The Dallas Cowboys were officially eliminated from the playoffs after a 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, extending their Super Bowl drought to 30 years. Owner Jerry Jones accepted responsibility for the franchise's prolonged shortcomings since their last title in 1995. Despite the disappointment, Jones expressed confidence in the team's future with strong draft assets and offensive performance.
In Arlington, Texas, the Cowboys' postseason hopes ended before their Week 16 matchup even began, as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East with a win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday night. Dallas, now 6-8-1, fell 34-17 to the Chargers on Sunday, becoming the only NFC team without a conference championship appearance in the past 30 years.
Jerry Jones, who has overseen the team since the 1990s dynasty that won three Super Bowls in four seasons, addressed the drought candidly postgame. "I'll admit that the Cowboys management has played a big role (in the 30-year Super Bowl drought)," Jones said. "But seriously, I'm very disappointed that the way we're structured, and my role, puts us here tonight. I'm tremendously disappointed."
At 83, Jones remains optimistic, pointing to two first-round picks in the 2026 draft and an offense averaging 28.3 points per game under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown for 4,175 yards, running back Javonte Williams rushed for 1,147 yards, and wide receivers George Pickens (1,342 yards) and CeeDee Lamb (1,027 yards) both surpassed 1,000 receiving yards.
"Really, I don't want to be trite, but the same way that I might have looked at the 30 years before I bought the Cowboys. That was then. This is now," Jones said. He highlighted his willingness to adapt, including a trade-deadline acquisition of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, though the move came too late after Dallas started 3-5-1.
The defense, however, has been a glaring weakness without edge rusher Micah Parsons, ranking second-worst in scoring defense (30.3 points allowed per game), third-worst in total defense (380.1 yards), and eighth-worst in sack rate (5.5%). Against the Chargers, Dallas failed to sack quarterback Justin Herbert, who entered with a league-high 49 sacks. Williams sat out with a neck injury and concussion.
Jones indicated an evaluation of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is underway. "I can tell you right now one of the reasons I've enjoyed some of the things that worked for me is because I will change, and I do change," he said. As the general manager, Jones defended his dual role, noting he bought the team for the challenge, not investment.
Whether these reflections lead to offseason overhauls remains unclear, but Jones faced scrutiny for about 30 minutes after the home finale, owning the decisions like hiring Eberflus.
