Stephen Jones, executive vice president of the Dallas Cowboys, admitted this season has been a letdown, and it’s all happening alongside controversy over the design of their home, AT&T Stadium. Thanks to its east-west orientation, the stadium’s layout creates a blinding glare from the sun, making it hard for players to see.
“It’s disappointing for anyone who follows the Cowboys and sees them as their team. They deserve better than this; we’re always looking for ways to improve,” Jones said the day after their fourth straight home loss, this one against the Eagles.
By the end of Week 10, Dallas has almost wiped out their playoff chances. They sit third in the NFC East with a 3-6 record, trailing behind the division leader, the Commanders at 7-2, and the Eagles at 7-3.
The VP’s comments came after receiver CeeDee Lamb voiced frustration about the glare that kept him from catching a touchdown pass in their recent 6-34 loss to the Eagles.
“I couldn’t see the ball. Couldn’t see a thing because of the sun,” Lamb explained, suggesting they put up some kind of curtain to block the blinding light that messes with both quarterbacks and receivers.
The AT&T Stadium faces east-west, unlike most NFL stadiums, which are oriented north-south. This setup means that during late afternoon games, the west end zone gets blasted by a bright sunset, making it tough to see the ball as it moves from shadow to sunlight.
CeeDee Lamb’s request for curtains—something the team has been grumbling about all season—wasn’t well-received by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. He pushed back, questioning why people are only now raising this issue for a stadium they’ve been playing in since 2009.
“All teams that come here have the same issues. They know where the sun’s gonna be. I’m saying, the whole world knows where the sun is. Let’s just tear down the damn stadium and build a new one,” said a frustrated Jones, who didn’t even stay to watch his team’s full game, leaving his box by the third quarter.
The Cowboys have their work cut out for them. They lost starting quarterback Dak Prescott to injury in Week 9, and in Week 11, they’ll try to avoid a fifth straight loss as they take on the Houston Texans, leaders of the AFC South.