Jerry Jones didn’t expect Cowboys to play this well

Surprised the Dallas Cowboys got off to a 3-1 start without Tony Romo?

So is Jerry Jones.

The polarizing owner didn’t see a rookie quarterback in Dak Prescott, not to mention rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, carrying the team to three wins at the quarter mark of the season.

It’s a light, praise-riddled interview, as captured by David Moore of the Dallas News:

I didn’t expect it. I really didn’t expect it.

This is a competitive league. I didn’t expect to do it without Dez, without our left tackle, without key players like Scandrick. It says a lot about our depth. It says a lot about Jason [Garrett] and our coaching.

I’m really proud of those guys. They are doing a really good job. They are not looking back. They are lining up with literally who we have at game time. We warm them up out there. If they can go or if they can’t, we find out at warmup. That’s who is going to play.

The praise is quite deserved, too, considering the team only won four games last year while Romo missed a huge chunk of time. Even the one loss this year isn’t a major red flag, either, considering it was a one-point loss to the rival New York Giants.

Dallas remains Romo’s team. Unlike last year, the team has done a great job of holding down the fort in his absence, which is a testament to the drafting job done by the front office. Rather than disappoint for two years in a row, the Cowboys have shocked everyone—even the owner.