Jason Garrett doesn't take many risks with his offensive play-calling and his conservative nature was on display Sunday with 3:39 remaining.
With the Cowboys trailing 14-13 and faced with third-and-9 at the Carolina 15-yard line, Garrett called time out. Which pass play would he draw up? Take a shot at the end zone? Maybe a safe dump-off to a running back in space? Nope. Garrett went with a Phillip Tanner run up the middle. The play resulted in a five-yard gain. Dan Bailey then came on and nailed a 28-yard field goal.
So what did the owner and general manager think of Garrett's decision in that situation?
"I felt that was a conservative way, that was a conservative call and I'm not, but the big (question) is well should we be having a conservative call and I can make a good case and point that it called for that," Jerry Jones said. "We certainly wanted points, that's for sure."
When asked a follow-up question about the decision, Jones said he didn't want to second-guess Garrett.
"I thought he took the points, took the field goal and I thought that was conservative and the right way to win the game," Jones added. "I would like to see the game put away right there, but there are many things that we all would like. That's in the name of just winning it right there. But he did the right thing. He completely shifted it over to the defense and said, which the defense has done once, but he basically said, 'OK, defense, win it.' And to their credit, they did."
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