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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.
Welcome back to another episode of The Break presented by LG. Today, I am taking over the show. Derek is somewhere on the road or on the fly. I think, yeah, he's going to the game playing hooky if you will.
Yes, he's playing hooky. That's right. Good call.
So today we're gonna handle the show. We got Nick and then Brian and I wanted to start the show. Obviously, we're gonna play some games, which, by the way, we're bringing back every Friday. I'll be bringing back a game presented by Yetty, so that's gonna be fun. And then Brian has another game for us as well, and we're gonna get into the game and all the shin inny
games for the weekend. But to start off the show, we did just hear not too long ago, Jerry Jones, he was on the one oh five point three, the fin and basically the things that's surrounding and circulating around social media at the moment is just a very simple quote that he said. He said, I won't be discussing anything at all about Dak's business or contract at this particular time. I think many of us believed or thought
that the contract put could potentially happen. Earlier this week they got done Citie Lamb, and then we thought that soon after Dak's contract would come along. So I just wanted to bring back the conversation and see where you think the Cowboys currently stand with this whole contract negotiation with Dak.
Yeah, you pair what Jerry said on the fan this morning with what Stephen Jones said on San Antonio Sports Star yesterday, and they are being a lot more guarded about these negotiations right now. And if you call back to when other deals have gotten done, this is typically the kind of rhetoric that comes around right before that those deals do happen. So where there is smoke, is there fire. I still feel personally in my soul that this does not get done. Will I be wrong? Very
very highly likely? Who knows? I just I don't see why Dak Prescott would get this done right now unless he just doesn't want that burden over, you know, overbearing throughout the entire season. But every time I get a notification, I'm looking at my phone. I mean, it's it's you know, I am on high alert at this point. I think if a deal is not reached by Sunday, though, I think maybe we look towards the bye week, and then if a bye week deal is not done, then we're looking towards the off season.
Yeah, I've I was trying to recall the fourteen years of working in this organization, and the one thing that I took from Stephen Jones not saying anything is he doesn't want to do anything to harm maybe negotiations this time. It's very critical things you say in the media might be taking the wrong way, and so you have to be really careful of that. So when Stephen goes quiet, I usually feel like it he's got something close. Jerry
going quiet, I think they've got something close here. So wouldn't be surprised if we all wake up on Sunday morning a guy like Jay Glazer on Fox, hopefully with somebody from Dallas Cowboys dot Com has the story going up. You know first that he signed, but I have a feeling it's where if it's it's gonna happen, it's going to happen this weekend. If it's going to happen, and I guarantee it'll be some guy like Jay Glazer who has a relationship with the Joneses, has a relationship with
Mike McCarthy. You know, he'll be the first one. All of a sudden, Fox will boom, here's your here's your news, and away we go. Nick. I do agree with what you've said though about Dak if there's a reason, you know why, you know, why carry it this far and not go into free agency and see you know where you're at. He's always bet on himself. He's always had success that way. But if you're always interested in reading tea leaves, this is the way that Jones is kind
of operate. They'll kind of just they'll shut things down conversationally, you know, in the media, and then you'll probably get your result either we got it done or back decided that he's going to let this thing roll until March.
So the consensus is, you guys feeling that if it doesn't happen, this weekend. At some point it will most likely not happen, even though he could potentially steal.
Dak did speak on that yesterday and he said those those two can continue working. I will continue working. And you know, it's not necessarily a deadline. I'm calling it a soft deadline because yes, they can still t walk after that first week of the season starts. They can ramp up conversations during the bye week, but ultimately, at the end of the day, if you don't get something done before the season, you don't want to get back in the weeds of these conversations while the season is
going on, while different dynamics are going on. There could be a lot of different nuances that happen during the season. I mean, who's to say that, you know, this team doesn't start off strong and then those conversations just completely go away. So in my eyes, yes, if it does not get done before Sunday, then we're looking towards free agency.
All right, Well we're gonna ask they are on our tunnels and keep looking at our phones notification.
I just if it's gonna happen, I could say, we always have these guys like the Shifters and and wrap reports that break it. Jake Lazer, he's he's due for a bomb and he's got he's got friendship. I say, what do you know?
What do you know?
What do I know?
Yeah?
What do you know over there?
Brian? Oh? I just I just know how, I just know, I know I know connections of people, right, Okay? And you know, Jake Laser, what better to open? You know? Open? You know? I think Fox has got the game tonight, right, don't they have it?
We're not Peacock Peacock tonight.
Peacock tonight. Okay, So it's so Fox is gonna you know, here we are Tom Brady National, all this kind of you know, hooplah, this is going to be a Jay Glazer bomb. Get ready, it's gonna be you know, I'm just gonna report here the Dak Prescott's under count, you know. And that's and that's what's so I would be it's gonna be a it's gonna be a race. It's if it happens, it's gonna be a race between Glazier, Schefter and then Rappaport. I think there, I think if I
had to handicap who has better insight? I would I Rappaport has really good insight, but I think he's got connections within, he's got the head coach, and he's also got the joneses. That's probably not good for me to like, but I'll point these things out because when these guys do report stuff, you believe it because I mean, it's not just you know, some guys gals might just throw stuff out there and you're just kind of like it's got novalidity to it, you know, or where did they get this.
There's been a couple of those this week.
Yeah, there's been a couple of those where we've had to circle back and and you know, you guys have done a great job, though Nick and the media of like, and you don't want to you don't want to bash on somebody else's report, but if it's not accurate and you're like, wait a minute, and then you go to the source, say you go to Dak Prescott and you say, hey,
this is now. You guys have open locker room opportunities to go up to me and say, hey, wait a minute here in this is this Because to me, it didn't seem like the right thing with the Cowboys, Cowboys wanting a short term deal.
Really it didn't make sense.
Well, what do you think is the main hold up here? The years? The money?
I think it's the years. I think it's the years. And we'll see if if Dallas and before Dallas has always wanted long. Of course you want long. Every team wants long. Dallas is trying to stagger these contracts. That's
been a problem for them unfortunately. I mean, they draft well, their players play well, they're players deserve contracts, and so when all of a sudden, it when you've got three contracts in a row that you're trying to navigate and you didn't stagger them, that that's a little bit of a that's you know, that's some bad luck along the way. But I just kind of feel like though that that
they need They need years. You need years to spread it out to maybe give you the opportunity to have that ability to say, Okay, this contract, this year, this contract, next year, three years from now, this contract, you know, instead of when they come all together then boy, that's it. That's a difficult way to have to deal, but it's it's part of the And I don't think you can call it a curse because if you draft well and
you have top players at those positions. That's you know, that's something you want to have.
I could see an avenue towards, you know, these two sides sitting down at the table and being able to figure out why it does make sense for both sides. Yeah, if you're the Cowboys perspective, you're looking at it and you're saying, hey, we got a lot of guys we're gonna have to pay here pretty soon, and we have
a lot of guys on expiring contracts as well. Would they rather be dealing with this DAK conversation right when free agency starts next year or would they rather have that number already solidified in mind so that they can go into free agency and they can worry about DeMarcus Lawrence Brandon Cooks also to use you with Jordan Lewis,
Zach Martin if he wants to come back. I think if they know what the DAK picture looks like at that time, then they could focus on bringing those guys back, and that's something that they could take them negotiation table, even though it is something that they have to figure out. They could bring that to DAK and be like, look, if you want the best case for these guys to
still be around. The best case scenario is that this deal gets done now so that we have six months before we can figure out what to do and bring these guys.
Yeah, this was something I think that we talked about. I don't know if we were doing show might have been shows there and OX started, we kind of were I'm saying, listen, I would bring Dak in and I'd say, listen, you're gonna win. You're going to win this negotiations. You have all the leverage. We don't have a tag, we don't have a trade opportunity, we don't have a lot of things. You know, you're you're playing at a high level second MVP. You're gonna win. Okay, how bad do
you want to win? How bad do you? And I would have I would have and it's probably maybe it's possible, maybe it's not, but I would have brought him in and shown him a spreadsheet and said, listen, this is what our team would look like if you take this. This is what our team would look like if you
took this. You know, and I'm not I'm not asking you to give us a break, but I'm just showing you what this potentially could look like if you want this number, and you know, some quarterbacks would look at it and say, well, damn, I don't want a quarterback a team that's just a shell of itself. You know, I don't want. I mean, you know, I need blockers, I need receivers. You got your receivers signed up. You know you're gonna have. You've got a couple of your
offensive linemen signed up. You got a couple of young offensive linemen. You don't have to sign for a while. But I would have. I would point out that, like, yeah, you're gonna win, but how bad do you want to win? And I mean when the negotiations of that maybe and it's and it's our fault. Yeah, we've got all these deals we have to do. We admit it. It's we've got this. This is what we have to do. But I would have.
I don't always wonder how much of the sponsorships and commercials and things like that come into play. Yeah, you're trying to nego because that's not a certain guaranteed thing either, but it's a big thing. When you're wearing the star and the helmet and you're the Dallas Cowboys quarterback.
I think that would be different if he was maybe going into his second country. I agree, going into his third, He's so established by this point. I don't think advertising is going to be a problem with it's because if you look at it, if he goes to a new city, that's just morey. Yeah, yeah, I think I don't think that should be factored in.
As I think the fact that he has got such a pristine personality I say personality record. He's not one of these guys that you have to worry about him off the field stuff, you know, new Dad, He's he's a kind of spokesman you want. You don't have to worry about him driving one hundred and twenty miles an hour on the whole way and slamming into somebody or something like that.
You know.
Yeah, But that's that's saying his his his his, you know his. He's pristine. When you start to talk about ads, and that's always going to be something. Whether it's yogurt, sleep, number beds, whatever he has to promote, he is going to do it and people are going to enjoy it. Now, I'll disagree with you on one thing. Does does marketing him as a Tampa Bay buccaneer or New Orleans Saint have the same luster that a Dallas Cowboy would because of the fan base.
Yeah, probably not, but I'm saying those opportunities would probably still present them.
He'll still have the opportunities, but it's not gonna.
Be for sure.
But he'll be different because I've done I've been in that world of like you're doing modeling and commercial and all of that, so it would be different. He will still be making money and and getting contract and deals like that outside of that. But either way, that's uh, that's completely different than.
It's it's very new. It's very lucrative for him, though it is. It's very it's very loose.
Location I think does matter for sure when it comes to that kind of income in marketing and stuff.
Like that, unless to the Jets, the Giants or someplace like that.
The Rams Vegas.
Vegas could be another one.
See that's another one.
No, No Vegas could be absolutely. I mean you look what you look what the Vegas. What what Mark Davis has done with the Aces, the basketball team, his ladies basketball team. Those ladies are given money to be the face of you know, promoting the Las Vegas area. You know, their team is going out and they're paying. You know, I think it does make a difference. So like to say, him as a him as a promoter for the New Orleans Saints is a lot different than Hi, I'm Dak Prescott,
quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. That to me, I always remember Sean Payton tell me this, he goes listen broad Us. You know when you coach this football team, they know your name in China. You know that not a lot. There's not a lot of places that that that's that's the case. You know this this is a worldwide stage that you're on at this place.
I can almost guarantee you if he did end up in a different place with a lower luster for advertising possibilities.
Which he's gonna make money, contract.
Fair, but nine times out of ten that's probably going to be the case whenever you leave Dallas. But he has an agent that is really good at finding those.
Oh no, there's no question, Todd.
France will you can almost guarantee if Dak is like, Okay, hey, if I sign this, you need to get to work with this company, this company, that company I wanted to discount double check, like, let's just have some fun over here. But I think all in all. I was talking about this with Bobby Belt last night actually, and just get back. I know it's tough, and I was trying to call a high school game and we were just like exchanging
texts and I was like third, third down. But anyway, I think there are a couple of things wanting to keep him in Dallas term. I think it's the locker room. I think there are some guys in that locker room that he truly just wants to be able to win with. He mentioned yesterday in his press availability, he said if winning a Super Bowl anywhere else would not mean the same as winning it here. He said, he wants to
be the QB that wins it here. I think that's something that wants that he wants to keep here for himself. And then three, he is established here, like you said, he's a new dad. He's got this a new place up in North Dallas. I mean he's built the backyard. He has been established in this community over the course of the last eight years. How difficult is it to
uproot all of that? Not really that difficult, But at the end of the day, he'd have to be comfortable going into a new locker room, taking over as a leadership in a new locker room, and like he said, winning it in a different place, it wouldn't be the same as winning it here. And how much has he truly believed that at the end of the day, whenever the dollar bills are in front of him?
So well, you shall see. We're gonna keep playing this waiting game and see if, when and if it actually happens before the free agency starts. Let's take our first break. When we come back, we're gonna get into enact this for the game, and then we're gonna getting to what did I say your segments call.
Brian Tough Questions with Brian Tough.
Questions with Brian broad Us.
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Thank you, Nick. Welcome back to the second segment, presented by blockchain doc.
Yes in the ding in the Ding Ding Ding Ding.
Okay, so we're gonna talk about the inactives for the game or what we predict those are gonna be. But before we start, uh, looking at the practice report, the injury report. I did see Kaylene Carson. He popped up on there. He was a full participant. But it's still something that you're like, whoa hold on what? He popped up with a knee injury, but again full participant.
What have you heard, Nick, Yes, so knee injury for Kaylen Carson, Like you said, full participant. We were able to see him in the locker room after afterward, and he, uh, he was walking around fine, He looked fine, and he actually said he was more worried about a finger that he was dealing with. He he had kind of jammed a finger during during practice, but that's it was not a concern by any means. And then we got into talking about the Browns. So he's he's ready to go
on Sunday. He's talking about, you know, being able to have that opportunity to start in his rookie debut and take that forward. But something to keep an eye on, I think going forward. And if you're looking at the depth of that cornerback room, maybe a couple of guys that are looking around saying okay, I need to be ready to go.
So well, everybody else on the list looks healthy other than John Stevens. We already talked about him yesterday. So what are you expecting the list of inactives to be? This is just more that's a fun game. I guess that we tend to do on Fridays. Yeah, ahead of the game, what's your list, Brian.
I went this way. I went floor nooy Stevens because of the hamstring injury. Lance is your third quarterback? Well let's go. Wat put Duce Fawn on the on the down list in this first game. So got Duce Fawn inactive and now my final spot was either going to be Buddy Johnson or Mazzie Smith, and I'm going to go with boys is going to kill everybody. I'm gonna go with Mazzie Smith as the inactive Okay, am I getting Am I doing right? Am I doing wrong?
We won't know until Sunday. I'll tell you what my list. Yeah, I do like your list. I think i'd go with Buddy instead of Mazzi. Okay, but I see where I see your lineup thinking there. The only thing is, I think Mazzie starts, you really, I do. I do, And I think I think.
I see your lineup thing. But actually I think he's gonna start.
I think he starts. But I understand where you're coming from with that, because I think Mazzie's gonna get the opportunity here early in the season on early downs, and Lindvall is gonna have to earn it a little bit. I think he will. I think he will.
All right, Yeah, I had it as I thought, because I thought they would start Linnville Joseph in this game, and you know him, and you know Phillips is the backup three, right correct. It's so you're gonna go with Mazzie and Osa inside of the tackles right, and then that would be are you going to start as the rookie is is neeling gonna start it right in?
Probably not okay, that would be that would be where DeMarcus Lawrence is in.
So you're gonna play You're gonna play Lawrence at right in.
I'm sorry, DeMarcus Lawrence at left in and then you're having mic over there.
Rchah, we play the right see, because see Micah was talking about that zimmer He's like, he asked Zimber about
you know that six technique. That sixth technique is you know, that's the guy that plays in the outside eye of the of the tackle and he and it sounds like that Micah was more interested in, like, listen, I'll play over there if you have to, if I have to play, But he was also saying no, he would like to play some inside technique, you know, stand up, you know, kind of play over the centers and the guards and
things like that. And I didn't know how much of that six technique, of that outside that edge technique that he was going to have to play.
Yeah, I think that's valid. I think Nyland still does get quite a bit of reps in this game. I think if you're looking at Marshaw Nieland and you're looking at Demarvin Overshown, I think those are two guys that are gonna have very similar snapcouts coming out of this week and probably in I would guess like the twenty five to thirty five range.
I would imagine so as well, because you got other guys that him play in there and like help them out and not put so much pressure on either of those two guys. But I do have a hard time I agree with your list, Brian, but I have a hard time imagining that they would just completely sit Mazzi.
Well, okay, what where do we see? What? What was Mazzi towards the end of training camp? You know, it was like it was we had the we had the allergy problem. We didn't play in the final game or the second game or the second game. Yeah, I mean, you know, I mean, was it was it? Were they bubble wrapping him or was that just I'm saying it's legitimate stuff. Likely, I just didn't get the vibe that he was going into the start of the season with
a lot of momentum. I agree with you and so I you know, to me if you're just if you're just doing this because Mozzie Smith was the first overall pick or not first for first round pack? Yeah, sorry my first overall pick, but your first round pick. Man and you and you mentioned the word earn it, Lynnville Joseph has to earn it, and I'm I'm sitting like, well did the starter earn it? Did the guy that we're talking about starting earn this agree with you?
I'm not sure they do?
Okay, Well, they never agree with me the last time. I mean, seriously, I get text messages that tell me they hate me. So I mean it's it's okay.
I think one potential flip that we could see on your list there. I like your list top to bottom. I think one potential flip we could see is maybe Israel mcwalmu instead of do Swan. I think that's potential.
So you had you would you guys think Booth over mcwalmu.
I think he would want the outside death more than.
The inside death. See. The thing I worry about is in Djoku the tight end. How do you how are you going to treat him in this game?
That's fair?
Are you going to treat him with The one thing I thought with is he is he's got length, Is he's competitive? Is he will tackle? You know Booth? Booth is competitive too, and I understand the outside stuff with him, but I was a little bit more nervous about Booth when people were taking him vertically down the field and stuff like that. And that's the one thing that if you look at the Browns that they got a little bit better at. Was throwing that ball down the field that way?
Well, the beauty of Mike zimmer defense, you probably have a linebacker that can step up for a Joku. Now you got the Marris Luafoul or the Demarve and overshown that could that could step for him with well, step with him in coverage.
Is there any chance they don't dress one of these safeties like this wan Yer Thomas, And I'm sorry I should have looked at wan Ye Thomas, who's our personal protector on punt.
Yeah, he has been in the past. It's been a different guy every preseason game. Feel a different guy.
Yeah, that's what That's what I was a little bit worried about.
Is proven to be super valuable on specialty?
Yeah, I would think so too.
And the way Belle playing the preseason, I'd be surprised if he's in an active guy. I think they activate all four safeties. I think if you're looking at a dB, i'd say.
Good when they're and then get yourself in trouble.
I'd be looking at Mubu before I'd be looking at booth.
Well, that is an area that they're gonna have to I mean, have a lot of guys to stepping in.
Help for sure.
So let's switch it up and now let's step into your little game that you have for us.
Brian.
It wasn't tough questions. It was more questions that make you think.
By Brian. Thank you very much, Amber, I appreciate that, Nick oh oh. Last night, we saw in the game that that could have been a tie game at the end Baltimore. You know it came down to a toe touch that could have been a kick, the extra point, go to overtime. Same situation, Dallas Cleveland, Dallas gets the ball. Scores. Do you think Mike McCarthy goes for two in this game?
Do I think Mike McCarthy goes for two.
Mike McCarthy's got a shot, he's down, he's down, he's down seven and he's got a shot to go for the win. Do you feel like that he's going for the win on the road in Week one?
Does this also mean that the quarterback ran for one hundred and twenty five yards in that game?
Anything you want, anything, you want to do to get the same. But the question is, does Mike McCarthy go for two in that situation if it was his team to go for the win?
I think he's factoring in what's happened during the game, like does he have a play that can work from three yards out?
Or has his defense just been gassed and they're not gonna and you play in overtime and you're not gonna you're gonna get, You're gonna give out.
I'll tell you what. If it's that same exact situation, Mike McCarthy is the head coach of the Ravens. In that situation, he's going for two. Anybody would be going for two in that situation because the quarterback, the quarterback and the running back that you have, and the red zone threats that you have Isaiah likely Mark Andrews.
And how about the fact that we all we've been talking about all week how Cleveland's not very good in the red zone. Yeah, you know that's an issue. They're really good on third down defense in the field, but you get him in the red zone, they give it up.
So, I mean, one thing, McCarthy, he's shown not to be afraid to go for two.
He'll do that.
He's done that before they've tried, but it typically happens earlier on in the game. He's had this whole thing where he'd rather find out find out earlier then rather than later. So with that being said, I mean, and I can still see him making the decision too, but dang, yeah, yeah, I'll give it to him. I could see him doing it.
I I think he kicks it.
I do.
I think he kicks it in places for overtime. But there's always the rule like when you're on the road, you go for the win, right, and then that's like the coaches, But then all of a sudden you're thinking, oh, go for the win, and then they the next thing. You know, you see this.
It depends how confident you feel about your team.
Well, you've driven the ball, you know. He's probably thinking, well, if I could get the if I can win the toss, then maybe I can get the ball, but everybody gets a shot here.
Now, I'll tell you what if you could go for two by kicking a fifty five yard field goal, Brandon Auberty would be out there for fifty five yards.
Every single time. Hey, g another Mike McCarthy question. How aggressive do you think he'll be on fourth downs in these games? Remember we've always kind of with Mike. It's always like, God, why is he going for it here? And then they get You're like, oh, okay, good, you know, and then you know, just how aggressive do you think he'll be in week one with his fourth down calls?
I mean, there's so many different factors here that I'm
trying to think of. I would expect him to be very aggressive and like try to set the tone and go in like because again we talk about the pressure around this year, you have to that starts week one, So I can't imagine him just being very aggressive with every single play and going for it and hopefully hopefully we can establish the running game and that can come into a big play there, and these running backs can help and make you feel more confident when making those decisions.
So I would say he starts off trying to be very aggressive.
Nick eighteenth. The Cowboys were in third day or excuse me, fourth down conversion conversions.
But how many they have They had to be one of the top teams with that, weren't they.
So they had twenty three attempts. Like I said, eighteenth in the eighteenth in the NFL. This is just a horrible, horrible list. I'm looking at right here. We'll come back to this, I think. I think again it's somewhere in the middle of the pack, because I feel like there were times last year where they were in the middle of the field and it was fourth and three and they're kicking it and I'm like, what are we doing? You know, there's an opportunity here.
That's where I think. I'm like, you have what are we doing now?
Now?
It's either you win or lose a type of situation, so freaking go for it.
Yeah, it's a full of a coin sometimes I feel Yeah, Nick, I got another question for you.
Throw it at me.
Are you worried about the crowd being a problem in this game?
Yeah? Absolutely. I think just the environment overall. You're gonna get that lake wind. It's it's an outdoor games wind. It's on grass. This is a different environment. I think the dog Pound is a little bit more amped going into this year than they have been in recent years for obvious reasons. And they have a healthy, somewhat quarterback, and they're getting a somewhat healthy running back back in a few weeks. There's a lot of excitement around Cleveland.
I think this is going to be a pretty big crowd. I think it's going to be probably one of the bigger home dominant crowds that they see all season. I mean, you'll see Pittsburgh in a few weeks. That'll obviously be a big challenge in its own right. But other than that, most road environments that this team goes and plays in, you see a lot of cowboys, a.
Lot of cowboy They're not going to give up their tickets.
I don't think that's going to be the case here in Cleveland. I don't think so.
Ag crowd gonna be a problem for this one.
I'm not one to worry a whole lot about crowds, to be honest, that's not something that I take a lot into consideration, even though it's very, very important. But I will tell you this, all week, they've been practicing. When they've been practicing out here, you hear the speakers they're playing. They're practicing with very very loud noise that they turn all the way up, so they're training for
it and preparing for this type of environment. And to me, I mean, when you're playing, this is just part of the game. You're a professional, and this is just one thing that yes, it could potentially be a factor, but I'm not too worry about it.
Final QUI here for you. I'll start with you again, ag. If you were to win the toss, do you take the ball or you play defense? You win the opening toss, you get to call it, you call heads, you win, You're playing, you're playing defense, you're going off the defense.
I play defense. I think one big key to this game for me is for the defense to start right off the bat putting pressure on Deshaun Watson. So you put in that pressure, make him be on his toes. And then also in the second half, your offense you get the ball and you get going. So I think it's for me set the tone on defense and then come back second half and you got the ball with the offense.
I feel the same way. Yeah, I'm taking defense. Any reason why that same reasons here, the same reason Also, I want to be able to get the ball coming out of the second half, and this is going to be a rock fight, like you said, of a game, I want to be able to have offensive momentum going into the second half rather than starting out the game.
Thank you, guys, appreciate that.
Thank you, Brian.
I thought a little bit. I had to think a little bit.
A little bit.
We had us thinking, all right, well, let's take our second break and then when we come back, I have another game for you, guys. Let's flip the ball, Brian, and I got you answering some questions too after the break.
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Yes, we got Yetti this segment Yeti's game. They filling the blank questions. And by the way, YERI has a bunch of different designs. You can find it at Cowboys Pro Shop. So this is my favorite one. But they have a bunch of.
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All right, guys, we got the game filling the blank type of questions, so bear with me. We'll try to go slow so it doesn't get too confused. And the first one, the biggest factor influencing the game's outcome will be.
The trenches. I have the trench work on both sides of the ball. This game is going to be one at the line of scrimmage.
I'll be different quarterback play, okay, because one is clearly better than the other. And you have to that that guy has to be They have to to me, they have to win that battle right there, because they're gonna the trench thing is going to be. It's it's going to be tough. That is going to be tough. Your quarterback is one of the best when it becomes tough, when it's trench warfare, their quarterback isn't and they they you can't. It can't be. Both quarterbacks play even when
when pressure happens. They Dak has clearly got to be that guy. But I'm gonna say the quarterback, but I do really think he's absolutely right about the what's going to happen on this offense and defensive lines for both teams.
Oh, both both things are right. Yeah, the most anticipated moment of this game will.
Be when the first third down for Dallas on offense, because that's going to be that's going to be potentially when you're gonna have to see how they're going to handle Miles Garrett here. You know, that's that's where everybody's looking at. Is it going to be a chip, is it going to be a space? Is it going to be a one on one? All eyes are gonna be we we talked about this in the breakdown. Early down. You're gonna get a lot of man coverage from these guys.
So on third down they play a lot more zone. That means more opportunity, a little bit more separation. Can you protect Dak get the ball out? We talked about the pressure he's facing. He's good against the pressure. But that first third down of the game, when it turns into it's a third and say seven, all eyes are.
Going to be what kind of day are we going to have here?
All eyes are going to be on ninety five for the Cleveland Browns, and then all eyes are going to be on number sixty for the Dallas Cowboys. If that's the matchup you get.
When Brandon Aubrey trots out for a seventy yarder, No, I think it's going to be when that first deep ball is heading towards A Mary Cooper's way. I think I listened this morning to A Mariy Cooper's availability from yesterday, and he spent a lot of time respecting Dak, respecting Trayvon, respecting Micah. But you can hear in the tone of his voice he's ready for this game. He wants to
make an impact in this game. So when that first deep ball is heading on Mary Cooper's way, and let's say it's on Trayvon Diggs, that's going to be a highly anticipated moment for me.
One surprising element of this matchup might be.
Huh, you got some here, Brian.
One surprising element might be Dallas. We talk so much about the about the Browns defense, Dallas has got the better linebackers in this game. Yeah, I feel like, you know, Corra Moore is a really good player, and to me, if they find if running the ball for Dallas is going to be there successful, They're gonna have to block Corray Moore. He's the one guy that will make the tackle.
So but I feel like the surprising you talk defense, defense, defense, defense for the Browns, Dallas got the better They might not have the better secondary, but they've got the better linebackers. I feel like in this game, you know, Mike, you can put him at linebacker. I bet. I mean, he's really an edge. But I feel like that Dallas has got the type of linebackers that can play well in this in this particularly in this game. So I think that's a surprising. I think a lot of people aren't.
I think people are giving him enough credit at linebacker if I think so too.
Yeah, I'm going to piggyback off of a point you made yesterday age Cavante Turpin. I think there's an opportunity to really get him involved in the offense this week. And if there is not any momentum that it's being generated in the running game early on, they they will need to get creative in the running game. And Cavante Turpin, I think is the first guy you look at. So Cavante Turpin, I think he maybe has one or two plays that will be big juice generators for this offense.
In terms of game strategy, the Cowboys will most likely focus.
On They've got to focus Scaret.
That's what I just keep coming back to here. They are going to they are going to always know where ninety five is on the field, and.
That's that's that's like a given, yeah, because it's the.
Raining defensive player of the year. But on that same token, as you mentioned earlier in the week, and I agree with you're going to see him on both sides of the ball. Where do you where do you help? Where do you slide protection? I think it's if you're focusing on Miles Garrett that it allows you to deal with that experience in the interior a little bit more isolated. But I think as long as you wash out Miles Garrett, I think you can. You can win someone on one battles there in the middle.
The strategy part of it. Could you say, on your on your side with Parsons?
That does that mean absolutely?
Yeah?
You see because to me, you've got similar players here. You've got two guys that neither both teams are looking at it like, okay, when we look at the final stats, and it might not, the stats might not tell the whole story. But how effective was Miles Garrett playing? Was he affecting the pocket? Was Parsons affecting the pocket? You know?
With their with their? And Dallas in this game has the better offensive line the way it's currently configured right now, with all the backups and all that happened to play. So your hope is that Dallas's focus will be Okay, let's make sure that we make sure that we take care of ninety five. But I think on the other side of that, the Browns have to be terrified. They
have to be terrified. But the Browns have got some other guys too, Okawamau and and Smith, They got some other They might have better pass rushers than what Dallas has, But I don't think that their offensive line. I don't
think that the Browns offensive line. They could be in some trouble with Dallas's rush too, you know, especially if Zimmer gets in a game where he's blitzing this thing up and he's attacking him with the linebackers and and and you know, with Micah and the twist stunts and stuff. I mean, I was watching a bunch of tape on these guys that they have problem with some movement, and the Cowboys will they'll find ways to move up front.
And now to finish off this segment, the standout player in this game will.
Be I'm going Michael Parsons. I think he has a big game. I'm giving him multiple sacks. I think he's active in the run game.
Two.
You've been saying all week, I have been saying other than I.
Mean for the team, But I think I think Micah has a couple of those. So I think Michael Parsons's Scott.
I'm looking at I got two and you guys pick which one you want. I think Jake Ferguson could be huge in this game against this secondary group, against these safeties. Maybe they're linebackers too. Will see how much they play and coverage. I think Cede Lamb out of the jump out of the blocks is gonna be good. I do, And I know their corners or you know, their corners don't give up much all. But this is this is a type of game where I think that Dak CD.
I know they haven't had a lot of practice time together, but it's gonna be like old hat for these two guys. They're gonna get it going early in this game and there's gonna be some key plays that He's gonna make and come up with some big, big plays. Dak's gonna make some quality throws and it's gonna they when when you're in a game where Nick's talking about a rock fight, what's the one way to keep you know, with the with the rock fight, it's it's tough, it's back and forth,
that kind of thing. Big plays when you're fighting for inches and all big plays make a difference, especially a defense that's really really good. If you you can't move the ball on them by playing it by inches, you got to play big play football if you can. And I think Ceedee lamp Fergus and I think they make some big plays in.
This game all right.
Time for game day predictions.
What'd you got, Nick, Yeah, I'm gonna stick to the score that I had yesterday seventeen thirteen Cowboys. Like I said, rockfight of a game. I think it's gonna be whatever defense can can match the intensity a little bit more. With this game. What it boils down to is being won or lost in the trenches. I think whoever wins that battle on either side of the ball probably comes out with a one in oh victory.
Dallas wins this one twenty three to sixteen, and it's and it might be we might see some of our special teams being a factor as far as getting return yards. You know, a lot of teams, like last night, we saw them kicking the ball in the zone. Put the ball in the thirty. Let's go. But keep an eye on, keep an eye on special teams. Special teams usually struggle early in the season. They don't quite have you know, the right man, because you got guys you're playing in
the preseason. You're playing a lot of different bodies to see if you could play.
Now.
You've got your starters playing this and sometimes you have some mistakes. Sometimes you have some you know, out of position guys trying to be here. I like to see what Dallas can do. They're gonna I think they'll take advantage of some maybe some punts, you know, especially if they get Cleveland a punt early in this game, reterping those guys. Maybe they could flip the field on some field position, get some shorter fields. But Dallas twenty three, Cleveland sixteen.
Well, let's hope that's the that's the outcome. I have the Cowboys winning twenty seventeen, but I'm not gonna lie. Part of me has a lot of hesitation because some of the things that I watched during those practices a training camp against the Rams, there were things that I saw that I just made raise an eyebrow, like, huh,
I thought you learned too well. Talk about the red zone area and some of those passes that Dak was throwing and not connecting there where they just couldn't move the ball, whether it was rushing it or throwing it in the air. Again, very small little thing that we got to watch, and there were very good plays that they were able to execute as well. But it's just one of those things that you're like, we'll see we haven't seen them yet.
In the press, c Lambak probably helped call those concerns for you in the Red US.
Oh absolutely absolutely, So that's that's an added element for sure. And I'm with you guys, and with Brian that he's been saying, I don't think he's gonna miss a beat, Like he's gonna step in there and play like he's been here all along. But we will soon find out. Tonight it is the Eagles versus Packers that's happening in brass Sie up man, I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little jealous. That would be fun to be playing in Brazil.
It's it's very interesting for all the reporters having to cover that game because Twitter is banned in Brazil. And yes, so all these reporters are having to get super creative about how to cover the game.
And yeah, I noticed Instagram.
Is it? I think?
I think.
I think if it were me, I'd be like texting, Uh, I'd be like texting tweets to a friend, like and he's logging into my account, be like all right, sweet this twenty bucks?
Yeah great idea.
All right, Well there you have it, guys. Thank you so much for listening and tuning in for this live show. We'll be back next week on our laughing at Yeah. Yeah. He always asked me up uh for Nick Harris, Bryan brad Us, Chris Beam in the back I remember.
Yeah.
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