Jason Garrett discusses dropped passes, Trysten Hill, and gives an injury update

The Dallas Cowboys are getting back to work from their mini-bye and tuning up for the Los Angeles Rams. Coach Jason Garrett spoke to the press about the state of the team and their preparations. (All answers are paraphrased and not actual quotes).

Cowboys felt like they needed to make a change at kicker

Jason Garrett was asked right away why the Cowboys chose to move on from Brett Maher at kicker and he simply noted that it was time. He said the Cowboys had missed too many make-able kicks. He also noted the team has a history with Kai Forbath and they are excited to have him.

Message coming into this week

Garrett was firm in saying that the Cowboys need focus what they need to do in order to play winning football, it’s all about preparation. He kept the focus on this week and said that the team had a great day on Monday.

Offense has been erratic over the losing streak

Asked about the offense not performing well during the team’s losing streak, Garrett lumped everything together and said that the Cowboys have not been doing well enough in all three phases of the game.

How do you build confidence?

It would make sense for a team to have low confidence after losing three games in a row but Garrett said the Cowboys simply have to get back to work now.

Injury update

Leighton Vander Esch isn’t expected to practice, Jeff Heath, Antwaun Woods and Tony Pollard are expected to practice

Aaron Donald/Jalen Ramsey on the Rams defense

Garrett gave his typical praise of both players on the Rams defense, ticking off their physical traits along with their competitive spirit, etc.

Trysten Hill has played well

The Cowboys have had to use Trysten Hill more lately and Garrett said that he thinks the second-rounder is improving. He noted that he’s flashed on some plays in chasing down the ball or affecting the quarterback. He thinks Hill is learning from experience and that he is becoming a more disciplined player and showing some consistency now.

Dak’s play over the losing streak

Asked about how Dak Prescott has played over the team’s losing streak, Garrett said that he didn’t want to spend too much time on what had happened in the past and that the Cowboys simply want to get better and focus on moving ahead.

Wide receiver drops

When asked about fixing the drops problem, Garrett discussed how the receivers, tight ends and running backs are always catching in practice and in various drills. He said they try to identify if the drops are concentration problems or things like bad hand placement and then work on correcting it.

Rams playoff game in rearview mirror

The Cowboys played the Rams in the playoffs last season (they lost) and when asked if it felt like that was somewhat recent, Garrett said that like a lot of things in life it seems like it was both yesterday and 10 years ago.