Jerry Jones Says Cowboys Need To 'Suck On' Loss All Week

It was a Week 18 to forget for the Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones says they'll have to "suck on" that loss all week.

The Cowboys had a shot a finishing the regular season with an NFC East championship and home-field advantage. For these reasons, they chose to play their starters and still came up short against a Washington Commanders team which was out of playoff contention.

To make matters worse, Washington played rookie quarterback Sam Howell who took home the win in his first start.

“We get to suck on that all week,” Jones said in the FedEx Field locker room after the game. “And if that doesn’t make you want to get ready to go in six-to-seven days, nothing else will."

The Cowboys will meet Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the second time this season. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The Loss Earned Dallas Another Meeting With The Buccaneers

Dallas will have to travel to Tampa Bay and play its way through the Wild Card round instead of getting a bye. This will be the second time the Cowboys and Buccaneers have met this season. The first came in Week 1 when Tom Brady and company left town with a 19-3 win.

“That was as thorough a butt-kicking as we’ve had this year," Jones said of the loss. "And we’re going to find out if that will get you ready or not. It should.”

That brutal loss capped the team's second of back-to-back 12-5 seasons under head coach Mike McCarthy. After the game, he talked about how while the outcoming was disappointing, his team will need to capitalize on an opportunity to respond.

“It’s disappointing, no question,” he said. “The timing of it is not what you’re looking for. I clearly recognize that. But it’s like a lot of things in life: When you get kicked in the ass or punched in the mouth, you have a chance to respond.

“I have great confidence in our football team that we will respond.”

Jones' Cowboys and Buccaneers will meet on Monday night in Tampa.

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