Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said fans’ frustrations with the team’s 1-2 start is “very fair” after a local Dallas news station conducted a recent poll where 78 percent of voters said the blame falls on Jones.
“It’s well-known that most decisions (are) ultimately made there, I either have to acquiesce or approve it,” Jones told 105.3 “The Fan” on Tuesday about WFAA’s poll. “That’s very fair. How could you think otherwise?
“Whether it be who is out there coaching, whether it be who is out there playing, whether it be the stadium you’re walking into, whatever it is here, that’s the way it is.”
In the poll, the Cowboys’ defense received 12 percent of votes, coaching received six percent and the offense got four percent.
The Cowboys have particularly struggled on defense this season. They rank 28th in total defense at 372.7 yards per game and are last in run defense while giving up 185.7 yards per game. Dallas’ offense also ranks 30th in the NFL in rushing (73.7 yards per game), although in Weeks 2 and 3, they fell behind early forcing them to pass more.
The Cowboys opted not to chase big-name free agents this past offseason that could’ve improved those areas.
Jones said he “completely” accepts the criticism but pointed to the regular season success the Cowboys have had over the past few seasons as cause for optimism.
“If you look at who has won the games over the last four or five years, Kansas City has, of course, but we’re right in that pack (in the regular season),” he said. “Now, we’re in a soft spot. We got to get out of it.”
What to make of Jones’ comments?
It doesn’t surprise me that Jones would agree with the fans. He understands that if he wants to be the owner and general manager, the majority of blame is going to fall on him when things are going poorly. However, he has also said multiple times since Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens that he likes the team’s personnel. His comment puts the blame on the coaching staff because Jones is saying that they have been given the correct ingredients to make the dinner.
Of course, the owner and GM are responsible for hiring that coaching staff. And it’s also easier to take the blame when you know the consequences aren’t all that bad. It’s not like Jones is going to get fired. He’s not going to hire a GM and he’s not going to sell the team. — Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer
(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
