Does Troy Aikman think Jerry Jones-led distractions are holding the Dallas Cowboys back?
When it comes to the blame game for the Dallas Cowboys continued playoff failure, the list is long and goes back 29 seasons.
Coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott have taken the brunt of the recent criticism since the Cowboys were inexplicably and unceremoniously ushered out of the playoffs by the Green Bay Packers two weeks in what was a guffawing national embarrassment, considering the 27-0 second-quarter deficit and the lack of competitiveness in 48-32 setback against what was supposed to be an inferior opponent.
But accountability starts at the top and the only constant since the franchise’s last Super Bowl title following the 1995 season and the four playoff wins since is owner Jerry Jones.
Former Cowboys first-round pick and ESPN analyst Marcus Spears blames Jones and the team’s culture of prioritizing outside ventures over winning for their continued playoff failure.
Three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Troy Aikman, who was Jones’ first draft pick in 1989, said this week that playing and coaching for the Cowboys has always come with a lot extra trappings. He said the Cowboys must do a better job of limiting those distractions and keeping their edge.
“I think the challenge for the organization and for the head coach is to be able to still keep the players with their edge,” Aikman said. “And so I think that’s that’s the challenge of this job. There’s so many other things that are happening within the organizations, it’s easy to get caught up in it. There’s tours going around the building and there’s a lot of distractions. I think it creates another layer that a head coach and a staff and players you know have to try to compartmentalize so that they can go and be the best football players they can be.”
So how much is Jones responsible for that?
“Yeah. I mean, he’s the boss,” Aikman said. “So whatever is done, it’s because he’s okay with it. It is what it is. It’s been that way. It’s always been that way. And whether or not that ultimately keeps this team from doing what they hope to do. I don’t know.”
Of course, Aikman added that Jones’ and his distractions weren’t a problem during the regular season of the past three year’s of 12-5 records under McCarthy. Yet, the Cowboys have a 1-3 mark in the postseason, including two losses at home as the higher seed in the wild-card round.
“Does it just rear its head in January?” Aikman asked rhetorically. “Why wasn’t it a problem during the regular season? So it’s a hard thing to kind of put your head around when you see the number of wins that they’ve had. And yet, so much disappointment in the postseason.”
Whose fault is that?
