Mendez: Bruce Carter says he will be more relaxed now that he is back full-time

[Cotton]

Bruce Carter says he will be more relaxed now that he is on the field full-time again

Bruce Carter said now that he is starting again and knows he is not coming off the field, he will be more relaxed.

“When you are in and out, you don’t have a focus or tempo for the game because you are coming in and out,” he said. “When you are in there, you can feel the tempo when you are playing well. You can kind of sense things. Going in and out was kind of frustrating.”

Carter has been splitting time with Ernie Sims at weakside linebacker since the Week 4 loss at San Diego, when poor play sent Carter to the bench for the second half.

But the injury to middle linebacker Sean Lee last week has forced the Cowboys to use Sims at that spot.

Now, like last year, Carter finds himself in a take-charge position among the linebackers. The Cowboys hope, like last year, he can elevate his play. Carter had 42 tackles and four pass breakups in five games after Lee’s injury last year.

“When Sean is out, I feel like the defense is on me,” Carter said. “I got to get those guys going and be the leader for the defense and lead by example. I got to get everybody fired up and ready to play.”

-- Carlos Mendez

 

[Cotton]

Bruce Carter takes over the defense

November, 18, 2013

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- It's not season-ending, but starting middle linebacker Sean Lee is out for three-to-four weeks with a pulled hamstring. That means the Dallas Cowboys will moveErnie Sims to middle linebacker and Bruce Carter will remain as the weakside linebacker.

Carter will also take over the signal-calling duties for the defense.

"When Sean is out, I feel like the defense is on me and I have to get those guys going and be the leader for the defense," Carter said. "And lead by example and go out there and get people fired up."

It's been a frustrating season for Carter. After starting the first four games of the season, he was benched in the second half for the San Diego Chargersgame. He didn't start the next week against Denver, but regained the starting gig for the next three weeks. Against Minnesota, Carter watched from the sidelines as Sims was the weakside starting linebacker. Carter and Sims shared time in the second half of that game.

Two weeks ago, at New Orleans, Carter regained the starting job again, and now with injuries not only to Lee but strong side linebacker Justin Durant, Carter is back at the top of the depth chart.

The defensive coaches have had nothing but praise for Carter given his skill-set and how he's handled the in-and-out play of things.

Carter is relishing the chance to hold the starting job for the rest of the season.

"When you're in-and-out, you don’t really have a focus or a tempo for the game," Carter said. "You coming in-and-out when you're in there, you kinda feel the tempo and your playing really well. It's kinda of a sense thing. Going in-and-out is pretty frustrating."

 

[superpunk]

“When you are in and out, you don’t have a focus or tempo for the game because you are coming in and out,” he said. “When you are in there, you can feel the tempo when you are playing well. You can kind of sense things. Going in and out was kind of frustrating.”

outofcontextquotes.com

Also I'd love to read more articles about how Bruce Carter is brimming with confidence now that he's going to be playing full time, not because he's earned it, but because everyone else is injured.

 

[Genghis Khan]

If you can't play under pressure, you can't play in the NFL.

 

[ravidubey]

Most of the positive impressions of Bruce Carter came from a good handful of games played in 2012. He's a 2nd round pick, missed most of his first two seasons, has been benched during his third season, will be a UFA next season, and we still don't have a feel for if he'll ever be good.

Barring a strong turnaround, he's basically been a bust in Dallas-- a weaker Kevin Burnett.

 

[boozeman]

Most of the positive impressions of Bruce Carter came from a good handful of games played in 2012. He's a 2nd round pick, missed most of his first two seasons, has been benched during his third season, will be a UFA next season, and we still don't have a feel for if he'll ever be good.

Barring a strong turnaround, he's basically been a bust in Dallas-- a weaker Kevin Burnett.

Good analogy to Burnett, but even that may be giving him too much credit.

He is indeed living off of the stretch last year where he was actually looking like he had a clue.

To me, he sounds like a headcase. Not crazy, but mentally fragile and soft.

 

[Cotton]

When Carter looked decent last year it was when he was playing MLB, though, right? Not OLB?

 

[Smitty]

When Carter looked decent last year it was when he was playing MLB, though, right? Not OLB?

He was playing ILB in a 3-4 last year, but his stock was a 1st/2nd rounder while in college at Carolina as an OLB in a 4-3. We drafted him on a projection as an ILB in a 3-4, that was not his natural position prior to that.