Jerry Jones takes responsibility for the Cowboys’ failure and anticipates changes in the franchise

DALLAS.– Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, took responsibility this Sunday for the team’s failure, which was left out of the NFL playoffs for the second consecutive season and extended to almost three decades its drought without playing a game for the National Conference title or returning to a Super Bowl.

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After the 34-17 defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers, Jones was self-critical and made it clear that important decisions are coming within the organization. “I know exactly who the ultimate responsible party is. I didn’t get involved just to own and invest, but to dedicate my life to figuring out how to beat the rest of the NFL teams. This 30-year drought must be thoroughly analyzed and several things changed,” said the executive. Through week 16 of the season, the Cowboys have a record of six wins, seven losses, and one tie, numbers that left them with no chance of qualifying, despite the coaching change made before the season.

Upon concluding the 2024 season with a 7-10 record, Jones decided to dismiss Mike McCarthy and appointed Brian Schottenheimer as his replacement. However, with two weeks left in the schedule, the new coach also failed to bring the team back into contention for the NFC title.

“This season we didn’t perform well enough. We were all below our expectations and not qualifying for the playoffs says it all. Now we must ask ourselves if we are capable of making the necessary changes to be truly effective,” Jones pointed out. The franchise owner specifically pointed to the defensive performance, led by coordinator Matt Eberflus, whose unit ranks as the second-to-last in the league in points allowed. “It’s something we have to evaluate. We must analyze our options and correct what didn’t work so as not to repeat this situation next year. The entire coaching staff will be evaluated and defensive statistics are a key part of the problem,” he emphasized. For his part, coach Brian Schottenheimer agreed with the team owner’s analysis. “We are judged by winning and losing, and this year we haven’t won enough,” admitted the strategist. The Cowboys will close the regular season with two away games: in week 17 they will face the Washington Commanders and in week 18 the New York Giants, both already without chances of advancing to the playoffs.