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Cowboys Let's go.
Are you ready for a break?
Yes?
Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? Ready for a break?
Yeah, and so much for that.
It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Were on with Ambar Garcia, Brian brought us, Nick Harris and Derek Eagleton.
It is Monday. I'm sorry, it's Tuesday, October sixteenth, twenty twenty four, Season twenty, episode number fifty. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We are alive from the s WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, we got our mix up shows working.
This week.
We got a whole different crew in here for the Break. I got my longtime associate back with me, mister Nick Eatman, who has not been on a Break for what a year now, because he's been doing some other show. I don't know, it's storyline or something, and charging me for T shirts and all kinds of crazy stuff. I don't know. It's just crazy, but great, great job on that show. I love it. I've been listening. It's good stuff.
Thank you up. We're doing it here in an hour.
Yeah, so I made you do double duty these todays because I'm like, I want to have you back on the break. So here you go.
You love what you do. You never have to work, right, exactly.
I love that quote.
It's exactly right. Tommy Yarsh, the newest member of the Dallas Cowboys dot Com team. Welcome to the show.
Thank you man.
Tell the folks a little bit about your background, like where you came from, how you got here. Of course you're a long one, which we got a lot of.
I'm sorry, sorry to box you out here, but I'm okay.
He's okay. Things are going to be okay.
But uh no.
I covered Texas for for two years while I was in school there and done some play by player work at the high school level as well. I'm just super excited to be here working for the Cowboys and working with Cowboys Nation.
Awesome.
We'll welcome to the crew, and of course Annie Joe Laughlin comes from Girls Talk, Boys Talk, Yes, sir, tell the folks a little bit on the break about you and your background and interesting background, but making full circle.
The cheerleader for the Cowboys back in the nineties with Akman Smith and Irvin and we were winning the good old days.
Yeah, well, I like.
Both reminists about those days.
And now you know, I'm back in Texas.
I was covering the Niners for ten years, don't hate me, and then now I'm here. I'm happy to be back covering the team that I love, America's team and happy to be with here at the break.
Awesome, awesome. We got our crew here today. We'll be on for today and tomorrow covering the team. We got a lot of stuff we're going to talk about it. I like to do big picture kind of things whenever we have these mix up shows, just to kind of mix in some opinions. So I have a lot of questions for you guys that we'll get into, just to give people a good idea of where this team is
right now. I at the break not just so much about what happened in the last game, because obviously that wasn't very good, But they're just looking at it overall, looking at the entire team and then what they'll have to do in the next part of the season in order to get themselves back on track.
Uh.
Nick. First, this morning, Jerry had an interview on the fan. It was it was tense, It was for you texted You texted me and was like are you listening? Like, yeah, I'm listening, and it was it was very intense. What was your takeaway?
I guess from that fireworks for sure.
But but you know, he's this stemmed from from Sunday too, because after after the game, you know, some of the questions. He didn't really love those as well. Obviously upset because of the the loss and the way the team got got manhandled in the game. So it kind of stemmed over to some of the questions. Really, the the theme that I took from it is there's not going to
be a lot of huge changes as far as personnel wise, players, coaches. Uh, you know, they asked about the coach, which coaching changed that, why would I do that? Not not changing that? And then as players basically answered was where where do you go get players? You know, Bill Parcels used always say you can't just go to the gas station down the street and pick up players and so, and they have already done that, They've gotten those guys. So like that
was kind of the theme that I took out. I don't know what y'all thought, but it was more like, hey, it's got to get better with then, but this is who we've got for the most part, and we've got to fix it right here.
Yeah, and I think he said he was happy with the players he has is he's seen how effective they can be, and that it thinks that there's obviously some rookies and some growing pains. However, this is the team and he knows that this is a team that he thinks can eventually, you know, go to playoffs or deep in the playoffs.
Yeah, and you know, I think the interesting part for me was there's a lot of commonality in terms of what Jerry talked about and what mich McCarthy talked about yesterday in terms of the offensive line, specifically taking some time to marinate. Obviously Tyler Goyiton was unable to start with. Jerry said this morning that he is the left tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, so Tyler Smith probably expected to
move back to god. I know, we'll talk about that a little bit later, but that's the position that I think this team is looking to try and marinate so that when they get in rhythm, it's a unit that we know and love.
Like the Cowboys everything over, you know, everything works exactly.
But when you've got two rookies up front, you know it's going to take time, right And something that Mike McCarthy harped on yesterday was that the youth on this team is going to pay off in the long term. These are valuable reps that these guys are getting. So, you know, patience is something that you know may be running a little bit thin, but in the long run, it is what's going to pay off.
You know, when you look at the lines, I guess on the offensive end defensive side of the ball, I think that's where a lot of the problems are stemming at this point. Offensively, I think, as you said, you got a lot of inexperience and they're having to figure it out. Defensive side, your compromised. You just don't have as many bodies, particularly on the edges, as you usually do, so I think it doesn't go much farther than the lines. You hear this from football people all the time. It's
about the trenches. What's happening in the trenches, And right now the Cowboys just aren't playing their best football in the trenches, and that's why you're seeing I think some of the results that you're seeing, and I don't know if you're going to fix that by going out and picking up whoever's out there, you know, wherever they are at this point of the year. That's a hard thing to be able to do at this point to try
to to rectify that with personnel. You just have to hope those rookies come along and get better on the offensive line, and then pray that you get your defensive ends back from injury that you're missing, and hopefully that's enough. But man, it's a it's a tough situation to be in because that that. I don't think anybody enjoyed what happened on Sunday from the Cowboys perspective.
So, yeah, especially the way you got, you know, bullied basically by a team like that has been bullied their entire franchise.
I mean, that's sorry, That's what it is.
And that's why I thought it was kind of interesting when you're like, well, Dan, you know, Dan Campbell, Jared Goff, did they run it up the score?
They did?
They embarrass some of me. This is our organization that's been embarrassed their entire life, you know, the Lions, That's what how many times does that happen to them? So you can't come back now and be like, look what they did. No, they that's what they've done. That they've learned because they've been on the other side, and rightfully so,
and they they took it to the Cowboys. The buy helps, but I think the Niners are kind of played the same type of way and they've been so fix the problems quickly because the Niners coming they really don't carry and you've been on that other side of that robbery. They don't really seem to care what the Cowboys are going through right now anybody feeling sorry for but.
They have their own issues as well, you know, and them coming off the bike, and it's going to help them, you know, because they've got CHRISI McCaffrey, who they don't even know it's going to come back the season. But they've got Mason, a running back that's able to kind of fill in, which you look at some teams in the NFL, they've got these third string forest ring running backs that are able to impact, where the Cowboys seem to keep struggling with finding a running back.
You know, Pollard, I didn't think it was going to be a big loss.
I'm going to say because he wasn't like an every down back, but now we're seeing, yeah.
We kind of need him back, right, you know.
Yeah, But you know the thing about that, to me, it's not so much the running back in San Francisco, it's the scheme. I was telling somebody this other day, and I don't that's.
The running back because he's sitting on my fantasy team.
But Nick, you will appreciate this. I'm not sure if Tommy's too young for this. But remember back in the day of the Broncos under Shannahan. Yes, it was like every year in fantasy you would just say, who's the running back for the Denver Broncos this year? Pick him first,
you're gonna have a great year. I mean that's where you got the guy like Ruben Drones, who, by all accounts, yes, these are not weren't going to be necessarily great, you know, running backs, but in that system, they know how to run the ball in that system, and so I think it's not surprising to me that Mason is. I think he's he's the first, second, third somewhere in there in
rushing in the NFL this season. Yeah, I mean that's not surprising to me because that system they just know how to get the running the most out of the running game, and it part of it starts with the offensive line, but you can put whoever you want back there running back. If they're a one cut guy that knows how to get up feel quick, they can run in that offense and they can be successful. And I think that's that surprise, you know, just.
This system isn't that isn't that way, No, it's not.
When I watched the Money Night game, you know, in eighty game, it seems like it feels like everybody's got a really fast, quick running back, and I'm like, we just don't see that type of play, even Rico Donald, he's not. He's the fastest of the roop, the quickest, but you don't see him in the open field like that every time I want. I watched even the backup for the Bills last night that came in Davis and of course Brees Hall, But I mean, like they're so
fast and quick. I'm like, you need that kind of juice here at the run.
You don't think Rico has that though, I kind of do, and I just don't think he's getting a chance to really show it as much with him.
Yeah, you would try to keep my traveling right, it's always in a no win situation in this show, he's dealing with his boss and his boss and his boss.
Like that, we put him in a bathroom.
I mean, y'all see, I just don't see that enough out of him, out of Rico.
But well, Shatanenheimer always says that he's hitting the hole too fast. He needs to have patience and then wait for the hole to open up. And so there's things I think that he's still trying to develop with his O line. And that's what I think. Sean Himer said that many many times his patients and Virtue.
So yeah, well, I mean it all starts with the offensive line, right. You said earlier you win games in the trenches in the NFL really across all levels of football, right, If you have a good offensive line, good defensive line, you're gonna win games. It's part of the reason why San Francisco scheme works so well.
Not just Kyle.
Shanahan, you know, being able to run the ball so well, but they've got a great offensive line and they make gaps for Mason and any running back they've got in there. I mean, any of the four of us could suit up in that apartment probably run for a good sixty to seventy yards. Yeah, Trent Williams to help you out. But you know, in terms of the Cowboys, I think something interesting that I took away from mich McCarthy yesterday was saying that he wants to get Rico Dowdle more touches.
And it was kind of surprising to me. I don't know about you guys, the fact that he only got five last week. After he has a career game against the Steelers, he still goes for twenty five yards runs for five yards of carry. Ezekiel Elliott had more touches than he did. I know that the Cowboys had said, hey, we're saving Ezekiel Elliott for when we need him, but in this game, I didn't see a situation where they
necessarily needed him to get the run game going. If you're going to lean on a guy to get the run game going, you go on the guy who just had eighty seven yards on the ground for you in the best run game he's had in his career. So that puzzled me a little bit. I think that Mike McCarthy maybe leaned away from the run a little bit too early. I was telling Nick about this yesterday when the Lions went up seventeen to three. After that Sam Laporta touchdown, they ran the ball one time for no
game the rest of the first half. I understand, you're in a hole and you've got to try and move the ball downfield and score quickly. But your passing game is not going to open up. If you're a run game, run existent. If you're one dimensional, it's just not going to work for you. So you know that that kind of raised my eyebrow a little bit. But if Rico Dawdle gets more touches and he really can be leaned on more to try and establish this run game, I
think that helps. And with a young offensive line that's just trying to get better, getting them those run blocking reps is going to help too in the long term of their development.
Yeah, because Nick, this is that's their only choice. Really thinking about it.
It is Rico And if you like what you said, Tommy, if you don't have the running game, you don't have you can't open up the offense. You can do play action, you know, you put pressure on deck that receivers ares no separation between receivers and the dvs. I mean, it causes so many problems and we didn't we can't stop to run, Derek.
I wish they had like hard knocks going on right now so we could.
I want to know really, like what they're saying behind this is what I want to I got a question about that.
Well, yeah, that's that's the big question, Like what is it?
Because you know, I always say they see and they are in the meetings, in their on field, they see more than we do and they evaluate it so they know the situation. I just want them to share it with us because I don't know what's going on, because it's not like, you know, I can't get him on the field.
No, they're begging for a running back to get on the field.
He's proven, he's the fact that he's quick, he's verse, and he even says he's like yeah, they kept saying that he needed the terminology to playbook.
He goes, I'm ready.
When I spoke to in the locker room, he said, I'm ready to make an impact because I know I can help this team.
Why are we trying that?
Well? I think that the interesting part for me is I wonder if part of This is if you look at Zeke and you look at Dalvin Cook, you say, well, those are two of the same kind of running back. And I don't know if that is the evaluation. I don't know if the Cowboys would be in a position where they would want to say, Okay, we're going to make Zeke Elliott and inactive, like, because do you really need two of those guys active? Especially right now you
got so many injuries that you're dealing with. Do you really want to make both? I mean, make both those guys active when they kind of play a similar role, right, And so that's where I look at it. I just don't know if I don't know how the Cowboys evaluate Zeke in that whole Dalvin Cook thing. I think they believe that Zeke still has a role on this team, whether they're using him in that way or not. I think they still feel like he has a role on this team. And because of that, I don't think that
they're willing to necessarily make him an active put Dalvin up. Now. I think a lot of fans and by myself included, want to see We just want to see it. It's just like, just let me see what Dalvin Cook they're seeing it in practice. I just want to see it for myself. Like Ken, Dalvin Cook adds something to this offense that's not there right now. I just don't know if they're.
Willing to pull that truck.
There is a reason they signed to the practice squad, right they do.
Yeah, that may be an insurance policy, right, they could be looking at hey, as we keep going, we know Rico. One of the things about Rico is he hasn't been able to stay healthy. They may be looking at that as estate insurance policy, you know, break glass in case of emergency type thing, and that's the way they're looking at it. Again, these are all suppositions because they're not really saying much on why they're not righting Dalvin Cook
out there. But those will be the things that I would at least I.
Want to see. I want to see.
We all want to see, right, Yeah, I mean there's nothing, there's nothing in their way that you wouldn't want to I mean, you've got to get better. I mean we even want to see deuce Van. I mean, I think we've seen that enough. But like you just want to see something better than this, because Rico Zeke, it's just it's not working.
You know, they're they're either their.
Last or second to last in the league in rushing. They were they were last two weeks ago, probably back to last again.
So it's not good enough.
We're gonna go, Well, I'll just kind of hypothetical before we go to break. Let's say we do bring Dalvin Cook up. If he doesn't get the touches, what difference is it going to make?
Right?
I think that's been part of the problem is that the run game hasn't been established. So Cowboys getting a holder, they feel like they can't establish the run game.
They just go back and.
Throwing the ball.
It's like chicken and egg theory. I mean that how do you start how do you establish the run without establishing the run? I mean, how do you know it's established if you don't run the ball. So that's that's always been kind of the problem here. But I mean, this is the time to try some new things, and you know, if you're not bringing in other players, go with what you have and he's he's still here.
Well. The other part to that too is if you remember back, I think it was during training camp when Mike McCarthy was talking about the running game. He said, we're going to have to be committed to it. And to me, when I look at that, I say, they aren't showing a commitment to it, because way too many times we've heard this year, well, the game got us out of it, game got a still position where we couldn't do it. My thought is, in that game last week,
you're getting your butt whooped. Trying to throw the ball forty times wasn't necessarily going to get you back in that game. You probably would have been better served at that point, when maybe you're down seventeen points, twenty one points, whatever the case might have been, to say, Okay, let's slow this thing down a little bit, let's try to run the ball if you're really committed to it, right, And that's where I'm like, there could have been opportunities
I remember Jason used to do. Jason Garrett used to do that. There'd be times in games, even when the Cowboys were down, when he would just say he would go on a drive with literally they just run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, and they did it effectively and that could sometimes slow the game down enough for them to get it back into a workable situation where now you can try to really start working your offense again, and I just don't think
the Cowboys are doing that this year. I think when it comes to the score, I think quickly it can get them out of their running game and they just won't worry about it. They won't go back to it. And that's not really a commitment to the run as I think they want to. At least they're saying that they want.
That's a great point and helps our defense. I'll have to stay on the field, so right, absolutely.
All right, we're gonna take our first break when we come back. I got a lot of questions for you guys. We're going to talk about this team, where they are, where they have to be as they come back off the buy. We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Back to the Break.
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All right, welcome back the second segment of the breaklock in that WBC Morgan Studios at the Star. Uh this check this segments brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, here's what we're gonna do. I got some questions for you guys. I'm gonna run them down. Feel free to chime in as you choose. This first question, which has been the bigger problem for the Dallas Cowboys, the rushing offense or the rushing defense.
Well, uh, go for it, ton, I would say the rushing defense. And I understand that it's hard to say that because of several things. One you face some of the best running teams in the league to start off the year, and two you're shorthanded on defense. But the simple fact of the matter is that there is there's nothing coming out of it. I mean, teams are just
running all over Dallas and they have no answer. It doesn't matter who's on the field, and I think that even when you look back at some of the earlier games when Michael Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence were out there, they were still struggling to defend the run. You think about that Baltimore game where they have what wasn't nearly three hundred yards on the ground between you know, Derek Henry Lamar Jackson. Obviously that's a, like I said, one
of the harder rushing duos to stop. But it seems like there's just no answer regardless of who's on the field. We've seen demarve On Overshown have some players you look and you say, okay, yeah, we see it, but then somewhere you know he's just not there and he's not
making an impact the interior the defensive line. Milesy Smith had a really good game a couple of weeks ago, but there's still, you know, growing pains that are that are set to be there, right with those first and second year guys that Mike McCarthy talked about getting those valuable reps. So I think the rushing defense for me is what has can improve more heading into the Spy we can into San Francisco.
I'm going to go rushing offense, just because it seems if you watch these teams, they know we don't have a run game, so they kind of sit back and attack the passing, you know, over and over and over again. And that's why we tend to come have to come
from behind. And we all know we spoke about this already, not to reiterate, but the fact that we the running game kind of sets the whole tone, you know, for us to be able to have the play action to open up the offense, to alleviate some pressure off Dak. You know, Dack's now holding on the ball too long because he knows he's we can't run the ball. So I think for me, it's the definitely the rushing game is the struggle and the problem.
This reminds me of me take in the SAT where it was like it was like the English portion and the math and I struggle on both sides. You know, I don't know which bar wash. It's okay, I still got a degree bear, but both, I mean it's both. I mean, you guys are both right. I mean I like, like you're saying those points, I'm like, yeah, totally agree, And then you said that, I'm like, yeah, I think it's that too. I would probably lean on the rush
defense just because because on that the passing game. I mean, you got these guys that should should at least help the offense a little bit. But if you cannot stop the run, you really can't do anything. And uh, they because you don't, they don't have to throw and then they're not. You know, Baltimore didn't really have to throw the Saints through when they wanted to, but they also ran it to and so that's probably the most alarming thing.
Yeah, when does Micah come back? When does Taint come back? Great?
But they were part of the problem too. It's kind of like that year that that that Wade Phillips got fired and Romo got hurt, and it's like, well Romo got hurt. They were one in five when Romo got hurt. So it's like the problems were there that whole year too. Wasn't just that, So problems are there. They're gonna have to fix that.
New Orleans game, they were full, full go and it just it was it was bad.
The problem that I see.
And I don't know if you can talk to the league about this, but you only play the Giants twice.
Yeah, if you can get more of those.
That's what you need because you play the Giants more, be better.
You know, that's what everybody heard answer.
Giants.
Do you think you know? I think it's I think it's run defense. And the reason why it's not so much because one is worse than the other. But when you're playing football, I've seen teams be successful that had no rushing offense. I've never seen a team in the NFL be successful that can't stop the run. If you
can't stop the run, that's like the first thing. If you can't stop the run, then everything else is just gonna it's just going to be a problem because, yeah, because the the opposing offense knows that their whole playbook is now open to them because if they're running the ball effectively, now play action work, Now they can get you deep. There are so many things you can do if you got your running game going that that are
limited if you don't have your running game going. So I just I look at that and I say that that one thing is probably a acting this entire team more than anything else, just their inability to be able to stop the run on a consistent basis, no matter who they're playing.
We I think I'm still frustrated because we didn't sign Derrick Henry. So that's my that's my bygones.
I mean, I think you make a good point about you know, you don't necessarily have to have a run game to be able to win games and throw the ball run. Look at this team. They have two wins where they don't necessarily run the ball very well, and Dak Prescott, who was I think third in the league in passing yards coming into this game, just tosses all
over everybody in it Winsley football game. So you know, But at the same time, now that that does become I don't want to say the identity of the offense because it's too early in the season to really put a label on that. And we'll see if they can get their run game going. But you know, like she said, if you if you know that that's what it is coming in, then it's going to get easier to stop and you don't need to load up the box as much.
Yeap you think about it. And obviously I hate sometimes making this comparison because I understand before anybody says, I understand, you're talking about the best quarterback in the league. But The chief are a good example of how you don't necessarily have to have a great running game if you can, if you can establish a good passing game that scares people, it will create more in your running game. Isaiah Pacheco is not a great running back, he's very, very, very
serviceable in that offense. Right. They have a defense that they've improved over time, and now their defense is I think really really good. And so they have a defense that can that can play well. They can play comment complimentary style of football and on their offense, because you're so afraid of their quarterback and so afraid of their tight end, you can actually get away with having a
an okay running back that looks really good in that offense. Right, So I guess that's the point I'm making more is you can figure out how to make the run game work. You cannot make it work if you can't stop the run.
Yeah, that's true. And also you said that about the Chiefs.
I think that's so important with I think I think having a great tight end is probably the most important thing that you can really have in a dynamic offense because I think when Kelsey's really on his game doing his thing, it's so hard to stop, just how versatile they could be.
You kind of thought Jake Ferguson was.
Going to take I'm not saying to the Kelsey level, but take that next leap.
And so far he.
Really hasn't done that yet, but I mean it's early, it's slowly in the year, no one really has. But I was kind of hoping he would take a little bit more of that of that step this year because if he can do that, I think that really does open so many things, because it's so hard to stop when you have multiple tight ends out there that can you can play any style you want.
Yeah, I would actually if I were the Cowboys, I'd actually target him a little bit more. I would actually create plays for him because I agree with you. I think when you get a tight end rolling, it does something to a defense because a defense can be made to to kind of try to take away a wide receiver. They have to do a lot of things differently in order to take away a tight end who's really killing you. And I think that and they have to kind of
I think Ferguson. What I love about Ferguson is he's a good tight end, but really it's the run after the catch that makes him I think, yeah, better than the average, right, And I think they ought to find more opportun needs to to let him get the ball in the open film, see what he can do with him.
He's got to catch it too.
I mean, they had to play and I've seen him make catches like that. We can twist, but I don't know what.
He's made catches. That was just a bad one for him. I'll give him that. That was a bad one for him because usually catch.
You needed that because you needed it because the Lions were playing backyard football, you know, everything was like you know, like even the big guys were like I want the ball. They're like, okay, we'll thought to sixty eight. They were determined to get sixty eight a touchdown.
But like that knows where like every play somebody's reporting like wow, let's go.
But that play that.
I'm talking about, you know, they rolled here and then threw it back to Ferguson.
You're like, what is he? Okay, well I'll catch it.
You know.
So that was that was it.
But I mean the question that you that you asked, that's the problem is is that it is kind of a tough question. Yes, you're right, you're right, you're right, I'll be right. We're all right on this. The running game is terrible and the run defense is terrible. It's not a good it's not a good recipe.
I mean, it's kind of surprising.
I mean, when you have a really bad running game and a really bad run defense in your three and three, it's kind of surprising.
Yeah, you know, because you want to play those teams.
Again, those teams that you beat.
You right, to be just three and three is surprising.
Yeah, all right, let's take our final break. We'll come back. I'm gonna ask you guys about this offense in what you think is a bigger problem protection lack of a running game or turnovers. We'll talk about that when we come back. Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
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Back to the Break.
All right, AT and t AT and T is connecting changes everything.
Welcome back. It is the final segment of the Break. We are alive from that s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. For those who are a little bit confused and join the show late, yes, this is still the Break. We just don't have our normal show.
They might be thinking it as talking cowboys because of the time.
Oh well yeah, every is off right. Everything's off the time and the folks that you're seeing here, this is our show. We mixed it. We mixed it up this week, today, and tomorrow. All of our shows will have different lineups. You will see the same hosts for each of the shows, but all the other folks on those shows will be different. It's our opportunity to be able to kind of mix
some opinions and give you guys an opportunity. Here here's some other conversations and what you typically hear on the shows. Girls Boys Talk is a place you can hear Bonnie Jail regularly. Nick you can hear them on storyline. Tommy just got here, so we're trying to figure out where we're going to fit him in. So far, I'm liking it. I might have to, like, I might have to call from the bullpen and be like, hey, Tommy, I need Tommy. Give me Tommy.
I'll throw a hundred down the middle.
There we go, morn middle relief.
On every show, it's like wait a second, and he's gonna have to get like, you know, like an assistant like, all right, you gotta book.
You gotta book Tommy in advance.
Right, Yeah, Edwin dis like Trumpet as I come down to the store. If I got called in.
Yes, I like, okay, yeah, all right, here we go. The funny thing is the guy who sings it's called Tommy Trumpets. Here we go, and now he has a nickname. We like Tommy Trumpets. Here we go.
Hilton.
I've got Clark Kent, I've gotten t Y Hilton, I've gotten Harry Potter, and now Tommy Trumpets.
Tommy in one week. We like nicknames around here, ye giving people nicknames? All right, let's tell this I like that, all right, So here we go. Here's the next question I have for you guys. Which do you guys think is the bigger problem for the passing offense right now? Protection,
lack of a running game, or turnovers? And that would be dack the wide receivers, because I don't know if you can necessarily see in those situations if it's dack with the wide receivers, but they're off, they're off, whatever is happening with those they're off? What do you think is a bigger problem for the passing offense?
Can I pick two?
Sure?
I think?
Okay, I think protection, protectionant I take it in.
Yeah, well, just.
Because I think they're they kind of obviously all three co incide, right, I think the biggest issue, and I guess that takes away the two. I would say protection. Uh, you know, this is a this is a rookie heavy offensive line. They've got two of the center and left tackle position. Those are two of the most important positions on your offensive line. Right You've got to get the snap from your center, and you've got to have protection
on your blind side. And so when you're dealing with growing pains there and guys trying to get up to the NFL level, get sped up and also play some
really elite edge rushers here to start. Through these first six games in the season, these guys have been thrown right in the fire, and obviously there's going to be bad reps that come with that, and we've seen that from Cooper BB and Tyler Geiton and Dak Prescott then forced to be on the move a little bit and move outside of the pocket and make some backfoot throws. I think, you know, we talked about that pass to
Jake Ferguson that he dropped earlier in the game. That throw was off his back foot across the entire length of the field. That should have been intercepted, I think. And so, but that also leads to things like turnovers, and more specifically, I'm going to expand and make it red zone turnovers. Points are being taken off the board.
You've got at least three points in your back pocket with a guy like Brandon Aubrey kicking field goals and Dak Prescott has kind of uncharacteristic Chris uncharacteristically turn the ball over when the Cowboys get down there. So really, I think those two jive very well, and it's something that I don't need to say has to be fixed it obviously that goes without saying. But you also think some of those red zone turnovers have been because that pocket collapses for Dak. He's got to go out and
try to make something happened. And some of it is on Dak too. You know that that throw to CD. I think he he stared CD down the whole time where he had Tolbert in the flat and you kind of you're supposed to look there first. That allows Brian Branch to come up instead. He makes a heck of a play diving in the back of the end zone. But uncharacteristic start from Dak. But I think the offensive line struggles are part of it too.
Yeah, I think it's been the fact that that Dak and See are just not on the same page is a huge problem too. That I mean, and one of them was at training camp, one of them wasn't, and I think we all know that the situation there, but but I mean, CD, I think he was somewhat ready to play as far as physically, but but as far
as understanding what they're trying to do. Timing, the timing of things just hasn't been there, and so you know, you put that on both of them, really, and so I'm tired of hearing Dak say that that they're not practicing well. I don't understand that numerous times, you know, and so that I put I'm putting that on on Dak too, I mean, like like or as a leader,
I mean, that's part of it. He keeps calling them out, but they're calling them out at the wrong you know, when are you really calling them out?
And really who?
And I don't put it all on that because he can practice a certain way, but he's you know, this is this is a coaching thing as well. It's like that this team isn't practicing well. You're getting beat on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of you know, of a week.
But you know, I think I think there's a lot of gray area in that too. Like when you say not practicing well, that could be a lot of different sures like are you are you unfocused? Are you literally just not performing well? Like is it just like everybody's out there, everybody's into it, everybody's working hard, but balls are on the efforts. Yeah, they're not executing well in practicing. There's a lot of different gray areas on what he
really means why they're not practicing. Well, I'd love to know that because I think that helps me understand maybe where the problem is. Is it a mental problem or is it actually they're just not very good?
And I have an interesting statue. I want you to finish, Yeah, go to your point, but I have a stat afterwards that I thought it's interesting about preparation. Right, No, Well, I looked at the opening drive to start the game. Cowboys first six games, both the opponent and you know, their offense. To start the game, they're getting out scored thirty one to six. They've only had two field goals in their first six first six drives of the six games,
and the opponents have got thirty one points. Go to the third quarter, it's thirty to nine, thirty points. They're giving up only nine only only three field goals.
They're starting and finishing.
So sixty one to fifteen is the first drive of each you know, that's when you're you're supposed to prep you know, definitely start the game. And the opponent has scored on every single drive to start the game, even the Browns, even the Giants Pittsburgh, they've all started at least a field goal. But they're driving down and they're scoring points, and the other four teams are scoring touchdowns. So I mean it's bad, you know, And so that's
a preparation thing, coaching team, whatever it is. And even the third quarter's not getting fixed either, So.
Yeah, I would want to know that too. Coming out of the halftime.
Is it the same thing? Are yay say?
I might have flipp the first half I think might be thirty to nine and second half of thirty one six. Either way, it's one to fifteen. You're getting outscored. So preparation has not been good at all.
Yeah, piggybacking off of Tommy, but definitely protection. I think it's you know, if you look at that Brian Branch play that literally, I think that was very pivotal in the whole game. I think it shifted the whole Yeah, everything in that whole game, you know, And the fact that you can see that Dak is looking at his first read and kind of getting focused on that and doesn't now look at the rest of the feel like
you're you know, saying with Tolbert in the flat. So I think that protection and then that causes everything to kind of trickle down.
That's a domino effect.
And here's another thing that I wonder about too, because Dez did this too early on when Dak's career and Duck was younger, Dez was the established veteran. And there were times where Dez would be chirping a lot, and then the next game they'd throw it to him fifteen times and he catch like five or six, and it's
and you're forcing the ball to him. And I kind of wonder if we're getting to that point now where you know, you're tired of seeing and hearing the jump ball deck jump ball stuff like that, where Tolbert I have been the better play there, you know. And now it was second down, right, I believe second down, second or maybe a.
Third second out. So I don't know if Tilvert scores, but it's going to be close.
He has to make the guy miss, but he's just going you know what I mean, are you like, You're like you just want to shut the guy up, So let's start up, you know CD, But that's not really the right play, and the other team knows it too. They know that they want to throw the CD. I just hope that we're not getting to that point where Dak is kind of like you're just sort of forcing it there when it's really not the.
Right place, you know.
I don't. I wouldn't think so. And the reason why I wouldn't think so is because I think there's probably twenty eight teams in the NFL where you've got a receiver who is chirping a lot, like that's just the nature of the position. You can't do your job, and I don't think it's a bad thing. You can't do your job as a receiver unless you're getting the ball right. So I think there's probably all these guys are playing in NFL played the wide receiver position like hey man,
I'm open, I'm open, get me the ball. I'm open. Like that's that's just the nature of wide receivers. Probably starting at high school, get me the ball, the ball, give me the ball. Quarterback grows immune to that, Like I don't. I don't think the good quarterbacks like it's like, yeah, I got you, bro, I see you over there. We're good. I just hope that that's not I wouldn't think that that would be something that would change how Dak approaches the game.
Well also too.
I'm sorry to cut you off at the time point, but I mean it's fifty three yards, that's how wide it is. Why we have the guys too close together? Why could one guy cover Tolbert and CD and then the other play where schoon Maker and well somebody are just.
That's the difficulty of the red zone, right, that's the difficulty of the red zone. It's what you always tell me when we're watching the game and it's first and goal at the nine or first and goal at to ten, you're like field goal because the field is compressed and now a guy that's that's covering the flat can also cover the back of the end zone. That that's the problem is you got a compressed field.
It's just wondering why see Trayvon Diggs is playing ten yards off the ball on the on a play like.
That was the question. We're going to look to that later. Sorry that we're going to get to that. Why are you killing all? Sorry? All right? That did everybody get chance to answer it?
Yes?
Yeah, all right, good, all right. I don't know if we have time, but we're going to dive into this question real quick, and this isn't a quick question, but we're gonna try anyway. Name the five best offensive linemen on this team.
Yeah, I'll start Smith. Okay, you guys got.
So Zach Martin, but he's just not playing at the Hall of Fame level.
He isn't.
He's trailing off, but.
He's got to be You're right, he's not playing well. He's still it was.
Now the rough one's the roughest I've seen you. No, absolutely right, No, no, no, you don't have an answer. I said that yesterday on our show. I was like, that was as rough of a game as it ever seen from Zach Martin. And quite frankly, this season has not been the traditional Zach Martin. Now, he did pop up on the injury report last week, and that to me
could make some sense. Is this a situation where he's he's just he's trying to gut one out on the team and that's why we saw what we saw on Sunday, But that was not now.
And he gave up seven pressure I think ten pressures all year last year.
Yeah, that's that's It's not Cooper Bebe.
I think it's been I mean I know we're greating on a curve a little bit because he's a rookie, but I still think he's played pretty much.
That's on his position.
The one thing I would say is I think there are two things for me. One, I think when it comes to like twists and stunts, I think sometimes he's a little like trying to figure it out. And the second part is he seems to be a tick late consistently when he's trying to get to the second level. He kind of like gets that first, you know, initial block. He doesn't trust I'm going to pass this guy off
and just go to the second level. He's kind of there a little too long, and then doesn't really get there in time to be able to make that second level block that sometimes could spring a run that's important in the run game. That's the area I want to see him develop. But I also think that's something you
can get better at. Over time, he'll get a better feel that also works with The more they this line works together, the more he'll know I can trust that once I get a nice shove on this guy, I'm up to the second level and I can trust my to do that. I think those are the kind of things that are just about time.
If that is the worst problem you've got with a rookie center, right, I think you take that ten ten times because that stuff that comes with those reps.
Right.
As far as the five best, I think the five best guys that are going to give you a chance to win long term, Tyler Goeiton, Tyler Smith, Cooper bb Zach Martin, and Terrence Steele. I mean, I understand that they've had their struggles to start the year. I understand that, you know, you look at moving Tyler Smith back to tackle and TJ Basson at left guard, you're kind of like, Okay, maybe that can work. I think that if you get
your rookies the snaps they need. And I completely agree with Mike McCarthy because it's worked for him in the past. It worked for him in Green Bay, it's worked for him everywhere he's been where playing a lot of young guys eventually is going to look really good. And I know you guys have talked about it on the show and on the Draft Show, where you know, two years from now, we may not look at Tyler Garten and say, Okay, this guy was one of the better picks in the
first round of the draft. But four years and it's time for that fifty year contract talk, you're gonna say, Okay, yeah, this is a guy who definitely needs it because he's going to be playing really well.
And that's the problem that this coaching staff has and Mike McCarthy has. It's like you just said it twice. You said long term and then you said four years from now, Well, who's the coach? Then who's the head coach for this? So do you just say, hey, this will be good, let's you know, I'll deal with the growing pains now, and then I'll probably get fired, you know, like if that happens, if they don't win games, And
so it's like that's the problem. Do you play the five best that will help you meet the forty nine ers for the five best to develop?
And that's where.
Ownership and head coach sometimes will have difference of opinion because one of them is definitely going to be here and one of them has to win to stay here.
Right, But at the nature coaching right at the same time, if you don't have continuity with the five guys that you've got up front, it's only going to get worse. And you know, the five that they've trotted out on Sunday is not a bad unit. But if they haven't practiced together, if they haven't played together for long, yeah, then you're still kind of dealing with the same time.
I'm with you, though, I I agree with you about Guidon long term, but I think Goton can win with I think you win with Guyton now too. I really do his his things is technique, his hands, Like he's got to figure out how to hold properly.
Everybody holds, just do it in a way where you don't get called. You have to figure out a way to hold the right way. You know, you got to. You got to learn how to cheat better. And then he'll do that and then and he's.
Going to get stronger. So you can tell, like his core is balance, he's off, he's not under speaking times.
You know, his balance is off, and that's all going to come.
Yeah, I think he has to play.
I mean, I still think, I still think those five would would be better for for for multiple reasons. You're trying to win, but you're also trying to build them. You got to build his confidence.
He can't go. I think he has to play.
But the one thing I will say is on Sunday, at least most of the problems from a protection standpoint appear to come from the right hand side of the ker, And so that's where I'm like, are you Are you better off in a situation where right now, I would say,
right now TJ. Bass is a better guard than guiding is a tackle, And because of that, it might be something where if you have to if you're trying to win right now and trying to just get some get some steadiness coming from this offensive line, that should be worth the consideration. Now I think it does stunt you. Long term, I think it does, and so that's where you have to, Like you're saying, Nick, what happens that becomes an interesting question, are you interested in possibly We
talked about this on the break yesterday. Are you interested in possibly taking Guidon who played right tackle in college and now flipping him over to the other side With Terrence still struggled quite a bit.
Romo used to say it all the time to th right tackle, don't hold I'll see I see him. I'll see him. You can don't hold him because I'll make him miss. He could also see the backside too, which is kind of weird.
To everything.
But what I saying, that might be a better situation there too. Steal Steele's got probably some issues too, But I mean, I don't know. I mean, maybe this is the week to do that kind of stuff.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's an interest. I think it's something interesting to think about. I don't think that's what the Cowboys will do. I think ultimately they're gonna put guiding back in there. I don't think he was ready to play last week. I think that's why he was out. I think coming out of the buy, I expect him to go back to the line that they had to start the season. And I think they're gonna roll with that and they're gonna watch those guys development.
By the way, it might all work, question is does it work fast enough you need it to be working now? The problem is it gonna work fast enough to where you get those rookies really integrated to where they're playing at their best level. And Steal can get back to some consistency because he's had it at certain points in his careers where he's been a consistently good player. Can he get back to that? And then you know, obviously things settle in a little bit for everybody else in
the offensive line starts working all right. Appreciate you guys joing us. We'll be back on tomorrow. We got so many more questions to get through. We'll see how fast we get through them tomorrow. For Nick Keaman uh and for Tom Yars, Bonnie Joe Laughlin. Thank you guys for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow on the break.
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