Cowboys Break: Quarter-Season Review

live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, it's a Tuesday, Big picture Tuesday. We get a chance to take a step back and look at this team overall through four weeks of the season. It's the quarter mark. Cowboys have played a quarter of the season, and we'll get to some questions here throughout the show that will help us kind of give you guys a better idea of kind of the big picture of what's happening with this team right now. How's everybody filming this point? I

am great, Derek awesome. So what we're gonna do Before we get to that, though, I do have a few a few news and notes that I want to catch up on. Zeke and we mentioned this yesterday. Zeke after that game's limping pretty bad, and it was pretty noticeable that he was limping. Where do we stand right now with Ezekiel Elliott and his health. Zeke's fine, that's I mean, he's they're calling it bursitis in his knee, and I think he dinged his ankle a little bit. But he's

got two different issues. And these are things of football players play through, especially twenty four year old All Pro running backs. I mean, you know, even at the quarter point of the season, I think every guy on this team has probably got a thing, and I don't think it's going to limit him whatsoever. Jason Garrett said that. You know, when Garrett says he thinks he's gonna be fine, then he probably is. So he didn't really make a

big deal out of it. You know, he obviously was playing through it in the game and running by people and making big play. I think after a week, you know, he might get held out of practice, you know, Wednesday, But get those recovery sleeves on your legs and that blood flowing. Yeah, I don't spend too much time on

your feet if you don't have to. But I think I think he'll be Okay, we haven't really seen the running back kind of held out for practice though, right we used to twenty two geez, dating yourselves a little bit. You get some time during the week, didn't he I don't remember this. You don't remember. If I remember and you don't remember, that's I don't remember Himmett getting held out.

I don't even trust my memories. Remember, don't remember. Injury report looked like back then, but like he got some veta didn't You didn't take those updates to Twitter back then, you didn't know. You just kind of walk over somebody's office. Hey, miss practice. That point is is that when it comes to installing the game plan, you know, as we saw last week, he's a big part of the game plan and he should be. So I don't know, you know, if it's just Rod Smith does this, Rod Smith does that,

but really we know it's Zeke. I bet you he'll be fine. Jerry Jones went on the radio this morning and was like, I really liked the workload that he got. I think he should be doing that. I think he can do that, and I think he'll be fine. I hope he's saying that in the meetings when he's talking to the guy. I hope so too, so that they understand that the boss would really like to see this too, and a little bit more co sign. I'm with Jerry.

I think he said something about lands thumbar that one year, right, and then Sar got ten catches in the first game of the season, So yeah, that happens. They listen, Yeah, hopefully if they want to keep a job. All right, So let's let's talk about another guy that's that's his situation is a little bit different, David Irving. He's returning this week. Dave, you wrote an article about kind of what you should expect and what fans should expect. I guess here in the short term, and let's look at

it from two perspectives. In the short term, for this week, what should you expect, and then going into next week, in the following week, what you should expect for a guy that's missed four weeks. But this is not unprecedented for him having had to miss four weeks before. For it's not unprecedented for him having to miss four weeks

of games. It is unprecedented for him to not have a training camp and not have not play real football in a long time, because I mean, okay, he hasn't practiced since the June mini camp that was three half practices. There's no contact there. That's I mean, that's not football. You know, I couldn't do it, no offense, but it's not football. You could do it and no, could not. And he missed the final month of last season two so really he has not played real football since thanks Giving.

I get no, not Thanksgiving, the Redskins game the week after Thanksgiving last year. So November thirtieth was the last time David Irving played a real football snap. So you know, I think a lot of times that's lip service when Jason Garrett says we're just gonna take it day by day, but it's true. This time. I believe that, And you know, I know, you know, it's our job to speculate, and people want to know, like, well, who's the cut going

to be. I don't think you can sit here on Tuesday morning and say he's even gonna be on the roster for this game. I really think you take him through this week. There's three days of practice to see what kind of condition he's in. He has been here, he has been working out to his credit, So hopefully he's in some kind of shape, but that's still not football shape. So I would guess they're gonna wait. They

have a one week exemption. I would guess they're gonna wait until Friday or Saturday to make a call on whether they think he can contribute in this game, and only then will they make a roster move. Once he's back. What do you guys expect from him? Let's assume that we get to next week's assume they don't do anything this week. They kind of just kind of pause. Do you what do you expect from him going into next week when it's when he is back and ready to play, Like,

does he immediately jump into that rotation? Is he immediately the guy that's going to be out there at the beginning of the game, Like, what do you expect to see from him? Well? I think the differences is because last time he was here, they didn't have Gregory, and because of Gregory, I think that it has forced Tyrone Crawford more in side. So he's not really a one technique guy. But no, he I mean he's put him on the field. Yeah, he's put him on the field.

Just find a place, yeah, yeah, yeah, play him wherever you can. I mean I like him more at tackle than end, but get him on the field whatever. Yeah, I mean he was dominant one game at end against the Buccaneers. I believe he was just killing that right tackle over there. So he he's that's a good way to say it. Put him on the field type of guy,

and then they'll find a spot for him. We'll see what kind of you know, what kind of shape he's in and what And I don't know about this week or next week, but whenever he's out there, Yeah, he's immediately in the rotation. Does he get forced back into the rotation because of Antoine Woods, because of Malie Collins to both those guys are injured as now? Forced back in the rotation because he had seven sacks in eight games.

Now I'm saying, I'm saying, even as of this week, even though you may think he's not quite ready, Yes, does that force him back into at least take some snaps and that there's a lot of moving parts here. Antoine Woods hurt his calf. They don't know for sure what he's gonna be able to do. They're optimistic he can practice if his injuries better than they think then maybe you keep Irving on the shelf for an extra week. Or if Irving comes out and is just Gangbusters, then

even better. M Collins is in there. I mean there really are. That's why you know, Like I said, this isn't lip service, like Malik Collins could be coming back. If Irving's conditioning is good, you could cut Karan Read, who you just signed to get through this thing. If Malik is still not there or Antoine Woods is still not there, then you obviously keep Karan Read, which could force Irving into playing even if he's not ready. Or if all of that works out, you could maybe part

ways with one of your twenty five wide receivers. Um. It just it really does depend. And that's why I don't think there will be a firm answer on it until later in the week. It doesn't seem like buy a house, you know, I mean, I would guess not. He's staying at the Omnis, that's the one. There's a hotel over here. You might just want to get a room there. Don't don't even unpack, just stuff tackle do they have? They got they got my Leak, they got Woods,

they got Ross, they got Karan Read. And then Crawford and Tyrone. Yeah, so really five and then he'll come in here. So I mean, technically you don't even need five, you need like four. So I don't know. I mean I kind of thought all along. I thought when Daniel Ross made the team, I thought that that might be a situation for Irving whenever he comes in, And he could be too, I mean, if everybody else is healthy. Again, that's but you're right, you're a little you're a little

heavy at receiver, a little bit tight end. Yeah. The other thing too, is, um, it's worth mentioning. So let's just assume Irving doesn't go in this game, which, like if I had to bet right now, I think they'll find a way to get him up for this game. Um, seven sacks and eight games is and I think I've heard two different Cowboys officials call him like a super freak or something like that this week, So I think

he'll be ready. But even if he's if he's not, then he automatically reverts to the roster on Monday and somebody has to go, so they don't have to do anything this week if they don't want to. But he will be on the roster Monday, let's move topics. I want to talk a little bit about the safety position.

I tied this up yesterday when we were talking about the safeties and really talking about it from the standpoint of the issues that the Cowboys had this past Sunday at safety, particularly in my opinion, Jeff Heath, who I think, to be honest with you, I think before this game and had a pretty good season. Those first three games. I thought he played pretty well. This was not one of the games that he'll send home to mom and say, Mom, look at how well I'm playing football for the Dallas Cowboys.

It just wasn't a great day for him. He had mistackles, He had situations where like the touchdown where he just misplayed the play right. So not like him, but it

was it was what he put out there. And just looking at this safety position, I guess the big overall question I have for you guys is do you think that even though this defense overall has some pretty good spots, I mean some really good spots, do you think safety has to be the potential to, as Bill Parcels used to say, hold you hostage, like literally, make your defense not as good because of one position, because of one

player or one position. Yes, yeah, unequivocally, that's the one that you could be a touchdown seventy yards if you're just not if one guy doesn't do his job. And that's which I apologize, Derek. I haven't had a chance to actually chart it, but like you don't need to in some degrees, Like I mean, I feel perfectly confident saying I think I said this yesterday, but like those forty and fifty Chunkyard touchdowns were that if you can give Rod Marinelli credit for one thing, even when his

defense is here haven't been good. They don't give those up. You know, Barry Church was great at preventing those players from going the distance, and they've managed to keep a lid on it for the most part over the last five years. Three in the last two games, I mean, Golden Tate torched him. Tyler Lockett torched him. Like it's weird see that. And so there's enough talent on the rest of this defense that you feel pretty good about it.

But that is highly troubling when you're giving up like just bad touchdowns again, like you want to make them drive the field, kick a field goal if you can force that. But even still the more players the defense has to run, the better your chance of stopping them or getting a takeaway are forty five yards and a

touchdown one play. It's disastrous. Yeah. Go back to the offseason and Dave, you and I want Yeah, we were talking about want me today, Okay, And I want to preface this by saying, all throughout last offseason we're having conversations.

We were, you know, kind of kind of talking a little bit about Earl Thomas, and you mean, hey, you should the Cowboys look at that, you know, But but they were also and you kept reminding everybody there were safeties that were available last year in free agency that if the Cowboys feel like they needed help at safety, they could go and get one of these veteran guys

that you thought could help them. Now, there were questions about scheme fit, and we'll talk about that in just a second, but you, I know, you went back and looked at how those guys have. Some of those guys that you were mentioning in the offseason that signed with other teams, and some of them didn't sign until training camp, so you had opportunities all the way up through training camp. But you went back and looked at how some of them have performed so far here in the early part

of season. Let's talk about that a little bit. Give me some of those guys and tell us how they've performed so far this year, some of the guys that Cowboys passed up on. I want to preface this by set like I'm I'm not here to come for jeff Heath because I think he would be a starter on this team even if you had added another safety. And I think when he's healthy, he's good more often than he's bad. He played really poorly against Detroit. He's dealing

with about three different injuries. I'm not trying to make excuses for the guy, but I've seen him make plays before. And I'll say this real quick, throw that in. I've heard Nick say this before, and I think it's wholeheartedly true. If Jeffe is your second or third best safety, you're in a great situation. When Jeffie is your best safety, now you're a little bit more wire. I'll take that a step further and say, if he's the worst player

in your secondary, your secondary's probably pretty good. And if he's the best, it's probably pretty bad. You got two really great building blocks in your outside corners, and you could have a really good safety because you're right. I went back and looked. Tyron Matthew through four games with the Houston Texans, has twenty three tackles, an interception, a

forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three pass breakups. Trey Boston with the Cardinals has thirty tackles, one pick, one fumble, recovery, three pass breakups. Kenny Vacaro with the Titans, who he just got hurt, but in three game three and a half games, seventeen tackles, a pick, a sack, and a pass breakup in two starts each. Cavon Frazier has thirteen tackles, a pass breakup, and a sack. Okay, Xavier Woods has five tackles and no other stats. I was just sitting

all that. Jeff has seventeen tackles and a pass breakup and a missed opportunity at an interception in week one. I believe the other thing, tyn Okay, Well, so the other thing I want to say, forget Earl Thomas. He's the best of the bunch. We all know that he's done now. Not only is he done, but he would have cost a pretty Penny in both a trade and a contract extension. I'm even gonna say forget Eric Reid because there are I believe other circumstances that go into

why he just now signed with a team. Just forget those guys. That still leaves you with three veteran safeties who are putting up stats for their team, who have combined for five takeaways for their defense and just seemed to be contributing really well. Tyron Matthew is on a one year, seven million dollar deal. Trey Boston and Kenney Vacaro are both making one point five million. This team

has about eighteen million in cap space. You could theoretically afford to have all three of them on this team. The Cowboys didn't want them, and I don't understand. And yeah, if you want to talk scheme fit, we can. I don't buy it. I like to have good players on my team, and I think the Cowboys just missed the boat when given an opportunity to put good players on this team. My only question to that would be, and

those stats look good. They what's not on there for Heath is that he gave up a touchdown, you know, And it's not on there for Frasiers that he was late getting over there in Seattle. I don't know that. Do you know that about the other right guys doesn't show up on the statue? You're right, but I don't know that you might take that for something. Lease For Honey Badger's stats, I mean they look pretty good. I mean he's active, so you might take a touchdown or

two or something like that. I'm sure they're doing some some of that. My goal at the end of I want to chart the way these guys are playing and sit down with game pass. I haven't had time. I'm sorry. So you're right. It's not fair to just go off of stat sheets, especially for a position like safety where so much is dependent on other things. But it looks pretty good now. I mean, they're gonna have to give up a bunch of touchdowns each to be late to

make that argument. I think what you said is perfect. They're active. I don't know that the guys on this team are active enough. Um and yeah, I mean, if you're gonna give up a touchdown, at least come up and make I mean, Trey Boston's got thirty tackles. What team does he's on Arizona? So he's playing well for a bad team. I mean, they're the only winless team

in the whole league, I believe. And Tyrone Matthews Houston, Yeah, we're gonna see him this weekend, so he's gonna have a he's gonna have a chance to make an impression. Is there anything that you can say from the opposite side of that that would make this kind of after the facts? Second guessing? I know you've been saying it this whole time, but speaking from the Cowboys perspective, were

there reasons outside a scheme fit? Which that's just one of those situations where you and you disagree with all the organization looks at it. You know, I'm not a football coach. You know, Chris Richard has forgotten more about football than I'll ever know. He played it at a high level in college and pro. I get that. And if they say he's not a scheme fit, that's fine. I say this goes back to my argument with Taco Charlton. He's not a right end, So the hell what you

need a left end too. You need football players, you need guys who can do the job. You need a safety. If Jeff Heath has to play free because these guys aren't suited for it, so be it. Maybe I'd still rather have two proven, competent safeties and one of them is not a scheme fit and then throw Cavon Frasier and Xavier Woods to the Wolves. Like literally, That's what I've said all along is even when this team feels good about a player, they're usually pretty good about bringing

in competition for him. They do it everywhere else, and these young guys just they were like, Nope, you're it. We feel great about you, better go do it. And it doesn't look great through the first month of the season. It's pretty arrogant when you think of it like that, when you think, well, we don't want to sign Tyrone Matthew because it doesn't fit our scheme. But yet we're gonna play Xavier Woods who's unproven, and Cavon Frasier into this scheme. Why not why not change the scheme a

little bit then, you know what I mean? That's exactly, Or give it a shot to see if he could fit. I mean, he's a pretty good athlete, so maybe he could fit if you bring him in and try him out. Like I just thought that that the Cowboys didn't leave themselves legal room. I'm okay with the idea of them going into the season saying, hey, we really want to

give this young guy a shot. But to me, that's no reason why you wouldn't at least take a vet with you to training camp and maybe have that vet on the team so that in this kind of situation where you are right now, you've got options. You wouldn't have had to play Cavon Frasier in that last game where you where he got where he got beat there in Seattle, Like that kind of situation to me, was where you could have had a veteran here that gave you,

gives you more options. What is the worst that could happen? Again? Well, I'll even you know, if you I'll even throw the honey Badger out Because seven million dollars is not an insignificant amount of money. Trey Boston and Kenny Vacaro are basically making minimum for guys of their stature, one one and a half million. Like they pay guys more not to play than you pay for that. I mean, I've seen this team cut Jasper Brinkley, Nolan Carroll, Demontre Moore,

Stephen Paya, bring him in and hopefully. I mean, you want your young guys to outplay them. But that's the way this works. It's the way they do it at every other position is they bring in competition. And you know, if we got to pay a guy one point five million to get cut, that's just the cost of doing business. But now you don't have those options. And through four games, I don't you know, they're not awful, but they have

not looked like what you hope they would be. I think, deep down, I think the keV was always thought they were going to get earl time. There you go, and that's the jack what I was just about to say, I agree with you. I agree with you because that's the only reason, like you just said, at every other position, that's what they do. They go out, they get competition, they try to create competition. At this one, it seemed like they were like, oh, we'll stick with the guns.

Were got, we're good. I think that they were at a second round level and Seattle was like, that's where you need to be, and they weren't there yet. And then they deep down think they always knew after training camp if it didn't work out with Woods or whatever, that they could get there and I think they did. They tried back to the second round, and at that point, Seattle what had happened with Thomas and all that. It was like, NA, no, that's not what we need right now.

And then the game happened and the game changed everything. And that flies in the face of everything they tell us in the offseason, because I remember specifically having a conversation with Stephen Jones about Randy Gregory where it's like, we always prepare for the worst case scenario in everything we do. We want Randy back. We think he can contribute if he comes back, but we can't count on that.

It's why they got Vanderish. So you're going to count on doing a deal for one of the best safeties in the game, like that's that's the plan instead of again, chump change by NFL standards to get a proven starter in here in you know guys who have been to or contended for Pro Bowl slots. I mean, give Tyre Matthew a one year, seven million dollar deal, big whoop if he you know, at worst, you got the best

safety depth chart in the league. Even if you get Earle and if he was horrible when he got to trip, by the time you finished training camp. You could cut him, and you know, I mean, I'm assuming they didn't have

to guarantee that whole seven million. I wouldn't think it has never made It didn't make sense in the spring, it I mean, And I don't even you know, I don't mind him not drafting a safety, to be honest with you, the way the board fell, and obviously I'm very involved in that with the draft show, I don't I don't hate that at all, But I mean, three of these guys were available into the summer and they're

just like, nah, we're good and it's coming back. It's no, it's coming back on him right now, and they don't have anybody to blame but themselves. And there's no real recourse you're gonna get at this point. There are not guys sitting out on the street that are the quality of those guys that you could have had in the off season. I will say this about Heath. I think that his games last year and the play against Oakland has helped him to the point where he could have

a game like that. And I don't know, I didn't see like a whole bunch of like, well, he's horrible, he sucks I mean it might have yeah, oh oh really yeah. I was going back and forth during the game. I just know I agree. I just think they're dumb again for the fifth time. I like Jeff Heath a lot as a player, like I think he can be a starting caliber safety in this league. He needs to

have talent around him. He needs to be Yeah, this is a bad way to phrase it, but he needs to be the worst player in the secondary now that he's bad, But the other four guys need to be better than him, and they're not right now, and it it shows. All Right, we're gonna take our first break when we come back. We're gonna get into some of these quarter season recap questions I have for these guys. Will do that when we come right back. This is

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named John Deer their official tractor. To experience one for yourself, visit your local Texas John Deer dealer or go to my John Deer Dealer dot com slash football. Back to the Brink Welcome Back. Second segment of the show, Live from the SWBC Mortgage studios at the Star. Nick take it away. You know what, this is a new one, But if you can watch season thirteen Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders making the team on CMT every Thursday night at nine

pm Central. Season thirteen of that, Yeah, that still has some really good ratings. Actually, I was kind of shocked. But you don't a lot of people see that. I mean, you don't get the season thirteen if anything, without it a point. I want to say it's the highest rated show on CMT. I say, yeah, no, I'm saying maybe ever, but I don't know. I'm saying seasons and that I didn't even know CMT was theround for thirteen years. This is where I would make snarky comments about don't country music,

but I'm not going to That's just like MTV. They I mean, they stopped doing videos a long time ago, so I don't know if they do videos on CMT or not, but I know that they do. Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders making the team and they've done it for thirteen straight years. Yeah they have. All right, let's get back into it. I have some questions for you guys. We're

at the quarter mark of the season. Cowboys have played four games of the sixteen on the schedule, and so I have some questions for some different players and different parts of the team, and I want you guys to answer them truthfully and with all honesty. So let's go. Okay, Question number one who's the most improved player for this team through four games. Jalen Smith or Byron Jones. Those are the only options you want to throw in another one that's better than those twosing a smart ass, it's

Byron Jones. It is why because he's the twenty seventh overall picking the draft. There was speculation about whether his option was even worth picking up. They moved him to a new position that he was not good at as a rookie, and he's been gang bust. If we're talking about speculation, there was speculation Jalen Smith may never walk or run or anything. So if we're playing this speculation thing, then that far but improvement from last year to this year,

because that's the thing. Last year we saw Jalen play and he was good in spurts, but when he had to play too much, he was not very good. And this year he has been very good. And I think he's been very good consistently throughout good these games. The stats say that Byron is one of the best outside corners in the game through four weeks, and that it's it is a premium position. It's a position the Cowboys haven't gotten great play at in recent years. Yeah, I

mean close, I don't. I don't think you can argue that either way. I like what Jalen has done though he's he's much better than he was last year. And the fact that they could win a game without Sean Lee and Vanderessh is a big part of that too. But I think he's more active in the pass rush than we've seen from a linebacker. Absolutely, yeah, and he looks good doing it. Who would who would be a if you had to just you know, do a third guy,

who would it be most improved? I mean, because the first guy that comes to mind to me would be Taco M that's good, yeah, or Cheeto is Cheeto was good. He just Tito missed some time last year. About Tyrone, He's been pretty good, has been good. I don't know if i'd put him in the category with those other guys. No, No, well we're thinking of we're trying to think. But I think he's been good. Um, nobody on the offense the

only guy could remotely think of a Swain. But he's just playing more and he was just doing what Swain does, right, I mean yeah, And that's the thing about Swain, Like I never thought Swain was a bad player. He's a good player, but he is just kind of that. I shouldn't even say good. He's a solid player, not from not from the ability standpoint, really just position number face. Does anybody Elseie Swain when they see Kelsey for the Chiefs, Oh, Travis,

you think he looks like him? I don't know what, not really maybe with their helmets on, I don't see. Maybe that's that's what it is. I think it's not. I'm not talking about production on them. I was about to say like that, No, no, they would would kill for that. We haven't talked about that, like I thought, sure somebody would be talking about left handed throws and stuff to night. I'm just so good, I mean, fun

to watch making Cowboys. It's as much it's as much fun as I've had watching Monday night football in a while. But I just figure people want to hear us talk about the Cowboys. So he's a ton of fun to watch. I was actually watching that game last night, just like he's unreal, Like wow, he you know he's I mean, he's already like one of my top fifteen or twenty favorite players to watch, like he has We're talking about Pat Mahomes for people that might people who listen to

this show know how I feel about Aaron Rodgers. Well, like, if he's playing, I'm gonna try to watch it, right Like he's he's awesome, he's fun to watch. All right, let's getting better and Witten is getting better. He was way better last night than in the first three. He's

still got some morning to do better. For sure. They're trying to figure out you know what, I'll say this, when anytime we would ever have a caller, or not a caller, but somebody would call in on the show and they're supposed to be a part of the show from the phone, it's kind of hard because sometimes you're you know, you you're over. You don't get to see each other, so you're talking over. That's a dynamic that they're having to deal with because they got three people

in there. One guy's not in the booth and so you know, he talks a lot like he talks to the guy as though he's in the booth, right, So yeah, yeah, so they have to kind of figure that out a little bit. He had a wit had a romo moment

last night on the fourth down. I think it was the game winning drive or it was one of the two fourth quarter drives they scored on and they had a fourth and one and Winton was like, they're gonna get him on the move and try to do a boot and he's going to have a pass option and it was the exact I mean, it was the exact play. So yeah, he's getting steadies. He knows he's doing all right.

Next question, most disappointing player, and I'm talking about expectations going into the year based and then relative to how they've played in the first four games. Tyren Smith, Dak Prescott, Lyle Collins. Feel free to throw in another name if he'd like. M this is hard. I mean, no, Sahn Lee could be up there, because Sean Lee really wasn't playing that well except for the one game and then he got hurt, so he has not provided much for you. Okay, you could throw that in him. He will't be. He

won't be. My answer though, this is it's this is this summarizes football completely because given his pedigree, his talent level, his accomplishments, and the way we think about him, it is probably Tyrn Smith because you think of him as just this wall you're not getting past him. He's the best he's suiting blah blah blah. He hasn't played like that at all. He's been very disappointing just because of the standard. But when your quarterback's not playing well, it's

it's everything. And I mean, you got you got to have good quarterback play. But if you're left tackle isn't playing well, does that affect your quarterbacks play? No, because I don't think Tyrant has been that bad. Okay, yeah, it's not land of bad. Yeah, I'm and I was just wanting to make that clear because I think that could be the natural. Honestly, Yeah, Tyron playing the way he's played the first month is still better than a

ton of starters in the NFL. But wouldn't you say that, Tyrn if you had to rate them all, would you say and not? This isn't about expectations. This is about who's playing the best. Wouldn't you say Tyrant's number two on the old line right now? As far as play, Yeah, I mean you wouldn't say yeah, But I think would

you say yes? But here's the problem. No problem. That's also part of the problem with the offensive line is if right now, if he's your second best, then that means the offensive line isn't playing atom you know me, I like to grade on a current, but given who he is and where he's playing like, I'm pluning it too, just because not only is he stepping in for an all pro and not sinking the ship, but he's if playing pretty well, Dak doesn't pick up the fumble, We're

not sitting here and talking about talking about Looney getting beat on that play. So it just kind of worked out like that because I thought Looney had a great game, and I think he did that playa could have been his last one of the game. It's true, they're all they're all that way. Tyrant's got something. I think the ANSWER's Dak. I think he's it has to be it's it might not be fair, but you know, it goes

with the Denidists what it is. It's Jason nice to say, might not be your fault, but you're the problem back. You're gonna get too much credit when you're good and too much blame when you're bad. It's just the way it is. All right, who's been the best player, and I know that's he sounds easy, but you gotta choose between Zeke and Tank. It's been a better player. Thank thank, It's harder to make an impact on the game from that position, Like you have to be really good to

put up those kinds of stuff. They're both leading the league in their respective categories right now, Zeke no. Zeke is leading with in rushing with four and twenty six yards. Tank is leading in sacks with five and a half. Also, let's not I mean, let you know, let's give all credit and blame where it's due. Zeke put up a stinker in Seattle. I don't care what his yardist total was. He had two drops at a bad game, bad game, and that tells you a lot. Yeah, one twenty seven

yards and it was a bad game. I think it's you know, Levion Bell's not playing. It's between Zeke and um Gurley for best back in the league. And Zeke's on pace to break his sixteen rushing total by a healthy margin. Like he's great, he's really good, But what do you get that years he's really a great stock sixteen fifty one. No, but that's about all four games,

Like the first two games weren't great. It says a lot, but like it says a lot about how spoiled we are since twenty thirteen when it comes to running the football, because like, eighty yards is a great day for eighty percent of NFL running backs and it's nothing here. It's so his pace is I think seventeen oh four. Yeah, that man for sixteen fifty one and sixteen. I think that's also because most teams are probably throwing the ball for three hundred plus. Yeah, Cowboys are usually in that

one fifty to two hundred, right right. I just Tank hasn't had a bad game yet that I'm aware of me. He's five and a half sacks, forced fumble, I believe. I mean, he's he's in the all over the play. He's great. Yeah, he's been. He's been the best one. You know, we do a top ten players of every game for the for each game this year, and you know, he's been in there every every week. Of course, I think he's the only player that's been in there every

single game. So maybe Zach Martin too. All right, let's take our final break. When we come back, we're going to get our final question. Then we'll hopefully get some questions from you guys. Call us eight eight eight eight five five two two nine seven. Again it is eight eight eight eight, five, five, two two nine seven will be right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. Well, a player can look good on paper, it's when he's out on the field that you really find out what

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where to go. Tommy John dot com, Forward slash Cowboys twenty percent off your order and you two can be cool and adjustment free like us. A really the same thing yesterday. And I didn't mess with the word. I just left. I never heard anti microbial in my life. I just said, you know, I went in to out leave it out. Either one of you guys feel uncomfortable when the word crunch comes up when we're talking about underwear. That makes me a little bit, Yeah, comfortable, just a

little bit. You're right, thanks for bringing it up. It makes me just a little bit. You don't want things to get crunched down there, crunch. You don't want lunch time? Yeah, yeah, it's the worst. Yeah, not a good not a good look. We'll change that word up. Make sure we change it up for next show. All right, So we're gonna we're gonna get back into we got one more question in our quarter review. Um, and then we're gonna get some calls. We got a call already waiting. We'll get to that

in just a second. But our final question, there was the best newcomer? You got Tavon Austin, Alan Hearns, and Layton vander Esh You again, feel free to throw in another name if you choose has been the best newcomer. You know her has been pretty good. Okay, that's another one. I mean he's uh yeah, credit words due. He hasn't lost your game. You know that's a low bar. Well, I don't think he didn't lose the game with this his miss kick, and they didn't lose the game for him, right,

Let's be real too. He's like he's he's probably gonna be pretty important for a team that's not scoring a ton of touchdowns right now. Connor Williams is starting, but he's not really doing a lot. Oh god, that's a I Each one of these seemed like they've had moments. I want it. I wanted to say over all of them, okay, because he actually won a game for them. Even though Tavon may have won that Giants, he's just been so inconsistent because of how they use him. I want it.

I want it to be Tavon. I want him to play more than eighteen snaps a game. But it's not a big enough sample size, so I'll probably say Layton, Um, I'm really what. He's got twenty six twenty six tackles in four games, and so what that's like six seven a game, and only one of those was a start. So he's doing a lot of that as a reserve. He just looks like his instincts are impressive. He seems like he's good at diagnosing plays, and he hasn't missed

a ton of tackles. He's made the ones he's had the shots at, so he hasn't been phenomenal, but I'm encouraged. I mean, hey, think back to what Taco did through the first month of last season. He is playing a big time role in this defense. So so if he's only going to get better, which assume this is your floor. If this is the floor, then I'm feeling pretty good about that pick. Right, So yeah, all right, let's get to the phone lines. We got some calls. Let's get

a call from Lance in New Jersey. Lance, what up, how's it good. I just want to thank you in advance. Right now. I'm a mailman out here in Jersey, so it's nice to hear somebody's voice. I listen to you guys every day. Thank you, thank you. So I had two quick Well, I want to comment on who I thought was the most surprising and like disappointing. I love the way by Earn's playing right now. I think Chris Richards has done Richard has done a great job with him.

The disappointing guy I think is, uh, it's been Jordan Lewis. I know he hasn't gotten a lot of reps this year, but he hasn't really taken advantage of those reps so far. And my question is, are you guys concerned with the lack of turnovers we've had so far this year through four games? Guys, how do you really got their hands on the balls in the secondary that I've seen? Um, And that's really it. I'll hang up and listen to you guys. Have to say, all right, thank you sir.

You know absolutely terrified. I don't see anything wrong with that call. Jordan Lewis, you see anything wrong with a little bump and grind going on it? So on. That's the kind of the style of defense Chris Richard has been playing a little bit, and that's one of the reasons why Jordan Lewis doesn't play a lot. I mean, they really get into it. I mean like he doesn't. And so you're exactly right about that he hasn't been playing much. I thought he would be playing a lot more.

I thought he'd be a starter. I thought he would take over whom I did not think that Byron Jones would just immediately come in and do and do well. I'm wrong on that one. So I thought Jordan Lewis and Cheeto were going to be the two starters on this team for a while. Hasn't happened at all. So yeah, I think I think you're right about being disappointed. We're

disappointed by that than I think, than than Dak. You know, the part I'm most disappointed with with regard to him is that I thought he would be in the top three and whatever, in whatever machination. I thought he would be a guy even if they decided he wasn't going to be in the slot. I figured some one of those other two would be in the slot and he would be on the field when there were three cornerbacks on the field and the fact that he's not, that's

the part that's very disciplined. And Anthony Brown is not playing right. Well, he's been he's doing okay. He hasn't been like great, but he's at some bad moments this year, That's what I mean. And so it's not like, well, you just can't get on the field because he's three or playing. No, I mean there's room for you to be there from seven starts to what he is. I mean, yeah, it's it's disappointing, it's surprising, it's kind of confusing even.

I mean, I know he doesn't fit though, right, I don't. Yeah, I mean he played well last year, right, and and at this point we know how that position works too, Like, I have to believe his his psyche is a little screwed right now. I saw him in the locker room after the game and he had about a million yards stare like. I mean, he didn't he didn't look like they just won a game. And I don't blame him. I mean, he's he's played one snap two snaps now this year, and one of them was a forty five

yard touchdown a golden Tate. So I feel bad for the guy, to be honestas Yeah, in that game, No, he's played two snaps all season. He played one snap when Byron came out with a wrist in week two, and they put him out there in dime last week and Tate took it to the house and they're like,

no more dime sorry. So I it wow? That which that that that is something that can really affect your your mental Yeah, which, And I mean you know I'm not I don't want to just make excuses for the guy and act like he's got no part in this, but it can't be good for your mindset. And yeah, I mean yeah, I'm mystified as to how you go from starting seven games and playing pretty well too. You can't work your way on in the field, even as a dimeback as soon as you as soon as you

make him inactive because you don't need him. That's when somebody gets to that point. No, he's absolutely right. Um, only team in the league with no picks, only team in the league with no picks. They've got two takeaways all year. And that goes back to my rant about these safeties is like you talk about linebackers, you want to be active. These guys don't seem active, like I feel like getting getting takeaways is just about being in

the right place. Like you're not going to diagnose the play and jump in front of the pass every time, but you gotta be Yeah, unless you're a beast, but you gotta know enough about what's going on to be in the proximity of the ball so that when Jalen smacks the guy and it pops up, you're right there. That's or when the quarterback just overthrows, you're in the right position to be able to be there and get

your hands up and make the catch. Right. It's those kind of moments, which is about being the right position. I don't want to knit pick Byron and Cheeto too much because I think they've played well, but I'd like to see them start making plays on balls. Byron, it seems like he's great at making like the reactionary play, like it's his trademark. Is like that swipe where he

just bats it down. But if you could turn that into a way to actually get the ball even better, I mean, I'm sure it's not easy, but that's super troubling though. No picks and no month not good, all right, We appreciate you guys joining us. We're back tomorrow. We're gonna start getting you guys ready for the next game. But you know what, what's gonna happen in Houston this weekend. Cowboys will take on the Texans this Sunday at Sunday

Night Football and it's Cowboys versus Texas. We'll do that tomorrow for Nicky Eatman, Dave helm and I'm Derek Heatalts And 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.