FRISCO, Texas — Just moments after the Cowboys' 40-0 rout of the New York Giants concluded on Sunday night, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn sat outside of the locker room doors greeting every player that walked in and offering his praise after an all-around team effort.
The energy was high and the morale was meteoric, but it didn't take long for the Cowboys to put the big win in the past and start focusing ahead. In fact, it happened while the team was still at MetLife Stadium.
"In the locker room last night after the game, it wasn't over the top because we know there's a lot of football to play," defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. "We know one game doesn't define a season. It's definitely something I'm proud of from the guys."
The quick thinking doesn't take sacrifice to still appreciating how all phases of Dallas' game on Sunday night were excellent, to put it light. For Quinn, Sunday night's performance is a launching pad into what's to come with the proper preparation that he's seeing from his team on Monday.
"It was an excellent performance, speaking the obvious," he said. "But here is where I'm impressed: that game has passed. We've done the film on it, and we're moving forward. That's what I like to see. They're focused on this game, this matchup and they'll be ready to go play."
The Cowboys next clash sits just six days away when Aaron Rodgers and the Jets come into AT&T Stadium one year after Rodgers stormed back at Lambeau Field to steal a win from the Cowboys.
"I'm excited about it, personally," said head coach Mike McCarthy – who spent 13 years with Rodgers in Green Bay. "I'm excited for Aaron's chapter of his life, he knows that. The reality of it is it's no different than last year. Last year was an NFC game that we needed. This is our second game, our home opener."
"Personally, I think he's off to an exciting start over there. He's building a new chapter in his legacy and that's all cool. At the end of the day, it's about winning and that's what we'll be focused on on Sunday."
A big part of the preparation will be watching tonight's Monday Night Football clash between the Jets and Bills right back at MetLife Stadium as the Cowboys look to get ahead during Rodgers' short week.
"We've spent time to plan," McCarthy said. "We've had a chance to do some prep work, particularly for their defense because same coordinator, but obviously the offense has a new coordinator, new quarterback. We'll all be watching tonight."
