For years, the Dallas Cowboys have blamed injuries, coaching changes, even bad luck for their playoff shortcomings. Terrell Owens isn’t buying it. The Hall of Fame receiver pointed the finger squarely at owner Jerry Jones, arguing the franchise’s issues start at the top.
“Yeah, it’s a management problem,” Terrell Owens said on Get To The Point, highlighting that Jerry Jones is the main problem. “And I think when you start from the top, it trickles all the way down. And then again, you can have all the talent in the world, but if it’s not managed the right way, if it’s not delegated the right way, then things are going to fall through the cracks at some point.”
Chris Canty threw out a similar take on First Take last month, arguing that winning was never really the priority.
“The Dallas Cowboys are for entertainment purposes only,” Chris Canty said. “Before the Cowboys come on the TV, before we see that game where they show the NFL branding… they need to have a warning label come on the TV screen that says, ‘This is for entertainment purposes only.’
“They are playing a different game than the other 31 teams in the National Football League. Because they are in the attention-seeking business, not the Lombardi-chasing business.”
Jones has drawn his fair share of criticism after not winning a championship in the last 30 years. He’s also seen as the ‘bad guy’ in the NFL, someone who has a vice-like grip over the team, and is infamously reputed to not cater to his player’s demands.
The hype around the Cowboys before a season isn’t new. It happens every year. But this time it feels a little different given everything that’s changed this offseason. There’s a real expectation that this slide is finally over, especially with Dallas working to fix one of the league’s worst defenses to back up Dak Prescott’s offense.
To do that, they brought in Christian Parker as defensive coordinator, replacing Matt Eberflus after just one rough season. Parker, a former Eagles assistant, has completely reshaped the unit, adding Von Miller, Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson, Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, and Rashan Gary to the mix.
On offense, Prescott’s top-five form last season set up Pickens for a breakout year after his rocky exit from Pittsburgh. Paired with Lamb, Dallas now has one of the best receiving pairings in football.
Up front, Javonte Williams flipped the run game entirely, taking Dallas from dead last in rushing touchdowns to the middle of the pack, with his 11 scores alone matching his first four seasons in Denver combined.
Moreover, Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark are now anchoring a run defense as Dallas tries to finally get back to an NFC title game after 31 years.
So on paper, the team looks revamped and built for a real playoff push. But Terrell Owens isn’t convinced any of it matters to Jerry Jones. According to him, winning was never really the point, and he even called him “a great salesman.”
“And that’s why there’s always this expectation, and people have been saying it for years,” he added. “It’s funny, but Jerry is not all about winning; he’s all about winning the bottom line, and that’s revenue as long as he’s generating money.
This time, however, Jerry Jones has really turned up the heat. His investment in the team is visible, right from when he said Dallas was going to be “aggressive” in the offseason. And they have shown that they are. Going all the way to the Super Bowl might still be a far-off thought for the team, but this should be a side that chases a playoff appearance.
“Well, I’m excited because of the changes we have made, coupled with the quality that I think we have as a team that we’ve retained,” Jones said in an interview after the final preseason game vs the New Orleans Saints.
“And so I think the combination of those two really gives us a shot to see improvement in games won and, if you will, potential playoffs,
Whether Dallas proves him right on the field is still anyone’s guess.