Cowboys Break: Scouting the Texans Offense

You're good? Good, You're good? Man? Good? Bro? You good bro? Okay bro? All right, Well, before we get into the Texans um offense, I wanted to hit over a few points in regards to the white receiver position, starting off with Terrence William who wasn't at practice on Friday, was inactive during the game, and then today it wasn't an ad practice again. So I want to know the mystery behind this whole deal and what is really going on here. Any answers to this or any any how do you

call those like super supposition no SUSI speculations. Yeah, there we go, whole I wish I could help you, Amber I've been trying to get to the bottom of it, and what I've been hearing back is I wish I could help you, like you've been hearing that back from people you've been talking to. Yes, yeah, it's scene. I don't know, and I think we've kind of had an idea that something weird was going on ever since Bryce Butler joined the team basically, which was what after week

two or three, regardless he's been. Yeah, he's been. He's been here for two games. We've known for a couple of weeks that something's up with Terrence. He didn't practice Friday, he wasn't at the game Sunday. He's dealing with some off field issues. We asked Jason Garrett before practice today at his press conference if he's going to practice, and he said, we'll see. Which somebody made the astute observation, like practices in fifteen minutes. What do you mean you

don't know? It's weird. Cole Beasley mentioned, maybe you know he's got something going on with his foot. He had his foot surgically repaired during the offseason after he broke it, so maybe there's an injury component. There's been reports about a possible suspension. I haven't the slightest idea. All I know is that he's not practicing and he has not had much of an impact at all on this team in twenty eighteen. And that's the key is he really hasn't had much of an impact. So it doesn't help

hurt you one way or the other. It's more just a you want to kind of know what's going on because obviously you've got to figure out what's going to happen with David Irving and if he is going to be a guy that could be a potential possible cut to get make room for Irving. You kind of want to know that, right just as you know, as curious people that follows a team want to know. But right now out there doesn't seem like they're very there's very much in the way of facts that are coming out.

So it's a it's such a curious phenomenon with this team. And I chalk it up to how popular it is. I mean, this is the most popular football team in the world, draws a lot of scrutiny, gets a lot of coverage, like stuff like it's never as simple as it's supposed to be with the Cowboys, like any other team, it would just kind of be, it would be under wraps, and then one day they'd be like he's suspended or he's going to i R and that's they're like, okay, cool,

but he's back. Nobody cares. But here like there, you know, there's reports, there are leaks, there, speculate and all of a sudden, you know, it reminds me of when Dez skipped as MRI I a couple of years ago, Like it's just like, why, why can't the most mundane of activities ever just be as straightforward as they're supposed to be, Like teams, teams make roster moves all the time, and it's just never seems like it's that easy here. Yeah, okay, And another wide receiver who we know um has some

fun tweeting about the days. That's Bryant, and we know he's been getting ready into football shape, or at least based on all his pictures and videos of him working out and doing all that football stuff. Someone tweeted at him asking him who you signing with, and he responded back, I'd rather it be the Dallas Cowboys. If not, I'll be ready to play somewhere else now to me, That was a surprising response because based on how things kind of went down, I wouldn't expect that kind of response.

But hey, if he wants to be here, cool Now is this a real scenario? Do you actually see this happening.

We've talked about maybe Dak having the need of having some kind of wide receiver that has the experience and being able to help him on the field aside from Ezekiel Elia, Do you guys really see this happening later on in the season or at some Honestly, this reminds me of when I was a single man and you date somebody and then you break up with him, and then it's like six months later you run into him and you kind of like, man, I kind of missed them,

but you don't think about all the things that were the problems as to why you broke up with them in the first place. I hope the Cowboys don't get in that situation. And the reason why I say that is because last year, let's be honest, wasn't Dez. Wasn't doing Dez things. Last year for the most part, he was not the player, and there can be a lot of reasons for that, and I think it's people have a valid point when they say maybe it was the quarterback not being able to utilize him the right way.

Maybe that's true, Maybe that's very valid, right, but guess what, that quarterback is still here and as of right now, that quarterback isn't going anywhere. So if we saw that last year, I don't think anyone should be under some sort of illusion that bringing him back somehow it's gonna be different, because I don't think it necessarily will be. I think the Cowboys have a path they want to go down. Go down that path for right or wrong, whether it works or doesn't work. You selected a path,

go with it. I don't think they go back and revise that at this point, in my opinion, I thought Nick had the line of the day. Yesterday we were talking about this, which people that listen to the show don't know William, But William works on the back end with us. You know, he did a post slave our stories. There's a lot of web stuff, crucial piece of what

we do behind the scenes. But uh Rob was like, well, yeah, Dez said if he could sign anywhere, he wants to play for the Cowboys, and Nick goes, so does William. So what like of course, Das wants to play for the Cowboys. Dez always wanted to play for the Cowboys. William William was like, just give me one rep. Rep this whole thing. It was never about what Dez wanted to do. It was about what the Cowboys wanted. And

I get it. I'm hey, I love Dez Bryant. Part of me probably would be excited to see him resigned, just for the spectacle of it all. But numbers, yeah, no, exactly. I mean, the story would get the story would get clicks, there's no doubt about that, but some extra attention. I love that point. I mean here, I mean at this point in the season. Last year, Dez had two hundred and twelve receiving yards. That's about fifty three a game. He did that on sixteen catches, which is for a game.

More importantly than that forty targets, So he's catching less than half of his of his targets for fifty three yards a game. He did have two touchdowns, but remember those numbers are super inflated because Dak was just chucking him the ball. He threw him the ball sixteen times

in a thirty point loss in Denver. I don't know, there's so many ways you can go with this, Like you can argue whether they should have cut him, you can argue whether this is the right path to be on the point is that they're on this path already. I legitimately, I don't I would even be willing to concede that maybe it wasn't the best idea to cut him in the first place. But I really, I genuinely believe this team wouldn't be any better with Dez Bryan

on it right now based on what we saw last year. Um, and the numbers don't bear out that it would be this amazing idea to bring him back. But he claims to being super Scian mode. What else would would you say to somebody? Is the all the Goku post? I just think in no offense to how we started the show, But I just think those are two irrelevant topics because none of them matters. Like Terrence Williams like, he's not contributing, so it doesn't really matter. Yeah, it's interesting, of what's

the deal? Is he gonna go? I r is he gonna go cut? But I don't think he's mean. I think he's caught his last pass with the Cowboys and I think that's wow, That's that's a big statement, though, Nick, I mean, do you really think I don't know? I mean, honestly, if this is a situation he hasn't, then that's six more yards. I mean, but no, it isn't. I mean I don't maybe. I mean, that's that's a pretty big statement. I'm a little more with you on that one for sure.

About with any team. I mean, don't you think that Dez just doesn't want to play football and all? This is just kind of smoking me. I don't believe that. I think Dez wants to play under death circumstances. And what I mean by that is, I think Dez wants to play at the right place for the right amount of money is and the right play because he's had opportunities. Baltimore was offered him a deal, right, he wants to

play football. I think if the Giants would offer him in that same deal, he would have done it in a minute. He made it clear which teams he wanted to go to. You know, if it's one of those things, I think he's in Ronda Rousey. They were the biggest, the baddest until they got punched in the mouth and then they're like, it's different. It's a totally different thing now after that. And the thing is, Dez did things des way, I go, I jump over people, I make

these plays, get off me whatever. But when you're not that guy anymore and you're getting called out by the cornerback from the Panthers, who's now with the Josh Norman, you're getting called out by other people like this guy's not very good, don't it's kind of embarrassing to go out and play that. You can't do all this X stuff like that when you do it once a year. But I don't see Dez as that kind of timid player. Timid persons to me, that's that's the kind of person

that's that's kind of timid. So they will back away from a challenge. I don't see does is the one that will back away from a challenge. He does is one that will attack it. Whether it's whether he will still point to the things that said that says he's

successful even though he really isn't. Because you asked him about last year, he probably wouldn't tell you that he didn't have a great year, right, But the fact of the matter is I don't think he I don't think he's a kind of personality that would back away from that challenge just because other people saying he wasn't great. Aw, he's just not signed with anyone. Yeah, and I'm sure there's been opportunities. I just don't know what it is, man, what's the reason? I just I think deep down he

doesn't really want to play. Well the well I don't. I hope you're wrong, because the football fan in me wants to see him play. Yeah. I would be so excited if he signed with the Patriots or the Saints or really the Browns, anybody where he could be a future nurs I think if he went to the Packers, I think he would have a really I think that's the one place in the league where he could actually go in and have an impact immediately. Regardless it hasn't happened.

You have to ask yourself why it hasn't happened when partially maybe he wants to play under his circumstances, maybe there's not that many teams who think he can help them. I don't know. The other point I want to make is that what's different from April to now, like what changed here in Dallas, So you could well the offense

looks like crap. The wide receivers aren't any good. Like the Cowboys knew exactly what they were signing up for when they did this, Like I can go pull you the sound clips from May when they were like, it's gonna be on Zeke to play well until these receivers find their footings, Like we know we're facing stack boxes. We know these guys, you know they gotta We're gonna have to have a wide receiver step up. Like it's not like they were expecting these guys to be magical

Pro bowlers from the word go. And all of the people who signed off on cutting him are still here. And all of the players who supposedly were okay with it are still here too, except for Jason Witten, well a couple of I mean that Travis Frederick is still in the building, Shaan Lee is still in the building, Snake lead, whatever, hurt, whatever you want to call on. I mean, they're here, they still play for the team. I just I don't think anything's different from the day

that they just made the decision. Yeah, so well, credit to him to keeping it live and keeping it's always

fun the expeculations going in. But it was interesting. Even last week he was tweeting some stuff about battling was a depression or anxiety, anxiety, anxiety, and it's just like there was a I don't know, there's just a lot of it was I don't remember the exact quote, but he was just talking about going through a period of anxiety where he's experienced a lot of anxiety and that kind of stuff, and I don't know, it just I think there's a lot of retrospect there's a lot of retrospectiveness,

if that's a word coming from death right now, Like, I think he's probably coming to terms with the idea that maybe he's not as valued around the league as he thought he was. Like people aren't. People aren't just saying we will give you what you want, We just

want you on our team. And so I think that's there's probably some of that that happens with every professional athlete that has always been the top when he gets to the point where he realizes everybody doesn't see him as the top, right So I don't know, I wonder if some of that's happened. And that's my point. I mean, it's easier to just not play and not be exposed because of what the character that he's kind of created, and it's it's tough to go back on that and

just be this guy that's kind of hanging on. And I think that's what Jason Witten did not ever want to do, is to play like that when you're in a liability And it was getting kind of close, and I mean, he still made the Pro Bowls last year, but it was getting kind of close. He was getting penalties a lot, off sides, whatever, and I think he was like, this is better to go do this. And that's just in the thing about it. As former players, they they may may or not missed the game, but

most of them missed the spotlight. And that's the thing Dez is gonna continue to be. You saw you said,

did you see on social media? Was at the other night when whenever the Drake Drake concert was happening, or a bunch of fans there and they were all throwing up the ax for days, and you know, you could see in his face that there was just that moment of and it's cool, I kind of missed this, you know, and you throughout the yeah, no doubt, but I'm just saying, like that's the part that gets to what you're saying is missing, that that adulation that you get, that feedback

you get from fans of you're the man. You know that that could be hard. I would assume you know. I'll bet you might paycheck that neither Terrence Williams nor Dez Bryant registers a catch for the Cowboys on Sunday night, this coming Sunday. Yeah, right, who are you betting with it? By the way, I'm just anybody. I'll take her, your your best I mean, your your text is out there

at this point. So at this point, if one of those things happened this time, we will take we will take your check and decide how we want to disperse it sure throughout, just hey, disperse it throughout that. There's no risk in this for us. So I'm in on that. I'm good with that. God, I hope I don't reco I was about to say, this is gonna be really interesting Friday Friday morning, like breaking pretty funny. All right, let's take our first break and we were when we

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something to talk about, an ad or something underwear? Jack Black? Second break, we've been doining the two Okay, then forget that. Let's go into the Texans offense. And I wanted to break it into two parts. First of all, let's start off with the quarterback and their O line. Let's start off with their quarterback. Indeed, Amber because DeShawn Deshaun Watson is a fun player. Um, I don't know where do

I want to start with this? Honestly, you know, I mean we all watched the Chiefs um Broncos game on Monday night, getting a lot of the same stuff in Deshaun Watson. Honestly, I mean, I know. Pat Mahomes is like off to this insane start. The Texans are one in three. It feels weird to compare him, but you're talking. They were drafted on one spot away from each other, big live arm guy with mobility, and they've tailored their offense to suit him. Um, this looks like a college offense.

Like it looks I wrote, it looks very chief. See this is Chief See yeah, it's this is an offense full of motion. There's a wide receiver moving through the backfield before every single snap. I mean, Watson's in the shotgun way more often than he's under center. Uh. There's a read option element to damn near everything he does. Like it. It is a common sight to see, like you know, a wide receiver move across the formation, takes the snap, does the read with the running back and

the wide receiver too. Just again, God, I wish the Cowboys would do this type of stuff more often because you can see it. The defense has to read and react just that little bit before they know where the ball is going. I love your hand signals. Yeah, your foot came up, pick your foot up. Thanks. I appreciate that, the signal that you're ready for the ball. Right. No, I mean DeShawn Watson is, he's he's crazy. I mean he's he's mobile, He's mobile mobile, He's got a really

strong arm. Uh, he is. He is a threat to run and throw even more than Dak And to be bluntly honest, I think the Texans know how to use his skill set a little bit better than the Cowboys do. Um. He has run the ball twenty four times this season for an average of six point seven yards per carry. He's also been sacked seventeen times. But he said today himself, Yes, their offensive line is bad. Since you asked about that,

it's it's real bad. Um. They don't have a left tackle. Basically, they're trying to find an answer between Julian Davenport and Martinez Rankin uh Nick Martin Zach's little brother is good at center. But like, this is not an offensive line worth getting excited about, which they're only averaging three point nine yards per carry when their running backs take the ball like it's it's not a strength of their game. But watts and can make up for that. Like I said,

he's six point seven yards per carry. He's also got the mobility to get away from it, he said himself today. He runs himself into sacks a lot of times too. I think I watched the Colts game yesterday, and I think he was sacked seven times. Four of those he was running forward looking for empty space in the defense and was tripped up right at the line of scrimmage. So four sacks that could have been four gains of

five to ten yards if you don't tackle well. So that's the big thing for him, obviously, containing but he's got he's got great arm. Strength. It might not. I don't know if anybody's got as good of an arm as Mahomes right now, but he's got a cannon, and he's got DeAndre Hopkins, who's certainly on the shortlist of best receiver in the league. And then Will Fuller, who's a speed demon like. He's got two very scary options on the outside who can do that type of stuff.

And then real quick what I just mentioned with all the motion, they got a kid named Kiki Kuti. Shout out out Texas Tech for anybody listening, because he's only played in one game, but he looked scary when he did it against Indianapolis this past weekend. He was targeted fifteen times, got eleven touches for one hundred yards average ten yards per touch, and he was He's what I want Tavon Austin to be like. Before every single snap, he's motioning, he's coming off the line. Sometimes they throw

him a pop pass, sometimes it's a reverse. Sometimes he doesn't do anything. He's just a decoy, but he is a factor in every single thing they do. They got him the ball eleven times and only once was it more than ten yards down the field. Why can't the Cowboys do that. But he was averaging ten yards to play to touch and he touched it within three yards of the line of scrimmage every single time. Wow, And I mean he's dangerous. He's a fourth round pick. He

was a great player at Texas Tech. He's the guy I'm watching Watson obviously, but that guy, they're gonna get him the ball. So why do they suck? I don't know. And to be fair, sorry, no, you see right here? Why are they not winning? Yeah? I mean you know, obviously y'all don't get to see our office, But I sit eight feet away from Brian. I try to do my own tape study. I don't just want to copy off of him. But he watches the tape for three

days and like four times this week. I've just like looked over at Brian been like, why do these guys suck? Like none of it doesn't make sense. Why they're not good. I haven't gotten to their defense yet. I know there. Maybe that's the defenses struggled. I mean, they gave up thirty four, but they got a ton of players over there the front. I haven't gotten there. But this is the fifth best offense in football. Four hundred and fourteen yards per game. Uh yeah, and they're actually better. I

would have thought they would be better running. Oh I know, I'm sorry. They are better running. They run for one twenty three, they pass for two ninety one, and a lot of that comes on broken stuff because like I mean, the playbreaks down, Watson gets out of it. And they do a lot of design stuff too, same bootlegs. Honestly, it looks a lot like what Dack does, just better and what the DAK did in year one. But like, is they not doing a lot of that now? I know?

But they don't have a Zeke Lamar Miller. Lamar Miller, I remember not to like I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, but I know a lot of people wanted to sign him in free agency after DeMarcus Lawrence, I mean DeMarco Murray left, which I know they don't have the line the Cowboys do. But like he's yeah, like the Texans running backs are like a waste of time. Like Blue, he's fine for what he does and he's all right, I'm a boy Blue. I'm not talking about him.

I'm proud of Alt for Blue because he came out of Lsu like he barely got drafted. He's like that and just holding on. He's just still in the league. He's he's not he's a third down back. He's not anybody that should scare you. Um, But yeah, they can't. They don't run the ball well, like when they want to run, they don't run well. But Watson scrambling and

designed runs and they're not afraid to do it. He's like, he's carried the ball seven more times than Daku, and I think he's got a one hundred and six team rushing yards on the season, and a lot of that is designed stuff. Like I said about the Chiefs, like you'll see receiver motion down. They did this cool thing where Kut he comes out of the slot, comes into the backfield, motions back out, and then Watson runs a bootleg, but it's really an option where he pitches it out

to Kuti, like they're trying. He's a spread quarterback in college and they're trying to incorporate that into their offense instead of hammering a square peg into a round hole. So you look at these and it sounds like from what you're saying, the best of what they do is their wide receivers and their quarterback. If that's the case,

how do you think these cornerbacks on the Cowboys. Wait before we get into that, Okay, yeah, running the show today there absolutely Okay, that's gonna be the second part of it. I wanted. I know, yesterday's you guys talked about the Cowboys defensive line. You talked about the possibility

of David Irving coming back the Millie Collins injury. So, given all of what is going on on the Cowboys defense, if line, how does this line matchup against a team like the Texans we've heard so far, I think it matches up very well, and even better if David Irving can get fifteen or sixteen snaps in this game, because the line's not good, you can pressure Watson and get to him. The thing for me, they better tackle well because if he gets out of it, then like he's

gonna off, Yeah, he's gonna pick up yards. Which but I mean, this is you know, much like when we talked about that in Seattle, they got two sacks. They weren't great, but this is another opportunity for them to pile up some sacks here and impact the game for sure. Great game for the Markets. No, I'm just waiting like

I'm waiting. I'm waiting for my queue ahead, go ahead, hit it, Derek, No, I just wanted to know, like I get the defensive front, and I was a little less concerned about that matchup because it sounds like he's definitely a guy you can sack. Yeah. My bigger question is looking at the cornerbacks and how they match up. This will be yes, this be the best wide receiver that they have faced so far this season, DeAndre Hopkins. I don't think there's a better receiver that they faced

this year. Do you come as better? Yeah, I don't know if I believe that, And if you go back and look at their numbers for the last couple of years, I think DeAndre Hopkins, even with lesser quarterbacks, has been a more productive But it's arguable, it's arguable, let's at least say, let's at least say from the standpoint of that, it's an arguable thing that he is at least, if not the top receiver, then the second receiver that they will have faced this year. That being said, how do

you think they match up? Because he does present some some issues for any team because he's a guy that can go up and get the ball. He's a guy that can go down feel. He has a lot of things in his game that makes him a very dangerous wide receiver. This is football one on one. But if it was Eli Manning, I would be like, this is a decent matchup, Like you're gonna give up some yards, but the the line's gonna pressure him, They're gonna get him on the ground. But Watson's ability to create players

makes it scary for anybody. I don't care if you've got the legion of boom. I don't really like the Cowboys just following one cornerback to with, you know, with another receiver. Ever, but if I'm down in the red zone, I will do that. If I would you match up Byron Jones? I mean Byron Jones was a first round pick because he can jump, not because he could play. Because he could jump. This is why he got him in the first round. He's gotten a better as a as a corner. He's having a good year so far.

He's an athletic freak and that you're gonna need that because that's the type of playball well hopkins Um does a lot. He's a big jumper, so Um, I wouldn't do it all over the field, but when I get to that situation, I'm at least gonna help myself not to say that Cheeto hasn't can't get up there and make plays and do that kind of stuff too, But

I will probably put Byron on him just in those situations. Yeah, I agree, because and Hopkins, he's not like he doesn't have that Deaz build, but they throw him a lot of jump ball, you know, especially in the red zone, like they're gonna try to he's lean and he can jump. Yeah. I like that matchup, which you're as always you're gonna give up yards, you will. But what scares me is if Watson, if it becomes backyard football, especially talk about

these safeties. I mean, Byron Jones can do a great job all day, but if there's a miscommunication there and the plays eight seconds long, are the safety is going to be in the right position. You know, you talked about Watson being having a strong arm and also being very mobile and that you know, Michael Vick, that is what comes to mind there. But but accurate, you know, that's one thing that he hasn't really been he was. I went and looked at he's twenty seventh in the league.

And accuracy now that's twenty eight. So that's that's the issue that those guys are the same way. They can throw the ball from point eight to point B. But um, I don't I think is Watson what's he doing with interceptions? He throwing few, throwing one in every single game at least one, so you know. Yeah, But and they've been down too, you know, they've been down just like trying to get themselves back in game. They'll have a running

game that they can lean on like Dallas has. I'm glad you brought that up, which I guess we can talk about that tomorrow. But they've been working in a crappy deficit in three of their four games. They actually built a big deficit against the Colts on Sunday, but in their games that game still came down overtime. Right, Yeah, Oh, their defense is not as good as the talent suggests. That's the only conclusion I can come to. But they were trailing in they were trailing New England twenty four

to six. At one point, they were trailing Tennessee their Week two opponents fourteen nothing and twenty to six against the Giants in Week three. So if the Cowboys can get out to a hot start on offense, which they haven't been able to do for most of this season, but if they can, it could be good in terms of, you know, make DeShawn throw. He's averaging thirty seven attempts per game, and some of those are going to be picks based on prior experience, even with this team who

doesn't have well, that's a great point. That is a really good points. Given the lack of you know, being able to get some picks and turnovers, who would be the guy that would most likely be able to catch that ball and get any interception? I mean, if you want to go past experience, it has to be Jeff heat I would assume. I mean, we still haven't seen

these corners really be ballhawks. I haven't seen these corners turn you know, what would have been just a ball they knocked down into an actual interception, not in regular season. We should so I start seeing that. I don't. I don't know that we should play that game. Who's going to get the first pick on this team? You want Tom all right, it won't be a defensive back, Thomas. I'm kind of thinking it's gonna be a linebacker. That's

exactly what I'm thinking. It's gonna be a linebacker. And that okay, even if even if Watson has shown a pension for picks, I think it's way more likely that you affect the game in the pocket. Like if DeMarcus Lawrence can rip around and and you know, strip him or something. I think that's based on what we've seen, it's more likely than forcing them into a ton of picks. I gotta see that before I think it's going to happen.

So and I just and that's not even just do I mean, that's a while, Like it's been a while since his team has had corners that get intercepts regularly. Like that's been a long while. Even going back to Terrence. That was knock on Terrence for a long time was Terence is a really good cornerback. But Terence will knock the ball down way more than he's going to catch

the interception. So we don't This team hasn't had that guy that's got the instincts to jump into the throwing lane on a regular basis, at least like in the time that I've been here, we haven't had that guy. The only one, Like you said, Jeff, he's the one that has been the closest to making those kind of plays, but then he drops the ball. But even the numbers for that, like his numbers are very modest for interceptions. I mean, it's not like he's in the league leaders.

He's just leading this team which has been deficient when it comes to trying to get interceptions. So the other which going back to affecting the game in the pocket, like I hope David Irving can do something in this game because this is football one on one to a degree. But as mobile as he is, Watson just loves to he wants to be moving toward the line of scrimmage. Obviously, like if the rush he doesn't completely trust his pocket.

He loves to stay hit. No, yeah, he loves to step up like he's gonna try to step up right into the space and it's it happens every time, Like he's looking to throw. But he wants to be moving forward because he can go and get seven eight nine yards, which is which is not But that's not great right now when you think about it from the standpoint of where the Cowboys right now having the most injury issues

right in the middle. When you're talking about those two defensive tackles, like you got Crawford there, but Blique's out, You're just getting David Irving back, So who knows if he's even gonna be active. You have anybody to push the pocket, need him to play well, both of them. Need David to play fifteen sixteen snaps and I need Tyrone to fall out. Yeah, this is a game. I would definitely use David a lot as much as I thought I could get away with with his level of energy. Yeah,

I just wonder, I don't. I mean, you've definitely, especially their right tackle gets beat all the time. Like DeMarcus Lawrence is going to have a good game, but I wonder if he'll be able to actually finish the play on a consistent basis. And that's because he's gonna push up. Yeah, and that's not his fault. That's just Watson's tough guy

to defend. Yeah. All right, let's take our final break and when we come back, we'll keep talking about this matchup and you can also send us your question through Twitter at Cowboys Break. While a player can look good on paper, it's when he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you should rely on more than specs and features as well.

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com today. Back to the break, You don't sell three million pairs of anything if it's not good. Tommy John has done that. Three million pairs sold. The reason why it feels good looks good Shop Exclusive Cowboys Underwear Tommy John dot Com Forward slash Cowboys Awesome you know, I regretted not being here on yesterday's show because I listened to what you guys did for Tommy Johnathon. I'm like, man, I would have made some nice comments to that. You have some stuff ready for that. Why did you give

me the boring promo right now? Because because forty five minutes show, Yeah and right, and we spend five minutes on that, it's awkward. Miles Austin will be coming in in a second, right, so it's on with the show. Yeah, right, you still up, Dave? I thought you were right. No like to talk about the Dyes. Okay, So here's a question from Twitter out of the Cowboys defense matching up against this team, who would be the guy that would be the most surprising to make a play for you

in this upcoming Parents Williams defense. Sy, we're talking about Cowboys defense. I just um, I wonder, well, yeah, I don't think Sean Lee's gonna play, but that's an easy one. I wonder how much the way the Texans want to play suits the linebackers period. Honestly, Uh, it's just a spread. They're they're playing spread option football. They're playing college football. And I don't mean that as a you know, slight,

but they don't target. They don't target their tight ends or their running backs that much, and they don't run the ball that well. But that seems like that might be even more like what an opportunity for these linebackers because now what they're doing is they're playing a lot at either they're blitzing or they're playing coverage, which for both of these linebackers, that seems to be what they do well. Right I will, can they cover that well against the personnel that'll be on the field, is what

I'm trying to say. They're gonna be in zone? Why not? But you have to make them one dimensional. It doesn't matter if they don't want to run the ball or not. You have to continue to put them in third and long situations. So I think that they're gonna try to run it some and then when they're gonna have to keep tabs on that quarterback, which again I think when you have young linebackers that are fast, that can run sideline the sideline, I feel good about them in that

situation against a Watson. Right, that's fair because Layton Vanderesh and Jalen Smith are not your average linebacker when it comes to athleticism. They're much faster than that. I just so they target their tight end six times a game and they're running backs three and I just yeah, And I just said, Watson throws thirty seven times a game,

So that's thirty times where he's targeting receivers. And again, it's all a lot of it is stuff near the line of scrimmage, trying to create easy throws for him. So if Kiki Kuti takes a pop pass coming around the end, is Layton Vanderesh gonna get there? He m? He better? That's a great way to phrase it. He better. That kind of scares me. Yeah, but I'll tell you that just listening to what you just say right there,

what scares me even more is the safeties. We talked about the safeties, We talked about the struggles that the Cowboys have had there, and now you're talking about a team that now throws the ball thirty seven times a game and throws it primarily to wide receivers. That should scare everybody. That should make everybody at least that's a matchup you better keep your eye on and see what your safeties are doing, because this is a team that

can get behind you if you're not playing good sound defense. Yeah, that's gonna be my next question. We talked about the corners and then we mentioned Jeff Heath who is still battling through some injuries. And now with the other safeties that you have left, how I mean, what is the level that you need to play up to when he comes to safety looking at these white receivers and knowing that this quarterback can throw down the field pretty well.

So yeah, I mean, no, I agree with you. I'm asking how much does your safety really need to put in the work in this specific game. I think this is a huge game for the safeties. Again, up until last week, I didn't think that the secondary had really been challenged. Last week, they got challenged and that offense were able. They were able to put up some points in some yards. Is this more challenging than last week?

I think for different reasons. Last week you had a more skilled passer I think that you were going up against this week. I think you've got you got to deal with the fact that this quarterback can run. And like Dave was saying, it's kind of multifaceted. On any given play, there are probably four different options of things that can happen even before he gets to the point where he actually decides who he's going to throw the

ball too. That takes a lot of just kind of understanding what they're doing, being true to your assignment, doing your job, and making sure that that that you don't let a big play get behind you. So it's it's challenging in different ways. A I don't know if I would say once more challenging or less challenging the other just different kinds of challenges. Nick usaid, No, So are you based on last game? I mean, are you expecting the safeties to be able to play better this game? Yeah,

a little bit. I just don't think they'll be um, they'll be challenged as much in that particular way. I think that they'll be okay. I think that their strength of what Houston's wants to do will match up better with what the Cowboys strength is with the guys up front. I think they can get after that line. I think

it'll cost problems for for Watson. I don't think he's the type of passer obviously that that Stafford is, and so I think he'll he's throwing the ball to the other team and he's not that accurate in some of his throws. So I don't think they'll be challenged as much. Doesn't mean that they won't, you know, make some big plays on him. It just has all the makings of a shootout type of game, and those type of games can get you know, he can get scary because the

Cowboys gotta on the earth side. They got they gotta be able to score points to get there. But I mean, I don't think it'll be like it was last week. I think the safeties will be okay. I just think it's I agree with that, it's just different. Like I don't Deshaun Watson's not going to be like moving and baiting safeties. I don't think he's on that level which Matt Stafford is. But I hope, I hope the pass

rush can make life difficult on Watson. I'd way rather he run it ten times for sixty yards than run around in a circle. And then you know, the safeties banging to each other like the Keystone Cops, and all of a sudden, you know Will Fullers in the end

zone seventy yards later. And that's my concern is he buys extra time, and when he buys extra time, I don't care who you are, even if you're the best safety, the best corner, keeping up with guys, especially guys out of the caliber of DeAndre Hopkins when the play breaks down, good luck with that. So it's gonna be so imperative on them to not only get to him, but to get him down. Don't let him buy that extra time, because if he buys it extra time, all bets are off.

Don't even get him down on it. I mean, hopefully you do, but like harass him to the point that he has to take his eyes down down. You know, you can't look to extend to just run out again, I'll take that. Kill me with a thousand paper cuts running for five yards at a time before you hit seventy yard touches. That's also where I trust my linebackers. I trust these two linebackers that in nickel situations, if he gets outside the pocket, they can run him down.

I really do trust him to do that. Now, again, it's a it's a matter of trust because we haven't had to see them do that against this caliber of running quarterback. Because I don't know if Russell did that a whole lot in the game against the Cowboys, but I trust him to do that. I trust him way more do that than I trust the safeties if the plays break down to be able to cover downfield. I

didn't make that face because I disagree with you. I'm just thinking about, you know, three chunk touchdowns given up in the last two games. I just I would probably bet that there will be another one this weekend. I'm with you, hopefully it's not mop not a lot of Yeah, here's another question from Twitter. And I'm not a huge believer on the whole home field advantage stuff, but the

Cowboys have lost are all their games wrote games? So given the matchup over there and the Houston is playing at home coming off of one win, how big it's this? And I hate asking this question, but it is. I get it a lot. It's not, but the home field advantage, I just I'm not a huge believering, but it matters.

A bad question now, I don't think so either. I think it matters from the standpoint that when you're on the road, it limits what you're able to do because noise becomes a factor, right, and so you know some of the audibles that you may want to make, some of the things you want to do. It but at home,

when you're at home, it's not the same. And I will tell you this this weekend, expect, especially if the Texans are in the game, this is gonna be loud because it's it's different when you have a team that you're playing that's just a team. It's a whole different thing when the fan base hates the other team, and

there is that situation. You see that on the road sometimes when you're at some of your division rivals when they hate the other team, there's a whole different level of vitriol that the fans can inject it too the game, and that will be there this weekend. Make no mistake about it. Houston fans hate the Cowboys. Houston hates Dallas. I mean as a city you know, and probably true, and that's just the way that it is. And that's why I mean, it makes for a good rivalry. Um,

as you're gonna intimate. Actually wrote it, it's this week, No I wrote it today. I just I feel like Dallas and Houston. I think they should play every year. I think the nfls can figure out a way to do that, and I bet it happens at some point. But um this it'll be interesting. But remember a lot of Dallas fans will be at that game as well, so the atmosphere homefield advantage isn't a big deal if

you're proven that you're capable of dealing with it. I mean, it's six and two on the road in sixteen and eight no on the road in fourteen. But this team has looked like trash on the road going back to last year and certainly this year. So I think it's a thing. You got to prove that it's not a thing. There you go, you know, So we'll see what happens and tomorrow we'll get into the Texans defense versus the Cowboys offense. For Derek Gildon in David hell amember Garcia.

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