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Cowboys Let's go. Are you ready for a break?
Yes?
Are you ready for a break?
Absolutely?
Ready for a break?
Yeah, and so much for that.
It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com with Mbar Garcia, Brian brought Us, Nick Harris, and Derek Eagleton.
It is Friday, January third, twenty twenty five, Season twenty, episode number ninety seven.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Break.
We are live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Start, presented by LG. LG's the world's number one OLED TV brand for eleven years in counting See why at LG dot Com Forward slash oled ego.
It would be the last show that I have issues at the chair again. No, it's as usual.
Different.
Yeah, it's once a week. It's once a week, really normal.
Approve of your fraternity colors, by the way.
I'm sure you do.
That's something we haven't. Don't get yourself in trouble.
You can't.
Don't go there.
You test me all the time. I want to say.
I've seen bad things happen to people have done that.
You should Clarence and Newian here too and try it.
We run deep an.
It's just a funny story.
I don't know when it happened or what, but I hear all the time that Nick did that one time and then you may or may not allegedly punch the crop out of him.
No, it may or may not have been Nick eating it may or may not have been David, but hellman. But I don't know that the fact I've heard that same story.
So since then, I just like to test the waters when I stretch, because I know there's no way you will.
Very powerful group at l s U.
And I saw it happen one time, and I saw a guy laying on the ground after it happened, and I said, note to sell, they'll mess with those dudes.
We're nonviolent. Just for the record, we're non violent.
All.
Let's have some conversation.
Let's talk.
Let's talk a little Cowboys football.
Let's start first with some injury updates heading into this final game. Uh, there are a couple of Cowboys players who are who did not practice.
Keemon Hall, Nick Vigil who hasn't practiced.
I don't think three or something that started, but he's gonna play, I would suspect, but Michael Parsons popped up, Misy Smith parked up, popped up as limited. Are we hearing anything about maybe their availability for Sunday?
Honestly no, honestly no, I don't have anything for you there, Derek.
No.
I you know the one on Hall, because I know you did a nice piece and maybe that Hall would get a start and stuff like that, and I I'm not getting a good feeling on that one.
Yeah, that one's tough. I saw him yesterday hamstring.
For Haul of the Corner. That's what we were talking about.
Yeah, I saw him yesterday and I was like, hey, how are you feeling? He's like good and he kept walking.
That's not good.
It reminds me of like Eric Kendricks. We do that with Eric Kendricks every week, how are you feeling good? And then like and then like it's you know, thirty minutes for the game, and it's like not good, not good, not good.
There's so many that I love that segment y'all do with him every week because you do have to read behind the like the way he answers questions, how much time he takes to think about it before he answers. You have to read into all of that to get a real solid picture of whatever it is he's talking about.
Right man, my man, he he did a great job. This good He is really good and he's interesting. But he kills you on radio because he.
Will pause, yeah, like he will like.
Well and then it's like that Eric, and you're like going, this is it's not good radio.
Just smack your lips, do.
Something something, you know, let us know you're yeah, just.
Don't dead eras And but he he was, he was. Actually, we've been very fortunate.
It goes way back to Joe Looney and and you know, even to Mari Cooper.
You would never think Mari Cooper and I.
Got in a discussion one time and like he was after me about whether the best college team could beat the worst pro team, you know, and he was default, he was, no, he's this, there's no way, Mari. You played on some great Alabama teams. I don't care those great Alabama teams. Am not beating the worst NFL team. I'm like a Mari, every one of your teammates gets drafted into the NFL, it's already an NFL team. He goes doesn't matter. I mean, he was. He was adamant
about it. I mean, and he's like, man, that's the stupidest thing you've ever said. I don't, no, no, you don't know me that way. I've said a lot more stupid things than that. But no, we we've been very fortunate, you know, the PR department stuff have always kind of suggested guys, you know, to us, and it's worked out. Really. We got a lot out of Zach Mark. Yeah, Zach was actuously the very much the you know, how you
doing Zach good? You know, he's one of those. But he he told some really good stories and so we've been really fortunate. It's just unfortunate too for Eric that, you know, the season didn't work out as well as it did.
I really hope he can be back here again.
I do.
And I think he's good for that locker room too.
I think it's it would be a good thing for them having back if they can get it at a good price. Yeah, all right, let's talk a little bit about some Washington injuries, because they I know, Brian you mentioned.
Yesterday, they have they're really going to try to play this game.
But they got Tyler Biottish Marshaun Lattimore, Cornelius Lucas, Tyler Owens all did not practice. Obviously, Beyoddish a center that obviously was here with the Cowboys last year. Marshawn Lattimore may be their best cornerback as a guy that they picked up mid season. But are any of these do any of these names jump out at us being most problematic for them if they can't play?
Yeah?
I think so because of what's happened. What was Andrew Wiley? I didn't, I didn't what was Andrew Wiley on that list?
Limited?
Limited?
He was upbraded's a limited yet?
Okay, then if he if he's limited, and maybe they're going to try and get him ready to play, but that's their right tackle and so if he's not able to go. Lucas was the backup first off the bench against Atlanta and he got hurt.
Yeah, something happened to him.
And then it became Trent Scott and it was kind of like watching, you know, like, Okay, Trent Scott's kind of our you know, forty eighth guy today. You know, he's not really we didn't expect Trent Scott to have to play, but he had to play. Be interested to see if, in fact, what happens at right tackle, because if Lucas can't go and Wiley's really limited, do they really want to push Wiley with a playoff game the following week? But they need now, They they might need
this game. They want this win. Trent Scott to me, would be a liability there for them at right tackle if that's the case.
So please keep an eye on that one.
All right, Uh, let's go ahead and dive in. Let's talk a little bit about this Washington defense. They are an interesting bunch because right now they are third in pass defense but twenty eighth in rush defense. When you dive into some of the numbers around their passing defense, they're fifth in blitz percentage, so they're blitzing a lot. They're also fourth in sack percentage. And and all that
being said, they really only generated one sack against the Cowboys. Uh, and only two pressures or so, I'm sorry, two quarterback hits. That was Deron Payin who got the sack against Dallas. What did you see in that Dallas game?
Uh?
That helped Dallas maybe negate what seems to be a strength for this team.
I will say I did see Frankie Louvo absolutely dominating that game. And I give credit to Brian while the game was going on, like, hey, he told y'all about Frankie louvou. This guy is awesome. But I think as the as the game went on, they they yeah, just throwing Hey it.
Worked out, it worked out, while you hit one, right, But.
Uh, they relied on the run in that game, and it ended up working out for them in the end. But you look at most of that game, and most of that game they couldn't generate points to save their life, and you look at the two late touchdowns that were off of a kick return. So that final score was thirty four to twenty six, but the offense really at the end of the day was only able to put together twenty points and that only accounts for a couple
of touchdowns. Granted they had a couple of missfield goals. I feel like they moved the ball.
Down the field really well.
They tied that defensive front down and the long sustained drives really helped them in that game getting down the field because they were keeping that defense on the field for eight, nine to ten play drives.
But they just weren't able to execute at the end.
Can I quickly read my pregame notes for this one? Yeah, real quick. Rush completed the second most passes twenty four against the Commanders all year.
Yep.
Cowboys offensive line only allowed six pressures on thirty two drop backs. This tied for the fewest pressures the Commanders have allowed all season. Long that Atlanta had only six pressures given up that game. The seven point nine yards per play were the fifth most the Commanders have allowed all season. The Commanders blitz Rush nine times in the last meeting. This was the fifth fewest blitzes for them
for the season. Sixty three percent of the Cowboys routes were open, which is the highest percentage the Commanders have allowed all year. Twenty five percent of the Cowboys routes were considered wide open. That's the fifth most for the season for them. So you could kind of see that they and my final one here real quick of too. Cowboys averaged almost four yards of target separation, which was the third highest allowed by the Commanders all year. Dallas played their ass off in that game.
They really did. Offensive.
Cooper Rush was really really good, Matt, you know, if you look at him. Overall, the number of completions. The twenty four, that's the second most they've given up in all their games this year. You know, they've played some pretty decent quarterbacks as well, So this is the challenge. But you know, Ceedee Lamb was a big part of what they were able to do.
But they attacked on a couple of different levels. They went after Jeremy Chin, the safety.
They got some matchups on him that proved beneficial as well. So you know, the commanders have got to kind of maybe come into this sing and rethink, you know, do we pressure Cooper rushmore? Do we blitz some more? You know they're gonna blitz. They're gonna blitz right about so I'd say thirty four percent of the snaps is what the numbers, the metrics will tell you. But it's pretty balanced across the board. When they blitz, it's not just all like third down blitzes. They'll blitz on first down,
they'll blitz on second down. The blitz so but they had Dallas has got to be ready for that, and there's a lot of single high. Half their defense is single high. If you had Dak and you had Ferguson. This is where we always talk about attacking the seams and maybe this is where Dallas kind of looks at it too, with with with Chin and then also Kwan Martin. Kwan Martin was really involved in the Running Game the last time you played. And that's what you're gonna have
to do in the Running Game. It's it's gonna be about blocking Wagner and Luvu. Like like my man Nick here said, I think that you have to worry about up front though for your pass rush stuff. Is Deron pain that that and they doubled him. He got doubled more when you watch it, he got doubled more than any of the other other Commander defenders.
I kind of feel like they're gonna go.
Into the same the same boat with with him and see how that all kind of plays out him Jonathan Allen, you know, we'll see they're really.
A good team inside.
But they they they held Fouler in check, they held Armstrong in check. It's the Frankie Luvus and guys like that Wagners that the ones that were that were running to make those plays in the Running Game, but also some of the pressures that they got, and they didn't get a whole lot of pressure with their front.
Yeah, let's let's take our first break.
When we come back, I'm gonna ask you guys the question, how much do you think the familiarity that Dallas has with dan Quinn and his system and even guys like Dorn's Armstrong and Dante followers just mentioned, how much do you think that affected that last game? As you've been mentioned some of those numbers, Brian Cowboys offense having some of the best performance, having the best performance of their better off Washington has allowed this year. We'll talk about
that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Today back to the break, LG old Evil is the best TV in the game, but don't take her word for it. Digital Trends said that LG OLEDG four has the best picture quality they've ever seen. See it for yourself at LG dot com. Slash oled Evil Welcome Back.
Second segment of the Break life in the s WBC Mortgage studios at the Star. The segment brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, question for you guys, how much did the familiarity familiarity that Dallas had with Dan Quinn and guys like Dorn's Armstrong, Dante file though, how much do you think that affected the game?
The last time the Cowboys played the Commanders.
I'll say this, and I noticed this in probably the fourth quarter of that game. It was like, Okay, we haven't seen Dante Fowler, Drn's Armstrong really make a play in this game.
And I don't know how much of that is them knowing.
I don't think I have a great answer for your question there, Derek, but I think I think that's certainly notable whenever you look at that. I think we saw it more so on the other side of the ball when we talked about it yesterday with Mike Zimmer hunting matchups with Mike Mike Carson's after Tyler Piattish and him knowing that he could.
Beat him, but defensively on the other side.
I don't think I have a straight answer there for you, other than knowing that those guys really didn't make an impact in that game.
I think it's funny because I think Dallas had an understanding of what they wanted to do on defen or wanted to do against the Commander's defense. I don't think the Commander's had a clue how to play Dallas Dallas's defense because.
If you look at the way that that.
Annuals the rush the pressures, he was like one of nine, yeah, throwing the ball and the one pass that was complete was a touchdown. It was one of nine against pressure, and they didn't have a good handle on Micah Parsons playing three technique, and you know it's it's really it was good good on Dallas understanding Dan's defense, bad on the commanders not understanding Dallas's defense.
And could it also be as a part of that, Brian, Yeah, that the quarterback as a young quarterback and any experience, he has not seen the kind of things that that Mike Zimmer can throw at you. Right, and we've staying with other young quarterbacks I've had to face this defense. It can be a little challenging because it's just a lot of different things that you have to adjust to and adapt to, and that's what makes it very tough.
Yeah, you know, all of a sudden, you're like thinking, Michaeh Parsons is going to come off the edge and he's standing right there, like, you know, three feet from you, you know, against a guy that you during the season. You're like, oh, this guy's not gonna be able to block my Parsons Alagrett, he's not going to get you know, he's not going to get over there and get this. This could be a problem. And so yeah, and then
all of a sudden, you get secondary blitzes. You know, you get Jordan Lewis and Wilson coming on a blitz. You know, like you're thinking, wait a minute, the nickel corner and the safeties both are coming on this blitz. So now that plays with your.
Head a little bit.
And I think they I think Mike did a really good job of confusing at Danielson and Cliff Kingsbury. I don't think Cliff Kingsbury adjusted very well to what they were doing either.
I will say I think they hunted matchups. I'm going back through their numbers here. They hunted Noah BNAGHENI quite a bit with Ceede Lamb.
Like it was. It wasn't a lot of downfield action.
The longest reception the CD know him, it was thirteen yards, exactly.
Why Jordan Lewis is going to be there next year.
But Lamb, please please, but Ceedee Lamb ats haend receptions for sixty seven yards well.
And you know, and also to go back and look at the numbers of what they did against Frankie Luvu and Wagner, they I think they had seven completions for fifty something yards against these guys. So they hunted a couple. You know, they were kind of checking it down underneath and stuff. When when Lulu or Wagner weren't rushing they kind of worked off that, you know, they they gave up some completion so I think there was I think
there were eight attempts, seven of them complete. You know, they were working off those linebackers too, so you know, good for him doing that. And I mentioned I mentioned Jeremy Chin and what what he had to deal with, you know with the three catches for sixty one yards and a touchdown. So they were hunting some matchups in that secondary. And you're right about Noah, you know they they they were.
There.
We go, that's here, right, Yeah.
I can't wait till you get for this draft show.
There are some crazy names of this clash.
Cooper rushed, as Brian you mentioned earlier, some of the numbers he was. It was his best completion percentage in this game that all season at seventy five percent second games.
Yeah, he was better than.
The He was at seventy five percent this game, right yeah. Yeah.
And then but he was second best in quarterback rating the Bucks game. Ye had a better quarterback rating at one seventeen point six. Do you think that that gets affected? Obviously their offense isn't the same without CD, but how much do you think it affects what they're able to do. Especially again in that game, they were hunting matchups, they were finding some opportunities. There were a lot of guys that got involved. How much you think that gets set back by not having CD out there.
Yeah, it hurts, It really hurts. I mean we saw it last week in Philadelphia. This offense it runs through CD, and it took even more importance whenever Dak was out of the equation. You see Cooper on opening drives and games over the course of the season, while he's been starting finding CD building confidence, that's how he gets going in a game. He didn't have that to build confidence in the first quarter. Granted he was able to find
some guys in that first quarter. Jalen Tolbert off the top of my head had a couple of them, Brandon Cooks had a MiG their down completion, and the run game helped on those first couple of drives too.
But after that you saw that the Cowboys.
Don't have a receiving option that can just beat you over the course of a game.
But also, are we expecting Cooper Rush to play?
I am yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
I am yeah.
I understand that the Trey Lance potentiality but I think with with Cooper Rush's incentive, he's going to play.
I just don't think that they're.
Not going to break some news.
I'm just asking.
I mean, there was some questions he was asked about, you know, whether Trey Lance or even will agree or we're going to see sometime this Weekend's always it.
Was not like he was committed to anybody right now.
Yeah, right, And that's the thing, like I suspect, I would not be shocked if they all play.
I wouldn't be shocked.
If this is like a preseason game where you have everybody take a little bit of time and get some opportunities.
And stop the clock exactly.
Let me ask you guys this question. So for me, I want everybody to take a chance. Give me your best argument why Trey.
Lance should play in this game?
Should should be the predominant player at quarterback for this team this game?
See what you got?
I mean, it's it's the little it's the last game you have him under contract. You need to make a decision on him in the offseason. I don't feel like they have enough to make a good decision.
That's just me.
Obviously they know a lot more on that side. Of the building about what Trey Lance can do. There was a reason why he played almost every snap in the preseason. But for me, let's see what he has against the NFL starting defense, what he can accomplish over the course of a game, and see what you could potentially be bringing back in twenty five.
I'm so confused because listen to the owner general managers say the Hayes and the barn on some decisions they've made around here, you know, and that's talking about the coach and you know, but if Hayes and barn and coaches coming back, then by all means, play Trey Lance. Cooper Rush gives you the best chance to win the game, he really really does, you know. So I'm I would if you're if if there's still an indecision about the head coach, you know, and Jerry wants to win this game,
you know, you play Cooper Rush, you know. So I think that's where I think, That's where I'm at right now. I mean, if you if the general manager wants to win this game, then then you need to play Cooper Rush. There's no reason to play Trey Lance. I'd love for them to play Trey Lance to shut us all up. That's really what I'd like to see, you know, because we keep asking about him, and you know, they're they're insistent that you know, they're.
Trying to win games. And I don't blame him. I've been in that situation. It's hard, it really is.
I mean, I'm sitting here thinking about draft picks and talking about the draft and picking. There's a difference in this draft. I think picking thirteenth and picking seventeenth, there's a difference that those you know, because right now I got fifteen first round grades.
That's the lowest I've had probably in years.
So I don't want to get out of that window of potentially grabbing a guy like a Banks, you know from Texas to tackle or somebody like that. That if I if I wait to seventeen, I'm not going to get him, you know that those kind of things. That's the selfish side of me. But to them, I can understand trying to win. Picking at seventeen, they don't care, you know, I care. They don't care. I mean that in a nice way. I don't mean that they don't care.
But they're trying to win games over there, and there's no reason to play Cooper I mean, it's gonna be no reason for them to.
Play Trey Lance. To them, there's not because they're trying to win games.
I mean, I kind of want to see a little agree I've been after that the way he left. When he left on the last preseason game, he was so emotional, you know, I'm like, he had such a good game. I would love to see just for the fun of Edgar him playing and Dak calling the place.
But that's not the reason Kobe Bryant went out on the sixty point game.
That's how I view it.
Okay, So but no, I was I totally agree with Brian and this one, Like, yes, if you're trying to win this game, obviously the best answer, best choice would be Cooper rush and have him out there. But it's just one of those things that to me, if you played Tray, what's the point at this point, you know, unless you're trying to give him a chance. Maybe, hey, it gives him the opportunity to potentially put some plays out there for another team or kind of do him
a solid in that way. I don't know, because I don't know if they do have true intentions of bringing him back.
Yeah, I saw I saw Desmond Howard make our team in Green Bay off one game, and you kind of and I'm saying that in a way that maybe somebody looks at their team and they go out there and they do make a they say, you know what, there's some qualities they take the preseason and then they maybe maybe there's some positive things that happened in this regular season game that like that you saw, like, okay, this week looked like.
In the preseason.
Now here's where he's at, and you could kind of say, wow, he's he's kind of developed a little bit this year. Yeah, so I the selfish me would love to see him play. The personnel guy that's trying to win another game is thinking Cooper rushans to play.
I don't know how much his factors in, but his entire family is going to be in Dallas this weekend. His brother plays in a national championship on Monday in Frisco. So he's at North Kota State. He's a wide receiver.
And I was gonna say it's one of those Dakota schools, because yeah, they are always in the Championshis.
Folks in North Dakota State, I swear they need to pay taxes yeah, they do.
There's a in that national championship right.
Hey, I don't know if I can say this specific fast food chain on air, but there was a fast food chain here and here in Frisco that uh they have helmets of like all the local high.
Schools and they.
Have North Dakota State in there too, And I'm like, that's hilarious that they should.
They should. They should go to.
Good business, go to go to the OMNI next story, it's like a Green Bay packer convention.
All right, let's uh, let's I had to add one other question before we go to our final break.
Outside of Tree Lance, did we answer your.
Question by the way, Yeah, we got we got to what we wanted to get to. But outside of Tree Lance, give me one other player that you think it's important for them to get an opportunity this weekend and them playing well makes the biggest impact on their career.
I think it's the left tackle.
I think it's as Richards.
I'm thinking Geydon.
Well, okay, I'm thinking because right now there's so much you know, and Trumadoga is playing far better than I ever believed he was going to play at tackle. I think that Geydon needs some momentum going into the offseason.
I think he needs to see.
Himself and then they need to sit down with him and say, listen, you're a very capable football player, but you have to do this, this, this and this in order to have even more success. Okay, it's a tough year in a lot of ways, the penalties, the learning curve.
All that.
But I think he really needs some positivity going into the into the off season where they could build on it, or a new staff could come in and who knows, new staff comes in and watches their tape and they're like, going, this guy's capable player, and then they can kind of instead of like, well why didn't Guidon play? What was Guyton's problem all year?
You know?
And now the personnel guys are well, the previous staff, you know, he was having penalties and that. I think he needs some positivity going into this into the end of the season.
One year.
Thomas, I would like to see him get get rotated in its safety. I feel like we've been we've been clamoring for that for a while though. Austoin Richards, I would like to see what he's got on the offensive line, whether that be left tackle, right tackle, who knows. Let's let's see what he's got up front. Those are the two names that jump to mine immediately to me, and we've.
Had this conversation on another show. It has to be one of the receivers out of who pick you make your pick, because all of them, I feel like you still need to show a lot more. And that's with the exception of Brendan Cooks. Honestly, I don't I can't even wait. Where's he out in his contract?
Does this is it?
This?
Is it? Right?
So I don't know. For some reason, I.
Don't see him coming back with the Cowboys or them making a deal with him. And we've talked about you needing a second wide receiver, a legit one.
I think that gets addressed through the draft.
And but because of that, because of you seeing such a clear need there, one of these receivers has to step up. And the only one that I kind of take out of the mix because I think he because of the way he got here, Jonathan Mingo, I don't think he has so much to prove right this second, I would start his taking time bomb right.
It's just the same Brian right at training camp. Yeah, thank you.
Okay, the club, let's start the time thank you.
But I think with him, there's.
Some people we've already seen, believe that we've seen the time bomb with that, Yeah, but.
With him, I think I'm waiting to see him with Dak and not Cooper Rush. But anyways, these receivers, I think this is the last game for them to kind of really show something, especially with CD being out.
I'll say this for the receiving the receiving corps.
Like you said, probably Brandon Cooks, there's probably not a reality where he's back next year. Jalen told her to be back next year, Turpin, who knows. I think that's gonna be a very interesting one as far as restricted free agency goes. If there's a guy that you want to see for me, it's Jalen Cropper. I want to see what he can do in this offense. I know it kind of it's very measly and practice squad talk,
but why not let's see what the guy has. He was awesome in training camp, he was awesome in the preseason. Uh he only had one game of elevation this year, and see what he got. And then Dalvin Cook, would you elevate him.
No, I would not. I think we've seen we need to see. I've seen what I needed to see. I think I'm good.
You know what I will say though, to your point about value.
I'm good for a real chance.
To your point about Mingo, I actually would go into this game and I would say I'm going to him early in.
I should try.
I would try very hard to get him involved because I want to see if you really focus on him, because he won't be the focal point of the offense next year, there's no chance of that, right, But if you go into this game and say he's going to be the focal point of our offense, we're going to make him the guy that we're going to try to concentrate on getting the ball to.
Because he's a big body. He can, he can.
He doesn't need a lot of separation, you wouldn't think in order to be able to make.
Catches and make plays.
I would be trying to use him in a lot of different ways just to see what I got, because I do think that that's what he hasn't really had to this point, like, really focus on getting him the ball. I'd love to see it. And another name out thereof for you du'ce fun Deuce. For Deuce, this is very important, I think because he's getting that point in his career where he's gonna have to start figuring out how to get active, how to get on the field, how to show them that he can be a role player for
them and whatever that role is. And so I think if he gets an opportunity this weekend, it's going to be important for him to make some plays.
This is a fascinating conversation because there's going to be a point in the offseason where they're decide on guys and they're gonna be like, man, I wish we could go play a game right now. This is their opportunity to go play the game right now and see what they go.
You know, you've played some teams earlier in the season that are really I excuse me, not the earlier but latter part of the season, really that that play with cushion, you know, and the Commanders are a team that plays with cushion. If you look at the metrics of how they play third most in the league, you know, seven yards of cushion. It's okay, does that play well for Mingo? Does that play well for Brooks? Does that play well
for Tovert. You know, maybe maybe you could find a way to get some of these guys going like you're talking about, you know, just just load say Okay, we're gonna.
Load Mingo up and see if he can.
You know, we're gonna give him six targets in the first half and see how many receptions we can get out of that and just kind of go from there.
I like your playing, but to be clear, I one hundred percent agree with you as to what the coaching staff needs to go into that game with and like a game plan where you involve him. But as far as I put that aside in the player individually, having them as an individual needing to be to have a successful game, that's where I take him out of the equation like give me if he doesn't catch the ball or whatever. I still have that grace period for him still.
But the other guys, they've had their time here now.
And well, but I think I think it is important. Here's why I think it's important because I think that a really great game from him makes the Cowboys think, Okay, a lot of these other guys may not be our answer. We still maybe need to go get a number two but this guy gives us some firepower. There's something we can do with him. I think it can be as important. Like you said, to think about his career so far, he just really hasn't I'm talking about I'm talking about even at this previous stop.
He really hasn't done a lot for where he was drafted. And I think that's the part round pick. Yeah, you got to get.
Him to a point where I also want to build a little confidence with him.
Like I want him to go to my sea thing.
Yes, exactly, But give him a lot of options, give him a lot of opportunities, and then once once you do that, if he shows you something, then he goes into the all season and saying Okay, I think this might be a place where I can grow. And now go spend some time with Dak in the dockyard and start figuring out how to be a part of this offense. And I think he could be a legitimate guy that's in your top three wide receivers. If he can show
you something, all we're gonna take our final break. He had a time with Amber, But when we come back, this is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Break Connecting changes everything.
Welcome back.
Final segment of the Break Life ins WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star and it is YETI time with ag what.
You got all right? This segment is presented by Yetti officially licensed YETI Cowboy Year is now available at Stadium, pro Shops, Concession and on yeti dot com. So we're going to continue what we did last time, which was kind of reviewed the season as a whole, looking into this next year. And these are areas that I feel like it's easy to answer, but hey, it is what
it is after you had such a bad year. But you can look at it however you want, whether you want to evaluate like the first half of the season and see the progress that they made for the second half, or if you want to mush it all up and just see it as a whole. First, let's start with red zone efficiency, how successful they were, and again I feel like there wasn't Let's start.
With offense.
Zero efficiency.
I mean, they didn't get their vert no.
And it and a lot of it had to do even with Dak, they had some problems. They couldn't sequence plays. I think I said that the right way, it would seem like it would be an incomplete pass and then a run and then maybe a force pass again and then all of a sudden, Brandon Aubrey's got seventy five field goals in a row. You know, it just never
seemed like that they were able. You know, some teams have just got a knack for how to kind of get the running game in there, how to get like a crossing route, how to get a pick play in Yeah, everybody's got that kind of that quarterback run.
It seemed like we were very much.
Like he would look at the play sheet and everyone that he would select was either like a negative play or one that just had no chance. I just never felt like there was any rhythm to their red zone offense.
I agree with that, and I think the reason why is because most of those teams you're mentioning that that really well, they typically have a pretty good running game, and early in the.
Season, Dallas just didn't have it.
And I think, quite frankly, and I've been pretty clear aby where I thought the biggest problem was.
It was the offensive line.
And I think when you got an offensive line problems, not only can you not run the ball, which also tend to give up sacks, And how many times do we see them get in the red zone and then sack, you're back outside of the red zone, or you're having to settle for a field goal, And so I just think overall, I think I would say it wasn't as good as it needed to be, but I think it got better as the season went on, and I think,
you know what the problems are. The problems are around the offensive line and using your running game effectively.
And I think that.
I'm thinking they should know that, so going into the off season they should be prepared to improve that and can have some better success next year.
Yeah, you don't need me to tell you anything. Twenty seventh in the NFL and scoring touchdowns on they getting the red zone.
Yeah, all right, they are.
Flip it the defense. Let's let's see what the what the numbers have to say on that.
Give me one moment, y'all, y'all.
Have very good I want to say, I think initially they were not very good. Yeah.
Well, all the points they gave up, they had they had to be giving up some of the zone.
Wow, thirty second and the margin between thirty second and thirty first is very large.
It's seven percent points.
I mean it's it's there last by a healthy margin, seventy three.
I think a lot of Yeah, I think a lot of that had to do with what happened the first like ten weeks this season.
Yeah, I would be interested to know what that is like over the last five six games, over.
The last three thirty two, thirty one thirty twenty seventh in the NFL.
Still what it was better but not great? Still bad, man, that's tough.
Wow, that's tough. But yeah, I think.
Most of the time, whenever I think the defense found themselves in the red zone, it was at the end of sustained drives. I mean, as most red zone drives are.
But yeah, exactly.
But I can't really only think of a few opportunities off the top of my head where the offense put them in the red zone. I think at the Cooper rush fumble in Philadelphia, you have goodness, I can't really think of a whole lot more turnovers that were inside their own twenty unless I just can't think anything off the.
Top of my head.
Okay, Now, third down conversions. This is something we've talked about all year, all season long for the Cowboys. Let's start with offense. Did you see how would how do you rate the third down conversions? And also how do you feel about certain improvement in the last month.
I think they've gotten better in the last month.
Early it felt like that we were just like it would remember it would be like third and one and you're.
Just like, God, they're not gonna get this. Yeah, I mean, you just did.
It goes back to what Derek's talking about, the offensive line, the lack of running game. They just the just the the rhythm of the play caller. It just it just didn't seem their offense had no flow to it, and so it would be like if they would convert on third and short, it was like, you know, like they needed one and they got one and a half.
You know.
It wasn't like they popped a run or threw a pass or something like that.
I just I think they were searching for their third down offense and they just they you know, initially was CD, you know it him throwing him the ball, but they didn't get it from Ferguson, who they normally get it from some of the other receivers. And then I mentioned the running game just wasn't good enough. So I think initially is bad, but I think it's gotten a little
bit better with Cooks back in the lineup. CD was doing some good things and then Dawdle's ability to run the football got better too.
This offense was second in the NFL last season, and third down conversion percentage this year twenty fifth. They only converted on their third downs thirty six percent.
Of the times. That's another unacceptable note.
That's really bad.
Yeah, it didn't matter who's the huge, huge it doesn't matter who's in the lineup, who's at quarterback, who's uh, you know, doing the pregame show on one oh five through the fan.
It doesn't matter. It's uh, it's it's unacceptable.
Well, we know where the problems that originate. Again, I think this goes hand in hand, Brian. We just like it's it's offensive line running game. If you don't have those two things worked out in the NFL, you're gonna have a hard time and a lot of these other parts of the game.
Didn't it seem like just to get when it got the third down, it was just always a struggle. Yeah, Like it just you're just like, God, they're not gonna pick this up. You know, you just knew something was gonna mess up. You know they were gonna get a false start penalty or something's gonna happen that they don't really get it.
Well, no, we're running out of time, so let's just quickly do the opposite side of the ball. How do you feel in uh, third down conversions on what the defense did?
Seemed like early again, the teams were just having the way. As a matter of fact, there were times where they weren't even getting a third down. It was like it was like they were Yeah, it was first down convert, second down convert. The teams weren't teams were habited with They were averaging six to seven yard shot. Yeah, and you weren't even getting the third down. So yeah, initially bad. I think they've done a much better job because they've
come up with pressures with Parsons, Golston's gotten better. You've seen stuff with loss and I think the defense of secondary has gotten a little bit better. When it came you know, you got Bland back. I think that helped the linebackers. I think that second half has been much better than what you saw because they couldn't do anything in the first half of the season.
Yeah, I agree with that.
My last little guessing moment for you guys, do you want to guess where this defense ranked an opponent third down conversion percentage in.
This the season?
For the season, Yeah, I would guess they are at about twenty seven.
Hmmm, twenty five, thirty three.
They are going to be shot sixth.
Ranked. Well, I thought you met the percentage.
That's why I said thirty three thirty six.
They were that good.
Sixth Yeah, I thought it was a joke.
Well, maybe it's because of what Brian was saying, like the UAFL champions, maybe because.
They were rarely getting them teams were rarely getting the things.
They're rarely getting this to a third down. But also I when they were getting into third down, I would love to see their average third down yardage marker because typically when they were getting into third down it was by way of pressure or sack. And that this defense did find themselves behind the sticks and go way multiple times. Yeah,
I didn't that that is a noticeable, noticeable factor. And it did feel like even though the offense was not as great throughout the year, that they were still right their neck and deck every week as far as third downs with the.
Other team coming against.
That's impressive.
Yeah, And would still.
What a wrong about did it seem like that they were every time? Yes, yes, it was first in ten and they would get a gain of nine.
Yeah, but that's also the thing if if there, if they're putting up thirty something points, forty points, whatever, then yeah, they're not going to be getting a third down a lot.
You wouldn't think they got punished at the very end on stats, they were digging a hole and they couldn't get out. Yeah, they could not get out, even though they played better at the end.
All right, well here's the real quick before we end the show, tell me what the Cowboys have to do in order to get a win this weekend. What's the most important thing they got to do is go around and Tayble, make you.
First, Oh, show up, because I don't feel like they showed up in Philadelphia, I really don't. I feel like the preparation going into that game was not great.
So you think it was preparation. It wasn't just all the people that they've lost. Yeah, just kind of came to.
It was mentioned on this show.
I forget, but you wonder how much their preparation leading into that game was affected by Okay, hey we're not in the playoffs. Christmases this week, we can go ahead and start planning our offseason. Philadelphia's already in the playoffs and CD's gone.
CD's gone exactly.
So I if they prepared accordingly this week and they let all this coaching stuff just kind of go out, go in one ear and out the other, and they actually prepare for this game, then I think there's a shot.
Control this Washington front and they did a good job last time they.
Met, you know, and so their defensive front.
Yeah.
If Dallas this offensive line played well, they pass protected well, they ran the ball well enough though, do the same blueprint would be good for me.
I think what gives him the best chance is just win the turnover battle, don't give up the ball, protect the ball, and then on the flip side, obviously defense. I think they can actually in this game create some turnovers and just have the offense be able to take advantage of that and score some points.
But are we picking? Are we picking? You're like whatever?
Pick coach?
Wow, you want to make a pick.
If y'are and I'm not? Whatever?
All right, we appreciate you guys joining us. We will be back, and we'll be back next Wednesday. We'll get into our off season schedule next week. Makes you check the mobile app for that full schedule. But we'll be on Wednesday at eleven am Central time. Till then for Nick Harris, Brian brought us Ambergarcia. I'm Derek Eilton. This has been the Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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