New York Giants head coach Joe Judge secured a significant part of his coaching staff on Friday night when he hired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Garrett, the former head coach of the rival Dallas Cowboys, brings experience to a relatively young staff. The reviews of Garrett have been mixed since the hiring, but three things should excite the Big Blue faithful.
Why Giants’ Fans Should Be Excited About Jason Garrett
His NFL Experience
Before the Garrett hire, Joe Judge was filling his staff with coaches who were a little bit more unknown. Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham both were under-the-radar hirings. Garrett, on the other hand, is a big-name coach who brings something the other coaches do not have much of – experience at the highest level.
Before Jason Garrett was the Cowboys head coach, he was once a quarterback for several NFL teams – including the Giants in the early 2000s. When he retired in 2004, he was hired by the Miami Dolphins the following season as the quarterback’s coach. In 2007, he was hired by the Cowboys as the offensive coordinator. He was promoted to intern head coach in 2010 and was appointed as the team’s coach the following season. After being the Cowboys head coach for over nine seasons, Dallas let Garrett walk this offseason.
Throughout those nine and a half seasons, Garrett helped build the Cowboys into one of the most consistent teams. He posted a solid 85-67 regular-season record and brought Dallas to the postseason three times. He drafted a franchise QB in Dak Prescott, won three NFC East championships, and helped build one of the NFL’s most dominant offensive lines. Garrett’s experience will be invaluable to Big Blue next season.
Dallas’ successful offenses
Upon taking over as Dallas’ offensive coordinator in 2007, Garrett quickly brought the team success. In his first season calling plays, Garrett coached the Cowboys to the second-best offense in the NFL. He would go on to have multiple top-five offenses in Dallas, mainly in part to three things. Strong offensive line play, a game-changing tight end, and an elite running back.
While the Giants lack the offensive line play, they do have the other two. When healthy, Giants tight end Evan Engram has proved he can be a game-changing player. Dallas has tormented Big Blue for years with tight ends, with most of the damage coming from future Hall of Famer Jason Witten. Looking at Garrett’s track record with tight ends, it seems as though he could be the guy that maximizes Engram’s skillset.
Garrett will be able to benefit from having an elite running back as well, courtesy of Saquon Barkley. Since being drafted in 2018, Barkley has been regarded as one of the best at his position. The Cowboys have had great success over the past few years, mainly in part to their star running back, Ezekiel Elliot. If Elliot’s success is an indicator of what’s to come for Barkley, Giants fan should be ecstatic.
His knowledge of the NFC East
Over the past five seasons, the Giants have been near the bottom of the league every year besides 2016. While they have struggled across the board, their biggest challenge has been against divisional opponents. In the last 30 divisional games, Big Blue is a miserable 10-20. The Cowboys, on the other hand, have been the best against the NFC East, posting an impressive 21-9 record.
While one can make the argument that their success is primarily due to Dallas merely having more talent, it’s clear there is much more to it. Going back even further, since Garrett took over as the head coach in 2010, the Cowboys have gone 38-20 in games against the NFC East. Even in down years, the Cowboys still have found success against their rivals. It’s not a coincidence that the Cowboys have been the best team in the NFC East since 2010; it’s Jason Garrett doing what he does best.
While Garrett won’t be able to turn the Giants around in one season completely, he will be a significant upgrade from the Giants’ recent offensive coordinators. His experience in the NFL will help Joe Judge greatly, and his success against NFC East opponents will give the Giants an edge in close games in 2020. Giants fans should be happy knowing they will have Jason Garrett on their sideline next season.