Cowboys Break: Chief Concern?

season seventeen, episode number sixty six. Welcome to the latest edition Over the Break, live from the SWBC Mortgage studios at the Star. I got Dave here in studio with me, got Amber here in studio with me. Nick enjoyed Kansas City so much that he decided to stay and so he's joining us remotely, and we're gonna let you know what we thought about that game yesterday. Cowboys lose nineteen to nine to the Kansas City Chiefs. Uh, they're they're third loss of the season, and we're gonna break it

down for you guys. Um, how's abou doing today? All right? Derek? Is that is that what we'll get depinding one day? Because it wasn't that hard on you? What are we doing I'm in my cone of shame, Derek. That's how I'm doing. I'm sad man because you picked the wrong way, or just because you just know it's it's about so much more than that. It's what is it about? Dave? I believed, I believed, and I was wrong, and I'm

I'm sad. So I'm and I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed because we just we talked about so much stuff last week that feels really stupid in retrospect, and I'm just trying to collect my feelings. Nick, I see you over there smirking. What are you sporking about the fact that Dave is well feeling like this in a hoodie now? It's just like I can't understand. And how is what's Dave's voice doing? Is he like really like like shamed here? Ashamed of the game. We've got my tail between my legs and

talk like this for the rest of the show. Don't do that. Leave. I'm just I'm staying in Kansas City until I get a good game. I thought we get a good game. We didn't, So I'm just gonna stay until until we get one. So you're just gonna cover this next game from Kansas City. I'll Thanksgiving Day. That sounds like a winner. No, he's trying to say, Arkansas basketball is gonna play a good game tonight and then he can go home. Hopefully. Let's see maybe, maybe we'll see.

All right, let's let's jump into this thing. Man, there's so many different things. And I saw you this morning walk in and we both just shook our heads like this was this was not great. Um. Here's the interesting thing though, And I heard this, this quote from Mike McCarthy following the game, and the first thing I thought about is, Okay, we started having this conversation last week. I want to know what you guys think. Here was this quote. He says, we don't feel any less about

ourselves as a football team team by any means. We were defeated, but we don't look at our team any differently than the way we walked in here tonight. You guys see it the same way or do you see this team differently? You go right ahead, Amber, let me let me hear what you have to say. I haven't seen you so far today. Well, like you said, we talked about it last week. You were talking about measuring stick and what this team this game could do for

the Cowboys and judging. And you know, initially I was like, Okay, depending how they play this game, I'll have an opinion regardless of whether they lose or not. You know, even if they lost a game, I would be like, Okay, well, they only got to fix this or that, maybe red zone and get better there, and that's it. Maybe the tug. No I walked out of that game, or I was on my couch. I got up my couch thinking like, are you freaking kidding me? Okay, no, I am not.

I'm never gonna say a bad word, but are you freaking kidding me? I am tired of excuses. And I've been pretty pretty good this season, you know, because they've been playing well and everything. But once again we faced an opponent that is an opponent that has been in a championship, Tampa Bay. They were very very close, lost that game, played very well. But then you go up against a team like Kansas City and then they play

that way regardless of what your defense was doing. Like when have you seen the defense Cowboys defense playing that way against a team like Kansas City. So the fact that that was the end result, and I'm tired and I get it. They didn't have Tyren Smith, lost City Lamb in the middle of the game, they didn't have Americ Hooper. I get it, But at what point are you done with excuses? What you know? You know you've done excuses which no one back to what you led

with the McCarthy quote, and that stood out to me too. Yeah, I would be alarmed if he said anything else, because they I mean, they went up to Arrowhead. They looked like crap offensively, but the defense maybe played its best game of the year all things considered, like they considering the opponent, in the environment and what they got from definitely the best half if you look at the second

half for sure. I mean, yeah, to hold them to three points after what it looked like the Chiefs we're gonna have a track meet in the first quarter, and so they play that well, you know Randy's coming to

Marcus Lawrence is coming. You didn't have Tyrn and a Marie Cooper and so even though you look bad, you lose by ten to a super Bowl team in their house, Like if you were if you were just like, oh, we're frauds, we're scared, We're alarmed, Like that would alarm me, but to go along with what AG said, Like, even with all that stuff in the back of my mind, all I've been thinking about all day today is okay, cool, you didn't have Tyron Smith, he didn't have a Mariy Cooper,

you lost CD Lamb. That helps explain this, But they did such a bad job of controlling what you can control. Like what is not having Tyrn or Amari you have to do with Dak airmailing Michael Gallop on the first play the game? What does it have to do with four combined drops from the backup receivers who had been having a great season. Cedric Wilson sparked them in Minnesota with a catch over the middle. Just doesn't show up yesterday.

Dak again, terrible ball to CD in the end zone for the interception when you have a chance to kind of flip the script right before halftime. I'm probably blanking on some other things, but like the guys who were available, maybe you don't win if they play better, but you'd put a better showing out than that. Like maybe you lose that game nineteen to seventeen, and we're feeling like we did after the Bucks game, where you're like that's football.

It's tough to win an arrowhead it's the Chiefs. But instead you're just like nobody showed up and it starts, I mean it starts with Dak for me, and nobody showed up and shoot the offensive line when Zack Martin's getting bullied by Chris Jones, I don't know what you're supposed to do. Hey, Nick, you see this team differently today than you did on set Sunday before the game? Yes, yeah, I do. I see it differently just because until they show us that they can be an elite team. But

they they had a chance. We talked about this as a showdown game, and they didn't do it. You know, they didn't show up. They didn't show up for this game. And I think Dave's right. We talked about it with Dak. I mean we talked last week. Should he be an MVP candidate and all that, And I hope that that's put to bed at least for a while because because he needs help, and there's nothing wrong with that. He is a great quarterback. I'm glad he's the quarterback of

the Cowboys. But he needs help. He needs his left tackle, he needs his receivers, He needs a healthy running back. They all do, and so he was. He couldn't just take Noah Brown and said, your Wilson in that line, and Tony Pollard couldn't take him to the finish line. That's okay, He'll have more help than this. But yeah, I don't think this was a game that the Cowboys said we're ready to take that step. It was there

in front of them and they didn't take it. Yeah, I agree with you, guys, because I think the thing about it is I don't think less of them today. There was just an opportunity for me to think more of them. And what I mean by that is we really hadn't seen them yet. We hadn't seen them yet in opportunities other than the first week to play a team that was in the upper echelon of teams in the NFL. Last night was our Yesterday was an opportunity for them to maybe get a win against one of

those teams, and they didn't. And so what we know is what we still knew before the game, which is they can beat the middle of the road teams most of them. They can beat the bad teams some of them. They can route. What we don't know about the team is whether they compete yet against those upper echelon teams, and so far, the record says they can't. The record

says that in both those opportunities they lost. This goes back to what I was saying last week, and that's why I was kind of doing that bit about feeling ashamed and embarrassed. Is like I just I thought one thing that we knew about this team is that they weren't gonna blink, you know. And again, like they played so well in Tampa, you know, like adversity. They're trailing

for most of the first half. They got some defensive lapses that put them in the hole, and they just keep coming back and coming back, and the game's never over and Dak takes him down. You lose Tom Brady at the gun. What are you gonna do? You know? But here and again, like I get it, they don't have guys, but like, there were plays to be made that would have made you feel better. Dak averaged five yards per attempt, they had four drops, the line couldn't

block anybody. They gave up five sexs, they stopped running. Well again, what okay, Tyrn Smith not there? What does that have to do with Terrence Steele not hearing the snap and don't come at me about arrowhead because he heard it in US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis where it's really really loud too, So they I knew I forgot something. The boy pop past to Cedric whatever the hell that was, the said, I don't think I've ever seen I don't think I've ever seen it incompletion on a pass like that.

How does that happen? They just absolutely blinked because they did. It's not just that they lost to a good team on the road. They just didn't even do the basic stuff. Well nobody at least not on offense. The defense shower them with praise. Those guys, I've they left their guts out there as far as I'm concerned. But the offense just didn't go. They just did not show up to Kansas City. I mean, no, I mean, I can keep ranting. No, that's that's just how I feel. Let's take let's take

our first break. When we come back from that break, I want to talk specifically about Dak and specifically about the offensive line and the running game. It seemed like none of those three things we're working. We'll talk about those three things when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio, at AT and T. Everyone new and existing customers get our best deals on every smartphone. Why because you deserve it for turning your living room

into your office and your gym teaching. Grandma had a video call and teaching her again. It's the button on your left Nanna, Okay, your other laughs. It's not complicated. Everyone deserves something new. So ATNC has given everyone new and existing customers are best deals with every unlimited plan on every smartphone, even the latest ones. At T may temporaries lodated speace a. The network is basic. Restrictions and

exceptions may apply. Hi, I'm Clint Tillison with man. I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with Turf, the official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys. So if you need a tractor to bail some hay, a'm more to cut some grass, or a gator to get some chores done, get a John Deer at Unitedagin Turf and then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line, well not today. Get to work with a John Deer tractor package that's just right for you in your budget. Visit unitedaginturf dot com before

there was a draft. You get sized up a cowboy by three simple factors, the crease in his hat, the bend of his brim, and his unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from what life through at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here in Texas. There's still the unofficial crowd of all self respecting cowboys, and Stetson is

proud to be on the field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest you at Stetson dot com, slash Cowboys New Doctor Peppers zero sugar. You deserve it. I do deserve that. You deserve decadent flavor without sugar, and a day at the beach without sand getting everywhere, and a relaxing bath that your children don't interrupt. I deserve all that. It's it's a visual metaphor for doctor Pepper zero sugar. Everything you want, nothing you don't, a visual metaphor on

the radio. I do deserve that, Doctor Pepper, zero sugar, the zero you deserve is finally here. Back to the break, give the gift of the Cowboys this season with a Dallas Cowboys United membership presented by Globe Life. It's the ultimate fan experience for the ultimate Cowboys fan. Membership started just twenty dollars and include an exclusive fan pack and VIP member experiences tis the season. Visit Dallas Cowboys dot com slash United to get yours today, and Dave is

the winner. He is now going to be doing all the reads. That was just awesome. Nick is just clapping like, yeah, take them all. There you go. Great job, Dave. Welcome back to the second set of The Break live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios. I tried at the Star. I appreciate you guys joining us. As you can see Dave and Amber and studio. Nick's back in Kansas City. He'll be back in studio with us tomorrow. We got a short week, so tomorrow we'll be flipping the page real

quick talking about Cowboys versus Raiders. Raiders on a bit of a slide there, so maybe this is as if you can call it that a get right game for Dallas. We'll see how that goes. Maybe the Raiders are saying, yeah, Dallas lost two of our division rivals in the last three weeks right exactly, So we'll see how that all

plays out this week. I do want to talk to typically about this offense stow deck yesterday twenty eight to forty three, sixty five percent completion rate, two hundred and sixteen yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, a fifty seven point nine quarterback reading. Not a great day from mister Prescott. That all being said, do you think that pressure was the biggest problem for the Dallas offense yesterday? Not being able to handle pressure. I think everything was a problem obvious.

I mean, Chris Jones mauled their offensive line basically all by himself. Frank Clark had a hand in it as well. But I think it's a little bit of everything. And just from what I've been able to digest after the game, I think Kansas City approached it in a similar fashion to what Denver did. I think they probably blitzed a little bit more. I think pressure was a problem. I think not having guys that can separate downfield was a problem. And I also think the Chiefs just played a hell

of a game on defense. Right. It's not always you being bad. Sometimes they're just really good. I mean, how many plays I can think of at least four where whether it was CD, Zeke or somebody else, catch it three yards past the sticks and what looks like it could be a nine yard game, you're tackled immediately. I mean that I felt like that happened half a dozen times yesterday. So yeah, I mean they were just dominant. But yeah, to answer you more directly, I mean, I

don't think Dak played well regardless. I think he missed a lot of throws that he should make, but he did not have a lot of time either. Nick was pressure the biggest problem for them, I think, so I think it starts there and then it just the snowball effect. I mean, how do you beat pressure. You beat pressure by getting the ball down the field. And and you know, once CD left the game, they had nobody really that the Chiefs were worried about. And you know, Dak wasn't

hitting them, you know either way. But you know, like I said, Cedric Wilson and Noah Brown, you know, those guys are good, but they're not special. And I think you needed that. So he took advantage of the offensive line, and then the Cowboys couldn't come come back. That I'll never forget. Bill Parcel's telling Romo and those quarterbacks, you will want them to blitz, blitz. You want them to

blitz every time because you can beat them. Well. When you can't beat them though blitzing getting a blitz, it's not very fun. And it wasn't fun for Dak. Huh. I thought that, yes, that was their biggest problem. And we've seen it different times where Dak has to run out of the pocket, but he's still precise, He's still he can make those throws. And I don't know what the heck was going on yesterday that they just could

not connect. And aside from Cite Lamb, I mean even when he was still in the game, they were not playing well at all either. So what were they doing with the old line? What we knew Tyren Smith wasn't gonna play? I wonder at one point did they really know that. How close to the game were you guys thinking that they actually knew for sure that Tyron Smith was not gonna be a guy to play. I don't think they made that call until Saturday. I think it

was really really close. And that's a good point. I'm glad you bring up, which I mean, it's an excuse and that's what it is. But you lose a Mari very unexpectedly, so I do wonder, I mean, your game plans in place by Friday afternoon, and I wonder that is not a lot of turnaround to sort of just change everything up. And then I got the sense in

the building, Nick, please correct me if you disagree. I really I thought that they thought Tyron was gonna play, and I think, fine if that if it's Steven said he was pretty optimistic that he was gonna play earlier in the week, Nick, I agree. I was really surprised when we heard on Sunday morning that he wasn't. And I think, going back to what Amber said, we're talking

about the old offensive line. I don't know if they would have made that switch with Connor McGovern if they thought that that Terrence still was going to be next to him. I think all week they thought that Tyron was going to be the guy, and so it changed

a lot there. I mean, when you think about Amari Cooper being out and tired of being out, you would ask this Friday morning on the show, we thought both of them were playing, So it was that it was not only tough to replace them, but replace them in a short amount of time. Well, that's that's what I don't get though, that point of Okay, how hard is it just to go back and be like, okay, we'll

just keep Connor Williams in there. If that's the guy you know, and I'm talking about practiced all week though, right, but he's been doing it all seasons. That's what I don't get, Like, how hard? How much does that really change a game plan when you're playing oh line and doing something that you have been doing this season. My thing is not necessarily maybe the game plan, but as you know, each of these guys, they they study specific players that they're going to have to play against when

they're going to play. And my suspicion is they probably felt like, hey, if we've been playing Connor McGovern here all week in practice, he's been preparing to play, and we've been preparing with him them to play, then I think they probably felt like making a change at the

last minute probably does more to undo that. And Connor Williams may not have He may have been preparing to do play fullback and do the other things that he was going to do in the offense to where do we really want a guy who has not been at you know, has not been great lately anyway, in Connor Williams, to now put him in without the practice all week, now put him in and ask him, ask him to start.

I think they probably if that's the decision that came out after they found out when they were expecting try to play, I think they stick with whatever they've been doing all week. That just adds one more layer of just something that they didn't practice right now. When you're making football money, I think that's something you can easily just go back and do it. That would be nice. That would be nice. But as we've seen, like just because you're making football money doesn't mean you can do

the job right. The beauty of it, and I use the word beauty sarcastically, but like it's not like Connor mcconferen sank the offensive line. They were all terrible. They all got I mean, every steal had issues. I all had what a false start I think that backed him up, also got beat off the edge and ye, Tyler Biadas had to I mean that was seemed like a BS

call to me. But the false start on beyond he had some issues in the run game, and again I think it was the fourth quarter, but like when Zach Martin's given up sacks to Chris, I'm just like, all right, just throw it away, just throw the game away. I mean that was Jones. Chris Jones dominated that game. He literally went down the line. And I don't remember. It

was training camp several years ago. There was a defensive I want to say it was when DeMarcus was still here, but we had a defensive lineman that went down the line and basically every day kind of went through each of the different guys and challenged can I read basically with Chris Jones, d Can I read you his stat line?

Because I wrote it out in a story last night and I was like, oh my god, like his stat lines like twenty words, four tackles, three and a half sacks, three quarterback hits, one pass deflection, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Unbelievable, amazing, we said, I mean, I knew he was an underrated and amazing player, but I mean that that's got to be one of the best one or two games of his life. And I thought

he would have a really great game. I thought he would primarily do it on the interior part and over the left guard and in the center, and that was not the case. He moved all around and he gave them problems everywhere. I mean, there wasn't a place on the offensive line that he didn't give them problems. Look, I know, well, I'm just gonna say this real quick.

I'm sure Nick wants to speak, but um, I know there's a lot of football left to play, and it's crazy, crazy, but I am so sad and just embarrassed and like crushed because this was the closest you could get to, like a playoff type of game, and then they play that way, and it's like, what's gonna happen once they do get it to the playoffs? And who's gonna say that all of these guys are gonna be healthy? You know.

It's just one of those things that I just fast forward ourselves into the playoffs and the scenario playing through, and it's just like, Wow, we have seen amazing games this year and then they come out and played this way? Are you kidding me? So I'm just I'm sorry, but I have nothing positive to say. Well, oh, I applaud the defense, but other than that, I'm like, here we are again crushed and it sucks, and football just hurts, hurts your heart and you guys, I don't know how

y'all handle more than one football game per weekend. I'm good, Yes, that sucks. Nick talking about Connor McGovern and Connor Williams, do you think, based upon what you saw yesterday, you stick with that or you think they need to go back to Williams at this point, I go one more game. And the reason why I say that is, ultimately it's better for McGovern to be your guard long term. If it's that close, you don't think you're gonna resign Connor Williams.

McGovern will probably be here, so you know, you would hate to just keep playing, Um, you know Connor Williams and then he's gone, and then McGovern hasn't gotten enough snaps if it's close, because you still got to play you know this game. Um, Because I was about to have this whole point about what Amber just said about not getting ahead of yourself and live in moments a moment, and then you ask me that, and I take it big picture because I do think it's you. You have

to take a big picture approach. Um. I think Connor Williams played better at guard than McGovern yesterday. Um, we just talked about the penalties with with Connor Williams, but for the most part he blocks pretty well. McGovern I thought was getting beat handily, and again Chris Jones had a big hand in that. But um, I go one more week with McGovern, see if he can fix it. But I think you probably better at guard in fullback

if Connor Williams goes back. All right, now, step back and tell me the point you were going to make before I ask you that question. Oh, I was just gonna say that, like we all are guilty of this. I mean, we do it, We get in trouble, we get ahead of ourselves. And now I think if you just stop looking way down the line and look back and go NFC East, let's win this division. We gotta lead. But those teams are coming now. The Eagles look like

they're better, Washington's getting better. So I think the focus has to change from oh, well do you get to buy do you get the second? How about win the division? Let's do that and then not get to ahead of like, well, I'm so disappointed of what could be because this is a roller coaster season. We'll think differently about the Cowboys on Friday when they smash the Raiders or whatever, and

we're like, oh, but we're back again, you know. So I just think we gotta take it a little bit closer and not look big picture, as I just said, the big picture for the Guards. I'm talking out of the sides of the mouth. No, you are right though, and I'm We've brought it up a million times. We brought it up after the Denver game, and I mean they didn't even I mean, they got their ass kicked in this game, but not it's different, right, Like you

feel better about that loss than the Denver loss. Um And and yeah, I mean somebody, somebody in this league that looks terrible right now is is gonna get hot. And somebody that's hot right now is gonna turn around and be like, man, why we thought we were really good a month ago. Hopefully he is not the cow Hopefully it's not the Cowboys, which and I think that's why that's why this game is just so disappointing, because and this doesn't ultimately mean anything at the end of

the day, but it this was a narrative game. This was a game that meant a lot to all of that stuff that Nick's totally right. My dumbass wrote eleven hundred words about how dat could make an MVP statement on Sunday. That's all I could think about all through the second half. If I was, like, my dumbass really believed that this was going to happen, and I get it, still could, but you gotta shelve it. You gotta shelve it for at least like the next three weeks. Because

he didn't need to win that game. But they just they need to play better. That's I don't even care that they lost. I just wanted them to play better. Yeah. I think the tough part at this point is going to what Amber was talking about. I don't think I mean, you could say the Arizona game, but I don't think

there's going to be a real opportunity for me. I'm talking about me personally, for me to get a gauge on how confident I am that in the playoffs they're going to be able to roll through two or three playoff caliber teams to get where they want to go. Right. That's the part where you know, I was hopeful that last night they would give me a glimpse of that to where I could say, you know, not only are they a good team, because I think they're a good team,

and I still believe they're a good team. I think they're not only a good team. I think they're a good team that knows how to win against great other great teams, and that I just don't think you're gonna get there this year like you can maybe say the Arizona game. I just don't think you're gonna get there this year until you see it in the playoffs. And so for me, I'm gonna go into playoffs no matter

what happens down the stretch. I'm gonna go into the playoffs a little bit skeptical because I just haven't seen it yet. I haven't seen them be able to beat those upper echelon teams. All we're gonna take our final break and we come back this super Bowl. It's not in my vocabulary. Oh whatever age I move into my standby list or they are. Yeah, in three weeks, you're gonna be up up on the topic that you just gotta find that they you gotta find the middle ground. Man.

Come on, No, it's just one way or the other. I don't like being in the middle. I will teach you how to sit on the fence. It's actually quite comfortable. No, actually, just watch Nick and Dave and how they treat their college teams like they'll be the first one to talk down their college team and hopes that they overachieve whatever their thoughts. Right, And that's how you keep yourself right there in the middle, like I don't know, and then

they exceed your expectations. Right, all right? What is need to do? Oh? All right? And saw here we go. All right, we're gonna take our final break. When we come back, we're going to talk some more. We do need to talk about this running game. I really don't know what happened with that thing yesterday. We'll talk about that when we come back. This is Das Cowboys dot com Radio. I want to use what the pros use. How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys,

Jack Black. Right now, you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just ten bucks with free shipping. The starter includes four Jack Clack skincare favorites, plus a full size and tense therapy lip bomb. Go to get Jack Black dot com slash

Cowboys and use the code word Team JB. That's get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys, the Jack Black Starter ten bucks free shipping at AT and Team Everyone new and existing customers get our best deals on every smartphone. Why because you deserve it. We're turning your living room into your office and your gym. We're teaching Grandma had a video call and teaching her again. It's the button on your left Nanna, Okay, your other laughs. It's not complicated.

Everyone deserves something new, So ATNC has given everyone new and existing customers are best deals with every unlimited plan on every smartphone, even the latest ones. Eighteen Tamy temporarieslidated spach with the network's basically strichens and acceptance may apply. Hi, I'm Clint Tillison with man. I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with NAG and Turf, the official tractor provider of

the Dallas Cowboys. So if you need a tractor to bail some hay, I'm more to cut some grass or a gator to get some chores done, get a John Deer at Unitedagin Turf and then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line, Well, not today, get to work. With a John Deer tractor package that's just right for you in your budget. Visit Unitedaginturf dot com. Before there was a draft, you get sized up a cowboy by three simple factors. The crease at his hat, the bend

of his brim, and his unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from what life throw at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here in Texas. There's still the official crowd of all self respecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest you at Stetson dot com slash Cowboys Back to the Break. Registration for holiday youth camps is

now open. Don't miss the Dallas Cowboys Football Academy and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Dance Academy camps on December twenty first at The Star in Frisco and December twenty second at AT and T Stadium. Space is limited, so register today at Dallas Cowboys dot com slash Academy. Yeah down and got greedy there? Who looks a little butt her? I can't. Hey, hey, guys, I can't compete with that. You know, real, recognize real?

All right, welcome back. Oh no, It is the final segment of the Break Life in s WBC Mortgage Udios. At the star Let's Talk running game yesterday, Zeke was five carriage sixteen yards a three point two average. Pollard was six carriage forty six yards a seven point seven average. Were you surprised that they didn't run more? They only had eleven rushes in the first half and then only five in the second half. This game never really was out of reach for them. Were you surprised they didn't

run more. I'm not surprised they didn't run more. I'm surprised they couldn't run. I mean, i've seven point seven average for Pollard. That doesn't mean that doesn't even hand on all of that. On the one funny Wildcat, it was a thirty yard run thirty one, I think it was, Yeah, it was one. I mean, going between the tackles was not happening for anybody yesterday, probably because Chris Jones, if I had to guess, and Jaren Reid, and I mean, no,

I'm shocked that it didn't work better. I thought that they had the capacity to run for one thirty one forty one fifty they didn't. But sometimes isn't that about being committed to it? Because I don't feel like they were committed to it enough to let it work right, And I disagree. I just look at how little time Dak had to throw, he got sacked five times, how

many times they didn't break through the second level. No, I just I think Kansas City knew that Dallas didn't have a way to beat them downfield and was just like, well, this is all you got and you're not doing it. And so in that way, I kind of commend the Cowboys for trying to do something else, but again, they didn't have a way to throw the ball down field. So yeah, oh, I'm stealing this from my friend Robert Mays's podcast, but I thought it was an amazing stat

on balls that traveled ten or more yards. Yesterday, Dak was four of seventeen for fifty eight yards. I mean, it's just that day at the office. But surprised it didn't work, yes, Surprised that they stopped no, because I think they could have run one hundred times and it wouldn't have gone a whole lot better. M Yeah, I think that sometimes, Yes, you can commit to the run and it eventually starts working out. But that's like, what's

the wall made out of? Is it foam? Then you keep banging banking, it's gonna you're gonna create a hole and punch through and go at it. But this wall was not breaking at all, and it was completely solid. Like I saw multiple plays where Zik is running and Boom just falls back like bouncing off. Which, by the way,

what's the deal with Zeke? Well that was gonna be keeps getting hurt and then every time, well at least the images that I see on the TV, anytime he's trying to get checked and he does go back and goes and enters the game again, but he's just like pushing off the medical staff, doesn't want to get checked by anybody, just goes back in. And I get it, Dave's it's football. Well, it is part of the game you want to do. I get it. But my point

is it's like, um, I guess we're seeing it. You don't have a fully healthy seat, and it's clearly affecting the game. And Polor he's starting to lose that little spark that he's shown to have, at least in my eyes, he hasn't been the polar that I was used to see him, at least even last year in moments where he was really a spark in the offense, to a point where we were discussing, Okay, is he really better than Zeke? Shoot, he get more snaps in there and

get more play in time. But I don't know, It's just nothing was working for them yesterday, Nick, you surprise they didn't run it more. You know, I'm actually doing a little math here, which is not good for anyone, but I'm just I'm looking at the first first down runs and you know, could you be like it's sometimes it's that balance of did they run the ball well or could they not run? Like Dave said, first down runs two minus one zero one five two three zero

eight one four zero four. So I don't know what the math is on that. I haven't added that up yet, but like, they weren't running a lot on first down very well, would kind of set them back behind the chains. And so I think they tried to run some but it just it just wasn't really working and then they kind of got behind. But you know, I to answer the question about Zeke. We talked to him and the trainers afterwards, and it was an ankle. It was listed as an ankle, but that's not really a big issue.

They just kind of kind of rolled on the knees the one that's bothering him. That's just been the problematic for about five weeks now, and it happened again. But I asked them about playing Thursday, and he kind of I mean, I think he was gonna give me a social Security number before he said no, I'm not playing.

He was like, let's yeah, I'm playing. So do you think this is a situation where maybe do you think it's maybe a situation where the coaches should step in and at least maybe consider the fact that they should sit him down for a week and let him get a little healthier, because I don't honestly, I don't know if you're getting everything out of Zeke did you expect to get out of him? You're asking me or Nick both,

I'm asking everybody, Nick ahead, not yet. I mean, I think if it was a real problem, I don't think he'd be at the end of the game doing two point conversions against Denver. He'd be playing at the end. I don't. I don't think it's a real problem. I don't think he would. He was struggled because of the injury yesterday. I don't think they could run the ball. Like Dave said, the one run was a trick play really from Tony Pollard, a great call, but like they

couldn't really get it done. I see what he does on Thursday and and and try one more week there. If he's still hobbled, then yeah, maybe you do shut him down for a week. Football players play football during football season. I mean, everybody on this team is dealing with stuff like this, and Mary Cooper has been fighting through it all year. And and that's I laughed at Ag a little bit because I was like, can you imagine the uproar if Zeke Winton sat himself down on

the bench, was like, monee hurts, I can't go back in. No, you want him pushing the medical guys away, Like, get the f off me. We're playing the Chiefs football. I Am going back in this game. And he'll be there Thursday, and he'll be there against New Orleans as long as nothing terrible happens on Thanksgiving, and then he'll get a mini buy. It's not a real buy. But yeah, I mean, you just gotta get through this stretch. Give these guys

a long weekend off. I'm not gonna say get healthy, but just give him a long weekend off to get off their feet. Two games from now, this is what I gotta get. Two games. Yeah, they gotta get through two games. Welcome to pro football, right, you gotta get through two games. But if you get to that, you'll have ten days maybe you can't have a chance to kind of and by the way, maybe you get some reinforcements back after that. Yep, who knows? All right, real quick,

before were in the show. I gotta get something positive for him because right now I don't think she's feeling any positivity. Michael Parsons like, if there was anything that came out of that game that you look at and you're like, man, this is this is really good for the calbum, I'll do one better. And I mean we talked about it. But if you're willing to put the rose colored glasses on amber and just follow me here, if you're willing to just have some hope, follow me,

follow me the defense ball man. Yeah, they did the ball nineteen points allout at that's if they play, if they can play even close to that on a consistent basis, get some guys back. You could be cooking with some gas there. And yeah, go ahead and talk about Micah because he was amazing. Well. Micah stat line four tackles, two sacks, three quarterbacks, hit hits, one forced fumble, and he was even more than than what showed up on

this sheet. The stat sheet the number of times he was in the backfield and was forcing Mahomes to either move or forcing Mahomes to get rid of the ball. Quicker like that didn't show up necessarily on the stat line. Um, he had I thought a phenomenal game. And my question for you guys, it's one that we've asked almost every week of this season, is he had better defensive end at this point than an off ball line background. I had been of the opinion that, yeah, move them around,

do a lot of things. But what he's doing right now a defensive end, we haven't seen a rookie do this since DeMarcus ware That. I mean, that's special. He is a special rusher. Should they consider keeping him there full time? Nick, you want to take this first. You know I've been fighting this off like the Plague. I mean, I've been trying because I feel like you'll be a better linebacker. But I mean, he without a doubt, he's

a great pass rusher. And if you look at his stats now, I mean he's got eight I think it's about even four and four. I think he's got four sacks rushing from the edge and he's got four going up in the middle. I think he can rush to the quarterback. So then it comes back to your offensive line type theory. Best rushers out there, when Gregory comes back, d Law comes back. I mean, I want them all out there. And so I think I think there's a role still for him to play linebacker. But maybe on

third downs. He can move and slide sometimes rushes different places. There's just a lot of ways to do it. I'm still calling him a linebacker, but man, he can definitely get to the quarterback in a variety of ways. Nick did a great job of not answering that question. I will I will plant my flag here on this go ahead. You know, yeah, I didn't answer it. I didn't answer I want him to be a linebacker. I want him to be a linebacker because I think I think I want him on the field if he has to rotate,

and I don't want that get on the field. Let him play, and that's what I want him to be on the field, duck, I will plant my flag and die on this hill. Why are we trying to give people positions? In twenty twenty one? We put him out there.

We are we are. We are moving toward positionless football in the way that basketball doesn't have positions, Like you want to stick Lebron James at the four just because he's big, or do you want him doing everything because he can play point three, four and five if he wants to. I want Micah Parsons doing whatever the hell the offense can't handle, if the offensive because he can do it all. We don't have to put this guy

in a box. It drives me crazy. I don't want him out there forty five percent of the time rushing the passer. I want him out there ninety eight percent of the time, and I only want the two percent to be because he stubbed his toe. I want him to do everything. I want him to be a spy if that's what the matchup calls for. I want him

to be rushing the passer. If they're shorthanded, or if the other team's offensive line is lacking, I want him going sideline to sideline and snuffing out runs and screens. If that's what him. I mean, think about what he did against Minnesota and how valuable that was. Didn't think about what he did against Kansas City and how valuable that was. And then for some reason, I have to choose one of those instead of both. Now I'm good.

I'm just gonna have it all. I'm gonna have my cake and eat it too, and I resent anybody that's gonna try to make me make this call. MICA's job should change every week based on what dan Quinn thinks he can do, and we're just gonna roll with it for the next decade and he's gonna be a monster. Sorry, don't apologize. Would you say, Nick, that's a cow bye

it is, that's a cow bite. I don't know who's cutting I don't know who's cutting them back there, but that Dave, what you said, I want him doing what the other guys can't do. Or I don't know how you worded it, but like that was well said. It was so well said that I forgot it. But like I said, I want them. I want them doing what the other guys can't handle. That's that's the that's the making of a star. That's a superstar right there. This

is this and that, and that's what he is. This is people love to create problems where there aren't any. I want him to do everything, and he has not given me any indication that he can't handle it. So I'm just dan Quinn, just give like enough leash that you don't lose him completely, but just let him run, man, just let him go. Amber you agree with this absolutely. I mean last night, Um, he tweeted something. What did he say? I believe or believe in something? I forgot

exactly the word basically believe, basically believe, believing us. We're good. He almost had it had me, I said, I tweet and I'm like, I believing you, but I'm believing you for sure. He almost pulled me back in there. But um, and going back real quick to Dave's pink glasses here that I was trying to envision and imagine and I'm just like, as I'm listening to what you were saying, and I got my pink glasses on, I'm like, okay, okay,

Doomsday's back, baby. No, you know what happened. In my vision, the Cowboys offense is scoring points finally, and then the defense is playing like crap and not doing You're probably hurting myself right now, but I just this is how I feel today out of Monday. After a loss against You're allowed. That's you process it however you need, and then you hop right back on and go for another row. But the thing to the thing that can make you feel a little bit better about that is it's it's

Jerry likes to say this. If you show me you can do it once, that means you can do it again. And so if you can see these kinds of performances from the defense, because the defense, this isn't the first time the season when this defense is played like this, I think what we're seeing more and more is that this defense has the ability to clamp down on opposing teams. And even if it starts off kind of a little,

you know, a little shaky it did against Atlanta. Even even if it's it could start off a little shaky, once they find out what they're doing and they figure it out, this defense has the ability to really lock down. And so that's a good thing for you going forward. You get some of those pass rushers back, you feel good about your defense. This offense, although they've lost, they've only been two games, and in both games when they lost, I'm sorry, two of the three games when they lost,

this offense didn't perform. Well. That's still gotta be the key. Though. They still got to score points. I don't think they're gonna win necessarily just playing defense. I think they're gonna have to score points. And that's where you have to wonder, like you know, it was this all just about tiring in Amari being out and then not having CD in the second half. If you believe that, then you should feel pretty good about this. They only lost about ten

in that scenario. If if if you feel like it's more than that, then you're probably a little bit worried. And this is where you see where it comes out in the playoffs. Shout out to Greg Sterling only one scoring points. He made a nick and I talked about this last night, like I'm I'm getting tired of seeing in the number nine in these big Cowboy games. It just seems like it happens a lot. Yeah. Yeah, the Cowboys said the same thing. That's that's why they cut Jalen. Oh,

that wasn't a shot out. Jal was thinking about the Eagles game in the news. I know, yeah, I know, you know, I know when they don't score a point and they don't score touchdowns when touchdowns is important. Yeah, who would have thought. I mean, I was, I was worried about the weather all week. I'm saying, yeah, what is the wind? What is the wind? And all that stuff, and it's like low key, but it's a factor. It doesn't seem like it is, but when you're down there,

it is a problem. And I know the kicker made the field goals, but like, it just affects the passing game. And I bet you had affected Mahomes too. He wasn't that great either. So I mean, it just what there's something, but get used to it because that's what happens in December and January, and when you're not playing at at and T Stadium, you're gonna deal with that. So it's something to consider here when you get into the playoffs.

All right, we appreciate you guys joining us. Stay tuned at four pm, we've got Mike McCarthy coming up with his press conference. It's going to be a short week, so tomorrow we'll get right into We'll start talking Cowboys versus Raiders. We'll talk a little bit about some of the guys that they are missing and what their status is and how much each one of them was missed in this last game that tomorrow told them for Nick even Dave Helm and Abercars. See I am Derek Eagleton.

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.