Jerry Jones Tries to Inspire Slumping Dallas Cowboys to Circle the Wagons

Owner holds close-door locker room meeting with players and coaches after Thanksgiving loss.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stands on the field during warmups before the football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2017 in Arlington, Texas.  (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stands on the field during warmups before the football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

With his team reeling after a third straight blowout loss, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones held a closed-door meeting on Thanksgiving to rally his troops.

Licking their wounds after a 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in their home stadium, the Cowboys dropped their record to 5-6 with their wildcard playoff hopes quickly receding.

“I think you have players that have played at high levels and won games,” Jones told reporters. “But the answer (to whether the team can turn things around) is yes, as long as you have a breath to get into the playoffs. We had the Giants come up the backside here and beat the top seed. They won the whole thing five, six, seven years ago. That’s what is great about this game.”

Right now, there isn’t a lot that’s great with the Cowboys on either side of the ball, but Jones said he’s not threatening the jobs of coaches and players.

“It definitely was a message of support,” veteran defensive end Tyrone Crawford told  ESPN. “He told us just to sit back and take a look at ourselves, take a look at what is around us and see how blessed we are on this Thanksgiving Day. Just to go into next week knowing that we’re super blessed to be in this position and take advantage of it.”

The Cowboys were 10-1 a year ago at this time en route to winning the NFC East.

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