Sep 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on the field prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones entered the 2012-13 NFL season with high hopes for his team and the hopes have not diminished, despite a 2-3 start to the year. Jones was speaking during a radio interview and stated his belief that the Cowboys are ready to compete for a title this year, per ESPN Dallas.
“We’ve got to have some wins to make sure we’re in the hunt, but I keep pointing out we’re fresh off a world champion that won nine of 16 ballgames last year,” Jones said. “We know you want your team as healthy and as in sync as it can be as we get on into the end of the season. We know we’ve played one division game and won it. We got those guys coming back in here. We know that’s going to be a big game for us.
“All of those things give us a chance to take a team that is, if you look at the pluses , evolving into a team that can compete for the championship. Not next year. This year.”
Wait a second, Jerry, do you really mean this year?
“Correct,” Jones said. “Let me emphasize that. I’m not into everybody getting better or learning for years to come. It’s this year.”
The Cowboys dropped a tight game to the Baltimore Ravens this week but Jones did not take the game as a moral victory despite the team putting on a very solid, all-around performance.
“I’m not either and I would agree, and I don’t want you to have to feel good about a moral victory,” Jones said. “We went up there, and everyone, before that ballgame on our team, thought we would win and we could win that ballgame, and we recognize that Baltimore has a good team and we recognize we were playing them away. But everybody thought we could win that ballgame.
“It’s terribly disappointing, but we played physically, we did things we can win with in the future. I think we are preparing ourselves, now let me say this, we’re 2-3, and so that’s five games into a 16-game season. We don’t have time to have a bad time here.”
If Jones’ is correct and the Cowboys can compete for a championship this season, they better get the ball rolling and quickly turn things around beginning with Carolina this week.