Between a quiet offseason and a two-game losing skid to open the year, Cowboys fans are none too pleased with owner Jerry Jones.
While it could be easy to point the finger in any direction but his own, Jones, 81, did not rebuff the criticism Tuesday, calling it “very fair.”
“It’s well known that no decision is ultimately made here for what I either have acquiesced [to] or approved it. That’s very fair. How could you think otherwise, whether it be who’s out there coaching, whether it be who’s out there playing, whether it be the stadium you’re walking into? Whatever it is here, that’s the way it is,” Jones said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan.
“Now, let me just say this. Do I have a huge amount of input in making those decisions? When they’ve done their homework, they’re very influential input to me, and we’ve got a lot of people in the Dallas Cowboys that have done their input.”
Coming off a 44-19 blowout loss to the Saints in Week 2, Dallas was ready to right the ship Sunday against the Ravens.
Tensions quickly bubbled over once the game began, as star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb — the recipient of a $136 million contract extension after a summer holdout — appeared to yell on the sidelines at quarterback Dak Prescott, whose own contract drama was resolved just hours before the team’s season-opening win versus the Browns with a $240 million deal.
Moments after the Cowboys failed to come back against Baltimore in a 28-25 defeat at home, Jones was asked about the personnel and stated the team did not pursue former free-agent running back Derrick Henry — now with the Ravens — because they could not afford him.
Dallas also saw veteran talents move on, including running back Tony Pollard to the Titans and center Tyler Biadasz to Washington.
Looking ahead at the short week and a visit to the rival Giants on “Thursday Night Football,” Jones knows what’s at stake and that Dallas needs “a good game.”
“They’re in our division; that says enough right there, and we need a good game,” said Jones, who was pressed on whether Week 4 is considered a must-win.
“What’s a must-win? We play 17 games. Some sports play over 150 games. It gets down in those with playing 150 games that they get down to two or three games that you could look back and say, ‘They must win.’ And to me, when I think about it, that’s the case. You might look back and say that’s a game that you turned the corner, that’s a game that you did that. And I don’t mean to sound cavalier when I’m saying it, but, boy, every possession is an important possession for us and for each player. And that’s the trick is play the possession, do the best that you’ve got in you. When you’re out there knowing everybody else is going to do the same thing, good things will happen.”
The Giants (1-2) are coming off their first win of the season while the Eagles and Commanders lead the NFC East at 2-1.
The Cowboys have topped the Giants in six straight contests since 2021.
