Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones says he’s seen worse. His Cowboys, led by head coach Mike McCarthy, are 3-7 in 2024 and have lost five in a row. They’ve been hurt — having lost quarterback Dak Prescott and now safety Markquese Bell to season-ending surgeries, while also dealing with injuries to star passer Micah Parsons — and frankly, they’ve just played downright bad football.
However, Jones He insists he’s seen worse times in Dallas.
“We won a game my first year. One. So, have we had difficult seasons? Yes. Yeah, I’ve been around. Certainly, we did it,” Jones said after the Cowboys’ last loss, a 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football, according to ESPN. “And we had other difficult years. And that one, we didn’t anticipate the record…the way we’re playing right now, we wouldn’t have anticipated that. But no, it’s not – you’ve all heard me tell those old stories until you’re sick – but no, stay in this league long enough, you’ll experience moments like this.
The Cowboys have seen the peak of the NFL – with victories in Super Bowls VI, XII, XXVII, XXVIII and XXX – but in Jones’s view, they have also had bad times. Their last Super Bowl victory was in 1995, almost 30 years ago. They haven’t been to the NFC Championship Game since this season, and they’ve been eliminated from the Wild Card round in two of the last three seasons, despite arguably having one of the most talented teams in the NFL.
And that’s been the problem lately for the Cowboys. They’ve consistently underperformed when it mattered most, but even when there’s nothing left on the line, they’re short by more than a few dollars. The Cowboys lost in Week 10 to the Philadelphia Eagles, 34-6. In Week 11 against the Houston Texans, they lost 34-10.
Do that mental math real quick and you’ll realize that the Cowboys have been outscored 68-6 in their last two games, and both of those games were in front of home fans at AT&T Stadium. That would lead even a half-awake Cowboys observer to assume they stopped trying this season, as the plug was unofficially pulled when Prescott went down for the season, and Cooper Rush only threw for 45 yards in total in his first start. after this injury.
Pay even closer attention to the trends around Dallas over the past few seasons, and it would appear that McCarthy has completely lost the plot. He was always a somewhat questionable hire after completely losing Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay locker room before being fired in Week 13 of the 2018 season. Doubts were assuaged somewhat by three straight record-breaking seasons. 12-5, but once again the Cowboys have been on fire in the playoffs in each of their last three trips.
NOW? They don’t even seem bothered about playing competitive football anymore, and McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, which means he’s basically a lame duck. Again, you don’t have to be a sports psychologist to see that the Cowboys have completely vetted Pittsburgh’s coach, but Jones insists any such allegation is false.
Jerry Jones says Mike McCarthy didn’t lose the Cowboys
“It’s such a stretch to lose pieces of the team,” Jones said. “These guys are so, first of all, they’re natural competitors. Second, they take great pride in being professional and perhaps disappointed with the way they performed the piece, but that’s not something a sibling or first cousin should give up. … Everyone is certainly disappointed, but it’s a big difference not knowing that you have to put one foot in front of the other to get there.
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Of course, Jones is correct that the players on his roster are professionals and, as such, there is a level of professional pride that will never leave the NFL. However, even despite the injuries, it is a talented team that Jones has assembled. Rush was 4-1 as a starter in 2022, but now he seems to have forgotten how to play quarterback. Parsons was injured, but returned and had two sacks against the Eagles. However, he was non-existent against the Texans. CeeDee Lamb, when healthy, is one of the best receivers in the league. He hasn’t caught a touchdown or gone for more than 100 yards receiving in three games. He had over 100 receiving yards just once this season.
McCarthy lost the locker room. Thanks to him because he always speaks as if he didn’t do it.
“I believe in this locker room. Our leaders, for the most part, were injured. There is some good that comes out of it. McCarthy said. “You don’t see it because we’re not winning games, but there are young men who have the opportunity to do more. And I believe it will pay off. He needs to hurry because we need it in six days. But that’s just the reality of what we’re experiencing. I believe in them not only because of what they do for the organization, but also because of the energy and effort they give to me. I have every reason to believe that we can play better.
He says this adversity will pay off for the Cowboys in the long run. It’s a shame, because he won’t be there to see it as head coach.
