Jones after loss: We’ve got to win a football game
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett won’t talk about his job security and keeps his focus on helping the team get better for the next game. (0:29)
CHICAGO — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones did not make any proclamations about changes to Jason Garrett’s job status after Thursday’s 31-24 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, but he did question why the roster is not producing results.
“These guys are mentally OK for me, and all these guys are talented enough for me, so that’s good,” Jones said. “I’m questioning how to put together a coordinated one that complements each other, how to put together a team that can win a football game. … We’re not collectively getting together as a team and doing the things it takes to win ballgames.”
Instead, at 6-7, the Cowboys are mired in their second three-game losing streak of the season, despite a mostly healthy roster.
“It’s leveled out here. It’s losing, losing, losing. I’m not trying to be funny here, but the point is we’ve got to win a football game,” Jones said. “I don’t care what the standings are, what the numbers are. We had thought that we could come up here and play a good team, play a fine football game and get our act to where we’re starting to look like a team that could — if we by the slim chance get in the playoffs — where we could win. We can’t do that until we play and start winning the football games, and we’ve got three more to play. When we do that, we can go.”
Thursday’s loss was a disillusionment. After driving 75 yards on 17 plays for a touchdown on their first drive, the offense stalled until the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand. The defense forced a takeaway for the first time in four games on the opening possession, but gave up scores on the next four possessions in the first half.
The Cowboys scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to close the gap but that did not impress Jones.
“We know that the score didn’t indicate how bad they beat us tonight,” Jones said.
Garrett’s job security has been an issue since the opening of training camp because he does not have a contract past 2019 and will continue to be a bigger topic in the final three weeks.
Garrett said he believes the players are still buying in.
“I just see how they come to work every day,” Garrett said. “I see how they practice, and unfortunately we didn’t carry the practice work to the game.”
Nor did Garrett see any players quit.
“I don’t believe that,” the coach said.
The Cowboys will remain in first place in the NFC East even if Philadelphia beats the New York Giants on Monday based off their October win against their division rival, but this was a season that was supposed to be about more than making the playoffs.
Now Jones does not care if the Cowboys finish 7-9 or 8-8 and make the postseason.
“Are you asking me if I would take the division and go to the playoffs, if we got in on any basis? The answer is yes. Absolutely, yes,” Jones said. “Acceptable? I don’t know. Not if we’re not playing good, but if we’re playing a lot better than we played tonight, I’ll take getting in. [Are] you talking about getting in the playoffs? Well, yes, I would on any basis. I realize if we don’t play better in the last [three games] than we looked tonight, then that’s tough to think about having success in the playoffs, but your goal, the first goal is to get to the playoffs.”