Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted the San Francisco 49ers provide a "daunting" challenge in the next round of the NFL playoffs - and had special praise for quarterback Dan Prescott for his performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On Monday night, Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers were comprehensively defeated 31-14 by the Dallas Cowboys to end the iconic quarterback’s 23rd NFL season. Brady doffed his cap to the fans and kissed his parents before disappearing down the Raymond James Stadium tunnel, suggesting his time in Tampa could be coming to an end.
Meanwhile, the visitors were jubilant as Prescott threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a monumental victory. It means America’s Team will travel west to face the 49ers in the Bay Area on Sunday.
Heading into Tampa Bay, the Cowboys hadn’t won a road playoff game since 1992 when they defeated the 49ers 30-20 in the NFC Championship Game. Dallas went on to deliver Jones the first of his three Lombardi Trophies that season, but they have not been back to the NFC championship finale since 1995/96.
The win over the Bucs snapped an eight-game losing record on the road in the postseason. The last road win - against the 49ers - triggered three successive Super Bowl titles in the proceeding four years, and Jones is daring to dream.
He suggested it was a ‘daunting task to go out and win at San Francisco’ although he insisted the Cowboys were a better team than they were prior to their Super Wild Card Weekend victory. The reunion with the 49ers will bring back some painful memories for Cowboys fans after San Francisco ended their season a year ago at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas - but Jones appears quietly confident.
“I don’t know. I know as I sit here today, I feel that we got an excellent opportunity to - in the next few games - get to the best spot you could have at the time, and that is in a Super Bowl game,” Jones told 105.3 The FAN. “I know that I think we’re pretty healthy coming to it last night.
“If that is the case that we are as healthy as I think we are, then we got a great opportunity here. San Francisco is a daunting task. You go out there and win at San Francisco, but, again, this bunch is not the same team in a positive way that it was before the day started yesterday.”
He added: “Can it be done? We'll find out. This team has a talent level and now has the intangible experiences that getting knocked down, getting up – all of those things we hear about, all of those things that represent football, all of that stuff, this team has had some of that.
“Everybody on this team knew that when they came to Tampa today that the world thought that Tom [Brady] would be sitting out there snatching it out, if not the last minute then maybe even earlier. And we're getting to go home and get to go home again in San Francisco. We've got more mustard than when we got here.”
Jones cannot resist recalling the Cowboys' '90s dynasty after defeating the Buccaneers. He draws comparisons between those great Dallas sides led by Troy Aikman and the current team. Jones praised Prescott’s performance in Florida, suggesting it was the best he has ever seen the 29-year-old play.
To reach the NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys will have to win on the road against the 49ers, and then would likely have to defeat the Eagles in Philadelphia to reach Super Bowl LVII. The Cowboys will face the 49ers on Sunday night.
