The Cowboys owner, in an impromptu gathering with reporters during practice Thursday, said he expects his struggling Cowboys to recover. They have gone from Super Bowl favorites to a 5-4 team tied for third place in the NFC East after losing four of its past six games.

"That's not optimism," Jones said. "I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."

Coming off its open date, Dallas gets injured quarterback Tony Romo back Sunday night at Washington after he missed three games with a broken pinkie on his throwing hand.

"I would say Romo gives you a legitimate reason to not have been your best or been what you might have expected over the last three games," Jones said.

The Cowboys lost two of three without Romo, and the only win was notable for being the worst offensive performance in a victory in franchise history. But they were already struggling when he broke his finger on the opening play of overtime in a loss at Arizona on Oct. 12.

After the Cowboys lost at St. Louis a week later, Jones emphatically said that coach Wade Phillips' job wasn't in danger during this season. The owner was even more committed to the coach on Thursday.

"There's just absolutely no, I can tell you without hesitation, thought in my mind about him not coaching the Dallas Cowboys in the future, past this year," Jones said. "No thought. I haven't given that one ounce of consideration. ... His contract is his contract."

Phillips got a three-year contract with an option for a fourth season when he replaced Bill Parcells in February 2007. The Cowboys went 13-3 and had 13 Pro Bowl players in their first season under Phillips, but lost to the New York Giants in the playoffs.

With the recent struggles, and supposed successor-in-waiting Jason Garrett already on the staff, there has been intensified speculation about Phillips' job status.

Garrett, the team's offensive coordinator who was hired weeks before Phillips, got $3 million and an expanded title (assistant head coach) to stay after being a finalist for two other NFL head coaching jobs last offseason.

"I understand why that question is. I do, and I helped make that question probably legitimate," Jones said. "But it is worth it in my mind to have him here and have Wade here. It's worth it to have to answer that question."

Asked if he was satisfied with Phillips' performance this season, Jones said he was disappointed that the Cowboys haven't won more games and that it was fair to ask if the coach was to blame.