Jerry Jones math and his Dallas Cowboys expectations: ‘I have to believe 1 + 1 is 3’

Jerry Jones is not only the owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys.

When it comes to his optimistic expectations for the Cowboys in 2022, he is also a self-proclaimed mathematician.

Call if Jerry Math.

“I have to believe 1 and 1 is 3,” Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 the Fan Tuesday morning. “You have to have optimism and look for the best outcome.”

Jones said he can’t operate in the world where 1-plus-1 is 2. Everybody can grab and achieve that.

“Three is where you have to go,” Jones said. “You have to have optimism to operate out in that world and commit and do things when you got to count on 1 and 1 being 3. And I’m not trying to play games, but that’s where the biggest payoffs are out there.”

In other words, Jones has high expectations for the Cowboys in 2022.

But there is a question of whether he has done things necessary for 1-plu- 1 to equal 3 in terms of how he has built the roster following last season’s 12-5 campaign, which ended in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC wild card playoffs.

The Cowboys have questions at receiver and on the offensive line after getting rid of No. 1 wide out Amari Cooper and of right tackle La’el Collins off season. And that was before losing left tackle Tyron Smith until December with a knee injury.

The Cowboys are heading into 2022 with one the youngest teams in the NFL.

“I think that we’ve got a team by design,” Jones said. “We could have had a different team as you well documented and the media has documented. We could have had a different team had we wanted to, signed four or five of the veteran players that we didn’t sign. But we needed to make some changes. The best way to make it is with youth. Youth costs you a little bit to play with it but we know that, too. We think this is the best way with this team, with this quarterback, this talent.”

Jones believes quarterback Dak Prescott, running backs Ezekiel Elliott and a game plan to get the ball out quickly gets them a safety net to overcome their shortcomings and youth.

They are his safety net for 1-plus-1 is 3.

“You have to create some kind of net, and I’ve been fortunate in my life. I’ve operated with at times without a net and it didn’t get me,” Jones said. “But I’ve had close calls.”

Does the Jerry math add add up?