In what should have been an easy “bounce-back” win on the road against a pathetic Panthers defense, the Cowboys offense continued to make all the mental and physical mistakes that have come to describe their exceedingly mediocre existence since 1997.

Oct 21, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones point to the fans prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

Mediocre is the perfect word to describe the Cowboys because they are talented enough at the skill positions to win games they should win (mostly) but also just bone-headed enough to lose the games they should lose (mostly). There are few exceptions in between that all get balanced out in the wash. In fact, since the year 2000, the organization is 1 game above .500 with 1 playoff win. Average. Mediocre. Hard to watch. Unacceptable.

The lone bright spot is the Cowboys defense has been a notable improvement from last season, as they should be with the millions of dollars and wasted draft picks Mr. Jones spent on improving the unit. Despite this, I still wonder if they should be better. They are still unreliable and still prone to bend (and sometimes even break) late in the 4th quarter.

I could fill up the rest of this article with the same crap I say every week about how it needs to get better. I could fill up the rest of this article about what I would do if I were the GM. I could tell you that without Sean Lee and Phil Costa, the Cowboys could really suffer in the coming weeks against quality opponents. I am not going to do any of that. I am going to do the one thing that will hurt Jerry the most. I am going to stop talking about the Cowboys. I will still be watching and cheering (in Cowboys Stadium next week, no less) but I am done talking about the same old crap that will certainly not change until Mr. Jones has departed.

Peace.

Sunday was a very big disappointment in that the Cowboys lost another game they had no business losing in the 4^th quarter. Coming in, I would have told you the Cowboys were going to lose to a better team, which they did. However, fast forward to the 4^th quarter and I would have told you, “How is Dallas not winning by double digits right now?” Then, they mounted a spectacular comeback, to include an onsides kick, and then through a series of ridiculous errors, still lost.

Sep 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on the field prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

I will leave it to everyone else to tell you the little nuances of what went wrong and how Garrett/Romo/Dez/Bailey/everyone is horrible. I want to talk about that other thing in your head. The “Fire Him” thing.

Fire who? Why? What will that change? Garrett? Okay. How is he any different than Wade? Or Parcells? Campo? Gailey? Answer that question. It seems to me Wade Phillips was too soft. Bill Parcells was too hard/out of touch. Dave Campo was in over his head. Chan Gailey over-thought everything. We have had every type of coach (even a good one) in the past 15 years. What is really different about Garrett? Fire Tony Romo? Okay. What does that solve? Again, best quarterback the Cowboys have had, by far, since Aikman retired. No other quarterback on the market or any development project at the slot Dallas will be picking in the Spring will be half as good. Seriously, give me another player’s name that’s half as good as Romo that is REALISTIC to go get right now. Fire Bailey? Okay. Bailey is by far the best kicker the Cowboys have had in 15 years. Bailey is automatic. Again, give me ONE player half as good that is realistic to get right this second. Fire Dez? Well….. I won’t object to that but tell me how one position solves this problem.

No. NONE of those are the answer. You already know the answer. Jerry Jones is the answer. He is the only constant in the past 17 years of ineptitude and he’s not going anywhere if he can help it (he can). Trust that Garrett is the answer to the problem. Trust that nothing good is going to happen this year, they are re-building this team and that all of it is going to take some time. Trust that you can do NOTHING to stop this process, even if you really, really complain really, really hard. The only one with any power to fix any of the problems you see on this team is Jerry Jones. And he, consequently enough, is the problem. The problem has been blissfully unaware of itself for 17 seasons. Do not expect the problem to suddenly become self-aware because of that “50-point plan for a return to glory” you posted on your Twitter/Facebook page.

I haven’t given up on Garrett yet. I don’t have as much confidence in him as I used to but I’m also not ready to chop him up into little coaching pieces. I think he is working with the sins of the past 17 seasons and he’s doing the best he can to repair them. He’s not blameless, but he’s hardly the problem.

I haven’t given up on Romo as the quarterback for right now but I have given up on the fact that he will win the Cowboys a championship. It is not happening. He will be way too old by the time Garrett has gotten this team back to respectability. Again, this is assuming Garrett can do that. Also, please stop pretending you were not about to give him the All-Grit award for Greatest Comeback EVVVAAR if Bailey made that kick. Just. Stop.

Oct 14, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) catches a pass for a touchdown as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cary Williams (29) defends in the third quarter at M

I HAVE given up on Dez being anything close to Michael Irvin or Drew Pearson although that is admittedly a high standard to live up to. If he’s going to be a true “88,” he’ll be the worst of the trio.

Just try to enjoy the ride. Have a little bit of faith even if you have no reason to. Even if it makes you throw up every time you get on the ride, try to enjoy the time you have on it. Why, you say?

Simple. You have no other option or recourse. Welcome to fan hell.

P.S. For those of you who have been living here for the past 17 years and didn’t know it, you’re way past rent. Pay up.

The Dallas Cowboys have, once again, offend the five senses and embarrassed their die-hard fans in prime time. Instead of learning from their previous mistakes, the Cowboys allowed the Bears five turnovers and 28 points off turnovers en route to a Monday Night trouncing at Soldier Field South. The lone bright spot of the game was that Dallas finally stopped committing penalties in droves (only 2 for 10 yards): just in time to get trounced by 16 at home. Dez Bryant dropped back-breaking, drive-killing balls that Jason Witten dropped in the three previous weeks . Jason Garrett was completely out-coached again. Tony Romo built sympathy by getting consistently let down by his wide receivers, only to lose every bit of sympathy in the late stages of the second half by making even more horrible mistakes all by his lonesome. In short, the Cowboys stunk; which makes sense. If we are to call the Cowboys mediocre, it would require a few great performances, a few average performances and a few horrible performances. We have now seen two horrid performances in four incredibly hard-to-watch games.

Oct 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Kellen Davis (87) makes a fourth quarter catch against Dallas Cowboys safety Danny McCray (40) at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The Bears beat the Cowboys 34-18. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

After the game, Tony Romo had the nerve to feed us the same line of bullsh** he has been saying after every confidence-shattering performance in his entire career. He stated, “I’m going to have to re-assess a couple of things that are happening and make sure they don’t happen again,” and “I just have to make a conscious effort to make sure to control that aspect. In saying that, 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.” Now, I know that’s all he CAN say but if that’s the case, I sure wish he would have said nothing because the bad-Tony rhetoric is not inspiring and I do not believe a word he says any longer.

The running game continues to be a bad joke I am tired of listening to. Instead of giving any balance to the offense, the running game continues to be a liability. Plus, DeMarco Murray is fumbling now so that’s something. The offense only avoiding being the worst statistical offense in football because of a late, garbage-time, Kyle Orton touchdown and 2-point conversion.

The defense started playing well but, like the rest of the team, quit when the going got tough. They don’t deserve to be top 5.

I refuse to pretend this is somehow going to get better. It is not. The Ravens are going to toy with the Cowboys like a cat with a dead mouse. The Eagles are flying overhead, licking their lips (I don’t think Eagles have lips… whatever). I hope Jerry is happy with what he’s built. He sure seemed that way Monday night before the game. Victoria Secret models highlighted the start of the match, only to be drowned out by droves of Chicago Bears fans screaming, “Let’s Go Bears!”Jerry, I don’t know how you consistently disappoint the hell out of your fans and yet we all somehow give you money. I think it has something to do with the history of the team, but still, you are a genius. An evil, maniacal, a**hole genius. There’s a special place in football hell for you. LOOK at that picture. This is what we root for now.

Oct 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Victoria Secret chief executive officer Denise Landman poses for pictures inside the new Pink store at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

I’ll always watch because I love this team but don’t expect any optimism here. You won’t find it. Find yourself a new, less soul-crushing hobby to balance out this year, Cowboys fans. fretting about hopeless team. Find something you can do in between games that does not involve I’m going to try reading.

I’ll see you in two weeks for the next one.