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It is Monday, September ninth, twenty twenty four, and we are here. Man, what a weekend, What a weekend. That was awesome. Cowboys kick off the NFL season with a win, big win on the road against the Cleveland Browns. I think it was probably much more in the way of scoring by the out Boys than any of us expected, but it was a win, and it was an impressive win to get things kicked off for this season. We're presented by LG and so let's jump right in. Let's
get into the meat of this game. Let's start first with what we thought was the story of the game. As we did last year, We'll go around the table and tell what you think was the big story, the big picture story of the game. No One, we'll get into some of the details. What was the big picture story, I'll start.
With you Nick.
For me, it has to start with the defensive unit. I mean, at all three levels, just executed to perfection. I think we expected it with this defensive front. Like we talked about last week. You know, they were battling some injuries at the tackle positions, ended up being both the starting left tackle and starting right tackle did not play in this game. So I mean, you look at the pressures that were generated on Deshaun Watson, it was twenty plus. Micah himself had twelve plus. It was a
big day for that defensive line. Then you look at the linebacking corps, and we talked about during training camp and as we've seen these guys get on the field and work together, they are so much more improved in that position. You saw Eric Kendricks get after it to Marvin Overshown got after it. If I had to pick my top two defenders from yesterday, it might be those two guys. They looked so strong, they were filling running lanes,
they were getting after the quarterback. Eric Kendricks had two sacks, Overshown had one, and then you look at the secondary. Trayvon Dix gets an interception on one of the rare opportunities that he was even tested. And then you look at Kaylin Carson and he did just fine for his NFL debut. Safety group was strong. It has to start
with the defense for me. Sure they gave up a garbage time touchdown late, but this defense, it really stood tall and made life really difficult for the pass and run game for Cleveland.
Absolutely. I think the defense is a great storyline for sure. But to me, what caught my even more was the offense overall. Because we went into a game wondering, Okay, Ceedee Lamb actually gonna be able to step up his you know, not miss a beat. Is dok Presca going to be able to perform right after getting such a big so a lot of questions surrounding that, as well
as the the o line and the running game. And I think for me, and when you see an offense or Brandon Aubrey scoring for field goals, obviously you're like, Okay, there's a room for improvement for the offense for sure.
But something that I caught my eye and that was very impressive was that they were able to put up with the physicality and how tough and physical was the Brown's defense sometimes, and not to say that the Cowboys are not physical themselves when it comes to offense, but you know, you see games where it does wear them down and then they start kind of playing not as strong. And these guys, man, they were hitting hard and just
tackling hard. So for me, that's something that when I saw some of those hits and it still didn't stop them. In general, you saw the players get back up Hunter Lipke, another guy Zeke making some of those helping blocking. It's just the offense was a lot more physical than I expected them to be in week one and to meet that caught my eye. Of course, room for improvement, but that's something that was good to me.
I think even if Cleveland was healthy on offense, Dallas would have done the same thing. Defensively to them, they played that well. They were buttoned up in this one. The rotations they had at the defensive line spot, the ability of Mike and the staff to be able to kind of put guys in position to make plays, the guys in the back end or able to hold up the safeties played well. You know, you got some guys that probably didn't show up on the stat sheet that
looked really well OsO, Diggy Zoo. Well, I had some really some nice plays, some rushes there again, Mike moving around, Micah moving around Tank, putting them on the same side. They really did a nice job of confusing not only the quarterback, but they did a really good job of refuge,
of confusing the blocking scheme for the Browns. You could see there were several times where guys were blocking air instead of like maybe being a double on Parsons, maybe being a double on Tank, maybe you know, trying to help out there. So there were some scheme things that they were able to do defensively. This group at linebackers completely different. And it's not just overshown, but all these guys lea foul got in there for a few plays was effective. You know, look at Kendricks the way that
he plays, He's just always around the ball. They just it was really impressive to watch how they played as a unit up front and even I mean Lewis playing the nickel. They just did not give anything up on the back end. And so much of that pressure was because of the scheme and the way that guys were able to play throughout the scheme, and they were in good shape. We remember Green Bay and what a disaster that was with guys running open and guys out of
position all that. No, that was a complete opposite of what we saw in that day yesterday. And they took advantage of a broken quarterback, and that's good. You take advantage of a broken offensive line, that's good. Times we've been around here and that hasn't always been the case. It's like I remember games where oh the Giants are down four offensive linemen and Eli Manning throws for four hundred yards. You know they used to not do these things.
Now you see that, And I think that's really what came off to me is that group was buttoned up. They were ready to play. The scheme was good, the players were good. It was well coached.
I'll say this is about the defensive unit. They probably should have had ten sacks. Yes, sure, yeah, there was so the.
Game you could say, like Michael was like, yeah, we had some opportunities we missed.
We miss well. That's we talked about in the breakdown is weak arm tackle. You got to go in there. You saw how you need to bring Deshaun Watson to the ground. Overshown is that you know in space, you tackle, you wrap, you see you know, that's what you got to do, and that's that's the lesson you learned. Tank had the same thing happened to him. When you watch he you know, there was some really good blitz designs.
The one of the one of the sacks they had I thought was a really good design was your two best pass rushers dropped in coverage. They brought the They brought the slot bliz with Lewis. It's the first time he does it the whole game. He drops Mikey, he drops Tank, and next you know, it's like they're on top of the quarterback. And so Mike had some ideas of how he wanted to attack these guys, and his players played really hard for him and did an excellent job of executing that.
I just saw.
And Kendricks he's a freaking beast. I just saw him. He's he was running around the field just now before the show. I'm like, dude, I'm tired. I will and I'm tired. But they're out there. So again, it's just very, very impressive to finally see the linebacker group played the way they did after what happened last season.
Yeah, they it was It's one of those things and we talked about it a bunch coming out of Oxnard. Though. This linebacker group will be better, and I think they got off to a great start yesterday. I really do.
Let's flip to the offensive side of the ball. I want to talk about my man Dak Prescott. Yesterday, he's nineteen thirty two, fifty nine percent completion, one hundred and seventy nine yards, one touchdown, eighty five point three quarterback grating, and sixty million dollars a year.
Yeah, wealthier.
And then well I told my wife, I said, baby MJ's grandkids just got really yeah rich, Like that's the kind of money we're talking This is generational wealth that we're talking about for Dak Prescott. But the interesting part about it yesterday was I just read off those numbers not terribly impressive, but if you look at the first half, you thought he was on his way to a monster day.
He had.
He was fourteen to twenty one, sixty seven percent completions, one hundred and fifty six yards through the air, a touchdown, and a one oh four point five rating just in the first half. So my question for you guys is what was the difference in the first and the second half?
Was it more.
Hey, they didn't have to do as much, so they didn't do as much, did they did? They start running in some bigger problems with Cleveland that they didn't experience in the first half.
What was the different Brian might have a different perspective here, but for me, it was just a really good defensive coordinator making really good defensive adjustments and it stifled this offense. And there's definitely some concerns that are not concerns, But I think there's a lot of things that they can go back and watch today in the passing game. In the running game, was just no momentum created after the
halftime break. And fortunately you have a guy like Brandon Aubrey who could bailw you out of a couple of situations and get you three points. But didn't love the offensive production in the second half. In the passing game specifically, I think you started to see a little bit of that rhythm between DAK and CD, maybe not being one hundred percent, I think you maybe saw it at seventy five percent in this game, and you started to see
why that was the case. In the second half, that Brandon Cooks comes out for dehydration, it kind of messes up the passing game a little bit, but overall, I mean, that's why you build that first half lead. Fortunately for them, they built it strongly enough. But I thought it was just a really good defensive coach who made really good defensive adjustments.
Yeah, I think you're onto something there too, and you look the start to talk it to me, if the second half for Ezekiel Elliott would have been ten carries for forty yards, I would have felt a lot better about the offense, you know, and initially though there was some really good design. You're get to give Dak credit on the touchdown to Cooks because they don't block. The front's not blocked, right. You know, they did catchup Blitzer. They had enough blockers to take care of the Blitzer.
Dak just did a great job of getting rid of the football and find knowing that Cooks was on Thornhill and Thornhill can't cover me. I'm sorry, Thornhill, you can't cover me on the rock. But it just you know, they run by. It's a great design and yeah, but there was some creativity the way. The creativity came with them with running the ball early, and that's what I think they had some success was the traps, the polls movement.
It wasn't like, listen, we're going to sit there and get go shoe to shoe and try and push these guys. We're gonna try and be a little bit more creative with it. And there's some things. You're gonna watch this game and you're gonna go back and you're gonna go darn, you know, come on, daddle. That thing's blocked, right, You got to cut that ball. You can't run the darkness there, you know. The traps and the things that they were able to do to spring Zeke I thought were really good.
I think at the second half it just came how do you run the how do you just try and run the clock? Mike comes out. I think got lost as a game as a play call on the second three straight pass players and you're like going, all right, now, where's your where's your running? To me? It would have been running game, waggles boots, running game, running game, running game, waggle boot, you know, just make they did in the
first half. They did a great job of making the Browns have to defend the whole field that they were playing, sidelines, the sideline, and we really weren't getting you know, we weren't getting a lot of the vertical shots. You know, but it's a shame that you had the deep incut that that Turpin dropped. You know, that was that was one of the best balls that pressures all around Dak and they throw it down the middle and Turpin drops it. You're like, damn, you got to catch that ball. You know.
Those are things in the first half where you were kind of like encouraged, and in the second half it was like playing watching a preseason game where you're just like, why, why is the ball, Why is the ball going into the ground, Why is the running game not working? Why? You know, it was just like the defense was playing so well that McCarthy knew that, and it's like instead of saying, Okay, we got to amp this thing up, I've got to find a way to get that get
the running game going a little bit. You know, that's where I was hopeful. I was hoping that second half they come out and all of a sudden, it's like, Okay, let's see how well and Guiden much better run blocker than pass blocker yesterday, bbe much better pass blocker than run blocker yesterday. You know, still outstanding. Was worried about him in this game. They had some guys that were playing at a high level. They just they missed some opportunities. I think in the second half.
That's the thing that I feel like you saw a lot of different elements are very promising there. You're like, Okay, I can work with this, you can work with this. They can make it happen. But it is concerning and I'm not going to kill them this first week because Okay, at least he didn't give up the ball, he didn't throw an interception, and they were able to manage to
win the game. But I hope it doesn't become that whole thing that is happened in previous year where the defense is playing so hard, then you got Brandon Nobrey the one scoring points, and then the offense is just
not really doing enough. Because we've seen that, I know, I don't know if it's been two years in a row now where we've seen kind of some of that happening at some point in the season where the offense is just kind of trailing behind, and then it's happened where it just kind of flips and the defense started
trailing behind and then the offense scoring points. But all that to say, I think we saw a lot of different elements that are very very makes me feel very hopeful in the running game Tyler Guyan, things are very promising. You talked about the difference in him and bebe at least there's some balance there.
Yeah, no, no, it was Yeah. When you watch, when you watch him play, I felt like it was a matter of survival for Tyler Guyton out there attack and it wasn't always just it was not just dealing with Garrett, it was dealing with Smith and everybody. I mean, he was fighting to he was bending, he was Yeah, he was trying his best not to. The run blocking stuff I thought was very encouraging. And we've seen him, you
know in Oklahoma. We didn't always talk about Tyler Guyton is a good run block, but they had some situations in that game. Bbe's got to figure out a little bit more. But when they pushed that thing second level, he's got to locate. And Cormora can play. Corey Mora
the linebacker for the Browns. He will make every single tackle if you don't block him in the running game, and there was a couple of times where you know, bbe they got hooked up and he couldn't get off, he couldn't get to the guy, and then they and then when they would block it, well, well, as I mentioned, daddle runs the darkness, make the cut, you you know, keep your eyes open. But that's the kind of stuff.
I just they lost that in the second half. They lost the ability to separate, They lost the ability to the quarterback to be accurate throwing the football. The play caller, I think got out of a little bit of rhythm too, with how he was he was thinking, well, my defense is playing great. I'm just gonna just gonna call ball plays here. And then you know, but there could have been some purpose, There could have been some better purpose with him in the second half. You know.
That's something I think I've noticed about Mike McCarthy, And I go back to what he said.
He had a comment.
I can't remember exactly when it happened, but it was after they had let or they separated with Kellen Moore and something. It was something to the effect of, you know, sometimes you get in these games and Kellen wants to get to swing the score up, and we just see we want to win the game, and I think he
calls games like that. I think he's gonna be that type where if he's got a league, he may try to just protect that lead versus getting more aggressive at that point to keep running the score up, which can be good or bad. Now, when you got a defense that's playing as well as a defense played yesterday, it actually could be okay. But it does get you a little nervous in the NFL, because we saw three teams yesterday in the NFL were down fourteen points that came
back and won a lead. Is not safe in the NFL.
No, it's not. And the thing the way they kind of went around it to to try and get some offense or maybe run the ball a little bit better, was they got into that twenty two personnel with the two backs, two tight ends. Yeah that, and then twenty one personnel with the two backs one tight end, and it became Hunter Lipkey. Hunter Lipkey was actually your best point of attack. And I know I'm not sure because you're sitting there and I know you like should be.
But the thing with Hunter Lipkey, he was your Ferguson's out and now you got to kind of kind of cobble this thing together hunter Lipkey figured out he was your best point of attack blocker when you watched him. He was the one guy that like, Okay, I can see why they're running twenty two personnel. I could see why they're running twenty one personnel here because he was able to do some things. Now, the players weren't always successful, but he was successful in in his task. I was
watching him like, oh, that's a plus block. Well that was a plus block. Well that was another plus block. You know they didn't have that always across the board in the second half.
Yeah, he's turning into one of those players. I think that you could see the vision.
You can rely on him.
But over time you're seeing get better and better and better, and it is going to come a point when he's gonna be a really, really nice piece for this offense. All right, let's sick our first break. We're gonna come back. We'll talk a little bit about the running game a little deeper. I want to ask you guys more specifically what you felt about the usage of the two backs and even just to pass to run ratio yesterday in the game, and we'll talk about that when we come back.
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It is the second segment of the break Clive from the SWBC Mortgage to at the Star And this segment was brought to you about blockchain dot com. All right, let's talk about the running game yesterday. You mentioned earlier Brian Zeke had those ten carries for forty yards in a touchdown thirty five of those yards came in the first half, yes, sir, and just as we were talking about with Dak Prescott, it was a tail of two halves. The second half not really much. First, talk to me
about the usage you had. Zeke had ten carries, Dowdle had eight carries. How did you guys feel about the usage of those two backs and maybe even other backs and how they ran the ball. I thought in the first half it was interesting because he did a lot of you know, had CD had three different runs. Yeah, they were kind of doing different things in the run game. But what were your thoughts on distribution when it comes to the running game.
I feel like they mix it up well. But again, the creativity in the run game only came from a personnel perspective, and it came from these end rounds from Ceedee Lamb and granted three of them for twenty five yards, And it felt like every time that he was getting that ball in the end round, he had a blocker in front of him. Shout out to Jalen Tolbert. He laid two good blocks on those end rounds. But as far as when it comes to the Ezekiel Elliot and
Rico doubt Oll case. I just don't feel like there's enough creativity in the running game there for them to be able to pay some running lanes. You saw the hurdle on the first play. That was fun, but aside from that, it didn't It was fun. It didn't inspire a lot of confidence from me the running game, specifically, eighteen carries for sixty six yards between the two of them.
I did like to split though, because I think it kept them both fresh, it kept them both active, and it wasn't a situation where we've seen this in the past, or at least last season. It wasn't a situation where it was, Okay, this is Zeke on this drive, Okay, this is Rico on this drive. It was mixing them both in as the drive went on, and I think that's probably what you have to do. It's the approach that you have to take when it comes to this
running game. But I still don't feel like there's enough creativity. But I do feel like these guys can get out in the open field. It's just can they be schemed out into the open field?
Yeah.
Elliott's best play was really a draw that they ran. If you look at it. To play with Geyt and he pushes Garret up the field and then Smith pins his guy inside and then you get Ferguson's up on delpit and you know, that's that's kind of where if BB gets the linebacker, that play is going to go for even a bigger game. So that's how they tried to run the ball. The jet sweeps, the traps, the various things were these backs were the best help to you yesterday was picking up blitzes and picking up you
know several times, you know, if you want Toeke. Zeke had a good Zeke day for ten carries and forty yards and then being able to pick up blitzes. Even the first sack that they gave up to Tom Winson, Zeke picked up the blitz. I mean it was Martin just got broke down, but Zeke saved the play because if but you know, Martin gets that block, then maybe you have a chance. Because of just what Zeke was
able to do. But I felt like that he and Dawdell when it was asked that they had to when they had to pass block, they were up to the task. I would not be opposed if they could figure this thing out. Zeke just be the third down guy. I wouldn't be opposed to that. I mean, to me, it's maybe you pop him on a draw, maybe you throw them a screen, maybe you let him blitz pick up. Maybe you know, there's things I think you could do with him and not make him the featured guy. But
you know, they'll they'll hopefully figure all that out. I just didn't I liked what they tried to do in the first half of the creativity. I don't like the execution of it in the second half. And maybe the commitment that lacked a little bit of the commitment to doing it too. You know, maybe they needed more of that. Okay,
we're going to we're gonna try this this series. We're gonna come out and see how many times we can run the ball, and if we're getting three yards a shot, we'll make this thing fourth and one and we'll, you know, or maybe we'll pop a run here. But they could have they could have done more with it. They could have done a lot more with this running game.
I think in my perspective, you say, you know, Zeke probably only used on third down opportunities. However, I look at you know, Zeke versus Rico Daubtle and early down opportunities. I feel like they are similarly productive. I can't say that word. Just if I need five yards on first down, it'd be like, Okay, let's set up a manageable second and five. Which guy can get me? Give me those five yards?
I thought maybe that Daddell could. I mean, Zeke looked good that when they handed him the ball. There was a there was a couple of times where you watch and you're thinking, okay, and I mentioned BB and and if they just get this block or they get this you know they can, it's going to be it's going to look better. And I'm just to me, I was like the I was sitting there thinking Dall's probably got more explosive to him, but he didn't play like he
had more explosiveness to him. Yesterday. You know, the one guy that had the Vaughan had the one carry and they ran they ran a draw on that one inside hand and it was like he had four yards. But they've got it. They've got to do a better job of with BB and these guards and stuff handling the inside linebacker, those inside three. If they're going to want to run the ball better, and I think that's something they're missed out.
On one thing I think was interesting about Yes, specifically in the Deuce Swawan case, is I think he earned a roster spot moving forward for at least the next few weeks because of what he did on special teams. His block, the block on the he had the first block turn touchdown, that was the big one. He sealed off and was able to create that big open hole. And then you see him as part of that escort
leading down to charge for turpin on the sideline. That was huge, and I think that's going to end up at least solidifying his roster spot moving forward for a few games. How does that translate into him actually getting some carries on offense. I would have liked to see him get three touches. Yeah, but he only got the one for four yards, like you said, Brian, But I hope that manifests a little bit more.
I'm with you on that, because you're right. The first if the first block that needed to be made on the return, and it happened with the shortest guy, the smallest guy. He got the block. Jan Ye, Thomas got the block, and now we're now we're got an alley to run.
The ball in.
And I like I said, you worry about him? What all can he do? Can he block well enough? On specially Yeah, he got the key block that got the thing too into the alley, so you're able to score. So yeah, but he does need to get more touches. He really really does.
Yesterday, the Cowboys had a Tide record three starters that were rookies yesterday with those two offensive linemen, BP Geiton and then Kayln Carson as well. Let's start, particularly with the offensive lineman and.
Talk to me.
I want to talk a little bit about strategically how the Cowboys used them, because I think all things being considered, I think they played well enough for their first starts against the defensive front that was as good.
As that one.
I think all the way around, when you look at it, I would say that that was a good start for them. It's it had its moments where it was kind of rough, but it was it was okay. One of the things I think they did strategically I thought was really good was they did move the pocket quite a bit and they would rotate everybody away from Garrett, which bought Dak more time to be able to move around and look
for open guys. What's your assessment of how they used them and how they performed under those circumstances.
Yeah, I think from our vantage point in the press box, it couldn't quite see the line as much as maybe some other places. So I still do need to go back and look at it from an all twenty two perspective. But when I look at the Cooper BBK specifically, every time that he was popping up on my screen or in my eyes, he was looking good and he was getting after it. I agree with you, Brian as far as him being a little bit better in pass pro H got and be a little bit better and run protection.
But I think for guiding he was certainly bending. Garrett was given and had given it to him a few times exactly.
But I think he was in a revolving door a couple of times. Yeah, Yes, it turks you out, and he was caught. He was trying to get out. But that's the point. Yes, that's what I've seen Garrett do that. Yeah, and you know the kids are rookie, and I'll let you finish your point there.
Yeah, the kids are rookie, and that's that's exactly that you did not need them to be all pros yesterday. You just needed them to provide a solid job, and I feel like they did that, both of them. I give BB the slightly higher grade. I just really love again what he did in past protection because I think the biggest problem that you saw with Tyler bish last year. And I'm a little bit higher on Tyler b be Oddis than others, but I do feel like they did
need to make a change at center. The biggest problem that you saw with him is he created zero depth in that pocket. And Dak is so strong when he's able to step up, identify his second and third reads and be able to make that play. And there were times last year. There were games last year where he just couldn't do that. And I think if Cooper BB can give the depth to that pocket on a consistent basis, it's gonna allow Dak to be a lot more free.
I mean, we talked about the experience that they have in the interior defensive line with guys like Dalvin Tomlinson, and he rocked, he roped to Dak on that very first play that was Zach Martin's fault. But Cooper BB, he looked like he was matching them bar for bar, so it was it was a really strong DA B for BB.
Yeah I think that. Yeah, I would give the higher grade to BB. Like I say, but the run block and stuff. It if as long as you're run block and I'll be okay with that. But the thing too about the uh you know when you when you look it over, I wish I would have said this when we were talking about the going into the game. And I'm not taking anything away. The cow always went out there and got this victory yesterday. I think he caught Miles Garrett at a really good time. He looked like
he was gassed in this game. There looked like times where he wasn't in when you will go back and you watch the tape and I got him this morning and did where they had him on the sidelines several times and you're kind of thinking, like, Okay, he's not rushing his heart, He's not, you know, he's the one time he got that sack at Yeah, he was. It was Miles Garrett, but it looked like to me he was kind of picking and choosing, and they've tried to
move him around. And I thought that him. I thought Steel, I thought Geyton, I thought they had a good plan. I thought that chipping was helpful. The backs were helpful, you know, anytime that they could kind of take a shot, even if it was taken a shot to make him slow down a little bit. I thought they had a really really good plan for this guy and how to
play him. But I think he also caught him maybe with conditioning not be at a peak level for him, which and I wish I would have said that like that. These guys, this is really their first A lot of them don't get to play, you know, in preseason. He probably worked against the Eagles and stuff like that. I'm sure had preseason games and they worked against somebody. But you could tell that he wasn't as you know, he
wasn't as Miles Garrett as he's normally Miles Garrett. Maybe in week four, conditioning will be a lot better for him and the way he plays, you know, ironically, that's but they did a good job up front. The line did a good job. But I'm just saying, yeah, I think you might have caught him at the right time with some of his like being off.
Well, we ever got the luck on our side, so good thing for us. This is just kind of the start that these players needed.
I don't feel sorry yet.
Nobody feel sorry. But I'm just saying, if you if you want to say, good scheme, good idea, good plan, good execution. But maybe you caught him at the right time too. That that's always you know, Hey, you said Cooks went off the field for an ivy, you know, Kendrick. I mean, yeah, people Dad going off. Yeah, that was tough.
It wasn't like it was a hot day either. It was a beautiful day for football. It was just the matter of playing for sixty minutes, right.
Well, Dallas in the first half might have worn him down too, I mean, with the situation, ran a lot of plays.
No.
I was just saying that it worked out perfectly, and I give them props because again, we got to remember these two guys, the rookies, it's very tough. It's a very different level when you're practicing, and even from practice to college, all those changes. When you hit a real football game, NFL level, it's very very different. The speed is so different, and when you're going up against the guy like Garrett, I mean, it's another let So these guys, again,
I thought they did a really really good job. Didn't make a whole lot of mistakes, and you can only hope it can keep getting better from this point forward. So I really don't have any negative thing to say about either of them. And we shall see what happens next. And I'm glad you know it wasn't Week four like you're saying, Bryan.
You think it's something that I'm just kind of grateful after watching the way how many times I was worried about him really wearing them out, and he didn't. He didn't wear them out, and that was something good. But give Steel credit to in this game, I thought, Yeah, I thought, very well.
Another thing, no penalties, Really, I don't remember any penalty called.
A lot on special teams.
It was a lot on special teams. I'm talking about the defensive unit.
Offense as you didn't have.
Yeah.
Yeah, really worried about the holding, Yeah, I was worried about that.
For get the hen placement said, do you get into much in your head and not being us disciplined enough? So I think that's another how do you call it?
Check check?
Are you check marketing?
All right, we're gonna take out a final break, we'll come back. Let's talk about a little bit on the defense. But really I want to get to what I thought was may have been the best unit for the Cowboys yesterday special teams, Well that when we come back. Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
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Welcome back.
Final segment of the break Lot from the SWBC Mortgage studios at the Star. We were rolling along. We're getting our win back, getting our voice back. It's been a good weekend. Let's finish this thing strong. All right, Let's talk about the defense and the special teams. The first thing I want to talk about the defense is really around them stopping them. And I think coming into this year and coming off of last year. There were two things I thought the Cowboys had to get better at.
One stopping them run. One running the ball. We already talked about their run offense yesterday, but let's talk about the rush defense. The interesting part was, although when you look at it as a stat at the end of the game they allowed four point nine yards per rush. It wasn't a factor in the game. But I wouldn't say you necessarily.
Stopped the run.
But if you go ahead and look at the first half, actually played a lot better. And this is kind of the tail of two halves.
Again.
In the first half they held them to only six carries for an average of three point eight yards per carry twenty three total yards. So what did you think overall about the run defense yesterday?
Yeah, I think overall, I think it started up front with the battle and the trenches, and this was I think this was another product of the Cleveland Browns having to play musical chairs on their offensive line figure out who was playing. I mean, they didn't know who was starting at right tackle until ninety minutes before kickoff. I think it was more so a product of that. But I don't want to take anything away from the defensive unit.
Because I feel like they really started that game off well, especially when you have a quarterback like Deshaun Watson that you have to account for coming out of the backfield, and he was able to do it a few times on some scrambles, and I affected that into the run game too, because that's the second level's responsibility at the
end of the day. But I liked what they did in the first half, and I think the bulk of these yards I would have to go back and look exactly how many came on that final drive where they were able to push down the field and then Jerome Ford finally pushed in the for the touchdown. But aside from that, I thought it was a strong start. It could it have been better, probably, but I thought it was a strong start. They'll have, excuse me, they'll have a couple of weeks here against Alvin Kamara and then
Derrick Henry where they're gonna be tested. So nevertheless, we'll find out here in a couple of weeks.
Yeah, I think with the front seven, you know, with the rotation they had on the defensive line, it you know, you didn't have to have Joseph and Phillips play like massive amounts of snaps and they were able to rotate those guys through. I think Mazzie Smith actually had a pretty good game, and you know, we always worry about Mozzie initially. There were a couple of times where he got off the ball really really well. He was quick, was square, played down the line of scrim which was
part of the play. It was part of clogging things up, grabbing guys, holding up guys. So that was a positive from that, and he didn't get washed, he didn't get turned. When you watch the end zone copy of the game, you could see everybody's jersey numbers playing the run game. They've got linebackers that can fill and that's a really good thing to have happened for you though, Kneelan playing the edge. You know, we've seen in the past that the right end for the Dallas Cowboys doesn't always play
the run very well. They put Tank over on that side with Mike on the other to kind of say, Okay, maybe they're going to try and run a little bit at the rookie and see what happens there. But I love the rotation, I love the alignment. I love the way that these guys tackle, and I think that the linebackers will make this a good run defense, and it's as long as they're not getting gashed on the run, which I never felt like that they were even when the ball tried to The Browns are not a great
outside running team. You know, they're a physical, run at you time kind of a team. Amber mentioned the physicality that they played with. I think on defense they showed that quite a bit with the way that they were able to play. The safeties were playing when they needed to be, the linebackers, the defensive linemen were square, they were playing off blocks. Guys weren't getting driven out of the hole or turned or washed. Overall, I thought it was really positive in that regard.
Absolutely, I think they did a really really good job. But I'm kind of with Nick on this one, Like it's it's such a small sample to base like really give an opinion of how this is gonna look like long term. You know, they still I mean, it's crazy to me just looking at this again, thinking that both teams scores the same scored the same amount of touchdowns, one rushing, one passing. Obviously came down to Brandon Aubrey and them. The Browns not being able to get those
other points. But I think with this game specifically, you see all the different things that the linebacker are able to do and how they're able to help in that regards when it comes to stopping the run. But am I sold on it? Am I sold on this run defense? Not yet, because I need to see it with another team. You saw the Browns often have so many different struggles even with the offensive line that they were dealing with that I just need a bigger simple size. But I mean,
either way, they did a really nice job. It just still too early.
To Yeah, I think Dallas's defense made them struggle. I don't think this was lack of talent. I think this was Dallas's front seven played really right right off the bat. Yeah, right off the bat. I really do. I think that you know, you could look at some of the runs that they had that that you know, with the Shawn Watson stuff like that. For the most part, Ford Ford didn't hurt them in this game. I don't think so, And so to me, I was encouraged by the way
this team tackled. I didn't feel like that there were a lot of mistackles or you know, guys at a position if you play if you play square and you tackle well and you fill and you're you're in position. I don't care who's running the ball, You're you're you're you're going to make You're gonna have some stops. And you know, you mentioned the points that how many times did the Browns go for it on fourth down and
didn't get it? Twice twice Dallas, And it was six points out of that, right because they you know, they they they didn't take advantage. They could have probably scored fourteen points they could have, but they didn't. So yeah, defense got you six points right there, just making stops on fourth down, you know. So I was I think that's all part of it, the run defense, the pass defense, just a great, great effort overall for that crew.
You mentioned a tough, a good job of tackling. I will give a quick caveat to that in the sense that Deshaun Watson did run the ball five times for thirty nine yards. Yeah, you could probably point it probably three of those where they should have had them in the backfield.
Negative play yeah, negative plays right yeah.
Yeah, all right, real quick, before we end the show, we got to talk about who I thought was at least in the running for Player of the Game, Brandon Aubrey is he is a weapon. He is a weapon. I mean you look at offensively, just look around the league at just the offensive weapons. This guy is a weapon because you can roll him out there, and they're getting to the point where they're getting really comfortable, get.
To the sixty plus yards.
They're like, hey, run him out there, let's do it. Yesterday he kicks. He made kicks a fifty seven, forty fifty, and forty six and made a sixty six yarder that they obviously end up negating because of the delay penalty. But I just look at that and I'm like, this guy can do pretty much anything you wanted to do. He after the game, they asked him, would you have wanted to try that seventy one yarder?
He's like, yeah, sure, yeah.
I mean also stopping, It's nothing like oh this is so easyest whatever, you know.
I just I love what he's doing.
But my question for you guys is are you at all concerned about how comfortable they are rolling him out there at those long field goals, because you do create some some different challenges and some risks for yourself if he should miss some of those.
Rah the kick six is what you worry about. I've seen the Auburn Alabama game. We're all sudden now, you know, and and and the Browns even put a guy back there the second time around. Can I ask you guys a question real quick, because you were at the game. What happened with the clock management?
They messed it up?
Did Dallas mess it up?
No?
Not the way I understood it. The way I understood it was they were expecting to restart the clock, and the restart the reset the clock, and they did.
There was a late substitution by Cleveland. Yeah, and under rule, they are supposed to be able to reset the.
So it was that to put the guy deep. Is that what happened?
It was?
It was it was a guy like it kind of in that second level, you know.
Okay, yeah, okay, okay. Then Dallas got worked on that because to me, I mean, there was some question if you if you really want to, if you really wanted to kick that field goal, burn of time out right there, even if you feel like just make them have to make a call there. So yeah, but the seventy one yard er, I was sitting there like, don't do this. Yeah. The thing the only you know, always comes to my
mind is that stupid Kansas City game. Remember we played here and they threw the hill right before half and it ran a screen and they just walk that thing in. I think that Chargers did the same damn thing one time right before half. I'm thinking, please, don't kick a seventy one yard field, going to have it a little short, and then all of a sudden you've got offensive lineman trying to cover that distance to get to a guy coming back. Yeah, and so you.
Know why I wouldn't be worried in that sense.
Why is that on the field. Well, you know that's that's a good point. But the thing about it is, I think they're comfortable with him kicking these things because you know what, mainly kickers drive the ball. His get up quick. It's not he's not a driver. He is a it's got some elevation, so you're not worried about a block at the line of screen.
I will say the Vegas sixty six yarder definitely got up quick. The one that he had here in Cleveland. He wanted to drive it into the wind a little bit, and so it.
Came off, it came, it came a little lower came.
A little lower. I think I to get a little lower for that seventy one yarder. Yeah, but now that's a problem.
I felt like that every time he kicks, his ball's got a little elevation to it, so you're not worried about since you do try a sixty five yard field goal and hands go up and it's a dry ball and it's blocked, and now it's all kinds of chaos rolling around.
I thought he said something interesting. Uh. Last night in the locker room, someone asked him if he has any saying these decisions whether or not to kick in certain situations.
I would have thought that yes, but no.
He said, he basically stands off to the side and gets himself ready and then anger fossil bones, he's over there, and then by McCarthy they kind of make the decisions whether yes or no, and then he just goes out there and does what he needs to do, which was what because you wouldn't mess.
Well, I think that's a smart way to do it that I heard him say the same thing.
It is, But I mean you would imagine if you're the kicker, you would have a saying.
Like, hey, yes, he gives him the range.
But yeah, yeah, this is range. This his range. I mean, I don't think it's like watching that pull vaulter from Sweden and it's like every quarter breaks the world record by a quarter of an inch every time.
I want to say he said something like it. He was asked this back seventy yards and I want to say he said it was around at the most he's ever kicked it in, just like in a practice situation, was like seventy something yards.
See.
But but again, that's that's without hands up, Like, there's a lot that goes into that. That's very different than what you would have to do on the field. You got a team coming at you.
I'm just grateful that those three points that before half did not cost you. Yeah, you know, you get in a game and Alston, you got a weapon that's making six sixty seven yard field goals and then all of a sudden, those points are taking off the board, and now you're thinking, boy, if we had those three points, this might have been a different game, you know kind of thing. But hopefully they'll get that squared away, all right.
Twenty one fantasy points for Brandon Aubrey.
Look, and I drafted in the other league. I was trying to get him in our league because he is he's a weapon. I got him in there.
Yeah, drafted like the seventh round, and everyone in the office was like.
Whoa, I would not like? What did I say?
I was like, if you wouldn't have got him right there? I was getting him when he got back to me because he's a weapon like that offensive that's offensive skill player.
I used to the same thing when I was a draft room. I used to call my Yeah, I was gonna take that guy. Look what I'm doing now, I'm doing radio with you guys. Bad strategy. All right, apprecient you guys join us. We'll be back tomorrow.
We'll do a big picture look at this team. Maybe look around the NFL from the NFC east of the game for you tomorrow. Okay, good, that's perfect.
That's a Tuesday game for everybody. How about that. That sounds good.
We appreciate you guys joining us. Still in for Nick Harris, Brian brought us Ambergarci. I'm Derek Eildan. This has been the Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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