'Substantive': Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones Admits Importance of San Francisco 49ers Showdown
In a wonky season that has seen his team win three epic blowouts and lose one major upset, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday he is worried much more about Sunday's opponent than the offense's Red Zone inconsistency.
"We've got the stuff to get in the end zone," Jones said during his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan. "When the tide turns, we'll have a lot of success and score a lot of points in the Red Zone. I'm not concerned at all."
It may be nitpicking considering the Cowboys are 3-1 with wins by 40, 20 and 35 points. But a year ago they led the NFL in Red Zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns on 71 percent of their drives inside opponents' 20-yard line. This year they rank near the bottom of the league, ranked 30th at only 37 percent.
"We're fractions away," Jones said. "Make no mistake, we will get better in the Red Zone. I can assure you of that. This weekend would be a good time to start."
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have been eliminated from the last two playoffs by the 49ers.
The Cowboys face their recent nemesis - the San Francisco 49ers - Sunday night in northern California. The Niners, of course, knocked Dallas out of the playoffs the last two years and this season is one of the league's two unbeaten teams along with the Philadelphia Eagles. For those reasons, Jones admits this is not just another game on the schedule.
"I don't look at it like that at all," Jones said. "A win against them would would be inspiring and substantive. Right now they're the most likely team to get to the Super Bowl. We have aspirations to go by them this weekend, and probably have to do it again later this year."
In the two playoff losses, the Cowboys mustered only 17 and 12 points. So why Jones feel his team is better equipped to beat San Francisco this season?
"I like our defense," he said. "We're hard to handle. There's no reason, scheme-wise, we shouldn't be able to go out there, execute and win."
