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It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com with Ambar Garcia, Brian brought Us, Nick Harris, and Derek Eagleton.
It is Monday, September thirtieth, twenty twenty four, Season twenty, episode number thirty eight.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Break, live.
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All right, let's talk to this today. We're going to do a quarter recap. First quarter recap. It is not the first quarter of the game, but the first quarter of the season.
Then we will be recapped.
Why are you looking at.
Me, Brian, We're gonna recap the first quarter of the season. We're just gonna say that, all right. So what we're gonna do is, I'm gonna have some names.
Hear Ambar's first quarter recap from the game of the game.
Okay, for those who are like, what the heck is going on? Right before the start of the show, Derek is like, Okay, for the show, we're gonna recap the first quarter. And then that was that. And then in my head, I'm like, wait, of the game, Like what are we doing? Like that sounds like an awful show? Why are we recapping the first quarter of the game. And he's like, no, it's of the first quarter of the season.
Come on.
I'm like, Okay, relax, let's just do the show, all.
Right, So we relax. Now we're gonna talk about first quarter of season. Now, here's what I'm gonna do. Before we get into that, we're gonna talk a little bit about some injuries. But once we get to the player to the first season, I have some questions for you guys. Some player evals to have some names that I want to just get you guys to give me an opinion on what you think of.
Their first quarter outstanding and uh.
And we'll go through some of those, hopefully hits, some names that we haven't talked about as much for folks, just to give them an idea of where everyone is. But let's start first with the news that really has been been the most predominant news for the Cowboys ever since the game. Michael Parsons and de Marcus Lawrence both gonna miss time.
Both have injuries.
Brian, what do we know about their injuries and and what do we know at this point or what are we're surmising at this point with regard to their the amount of time they'll miss.
Okay, I could, I could tell you the amount of time. How about that? Does that work work? You're probably not going to get Micah back until after the bye.
That's kind of two games you got and.
Then yeah you got this, get the Pittsburgh game, you got this game. Yeah, the Pittsburgh game, you get the Detroit game you.
Got to buy.
And then now you're looking to potentially get him back at that spot for the forty for the forty nine ers. When you look at the injury to Tank, and I know that Todd Archer is reporting a List Frank injury, which is a foot injury, which Todd is very accurate on this stuff, so I would trust exactly what he's saying there. All right now, when you ask people in the building about this. They said they really don't know,
really a firm timetable. They probably won't know for a good two weeks and then we'll see how it goes. But they were thinking that four weeks on this thing was very optimistic. So this thing's going to likely go longer than four weeks, is what they're looking.
At right now.
So that's kind of what your timetable, Micah closer to being, you know, the three weeks, and then Tank will see what happens, you know, after an evaluation of two weeks and then another two weeks and then we'll see where it goes from there. But it sounds like that one's going to be pretty pretty significant and you know, maybe any probably you know, maybe six weeks if you're really on it.
Yeah, when you look at this team and what's happened since last season where they allowed two of their their defensive ends, dranch Armstrong and Dante Folo to both leave in free agency. And by the way, I don't want to be a revision's history guy. I think back at the time, I was like, for the amount of money they are generated that that's going to cost, I'm comfortable with the Cowboys letting them walk. But obviously you didn't predict this. You got those two guys gone, then you
get to training camp, you lose Sam Williams. At this point you got Marshawn Kneelan, But what else do you have and how does how do the Cowboys recover and make this go without these two defensive ends.
Yeah, I think there should be a little bit of confidence in what Marshawn Kneeland and Chauncey golds and I assume that's going to be the one two punch should be able to produce.
Is it going to be at Mike and de Laws level? Absolutely not.
There's going to be some responsibility that falls on the second level on the interior defensive line, even in the secondary. The rest of the defense is going to have to pick up the slack for sure. But you look at what Marshaw Kneelan can do from a power perspective, I think there's some things that he can do in the world game that can kind of match what d Law brings from.
A skill set standpoint.
Is it as refined and as polished as what d Law has brought in is eleven years in the NFL?
Absolutely not.
He's still a rookie at the end of the day, but he can kind of give you that big presence off the edge, kind of help conceal the edge. I look at Chauncey Golston and I know we've talked about it quite a bit. I love Chauncey Golsten way more as an edge, So I think this is going to really allow him to flourish and finally play the position that I feel like he's best at and do it for a couple of weeks.
Stack some reps there.
As far as what he could bring from a pass rush perspective, I mean, we're gonna have to see.
I do like his athleticism off the edge.
I think he brings some power to but all in all, it's gonna have to be an all out approach from those two guys, Tyruswe Carl Lass and anybody else that they bring in. They're gonna have to rotate bodies in. They're gonna have to figure this thing out for at
least a couple of weeks. My information kind of corroborates and and Brian has a lot more, but it corroborates what he was saying as far as Micah probably not getting him back a'til after the bye week, and then as far as d law looking like an ir stump there.
Yeah, this conversation is making my heart race very very fast. I'm like starting to freak out because we already know the struggles that were there prior to these two injuries, very very important injuries. And we've also seen that it's not just the past rush or the defensive line what they're doing there, but it's also what it creates for the rest of the defense. We've we've seen it with
the linebackers. When the defensive line plays better, it allows your lampmackers to be a lot better and execute those plays better.
But it's just.
I don't know how you get through it. I get it. People want to say, oh, next man up, Well, yeah, that's what happens in the in the game, Next man up. But it's just it's tough giving all the struggles that they've already been having.
You need to find a way to turn the clock back for Carl Lawson a little bit.
Yeah, you need.
I mean he's been a he's been kind of a spot player for you right now, and he should be ready to go.
You know, we've we've been through now a month of the he's and he should be ready to go.
Conditioning should be fine, you know, instead of playing, you know, fifteen plays he needs to play. He's probably gonna have to play forty plays, you know, but they need him to kind of get back to that that I like what we and I know you're going to go through some players, and I guarantee you that you know that that this these edges. Kneeland is a guy you're probably
going to talk about. And you know, Nick, I think gave a pretty damn good assessment of him as a player, and you know, this could be a great opportunity for him, It could be a great opportunity for Golston. They just can't afford anything else to happen to these guys. And it might even be to the point where we might see them bring somebody in to work somebody out some of these defensive ends. I have this group I called my Gang of Seven, which are guys and gals around
the league that are in player personnel departments. And you know, I'm trying to get them to say, Okay, give me all your best practice squad poachers. You know, if you have to go poach a guy off a practice squad. It's never a bad thing because those guys are, those guys are playing, you know, those guys are practicing.
Those guys are.
You know, so if you can find that guy me, that would be better then because I need guys that.
Can play right now. I don't need somebody that's been at home and.
Hasn't done anything and then now all of a sudden you have to ramp them up for three four weeks and you don't get what you need out of it. But I would consider poaching a guy off somebody's practice squad. You know, if you identify maybe a young player or somebody like that. You kind of said, hey, we like this guy in college. You know, he's he's at the Buccaneers. Can we go get here, you know, put tank on ir and then go get you know, go poach one of these guys. This is where it can kind of
be for a personnel guy. Could be a little fun, you know that, you know, Hey, we got to figure out something here. Let's let's figure out the best options here. And their pro department does a pretty damn good job. So that's the route I think they might go to.
That same point, I had a conversation in the last few days, and it was saying that, yeah, we're having to put trust into Marshall neland into Chauncey Golston, but we're putting trust in a Will mclauch because that was the guy that they wanted to go get in the
second round last year. Okay, now he's gonna need to be steps stepping into a starting role and the trust is really falling on the clay in his department, as Brian says, here to be able to identify that pick and hope that he can step in and be ready to play in a situation like this.
Yeah, I think for me, when I look at this, the first question obviously becomes, how do you generate pressure. I think Marshawn Nealand can be fine on the edge playing against the run. I think a Golson can do the same thing. I just don't know if you've got anybody that's really gonna scare another team when it comes to the pass rush. And so this is where and
I'm not sure this is Zimmer's game. I know he likes to run the a gap begap blitzes, but really I think if you're going to generate pressure You're gonna have to bring pressure from a lot of different places, whether it's linebackers. You do you line up over shown on the outside and rush it from the outside. Do you send corners? Do you send safeties? Like you have to do a lot of creative stuff. And I don't know if that is that Zimmer's defense. Does he have that kind of thing in his day?
We saw the other day the Giants had a play where they actually made It was a pretty good play, but they picked up they picked up Jordan Lewis on the blitz. It was a slot blitz, so you know, you know he's got that in the bag of tricks to try and but you're absolutely right. I mean, it's going to be about uh, you know, finding Kendrick's, you know, and trying to get to these guys, get to Kendricks. You know, they need to get healthy in the secondary though, too.
It's a lot easier to send people and blitz people and stuff like that when you're not playing with your fourth or fifth corner, you know, and those guy. Yeah, I don't think you're gonna get I don't think you're gonna get Bland back this week. You know, we'll see what happens, and you know the Detroit and and and beyond the sixth week mark or what is it.
A four week mark, but six weeks since he had the surgery.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so there you know that. But it's he's coming along really well. I was just told it's not going to be this week, so you know, maybe getting back for Detroit. But if you if you know that you can cover with if you can cover with Digs, you can cover with Bland, you can cover with Lewis, it kind of makes up a little bit for the stuff. Then now you could take some chances with your linebackers and and uh, you know, and and group like that.
Mayerslulfowl a year ago at Notre Dame three sacks. I think that's an interesting guy that they maybe a pressure perspective. We talked about it on the Draft show. He's a situational third down pass rusher and he can he can get to the quarterback and if he's not sacking the quarterback, he's at least generating pressure and altering the place.
Over shown too if you watched him at Texas was a little bit you know some you know, former safety and all.
That, but man, they rushed from the outside.
Alle Yeah, just anything you could do to create opportunity for your guys, that's what you gotta do.
And and you know, but a lot of it is covering on the back end. You know. If they don't do that well enough, Blitzen ain't ain't gonna matter.
I know, this isn't gonna happen. But he did run a three four when when Bill was here and maybe morph a little bit and kind of get some of those linebackers on the outside rushing that way rather than having them, you know, having to try to put their hand on the ground or try to figure out no way to get him around that edge.
But I just that's the part I'm concerned about.
I'm really concerned about how they're going to get pass rush, especially in situations where you play teams that have some really good quarterback receiver combinations. I think you're gonna have some of those here in the next several weeks.
And I wonder how much trust there is and Massie Smith after the performance, That's what I was going to say too, Yeah, because if let's say that they were to move to a three four kind of help the defense out a little bit, then you're putting a lot of trust in the MAZI to be able to control those gaps, really hold appliants exactly.
So I wonder how much absolutely it was.
His best game as a pro on Thursday night, and you could tell after in the locker room. That's about his upbeat and the most words I've heard from Mande Smith since he's been here.
So it was actually good to see.
It was phenomenal.
You could see, you could see the level of pressure kind of be lifted for a little bit. Yeah, obviously it's a week to week in the NFL. You come back, have a bad game next week, and it's all back. But it was good to see him in that moment.
We got thirteen more of these. Let's go settle up, no doubt.
All right, we're gonna take our first requords and to come back. We're going to come back a way to get to the first quarter recap first quarter of the season, that is not the first quarter of the game.
I what do that when we.
Come back back as the Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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It is a second secondment of the Break Life WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, we're presented by blockchain, or this segment's presented by blockchain. All right, So here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna do some player evaluations. I'm gonna run down a list of names, and for each name, I want you guys to tell me what you like that you've seen so far in the first quarter and where do you think their biggest need for improvement is?
All right, so let's start first with probably the guy that, in my opinion on the offense, has gotten probably more talk than most Tyler Tyler Tyler Goydon.
Yeah, Nick Tyler Guiden.
I you know, through for the first four games, I think having the context of how he has come into the year is really important. Only having fourteen college starts at being on the right side, yes, he was still protecting a blind side of a quarterback, but moving to the left side, there's still some things to work out
in that kind of situation. And I think, you know, if we call back to training camp in those first couple of days, he was just beating Michael Parsons at DeMarcus Lawrence over and over again, and everybody was like, oh my goodness, so we already got another All Pro Hall of Fame left tackle. I was like, look, the bumps and bruises are going to come along the way, and I think we're starting to see those bumps and bruises. And I think you just ride the wave with Tyler Gouyden.
And I think more importantly, if Tyler Goeydon rides the wave of Tyler Goyden, he's gonna be all right, especially once you get to the end of the season and he's literally doubled his amount of career starts. I think by whenever you're looking up in December, he's gonna be a lot more refined. But I think as far as immediate immediate correction needs to be on the holding penalties,
it has to be on the discipline stuff. I know it's kind of a factor of him getting beat around the edge with his feet and he needs to get out of his stance a little bit quicker against some certain guys, and as a result, he's been hooking some guys. I think if he can just kind of whittle that down a little bit, then he could start getting back on that progression up swing, and I think it'll work
out just fine for him. As I've said from the beginning, we're going to look up at the end of the rookie season with all these first round picks, we probably won't be talking about Tyler Geiden as one of the best first round picks of the year. But I think when we look up three four years from now and those guys are starting to get their fifth year options, he's going to be one of the most no brainers to get that fifth year option. I think his development is just going to go up.
Yeah, all I know, I think he's been he's been all right now this last game, I mean, the penalties came big into play, and that's something that he's going to have to be very very mindful and learn where to do. Everyone does it, everyone holds, So just figure out how do you hide the hide that a little better to where the officials are not calling a flag on you. But he he he's the type of guy that is very, very dedicated into the game. He will
put in the work. All that comes out of his mouth anytime I've heard him speak, it's football, football, football, study, learn practice. So I believe that this is something he's going to look back into this past game and he's going to keep working on improving week after week. But I would say that just finding that comfort and just believing in his strength. He's such a tall guy and he's very powerful, So I think if he works on his how do I say this this.
Is gonna sound weird lower body strength?
Uh?
Yes, I was gonna say spreading his legs right, terrible. I still said it, But the stance basically the stands where his feet just kind of plank on there on. Yes, that I just I need to improve my vocabulary. But yes, just working on his stand and stands, and I think he will get the job done. It's just it's just part of where he's at in his career right now.
It's amazing to me they've thrown him deep into the pool and said swim.
Especially his last game.
Man, they don't even give him of those little orange life jackets to wear when you were a kid, you know, around your neck. It was embarrassing.
It's so big. He didn't want to wear it.
And they did the school school, yeah, swimming lessons there you go figure it out.
It is.
It is like, yeah, like you know, sometimes he goes all the way to the bottom, he touches and he bounces back up to the top.
But yeah, it's uh.
They've got to figure out ways to give him a little bit more help if they can. You know, I'm there's gonna be some games coming up here and he's already faced some guys that.
Can rush the passer.
And you know, if you continually have him single block eighty nine ninety percent of the snaps I get it, man, I mean, hey, good for him, but you're also crushing him in a lot.
Of ways to where people are getting film on.
Okay, take him hard inside, take him to the edge, you know, beat him when he's in this stance. So he's gonna break him down this way. You know, there's there's guys that are getting a lot of film and my man.
Is in some survival mode.
You know, really the ball go, it's snapped a deck and it's survival mode ball, you know, and that's you know inside. You know, Cooper bebe this last game. You know, he was double team blocked eighty percent of the time. He was getting help. But they you know, Lawrence is a good player, actually a great player for the Giants.
So I just kind of feel like you've got to find some ways to kind of mix it up and help and not let everybody just have a free rush on him the way until he figured out the stance, the feet, the hands, everything about him needs to kind of be working. But you see it at times. There could be times when he's really good at it, and then there's times where it's like, oh damn, here comes survival mode. But I mean, the kid's tough and he
doesn't back down, and he's getting better. Though when he knows it might be holding, he kind of puts his hands up, you know, he like falls on the guy and kind of puts his hands.
Up so the officials don't call it.
But he gets his body positions bad at times, and you know, he just got a lot of improvement he needs on that.
But they got to help him a little bit.
Yeah, you mentioned his name, but let's move on to Cooper Bebe.
Yeah, Cooper Bebe.
I think whenever you look at his first four games and you look at the stats on PFF about pressures allowed and sacks allowed and things like that, he looks absolutely phenomenal. He has been great, but I think there are still some things in the running game that he's gonna have to work on.
I think as you watch the game right like, they're just thinking, you're, like, he's not as great.
Lawn a few times. Yeah, like Dexter Lawrence beat him up a few times. The stats do not show it. And hey, whenever you are a starting center, sometimes you're able to get away with those things a little bit easier than others, just because the nature of the defensive tackle position. And what success actually looks like from that position just looks a little bit different from the rest of the eleven. But I think from a Cooper BB perspective,
I love what he's done in pass pro. I think in run block there just has to be a little bit of correction that's going to have to be applied. And we talked all year last year about how the guys up front were a big catalyst towards the run game not being as productive as it could have been. I think as a unit all five, when you look from a run blocking perspective, it has been better, but there are still some guys that can improve a lot.
And I think Cooper BB is probably suspect number one in that instance, just because you know what his development will look like whenever he does get to his max level of progression. So I think there is still some learning going on with the center position, specifically in run block. I think from a pass pro perspective, though he has exceeded my expectations. I think he's been really strong in the middle. He's he's created a really great depth of
pocket for Dak Prescott. I think that's only going to improve as his time gets more more in depth.
The way the Cowboys run the ball, he's got to be better, you know, and I mean I mean and I mean better, because I think there's been times where he has been better.
Some of their bigger.
Runs are him and Martin or him and Smith push the middle and then the ball cuts behind them because it doesn't like to me, and nothing on the outside for the Cowboys, there's nothing outside the tackle. It always seems like it's in between either the tight end to the center box, and that's where they try and kind of take the ball inside and cut it from that.
But it was that one run on Thursday night Reco and I think it was a BB Smith and guid and just kind of pushing.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Huge, Yeah, that's what I'm saying. They you know, even the run that even the run that Zeke got called back where they had two holdings on the play that Tyler Smith and BB both which I thought were questionable calls.
But still that that, you.
Know, the run part of it, that's how they're going to him and those guards to do it because any other way of running the football, we just haven't seen it. We just haven't seen they be able to create. They haven't got the ball to the edge with any effectiveness unless it's a jet sweep or something like that. But they're going to need him to be a little bit
better inside the pass block and stuff. Has actually been really, really, really good because I was surprised to make a call, make the snap, find out where you need to go, and he's doing all that pretty well right now. He did have the problems with when the twist stunts where you pass and he would get too engaged. And when you become so engaged, that allows the looper to come around, and he's got to be He got better at just getting rid of that guy and then being there ready
for the looper to come around. So he's going to see more of that. You know, people are gonna run twist stunts inside and stuff, and he's gonna have to be able to handle.
Much of the word surprising, and I think an extra surprise element is effect of the system he came from at Kansas State being so run down it and just loading up and you know, twelve and twenty two personnel and just running the ball downhill. That he's been so great in pass pro and it's not that they don't pass the ball at Kansas State. I mean they spread it out. Chris Cleman does a good job of being
able to get those receivers involved too. But it's it's pretty surprising how well he's been able to pick up the pass block.
Yeah, I think, And this is not a shot to to be yaddish.
Yes, he's actually looked pretty good, has.
Been pretty good from what I've seen.
Yeah, but no shot to him. I actually love him. I love the guy. But I think that in the long run, this has been an improvement for the position. I think that next year is when you're gonna start seeing BB really grow into what he's supposed to be. He's a big guy, and he's very he has the power. But you can you know that jump from year one to year two where they just gained so much more strength and muscle mass. And I think that's something that
he's he he likes at times. For sure, they're blocking for the running game, but also it seems to be the collective problem here where it's not just one person messing it up. It's something that everybody along the line needs to improve on.
If I had to ask, if I ask you guys to rank the offensive lineman one to five. As far as how well they've played so far during the first quarter of the season, how would you rank them.
I would say Tyler Smith won BB two, Martin three, Steal four, and guid In five.
Yeah, I'd probably have the same ranking I was. I was between Guiding and Steel there at four and five. But you're right, A Steel's had a couple of really solid games and so yeah, I got to give the edge to Steal.
Yeah.
Same, I like it.
It's kind of interesting. It's kind of interesting to me exactly.
I would have thought maybe still got a little more love because I think some of the games he's played well, he's played really well.
Now have some games it was like, oh no, we always talk about Stell riding the roller coaster six flags.
Yeah, no doubt.
He's a serviceable right tackle, yes, yes, and when he's on, he's really on.
Oh No.
There are games where there are games where you know, you go back and you watch him play, and but there's you know, like we was talked about grade the sixty five plays, and then there's the two plays where you're like, oh damn, he gave up a sack.
Yeah, he was on a pace to for giving up a.
Sack a game and then he kind of curtailed that a little bit.
Well, the thing for him is like you've seen him be really, really good, so you expect more from from him. He's been here a while now. Also his a whole year out from the injury that he had, I mean last year, that's where you could blame some of those issues that he had. But now in him speaking himself even at training camp saying like this is the best he's ever felt, you just expect him to be a
lot more solid. But I absolutely love him. I was saying I was criticizing Mike McCarthy back in the day, remember when we were doing those shows and we're like, what is happening here? They be lived in him and I think he definitely earned his spot, and but yeah, he just needs to be a little bit more consistent.
I didn't influence you guys with Martin at three.
That well, see, that's what I was just about to go.
I was gonna say, if for those out there listening, that was not a mistake.
You said Bebe was too a baby? Put Martin at three? Yeah, how does that? I mean, like, why is it? Why? What have you seen from Zach Martin that will make him the third.
It looks mortal, he does. It looks very mortal.
There have been two or three moments in almost every game when you're like, oh, he's yeah, it looksien old.
The problem.
The problem, the problem that did Zach be respectful?
Respect the bar is.
The bar has for so many years has been so.
High that when you see, you know, and you see a little bit more breaking down, you see guys breaking him down a little more, and you never saw that. So to me and I like what Bbe has done. I think there's stuff in the running game and that he can get better at. But I'm man, I'm happy with the way he's played. But I guess it's just with me. With Zach Martin, there's been things that he looks just mortal. He looks like a guy that all
of a suddenly gets put push back. And in the New Orleans game, he gets pushed back in the pocket and they slapped the ball out of Dak's hands and now it's on the ground and Tobert has to run over and cover it. You know, I mean, right down, I mean that Zach Martin getting walked.
First play from scrimmage of the season dad got whacked.
Yeah, so a.
Guy beating Zach Martin, I don't remember who it was beating Zach Martin.
And pass and pass protection. I think on that.
Same note, Zach Martin has still been solid. Yeah, I think all five guys have had their moments. But I think when you look at Tyler Smith and Cooper Bebe's case so far, those guys have played at Pro Bowl levels. And I feel that way about Cooper bb too. I don't feel like Zach Martin has really reached that. I think he'll end up getting the Pro Bowl, but he hasn't seen it. I haven't seen that from him so far.
Yeah, that's what's rough about it is you go a whole season or half a season and not see Zach Martin give up a play, and so now when you're seeing it more regularly, multiple times through the first quarter of the season, it is a bit jarring when you look up and you're like.
Oh, Dak got hit. Oh that was Zach. Yeah, that's the part.
I think that's just it probably stands out a little bit more than even other offensive line because you're just not used to seeing it.
All.
Right, Why these ratings are I mean, you can be fully fair because you're giving these ratings based on individuals and where they're at in their career. I mean, but yeah, it's just man, this might be this might be it.
We will see. All right, let's take our final break. We will come back.
We got a few more names, and we're gonna get to some of these names. Were gonna to push them till tomorrow, but we'll get as many.
As we can.
Let's keep moving. We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
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At and C connecting changes everything bangs. Sorry, I had to I had I had a sliver of a moment.
I had to get in and we're.
Still on the mini BI apologize. See we're back going tomorrow. It's okay.
Well that's the that's the easiest read.
So it is thinking, Yeah, I had to memorize. Don't worry about it.
All right, let's jump back in. Let's jump back in. Uh, let's get to some more names. Let's go with Hunter Lipkey just for Nick since he was Johnny on the spot there.
Uh, what what has he done wrong?
I h I love the integration that Mike McCarthy has put Hunter Lipkey into in this offense going into this year a receiving weapon and I I don't think I anticipated that being the case after the situations that they put him in during his rookie season. But I think if you call back to some of the great moments he had in the preseason last year, and specifically that Raiders game at home, I believe he had somewhere around seventy five receiving yards, had the receiving touchdown where he
hurdled the guy. He can be a weapon in the receiving game. He has a route running tree. It was developed at North Dakota State. He comes out of the backfield. They've lined him up at tight end. That corner route that he ran against Kyle Hamilton in the in the Ravens game. I mean that was that was what a tight end does, and he was able to get some separation and hauld that in. Typically when the ball is
thrown his way, he's hauling it in. And so I think if he's developed more as a receiving weapon, that can kind of open up this offense. I'm not there yet, but I'm close to just making the proclamation give the ball a hundred lockey fifteen times a game. I'm very close to making that proclamation because he's gonna.
I don't see that as a problem.
He's gonna be a guy that can give you four yards per carry.
I don't see that as a problem.
He's always going to fall forward, he's always going to find he's got a feel for how to get through tight spaces. He's got really good balance, he's tough, you know, the whole thing. Until I mean, everybody will bring up the thing that what happened to him in Miami. You know, unfortunately it happens. It happens to a lot of them. I'll tell you this. I think he's one of your three best offensive players. When you look at when you start to name the best offensive players, Hunter Lipkey needs
to be in that top three or four names. He is a weapon in every sense.
Of the word.
His ability on that fourth down play to you know what happened the very next play you score a touchdown, they throw the ball to Lamb and it's a fifty something yard touchdown pass he had.
He had a third down.
Catch that got eleven yards that next play touchdown. This guy all he does for you is make plays. He's he had three special teams tackles too, you know. I mean he plays a ton in these games, never comes off the field, and a lot of these circumstances. But when you start to say who the Dallas Cowboys three best offensive players, I put Hunter Lipkey in that rule through through four weeks of watching football right now, I put him in as one of your top three players.
He's not gonna be the guy to break away for a sixty yard touchdown if you do give him the bulk of the running back responsibility.
That's what I was about to say.
It's not like, it's not like you got him on the roster already, so you may as well give it to the guy that can at least get you four yards of care.
No. Well, when he first got here and that Nick was all in love and started printing pictures and hanging it up all over his little hards around that's still do you know anywhere? I was just like okay, But then then I started falling in love too, and I started seeing the beauty he's. He's he's a true he's a true professional. And when you see him, I mean he's always laser focused, and that's the guy that he's gonna My only thing right now is that they're not
playing him enough. I want to see him more on offense. He hasn't made any big mistakes or anything. Everything that he's done, he's been very, very productive. So that's the only thing is just get the ball to him a lot more.
And I'll say this, I think you talk about him running, but I think he's the best pass catcher out of the backfield the Cowboys have. There was one catch he made this last game over the middle Yeah, that's a receiver type catch. That's not a typical running back type catch because it was a tough catch. There was a guy kind of on him and he used I mean it was a handscatch. This was a type of catch where I'm like, that's what I want to see. And that's why I think he's kind of gotten. He's kind
of solidified the role as a third down back. He has that role kind of his that's his thing at this point. And I think it's because he can pick up the blitz. He can also sneak out and get you some yards in the passing game.
Everyone's talking about him being a little Mike Allstart Like that's been thrown around the locker room. You may as well. You may as well just give him one hundred touches in the season, you know what I mean, Because that's what they did with all Stott and it worked out.
I lived I lived the nightmare of Mike Alstott when I was in Green Bay. One hundred Lipke's got more balance and more lateral quickness. Mike Alstott was a downhill.
He was a big dude. No, he was tough.
I mean he really him. Christian Nkoya. Those guys like that back in the day.
They just just bounce off from This guy's.
Got the ability to get out and the like Derek was talking about, get out in the flat, soft hands.
You know, been able to. He doesn't fight the ball, he catches it.
You put somebody on him, he get away, he breaks tackles, he has bound I mean, there's all this.
Michae Alstott was a hell of a football player, don't get me.
Wrong, but man, I think this guy's got more athletic ability than Mike Alstott had.
For those out there that are younger that may not have seen Michael.
Google him. Google him.
You'll see there's some really good players out.
There where you're like, wow, this is He's just banged off people when he was rushing, you know, when he was running the ball.
It's a hard guy to tackle, seriously, just banging around.
Let's try to get one more guy here before we end the show. Give me a Klin Carson. He missed this last game. A guy that's kind of been you know, he's been challenged a little bit in.
Those first three games. What do you think as far as what you like from him and what do you think he's got.
Improved, you know'd say something real quick about him.
I hate this for him, but it always he's one of these guys that I don't think things bother him, you know, when it comes to giving up a play or you know, I mean, every time that something bad has happened to him, it's like, the next six plays are really really good for him, you know.
He he he had the deal.
Where uh, you know, he missed the tackle and they got it. You know, the Saints got a huge gain out of it, and you know, and it it's it's it's a it was a bad play. But he he's one of these guys he challenges you. He's willing to tackle. I think he's physical. I just hate the fact that it takes a bad play for him to kind of get going.
You know.
It's like he he misses the tackle and now he's having to like the next six tackles are like all good tackles, Like he remembered how he's supposed to tackle, you know, not go high, wrap him up, stay, you know, get a shoulder in there. But the coverage stuff in two I you know, it's and it's it's it's learning. I mean it is so much learning for him, and you know the right, but I think he's better when he could play tight, when he plays back, I don't think he has a chance.
I really really don't. I don't. I don't know if the quickness of the foot speed is there.
And I think that when he can main contact with a receiver is when he's a better player. And I'd like to see him play more in and and and those kinds of roles. I have really really high hopes for him. I high high expectation. I think he's a really good player because I love how physically he is for a corner. Sometimes these corners want nothing to do with being physical. They don't want anything to do with tackling.
Or I know this kid gets it. You know, if he makes a mistake, he's gonna get He's gonna come back. The next five plays are all going to be good plays for him.
And I think there is still room for him to grow physical physically. That absolutely get yeah physical and to you know, uh step up and make those plays in the run game and that tackle and or Sean Babman, I'm just just pushing him to the sideline.
You gotta be more physical there.
Yeah, but I think all in all, when you factor and he's a fifth round rookie who is asked to step in on two weeks notice and start the first three weeks of the season. Now, I guess we'll anticipate four of the first five it's been serviceable.
And I think you take that ten times out.
Of ten, he's he's as far as exceeding expectations, he's been my easy rookie of the year so far for this draft class.
Yeah, I agree, he's been He's been pretty solid given the circumstances and where he was drafted and everything's and he my thing with when you were talking about speed and sometimes there is a big separation. But at the same time, what I give him grace in that aspect is like everybody else is doing the same thing, Like he's not the one standing out. Everybody on defense is also collectively doing that as well. So I give him
some grace in that aspect. I think he's a guy, like like you said, Brian, he makes a mistake and he comes right back up. It doesn't mentally affect him, which is something big when you're asking a young guy to be mature, mentally mature, to be able to forget that play, keep going onto the next and again remembering that this is a tough position to play when you come in sometimes most of the time you're on your own. It's all it's you and the receiver figure it out.
And I think all in all, he's he's done a pretty solid job. I really really like him. Obviously, there's gonna be mistakes and they're gonna continue to happen, but I think he's gonna be a very good guy.
Can I ask a Tuesday question right now? What is it gonna take to get John Stevens active?
Yeah, that's a great I would love to see it.
But but you know, honestly, with these issues that you're gonna have on defense, the way I look at this is maybe the best thing you can do is try to fire out how you can score more points on offense. Now that's gonna require that's gonna require your offense to play call and maybe changing up how he looks at the game. It may also mean having to get a guy like John Stevens active because he can give you a little bit more and maybe you can track that
running back room a little bit. As far as the guys that are active, maybe instead of having duce out there. Maybe you make John Stevens acting. Maybe that's standard.
Yeah, sure, I just I just I'm curious because the span Ford thing, I don't see, you know. But that's why I've got a mic and I'm sitting here talking to you guys. I don't see it. You know, I'm not in that room. But John Stevens it's every week, you know. John Stevens is now becoming a healthy scratch for this team, and I think there's something about him that could just give me maybe a little bit more than what I'm getting from span Ford, maybe a little bit more than I get from Luke scoon Maker.
Yeah, I'm flipping the two for these two weeks before the buye. If it were me, I'm activating John Stevens Junior and activating Reveen span Ford, just to see what he can do, see what he can bring from an offensive perspective in the past game, because you need the defense to step up, and the best defense is a good offense, so you may well give it another receiving Opestionah.
What do we hearing about Kayln Carson right now?
It sounds like he's gonna be good to go this week. There's there's a more passing that he'll have to do. As far as on field work, I believe that's starting on Wednesday. But nevertheless, it sounds good that you'll be ready to go for the Pittsburgh.
It's a good thing for them.
They'll need that body.
All right.
All right, appreciate you guys. Join us.
We'll be back tomorrow. We're gonna continue our player evaluations. We got a lot more players we'll get through till then. Nick Harris, Brian brought us Amber Garcia. I'm Derek Eagleton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.