NFL teams
John Clayton, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Time to give Jerry Jones credit

NFL, Dallas Cowboys

Following the Dallas Cowboys' impressive 42-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, head coach Jason Garrett talked about how the organization has done a better job of surrounding Tony Romo with talent.

That comment made me think for a second. As much as owner Jerry Jones gets criticized for being the owner and the general manager, he did get it right. Around the league, Jones, a great businessman and a marketing master, takes criticism for making personnel decisions that have kept the team at the 8-8 level, two or three wins fewer than what a franchise with an elite quarterback should have.

Garrett is right. Over the past couple years, Jones has made commitments to the offense to allow the Cowboys to rise to the proper level for a team with an elite quarterback. Let's get one argument out of the way. I haven't varied on having Romo among my top eight or nine quarterbacks in football. He consistently throws for more than 250 yards a game (a 4,000-yard-per-year level) and annually throws for around 30 touchdowns. The most recent time he completed less than 63 percent of his passes was 2008.

Those are elite numbers.

Everyone points to the loss or two at the end of recent seasons and blames them on Romo, which is unfair. As we have seen this season, Jones and the front office did make moves to lift the offense to playoff level.

I'm starting to use a new evaluation tool on rosters. The new collective bargaining agreement has made it more important for teams to hit on their draft choices in the first three or four rounds. The Cowboys have succeeded in that category enough on offense.

In 2011, they drafted left tackle Tyron Smith in the first round and halfback DeMarco Murray in the third. They hit on center Travis Frederick in the 2013 first round and gave Romo two additional weapons with tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round and wide receiver Terrance Williams in the third. This year, the Cowboys used a first-round pick on guard Zack Martin to complete what I believe is the best offensive line in football.

Surrounding Romo with six drafted additions in four years -- five starters -- along with having Dez Bryant at wide receiver and Jason Witten at tight end should have vaulted the Cowboys' offense toward the top of the league, and it did.

The Cowboys' struggles on defense can be tied to some failures in the top four rounds of recent drafts. Since 2011, the Cowboys have drafted eight defenders in the first rounds. Defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford, linebackers Bruce Carter and Anthony Hitchens, and free safety J.J. Wilcox have earned starting jobs and are on their rookie contracts. A starter a year isn't bad, but those starters -- with Crawford being the exception -- haven't equaled the losses of DeMarcus Ware, Jeremiah Ratliff, Jason Hatcher and others, which can explain the defensive drop.

Too often we point to Jones for not doing the right things in building a roster. Way to go, Jerry. How 'bout them Cowboys?

From the inbox

Q: I'm somewhat confused by the playoff seedings in the NFC. Predicting Week 17 games in the playoff machine on ESPN.com, if the Cowboys and Seahawks both win out, why is Seattle over Dallas based on conference record? Shouldn't it go head-to-head first, then other scenarios? I just don't get it. In any scenario, if Dallas and Seattle remain tied for the same record, Dallas should have the higher seeding, based on head-to-head. If it should come down to Dallas and Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, Dallas should have home-field advantage.

Pete in Abilene, Texas

A: This is a much asked question. Head-to-head only applies as the first tiebreaker if there are two teams tied or there are more than two and they all played each other. Whoever wins when Green Bay plays Detroit on Sunday will be the NFC North champion with a 12-4 record. Thus, if Seattle, the NFC North winner and Dallas all finish 12-4, conference records become the first tiebreaker. The Cowboys, who went 4-0 against the AFC South, will finish 8-4 in the NFC if they win their finale. A 12-4 Seahawks team would be 10-2 in the NFC. Whoever wins between the Lions (10-2) and Packers (9-3) also will have a better conference record than Dallas. The Cowboys finish as the No. 3 seed at 12-4 if Seattle beats the Rams. They can get as high as the No. 2 seed if the Seahawks and Cardinals both lose in Week 17.

Q: I think this year the Cowboys have to make it to the Super Bowl for people to respect Tony Romo. If Romo goes one and done, people will not only get on him but also get on Jerry Jones for not taking Johnny Manziel. He doesn't have to win the SB, but he has to get there with this team, especially with the O-Line and DeMarco Murray. Romo's reputation is on the line here, and Jerry's is too. One thing to consider is how bad the Cowboys are at home due to opponents treating their stadium like an open mic stage to perform at their best at the expense of Dallas. If I were a Cowboys fan, I would worry.

Matt in Richmond, Virginia

A: You are probably right. Quarterbacks get too harshly criticized for not getting to the Super Bowl or winning it. Peyton Manning is one of the greatest to play the game. His playoff failures hang over his legacy. I hope this season brings an appreciation for how good Romo is. Without him, the Cowboys would be a six-win team. I don't think he will be in the top four for MVP consideration, but he's put himself in position to be in the conversation.

Q: I had a real issue years ago, when Seattle went 7-9 and hosted a playoff game, yet everyone said it was a one-time thing that won't happen again. And here we are with the NFC South's seven-win division champion hosting a playoff game, while a nine- or 10-win Eagles team sits at home. I know the owners will never just take away a division winner's playoff bid due to money issues, but I propose a simple fix. If a division winner does not finish with an even or winning record, it loses the home playoff game, thus making the first wild-card team -- which likely has a better record -- the host. Personally, I would also like to see the provision that if a division winner does not finish at least 7-9, it is out of the playoffs altogether, but that won't happen.

Adam in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

A: There is no way the league would prevent a division winner from making the playoffs. That would go against the NFL's value for divisional play. However, I have been with you 100 percent on a division winner with a losing record losing home-field rights. The debate would be whether that team gets the first wild card or drops to the bottom of the seeds based on its record. I am totally against 8-8 teams losing home field. The NFC South and the 2010 NFC West have alerted the league that these things can happen more than expected. Next March, owners should change that one little thing.

Q: All I want for Christmas is for ESPN and NFL analysts to admit Russell Wilson has had absolutely nothing to do with the success the Seahawks have been having the second half of the season. Their run, just like last year's, is being driven by a dominating defensive unit that has rounded into form and has nothing to do with Wilson. Earlier in the season, when the defense wasn't hitting on all cylinders and the Seahawks needed Wilson to pick them up with the offense, he didn't do it. He couldn't do it! They were a .500 football team, and everyone was saying they probably weren't even going to make the playoffs. That's because Wilson is not a franchise QB.

Scott in Minnesota

A: I couldn't disagree more. He's 35-12 as a regular-season starter and has a Super Bowl Ring. He and Marshawn Lynch carry this team. In three years, he has moved into the elite class of quarterbacks. You can't just look at the stats. He doesn't make many turnovers, and that is critical to the Seahawks' formula for success. He's worked behind an offensive line that has struggled for two years. More importantly, he keeps getting better. The Seahawks average 24.9 points a game. That's sixth best in the NFC. Without Wilson, the Seahawks would average around 18 points a game and be a seven- or eight-win team.

Q: I have two reasons Jim Harbaugh will be the coach of the 49ers next year. The first is the amount of injuries to starting players the team has had this year. I would not be surprised to see a top-five rank in games lost for the 49ers. The second and more important reason: See who hosts the Super Bowl next year. You would have to be out of your mind to blow up a team that is one year removed from the NFC Championship Game when your city is hosting the next Super Bowl. I have to believe Jim will get the offense fixed, get players back healthy and make a serious run at being the first team to play in a Super Bowl on its home field. (Sorry, Arizona, it isn't happening for you this year).

Derek in Marquette, Michigan

A: There you go using logic in the Harbaugh situation. There is no logic in letting him go. As much as I respect George Seifert, only Bill Walsh has made as much of a coaching impact for the San Francisco 49ers, and Harbaugh has done it so quickly. Great point on the Super Bowl. Without Harbaugh, the 49ers' chances of hosting that event would have been greatly diminished.

Q: When determining draft order, I understand the strength of schedule factor, but shouldn't head-to-head play a role? For example: If the Jets and Raiders end up with the same record, the Jets would have a higher pick based on strength of schedule. But the Jets beat the Raiders, so shouldn't Oakland move ahead of them in the draft? Makes no sense. What am I missing here?

Drew in Las Vegas

A: A lot of coaches used to say, "It's not whom you play, it's when you play them." That's why a one-game concept doesn't work. You want to reward a team that stunk against an easier schedule over a 16-game schedule instead of using a one-game model. The NFL's long-term plan is to give every bad team a chance to improve with better draft position the next year. Let's say the Jets played the Raiders when the Jets were down four or five starters. If the Raiders won, they just took advantage of an opportunity. Strength of schedule is fine in this situation.

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