Cowboys Break: Down For Long?

presented by Geico. We will be talking about Cowboys versus San Francisco forty nine ers that happens this Sunday at noon. Uh. And in order to get ready for that, we got to start with the injury updates. Um Zeke Elliott. He has not practiced all week. Mike McCarthy said this morning that he's a little bit behind because he actually played last weekend. Jerry in a later interview this morning, see

he fully expects Zeke to play. My question for you guys, and I'll start with you, Nick, why risk playing him if he's not healthy at this point? Well, I mean, if if you wouldn't, you're not gonna play him if he's not healthy. If he's not healthy, I don't think he plays. If he's healthy enough to play, then I think he plays. I mean, it's just as simple as that. I mean, he's he's he's your top running back, and he got games to play, and you know they can

still make the playoffs. So I mean, if he's healthy enough to play, he plays. Dave. Yeah, I mean, And that's the classic difference between fans and media and the team itself is you know, you don't have to believe that they're gonna make the playoffs, but they're mathematically still alive. If Zeke's healthy enough to play, he should play. I mean that goes again. First of all, you know, also Zeke Elliott wants to play. He's a competite, he wants to win. He doesn't care about draft order and any

of that stuff. And he makes fifteen million dollars a year. So get out there and play some football if you feel up to it. Yeah, I don't have a problem with it. What do you think? Ever? No, I agree I think that well. I think that I would. My hope is that the medical staff is doing their job and being careful with him, a guy like him and all that. But if it was up to me, I would not be playing it. But that's out of my

control and definitely not my decision. I would sit him out and just chill over there, watch the game from the sideline. You're good, But he seems like if he can play, he's gonna play. The interesting thing about the secondary right now is that just as their game looks like they're gaining guys, they're also seemingly losing guys because you look at their injury report. There are guys that played last week when they had so many guys out, that are now on the injury report. So Dave catch

us up. As far as the cornerbacks and safeties, who looking like they're up and who's looking like maybe they're down, I'm leaning toward thinking everybody's up. Are you talking about Xavier Woods, who's supposed to be down? Yeah? I mean Xavier Woods. You had Rashard Robinson. There were several guys that were listed on the injury report that either did not practice. You're right, I did. I forgot it last week. Yeah, I forgot about Richard. I think Xavier. I think that's

that's a caution issue. Mike McCarthy didn't sound overly worried about it today and then he came out and opened his press conference by saying he's optimistic that Anthony Brown, Treyvon Diggs, and Donovan Wilson can all play. So and and we I mean, Cheeto is coming back. We've known that, so, um there's still way more guys coming back than potentially going down. Um. Yeah, Richard is interesting. I'm not you know, he hasn't practiced yet this week, but I do think

Xavier Woods will be available. So I think it's way more likely they have guys available than not. And like this, I would assume that it's a good thing for them right now. You look at all the guys that they will will need this week against a team that, again, this isn't a great team, but certainly they do some things that can can confuse you, that can trick you. I disciplined, something that Mike McCarthy actually talked about this morning, and that's not something we've seen this team to be

very very good at. So you would you would think that they need this, They need as many hands on deck as it can. Well, yeah, I mean you're trying to make San Francisco one dimensional team. You want them to throw the ball. I mean, that's what you want. You want to force Nick Mullins to try to win

the game. And so if they can get them to do that, then obviously it'd be better to have your your you know, your pieces back there in the secondary, a group that hasn't played together really all year long, so that that would be good. Um, you know, if they can do that. And frankly, San Francisco, you know, the Cowboys have had tons of injuries. San Francisco's had more. Yeah, I mean San Francisco is more beat up, I think than what the Cowboys are. You know, and you looked

at it yesterday. Always had three Pro Bowlers on IR. I mean San Francisco's got four and I didn't even count their quarterback, who we all know. When the quarterback goes down that changes everything. So they've had more injuries, I think. Yeah. I've read that they have roughly about seventy million dollars in there in cap space currently on IR for their team. I think the Cowboys are somewhere

in the range of sixty something million. But yeah, whatever you can say about the Cowboys and what they've been experiencing this season, you can probably say the same thing about San Francisco and possibly a little bit more than what the Cowboys have been and their record reflects it. They're five and eight Cowboys at four and nine. Let's go ahead and talk about the preview though, between the

Cowboys and the forty nine Ers. DA if you wrote an interesting article where you talked about the fact that you look at this forty nine Ers team and you think, really it sets a blueprint for maybe what the Cowboys should be aspiring to be lay out the I guess the foundation of what you were saying in that article. I mean, it's really it's something that I've been thinking about since Dak got hurt, and it's something that I've I've probably talked a lot about over the course the

last two months. But and I think you might have you said something like this earlier this week, Derek, is you know, are you a bad team because you're awful and you don't have any talent? Or are you a bad team because of bad breaks? And you know, the Cowboys aren't the most talented team in the league, especially on defense, But this strikes me as a season more

about bad breaks. You know, like if if they've got Dak and their offensive tackles, like even if only some of those guys get hurt, you know, maybe you're not contending for the super Bowl, but you're definitely alive in the playoff picture, maybe even leading the NFC Yeast. You know, this is probably a an eight to ten win team if if you know, a few more things go their way, in my opinion, and so it reminds me a lot

of the twenty eighteen forty nine ers. They finished four and twelve, and a lot of that was bad breaks. They had a lot of injuries that year, none more important than Jimmy Garoppolo going down in Week three. They slumped to a four and twelve record, and that was coming off a year they had gone six and ten. Actually, I forgot about this. They started the twenty seventeen season oh and eight. They trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, They go six and two. Over the second half, they finished six

and ten. They were a trendy pick to be a playoff contender. Jimmy g goes down week three. They finished four and twelve, Again, probably more about bad breaks than how bad their roster was. And sure enough, they draft Nick Bosa number two overall. They draft Deebo Samuel in the top five of the second round, and they started the next season eight no and made it to the

Super Bowl, which I wrote in the article. I was like, I'm not trying to convince anybody the Cowboys are going to make it to the super Bowl next season, but you know they're gonna have a chance to add four or five really talented draft picks to a roster that I don't think is that bad, and hopefully they're gonna have better luck with injuries. I just I think this is more of an aberration than a sign that this

team is headed for dark times. I think they can turn it around very very quickly if they do smart things in the off season. And Nick Dave talked about bad breaks. Let me ask you this question. Do you think that at least some of the bad breaks that the Cowboys experienced were predictable, in which case maybe the Cowboys should have had a little more or should have been a little more prepared to sustain them. No, Okay, no, they don't. I think their swing tackle was probably the

best swing tackle that they've they've added. I thought, I mean a first round pick and Cam Irving. I thought that was about as good as of a swing tackles. We've seen Andy Dutton. Here's the thing. The interesting part about that is the coaching staff didn't think so because they didn't even think that he was better than who you're talking about the coaches. Are you talking about Jerry

and Stephen? Either way, all I'm saying is when they brought him in, whoever brought him in, I don't think the coaching staff necessarily saw the same level of player once they got to the point of the recauld season they living to start Terrence Steele. Yeah, but they loved him. They loved Terrence Steele and they shouldn't have and they've proven that, and they've proven that. I mean, we'd know

that they loved Terren Steele. They come back later and put Cam Irving at left tackle and he's been fine, and we all know he's better than Terry. So whatever whatever he was dealing with and I don't know what he was dealing with in training camp, it was kind of a weird deal. But anyways, they were prepared to have a pretty talented swing tackle, and they were obviously prepared to have the best backup quarterback that they've had, So you know, I don't know if you say it

was predictable that it was coming. I mean, I mean, I think they tried to bolster their depth. And you know, Dak said it the healthiest team wins. He said it way back in the summer. And as ironically they're one of the least healthiest teams and they're one of the worst records. And er, do you think any of these bad breaks were predictable? I mean, there are things that I think were more under their control, things that happened. As far as and not looking specifically at the offense.

The offense obviously we know how much they've been affected by these injuries are definitely unpredictable. But as far like the defense goes, I mean, you look at guys that they had to get rid of, free agent guys, varying guys that they decided to cut, and these were guys that they themselves brought in here didn't work out. That said, by then you got guys. I mean, when you really look at the D line and the linebackers, I mean, what's really the excuse there? You only really lost I

guess two guys two injuries. I mean there's been guys that have been banged up. But the defense as a whole. There were so many other things that I feel like it was more under their control and that they could have adjusted better and done things differently to start seeing maybe an earlier change during the season, rather than waiting this far down the line of the season to seeing some motivation and some explosiveness like in the game against the Bengals. So I think it's a mixture of so

many different elements combined together. And when you looked at the offense, even when Dak was still in I mean, they were still struggling. They got better in the second half of the game, but that was not an offense that was perfect by any means. It was still having their own struggles. So it's just a combination of a bunch of different elements, things that were under their control and things that just there was no way that they

could have predicted. Dave, do you expect that some of these bad breaks that they had this year are predictable for next season, so they should be more prepared to sustain some of them. What are some of the things that you're concerned that they may that happened this year that you may still see sometin remnants of it next year, So you cut out for a second. Is that directed?

I mean, yeah, that was direct at you. I'm sorry. Yeah, I was saying what things happened this year that were bad breaks that you think could be that you could still see remnants of next year. I mean, I would love for them to find mind a way to ease our concerns about the tackle spot. I mean, a draft pick is basically what I'm saying, not necessarily in the top ten of the draft, but you know a guy that you think can play right away, because you know, this is year five in a row that Tyrn Smith

has dealt with injury issues. He's only thirty, but he's been playing in the NFL since he was twenty. I mean, that's a lot of mileage. And you know, I don't know this, but you know Lyle Collins's hip problem, Like you're basically talking about a situation where he didn't have like any cartilage on his hip, like his hip bones were grinding against each other. And that is a troubling

thing to hear about an offensive tackle. So I'm optimistic that those guys will be fine, but I don't think you can just leave it to trust and so you know, that's a situation where you know they they need to address that one way or the other rather than just run it back and hope that it will be fine. I mean, there's reason to believe that it will, but you can't. You know, hope is not a strategy like

they always say. So that's the one thing that you know, I have my eye on is just how can you keep the offensive tackle health from holding you hostage again next year? When you talk about bad breaks, Nick, do you think that you would factor Layton Vanders Layton Vanderesh

into that? And is that something that going into next year, if you're going in knowing he's going to be a starter, like you better be aware and be better be prepared that he may miss games looking at his injury history, or do you think it's just these are all just kind of flukey type things and so I don't you don't really worry as much about it for the future. I think you factor that in when you're looking at the linebacker position and you say, Okay, what we've got

to do next year? You know, we've got to get better at this position. We don't I don't know what you can expect from Sean Lee. I would imagine he's probably not coming back. I mean, but if he's not helping you that much, I mean, you got to you gotta get a better third linebacker. Maybe you know, draft a young guy and hopes that, Okay, if Layton is banged up, we could play this guy, or we need him as our third linebacker, or maybe he's better than Jay.

Whatever it is. I mean, I think it's a position of need and Layton's injury and history of injuries is part of that. Yeah, you guys concerned, Amber, Are you concerned about Layton's history as as a player that seems to be injured often? I am. I've always been one that is always concerned about reoccurring injuries in the same area of the body. So it is something that concerns me.

It really sucks to see that certain areas that we really thought coming into the season, we really thought that the Cowboys were set, you know, as far as death and talent, and then it turns out that it just didn't work out, whether it was injury related or just performance wise. It this is gonna be a tough offseason trying to figure out exactly what you need, what you can get to reinforce this team because they after what

we saw this year. I mean, they're not as set and secure as far as like backup guys as at least me personally, I thought they were beginning this year. So they got a lot of work in their hands and a lot of areas of concern all throughout the roster, both on the defensive side of the ball and the

offense as well. Yeah, it's interesting you say that. I actually look at it, and when we were back going back to training camp, the two positions I felt best about where the two positions that ended up being, in my opinion, the biggest problems the offensive line and the linebackers. I thought going to the season they had good depth at each one. I thought they had good play, good front line players. I thought they were gonna those are gonna be the strengths of both the offense and the defense,

and it ended up being just the opposite. That tells you about the NFL. That's the nature of the NFL. As soon as you start thinking something's good in the NFL, it'll flip on you, no doubt about it. Yeah, I can't see one position that you would look Yeah, right, I can't see a position that you wouldn't just say, yeah, we don't need to draft this one. You know, the only one I could quarterback. Oh, I don't know, first round, but I mean I'm just saying I wouldn't. You know,

I think they're to sign them. But what if Dalton doesn't come back? I still think that something you would consider. And wide receiver maybe not, but I mean, who knows how long m Mario will be here. You know, he's gonna sign a three year deal, so I mean in gallop, it's gonna be free agent a couple of years. So I mean any every position, that's just every position across the board, you could make a case to draft. Yeah, all right, we're gonna take our first break, and we

come back from the break. We're gonna talk a little bit more about the Cowboys versus the forty ninets. Will do that, we can come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why SLOR pioneers ways to make lenses as unique as you. Varilux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, and Crisolve for freedom from glare, three cutting

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for all the holiday savings. Welcome back. It is a second second to the brake clap from the SWBC Mortgage Studios presented by Geico. Before the break, Dave laid out the blueprint that San Francisco went through in order to get themselves from where they were in twenty eighteen to being a super Bowl team. And it's hard to remember, like that seems like ancient years ago that they were in Super Bowl. Literally last year they were a Super

Bowl team. And so my question for you guys is how likely do you think it is, based upon where you think Dallas will net out and their ability to draft, that they can get those kinds of impact players and enough of those impact players to where they can make themselves a serious contender next year. Let's start first with Nick Well, I mean they I think they're gonna need to get a really talented defensive player. There's no doubt

about a difference maker like San Francisco did. But I also feel like, you know, the forty nine ers were bad for a while leading up to that, and to get some some talented players on the defense. But you can make the case that Calways have been doing that on offense and stacking. You know that they had a better offense place, so you need a difference maker. You need to get a guy, a couple of guys on defense that that can that can help term this around.

And you know, you just look at the schedule this year. I mean, you know, I think Dave and I talked about this other day. I think the Cowboys would have gone eight and eighth this year, even if the Act doesn't get hurt, you know, I really yeah. I mean there were two and three before he gets hurt. It's hard to tell because those three losses didn't seem like

they were very good losses. But that the Browns, the Seahawks and the Rams and all three I think of the best NFC person all those teams are really good and they were close games. Browns kind of not, but you know, they almost. So I'm just saying I think the Cowboys would have would have done better with with Dak, you know. And but you know, eight and eight maybe better than that nine and seven. It's just kind of hard to tell because those three losses were actually better

losses than it looks like. You do you think they would have been eight and eight if they had at least one of their tackles with Dack, which one tired give me either one, which every one you think is better Tired and Dack. I mean, yeah, they're better than they needed that. Yeah, yeah, you think so, you actually think. I guess and I'm not. I'm not trying to put word to you. Tell me if I'm wrong. But what you're saying really is, Dak wasn't as big as the problem.

The biggest problem was the tackles. I just I think both of them. The defense was so bad that they had to rely on the offense to just outscore people, and so you need all of your weapons if you're going to outscore people. So it's it's just both, all right. Amber that's the question. I mean I might not give. I I might not give such an intellectual perspective as maybe Nick or Dave whatever he's about to say. Mine

comes more from the heart my feeling. Okay, And this one it's a tough one because you talk about all the needs that the Cowboys have right now and look into these offseason, all these different things I need to improve, and my concern is, and I've always wonder, okay, how long does it really take a team to kind of put all this from pieces together and make it work?

And my issue is I've been watching the Cowboys for one six year, seven years, something like that, and during this time every year I go in with high expectations thinking, Okay, this is it and they're gonna make it work, and then it doesn't. So maybe I'll feel again next year. But right now, as today, as we stand here, I feel like I don't see. I'm not very hopeful that it can happen for next year, just because again you

talk about the launch lifespam, life spam of players. You know, every year these good players that you have, there goes another year that it was wasted and for nothing, and there goes another year. And then honestly, seeing the transition from the team when I first got here, you know, the Tony Romo, the Jason went in, and then seeing the transition into a new younger team, and then seeing these guys that you got to meet and follow and become a fan of, and seeing that there was not

really a great result. And now you got a whole new team in and then now you begin that new transition and that new lifespan there with them, and then every year it's like, okay, now we see Tyren Smith. Now okay, we might be saying bye tos like Martin and then Lyo Collins now and then now Zeke getting into problems of performance on the field. So it's just very confusing and very frustrating, and I don't have an answer.

And right now as of today, like I say, I just don't feel very hopeful at this time seeing all the needs that the Cowboys currently have. All Right, Dave, you want to maybe make Cowboys fans feel a little bit better, We're just squash the dreams my next season. My favorite, my favorite jerryism in the world is because I think it's the most true, is that you have to do you have to have a tolerance for ambiguity to work in the NFL or know to you know,

to cover this stuff. Ag doesn't doesn't have much of a tolerance for That's what we have learned is she needs certainty and you just don't get it in the NFL. Um I mean, and look like I said, like, I wouldn't dare anywhere. I wouldn't dare suggest that the Cowboys aren't well, yeah, I wouldn't dare suggest that the Cowboys are like a couple of chess moves away from playing in the Super Bowl, because they haven't done it in forever.

You know, the only other franchises in the NFC that haven't even been to the NFC title Game since the last time the Cowboys made it are Detroit and Washington, and we would all say that those are like two of the most embarrassing franchises in the NFL. So that's the company that you keep right now, and there's nothing you can do about it other than work to get better.

Um So, I don't you know, I'm not going to suggest they can go from this to the super Bowl in one year, but it really like it's it's not the NFL is so random, like you can you can pull the these things off with one or two moves, like Nick is right. The forty nine ers have been bad to mediocre for a while before they had last season. But they didn't build this super team with these drafts. You know, they drafted Solomon Thomas third overall, bust of

a pick. Ruben Foster, really good linebacker, got kicked off. The team can't stay on the field for anybody. Dante Pettis was their big top fifty receiver. Not so good. You know, Eric Armstead pretty good player. He's still on the team, but he's not this badass DeForrest Buckner was,

and they turned right around and traded him. So, to go back to Amber's point, you're only ever living like a year or two at a time like this idea like the nineties Cowboys, where you can keep a core of a team together for like six seven years, it just doesn't happen anymore. So we know the Cowboys currently have the talent to be like an eight and eight team. That's where That's what they were last year. I agree with Nick, they were on that trajectory this year before

everything happened. And so you go in and if you draft well and add two, hopefully three or four really quality players. I wrote in the column yesterday, thanks to the Byron Jones cop pick, they're gonna pick four times in the top one hundred or near it like they're gonna have four of the first one hundred and five hundred and six picks in the draft, assuming they don't trade any of them away, And if you do your job right, that should be at least three players that

can make a big impact right away. So I don't think it's crazy that this team can be better next year. Like I said, I'm not saying Super Bowl, but you add that type of talent to the roster that you already have and get some better luck. Yeah, Like you could win ten to twelve games with what you have here. I legitimately do think that. Yeah, And it's what we talked about yesterday. You really just need a middle of the road defense. And now that is assuming that you

can keep all your offensive players on the field and healthy. Right, But if you can keep those guys on the field and healthy, all you need is the middle of the road defense. And we think this team can be a contender. Like I think this team could go and make some noise in the playoffs. Who knows what happens when you get in the playoffs. That's all a one game prospect, but you would have the team that could position you in that way to where you could make a run.

And that goes back to the defense. And I think they're they were so bad this year. That's what makes it seems like it is just an uphill battle to get there. But I don't know, I think maybe a couple of players that are playmaker types could actually get you to the point where you're middle of the road, right, Yeah, I mean, especially if it's like a pass rusher. Yeah. I mean if you get if you bring in a guy that could be a different sprinker right away, that

changes everything. I mean that's a one second difference. But on them getting the ball out quicker, you know that that would help everybody back in the secondary, or maybe a shut down cornerback that really kind of locks things down, even though I don't know if that happens right away. In in pro football, you know where a young corner of the Yeah, but there's some really good corners in the league, and you know they might have a year that they somewhat struggle. I mean we see it with Diggs.

I mean Diggs is up and down. So if you get a better player than that, yeah, you can have some pretty good corners. Yeah. You get those two out there together and you get a little pass rush from from DeMarcus Lawrence, you might be able to be working with something. And then it still goes back to what we've always been talking about this year. Your linebackers just

got to play better. And whether you change them out or whether you get them to play better, one of the two has to happen in order for your defense to be better. Those linebackers have to be better. All right, We're gonna take our final break. When we come back, we're gonna talk a little bit more about San Francisco

Cowboys matchup, particularly stuff about this weekend's game. I want these guys to tell you, guys, you fans out there listening, something that they are going to be looking at this week If you're not concerned so much about wins and loss losses, here's some things maybe you can keep an eye on this weekend that maybe thinks for the future. We'll talk about that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. We're back in the tasty

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It is the final segment of the Break Life from the s WBC Mortgage studios at the Star. We are presented by Geico and we are talking Cowboys versus forty nine ers. Here's my question for the crew. How many restaurards do you think Dallas needs to hold San Francisco under in order to be successful? And what is the likelihood that they do that. Let's start first with you Amber,

like fifty Maybe they can make it. That's a tough water. Wow, yeah, geez, and so I guess your answer on the likelihood, what about father? None about the other three quarters? Though, like what happens in the second, third, and fourth quarters? What do we what do we helpe to? I think in all season, I think out of the last five years, held anybody under fifty yards rushing? Oh, Houston's run and shoot offense maybe, but who never? They never run? Yeah,

what did the Steelers run for? Because they really didn't try to run. They didn't to run. I don't know. That might be a good one, yeah, but I don't know. I'll be nice so between fifty and eighty around there, But no, I just it's like you. The thing is, it only takes a couple of big runs for it to happen. So I think that right now, I just don't trust the Cowboys to do that. And I cannot base my opinion on this last game, this win against

the Bengals, because we know whatever. But and I know that the forty nine Ers are not this amazing team either, But I just don't have much trust. Every time I look at place, there's just so much confusion, so much slowness. I don't even know if that's a word, but they're just too slow. And if it gets away from them. It just gets away from them. And I just that has been an important part of attack for an opponent.

And if they are able to utilize that the running game, that's that's gonna be it for the Cowboys because they cannot seem to come back from things like that. So I just don't think they can actually make it happen, but hopefully they do. Okay, Dave, I'm actually looking at this right now. I would put the number at about one hundred and twenty. If you can hold them below one hundred and twenty, I think you got a good

shot to win the game. And eight teams have prevented the forty nine ers from doing that, So that what they've played thirteen, So in eight of the thirteen they've been held below that total, and they've lost the vast majority of those games. The two wins that they won in that sample size they had Jimmy Garoppolo. So when they can't run the ball at will and they don't have Jimmy g it's not a recipe for success. Um, do I think the Cowboys can keep them below one

hundred and twenty. I don't feel optimistic about it, but yeah, yeah, Well, I'm yeah, sure, maybe they can. I don't know. I don't I don't feel great about it, but that's a that's manageable. I guess I gave up three hundred to Baltimore last or two weeks ago. I'm still thinking about that. Yeah, Nick, I don't want to answer. It's one hundred and twenty. I don't know. I don't know whether or not they can do it. Yeah, I mean it's in that range

twenty one fifty. Just don't get it out of control, you know, I'm looking how okay with the forty nine ers? You know they are they a better team than than their their record. I mean, obviously they play in a tougher division, so I was thinking if they were in the NFC East, would they be better? But then you go back and look they lost to the Redskins. They've lost to the Eagles. Oh yeah, yeah, that team, um football team, football team. No, I'm not calling them that

they're Washington UM because they can't be duff. I hate that. I hate what people just saying it without saying anything else. Yeah, I think brought us said it the other day. You know, Gainst the football team, I'm like Buffalo's got a football team, Like, don't I hate that? But anyways, they lost to Philadelphia, they lost to Washington. They you know, they're just they're average. But but you just gotta you gotta put the quarterback in a position to try to beat you, you know.

And I don't just don't think the Cowboys. I don't think they even load up to stop the run, you know, like they don't ever do that. They don't ever sell out and be like we know it's running, you know, Like I've seen some thirded ones before, and I'm like, why are the linebackers six yards off the ball? Like, and why are there only two of them out there? Yeah? Right, Honestly, I was stubborn with their run defense. I think one of their biggest problems in run defense this year is

that they are not there. They're hams hamstringing themselves, like they're not giving themselves. Was the proper support after games where they've just gotten completely run on. If I was a defensive coordinator, I'd be like, all right, guys, we're not gonna get run on. Like they may throw for five hundred yards, but they're not gonna run the ball. So if I got to put in three linebackers and three safeties. We're not going they're not gonna run the

ball on us. And they just don't do that. Like they're like, we're gonna stick to having four defensive linemen and two linebackers and we're staying with Nickel. Sorry, I just can't do that when you have Richard Robinson and Savion Smith called up from the practice squad and say hey, here, here's your jersey, here's the locker room, and then now I'll go play cornerback, Like, it just doesn't work. These guys. You got to have better corners to play that way.

So it's just it's a it's been a show over their own defense. All right, Here's another question I have for you guys, For fans out there that are not necessarily looking at wins and losses at this point, they're more concerned to just about what things you can glean from the rest of these games that may help or hurt you next season. Give me one thing that you'll be watching this week ind that's not really about the wins and losses. Maybe it's a player, maybe it's a

position group. Tell me one thing that you're going to be watching this weekend. Dave let's start with you. I think I've already said it this week, but I just I'm so intrigued by the idea of them having the majority of their you know, better defensive backs available. I really hope Diggs and Anthony Brown and Donovan Wilson can all play, you know you so you know, a secondary of you know, Cheeto and Diggs on the outside, with Anthony Brown as your slot corner, and then Donovan Wilson

with either Darian Thompson or Xavierwood. I just think that's interesting because you know, it would be so great if you could watch this secondary for three weeks and kind of get an idea of what it looks like and who you like and who you don't like, because if you just let everybody that's not under contract walk, then you're only meaningful dbs left on the team or Anthony Brown and Treyvon Dix. That's and don Donobis will excuse me,

that's really all you got. Yeah, um, I mean, I'm intrigued by Donovan Wilson, but like so many people are just pegging him in as like well, yeah, like he's your starter going forward. I'm not convinced of that. I don't know, I would love to see more and and Xavier Woods cheeto Owoozia. Jordan Lewis, like, do these guys need to be re up to here? Should they be?

How much should they cost? All of that, Like, that's the first step in fixing this secondary is figuring out who stays and who goes, and then you can make decisions and free agency in the draft from there. So you know, if they can all play, that would be really interesting to watch. What are you watching? Man? Uh? I want to see the tight end position um And I don't know if this answers the question, but I think it's going to be interesting to see what happens

next year. I just don't know if if you've got a number two tight end, and I think I think Schultz is doing okay as he's pretty good as the pass catching tight end, but they don't they don't block very well. Nobody does, and Jarwin included really and so Blake Bell was supposed to come in and do that. I don't think that's really been a success. And he's on a one year deal. I can't really imagine him coming back. I mean maybe, but I but then what happens.

You can't just say, okay, Chulton and Jarwin, there's your first two tight ends. Because again nobody blocks on third and two. That doesn't help you. You need to tight end that can kind of go in and do that.

So especially with the three receivers and all the backs they have, So the tight end position is interesting still to me because Schultz is having success, But I don't know how much that helps you because I still think he might be their third tight end in a twelve package because of Jarwin and then a guy that needs to come in and block Amber. I think this is a perfect game for people just to Ebadway players and

you can pay ever. I mean, you can look at any position and find someone that you need to evaluate for next year, because this is a game that although most people might not really care about the win or losses at this point, it's still a game where the Cowboys are still going to be playing to win the game because there still there still is a chance to get to the playoffs. So the will and the drive

and the effort is gonna be there. So you're gonna get that from the players as far as like intensity goes. But we know how training camp practices. We always see someone standing out and then the game comes and then it's like whoa completely different than what we saw a training camp. So I think these three last games are just very important for player evaluation, trying to figure out who you want to keep on the team or what position of you really need to reinforce in the off season,

because there's you cannot really replicate game day performances. So I think that this is a game where fans can actually maybe take a step back from being like so passionate and angry or or happy or whatever kinds of emotions, put the emotions outside for just a little bit and really take the time to look at players and see what they're actually doing, even players that are not necessarily like having their balls in their hands, but look at

what everyone else is doing around there, because that helps a lot as well. So I think that's that's what I'm gonna be doing, That's what I'm gonna be looking at, and that's just, yeah, my perspective on that awesome. Let's get one question from fans before we end the show and get to our picks. Amber, give me a questionnaire. Sorry you cut out? Can you repeat? Yes? Can you get a question? Let's get one question one fan question before I have one here. Okay, Steve, he has a

question about Jalen Smith. And Jalen got to talk to the media recently and he had some comments about so they asked him if he was bothered that the Cowboys were flexed out of prime time this week and Smith Jaalen said if the owner ain't tripping, we good. So with that comment, Steve wants to know what have we learned or confirmed about the team culture? What do you

do with players with that kind of mentality? Okay, I just want to say before you guys answer, I think it should be noted that Jalen said that with a laugh. So I don't know. Again, I don't know if that changes your opinion on what he said and how he feels. But he did say it with the laughs. Maybe he was joking. I don't know, but I think that that

should be pointed out. Cool. Also, that was only half the quote, I mean he also, I think he answered it in a Jason Garrett way of saying, we'll play on Tuesday, we'll play on Wednesday, we played Thursday night, we play Siday, we'll play whatever, and then he asked he asked the media back the question on it, does Jerry, you know, care about it? And so I don't know.

I mean, I've learned this about joy. It seems that that nick it just I saw a lot of questions on that because it seems that that specific part of the quote is what fans are picking out of from what he said. Well, right, right, because that's what was put in the tweet of one hundred and forty characters. You know, I said this on the radio this morning. I don't know if you've heard this. If if, I don't know who asked the question, because I'm friends with

all those guys, but whoever asked that question. It was the was how to tweet? Ready to go? They knew that it was going to be something they would they could probably because if Jalen comes back and says what you want him to say, you know what, Yeah, I'm mad about that. We're the Dallas Cowboys, We're America's team. We shouldn't be playing this, we should be playing bed,

we should be playing better. We got two other guys tweeting out that Jalen's worried about himself, worried about the wrong things, worried about his brand, worried about him why don't you worry about football instead of that? So Jalen can't win. We know that he can't win. He can't even get an interception and go fifty yards if he doesn't score, you know, and he gets killed for it. We know that Jalen, and he puts it on himself. He puts it on himself. But I mean that that

right there. Who cares if they get flexed out? They're bad? This team is bad, right, I mean, why is this even a big deal? I mean, I'll ask you guys that why is being flexed out this point in the year. Why is that a big deal? I think it's a big deal because, as you and I know from being here as long as we have, even when Cowboys teams are bad, it's very rare, if ever, they get flexed out of a primetime game, mainly because they still draw attention.

Like at the end of the day, this is still a ratings game for the television networks, right, and so it's not even about necessarily the matchup. It's about who's the biggest straw. And there are a lot of fans out there. There are a lot of people out there that are football fans that have an interest in either watching the Cowboys win, yeah, or watching the Cowboys lose. Right, And so there's still there's still ratings attached to the Cowboys.

So that's the reason why it's a little startling. Yeah, whenever the Cowboys would get flexed out of a seven twenty start Oh, I have an opinion, but I'll let Dave answered. I did. I mean, I think the player the player in question and point. And it makes me think of you know, Jalen's press conference when he signed that contract extension, and you know the detail that he went into about like the way that being a Cowboy can affect your branding and like doing business deals with

Jerry and all that stuff. Uh, it's I mean, it's very smart. He's a shrewd guy. But when things don't go so well, it also gives you the impression that are your priorities in the right spot, and I think and it reinforces that when you're asking, like what Jerry thinks instead of being worried about the here and now. At the same time, the funniest part of that whole thing to me was like Jalen didn't even know it

got flexed. Like, you know, football players are so not focused on the rolled around them, like they're so not focused on more than just like moving step by step. He didn't even know the game was at noon, like, which means he probably wouldn't have found out until like Saturday afternoon, when you know, the trainers wrote like, all right, be at the stadium by nine to fifteen. He was like, wait,

what on earth? But real quick, we were playing day when I heard that, though I didn't get the impression he didn't know what it had been that it was at noon. I got the impression he didn't know it had been flexed, like flexed out of the nighttime spot into the Actually that's a really good point, you know, Yeah,

that's it. You're right, I guess. But the point being is like players don't think more than three four days ahead of time ever, I mean, you know, and and the game was flexed last week while he was focused on Baltimore and Cincinnati, so you know, it totally went off his radar. Um I get. I completely get why the quote annoys fans. I and but again I think it's it's a Jalen specific thing because there's a mountain of evidence that suggests that his priorities aren't in the

right spot. I wonder if it would be I wonder if it would be as big of a talking point if it was somebody else. I don't know. I don't feel super strongly about it either way. But um, you know you've said this is about ratings. Do you think you really think it is though this year? Do you think that's ratings are more about perception? Because there's no way, there's no way in hell that the that the Giants and Browns are going to have a better rating than

the Cowboys in the forty nine ers, No way. I don't know about that. I will never know. Yeah, we

will never know. But I don't know about that this year because because I do believe that this year in Baker Mayfield, I do believe that this year there is a difference in how again based on things that I've seen working in media, there are things I've seen that that let me know there are differences this year in how people are consuming just all media, including sports and and and from that respect, I don't think it's a typical year where people might be in tuned in the

ways they were before. Like I just I think there's a lot that's changed and because of that, I think that really, I think the NFL had to give and the networks had to give people a game of consequence because I don't think it just the matchup alone. I don't think was gonna draw in the same way it would have drawn last year or the year before. I'll put it like this, if this happened in twenty nineteen without a pandemic, I don't think the Cowboys get flexed.

I think this is a This is a unique set of circumstances this year, and we're seeing it all across media. It's not just sports, we're seeing all across media. Just patterns have changed on how people view sports and how they view content in general. So I just think that that's way more. What it's about is is the ratings personally,

which also Nick, I think. I think that's why it's important though, because I think most people would agree with you it's and that's why it's important that it got flex stout because the cliche, the storyline is that the Cowboys can be in primetime no matter how bad they are, and like Tuesday morning, the ratings will come out and we'll all be on Twitter saying, uh, you know four and nine Cowboys and five and eight forty nine ers still did this crazy big rating. America's team baby Let's go,

still relevant no matter how bad they are. The problem is really really important. People who make decisions don't agree with that, Like they do not see the Cowboys as relevant no matter how bad they are, And that is a problem. I mean, like whether or not Jerry Jones wants to admit it, that definitely bothers him and it should honestly, because it says, you know, the Star is this monolith, like it's the biggest thing in sports. But if your results aren't backing it up, that won't be

true forever. All right, That's why this is a talking point. Yep, real quick, before we end the show, Let's get some picks. Let's start first with you, Dave, which way does this game go? I hate it here, I hate having to I don't, I don't, I don't know if there. If I could just start a franchise, if I could start an NFL franchise with any coach in the league, Kyle Shanahan would be in my top two or three picks.

So in a game between two teams with so many injuries and so few things going for him, I trust the hell out of Kyle Shanahan to have an awesome game plan up his sleeve. I don't trust the Dallas defense to do enough. Even you know, Nick Mullins is not good, so they have a leg up in that regard.

But like I said, I just trust Shanahan, and I think I think the forty nine ers find a way to win twenty four or twenty All right, Amber, I'll just say real quick, One I am not a Cowboys hater, and two I'm just speaking from what I see so right now, I don't feel like the Cowboys can win anything.

So that's what I'm gonna go with. And it's more upsetting when you have a feeling that you know what they could and what they could that what they're possibly capable of, and when you see when you don't see that result is that that's what makes it more upsetting. So with that being said, Cowboys lose. Um how to dream about the score, But then I forgot after I

woke up, But the Cowboys lost anyone. So I'm just gonna go with something like twenty sixteen something like that doesn't matter because they end up losing, all right, Nick twenty seven, twenty four nine Ers Niners. All right, I got the message too. Yeah, and I'll say real quick, I don't think the Cowboys will have as much success stopping the run. I think that'll be the big thing. I think Rynie Moster is probably in for a pretty

big day. He's a guy that can run and h and so he's a good running back that can run. I think that's gonna be a problem for the Cowboys. Last week, Dave said that he didn't think that this Cowboy team should be all four picks. This forty nine team doesn't need all four picks either. But yeah, is what it is. I mean it's a good point. They're not that good, No they're not. But but in this under these circumstances, I just think the matchup is bad

for them. I think this team, these teams are very similar. But I think it's a matchup Cowboys lose. I think twenty three twenty I'm try twenty three seventeen. All right, we'll be back on Monday. We'll let you guys know what went right and what went wrong. To live for Nick even, Dave Helm and Amber Garcia, 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.