NFL Notebook: Cowboys' Garrett says offseason moves collaborative
BY Associated Press
Thursday, February 14, 2013
2/14/13 at 6:59 AM
Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett talked about his new assistants for nearly 30 minutes before taking a question in his first offseason news conference Wednesday.
Was he behind all these changes after a second straight 8-8 season and a third year in a row without a trip to the playoffs? Or was someone else? Dallas owner Jerry Jones' name didn't come up in the question, but it did in Garrett's answer.
"We've had a lot of discussions about coaches and players through the years, and the lines of communication have always been open," Garrett said. "My opinions are well-known, Jerry Jones' opinions, (executive vice president) Stephen Jones' opinions, our coaches' opinions."
Jones' opinion after the season was that he was going to make things "uncomfortable" at team headquarters. A revamping of the coaching staff followed, along with talk that Garrett would surrender play-calling duties.
All the chatter led to speculation - including from former Super Bowl-winning Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman - that Jones was calling all the shots and Garrett was just following orders, happy to still be the head coach even though he'll be one of the hottest seats in the NFL when the season starts.
"Since I've been here as the head coach, he and I have had a really good relationship," Garrett said. "We've had very candid conversations, and this offseason has been no different."
NFL ready to get Super Bowl played at MetLife: Super Bowl Monday. Super Bowl Wednesday. Surely that sounds better than Super Bowl PPD.
The NFL says it's ready for next year's title game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Feb. 2, no matter the weather. Even if it means moving the game from its traditional Sunday spot.
Concerns about contingencies arose recently for two reasons: Next year's Super Bowl will be outdoors at a cold-weather site for the first time, and the Northeast is still recovering from a monster snowstorm that hit last weekend; the lights went out in the Louisiana Superdome during the Feb. 3 game, causing a 34-minute delay and some anxiety about whether it would resume.
Several published reports said the NFL has discussed changing the day of the game if weather complications arise. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wouldn't offer specifics, but said Wednesday the league will make whatever changes are necessary.
"We have had contingency plans for the previous 47 Super Bowls," McCarthy said. 'We expect to play all games, including the Super Bowl, as planned. ... We will be prepared if we have to make adjustments."
Changing the date of a Super Bowl could be dicey. If a blizzard hit on a Saturday, the day before the game, it might be possible to move it to the following Tuesday, allowing time to dig out roads and parking lots. If a storm was forecast for Super Bowl night, then perhaps playing Saturday would be an option.
The only significant precipitation during a Super Bowl came in February 2007 at Miami. Playing in a rainstorm, Indianapolis and Chicago committed four turnovers in the first quarter.
The record low for a Super Bowl kickoff is 39 degrees when Dallas beat Miami in January 1972 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.
Associated Images:
Garrett
|
