Watkins: Jason Garrett praises Bruce Carter

Cotton

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Jason Garrett praises Bruce Carter

November, 12, 2013

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- With starting linebackers Sean Lee and Justin Durant each out for roughly three to four weeks with hamstring injuries, the Cowboys will look to move Bruce Carterfrom weakside linebacker to the middle.

Coach Jason Garrett praised Carter's effort in the loss Sunday night to the Saints. Carter played every defensive snap and was second on the team with 12 tackles.

After being benched for the second half of the Sept. 29 loss to San Diego Chargers, Carter has been trying to gain the confidence of the coaching staff and has done so by regaining his starting job from Ernie Sims.

"He played well the other night in the game, better than he's played," Garrett said of Carter. "He was active and he's played well the last few weeks and responded to the challenge we put forth to him."

When Lee was lost to a toe injury last season, Carter moved into the middle linebacker spot and played well before suffering a season-ending elbow injury. Carter had six tackles for loss and 42 tackles in a five-game stretch before his injury.

"Last year when Sean Lee went down, Bruce played his best ball in the middle of the season until he got hurt," Garrett said. "We're hoping he kind of sees it the same way. But he's the leader of that linebacker corps and he takes advantage of that opportunity, and he's not playing second-fiddle to anybody. You sense that a little bit in the game the other night. He was active and around the ball a lot and hopefully he'll continue to do that if we play him inside or keep him at the outside linebacker."

The projected starters at linebacker are Carter, Sims and possibly Kyle Bosworth.
 

boozeman

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And I have to wonder if this is just proppage to get him prepared to take the MLB job because there is nobody else who can be available.

I read other things where it looked like to some he was flopping around out there.

I wouldn't know. I turned that shit storm off at halftime.
 

UncleMilti

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Has Garrett gone off the deep end?

I certainly ain't a football expert, but when I see Carter getting blown up and blocked 10 yards down the field, and trailing WR's 8 yards behind the completed pass....I would say he "did not play worth a flying fuck".
 

boozeman

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Has Garrett gone off the deep end?

I certainly ain't a football expert, but when I see Carter getting blown up and blocked 10 yards down the field, and trailing WR's 8 yards behind the completed pass....I would say he "did not play worth a flying fuck".
Garrett, who is known for his almost Parcells-like gift for mind games is working his magic. You'll see.
 

boozeman

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Not that the Pro Football Focus nerds are reliable, but here it is:

"With nearly the entire defense grading in the red, it’s not easy picking out the worst of the lot, but a few performances stood out. Starting at the linebacker level where Bruce Carter (-5.4) and Ernie Sims (-4.7) struggled in all aspects of the game, but especially against the run. Carter might be having nightmares that he’s glued to full back Jed Collins as he was moved out of the hole on several occasions. The offensive linemen had their way with Carter as well as he was kept away from the point of the attack for much of the game despite getting in on 12 tackles. For Sims, it was less about getting blocked and more about his inability to find the football. Whether over-pursuing or dropping into coverage on a goal line run right at him, there were a number of mistakes that led to Sims’ -3.1 grade against the run."
 

Genghis Khan

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It's a joke to praise anybody after that shitstorm, whether they actually played well or not.
 

Smitty

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I'll say this, Carter needs to flow to the football, he's not going to excel taking on blockers.

That's just one area where our shitty DL is killing us. If they could be eating up blocks, he could be a tackling machine, that's what he was at Carolina behind a talented DL.

If they are tearing holes through our DL, though, Carter is going to struggle.
 

Cotton

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Garrett, who is known for his almost Parcells-like gift for mind games is working his magic. You'll see.
I don't know why, but this made me chuckle.
 

Cotton

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p1_

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Why would you be surprised? He thinks people don't watch the games. He speaks in cliche'
worse than a lot of coaches I've ever heard.
 

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Cowboys sense Bruce Carter could take off like he did last year in Sean Lee's absence

The Cowboys are still evaluating who will play middle linebacker in Sean Lee’s place, coach Jason Garrett said.

But if it is Bruce Carter, Garrett hopes he takes off like he did last year when Lee missed 10 games.

“Last year when Sean Lee went down, Bruce played his best ball in the middle of the season until he got hurt,” Garrett said. “We’re hoping he kind of sees it the same way, that he’s the leader of that linebacker corps and he takes advantage of that opportunity and he’s not playing second-fiddle to anybody.”

Lee was hurt in Game 6 last year. Carter led the team in tackles the next three games and had 42 tackles in a five-game stretch that ended when he dislocated an elbow on Thanksgiving Day against the Redskins. He also had six tackles for loss, four pass breakups. In a game at Philadelphia, he tied a career high with 11 solo tackles.

Garrett said he saw some of that spark on Sunday night after Lee went out against the Saints.

“You sensed that a little bit in the game the other night,” Garrett said. “He was active and around the ball a lot, and hopefully he’ll continue to do that if we play him inside or keep him at the outside linebacker.”

Carter finished with 12 tackles, second on the team behind Barry Church’s 14, against the Saints. He is in a bit of a resurgence since being benched in the second half of the Week 4 game against the San Diego Chargers.

“He played well the other night in the game, better than he’s played,” Garrett said. “He was active, and he’s played well the last few weeks and responded to the challenge we put forth to him.”

-- Carlos Mendez
 

GShock

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I assume Garrett is saying this, because we literally have no other option.

After watching Carter's body of work Sunday, my reaction was relief that we would not be throwing money at a contract extension for him.

We are so unbelievably weak up the middle right now.
 

boozeman

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Ugggh.

I guess Sims is less of a liability in the middle?
 

Cotton

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Surprising about Lee.
 

superpunk

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Not really surprising when you consider what D we play. I'm sure they're counting all those dump offs underneath to RBs to be completions against.
 

Carp

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Ugggh.

I guess Sims is less of a liability in the middle?
He showed how solid he can be when Ponder schooled him.
 
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