Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said commissioner Roger Goodell’s contributions to the NFL are overwhelmingly positive and encourages fans to judge him on balance, not just his most recent decision.

Goodell, who admitted he whiffed when the NFL initially suspended running back Ray Rice two games for knocking out his then-fiancee in a casino elevator in February, has been in the public crosshairs since the league changed course and suspended Rice indefinitely last week. Goodell said the NFL had not seen the video released publicly on Sept. 8.

“Everybody wants what they’re doing and what they are to be thought of as highly as it can be,” Jones told 105.3 FM in Dallas. “If you are a real leader and significant, then you are going to be critiqued. I think what we’re doing is being critiqued. We’ve got to understand our response and what we need to do. I don’t think being critiqued is necessarily a negative. I think it can cause you to get it together if you’ve been a little light or been less than you want to be.”

Goodell and the NFL are taking measures to firm their stance against domestic violence. Since Rice’s case went under review, Goodell confessed he did not get the suspension right and introduced a new policy that calls for six-game suspensions for first offenses and a lifetime ban for repeat offenders.

Jones said Goodell will show the same kind of leadership in this period that he did in 2006 when owners voted him commissioner.

“It was very comfortable and very good to have that kind of talent and commitment and know where his heart is — his heart is on the game,” Jones said.

Goodell was paid $44 million in 2013 and made more than $100 million in the past five years.

“The support of him shouldn’t in any way be turned as though you are soft or don’t understand the seriousness of physical abuse — that’s wrong,” Jones said. “Everyone, the league, everybody involved understand that and we understand the visibility of the games and our players and our organization, the NFL.”