The Dallas Cowboys' Week 4 matchup against the Green Bay Packers presented Jerry Jones with a perfect platform to make a statement.
Dallas' owner has enjoyed a torrid few months since sending All-Pro EDGE Micah Parsons to Green Bay in exchange for Kenny Clark and a pair of first-round picks. Not only had Parsons bolstered the Packers' front seven to bring them to the top of the NFC North. But the Cowboys were in free-fall, having dropped two of their first three games.
With Parsons in the building, the pressure was on Jones and Co. Scrutiny has already followed the Dallas frontman like a shadow. If Parsons had a strong outing or the Packers picked up a big win, those whispers were bound to grow louder.
In the end, the Cowboys and Packers settled for a 40-40 tie. Disappointment filled the air at AT&T Stadium as Brandon McManus' field goal sailed through the middle of the uprights as time expired. Still, for a struggling team like Dallas, the result was a step in the right direction.
More importantly for Jones, it offered just enough wiggle room to speak candidly about his view on Parsons, his departure and the Cowboys' future prospects. Suffice to say, he took his opportunity after the game.
Here's what you need to know.
MORE: Why Cowboys-Packers ended in tie after Micah Parsons' game-saving sack
Jerry Jones press conference following Cowboys' tie vs. Packers
Jones praised the Cowboys for their resolve on Sunday night.
"I thought we played well enough to win the game," Jones said. "I'm sick for these guys, sick for these players, sick for these coaches and mostly sick for our fans that we didn't bring home a win but I am proud of the way we competed tonight."
He was especially complimentary of the way Dallas prepared for the matchup -- namely, how it crafted a game plan to neutralize Parsons.
"I knew that [Parsons] is the great player that he is," Jones said. "I liked the way that we got ready to play him. ... We knew he was there and he made a difference. But that's the way it goes.
#DallasCowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones visits with the media following 40-40 tie vs. Packers pic.twitter.com/AJGgDmaO3p
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"They got Micah and we've got what we've got and we tied."
Jones paid special mention to his veteran gunslinger, Dak Prescott, lauding his showcase -- a 31-of-40, 337-yard, four touchdown outing -- as the best of his career.
"I thought he was the better quarterback tonight," Jones said.
When asked about the logic behind paying Prescott but not offering the same sort of deal to Parsons, Jones was firm.
"It's very simple: Dak was indispensable in my mind. Micah wasn't," Jones said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota. "It's just numbers. It's that easy. And that's not personal at all."
Sunday's game proved a back-and-forth affair, replete with dramatic moments and plenty of highlights. For a moment, Dallas appeared the favorites to claim a momentous win -- and deliver Jones the sort of result that would justify his controversial move to part ways with Parsons.
A tie was a fair result, although it left a sour taste in both Dallas and Green Bay's mouths. Nevertheless, Jones made sure to use the moment to his advantage, backing himself for his gutsy call and hinting that better horizons could be on the way for the Cowboys.
That will do for now for the 82-year old robber-baron.
"I feel better than I could have felt," Jones said.