Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett has seen (more than) his fair share of criticism since he took over from an ousted Wade Phillips in 2010; much of which is based upon consecutive 8-8 seasons. He enjoyed a respite in the wake of 2014 (12-4) while also landing a five-year contract extension worth $30 million.

In 2015, everything which could go wrong did…effectively placing Garrett’s head back in the guillotine in the eyes of many detractors. In choosing running back Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall this past NFL draft, many see the Cowboys getting back to the formula of power football which turned them into a powerhouse just two years ago.

Five-time pro bowler and 2006 MVP LaDainian Tomlinson believes Garrett has shown he knows how to win in this league; and will lead Dallas deep into the playoffs in 2016.

“Honestly, I think Jason Garrett is a heck of a coach, and I’ll tell you why,” Tomlinson said on 1310 The Ticket’s BaD Radio [KTCK-AM]. “He saw two years ago the type of formula he needed to have in Dallas in order to win. And it was the same formula the Cowboys used when he was a player, basically relying on the run game, being able to be efficient in the pass game.”

Garrett was once the backup QB for Hall of Famer Aikman, and saw firsthand how a Super Bowl team should be built.

“When you needed a big play in the passing game, you were able to get it from Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek and those guys. But everything ran through Emmitt [Smith].” Tomlinson noted. “That was the engine of their team. With that, the offense helped the defense. … Two years ago, we saw that formula come back.”

This is why Tomlinson feels the Elliott pick was the wise move even now as some believe it’s the Cowboys’ defense who deserved a fourth overall talent.

“Ezekiel is a guy that can handle everything. To me, he can actually be a game-breaker for you.” said the former two-time rushing champ, Tomlinson. “You can say they’re losing pass rushers [with Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence suspensions], but at the same time, I go back to two years ago, remember, we didn’t know how good their defense was going to be. Rod Marinelli worked miracles with that group. So I don’t necessarily think they needed to go out and get a Jalen Ramsey or Joey Bosa or a guy like that. I don’t think that was needed. I think that they can get by with the guys they have right now as long as they’re able to control the clock running the football.”

The process which led to the success of 2014 was evident with first round picks being used on offensive linemen (who are now All-Pro’s) versus the touted talent at the time.

With 2015 decimated by injury and poor backup QB play, it’s possible a combination of both health and Elliott could hit the reset button for the Cowboys; taking them further than they’ve been in 20 years.