IRVING, Texas – Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been Tony Romo's biggest supporter since he became the starter in 2007.
Naturally, he's going to stand by his quarterback this week after the late-game interception against the Broncos, which ruined what arguably was the best game Romo had ever played up until that point. Both Jones and Jason Witten called it Romo's best performance.
On his radio show Wednesday on the team's flagship station, 105.3 FM "The Fan," Jones praised his quarterback, who is coming off a franchise-record 506 passing yards with five touchdowns. But it was a fourth-quarter interception that led to Denver's game-winning field goal.
"Tony is excellent. He gives us our very best chance to win the super bowl," Jones said. "I like trying to get there this way, better than the alternative. Although we haven't gotten it, if that's the way he is … he gives us the best chance to get to the super Bowl. We're all getting from the same talent pool. You can't have it all."
Jones was also asked about the possible return of Jay Ratliff, who is eligible to come off PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) after the Redskins game. But the owner didn't provide many details, if any, about the defensive lineman coming back from a groin injury that has plagued him since training camp.
"I don't know. I don't know that he knows. I don't know that anyone knows," Jones said of Ratliff. "He is beginning to work through on what we all hope is a secure injury area that has hopefully healed. I don't know that. I can't speak to that, and I don't know that anybody does. We will painstakingly go slow here in trying to work him back in."
And as for his comments on calling Sunday's loss to the Broncos a "moral victory," Jones decided to clarify the statement on Wednesday. [embedded_ad]
"We certainly needed (that) win on our record. But the promise of things to come is brighter when that game was finished then when it started," Jones said. "The promise was because we see a lot coming together there with the offense. We knew we had holes in our defense, but we have the opportunity to get guys playing better to have a better defense. You can have a zero-day, which a loss is, but by the same token have improved the promise ahead."
He then said the nature of the NFL these days is being able to sneak into the playoffs, regardless of the record, and be able to compete.
"We all want to not be good losers. Once you have accepted it can be Ok to have a loss, mentally something happens with your will," Jones explained. "That's just not the way it is in the NFL. You're going to have losses and setbacks in the NFL. It's not like college football where you can have one big loss or two big losses and your chances of winning the national championship are over. That's not the way it is in the NFL. With .500 teams … who wants to be one? No one. But .500 teams can get to the playoffs and become world champions. That's the game we've chosen."
