FRISCO, Texas – With a 1-1 record behind them following a thrilling 40-37 win in their home opener, the Cowboys now hit the road to Chicago to try and make it back-to-back victories.
In a game where Dallas' secondary gave up 450 passing yards and seven explosive passing plays to the Giants, it's clear that they'll need better play and communication on the back end.
Against the Bears, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has an optimistic view on a player that would certainly give them a boost returning from injury.
"I think that we've got a chance with [KaVontae Tuprin]…" Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "[Turpin]'s got a real chance, I think."
While on the air, Jones said it was DaRon Bland, who is dealing with a foot injury, that had a chance. The Cowboys later clarified that he meant to say Turpin, who suffered a neck injury on Sunday.
Bland was called "a long putt" to return for Week 3 against the Bears by Cowboys COO/co-owner Stephen Jones on 105.3 The Fan Monday.
So how does Dallas improve against the pass following their Week 2 performance? For Jones, it involves his players leaning more into Matt Eberflus' scheme.
"As much as anything, it's a buying into the scheme," Jones said. "You've got to handle your responsibilities. And you've got to really do that all over the defense, whether it's on the back end or the front, you've got to do your responsibility. That's first and foremost, and then make that play if it's there."
"The main thing is, you can't just be out there trying to make a play… You can't be a lone ranger out there."
When asked if Jones was considering more outside help defensively, the day after adding Jadeveon Clowney, Jones pointed the team's focus more to who they have on the roster right now as opposed to who is available outside the building.
"We've got help on the way and it's internally," Jones said. "Of course Bland wasn't out there, and we've got [Shavon] Revel, our outstanding young corner, and frankly maybe one of the best corners as a young corner that I've seen us put on the roster, well he's on the way."
That is high praise for the rookie third-round pick, who is currently on NFI while recovering from an ACL injury that he suffered in his final year of college at East Carolina. As it stands, Revel's recovery period is lining up with when he'll be able to take the field for the Cowboys.
"We'll start looking at him. I think he was from the start of the first game, he was four games out when he would be available for us to get… his injury situation will allow him to be there after the fourth game."
This offseason, Jones and the Cowboys have gotten extensions done for some of their key players like Jake Ferguson, Bland, Hunter Luepke and most recently, Tyler Smith.
After hitting four field goals on Sunday, including the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation and the game-winner in overtime, it's no secret that Brandon Aubrey is next in line.
"Well he certainly is coming," Jones said of an extension for Aubrey. "We'll be looking at that… he's certainly in the future."
Jones said that the two sides have spoken since his 46-yard kick against the Giants, and now it only seems to be matter of time.
Aubrey wasn't the only notable standout from Sunday's victory in Jones' eyes. He named Dak Prescott, Kenny Clark, Javonte Williams and the Cowboys' interior defensive line as some of the players and units that graded out the highest internally against New York.
A group that didn't grade out as high was the Cowboys' offensive line, namely their tackles in Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele. Especially with Cooper Beebe now sidelined for 6-8 weeks, Jones knows his front five can and need to perform better.
"That is a concern, and we'll get better play than we had from Guyton," Jones said. "He can do better than that, he did much better than that the week before… I expect better play there."
Their next chance to do so comes on the road in the Windy City against an 0-2 Bears team on Sunday.
