“Devil Made Me Do It”: Jerry Jones’ Snappy Response to Not Cashing in On Derrick Henry

The Dallas Cowboys thought they would be able to find ways to bring their running game to life during their bye week. Instead, they continued to stumble on the ground in a 30-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Entering Week 8, Dallas averaged the fewest rushing yards per game (77.2) and yards per carry (3.5) in the NFL. Those numbers dipped further following Sunday’s game. The struggles will bring another round of questions about Derrick Henry to Jerry Jones’ ears. Dallas’ owner has faced criticism all season for not pursuing the NFL’s leading rusher in free agency this offseason.

Earlier this week, he got ahead of the fray in addressing Henry, who ran for 169 yards on Monday Night Football for the Baltimore Ravens versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“You’re gonna ask me today, because [Derrick] Henry had a big night… ‘how come, when Henry was available… we didn’t get him?’ And I will tell you…’well, I really don’t know… the Devil made me do it.’ I’ve obviously been asked [that] question every day since training camp. That’s a ‘get in your a** type of question.'”

His response during the press appearance earlier this week indicates he’s growing tired of having to address the decision every week.

Without leading back Rico Dowdle, the Cowboys relied on Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook. The former Pro Bowlers looked their age against San Francisco, combining for 46 yards on 16 rushes (2.9-yard average).

49ers’ third-string running back Isaac Guerendo – a rookie fourth-round pick – recorded 14 carries for 85 yards (6.1 YPC) and a touchdown in relief of Jordan Mason on Sunday night. His contributions simultaneously helped San Francisco (4-4) get back to .500 and showed the Cowboys (3-4) how important it is to have a good rushing attack.

Dallas’ offense can’t reach its potential with no ground game

Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb’s final statistics from Week 8 look good. However, Dallas isn’t supposed to purely exist in the fantasy production business. They’re supposed to be contending for Super Bowls. And right now, they aren’t close to that level.

Dan Quinn’s departure from the Washington Commanders’ head coaching gig has hurt the effectiveness of the Cowboys’ defense. This puts an even bigger burden on Prescott and the offense to put up points. But because opposing defenses aren’t worried about them running the ball, they can key in on Prescott’s passing attack.

This ability to devote extra resources toward the passing game puts extra pressure on Prescott to be perfect. As a result, he forces passes he shouldn’t. He has thrown multiple interceptions in three straight games. And if he isn’t turning the ball over, Dallas is often struggling to move the ball until the game is essentially out of reach.

Until the Cowboys can run the ball effectively, their offense will consistently be stuck in neutral when facing good teams. And if they can’t even compete with good teams now, they’re not going to be able to beat them if they make the playoffs.