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The Cowboys defense struggled to contain Jacory Croskey-Merritt without linebacker Logan Wilson on the field.
Logan Wilson was a noticeable DNP-coaches decision in the Dallas Cowboys‘ penultimate game on Christmas, and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones did nothing to silence concerned fans Monday.
Jones revealed that “confusion” led to the trade-deadline acquisition not playing a single snap in Dallas’ 30-23 win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday at Northwest Stadium.
The Cowboys defense was only on the field for 44 snaps in their narrow win, which is part of what Jones blamed for Wilson’s absence while doing his weekly availability on KRLD-FM on Monday.
Without Wilson, the Cowboys allowed 326 yards to third-string quarterback Josh Johnson and nearly coughed up a 21-3 second-quarter advantage. Washington running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns, including a 72-yarder in the third quarter.
The Cowboys (7-8-1) will close their season on the road against the New York Giants (3-13) on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Stephen Jones: ‘Confusion’ Led To Logan Wilson Not Playing Thursday
Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is likely on his way out of Dallas — and may need to find his own way home from the NY-Metro area after the Week 18 game.
But Wilson, who Dallas traded a seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals to get just last month, not appearing on the field in its penultimate game is perhaps the most embarrassing on-field outcome in a season full of them.
Jones’ explanation of what happened may actually have been worse.
“I will say, I wouldn’t call it a mistake but I would call it some confusion on how that [outside linebacker] rotation was supposed to go,” Jones said. “It certainly wasn’t the intent for him not to play a snap, but sometimes the game, with not many snaps on one particular side of the ball, things can not go according to plan.”
When asked to clarify, Jones made clear the onus was on linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi and the defensive staff — of whom, of course, Eberflus is the leader.
Stephen and Jerry Jones Still Think Highly Of Logan Wilson
Both Stephen and Jerry Jones did media availabilities on KRLD-FM over the past four days, and each spoke highly of Wilson despite the fact he didn’t get on the field Thursday.
“I don’t have an explanation for you for why Wilson wasn’t in there,” Jerry Jones said Friday. “We planned to have him in there. He needs to be in there. He has good instincts. The reason we got him was because he reads the play quick and can basically be in his lane of responsibility and react quick. It’s critical that a linebacker have quick reacting (ability). He’s able to do that. That’s why we got him.”
Wilson has played 46% of the team’s defensive snaps and logged 17 tackles in six games since the trade, and he is under contract through the 2027 season. With those factors, Stephen Jones made it clear Wilson is part of the solution for turning around Dallas’ awful defense.
“I certainly think a lot of Logan and what he brings to the table,” Stephen Jones said. “He’s had some moments where he’s played well, and he’s obviously very talented and Logan is obviously a guy that we think can help [out] there but we’ve got to roll up our sleeves and see how we can make this defense better in the offseason.”
Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens
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