'We're designing bad plays' Cowboys owner Jerry Jones basically just threw his coaching staff under the bus
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined 105.3 The Fan for the first time since last week's feisty interview in which he seemed to threaten the hosts with their jobs despite the fact that he doesn't own the radio station.As usual, Jones was able to spark some controversy during his interview by dropping a few interesting […]
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined 105.3 The Fan for the first time since last week's feisty interview in which he seemed to threaten the hosts with their jobs despite the fact that he doesn't own the radio station.
As usual, Jones was able to spark some controversy during his interview by dropping a few interesting tidbits throughout his pseudo-explanation of the state of the Cowboys. In short, the owner was seeking to explain the real roots of the team's struggles and seemed to throw his coaching staff under the bus when he claimed the team was designing bad plays.
"The types of things that we all think we should be looking at is, well, we're designing bad plays, we're designing bad concepts," Jones said on Monday. "The facts are there's some of that, but there's also some of execution, some of the talent."
Even if Jones is acknowledging there are more issues with the team he built for the 2024 NFL season, straight up telling the media the coaches are designing bad plays and concepts certainly is meaningful. Specially after a week in which you've fielded questions about head coach Mike McCarthy's job security.
Fans and media have criticized the Cowboys' offense since early in the season, as there's still a lack of a solid run game, lack of motion, and an abundance of instances in which two receivers are running into each other, making spacing look questionable.
In the same interview in which he was able to hold his coaching staff and players accountable, Jones failed to do the same about the front office as he kept defending the team's passiveness during the offseason, going as far as arguing that Derrick Henry wouldn't have the season he's having with the Baltimore Ravens had the Cowboys targeted him: "It's beyond whether or not we have Derrick Henry or not… I don't know that he'd be having that career year in our situation."
While Jones has a point saying Henry wouldn't be having the same production he's having, it seems convenient to dismiss the notion that better free agency acquisitions would've made the 2024 Cowboys better. In the eyes of the owner though, it's all about the coaching staff and the execution, apparently.
"Our situation is more about holding your blocks, not making mistakes, it's more about the receivers running through man-to-man coverage and running on through it," Jones explained.
Ironically enough, Jones did admit, though he might not be connecting the dots here, that the Cowboys' young talent comes with more mistakes than if they had veteran players.
"I like our talent but young talent has a few more mistakes associated with it than if you're dealing with a veteran player," Jones added.
You know what would've helped getting more veteran players? Not being dead last in the league in free agency spending this offseason. Not making Ezekiel Elliott and Eric Kendricks your biggest outside additions to the squad.
That's not to say the team isn't designing bad plays. It just feels funny that Jones can shrug off player acquisition, or lack thereof, and instead point toward the execution of those.
NFL player just gave the Cowboys all the more reason to pull off much-needed trade
They gotta do it at this point.
