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NFL viewers believe they have worked out what Jerry Jones shouted moments after the Dallas Cowboys' latest defeat against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cowboys suffered a dramatic 33-30 overtime defeat to the Cardinals on Sunday after their defense collapsed late in the game. The loss leaves Dallas at 3-5, with their playoff hopes still alive largely due to the struggles of the wider NFC East, although they have fallen further behind the New York Giants.
Dallas appeared to be in control with 14 minutes and 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, leading 24-10 after Dak Prescott scored on a five-yard touchdown run. However, they became the first NFL team this season to lose a game after holding a lead of at least 14 points in the final quarter.
As the Cardinals' game-winning kick sailed through the uprights, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appeared to lose his temper on the sideline. Viewers believe that Jones shouted: “S---” in his immediate reaction to the defeat.
However, Jones has no intention of making changes to the Cowboys' coaching staff, instead defending head coach Brian Schottenheimer and insisting that others had let him down. “Well, I will say that a lot of people let Brian down today. So for whatever criticism we want to have with Brian, we can all get in line,” Jones told reporters.
“And that was a total team loss, to use a cliche. That was a total team effort out there for us. And we have to be better for our fans. We have to be better than that when we got our hands on the win and then dropped the ball.”
The 84-year-old also referenced his previous decision to dismiss Wade Phillips midway through the 2010 season, making clear he does not intend to repeat that move with Schottenheimer. “I made a change and I don't want to mention it because I'm not proud of it. But I made a change with Wade Phillips there in the middle of the season, and I don't see that here,” he added.
Jones acknowledged that the Cowboys face a difficult challenge as they look to respond to their latest defeat, insisting that the team must regroup, assess their performance and move forward. He admitted the loss would be difficult for everyone involved, from the players and coaching staff to himself.
The Cowboys owner was particularly critical of how his team surrendered a significant lead despite having opportunities to secure the victory late in the game.
"It just really is glaring in a negative way how we could be where we were and end up losing that ball game, and we had a great chance right at the end to win the game, and had all of the had everybody out there that can win games for us, and of course didn’t get it done," Jones said.
This is not the first time this season that Schottenheimer and his coaching staff have faced scrutiny.
Following an "embarrassing" defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, the Cowboys suffered another primetime loss against the Green Bay Packers the following week, prompting further criticism from fans, some of whom directed their frustration towards Jones.
The Cowboys will now look to respond when they travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the 2-6 Indianapolis Colts.