Jerry Jones’ best magic trick ever

Jerry Jones donned his magician’s cap mere days after the Dallas Cowboys suffered a 38-point defeat at home.

In the course of a minute or two on a radio station in the Dallas area, Jones managed to dispel any concerns regarding the team’s most devastating home loss in its history. He achieved this by engaging in his most effective activities.

Concentrating solely on him.

Therefore, rather than discussing the Cowboys’ week-long break to reflect on their recent defeat or the extent of their shortcomings, we have devoted the week to Jones’ behavior as a tyrant.

Which he is. However, it is a gunshot that he will gladly accept, as it diverts attention from his inadequate performance as General Manager.

Additionally, Dallas’ 3-3 start to the 2024 season is a mirage.

Additionally, this prevents a more comprehensive examination of his performance as the owner over the past 28 seasons.

What actions has he taken that are commendable?

Jones posed two inquiries during the contentious interview, during which he threatened to terminate two radio show presenters for, among other things, checking their notes and asking questions.

The initial inquiry is: “Do I appear foolish?” I must admit, Mr. Jones, you do, in my sincere opinion.

The second query was more of a complaint about not being asked what he had done correctly, as opposed to being inundated with inquiries about his errors.

As Cody Warren, my colleague, noted in this article: https://insidethestar.com/jerry-jones-smokescreen-words-vs-action, there is truly not much that Jones has done correctly that he can claim credit for.

In a matter of a few brief years, he acquired the Cowboys from Bum Bright, who had a disastrous record of mismanaging the organization. Jimmy Johnson was, in fact, appointed as the head coach and de facto general manager by him.

Subsequently, he permitted Johnson to establish a Super Bowl dynasty while he served as the check writer. That would have been sufficient to establish Jones as a revered proprietor among the Cowboys’ fan base.

This is despite the fact that Johnson was fired five years later after dismissing Tom Landry in a haphazard manner and subsequently causing him to experience emotional distress.

Also, refer to Cowboys in Spanish: The Three Biggest Issues in Dallas.

The list of Jones’ errors since then is rather extensive, with those fiascos being the most notable.

Unwieldy List of Errors

Despite the fact that Barry Switzer won his Super Bowl with Johnson’s players, Jones has managed to lose three head coaches who won Super Bowls for the Cowboys.

Chan Gailey was the initial head coach to be tasked with the responsibility of winning with players that were primarily drafted by Jones and signed without Johnson’s input. In his two seasons as head coach, Gailey was able to achieve playoff success with a few Johnson relics.

The Dark Ages of Cowboys’ history are Dave Campo’s 5-11 triumvirate.

Bill Parcells led the Cowboys to the postseason twice during his four-year tenure; however, they ultimately lost both of their wild card round contests, similar to Gailey.

IRVING, UNITED STATES: Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones (L) introduces Bill Parcells (R) to the media after announcing Parcells as the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys at press conference at the Cowboys’ headquarters in Irving, Texas, 02 January 2003. Parcells signed a four-year contract valued at 17.1 million USD. AFP PHOTO/Paul BUCK (Photo credit should read PAUL BUCK/AFP via Getty Images)

Wade Phillips lost two divisional round postseason games in 3.5 years. In the divisional round, Jason Garrett was 0-3 over the course of nine seasons.

Mike McCarthy has also failed to reach a conference title game in his four-plus years.

In summary, Jones is unable to recruit a coach who is capable of inspiring his players to achieve the same level of success as Johnson. However, Jones has not precisely stocked his rosters with the most talented individuals.

Certainly, he has had success with a few draft choices and some free agent signings. Even a timepiece that is malfunctioning is accurate twice a day.

However, in general? Two decades ago, a General Manager with his record would have been terminated.

The owner is more detrimental than the general manager.

That is the most significant concern with Jones fulfilling both duties. He lacks the impartiality required to recognize that his General Manager is failing his organization.

Jones has expressed on numerous occasions that he does not believe that anyone could perform the position more effectively than he could.

Jones, the proprietor, is accruing substantial profits. He does not need to be concerned about whether or not he wins contests.

He was able to eliminate Texas Stadium, which was the site of the Cowboys’ five Super Bowl victories and three additional Super Bowl appearances.

See also Legendary coach joins Jerry Jones’ advisory council for 2024

He supplanted it with a palace that was designed to exalt himself. In all honesty, I am astonished that Jerry Jones Stadium has not been named.

Every week, the establishment is entirely sold out. It is employed for numerous events throughout the year.

It has already hosted one Super Bowl.

Simply put, it is generating additional funds for the Jones family’s bank accounts.

However, the majority of the time, there are more supporters of the opposing team in those seats. Even during the down years, that is a phenomenon that was never observed at the Cotton Bowl or Texas Stadium.

The Cowboys’ failure to play two seasons at the Cotton Bowl during the demolition of Texas Stadium was the most significant non-personnel error made by Jones. A new, contemporary Texas Stadium could have been constructed to replace it.

It could have appeared identical, but with a larger size, and it would have still attracted a Super Bowl. However, you would still have a stadium in Irving that is immediately accessible to three highways, rather than the significant traffic congestion that is associated with the Arlington location.

However, Jones, as was his custom, prioritized his own interests over those of his organization or its fan base.

And that is the most significant error that Jones has made in his 35-year tenure as the Cowboys’ proprietor.

Update on Prediction

In my preseason prognosis post, I projected that Dallas would conclude with an overall record of 8-9. Going into the bye week, I also had them at 2-4.

This implies that the Cowboys are one game clear of the competition.

I predicted that they would achieve a 2-3 record in the subsequent five contests. In all honesty, there is a substantial likelihood that this team will record a 0-5 record during the upcoming portion of the schedule.

The Cowboys’ season appears to be derailing, while the 49ers, their subsequent opponent, appear to be regaining momentum. Afterward, Dallas will face an Atlanta team that is notoriously difficult to defeat.

Philadelphia, Houston, and the Commanders, who are presently dominating the division, will be the next opponents.

Dallas was projected to finish with a record of 4-7 at the conclusion of that period. By the time the Cowboys face the Giants on Thanksgiving Day, we will determine the durability of that assertion.

Additionally, refer to “It Wasn’t Supposed To Go This Way: The Story Of The 2019 Dallas Cowboys.”

By the Numbers: Week 7

The Cowboys have a record of 32-28 in Week 7 contests, with one game being canceled due to the 1982 strike and four byes. Since the 2016 season, all four of the Week 7 byes have been awarded.

Dallas is 21-5 when they play at home in the seventh week, but they are a dismal 11-23 when they play away.

While the Cowboys have triumphed in their last two home games of Week 7, they have suffered defeats in their last two travel games.

Dallas has encountered their NFC East adversaries 24 times in Week 7 contests and has a record of 10-14 against them. Their sole winning record is 6-5 against the Eagles.

Dallas has a 3-4 record against the Giants. They are 1-5 against the Commanders, with the sole victory, a 38-20 victory at home in 1999.

The Cowboys played seven consecutive Week 7 games on the road from 1984 to 1990, which is the beginning of a series of notable Week 7 streaks. Three of those occurred in Philadelphia during the years 1985-1987.

The Cowboys’ sole victory during this period occurred in 1986 against the Eagles.

The Cowboys played 14 of their 32 Week 7 contests at home between 1970 and 2001. They prevailed in each of the fourteen.

Farewells

Despite the fact that the sample size is limited and the Week 7 byes have all occurred within the past nine seasons, there is a single positive trend.

The previous three Week 7 byes occurred in 2016, 2021, and 2023. In each of those three years, the Cowboys advanced to the postseason.

Regrettably, they were defeated in all three of their postseason games, all of which were played at home, during those years.

Nevertheless, they managed to secure a 3-0 record in games that followed their Week 7 bye. A statistic that will be tested during the game in San Francisco next week. Dallas has a record of 24-11 in games played the week following a bye.

ALL-TIME WEEK 7 RECORDS VS. OPPONENTS

(Ordered by the total number of games played)

Eagles (6-5)

Giants (3-4)

Cardinals (4-2)

Commanders (1-5)

Rams (3-2)

Lions (4-0)

Bears (1-3)

49ers (2-0)

Chiefs (1-1)

Browns (0-2)

Packers (0-2)

Steelers (0-2)

Bengals (1-0)

Chargers (1-0)

Falcons (1-0)

Panthers (1-0)

Vikings (1-0)

Buccaneers (0-1)

Seahawks (0-1)

Richard Paolinelli

Staff writer

Richard Paolinelli is a sports journalist and author. He maintains a Substack, Dispatches From A SciFi Scribe, in addition to his employment at InsideTheStar.com, where he addresses a wide range of subjects, including athletics in general. His newspaper career commenced in 1991 with the Gallup (NM) Independent, and he subsequently moved on to the Modesto (CA) Bee, Gustine (CA) Press-Standard, and Turlock (CA) Journal. It was at the latter that he was awarded the 2001 Best Sports Story award in the annual California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest. After that, he transitioned to the Merced (CA) Sun-Star, Tracy (CA) Press, and Patch, and concluded his tenure in 2011 with the San Francisco (CA) Examiner. He has authored 11 novels, two non-fiction sports volumes, and more than 30 published short stories.