The Dallas Cowboys defense is struggling, and that is a fact. Five games in, they hold the 31st spot for total defense. Some players think a private meeting on Monday morning will fix the mess. I think that is a bad look for the team.
Mike Tomlin isn’t a fan of this move. Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast featured the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, who the Dallas News reports was questioned regarding the Cowboys’ players-only meeting. He didn’t hold back. “I think you’re dead,” Tomlin said.
The problem with talking to the press
Tomlin has a point about how these things work. He told the podcast that hearing about these meetings “doesn’t feel good.” He also said that if a meeting is real, it shouldn’t be reported. “The fact that you hear about it is what makes it BS,” Tomlin said. He added, “If it was authentic and real, then it wouldn’t be reported. I’m not a fan.”
I agree with him. If you are actually fixing things in the locker room, keep it in the locker room. When it hits the news, it just looks like a PR stunt. It makes the coaching staff look like they’ve lost control of the room.
Coaches and players see it differently
The coaching staff is trying to stay positive. Brian Schottenheimer had great things to say about the Monday session. On Wednesday, Schottenheimer said he loves it and that the best teams are led by the locker room. He noted that the information he received from the players who called the meeting showed it was very productive. He also said the unit is “very open and honest” and that everyone is “trying to get this thing fixed.”
Per the Dallas News, Kelce thinks these meetings might just be a formality because other ways to solve problems aren’t working. That is a scary thought for a defense that can’t stop anyone.
The Cowboys have a massive test coming up. They play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, October 18.
