Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has insisted that his players and coaches are enjoying a very special experience in London as they prepare to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.The former NFL quarterback told BritViewNFL:
“American football is the greatest game in the world, for so many reasons. Getting the opportunity to travel here to London to play football and exposing this game to so many people around the world is really a great thing for the NFL.
“It’s also a great thing for the players, coaches and staff members who have an opportunity to be a part of these games. The international games are really special for everybody and they are experiences you will remember for the rest of your lives. Hopefully, they have a positive impact on the growth of the game.”
Garrett played at the old Wembley Stadium in the old World League of American Football and in preseason action for the Cowboys in 1993. He is looking forward to seeing the new stadium this weekend in the third regular season game to be played in London this season.
Garrett said:
“I’ve been over here a couple of times to play in games and the atmosphere at the old Wembley Stadium was fantastic. The British fan support of the NFL is strong. They have grown up with another sport that they have embraced and every time I’ve been over here they’ve shown a real interest in our game.
“It is a fun environment to be in. I don’t know what the atmosphere in the new stadium will be like relative to the old one but this is a fun opportunity for us to come over and play in one of the great cities and stadiums in the world.”
The Cowboys were flying high a few weeks back with a six-game winning streak that had them atop of many mid-season power rankings. But they have since lost quarterback Tony Romo to a worrying back injury and have dropped back-to-back games to the Washington Redskins and Arizona Cardinals.
Despite those setbacks and ongoing concerns over the health of Romo, who did not practice with the Cowboys on Wednesday and remained at the team hotel for treatment, Garrett is keeping his team in a positive frame of mind.
He concluded:
“I think our team feels good. Obviously, we’re disappointed to have lost our last couple of games but one of the things we try to do is treat the victories and the defeats the same way. You try to take the emotion out of them as best you can and learn from the experiences.
“There is a 24-hour rule in the NFL – you allow that last game to hang around for 24 hours, both good and bad, and then you move on. That is the mind-set we have adopted all season long.”
Source: BritViewNFL: Jason Garrett: We will remember this experience for the rest of our lives.
