Cowboys Break: Flag Football

he really? I don't know, but I think he's gonna make it. You think, yeah, obviously obviously. Now maybe I think he's gonna make it by the end of the show. Okay, we've had some weather issues here in Dallas a little bit. It's sunny, No, it isn't anyways, anyway, they practice out why they moved it indoors today because of the clouds, because of the expected rain and the rain that we've already had made. You know how important weather it's. Hilario's

Dave gotta have you better have my gumbo. Were gonna have a problem, tiny Jim, good luck with that one in a while. But Jim doesn't use anymore. The Cowboys are officially in the playoffs, and we haven't really gotten a chance to talk about the game. It's been a few days now, but I wanted to start off with just getting an overall opinion of what you saw on Sunday and what were some of the things that you

took away from that game. Despite the win, there's still some room for improvement on the offense, and so just give me your thoughts. Derek, let's start with you. Oh man, um, I don't know. I honestly I didn't take a hole out from that game. They did exactly what I expected they would. The score actually ended up being closer than what the game really was. I thought personally, I thought, you know, obviously that they scored there with what was that for so minutes? Left even less nice? It was

it right at too right too. But I mean, I think, honestly, to me, it was the Cowboys pretty much dominant dominated that game. Um So I wasn't or at least defensively to dominate a game. We can talk about the offense, but I mean that's kind of what we've seen from

the offense all season. They do just enough right and so um, so, I didn't really take much away from that game other than the Cowboys as a team went out in a game where they needed to go ahead and close it out, and they went ahead and closed it out. And so for that, you say, great, you know, yeah, well I agree. I mean, you know, the playoffs or a big house, they walked right in the front door. You know, they didn't have to do anything like that. Well they didn't have to do you know, back into

anything side door, got help from anyone else. They they went out, they won the game. Uh, you know, I don't know if it was as one sided as you kind of made it sound. I thought, you know, without that fumble, that was a gift by the Bucks to just drop the ball and and Gregory picked it up. And Gregory really did a nice job of realizing that the offense isn't going to score touchdown from the seventeen, So let's bat it forward a little bit to get it to the four and then get it and then

we can score. We do have to throw it to Noah Brown first, and then we'll throw it to a more accomplished receiver and get a touchdown. I thought the offense struggled like you said, but but that's what they did. That's that's what this team is. That game right there, that offense a little bit here and there. They're gonna show some flashes. We're gonna lean on the defense and the special teams, you know, the special teams player of

the week, Brett mohurrigan. We're gonna lean on them and get into the playoffs and now we'll see what happens from there. And we've keep talking about how good the defense is. Clearly they proved so last week, and now some of the things that they need to fix, and we talk about the red zone and some of the things that we saw there and we knew by the reports that they've gave us how bad this defense, Uh they yeah, Tampa. How about how bad the Tampa The

fence was in the red zone. And when you see the struggles that the Cowboys still had and they only got that the run when Dak went in. Yeah, well that two out of three, yeah, three times. Still struggling. Now do you expect this to be something that they could possibly fix in the next few weeks. I mean just gonna come down to you know, maybe a few plays here and there, Like I don't think they fix

anything this week. I mean, if there is a new play something that that they they've seen on tape that they think they can score in there, I don't think you show it for this week, but it's something that you can work on for the playoff game. I mean, yeah, I think it can be fixed. I mean, nothing's gonna be fixed at this point. You just need to have

a good game in the playoffs. I mean, I think if they went three for three against Seattle or Minnesota in the playoffs, you wouldn't call it a fixed red zone, but it was good enough to get in and win. So I don't know if you can fix anything at this point. You just got to be good on the day that you need them to be good, which is January probably six third, fifth, fifth, or sixth. Yeah, Derek, you always talk about the defense and how they can win you games, they can win you super Bowls and

all of that good stuff. Now do you expect this to be enough for the Cowboys to win this next playoff game and take it further down the road? Honestly, the team they have right now, yeah, honestly, I don't. I don't know if their defense is good enough to carry the whole load. I think their defense is good enough that if the offense can give them a little bit of support, that they can win. What we saw the other day that was that was a little bit

of support. I think they're gonna need a little bit more support than that in order to beat some of these playoff teams, because if you look at the NFL and what's happened down the stretch here, a lot of these teams have good defenses. So it's not like the Cowboys are the only team with a good defense. Chicago has a really really good defense. New Orleans has a good defense. They're playing good defense right now. Seattle's playing

good defense right now. So the Cows aren't the only team in the in the NFC even that has a good defense. The problem is that when you look at a team like New Orleans, New Orleans is not only playing good defense, but obviously have one of the best quarterbacks, definitely, in my opinion the NFC, the best quarterback left in the NFC in the playoffs, and they have an offense

that can put up points. They've been they've been a little bit shaky here down the stretch, but you don't certainly don't want to count them out because they have

so many playmakers on offense. So that all being said, I think the Cowboys have a good enough defense that if the offense can be a little bit better, particularly in the red zone, like you talked about it, if they can get that part to a point where it's it's more functional as Nick said, now, maybe not fixed, but at least more functional, I think they have a

good shot because the defense is a legitimate defense. If not, though, if the offense can't score some more points for them, if they can't get them to that twenty range consistently throughout the playoffs, then I don't I don't think they're gonna win very many thirteen ten games in the playoffs. I think there'll be a little more scoring than that

because these teams are pretty good. So I think that's really what it's going to come down to, is can the offense give them enough support that they can then close it out? Now, correct me if I'm wrong. Now, right now, the Cowboys have two possible opponents, Minnesota and then Seattle. Which of these two teams would you guys rather see the Cowboys face or who are you expecting out of those two for them? To face. I'll answer

that part. That's easier than to answer the expecting I expect it to be Seattle because I expect a playoff team like Seattle to beat the Cardinals, who I believe the Cardinals are fighting for the for the number one overall pick fighting right, Yeah, So, um, Seattle needs to win to be the fifth seed, and and you know Arizona needs to lose, I think to be the number one overall pick. All the cards are you know, aligned

for that to happen. I don't think the Cardinals are good enough to win, So I think it's going to be Seattle. They have to lose that game, not be the better match for the Cowboys game. That's a that's a tougher question. Um, I think, well, all things consider, here's the thing, because there is a there is a legitimate chance that the Vikings are not in the playoffs and they're replaced by the Eagles. Basically, those are the three teams that are left kind of now fighting. Seattle

is already locked up. Actually, so it's really two teams. It's Minnesota and Philly, and Minnesota has to play Chicago, which, by the way, if Chicago wins and the Rams lose, they can get a buy so they got something to play for this weekend. This is not going to be a situation where they're gonna sit everybody. That being said, if they can beat Minnesota and Philly wins against Washington, which again it's very possible, now you've got a situation

where Philly jumps into that sixth spot. And if you're asking me, who would I prefer the Cowboys to play? Between Philly and Seattle or Philly and Minnesota. Not to cut you off, Philadelphia cannot play the Cowboys this weekend. Philadelphia cannot be a team to face the Cowboys in Week one. They will not be the five. Yeah, so I'm just saying that doesn't matter. They will not play Philadelphia.

Let's it's the NFC Championship game, correct, correct now. But that's also the other thing too, is who do you want to see in that sixth spot? And that's why I was getting around too. It's not necessarily just I was taking her question and kind of going a little bit okay, but fans are asking that I don't want to face the Eagles, like you don't have to, but

but I do want. I do prefer to see the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs, because I do think they have a better shot of beating Chicago maybe the Rams, and i'd rather I'd rather have and the thing about it, but not only that, that's one of the teams that in New Orleans. Yeah, and if you win, if you keep winning, then that means that if you face the Philadelphia Eagles, I know we're way out, way ahead, but

you would actually get a home NFC championship game. So I don't think Minnesota has the ability to run the table on that side of the bracket. I do think Philadelphia could because Philadelphia is heating up at the right time of the year and we're starting to see shades of what they were last year when they went all the way to the Super Bowl. So if you're asking, if you're asking from that standpoint, yes, I'd rather see the Cowboys face Minnesota in the first round because I

think Seattle is looking really good right now. But I think that that's probably far fetched. I think Nick's right. I think Seattle wins this weekend, so it's all move point and I think Seattle ends up being the team the Cowboys play, and then I want to see Philadelphia jump into if it comes down to quarterback. I mean, I think you know, they've beaten Kirk Cousins a lot for some reason, they kind of they seem like they've got his number more so than Russell Wilson, and Russell

Wilson would be more dangerous quarterback. Good job, Nick, Yeah, thank him. More dangerous quarterback to face probably the most dangerous quarterback. What are you saying after the game that you would rather see Seattle like going up against the Cowboys playing against them. I think that that, Yes, after the game, Philadelphia was still sort of in play at that point, and you'd rather see Seattle at Philadelphia. I just don't like. And that's why I think Chicago six

versus three. If Chicago's the three and the Vikings are the six, I think that's that's important. I think the Vikings could could win that game. What'll be weird is that Minnesota plays him at home this week, would have to win, Seattle will have to lose, then they would have to play again. And also, let's let's throw this part out. Philadelphia could lose to the Redskins on the road and then Minnesota gets in even if they regardless, even if they lose, so they could be the six

facing the three at the time of those games. Is that all I know? The night game? I just I know. I know, you know, week seventeen, they put every game at noon and then and then they make changes, and I know Cowboys haven't changed. I know that the two AFC teams AFC South teams Tennessee and Indianapolis are playing the night game, and I know, I know Seattle's in the afternoon. I don't know about the Washington Washington Philly game, and I don't know about the Chicago Minnesota game, so

I don't either. Um, I'm still expecting it to be Seattle. But you know, I think the Vikings, if they get in, they you know, they got two good receivers. They got Kirk Cousins. They can throw the ball around. He hasn't had a lot of success against else and I think that the defense of Mike Zimmer coming in here, that would be kind of scary. You know, you do have some some former Cowboy coaches that are sitting there that you're probably gonna face at some point in the playoffs.

You know, we got Wade Phillips at the Rams. You got Sean Payton obviously with the Saints, and so it'll be interesting to see. Now a lot of talk about this following week about this weekend going against the Giant. Who's gonna play, should the Cowboys play their starters, and what's gonna happen there. Zeke when he talked about about it after the game, he basically said, no, we need to go out there. You know we're gonna keep playing and we all need to play. This is it doesn't

mean anything that we got in the playoffs. We still have things to prove, blah blah blah, things to work on. Now. There's a big debate going on as far as who you should play and who you should sit. We have, well, they have several injured players that probably would be good to sit out. Now. I want to get your opinions on this topic and what you would rather see happening this weekend as far as who's going to be available

on the field and who to sit out. Yeah, I've heard a lot of fans basically call this a fourth preseason game and say, you know, sit everyone. That doesn't work that way. Your roster is not ninety players. Your roster is fifty three players. You only play forty six. You can't really do that across the board. I thought it was Nate that set it after the game in the show on Monday morning, the joint show that they did in here, and he said, you know, a case

by case basis, and I agree with that. You know, I don't think you can say now if you get if too many cases are made on your offensive line, like Tyrant Smith out Zack Martin. That's the thing we talk about, the domino effect, so that that would change the case for Dak Prescott if you've changed and all that. I think this is more like a third preseason game for me, a dress rehearsal game. I think you go

out there, you're the starters, play the healthy ones. We'll talk about who practice today and who may not be in that boat. But the healthy one go out there, play and you know, a quarter or two or something, and then pull them out if you can, or pull some of them out and then they all can't come

out you can. You don't have that many backup spots. Yeah, And I think the interesting thing is how does because Garrett even said it this morning on his press conference, he said, you know, if we think all that all of our healthy guys are going to play well. My question becomes, what do you define as healthy? Because Tyren Smith, although he's playing, I don't know that ever anybody would

call him completely healthy. So what's that that that that marker that lets you say, yeah, this guy is healthy enough to play or not? Because I think it should be different. I don't know that it is for Jason because he hasn't confirmed that, but I think it should be different. Uh, depending on like this week's game versus next week's game, what you call healthy this week may not be what you call healthy next week, right when it's a playoff type atmosphere. So um, that all being said,

I'm interested to see how that plays out. I agree with Nick. I think you play everybody for a little bit. But for a guy like Tyron, for or guys like Zach that are you know, banged up and have some significant issues, I would I personally wouldn't play them at all. I give them a week of being able to mend like oh we Basically that would give them two weeks of not having to get hit at all, not having

to get torque on their bodies at all. Because to me, those guys playing at an optimal level changes the trajector of your team dramatically. I would even consider something like that for Zeke because I know, I mean, this year, it seems like Zeke is he's playing through a lot more than he does in past years, and he he just looks to me like he could do some time. And you give a running back like him two weeks, he'll be a lot more spry than he is right now.

And I want that going into the playoffs. So for me, I look at as an opportunity to see some of my young guys, but also to give these vets that I think are a little bit more banged up, give them two weeks to be able to rest them. I think, you know, you look at your key players. If this was me, I would go Zack Martin zero quarters because he I would put him out. He didn't practice today and he's been dealing with that knee injury back and forth.

I would go zero for him, Tyrn Smith one, Zeke one quarter yep, and Daki Cooper two two quarters all right, probably a half, but I would probably just go one quarter for Zeke. And and you know, I know this doesn't sound like a big deal, but I mean, I really think Jason Garrett wants to win this game for for some momentum, you know, even building into the playoffs, and you know nine and seven, you know, that's the same as what they were last year. They didn't make

the playoffs. This year they did ten and six, nine and seven. You know, just just in the NFL scope of what's a good year, it's a it's a better year, and that stuff will be used against him later on when he didn't well, he didn't finish. He's only finished with ten wins like twice. Since it's important to win, you don't want to go nine and seven. When Philadelphia goes nine and seven and you get in on tiebreak, you want to go ten and six. So I think

you in the super Bowl. Okay, Okay, nothing matters, Okay, yeah, no, I just think it matters kind of two people more than they think about keep this thing going, get get hot, going into the playoffs, and win without jeopardizing some guys that are really hurt. Now, let's take a quick break. When we come back, we'll up talking about the Cowboys and what's going on this week, the injured players and

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You mentioned, Tyrn Smith, Zack Martin, some of those guys now, Tyren Crawford. He suffered and pretty pretty nasty injury during the game. K yeahah, I mean the way it went down. And remember and this we've seen this before and this is something that makes perfect sense for the all teams and to do. But when any time of neck injury like that, it looks really bad. Because it will look bad, they're going to take the face mask off. They're not going to do anything, you know, to to jeopardize further

injury here. They're gonna take every precautionary measure possible. Um. You know, he was moving around at the end of the game, moving his neck left, left to go home before the end of the game, so he was in good spirits. He's fine. Um. I think he's going to be ready to play against them in the playoff game. He wouldn't play this week, did not wasn't did not practice. He was one of the five players I believe five players that did not practice today. David Irving obviously wasn't there.

Didn't see him. Uh, Anthony Brown, but looked pretty close. Anthony Brown looked like you moving around with a back injury. Looks pretty good working to the side, working to the side, but with helmet on, so it looks pretty good. Zack Martin was not there. Makes me think Zach Martin's not gonna play. Um this week. I just why would you know this? This is one point yeah, where you wouldn't and and you see a big difference with him. Tampa Bay game goes out there that they'd play better Indianapolis,

he wasn't there. They really struggled. He's he's a difference maker on that offensive line. I don't know if you call him the MVP, but he's very valuable. He's an All Pro multi times like that's that's five years in a row. Yeah, I mean that's you're talking about one of the best in the league, be in the league, So, which is what I think. It made a good point a few minutes ago about those are the type of

guys that changed what you're trying to do. Uh, and if they're not one hundred percent, then you need to get him at one hundred percent when it was close to it when the game matters the most. Now, we kept talking about how Tyron Crawford he's had a really good season and the things that he's able to do on the defensive line that not many people notice that much, but he's a key player to that line and he can do multiple things. He can play for you at

different spots. And when he came out of the game, we were able to see to keep seeing the line perform very well. Now, I wanted to make note of Randy Gregory and the things that he has been able to accomplish so far, which sometimes a lot of the times he's being called for penalties are up and down, up and down, But then he comes back and gives you something, so he makes a pretty balance for you.

But pre card less not necessarily a good thing. But hey, you know, but at least last game he paid off. It doesn't always work out that way. Said, he was the MVP of both teams. Right in the first half. I thought he was the MVP for the Cowboys and the Bucks. It's like the penalties are just really alarming for for the you know, the team, but mainly his penalties. It's just, you know, it just seems like he just kind of was going along. You don't hear much about

Gregory and then boom, he's just gonna do something. He just you know, doesn't really maybe have a full understanding of what some of the rules are. Not all the penalties I think have been you know, good calls. Oh, but that's that's the league. And then yeah, and that's that's the other thing. When you talk about those calls, which has been happening throughout the whole year, just making back calls. And I was talking to you about this, um, I think sometime during the game after when we weren't

headed down to the field. But as far as Randy Gregory goes some of those penalties, it's like, you can't really fault him when yeah, if he goes offsides or whatever, then yeah, that's on him. But when he gets to the quarterbacks, some of those quarterback hits, it's very debatable

and it's tough. It's tough for you to have it clear on the understanding of the things that you're supposed to do, and especially when you're trying to get to the quarterback the adrenaline rush and the things and the movement, it's hard to tell some of the calls are going to happen there. I think I think you can argue. I think you can argue the validity of the rule itself.

I don't think in this last game that unnecessary roughness or roughing the pass or whatever the call was, I don't think that was a bad call based upon the letter of the law. The letter of the rule is you can't drive, you can't land with your body weight on top of the quarterback. Now, I know that, as you said, when guys are going full speed and they're hitting a quarterback like you can question whether that's a good rule. You can question whether that's always possible, even

for guys to do or not do. But I think according to what the rule says, it says you can't come down in the quarterback with your full body weight, And to me, he came down in the quarterback with his full body weight. I think the spirit of the rule is to pick up a guy and then drive him into the ground. And I don't think you can't tackle a guy and lay on and bring him to the ground without putting your your weight on him. Not true,

Not true. We've seen I've seen guys this year. Not okay, hold on before you say that this that this is why this thing is is different. Brandy Gregory weighs two hundred and forty pounds. Jamis Winston is listed at two thirty seven. I think that's very nice for him. Um, I don't think that he weighs two thirty seven. So so to do to get the guy down, like you need to get him down, you're not you're you have to tackle him, you have to lift him. They have

to get him to the ground. Right now, you're debating the rule. Okay, I get it. The rule might be a bad rule. My point is that's how they said that they were going to call it, which is if you bring your body weight down on the whether you think you need to or not, if you bring your body weight down on the quarterback, the rule says that's a penalty. Yeah, I thought he I thought he hit the guy and he went down and they went down together,

and yeah, your body weight's gonna go on him. I thought that it was not exactly what the intention of the rule was. Wasn't the worst call in that drive, though, I mean the one later with you know, with Xavier Woods, I think it is one of the worst calls that they've had this year against them. But um, overall, penalties are an issue and and and there, and that's the one thing that's setting back that I think this defense

is those undisciplined and definitely untimely penalties. And you have to play and you know, you have to play to them to what the rules are. But you know, I don't think Xavier Woods is going to change what he's doing. He shouldn't, you know. And that's the thing you almost have to in today's NFL when you're coaching your defense, you almost have to accept that there are going to be some of those penalties and that's why again I don't have I don't necessarily have a problem with Randy

for that penalty. I do think it was again according to the rule, I think it was the right call. But I think that as a defense, you just have to know they're gonna be sometimes you're gonna get those calls. Same thing with Xavier Wood. You're gonna get those calls

because the league has made it a priority. We're trying to protect quarterback, to protect receivers that aren't looking like all these things they've they've now kind of put built this into the game that that's the that's their priority. And so if that's the case, you don't want you guys not being aggressive on defense because that's what makes a good defense. So you just have to accept the fact that sometimes those penalties are going to go against you. You just have to suck it up and move on.

I kind of feel like it's a guy that just walks into like the zoo, like where the tigers are and just was just kind of walking around. I'm not really paying attention, you know, and then he gets like mauled and you're like, well, like, you know, why are you defenseless? Well, you know, like I'm a defenseless We'll get the hell out of the damn cage. Like I'm not trying to discriminate against guys like like humphriese Beasley.

They've had a really good career. It's great that you can be in the league and play at one hundred and sixty five pounds or whatever. But I do think that it's kind of a hockey situation that's going on here is how the penalty, how the play looked, is

what determines us to throw. Because you got hit hard and you went flying you that shouldn't necessarily be but you have to admit that it did look like and I think on the replay we kind of saw it and said maybe that wasn't the case, but it looked like because of the way it's heads snapped, it looked like his the crown of Xavier's helmet may have hit

him in the face. Mask. Now, I think when we saw an review again, it looked like, oh, it really didn't actually make contact, But when you saw it in bang bang, it looked like because it waves his head snap, it looked like he got hit in the head. So that's how the things called right raps are watching it lot down there and then when we get the luxury to watching it from up cup and then seeing the replay on TV and seeing how that you play actually

played out. So it's different. But college football has figured out a way to make it targeting a reviewable play. Why why is the NFL not doing the same thing, you know, honestly, and I know this is there's a

lot that would have to be worked out. I really want to get to the day when the NFL has somebody or a group of guys that sit in the press box or sit somewhere else and they're watching this thing on television and they're making the calls from there, Like, why why are we in a day of technology now?

Why are we in a day of technology still forcing guys to be standing at phil level where you know, at fil level you can't see everything, and letting them call a game, rather than having a guy that's just focused on the offensive lineman that's watching a screen that can hit a button, and when they hit a button, somebody on the field can say, Okay, flat goes out,

there's a penalty. Here is the penalty. But that to me is a smarter way of calling games and it's gonna be way more accurate than having guys down on the field having to make those coins. And if that play is Mike Evans, if Mike Evans catches that ball over the middle for different reasons, that is not going to be a penalty. Number one, he's a lot taller, so you're not Probably Zavier Woods is not gonna hit him in the head. He's gonna hit him in the shoulder.

Maybe what I'm sure Evans is still gonna go down because that was such a forceful hit. Nice, but he's not gonna he was hit like at the fifteen and I think he went back to I mean, Humphreys landed a like around midfield maybe like I mean, it was not that far, but I mean he went back ten yards. I don't you're gonna do that. And I think that that's what forced the officials to be like, well, this has gotta be a penalty. I mean, the guy might

be dead, so it's gotta be a penalty. That's that's the thing that you know, I think hockey officials refs do that on on what looks bad. What you know, if there's blood, oh that must be real, you know, whatever, it didn't look bad. It did look bad because the hit it really didn't look like because he looks like he plays junior high football. That's why, and that's why

it's not it's not Davier Woods's fault. Yeah, I agree, but but yeah, I mean, just because Rudy's out here playing doesn't mean another movie y'all probably haven't seen, but Rudy and Hoosiers there's probably like a two pack DVD blue ray you can get. Well, we talked about what the Mac? What's the all right, that's my point is what the Mac? Stick with your Hoosiers? What's the Mac? It's a great movie, really great movie. Go look it up.

Return of the Man. All right? Okay, Well, we talked about Randy Gregory's penalties and another guy that has been pretty constant as far as penalty goes is who would it be? Yes, Tyren Smith? Now, what are some of the things that we've been able to see him from the field a few times towards the end of the game. Keep just keep holding, just keep doing what he's doing. Just take whatever. I mean, it's unfortunate, but he kind

of you know. Flozell Adams was a false start machine at left tackle for almost every game right he got about won a game, and he was also a five time Pro bowler a left tackle, and better than him. Tyrn is better than him. He does have to figure out the whole I mean, because the while he has been blocking, they are calling that as a as a penalty, and that's kind of what he's done for you. Which is kind of interesting because this last game, one of

those holding calls, his hands were inside. Now I know that they a lot of times you'll hear guys talking about it. That the way it's taught is if your hand to get outside, and the ref sees your hands outside and the guy's lateral movement is limited, then they're

gonna say, well, that was holding. But if you get your hands inside, which if you look at offensive line play throughout the league, almost every single play you see the offensive lineman he's trying to get his hands inside, and once he gets inside, he locks in and usually grabs the opposing player by the by their jersey or by their shoulder pads in the front with their hands inside. That's how you play offensive line. So for him to get called for holding on that kind of play, that's

what was a little bit weird. To me, because his hands weren't outside, they were inside. And to me, that happens again every single play, and that's how you're taught to play offensive line. That's how you get That's why guys are hand fighting because they don't want to let that offensive lineman actually lock in inside. Because you do that, you can't get off the yeah, you can't get off the yeah. I think it's become a little bit problematic, but I mean he's you're fine with taking it. I mean,

it's kind of like the Gregory thing. I mean, it's just it's you have to be able to produce and you know, yeah, well it's I mean, it offsets it on the defensive side because of the way that the defense is playing, it kind of balances it off. But when it comes to the offense point, the penalty is that tyre and get to Lyle. Those are big time ones and that could end up costing me a lot. This offense doesn't need any set when they get down there. You're right, and so far they haven't been too bad.

In the Indianapolis game, they probably missed the field goal opportunity because of that. Was that the Indianapolis game, No, No, it was it was a home game. Actually, I forgot exactly. It might have been the Philadelphia game where the mahar mistrol forty seven yard or and they had a couple of plays on tire and that pushed him back. But you know, he should have had one more because if you can push him back into the fifty seven to sixty range, Maher's money, you know. And we'll talk about

him when we come back after this final break. We'll talk about mister Brett Maher and his kick game. While the player could look good on paper, it's when he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you should rely on more than just specs and features. You've got to take

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at Stetson dot Com today. Back to the break at three and five, in the middle of the season, the Cowboys obviously made it a few adjustments to turn things around, and that's what teams need to do the middle of the season, middle of the game. Whatever adjustments the middle of the day. It's not a good time for guys to be making adjustments. You want to be able to just be pretty good down there from start to finish. Don't have to shift things around. Tommy John assures that

you won't have to do that. They've got the best underwear in the world. It feels like you've got nothing on, no need for any kind of adjustments. As they say on the website, when you're uncomfortable, we're all uncomfortable. Tommy John dot Com off you first order gets the best underwear in the world. You know. One of our listeners hit me up yesterday on Twitter and was like, oh, wife, got the message. You got the Tommy John for Christmas. I was like, that's a that's a win, that's a win. Yeah,

that's definitely on. Some people got Tommy John and my family for Gootmas. They got they got pretty excited. I don't know, but but it's good stuff. It's good stuff. If it's very nice material, I'll say that very comfortable. Now, before we went on break, we mentioned Brett Maher, a guy that Nick was ready to I was ready to cut last week. No, you started talking about that last week, Yes, you did. It's on record. No, we don't need to pull it back, say to cut the guy you mentioned it.

We and then when you say, well, who are you gonna bringing? Okay, well we don't know. Well there's a lot of other guys in the market. Well blah blah blah. But you didn't mention that. Now that's not up for debate. I just want to say that Brandma Hurt did win NFC Special Teams Player off the Week and this has been the second time that he wins that this year. So why are you looking at me like that? Does this change your mind? Do you see Brandma Hurt any

differently after him winning this title this week? All right, they got they're playing Seattle. They're playing Seattle, and they're down seventeen to sixteen, and they're driving and they have a forty seven yard field goal to win the game. Are you comfortable that he's gonna make it? No? I mean, that's the thing. Are you comfortable that the offense is gonna score six points? Are you comfortable that Dak is gonna make a past? You're not very comfortable throughout the game.

That's just how it is right now. I understand, I understand and I'll go back, and you know, I challenge you to find that where I said that they need to cut him. I never said that because I don't I'm with you. I don't know who's out there. But what I'm saying is he's on the thin ice. And if he had if he did not play well in this last game. Yeah, he was a player of the week, congratulations. If he missed two kicks against Tampa Bay, they probably

would have found someone else. He's at that point. I think he's got a little bit more leeway now, especially going into New York whatever happens there. I don't think they're gonna make a change. But there was a time, and everyone knows this two or three weeks ago, that if he did not pull himself out of this, he was going to be replaced. But he has No one's comfortable about anything that he's doing. But it is what

it is. And yeah, I agree. I mean, you're not comfortable about anything right now unless you're unless you're wearing Tommy John John, then you are comfortable. But other than wearing Tommy John, you're not that comfortable. But here's the other thing that I think keeps him, keeps him from being replaceable right now, right now, And that could change next week, but right now, and that is the fact that he's hitting these longer ones. So if he's a little bit shaky, as you said, at that forty seven

yard mark, I might be a little bit nervous. He's roll him out there for a sixty yarder, fifty eight yard, which is I feel I actually feel more confident in those because I think Rob said it during the game this last week. Those aren't pressure kicks, like if you miss it, no one cared. Everybody's like, well, that's a fifty eight yard or it's a sixty two yarder. It is what it is now. If it's for the game, if it's to win the game, then that's a little

bit different. But if it's just you know, at the end of the half and you're just taking a shot because that's all you can do, yes, I feel like he'll go out and nail that kick regularly. I don't even I don't feel nearly as as nervous about that

as I would have forty five yarder. I agree in the middle at the end of a half, but I don't think if you're sitting on the forty one yard line with, you know, twelve minutes to go in the second quarter and he in your ear at home and you have a chance for a fifty eight fifty nine

yard field goal. I don't like that. I wouldn't try that, even though I know he can make it, yeah, because the ball will be right there at midfield percentage, just say that's not a smart play, right, So so while into the half you have a little you know, in an end of half, end of games, you don't have to get as far as other kickers might because of his leg. I don't think it changed as much in the middle of the game. I don't think you still want to be trying fifty eight fifty nine yard field

goal so far. It was the one where he almost missed it this weekend nine but it was but it was yeah, And that wasn't like right at the end of the half because the Bucks went scored a touchdown. So you know, you could make the case there that that you know he made a fifty nine yarder, but would you if you would have punted and pinned them down there, you probably would have saved four points. Because I don't know if Tampa drives that whole way. I didn't actually didn't like the call to go for it

at that moment in the game. I was like, I was like, the potential, the chance that he doesn't get it, it's too great to give them the ball where they would have gotten it on a day when I feel like they really didn't have a hard time moving the ball. They were they were bogging down a little bit. I mean, I feel like their offense had some big had some big plays. I would have wanted to force them to drive the entire field, because I did think they would

drop the entire fields. I'm with you. I would have probably tried to you know, it's it'll be a case by case basis on each kick where they are, you know, and and if you have to, you know, there's really only Chicago would be the only place you'd have to play where you would really be kind of worried about weather, right, I mean yeah, I mean all the others are either indoor or nice weather. Yeah, I mean, you know, so

it'll be interesting to see. I don't think you you you replace him, um, but but I you know, it's a little shaky, but you know, give him credit when when he's kind of like Dak in the way. As soon as you think that it's not gonna you know, like, Okay, this isn't good, or you know, then he comes Basha this watch a few of those guys. Huh yeah, well we're running out of time. But I wanted to make sure we talked about Shaun Lee. A few weeks ago. He did, went back to the game, played a few snaps, uh,

nothing major, nothing remarkable. Then coming back after that game, he showed up once again on the on the practice report with the hamstring. Now this past weekend, the Cowboys did decide to set him out and this started raising a lot of questions about his future. Once again, what is going to happen with him? Have we seen the end of Seawan Lee? Or do you guys, guys expect the Cowboys to throw him back in there at some

point before the end of the season. Oh. What Jason Garrett said was the injury to Anthony Brown kind of forced the trickle down effect. Jordan Lewis had to play more, and maybe they put a little bit, you know, a different special teams guy in there, Darius Jackson. But and I believe that, and I still think there's a chance for Sean Lee to play in a game where you could have that guy as a backup. But I think that that goes to show that he won't be back

next year. It's definitely for that that price. Won't be back as a player next year for that price. And so I just I just feel like if you're a healthy scratch that doesn't that doesn't bode well for you next year when you make you know, when they can save I think three or four or five million dollars or some of them doesn't. Doesn't you know mean that I think he's going to be on the team next year. I mean that's as simple as that. If he's because you were trying to win the division, you need to

go out and beat Tampa Bay. You need all hands on dad, and Sean Lee was healthy enough to play and didn't. I think he's not gonna play. I think the interesting thing that if you go back to last year when they couldn't do anything on defense while he was out, if you had that team and you were in that situation, yeah, there is no doubt unless the hamstring was off the bone, he was not playing right

pretty much. But this is a situation where they had the flexibility and this that's the great thing about where they are right now, these two young linebackers, they have the flexibility to say, well, you know, if Sean isn't one, if he's feeling a little something on that hammy, let's just sit him and let's just have him for the playoffs and if we can use him in the playoffs.

I still believe if they if Sean Lee plays in the playoffs, he'll have at least one play that's wow, that was a great play, because I think that's the kind of player Sean Lee is. He's gonna give him something, and so I think they feel like we'd rather get that something from him in a playoff type scenario because we find our other two guys they can handle the load, they can do this, and they can do it well even without Sean. So there's no point in even putting

him out there. If he's sensing a little something's going on with that hamstring, just let him sit and hopefully by the time we get to the playoffs he's one. He can go out there and he can give us that one or two plays that may make the difference in the game. You know, it's so sad to me, it's so sad, like you're literally losing all those older players that you've had here and just finishing up the whole reconstruction. Yeah, it does happen quickly. Now, that is

all the time we have for today. Thank you guys so much for tuning in. For Derek Eagleton, Nick Iman, and Burgercia. This has been the break on Das Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. How about this? Till there