Cowboys Break: Must-Win Game?

the latest edition of The Break. We are live from the s WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, Nick and Amber joining me. Dave will be joining us in a moment once he finishes with his walk off with coach McCarthy. Let's start first, Nick with a sixty eight Doug Free. Doug Free, I think is he one of the most maligned players that really didn't deserve to be maligned in our time here there's more, but he's in that category for sure because he was a pretty solid player. But yeah,

he's just one of those guys who hated him. Yeah, they didn't like him. He was a pretty good player. Yeah, I think he's sixty eight. Now I'm kind of. I'm now, I'm he may not Chris is he sixty eight? Crawford Curry, that was a man trustee producer. Crawford Kerr was my backup because you know, I've never heard of him. No, Crawford Kerr, no heard him. Played in the eighties guard Man obviously with tail sixty eight. Yeah, uh yeah, those are those those are only sixty eight that I got.

Matt Lair remember him, Yeah, I do remember Matt guard Center. No, I was. I was actually a fan of Doug Free on the field, and I know there were so many fans that just always had something to say about him and his false starts and whatever else he had one on. But I thought he's a solid player, pretty good player for the Cowboys. All right. Um, let's talk a little bit about Google. Best player at number sixty eight, and

this article came up. Nobody better than big Foot at number sixty eight, defensive end Dennis Harrison, who some guy for the Cowboys was for the Eagles, Oh oh, across the league. That also tells you something else, like it was, if that's the best, that's the best sixty eight in the history of the league, then yeah, yeah, And I'd say he's not a good player. I don't keep up with with Eaglestores, but illustrator, Yeah, but I wouldn't. I definitely don't. The name doesn't ring out to me. Um,

let's talk about the four players. There are four players the Cowboys have been missing here over the last game. UM, and I wanted to talk about these four these four players from the standpoint of what the Cowboys miss in not having them. It does look like maybe Tyren Smith maybe back this week. But let's first start with him and talk about what if the Cowboys missed not having

him on the field the last three and a half game. Well, Dak Prescott can go back to pass and turn his back to that side and not feel like he's going to get hit. I mean, that's Do you think that affects Dak in a way? Obviously it affects everybody, But do you think that's maybe some of the things that we've seen in two of the last three games where dact just didn't seem to be himself. Probably, I mean, I would, I would imagine. I mean, Tyren Smith is one of the best left tackles, and I mean that

we've seen in decades. I mean isn't. He's that good, and so there's got to be a comfort level when you when you know he's there and he's playing. You know, now, now he gets beat sometimes, I mean he gets beat everything once in a while, but for the most part, I mean, yeah, I think it just locks it down

and then everything else kind of trickles down. The left guard can be a little bit better, so it helps everybody around him, and you just don't have that when you have Terren Steele or really anybody even in Schi over there. So yeah, it's it's probably just more of a up thing one and two. Just he's locking it down. I mean, yeah, of course you're gonna miss a guy

like Tyren Smith in the lineup. But at this point, I feel like I am at the point where I will never use that as an excuse anymore, like, oh, they're missing tyrns. After so many years of this happening, you would think they got it down, and I know that they have turned steel and he did a good job. And now you got a shuffling going on with Lyle Collins back and then what's happening with Connor McGovern there.

But it's just and I'm sure it's difficult. It's easier said than done, especially from me looking from the outside. But it just seems like you would think they got it figured out that when something like this happens, it's not such a drastic change. But I mean it always affects anyways. And last game we saw Dick running for his life continuously. It wasn't funny to Deck, but that's funny to us. Yeah, well, I mean we I wasn't

laughing in the game. I'm watching the game, but it's just it's I really thought they would play a lot better, but it wasn't the case. Yeah. I think that Tyren Smith being out, that that's really affected this offense in a way that I didn't think it would as much. Um. I thought Terren Steele would be able to be adequate on the left side because I think he's been pretty good on the right, and I just don't think after watching these games, I don't think he is. I think

he is a right tackle. Um. I don't think he is a swing tackle necessarily. I think he's a right tackle that might be able to give you some good quality starts, maybe be at a point where he can be a starter full time for US. Or for any team at right tackle. I don't think he's a left tackle. Let's talk about Amari Cooper. What are the Cowboys missed by not having go ahead? I mean, this is going

down the line a few games down. But let's say, Okay, Tyren comes back this game, it's fine, whatever, But then towards the end of the year, something else happens where he comes back out. I mean, do you think they still go with steel rather than And we've talked about Lyle kind of then flip in. I mean, is that so hard when you and I get it you used to being but is as a pro player, is that so hard switching sides? I think it is. Yeah. I've never played it, but I would think it is. Yeah.

I mean, apparently it is. And I don't think Lyle collins Is wants to do that, like I don't think. I think he's made it pretty clear he doesn't want to do that, and I don't think they feel like he can do it as well. It's there's it's a different type, it's a different drop. There's a little bit more athleticism you see on the left side. I think Terrence Steele is probably a better athlete. I would say

than than Lyle, So it makes more sense there. And I think that the fact that they didn't move lyl there's a couple of reasons for that, and I think one of them is the fact that they just expect Tyring to be back when you know, when he has been so it's two or three, it's a short term injury. I think steals the perfect swing tackle there, and he's still have Benseki. They're not letting him go, so they've

got some options. They their tackle situation is better than I would say a lot of teams in the league just from the backups have at least fifteen, you know, probably seventeen to twenty starts among them the two backup tackles. That's pretty good. But I do think I will say this, I think that I would at least give it some thought. If you get into that kind of scenario where you lose Tyrant for another couple of games or so towards the end of the year, I would really consider ty

and Sky. As you were talking about, Nick, I just and maybe here's the one thing that could be a caveat. Maybe during these next several weeks, if Tying is healthy, maybe they find some opportunity to get steal some work in practice just a left tackle, so he continues to work there. Maybe in continuing to work there, if some tents, if it comes up where he has to play later in the year, maybe he's better than he is now.

The one thing I will say about him is there were times last year we thought he couldn't play, like literally couldn't play, and he figured it out on the right side. So maybe with more time on the left, maybe he can figure it out on the left. But right now what we've seen, that's not good enough for playoff football. In my opinion, I don't think the guy. I think the Cowboys would be very handicapped if they had to go into a playoff game with with Terrence

still left tackle as he has played so far. Let's talk about Amark Cooper. What did they missed by not having a Mark Cooper on this scene the last week? They missed or did they miss him? Oh? Yes, really well? I think the question is a fair question. The fair question him if they missed him more than they missed Tyron Smith. I mean it was it was they missed

Tyron Smith big time. I'm aary Cooper to me, it was just as much missed, and he'll be missing just as much just as much because he is an outstanding or outrunner. He can, he gets open, he figures out a way. He's I think he's the most quarterback friendly receiver they've had in many years here. And even though his stats aren't always great, the fact that he knows exactly where he's going to be. He runs, like I said, it runs these great routes and it helps the other

guys kind of do their thing. He was missed in that game. You know, CDs a little bit more. I wouldn't say a freelancer, but he's he's he's more, you know, just just kind of uh more of a big play type guy. And and you know, maybe he doesn't have this much separation, but he'll go and make the play. Amari is just the precision of him running routes I think really helps the quarterback. And they missed that in

that game. They needed somebody to kind of calm down third and six, get over, get a first down, move the chains, keep it going. And just his demeanor is so good out there. Yeah, and just his presence allows see THEE to be able to make those impressive catches is that Nick was talking about. And the crazy thing about Amaric Cooper, He's a Cooper. He's the type of player that, to me, sometimes he goes a little unnoticed, like he's quiet, but he'll make plays. But then that's

the greatest thing about him. He's like, all of a sudden, you see him, Oh wow, there's Amari, And sometimes you tend to forget about him, but clearly we saw it in this past game. How important his presence, regardless of him being the target play targeted player. It's I think they would have played so and I say this given like everybody played bad and there were drops and all that, but I think that having him on the field would

have at least made them play a little bit better. Yeah, I wonder, And I think we're going to get to see a little bit of that this weekend. Sounds like Tyren Smith will play this weekend. If he plays, we'll get to see because I really think Tyron was really the the big part of why they couldn't do what

they wanted to do, more so than Amary. That doesn't and don't get me wrong, I think Amari is a valuable asset for this team, but I do think losing him for a game, you should be able to You're offense still should be able to put up big points. I think the problem was they lost him and they also didn't have that left tackle, and that I think was well and then you can go and then they started and they started the blitz that more even more

in the second half. I mean, are you know they trudged their corners that they weren't going to get beat by Gallop Noah Brown, h Cedric Wilson and they you know, those those guys aren't going to just continually beat the secondary. And so it worked out perfectly for the Chiefs because they were able to just keep putting the pressure on a line that couldn't handle it, and they didn't have to worry about really getting beat over the top or

really anywhere. How much have they missed or what did they miss by not having Randy Gregor and DeMarcus Large for that for as long as they've been out at this point. But you're just missing badass pass rushers. I mean, I mean that's just what it is. And now Mike has been helping some, but Mike, I mean you can't have enough. I mean, like like Micael can do his thing for wherever and Brandy on this side, and you just can't block them all. And then that's what they've missed.

And then I still think that Michael will go back to being a linebacker at some point. But still he's gonna miss comment yesterday, huh he did us comment yesterday? He said, yeah, they can have back all those chips. Yeah with that, yeah, I mean like no pass rusher likes to get chipped, no finding that out. No, he let him be a roaming linebacker, a blitzer rusher all that. That's where I think he's going to be the most effective, and I think that's where sets up well for this roster.

But they anytime you're missing a good pass rusher like Gregory d Laws a great pass rusher, he's also a great run stopper as well, they're just missing their their best defensive ends. I mean that no team is going to lose their both ends and be good. That Cowboys have been fortunate there. But also I mean they're they're missing something. The linebacker con O'Neil and Layton vander Rush aren't the greatest inside linebackers right now. And that's interesting part.

This defense has actually played pretty well without the two of their best defensive players, and that's I think the post most amazing part about it. Yeah, I thought they were not gonna be able to play the way they that they did without those two guys, especially without Randy Gregory.

But I think that if the offense continues to play like let's say they go in this week and play kind of similar to what happened last week, I think I mean that's where maybe you do miss got that kind of pressure there to create maybe more turnovers, to give your the ball back to the offense to allow them to create whatever they can on the field. But yes, definitely miss those guys, but definitely impressed on what they

have been able to handle without them so far. Joined by David Helm and Dave I'm going to throw this question. You were talking about the four players that the Cowboys didn't have last week for star players. Which of those four players I'm talking about, Tyren Smith, Amari Cooper, Randy Gregory, Marcus Lawrence do you think they missed the most in that speci if a game, If if I could go back and play it again with just one of those guys, I would want Amari Cooper. Um. I know the offensive

line didn't hold up very well. But I think a big part of that was, again we talked about it earlier in the week, like they couldn't separate downfield. I don't think there were things open for Dak. I think not having a Mari allows the defense to key on CD. Then you lose CD, and now nobody's afraid of anybody. Um, no disrespect to Michael Galla, but like I think they're willing to just man him up. You don't have to

worry about diverting extra attention to him. Um. I think I think Amari Cooper does a lot for this offense, even if he's not being targeted. And you can see that on tape if you watch teams focus on him. They know that he can hurt them. So, um, I think he could have changed the trajectory of that game for sure. Most important. Yeah, I mean I agree with you. I mean, I think they're fifty fifty, but I think

that Steele you known can hind. I mean, he struggles, but he's still Like I don't think it's a it's as much of a drop off as especially because of what happened just losing CD. Annamari. That's just like I said, there's he's just a quarterback friendly guy. Bill Belichick told you six weeks ago when they played that game. I mean he went and he tried to take him out of the game. So you know, they understand just how

important he is. And he's just a chains mover and he takes the pressure off some of the other guys. All Right, we're gonna take our first break. When we come back, We're going to be joined by Bucky Brooks NFL Network. Then I'll talk a little bit of Vegas defense versus Cowboys offense. We'll be right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. At ATNC, everyone new and existing customers get our best deals on every smartphone. Why because you deserve it. We're turning your living room into

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for you in your budget. Visit unantaginturf dot com. Before there was a draft, you could sized 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 throw at him, It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here in Texas. There's still the unofficial crowd of all self respecting cowboys, and Stetson is

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the radio. I do deserve that Doctor Pepper, zero sugar, the zero you deserve is finally here. Back to the break, all right. This holiday season, you can visit the Star, Okay, we're going. You can visit the Star to get your photo of Santa. Presented by Monument Realty. Santa Claus will be it as Cowboys Team Cottage at the Star District across from Ascension at the Star Boulevard November twenty six through December twenty fourth, as a Star District dot Com

slash Santa. What happened to Davey needs? I don't know a good question clause I don't get them to me, so that we can change that easily. I thought Nikki, just like he was washing his hands of this old thing. I think it's a fantastic job. Yeah, well Dave was amazing though too. That's what I thought. Yeah, if you make me do it, I'll just get more and more like facetious with every read. I'm just like, it might be pretty fun. It might be pretty fun. It's saying

at this thing, it's the end. So I'm gonna start doing a terrible job and then see what happens. Now. All right, welcome to the show. We're in the second segment of the break Life and that WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, we got Bucky Brooks of NFL Network joining us. Bucky, it is the day before Thanksgiving. We got Thanksgiving football tomorrow, Cowboys will take on the Raiders, and so let's start with their defense and give me an idea of what this defense can do when they're

on and tell me what can can get them flustered too. Look, man, this is a defense that's really static. They don't do a lot. They're just kind of line up in play. Um. It's a candid like just kind of driving by the neighborhood seeing a bunch of iron deer on the larm. They don't do much of anything to try and trick you. Or through you and so and so. What they what they want to do is they want to make it real, simplistic for the team to allow their players to play fast.

They have some good players, particularly in the front line. You think about Yannicking got ways back to playing at a high level because he reunited with Gus Bradley. Max Crosby is an energizer bunny at the front line. Denzel Peerman is a tackle or tackle playmaker on the inside. And then they have a cornerback, Brendon Fazon, who's actually playing really really well for them. So it's a it's a solid maybe defense, but they're not gonna do a

lot and so it's about execution. It's not about trickery for them. Well, you wrote in your five bucks article that they they've got a blueprint they can go off of now. So you say that the blueprint to beat the Cowboys is now out. Can you explain that a little bit? Well, I mean, look, the blueprint has been out, Like I mean, people are gonna line up and they're gonna play with four man rush. They can play seven

in coverage, they can play man demand. And what they're gonna do it They're gonna dare the Cowboys to be able to win on the outside and the way that people are playing man demand. They're playing what they call man match, which is basically man to man on vertical routes, but it kind of goes into a switching zone. Did we lose them? I think we don't have a Mark Cooper. You're there, Bucky? Hello, Yeah, we got you. I can hear you now we're talking. Yeah, we lost. You lost

the raft. You were saying that you were talking about mixed mixed match man so gold. Yeah. So so when you have man match, what they do is they able to take away the stuff on the outside, will also handling all the crossing routs and the things that happen inside. And when you don't have guys that can separate, like one of Mark Cooper's on the sideline, you only have CD Lamb. It just makes it easy for the defense. And what we also saw is they were able to line up and get one on one match up on

particular offensive lineman to be able to defeat him. And without timern Smith, there's some vulnerability on that offensive line. So yeah, the blueprint is out. Now do you have the personnel to be able to deal with it. That's another thing, but the blueprint is definitely out on how the best play the Cowboys. The Raiders employ a young man that a lot of people wanted to see in Dallas by the name of Trevan Merrig, the safety out of TCU. How's he playing this year? Buck? I mean

he's fine. I mean he's been. He's in solid for them. But you know, they had been in those favorable situations where they can really allow the safety to be an impact player, meaning you have to be up so you can force the quarterback to throw against loaded coverage. Don't allow Mary to be able to do his thing either. Really solid player. I thought I liked him a lot as a as a prospect. Has he been a difference maker for them yet? No, he hasn't. He's a solid

player in the back end, one of their better players. Though, if you're the Cowboys, after the way that they lost against the Chiefs end in a short week like this one, what would be your main focus in improving the offense for this game? Back to basics, I would say less is more doing fewer plays, fewer concepts, fewer things where the guys have to think and place in a greater emphasis on just being great when it comes to the

execution part. That's what I would focus on. I don't think this needs to be kind of a trick them game. I think they need a lot up and make sure they remember who they are. They're at their best when they're a balanced team. Whenever it gets way out of whack and Dak is throwing two times more than they're running, it's a problem. They need to make sure that they

remember to run the football. I'm not saying that you have the runof person second down, but you got to make sure that you have enough rushing attempts to make the defense depend all aspects of the offense before you kind of become this past happy team. Hey, Bucky, when you were just talking about the blueprint that's out there on how you defeat this Cowboys offense, I was looking at some of the stats around Vegas, and as you said, they don't do much. They are actually they blitzed the

least in the NFL. But at the same time their fifth in quarterback knockdown, so they get after the quarterback. They're right at right out of the top ten in sacks. So my question for you is how knowing that and knowing that they try to get pressure with the front four and do a pretty pretty good job of doing that. How does Dallas try to defeat that? We haven't seen them be successful against those two teams in the AFC West who have done similar things. How does Dallas beat that.

You gotta be able to run the football and putting in manageable situations. One of the reasons that the other teams have been able to have success against the Cowboys because they were able to kind of dictate the turns because it was a bit of a little more of a one dimensional approach that the Cowboys took. When you run the ball, to run the ball on mix down, so it's not always first and ten run sometimes it

maybe second and seven. Run the ball. You have to prevent the defensive coordinator preventing and what we call in always in never situation, meaning hey, it's this situation, they always do this, They never do that because then it plays to their favorite and so it needs to be balanced, it needs to be diverse and needs to get out of his normal play calling pattern to keep them from team golf on the passing end, and when you run the ball at the pass rushers, it takes a little

steam off of those pass rushers, So you gotta be able to run the football and run it at them early and often. Buggy. This this goes back to what you said at the top about them being kind of static. I think it's interesting, like Gus Bradley was the DC in Seattle before dan Quinn, and both of these guys kind of got that cover three reputation. But we're seeing way more than that from Quinn. But I mean, from the sounds of it, I mean, is Gus Bradley just

sticking with what worked eight years ago? I mean, is it that easy? And if so, why do you think they're not a little bit more adaptable than they are right now? Well? I think I think two things. I think one, dan Quinn was the head coach in Atlanta and the last few years when he took was decordinator,

he got his back beat out. And what he did is he took their year off to go and reinvent himself and decided that he needed more diversity in his game in terms of how he called plays, what they utilizes, the coverages and those things. Gus Bradley has added more to the repertoire because he felt like in talking to him, he felt like Pete Carroll always wanted them to be in Cover three because they always wanted the middle to

feel closed. Gus Bradley has spend time with Minnie Kiffin and he believed that Cover two would help them at times. So you'll see some split safety looks and those things. But whatever it is, they're not really disguising it. They're gonna line up and show it because they want their guys to know exactly what they're in so they're confident they can execute it. Sounds like Cowboys football for the last It sounds a lot like what we watched for

the last few years. Yeah, every yes, something. I guess if they win the coin toss, what do you do? You go out and try to make a statement? Are you You know it's bunny because normally I'm always like, no, we've deferred to the second half. But if you're a team that's really looking at juice up the game and kind of put the Raiders on the hero as you take the ball, you mix up the tempo and you want to make sure that you play from in front.

The raiders best opportunity to win the game is if they are playing with the league so they can dictate the terms. Their best defense is their offense. So when Derek Carr gets out and get us into a groove, they get to going. That's how they play well. So if you can put the Raiders in a hole early, it disrupts everything that they want to do. And because they don't have what I call a playmaking defense, that's

the best way to attack them. Go at them, go at them early, and kind of hit the ground running. So yeah, take the ball and go after it. All right, give me a prediction for this week? What do you think is gonna happen? Thanks even day, Well, man, I think this is a very important game for the Dallas Cowboys, not only because you came off all off against Kensy the Chiefs, but the Philadelphia Eagles are beginning to kind of find their way, and what you don't want to

do is kind of let them close the gap. So the games can have meeting down the stretch, so they want to talk about it, and I'm sure the coaching staff as well aware that the Eagles are gaining ground and beginning to find their way. So I think this is one where you simplified, you encourage you guys to play fast, and I think ultimately they win on Turkey Day. I would expect them to be able to dominate the Raiders, even though it may be a little early and tight,

maybe tight early. I think they're runaway with the Indian. All right, appreciate you joining us, Bucky. You have a happy Thanksgiving. We're gonna take our final break. We're gonna come back and we're gonna talk storylines. There's some storylines this game we want to hit and let you guys know what think's going to happen tomorrow. Cowboys Versus Raiders will be right back. This is Das Cowboys dot Com Radio.

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It's not complicated. Everyone deserves something new, so ATNC is given everyone new and existing customers are best deals with every unlimited plan on every smartphone, even the latest ones. At T may temporarily slidated. Speech at the network is basically strictions and exceptions may apply. Hi. I'm Clint Tillison and I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with Turf, the

official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys. So if you need a tractor to bail some hay, I'm more to cut some grass or a gator to get some chores done, get a John Deer at Unitedagin Turf and then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line, well not today. Get to work with a John Deer tractor package that's just right for you in your budget. Visit unanat aginturf

dot com. Before there was a draft, you could size up a cowboy by three simple factors, the crease at his hat, the bend of his brim, and his unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from what life throw at him, it projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American made with pride. Right here in Texas. There's still the unofficial crowd of all self respecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest you at

Stetson dot com slash Cowboys. Back to the break Rowdy's holiday deliveries are now available, Derek. You can spread Joey this holiday season with surprises and exclusive gifts from your favorite mascot. Book your holiday delivery today at Dallas Cowy dot com slash Rowdy. Here we go, Merry Christmas, Welcome Back.

Final segment of the Break Lift ne SWBC Morgan Studios at the Star Smalls Thanksgiving Cowboys will take on the Raiders will be I would assume a pretty decent amount of black and silver in the building as well, so should be a fun game, should be an entertaining game. I'm hopeful we got some storylines that we're gonna I would like an unentertaining game. You want to be writing in the third quarter, Yeah, I want that. Like, yeah, you're the one that's always saying that, and I'm like,

just shut up and let the game happen. I want that. I would like to look. I wouldn't be against that. I don't want to be too, but but it would be good to have a fun game. Just make it fun at least for a little while. But beatowns are fun sometimes, I don't all the time if the cover is the one doing it. Yeah, all right, So let's go storylines. We got a few that we need to

hit for this game. Here's the first. If CD can't go tomorrow, which it sounds like he might be able to, They're they're feeling like it might be a good chance. I want I want to kind of shed some clarity on what's going on with that, because I and I'm

not trying to be condescending. I didn't know some of this stuff either, but we've had a chance to ask around, and you know, people get nervous when you're talking about a guy coming back from a concussion in four days, and understandably so So what's going to happen today is as part of the concussion protocol, you have to practice, like you have to prove that you can go out

on the field and do all of that. This is after he's cleared all the tests, all the cognitive tests from the time he got hurt at the stadium on Sunday through now he has to practice. He's going to talk to the Cowboys medical staff, and then he has to clear another test with an independent neuro expert, whatever doctor whatever that is, which he had to do that. They still have the independent doctors on the sideline on

Sunday as well, so that was part of it. Like this is a problem maybe not five years ago, but like in recent history, this is probably the type of concussion that he would have played through before the NFL Conay. Absolutely before the NFL put all of this stuff into place. It was that type of deal. So today's today's big. He's going to practice, then he's going to have two more consultations or whatever, and if he clears all that,

he can play. But I do think it's worth noting like he has to get clearance from an independent person that's not affiliated with the Cowboys. It's not like their staff can be like, get out there, buddy, we need you. So that's what's going to happen today, and that's by the end of the day they will know. I don't know if it's going to be out in the public today, but they should know by this evening whether or not

he's gonna be available. Tomorroca, Yeah, all right. Cool. So that being said, let's assume for a second he doesn't fat past that protocol. If CD can't go, do you expect Michael Gallup can handle the number one wide receiver role for this team? No, I do not expect that. I've seen it twice now. I don't think he's a number one receiver. Sorry for his agent, because I know he's a free agent coming out and he needs to

be able to prove that. I don't think he's a number one, and I think he's much better as a number two, if not a three. But he's a two. I mean, just in this team, he's probably a three. Bit, you know, I think he can get paid like a number two. I don't think he's a number one. I don't think he's the type of guy that does everything as far as you know, all the things you wanted from a receiver to the inside stuff the outside. Um, he's gonna have to though, I mean, I mean he's

gonna have to in this game. But I mean I don't think this is something that you can get by and maybe win a game doing it. But I don't think he's a number one receiver. I don't think so either, And to be fair to him, I don't think that he ever was. I wasn't going into this season thinking Michael Gallup was going to play a season that would enable him to get paid like that, like a when you consider that Davantae Adams is going to be available

this spring, he was never getting a deal. Yeah, but let's be clear that I'm not saying I'm not no, I know. Yeah. The point is good number twos can sometimes step into a number one role when pressed into duty. I'm asking do you think he can do that for the four? I don't think that's the biggest question though, Honestly, I'm a lot less worried about Mike. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, I don't about If the number five and number four can step into the other roles, then I think Gallup

can shine. It's not about Gallop so much. It's just about Noah Brown and Cedric Wilson have got to come to play. If they can come to play, then I think Gallup can do his thing. But if they're not going to help Gallop, I don't think has a chance. What he said, that's absolutely I mean, it's it's not that Mike can't handle that, and I would guess they're going to focus on him if CD's unavailable, because he'll be the best receiver on the field. It's on the

other guys to not do what they did Sunday. Michael Gallop, he didn't play a great game, but he I mean, he did what he could do with the opportunities that were given to him. Like I don't, I don't. He he was saving their ass time after time in the early going in the game, he picked up both of their first two first downs, and it's not his fault. Dac overthrew him really probably twice. So I got nothing bad to say about Mike. It's the guys around him that need to step up if he's the one that

the defense is focusing on. Ye We've seen Dak have success with those old guys around him. But the thing is, who do they really scare, you know, with the opponent and you come in as a defensive coordinator and you look at these receivers and it's like, oh, well, I don't know, that doesn't sound scary. We can definitely beat them. But this is one of those scenarios where you go back and you become appreciative in the way that Dak has handled his receiver course, and you know, offseason practicing

with them, even though like last string guys. So hopefully this is a game that those guys like you guys mentioned they can't step up. And we know he has a very good relationship with Dak and we've seen it translate on the field, so they just need to clean their game up, you know. And I would throw in a Malik Turner in there as well. I think I think he is he probably as a receiver. It might be a little bit further along than like a Noah Brown.

I like his game. I know we saw it there at the end garbage time, and he's kind of the he's turned into the sort of the garbage band a little bit at the end of the game. That's I'm with you, And in my head, I'm like, yeah, maybe I'm ready to see more Malik Turner, like Noah Brown deeply disappointed me as a long time Noah Brown stand Yeah, he deeply disappointed me on Sunday. But I do think there's something to the fact that Malik Turner is doing a lot of this. A lot of what he's done

this year is when the game has been decided. Also, the other I think we should also take a little bit of a step back and say what we saw Sunday from this receiver corps is not what we've seen most of the year. And I'm talking about said, I'm talking about Noah Brown. They've been pretty reliable in the roles that they've been given, and so my thought is, settle in and I think they can have better weeks this week than they did last week. I don't. I'm

not really throw them out yet. I think that was just a bad game. In my bad game all the way around. They just didn't play well. The thing, it's like, we haven't seen it be fully on them, you know, if you had your other receivers. They've been guys that kind of go in and all in certain plays and they have been successful at times. But I won are like how much it really affects them when they're out there. Yeah, I mean, and that's it's easy to say, next man up.

But those guys are the depth chart. But all that being said, I think the cinnamon right now is that we expect CD to play in the game. Are we done expecting players to play? I was about I've been doing it. I'll talk about it's hard to know this. I'm hard to get to read with this game. Yeah, he's got he got past these talk about both scenarios. I know. No, I agree, and that could happen and let's not man knocking with But I mean he could play and not finish the game, you know what I mean.

I mean anybody that could happen with anything, you know. I mean, he could play and and it just he ends up maybe taking a hit or whatever, and they're like, Okay, you know what, let's don't do this. So you have to be ready for that, and I'm sorry, go ahead. No. What I do think we finally know is that Tyrn Smith is going to play. Yeah. If I'm wrong about

that again, I might just jump out of the press box. Um. But um, And what the reason I bring that up is, I this is a game where if that is the case. If CD can't go, and I'm not I'm not ready to say I expect him to play, because that's first of all, it's it's not a like fight through an issue.

He has to clear the protocol. Yeah, And on top of that, it's burned me basically every other week this season where I'm like, yeah, I think he's gonna play, and then I'm writing, I'm writing the I'm writing the story tomorrow afternoon. Sheet LAMB will be inactive today. But if if I'm just saying they wouldn't, they are taking all the steps to do that. He wouldn't have been in a meeting on Monday, he wouldn't have been on

the field yesterday. You know, at the end, he wouldn't have been doing the things if if he was having any issues and that there was some kind of setback. That's all that at this point, and there there could have been. But all I know is and I talked to Jim Mauer. I talked to Jim Auer after this game Sunday, and he said, we really like the where he is right now. This is after the game. We like where he is. It was almost like it was borderline of him having to sit out. Yeah, he's like,

we we like where he is. William said it was fine he did, so that's his his Like William Boykins for those of you you know he works with us, don't worry about his evaluation. To hear it from people who might worry you, then if William Sutton, you think it's a good point. If you're listening, he's listening, Williams

fifty fifty, he's fifty fifty. Um, what was I gonna say. Oh, to hear it from people who would know his evaluation, and the was good, Like for a guy who just got concussed, it was good to That's why I said, like eight ten years ago, he probably goes back in that game. And that's a testament to how much people have changed their minds about the way that stuff works that they still wouldn't the protocols wouldn't allow him to

go back in. And there's there, Yeah, there's a couple of like little benchmarks that happened after a guy gets hit in the head or whatever that will keep you out of the game. And and and it's very not minor. It's just it's it's basically, do you feel a little dizzy or you a little bit woozy. Yeah, I feel a little bit. You're out out. Yeah, you're a house. I mean it should be right, that's what it should be, right,

So it's it's not. I mean, God, I remember a game i'd have been before you were here, when when the Cowboys were playing the Bears and Witton. That happened with Whitton and they were hiding his helmet. And you know, most people know Jason Witten as the guy that's you know, in the community and nice guy, great interviews and all that. He can be a monster, and man, I think he was trying to like really hurt some doctors or something. It might have been the Independent Doctor or something. I

remember something. They were just like, where's my helmet? Where's Betsy? Like he was trying to find this helmet. I think he ended up getting back in. Yeah. Those are the stories that like they sound great and then you're just like, right, oh, man, I'm not gonna say the name, but there was a player a few years ago that was playing and say safety, and the teammates were like, he didn't know the last drive the game, he didn't know anything that was happening.

They were telling him where to line up, and where to stand, and he just as they're driving other teams driving for the win, and he's back there. Not even no. I mean they won the game. They won the game, and he didn't give up a touchdown, But like the last five or six plays, they were just like you stand here and just do that. God, Oh, just imagine somebody in the league office hearing that. It's like, uh,

it was, it was in the last sixty years. So there's a lot of games, a lot of plays real quick. Just the reason I brought up Tyrn Smith is if CD can't play, I would hope that his presence allows you to completely change the way that you play this game. Like I'm taking the air out of the ball I got. I got no problem living in twelve personnel and trying to run for two hundred yards tomorrow if CD can't go.

And that's exactly where I was gonna go with this, because Dallas has not rushed particularly well in three of their last four games. Tyrant's missed the last three and a half games of that. He's now back. How much do you think that's going to help the running game? Do you think they can get back on track with having Tyron back in the lineup. Yeah, adding an all pro to your lineup definitely helps. I mean, it stabilizes things. It allows you to help the left guard, whoever that is.

He can seal off the backside. The Cowboys love to run into the right right like you're gonna run off of Zach whenever you can, and but Tyron allows you to seal the backside of those plays, so you're not getting dragged down from behind for one or two yards instead of five or six. But let me be clear, the question is not can they run better with with

with him? The question is more just do you think it's at a point now where they can go in and say, you know that we want to run, We're going to run, and they're still gonna be able to impose their will and runs. I don't think they're gonna do that though. I mean, I don't think they're gonna just you know, we're gonna run. I think just Tyron helps them run the offense. I think they can pass out of it. They can run. They're gonna be mixed. They're not gonna Dak Prescott's not going to be running

the football taking the air out. I mean, I know it sounds good. I don't think they're gonna do that. But we're about that in the context of you don't have your top two receivers. I don't think they're gonna do that. You think they're still going in and they're trying to be just aggressive in the passing Yet he No, he's right. I mean, and I said, take the air out of the ball. By modern NFL standards, this isn't college like, you can't go in and telegraph that you're

gonna run and just do it anyway. You could do that against the worst run defense in the league and probably still not be successful. So yeah, there's got to be an element of passing and misdirection and all that stuff. I just I'm saying, and read the tea leaves too. It's obvious the Cowboys are disappointed that they got away from the run. Like Mike McCarthy really hasn't made any

bones about it. I just think they won't have a problem leaning on that and trying to let that dictate their game plan more so than they have in recent weeks. We're going with three trick plays in the game by the Cowboys. Three and I'm counting, like I'm counting, like that play that Pollard had that was kind of like a trick play, sort of that reverse fake and all that. I think you gotta sets something up with that too, Maybe pitch it back to deck and let him throw

or or something. But I think two or three of those they won't run the flee flicker until I'm not here anymore, but they it won't be that. Yeah, I just mean like, they'll never do that. Well, I work for the Cowboys. I'm never going to see a fleef flicker for the Cowboys. I don't know why. I'm sorry, I am too. I don't know. That's about all you can't say. I'm sorry, man. I have a question for y'all, what if they do it and it doesn't work, will

you be happy that they tried? Or just like, really, I waited twenty two years and I got an incompletion to Cedric Wilson. Maybe I want to see what happens the next time Zeke runs the ball. Okay, if Zeke comes back and runs like nine yards up the middle because the safety is kind of like he then't does That's why I think I think it does a lot of things if you try it. Whatever. A better question is, are you going to get kicked out of the press box whenever they do it. Yes, that will be the

better question. Yes, maybe, Well, I mean I mean hopefully it's at home. Well, if Tyron doesn't play, I mean, Day's already jumped himself out of the press box. The windows. The windows in the press box don't open anyway, so I can't do that. But I'll want to just jump into the window and see right, I have a big picture that goes yeah, okay, since I'm the host. Um No,

just kidding. Is this a must win game for the Cowboys? No, No such thing as a must win until it's a must until until mathematics get involved, like you're eliminated from something with you don't win. Yes, I'll go against y'all. It is. I think it's a must win game. You don't win this game. I don't know if they win the East, I'm serious, But then it's not a must win then so we kind of want it. Why I

need it? Why do you feel that way? Because then they don't win this game, then they've got three road games in a row. I think they'll go one and two in that stretch, and then I think it will just be a dogfight. For the rest of the um just down the stretch. I could. I don't know. I just don't. By the way I mentioned, they don't win a day. I don't know if you guys have looked

at what the Eagle schedule looks like. Down the terrible games, well, games against the Giants, they got two games against Washington and they got a game against the Jets. Now, obviously division games or division comes, that's always in the Cowboys. Division games are very hard, no matter how good or bad the teams are. But just look at the records

of those teams. Those are some of the worst teams in the NFL record wise that they have and that's all they got left except for that last game against Dallas. Not only but also you gotta remember, I don't like what the league did this year, where like everybody is waiting until Christmas to start their division svision, it's gonna be all division games pretty much in December. It's a lot of teams kind of boring. Like I don't think

so I'm not in that. Like it's going to create exciting games because you're gonna be able to separate and stuff. But like, like I think Kansas City is going like they went like they're going like Denver Chargers Denver, like everybody's doing. But yeah, these back to back, like I want to see in variation, I want to see some

different teams on the field. I agree. But I think what it does is that if somebody has an injury for six to eight weeks and they're struggling, they're down, Let's say like Washington for instance, like they could be like, well we're down right now, but we still got the Cowboys twice, Like we could get back up into this thing. Yeah, just because you got a lot of division games at the end. Division games are hard, no matter how good

or bad teams are. So that's going to create a lot of I think a lot of upsets and situations where you have one team favorite and it just kind

of goes a different way. Sure, I think it's gonna make for a nix exciting December just because and the flip side, like everybody's focused on Philly right now and rightfully so they're playing Washington twice in a span of three weeks, So like there's gonna be some cannibalization there or something like you would think so because both of those teams are kind of hanging around and one game behind. I think the one game, one game behind one and

maybe two. I just to play Devil's advocate to nickpoint Knicks point, you lose this game again, AFC opponent, it's the least damaging type of loss. You play a Saints team that, I mean, it's gonna be tough, but missing a lot of guys, don't have a true starting quarterback, their offensive struggling, and then they're they're gonna have sort of a bye week, like they're gonna get like three or four days off in a row. They're gonna start getting guys back. By the way, Lawrence Gregory all that

type of stuff, You're gonna lose guys too. Sure, you probably will, now you will. You'll lose a key player, still getting good players back, and then you have the whole division in front of you in December, I mean sure, and you already have two games in the division after the after the way the season started, would it be disappointing to take care of business in the division and finish with the four seed? Sure? Is that still good? Yes?

And so like they could lose this game and still have everything out in front of them, of course, yeah, I get it's not mathematically a must win game, but mentally it's a it's a better win game. You better win this game. Yet, if there's anything you really want to do, you want to be a team that's like, oh wow, that was awesome, we need this and all that. Now you're getting you're getting tiring back, Dak, show us that you're better than and what you what you did

the last it's a better wine. It's a better win game, but it's a better win game. Got it. Well. It also makes me think, I forgot who said it. I think it was in one of those mixed shows that we did. I don't remember, but someone was talking about the energy and how contagious it is. And when you are winning and performing the way that they have been in the stretch that they did. H you always have like even those players that are not so great, they

perform better because they're pushing themselves. They want to be a part of the wings, they want to give them they're all you know, they care about it. So it makes me think, Okay, how if they lose this game, how would that change and effect just like energy wise, performance wise, what happens on the field. I'm not saying they're not gonna keep going out there and competing and

going at it the same way. But it makes me wonder if it does change just kind of the move and what you end up giving on that feel afterwards. All right, let's get to predictions. It's gonna happen this Sunday. Let's start with you, Dave um nice Yeah, three days stop stop Um. I just it's this is gonna be this is gonna be a weird game. It's gonna be a slow game, like just in terms of you're not operating with a full deck on offense. You just gotta

get right. I think again, utilize the running game as much as you can. I don't think it's gonna be like this big, flashy performance. But Srader's team kind of feels like they're weird thing to say about a team that's won as many games as they have. But there's

like some circling the drain potential there. And so I say, it's not gonna look like super pretty, but like twenty five to sixteen, get out of there with a win, all right, Amber part of me doesn't want to pick them because I'm mad at them, But there we go, do it. No, I'll give them another week if no, But um, I'm gonna go with the Cowboys big game

Thanksgiving Day. Uh, They're gonna go out there when I don't think they're they'll be completely dominant like they were in the last home game, but they'll leave with a win. I'd probably say like twenty fourteen something, not that high scoring. Okay, I got weird stuff happening, But I do think the Cowboys will will kind of turn it around, and I think they win thirty one twenty two, right, And I

also think the Cowboys will win. I think Cowboys. I think it's gonna be one of those game games you said, Dave, not that they're gonna just blow them out, but I think that the final score is gonna be one that, you know, probably like a twenty seven sixteen kind of game, where it's just kind of like they're kind of playing around. It'll get going, Cowboys will get get a lead, and then I don't like, it'll just kind of coast to

the finish line. I'm gonna be thinking about this moment in the third quarter when we all want to jump out of the press five. I just again, this is one of those situations where I just think they're better, and I think last week we would have seen a different outcome. If you get you give me either one Amri or Tyrant, if you give me tiring this week, and let's assume CD's back. I feel like they're the better team. I feel like they'll get a win, and I don't think it'll be just a close game through

the end. I think the Cowboys are the better team. I think the Cowboys win. Okay, all right, we appreciate you guys, Jonas. We'll be back on Monday. We'll let you know what went right and wrong. There will be no shows on Friday, but we will be back on Monday and we'll talk about the game then. Until then. For Nick Eatman, Dave Hellman, Amber Garcia, I'm Derek Kielton. 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.