Cowboys Break: Defense Regressing?

number sixty. Welcome to another edition of The Break. We are live from the s WBC Brtgage Studios at the Star. We've got a lot of things to get into today. We're gonna talk about the storyline set up this game for you Cowboys versus Jets. Nick's gonna tell us his storylines for both teams heading into the week, and then of course we're going to do a little bit of

the Jets offense. I has a scouting report on the Jets offense, and if we have a little bit of time, I'm gonna have some questions for you guys at the end of the show, just to kind of get again a big picture look at this team. How's everybody doing today? Awesome? Awesome? Great? Good. Let's jump right in uh, Nicholas start first with I always start with the injuries, as I've tried to pull it off, all right, I have to print it off, and then now I'm trying to find it. I got it.

Can we start with injuries? Sure? Sure? Do you have some updates on injuries? But Dave, does I do? All right? Give us some updates? Sorry, Actually I don't have an update on an injury. I have an update on an absence. Layton Vanderesh is not at practice and everything yet, obviously, but I've heard nothing Jason Garrett like usually it's kind of like pulling teeth, like you have to specifically ask

him about stuff. But typically, you know, you kind of get all of the game related injury information out of Jason by Monday evening, and so I hadn't heard anything about it. I know. You know, anybody that's watched the last two games, you've probably seen Layton hobbling around a little bit at times. So maybe it's related to that. Maybe they're trying to arrest him. I don't know, but it's kind of unusual for a starter to be hurt

and you don't know about it by Wednesday afternoon. So this is the first we're hearing of it, and we only see twenty minutes of practice, So he might head out there at some point. Keep an eye on the practice report, and hopefully by three or four o'clock we'll have a better idea what that it's all about. But he's not at practice. Tyrn Smith and Lyle Collins are

not practicing today. I saw Tyrn rehabbing with Britt Brown at practice, moving pretty well for a guy that sprained his ankle two weeks ago or a week and a half ago. Really everybody else Lyle's not practicing. I didn't see him rehabbing. I think that's kind of that's going to be like a weekend decision. I think, talk to me about a Tony Pollo. I don't think we talked about him yesterday. He was mentioned by Jason as a guy that came out of the game with a couple

couple of things. He's dinged up, like barsitis in his knee. I think like kind of looks worse than maybe it actually is. He's out there today. I'm sure he'll you know, he'll be limited in some form or fashion, but he's out there. Amari Cooper hurt his quad, he's out there, Randall Cobb is out there. Like I think Layton, Leyton Lyle and Tyron are the only like starter starters who aren't out there. Antoine Woods back, Antoine Woods is out there. Yeah,

it's pretty much those three that are the big ones. Okay, Good, that gives you a good understanding kind of where the Cowboys are entering the week with regards to injuries. Nicholas jumped down into the storylines to walk me through some of these storylines. You wrote an article in Dallas Cowboys dot Com, as you do every week, walking through the five storylines at each for each team heading into the upcoming game. I'll go with the Jazz, I mean some

of the Cowboys stuff we just sort of mentioned. I mean it was we'll start with the Jets first, but basically for them, the biggest one and one of the biggest ones in I guess in the league, is Sam Darnold being cleared to play. He's been out with mono nucleosis for three games. He comes back with third overall pick two years ago, and so that I'm Dave, I

guess we'll speak to that. I don't know if you got a chance to watch the Bills to watch that all over it because they're a different team obviously than with him. Yeah. Um, so that they've been outscored eighty four to twenty eight in those in these three games. Second one would just be Levan Bell obviously being happy with with Darnold's return. He's everything for them, and I'm

sure Dave will talk more about that. He the only touchdown he has as a receiving touchdown from Darnold in week one, So um, that should be able to help their passing game and help him. Another thing for them, they're they're tied end. Chris Herndon's coming off of a suspension. He's he's a guy caught thirty nine passes last year, so that's another weapon that they're having. However, did this morning the news just broke new news on him. Yeah,

new news on him, and he has an injury. Um, just sustained an injury working out by himself last week or earlier this week, and it looks like he's not going to be able to play. I missed that, huge, huge thing for them. I would have did say. Adam Gay said this morning that C. J. Mosley is doubtful

at best. Yep, but Herndon now is in coming back is now on the injury report right, and then and then their defensive injuries, where the next thing I was going with, Henry Anderson has been banged up and he might not play. He's got a shoulder injury. Quinnin Williams has been banged up. CJ. Mosley as well, and then the last one. It's just just the play of Jamal

Adams is their best player. And he even though he has been a guy that maybe disgruntled, even though he didn't ask for a trade, whatever it was, he's still playing balling out. We'll talk about him more tomorrow or maybe today, since he's an LSU guy, and I'm sure Dave talked about him all week, talking about every day. He's a press whenever you want. He's a great, great player. So that that's really kind of what they have. And

they're more than anything. I mean, they're owing four. They had they did the old players meeting, you know, players one meeting. Yeah, when that happens, um, So you know it's a should be a hungry team. I don't know if they're a good team, but they don't seem to be. But they could be hungry. But who knows that the Cowboys are good? Which are those storylines outside of well, I mean we don't we don't know it. He's got such a way with work. We know that they're good

against winless teams. We know that good. We know that they can beat a winless team by three scores because they've done it three times, a good point. Outside of their quarterback coming back, Which of those storylines is should be most concerning for the Cowboys Outside of that one? I would say the defensive injuries, just because they have some guys over there that they've drafted that they expect to do, you know, to help them, and they're they're

banged up. So if you're banged up on and you have the you know, test the depth of an O and four team, that's probably not not so great. So that that's what I would think is, is, you know, can they stop the run? Because you know the Cowboys are going to be trying to do that and get back on track there all right, Um, you know something, We're gonna take a quick early break here because I want to give Dave a full segment or at least part of that segment to be able to give us

okay breakdown. I don't want to break up your breakdown. I guess so we'll take a break. When we come back, we'll get into the Jets offense. Day will give us a scattering report. We'll do that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Well, a player could look good on paper, it's one he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats

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com to get your tickets today. Back to the Break Welcome back. It is the second segment of The Break Life in the SUBC Mortgage studios at the Star, Nick, why are you looking like that? Like what I do you let you smell something? I'm not sniffing myself too much? Cowboys apparently were all right, Uh, Dave, Yeah, I need a scouting report on these Jets. Tell me something about

these this this Jets offense. Um, yeah, it's it's great for them that sam Donold's back, but uh, you know, Tony Romo could probably tell you how much fun it is trying to be good at quarterback when nobody in front of you can block work worth a lick. And that's really my only impression from watching two games I watched. I watched him play, I watched a half versus the Eagles, I watched the whole game against the team before that, who they I already fought New England best defense in

the league. And then I watched a little bit of Darnold's game against the Bills just to kind of get an idea of what he's all about. But I actually I just looked this up during the break. They've got at their left tackle is veteran journeyman seventh round draft pick Calvin Beecham collecchi Assamelee, who you're probably familiar with, has been a good guard in this league for a number of years, but is playing on a bad line. Ryan Khalil, again has had success in this league. He

was drafted an OH seven. They literally signed him at the tail end of training camp because there was like nobody else, kind of like a Brian Waters situation if you remember when he came back, which speaking of which, this really threw me for loop Brian Winters, that's their right guard. I thought it was Brian Waters, and I was like, there's no way somebody's still saying that guy

Brandon Shell, fifth round pick in twenty sixteen. Like this is what I'm trying to say is this is a pretty talent poor offensive line of higher draft picks that are on the downside of their career or Day three guys that it just doesn't look like it's getting the job done. The proof is in the pudding. They've allowed twenty three sacks and this is a team that has had a bye week, by the way, so twenty three

sacks in four games, fifteen in the last two. Philly got Luke Falk ten times last week, Yeah, ten sacks last week? Oh okay, New England got him five times. So I mean, even if you're I mean, yeah, forty hits, They've let their quarterback be hit forty times in four games. Welcome back Sam Donald. You know, seriously, I mean checking out the spleen and then and you know, I am positive or fine going out. I'm positive they wouldn't put him out there if he wasn't ready. And it's obviously difficult.

I mean, it's different from you know, an NFL professional training staff. But like, what I know about mono is that it makes you lose a lot of weight. Yeah, so I'm like, you probably weigh fifteen pounds less than you did at the end of training camp, and they're going to send you out there to get annihilated. Probably, I don't know, it sounds dicey. We just Chris Herndon could have been a big boost for them. So a guy that had four hundred yards and four touchdowns, athletic

guy out of Miami, He's not gonna play. Actually, Adam Gas ruled him out of this game. So that's cool. Jamison Crowder signed there in the offseason. You remember him from his time in Washington, really speedy, really dangerous crossing routes. He used to run deep crossers against this defense all the time, and it felt like he was always open. Robbie Anderson and Josh Bellamy just I don't know, they just seem like guys to me. Damarius Thomas is actually

on this team. I forgot the Patriots traded him. Hasn't had a chance to make a huge impact, but then again, nobody really has. And then obviously you've got Levon Bell and Tie Montgomery as your primary running backs with Bilal Powell still kind of kicking around, and it's just hard to evaluate him because, like they just there's not a whole lot of room for them to do anything. I'm Levon Bell, I mean, he's the engine of their offense.

They try to run everything through him, but it just sort of feels like tackle the man with the football, Like he gets the ball and there's eight guys swarming him because his line camp block. You see a lot of quick passes to him, swing passes, screen passes, out routes, stuff like that. They do a fun thing where they put Bell and Tie Montgomery in the backfield together readoption

wildcat type of stuff. Again, I mean, you know, if you can't block, you might as well just give the running back as much of a running start as possible. But not very good now that it's it's I mean, yeah, I don't think they're very good. I think the world of Levy on Bell, but I don't know how much he can do on his own. I think having Darnold darre will probably help. He can probably process a little

bit faster. He's more talented than Luke Falk. But again, I mean this is a second year guy, you know, Like I'm not ready to say Sam Darnold is a difference maker on the level of like an Aaron Rodgers, where he can just immediately elevate this offense, especially having missed a month of the season. So I think it's going to be a lot of quick throws. I think, uh, you know, if I were the Jets, I would try to screen the Cowboys to death because they've already shown

that they don't handle that very well. They're tackling and you got an offensive line they can't seem to hold up. Right, What you're saying screens and getting the ball to Levon Bell as quickly as possible seemed like a great bet um. I like the Cowboys odds of being able to cover these receivers. They haven't really gotten killed by a receiver yet this year, like a wide receiver. I know, you know, they gave up yards to Ingram And Michael Thomas was kind of good, but not on his own level of five.

I mean, he had a good day, but again, like I said it, then you know, if that's his stat line, I think you you did okay with no touchdownes and they don't, and then Michael Thomas is so much better than it was crowded? Was it the game? Did he have like fourteen catches? Ye? Actually, I was going to mention it. He's he had fourteen catches in the first game with Darnel against the Buffalo Bills for ninety nine yards,

but he only caught eight. He's only caught eight passes in the other four games, or I guess it would be three games this season. So I wonder, and I caution a little bit how effective he'll be or that he will be more I'll make the argument he may be way more active and will probably have a much better day against the Cowboys with Donald back right, fourteen catches for ninety nine yards is seven yards per catch, by the way. I mean, that's just got it. But

he's a guy that's very involved in their offense. Was Donald's there, right, that's going and watching the Jets Bills game, it felt very similar in the sense that I didn't feel like he had a long time to throw. I didn't feel like his receivers had time to get very far down field. So again, like you wind up danking and dunking. He threw the ball forty one times for one hundred and seventy five yards. That's less than five yards per tempt ye. Let me ask you this though,

and follow me on. He got sacked four times in that game. Okay, follow me on this though. You look at that game, they scored the most that's the most points that they scored all season. Obviously Donald was in there. Now. Also, it's the second most points that the Buffalo build defense is allowed this year. By the way, they're playing phenomenal football. Their defense very good, playing really well. They allowed the Buffalo I mean they allowed the Jet sixteen points. There's

only one team that scored more seventeen points. New England was only allowed sixteen points. That being said, do you think that New England they're playing against Newengal only scored sixteen points against Buffalo offensive against bugs. I'm sorry, I'm making it, and that's why I say it followed me because I know this is a little convoluted. I'm making the argument that Buffalo's defense is really good and they put up sixteen points, which is close to the most

they've given up all seasons. I want to say Buffalo or New England got a block punt in that game. Maybe maybe it was I'm not sure. They did get a block punt in some game and scored I think it was Buffalo, okay, but so they didn't really score much at all. The whole point I'm making is they were as good against Buffalo as anybody that's played Buffalo this season. Against that good defense, the question becomes is that does that translate against a defense that you some

people may argues lesser than than than the Cowboys. If you believe that, does that translate now into the Cowboys having a team that that it may actually be able to do a little bit more offensively now that they've got Donald back. That does a long question, but it is, and I mean, I get the essence of what you're saying. And the Bills are a better defense than the Cowboys right now, and that's fair. I'm just looking at it. One that I mean, sixteen points puts you in the

bottom like six in terms of offensive output. Like it's that's bad, but that's that's better than the average of what Buffalo is giving up all season. It is. I still I don't, I don't. I don't know that I can follow you there, like I mean, because because the signs of them struggling are still there. I mean four point three yards per instantly, yeah, three point two yards

per carry um. Sometimes you can throw are out that week one stuff just because you know, they Bills maybe didn't get a good read on what they're gonna do with Levon Bell and and how the you know crowd is gonna work and all that, which is kind of still the same thing for the Cowboys a bit, because they've only seen they all have one game of tape to see how they're going to use him when they

have both those guys there. One thing that's I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Nick, I knew like there was something in my head that I was forgetting, and that's that the Jets scored a touchdown on a Cole Beasley pick six. Cole Beasley dropped the ball and C. J. Mosley returned it sixteen yards for a touchdown in that game. So the Jets offense scored eight points. Bell Bell had a touchdown. Yeah, yeah, so oh oh oh wow. They also got a safety in that game. So they scored eight points. Yeah, the offense.

So so the issue still is the offense is not their offensive no matter what, and then you can't turn the ball over to him. Is that the Bills have not The Bills have played better defense than the Cowboys. That's fair. Like, I don't know if the Jets are going to struggle as mightily. I kind of think they will, Like I don't, I just I think this is still

a talented defense. I look across the board, like, you know, we can quibble all we want to about whether DeMarcus Lawrence is getting enough sacks, but like the Cowboys should win those matchups. This is the bad offensive line. The one I mean, the one thing that should give you pause is like, can they tackle Levy on Bell? Because they didn't tackle. Well last week, they've shown they're not all the way up to snuff there. Layton vander Esch's

in at practice. Like I can see a world where Levon Bell has a disconcertingly good day, where you're like, the Jets are these guys are terrible, and Levon Bell's carried the ball twenty times for one hundred and something yards, kind of like what happened against the Giants. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, absolutely, I mean like, okay, these guys are trash and then on like the third play of the game, Bell, you know, yeah, I can see that. I just don't think it's enough to overcome the talent

deficit over the course of sixty minutes. And I'm not you know, this game might be frustrating for a while. The Doll game was um, but I just I can't imagine the Jets scoring more than there's some twenty points more going forum for Leveon Bell when he was with Pittsburgh, I mean, he had he had a veteran quarterback who likes to throw it deep, and he's smart with the ball for the most part, tough, he's got he had

the best receiver in football maybe at the time. On the outside with some other weapons as well, and an offensive line that's got to be better than this. And so he was just a I wouldn't say just a piece in the in the thing, because I mean he was so great, but he you know, he had other guys you had the key on when when you're the only guy. It's funny. Because Levion Bell is one of

the three best running backs in football. I love Jamison Crowder as a complimentary piece, like I mean, if he's like your slot receiver or your third receiver, like I think that's pretty good. I loved what he did in Washington. He I don't know if he should be your best receiver. I don't think that's a good idea. And definitely none of this is going to work if your offensive line can't give your quarterback anytime, like I mean, and I like Sam Darnold too, like I have no reason to

believe that he won't eventually be a good quarterback. But the offensive line isn't doing anybody in any favors. And I don't think there are enough good options around him to fix that. And that's looking at this box score from Rink one. That's another thing is um Quincy and Numa, who pretty good receiver that gets forgotten about because he's stuck on the Jets. He's out, he's not playing like I'm pretty sure he's on IR So it's another guy they don't have. There's just not a ton of jaw

dropping talent. There is this a week when you think this defensive line Cowboys defensive line kind of gets going because I don't think I think from so far this year, they haven't had that dominating performance where they really just veiled. I mean, you could say the same that they really dominate, dominate the quest I mean, and I mean from the standpoint of the pass rush, from the standpoint of stopping run. Like they were just dominant. The front four was dominant

in how they played. And I don't know if I've seen that this year. I mean, yeah, they played really well against the Saints. Don't get me as a lot of pressures. I mean, yeah, I think, but it was against a backup quarterback. Even though he's you know, he's playing well. Yeah, he's playing well. He's probably not the thirty second best quarterback in the league. He's probably better

than that. He's probably better than Sam Darnold right now. Yeah, especially you know since he hasn't played since September eighth. I mean, I thought that they played very well in that game on defense, and they had to. It wasn't good enough, but they did play well in that game. But but as far as just dominating, I don't know if this is that type of team. I don't know if they're that they're gonna be that good because to dominate, you gotta get turnovers, and they really don't do that

to that point. I mean, the Jets will probably, you know, very similarly try to scheme this to keep that from happening, whether that's again screens, short passes, running the ball, even when it's not a great idea, maybe they can mitigate that some way. But yeah, I mean, the defensive line should play really well in this game, and I hear what Nick saying. I think I think they'll be fine.

But yeah, I mean, it wouldn't surprise me if they don't dominate the way you would expect them to, because they haven't really done that in any game this season. I mean the Saints game, I don't know if you can say dominate. They lost, and maybe they played well, but yeah, it wasn't enough. Yeah, all right, we're gonna take our final break. When we come back, we'll get some questions. You guys can call us numbers eight eight

eight eight five five two two nine seven. Again it is eight eight eight eight five five two two nine seven. You can also hit me on Twitter at Derek Eagleton. I'll take your questions there as well. We'll do that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Your new apartment's big, such a great deal, It's okay, just okay. What's not right about the subway? Well, I bet you don't even notice it after that's my neighbor. Angus a deal, that's just okay, it's not okay. Get

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Visit Cowboys Travel dot com to book your travel package today. Back to the Break, Welcome back. It is the final segment of The Break live from the SWVC Mortgage Studios at the Star Nicko, which you got for us. You know a lot of people have said, I want to go to the Star out there in Frisco and the Board Center and check out what's going on, especially if there's something happening. Well, you've got to put this on

your calendar. October twenty sixth. I know it's a little bit out, but you might want to get ready for it. It is the it's the Vintage Star car show in that the bye week. It is yeah, okay, cool, come on out. The Star District will have also a trunk or treat for the kids, so costumes are encouraged. That's how we will be going up that week after the show. One of the Stars twenty, you can enjoy one of the Stars twenty restaurants located in the Star District. Admission

and parking is free. So it's the popular antique classic muscle cars of the decades. All day Saturday, October twenty six, it's the Star Car Show. Visit The Star and frisco dot com for more information on the car show. A big car guy. I like my car, So you're not a big car guy, just in the sense in the sense that it gets me where I need to go, and yeah, I enjoy driving it. But yeah, not like. David Hellman will not be at the car show, but there might be some's during the bye week. Yeah, David

Helman will be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I gotta race that that you guys want to go race with me? Now? Oh? Like no offense running race? Yeah, it's no. It's right around the corner from you are. Okay, well maybe i'll maybe I'll see you there. We come out and say hi. Maybe the kids come hang out and hold up aside for me. Derek jem probably started seven. I hope you do good, but you're not in no no, all right,

tell you what. Let's get back into some questions. We've got some questions from yesterday that some fans sent us on Twitter yesterday it was rough Man. You really put us on the spot. Well, some of these questions are actually some interesting questions. They are a lot when I talk about big pictures, it's a really big picture, and a lot of them just require a little bit of thought. This one included. We got this from from Edo Merrick.

I think is the pronunciation. Sorry if I butchered that, but he says, last year, the Cowboys made a huge trade that turned around the outlook of this team. If the Cowboys were to make a trade this year, what position would you focus on? You know what I thought about the other day, um was and I don't even know what he's doing, so I can't say, like, oh, they should have done this. But the Packers cut Mike Daniels back during training camp and the Lions scooped him

up immediately, I would do. I mean, that sounds nice to have like a really experienced, good defensive tackle in the middle of this line, or Gerald McCoy. Going back to the offseason. Offseason, I think most people agreed that for the right price, that would have been fun. No, I think that when you're talking about a trade, what the Cowboys did last year was figured out what their needs are probably going to be next year, and looking at the draft and going not a lot of great

receivers that might be coming out. We have a chance that we'll probably have to go first round. Let's do it. And I think that, you know, if they're going to forecast that way, there's twenty seven people in the scouting department here, they're probably doing that, going all right, this

is what's going to kind of project next year. And you know, so if a safety comes available and they think, hey, you know, we're not probably not going to resign heath or or maybe try to upgrade there finally, you know. And I say that finally because they've been trying for a while, they just haven't. So maybe, you know, if it's safety popped up, I could see that happening. I mean somebody that you might have to draft next year.

Maybe tight end, Yeah, tight End could be one, right, even in light of all like that would be tricky kind of you know, doing it now, they would do the Cooper trade over again one hundred times out of

one hundred and and good for them they should. But they still hated not having that pick though, So a trade of that magnitude two years in a row would really really surprise me, especially because even with their struggles, I don't see a position that is so glaringly obviously in need of being addressed, you know, like we can't win games because we don't have this. Like, am I missing something? No, I mean so so, And I mean it would be nice to have another defensive tackle, a

good one. I looked it up. Mike Daniels has played in three games for Detroit and has two tackles. So I mean it's not you know, stats get hidden when you play that position, for sure, but not like he's lighting the league on fire. I think safety could come in and make him better. I think so too, if you got the right one. I mean, that's why we threw out the name of your guy a couple weeks ago. That's a one, And I said it then, and I'll say I would do that. I would have done the

deal for Menca Fitzpatrick. Yeah. That, and but that's that one's over with again for the fifth time. Like there's no actual evidence that suggests Jamal Adams. Let's be clear. Let's be clear, though, I think the point of this question was just really really big picture from the standpoint of if you wanted to go out and be aggressive about getting a trade for whomever. Doesn't have to be a particular player. What position would be that target position that you say, let me go find one of the

betters as a kicker, ever been traded? That's because I don't even know. I mean, if you've got a good one, are you getting rid of him? Like a kick starting kicker? No, yes you have, because the Ravens did it during camp. If there's their backup kick, well yeah, I'm talking about the starting kicker in season, it's immediately got. If you're ready to get rid of him, that means he's probably not doing very well. I can't if you're not. If he's doing well, you're not getting rid of him. But

the Ravens trade justin Tucker, they for a two. What would you have to give up to make the Ravens want to consider it? You know, like, well, having this guy is really nice, but you're offering us something probably for a team like that that, as the season goes on, may not be able to score a ton. Yeah, if i'm them, you would have to give me a one for me to get rid of mine. I mean, three years ago, if someone said you're gonna trade. Dan Bailey been like no, and like, what about for a high

second round pick? You'd be like, think about it, maybe, but you know you're you're shooting yourself in the foot. I would need the one because you know, when it's tied up in New York later this year and you miss the kick, you better. I mean they're helping you now,

it's helping you in the future. And if you're a team that you think you have a shot this year, that's not the movie you want to I would I mean, if Baltimore wanted to send me Justin Tucker for like a three, you could talk me into that, but I don't think that's realistic. He wouldn't do that if I'm both. If I'm Baltimore, I wouldn't do him unless it was a one stop being. If you've heard this before, but d tackle and safety or the two positions we think

they need to upgrade. Yeah, this was last year around this time every year ago Rod Marinelli got here. Yeah, it is what it is, um, but I don't think it's as dire as the receiver situation was last year. I agree. Are they gonna resign? Byron Jones? See the interesting part about Minca Fitzpatrick was. He also wanted to play corner and not so much safety. He wanted to play slot corner, which you know you have to play more than that when you're like, what tenth pick in

the draft, eleventh pick? But you know, I don't know the whole situation. I just know that when you make a move like that, you can you have to kind of think ahead and go, well, what are we gonna do with Byron Jones? What are we gonna do in the off season on somebo these guys? Would you be willing to make Byron Jones a top five page cornerback in the league? Not really? What's the like, what's the salary parameter on that? And I don't know the numbers? Okay? Yeah?

Top ten? Yeah, okay, you give him top ten if he's you know, if he's signing right now before Jalen Ramsey and he doesn't crack the top five, which means he'll just continue to be a bargain. Yeah, i'd probably his agent is gonna have to be very you know, like up on all of those websites that I don't I don't even know them all over the cap or all that. Not so much and the ones that I'll tell you that Byron doesn't allow more than like a

half yard of separation. Yeah, because he can't just go with with interceptions and pass breakups and you can't just go to NFL dot com and get the interception total. Which is fine because I mean, you know, it's a good thing. Is his last year, the other teams saw that, and they're seeing it this year. He's he covers. He no, he is a good corner and there's something to be said for that, and he is deserving of a contract.

But you know, we talk about it in terms of like they don't get takeaways, but like, have the Cowboys been on a short field on offense yet this season, Like where for whatever reason they like flip the field unexpectedly and they're just like, oh, we're on the we're on their thirty three. Didn't happened once like an interception that would seem like there was one one drive that Cheeto pick. They happened the ball around there around their

opponent's thirty or so. I want to say, my memory might suck, but I'll have to go back and look, they dropped two picks against Washington. Demarcus's Demarcus's uh turnover on downs fumble recovery against the Giants happened down near their red zone. The Dolphins fumble recovery happened down near there in zone. Cheeto's pick I believe happened like just

on the other side of midfield. So the Cowboys were in their territory, like Neil Jones fumbled on you know, the Cowboys territory was That might have been the one. I just kind of drive they were driving a little. They haven't had that point, like geta takeaway. I know there's more two playing cornerback than that, but like get the ball, let the ball from the ball and down by the what twenty yard line? Last week? Yeah, no, cock would have been huge. Yeah, all right, let's take

a phone call from Drew. Drew. What you got Hi, guys for a long time listener, Thanks for having me on the show. Thank you, thank you. Yeah, we all know the Cowboys run defense has been not as good as it was last year, and in my opinion, a big part of that has to do with the Marcus Lawrence not playing like himself. So and your guys opinion, what do you guys think the Marcus has to do do to get back to the form he was playing at

last year. Okay, I don't agree with the premise. I don't think he's playing worse than he was playing last year. I think he's getting more attention. I don't know if I necessarily think he's playing worse. What do you guys agree think. I think, you know the run defense part. I think we are underestimating the value of Antoine Woods, I really do. I think he's a fun, jolly guy whatever.

Maybe you know he came from the Titans, and you know, I think he's a good player, and I think they're missing him big time in the middle because he is hard to move and I think that that's a big part of the run defense. As for DeMarcus, yeah, I mean he does get a little bit more attention, and he's banged up a little bit too. Have you seen his problems in the run game, because I heard this call said that's not been what I heard. Most people have a problem with most people quibbling about the fact

that he's not getting more sacks. I don't necessarily, I've never I haven't necessarily seen him be a part of the problem. The breakdowns on the in the run game the Cowboys. Well, their problem last year was what they just got killed up the middle by teams that wants to do that to them. And that was when DeMarcus, I assume, according on I mean in the Collars opinion, DeMarcus was playing like himself then And actually, I mean he had the labor and then, so maybe he wasn't,

but it wasn't. It wasn't that that was killing them then. It was right up the middle. And I think it's exactly the same. I think they're defensive tackles. They're shorthanded. For one, they're not as talented at that spot as they are at others. And then their linebackers haven't been playing up to the level. Those guys that are playing like they played last year, the four spots in the middle of the field, the two linebackers and the two defensive tackles, Yeah, I don't think are playing up to

the same snuff that they were last year. I don't think it has that much to do with DeMarcus. All right, let's take a call from junior in Illinois. Junior, what up? How are you guys doing good? I'm from Utah, by the way, Sorry you're okay? Um? I just have a couple things to add to the defense them. I know that we talk about having the standard, and I just I don't I see that with the way we played

against the Saints. Why is it that we can't consistently play that way of football and our offense play consistently. I don't I don't understand. We have a good team. I just want you guys opinion of why can't we play what is the problem of why can't we play so consistently? And all? Thank you? All right, thanks kay. I think the biggest difference is that, um, the players

that you're playing against are not consistent at all. I mean, Teddy Bridgewater was not a starting quarterback really in the league, and he was a backup, and then you know he's not going to just make these magical plays and and get the ball out like Aaron Rodgers, who in many people believe is one of the top three or four

quarterbacks to ever play. I mean, I just don't think you can compare the same the same way that they're not playing the same teams, and they had a much better game plan for the Packers had a much better game plan than the Saints. And I keep saying that it's hard for me to reconcile. I know how much better Aaron Rodgers is than everybody. I know that makes

it a pain to game plan for. But like that's you know, I don't expect you to stop the funky shovel pass or the thing where you break out of the pocket and find the backup tight end just on a rope. Like Aaron Rodgers is going to do that four or five times a game and you just have to accept it. That doesn't bother me. But Aaron Jones was just killing them on pretty routine stuff over and over again. I think I read they were credited with as many as twelve tackles depending on twelve miss tackles

depending on who you want to believe. And I know the respect that you pay to the quarterback has a role to play in that. Still don't think it's good enough, And I don't have a great answer. Wasn't good enough? I mean they're not that great. I mean, this isn't a great defense. They're not They're not playing that way. They worse than they were last year, I think, so right now, yeah, they are. They're not getting enough sacks and the linebackers are not flying around making all these plays.

They're just not I think maybe people are figuring out we got to get the guards on them. That's why I think Antoine Woods is so important. When you look at the great deep linebackers in the history of football, most of them had at least a Pro Bowl. It's not Hall of Fame tackle in there. I mean those Ravens guys that they were tough in there with Adams

and Sara Busa. I'm not saying ray Lewis wasn't great on his own or Mike Singletary great on his own, but those guys have You have to have some guys up front to allow you to go make plays. If the guard gets to you, you're still gonna get smashed. That's why Jalen and Layton are getting knocked off the ball, because those guards are taking it to the second level. Yeah, they just I think that's part of it. I think

their instincts don't look as good to me this. I mean, you know what Week five last year was when they lost to Houston and they lost that game, but kind of like the Saints, they you know, they killed him in the red zone. Jalen was flying around, you know, he made that crazy play on John Watson. We've seen that a couple of times, but a couple of times in five games from guys that you're expecting to be Pro Bowl caliber. That's not what you signed up for

when the season started. And I mean it's early teams and units grow and blossom. Like the Cowboy. They were good for basically all of last year, but they kicked it into another gear as the season went along. So I'm not ready to say they can't get there, but

they're not there right now. Yeah. The part that's kind of baffling for me is that there were so many guys on the defense during training camp that we were looking at me only, man, this guy's playing really, really well, and so much of that has not necessarily trans you know though, and to the season. You know, people kind you know when you say stuff like that, people come at you when it proves to be wrong. Again, you can only evaluate as well as you can evaluate. But

what are you really seeing in training camp? Like Malie Collins, you see him rushed the passer. You're not seeing real runde defense because you can't tackle the running back. You're thudding people up, And so I don't have as good of an idea of how he's going to play in run defense as he does against the past. I think through five weeks he has looked about as good as I expected. As a pass rusher. I think he's been good in that regard. Hasn't been great against the run.

None of them really have. And but I'm even talking about guys like a Woozier who I thought had a wonderful training camp and that hasn't shown up yet in the in the regular seas not enough, I should say, not consistently enough in the regular season. So it's guys like that, It's Woods who I thought had a phenomenal training camp, and I don't think that's necessarily consistently showing up here in the regular season. So it's it's baffling.

And I understand your point. You only talk about what you see, but it is baffling to me that so many guys look so good in training camp and now it's just not translating to the regular season. It's a little bit different when it's offenses that you're not familiar with, scheming to do things that they know you're not good at, and yeah, you're I mean, it seems like it happens every year, and like somebody you know Byron Jones looked all Pro at safety in twenty seventeen in training camp

and then obviously coming pass. Sorry, appreciate you guys. Joined us back tomorrow eleven forty five till then for Nick even Dave Helm and I'm 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.