Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spent 4 hours discussing team’s biggest issues with Stephen Jones on plane ride home after Ravens loss

Jerry Jones, Dak Prescott and Brian Schottenheimer had one clear goal of winning the Super Bowl and ending the Dallas Cowboys’ 30-year drought entering the 2026 NFL season. The Cowboys had a disappointing 2025 campaign, ending the season with a 7-9-1 record and missing the playoffs entirely for the second consecutive season. This meant Jones had to make difficult decisions to turn the franchise around.

This is exactly what Jones did, but the strategy was different from previous seasons. The Cowboys owner, who is known for making flashy hires, went for a team-based approach rather than relying on individual brilliance. The Cowboys offense, led by the likes of Prescott, George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, did its job well, but the defense struggled.

The Cowboys completely overhauled the defense. It all started with trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 preseason. Jones brought in multiple defensive reinforcements following the Parsons trade such as Rashan Gary, Caleb Downs and Von Miller, among others. The goal was to build a well-rounded defense rather than rely on individuals.

Now, it was down to new defensive coordinator Christian Parker and head coach Schottenheimer to find the right combination. Unfortunately, it hasn’t consistently come together through the first three games of the season, with the latest loss coming against the Baltimore Ravens.

While the Prescott-led offense was in rhythm against the Ravens as the Cowboys totaled 415 yards of offense, the defense failed to get the job done when the game hung in the balance. This led to the Ravens defeating the Cowboys, 34-31.

Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones, speaking to “105.3 The FAN” after the Ravens loss, said, “We talked about all of the critical points in the game.”

“We had 3 or 4 hours there just talking about all the things we can do and need to do to be better,” he added.

Prescott and the Cowboys will face the Houston Texans in their fourth game of the 2026 NFL season on Sunday, October 4.