Jerry Jones dismisses Cowboys title game drought: 'You shouldn't give up the ghost because you fall short'

Stop us if you've heard this before: Jones believes 2023 is the year for the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys haven't been to the NFC Championship Game in 28 seasons. The franchise doesn't run or hide from that fact, and is determined to snap the streak this season.

As is typically the case with Jerry Jones, he'll bring up the Super Bowl expectations in Dallas. Once again, Jones thinks this is the year the Cowboys will end that title game drought. 

"I know how hard it is to win one of those (a Super Bowl)," Jones said, via Football Morning in America. "You shouldn't give up the ghost because you fall short in a highly competitive league. Just because we haven't won it in so long doesn't make what we've done meaningless. And I think this year we're in better position to win it than we have been in years. We have the team, and we have the quarterback."

Dallas is the only franchise in NFL history to have two quarterbacks start three games in the divisional round and not advance past that game, a sign of how hard it's been for the franchise to reach the NFL's final four in recent decades (and the Cowboys had Dak Prescott and Tony Romo as those quarterbacks). The Cowboys have 12 straight playoff appearances without making the conference championship game, the longest streak in NFL history.

Jones won't sugarcoat how talented the Cowboys are heading into 2023. This is a team coming off consecutive 12-win seasons, but have no deep playoff runs to show for it. Prescott has been under criticism for the Cowboys' playoff failures despite his regular season success.

Prescott is 2-4 in his postseason career (including a win in the wild-card round this past season), but the combined record of opponents the Cowboys have beaten in his two playoff victories is 18-15. Per NFL Media, that is the lowest opponent win percentage (.545) in playoff wins among the 109 quarterbacks to win multiple postseason games in their career. 

If the Cowboys are to break the conference title game drought, that relies on the arm of Prescott. The Cowboys are counting on him to get them back to Super Bowl clory. 

"Very much. Very much. We're relying on him, and I feel very good about that," Jones said. "His preparation, his presence, how the team responds to him. I believe he will get us there."