callahan is getting every call double checked by going through Garrett. That is stripping him of some power. Garrett said he has spent more time on the offensive side of practice recently.
“I was down there a little bit more the last couple of days,” Garrett said, via ESPN Dallas. “I typically move all over the practice field and just dive in and coach, help out, do what I can do to make our team better.”
“I thought the practice on Wednesday was really, really good,” Garrett said. “Guys came out and were focused, practiced hard, practiced fast. There was some crispness to it, and that’s the way you want to practice. That’s the way you get better.”
In addition, the Cowboys are moving quarterback coach Wade Wilson to the booth to assist Callahan in reading coverage schemes. Wilson had been the one relaying the calls from Callahan to Romo, because league rules won’t let coaches communicate with players from anywhere but the sideline.