OXNARD, Calif. – Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he didn't want to use the term "cocky" to describe his offense this season. But his remarks about the group had a certain confidence all their own.
Following the team's Monday evening practice, Jones was asked when he last felt as good about an offensive group as he does this summer. His answer hearkened back to some memorable teams – the 2007 offense that led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and before them, the powerful groups of the mid-90's Super Bowl years.
"I was pretty excited in '07 – I was pretty excited about that group," Jones said. "I think you guys, a couple of you chastised me for even referring back to the middle 90's and early 90's with that group, but I was pretty excited about it and they did well."
That 2007 group finished No. 3 in the NFL in total offense, averaging 365.7 yards per game. They also finished No. 2 in the league in scoring at 28.4 points per game – trailing only the New England Patriots, who finished the regular season 16-0.
The Cowboys' offensive numbers were a bit pedestrian in 2013 – at least by the accepted standards of Tony Romo's tenure as the team's starting quarterback. Dallas finished 16th in total offense last year after finishing No. 6 in 2012, No. 11 in 2011 and No. 7 in 2010.
Jones said he felt that the offense was good in 2013, but it could be improved by "tweaking some things." One of those things would be the addition of Scott Linehan as playcaller, after he oversaw the league's No. 6 offense in Detroit last season. [embedded_ad]
"I think we've really enhanced things by having Linehan come in, and we know we've got a great coach in Bill Callahan," he said. "With all of that, I do feel very good about it – I don't know that you can feel any better."
Other than the 2007 team, Jones said the last time he felt as good about his offense was about 10 years before that, during the Cowboys dynastic run of championships in the mid-90's.
"We were feeling pretty good about our offenses then," Jones said. "But I don't know other than that, during that time, maybe that 07 team, I've felt any better."
OXNARD, Calif. – Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he didn't want to use the term "cocky" to describe his offense this season. But his remarks about the group had a certain confidence all their own.
Following the team's Monday evening practice, Jones was asked when he last felt as good about an offensive group as he does this summer. His answer hearkened back to some memorable teams – the 2007 offense that led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and before them, the powerful groups of the mid-90's Super Bowl years.
"I was pretty excited in '07 – I was pretty excited about that group," Jones said. "I think you guys, a couple of you chastised me for even referring back to the middle 90's and early 90's with that group, but I was pretty excited about it and they did well."
That 2007 group finished No. 3 in the NFL in total offense, averaging 365.7 yards per game. They also finished No. 2 in the league in scoring at 28.4 points per game – trailing only the New England Patriots, who finished the regular season 16-0.
The Cowboys' offensive numbers were a bit pedestrian in 2013 – at least by the accepted standards of Tony Romo's tenure as the team's starting quarterback. Dallas finished 16th in total offense last year after finishing No. 6 in 2012, No. 11 in 2011 and No. 7 in 2010.
Jones said he felt that the offense was good in 2013, but it could be improved by "tweaking some things." One of those things would be the addition of Scott Linehan as playcaller, after he oversaw the league's No. 6 offense in Detroit last season. [embedded_ad]
"I think we've really enhanced things by having Linehan come in, and we know we've got a great coach in Bill Callahan," he said. "With all of that, I do feel very good about it – I don't know that you can feel any better."
Other than the 2007 team, Jones said the last time he felt as good about his offense was about 10 years before that, during the Cowboys dynastic run of championships in the mid-90's.
"We were feeling pretty good about our offenses then," Jones said. "But I don't know other than that, during that time, maybe that 07 team, I've felt any better."
