Jerry Jones: Cowboys' 3-4 start 'a rougher go than I anticipated'

The Dallas Cowboys didn't make any major acquisitions during the offseason, but owner Jerry Jones recently admitted that he expected more from his team through this season's first eight weeks.

"We're having a rougher go than I anticipated. Let's put it like that," Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan. "It is rougher, and I did not anticipate the challenges that we're having with this team. But I am reminded of teams that I've seen that have had a lot of success and put themselves in position to take a shot, and they were 3-4."

The Cowboys have won just three of their first seven games and rank third in the NFC East with a minus-48 point differential. Dallas is also 22nd in points scored and 31st in points allowed.

Jones attributed his team's disappointing start to multiple factors.

"When I look at the whys that we're here, I really have a tough time getting past just sheer youth, sheer inexperience in the offensive line, and I have a tough time getting past that turnover (ratio)," Jones added. "When you look at that and knowing what turnovers will do for you, we've had through seven games, we, the Cowboys, have turned the ball over 13 times. The entire year last year, we didn't turn it over but 16 times. ... It's really a plus that we've won three games."

Dallas - which doesn't roster other star skill-position players besides receiver CeeDee Lamb - ranks dead last in rushing yards and 23rd in EPA/dropback this year.

The Cowboys have also had terrible injury luck, as they've been missing edge rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence and cornerback DaRon Bland, among others.

Jones' team will try to snap its two-game skid Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.