IRVING, Texas -Jerry Jones didn't say anything on Sunday night that everyone wasn't already thinking.
By choosing to run the ball three straight times before punting it back to Tom Brady, the Cowboys - and specifically head coach and play-caller Jason Garrett - really were flipping a coin, simply hoping it came up heads.
It was tails, leaving the opportunity for anyone to second-guess Garrett's decision. Jones did, which he shouldn't have, and now he knows that. That's why he took back his play-calling complaints in an appearance on 105.3-FM The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday morning.
"I would say that probably, if I had to do that over again, I wouldn't comment, period," Jones said. "There's absolutely no issue that I have with Jason Garrett's play calling. I want to get that real clear."
It's not that the comments Sunday were an indictment of Garrett from Jones, or evidence that their partnership is on the rocks, or anything big picture like that. But there does need to be a change in the way their relationship is portrayed to the media.
Jones needs to take a page out of Garrett's book, to better master the art of speaking without saying anything. Any slightly juicy comment the owner makes will grow legs, and the media will attempt to drive a wedge between the front office and head coach. Just doing their duty yesterday, they asked Garrett specifically about Jones' second-guessing his play-calling, and Garrett expertly side-stepped it.
Jones has to do the same. Other than one exception during the post-Jimmy era, the perception has been that each Cowboys coach is toothless, the second-in-command of the football team. Since taking over, Garrett has done everything possible to centralize power at his desk, and it's better if Jones would just let him have that, so there are no questions in the locker room about who is really in charge.
Already a couple times this season, Jones has spilled the beans on the Cowboys' injury situation leading into a game, something Garrett clearly doesn't want to do, because he portrays each guy as "day-to-day." Garrett wouldn't even admit that Bill Nagy is out for the season, when Jones was doing it before the final whistle blew on Sunday.
It may be one of those things that is irrational on the part of a coach, but clearly it's important to Garrett to play the injury situation, and most other things, close to the vest. The Cowboys would be better off if Jones didn't intefere with that, or emasculate Garrett in any other way.
Garrett needs to be different than the others. Jones has to get that real clear.
