4C z WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 z USA TODAY SPORTS
FRISCO, Texas – Two games into his
stint with the Cowboys, Michael Ben-
nett hasn’t needed much time to accli-
mate.
The Cowboys acquired the 11-year
NFL veteran from the Patriots on Oct. 24
during Dallas’ bye week. He’s since
played roughly 60% of defensive snaps
on a line in which no lineman plays far
north of 70%. And Bennett has con-
tinued his career trend of racking up
quarterback hits.
“The D-line, I think it’s been going
pretty well,” Bennett told USA TODAY
Sports on Monday from the locker room.
“I think it’s new for all of us figuring out
how to make it work together cohesive.
I’ve been trying to figure out myself how
to make that happen.”
Bennett has figured it out well
enough to record five solo tackles, a
sack, six quarterback hits and two tack-
les for loss in two games. Bennett cred-
its his 10+ seasons with four other teams
exposing him to enough looks to make
few defenses new. Five previous sea-
sons under Cowboys defensive play
caller Kris Richard in Seattle helped, too.
And his most previous stop, for six
games with New England?
“I just came from the place with the
most defenses in the league,” Bennett
said. “So any other defense is pretty
much easy to learn.”
Bennett drew upon his experience
with Richard to familiarize himself with
Dallas’ principles, he said. They stayed
in contact after each left Seattle, and
Richard advocated for acquiring him.
Weeks off this October, including a
one-game suspension with the Patriots,
didn’t slow his impact, they felt. Playing
mostly at defensive tackle while De-
Marcus Lawrence and Robert Quinn
start at end, Bennett attacked at the line
of scrimmage.
“He can assess the football play,”
Richard said. “He’s a really smart foot-
ball player. He gets off on the ball and
understands how the offense is trying
to attack him in particular then us
overall.”
Bennett said he’s “just a part of ” the
defense while two-time Pro Bowler
Lawrence is “the key” to it. But the unit
thrived with its newest addition
against the Giants, holding Saquon
Barkley to 28 yards on 14 carries in a
37-18 win.
Sunday night against the Vikings,
the defense struggled more. Dalvin
Cook rushed for 97 yards and a touch-
down while catching all seven targets
for 86 more yards. The Vikings con-
verted 57% of their third-down at-
tempts – after Dallas had ranked sec-
ond in the league allowing just 27%
through nine weeks.
Tied atop the NFC East with the Ea-
gles at 5-4, Bennett and the Cowboys
will travel to Detroit and New England
before hosting the Bills on Thanksgiv-
ing. December features games against
the Bears, Rams and Eagles.
Bennett, who grew up in Houston
watching the Cowboys, said he’ll take
the season one game at a time and one
week at a time. He turns 34 Wednes-
day. He cut the 2020 year off his con-
tract and will be an unrestricted free
agent at season’s end. Bennett said
he’s not set on playing football after
this campaign.
“It could be my last year in the NFL,”
he said. “I’ve just been chilling, think-
ing about what’s the best thing for my
family, what’s the best thing health-
wise for the future. Just take it one
game at a time, one year at a time, and
if the opportunity is a great opportuni-
ty. But right now it’s enjoying this
game, enjoying this seven games and
playing football. Trying to be a kid out
there again.
“I’m an old man right now. But at the
same time, I try to stay as young as I
can.”Cowboys tackle Michael Bennett (79) recorded two solo tackles, two combined
tackles and two QB hits against the Vikings. MATTHEW EMMONS/USA TODAY SPORTS
Learning Cowboys’
D ‘easy’ for Bennett
Jori Epstein
USA TODAY
- Ravens (previous, 3):League’s
most explosive offense – and new
MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson (?) –
deserves accolades. But ascending de-
fense first to record TDs of 65+ yards in
three consecutive games since 1970
merger. - Patriots (4): Super Bowl LII re-
match in Philadelphia looms all the
more important with Baltimore now
one game from moving into top slot of
AFC’s projected playoff field. - 49ers (2):Gut-wrenching way to
suffer first defeat, but don’t forget San
Francisco didn’t get help from injured
George Kittle or Emmanuel Sanders. - Saints (1):They laid egg size of a
New Orleans hangover Sunday, but
let’s not read too much into it. Nine
points their fewest scored at home
with Drew Brees at helm. - Seahawks (9):Upended Niners
courtesy of their most impressive per-
formance of uneven season. Acquisi-
tions of Josh Gordon and Quandre
Diggs could really help team that
needed playmakers beyond Russell
Wilson. - Packers (6):It sounds heretical,
but Aaron Jones – now tied for league
lead with 14 touchdowns – is currently
top-performing “Aaron” for this bunch. - Vikings (8):Don’t look now, but
Kirk Cousins is 2-0 in prime-time
games this year. Good thing, because
Minnesota scheduled to have at least
three more. - Texans (5):If Deshaun Watson
and Lamar Jackson can replicate fire-
works from their 2016 college show-
down, then Houston-Baltimore will be
game of week. - Chiefs (7):Patrick Mahomes now
owns most passing yards (8,007) and
TDs (68) in any quarterback’s first 25
NFL starts ... but it might not be
enough to save Kansas City when it
counts. - Cowboys (12):They’re 4-0 in di-
visional games, 1-4 otherwise. Good
news/bad news situation ... bad news
being Dallas only has two NFC East
games left. - Eagles (13):Backing Brinks truck
up for a guard often a questionable
move ... but giving Brandon Brooks a
$54 million extension could be bar-
gain. - Steelers (16): Minkah Fitzpat-
rick now entering defensive player of
year conversation, swiping league-
best five passes in seven games with
Pittsburgh. - Panthers (14): NFL-high 36
sacks accomplished by copious com-
mittee. Carolina has eight players with
at least three, but only Mario Addison
(7) has surpassed 4^1 ⁄ 2. - Colts (11):In case you hadn’t
realized how capably Jacoby Brissett
has filled Andrew Luck’s shoes ... welp,
now you probably have pretty good
idea. - Raiders (17):Unfair to compare
rookie Clelin Ferrell and departed Kha-
lil Mack, but let’s do it anyway. Ferrell
has 3^1 ⁄ 2 sacks ... Mack had four his entire
rookie year.- Rams (10):Defense accounted for
nine of 12 points Sunday ... which pretty
much explains why Sean McVay suf-
fered first regular-season loss to AFC
team. - Bills (15):Their play is getting in-
crementally worse, and schedule fore-
casts incrementally harder with Miami,
Pittsburgh among opponents that no
longer project as layups. - Titans (24): Ryan Tannehill
would be league’s sixth-rated quarter-
back if he’d played enough to qualify in
rankings. He definitely qualifies as a
season saver. - Chargers (19):Key injuries ... Phil-
ip Rivers trying to do too much ... off-
field distractions ... we’ve definitely en-
tered “same-old Chargers” territory. - Jaguars (20):Fun fact – over
course of his career, Nick Foles’ passer
rating improves each successive month
... so November/December exactly
when you want him. - Bears (22):Mitch Trubisky is fair
game, but remember Chicago’s 36 take-
aways in 2018 greatly aided him and of-
fense. Team has 12 takeaways this year. - Buccaneers (26): Fair or not,
NFL’s Next Gen Stats can be really un-
kind. Bucs’ Breshad Perrimanhas NFL’s
worst catch percentage (32.1%). - Cardinals (21): Christian Kirk
snagged three TD passes Sunday,
matching output from his first 18 games.
If he gets going, “Air Raid” could reach
new level. - Falcons (28):Too little, too late
for this team ... almost surely too little,
too late for Dan Quinn, maybe even GM
Thomas Dimitroff. But this team can
play. - Broncos (23):We could be in for
QB battle America never wanted – Bran-
don Allen vs. Drew Lock with rookie set
to resume practicing this week. - Browns (27):Odell Beckham Jr.
had three red-zone targets all year prior
to Sunday, then got three in a single
drive – two resulting in pass interfer-
ence penalties. - Lions (18): Is Kenny Golladay
most dangerous deep threat we don’t
discuss? Back to those Next Gen Stats,
no player averages more targeted air
yards than his 16.5. - Dolphins (30):Now just imagine
if they’d held on to Minkah Fitzpatrick
... they’d be – what – very possibly 3-6? - Jets (31): Through 19 career
starts, Sam Darnold has 24 TD passes
and 24 INTs. Lots of work to do if he’s to
get well clear of dreaded Sanchez Line. - Giants (25):Real bummer watch-
ing Saquon Barkley get squandered to
tune of 27 yards over his past 28 carries.
No wonder his dad roots for Jets. - Redskins (29):Probably right call
to start Dwayne Haskins down home-
stretch – though given supporting cast’s
state, how much can be gleaned from
his performance? - Bengals (32):Sorry, Ryan Finley,
but NFL ain’t fair (ask Andy Dalton). Bet
here is you’ve got seven more games to
convince Cincinnati not to draft another
QB No. 1.
NFL POWER RANKINGS POST-WEEK 10AFC teams take backtop two spots from NFCNate Davis
USA TODAYCoach’s Corner with Don Cherry dur-
ing “Hockey Night in Canada” has al-
ways been must-see TV in the hockey
world. Players, reporters, fans and ev-
eryone else in the sport gathered in
front of the TV between periods to hear
what might come out of Cherry’s mouth.
They could never be sure whether it
would be poignant or cringe-worthy.
“He’s that old school guy with a die-
hard passion for the game and for Cana-
da,” said former NHL player Tom Lai-
dlaw. “If he was in the arena, you want-
ed to see him. He was a celebrity. And
when we were in Canada, we gathered
around the TV when he was on because
it was a thrill to say something good
about you.”
The problem was the same Cherry
who could grow emotional telling a sto-
ry about a severely injured youth player
or about soldiers playing road hockey in
a war zone could make comments that
sometimes came across as xenophobic.
His 34-year run on “Coach’s Corner”
ended Monday when he was fired, two
days after he made a racist remark ac-
cusing immigrants of not observing the
Canadian tradition of wearing poppies
to honor the country’s military heroes.
“You people ... love our way of life,
love our milk and honey,” Cherry said.
“At least you could pay a couple of bucks
for poppies or something like that.
These guys paid for your way of life that
you enjoy in Canada.”
His network and the NHL both came
out with strong statements against
what Cherry had said.
Cherry was regularly uncomplimen-
tary of how some European players
played the game. He also once referred
to Winnipeg Jets assistant coach Alpo
Suhonen as “some kind of dog food.”
Cherry always said what he thought,
regardless of consequences. He called
Penguins star Sidney Crosby a “hot dog”
because he didn’t like him sliding on his
knees to celebrate a goal. He didn’t like
Capitals star Alex Ovechkin’s celebra-
tion after he scored his 50th goal.
Cherry’s supporters have taken note
that it seems particularly cruel he was
fired on Canada’s Remembrance Day.
It wasn’t a mystery why Cherry kept
his job in the face of much controversy.
In 2004, CBC television held a vote to
determine the greatest Canadian ever,
and Cherry finished seventh, four spots
behind Pierre Trudeau and three spotsahead of Wayne Gretzky.
Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur
called for Cherry to be fired after Satur-
day’s comment. But he also said Cherry
is “as close as we have to a high priestess
in hockey in a country that is obsessed
with hockey.”
“(Cherry) connects very well with a
segment of Canada’s population: the
Caucasian middle- or upper-middle-class adult English-speaking male who
likes tough sports,” Eloy Rivas Sanchez,
a professor of sociology and anthropol-
ogy at Carleton University, told USA
TODAY Sports. “And he connects to
them for a reason: This segment of the
population is part of a generation of im-
migrants who do not think of them-
selves as immigrants. This part of the
population believe that Canadian histo-
ry began after their ancestors arrived
during the European settlement.”
Rivas Sanchez said Cherry isn’t rep-
resentative of a typical Canadian. “Don
Cherry has outspoken manners; he
dresses in a flamboyant way; his politi-
cal views are conservative; he is judg-
mental of people’s looks and ways of
life, and very opinionated,” Rivas San-
chez said. “So he pretty much repre-
sents the opposite of what a ‘regular’
Canadian is about.”
Arthur said Cherry “has never been
bigger than the game but at times it felt
like he was.He was part of our national
furniture.”
Before Cherry was let go, Arthur pre-
dicted his dismissal would spark a na-
tional conversation.
“It will be a cultural war conversation
now, not just a hockey conversation,”
Arthur said. “We sailed past that a long
time ago.”Kevin Allen
Columnist
USA TODAYIn a 2004 vote of greatest Canadians
ever, Don Cherry finished in the top 10
ahead of Wayne Gretzky.USA TODAYAnalyst’s latest cringe-worthy remark costs him job