Cowboys Break: Finger Pointing?

The Break Life and Nest WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, we are presented by millerlike the only Beer of the Dallas Cowboys, and Uh, this game that we saw yesterday, there's a lot to take from it, and I'm certain that there are lots of people out there listening right now that are frustrated and probably feel like they don't even really know what to make of this team at this point. It's our jobs to give you a little context.

So that's what we're gonna try to do here over the next forty five minutes, to give you a little context of what we thought saw yesterday, what things we saw that were good and bad, and what things maybe were about yesterday what things may be bigger picture that can be problems for the Cowboys. They kind of backed into the playoffs at this point, so they are officially going to be in the playoffs, just don't necessarily know at what spot and with who though he playing in

the first round. But let's start. Cowboys lose forty to thirty four in overtime. Give me the big picture that you take out of this game. Nick, Let's start with you. M. Their defense is not is not what it was and whatever the reason is, and a lot of it is because of injury. You can't just keep having injuries. But but there's it's more to it than that. It's a bigger problem. And you know, they just couldn't they couldn't

get them off the field there. I mean, the offense has got it it's problems as well, but they scored enough points to win that game. And the defense, I just don't know if they can continue to take some of these hits that they've got injury wise, and they have a huge, huge problem at cornerback amber. That's a lot of stuff, by the way, Yeah, a lot, no but done, I'm serious, Like that's where we Yeah, that's what we saw. Yeah, um, I just feel I don't know what to think, but I feel like we're kind

of screwed right now. Um. I mean, this was a tough loss, but the way they started the game in the first half, it I thought by by halftime this was over. Basically they had this in the bag. I'm like, okay, uh, they did. They're really good. I thought Kellen Moore came out with some things that were pretty impressive, but then

everything just kind of disappeared in the second half. So that's what really bothers me is the them not being capable of really kind of being consistent really all throughout the season. I think that has been one of their biggest issues on all offense, just being consistent and stick into what works and just being able to carry that. I don't feel good whatsoever on what's happening on defense. I'm extremely concerned at corner with Kelvin Joseph and what's

to come. I don't really know how they can fix that in the amount of time that we have right now. I don't know how who they could even bring at this point, and then the guys that they ended up bringing in when they decided to bench him and sit him out. I don't think they're ready either, So I don't know what's going to happen there. But that's definitely an area where teams, especially this weekend, the other teams

are going to try to exploit there. So I'm just it's hard to see the positive side at this point. Right now, you get a right tackle, you figured out the right tackle spot, Just go ahead and play Tyrn Smith at right tackle. You know, I think offensively, it's kind of unfortunate how the game unfolded for you there. You know, with the drive I hated it came down to that final trying to kill the clock. You know, with the play, the play call, maybe the fifty fifty ball,

you throw it to Gallop. He's made incredible catches doing that, draws pass interference calls. You know, maybe you get one on that. I think you scored enough points to win this football game, for sure. The problem is when you don't get pass rush or you don't have the opportunity to affect the other team with pass russ you're a very ordinary defense and the cornerback spot. You know, I'm one of these guys that talks about Kelvin Joseph and

needing getting opportunity. The play that he was beat on was off coverage, with him having to make a decision on do I drive do I not drive? You know, at the double move stuff. For him playing off coverage. We've talked about that a bunch on this show. It's not his suit because he has to think about you know, he has to think about, Okay, do I drive on this? And if he drives on it, maybe there's a chance for contact, maybe there's a chance for you know, all

kinds of bad things. You know, that's a little bit on coaching though, you know, when you can't just totally play man coverage the whole game or play him up the whole game. But that's the problems that you're gonna run into when you you know, now, defense had a chance to get off the field at the end of regulation. You know, if you somehow Armstrong when they hadn't they got one sack in this game, Armstrong has a chance to get Lawrence down. He doesn't tackle him, he doesn't

get the sack. Laurence flings the ball to the back and the back gets out of bounce. You know, that could have been killer for them right there. Sack clocks moving, have to maybe use a time out. You know, now you're in a whole situation. Ball goes to the other side. Now it's going out to curse. He's got him on the numbers. You know, basically try and break his leg if you have to. I'm sorry it sounds brutal, but it's but you got to just drop him right there.

I mean, you gotta do the Dak Prescott, I'm breaking your ankle move is and I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound brutal about it, but that's what you have to do. You cannot let him drag you from the numbers to the out of bounds. You can't do that. That's another situation right there. So you know, this game, the way it materialized, there were some positive things about this there really really was. But the things when you absolutely needed to finish them, you couldn't do it. That's

my concern is how do you finish these teams? You know, when you get a chance to either pass rush or tackling or getting her first down. That's the biggest concern I have about this football team because they can't do it right now and going into the playoffs, that's something you're gonna need to have You're gonna need to have that. Maybe some of the games earlier we saw that, but now you don't have that ability. That's two weeks of

bad football. I mean, they walked out of the game against the Texans with the win, but that's two weeks done. Now we see them struggling at a part of the reason that you kind of need to be kind of in your best moment and going with some building some type of momentum, and it's just it's hard to to have some hope of what's to come. Well, especially this week in Christmas. I'll tell you what. In the overtime, you know, on the interception, it ended the game. I

love the play call. I wish they had done the play call on third and ten when they had the opportunity because I'm always about like try and set guys up to get them open. Now people say, well, why are you throwing the ball to Noah Brown? Well, and like, if really in this game then second half, they weren't going to let Ceedee Lamb catch the football. They just weren't, you know, but you could set it up where they were killing and I'm just talking about off the all

twenty two. They were in a double pick, you know, and it's it's works and Dak put the ball in a good spot because earlier in the game, early in the game, before Noah Brown's touchdown, he caught a ball literally the same way. So you're like going, we've seen this before. Yeah, we've seen this. So you know, when you when you want to talk about being clutch at that right moment, you know, that's the that's the thing that eludes this team sometimes. And that's again that's my

bigger problems. And I think frankly that I know a lot of people last week were saying, why are the Cowboys are looking at the wide receiver position. I think that showed me why right now you're not getting the consistent production. And in that situation, Dak put that ball right and I hate that it has to go on dat stat line as an interception, but that he put the money, the ball right on the money and and

just couldn't come up with the catch. And I think having a more experienced guy maybe t why Hilton can be that that more experienced gab Brian, You've been talking about this for a few weeks. In that last situation where you just need a guy to be able to make that clutch catch. Maybe t why Hilton is a better option than Noah Brown. Let's let's dive into some of the smaller details of the game. I do want to talk about that moment, Nick and you and I talk.

Nick and I talked a lot about this in the press box, and even before it happened, Like as soon as they made the past we both were like, that was a bad decision. But the situation was fourth quarter, minute twenty left, third and ten at the Dallas thirty eight. Jacksonville has one time out left. Dallas opts to throw a deep pass to Noah Brown on the left side

of the field. It's incomplete. They end up in a situation where they don't have to use that timeout, which later in the game, ironically, they get into a situation where they have to review that to get them the time out back. And that shows you just how valuable it was. Nick, you were in there listening to coach McCarthy after the game, What do you have to say about why they made that decision? He kind of avoided

the question a little bit. He just talked about He's I don't know, I can go back and listen because he said something like he had they had they had a time out, so they were going to use it, and we're just trying to be aggressive there. I don't know. I kind of was like, I didn't I didn't agree. There wasn't not going to be an answer that that got me to agree with that. It's not um And I wrote in the article, I'm not throwing that to Randy Moss, I'm not or Jerry Rice. That's not That's

not what I'm I'm trying to do there. I mean, it's that's not the place, certainly not the North Brown. And again I say this, Dak. I love what Dak. He played a good game to yesterday. To me, I think he played a really good the touchdown throw that could have been the game winner. I mean that was a spin out. I mean that was a great play. But that is not his thing. Standing back there and just making the deep throw. He's good on the run and all that, but just the deep throat. That's why

I've said I don't think that's his strong suit. The bat wasn't even in bounds. It's not a smart call. And I don't care. I'm not calling Kellen Moore on that one. The head coach has got to say, run the football three times. It doesn't have to be right up the middle, run to the outside pitch. You didn't like, you didn't like the idea, but I'm fine with turfen taking reverse as long as you don't go out of bounds. Just something wide. They just stretch, maybe you bust it,

maybe something happens. You just tell your guys absolutely, do not hold because if you get a hold. Yeah. The thing about it is if you're going to throw the ball in that situation, throwing them first down, you know, get in you know, because they you basically by formation, you show them what you were going to do throwing the football, you would you basically kept the tied end in the back end. And it's almost like it was a punt protection kind of a throw is really what

it was. But you know, and then you know, you get the pressure and stuff. So yeah, I mean it's it's it's a tough call. It really really is. To me. I know, you're in a situation. I understand they're trying to end the game. Because I always get on coaches about this. They don't know the condition of their team and the condition of your defense. In the second half

was not good. Now I'm thinking to something like, Okay, if we can get a first down here, we're gonna end this game and I'm not going to have to put my defense back out there again. I understand that. I appreciate that. I just didn't like what you die piled up there. I just didn't you had a better chance. I can say with the with you, look what Jacksonville

and Doug Peterson, We're able to do. The picks, the rubs, the things make these officials call a penalty if it's if you're gonna run a like I say, the ball to Noah Brown should have been a first down. It should have been a first down and the drive should have kept going because it was a good call. I mean, they got what they wanted they got there. It just ball clanged off the receiver. That's the issue there. So to me, I like the idea of trying to trying

to not put the defense back out there again. I hate the play that they used to try and get to that. A fifty fifty ball to Noah Brown to me, is not a great option there. It's just not And that's my thing. I don't have I honestly don't have as much of a problem if they opted to say we're going to be aggressive and go for the first down, which means we're probably going to throw the ball here. Right if you tell me I got this one play

that we have been work exactly. We know we can make this, We know we can get You can't give me the best play call. Yeah, you can't tell him me that a deep ball to Noah Brown down the left sideline is the best thing you got to throw up in that kind of situation. If it is, shame on you. Yeah, like shame on you. That's just to me, that is that is not they didn't give themselves the best chance if they wanted to be aggressive. But you's gotta be aggressive. You gotta have the right see running

the football there and burning the timeouts. That's not a bad That's not bad, not bad at all. The problem is, like I said, I'm I'm just looking at a defense that you know hasn't really stopped anybody. You know, I'm saying the second half and I'm thinking, damn, if they could just get one first down, this think's over, you know. But I would have thrown the ball first down like a waggle or a boot you know, hard play action,

booted out there, throw it to Schultz. It's like eight nine yards and now you're second and one, and now they're burning timeouts. Now you're running the ball. You know, it's just the sequence of run and then a toss and then you know, and then the deep pass. It's like, the sequencing of plays just wasn't right for me. And I'm not a coach, but I've seen enough football where I know this is how teams, like the really creative teams,

they end games. They think, Okay, we're gonna load them, stop the run here, and then you go heavy play. You go heavy play action and a guy just leaks out of the bell and they just full and they hit it and it's a nine yard game. And then now the clocks move, and honestly, all you really need it was positive yards right there on that first down one they got negative three. Yeah, that kills you right there. Yeah, But if you're getting six seven yards even that sets

up a whole different scenario. And then you still get them to burn those timeouts. And as you're getting yards and making them burn timeouts, the closer you get down the field, and then now you punt it get an all an All, a Pro Bowl punter, you know, you maybe pin it down there and make them, you know, have to deal with all that. But man, that was his punt could have been better than yeah, no doubt, no doubt, high enough, And they got too much of a return on that one. And that guy's a good

punt returner. Two, I'm not kicking the by him handing the ball in the jet sweep, So throwing it to him was big, you know for these guys, you know, with what they were able to do, that's tough. All right, We're going to take our first break when we come back. Let's talk about Dak Prescott had an interesting day. You look at his numbers. He had, I think, as Nick pointed out, a really good day. There were they interceptions. We'll talk about those when we come back at Stas

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Bob Lily Award. There's no limit to the number of votes you can vote and voting will close on December twenty First visit Dallas Cowverys dot com slash Bob Lily Award. Welcome to the second segment of the Break Life NESTWBC Mortage Studios at the Star. This segment is brought to you by blockchain dot Com. It's It's interesting how I've heard people say when you talk it out, you feel better. I already feel better after that first segment. I don't

know about you, guys playoffs. It's not like I'm starting to feel it better. Not necessarily better about this team, because I still feel like they got some real issues, but I'm starting to just like the weight of what I was feeling this morning and starting to be lifted. I feel, to me, I look at it like everything

that goes up, you're making no sense. I feel this game, we keep talking about it, and in fact, you will make me even more mad if we keep talking about I just I feel like everything that goes up comes down. I believe that, and we've seen that. They've seen that. Thank you well proven. You should have gotten your ass kicked by Houston. You got lucky to win that game. You played the crap and you lost, but you figured out a way to win. You figured out a way

to lose this game. You shouldn't have lost either one of those two teams. But they're not playing at that level. And so you know what, if you keep putting your hand inside like the aquarium where the snake is, they're gonna bite you at some point that they may not want too right then, but they did. And then Jaguars came back and did a lot of analogies there. But I like it. It's good. That's what I do. I'm you know, I'm about a three hundred hitter when it

comes to those analogies, about three out of ten. All right, all right, let's talk about Dak Prescott. Yesterday. He was twenty three or thirty seventy seven percent completion rate, really good, two hundred and fifty six yards, three touchdowns. That's usually a storyline right there, right, two interceptions, that's that's where the story he starts to change. One hundred and seven point one rating. And he also had five rushes for twenty yards, which, by the way, I loved how he's

running the ball yesterday. He was running the ball like old school Dak. Yeah, that was like if you're coming you better come, and I think that's what this team needs from him. That being said, let's go back to the two interceptions. What happened and who was at fault. We talked a little bit about the second one. What happened on the first one particularly, I think he is

he double pumped the ball. He when he went back, he saw Schultz was there, and we kind of got on him about not seeing linebackers or maybe and I think he saw a flash of a jersey and he pulled it back and it when pulling it back, he had to reload it and by that time, he's getting hit, he's going down, he's getting hit in the back, ball gets pushed and now it's too high. But he initially saw Schultz, he saw him open, and he wants to

throw it to him. And that flash of that linebacker standing there going away moving to his right as Schultz was to his left, I think it made him. I think he was worried that if I throw this, I'm gonna throw it right at that linebacker and that and that was a problem on that one because they didn't really pick up the twist very clean on that play, and it was Peter's side. It was the right side there, so they really didn't pick up the twist all that cleanly.

And Peter's guy, he loses sustain and now he's on dacks back. You know, they're kind of struggling with that, and but you could see him double clutch it, he pumps it, pulls it down. Now he's trying to reload it. He gets hit and that's where the ball lose its its trajectory form. Do you think that at this stage what you've seen yesterday and a little bit of what we've seen in the past, like I think it was last Sunday, he's unlucky got Jason from Jason Peters at

right tackle. Do you think it's time to kind of retire that thought of him being able to do that, because I don't think he's been good at that, not as good as he's been when he's been on the left. You you you, you, you played it the right way. I know Nick was probably losing his mind in the press box about you know, him standing like seventy seven standing over there waiting to get into game. But they're really, as we all know, they're big on the ramp up stuff.

You know, before the game we were learning about t Y Hilton wasn't ready. Dada da da da. You know that we're going to start seeing things like we don't care anymore. Okay, t Y Hilton, you're playing now washing ten anybody else, bum You're gonna stand over here. Hey, by the way, Peters, you could back up over on the left side. Back up over there to Smith. Ball, You're gonna be backside. You're gonna back up Tyron Smith over here. They figured it out. Just go ahead, play

the five guys played, Tyron Smith. Get through this. That part of it was a very positive experience for you yesterday playing football. So yeah, the Peterston needs to be him back on the left side, him being a backup, and then Tyron Smith and Ball being on that right side. Yeah, I mean it looked very comfortable playing over there. Yeah. I think he did. He did fine. I think the offense, I mean they they moved the ball when they needed to. I mean they drove down the field and scored. Then

then and over time they lost. I mean I think their problems are on defense, I really do. I mean, but to stick with what you're saying here about Dak, I thought Dak played pretty well in the game. I thought the drive there at the end of the game was was a really good probably should have won the

game for them. And if it did, I mean, that is a Romo like play, just spinning backwards like that and all that and a great throw and I mean no I mean or Brian made a catch right off the right, off the ground, you know, but they back to back catches to get in that drive. And Noah, Brian had a clutch catch against Houston, I mean like last week Cincinnati, Cincinnati. I mean, so he's had some

moments there. He dropped that one. Um and you know another thing too, like I give credit to the officials. They didn't really didn't call much in that game. I don't know what the penalties were. They didn't seem like it was a lot that was had three It was a pretty clean Ever since I've made my proclamation that they will never ever fix the penalty thing. They fixed it. Yeah, And yeah, sometimes you're at the mercy of these officials, you really are. Look what happened last night to the

commandersh my god. Yeah yeah, but that uh good for the Cowboys. That was good good, But that's a block in the back on Dak I'm sorry. They're probably still gonna lose, you think, ye I disagreed you a little bit on that because I thought it was kind of like it was kind of on the side. I think it would have been a it could go either way. I wasn't hardcore that had to be a penalty like to me that that could go either way. I thought, I'll tell you the one they would have got probably

twe yards he kicked the field. I was trying to think of the play or go back in my mind. The play that they missed I thought was awful was the Christian Kirk catching the ball late in the game. That was a clear push off on right. He used two hands and shoved right to make the Yeah, the ball, I mean, they get a first down out of the out of the thing. But he two hands shoves right on the play, and you're like, when, okay, I get it, you're letting a play. It wasn't like you run into

the guy and then turned back for the ball. It is he runs and basically you see his hands extended and then he comes back and Right's kind of like knocked back off the play and then they you know, they get a first down on Sean Wright was going to win the game for him. I thought that tackle that he made and he sacrificed himself because he got he kind of knocked himself out of for a second. But it was third down and in overtime, right eat n I mean they were flying. That was a colleague.

Was that the screen? Yeah? Yeah, the screen. Yeah, they get off the field. They got off the field, and then they're gonna punt it to Turpin and they're gonna go win this game. That's what I thought. I thought that Nishan right was gonna, you know, make that play, and and you know, they were just trying to get creative and to do things and not put Kelvin Joseph in the game. That's that's what I think. The problem is, is it? I thought, and Brian, you could correct me here.

I thought mcquamu came down to play some corner at some point, or at least they played a package where mcquamo was out there, Marquis Bell was out there for two plays, and and Marquis Bell was a lost guy on two plays. I mean the ball a couple of times, he did not see it. Very This is a kid that did just has not had many opportunities to do anything and getting him out there, I could see maybe you need a break for somebody. But it was a little bit of a struggle for him. The playoffs struggle.

It was the fourth It was the drive was they got the ball with one on one left. It is the final drive. You get the drop by Jones, and then you get the twist doesn't go home. They throw another ball to Jones, and then and then the ball to Kirk and and then you know that's it, and then you get the after that, then the very next play is the chance for Armstrong to get the sack and they flip it, just flings it to the running back and it gets out of bounce. Yeah, you know that.

That was to me. I mean there were like three killer plays in a row. The two hand shove I thought they missed it was uh OPI the miss sack by Armstrong, not getting Lawrence to the ground, and then and then and then curse not being able to tackle at the numbers. I mean, this is not a this is not a close. I mean, this is he got carried from the numbers and you and I'm just thinking, seriously, I'm young, break his leg. I mean, just you know, like put your foot around his and trip him and

trip him. Yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah boom. But that's I mean those balls the midfield with eleven seconds to go, Yeah, they had they don't have a time out, yea. So at that point they're gonna try something. They're gonna try something in the ten to fifteen yard range outside and you know you play that defense where you just wall the side. We've seen it it an Oxnard a thousand times, where they wall the wall the sidelines and even if they throw it in the middle, they can't

get up fast enough let him. Did you see you just don't right? Yeah? I thought this was a great play. I think it was in the sean right late in the game. The guy went down on the ground, he didn't even touch him, Yeah, and he like gets up and then he tackles. I'm like, that's pretty smart. Yeah, waste some time, but yeah, that cursed play, that was it. I mean, you get him down that they have to they may even try hell mary there. Yeah, yeah, you don't have a lot of options. Yeah, I bring it

back to that real quick. Nick started steering the conversation somewhere else. I think that I was too. Problem problem. Well, I just wanted to say about Dak and I think it's kind of it's a bit unfair the way that he's being criticized specifically or this game. You look at the comment all day, yes, or Dack is trash, he sucks, get him out of here, He's not gonna get us

anywhere to trade him, blah blah blah. And then the thing is, I understand the frustration, but at the same time, and I'm specifically talking about this game, I think fans tend to look at the end result of like the interception, but when you go back and actually look how the

plate happened and what led to that moment. The first one we talked about Jason Peters, and I think Jason Peters it's starting to show his age because what he does is he starts good, but then it's like, for example, in that interception, the first one, he got the he has the guy has the guy, but then it's like, okay, he gives up. He doesn't stay with the saying. He thinks, he's like, Okay, I think I got it, I got it, and then he lets go and then his guy gets

off and makes whatever play. So I think in this play. I would blame Peters for that one because you hit in the quarterbacks arm right there, it's gonna throw off your throwing. He had Dalton Shoultz right there in view and that led to the past going way too hide. By the way, Peters was also responsible for one of those interceptions last week as well, same thing. So I think it's just he's not a finisher. He doesn't finish

the play and stay there. And I think it's because of his age, because you can see how he just

kind of slows down a little. Let me ask you, so, do you think it's the age or do you think it's the right side, because I don't know that we've seen that level of and I don't want to call it incompetence, but that level of the not being able to stay in blocks on the left side when he's played on the left side and the right side is where I've seen over the last couple of weeks he's had some places where he's just like, dude, what are you doing? Hold your block? Like what are you doing?

And that, to me, I think the right side may be as much, if not more, to blame than the age. But what do you think I think the change of sides, it does affect. I mean, anytime you put it in a player out of their normal position, you're gonna see some kind of struggle for the most part. But I think overall, if he was the guy being out there one hundred percent, I don't think he would be the right guy for you because he just can't. He It's just he wears off as the game goes, so to

me guess one side kind of exposes him more. But at the same time, all in all, in general, I think he's just not the type of player that you can have out there the whole time. Now, in the last interception, I mean that Noah Brown, he should have definitely got that freaking pass. And another thing that's really frustrating of that play and how the game ended. You go over time the Jaguars have the ball, then it's like, okay,

they don't score anything. Then you get you get the ball back, and I'm thinking based on the rule and Nick reminded me, reminded us in the game about you know, all you gotta do here is if you get to the forty, Yeah, get their score a field goal. That's it. But do you can we talk about that a little bit. Do you guys have a and then she goes you know,

you say, oh, McCarthy. But as far as the play calling in that and when that started, when the Cowboys got the ball there and what led to you now having to throw that pass was a play calling for that whole series. The right type of call are you talking about for the series where just before you no no no in overtime we talked about the one before the gaming that in the fourth quarter you're talking about

over time. You're talking about the first first play they Pollart runs left for twenty one yards, then the second one, Polot runs left for six yards. Third Polot runs up the middle for no game, and then the interception. That's okay because McCarthy, you know, he talked about this, you've played too. It's like would you rather played to win or playing not to lose? And he's like, okay, what was the right decision here on how you handle those

plays right there? That combination where now you're left to having to throw that kind of past semessages? What did you not like about that sequence? Because it looked like to me, that's a pretty successful sequence. It was working. It was working. My thing is why if you're finishing off the fourth quarter with a pass that they didn't work towards Noah brown on the left side, why are we kind of redoing it here to end the game? You know what I mean? Well, well, I'll say for myself,

she's talking about the use of personnel. I believe I get that. But the way I look at it is, Okay, you weren't getting anything from Gallop Ceedee Lamb. Like you said, the defense was like, we're not letting CD beat on the ball that went down the sidelines to Noah Brownie was triple covered on the play. Yeah, they were not gonna let him have that. So so you got those two situations. And then, by the way, let's let's also be honest on that play where the interception happened. He

had I mean, he was open, he was open. Dak threw the ball exactly where he needed to go. I don't look at that as bad play call. I don't even look at that necessarily as bad execution on Dak or anybody else other than Noah just dropped the ball and batted it up, like yeah, that's the problem. It was.

It was just he just he had a he had a bad moment, and and those are the kind of things where and by the way, outside of that, it was interesting and where you were telling me this morning, there was some discussions going on among some people you were talking to about some content we were getting ready for, and they were like, hey, we were looking for a guy that we wanted to say he kind of had a good game, and they threw out Noah Brown. And

that's the problem. The problem is Noah had that horrible moment. Prior to that, he was Noah had a pretty decent game for who Noah Brown is, right, borderline player of the game. I guess what bothers me really is when you get in a situation like that where you know, okay, you just got to get to field goal range so you can score a field goal win the game. I guess I've become more conservative, and I guess I would rather hold off on passing and just try to keep

running the ball. What was that I was third and four though, I mean run run for un for six yards, run for zero yards. Yeah, that's how you got the run for zero was the problem. The problem was they didn't block the back side. I mean, I don't know how you can run a counter and not block the back side because a plenty of time develop. Yea, yeah, that's that was kind of a strange. I mean they ran a counter a couple of times in this game for not you know, and that's kind of where you're at.

You have used Zeke in one of those because you went Paul paular Poular. I think you needed you were looking for. You got twenty yards on a play, on an explosive play. I just think that feels a little bit to me like second guessing, like after the fact. To me, I look at at that that drive was working and that should have been a I mean that that third and four him run across what they should have caught that and that should have been a first down to year and then you get moving and then

you keep running. Yeah, and you can you just moment you get you get into field goal range and you you know, you get to the thirty five. Well, Schultz's numbers, I don't have my stats with me. What Schultz was four targets, two receptions for fifteen yards long and nine I mean ceedee Lamb getting double teamed and triple teamed and somebody gallop galla Schultz. I mean, we're talking about a couple of guys that are making ten to eleven million dollars a year that need to to step up

because I mean, you have to have that. I mean A J. Brown is kicking ass for Philly, but DeVante Smith, I mean, you can't get double team him because DeVante and they got they got other guys. And that's that's what the problem is, is that gallop And she said it that was a huge issue. I mean, if you're gonna double team a guy, I'm gonna make you pay

for it. Yeah, But moments like this, like that, towards that end, I think that's when guys, whatever it is a tight end, those are the guys that you need to use in moments like those where they've been good, they've worked for dact like that has always been kind of the security blanket for him. Just throwing those passes to the tight ends and they disappear. We barely saw anything really well. They miss they miss Ferguson yesterday. I mean, I thought, because he does give them that versatility of

being there. He's a good run blocker, he's also a good pass catcher. I mean, he's he's what you're you want to be as a complete tight end. I'm not saying they lost because to him, but but you know, I mean, he's good for a couple of first downs. He's good to to to block and extend drives. So that was that was a tough loss for him. All right, let's do this. Let's take our final break. When we

come back. I want to dive in a little bit more on the defense, specifically because I agree with you, Nick, I think the problems yesterday we're far more on the defensive side of the ball than the offense. We'll talk about that when we come back. Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. The sea is finally here. For months, we've been gearing up to win. Now it's time for the team that

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of the twentieth and the twenty first. Limited spaces remain or registered today at Dallas Cowbays dot com slash Academy. Welcome Back. Final segment of the Break Life in that WBC Mortgage studios at the Star and Amber. I see a little bit of a smile over there. You're feeling better, I can tell yeah, I see, I see a little bit of it. She'll feel a lot better if you buy her lunch today. No, no, really, Now, she's not driven by food like I am like me Derek and

Nick everything. Derek has the food in the press box. Oh, it'll make me grumpy, man, bad food makes me grumpy. Jacksonville man bottom of the list for me. It's been there sixteen years, hoping it's sixteen Ever want to go there? Barbe No, they didn't have barbecue. They were sometimes they do. I worked there for a Year's a lot of things about the trip and all that and everything. That's the thing that sucked about it. Derek couldn't find a place

to jog on Sunday morning. Yes, that was on Saturday. Was then you're in the half yeah, by Sunday, I just wanted to sleep. That's a whole one. It was just that's right, and some good food. And they didn't get one sticker. No, I didn't need one of those. I haven't done that before, you know. But you don't just add him up like you really did something good. All right, So let's let's talk about this defense man.

Yesterday they gave up one hundred and ninety two yards on the ground a seven point one average on the ground against the Jaguars one rushing yes, yeah, yes. Fifty two of it was from Agnew in the Jet sweep. Yeah, I don't remember. I know when I got the stat sheet that you gave me, I literally looked at it and immediately jumped. That number jumped to me, and I was like, that didn't feel like one hundred and ninety two yard rushing day, but it was one hundred and

ninety two yard rushing day. And uh and and you look at that, and we know their challenges all year, we thought they had started to kind of make that better. So my question is, was what we saw yesterday reflection of two particular players that weren't there, like Layton vander esh and Jonathan Hankins And a little more than that too. I don't I don't care what the fans think about Anthony Brown. He's a good, solid player. He's not great, but he's solid. And he gives up a player too,

that's fine. There's a lot that he doesn't give up. And he also changes the way you cover and you don't have to play defense. They had to protect those defensive backs the best they could and so you're doing that and you don't have your middle linebacker, you don't have your defensive tackle that it's helping you stop the run so and you're playing like you can't just let Kelvin, Joseph and those guys just just go a deep because they're gonna score touchdowns. So it's a combination of everything.

Uggs can't cover everyone. He can't, I mean obviously, and and you know he had some issues, but I mean, I think for the most part he was fine. But I think it's a snowball effect at Hankins Layton and then the way you have to cover on defense, they are missing, I mean, their cornerback depth is very very often they get exposed when they can't pass rush though. Yeah, that's the problem. You know, sometimes when you able to get guys home or create you know, create pressure, then

they don't see open guys. And that happened I think a little bit yesterday. I mean that that quarterback looked way way too comfortable throwing the football, you know, and that's all of a sudden. Now that's on the secondary to have to cover, and Nick's right there. There are times when you're seeing Hooker he's cheated over to the side of Joseph. You know, it's not something that when you watch y'all twenty two, you're like, he's cheating. He's cheating.

He's cheating again. It's not the ball's not going over there. But you know that hooker is very mindful of what's going on at left corner, you know, and they're they're

they're in a situation. I'll be interested to see what they do if maybe this McKenzie Alexander who they sign, he's a slot player, do you put him in the mix in the slot and just put Bland on the outside and go there and then work right and if you want to work Joseph and stuff in there too, or just put Joseph back on the special teams and let him be the gunner and all that stuff like that. But they can't go with Kelvin Joseph anymore at this point,

can they. Well, the problem with Kevin Kelvin Joseph in the game the other day is if you watch again the All twenty two, it's cover, it's cover, it's good play, it's cover. He's up, he's you know, he's in the tackle, he's covering, and then all of a sudden they play off and he plays back and now it's like you're asking him to make a decision from depth and the double moves Yeah, he bit on it. That's what I'm saying. That's the problem. When you play him up, he's either

gonna cover or he's gonna hold. And you know, but he hasn't been getting called for holding he or a passenger, or he hadn't been getting called. So to me, when you play him depth, you're asking him, you're putting them in that situation where a lot of these guys are kind of like, you know, okay, I gotta drive on this because the ball is gonna be you know, we got a great pass rush, Ball's coming out quick. You know that some of these corners are like, you know,

our our rush is helping us here. You know. And now when you know, when you play a depth with him, that's that's a struggle. That's a real struggle for him. And you know that's but and but on they also on the on the one, the second touchdown, he gave up though again some pushing going off, you know, guys dipping into him, working back outside you know, Jones, I mean, you know, putting a shoulder in him. You know, you got to be able to you got to be able

to combat that. You can't just let them bully you out there. And you can. He's trying to read. I'm not making excuses for the kid. I'm just telling you when you play him in off coverage, which he got burned on, that's his biggest issue right there. Let's do this. We're gonna that's a wrap for today, But tomorrow I really want to dive in deeper on this defense and

on Mica and on all the players. Where you start, where you started looking at what's going on with this defense and what they were earlier in the season to what they have become now and how much of a problem it is, maybe even how they can get back. We'll talk about that tomorrow. Until then, for Nick even Brian brought us and regard see I'm Derek Hughelton. 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.