Cowboys Break: The Buc Starts Where?

latest edition of The Break. We are alive from the s WBC Morgan Studios at the Star presenter. I'm Little Light, the only beer of the Dallas Cowboys A Day. We got a lot of different topics we're gonna hit and as we do on each Tuesday, we got a little game from Brian. The Matt Scientists is over there whipping up some questions. I'm sure that we'll bother the minds. But before we get to that, and we do have a few other things we want to get to, I

want to start first with Jerry Jones A Day. He was on our sister station one on five out three the Fan and I was asked specifically about Mike McCarthy, and the question was if is there anything that can happen this weekend or I guess it would be Monday versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that would change his job status. Jerry very emphatically and literally like without a lot of explanations, said flatly no. His expectation is that you know, that

won't change anything. And for me personally, quite frankly, I think it's the right decision. What did you guys think hearing that? Well, I mean, I don't know if Jerry can change his mind whenever we can, so we'll see what happens and this week, in this weekend. You know, he's also has complete confidence in the staff. He said that, I have complete confidence. I think he expects to go and beat an eight and nine football team. I think that's what he expects the Cowboys to do. They're a

better team than the Bucks. They have been all year and they you know, and um, he expects that. So when that doesn't happen, if that doesn't happen, sorry if or when, but you know, then we'll see if he still sings the same you know, same tune, because he can change his mind whenever he wants and he's proven that he can. He'll do that. But I mean, I

think you're right. But you know, so I don't love the question because it's just hypothetical and we'll see what happens because he's gonna it's all about how he feels and how does he know how he feels. Yeah, the guys over there debated the Morning show, Sean and him debated, I don't even asking the question. But you know, it's one of those things that in radio, you mean, the one thing is where we're looked at in a way of like if you don't ask that question, you got it.

Then then people are like, well, you never ask tough questions, You never put you know, I mean you with Cherry, I think it's very hard for Jerry to lie. I think Jerry's one of those guys that will like to you know, like he's standing there after the Tampa game and telling you where Dak's thumbs broken, Edward's late to

the platy. Ed's asking the question, well, let me repeat, yeah, he broke the you know, instead of just you know, he's trying to like be accessible and he's trying to be and I know that Sean and r J and Bobby, and you know, they kind of debated on asking the question. But if you don't ask the question, then you're looked at it like you don't ask the tough questions. So I'm with Nick. I don't think he does anything at

the head coach I do. I do worry a little bit though, if you have a little bit of the same result that you had from like the Commander's game. You know, if you have it where you go out and you look that bad, you know, is there now? I think he brought Mike McCarthy in here to win divisions and win games, which he has the last two years. But now it's about January football, you know. I mean, Mike likes to talk about how the months and stuff

lead up to January football, and that's important. And I agree with Nick as well that Jerry could very well change his mind. He could say, listen, this is not we talk about January football, and we're failing at January football. But I think that I think that he doesn't make a head coaching swap, even if the Cowboys lose this game. But are there other pieces in play here? How'd you look offensively? You know? What do you think about that?

Even though the statistics tell you have this really great offense. Your quarterback does well except he throws interceptions. You know, your defensive coordinator is on the short list of teams around the league that we're looking for head coaches. So this thing by itself could just naturally change. You know, if Dan Quinn takes a job, he might take a guy with him or two, and now your staff is

completely different. But to your point, I don't think that he'll make a change if they lose this weekend, And me personally, I don't. I don't. I understand the frustration from fans and all that, because it's just like another

year and another year and all that. But at the same time, I think on me personally personally, depending on how this game goes, even if they were to lose, I think I'm okay with McCarthy getting another just having that last year, one more year, because aside from everything, and I'm basing this from me just knowing Jason Garrett, so I don't have like a huge list of head coaches that I've been with and been around, But just from that, I think McCarthy has done some really really

good things for this team, and it feels like since the moment he got here, the positive things that we started seeing, Like every time, even this year, you just it always feels like you're only this close, like you just need to switch here, do it, you know, fix tune this here, and tune that, and then you're just

that close. And again compared to what I know, the only thing I know from Jason Garrett, this is like night and day what I've experienced with Mike McCarthy and the type of things that he's done here and how he's handled this team. Now, there's a lot of things in question, like the time management and some game time decisions are huge and important, and that's definitely something that

needs to be talked about and criticized. But at the same time, I don't know how long is the how long you guys would say, is the time spam that you would give a head coach to see how far longer than what they do in Houston? Right, Yeah, I mean, by the way, Houston not doing uh black coaches any favor.

By the way, the hiring practices of black coaches in the league, in my opinion, you know, I mean, that's the problem is you don't get the opportunity and you hire black coaches, and you hire them and you fire them a year later, what progress is being made there? You know, too much in a year? Yeah, I don't quite get. I mean that that there's a problem about

black coaches being hired. There's now a bad problem about black coaches not getting enough time, right, That is a that is an issue in this league, you know, And so I just I'm sorry I said that. I'm not sorry I said that. I just you know, I know it's probably not the right setting here, but just what you talk about, how much time do you give a coach Houston is a terrible example of what you should

do in the National Football League. You know, you fire, if you fire a coach, everybody they've had four coaches what in the last three years. You know, you think about interim coaches and stuff like that that they've had

dealing down there. So yeah, do you give You've got to give a coach an adequate enough time to me, I tell you what, Well, Okay, if you get in this game this week and Mike McCarthy finds a way in the clock management stuff like you talk about becomes a problem and you lose a game because of him or because of the black of the clock. There's a lot of coaches around the league that blow time management problems.

I mean, I mean there's a lot. I don't I don't like it because I feel like there's a way to get around this and do a better job with it. But my friend Andy Reid Aaron Kansas City is one of the worst when it comes to clock management and using timeouts and all that stuff like that. So to me, you know, is it something you worry about. Absolutely, if you lose a game because of it, it should be a huge concern of yours, you know. And maybe that's

the thing that he'll say. He's like, listen, he gets the team ready to play, he keeps the team healthy. But the problem is, though he can't finish these games, then that becomes maybe a reason why that he in time. Maybe four years is what he's done. Jerry's been very, very patient. I think he went about two to three years too long. With Jason Garrett myself, yeah, I would look at it like this. You look around the NFL and you try to figure out who are the best

coaches around the NFL. They, to me are except for Bill Belichick, who was an anomaly. Most of the other ones. They are every year they have their team in the hunt. Every year, their teams typically in the playoffs. They're fighting for something at the end of the season and into the playoffs in January football. They don't win it every year. Most of them have probably won it one time, right, But the point is they're always there, and then other

things factor in. You get into a one and done type scenario in the playoffs, and it's one of those situations where are you really going to fire a coach who has your team in the playoffs, who's been twelve and five the last two years. I just think when you look at that, and Nick and I were having this conversation even further yesterday, when you start thinking about, you know, right now, Mike McCarthy and three seasons has thirty wins right out of the fifty games that he's played.

How many of those games did he played without his starting quarterback yet a full season? It was sixteen, I think is what we counted up Nick. So a full season he's played without his starting quarterback and he still managed to get thirty wins in fifty tries. That to me says he's doing something right, and it certainly says to me, you would be to me, it would be a poor decision right now to say, after two seasons, no matter what happens this weekend, we're going to give

up on this experiment. And I think in situations particularly you talked about Houston, but I think it's in around the league. When teams get rid of a coach after a year two years, that to me, says the GM or the person that made the decision, they should also be held accountable. You made a bad decision because if only if he only if you knew it after a year or two years and he wasn't the right guy, then you didn't do enough due diligence on the front end to know whether he should be the guy that

got the job in the first place. The guy in Denver's living that right now, and the guy and then the guy and once they made the decision in Arizona, and Steve Kim knows that he made a bad decision there. They've gone through some coaches, so it's time to move on from him. And just if you want my opinion, the best coach in the National Football League is Mike Tomlin at Pittsburgh. Don't there's not a better coach than

Mike Tomlin in this league. I think there's I think there's a very talented guys, but you look at consistency throughout his team at one time they were looking. I mean, he's had fight every year he's been a coach fifteen sixteen years now, winning record, playoffs, super Bowl, things like that. I mean, that's that's what you strive for when you hire hire a coach. And you look at Pittsburgh, three

coaches in the history of they're franchises, three coaches. I think there's there is something to be said for keeping consistency at the head coach position, because you know, every year there's a system that you have, there's a way of doing things that you just have in place. That doesn't mean you stick with a guy for fifteen twenty years if he's losing all the time. But they this guy, they obviously shown they know how to set up the

right scenario. They find the right guy, they hire the right guy, and then they let him go and they just trust him to keep doing the right things. Are We're gonna take our first break when we come back. We'ked up to the game. Brian's got a game for us we'll hit some of those questions and and then we might have some questions in the final segment. We'll

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to you by blockchain dot Com. Brian, It's your turn, Derek. Cowboy's lack of running success these last four weeks on opponents or the offensive line injuries. M I think it is on the offensive line. I think the movement on the offensive line, the loss of Tyler Biottish and how they handled that. And I mentioned this to someone yesterday. If Tyler Biottish were not to come back this week, I would actually really consider moving Tyron Smith to left

tackle and putting Jason Peters on the right side. Right now, Jason Peters isn't playing that great. I don't think Tyron is playing up to his standard'st tough and so and so. To me, I like, okay, if I can show up the left side at least where I have Tyron where he's comfortable, and I know Jason's the problem and I got to give him some help, then I'm okay with that. Right now. I can't have both my tackles being a problem.

So for me, I think it's the offensive line. I think that's been the biggest problem, and I think they got to fix that, probably number one problem they gotta fix going into the playoffs in my opinion. Nicky, Yeah, yeah, I would say probably the offensive line. But I mean those are three really good teams, three really good run defenses. But you know, I wonder if Tyrn Smith, I mean, do you think maybe he went to the coaches to play a right tackle for him or for the team.

I mean, maybe he did that because he was like, maybe it'll be easier for me to be depending on you know, sometimes you get tight end help or sometimes you're not facing the best rusher. Is it is it best day? And maybe he didn't think he was ready to be at left I don't know, I mean, he's not. I'll wait for his press conference for him to talk about that. So I don't know, but I do think it's the the old line. It just caught up to him. I mean, you can't just keep shuffling day in yeah, yeah,

every week and expected to not have any issues. Yeah. Most teams are right handed when they play offense, so that's kind of your right tackle. I always talk about the left tackle blindside guy, but if you look at the point of attack, that's your right tackle and your right guard, and they have it, they haven't played as well. It's so strange. I mean, and I the more I evaluated or try to evaluate it, I think, get that

right tackle spot right. Yet, you know, when you start to talk about with Steele and then what I thought was going to happen with Tyron Smith plugging in there, it just hasn't been as smooth of a transition that I thought it was going to be. You know, man, you're putting a Hall of Fame player over there. You know, we might be seeing the end of Tyron Smith. I mean we might, you know, father time and injuries and all that might have just caught up, you know with

this guy who is a Hall of Fame player. But yeah, I don't know. And Ber, what do you got run as the lack of running success these last several weeks and an opponent thing or the offensive line injuries something just the injuries. I just looking at all the teams they faced since the injury, I don't think every team, every appointent has put all the resources in trying to stop the run. So it can be that. I'm sure you face some good teams with like run defense, but

I don't think that's that's the issue here. It's more just having that balance and Tyren Steele, like you, we miss him, They miss him, Colboys miss him for sure. And again, well Tony Potter was out one game, right, right, it was just one. But even with my leak Davis in there and Zeke, it's not like their game is changing, you know. It's not like they're just under perfore I mean, or like getting worse or anything. So it has to attribute to what the old line hasn't been able to

do currently. Nick, Yes, sir. Who do you think wins a close game, Dallas or Tampa Tampa? I think Tampa wins a close game, and it's close. I think Tom Brady will win it at the end. He's done it. He did it in twenty and eleven when he threw it, you know, when he drove down. He had played terrible all year, I mean all game and then came back and won with West welk or just oh touchdown, and

so he's he's done that this year too. I mean they're eight nine and I think that they probably won three games that I can remember that he just kind of saved them at the end. So I think I think he he will win. He would win a close game there. I mean, Cowboys have lost two overtime games, so yeah, and both times they've made mistakes. I think

that's definitely Derek. I agree wholeheartedly. I just I don't see a scenario where and by the way, it's not just the Cowboys, any team that's fading facing Tom Brady and he has the ball in the final moments of the game with an opportunity to win. I'm gonna put my money on the fact he's gonna win, because, by the way, I can't remember so many times when he has I can't really think of many times when he

hasn't drove his team down to win the game. So close games, by default, I think go to Tom Brady Anbar. I think it because the Cowboys have not shown me that they're capable of doing something like that. And I'm specifically talking about how they managed the clock, the decisions that McCarthy and Kellen Moore make. I think that's gonna

be a problem this weekend. It's just stuff. I'm really really concerned about the lack of, like the defensive line being able to pressure enough, because again, the defensive line looked totally or was performing completely different from that first game that they played against Tampa versus what it is now. So you got a defense that has dropped down versus

a quarterback that's picking his game back up. And I don't think it's gonna be a really favorable matchup for the couch so the Philadelphia because it's Gardner Minshew gave you, guys no hope that you can get a stop on at the end of the game. It's not it's not about like I said before, it's not about the Cowboys. It's not about whoever, it's not about all the other

quarterbacks in the league. It's about that quarterback. He just like tell like, I can't remember a time I've watched Tom Brady in a scenario where he's got the ball to win the game and he doesn't ultimately win the game. I just don't recall seeing that very much. I just don't trust anybody, anybody in the league to stop Tom Brady in that scenario. And it's also you know, fifty seven fifty eight minutes through where it's like, all right, I can I've I've seen what you're doing all game.

I mean, I know what you're doing now, and I know who can cover and who can't. And and I think that's kind of what happens. Let's go down two minute offense is you know, typically him calling the plays probably better than the coordinator that they have, and you know, he just goes down there and and and makes the play. And they've got a good kicker. Uh that that makes

you know, the clutch kicks. And so you know we saw it in Week one last year or yeah, last seasons when when the Cowboys took the lead, you just never really thought they were going to stop him. So, um, you know that's why they get they That's why I wonder a first quarter, second quarter, you know, and you're down there and it's third and goal or fourth and got to play the game. You got to put it on him a little bit more, you know. Yeah, you gotta be aggressive with if the kind of what they've

done all yeah. I mean with an exception of some games the Cowboys, he takes them like two quarters to start playing. Well, So is this a game where you could kind of stay close and in the limbo with like whole Tom Brady for two quarters and then kind of come back in the second half and turn it on. Yeah, Like, I don't think. I don't think this is gonna be one of those games where you are that's not gonna cut it. You need to go out there and get

on the field and start playing football. The injuries could be a problem for the Buccaneers on defense. That's something we need to keep an eye on this week. Okay, Ambar. Other than score more points, this absolutely has to happen for Dallas to win this game. Um, well, no issues on special teams this weekend. Um, I would say, there you go, mom, right, i'bout to say out. Yeah. My mom actually called me and she said I was I was listening to the game to the show yesterday. You

didn't mentioned in special teams once. It's like changed the whole game, Yeah, And I was like, yeah, it was not wrong. It did not get to it. It problems on my list. If we did not get to it, at least your mom didn't drop an f bomb after talking about it at home with me. Yeah, you know, mother mentioned it yesterday. Because I don't think it's a trend. I don't think that's gonna be something that's gonna be reoccurring. It's just one of those things that they just had

a bad game and it's just not usual. It's something that was a little more unusual than we if we've seen it's the second put that guy's drop and that's I asked this to Nick during the game. I asked Nick during the game, I said, is it worth it?

Why when I happened to him on or now that it's the second time, do you have to start thinking like, if in a situation we were knowing we're not going to get a great return, is there a more sure handed guy you could put it back there to catch it because he may be thinking I'm trying to go for the big play here, which, by the way, I loved that about him, But it also could mean that maybe he loses his focus sometimes and that ends up

in a muff, you know, muff kick. So that's where it's It's a little tough because a pro Bowl player, we're just talking about, like having a specialist back the catch the ball for him. I think he's a weapon. But it's got to be for the Cowboys. It can't be for the other teams here, so they have to do anyways. I just think whoever is on the other side, just cornerbacks other than Trevon Diggs, the corners to be

able to have a good game. Okay, Derek, Yeah, I was gonna say that the big plays, but but I'll change it to also, I think it has to be a game where Dak plays clean. What I mean by that is he can't laugh. He can't have the dumb interceptions. They can't play volleyball out there. They can't do the unforced error type stuff like. It has to be if there's something how if a defender makes a great play on the ball and gets interception, that is what it is.

But it can't be like, you know, you just throw into triple coverage and end up with an intercepted. It can't be ball hits guy in the chest, bounces up and then get an interception, catch the ball. You have to be focused this game. You can't have the unforced ere this this team. If you if you have a close game with him, as we just talked about, likelids of winning are probably pretty small, so you can't have those kinds of coming away with a lot of interceptions.

Just winning games regardless of the interceptions in this instance, could you give people you're not not one. I'm saying just if, And like I said before, it's not just it's not just an interception, it's how you throw the interception. He's got to be way more focused and way more aware of protecting the ball than making the silly mistake. Right, So if something happens with other team makes a great play,

that happens, that's an NFL football. You can't make the silly mistake because then it just I think those kind of things that you're going to combine that with the ones that aren't just making great plays, and now you're up to two or three turnovers. So I think you gotta be smarter with the ball. Yeah, I mean, every every touchdown pass that throws a maha has got to be the one kick in the extra points that's got to be the one. It can't be the other way

where it's a return for a touchdown. Suchdowns have got to go off north and you know, he just can't have a pick six. I mean, like you said, you gotta be clean. He can maybe maybe they'll throw one pick and you can recover from that. But but I think I think the Buccaneers are challenged. I mean offensively, even though they've got Tom, they don't score a lot of points. So you know, you'll go back to that

game with twenty nineteen. I believe they played New England and it was just a rain fast and it was terrible and you know, a blocked punt. It was the only touchdown that they got. I think they won thirteen to nine, and it was because of that blocked punt. And it was another game where you know, you know, I think Garrett was out coached by the elements of that game. Belichick, you know, knew what was happening with

wind and kickoffs and stuff like that. But you know, Brady, but you give him, you give him a little bit, he's gonna take advantage of it. So I think you just cannot have interceptions in short fields. And if that means Dak has to be a little bit less aggressive that I'm okay for play a Cooper rush take because he keeps saying, I'm not worried about it's not gonna happen. I'm gonna be I'm, you know, mentally tough and mentally focused, which is which is fine with me. That's great, That's

what got him here. But maybe he should, you know, take it back a little bit. Maybe you can't make every one of those throws you think you can make. That does maybe No, Brown's not gonna catch every every pass over the middle that you thought. Now I'm gonna tell you he's not gonna catch every pass you throw to him over the middle like that. He's not. It's not I don't know why he thinks that's Larry Fitzterill, but it isn't. Does that Does that style of football

still work as successful for this team? Because early in the season when they were doing that, when Cooper Rusher was playing quarterback, the defense is playing out of its mind. We have not seen that defense in several weeks. Do you think they could still afford to play that style of football that's a lot more conservative and expect their defense to really be able to hold the other team disagree. I don't know. I don't know if you could play

conservative against his quarterback. Yeah, that's what that's all I'm saying. I mean, to me, I'm gonna take my chances, and I know they don't score points, but your defense, like I said, you, you got to try and build a lead, I mean a big lead on this guy. And even then he's probably gonna come back, you know. I mean, we've seen him do it before. It was many moons ago.

But you just no lead safe with this guy. It really really isn't you know the only thing that will do my heart good is if you see the back of his jersey with grass stains on it, if you see Brady with green across the back and the two

with some grass across the bay. That's that's how you win football games playing this guy who's getting kicked out, Because that's no but but that's what you're I mean, every time you watch, every time you watch him play, if he's got grass stains on his back, you're doing your job. That that that affects how he plays. So that's kind of where I'm at with that one. All right, Nick, here we go. Are you to the point of saying,

what the heck play Xavier Roads and take your chances. Ah. And by the way, Xavier Rhodes is the new corner that they Yeah, it's not so new. Uh, it's a football in the NFL. Yeah, you know, they don't have a lot of a lot of options obviously. Yeah, I mean I think I think so. I mean, I like, um, you know, hopefully Bland will be ready to go um Nashan Right. I don't know. I think, you know, I

think they're all going to be about the same. But Xavier Rhodes, it's one of those things like if you if you've got one in you, yeah, let's hope it's this one. Yeah, you know, yeah kind of that's what Derek. Yeah, I think he's right now. I would if I were putting my list together, he would be my fourth cornerback, I think, right, Bland and Digs are the three that I kind of roll with if they're all if if healthy,

assuming Bland's healthy, I roll with those three. But I have him right there ready to jump in and quite frankly, cat one ready to take off the right and I and I mentioned this yesterday and I'll go back to it. I do think because of his size his length on a guy like a Julio Jones, I would like to see if there's some opportunities I have to kind of match him up a little bit there and see if I can kind of neutralize that a little bit. But

but ultimately, yeah, that's that's it. They are going to be there, gonna have to really worry about what's happening at the cornerback position because of the receivers they're playing this week and the quarterback that they're playing, and I just don't know if they can match up completely. I just think they got to kind of mix and match things here and there, show them different kinds of looks cornerback to to defensive back, I mean, a defense back to wide receiver to see if they can, you know,

kind of do whatever they can with him. And well, I'm sorry, but I don't have an answer for you. I would have to try to secretly sneak into practice and watch to see how he looks. I have no idea how he currently looks out there. So but I'm with Derek, I mean, and I guess he'll be active, right, so we'll see. It's not a hard position to kind of rotate or anything like that. So I would assume all of them play this game. I'm guessing he's not a special teams guy because of his age, right, He's

gonna probably have to play a little bit. Then it depends on what the role is. Yeah, I mean for sure, And I mean first round pick comes into the league um and plays and starts, and he was, you know, good player and all that stuff. So I doad he played a lot of it. But you know, you want to get here. To get here, you might have to do what you have to do. Kellie James Washington had to play a little bit of you know, he was on the practice squads too, you know, like he was

on practice squad, bills practice squad. I mean, he was on practice squads. So you're you're you're doing the thing you have to be doing a little some scout team, you know stuff like that. Yeah, final question for you guys, real quick. Uh uh hang on here in a second. Who scares you more? Tampa's defensive line or their wide receivers. It's a good one. Um, I think I think the wide receivers because of what we just talked about with the corners, you know, they Evans and finally figured it out.

Evans and Godwin, they are playmakers. I think they're both Pro Pro bowlers at some point, and I think that they are still better than what you've got at cornerback. So just based off of what the Cowboys will be facing with those guys, then I would say the receivers. That's a hard one. Man. I would probably opt for the receivers just because that's the quickest way to lose. You give up a few big plays and bam, you're

already down fourteen points where you have a Washington game. Yeah, the defensive line, true, but but no, I just I just think you can probably like if you can't run the ball. I've seen the Cowboys be successful when they can't run the ball. Yes, I've not necessarily see them be successful when they're giving up forty fifty yard plays every you know, every few minutes. Yeah, that's where I'm a little bit more because so I think both of

them are huge concerns. I just think the wide receivers have a the Tampa wide receivers, if they have a good day, that is the quickest way for the Cowboys to get and bar Yeah, I mean it's hard to get past, what happened this weekend in Washington and how they were getting to dak so. But at the same time, I mean, receivers are connected to Tom Brady. Tom Brady for him to have a good game, you gotta work with the receivers. So I would say, just like you guys, receivers,

just the matchups there at cornerbacks versus receivers. Thank you guys very much. All Right, we're gonna take our final break. We're gonna come back. I got a question for you guys. I want to talk a little bit about some of the injured guys and what the prospects are of them playing this weekend. We'll talk about that when we come back. Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. The season is finally here. For months, we've been gearing up to win. Now it's

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in collateralisophy to approval restrictions apply. This is not a commitment to lend back to the Break. The regular season is over and James Wright was the twenty twenty two Cowboys Fan of the Year. But now it's time for the playoffs. Now it's time to get James ready to go to the Super Bowl. You can vote for him to be the NFL Fan of the Year, presented by Captain Morgan. Cast your vote at NFL dot com Slash Fan of the Year. Welcome back, final segment of the

Break Life and Swot Studios at the Star. Let's talk about some of the injured guys. There are three guys in particular that haven't been playing that we hopefully expect to hear some good news heading into the weekend. Tyler Beardist, Jonathan Hankins, Layton Vanderesh. If I ask you to put those in order of most important to the Cowboys success, specifically versus Tampa Bay, how would you place them? Man, what a good question. I'm gonna steal that one for

me today. Uh, give me Vanderesh, give me Beodish, give me Hankins, Give me Hankins first. I go Hankins first, and then and then Beardish and then vanderch exactly backwards. Damn, that's what I was gonna say, Hankins. Yeah, that's that's because of Okay, that's a really good We would have to know to Hankins come back and play exactly how he was playing hopefully so um, but he was huge in helping the Cowboys stop the run, the running the run,

defense improved the whole lot. And then you look at what's happening with the offensive line and not having Tyler Beatish in there. It seems like all those juggling around is not working as well as we thought it might. So yeah, and then vanders he is missed and you definitely need him, need him. But to me right now, he does fall currently at the bottom of those three. Yeah.

And another thing about Beotist, dude, I know I've been you know, critical of him, but but anytime you lose your center, it's not it's you're talking about the guy that makes the line calls, you know, and that that kind of changes a little bit of everything. And just how when the call is made right before the snap, all that kind of stuff. Just recognition. You want the

guy that's been there. You know, Tampa Bay hasn't faced the Cowboys like normal offensive line like ever, you know, like in the last I mean, like think about two years ago, Zach Martin didn't play because of COVID. This year, just you know, they get Tyler Smith in his first game, and then mcgoverny gets hurt and farniatt comes and I mean so you know, even this game is going to

be kind of shuffled around a little bit. But but I just think Hankins in the middle, that's another element that the Buccaneers haven't seen when they face the Cowboys. It's just a really beefy guy, especially when they're dealing with problems at center. Yeah, they haven't been exactly healthy at center. They won't be healthy at center going into this game. Start center. He said, yeah, they they they're down.

I mean, we'll keep an eye on what the practice report looks like for them at center because that might be something that you know. The thing with the thing with Layton Vanderesh, he's gotten to the point now where he's making Hankins makes Vanderesh better because Vanderesh can run behind somebody that's taken up at all these blocks. So if the ball bounces outside with Fournette, or the ball goes to the edge or the perimeter, now you got

Vanderesh playing downhill, which helps. That's great for having Hankins. Mandman Clark is having to play so much that Vanderesh helps DMan Clark. I was talking to somebody the organization this morning about that, said, listen, if anything, having Vanderesh back, it helps you with Clark. Clark is Clark is not playing well because he's playing next to Barr, who hasn't really played well either. So now you've got two guys

that aren't playing great. But vander Esh helps Clark be better than what we've seen the last few weeks since Vanderesh has been out. And that's primarily why my order was very different than all of yours. I said, be honest first, because in my opinion, they are going to win, You're gonna have to be the offensive line can move the ball, and they went They move the ball best when their offensive line is as good as it can be. So be honest is first for me. Second is late Vanderesh,

mainly because of what you talked about. I think Clark and Barr have been a big part of the reason why the defense, particularly the run defense, has been suspect lately. Okay, if there are a number of times when you see them just not filling gaps, like they either they don't recognize it or they just don't get there. That doesn't see it. Forty two sees it, he just can't. Can't that right. Thirty three sees it not clean all the time.

You see the play where Damon Clark literally took off sprinting backwards like he was in deep cover two type and it was a runver like right in a gap that he should have been feeling, And I'm like, what is he doing? Like, I don't know if there was a bad call, the miscommunication. Maybe he was right and everybody else was wrong. It looked like everybody else was playing a different defense than he was. But it's those kind of moments where I'm just like, I don't know

if Clark is I don't know if it's coming. It might be coming a little too fast to him right now. Yeah,

what they have on the field. I mean, I was talking to this guy this morning about it, and I'm like, I said, listen to comparing to me, It's like when Darren Woodson was playing with Roy Williams and he would line Roy Williams up and say that's who your that's your guy, Go get him, or hey, you gotta blitz or you gotta you know, there's just you know, even on the touchdown that they had the other day, when when you know, when you know the receiver's coming across

and Williams, he didn't mean he's got to get a collision there, and he doesn't. And now that you know, now it it's you know up and you know it's a touchdown and you know, and that's that's just stuff. Vander esh is not gonna miss that collision on a crosser. That's just not gonna have. I will say this though about Hankins, though, you know, if the Cowboys are gonna beat Tampa. They gonna have to. They cannot let Fournette

just go off on it. And and I think it did and and I think with him, I think you know, if you look at when he was really playing, well, it was that stretch going up against Minnesota, Dalvin Cook and Barkley on Thanksgiving and for the Giants and then Jonathan Taylor, you know, which he didn't plays. He missed the game, that's right. He was hurt against the Giants on the fourth down play when he reached back right right, yeah. So, I mean, but they didn't run the ball at all.

I mean, whoever they put in there, Josephdai, I don't know who they put in there, but they shut him down. And I think Hankins in that middle has really solidified things,

coupled with with Um with Layton. The best part about this is it's like you know, chicken, beef or shrimp, all three, Like they're all coming back, right, I think Nick Eatman Special, right, y'all combo platter, They're all coming in and you can throw in durn Bland for dessert, like they're all coming back, right, Yeah, sure, why not? I'm hungry playoffs. All right, we appreciate you guys, Jonas, We'll be back tomorrow. Tomorrow, we're gonna jump in to

some detail. We're gonna talk about that Tampa offense versus the Dallas Evens, talk about maybe some things that are different now than they were in Week one when the Cowboys faced the Buccaneers. Until tomorrow from Nick Even, Brian brought us Amber Garcia. I'm Derek Higelton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.