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It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com with Ambar Garcia, Brian brought Us, Patrick Walker and Derek Eagleton.
It is Wednesday, November twenty second, twenty twenty three, season nineteen, episode number seventy six. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We are laughing the s WBC Mortgage studios.
At the Star.
Amber's out today, but I got Brian and Patrick and with me we will be talking Cowboys versus Commanders. That happens tomorrow. I guess the times three thirty. I think three thirty local time here Central time zone. So we're going to get into that. Give you our picks before we get to the end of the show, and I want to start a little bit first.
We're going to get some injury updates.
But I also want to talk about a player yesterday got waved that I want to get some interest from you guys on whether you would do something with that that player we'll talk about this.
That player get waived.
I think it. I thought he was I thought.
Yesterday. I just make sure we can talk about it. I just want to make sure I know that I know this player. I just want to make sure.
That I saw I saw what you tweeted.
That's why I was like, yeah, we're talking about it, okay, But we'll get to give me some injury updates.
First.
There are a couple of guys did not practice.
Again, the path you were going down. A lot of people, a lot of people listen to the show.
Now, you know, a lot of people don't know.
If they don't know, like, we have to be very careful pay the NFL can sometimes give our people a phone call and say that we're tampering because we talked about players. So we're very careful about talking about players that are on other teams. But I think it is official that he is on the wave of Why I think he's on the wave of wire.
At this point, we could talk about the young man.
So we can talk about all right, we're gonna get to that. Let's talk first about injuries. Ric o'dowdell, jay Ron Curse, where are we.
Rico dawdo sounds like with the conference called that Mike McCarthy just had with a handful of media, that there's optimism that Rico can take the field on tomorrow. He's been participating in the walkthroughs as well as the meetings, and of course today is going to be another practice, but it sounds like Rico's going to participate in today's
practice as well, and the needless pointing up. We'll see if that's a game time decision, but there's at least some optimism there as far as Ceeddi Lama asked him, you know, straight up yesterday before the injury report came out, said hey, you got banged up a little bit, how's the ankle?
How you feeling?
He said, and I'll quote, I'll be out there getting active end quote, And then injury report came out. He was a full participant yesterday, so it looks like he's a full go. Jay Ron Curse HARKing back to what I said yesterday, I'm not feeling confident about him, and that was prior to what McCarthy just said.
Not an hour ago.
He said that Curse has to practice today to have even a remote chance of taking the field tomorrow. I'm going to go ahead and take that as you can probably scratch Jayron Curse.
We'll see if that's the case. But needless pointing down there.
So uh yeah, backs, so I say, penciling more oney Thomas probably sprinkling some Israel mcwambo as well.
But I want to see him, yeah, I want to see him.
I don't see jay Ron taking the field tomorrow and not tomorrow, yeahrow'.
It's Thanksgiving already.
So yeah, so that's where we always that Michael Gallup had he missed yesterday because of a personal reason.
He's back today.
He was in the locker room last night, but McCarthy said he'll be back in practice today.
Uh, and everyone else is expected to take the field.
Awesome, So it looks good. Ric O'Donnell jay Ron cursl too.
We'll keep an eye on especially jay Ron Curse heading into tomorrow's game.
So let's talk about this this player by the.
Way, real quick on that, because we broke down the commander's logan Thomas and stuff.
How they how the safeties play.
Against him tomorrow in this game I think will be really important. So if Curse can't go, is it you know? Thomas Wilson those.
I mean, anything's a better cover guy between Curse and Thomas.
Thomas, I think, and I mean, I don't know, Patrick might disagree with me, but to me, I see a guy that when you watch he plays.
With a little bit more of a burst.
I think that Curse is more straight lined and if you ask him to have to flip and turn, he's a longer guy.
And it's just natural when you when.
You scout these guys and they're they're high cut, and we say high cut, they they're wasting their short upper body, you know, and high waisted, and so when you watch those guys play, they don't naturally look smooth.
You know, there's some.
Guys that can that can pedal turn long leged guys and it's like, well, you know, that gets your attention. But generally guys that are long limbed don't look quick, and they're not quick, but.
They can play down hill.
Thomas to me, is a little bit more shifty because when you watch him play, when you watch him play on special teams, his ability to avoid. You know, Kurs had a really good rush the other day where he avoided, but it was downhill and it was a little bit of a slight movement. If I had to say, let me cover with a guy, I'm gonna throw Thomas. I think he's got a little bit more corner skill to his game.
Yeah, I do agree.
I believe Thomas is a better cover guy because of all the reasons that Brian said he hit him all on the head. It's not that jay Ron is worse at coverage. He's different in how he covers. So what you're going to give up to get wan Ye's quickness in his burst is you're giving up the length. You're giving up that loganoma, You're giving up that wing, that wingspan that you're going that you have with jay Ron Curse.
But with Curse being that longer defensive back, he doesn't have the ability to change direction as quickly as je Ye, who was obviously a little bit close to the ground, lower center of gravity, and Wanya can be a little bit more physical, not to say that jay ronni is not physical, but Wanya is more compact, a little more style, ready to kind of drive through the guy. So two
different types of coverage. But wan Ye does have a little bit more burst, a little bit quicker, but he doesn't have that length, that wingspan, that he said that, Brian said, if you're going against Logan Thomas, that'll come in handy time or two.
All right, let's move on.
Let's talk a little bit about Darius Leonard. He is a linebacker that was with Indianapolis placed on waivers. So the first thing is he has to clear waivers. I think what I read is basically his contract right now will cost roughly about six point one million is where his contract is for this year. And then if he gets past waivers, and obviously he'd be available to sign
with whoever he chooses to sign. My question is, first, Brian, give us a scouting report on what you've seen from him this year, because we know traditionally this has been a guy that's been a really good linebacker, one of the better linebackers in the league.
What is he now at this point in his career?
Okay, team you need to worry about.
His first potential claim is Chicago and I say this because his best years was with Matti Eberflus. Now, if you're the front office in Chicago, are you thinking about making a change from your head coach? Do you bring in a guy like this to you know, if Matt Eberflu steps up and says, hey, we could really use this guy.
I coached him. I know this guy.
You know he could help us. You know, we're trying to rebuild his team. You know, Ryan tolds. Those guys could say Poles could say, well, yeah, okay, thanks coaching, because that's the team. I think you'd have to worry about the claim just because the head coach has familiarity with the player. Now, there's some other teams that could use a linebacker. You know, Philadelphia clearly is a team
that could use linebacker help. The thing about it is and they could maybe feel like, well, Dallas could be in this, but well Dallas claim Well, to make sure we don't have to compete against Dallas for this player, we can go ahead and make the claim ourselves. Philadelphia is behind you in the in the in the claiming order.
Yeah, I would be worried about them.
Yeah, so Philadelphia is a team that might they because of the situation there.
Buffalo is another team.
They just lost in the Kobe Dean Yeah exactly.
Yeah, so yeah, so them, Buffalo. There's some teams that are looking for linebacker help. If you're a Dallas Cowboy fan, you these shows that we did leading up to h this period where Leonard gets released, we kept talking about if you could go trade for somebody, who would you trade for. We were trying to name positions. You need a corner, maybe, maybe you need a linebacker. Maybe, you know, we were naming positions. I think the football gods just gave you one here. I think they gave you one,
you know, and sometimes you don't get another chance. We'll see out in PACIFICA. Those guys upstairs are really good moving money around. You know, they could find ways to move money if they get a chance to cruit somebody. They're good at doing that because they can make deals work. The player still has it. Watch three games of him play yesterday. I was looking to see if he lacked movement, balance, body control, anything to make me go.
Away from that.
Now I'm calling some people. My gang is seven around the league and trying to get an idea. Why would the Colts do this? You know, this is always something that you have to worry about. You see the tape. The tape looks positive. They don't play him in the nickel, you know, now, Okay, Dallas doesn't play a lot of mickey.
They played dimes, and Dallas has plenty of guys they can throw in there at linebacker the nickel.
Yeah, exactly. They throw all those safeties in there and play that.
So but this guy, he's got length, he's got instincts, he's got the ability to finish.
Uh.
You know, there's a lot of really positive things when you're talking about a week eleven, week twelve type of a player that somebody says, ah, we're moving on. I think you've got to be ready to pounds here if you can. But the gamble is going to be do you want to make that claim because that there's only I think Buffalo's ahead of you, that team I brought up, Chicago's way ahead of you.
You know Chicago wants they probably get it.
Yeah, Chicago, Chicago wants some. But that's because of Eberflus. Right now, if you're the front office again and you're Eber and you're the you're like, I don't want to spend the money.
Might be like, I don't know if he's going to be here.
That's that's exactly right, that's exactly right.
Those evaluations are probably.
Going, like you're trying to convince ownership that we're going to spend money on a linebacker. Yeah, you know, and and you know they and they got rid of roquant Smith, right, and Roquan Smith is now watched you watch the Ravens play and he's getting making every tax because you're like going, Okay, whose bright idea was to let go of Roquan Smith? Oh, we just didn't want to pay him. Oh now you want to pay this guy. So yeah, there's a lot
of things going on here, Dallas. Dallas will tell you they're always there twenty four to seven, three sixty five, and I believe them on that, you know, but this might be one with the with the with the football gods, be an opportunity to add a piece that can help.
But we'll see.
There's a there's a lot of other teams that are probably thinking the same thing you are right now. But this guy could still play. The movement's there, the finishes there, the lateral agility, the downhill player, the sideline the sideline guy, the length for the position, and the fact that he could. I don't I don't think he needs to come off the field unless somebody tells me something different. But the Colts played him like he was a two down player.
Maybe there's something else going on there. Well, we'll get and and maybe the I know, these guys across the hall from us hell lots smarter than we are. Right now, we're just looking at the player and seeing it's an opportunity to add a player that at a position that they could surely use so.
That you wouldn't have available team.
Like I said, we were we were talking about, Okay, what positions would you trade? Linebacker was one of them everybody and everybody watches on a week to week basis and they watch Evans play and they're like, oh, he's been Okay, watch bell Man. That guy's playing off his app plan out of his ass for being a safety. Yeah, you know, but if you add a guy that's been kind of an all Pro, all rookie player, that's.
Young, that still has that kind of ability by the way, to a mix of defensive players that are really good, you start thinking about adding him to a Michael Parsons and Bland and like that's where that would feel.
That would free up Micah to now no longer have to be off ball linebacker, which which the other day against the Giants, he played five snaps of coverage and they had three sacks.
You know, he did what he had to do, right. He did a fine job of that, he really really did.
But that might if you have someone like Leonard, it might make Micah be Okay, now, let's think of full time Micah defensive.
End guy, which going into the playoffs. I love that. Yeah, And a quick.
Bit of housekeeping because I saw that once the decision was made by the coach, there were a lot of Cowboys Nation who were kind of confused as far as how waiver wires work the coast trade deadline and they're saying, well, he's a vested veterans, shouldn't he be free agent?
That stops at the trade deadline.
So tweeted that out. That's a good that's a good job because you.
Don't want you don't want teams just kind of letting guys going in randomly. Now any team, yeah, exactly want to make sure they have to go through a waiver.
So that's that's the biggest thing for fans to understand is that vested veterans that doesn't matter. After the trade deadline, everybody is subject to the waiver wire. And as far as the waiver wire order, it is now based upon the record of that particular week. So the Cowboys, as we have this conversation, twenty third in the waiver wire order, so they it's.
A lot of would have to pay.
That's I'm looking at like, I'm like, this is a Philly kind of move. You go get a veteran guy that nobody else wants to necessarily pay the price of their contract, and you could use in the inn this scenario where they need help right now with Nikobe Dan.
Yeah, and they're giving you a free They're giving you a linebacker that's young, that can play, and you just are you willing to Are you.
Willing to pay the six million dollars yes? To get him more? Absolutely?
Think we I think we all are are now we're spending Jerry's money.
But yeah, the guys, the guys that are on the practice field right now are thinking like, no, we're pretty happy with what we got.
And I and I every time I hear that, I want to cry.
You know, but I can respect that from a from a camaraderie standpoint.
And I am players.
Right, but anyone who falls knows I'm not one that you know. I don't follow the big name. So when the big name drops I'm not the person that's always like, ooh, go get them. I'm often the person that's like, well, what can they bring, what's going on, what's the money, what's this, what's the fit? But we're talking about Darius Shaquille Leonard. We're talking about a four time All Pro. Got that that's fair because we were talking about Rokwan Smith.
I slipped go dogs.
But as recently as twenty twenty one, so he's less than two full seasons report from being a first team All Pro. You've seen what he can do before things went awry with him in Indianapolis. I love that Rashaan Evans is coming along. I love what Marquise Bell is doing. I love that de Monk Clarke is taking the next step.
But if you when this kind of player comes available, and for those that's all with some back issues, I will still pay six million dollars for an eighty percent Darius Leonard just trying for you in this defense, which then allows Michael Parson to drop back down more for de gives you not just depth at linebacker, gives you a potential star linebacker. In addition to what Marquis Bell is doing, Demon Clark and then Rashaun Evans rotating in
as well. And like you said, this is a very Philadelphia Eagles type move, and the Eagles, if the Cowboys don't place the claim, you just got to bet money that Philadelphia and Howie Roseman will do it. So for two reasons you should place the claim. One, you should want Rashaun Ivans and the money should not deter you. Darius Lennond and the money should not deter you. Two, you don't want him in Philadelphia because you don't want to have to face him on December tenth and possibly
in the playoffs as well. So you got enough reasons to say six million dollars will work that out.
The other thing I would love about a move like this is I look at veterans like Leonard really good players, and even if let's assume for a second that there is some injury that's kind of debilitating and over time he's getting worse, if there is maybe some nerves, right, if that is the case, I still think guys like that that were so dominant at their position, if they're at this point, I would say, on a one year deal,
give them that carrot, which is championship. Do they have enough left in the tank for the half of this season that's left and the playoffs to give you.
Something that really can be extraordinary.
Yeah, that's why I look at cause for him, he might be looking at this is my last real shot to get a championship realistically before I retire, And so can you get that? Can it muster enough for him to give you that extra whatever it's gonna take. And so for me, I'm like, it's a it's a no lose proposition. It's not a long term deal. From the standpoint of money, I would look at it as it's a one it's a half a season rental and let's see what happens and throw the dice.
This is this is an all in kind of move for me.
Get ready for San Francisco to claim him.
Oh gosh, put him with those linebackers.
That's like sometimes you sit there and you just you're like, how did this happen?
How do we get we get to pull a claim in for this guy? Yeah, you know, and you're and now.
You're thinking, if he if he goes to if he gets through waivers, and there's people that believe that he might, I mean, this is going to turn into I think that it's you're gonna see which team really wants to win this the most.
You really are.
But you know that's also the thing I personally, I would go the route of I want to if I want him, I'm doing the waiver just because if he got to being just a free agent, I'm not sure that the price wouldn't go up beyond that six point
one million for that. You know, you might end up paying more money then, because I do think there are some teams that are in the playoff hunt that are gonna need some linebacker help, and this kind of player available, I think you might spend more money than just playing.
This season has a chance to be the season has a chance to be special. And then you add the you know, the benefit of you could probably do this in the same season that you induct Jimmy Johnson to the Ring of Honor and the supposed curses broken. I mean, let's just have some phone with this. It's Darius Leonard.
Let's not overthink it. You add him, and if it doesn't work out, okay, fine, if it works out, then additionally, you might have a mid term answer for the absence of LV doesn't mean it makes you come off with need a linebacker in April, but at least maybe it's a one to two year bridge.
Yeah, you know.
So it's there's so many things that could go right, and whatever could go wrong really couldn't hurt you, and it's worth a six million dollar risk.
I think.
I think to me, there's two ways this is go. Either you get him or Chicago gets him. Nobody else. I mean, I don't.
I mean, you know, if he ends up in Chicago again, I have you missed an opportunity, but it doesn't hurt you.
Well, no, Chicago is the way ahead of you. Claim you know. That's I'm saying. If he gets claimed by.
Chicago, you and you got nothing to do about it, and we get the claim list and Dallas is one of the three that claimed him. Now you're like going, Okay, they tried, they tried, but I don't need him. I don't need Dallas to pass on the claim. And then all of a sudden, I hear San Francisco and Philadelphia both claimed him. I don't need to hear that. Yeah, you know, it's hard enough watching San Francisco pick all players at the trade deadline.
Yeah you know, not anymore? Thank you?
All right, we're gonna take our first break. We will come back. We'll talk about the Washington defense versus a Dallas offense.
We've back Dallas. Cowboys dot com rego.
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Welcome back. It is the second segment of the break. We are alive from the SWBC Mortage studios.
At the Star.
The segment is brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, let's talk about the Washington Defense. One thing is what do you want to know? Well, one thing that stood out to me as I started looking through it. Obviously, Chase Young, Montes Sweat were traded right before the trade deadline, and when I went back to look at their numbers, check this out. The pressure rate that they got in games one through eight when they had those players was thirty six point nine percent.
They were fourteenth in the league.
Since that time, three games nine through eleven, weeks nine through eleven, they are down to twenty seven point five percent pressure rate and they are thirty first.
In the league.
My question for you is, how is the loss of those two players affected what they do when it comes to the pass rush.
Are they blitzing more? How do they actually try to get pressure?
They really don't. They Yeah, yeah, gave up? Well, no, yeah, they do.
They they've actually they have tried to blitz a little bit more and it's they've it's been a struggle for them. Where they're going to win this game, and I mean win this game for them defensively is with the two defensive tackles. That's where this game is going to hinge for them. I think their secondary is good enough to play with the Cowboys. I do, but the problem is the pressure, the lack of pressure They're going to try and win the middle of the pocket with with pain
and with alan Jamin Davis the linebacker. I think it's a really good player though kind of be a little bit hit and miss, but it's gonna be about the middle pressure push in the pocket.
Can you win with those guys?
Can you control the running games and then can you get the push and then the secondary. I do like Saint Juice. I think he's a good player. I think Kendall Fuller is a good player in the draft. I love Emmanuel Forbes Mississippi State. He's a thin kind of a guy. He has made you know, made four starts, but they've got some corners. Saint jews Can is one of those guys that can defend the pass. I mean and I mean defend the pass and like stick with
you knock the ball down. He's got fifteen of these deflections and you watch them on tape.
I watched all the plays.
I'm like, how this guy makes place. So you kind of break down the tape, go oh, all balls to him? Both there you go, and you know you see him knocking passes down, staying with guys, So how they the pressure is going to be a problem. Dallas can handle pressure. Dallas is good on the blitz pick up. Whether it's it's that both backs are very comfortable doing that. The line has done a really good job of sorting kind of that stuff out and uh, you know, we'll uh,
we'll see. But if they could, those two guys inside they have to block you just and the problem is they're both disruptive. You know, you try and run the ball and they're and they just don't sit there and let grass, you know, don't kill the grass by just standing there. They're they're moving, they're like knocking your guys back, they're penetrating, they're getting inside, and they're just being very disruptive.
And especially when you try and pull guys or or run schemes where they're up the field and now that you know they're they're taking the there the lineman and shoving them into the other lineman and now you can't run the hump. I mean, you can't take your path to pulling things like that. So when Dallas on offense, it's gonna come down to can Tyler Smith, can be Odish who played really well last week, and Zach Martin
we talked to him yesterday. I'm like, what are you guys doing every week you're playing again, He's like, tell me about it.
Yeah, you know every week has some rough bats every every week.
And he's having to deal with some guy that's you know, that's that's an All Pro player. And so this is this game. Offensively, will Hinge on the three inside for the Cowboys against the.
Two for the Commanders.
There defensively because I think Dallas, like I say, I think the Commanders can cover, but I also feel like the Dallas can separate, can get can get some can get some space against these as a really aggressive group in the way that they play. But if you know, with nope, with a lack of pass rush, give Dak Prescott an opportunity to scan the field. These receivers are I mean, these defensive backs are going to have to hang on and I think they're capable, but I could see.
I'm not going to say it's like they've played.
Some bad secondaries. I don't think this is one of the.
Bad secondary they These guys don't have the edge players that a lot of teams have, but where they're where they're the best is at that defensive tackle spot.
Yeah, and so to your point, attack the edges, and when you're trying to the ball attack the edges. The Cowboys know that Alan Payne Combo all too well. It is not something that you want to keep trying. That's a brick wall, man, It is really a brickwall. So you know, you have the running backs who have the ability to attack the edges, they have the speed attack them. That way force guys like who aren't Chase Young, who aren't Montes sweat and Sweat has been a thorn in
the Cowboys' ass time and again. So he's out of the building now. So that's going to force longer coverage. Windows to what Brian is saying, it's not that the Commander's secondary is below Pard. They just are being forced to cover for long periods of time. And that's going to be advantage Cowboys because you're being forced to cover it guys like Brandon Cooks and Ceedee Lamb for longer periods of time. And of course Ceede Lamb is moving
around a lot as well. Jake Ferguson, I think that he could have a nice game against the commanders up the seeman at the second level, getting some yak against eventually what will become a tired secondary from having to cover for so long over the first couple of quarters.
So that's how you attack them.
Look at where the strength is and try to avoid it because you you are still trying to get your running game going. You've not established that as a strength. They've established their defensive tackles as a strength. So no point in playing into that game. Just simply say, hey, we know you might be better at us there, but we're better than you at the edges, and that's what we're going to attack.
The one thing that Dak Prescott it any quarterback will tell you is it's that they can handle the stuff that comes off the edge.
It's when you get and we saw it last week.
In the game for the you know, for for Bryce Young, when the middle of that pocket, when when you got guys twisting the inside and there's pushed over and then and then your center's just getting destroyed by tank and then he's you know, you can't deal with inside middle pressure kills offenses and and it's like I said, these two guys Dallas, I'm hopeful, like I said, hopeful that the odist continues on because he played last week. I thought he was really really good they and I was
asking Zach about that yesterday. Got some of the running game things going, it looked like they were in a little bit better the cohesiveness of Okay, you gotta you gotta be here, and I'm gonna be here and we're gonna push this and we're gonna get outside or we're gonna, you know, taking the steps that they need to do.
But Tyler Smith's been phenomenal.
Yeah, left guard, Yeah, he has been well.
To be honest, I was gonna go there with the next question. I think the left side of the line, I think East these guys have been playing out of their minds. My question for you guys, what do you think of the of the right side. I know Terrence still had had some issues there, but.
Last Stags no, last two games and I and I'm not gonna lie. I was worried about Brian Burns because Brian Burns, to me, was dealing with Hassan Reddick. That was that, Okay, I'm going to give you a lot of movement. I'm going to attack your corner. I'm gonna dip underneath you. Oh no, I'm gonna run inside of you.
He did a great job of holding up in that football game because he didn't let Burns and then we knew when you run the ball at Burns you can make some hay and and that's what they were able to do.
So he beat up Burns in that game. Uh, this will be a little bit. He can actually maybe catch his breath in this one. And then on the edges, how do you.
Think Zach holds up against these defensive tackles.
I think Zach will hold up as well as Zach Martin can hold up. And then that's that's a good thing, because Zach Martin is always going to be Zach Martin. But we we'd be remiss if we pretended that he's going to win every single rep. He's not going to win every single rep against a fellow All Pro.
That's an honest opinion right there. Because there's some times, and I think Zach Martin will admit there has been some times where he's been a one legged football player where all of a sudden, he's doing with power and he hits a guy and it's like, uh, oh, you know, I'm not moving this guy, and now he's moving me a little bit.
You know.
I think there's been some times where Zach Martin will will your in my mind and I and heart will always be Zach Martin. But we're starting to see some of those times where he's hitting somebody really hard and it's like when you're catching that big lunker bass and you're trying and set the hook and you can't move him. Zach's kind of I can't move him. I can't move that guy, you know. And back in the day he
would move that guy with the punch. He's holding on really right, they're holding on to bad word he is. He's having to fight a lot harder than he did two three years.
It's not that I don't think it's that he's necessarily like you say, he's not.
He's not worse. It's more a situation he's playing again. He's having a badass Ye.
He's having to play differently too, Like you can tell he's having to work on some of these guys.
Well before, it.
Looked very always looked very easy for Zach Martin, and this year I had all I wondered if it was just me saying it. I was seeing their plays where it's like, man, that was a rough that was a rough rush. The guy didn't get there, but it was a rough rep. That was one where where Zach probably had to take a deep breath in the huddlings and be like, okay, let me keep myself.
Zach still has he still has the same armor he's always had. But but there are a couple of cracks in the armor, a couple of cracks in the armor that comes with going against all of these bad asses.
Weakens and wearing a little bit.
I shouldn't say that because I said about somebody maybe somebody else is slowing down, and they had six sacks, but it was a question by But the thing about it with Zach is that and he knows it.
When you talk to him, he talks about he brings up.
There was never a time you talk to him and he would talk about he's like Mat Dexter Lawrence this week. Yeah, you know, you know, he knows, he knows that maybe that his you know, he's seeing, he's seeing ahead big picture. He's like, damn, he goes every week, I'm fighting one of these guys, and you know, and there was a time where every week that the other opponent was.
Going, damn, I'm fighting this guy again.
Yeah, And I think Zach, I mean, he's he's battling to a level where it's his His just a little bit below where he is is still better than anybody else.
It's in the game.
But there was a time where he was the gold standard for you know, like when you watch him play it was hit control turned pen.
It's kind of what we're seeing from Tyler right now.
Like if you watch it, it's interesting because Tyler's playing some really outstanding football and you could see several plays in every game where he absolutely dominates the guy from him.
I mean absolutely younger, stronger guy.
Yes what I'm saying, and that ultimately it comes down to that.
I mean, Zach Martin right now is still arguably the best right guard in all of the league. And I would say arguably the best guard because you look at Tyler and you're like Tyler right I mean, we're also talking about a thirty three year old and Zach Martin and it's on the back end of the season. And then when you look at who he's having to go against, you, it can wear one a little bit, but he will
hold his own. He might not win every rep against a guy like Painting Allen, but he can hold his own. But what's promising to your turrent Steel. Question was did he win every rep against the Panthers? No, but he won most of them. And one that should flash and show promise going forward was when the Tony Pollard right end and Steel is out there, it's eye hop all you can eat. He's just stacked. It's just pancakes. He's
just bodying guys. So I think the right right side will be just fine, especially considering the edges have been weakened with the Washington commanders in those trades.
Yeah, you know, I give anything.
And it's so unfortunate that that would happen with Frederick, you know, with it with the signs and all that, because right now, like if you had Tyler Smith, Frederick and Martin all playing inside, I yeah, yeah, I mean that would.
Be because the way Frederick.
Would cut the defense in half, the way that he would get up the field. I mean, you that guy at Philadelphi, we all watched it, you know, in that money night games, pulling and doing.
Things that that was Travis Frederick too.
Travis Frederick was that guy that's you know, playing at Philadelphia.
Right now, all right, we're gonna take our final break. We'll come back we got a little more commentary on this matchup Cowboys versus Commanders. Sorry, and and then we'll get to our picks here before the end of the show, we back Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
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Back to the break. All right, here we are. What day we add here? Today's Tuesday?
Hey, it's Wednesday.
It's Wednesday. Can here we go? Now I'm at the right page. It's all this stuff. Here we go.
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I'm sorry about that.
If you if you're doing a tour, you try to do it at around like eleven o'clock.
That way you get to come through here while we're on the air. It's always nice.
To see our our listeners on the tour, because you can tell when they come around the corner they're like, yeah, the break, let's go.
Don't don't.
Don't act like your favorite time is when you're having lunch and people walk by as you're like.
Well, and I go back to my office.
You get that out of your chicken strips? Yeah, I don't. I don't sit in the looking Derek and I'm sitting his salad.
Bowl like they're watching us in the wild.
Yeah right, It's so funny. I'm sitting there one time.
I mean, I had a hamburg I was like I was wrisk deep in one of those. It's like just drizzling down my arm, and like people are like watching me.
And I'm like, here's Brian brought it?
And like eating a cheese.
My face and my wrists and I'm trying to grab his napkin, you know.
And I do need to real quick before we move on.
I need to give a quick shout out to our guys from UK Cowboys. They are in town. I came in for thanks again. They brought all kinds of gifts. Man, they brought me some whiskey.
I was like, where's where's my wish?
I got hold on the boat. You guys.
It was just a nice It was a nice.
I brought it.
I brought a g bag Nation flag for him and they But they already have to bar.
Do I need to walk.
Across probably, so I'm guessing they're at the bar.
Those guys go hard, as we found out when we went to London and we with them.
Yeah, we went.
That was That was a week I will never forget and probably don't want to relive like it was.
We need we need to go crazy. But yeah, they're in town. They're going to be joining the game tomorrow.
I think they got an event Friday, I think they were saying, and maybe have some players out there Friday or Saturday. But they're in town for games, so I got to give those guys a little shot.
You see him though, if you see him at the stadium tomorrow, say hello, the friendly.
They'll probably have on some UK Cowboys stuff. If you see anybody wearing K Cowboys stuff, make sure you stop it.
And then the accents are awesome.
Great guys, great guys.
All right, a couple of quick things before we jump back into the football talk. Yes, dran Bland has been named NFC defensive player of the week.
So let's give.
He's gonna say, need to be say with your chess.
Underrated player voted that thing.
Yeah, so absolutely shouts out to dron Blank. Keep on, keep on doing what you're doing, and hopefully he breaks the record on a special day like Thanksgiving.
That will be nice.
He'll have the chance.
That would be nice.
All right, real quick, I do I would like to get one quick question here from a fan. We got I'm sorry question from Twitter from Brett Bender. He says, how will the Cowboys handle the three games in twelve days? Particularly from a practice standpoint? It says he feels like they're always unprepared for at least one of those games. What do you think of kind of how the Cowboys
handle it? What can fans expect from the standpoint of their practice schedule and how they get ready for these three games.
Mike McCarthy realized that sleep is no longer for the week. Yeah, Mike said that at some you know, for the majority of his coaching career he felt that quote unquote, sleep was for the week.
And then he said, how stupid is that?
Yeah?
It matters.
Yeah, so it matter.
They're they're you know, the coaching staff. They're very keyed in on the GPS numbers of these guys, managing these guys workload. And that's why this week, two games in four days, it's been basically three walkthroughs going into the game. You're not going to see a full on practice. So that's that's basically how the Cowboys are managing it. They don't want to put any unnecessary reps or contact on
these guys with three games in eleven days. So I think they'll be fine because I think m McCarthy's figured it out and that's why they continue to do what they do at home.
There used to be a fun time where you didn't have to play a game on a Thursday.
After a Thursday.
Yeah, yeah, you know that ten days.
We always we always were like surely like yeah when the when the Thanksgiving Day game and then you got the extra time to get ready.
Well, now the league says not so fast.
And so yeah, uh, I did notice walking into the facility today. Then before a game here you are practice, that helmet's on. You know, it's usually like you're thinking about walk through, walk through, maybe a little bit maybe it was slow, slow, slow.
And then maybe a little bit more to day, a little bit more, but not.
To the point where enough to wake up your body.
Right, we're in helmets. Yeah, you know that.
I mean, I like, before practice, before a game, you're thinking like wow, But that's maccar I mean, I will give him credit for that. There are things that I will absolutely go after him on. But the fact of the way his team he finds a way, he has an understanding of how it is to keep his team upright, and the and the guys and gals I know in this organization that that really managed.
These players appreciate that, you know what.
You know, one thing I'll point out you just mentioned the kind of the back to back Thursday games. I actually think that's an advantage for Dallas is why because.
Most play at home now.
Well not only that, not only that, but most times when you're playing a Thursday game, you and the other team are in the same boat. You both are coming off at least a Sunday game and then you're playing Thursday. Cowboys are going to actually get a full seven days of practice before Seattle when Seattle will come in playing on a on a short week.
Are they playing tomorrow? They're playing Sunday?
They are playing. I was going to say that would be an advantage if you're playing, but I guess the beautiful thing is at least you got a seven seven day week, so that's a normal week, and then you'll get a ten day after that. So I still think it's a valuable thing for I don't think it hurts to just push off that ten day week until after the second game, as long as you're still going to get a seven day.
And it's a ten day week going into today week going into the Phillish Philly, So there you go, because that's a normal week for Philly. They still have seven days between games. Cowboys getting extra two or three, right, all right.
Let's get some picks.
What do you guys think is going to happen tomorrow? Cowboys versus Commanders, Thanksgiving Day, three thirty pm at AT and.
T State Logical tell you that they'll probably blow these guys out, right, because they score fifty points every home game. Right now, I don't think that's going to be the I think this is going to be a tough game. I do, and I think Dallas will win this game. But I'm looking more like I think there's some things skill wise with these Commander receivers. I'll be interested if Eric b Enemy decides in a short week, let's let's test this Dallas run defense and see if they've kind
of got things squared up a little bit. The Cowboys are their own worst enemy when they play run defense, when they get off balance, when they get turned, knocked around, stuff like that, So I'll be interesting if they challenge him. I'm going to say this is one of those games where Dallas finds a way to win it. It's going to be a twenty seven to twenty four game. I think it's going to be really really close.
At the end. Dallas probably will have a lead and have to kind of hang on a little bit.
I think it's close at the half, and then the Cowboys start pulling away for me until someone shows me that they can slow down the dominance of the Cowboys at home, you know, until you see.
It's not happened yet.
So I do feel like the Cowboys are gonna win by a sizeable margin. This is still a Commander's team, although they are better in the secondary than people will give them credit for. They don't have the edge rushers. They have the two dogs in the middle, but not the edge rushers Cowboys offense at home, it's just become ridiculous.
So it's a.
Dogfight going into the halftime. Cowboys make some adjustments, Commanders can't Matt serve with that. Cowboys take it forty three to seventeen.
I think this offense of the of the forty nine I'm sorry now of the Commanders is I don't think they get enough credit for what they're doing. You look across the games they've played, they put up some points. Like they've lost some close games, but they put up some points. I think this is going to be a shootout tomorrow, and I don't think it will be a I don't think it will be a situation where the Cowboys pull away in the first half or second half. I think this is going to be a shootout. I
think it's gonna come down to final possessions. I think the Cowboys will win, but I think it's gonna be a close game, and I think it's gonna be a lot of scoring. I think the final score is thirty eight thirty four Dallas wins, and it'll be very similar to what they did against Philip Healthy and a lot of other teams year.
They played them really really close, and just they just came up short. At the end of the day.
They don't have enough to be able to get over that hump. And I think Dallas has a little more on the offensive side of the ball. But I do think it's gonna be a shootout. I think it's gonna be a fun game. For those that don't have a rooting interest, and you got a rooting interest, it might be like heartburn after eating your Thanksgiving dinner. It might be heartburn. But hopefully the Cowboys come out on top, and I think they will. All right, we appreciate you, guys, Jones.
We'll be back on Monday. We're not in on Friday, but Monday we'll be back. We'll tell you what when right and wrong for the Cowboys, and we will quickly start getting you ready for Cowboys versus the Seahawks. We'll be back till then. For Patrick Walker, Brian brought us. I'm Derek Eagleton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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