Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones: We'll have Dez and Romo for playoffs, 'that's a fact'

Published Sep. 22, 2015 11:44 a.m. ET

foxsports

Despite the Dallas Cowboys being down their franchise quarterback and All Pro receiver for the next eight weeks at best, owner Jerry Jones still sees a bright 2015 campaign for his club.

Jones elaborated on such optimism on "Shan & RJ" on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday.

"Well, we know there's two seasons in the NFL," Jones said. "There's the regular season and unquestionably it's significant and it's taxing. And not only is it taxing, but it's also you certainly can pay a price with injury. And then there's the playoffs. And we all know the priority is to get in the playoffs. With that in mind, if we get to the playoffs, we'll have those players you're talking about there: Dez [Bryant], Tony [Romo]. That's a fact."

Bryant fractured his foot in a Week 1 win against the New York Giants and is estimated to be out anywhere between six to 12 weeks. Romo broke his left collarbone in a Week 2 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles and the time table for his return is eight weeks. Dallas paid a high price to be 2-0 on the year, a mark the club has reached 24 times before and made the playoffs 20 times. One of those four failed 2-0 seasons was 2008, a year which also saw Romo miss time due to a broken pinky finger on his throwing hand. So, Jones is aware making the postseason is no guarantee even with a good start.

"And I say that with some assurance we are fully understanding the nature of their injury and it ought to be the case," said Jones. "They should be available for the playoffs, and I'm not extending their availability out that far. I'm just saying they should be available. Having said that, that means we've got to get in the playoffs. We can't get eliminated and that's where we find ourselves at this juncture."

Along with Romo and Bryant returning, Jones is hopeful that defensive end Greg Hardy and linebacker Rolando McClain, both of whom are serving four-game suspensions and won't be available until an Oct. 11 encounter with the New England Patriots at AT&T Stadium, will provide some added playmaking ability to an already stout defense that is ninth-best in the NFL in passing yards, first in rushing yards, and third in total yards.

"That's very sound reason for being optimistic," Jones explained.

However, the owner, president, and general manager knows how tenuous and NFL season is, even when a team's best players are healthy and available.

"You don't get a widow's portfolio of bonds when you're operating in the NFL. This thing is iffy at best on many fronts. It's like holding two handfuls of Jell-O and trying to keep some of it from hitting the floor."

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