The Dallas Cowboys looked primed for a successful season with a stacked offense ready to lay siege to the rest of the NFC East. However, it hasn’t panned out well a third of the way into the season. They sit at 2-4 and are third in the East. Dak Prescott has struggled for consistency. And a porous defense hasn’t helped.
So who is to blame for this poor start? Terrell Owens doesn’t believe Prescott is to blame; instead, he’s pointing at Jerry Jones.
Terrell Owens Points Finger At Cowboys Ownership
On the “Get TO The Point” podcast, Owens was asked how many lives Prescott has, as they aren’t winning games. Owens, who spent three seasons with the Cowboys as part of his legendary career, initially sounded surprised at the question: “What do you mean? I don’t think it’s his fault.”
Owens continued by pointing the finger at ownership’s personnel decisions. “Start blaming Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones; they are the ones making those decisions. And those are the guys that are shelling out $100 million receivers who are not putting up $100 million production. That’s that.”
Owens also pointed to their offensive coordinator’s playcalling, calling it overly conservative.
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“You gotta have playmakers, game changers. I don’t know who the offensive coordinator is, but you gotta call some explosive plays. But in order to have explosive plays, you need explosive players.”
It’s probably harsh to criticize coordinator Klayton Adams, since head coach Brian Schottenheimer is the playcaller. Ownership has since backed Schottenheimer to oversee a turnaround in fortunes.
Owens then compared their running back Javonte Williams unfavorably to Kenneth Walker III and Derrick Henry in terms of playmaking. “Typically, Dallas Cowboys are known for good running backs, offensive line, and you got some good playmakers at receivers. That’s not happening… it starts from the top down.”
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“It looks good to go pay $200 million receivers, but they are not putting up that kind of production,” Owens pointed out.
As for the Cowboys’ star receivers that Owens referenced, George Pickens is on a $27.3 million franchise tag. CeeDee Lamb, after signing a $136 million extension, is being paid $34 million a year.
With a large chunk of their cap going to their receivers, they certainly hoped for more than just the one touchdown from Pickens. However, Lamb has played well so far: 4 touchdowns and 577 receiving yards on 48 receptions, strong numbers across the board.
Lamb currently boasts an 88.4 PFN WR Impact Grade, which ranks #2, while Pickens’ 79.2 grade is at #19.
Whilst Williams’ 3.7 yards per carry is poor, his 7 touchdowns are strong. Meanwhile, Prescott has pedestrian numbers so far with 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. His 78.5 QB Impact Grade ranks #12 in the league.
Although the Cowboys offense hasn’t been as explosive as expected, their defense has been letting them down more, and if they want to get back in the playoff picture, their defense needs to improve markedly.
Owens raises a good point about ownership’s allocation of cap resources: a significant outlay is going to their receivers rather than other areas like the coaching staff.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.