PETE CARROLL: Coming back home again. It's good to be able to do that, experience what it's like to stay at home. All of these experiences seem like first-time experiences for us right now with all kind of the new procedures that we're going through, all that. Anxious to see if we can get through it, do well, handle the week really well, get ourselves a good ballgame.
Dallas had a spectacular, stunning win last week, come-from-behind, all that, all the heroics, great finish for them. They'll be all jacked up.
They have a talented football team. They've got a lot of star power. They got a big group of skill guys on offense that can throw it, catch it, run it. We got our hands full. It's going to be a tough football game.
Q. What are your thoughts on the passing of Gale Sayers, what he was as a man, a football player?
PETE CARROLL: Happened to be one of my idols when I was growing up. I had his poster right next to my bed. Was just a guy that I was most in love with watching him play. I got his picture on my wall right now in my office. Just being like a little kid about it.
Yeah, we'll miss guys that affected so many people. I'm just one person. I'm sure he affected a ton of people in the same way. Made the Hall of Fame in 68 games. Amazing he was able to do that. The impression he made on everybody.
He was so much my idol, I wore his number and the whole thing when I was growing up. Yeah, will really miss him.
Q. Ethan Pocic, the leadership he's evolved into?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, Ethan has done a really nice job. He kind of took the lead in the competition with his background that he in our program, knowledge of the system, all that, being a really smart player. It was just obvious that he had an edge.
He's just kind of built on that. I think he's instilled confidence in the people around him, in Russell, that he can command the whole thing. He's off to a really nice start with two really solid games. We're really, really pleased with that, that he was able to come through and win the job.
They're still competing and all because it's so early in the year. But he has really taken advantage of the opportunity. We're in good shape there.
Q. You were familiar with Mike McCarthy from Green Bay. How much of what he did with the Packers is translated to what you can expect to see Sunday with the Cowboys?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, it's going to take a little longer. We need some more games here to figure out what they're doing. With returning the same offensive coordinator, very productive offense a year ago, there's a lot of similarities in what they've done that aren't exactly the same as what Mike does.
I'm sure Mike saw that they had a really good thing going, wanted to build on that. I'm sure we'll see more stuff as we go. It looks like they've brought a lot of carryover from last year, which makes sense for the quarterback, receivers, runningbacks, guys up front. They took advantage of rehiring him.
But Mike is a great football coach, a tactician, all that kind of stuff. We'll figure it out here as we just got to get more games. We just got to get ready this week.
Q. With Ugo kind of stepping in for Marquise in the nickel role, what do you want to see out of him?
PETE CARROLL: Just do what he does. He knows the position quite well. He's an effective football player in that wherever you put him in the game, things happen. He's been really special in the teams area. The other night he was all over the field.
Excited to have that kind of experience backing up. It's not a wealth of experience because he played half a year, whatever, last year, but it's good to have him. We do trust him. He knows our system really well.
Q. The other day you mentioned that Bryan Mone, you thought he played his best game you've seen. He's had a lot of success getting up to the quarterback. ESPN listed him as one of the top 10 pass-rush win rates for defensive tackles. Did you have any inkling the big fellow was going to be able to contribute in that capacity this year?
PETE CARROLL: Interesting you should ask. In this off-season, we were taking a look at our depth and personnel, as we always do. I went back and pulled up all of his plays that he played a year ago just to look and see. Not having the evaluation coming through the season with us, but a post evaluation, looking back at it.
He had 40 or something plays, whatever it was. He played really consistent last year. He played technique well. He played his responsibility and his gap control stuff, did really well. He had a couple opportunities to really chase the football. At 340 pounds, whatever, we were concerned will we have another big guy that can share the time, get in the rotation.
I came out of that evaluation with a whole new thought of him. Shoot, he looked pretty darn good. We'll give him a real shot, see how he does. He has really just taken to it. He's a good football player. He does everything you want. He gives everything he's got. He's a big effort guy for a big man.
Really, he's done very well. After that kind of reevaluation, I'm not surprised he's doing a really solid job and adds to the rotation that we need.
Q. I'm not sure if you heard about the grand jury decision on the Breonna Taylor case in Louisville yet, if it's something you plan on talking about with your team. Have you heard about it yet?
PETE CARROLL: Yes. I went back and just read up again. I wanted to make sure I had more of a sense.
I don't have enough understanding yet to really talk about it with our guys. But it will be a topic. We'll bring it up here in the next couple days to make sure we're addressing whatever the questions are, whatever we need to do to get through it.
It warrants the attention, I think. We can all come to a good understanding of how everybody should evaluate it. I'm open for guys evaluating it their own way, seeing what they see. But that's another difficult kind of assessment firsthand because we want to see more action, we want to see things taken to a new level of understanding and awareness and all that in handling cases such as this. So we'll see.
We definitely will get after it here the next couple days. I need to know more about it before I can.
Q. Do you have an update on Rasheem Green? What is your assessment of the play of your cornerback so far, Quinton and Shaquill Griffin specifically?
PETE CARROLL: Rasheem, he's still kind of in the same mode. We haven't turned the corner yet. We'll have to see as this week goes on if he improves enough where he'll be able to play this week. He's not feeling that bad, but he still has a little something going on. We have to wait through it and see which day it turns. We won't know till later in the week. He hasn't been cleared yet for this week, so we'll see what happens.
On the corners, they've played really solid. They're going to catch some balls. We've seen a hundred passes already it seems. They're going to catch some balls. Quinton has had a chance to have three interceptions already. He's been in position. A couple balls he couldn't quite seal the deal on, but a big pick in the game, another really good play in the game, too.
Griffin has been really solid. Shaq has been really solid on the other side. I think those guys are doing fine.
Q. Who do you intend to have fill Bruce's Sam role?
PETE CARROLL: What is going to happen this week is an opportunity for Jordyn Brooks to start. We'll let you see how that works out. He is going to take the opportunity to step up and be part of the three linebacker situation. We're looking forward to it.
Q. He worked mostly at Will during training camp. Do you intend to flop K.J. and have Jordyn stay at Will?
PETE CARROLL: We'll let you see what's going on at game time, if you don't mind.
Q. You haven't seen the Cowboys since 2018. How have you seen Dak develop over the last year, working with Kellen as his offensive coordinator during that time?
PETE CARROLL: He's really good. He's really a good football player. He's playing with great confidence, great stature in the pocket, handling the rush around him, able to escape it when he needs to. Really solid. His accuracy is really there. He can throw the ball all over the field. There's nothing that he doesn't do well. Can throw moving both directions. They include him in the running game some, enough to be a problem. He can scramble and make plays happen.
He's playing really well. They've been at a high level of production on offense for a good while now, since really they've been together. Kellen has done a nice job with him. I think he looks like a terrific football player.
Q. What have you liked about what Bobby has done so far in the first couple weeks? In addition to that, he was saying last year he wanted to improve some aspects of his pass defense.
PETE CARROLL: I thought the first week was the best game he's ever played in pass defense. He's had more tight coverage, more breakups, good hits and stuff, because he's seeing routes and concepts well, using the coverage well. Seems like this is the best he's been, which is understandable because you keep getting better as you go.
The numbers pass defense-wise aren't showing that because we've seen a lot of throws. I'm really able to count on him to totally understand what he's doing and take advantage of stuff and make breaks, get balls knocked on the ground and all more so than ever.
Really fired up about kind of like the next step he's taking.
Q. Have you made a decision on Kyle Fuller yet?
PETE CARROLL: Made a decision on Kyle Fuller?
Q. He's eligible to return off the suspended list this week.
PETE CARROLL: Yes, we have.
Q. Is he going to be coming back to the active roster?
PETE CARROLL: There's a good chance that that could happen. I don't know what's happened since I've been out here on the field and all that. We welcome him back. We're anxious to get him back to us. We'll see how it goes. I don't have the information for you yet. Sorry.
Q. How has D'Andre Walker been since you got your hands on him? Is he progressing where he could be a candidate to help replace Bruce as well?
PETE CARROLL: The answer is yes to that. He has been playing the Sam backer spot for us, has been growing with us. He's done a nice job. He's working really hard. We can see him as a potential special teams guy as well. He has rushed the passer some in his background in college and all, quite a bit.
He's coming. He's really on the come. Hopefully he's in consideration to be part of the rotation. We'll see how the week goes.
Q. What stood out to you the most about Dallas' offense in watching them the first two weeks?
PETE CARROLL: They're really talented. The receivers are all special. C.D. has jumped right in, taken over the slot. They love having him on the field. They are playing a lot of three receivers. Amari is ridiculous. This is a really good, talented group. That's what you see. When you have Zeke carrying the football, who is a fantastic runner and ball catcher, they're loaded. These guys are really good. We talked about what Dak is doing.
Really the impression that you get from the skill people and the level of skill that they have. They're wide open. They spread the field nicely. They get the ball down the field. Dak can do all of it.
It's a very difficult offense to deal with. It has balance in it because of the runningback.
Q. You mentioned after the game there were some coverage issues. How did you see that? With Jamal being back there, too, how did all that play out?
PETE CARROLL: We have to play better. We weren't as sharp as we needed to be when Quandre went out. It emphasized how much we've been leaning on him.
The idea is we have to play better if we do get in backup situations, backup guys playing on the field. We got to keep Q out there. That's an area for us that we really have to play better football. We can't give up the kind of yards we're giving up, stuff that we know how to handle, stuff that's not difficult. We need to play much better there.
Q. Do you have enough in-house in your pass-rush? What's the possibility of an import?
PETE CARROLL: Well, we're always competing to find some help in all areas. We're doing that. But we have to generate our rush. Had we just converted the sacks we had available, that we had our hands on the quarterback last week, we would have had five sacks. Nice pass-rush day. We were around the quarterback, never as much as you want and you hope for, but we need to finish our rushes.
I don't know why we're leaning on the safety so much other than the fact that he's a really good football player. He had two other sacks in his hands last week. So we need to convert and finish and finish the plays.
We didn't do a good job on Cam. I felt like I didn't emphasize it properly with our guys during the week, how difficult he is to tackle.
We'll keep working on it. The point is you asked about in-house. We got some guys that are working. Competition is on for who can step up and be the next guy. I don't want to dig into that one for you. Yeah, we're working with the guys we have.
Q. With how you like to play defense, what's the downfall or risk of so much blitzing?
PETE CARROLL: The downfall would be if you don't execute well. You can become vulnerable. If you're showing your stuff and guys can take advantage of it, pick it up, have the rhythm to take advantage whatever the coverage is.
We pressure with zone and with man coverages both. If you're tipping things off, they can take advantage of it. The basics of that answer is with more guys committed across the line of scrimmage, you have less guys in coverage, there's more spacing out there, you have to come through in your man-to-mans. You have to do a nice job when you're zoning it.
That hasn't been an issue for us right now. We're not, like, getting hurt when we're pressuring only. We just need to clean some things up.
Q. Can you communicate effectively with the NFL mask policy?
PETE CARROLL: Well, it's interesting you would say it that way because of the coaches, we all have our way we work, the style that we work with. Some guys are different. We're different. We're all unique I think in some regard.
In this time I know personally I have to adapt. I got to fix some things to stay in compliance. I just need to do better. But if you watch us on the sidelines, some guys coach one way, some coach another way. I'm kind of on the move. Some things I got to get across to whomever. At least it seems like that's the case. Hopefully it helps sometimes.
I have to be able to transition. It is difficult in the movement of the game to be heard. That's the problem. You saw the play callers have to adapt as well. Those guys are talking every snap. Looks like Andy has a real good thing with the welder equipment he's wearing (smiling).
Anyway, we got to figure it out and got to do better. It's too important to wear these masks. If nothing else, we send a good image out. I have to send a better image out supporting the fact that we know here and we know that masks are a big difference, can make a big difference. We've had tremendous success keeping our guys safe. Our guys wear masks in our walk-throughs, meetings. We all do.
I just did a poor job game time.
Q. Would you wear a welder mask?
PETE CARROLL: I don't think that one is mine. I'm going to come up with something else. I'm expecting some young person to send me a message or something, send me an example. Draw me up one, we'll try to create it. I need some help.
Q. You mentioned Monday how pleased you were about the pass pro. Looking back on it now with two weeks of results, what or who was influential in making the progress that you've seen so far?
PETE CARROLL: In the pass protection?
Q. Yeah.
PETE CARROLL: I think the consistency of Brandon Shell is obvious. Damien has done a nice job also. He's really a powerful guy. He's very precocious in terms of a football player. He's learned stuff. He feels stuff. He's got real good sense for what's going on.
I think Mike and Duane have always been solid. Ethan has done his part, too. I'm really happy with the right side. Those guys have been really solid. They're just getting going. You can't get any younger or newer than that. I'm really pleased that those guys have made as much progress as early as possible.
Q. Was there anything in practice you did, having to do a lot in Zoom, that paid off?
PETE CARROLL: It was that meeting I held and coached them all up on pass pro (smiling).
No, nothing specific that had to do with the Zoom season. I think the players, they're good. They're doing a nice job. Of course, Mike and B.C. that are coaching those guys, they're making sense to them, making their calls. Ethan has had a big factor in that. Shotty mixing the protections to stay ahead of the pass-rush attack is part of it as well. We have good help. Our backs blocked well, and our tight ends blocked well too when they aid in pass protection. The whole thing. Russ has been fast with the football, which is always a big part of it.
There's a lot of positives they're adding to it. But I really think what I'm seeing is the right side has really been solid as a start to the season. See if we can keep going.
Q. We've seen Jordyn Brooks' speed. Where do you feel like his readiness is to play with that speed, to be able to cut it loose on game day?
PETE CARROLL: He can do everything we're asking our guys to do. He's equipped to do everything. It's just experience. That's all he's missing out on. He'll be able to do everything, coming off the edge, covering guys down the field. Pressuring, he is a good tackler, he is a good hitter, diagnoses really well. We saw that from the mock game on, he had some nice plays there. He just needs to get out there.
Will there be some mistakes? Like a young guy does, he's going to miss some things at times. We'll make up for it around him as he's developing.
Q. You singled out special teams and their performance this last week. What have you seen from Michael Dickson, how impressed you've been with him?
PETE CARROLL: Mike, you guys knew he was chosen Player of the Week this week for bombing the football, pinning them back. He has been almost perfect so far. He's off to a great start, which is important. I know he wanted to get better this year.
He started well. 50 yard net punts in the game. No punt return yardage. That is a big deal. That is a lot of guys contributing to that as well, starting with Tyler ripping the ball back to him. He's just been on it.
We're really excited about the start. Players, everybody loves Mike. Got some recognition there, too.
Let me say, too, in general we've been really efficient in special teams. The fact we've been really clean, I don't even want to say it, staying out of trouble, is a real positive. We've already taken the ball off them one time. Just a lot of real positive things happen.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports