Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, Sir, how much
Speaker 1: better is it to wake up on Monday morning with
Speaker 1: that victory? Well, it's a huge difference. And I think
Speaker 1: we said all last week, I mean it, you know,
Speaker 1: we didn't need any more moral victories or hey, you
Speaker 1: played well enough to win, but you didn't get it.
Speaker 1: And certainly this one check the box here for us,
Speaker 1: and hopefully we can build off of this and you know,
Speaker 1: get on track here and and put some things together
Speaker 1: and you're ready to play a tough divisional opponent in
Speaker 1: the Eagles and go to work. Stephen, we were just
Speaker 1: discussing how big it was to get the ball to
Speaker 1: start the game and score a touchdown. It hadn't happened
Speaker 1: in twenty one games, I believe, is the stat How
Speaker 1: important was it to just go down and just have
Speaker 1: a great offensive start to this game. Well, it's real important.
Speaker 1: I mean anytime you start fast and certainly do what
Speaker 1: we did, which go down and score, gives everybody the
Speaker 1: momentum they need. It was nice to, you know, getting
Speaker 1: pretty close to having a full group out there, although
Speaker 1: we were missing a gallop and l But I think
Speaker 1: I said and still did a great job, which is
Speaker 1: what you have to do in this league. You have
Speaker 1: to have people step up. But to get that drive
Speaker 1: in obviously, we you know, have been feeling awfully strong about,
Speaker 1: you know, what we can do offensively with the football,
Speaker 1: and I think we did get off to a good start,
Speaker 1: and then of course the defets. You know, it's hopefully
Speaker 1: starting to get an identity, which is h being able
Speaker 1: to turn the ball over. And even though they got
Speaker 1: off to a fast start on their drive, we entered
Speaker 1: it with a turnover there and it was a good
Speaker 1: way to start the game. I'm glad you mentioned the defense.
Speaker 1: We've clearly talked about that a lot. Today is on
Speaker 1: the one hand, twenty six in the league in yards
Speaker 1: giving up per game, but in the stat that matters more,
Speaker 1: fifteenth in the league and points giving up per game.
Speaker 1: How are you feeling about the way the defense has
Speaker 1: looked through two games? And do you think this turnover
Speaker 1: run is sustainable? I do. I think that's the style
Speaker 1: of play coach Quinn and uh Mike had in mind
Speaker 1: when Mike brought him in, and I think we're certainly,
Speaker 1: uh you know, that's what we stress in practice, and
Speaker 1: the bigger thing here is I think this defense is
Speaker 1: only only going to get better as we move forward. Obviously,
Speaker 1: you know, everybody has to deal with injuries, but on
Speaker 1: the defensive side of the ball there we were having
Speaker 1: to do some makeshift things, missing Randy Gregory and d
Speaker 1: Law and our starting safety. Uh, you know, we had
Speaker 1: some challenges there. But I thought, you know, our staff
Speaker 1: did a great job of moving some guys around. Obviously,
Speaker 1: Micah Uh, you know, did a great job. They're playing
Speaker 1: as a pass rusher for us yesterday and about later
Speaker 1: man Jalen stepped up and did a nice job for us.
Speaker 1: So you know, I think this defense is only going
Speaker 1: to improve as we moved forward. We certainly had two
Speaker 1: big challenges right off the bat, playing probably the best
Speaker 1: to ever play the game in Brady and then turning
Speaker 1: around and getting the rookie of the year from last year.
Speaker 1: And I think anybody who noticed football and could see
Speaker 1: the game, I mean, they've got him a great young
Speaker 1: quarterback there in Herbert, some really strong receivers there that
Speaker 1: gave us some challenges. But I thought our defense did
Speaker 1: a real nice job. Speaking of a real nice job,
Speaker 1: Micah Parsons was awesome at defensive end. I don't know
Speaker 1: if the word is surprised, but as a Cowboy fan,
Speaker 1: it was. I just didn't expect him to just step
Speaker 1: into defensive end and be just that disruptive. It did
Speaker 1: look to me like the hard knocks, like DeMarcus Ware
Speaker 1: taught him everything, and he's like, all right, I'm gonna
Speaker 1: beat my guy the majority of times and make things
Speaker 1: hard on Herbert. How impressed were you with him stepping
Speaker 1: into a new role in being that good that quick. Well,
Speaker 1: my hat's off to him. I think he hadn't played
Speaker 1: that he said, I had played that much. It's high school.
Speaker 1: But you know, at the end of the day, he
Speaker 1: just has some rare, freakish physical tools and then on
Speaker 1: to go with a very instinctive football mind, and whether
Speaker 1: that's playing linebacker, whether that's coming off an edge, he
Speaker 1: just knows how to play the game of football. And
Speaker 1: the package of that with like I said, is freakish
Speaker 1: physical tools. That makes for the makings of a great
Speaker 1: football player. And he's certainly learning on the run here
Speaker 1: and he's getting a lot thrown at it, but he
Speaker 1: seems to answer the bell at every corner. And you know,
Speaker 1: I wouldn't say surprised is the right word, but certainly
Speaker 1: very pleased with how he played, and certainly he met
Speaker 1: and exceeded all expectations of what we could have had
Speaker 1: for him out there playing the edge rusher there. Understand
Speaker 1: this could certainly be matchup dependent, but would you anticipate
Speaker 1: him staying out at edge rusher for the time being.
Speaker 1: You know, I think one of the things he brings
Speaker 1: his diversatility, and I think you know, when teams are
Speaker 1: not knowing where where he's gonna line up, I think
Speaker 1: that creates issues. And you know, as we get to
Speaker 1: we'll have Randy back off the COVID list this week,
Speaker 1: and you know, all the guys who've covered our team here,
Speaker 1: you guys know what we think of Randy and the
Speaker 1: type of off season he had, the type of training
Speaker 1: camp he had, they the preseason he had, he bring
Speaker 1: him back in the mix, and you know, I just
Speaker 1: think this defense should only improve as the season moves forward.
Speaker 1: And you know, the good news is right now we
Speaker 1: hadn't lost anybody for the year. We know we'll get
Speaker 1: the all back at some point, and then they've got
Speaker 1: some help on the interior as well coming. So you know,
Speaker 1: we're just excited about what this defense can develop into.
Speaker 1: Malie Cooker got some really valuable snaps after having to
Speaker 1: sit out from what we all know what tough injuries
Speaker 1: coming off these Achilles injuries. And I thought he did
Speaker 1: a nice shot for us and think he'll only improve
Speaker 1: as well. So I do think they are is up
Speaker 1: on this defense. As you said, we certainly got room
Speaker 1: to improve or still twenty six and yards and you
Speaker 1: know we're in the top half a smidge in fifteen. Yeah,
Speaker 1: let's given up. So we're we're fired up about where
Speaker 1: this defense can head. But it certainly got room for improvement. Stephen,
Speaker 1: these might not be your favorite questions, but Richard Sherman
Speaker 1: is out there saying I'm ready to play football again.
Speaker 1: He's uh, you know, being in reports on teams having interest.
Speaker 1: Are you guys going to look at Richard Sherman. You know,
Speaker 1: we always uh you know, don't really get into the
Speaker 1: details of who's on our radar, but we certainly do
Speaker 1: our homework on all players that might be available and
Speaker 1: what their situations are, and uh, you know, Will and
Speaker 1: a personnel department do a great job of that. And
Speaker 1: I know we're we're continuing to look for ways to
Speaker 1: improve this football team. All right, I I kind of
Speaker 1: in the in the same veins. I'm hoping you can
Speaker 1: give us whatever insight possible here. I know you can't
Speaker 1: get into specifics, but we've we've heard and seen things
Speaker 1: about what Lyle Collins might use as part of his
Speaker 1: appeal without speaking specifically about him. Are you allowed to
Speaker 1: assist in players defenses with things like this? Like are
Speaker 1: you allowed to confirm with the NFL? Yes, we did
Speaker 1: indeed have a COVID scare that day in cancel practice,
Speaker 1: or like, are y'all allowed to be involved in that
Speaker 1: process at all? Yeah? Whenever we're asked questions, I mean,
Speaker 1: the age can certainly for Lyle and his representation can
Speaker 1: ask us questions about our scheduling, and so can the league,
Speaker 1: and so it's yes, you can be involved like that, Okay.
Speaker 1: And then when it comes to you mentioned to start
Speaker 1: this segment off about Terrence Steele, and from our perspective
Speaker 1: and I think yours too, he did a terrific job
Speaker 1: filling in for Lyle, and you guys had a lot
Speaker 1: of confidence in him. How pleased are you that it's
Speaker 1: working out so far? In Game one at least of
Speaker 1: this year that just looking at the stats, looking at
Speaker 1: what he did, especially against Bosa, one of the best
Speaker 1: in the NFL, that he was able to help Dak
Speaker 1: have the time to have a successful game. Well, it's
Speaker 1: very pleasing to see that. Obviously. I think it's paid
Speaker 1: off all the all the opportunities he got last year,
Speaker 1: and albeit they all weren't great outings, he certainly was
Speaker 1: learning every time he went out there, and then he
Speaker 1: came back in the off season and I think that
Speaker 1: you know, bigger, stronger, faster, if you will, and uh,
Speaker 1: you know, had a great off season that he wanted
Speaker 1: to build upon. He's a pro. He goes about things
Speaker 1: the right way, and I think it's starting to pay off.
Speaker 1: For one. But you know, as I said, you're going
Speaker 1: to meet all these players to get through the europe
Speaker 1: I kind of mc govern did the same thing last week,
Speaker 1: and now has Steel step up and do the exact
Speaker 1: same thing. Just shows uh, you know, I think we
Speaker 1: argued some good depth in here in our offensive line
Speaker 1: and hopefully we'll get in a secie back in the
Speaker 1: next couple of weeks as well, because you do need
Speaker 1: them all. This is it's a part of the NFL
Speaker 1: right now, and you know, you just got to turn
Speaker 1: on Sports Center and see all the injuries that took
Speaker 1: place yesterday. In terms of other teams having to deal
Speaker 1: with the same thing. I mean, you're just you know,
Speaker 1: that's part of the game we play. We're not unique
Speaker 1: and that we're the only ones having some bad luck
Speaker 1: in terms of whether it's an injury, whether it's COVID,
Speaker 1: whether it's a suspension. You know, these things take place,
Speaker 1: and you've got to put up, you know, a fifty
Speaker 1: three man roster. You've got to have sixteen tactice squad
Speaker 1: guys in our case, seventeen because of our international spot.
Speaker 1: And you certainly got the injury lists and things like that.
Speaker 1: But you know, when you're all said and done, you're
Speaker 1: gonna need seventy five eighty players if you're gonna make
Speaker 1: a run. Talk with Stephen Jones right here on one
Speaker 1: oh five through the Fan. After a big Cowboys win
Speaker 1: over the Chargers yesterday, we heard Mike mccarth in the
Speaker 1: post game about the video ring getting changed up and
Speaker 1: not being able to see the clock. I wanted to know,
Speaker 1: like what is the usual, you know, like what's the
Speaker 1: way that things go do you just look up at
Speaker 1: the scoreboard usually to see the clock? Do you guys
Speaker 1: have like a time management consultant on the sideline as well?
Speaker 1: Like how do you usually just look at the clock
Speaker 1: and intake that information? Well, Mike's the right gut ass
Speaker 1: because he's a coach on head coach on the sideline.
Speaker 1: But no, there's I mean, that's what the coaches have
Speaker 1: available to them or whatever's in the in the stadiums,
Speaker 1: you know, whether it's the whether it be the play clock,
Speaker 1: whether it be the big clock. I mean, all of
Speaker 1: those things are in play. And certainly with all the
Speaker 1: new technology and the new scoreboards when you know, came
Speaker 1: with a unique on the center hang one and now
Speaker 1: uh you know you look at what the Falcons did
Speaker 1: and now you look at what they're doing in LA.
Speaker 1: There's you know, there's probably some some new things that
Speaker 1: come with being a head coach and what's your staff
Speaker 1: and Mike has his staff put together? Well, I mean
Speaker 1: he can certainly speak to that in terms of he's
Speaker 1: doing what we've had different head coaches. He'd like to
Speaker 1: point those things out, and other head coaches he you know,
Speaker 1: don't want to say a lot about it. But that's
Speaker 1: a good, great question for Mike, but certainly, uh, you know,
Speaker 1: what you have is access to what's in the building.
Speaker 1: So Stephen. Last one from me. We talked Friday to
Speaker 1: Jerry and we asked him about Tony Pollard and could
Speaker 1: he have an impact in this game and maybe see
Speaker 1: more touches And he said, yeah, we need to get
Speaker 1: Tony Pollard more touches. We believe a lot in him
Speaker 1: and for me, he was the MVP of that game
Speaker 1: offensively yesterday. Can you speak to what Tony Pollard did
Speaker 1: and is that going to be I don't know exactly
Speaker 1: how to say. It's his role in touching the ball
Speaker 1: that many times. Well, I think you know we did
Speaker 1: say it last week, is we do have to get
Speaker 1: him more touches. Either a dynamic player, I think he's
Speaker 1: a great compliment to Zeke. He's got the skill set
Speaker 1: that he can actually be a legit slot receiver if
Speaker 1: that's what's needed from him on eight particular formation, on
Speaker 1: eighth particular play. And as you've seen, we've had Zeke
Speaker 1: and Tony in there at the same time, and I
Speaker 1: think it's a great combination in terms of making the
Speaker 1: defense make some tough choices, but he is a guy
Speaker 1: you know that. As we move forward, ever, defense is
Speaker 1: different in terms of how you want to attack him.
Speaker 1: But the common theme here is I think anybody in
Speaker 1: the organization will say that he certainly deserves to get
Speaker 1: his touches. All right, Stephen, last thing Saturday, you guys
Speaker 1: got a big game in y'all's building. I'm really rooting
Speaker 1: hard for one of these teams. Is there any way
Speaker 1: can get a gig him from you on your way
Speaker 1: out the door. Don't think you're going to get that
Speaker 1: one man. You might get a whoopeg zui, but you
Speaker 1: won't get a gig him all. I mean, I kind
Speaker 1: of did if you think about it. There's a lot
Speaker 1: of a lot of great Aggie, a lot of great
Speaker 1: Agge fans that I know are cowboys fans and respect them.
Speaker 1: But you know, blood thicker and water at the end
Speaker 1: of the day, and my boys on a wearing that
Speaker 1: hog on his hat, so you know where our loyalties
Speaker 1: will be for this particular game. It was worth a shot,
Speaker 1: and I hope that you win at least one game
Speaker 1: in your building this weekend, just not that one. Thank
Speaker 1: you very much, Stephen All right guys, great to be
Speaker 1: on