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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reiterated Tuesday that he has no interest in blocking out the sun during home games at AT&T Stadium.
During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic), Jones downplayed the idea that the sun has an adverse effect on his team and suggested that it actually gives the Cowboys an advantage:
“Of all the things that we need to improve, that is way down the list of improvement. That stadium was built to feel like you’re outdoors. It’s the largest air conditioned space in the world. My biggest thought when we were building it was … make it look like it was outdoors.
“Every venue has certain things that at certain ways and times can create an advantage. That really goes under the category of home field advantage It should be an advantage to the home team. … It has been advantage for us to know where the sun is. I don’t want to change that.”
Following Dallas’ 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the sun was a major talking point since wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed what would have been a go-ahead touchdown catch due to the sun being in his eyes.
Lamb was wide open in the end zone on the play, but he never reacted to the throw from quarterback Cooper Rush, making it clear that he couldn’t see the ball:
Speaking to reporters after the game, Lamb acknowledged that he lost the ball in the sun, and when asked if he would be in favor of using curtains to cover the windows in the stadium, he replied, “Yes, 1,000 percent.”
Jones was also asked about the sun being a factor after the game, and he was clearly agitated by the line of questioning.
Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, Jones said, “We do know where the damn sun’s going to be at our own stadium,” before adding, “Well, let’s just tear the damn stadium down and build another one. You kidding me?”
After recovering a fumble deep in Philly territory, the Cowboys had a chance to take the lead late in the second quarter on Sunday, but after the incompletion to Lamb and a Rico Dowdle run that was snuffed out, they had to settle for a field goal, making it 7-6 in favor of the Eagles.
From that point forward, the Eagles outscored the Cowboys 27-0, resulting in a blowout to drop Dallas down to 3-6 on the season.
It was already going to be a uphill battle for the Cowboys on Sunday with quarterback Dak Prescott out due to a hamstring injury, and they could ill afford to not take advantage of opportunities when presented with them.
Had the Cowboys scored a touchdown in the second quarter rather than having to kick a field goal, it could have conceivably changed the entire perception of the game.
With that said, the Cowboys have issues that stretch far beyond sunshine, and they are perhaps two losses away from missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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