The Dallas Cowboys owner has lost his cool. The forever salesman who has turned a $100 million investment into $5 billion wants the paying customers who are tuning out at a record pace to believe he is right there with them in being frustrated at the team’s 2020 results. Only, Jerry Jones is in a position to do something about it, unlike the millions of fans which are throwing their hands up in disbelief while watching what was thought to be a Super Bowl caliber team careening to a potential Top 5 draft pick in 2001.
Jones showed up for his weekly radio show on 105.3 The Fan and came close to walking off the proverbial set 60 minutes style when confronted with questions that are on everyone’s mind. The biggest question on most fans minds is whether or not there’s a leadership void with the club. When pressed on whether head coach Mike McCarthy is providing that by show hosts Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy, Jones retorted for them to “Shut up and let me answer.” Later in the interview, he gave a warning in what was intended to be an apology for his curtness to “Don’t piss an old man off with a little money. It’ll get you.”
105.3 The Fan is the broadcast home of the Dallas Cowboys.
After an anonymous player leaked their disdain for the coaching staff and watching no player come to the defense of quarterback Andy Dalton after an illegal helmet strike by Washington defender Jon Bostic, the leadership and comradery of the Cowboys is certainly up for debate. These are trying times as the club has sunk to 2-5. The team’s defense has been bad all season except for Week 1 and the offense has fallen on hard times the last few weeks as insurmountable injuries have eroded the highest scoring unit in the league.
Dallas has been outscored 63-13 over the last two games.
McCarthy’s offense has lost a ridiculous number of players on offense from when he signed on to coach the team in January. Two left tackles, including a perennial Pro Bowler, two centers including a Pro Bowl player, a budding perennial Pro Bowl right tackle, an perennial All-Pro right guard, a Pro Bowl quarterback and their top tight end have all been removed from the team. That explains the offense, but it doesn’t explain Dallas’ decent into one of the league’s worst defenses.
McCarthy’s hiring of Mike Nolan and the rest of the defensive coaching staff is the subject of ire, as is the front office’s role in the personnel decisions made on that side of the ball. Notably, the team refused to sign back cornerback Byron Jones this offseason.
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The on-field leadership void for the Cowboys is something that traces back to last season under the old regime. Free agent Michael Bennett was brought in midseason and instantly became a locker room leader. The club signed Gerald McCoy in the offseason to help fill that void, but a quad injury ended his time in Dallas during training camp. Again, it’s a fair question to press Jones on the leadership roles within the locker room.
Jones believes that overall, McCarthy was brought in for that purpose and will prevail.
Jerry Jones rather chippy answering whether Cowboys have leadership void.
"Just shut up and let me answer it. No," he says on @1053thefan. "I gave you the answer. When I go into the locker room, there’s no leadership void in my eyes. Now that’s your answer. Move on."
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) October 27, 2020
Jerry Jones to @1053thefan on Mike McCarthy: "We wanted someone that in case the you-know-what hit the fan, that had the credibility and doability to stand strong and tall as head coach. He’s doing that. He’s doing that in the face of adversity."
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) October 27, 2020
Jones also hinted he is looking for the club to make personnel changes, whether that be trading away players, bringing some in or with the coaching staff changing snap allocation remains to be seen.
Jerry Jones on 105.3: "We've got to correct this. We've got to correct it. We'll change some personnel for sure. We've just got to step in here, and make adjustments. That's what you do."
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) October 27, 2020
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