(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
I understand scheme can be a major part of any defense, which falls under the coaches. However, when do the defensive players actually step up and say, "We don't want to be in last place. Let's do something different." I think the players need to speak up to put themselves in better positions to make plays. – Karl Bartley/Frederick, MD
Patrik: I do believe in an open door policy when it comes to coaching, yes, and all other manner of leadership, to be honest with you. The whole "my way or the highway" thing is dated and, at a certain level, only works when everything is working well around it. The good news is there's nothing that openly indicates Schottenheimer or Eberflus are operating under that edict, which brings me to the answer to your question: yes, players should speak up and, believe it or not, they already have been. When you hear Trevon Diggs say he spoke to Eberflus about running more man coverage, and then the Cowboys immediately running more man coverage, there's your evidence of the open door policy and that players with a lot of sway are weighing in behind closed doors. Does that swiftly fix the issues on the field, clearly not, but you can bet your prized horse the conversations are being had.
Tommy: I think you're in a bad place from a culture standpoint if you can't have a conversation with your position coach, coordinator, or head coach to discuss concerns about how the team is playing. That is not the case with Brian Schottenheimer and his staff, who are adamant that there's an open-door policy where players can talk things through with them. And those conversations have been being had, as shown with Trevon Diggs a few weeks ago. So I have no doubt that players and coaches alike have been speaking up and voicing frustrations with where they're at defensively. How couldn't they? They're the only team in the NFL giving up more than 400 yards of offense every week. So now, the conversation needs to be what can we do to fix it. Because clearly, as shown by many of the same issues still being relevant through six games, what's happening right now isn't working.
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