In the NFL, patience is not always rewarded. Sometimes it’s only tested, exhausted and then finally broken.
This is the epitaph for the decade of Jason Garrett with the Dallas Cowboys, a head-coaching era that challenged every last molecule of the fan base, from muscle to marrow.
The Cowboys finished this season 8-8 after defeating Washington 47-16 on Sunday. They weren’t good enough to take the NFC East from the Philadelphia Eagles, who clinched the division with their own victory in the regular-season finale.
When Garrett’s contract expires this week, his 9 1/2 seasons as head coach will have spanned 157 games.