Fresh off an ugly 28-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on the road, the Dallas Cowboys’ three coordinators spoke to the media on Monday to discuss what went wrong and what went right.
These were highlights from conversations with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenhiemer and special teams coordinator John Fassel.
Tale of two halves
After a start to the season in which Cowboys fans believed the 2022 run defense’s woes had been resolved, the defense gave up 181 rushing yards in the first half, the most for the franchise in a first half. since 1991. Arizona only accumulated 41 more rushing yards, but the first half total played a huge role in the final result.
«It was a tale of two halves,» defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. «The first half was very poor on explosive plays: 40 yards, 50 yards. We just didn’t play with that relentless energy that we had come to know and appreciate from our group.»
Quinn sees a good opportunity ahead to bounce back and learn from a disappointing performance against the Cardinals.
«Sometimes you just have a performance that you’re not happy with at all,» he said. «When you walked through our locker room, there were a lot of people angry and they should be. We weren’t living up to the standard we had set for ourselves. When you’re going through a tough performance, you grow from it. I’d love to say you learn from winning. 40-0, but that’s not the truth. You have to have some adversity and come out on the other side to show what you’re capable of. These guys are a team of warriors and they will respond like crazy.»
Cold Zone
When asked after the game about the red zone problems, Dak Prescott said Dallas’ inefficiency inside the 20-yard line was the reason they lost the game after scoring just one touchdown in five drives. With Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott no longer available to help carry the load in short-yardage situations, the Cowboys need someone to step up and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is confident someone will.
«We have fantastic players,» he said. «We just have to execute better, we have to coach better. When the plays are there to be made, we have to do those things. It will be a big emphasis for us this week. We will start it early and we will represent it to the fullest. The way they are Once our players are connected, they will recover and accept that challenge and I think we will play very well there.
Behind the scenes of Trevon Diggs’ injury
Monday was the first time Quinn was able to speak publicly about Trevon Diggs’ season-ending injury, and he conveyed the emotion he felt for Diggs and his teammates at the time.
«There’s a player behind that helmet,» Quinn said. «I think Tre was realizing at that point that he wasn’t going to be able to do what he wanted to do this year. He realized that he was going to have to miss out on a great time with these guys. At that point, he wasn’t thinking about the next guy.» «But in the player, the guy and who he is. It hurt him a lot and so did a lot of the guys.»
Aubrey’s aura
Brandon Aubrey has started his NFL career a perfect 10-for-10 on field goal attempts, as he has established himself as the Cowboys’ go-to kicker early on in his rookie season. While his success grows, his confidence and demeanor remain the same, according to special teams coordinator John Fassel, as he looks to build on his hot start in the coming weeks.
«He made three field goals this last game, and the 49-yarder got me really excited,» Fassel said. «It was one of those fields where you have to make that kick, but it’s still a long kick. In his brain, he treats every kick like a 49-yard kick. He treats them all the same, which I think is very healthy for a kicker. Just keep going. His confidence is the same as it’s been all along. I haven’t seen him waver at all with confidence or arrogance or anything like that. He’s just a consistent guy and I think that’s going to be a It bodes well for us as we move into the season.”
Belichick spy mission?
Many eyes will be on Ezekiel Elliott this week when he returns to AT&T Stadium, but it will also be a return for quarterback Will Grier, who was released by the Cowboys after the preseason before serving a brief stint with the Bengals and signing the Patriots active roster.
With the Cowboys’ offensive system still fresh in Grier’s mind, Schottenheimer is making a conscious effort to mix things up with the signaling ahead of the showdown with Bill Belichick.
«Those are things we monitor every week, but obviously Will and Zeke know where the bones are buried,» Schottenheimer said. «Those are things that are talked about. We certainly have more than one hand signal for most of our basics and sometimes you can use it to your advantage. Everyone does it. You get a player who has played in somewhere, you invite him to talk about different things and you’re very selective about how much you put into it. I’m excited to see Will, but I’m sure he’s being grilled. We’ll spend long hours with the defensive coaching staff.»