How do you anticipate the Leighton Vander Esch injury impacting Dallas's defense and how do they plan to replace him?
David Helman: It's going to be a challenge, there's no doubt. The Cowboys tightened things up eventually on Sunday night, but not before the Rams managed to rush for 153 yards. Jaylon Smith is at his best against the run, but he can't do it alone. My guess is we'll see backups Joe Thomas and Luke Gifford try to step in for Vander Esch. Long term, the hope is that Sean Lee can return from injured reserve in two or three weeks – but that's not going to help Dallas against Todd Gurley on Sunday.
Coach Mike McCarthy: Leighton is a big part of our defense at the Mike position. Beginning in camp, he was a key communicator. I think he's a young player really coming into his own. We're definitely going to miss him, we're looking forward to getting him back at some point. But I thought Joe Thomas stepped in and played well. He kept us lined up and got the calls and so forth. But, yeah, anytime you lose a player of Leighton's stature it definitely affects your defense.
What have the additions of Everson Griffen and Aldon Smith meant for the Cowboys?
Helman: That's still a huge TBD. Aldon Smith looked amazing for a guy who hasn't played since 2015. His 11 tackles led the team last week, and he managed the Cowboys' only sack of Week 1. The problem is that he didn't get a ton of help. The Rams used a ton of screens and quick passes to completely neutralize DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen and the rest of the Dallas pass rush. If the Cowboys' defense is going to succeed in 2020, it has to start up front. So Smith is going to need some help going forward.
Coach McCarthy: [Aldon Smith] is doing great. It's a great story, and I can't say enough about him and what he's done to get to this point. From a pure football standpoint, he really went out there and lit it up in Week 1. I'm really happy with the way Aldon played, and he's been a great fit for us. The defensive line improved as a whole. There's a lot of veteran alphas in there, and Aldon is definitely one of those guys. He's off to a great start.
It seems the Cowboys still want their offense to flow through Zeke, do you think they will unleash their three-headed monster at receiver against Atlanta?
Helman: Ezekiel Elliott is always going to be a focal point in this offense, but the Cowboys are foolish if they spent those kinds of resources at receiver only to not use them. Through one week, it looks like they're going to. Their Big 3 of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb combined for 190 yards on 18 catches last week – and that was with an offensive pass interference penalty wiping out Gallup's 47-yarder in the final minute. Zeke is going to get his touches, but the Cowboys still look very likely to get big use out of their receivers.
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