Cowboys Break: Surprised or Shocked?

thirteen ten. Although the scar doesn't seem too appealing, it was a huge win by the defense, who was able to hold Drew Brees two ten points, just ten points, the highest scoring offense in the NFL and they only got ten points. So I wanted to start off your first reaction of what this defense was able to do last night and what we witness. I mean, it was shocking. I mean we talked about before, you know, about being surprised and shocked and all that. It was everything. I mean.

I mean, I think there's everyone, um was shocked the way the Cowboys defense played. I mean, they've moved to another level in this game. Um. And I know that, Derek, that's something you've talked about, but I mean they I just didn't give them enough credit. There's no way that they that they could do that. I didn't think that they were good enough to something's gonna have to give. The cowboy was going to score more than they're used to, or the defense was gonna have to just completely shut

down the best offense in the league. And they did so. Like I said, they're on another level. Now I gotta raise the energy level here for a second. Holy crap, are you kidding me? Are you get here? Absolutely for real right now? Like that's really that's my That's my impression night, been my impression since probably Jordan Lewis interception because I was standing behind the goal post on the

field saying, this is how it happens. The offense didn't do their part, and now Drew Brees is going to drive down the field and break their hearts and win seventeen to thirteen or whatever, yeah, sixteen thirty, I don't know whatever. Drew Brees was gonna drive down there and bail the Saints out, and it was going to be terrible, and it was gonna be the tough luck, loser defense thing, and we were gonna have to go into that locker

room and listen to them just be heartbroken. And then they did that ten points, ten points, one hundred and seventy six yards, the lowest output that the Sean Payton Saints have ever put out. Super Bowl winning team teams the eleven twelve wins year in year out, always the best in the league. That is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in a football game. Yep, sorry,

it's so perfect. That's exactly right. Literally, always Dave that just that, you know, takes us to another energy level. But it had to be done. Like I don't like, I just watched LSU and seven overtimes, seven overtimes. It's not as amazing as holding that team to ten points, no doubt about ten points one touchdown. Yep. Thursday were averaging thirty seven points a game. And they never drove the ball on them, No, not at once. At one time did they take the ball and really drive it

and just beat the Cowboys down. The Cowboys basically handed them that drive. Yep. If if they you heard this in the locker room throughout the game, if the offense even plays marginally better, it is a emphatic win. Think about thinking, I mean, you had seven sacks, Zeke didn't get to a hundred yards. If we would have talked about a Friday, we would have said, Okay, I'm gonna lay this out for you. Ze's gonna be somewhere around seventy five yards and they're gonna give up seventy five

I mean they're gonna go seven sacks. We would have all immediately been like, they're gonna get blasted. Like that means they got blasted. If Zeke's not running well and they're given up sacks, that means they got blasted. And that shows you just how lead the defense was. Like this was a whole different level of defense. I always thought this defense was good. This year, this was on

another plane of defensive play. Like this is like we talked about, Okay, now you called it it is elite game, So now you feel confident about calling this defense an elite defense. Last night I called their effort last night elite. Now, when you start talking about elite defenses, they do it for a season or more. I don't know if the Cowboys have been elite all season. What I know was

last night was an elite effort. And you and I were having this debate, you were like, because I was saying, at that moment, when Dave was questioning whether how Breeze was gonna get the ball whatever, and I said, if they can't stop them right now, this is not at an elite defensive performance, because elite means not only do you play well throughout the game, but you gotta finish. And this defense really for a few years, I think has been good enough to where they keep their team

in games sometimes and that kind of stuff. But when it comes down to that final drive and you got Aaron Rodgers on the other side, or you got you know, you name the good quarterback, they just can't win the game. Last night, they finished it. Not only they finished, they finished it by taking the ball from him. And that, to me is where you look at teams going from being good defenses to being elite defenses. Starting in twenty fifteen,

I would describe this defense as like sneaky good. Yeah, like they don't give up touchdowns and you know you can win, you can. They won't lose you games. They just won you a game against Arguably the NFL is the best team I've never seen a Cowboys team where the offense basically no showed and they won against a good team. I mean, you know, beat you beat the Cleveland Browns, the old Cleveland Browns. That's one thing, right, beating this team basically getting next to no help from

your offense after the first quarter. It's amazing, you know. It is on the Saints break right now that they're talking about. I mean, it was a bad performance for their offense, but I'm telling you this that that right there is probably your favorite to win the whole thing in my opinion. But yeah, still yeah, because because that defense.

I didn't give him enough credit. I really didn't. They run the you know, the number one run def agreed, their defense was really good too, So I mean, and was Cam Jordan that said it, which puts you know that it's it's actually complimentary for the Cowboys. He said, Oh, that's cool. Maybe we'll see him again in New or want to. I wish them the best because I want to play him again. Yeah, I would too if that

was him. Now, I'll say this, um number seventy seven is going to probably be there in that game a little different that that is so impressive that this offensive line and I'm not going to call him three backups. I don't like that anymore. Because Connor Williams is healthy he's not starting over. Was not healthy in that game, There's no doubt about it. He had a he had a tough night on that ankle. But they will get healthy. That's what's so impressive is that they were able to

win a game like this. It will sloppy at time, especially on offense, you know, and Dak twenty four, twenty eight. Everyone's talking about one incomplete past there, which is a big play. I mean, it's one that he needs to make. But man, I mean, I just thought with his offensive line when you think about it, to beat the Saints the way they did and did now to get ten days off, you know, the number ten has been thrown out a lot here lately. You know, ten game winning streak,

ten points by the Saints. Now ten days off. To get better than that performance, that's impressive and get those guys back that you that you just coverage seventy seven fish on Lee speaking of ten, maybe ten, ten maybe ten. I saw him running around last night. He's been dancing around. He saw him run so and he seems good, and I think that that will help all that help mean energy, the energy that he has and the energy that he would bring onto the field. That would be an amazing

addition to have back. I've never I've said this a half dozen times since like yesterday, so forgive me, or even in the last couple of weeks. I just I've never had less of an idea about a team at this stage in the season, like you, like, by by December, which is basically December, you pretty much know if the teams are you still there or are you saying this

was before this game? Just I've never seen a swing like this well, I mean no, I mean yes, I'm i this is amazing, Like, this is such an amazing performance that you have to take them seriously. You've seen swings like this before, though, I mean no, Okay, go back maybe the one that jumped in my mind and the one job I'm not talking about Cowboys, I'm talking

about around lad I'm talking about the Dallas Okay. I Usually by December you're like, this team is not very good or this team is really good, and then you come you know, you come out here on Thursdayay of football. They're supposed to lose to the Saints and you're the only one that picked them. Congaculations, and then and then they do that, and I mean they only won by three points. I get it, but they looked dominant, at

least on the defensive side of the ball. And anybody that watched that game, which is the highest rated Thursday night football game ever, so everybody history ever, So everybody he watched it, and so even the most but even the biggest cowboy hater in the world has to acknowledge that this team, Well, did he just something to be reckoned? Did he? This morning? I don't know who that is. It's ESPN guy. I don't pay attention to that. I don't either. It's all it's all stick just wanted pro

wrestling for football. But also, let's say I'm talking about the picks. I mean, it just feels like the elephant in the room. And that's why you were freaking out on the siline this. I've never seen you like that before. I was freaking out of the press box. You did have to be like, are you the one? Are you the one that pounded on the table when miss gallup? RP?

I mean, actually, p R that's what I mean saying No, that was not me, No, that that moment was not p But I was getting a little loud, like I was getting a little loud. At one point, Nick was kind of like, dude, Mickey Junior, and I'm just saying, which is funny that me telling anyone dialogue Just so you guys know, there's no cheering in the press box. That's why we're talking there. But anyways, let's talk about most people you pick the Cowboys, and you did. You

picked them a lot this year. But what there was some game that you said though, that was that that really played out here. You talked about this football team is six and five on paper, but this team, this team that is playing here, is not a six and five team. It's playing at a different level. Vander esh just taking them to another level. Dlass take them. Cooper has taken the offense all rolled into one too. This team is better and which is kind of what you said.

It's like, it's hard to say, are they seven and five? This is a four and one team? Yeah? I mean, is there any who else has won four in a row? I was thinking, are they highest team? Houston one? No? Actually, I literally you know, I had this dumb idea. I was like, are the is this the two longest winning streets in the NFL right now? It's it's not closets seven, Houston's won eight, Chicago's won five. I think Minnesota's won a few in a row. I believe like there's there's

a few. There's a few like that. There's a few. Yeah, well, I mean it's still that doesn't diminish four wins in a row and they play. They played five games in the month of November one four of them, which the fact that they've looked as good as they have makes the Tennessee Laws even more perplexing. But whatever it was.

A month ago, wrote a quick story about they already named vander Es the defensive Rookie of the Month and for November with one game to play, it was kind of like, well, you know, it's Thursday game, as someone's got to do it. And you know, I thought, man, I wonder if this is gonna like jinx him, you know what I mean? No, not at all. And I love the wolf Hunter Howling. I love the Wolf Hunter. Now that they're doing that in the stadium, that's awesome.

He um, he's not the leader of that group. We can talk about what d Law said and that was unbelievable. It basically a script writer. But vander esh is the best defensive player on the team in my opinion, do y'all y'all agree with that? Is my opinion. I honestly still think player. But you're I don't think you're crazy like I don't agree. I mean, well as a leader obviously, DeMarcus, but as of right now, I would say for sure, Vander Okay, so let me ask you this. You go ahead,

I mean it was your tweet. So which one the one about DeMarcus is with that line? Oh? Yeah, No, I mean, I mean so far the season he let's give him. I mean, he makes the fourth down stop on a goal line stand that keeps the Saint Sad of the end zone. He had four tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, and should have had another sack and another forced fumble if not for a bogus off side call. So he played himself a pretty damn good game.

He's And the thing about it is, to me, what makes him so much better than even the stats is what he does for everybody else. He makes everybody else on that defense because guess what going into every game, every offense is he's the guy we gotta worry about. And in spite of that, he still puts up numbers like that and manages to take a double team and manages to give these other guys the leadership they need in order to be the best versions of themselves they

can be. I just don't I don't think Vanderesh is there yet from the standpoint of making everybody else better. He's a great player, I don't think he's making everybody else better when you had everything else like that off the field stuff and the energy and the leadership. For sure, hands down DeMarcus Lawrence. But I'm saying, like specifically playing on the field without being aware of those untangible things. Vanders He's been all over the field. You see him

everywhere on the press box. All I hear is La Vendors made the tackle that probably I was about to say, it's a different he's a different name every time, but go ahead on DeMarcus Lawrence went down the line on that fourth and one and made and made the tackle. But most of the time, when you the defensive end goes and makes that play, it's because the running back, you know, the quickest running back in the league, didn't get there. So I went I actually looked at that play.

I saw it a couple of times. Crawford, by the way, Tyron Crawford to me, Keim and Looney to be of the most underrated players on this team right now. Of course they didn't give up seven sacks, so I would say, right now, Crawford at the league but a little bit. But you know who else was kind of stuff to run on that play? Vander Esh I mean, he's right

there too, so he's a freak. And then quiet, not quietly because he swipes every play, but fifty four if he's your third best guy right now, like he makes it well known that he made a play about that guy as quiet, I say that admiration in my voice. But then you know you're talking about the defensive line and the linebackers. Six pass deflections. You were counting an all game long those four in the first two series, and by the way, they were both three and out,

so in six plays they had four pass deflections. Drew Brees has been playing pro football since most of these guys were in middle school, and he had never started a game owing four in his entire career. Yep, and think about this. We talked about this last week about how the Saints play offense and how breeze. He doesn't need separation. He's one of those quarterbacks that just puts the ball right on the money and typically defenders can't get tight enough coverage to be able to make affect

the play. That was exactly what they did last night. The only difference was the Cowboys defensive backs were on it. Like when I mean they were on it. They were right on those receivers hips and they were able to knock the balls down. That was the difference because in most games, he completes a lot of those passes that they ended up knocking down. To me, those defensive backs. We can talk as much we want about vander esh and about and about Tank, but to me, the MVPs

of that defense last night were the secondary. I think those guys played a phenomenal game. Anthony Brown gave up a thirty yard touchdown and I don't even care pushed off but but well yeah, yeah, I mean like he played it. He had a sack, he had two pass for like, he played fantastic touchdown and be damned that they all did. I believe that they did not call a holding on Lawrence. I mean Lawrence was getting oh he got tackle hug to the ground, and I'm like, well,

this is coming back. You know that's not in a poorly officiated game. And I'm sure the Saints on both sides, the Saints fans probably say the same thing, and they'll be right. I mean, I thought there were some really bad calls. And it's not college football, because if it was Jalen Smith wasn't going to play the rest of that game and probably wouldn't play next week if it was he hit. There is no targeting call in the NFL, correct, because it's targeting, is there? Because I kept every here

and everybody talk about that should have been targeting. But I didn't think there was an actual targeting call. I thought there was a personal file of launching yourself out at a pump, but I didn't think there was like targeting a targeting call. Don't put me on the spot. I think I think there is now, but it's escaping me, but not one that is like reviewable like this in college. And then and they so they don't get into the next game. They missed, They missed the hit on Jalen

should have been a flag. They missed the face mask on Dak Randy Gregory, like that offside on that, like, are you absolutely kidding with me right now? Like that? And by the way, there were a number of plays earlier in the game where I thought it should have been a false start on on New Orleans. You and I talked about it, Like one play Kamar took off running. That's why the Prey even got a trend for this entire season across the NFL. Is these guys moving early. Yeah,

it's very starting to look like Canadian football out there. Seriously, these guys are like, like really quick. I mean, I don't know, and it seems like that's within the rules to do it, and some teams are taking advantage on him. But that guy's as quick as anything. He doesn't need any more of a head start. I can't you know. I'll say this too great hit on that third down play by um Jalen Smith, But Byron Jones made that play.

It's just Byron Jones and Kamara. I mean a lot of guys don't even get a hand on him, and he slowed him up just enough for Jalen to come over there. I thought that was a huge play by Byron Jones. I agree, a huge play by Jalen Smith, though, I mean like Kamara got free from the tackle, and it seemed like he had enough scheme that you would expect. But it's most players. He's gonna clamor his way into the end zone. And when Jalen Smith hits you, you

just stopped. We've seen the first time he gets out there outside, it's almost like a train. Just run somebody over. The next stops. Then next time a ball carrier falls forward against Jalen Smith will be the first time. Right, it's on Annie. This defense indeed choked them out and they give them in the mouth. So everything, let's take our first break when we come back. Let's move on into the Cowboys offense and what they were able to do and what they didn't do. All Right, you're like

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dot com slash football. Back to the Break, Welcome back. This is the second segment of the Break. Now we're gonna discuss that Prescott's performance last night. He completed twenty four out of twenty eight attempts total two hundred forty eight yards with the quarterback rating of one hundred fifteen point five. It was great. Who would have thought, especially when you compare it to what Drew Brees was unable to do. Yeah, I thought he played a really, really

good football game. And I know that you know he's not perfect, and he's gonna mispasses and his accuracy is you know, an is year at times. But twenty four of twenty eight, I thought he did what he needed to do. And you know what's not in that stat line there is that ten yard run or eleven yard run on third and ten when he was basically like, you're not bringing me down, and that was cute. That's the type of play that we're like, you know, I know, we compare him or I do, at least to Cam

Newton that style. And then he was coming and he came back and listed a deep ball that should have been a touchdown that was very Cam Newton like in that game. But just to run over that defense and say I'm getting this first down. That's two weeks in a row that he's made a play with his legs. You know, I thought he played really really well in You're right, he was. He was better than Drew Brees

and that game. And you know, actually, the thing about him as a runner, I always people always when people talk about him as a running quarterback, I always cost him like he's not really a running quarterback because he doesn't really make people miss. He doesn't really have elusive kind of speed. None of that. But last night when we saw it reminds me and I know again I got on my Texas gear. That reminded me of what Ellinger brings to the Longhorns. He didn't have to be elusive, ritty.

He's that guy that's gritty, and because Dak has that kind of body, he's he's a bigger guy. He could break tackles and that's what he did last night when he made that run. There were two guys that should have tackled him and he just wasn't going down. And that's where if he can do that consistently without getting hurt, by the way, that's where he can provide a great

value for this team as a running quarterback. Oh sorry, I was just gonna say again, not being effected after getting sacked seven times throughout the game, his ability to get back on his feed and keep going. Also, we saw one of those plays where he attempted to make a run and he just hesitated, waited a little too long, and then got his sack. The fact that he puts that behind and he's able to move on from that and again attempt and not be scared to go for

it and run. That's amazing. They're seven or fourteen on third down fifty I gotta run the numbers. But like they're so much better on third down since they got Cooper four of the seven or direct result of dak he hit Jarwin on a third, he hit Cooper on a third, and he hit Beasley on a third stretch over the line. Then he you know, big big boy Daddy run for twelve yards like he is clutch, and yeah, I mean to continue to perform that way when he's

getting the hell knocked out of him. Absolutely, you're right. The miss on gallop, he just looms so large in my mind because you can put the game away and then ball security has got to be better. It's been a thing for him all year to the point where like I'm like, do you need to wear gloves? Like

are your hands sweaty? What's going on here? I mean, you know again, and that's what I said at the top of the show, is like he fumbles, you don't even get a field goal, so the Saints don't even need to score a touchdown to potentially tie that game. And I just I would have bet my whole savings account that you know, it was going to be like Aaron Rodgers all over again, and Drew Brees is going to lead them down to either send it to overtime or win the game. And it's a testament to the

defense that he didn't. But those two plays, you know, as clutch as he is, and you can clearly win games with him, gotta be more accurate in situations like that. And you can't put the ball in the turn. I mean, he's probably fumbled like ten times this year, if I had to guess, and you know, they've gotten fortunate that a lot of them haven't gotten away from him, but that one did and it could have been huge. One for five in the red zone also is just putred.

I don't know. I assume the kneel down on the one counts for that. So really it's one of four yeah right, yeah, but still yeah, you know, twenty five percent in the red zones not beating a lot of teams, you know, And I know Jason gets gets tucked about

with his management. You know, when you look at this game, I think anybody we've seen him so many times, anyone other than Drew Brees and Braby, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, I don't think they would have been throwing the ball like that, you know, to try to make sure and try to get a touchdown there. I think that we've seen before run the ball was run the ball, get

that field goal, go up by six. But I mean it was pretty adamant, Like even as great as the defense played, I don't think that even Jason Garrett, they didn't want Drew Brees to have the football again. So that's why he was even throwing it. I mean, didn't already give it up six sacks. I didn't like those calls down there like that. I mean because the way Zeke had already been running on that drive, you know, being patient and then popping out, he could have maybe

gotten a first down. So I didn't like putting the ball in his hands there. But you could tell just the thought that they had about not one and Drew Brees to get that ball again. I actually and I didn't mind the calls at all. I think I tweeted from the sideline, I was like, one of these needs to be a run because you want the Saints to

either burn their time out or burn some clock. But then I think you need to throw the ball and give yourself a chance to go up two scores here, because again, you know, again, that's what makes it so amazing, is that's the way the NFL works. If you don't cash in on that opportunity, when you're playing a quarterback like that, eight out of ten times you're getting beat.

Like that's it's such a quarterback friendly league. These guys are so good, and that's I was like, it's deja vu, like we're just we're gonna threw Brees is gonna beat him at the buzzer and the fact that he didn't in spite of that, I just I can't say enough about how the defense got them out of that situation. And you know, we talked about two to go. I mean, it's it's really it's a perfect time to throw the same throughout a timeouse but you got the two minute warning.

It was a perfect time to throw that ball, and he threw it out of the you know, out of bounce. But it was interference, and that really won the game. With Mark Cooper getting that past interference call I never got. I assume it was a good call. I didn't even see it. I haven't seen it either, but I just I thought it was fitting way for that game to end that you know, it's a flag that kind of settles it, which, like I said, I assume it was a good call, but I didn't get a good look

at it. Yeah. Yeah, a lot of flags in that game. Well, clearly the Cowboys are still struggling to score more than six points at a time and still settling for certain field goals. Now, with the way that the defense played, are you feeling comfortable with the Cowboys just making it by the way they play last night or not last night? Because I was really special the way the defense played, but just having them being carried by their defense instead of now relying on the running game and what the

old line can do. I think I kind of agree with Nick. I think that was a bit of an admiration from of the with the offense. From the standpoint that I think that defense they played last night is really good. Um, you look at they've been holding teams to They've held Eagles to seven points. The game before that, who the hell to a score twenty huh the Eagles scored twins. I think about wait, no, no, he's talking

about the Saints. I'm sorry, So I'm sorry. And the game before that, they held somebody to a low score account as well the Beals. Yeah so, but the point is, like this defense over the last couple of weeks, you want to talk about the Cowboys being somewhat of a different team. Their defense has been playing really really well lately and been holding teams to really low number of points. So it doesn't shock me that the Cowboys offense had

the kind of problems they did. I don't expect now if the Cowboys go next Sunday and they play the Philadelphia Eagles, whose secondary is completely just just beat up, and they still can't score more than thirteen points, now, I think there's a problem. But what we've seen in these last few weeks since they've added them right Cooper, is this offense actually can score a good number of points.

They've been in the upper twenties. So I think when you combine that with the defense, I think what we're starting to see now is what a team really should be, which is it will be some weeks when the offense doesn't have it and the defense is gonna have to play out of its mind. They'll the other weeks when the offense play is really good and the defense can just manage the game. And if they can just play well like they do most of the time, that'll be

sufficient for them to win. That's a good team. I don't think you're gonna win a lot of games asking your defense to do that on a regular basis, but I mean, it's the ultimate team game, right And even with that thirteen spot during this four game winning streak, they're averaging twenty three points per game, which isn't great, but when your defense is good, it's enough. And yeah, I mean twenty seven against Philly, twenty two against Atlanta,

thirty one against Washington. You can absolutely when you're giving up The defense is averaging giving up eight eighteen six on the season, so you just scoring twenty three and you're giving up eighteen, which yes, work out. They can't make it a habit of being as lackluster on offense as they were last night, but it's so encouraging. That's That's what's so amazing is thirteen points gets you beat in the NFL more often than not. And it didn't. And then this wasn't ten to six against the crappy

Bucks in twenty fifteen. This was the Saints, which it's amazing different. I mean, you look at the four game winning streak, and as great as that sounds, and it has been very good for this team, but you know, they they've won by a total of twenty one points. You know, and you look at the Saints that had won a game by forty one against the Eagles and thirty eight and all that, So there's the margin. Fair

was very slim. That's okay, that's okay if you're gonna if you're gonna win the game, so as you're winning. As long as you're winning. These fans right here that are walking through this tour, they don't care. They don't care if it was thirteen to ten or whatever. It's a win. Maybe I'm you know, I'm maybe I'm too close to it, but I've watched a ton of football pro and co. That's the most riveting game with twenty

three combined points that I've ever seen. Like yeah, I mean, it didn't feel like a low scoring game to me. I can appreciate defensive football, but like you know that overly defensive football usually is like watching paint dry. And

that was I was riveted. You want to know why why I think that is for last night's game is because and I have a friend of mine came into town and she went to the game with my wife, and we were talking last night when I got in and she was like, I just I just kept assuming, Okay,

well here's where the Saints they're gonna take off. And so I think the whole is probably like, well, eventually, yeah, eventually it's the Saint and that and that started to play out, like in the third quarter, they go down, they get a field goal, they you know, a long touchdown right down the numbers, you know, and maybe you go maybe it was a push off, but they score from thirty yards out and it's like, yep, here they come, here we go. Offense didn't do enough, I mean, which

fans love to do this. But throughout the night, like starting in the second quarter, people are like, that's ball game because you know, the Saints are gonna get on

their role. It's over. The Cowboys are gonna lose their up thirteen nothing, It's like, that's a game over, you know, I do the five players, don't forget about I thought the biggest play of the game to me, and it was in that group was an eight yards sacked by Anthony Brown because they had just had that penalty of Gregory being off sides and they were gonna get the

ball at the thirty five. Finally got the turnover they've been waiting for and switching the momentum back and then the off sides and then first down, so it's not the first down midfield are about to get in field goal range and eight yards sack off the edge. Great call by Marionelli in the defense to get that, and then then they never even got they had to punt. And then that punt that was one inch over the line.

That was a huge play too, because if the Cowboys were on the one inch line, they're not driving it y, They're not doing that and taking off eight minutes the way they did. So I thought that those two plays in a row, that sack and then that punt, it's great call. Yeah, those were huge, huge play. Anthony Brown two weeks in a row has had a sack and

he's making some really big plays. Sucks for Tyrone because he's he's having the best season of his career, but I feel like he hasn't gotten to have a moment, you know. Yeah, well, I mean, I know he's got like five sacks, but like he hasn't had a moment, and that would have been a big moment. Yeah, what he had the sack or he didn't have. No, I'm saying the recovery on he recovered the fumble. Yeah, the d law sack on the off side call, Yeah, ty like it squirted out behind and I know I I

just walked off. I saw it, got frustrated and just got up and left, like I didn't know if he had to go to restaurom. I don't want to say what I did him thinking. I didn't walk off and I saw and I saw Amber actually coming out of the restaurant. You didn't even see that play that we're talking about with Gregory. He seen the highlights or something. When I was walking back to my seat, I heard it. I just heard the call, but I I didn't know how significant it was because it wasn't just a fumble.

The ball got kicked like that. Yeah, and that's how Tyrone eventually wound up with it. Randy's Randy's pinky finger nail was on the in the neutral zone. I guess, I don't know. Well, that's how much the Saints guys Yale was on that, Yeah, you know, and that's about how close Samar was or recovering his own fumble. I mean, he was laying on top of it. It didn't know where.

It was like we did an episode of cover for this morning and I point I was like, you tell me that Amari Cooper loses a fumble on the Cowboys side of the field in a game where the Cowboys only scored thirteen points against the Saints. I'm like, Okay, so they lost and Amari Cooper's the goat and we're gonna be talking about this all week, and like I

forgot it happened. Hey, we haven't mentioned him yet. But Michael Gallop to start the game, I mean I thought he was about to have one of those nights and then it was just kind of like with the rest of the offense, he should have had one of those nights. But yeah, and if he had that touchdown, that would have been the capra on that case. He's still that was the best game of his career. It's it was quiet because he stopped catching the ball after the first quarter.

But what he had seventy three right, three catches, four catches. It's five catches on seven targets for seventy six yards, and it's good night. If Dak hits him on that one, then it's six catches for like what one hundred and twenty something and a touchdown. He's given him a deep threat. You gotta love the youth and where they have the youth on this team, Like think about him and Amari Cooper. I mean you can just you can go through the team and look at guys like they got these just

it's it's almost like they're building. I guess they are, but it's they're building this young nucleus and you got these two linebackers, and you got these two cornerbacks, really three cornerbacks, and you got really four cornerbacks. I mean they got It's just like they are building something here that could be really good. And that's the rough thing about that is the NFL changes on a dime, So what you think right now can change drastically next year

and the year after. But they certainly are building something that makes you feel really good about where they are. Jerry said it last night. He's like, you know, this is one of, if not the youngest roster in the NFL, and you're seeing these guys grow and develop as the season goes along, and you know, for all the bumps

and ruses they've taken along the way. They don't develop like that without playing, you know, think you know, the mistakes they made against Houston Seattle comes to mind, you know, broken plays against them, and you know that's that's definitely on me, Like I and again going back to my point about not knowing what this team was like it.

You know, football teams are like living evolving things, and it's easy to fall into the trap of like the team in September is going to be the team in December, you know, and that's when the Cowboys have been good. In the time that I've been here, They've been good right at the outset, like from the very beginning, like you don't have to worry about that, and there's some

ebbs and flows, but you know, they're good. And so it's weird and cool to see this team evolving into a good team as the season goes along, because they were not a good team even as recently as November fifth. So yeah, this, I mean, this game reminds me a lot of that. We talked about the O nine game with the with the Saints, how great they were, they had won thirteen in a row. The couples were able to beat them, but that season is starting to shape up a little bit the same. It was, you know,

middle of the pack early in the year. And then, of course I told you that earlier. You know, they got a emergence from a wide receiver who wore number nineteen that really kind of propelled them to another level. So that's kind of what what's happening with this team and the guy named DeMarcus that that kind of put them on in their back as well. So, um, that was an eleven and five finish. They're gonna have to win four more in a road to get to that,

which is doable. Right now, They're not going to be underdogs in any game, right I would get on the road maybe, yeah, that'll they'll be right there. I mean, coming off of that game. I'm not saying you can't say they will, but they should. They shouldn't finish any worse than based on the way they played, because they also had a rough patch earlier and then they got on a roll. And I think they're one of the teams has a nice streak going as well. Yeah, um,

but I think they're very similar. So on the road they might be they might be underdogs by three maybe, but yeah, other than that, this is a very doable schedule down the stretch. I mean ten and six will win the division. I think nine and seven still will win the division, but the seven wins shoot for that. I think nine and seven wins in the division. If if the two wins are Philadelphia and the Giants, I

think that will win the division. But ten and six will will will win the division, and especially if you beat the Eagles. Yeah, you know, it's it's like every week, it's like, no, this is this is the biggest game. Think about that, though, if you go back a few weeks ago, before you got to the Tennessee game, or right after the Tennessee game, you look at this schedule and you said, Okay, this is the meat of their schedule. This is these next what five games, they're they're gonna

be playing really really good teams. And you at the best case scenario, maybe they go three and two and they have managed to reel off four in a row and now heading down a stretch against a Philly team that isn't as good as you thought maybe they would be at that point. So again, things change in the NFL. NFL in a dime but this team is certainly looking up from where we thought they were four weeks ago, just a month ago. You just can't get rid of them. You can, I mean, I mean them him, I mean

like every time we'll talk about it, don't get Amber started. Yeah, go into our final break, and when we come back, I do want to discuss coaching and play calling, and we'll get this fart up in here. While the 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 just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you should rely on more than just specs

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America's team. Find steps and hats in the pro shop or at Stetson dot Com Today. Back to the break, Tommy, John dot com Forward slash Cowboys. That's the way in the place that you're gonna get the best underwear in the world if you don't think so by the time of John dot com Forward slash Cowboys. Tom all right, thank you, thank you for that. Now very quickly we tend we as fans tend to really really criticize the play calling and the coaching when you lose a game.

But to be fair, I just wanted to get your overall thoughts on how the game was managed and the play calling of these coaches throughout this game. I want to get your opinions because you ended the last Yeah, let's go fight. You give us your opinions first, and then we'll jump in and drop that. That's the second part. Okay, Okay, let's go. I mean, what was the plan going into the game. The plan was to keep Drew Brees off

the field. They won the time of possession thirty six fifty three to twenty three oh seven with a with a running game that was not clicking on all cylinders, so and getting sacked a bunch. They kept it simple for Daky eight. A lot of it was short throws. But yeah, yeah, they stayed on the field. They didn't cash in all the times with points. But I thought

they managed the game great. They were able to do that final drive in seven or eight minutes, and you you even said that, You're like, let's just get a drive here and win the game. I mean, they didn't really win the game, but they certainly, you know, it took a lot of time off that. So I think you have to give the Cowboys credit, their coaching staff credit for the game plan, both on offense and on defense. I think defense was the key, because if you notice,

they had some wrinkles for him last night. One of the things I noticed was, and you guys probably noticed as well, when they get into situations where it was third down and long, they went to dime and they

don't do that very often. They took that second linebacker off which field, the Vanderesh right, which at first, Nick, I think it was you that was saying, like, I don't like Vanderesh coming off the field, But it worked out really well, and because what they were doing was if you notice, there were a few times they had Jordan Lewis manned up on Kamara. Kamara is a receiver. Every time it was third and longch right, he is a receiver. Put a cornerback on him. You have a

better chance of stopping him than a linebacker. And that's nothing against vanderish or or or or any linebacker for that matter, but a cornerback is going to be better at that. And so to me, that was just all about coming into a game saying, we feel like we can get a good match up here to stop them by doing this, and it's something we don't normally do, and they did it, and they did it effectively. Gotta give coaches credit for that. I mean, obviously, the defensive

game plan was amazing. You know, Jerry Jones said it after the game too, is but you guys do realized us that wasn't the direction I was going to. I wasn't talking about the defense. That's exactly that's the one here from you. But ahead, we're getting it. We're getting like, calm down. We got to twelve minutes, pretty calm. You don't seem calm um the first Okay, Jerry Jones said after the game, you gotta give Jason credit for a win like that, because you know he would be getting

roasted after a loss. I think those are wise words. Um, give them all credit for their game plan. It worked out. They probably didn't expect to have to lean on their defense as much as they did. I don't I mean the red the red zone play calling, I just hate it, which I don't. I feel bad offering criticism because I'm not sure what I would have done. Differently because again, you know, me and Nick said at the top of the show that run defense is legit, like they deserve

all the credit in the world. So I don't know that just banging away against that front with Ezekiel Elliott would have worked out any better. But two red zone possessions ended with Dak Prescott being sacked. And that's in a game where you know that the left side of your line is not healthy slash starting a backup tackle, etc. I don't I would have liked to see different play calling there, but to get you know, running it up the gut probably wouldn't have worked either, So I hesitate

to absolutely kill them. But again, one for four in the crucial red zone moments of the game's just not going to do it. It's just not Yeah, I agree with that. You know that they at least gave the ball to Zeke on first down from the seven and he went wide, but then try to cut it back inside and then and then they threw twice in a row and he should have got sacked on second down, and he made a nice play to get out of that. Then on third down he did get sacked. This was

early in the game. That was the first Yeah, that was the first field goal drive to to my point, to the Saints credit, Zeke bounced that run right off left tackle, and for a half second it looked like he was going to walk into the end zone, and the Saints just absolutely rallied and shut a good defense and defense there. I thought he should have stayed wide and and I think he thought the best way to score a touchdown was to cut back and break a tackle.

But I think if he would have stayed wide, he could have gotten two or three more yards, which could have changed the play calling there. But you know, it was it's tough to score down there, and and they don't just bully people off the ball anymore. That's not what their offensive line is. So it's getting tougher and tougher to score when you're at that at that point

in the game. And you know, and they're trying to be kind of conservative as well, but you know, when you have a defense like that, you know you don't want you don't want to fill an interception like he did in Tennessee. I hesitate to criticize them in this instance,

but Scott Linahan actually talked about this on Thursday. He's like, well, yeah, we don't just run it three straight times because we know that's what the defense thinks we're gonna do, you know, And like there's like it feels like there's an element of they outthink themselves when they get down there. They're like, well, we can't just run the ball. Just because they think you're gonna do it didn't mean that we can't run

the ball. And you know, Beasley dropped the touchdown in the red zone and Noah Brown was there, so again like I can't just kill him. But the red zone offense is just not good enough that something play calling is part of that, and it's gonna be the stats are gonna be kind of skewed again because they've got down to the four yard line and then or one yard line and then they kneeled it. So I was like, if it's like that's the college football fan in me, I was like, just run it in and just just

get the kind of style. The style points and while it helps your red zone, I mean, two out of two out of five is better than one out of five. But the only way to fall way to lose the game is to do that then and then the Saints will drive down that score on site really gonna get blessed. I shouldn't be I shouldn't be a football coach because I'm like, just do it. Twenty to ten looks way better.

Come on. Yeah, all right, Well, before we started talking about Jason Garrett specifically, I wanted to make a quick clarification last show when I made that job at the end of the show, I was specifically talking about Kellen Moore and Dak needing a new coach that has and

no offense to Kellen Moore. I think he's a great guy, very smart guy, but he just needs as far as Dak, he just needs a better quarterback coach, someone with more experience, experience on the field, that has been successful at doing that kind of job and be able to do. Okay that being said, and I think we all agree on that. I think we've talked about that before. Like I think we all kind of agree on that. Thank you that

you know, going through my calms last night. A lot of fans as of right now have very mixed feelings because, yes, on one hand, they're very much enjoying this win and four winning games. Now, on the other hand, what does that mean for Jason Garrett? A lot of people want him out of the picture, want to move on from him, although they still want to see game wins. But as of right now, how are things How would you project

that this is lining up for Garrett? This is what so sorry, go ahead, No, this is exactly you know, people think that we are like mouthpieces or homers when we say save that for after the season. This is exactly why. Like, that's exactly why you play this thing out. Nobody could have seen where this would have been five weeks ago. And for that matter, if you want to handle both sides of the coin. We just talked about this during the break, that's gonna ratchet right back up.

If they fall off, you're seven and five. Now this is a much better team. But I have vivid memories of twenty thirteen. The Cowboys were seven and five coming off Thanksgiving. They had it all in front of them. They get blasted two weeks in a row. They lose to the Bears, they give up a twenty point lead to the Packers, and all of a sudden they're right back where they were. So things change on a dime

in the NFL. And if they're seven and seven in two weeks and I mean, if they don't make sorry, if they don't make the playoffs, now, that's a horrible look for Jason Garrett and we will be right back where we were. So it was too early to talk about firing him when he was three and five. It's too early to talk about whether he will be the long term coach here when he's seven and five. There's

a month left of the season to play football. It's almost as if you should wait and gather as much data as possible before you try to spout off hot time. There's a mark that, as of right now, you would start saying, Okay, well, if they do make it to the playoffs, okay, maybe he stays, but if maybe they

lose this way, then he goes. So what is what would you say, is that mark that line that would that final decision, or that you would think, like Jerry Jones would make that final decision to let him go or you stay either way? Right? I think Dave's right on this one. I mean, you can say all you want to about how how great things are, but how does it end? How does this story end? Um? What if they win every single game from here on out and they're eleven and five and they're the third set

and they lose the first game at home. That's not good to a lower CE team. Yeah, I mean it would be to the sixth seed, to the worst team in the playoffs, right, But who, by the way, probably already beat the daunced this season. Yeah, Carolina or Minnesota could be sitting there too, And what about that, you know, Green Bay. Maybe I don't know if he gets it going. But but again, I think Dave's right on this one. You have to wait and see how how it plays out.

What if you do win, I mean, you win a game and then you go to New Orleans or LA and have to play and maybe it's ugly this time around. I mean, I just you have to wait and see how this thing ends. But one thing I've never understood about a fan, and I'm a fan as well. I've got a college team that I root for. I'm a fan, I get it. I've never wanted my team to lose to so I could change the coach. If the coach is good enough to win games, then then I want him.

I mean, like, let's see what reality is. But I know fans just think, well, we're only gonna be just middle of the pack with this guy. And you know, but I've I've never wanted to like lose game. You said there's mixed results. How could there be? I don't understand there could be mixed results a feelings because again, okay, you've seen how long Jason Garrett has been here for.

You've seen what he's done so far. So he's like, Okay, you get into this habit of oh, yeah, maybe we're losing this game, but then you get hyped we win this game. Yes, maybe we're in. We're in Okay, yes we're going forward disappointment again. So yeah, that's the thing. Three and five football team that got embarrassed on Monday night football. And they got two games in a road against playoff teams on the road, Philadelphia in Atlanta, and he gets them ready to go out there and play.

And actually they dominated that Philadelphia game, even though the score didn't look like it. They were the better football team. They were the better football team against the Falcons. They're way better against the Redskins, and they were better team last night. If this guy doesn't deserve a little bit of credit for saying, we're gonna keep doing it like this, And I'm gonna get these guys ready to play. I mean, like him or not, that is an impressive feat for

the coach. I've said it more times than I can count, and people roll their eyes at me, like there's a lot of Jason Garrett has a lot of deficiencies. I do not think he's a great game day exes and o's management. I mean, he has his moments. I don't think he's amazing at it. He's robotic. I don't enjoy his press conferences very much. But he gets these guys to play for him and has the entire time, And that's why it was so weird when they lost two games in a row, you know, a month ago. They

don't do that under him. And I can hear people right now just like you wind up eight Nate, Okay, cool, but a Nate's the hell of a lot better than one and seven and some other results you've seen around here. So I get it. Like I said, he ain't perfect, but if he can rally them to do that against

the Saints, he is not a bad football coach. Yeah, you know, kind of similar of kind of what's happening with Dak right now that you really really value the things off the field, the things that they are able to do as far as a leader, and you know, yes, technically they're not perfect, but at the same time, they keep everyone on the same team and keep everyone going and de fight to see the way that, like you mentioned, the whole team, how they back up Mark no Jason,

I forgot his name for a second. How could I But the fact that you see them being all in and that they don't get beat down or feel down, or that the energy starts changing as they start losing game. That's a key thing. And I started seeing a lot of comments before this as okay, maybe the defense starting to give up on their offense, the fact that they're not really helping them out, And I think it's really been the opposite. They've been bringing the offense back up

and elevating the whole energy of the game. So say what you want about about like they've said about his game management and those kinds of things. I think there's plenty of evidence there that suggests that people have reasons to have a quarrel with him about some of those things. But I have not seen a guy that motivates men as well as he has in a long time. There are only a few coaches I think that are as

good at motivating men as he is. And that's me because I get to see and you guys too, you've seen it as well. We get to sometimes see behind the curtain and see some of the speeches that he gives to this team and some of the things he says to them, and see how they take those things. And if you start noticing, you start hearing these patterns. Things he's saying to them is the same things that they're saying to the media. That means they're not rolling

their eyes. That means they're not dismissing what he says. They're actually taking it in and they're actually buying in. And so I really believe from standpoint of motivation, he's a very very very good coaches. It's the other things that seem to be maybe the reason why his record just hasn't reflected him being a great coach. Motivation is not the issue in a league with this much parody. Go take the last five years and look around, look

at every team in the league. I guarantee you all of them get their asses absolutely kicked a couple of times this season. I mean the New England Patriots got their asses absolutely handed to them by the Titans two weeks ago. Detroit did a number on them as well. In Jason Garrett's entire tenure here, that's maybe happened like three times. That to me, more than anything, is just him. Like like I said, it's a recipe for eight and eight.

I get it, I get it. But they are always competitive, they always play hard for him, and that is impressive to me. But we had a speech the other night as well. I mean that players aren't talking about did not want to talk to They're not talking specifically, but it's going. It was going around that that that was a really big, you know point when when they were like, you know what, we're going out, we're gonna play hard,

We're gonna win this game. Not not that that they need that, but you know, it's hard to keep doing different messages every every time. So I think that something was said Wednesday night and that there is something to be said. I think for you know, you say they're professionals and they should always be up, and I get that,

and that's true, but there is something too. Whenever you're doing any kind of competition, someone being able to remind you and put things into your head that in those tough moments of the game can kind of play back in your head and it reminds you of what your purpose is. Right, So those things matter. I don't think that that you can say that it doesn't matter that when when when a coach has a has a speech to this team, and and whether he's whether he's really

motivating them or not, like that matters. It makes a difference that sometimes when I hear him, I'm like, give me some paths. I'm ready, throw me on the get me on the field, get killed, murder on the field. All right, Well, that is all the time we have for today. Guys, enjoy this wing savor is it tastes good? Long weekend? Weekend? Long weekend? Okay? Derek Kilt, Niki Men, David Hemmt and Bgarcia. This has been the Cowboys Break

on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.