Jerry Jones Needs the Cowboys to Win

ARLINGTON, Texas -- He is eating a chicken sandwich with chili cheese fries. He's also drinking water. Now as unhealthy as this lunch was for Jerry Jones on Wednesday, he feels as if his Cowboys team is healthy.

Jones is confident in the ability of his quarterback, Tony Romo, coach, Wade Phillips, the offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, the defense, which led the league in sacks last season, and the overall talent.

Jones has no choice but to believe in this team.

In the offseason he released his best offensive threat, Terrell Owens, and his second best pass rusher, Greg Ellis. He also left Phillips as a lame duck. The coach is in the final year of his contract and the club has the option of picking up a fourth year. But nothing has happened yet.

It seems as if Jones is setting Phillips up to fail this year, with the lack of a No. 1 wideout and another pass rusher to help DeMarcus Ware. Jones told Phillips to fire defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. Now Phillips is doing everything on the defense.

Ware said you notice Phillips more this year than last. And that's because this Cowboys team is on the brink.

The Eagles and Giants have gotten better. The Vikings will probably add Brett Favre. It looks as if Cardinals have solved their issues. Brandon Marshall wants to play somewhere else and the Bears are rumored to be in the mix.

There's the Falcons with their second-year quarterback trying to prove 2008's playoff run wasn't a fluke. It seems as if everyone has something to prove.

Yes, even the Cowboys have something to prove. Jones said it amazes him that his team still hasn't won a playoff game. The last time that happened was 1996. In the last three seasons, the Cowboys have struggled down the stretch, which might have something to do with the lack of playoff wins. The team is 5-8 in December the last three seasons with two playoff appearances resulting in no victories.

"We've got to be aware we're fading," Jones said. "We tried it Bill Parcells' way and I've seen it tried with Wade and how we get to playing better at the end. I've heard we didn't have enough plays, we didn't have enough variety, we didn't have a big enough portfolio. We had been found out with Bill. Now guys were tired. The bottom line is, I never thought winning a playoff game might be celebrated as though we won the Super Bowl."

Despite the departures of several players, Jones and Phillips said this is a good team. Not better, mind you, but good. Jones defended the release of Owens by saying keeping him meant you have to give him everything on offense.



With Owens in Buffalo, the team can spread the ball around more and reestablish Roy Williams as the No. 1 wideout.

Can this help Phillips get to the postseason again and win a game?

"I thought it [would] never take me 12 years to make a playoff win feel so good," Jones said.

The Cowboys have to do something this year. They are the NFL's most over-hyped team because in the last few years they've had strong personalities such as Owens, Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson. Those players are gone and in are Phillips-type guys.

Keith Brooking at inside linebacker and Igor Olshansky at defensive end are two quiet give-it-all-you-got players who have performed well in Phillips' 3-4 scheme in the past.

Romo said he's getting better himself. To cut down on his turnovers, he's decided to hold onto the ball with two hands when under pressure and speed up his footwork that allows him to get rid of the ball faster.

There was this silly debate about Romo's playing weight that came up the other day. Jones said Romo has been 222 pounds the last three years, so that's not the issue.

The issue is Romo has to win big games in December, so the Cowboys won't have a quiet January.

"Has he been humbled?" Jones asked. "It's being what you want him to be. Just sitting down and trying to take care of business. There's too much at stake here and there's too many people trying to get the same thing."