Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is considered the heir apparent to Wade Phillips as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, as soon as Jerry Jones has enough of Wade's mediocrity and kicks him to the curb. Smart money says that Wade only has one more season before he gets sacked, making it a great possibility that Garrett could be coaching the Cowboys as soon as one year from today. Unless, that is, he takes a job elsewhere.

That's exactly what might happen in the coming weeks, as the Detroit Lions look for a savior to take them out of the 0-16 wilderness. Garrett is on the list of people who the Lions want to interview for the job, and it looks like Garrett will be the first one to be talked to, since the Cowboys are already done for the year.

While the head coaching job in Dallas has always been a prestigious position, could the Lions gig really be better for Garrett than waiting a year or two to coach the 'Boys? Apparently he thinks there's a chance, and he might be right.

Right now, the Cowboys are coming off their 11th straight season without a playoff win, and haven't won a Super Bowl since SB XXX back in January of 1996. In some places, that's ok. In Dallas, it's unacceptable.

There's not a whole lot of reason for optimism in Dallas, however. Although they have one of the most talented teams in the league, they haven't been able to get over the hump and win a playoff game, and have been absolutely atrocious in high pressure situations. In only his 3rd year as a starter, QB Tony Romo is developing a reputation as a choke artist, Terrell Owens is nearly unanimously considered to be an attention whore and a locker room cancer, and Jerry Jones seems to have an affinity for troubled players, bringing in Tank Johnson and Adam "Pacman" Jones into the fold immediately after behavior-related suspensions. In short, it's not exactly the ideal situation for a young head coach.

The Lions are pretty much on the opposite end of the spectrum. While expectations are astronomical in Dallas, they are rather low right now in Detroit. Coming off an 0-16 season, they have nowhere to go but up, and they already have some of the pieces to do it. Calvin Johnson might be the best WR in the league for the next decade or so, Kevin Smith was a steal in the 3rd round of last year's draft, Ernie Sims is a great young linebacker, and many people believe Drew Stanton has the potential to be a quality NFL QB. If he doesn't, the Lions have some options, with the #1 and #20 overall picks in the first round of the upcoming draft. Sam Bradford and Matthew Stafford are possibilities, as well as any number of quality offensive and defensive line prospects. Someone like Matt Cassel may also be available on the free agent market, as well.

If Garrett chooses to go to Detroit, he certainly has a chance to do well. They have the potential to win 6-7 games next year, if they make the right moves in the offseason. There are tons of options with the draft, from grabbing the next elite QB to trading down and strengthening several positions. The potential to succeed is definitely there, and if he fails, then it's not a career killer, because many people would expect it anyway. Lane Kiffin accepted a similar job in Oakland a few years ago, left on rough terms, and is now the head coach of one of the more prestigious universities in the country.

The other question is, would this be a good move for the Lions? Garrett had all the talent in the world to work with in Dallas, but their offense still finished 13th in the league, and had more drama than any other team in football. Can he handle a whole team, especially when the going gets rough? Maybe we'll find out, if he decides that coaching next year in Detroit is better than coaching in a few years in Dallas. And it looks like that just might be the case.