Cowboys Break: Pollard Over Zeke?

presented by Geico. It's Christmas week and we've got all kinds of Christmas goodies for you guys. We're gonna be talking about the Cowboys, and we're talking about the Cowboys coming off. They're back the first back to back when of the season. Cowboys get the victory over the same

Francisco forty nine or forty one to thirty three. They are firmly in place to still be in the hunt for an NFC East championship, firmly and and maybe and maybe the playoffs and who knows, maybe the Super Bowl, who knows, who knows where this thing is gonna go. I'm just excited. It's Christmas week, so we're gonna have

some fun ony five. That's where it went there. One percent chance went to five percent, and I was just trying to hype it up a little bit, just because it's just got my guys here, got Nick got Dave got Amber. Welcome to the show. Let's talk about cowboys versus forty nine ers. Nick. I want to start first with you, and because you you obviously have access that

most media people don't have. Talk to me about. Talk to me about the locker room and that whole vibe down there, just because you know, again, I want to know if the players are excited as excited as I would think they would be. In back to back when somebody was definitely excited after the game, they were excited. I don't know what was going on, don't know what kind of presentation. It might have been something for LP, Honestly, I really don't know, but there were some It was

very joyous in there. Maybe they were giving Christmas presents. I don't know, but it was exciting. Yeah, I don't know, but just coming out talking to them, they were they were you know, this has been such a frustrating year and to have two wins in a row, and to win in a game like this. It was a tough game, and both teams are, you know, losing a lot of players.

I think it was just a relief of like, hey, you know this, it feels good to win stacks and wins together like this, and and and they're still playing for something. That's the thing. They're still in. This doesn't matter what the percentage is next week's game. They think it's gonna matter. It may not matter when they kickoff, but it matters right now at this moment. It does amber give me your big picture storyline of what you

take coming out of this game. Big picture, Um, you guys kind of started right at the beginning of the show playoffs. And I mean, I don't mean to jump back on that train or anything like that. But after this game, the Cowboys goat me. They grabbed me back by my pinkie. You know how little kids grab me by the pinky. That's how the Cowboys got me. Right now, they're pulling me by my pinkie. So I see a lot of fans that are back to being really excited.

Apparently they think that this type of momentum that the Cowboys are gaining at this point of the season might turn into the playoffs and they might be able to get somewhere further than that. Who knows. We just know that twenty twenties a crazy here, and you can expect there's anything can happen, Anything can happen, And I don't know, it's just I guess this game made me more excited

than the game last week against the Bengals. This game just show me a little bit more of consistency, the fact that it happened back to bad so that part was exciting to me. Just seeing the changes that the defense is being able to make right now and seeing them so so fired up. So that would be I guess my little storyline of the game, all right, Dave, just storyline of the game. Uh, my storyline for the whole thing is just that, I mean, do the Cowboys

really know any other way? Yeah? Like it is it possible for the Cowboys to not be relevant all the way to the bitter end one way or the other, because I you know, this is my eighth season and only once in those eight has it not been this way. Like, I like, they are like genetically incapable. I was I was watching, you know, I was watching the highlights from all the other games last night, and you know, the Patriots lost to the Dolphins, and they're just like, and

you know, the Patriots are done. They can't win the division, they can't make the playoffs for the first time since like two thousand and eight. With two weeks to play, they're just done. And I was like, what's that like, Like, could not be me, could not be the Dallas Cowboys to just know to a certainty it's gonna happen with that much time left in the season, and you know, if it's gonna be like this, at least it's entertaining. Because I was expecting you know, I was expecting like

a slong, like a twenty four. I think I said twenty four twenty. I didn't think it was gonna be very exciting. It was a hell of an entertaining game. I don't know what it means, but all kinds of goofy stuff happened, and you know, if we're gonna go all the way to the bitter end not knowing what's gonna happen, at least the game's fun. Yeah. I've always said I'd tell this to people who always ask me.

Sure we all have people in our lives that ask us, what's it like working for the Cowboys, and I'm like, the great part is that it's it's just fun. The Cowboys always have something interesting going on, so it's fun being able to cover it and talk about it. But the worst case, the worst case scenario is the season you get into where you get to Thanksgiving and there's nothing to play for. That doesn't happen a whole lot,

and it hasn't happened a whole lot. And I'm NICKI and I went through three, five and eleven seasons, so we know what that feels like. But for some of these guys, like they like in Amber, like they don't know what that feels like. This team is always kind of seemingly just hanging around till the end and either they get barely get into the playoffs or they're barely

out of the playoffs. And it's looking more and more like this team could get to six seven wins, which I don't think a couple of weeks ago, I don't think. I didn't think that was possible, But it looks favorable that they'll get one more, maybe two more wins before the season's all done. Yeah, I mean, and that's and it's not a good division, you know, hasn't been a good division, but but everybody seems to be playing a

little bit better. The Giants kind of faltered off a little bit, but you know everyone else, I mean, Eagles have got a spark, you know obviously when in hurts and in Washington, you know they you know, their defense is really good and they're gonna keep themselves in games. So you know, Washington has a chance to win the division. Now, I mean they'll go, they'll play Caroline at home. They win the division, they can knock everybody else out. But

if they don't, that's interesting. Yeah. Now, now they're gonna start, you know, feeling the pressure a little bit on this, and then everybody has a chance to jump in there. All right, let's let's get the funny thing too is I'm so, I just I think it's funny and rightfully so, the NFE sucks like it's it's not a good division.

But whoever wins it after getting dogged on all year, whichever one of these four team wins it, you can already see the storyline of like, oh, like you don't want to go to FedEx and play this pass rush

right now? Or don't look now, but the Cowboys have more fans than anybody, so they've got a better home field advantage and their defense has forced all these takeaways like you don't want to play the Cowboys right now, Like whichever one of these teams manages to win, the narrative is gonna be that like, oh, like they're actually kind of scary if you got to go on the

road and play them. And it's just it's ironic after how much Yeah, sure, I mean it's it's just ironic after how much they've gotten dogged on that that's what's gonna happen. And by the way, we've seen this happen before. I think it was the Seahawks, I want to say, a few years ago. They ended it in the season I think at eight and eight, I want to say, And they actually got to win in the first round of the playoffs and it was seven to nine, yees, seven to nine, and then they gotta win their first

round of the playoffs. So you know, it will be interesting. And that's what I love about the NFL playoffs. It's a one and done type scenario we've had. We've seen Cowboys teams that are really good losing first round of the playoffs. Like, it's about teams that are hot at the moment. So you could have been hot all year if you're not hot in the playoffs. One in doubt.

We quote brought us all the time on here because he has all these great one liners and stuff and brought us as this all the time NFL strange lady, right, yeah, right. All I gotta say is Jets Rams. Right, that's exactly right, Jets Rams, It's exactly. It's a crazy lady, yeah, And that's always what happens. It seems like to me, is like it's not the teams that are that are flirting with oh and sixteen. The week that they get that

one win, typically it's against the most improbable team. It's the team that nobody expects him to get that win against, which was the case yesterday, and they got and play their best game of the season. All right, here's we're gonna do it. Let's jump into some of the moments that mattered. We'll go around the table. Everybody, give me a moment from that game that you think was a pivotal moment or an interesting moment, just a moment that

mattered overall. In the game. We'll start first, do you ever, I don't have a specific moment, because there were several moments that to me were very similar and had a very big impact for the Cowboys. So I'm just gonna go with the general thing, and it was the fact what the defense was able to do with the takeaways and the way that the offense reacted those short field advantages. I mean, one of the things that I've been complaining about this offense is their inability of them getting into

the end zone. And I think that for whatever reason, maybe they're just not great at putting back to back, good place back to back and when they have such a long way to go or what. But the fact is that with the short field advantage that the defense was able to give them, the Cowboys were able to capitalize on that. And out of those four takeaways, they were able to get into the end zone three times

and then the other one was a vehicle. So to me, just seeing what the Cowboys were able to do there offensively and being able to get into this end zone was a big thing. Yeah, you know, interestingly enough, I'll dive into those a little bit here. We had you basically had two different situations. You had the first Dallas possession, which I thought was really interesting because they got to

the point where they had to punt. They get this really great punt and get down to the They down it there at the San Francisco one, and then they get an illegal formation call that brings it back in the gates that and says you gotta punt it again. They punt it, they force a fumble and give the ball to their offense down at the San Francisco twenty two. And then the second situation, obviously San Francisco second possession, that's when Tank forces the fumble and Aldon Smith recovers it.

But I want to go back to the first one because special teams continues in my opinion too. I know they are. It's weird because there are weeks when we're like, what the heck is the special teams doing? But then there are other points in games throughout the year, and this has been throughout the year a special team just makes these really, really great plays. And I will say this, CJ. Goodwin, in my opinion, is one of the best special teams

players I've ever watched on a weekly basis. I know there have been other guys probably throughout the league who've been that good. But every single game it seems like if something good happens for the special teams, CJ. Goodwin is somewhere involved. Yeah, and you know, obviously I don't know if there's that a moment that mattered. I mean,

because that is that your moment that matter? Because that was definitely one that I was going to mention the you never get a penalty on yourself that actually turns into a good thing. But let's let's be as somewhat fair to special teams here. When Zeke is out of the game and no one knew he was not he gonna be out until that morning. Okay, when he's out of the game, that affects special teams, and that penalty

Shaywell Alon and Loua that was him not lined up right. Well, he doesn't normally play on that, but when Zeke doesn't play, then then Tony Pollard has to start, and Daddle plays it more this and then they've moved this guy off and a lot of LOUI goes here and he doesn't know where to line up, and that's the you know, that's a constant thing for special teams yeah, we don't think about the trickle effect, but it constantly happens like that.

And I bet you there's a lot of this going on around the league, little little things here and there, so that we need to be somewhat fair with twelve guys on the field and stuff like that. That's part of this issue with with some of the Special team's errors. All right, Dave, give me a moment that mattered real quick. I just want to say, I mean, you know, all four of us last week said that we would like John Fossil to hang around. And it's stuff like that.

I mean, like the potential. They poppy at times, They've been reckless at times, but the potential is there and they have you know, Cowboys Special Teams have swung them some games this season, and that that perfectly exemplifies it. I think they need to clean it up in twenty twenty one, but I would like John Fossil to still be in charge of it next year. For me, I think it's it's the Anthony Brown interception, the second one

in the second half. If you're talking about like winning the game, because you know, the defense forces these takeaways in the first half, the offense actually played pretty great on a short field, but they squandered that lead and I didn't have a ton of under it. In the second half. You know, San Francisco drives to midfield largely based on a penalty I believe on Jordan Lewis, the

defensive pass interference. So I mean they're at midfield. All they need is a field goal, so you know, you only need another first down or two to potentially tie

the game. And who knows what happens. And then Anthony Brown, who people love to dog, not only gets a pick, but I you know, I thought made a great play, like Donovan Wilson and Anthony Brown both like jumping routes, like reading the quarterback, and yeah, I mean it's Nick Mullins, it's not Aaron Rodgers, but I'll haven't seen a ton of Dallas dbs do that in the last decade, um so, and you know he returns it and then two plays later Tony Pollard kind of seals the thing with with

that really nice run. But prior to that, the Dallas offense had been pretty miserable, honestly, Like they had that one really nice drive in the third quarter that led to the Dalton Schultz touchdown, and they were awful the rest of the half. So without that takeaway, I don't have a ton of confidence that the defense stops him, and I don't have a ton of confidence that the

Dallas offense can retake the lead if they give it up. So, you know, I thought Anthony Brown sort of, you know, kind of delivered them the game with that, with that fourth takeaway. Yeah, it was I think that was the That to me typifies the type of complimentary football that we saw from this team yesterday. Is you know, there were moments when the offense was completely off the rails. There were moments when the defense was completely off the rail else but there were moments in those moments one

of the other units would make a play. The offense made plays when they needed to, the defense made plays when they needed to. Special teams made plays when they needed to. So I again, that's what complimentary football is. You don't have the kind of team with all the guys you got out that's just gonna be dominant on either side of the ball, offense, defense or special teams.

What you do have maybe is, or at least what we've seen yet we saw yesterday in the week before is a team where you have units that can, at moments in the game make plays. And if you can do that enough and compliment one another, then you can get the outcome that they ultimately got a night moment that matter, if it's my turn, I was gonna say, you know, and the usually when a quarterback gets the ball and he stands in the pocket and then he's

flushed out to the right. Okay, every security guard, every cheerleader on the sideline usually get their hands ready because it's coming to you. I mean, they're gonna throw it away. And the and the third quarter when Dalton rolled out and seven about to throw it away and then he just decides to throw it deep to CD. That was a huge play in the game. Forty five yards down there.

They scored on the very next play, and it was the first time they had actually driven the ball for a touchdown and they had gotten these gifts and they scored on it. But this was one where the offense really I thought it was it was a huge play, and it was. It was a great throw down there at the trust of CD. And he just keeps you know, he keeps not surprising this, but he just keeps making

these these great plays. That's not the one that everyone's gonna remember, obviously the touchdown, but I thought that was the one. That's that's what got him drafted where he did, just just being able to be aware and get up the field, make a great play on the ball, staying bounds. He just he had a really nice game yesterday. Yeah, you know, I'll throw in this last one before we take our first break. It was the first San Francisco possession of the second half. At the time, Dallas was

up by three. It was third and one that Dallas twenty three. They get a big stop from Door's Armstrong. There for no game that forced San Francisco to take a field goal rather than keep their drive alive on a third and one. They end up tying it up seventeen seventeen. But I think that was a moment that really mattered. And you look at Duran's Armstrong. He only had two tackles in that game, but they were both I think pretty good, pretty good tackles in the moments

that he got them. I think he is a He is a player that it's just an interesting player. I know Jerry loves him, and Jerry talks about him a lot. And there have been other people, all the coach coaches on this staff that've talked about him as well. And you don't always see him and notice him, but I do think that if you looked rout the year, there have been those kinds of moments from a guy like him.

And if he's your third or fourth defensive end and you're getting those kind of plays in just critical moments, I think that matters. Well, let's also forget I don't know if you're talking about two defensive tackles, but how many defensive ends run down on the punt He actually forced to fumble on that punt, So that's another tackle. That's a huge play in the game. I talked to twelve guys yesterday. I didn't talk to him. I think we missed the boat on that one. He had a

good game. Yeah, you should have had a next time. Not that anybody would have heard it, but I would have. That's inside joke. Dave knows so oh no, no, I made a little I had a little. Me and technology aren't really good friends. I know this, Yes, everyone knows this. I made a mistake. Cost me about an hour and a half. I'll deal with it, all right, We're gonna take our first break. When we come back, we're gonna

jump into some player evaluations. We got a lot of players that I want to point out and talk about. Each of these guys will give you their players of the game. Well that want to come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why SLOR pioneers ways to make lenses as unique as you. Very Lux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, I'm Krisol for freedom from glare. Three cutting edge solutions in a single unique lens.

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regular season home game. A limited number of tickets are on sale now get yours today Dallas Cowboys dot com slash tickets. Welcome back to the second segment of the show halfe from s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. We are presented by Geico, and we're talking about the Cowboys big win. They get the win over the San

Francisco forty nine ers forty one to thirty three. Probably, well, certainly these two games is of two games, probably the best two games that they've had this season back to back. That's not a surprise that they that that happened against teams that are probably or should or are actually as poor as they are. And I'm actually starting to wonder this,

and I'd love to get you guys opinions. I'm starting to think that this is really without all their players, this is really a middle of the road team, a seven and a nine to nine and seven team. They could end up in that seven nine range, it can end up six and ten. But the point is that's probably what they are because what we're seeing right now is this they're beating teams that are worse than them. It just so happened their schedule was frontloaded with the

teams that were much better than them. You guys agree with that? Disagree with that? I totally agree with that. Um well, I mean it's just it's it's hard to evaluate any team that doesn't have the quarterback that it's supposed to have. But I mean, you know, you look at even when Dak was there. I mean, I mean, the defense was pitiful against the Browns, but like, do you feel awful about lose to the Browns and light

of the season that they're having. Obviously, the Seahawks are perennial playoff contenders, and the Cardinals are a pleasant surprise as well, which isn't a huge surprise. Yeah, and the Rams as well. So I agree that they played a lot of playoff teams at the start of the season, But I mean, I would be fascinated to know how much better their record would be if Dak had played all of these games. You know, I think I don't think that they would be you know, ten and three

or whatever, or like you know, nine and four. But I think that they would be much more relevant than the playoff conversation. What do you think? Amber? You know, I agree, and I don't mean to argue with you, Dave, because I do agree with that point, and if you ask me, obviously would rather have Dak than Andy Dalton. But at the same time, it's not like the Cowboys have been this team that is dealing with a very

inexperienced quarterback in there. You know, they haven't they doubt and who is a guy who who is the starter? He is the starter in the NFL, so at least in the quarterback topic, even though very different weapons, and they can definitely not do what Deck can do as far as far as like the running game and all that stuff. But just in general, I think that the Cowboys they could have positioned themselves to be at a better spot had they made conscious choices earlier on in

the season, but they didn't. So there's so many things that it's definitely out of your control. But then there are so many other things that I still believe, regardless of all the injuries, that the Cowboys could have done better and at least being better. I don't know how many more wins they would have gotten, but at least done something a little bit better than what we've seen earlier in the season. But I mean, now that's in

the past. You can't really predict what different things would have had been and how that would have actually changed the game. But I do still think that the Cowboys could have positioned themselves at a way better spot right now. Yeah, I'll even give you this Amber. If I had to choose one player that I could have had healthy this year that wasn't I don't think it would have been Dak. I think I would have preferred to have one of those tackles you give me tiring for the whole year.

With Andy Dalton, I don't think they would have been as good as with Dak. I do think they would have still won this division, and I think they would have been a playoff team, and I think they might have won a game in the playoffs. I think with DAK the problem would have still been without protection, it would have been an uphill battle for them. I think they could have done a lot of things pretty well.

The problem still would have been the defense, obviously, but they could have done it a lot of things, a lot of things pretty well. I think if they had one of those tackles, and if that, even if that meant that they didn't have their quarterback, I think if Dak is, if that's the only change, if Dak is, to me, if Dak's the quarterback, I think yesterday they would have had Yesterday, they would have won the division yesterday. What do you think if they would have had one

of the tackles and not Deck. Yeah, now I don't I don't agree with you there. I don't agree with you because of the uh, the Falcons game, because of the Cleveland, because of some of those games. I think the tyrant did play in the Cleveland game. But I just think that Dak, with that offense, the way they're rolling, I think they would have you know, they would have figured out. I mean, and I agree with what day Van Amber both said, and I just look at specific

games better Core. I mean, Denucci almost had them in a win. Dak wins that game against Philly. Carson Wentz was Santa Claus that day, given out gifts, So I mean I think they win that game. I think they beat the Steelers with Dak. I think they beat one of the Washington games. Give them three wins right now. I mean, and I understand, I amber, you're right, you can't if you do that, change that. Everybody's got a change. I get it. Dak plays all year based off everything else.

I think this team right now is eight and six, and they had hats yesterday. I would in shirts. Pretty much every team that's got a legitimate hope of winning the Super Bowl is doing it with great quarterback play. And the ones that aren't, you know, the Saints and the and the Colts come to mind, steel maybe the Dolphins as well. They got a lot of everything else. Yeah, they I mean, you know, you gotta either have everything or you gotta have a really good quarterback. I'll take

the good quarterback every single time. The Cowboys this year have beaten Matt Ryan, Daniel Jones, Kurt Cousins, Brandon Allen, Nick Mullins. There's a storyline there. There's a storyline there, and I'm not gonna go to the storyline you're talking about. All right, I didn't say anything. Let's get some players of the game. Let's stow with you. Dave, give me a player of the game. I mean, it would be easy to say Ceedee Lamb or Tony Pollard. I wrote

stories about those guys yesterday. But how about Donovan Wilson. I think they said I've said that already this year, but Donny, you know, I try to I try to like couch my enthusiasm for Donovan Wilson because I think people get carried away. They see a guy make a play, they're, you know, they're they're already penciling him in for next year. And in the back of my mind, I'm like, yeah, he's he's good, but like he's still a sixth round pick.

You know, people were really excited about Xavier Woods at one point in his career as well. But every time the dude goes out there, he just makes a difference. And he's not you know, he's not a perfect player. I think he's still got some growing to do in coverage. I don't know if he's ever gonna be this like sticky coverage safety. But he makes plays, man, and that's more than a lot of Dallas dbs can say in my time covering the team. So I mean, I gotta

give it to him. He should have had two picks yesterday and the one that he did make was very impressive. So it's it's exciting to think where his career could be going. Yeah, I'm not I'm not talking down this guy anymore from the standpoint of let me wait and see. No, no no, no, because because I'll tell you right now, with what he's done in just this year, name a defensive back. I'm not just gonna even say safety. Name a defensive back. You can go back as far as

you want to. I want to see how far you have to go to get one that's made as many plays as this guy's making. And he's making them and by the way, he was making them in training camp in twenty nineteen, he was making them in practices like this is not something that's new. This is something we've seen basically since the time I've been watching him. I didn't watch him at A and M a Ton, But ever since he's been with the Dallas Cowboys, he's been making plays. I'm not putting it on a curve anymore.

Here's what he is at this point. He's a playmaking safety in my opinion. All right, Amber, give me a player of the game, all right, to argue, I mean, my player would have to be de Marcus Lawrence. He's a guy that we've talked about all season. Fans have been criticizing him because he wasn't living up to his contract and all these things. And I mean yesterday, you just watch the game and he will make himself known.

And the power that he had, even on plays that wearing like statistically credited to him, he was still making an impact there. And another thing that I think to me stands out in these past few games is the rest of the line. I mean, these guys even when the play, let's say the plays happening all the way over there to the far ride and most likely this player won't be able to catch up to there to that guy and make a play or anything. Most of these defensive line guys are just they don't give up.

They don't give up on plays and they go after And to me that those are things that are really important and things that don't necessarily have an actual effect on the game, like on the player on stat sheets or anything like that. But just to see that kind of drive from the line defensive lineman overall in general, the kind of energy and will and competitiveniveness come back. I can't even say that word, but you know, the

will to compete in there knocking up it's impressive. It's impressive, So DeMarcus laws for sure, but also giving credit to the rest of the line. You know, I think I want to copyright this. I don't know, and I don't know how you added as something to a cliche to the world, but it's not. It's I've said this before, it's not horseshoes and hand grenades. You know, close only counts, and horseshoes and hand grenades and pass rush like pass

rush should count, Like that counts. Like She's right, DeMarcus Lorrens may not get a sack on this play, but if the quarterback just throws it into the ground because you're scared of goodness, hit again, that counts. You're off the field. They punted. You don't get really anything for it, but being close in close pressure that counted right there,

So she's right about that. My player to watch is Jordan Lewis, and Jordan I thought yesterday really made a strong case to say maybe this guy needs to come back. I thought this was his best game since of the season by far. He was blitzing off the edge, he was physical, he was making plays. Yeah, he got a penalty a little bit. I think take it, He'll take it. I mean he's being aggressive. He was, he showed his

value and his versatility and all that. He was really really good yesterday, and he's been good actually the last few games. If you think go back to the the Minnesota game. You made some plays at the end. So you know, he's just one of those guys that, unfortunately, he just doesn't pass the cornerback eye test. He's got to prove to the coaches he can play, he can ball. He might have been in his feelings a little bit earlier. I don't know what was going on there early on

in the year. He's playing well now, and you know, I think you know, all three of these people, d Law, Anthony Brown, Jordan Lewis had slower starts this year for whatever the reason. They're balling out right now. Ye all right, we're gonna take our final break when we come back. I do want to talk about Tony Pollard in his game yesterday and what it means. Nick thinks it means

very little about the guy didn't play. Oh yes, right, I apologize, okay, jumping in, But I do want to ask these other guys if they think it has something to do, or if it does reflect on the guy that didn't play, We'll talk about that when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor pepper and Cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor pepper and Cream Soda. Is he a new combone?

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good points. It's Christmas Week. It is be Wills off all week. I think, all right. It is the final segment of the Break presented by Geico. We got to talk about a couple of players, or a couple of different situations that happened in this game that I think are worthy of conversation. We're gonna start with Tony Pollard. He got a good day yesterday, and I thought, Nick you when you came to the press box, we were

first person I want in the press box. Oh sorry, When whenever I saw the picture of you in the press box, I wanted to point out the back like Tony Pollard, and what he did yesterday was special because I knew. I knew you were making the claim I don't have anything to do with Zeke. Don't get me started on seeing you wrote an article about it. Tell me the premise of the article. I just I feel like it was about Tony Pollard. This is what they

drafted him to be. They wanted him to be this kind of guy, and if you think about most of his success, pretty much all of it was in space. That's what they did with him. I don't think they need to have Zeke in the lineup or out of the line up to utilize him that way. They need to figure out how to get these two backs going in the game more. Um. I don't think this means, oh, you just replace him because he didn't replace Zeke in

the things they asked Zeke to do. He was doing a lot of stuff on the edges, which is great, a lot of swing passes. I think he needs to be replacing the third or fourth receiver, maybe as some of the tight end something like that, different packages, as twenty packages. As Bucky said last week, I don't think he did all the dirty work that Zeke did. But he was great. Let's let's make it about Tony Pollard. He was electrifying. So let me ask you this question.

I'm gonna flip that a little bit challenge. Do you think it challenge a little bit? Do you think that maybe the Cowboys as a team maybe shouldn't be doing the things that they're asking Zeke to do as much as the things that they're asking Tony Pollard to do. And what I mean by that is you I assume what you're saying is he's not a power runner. He's not a guy's gonna line up and you know you're gonna pound right behind the center and pick up three

four yards. Do you think maybe Cowboys should look at this and say, I'll give you a good example. Marshall Falk made a career of being the type of back that Tony Pollard was yesterday. Their offense was built around that type of running back. They got him out in space, They looked for opportunities to get the ball in his hand in space and let him create with it. Should the Cowboys be doing more or of that versus trying to pound the ball with Zeke Elliott? I mean I

think that's that's a fair point. I'll tell let Dave answer that too, But I mean, yeah, I think that The way to think about it, though, is Zeke makes fifteen million a year. He's your back. You've made the bed, you gotta you gotta sleep in it, absolutely, and you gotta go to zeke strengths. But there's ways to get incorporate Pollard in there, Dave, David Hellman in yours. Y'all are kind of choppy right now. Sorry, yeah, did you hear? Did you hear the question? Did you were talking about?

We just want to get your opinion. You repeat it for me. I'm sorry. We're trying to find out what your thoughts are on Tony Pollard versus Zeke whether and my question to Nick was he said that Pollard wasn't doing the kind of things you asked asked Zeke to do. My question is maybe the Cowboys shouldn't be asking Zeke to do those things, or asking anybody to do those things.

Maybe they need to have an offense more geared to what the types of things that they were asking of Tony Pollard yesterday versus the things that maybe they're asking Zeke to do. What do you think? I mean? I like they have given Zeke those opportunities, have they not? Like Zeke has been targeted plenty in the passing game this season, hasn't really done a whole lot. His hands

have been questionable. I mean, I don't think Tony Pollard did anything that Zeke could not do yesterday, like he you know, they weren't asking him to run these crazy routes or or anything like that, like stuff that Zeke's not capable. But we have not seen that from Ezekiel Elliott. And the argument that I'm hearing, you know, on Twitter and just in Cowboyland right now, is like, yeah, you need both of these running backs because Zeke does do the dirty work. Zeke gets the four yard gains, and

Zeke always falls forward and all that stuff. But is that really what you're paying a guy fifteen million dollars to do? Because that that doesn't that doesn't work. I mean, that's just not good team building. If you're you know, if you're dirty runner who never breaks explosive plays and never has a one hundred and fifty yard all purpose day, you know, sixty receiving yards, seventy rushing yards um. If if all he's doing is falling forward for four yards,

I mean, anybody can do that. You know, Chris Carson does that for Seattle and they got him in like the seventh round. So it's it creates a conundrum because I do think Zeke is valuable. You know, I'm not trying to get rid of the guy, but but he's making a lot more than what his role suggests. And I mean, like I said, I'm not trying to get rid of Zeke, but I thought Tony Pollard's performance kind

of emphasized that yesterday. What are you thinking. I'm not sure if the game plan was better suited for Tony Pollard's ability or if Pollard just simply executed them better. My thing is that these guys are both on the same team. I mean, you're both on the same team. You're playing for the same reasons. I don't think there's a need to put them against each other. There's you

can utilize them both. I don't think that Poler can do some of the things that ze can do, and obviously, based on the things that we've seen, Zeek cannot do maybe not anymore some of the things that polar is being able to do as far as those explosive plays. But I think it just comes down to Kellen Moore and the way that they decide to utilize both of them, Like they have different games, Like these two guys have different abilities, and you can use that to your advantage.

You can just you just need to find a way to distribute the plays better, find ways that you can actually combine them both, use them both at the same time, and use that as a threat. So I'm not here to be like, go on oh team or team polar here, I'm here on both team. I'm like both of them. Just use them both and find the best way to use them. So but but I'm definitely not ready to say, oh, yeah, Zeke is not that kind of back anymore, sit him

out and give Pollard the ball a lot more. No, I just think you need to find a way to use them both. Well. The fact is they absolutely have to use them both because Zeke ain't going anywhere, Like the contract is not one that you're going to be able to trade. You're not gonna cut him and just assume all that money. And by the way, he still is a good player, Like you need good players so that you're gonna have to have them both. And I think Nikki hit the nail on the head when you

said they just got to figure out. And I heard you say on the radio this morning when you're doing your hit with one on five out three of the fan that it's kind of baffling that it took Zeke being out for them to actually use Pollard in these ways. Because what we saw yesterday was a very dynamic running back and it doesn't seem like they have figured out how to do that win Zeke's in the lineup, which

is baffling. They should be able to figure that, especially on there was a play where Rico Daddle was the running back and they had they swung him around, and you know that would even be better, you know, if you had Zeke in there. So they that's going to be one of those offseason things they really needed to

figure out ways to do that use them both. I think I also said this Kamara was the player that they mentioned when when I think Stephen Jones said they wanted him to be like a Kamara when it was, you know, at the Saints and when he first I think they made the Pro Bowl the same year mark Ingram made the Pro Bowl for the Saints. Now again it Sean Payton's he's a genius over there, and he's got Drew Brees and all that. But two running backs

made the Pro Bowl. You know, they only take three, So there's a way to do it where you have a good runner that's featured. But they also after that they moved on from that other back and made Kamara their primary back, right, So I mean, if you use that argument, is Pollard good enough to do that? And I think ultimately what this does it just illuminates the reason why maybe you shouldn't in that second contract any running back it is because it's just so plentiful. Right, Yeah,

I'm not talking about what they did afterwards. You're right, but because if the contract was different, this might be different here, but this is the way it is. This is the way the contract is, so figure it out. There's there's some example so that it can work. You're right. If Zeke was in the last year of his contract, should be a different conversation that would be. But he's not,

and they got to figure it out. Do you think that Zeke's contract, whether explicitly or subconsciously, weighs into that, Like, do you think there is an element of, well, this guy commands x amount of the salary cap pie, like he needs to be on the field, Like, yeah, we don't need you know, we're not equal using a guy on a rookie contract verse a guy that's eating up fifteen million dollars of our salary cap. I don't know the answer to that, but it does make me wonder.

I think, yeah, they should. They should be better at balancing these two players. They haven't been the whole time I'm Tony's been on the team, and it does make me wonder, if you know, resource allocation is part of the reason why. And you know, we didn't talk about the offensive line. I thought the offensive line played played better yesterday. I mean, I'm curious to see what people that really study and know what they're looking for and

all that. What Terrence Steel's great to have been here lately, he seems like he's playing a little bit better. I actually think the narrative may have flipped a little bit. I actually think Brandon Knight is one I see with more bust now than Terrence Steel. Just I'll point to there's this one play particularly where I think they would

have had a touchdown. It was a I want to say it was the second third down, but anyway, the Dalton was backing up, he was was about to throw to Cede Land in the middle, and Cede was I mean, he had nothing but green grass in front of him and he knew it and so did Andy. But basically Brandon Knight and it was basically less side of line you had Looney, you had Connor, and you had Brandon Knight, and they all three just kind of completely whipped on this.

On this twist at the San Francisco defensive front, Rand and nobody picked up the guy loop to the inside and he just basically blew up the play and and and you know, Brandon Ni kind of doesn't know what's going on, Connor kind of stuck with this guy getting recognize what's going on. Looney's over kind I'm messing helping up on the right side. So I just think, Yeah, I've seen more plays over the last two weeks where

I was like, what is Brandon doing here? I haven't really noticed Herren still very much at all of these last few weeks, And to me, that's an improvement because we were noticing him a lot earlier in the year. I think my point I was going to say is that it's an athletic line a little bit more than they are a power line, or a lot more than they are as a power line. With with Lion's got's power, Tyrant's got some power, Zach Martin, you know they can run.

I think this the line is better suited to have Zeke in there than it is you know the way it is right now. But but I'd say this that NFC westlet next year, Oh my god. I mean the forty nine is are gonna be back because they have good coaching staff. They're gonna be back. Seattle is Seattle. They're gonna rams Cardinals Division. Yeah, I think there's gonna be better. But man's that might be the best in football right there. All right, we'll appreciate you guys join us.

We'll be back tomorrow. We'll get into some other topics. There were some things we didn't get a chance to get into, like Noah Brown and the wide receivers. We'll talk about some of that stuff tomorrow. Till then, for Nick Even, Dave Helm and Amber Garcia. I'm Derek Elton. 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.