One of Jerry Jones' worst decisions haunts him every week

Another week has passed and another example of why the #FireJerryTheGM social media campaign is a good thing for #CowboysNation.

Just before the start of the season, Dallas Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones was asked about the state of the running back position and why the Cowboys haven't done more about it. Specifically, he was asked why he never reached out to free agent RB Derrick Henry.

Henry, a Dallas native, has a home in the Arlington area. He trains there in the off-season. He has family in the area and even volunteers for various charities in the Dallas Metroplex when he has time.

It seemed like a perfect fit, but Jerry had a questionable answer to the question, and his answer seems to grow more tone-deaf as the season progresses.

I have to tell you, this is a bit of a first for me because I've never seen our position and what we do at that position do so well at running back this year. Not having done that or that at running back. Both guys (Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott) came out at the same time. With Zeke Elliott we have a pretty good contemporary of our competition this week. I'm happy with what Zeke is doing. -Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones

In addition to liking Elliott more than Henry football-wise, Jones repeatedly mentioned that the Cowboys couldn't afford him due to the contracts in the works for QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb.

It didn't matter, in case you were wondering. If the Cowboys hadn't waited so long to sign their two best players to the contracts they deserve, there would have been plenty of wiggle room to sign Henry. The $20 million the Cowboys currently have in salary cap space speaks to that.

It's a decision that looks worse with each passing week, and I hope it continues to haunt him weekly. Let’s compare Derrick Henry’s season to the “success” that Ezekiel Elliott had in the Cowboys’ offense.

Lack of opportunities

One of the many areas in which Henry has been better this season is the sheer ability to carry the football. Jerry Jones insisted that Zeke and Henry were in the same draft class and therefore they should be able to do the same things.

The touches say something different. Ezekiel Elliott touched the ball 44 times for 151 yards and a paltry touchdown. His 3.43 yards per touch is the lowest of his career and his 3.0 yards per carry is the next lowest on a downward trend.

If Elliott was as explosive and effective as he used to be, he would definitely have more than 36 runs under his belt this year. Instead, Jerry Jones once again tried (and failed) to convince us that his latest bad decision was what was best for the franchise.

In comparison, Henry touched the ball 141 times for 935 yards and 10 total touchdowns. Against the Cowboys alone, he rushed for 151 yards and two scores, including a 23-yard catch-and-run on a screen pass.

Henry and Zeke were on the field together in Week 3 and the eye test wasn't even close.

Physical difference

The lack of touches for Elliott probably has a lot to do with the fact that he's just not the same player he used to be. If the Cowboys hadn't recalled him to Dallas, I don't think Zeke would be anything more than a practice player on any other team.

His skills have been declining for several years. It's a product of his usage during his first stint with the Cowboys. Dallas leaned heavily on Zeke's legs early in his career and he currently has 2,103 runs to his name.

By comparison, Derrick Henry has passed him with 2,164 career runs, but he got to those numbers via a different route. Elliott was force-fed his first three seasons, while Henry split the backfield in his first two seasons at Tennessee.

Henry was allowed to retreat into his NFL backfield while Elliott was forced into his backfield and had no choice but to be the workhorse.

Ultimately, Jerry Jones' decision not to even call Henry during the offseason looks worse with each passing week as Henry runs through opposing defenses with ease. He did it again last night in prime time, rushing through the Buccaneers' defense for 169 yards on a whopping 11.3 yards per rush.

Jerry has another call on 105.3 The Fan Radio this morning and I hope Shan and RJ ask him again what he thinks about not calling Derrick Henry this offseason. His answer is eagerly awaited.