Witten: 'Get out of here' if you don't believe

IRVING, Texas Jerry Jones said Tuesday during his weekly radio interview that the Cowboys are evolving into a championship contender. That statement came only two days after a 31-29 loss in Baltimore that dropped Dallas to 2-3. Jones continues to reference the New York Giants' run to a Super Bowl last season after starting 6-6 and winning the NFC East with a 9-7 record. Although Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday that his team wasn't concerned with looking past Sunday's game at Carolina, tight end Jason Witten said Thursday that every player in the Cowboys locker room should feel the same way as Jones. "If you don't, get out of here," Witten said. "But you have to go prove it every week. A lot of games we've done good things and a lot of things we have to improve on. Absolutely. Did the Giants think it at 7-7? That's the way this league goes. I'm not saying that's the formula for doing it. You have to still win games. Let's get it corrected. We feel we have the men in this room who can do it. Now you have to go show it." Witten said the Cowboys owner and general manager was just "trying to be optimistic." "I think he watches the tape and sees that we're doing a lot of good things," Witten said. "I don't think it's more than that. I don't think he's trying to build us up or anything like that. I think he's going with how it is in his mind and obviously being optimistic, as we all are." Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota