Jerry Jones: The Giants were better than we thought they were

The latest Cowboys’ season of high expectations started with a thud on Sunday night, when Dallas lost to the Giants in the regular-season opener.

In a Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Cowboys owner and G.M. Jerry Jones acknowledged that the outcome had something to do with the opponent.

“They just did a good job all over,” Jones said regarding the Giants. “And I will tell you, they were better than we thought they were. I’m anxious to see how New York continues to play, but I really — combination of things. We didn’t play as well as we should play and can play, but they played better than I thought they could.”

Was it also a product of the Cowboys not being as good as Jones had thought they would be?

“Of course,” Jones said. “Well, and to say it that way, I’d rather say it more positively. We’re not at the level that we thought we would be.

“I can give you a lot of reasons, logical reasons. We’re dealing with a conceptually new coaching staff, dealing with a ‘new’ to a lot of people out there. The defensive scheme. And then you’re dealing with people who are fresh into that scheme. Now, you got some really veteran players out there. But still, they’re changing up some of the things that they’re doing. Are they capable of doing what we’re asking? Absolutely they are.

“But the bottom line is that the last time, frankly, the last time that, from my perspective, that we had as many changes on defense, we had as many changes with the coaching staff, had as much change with the personnel, and had as much change with the team was the first year Jimmy Johnson was our coach, and we won one football game.

“Now, things have changed, and you can come in with less experience than you could in those days. But having said that, it’s a challenge now to put it together and get it ready to go. We didn’t play well last week. I said — what I meant to say was, New York had really more to do with it than I thought they would. Than I thought they would. And so that’s a factor. But Washington could have a lot to do with it here Sunday, too, so we’ve got to be ready to step up the level of play. There’s no question.”

It’s a sensible explanation. But it cuts against the vibe that had been created before the season, when season tickets were being renewed and hype was being generated and fans were being persuaded that things would be different this year.

What should the real expectations be? With Jerry suggesting that the Cowboys undergone an overhaul they haven’t experienced since the year Jones bought the team, they perhaps should be a lot lower than they were a week ago.