The Cowboys suffered yet another stomach-punch loss on Sunday, taking a lead into the final two minutes in New England before Tom Brady marched the Patriots to victory in their last possession.
It was a drive that may have never happened had Dallas coach Jason Garrett been more aggressive in his playcalling in the fourth quarter. Particularly egregious was his decision to run the ball three straight times in the possession that preceded New England's go-ahead score. Garrett seemed unwilling to put the game in the hands of Tony Romo.
Jerry Jones wasn't pleased with the conservative approach after the game, and a Monday report by Yahoo! Sports provides insight of the owner's disappointment in real time.
"They're gonna get at least a field goal," Jones said from his luxury suite after the Cowboys punted the ball back to the Pats nursing a 16-13 lead with 2:30 remaining. "We'll be lucky to get to overtime."
Jones's words were prophetic, though you didn't need to be Nostradamus to predict how Brady would perform given a final opportunity. The Patriots went 80 yards in two minutes, capped by a eight-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez. Game over. Cowboys the bridesmaids once again.
"When you get in a situation like that, you've got to go for the kill," Jones said before leaving the Cowboys' locker room. "I felt like we could've been more aggressive. Our defense had been good all day, but you knew Brady had a length-of-the-field drive in him –- so it didn't surprise me at all when he took them down at the end."
We're not saying Garrett should be putting his house on the market just yet, but Jerry's not happy. It's important to stay in the good graces of Jerry. Jerry is a very powerful man.
