FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys have been in this situation before. Quite recently, actually. Twice last year alone.
It's the prospect of playing without Tony Romo, though there's still no official timetable for the veteran quarterback's absence due to a fractured bone in his back, and he is expected to return at some point during the upcoming season.
For now, rookie Dak Prescott is getting ready to lead the offense. Last year, with Romo sidelined due to two separate collarbone injuries, the Cowboys went 1-11. They're 1-13 since 2013 and 7-18 since 2006 without him.
Jones acknowledges Romo's current injury is an obvious "setback." But he emphasizes the team can't and won't dwell on his absence this time, citing confidence in Prescott and the rest of the roster.
"Well, it's a setback," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan. "But we aren't going to get into the mode of looking ahead into the season of when we'll have all hands on deck or he'll be coming back. We don't want to get into that mode like we were last year.
"We don't have to do that this year. I think the overwhelming sense on the team is we're going to go with our guys that are healthy, and in this case that includes Dak. And we're going to win games. I think that's as a result of what we didn't do last year."
