Cowboys Break: Ready to Fight?

edition of The Break. We are live from the s WBC Mortgage studios. At the start, we just finished up the daily press conference with Mike McCarthy. We'll get to that in just a second. There's one thing I thought that came out of that was pretty interesting. Gonna have Dave kind of give us a recap on that. Nick Dills gets started with ninety six Game ninety six, o' quick, Daniels stubs Daniel Stubbs. Don't know who he is? You

want to tell me who he is? He played in the nineties early nineties, was a Miami guy, moved over. But more than anything that Coppell Delhi that all the players would go to miss that place. The Stubs was because the Stubbs breakfast sandwiches that they still have is because of Daniel Stubbs. He's one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. So so I can heart attack waiting to happen. Yeah, they still have that, and Nate Newton it's probably you know eight a few

still go over there every once in a while. I don't really I used to live over there, but now I don't. But yeah, they still bring them in sometimes. Day three of the draft, Dave, No, it's not my thing. It's Rich Dalrymple's thing. He's the head of Cowboys PR. He's been here forever. I was actually watching Jimmy's speech after the ninety two how about Them Cowboys speech after they beat the Niners, and like Riches in the background

looking much younger. Um. But day three of the draft he goes and gets Stubb sandwiches for like everybody in football ops and pretty awesome. Yea, he and you know at some point we might get included. Well, he always used like and like Rich can be kind of surly. I think he would agree with that. I'm not Fittsburgh, not talking trash, but even you know, Brian left personnel years and years ago, and Rich would still always buy

him one. Like, so we'd be doing the draft on Saturday and Brian would have a Stubbs that Rich picked up for him, And I just thought, I always thought that was really cool gesture. But it's man, it's good. If you're ever in town, you should go get and do miss those all right, let's jump in. Let's first give me an update on all the guys that missed this last week's game. You got Michael Parsons, Tyron Smith, Anthony Brown, jay Ron Curse, jay Von Dicks, Tony Pollard.

Where are we with all those guys in returning to practice? Everybody but jay Ron Curse is up and ready to go. Micah and Tyron came off the COVID list today. Ab came off earlier this week. I don't remember the exact day, but he's been back. Yeah. I mean, jay Ron was the last guy to test positive, so it makes sense that he's the last guy still in the protocol. Lunda, well,

the tight ends coach is testing right now. Um, but other than that, yeah, Jayron is the only player that I would imagine won't be available today and all Are you at all concerned about jay Ron just because he was already dealing with an injury and then he got COVID, which means that he hasn't been rehabbing with them. Are you a bit concerned about that? And where that stands? It was limited too, It was limited with hamstring, which

is that's a good sign. I mean that he could have just been shut down, So I think he was relatively close anyways. Um, I just I think he's gonna play. I don't know. I don't have any other reason to think that he won't. I think that he's gonna play. I think a lot of these guys will play. All right, Um, there was one of those. Now we're putting all our chips in now, Yeah, we are. That's it. It doesn't matter if you're hurt, it doesn't matter if you got COVID.

You're all in all. They have all kinds of shots. You watch these watch these COVID cases here in the playoffs, they're gonna go down. You think, no, no, no, I actually think I think. I think. I think COVID cases will go up on Mondays and then they will be down by the weekend. Yeah, we'll tend to go that. Yeah, maybe all right, m Dave, I want to get your impressions of something you were. You were in that press caller, at least listen to that press conference. Mike McCarthy was

asked a question about Greg Zerline. He was asked about what gives him faith at this point in a guy like Greg knowing that he's having the struggles he's having, and even more than that, what experiences he has that he may lean on to help him figure out how he manages this kind of situation. What do you say? Yeah, he said a lot. I mean he probably talked for

six minutes. It's a good question by Jory Epstein, especially the part about calling on his experience, because as long as Mike McCarthy has been a head coach, you would guess he's probably gone through a kicker or a punter or two, and obviously Mason Crosby has been the kicker in Green Bay forever. He talked about that of like

working with Crosby through his struggles. The thing that really stuck out to me was the part about John Ryan, who I, to be honest, I never knew he played for Green Bay, and Mike McCarthy talked about how they kind of got an itchy trigger finger with him and they cut him, um and and he said, probably too soon.

And he goes on and catches on with the Seahawks and had a fantastic career there, and it was just kind of it's an interesting answer if you want to go listen to the whole thing in full context, but just kind of talking about following the process, uh, like the process of the whole week, the way the guy practices, the way the guy approaches it, um, and just being true to that and not being too reactionary um in terms of like whether or not you yank a guy

or cut a guy or whatever. All that being said, do you guys, and we heard him talk about with for Fossil talk about it, do you think that that's a lot of lip service from the standpoint of them saying that they're completely and totally Um. I guess what's the right word confidence still in Greg? Or do you think there is some in some aspects, some creep that's that I mean, some some doubt that maybe has crept into their minds and is going to affect how they

call the game. Yeah, I think it has to affect him a little bit. I mean, um, you know, but but that may not be a bad thing too. I mean, what kicks are we talking about? Not a thirty nine yard or not a forty six yarder. It's gonna be fifty fifty four or fifty three in the second quarter. Do we want that? Do we want the field position if he misses? You know? Because so I think I think that kind of stuff. Maybe if he was locked

in kicking, great, you wouldn't even worry about it. He would say he's gonna hit this fifty four yard or whatever, and that's three more points. So I think a little bit, but not to the point where you're going for two or you're you're not going you're not kicking field goals when you probably should. You know, this is gonna be one of those games where it probably low scoring, so you gotta get your three points, you know. I think, Well, when you say that, though, when you say you don't

think it'll affect maybe they've been going for two. That seems to be the area where at least it's the area we're all focused on because of the missed extra points. You don't think that that affects their thought process when they get in those situations. Of maybe we should go for two here, because maybe we just don't trust the extra point as much as we trust if our offense seems to be flowing maybe two yards to get two points, what's my two points? What's the two point conversion rate

for the team? For the league? It's probably fifty percent, sixty maybe a little higher for some people maybe, And I don't know what it is for the Cowboys. They seem like they're okay there, but I don't even know how many times they've done it, and not a lot, but I bet it's not eighty eight percent. I mean, I mean, I'm not trying to be funny. I'm just saying. I mean, I get your point, but when you think about percentage of that, but then he also have to

weigh this into Dallas is at sixty percent. Okay, that's good, So well, what's more important? I mean, what's what's a better stat Sixty percent to get two points, eighty seven percent to give it one point? Right, I mean, that's pretty even, I would think. I just I'm not And to answer your original question, they probably believe what they're saying. But even if they don't, what else are you gonna say? Four days before the playoff, and I'm not soupercerned about

what they're saying. I'm concerning more what they're saying when we're not around. Yeah, that's what I'm trying to get to. I hate it. Jerry doesn't hold back. Yeah, Jerry's been pretty candid about it. I don't like the idea of switching up like fundamental things about who I am before a playoff game. You know what I mean. I mean, maybe he's gonna miss an extra point, and that's what I said. Maybe, And I'm not I'm not excusing it, but this is just the situation that you're in. Maybe

he's gonna miss an extra point. But when we need a forty six yarder with four minutes to play in the fourth that's gonna extend the lead or tie the game or whatever, He's made those Ironically, I feel better about those situations ye do. About an extra point? Yes, absolutely, I feel if he lines up for like a must have kick on Sunday, I'm very confident that he'll make it too. I'm also pretty confident he's gonna miss something that I don't think he should miss it some way,

it is what it is. But I still I just it. It's like, you know, like you run races, like you get into like a rhythm, you've done something a certain way, like you don't want to switch up while you're standing on the starting line on race day. He just it's you've come too far and maybe maybe they should have done something earlier in the season, but they didn't, and now they're here and I think you just got to

stay the course. Well. I was trying to find the quote from Fossil I can't ever say his name, Fossil, Fossil, Fossil where he talked about him earlier this week and basically saying, yeah, they have full confidence in him, but that it is kind of partially mental and like psychological. And he did say that they're trying to work on something with him to hit him out, But I'm like, how do you actually help a psychological part of things? You know, like, how do you what do you do

to actually help it? And if anything, if it is something that would help him out, I mean, you would think they've been doing that the past months and clearly hasn't necessarily helped him out, unless he would have maybe missed even more than I went back. I went back and listened to that, and it was almost ominous because he was like, we're gonna we're gonna try something this week that might be able to help him out with that.

And then they asked what it was and he was like, Oh, if it doesn't work, I'll tell you about it on Monday next week when we talk to you again. I was just like, what are you gonna do, like threaten him or like you know you're gonna like work, they won't be talking to us what I'm saying, or like you know, like we're docking your pay for every miss and practice or something. I don't like. It just sounded kind of like a threat, almost like oh, we got

something for Greg this week. That is the crazy part about this thing. And this is in sports in general these days, like they got sports psychologists. Every team has sports psychologists, and guys have sports psychologists on their own.

I mean, it is, it is there is a mental side to sports, into competition, into performance, and so yeah, I mean I would assume at this point they're probably trying anything they can try, especially a thing like this where this is clearly not a physical thing, like this guy will kick a fifty something yarder and you feel pretty good. About it, and he's out out down and

trying to kick an extra point. And that's where you work, like that is a mental issue, Like that's something going on psychological, and so then it just it's a matter of can you figure out what the psychological thing is and try to fix it. It's not as simple as just fixing a mechanical things. What I would do that not a damn thing. I wouldn't do a damn thing. Just kick the ball. Don't talk to him about it or anything. He knows. It's like, it's just like basketball,

and you shoot free throws. You got a good free throw shooter, You go into a little bit of a stump here and there, and just gotta keep shooting, Gotta keep shooting, gotta get back into that rhythm. Don't talk about it. You don't. I mean, does anyone go up to the guy who pitching a no hitter in the seventh inning and go and you're really spending it today? You know you got a no hitter. You don't talk about it, Just just go. He knows, he knows the deal.

Let him go kick on the off site. Like I wonder you go up to a pitcher in the third when he's giving up four runs and you're like, man, you can't find the zone today, like your curveball sucks today. Where's that? Where is it? Sports psychologists? Yeah, well that that's just called you're out nine other guys that day. You don't I mean, don't you know you don't have another guy? You don't have right now? Yeah, you know there's no tap in the right leg. Can you mean

the right You just see McCarthy. That's the cool thing, like, yeah, you're nice, but don't have that he's with he's with another guy. Yeah, it would be nice, but you don't have to get us for tampering. My bad. I don't know where he is. He's Washington. He's with someone. Yeah, he's not here. Anybody here, sorry, yes he is not here. All right, we're gonna take our first break. We come back.

We got Bucky Brooks join. Bucky Brooks joining us. He's gonna talk about the San Francisco office first, the Dallas defense that would come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com, redal at ATNC. Everyone new and existing customers get our best deals on every smartphone. Why, because you deserve it. We're turning your living room into your office and your gym. We're teaching Grandma had a video call and teaching her again. It's the button on your laft Nana, Okay, your other laughs.

It's not complicated. Everyone deserves something new, so ATNC is given everyone new and existing customers are best deals with every unlimited plan on every smartphone, even the latest ones. Eighteen team a Temporreli's leodate his peats at the networks SPECSIC restrictions and acceptance may apply. Hi, I'm Clint Tillison with man. I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with un and Turf, the official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys.

So if you need a tractor to bail some hay, a'm more to cut some grass, or a gator to get some chores done, get a John Deer at unantag in Turf and then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line, well not today. Get to work with a John Deere tractor package that's just right for you in your budget. Visit unantaginturf dot com. Before there was a draft, you could sized up a cowboy by three simple factors. The crease in his hat, the bend of his brim and his unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't

just protect him from what life throw at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here in Texas, there's still the unofficial crowd of all self respecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest Jewitt Stetson dot com, slash Cowboys New Doctor Peppers zero sugar. You deserve it. I do deserve that.

You deserve decadent flavor without sugar, and a day at the beach without sand getting everywhere, and a relaxing bath that your children don't interrupt. I deserve all that. It's just a visual metaphor for doctor Pepper zero sugar. Everything you want, nothing you don't, a visual metaphor on the radio. I do deserve that Doctor Pepper, zero sugar, the zero you deserve is finally here. Back to the break. All right, cowboy fans, heads the pro shops, step up your game

for the playoffs. We have white hot gear for our white Wow. How about we just have gear for the crowd. This is going to be a white out score. Some classics also like jerseys and teas and hats, plus exclusive collections and unique accessories. Visit Uncle Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop. Go to Dallas Cowboys dot com. Welcome Back. In is the second segment of the break Lifts WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, nice shouting, Dick, let's go ahead and join. Let's go and get Bucky Brooks of NFL Networks to

join us. We're gonna talk to San Francisco offense versus the Dallas defense and Bucky. From the moment that this matchup was announced, I think everybody looked at immediately looked at this San Francisco running game and said that that's going to be a problem. Tell me why they're so tough to defend. It's a problem because it's creators yet old school. It will attest your discipline, get attest your physicality and toughness, and if all eleven defenders aren't on

the same page, it can made four long day. And what Kyle Shanahan has done is he's taking the system that was created by his dad and Alice Gibbs. Any dad of a few bills and whistles that makes it even harder to defend the free snap shifting and motioning. They do that on over seventy percent of their play. And so what they do is they kind of play the shield game with you, all right. They motion, they

shift with a strength call. Who's doing this? You got to be communicating, and then they hit you right in the mouth with a pin and poor run with guards pulling and all of the other stuff. And so for teams who had gone to ride of they want to get lighter and faster to get after the passer, they basically comes right at you. And for teams that are fast, I mean in big and physical, they run to the edges. And for teams who are trying to hide defensive backs

who don't like tackling, they run to the edges. They put wide receivers that enjoy blocking on you. And so it's all hands on that deal that you have to defend when you have to defend their running again, like this seems like second down is probably the most important down for the Cowboys defense here, just just the difference of maybe getting them in third and long situations or something third and short or first down to keep them playing the way they want to play. Would you agree

with that, Yeah, early down situations are critical. I would back it up and say first down is really the key because if you can hold them the four yards a fewer on first down, then you probably forced them to pass on second nown, which plays to the strengths

of your team. But what you don't want to do in a b in a situation where they're living in thurden twos and second and fours, because now it's a mixdown, they can run and or they can throw it, because third down won't be a long yer situation, and so first down it would be critical in terms of making them play behind the chain. And the thing about it is you can't just get up to stop the run

or early downs. You got to be aware of the play, actual passing game, the shot zone when they do these missed direction plays and then try and raise up and pull it deep down the field. And so it's one of those games where everyone has to be on the same page. You might even need to be simpler in terms of what you do in the back end to make sure that everyone is locked and loading. You don't give up the home run play Bucky. When you play a team with this much motion and pre snap movement.

What's the key to getting ready for that, because I mean, you only have so many reps in a week. Is that tape study or do you have to get out and wrap it? Like, what's what's the best way to prepare for that? Well, when you want to simplify, right, which kind of play to This is why they do it. They motion and shift you because they want you to play simple. They want to figure out what you're doing

and then they want to attack it. But from a defensive standpoint, the reason you want to simplify is you don't have enough time throughout the week to go through every conceivable shift, motion and running play or fast and play that they're a So you want something that would allow you to stay in a solid defense, something that can be communicated really quickly. You don't have people running

around looking like they're lost in space. Everyone sees the motion, they adjust, they bump, and then they line up in play. And so you can do that plane zone. You can do that plane man. But what you don't want to do is to have probably the chief case factory menu this week because of the beach much to get it in it needs to be I guess what you guys, talk about what a bird. It needs to be small, It needs to be very simple and concise. But yeah, I wanted to ask you about the run defense and

the Colways run defense. You know they're not necessarily they're forte on this area. So how does that look against this kind of running game that the forty nine has got going on. I mean, right now, I would say you the big umbro will fall on the h has to go on the heads of the defensive lineman in the linebackers, the markets, Lawrence and those guys up front got to be able to control the gaps Laden Van the Esh and Michael Park and have to make sure

they have great disciplines in getting to their gaps. And then the overall defense has to raise up the level of physicality. Like I can talk to you about all the xs and os and the schematics, but it's the playoffs, like it really comes down to which team out hits the other team, and so the physical nature of the game has to be better than we've ever seen from the cow Boy this season. That's just the nature the playoffs.

So they have got to turn it up the night and so this has to be a very physical smash mouth affair, And I don't know if they've been enough games on the regular seasons plate for us to actually predict, like, oh, what this is going to look like to the Cowboys, But we just have to know that if they're going to win, it has to be the most physical game

on the defensive of the ball. Although San Francisco has been a pretty good running the ball most of the year, they did have a game against Arizona where they only had thirty nine rush sharts. Now that was only on eleven carries. What did Arizona do in that game that maybe nullified that running game. Teams that hit don't like to be hit, so the Arizona Cardinal sent them in

the mouth in their game. The physicality from the Cardinals in their game offensively and defensively took them out the mix and they were able to kind of control the game and play the game on their turn because at the time Arizona was successfully running the football, they were dialing up pressures like crazy, and they just disrupted the

running game by blitzening it. And so that is always a way to do it, but you just got to make sure when you blitz like the Cardinals, we're bringing pressure that everyone has to make sure they hit the right gap because when you run a gap scheam like the forty nine ers run because they've gone away a little bit from the zone scheam, what they do is they're trying to get one defend the out of the gap. They kick them out and it ends up being a big play up to guy. So it's one of those

things where you gotta bring pressure. You can't just sit back and play like toy soldiers. You gotta bring it. And I'm not going to make them out to be a team that can't be defeated. They actually had like seven or so losses on their record, But you just gotta be ready for you gotta get them in the mouth, and you gotta make the game be one that Jimmyga Rocko has to win the game. They can't be a game where they're comfortable and able to run the football

the way they want to running. Have you seen Dan Quinn do do that with this defense call that kind of game. They haven't really had to do that, you know, like the eager we're running team, But like the first game they played them, they weren't quite in that mode. And then the second game, like it was a JV team, so we really haven't seen that. But their running game would be comparable to the way the Eagles successfully started running the ball at the end of the year. But

the quarterback running some read running. They're doing some creative things now. They haven't had a dial up depression. Initially, I wouldn't expect them to dollar presson. I think they're trying to play play it in their base, trying to stay conservative and play the way they played all year. But then they have to dialed up, and they have to dialed up. The main thing is they got to win first half. They got to get them behind the chain so they can dictate the terms. They have to

be a Jimmy Garoppolo game. It can't be an Elijah Mitchield and Deebo Samuel game where they're running the ball and having it on their terms. Bucky I, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle get a lot of attention, and rightfully, so you tell me a little bit about Brandon Auk because it seems like he's kind of breaking out a

little bit and I feel like he's flying under the radar. Yeah, he's out of the dog house now he's in the dog house earlt the end of the year, he and Couch and the hand were on different pages in terms build just the way that Brendon and I Yuko is playing and performing the effort that he was just playing not only his receivers but also in the running game. So he got on board and what the forty nine ers have done, and I'm stilled this going back to

those drafts years. They basically are playing the wing t type system right where they have a bunch of wide receivers that are like wingbacks that can touch the ball. They can run it, they can catch it, they can run after the cats. They have versatile athletes like Kill and George you Check that are able to do a bunch of different things. And their game outside of the run, it's all catch and run concepts. They want to get the ball to the hands of the playmakers, and their

playmakers can scoot. All of those guys have like pump return skills in the background, so they're physical, they break arm tackles, and they're hard to get down them. And so I Yuk is a guy in aargon the state who was dominant and disrupt dynamic with the ball in his hands, and he's continue to be that kind of playmaking wint when he's gotten chances. Are you expecting now Boys to be able to get some takeaways against this

type of offense. Yes, if they can win first down and make Jimmy Garoppolo do it, because if they can put the game on Jimmy Garoppolo, he's guaranteed to give you at least two because that's what he does. They are undefeated. When Jimmy Garoppolo does not have a turnover in the game, they're recorded lopside it when he turns it over. The reason they've been able to prevent him from turning it over is because Kyle Shanahan talked about this.

When they get to the thirty plus mark and rushing attempts, the game is going the way they want because they do not want to expose Jimmy Garoppolo as a passion meaning making them throw traditional drop back passes without using play action, and so you have to stop the run and make them get into a shoette type game where he has to throw without play action and everyone in the build and knows that he's drawing because he's gonna miss and he's gonna throw it to the other team.

That's what he's done, that's what he's always done, and that's who Jimmy Garoppolo is. All right, we appreciate it. That's good stuff, Bucky. We'll have you back tomorrow. We'll talk about the San Francisco defense versus the Dallas offense. We're gonna take our final break. Comeback. Ask these guys some questions about this Dallas defense. We'll be right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. I want to use what the pros use. How about the official men's

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shipping at ATNT. Everyone new and existing customers get our best deals on every smartphone. Why, because you deserve it. We're turning your living room into your office and your gym. We're teaching. Grandma had a video call and teaching her again. It's the button on your left Banna, Okay, your other laughs. It's not complicated. Everyone deserves something new, so ATNC has given everyone new and existing customers are best deals with

every unlimited plan on every smartphone, even the latest ones. Eighteen. Team may Temporreli's lodated speach of the network's basic retricchens and acceptance may apply. Hi, I'm Clint Tillison with man. I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with nag and Turf, the official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys. So if you need a tractor to bail some hay a'm more to cut some grass, or a gator to get some chores done, get a John Deer at unantagin Turf and

then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line, well, not today. Get to work with a John Deere tractor package that's just right for you in your budget. Visit unantaginturf dot com. Before there was a draft, you could size up a cowboy by three simple factors. The crease at his hat, the bend of his brim, and his unbending attitude. A man, Stetson didn't just protect him from what life through at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit.

Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here in Texas. There's still the unofficial crowd of all self respecting Cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest you at Stetson dot com. Slash Cowboys. Back to the break, all right, we talked about it before. Get ready to white out

at and T Stadium. It's here for the Cowboys. On the victory Sunday, January sixteenth against the forty nine ers, wear white, all white, Let's go, Let's go, pants, shirt, hat, the whole nine everything, socks, everything looked like a painter that I was thinking like there that makes me think of like a P. Diddy music video. I think from like the nineties or something I don't remember. I don't

sounds kind of familiar, but I don't. I don't know if I remember some people wearing it, and I'm just like like they were about to like tee off at the British Open or something like that, just both white pants and white you know, going to Wimbledon. I don't know it'll be fun. All right, let's get into it. We got a final segment. A few questions for you guys about this Dallas defense in this matchup against San Francisco.

Let's start first with this. When Dallas's run defense has struggled this year, what did you think was the biggest problem? Because I think there's been some games Denver, maybe the second Philadelphia game, depend on how you look at that. I look at that as that first half they were having some struggles there against what it wasn't even at

the starting unit for first it was terrible in that game. Well, of course he wasn't there, and so I guess what I'm asking is and the games where they have struggled New England might have been another. What do you think was was the biggest challenge Denver? They didn't tackle, They did not tackle very well. They didn't look like they played the game like they were very interested. I don't know if that was the case, but they didn't seem

like it, and they didn't tackle like it. And they let guys that are you know, rookie back who's a good player, Javonte Williams. But they let him, you know, turn into Jim Brown. So they didn't tackle well. And there was a lot of plays in that game that I remember specifically. We talked about first down a lot. There was a how many times in that Denver game was it like second and twelve, second and thirteen and they would get like nine ten yards? Totally change it.

They're trying to get Teddy Bridgewater to throw it on third and twelve and it wasn't happening. They would get in first downs or a third and short. Same type of thing here. I compare this game a lot to the forty nine ers to the Bronco game. Quarterbacks about the same. You don't you don't want to give them a lot of room because they might, you know, but the more that they throw a better it might be

for you. Just don't put them in favorable situation. Another one probably worth mentioning is the Saints game and they pulled away, but Dasom Hill ran all over them. That's obviously a little bit different, But I do think the edge factor is part of it. Like they didn't play with an edge against Denver, and I think, like to Bucky's point, and I don't think that'll be a problem

in a playoff game. But like you gotta come ready to sign up to just get bashed and bash back, you know, for sixty God that sounds like such a cliche. For sixty minutes though, like every play, and so I don't worry about that in a playoff game. But also gap integrity, the stuff with the motion is really tricky because I think at time times, uh, some of these guys have this defense has been caught out of position

by stuff like that. Again, going back to Taysom Hill, when you can scheme up stuff like that, Um, yeah, that that has been a problem for them when teams have been able to run the ball. The thing about what the Fortin unders did you know and not? I

watched them more than you know that that game. I saw the game, and I hadn't watched him play a lot like I don't know if it's changed over the years, but I guarantee Shanahan has figured out exactly how to call those or how to run those plays that they don't get a false start because if you notice they have put their guy in motion, like right before the snap, it almost looks like a false start, like he moves. I didn't notice that a couple of plays, you know,

and that's I don't the fullback's name. I don't even know how I mean, he's he's not a fullback, you can call him that. He's everything he and he dictates a lot of things. But he is moving half a second before the snap. But it's legal. It's a legal play they've got. It's got to be legal. It's just like he goes in motion. No one says how long you go in motion for he goes. He doesn't go in motion for two seconds. It's just motion and then snap. Yeah, And it really gives them a running start, and so

it's a crafty way that they figured it out. This is actually going back to a conversation we've been having all year, and I want Micah rushing the passer in as an element of every game he plays. But I think this is probably a game where he's more valuable off the ball to them, because again, gap integrity like having the not just the instincts, but the speed to be where you're supposed to be and then the physicality

to make the play when you get there. And I think probably because he's a conservative converted safety, I think Kean O'Neill has had times where he didn't have the physicality to do that, broken tackles and whatnot. And I think Layton vander esh isn't as quick to the ball as he as the guy we saw when he was younger. He's been. They've both been solid this season, but we know what elite off ball linebacker play looks like, and

that hasn't been it. And Mica has that potential to you know, the classic idea of Sean Lee of knowing where the ball's going the minute it's snapped, getting there and making the play. I think that would be very valuable against the type of football San Francisco likes to play. Yeah, I think you mentioned two things there that jumped out of me. First was when you're talking about Taysom Hill.

One thing to note, they do line de Deebo Samuel's up in the backfield to get direct snaps sometimes, So that could be something that they look at and say, hey, Cowboys had some trouble stopping Taysom Hill in those situations where he was getting a direct snap and running. Maybe that's something that we see this weekend with Deebo Samuels. But the other thing you talked about, Michael Parsons and I look at that, and in that Arizona game, one thing they did with Mica is they kind of had

him tracking on a lot of plays. They had him tracking Carlos Edmonds. I wonder if the Cowboys will look at this game and look at him very similar to that and say, we're gonna have him track whoever's in the backfield, whether that's Elijah Mitchell, if Debo's in the backfield, track Deebo. Kind of key him with whoever's in the backfield. And because you don't have to worry about a running

quarterback like you did against Arizona. I was a little bit like in those situations against Arizona, I was a little bit like, I don't know if I would have done that though, when you got a running quarterback, but they did it a lot in that game, and he did a good job on Carlos Edmonds. It does make Chase Edmonds. I'm sorry. I do think that that is a strategy that maybe it's worth looking at four game

like this. Maybe Deebo Samuel, but I mean, I think, honestly, I think that was a bad decision against the Cardinals, right, like, oh, you you took out Chase Edmonds with Michael Parsons when I mean that he's not the guy that makes it go all the time. Oh no, you nullified. He mullified our running back. No, No, I mean I think Mica Parsons needs to be the one dictating everything. I don't. I don't want him following Deebo Samuel all the time.

I want him getting after Jimmy Garoppolo's ass. That's what I want him doing all the time. And so um I get the spy part of it too. Jalon Curse has got to be a huge in this game for the kittle and just the way he plays and number fifty five. Like I said this on the radio this morning, and I never have said this about any player ever, because it does any sport. You don't say this. I need rookie year vander esh this week rookie season Layton.

That sounds weird, but I need that guy. Yeah. The hunter he to me is his game the X factor in this game, mainly because against the running team, I think when they've struggled. I ask you guys that question earlier. I think when they've struggled against the run, I think primarily you've had issues at linebacker, and I think he's

been a part of that. And I just wonder, like this is a game where he's gonna have to show up and really play an outstanding game, getting in the right gaps where he needs to be and not getting washed out of place, because that happens quite a bit with him, which is and I agree, but they both do.

Neil and Layton both have to have nice games. But I would like Parsons to help with that, right Yeah, I just I mean again, I want him to do a little bit of everything always, but I think I'm content to try to let the the front four get after Garoppolo Like it's it's weird to be talking about an NFL football game in twenty twenty two where I'm more worried about what they can do with the run than the past. I'm just like, I can you know, I'll live and die with making Jimmy make those plays.

You know. And you say, you say, Jimmy, you're talking about Garoppolo, But I think that Jimmy Johnson. I remember when he first got here, um and and the big talk was you can't play college football in the NFL, especially in the NFC East because Jimmy Johnson wanted quick, fast defenders, undersized, you know, a little bit um. But but they they fly to the ball. And here's here's a good example of that. You know. Keian nielsa converted safety.

Micah Parsons, Yes, he's a linebacker. He's he's not the biggest, you know, vander esh you know, those guys have been knocked back before. Jay Ron Curse is a converted safety that plays up there close to the line. Big boys try you know, blockie. It gets hat on a hat, which could be in trouble. The thing is they've got to be quicker to the ball. They got to use that speed and it worked on those teams in the nineties and they kind of change the game a little bit.

But but I just wonder, like this is gonna be speed versus power, and if and if they don't get there and utilize their speed and they take on these blocks head on it, it could be a long day. I do also and completely agreed. I think it's worth mentioning as well. They're so good at yards after catch and that's been I mean, talking about issues for this defense. That's been a theme as well. Going back the Saints game. I just talked about seventy yard catch and run. You've

seen stuff like that across the season. DJ Moore going all the way back to Carolina and again, I mean tackling a lot, don't I mean, don't let they're gonna get first downs. Don't let these guys turned six yard catches into twenty five yard games. I saw both of us kind of looked at each other while Bucky was talking about how they will try to, you know, run on the outside if they think that they got to

defend to back. Dad don't like to tackle. Guess what, you're a little bit concerned about trey Von because that's the one part of Trayvon game that I know a lot of people give him a lot of flack about what he does in the coverage game. I'm good with that. I don't think he's a great guy when it comes run defense as a run defendant. What do you guys think? I know that. Yes, my eyebrows perked up and I

looked at you for a very specific reason. If yeah, I find somebody else to have the yard's allowed debate. I don't care. He's been fantastic and coverage, in my opinion, I don't like the idea of Deebo Samuel coming around left tackle with Juice Check out there blocking on the perimeter, and like Treyvon is what's gonna stop this from being

a huge game? That, Yeah, that's concerning. And again they have to go into this game with that mindset of like I'm gonna be sore as hell tomorrow because it's just gonna be that physical and I've got to make those types of plays or better yet, Deebo out there actually trying to block and you've got Elijah Mitchell coming behind him with us check Like that's where I start wondering, Like they got receivers and this is what Bucky was getting.

I think our receivers who like to block and they're good at it, that can be a bit of a challenge when you start talking about the perimeter run gay if Kyle Shanahan doesn't specifically have a focus on like number seven doesn't necessarily like to get in the mix in the run game, like I guarantee you that's part of their game plan. It has to be. Yeah, he's too, Like we give him so much credit for the way that he like adapts to his opponents and adapts his personnel.

There's no way that they haven't seen that on tape. Yeah, and that's how you're gonna get him out of his game, you know, get him running the running at him, let him thinking that way. And then that's where we've kind of seen him slip up a little bit um in coverage, you know, when he's not playing his game and and just covering guys all the time. So yeah, I agree, I mean I think that's that's gonna be. I mean, they do a lot of those reverses and things like that.

It's gonna but that's where the linebackers have got to be true. We talked about they got to be aware, they got to be seeing it. They gonna be chasing it. The speed is gonna come into play. That's where it's just like it's a chess match, you know, And you talked about how sore you're gonna feel the next day. I mean, the winner of this game could very easily play on Saturday. I mean, I think that's a possibility that the winner of this game is going to get

a short week. Well. The interesting thing there too is both of these teams, the team that you would probably play, I'm assuming Tampa gets to win, They're gonna have a similar type matchup, a team that likes to mix it up and play physical. And so you know, this is the playoffs. Everybody's gonna everybody's gonna be feeling it come Monday, because every the level of play goes up when you get don't think anyone's gonna be too tired to play, right, Yeah, no,

I don't. I don't think so. But and it's of course where that would be thinking too far ahead. But Tampa play is Sunday at one or noon for us, and then the other matchup that the Cowboys could potentially be involved with his Monday night. So at the very least happen on Saturday. No, but well just at the very least, whoever they would play isn't going to have more rest than they would So yeah, no, I think I think you find your I think you can find

your energy for the playoffs. Because we were talking about that, like like, and this is if the NFL wants to go AFC NFC on Saturday, AFC NFC on on Sunday, they may not. They may stick it to what it is right now and just go AFC A But the thing about it is is that you know, if if if the Cowboys are gonna play the Buccaneers, if they win and play the Buccaneers, then then the next game would be um Green Bay and obviously the winner of the four or five game on Monday night. They're not

putting a Monday night team on Saturday. So I'm just saying if they do want to put an NFC game on Saturday, it's gonna have to be the you know, the b Bucks and the winner of this game. Yeah, I again the problems problems for Monday. Oh yeah, they win, Yeah, that's yeah, they'll have they'll be banged up and all that. And I mean it's like I said before, it's a fist fight. This is gonna turn into a very physical game. And can the Cowboys do it? Can they hold up?

That's that's the big question. As always appreciate you guys, join us. Will back to morrow. We're gonna talk some San Francisco defense firstus. The Cowboys offense will do that tomorrow. So then for Nick Even and Dave Helm and Amber Garcia, I am Derek Eagleton. 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