Jerry Jones directs blame at Cowboys staff after Michael Gallup loses TD pass in sunlight

The Dallas Cowboys‘ AT&T Stadium was by far one of the best venues in the country this weekend. As much of the league competed in sub-zero temperatures amidst a winter storm, the Cowboys enjoyed a covered roof and mild temperatures on their way to a 40-34 win.

However, as wideout Michael Gallup went up for a potential touchdown grab before the half, the massive windows at the west end of the stadium sent sunbeams streaming directly into the fifth-year veteran’s eyes, resulting in an incompletion on third down.

Although the ball by Dak Prescott came in a bit high, Gallup told reporters on Monday that he didn’t see the pigskin thanks to the sun’s late-afternoon rays. It wasn’t the first time AT&T Stadium’s potent natural light impacted Dallas’s play, and it won’t be the last. Instead of seven points, the Cowboys settled for a field goal in what ended up as a six-point victory.

Team owner Jerry Jones vehemently defended his decision not to block out the sun with curtains. Instead, he directed blame at the Cowboys’ coaching staff.

“The sun was there for both teams, and so both teams have to look for it,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. “We’ve got a lot of (coaches), and they’ve got assistants. You don’t have a lack of people out there who can tell where the sun is.”

Jerry Jones on @1053thefan when asked about Michael Gallup losing this ball in the sun at AT&T Stadium on Saturday: “The sun was there for both teams, so both teams had to look for it. Everybody knows where the sun is on both sides of the ball.”

pic.twitter.com/YqFdy4q2zj

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 27, 2022

Head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t love the play-call by offensive coordinator Kellen Moore either. However, he brushed the issue aside quickly after the win.

“Yeah, it’s all Kellen’s fault,” McCarthy said. “He was very irritated that he called that right there. So we’ll be better next time.”

Playing their final two regular-season games on the road at Tennessee and Washington, this is most likely the end of the Sungate debate for the year.

Jones: ‘I’m more impressed… than I thought I would be’

Jerry Jones said this weekend that he is more excited about his team after the Christmas Eve victory than at any other point so far this season.

“I’m more impressed with this team than I thought I would be before we played Philadelphia,” said Jones, per Jon Machota. “I’m more impressed than I’ve been at any other time this year.”

Dallas was down by as much as 10 points early and by seven in the fourth quarter before storming back for win No. 11 on the year. They made several clutch plays late in order to pull away to take the six-point win. Dak Prescott threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb notched 120 of those yards and two of the touchdowns on 10 catches. Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense forced four turnovers.

Jones’ team had already clinched a playoff spot but, with this win, they also kept their NFC East hopes alive.

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this report.