Cowboys Break: Scouting The Packers Offense

episode number fifty. Welcome to another edition of The Break, live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios, and we're here to talk some Cowboys football today. We're gonna jump in and talk Cowboys versus Packers. That game kicks off this Sunday at three thirty Central Time here at AT and T Stadium. Dave has a scattering report already for us on the Packers offense versus the Cowboys defense. How's everybody doing this morning? Good? Got Amber back in the building. Welcome back, Amber, Thank you,

thank you, good to have you back. And uh, how are you Dave? Good? You ready? Yep? I know last night you said you were gonna jump right into all the tape on the Packers, and I assumed you've watched all four of their games and maybe even went back to last year and watched a few of the games from last year. So what what says Dave after watching all this film on the Green Bay Packers? We're just gonna get right into it like that. Huh? Why not jump in? You know what? Says Dave? Who cares? Oh?

And I don't mean like who cares about the game or any other who cares what the Packers offense has or what they're doing? As long as they have Aaron Rodgers? Right? How hard is that scot him report? I haven't watched him play that much and I know it. And all you're gonna say is slings some guy you've never heard of, and he's pretty good. And it literally does not matter. That's the conclusion that I came to. And that just you just took the whole show down. Now everybody's just

like what what? What? What? Are we even gonna play the game? Do you? I'm just gonna I'm gonna illustrate my point here, Okay. I actually first I started off by going back and I've I looked at every game that they've played against the Packers in the last since the twenty since the Dez catch, game. I'd left out the twenty thirteen game because Rogers didn't start. Okay, they still lost, but Rogers didn't start. So in those games twenty fourteen playoffs, Eddie Lacey was your leading rusher with

one hundred yards. Davante Adams and Randall Cobb were you're leading receivers. The next year, Eddie Lacy had another good day. James Starks also ran for seventy one yards and a touchdown. The Packers ran for two hundred and thirty that day. Randall Cobb and James Jones were your receivers of choice. Last year in the regular season, it was Lacey again. Jordy Nelson was there, Randall Cobb, Tie Montgomery was your

leading receiver. Fast forward three months. Tie Montgomery's you're leading rusher because he plays running back now, because they just did that because they were out of options. Jared Cook, you might remember him. He's your leading receiver in that game. Cobb and Adams had decent days, nothing to get super excited about. So I guess the point I'm trying to make there is that it's it's just a mismash of

whatever they can cobble together. As long as Aaron Rodgers is throwing the ball, which he is twenty fourteen sixty eight percent for three sixteen and three touchdowns. Twenty fifteen actually his worst day sixty three two eighteen and two touchdowns, and that was because they ran for two hundred and thirty yards last year in the regular season seventy four percent two ninety four a touchdown and a very uncharacteristic pick by Barry Church that helped the Cowboys win that game.

And then in the playoffs sixty five percent three fifty five, two touchdowns and one interception. He's a freak. That's really my main concern. And now I will I will flash forward to this past game against the Bears. This is the Packers starting offensive line when they beat the Bears thirty five to seventeen. Lane Taylor, who's a second year undrafted free agent who's also a guard that's playing tackle, played left tackle Patrick Lucas, who is an undrafted free

agent in his second year. Played left guard Corey Linsley, who's a fifth round pick. He's a pretty solid center. He was still there. Jarry Evans, who's a four time All Pro but is also in his twelfth NFL season and has bounced around the league. He's not the guy he was with the New Orleans Saints by any stretch. He's your right guard. And then Justin McCrae, who is an undrafted free agent who's bounced around the league and played in the Arena Football League, he's your right tackle.

To summarize, there are three players that are undrafted that are starting on their offensive line. Your main left tackle, David Baktiari has been out with a hamstr hamstring injury. Your main right tackle, Brian Bulaga has been out with an ankle injury. We're gonna have to wait and see this week if they play or or not. I actually I talked to some people who cover the Packers before I came on this show to see if they kind of had any insight for me, and they were like,

it's it's gonna be wait and see. They've been dinged up basically for the entire season. But does it matter because Aaron Rodgers still led them to thirty five points. I know it's the Chicago Bears. They're still They're three and one playing this way and by the way, they are right now ranked twenty ninth in the league and sacks allowed with fifteen and despite that, they're still putting up the numbers at the bun You sack them, but they're still You read in my mind, You read my mind.

Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times by the Seattle Seahawks. They won that game. He was sacked six times by the Cincinnati Bengals. They won that game. He was sacked twice by the Bears. They won in a blowout. He gets it to Cobb, he gets it to Majority, he gets it Tie Montgomery, who is still their running back this season. He was their leading receiver in there was booked up a little bit to look more like a

running back. He was well. He was their leading receiver against Atlanta, which is the one game that they lost. So there one loss is on the road against the reigning NFC champions. It's really frustrating to watch because logic says that they shouldn't be any good, Like, I don't think this is a particularly good team, balented roster type thing, and there's talent there, but like, you shouldn't be able to win in the NFL against the Cincinnati Bengals playing

four guards on your offensive line. If this doesn't make sense, But Aaron Rodgers is a freak show. I mean, I don't know if you watched this game against the Bears, but he had. It was very Dak esque where the play completely broke down. He bolted left and then came back and then ran through the pocket which was collapsing, and just throws this running prayer fifty eight yards down the field to Jordy Nelson who's in between the safeties and catches it and does a little shimmy move and

gets fifteen extra yards. It's just like it's really it's demoralizing as if you're if you're somebody who doesn't want the Packers to win, it's hard to watch. Um. So that's where I'm at with that. I really I'm not saying, and I'm not saying thanks for joining us this week. I'm not saying you can't beat them, because the Falcons

did it and the Bengals came awfully close. And that was actually the question that I wanted to as you're talking about all that, I wanted to get Nick to take us back to last season and the Cowboys did go to Green beat them. Yeah, gotta win. I'm sorry, he's going to me, David, And so it was. But I want you to take me back to last season.

Take me back to last season. What did the Cowboys do, because they were facing a similar type team from the standpoint that Rogers was still the catalyst that made everything go. What did they do to get a win? Well, Rogers really wasn't very good in that game. I mean, he got hot later on in the season and they won seven in a row and he didn't throw an interception until Jeff Heath came along. But hey, they had a

lot of problems in that game getting it blocked. David Irving had a decent game from he played nineteen snaps. Now he did was the NFC Player of the Week with three forced fumbles, but he wasn't the only guy out there. He was playing half the snaps They got after him. Really well, the weather wasn't that great, so it wasn't one of those where he could sling it

around a lot. I think, if I remember, his receivers had a few drops in the game and so and the Cowboys set the tone early by jumping up on him and kind of you know that they had control of that game for the most part. I had a couple of big plays right before halftime with Lucky Whitehead if I remember, But I just think that the Cowboys were just completely better on both sides of the ball. They could not stop Beasley. And I think for the most part, when it comes to Rogers, he was off.

He was not the Rodgers that we had seen before and then that we saw later in the season. But that and I think he kind of fooled a lot of people by thinking, well, you know, they kind of had his number. But but he was a different quarterback down the stretch at the season, but that game was not. He was not in his Aaron Rodgers esque type game. Dave, you talk about what's how how this doesn't when you watch this team, you're like, how are they winning? When

you look at the offensive line. Another thing that's very uncharacteristic in today's NFL for a really good team is that they didn't even try to run the ball for the most part. I mean, right now, they are twit. I think they're averaging like twenty rushes per game and like forty passes per game. Like they're throwing the ball at a at a much higher clip than they're running the ball. And that doesn't mean that when they run they aren't getting a little bit here and there to

kind of keep teams honest. But by and large, when you look at it from that standpoint, they are a throwing team and running is something that they do just has a secondary type, almost like an afterthought. I don't completely agree with that because, um who was for instance, and I know David Johnson's hurt, but the Packers look like a better running team than the Arizona Cardinals did,

Like I mean, I don't don't. Yeah, but that's also because David Johnson's not there, And if David Johnson were there, they would be running a lot more and a lot more effectively, right, I mean in their last two games. I know, I know it's the Bears, but I mean they've leaned on the run. In that game they ran for one hundred yards As a team that their average isn't great, and and it's not anything impressive. I mean a wide receivers, they're leading running back. They've got two

draft picks, Jamal Williams and Aaron Jones behind him. It's not impressive. It's not the Cowboys by any stretch of the imagination, but I still think it's it's part of their offense. They're actually much like the Cowboys. Really even more so than the Cowboys. They're a rare NFL team that uses a fullback. They drafted Aaron Ripkowski. That's the funny thing when you watch these guys, is you go into the You're like, well, it's Aaron Rodgers and the

Packers they're five. They're four or five wide every time. That's not really true. Like they run a lot of twenty one personnel. Ripkowski's in there all the time as a blocker and receiver. They have Martellis Bennett, Lance Kendricks, Richard Rodgers. Their tight ends have been there forever or Rodgers has. I mean there's usually one or two on the field. So like you see a lot of that type of traditional personnel from these guys. Yes, but they

throw out of it a less. They do because even the running back, I mean, you look at at at um at at Montgomery, he's the he has the second most catches on the team. Like, they still throw a lot to the running back. I'm not I'm not trying to convince you that this is a ground and pound offense.

I just it's I think it's a mistake to assume that they're throwing the ball sixty times a game, and I will say this their worst their worst performance of the year was in Atlanta where they got behind and the running game really was not and was an afterthought. I think they ran for forty total yards as a team that day, and all of their good performances, they've at least gotten up near one hundred yards as a team, if not more. So, what did Atlanta do to to

put them in that situation? Uh? I actually so I watched You know again, I don't watch. I did not go back to last season and watched their games. I didn't do it. If no, I don't even well I saw, I saw Brian was I watched that with Brian yesterday? Actually I did. Um So, I watched the Bears game, and I was like this, this really isn't indicative because the Bears are terrible. I need to see more than this.

So I went back and watched the Falcons game. First of all, I think to beat the Packers you got to have an explosive offense like the Falcons that can score points. And I think you've got to have a good pass rush, because we just talked about this Packers offensive line. They're not good. Fifteen sacks in four games.

They got to him four times in that game on top of that, so they were able to force three Packer punts in that first half, and then they got points on three of their own four drives in that sequence. So they're up seventeen to seven, and then Rogers throws a pick on the last possession of the half that sets them up to take a twenty four to seven lead. And then on the first play of the third quarter, they strip sack him and return it for a touchdown,

and they're up thirty one to seven. And they still only won thirty four to twenty three. So even with a twenty four point lead in the second half, I don't want to say they had to hold on for dear life, because they still won by nine points. But it's not like the Packers just rolled over. I mean, as long as they have Rogers, they have a chance, so you gotta sack them. I really, I'll be surprised if the Cowboys win this game without winning the turnover battle.

So with that being said, and talking about explosive offense, Amber, how comfortable do you feel knowing what the Cowboys have done offensively, some of the struggles that they've had at moments looking good. I think at first half this last

game they look good on offense. How comfortable do you feel that they have the kind of explosive offense, especially in the first half, that that can get them to kind of lead possibly that they would need in order to maybe use that blueprint again, I think we've seen

what they are capable of doing. I just think they need to keep that going, be more consistent again, mix it up a little bit, don't be forcing it like we keep saying it, don't be forcing it two does, and just keep try to get those guys more involved, like Jason Witten and Cole Beasley. I'm going through a lot of the comment on Twitter, and I know we'll get into is into this later on, but after you said all your stats on Aaron Rodgers, everyone's pretty concerned

about this game. So based on what the Cowboys have right now, how could they stop the Packers offensively? Well, everyone's concerned if there is a is there hope here? What's the spread? The Cowboys are favored by two? Is that right? Really? Yeah? Wow? Honestly I don't think that's crazy, and I'll and my answer, I'm just surprised that that would be the way that it goes based upon the Cowboys last week and the Packers being with Aaron Rodgers right,

just the whole thing shapes up weird. But the Packers have played one home a road game. That was the Atlanta game that you were talking about. So not that they haven't proven they could go in and win against you know, you know in Arlington, but still you know, home game Cowboys. If I guess, I don't know, they didn't play Yeah, after saying them playing against the Rams and then but see, I think I think maybe they're

factoring in. I mean, Cowboys are going to get some players back here on defense this week or they're hoping to it. I have a feeling I said the same thing leading into the playoff game last year. Numbers two to fifty three. I'll take the Cowboys roster every single time. It just so happens that number one is a big, big, big difference maker. Would you take number one over two and three for the Cowboys? Yes, I don't even know

who that is. I don't either, but I'll tell you if it means I have Aaron Rodgers, I want that ums. I don't know who the Cowboys. So to answer your question, Amber, Um give the fansom hope? How can how can they Packers? If I sounded doom and gloom, I'm sorry, I really don't. It's not like this is an insurmountable task. It's just it's frustrating to watch this team because logic says they shouldn't be any good, and yet here they are. Um, if there's I'm watching the injury report this week. I

don't root for injuries. I don't. I always want players to be healthy. But man, it would be nice for the Cowboys if David Baktiar and Brian Bulaga didn't play in this game, because I know they weren't as good last week against the Rams. But this pass rush has shown a lot of promise in this first month of the season, and I gotta believe to Marcus Lawrence and these guys can get the better of four guards, three

of whom weren't drafted, who were starting on this offensive line. Well, but I mean it's just that that's a huge difference. And like I said, I mean, you can get to him. The Seahawks did it four times. The Packers only won that game seventeen to nine. It's not like they were just you know, throwing the ball all over the park that day. The Bengals got to him six times that game had to go to overtime, and then even Chicago

got to him twice. So I gotta believe the Cowboys can put put him on the ground at two or three times. I know he gets the ball out really quickly, just like Eli Manning. But that offensive line, the Cowboy I can't believe I'm saying this. The Cowboys edge as a defensive line against this offensive line, I think is their best hope for success. Isn't that not crazy? Looking where we are? I mean it all it takes us a few weeks and everything changes, right. It's amazing that

Aaron Rodgers is playing his thirteenth year. This is third. Doesn't seem like that now. I mean, I understand that he didn't he didn't play his first couple. In fact, his first game that he really really played a lot was against the Cowboys in two thousand and seven. That will be a feature and throwback Thursday this week. But they hurt Brett Farve, knocked him out of the game and thought, wow, got him. And then here comes Aaron Rodgers and he showed right then that he was pretty

good too. But it's just it's it's surprising. Do you know what his record is against the Cowboys in regular season? Three and three? Yeah, look that up. Oh you just guessed, Oh you just guess the number that you just know fer to the two thousand and ten game that got Aid fired twenty fifteen, I'm missing a win and then he lost in twenty sixteen. That's honestly surprising to me. I thought he okay in the regular season eight. I mean they've they've played him okay in regular season. It's yeah,

it's the postseason. He's doing a hillo for the Cowboys because in both games, there were these moments that you'll forever remember, right, each one of them had a moment you'll forever remember that was unlikely. I'm glad kind of you have to deal with. I'm glad you brought that up. I assume one of those two things you're referring to as the Jared Cook play. Yes, Um, this is a big game for David Irving to be back, and it's

a game where I think MALIEK. Collins needs to show up too, because all right, we know Lawrence is having a great season. They can't just pressure him. They had like that. I was talking about that with Brian this morning, Like you gotta pressure him and like collapse this whole thing around him. You gotta make him give up on the play. Run. Not only can he run like he wants to stend the play, That's what he wants to do because he can do stuff like that when he

has a chance. It doesn't matter if he's running for his life because he can throw a forty yard rope to Jared Cook. He's on the run. Ye Romo called it in the Bears game this last Thursday. He was like, if his first read's not there, he's going to extend the play. And once he extends the play, it all changes. And that's exactly what happened. And he went stepped up and then broke right and just had an easy throw too. I think it was Jordy Nelson or it is frustrating

when you watching it isn't opposed. That's what I'm talking. I mean, like I said it, really getting pressure on him is not enough because like eighty five percent of the quarterbacks in the league are just going to throw the ball away or live to fight another day, but not him, Like you have to get a lot of pressure and contain him to the point where he just gives up on the play. Otherwise he's always going to have a chance to hurt you. All Right, We're gonna

take our first break. When we come back, I want to talk a little bit more about this defensive front, particularly to Marcus Lawrence, and how he's going to probably be getting a lot more to here in the next several weeks and maybe, if not for the rest of the season. And I'll ask you guys the question, who's the guy that you expect this week can be the person that takes advantage of the added attention that goes to the Marcus large. We'll do that when we come

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I hear all this talk about what it takes to be a cowboy. Everyone's got their ideas, but I just say to myself, it's what's up top that matters. Sure, you need men with the muscle and heart to get her done. But if your scouts and coaches are listening out there a word of advice. Pick the man with the most well worn stetson. That's the one most cut out to be a cowboy. Stetson hats are handmade right here in Texas and have been on cowboys heads for

over one hundred and fifty years. The rest of you can visit stetson dot com slash cowboy to find a retailer nearest you back to the break. Welcome back to the second segment of the Brake Block from the s WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, we're talking about Cowboys versus Packers. Dave did an effective job of scaring all your fans out there and making you think that this

is an impossible task for the Cowboys. But if you're an NFL fan, you've watched enough of everybody to be scared without me having to tell you, yeah, you just reinforced it. You just brought it all back up to it. It's like, yeah, you got a point there. I do want to say, this is something I forget. I kind of left out. I mentioned the tack he left something. Hell no, well, this could work in the Cowboys favor.

I mentioned the tackles. That's gonna bear watching. Tie Montgomery broke his ribs in or a rib in that game against the Bears. He says he's gonna try to play, which more power to you, dude. Um. Davante Adams, one of the took one of the nastiest hits I've seen in a long time, to the point where I was worried about his well being, very seriously so. When he left that game against the Bears. He's gonna try to play too, which is also amazing to me. We'll see

if they do. Um. Jamal Williams, their backup running back, also got hurt. He's kind of he's questionable slash probable as well. So all that stuff bears watching heading into this game. Again, I don't know that it really matters if Davante Adams can't play because you still have Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison. But something to watch. Yeah, it'll be and Martellis and I think that's something worth

noting too. There's a tight end there that he is a guy that has the ability to get down field a time really has kind of been an afterthought for these guys. Yeah, but I kind of expected that. I mean, he's a it's a new team, and he's coming into kind of a core that has receivers that are very

well known to the quarterback and he's comfortable with. So he's going to be the kind of guy that's gonna make those frustrating catches for you when you got everybody else covered being Oh wow, yeah, it's been it's still open. His best, his best game of the season was his most recent game. So maybe he's what I'm excited about is that he's gonna get to talk this week in the media and say something about Whitton and Witten's gonna have to respond to it. Maybe maybe not, maybe not,

I hope not. I mean we've done this like eight times now. I mean he's gone to other teams and played the Cowboys before. But he'll say something about he didn't like Witton or but you know how that goes. Part of that is because he'll be asked the question. Yeah, it all start because the media's gonna look at and say, here's a juicy line. Hey, martell Us, what do you think about playing the Cowboys? And what do you think about Jason Witten? And like, and then it comes all

back up over again because he's answering the question. Maybe the answers it. Honestly, he does. Yeah, the last half of his name is true. He'll tell us. I mean, he'll definitely tell us what's what's happening. He will go ahead, Dave. Maybe the Packers media will be so concerned with all the injuries that team is facing that they'll that'll kind

of get brushed under the rug. The question is do you think the Cowboys media will well the opposing conference call with the Dallas media who it's Rogers, so will be after the game when the first time the Dallas media will have access to him. Yeah, but the national guys, I'm sure will maybe reach out to martell Us just to get a nice juicy he'll say something this week. I mean he will, and he'll give him a juicy line. And Jason will be asked about it too, you know,

back here. Just but you know, he's not the only guy that's ever you know, the drafted that didn't get on the field. I mean, when you play fifteen straight seasons and never miss a game, but you know, after your rookie year, there's a lot of probably backup tight ends out there that kind of think they should be playing. So he's the only one in the league still right as far as I know, I don't believe John Phillips is in the league. I don't know. I think the

Signo is still in the league. I'm not positive about Gavin Escovar is not not no um. But but you look at this and he's just one more receiving threat for them. Looking at all the receivers that you've talked about Dave. Did the Cowboys have enough defensive backs he can like to cover these guys? Think about the injuries and all that kind of stuff. How many guys are you expecting back this week? And it's this going to be a game where you really think that the Cowboys

can match up? Well, they've definitely drafted enough guys and they have the guys in the building. Are they going to be healthy enough to be able to match up with the Packers? I think so, because again, they have weapons for sure. I'm not trying to downplay that, but I guess that kind of goes back to my point from earlier is like these guys aren't just in an empty formation fifty times a game. You know, they have their two Nelson and Cobb that they really like, and

then Davante Adams is there, he might not play. You have Geronimo Allison backing them up. So I feel like it's it's not that it's unusual. I feel like to see more than three out there, So like you have the numbers to do it, obviously, numbers versus actually being capable of doing it. Two different stories. But you got Jordan Lewis, you got Orlando Scandrick you got Anthony Brown, Your safeties are healthy. Shit. Abe Woozier is the big question mark there, but I think there's optimism that he

can get himself ready this week. And then as of right now, you still have benab and Wickery. We'll see, we'll see what happens with that as the week goes. He might be released to make room for David Irving. Yeah, you have the numbers. It's just, you know, matter of match up with him, especially against a quarterback who's really good at extending plays. That's the thing that worries me. What's your level of concerned after watching Todd Gurley do what he did last week in the passing game and

now facing a team with Montgomery. Let's assume the plays right now, he's a second, he has a second most catches on that team being the Cowboys. Being able to effectively cover a running back coming out of the backfield catching passes, I think it's a little bit different when you're talking about a running back that runs the ball first. That's what he does. Gurley hurts you running the football.

That's what you're worried about more than anything. I don't think then once he's at back there and then he becomes a threat because he can do other things. If you're not a legitimate threat to run the ball, I don't. I don't see it to be as much of a problem because that's not the first priority for the Cowboys. The Cowboys is to stop the run, and so when they've when they've established they can stop the run, even having a running back out of the backfield, that that

does lines up in other areas. I don't think it's it's I'm not saying he can't hurt you, but I'm just saying Gurley, I think his effect and the same with Zeke when he catch the ball, it's because you have to worry about them running the football. That's what they do. They're running backs. Then when they when you think you've got that cover, they sneak out there. But if if Montgomery's out there and you're not as concerned with him running it, I don't I wouldn't be as

concerned by that, you know what. Going back to that game to the Rams, I thought, and I have mixed feelings about this defense just overall, like on moments they give me a little bit of hope and then next thing you know, he's like, oh my God, are you kidding me? But um, for example, last game, they did a pretty good job stopping Girly at least during the

first half. Then in the second half when they weren't able to get help from the offense, just you know, being on the field so much, I feel that's where they begin struggling, you know, they started struggling. So for example, for this game against the Packers, I think they can do enough to kind of keep the Cowboys in the game.

They're not gonna be rate. But at the same time, like Dave was saying, Montgomery suffering from his rib injury, which we would hope that even if he plays, we hope that that doesn't become a problem for the Cowboys. And even then, again, the Packers their strongest asset is Aaron Rodgers the passing game. So just overall my feeling for these defense going against the Packers, I think they can do enough to keep the Cowboys going, but they won't win if the offense doesn't get you know, doesn't

help them and start scoring points. Montgomery gives me pause because of his receiving background and his ability to get out in space, but if that's all he can do, it doesn't bother me as much. And I mean that is and I was the one that was just defending

the Packers running game. But I have to give the Dallas defensive line the edge in this matchup, especially if you know to a your four are not out there for the Packers your tackles, and then I am assuming Sean Lee plays in this game, which that would make your run defense that much better. So if Montgomery's contributing to the passing game, that's great. This is much like the Cardinals. This is one of those games. And I think that kind of ties into what Amber is saying

is you're not going to shut down Aaron Rodgers. You're not going to shut him down. You prepare for him to throw for a round or more than three hundred yards, and you just have to kind of hope for the breaks limit, you know, keep the thirty yard games from becoming sixty yard touchdowns, hopefully force a turnover or two, and hope that your offense is clicking and can keep up.

So with all of that in mind, if I'm just assuming Rogers is going to have his day, but if you can shut down the running game and make it more one dimensional, I call that a win. And maybe that's greating on a curve, but I think that's the expectation that you have to have for a defense when you're playing him. Maybe I didn't give I didn't explain the question well enough because I actually am a little bit concerned, And I guess my concern comes from not necessarily. Again,

I'm not talking about Montgomery as a rusher. I'm talking about Montgomery coming out of the backfield. And last week, the one thing that was concerning to me was that Cowboys seem to have an inability to cover Girl. Now, Girl is a different athlete. He's a much better athlete than most of the running backs to Cowboys will face this year. But for a guy that's a trained wide receiver that is now playing running back, it does concern me him coming out of the backfield. And that's my question.

Is I understand if I'm a lot less concerned if I get Hitchens and or shun Lee back this week. If I don't, I think I'm very concerned with what I saw last weekend with the linebackers that they have left being able to cover a guy who is a dept at being able to run routes and catch the ball. I thought I did answer your question. That's a very real concern, especially if at least one of those linebackers

isn't back. But if he's one dimensional to the point where you know you have to account for that, you can put a defensive back out there to deal with him or to follow him, and you're not worried about him just gashing your defense as a running back. But they've been I know what you said about the running game. They've been one dimensional. They are averaging forty passes a game and averaging twenty rushes a game. They are they are the definition of a one dimensional team, and they're

okay with that offensive and time. That's how they run and the time. Mongomery hasn't been killing any I mean, he hasn't been killing people. Like I said. He was their leading receiver in Atlanta. He had six catches for seventy five yards. They lost that game by two possessions.

I he's not tied Gurley in the sense that And I guess what I mean is as long as he's not ripping off five yards per carry and being multi dimensional to the point where you don't know what he's gonna do or where he's going when the play starts. I think they can handle that. You know, if Julio Jones lines up in the backfield, a linebacker is not just gonna say, well, he's a running back, I'm gonna take him. I mean, I think you still treat him like a receiver. And I would think the Cowboys still,

like Dave said, treat Montgomery like a wide receiver. Uh. You know, if he starts running the ball on third and one and plowing over your defensive ends, okay, then that's a little different. But he's kept eighty eight for a reason. I think he is primarily a receiver, and I think when he's back there, I think that they

need to treat him that way. Safeties, So when you say that, do you think that maybe Cowboys, even when they're presenting, like you said, a twenty one package, would you think maybe they stick with a nickel maybe because you want that extra guy, because you think that running backs more of a wide receiver than a running back. I think that's a great point. I think you have to do that. I think you have to play more that way than than you would just a lot of

base defense, or especially short yardage defense. I would play this whole game in nickel or maybe even dime, no matter what they go to for the most part, because you know that they like to throw the ball. I mean like they like to throw the ball way more

they like to run it. Maybe not, I'm dime is a little extreme, but I would I would like yeah, I would like to think that your nickel defense can still not get embarrassed by this running game if Sean Lee's out there and can help clean this stuff up. And again, if they're starting two tackles or not playing in this game, if the defensive line can't hold it, don't hold its own, then they've got big problems. So all right, let's get to some questions. You guys give

us a call. Numbers two one four eight seven two twenty one h two. Again it is two one four eight seven two twenty one oh two, or you can hit us on Twitter at Cowboys Breaking. We will start with miss Amber. We know that David Irving is back, and he talked of all during his time off or during time off but suspension. He's been working out, playing video games, eating, taking naps. So one of the questions here, a few of the questions are the same. Yeah, he's

been that's his that was his routine. Okay, so getting ready for his comeback. If the Cowboys decided to make him active for this upcoming game, do you guys think that he will be up to speed with his game. Well, he doesn't look like he doesn't look like the same guy that he training camp, and I'm sure that that's going to happen with That just means he doesn't look like the same person. He looks like he's been off

for four weeks a little bit. Really, Yeah, but not to say that he's not going to be effective or can't be effective for you know, limited amount. I'm sure he'll play a few snaps. I mean, I don't think he will give him fifty sixty snaps, but he'll probably take what Taco did or has done or not done, and he'll he'll take those snaps. So I think he'll be effective because he is a big body, and he is he's is a tough mismatch because of just his length.

So I think if he gets out there and he's got something to prove, he'll probably make a little bit of a difference. Nothing to earth shattering. I think it was you that made the point one. He y all made the point yesterday that typically guys coming off to suspension don't just wreck shop right away. Greg Hardy did it, and but not but no, not many others. Well, Greg Hardy, for all of his faults as a person, was an all pro franchise tag caliber And yeah, and David Irving

is not. Um, I think he'll play, and I don't know he'll be out there. I'm not. I'm not counting on him to do what he did in Lamb at Lambeau last year, that's for sure. Yeah, maybe I'm just a pessimist. What's the maybe just to let him, what's the position that concerned to you guide the most from the Cowboys, and it could be offensively or defensive, cornerback,

safety whatever. Looking at both of them, Yes, I mean I think, yeah, I mean both of those positions really just because mainly the corners, because you know they're gonna

have a hard time stopping those receivers anyways. But then, just like you're talking about the play extending, you know you got the guy, you got Jordy Nelson on twenty yards down the field, then he cuts back and you know you've got him, And next thing you know, Aaron Rodgers is still running around and then he goes back the other way and either holding or it's just when that play is the coverage has to be extended as well, and covered him for two or three seconds as hard

as five or six is almost impossible. Yeah, the only opportunity will yes, I'll say that, the only opportunity we've seen to see this defense this year against this caliber wide receivers was Denver and those guys. It wasn't that they were making that they were making such great throws down field. There was one really good when the touchdown throw, but there were a whole bunch of throws that were just underneath and those cornerbacks just they couldn't make the tackle.

And you talk about a team like that, that's how Randall Cobb is. That's Randall Cobb's game. Get the ball to him quick, he makes a move and then he tries to get more yards. And so I just think that, you know, until they showed me that they can beat that, Until they show me that there that they can manage that kind of wide receiving corps and a quarterback that could find the open guy and get it to him quickly,

then I'm very concerned. Yeah, I'm with you. I think safety just because, like I said, against an offense like this and a quarterback like this, you just have to assume that they're going to hit some chunk plays. That's just how it happens. You. Just the difference is whether you can keep that to eighteen to twenty five yards instead of forty eight or fifty yards? Can you hold this team to field goals instead of touchdown? Right? Like, if you can do that, you could beat this team.

But that's a big task, and that girly play just keeps playing over and over again in my mind, where I'm just like, man, that's the last thing they need is for Ranald Cobb to catch like a five yard out and do that and then all of a sudden somebody takes a bad angle or something and he's gone. That's what he does, like, that's his game. So that has to concern you if you're a Cowboys fan and you're being objective about this, right, yeah, all right, let's

take our final break. When we come back, we'll get to some more questions. You guys call us two four eight seven two twenty one O two or I'll hit us on Twitter at Cowboys break what geez? Therek wait to cut me off trying to be the boy of the voice of the fans over here. But all right, we'll get to the voice of the fans over there as soon as we come back from break. This is

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Visit Cowboys Travel dot com to book your travel package today. Back to the Break Come Back. It is the final segment of The Break Life in the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star Nick Take it Away, Tommy John underwear. It's it's like the offensive line in football, first line of defense. It protects your franchise players and you're back in so you know, just like a great offensive line, you don't even know that it's even that they're even having a good game because you don't ever hear about them.

It's the same with underwear until they're not there. So they're not there, then everybody kind of knows that it's a problem. So Tommy John get a bad one and you know it. Tommy John dot com Forwards Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order Tommy john dot com for Slash Cowboys. It's the offensive line of underwear because it protects against Okay, franchise, but Tommy John's a lot like the Dallas defensive line in this He just got that. It took you out. I've been laughing about it the

whole time. I'm like trying to hold it. But sorry, what'd you say, Dave, Tommy John's a lot like the Dallas defensive line in this game? Okay, focus on the sack. Mhm. It's a big point of emphasis. Half half of a half of a laugh. He didn't That's exactly what I just said. But but the Amber was saying something else, but I did say the exact same thing. It's okay, okay, I didn't get laugh track, so I'm good. I repeated what you said. You talked about protecting your franchise player.

I wonder if Aaron Rodgers will be warning there's just one franchise tag. You don't really have multiple franchise players. Now, all right, we're gonna move on. We're gonna move on because I don't want to go farther down that road. All right, let's let's get back to some questions. You guys call us two on four eighty seven to twenty one h two or hit us on Twitter at Cowboys Break. Let's take a call right now from Jay in New York. Jay, what up? Hey, what's going on? I'm all right, Um,

loved your show. You guys do a very good job all the shows throughout. Thank you. Just got a quick quick comment about the last game. I know we're on to Green Bay now, but about the last game, I don't think we gave excuse me, I don't think we put enough emphasis on how important Ryan switch as fumble was. I mean, I know we spoke about it, but I think that was a huge part of the game. I mean, we had a chance to go into ask time twenty four to seven, I mean twenty four to six or

twenty to six, and he drops the ball. It gives the other team a lot more confidence. You know, they go into halftime with a completely different speech as opposed to you know, the coach trying to rally them, and most of the players still not with less confidence than They still won't come out right, even though the coach wants them to play better. I mean, if they were down twenty to six as opposed to I believe it

was seventeen to thirteen, it's a four point different. A coach could just tell them, hey, guys were right here, played the horrible half, but we're still right behind them. I know we scored before them again, but just like in the previous game we had with the Cardinals, when they missed that field goal, it changed your whole momentum. Although we scored, I mean, although the Cardinals I believe scored next after the missfield goal, we still won the

game because the whole the whole momentum was switched. Also, my other comment I'm sorry real quick, is that everybody wants to say we held them the field goals. But to me, seven field goals equals three touchdowns. So if you add that to the two touchdowns, that's five touchdowns for a game. So I mean, thirty five points to thirty five points, it still five touchdowns or two touchdowns and seven field goals. That's seven field goals is just

way too much to equal three touchdowns. All right, I'm gonna hang up down and listen to you guys, Thank you, thanks for the call. I guess he's just speaking his piece on Switzer thing, because I think on Monday we all said, I want to say that when when I asked the question what was the play that if you could have it back, you'd want back? I think two out of three of us or four of us actually said that that play was the play that changed the game.

So I think we all agree on that, including the caller. I agree with that. But they went in a halftime with an eight point league after all that said, Yeah, I mean, the NFL teams make runs just like NBA teams, Like the game's never over at halftime. The New England Patriots proved that in the Super Bowl. So you know it's not that I disagree, like that was a huge play.

That's the play that I would take back. But a play that happened with eight minutes left in the second quarter can't be the reason why you lost a game, so especially when you still had especially when you still went in a halftime with the list. I will say this about the field goals though, and I actually, fun thing is this is the same some of the conversation I was having with my wife the other night and she was kind of like, this defense, you know, and

I'm like, here's the thing about the field goals. Yes, that's a lot of fiel those to give up. But the reality is you got to think about it from a standpoint of what how is this defense built, and what is their objective? Their objective is to bend, but don't give up the touchdown. So we saw this all last year, and if the offense is doing what they expect the offense to do, this plan for as a team works. It's just don't give up the big play,

don't give up the touchdown. Yeah, you're gonna keep everything in front of you, You're gonna let them catch the ball sometimes and you're just gonna have to make the tackle. But That's how this defense is built to work. It's built to be a defense that allows yards, which means at times you're gonna give up enough yards for them to get down and get a field goal. You're just trying to keep them out of the end zone. Where

did the touchdowns in that game happen? They happened on a short field inside the Dallas red zone after a turnover, And it happened in the second half after the offense had been doing nothing and the defense had been forced onto the field too many times in my opinion, And maybe I'm letting the defense off the hook, but again, I just I feel like there's a disconnect where people are. You know, people expect this defense to be elite and they're mad at anything but and that it's not the case.

It hasn't been the case, it's not the case this year. You're you're working within the framework of what you have, and the framework of what you have is a defense that's capable of holding opponents to field goals and hopefully not a lot else, right, And it's on the offense to not put more on them than that. And they

couldn't do it in the second half last week. And I put far more of the blame on the offense for putting them in that situation than I put on the defense for being what they are, which is essentially a middle of the pack group. Yep, yep, I mean, yep, yep, yelp exactly right. Three three played three five three five. That's what they started out with. I mean, so when you don't get any first downs and you punt and they get the ball around the forty yard line, holding

them to a field goal is a win. That's a win pretty much. So, I mean, yeah, you're right, it is about the offense. The offense did not give them those ten twelve play drives, score touchdowns, you know, put the pressure back on them and put them back in their own starting point at twenty yard line. I don't know what the average starting point of the game was, but I guarantee the rams, I mean, it was favorable

for them. This defense looks a whole lot like last year, and they get a little they get more sacks, they probably haven't gotten as many turnovers to this point, if I had to guess, and they've given up more chunk plays. But it's a it's a different version of the same thing. But it's a similar formula. Yeah, that's the point. The formula is the same and buying large that's how they play defense on that's going to happen when you have

cornerbacks the way they do. I mean, they've lost a lot in their cornerbacks because early in the year they had car they had Clayborne, they were playing pretty well. And now you've got some rookies and young guys out there and a lot of injuries. Yea, And what's the difference through four weeks. The offense is not just zipping down the field like it's no big deal over and

over again. Yea. So especially fast starts. If there's a yeah, right Amber, if there's a silver lining here, it's I mean, I've seen enough from the offense to like, I'm not I'm not hopeless, like they can't get to that point. I think they'll continue to improve and I think they can get there, and I think they'll play some easier defenses, probably starting this week, even though Aaron Rodgers is on the other side. So that's the one reason why, I mean, when you look at this, I'm not I'm not so

panicked about where the Cowboys are right now. Nobody I do think this defense is doing what it's meant to do, and I just think the offense is gonna have to find its way in Right now, I am thinking that part of that is because they faced, like I said yesterday, in a four week span, they faced the kinds of defense they faced over a season last year that gave them problems throughout the season. They faced those in a four week period this year and you saw the exact

same things. They haven't improved over that when it comes to playing that kind of defense, and they're gonna have to learn how to do that because that's what you're gonna face in the playoffs. It's funny because you know, I'm about to sound like an old salt and I'm sitting with Nick who's covered this team since the nineties. But like it's almost like people forgot. It's almost it's close to when I was born. Wow, well it makes

me feel old. But it's almost like people forgot how the NFL works, because in twenty fifteen, everything sucked, like this team just lost and lost and lost and lost, and you were thinking about the draft by before Christmas. And then last year everything was amazing and they won and won and one and one, And the reality of the NFL is that ninety percent of the teams in the league trade wins and losses, and you have stretches

where you're losing games, and like this team hasn't. If they lose to the Packers, it'll be their first losing streak in two years. That's not how That's not the NFL. That's not the way it works. And I think, and I'm not just talking about fans, by the way, like there are people in this building where I'm like, will you calm down? Like eight and eight was the norm here for a long time, Like you're you win and lose games in the NFL. The league is designed that way.

So it's way too early to be panicking about having a five hundred records. Well, I think the Pennkin came right after losing against a team like the Rams. But a team like the Rams implies that they're a bad team. And I'm stay, I'm not trying to convince anybody that they're the Patriots. But that was not a one in fifty. It's more about losing. How they lost that thing. No, the rawer three, the fact that Patriots, Oh yeah, you're

talking about the big bad Patriots. Yeah, I want to Actually, well, the funny thing about the NFL is Patriots fans probably are panicking even though like all the evidence in the world points to them that they shouldn't be, But they probably are because they're not used to that. They're two and two and they stole a win right from Houston. Yeah, that is true. Yeah, because it kind of probably did have won that game. Yeah, and the Saints game was sort of back and forth. Who did they lose too

this week? The Patriots, Um, Carolina. Yeah, they lost to Carolina. They beat the Saints pretty bad, Like that was a beat down. But your point is well made, like it hasn't been easy for them all year, and I believe three of their four games have been at home. Yeah, So I no, I mean, that's not that's not a great start, it's the end. Get it turned around. The only team in the league that probably just doesn't feel bad about anything is Kansas City because they hadn't lost

the game yet. But the one thing that we also know you talk about the history of the NFL. If you've watched the NFL long enough, you know that what you see in the first four or five weeks of the NFL season is really what you see by the end of the season, teams get on runs. And when they start getting into October November, those teams that are good, they start getting on runs. Regardless of how their first

month was, they start getting on runs. And those teams are the teams that are ended at the end of the season, and they're so often that the team that's the best team in the NFL as of Week four is not the best team when you come to the end of the season. So all I'm saying is this is don't panic it. It's not time to panic because you've seen some good things, you've seen some bad things. They just got to clean up the bad things, and if they can, which I believe they can, you'll be fine.

It's having said all that, I completely agree with you. It's gonna be tough. You look at the schedule coming up. Make this agrees. I agree. I don't know. I gonna phase you, man, Just now like I agree, Okay, I agree, yeah, I just yeah. I think the way the last two seasons before this have gone, people lose sight of the fact that an NFL season is an up and down and always evolving type of deal. You don't. You don't usually win. You don't usually lose seven games in a row.

You also don't usually win eleven games in a row. Right, That's an aberration and you should be happy that you got to experience that. All right, let's get another question for Twitter thoughts on the Cowboys getting Xavier Woods more involved in the rotation and possibly replacing Jeff Heath. That is a popular topic on social media this week. I know you guys probably know I've gotten a lot of tweets about it. I assume you guys have too. What

are your thoughts on that? Well, I mean, Jason Garrett even said it Monday, and Dave alluded to it. I think yesterday that let's let's see because the question was about Xavier Woods, and he said he is playing well. He's playing very well. But as a coach, which you have to figure out what the young players is, you know, you give him a little bit more here and there, because does his seventeen eighteen plays are they looking great? Keddie handle forty forty five And that's the same thing

with Heath. I mean, Heath kind of built into that and right now the jury is still out that he can handle the load as being a starting safety, but he's a four. I mean, this is his fifth year, and so you kind of think that he can maybe figure it out a little bit more than I don't think they want to just throw Woods out there and see. But let's getting to the point where he's deserved more playing time. I don't know if it means as a starter.

But that's the thing about this isn't quarterback. This isn't like you play or you don't. I mean, you can get in there and play a little bit more packages, and I think that he's deserved more playing time and he'll get more, But I don't know if it being

a starter. I hate to sound like Mickey Spagnola, but like I feel very I feel very much like I told you so, because all through the summer, I promise you this, all through the summer, I said, yeah, like they're they're probably gonna play three and four safeties, Like Jeff Heath is going to be the guy that gets introduced on the screen at the beginning of the game, but Xavier Woods is going to be in there in

certain packages before. And the blue print was there from the beginning that they're gonna need all four of these guys at some point, and Xavier Woods will be out there without Heath from time to time. That's already happened a few times last week. Kind of like Alfred Morrison Zeke like, it seems like they have a series hidden somewhere in there where they put Cavon and Xavier out there without buy Ren order Jeff. That happened against the Rams,

so they're gonna keep cycling them in. But like to just think that Jeff Heath is gonna go sit down and never play safety and only play special teams. That is not going to happen. But Woods and Cavon have certainly looked good and they'll get more snaps. I think the thing about Xavier that I don't know if the Cowboys knew this, and I don't think a lot of teams knew this, or he's not gonna last till the

sixth round. Sixth round. If teams evaluated him as a guy that could also go down and cover, cover into the slot, he would have been drafted in the second or third round. Not a lot of safeties do that, oh not at all. If he had that kind of skill set any and he does. But if you know and that's the problem with sometimes drafting smaller school guys. I know Louisiana Tech Xavier Woods would be mad at you if you heard you say that. Well, and that's what I'm saying. I mean, they are, they are. But

what conference is that? Sun Belt Conference, US Conference USA same thing. That's not a bad conference, no it's not. But but you're just not going up out of that program. Yeah, yeah, you're not going up against what is not the it's not the Big ten whatever. That wasn't an Seas power I didn't know. I just I was just asking not it's not a Power five school. And so sometimes when you're playing that position, you're not going to go up against uh if he were to play cornerback. We've seen

this one smaller schools. If you play cornerback and you're you're not just gonna go there. You just don't throw to that side. You don't have to because he's the most elite player on defense. That's why you put those kind of guys in the middle of the field at safety, even though they've got skills to play corner they can play safety because you want your best player all around the middle of the field. And I get Pete hunters

the ample of that. So I think that's probably what happened with the Davier Woods and now they're seeing it. You know what, He's got pretty good coverage skills as well, but the things that you just didn't see a lot playing and losing at Tech. I was like, I just

he's always around the ball. I love that about him, Like, I mean, I'm not I don't know if he's a shut down corner or like the best slot guy on the team, but when he's in there and they get the ball out, he's there, like he just always finds his way around it. He looks like a corner. I mean, he's not very tall and he's not very big either. He's got he's got a body for a corner butt he's got he's got that awareness and like you said,

being around the ball, that's what had instincts. Yep. And that's the thing I want to see that turn into some plays, like some big plays, some turnovers. That's what they're not getting enough of right now in the secondary. As as I can make some of those kind of big plays, I'm hopeful he came on and we will see from him this week. Though Heath's the one guy that can pick off Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, I mean it's

what no, if you'd have had two in the playoffs. Yeah, Woods came on a slot blitz against the Cardinals that if it had been a little bit lower of a throw, he might have a touchdown. Yeah, threw it right to him. It's pretty athletic play because to be running full speed and then jump, that's not a necessarily an easy thing, especially when the balls coming at you fast. So it was That's a pretty nice play for him. All right, appreciate you guys. Join us. We are back tomorrow nine

thirty am, our normal time. We'll talk about the Packers defense versus the Cowboys offense till then for Nick even, Dave, Helmt amber Garcia. I'm 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.