Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was “floored” by his team’s 48-32 NFL playoff exit to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, labelling it the most painful playoff he had experienced.
The result eliminated “America’s team” in the first round of the playoffs as they extend their 28-year wait for a return to the Super Bowl.
Dallas, who were 8-0 at home in the regular season and strong favorites against the youthful seventh-seeded Packers, found themselves 27-0 down in the second quarter after a dreadful display.
Jones, who bought the team in 1989, declined to discuss the future of coach Mike McCarthy after the defeat.
“I don’t have any thoughts about the reasons why or anything to do with the coaching, anything to do about the players,” Jones told reporters.
“What I’m zeroed in on is the fact that I thought we were in a position, everybody in this room thought we were in a position, to advance this thing in the playoffs and maybe get as far as our dreams might take us. We didn’t do it,” he said.
Jones was asked to rank the defeat among the many playoff disappointments for his team since their fifth Super Bowl win in 1995.
“This seems like the most painful because we all had such great expectation and we had hope for this team and I thought that we were aligned in a great shape and it didn’t happen for us,” Jones said.
“And it’s as fresh on me right now as it is on anybody else, but I don’t want to get into the addressing of any aspects of it, any part of it, from the coaching to the players to what’s around the corner.”
“On a personal basis, I’m floored, not that there’s any world’s smallest violin from me being floored, I get that. I understand that and I know where the responsibility starts and ends, I’ve got that real clear but that’s not the point.
“The point is that I’m disappointed for everybody,” he said.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, who had enjoyed an excellent regular season throwing for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns, said he was shocked and frustrated with his own display after throwing two crucial interceptions in the first half.
“The way that we came out here and we started this game, it just shocked, honestly,” said the quarterback.
“From the beginning of the game … yeah, we got beat. There’s no other which way around it, no way to sugar coat it. Obviously, I didn’t play well, and shock(ed),” he added.
Prescott said he had felt good going into the game and couldn’t explain his lack of rhythm.
“I wish I had that answer for you, honestly. Maybe my mind was moving…a little faster than my body was, right?
“Maybe a second too fast, or half a second too fast and with that, right, the ball jumps a little bit more,” he said.
Asked how the team could get past the loss, Prescott said: “I wish I had that answer for you, honestly”.
McCarthy future
Speculation over McCarthy’s future is sure to intensify in the wake of the disastrous defeat but Prescott was quick to defend his coach.
“He’s been amazing. I don’t know how there can be (speculation), but I understand the business and in that case, it should be about me as well, honestly.
“I’ve had the season that I’ve had because of him. We’ve had this team, it’s had the success that they’ve had because of him.
“I understand it’s about winning the Super Bowl and that’s the standard of the league, and damn sure the standard of this place, so I get it.
“But add me to the list in that case,” he said.
McCarthy himself had little explanation for the performance.
“We’re very disappointed to a man. I don’t think anyone saw this coming,” he said.
“They executed and we didn’t. We didn’t get it done in any of the phases. We’re hurting.”
