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Todd Archer
FRISCO, Texas — As the Dallas Cowboys get ready to play the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday at AT&T Stadium, they fully expect to see defensive tackle Jalen Carter play a lot more than in the season opener.
Carter was ejected before the first snap of the game for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as they two exchanged words. Carter was given a one-game suspension, but it was considered served since he sat out the entire game.
Asked what he will say to Carter on Sunday, Prescott said, “Depends on what he says first. But probably something friendly. Get on his good side.”
Carter was not in a reminiscing mood Thursday.
“We’re not worried about that. We’re here where we are right now,” Carter said. “And at the end of the day, everyone is playing so that’s all we’re worried about.”
The Eagles won the Week 1 meeting 24-20 despite not having Carter. Cowboys Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith was next to Prescott but didn’t see the spitting.
“I just remember them throwing a flag,” Smith said. “We were really in the huddle he was kind of like talking to [rookie guard Tyler Booker] or whatever and then Dak kind of stepped up and said something. Then, you know what happened, happened. I didn’t see it happen though until the ref said something and Dak said something.”
Carter’s ejection did not alter the Cowboys’ plan, according to offensive coordinator Klayton Adams.
“We had the openers planned the way that we wanted to run them, and we called the same stuff that we were going to call,” Adams said. “I don’t know if there were really any adjustments. You always have a plan for a player like that, but I don’t think you go into it, ‘Oh, let’s throw this stuff out.’ It was designed the way it was designed, so I don’t know that anything really changed.”
The Cowboys have a lot of respect for Carter. What type of difference does he make?
“A big difference,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “He’s a really good player and he’s packaged in there with some really good players. Jordan Davis is obviously an incredible player as well. Jaelan Phillips, I mean, the front … this is a hell of a defense. I think they’re best in the league. It’s going to be really tough, but we love that challenge and we think we’re pretty good, too.”
ESPN’s Tim McManus contributed to this report.