Cowboys Break: Fallout From The Seattle Loss

We are live from s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star, back at studio following Christmas and already talk a little bit of Cowboys football. How's everybody doing this morning? Well? Thanks Derek, good good, good, Um, it's we. We have not been on the air since the game on Sunday when the Cowboys lost twenty one I'm sorry, twenty one

twelve and are now officially eliminated from playoff contention. Have one more game left though, this week against the Philadelphia Eagles, so I'm sure Dave can give us a scouttering report

on the Eagles in about two minutes. But I do think because we haven't been on the air, I do think we should talk a little bit about that game and some of the things that came out of that game, and then we'll take more a bigger picture look at not just how the Cowboys are going to enter this final week, but more so, you know, what does it mean for the future. Are there guys that maybe should play?

Are the guys that maybe shouldn't play because of the fact that it's the final game and it really has no no royal impact on this season, unless, of course getting to nine and seven verses eight and eight somehow matters, which maybe to the coaching and to the team it does. But let's talk first about that game. I just want to open it up first to get just some general thoughts on why you thought the Cowboys loss. Nicho. Let's start with you. You have that pondering, Look, what do

you think? I know you you've written probably a couple of different stories about this at this point. I'm sure you have some pretty pretty pretty pretty good thought here. Well, I thought that this was worse than the Rams game of that they should have won, you know, I mean, I understand that the Rams are a good team, but they couples should have won that game, and they should have won this one. In my opinion, they were better than than that team, but they they were out coached

in the game. I guess you could say that because they just as I wrote, they just got too cute. They got too cute down there. And and you know, when eighty five thousand people are yelling for Zeke and you don't give him the ball, that's dumb. That's dumb. You've been waiting for six weeks to get this guy the ball, and you finally down there, and you just saw last week against Oakland that they couldn't get in there and they had to settle for a field goal

and almost lost in the game. You give the ball to Zeke, who they hadn't stopped all game. That that's inexcusable. And to do it twice in a row like that, it's ridiculous. Amber I'm still confused. I mean, I keep trying to figure it out and I just can't. And they talk about they pride himself about their running game, and then they get the one guy that they've been waiting for. And we've seen all season long how good

the running game works compared to the passing game. Why let Dak throw the ball or run with the ball. Is he you're running back? No, like give it to the running back. And I don't know. I just cannot comprehend why they made the decisions that they did. Just really awful execution, Like across the board you can say that.

I mean, bad execution by the coaching staff, play calling down by the goal line, bad execution by the quarterback, some of the most inaccurate, poorly, you know, poorest decisions of his season, no doubt about that. The pick six comes to mind, bes Bryant getting stripped on routine catches and letting not easy passes but catchable balls bounce off your hands. I mean I thought the game plan was there are bad execution by your running back and blitz

pick up all that type of stuff. I mean, he had a decent day running the ball, but all that other stuff that we give him credit for was not there. And you can attribute that to the six week layoff if you want, but it just wasn't there. And I really thought the game plan was not terrible for the most part. I mean, they leaned on Zeke early. It opened up some other things for him, all that stuff we like to complain about. I mean, Terrence Williams had

fifty yards receiving. They got him involved, They got Jason Witten involved. He was huge as that you know, easy outlet pass you think about it. He set them up to have that first down on the three yard line. I mean, they were doing the stuff that you want to see them do. I think the Seahawks did a good job of mitigating the play action and the boot action stuff, just because their pass rush is capable of

doing that. But considering you lost Tyren Smith on the third play of that game, I thought the game plan was not bad. I mean, it moved them down toward the red zone multiple times, and they just blew it like nobody on that team. The defense, I mean, can you can nitpick some problems there, but I thought the defense played a pretty damn good game all things considered. By one hundred and thirty six total yards, I think it wasn't. They gave up more penalty yards than offensive yards.

All three of their touchdowns came off of takeaways, and two of them were direct results of takeaways. So players, coaches, everybody involved, mainly on the offensive side of the ball. Just like I said, like, I thought, the plan was in place and they just did not execute across the board, and if you go back and look at the game, particularly in the first half, there were drives where their ability to run the ball. I mean it really Seattle had no answer for xicularity. By the time they got

to their third series. Let me tell you some of the runs he had started off with a five yard run, then six yard run, then six yard run, then five yard run, then four yard run, then five yard run, two yard run. Then the next series nine yard run, four yard run, six yard run. I mean, it was like the Cowboys were consistently moving the ball, running the ball, and then after that six yard run, Rod Smith comes in and finishes the rest of the series. They end up in a field goal on that one as well.

It was just to me, there were just moments in that game where there were things that just didn't make sense. You got a hot back in there, you put Rod Smith in there, you got a situation where you're running the ball effectively, and then you get down into the

red zone and you decide you're going to pass. Everything suggested that the more they ran the ball, the more effective they were being running the ball, and they took the running game away from themselves rather than forcing Seattle at some point to say we're gonna have to do something different in order to stop this run and then open up other things. They just literally said, hey, we just we're going to concede the run to some degree.

You know, it's funny, I'm taking it back, but I remember back, like going back to like twenty thirteen when Scott Linahan with the Lions. We we would have conversations here that's like, well, Lenahan gets a Megatron the ball, like that's his thing, and he does it, like Megatron will have eighteen targets and fifteen catches in a game. Why don't we do that? Why don't And so Scott Linehan got a ton of credit for that from AFAR And now that we're here, like I mean, he's been

in the offensive coordinator here for four years. Like it's not like again, you know, Nick said, they got too cute, like they outsmart themselves, like they just like it's like they're convinced that just doing the obvious thing can't work. It's like, well, this is the NFL, Like why don't you make somebody prove that it won't work? Right? You know what I mean? Like it never seems like they want to do that, like they're always they're trying to think a step ahead of the defense. But a lot

of times I feel like they don't need to. I think that second down call down on the goal line is probably we'll go down. It's the worst play of the year. I mean, when not just not giving it to Zeke going first down, you tried to throw it and and Beasley's open over the middle. We see it, the people on TV see it because you know, the cameras are high and we're high. But when you're down there low and like you bring the smallest guy over the over the middle and you can't see him, and

then that's your play. And then on second down, though after you haven't given it to Zeke on first down, you roll to the right. Witten, as good as he's been, he's he's not a He's not a great blocker on the move, especially when you're trying to block Michael Bennett. You've got two guys in the route, Terrence Williams and Cole Beasley trying to get open in a small amount of space. You've got Dak running on the move like that. I mean, nothing about that play is good. Those guys

aren't going to get open. Whitten's not going to make that block, and you're going away from Zeke and Dez. You're two guys that can make plays that did I say that was a stupid play? I mean, and I tweeted this during the game, is like, I know, you know Jason Garret or Scott Linahan's response to that would be that it's really hard to run the ball in a situation like that where NFL defense knows that's what's

gonna come. But like we did that reason. I mean, I get that, it's true it is hard to do that, but that's supposed to be what this team does better than anybody else, even when they know it. That's why, Yeah, that's why you pay your center fifty five million. That's why your guard's gonna set the record for what a guard makes. And that's why you drafted running back in the top five. Like where's the lodge? I get it.

I get that it's hard to do You're supposed to be able to do it anyway, right, and to just assume that you can't do it when you have all those pieces in place, it doesn't make sense to me, and it's kind of insulting to the personnel that you've put together that you don't think they can handle that, and the fact that they'd had some mini series where they did run it effectively over and over and over again, to me, is why you get to first and goal.

Pound it in, like especially first and goal. What were they first and goal at the five? I think first and goal at e three, first and goal in the three. If I get a yard every down, I'm gonna get an the end zone before fourth down, all right, So I'm like, pound it in and just see what happens. You have. This is why you've been waiting for your running back to come back, is because you feel like he's the best or among the best in the NFL. Your offensive line is the best or among the best

in the offensive line. You just say, how much money you spent on your guard, I mean, how much money spending you center, how much money you're about to spend on your guard. Run right behind those two big guys and see what you can get between your linebacker quarterback and your war horse running back. Running behind those guys, like I just refused to believe that they couldn't pull that off. Even fullback I know him too. I refused to did you see what I thought about you last night?

Did you see what Kansas State did in their bowl game? No, they got down on the goal line. Yes, they put three guys. They put their jumbo line on the line. They put their quarterback right under them, and then they lined like I don't even think they were offensive players, and they lined like three linebackers up behind the quarterback. Quarterback sneaks it and these just big dudes just hashed right into him and just pushed him into the end It was genius. I thought. I was like, why don't

more people do this? Let's go up and gingerly get him and then push, don't run into him ncause I was like, smash into him. I'm like that big get him into the end zone. However you gotta do it. And again you're acting like a quarterback is gonna have back problems around here. And maybe I'm a gunshot. I don't know. Maybe. Um so, so, did did you have do you guys ever hear any read any rationalist? Why maybe they went away from the run a little bit

more than they should have. Was that something? I'm sure it was asked, Yeah, but Sarrett and said, he said, well, you know, it's easy to make that call now. And he was actually pressed in the press conference by him cal reporter. Yeah, he said no, it was pretty easy at the time too, I mean like wow, really yeah. Well then he came he came back later and and just wrote, oh, I saw that, Yeah, I saw that. That's and I don't He was asked about it there.

He was asked, I mean, but all throughout the last five years, when a question like that is asked, like you don't get a satisfactory answer. It's something like those calls are easy in hindsight, or we just felt like that was the best, you know, position to put our team in at the time, Like, you know, he's not

gonna throw his offensive coordinator under the bus. And I heard a lot of people say that, you know, Scott Linahan, it's time for him to go whatever, and you know what, maybe it is, But I know this as a head coach, you can this guy. He can make this call, this call, this call. He has the freedom to make the call. But when you get down there, you say, Scott, run the football. I don't care if you run zeke left, right, right, give the ball to twenty one. Put it in the

stomach and let's see what happens. Yep, you have that ability to make that call. So that's on Jason in my opinion. I mean maybe that you called the wrong play or whatever on the run, but he should have said we run the football here. Would you guys consider the possibility because that this offense overall this season, part of it's been Zeke, part of it was not Zeke because they were having issues offensively before Zeke went out

at the beginning of the season. Do you think maybe there's a possibility or there should be possibility that Jason Garrett goes back to calling plays for this team. I thought you were going to say that. I um, I wouldn't. I wouldn't if I mean you guys, and it correct me if I'm wrong. You guys have said that you're not the biggest fans of his game day management of

what's going on. So if he's not great at that, then why not have him call plays because that would be the purpose of taking play calling from him so he could focus on that he's not great at it, Then what is he great at? I thought he was a pretty good honestly coordinator. I just well, I disagree with that because, like taking play calling away from it.

I mean, sure, that's something he's got to worry about on game day, but that's a whole thing during the week he's got to worry about too, He's gotta put But there there are times when I'm sure they're head coaches that call plays that they have someone else who managed the coordination of all that drought the week, and then he calls plays on Sunday. Well, I don't like that either. I mean no, I mean, you're putting the game plan together. That's this thing that you've spent all

week on. That's you mean to tell me you don't think Jason's involved in setting putting together the offensive plan. No, but to like to just have him, you know, to just have him not even paying attention to it from Monday to Saturday. But I don't think that happens now. I don't think he's very much involved in of course, yes, but that I think Jason Garrett's strength as a coach is from Monday to Saturday, and I think not being the primary play caller frees him up to focus on

all of that type of stuff during the week. I can hear people screaming at me that he's terrible at everything right now, I'm just right now, I'm not happy with him, I know, but I think his strength as a coach. I think he's been a better head coach what he stopped calling plays in twenty fourteen. Yeah, he's been a better overall head coach in the years that he hasn't been doing that. I think I wasn't. I was only here for one year when he was calling plays.

But really, yeah, I know, but I think I think it it's more suited toward his He he's like a college coach to me. Like he is. He sets up the message and he's really good at getting people to listen to it and buy a pruding too. He does a great job. I'm mooting. I don't know if he'd be very good at that, but um, I think it's better off without him calling the plays. So he's never been I mean, I guess as a head coach calling the play, they were eight and eight every time, right,

I guess you got a point there. Yeah, I'm just saying, well, but and then when he was but as an offensive I give him credit for the years he was an offensive coordinator when Wade was here as well. Right, But see, yeah, I understand that, but they they got talent now too. Let's not act like this is a talent a talentless team, but a talent on this offense. But again, that's been a ton of money. That's a job where all you that's his only responsibility is putting out putting together the

game plan and calling the plays. Like if you wanted him to be the offensive coordinator, that's fine. I don't know that he would take that demotion. But if he's going to be the head coach, I don't think he needs to be doing you don't think both. No, I don't know how many coaches in the NFL do all of that, but maybe two or three. Yeah, I've had plenty of different thoughts to jump in to the cowboy,

you know. I keep thinking. And it's hard for me, obviously to say about him calling place and all that, because I wasn't here. I didn't know anything about that before when that happened. But as a boss, because he's essentially the boss of all of them. If you're a boss, you hope you can trust the team around you to do their job, the guys you have working with you

to do their own job. But if you're not doing your job as a good boss, you step in however you can help that person figure it out because at this point, obviously during the season you can't make that kind of change, So you become more involved. And we've seen game after game all the mistakes that they've been making. How haven't they been able to figure all that out and improve on it? Because if had we been seeing some improvement, I would be feeling better about it, but

we haven't. That's a really great point. I think that's a really great point, mainly because when you see, like you said, when you see problems on your team, then you got to step in and maybe pay a little bit more attention to this area of the team that's having issues. And it seems like the offense has been consistently having some poor games, and there's been, you know, guys that are having just uncharacteristically bad seasons. I put

Dez in that category. I don't think I don't think anybody can say Dez has had a normal season for him. And and so what do you do. Is there a way that a coach can maybe spend a little more time with him, spend more a little more time with the wide receiver, spend a little more time in between the quarterbacks and the wide receivers because you think that the passing game isn't doing what you needed to do. We don't know if they don't. And my question is,

and that would be the question. If he did, then it didn't work. Yeah. If he didn't, then he didn't right, and he should have right. So either way, it didn't come out good. He did, he wasn't able to supply for that part of the team. Maybe what they need. But if we've seen it goes beyond the talent on

the field. We've seen that. Okay, yes, they do have issues with certain players on the field and there needs to be some changes there, But I've also seen that it goes way far beyond just the guys are playing out there. All right, let's take our first break. When we come back. I do have a couple of questions for you guys on some specific players, des Bryant being one of them, and also Tyren Smith. He was only able to play the first series of that game and

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for details. Back to the Break Welcome Back. It's the second segment of The Break Live from the SWBC mortgage studios. At the start, we're talking Cowboys and a little bit of Cowboys and Seahawks. Cowboys again. This Sunday will have their final game in the season in Philadelphia against the Eagles. Correct me if I'm wrong. The Eagles have now wrapped up everything they can wrap it up absolutely, so this game is an exhibition game is to play for on

either side. Yeah, which is ironic because we're in the exact same spot we were last year. It's just the teams have flipped. Yeah. Wow, the Eagles win. This NFL is a crazy thing. The Eagles went from so far out of it that they didn't have anything to play for, and the Cowboys were in first and they switched, they swapped places. That's the NFL for the Eagles finished last last year. Yeah, because the Giants last in the division. The Cowboys and Giants went to the playoffs and the

Redskins finished like eight and eight, and then the Eagles. Wow, yeah, that's the NFL. But the Cowboys aren't in last place. There in second places. See. Now, it's weird as bad a season that it's been that there would be in second place in the division. They've got second place locked up no matter what happens in this game too. So hey, it also tells you how bad of a season the Giants had, and I guess to some degree you could say the Redskins as well, but it just feels like

it's been worse for the owoys. That's four of your wins right there. That's true, very true. Four of your eight wins against those good teams. That's amazing. You could in it in the season five and one in the division, and the last week of the season you weren't even in contention for the playoffs. It's amazing. All right, Let's talk a little bit about a couple of players. There's one guy that I want to talk about a little bit,

Dez Bryant. In that game, he had, according to my estimation, two drops, one of them ending up in an interception, and then in addition to that, had a fumble. What's the deal with this? I mean, as I said earlier, I don't think anyone can claim that this is a normal season for des This was very different than what you who would try sing him. I'm not saying maybe he would, I don't know. I'm just saying it's it's

very different. We've seen a difference in We've seen a different Dez this year, and I think the biggest thing is more than in past years, there have been more balls that have bounced off of his hands and hit the ground than in the past. I've always considered him to be a pretty sure handed catch catcher of the ball and a pretty good radius. You put the ball in his area, he's gonna come down with it, and

that doesn't seem to be the case this season. Is that an indication of what we should expect in the future, or was this just an aberration. Next year he's back to who he is. No, and it's not even an aberration. Last year he really wasn't that great either. I mean, they were winning games, but they were winning games without him too, which was the first time we've really seen that. But he was still making some place, especially they he got to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. He got there,

but I think his numbers were down. They were winning games, so you didn't really there weren't a lot of issues about it. But I think that this year you're starting to see that that Dak and Dez or not that they don't have great chemistry. We know that that's obvious, but I think that it's it's a part of it is des part of it is is Dak. I mean, I think that he needs a perfect pass to make

the plays, and that hasn't always been him. Like that was the thing that was so great about Dez is he could take a pass that wasn't a great pass and turn it into a catch, right, I think when you're talking about up in the air going to make plays. But I don't know if he's never ever been like this great great pass you know, Catcher just just like balls behind him and stuff like that. I mean, I don't know, I don't know what what's the issue, but it's it's bad and it's about to be real bad.

When when you when you put a price tag on it and was just going to be on it this year. This is you know, y'all, y'all didn't come in yesterday. I was here working hard, So I did come in. Where were you? I didn't see you? Just because you don't see me didn't mean or notever you weren't here. I made this point on our show yesterday. You love how he just did that like that absolutely meant nothing

to your point. No, that statement just meant nothing. That was just a gig with the shovel, That's all that was. Which show you're talking about? Whatever our show that we did yesterday, or we did a joint show, you know whatever. Oh cool, go away. Um. Dez Bryant last year looked like a great receiver who was playing in an offense that wasn't suited to him. Yes, the Cowboys were run heavy, they had a rookie quarterback. Uh, they didn't lean on Dez the way that they did in twenty fourteen when

he had sixteen touchdowns. But I you can think up a dozen great I mean, he blew up in the playoffs. He had long, big time gains against the Vikings and the Steelers. Uh, he did his you know, he did his beast mode on it type things. We did a lot of des type things. In my opinion, he missed three games and still finished with fifty catches for something like eight hundred yards and eight touchdowns. Like are those

great numbers? Not by any stretch, But when you factor in that it's a rookie quarterback and an offense that's leaning heavily on a run game, those are pretty good numbers. And I don't think you don't look at the price tag and think, man, we're kind of getting host here when you consider his contributions. I don't think you can't even you can't even try to make that claim this year. It's just it's been it's been a night and day difference. Like this isn't a good receiver stuck in a bad offense.

This is just a guy who's who's going through some stuff and on. I mean, I haven't talked to him, but he looks like a guy who is well aware of the criticism that is swirling around him. Like it looks like every time he has a chance to touch the ball, he's trying to do something insane and shut the haters up, and instead it gets him out of

just doing the most basic things. I mean, how I mean, you know, like he's so freakishly strong and athletic, Like I mean, that wasn't even like this amazing play to poke the ball out of there like that, that didn't It literally was just a poke and it's gone. And then you know the other thing. I'm gonna rant for a minute. I am stunned at the amount of people who put that interception on Dak Yeah, because it was not don't get me wrong. It was not a good throw at all, but I have spent but it was.

I think it was a throw that needed to be made because it was a defender. On the other side, I have spent far too many hours watching this guy stand ten yards away from a jugs machine with it cranked up all the way, just catching him like it's nothing, one handed, two handed, behind the back. He's he is a good catcher of the ball. I don't know if he's got his amazing hands as DeAndre Hopkins or some of these other guys. Yeah, that catched the other night.

I don't know if that was ever his strong suit. But to come at me like he shouldn't be expected to catch a ball slightly behind him with both hands, are you insane? That's what top caliber NFL receivers are expected average receivers are expected at in the NFL. That's

part of the job. I mean, I know it wasn't a perfectly thrown ball, but if you need a perfectly thrown ball to catch it, then why are you making ten figures Like that's just not the way this works, or eight figures whatever it is, you know what I mean?

Ten figures is like a billion dollars, but great, he makes a lot of money to catch the football, and that is a football that you're supposed to catch if that's how much money you're making, in my opinion, and it's just I don't know, I don't know what the root of the problems are, but it just hasn't been there for him basically at every level of the game this year, and that's something that you got to take

a hard look at in the off season. It is it's gonna be a I think a big that might be one of the biggest questions this offseason on what the Cowboys are going to do in the offseason because it does require so much money. As I understand, it's twelve million dollars that they will be on the books to pay him if he's on this team with the current contract that he has, So that's gonna be a huge point of contention, I think for a lot of fans.

Obviously in the building there will be different kinds of discussions being had, but I think for fans that's gonna be a really big thing about how do you keep him at that rate or do you try to get him lower, or do you have to cut him at some point, because he's will take a pay cut and you need to get the amount of money done. Absolutely, he absolutely will not play at that at that price tag. You think that's a confident of that, I'm one hundred

percent confident here. That means I'm not one hundred percent confident of that. But I do think that you're gonna have to lower that number. I just I don't see Dez believing that he deserves a pay cut like other people might believe it. Then I would show him sixteen games from this year. No, I get that. But but you tell me, I'm just knowing what you know of I know, I know, I understand that. But he he will take a pay cut in twenty eighteen, There's no

doubt about it. He will take a pay cut, whether or not he wears the Cowboys star or somewhere else. But I just don't think the Cowboys are going to keep that same price tag. So if if he won't take it here, that's fine. There's pride. I get it. You say, no cut me, He'll go to someone else. He'll take the pay cut there and he'll have a different role and he might be really great there. Whoever, wherever it is you know, he might might go to another spot where the expectations are not as high. He's

not Patriots, and they will we have a resurgence. I'm sure. Oh yeah, I mean right, yeah, you know, yeah, I mean but and and I think and I think Dez has been great for this team. But what was an issue that I had the other day was he's always been really good in training camp or any practice where he raises the intensity and then throwing a sideline rant like that, then to come back out and fumble the football and what was what we've you know, don't think

was a major hit or anything like that. That's just it's just a sign of just something that's just not there with with him, and it's you know, it's sad, and he's a doing all this talking and all that, and then you know, like I have a problem with I have a problem with those players that don't sit and talk in the locker room. And it's not because we need a story. It's not about that. It's that these other guys are doing it and they had they

don't have the answers, but they try. And then then these guys and there's other guys are just quick to get out of there because it's Christmas, and I gotta go it went about Christmas? Why whatever it is, because it happens, it happens every time in October. Whatever it is. It's you know, I think I think that's he's not being the leader that you want him to be on the pay him to be, Yeah, that you're paying him to be here. It's right. So I don't know, I

don't know what's gonna happen. And I like this, I really do. I like him, but um, you know, he hasn't He hasn't done the things that that, like you just said, that they're paying him to do. This is a March conversation, So I mean, we don't have to get into it right now if you don't want to. But I just I don't think it's as easy as

a lot of people want it to be. In the aftermath of a disappointing game, Des Brian and Terrence Williams are on the books for a lot of money, and you can you can, absolutely, you can get rid of anybody you want to at the end of the day.

But they're they're not easy guys to get rid of in the sense of the money, and they're not easy guys to get rid of in the sense of, Okay, cut Dez, and then so you're locking yourself off into a situation where you either got to spend big money in free agency or spend a big time draft pick on a receiver. And even then, I mean, so now you're saying, hey, rookie, you're the focal point of our receiving corps. I mean, I don't think it's as easy

as a lot of people want it to be. And that's why I'm not just penciling Dead's in for a pay cut or being released or anything like. I don't think. I think the Cowboys are in a tough spot here. I mean, let me say one more thing. I don't know if you guys have points on this, but I know what I just said about Dez. But if they more than anything, I think they need a different offense in here. They need an offense that's that's gonna really

tailor things around Dak and maybe Diz. If they are going to have a difference that a different play caller or anything in here, then I think that you know, with that in mind, whoever you brought in, I would say, let's keep eighty eight at the forefront of these conversations, here, figure out a way the things that work best for him so I can see. I don't mean to talk out of both sides of my mouth. I don't think

he can play for that number. But if you are going to make a change an offensive coordinator, I would make sure that Dak and Daz are are vocal points of whoever this offense is. The Other thing to consider in all of this is if you were to somehow get to a point where you said, Okay, he's not gonna take a pay cut and we're not gonna keep

him here for twelve million. If you cut him, I'm not sure how much relief you get, because that's the other part of that is you say you have to go out down free agency free agency and replace him or spend a draft pick. You may still be paying him a significant amount of Maybe maybe it's not twelve million, maybe it's six million, maybe it's eight million. I don't

know what that number is. But there's gonna be some money that's still left on the books for Dez Bryant that you're gonna be paying for him not to be here. That factors in as well. Maybe he's straight out yea. All I'm saying is, oh, so yeah, yeah, do you want to talk about that? Yeah, I don't think that was awesome awesome, of course you would love for Earl Thomas to hey, I hate I hate Texas, and I thought it was awesome, it was gonna happen. It was

absolutely awesome. Well, well, it depends if that time comes when they boot him out, as he says, and he's no longer a good player, then I don't know that it happens at that point. Did It's like you're not getting yeah, but yeah, tell us you're getting Leo's He's twenty nine, he's got a huge salary. He's starting drama in their locker room on a weekly basis. Maybe they're have Seahawks break is having the same talk about him as we are about Dez. Maybe the team could use

a safety. I'm just gonna say that'd be nice. My main takeaway from all of that is, like, that's why there are harsh penalties and language for talking about other teams players that are under contract, Like that's why Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett aren't allowed to say. They can't even comment about that because the minute you put that it literally, player, I guarantee this. Players say this that type of stuff to each other and to other coaches

every week. Ye like, like whether it's his hometown or whether it's buddies on that, he's just like, hey man, like you know, these guys are gonna release me at some point. Coming like that happens every week, but the media picks up on it once and it's a firestorm because it's interesting, you know, And that is why those rules are in place, is to keep stuff like this from becoming. But it's ridiculous. And you know how how

AT and T Stadium has lined up. We know the center of the field where all the jersey swap goes on, and one team goes this way, one team goes that way to get over there to make I mean, he has a hamstring strain probably for running over that quickly to go get Jason Garrett before he gets in the locker room. I'm honestly surprised that he didn't get lost. I get lost at AT and T every week and I go there all the time. Like he's a maneuver. That's a lot more about you. Okay, really, it's a

complicated place to get around. He followed the circle he got Jason Garrett. It's a circle. I mean, Garrett doesn't spend a lot of time out there, I don't think. I mean, he's not swapping polos with Pete Carroll. Now, that would be kind of funny if the coaches kind of started, Man, can I get that polo and they're like exchange and taking pictures with each other's polos? Would that would be awesome? Pretty funny. All right, let's talk a little bit about before we take our final break

about Tyren Smith. He was only able to play one series and then was out of the game due to the injury that he hit he sustained a week ago, or really that he'd been playing with for a lot of the season. We don't know which one. It was, the knee or the back, the same thing, I guess to some degree, I'm pretty all injuries, I'm pretty sure it was the knee it was in this case. I mean, he's still got all that other stuff. Are you are

you concerned at this point? I mean, this is this is just it's getting to a point where it's so regular for him with these injuries. Are you getting concerned? I'm on about the long term I'm relieved that he couldn't finish that game because because he's human, like, I like the fact that he gave it a go and was like I'm too hurt. I'm like, okay, you're the same species as me, because if he had like just gone out there and played sixty snaps, that would be unreal.

Like he sprained hiss LCL seven days, six and a half days prior to that, on top of the back, on top of the groin like it. At some point it's reasonable to be like, you need to rest, dude. It almost sounded like a contract clause to me, and I don't know this at all. It just sounded like if you start thirteen game games are more this year you get. I mean, then he plays three plays and he's out, and they don't and they don't sit the eighth eighth tackle, you know, like they normally do. They

made sure they had two tackles back. I guess that's I guess that's possible. I feel like we would have heard about something, because when Sean Lee did it, it was everywhere like John Lee didn't well when he did. But still if somebody would have picked up on I know, I know, I'm not. I'm not saying it. I talked to him, and I talked to him in the locker room and I was like, how were you even in a spot where you could get into uniform? And he was like, I had to. I had to try to

give it a go. You do what you gotta do. Ye And it didn't work out. But I'm not implying anything. I don't know that. And I know Tyrren Smiths as tough as nails. And but after that third play when he was running not running off the field, I remember looking up at the at the scoreboard seeing him kind of trying to get off the field. I was like, God, this doesn't look good. And I guess he never played again. So yeah, I mean, I get your point. It's a lot of stuff has stacked up for him. He's had

the back injuries two years in a row. I would be shocked if he plays in Philly. So that's five games in the last two years that he's missed. Um, it's concerning, and I think tackle is something you need to look at, whether it's in free agency or the draft, Like you need to be better equipped to deal with that in the future. Slash just think about the future of the position. I'm not. I'm not ready to like send him off to retirement. Amber he's he's twenty seven years.

I don't know what are you saying, guys are giving him. I mean, he is a great player, no doubt, and he definitely has a body that can take a lot. But he is human, like you just said, he absolutely he absolutely is, and you know, maybe who knows where it goes from here. But I'm not in a situation where I'm panicking about it. I'm just I talked to him after the game. I was like, dude, go go do something. Like I don't know what what might need to be operated on or what might need, but like,

go do something. And he's like what I mean, I agree, But I just I don't know what the issues are in enough detail where I can be like, well, he's got to go get that taken. Like, just go do something, talk to people, figure out what I'll do the most for you, get it done, and just rest. And I

would like to think that that's enough. I mean, DeMarcus Lawrence had to do this two years in a row, and he's been great this year with full health, So I'm not I'm not panicking that his career is over, but he needs to take better steps toward getting ready for next year than he probably did last year. Don't don't go to the Pro Bowl. He's not going on. There's all right, let's take our final break. We're gonna come back. Let's get to some questions and numbers two one, four,

eight seven, two twenty one h two. Tell us your opinions on what you saw and Sonny, what do you think of this team overall and where they are. We'll do that right when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com. Radio. Cowboys fans know that the second best of anything simply won't cut it, and your skincare should be no different. Time, locker room favorite of the players and the official men's skincare brand of the

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Stetson hats are handmade right here in Texas and have been on Cowboys heads for over one hundred and fifty years. The rest of you can visit stetson dot com slash Cowboy to find a retailer nearest you. What does it mean to be a Dallas Cowboys fan. It means you've got the passion and the heart to do your part supporting the Boys no matter what. That's why when the game's on the line, you're on your feet, whether you're at home or in the stands. Actually, you're more than

a fan. You are a member of Cowboys Nation, and so is AT and T doing their part to keep you connected to America's team all season law At and T is a proud member of Cowboys Nation. Back to the Break Welcome Back. It is the final segment of the Great Life of the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. Nick, take it away. No, I'm not gonna take it away, Just give me a second. I forgot about this, He's Nick. You get out of one day and all of a sudden you can't do it anymore. Why don't you read

it then? Because John not you? You know, Tommy John dot com. I don't know why you hate my reads because you just never know where you're gonna go with it. So let's just don't do it. Shop Exclusive Cowboys Underwear and Tommy John dot Com Forward slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order Tommy John dot com. Forward slash Cowboys seems like kind of a double standard, doesn't it. Yeah, I don't know where Knicks reads are gonna go. He brought up the South Pole last one. Oh yeah, that

was uncomfortable. Well I think actually, yeah, very Actually it's not uncomfortable. That's Tommy John. It is very comfortable. And when I read it, I speak from experience, and I think they can read it too. I don't think you speak from experience. South Pole. That's pretty down there. Do you know your geography? I mean that's pretty low. I would go with like Central America or like, you know, the Caribbean. But how are you being god? Even? Yeah, I did get Tommy John for Christmas this year. I

saw your tree sited. I saw your tree sited. That's gonna be great. Sweet. I'm almost ready to have a complete overhaul. So that's impressive. That's very nice. All right, let's let's get some questions rolling here, you guys, give us a call. The numbers two one four eight seven two twenty one O two again. Two one four eight seven two twenty one O two is the number Let's take a call first from Lorenzo in North Carolina. Lorenzo, what up? Hey, how y'all doing. Hey, I'm gonna try

to I'm gonna try to get this out. Please bear with me. Okay, I think our problem, well I know our problem is Jason Garrett. Here's the reason why. Um we're having the same discussions about um das Brian as we had about TiO. Just like we said earlier, is Scott Lenahan. He got praised, he got met to trying the ball. He come here. Our offense never looked like

Detroit's offense. It looked like Cowboys offense. You remember Jason Garrett, he was real mad about giving up play caller because he wanted somebody that was not gonna change the system, that was gonna do what he wanted to do. And I think he's very much involved. You remember back when Tashar Choyce was playing against you know, we were playing the Peace First Steelers. He was dominating the run game. We was up by five, needed one first down, first and two. What do he do? He get the ball

to Terrea Ns coming out in the backfield. Kind of the same thing that we're seeing throughout this whole process. And I'm not talking about just the game seven eight years that he's been coached. Um offensive cordin there. Two thousand and seven, great season, but he also had a little help with with with Sperrano in here after that year and we kind of tell Taylor dog and just like last year, everything's new. Nobody expected that, nobody knew what to expect. We did pretty good. People get wind

of them, and then it's like he can't adapt. Remember y'all, I heard y'all talking about it all the time. Why not dance in the slot? He made a this game. See what he did in the slot. Then the rest of the game. In the next game, you don't see him in the slot. You don't. I mean, if if he can't run the route, treat get some teachers in here that that can do it. But I think we need to change our philosophy on offense because it just seems like when we're the type of team that if

I man beat your man, we look great. If I man is not beating your man, then we have no way to innobate some type of scheme to get that player the ball or to get that person some help. We appreciate the call, and I just want y'all to talk about that. Okay, there's a lot to impact there, and some of it I agree with, some of it I disagree with, but go ahead. Well a lot of that I don't know what to do with. But like that last statement, like if you had just summed it

all up with that, I'm like, yeah, it's pretty good. Yeah, if the Cowboys are beating there, guys, head up, they look pretty good. And if they're if they're struggling with that, they probably won't look very good. And lay that wherever you want to lay at that. The head coach is that, the offensive coordinators, that the players for not winning their matchups. Probably a little bit of all of that. But I

agree with that basic summary. I don't I mean, I wasn't here for two shared choice and t O. I'm sorry, but yeah, the game that two shared choice was dominating. I don't. I don't call that one ever, ever, ever, ever. I do remember some kind of run t O trying to be cute. Yeah, yeah, that doesn't always work. Yeah, um, I don't know. That's just that's which that's just a passionate fan. I admire anybody who can work up the energy to basically be yelling at ten o'clock in them,

you know, like I'm not there. I never am ever, But like if I was gonna do that, I would need it to be like I needed afternoon, like after I've had some coffee and that that was impressive. Um, No, Dez doesn't get Megatron type looks in this offense. But like that would be a mistake anyway. Like this is a run oriented offense. That's why you drafted all these

linemen and drafted this running back. I mean that's not the way it should look like if you were throwing to Days eighteen times a game when you've got Zeke and all these offensive linemen, I think that would be a mistake too. The problem is it just don't maximize the looks they give any of their receivers really, at

least not this year. Yeah, I think that's a little bit unfair to say it doesn't look like the Detroit offense, because quite frankly, I don't think you want him to come in here and do the Detroit and you want anyone to bring the Detroit off Detroit hasn't had a one hundred yard rusher in years. Yeah, and it wasn't like, even with whatever they did at that time, they weren't winning a heck of a lot of games. It was

still doing the Detroit Lion type things. So I don't know, no, But seriously, like I don't think, I don't think the idea and bringing him in here will say take what you're doing in Detroit and do it here. I think the idea was you're a good play caller. You've shown you can be a good play caller, because guess what, this guy's had a long career. It wasn't just with the Detroit Lions. You've shown you can be a good, good play caller. We'd like you to come here and

call place for our team. Here's what we have as far as personnel, do what you can with it. And so I think that last year, and this is the part that comes a little bit frustrating. I think probably for the coaches if they listened to all the noise, is that nobody was complaining about these things last year. Last year it was called very well. I mean, they had a really good The way they ran this offense

last year was in my opinion, masterful at times. So I think you have to kind of give them credit for that. And say that this year, maybe it wasn't what you what you wanted, and certainly the league seems to have caught up with them to some degree because even when Zeke was here earlier in the season, they weren't playing great. The offense wasn't clicking great in a lot of games early in the season. So for whatever reason, it didn't work this year, but last year it did.

So I think, and Nick, this is something you said. I think you said it in the break. I think that there is a real possibility and fancy to start getting themselves ready for this is a real possibility. These same coordinators are going to be back next year and they'll be calling and maybe they had just to do something a little bit different, but they'll be back next year to probably call this offense and call this defense. I didn't say that, and I don't believe that you don't, Okay,

so you saying that. I thought somebody said there's been talking around this is what people think. But I don't believe that. I believe that there will be a change. And I think that if you listen to what Jerry Jones said, I should have the direct quote in front of me, but he said it after the game, he talked about the You know that he's been around a long time and he's seen a lot of quarterback I mean coordinators and head coaches, and I don't see a

reason to change our head coach. He said it right after he said coordinators and head coach, and then he said something about the headcach. And this is one of those typical things. You don't listen to what Jerry says. You listen to what Jerry doesn't say. Well, yeah, he just kind of reading between the lines there. I think you got them, and I think you do need to make some changes there. If that's typical. Both coordinators are just one of them. I changed them both. Actually I

think I would change both of them. But see, it's hard to compare it. Sorry, it's hard to compare it to last year, because yes, they did have a great year, a great season, but then again, they had two new players that came in full of energy, came in to change the whole dynamic of the team, and that nobody else knew what to expect. So now it goes back to the whole adjustment thing. Okay, now, other teams had a full season to evaluate these players, figure out how

they work now, they got to figure it out. But then the Cowboys are still doing or trying to do the same thing over and over, you know, and not having them themselves making those changes. Okay, they figure this out, how do we trick them or how do we change things up a little bit to give them a little confusion. So I don't know, you guys have been here way longer to figure out year by year what it's like.

I don't know, because then a good game happens and then that kind of tends to wipe off the surface a little bit. But then what's the core of this team? Looking year after years, since Garrett has been here, and since the offensive coordinator has been here, what are the things that just kind of tend to happen more often rather than those once in a while great games. The culture here has and it's not not just with Garrett, and it's been here with Bill Parcels, the Wade Phillips.

I mean, I think it goes back to maybe in the mid nineties that they've went they've gone to the playoffs in consecutive years, maybe I'm or six six z seven. I think I think the stat was ten ten wins

um in a season that goes back that far. But um, I mean, you know, in the last even the last decade, when you make the playoffs in the expectations are high the next year, and this team hasn't hasn't been able to capture that so and and they you can say this, they haven't had consecutive playoff runs in twenty twenty years. Uh since with the same coach, you know, I mean not since Barry Switzer did it in ninety four or

ninety five and ninety six. Have you had the same coach cut in and have consecutive years to go to the playoffs and go I want to make one point that isn't true. Gaily did it twice. I want to make one point though, based on what Amber was talking about. I do think though there's a possibility that this coaching staff, and I do think Garrett falls in this category. And this goes back many a long time. We're talking back

to Vince Lombardi days. There are certain certain coaches and certain philosophies that are we believe that if we do what we're supposed to do, we will do it better than you can stop us. And so we're gonna do what we do scheming is not really a part of that's not really what we do. What we do is we know what we do well. We're gonna do that regardless of whether you whatever, whatever you do, we're gonna be able to do that well. And we believe we're gonna be able to do that well. So we're gonna

stick to what we do. And I do believe that maybe that's a part of the philosophy here, and that's why when you say they didn't they didn't change that going into this year. I do believe that maybe part of that is because they came into the year believe again in their philosophy which worked for them last year, which is we're gonna do what we do well, and we don't care what you do. We're gonna do what we do well, and we think that's good enough to get us wins. That BlackBerry do it. And I'm not

saying I'm not saying it's right. I'm not saying it's right, but this is something that goes back again. This is a coaching philosophy that's been around a long time. And then the nineties Cowboys were they were the same way. They had what they did well and they continued and over and over. That makes sense because Garrett loves to identify himself as an old school guy. So why don't

you run the ball? I know, I know, I know, it doesn't go, it goes, It doesn't make any everything that you would expect them to be able to do in that situation. I mean, Garrett, I give him credit for this. And I remember it was in It was at the combine when he was saying that, you know, they want to be like the forty nine ers and who had drafted a lot of offensive linemen in the first round, and we want to get that's that style

and kind of built that team. And he built I won't say he built it, but I mean that was what he wanted to have and he's got it and it's working and it's working in this game, and so it just still goes back to it. So it's like, you're right, they are hard headed and stubborn when it comes to that, but then they just then they get cute and not enough, not hardheaded enough. I know, I

don't know. And more than I mean, not not just run the ball, but with all the stuff that's happened and what your running back had gone through, he deserved the opportunity to get that football and get into the Are they gonna stop him if I lose? He hadn't been in there in six weeks. Yeah, don't score a touchdown. If I'm the Cowboys and I lose that game because I ran the ball too much, I'm okay with that. I don't want to lose the ball, lose the game

getting cute. If I'm gonna lose, I'm gonna lose doing what I do well. And that's why I had a big problem with that. Is the best thing you do, the thing that you thought you had lost for six weeks. That was the reason why you were against the ropes and having to have other teams win, which, by the way, a lot of them were doing that for you and getting you right back into the picture. Was because you lost this guy for six weeks, you get him back. I am running him until his tongue is on the ground,

like I am. I am running and running and running. And they did it earlier in the game and it was successful. That's the part that's so baffling. It made sense for them to continue to do it, and they didn't. Seattle who Seattle played this week? Arizona. No San Francisco chats gonna make the playoffs. Sea. I think Seattle is gonna make the playof I don't know San Francisco on a roll now, Jimmy ge is gonna stream. San Francisco is on a role. That's true, they're playing well, but

they absolutely could. I mean Atlanta's gotta be a good Carolina team and that I love what the NFL did by not flexing a game. Agree to improve the drama with all of that, so it should be an interesting Sunday night game that they moved to. They didn't have

a night game on Week seventeen. They usually flex one, but they decided not to because of in order for all those games to be aromatic, they need to be happening at the same time, and for a competitive balance too, because what you didn't want is you didn't want to

get to that game. And now one of those teams is in a situation where they need something Everything that they needed to happen happen, and one right one can play for it and the other one doesn't, and it affects other games, right other teams getting That's what I was thinking might happen if the Cowboys did win the game, they're playing Philly, and then you wonder, oh, I bet Carolina has nothing to play for it because they can't win the division. You go right, they wouldn't. They would

have flexed us if we had won. I bet you, I bet. I'm starting to believe they would have taken the gamble. So basically, you would have needed Carolina to beat Atlanta in order for the Cowboys game to mean anything, And I think they would have taken that gamble and just been like, well, if we if we're wrong, this will still be a well rated game because it's the Cowboys.

And if we're right, then this will be a bonanza because it's a holiday and the Cowboys are playing for a chance to get into the play I think they looked at it and said just the opposite of that. Like with the Cowboys out and the teams that actually have relevant games, we do better having those games all played at the same time from a rating standpoint than pushing one of the night and risking that it means nothing and then trying to get people to sit down.

You talked about this the other day when the College Football Playoff did this a few years ago and did games on a z it tanked and so you now put a bad matchup on a New Year's Eve night makes it really really tough party watch Cooper Rush. Right, So I think I think all things consider, I agree with you, David. The Cowboys would have been still in it. They probably would have flexed it. So they aren't. They

are not so back at nine NFC. Yeah. Hey, it'll be dramatic in half the city's in the NFC, but not Philadelphia. Yea, all right, we appreciate you guys joining us. We're back tomorrow. We're gonna give you a scouting report for the Philadelphia Eagles. I think that may take a few minutes and then we'll try to get to some questions. Hopefully you guys can can join us and uh and talk a little bit about your favorite team. The Dallas Cowboys will be back back tomorrow for Nick Eatman, Dave Helmet,

and re Garcia. I'm Derek Hield and this has been the Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Three. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.