Cowboys Defense Talks Jets Week | Player Interviews

Cowboys Defense Talks Jets Week | Player Interviews

Talk about the surprising pass. No pass record. How surprised you are by that? Yeah, it’s it is surprising, but I feel like, you know, we going to make those plays. Like, it ain’t like we can’t catch. It ain’t like we can’t like we It’s not like we don’t have our talent that, you know, we can do. You know, we just got to be in position to do it. And I feel like once we get in position to do it, you know, the plays going to be made. But it’s just all about being in position to make the plays. So that comes with executing the cause, being where you need to be. Would you like to see a little more man? You guys You want some more man? Yeah. Cuz you guys you’re historically been a man guy. Yeah. How comfortable you’re doing. Is it matter of getting more comfortable? Yeah. Being comfortable, being uncomfortable, right? One of those type things. Yeah. You talked about positioning. Is that because there’s been a lot of guys in and out the lineup adjustments to new DC or what is the positioning? I feel like just getting accustomed, you know, to the system and where the routes are going to be, where the routes are going to end up, putting yourself in position to make plays. Um, like it’s I wouldn’t say it’s more complex, but when you playing man, you know, you’re right there with the person is you literally right there. He go over the field, you go over the field, too. like and and then you covering an area. So, you have to cover an area and be in position to make the play, you know. So, I feel like just comes comes with repetition. Uh getting getting a feel for it, you know. I feel like, you know, as the week’s been coming, you know, it’s been getting way easier, way easier. And I feel like, you know, we on our way to getting the ball and being on our way to making plays. Trump, forcing him underneath the line. What can you take away from that as far as building going into the Yeah. Um, that’s a good start, you know, as far as not giving up a lot of, you know, big plays and explosives and stuff like that. You know, that’s definitely a great start. We just got to keep it going. Uh, you know, it’s going to work out. You know, we got all the talent in the world. These the same guys that I’ve been with for since I’ve been here, you know, and it’s not like nothing changed with us. It’s the same thing, you know, we just got to got to be ready and get the ball. You saw what the desperate team looks like. It was a winless team in Chicago that you guys went to visit. They pulled out all the stops. Just talk about what you can learn from that game going up against a Jets team that’s probably desperate and pulling out all the stops. Yeah, I feel like they come out with trick plays and try to give us our best shot early, take shots, you know, we just when the ball in the air, we got to capitalize just regardless of whatever the call is called, you know, whatever we need to do, you know. um ball in there. We got to capitalize. You can talk to Cruz and say, “Hey, maybe you can play a little bit more man a little bit more.” Um I don’t know if we’ve had that discussion or not. I mean, yeah, we talked, you know, but at the end of the day, it’s not about what I want. It’s not about what the other people. It’s about what the whole defense want, what coach want, what coach think is best for us to win. And if he feels like this gives our best chance to win, then you know, we got to we got to play it and just play it to the best of our ability. So, you know, it’s not to point fingers at nobody. It ain’t nobody fault. You know, we just got to execute. Say, “Hey, look, you know, pro usition.” Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I’ll talk to him. How do you take last week and not starting this couple first couple series? Yeah. What was that about in your mind? Um, a rough week. Uh, guess coach holding me accountable and, you know, I accept it. It’s cool. But, you know, back on track this week. Um, ready to work. Like in practice. Yeah, sure. Rough week. You will be starting this week. Yeah. Of course it will. Facing Justin Fields, how much you drawn facing Jaylen Herz in week one and the challenge of keeping a guy like that from struggling on y’all? Yeah, he’s I feel like he’s going to be running a lot, so we got to make sure that he doesn’t run a lot. Make sure that uh we contain him the best of our ability. You know, he’s he’s a good quarterback fast, like receiving fast. So, you know, we got to make sure we stay on him and get Does that change your coverage responsibilities? A lot. We got to be more careful, scramble, drills, everything. Like, he going to be running around throwing the ball. So, we got to stay on our cover, stay on our M. Much fewer chunk plays. Just talk about the progress you guys are making, but also the progress that you need to make effective, you know, this week. Um, yeah, we definitely got to make a big step still, you know, um, still letting up a lot of yards still. Um, but, you know, it’s still a better step, one step closer, but, um, not where we want to be. You know, how do you feel coming out of that game? Um, felt physically more than anything. Uh I felt all right uh coming out there physically, but um playing wise was, you know, just getting back to it a little bit. John, you guys have one interception so far as a team collectively. Obviously, it’s been a very turnover heavy team in the past. Is it scheme? Is it aggressiveness? Is it opportunity? Where do you guys how do you get more turnovers? Uh just getting tighter on our details, you know? Um we got to get get better at just want to make plays and um just being tighter in our coverages. as you guys see uh Carson Kalin return to to practice and try to ramp up for you guys just what have you seen in his development from last year as a rookie? He’s battled a lot with the shoulder injury and now the hyperextended knee. What have you seen from him and just what what are your words of advice from him as he tries to get back on the field and stay on the field? Um I mean now he got he’s battle tested now you know u you got that hard part out the way you know coming back from injury. So now it’s time to come back and just prove it and just keep showing who you are. And how’s he been uh in the meeting rooms and you know as far as walking through the walkthrough just the mental reps. What have you seen? Oh, he’s been good. He’s be engaged uh trying to get back to it. Seemed like there was more of an emphasis to take those big plays away, but Green Bay maybe be a little bit more with the screen game and the quick passing game and stuff. How do you kind of find that that middle ground where you’re able to take both away? What’s what’s the next steps for those kind of things? Uh we just got to see where we, you know, got better at and some things that uh we need to get better at. Um, so we just got to get tighter on the details and be a better effort out there. Don, you guys have played some good receivers this year. This week you got here at Wilson. What’s different about him? Um, shoot. He do a lot, you know. Um, you got to go get the ball, get the rock, and they’re going to give him the rock. So, a lot a lot of targets out going to be out there. So, that you had you and you and Trayvon were back. What are the pros and cons of that kind of thing? I know if you could you wouldn’t be out there for every play, but are there some benefits to not just get a breather but watch things from the side? Uh yeah, you know, just different things you get to see on the sideline, you know, that you can’t see always see on the on the field. So is that that good part of it, but the hard part is also sometimes, you know, getting in the rhythm of things and the game, you know, uh so it’s different flows of the game. Do you envision being on snap count again this week? Uh I don’t know. We got to see. You weren’t able to take the field against the Bears, but as one of the leaders in this locker room, what’s some of the biggest takeaways that you guys can take from Chicago that was a winless team, a noon game on the road that you can take into New York, a winless team on the road, a noon game to help avoid that kind of outcome again? Uh, I mean, keep them keep them uh winless teams. So, that’s that’s the biggest thing right there. You know, don’t try to give him that hope of the uh in the game. Try to keep that momentum for us and keep it going. What can you take from facing Jaylen Herz in week one to facing another kind of scrambling quarterback like Justin Fields? Uh yeah, you know, uh you know, he got that threat of uh got to keep him out the in the pocket. I mean, um so we got to do better at that and just stay tight coverage so we uh give him not being comfortable back there. I know you guys run a lot of vision zone and so you can see when Justin Fields is getting out of the pocket and stuff, but what other difficulties does that have when you’re watching him, but also trying to keep guys, you know, tethered a little bit in zone and not Yeah, the hard part is you got also got to get that pressure on him. So, you can’t let him be comfortable back there and just be able to see where everything go and uh see all his options. Yeah, it’s all hands on deck with him. Um he’s a great athlete. I mean, he had a crazy touchdown against the Dolphins. Um, and I mean, yeah, you got to just make sure, yeah, all hands on on his on deck, um, you know, with him cuz he, uh, he can get out the pocket and make some plays. How much you can take from your personal experience against him when it was Bears Packers when you were facing him for all those years? Yeah, I mean that was the main thing was just uh just trying to contain him. Um, but I mean, he got a he got a hell of an arm, too. So, uh, we got to do a good job at just at rushing them, but also just being smart when we rush them. How do you feel like as a whole, as a defense, you guys are understanding this game? Uh, I think we understanding it well. Uh, I just think at the end of the day, we got to just get better with our communication. Uh, and yeah, just lock in on the details. Did it feel like you guys were getting better as the game progressed against? Yeah, it did. And then, uh, that fourth quarter, the the fourth quarter and, um, overtime kind of got away from us. Um, I mean, it’s it’s all types of ups and downs during the game. Um but uh definitely got to be better. Who does Paul bring to the table as a runner? Uh he’s a great runner. Um he can run inside or outside. Uh they can get him out on screens. Uh you know, he’s explosive. Um he can run behind his pad. So he’s a allaround backer guy that’s that’s very talented. How’s that challenge when you got a guy like Hall and then you got feels when you get out of pock? Is it a little bit like facing Philly that first game? Yeah. Uh, I mean, I think I think they they top three in uh in rushing and top three in uh in yards per carry. So, uh they doing they doing something well over there. And uh they got two guys that that’s very elusive. Uh you know, Justin Fields can run behind his pass and uh and and Hall. Uh so, um yeah, we got to do a great job with those guys cuz uh you know, they’re exposed to both of them. Is it about rush lanes when when you face guys like that? What’s the strategy? uh rush lanes, um being physical, um and just yeah, I mean just I mean rushing smart, but also um being able to get after them, stay on edges, and just being relentless at the end of the day. Uh you know, it’s it’s going to be a lot of extended plays and everybody got to be running to the ball and uh just expect that. What goes into a smart rush when you’re playing a mobile quarterback? Uh I mean, just understanding just understanding the rush lanes. Uh understanding who you rushing with. Um, you know, if a guy inside, I mean, if a guy makes an inside move, making sure you’re replacing him on the other side. Uh, just being smart that way. Uh, just, yeah, just understanding who you rushing with on on the side of you. How would you say that your develop your relationship with Osan has developed since you got involved? Uh, it’s been great. Uh, I mean, I’ve been knowing Osa for years and uh, just I mean, we still building that chemistry uh, playing playing together. Um, but I just love love the way he plays and he’s explosive. He’s explosive athlete, explosive defensive lineman. And uh once we get going, it’s gonna be it’s gonna be crazy. Thank you. How optimistic are you on like when you’ll be able to return? Can you share that? Um just get some more rest at practice and that time when that time come, I’ll be ready. Kaylin, I’m sure you’ve been watching film on the Jets and everything. Just what based on what it looks like, it seems like their record is indicative on how good their energy intensity is. Yeah, I guess what are going to be the keys to being able to stop an offense that’s that by someone as dynamic as Justin? Um, contain them for sure. Um, really just read our keys. Um, make sure everything’s on point for, you know, it’s all it’s really about us more so and less about like what they bring to the table. We just got to play our solid ball. How challenging has it been to be sidelined when you know that secondary could really use you at this point? Um, shoot. I missed a lot of time last year. I missed a lot of time this year. Um, really, it’s been helping me get my mental right. Um, cuz I I feel like last year and then in the beginning of this year, I was kind of looking at it in a bad way, you know, sad stuff like that, but now it’s more so like kind of looking at it from a positive side of it. And now I’m in a better head space and ready to go. How difficult was it to kind of overcome that mental hurdle, especially in a position like corner where you kind of have to have a short memory? Um, can you ask it again? Just like in terms of the mental hurdle to like you were saying feel like to have confident again, how hard was it to get back to that point? It was real hard. Um, real hard. I say just, you know, you we America’s team, so you know, you on the internet. we always on the internet, you know, just seeing reading reading the comments, seeing all that stuff. Like we human too, so you see all that stuff. So just really kind of locking in with yourself and like not listening to the outside, the media, none of that. Just really focusing on yourself. I think that that got me to having the mindset I got now. What did you take from sitting to the side and and just kind of watching and learning? What what do you feel like you’ve taken away from from that aspect with the new coaching staff? really just like I told you just the mental side of it for me like it’s not about nobody else other than like the team but you know outside of that like the mental side of it for me was like the biggest jump I took and um that’s why I feel so positive and ready where I am now like from the outside like we see some of the coverage busts and it’s easy to be critical but from the inside when you see that happening what goes through like the mind of a player watching that. I mean, it’s always a reason why you know something bust or so obviously you know the defense, you know who supposed to be right there or like what’s supposed to happen. So, you really just you know you know your keys and stuff so you know what’s supposed to happen. Is it always helpful to be able to to watch that and then know, oh, I would have done this differently or position. Um, I feel like I don’t look at it necessarily like that, but more so like you could just kind of see I’m not going I’m not going to say like um I don’t look at it like like that, but more so just knowing the defense and knowing like okay, who’s supposed to be there and and are you guys working on communication? uh extra meetings, uh meeting together, uh making it simpler, you know, making it very simple for uh for all of us to, you know, to to make those checks and reads that we need. What what changes in a pass rush approach when you’re playing a quarterback like Justin Fields? Um it’s just all about the plan. I mean, the coach give us a plan and we just got to execute it really. every week is a plan and we just we just try to execute it. Piggy backing off of that, you mentioned Justin Gills and Grace Hall. Just as an offense as a whole, what’s kind of gonna be keys to stop them because it seems like on tape, you know, the record doesn’t really reflect their energy and intensity whenever they’re trying to go. Well, of course, uh we got to get takeaways. Um and we got to stop the uh the run and then we got to rush. Like I mean just that’s just plain and simple. That’s the three things we got to get done. Once we get those done at a high level, we’ll be very successful. Is it getting does it feel frustrating at all that like you know the things we’ll have to do, but the execution hasn’t been there yet? Uh sometimes, yeah, but I mean we can’t go against what the coach says, so we got to do what he says. Do you feel like you want to like our understanding the scheme well? Yeah, I mean the scheme is the scheme is pretty simple, especially on the Dline part. It’s just like we got to do what they tell us to do about what it be like to be in the NFL chasing dreams. Yeah. So, so, so, so actually uh actually the day after he got uh drafted, we were just sitting and talking like man uh we used to dream doing this. We used to talk about about this like we used to train for this and then now it’s it’s just crazy, man. It’s crazy. So, yeah. I mean, how obviously get making the NFL is a long shot for anyone. Yep. Yep. What’s it like to just see the dream become the reality? I mean, knowing how odds are against this, you know? Honestly, man, it’s something I really can’t explain for real. It’s just a great feeling, you know. It’s a great feeling. Your mom going to have one of those half jerseys on how she has she had jerseys made, shirts made, and she only can wear one of them. So, I don’t know. You see what I’m saying? So, she going to have all of it done. So, do you envision what the post game’s going to be like? Cuz obviously you guys are Oh. Definitely. Definitely. He going He’s going to get my jersey. I’m going to get uh his and I’m going to give him my cleats. I shouldn’t have said that, but I’m going to give him my cleat cuz I got some special made cleats for him. Uh and then we’re going to go up to our mom, give her a hug, kiss, and you know what I’m saying? She’s probably going to cry, but you know, it’s worth it. Special made cleats for him. So, yeah. So, I’m going to wear them, but I’m going to give them to him. Yeah. So, I got like his name, but I can’t tell I can’t tell tell y’all yet. I can’t tell y’all yet. That’s fair. That’s fair. Same for you yesterday. You’re not talking to him anymore this week. Listen, listen, listen. I lied. I listen. I talked to him yesterday, but it was not smiles though. I I was just answering his questions like, “Yes, no. Yes, no.” But yeah, it’s done from here. Yeah. Yeah. I’m I’m going to talk to him probably Saturday night. I’m actually probably going to go see him for a little little bit just, you know, give him a hug and tell him bye. So, how excited for you the opportunity to start with Lee Hooker probably? Uh yeah. Yeah, man. And it’s uh something I’ve been uh you know practicing for. Um obviously I know my role you know uh I I practice like a starter every week. So this is nothing different. It’s nothing different. So what’s it like for you coming in defense trying to find itself in the past? Man, it’s just a it’s just a chance for me to come in and see if I can help, you know? Um like I said, I I I I practice for this moment. Um I’m not going to do nothing different. just, you know what I’m saying? See what I can do. Talk about positioning being a big thing. How would you say everybody’s adjusting to scheme and what they need to be cover? Really good, man. It it’s going to it’s been it’s been rough the past four games, but we’re going to get it right, man. Uh I truly believe that. And and and I know the media I know all of y’all is seeing what’s going going on, but if you really look at the depths of it, we are getting better every week. You know what I’m saying? We didn’t really give up a deep. We gave up that one. And like that was it for the rest of the game. So like so like you got to look at the things we we are getting good at. So why are why are more kicks being blocked now? Because of me. No n. But uh honestly if you look at the field goal teams across the league for real you have a quote unquote leaker which is like the soft side. And I feel like everybody across the league is attacking that side now. So, um, obviously that that is something I always look at every week. So, so did you know coming into the game you would have a chance to get one? I don’t mean to sound cocky, but like if you go back and watch watch film, I got back there every week like it was just a matter of time and that was perfect timing. So, and once you get one though, do you expect everybody to know where you’re going to be? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But, I mean, I’m I’m going have to work a little harder now, but you know, I believe in myself still. So it looked identical to the 2023 one to open the season. Was it I know in that one CJ kind of told you something and opened it up. Was it similar situation? Similar. It’s it’s it’s crazy cuz CJ came up to me during the week again and told me you going to have a chance to do this and that. We practiced it and I trusted my vet, you know what I’m saying? And I did it. And then shout out to Donald Easy too. He is one of the reasons I got the block too if you go back and watch it. So shout out to them two guys, you know. Uh, it’s not just me cuz obviously it’s my job is easy to just jump through there. You feel what I’m saying? But those are the guys that actually busting their tail so I can jump through there. So, so CJ’s predicting it. He predicted it. He is I don’t know. He He Yeah, he predicted it. So, yeah. Who’s the funniest person? Funniest. Oh, honestly, Mr. Josh Butler. He he he is he is funny. He’s very funny. If you look at his social media page, he has some stuff on there. So, he’s If you’re not humble, is it you? I’m not really funny talking for real. It’s just my actions. So, yeah. How’s his music? Oh, his music is great. So, you got to listen to what’s called Pretty Brown Skin. Okay. That’s my favorite one. My favorite one.

Members of the Dallas Cowboys defensive unit met with the media following Wednesday’s practice to share their thoughts on the upcoming matchup vs the New York Jets.

0:00 Trevon Diggs
4:38 DaRon Bland
8:18 Kenny Clark
11:11 Caelan Carson
14:36 Sam Williams
16:08 Juanyeh Thomas

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