The Cowboys’ latest collapse has put the spotlight on everyone in the building, but Stephen Jones made it clear Monday that Dallas is not rushing into a coaching change.
After watching a 14-point fourth-quarter lead vanish in a 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Cowboys dropped to 3-5 and immediately triggered questions about whether somebody should be held accountable. On 105.3 The FAN, Jones was asked directly if a coach needed to pay the price for the defeat.
“I don’t think… you fire somebody just to send a message,” he said. “If it’s something that’s there that you need to make a change because it’ll make us better in the long haul, then you certainly have to take a look at that.”
Jones also pointed out that the current staff may not have a clear internal answer waiting in the wings.
“I think a lot of teams look at it that way,” Jones said.
He brought up the past example of replacing Wade Phillips with Jason Garrett, saying Dallas had a natural successor in place then.
“I really thought that he was going to might be our next head coach,” Jones said. “So it made a lot of sense.”
But Jones made it sound like this situation is different, and he kept coming back to the same idea: there’s still time left, and the Cowboys are not out of the race yet. With nine games remaining and the NFC East still struggling, he said the team has enough runway to turn things around.
“I know obviously we hadn’t played well, but there’s still a lot of football to be played. We’re in a division that’s struggling to some degree, and, you know, we still have nine games left,” Jones said. “And certainly feel like, you know, there’s signs that we can do some things really well at times.
“And if we can just get consistency during the game and finish, then good things can happen for this team. But I know we’ve got a lot of work.”
Jones didn’t try to dress up the problems as bad luck, either. He said the Cowboys have to improve across the board.
“We’re certainly not living in a fantasy world, just thinking if we’re just unlucky right now,” Jones said. “We’ve got to play better.
We’ve got to play better in all three phases. But at the same time, I think we can do that.”
The defensive issues have been a major part of the Cowboys’ slide, and Sunday’s loss only added to that concern. Arizona piled up 467 total yards, a number that again exposed Dallas’ struggles on that side of the ball.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer is also under pressure after another game slipped away, but Jones’ comments suggest the organization is leaning toward patience rather than a quick move. For now, the Cowboys appear set to ride with the current staff and try to salvage what remains of the season.
In Other News...
Cardinals QB Workout Suddenly Puts The Focus On A Bigger Move
The Cardinals spent part of the week taking a closer look at depth options, bringing in seven players for tryouts that included one quarterback, three running backs and three receivers. The group featured a mix of NFL experience, with names such as Ulysses Bentley, Jermar Jefferson, Elijah Tau-Tolliver, Joseph Manjack and Jamari Thrash among those getting a look as Arizona keeps working through roster churn.
The timing matters because the club is already dealing with injuries at receiver, and the quarterback workout adds another layer to what has been a busy stretch. Arizona has been active in scanning the market for help, and a routine tryout day suddenly feels more like part of a larger roster picture, one that could still shift before the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Quarterback Plans
Arizonas quarterback room has been shifting for a while, and the latest move only sharpens the picture. Jacoby Brissett is on his way out, with Baltimore finalizing a trade to bring him in as it deals with injuries at the position. For the Cardinals, it is another sign that the pecking order has moved well beyond where Brissett stood when the season opened.
Brissett had already been pushed down to third string in Arizona, behind Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck, so the writing was on the wall even before the trade talks picked up. The deal is expected to be completed by the weekend, which means he will not be available for the Ravens Week 9 game, but it also leaves the Cardinals continuing to sort out what their quarterback depth chart looks like going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Have A Shot At A Defensive Star Arizona Hates To Lose
The trade deadline chatter around Arizona has started to turn from background noise into something more substantive, and Budda Baker is right in the middle of it. ESPNs Jeremy Fowler reported that the Cardinals safety is viewed around the league as a potential trade candidate, with teams such as the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars mentioned as possible suitors as clubs sort through their needs and Arizona weighs its own roster direction.
Baker is not the only name being floated, either, as the Cardinals contract situations and transition under center have put other veterans on the radar in recent days. Josh Sweat and Jacoby Brissett have also come up in the broader discussion, which is the kind of deadline buzz that can linger for a few days before it either hardens into action or fades away without a move. [Read more 🡒]