Doomed

Under Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys have won three Super Bowls, with former coach Jimmy Johnson's players.

The bottom line is this: the Cowboys, America's Team, have been a model of mediocrity since 1995, the year they last won the Super Bowl. They have won two playoff games since then, and are 123-124 since 1997. Jones has executed poor trades (for Roy Williams and Pacman Jones) and unimpressive drafting (five players drafted in 2010 and 2011 remain on the roster).

The recent history, combined with the team's current 3-5 record, begs the question: Would Jones ever consider stepping down as general manager, a role he has in addition to his ownership of the franchise?

As much as Cowboys fans yearn for this to happen, the man in power delivered a resounding no.

"We are not structured that way. We didn't structure it that way with my ownership. There's no way that I would be involved here and not be the final decision-maker on something as important as players, and that is a key area. That's never been anybody's misunderstanding. It's been a debated thing, but it's just not going to happen."

It's somewhat comical how he uses the term "we".  Because it's not like there is anyone telling him what to do. While the current management situation is in place, there is no reason to believe postseason success is on the horizon, particularly because Tony Romo remains their starting quarterback.

Romo is another story in its entirety. His Cowboys epic is defined by his fumbled snap of a few years ago, and he's never escaped the reputation of crumbling in the clutch. The way the team is playing now, he won't even get the opportunity to do so again.

With Jones calling the shots, though, it can be all but assured Romo is the quarterback for the next several seasons. He'll put up a sparkly stat line (though those interceptions are piling up this year), but Jones will be left scratching his head at the conclusion of the season, wondering what the heck happened to all the players he handpicked. But Cowboys fans, it's okay: he's confident in his ability as GM.

"We've had success doing it this way and we're going to have success in the future doing it this way," Jones said.

Not sure many people share his vision.