Maxwell: ‘We Were On The Field All Day’

Maybe Byron Maxwell really was just tired.

When Brandon Weeden hit Terrance Williams for a 42-yard touchdown to effectively seal the Cowboys’ 20-10 win over the Eagles on Sunday, Maxwell was the primary cornerback in coverage.

Williams beat Maxwell on a short post route and turned up the field for six points, and Maxwell wasn’t within 15 yards of his man when the ball crossed the plane.

“He just got inside of me,” Maxwell said after the game. “We were on the field all day, he got inside of me, I couldn’t really explode. I didn’t feel tired, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t get to him.”

The Cowboys’ offense spent over 40 minutes on the field as the Eagles couldn’t string together a consistent drive until after Williams’ score.

“You’re a human being,” Maxwell told reporters. “You get tired as the game goes on.”

Maxwell’s failure to prevent Williams from scoring comes on the heels of a monstrous performance from Atlanta wide receiver Julio Jones, who caught 141 yards’ worth of passes, including a key 44-yard catch in the fourth quarter against coverage from Maxwell. On that play, Maxwell was a couple of steps behind his man as well.

This is the 27-year-old cornerback’s first year in Chip Kelly’s system, which is predicated on up-tempo performance and can leave the team’s defense on the field when things aren’t clicking.

Maxwell said he’s been surprised by the way the first two games have gone for the Eagles, especially after their successful preseason.

“Obviously, we’re surprised,” Maxwell said. “But it’s the NFL. Things happen, and things happen in life. You’ve just got to take it and keep moving.”