Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has developed a reputation for being an eternal optimist--aggravatingly so, at times--so it doesn’t bode well for the team that when he took the stage at the Cowboys’ Kickoff Luncheon and addressed the players this week, he wasn’t exactly bursting with high hopes.
“You know we’ve got an uphill battle this year, and we do have an uphill battle this year,” Jones said, per the team's official website. “But most of you had an uphill battle when you came to camp--most of you did. And some of you have absolutely rose to the occasion, some of you have taken the challenge on.”
Jones added: “The individuals on this team individually have their backs to the wall, but the team doesn’t. We’ve got a coach and we’ve got a staff that knows how to read and dance to that music. That’s why I think we’ve got a chance to do it.”
Dancing coaches aside, Jones’s tempering of expectations is understandable. Dallas has finished 8-8 in each of the past three seasons and haven’t been to the playoffs since 2009.
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