NEW ORLEANS — After Thursday night's win over the Saints, Anthony Brown confirmed something that would not have been hard to guess: It had been a long week for him.
Seven days earlier against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving Brown had been flagged for pass interference four times including an overtime penalty that all but ended the Cowboys' chances of victory. The cornerback said that he had been "itching" to get back on the field.
Before he would take the field, however, Brown says that he received a text from Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin.
"Stay at it," Irvin had encouraged the recently scapegoated defensive back. "Keep your head up. Keep doing what you're doing."
Brown, who is a leader in the locker room and a mentor to Trevon Diggs, helped lead a Cowboys' defense that snuffed out the Saints' offense in the fourth quarter. Brown's coverage was excellent and the referees did not factor into his performance.
Just a week earlier, the camera lingered on Brown near the end of the team's Thanksgiving loss, as a look of abject defeat was apparent on his face. After the Saints game, however, the camera found Brown celebrating with a hug from a characteristically excited Irvin, who gave Brown an "I told you so" and let him know he was proud of him.
By the time the game was over, the Cowboys had recorded four interceptions of Saints quarterback Taysom Hill. Brown didn't manage to get one himself, but it still felt like redemption for the starting cornerback.
"It's cool," Brown said, calmly before offering up a teaser. "I'll get one next week."
-Jonny Auping (12/2)
The Cowboys had plenty of returns Thursday in New Orleans, from Tank coming back to Amari Cooper to a pick party, including Trevon Diggs.
"Nine" Route For Diggs
After two games without an interception, Trevon Diggs got back on the board again, this time picking off his ninth pass of the season when he hauled in a pass from Taysom Hill, who threw four passes to the Cowboys Thursday night.
Diggs had some changes to get picks earlier in the game but stayed patient, knowing the ball would eventually come, as it did in the fourth quarter.
"We were in a cover-2 and I just synced up under the seven-route," Diggs said. "They always say you stick up under the seven and you get an interception. I just synced up under the seven and got an interception."
Diggs has the most interceptions by a Cowboys player in one season since Everson Walls had nine in 1985. Walls has the single-season record for picks with 11, set in 1981 as a rookie.
-Nick Eatman (12/2)
Filling Up The Tank
Post-game interviews usually aren't interrupted by anyone when a player has the mic. But there are always exceptions and Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones is definitely one of them.
Jones came up to DeMarcus Lawrence after the game while he was in mid-sentence and said simply, "Welcome Back."
That was all that was needed for Tank, who had only played the first game of the season before suffering a broken foot.
Lawrence returned to the action Thursday night and helped spark the defense to get four turnovers.
"It was electric. Just to play with the guys, at the level they're playing with, and to be out there and have a little impact on the game, is amazing," Lawrence said. "I'm just glad to be back. Thankful I can play this game of football that I love. Glad we came home with the win."
-Nick Eatman (12/2)
Amari's Return
For the first two drives of the game, Amari Cooper didn't take a snap, making us all wonder just how much of a return he would make after missing two games.
But on the third drive, he had a 41-yard reception that not only got him on the board but ignited the offense to a touchdown drive.
"I knew I had between 20-25plays, they told me before the game," Cooper said. "They just wanted to ease me back into things, knowing I didn't really practice, and knowing how COVID could affect the lungs and heart. They didn't really know my conditioning. I didn't really know my conditioning. I think that was the plan."
Cooper had two catches for 41 yards, but said just getting back to action was the best part of the night.
"It was tough. (Michael) Jordan played with the flu. That's how I looked at it. It was a restriction of not being able to play with what I had," Cooper said. "It was tough, knowing that I could physically gone out there and played, but the restrictions didn't allow me to do so."
-Nick Eatman (12/2)
AB's Redemption
After Thursday night's win over the Saints, Anthony Brown confirmed something that would not have been hard to guess: It had been a long week for him.
Seven days earlier against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving Brown had been flagged for pass interference four times including an overtime penalty that all but ended the Cowboys' chances of victory. The cornerback said that he had been "itching" to get back on the field.
Before he would take the field, however, Brown says that he received a text from Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin.
"Stay at it," Irvin had encouraged the recently scapegoated defensive back. "Keep your head up. Keep doing what you're doing."
Brown, who is a leader in the locker room and a mentor to Trevon Diggs, helped lead a Cowboys' defense that snuffed out the Saints' offense in the fourth quarter. Brown's coverage was excellent and the referees did not factor into his performance.
Just a week earlier, the camera lingered on Brown near the end of the team's Thanksgiving loss, as a look of abject defeat was apparent on his face. After the Saints game, however, the camera found Brown celebrating with a hug from a characteristically excited Irvin, who gave Brown an "I told you so" and let him know he was proud of him.
By the time the game was over, the Cowboys had recorded four interceptions of Saints quarterback Taysom Hill. Brown didn't manage to get one himself, but it still felt like redemption for the starting cornerback.
"It's cool," Brown said, calmly before offering up a teaser. "I'll get one next week."
-Jonny Auping (12/2)
