Jason Garrett talks drops, play-calls, bad play, and putting two guys on IR

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett spoke with the press after a brutal loss to the Eagles on Sunday. He answered questions about the game and the future. (All answers are paraphrased and not actual quotes).

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Leighton Vander Esch’s status

He got an exam today and we are going to put him on IR. He’s going to have minor surgery and we anticipate a full recovery.

Xavier Su’a-Filo’s status

Having surgery now, he has a broken bone in his leg and will go on IR.

How do you assess Vander Esch’s season

He did a good job when healthy, he grew from last year. He was great as a rookie and we feel like he got better. He’s dealing with a neck injury and we want to do the right thing, we believe he’ll be back and healthy. After he got his exam its the direction the doctors wanted to go in.

Joe Looney play guard?

That is the initial move, we’ll need to get another o lineman on the roster.

Approach to this week’s game

The biggest thing is control what we can control and play our best game on Sunday. We need to take care of our part, put the last game behind us and get right for Weds practice.

What does your record say about this team?

That we played 15 games, lost 7 and won 8. We need to focus on now, put the past behind us, clean up stuff and go forward to Sunday.

The team hasn’t won all season when behind at half

It’s important to start fast in games, it’s a point of emphasis, you also want to be good on 1st and 2nd down to set up 3rd downs. We did a good job in the first game against Philly, didn’t do a good job this time. We ran our 4th play on offense and were down 10-0. We settled down and the response was good, but we have to play for 60 minutes.

3rd and 1 calls and not using Zeke

The first time Zeke made a good run then hit his head so we put TP in. The 3rd and 1 looked good against that front but we didn’t execute. The second one was a longer one yard, almost two yards, and we went with a play that we thought would be good but couldn’t hook up (pass to Amari Cooper).

Offensive inconsistency

Ultimately comes down to 3rd down, we had manageable ones we didn’t convert but we also had some longer ones. That's a reflection of early downs, best to stay out of 3rd down and long. Like our second drive, we had a screen and we lost two yards and then an incompletion and now its 3rd and 12. We didn’t convert some easy ones, too.

4th and 8 play call

We got to a play that we use 12 personnel, the two receivers were Gallup and Austin. We have options on that play, ball can go different places, good matchup for Gallup just couldn’t convert.

Whose ultimately responsibility for no Cobb or Cooper on the 4th and 8

When we’re in two minute offense, receivers rotate in and out. Cooper and Cobb made plays during that drive, we also missed a 9 route to Austin earlier for a TD. Each guy will play, Cooper ran a 7 route to the boundary right before that, Kellen called the play and we went with it.

Sense any frustration from Cooper

We were not as efficient on offense as we needed. We gave him some targets but they did a good job on him, he made some plays but there was a 3rd down that he could have had, but they did a good job on him.

Drops from receivers

Hard to know why, they are good football players. We missed some throws and some catches and it had an impact on an inefficient passing game. Different guys had drops, we had some opportunities.

Joe Thomas knee/ Malcolm Smith

Thomas couldn’t practice this week, there was one big play out there and Joe was trying to work through it. We brought Smith in and he did a good job.

Chidobe Awuzie’s play

Didn’t play as well as he needed to so we gave Jourdan a chance outside. Chido settled down a bit, but didn’t play as well as needed. Seemed like he was involved in plays, both run and pass, where they had success.

Will Jourdan Lewis stay outside?

No determination on the future.

Dak’s shoulder

It was sore, he’s getting treatment, day by day, we’ll see about practice.

Did it affect him in game?

You’d have to ask him that question. He played hard and tough, unfortunately not as efficient as needed.

Will guys be all-in for this week?

They better be, we think we built that kind of team.