The most hyped game of the season actually lived up to the billing. You had Micah Parsons out for revenge after Jerry painted him as the villain, and Jerry was trying to show the world his Cowboys could hang without the league’s best edge rusher. Fittingly, it ended in pure chaos, a 40-40 tie. And honestly? Jerry Jones seems content with his team and calls that game a win.

After what was arguably the best game of the season, Jerry Jones was rather honest about how he felt about the game. “I feel better than I could have felt,” he said.

Well, of course, he’s happy with a tie. It could’ve been a lot worse. Imagine if Micah Parsons ended up sacking Dak Prescott five times with the QB completing zero touchdowns. But on a serious note, the Cowboys could have very easily lost this game.

Green Bay came out swinging and looked ready to go up 14–0 until the whole script flipped in the second quarter. Juanyeh Thomas got a hand on Brandon McManus’s extra point, and Markquese Bell scooped it up and took it all the way back for two the other way. Instead of a comfortable two-score cushion, the Packers suddenly found themselves looking at a weird little 13–2 game.

And in overtime, both teams had opportunities. Dallas marched into lead territory, and Brandon Aubrey’s 22-yard field goal put the Cowboys ahead. Green Bay got its possession and, after a clutch fourth-and-6 conversion in overtime, managed to kick a tying field goal as time expired. Neither team could close it out.

The Packers remain unbeaten at AT&T Stadium, holding a 5-0-1 record against the Cowboys under the retractable roof — which was open. Including their Super Bowl win over Pittsburgh to close the 2010 season, they are 6-0-1 in the building./

But of course, the Cowboys came in as underdogs, so a tie here feels like a win in Jerry Jones’ book. Scratch that, he’s more than satisfied. Listening to him afterward, you’d think the man just watched his team hoist the Lombardi.

Jerry Jones is proud of the Cowboys’ grit

Jerry came out to praise his team for edging out the tie and giving it their all despite being tired. “There’s nobody in here obviously that I’m going to let in any way I can, put the loss or the tie on them. I’m proud of this bunch. They competed their tails off in here tonight, they competed out there at the end when they were tired. I’m proud of them,” he said.

And this praise is more than deserved. The Cowboys clawed their way through the fourth: Dak piecing together a late touchdown drive, Javonte Williams grinding out tough yards, and George Pickens blowing the top off with big plays to keep them alive. For a team everyone’s been side-eyeing after a chaotic offseason of roster shuffling, tonight gave at least a temporary counterargument.

And this isn’t the first time the Cowboys have had to dig deep. Just two weeks ago, they barely slipped out of a 40–37 shootout with the Giants. Resilient? Sure. But let’s be honest, tonight’s tie can’t hide the cracks that still need patching.

A 40–40 tie might look entertaining on the scoreboard, but it’s really just a neon sign flashing how bad this defense is. Dallas even tried mixing things up by shuffling Trevon Diggs in and out early on, but it barely made a dent. The Cowboys have been leaky in pass coverage all season, and at some point, Brian Schottenheimer has to find a solution. Soon.