Cowboys Break: Preventing 2017 Again?

number eighty one. Welcome to another edition of The Break, live from the s WBC Morgan Studios at the Star talking Cowboys football for Where's that? Where is that energy? I haven't even said anything yet. How do you know I don't have it? Well, you just started. How do you know yesterday? How do you know? I got energy out the wazoo today? I actually like this. Let's keep it going like this is good. You've done eighty one of these shows since March, yes, since April, April. Whatever.

It's a lot and we still got a lot to go. Yeah. We are only halfway through the season. Yeah, you're right. That was cute. And we haven't even like a married couple stop and we haven't even we haven't even talked about playoffs playoffs, Well we can if they win this game, can we? Yes? I say that till Friday, but I just jumped right in with it. Didn't we talk about them like tuesday? Anyway, they'll make the playoffs if they win this game. That's not that's my opinion. They will

make the playoffs just based on this one. Yeah, this is the swing game. This is the this is that game that they didn't win last year that Atlanta won and it kind of propelled them. I'm not saying it's exactly the same. Didn't we say Washington was the swing game like three weeks ago? You have to win that one. We have to win that. I mean you can't. I meant the one that they already lost. Oh yeah they lost, Yeah,

but you are. You also probably had the big L already written in Philadelphia, So they came back on that one much much Tennessee. You would know. What's interesting on that note, right now, the Cowboys are owing four against teams at winning records. They're four won against teams with losing records, five of their last seven against teams with

losing records. Well, they haven't been consistent, but it certainly lines up to where they can actually get on a roll here if they continue to do what they've been doing. People come up with like different facts and like stuff like that, graphics of like make away. You could also say this team hasn't won a game on the road against the team with a winning record, and but just try to find a way to make it makes sense.

And to be honest with you, even if you go that that's that they have to still win one, I think they still got to win at least one of those games against winning record teams would be Washington and New Orleans. They gotta beat Washington if they expect to win the division because if not, that means that Washington wouldn't have a tie break over them and head to hit the means no way they get to like division without that. I like where I like. I like your hotspa.

Uh yeah, this is how I see it, And Jason Garrett wouldn't think this way. But you win this game to get to five and five, Yeah, you gotta beat the Redskins. You just have two, six and five, Okay, six and six, then you got then you got the Eagles. They're not beating the Saints. Even though I know you're saying somebody's gonna beat them. And I just noticed close they were to being o and two. I mean, Cleveland

had them beat, but they didn't beat them. So the next thing, you know, look at they're one of the best ever six and they're rolling. They got the Eagles coming back again. I still I didn't. I don't think that the Eagles are that good now, I really know. I think the Cowboys got it wasn't the injuries. I mean, I think their secondary has been so decimated. I think that's why the Cowboys had the success they did. I'm interested to see how that works against the defense, where

maybe they have a secondary still intact. It's not going to be this week because, as we'll talk about with the Atlanta defense, they've got a lot of injuries themselves. But then they got to face that Eagles team again, who's done pretty well this season against the past. They'll beat them and seven and six. They'll split those middle two games, even though they need to win them both, they won't. They'll be what seven have eight and seven. They'll beat the Giants nine and seven. I think they'll

win the East with the nine and seven. Do you think a nine a second records? They're gonna go five and two down to stretch in your opinion, Yep, that's and I'm glad you said that because that's what the heck of a run, that's what has to happen, because that's even if they win this game. I'm sitting here thinking, all right, Washington six and three, So I think ten and six is gonna win this division every Yeah, I

definitely ten. I think I think the Cowboys shot right now is they gotta win six of I mean six to the last seven. They have to win at least nine, if not ten. And I think we can all agree that the NFC East is not getting a wild card, yeah, right, one of those is going to the NFC South, and then I would guess probably the North yea. In that scenario that I just said at nine and seven, that means the Redskins have to go three and four to

get to nine and seven. You've tied them, but you'll you'll definitely have a better record than the division because you'd be five and one in the division if you go if you do that round, if you go five and two, I don't know, it's gonna be tough. I mean, Tampa in Indianapolis we're kind of you know, they're it's amazing going on the road and getting to win, can do because changes the conversation. But no, it's that opens the door for them to walk through it right here

against to Atlanta. You don't win this game. I don't see those scenarios that gonna win six in a row. And this conversation is pretty funny. It's funny, but I mean, I am, but it's just funny listening to you guys. I'm talking about this way I started. It's possible. It's he's driving the car and I just yanked it in the ditch. All right? How many how many of their losses are in the NFC? Carolina, Seattle, uh, Washington? That's it, is it? Yeah? Because yeah, so that could be big.

It's if you're gonna split those two games, you better split, you better lose the colds. And that's well. But that's the thing is those tie breaks didn't come down when you start talking about that's why they don't get in the wild cards because the teams that would probably be in the wild card they've already lost to Carolina, They've already lost to Seattle. Like those are teams that will be right there firmly in that hunt. I mean, makes

it tough. They can't they can't lose this game and expect to realistically make the playoffs, because I mean it's an NFC team. Puts them another game behind not only the Redskins, but all the other teams fighting for a wild card. So they got they got their work cut out for him. They absolutely do. Must go through the injury report. As you guys mentioned yesterday, there were a

ton of defensive linemen they were out yesterday. Um, catch us up on what we know at this point about who's out and and what we're thinking is the status of those guys. It's mostly still bad. Malik Collins returned to the field, and everybody else is still out. Antoine Woods is out, Taco Charlton is out, Daniel Ross is out. And wait, when you're saying out, you're not. You're not making the deflation out for their out of practice two days out of practice tossion. At this point, I guess, yeah,

what he's in the protocol? I guess at this point, which, yeah, that happened in the game, Sure, I guess. I just I never noticed kind of round out of those planes. You said it was the quietest plane. Maybe you got knocked out. I mean, I don't know. It was just a surprising injury to see on the report for me. Yeah, at least I wasn't expecting that. I'm not ruling anybody

out for the game. But it's Thursday, and if you haven't done something by Thursday, I fully expect that they're gonna have to make a move on call out somebody from the practice squad, probably Christian Ringo and Aziz Shitto. Talking to what they have right now at defensive tackle, they have to play today. Who is well available to them? If I'm talking on the current active ruster. If they had to play today, you would guess Malik can maybe

do something for you. Tyrone can play defensive tackle, but Tacos also not available, so he would probably have to play some end. You got Karan Read and am I forgetting somebody? Um, those three are gonna have to play tackle and your ends are gonna be Armstrong Gregory and DeMarcus Marcus Lawrence. There's six, that's all you got, so you're gonna have to have more body if nothing else, bodies hold out hope for Friday. Maybe you know, if if Woods can get out of the protocol. At least

you know it's not a fit. You know, you don't want to make a lot of concussions, but it's not a physical ailment that keeps them from playing. So if you can clear the protocol. But like I said, I really yeah, I really think they'll have to do something with one of those defensive tackles just to have enough bodies to play. Yeah, but that could be a bit of a challenge too. I mean, you think about how this defense is played. I think the tackles are big

part of that. I think stopping the run they've been really good, and I think they've been at times been able to get push up the middle that's affected passers. And you're talking about maybe the best passing attack maybe

that you've seen all season. I would say definitely'll have your best pass rushers though you're you know you're three, but best pass rushers you still have intact right, But think about that though, when you're talking about pass rushers, that what makes in my opinion, what makes pass rushers effective is when they get a push, because otherwise, how many times do you see the defensive end going around the outside and the tackle just kind of rides them

right around around the quarterback because quarterback doesn't have to come out like they can just step right into the pocket. So if your tackles aren't getting pushed, I mean one of those three best press is a tackle. Crawford, he's gonna pushing and Malik will be there. So at least you're getting two guys who are starters. So you thought would be the starters all that year. You got starters. You just don't have anybody rotation with him, which again

can be part of a challenge. Yeah that, I mean, it's really more the depth is the thing that concerns me more than not having players Like, yeah, we just three guys went down in one game four days ago. So Connor Williams he was limited yesterday with a knee injury. Uh, he missed the last game. Um, what are you guys hearing about him? And what are the chances that, even if he's healthy that he does not start this week? No chance for that because he um, the Cowboys won't

say that he will be banged up or something. He won't be. It will be like they're not gonna say he's completely healthy, he will not start. Garrett's not gonna say that Garrett doesn't want to hurt the young guys feelings or whatever like that. He's not gonna do that. He's gonna be likely. He's still working through through some things and we'll see and you know, he wasn't quite there yet, and we're gonna go with tou a Filo. He played well the other day too, That's what he'll say.

And as annoying as it is when coaches lie to us, I appreciate it in this instance. I think that's the right way to play it to Connor Williams has played well for the most part this year. He's had his share of struggles. Um Xavier su a Filo handled one of the best defensive tackles they've played all year. He did it with Flying Colors. They played their best game on the ground. He's coming off a niscope. There's no reason to rush him out there. See what you got, Okay,

So let me project three weeks from now. Let's assume that he's still sitting there and see a Field is playing well. If he does, he can't keep saying the injury right, no, and it's the Hey, we've seen this before. What will happen is Connor Williams will read a statement in front of all the two years ago today. By the way, it was two years ago to play. Yeah, we really two years to today? Yeah it was that really a huh. It's so sad. No, that's football is

a meritocracy. As a veteran quarterback once told me, if they go to Atlanta and just pile drive these guys and run for two hundred yards, it's to a filo's job. And that's why I'm looking at it. And and Connor Williams will understand that he's been playing football his whole life. It's assum's game. Assuming this happens, which we got to see it, let's be fair. But assuming that happens, it's not an indictment on Connor williams ability or his future.

It's just these things happen in football, and he'll have four more or three more years worth of opportunities to do to be there. It's fine. I want some irony to this whole thing if this goes down this way. So thirteen years ago, I don't care how old you guys were, but thirteen years ago, two thousand and five, it was very long ago. Cowboys had drafted a second round pick in Jacob Rodgers to play. Remember they play

right tackle or left tackle or whatever. But before that, they had picked up a guy who had been a first round pick, but he was kind of going through injuries and stuff like that, and I just picked about see if he'll be good, and then he ends up actually starting that year and then started the next seven years because he really his first round talent finally got to that level. That guy who's Mark Colombo, who was

now the offensive line coach. To this situation as the Cowboys have a second round pick and a former high second which is very similar to what Colombo was drafted. If it goes down, life works. But Connor Williams has showed more ounce of fight in like his first practice than Jacob Rogers ever showed in the two years that he was here. So I don't want to compare those two guys like a great problem. Connor Williams is going

to play somewhere. He's something I don't know. Actually I'm writing it's I'm not done with it, but I'm writing about this in my column. Like I said, it's not a long term indictment of Connor Williams. He needs more time to get ready again, we've how many we've seen this three or four times before already? Zavier Stuephilo was the first pick of the second round, Like, this is

not some scrub, Like he's a talented guy. They plugged him into a line that has a lot of talent, going back to a scheme that they're familiar with, Like it makes sense that he would play well here. It also makes it, you know, like, well, why didn't they do this the first seven eight weeks of the years? Like well, it also makes sense that you want the guy you spend a second round pick on to get acclimated as quickly as possible and contribute as quickly as possible.

Like all of these things make sense, Like hindsight, it can be so dangerous, Like it doesn't make you dumb that you tried it one way and you know, and it doesn't make you dumb for not going back to that. I like Suaphilo, and I think that he actually will be the starter. I really that's what I believe. But let's not forget that. Chas Greene filled in for Tyrn Smith for a couple of weeks, played well, and we

had pretty high expectations of what he could do. It didn't really work out obviously, So I'm just saying, let's see. You know, there's a reason Houston cut to a field. Let's see, or they can cut they let him go. They just didn't let him go through his contract. Tennessee cut him. Yeah, so we'll we'll see. But I just I don't know. I have this feeling about him that he's gonna be pretty good. How do two I really do? Great? Thing is we'll get I bet, I bet you fifty dollars.

He starts in Atlanta and we'll find we'll get to find out. So and the thing about is I keep just going back to it was It wasn't Jay Eddie played well last week. It was Eddie played well against that galaxer that matters so much in the grand scheme of all. If he plays well this weekend, I'll be like, huh okay, because there's not a guy that's across from him that you're like, that is a stud that he's

gonna have a hard time with. That's where we all thought last week going up against Fletcher Cox, and he did a very very nice job. Zach Martin and Tyron Smith are both back to practice too. I expect them, which was expected. Right, All right, let's go ahead and take our first break. When we come back, we're gonna get into Dave Scouting Report. Today. We're talking about the Atlanta Falcons defense unit that was young and very and pretty good last I should say very good, but pretty

good last year. Um, but they've been had some injuries. We'll talk about that when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a thing, than cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch to DirecTV now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no bulky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports you love. Tried DirecTV Now for ten dollars a month for three months.

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Dallas Cowboys this Sunday noon game. Dave talked us about this Atlanta Falcons defense. Okay, they're not very good. Oh wow, m thirtieth in total yards per game, thirtieth against the past, twenty first against the run, and twenty ninth in scoring. I think we should just forfeit this whole guy, like just say, I mean, hey, every time I say somebody's bad, they show up, they show up. And every time I say somebody's good, we the Cowboys dominate them. So maybe

we shouldn't do that anymore. Maybe we should just kill this whole segment. Hey, my week would be so less much less stressful if I didn't have to do this, honestly, but uh no, I mean to be fair of the Falcons. They're dealing with some injuries and that's literally line one for this week for me, is is Dion Jones going to be back or not? He broke his foot in the season opener. He's a Pro Bowler, went to LSU. That's kind of what we do. We put out Pro

Bowl players. Um, all right, that's what. How who's leading the NFL in the past? He did know that? No, I don't even he's got more pvus than anyone in football. Mo baby Mo claiborne. Where he's with the Jets. He's with the Jet I that is a decade ago. I mean, we don't have to do this. Dion Jones is one of the best young linebackers in football. He broke his foot in the season opener. Uh, he is back on the roster. He was limited yesterday. I don't know if

he's gonna play that. They say they're gonna be cautious with him, but he is a difference maker and I'm sure if they think he can go, they will throw him out there. Um, he's undersized, but he's fast. Uh he sidelined to sideline speed. Like, I don't know that he can single handedly turn this thing around for the Falcons,

but he can definitely make a difference. They also don't have Keyant O'Neil, which literally the middle of their defense was such a strength with Grady Jarrett, Dion Jones and Keyan O'Neil, and they lost two of the three within the first two weeks of the season. Neil's not coming back. Jones might be back. Um. Ironically, the guy that replaced Kean O'Neil, Demante Kazi, is leading the league and interceptions

right now. So they do have talent, But this is If that's the case, then why are they having such a problem. That's honestly, I'm okay. Injuries is one, but then like guys that you used to be able to count on like don't have it this year. I don't have a great answer for you. I mean, their pass rusher hasn't been great, right, Vick Beasley has fallen off the map. He's got a sack, a sack one more

than Nick. Yeah. Wow, I'm talking about a guy who like actually led the league all pro I think I think he had sixteen the year the Falcons went to the Super Bowl. Yeah, um, just doesn't have it this year. Whether that's because he can't be double teams or is that what he's seeing a lot of, well and what you saw, No, Because to Carst McKinley, who you might remember as a Cowboys target, has six sacks like he's having a great year. So defensive defensive? What's that? Ye tack?

Uh so No, I don't buy that. And Jack Crawford, who you also probably remember, is having himself a nice season. He's got four sacks playing defensive tack. Always that three? I like Cowboys over there? Who's the third? I don't know who the second is? For you mcclan Oh, I forgot Thron McClane. Oh they all you know, the defensive tackle? Yeah, you know who's on this team. I thought he was out of football. Bruce Carter saw that on the injury report,

which he's not. You get how excited saying that on the injury report? I forgot. I forgot about Thron mclin To be honest with you, he didn't. Bruce was, No, he's not her. He just he's a rotational guy. Carter was Jalen Smith before Jalen Smith. Right, that's what they said. Yeah, he was Are you talking about before he got to before he got here, what people said about him. No, I'm just saying he was a second round draft that was coming off a knee injury. Yeah, and that's why

he's never as talented. He wasn't. He did funny sat about Bruce Carter. He blocked four punts in one game in college. About that four punts and one game. I mean, double team him at some point. Yeah, by the third or fourth of judicious everybody block him. But their pass rush is bad. They have seventeen sacks as a team. That's twenty eighth in the league, even with Tack having an Yeah, Beasley's not helping Tack and your secondary suffering

for it. Because you know, two years ago, Desmond Truffont and Robert Alford were very highly thought of them. Of course they were. You make a run of the Super Bowl, everybody gets inflated. But they're not. I mean, maybe it's because they don't have a pass rush. Maybe it's just

because it's hard to play cornerback in the NFL. But they're not having nice seasons again, I mean they're giving up three hundred yards per game, and this goes I mean, you know, this isn't just This isn't just because of who they're playing, like Washington, who has been similarly aerially challenged. Like the Cowboys. They threw for three hundred. Granted that's a game that they lost thirty eight to fourteen, so you're gonna be throwing a lot more, but still hit

the three hundred. Who lost The Redskins blown out by the Falcons a couple weeks ago. M Tampa threw for four hundred on him. New York through for four hundred on him. Throw for that much on everybody. Oh, I know, New York who? And that was a close game. New York the Giants three two h even. You know, Cleveland only through for two sixteen, but Baker Mayfield only through three in completions in that game. He finished with a one fifty one rating. So I'm sure it all works

in tandem. Pass rushesn't getting home and that's hurting the secondary. But um, I'm gonna be I want to see, you know, much like the Eagles, I want to see how the Cowboys throw against these guys, because they should be able to and if Tyran Smith is in the game, which he's back at practice, so knock on wood, Like, I don't think Dak is gonna get sacked eight times. I would get probably probably two, three or four based on what they're doing every league. The trend, Yeah, but I

go with eight. I would hope not. My god, the times does that happen? And like in league history, how many times does that happen? Well, it's not the it's not the eight. It's not the eight that jumps out at the same guy. It's the six from one guy, because I mean Matt and just a regular guy. This was not Reggie White. Matt Stafford got sacked ten times by Minnesota the other day, and Joe Flacco was sacked eleven time. No, I'm sorry, Marcus Mariota was sacked eleven

times by Baltimore. So our sacks up this year because it seems like there have been some a lot of There have been a few games where you've seen a lot of sacks. I couldn't tell you. I just wonder if there's a trend that's starting just because there's so much passing happening around the league. Are sacks up as a result. But I really like this, you know, famous

last words. I'm sorry, but like I'm just looking. I watched two and a half games of these guys, and like the Cowboys should be able to run, like I think you can. You can bulldoze these guys out of the way. Tack McKinley is a good player, but I think he's he's far more useful as a pass rusher at this point in his career. I don't think he's as well rounded as like a Demarcuslawrence that he's gonna make serious hey in the run game. Uh, Grady Jarrett

is a great pass rushing defensive tackle. I don't think he's like this amazing space eater. Which side is he gonna be lined up in? My majority of time three tech? So I mean take your pick, but I mean is this gonna be a I would just gonna be an equally challenging game close. Grady Jarrett's a good player, right, not a great player. Fletcher Cox is something else, right, I mean, he's in He's not on Aaron Donald's level. I don't think anybody is right now, but it's kind

of hard to say anybody. Fletcher Cox is a different and that's he's definitely he's probably the next closest. Another day I was talking is about it. I was like, I don't know that I can think of another defensive tackle between Donald and Fletcher Cox, Like, I think that's probably one two. I would guess Tampa McCoy. Is he better than is he better than? Is he better than him? I think I would probably take those two if I

was starting a team. Yeah, uh, Coxon and Donald for sure. Um, if they at Irving would just stay healthy or he would be. He really would be. He's got more talent than probably some of those guys you just mentioned. He just doesn't have the consistency. Doesn't have it, and we see it every year those few games he plays, he's just he can be dominant. Now there's also some games we've seen where he can be absent, Like you're he's there, he's playing, but he's just not. I get what you're

saying that a whole lot. I can't go there. I mean we've seen, we've seen flashes and like he's had some amazing performances. He's been really impressive, but like Aaron, Donald has literally destroyed everything that's been put in front of him since he was like nineteen, I'm gonna, I'm going back to college. He's like the most decorated player in Pitt history, which really one of them if he I mean, I know, you know, he didn't win the Heisman, but he racked up every freaking thing else you can

win at defensive tackle. And that's not when Pitt was good, when Dorset and Marino were there. This is doormat Pitt a long time ago. Yeah, so no, he's I mean, Phil, he's And if you watch it, it's rare you watch a defensive tackle wreak that much havoc. But it's like Warren Sapp used to do, Like you would just watch and watch the defensive tackle position because you knew on every play he had the potential to do something big. I think it. It'll be big. It'll be big for

the Falcons if Dion Jones can come back. But even I mean another another bit. You know, Vick Beasley's having a terrible season by his standards, but Lyle Collins has has struggled. That's he's primary a left side guy. You know, I'm sure you know Falcons talk is like, well, maybe this is a favorable matchup. Well, you know, Lyle Collins is figured out, has lost a step. So it's something to watch. But I mean, talk, this is his this

is his favorite. This is as good. This is as good as I've felt about an opposing defense in a while. I mean, you know, even I wasn't super impressed by Tennessee's, but you know, they had Darrell Casey. They had some guys there that give you pause, whereas I don't. I don't. I just but it sounds like you're it's more about how they're playing than the player, because it sounds like some of these guys have been traditionally pretty good players.

They're just right now not playing well for whatever reason, or not playing exceptionally as they had in the past. They're playing horribly, yeah, across the board, and so I mean that's I fully expect. I think Suefieldo is going to play well. I think if the Cowboys can't run on this team, then I don't know, I don't know what happened, basically, and I think that should set everything else up. I don't Dak's I in the throw for four hundred yards, but they don't want them to. But

there should be plays there against these guys. On bottom line, how about this stat. This is just I don't even know what this stat means. But penalty yards. The Cowboys have four hundred and fifty eight penalty yards against them four ninety nine for the Falcons. That's about the same opponent penalty yards Cowboys three thirty nine the Falcons six forty six. So teams that are playing the Falcons are

being penalized six hundred and forty six yards. That's double what the Cowboys at Cowboys gotta be or at the bottom of the league. So as far as wheat zero zero, big old doughnut, which is curious in and of itself, right, Yeah, but six forty six, Like, what does that mean? Like a bunch of past interference penalties that's probably that's probably a lot of it. I mean, think about the guys. They got the best part of their team I think

is their their receivers. That's where you probably got the most talent on that team, and they'll go down field. So think about how many I mean, that's where you can get forty fifty yards Because it doesn't sound like those guys are being hard to block that they're just getting held every time, which that raises another key component.

Go back to yesterday, red zone Cowboys defense, Falcons offense, Like the tenor of this game can change completely if the Falcons are just zipping downfield for I mean, you get yourself in a fourteen to three hole or twenty one to nothing hole. That changes the complexion of everything. Zeke says every week, we gotta start fast, we gotta

start fast. That would be I mean, you know, I'm not expecting you to build up a huge lead against such an explosive team, but you can't afford to fall behind against that offense and let the defense change the way they play the ball. No, but I wouldn't hate it as much as I have in other weeks. I still I would still, I would still defer, I would still defer to, but I wouldn't hate it if I just love the possibility to turn around, Like that's why

that's you know, you can double up points exactly. It's it's too big of a flip to know that you're getting the ball coming out a halftime. But if they took the ball in this game, I would be like, all right, I get it. I mean the good part is I mean, if you do that, then you know, even if you're down, you got two opportunities right there, back to back. If it all works out like that, you get two opportunities back to back to maybe catch up.

If you're a head, it's gravy like that means you got two opportunities to get points that puts you farther ahead before they touch the ball again. I just think that there's no other part of the game that gives you that kind of advantage than deferring. The only thing I don't like is of teams, and I think the

Cowboys have done this. When they get the ball to start the third quarter, it changes their aggressiveness and at the end of the half, like still go down and still you know forty seconds to go, you still try to go get that field goal. Doesn't matter if you're getting the ball. I would actually turn around and come out of halftime in no huddle the same way like

my two minutes draw. I would run it coming out of halftime with the adjustments that I'm gonna make in the types of people, the types of matchups I want to exploit and try to catch them off guard there and try to get that quick score. I just think there's such an opportunity there when you get the ball at the end and at the beginning of the half. It's your call. I mean, whoever, Crawford, I mean, tails tales never fails. Sorry if you already said this, Dave

and I just missed it. But how's their defense in the red zone? Oh crap, I don't know. I didn't look. Oh sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just scarious because obviously that is one of the things that other Cowboys often has been struggling. Well, that's that's a that's a great It is a very good question, and it's my personal failure that I don't have any I'm not being sarcastic, like

I just tell you about the ball. We do this show every day, so why don't you have it for us Tomorrow we'll talk a little bit, probably get the answer for you by the time we get back for the nastreak. We're gonna take a break. When to come back, We got our guys. Steve Buchanan from Draftking is going to be joining us here in our third segment, talk a little bit of fantasy football. Then we get back and Dave will tell us little bit more about this red zone defense when we come right back. This is

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and hats in the Pro Shop or at Stetson dot Com. Today, back to the Prank Welcome Back, final segment of The Break Live from the SWBC Barris Studios. At the start, we just had a conversation about Star Wars that didn't involve Can't. Can't probably could have downloaded. They've been all in on that he's definitely Star Wars. Yeah, what was that about, talking about the fact that they're not really in order? And then they revealed him four or five

to six, one, two, three, seven, eight. But you don't have to really, you don't really have to watch episodes one, two and three. I think you're good. You don't have to watch over We asked if if she could, uh, oh, basically, how we started talking about this is the fact that I didn't really like that the name Falcon Talk, so I thought they will have a cover four over there in Atlanta where they have a kind of a younger group millennials, and they call their show Millennial Falcons. That's

what they called. And then we asked Ammber if she could name one character, and she said, Darth Vader. That's nice as a movie I mean, as a movie buff and a Star Wars fan like you and I both are. I don't think you could be in a room with three people that know less about Star Wars and I am right now, no, no, no, you know all about Star Wars. Yeah, Nick, But but okay, I'm not Grito. I mean I had him, dere and Derek and ambar

a Brown right now. Though I saw when I was a kid, I saw one of them, and that's about it. I can't remember much from it, draw characters out of my mind. I could visualize them. I can't tell you the story behind it, but I have this. Actually, Hey, I wish I could experience Star Wars at her age. This isn't a fitting topic of conversation because the star you know, Star Wars, y'all gonna make me actually want to go and just kind of watch them all bad

through him like one. Just put them on the first three. The most recent ones are pretty good too. Skip the first three. The originals are the best, and then the new ones are Okay, the new ones are pretty good. We got our buddy Steve Buchanan from Draft Kings on the line talk a little fantasy football with us. How you doing, Steve? Good? And you can't talk the original three? That's where it I'm from. There you go totally agree. So you guys, you're saying, Steve that jar Jar Binks

is not, you know, on your fantasy team. Yeah, that was it for me. Gets the ultimate cut, never to be up, never add yeah, drop forever. Hey, I will not ask you about kickers this week, so I won't ask you every once in a while, you know, but I am going to ask you about a punter because Chris Jones is every now dirt. I did have a

question for you, though. I wanted to start with a Cowboys matchup this week, Cowboys playing the Falcons um and I was looking at a guy like Austin Hooper who has had He's been a pretty good tight end in fantasy throughout the year. A little bit inconsistent, but I think most tight ends, except for the top two, are

pretty or can be inconsistent at times. That being said, looking at what Zach Birch was able to do the to Cowboys last week, how affective do you think a guy like Austin Hooper will be, not just from a fantasy standpoint, but just as a matchup for the Cowboys? How do you think they'll deal with a guy like Austin Hooper? Yeah? You know, Hooper has been a guy who's just wild, you know, like you said, like you said, just from the tight end position to begin with. But

he's seeing a ton of targets of the Lady. He saw eleven last week against the Brown caught ten of But the problem is he just doesn't get utilized enough in the red zone that I'm looking at him on a more consistent basis. I mean, I feel like the Cowboys have been pretty much inconsistent with titles as a whole as it is. But yeah, who puts this soone?

They've been leaning on a lot lately, But you're actually starting to remember that Hulo Jones is on that team, and they're starting to go to him a little bit more in the wet zone because he scored almost all season long, but he's finally scored two weeks in a row, So definitely don't mind Hooper about Yeah, he's sound. I can kind of speak up the cracks there as well.

And you guys are doing your projections of each week, and you got Julio Jones there, and there's a guy that hadn't been catching a lot of touchdowns until recently, Like do you do you think, Okay, he's gonna snap out of it this week or this week he's gonna snap out of it? I mean, like, how do you how do you project a guy that has been so good for so long but he's kind of maybe been

in a touchdown slump. I mean it's maddening. I mean it's absolutely maddening that, by far the most talented guy on their team and it's just not utilizing him in the red zone. What's been saving him all season long ago is that he's still get those targets. I mean, he's averaging over ten a game this season, but he's just getting those yards. When you look at what he's done over the past four weeks, he's had over one hundred and four receiving yards in all of those games.

So even though he wasn't reaching the end zone, he was still doing it from a fantasy perspective, because he's utilized so much in that game and it just feels like nobody can stop him. I mean, no matter what juncture or what team he's facing, he still ends up getting it done so completely. It was nothing for the first start eight weeks of the season where he just wasn't reaching the end zone, but the consolation prizes you want to call it, that was he was still scoring

those fantasy points and you know, keeping imrelevant. We got Steve Buchannan here from DraftKings talking a little fantasy football with us as we do every Thursday. In the third segment, Mary Cooper, He's a guy that that obviously got to the Cowboys a few weeks ago. Has hasn't had numbers that are off the charts, but I think he's played a really important role for this team and you can see some of the results of having him on the field.

Is he at a point yet from a fantasy standpoint that he is a you know that he is a guy you would start each and every week knowing that if any receiver is going to do anything for the Cowboys. It's probably gonna start with him absolutely, I mean to be totally honest, and he's actually one of my favorite plays of the week. The Cowboy and Salton came. Altogether, it's just so chock full of fantasy goodness this week. It feels like, because there's just so many good plays

in there, Cooper has to be one of them. I mean, last week the Falcons allowed the least amount of receiving yards to opposing team, but that's because they're getting absolutely torched on the ground because otherwise they're averaging over one hundred and seventy receiving yards to opposing receivers on the season. And Cooper, how he's played only fifty four hundreds. This is a guy who's you know, been averaging just about eighteen targets since he came over with the Cowboys. I mean,

he's been He's he's a savior for Dexscott. It feels like because Pscott has been leading on him and he said, such a great playmaker, and it just overall of is this offense looks so much better than it has and you guys know more than anybody how it looks down becaus even like what zeke Elcot has been doing as of lane. I think it has so much to do with just this offense absolutely clicking right now. This is

such a great spot for them again for Balcons. All right, Steve, I got a really general question for you, Um, how do you weigh the talent of a player verse how favorable the matchup is? Go ahead, Sorry, it does sends We've taken into consideration. And one of the things I U I like to allude to is James Connor with the Steelers. He was going to match up the other week against the Ravens where the Ravens are going one

of the best run defenses in the league. So you look at that and you say, well, Connor is a talented player, but the defense is so good. In turn, Connor goes out and rushes for one hundred and seven yards, has set of receptions on nine targets. So for me, it's I like to just take a look at the whole general perspective for the defense. What have they done

all season long? And I have to give it to the defense because obviously these players obviously in different matchups every single week, and we know Connor is talented, but the matchup just didn't set up well, and then he goes and has a game like it is. So it's definitely tough. You have to pick and choose your battles here.

But that was one that really stood out to me because everybody was so down on Connor two weeks ago because I was good the Ravens where and then he goes out and have one of his best games of the season. So that's just so tough really to really distinguish between those two. Hey, Steve, real quick before we let you get out of here. I have a personal question from my fantasy team, of course, Kenny Galladay playing Carolina or Tyler Boyd at Baltimore, which way would you go?

I'd have to go with Galladay because especially if Marvin Jones didn't practice again today, so it looks like Golliday is going to be the number one guy. The problem was Boyd is that he's going up against that Ravens defense and they've been so good. But without a J. Green, we've only seen it for one week. I just saw how bad that dangles off and close. Without Green, they're able to go after Boyds, They're able to go after John Y. So Galladay potentially being the number one receiver overall.

No Jones obviously, no more Golden Tate. You have to like Galliday and that spot awesome. I love it all right, man, we appreciate you joining us, Steve. We'll be back next Thursday. We'll have you on in our third segment again about maybe not we appreciate you. That's Steve. You can't I'm liking it. I'm sorry, what was that. I like the Cowboys this week. I think they're going to take down the talk. That's what they've just told us too, So

we'll see if that works. There's a snowball effect going on, like a lot of people are liking the care liking the Cowboys considering it's a four and five team going on the road where they are one and four on the year. Well, you know why it is. It's I think it's because you everybody keeps looking. Everybody keeps looking at two things, and that's one of them. I think

the first thing is a Marik Cooper. And since the Mary Cooper has been here, you've seen defenses have to loosen up a little bit, and just the threat of him being there has forced defenses to change a little bit of how they're playing. And then on top of that, last week, what you saw a Sulphila, you saw that offensive line for the probably maybe the first time this season be the dominant offensive line that you expected when

you first came into the year. So now people are starting to say, well, maybe cow Boys can get rolling. I think it's a little bit easier than that. I think people want to believe that that's all there is to it, because I mean, and I'm one of them, I'm spoiler alert. I'm very likely going to pick the Cowboys, like very likely, because I was incredibly impressed by what I saw in Philly. But they had a maori when they sucked against Tennessee. True, but the offensive line wasn't

as good. And that's the difference, Like when you've showed up now those two different things that changes things in a lot of people's mind. Can I clarify a little bit there? Hopefully Steve is still listening, because I sounded like I was like, we'll see if you'll come. Oh, you were making a joke because they're playing on things

and you didn't. I was forging ahead. I'm going to see if we talk to him on our show on Thursday, because we will not probably won't be doing but we will have Steve back the next time we do have but we won't have a show for the next two Thursdays. Well, something he can call on us can ask when it's gonna be Thursday next week. To answer a G's question, the Falcon there thirtieth in the league in red zone defense.

Seventy five percent of the time when the opposing offense gets into the red zone they give up a touchdown. They're bad. This is gonna be a high scoring game. I mean famous last words, because like every time I say something, it's the opposite. So like, get ready for the Falcons to win twenty three to sixteen or some crap. But I can't think of a reason why the Cowboys shouldn't be able to move the ball. I can't. All right,

we're gonna we appreciate you guys. You want us to move back tomorrow, we'll tell you, guys what's going to happen. Dave has already given his pick, but the rest of us will give our picks and we'll make sure we get you ready for the game till then. For Nick, even Dave helm and Amber Garcia, I'm Derek eagleson 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.