Jerry Jones shares surprising details about Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard
“I know I’ve got a reputation for being reluctant to look at great players as they go into the later years of their career, but I don’t need empathy… to turn on the tape and look at what a difference maker he was last year.” – Jerry Jones on Ezekiel Elliott
Jerry Jones ends this clip by mentioning the feeling he had about the running back duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard before Pollard’s injury in the divisional round playoff game against the 49ers. He said that based on that feeling, he wouldn’t change a thing.
What he didn’t delve into, however, is how that feeling has changed. For many fans, watching the team struggle once Pollard left the game was enough to convince them that it was time to move on from Ezekiel Elliott.
Jerry Jones expressed an appreciation for Elliott and denied that sentimentality is playing a role in his decision making. Somehow, though, he got away with talking for two minutes without clarifying his current stance on Ezekiel Elliott.
The aftermath
There is a lot to debate and analyze in these videos. If the goal was to make headlines, Jerry Jones knocked it out of the park as he tends to do. When it comes to inspiring confidence among the Dallas Cowboys fanbase, however, he definitely missed the mark.
Based on a very short term, non-scientific, qualitative analysis of responses (yes, that means scrolling through my feed), a lot of fans feel that the Cowboys will show little improvement and almost no change in 2023.
These feelings are probably due in large part to a pattern that Cowboys fans have seen over the past few seasons. The mainstream narrative surrounding Dak Prescott certainly does not help the situation.
Ultimately, Jerry Jones will be judged based on his decisions. There is nothing he can say that will change minds. Whether they are optimistic, pessimistic, or just neutral observers, fans want to see results at this point.
In the recent past, the words coming from the front office have not aligned well with the product seen on the field.
So, these videos will keep the talking heads occupied for some time. But the rest of us are still watching, waiting, and keeping receipts.
