FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones reached for an old Bill Parcells line Monday when asked why the penalties keep carrying over from season to season.
Dallas was flagged 9 times for 90 yards in Sunday night’s 28-20 loss at MetLife Stadium, including 7 for 60 yards in the first half.
“Obviously you know you are what you are, that’s an old Bill Parcellsism,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan‘s “K&C Masterpiece.” “If you’re middle of the pack in penalties, that’s what you are. If you’ve got more penalties, you’re at the top end of getting penalties, and you got to own it.”
Parcells coached the Cowboys from 2003 to 2006.
“I think Coach Schottenheimer and Christian Parker and Clayton, they all get after it in terms of, you know, really focusing in practice on mistakes,” Jones said. “And certainly, you know, you said it best, it happens. So we’ve got to get better. We’ve got to be better. And when you’re on the road in a tough environment like that, you just can’t.”
The Penalty That Stuck With Stephen Jones
“I mean, there you are, third and short, and got a chance to make a big play, and then you jump offsides, and you give them three new sets, you know, three set of downs,” Jones said. “So, you know, we just have to be better in that area, and last night we weren’t.”
Jones added: “And, you know, then we shot ourselves in the foot a couple times on penalties.”
Dallas committed a run of personal fouls at MetLife Stadium. DeMarvion Overshown drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness flag in the first quarter for hitting Jaxson Dart out of bounds, moving New York to the Dallas 22 on the game’s opening touchdown drive. Running back Javonte Williams was flagged for taunting on a touchdown with 5:21 to play.
New York was flagged 10 times for 114 yards.
Stephen Jones On Winning First Down
“I know all week our coaches, whether it was Coach Schottenheimer and Clayton on offense or Christian on defense, the goal was to win first down,” Jones said. “And, unfortunately, we didn’t get that done from the start. And we struggled to consistently run the ball on first down, and of course we struggled to stop them on first down.”
Dallas gained 69 rushing yards and ran 52 offensive plays. The Cowboys did not produce a play longer than 17 yards.
Dallas hosts the Washington Commanders on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX.
