The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
Cowboys, Let's go.
Are you ready for a break?
Yes?
Are you ready for a break?
Absolutely?
Ready for a break?
Yeah?
And so much for that.
It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. We were on with Mbar Garcia, Brian brought us, Patrick Walker and Derek Eagleton.
It is Thursday, January fourth, twenty twenty four, Season nineteen, episode number one on one. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We are live from s WBC Morriage Studios. At the start of day, we're talking Cowboys versus Commanders. We will dive into the commander's defense versus the Cowboys offense. Before we get there, though, there are lots of housekeeping news and notes that we need to catch up on Cowboys and moves on their roster. They have officially signed
four players and officially cut four players. I'm going to roll this out for you, guys, and I want to hear from you on what you think sounds interesting about this or is this much ado about nothing? Lyell Collins offensive lineman signed Damian Wilson, linebacker Sir Roderick Thompson running back, big running back, wide receiver Race McMath. All four of those players signed to the practice squad who has been cut Artabius Bryant, Tyron, Billy Johnson, Willington Prevalon, and Adam Pankney.
Let's start first with the guys you. It'll start first with the guys who have been signed to the practice squad. We already talked quite a bit about Lyele Collins and what we think he can or cannot do.
Damian Wilson, how much does he add for you?
Obviously just from the standpoint of having a body that's actually a linebacker now signed as a linebacker.
Well, it's exactly like you said, because right now, with the lease of Rashaun Evans, the only true linebacker you have on the active roster is Demon Clark because you know, Marquise Bell is a convert from safety and he's a flex guy. And then you got Buddy Johnson, but he's on the practice squad and not much you know of a sample size there. So adding Damian Wilson, which is not only a true linebacker and in physical form and as far as football, like you, because that's that's his position,
but it's a familiar face. It's a guy who knows the organization, who knows a lot of guys that are still here in the building from his time now, you know, difference being versus Lyle Collins, where you still Likeola is still going to have Tyron Smith and Zach Martin and those kind of familiar faces. This linebacker room looks wildly different from the last time Damian Wilson took some snaps in it, so he's also going to have to be looked upon add some mentorship to that locker room young guys,
Damon Clark and those guys. I'm interested to see what his Special Teams contributions are going to be, because even if you look at his play last year, he still was able to put up a lot of.
Special Teams reps.
I'm curious to see how Bones Fossil uses him in that aspect as well. But obviously the Cowboys think that there's some value there as well with him, and hopefully that's going to add to what he can bring.
Yeah, you know, that's a veteran guy, You're absolutely right about that, and one that you know has experience of playing here now, not the experience of playing with this coaching staff, so that's a little bit different for him. But you know, it's this time of year. It's about
what players you have available. And Patrick talks about having guys on practice squad available and stuff like that, and I think that's important because coaches need to have confidence that they can put guys out there and get the job done. And obviously, you know, there's a great deal of trust between Dan quinn and Will McLay and if Will saying, hey, listen, we could do this with this guy. I can help you with this guy, and Dan's like, okay, man, just bring him in. We'll coach him up and we'll
see what happens. So you know, when you going through those litany of names of guys that got released other than Bryant, it was like that was a.
Practice squad player. That was a practice squad guy.
I know the guys that they signed better than some of the names you name.
What I'm saying, think about that.
You know, if if you're going through the season and you're and now you're having to put guys on the bring guys up, elevate guys to play, you're you're you're thinking like you're like, oh man, how does this guy.
Help.
I'm not familiar with his game. You know, you know when you look at the guys that they've added, that's now you're you're in that playoff mode. You've had an opportunity. The guys they've let go, they've had an opportunity to work with them. It doesn't you know, it didn't it didn't pan out.
Like for Brian.
I know there are a lot of people that are asking me, and I'm sure Patrick you were getting the same same text, the same tweets, how are they gonna get Brian up?
And when you get rid of.
Gallops and all that, And I'm like going, guys, he ain't coming up unless there's an injury or and now you know you've kind of seen it didn't work out. You know, they kicked the tires on it.
It didn't go.
Maybe you bring it back another time if you have a spot. But you know that's where you're at now. It's about getting players that you have confidence in that if you had to play them and bring them up and then play them, that you feel like that they could get the job.
Done on a one or two game basis if you had to.
I think for me, I do really like the signing, But I think it's mainly because of the familiarity that we know these guys, we've seen them play. They're not the best of the best, but they can go out there and still play for you and help you out in ways that right now you don't have any other choice. But so I think it's more of that of just
knowing and also thinking of like, Okay, they're fresh. But at the same time that can be a bad thing too, because sometimes it takes you a while to get into actual play form and being out there on the field, because one thing is practicing saying in shape, and we know very well another thing is being out there during the game. But it's good to have them. I think Damian Wilson, from what I remember, he wasn't terrible. He was okay, like a solid guy to have there. He
wasn't the best. He sometimes would have trouble on the field, but it wasn't anything that from what I remember that I can think of, Man, we need to get rid of this guy, get him out of here, cut him.
It wasn't like that.
No, his time with the Cowboys a pretty solid, especially in rotation with like Anthony Hitchens and Shown Lee when he was healthy, Damian Wilson he stepped in rotationally and was he perfect, No, but he was definitely one of the better rotational guys at the time. And obviously we're talking years removed, because that's twenty eighteen last time he was here. Now he's back five years later. But even if you look at what he did with Carolina five starts,
he was available all seventeen games. He was available all seven team games in twenty twenty one for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So he's durable.
He's continued to be durable, and like I said, he's bringing added value because forty five percent of the special team snaps for the Panthers had Damian Wilson involved. So now he's if you're Will McLay, you're talking to dan Quinn, like like Brian said, you're saying, okay, well, dan Quinn, trust me on this. He can give you some value on defense. And then you look over at bones Fosts when you say, hey, you want another special teams guy, prove a veteran who can give you some snaps as well.
So hopefully kind of the win win there. I wouldn't I wouldn't say it's any kind of a blockbuster situation, right, so you know, great, it's a familiar face and he can come in an impact. He's a quality addition to the practice squad insurance guy if you need him.
But let's not make it any smaller or bigger than what.
We expect them to see them, any of them this weekend or that's way too fast.
I think that's too soon.
I would assume that's way too soon.
But if I'll put it like this, if it were a game, let's say this game gets away from you, or this game you were in your leading big if any of them are even up, like, that's also the thing, like do they get call them up? But you may be looking for bodies to put in if you get into a situation where the game is out of hand one way or the other, and you know, you're just like, okay, let's we're looking forward to the playoff at this point, and we get our starters out of there, maybe we'll
get some burn. But I don't even expect any of them to necessarily be up, unless, unless, of course, there is flare up, say with with knock on Wood with Tyrann to where you're like, hey, we probably just ought to have a backup available to us.
But other than that, I don't think.
I don't think I necessarily expect them to be up. I do have a question for you guys about Sir Roger Thompson. One thing that stood out to me. He's a bigger guy, six foot two fifteen. Knowing that they've been looking for a solution for short yardage for you know, power type situations, how does that play in do you think that maybe he's a guy that they look at
for that type of role? And number two on that same line, do you think that this ends any speculation about Dalvin Cooks since they have now signed a running back to that.
He is on waivers today, by the way, so yeah, you can put a claim in for him today, let's talk about it. Yeah, but again yeah, yeah, I didn't want to get money.
I'm usually the guy to get everybody in trouble here.
So now yeah, that's uh, he is on waivers three o'clock today. Uh, you will know whether if you put a claim in for him or not, whether you get him awarded to you.
Uh.
The thing, you know, it's it's interesting to me just for the fact that they they're they are hunting. They are hunting of backs obviously here, uh and you know when they But what was strange was the fooko move for for Vaughan. You know, to me that one maybe you hold if you're interested in bringing it back on, that you would hold and say, Okay, we need this roster move, we need this, we need that spot in order to get this guy on.
And you know I heard it would Douce.
It's an ankle injury that he's dealing with right now, so that's why they were able to do what they were able.
To do with him.
But it just seemed like it was like they're they're they're having a hard time getting guys on the roster right now because the to their credit, I mean, I didn't want to say it. We all know why they're having trouble, you know, because they're fortunately things are going the right way with their you know what that I don't like to talk about because every time I talk about it seems something bad app Yeah, so I don't want to talk about it. But anyway, that's that's where
they're at. I mean, their team is is kind of rolling along right now and they don't want to make any moves that that might upset the way that those things are going. So yeah, this this, uh, but having on a bat, I think it's once again, it's just kind of a kicking the tire situation. I don't think I would read into it anymore than that, Like, you know, he is a bigger guy.
Let's see what he's got and and uh, if it you know, if.
It works out that it's part of an elevation. I still think they're going to look at Hunter Lipkey. I know that I know that what happened the fumble was a bad situation at that time, but man, he is though. When you do hand him the ball, he can convert, you know, and that and that fumble was just a you know, maybe hopefully that's the only thing that ever happens bad to him carrying the football for the Dallas Cowboys.
I think when you look at Thompson and and I love I love the human aspect of these guys. And I say that to the to the Thompson aspect of this is a guy. This is an irving Texas kid. He's a former Red Raider with Texas Tech and he's coming home, so I mean he'll have a lot of motivation because this is literally his hometown team and he.
Wants to prove Vali Ranchkid.
Yeah, Vali Ranch Kid. Absolutely, Ranchview went to the same high school that my son's graduated, Stomping Grounds shouts out to.
Ranchfreet High School with the Wolves.
But yeah, so I think it's it's a situation where Thompson, he is kind of a bigger guy. He can give you that he had some really good numbers with Texas Tech, both from the rushing aspect as far as yard is touchdowns, but also he can give you some receiving yards out of the backfield as well, so just overall yards from scrimmage, he can give that to you. To answer your question, does it preclude them from, you know, possibly looking in
the Dalvin could I'm told no, it does not. The angle the Cowboys are taking based on the conversations I had yesterday, is that they aren't necessarily interested in claiming his contract. So even though it was reworked so that he could get the mutual release mutually agreed upon release from the Jets, Cowboys aren't interested in the contract, but they are with the players. So if he does clear waivers.
This is not a waiverclaim type situation.
Correct, it's not a waiverclaim type situation for the Cowboys. It's more so if he claims waivers, they'll likely be on the phone to try to see what his numbers are.
So, but you don't know how that goes. So what do you do?
You go and get somebody like Sir Roderick Thompson and say, come on, let's kick those tires and let's see what's going on there.
All right, let's go and.
Take our first break.
When we come back, we'll dive into this Washington defense, talk about some of the things that stand out maybe from the first game, as well as some of the things that have happened to their team and some of the guys that we would be aware of that we need to be aware of heading into this weekend's matchup.
We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
Todd thought it would be secure to jog in the cheats s. Todd believed the big Cat repellent he bought online was reliable. And now Todd is trying to be faster than this cheetah that can run eighty miles per hour. But the good news is Todd has at and t five gs. It is fast, reliable and secure, and he learned the best thing to do is stop running and toss her the backpack with the beef stew at and T five G Fast, reliable, Secure, It's not complicated.
Five G requires compatible plan and device. Five G may not be available in your area. See att dot com slash five G for you for details.
Cowboys fans, after that move, we've just coined the term rowdy replay.
Let's roll back the table.
Okay, there's our mascot rowdy, cheering on the boys, And now he's on his phone on.
His Bank of America Mobile Banking.
App, staying on top of his finances with his virtual financial Assistant Erica.
Bank of America's digital tools are so impressive. Cowboys fans just can't stop banking. Learn more at Bank of America dot com. Slash Can't Stop Banking.
Everica is only available in the English language. You must download the latest version of the mobile banking app. Only available on Sole like mobile devices. Message in doubt, ragsy, apply a number FDBIC.
Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I am so life questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper, Sheila, Let's hear from our next caller, would.
You their doctor?
My friend supported me during a tough time.
But what's the right gift that says thanks for being the soldier to cry on?
Okay, this one's easy, I say, give her a delicious Doctor Pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any Doctor Pepper flavor will do. Now, just a reminder that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Doctor Pepper is the one you deserve.
They say champions are remembered, but legends are never forgotten. United Agon Turf offers a winning lineup of John Deere equipment built to tackle any challenge on and off the field. Legendary John Deere Tractors combines residential mowers, commercial mowers, compact construction equipment, GAT utility vehicles, and a full line of golf and sports turf equipment. United Agon Turf the official
agonturf equipment supplier of the Dallas Cowboys. Visit United dagonturf dot com to find a location near you.
Back to the Break enjoyed premiere dining, shopping and experience from over twenty restaurant shops and more at the Star District check out women's boutique, Flea Style of Frisco and the official boot partner of the Dallas Cowboys locase. He enjoyed the New Year celebrations at Snowbird Cocktail Lounge, Concrete Cowboy and Cityworks Eatery and Poorhouse. Visit thestardistrict dot com for full directory.
Welcome back.
It is the second segment of The Break live from the SWEC Mortgage studios. At the start, the segment brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, let's talk about this Washington defense. The thing that pops out is immediately when you start looking at the numbers around this team, they are dead last points allowed.
They are also dead last in yards allowed.
Every That is the two statistical measures you probably look at to say where teams rank, and offense and defense they're dead last.
So yeah, that being.
Said, Brian, what do they do well? What do they do well?
And where are they most vulnerable? Obviously vulnerable in a lot of spots where they most.
Of the secondaries, Where the secondary where they're they're having problems right now. Uh, but it's gonna start up front with those two defensive tackles.
They actually played the forty nine Ers.
Pretty well in this football game, and then it kind of got away from got away from them. But the Cowboys did a really nice job against Aron Payne and Jonathan Allen the last time that they played. And so the question you have now is what's the situation with Tyler Smith?
You know? And uh t J.
Bass has done a really fine job when he's been asked to play. This is a different animal though, that he's having to deal with with Payne and Allan inside.
So we'll see what happens. I was told that at the Tyler Smith's situation is actually.
Gonna carry over to Sunday. They're gonna they're gonna get there. They're gonna try and figure it out. And if he can go, he can go. If you can't go, then you're gonna get TJ. Bass And they're playing. So but it's gonna start up front with the commanders at those two spots. It's hard to move these guys one on one, it really really is. Opponents have had success on them attacking on the outside, not running the ball inside, but
running the ball to the outside. And so I guess say a little my Odyssey group by the way, all my friends, there's all my guys I work with right there in Odyssey.
So Hi, guys, Great to see you guys. But yeah, so the.
Thing with people have had success running the ball on the edges and staying away from running the middle. If you look at the forty nine er game, and I was curious about this, Allen was doubled thirteen times by the forty nine ers and Payne was doubled eight times. So they're not going to let teams are not going to let those guys control the game. They have a weakness at linebacker. Dallas did a great job in the game going back and watching and taking advantage of this
commander linebacker group. Cody Barton I think is the best player of the group, but there were a couple of times where he was matched up on Jake Ferguson. Ferguson took him to the wood.
Shit.
So you know, we'll see if they I don't expect Ron Rivera to make the same mistakes that Jack del Rio did in this game with some of his some of his matchups right there. The screen works against these guys, and misdirection works.
Against these guys too.
When you start to talk about how you maybe want to attack them, the secondary is really really banged up, you know. And I was talking to somebody with the commanders about this, and it might be if the situation was different, that maybe some of these guys wouldn't be on the injury list. But you know, it's it is what it is for them right now. And that's a whole other thing we need to get into about how they might play this game. But Benjamin Saint Jus Kendall Fuller,
they're dealing with injuries. Castro Fields is also dealing with an injury. That got concussions, You've got knees, you've got shoulder problems that are starting a rookie now with Emmanuel Forbes, he's played quite a bit against the forty nine ers. He's probably their best guy of all the guys that are playing right now, of the the guys that aren't injured.
Uh.
But it's it's a group that really really struggles to to stop people.
From throwing the ball on them.
And that's and that's something that the forty nine ers were able to do pretty well with Samuel au can Kittle. That's you know, they had their way throwing the ball with them. And that's that's the problem that they're going to probably have to deal with again this week.
You mentioned Jonathan Allen, a defensive tackle. He did not practice yesterday also with a knee injury. Yeah, if Allan is able to play combined with pain, how does TJ.
Bass match up there?
Like that's based on what TJ. Bass does well and not so well. How does he match up?
Yeah, the problem that you're dealing with with with Allan at Pain is the power they they are.
They are so just explosive off the ball.
So now when you when you make that contact and you watch, it's like you hit and then they just stop you. You just stopping your tracks and now they're they're kind of rocking you back or they're kind of now they're working around you their hands or pulling around you. You honestly need to when they're not in the game, that's when you need to take advantage of them even more on defense because they have matthis and John Ridgeway
who used to play here. When those guys get it tackle, that's when you have to kind of find a way to make some hay, you know. But when the other two guys in there, because like I say, the one thing that Bass could do is He is a strong guy, and he does a really good job with his past set of sitting down, bending his knees, anchoring down on those guys. But I'm if I'm the Cowboys, I'm kind of taking a page of the forty nine er book. If I'm be oddish, I'm kind of keeping an eye
on what's going on to my left. If Tyler Smith's not playing.
Zach Martin, You're a Hall of Famer over here, man, you understand how hard it is to do with those beggings. Like we're gonna have a day. We're gonna get to talk to Zach today.
On his weekly show, and he'll tell you that it's like, you know, it's these are tough matchups for these guys. But bass is you know, he's strong, he's powerful, but he doesn't have a whole heck of a lot of experience against a guy like this, So we'll see how it works out for him.
It sounds like Alan and Payne obviously the two big names. Are there any other players on that defense that you're like, this guy can be a problem.
Not really, No, not really, I mean I like I like I like Forbes the corner because what they could do is he can match up. You know, we've seen last the last couple of weeks teams treat and this is if Saint Jus can say fuller, do play, then you could use Forbes. We've seen teams attack Jake Ferguson like he's a wide receiver. Yeah, we've seen the Lions last week they took their their were their best cover
guy and put him on. You know, there were snaps where they took Ferguson where like, Okay, we'll take our chances with Lamb on the outside. But we know at this situation that maybe Prescott's going to want to throw the ball. So that's that's the things that you're now starting to see and and that's the one thing that that I think that Forbes can do is you know, and you look at where he in the game. Just I went back, I'm like, okay, I noticed what he's
doing here. You look at the metrics of the game. He took Samuel in the game, he took Ayuk in the game, and he took Kittle in the game.
So they're obviously trying to.
Get him involved in you know, he was one of their better cover guys of trying to at least move him around enough to take various reps against the forty nine.
Ers best weapons.
If you had to identify one person in the secondary that was the target, Like we're going to try to attack this guy, who would that be?
Yeah, it's it's the guy. The guy that gave up that that's giving up the most to Saint Jews is he's he's been.
It's been a little bit of a struggle for him.
The Cowboys the first time around went after him pretty good.
And what does he typically line up?
They flip, They play both sides. This is what they do.
So you're not gonna you're not gonna be able to get a bead. So I would just I would. I would try and find a way to match up. We'll see if if if they don't play, then these guys in the world have heard even more.
Yeah, you know with what they're going to have to deal with.
But I just feel like that Dallas, the the the their ability, they just don't hold up and coverage very well. You know, they don't they don't carry routes particularly well. Uh, they don't play the ball particularly well. And you know, I feel like that you know, Dallas, Dallas had a really good plan against him last time, and I I expect I say Jack del Rio was the defensive coordinat at the time. Uh, you know this is gonna be a Ron Rivera game.
Uh.
And you know Ron Rivera is probably coaching his last This is probably his last gick. It's probably his last time he's going to coach in a coach a game. So I have a feeling he's going to try and match up the best he can. He's just playing short handed right now with this.
Guys, knowing that they struggled so much to get pressure on Dallas in the last game. They only had two pressures, zero sacks, and they don't have the defensive ends that they once had. They got rid of both their defensive ends early this year. In trades, they're good defensive, their best defensive.
Ends sweat and young and young.
Yeah.
So do you think that this could be a game where maybe they go in and think, hey, we got a blitz. Have you seen me in that over the last couple of weeks, where maybe they're doing a little bit more of that to try to generate pressure, or is this just one of those games where they're just not going to generate pressure and as we all know, if you don't pressure Dak Prescott and you just let him sit back there, he's probably gonna carve you up.
Yeah, they played a lot of zone last week. I mean watching them against the forty nine ers, I think that's kind of what they want to do. They're trying not to give up the big play if they can. You know, that's what That's how teams are really playing Dallas now, they're just not letting Dallas, you know, have those The problem that the that the Commanders had in the Thanksgiving Day game was they gambled on some coverages that you know, some of these routes that the Cowboys ran.
The safety play was really really bad. They got the corners turned around, safeties were reading the wrong thing. It seems to be that the coverage things that they were doing, the combinations of trying to take care of the second and be solid the secondary, they really really weren't. So I think Dallas can throw the ball on him. Like I say, how how do you handle what's going on at defensive tackle in this game?
That?
I think they can handle everything else. I think they can manage everything else. It's it's if Tyler Smith doesn't play. How do you find a way to help TJ basson this game so that the middle of this Cowboy offense doesn't get affected.
And when you go back and you look at the Thanksgiving game, quite as it's kept Tony Pollard had a pretty good day.
It had that afternoon.
So not only did you have Dak Prescott kind of carving up the secondary, the poor secondary four touchdowns, three hundred and thirty one yards, one forty two point one rating, here's Tony Pollard seventy nine, Yeah, seventy nine rushing yards, six point one yards per carry. So going into that game, we said it then that this Washington secondary was launched like you could absolutely have a day there. The question was how would the Cowboys perform in the running the game,
especially running interior with Payne and Allen. Well, to answer your question, Pollard had a really good that day. And now it's a situation where either Allen may not play in this game because of injury or he will be far less than one hundred percent. So it kind of goes to, you know, the logic that maybe this is a game with Tony Poler gets a good bounce back.
And then Rico Dada was expected to return, So you definitely want to continue to let your primary form of attack against this commander's defense be attack that secondary.
Yeah, Like I say, a lot of the perimeter runs, they ran the ball to the weak side, set formation to the left schoon maker for some left side ran the.
Ball back to the right like a toss just toss week.
And then they also went with their crack game where they brought there, you know, and they the Commanders just didn't handle that very well. Linebackers, corners get cracked. And now the ball's out.
On the edge.
So a lot of the runs were going to be on the on that outside. I think if Dallas is gonna maybe they'll go back and look at this, maybe the Commanders will say, well, we've got to play a little bit wider. Forty nine ers had a good day running the ball on the edge too. I think anybody that plays the Commanders can run the ball on the edge. I just think they get the support that they needed that spot.
Also, because the defensive end that those positions are weakened by the trade for you know, Chase Young being sent away, monch Sweat being sent away. So even if they say we're going to play a little bit wider. Well, now you're you're basically weakening Allan in pain because they play better in that phone booth. But if you're widening the phone booth, you're asking them to do more lateral work that widens the gaps in the A and B and
there you go. There, So some interior runs they just really don't have an answer as far as their defense is concerned.
I'm trying to not get too confident with your knee you did.
I don't even know where the button.
It's one of those days.
Okay, I got long legs. Okay.
I was saying that I'm trying to not get or feel too confident about this game because right now everything seems to be so much in favor.
For the Cowboys.
Like you talk about an opportunity to have a good passing game but also a good running game to end the season with kind of being back and establishing the run, maybe Tony Poler feeling a little bit more confident comfortable with running. Also maybe winning a road game and ending the season high on that. But also I'm like, okay, take it back and chill, because we've seen this happen before Arizona. We've seen it happen even against the Panthers.
It wasn't a game where the Cowboy was completely dominated.
You know, they should have, but I mean they won.
But so it's one of those things where you're trying to everything sounds great with the both scouting reports that you gave Brian of the update between yesterday and today, but also being mindful of how things can easily turn bad and how the Washington commanders, how they can all the sad and show up and decide to play a great game against the Cowboys.
Yeah, and talking to people in Washington about this game, and because I was asking about the second overall pick and protecting it and all that, they do want to play some young players, that that's something that's interesting to them. They would like to try and play some young guys and see how it goes. But they got coaches on
that staff that are honestly coaching for their jobs. Yeah, and so nobody wants to go out you know that way, and you never know, it might be a situation where you know, ownership says, well, hey listen, we like this position coach, or we like that guy. You have holdovers
some staffs and stuff like that. So that's kind of why you know that they're I don't think they're interested in tanking this game, but it's one big that they would like to have just for the fact that they'd like to, you know, for new for the ownership, and maybe for the next coach, that there's reasons for us to stay around here and help coach.
Yeah, it's interesting this.
I saw a video this morning on social media where they were asking the Washington players about the fact that that the fans are in the were in the stadium cheering for them to lose because they want to keep that pick, and you can tell the players are like to kind of taking it back by it. But also they made it clear our expectations of ourselves this weekend is we're going to win this game because we want to win this game.
Sometimes players don't care about draft.
No no, no, the absolutely don't. But but I also think that's also part of it.
I think that they are focused primarily on winning because not only do they just players want to do it, but I also think it's because sometimes you have people just constantly saying you don't need to win, you don't need to win, y'all good enough, y'all good enough to sometimes it just becomes a thing where Okay, let's see, let's see, and I do think that they're going to come in ready to play. Question will be did they prepare a during the week like they wanted to play?
But I think their.
Effort on Sunday will be every bit as much as any team the Cowboys will have played this season.
This is likely going to be a tough game.
It will It'll be a tough game. All right, it's sec our final break, let's come back.
I do have a question for you guys about this Cowboys defense and how concerned you might be at this point about them being able to close out games. We'll talk about that when we come back to the stalls Cowboys dot Com Radio.
Todd thought it would be secure to jog in the cheetah Savannah. Todd believed the big Cat repellent he bought online was reliable. And now Todd is trying to be faster than this cheetah that can run eighty miles per hour. But the good news is Todd has at and T five g. It is fast, reliable, and secure, and he learned the best thing to do is stop running and toss her the backpack with the beef stew At and T five G Fast, reliable, secure, It's not complicated.
Five G requires compatable plan and device. Five G may not be available in your area. See att dot com slash five G for you for details.
Don't put off getting your oil change. Dallas. Take five Oil Change, a proud partner of the Cowboys, is faster than you think. There's no appointment needed and no waiting room. Yep, you hurt that correctly. Take five is so fast you don't even have to get out of your car. You can take advantage of Take five's fast, friendly and simple service at any of their locations across the Dallas area. And remember, at Take five you stay in your car
because they're faster than you think. Take five the official oil change of the Dallas Cowboys.
It's the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black and right now Cowboys fans can get fifteen percent off their seventy five dollars order. Plus because every deal needs a playmaker, your order will include a free five piece skincare set and free shipping. The Jack Black Playmaker is four of Jack's favorites and a full sized intense therapy lipball. Make a play for the playmaker at Getjack black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys VIP.
That's get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys VIP.
They say champions are remembered, but legends are never forgotten. United Agon Turf offers a winning lineup of John Deere equipment built to tackle any challenge on and off the field. Legendary John Deere Tractors combines residential mowers, commercial mowers, compact construction equipment, gator utility vehicles, and a full line of golf and sports turf equipment. United Agon Turf the official
lagonturf equipment supplier of the Dallas Cowboys. Visit United Agenturf dot com to find a location near you.
Back to the.
Break, The confide CAFF Nations League Final are coming to AT and T Stadium. Don't miss your chance to watch North America's best soccer team's battle out in the semifinals on March twenty first, then see who lifts the trophy in the championship on March twenty fourth. Tickets are available now at seat geek dot com, the official tickney partner of AT and T Stadium.
Welcome back. It is the final segment of the break. We are alive from this WBC Mortgage Studios.
At the Star.
Let's talk about the Cowboys defense. We've seen over the last two games now where the offense has gone down and scored to put the Cowboys in position to where they were in the lead in the final minutes of the game, and in both those instances, the defense allowed scorers that allowed the other team to get back into position to possibly win or win, as it was the case in Miami. How cancer you about this defense's.
Ability to be able to close our games?
What I said about it this particular game against the Lions was that, and I know Brian agreed. You changed how you played defense on that final drive, right. You played it a certain way that was effective for the majority of the game, which helped you keep them down to just a touchdown, much like you did against the Miami Dolphins. But also like you did against the Miami Dolphins when you needed that final stop, you got softer as far as how you spaced it. You got different
in how you played it. And that's my concern. I don't believe that the Cowboys have an issue with getting the final stop. If they just continued to do on that final drive what they did successfully. The only reason to change in the final drive is if something wildly wasn't working over the course of the game. But when you've hold when you've held these two powerful offenses down for fifty eight minutes of football, and now you're down to two minutes, why change up?
Why change up? That's why it started to allow chunk plays.
So to be clear, your concern is more with how the defense is being called that right in.
Those final in those final moments with the game on the line. It's why change up. It's the play calling in that instance, because you're play calling in your execution. It was there for fifty eight minutes, and then here come to the final two and then you change up and now you're allowing the chunk plays.
That's a concern for me.
Give me the Seattle defense that whatever defense they played in that final drives against the Seahawks to get those games to get off the field, they had three fourth down plays and then the pressure. You know that that's the thing. When the Cowboys do not get pressure, that's a problem for them in those situations.
Because that's because of the second.
Well, the secondary, Yeah, the secondary. You know.
In this last game though, the spacing was not great, you know, and to Dan's credit, he went three different ways to try and to stop it. It wasn't like he just sat there, down after down after down using the same defense.
He tried.
It just didn't work. The common denominator here is when the Cowboys don't get pressure, they could be very mediocre. As a pass defense can be very mediocre that way pressure. You know, the whole entire game, you were you were creating problems for Jared Golf and then all of a sudden he gets comfortable on that final drive because there's
no pressure. I think Dan learned a lesson there. I think, you know, you can't if we're gonna The Seattle game was a great example of coming after that quarterback and affecting the way, and they were able to do it with their front.
Uh.
But that in that in the Miami game, they couldn't get home, and they couldn't get home in this last game on that final drive. And that was the difference really in the game, in the Dolphin game especially. But you know, if they they they've Dan's trying. I just think if they don't get pressure. Then they they are very ordinary on defense, and that's not going to win you many games.
Being ordinary. You have to be almost elite at.
The very end to win games, and you know being ordinary is gonna get you beat.
Yeah, that's somewhat of a tough question, because I I am. But at the same time I'm not, Like I'm more concerned about the offense and them doing their job, Like I can't blame the defense, like by the end of the game, Like, bro, I'm tired, I'm drained, I've gave you my all. I've given you all I got. I catch an interception for you, and you do nothing Like I think I can get go sit for a few moments on the bench.
Next thing I know, I'm right back out. So it's just.
Yes, concerning the whole broad aspect of it, But at the same time, I just don't. I can't be mad at them, as you know.
Let me say this to add to your point where you're going with this. It also goes to offensive play calling and execution as well late in these games. So an example would be, if you see that your defense has held strong, be it an interception or you know, DeMarcus Lawrence gets a critical run stop on third with goal to go, and now your offense gets the ball back. It's late in the game. How you call that next offensive drive? First of all, it needs to be penalty free.
You don't need anything putting you behind the sticks.
You don't need anything that awards or keeps extra time on the clock for the other team. Are you effective with running the ball? Can you start to soft the game away or can you not? Because you don't have confidence in it, So guess what you're doing. You're dropping back and passing in situations where you probably wouldn't otherwise. Against the Lions, we were talking about the Cowboys, it felt like McCarthy didn't have a lot of confidence in
the run game late in that particular game. So the offense, to your point, also needs to help its defense because when your defense is playing and bottling up these high powered offenses for the majority of the game, you get an interception, you get the ball back in Dak Prescott's hands. You would like to get at least a field goal, but definitely a touchdown. If they come away with nothing there, it's a quick three and out. Defense is back onto
the field. So complimentary football help those guys out as well, and then you will have fewer situations wherein you are asking your tired defense who's played well fifty eight minutes to go out there and now save the day when it shouldn't have to necessarily be that.
Guys going to lose your mind when we get to the end of the game and it's a four minute offensive situation, you're trying to run it out and they have to.
Keep throwing the ball because that's where we're going to Guys, we know that.
Right, Well, here's the thing.
I'm gonna lose my mind regardless.
See the thing about it is the way for them to get first downs is throwing the football.
Yeah, but there's a way to throw the ball.
I think that's where most people that had a problem with that deep pass there at the late part of the game. Sure it was not that it was not that they're throwing the ball. In my opinion, I'll speak for myself. I wasn't upset at that they were throwing the ball. My frustration was, you're taking a lower percentage pass.
Give me a high percentage pass.
That is a part of your running game, I guess, is the best way to put it. I mean, this offense is predicated on quick passing, So give me some of those, give me a slant route, give me a bubble screen.
I think there are other things.
You can do when you got a higher percentage chance you're going to complete the pass, so that if nothing else, even if you don't get in the yards out of it, at least you keep the clock moving.
I think that's the point that.
Most people are, at least for myself, that I would have a problem with. So no, I won't lose my mind if they're throwing the ball, if they're throwing it downfield and taking a lower percentage pass, I will lose my mind.
See that's where I'm at right now, because I kind of feel like if to maybe kill a game, they're gonna have to throw the ball and it plays it. I mean, you're trying to get them to use their timeouts and stuff, but that might be the only way Dallas can kind of keep the clock. I mean, they could keep it going running the ball, but it's gonna be second and ten, it's gonna be third and eight, it's gonna be yeah, it's gonna be fourth and seven.
Yeah. You know, that's kind of where you're at I mean.
You're still yeah, and then now you're not yet.
Hold No, I mean that's what I'm saying. I think that to me, you're right.
About the higher percentage passes though. You're absolutely right about that though, and so to me. But I just wonder because it's going to be about I think there's gonna be times where in the playoffs s it's they're going to have to keep the clock going, but it it's
probably not going to be running the football. Yeah, you know, I mean their best chance of winning and their best chance of maybe not exposing the defense to what Amber was talking about being tired and holding up the way they have the whole game is they're going to have to go get first downs, and they can get first downs throwing the football. They could do that for sure.
I would incorporate more quarterback running myself, no doubt. Oh yes, and maybe the jet sweeps, yeah, anything other things you can do.
Yeah, I'm trying. I'm just trying.
Maybe I'm here at the time, maybe I haven't shown you anything. Maybe I haven't shown you that quarterback pulling the ball. But I'm going to do it in that four minute drive, trust me.
And when you do it.
No penalties to negate that because we've seen that a couple of times here recently with Dak Prescott gets a chain mover with his legs and there's laundry on the field.
So play clean football real quick.
Before we end the show, I did want to mention Cowboys get seven Pro bowlers name to the Pro Bowl yesterday. Dak Prescott, Ceedee Lamb, Zach Martin, Michael Parsons to Ron Bland, Brandon Aubrey, Brian Anger all get to the Pro Bowl. Were there any surprises for you and guys.
That could not make it? When we were sitting there a Knox Star, the ball was hitting the times.
I literally telling my wife about that story.
I told the story on the radio. I told the store in the radio.
None of us would expect.
Now It's like we're standing there like poor you know, Ambar's getting hit with a ball, you know, and we're like thinking, well, man, she's gonna own part of the team now for injuries and stuff here.
But yeah, no, it's great that it's great that it's great that they.
Made the right decision on that death, you know, and it's great for Bland, you know, good job with bland and.
Stuff like that. Well done.
You know one of the things I told my wife last night.
We were talking about this because she said, man, they got lucky with Aubrey, and I was like, you know, you can look at it that way, but I actually look.
At it the other way, because how do you look at it?
Well, if you look at how you're played during training camp, I know none of us thought this guy could play.
Let's because none of us. Not only that, not only that, they got rid of the other guy that was there with it and didn't bring anybody else. I know they doubled down on it that stuck.
No. So to me, that's not them being that's being confident in what they scouted and saying this guy can play.
We feel he can play. And they were right.
They got it.
Weren't we all seeing the same thing.
Clearly right once they got rid of Once they got rid of the other kickers, he started making kicks.
He didn't miss.
It's like it's like this guyana would miss, then he would miss. Then this guy would make and he would It was like they were going back and forth back and.
Who can miss most?
And it's funny. Once once they got rid of this guy in. This guy never missed, never missed.
Yeah, And I got to give them credit for that because I think that was about their confidence in what they'd scouted and believing this guy could be man if it's.
Good for them.
And at the same time, I'm like, let's don't put me under that stress, Like I don't like.
Feeling stress. And guys live.
In the building And when bones Fossil goes upstairs, the pull take your drink, sit down next to him and.
Ask him, really, how that all went down? I want to know.
I want to know how that all went down, because there's no way they we saw the same thing.
How did they choose one less misser over the other missery, you know what I'm saying.
How did they decide they were going to not only level down on him by letting him noting somebody else in.
That's where I'm like, they felt really confident about where they were company over a miller.
Lite will tell you how that all went down.
Well, that's the crazy, crazy thing. Training camp. We get to see all of the practice like it's open. It's not here.
We only got sometimes were involved in practice.
Yeah, so that's crazy.
Like during that time we were all It's not that we were crazy. We all saw the same thing. So but anyways, congratulations to him.
That's all the surprise.
And the only thing I will say is seven guys congratulations. Guys like Brandon Aubrey, you know, Covenance, but a couple couple of snobs that I'd be remiss if I didn't mention. I feel like de Marcus Lawrence is having another outstanding season. I feel like his resume, especially you talk about those critical stops. I mean, the Cowboys are probably plus two in the win column because of DeMarcus no question play.
And then when you look at Tyler Smith, I feel like, although he has had an issue with some penalties here or there, for the most part, he's already proven that year two he's one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league. I don't see how you don't get Tyler in there as well.
So outside of those.
Two very very obvious snubs, for me, the other seven are more than deserving whatsoever. And keeping eye on the alternates because a couple of these guys might still sneak in.
The goal is not to any of these guys plays, None of these guys. None of these guys involved with tuger War or Dodgeball or any of that.
Stuff you just wanted for.
You want it for these guys, for the fact that it's being honored, the honor for the work. And also you know, when it comes to contract negotiations.
Here you got Pro Bowl steal.
All right, We appreciate you guys. So back tomorrow we will wrap this thing up. We'll let you know what we think is gonna happen this weekend Cowboys versus Commanders. Till then, for Patrick Clockerbrian brought us in regards Toe. I'm Derek Eagleton. This has been the Break.
Alive on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football clubby