Cowboys' Jerry Jones Not Considering Firing DC Mike Nolan Amid 1-3 Start

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday he hasn't considered firing defensive coordinator Mike Nolan even though the team ranks last in points allowed.

"No. If you think about it, at this juncture, that's not something that you would go to," Jones said during his weekly radio interview on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.

The Cowboys have allowed at least 38 points in three straight games, including a 49-38 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday that dropped their record to 1-3.

The poor defense has negated the team's terrific offensive performance. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Co. rank first in yardage (509.5 yards per game) and third in points (31.5 per game) a quarter of the way through the regular season.

Along with Nolan's scheme, linebacker Jaylon Smith has received ample criticism for his lackluster play, as evidenced by his poor 41.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Jones came to the defense of the 25-year-old Notre Dame product Tuesday.

"I think Jaylon Smith has been courageous, I'll use that word right there, in his performance," he said. "He gives you everything that he's got. ... I'll say without question he has the talent to be the middle linebacker on a winning, championship team."

The Cowboys hired Nolan in January as part of a revamped coaching staff under new head coach Mike McCarthy, who threw his support behind the defensive coordinator after Sunday's loss.

"We are going to stay the course," McCarthy told reporters. "We are on top of where we are. We don't like the way it turned out. We certainly understand the point totals. We are focusing on the details of the things that we need to do better. My confidence is very high in Mike Nolan."

Dallas' defense should have an opportunity to showcase improvement in the coming weeks.

The Cowboys face the New York Giants (31st in total offense), Arizona Cardinals (18th), Washington Football Team (30th) and Philadelphia Eagles (28th) over the next four games.

They don't face a team ranked inside the top 10 in total offense for the rest of the regular season, though that's subject to change since the sample size is still small.

That said, if the numbers don't improve before their Week 10 bye, the calls will grow louder for a change in direction on the defensive side.