Jerry Jones makes feelings clear on tanking the season as Cowboys’ playoff chances hang by a thread

Jerry Jones rejected the idea that the Dallas Cowboys would tank their final three games. The owner spoke on Tuesday about whether the franchise will rest key players with their postseason chances nearly gone.

He made the comments two days after watching his team lose to the Minnesota Vikings at home.

"We have no plans to sit starters for a potential better draft pick," Jones said on Tuesday, via 105.3 The Fan. "They'll be playing to win these final three games."

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Dallas (6-7) is second in the NFC East, trailing the Eagles by 2.5 games. The math for reaching January football requires the Cowboys winning out and Philadelphia going winless in the next three weeks. The team's postseason probability is hovering around 1%.

Rex Ryan blasts Jerry Jones' Cowboys defense after Vikings debacle

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions - Source: Imagn

Dallas' defense failing to contain Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy became a major talking point following Sunday's 34-26 loss. ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Rex Ryan delivered an assessment of the unit's performance throughout the year.

Ryan singled it out as the reason the Cowboys won't be playing beyond Week 18. He referenced McCarthy's breakout game as evidence of the unit's failures. He stressed that the second-year quarterback carved up Dallas for 250 passing yards and three scores.

"Defense," Ryan said on Monday, via "Get Up." "I mean, 100% this is Super Bowl caliber offense. We've seen it all year, but this defense stinks. They made J.J. McCarthy look like (former Vikings quarterback) Fran Tarkenton, and he's been on the struggle bus all season."

The Cowboys offense generates points at a top five rate while the defense bleeds them at bottom three levels. The gap has defined their disappointing campaign and left them playing out a likely lost season over the next three weeks.

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez