IRVING, Texas – He might have taken 18 months off, but Brian Waters is starting to get back in the groove.
It would be one thing for a 13-year NFL veteran to simply pick back up where he left off. But starting with practice last week, and building from the Chiefs game up through this week's routine, Waters said he's starting to get re-acclimated.
"I'm getting back into the continuity of the game. These weeks start to add up," he said. "You know what you want to do on Wednesday, you know what you want to do on Thursday and Friday. As the week goes on, you know where you want to be. I'm starting to get back into that."
It's too early to tell what that means for his playing time, however. Waters ceded most of Sunday's playing time to fellow guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, and that rotational role could continue.
"I'm just going to do whatever coach tells me," Waters said. "Obviously, I hadn't played football in a while." [embedded_ad]
He might not have played much in the loss, but that didn't save him from the bombardment of questions about the Cowboys' rushing deficiencies.
Waters knows a thing or two about productive ground games, as he paved the way for Priest Holmes in Kansas City. But the six-time Pro Bowler said moving the ball is what matters most, period.
"During the course of a game, games go differently. I know there's going to be a lot of emphasis this week with you guys focusing on the running game, but honestly, I want to win the football game," Waters said. "Our job as an offense is to move the football, any way the play is called. If it's a pass, we want to move the ball that way. If it's a run, we want to move the ball that way. If we get into numbers, we're playing into the defense."
Rather than focusing on one specific problem, such as the running game, Waters said his goal is to improve himself as completely as possible going forward. One such aspect in need of practice is bound to be footwork, which he said is crucial.
"As an offensive lineman, you have to make sure your feet are right. If not, you're going to be in some bad situations when it comes to attacking the defensive lineman," he said. "You're going to be out of position, your hands are going to be out of place. You want to make sure your feet are positioned properly."
