FRISCO, Texas — Jerry Jones has come out and blasted the coaching staff.
Jason Garrett has responded by not responding, preaching how everyone in the organization must turn their eyes toward Buffalo.
The players, admittedly frustrated with their current 6-5 plight, fielded more questions about the owner’s comments and the head coach’s fate than they did about quarterback Josh Allen and a rugged Bills defense.
You know what they call this at The Star?
Just another day.
“Being part of the Dallas Cowboys, there is so much stuff every week that you get kinda used to it,” Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin said. “I think this locker room does a good job of not getting caught up with that kind of stuff and moving on.
“It’s really no different this week.”
Well, it’s a little different. Jones normally doesn’t call out the coaching as he did so forcefully in the wake of a 13-9 loss to New England. Most franchises would find themselves on DEFCON 1 after similar episode.
Not this one.
“It’s the NFL,” tight end Jason Witten said. “Look, you can’t have it both ways. That’s the way it’s going to be. I think everyone understands the clear expectations he (Jones) has for the team.
“It’s not an issue.”
Jones was pointed in his criticism. He went about it differently after earlier losses to New Orleans and Minnesota, heaping praise on those coaching staffs for a wonderful job in their preparation to face the Cowboys.
But Witten doesn’t believe Jones’ comments were solely directed at Garrett and his assistants. He knows it’s also a reflection of how the players have failed to rise to the occasion and a reflection of the frustration they all feel with how the season has unfolded to this stage.
“He wants to win,” Witten said of Jones. “He expects to win. He feels like he’s put a great team together, which he has, and we haven’t played to our expectations of where we should be.
“That’s completely fair.”
Martin and others expressed that they still have belief in Garrett. Why?
“His belief in us,” Martin said. “He knows how good we are and how good we can be. Now, it’s up to us to go out there and execute.
“You can say what you want, but at the end of the day we’re the guys playing and we’ve got to make plays, we’ve got to finish games better.”
Do the comments put more pressure on the Cowboys to win? Does it provide motivation?
Martin doesn’t see it that way. He said no one on this team needs additional motivation to go out and perform. All know they haven’t lived up to expectations.
“Look, I don’t think anyone thinks we’re going to win a game scoring nine points, so it’s definitely something we have to improve on this week,” Martin said. “Buffalo is a huge test. They’ve got a very good defense, a very good front.
“We’re going to have to come out ready to play.”
It appears he has his eyes turned toward the Bills.
So do others. Running back Ezekiel Elliott still doesn’t know what Jones said. His only worry is Buffalo and the need to go out and win Thursday’s game.
Center Travis Frederick knows something was said but hasn’t spent any time to learn the specifics.
“And quite frankly, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “You get to form whatever opinion that you like to form.”
Safety Jeff Heath echoed Witten’s assessment. This is a business, the comments aren’t a distraction and they are a reflection of the team’s performance.
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis was asked if he’d like to see Garrett publicly stand up for himself and his staff.
“It’s not about defending yourself,” Lewis said. “You defend yourself by winning. That’s how we defend ourselves.”
“We’ve got to go out there and prove him (Garrett) right. He believes in us. I mean, we still believe in him.”
Just another day at The Star.
“We want to win,” linebacker Jaylon Smith said. “Anytime you lose it’s a terrible feeling. It gives us an opportunity to grow and for us to come together and become stronger.
“We got to get some wins for Jerry.”
And Jason Garrett.
And themselves.
