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It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Were with Mbar Garcia, Brian brought us, Patrick Walker and Derek Eagleton.
It is Thursday, January eleventh, twenty twenty four, Season nineteen, episode number one oh six. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We are alive from that WBC Mortgage studios at the stargup. Brian and Patrick here with me. Ambers not in today, but we're going to try to hold it down in her absence.
We're gonna get into some.
Talk on the Green Bay Defense versus the Cowboys off and we'll also get some questions here throughout the show. If you want to hit us up, you can hit us up on our text line.
I'm looking around with that number.
Tell you I'll get that number for you and Justicey here it is here. It is Cowboys text line eight one seven two nine zero three two nine eight again eight one seven two nine zero three two nine eight. Patrick is monitoring that thing, so he'll let me know if there's anything interesting that comes through there. I've already got a few questions that I've gotten from some of you on Twitter, so we'll get to some of those and try to get some some good thoughts from you guys.
Some questions from you guys at our panel here can answer.
Uh, So let's jump in.
Let's start first with some injury updates. Got Stephan Gilmour, who did not practice was shoulder injury. What are we hearing about him at this point.
Spoke with Stefan Gidmore yesterday in the locker room, and he sounds like he's he's definitely going to be a go. His comment was whatever it takes, that's his quote. So he said that he's played through much worse over the course of his illustrious career. He knows exactly what these games mean. This is why he's, you know, was looking forward to help him put the Cowboys in this position. So barring a massive setback, I think you see Stefan
Gilmore on the field. Same goes for Tyler Smith. Tyler Smith returned to practice yesterday, albeit in a limited capacity, but good news, he's on schedule to get back Zach Martin. He rested yesterday, but the expectation is if he isn't back on the field today, it'll be before the end of the week he will. They expect that he'll be
back on the field for the Cowboys as well. Full complement of offensive lineman there Jonathan Hankins initially pr scats just a little bit by putting did not participate next to him, but turns out it was a technical error. He actually was a limited participant in practice yesterday as he continues to work through his ankle injury, so he's expected to play as well. More positive news Malie Hooker. The ankle injury that he's been dealing with for weeks
now cost him the Buffalo game. He's back to full participation in practice, so it looks like Malie Hooker is back to as close to one hundred percent as you can get. Cowboys overall trending in the right direction health wise.
Yeah, you're going to Gilmore's gonna wear a harness on his shoulder, and uh, you know my experience with the harnesses, you're always worried about the range of motion because it's done with straps and you know, laces and stuff like that to to sent it down to make sure that it's okay. And you know, I was talking to some people about it. Have we come you know, have we
developed a better one? You know? And the comments were, no, we've we've kind of we've we've really found one that works really well for our players that doesn't limit the range of motion that you have, but it's able to protect the shoulder, fits under the pads and it's just it it works very easily and they're very comfortable with that,
and so he'll give it a go. And like Patrick was saying, you know, talking to him one on one, you know, he's you don't get many opportunities to play in playoff games, and so you got to got to do what you can and that's what he's doing.
How cancarn of you guys that Tyler Smith, although he appears that he's going to be able to play, will still be limited by this planner fashion.
It's it's I think it's I would say this, it is it's never good to have an all pro type of a player not play and be limited. The thing that gives me a little comfort is the fact that we've seen TJ. Bass play at a really solid level, and you know, it's not like sometimes you throw guys in there and they just completely fall apart. And every time they've asked him to play, he's been up to the task and he continues to get more experience.
He continues to.
Work with the oddish and Tyron Smith and others and all that. So, yeah, is it do you want to you know, Tyler Smith to be out? No, absolutely not. But if it came down to he just can't go or he just can't play at this level. Having TJ Bass is that backup that they could put in there in the middle of a game and things not completely fall apart. Gives you at least some confidence that you can go win a game there.
Yeah, that's got to make you feel good knowing that there's not this monumental fall off. As far as the talent level from Tyler Smith to TJ Bass, are they the same player? Absolutely not. Tyler Smith is his Pro Bowl caliber all both call pro caliber.
But TJ. Bass he's a gamer.
He's been in there more than once this season and he's shown each time that he can he can deliver. Now that being said, I was watching in the media portion of practice yesterday, Tyler Smith was moving quote unquote well in his individual drill, So that's promising. Of course, that's different from you know, taking snaps and trying to anchor down and push up against you know, three hundred pound guys and two hundred and seventy found pound guys coming at you. But it looks like he was moving
a little. He was moving well. He wasn't favoring that foot, which is kind of what I was looking for, and that wasn't that wasn't present yesterday.
So he looks good, looks on the right track. Again.
It'll be tested though in the game obviously, but if for whatever reason he kind of struggles or he has a setback during the game, TJ. Bass has shown, like Brian said, he can come in and he can get it done. A. J.
Dillon popped up on the injury report for the Packers. He did not practice yesterday. How much would that be a blow for them if they can't get a J.
Dillon ready.
I'm not a huge AJ Dillon fan, really, I'm not, and I'm but I am a fan of Jones and I think they're a different football team. You could watch the Giants game where Jones wasn't a part of it, and Dylan was, and their offense wasn't as good, you know, and I I do, I do worry. I think with Dylan, I think he's lost that ability. There's no explosiveness to his game. It's much like watching and watch him get
in the game and just completely wreck shot. But it was almost like watching Zeke play at the end where there wasn't the birth, there wasn't the the you knew in that body that there was a time where it was that way. But he's not the same player that
he was. And I the one, like we're talked about yesterday, Aaron Jones is the one that scares me, you know that how how committed will the Packers be to just lining up and seeing if Dallas and Dallas has played really well since the Buffalo game on run defense, but how committed are they to just lining up and running the football. Because Aaron Jones has had some really outstanding games against Cowboys.
And Aaron Jones definitely he's the one you want to worry about. AJ Dillon though if he's not available for this game, it does impact what they're going to try to do because they try to play complimentary football between their two running backs, not completely different from what the Cowboys try to do with Pollard and Rico and Dylan also does give them at least some ability as a receiver.
Out of the backfield as well.
So I mean, this is a guy who rushed for more than six hundred yards, not far behind Aaron Jones in that capacity.
So I mean, is he Aaron Jones? Absolutely not.
But if he's not able to go, if he's hobbled or slowed, it is going to impact one of the bigger parts of their scheme, which is they're hoping to run the ball early and often against the Cowboys.
Yeah, the way I look at it is it's more about touches. Obviously, Aaron Jones is not. You're gonna lie up and run thirty five times, right, So you kind of want that bound.
They want that balance between the two.
And if they don't have him, then it becomes like who else is going to sure get back that they're going to use to spell Jones to still keep their running game going. That'll be an interesting development if they don't have him. All right, we're going to take an early quick break when we come back. We're going to dive into the Green Bay Defense got lots of questions there, as was the case on the offensive side of the ball. There's a lot of maybe good things, but not a
lot of big names. We'll talk about that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Welcome back.
It is the second segment of The Breakway live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. The segment is presented to you by Blockchain dot Com. All right, let's jump into the Green Bay Defense. Brian, A big picture. Tell me what this defense does best and where they are most challenged.
I think they're really the best thing they do is actually play is rush the passer. I think when you look at it's a three four front. It plays a mix of nickel and dime. In the secondary, they'll play some four to three front is a change up. They're very similar to the Cowboys defense and a lot of metrics when it comes to you know, with the with playing with pass rush and pressures and things like that, except Cowboys get far more interceptions. This group doesn't get
any interceptions at all. It's been they've only got seven, which is only one more than Tennessee and that they're in last place.
So but the.
Packers packers there best when they're rushing the passers and they're playing past defense. And I mean that in a way of of their you know, the way they get after the quarterback here.
I mean, yeah, he perfectly noted there. When it comes to this particular defense, they're so dependent upon the success of their pass rush, and I mean they almost forty percent of the time they pressure the opposing quarterback.
That's phenomenal.
But then when you break it down and you look at how long it takes, and we've mentioned this a couple times, it takes them a little bit longer to develop their QB pressure then it takes for Dak Prescott to comfortably throw the ball So all things considered, if Dak Prescott gets his status quo level of protection, he should be able to get that ball out quickly and get it to his playmakers. And then that secondary for the Packers, they're kind of in trouble in that capacity
when it gets to the red zone. They really struggle in the red zone as far as coverage is concerned, but not necessarily their pressure. They have eight sacks in the red zone, but most of those sacks come on that three or four man They don't like to send blitzes in the red zone. They don't like to send blitzes on second or third downs either. They're primarily first down blitz team. So just some things that the Cowboys
can keep an eye on. So in the red zone, particularly if the Cowboys going right back to them being able to protect Dak Prescott, if they can negate that pass rush that has eight sacks, then it's primarily going to be zone coverage, and you know, Dak Prescott should be able to hit his the guy is fairly easily.
Yeah, they're gonna hunt matchups is what they're going to try and do. And I think Rashawn Gary, it's funny. I was talking to an advanced scout for another team on the way over here, and I said, hey, listen to you guys played. You guys played Green Bay. Tell me about what your concerns were, you know, going forward. I go, I'm watching the tape and I think Rashawn Gary is their best pass rusher.
And this guy said, absolutely is.
He says, you got to worry about him and Kenny Clark, and those are the two names. But they've got a kind of a good little rotation. Preston Smith's a good player, Lucas van Ness, who's a rookie, it gets in there. And there's another guy, Carl Brooks. But Gary and Clark are the two that I worry about the most because Gary will line up on both sides of the formation. But this week, We've said it in the weeks past, I expect this will be the one where Terrence Steele
will be the majority of the time. We'll probably get We'll get Rashawn Gary here. Joe Barry, the coordinator for the Packers. He's gonna hunt matchups and he's gonna he's gonna move Gary around the thing that you know, he's the most productive player they have. He's the type of player that gives when you watch Steel play, he's the type of guy that gives Steel trouble. Elite speed, quickness, and agility. Those are the things that kind of and
then steal kind of with sometimes with power. But he's able to kind of wash some guys, you know, kind of match up that way. But Gary wins a variety of different ways. That's what makes him hard because you watch him break down blockers. And then because I went back, they went back and watched all their sacks, and you know, he's the guy that's kind of the Him and Clark are the ones that are just the ones that are constantly providing the pressure for you.
And because those guys, Clark and Gary are so good at what they do, it helps make the other guys better. And that presents a defensive front that is good at getting pressure at any particular role on the defensive line. Because I also look at Preston Smith. We know him well from being once being one half of the Smith Bros. With him and Zadarius Smith. But you got him, Kenny Clark getting the pressure up the middle. Devonte White, He'll
get his pressures in his sex as well. So it's not entirely unlike the Cowboys defense in the aspect of they can generate pressure from any one of those spots on the defensive line, primarily because you have to worry so much about guys like Gary on the outside and a guy like Kenny Clark on the inside.
Yeah.
One of the interesting things about this defense, and you've been talking about the passing defense, they've only allowed three hundred yards plus twice.
In seventeen games. They've done it twice.
Now here's the interesting part though about that they have not played a lot of really great teams. I think the best, in my opinion, the best of the offense is that they've played have been the Rams. You can put Detroit in there, but Detroit got over three hundred yards passing against them. But the Rams are probably the best of the teams that didn't get three hundred yards. And I don't know if they were at full capacity
at that point when they didn't. But that being said, my question for you is, is a lot of what we're seeing with the Packers, particularly miss it instance, talking about their past defense a result of the teams that they've played, and they've done really well against lesser offenses. When do you think this really translates against a high powered offense like the Cowboys.
Baker Mayfield tore him up, Yeah, you know, throwing the football. He absolutely did. And you go back and watch that game. But JayR Alexander was suspended because he went out to the previous week against Carolina and decided he was going to call heads wow, and and you know they're like, listen.
That's a bizarre story. Man.
He's from he's from Charlotte and he thought.
You know what, he just decided I'm going He thought he was in high school again, and you know, because it was a local game that he was going to be captain that day.
But he wasn't, and so they suspended him.
And what happened when you watched, when you watch the Tampa game, they tried to they tried to work around him not being in the game, and Carrington Valentine was the was the guy that took his place. Played a lot of zone coverage in that game. I mean a lot of zone coverage. And I mean it's like and it's third and five and they're nine yards off and they're just kind of working underneath and you're just going, Okay, you're going to continue to play soft this whole game at Baker's just.
Bump, boom, boom.
There's a couple of times they sacked him. They knocked the ball loose out of his hand one time. I mean there's pressure that was there. But when it came to throwing and playing pass defense, it was like Joe Berry went into this like conservative. You know, Oh, I don't have Alexander today. I've got to got to protect everybody out here. He's got some issues that he's going
to deal with in this game. And because Dallas will well, Dallas will stress you at tight end, and they'll stress you at and I believe they'll stress.
You at running back.
I think this is a week where you need to take advantage of Walker and then you know, and also to Campbell, the two linebackers. You know, Patrick always talks about playing underneath and you know kind of working you know, combinations and stuff like that. Walker is a is a blitzer. He's not a cover guy. When they put him in coverage, it's usually bad. And Campbell's the same way they they they I would do and these are linebackers, Yeah, these
are the two inside linebackers. I would do anything like Okay, how do I how do I get Walker to have to cover? How do I get Campbell to have to cover? They might say, you know, we can't we you know, And I wonder if Carolina's tight ends had really a good day against these guys. You might and watch Carolina play and it was because of the linebacker play.
They just these guys aren't very good cover guys.
Now.
I can say Walker can blitz, that's the one thing. He's got a feel for how to do that. But if he's in coverage, I think you need to you need to find a way to you know. But they're gonna they're gonna take Seede Lamb and they're gonna put Alexander because Alexander will play both sides and on third down and long he'll go down and play in the slot. So he's they're comfortable doing that.
Is this a game against c Yeah?
Yeah.
Is this a game where maybe the Calways look at it and say, let's do a lot of twelve personnel and throw out of it, because then you do create scenarios where your linebacker's gonna happen.
It very well.
Got two tight ends, absolutely, you're going to have to cover.
Yeah, you're you know, and that's that You're absolutely right about that, because because if you also another guy that I looked at and I'm watching him play this, Jonathan Owens, their safety. You know, you look at him in coverage like there, and I'm thinking, God, he gives up a lot of plays, and then you go look at the metrics on him. He's given up the most touchdowns of any of the body in the secondary of four. You know, he's give up four touchdowns off twenty one receptions.
You know, he'll struggle with balance. And I'm like, so.
The Cowboys, like you said, look for the Cowboys to formation, maybe Owens into coverage and then maybe these linebackers in the coverage as well, and take advantage of that.
Their personnel doesn't match up will against what the Cowboys present. Their scheme secondary was doesn't match up will with what the Cowboys present. And this is one reason why a couple of days ago, IAD named Jake Ferguson as the possible X factor for the same reason Brian's saying their linebackers.
Do not cover will.
They don't want cover, they want to go after and get the quarterback. Well, the problem with that against an offense lad by Dak Prescott. Is Dak Prescott excels against the blitz. So you're kind of damned if you do. Damned if you don't. If you drop back in coverage and you're one of the Packers linebackers, you don't cover, well, he's got you. Okay, you blitz him, He's got you.
And you just took someone out of coverage, which opens up the middle of the field for slamp pat inside slants and Jake Ferguson and you know, like you said, maybe run out of a twelve. But they just it's a very very bad matchup for this Packers secondary.
Very bad.
Now, let's talk about the flip side of that. We talked about what they do well and what they don't do so well. Appears to be their rush defense. Yeah, right now, they are ranked twenty eighth in the NFL. They have allowed a two hundred yard day rushing four times this season.
That is a lot.
But here's the interesting part. Over the last four games, they haven't alloted one hundred yards to a team. That would be Tampa Bay at Carolina at Minnesota Chicago.
We just talked about the fact.
That same team we worked for here, right, Yeah.
Yeah, so it's kind of a little bit of both.
My question is, do you think that these last four games indicate that maybe they have solved their rushing defense type issues or do you think it was just the level of competition that they were playing and maybe that's why those numbers weren't think.
I think they are who they are, and I think the Cowboys are who they are as well. I mean there's there's they're capable of times playing. They're really similar if you look at again, if you go in to look at metrics for the two, they're both kind of mid pack defenses when are mid pack run defenses. But you know they've given up the fifth most yards you mentioned all those two hundred yard rushers. You know, you watch when people run the ball at them. They don't
get off blocks. They really really don't. And that's it, and it's a common it's a common theme. And they don't tackle particularly well in the secondary when they have to when they and that happens, so.
They give up some big plays that way.
But I think that if I wish I had confidence in Dallas's running game, I really do. I wish I had the confidence to say, yeah, Dallas is going to just line up in the gonna run the football, and they're gonna show balance here and they're gonna I think Mike's gonna try. I think he's absolutely gonna try. Why not, you know, until they prove that you can stop them.
But a lot of it has to do with I just think that that when you look at how they play, they they don't tackle particularly well, like I said, in the secondary, and they don't and they get they get blocked, hats on, hats on that front seven when people run the ball at them, and that's a that's a problem for them.
The funny thing about it is is that the narrative is that the Cowboys run defense is poor. And it's not poor. You would like it to be more consistent, but it's not poor. Packers run defense is poor. And I mean, for example, because I was breaking it down for Science Lab, which dropped this morning shameless plug. They allow They have allowed fifty seven runs of ten plus yards this season. They're averaging one hundred twenty eight rushing yards per game four point four and the list goes
on and on. They have a tough percentage of only nineteen percent. They do not defend the run well favorable matchup for a guy like Tony Pollard and Rico Dowd or potentially to get going. And if they can get going, then that only helps, you know, potentially open up the passing game more.
Okay, So here's the question.
When you have a situation like this where you're facing a team that where their weakness is is where you would say, of all the things the Cowboys do well on offense, it's also matches up with where your weakness.
Probably is as well.
Do you force the issue and say this is a game where we get right and we get our running game going, or do you just say, hey, we're going at your strength with our strength and we think we're better than you.
I view it as their secondary is outside of hire Alexander, outside of him, that secondary can be torched.
It can be torched.
We just finished talking about how the linebackers are pooring coverage outside of Alexander, who himself, I know he's missed some games so he doesn't have any interceptions.
They don't take the ball away well.
In there, I say you are who you are and that you are an explosive passing attack, and you are more explosive in that aspect. When you're at home home, and you're at home, by the way, so take advantage of a secondary that will give up chunk yardage and then you can play You can use that to play into the fact that they can't defend the run either.
So it's still a game where I say, you attack the ball, you attack them in the air, try to get up on a fast start, make it a two possession game, and then you have the comfort level knowing that, hey, Tony Pollin and Rico Dwell could probably sought this game away over the course of the next two quarters three quarters. However the else it needs to be. But I would still attack with the pass first.
Yeah, I agree with Patrick there. The thing that's interesting to me is which team is going to be able to run the ball the best, you know, because that is the thing that both teams have to fear. Is though it turns into you're letting the other team rush the passer, that that clearly is the Cowboys strength rushing
the passer, especially at home. The Packers have got to hope, like, hey, our best shot of winning this thing is finding a way not to let Dak Prescott beat us, because if we can't get to him like Patrick talking about he'll carve that secondary up.
So Mike, Mike has done a pretty good job.
I love you know, the hell if they would have run the ball more in the second half of the game last year they played, you know, they would have won this game. I think that's what I think, that's what kind of got Mike soured on m kellen Moore a little bit. You know that, you know, dam we're up two scorers and we're sitting there throwing the football. But to Patrick's point, that's what you do. Get up and then don't go into a shell, but find a mix.
You know, if you're hey, first down throw, second down runs, you know, just kind of just kind of go.
Back and forth with that.
Don't just sload up on a bunch of like you did against Detroit first down runs and all of a sudden you're sitting in second in eight all day. Because that that could be that could be a problem for the for the Cowboys.
Also a great opportunity for the Cowboys. You know, once they get into the red zone. Packer's red zone defense, as far as the run goos, it's it's not great. I mean, they've allowed five more touchdowns than the Cowboys have on only five more attempts, so you know they don't clamp down. Let the Cowboys do. So the Cowboys run defense between the twenties. It can be solid, but
they'll allow a chunk play here and there. But when they get you know, go to go packages, they clamp When the Packers getting the gold to go packages, it's basically a turnstyle, right. So it's a good opportunity for the Cowboys to help build Tony Rico and maybe even one hundred Lipkey's confidence when they get down.
There at the end of the day.
I don't think the Cowboys have to have a crazy great rushing data when what I think they should have though, is I want to look at the end of the day and see are your yards per carry four and a half?
If you get up to five.
I think that's what you really care more about is when they want to run the ball, are they getting success out of it. You don't have to change what you do offensively because I think right now you do what got to hear, which is throw the ball, put the ball in dack' say in and let him work. But I do think if your running game can give you something, I think that help.
Is my pro personal friend who I was talking with on the way. He's like, listen, Green Bay's got a good young team. He goes, But that's the problem.
They're young.
He goes, I don't think they're ready for the stage about to play on now.
And we'll see. But that's that's that was his opinion. He goes.
They they've got players that you absolutely have to be concerned about. He goes, I think the quarterback is going to be fine one day. He says, but there is a really really young team, and he goes, you just he goes, he goes.
I watch your team a lot.
He goes, You guys got veteran players, you got playmakers. You make it tough on you people, and so by all means, though this is a game you should win.
Yeah, you know.
And that's the interesting thing about young teams. You gotta put them where got You let them start thinking they got a shot. You let them start thinking they got a shot, and they're like, we got a shot, And young young people.
Don't know what they don't know?
Right.
I put that exact question to Jordan Lewis in the locker room yesterday. I said, you know, Jordans, you guys have the advantage of being the veterans coming into this. You've got a playoff experience, you know, the magnitude of the game, So advantage there as far as football IQ is concerned. However, when you're playing a group of young guys who don't necessarily grasp how big the stage is, they get to play more loosely. Isn't that kind of
a challenge in and of itself? He was like, absolute, those guys are gonna go out there, play fast, play loose because they know it's a playoff game, but they don't necessarily feel it like a veteran.
Yeah, they're playing house money.
Yeah exactly.
And you know the veterans, especially those guys that really long too, like how many more chances am I going to get this? So it really becomes a lot more pressure than when you're in your first, second, third year in the NFL and you're just like, hey, we're here already, all right, let's see what we can do.
You know, I think I saw I saw a graphic. I think I had this right. Half their team is gone from last year when this to these two teams met. Yeah, half, well their team is gone. That's crazy, And I mean, it's just that's that's the turnover that they've had from the time the Cowboys played them last year in the Rego season to where we are today.
And for to that point, there are a lot of people asking if there's any familiarity that McCarthy can kind of use. Not really, there are only five people on that roster. One back Tor he's on ir Yeah, Aaron Jones is the only notable guy that's still on that roster that has that played under McCarthy. So outside of that, there's this is an uncoming opponent.
Right nfl A just fast, yeah, real fast fast. Are gonna take our final break when we come back. We got questions from you guys. I'll get to some of those. We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Back to the Break.
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Welcome Back, final segment of the break Life in SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star.
Have you guys looked at the weather report for Sunday?
Yeah, looks a little interesting there, dune it It's gonna be interesting. I might I might be calling on you, Brian, because I know you look at those things as a challenge. So may be like, hey, Brian, can you come out and scoop me? Because I don't want that challenge of driving. If there's gonna be ice on the road, it's called fetza string.
Yes, I know I'm gonna be like, Brian, I need you to come get me cause I don't want to get.
Out in that.
But yeah, but the problem is, though I have to be at the game three hours.
I'll go with you with me. I go three hours early too.
I tried to convince the guys to do the broadcast outside.
Oh he's just ladies and gentleman.
Is Brian broad It is like, that's that's how he looks at You're playing the past challenge.
Yeah, it's your home field advantage. So you wouldn't have to be out.
Anything to do with features strength all about Well.
Let's just say this. I'm guessing your your co hosts were like, hell.
No, Sam Radio Booth, Yeah, coming this weekend, I said, I said, just give me the give me the wireless mike.
I'll stand outside.
And you would too, I absolutely would.
I would.
All right, let's jump back in. We got some questions from you guys, really good questions we got today.
So, by the way, real quick, is today the ninth anniversary of dead Bryant the catch?
Okay?
Because I saw clips of that. We were all standing on the side slideline.
We were at lambeau Field and it wasn't a miserable day.
I was twenty degrees degrees was way.
I was way over drives and you I watched the whole game from the sideline.
I remember that you were the first one to say, Oh, he's not gonna Oh, that's not gonna be a catch.
Helmet with a helmet helmet. Because we were all standing, I choked helman. I grabbed him like and I I heard.
Someone say, oh, it's not going to be a catch, and I was like, well, because at first I was like, oh, my god, that was the greatest catch I've ever seen.
And then it's like what huh? And then it all starts unveiling.
Only only challenge Mike McCarthy won the whole year. Yeah, was that one? The only one? And I remember like being bundled up because I watched the whole game from the sideline, so I was way too bundled up for the game. But like I remember turning the helmet and grabbing like his coat like it.
He goes, oh, that's not going to.
Be a catch, And I grabbed his lapel and I go, what are you saying? He goes, it's not gonna be a catch, dude. I'm like, oh, what did I just do?
That's Helman though.
Helman always will interject what you don't want anybody to say at the moment, and it's like, you know he's right, but you're like what you have to say?
It like went and and it it was that uh, it was that official guy. It was it was a guy with the index card, the official.
Oh yeah, I know you're talking about. That was the Yeah, he was the ref that day as well.
Yeah, but anyway, so he and like he went back to the spot where the ball was I'll never forget that is one of the greatest throws and greatest catch because the ball was coming right at us and I looked down. I looked up and saw because I saw Cole Beasley dragging it. I'm thinking, he's gonna hit Beasley, and you're just gonna keep going. We're gonna get the first down, fourth down, We're gonna keep going, going, going, and then try and just.
Bleed this thing. No, Romo, just take a shot.
Takes the shot. I remember looking at the ball and then looking down at Dez and Sam Shields was in such bad shape on the on the route and Dez went up and he is over the and Sam shield is just crumpled, you know, and it's to this day it's one of the greatest catchers I've ever seen in my life. But yeah, we were all down there on the field for that.
And I remember it was after that game. Was in the locker room. It was the most bar none. It was the most dejected locker room I've ever I saw in that game. After that game, Yeah, Jason Witten was was not happy and he is there was a moment when he was trying to get through it, and you got to know in locker rooms.
It's really tight.
Yeah's locker rooms.
And I got a lot of media and Jason's trying to get through and using. Jason is as nice a guy you ever want to meet, and he's just kind of like, excuse me, guys. I kind of thing that day is like guys out of the way. Like he was very like everybody in that locker room was pissed.
Well, you know why because earlier in the year, we went to Seattle, because that game, if you know, you win the Green Bay game, you're going to Seattle. We went to Seattle and just smashed them, the mark them where they couldn't stop. Remember the running game, and it was just like it was the Legion of Boom and all this that, and and we just went of Seattle and just and you're sitting here thinking, like we go play at Seattle, We're gonna beat Okay, We're okay with this.
We could we could beat these guys that that Murray fumbled.
I'll never ye.
That's what lost the game, Not not the controversial catch versus non case. It's a lot you had nothing but green in front of you, and you let Julius Peppers reach out and just knock that ball down. And of course considering that Murray had already had fumbles as an issue that season, So for me, that's the villain of that game.
But had the broken Hanland right then, he had the broken.
Hand at that point.
Yeah, I thought that was the broken hand situation.
That ball away, and he liked that, he liked the bread loaf that ball. Tuck that ball away, you go down, you get that touchdown, and you're up multiple positions, and that's an entirely different game from there on. I think that would have been the one that demoralized them completely for the rest of the game, the Packers. But yeah, Rogers, Yeah, and with the calf injury, Like if that happen right in front of us, I just I'll never.
I have the mental image. I still see it very clearly.
I see the ball, I see the ball coming right at us, and I remember, like I said, looking at Dez and I'm thinking, he's going to get this ball. He's going to get this ball, you know, Romo through a boy through in a beautiful spot. It was, and the official, the official to that side marked it as a catch.
Right, that gentleman was right. Everybody else was wrong. He was right.
Yeah, at the NFL did a job.
I did a job tough for some revenge.
Yeah, all right, let's get some person. We got a good No, that's good. We got a question from Jakara Williams. He says, do y'all think Fowler needs more playing times?
Heck, yes, I know.
It's been your guy put him out there I talked about.
I think I think he's got this David Irving vibe to him. Sixteen plays, three sacks. He's one of those guys.
Yeah, you know David.
Irving packer game in Atlambo, he played, he made NFC Player of the Week and he had he played like eighteen plays and it was one of the greatest stat lines ever seen.
That's what Fowler does.
You play him and all of a sudden he's he knows how to break guys down, he knows how to get to the ball, he knows how to work game.
Yes, more Fouler, please.
I agree one hundred percent.
And I know that Quinn and the Cowboys want to try to work in Sam Williams because he also is crazy good, also crazy talented. But what Fowler does is it's a super efficient, it's super efficient, limited snaps, but impact, impact snaps when he's out there, and then you look at what he did against the Commanders is a perfect example. You're not going to see him take thirty thirty snaps that game, but when he's out there, he is something to be reckoned with.
He plays, he plays eight snaps and you and you watching go the silence. His sleeves are ripped because somebody is like trying like hell to keep him from Yeah, somebody is trying to keep him from sacking literally eight snaps and his sleeves are ripped already, and you're like going, that guy's getting somewhere because they're having to rip his clothes off him to keep him from getting it.
Is it a possibility that he's one of those guys and we know these guys happen exists, He's one of those guys that that's where you're gonna get the most out of him.
It's have those limited snaps putting him out there more.
You may be you may actually that may be more than he's really giving great plays with.
Probably it's possible.
You'd have to go back and look at his uh, his first stint with Coin in Atlanta to see what his rep counts are and his production at that point. But I mean it's it's always possible that he excels because he's in a limited capacity. And if that's the case, then yeah, keep him in the capacities and dan Quinn has the formula.
It's working, but he's you still like this staff a little bit.
Yeah, this staff knows how to use it.
Yeah, they needed maybe maybe about just a tad want to be about six more players, and that's out there the whole game, but.
Plays might be right.
They they kind of have these guys that they plug him in and we got to get some more questions, but they plug him in and they they know for four or five plays they've got to do their absolute best because somebody else is about to come in. And he he fully understands his role and.
Knock on wood Fowler. He's also gotten better with eliminating the penalties the mental area.
So yeah, absolutely.
Jake Row asked the question, what are the odds we see Damian Wilson get some time this week or throughout the postseason, barring injury, just him getting worked in. I think you're hard pressed to get Damien out there barren injury.
If these guys are still healthy.
Uh, and Donald continues to play at his level that he's at right now, especially in run support things like that.
I don't I don't see it.
It's a different conversation with Lyle Collins because maybe you activate Lyle and start working in the Hope package if you can get past the Packers like we expect that you should maybe against in the divisional round. But Damian Wilson, I really think he's just pure insurance at the position.
Yeah.
I agree on anything to kick Clark the same on the path that he was from the Commander's game. If he can, if he could just keep playing like he did in the Commander's game, that would be a huge plus for this team.
Question from Albert, he says, it's hunterd Lifty's still in the doghouse as far as carries are concerned, And I'll actually send the question too. Should he be or should the Cowboys kind of restart that because it seemed like in that game they had a plan that they were going to use him and we haven't really seen that since. Should they look back at that and maybe consider using him in the playoffs a little bit more?
I think he was in the doghouse, and rightfully so, I also think that if he's still in the doghouse as we have this conversation, it's time to move on. It's time to move on because on that particular in that particular game, on that particular drive, he helped you move the chains on the occasion. And yes, his mental error was a big one. Uh and it cost you points. It took points off the board. But you have to assume that that's not going to be a consistent issue
with Hunter Lipkey. So I say, going into this game, make him, make him another somebody else that the that the Packers have to defend.
Yeah, hearr Lipkey has done He's done a nice job as a blocker. Oh so keep keep you know, if you know he's he's showing he's putting things behind him and moving forward. That's unfortunate what happened to him. I still hand him the ball. The guy finds a way to get he needs one, he gets three. You know, he's he's that kind of a.
It was a really good and productive running back and.
Catches the ball well too. You know, I mean that could be an X factor player against a team that struggles at linebacker.
You know, It's interesting to me, Brian, you were the one that was mentioning this about Chuma Idoga when he had that game where he had those mental breakdowns, and you were like, coaches just don't like, they'll deal with you getting overpowered much more than they will deal with the mental mistakes. And it makes me wonder if in the same way, after the Chuma Agdoga game, like what do we find out a little bit later that hey, they're going to go.
Out and look at Liol Collins.
It makes me wonder if if a similar thing with lip Key, where it's just kind of like, hey, the mental mistakes is what pulled them back, and I don't know that they're going to recover right now at a time when the stakes are really really high to be able to give that to allow him enough times has occurred that allows him now that trust to be rebuilt.
Well, it's also possible that in going against this Packers run defense, you may not need Hunter Lipkey because you should be able to get in every strong yard for carry from Tony Pollard and Rico Daldo, and that goes to short yarded situations as well. So I don't know that this is necessarily a situation in this particular matchup where they have to hand the ball off the hunter lypken try to test that. But that said again, if
he's steal in the doghouse, let him out. It's all hands are on deck at this point to try all of your playmakers. Anyone who can positively affect the game needs to be given a shot to do so.
All right, appreciate you guys, Jumps. We're back tomorrow. We're gonna wrap this thing up. We'll get you ready for that final. Our final thoughts on Cowboys versus Packers first round the playoffs until tomorrow. For Patrick Walker and Brian brought us. I'm Derek Eagleton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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