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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, Patrick Walker and Derek Eagleton.
It is Monday, October twenty third, twenty twenty three, Season nineteen, Episode number fifty four. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We'll live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. We're into our mashup week, our mashup shows. This is the second of two. We've got Nick Harris, We've got Danny McCrae. Danny's from Players Lounge and Nick is from Talking Cowboys, And so we're gonna spend a
little time today continuing our conversation from last week. Last week we did do our tat trimester first trimester review, and I had a lot of questions for you guys. They were going to continue that, but a lot of our questions are going to be filling the blank. So I'm gonna let you guys just kind of riff a little bit. I got some questions for you before we get into that, though, I do want to talk a little bit about some of the things we saw this
last weekend. I'm assuming you guys watched a lot of NFL football, as we all do. We're all sports fans first and foremost so, and I see that little smile. We actually we're going on there. We were talking college football. Danny still thinks his team has a shot.
They do not. They are absolutely done.
Texas, on the other hand, is still in the MIDX.
Listen, two thousand and seven, LSU lost two games. Okay, we were going into we won the SEC championship, and I think West Virginia.
It was three or four.
Teams that still in today's a BCS.
But they all lost.
They all lost, and then that's what got us in there as a two loss team. But it was like every team that just needed to win to get in, they all ended up losing.
Matt Flynn was like my first college football.
Herot and we're going there and we win it.
So tell yourself what you need to.
I have to. I have to.
We're the right shirt today though we didn't even bring it back.
Yeah, we love the burd and Orange. Keep that going.
And of course, yeahs the night game seven, we playing the Rangers. You're Rangers, so this should be fun.
We'll see how this this plays out.
Like, I actually watched the baseball game more than I watched the Miami versus Philly game too.
Honestly, I'm at and I'm not a baseball like I used to. When I was a kid. I was a huge baseball fan and growing up collected baseball cards. I was all in and then literally just kind of fell off by the time I got to high school and haven't really followed it since then. But I've been watching this series. I've watched every game of this series start to finish. I'm like, you know, Baseball's interesting again.
I love the clock, the pitch clock, like I.
Think it moves the game little bit, which has always been one of my big pet peeves about baseball.
But man, I've been into this series.
No, it's been fun to watch.
I went to the game here, game four, yeah, and that was the first Astros games that I had been to. I remember on the show new He's asking me like, can you name any players? I'm like, al TV, I mean, I don't know that I don't know anything about baseball, and but when it comes on, just like LSU Baseball, I'm like, I'm glued to the seat watching it, like I know exactly what's going on, but I just know the three strikes. I don't know anything about four, two, six,
double players all that. I'm just watching to see who wins the game.
So it's been exciting now LSU Baseball, Alex Fox, I've had some good time there. That Ridge does it right for baseball.
Yeah, well, they do it right for a lot of sports.
They get sports.
They really do get sports. I don't know about the education they get.
See just what I thought, I gotta take, you got to take all?
Right, here we go.
So I want to talk about Week seven of the NFL season, which is more surprising. Yesterday of these three games, New York wins over Washington fourteen to seven, Baltimore kills Detroit thirty eight to six, or Miami wins last night thirty one to seventeen over Miami Eagles.
I was like, Eagles, Yeah, mineus Detroit because I watched Detroit last year. I have an old teammate who coaches for Detroit, Kevin Shepperd, linebacker, coach, and I've been watching them more, especially with them on hard knocks, and I'm like, I can see them getting better. It's Detroit, and then now this year you're like, wait, Detroit might be one
of the best teams in the league. And I've been watching Baltimore and you're like, they're still trying to figure it out with Monket and this new offense ken Lamar, you know, mix it up and be a passion and also a runner, but spread it out a little bit more with Odell, and it hadn't looked how I expected it to look. And then they go out there against Detroit, who I think is probably top two in the league,
and they dismantle them. I'm talking about from start to finish, offensively, defensively, special, I'm talking about they just beat the brakes off of them. So to me, I wasn't expecting it. And what I thought Detroit was, which they probably still are because it is the NFL. I just didn't know that it would be that domin nating of a performance from Lamar Jackson because he looked like the old MVP candidates. So that was the most surprising one to me.
Yeah, I agree with you. It actually I was watching that game yesterday and I think it was twenty eight to nothing at half, and I was sitting there and I was like, Okay, Baltimore is about to run away with this, and Detroit's a really good team and Baltimore is a really good team. And so it made me think back to that San Francisco game. I was like, Okay, these games they happened to other teams, right, Yeah, So it honestly gave me a little bit more confidence coming
out of that one. But I also want to touch on Philly and Miami. Once Jalen Hurts through that pick six, I thought Miami was about to really turn it up and run away with it, and it was the complete opposite, and Philly just came right back on offense and march down the field. Then they did it again and then their defense showed up. Philly's defense really surprised me. They gave up ten points to that Miami offense and only you know, the seven came on the defensive touchdown. So
I man, they looked really good yesterday. That kind of scared me. As the night went on, I'll say that.
I gave I gave him a little bit of an asterisk just because the offensive line issues that Miami had, I think the whole left side were back ups, and the Philly defensive line is probably top two players, so essentially their whole office in line was back ups at that point in a show in that game, but Philly did It was still surprising what they were able to do with the receivers stopping to run.
Yeah, they played a hell of a game, so I'll still work.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Yeah.
Speaking of that Philadelphia team, right now, they are six and one, Cowboys at four and two in second place in the division.
How big do you think the gap is between Philadelphia and Dallas.
I think it's sizable. There's definitely a different tier there. If it's Tier one to Tier tier or Tier two to Tier three, I think it's one to two. But I think there is still pretty sizable gap there. Obviously, they have a really good opportunity here in two weeks, so it's it's crazy that we're already getting getting close to that trip out to Philly. I'm really excited about it. We'll see how big that gap really is. I don't think that game will be as poor as the forty
nine ers showing. I still think the forty nine Ers are a step above Philly just because I feel like they're more complete. They've played more complete games to this point. Obviously the Browns game is an exception, but you look at the Eagles and the loss that they had, So right now, I'd have like forty nine Ers Eagles, and then in that second tier you got Cowboys, Lions.
Yeah, I'm pretty much the same. I do have forty nine Ers and Eagles kind of even at this point, just because Philly, I think they have so many different ways to beat you. Like, if one way is if the defense isn't working, they can get the offense rolling, if the passing game isn't rolling, they can get the running game rolling with Jalen Hurts, and then also game well and swift. So I think their ability to win in multiple ways to me, has them even with San Francisco.
But then that is why we are under them, because we always find a way to Like, all right, if one part of our team isn't working well, then it seems like it just kind of trickles all the way down through the rest of it. Right, If our running game isn't working, then all of a sudden we have to pass the ball a lot, and then Dak is under pressure. Dak may be throwing interceptions. If we can't stop the run, then that affects us on offense and
specialty like it. Just if something's not working for us, then we watch the game and we're like, wait, why isn't the other parts of the team picking up the offense or picking up the defense. So I think that's why we're behind. But I do think we're getting better because we saw the offense kind of come alive a little bit. Dak Prescott say I'm gonna put the team on my back, and I think if he continues to use his legs, we can then get up in that upper echelona teams.
That's a great point because, as always going back, I watched a little bit of a film of pass games this past weekend, just because there was enough time there. When the defense is on, the offense is typically off and it's hard to get the defense to carry you
to a win. And when the offense is playing really well, then it's the defense that's there's a little bit of we just need a little bit more symmetry, man, And that's a great point to what we're talking about as far as tiers because those good teams, whenever there's one side of the ball that's not quite clicking, they can trust that other side of the ball to carry them to a victory. I would love to see that out of a Cowboys team at some point in the next
few weeks. You can make a case that something like that happened in the Chargers game with the defense, but they really stepped up late and they were able to capitalize on a couple of poor drives from Los Angeles and then on the last drive with the interceptions. So maybe see one of those nitty gritty type of wins where one side of the ball really helps carry to a victory, preferably the offense. But you know, beggars can't be choosers.
If there's one thing that you would want to see from this Cowboys team that you think would lessen the gap, the most.
Will to be efficiency on offense top to bottom. I just I feel like there's so much left on the table with the weapons that they do have. With Pollard in the run game. I know we talked about it in the last show, just getting more creative with him in the run game, getting more of those receivers involved.
I mean ceedee lamb. Yes, he has great numbers. He's leading the team and receiving right now, eleventh in the NFL, but his potential is so much higher where he could be right now and Brandon Cooks that speaks for itself. Still under two hundred yards on the season. Get him involved. I just want to see efficiency around the board, you know. I want to see things happen downfield, a little bit more creativity all across the board. I think if they can be more efficient on offense, then they can be
more of a complimentary team. And obviously, as we were just saying that that helps create a better football team.
Yeah, I just like, to me, it's just it's on Dak. To me, it's how creative can Dak be? Stending plays right, Because a lot of those players that you see on Sunday when you're not watching the Cowboys, you see the quarterback breaking out of the pocket, run right, run left. All of a sudden, it's a foty yard pass down
the field. We saw Dak do it with Tony Poller where he throws it back across his body and it's just an extended play of you saying, Okay, everything is broken down I'm gonna find a way to make a big play.
And I think, just thinking back.
To Dak in his first couple of years, that was that can I just see Dak running and diving over guys into the end zone and improvising with his legs and that's when he felt more comfortable before the injury. But I think we saw it last week to say, okay, all right, Dak is going to be that elusive guy to where Okay, it's not just oh he's sacked. He's gonna find a way to break out of that sack and then extend to play. And I think if he does that, we can find a way to then win
because that extends the drive, helps your defense out. You don't have to go crazy with you two hundred yard receivers, but you're finding a way to move the chains when the calls aren't working as they should. And I think that one demoralizes a defense, but then it helps your defense as well, and it kind of gathering and as a team to say, look at our leader. He's out there doing putting his body on the line, and you saw him do that in his first few years and the injury kind of set him back.
But last week.
I was happy to see it because I think that's a huge part of our success.
So take the top four teams I think these are the top four teams in the NFC, and put them in order. You got San Francisco, Philly, Dallas Detroit. Where would you rank them right now? Between that as one through four?
Since I have to rank them, I don't want to do the recency that like the recency bias, because we just saw Philly go out there and beat Miami, who put up seventy on Denver. But I'm going with Philly. I'm going with Philly as number one because the multiple ways that they can win. They got the receivers, they have, the D line. Hassan Reddick went crazy last night, Like there's so many different ways for them to win and
so many players that can impact the game. When I look at San Francisco, I'm looking at a injury to Christian McCaffrey that could then change the whole outlook of like what we think about San Francisco, Like, is McCaffrey play, He's not, okay, we can figure out a way to then just zone in on party. So I think that's why I have them below Philly, and then I have Detroit,
even though they got blasted yesterday. It has happened to almost every team in the league where they go out and you're like, wait, that's not the team that I thought they were, And I think Detroit is still a really good team. And then I will put us at number four.
Yeah, I will go Philly, San Francisco, excuse me, San Francisco, Philly, Dallas, Detroit. And just the reason I give that edge to San Francisco is just gosh, They're so efficient in so many ways, and they have so many weapons on the offensive side of the ball. It's a really good point though about McCaffrey. If he goes out for an extended amount of time, then that's a really young backfield. You're going to have all of a sudden, like do they put Jordan Mason
or Elijah Mitchell in there. They're gonna have to figure that one out. But they still have Deebo Samuel and George Kittle and Brandon i Uk who's taken anto their step this year. On the defensive side of the ball. I think with Philly and San Francisco both there are opportunities in that secondary to take advantage of, especially with CJ. Garner Johnson now in Detroit and leaving Philly. But their pass rushes are so aggressive that it's hard to really
take advantage of those secondary lapses. And as far as the difference between Dallas and Detroit, I think Dallas is just slightly more complete. I think Detroit can be really complete. They just need time, they need reps. I think by the end of the season, when we get to that week seventeen, sixteen or seventeen matchup against Detroit, we're probably looking up and saying, Okay, Detroit's probably the better team
here that's going to be coming into town. But as of right now, I have the slide edge to Dallas just because I think they've they've shown some more grit and games like what Detroit had last night.
Are you giving it to yesterday? It's a golf or deck right now, GoF, for sure, I give it.
I get to Dak because I look at how and I'll put it like this, the way Dak played last week. If you give me that DK, I think it's better than what GoF can give you. I think he will be He's a better quarterback than what GoF can give you.
Now Dak.
It's always been in my opinion, with Dak, it's always been about consistency.
Can you give me that same thing every week? Especially when you start talking about can you use your legs a little bit more?
Can you force teams to respect the fact that if they're going to turn their backs and run and they're going to be a man man coverage, you can take off and run on them and you can hurt them like that. Now, if team, if you forced team to respect that, it only makes the Cowboys better. I just don't know the Dak's going to do that every week. And by the way, I don't know if the coaches allowed Dak to do that every week.
And you know that could be.
A part of this too, is it's not just Dak's call. Could be about how they offense, how they want the offense to run. But I think at his best, I think Dak's a better quarterback than I think.
He has the talent and athleticism to be more dynamic than Jared Golf. As I watched Jared Golf with the Detroit Lions, I didn't go back to Jared Golf went to the Super Bowl absolutely with the Rams and they got rid of it, and they got rid of it. But you're watching them now and you're saying, this guy looks like the guy who took him to the super Bowl that season to where Saint Brown is all of a sudden, like you're looking at this guy and you're saying, wait,
where is this is Detroit? And Jared Golf was he thirteen and four? Well now thirteen to five over the last seventeen I keep seeing that stat He's been consistent there and we can't forget that Detroit was Detroit. We all looked at Detroit at the Stafford left and was like, they're sending Jared Golf there to end his career because they have no faith in him as a quarterback. And he's kind of you know, it's been rejuvenated there in Detroit. So I'm just you know, I'm just just watching them.
I'm happy for Golf because what he went through getting traded from the team that he took the Super Bowl and then ay man, you go out there and die in Detroit and you're saying, look look at me now.
So I think Detroit's a really interesting case too, because just most likely, if you're looking at likelihood, Dallas is probably either traveling to Detroit or to the winner of the NFC South first round of the playoffs. That's just kind of how things look right now because season end
of today, they'd be going to Detroit. So that'd be two games against Detroit in the final three or hopefully not final three, you know, hopefully they would win, right But I think that's an interesting he's leading the South Atlanta. They took four in three.
Four and three three, and Detroit's record is five and two. Right, so Dallas, I thought Dallas would be going if they in the first round, they'd be going to the South to play the South winner.
Right I think there's Sex in the wild card right now and the third ranked division winners.
Who's the fifth team right now? Seattle?
Yes, I thought I thought Dallas right now at the top of the wild cards, but maybe not.
It will take me like five seconds, but I didn't think.
Anybody had more less than two loss. But it might also be when you get in those tie breakers, who knows.
It's Seattle, yes, Seattle, yes, breaker over Dallas right now?
Okay, yeah, all right, that makes sense, which Dallas will have a chance to all these teams. Dallas gonna have a chance to all of them. So we will find out head to head what we.
Think of Dallas versus all these teams and how they rank up.
Last month is going a couple of weeks, and that last month is yeah, I mean really.
More than the last month.
You start thinking Thanksgiving on it's.
Gonna be wild. I will say that stretch where you go Philly, Buffalo, Miami, Detroit yesterday gave me a lot more confidence in that stretch with the way Buffalo played against New England, with the way Miami played in the second half against Philly, and then Detroit obviously against the Raid. And so there's a little bit of positivity from you.
And the interesting thing about it is, as we all know, this is a sport of injuries. So by the time we get to December, a lot of these teams, including Dallas, should look very differently when you start thinking about how injuries factor in. So we'll see how that plays out as a part of this entire picture. We're going to take our first break when we come back. Got these questions, We're going to do our first trimester review. Got a
lot of questions for these guys. Will get in just second Dallas Cowboys, Dot com ree.
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Cowboys fans, after that move, we've just coined the term rowdy replay.
Let's roll back the table.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller, would you, Dear Doctor?
My friend supported me during a tough time.
But what's the right gift that says thanks for being.
The souldier to cry out?
Okay, this one's easy, I say, give her a delicious doctor Pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any Doctor Pepper flavor will do now, just to remind her that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Doctor Pepper is the one you deserve.
They say champions are remembered, but legends are never forgotten.
You know.
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Back to the break.
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Welcome back.
We are in the second segment of the break Glive from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star.
Let's get into our first trimester review. We started last week. We're going to continue it this week. Primarily going to be He's filling the blank questions I have for you guys. We're going to start with I think probably the biggest question that anyone has when they talk about the Dallas Cowboys. It and here is the statement with the fill in the blank. Dak's play through the first six games has been blank.
Inconsistent.
I think we see some games like where we were playing New York and we're like, okay, this is very efficient, like he's completing a lot of passes, he's protecting the ball, and then you go to other games and you're like, wait, was that Is that Dak being efficient or is that him not taking chances to stretch the field?
Right?
So, I think it's inconsistent for like what we believe we should see from Dak.
And then you go into last week and he said, wait, Dak's using his legs. Where's this? Dak been right?
And I think we expected to see this from the beginning of the season.
So to me, it's been inconsistent.
It's gotten better, but it's just been you know, we don't know what Dak we're going to see when we go into a game.
Running through the sentence again, I want to be madically correct if my answer.
Dak's play through through the first six games has been.
Blank, leaving me wanting more. So I one word that Blake can be a book right left, okay, leaving me wanting more. Again, We've seen glimpses of what we really want to see in this offense on a consistent basis, and it goes right into your inconsistency point. It's, uh, you know, Dak using his legs as he did against
the Chargers a big, a big point for me. That points out to me his his leg usage was against the Patriots when he escaped in the red zone and had that first down and put his shoulder down and you know, set up a touchdown in the red zone, which was you know unforeseen at that time. But uh, and then downfield, we've seen the down ball action with Michael Gallup one on one, just trusting him in those areas and putting it in a position where only he can go grab it. I've loved to see all of that.
I just want to see it more. I want to see everything that he's doing good more. And I would say that kind of plays into what the offense is kind of schematically built around as well. It seems like early in games and especially on opening scripts, they're just keeping everything really centered and really mellow. I want to see them break out with an opening script. You know, have you utilize motion? There was a stat that was
thrown out in Sunday Night Football last night. The Dolphins are utilizing motion on eighty six percent of their offensive snaps. It feels like the Cowboys aren't even touching half of that. So you know, I want to I want to throw that out there, you know. I want to get Dak in positions where he can succeed more. But I think a lot of it falls on him as well.
The if you guys and I guess, let's move on to the second question. To be better, Dak needs to be blank.
Fearless, more fearless, And it's all to me. It's all going to go back to using his legs to extend plays. And it's easy for me to say because I didn't go through what Dak went through with the like I can imagine looking down at my leg and seeing seeing it that way, I can imagine that it's some trauma there, but for trauma something for him to then, like, if he's able to get over that and then get back to using his athleticism as he did at Mississippi State when he was being lsu, then I'm.
Like, Okay, we're rolling.
We're cooking with something now, because what we know is if Michael Gallup, Ceedee Lamb or Brandon cooks, if they aren't able to get open, we still can lean on Dak. When you look at the top teams in the league, especially the ones that were playing for the Super Bowl last year. You look at Jalen Hurts, look at Patrick Mahomes, you look at Joe Burrow, you look at Buffalo Bills.
All these teams have quarterbacks who are dynamic enough to extend plays, use their legs to get first downs when everything breaks down, and with us not having that, then I feel like that puts us behind. But when Dak is doing that, that puts us right on level with the rest of those teams.
So you're saying fearless more in the sense of being more athletic and trusting your trusting the legs.
Yeah, put it on the line, whatever it is, because that's what we used to see. Oh man, he's gonna go out there and do whatever he needs to do. That's what makes so that's what makes them great. Now, that's what made him that type of leader, because the teammates look at him and say, oh, he did that, our quarterback.
I'm about to go do that too.
I'm one hundred percent with you. I'm going to say fearless in the sense of not giving a damn about what happens outside of these doors, because I think just being the Dallas Cowboys quarterback. He's going to be on First Take every morning. You know, he's going to be on the talk shows. I feel like at times it gets to him a little bit. Yeah, that's interesting.
I always thought of Dak and everything I've seen, everything I've heard from people who deal with him on a day to day basis is the opposite that he is the most steady person they've ever seen when it comes to managing people's expectations around him and in the outside world.
So you're saying you don't think that's.
I think it's starting to get to a point where it's starting to affect him. And I think the offseason really did that with the interception talk over the entire offseason, and that became like a thing in his head, Okay, I have to stop interceptions. And you can kind of see it. It was the question that was asked at the end of the New England game, and you saw
a little bit of it. He's like, you want to piss me off, don't you talking about the the Niners that were coming up, And you can just see him get annoyed when certain questions come up, the turnover things, the and now it's the red zone offense. Now he's kind of getting tired of answering those questions. Well, it's like, well, why don't you go out on the field and show that, Hey,
I don't have any fear in these areas. I can, I can try to make a play, I can force things, and you know, try to try to be that that Dak dime guy that he has been in the past. Granted, he's made some great throws this season, but I don't feel like he's taken as any chances as he can because he's he's scared of the turnover situation. That's that's the way I feel. I want him to be fearless in that situation. Who cares you throw three picks so
you win the game? You win the game, you know So I I would love to see, yeah it is. That is if you can, if you can win it, if you can force that throw and still in the game, that force that throw, you know so, because we saw we saw that we saw in San Francisco. He came out in the second half and it was almost like you were throwing the kitchen sink because you had to. You were what twenty eight to ten at that point.
And that was when we saw kind of fearless Dak, but it was in a bad way because obviously it was three picks like within five possessions, I believe. So I want to see that on a consistent basis, just more efficient. Let's let's make a little bit wiser throws. And I'm not saying go throw three picks in five possessions.
I'm just saying, bring that fearlessness on a week two week basis, because when you have it, when it's a close game seventeen seventeen late in the fourth quarter, then you have a drive like you had against the Charters on Monday night. Granted it didn't end with a touchdout, but it ended with Gay winning points.
All right, Let's move on.
McCarthy's offense and play calling through the first six games has been blank.
Great.
In between the twenties, Like he comes out and we're watching the game and I'm like, oh, we're rolling. Especially when the run game gets going, You're like, okay, scheming
him up. Like McCarthy said, he's going to play to the defense to make sure he lets them get as much rest as possible in each drive with the kick, and then you get in between the twenties and you're like, Okay, I'm okay with field goals because I do believe our defense is great, but it would be nice to convert some of these into touchdowns or just see that we're close to scoring a touchdown where okay, it was just off by a little bit. We're seeing running plays to
where it's like, really, really vanilla. We're not seeing any as much creativity as we had hoped when we get into the route concepts in the red zone. Really enjoyed the Brandon Cooks mess route, which we were like, okay, using his speed to get them all the way across the field. Those are the type of things you want to see in the red zone to kind of capitalize on the skill sets of your receivers. But yeah, great
in between the twenties, red zone, not so much. The one thing I would say is I'm happy with the field goals in the red zone because the one time when he decided to okay, I'm hearing all the red zone noise, I'm gonna go fun on fourth down.
It bit us in the button right. We talked about it all season.
We're gonna play to the defense, and then we all started talking about it. Everybody on ESPN started talking about it, and then I felt like he heard it, and then he went forward. But then the next game you see him saying, you know what, I put my earplugs in.
I didn't hear. Let me go and kick the field goal.
So and by the way, you kicked his ball.
Yes, yes, which is surprised us. Right.
No, imagine if he wasn't, how bad that might be. Looking at three and three. I'm just gonna say, non creative. And it goes back to what I've been saying, you know the last couple of shows. Just utilize the weapons and better situations, get the ball in the playmaker's hands in more creative ways.
So to be better, McCarthy needs to blank.
No, I'm think of I'll think of a better answer here.
To be better McCarthy Theeds two, I'm gonna steal yours. Well, Actually, it's not that he needs to play to the strengths of his the weapons that he now has. All right, Brandon Cooks, like I'm always going to say, line him up at number three, run him on the deep over
see who can keep up with him? All right, if you find somebody that can keep up with him, then okay, then they find playing b But I'm telling you you're gonna have a hard time finding a defensive back who can keep up with him running down the field like that because he has that type of speed. That is how you utilize one of your best player skill sets. Ceedee Lamb should be lining up all over the place
all type of motions. As you said, he missed his one motion with turping when he was out of the game. Turpy came in and ran into the bunch route. But we should see more of that from CD Lamb as we do see that from Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase, all those other receivers who you say, Okay, you know they're going to face a lot of double teams. How can we still then get these guys open. I think playing more into that is what Mike McCarthy can do to be better.
I'm gonna say, put more trust in his quarterback. I think if there's more trust there to you know, create some things downfield cheerpoint on Brandon Cooks, then I think there's more big plays and more explosive plays that will be generated from that. I haven't loved the downfield passing game just in general. I mean, we have seen some opportunities where they've been able to capitalize on that. But
I want a little bit more trust in Dak. I want I want that comeback route to be on a little bit more on the opposite hash that he's been so good at throwing at times in his career. You know, I want to see him link up with Ceedee Lamb more downfield, Brandon Cook's downfield. That just kind of goes across the board though, and that could be in the running game as well. You know, I would love to see more read option with him and Tony Poller. That'd be a lot of fun.
So all right, we're going to take our final break. We'll come back with gasp questions about this defense. We'll do that in the seconds. Dallas Cowboys dot Com.
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Okay, okay, Welcome back to the final segment of The break Lip in WBC Mortgage Studios.
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This segment is gonna be brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, so here's what we're gonna do. We got a few more questions I want to get to before we end the show.
This question. The defense through six games has been blank.
Not as consistent as I want them to be.
I think as long as we're in a situation to where we're ahead and we're forcing the other team to pass, we are outstanding. I do want us to be better in the run. I was surprised at how well we played the run against San Francisco. I was one surprise, but then I look back at Arizona and I say, I was surprised at how you know, it was unfortunate that we didn't play the run as.
Well as that's the only game.
Like when you think about they played well against the run against the Chargers, is that the only game where they had with that whole that old narrative of them not being able to stop the run as popped.
Up that is that is the only game.
But for or as great as I want this defense to be, that is not a game where you say.
We're going to give up It was two hundred at Arizona.
When you give up two hundred and.
Twenty two yards Russian, that's not just a bad game against the run. That is a that is horrible against the run. So like against the bad team, against the bad team, when you see that, they're not doing much now as you continue to watch it throughout the season. So I think that is our Achilles hill, and it has been for the last couple of years, our physicality, and I want to see us continue to get better and then have that be something that we stand on
it as we go into the playoffs. Like, hey man, when you play the Dallas Cowboys, they're gonna be physical. Every yard you get in the run game is going to be earned. Like they should be saying that about us, and if they do, knowing that what we have with our pass rush. That's when we become that defense to where you really fear and we travel wherever we're going.
Yeah, to a lot of those say points, I'm gonna say great, but not elite as far as the defense, or we've seen what elite could look like in this defense the first two weeks. I mean, we're coming out of Week two talking about this could be one of the best defenses ever and then humbled really fast. And then they turn around and have a really good performance against New England and we see what that potential looks like. Whenever everything is clicking and the pass rush is getting home,
they're forcing turnovers, they're playing complimentary football. And then San Francisco, and I think San Francisco is more so of a cause of the offense putting them on the field the entire first half and then eventually they broke. I don't think you can have any team in the history of the NFL that's going to be on the field that long against that offense and not break. So I would say great, but not elite. I think there's a couple
of things that they can do to be elite. It's to your save point, stopping the run, being a little bit more efficient in covering slot receivers specifically. I feel like Jordan Lewis has had a couple of lapses at moments, but he's had good moments at other times. Against New England really great, but against San Francisco there was some lapses against the Chargers man that almost costs us the game. I feel like, So I would say.
A little difference because of the fact that he missed training camp and just kind of have sure kind of get himself going.
Now he's going through that period during the season.
For sure, but at the same time, he's no different than the guy lining up across the across the line of scrimmage from him. So he'd have to be ready to go. And when you're battling a guy like Keenan Allen and there's trust there to battle a guy like Keenan Allen, then I would expect him to be able to play up to his potential in that in that instance. Granted,
I'm not out on Jordan Lewis by any means. There's a lot of people that are on the Twitter sphere where they're like, oh, let's get rid of Jordan Lewis. Let's figure this out and I'm like, man, he's still working himself. A good player, he's a great player, he's a dog, he's great for that locker room. I think he'll have a bounce back performance whenever he has an opportunity. Well, there'll be a really good opportunity. Actually on Sunday. There's
a guy named Cooper Cup on the other side. But I think if I think it's great but not elite.
Listen and those people who speak that way about Jordan Lewis do not have a full understanding of the slot corner being one of the most difficult positions to play
on the entire football field. Like you're talking about top top three, Like you got quarterback, you might be slat corner right after that, to be honest, because there's so much space and the technique that you use on the outside, you can't use that same technique on the inside because there's a two way go most of the time, and if you're not getting the help from a linebacker or safety, then you pretty much on the island by yourself with more space than any other position on the field, and.
You're going to see the best receiver every single week. Because in today's NFL they figure if you got a number one receiver, you figure out a way to get him into the slot because you want to be having given those opportunities to be able to work both sides.
So yeah, it's a tough position.
And they're motion in you, so now you can't press. You got to come across the four.
Everything about it makes a challenge, everything about it all right, if Dallas could upgrade any position before the trade deadline, it would be blank.
I'm gonna go say linebacker, just with the way the depth looks at that position. I was close to saying running back, and I've been off that running back point for a while. But I was watching football yesterday, right, and as you do, and the teams that succeed in their running game, they're multiple in the running game. It's either a quarterback that's really dynamic or it's two running backs that can bounce off each other and they feed off each other really well. They play two different style,
you know, a running games. I feel like the Cowboys are really gonna have the loan running game with Tony Pollard. But I want to speak to my linebacker point. The depth there. I feel like even if Layton vander ash is able to come back at some point this season. You need a reliable option in that second level because you know it takes one more injury and then you're looking at a playoff game where you're potentially having to start either you know, Rashaun Evans or Marquise Bell in
that second level. And granted, Marky's Bell played phenomenally aguainst the Chargers, but you can't expect him to go out there and play like that every single week. He's still a safety at the end of the day. So I would like to see a little bit more depth in that second level if you ask me.
Yeah, if I'm upgrading the position and shoot me for this one, I'm going to interior defensive lineman. I want because what we saw San Francisco do to us is they utilize the double team almost every snap and they said, we're just going to get you off, get you off
the ball. And I watched Philly play last night and I'm watching those guys like whole point on double teams and free up those linebackers, giving them the room to run, and if they're a step late, then they're not automatically getting hit by the left tackle or the right guard or whatever lineman who's not getting held on point. I want to see us get I remember, are.
You saying a one tech or three tech?
Either one at this point? Either one. I'm thinking of Philly last year picked up in dominicansu oh in season like lateness latencies last year late and season and to me, to me, it was a guy who then changed changed some stuff for them on defense when we went and got Mizzie Smith. We got Mozzie Smith because we said, okay, we were My thought is we getting bullied when we
get into these physical games. We watched the Denver Broncos game, then we ended off with the San Francisco game, and you said, okay, we need to get more stout in here. Doesn't have to be a pass rusher, but we need somebody we say he's gonna whole point and allow everybody else to run freely. And I just don't think we have that right now. Our defensive line, especially in the past game, is next to none. But as far as in the run game, if we were going to upgrade, I'll take interior defense swamp.
Let me ask you if if you could get a linebacker that's just a dominating run stopper would that would that kind of feel what you're looking for at the same time, or do you want some guy? You want somebody upfront.
I want somebody upfront, Okay, I want somebody up front to take on those double teams, to be a disruptor. Moved a line of scrimmage back because with the talent that we have with d Law and Michael Parsons, and then I think that allows the moont Clark to play a little bit more freely. If Layton vanderz come back, comes back healthy, I think you see a different Layton Vanderesh when he doesn't have those offensive linemen getting pushed
back into his lap. So I would rather upgrade that that position.
You know, it's so unfortunate. I did a lot of draft prep in the in the last week. This is a really good defensive tackle class, and I was like, did they draft a defensive tackle too early?
Too early? But you know what's.
Interesting to me though, I do think they have they have a disruptor and Osa. I think Olsa is a good three technique from the standpoint. I do think he gets in the back. I think he's he makes plays for you. I think they got a good one technique and Hankins who can caught things up, who can take
on a double team without getting moved. I think the issue is neither one of them can give you much in the other way, right, which maybe what you're saying like, you got a one technique that can hold up, but he ain't.
Gonna give you much disruption.
You got a three technique that can get into the backfield and penetrate and make plays, but he ain't gonna maket necessarily hold up on a double team. And so or what is what you're saying that you want a defensive tackle that can do both things, that can in some instances hold up at the point of attack to force or to allow this linebackers to be able to run free and at the same time, on a third down, be able to get a field and go disrupt.
And I think that is both right, because if you don't hold a double team long enough and you have a disrupt up there, he's gonna wreck the play, ye right. And if you do have a guy who can hold a double team and they have to because he's a disruptor, then that allows them linebackers to run freely. So both but a player who has that full steal set to say, all right, we need to focus on this guy who's on the interior defensive line, because we don't handle him, then we don't have a player.
I mean, those guys exist, though, when I think around the league.
Obviously you got your Aaron Donald, you got I think Philly's got a few of these kind of.
Guys right in our division. You know, they got a few.
Of those guys you look at you look at New York. I think you can maybe say that about uh, what's the Dexter Lawrence. Yeah, you know, Washington even has a couple of those guys. But I just don't think when you start looking around the entire league, I don't think most teams have guys that do both things.
Well that's right, that's what you know. It was imaginary, you know, right, if I had an idea word, I can upgrade the position. I go as you know, man, now give me a guy and say you put them right, like that's the guy I want there. But yeah, it is hard to find those guys. But you know, I wish I wish we could because because those other teams have been able to find them.
Maybe they just maybe maybe they just just go get them we got an extra room some.
Of the stuff.
But I tell you that they got Dallas gott Mosie Smith. You get him later in the first round. That may be the difference between a defensive tackle you can get later in the first round and these guys we're talking about, who are you know, Top ten, top twelve, top fifteen type players. It's gonna be a much harder They're gonna much better players, probably because there's skill set suggested.
You're looking at corner and you're saying, man like Watchet Philly. You're like, oh, that's that's what I want.
There's no way he should have dropped as far as he did, but yeah, he's that's exactly right.
He Mosi Smith could be that. I'm not saying he can early is early in his career. I'm just saying, you know, when you draft a guy in the first round, to me, you're like, all right, I want to see that guy play now and be that type of disruptive, which he hopefully he can. But my upgrade as of right now will be there.
Yeah, all right, let's.
Go to the next question. The biggest surprise this season has been blank.
Give me Brandon Aubrey. I did not expect him to be this efficient, this this being like the safety net sixteen for sixteen starting his career. If you had told me midway through training camp, but that's what we'd be looking up at, I'd be telling you you're crazy. And I remember we had that that very last campfire podcast at an Auxnard. It was the day before we left, and Haley Sutton that proposed a question, what's your confidence
level on Brandon Aubrey right now? And I think I maybe had the highest and it was at like fifteen percent. And to be where we're at right now with probably a good ninety five percent confidence in Brandon Aubrey every time he steps out there, that's a huge surprise to me. So I'm just gonna say that leave it positive well.
Since you went positive opposite, you know, because we brought up the kicker early start, and I'm kid you didn't steal it's it's the lack of production from Brandon Cooks before we go into that last game. He had under
one hundred yards through five games of the season. And you watched Brandon Cooks any other team that he's been on, and he's been more than serviceable if he has a quarterback and even with Houston last year, I think he had six hundred, six hundred and fifty something yards something like that and they were in a two quarterbacks with some against us, right, So just functional. So no matter who he's been around and what team, he's been productive.
And then to make it five games through the season and only have seventy two yards, that is the most surprising part, especially from what you were hearing coming out of training camp of like, Okay, he's fast. He's bringing a different, different type of leadership to our our receiver room as well. But the connection with him and Dak, you're gonna see it early, and you just you just didn't see it, just knowing how fast he is and how productive he's been.
And it's interesting during training camp every day in practice you saw them going downfield a lot, and I was I was, actually, that's what I've been shocked by is in camp. You couldn't have told me that this would be a team that is taking its shots down feel more regularly, especially with the guys you got, the speed you got on the that with guys in your receiving corps, they just aren't doing it as much as I thought they would based on what I was seeing during training camp.
I expected them to use that a lot more as a part of their offense, and it doesn't seem like that's as much a staple.
And you can see the desire because you see Turpin getting integrated in some weird situations, whether it be on an end a round or handoffs in the red zone or trusting him on that deep ball in San Francisco. But where's that with Cooks as well? You know, like, let's let's let's divvy up the trust a little bit. You can tell if they want to utilize that speed. I just feel like there's there's kind of a gap there between once again and understanding it.
Do we still believe that Brandon Cooks is the Brandon Cooks that we hoped we would get when he got drafted? Absolutely right, because I do as well. I just want to make sure that that it's.
Not that we saw it during training camp.
And by the way, he was going up against the same defense that we think has potential to be really great, and that was with Trayvon Diggs and he was making plays. So yes, I think he still has the ability. I just don't know for whatever reason, whether it's the scheme, whether it's the play calling, whether they're just not using him that way for whatever reason. It's not showing up on Sundays.
I don't think it's a Brandon Cook's problem.
No, me neither, because I can't go.
I can't watch what he's done at every squad and be like, Okay, all of a sudden he got here and then he he just lost everything.
I thirty. It's not like he's like late in his career. Everyone talks about him being the seasoned veteran. He's just turned thirty. He's dack sah.
You know. All right, we appreciate you guys. You on to swop back to our normal schedules tomorrow. Man, I appreciate you guys coming sitting in with me. It's been good, been great. We've had some great conversation. Now you'll go back to your show, A right.
Appreciate you show.
No, no, no.
This is hopefully a good opportunity for people that may not have known about your shows to now know, Hey man, some good.
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