‘I Like The Way We’re Trending’: Jerry Jones Says Dallas Cowboys Defense Rebuild Doesn’t Call For Major Changes
FRISCO, Texas — Two days after the Dallas Cowboys’ 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the second-half collapse doesn’t call for major changes to a defense he described as a rebuilding project. Jones spoke Tuesday morning during his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan’s “Shan & RJ”.
Dallas began rebuilding the defense at the start of last season, according to Jones. Turnover at defensive coordinator has been part of that process.
“We have not been the defensive team for several seasons that we want to be,” Jones said. “And so we, beginning at the start of last year, we’ve started on the process of rebuilding that defense. And, of course, we have had a turnover in our head defensive coaches. That’s part of it.”
“There’s no question that you can get the benefits of consistency without shuffling, in our case, defensive coordinators,” Jones continued. “What you pay the price on, the experience has been, is when you are improving, you can be inconsistent. Now, that’s an overused word this week, but it is right in keeping with when you’re trying to build something.”
Jerry Jones Calls Collapse ‘A Disappointment But Not A Surprise’
Arizona had 3 points and 136 total yards in the first half Sunday, and Dallas led 14-3 at halftime. The Cardinals finished with 467 yards and scored 30 points after the break. Dallas also has two first-round rookies on defense, safety Caleb Downs and outside linebacker Malachi Lawrence.
Jones said the Cowboys have replaced their entire defensive coaching staff and most of the defensive players. Draft picks need seasoning, he said.
“We’ve changed our complete coaching staff. We’ve changed out the majority of the players, really,” Jones explained. “And in today’s building of a team, you do it with a combination of draft, which draft picks have to have a little seasoning most of the time.”
“And therein lies the inconsistency that we’re seeing, even within a game where we played so well in the first half and came back and didn’t play as well in the second half,” Jones continued. “That is a disappointment but not a surprise. We’ve got to learn from the negatives, which you do when you’re rebuilding.”
Jones Says First-Half Defense Was ‘As Good As We’ve Looked’
The Cowboys sacked Arizona quarterbacks 5 times for 42 yards, and Quinnen Williams had 7 tackles and 2 sacks. Jones pointed to the first half as proof of where the defense is headed.
“It does not call for massive, or not massive, it does not call for very succinct, important changes, because I like the way we’re trending,” Jones said.
“I think it’s as good as we’ve looked any time in the last several years,” Jones added. “But I also know that it’s looking that way with the future in mind that we can get better. And we are getting better.”
Dallas is 3-5 and visits the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon CT on FOX.
