National Football League

Is Garrett safe or is Jerry bluffing?

Published Dec. 15, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Czar: There have been three coaching changes and Tampa’s Raheem Morris may be the next to go. Who are the top candidates for these openings?

Howie Long: You never know if Bill O’Brien, who was caught screaming at Tom Brady, will get some mention. I believe anywhere there is success that owners are going to look at those staffs.

Jimmy Johnson: I have heard Pete Carmichael’s name, the offensive coordinator with Sean Payton in New Orleans. And Brian Billick’s name has been mentioned in Miami.

HL: The key is how much are you going to have to pay to get a Bill Cowher or a Jeff Fisher? Are these teams willing to pay the kind of money that it’s going to take to get either one of them?

Curt Menefee: O’Brien surely got noticed and yelling at a MVP proves he can deal with any player. That incident is why a lot of assistants like being on the sidelines. That way TV announcers will talk about them and fans will notice them and then owners will hear about them.

HL: I really thought O’Brien’s thing with Brady was genuine. He really wanted to know what was Tom doing and seeing.

CM: But fans’ recognition of assistants does really help them get jobs. A lot of owners don’t know these guys.

JJ: I really do think, too, that Jason Garrett is safe in Dallas. Jerry Jones would never have come out and said that if Jason wasn’t really safe regardless of whether or not the Cowboys make the playoffs.

Terry Bradshaw: I disagree with that thought process. I think the Cowboys still have a chance of making the playoffs. The Giants didn’t dominate them.

Czar: Does anybody think that Denver can actually beat the Patriots this Sunday?

TB: I seem to be only one willing to throw it on the table. I think Tim Tebow has a chance. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m having a very good month picking winners on our show.

JJ: New England’s defense is pathetic.

Michael Strahan: Denver legitimately does have a chance.

TB: But this is the one time, honestly, that Denver could be in trouble because they haven’t faced an offense quite as good as New England’s. This isn’t Chicago minus Jay Cutler and Matt Forte. This is a pretty good offensive football team. I don’t see them folding under the pressure in Denver.

HL: I agree. I think that margin of error is a little too much this time. Denver is scoring like 17 points a game. Could you see New England’s offense stalling? They could. No question about that. But I don’t see Denver generating enough points to beat them unless they create some big turnovers or maybe score on special teams. They have to manufacture points.

Czar: Ndamukong Suh returns for the Lions. Do you think he’s learned his lesson?

HL: The only comment that he made that made me scratch my head was, ‘I didn’t put myself in this position.’

CM: I think a lot of people really like this guy, but this is a situation that he hasn’t handled very well.

HL: But the bottom line is that he kicked a player on national TV. Everyone saw it.

MS: It is so obvious what he did and the fact that he denies it only makes it worse. Just get it over with and say I’m sorry.

HL: He should say that and say he’s moving on and he’s going to be better.

CM: If he talks about it once, then it’s over with.

Czar: Are the Giants in the playoffs now that they beat the Cowboys?

JJ: I’m taking the fork out of the Giants and Michael’s neck.

MS: You don’t have to do that. I have an idea where to put it.

JJ: It’s the same old thing about managing the game. You have to tell Rob Ryan that the blitz is not getting to Eli Manning, so rush three and play some zone, and make the Giants work the ball down the field. That would also eat up the clock. The big talk around the league is that teams have figured out his defense and that at the end of the game that’s why the defense is collapsing. The same thing happened again with the Giants. Eli just ate up man coverage and there were receivers running clean in the secondary. People have figured out this defense.

MS: I have never seen Eli look better than he did the other night. He’s having a great season. I know the Giants really believe that Eli has stepped up as a player and a leader. They have been winning with their offense because the defense still isn’t playing very well. And Jason Pierre-Paul had a great game, but he’s also had a great season. He’s a young player who still doesn’t know everything about the game. I can relate to him not playing football until later in his life. He’s not burned out on football and you can tell he loves playing. He’s making plays that you only make if you enjoy playing the game. He is really busting his butt because he really wants to make plays and be good. This guy hasn’t even touched the surface of what he can do yet. He had a phenomenal game in Dallas.

JJ: I do think that Jerry Jones has conceded that the Giants are going to win the NFC East.

TB: If that’s true, how can he really keep Jason Garrett as his coach?

JJ: I think Jerry is also trying to say that his team has a bright future. He has to make sure that his fans stay excited by saying his team has a future with Jason.

HL: With that in mind, could Jerry just be saying what needs to be said now? And when the season ends, could he go in a totally opposite direction?

TB: You have to wonder if he will keep Rob Ryan.

JJ: One thing to know is that Rob has had only one of his defenses ranked in the top ten. Most of them have been in the 20s. He had that one game, Cleveland versus the Patriots and Brady that everyone points to.

Czar: The Packers are 13-0 and will home for the playoffs. Do you see anybody ruining their perfect season?

JJ: I think the Saints are the only team that has a shot at beating them. I don’t think San Francisco can beat them.

TB: I disagree. I think San Francisco would match up well against them.

HL: But I think the 49ers have taken a step back, especially when it comes to protecting Alex Smith. If its 30 degrees below zero like it was when the Giants won in Green Bay, I don’t see anybody beating them in Lambeau.

CM: The other thing is that Frank Gore isn’t close to being healthy right now. That really hurts San Francisco.