The Cowboys enter Thursday's game with Washington having not only lost three straight games by 20 points or more, but having failed to reach 10 points in a three-game stretch for the first time in their 58-year history.

If that alone did not place head coach Jason Garrett on the hot seat, then the only man who can put him there -- the rest of us are merely guessing -- did exactly that on his morning radio appearance Tuesday on 105.3.

"No one understands any better where we need to improve than Jason does," owner Jerry Jones said. "I think what you're seeing this week is what good coaching will bring us. This is where you call on good coaching."

One can wonder why that wasn't called for three weeks ago when Ezekiel Elliott left the scene and tackle Tyron Smith was unable to play in Atlanta, a game that arguably ranked as Garrett's worst as head coach at least until Thanksgiving when Philip Rivers sliced through the Cowboys' defense with incredible ease while the Cowboys failed to mount any offense against the 32nd-ranked run defense in the NFL.

But the point is that Jerry is now calling for good coaching. He is telling us not only that is what we will see against the Redskins, but it's what he needs to see over these final five games to feel secure about Garrett returning for his eighth full season in 2017.

While anyone who has spent time around Jones knows that he believes in Garrett and is loathe to making changes despite a history of having done so, that faith is being tested. No team should collapse so quickly while missing an elite running back and a Pro Bowl linebacker. Garrett's team has failed to compete, losing the second half battle 72-6 the last three games while reducing their wild-card hopes to roughly 5 percent, according to the computers.

But we have also seen through the years Jones' belief can fade quickly. Jones expressed ultimate support in Chan Gailey less than three weeks before firing him. And that firing came after a trip to the playoffs.

Jones' most famous (or infamous) firing will always be Jimmy Johnson, coming off two Super Bowls. But that fallout was building over a matter of months. Johnson was miserable despite his team's success. He wanted out from under the 10-year contract that had seemed such a great deal in 1989. Jones responded by offering a raise but removing Johnson's control of players, coaches and trainers.

Meanwhile, Jones couldn't believe his head coach went public with his interest in the new job at Jacksonville the week the Cowboys were getting ready to play New York in the showdown for the NFC East. The two were barely speaking.

It is a measure of how far the Cowboys have fallen, how the expectations of a franchise that now gets shoved out of a late afternoon TV slot to make room for those Jaguars have slipped over two decades. There was a time when Jones believed 500 coaches could win a Super Bowl with the Cowboys' talent. What makes him believe there aren't at least a handful who could do a better job than two division titles in seven seasons?

Garrett has a 63-52 record as head coach. His playoff record is 1-2. As has been mentioned here, the seven other coaches not working in Cincinnati who have been around as long as Garrett have been to Super Bowls, and all but Carolina's Ron Rivera have won Lombardi Trophies.

Garrett's time here is hard to describe as anything more than above average. Because of that unprecedented run of 8-8 seasons, you can argue that the man has had only one losing season since being hired in 2010. Or you can say that he's had just two winning seasons and won a single playoff game in all that time. Take your pick.

Jones prefers to see Garrett as a coach forever growing -- "I without question have seen Jason evolve," he said -- but where is the evidence? Beyond showing a willingness to go for it on fourth down (as long as Elliott is around and the offense is whole), where do we see that evolution?

You can put this next part on the coordinators if you choose, but Garrett is the game day coach chosen to preside over all phases of the game. How could the offense be so slow to realize Chaz Green was overmatched on the left side in Atlanta and not offer help? How could the defense be so slow to figure out that Rivers was just ripping apart Rod Marinelli's one-day love affair with the blitz?

Garrett is not tied up calling plays and hasn't been for four years. It's his job to stop those snowballs from rolling, and yet it hasn't happened at all in recent weeks.

That's why the clock is ticking on his time here, starting with a Thursday night game against Washington. The visitors have a much longer injury list than the Cowboys and the same also-ran 5-6 record.

Given all the Redskins players missing, Jay Gruden has done some good coaching of his own this season. Jones expects to see some on the other side of the field.