Jason Garrett: David Irving not at The Star today Womens Cole Beasley Jersey , plus long discussion on Dak Prescott’s accuracy Jason Garrett took his turn in front of the media on Wednesday as the Cowboys begin preparations for a tough home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here’s what coach had to say. (All Garrett answers are paraphrased and not actual quotes).David Irving is not at The Star on WednesdayThe Cowboys anticipate Irving being back with the Cowboys on Thursday. that he wasn’t at The Star on Tuesday. When asked why he said that it appeared to be the same issue that’s been keeping him away since he’s been reinstated. When pressed on whether he would definitely be there on Thursday, Garrett simply noted that it was the information that he had been told.Brett Maher has done an excellent jobOne of the better decisions that the Cowboys made this season was to go with Brett Maher at kicker. Jason Garrett gave praise to the 28-year old rookie noting that he’s come through for the Cowboys.Troy Aikman made some comments about accuracy among quarterbacksTroy Aikman recently made some comments about accuracy and how it relates to Dak Prescott, the emphasis of them was that people either have accuracy or that they don’t. Garrett said that he believes you certainly are born with talent in different regards but that he believes a lot of things can be refined through practice.Garrett was complimentary of Aikman of the two throughout his answer even telling a story about their playing days together when they went to Jay Novacek’s football camp. He related the story of how little Jimmy wasn't throwing the ball at the camp how they wanted him to, so Garrett asked Aikman what they should do about it. Aikman said they should move him to wide receiver (laughter).More accuracy questions about DakJason Garrett was asked specifically about Dak Prescott’s accuracy to which he responded that, “When he’s in a really good position he can be a very accurate passer.” He also noted that the best QB’s can stay in position with their eyes down field in a busy environment, and that veterans are usually better at it than young QB’s. Said they need to continue to work with Dak on that. He said QBs can move around and climb the pocket in subtle ways. Growing as a quarterback is a necessary thingThere are obviously a lot of questions about Dak Prescott and his accuracy, and Jason Garrett did his best to talk around them. He cited Tom Brady as an example as somebody who’s obviously grown to a great degree (the best ever), but that younger players don’t have that level of experience quite yet. Younger QBs tend to look more harried in the pocket because they might not know the best reads or progressions based on a defense or because they are bothered by heavy traffic in the pocket. He noted you are always working on getting the ball out quicker. The key word is developmentAnticipation on throws is something people have discussed when it comes to Dak, and Garrett continued to hammer home that all things can be developed. It cones down to trust and cutting the ball loose. He thought more time on task with the receivers will always help that. Cowboys loved Jalen Ramsey coming out of Florida StateThe 2016 Draft feels like just yesterday in some respects, and Dallas obviously chose Ezekiel Elliott over Jalen Ramsey. When asked about the All-Pro cornerback Jason Garrett noted that Ramsey jumped off of the tape and that it was apparent how confident he was way back then.An update on injuriesIt’s Week 6 and that means there are some injury situations. In terms of Wednesday’s practice:Chidobe Awuzie, hopeful he can practice todaySean Lee, not expected to practiceMaliek Collins, hopeful he can practice todayTaco Charlton is expected to practiceHow does Jason Garrett define a No. 1 receiver?There’s been a lot of discussion about number one receivers lately. Here’s how Jason Garrett defines it.“It seems to be a term that people have used in recent years for the guy who was the marquee guy when an offensive team breaks the huddle and they give him extra attention, special attention. Difference-making guy who can beat you in a lot of different ways.”Have the Cowboys had that recently?In Jason Garrett’s words, “Absolutely. we’ve had some big-time receivers.”Randy Gregory is getting better and betterAsked if Houston was Randy Gregory’s best game since returning Jason Garrett only noted that Randy is getting “better and better.” Obviously Randy still has a long way to go, but he earned praise from the head coach.How do you keep things optimisticIt can certainly be difficult to stay optimistic and fired up when your offense isn’t performing, and that’s where the Cowboys find themselves these days. Asked how he keeps the Cowboys motivated and away from getting down on themselves Garrett reached for a classic line of his saying that, “you just keep banging away.”Cowboys liked Darian Thompson at the Senior BowlDallas likes their new safety and has for quite some time.Jourdan Lewis did a great job on SundayWhen you recover a fumble in a big-time game you get noticed. Jourdan Lewis had seemed to have fallen out of favor with the Cowboys coaching staff, but he played very well in Houston. Jason Garrett confirmed that.Patience doesn’t seem to be an issue with David IrvingIt would be understandable for a coaching staff’s patience to wear thin with a situation like David Irving’s. It’s obviously very difficult to prepare a game plan and not know if he’s going to be there. Irving has some personal issues he’s working towards and obviously everyone wishes him the best with them, but the Cowboys are trying to get their own work done.Asked if patience can wear thin with a situation like that Garrett responded quite calmly that, “Sometimes guys have issues that they have to deal with.” It seems the Cowboys are willing to wait, but they do have a break point. Garrett noted that during the week there comes a time (he didn’t specify when) where the team ultimately decides that because he hasn’t fulfilled certain requirements (like practicing, etc.) he won’t play in the game.10 thoughts on the Cowboys 26-24 victory over the Lions Man, did we need that one.The Dallas Cowboys are back at .500 after edging out the Detroit Lions 26-24 on Sunday. It was a nail-biter after the Lions jumped ahead 24-23 with just over two minutes to go in the game as fans everywhere were feeling that sucker punch that appeared to be the 2018 season. Then suddenly that gut-wrenching feeling turned to elation as the Cowboys answered with an impressive drive and a fantastic finish. The offense showed life, the defense showed weakness, and the special teams was special when it counted the most. Here are my 10 thoughts on the Cowboys win over the Lions.1. Career high for ZekeWhen your backs are up against the wall, that’s when it’s time to lean heavily on your best playmaker. And that’s exactly what the Cowboys did with Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday. Zeke not only rush 25 times for 152 yards (6.1 average), but he added four catches for 88 yards for a career-high 240 overall yards. The ground game was strong, but Elliott came away with two big plays as a receiver. Late in the first half, Zeke took a screen play to the house for a 38-yard touchdown. Then Womens Tyron Smith Jersey , he struck again late in the second half, on a wheel route when he made a great over the shoulder catch for a 34-yard gain that put the Cowboys in field goal range to win the game. Zeke was just an absolute beast on Sunday, putting this team on his back and carrying them to victory.2. Career high for TankDeMarcus Lawrence first pro sack came in the 2014 Wild Card game against the Lions. It was a big play that saved the game and helped the Cowboys advance to the Divisional round. That was the last time Lawrence played against the Lions.Well, he came up big against them again on Sunday. The Cowboys defense sacked Matthew Stafford three times and Lawrence had them all. That ties a career high in sacks for a single game as he also had three during a game in September last year as well. Lawrence would also record eight tackles, including six of them solo.Lawrence started fast last year and he’s doing the same thing again this season. It’s looking more and more like he’s going to get a big contract next offseason.3. Little man Tate was greatThe Cowboys secondary had all kinds of problems on Sunday, but they really struggled with stopping Golden Tate. The Lions veteran receiver had eight catches for 132 yards on the day, but most of the damage came on two big plays, both for touchdowns. The secondary appeared all out of sorts on each of those plays. On the first touchdown, Tate would cut outside causing cornerback Jourdan Lewis to slip, allowing Tate to get open and make the catch uncontested. Jeff Heath was there as a safety net, but a slight juke was all it took to send Heath to the carpet, resulting in a 45-yard score.Then, late in the fourth quarter, Tate would strike again after Anthony Brown didn’t play back far enough, allowing room for Stafford to fit the pass to Tate. Chidobe Awuzie was too far inside to help out, resulting in a 38-yard touchdown.The Cowboys secondary is all of a sudden having problems with their coverage. Seattle burned them a couple times last week and they were burned again on Sunday. This is a little alarming.4. Dak taking deep shotsIt was extremely exciting that Dak Prescott’s first two passes were both 30+ yards completions. Even though the drive stalled out with just a field goal, it was a good sign that Dak was going to make a concerted effort to throw the ball down the field. The coverage was actually pretty good on the 37-yard play to Michael Gallup, but Dak put the ball in the perfect spot and the rookie went up and made the play.Prescott was 17 of 27 passing for 255 yards for an average of 9.4 yards per attempt. It was his eighth highest Y/A game of his career. The Cowboys continue to emerge victorious when Prescott eclipses the 7.0 Y/A. Entering the game, Dallas is a perfect 18-0 when Dak averages over seven yards per attempt. Make that 19-0 now.The Cowboys had just three pass plays of 20 yards or more in the first three games. They had four against the Lions.5. I’m starting to like this Swaim fellaLast week, it was nauseating to see Geoff Swaim as the team’s leading receiver with five catches for 47 yards. He had more targets than any of the Cowboys wide receivers. Clearly, that is not the Cowboys formula for winning.Swaim would drop his production a bit on Sunday, but boy were they good use of his targets. He would catch a 31-yard pass for the offense’s initial first-down of the game. Then, Prescott would hit him for a one-yard touchdown to give the Cowboys a 20-10 lead late in the third quarter.Swaim isn’t this great athletic receiving tight end, but he has come along well as a reliable target for Prescott. Against the Lions, he had his longest reception of his career and his first ever NFL touchdown, and they were both on different plays. The Cowboys might have something with this guy.6. Heads up play by PrescottIt’s easy to feel good about the Cowboys final drive that set up the game winning field goal, but it shouldn’t get lost in how close they were to catastrophe. The Cowboys were facing a 2nd-and-3 when the Lions were able to knock the ball out of Prescott’s hands. Dak immediately located the ball and picked it up, allowing him to scramble to the right and just throw it away. Dallas was able to convert on third down and the drive stayed alive.If the Lions recover the ball, the game is likely over. If Dak just falls on it, the Cowboys would’ve faced a third-and-long and the outcome might have been different. Prescott made a great play.That play actually made me think about the Tony Romo fumble in the end zone against the Lions that kept a fourth quarter drive alive in 2006. Romo scooped up his own fumble and was able to find Terrell Owens for the completion for a first down. Dallas would go on to score and win that game.7. Kerryon not utilizedLast week against the New England Patriots, the Lions broke an incredible streak of 70-straight games without a 100-yard rusher thanks to the strong performance by rookie running back Kerryon Johnson. All signs pointed to the Cowboys defense facing the daunting task of keeping him in check this week. But for some reason Youth Anthony Brown Jersey , the Lions didn’t use him very much.Johnson averaged 6.1 yards per carry which is the exact same average Zeke had in this game, but Johnson only had nine carries. Johnson scampered off for 32 yards on the game’s first play from scrimmage and had a punishing eight-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but there wasn’t a whole lot in between. Lions fans should be wanting some answers as they underutilized one of their better offensive weapons.8. Great play from the offensive lineEzekiel Elliott will get all the glory, but it cannot be stated enough in how well this offensive line played for Dallas. The Cowboys did a good job of pulling lineman and getting blockers out in space. Everyone was doing it. On the designed screen play to Zeke that resulted in a big touchdown, he had a convoy of blockers leading the way.Yes, that’s “Jumbo” Joe Looney running 40 yards down the field to block for Zeke. With wheels like that, that was easily his best Zeke impression to date.Not only was the blocking outstanding, but the offensive line showed a lot more discipline against the Lions. They didn’t commit a single penalty. No holding calls, no false starts, nada. The Cowboys did get called for an illegal block in the back, but that was on Elliott when he was blocking for Tavon Austin.All in all, the Cowboys only had two penalties for 20 yards, which was outstanding. Detroit, however, couldn’t get out of their own way.9. The lonesome kickerWhen you take the beloved Dan Bailey’s job away from him, that’s not a quick way to make friends among Cowboys Nation. When you miss your first ever NFL kick, people are pretty much not going to like you. But since that first miss, new Cowboys kicker Brett Maher (pronounced Maw-her) has made eight straight kicks. Against the Lions, he would knock down four field goals, including the game-winner as time expired.Maher’s 38-yard game winner was huge and that’s a kick Bailey has made countless times. Speaking of Bailey, the former Cowboys kicker would attempt his first kick with his new team on Thursday night as he knocked down a 37-yarder. However, if it would have been 38 yards, it might have been wide right. Man, that would have given me a heart attack if Maher did that on Sunday.The Cowboys front office might have known what they were doing by going with Maher. 10. Earl Thomas trade talks are officially overAfter tormenting the Cowboys last week with two interceptions, Earl Thomas’ season likely came to an end on Sunday after suffering a leg injury. Thomas has been scrutinized for wanting out of Seattle after not being offered an extension. He tried to play it safe, avoiding as much live action football he could during preseason, but alas - the grim reaper came calling on Sunday.While some fans were hoping the Cowboys would finagle some type of trade to bolster their safety position, that idea can officially be squashed. Thomas may still be a part of the Cowboys future, but he won’t be playing for them in 2018.