NFL challenged Garrett’s coaching prowess, he failed

The Dallas Cowboys fell 26-15 to the Buffalo Bills at home on Thanksgiving Day.

While much of the NFL world contemplated the next dish they were going to fill their plate with, Cowboy fans pondered which coach was going to fill Jason Garrett’s vacancy.

However, Jerry Jones made it clear at the conclusion of Thursday’s game he will not making a coaching change this late in the season. And left a frustrated team, and fan base, left to stew another week in preparation for Chicago next Thursday.

Entering this week, the NFL presented Garrett with a unique opportunity to slightly change the narrative around him and this team in two games.

The expectation was for Dallas to go 1-1 in their past two outings. Garrett had a chance to exceed those expectations.

Instead, the Cowboys began the week by being held to their lowest point total of the season (9) against the New England Patriots.

A disappointing loss given how the game unfolded, but it was a game not many people had Dallas logically winning. Gasoline was poured on a growing fire during Jerry Jones’ postgame interview.

“This is very frustrating,” Jones said. “It’s frustrating just to be reminded that some of the fundamentals of football and coaching were what beat us out there today. … With the makeup of this team, I shouldn’t be this frustrated.”

Focus was shifted to a Buffalo team, who at the time, held wins over the Jets, Giants, Bengals, Titans, Dolphins, Redskins and Broncos.

Dallas opened up Thursday’s contest with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on their opening possession. They were only forced into one third-down attempt and looked like a team capable of finally beating a team above .500.

Instead, they allowed the Bills to spout off 26 unanswered points and former Dallas receiver Cole Beasley to go for six catches, 110 yards and a touchdown.

Dallas composed a final scoring drive, but the 11-point loss didn’t speak volumes to how outdone Dallas was in this game.

In fact, in Dallas’ final “non-garbage time drive” the team turned the ball over on downs after Dak Prescott lazily floated a check down pass out to Ezekiel Elliot on a pivotal fouth-down attempt inside the 10-yard line.

It placed a strong capper on perhaps the most disappointing loss of the season.

In turn, Dallas finished the week 0-2, failing to meet the expectation of splitting their Sunday-Thursday slate.

“I’m looking ahead at another ball game. I’m looking ahead at winning four or five straight. Five straight and helping write a story they will talk about, how it looks like you were down and out, and got it done,” Jones said. “I mean that. That’s the way that I’m operating. Every decision that I make over the next month will be with an eye in mind to get us in the Super Bowl now.”