Defenders telling each other what to do, in a good way
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - When the Dallas Cowboys line up on defense these days, there's all sorts of chatter going on.
"We're telling each other, 'Hey, I'm gone.' Or, 'You've got to come to me,'" cornerback Terence Newman said.
The noise isn't caused by guys trying to figure out what to do and where to be in the scheme being implemented by new coach Wade Phillips. It's by design, a simple thing called communication.
And not only was it lacking under coach Bill Parcells, it was basically forbidden.
"Last year, it was really one guy speaking. Me," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "A lot of pressure was on me to make the calls. Really, my whole job was to manage the game. But now, we have a lot of guys talking. Communication is definitely big. You have to have communication on the back end and the front end so everyone knows what's going on.
"If you don't communicate well, you don't have a chance. It only takes one bad play to ruin a game. So now everyone is speaking up. It's not just on one guy. It's on everybody to make sure they know what's going on, from down and distance to what formation is in and what to expect."
Newman said that although he has experience playing with fellow defensive backs Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn and Roy Williams, it's somewhat meaningless because of the new system and the new emphasis on communication.
"It's kind of like we're all being together for the first time," Newman said. "In this defense, everybody has to talk. If you watch practice, and you pay attention, you can hear everybody talking because everyone has to know exactly where the other person is at. ... If everyone is on the same page and you still mess up, it's better than half the side knowing the defense and half the side playing something else."
So is that part of what went wrong down the stretch last year?
"We don't even want to talk about last year," James said. "This year, it's totally different. Everyone is communicating, stepping up to the plate and doing what they're supposed to do."
New defensive coordinator Brian Stewart is so enthused that he's gone on record saying Dallas could have the best defensive in the league.
"That's good," Newman said. "If your D-coordinator doesn't think you can be the best in the NFL, that's bad. ... We definitely have the talent. We've got to take that to heart and take it over to the game."
WE LOVE S.A.: Quarterback Tony Romo was a wide-eyed rookie when the Dallas Cowboys last held training camp in the Alamodome. After a few years in the Pacific Coast breezes of Oxnard, Calif., he was eager to get back in front of the fans in San Antonio.
"I told some of the new guys that came in, 'You're in for a treat,'" Romo said. "Every time we come out here they make it feel like a mini-scrimmage or a game in some ways.
“Every time you drop back to pass, you want the crowd to cheer so you want to compete it. It adds to it. It's really exciting for us."
The first week of camp drew 86,392 fans to the Alamodome, including 17,297 for a concert.
The smallest crowd was 3,580 for Monday's morning workout.
Coach Wade Phillips likes it when the fans get loud because it forces players to listen and focus harder, like they'll have to in games.
He doesn't even mind when the sounds are stirred up by mascot Rowdy.
"You have half your games on the road and there's going to be noise," Phillips said. "If noise is going to bother your team, you might as well learn it now. People put on loudspeakers and all that to get their team ready to play on the road. So I don't think it hurts when he does it. I think it helps certainly when we make a play and everybody gets excited, too."
The biggest plus of being in the Alamodome is not worrying about the weather.
Coaches know they'll get their work in without rain and that players won't be fatigued by the sun, two especially important factors with a new coaching staff.
Of course, the heat is coming. The Cowboys are expected to start working out at team headquarters Aug. 11, leaving them plenty of time to sweat.
"Outside in Texas right now we couldn't have the zip in the practices we're having," Phillips said. "You'd have to slow it down. The teaching would be slower. I think it's good to have the pads on and be able to work hard like we can do and have more reps. And then get used to the heat."
"We're telling each other, 'Hey, I'm gone.' Or, 'You've got to come to me,'" cornerback Terence Newman said.
The noise isn't caused by guys trying to figure out what to do and where to be in the scheme being implemented by new coach Wade Phillips. It's by design, a simple thing called communication.
And not only was it lacking under coach Bill Parcells, it was basically forbidden.
"Last year, it was really one guy speaking. Me," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "A lot of pressure was on me to make the calls. Really, my whole job was to manage the game. But now, we have a lot of guys talking. Communication is definitely big. You have to have communication on the back end and the front end so everyone knows what's going on.
"If you don't communicate well, you don't have a chance. It only takes one bad play to ruin a game. So now everyone is speaking up. It's not just on one guy. It's on everybody to make sure they know what's going on, from down and distance to what formation is in and what to expect."
Newman said that although he has experience playing with fellow defensive backs Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn and Roy Williams, it's somewhat meaningless because of the new system and the new emphasis on communication.
"It's kind of like we're all being together for the first time," Newman said. "In this defense, everybody has to talk. If you watch practice, and you pay attention, you can hear everybody talking because everyone has to know exactly where the other person is at. ... If everyone is on the same page and you still mess up, it's better than half the side knowing the defense and half the side playing something else."
So is that part of what went wrong down the stretch last year?
"We don't even want to talk about last year," James said. "This year, it's totally different. Everyone is communicating, stepping up to the plate and doing what they're supposed to do."
New defensive coordinator Brian Stewart is so enthused that he's gone on record saying Dallas could have the best defensive in the league.
"That's good," Newman said. "If your D-coordinator doesn't think you can be the best in the NFL, that's bad. ... We definitely have the talent. We've got to take that to heart and take it over to the game."
WE LOVE S.A.: Quarterback Tony Romo was a wide-eyed rookie when the Dallas Cowboys last held training camp in the Alamodome. After a few years in the Pacific Coast breezes of Oxnard, Calif., he was eager to get back in front of the fans in San Antonio.
"I told some of the new guys that came in, 'You're in for a treat,'" Romo said. "Every time we come out here they make it feel like a mini-scrimmage or a game in some ways.
“Every time you drop back to pass, you want the crowd to cheer so you want to compete it. It adds to it. It's really exciting for us."
The first week of camp drew 86,392 fans to the Alamodome, including 17,297 for a concert.
The smallest crowd was 3,580 for Monday's morning workout.
Coach Wade Phillips likes it when the fans get loud because it forces players to listen and focus harder, like they'll have to in games.
He doesn't even mind when the sounds are stirred up by mascot Rowdy.
"You have half your games on the road and there's going to be noise," Phillips said. "If noise is going to bother your team, you might as well learn it now. People put on loudspeakers and all that to get their team ready to play on the road. So I don't think it hurts when he does it. I think it helps certainly when we make a play and everybody gets excited, too."
The biggest plus of being in the Alamodome is not worrying about the weather.
Coaches know they'll get their work in without rain and that players won't be fatigued by the sun, two especially important factors with a new coaching staff.
Of course, the heat is coming. The Cowboys are expected to start working out at team headquarters Aug. 11, leaving them plenty of time to sweat.
"Outside in Texas right now we couldn't have the zip in the practices we're having," Phillips said. "You'd have to slow it down. The teaching would be slower. I think it's good to have the pads on and be able to work hard like we can do and have more reps. And then get used to the heat."
posted by The Gryphon at 6:20 PM
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