The NFL gives teams far fewer chances to make up for a missed opportunity than baseball or basketball. That limited time is exactly why Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones sees every game as important.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan podcast on September 18, Jerry Jones explained that the NFL’s smaller number of games gives teams fewer opportunities to get everything right, making each matchup more important than it might be in sports such as baseball or basketball.

“I think that, in a sense, if you really put your feelings up there when you walk into a game, they all are of that nature,” Jones said. “A game, you don’t really, in the grand scheme of things… So you have a limited time, numbers of times that you can walk out there and have it all together.”

Jones’ comments came after the Cowboys opened the season with a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Dallas was set to host the Washington Commanders in its Week 2 home opener, with Jones looking for a stronger performance from his team, as per the discussion on 105.3 The Fan YouTube video.

The loss also left Dallas 0-1 heading into the matchup, while Washington entered Week 2 with the same record after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jones pointed to several changes within the Cowboys as reasons for their early struggles. He noted that Dallas is working with a conceptually new coaching staff and a new defensive scheme, while some players are still getting accustomed to those changes.

Those adjustments were tested in Week 1, when Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. New York also converted nine of 11 third downs in the 28-20 victory.

With those changes still being worked through, the Cowboys now have to make the most of their next opportunity against Washington.

But Jones’ comments also point to a bigger issue surrounding the Cowboys: the number of changes the team has made heading into the season.

Jerry Jones compares Cowboys’ changes to Jimmy Johnson’s first Season

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan podcast, Jerry Jones discussed the scale of the Cowboys’ changes ahead of the season, comparing the current overhaul in Dallas with his first season as the team’s owner, when Jimmy Johnson was the head coach.

“Now, you’ve got a lot of veteran players out there, but still they’re changing up some of the things that they’re doing,” Jones said. “Are they capable of doing what we’re asking? Absolutely they are.”

Jones then pointed to 1989 as the last time he remembered Dallas making so many changes across the defense, coaching staff, personnel and the team.

The Cowboys went 1-15 that season, Johnson’s first as head coach after Jones bought the team.

“Now, things have changed, and you can come in with less experience than you could in those days,” Jones added. “But having said that, it’s a challenge now to put it together and get it ready to go.”

Jones’ comments underline how much the Cowboys are still trying to put together after a major offseason overhaul. The next few games will offer a clearer look at how quickly Dallas can turn those changes into results. 

Written by

Divyanshi Raj