IRVING, Texas -- In a seven-minute interview on Tuesday, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jeremy Mincey used the word disciplined 12 times when describing the best way to defend the Seattle Seahawks.
“That's the name of the game man,” Mincey said. “The smart teams win. You just go to be aware of all situations and you got have to have that sixth sense that anything is possible within the snap and that’s what we are getting us ready for. It’s going to slow down a few things. Their offense will slow down your rush but just being disciplined can change it all.”
The run defense, in particular, has to have “gap discipline.” In defending Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson the defense has to have good eye discipline.
Wilson ran for 122 yards in the Seahawks' win against the Washington Redskins’ on Monday Night Football. He confused the Redskins with the zone read, with bootlegs and with improvisational runs.
“It goes back to discipline, man,” Mincey said. “If you watch films on guys, guys are getting out of their gaps and over pursuing. You can’t blame them. They’re just trying to make a play. With this team you’ve got to be focused and disciplined and swarm the ball and have a bunch of hats on Marshawn (Lynch) and just be aware of Russell’s feet.”
The adverse effect of being so focused on Wilson’s running is that it slows down the pass rush. The Cowboys have just five sacks in five games and don’t need to have a pass rush slowed down by a quarterback’s ability to run.
“There’s no question, a quarterback’s mobility impacts the front,” coach Jason Garrett said. “A guy you know is going to be in a certain spot, is going to be a target for you, makes it easier on the defensive line, because they know they can rush to that spot. But this guy is all over the place. All over the place by design and just by just his sheer athletic ability and feel for the game. Again, he’s very effective throwing from the pocket and equally dangerous when he gets out in space.”
In the season-opening loss against the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys faced a running quarterback in Colin Kaepernick and limited him to 11 yards on five carries. In the Seahawks’ Week 2 loss to the San Diego Chargers, Wilson was limited to 18 yards on two carries.
Mincey said he noticed the Chargers played with a lot of poise … and discipline.
“It’s obviously tough to stop them,” Mincey said, “but we just got to be disciplined and that’s the key to beating Seattle, a lot of discipline.”