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Jerry Jones backs Brian Schottenheimer, says Cowboys let coach down in loss

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The disappointment from Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was clear after a 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but it will not trigger any kind of coaching change.

"That's not in my mind at this time," Jones said.

Jones expressed confidence in Brian Schottenheimer and said, "a lot of people let Brian down today and so for whatever criticism we want to have of Brian, we can all get in line."

The Cowboys are 3-5 and hold playoff possibilities mostly because of the struggles of the entire NFC East, although Dallas fell further behind the New York Giants (4-2-1).

With 14:20 left in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys led 24-10 after a 5-yard touchdown run from Dak Prescott.

Prior to Sunday, the Cowboys were 202-0-1 when leading by 14 or more points in the fourth quarter at home in their history, including playoffs. This loss matched the largest blown fourth-quarter lead in team history, according to Elias Sports Bureau. In 2011 and 2022, the Cowboys lost games at the New York Jets and at the Green Bay Packers. They are now 342-3-1 in franchise history when leading by 14 or more points in the fourth.

The Cowboys became the first team in the NFL this season to lose when leading by at least 14 points in the fourth. Teams were 44-0-1 in such situations, entering Sunday.

Even with a 10-point lead with 3:24 left, the Cowboys' win probability peaked at 98.3%, according to ESPN Analytics.

"It's an indictment of the whole show," Jones said.

Schottenheimer, now 10-14-1 as Cowboys coach, said he was disappointed by the result, but, "I believe in our staff. I believe in our players."

"I only know how to do it one way, and that's the work. I'm a worker, I'm a problem solver. I think we got guys in there in that locker room that are problem solvers," Schottenheimer said. "We have guys in there that want to be great. We got guys that believe in what we're doing as a football team in all three phases, and they're hurting. They're hurting right now, too. And so as a leader, I'm going to stand in front and hit them with the truth."

Jones has made only one in-season head coaching change in his tenure (since 1989). In 2010, the Cowboys were 1-7 when Jones replaced Wade Phillips with Jason Garrett, who held the job until 2019.

"I made a change and I don't want to mention it because I'm not proud of it," Jones said. "But I made a change with Wade Phillips there in the middle of the season and I don't see that here."

The only coach on the staff with NFL head coaching experience is senior defensive assistant Mike Pettine, who joined the team in Week 5. Pettine had a 10-22 record with the Cleveland Browns in 2014-15.

"It's all of us," Prescott said. "Don't put the blame on one person. Simple as that. I think that's weak. I think that's cowardly. The game is about all 11 that touch the field and every person that has a part in it, coaches and support staff. And so it's never just one person's fault. Even if I go out there and throw 100 interceptions, it's never just truly one person's fault.

"And so yeah, don't take the easy and cheap way out. This is about us and it's about us backing him up and backing one another up and we'll have to show it."

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