The Dallas Cowboys delivered a disappointing performance against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in a game that owner Jerry Jones claimed was a good test of where his team stood against the best of the rest in the NFL.
San Francisco dominated on its way to a 42-10 victory, but despite the apparent gap between the two clubs, Jones said he believes the performance was not indicative of Dallas’ true abilities.
“I’m not panicked, but when something tells you what it is, don’t try to dream that it’s something else,” Jones told Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan Tuesday morning. “What I’m trying to say is we can do better than what we did out there Sunday night. That’s a given. We can do better. We have the potential to do better, and we have the preparation to do better, but we didn’t do it at all … on Sunday night.”
The owner said he believes the Cowboys have the talent on the roster to compete with teams, but they need to “play differently.”
“We did view this game as a game that would tell us where we are, and nobody likes where we are,” Jones said. “… Can we be different? Can we play differently? Can we play potentially differently against a team the caliber of San Francisco? I feel strongly the answer is ‘yes’ on all fronts.”
While changes may be coming, Jones made it clear they would be smaller, pointing out that Dallas needs to adjust its approach offensively, which will start as soon as Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We’ll do some things differently this week against the Chargers,” he remarked. “… We’ll go out there and make adjustments for the things we didn’t do right.”
Jones did not go into specifics when pressed about the potential changes, only vaguely alluding to “attacking differently” and “more interior, physical offense” and acknowledging that he is not considering a change in play-callers.
“We certainly can make adjustments and will make those adjustments,” he said. “Have I seen our players do the things that we have to do to play that game differently if we have a chance? Absolutely. I see we have the players and the systems in place to do it.”
Jones also reiterated his faith in quarterback Dak Prescott, who had his worst game of the season on Sunday.
“Dak Prescott is a quarterback that can get us to the Super Bowl,” Jones explained. “That’s the way that’s going to be. We have other quarterbacks on that roster and players that certainly [can fill in] if something should happen to Dak, but I want to be real clear: Dak’s capable of taking this team where we want it to go.”
The defense also struggled in the blowout, allowing 421 yards and six touchdowns. It was another concerning effort from the unit on the road, but Jones said he continues to have faith in the strength and resiliency of the players in the locker room to bounce back and get it right.
“I feel as good about the quality of player[s], feel as good about their resolve as a team and about their resolve individually,” Jones added. “We’ve got to get out here and prepare for the Chargers, and we will use what happened against San Francisco to be a better team when we go on the field against the Chargers.”
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EXTRA POINTS
— The Cowboys’ franchise value remains strong at $9 billion, the most of any NFL team.
— Dallas is using GPS technology to monitor player health and performance.
— According to ESPN, Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch could miss four to six weeks because of a neck strain.
— Micah Parsons responded to San Francisco tight end George Kittle’s trolling of the Cowboys after the loss.
— Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson will miss at least four games after being placed on injured reserve. Dolphins rookie and former Texas A&M running back De’Von Achane and Arizona Cardinals veteran running back James Conner are also expected to miss multiple games.
— The New York Jets are looking to trade wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who was inactive despite being healthy on Sunday.
