Jones Says Dallas Coaches Are to Blame

Owner Jerry Jones blames his coaches more than his players for the Dallas Cowboys’ worst regular-season defeat since 1989.

Jones worked the Dallas locker room Sunday, trying to rally his players after they were routed 45-17 by the Green Bay Packers.

“Our coaching staff should take a significant part of the blame for the loss,” Jones said Monday. “If we had a chance we’d do some things all over again coaching-wise. Watching films today was an embarrassment. We should have made adjustments.”

Jones singled out the defensive coaching staff headed by Dave Campo for most of the blame, saying the Cowboys blitzed too much in the second half after holding Green Bay to a 10-10 tie after two periods.

Coach Barry Switzer said Jones merely said what the coaches were saying during a Monday morning film session.

Meanwhile, the NFL announced that Cowboy defensive lineman Leon Lett, 29, can return next week from a one-year suspension for violating the league substance-abuse policy. Lett can practice beginning Monday and will be eligible to play the next week.

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One day after suggesting he might be through with coaching, Mike Ditka said the comments only were out of frustration from losing and he intends to stay with the New Orleans Saints “until they run me out of this town.”

“I signed a three-year contract in February, and I plan to fulfill that contract and, the good Lord willing, beyond that contract,” Ditka said. “There’s nowhere else I want to be or anything else I want to do than be here and try to make a change, try to help, try to make this get to where we think it can go.”

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Jerry Rice, 35, sidelined since injuring his left knee in the San Francisco 49ers’ opening game three months ago, has made rapid progress in his rehabilitation. He said he hopes to play Dec. 15 against Denver. . . . The season is over for Minnesota Viking center Jeff Christy, who suffered two broken bones in his leg and torn ligaments in Sunday’s 23-21 loss to the New York Jets. . . . One day after Mark Carrier was sidelined by a broken wrist, the Carolina Panthers said their other starting wide receiver, Rae Carruth, also may not be able to play because of a bruised knee.