Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones admits there is a harsh reality facing his team after their 27-17 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.
The loss dropped Dallas to 3-5-1, a position Jones didn’t expect to be in after nine games.
“We’ve won three ballgames and here we are with this juncture,” Jones said post-game. “So, I do know how to add. I mean, I’m not trying to be trite, but I can add it up and look at the numbers of games we’ve got left and what potential combinations of records could get you in the playoffs. We have all that down real good.”
The Cowboys sit second in the NFC East, trailing the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles by 3.5 games. In the overall NFC standings, they rank 11th, just ahead of Arizona thanks to a Week 4 tie with the Green Bay Packers.
They also trail two teams that have already beaten them this season – the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.
Following their bye week, Dallas will return to action on November 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders before entering a challenging five-game stretch against the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, and Chargers, teams with a combined 26-16 record.
Quarterback Dak Prescott admitted the team’s current predicament means there’s little room for error.
“Every game is a must-win going forward,” Prescott said. “You say that, and you feel that in the NFL and you should feel that. But when you put yourself in a position or behind like we have, it’s even more so that’s the case. … Having all those games to play, you can catch a hot streak and be right in the mix.
“That’s great. But you got to get a streak going and if you don’t get a streak going, you’re just putting yourself more and more behind the 8-ball, so it’s now or never.”
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Trade Deadline Looms
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, Jones indicated that roster changes are under serious consideration.
“When you’ve won only three games at this juncture, then you recognise you’ve got a lot of ground to make up,” Jones said. “And I’m very aware of that. And, yes, I would agree with you. It is an uphill battle.
“Can we have the kinds of things we were counting on? I was certainly hoping we’d have a couple more wins on the win column before we started taking advantage of any opportunities to change the roster. And so that’s still there under consideration.”
Defensive issues have been a major concern throughout the season, with injuries plaguing multiple positions. The Cowboys are reportedly evaluating trade options at defensive line, linebacker, and in the secondary.
“There is one [trade] that I can do. Without question, there is one I can do. There is not one [completed], but there is one that I can do,” Jones said. “And I’m leaning toward doing it.”
While the move may not be on the same scale as the 2018 trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper, which helped spark a turnaround that season, Jones said any addition could still make an impact.
“I wouldn’t want to get into it. It’s just the nature of everybody involved in the trade,” Jones said. “But anything is significant if it’s somebody that’s going to be active in the games, on the field, that type of thing.
“So I don’t want to diminish the trade. But we certainly, for what a player was going to bring to the table, for whatever happened tonight, we need that player to bring that to the table, no matter what happened tonight. But does it make sense?”
Season on the Line
With eight games remaining, the Cowboys face a critical stretch. Even a trade or two might not be enough to salvage the season if the team doesn’t improve in key areas.
“You’ve got a lot of ground to make up. I’ll grant anybody that,” Jones said. “Can we get there with better play, less mistakes? Can we get there with that? Are we going to have some personnel?
“We’re going to have the opportunity to have some different personnel than the first part of this season, either buying through a trade or players that we’ve had coming [back from injury]. You guys have been hearing about that and reading about that here for weeks and weeks and weeks.
“The old Parcells quote, ‘You are what you are,’ right today. We’ve got to take a look at it, and you won’t be disappointed that I didn’t get carried away, get illogical and do something that was all betting on us winning the Super Bowl. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
