Cowboys Break: Line Dancing?

The Break, live from the s WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, I got my full crew here, Nick Amber and Dave Nick forty eight most quick? All right, good, we know Moose forty eight. Joe to all time. Joe, T stop. It's my forty eight. Yeah, I was doing. There's a right answer, and then there's my answer. And then Dave has an answer too, because he kind of has all the answers. Should be Moose for forty eight. Yeah, sure, I'm not arguing that, no doubt perfect. All right, We're

gonna jump right in. We got a lot to talk about. Coach McCarthy just had his press conference, and uh, I know he Amber walked by my office and we both looked at each other like, Wow, that was that was interesting all to talk about Lyle Collins. We'll get to that in just a second. I want to start first with Dak Prescott. One thing that he said was that he's improved every day, which is a good thing. But he did say a few other things that were a

little curious. Let's start first with Let's start first with how much is he expected to do today? How are they going to kind of work him today getting ready for this game. I mean, he's gonna he's gonna do some work. I mean individual, he's gonna be He's gonna just kind of bounce around. It sounds like and and and you know, throw some into their fun fundamental period, combo period. I don't really know what all those names are.

I mean, I don't think he's gonna be doing a lot of team I think Cooper Rush is going to be doing some of that. He you know, it's Wednesdy, he'll get he'll he'll kind of ramp himself up to that. And that's what I feel like it'll happen now. I mean, it'll it'll probably be a game time decision. That's what sounds right, Yeah, I think it's exactly where we thought it would be. To be honest with you, he's gonna

start practice. They they do forty minutes of practice before they even do anything resembling team period, so there's a lot of it. I mean, quarterbacks have their own thing, quarterback school, where they work on drops and rolls, outs and all that and in center exchange before they ever

even joined the rest of the team. So I mean that's almost an hour of practice that they'll that he'll take part in individual drills, pat and go all that type of stuff, and then and then McCarthy said, they'll evaluate how he feels when that's over, and that'll probably determine how much of team he does, if any. It's the first practice of the week. They'll do it again

tomorrow and I'm game time. I feel like by Sunday morning, you have an idea of what you're gonna do with him, and McCarthy's McCarthy said, you know, he's preparing as if he'll be able to play. They haven't made that decision yet. I just feel like by the time everybody wakes up on Sunday morning, they'll know here's the plot that's not what a game time decision is. Though, I mean, you're right, I mean, I think they know now. I mean, I mean,

I think you're you're right. You'll wake up Sunday morning, but I mean I think it'll be I think we'll kind of know everything what's going on until like an hour and a half before kickoff. I feel like the comparison he made was supposed to give you some kind of peace, and I think, oh, things are good, But

then to me, not really it didn't. Not that I'm like super concerned, but you talk about Aaron Rodgers and then talk about playoffs and being that far down at that point you only have a few games into play like you give it all. But we're still kind of midway through the season, and I know they're they're gonna make the right decision, you know, whether that's they think they he can go ahead and play or maybe sit one out to give it some rest. But it's so difficult.

He said three words that he just threw in the end of a sentence, go for it. Where are you going? It's week seven? Okay, yeah, and there were some other words. He just said it's week seven, it's actually a week eight, so yeah, yeah, but but there are also some other words in there that to me gave me reason to have pause. Like one thing he said was he said, until he clears the threshold, and he said that multiple times.

We're not ready. And then he talked about how we don't want this to turn into a week to week type thing. That was another thing he said. And then this is the part that he said this multiple times as well, he said until he's full go with no limitations. I'm like, WHOA, well, back up, I thought I always assumed if he's what you said yesterday, dave eighty percent, if he's eighty five percent, and then he's still better than that. Whatever else you're gonna throw out there, and

you're gonna give it a go. This is the first time I've heard them talk about it from the standpoint of no, we really want to get him to point where he's full goal with no limitations. And again he said that multiple times. That gave me reason for pause. You guys got the same reaction to that. No, not really could be gamesmanship. I mean there's a lot of things that could be a party. I don't one hundred percent believe anything that he says, and that's not specific

to Mike McCarthy. It's the gamesmanship of the league. It's not wanting to give too much away. We'll get into lyel and how less than happy lot to talk about that. He seemed less than happy about the amount of detail that people were getting into there. So no, I mean and uh not that not that like I mean, I know they want him to be fully healthy with no limitations, but again like every player and nobody is one hundred

percent with no limitations whatsoever. It doesn't register with me, especially again, like I feel like we do this all the time, Like on win, I don't I don't care what anybody says or does on Wednesday. It's Thursday, Friday, Saturday where I where my radar starts to go up. It sucks that we always have to analyze word by word and like try to figure things out, even though you know that's how you have to be as a coach. I mean, if I was a coach, I would be

the same exact way, if worse. But uh, it just sucks out. We're always trying to read into like between the lines and everything. But it was curious, like us how many times he said certain things and honestly that that is the NFL, like they spend the whole week with all these storylines, and as Dax said, given the media and fans something to talk about, you keep the soap opera going and then you get to Sunday and

you get to see how it plays out. So yeah, the part of this is is is us obviously talking about it and making something of it. But I do think it was interesting. Those were the words he chose, and he chose to say them multiple times, and so I think it is something that's that's relevant to this conversation. All right, let's move on. Um, let's go to Lyle Collins.

There were nick you sent last night. You sent us the unofficial depth chart just as a kind of like, oh wow, this is interesting, and it showed Lyle Collins not only as the start as not the starter at right tackle. It showed him as the backup there, but it also showed him as the backup at left guard. Uh. So, let's start first with what's the most likely reason that you think they put this on the unofficial depth chart? Because obviously somebody made the decision to put this out there.

It's kind of funny because he kind of coach McCarthy. He looked over at Rich and kind of was like, you know, gave him a look that that didn't inspire a lot of confidence. But it was my point from a minute ago. Yeah, So I don't know if he was trying to escape go to him, or if he was just messing with him, who knows, but probably letting him know that that's what the depth chart looked like. Wow, No,

I mean that's probably yes, he didn't do the depth chart. Okay, he's probably letting him know that that's that's what the chart where guys maybe put this out that what well, I'm just saying no, I mean, yeah, they put it out that that's what then, and that's right. I mean that they did it. That's what they're doing. I mean, I'm just saying I don't I don't think it goes

to that level. I don't know. Could be Rich Rich doesn't make the depth chart, right, that's right, and so he's just kind of messing with him a little bit. But it was fun. It was fun for all of us same way. But but go ahead, Nick, they're moving him to left a card. I mean, that's what that's what it looks like. They don't like what's what's happening with Connor Williams with those holding pilmoedies And it sounds like Terrence Steele's playing so well that they need to

figure out and move in the left guard. It's it's what fans, it's it's it's what the fans have been saying forever, and usually that doesn't happen. But that's what it sounds like it's happening. I thought that was fantasy football nonsense. That's what I got told. Yeah, that's what I was never gonna let that go over. I just I'm surprised, And yeah, I gotta give a lot of fans a lot of credit for suggesting this. I didn't

think it would happen, and it does. It may I mean, it makes me ask so many questions because I think Lyle Collins is a purely better player than Terrence Steele right now. Um, But I also like, is Connor Williams that big of a problem? Is this um indicative of some sort of consternation about Lyle that they're like, I mean, which, on one hand, I kind of appreciate that they're like, at the very least, you gotta earn right tackle back.

We're not just going to hand it to you. And maybe that is quote unquote punishment, or maybe that's just more of about how good Terrence Steel has been. On top of that, if you're going to take a guy that makes fifty million dollars out of the starting lineup, it makes me ask questions about the future. Okay, so let me ask you this, And that was where I

was going to go. I want to know from you guys, each of you guys, which you think is the most likely reason, because we don't know that there's going to be a move yet, the most likely reason that it is official, it's on the unofficial depth chart in the way that it is both at tackle and at guard, one that still is considered to be a better option at this time. That can be about continuity. That can

be about how Steel is playing. Two, that the Cowboys are sending a message Slyle that maybe they weren't happy with all of this stuff that's transpired that led to the five weeks suspension, and how maybe he handled that situation. Three,

They just temporary, This is just temporary, temporary. Well, they gauge his readiness, they've talked about that and seeing where he is right now, and is in coming back or four that you think this is much more or about getting the best five guys on the field, and they're thinking, let's prepare him to maybe become the next guard, the starting left guard, and keep your best five on the field. Still a tackle which you think is behind this more? You want to five? Okay, give me five. I think

it's a whole of the above. I think every one of those situations take the cop out. I think no one has to be more than the other. Right. I don't know the percentages on all that, but I think you're right about every single one of those. Okay, every every one of those seems seems to be one which one about sending a message. Yeah, I think that one.

You don't think no because I mean you no, because on the field you forget the message talk outside the field, but game day, if you know, if he's really your best guy or whatever, regardless of what he did outside the field. But you don't think you don't think coaches sometimes make make things clear to their teams by what they do. And what I mean by that is they're telling not only lie but everybody else on the team.

If you're not going to be reliable if you're not going to do the things that you need to do as a member of this team and as a member of the NFL player in the NFL, then your job is not securious. But it depends how how much it hurts you on game day. Like if if solid has it hurt it's also not game day. I mean, this

is okay, I'm just saying, okay, I'm just saying. The point is, if you're fully solid at the old line at every single position, then whatever, you know, but you're not so at the end of the day, I don't think it's about sending a message. You can portray that off the field and whatever. At this point, I think it's, you know, he needs to get ready. I don't think he's fully ready to go out there, although I do think he's a great player and he can do the job.

He's shown it in the past. But at the same time, tern still has done a phenomenal job. And then you got Connor William who unfortunately is one of the weak links. I mean, there are other areas too, like the center, and we've talked about that, but Connor, he's a veteran guy. He should not be making the mistakes he's been making and this is his contract here, right so he should be stepping it up. But I don't know. I love it.

I love it. I love it. I love what's happening right now, and I love the PI a little bit. But the point is, I just love the fact that this coaching staff is willing to make things decisions like that and put things out there like that, completely opposite to what we've been used to in the past with like Jason Garrett, which so I have a few thoughts there. I absolutely think it's at least it's not purely about sending a message, but it's part of it. And it

goes back to McCarthy. Adamantly tried to keep from moving Zach or talking about Zach to tackle. There's a variety of reasons for that, but Zach is arguably the most reliable member of this entire offense, right, you and you reward that. Lyle Collins not only hasn't been available, but let's just be honest, he has embarrassed the organization a little bit this last month or so. The comments that come out there from the testimony. I'm sure Prescott didn't

appreciate some of that being brought to light. So I do think there's a little bit of that to this of like we're not just gonna plug you back in May if Terrence Steele was playing terribly, they might, but they're like, we hate to say we don't need you, but it's like like you lost your job and it's your own fault that you lost your job, and we're not just going to hand it back to you. I think if Lyle had the dependability of Zach Martin, maybe

we're not having this conversation. I don't I don't know that, but it seems plausible to me. Yeah, probably wouldn't have been suspended if he did. Yeah, well that's the point. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it all it's a domino effect. Terrence Steele is playing better, and he's playing I mean, he's playing really well. I don't know, I'm not saying better. Your point this morning on the radio, and I thought it was a good point that a lot of people want to say he's playing well on a curve. He actually

playing well. Put him on a curve. Well, yeah, it's expectations. I mean that that was the Chargers game. After that, he's just continuing to do it. And and then now it didn't help Connor Williams is timing that he played the way he did in New England and just had those penalties, and then the fact that Lyle's done it in the past and he's played there, and it's about

getting five best linemen? I will I think. I I mean, I don't get me wrong, Connor did not have a good game in New England, but it feels knee jerk to me. I think he's been pretty good this season. I think he had a horrible game against the Patriots. I don't like. I don't think he's been this problem with the offensive line throughout the entire first six weeks of the season. And that is that's what makes me one like, is it purely about quote unquote best five?

Is a guy that hasn't played guards since September of twenty sixteen better than a guy who's only missed three games at that position the last three years? Is that true? Well? I don't know. I'll tell you. If he can push people back, yeah, if if this adds them some beef in the running game, then yeah, I think so. And you know what, who's to say that it's only two moves? I mean, what if they're not done shuffling. What if

they're gonna try this Connor Williams at center again. Honestly, as I was listening to that press conference this morning, I didn't need more. The more I started to think, like, I think they do believe some of the things that we have been talking about. Where you look the center in the in the left guard position, and I think they think they're a bit vulnerable there and they feel like, hey,

with these extra pieces, we're getting Lyle back. Connor as Connor McGovern has played well in the role that they've had for him, So if we keep developing him, maybe we might be a little bit better off as we get later in the season. I just think right now I'm interested to see where they go. I don't think Connor Williams has been horrible. I do think Connor Williams has some moments that weren't great, and I think in the running game you see it more than maybe even

in the passing game. But that all being said, I think that if you can get Lyle in there, this is more about Connor Williams and it is Lyle because I don't think when Lyle was at guard any of us were like, man, this is this spot, so you know it's really just about them, I think trying to find the best five. Do you think Lyle's the starting art right tackleing next season? Well, that's I don't know. It's not something that needs to be answered right now.

I do think I think Lyle Collins is a professional and if we're so far ahead of ourselves like he has, I mean, he's technically not a starter at either position, but if they need him to play guard, he'll do it. But you gotta recognize that that's not where he wants to be. Yeah, well, hold on, I don't necessarily think it's we're way ahead of ourselves. I think it's a question of you know, when he got suspended, did that change his contract to the point where maybe he's not

going to be here next year? If Terrence Steel, if they say this guy, keep playing him this like we did last year, Keep playing him, keep playing him. He's gonna get better and better. He's our guy. Well, if he's the guy, then you keep playing them. It's kind of like when a rookie. You draft a rookie, but you have this veteran that you don't really love, but that's why you drafted the rookie quarterback, but like, you

gotta play him? When when does the future start? And that's that's why I wonder, like, are we at this point where I don't want to play him. I don't mean to say that you're ahead of yourself, because that's not a conversation worth having. It's just they haven't None of these decisions have actually been made. I mean, like theoretically Lyle could be back at tackle within the next week or two. Yeah, just just just to play devil's advocate.

But you're absolutely right, But guess oh, sorry, this team needs cap space. Lyle Collins makes fifty million dollars. If you feel that great about Terrence Steele, Yeah, these are decisions you gotta consider, you gotta. You know, Michael Gallup needs a contract, Dalton Schultz needs a contract, Randy Gregory needs a contract, a million other things that aren't coming to my mind right now. And if you feel that strongly, well, based on everything we just said, I think we're okay there. No,

but you know, Layton Vanderish needs a contract. Yeah, but I think you go back to what Duke Manny Weather say when he was on our show. He compared Terrence Steele to Jeremy Parnell, who went on have a pretty good career as a tackle with the Jaguars. I think it was I need somebody better than that to replace

Layl calling no my point. My point though, is my point though, is I think he developed into what was a very very decent I would say more than decent, probably a solid to a little bit above average tackle in the NFL. Right. My point is, what we know about the NFL is younger and cheaper is better. And so if you can get a cheaper contract for a guy that you think is comparable, maybe a little less, but comparable and still young, I think the Cowboys might

consider that. And that's the part that gets interesting in this whole scenario. If Terrence Steele is your right tackle moving forward for the rest of this season, it's hard for me to imagine Lyle Collins is back next year. Whether that's yeah, I mean, you find a way to move on, or you find a trade partner or whatever. But that is a I think that's kind of a line in the sand. And I'm not like, I don't want to put words on lyall that he's like, I'm

out of here. If you won't play me. I just think he probably sees himself as a tackle and you have a chance to have a starting right tackle who's making a fraction of that. It just makes sense. Well, I think when you throw Dak's situation into the mix, it's like we're at if he plays and he's health or whatever, you're still gonna be watching out for him regardless, you know. And maybe he plays but he's not his

usual self or as mobile or secure and everything. So I just think that it's an interesting week to be making any kind of shuffles in the old line. So I think that it will regardless of messages or whatever.

They're gonna try their best to keep the best five on the field and put pride aside whoever's bed, whoever has been playing, keep whoever's playing the best, and if that means plugging like Al Collins into guard and the spite because they know better than we do, you know, they get to see him at practice, So if he's showing them something more than what Connor has been providing all season long, I think that like, let's see it because Dad needs all the help he can get. That's

a good point. I think, who's my best five pass protectors. Yeah, because he's gonna need a clean pocket and when he goes back there to throw, we don't need to be moving around and shuffling all that I need. I need my best guys, and maybe I need my strongest guys. Yeah, you know, I don't that this could be a situation because of that, because you know Dak is he is going to be limited or he's going to be compromised

in some way. I can promise you that. Or back to your point you made I think the other day that you know this is a team that I mean you were talking about I'm hard today when you're talking about how you may get a little bit more in your running game with Lyle and they're a little more beef, maybe they look at this as just the opposite. They say, with Dak compromised a bit, we may want to run a little bit more. We want a little more power to be able to run a little more, And maybe

Lyle gives you that. And I know we are talking about a ton of different scenarios and none of them may actually be the truth. It could just be. Seriously, we accidentally put that on the on the unofficial depth chart. It's not that. No, no, no, no, no, no no, that's not an accident. Well, because I mean, remember he wasn't on the depth chart. Should say, shouldn't say accidentally, I shouldn't say accidentally, I should say. We didn't need it

to be that big of a deal. We just kind of put it out there because that's where we were working for. But it might not change anything for this week. Who knows. Before any of the stuff about the depth chart got talked about, McCarthy offered offered up, he was like, he's got position flex, he's going to do a little bit of both, which he does have position flex, but again it's a position he hasn't played in five years. So to just all of a sudden be talking about that,

I think it's a conscious decision on their part. Is sorry, ahead, Well, they have it on their in the media packet they get sent out with all the stats and stuff. They have the official stats, official stats. They also have the unofficial depth chart, and they make it clear that it's called the unofficial depth chart. But what we don't know?

I just sorry, but I just there's two I think there's two possibility is we don't know, and we can't know probably until Sunday, but they're aggravated with Lyell and they're like, we're not gonna just hand you your job back, or this is a season long storyline that we're gonna have to be following. So that's I kind of like the second one gives us more to talk about. Last year, we couldn't find a tackle to play right anyone now got three tackles. I gotta move him to guard whatever.

All right, we're gonna take our first break and we come back. We got Bucky Brooks joining us. We'll talk about the Minnesota offense versus the Dallas defensive that will come back back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Before there was a draft, you could size up a cowboy by three simple factors. The crease in his hat, the bend of his brim, and his unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from what life through at him.

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by Buckey Brooks of NFL Network. We're gonna talk a little Minnesota offense versus Dallas defense. Before we do that, though, Bucky, I want to get your opinions. We've been talking a lot about Lyle Collins and him kind of now playing a little bit of guard, a little bit of tackle. Tell us what you thought of him coming out of college as a prospect with regards to him playing guard versus tackle. Yeah, I thought he was best suited to play guard at the next level. He was a big,

physical player. He was more of a Maller brawler when you watched him on tape. And sometimes when you have those maller types, they're better when they can play inside the neighborhood, meaning when you put him at guard, they can use the body hill from the center and the tackle to limit the exposure that they have the one

on one matchups. Now, you like the fact that he had versatility that he had played in space, but when you looked at his body type and the way that the strength of his games were, you thought that he was probably best suited to be a guard. Let's look at the Vikings offense. You know, obviously what tray Von

Diggs has done has been outstanding. Is he is this an offense where you take Justin Jefferson and you say you go get him, but feeling so good on the other side, should you think they should play like, just stay to their sides and don't try to follow guys around them. Yeah, this is a tough one because I

think you need to mix and match it. I think you can travel at times, but I don't know if you want to do it one hundred percent at a time, because the guy that you leave on the backside, whether it's Jefferson or Feeling, outstanding route runner and they have the ability to twist dbs up in knots with their clever craftsmanship on the perimeter. So I think you have to kind of play it straight initially, but then in critical situations you got to make sure that you take

away the hot receiver. You just don't know in a week by week basis, is that going to be Jefferson, Is that going to be Feeling. I think you have to have that travel plan in your play call sheet, but I think you play it straight initially to you see how the game unfolds. I don't want to oh. I mean, I don't know if he's a turnover machine, but Kirk Cousins is relatively dependable to turn the ball over to you over the course of his career, but

that is not the case this year. Is that simply by virtue of having so many good players to get the ball to, or is he playing cleaner football right now? He's playing really well. He's playing really well. And then the system is one that allows you to play really well. If you're an average to above average quarterback, you can look like an all star in this system. Everything is

really done for you. The running game starts it, and then what they do is clever misdirection play action passes all of their favorite running plays, and so if you're unable to stop the run, you now expose your corners to one on one. And I've already talked about how both of these guys on the outside are outstanding route runners. And so the game is really easy for Kirk Cousins right now because they have players that can make his job easy because all he has to do is hit

hit the open man. Well, going along with that, Bucky, one of the main criticisms that the Cowboys defense has been getting this year is allowing those explosive plays. So just my question is pretty broad just overall, as an offense, what do the vikings, Uh, why can't they really give as far as like explosiveness or however you say that word. Uh, No, that they can. They can create explosive plays in a

variety of different ways. It begins and ends with number thirty three, though, like Dalvin Cook is the straw that stories to drink. If he gets going as a runner, it's problematic for you. Throughout the day. He's averaging ninety one rushing yards a game. He is fantastic finding the backside seam on that front side run stretched play the day they use and so if you can't contain him, then the big players are gonna happen in the running act.

If you contain him by dropping extra defenders in the box, then your guys on the outside have to hold up against Jefferson and Celand and what they're going to do based on what other teams are done against the Cowboys, You're gonna see double moves on the outside, particularly on Trayvon Diggs. Inside, they will try and bait the trap and see if he east the cheese and see if

they can get a player two over the top. They will also do some clever things to see if they can get the safeties being a little nosy, maybe two noisy in the box. And you will see some deep overs where the running back I mean pot up in a tight, nasty split and run a diagonal across the field with a post coming behind it. Very similar to the way the Seattle Seahawks hurt the Cowboys a year

ago up there. So you will see a lot of those things and they're gonna do it five to seven times to see if they can catch your guys sleeping, and if you do, you're talking about a twenty five fifty yard play that eventually leads the points for the Vikings. Let's stick with the running game a little bit. I want to talk a little bit more about that Dallas's defense struggled a bid against New England's power run attack.

What was the problem that you saw in that game with regards to Dallas's rush defense and is Minnesota capable of presenting some of those same types of problems. One. Minnesota's absolutely capable of creating those problems. It's very similar to the game that the Cowboys played a year go against the Cleveland Browns. Same running game, same system, same concepts. They're going to test you and test your discipline. The same missions typically occurred when the Cowboys are struggling against

the run. Lack of gap integrity and the inability to get off blocked at the line of scrimmage, So the d line has to force the Minnesota Vikings to kind of play on their heels, meaning they are playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage. The penetration is consistent, and they're building a wall at the point of attack. If there's any voids at the point of attack Dalvin Cook, Alexander Madison, they're going to find those creases.

They're going to cut back. So this is a test and not only your physical prowess at the point of attack, but are you discipline enough to stay and you're a signed gap because if you jump outside of your gap trying to make a play, their running backs will unable to find decrease and it would end up being a big play. Bucky is Layton vander esher better player now than he was his rookie year. That's a good question. He's playing really well. I don't know what it is.

I don't know if dan Quinn is kind of whisper sweet, nothing's in his ear and got him going, But he's definitely playing at a pro Bowl level. When you watch him play, his athleticism still stands out. His instincts and awareness allows him to play fast and so, yeah, this is some of the best football they we've seen from LVEE.

And then what happens typically when you have a guy like Michael Parsons and Randy Gregory and Trey Vun Diggs, guys who I kind of view as energizers, it kind of raises the level of everybody on that defense because ultimately, all these guys are very competitive, and when you're watching the tape and you see Michael Parsons make a play, you see Randy Gregory make a play, you see Diggs make a play, everybody wants to get in on the action. I think he's lb playing well. But also the competitiveness

of hey man, I got some dudes around me. I need to step up my game. So I also can get him held on the fund. So you know, I love a good draft question. Buck. Christian Derris Saw made his first start at left tackle the rookie. That is an intriguing matchup because I would imagine he'll be seeing Randy Gregory a lot. How did he look against Carolina? How does he how does he project? I mean, look, he was a good player. He was a good player coming out of Virginia Tech. He has sides, he's athletic,

he has physical things that can give you problems. I would say this though, he's going to be tested by Randy Gregory's motor and his athleticism. If you're not packing your lunch to deal with Randy Gregory, it's gonna be a long day for you because he is going to test you not only with his ability to get on the outside on speed rushes, but slipping inside, but just the NonStop activity. And so for Ricky this is gonna be a big test because normally in college you don't

get hit with fastballs. Down after down after down. Ninety four is going to test him, So it'd be a big battle. You've covered a lot of ground already, but with both teams coming off a bye week, I mean, which of the two should benefit the most one? You know, the Cowboys hopping on a roll and then you got the Vikings that kind of hopping right there on the line with winning games not winning games. So which one

really benefits the most this week? Well, the Cowboys been for the most because of the offense, because Dak Prescott should be able to play if it was without a bye he probably wouldn't have been able to play or either been compromised. So the Cowboys getting the biggest benefit in terms of the bye week and how both teams use it. Typically, what you want to do is clean up the issues that have presented themselves the first part

of the season. So for the Cowboys, it's about making sure how can we curb the big plays that we're allowing Trayvon Dix. How can we make sure that despite your success picking off passes, we're still a little tighter with the coverage. We don't let the ball flower ahead in the run game. The new England Patriots began to

gash us up front. Can we tighten it up? Because it's a copycat league, other teams are going to see what the Patriots did in the run game and they're going to emulate that and see if the Cowboys have fixed those issues. The Cowboys should benefit because of Dad coming back, but because the level playing field because the bike has had time off as well. One more real quick question before we end Bucky Minnesota's offense was the only offense so I mean, Minnesota's offense was only slowed

once this season. That was against Cleveland in Week four. They only were allowed seven points. I had a fifty two percent completion percentage, only one hundred and ninety yards passing sixty five yards rushing. So it was not a great day for them. What did Cleveland do that other teams have not been able to do this season against

this high powered Minnesota offense. Well, at the time, Cleveland's defense was loaded with firepower at the front line, and so everything started with Miles Garrett, but you had Tack McKinley, you had Ja Damon Clowney and all those guys like Hunting just relentless pressure. And then Joe Woods was dialing up the pressure, kind of figuring out different ways to be able to make Kirk Cousins uncomfortable. Because I would say this about Kirk Cousins. If he can play on

the script, he's outstanding. But if you can disrupt the timing and make it money for him by either getting penetration or disrupting some of the timing of the routes on the outside, you certainly can make him uncomfortable. He doesn't have the ability to improvise and kind of make it right when the initial play breaks down. So constant and persistent pressure is how the Cleveland Browns were able to do it. For the Cowboys, they have to figure out a way to do it. Is that Randy Gregory?

Is that Michael Parsons? Is that someone else who can create that steady disruption with and without having to bring an additional Russian? All right, appreciate you joining us, Bucky. We'll be back with you tomorrow. We'll talk a little bit more about the Minnesota this time about the Minnesota defense versus the Cowboys offense. Let's take our final break. We got a few questions these guys before we'll end the show. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Hi,

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Cowboys Salutes service gear. Visit your Dallas Cowboys pro shop or pro shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot Com fanatics experience to find a full assortment of salutes a service gear. Welcome back. Final segment of the Break. It will be a very very short one because we got approximately thirteen seconds left in this segment, but real quick, I didn't want to get one question in before we end the show. He did. We did ask Bucky a little bit about Diggs and I think Nicky, you were the one to

ask him that question. I'd love to get you guys's opinion on how you think you best deploy a guy like Treyvon Diggs this week when you have a team that you're facing where you got two really really good wide receivers. Do you take one away or we'll try to take one away with Trayvon Diggs and maybe double the other, or do you, as Bucky said, kind of mixed it up and maybe it's straight for a while and then see if there are moments later in the game where you choose to do that based upon how

you think Minnesota's trying to attack you. With all due respect to Adam Feeling and maybe I'm a little emotionally compromised, I know this is the going. Justin Jefferson's special man. I mean he's he is picking up right well too. Though Justin Jefferson is playing as well or better than anyone in the league right now. I mean, well, I didn't say that, you said that. I'm just saying he play absolutely But I just want Chase we're talking about. I think he is a I think bow he's absolutely dynamic.

He can play inside, he can play outside. When he went to the bye he was the only receiver in the league who'd had at least sixty five yards every week of the season. Um, I just when you're talking about who can, it's a classic case of if that's what you're gonna do, I want Trayvon on Jefferson and let everybody else handle a feeling as best. Jefferson. I don't know. I don't, I really am. I put Digs on theel all day long, Diggs on feeling, lock them down,

double this side over here. That's what I would do. I'd roll coverage to help Anthony Brown on Jefferson and just say you gotta stop dealing Diggs. Stop him. He's a good route runner. That's what I would do. And Troy Aikman the other day said that was their biggest fear when they were playing Dion Sanders. Every time. They hated when they did that, when Dion would take Harper, take Harper out of the game and they would double Michael.

They they that was their biggest where do you go? Yeah, so I'm saying Troy said that, and he had a pretty good running back too. Yeah, So but I don't, I don't know. I still think Theeeland can beat Diggs you know. I mean, yeah, and maybe maybe beat him, but maybe not beat him to the point where he's beating other teams, and maybe it's not enough. Is the point, Like, how do you limit them enough to where you still wouldn't confuse cousins. You can't just give him the same

thing every time. I got to switch it up. We I feel like we oversimplify it sometimes on this show. It ain't it ain't gonna be one thing all the time for sixty five snaps. They're gonna disguise stuff, They're gonna change it up. I doubt I don't know that Diggs has Diggs just followed one guy every snap of the game, like at all this year. I mean, like every single snap he's on that guy. I don't have that number in front of I don't know that I know that he travels. I don't think he does it

like exclusively, just like Hugo wherever Ego. I mean, you're gonna do a little bit of everything. I just I feel like Keenan Allen that game. I feel like he did that Allen, but maybe not. Yeah, he did. He went with him a lot, and he went with Mike Evans a lot. I just don't know about like one under snaps either. Just to go ahead, I was gonna say that that you look at the Bucks game. That was a game where you face you faced a similar

kind of team from the standpoint, they had multiple receiving weapons. Uh, and they decided they were going to travel, and the guy just compared the quarterbacks. No, I'm not comparing the quarterbacks at all. I'm just saying like that was a similar type of set up where you had that number of really great wide receipt Nick's point, a guy that Diggs wasn't with killed him in that game about So I don't know. I just maybe you're right, what focus

on Justin Jefferson. That's really all I'm trying to say. That's the guy who's gonna kill you here in my opinion. Yeah, yeah, I think he makes dealings so much better too, because he is a really really good route runner, and so you can't just put some other corner on him because he'll he'll burn him as well. And then they got a running game to match, So it's gonna be it's gonna be a tough one. Yeah, this is this is not and I know I've I've seen this from fans

already where they're talking about this game. They're like, man, here we go again. Every week they're like, oh, this is gonna be a tough one. This is the week where you're gonna face it. But I'm like, that's this team though, that that's the NFL. No. Well, but no team that's good. That is bs. If anybody feels that way, because we've been on here damn near just we've been writing w on the schedule on Monday for the last month. And big blowouts too. Well. Obviously yes, those two division

games we absolutely did. But obviously when we talked about the Chargers game, we talked about it like this is gonna be a really good team, and they were. And that's what I'm saying, they really were. Shoot, I picked him to beat the Patriots by eighteen. How'd that work out? I Mean, I've been nervously there for a second. Any if anybody's I mean, you should be taking this game seriously. And if you think that we haven't been well and if you think we have, like we haven't been pumping

anybody up for the last month. We've been like they're gonna roll over these guys, I would be shocked if that happens on Sunday. Even with two healthy calves, I think this would be a tough game. All right, we appreciate you guys, jan Us. We'll be back tomorrow. We're gonna talk about the Minnesota defense versus the Cowboys offense. Till then for Nick Even, Dave Helman, Amber Garcia. I am 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.