FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys did not cross-train enough Mike linebackers on the green dot last season, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday at The Star, and he called it an error on his part.
This season, rookie Jaishawn Barham has worn it. Barham took over at inside linebacker after DeMarvion Overshown hurt his hamstring in Week 1. Safeties Jalen Thompson and Caleb Downs are among the others who have trained on it.
Brian Schottenheimer Takes Blame For Cowboys’ Green Dot Mistake
When Jack Sanborn went out last season, nobody knew who would wear the green dot. Communication has been much better since the first week of this season, according to Schottenheimer, and Barham has been excellent at it.
“Yeah, I think that’s a lesson learned by me last year. I didn’t do a good enough job making sure we were cross-training enough Mike linebackers because all of a sudden Jack Sanborn’s not out there, and it was like, well, who’s the green dot? That was an error on my part and our part last year. This year we weren’t going to let that happen,” Schottenheimer said. “Injuries are part of the game, especially at that position, and we’ve got a number of guys that can do it. But I will say Jaishawn Barham has been excellent at it.”
“I do think it settles him down, having that communication and comms, and it helps him get into the flow of the game. Our communication has been much better after the first week,” Schottenheimer continued. “It’s been at a much higher, much more elite standard, closer to what it should be.”
Jaishawn Barham Has Been ‘Excellent’ Calling Cowboys Defense
Barham calls the defense in communication with Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Overshown did not practice Monday or Tuesday and is inactive Thursday.
Barham played 39 of 55 defensive snaps in Sunday’s 34-30 win at Houston and made 1 tackle. In the loss to Baltimore in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27, he made 7 tackles, 2 of them for loss, including a fourth-down stop of Derrick Henry at the 1.
Schottenheimer Calls Barham ‘A Hammer’
At Michigan, Barham played some inside linebacker and a lot of outside linebacker. Everything Dallas asks of him in coverage is new. His eyes have gotten better, in Schottenheimer’s view, but he likes to attack play action.
“Yeah, again, I think it’s all new to him. The things we’re asking him to do are all new. When you talk about some of the coverages that we play, it’s based off numbers. You count from outside in, one piece, two piece, three piece, and how you match things is based on, okay, I’ve got the two-piece, I’ve got the three-piece, certainly in some of that stuff,” Schottenheimer said. “I think his eyes have gotten a lot better. I do think that’s really good. I think he is a very aggressive football player, some of the action passes he likes to go and attack, and he’s got to keep his eyes on his luggage a little bit better, if you will.”
“But he is a hammer, and we’re never going to take that away from him because that’s what makes him such a unique and talented player,” Schottenheimer added. “The more football he sees, the better off he’ll be.”
Tampa Bay starts rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels again, and Schottenheimer said the more experienced quarterbacks know where the line is when linebackers have to choose between dropping and coming forward.
Dallas is 2-2 and hosts the 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday at AT&T Stadium, with kickoff at 7:15 p.m. CT on Prime Video.
