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Stephen Jones: Our fans deserve better; we're going to do 'something special'
DAVID MOORE
Staff Writer
dmoore@dallasnews.com
Published: 13 December 2013 09:51 PM
Updated: 13 December 2013 11:12 PM
The Cowboys walk a fine line. Coaches and players can’t deny what went down on a bitterly cold evening in Chicago, but they can’t allow it to erode their confidence as they head into Sunday afternoon’s game against Green Bay.
Now is not the time for somber reflection. It’s time for the team to bury itself in preparation rather than be buried by doubt.
But more on the Cowboys’ psyche later. What about a growing segment of fans who have lost faith? What assurances can management give them that this season won’t fall flat like others in recent years?
“We don’t accept it’s going to be like every other season,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We’ve got three games left. That’s what we’re focused on. When the season is over, we’ll focus on other things.
“Right now, we have a great opportunity to go out and do something special and win these three games and get on a hot streak.”
Jones understands the skepticism following the 45-28 loss at Chicago on Monday night. He knows his words won’t win back hearts and minds. Only the team’s actions can make a difference.
All he has to offer at the moment is his conviction.
“I know when you’re coming off a difficult defeat like this there are certainly reasons for people to doubt,” Jones said. “But I can tell you organizationally within our walls at Valley Ranch, we have every reason to believe we’re going to right this ship. We’re going to start against the Packers and we’re going to go from there.
“Our fans want answers. They deserve to have answers. They deserve to ask hard questions and they deserve better than what we gave them against the Bears Monday night.”
Meanwhile, Cowboys coaches look for answers for a defense that allowed the Bears to score on their first eight possessions. It was the second game this season — Denver was the first — in which the opponent blundered by activating its punter for the game.
But changes at this stage of the season are subtle, not dramatic.
“We have to be honest with ourselves as coaches,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “We have to be honest with ourselves when we evaluate our players and how everybody played. Then you make the necessary adjustments. When you play a game like that, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, there are some things you need to change.
“But you can’t say we are going to scrap all this and play this coverage that we never played before. That is not going to do it. It’s what you are capable of doing in your scheme and then what the players can be successful doing.
“Really, that happens every week. Sometimes it gets magnified when you have a loss like that [in Chicago] and you don’t play well.”
Jones said Garrett spoke in a staff meeting this week about how the coaches must put the players in position to succeed. Jones takes it one step further.
“I would reiterate it’s not just on the coaching staff,” Jones said. “It’s on Jerry [Jones]. It’s on myself. It’s on the personnel department. When players go down, we have to make sure there are players out there who can at least give the type of effort and support that they need to give.
“This is an organizational deal. We all ought to take it personally. It ought to be on all of us. We have to do better.”
Accountability comes in the off-season. For now, safety Barry Church said, the players can’t start doubting themselves.
“You just have to believe in each other and you have to work your tail off to execute,” tight end Jason Witten said.
Starting with Sunday’s game against Green Bay.
“We have to get out of this 8-8 situation,” Jones said, referencing the Cowboys’ record the previous two seasons. “We are totally committed to these last three games. We really feel like and believe this is not going to be business as usual in terms of the last two years. We think our guys are going to step up and make a difference.
“We’re going to get these last three games, starting with the game against the Packers, and do something special.”
DAVID MOORE
Staff Writer
dmoore@dallasnews.com
Published: 13 December 2013 09:51 PM
Updated: 13 December 2013 11:12 PM
The Cowboys walk a fine line. Coaches and players can’t deny what went down on a bitterly cold evening in Chicago, but they can’t allow it to erode their confidence as they head into Sunday afternoon’s game against Green Bay.
Now is not the time for somber reflection. It’s time for the team to bury itself in preparation rather than be buried by doubt.
But more on the Cowboys’ psyche later. What about a growing segment of fans who have lost faith? What assurances can management give them that this season won’t fall flat like others in recent years?
“We don’t accept it’s going to be like every other season,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We’ve got three games left. That’s what we’re focused on. When the season is over, we’ll focus on other things.
“Right now, we have a great opportunity to go out and do something special and win these three games and get on a hot streak.”
Jones understands the skepticism following the 45-28 loss at Chicago on Monday night. He knows his words won’t win back hearts and minds. Only the team’s actions can make a difference.
All he has to offer at the moment is his conviction.
“I know when you’re coming off a difficult defeat like this there are certainly reasons for people to doubt,” Jones said. “But I can tell you organizationally within our walls at Valley Ranch, we have every reason to believe we’re going to right this ship. We’re going to start against the Packers and we’re going to go from there.
“Our fans want answers. They deserve to have answers. They deserve to ask hard questions and they deserve better than what we gave them against the Bears Monday night.”
Meanwhile, Cowboys coaches look for answers for a defense that allowed the Bears to score on their first eight possessions. It was the second game this season — Denver was the first — in which the opponent blundered by activating its punter for the game.
But changes at this stage of the season are subtle, not dramatic.
“We have to be honest with ourselves as coaches,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “We have to be honest with ourselves when we evaluate our players and how everybody played. Then you make the necessary adjustments. When you play a game like that, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, there are some things you need to change.
“But you can’t say we are going to scrap all this and play this coverage that we never played before. That is not going to do it. It’s what you are capable of doing in your scheme and then what the players can be successful doing.
“Really, that happens every week. Sometimes it gets magnified when you have a loss like that [in Chicago] and you don’t play well.”
Jones said Garrett spoke in a staff meeting this week about how the coaches must put the players in position to succeed. Jones takes it one step further.
“I would reiterate it’s not just on the coaching staff,” Jones said. “It’s on Jerry [Jones]. It’s on myself. It’s on the personnel department. When players go down, we have to make sure there are players out there who can at least give the type of effort and support that they need to give.
“This is an organizational deal. We all ought to take it personally. It ought to be on all of us. We have to do better.”
Accountability comes in the off-season. For now, safety Barry Church said, the players can’t start doubting themselves.
“You just have to believe in each other and you have to work your tail off to execute,” tight end Jason Witten said.
Starting with Sunday’s game against Green Bay.
“We have to get out of this 8-8 situation,” Jones said, referencing the Cowboys’ record the previous two seasons. “We are totally committed to these last three games. We really feel like and believe this is not going to be business as usual in terms of the last two years. We think our guys are going to step up and make a difference.
“We’re going to get these last three games, starting with the game against the Packers, and do something special.”
