Did Cowboys Jerry Rip Dak In Romo Comparison?
FRISCO - In defense of anybody who accidentally misunderstands a statement from word-salad master Jerry Jones: It's easy to do.
And in his 31 years as the Dallas Cowboys owner, between "jocks and socks'' and "circumcising mosquitos,'' Jerry has certainly issued some zany slogans, confounding analogies and famous quotes.
But there's a problem with this latest zany, confounding and (in)famous Jerry-ism: He never said it.
Somehow, in a Tuesday morning appearance with "Shan & RJ'' on 105.3 The Fan, Jones' praise of Dak Prescott as being "these guys'' - like Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Tony Romo - QBs capable of "buying time with their instincts and their feet' - ended up being twisted into a Jones criticism of Prescott.
A DFW beat writer responded to Jones' comments by tweeting: "Jerry Jones said Dak Prescott not being to pull off the last play of the game against the Seattle Seahawks is the difference between he and Patrick Mahomes or even Tony Romo. They could have pulled it off. Wow. Did I hear that correctly?''
Well, frankly ... no.
Jones in no way said or even implied that he criticizing Prescott's fourth quarter game-ending desperation interception in the Week 3 loss at Seattle. In fact, he said and implied exactly the opposite.
The question was about the different between the 1-2 Cowboys and the 3-0 Chiefs, and Jones raved about Kansas City QB Mahomes, saying, "Their quarterback (Mahomes), who I think is at the highest level right now because of his, frankly, as much as just his natural ability to make plays, his mobility. And this guy's very quick and elusive and can get in and out of situations with his feet and buy time.''
Then Jerry complimented Seattle QB Russell Wilson similarly.
"The quarterback we played Sunday is of that kind of nature,'' he daid. "He's very, has great ability to get in and out and then make the play.''
And then Jones turned his attention to his last two Cowboys QBs.
"That play Dak made at the end of the game that got intercepted,'' he said. "Well, the result of Dak's ability that let him get that ball of was really great and outstanding.
"These guys do that, have that ability a lot. They are very quick-footed and they are very, they have the unique ability to possibly take their eyes away from the field for a minute and then immediately focus back and see. Romo had that.
"And so (this level of QB) can turn his back on it and turn around and hand-eye and get it done quick. And so those are things that show up and that's what's showing up with these guys. They're buying time with their feet, or buying time with their instincts and their feet."
"These guys.'' Jones used this phrase, or a version of it, five times. Dak's "ability'' in this regard is "really great and outstanding,'' Jones said, and while he only used that particular phrase once, once should be enough for us to hear and interpret is correctly.
