'Burn in our minds': Jerry Jones wants Cowboys to use playoff loss as motivation

After going 12-5 in the regular season, the Cowboys’ Super Bowl hopes were crushed in a 23-17 loss against the San Francisco 49ers in a wild-card game in Arlington, Texas. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is using that postseason failure as motivation.

“I  do want it to burn in our minds,” Jones said Tuesday on KRLD-FM, a Dallas station. “I like continually reminding. We need to not only get into the playoffs, but we need to get way deep.”

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's play against San Francisco was a main storyline. He completed 23-of-43 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown. In the waning seconds, the Cowboys failed to get to the line of scrimmage as time was running out, preventing another shot at the end zone. 

In February, Prescott told Rich Eisen he thinks about the loss “nonstop.” 

Jones believes Prescott, who has a 1-3 playoff record, is ready to silence critics. 

“(Dak) is in the best shape I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Prescott had a career year last season, throwing for a team-record 37 TDs. Breaking that mark won’t be easy. 

After the 2021 season, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson left in free agency, and fellow wideout Amari Cooper was traded to the Browns. Left tackle Tyron Smith, a mainstay on the offensive line, will miss most of the season with a left hamstring tear as well, making things more difficult for Prescott and the Cowboys.