On his performance in his first two NFL starts:
“I think it was decent, but we didn’t get wins in both of those games, so it could be better.”
On how quickly he’s developing in Year 1:
“I think it’s week by week. I’m getting better every week, learning from the older guys, and learning from the coaches. Just trying to find a way to get better.”
On his conditioning heading into Week 4:
“For me, last year, I was playing more edge, and some different kinds of roles. [I’m] getting back used to playing MIKE more. That’s probably it.”
On if the Cowboys can use the loss in Rio as a launchpad:
“I mean, I feel like it shouldn’t have to be like that, even though it is. We’ve got to get better. We’ve got to win. It’s got to make everybody mad. Everybody looks at themselves in the mirror and, ultimately, we don’t want to be in this situation. We want to win.”
On having some of Christian Parker’s green dot responsibilities:
“I mean, I feel like it’s just football. It’s no different. It’s football.”
On growing into the MIKE/green dot role for the Cowboys:
“I mean, of course, that’s a big responsibility, trying to make sure everybody is on the same page and that everybody is communicating. So, of course, that’s a big responsibility, but, I mean, like I said, this is football. It’s something that you get ready for as you play MIKE, and it’s not just me. I feel like every linebacker did it during camp, so we’ll all be paying for it when the moment comes.”
On Brian Schottenheimer saying he’s earning the permanent MIKE role:
“I’m here. That’s what I came in here to do: play football, to find a role on this team, and to help this team. So now that I’m doing that, I feel like I’ve got to keep doing that.”
On his impressions as an NFL rookie:
“I feel like I don’t really look at myself like, ‘Oh, he’s a rookie, so he’s doing this.’ I think Caleb [Downs] might feel the same way, but I’m thinking we’re just coming in to play football. It’s what we were doing forever.”