Cowboys Break: Giant Challenge

presented by Geico. We are live s WBC Morgan Studios at the Star. Got Nick and Dave here with me. Ambers out today, but we got Bucky Brooks joining us for the entire show for NFL NFL Network. We appreciate you joining us, Bucky. Good to have all you guys on the air and have you guys here in studio. It's good when we can actually see each other and be able to talk face to face. We're gonna start off the show today talking a little bit of catching

up on some injuries. I had a topic I wanted to hit with you guys about Mike McCarthy's press conference. It was an interesting question that came up there that I want to throw out to you guys. We'll have Bucky segment where he will break down the New York Giants offense for US versus the Cowboys defense, and then we'll have some other questions about this Cowboys defense. Let's start first with injury updates. Dave, give me a rundown.

We've got Zack Martin, We've got Leyden vandersh, Xavier Woods, and Zeke Elliott. They're all injured players. Tell me where we are as far status on them. Zack Martin's practice window has been opened, but he is not going to practice today, So do with that what you will. The owner yesterday said he doesn't think it's likely that he plays on Sunday, And if Jerry doesn't feel good about something on the injury front, that's usual not a good sign.

But if if, if his practice windows open, that does mean, you know, if the Cowboys find their way into the playoffs, Zach might be available, maybe you know, for a wildcard game or something like that. I'm gonna pause you right there because I wanted to ask you guys, with a guy like him, that's so that's such a great player in a game that you would think is so important.

Is this a situation where you would opt to play him even if he wasn't one hundred percent or do you think based upon where they are in the season, you don't take any chances unless you think he's one hundred percent or at least close to one hundred percent, you sit him. I gonna start with you name. No, I'm not playing him. And I only say this because of because I I can attest to this one. I

really can't. Well, you know, you like playing it with a calf and then being stupid and still doing stuff on it and not giving its proper rest, and now you're dealing with it a year and a half later. I don't want him to deal with anything later. So if this means if he's rushing back kcaffeinjury, not only could you linger some things there, but you could maybe lead to like Kevin Durant, right, I mean people think he had like a torn achilles because of that. I'm

not rushing him back for this game. If he's not. Uh No, if it's if it's the NFC Championship game or something bigger than that, we'll give it a few weeks. We'll talk about it later. Well, yeah, but I mean he should be back by then. But I'm just saying not not for this game. If you can't beat the Giants without Zach and Martin, then you know you're probably not gonna do anything anyways. Yeah, we also know Zach Martin is much like Tyrant Smith, like he's a BAMF.

Like he's a tough, tough guy, like I remember second BAMF. Yeah, you can google that if you're not on my if you're not on my wavelength, um man, I love it. But I mean I remember a few years ago, like you know, he he got tangled up at training camp and like they had to bring the card out and it was one of those like, oh my god, they're gonna lose Zach for the season, and like he was at practice the next day. So if he can't go

that it's not like he's at ninety percent. No, it means he can't go because he'll got through some stuff, you know. So No, I mean, if it's a thing where they don't think he can play, that means it's serious and he should sit. And if it gets to the playoffs and he feels a little bit better, I probably changed my attitude, but not for this what are your thoughts on that, Bucky, Well, I think they've been

playing so well as a unit. I don't think you need to bring Zach Martin back unless he's one percent healthy. This you know, quintet has played pretty well. They've done a good job of moving people off the ball, protecting the quarterback, and so only in an emergency would I bring him back. Now the playoffs, it's a different story, because if he's healthy and able to go, then obviously you want the more talented player on the front line.

But because they play so well the last four or five weeks, I wouldn't change the chemistry and the continuity unless I know that Zach is going to be able to finish the game and finish the game playing really well. All right, Bucky, MA ask you this. Let's say that Zach is one question yesterday he is going to play? Where do you play him? And like who is that? You said the offensive lines figured it out, which is which is awesome, But who who would you play him for?

You go back to his regular position and take McGovern now, or do you put him at tackle who is knocked out in that scenario? My preference, I would prefer to put him back at right tackle, if I could, I worry about I think the weakest link on the offensive line is Terring Steel. And so when we think about the teams that you would play, not only this game but going forward, typically they have a pass rush on

that side that I want to deal with. I'm more confident in Zack Martin being able to seal the edges than Terring Skill. All right, let's let's go on with the rest of these guys that we got on the injury report. You got Lady Vanderish, Xavier Woods, and Zeke Elliot. What do we know about them? David Layton is not practicing today. Xavier Woods will be limited, which is a good sign of Zeke also limited kind of you know, it seems like they have Zeke on a maintenance plan,

probably for however long they're gonna keep playing. Yeah, I mean, I feel optimistic he can play, but they'll probably be careful with him in practice. Also a bamp, so yeah, oh yeah, all right, let's move on. I want to talk about Mike McCarthy's press conference this morning. That was a question that was asked to him, and I really don't want to focus too much on his answer because his answer was kind of it just a it didn't really answer the question in my opinion, But I would

like to pose the question to you guys. Yeah, I would like to pose the question to you guys. One of the media people ask him, and I don't know who it was, but they ask, what is the identity of this team? And so I'm gonna ask you guys. We're gonna go around the room, what do you think is the identity of the team? And by the way, you can also throw in doesn't really matter because we've had this conversation before on this show about identities and

does an identity really matter? Do you have to have an identity in order to be successful? Can you have lots of identities and be successful in the NFL? But I want to get your opinions on what you think the identity of this team is. Let's start with you. Well, I'm just laughing because I know exactly who asked and I know exactly why, because it stemmed from the Jalen Smith question or an answer from the other day when

he said that he had a big detailed answer. I don't really know what the identity of a team is, and I don't think honestly I don't think that I've the Cowboys have really had a real identity other than those couple of years where they were running the ball real well. But when you're eight and eight, I mean, what is your identity, Well, you're seven to nine, nine and seven. I mean it's that you're an inconsistent team. You don't do something so well that you can overcome

it every week. So you're just inconsistent. If that's the identity, then that's what it is. But I don't really think there is one other than the fact that I don't know what the hell this team is going to do each week. That's what it is. So I don't have no I don't have an answer either. I don't blame McCarthy for not having an answer because I don't have one. And I mean, you know, you can point across the board offense and defense. I don't think they have one.

I mean we've made jokes all season, like you know, you think about I go to Brian Flores in Miami, like he comes from the New England school. He's like, we're gonna have two great man corners, We're gonna pressure the quarterback, blah blah blah, or you know, Chris Richard, everybody that's tied to Pete Carroll's tree, Like we're gonna play cover three, We're gonna rally and tackle Rod Marin. You know, I don't know what Mike Nolan, Like, what's Mike Nolan hang his hat on? What does he do?

You know? What were they trying to do that defensively? And it just didn't work because they didn't have notablement it didn't have the players. But that will, that would. But even like even before we knew how bad the defense was gonna be, it was kind of like, well, what's the front like? Or how many? How many downlinement? Like what's DeMarcus Lawrence gonna do? Well, what's the what's that look like? And like we never got great answers

even before the season started. And then I think you can even you can pull back and really take a macro look, And I honestly, I think it's kind of troubling because this team probably needs to figure out what its identity is. Like you think about the Dak Prescott situation, like you're gonna pay him, Like do you think that Dak Prescott is the key to your successor or is Zeke Elliott the quote unquote straw that stirs the drink.

That's a quote from ownership. By the way, you're paying him fifteen million dollars a year, Like, are you like we gotta we gotta get back to smash mouth, ground and pound. Zeke is the key to our success or is it? Like you know, Seattle went through this recently. Let Russ Cook like that took over the league in the early part of the season. Are you gonna channel

this team through Dak Prescott? What about the defense You're other than DeMarcus Lawrence behind him, Like the most expensive parts of your defense are probably two linebackers, Jalen who you paid and Layton who's a first round pick. That says something to me like we're gonna be physical, We're gonna stop the run. Our linebackers are gonna fly over the field. That really hasn't been happening. So your resources are invested in guys that aren't probably doing what you

would prefer. So like, that's that is all stuff that I think they need to figure out because I don't think they know what their identity is and they have a lot of resources invested in different guys where there's confusion about what this team's key to successes. I feel

like I'm rambling, but it's good. It's good, I think, I mean, I think that is a big thing to figure out in twenty twenty one, is like what do you what do you want this team to be and who are the guys that are going to get you there? Like is it Dac, is it Zeke in the O line, etc. Bucky. You know, it's funny that in listening to you guys talk about it, there doesn't seem to be a clear vision for who this team is and what they're about.

And I would say that's a major problem because when we talk about some teams, you can close your eyes and know exactly what the team is like when they come into the building. You talk about Pittsburgh, you know they're gonna be a hard nosed, physical football team that's gonna get after you. You talk about Baltimore, they're gonna be a ground and pound offense and a physical, aggressive defense.

Even if thinking about Seattle, they are having the toughest time with letting Russ Cook because Carroll's identity is we want to run the football and play great defense. When I think about the Cowboys, I don't know, and to me, that's a problem because great teams, great franchises, from the top down, ownership all the way down, you know exactly

what the brand is. And in my mind, in the past, when the Cowboys have won successfully, it was about the grounding pound with Zeke, the offensive line, the defense, running and playing hard and doing those things. Right now, they're in transition and I don't know if Mike McCarthy really knows what exactly he wants, and he needs to figure that out because it's hard to get players to buy into a vision that is not clearly articulated on a

daily basis. And I think that has been part of the up and down nature of the team because they don't know what they're about, and I think that needs to be cleared up. And Jalen Smith's answer was really a long, verbose answer that really said nothing to me when I looked at it, you know. And that's that's where that question came from today, because Jalen said it the other day when I asked him just about about, you know, the win and all that, and he said,

we have found our identity. We got to keep focusing on that. And then I asked him, okay, what is the team's identity. He said, the identity is an electric ass offense, an offense that when they're rolling, no one can stop them. We got three to four to five guys. You can throw the ball around multiple guys. So he kind of rambles there, and then he says, on defense, it's about toughness, it's about stopping the run, it's about

getting off the field on third down. We got guys that know how to rush the pastor we've got to give them opportunity, and that's up to me and the rest of the linebackers. We got to continue to fight. Man, the secondary is doing a hell of a job. They got a rhythm, they've got a clear understanding. We just got to stay patient. There's one game left, so I don't know about that, but we've got to keep working on ourselves individually and as a team. Very thankful for

our fan base for continuing to ride with us. Man. This guy, his attitude is just amazing. He loves the fans and they what he gave you right there was was their mission statement. Like that's inspirational. That's what they want to be. I don't know that they are that, but that's what they want to be and to be honest with you. I think, in all fairness, that's like a mission statement. This is what we want to be, right, But that's just not what they have been so far.

And I will say this, I give a little bit of deference to McCarthy and the coaching staff because I do think they went into this year with an idea of what they thought their identity would be. I thought, I think they probably thought this offense was gonna be a very dynamic offense that was gonna put up a ton of points. I think defensively, they wanted to be a multifront defense that could morph based upon their opponent.

And I think what they found out this year is on defense, either they don't have the right components or they didn't have the right amount of time in order to implement that and make themselves become that um. And I think on offense, they lost a quarterback and so they didn't get a chance to really realize what they expected their identity to be on either offense or defense.

I mean, at the end of the day, isn't an identity is just the thing that you feel really confident you can do no matter what right, And they lost the pieces that let them do that on offense, and we probably need a whole show to get into why the defense didn't achieve that either. But they don't have that right now, Like neither side of the ball has a thing where it's like, no matter what, we can do this, they don't have that. Sorry, Buck, I do think I think looks it has to be very clear

and concise who you are. Like it can be that mission statement that Derek is alluded to that you guys are saying, It can be a seventy word quote that Jalen throws out. It has to be very clear because even without deck, if you're a tough, hard nosed, physical football team, that has nothing to do with your personnel. That has everything to do with the mentality that everybody

on the team has to have. And so if you talk about our guys are tough, hard nosed and competitive, then you should be able to see that regardless of how you have to play, you can be a tough team and still have to throw it around the yard

because your players exhibit that. And so I think this is one where Jerry Jones, the personnel staff, the coaching staff, everybody has to get in the room and say, this is who we are and the people that we bring into the organization they need to have these traits and then we'll figure out how we play. But this is who this team is. Yeah, you know. It actually reminds

me of Bill Parcells when he was here. I remember him talking a lot about the fact that he wanted tough and smart players, and he was like it was it was very important to him to have smart players. I've heard the same thing about New England, like they're very they put a premium on smart players because what they ask them to do requires guys that aren't just like we're not just gonna tell you to line up

and run to the ball like they're gonna be. You're gonna have to be smart and you're gonna have to be able to adapt and so be Having smart players is very important. That gets back to like, do you know what your identity is? Do you know what kinds of players you typically bring in that help make your program work? And I would assume I would assume knowing Will McClay, I would assume he has that and he understands like what they're looking for and what they're trying

to create. I just don't know if it's translating on the field, that maybe the biggest problem here. That's why you don't change coaches every two or three years. You know, people people, You got to build some relationship between the coaching staff and the scouts, you know, I mean, because Will McClay can have what he wants this team to happen if the coaches aren't going to coach him. I'm there.

You know. I thought when I think about that, I think about Rob Marinelli and Anthony Hitchins because I remember Anthony Hitchins was considered a reach pick fourth round. But that's exactly the guy that Marinelli wanted. A thumper, a guy that was a smart player and he was agile, but he could he could go and hit tough, big

ten linebacker. It's what he wanted. And the other you know, I just remember some of the medias like you could have got him in the sixth round, Well, I don't want him in the sixth round, picking him right now, and he was a really good player. And so I just think that's an example of you know who what you're coaching staff wants, and that's why you need to build They need to build chemistry. That's why going to

the Senior Bowl matters. That's why going to the combine, these coaches and scouts te to kind of get together and really feel what each other is gonna want when they go in and they try to pick Yeah, when you mentioned continuity to me, but hey, hey, ned, but Nick, you say something? You saying something that really makes a lot of sense, And without being there, I can't really tell. Is Mike McCarthy able to clearly articulate exactly what he

wants from the players on his team? And can he tell Will McClay, here's the kind of guys that I want on my team, Derek. When you talk about Bill Parcels being able to say I want smart, tough, physical football players, well, when you are able to define it like that as a scout, I can go and get you those guys. But if the head coach is wavering in terms of what I want, it makes it very very difficult to build a team that has a brand

and an identity. And so some of this will be Mike McCarthy has to stand up to everybody and say here's what I want, this is the kind of guy I need, this is a team that we're going to be and then Jerry Jones and everybody else has to say, Okay, we're on board. This is the kind of organization and team that we're gonna have. That's a very good point because it reminds reminds me of what I've heard scouts say about Jason Garrett. He never made up his mind

like that happened a lot. Yeah, he would be like, I want this guy, want this guy. And there's there's a funny story about you know, I'm taking a running back one time when he was just like they wanted to Mircol Murray. They're gonna take to Mircael Murray one hundred percent Murray, he's the guy. And all of a sudden it gets the pick comes up and then Jason searchs wavering a little bit about Stephen Ridley from LSU,

like do we take him? Do we not? And all of a sudden and it's like, you know that they were pissing off everybody. It's like this talk about talked about this, and I think that happened a lot. So I think what you're saying, BUCkies is important. That's the coaches really need to figure that out with their scouts, and you know, they haven't had a lot of time with that either scouts aren't even in the building. Yeah, all the time. Yeah. It goes back to what you

said Nick about contuity. Like I think if you look at the team in the NFL that represents this best that you would think anybody that watches the NFL, you ask them this team and they'll tell you exactly what the team's identity is. It's the Pittsburgh Steelers. And I don't think that's a coincidence that they've had the fewest number of coaches in the history of the NFL. Like, they don't change coaches very often, and when they do,

they still keep their identity for some reason. Like that defense for a long time had this one defensive coordinator who was really great and they did a certain thing, and when he left, that defense kept doing the same thing and doing it exactly at the same level of confidence. Like they just know who they are and they continue being who they are over decades. I think the job interview for the Steelers head coach is like behind a parking lot in a fight. You win the then you're

the coach, right, I ain't Bill Kawer could. It's a cage match. Yeah, Like everybody got in the cave got to win. I don't know about no, but I bet he could whip some ass back back in the no doubt about it. And and I mean I just don't want Bill Cower just look. I mean he just was like rush a quarterback every time. I just think of that NFL films and he's like rush. So you just have you're right, they have, They've done it the right way. Yeah. Do you think the city of Pittsburgh would want him?

Me there if you if you weren't that well yeah, and it fits like again, it also fits the city like everything about That's why the works. That's why the rivalry in the seventies was so great because all over the world, not just Dallas in Pittsburgh, these are the two great teams in the seventies. Pick your team wherever you are. You're living in Carolina, there's no team at the time. Pick a team, you know, do you want to be this type of team or do you want

the good teams? And it all it was all perfect. Yeah, it's all perfect. All right, we're gonna take our first break. So no, I was gonna say that. And so there is something too that, right, the Cowboys in my mind, it's about the glitz and glam, the smart and the sophistication. So in my mind, the brand is that it's smart, it's glitzy, it's sophisticated, and if you're not dead, you

can't understand it. And so it's how can I take that and articulated in football terms, So that would be multiplicity. It would be smart players that can do a lot. Just think about those Tom Landry teams. It should never change. That's how the Cowboys should be in my mind. Yeah, yeah, as we sit in our glitzy, one hundred million dollar building in Sorry, Like that's just what it is. That's the brand. But my question, I think that the bigger part to that is is that what the football team is.

Because in the nineties they got away with doing that. They kick your butt on the field, but then they come up to feel put on their minks like it was it was they had the whole thing working and and I don't know that I don't know that they're doing that now, Like they got some guys that love to wear the minks. Now, I don't know if they're kicking your butt on the field, that's the problem. All right,

we'renna take our first break. When we come back, We're gonna have Bucky talk a little bit about this New York Giants offense versus the Cowboys defensive. That woman come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com or radio. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why Selor Pioneers weighs to make lenses as unique as you. Varilux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, and Crisolve for freedom from glare. Three cutting up solutions in a single

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week that we will be doing the game. We will be watching the game from here at the Star this year on road games where you're at the Star, where not at the We don't travel to games and nickte anyone blessed enough to be able to do that? That being said, I don't know. I don't know if it's a blessing. That being said, first real problem said, we always get food, bring food to the Star for everyone to eat. Should we this week use food from the stadium,

bring it out to the Star and make that our food? Yes? Okay, good, perfect, I don't do a wonderful idea Rocks get on that. Can we get the Cowboy rita delivered or do we have like you know, it's the final game, final, let's go, let's park. Yes, go to the stadium and watch it on the big board the way the radio team does. That's actually they're long drive. It's not a long drive for me Wednesday. You're talking about long drive. But you want your food coming from there, they'll bring it, they'll

be fine. Yeah, No, it's an hour drive. I don't want to do an hour drive. Good, but you want to go an hour? Yeah, we'll make it work. Okay, Okay, we'll work. That's good. All right. We got Bucky Brooks joining us. He is from NFL Network and this segment is presented by Texico with techron Bucky. Let's start first, Well, we normally start what is the greatest strength and weakness of this New York offense and particularly hone in on things that may have changed since the last time the

Cowboys played them. I would say the biggest thing that has changed has been the emergence of Wayne Gallman. Wayne Goldman has kind of given them an explosive run in the backfield. He has been creative and dynamic at certain points, he has shown some toughness when they've given him an opportunity to grind it out, and so that has been the biggest thing. Now of late, they haven't been able to score many points. They're still kind of struggling a

little bit when it comes to the passing game. Daniel Jones is up and down. Some of it has been due to injury, some of it is just part of his matturation as a quarterback. And then they've had to deal with injuries. So you've seen Colt McCoy in the lineup, You've seen Daniel Jones in the lineup, and so they just haven't had the consistency and coninuity at quarterback and that has impacted the way that they're able to move

the ball. But they still have some good players. Darius Slayton is still someone that you have to pay attention to, but really it's about Wayne Goldman, It's about Darius Slayton and then contributions from other guys. But it's a very inconsistent offense. Bucky. You know, the Cowboys actually ironically did a pretty good job with Jalen Hurtz's running ability. But I think would all agree that a running quarterback. It could be problematic for this team. We saw Lamar Jackson

give them fits. Daniel Jones. His injuries have all been leg related. I think he has an ankle and a hamstring, and I'm just curious, Will does he have his mobility like can't? I mean, you know, he's deceptively athletic. He had that eighty yard run against Philly earlier in the season. I mean, does he have that part of his game at this point with the injuries that he's been dealing with. I mean, he still can move around, but he's limited, right,

he had to hamstring. Then he's has some lower leg injuries that have prevented him from being as dynamic as he was earlier in the season. But he's still someone that you have to pay attention to. He still has the ability on occasion to pour the ball on his own read to make you defend all eleven on the field, and so you have to be mindful of that. You still have to be very disciplined when it comes to defending those plays. But he's certainly not the Lamar Jackson type.

He's not hurts in terms of what you come in thinking about spying and doing those things. But yeah, you have to be aware of him and him pulling the ball out the backfield. And also because of the nature of this game, the winner go home nature of the game,

you have to be prepared for anything. And I think if you're the Giants and you've been struggling putting points on the board, I think this is when Jason Garrett has to dig deep into his bag of tricks and utilize every possible concept that he can use to see if he can put some points on the board. So I would be prepared for Daniel Jones to be moping and active on a perimeter, still pissed off that he ran a fleet flicker and he didn't do it for ten years while he was here. I hope he does

it Sunday just for you. I was gonna I was gonna piss you up. I was about to say, like, does Jason Garrett have a bag of tricks? Like is that thing? Is that a thing that might be this week? I think I think Jason Garrett, like outside of the box is putting Jordan Lewis on like a fly sweep, you know, putting him. That's my point. Yeah, Like Jason Garrett's like, we gotta dig deep, guys, we're gonna do an end around Like that's okay, Thanks jakeson real hardcount.

My question to you, Bucky, is is Evan Ingram the Jalen Smith of the Giants, the guy that you're like, great talent, you think you think he's gonna do this, one minute, does this, and then he's just a kind of a head scratching like what is he like? Is he? Is he good? That's that's what I'm asking. Is he good? I know he's going to the Pro Bowl, but is

he good? I would say, I would say he's talented, but I don't know if they've really figured out the key to unlocking what he could be at the next level. And I think really getting a tied in loose and making him productive is a challenge and it takes a creative play call to do it. When you look at Travis Kelsey, you look at Darren Waller, their play calls do great things by play design to make sure that

they get those matchups. I don't know if Jason Garrett has done a good enough job of trying to create those opportunities for Evan Ingram in terms of on his playsheets saying I have ten different plays that are designed specifically to get him the rock. I don't know if he operates like that. Now that's it. Who knows one game scenario. He may look at the matchups and say, I like Evan Ingram on Jaylen Smith or the safety dropping down Donovan Wilson, and let's see if we can

find a way to get them open. It just hasn't happened to this point. And some of that is on play call of some of that is on Evan Ingram not cashing him on certain opportunities, and some of that is the quarterback not being able to get the ball to him consistently. All right, Bucky, let's talk a little bit about this New York Giant run offense. They ran the ball really well while they were on their four game win streak Versus teams with weaker rush defenses, as

you would probably call the Cowboys. They average one hundred sixty two yards per games, and that the one hundred and ninety yard rushing day against Seattle. How susceptible based on what you've seen from Dallas's defense over the last several weeks, where it seems like they've been at least marginally better against the run. How susceptible are or is Dallas to getting dashed by the run? Game from New York, Well,

I think can go back to the first game. I think I sat here and talked about, Oh, they don't have any weapons, I don't know how they can move the ball, And then we looked at the game DeVante Freeman was running up and down the field. And so I think the first thing the Giants are going to do is they're going to test them with the old game plan and see if the Cowboys have answered the

problems that presented themselves in that game. And then they're going to look at some of the success that the Washington football team had, some of the sets that the Baltimore Ravens have had, and they're going to try within the framework of their offense to see if the Cowboys have resolved those issues, and if they hadn't, they will get a steady dose of those kinds of plays. Now.

If Dallas is able to stop the run early in the game the first and second quarter, within the Jason move on and try and do something else and try and find another way to move the ball down the field. But I do believe this is going to be a game where the Giants really test them with the running game, and I think Joe Judge is going to implore David Jason Garrett to be disciplined and patient with the run game and see if they can wear them down as

long as their def can keep the Cowboys offense under control. Yeah, real quick. As a follow up question, you saw it last week against the Eagles. They put up one hundred and fifty yards on the ground. My personal belief is at the Eagles of abandon the run too early, like they were having success, and in the second half they didn't do it as much. Is that how you saw it? Do you think the Dallas defense gave them reason to abandon it because they felt like at some point they

couldn't really run as effectively. No. I think Doug Peterson just got bored with the running game decided he wanted to throw it all over the yard. The running game was very effective, Miles Sanders was having success, Jalen Hurst was having success, and so it comes down to are you patient enough to continue to test the Cowboys run defense over time? And if Jason Garrett and Joe Judge are smart, that's what they would do, because I think

in this game. For the Giants, they just want to get this game into the fourth quarter and see if the Cowboys will unravel on defense and also offensively, because we've seen that happen during the middle of the season.

We've seen that happen at times, and so if I'm Jason Garrett, I want to call a very conservative game as long as their defense is holding up, to see if we can get it in the fourth quarter, and then let's just make it a fifteen minute battle and see if the turnovers and the mistakes will show up under pressure. Win. It's really the biggest game of the year. Yeah, I think Jason can probably handle that for you. I think Bucky just described the Jason Garrett, let's get let's

play conservative and get this into the fourth quarter. That's what he does. At um. I mean, we're talking so much. It's true, we're talking so much about this run game, and it makes me wonder. I mean, you know, the Giants offensive line has been viewed as a week spot for years at this point, and you know they famously you know, they fired Mark Colombo a month or two ago. You know, who knows what actually happened there. But I mean, has that sparked him. Is Andrew Thomas playing like a

top five pick all of a sudden? Where where is this coming from? That they have the offensive line to be able to grig things out on the ground like this. I mean like they've been very inconsistent in what you had. In the bigger issue that you had with the Giants, you had two differing philosophies. You had Joe Judge who was coming from the New England Patriots system and how they block things and how they answered certain problems that would come up in pass protection and in the running game.

And then you had Jason Garrett and Mark Colombo who had a different view on those things, and sometimes things would get lost in translation when it came to communication, how you want to handle things, and some of the techniques that were taught. They've cleaned it up. They've been a little more detailed, and they've had some success running it because they really didn't have a choice with who they had at quarterback, so they just stubbornly kept running

it and had a little level of success. And so that's been the bigger thing. I can't sit here and say that the Giants of all of a sudden, mashing folks and moving people off the ball is just that in the games that they were very successful, they either popped a big run early or they were very very disciplined and committed to running the football. And so a lot of it will be determined on how are the

Cowboys get a permitted to play. So when Jaylee Smith talks about being tough and physical in those things, well, if the Cowboys are on their p's and ques, then this will be the most physical game because they know the only way that jas can really manufacture points is if they're able to run the ball and dictate the terms. That way where they got to make the top priority just stopped to run and dare Daniel Jones to beat them through on the rock? All right? Beck, Yeah, I'm

tired of the Giants offense. I can't do it anymore. They scored eight points a game the last three weeks. I don't have any other questions for you. I'm gonna go to their defense, Cowboys defense. And you said and in your story that's coming out on maybe on the website now five bucks. Do you think Randy Gregory could be a star in the making. Can you elaborate on

that a little bit? Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely, because when I look at Randy Gregory, and I'm gonna say this, like everyone was very excited about Alden Smith and what Alden Smith did early, Randy Gregory has surpassed Alden Smith in terms of his disruption and play. The first thing that stands out from Randy Gregory is and he is on the field. He is going one hundred miles an hour sideline to sideline his effort and energy and my estimation

is infectious. I think it makes a difference because he's disruptive and even though they have him on what I would consider a limited pitch count, you look at what he's been able to do. Twelve quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, three and a half sacks, and limited action. He is coming on like gamebusters and he has been the compliment

that they desperately needed opposite of de Marcus Lawrence. And so when I look at what the Cowboys could be presented not only this year but next year, sign signing him to the extension was smart because I think they're going to have to make a decision with Alden Smith on whether they want to pay to retain him. I think if it gets out of their price range. I think they very easily constid with Randy Gregory provided he has continued to do all the things off the field

and say, hey, we're good. We don't have to reach in the draft to get a pass rusher. We don't have to overpay for someone that we still may be iffy on. Randy Gregory can be the play that we thought he was going to be when we took him from Nebraska. All Right, we're gonna tack our final break when we come back. We'll talk a little bit about this Dallas defense and some specific things that happened in the last game and how it may translate into this

next upcoming game against the Giants. Will do that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda. Is he a newcombone that's music to my ears? Okay, doctor time, music to my ears and mouths. New Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda A delics just do. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why SLOR Pioneers ways to

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G for you for details. Back to the break. It sounds like CD Lamb jerseys are actually going off the sales rack. You're at the pro shop. That's why we heard yesterday. So make sure that you get a CD Lamb jersey or any jersey your favorite player from the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop. They got Christmas deals up to fifty percent off for every fan. Visit your local Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop or shop Dallas Cowboys dot com for your new gear today. If I had to choose a

player jersey right now, by I'm buying Gallup. I'm all in on Gallup. That's risky, man, I don't care. I don't like what it's like. I always telp it. I'm like, I wouldn't buy a jersey until the guy had a six year contract or if he just got drafted. That's also assuming that you want to wear it for the

next twenty years, like I don't care about that. Just be buying it for now, Okay, money bags, Like if you're trying to if I'm spending one hundred plus on a jersey, I want to know the guy's going to be on the team for last two years, say how bad it is this year? For I think it was like Thanksgiving or something. I pulled down in jersey, brand new jersey for my son, took the tags off. It was DeMarcus Ware. I don't care, Like that's like, why not,

let's go. DeMarcus Ware's a ring of honor kind of guy. That's that's true, true, But still like I mean, if he's your guy, he's your guy, and I don't care where he goes, where he plays or if he's still playing, if he's your guy. Really, I went the other day and there's on the clearance rack they had a bunch of jersey of former players and stuff, and no, they had like a like a forty beast league. I was like, oh, game warn sorry, Oh he's doing big things though. Man,

no I got I got a lot of it. He's doing his thing up there in Buffalo. You know, he actually said, boy, what's going on in Buffalo? The camaraderie and all this is nothing like well we had in Dallas and then we were like, all right, cool. They all say that it sounds like it's true though. It sounds like, you know, they're building something really great over there, and he's you know, they figured out a good way to use him too, And not that Dallas didn't, it's

just that they've they've figured it out. It kind of works. I think for his personality too. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that wants all the extra extra stuff. And here in Dallas, as we talked about earlier as a rap album man that we can use that term loosely, but you you just gotta you know, in Dallas, you gotta embrace all the extra attention. You gotta love the extra That's why Dez works in Dallas is because you gotta love the extra attention, because that's what Dallas is.

It's gonna bring a lot of extra I believe that Daz actually hurt Beasley. I really agree with that, because Dez couldn't play in the slot and Beasley has to play in the slot, and because Dez was, well, you know that you need a guy that can play on the outside and you know exactly where. But when when Dez Dez couldn't be that guy all the time and Beasley couldn't be on the outside. I don't think they were great together for I will it's we talked about

that at the start of the week. It's just funny. I mean, we don't we don't have one hundred percent know what we have in CD. I mean, like Nick's the only one that's met him. He deft, Yeah, in face to face for sure. Um, but it's weird. It's like CD's got some of that to him, like CDs you can tell. But Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper are not that. And they're like stars for the Dallas Cowboys. They are not the They're not glitzie. I mean I

actually think they actually like don't want all that. I mean Amari loves to stunt with his like you like outfits and stuff. You know, like he definitely has a taste for high fashion, but he is not Dez Brian in terms of just like wanting the spotlight on him at all times. Yeah, all right, real quick, before we end the show, I did want to talk a little bit about this Dallas defense had a question for you guys. In the first meeting, Dallas's defense allowed the second fewest

yards of any game this season. That was three hundred. They had two hundred yards that they allowed in the passing game, eighty nine in the rushing game. Why was Dallas's defense so relatively successful against the Giants offense in the first meeting and can they replace replicate that success. Let's start first to you, Bucky. The Jazz didn't have a lot of weapons, and so I think they're easier

to defend. But they're not a high powered unit. When you look at their wide receiver corps golden toa sterling shepherd. They don't really have anybody that scares you, and so I think it's easier to tighten down and take chances to make sure that you can stop the run when you don't have anyone that is someone in meetings that you have to stand up and say, hey, this guy can really hurt us. And so I just think it's the lack of talent that they have that enabled the

Cowboys to really corral that that offense day. Yeah, I mean they don't have se Quon you know, their offensive line has been inconsistent all year. Evan Ingram Evan Ingram, we should be talking about him, is like that guy just kills the Cowboys, you know, like he should be but he's not for whatever reason. Don't really kill anybody. Yeah, no, yeah,

he's yeah, Which that's that's a different conversation. But makes you wonder about Kyle Pitts, who is the guy that we talk a lot about, is like maybe fitting into the Cowboys draft slot, like drafting a guy like that in the first round and is a risky proposition. Um. Anyway, Evan Ingram's not that guy. They don't have se quon lines, Like, they just don't have anybody that scares you. And it's not completely their fault because of injuries. Um, but it does.

That's why I asked about the offensive line because between Gallman and if the offensive line can play well enough that they can run, I think that changes things because I mean we've you know, if you can run the ball against the Cowboys, you have a good chance to win. And he has been better. I think he is better now than he was early in the season with the Cowboys facing Nick Well. I don't know if I understand the question, because I thought the Giants did move the

ball well. I think you're just comparing it. I believe the Giants scored like two defensive touchdowns in that first game, too, right, didn't. I mean, I know they picked they like they picked off they picked six dack, I know that. Yeah, And I think they scored another defensive touch or may maybe they got themselves to the dead of wins. Yeah, I can't remember. It was like it was like a ricochet off of somebody's hands. I think, oh, here you talk. Look, Yeah,

I remember that. Yeah, the black back. And again this is all relative. They gave up three hundred yards of offense, Like that's not a huge day, and and the Cowboys have been giving them a lot more than that, so relatively, it's it was one of their better games as far as the yards that they were getting able on the ground and in the air. Yeah, I just I think they said, at best, the Giants just don't have anyone Nick.

Cowboys had a couple of turnovers. One of them was a fumble down there by Andy Dalton that they scored. And then they I do remember that, right, So not two defensive not two defensive touchdowns, um, but they had one that set them up like right there inside them. And then pick out. We were able to match that one with Anthony Brown. So, um, you know, I mean it wasn't if it wasn't for Cam Fleming who was not set right, they had a fake field goal touchdown. Yeah,

but to every ingram yeah. Um, and you know, so that game could have been could have been different there. I think I think Bucky said the winner go home. You know, mentality, it's just you pull out all the stops. You see what you've got, you know. I mean Kellen Moore needs to dip in his bag too, see see what he's got, you know. I mean, and we have seen something that we forget about it. But the first play of the game that from the Cowboys. I'd never

seen that play before, had you. Well, everybody rolls right and throws it way back to Mary Cooper. Oh no, yeah, I hadn't seen that play. That's Kellen Moore has a bag sometimes like he's gone a little too deep into it at times this year. Probably, No, I don't. I don't need this. Well, oh Bucky does. Buck, He's like, what the hell are you doing? You have a fifth string offensive line? When but let me have the back, let me have the bag, Give me your bag, put

your back down. Just just run it in run the balls. You know you always hurt. But they need that. They need a big fullback and they need to play in twine. Would Gallimore gallenmore was quick somebody like that. They need that guy on offense. His name is Blake Bell. I know we got to see we got to see the cool little sneak which is taking the lead by storm now by the way, yeah, I mean the Cowboys weren't the first ones to do it, but um, just like until Dak is healthy, like he would be my goal

line guy. Like you're not stopping him from getting happening yard You're not gonna do it, you know I don't. And he's the dude played quarterback a lot, Like it's not like he did this, like he played like he started for ou for at least a year if not like two. Like he can take a snap, give him the ball, and here's that love to see happen. What I would love to see happen is and this is what I don't think the Cowboys do a good job

of is take something and build off of it. So the Blake Bill play with a haven't line up at the center like now have him come back and instead of faking it, I mean, instead of trying to do a sneak, throw the ball over the top because the defense is gonna see him. Stop there, They're gonna all come. There's gonna be somebody open. Throw it over the top to a tight end and here we go, like I just tebow specialty. You know, it's like build off a thing.

You know. You see the tight end going motion, just like laterally go in motion in front of the quarterback. As soon as he gets in front of the quarterback, snapped to let him catch it. There are things you can do with this, and Blake Bell is uniquely positioned to be able to play. He definitely is. We gave it more of a bad here, like stop it. We don't need more. Just give it to Zec and this shouldn't be that complicated. All right, guys, appreciate you join us.

We'll be back tomorrow. We're gonna talk more about this Giants team. We'll talk about their defense tomorrow versus the Cowboys offense. Till then. For Nick Eatman, Dave Hellman, Bucky Brooks, thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow here live from the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.