In hindsight, it really isn't surprising that the Dallas Cowboys were run out of the building by the Philadelphia Eagles. It started out promising, but Dallas committed four turnovers and got some abhorrent cornerback play from Andrew Booth en route to a 41-7 loss.
The defeat allowed Philly to clinch the NFC East, which means the division's streak of not having a repeat champion will bleed into 2025.
While injuries absolutely torpedoed the Cowboys' season, that they will finish under .500 should incentivize the front office to do some self reflection.
Instead of allowing a mass exodus in free agency, why not go the extra mile to ensure the roster has a proper balance? Instead of whining about having to pay your homegrown stars, why not get those deals done early in the offseason to give yourself maximum flexibility?
A functioning front office would realize that urgency and act on it, but Jerry Jones is pulling the strings of this operation. The team's facto general manager couldn't even tell an Eagles fan made fun of him before kickoff and proceeded to brag about it on 105.3 The Fan's pregame show.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan said an Eagles fan told him today: "Keep doing the job you're doing this year."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 29, 2024
We're not sure what's worse: That Jones interpreted the very-obvious insult as a compliment, that he believed an Eagles fan would go out of their way to compliment him, or that he is so conceited he is actually pleased with the job he's done.
All three scenarios are terrifying for Cowboys fans.
A not-so-friendly reminder Jones is the foremost person tasked with steering this franchise back to the Super Bowl - a place they haven't been since their last championship in 1995. Dallas has not even been back to the NFC Championship Game since then. That drought extended to 29 years last week when the team was eliminated from playoff contention.
RELATED: Jerry Jones finally admits to mistake Cowboys fans warned him about in March
As much as the fan base wants Jones to take a backseat, all eyes are unfortunately on him as the 2024 season winds down. There is now one week left in the campaign and he still has not made a decision on Mike McCarthy. If he has, he hasn't acted on it.
Jones' dialogue in recent weeks suggests he's leaning toward running it back with the same coaching staff. Sunday was a nightmare for Dallas, but we doubt that McCarthy lost all of his goodwill because his decimated roster got steamrolled by a Super Bowl contender.
Cowboys fans will be hearing plenty more of Jones over the next month. Hopefully he doesn't encounter any more Eagles supporters along the way because the 82-year-old really embarrassed himself by failing to read between the lines of a clear insult.
Jerry, if you're reading this, you have NOT done a good job with this team.