“Be More Physical” Cowboys Talk Commanders Week | Player Interviews

“Be More Physical” Cowboys Talk Commanders Week | Player Interviews

Javvante, through the first uh five games, rushing attack was doing exactly what the Cowboys wanted and a lot more a little bit of a slow game against the Panthers. What’s the formula to getting back to that against the other? Yeah, um you just got to get back to the basics. Um I feel like they played a lot more physical than we did. Um so that’s where it really all started with physicality, um communication, just small things. I feel like we weren’t really clicking. Surprising about the physicality was lacking in that game? That surprised you when coach talking about the lack of physicality occurred in that game. Yeah, cuz um I mean I know how hard we work throughout the whole week and um I mean you never want to lose, but just how hard we worked throughout the week um I feel like we could have played a lot better. How hard is it to get in a flow offensively collectively in a running game when it kind of starts off a little bit slow like it did in Carolina? Yeah. Um I mean you just got to lean on each other. I feel like uh we kind of got out of whack. I don’t know. Um but the pass game did good. Um besides that, I feel like everybody played well. Um, we came up short, but we just got to get back right this week. What excites you most about playing against the Commanders this Sunday? Yeah. Um, just we getting healthy again. Um, everybody’s starting to come back and I’m just excited to see how how we all play together when everything clicking. I know the running game struggled, but your offense still did really good in the passing game. I mean, how much confidence does that give you guys, you know, in terms of running backs when your offense can still do really well even though the running game isn’t clicking on all cylinders? Yeah. Um it feel good cuz um I mean we got a lot of playmakers on this team. So if something not going as well as it’s supposed to um we can lean on the pass and the pass not doing right we can lean on the run. So I mean um a lot of weapons all over the field. We just got to uh we got to bring it all together. How impactful is Tyler Booker to your run game? Yeah I mean huge. Um like I said I’m glad he coming back. Uh Tur um CD well a lot of players really. Um so I just want to see how it all all go together when we start rolling. What has Miles Sanders meant to this running back room and how huge of a loss of that? Yeah. Um just a leader. I mean vet. Um he bring a lot of knowledge to the room. He know he know what he’s talking about. Um and even when he when he was healthy um just the competition I just love going out there and competing with it every day. But I mean he’s still a part of the team. He he gonna be back. And on the flip side talking about getting guys back. How excited are you for the prospect of getting CD back? And once he’s out there, given what Pickkins, everyone else is doing, have you ever been a part of an offense that could be as explosive as this one? Yeah, probably not. Um maybe in college, but that’s a whole different uh level of football. So, um just to see those guys out there playing. I’m excited. Looking back on it, who do you think why you have problems running the ball? Yeah. Um just we weren’t physical enough. I mean, everything was was blocked up. I mean, it was just they was knocking us back and we weren’t really hitting them uh too much. So yeah, we just got to be more physical. What kind of relationship do you have with a rookie and JD blue? Yeah. Um I try to be like a big brother to him. Um cuz I know how it was my rookie year. Um it’s a lot of stuff. I mean the world kind of be spinning your rookie year. It’s a lot going on. Everything new to him. So any any help I can give him, I try to help him out. Do you see similarities in your game to his? Uh no. He way faster than me. As far as personnel, what sticks out for you uh as y’all get ready to take on the Commanders? Yeah. Um just the defense. I feel like they got a lot of depth. Um, a lot of veteran guys that been playing football for a long time. Um, Bobby Wagner, Von Miller. Um, just a lot of knowledge. I mean, we got to we got to start fast and and just make sure we clicking. How fun is it to play with Pickkins? Seems like he’s got handshakes. He’s always out there just having the ball. Yeah. Um, he a character. Um, but I mean he good. So, um, he bring a lot of energy and excitement to the team. Um, he got a different personality, but I mean I get along with him. I feel like everybody else get along with him. So, you just got to keep doing what he doing. Yeah, I do. How’d y’all with it? Um, he made it up. I mean, it’s kind of like this cuz we both number three, but I can show it to y’all later, but yeah, he made it up. When he’s out there hurdling and stuff like that, almost make you guys kind of like laugh a little bit when he’s just jumping over dudes and falling down making plays like Yeah. Oh, my fault. Yeah. Um, we just see it every day. I mean, that’s that’s how he always act. So just for the world to see the type of person he really is cuz I mean it’s easy for people to get you confused and narratives to be made about you but I mean he a good guy so I really want the world to see that. Yeah he had a native about him kind of coming in here. What did you see the first time you kind of met him and what did you learn about him as you got to know him? Yeah I heard about it but um the first time I met him he was kind of standoffish so I ain’t really bother him. But I mean once he got out of his shell um yeah he the type of person you want to be around. Um fun funny uh I mean we all like the same stuff. So yeah it’s been cool. You called him a character. You called him a character. What kind of character is George Pickkins? Yeah. Um, he just his own person. I mean, like you never know what you going to get. Um, fun. Like I said, he fun to be around. So, um, yeah, just a good guy. Are the coaches like fired up? Are they more educational? Uh, a little bit everything. I mean, they coaching, you know, they coaching and, you know, just trying to get us better. uh helping us understand everything that’s going on and how offenses is gonna attack our defense and uh yeah I mean so I mean we get we get a little bit of everything is a guy who can move a little bit out there. What are you seeing and what do you guys need to do? Uh I mean we got to be able to rush him but at the same time be able to rush smart. Um just work together. Uh you know he’s elusive guy uh and he has a lot of speed. So uh just got to be able to to uh to work together and then on top of that uh just get hits on them you know. So, um, I mean, that’s the biggest thing is, uh, being able to to, you know, play good coverage against receivers and when we got opportunities, make sure we get good hits. Couple weeks ago. Uh, I don’t know. I mean, he could he could throw the hell I mean, he he his own guy, man. He’s, uh, he’s a great quarterback. Um, you know, been I mean, he had a great year last year and then he picked it up right off right right off where he left off at. So, uh, I mean, got a lot of respect for him and for what he’s doing. When you think about the dual threat part of his game, you know, a couple weeks ago, you guys had just faced Justin Fields. He didn’t run for very much on your defense. Can you, you know, pull on that? Can you Yeah, 100%. Uh, it’s all just working together and, uh, just trusting each other. Uh, same thing. I mean, I mean, I don’t I don’t think the plan changes. Same thing with Justin Fields. Um, you know, anytime you got a elusive runner back there, um, you know, the plan is always to to be able to rush and be aggressive, but, uh, rush smart. What worked so well against? Uh just us just trusting each other and rushing smart. Um it’s not a a play call or a certain thing that we do. Uh just us just being able to to to play fast and trust each other. As you guys trying to figure out a system that works best both against the pass, the run. What have you noticed from Flu? What’s he been like as far as just kind of his energy, you know, problem solving, all of that? Yeah, I mean everything been great. I mean he’s he’s he’s constantly trying to, you know, trying to get us better. You know, that’s what you want from a coach. Um, you know, so I mean that’s all I got to say about that. That’s that’s the main thing is, you know, being able to come in uh with the right mindset, the mindset to get better and uh you know, that’s what you want to do. That’s what you want to see in your coach every day. How much harder is it when one week might be the pass defense that gives up some plays? One week it’s the run defense. How much tougher is it for you guys to to make the fixes when it’s not a consistent? Uh, I mean, it’s it’s a week toe league. I mean, it’s something new, you know, with every team every week. So, um I mean I mean it’s just football. That’s football to me. I mean you might have some passes, you might have a supposed to pass one week, you might have explosive run one week. Uh so I mean yeah, you just just handle it as it comes as it comes. Yeah, I mean I mean that’s the beauty of it, you know. Nobody’s um separating theelves, you know. I feel like in the whole league for real and um you know that’s why we got to just stay focused on on what we doing here and uh it’s a week to week league you know uh you know one week you know we’ll play great and we be the best team ever the next week you do something bad we the worst so we got to just stay focused on what we doing um stay focused on on on the present and uh you know just keep on just just working uh it’ll all work out. Obviously just been I think less than two months still since you since you got traded here. What’s your process leadership wise trying to, you know, kind of cultivate that? Are you trying to be more vocal as the weeks go on? Just being solution based, you know what I’m saying? Um, I mean, I think that’s what we talk about, just just finding solutions and and not being a part of the problem or uh trying to add on to to anything. Um, you know, I mean, that’s my main focus is uh trying to fix, you know, whatever is going on. So, uh, if that’s me being more vocal, if that’s me, uh, you know, more meetings, more walkthroughs, whatever the case may be, me me staying out, um, I mean, staying out at practice later, uh, whatever the case may be, you know, I’m I’m willing to do all of it and and we have been. So, uh, you know, we got to just keep on just trusting each other, keep building. Um, like I said, nothing is is is too far from us as far as the NFC and, uh, we got to just stay week to week and, you know, keep stay focused on what’s going on here right now. What are the things that you feel like you just need to trust to get you settled back? Um, I feel really good, but just got to trust their judgment. Like I said, this is my first high ankle sprain. They’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands. So, just trusting their judgment and trusting what they recommend as far as me getting back to play, but I feel great. How was it to watch? It’s tough watching. Um, obviously I want to be out there, but it was very beneficial for me because I’m able to look at the offense from a from a different perspective, you know, just being a a viewer, seeing why we do some of the things that we do and just learning and um really just learning from learning from TJ, learning from Brock, learning from Tyler Smith, TC is just learning from those guys and seeing some of the things that they do a little bit better than me that I could add to my own game. What stands out as you look at the commanders? I mean, they got some real veterans got Jon and then like Bobby and Frank at the second level there. out. Yeah, you just said it. They’re they’re veterans. They have a lot of guys who have a lot of experience and they they do a great job of playing off of one another. Uh they have they do a really good job with moving up front and some pressure. So, we just have to be ready to handle all that they come with. It’s not the it’s not often that high ankle sprays for offensive line back as quick as you were. What went right in the rehab process to get you back to where you are now this quick? Um my mindset was just attack the rehab process as if I’m attacking a game. So every day was a game to see how fast see I can get better day by day and and that’s just how I approach football, you know, how can I get better day by day and then it’s just the the the focus went from getting better at football to get my ankle better so I’m I’ll be able to return to play. So I’m just trusting the training staff as well. The training staff has done a great job helping me. So shout out to them, but I’m very excited to get back on the field. When was the last time you missed this many games in a row? Never. Never. Never missed. Really rare moment. Yeah. So this has been pretty tough. But I’m just taking it in stride. That’s part of the game and I know God doesn’t make mistakes so everything happens for a reason. What do you learn about yourself now being on this side of it and not being able to play right now? Um something I’ve learned about myself. I I just learned learn little technical things. Learn little technical technical things that I have to um get better at. And then I just realized that like like the the more confident I am, the the better football player I am. And I feel like that’s a common theme that you can see through my first three games. And that’s something I realized doing a little bit of self scout. Like game by game, I felt like I got better at little things. And I’m far from a finished product, believe me. But I feel like as long as I continue to stay on that track of getting better day by day, game by game, I I’ll eventually be where I want to be. No, you weren’t very far in the future. So, you weren’t on the field last week when the game struggled, but uh is it fair to say that that as a group, have you all guys you guys kind of as maybe taking that a little personally this week in terms of run game wasn’t what you wanted it to be? Oh, yeah. uh we whenever the run game isn’t going the way it’s supposed to, obviously the offensive line is going to feel some type of way about it. So, it’s just all that we can do is um do the next thing right and doing the next thing right is coming out have a better outing in a run game this Sunday. When you went down, you’re one of the higher rated run blocking guards in the league. How much of an impact can you have on this run game coming back? I have a I I believe I can have a great impact on this run game, but um I don’t want to say short change TJ in any means of imagination. Like, I learned a lot from TJ. TJ helps me a lot and I feel like I wouldn’t be as good of a running blocker if it wasn’t for him just watching him, learning from him. So TJ’s done a great job and I’m very appreciative of him and everything he’s taught me so far. What has he taught you? Um just really being cognizant of where your hands are, hand hand placement, where your feet are, where you where you your where you strike, you know, just little little small things like that. So I’m just very grateful to have the best that I do in that room. Tyler’s physical competitor, but can you just talk about the process of trying to work back and how close you feel like you might be? Yeah, I feel really close, you know, and I’m just trusting the training staff and the process. I approached I approached getting back like I was approaching the game like, okay, what do I need to do in order to perform to the best of my ability, but now it’s just what do I need to do in order to get back to that in order to get back to what I’m what I’m here for and that’s to play football. The communication, how much communication, I mean, being a DN is there for you guys or is that more of a back? Uh I think it’s I think it’s a defense as a whole honestly. Um you know we all have to be on the same page and we got to do our 111. So uh it’s defense as a whole in terms of communication. We just you know get the call, play the call. We all need to be on the same page. Kind of looking at this how close it is. Is there a little bit more extra juice out? I think they’re for me it’s extra juice every week. It doesn’t matter the opponent, but um obviously a divisional game um and we know it’s pretty close in our division and then you know you you win your division, you you make it to the playoffs, so that’s pretty much how that goes. So it’s always going to be a little bit more when it comes to a divisional game for sure. Top in mind for if you can pass this already, but how easy is it to be patient that first sack? Uh it’s it’s it’s hard. Um but I’m I’m I got to keep chopping at it honestly. Um I’m I’m getting back there. I’m getting quarterback hits and pressures or whatever the case may be. Uh maybe I’m not living right. Like I got to some some and but it’s going to click and when it clicks um I believe it’s going to be a wave. Uh that’s just you know with my work and my preparation I think that’s how that’s just how it’s going to be. I just just got to get that one. I think it’ll all just be a domino effect. Honestly there almost an element of timing too. I mean the quarterbacks get the ball out quick. Yeah. I mean and that’s something that’s a little bit different you know from college. You know the ball quarterbacks know that timing. They feel that pressure you know on their back whatever the case may be. So, uh, it is a little bit of a timing, but I got to do my job and get there faster. So, celebration AMI. I’m a cute dog, man. I throw the hooks up. Yeah. So, college quarterbacks will try to run around and buy some time and give you more of a chance than pro guys. I mean, so the I guess their their technique isn’t or the timing isn’t all the way the same. You know, these guys are pros. They they they’ve been doing this for, you know, a couple of years. So, you know, credit to to the guys in the NFL for sure. Maybe on the note, what is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through six games? you know, I mean, to to progress to to about the NFL, I would say about the NFL in general, um, it’s the National Football League for a reason. You know, every team is a good team despite somebody’s record, honestly. Um, and that and that’s, you know, you can’t take anybody lightly. I’m not saying that we have or we we’ve done that, but that’s just, you know, any given Sunday can be somebody else’s day. So, do you notice when the head coach is in the defensive room? Uh, not really. I sit in the back. Okay. But, you know, if he’s there, you know, they they’re they’re doing their job. He said he was there a little bit more today than he had been or the last couple times. Um, like that’s not, you know, I’m pretty much like, you know, who’s talking in the front. So,

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