With Plenty of Blame to Go Around, Jerry Says It Starts with Him

Jerry Jones didn’t offer any excuses following the Dallas Cowboys seventh consecutive loss, 10-6, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, opting instead for a general statement of disappointment--which, after that game, is probably the appropriate response.

“I haven’t looked at what would have to happen for us to win the division, which would seem like the only logical way to look at it,” Jones said, per ESPN Dallas. “We needed these last two, three, four ballgames. We’ve been in a situation where we needed wins and we’re not getting them and that’s a hard price to pay even though we’ve got a chance to be a better team with Romo. But still, we’re not getting it done and that’s beginning with me.

“That’s right where the responsibility is and we should be able to do better than we’ve done the last seven games.”

Over the last eight weeks, the Cowboys’ playoff chances have essentially dwindled to naught in front of their eyes. No team has ever made the playoffs in the current format after a 2-6 start, and Dallas is now 2-7. Tony Romo will be back next week, but it’s almost certainly too late to matter, in terms of the postseason.
                  
“Well, it is very disappointing,” Jones said. “I’m disappointed. We had high expectations, to say the very least, for this year, so I’m disappointed for the people that count the most: our fans. I’m disappointed we’re not giving them a better showing. The system in the NFL, the rules, everything that you do to put a team together and every team you play, you basically expect to do better than we’re doing. We’re simply just not obviously playing average and that’s very disappointing. It takes a lot of across-the-board blame.”