Cowboys Break: Impressive or Sloppy?

Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We're live from the SWUBC Mortgage studios at the Star and we are presented by Miller Lake, the only beer of the Dallas Cowboys and Cowboys get a win Thanksgiving Day. It seems like that was forever ago, but we're gonna break it down for you. Guys. Are gonna tell you what we thought of that game. Cowboys win twenty eight twenty

over the Giants. We'll start with the story of the game, but I do actually want to take it a little different direction, specifically for you, Nick, because I thought you had a really interesting article, uh last week coming out of that game where you said you thought this was actually an even more impressive win than the victory over

the Minnesota Vikings the week before. Explain, I do I think that you're not gonna beat teams about thirty seven points in the playoffs, um, and especially on the road. It'd be fun, but but it's not gonna happen, especially if it's Tampa. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're not. You're not a five seats not gonna go and play a division winner and do that. Um. Maybe if it's Minnesota, maybe you mention, you know, you know that that's not gonna happen again like that, And for whatever reason, they kind

of rolled over. The Giants don't roll over. They fight. That's what they are. That's why they have the record they do. And I just think that when penalties are mounting up in your offense is struggling and you got to figure out a way to turn the tide those that's what happens in the playoffs, and they were able to do that. Was not pretty, but they were able

to do that. And I just thought that that type of grind out game is what this team is gonna need, you know, to be battle tested to win in the playoffs. To me, is a little bit more impressive The Giants have already seen you before, They've seen your tricks. They haven't seen Dak and this offense is starting to bit. They see plenty, they've seen more than they want to. They're probably tired of Dack at this point. I mean

twenty sixteen, his first two losses were against the Giants. Yeah, you know, sandwiched around like an eleven game winning streaks, like he can't be the Giants. It's like, well, I'm not losing them ever again. Ever. Yeah. Yeah, So I have a story of game for you, Amber. I don't know, I have a hard time agreeing with what Nick just said. No,

not to all of it. It's just to me, this game, everything was in the Cowboys advantage and they couldn't get out there and start strong like similar to what we saw him in Minnesota. I think that's super super key to them. It's just be having an offense that can start strong. And to me, when you look at everything that like other players that were out that were hurt from the Giants, this is a game they should have

gone in and dominated to begin with. The thing is the Cowboys to me, a lot of the times, and they do this a lot. They'll start off bad and then they come in second half of the game played well, and a lot of the times it not always works in their advantage became Sometimes it's like too late and you face teams for example, let's just say, just as an example, I didn't think that game went down the same way that I'm trying to use as an example.

But Green Bay, when you get someone like that that can't finish you at the end of the game and win in the last few minutes seconds of the game, that's a problem. And a lot of the times the Cowboys fall short in those types of situations. In this instance, they were able to beat out the Giants, and they had every reason too, but they play against a better team that it's not the Giants, someone else. I don't

even know who to use, but whoever else. This is a game that they could have easily lost because by the time they kind of get their gears moving, sometimes he's end up being way too late. Yeah, man, I think you made some really good points, because to me, it's like they turned the ball over three times in the first half. If you think about the interceptions and then the and then the turnover, run down down downs, and you and yeah, I thought, you're really fortunate. I know,

I know in our situation. On the radio, I was doing the halftime and I'm like, man, I'm grateful you're only down seven in this one right now for where it's at. But the thing that, the thing that that you have to like it looked like a team that had played three games and four it's gonna be three games in twelve days, and I and sometimes you just have to survive these games. Sometimes you just have to

survive the matchup. Sometimes you have to take advance age of the you know, of the other team being really beat up and hurt and all that, and you know, to Ambar's point, you know, I just you've seen this team start out fast. You have seen him start fast and being able to kind of get things together and get it going. And then at other times you know they're then they're falling behind and you're just kind of like, well,

what's the deal? Why why can't Why is there? And I think it's all about the consistency, and I think they lack it. I think they I just feel like that at times it's like, you know, you have better players than them, and you don't you know, you don't do enough early to to kind of to take their will away in this football game. I mean, you encourage like the Giants to stay around in this game, you know, and maybe this team plays to a little bit of

the level of the teams that they play. I you know, to me, what's so disheartening as you wake up today and you're the only team in the NFC East that didn't beat the Packers. You know, it's stuff like that that when you look back on it, well, man, they should have won that game, should have won this game. Oh hell, they beat Minnesota. I mean, I just think the consistency or the lack of u is a problem for this football team right now. But yeah, I will say this, and I saw a lot on Twitter day

the day of the game. There are a lot of fans that agree with you Amber that, Man, here we go, this team again. They can't really handle prosperity all those kinds of things. But I just as I watched and I sat and watched football all day yesterday, And when you watch the NFL, that's the NFL. Like, I don't care who you are, I don't care how good you are. The Kansas City Chiefs are gonna have those Sundays where

it's just not clicking. They find a way to win like they did yesterday, like yesterday, and they did right, and they found a way to lose. But the point is it's close, and I don't think I don't think fans always appreciate just how close the NFL is. You got three or four teams that are really really bad. Okay, I'm not saying the Texans are in the category with all these other teams. There are a few teams that

are just really really bad. There are one or two teams that are really really good everybody else the margin between them is very, very slight. And so from that standpoint, I look at it and I kind of agree with you, Nick. I think the Cowboys did what they needed to do. They didn't have it early on, they had some mistakes early on, they figured it out, they figured out how to gut out a win that to me is is just as valuable so as not. So this is before

your time a little bit. But but you guys remember the game. I mean, it's all about perspective. Did you think Tony Romo had a good game against the Bills back in oh seven? Figured out Winter said that was the best game he's ever played. He had five interceptions, he lost a fumble, they rallied, they figured out a way, they rallied and won the game by one um. And

and so it was it's all about perspective. It's and you know, and and we sell this stuff about teams, you know, cowboys not starting fast, and they don't because I tell you who doesn't start fast instant that's the other team like that. I don't think we're downplaying. That's a pretty remarkable feat that they have not given up a first quarter touchdown this year. I mean that's eleven quarters. Think about just any game eleven quarters without giving up

a touchdown. I mean that's that's almost I mean that's what almost three games. It's almost like the forty nine ers. Yeah right, yeah, I mean you're talking about this week the forty nine ers. That they have eleven forty nine ers, they haven't given up a touchdown in the second half in the last seven games or something. That's amazing. Shut out a team this weekend. So yeah, who's their quarterback again? Who was quarterback in the Saints? I mean, I don't

know it was. It was Dalton, Andy Dalton, Dalton, Yeah, there there Saints are trying to give the Philadelphi Eagles the first overall pick in the draft. They're trying, they they really are trying hard to do that for I don't know why they are. They are right, yeah, they're saying, and the Eagles don't need a quarterback. No, they're not gonna get what's gonna happen. I know this is down

the road talk. Eagles will move that pick and get another first round pick for the next year, and they'll just keep They'll keep rolling it, keep rolling it, keep rolling it into two exactly exactly. Somehow they figure out how to how to make that work. No, hey, let's be honest. You know, it's a game. We all thought that the Cowboys would win, you know, even no one

going in about all the things. It's just too you know it it is you know when you when you talk about how this team is able to kind of flip it in the second half or they or a drive, they're able to flip it and then it's able to to you know, make plays in the second half, and you're it makes you wonder. You're you're kind of going like, okay, where was this earlier? Where was this? Why wasn't Why was it the start like this? And maybe it has something to do with the im Like I mentioned, you know,

three games in twelve days. Sometimes it's just you don't practice. You don't me personally, Dak running around checking everything. I know he said dummy calls and all that stuff like that. Honestly felt like he was trying to get him in the best play possible with no practice. I think he probably was looking at the offense and like going, Okay, guys, this is what I know we can do, you know,

And this look right here, I'm gonna guys. He's moving guys around, he's checking, he's doing all and you're kind of like, man, this just looks more than normal. And I'm stre thinking d and practice all week. He's just trying to get him in the best damn play they can to run, you know. So, I mean there's a lot that goes in. Maybe that's one of the reasons why they didn't start very quickly in this game, is because they just don't practice very much for this Thanksgiving

Day game. Now, looking at that just to me and I want to make sure and a thousand percent credit to them for being able to come back into the second half and finishing the game the way that they did, giving the ridiculous amount of penalties that they had. I don't even know what the total was at the end of the game, but it was way too many. My thing is, my problem is right now with the Cowboys is that sometimes it feels like they take two steps

forward and then one back. You're still ahead, you're still moving forward, but it's like it's never again. And I think that's the one word that people are using when describing the Cowboys right now, is that consistency aspect of the full things. Can they be consistent enough to kind of keep repeating the same type of game week after week? And that's the biggest problem is that when you see Minnesota that game is like perfect, and you're not. You can't expect the game to go like them to play

like that every single week. That's not exactly but at

the same time, it's not necessarily realistic. But then again, it's just little aspects of the game that you're like, Okay, you did this, and then now you step back again, and it's just that that consistency part of it that it's just very frustrating, especially again when you look at everything we talked about during the week, what the Giants currently were heading into that weekend, you should have just if they beat the Packers, they figure out a way

to win that in overtime. Do you think that they're nine and two? You think the Cowboys are nine and two. I think they beat the Packers and then beat Minnesota and the Giants you're thinking you're thinking that, Yeah, you're thinking that maybe they split the I don't think so. They split the they split the Green Bay Minnesota games. Something like that. Motion matters, And I think the way they came back and beat Minnesota was a reflection of

the last week in Green Bay. And I think if you tell Aaron Rodgers you're gonna go one and three in the NFC East, He's gonna be like, well, we better beat the Cowboys, you better beat Mike McCarthy. I mean, I think there's a reason why, you know, I mean, they certainly not get in Jordan Love in the second half like the Eagles got. I mean, I mean, that's

just the way, that's just the way it's gone. Yeah, I mean, I don't I don't think that they I don't think they destroy Minnesota if they beat Green Bay I just still think they beat Minnesota just because I think Minnesota is a great matchup for the Cowboys yea, and not a great matchup for Minnesota. I think that was that was a game. Just you know, most people don't understand that what you just said. I really think that the fans don't don't think about what even and

I'm just fans think about it. Like in the media though, who's top five teams at the NFC, You're like, for who? Right? For? I mean, I mean, I'll tell you, I don't know where Washington ranks on this list, but Washington is a bad matchup for a lot of team. Yes, they don't let you run the ball. Washington in San Francisco are the two teams I think are the worst matchups of playoff FFC teams for the Cowboys. And they don't have

the best record in the end. No, And that's and that's the problem that I believe that the Commanders have won two games now on the goal line defending the goal line. I think they beat the Bears defending the goal line, and I think and they just went and they and they beat the Falcons. So they've won two games. Having to like it got down to the point I was listening to the game driving around and I'm sorry,

I'm talking about the Commanders here. It got down to the point where the Atlanta announcers are like going, you know, maybe they'll let you score, you know, And then you're thinking, because you're you're riding that line of like do you let them score to get the ball back with a minute to go and all that, and then you're like, hell, no, play defense and see play defense led to an interception.

You know. I will say this about the Cowboys, though, can something they are consistent at and that's getting penalized, That that part of it. I don't think that will ever change. I don't think that'll change the presnap penalties and stuff like that. I mean, concentrate you talk about it all the time, you tell you mean, you could talk about it. You could have officials, you could stop practice, you could yell at everybody, you can make everybody run laps.

This team will continue to be the most penalized team in the league. It just will. I mean, we you know, Mike McCarthy, you can honestly hear the frustration in his voice after the game when he was when he's talking about it, and it's something that every time it's like he's probably going, what more can I do? What more can I do to stop this team from being penalized? And I think that's I just think we need to

stop talking him. No offense to you, Ember, but I think that that this they're just not it's not going to change. It's just not gonna And that's fine. I mean, no, it's not fine. But and we see them and in every game usually there's something and I'm not saying that it's gonna go complete little wait when, but when you see this specific game back to back, it's like again, here we go again and again, and it was just again.

I don't remember how many there were, but it just seemed ridiculous the amount of times that he happened and the amount of times that he happened back to back to back. So that was in that aspect, it's just like, what can you do at this point? I guess, I mean how much they had I want to say it was four false starts, yeah, this game, and there were a lot of holding calls, which going to game, Nick

was awful. Boy, I know, but Nick, you mentioned before the game you said that this crew is a crew that is notoriously like they are the most one of the most. They are one of the most punitive teams when it comes to calling penalties. They call them all the time, and they call a lot of them. So we went into the game thinking this was going to be a heavily yeah, and then you had the Giants had seven. So yeah, it was very similar. Yeah, it was seven. It was very similar to what we saw

last year on Thanksgiving. Or it is just penalty after penalty after penalty. So and I do agree the false start one is the one that are pre snapped. Dallas has to clean it up. The holding calls, it becomes a matter of those are kind of calls to me that are about um, you know about it wasn't really hood like it's a it's a it's a call that's that's not necessarily black and white like a false start is.

And I would venture to say, just from my perspective, about half of those holding calls, I'd be like, ah, I don't know if I necessarily great. Giants had a really bad penalty on them. The legal man down field was kind of questionable. That was questionable, But the one that saved you saved the drive for the Cowboys was CD over the middle. They called defensive holding, and they called it really late too, and when the receiver doesn't

even complain. Every receiver complains about getting hold, uh you know held or you know pi and he didn't. He was walking off the field like it was fourth down. And then that they called. They called a hold at the start, which that was questionable. So both teams got it. Well, usually you had seven of the was it twenty penalties? You had seven of the twenty penalties were resulted in the first down for the other team. So, I mean, that's just one of those days where the refs did.

They wanted it, Like I say all the time, they wanted mom and they wanted mom and dad to see I'm ref in the game. Well Thanksgiving. They wanted to be a part of the Yeah, they want to be a part of the story. So it is what it is. All right, We're gonna take our first break. When we come back. We got more we got to talk about. We'll dive into the offense and the defense and what they did well and not so well. We'll do when

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by blockchain dot Com, I'll talk about Dak Prescott. He was twenty one of thirty uh son, I'm sorry Thursday, seventy percent completions, twenty two hundred and sixty one yards passing, two touchdowns, two interceptions, a ninety one point one rating. How would you characterize his play overall that day? Which half? You gotta do it as one as one whole? How do you how do you characterize he played? You know, in the second half, I thought he threw the ball

really well. He had some nice throws in there, and he let his receivers go make plays. I mean those receivers had to help for some of those penalties. We just talked about five yards here and there, and Schultz bails him out with the nice catch in the back and the CD. I thought CD had an outstanding game, better than the numbers show because of all the penalties that he drew. I thought Dak had a good game. But in the first half, though, there obviously was a miscommunication.

He thought that that was going to be a false a free play with a defense Tibadeau jumps in into neutral zone. He should have got the college one that Novak and then clearly missed. Yeah it wow, the one they met. Yeah, so I think he no, he clearly missed that. That that the line Judge two decide. It was on this Cowboys bench. Cowboys were screaming and you know, so, yeah, you think you're going to get the free play out

of that one for sure? Yeah. Well, I mean it wasn't It wasn't his best game, but he cleaned it up in the second half. You know, had a couple of those turnovers and three or four possessions out of touchdown. Yeah,

it's pretty impressive, you know what. I to me, I'm all about getting Michael Gallop going anyway we can here, you know, And I think early in the first half, some of the sketches that Michael Gallup was able to make, I thought were really some nice ones going to get in the football making some adjustments the route running stuff like that. And Dac, you know, as long as he can reward those guys for running great routes and throw the ball where it needs to be thrown, you know,

I'm all about that. I thought. You know, when you look at the receivers overall, though, like I say, with Gallop with Lamb and the way that they're able to play that that that to me is just a real positive. And these young tight ends, we can go on all day about them. But you know, Dak, it's great when he can throw the ball the guys that are open. And you know, there were a couple of plays that

were contested plays that guys may catch. I mean, Gallop made a catch along the sidelines for a big play when Dak was sprinting too, you know, sprinting on the outside. They blocked Nolah Brown on the edge and it's you know, they're gonna it's really one of those rpo kind of throws and he's running to his right. It's a tight window throw and he makes it. Gallop does a great job of not letting it get on him. That's what always complained about is that ball getting on Gallop and

kind of getting knocked up in the air. But man, he went out, kind of got the hands up and stuff like that. So Dak put him on, put it on his receivers in this game, it was it was good to see it that way. Yeah, I think this is just kind of Dak. I mean, that's just good old Dak and the way that he plays. But the interceptions, I was just looking at them again to get a reminder of how that looked. And I mean on both of them, he didn't necessarily it wasn't necessarily his fault really.

I mean on the first one to Gallop, he I we could see. I don't know if it was maybe he threw it a little too earlier, gallup just wasn't quick enough and him turning around and all that. And then you look at the one with ceed Lamb and that was a pretty contested ball, but it was more on CD than I would say got Dak, and it was just very well protected. Like the Guyant Stephens did a good job. You're absolutely right about that. Holmes made a great play on the ball. He got around and

knocked it in the air. The problem was that Tyler Smith was in his lap when he threw the ball, and and and people said, oh, you're defending Dak. No, it's hard to step and throw a football when your offensive tackle is right there and you've already broke your damn thumb, you know on a play earlier in the year. You know, with a guy in your face, you know, it's so for him to step up and have to make that throat. Yeah, it was. It was a little tight.

I mean they're there, like we caught that cover two look and you know they're the safety's both go wide and then you know you get the other one come back. It's like they go wide and then they come back at Holmes knocked the ball in the air. Man. I mean he made a good play. He just turned around and he contested the ball. It's tough throw, tough play. But but also on that throw when you watch it, Dak can't step and throw because he's got Tyler Smith

sitting right in his lap. Yeah. Final two minutes of a half and Dak the CD over the middle Nothings Barras intern backers interception and then this one. I mean the Vikings, I mean they can do you know, they didn't anything they want. This is one Mike needs to

say as soon as as soon as Kelly brings it up. No, no, no no, no no. Right now, when you when you watch that there right now, when you see the all twenty two, you see why Dak made the throw because the safeties do go wide and there's going to be a hole right there. Again, the problem is this was

this was a tough game for Tyler Smith. I mean, Thibodeau came to play for the Giants and I was talking to the Giants personnel before the game and they're like, listen, Thibodeau has just been okay, and then all of a sudden, it's like, oh, tiboo looks a lot better than okay. Had five quarterback hits. Yeah, he was a factor, and they had problems with the twist, they had problems with you know, he had problems with late blitzes. Maybe it was one of those things again, no practice, you're out

there playing, you're your rookie. Wait a minute, this guy blitzes forty eight percent of the time. What am I doing out here? Kind of a thing and not making excuses for the kid. But it wasn't one of his better games. There at Tyler Smith for sure. But you know what I really liked about Dak is that despite those two interceptions in the first half, I mean, they didn't shy away from keeping like throwing the ball and passing, and they were really successful in the second half in that.

So that's an aspect that I think he did a really really nice job that he's the type of player that he s tastes very mentally there where he needs to be. But also in Kellen Moore trusting him in his arm and not deciding to Okay, let's just kind of stick to the run and just run the ball. No. No, they did a really nice job in balancing the game

and just trusting the passing game. This pipe for somebody. Yeah, for a team that blitz us like the Giants too, Yeah, to trust the passing game in that situation says a lot about the confidence they have in Dac. There was an interesting moment in the first half actually was in the first series. At the end of the first series, Cowboys have the ball, they're moving it, okay, they're at their own forty and then they decide on third and

two they're gonna throw the ball deep in completion. Then on fourth and two, they decide to go for it. How do you like that decision? Was that the right decision in your opinion? Obviously not the right decision when he gets stopped. But third and two, I mean it comes down to I mean, you know, I deal with

this too. I watch college football, you know, I'm just like, if you that look of exasperation, Yeah, if you're gonna if you decide what you're going to do, I just feel like third and two, if you're going for it on fourth down, I just don't think they're gonna stop Zeke twice. Right, I don't believe that, you know, are they're not gonna stop kJ twice or whatever it is. But whatever whoever your team is, you're not you know, that's really what you want to see. In first place,

you get go ahead. But it's the offensive coordinator and the head coach beat on the same page saying all right, we're going for it here and then just looking at it and go. And I don't think third and two is this free play where you can just throw it deep and then fourth and two you can get it. No, fourth and two is tough. It's a two point conversion. That's tough. To get, so cut it in half or get it, you know, spread them out on third and two and then run the ball. Maybe you get a yard.

Maybe if you get stopped for two yard loss, then you can punt it. But I didn't like the call. I didn't like the third down call. If you're going to go for it on fourth down, yeah, My thought on the third down two is like, if you're gonna if you're gonna pass it, I still want to take a higher percentage pass play. Don't give me a fifty fifty ball on a third and two. If I knew I'm gonna go forward on fourth down. For me, I'm like, give me a ball that I think I can convert.

If I don't, then I'll go for it on fourth and two. But that's if you want to pass. But I agree with you running it twice. I feel like most teams, the Cowboys can convert that. Yeah, a fourth and if you give them two downs to get two yards, I think they can do it on the ground if they do it with Zeke. There are a couple of fourth down plays in that game that could have been big plays. The one that the Giants missed on was a big play too. That they're through the Barkley man.

That thing could have gone for a touchdown. Ye, I mean they were, they were. Dallas was in trouble on that call. The Giants had a lot of moments. Oh no, they did. All right, you're looking, you're looking, look out. But yeah, the thing about it was I think on

the fourth and two they're gonna probably get it. The problem is that hinder shot man like that's this is a tough one because I'm thinking, if you watch the way the play was blocked, if he blocks down on Smith, they're probably gonna run in behind it, it's gonna be a first. Instead, he blocks wide and he let it and let Smith have a free run at you know, at the ball carrier. So if he just goes down inside and lets the furthest guy from the ball free.

We've seen Zeke a thousand times take the ball and fall forward for two yards. But it was one of those like you're thinking, Okay, was it a bust or was there something going on here? I mean it made me question because you don't let a guy inside, You don't let the linebacker Smith just have a free run on that play. You just don't. I don't miss that guy at all. Y'all see the play? Yes, where how

did he not get flak for that? Smith? And if you just you kind of watch the whole play, not just not just the flying in the air the people's elbow. He runs around here, he hits nobody, then he just runs over here and like the play's over. I don't understand. Maybe one of the best games he's played this year. Yeah, yeah, and there was some moments in the games, moments, Okay, Jalen's got a little something. We've heard a lot his name a lot. I think more than what were you?

He's always flying. I just don't want to. I don't understand the thought process for him when he runs into a pile and just basically jumps in with his elbow. I don't get that. But I also don't understand how a crew that's penalizing everything besides nah, that's good that that that's football right there, Like it just didn't make sense,

you know what. The thing about it is like old Krusty got like me didn't like going for it there because just because the fact that don't give the giants and encouragement, don't give them any reason to you know, punt it back, make them drive, maybe they turn over the ball and then you get the ball. I'm not helping the Giants in this game. They don't have any blockers, they don't have this, they don't have that, they don't have any real wide receivers. I mean, I'm just sitting there.

I'm not doing anything to help them. I'm not giving them the ball right there, you know, in case something happened. But you know, he's gone forth four on fourth down like that and made it every single time. So I've just kind of kept I just go, well, this is what analytics and stuff do that people say fourth and one, fine, fourth and two. I'm like, I don't know, man, I don't know if especially we're not going to block the you know, maybe they thought, hey, we don't have to

block Smith, he won't make the tackle. You know, maybe that's we know him. Yeah, maybe that was the thought. It's like, it's like the NBA three point guy, Hey, don't cover him, you know, don't worry about him shooting over here. He's not gonna do anything. Well, let's be honest. I actually like the fact that Mike McCarthy is aggressive when it comes to fourth downs. I want him I just didn't love the play call on third down. If you didn't, if you know you're gonna go for it

on fourth, we'll see. They tried to on the previous play, they tried to go max protection and it kind of got a little the pressure. They got pressure on him, so they tried to leo max in order to set it up to try and get the home run like that. Yeah they did, yeah, first Giants, Yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah, they tried to go max and set it up and it didn't work. And and so now you're like, okay, fourth and two, do you punt this? Now, let's go

for it. We'll find we're good here. You know, I'm like, okay, which I think once I get to that point, I probably do punt. But go ahead. Amber. Now you said, why do you that if you know you're gonna go for it on fourth down? I guess that's something I never really thought about that much. But how far how much in events? Like how many plays ahead are you thinking? If you know? Well, I mean, and that is I think every every coach when you're getting to third and short,

they're probably having that thought process. All were gonna go forward here on fourth because that does influence the kind of play that you should call on third down? Yeah, you know, you're gonna go forward. On to your point. The Green Bay game where they went forward on fourth down at the end of the game and had it really a bad play, McCarthy clicked over, he said, He told the media, I clicked over on second down, and since you got two plays, yeah, so that helps Kellen

in his mind think, Okay, I got two downs. I got two downs to pick up this two yards. You know, I've got two downs. I got to figure this out, you know. And so that's usually when they click over the he'll say, hey, I'm gonna go forward, year, have two plays ready, and then that kind of lets me know that put that back on Kellen of your running the ball on them. Leek Davis is running the ball on them, so as Pollard, of course, why why is not one of those are running? Yeah, you know, that's

that's what's frustrating. Back to that game. But all right, we're gonna take our final break. We'll come back. Let's talk about the defense. What the defense. The defense did well and maybe not so well. When come back, Dallas Cowboys dot Com, are you the season is finally here for months, we've been gearing up to win. Now it's

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frisco dot Com. Welcome Back. Final segment of The Break Life from the s WBC Mortgage Studios at The Star that is presented by Miller. Like the Only Beer of the Dallas Cowboys. Let's talk about the defense. They held the New York Giants in ninety yards rushing a four point three average. Uh. Sequon Barkley was held to eleven carriage for thirty nine yards three point five yard average? Have they solved the defense? Have they solved it? Is? It? Is it done? Is that a done topic? Can we

wait till next Monday? Jonathan Taylor come? Yeah? And a team that's committed to it like that? Yeah, I think I think they're I think they've gotten better. But also the game and the scores kind of dictated that. But they did a nice job with Barkley. I thought they Yeah, yeah, they really really did that. It's it's tough to deal with him. Uh. And you know when no one that man, I mean, and the quarterback didn't kill him either in

this game too. That's one of some of the things I thought the best chance for them to win the Giants to win this game was for Barkley to get like one hundred and fifty and then maybe Daniel Jones having to rush somewhere between eighty and one hundred yards themselves. You know, I didn't think that they could drop back and throw the ball and be effective enough. But they did a great job of you know, and there were times where Barkley got screen passes and stuff like that

and they never let him get going. I mean, Layton vander esh played really really well in this football game. I mean, he he was on point, you know. I mean, he his responsibility getting to Barkley, getting him on the ground. You know, there were times there where like it was a you know, a third down play, they throwed a bark on the screen. It keeps him a yard short. You know, they have to paunt. You know, those are the kinds of things that you know when you're playing

against a back. I mean, this guy had like a well over I think twelve hundred yard scrimmage yards coming into this game, and you know, so you always worry about that. But for him, the only average three and a half yards that carry I'd say that was a big win for the Cowboys. Yeah, there was a play where h vander Esh got blocked and yeah, got knocked off his off his point, you know a little bit, and he still recovered and made the tackle short of

the first down. I remember, and that happened. I feel like it happened a couple of times where you know, he was locked but still you know, fought off the block, made the play. I mean, anytime he's howling, you know, anytime they got that going on, you know, it feels like forever ago when that was happening. I mean, it is kind of strange to think, you know, just what four years ago and him and Jalen are together and they're thinking, these are the two best linebackers in the league,

you know, and they're gonna be paired up forever. And then four years comes by and Layton we thought was going to leave, and Jalen was cut and Mica Parson's linebacker or whatever, he's the best in the league. It's it's just weird how things can change kind of quickly. Well, you know, and if you go back to Vanderish too, and I was looking at my notes, there was a time when in the game. It was a third down play where they where he was in coverage and actually

they were too deep and he went deep middle. I mean he carried the inside guy all the way up the middle and you could see Daniel Jones is trying to throw the ball in the middle of the field and but Vanderish is so deep on the play in coverage that Jones just has to throw it away. That mean the play was called and that just shows you. I mean, he's playing around the line of scrimmage, he's making tackles, he's getting off blocks. I mean on the on the goal line play, jumps over the pile, makes

a tackle there. You know, times it perfect. You know, that's just kind of what Layton vander ess. This is a kind of game that's perfect for him. You know. It's they're gonna run the ball, are gonna try and run the ball, you know, and he's gonna have to, you know, be playing a physical style of the game, which he very well did. Do you guys feel any better about Dallas's ability to stop running quarterbacks? They hold

Daniel Jones the only three carries fourteen yards. I think there's two part to that one that she held into only running three times, which means he didn't see a lot of open lanes to be able to run and in fourteen yards on the times he did run. How do you feel about that? I feel I'll tell you

what I did. You know, there was remember the play that Dallas got her and on in week three where that where Jones they're gonna run the RPO going to the left and he sprints out and then there's the like the tight end was over in the flat and he throws I mean they like digs adjust to him, it comes up and he throws the ball all in

the flat. They tried the same play and Dallas defended it perfectly, and because you know, Jones could have run and no he had and now he's like, oh wait, I can't run and he just had to throw the ball away. That just shows you, though, when you're playing these RPO teams and stuff like that, that you after you see him one time, you kind of see their best play. Then you're like, okay, this is a down and distance that we could get. And sure enough they try to run it where he sprints out, they're on

top of him, he tries to throw it. It's incomplete because they had it covered. So those are the types of now I think that's what. You know, the first game, he killed them running the football. This game, they didn't allow him to get going running the football because of the way they were playing in lanes and the way the linebackers were playing, in the way they were playing in coverage. Running quarterbacks with some dynamic receivers, I think

that that could be a problem. I mean, I think with the way those receivers that the Cowboys don't have to do a whole lot other than just cover them. You know, they don't have to put a lot of his own defense all that kind of stuff. But problem is when you face like an Eagles team that has those receivers on the outside, and then they're going to have a tied end that will be back probably, you know,

probably for that game. And then of course you've got the running back and the running quarterback, which we saw, I mean I saw last night. I mean there was a play last night early in the game where they they send the running back in motion and the linebacker just comes flying with them and you're like you they just snapped the ball and hurts. It has like a lane to run like forty yards. You know, like exactly,

we did exactly what we wanted to do. We got your linebacker out of the way, and we go and make plays. So when you have a lot of weapons, I think that's what I'm trying to say. When you have a lot of weapons, it is going to be a lot harder for the Cowboys. Okay, stop the running quarterbacks,

have the running back, stop the two guys. You know, something they will have to figure out Dallas defensively, is what's going on with with Anthony Brown because he you know, he gave up the big play and he could have given up another big play the first I mean you look at the yeah four two yeah, yeah, exactly he I mean that's and teams are attacking him. Teams are they're staying away there there, it's like, let's go after Anthony Brown here. So you're gonna have to figure something out,

whether it's the shade of safety. And I thought on the long pass play that they completed it down to the one. I thought that Hooker was late, but when I watched the tape, Hooker couldn't have done anything about that. The ball was just really well thrown and Anthony's just going to do a better job of playing the ball in the air. I mean, he's just he's he's like he's losing track of it and stuff. But they're going

to continue to attack him. Do you guys think that the plays, the big plays that he does give up outwaits Like I guess, I don't know if I'm saying it backwards, but there are a lot of other plays that I watched him and I'm like, oh, wow, that's pretty good, you know, and it just reminds me of like, Okay, well that's the reason he is where he's at, you know.

So it goes back and forth. I was like, Okay, he does give up these big plays, but at the same time, he does protect the ball like some good plays. So which one does one outwits the other? Right now? I think personally, you can't be giving up forty four yard passes, I mean, like one on one, Like I understand there's gonna be some great throws and these receivers are big time, but you're gonna play better receivers than

what you played against the Giants. And I just wonder if somebody's just gonna load up and say he can't play the ball down the field and now all of a sudden, Dallas is playing great defense, and all of a sudden they get it, they need a big play, and then they launch one on him. That's the things I worry about, you know, in these games. Well, but I think saves him a lot is not many teams will get a lot of deep throw opportunities because this

pass rush is so ferocious. That's that's that's what saves him. That's ultimately, that's yeah, and he's not going up against a lot of number one because Diggs has got it right. Yeah, So maybe the teams the Eagles, maybe yeah. Yeah, But that's that's the tough part of this thing is or the good part for the Cowboys is you can't hide a little bit of deficient secondary play because your pass rush is so good. I mean, what are you gonna do? I mean, I don't know that. I'm just saying this.

Maybe the safety. Maybe it's one of those things where you're like, listen, Digs is so good. You don't gonna play the safety in the middle of the field. We're gonna say, we're gonna shade the safety over. So at least you give Hooker the chance to have a run at it. You know like I thought, I thought Hooker was no help when Slaton when he caught the ball.

I'm like, Hooker's got to get over. And then when you watch on tape, it's like the route in the middle of the field kind of holds him for a second. And Hooker's not the quickest guy. He's just not and so that's a problem. But maybe you have to shade him over to that side just to give him a little bit better opportunity to make a run to help. All Right, we appreciate you, guys, Jonas. We'll be back tomorrow. We'll start looking at the big picture of what's happening

around the NFC right now. All the teams in the NFC EA star in the playoffs as of this moment, and we'll talk about that in a couple other topics. We'll do that tomorrow. Till then, for Nick even Brian brought us Amber Garcia. I'm Derek Eagleton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.