Cowboys Break: Assessing The Playoff Scenarios

live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. We're talking Cowboys football today. We're telling to take a big picture look today, look around the NFL, as we do on every Tuesday. It's looking up for the Cowboys more and more. It's it's looking like the Cowboys are going to be in the playoffs. I think it's like a ninety nine percent chance at this point they'll be in the playoffs barring just some unforeseen just complete dismantling of

this team. They should be in the playoffs. But there's still a lot that has to happen below them with regards to the playoff team that maybe not the playoff team that they will face, but that final sixth seed in the playoffs. How's everybody doing this morning. I'm good, Derek Good, I'm good, good good. I wanted to talk a little bit today about a couple of different topics. First, looking at the NFC, and we we were talking about this before we went on the air. Dave made mention

of it yesterday. Really it's not so much about, you know, kind of whether you're you're the third or the fourth seed. It's much more about who's the fifth and the sixth seed.

And last night, as you watched that game with the two teams that right now are the fifth and six seeds, Seattle being the fifth seed and Minnesota being the sixth seed, it looks like there is an appreciable difference between the quality of football being played by the Seattle Seahawks and pretty much everybody else that's battling for that sixth spot.

What's your assessment of the teams that are left. Of all those teams that are left kind of battling for that sixth spot, which of those teams do you think is the scariest or the one that could pose the most problems if the Cowboys did have to face them instead of Seattle. Oh? Um, Eagles. But it wouldn't be then though, right, I mean, I would be. The likelihood of the Eagles right now is pretty small. And Dave, you mentioned that NFL that NFL playoff predictor. I played

around with that a little bit this morning. As far as the way I was looking at it, the Eagles basically have to win out and get help for them to be able to get in on that sixth seed. And you look at that and it's like, I don't know, they got Houston, they got the Rams, it's gonna be tough for them to get one win went out. The Vikings are now six six one seven I think there's six six and one, you're right, yeah, So why do they have to win out like the Eagles are just

six and seven? Well, the the at least the I think. The thing about it is Miami would have to not not Miami, I'm sorry, um, the Panther. No, No, it would be the who was I talking about? Minnesota? Minnesota would have to lose two of their final three. Philly went out. But then there are other teams that are in the mix. There two that could affect that, right, because you've got you've got Caroline, who's at six and seven.

And when you start thinking about the schedule two, First of all, Minnesota they don't have that tough of a schedule. Their final game is against Chicago, who may or may not have something to play for at that point. But before that, before those two, they have Miami at home and then they play at Detroit. So the likelihood that they lose both of those is probably not very likely.

Probably a good chance that they win both of them, in which case, again it's going to be very difficult for Philly unless they win out to be able to catch them and jump over them because of that tie, Because the tie creates a whole different thing, because now you're talking about half a game, half a win, or half a loss. I hate it so much, And there's only sixteen of these and they're all so important and

there shouldn't be ties. But the NFL cares more about pleasing sponsors and getting games over with in a timely manner than you know, the integrity of the competition. I think that is just purely my opinion. I think it's stupid. I hate ties, and I hate that I have to sit here and do calculations every time I look at the standings because of it. Do you hate ties in all sports? That doesn't seem like you get upset about soccer ties. Soccer is completely different because you play forty

games and it's a point system instead of standings. I mean, if you got if you got a point for a tie and win and three for a win like you do in soccer, it's fine. And also it's still like that either that's too hard to keep up. It's give me a win loss it's not though, like in soccer. In soccer you don't even look at the wins and losses. You say points they have, but thirty points out of how many games? And that's my that's my point. That's

to me, that's a problem. Like I want sports to be about winning and losing, so wins and losses, it's just wins and losses. Give me a win loss record and I'll know how good you are. This is a separate conversation, but there is no competition on planet Earth that does a better job of deciding who is the best team than soccer. Really, I don't know enough about it to really argue that. I mean, forty forty games, there's no playoff. Whoever does the best of its thirty

eight games. But whoever does the best out of thirty eight games, you have the highest point total. That's not fun. It's not it's not it's not fun at all. And that's why the ratings aren't. It's high, especially here here here, they're they're high in the world. It's not fun at all, but it rewards the team that is the best from the beginning of the seasons at the end. Yeah, purely I get that. I just I sports is supposed to be fun. I'd rather take the fun, So playoffs to me,

I don't like sports without playoffs. I think college football before playoff to where it is now with a playoff infinitely better with a playoff than without im I'll contradict myself all day. Playoffs are so much fun and they're ingrained in me as an American, and I love them. I hate, hate, hate when mediocre, crap teams win the championship. I hate to this day, and I don't like the New England Patriots. I hate to this day that a nine and seven Giants team won that Super Bowl. It's

crap that could hate the Giants. I don't care. I don't give a crap about the Giants. Either I grew up a Saints, but let's just don't care about anybody I talk about. When that happens, They're like, oh, we got hot bull crap. Patriots were historically good. Let's bring it back to the Cowboys because we can do that right there. The nine and seven Giants team wasn't mediocre at when they were playing. And that's that's what's the

beauty of what the playoff system gives you. It gives you some room for eric, gives you a chance to like figure some things out, gives you a chance to maybe make a trade for a wide receiver in Oakland and bring them to your team. So now at eight and five, I don't think the Cowboys are a mediocre team at eight and five right now. I know the Saints wouldn't wouldn't think that way, And so I'm just saying I think it gives you an opportunity. That's one

thing I hated about old college football. You know, you lose early. Oh U Texas played early. The loser had no shot. Now you have a chance to kind of rally back in as Oklahoma. Okay, so that you brought me to this and actually I was gonna say this this was gonna be I had a whole list of questions. This is gonna be the final question. The coude gras you always but you bring us a list of questions and we ruin it. No, No, but that's okay. That's okay because I like the way this is going. I'm

gonna jump this question. I'm gonna just gonna jump on this to the front. When you look at this team now, you have an elite running back, you have an elite wide receiver, you have an elite pass rusher. You have really good linebackers, really good secondary, pretty good offensive line. Is the quarterback good enough to take this team all the way to the Super Bowl? Because a lot of pieces are in place. If you look at super Bowl champions over the last fifteen years, the Cowboys have more

pieces than many of those teams did. Is there anything that could stop this team right now from possibly getting all the way? Like, are they in the conversation now of a team that can go all the way? I know that silly, it's not starting. No, No, I'm saying silly. When you look at it from the reference of this was a three and five team at one point in

a season, to where they are now. I know that's ludicrous to even think that happens, But at this point where you are right now, with the players that you have, is this seem good enough to go all the way for the third time? I'll contradict myself and Nick's absolutely right. This isn't that team. Like you can watch any of the games that they've won since the Tennessee game, and week by week they have been so much better and different. I mean, they lead the league in third down percentage.

Do you remember watching the team try to convert third downs in the first month of the season. It was laughable. And that's just one example, Like they are not the same team. NFL seasons are ever evolving and changing things, so it's a it's fun to talk about, like, well, look at this transformation. But to say that this team can't win playoff games because they struggled against the Seahawks two months ago, like that doesn't matter. And when they beat the Saints, that said to me that they can

beat anybody. I mean, they have the defense that can stop an offense like that, and they their offense is not special by any stretch of the imagination, but we've seen it do enough to win five games in a row, stringing that together. They're gonna I mean, unless something miraculous happens, they're gonna have to win four games in a row to win a championship. That that's a tall order for anybody.

I mean, really, the Patriots and the Saints maybe, like there's probably two teams out of twelve that are gonna make the playoffs that really feel like they can do that, And that's the big question. But they can. I don't think it's even silly with what we've seen in the last month. The two areas I think that worry fans the most, or maybe worry the Cowboys the most, is just consistent scoring. And that comes to the with the quarterback and down in the red zone and all that stuff.

Is he gonna make enough plays? And the kicker, you know, because you're gonna get to this part of the point of the season where you know your kicker is gonna have to be consistent, and I think he's he's pretty good. He is pretty good. I mean, when you look around the league, guys miss guys missed extra points. You know, I think Tucker missed an extra point, didn't he um? It happened often but missed an extra point that costs them a game. Yeah. So I mean he's the best

in the league, and so it, uh, it happens. And and I think that's one of those just hold your breath type situations. I think this team is built for a cold weather game because of the way they run, the way they pass. That's probably not gonna happen, though, because you know, if you you're gonna win, you're gonna go to New Orleans or LA. So talk about control climate either way, right, so you know end up in a uh, don't do it? Three number three seed Bears

against the number four seed Cowboys and Soldier Field. Let's do it. No, No, I wasn't saying it can't happen. I don't do it because I did not want to go to ship. I would go in. You would love that, I would. Now, what if it was the NFC championship game in New Orleans Cowboys Saints in the championship game? Would that would that be fun for you? No, I would be a nightmare. That would be so much fun.

I would hate it. As you know, it's gonna be the Sunday late game, which means on Bourbon Saturday night. That yeah, maybe right. I think anybody you think our um sponsorship and team would would want to hit that trip. I'm assuming we're taking three planes. If that half somebody I've never met would be on my in my seat or next to me on the plane, for sure, I would despise that. I hope it doesn't be like just because you don't want to? Why because you just don't

want to? I don't get I do, like I when the Saints play the Cowboys, it is a nightmare from yeah, he hate because and but I don't, honest, I don't even care about that, Like I'm so far removed from the fan aspect of it, Like I don't. I don't know anything about the New Orleans Saints other than when it's like time to you know, study them, and like, Okay,

Taysom Hill touches the ball five times a game. But when the Saints play the Cowboys, everybody here thinks I'm a trader jerk because I'm from New Orleans, Like, oh, you're probably rooting for the Saints, and everybody I know from back home is like your dirty cowboy, gross, you're a trade Like I am the bad guy on both sides all week long, I don't get to win. I don't get to feel good no matter what happens, and if it happens in the playoffs, even worse. So just

keep that far away from me. That's kind of the same way I feel about Houston from the standpoint that I just I get a lot. I have to listen to a lot from like old classmates from Houston who are big Texans fans at this point, and it's just like I don't even want to hear it. Like it's just like they feel like I have to be the target of all of their their whatever, like oh, it's Cowboys versus Texans, and I'm like, I don't really care about the Texas. Doesn't matter me one way or the other,

doesn't matter to This happened to me last night. I was a Jersey Mike's getting dinner and got a guy

that worked there walked out of the back. I guess his shift was over and he so he had on his normal clothes and he had on a Saints hoodie and a Saints beanie, and I mean it caught my eye, like you know, and I was just kind of looking at the hoodie and he saw me, and he saw me looking at him, and I'm wearing a big obnoxious Cowboys beanie and like pumping his chest like yeah who that, Like it doesn't matter that y'all want whatever, And like

I froze out. I was like, wait, I'm from New Orleans, like I just I thought, and literally he just he didn't want to have anything to do with it. And what am I supposed to say? Like I've got a Cowboys badge and a Cowboys beanie. Like I just hung my head. I was like that I can't get out of this situation. You just walk away at that point, Um, I never had that experience, probably talk about football. At some point I had something I wanted to say, Oh, do you need to go to a break? Because this

was go ahead? Just is it long? Sort of all? I didn't tell you what. Let's take a break, come back and we'll get to day's long. Pondering thought, okay, yeah, I'll do when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a thing, then cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch to direct TV now and still get the

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dot com slash football. Back now to the Break. Welcome back into the second segment of the Break. Life from the SWBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, talking big picture Cowboys rolling through the season at eight and five heading to the playoffs, We think I think pretty sure they're heading to the playoffs. If they aren't, it's gonna take a meltdown of atastrophic purport. Just to be clear, for them not to win the division at this point, they have to lose out and Washington or Philly has to

win out. Yes, um, that would be the only scenario under which the Cowboys don't win. So as of this weekend, if the Cowboys beat the Indianapolis Colts, they will get their hats and they'll be riding back on the plane with the NFC champs hats on and celebrating another division time scenario that I don't like what's going in New York. And it's not locked down because I hate I hate

that one too. Absolutely, it's not. It's the noon gamet Indy, tough game, tough loss, flying back, Redskins just suck, and they're gonna lose to the Jaguars and then wear me on the plane in Philadelphia in LA while we're on that. That's the night game. It's for the night game. The night game. Okay, so you won't we'll be back before the night games over all, right. I was thinking that was an afternoon You thought maybe we land and well we're the champs, guys. As a coach, Gert congratula. That's

not how That's not Garrett's style. I don't think he would do that. I don't either. If they won the NFC East, when we're on the plane, what would happen? I don't think you. First of all, you know, who's gonna tell us they lost? Robert Black? Yeah, I'm gonna say, somebody that's got the game on is gonna come. He's been with the Cowboys of thirties, eight thirty nine years, never missed the game, neverous the practice. He's the director of videos. Video like though that you could go that

long and not miss game unbelievable. Um, but he always plugged in. He's always got somebody up in the cockpit that's got something the game on. I'm sure that's against regulations, but um sure that's not something breaking the law here, Tammy, I've never breaked the laws. Assumed he had a really good internet commit sue. I thought he just had connectivity anyways. But they could lose the game to the Colts and still clinch, and I mean that's very possible. Yeah, but

that's that's the night game, that's the night game. We don't want to be sitting around at eleven o'clock at night trying to write a story that they clinched. I mean, you might have to write it on the plane and just if you eat it, you have it ready. That's one to get ahead and right that they will lose to the Rams. You can go ahead and write something today about and just fill in the blank on the details Sunday. I've already got Rob on a story right

right after the game. I turned around. It was like, Rob, can you go ahead and write Amari Cooper NFC Offensive Player of the Week and just uh, it's coming. I don't think anybody Thursday. They announced that Thursday, Wednesday, tomorrow morning. You know, I just thought about it. I don't know what his numbers, so I didn't look at this, and I looked at his numbers that he's gotten sit to

me on the Cowboys. I didn't see his numbers back earlier in the season with the Raiders twenty for two something. There's a there's a chance touchdowns. Is he got to get Pro Bowl just based off these six seven, eight games? Whatever? Its because numbers aren't aren't horrible now, No, it's great numbers, actually, his numbers right now, he's at forty catches for six hundred and forty two yards and six touchdowns through six games.

That's averaging six catches, one hundred and seven yards and a touchdown every game, actually averaging seven catches because it's like six point eight. So yeah, you round that one, round it up. Yeah, sure, I don't like rounding it up for that kind of stuff, but go ahead, okay, free I do. But but the point is he's having a phenomenal what six game stretch with the Cowboys. You know, it's funny if the fans voted right now, if it just was a fans vote totally, Zeke would not be

in the Pro Bowl. Really rerunning backs highly, there's not that many spots. Kamara, Yeah, actually he would be fifth because Kamara, Gurley, Barkley, and McCaffrey all have more votes. Barkley has more votes. Yeah, yeah, Barkley's yeah, but his numbers aren't Zeke's. Zeke's what first or second in rushing right now? Votes? I know, I get that. I'm just saying that's surprising to me. He's the new hotness and he's on pace to have a thousand of each, which

that's crazy impressive. A thousand receiving last time, last time, I love he was like more like about seven eight hundred. He might have trailed off, but he was at one point during the season he was on pace to have a thousands of each. Cleveland take the running back whatever, that's fine. I gotta deal with him for ten years, Nah, maybe not five or six. Well, he didn't kill the Cowboys, did he? See what happens in the last game. But you know how division is, you know how division is.

It's it's that's the Those are the games where great players tend to not be as great a lot of times because they play them so often, they just kind of know how to deal with them. We even got to the point you were, oh, yeah, no question, it's not a big it's just, you know, going back to what Derek opened the show with, just you know, can this team win it all? Jerry did his Jerry Jones did his morning calling with the one oh five three radio station here, And I guess it's something Michael Irvin

was arguing about on NFL Network over the weekend. Is you know the cliche is defense wins championships. Michael Irvin is you know, no points win championships. You got to score more points than the other guy to win the games. And Jerry was kind of right in the fence between

those who thought processes. So I was thinking about it, and I was like, I absolutely believe defense wins championships, just in the sense of to win in the playoffs, you got to either win three or four games in a row, and your defense has to be good enough to keep you in those games. I mean absolutely, I don't think you win a Super Bowl with a terrible defense. You doesn't have to be amazing, but it can't be

terrible to be opportunistic. The thing is, I kind of see what Michael Irvin is saying, though, is you don't have to have an amazing offense, but your offense has to be consistent enough to show up three or four times in a row and show up I mean a minute, probably not even seventeen, like twenty to twenty seven points

in the playoffs playing those types of teams. You don't see teams win playoff games of seventeen points very often, And that is what concerns me for this team, is like, I'm pretty I'm very confident this defense can hold whoever to twenty points or less. I'm not confident that this offense can score twenty seven multiple times, even with what Amari Cooper's added for them, because it seems like since

he's got it, they're often the offense is scoring. It's not easy scoring, but it seems like they're scoring more. I mean, let's okay, twenty nine, six of which came in an overtime period U thirteen not I mean, amazing win, but not good enough. Twenty two against the Falcons, um twenty seven against Philly, which whom I'm oh, third thirty one, So they can do it? Can they do it? And then, like I said, they're probably not getting a buy. So you're talking beating four good teams in a row. Can

they stack for good performances in a row? This instance, they they've had four out of five, but they've scored above what twenty seven. One of those teams has a winning record. And I'd only bring this up because now we're comparing that to what you're comparing it to and having to go and beat the Saints, beat the Rams or Bears or whoever. Um. I just I just feel like if you have to go to the Superdome. That that's the one thing that I don't I don't like

that at all. And it's not just about the Superdome. I get it, the Cowboys have won there before and all that. It's about this year's team already beating them barely. I just think that's not what's gonna happen again with breezing them and they're gonna have to it's gonna be a different type of game. I don't like that. I like going up to LA if you have to do that,

I like, And I don't mind the Bears. Okay, So so here's the question, going back to what Dave was saying, name teams for me that are more well balanced than the Cowboys when you're talking about offense and defense. Obviously the offense in this instance is not as good as the defense. But when you look at every team, there's

probably that type of one's better than the other. Are there teams out there that you think are more balanced as far as when you try to factor the offense in their defense, and then says in the Rams, I think they're more balanced. Yes, if you think the Rams defense, yes, I don't think the Rams defense up to whatno, were they weren't supposed to be well because all the number one picks and all those But I think that they're

they're really good. They're also they got the best player in I mean, they got the best player in football, no doubt about that. So when you have the best player in football and didn't you know, Sue, he's not bad. I mean they got good. Don't get me wrong. They got a ton of talent. And that's one of the reasons why I've been so shocked by some of the games they have, particularly that game they played against Kansas City.

I thought there would be more defense because I'm looking at that team and I'm saying they got a ton of good defensive players at the Rams. But they it hasn't translated to Sam. They haven't played like they have a bunch of good players. I mean, don't get me wrong, the best player in the league. It is very clear who the best defensive player in the league is, right, But beyond that, they just haven't played as a unit.

They haven't played like that. Keep in mind, though, and this is where we fall into traps, and it's not our fault. Like our job is to cover the Cowboys. We know this team better than damn near anybody. I don't know what's going on intimately with the Rams, but you look around keep to lead back that that type of stuff mat Although he's not playing back to his full form yet, but he'll have a few weeks to

get back. He's played two games since missing. Yeah, So point being, you know we're talking about this isn't the same team that the Cowboys had in October. The Rams won't be the same team. And if if he's back playing like he's been playing, you've got two You know you can't pick him though, but again he's not playing well because they can pick on him. Now you bring that cornerback back, Like I'm just you know, your personnel changes,

your team changes. The Seahawks can say the same thing, um and just with the talent and the offense that they have and having the best pass rusher in the NFL. Like, yes, I think the Rams are better and more balanced than the Cowboys. Okay, you think the Saints too, yes, yeah, which does not get does not mean the Cowboys can't beat them, That doesn't I mean the Saint The Cowboys already beat the Saints. But you just look at it

on paper, You look at what they do well. Yeah, I mean that they're number one and two in the conference by a pretty wide margin. Yeah. Uncomfortable, And I don't really care because this is what we do. But how uncomfortable would Jason Garrett be just sitting here? Let's talking about but he's got a job to do and he's trying to win against it. That's fine. Yeah, he's having it. He's trying to have a good Tuesday, that's all.

You don't even know if playing the Colts. But he would also say, do your job, and his job is to focus on the Colts, and our job is to do that. That's what the fans are talking about. They're not talking necessarily about the Colts right now. But let me ask you this about the Let's go back to that. Maybe the first game, assuming you know, whoever gets into as the sixth seed is gonna kind of pick it up and win a few games here. So whoever you're facing,

you're facing a team that's relatively hot. I would think, um, who would you rather face Seattle or Carolina? Because it's really easy to just say Carolina. But when I think about what this team does, um, McCaffrey and and Cam Newton, they they worry me a little bit more than that. Then Seattle's off and I know Russell Wilson, he's tough to bring down on it. But from we've seen Carson, he ran well on him. I would just say to that game, let's do it again, Let's do it again

in your best players. The same way about Carolina. I honestly, if you look the early part of that game, they let Cam do some things that by the second half he wasn't afore and I think if you gave him another crack at that one, I actually think they would blow him out. I really do, because I think that the more of the season is on worn on with Carolina. Yeah, I just don't think they have They don't have the weapons. It's really those two guys. It's Cam and McCaffrey, and

they don't have much of a passing game. Funches isn't gonna do much. He has an all season, So I think that and their defense, in my opinion, isn't as good as Seattle's defense. So I still think Carolina is a team that you would prefer to play. I'm gonna instance things aren't working. I'm gonna nitpick with you too, because that it bothered me because, like people gave the Seahawks so much credit, Chris Carson had one hundred yards in that game. He needed thirty two players to carry

first three point two yards per carry. That's and you know, obviously, and I can hear fans saying this too. Like in the playoffs, the Cowboys probably don't deserve the benefit of the doubt just given their recent history. But I don't think that any Cowboys fans should be afraid of any of their first round match. And I go back Russell. Sorry, I'm sorry, Nick Russell. Wilson's a great player. I think the world of him. I would have voted for him for MVP last year. He threw for seventy two yards

in that game. And Doug Baldwin's hurt. That's another point. Won't be the same team in three weeks when the playoffs come. But there's nobody in that pool of wildcard teams that that. I don't think the Cowboys can beat well at home. Another point of that, I mean, okay, they bring Doug Baldwin, that doesn't scare anybody, but um, I mean he's solid. Baldwin's solid. He has underrated, but they faced better receivers than him this Church job against.

But the big difference is there when you think about that game, the guy on the other side of the ball that was just balling out for Seattle obviously not there. Earl Thomas Thomas, I'm sorry right now, but Earl Thomas, with those two interceptions, I mean, how different is the game there? Bobby Wagner's a beast too, should be. That's what I'm saying. That defense is back to playing rod football. What was a big play on the other side of the ball that. I don't think Tyler Lockett's going for

fifty five on Davier Woods right now. I mean he went on cavon Fraser and Xavier Woods is you know, I've been the Earl Thomas cheerleader and all that, and I might be in the offseason as well. But but Earl, I mean, but Xavier Woods has played well. You gotta give them credit. And I just think that's a position where you could put three good guys back there. I'd be okay with three safeties ut are decent. But the thing about Seattle, the way Seattle worries you is exactly

what they did last night. They're not gonna overwhelm you with offense, They're just gonna kind of stick around, stick around, stick around. Their defense is gonna keep making plays, making plays, making plays, and then an opportunity is gonna hit where Russell William Wilson breaks a forty yard run and now you're in a situation where they get some points. Then their defense takes an opportune takes an opportune moment and they get a turnover and the points. Right, that's where

a team like Seattle can beat you. And that's where Seattle scares you. If their formulas very they're not a team that's an offensive team. They are back to being a soundly a defensive team that is opportunistic offensively. And you sort of just describe the Cowboys too. Although the Cowboys are better offensively, I think that Seattle, Yeah, they have because they have a better running game, they have more ways to beat you. Right, If Dak Prescott, I'm

watching another highlight of sorry of the game mystery. I never saw this highlight yet. If Dak Prescott would ever made an interception what Russell Wilson did in the red zone, I mean the internet would burn. Yeah, you know it's funny though, and a fan pointed this out to me on Twitter, and I had actually gone and watched a couple of programs in the Philly area listen to a

couple of podcasts. It's amazing number of times I heard people in Philadelphia for comparing their quarterback to Dak and saying he's just not playing as well as like say a Dak Prescott He's not doing and so it kind of just it made me chuckle. But it's all about perspective, right. You look at your guy and you're like, you see all of his deficiencies, you see all of his flaws because you've been watching him for a whole season, and you're afraid about the things he's done poorly that he's

gonna creep back up, right. But in other cities they're looking at that, and the people in Philly are like, hey, whatever his flaws are, all I know is in fourth quarter and over time, he killed us. And that's what they care about. That's what they look at. That's what they're hoping they can get from their quarterback. And and so I think sometimes it forces you to kind of reevaluate what you're thinking of your own guy. Say, maybe he's a little better than I what I'm giving him

credit for. The biggest football fan in the world does not have time to watch every snap for every team, So you get all ten thousand of your team snaps and you have an insanely good idea of that, and then you're just kind of cherry picking what you see from everybody else. So you're if you're a Philly fan, you're like, when this is so hesitant with the ball. I heard that a lot, and he did. He did

look hesitant with ball. And then you know, you see Dak DA's what he's like thirteen to nine and the fourth quarter drives and he was amazing in the clutch the other day, and you look at that. Cowboys fans are like, oh, dak handled onto the ball. He's not accurate. Why can't he be more like wins? I mean, it's just the way it goes. All Right, we gonna say our final break, we'll come back and we'll finish up

with a couple other topics. You want to hit here, talk a little bit about this offense and Amari Cooper that when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Are you well a player could look good on paper? It's one he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you should rely on more than just specs and features.

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be on the field with America's team. Find steps and hats in the pro Shop or at Stetson dot com. Today Back to the break Welcome back, the final segment of The Break Life from the SWBC org studios At the Star, Nick tell us about Tommy John, Tom John Tomma John is, uh, just so I would say it's like the latest and greatest underwear innovation maybe. I mean it's just this feels good, looks good. You've got different colors now, you know. I mean you can go get

some festive red for the holidays. You guys to be excited. If I did that for you guys or Christmas, I'd love it. Yeah. Yeah, Tommy John done. I mean you buy me underwear, that's what you do. Yeah, It's just it's our thing now. Yeah. So Derek, if you do that, you what you need to do. Have you ever done it before? I don't think you have well, I've never well I don't think you have. No, it'd be better if life ass Yeah, that's doesn't count because we're running

out of time here. Twenty percent off your first order if you go and do that, So go to Tommy John dot com for it. Slash Cowboys, I get a little better first play along. Okay, by all right, we're back. Let's talk a little bit more about this offense. Um, we talked a little bit about Amark Cooper and what he's brought to this team. Looking at some of the numbers, he's been outstanding in these six games. Here's my question for you guys, based upon what he's provided for this

offense and now forcing defenses. It's been pretty well documented that now when the Cowboys are in eleven personnel, which is one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers, before, defenses would still put eight men in the box against the Cowboys. Now, by and large, I want to say it's under two percent of the time do defense is actually keep an eighth man in the box when the Cowboys present eleven personnel, Now they're keeping the safety back

because of Amari Cooper. That being said, how much does a guy like Tavon Austin help you at this point when he returns, presumably maybe this week, maybe next week, but certainly by the playoffs you would expect him to be back. How much does a guy like him that has that kind of lateral speed help you when safeties are having to stay back. I think he could be absolutely huge, and I thought he could have been an even bigger part of what they were doing when they

didn't have Amari Cooper. But I cannot, I cannot get out of my head. It was gimmicky. It was kind of cheesy almost, but like it worked what they did with Lucky Whitehead, it worked every time, and honest, it was working with Tavon before he got hurt. I want to say he had nine carries for fifty five yards when he got hurt, which is a pretty nice average.

And I think the only reason they didn't do it more is because they didn't have a proven receiver like I they they were trying to use him way too much as a traditional receiver in my opinion, So I think it could be huge. The only thing I just I don't trust it, and so I don't want to sit here banging a table like it's going to be this crazy thing, only for him to not make an impact when he comes back because I don't trust them

to give him is the right way. The guy that I think is having the biggest impact is Gallup, and I know that that Dak and Gallup have not been on the same page yet, but I'll take my chances on that because it's not They're not far off and we're talking about a really big play. It's there just about every game, sometimes twice a game. I do Dave might disagree with you. We talked to a little bit, but I Dak has overthrown him a couple of times and missed a couple of times. I think Gallop needs

to work on it as well. I think there was a play where Gallop stopped running Um. So they just got to get on the same page. They will, and I think that's a product what you're saying about that safety with Cooper, it's just leaving one on one. Gallop is got got that deep speed, so I think I think that's working. If Cooper can I mean not Cooper Um. If Tavon could get in there, moon walk around a

little bit and make some plays, that'd be great. It's the same thing that we've you know, been saying since May. And he's got some moves, but dancer, he doesn't need a tiny dance. He doesn't need to touch that. He didn't need to touch the ball more than three or four times a game. But he can make a difference. Well that's and that's changed a little bit of three

or four times a game. And because before Cooper we were like seven, eight nine, Well, I just people were making fun of the front office for saying that he could get a dozen or more touches a game. And you know, just if you five punt returns a game, three or four handoffs, maybe a catch or two, like, you can get there. But with the addition of Cooper, and I agree with you, it's gonna come from Michael Gallup and I wouldn't want to go away from him.

So you've got those options. You've got Zeke. You don't need to be forced feeding this guy at the ball just because you've got so many other weapons. But three to six touches a game I think could be great. I mean yeah, I think what he did last year with the Rams was to me the upside of what the Cowboys could get out of him, which was he was our gadget player. He was a guy that could

just create different looks. They already had a great running games with Gurley, they already had a good passing game. They needed him to be a guy that could give defenses something else to worry about and do it in unconventional ways. Now that you have a guy like Amari Cooper on the outside, you're starting to get something from Gallop. And I'm of the opinion keep throwing that that's gonna connect at some point and you're gonna get that going.

But you look at those two things. You still got Beasily, who was a guy now can play the role which he's supposed to be, which he is a guy that can in a crucial moment because defenses have to worry about everything else got to worry about, and a crucial third down he can catch it and move the change for you. And in the last few games you've noticed he's at two or three good catches at opportune times

for the Cowboys. Right. So, I think this is all kind of starting to fit together, and I think Tavan can really be a gadget guy. Before he was your best wide receiving threat before Mark Cooper got here. Those are the guys. They were good, but I don't even want to say they were good. It was just a mashing of a bunch of wide receivers that none of them's really stepping forward and being none of them was going to be the man. Tavon was the one that had the most skill and talent, so you kind of

wanted him to be. Now he could just be your gadget guy, and I think as the gadget guy, he can really bring something new to this offense that makes defenses respect something different than what you and especially in the red zone, that's where I think you can get the best use out of him. And that's you know, it'll be interesting because you know, we made that mistake.

You make the mistake of assuming that it's it's static and it's not gonna change like it is going to change over these next three games and then into the playoffs, and if they're gonna win multip if they're gonna win a playoff game, let alone multiple, it's gonna need to be better. And so the content that's hopefully Tavon Austin can play an indie and sort of get his feet wet and get some momentum going toward being a viable part of this thing by the time the playoffs roll around.

All right, guys, we appreciate you, Guys, Jonas, We'll be back to mart our normal time eleven thirty am, so I'm sorry, eleven forty five am Central till then for Nick Eatn, Dave Helm and I'm Derek Eatleton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.