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Cowboys Let's go.
Are you ready for a break?
Yes?
Are you ready for a break?
Absolutely? Ready for a break?
Yeah, and so much for that.
It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Were with Mbar Garcia, Brian brought Us, Nick Harris and Derek Eagleton.
It is Thursday December twenty six, twenty twenty four, Season twenty, Episode ninety two.
Welcome to the latest edition of The.
Break Life from that s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star, presented by LG. LG is the world's number one O lead TV brand for eleven years in counting See why at LG dot com Forward slash O lead EVO.
How'd everybody do yesterday? Everybody have a good Christmas?
Excellent? Yes?
Yeah, you got the glasses off for more reasons than well.
Today for sure is not just the light. No, I'm just higher, like my eyes are swollen, going two straight nights in a row, going to bed really really late, and today it's raining again. So the mood is just like one of those that you're like, are we here, Like, no, don't get me wrong. I'm I'm happy about my job and everything. I'm happy to be here, but I'd rather be on home right now.
This is one of those did you put together toys yesterday? Because Derek and I are beyond putting together toys, but did you put together toys the last couple of days?
Yes, there were a few that I'm like, how like.
Did you have you left over pieces? Like like if you ever made a swing set and you got like a couple of wingnut left leftover.
Like, hope my kid doesn't go flying one day.
You're kind of like like, okay, am I supposed to have like three of these nuts and bolts left over? Afterwards it's a spare. Oh no, it's supposed to be bear And but then you do wonder about the safety of your child, like the swing Oh push, mommy push, and then next thing you know, the kid just gets launched.
Do you ever I have I haven't gone through that.
No, yeah, no, I remember. I remember one night I was in college there at LSU. If you hadn't known, I love l s U. Uh the the I was in college and one of my teammates, his brother, played for the New Orleans Saints Stan Brock. He was an offensive tackle for the Saints. So Stan like, we're putting together Barbie's playhouse thing, right, the big building thing. And they're like, but he does it with like a bottle of Jack Daniels. So like Barbie, there was some like
leftover pieces involved with Barbie's playouts. I'm like, like, Stan, I think all these pieces are supposed to go. And we were we were looking at the Oh no, it looks fine. Can't you tell that's the slide? That's like, I don't know, Stan, I think there's some other things involved here. He's, oh, no, it's fine, don't worry about it. The kids will never kids will never know the difference. And yeah, I'm like, you can't put together toys that
way under the influence. You know, you always leave you always leave pieces out that you probably needed to.
Well.
Luckily, Amber's husband is a handy guy, so he'll be all right. Yeah, he'll be alright, So they'll be fine.
All right, he's a fun guy to have a cocktail.
No doubt, no doubt. All right, let's let's jump in.
Let's catch up on a couple of injury updates for this week. Heading into the game. They had a few guys that were that did not practice. Now this was early in this week, This was Tuesday. They used a Tuesday just so everyone kind of understood. They used their normal Wednesday schedule, which is usually a walk through. That they did that on Tuesday so that they could then take what was usually an off day on Tuesday and move it to Wendesday allow the players.
To be off for Christmas.
So nice way to do it for the team.
Uh, but that meant that the Tuesday injury report probably a little bit more cautious than than may have been if it would have been on a Wednesday. But that being said, Eric Kendricks, TJ. Bass, Jalen Broke, and Ceedeelamb were a few names that were on that list that were notable. Tell me what you know about specific lists. Start with Eric Hendricks.
Yeah, Eric is that that thing went all the way up to game time the other day, so.
I was actually kind of surprised he didn't play.
But yeah, what I've learned about Eric Kendricks a little bit is Eric's one of those guys he's very tuned into his body. You know, he loves cars, so it's kind of a passion. So he's talking about tuning and being involved. But he's one of those guys that kind of like to play. He needs to feel it. Gotta feel it, Yeah, I gotta feel it anyone out there. And if you know, he's very conscious because he doesn't want to play at a poor level, and that's why he wants to make sure. Now all these guys are
nick I'm not saying it. Eric Kendricks is begging off games and all that. Now, you know, he's he just wants to make sure that if you know he's playing, that he is going to give the maximum to his team that day. So hopefully things will be turned back around this way. But it was really really close in the game the other day, so I think things should be okay weekend.
What are we hearing about TJ Bass.
TJ Bass is still dealing with the thigh jury a little bit, so that's something that they kind of have to monitor and and and hopefully that will get better with time. But these games, I mean, at the end of the season, you know as it is that it's just it's a problem. I mean, it's just something that's a little bit of a nagging thing that he has to deal with.
Yeah, looking at the wide receiver position. There were a few names of these guys, Jalen told, but interestingly he was limited. But he had supposedly a pretty garrely fingering finger. Yeah.
Yeah, one of the one of the catches that he made. I remember looking at the tape and he was he came he it was it wasn't I think it was incomplete, and his hand got hit and it just kind of his finger. You could tell he was like looking at it, so I thought maybe he had a dislocated finger, and then they popped it back in the place. Is what. But you know these are things he makes.
He ran off the field because he has been right in front of us, like inside the from the press box point of view, and I remember seeing him, yeah, holding his finger, yeah, right there in that corner, right in front of us.
Uh.
And when he came off, you could tell hurt his finger. He was holding a finger as he ran off the field.
So I think they're dealing with this location there is what it is, So we'll have to deal with that.
Jalen Brooks also missed practiced yesterday. What do we know about him?
Yeah, that's that's continues to be. That's a hamstring problem. So what that doesn't never seem to work out very well for you. That's hamstring injuries or or one of those things I anticipated.
Is that hamstring or knee hamstring? It says knee on here the report, Yeah, hamstring is hall On halls a hamstring?
Well, I thought I could say because I was, I know that. Let me let me make sure that one then, because I was hearing that was that was a hamstringe Well, what they put on the report was I'm sure the report's right then, but let me let me double check that. I thought I thought he was missed the game because of a hamstring injury. Oh oh, I take I take that back. My bad, he he uh he, Okay, that's it, my bad. He uh hyper extended his knee in practice in the practice the other day.
And that's how he ended up up on.
So yeah, you're right, Amber, I'm sorry. It's not saying it's his knee that he hyper extended. So I don't think that's uh well, we'll see how that how that one plays. I'll check on that one as well.
Yeah, that'll be an interesting one, just because now you're if you got told with a finger and obviously CD with his shoulder and now Brooks with a knee. You start wondering, like your depth to be able to finish these last two games. Uh, but we'll see where that that progresses through the rest of the week. At this point, are we hearing anything more about CD and and and his availability for this week?
Nothing more? They're being really, I mean, they're just he's It sounds like to me, he's just gonna battle through this stuff.
As long as his shoulders, as long as.
It's yeah, as long as it's as long as he could suit up and play, he's going to try and play. But yeah, but nothing more that, nothing more than from what we talked about the other day.
Absolute the man's that's a lot of pain tolerance right there to be able to go through that well, like we.
Talked about it the other day, And I mean, that's where you take matters into your own hands and you tell somebody to sit it out and not make it their decisions, because most likely than not, I not every player is going to be this way. Some players would be happy just sitting it out. And you know, we've seen those kinds of players. City is not one of those, and he's gonna be wanting to go out there and compete. He's been showing that so far, regardless of the injury.
So again, this is one of those that you just.
I've had people tweet at me about this about this because they heard our discussion that we had the other day, and it's interesting. I think the fan base is like, listen, we understand what you're saying. It's damn Philadelphia. You know that that's there. The season might be lost and gone and all that. These fans do not want to lose the Philadelphia and they're thinking, like, listen, he could sit out, sure, great, but please don't let it be against Philadelphia. That's the
kind of the vibe I'm getting. And I'm like, damn, I mean, guys, hurt. I don't care if it's Philadelphia or it's the I don't care who it is. I mean, he's hurt. He's legitimly hurt. But the fan base is very much like, it's Philadelphia, Brian. You know, he's got to play. He's got to play these games. And I'm like, well, no, he doesn't, you know. I mean, it's not you going
out there and playing, you know, it's him. And that's where I can say I like what you're talking about, Ambar with sometimes you maybe have to like take these players out of that situation because they're going to play, They're going to try and play. But man, I just find it just you know that the hatred for the Philadelphia Eagles, Like, Okay Seed, he go out there and play, you know, with a with a compromised shoulder, just because it's the film.
And I get the fans wanting to watch that. Also, you're not trying to watch a preseason game for your team, your own team in December at the end of December. You want to see the start players be out there on the field, and this is what you sign up for in the season as a player. But at the same time, I'm like, this season hit us in the face so hard. We won next year and again. And I'm not saying this is an injury that's predicted to keep him out of the beginning of the season or
anything like that. But the sooner you can start that healing process, the better for her and the better for everybody else.
I agree with all that. I get all that, I guess.
The thing for me though, still is like these are these are professional athletes and the legendary, the legendary people.
In this sport.
You think about Himmi Smith, you think about some like Emma Smith would be one. I was actually thinking about Jason Whitten. When you think about Jason was the first thing you think about, tough as hell, Like dude broke his jaw play football, Dude busted his spleen play football.
It's when you talk about him as putting weights in his right.
Yeah, yeah, so he could make weights so he could play football even though he hadn't been eaten because he's got a broken jaw. Like, those are the things that I think make legends in this sport, and so I don't I would never, ever, if I win, in the situation where I would have him to make the call, I wouldn't take a guy off the field unless there was more damage that could be done. Now, if it was a situation you could do more damage, I'd be like, all right, man, we got to make sure we protect
you for next year. But if you can't do any more damage, like I would allow that player to be able to make that decision. If they want, he's gonna make one right and if they want and if they want to do something that they feel like makes them more legendary.
Like we're talking about Hall of Fame caliber players, right, you want to do something makes you more legendary, Man, go for it.
I'm with you.
Let's go, and it's gonna hurt. But if you're down, then they don't go for it.
You know, No, I totally get it, and I totally understand what you're saying. I just found it really, you know that this that the rivalry maybe that focused the rivalry a little bit more for me that that fans are tweeting at me going, hey, I don't care, he's got to play against Philadelphia. We can't lose this game.
Yeah, you know, and it's tough to imagine the the offense playing without c.
It's a workable offense without him.
Go back and watch go back and watch the game with with you know, with Cooper Rush. That was his first start. After the Atlanta game got awful. I mean that that offense was just god awful. And the defense and we'll get into this, the defense held you in that game. Well, I mean literally, they get you know, it's two minutes left in the half and they're down seven to three and they get a fumble and you have to kick a field goal because you can't even get the can't we get fined five yards to get
a touchdown? There? So lots changed since, but yeah, it's it's it's CD. I mean I will and I don't think you are. I think none of us will ever question touch on that kid.
Not at all.
As a matter of fact, my level of respect for his level of toughness has gone up this year, just seeing him go through this and seeing him like, man, I'm still playing.
I'm going to keep playing. I respect that.
All Right.
We're gonna take our final first break when we come back, We're gonna jump into the Eagles. We're got to talk about a little bit of what we saw in the last matchup and maybe how some of that translates into this matchup, and then we'll dive into a little deeper conversation on.
The Philadelphia offense. We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Back to the break.
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Welcome back to the second segment of the Break. Life from the s WBC Mortgage studios. At the start of the segment, brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, let's talk about the Eagles right now. They are twelve and three. They still have not wrapped up the NFC East after that loss last week to the Commanders. I think, if I'm not mistaken, they can wrap it up this
weekend with a win. But if they lose this weekend, it's gonna get real interesting there for that final week with the Washington.
Play the Giants final facts, you know that.
Will they do they need to do? They need to win?
Will they need to win that game in Washington lose, or would be a tie where Washington wins then they have the tybreak.
I don't know, I haven't looked.
At I haven't looked at when looked at before. For a while though, they were kind of competing for the number one overall seed, and now I think they're just trying to kind of get the division wrapped up. It sounds like that that the that maybe the number one seed might come down to the Minnesota Detroit game, which is Week eighteen, which, uh, you know, everybody's kind of looking at that mode right now of like, oh, well, the Dallas Washington game. But you know, there's two games
that can get flexed. I think it's at three thirty and at seven, And my guess would be, I'm just guessing here that that Minnesota Detroit game would be one that they would put in that one of the probably the final time slot that night game, that night game,
and then the and then maybe Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Cincinnati might be still battling for a playoff spot, depending on what happens with Denver, I think is so uh but yeah, that's I think Dallas is pretty safe if saying that they're going to play Sunday at noon for that final final game. I don't think there's any reason to put Dallas in the either one of the those time spots.
They did get flex down this coming week against Philly.
Yeah, sure.
My hope is that even maybe they'll do it on Saturday, like make it a Saturday game, but well, who knows.
We'll see, We'll see how I go, see how it goes. Yeah, real quick too. On Brooks, he's working this week, okay, so he will be practicing today and then the next couple of days, so hopefully you'll have him back on on that on that that timetable.
And at this point in the season, reps for young guys is very important, so I think he's in that.
We've had a lot of young guys earned their letter jackets already.
No doubt you want him playing in these last couple of games. But uh, let's let's get onto these Philadelphia Eagles. What would you say is right now as you're looking at this Eagles team, Brian, what would you say is like the biggest storyline around that team that Cowboys fans need to be aware of.
Well, you got a guy still chasing an NFL rushing record. You know what I'm saying. It's a big one, and it's a big one, and it's one that that that backs have come close to but have failed. And now you're in a situation too where he's got two games left and we're talking about Barkley and you're looking at two hundred and sixty yards or two hundred and fifty yards and.
That's what it is jocking range for him.
Yeah, And all of a sudden, do you do you try and get this? Do you try and get this record? Now? I don't think he's going to get two hundred and fifty yards rushing against the Cowboys. Well no, maybe you'll think so, you'll think.
There put some respect on our defense.
Yeah, No, I mean, here's what I'm just I'm just saying it.
I'm just thinking how close can he get? And the following week would be against the Giants, right, and that would be at home, And how much you're willing to play him knowing that you're probably going to be you know, could could possibly be now Green Bay keeps but green Bay would be green Bay's not going to win the division and so they'll be but Philadelphia they'll probably likely be the second seed if that's the case. So if that's the case, you're going to have to play you know,
you're gonna have to play, likely the Commanders. I believe he would be the seven round of Plague. Yeah, so you would, you know, you absolutely have to. You know, it'd be that turnaround. But do you try and get him the record or you try and get him close? Yeah, you know that would be so. I mean, I couldn't imagine John maryeror the owner of the Giants have to sit there and watch Saquon Barkley break the NFL rushing record. Yeah.
I don't think he. I don't think he gets there against the Cowboys. I do think he can rack up some yards and one hundred this game. Yeah, then I think one hundred and fifty against the Giants in the final game of the season, with it being his old team.
The Giants, I think one hundred and fifty. Yeah, I think he's doing that. I think I think he. I definitely think he's gonna break that record.
I just you know, you look at the way that this team. And we all understand about with Smith and Brown, the receivers, we all understand, you know, with with the you know, with the wide receiver, with the tight end. Uh, you know, I mean, this is a this is a good team. This is a good team. And for a half I went back and watch for a half, you played really really well against him on defense and and what and what you know what I was impressed by
this game. And I just put in my notes there that I was really impressed the way that that that Mike Zimber attacked Philadelphia in that in that game, and you know, he did a really good job of mixing the fronts and the coverages. And that was a problem for the Eagles to identify. They really didn't handle when we talk about the mug the mug look when they put the linebackers in the in the in the a gaps.
Philly didn't have a really good plan for how to deal with that, you know, And I wonder if Mike's going to go back to it. The problem is that overshown was such a big factor in that game that without him, how much of that can you really do? Because they got you know, he got a couple of sacks, he had eleven tackles, he had pressures. I mean, he was he was your defensive MVP. And without him, can Zimmer do what he can? You know what he needs
to do now? The tradeoff here is though they crushed Carson in this game and that in that last game they went after Carson at cornerback. And so now you have, you know, with Bland and we'll see with Ao and stuff how this all kind of plays or how they're gonna you know, how they're gonna adapt to that, these receivers and the tied end. But you you were compromised
at cornerback in this last time you met them. This time around, I think you're a little bit better shape now I say that, but then you don't have digs. But you know that's that's going to be. You know, how well can you get pressure on this guy? This Gure, it's a different quarterback when it comes to the pressure. You know, he can handle blitzes, but he wants to throw the ball from the pocket. He's not interested in getting outside the tackle box. When he gets outside the
tackle box, he's not very accurate throwing the ball. He listen a fifty percent passer it's when he stands in the middle of the pocket that he that he can kind of kill you that way with the way he So I think Zim's got to be very mindful of that and you know, and try and do the best he can to take advantage of a couple of different situations with you know, Jordan Miyolotta didn't play the last
time in this game. Uh, you know, the lane Johnson was really good against Michael Parsons, but they moved Mike around and kind of find found some spots, you know. Uh, Makai becked in at the guard. They they really they they they went after him a little bit and had some pressure. Keep an eye on this matchup though, this is the one I'm gonna give you. They ohso Diggy's every time he was matched up against Cam Jurgens the center,
it was a pressure. It was pressure. And so if somehow, some way they're gonna try and double in help because they leave these tackles like eighty five percent of the time and they're good. Yeah, my a lotta and and and my a lotta. You can run around myle a lota. He's a big man, I mean, but to beat him you have to get around him. You have to win right off the jump and get to his corner and then dip him and then go because if he gets
his hands on your your toast. But they've got big guys, Like I say, my lot is big, Beckton's big, and then this Landon Dickerson, he doesn't move all that well. But this is this still is a really really good offensive line when it comes to running the football, the pass protection aspect of it. Though. I just wonder if Dallas is going to be able to play their mug defense where they get those guys up there, because, like
I say, that gave Jalen Hurts a little problems. And what's the health of Jalen Hurts in this game too coming up? That's that's the big question mark. I mean, I've been kind of following what's going on in Philadelphia there and there's still some questions. You mean, matter of fact, Kenny Pickett is dealing the backups, dealing with some ribs problem.
So Tanner McKee, who was from Stanford to the second year guy from Stanford, the third quarterback, he says, Hey, my reps and all this haven't changed all that much. So I'm just trying to get ready in case I have to go. But here they are. They're trying to win a division and they've got two banged up quarterbacks trying to trying to get that done. Yeah.
I think the interesting thing about about Jalen Hurts is coming off that that game, he actually was trying to go back in the game they got taken off and they had to grab him and be like, oh man, you can't. He had put on his helmet like he was going back in and they pulled him back.
So it makes me wonder if, like, what if.
The severity of the concussion wasn't that bad or was he really just like I'm going back in.
Yeah, I don't care that it was bad, but we'll see.
I mean obviously there that's where a professional step in and definitely make a call.
See. That's the thing about I mean, it seems like that. I'm sure somebody out there is listening it will correct me if I'm wrong about this, But it just seems like when it's a concussion situation, when the player's taken off, that player misses the next week. I mean, it just seems like an automatic thing. Like I mean, if you look at like Cooper at Cooper Bebe's situation. You know, Now, maybe that was a short shorter time a week. I don't know, I mean it was just maybe it was.
I don't think that was that a full week that he missed. Was did he get hurt?
I don't know.
Well, I mean we saw it with how long was take.
Out Jake Ferguson's house?
A few weeks?
Two games?
Two weeks? Yeah, Yeah, so I.
Just kind of think that. But I think that's something just to keep an eye on, because if it's if it's Kiddy Pickett, that's a whole different that's a whole different ball game. For now. Now you you now you're gonna get a bunch of run.
Yeah, now you're gonna now they're gonna run a ball a ton.
But also on top of that, I think it does factor into something maybe helping this Dallas defense a little bit more because you don't have because they got some significant passing options out there, if they're compromised a quarterback. Now that that comes back to ear and you really have to worry about just stopping the run.
Brown and Smith, you know, they're just they're they're really, really, really good when it comes to you know how how they have to deal with their passing situations.
All right, we're gonna take our final break when we come back.
I want to dive a little deeper into that running game that they have and uh, just look at some of the issues that Dallas had last week against Tampa Bay. The running game got away from Tampa, so they had to leave it, but it was actually successful in a lot of respects early in the game. I want to talk a little bit about that and what that may mean for this game against the Eagles.
We'll be back Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
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Final segment of The Break live from SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. The running game we've been talking about, Saquon Barkley right now is averaging one hundred and twenty three yards per game on the ground. He also has thirty one receptions for two hundred and seventy six yards.
It's total. The fifteen touchdowns. He is their offense.
But I think also the part you have to remember is Jalen Hurts can do real damage, particularly on the ground. He's averaging right now forty two rush yards per game, So you put those two together, that's a pretty substantial rushing attack. He also has thirty two touchdowns, eighteen of them passing, fourteen of them rushing.
A lot of that.
Being when they're in goal to go situations at the one, at the two. It's pretty much standard what they're gonna do and nobody can stop it. They're going to do the touch push and nobody can stop that. Yeah, and push right, and they just they know how to do it, and it's amazing to me that nobody else has kind of figured out how they do this to be able to replicate it, because nobody else gets the success that they do. But it is it is something that obviously they do really really well well.
Not many quarterbacks. Have you ever seen Jalen hurt Slift weights.
Yeah, he's a big dude.
Yeah, Like he's strong, he's in the weight room, he's he's really in the lower body. I mean he's the squat rocks and stuff like that. I mean, he is like legendary for the amount of so his ability to when he gets that. What's amazing to me is they never mess up the snap. Now, for example, your game against Clemson the other day, you guys are trying to get a fourth down play and what happens. The ball goes goes right through right through you know, Manning's hands
and now it ends up. I mean, that could have been a disaster, it could have been a but it's like they get the snap, even with their center with Jurgens and it goes back to the Kelsey. They never mess up that snap. It's always like everybody's pushing and they get the snap. Every single time, there's never any the balls on the ground or it's a the ball sideways.
It just you got to start with that snap and so they're able to get the surge, the quarterback surge because of his lower body power and that's why they get that thing home.
Off topic, I mean, but going back to last week against Tampa with Baker Mayfield, what I don't remember what the center's name is, but with him in the snaps, there's so many times where he's just having to kind of jump to get the ball.
Part of the rookie center. Yeah, it was threw off a couple of plays. You know, when you're when you're having to jump and then corral the ball and then try and execute the play.
That's like, as a viewer me, you never truly think of that part of the game or truly appreciate until you see bat snaps and you're like, okay, because you just think of it as an automatic, perfect snap.
But it's not always that way.
No, say Derek, Derek's heart fell, I mean didn't. I mean, seriously, you saw that ball on the ground. You're like going, WHOA wait a minute, what I mean? They didn't even get the snap. It just goes flying out the skin.
And then when he got on the ball, I was like.
Oh, yeah, what are we doing?
Yeah, that'll stop your heart real quick. But let's go back to that Tampa game and let's talk about that running game, because I think we all agreed on Monday.
But for the fact that Dallas was able to get.
An early lead and keep that lead and put the pressure on them and really take them out of the running game, that could have been a whole different outcome from the standpoint of how successful they were using the running game early in the game.
That being said, when you try to look.
At what Dallas was where they were deficient against Tampa in the run, in their run defense, how does that match up with what Philadelphia likes to do and does that create opportunities for Philadelphia?
Yeah, you know, Philadelphia is a Philadelphia's offensive line is clearly better, and I think they're better from the standpoint of the physicality and not that Tampa is because if you know, their tackles are good, they're you know, their
centers are rookie. But you look at you look at Philadelphia in the way that they come off the football, it is a down hill, you know, Tampa similar, Bucky Irvin similar, But the way the sa Kwon Barkley is just so explosive and they get holes they get I mean it, and it doesn't matter when you watch when you watch Phil, if you run the ball, sometimes you could get you can get a You look at the metrics, you know, like, oh, back is really good, running outside right,
back is really good, running inside left. You know you could you could pick up metrics. Yeah, yeah, every metric about Saquon Barkley is just as successful. Runs at all points of the offensive line. It's not like it's not like, okay, you could run stuff. And like we were Joe Mixon when we when Cowboys played Houston several weeks ago, Joe Mixon, all his runs were outside left, outside left, outside left, pick and then he ran outside right, no game, no
game stuff. You know, inside right stuff. You know there's some guys that have that and this guy doesn't have that. And where they where they where they really are good or with this guy though, too is they've got tackles, they've got they've got size, massive size on the left
side of that offensive line. They get a really good athlete at the right tackle who can get out and like so you get the tight end, you get the tackle on the right side, that ball could get to the edge just because you've got the ability to kind of the double team blocks and things that they have going on over there. They want to run more power, they go behind Jordan mylotta over on that left side because that's where but this this back hits it at
all levels, Dallas. Dallas is going to have their hands full. They're going to need, you know, Kendricks back in this one too. I mean, lea foul did a nice job, but but Kendricks lea foul, the Mazzi Mazzi had, Mazzi had five tackles. The last time these two teams played,
Mozzi's played well against division teams. They're going to need to be really, really really stout aut front, especially if Hurts doesn't play, because I like, I'm with you, Derek, if it's picket, they're going to try and get this thing as close to one hundred and fifty yards as they can to maybe set it up for him the next week.
I'm going through and trying to figure out when was the last When was the last game where an offense was able to run all over the Cowboys I'm trying to go back and made it.
Let's see Washington seventy four yards.
No, I mean they since the bye, since the buye, they've done a much better job.
Remember like the last the last one.
Oh, it goes back to like Baltimore's the Texans were, Yeah.
Where they got up to one hundred and nine yards with mixing one hundred nine nine mix nine. He had one hundred and nine. He was a leader on that.
But uh, yeah, that's the highest. And then after Houston, so against Commanders, the Giants, the Bengals, Panthers, Bucks, so far, all of those games, the Cowboys have been able to do a really good job as stopping the run.
Played better.
They definitely played better.
And I think what I'm the reason why I was hesitating there is because I'm thinking, I don't think any of those teams necessarily considered great running, right, yeah, so so you got to have to factor that in a little bit.
But but stopping the run and stopping the.
Run, like early in the year, there was some teams that aren't I don't considered to be great running team, don't running the ball well against Dallas, So it does that's not just the indicator every time.
So I think they've gotten better.
If you guys were to say what you think is the reason why they're better or why they've been so much better, what would you say?
It is?
MMMM to me. I think they had They had some guys that have played that early the year. I don't think they were ready to defend the run. I think Mazie's gotten better playing the run. We've seen, We've seen developed, We've seen what Os has been able to do. Golston has played the run pretty well. You know, you've got some guys, Uh look at loss and and him having to play the linebackers as a whole. You know, overshown was running down making tackles for loss. They just had.
They just did a better job with their fits and finished where Detroit Baltimore didn't. It seem like they were really out of whack. Yeah, they were the Saints. They were getting to the edge, Guys were getting compressed, guys were getting walled off, Guys couldn't get to the ball. Dallas is doing a much better job with their linebackers and the defensive lineman not letting guys get to second
level blocks on them too. And I feel like earlier year they missed a ton of tackles and then it allowed them to allowed opponents to have a little bit better of you know, Okay, it should be a gain of should be a gain of three, but actually turns into a gain of seven because they had a miss
and now they're now they're dealing with that. But I think they I think the play of the young players, like I said, the Masis you know, and and and overshown and guys like that were really leaf out, were really a big help for them playing the run, playing better run defense.
Yeah, And I think, uh, to me, a key area are the linebackers and what they were doing in each game. And you talked about them improving, but overall it's just like you just see collectively a group that's playing better, tackling better and connected in what they're doing and just
more aware of what's happening on the field. Something that I think a lot in previous times when they were struggling with that was there quick with the read and knowing okay, making that quick turn and moving fat and being fast and getting there to the to the rusher the running back, sorry the running back and making that tackle be a successful one. So I think it's just the fact that everybody is more in sync and aware of what's currently happening and reacting a lot faster to the play.
Yeah. I just went back and checked and bar you. The last time they really got gashed in the running game was against Philadelphia. They get one hundred and eighty seven yards. You know that.
But that's when you take into account Hurts and what he does in the running game as well.
Let's see you what was your question.
I was asking how many Barkley had.
I'm wondering if six six h my god, sixty six.
Yeah, well he only had sixty six years.
Yeah, but then you had Herds with fifty six yards yeah, and then Shipley.
But they had a total of one hundred and one hundred eighty seven eighty seven.
Yeah. They they they give up. They gave up over two hundre yards rushing to San Francisco after the bye and then and then you're like, oh, jesu, this is only going to get out McCaffrey. Yeah. So they've they've they've they've done a better job. Like I say that that the the one eighty seven, it was one eighty seven, then one against Houston, one against the commanders now the Giants one sixteen seventy four against the Bengals, sixty against
the Panthers, one hundred and thirty four against Tampa. So they've they are better. They've gotten better. Yeah, the last the last five, the last four weeks, it was you know, the one sixteen seventy four, sixty one thirty four, So much better than where they were, you know, pre buy. You know that they had they had some one two seventy four, you know, one eighty four with the Lions, they had. They've had some bad days playing it.
I mean, the way that they're doing it now, it makes it manageable where you can manage the game and they're not just winning time of possession every time and then killing you with the running game. But the problem has been before the cow is it goes back to the offense and then not taking advantage of what the defense was doing at the time.
Their their their offense was absolutely no help in this game. Last time when you played, and that was Cooper.
Rush's first start, six points, he was awful.
He was awful. And then Trey Lance. Remember they tried to use Trey Lance a little bit and all that, but boy, there there was that was as bad as you can get offensively when you look at over all the metrics of that game.
Yeah, when you look at this matchup, is the most concerning part for the defense going to be whoever is playing opposite Bland.
Yeah, I think so, because they they to me, this is how they went after Carson. You know, they they're not gonna mess with Bland. They're just not. That's why I kind of felt like that with you know, with Makuamu and then Lewis now Lewis Lewis, they were they were three for three for thirty five yards and a touchdown on Lewis in this game, you know, the last
time that they met. I mean so I think that not that Lewis will be ready to play, Don't get me wrong, but maybe that's why I Isy And then also then with Lewis and then with h with Bland, I just kind of feel like you're matched up better across the board that way, but they don't see it that way. Yeah.
I think with Izzy too, like you're you're about to you're about to face one of the bigger receivers in the NFL.
I think having somebody that has the size of Izzy.
Actually I think would be a pretty good matchup, but I don't know. Obviously, you're right, they tend to still go away and you know, Ao, I'm sorry, Ao, and and just kind of think that it's okay throw them out there. But I don't know, I worry about that match up as much as I worry about them trying to stop Barkley in this game.
I really do. I just think that I think, especially if we'll see with Hurts plays, but if it's picket, get ready. I just you're gonna get get ready for twelve personnel and just they're gonna try and just beat you up, and they're gonna try and get this guy as many yards as they can, you know, running the football.
Chance in a little bit of rain too, so you had that in. It's definitely a game where you like, let's load up and run the ball.
And they probably feel like that they can shut Cooper rush down defensively.
And I was gonna say that what is encouraging, although yes, you're definitely missing having the Marvin over shown on the field, but it is encouraging.
When you see what Leo file has.
Been able to do, and he's he's been pretty good at what he's doing currently and the way they're utilizing him as well. And then you talk about Nick Vigil, he's another guy who is aggressive like he's been playing. When he's on the field, you notice him. And now he is in the injury report currently with the foot injury every week.
Yeah, yeah, I think it seems like he doesn't practice done.
But then the times that he's shown up on the field, he's making tackles and being there and so you see him he's making highlight plates. So uh, those two guys are encouraging in the fact that when you lose a guy like Overshown, and even with Kendricks dealing with what he's dealing with, you don't feel like, yeah, there is a drop off for sure, but it's not huge. There are still guys that are going out there and making plays.
Philadelphia has to be happy that Overshown, it's not playing the game.
Absolutely sure. They are all right, We appreciate you guys.
On sworrow and we will wrap up this thing, tell you what we think is gonna happen Sunday at noon, Cowboys will take on the Eagles to them for Brian brought us in amregarci.
I'm Derek Eagleson.
This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.