The Dallas Cowboys could have gone into crisis mode following the embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in primetime to kick off Week 5, but after a few extra days to digest the brutal setback, the team decided it was time for a "come to Jesus" meeting.
Cowboys star linebacker DeMarvion Overshown revealed that the defense held a players-only meeting to make sure everyone was on the same page and to iron out any issues.
“Look at ourselves in a mirror. We put what we wanted our standard to be... on the board," Overshown said of the meeting. "We went bullet point by bullet point: Are we holding up to this? Are we being this? As a unit, how can we get closer? What is it?"
Since the revelation, there has been discourse about whether that players-only meeting means the team's season is in a crisis, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer doesn't seem willing to hit the panic button.
In fact, Schottenheimer was encouraged by his players huddling up to work out their issues.
Schottenheimer was asked about the media when speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday's practice, and was nothing but supportive of his players and their decision to rally together behind closed doors.
Brian Schottenheimer Applauds Leaders on Defense
"I love it. I’ve said from the very beginning: the best teams I’ve ever been around are led by the locker room. And my information that I received from some of those guys that called that meeting, it was very productive. It was very open and honest," Schottenheimer told the media on Wednesday.
"The pride of that unit is strong. There’s some really, really prideful men in that room, and we’re going to get it fixed. I have no question about that. But it doesn’t bother me at all. It means everyone’s rowing in the same direction, trying to get this thing fixed."
We will have to see whether the unit can rally together and whether the meeting got everyone on the right page, but it will help the players to know that their head coach fully has their back.
Add in the players-only meeting getting everyone on the same page, and the team's decision to bring in Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant under Christian Parker, it's good to see that the team is still working to improve after a slow start to the year.
We'll get our first look at how the meeting and coaching staff additions make a difference when the team takes the field on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Kickoff between the Cowboys and Packers is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
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