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It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Were with Mbar Garcia, Brian brought Us, Nick Harris and Derek Eagleton.
It is Friday, December twenty seventh, twenty twenty four, Season twenty, episode number ninety three. Welcome to latest edition of The Break. We are alive from that WBC Mortgage Studios at the Start, presented by LG. LG's the world's number one O lead TV brand for eleven years and counting cy at LG dot Com Forward Slash o lead EVO Final show of the week, we get you guys ready for Cowboys versus Eagles. That's gonna happen this Sunday at noon in Philadelphia. That's
noon Central time. And then next week we will finish off the season final week of daily shows as we head into the final game for the Cowboys, and then we'll head to our off season schedule. Once you all week and Draft show will get started as Brian and I were just talking about on their that'll get started, not next week, the week after that, We'll get started.
Got a few surprises for you guys there. It's gonna be gonna be a fun season on on on Draft show. All right, so let's talk Cowboys. Let's talk with injuries.
Yesterday, we find out after some talk that we've been having throughout the week, Amber, I think somebody's been listening to you, and decision was made. This specion was made that is time to shut it down for mister Cede
Lamb and he's done for the year. And I was I thought it was interesting the way that they phrased it, which was basically, after kind of reviewing whatever they review, they felt like this point, it was at a point where they he doesn't need to play anymore because that there could be more damage.
That the MRIs were getting worse.
Yeah, and so it's like the yeah, and so at that point it was like, Okay, let's just shut him down. Let's start rehabbing him. Doesn't look like it's going to need surgery, No it's not. But they're gonna start rehabbing him and see if they can get him back.
Here's my question.
Obviously this game doesn't matter, but to some degree it does give you some opportunity here to be able to look at your wide receiver corps. That being said, who do you think will be the starting wide receivers this weekend as Dallas heads to Philadelphia?
You got an idea on that one? Ag I would say, I would say that you're probably looking at I don't know, I don't know if this group you necessarily want to play a lot of eleven personnel and Dallas. Dallas has gone away from that. Dallas, and I went back and checked this because I was curious because I wasn't seeing
it as much. And like in Atlanta week with Dak the last game he played, they were like ninety eleven personnel and now they're down into the like the sixties, which is the lowest that they've been playing eleven personnel last week against the Buccaneers. Every week they've gone less and less when we talk about eleven personnel, Jerry Madlan, I'm doing this for you.
Uh, the one running back, one tight end.
Yeah, one running back, one tight end. So that's you know, with the wide receiver packages and stuff.
Like real quick for everyone, just the way the easiest way to do it. The first number is number of running backs on the field. The second numbers and number tight ends on the field. You're going to have five skill players and so whatever's left is number wide receivers.
There you go, there you go, thank you big well, well done.
Jerry would be proud, Jould be found.
Yeah, be a little bigger on set there a little bit. Be a little bigger if you can. But anyway, that's so they're playing a lot more with the twelve personnel, so with the two tight ends. So you know, and that's because I think because the emergence of Luke scoon Maker and then you know also to with Span FOURD, they're kind of getting him involved in some stuff. The running game has improved a little bit because of Rico Dadles, so you're trying to get a little bit more of
a heavier package there. I I think that to me, when you play eleven personnel against the Eagles, you're playing right into their hands because they've got three quality corners. And so if Dallas comes out in say they come out in just the bass, let's just say their base. I wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't be surpried Brooks is practicing Tolbert Brooks. But how do you incorporate Turpin in there? You know, some way, somehow. We haven't really seen anything.
If Mingo had shown you anything, maybe it would be a Brooks Mingo kind of a combination.
But I think it's going to be he has shown you stuff, but.
If you put a seventy number on it, you can show you and and and you know that's encouraging the guy. I mean, he goes out there and they ask him to do kind of the stuntman work, like okay, you know here bringing the stunt man and you know, okay, now go block somebody here and you get you know, blown up and that kind of stuff. But I just I don't know how much like eleven personnel you want to play against the Eagles because that's their go to defense.
They feel they feel super comfortable playing. You've got three, and you've got three guys that are really good. When you start to talk about Slay Mitchell and Dejon Dejan, excuse me that they don't they just when you add it all up, they're like quarterbacks are like sixty percent against that, you know, completion percentage against those guys, so
it's going to be a little bit tougher. I have a feeling both teams are going to get in a mode of and you asked the question of I think both teams are going to try and get in like some heavy personnel stuff and just see which team they have a clear advantage or running the ball. I mean, it's the numbers tell you that. But you know, Daddle had some success inside runs against these guys the last time they played, and they just couldn't stay with it.
You know, they just didn't stay with it. And maybe now McCarthy's a little bit more committed because he's compromised. But to your question, Brooks and probably and probably Tolbert would be my guess.
I think that's the best answer and the more but I was gonna say, I mean, and this is highly unlikely to see a lot of these three guys together, but a combination that would make it interesting for me to want to watch would be Cooks, Turpin and Mingo three of them. And just because Cooks, I've seen what he can do and I think he helps you in that way to maybe get some attention from the defense away from the other guys. And then Mingo. Like I said,
I'm still curious. I think he's he's shown to have some talent, but you just you haven't been able to get the ball to him. So I want to see how that would look like if it's with the game plan, Like, if this is the game plan, we're gonna try to get you the ball and see if it actually comes to fruition. And then Turpin, he's still a guy that I mean, we've seen what he can do, but I don't think they've given him enough chances on offense just yet.
And with his speed and the season that he's been having in those moments, I think I would be curious just to see how that would look like again with more intention in the game plan.
So with that being said, do you think it's gonna be Cooks and do you think it's gonna be Cooks and Tober?
I think it'll be Cooks and to Yeah, that's what makes the most sense.
I think it will be.
But I will say this, and here's here's where I'm going with this next question. I think the interesting part about this is you look at all five of the names I'm gonna give you, they all have something to gain by playing really well in these last two weeks.
Sure, some of them are free agents.
Some are hopeful that they can get an opportunity to maybe be a starter next year or to have a more prominent role.
Uh.
You know there's some like a Turpin that that this could he could look at this and be like, maybe I finally get the chance to prove I should be a wide receiver that's playing a lot more at wide receiver. I'm not just a return guy. I can actually change the game at wide receiver. You look at that, and I'm going to give you these five names. I want you guys to tell me who do you think has the greater opportunity this weekend? Tolbert Turpin, Flinoy Mingo or Cooks.
Cooks will be a free agent this year, so he's trying to show the rest of the league you can still play.
Your question is who has the great.
Game, the most game this weekend if they get an opportunity to really be able to put themselves in a in a new light going into next year.
I would say a guy for me would put because how old is Cooks right now?
He's got to be Yeah, he's actually I don't think he's as old as you think he is. It's funny he's playing.
Just looks mature.
He just played for so many teams, just like you ass at all.
But let me let me do this for you thirty one.
Yeah, I think, thank you, Chris. I think maybe and were we out on contracts again?
I think Cooks is a free agent? Is Turping a free agent.
This year.
Or is it next year?
Man? You're asking a lot of questions.
Before asking these questions on there, I should have known this.
Before because I think that that that affects the law of the answer.
What what we What we know is that I think he's restricted. I think he could be thought it was something with him. Yeah, I think.
It's not a free agent obviously, Mingo is not a free agent. And I don't mean think and I don't I don't think Brooks is either. I think all three of them still have another year or two.
This is why this is why Cooks his last for me? Yeah, because I feel like you're probably gonna move on from Cooks. That would be that would be my That would be my guess.
Uh.
As far as the other I think the guy, the guy that has the most to gain the next two weeks is Mingo because they've got to they've got to try and get him the ball. I mean like in a legitimate way, not like a Okay, you run forty something plays and oh, here's the fifty to fifty ball you're throwing down the sidelines. Yeah, you know, try and get some things. See about the slants, see about the
inbreaking routes. I don't know if you particularly want him doing a bunch of crossing stuff like that, but do the big body routes.
Yeah, the outs and.
The slants and the ends and the things like that, and kind of see what you got, you know, with with with him as a player, I think that he has the most to gain. The problem is, I'm going to go once again, I'm going to go into this season about with Tolbert and I'm sorry. I'm gonna do a draft show for you, you know a lot of days is and I'm going to talk about a second wide receiver. I'm going to talk about drafted a kid from a burden from uh from Missouri. I'm going to
talk about you know, in Buka from Ohio State. I'm going to talk about drafting a guy from one of these places. Because doubts I think needs a second wide receiver.
And let me let me ask you this question. I would I want to see at this how you feel about this. Is there anything that any of these guys can do in the next two weeks that changes what you say when you bring up that.
The number two not familiar questions here?
Need it really well?
They needed two weeks and you're still gonna be like, no matter what I see the next two weeks, I still need a not to You know.
What this was when when we all got together and Ox start and we're watching practice every day and and talking about Tolbert, Tolbert, Tolbert, Tolbert Tolbert, and like, got someone's gotta someone's got to step up, you know, yeah, somebody's got to be the second receiver. You know Cooks and Cooks got hurt and then it became Tolbert and you know, so no, it hasn't changed. They need a legitimate second receiver.
No matter what happens here, matter, no matter, no matter, I mean.
And then the rest of these guys I think are playing now. Turpin's got some interesting traits about him that you know, can you use him in the slot? Can you use use him? You know, He's always going to be a special teams guy for you. But no, no Brooks, you know, Brooks, Tolbert, those guys. I'm going to draft somebody that's probably better than those two guys, and that's going to be the guy that I'm going to play next to. Ceed Lamb. I've learned my lesson, you know,
I've I've I've waited now for Brooks now three years. Yeah, I've always you know, I'm like, okay, this year, okay, this year, Okay, no, no, And I'm sorry it sounds harsh, but this team needs a legitimate second receiver. He makes, he makes occasionally, will make a play. You have to be better than one or two catches a game. You have to and he and right now he's not. And so that's that's kind of where I'm at with him.
I'm okay with having him on the team, but I know in my heart, I got to do better there at the second receiver, and I think I can.
I think and I totally agree with you having to draft another receiver.
We've seen him.
We've seen I mean this season, poor Cedie Lamb. At times he was the only one at times, you know, making the place he needs that kind of support on the offense. But I would say if there was somebody that had the most to gain, it could potentially be Brooks because even though I like Brooks a slightly better than Tolbert, I think the team, because of how they
obtain them, the team has Tolbert ahead of Brooks. And when I'm trying to say, I could see potentially Tolber staying here just as depth not us.
He signed guy he signed through twenty twenty five, so.
He's got another year.
I mean, you can cut people, be drastic, cut bye see you if you're not bringing anything to the table. But anyway, the point he's staying here. But Brooks he's an easier one that you could I could see him not being here next year, regardless of his contract not being over. So I think if he was to have a good game this weekend and they use him and he shines, I think the last taste in your mouth
is what you're gonna remember the most. So I think I do see this two last game being crucial for guys like him.
Yeah, Tolbert's done, not Tobert Turpin is done, so he is a free agent. Yeah, he's with you twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four, three year deal.
So he's a restriction free but he'll be tender.
Yeah, he'll They'll have to tender him either first or second round. Yeah.
Well yeah, I think I think he has a great opportunity just because I think he has the probably the most ability of any of these guys to be able to really do something special. But I think beyond that, I would say Mingo is the guy because I look at it for Mingo and I think after being after being traded, like he's got something to prove. And you know, this is this thing about the NFL, like you get drafted by a team, don't really do much there, you
get traded to another team. If he does nothing here, then the likelihood of him really getting his career going at some point is probably going to be really really But I.
Feel like he has a little bit more of a grace period, yeah, because of the time that he got here, how he got here. So that's why I don't see these last two games as being like, oh my god.
But it is an opportunity, is what I'm saying. And that was the question, Like the way I look at it is, here's an opportunity for him to show at least a spark, show us at least a flash where we're like, oh wow, that's okay, he's got a little something, because I think that carries over into next year. And as you know the question I asked Brian about the draft, I agree, I think you gotta draft somebody as your
second wide receiver. But I do think if one of these guys really steps up these last two weeks, it gives you a little more hope that Okay, if we do move away from Cooks, we still feel good about the depth of our wide receiver group. Even if we draft a second wide receiver with CD Lamb and now we feel like this other guy's kind of stepping up a little bit more, we think we got a good crew here. If nobody steps up, then it's like, do you even have a third wide receiver?
Do you even have nobody you can really rely on?
Even if you draft some myset or you really need to rehaulve this whole room and other than Cede Lamb, you basically got to and you're gonna have Cavanti Turpin obviously because of what he brings on special teams, But do you need to revamp the whole room. At that point, I think it really is a critical time for these young guys to show something. All Right, we're gonna tell our first break. We're gonna come back, got a little any time with ag. We'll see what she has on
her mind. And in the final segment we will talk a little bit more about the Cowboys Eagles matchup. We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Back to the Break.
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It is the second segment of the Break Live from the SWBC Mortgage studios at the Star.
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Yeah, I keep feeling a cool breeze coming.
I think it's this event over here. It's never usually blowing like that. But go ahead. I'm sorry, Well, maybe that's yet it's the coolness of YETI. It's it's just I don't know.
I don't know. Okay, So I figured since the years and then this is not like an end of the year review play your evaluation type of thing would show.
Yeah.
Yeah, But I'm gonna ask you in different areas of just a year evaluation of the team and just kind of how you would rank it currently at the moment. So we're gonna start with team chemistry. How would you say the team chemistry was this year overall?
M That's a hard question.
The reason why I say it's a hard question is because I think in a lot of ways, chemistry is driven by the leadership of the team, and I think by and large the leaders have been absent due to injury.
I saw did you see Micah posted on Twitter or x the infamous picture of Will Smith from from the show he was on where he's standing there in a room by himself and and and Michael is just kind of like, yeah, that's kind of where I am at this point now that CD's going yeah, And it made me start thinking, like, what are the like you think about the leaders on this team, Dak, CD, Tank, even
Micah for a little bit. Sure, if you want to call Trayvon one of those guys, he's one of those guys that is certainly one of the faces of this team. You look at all those guys. I'm sorry, Zach Martin. You look at all those guys, and they've been gone for significant amount of time this season. So when you ask me about chemistry, it's hard to know because the leaders weren't there to be the guys that were setting
the example. I think the character of this team was really good, which maybe that's a part of the chemistry because the fact that halfway through the season most people wrote them off as done and the fact that they weren't actually eliminated until last week because they got on this winning streak, says the character is right, which you know that could factor into the chemistry, but it's just hard to say with chemistry just because the leadership wasn't there.
No, he's absolutely right, and the character of this team. And but I've also said this, and I don't know if this is character or this is just guys realizing you you played with just a ton of young guys that are not established. They kept playing, but they that's their character that they you know, they're They're not Ceedee Lamb, they're not Micah Parsons, they're not Dak Prescott, They're not
you know, Tank Lawrence. When it comes to the compensation, I think a lot of guys showed really really high character. But I think they showed they showed that like that when you when you have when you can, when you have to call on them, they were able to answer the bell. I think that says a lot about them. I think that maybe you can apply that to the chemistry, that that the players that they got together are high character, they fit together, they're gonna play hard, They're gonna try
and do what's asked of them. Initially, I'm gonna say the chemistry on defense wasn't very good. I don't think it was. I don't think they they I don't think the buy in of Mike Zimmer with the who was currently playing defense for this team. I don't think there was a real and I use the word buy in, but I don't think Mike them taught it fast enough or well enough. And I don't think the players they were all feeling sorry for themselves because of Dan Quinn.
They're all, you know, And this is just my observation, not it's not anything in the locker room or anybody telling me anything. I'm just thinking that you got off to such a bad start on defense, and there are probably some players that are like, oh damn, we gotta do this, and this guy that he wants to do this,
I don't understand. I don't understand. And you know, you got guys that were brought on here, like and I'm sure that Eric Kendricks, you know, he was brought on because he'd played in the system and stuff like that, so you know, but there came a point in time too where maybe Eric Kendricks was you know, maybe he was just the one guy saying, hey, come on, man, we could you know, you gotta you gotta buy in.
You gotta do this, you gotta and then they all kind of figured out that well, damn, maybe Zim knows what he's talking about. So the chemistry of Zimmer and the defense initially f where it is now C plus B, you know, because they're all kind of they're playing at a better level without some of the guys who were leaders that Derek brought up.
Yeah, okay, so you guys list a whole bunch of players that have been out due to injuries. How would you rate the player growth overall player growth as far as like all these younger players have had to step in and step up.
Wide receivers and very poor. That's an area. Offensive line I think has been good. Tight End room I think got better. You know, quarterback is that's a that's a veteran group, with the exception Trey Lance is not going to play. So we start to tell Cooper Rush. I think Cooper Rush did the best he could in the situation.
I'll give you another one.
They got better linebackers, Yeah, I think those young linebackers, I think they ascended.
Yeah, the young linebackers got better. I think if you what what do you want to say about Rico Daddle? I think he got better. I think initially that when they when they just said, well, let's try and have a you know, a two two horse rushing attack here with you know, and then they realized that, wait, Zeke can't get this done. And then Hunter Lipke, you know, they they didn't hand the ball to Hunter Lipkey anymore. And then you know, duce Faughn is douce fan And
I mean that in no disrespect. I mean that duce Vaughn is. They can't find a role for Douce Faughn. So he didn't get better because they can't find a role for me. But the but rico'dowdell got better, I think because he stayed healthy. You know, when Rico Dallas stays healthy, he's a better player. The secondary, I can't say you got better. He's never had your guys. You didn't have your veteran guys there, but your.
Young Carson didn't yet, your young your young cornerbacks did not ambly, not not not.
They didn't progress of them.
Not at all. And I don't think the safety room I think kind of stayed the same. I think Wilson's a good player. I don't always trust Hooker, you know, playing but I think the offensive line, when you ask, they've gotten better running the ball in the for the last five games, They've given up not many pressures. They've done their job to try. If Dak was playing behind this line, this current line, you know it might there
might be the offense might be even better. So I just think they're all the things I thought this wide receiver room was going to elevate. No, it's it went It went south, went south on me.
To be honest with you, I think they continue to be who they've been with is they can make a play splash here or there, but buying large, none of them really stepped up and took.
You got one guy. It really is and I shouldn't. Turpin, I think is when you asked Turpin, put him in the backfield, put him in the slot. You could do things with him. Is one of the most dynamic players in the league as a kick returner, you know, and the rules didn't really affect him all that much. Yeah, you know, he was able to bring a couple out. Heck, won a game for you there in Inlando.
He might even be better with the new rules.
Yeah, yeah, we kind of thought that the OTAs when I was at her watching him. You know, by the time he caught the ball and nobody moving, he was already about the thirty five yard line. Yeah, I'm like, whoa, this is gonna be interesting. The ball's gonna be at the fifty all the time. They let him run it back.
Yeah, all right.
We have talked a lot about Baltiski.
Real quick too. Do you think the defensive line got better with Mazie chance chance? Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't.
Mean enough for that.
That's actually honestly, that might besive line improved.
I said, line probably improved the same one.
Osa and and Mazzi and John C. Chauncey go. Yeah, they stepped up when when we were all kind of like going this group, they drafted all these guys and none of them play worth the dam. But they've played worth the dam this year. They really have.
Okay, how would you guys rate the team discipline? And this all involves penalties, turnovers, and other mistakes that have affected the team's performance throughout the season. I know this was an area that we have criticized a whole lot, just in general, that they have struggled with in the past. Have you seen improvement in any of those areas.
Yeah, I think, just like everything else in this team, they're way better now than they were at the beginning of the year. I think they're much better over the last four or five games.
But what I also don't know is no guiding in there. Yeah, well, I think that's part of it.
But I also think I also wonder if part of it just is like it's a better team now, like a better good teams tend to not do stupid things, right, And I think they're a better team right now all the way around, like they're just playing better football. And so yeah, I think I think it's improved. I definitely think it's improved. I think you got to give them credit for that, because they are better now than any word against.
Yeah.
I can't remember how many times had to listen to Mike McCarthy opened the press conference on penalties, turnovers, penllies, turnovers, penlly, turnovers, you know, turn Like, I'm like, bro every week and you stand up here and you say penalties and turnovers, you do something about it, you know, or draft players that will not you know, but they they you know, Guidon hasn't played as much. The holding calls are down, you know, haven't lined up deep in the backfield, and
that's you know, that's gone down. You know, there's things, you know, the corners, like a guy like Carson not out there playing and they've got the legal contacts and things like that have kind of gone down. So yeah, that part of it's gotten better. But the players, the backup guys you do have been pretty disciplined football players out there.
All right, I'll give a last one before the break. How would you guys rate the in game decision making? So this kind of go to obviously play calling, and then if you want to throw in Mike Zimmer as well in there with the defense, how effected they were in in game adjustments, time management and the use of timeouts or substitutions. So anything that involves any of that.
Well, I will say that the one thing we were harping on earlier in the year was the fact that this team seemed like they weren't as prepared because they were first quarter, third quarter, they were not doing much scoring and they were giving up points, and it seemed like it was a consistent theme and that has gone away.
That is not the narrative at this point.
So in that respect, they've gotten better at being more prepared in those instances when they are coming into the game and when they're starting the second half. So from that standpoint, you got to give them credit there to say that that they have gotten better when it comes to game management. I just don't think they've had as many games of consequence this year, So it's.
Hard to really judge a lot of the game decisions.
Yeah, it's hard to know, Like if you would have been in this situation, that's where you really get to see how much the code decisions matters when you in those close games.
They just haven't had a ton of I.
Kind of feel like the you know, earliest and I mentioned this Zimmer and them, poor job and get it done. You know, did you just the communication the players all that was not good And you know, and we we we saw that. We saw huge games where huge games were rushing yards against them. Seemed like everybody was throwing the ball. They couldn't get off the field. There was only one game this year where I felt like that Mike McCarthy was the reason why they lost the game Cincinnati.
You know, even though they had the block pun and all that stuff like that, the running of the football and all that, you know. I mean, yeah, I had a chance, and you you know, you could have if you could have, you could have taken the game in a direction, if you would have just stayed committed to something in that game. And you didn't say. But they they were, they were in a lot of game. They were. They were knocked out of a lot of games. San Francisco, Atlanta, Philly, Houston.
And that's four games right after the bye, Detroit before the bye, you were knocked out of that. That's five games in a row where Mike McCarthy was not a factor in having to make a decision whether the winner lose. I would hope the next guy you get if the fact that's the case. I always talk about difference makers. Find me the difference makers out there when it comes to the coach and the way the guys are not only I think Mike does a great job of getting
the team ready to set to Sunday. I just worry about being the difference maker on Sunday, that's all.
I mean.
There were those weeks where everyone was saying bad practices all within practice.
That's on Zimmer, that's all. That's on the staff, all of them, that's on the staff and we I also.
Have to ding them a little bit. Is early part of the season when you had Dak Prescott and by and large the offense was relatively healthy. Now Zach Martin was playing unhealthy. He was not healthy while he was playing. But all that being considered, like you had an offense that should have been able to do more than they could do, and it seemed like they just couldn't figure out a way to get this offense rolling.
And so you got to give that to Mike and Mike as Mike the head.
Coach, Mike, he has to take responsibility for that part of it, because I do think the offense has gotten better this latter part of the year, but I think early in the year there was some significant problems and they were problems that I don't know.
It didn't seem like they had a real solution for all right, But thank you, all right, good good segment.
There.
We're gonna take our final break. We're gonna come back, We're gonna finish this thing up. We're gonna talk about this Philly defense real quick before we end the show. We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Welcome back.
Final segment of Break Live from s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. Segment is brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, let's talk about the Philadelphia defense. They are right now the number one ring defense in the NFL for a reason. Yeah, they are second in past defense, they are seventh and rush defense.
They are fourth in points allowed.
Uh, they've only allowed a three hundred yard past one time the season half. That was in a Week four I think it was game where they lost at Tampa Bay where they gave up three hundred and thirty.
Four and they were really banged up. They didn't have any of their offensive players in that game too.
It's tough game for them. But that being said, that's the only game. So looking at this, Brian, is there any part of their of their past defense where you like, if there is a way for Dallas to take advantage, here would be the way that they could take advantage.
Yeah, I mean you're gonna You're gonna get the one thing that it's gonna be difficult without Ceedee Lamb in this game because they're gonna find a way to match you. There guys Slay Mitchell the rookie and and Cooper de jene. They got two rookies and Slay and like I said earlier, they just don't allow completions. Uh, they stay with you
and coverage. There's very little separation in the way that they play, they're gonna rush for man what what they did to Cooper rush And I'm interested to see if they do this this time around there ambar And and Derek, they strictly played claw and cover against him the last when he made his opening the start after Dak got hurt, clogging cover rush four, drop seven, rush for drop seven, and they did it the whole game to him. And so it's like this said, listen, we're not going to
let him. And what happened was then the ball was just kept going check down, underneath, underneath, underneath, underneath. The ball never went down the field. And so I have a feeling with with no Lamb, are they going to take some shots down the field? Are there going to be Can you take some shots with Cooks? You know? Can you try and take some shots with Tolbert down the field? If I'm Dallas? They they did have watching the game, Dallas had some success with the inside run
with you know, with Rico o'dowdle. Do you get in that twelve personnel package, try and make them have to defend your run. Now there they've got some inside players that have got some size, you know, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith. Nolan Smith's playing a lot better for them. Zach Bond, the the linebacker is going to make every single tackle. Dean has been a guy that's kind of been a little bit of a sidekick. You thought Dean was going to be the guy that was
going to be the difference maker here. It's actually Zach Bond is the one that has made the difference. And then they're gonna get CJ. Gardner Johnson, They're gonna get him down in the box too to have to play run defense. So it's gonna be it's gonna be a tough game to have to throw the ball. Even though Cooper Rush has done a better job the last four
games of getting the ball down the field. Those air yards have improved, and he and he's and he's he's thrown he's got six touchdowns, no interceptions, you know, with those, but it's it's going to be a challenge of can you can you block this front and then can you find a way to win on the outside, And these these corners make it very very difficult to do that. They were so bad, They were so bad last year in the secondary and now they're really good.
You want to feel a little bit better knowing that Cooper Bush has improved some and that it wasn't just one target. He has been able to complete passes with multiple different targets. But again, you not having City Lamb changes everything. And that's the big thing for this game, because I don't I don't trust this offense to be able to do anything without a City Lamb.
They can now go double Ferguson is what they can do. They don't have to worry about, you know, what they what they're gonna do is like in those you know, the later it gets in the in the in the series third down, they're gonna play those split safeties. They're gonna play cover two, and they're gonna try and make you throw underneath, is what you know. That's their plan.
Vic Fangio, the veteran defensive coordinator. Last time you face Vi Fangio was with it was when he was with the Dolphins last year, you know, and that was with Dak Prescott at quarterback. So he's he's got a gauge of how to kind of how to how to play you, and you just don't have enough. I don't think you have enough weapons to to really affect how the Eagles are going to play you defensively.
When you look at their run defense, that is the worst of the two. There's still seventh in run defensive. They're pretty good there as well. But what have you seen that other teams may have been able to do against them? From a standpoint of running the balls inside?
Dallas can do.
Yeah, the inside run stuff, I think is where you're at. I mean, you've you know, you've got to find a way. Like sometimes these defensive tackles Smith David, they'll play xpect Carter and ut Smithy, they will play upright, and so you have big heavy guys that come out since and play upright and they don't have them they don't have the lateral. So now you've got bodies in them. And then you've got rico' daddle hitting that hole or hitting
that that crease, you know, getting. I mean, all you really are trying to do against the Eagles defense is have successful runs four plus yards, you know, four plus yards. Just put a bunch of successful runs together, and that's really how you, I think the best way to try and move the ball in these guys, because if it turns into now now Cooper Rush will get rid of
the ball. He's one of the tops in the in the in the UH, in the in the NFL when it comes to time throat when he when he gets back, when he gets that ball, it's getting out of his hands. So you don't get a lot of pressures. You don't get a lot of sacks. You get sacks when breakdowns happening.
Then he stops. But I kind of feel like, though that Dallas, if it's just a matter of winning on the outside and and but you asked me about the run, and I think it's just inside between the tackles, and then trying to take advantage of those big bodies, get to get somebody into them, get a double team on, and then have have the ball cut off that double team.
There one more quick note before we end the show. It's looking more and more like the Cowboys will not fake Sjalen hurts. He's had that con custom protocol. Canny Pickett has been taking first reps, so it looks like they may be without their quarterback as well. I think this week, obviously, this game is of little consequence of the Cowboys from the standpoint of playoffs. So I don't know that we necessarily need to pick the game. But
here's what I want to do. I want to go around the table and I want you guys to tell me if the Cowboys win, this is how it likely has to happen. That makes sense, Yeah, all right, ambe, let's start with you.
I would say, if they win, it's because they were able to run the ball successfully on offense. I think that you cannot solely rely or trust a passing game currently without a CD Lamb especially, I think I trust the Dallas defense to be able to create pressure and do their job and keep it competitive at least. And I would say obviously not turning over the ball like Cooper Rush, going back to making some of those mistakes where all of a sudden he's throwing the ball just.
To throw it.
You're like, oh, where who are you throwing it to? I think I hope he's able to progress from last week and keep improving in that area and just be smarter. I think we've seen them be capable of moving the ball down the field, but it's just again what happens in the red zone and all of that, And I think it all starts with the running game and how successful Rico dal will be in this game.
Yeah, make Kenny Pickett a passer and then win it with Turpin in the special teams. If you could find a way to get off the field, make Turpin that those hidden yards, whether the punt returned stuff. You know, we've seen the Cowboys go to the Philadelphia and win games with block punts and things like that and big special teams place. I think you're gonna need some big special teams place. Create some field position here, but make Kenny Pickett have to beat you throw in the football.
They're very, very capable with the wide receiver spot and all that, but if you're making him throw the ball, that means you're choking the run. But make Canny pick it be. If Dallas wins this game, it's because they made him a passer. Yep.
I agree with that wholeheartedly.
I think in addition to that, the way I look at it is you're gonna have to get some scoring from other parts of your team. I think defense, special teams are gonna have to get some score.
Washington game, it's gonna have to be a Commander scame.
Or they're gonna have to give you short field.
Yeah, sure, short of fields, so you can take advantage and get a couple of plays here and there, and then you're in the inn zone. But this is gonna be a game where the defense special team is gonna have to win it for you.
Remember, remember they gave you a short field, they gave you the ball in the five, and Dallas kicked a field goal the last time.
There's team different team back then, Yeah, different I think different different team, right, different team. All right, we'repprecaid you got more banged up team. Yeah, we apprecid you guys. Johonna back on Monday. We'll let's you know what went right and wrong for the Cowboys till then. For Brian brought us Namagarcia. I'm Derek Heildts and this has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.