ARLINGTON, Texas — Everyone associated with the now-3-6 Dallas Cowboys are frustrated after a 34-6 demolition at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles with quarterback Dak Prescott sidelined with a hamstring injury.
“You can’t win games turning the ball over five times,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said postgame on Sunday. “So, that’s what we’ve got. … I’m just frustrated like everybody else is, but since I had a lot to do with what we’re seeing, then it’s proper frustration as far as I’m concerned that we’re just not playing in a way, especially when you play a team that is the caliber of teams that we’re playing out here. Philadelphia is a high-caliber team, and we’re not up to them. That’s troubling. We’ve got to look at all the things that have happened. I’ll just say this right now: five turnovers over the last two [home] games.”
Frustrated enough to make an in-season coaching change and fire head coach Mike McCarthy, who is a lame duck in the final year of his original five-season Cowboys coaching contract?
“I don’t believe we’ll make a coaching change during the season,” Jones said.
It’s understandable for Jones to hold off considering the Cowboys’ injury list throughout the course of the season looks like a CVS receipt. Prescott is out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury, 2023 NFL interceptions leader DaRon Bland hasn’t played a snap in 2024 after suffering a stress fracture in his foot at the end of training camp. Edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence hasn’t played since the second half of Week 4 at the New York Giants because of a foot injury. Edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland hasn’t played since Week 5 with a knee injury. Edge rusher Sam Williams tore his ACL in training camp. Parsons, while successful on Sunday, missed four games because of a high ankle sprain suffered in the second half of Week 4 at the Giants. However, being the only team in NFL history to trail by at least 20 points in five consecutive home games means there’s something more at play than just injuries.
“I’m aware of the things that have happened to us and the degree in my mind how they’ve influenced things. Candidly, I take a lot of that in consideration when I’m looking at any individual and coaching especially, but there is in my mind a lot of accountability when the receiver is having trouble getting open,” Jones said. … “There has to be accountability directed to somebody that other than just the player, I do that, I really do that. It’s not without other people giving their input on how those players or how those coaches are coaching too. It isn’t just stepping out here and me just doing it. You can imagine I have a lot of people I counsel with.”
However, Cowboys owner is still scarred by letting go of former head coach Wade Phillips nine weeks into his fourth season in charge with a 34-22 overall record.
“I changed coaches in the season with Wade [in 2010 after a 1-7 start] and have always regretted it,” Jones said. “As a matter of fact, I made a change with Chan Gailey after two years [when he went 18-14 in 1998 and 1999 combined], and I regretted that. That’s not enough. You need to give yourself a chance. I’ve had a lot more rope than that in my time.”
At 3-6 in 2024, that is mathematically a better start than 1-7 in 2010.
“That’s better math,” Jones said. “But I sure don’t sit around and say, ‘if you get minus two more, we’re going to be in there.’ I really don’t. Mike’s a heck of a coach. He’s a great coach in my mind and has and should have the opportunity to do better than we’re playing right now. Like I said, I haven’t had a good experience changing coaches in the middle of the season.”
That being said, it’s worth wondering what criteria Jones has in his mind for McCarthy and his staff to earn another round of contracts with the Cowboys after their fifth and final season of their original deals are up at the end of 2024. Here’s what that benchmark looks like.
“My criteria has always been how we play,” Jones said. “‘Do we have an edge? Are we fundamentally competitive? Are we competitive when we’re down?’ Those kinds of things. Not as much obviously the score. What does Bill [Parcells] say? You are what the score [your record] tells you you are? But still, you look at all of those things, and there’s no fairness. Let me be real clear. Nobody is trying to be fair here. We’re trying to win a game. So those are things I’m looking at to help be a part of decisions that could help us win a game.”
