AT&T Stadium was the setting for a dramatic prime-time meltdown for the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night as they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 24-16 loss. An arena driver who was present at the game showed his displeasure at the performance of the team and the outcome of the game by calling it embarrassing. So, when team owner Jerry Jones was asked about the incident, he defended the fan’s right to speak his mind.

The Cowboys general manager said on Tuesday morning, during his usual appearance on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan, that the incident occurring after the game was not an issue.

“I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it. It doesn’t impact me at all. The driver in question was not an employee. But fans can express themselves, and should express themselves. I love it for them. Whether he was our employee or not, he was a fan, it sounds like. So, I’m for our fans expressing themselves,” Jerry Jones remarked.

The loss dropped the Cowboys to a 2–3 season start as they fell to the previously winless Buccaneers.

Dallas saw their 10-7 halftime advantage evaporate in the third quarter as the Buccaneers scored 17 consecutive points. After surrendering those unanswered points, the Cowboys only managed to get 50 rushing yards on 13 carries as Tampa Bay controlled the ball for almost 40 minutes in a stunning upset.

As Dak Prescott was walking toward the locker room, a contracted driver stood near a vehicle and said, “Embarrassing.” After the driver repeated the remark, the quarterback retorted, “Tough guy,” and then told security staff, “Get his a-s out of here.”

Although there were initial reports that the driver was hired by the Cowboys organization, that appears to be incorrect. An independent contractor provided the transportation service for a third-party vendor. On the radio, Jones explained that the driver was not a team employee and defended his right as a fan to express frustration.

There has been a schism between the locker room and the front office, with the former being more concerned about the behavior of its employees. Typically, a team’s owner or front office will not allow an employee of the stadium or field where the game is played to confront the quarterback about his poor performance.

In his press conference after the game, Prescott talked about how much he disliked the incident that occurred in the hallway. Cowardice was more of an issue for him than criticism.

“When he said it, I just happened to look at him, and at that point, he looked away, didn’t look, and then when I turned my head back, he said something else,” Prescott said. “That’s the part: just as a man or a person, feel free to speak your mind. Just speak it. Don’t coward away from the reaction that you’re going to get.”

“If you’re saying it’s embarrassing, say it’s embarrassing. If you’re saying it to me, then say it to me, you know what I mean? Don’t go back on it.”

In addition to the incident that occurred in the hallway, Prescott was not a big fan of the word “embarrassing” that was used to describe the team’s performance.

“To use the word embarrassing; it’s tough. I feel like I’m discrediting the NFL if I use that and particularly the Tampa Bay Bucs, the great Todd Bowles, a coach, and a defensive-coached team,” he added.

However, despite the fact that Tampa Bay entered 0-4 and started rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, the Buccaneers racked up 241 rushing yards against Dallas. Dak Prescott threw two interceptions on 24-of-42 passes, while defensive struggles prompted Jerry Jones to announce that defensive coordinator Christian Parker will move to the coaches’ booth.

America’s Team will visit Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers in their next game as they look to regain control of the season.