Cowboys news: Kris Richard is calling the defense, is he the “DC”?

Faith In Kris Richard Includes Play-Calling - Rob Phillips, Dallas Cowboys
It's no secret, Kris Richard carries a big stick in the Cowboys organization, that includes calling the defense.

“Yeah, a little bit more here and there,” Marinelli said. “But we just have a feel as we go through the week, especially with the pace and the tempo. It’s been good, really good.

“He’s got a good feel pressure wise, can we hold up, all those things. The thing I’ve always believed in, and it’s one of our standards here, is it’s about the team. Everybody says the word, but the team to me is everything, every decision you make, is how you get the team better. And some of the things he can do, he makes us better.”

Earl Thomas still in Seattle, but a Seahawks import boosts Dallas Cowboys - Todd Archer, ESPN
Kris Richard has had a noticeable impact on this Cowboys defense, he brings the swagger that made his former unit famous in the Pacific Northwest.

“Just his passion, emotion,” defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford said. “He’s got a great understanding of the game and expertise, yeah, definitely. I would never take that away from him. But it’s that and just the fact that he’s got a lot of confidence in himself as a coach, as a great coach. That’s what encourages me. He’s got that.”

Report: Kris Richard called defensive plays in win over Giants - RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys
Are we being fooled? It certainly seems like Kris Richard is every bit of the Cowboys defensive coordinator.

Perhaps this could be an indication that Richard is the team’s defensive coordinator of the future when Marinelli decides to retire. It says an awful lot about their faith in him that the Cowboys would let a coach in his first year with the team call the defensive plays. It says even more that when he did the unit blitzed and got home to the tune of six sacks.

The Cowboys visit the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday where Kris Richard used to coach. It’s safe to say he likely wants to use his new toys to show them what they let walk out the door. Hopefully the Cowboys continue to let him.

Why Cowboys DC Rod Marinelli is just fine leaving the play-calling to Kris Richard - Brandon George, SportsDay
Cowboys DC Rod Marinelli admitted that Kris Richard handled the defensive play-calls in Sunday night's win and he will continue to do so.

Marinelli said Richard called all of the defensive plays against the Giants and primarily handled the duty in the season opener at Carolina, but with Marinelli’s input during the games and the week of practices. Marinelli said Eberflus, who left in the offseason to become the Colts’ defensive coordinator, took on much of the same responsibilities in 2017.

The Cowboys blitzed much more Sunday than they have in previous seasons under Marinelli. Richard is a fan of blitzing often, but Marinelli’s approach has long been to get pressure primarily with his front four along the defensive line.

Cowboys LB Sean Lee on Seattle: 'I plan on playing in this game' - David Moore, SportsDay
Sean Lee understands the concerns about his injury history but he intends on playing this Sunday against the Seahawks.

“I plan on playing in this game,” Lee said. “I feel good. I’m getting better. I’ve been working hard and I plan on playing.”

Lee experienced tightness in his hamstring on the final play of the third quarter of the team’s win over the New York Giants. He didn’t return for the fourth quarter except to take the field for an onsides kick.

Lee worked on resistance cords off to the side and didn’t practice with the team on Wednesday. He took part in Thursday’s practice on a limited basis.

Practice Update: Possibly More Work For Sean Lee coming - Rob Phillips, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are hopeful that defensive captain Sean Lee can get some more work in after missing a practice with hamstring tightness.

Lee (hamstring tightness) started on the resistance cords during the open portion Thursday. Before practice, head coach Jason Garrett said he was hopeful Lee could increase his reps.

“We will see how he is doing at the outset of practice and give him the work that he needs as we go,” Garrett said.

Sean Lee says he is playing but can defense do it without him? - Clarence Hill, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Are the Cowboys finally equipped on defense to continue thriving even if Sean Lee is out of the lineup?

Last season, the Cowboys were 1-5 in games without Lee and the defense allowed roughly 11 points more per contest. Well, if the 20-13 victory against the New York Giants is an indication, the terror alert for the defense without Lee has dropped from severe-red to blue and guarded.

Lee played just 41 snaps and was off the field for the bulk of the fourth quarter due to a tight hamstring, yet the defense held up with rookie Leighton Vander Esch and Joe Thomas subbing for him at weak side linebacker. Vander Esch recorded seven tackles on 28 snaps in the game.

Dallas Cowboys hoping to keep Ezekiel Elliott rolling into Week 3 - Todd Archer, ESPN
Recent history suggests that Ezekiel Elliott may just go off in week 3.

The Seattle Seahawks have the 23rd-ranked run defense.

In 2016, Elliott had 140 yards on 30 carries in a win against the Chicago Bears in Week 3. After being held to 8 yards on nine carries in Week 2 by the Denver Broncos last season, Elliott had 22 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown in a win against the Arizona Cardinals.

Why the Cowboys gameplan for the Seahawks game should look familiar - Michael Sisemore, Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys have another banged up offensive line on the horizon, are the "Hot Boyz" in for a repeat performance?

On defense, it’s quite simple for the Cowboys, the “Hot Boyz” just need to keep doing what they’re doing. It’ll be a little bit harder on the linebackers who will have to contain Russell Wilson, he still has that rare ability to beat teams almost single-handedly. This is a huge game for guys like Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, Joe Thomas, and Damien Wilson. If they contain Wilson, it’s going to put even more pressure on an outmatched offensive line. With a secondary that bottled up a better receiving corps last week, it’s just about staying disciplined.

Dallas Cowboys are most valuable franchise in NFL per Forbes, again - Peter Dawson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Cowboys continue to be the most valuable franchise in the NFL by a wide margin.

But Forbes’ annual valuation proves that a team’s lack of success on the field doesn’t necessarily impede it from generating close to a $1 billion in revenue.

For the 12th consecutive year, the Dallas Cowboys remain the most valuable franchise in the NFL at a clean $5 billion. Per the report, the Cowboys earned $864 million in revenue.

We see you, Daniel Ross.

We see you, DeMarcus Lawrence.