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Are you ready for a break? Yes?
Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that.
It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Were with Mbar Garcia, Brian brought us, Patrick Walker and Derek Eagleton.
It is Tuesday, November twenty one, twenty twenty three, Season nineteen, episode number seventy five. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We are a live nest WBC Mortgage studio.
Here at the Star.
We got our normal crew here with us in one special guest that'll be joining us today at some point. I'm sure he's going to have some some thoughts for us. He just shake his head and some thought for us, thoughts for us on the Dallas Cowboys. Mister Diego has his debut today joining the Break here with us. Amber's son What is he?
What?
Two man?
Tom is just fine. Just remember him that train camp just crawling.
Around like we're great Cowboys.
Co oh.
Yes, and he's also a big long horn fan for those big long one fan he throws up his Horns every chance he get his reputation.
All right, so let's jump in.
We've got a few things when he hit today, We're gonna definitely get to the Washington offense versus the Dallas defense before we go there. Though, Patrick talked me about the injury situation. We got Rico Dowdell on the on the list, jay Ron Curst, Ceedee Lamb, Terrence Steele.
What are we looking at for this week?
Okay, So the Cowboys are honestly and obviously going through a light work week because of the short week two games in four days. So Rico Dawdle ankle did not participate on What's Today, I'm losing a radio Monday. Peyton Hendershot ankle. He was full as he was last week. We'll see if he gets activated from IR this week. TBD, Jroon curse Back did not participate. Ceedee Lamb popped up
with an ankle injury suffered against the Panthers game. In the Panthers game, he was limping a little bit towards the end of the game, but he was a limited participant.
Osa Hamstring full, Terrence Steel ankle limited, and Cavante Turpin he's back to full speed with that shoulder and listening to Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy talk about Ceede Lamb and his potential availability this morning on one O five three the Fan, Jerry said that as we speak, it's a thumbs up for Ceedee Lamb, but mirroring what Mike McCarthy said yesterday, they're going to see what it looks
like on today, Tuesday, and then Wednesday. It's key to note for Cowboys fans, though, that the practice plan is not going to be a typical one. It will be the same number of reps as Mike McCarthy said, but yesterday was hatt and cleats and a pure walk through. Today they'll jog through the reps and then tomorrow they'll play. It'll be like a Saturday walkthrough type situation. There will not be a full on, full go practice for any of these players because they have two games in four days.
So when you're looking at the injury report from yesterday, just kind of keep that in mind. Those guys were quite literally walking through reps. My sense is that Ceedee Lamb will be on the field. I do get that that indication, and speaking with a lot of players, not just their players, but people in the building and we'll see if that sticks. But I think that I don't think he misses this game spot on.
Yeah, is there anything that is there any one of these that concerning because when I saw jay Ron pop up as it did not participate and a back that kind of made me say, whoa you know, just because you know a short week back, you know a solder guys, no, you get at back problem. Sometimes back problems can be a problem and they can stick around. So is there any one of these that you think is anything more than just it's a short week.
It was a walk through. They all should be progressing in the right way.
The one that worried me initially was the lamb one. Yeah, and then because I feel like I saw him, I think we probably all sat down and watched the All twenty two and there was a shallow cross where I felt like that's where he got hurt. And then so happens that you know, turpin falls on him too while he's on the ground, So you know, maybe you're like, on, oh, Jay's double whammy there now though, need to check on the curse back. You know, I feel like he'll be okay,
but you're absolutely right. You just never know with that. Is that something that's going to tighten up? Is it something that is it a spasm situation, is it something that just ain't right? And so you know they'll they'll nurse at the best they can. You know, there's a couple of players right there you really don't want to lose. I thought the curse played pretty well the other day, you know, getting back, we've kind of the safety spot has been a little bit of a one. We've put
under the microscope a little bit. I know I have, But you really don't want to lose him in this game.
Well, you're liking Sorry, I was gonna say, you're liking so much already on defense, and now is the time that the offense and a bunch of different receivers are starting to show up, are starting to.
Be a part of the offense.
So at least you have some sense of like, Okay, I think they can be okay with the other players that they get that they got. Should they give City a rest week, I get it. I think he should be fine. But if that's you know, worst case scenario, I feel okay with them having enough playmakers on the offense right now, where they're actually showing up versus the defense. There are really so many areas that you you know, you're still.
A little weak, quote unquote.
They're still hanging on there, but we know how different everything looks without Layton, without Trevon Diggs on the defense, So they're already kind of on a thing string there and that occurs. He's a key element to the defense. So having him and something that could potentially have him out longer than just one game, it is something to definitely be concerned about.
If there was one player I have concern about on this list, they would be jan I think if with the CD lamp situation, if they were of high concern, then he wouldn't have even participated in the walk through it all. It wouldn't be limited he'd been DMP yesterday, they would have said get off that ankle.
With jay Ron curse.
Like you said, it's a it's a back issue and we don't know the extent of it, but it's a short week period and if you're having a back issue, you know, two games and four days that can be a rough one. So if you're asking me jay Ron's availability before we see today and tomorrow's practice report, I put it at fifty to fifty and if he isn't able to go, kind of going to what Amber was talking about when it comes to death, maybe you get
to see more reps of one. Yeah, Yeah, you get more reps of one, yeah, Thomas, and maybe you sprinkle in some easy there as well to try to help you with some tight end coverage.
So important this week too with Logan Thomas.
So I will say I do have some concern about jay Ron. Not as much with CD, but jay Ron with that back injury. Yeah, I could see him being a fifty to fifty maybe even a game time decision.
Brian, you mentioned that jay Ron curse you'd watched and thought he had a little better week week. You know, actually I was thinking the same thing about about I'm john a blank now for safety six.
Donald wils Yeah, Donald Wilson.
I actually, as I was watching the game, I was like, you know, there were a couple of plays that weren't quite that that one big run he kind of missed the tackle. There were a few, yeah, but there were a few others where I felt like he kind of did a made a couple of plays that were bigger plays.
There were plays tackles for a lost tackle of.
No game, that kind of thing, and uh, and it made me think back to our conversation about the safeties and saying, you know he is I think that was a that was a good sign for me for him because I hadn't really seen him have those kind of games this season where he made some of those plays. What do you guys think about across the boy looking at the safeties and three safeties how they played in this last game.
Yeah, I think to me, when you there, there's been some times where they've struggled, and I maybe it's a little bit of health, you know. To me, I just my expectations were when I when we were talking about this team in June was I looked at safety as a real strength of this team. You know, we start talking about what are the best positions, you know, rank power, rank the positions, radio you do in June and you know, safety, safety was all. You know, safety was always up there.
And I kind of felt like though that that you know, early on, you know, with when Wilson got hurt in camp, maybe that should have been something that I said, oh here we go. Something is not going to be right with this group. This this year. But they but the last game, as you mentioned, much better job with the covering of aspect, much better, playing in the box, much better with some of the physical finishes. The group is clearly capable of making plays, and they need them to
make some plays. And and and we saw that last week against the Panthers. I was, I was. I felt a little bit better about the overall group than I had in some of the previous games.
True, and I feel like that trio, that hybrid, not hybrid, but that hydra, three headed hydra, which is Malie Hooker, Donovan Wilson, excuse me, and j Ron Curse. They're really starting to kind of find their legs over these past several games. And I do attribute some of the hiccups early on to Donovan Wilson having missed the entirety of training camp with that cavstrain. When it happened, we didn't expect that he would miss the entirety, but he did.
And then it took a while, I believe, for just those three as a unit to kind of refine themselves. And I think they've done that, which is why if jay Ron Curse can't go, I don't think it will be a massive blow thanks to guys like juan Ye Thomas and and Izzy Mukuamu, but it still would be a drop off in talent there. So but they played well. And even when you look at you know what jay
Ron was able to do against the Panthers. If you for those that will point out that, you know, deep left route that was a conversion for Bryce Young, you could argue, OPI there.
I mean there was a.
Lot of hand played there, Yeah, a lot of pushing going on to create space for the receivers. So even inclusive of that, I mean, jay Ron was right on this hip the whole time. So Jon's really ramped up, Donovan is finding his legs into an twenty three, and Malik Hooker he's playing some real good football just in twenty twenty three period.
He's consistent.
I mean, there are a couple of times where you wish this and you wish that. Before the most part, Melie Cooker is playing some damn good football.
The problem with me is, like with those guys that are at the bottom. Yes, we've seen moments where there's clear talent there for sure, and we all like them, but we haven't seen enough just yet, just because they haven't got the chance to.
And that's just how it goes.
You know, you're not you don't play until you actually needed, and that's what's happening here.
So the only concerning part would be maybe.
The lack of experience, the lack of the amount of reps being on the field. We all know that they're capable of, but what does that look like throughout a full game?
That's my question.
Yeah, all right, real quick, before we get to the first break, I want to take time for lab Coat. We the last couple of weeks, we've missed that because we keep pushing into the later segment.
No, no, we get to a later segment, and then what happens.
Amber just keeps talking Diego and give him lab coat Diego.
That's mile.
I love that smile, all right, what you got for us?
All right?
So the magic number this week is going to be minus forty eight minus forty eight, and that is the expected points average when the nearest receiver is targeted to the guy in coverage.
So this is for Deron Bland.
Deron Bland this week has set and with his pick six and his coverage against the Carolina Panthers has now set at next Gen stats record through the first ten games of any season in innngs's existence with the lowest target EPA of any NFL player, Who did he surpass to get that? Stefan Gilmore who had a minus forty five and twenty nineteen, what did Stefan Gilmore get that year?
Defensive Player of the Year.
And if you want to know just how crazy minus forty eight is, Sauce is four point three positive forty three above the Mendoza line.
That is a massive sect.
You know, the next closest player is to Duran You.
Mean in target EPA. Yeah, let let's get that. Let's get that here we are.
I want know the delta, like between him and the second best.
Let's go from minus forty eight waiting on the Wi Fi.
That's above my pay grade through that's above my pay grade.
Hold on a second, it's been that way for like fourteen years.
It is minimum twenty five targets. Yeah, it is passing the debo of the New Orleans Saints minus twenty eight.
Look at the gap. Yes, that's that's a massive gap.
So if you want the gap between him and the next person.
It gets closer.
So minus Seattle, Denzel Award is minus twenty six. Lagarious Sneid before last night was minus twenty four, and then it starts. Now you get below the twenty minus nineteen.
Who are you looking for A brought.
Us Woland from the Seattle Yes.
What Tarik Woolan is minus eleven point six. So the drop off people I would have guessed for behind him, Yeah, the drop off between what Deron Bland is doing, not only in target EPA. He owns so many of these categories and coverage it's not even it's mind blowing. He is at this point of the season and there are nuances. You can argue skill sets, trajectories, whatever. But as we have this conversation, Deron Bland is the best cornerback in the NFL.
He's definitely playing at that level in this season. For sure.
Pro votes need to be filtered toward him a sceptually.
Honestly, I think I don't even think it's a question at this point when you're talking All Pro, I think the question becomes like can he really be in the in the race for Defensive Player of the Year, because I think All Pro it's a hands down he should be in All Pro. There's no question about that, but there's a whole different level of getting up there to where you're actually in the consideration for Defensive Player of
the Year. Just because, as we see so often happens on the offensive side with quarterbacks, same thing tends to happen with pass rushers on defense. It's very difficult for cornerback to win it. But as you mentioned, Gilmore did get that that nod a few years ago.
And it's great that you say that because perfect promotion for this week's science Lab that went live on Dallas Cowboys dot com.
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When you look at the front runners for Defensive Player of the Year, all of them are defensive ends or lined by outside linebackers.
They're pass rushers.
Miles Garrett, Michael Parss, TJ Watt, Max Crosby, Nick Bosa, Chris Jones. Those are your ones who have the best odds. And then you have to come all the way down to what becomes an eight way tie between Deron Bland, a couple of safeties, and some other pass rushers. Deron Bland is the only cornerback that even has a chance of winning this, but he's plus ten thousand.
That's nuts to me. But like you said, Gilmore did it before.
But that also goes to the point of why Bland should be in this conversation, because if you look at the numbers when Gilmore did it, forty nine tackles through sixteen games, twenty passes defense, six i ts, two defensive touchdowns through ten games, wo Darron Bland thirty eight tackles,
twelve passes defense, six interceptions, four defensive touchdowns. It's there are no arguments to be made against Deron Bland being not only in the conversation for DPOY, but a front runner among those past rushers.
I think in the Athletic they just had a survey and he was He's the third. It was the third vote getter for the most underrated player in the league. So people are starting to take notes.
It's amazing any player for the Cowboys can be underrated, right because you know you're going to get the attention and when you play for the Cowboys.
But yeah, it really is true.
I can see it in your eyes. Next year when Diggs is opposite Bland.
Yeah, no, I was.
Just thinking of the next pick six that he gets, he breaks the NFL recorst and it's just it's so cute. Just again, I always say the same thing with him, but listening to him after the game and him talking about it and just saying, you know, he just wants to be remembered, and that's what anyone would have want, you know, making history, NFL history and getting on those books. It's like the only thing that why I would want to break the record is just to be on the record books and be remembered.
And also keep in mind he's not coming from like a Power five school.
I mean he secretly character.
Man, the Fresno people are coming after him.
But here here's what I'm going to say, and this is why They're going to load me from Sacramento State to Fresno State. And he's proving that schools like Fresno State can produce and after talent that can be elite and can dominate at their position. This is a fifth round guy. This isn't a first round of les. So it's not a second or third that maybe faill through some cracks. Fifth rounder who comes in and he's doing what he's doing. Eleven interceptions, it would be thirteen if
not for that two drops against the Chargers. Through sixteen NFL starts, it's it's superbly ridiculous what Darron Bland is doing.
Well, I'll take credit to our draft show guys, because I heard about him before the draft because of those guys, and when the Cowboys got him, I remember you guys saying this is the steal of the draft.
Do a lot of shows. That's why we had to talk to you.
Do you know, might we be able to do more?
I don't know, but but the fact is, like that was that was like saying that was a huge credit though, Like that was huge like that, and he is from the day he showed up, he has been that level.
Of player for this team. All Right, we're gonna take our first.
Break byas Diego hot some snacks and he's getting some energy, so we'll probably Briany is about to start breaking down the command in the background.
They don't run the ball an awful lot, but when they do, they can run it pretty well.
There you go, Diego, you got your breakdown. We's see later. We'll be back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com.
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Cowboys fans, after that move, we've just coined the term rowdy replay.
Let's roll back the table.
Okay, there's our mascot rowdy cheering on the boys. And now he's on his phone on his Bank of a Erco mobile banking app.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of Doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller.
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To cry out?
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Back to the Break.
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Welcome back to the second segment of The Break from the s WBC Morgan Studios. At the start, this segment brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, let's talk about the Washington defense. Despite going one on one in three over the last four games. When you look at the offensive numbers for this team, Washington's put up four hundred plus yards of offense in three of those four games.
You know what I did? I did? I did the Washington offense.
First, we're talking about Office offense, right, say, Washington defense.
I thought you did for some reason, maybe.
I'm talking about Wathingon offense.
So I may have been said, okay, man, I was like, no, mess this up, No, here we go it eleven.
Weeks with my head like I could have definitely could have messed it up. Okay, Yeah, absolutely, we're watching offense, got it, let's go. Okay.
So Watchings put up four hundred plus yards in three of their last four games, even though it hasn't shown up and the win loss record. Yeah, what's been working for them offensively has allowed them to be so productive.
It's throwing the football. They lead the league in passing yards. But the problem is that they throw the ball, in my opinion, way too much, way too much. They you know, their quarterback, Eric B. Enemy. I think I think Eric the Enemy is a really good offensive coordinator, but I don't get what he's doing. I think the strength of this team, I think there's two spots this team is really good. I think they're good at the skill at the wide receiver, and I think they're good at running back.
And they don't run the ball at all. And when you watch them. When you watch them, you're like, man, they're putting this quarterback in harm's way. He gets sacked a lot, he gets hit a lot, and they lead the league. They just keep dropping back and throwing the football, and you wonder why. You know, he's got twelve interceptions, eighteen touchdown it's his first year start and we're talking about Sam how and I absolutely love Sam Howe. When he was at North Carolina, I felt like he took
an unnecessary uh heat for how he played. His team fell apart around him. He was a can't miss type guy before the season his senior year and this season fell apart and he got blamed for a lot of things. But you could you could clearly see some talent here. But I just don't understand why that Eric b Enemy just just he just refuses to run the football. Here with these these backs that they have, because to me, I look at them, I'd love to have Brian Robinson.
Antonio Gibson right now is dealing with a toe injury that that put him out for the Giants game. But we all know Antonio Gibson when he was like the starter, he was a guy who was a productive runner. You could throw the ball to It wasn't.
That a Thanksgiving Day when he was here, when he had a really really great day out.
He's always he's one of those guys that kind of now he's had some games where he's fumbled the ball at terrible times and it's and they've benched him and things like that. But he and Brian Robinson really nice combination of the two. And I just don't know why, but they continue to put so much pressure on their quarterback to have to make throws. And they've got skilled guys on the outside, but there is really no balance
to how the Commanders play. And just me right now talking with us here with a short week I maybe this is the one weekend where where Eric bin Me says we need to run the ball or try to run the ball. They have to be terrified because the left side of their offensive line really struggles. And when you watch it play and it's the one on one stuff, but it's the twist stunts, the movement stunts that things Charles Leno and Chris Paul over there, it's like they
can't sort things out. And what's the strength of the Cowboys, The movement of the front, the twist stunts the games they play. If they drop back and passed as much as they've been doing that, they're they're going to give up seven eight socks in this game. Yeah, it's just it's that, it's that evident. But but they've they've had games where they've moved the ball and it's primarily because they throw it and they they have they have big playability.
We all know Terry McLaurin and what he could do. Uh, you know when you talked about talking about the Ohio State receivers that came out, all those ones that are in the league. Now, he's the one that probably gets the most. He's probably the most overlooked of all those guys. The way he plays, he is a he's a weapon. He's a downhill with carousel at Quota Bay. It doesn't matter. He just doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. He's gonna get a ton of targets. He's gonna get targeted in the
red zone. Uh, you know, they they just mean he's a hardcover. Now I will say this, Diggs is digs in times has just taken him completely out of the game. Before. Now you don't have that option. Maybe it's bland. We'll take him completely out of this game, but you're going to need to know about him. You're gonna need to figure out a way to Johan Dotson's another guy that they're going to have to deal with. And then the
tight end Logan Thomas. That's why I think it's kind of important when you're starting to talk about who's going to be safeties, how the safety is going to line up. You know, Logan Thomas is like a six to six, two hundred and fifty five pound guy. That is that's their primary red zone target. So you're going to see the ball go in his direction if they get down there.
But man, I would not be surprised if they try and run the ball just because of the short week and they maybe they saw, hey, if we get into a throwing game against Dallas, we're going to get killed, and maybe they'll figure out a way to try and run the ball up.
One of the interesting things is you look at their numbers from last week. They actually had a very very productive running attack, hit the Giants for one hundred and seventy four yards and had one of their worst point productions right of the sea in right So I wonder if that says to them, no, our best chance to win. I mean it was against the Giants team that most people thought had given up.
But they can't protect. I mean you washing the Giants and it's like Thibodeau looked like, uh, you know, looked like Michael Parsons out there rushing the passer, and hey, they can't their left side of that line couldn't sort anything out. And you watch it all year and you're and you're going, they still aren't blocking anybody.
Yeah, how do you find them running? How do you define their running scheme? Because when I went back and watched the last week, they did a lot of that pulls and stuff like that.
Outside.
Is that what what Washington does?
Yeah, I think I think that's where. I think that where you're going to see everything is kind of there. They're one of these teams that likes to try and run the ball to the edge and then see if they can make the cut from from the middle. And that's the Robinson is not like I say, Gibson, I think playing is a little bit more too and throw around the corner, where Robinson is a little bit more take it plant and just go and just try and
run with some power. He could be a tough guy to deal with right there, and they have they have another with if Gibson doesn't play, they have Chris Rodriguez is the other guy. He's a rookie from Kentucky and he's nothing but just a straight ahead, handed, hand it to him type guy and try and run through the pile battering a ram type of player. I wrote here in my notes. But but I just kind of feel
like though that that man. I just don't know how you watch Dallas's tape and say throwing the ball against him is a good thing. Yep, I just don't. I mean, and not especially if you can't block, if the if the two guys, your two, your left side guys can't handle Dallas's strength, which is how they play with movement. They make you have to deal with all those twists
and loops. And if you can't deal with that, they're they're they're just gonna they're gonna, they're gonna cause problems and they're gonna get sacked.
And to support Brian's UH report, somehow pressured almost thirty nine percent of his dropbacks SECT fifty one times.
In the NFL.
Yeah, yeah, the only the only team that has more sacks. That's giving up more sacks in them as the Giants. Giants who has to face Dallas twice and they got sixty three, but they have sixty three and then you've got Washington with fifty one. The next closest team is eleven under. Yeah, so it's like they're averaging one less sack of game over one less sack of game than what the company.
But they throw the ball like they lead the league in attempts. You know, they leave the league in yards, but they lead the league in attempts. And I just don't. But because when you watch them run the ball, it's you know, it's one of those things. They're like fourth in the league when it comes to yards per carry, but they just don't. They don't. They have the fewest rushing attempts of any team in the league.
And it's not that It's also not that how does well under pressure, because typically he does not. All three of his interceptions against the Giants were under pressure.
He was two of eight under pressure.
Let's not even talk about his CPOE in the vex mentry. It just it was like negative minus one zero seven. It was just crazy. So not only can they not protect but it's counterproductive for like Brian said, for them to keep trying to throw the ball knowing they can't protect, also knowing they have a quarterback who doesn't perform well under pressure. So maybe this is the game they flipped, say let's try to run the ball but outside zone.
That that could work in the Cowboys favorite when you talk about athletic linebackers like Marquise Bell, Donovan Wilson, we talked about him coming on strong against the Panthers. The Panthers running game did well because Tuba Hubbard was going downhill. Right, So if you're saying, well, they're coming off of a game the Cowboys are wherein they allowed a good rushing attack or good rushing numbers, Well, look at the majority of it was Tuba Hubbard up the dirty gaps, not guys outside.
I don't know if I agree with that completely because there are a number of big runs they got on the outside where they throw the garden tackle and garden center and got around that edge. And then it was because my issue with the Cowboys defense, specifically in the run a game against that in that game was I thought there were too many times when guys just.
Didn't fill their gap.
A guy got blocked, couldn't get off at the feel his gapsolute safety, a linebacker didn't run up and fill their gap. Like so when you talk about, you know, a zone read type running, like, I wonder about that where it is about gap integrity, Like in those kinds of situations, if you leave a gap exposed, the running backs whole job is just to be looking find a gap, burst get through it right.
And so that's where it does concern me a little.
Bit fair And it's not a situation where you speak generally about it and say, okay, well, let's say the commanders focus on an outside zone.
That doesn't mean they're only going to run an outside zone.
When I talk about you, but Hubbard and some of his big plays, some of those were on the outside. The majority were up the dirty up, the dirty caps, abs and things like that. So could there be success on the outside, Yes, But then I harken back to the what I've seen on the film, I would be
more concerned if this is what I'm getting to. I would be more concerned if like an Austin Eckler was able to get off against the Cowboys because he was primarily attacking the outside, if Sakwan, who was primarily attacking the outside, could get off, if some of those speedy athletic guys in space could get off, Miles Sanders, he started to do a number on them. So if we're talking a little bit concerned on the edge comes to speed,
I will give that to Miles Sanders. But I don't see to Brian's point that the commanders and Eric Bienemy are committed to trying that and that can change.
Any given way.
Yeah, but I think I think Dallas's run game problems are more self inflicted than they are maybe the opponent Carolina. It was the big, the big heavy runs that they had, the big the runs that got the chunk plays, bad fits, guys get turned, guess the wrong way, trying to.
Fill the Michael play with the guests.
A couple of them, Yeah, a couple of them. But you know, I mean, that's but that's that, you know, that's those are things that if I'm I just don't know how the commanders could look at that and say we can block this front passing the ball. I don't know how. You know, if you you know, if you want to go ahead and see if your backup quarterback wants to play the next next Thursday. You know, go ahead.
But sometimes these coaches get really stubborn, you know. To me, the best, the best way to try to beat Dallas would be try to run the ball. Try but Dallas is Dallas is, And I said, I tweeted this morning, Dallas is. Scoring in balance makes teams not get to run the ball, you know. They it's you're you're behind, you're behind fourteen points. Scoring in balance, you know, Okay, you're gonna sit there and run the ball and run the clock out. Okay, fine, you just lost the game
by ten or whatever. I in I don't know, but that's I just kind of feel like that that that this game, if the Commanders have any chance, and they've got playmakers, they do, they've got the capability, but they've also got a quarterback that doesn't protect the ball very well too.
And you make a great point. It's it's point differential.
And guess where the Cowboys are playing on Thursday, a tante stadium where they have been blowing teams out on a regular basis. So Dak Prescott in that offense, which we'll we'll get to in Brian's count report.
Tomorrow. But if they get off to a hot lead, then it doesn't matter if Eric.
Binemy wants to run the ball boy or it's going to be on Sam how to drop back and then the cowboy get the te off. There's your pressure. He doesn't react well to pressure. And then maybe you were talking about fifth pick six for Deron.
What was the one game didn't Denver come in here? Was it on a Thanksgiving and run the ball extensively? And I'm sorry, I'm throwing guys just under the bus, But there was a game where the Denver had the two backs and they just kept running the ball trms.
Like it might have been I don't know, I get I get my memories confused on which game is which.
But I thought it was I thought it might have been a Thanksgiving day game.
It was like it was that.
That Denver came in here and they just extensively said, you're We're just gonna keep running. Oh it was the quarterback with the gloves, the two gloves, he's a all over the play. I hate when I can't remember names.
I know I do the same thing, the same thing.
I hate. I hate when I I can't remember who was playing that day, but it was what it was. But anyway, they came in and they just kept running it and running it and running in Dallas really never had that two backs that did really really well in that game. We're trying to think of I'll think for here to.
So so what we're going to take our final break, We'll come back. We got a little more talk on this Washington offense versus Dallas DEFENSI.
We're back, Dallas Cowboys bat on radio.
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Back to the Break.
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Welcome back.
Final segment of the Break Life from the SWBC Mortgage Studios.
Teddy Bridgewater, Teddy Bridgewater. I'm sure there are people out there like Broadus and Bridgewater. I'm just stick of the guy with two gloves. Bridgewater always wears the gloves.
And you know that happens to me all to Like I can visualize it.
I see the person clearly, and I'm like, I can remember the number, and I'm like, what is that name?
Why is that name?
Just this happens way too much, the older you get, the it's way way too bad.
I'm trying to start.
They had a couple of games where they it was over two hundred yards rushing for the pair.
So it was Javonte Williams one eleven on the ground, seventeen attempts. Wow, six and a half average. Melvin Gordon put up eighty. So yeah, almost two hundred yards. And you know, let that be a cautionary tail when it comes to the Cowboys and their Thanksgiving games.
And we were talking about it during the break.
They've had some some Thanksgiving games that we love, we love to forget, you know.
We talk about that one.
Oh that was November seven, That that was before I knew it was November.
If you talk about the Cote McCoy game, talk about RG three's rookie season and he turned them into a meme.
Yeah, right, so that was a.
Tough Philip Rivers and the Charger game here one time on Thanksgiving was pretty bad Buffalo. It was I think Josh Allen's first year in Buffalo. They came in there on Thanksgiving.
I think that the Cowboys and handle business.
Yeah, all right, let's let's get back to it. You have a fan question from Mikey. He says, can you guys talk about the interior defensive line and how they've played in your opinion so far?
Well, yeah, you know, I didn't feel like that. It was Mozzie Smith's best game playing last week. I know Mozzi's made a lot of progress when I watched him play. You know, I'm encouraged by Mozzie Smith. It's the same story when Mozzi Smith's bad. He is late. I mean I took a picture of him. Everybody's moving and he's still in his stance, and I'm thinking, okay, just remember this. That's why sometimes he will struggle Hankins chase the ball. He gets there and then all of a sudden, it's
like he's momentum carries and pass ball goes behind. That's happened. When you watch teams run, it's usually self inflicted. It's not something that Dallas is just physically getting beat. Now there's a couple of times they get turned and but for the most part they played, they've played really good run. They haven't given up one hundred yard rusher. There's something to that, you know. I think there's something too. Also their offense has done a good job of the score
in balance, so I've talked about that too. But if you look at overall, the struggles that they might have is getting turned or getting moved or overrunning, and then maybe some size at linebacker, you know, I mean that's maybe with Bell a little bit. You see guys get up on him a little bit. Clark is still trying to find his way. But they were asking about the
tackles right. Osa has been really consistent all year. I didn't think it was a particularly great game for him last week when it came to the run defense aspect. So it was just maybe one of those weeks where they just couldn't They made too many mistakes as a group. But overall, I think you have to give them credit for the way they played, because again, they haven't given up a hundred yard rocher all year.
I think the interior defensive line they've had a couple of bad days at the office run defense, but you know, like Brian said, in not one hundred percent agree. We've talked about it before. This is a much upgraded run defense for the Cowboys, And you know, could they have had a better outing against the Carolina Panthers against Cuba
and Miles, Absolutely they could have. As it comes to pass rush though, I mean, like oh so Olsa with second only to Michael Parsons in Carolina and getting back there, we look at Mazzi Smith. He made some good strides last week against the Panthers. I saw a little bit, some saw some struggles more than a half what was
promising I believe I haven't charted here. Opening Panthers drive second and three, Mazi gets into the backfield and enforced that pressure in that dirt throw from Bryce Young, stuff like that flash and show you okay, once he strings it together he can get it. But yeah, I mean, not the best outing against Carolina from a run defense standpoint, But when you put it to the macro and you look at the fact that, like he said, they haven't
allowed one hundred yards. Part of that is because the Cowboys, be it offense coming in live and or defense getting touchdowns that applied pressure via the scoreboard, So that helps in that capacity. But for the most part, the interior defense and has played very well, especially Jonathan Hankins. I mean not not not last week. We were sitting here praising Jonathan Hankins. So we can't take that away from him.
One week later. We can just say that they struggled in Carolina and hopefully they get I think.
I think Neville Gallimore is actually played pretty well for you too many you start to talk about there's times where I kind of see him get off the ball and get in the backfield, and I kind of hope it's Massie. You know, I'm like, oh, is that? Oh, it's not. You're kind of like, you're like, oh is that fifty? Oh it's ninety six. Okay, But yeah, But overall, I think Patrick's staid on about the assessment of where we're at.
I'll tell you one other thing that that I noticed when I was watching that last game. There were a few times when basically the defensive end, you have a tight end outside the defensive end, tight end blocks down and it basically pinned the defensive end so they couldn't set the edge and the ball goes right around them. And that was kind of interesting to me because usually
one or two things happen. Either the tight end isn't good enough to actually force that that guy to where that guy can't get around him, or teams don't do it to them as much. But that was kind of interesting to me that happened. I saw it happened to Mike. Saw it happened to Dorn's Armstrong. Sam, it happened happened to Sam Sam.
Sam gets caught in between plays sometimes Sam Sam wants to read it the right way and then he's like and then he hesitates. I think that's what sometimes will kill this defense is when they hesitate and they're like, they're not really sure, and now the balls to them or past them, or or they're blocked.
Or it flows. That happened with Sam one time it flows.
Sam was a little late, so it created this gap because he wasn't flowing with everybody else on the defense.
If you if you're getting your defensive lineman and they get turned and you don't see jersey numbers, you know you're in trouble in the running game when everybody gets turned, because that means those guys are up on the linebackers for sure. All right.
I think that's a wrap for us today.
We'll be back tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll get into the Washington defense versus the Cowboys offense. We're on the same page on this one, Washington Cowboys offense. We'll also give you guys what we think is gonna happen on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. What will happen between the Cowboys and Commanders till then? For Patrick Walker, Brian brought us. I'm Derek Eagleson. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.