IRVING, Texas – Cornerback Morris Claiborne isn't sulking about allowing his first NFL touchdown to a receiver.
After Devin Hester got behind Claiborne to score on a 34-yard bomb down the middle of the field, cornerback Brandon Carr said he didn't need to offer any words of encouragement to the rookie.
"He's a warrior," Carr said. "His mindset is where it needs to be in this game, especially on the island. You're going to give up some plays. Unfortunately, we gave up plays at the wrong time. It's a learning experience. He's going to bounce back from it. Today, he was upbeat and positive. That's good to see. A lot of guys are upbeat and positive, ready to shake the loss off and get ready for the next one."
Until Brandon Marshall, Hester and the rest of the Bears offense successfully threw the ball down field, teams hadn't picked on Claiborne much through the Cowboys' first three games of the season.
Claiborne said he knows as a rookie opponents won't take it easy on him, but he won't pout about the deep touchdown or the two losses. Unlike college, a couple of losses doesn't mean a chance at a title is out of reach.
"I know I've got a lot of work to do and a long way to go, and I'm committed to put that work in," Claiborne said.
Through four weeks, Claiborne has seen Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, Vincent Jackson and Brandon Marshall. While opponents haven't picked on Claiborne much, head coach Jason Garrett said he thinks Claiborne's been tested and has responded adequately.
"We talk to all of our players about the importance of playing through success and playing through adversity, and you have to do that at all positions," Garrett said. "You have to do that most particularly at the cornerback position, because guys are going to complete passes against you. They're going to have some success."
The trick is staying upbeat and battling through it when a quarterback picks apart a coverage every so often.
"He's a very talented guy," Garrett said. "He can move. He's got great feet. He's got ball skills, all that stuff. But I think he's understanding more and more the importance of being a physical defender as well."
