Could a deep playoff run be enough for offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to keep his job with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019?

When the Dallas Cowboys lost five of their first eight games to kick off the 2018 regular season, it appeared as if the entire coaching staff could be on the hot seat. The biggest and warmest offenders being head coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.

Entering Week 17, the Cowboys are shockingly now the NFC East champions having won six of their last seven contests. And with a playoff berth locked in, it appears that Garrett’s job is all but secure. But as the Cowboys’ offense is limping into the postseason coming off some terrible performances, that same job security can not and should not be applied to Linehan.

Linehan gets a ton of criticism when the Cowboys’ offense plays poorly (despite the fact execution by the players themselves is a major issue). And he gets next to no credit when they win. It’s a lose-lose for the OC who joined the team back in 2014 as it’s passing game coordinator.

But the real question is what happens to Linehan if the Cowboys win in the postseason? Would your feelings change about his fate if owner Jerry Jones is hoisting a Lombardi Trophy in February? What if Linehan is suddenly able to unlock the potential of this offense and the team makes a deep playoff run? Would that be enough to earn him a new contract rather than a pink slip in 2019?

After a game like the one Dallas had against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, a 23-0 blowout, every fan was polishing their pitchforks. And despite the victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past weekend, the Cowboys’ offense still struggled to put up 232 yards against one of the weakest defensive units in the NFL.

But the honest truth is Scott Linehan has a chance to win back the fanbase in the playoffs. As the great Bryan Broaddus always says, the NFL is a strange lady. Today’s chump may be tomorrow’s champ. Winning solves everything in this league, even for someone who presumably already has a foot out the door.