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