Former NFL great turned television analyst for Fox Sports Troy Aikman put Jerry Jones, and his former team, on blast after the Dallas Cowboys were pummeled on national television Monday night.
Following the team’s 28-14 loss at home on “Monday Night Football,” Aikman publicly called for a complete overhaul of the “dysfunctional” Cowboys.
“Go through the list, and this team, over a long period of time, has been what it’s been,” Aikman told 1310 The Ticket in Dallas. “It hasn’t always mattered who the head coach has been. So to me, if you’re asking me, I’d say there has to be a complete overhaul of the entire organization. You can’t just can’t simply replace head coaches and say, ‘Now it’s going to be better.’ No, it’s been shown that it’s not better. And you have to address how everything is being done.
“And there’s been times where I’ve heard Jerry say, ‘Okay, look, we’re going to do it differently. I’m going to do it differently.’ But it’s the same. Nothing changes. And that, to me, is the bigger issue. . . . Yes, coaching’s important, personnel, all those things are important, but how are you going about evaluating? How are you going about running the organization?”
Clearly, Aikman was targeting Jones’ ability to craft a roster capable of competing for a championship here.
On Friday during his weekly appearance with 105.3 The Fan, Jones surprisingly didn’t exactly dispute the assessment.
Jones reacting to Aikman 'overhaul' comments; "This is a tough stretch, we've been through those when he played here. I'm fully aware we should be criticized." @1053thefan
— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) November 9, 2018
During the same interview, he also seemed to walk back his comments about offering Dak Prescott a contract extension in the near future.
Pressed for clarification about Dak’s contract situation, Jerry Jones says his vote of confidence from Tuesday wasn’t about a definitive timetable for when Dak gets extended. His point is that he’s convinced Dak is the Cowboys’ QB of the future #cowboyswire
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) November 9, 2018
Jones’ assertion here is debatable, at best.
But back to the matter at hand, the Cowboys haven’t done much since Aikman and Co. rattled off three championships in the 1990s. Since Aikman retired following the 2000 season, Dallas has won just two playoff games and has made it to the postseason six times in the past 17 seasons.
A case could easily be made that Jones is the biggest reason for the team’s inability to compete for a title. He has struggled with coaches, thanks to his need to be in control, and has been insistent upon making personnel decisions, many of which have come back to bite the ‘Boys.
But anyone looking for things to change on that front would be wise to not hold their breath.