Jerry Jones Calls Cowboys Loss ‘a Downer,’ Confirms Jason Garrett Won’t Be Fired

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The Dallas Cowboys won't make a coaching change despite suffering a 26-15 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day.

Team owner Jerry Jones spoke to reporters after the game and addressed head coach Jason Garrett's status. Jones said Garrett will finish the season and added he thought a move would jeopardize the team's postseason chances.

Jon Machota @jonmachota

Jerry Jones is emotional while talking to reporters. Tears in his eyes. “I’m not going to make a coaching change.” Jones said he still believes this team can make a deep playoff run. He said they have zero chance of doing that without Jason Garrett

David Helman @HelmanDC

If you were expecting Jerry Jones to make some sort of change in the immediate aftermath of this game, you’d be wrong.

Jerry tells reporters that changing coaches right now, with five games to play, would give the Cowboys “zero chance” of making a run.

Jones said, per Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams via Twitter, “This is certainly a downer but if I thought butting their helmets with me head would help I would do it.”

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday the Cowboys planned to let Garrett see out the remainder of his contract “no matter what.”

The report came after Jones' not-so-subtle criticism of the coaching in Dallas' 13-9 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 12. For the team deliver a performance like it did Thursday seemingly heaped more pressure on Garrett—if not from Jones, then from people outside the franchise.

Clarence Hill Jr @clarencehilljr

Fire him now

Stephen A Smith @stephenasmith

Yo! While I’m tempted to laugh at what’s happening to the @dallascowboys right now, seeing Jerry Jones suite empty right now tells me xactky what I’m suspecting: Jason Garrett may get FIRED tonight — or tomorrow morning. The team responding like this after Jerry’s words?#Damn!

Michael Fabiano @Michael_Fabiano

If the Cowboys lose this game and Jason Garrett still has a job tomorrow, you cant convince me Jerry Jones wants to win more than he wants a puppet for a coach. This is a joke.

Jones' levelheaded response to queries about Garrett contrasted with how some Cowboys players responded to Thursday's game.

Jane Slater @SlaterNFL

As the #Cowboys players entered the locker room and closed the door, we could loudly hear one player passionately yelling about the loss. It was extreme whatever was being said and by whoever it was

Jon Machota @jonmachota

Some Cowboys player is screaming in the locker room right now. It lasted for at least a minute https://t.co/mNX60YEC7y

Dallas (6-6) has four regular-season games left, so it's easy to understand Jones' position. The team has come this far with Garrett, and his ouster would leave his successor in a difficult spot. Making any significant changes to the scheme would basically be unfeasible.

Having said that, the Philadelphia Eagles can tie the Cowboys for the best record in the NFC East with a win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Cowboys have a win over the Eagles, with the teams set to meet in Week 16.

As risky as firing Garrett might be, maintaining the status quo offers no guarantees either.