Jeremy Mincey has passed all of his concussion protocols and will play Sunday against New Orleans.
Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is glad to have him back.
Mincey starts at left defensive end but can move inside to defensive tackle in passing situations to help the Cowboys' pass rush. Look at the way Atlanta manhandled the Cowboys' defensive line last week, and it's clear the Cowboys missed Mincey.
He's good against the run because he does a good job of holding the edge and making it difficult for running backs to get around the end. He led the team with six sacks last season and is probably the Cowboys' most consistent pass rusher.
"He's a physical guy who does a really good job defending the run," Garrett said. "He pressures the quarterback, pushes the pocket and I think he brings an intensity to our team that's an important part of playing good defense."
Atlanta gained 438 yards - 158 rushing and 280 passing - last week against the Cowboys, who allowed a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver. Mincey said the Cowboys must play smarter, not necessarily harder, against New Orleans.
"We just have to do a better job of focusing on playing Cowboys' football," he said. "That's playing hard, being physical and playing smarter. We've got great coaches that prepare us well, and we just need to execute what they tell us to do.
"We get out of whack sometimes. You might have two guys rushing the same gap and the quarterback just steps up in the pocket. We've been working on our timing and understanding that we have to keep the quarterback in front if us. We can't get behind him, when we're coming off the edge. If we do all of that, we'll be OK."
