Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Reaches Verdict on Coaching Changes After Bears Loss

Jason Garrett

Getty Jason Garrett

The Dallas Cowboys‘ brain trust cannot quit Jason Garrett, even if his players might have.

In the wake of the 6-7 Cowboys’ third straight loss and second straight no-show, a 31-24 defeat to the Chicago Bears on Thursday, owner/general manager Jerry Jones proclaimed there’d be no changes to the coaching staff heading into Week 15.

“We’ll line them up here next week,” Jones said after the game, via ProFootballTalk.com. “We’re going to go practice, and we’re going to try to win a football game. Everybody that’s in here that’s healthy will be playing, and everybody who is in here coaching will be coaching. We’ve just got to play better.”

The score may as well have been 310-24; it was not representative of Dallas’ effort — or lack thereof. Look beyond the 408 total yards and 326 passing yards, most of which occurred in garbage time, the Bears taking their foot off the throttle, victory in hand.

Quarterback Dak Prescott (27-of-49, 334 yards, one touchdown) was wildly inaccurate for much of the evening and constantly under siege from Chicago’s pass-rush. There were several dropped balls. The play-calling again was questionable.

That’s just on offense.

Dallas’ defense made Bears QB Mitch Trubisky (307 total yards, four combined TDs) look like Lamar Jackson, particularly on Trubisky’s 23-yard scamper to pay dirt. When they weren’t getting sliced by the middling signal-caller, the Cowboys failed to corral … well, everybody. By the fourth quarter, the missed tackles were numbered in the teens.

It’s as if they wanted no part of the Windy City inhabitants, a reflection of its leadership.

“They took it to us,” Jones said, per ProFootballTalk.com. “We’ve just got to see if we can step in here and win a game. I don’t care if we stay in contention all the way down until they have the playoffs, we’ve got to start showing our fans, more importantly, show ourselves we can do the things to win games.”

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Jerry Takes Umbrage to Criticism Question

The Cowboys’ czar wasn’t on the same warpath as he was following the team’s loss to the Patriots, when Jones admitted to boiled-over frustration and all but blamed Garrett and his staff for squandering his high-priced roster.

That was a rare look even for Jones, arguably the NFL’s biggest showman, who usually spins as much he can into positive narratives. But there’s just no sugarcoating how bad Dallas has played of late.

It’s fair to wonder, as one reporter did, if Jones’ pointed comments have contributed to the losing skid. If his attempt to light a fire under the spiraling squad really blew up in his face. Jones doesn’t wonder, nor does he like the implication.

“The same way that my praise of them is contributing,” Jones said, per ProFootballTalk.com. “You may have noticed that I’ve been praising them, too. So much for words. Seriously. So much for words.”


Jones Discusses Possible Division Crown

Speaking to how bad the NFC East is this season, a scenario exists in which the Cowboys can go 7-9 and still finish atop the pack. That’d require beating the 5-7 Eagles in a monumental Week 16 matchup, bookended by contests against the Rams and Redskins.

The Cowboys currently own a half-game lead in the division, and despite his on-the-record Super Bowl aspirations, Jones appeared incredulous when asked if a No. 4 playoff seed would be acceptable.

“Are you asking me if I’d take the division and go to the playoffs, if we got it? On any basis the answer is yes,” he said after the Bears loss, via The Athletic. “I realize if we don’t play better…that’s tough to think about having success in the playoffs.”


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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL