FRISCO, Texas – One day after he shuffled his offensive line coaching situation, Jerry Jones provided a pretty straightforward reasoning for doing so.
The Cowboys' owner and general manager held his weekly interview with 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday morning, where he explained his reasoning for firing offensive line coach Paul Alexander and promoting Marc Colombo.
"We came in and we look at the strength of our team, we look at it as the offensive line," Jones said. "And, so, you're on the spot a little bit when you're either playing or coaching in that area, because that's an area that we want to be a symbol of what this team is about."
That makes sense, given the resources the Cowboys have put into their offensive line – which makes the mixed results all the more troubling. They have enjoyed much of their typical success in the ground game this season, as their average of 137 rushing yards per week is fourth-best in the NFL.
The problems have come in the passing game, where the offensive line has been uncharacteristically leaky. The Cowboys have surrendered 23 sacks already after just seven games, which puts them in the bottom 10 of the league.
Compare that to 2016, when they allowed just 28 sacks all season, or even 2017, when they allowed just 32, and it's easy to see why a change was made.
"I'd say after seven games it's fair to say that we weren't getting the job done to the standard," Jones said.
Jones was sure not to pin all the blame on Alexander, who he praised for his success during a 26-year NFL coaching career. But while the success of the offensive line is tied up between coaches and players, Jones said he's optimistic that the promotion of Colombo, as well as the addition of Hudson Houck as an advisor would help shake things up.
"When you're blocking it up, whether it's running game or the passing game, it's more than just the five people, as well," he said. "But we just felt at this time new voices, new emphasis on voices that really aren't new in Marc Colombo, but bringing in Hudson Houck was a way to give us the best direction we want to go."
