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Cowboys 'Discipline': Kelvin Joseph Faces Competition to Start; What CB Must 'Learn'

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph endured a baptism of fire against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn wanting the second-year player to learn from his mistakes.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph did not have the best outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The 40-34 overtime loss moved Dallas to 10-4 and highlighted the defenses struggles as they deal with various injuries.

Joseph allowed two touchdowns on three targets for a total of 69 yards before being pulled from the game. With the young corner biting on a vicious double move from Jaguars receiver Zay Jones, bringing the most heat.

But for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Joseph has done some good things and stated that no one wants a player to get beat the way he did.

"There's definitely been things that I've seen from him that I have liked," Quinn said. "He's a good tackler, can make a play on the ball. You don't want to see anyone get beat on a double move that goes for a big one because that comes down to your eye discipline."

In just his second year and starting his third game, Joseph couldn't take his opportunity with both hands as Dallas deals with a defensive injury crisis

With teams now seeing the cornerback position as a weakness, many expect it to be targeted more often. When it comes to Joseph's mistakes, Quinn hopes he learns from them. Otherwise, things could get dicey.

​"You hope that when you make some of these mistakes, you don't see the repeating of them," Quinn said. "If that's the case, then you're really in a tough spot because you're not improving and learning from the errors you make. That's what we need to see to make sure that it can't happen again."

With the young corner being pulled from the game, Nahshon Wright stepped in and played a career-high 19 defensive snaps against the Jaguars.

The events of Sunday's game has the potential to significantly impact Joseph's confidence, but Quinn says that is what football is all about.

"That's the life of a competitor, isn't it?" Quinn said. "To say hey, I stand for what I stand for, I put the work in, and I prepare and want to get this opportunity to go back in and prove it. That's really what I'm looking for."

Quinn this week announced there would be "competition'' for that starting job, with Nahshon Wright, Treyvon Mullen, Mackensie Alexander and Kendall Sheffield all in the mix. ... but maybe Joseph holds them off?

Joseph will get that chance during practice at The Star this week as Dallas gears up for a big Christmas Eve clash against the Philadelphia Eagles.


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