Patriots Talk: Pats-Cowboys puts Kraft-Jones in spotlight originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Sunday's matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots features the two most valuable franchises in the NFL.
The team's owners, Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, are among the most influential in the league, having bought in towards the end of the 20th century for what are now bargain prices.
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However, only Jones is in the Hall of Fame -- so far.
Patriots Talk Podcast: Pats-Cowboys puts Kraft-Jones in spotlight | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
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On the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast, Tom E. Curran, Phil Perry and Matt Cassel discuss the many ways in which Jones and Kraft are the same -- but also different.
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"Kraft is kind of a quiet, arm around you, loving dealmaker on a quiet basis and then Jones is the renegade owner who hitches his pants up and slaps 'em back," Curran said. "Kraft is much more understated."
Jones, who bought the Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million, won three Super Bowls as owner in 1992, 1993 and 1995, though Dallas has considerably underachieved since; along with the Washington Football Team and Detroit Lions, it is one of three NFC teams that hasn't played in the conference championship game this century.
Kraft, meanwhile, bought the Patriots in 1994 for a then-record $172 million and has seen the team play in 10 Super Bowls in the meantime.
"Jones is in the Hall of Fame for what he accomplished as this renegade owner; Kraft's teams have accomplished much more," Curran said.
Cassel, who played for both the Patriots and Cowboys in his career, said that Jones is unlike any other owner he's ever been around.
"He's a showman, but he's also one of those guys that is at the front of the team meeting room and will speak to the team before the head coach," Cassel said. "After a game, whether a win or loss at times, Jerry Jones is the first one to speak to the team."
Kraft, on the other hand, was much more understated, Cassel said, although that doesn't mean he was never prominent in the locker room, either.
Later on, at what point is it time for the Patriots to cut bait on certain offensive plays?
"Throughout the course of the first part of this season, there are so many new factors to this offense," Cassel said. "They are trying to find an identity, which they haven't been able to really establish yet... They're finding those different plays, those different concepts that Mac Jones might feel more comfortable with."
Also discussed in this episode: How do the 4-1 Cowboys -- their lone loss to Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- look as the 2-3 Patriots prepare to face them? Are the Patriots good enough to play man defense? Plus, a look at New England's inability to push the ball downfield.
Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube.
