Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones after his team lost to the Eagles and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season said that he "won't fire himself as general manager, and he’s confident better times are ahead," according to Brandon George of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Jones said, "The one thing I know, that is you are for sure not going to get there if you quit. It’s important to me that we have the kind of success that our fans want, and I’m the best one to ultimately make these decisions." He added, "I’m not discouraged at all. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing and having initially got involved if the picture couldn’t be important. I certainly do believe and am committed with any and all resources that I have to win, and win more than we’re winning at .500 each year" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/30). In Austin, Cedric Golden notes the Cowboys are in their "longest playoff drought" since Jones bought the team. Golden: "Such is life for a .500 franchise, and that's what Jerry has constructed." Coach Jason Garrett "has to be held accountable for not getting this team over the hump yet again" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 12/30). But in Ft. Worth, Mac Engel wrote since Jones "will not be relinquishing control any time soon, firing Garrett would be pointless." To fire Garrett "ignores the gray-haired, Arkansas-accented elephant in the room" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 12/29).
