After watching his quarterback throw five interceptions against the Chicago Bears on national television, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is "disappointed" with his team.
The Cowboys owner spoke with KRLD-FM in Dallas on Tuesday after the 34-18 loss.
"Let me say this ... I know this: I couldn't be more disappointed," Jones said according to ESPNDallas.com. "Frankly, I'm surprised we didn't play better."
The Cowboys were awful on both sides of the ball against the Bears, allowing 360 yards and turning the ball over five times. One thing that should frustrate Dallas even more was that they only scored 18 points while gaining 430 yards of total offense.
"They took care of the ball. They made plays with the ball. We didn't," Jones said. "We got beat soundly. That's all there is to it."
The Bears returned two of Romo's interceptions for touchdowns, including a 74-yard return by linebacker Lance Briggs.
"A lot of our older guys are playing really well right now because we understand everything so much more," said Briggs to the Associated Press. "Whether we've lost a step or some people believe we've lost a step, we make up for it in knowledge."
Romo had 307 yards passing but made too many bad decisions on a night when the Cowboys couldn't afford any. The offensive line only allowed one sack, but couldn't block for running back DeMarco Murray, who gained just 24 yards on 11 carries.
"You have to get over it," Romo said Monday night. "It's going to suck for a few days now. Obviously it's going to sit there in your stomach and just eat at you. ... I can't try to do too much. I think I tried to do that too much. Going forward, I'm just going to have to do my job. And I will."
Wide receiver Dez Bryant had a career-high in receiving yards with 105, but left fans and executives still wondering about his maturity after dropping two catchable balls and making an error that led to an interception.
"Very, very, very, very, very, very average," Bryant said. "Yeah, I felt like, me personally, I could have played better. ... (I've) just got to keep fighting through adversity."
Bryant and Romo had a miscommunication on the play, with Bryant streaking up the field while Romo threw the ball directly into cornerback Charles Tilman's hands.
"Tony saw it one way. Dez saw it another way," head coach Jason Garrett said to the Associated Press.
Jason Witten had a standout game for the Cowboys after entering the night with the league-lead in dropped passes. He was targeted 14 times and caught 13 of them for 112 yards and a touchdown.
"I'm disappointed and frustrated we didn't execute better," Witten said. "We knew the style of defense they would play. You can't turn the ball over and win in this league. We know the stats."
The Cowboys improved secondary faltered against the Bears, allowing wide receiver Brandon Marshall to catch seven balls for 138 yards and a touchdown. The duo of Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr couldn't do anything to stop Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
Dallas drafted Claiborne with their first-round draft pick this year and signed Carr to a $50-million deal in the offseason to shore up their defensive backfield. Last season New York Giants wide receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks torched the Cowboys, combining for 25 catches and over 400 yards against Dallas in two games last season.
After opening the season with a win against the Super Bowl champion Giants, Dallas has gone 1-2 and only scored 35 points. Some critics have argued that the Cowboys put too much emphasis on the first game, treating it as a "Super Bowl" of sorts, and are now suffering a letdown.
The Monday night game marked the second time in his career that Romo has thrown five interceptions, the first time coming against Buffalo in the 2007 season.
In the interview Jones also spoke about some of Dallas's injured players and when they would return.
According to ESPNDallas.com, "Jones said center Phil Costa, who has been out with a back injury since Week 1, could return after the bye week. Two other starters -- nose tackle Jay Ratliff (ankle) and defensive end Kenyon Coleman (knee) -- also might be available against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 14."
Romo will try to right the ship next week as the Cowboys take on the Ravens.
"We all see what happens when your quarterback tries to do too much," Jones said.
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