Jerry skeptical Dallas is '1 player away on defense'

DENVER -- Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was not pleased with Sunday's result, a 44-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, but the outcome will not shape how he looks to improve the defense before next week's trade deadline.

"If I saw a proposition for us to help this team, no matter what this score was today, then I would look at it on the merits of helping the team," Jones said. "I would completely look at the merits for both next week or the weeks after [and the longer term]. No, today would not affect a decision on trading for a player."

The Cowboys have gauged interest from teams in potential targets, according to multiple sources, but have not found a middle ground to get a trade agreed upon.

And Jones doesn't see the Cowboys' defense as one player away from being competitive.

On Sunday, the Cowboys gave up their most points in a game since a 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 5 last year. It was the second time this season they allowed more than 40 points. It was the fourth time they allowed more than 400 yards (426). It was the fourth time an opponent had at least 25 first downs, and the second time the Cowboys allowed four touchdown passes.

The Broncos had 179 yards rushing, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. It was the fifth time the Cowboys allowed more than 6.2 YPC and the fifth time they gave up more than 144 rushing yards.

"I don't know what's realistic," Jones said. "Could one better player -- if we didn't pay too big a price to have a better player on defense to possibly help? I'm not trying to be cute, but that's why you'd go get him because you think that you could go help your defense. Are we one player away on defense? I think we're not. I think we're more than that away, but what we're closer to than it looks, in my mind, is executing better on defense."

Coach Brian Schottenheimer was not putting the loss on the defense.

"When you look at it, I'm not just going to start with the defense," he said. "I don't think any of us coached and played well enough."

Schottenheimer also did not want to speculate on whether the defense needs help.

"At the end of the day, I think we have good enough players," Schottenheimer said. "I think we did not play well tonight."

The defense entered Sunday ranked 32nd in yards per game and 30th in points per game. The Cowboys have given up 250 points, the third most in team history through the first eight games of a season. In 1960, the first year of the franchise, the Cowboys allowed 272 points in the first eight games and finished 0-11-1. In 2020, the Cowboys allowed 266 on their way to a 6-10 finish.

Against the Broncos, the Cowboys were without their top three safeties -- Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson and Juanyeh Thomas -- due to injury. The team lost Alijah Clark to a rib injury in the second half and replaced him with cornerback Reddy Steward. In addition to throwing four touchdown passes, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was not sacked.

"I don't see lack of effort," Jones said. "I see guys that could be surer, more firm in their execution."

In 2018, the Cowboys were 3-4 after a 20-17 loss to Washington. A day later they traded a first-round pick to the Raiders for wide receiver Amari Cooper and won seven of their final nine games to claim the NFC East.

Quarterback Dak Prescott was asked if the Cowboys need a trade like that to jump-start the season.

"I trust and I like the guys that we have," Prescott said. "Honestly l do. And that's not just a political answer. You see some of these games we've won and honestly even the tie [against Green Bay] and some of the games we've lost ... our roster is OK. Can it be better? That's for you guys to write about and to judge.

"I trust those guys. We've got to be better in everything that we do. Getting a trade takes opportunities and plays away from somebody else, and so I just echo ... to the guys in the locker room ... forget the trade. Do more. Right? Like shut that talk up whether it be offense, whether it be defense, whatever position group that you guys are alluding to, step up and shut the talk up."