Jones reflected on how much he loves the Ford family that owns the Lions, and he praised the work they’ve done to build the Lions to where they are today, while adding that the Cowboys aren’t that good had done work. Still, Jones is confident the Cowboys have the personnel on the roster to close the yawning gap between the Cowboys and Lions and, especially on offense, play better than Sunday, though he admitted the holes in his defense certainly contributed to overall performance. But when Jones was asked if he was shocked by how far the Cowboys are from where the Lions are, he instead turned to what could still be done with the rest of the season.

“The real question is, can we close that gap in this season’s case?” he said. ‘The answer is yes. I certainly do.’

There is no blueprint, of course, and even Jones said Sunday he didn’t have the answers. The how part, he said, is something the entire NFL would like to know.

Jones spent time this week with Roger Penske, the legendary auto racing team owner and businessman who partnered with Jones to create the IndyCar Arlington Grand Prix. Penske told Jones it was a shame you can’t win every race, but of course you can only win a fraction of them.
“If you can’t handle the bad, you’re in the wrong business,” Jones said. “This is not the smallest violin in the world at all. I have had some of the greatest moments, however fleeting they may be in relation to the negative moments. But they serve you well. I do some of the best things which I do, I think, when I sit on my butt.”

That theory is about to be tested, because he and the Cowboys certainly are.