PFT: Troy Aikman calls out Jerry for a 30-year Super Bowl drought

[DallasEast]

If Jerry actually valued the Head Coaching profession and insisted on putting the best guys on the field to direct the players he's personally invested heavily in, the outcomes surely could have been different.

Wasting the last 20 years on the likes of Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, and Mike McCarthy should be punishable by exile.

The jury is still out on the current group, but they seem to show some promise.

Can he be isolated on Gilligan's Island? It was pretty remote.

I am not saying we should be cruel about it. Let his super yacht set anchor right off the island's coast. Have it completely stocked with food and supplies. Set off explosives on the bridge and in the engine room, not enough to sink the Eugenia of course.

Just don't leave Mary Ann with him. There is nothing worse than seeing an 84-year-old man chasing a cute female around a deserted island.

 

[DallasInDC]

I hear you, but basically you're saying the Cowboys marketing department is doing "one helluva job". Schotty and Christian Parker are both young, unproven and we were 7-9-1 last year...I hope it's more than just different lipstick on the same pig.

you could apply that same logic to 1989. A first year NFL head coach that went 1-15 his first year and 7-9 his second (and you can't say its different because he was successful college head coach because the NFL is littered with those types that failed).

You could argue that he inherited an aged and mostly talentless team. But you would have to acknowledge that Shotty inherited one of the worst defensive coordinators of all time and the many rejects he brought in produced the worst defense in Cowboys history and probably bottom 10 of all-time in the NFL.

Bottom line for me, I like the direction he is taking the team. I like the additions this season. I am willing to give him the benefit of doubt in year 2. Who knows, he could be another coach thrown on the heap of bad coaches or he could be the catalyst to reviving the historic Cowboys reputation. Myself, I prefer to be optimistic with the only expectation that we improve over last year....life is much more enjoyable that way.

 

[DallasEast]

you could apply that same logic to 1989. A first year NFL head coach that went 1-15 his first year and 7-9 his second (and you can't say its different because he was successful college head coach because the NFL is littered with those types that failed).

You could argue that he inherited an aged and mostly talentless team. But you would have to acknowledge that Shotty inherited one of the worst defensive coordinators of all time and the many rejects he brought in produced the worst defense in Cowboys history and probably bottom 10 of all-time in the NFL.

Bottom line for me, I like the direction he is taking the team. I like the additions this season. I am willing to give him the benefit of doubt in year 2. Who knows, he could be another coach thrown on the heap of bad coaches or he could be the catalyst to reviving the historic Cowboys reputation. Myself, I prefer to be optimistic with the only expectation that we improve over last year....life is much more enjoyable that way.

Jimmy Johnson inherited a 3-13 team that had been sliding several seasons prior to it and continued downward, bottoming out his first year as head coach.

Brian Schottenheimer inherited a 7-10 team that saw it's starting quarterback fall to injury halfway during that previous season, improve by a half game his first season as head coach, both of which followed three consecutive 12-5 regular seasons with playoff berths.

Records never tell the full story about the strengths and weaknesses of individual teams. However, I am not certain how Johnson and Schottenheimer's individual teams are remotely comparable to each other. In my opinion, Schottenheimer's first team was fundamentally better than Johnson's, despite any obvious player and/or coaching deficits Schottenheimer was handed day one.

 

[DandyDon52]

Jimmy Johnson was hired by the Dolphins because they thought he had the “secret sauce” and he even had Dan Marino. How many championships did he win after he left Jerry?

Marino was washed at that point and more of a burden than a help.
Jimmy took the job because it was close to where he lived, but it wasnt the same situation he had in dallas and no one was going to let him make a hershel deal with them. He also had lost interest after his mom died.

He did build a good defense, and had he stayed longer (and been gm) he would have been contending for a SB.

 

[OGSixshooter]

you could apply that same logic to 1989. A first year NFL head coach that went 1-15 his first year and 7-9 his second (and you can't say its different because he was successful college head coach because the NFL is littered with those types that failed).

You could argue that he inherited an aged and mostly talentless team. But you would have to acknowledge that Shotty inherited one of the worst defensive coordinators of all time and the many rejects he brought in produced the worst defense in Cowboys history and probably bottom 10 of all-time in the NFL.

Bottom line for me, I like the direction he is taking the team. I like the additions this season. I am willing to give him the benefit of doubt in year 2. Who knows, he could be another coach thrown on the heap of bad coaches or he could be the catalyst to reviving the historic Cowboys reputation. Myself, I prefer to be optimistic with the only expectation that we improve over last year....life is much more enjoyable that way.

All good. Just know rose-colored glasses obscure reality. I get enjoying the game and the ride of the season...but I prefer to analyze and access. Of course, if I honestly thought this team was ready for primetime, I would put on my own glasses. That said, I see a team talking SB that was 7-9-1.

 

[OGSixshooter]

Every year someone tells me this year will be different. Don't jump on the Cowboys bandwagon if you don't believe. They've yet to post an I told you so at the end of the season. If the Cowboys do win anything it will be in spite of Jerry Jones.He wanted the credit for any championships then he gets the blame for our failures.He created a culture that is just hard to overcome and it's been going on for 30 years. He is the one constant

Only cheerleaders are required to cheer no matter what. Fans reserve the right to boo.

 

[cowboysfan99]

Marino was washed at that point and more of a burden than a help.
Jimmy took the job because it was close to where he lived, but it wasnt the same situation he had in dallas and no one was going to let him make a hershel deal with them. He also had lost interest after his mom died.

He did build a good defense, and had he stayed longer (and been gm) he would have been contending for a SB.

I'm pretty sure he drafted both Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas

 

[DallasInDC]

Jimmy Johnson inherited a 3-13 team that had been sliding several seasons prior to it and continued downward, bottoming out his first year as head coach.

Brian Schottenheimer inherited a 7-10 team that saw it's starting quarterback fall to injury halfway during that previous season, improve by a half game his first season as head coach, both of which followed three consecutive 12-5 regular seasons with playoff berths.

Records never tell the full story about the strengths and weaknesses of individual teams. However, I am not certain how Johnson and Schottenheimer's individual teams are remotely comparable to each other. In my opinion, Schottenheimer's first team was fundamentally better than Johnson's, despite any obvious player and/or coaching deficits Schottenheimer was handed day one.

I don't know, I have never seen a defense as pitiful as last years... and we have had several crappy defenses over the past 15 years.

The original post i responded to specifically called me out for "falling for the Cowboys PR machine for having hope that Shotty can turn around this team because he went 7-9-1 in his first year". In Jimmy's second year he had Aikman, Emmitt, irvin, Novacek, Tuinei, Stepnoski, Nate Newton just to name a few. Yet he went 7-9 that year and went in to be 11-5 the following year. Whose to say that Shott6 can't have that type of turnaround in his second year with this current roster and coaching staff. ME personally, I'm a glass half full guy. But many on here prefer to take the negative road.

 

[nightrain]

Jerry has the secret sauce. The problem is, it's on a shelf behind his bar.

 

[DallasEast]

I don't know, I have never seen a defense as pitiful as last years... and we have had several crappy defenses over the past 15 years.

The original post i responded to specifically called me out for "falling for the Cowboys PR machine for having hope that Shotty can turn around this team because he went 7-9-1 in his first year". In Jimmy's second year he had Aikman, Emmitt, irvin, Novacek, Tuinei, Stepnoski, Nate Newton just to name a few. Yet he went 7-9 that year and went in to be 11-5 the following year. Whose to say that Shott6 can't have that type of turnaround in his second year with this current roster and coaching staff. ME personally, I'm a glass half full guy. But many on here prefer to take the negative road.

The defense was crappy last season. The offense was not.

On the other hand, Jimmy Johnson took over not only the worst team going into 1989. It was arguably one of the worst teams in modern NFL history (at the time).

I keep reading the first-year team comparisons as being similar. I just do not see it myself. The two teams are not comparable in my opinion.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Baloney. Quincey Carter was good enough to lead you to the playoffs.

bookmarked?

 

[RonWashington]

Troy needs to worry about his Dolphins they are garbage .

 

[stiletto]

All good. Just know rose-colored glasses obscure reality. I get enjoying the game and the ride of the season...but I prefer to analyze and access. Of course, if I honestly thought this team was ready for primetime, I would put on my own glasses. That said, I see a team talking SB that was 7-9-1.

People are banking on some defensive improvements (how can it not be a little better going from ROCK BOTTOM I guess?). They are also counting on the Offense being the same as last year. There's no way to predict it will be. We got lucky with injuries for the most part on Offense. No one should be talking about Super Bowl. It blows my mind but nearly every year, the Cowboys are going this year. 30 years on. Crazy.

 

[GINeric]

Agree 100%.........it's no longer about blaming players and/or coaches. It has taken me a while to see it, but this is on Jerry 100%. At a very minimum, he should have a high-level assistant GM with some authority working under him and NO, not McClay. He is also part of the problem IMO.




https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...owboys-championship-drought-is-hard-to-fathom

Troy Aikman: Cowboys’ championship drought is hard to fathom​

• By
• Michael David Smith

Published August 17, 2026 05:06 PM

Atleast Troy Aikman is wise enough to know that our lack of Superbowl appearances for decades isn't the fault of a single player in a team game, unlike many uneducated, uninformed people who chime into football message boards.

He correctly places the blame where it should be. On the man that run the entire organization.

 

[G2]

Yeah, we get it.

 

[OGSixshooter]

People are banking on some defensive improvements (how can it not be a little better going from ROCK BOTTOM I guess?). They are also counting on the Offense being the same as last year. There's no way to predict it will be. We got lucky with injuries for the most part on Offense. No one should be talking about Super Bowl. It blows my mind but nearly every year, the Cowboys are going this year. 30 years on. Crazy.

It's like the other teams in the league all just stood by and watched us "get better". Really?!?

 

[ArtClink]

Jerry and Stephan and the entire Jones family have to be removed from all football operation decisions before any fundamental changes can be felt. That has never been in Jerry's DNA and very unlikely Stephan will be any different, so there's zero chance this will happen. Even the shame of a 30 year drought is not enough to move Jerry's hand. He bought the team so he could play fantasy football with it and be a rock star constantly signing autographs, sexually harass women, be the face of the franchise, get interviewed every 3 hours, and make the head coach and coordinators always pay the price for his shortcomings as the GM, the final say in all football matters.

Then how did we win three trophies? Jimmy. Jimmy had the last word in all football matters and his roster won three three Super Bowls.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Jerry and Stephan and the entire Jones family have to be removed from all football operation decisions before any fundamental changes can be felt. That has never been in Jerry's DNA and very unlikely Stephan will be any different, so there's zero chance this will happen. Even the shame of a 30 year drought is not enough to move Jerry's hand. He bought the team so he could play fantasy football with it and be a rock star constantly signing autographs, sexually harass women, be the face of the franchise, get interviewed every 3 hours, and make the head coach and coordinators always pay the price for his shortcomings as the GM, the final say in all football matters.

Then how did we win three trophies? Jimmy. Jimmy had the last word in all football matters and his roster won three three Super Bowls.

It was in Jimmy's contract that he was the GM.