Cowboys Break: Where The Game Turned

The Break. We are alive in the SWBC More studios at the Star got Nick David Amber and we're gonna talk about the Cowboys lost yesterday. It was a competitive game, but it lost. Nonetheless, Cowboys lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers twenty were nineteen. And as we typically do on Monday's following a game, we're gonna start with some storylines, some

big picture storylines that you take from the game. It seems a bit repetitive because there have been so many losses, but maybe you guys have something different that you take out of this game than you've taken out of others. NICKO, let's start with you. Oh well, I mean, no one likes to talk about moral victories or anything like that, but I mean it was that's where we are. You know, when you when you bring a guy in for that's never played in the NFL, I mean, never started a

game before and he goes and plays like that. I thought that the team, you know, rallied around him. I thought the energy from the stadium was good. I mean both you know, the fans from both sides there. I thought it was a good atmosphere. The Cowboys played their best game on defense, but ultimately they're just not good enough. Their offense wasn't good enough to get over the hump and score when they need to. Field goals don't win.

Field goals don't be undefeated teams, and they didn't amber. Well, I know it was a loss, but it's kind of a weird feeling because in a way, I feel like they won and it brought back some little hope and the talks of like, okay, well maybe and just maybe this team can actually start turning things around, because I think this is the first time that we actually see all three faces be able to find some success in the game. So it was a good thing. It brings

back all the time. Okay, well, maybe they can get to the playoffs, and maybe they can beat the teams down the line, because the rest of the schedule are gonna be teams that aren't necessarily as competitive as the Steelers are currently. So it's it's going to be interesting to see what the second half of the season brings. Dave, you said that, Amber who said that. Nobody else said that, Nobody forced you to say it. You're popping back on the bandwagon of your own free will you see? They

always do that to me. I'm just pointing that out. Expect me to say that, right, that was not supposed to be something. Yeah, seriously and seriously exactly. Um, it's funny.

I guess my takeaway is I feel very right and very wrong all at the same time, because a couple of weeks ago, I remember being like, you know, the NFL seasons have these ebbs and flows, like no, only only two teams have gone undefeated in the regular season ever, and there's no NFL team that just gets blown out every week, week after week, like not even the O

eight Lions got blown out every single week. So you knew the Cowboys were going to turn it around at some point and at least play competitive football, but I sure as hell didn't expect it to be against the Steelers, of all of all the teams, you know, the last undefeated team left in the league. Maybe not the best team in the league, but certainly a very good team. And to see them display that type of competence, particularly

on defense, it was it was impressive. I don't know what it means, you know, I don't think they're gonna make the playoffs, but if they play that way the rest of the way, they're definitely gonna win a few more games. Yeah. That's the interesting thing is when you looked at the matchups, and I was having this conversation with my wife before I was leaving to go to the game yesterday, and I was like, you know, me, I try to be optimistic in just in life in general.

So when I'm watching teams like that i'm rooting for, I typically am more optimistic than the average person. But I was like, I can't find a scenario but which the Cowboys can win this game. What they do the worst, which in my opinion, is the offensive line, is actually what matches up to the Steelers greatest strength, which is their defensive line and their ability to get after the quarterback, and so I just couldn't see a scenario where they

could make it work. But they found ways yesterday to make things work and keep themselves in the game and keep fighting. And we saw a lot of things from the team yesterday, including the offensive line play, including the defense where they haven't been great all season, including the

quarterback play. Well, they haven't been great, and yesterday they were able to get some things that they hadn't gotten and were able to put it together in a way that I kind of agree with Amber that you know, you feel to day almost like it's a win, even though they end up on the losing endevid just because they played so much better than you have thought they would played. But let's jump into some of the moments

that mattered. We're gonna go around everybody give me a moment that mattered from yesterday's game, and but let's start with you. I can't give you a specific moment, but I'm just gonna choose just the penalties in general, because three of them that were very costly for the Cowboys, and I'm sure we're gonna get into the We're gonna talk about them more down the line, but you talk

about the one where the field goal. They missed the field goal and then they get a call a penalty call for I think it was a false start I think, and then it gets called back, they try the field goal again, they score. Then the two penalties on Jalen Smith, which very questionable and debatable, but at the end of the day, it ended up call same points on the board. The Steelers end up scoring a touchdown and then end up scoring a field goals. So I think just penalties

in general in general were very costly for the Cowboys. Yeah, the interesting part about that, and then you mentioned the two Jalen penalties. Regardless of what you think about it, I'm actually interesting to hear what you guys have to think about those. They still end up being penalties that you would expect that, you know, a veteran like him, at least on one of them doesn't make that costly mistake, and on both instances it cost the Cowboys plenty. Nick,

I'll start with you on that. Did you think that they were penalties and what were just your thoughts on those those major penalties that came from Jalen. I don't think the one with Claypool was a penalty. I think it was an NBA flop. Honestly, I think he flopped, and if he did that, that's a veteran move by a rookie like that. But you can't go around and be like this beast and flex and all that kind of stuff and then get pushed to the ground like that.

I don't think so. I think he I think he got he felt contact and he kind of went down or your trip or whatever. I don't I don't think that was a good call. But you can't hit quarterbacks in the face and that was an accident. Doesn't matter. They don't care about about that. Layton Vanderresh was an accident, he said after the game. The guy was up around his neck and if anybody's gonna get a guy's hand

off his neck, it's gonna be Layton Vanderresh. He's not gonna have anybody on around his neck area who was trying to get his hand off. And when he did, he moved and he hit him in the face. So bad luck for Jalen and Layton on that. But I don't I didn't agree with that call, which was the biggest play in the game. I think because if you know that that Alton Smith penalty, I mean fumble, they're gonna get another field goal. They're gonna be up seven.

This time it was eight forty six and the fourth left in the fourth first and ten at the fifth the Pittsburgh forty seven. And on that play is when Crawford shows up, makes a great play, gets the ball out, forces the fumble, all of the Smith recovers it, and he gets it to the Pitsburg twenty one. You're right at the worst case scenario, you're assuming they get a field goal. Best case scenario, maybe they get a touchdown that late in the game. That was a huge play

in a huge moment for this team. Dave, what do you think of the two penalties? Well, I'll talk about him briefly, but that I think that hides over the bigger point. But I mean, okay, the Claypool penalty was bs and especially on a game, on a game swinging play, you know where Pittsburgh scores on that drive. Obviously you like Dallas's odds to get some type of points. If

that play stands, that's just really bad luck. The roughing the passer was a penalty, like, there's no way, it's it's not fair the game is slanted toward quarterbacks, but

welcome to the NFL. Honestly, you talk about Claypool flopping that, I thought it was a great job of salesmanship by Ben Roethlisberger because if he just takes that hit and stays up, there's probably no flag because that you know, Cam Newton and Dak never get those calls because they're big, strong guys and when you hit them, you know, it doesn't look like they're vulnerable. And big big Ben his name is Big Ben. He's a gigantic guy. Like if he just takes that hit and stand and stays standing,

they probably don't flow to throw the flag. And I don't know for sure, but it looked like he kind of let himself go down to emphasize that he got hit. That's what it looked like to me. If you go back and watch the replay, like he's looking for the ref as soon as he hits the ground. So I just think that's a great job of veteran gamesmanship by Ben Roethlisberger. It's unfortunate for Jalen, but it's absolutely a penalty. But the point I was gonna make is, you know,

Jalen Smith, everybody we do this all the time. We're like, I don't want to complain about the penalties, Like we gotta control, we can control. But here's all the thing I hate about the penalties. Like if you want to talk about if you want to talk about the game changing moment that was completely within the Cowboys control. It's opted to kick that field goal to go up ten

at the end of the third quarter. And you know that that was the moment of the game because we in the press box sat there and had a ten minute debate about it, like we were all. Derek leaned over and he's like, all right, Dave, what do you do here? Rob, Like, what's what's your strategy here? And I don't I don't hate the call. You know, you got a fourth string quarterback, You got a chance to take a two possession lead toward the tail end of

the game. But you can certainly second guess it and say, if you go forward and pick it up, you can probably take two more minutes off the clock. Even if you're forced to settle for another field goal. That's two or three minutes that Roethlisberger has less to work with. You know, they zipped right down the field after that

field goal and tied it up like two minutes later. So, um, if you're talking about things that were in the Cowboys control that swung that game, that's That's what I go back to is if you're going for broke trying to win, maybe you should have gone for it on fourth down. The biggest penalty of the game. I mean, yeah, Jay those Jayleen penalties were big, but I mean you can't overlook how big the Terrence Steel penalty was before the half,

because you know, the Cowboys were aggressive. They said, we're gonna go out and we're gonna make something happen here. Right before halftime thirteen six, they're up Dalton Shultz twenty yard catch over the middle. I mean, they're gonna probably go get a field goal to go up ten instead.

I mean, I thought that was that was really you know, borderlines that to call that on Terrence Steele for being off the line of scrimmage like that, whatever, But I mean that the next play then you know, CD gets the fumbles and then they it's a six point swing right there and they lose by five. So I mean, I think, you know, of course, the game could be played differently, but I thought the Terrence Steele not lining

up penalty. That was pretty big. Yeah, it's interesting because I actually had that when it happened, I highlighted it as a moment that mattered, and then the next play just basically took all the air right out of that. You get the fumble, and it's like, okay, well that it really didn't matter as much because the next play you fumble, and you thought I think we all thought

I shouldn't say that. I thought that maybe they were getting to a point where ball security was going to be something that we could see a lot less of it. By the way, we have seen less of it. But it just came in just the most inopportune time. Not that there's a great time ever to lose the ball, but it's just those kind of moments just tend to happen to this team. They keep putting themselves in bad positions. They can't get the good things to happen without eventually

giving away a bad thing. I did want to mention too, though, Dave, you were talking about that decision to go for it.

It was two seventeen left and third, it was fourth and one of the Pittsburgh twenty two McCarthy makes the decision to try the attempt at field goal, they get the field goal, And to be honest with you, as we were talking about in the press box, I was actually, you know, I was more on the side of McCarthy of saying, Okay, you take your points here, because I think to that point your team has played above their heads.

You're looking at how they're playing against the team I thought offensively and defensively, they were playing above their heads. You take the points where you can get the points, and you keep fighting, as opposed to let's say, you you go for it, you don't get it, and then momentum just completely shifts, and at that point a team that may have felt like they were kind of in this game starts to feel like they're a little less

in the game. But all that being said, I think this is one of those rare instances in football where actually both decisions can be right. I'm interested to hear what you think and what Amber thinks on this, Nick, What are your thoughts about I just gut feeling there. I didn't hate it, honestly, maybe kind of what you were saying going up ten at that point in the game, I mean, not that you felt like that was gonna be enough. But just I mean at that point that

they don't. You don't allow nine points to the Steelers. So the defense was playing well, and it just comes down to can you get the yard? I mean, can you get it? They've been running well at that drive so and I think Gilbert probably could have got it. But I just the confidence of can they get the yard versus the confidence that zirline is gonna make this kick and what a ten point lead might have done.

I just I didn't hate it. I wouldn't have hated either way, that kind of like you said, I wouldn't have hated that call. I my gut was saying kick it there though, but I don't remember how long was it? A full yard? Half yard? Was to me? Yeah, I can't fall Jason Garrett to say it was a long one. It was a long one, you know. And I and I missed the press box banter there, So, uh um, what was the what was being said there? Well? Amber, what what was your thought before you get to let's

get what Amber had to say? What do you think of the of the of the call? Well, William, you were going around the room asking I told you, I'm like they should go for it. And my reasoning to that was because I know the Cowboys were ahead and things were going unusually well for the Cowboys at that point. But at the same time I've been feeling these past few weeks it's like, what do you have to lose? Yes, you you need to get the points where you can get them. But at the same time, I'm like, just

do it, just try it. And it's one of those scenarios where you're never gonna please everyone because on one hand, Stay, you went for it, didn't convert, and then we weren't be having this conversation. We would be saying the opposite man, they should have what was he thinking? They should have kicked and got in three points. So it's one of the others like you don't It's never like a win win situation and you just have to hope for the best.

And I guess in that scenario they decided to go the more conservative way, maybe because they really felt like they had a chance to win that game. But had it been me, I would have gone for it. Two things. A note about that drive on that drive and Dave, I'll get you just second. Two things. A note about that drive on that drive, there were two no gains rushing, two rushes that were no gain, both by Zeke, and there was one rush for a negative two by Pollock.

So in that drive alone, there had been three instances where they tried to run the ball and they either got nothing or they got negative yard. That could have also played into Now they had some decent runs in that drive too, but that could have also played into the coach's mind, like we've had some some things not go well in this drive alone. I'm not certain I'm gonna be able to get this date. What we're gonna mention.

I just I just want to be clear. This is not a situation where I'm like Mike McCarthy's an idiot and they bungled this terribly. I agree with everything y'all said. I think you can justify it pretty well either way. And at the time I was even like, yeah, with the way the defense has been playing, you probably just

take your points. But in hindsight, you know, playing a quarterback like Roethlisberger's like playing Lebron you know, like if you could be up by eighteen at the end of the third quarter and you shouldn't feel safe, like the run is gonna come and so you know, you look back on the game after it happened and you're like, yeah, that wasn't a terrible decision. But if you're really going for broke trying to beat a better team, maybe that's a scenario where you just put your chips on the table.

You know, one thing that I will say about this is that so so they get it, Let's say they do go for it and they get it, when are you going to kick the field goal? I mean later in that I mean three more minutes, it maybe goes into the fourth quarter, they're gonna kick a field goal. I mean, the way Pittsburgh was playing on defense, it was, you know, it was just so tough for the Cowboys to get They had to get a matchup on t J. Watt against Ceedee Lamb and recognize it to get the touchdown.

They finally got a touchdown there. I mean, we're not really talking about it much, but they had two great kick return and a punt return, and those two game changing field flipping plays netted three points combined. That was huge. Rico Daddle, I mean, Jim Nance doesn't even know who Rico Daddle is. You could just hear the scrambling of like, who's this guy? You know, as he's trying to figure it out, nobody knows who he is except for us,

I mean because we went to camp. But I mean, you know, he he makes a great play and they get down there, they're on the seven yard line and they don't get anything out of that. I mean, that was huge. That interception was huge. Yep, all right, we're gonna take our first break. When we come back. I want to talk a little bit about some performance reviews. There were some players that had some really good days. There were some units that had some really good days. Nick,

you just mentioned special teams. I think we gotta talk about special teams to do that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why Selor pioneers ways to make lenses as unique as you. Varilux were Super Sharp Vision, Essential Blue for protection, and Crisolve for freedom from glare, three cutting up solutions, and a single unique lens. So whatever your needs, insist on Selor visit your local

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respecting Cowboys and your favorite football team. Get yours today at Shop Dallas Cowboys dot com or at Stetson dot com. I'm Jay Novachek, former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys back in the day. I was a guy who always got the tough yards, and that's why I run with John Deer today. In fact, I have a John Dear three zero twenty five E tractor that can handle any yardwork I need to do, even the tough yards way

out back. So if you have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the equipment that's just right for you, Visit a John Deer dealer today and run with us. We are the official tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. Here it's nineteen o eight. Don't you think we should get electricity and stop using candles to see at night. It's just electricity lights up the room fast. It's more reliable than candles blowing out, and people to love it nationwide.

Well come, sorry, Dare, did you just run into the wall? I have a new caango please. Historically, switching to new technology is a no brainer. Today it's AT and T five G fast, reliable, secure and nationwide. Switch to a T and T five G. It's not complicated. Five G requires compatible plan. May not be in your area. See at dot com Slash five G for you for details. Back to the break. The Cowboys will be back at home at AT and T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day to

take on the Washington football team. Tickets starting at eighty nine dollars are on sale now. Get yours today at Dallas Cowboys dot com slash tickets. Make AT and T Stadium a home game again. Welcome back at is the second second of the show, live from the s WBC Mortgage Studios. Thanks Dave at the Star. Sorry, I was doing something that's delayed reaction, but a good, good reaction. It was. It was fifty fifty maybe sixty forty. What do you thing? Oh, yesterday it was. I thought it

was seventy third. I think you were right. Your prediction was right. It was seventy third. I actually I had a little bit of free time before before the game. I was kind of standing out there. You wouldn't count it. I did three times. I counted two one hundred. I counted one hundred fans coming in the stadium three times.

Now that's just the three hundred. You got too much time when I was waiting around the game, start right, go ahead, and I counted three times and I got it was like a sixty forty Dallas one time, was like a fifty eight forty two Pittsburgh and then fifty fifty on the diet at one time. That's just three hundred out of thirty thousand fans. But it was what point. It was about forty five minutes before kickoff. I will say this, I think that it came that at that

point there were more people coming in. But probably an hour, hour and fifteen minutes before you saw like there were a lot of fans, a lot of Pittsburgh fans were already in the state. That's always exactly, but I mean a little different when you're in this kind of situation, I think. But anyway, it just there were a ton of them, and even there once the game started, I looked out there. It just to me it looked like and it wasn't because you're seeing yellow, because you know,

sometimes piercing colors makes it look like it's more. But they seem like they clearly had an interview yvantage that they did. Well. You know, if you're black and gold, that's Pittsburgh. If you're you know, cowboys, and if you're wearing red, that's probably cowboys. If you're wearing green, I mean, because if you're gonna go into a game for the Steelers, you're gonna wear your lady on bell jersey or whatever you got. Franko Harris or whatever. Franko Harris, I mean

Joe Green. Who's that I'm kidding, O kidding, I mean Joe Green. Okay, I'm kidding. I'm kidding it, all right, my boy. Heck ma Harris. I loved an interview with him. Yeah, it's his uncle. It was a great, great interview. It was a good interview. All right, here's here's what to do. We're gonna talk about some different players and some different units. We call this segment performance reviews. We first have to

talk about Garrett Gilbert. He was twenty one to thirty eight, fifty five percent completion rate, two hundred and forty three yards passing, one touchdown, one interception, and then he had three rushes for twenty yards, which I thought were really nice because they were in situations where he needed to run the ball and he made most of it. That being said, should he be the starter after the buy or did they go back to Andy Dalton. We're just

going in there. Yeah, we're going right in. We're going on this Amber. What do you think not assessing the game? We're going right to the Okay, and feel free to throw in whatever you got to talk about in the game. But that's what I want to talk about. Let's go Amber, Okay, I'll play your game, you know what, Yes, yes, I'll make him the starter. And his performance looked so much better because mainly, I think because of what we've seen since Dak has been out, so the way that the

other quarterbacks had performed so far has nothing. It hasn't been impressive, and there there's been a lack of unity, a lack of of just connection between him and the receiver. So the fact that we were finally able to see something good from Garrett Gilbert, which he wasn't perfect or anything, but still he had moments where you're like, oh, okay, all right, he can do that. Okay. So it's just in the combination of him being able to utilize his legs and get out of the pocket and run a

little bit. I thought it was motivating, and again I said it earlier, it brought back some hope that maybe this offense is able to start turning things around a little bit since Dak's departure and injury. So yes, I would just make him the starter. Dave, this is gonna be I mean, this is the classic debate between team tank and team win games like that. That's where we are,

and I think you're well not burying the lead. But it is a worthwhile thing to point out that a lot of people listening to this show, a lot of Cowboy fans are sitting around saying, man, that was perfect. They played well and they still lost. They didn't mess up this draft pick. This is great, and that's that's how a lot of people feel. So I completely understand the desire to see more of Garrett Gilbert, because you know,

you find out what you have in him. And also people are awared, like he gives you the better chance to lose more games. I think that's what a lot of people think. Me personally, I don't. I'm not. I'm just not ready to stress about that stuff. In mid November. There's a lot of football left to be played. The Cowboys are going to lose more games, so they're gonna

win a few. And I don't know, I don't know that Andy Dalton on his own is the difference between them magically running to the playoffs and finishing three and thirteen, you know, I and for that matter, people people probably don't want to hear this, but like I just that would suck for Andy if if he doesn't get a chance, because I mean, he's signed here in part to have an opportunity to audition for the rest of his career.

And I know the Cowboys have their own priorities that they need to get figured out, but you'd like to think he could at least have a chance to put a handful of games on paper or on tape where he doesn't get concussed. So no, I mean, if the season goes the way people think it's gonna go and there can into contention for a top ten pick. Garrett Gilbert or Cooper Rush will have more chances to start later. But I would put Andy back in the lineup when

he's ready for the time being. Probably i'd go with a better quarterback, and I just don't see how it wouldn't be Andy. I would go with the better guy here, and again we'd go round and round on this. I don't brave on the curve when it comes to this, you know, and eighty two is better than a seventy five on a test, regardless of what your expectations are of the person. And so if Garrett Gilbert comes from the Orlando Apollos and he goes it's against the Seilers

and does that, that's great. But is his expectations you know, was it more of an expectations things which I think, you know, we didn't expect him to do anything. If he's better than Andy Dalton, then yeah, I would play him. But I don't think he's going to be. And I still think that you can go and like Dave said, you know, you'd be competitive here or give Andy a shot. He hasn't done anything wrong, you know, he I mean both protocols that he's in. I mean, that's just that's

what happened. But I think he should go out and he should play. And if Garrett Gilbert's going to be a backup here for maybe next year, he just showed that he can get here in three weeks and play against the Steelers and do that, he'll be finding an offseason you don't have to see him that much more. I mean, he'll he'll get out there, He'll play with this offensive line. They're all gonna play well. I will

say this. I think that one thing I think I noticed yesterday, which I don't know that there are I don't know that there are a lot of u and there's a lot of empirical proof I can give for it, but I think I saw it is that it seems

like he got rid of the ball. He was more decisive and got rid of the ball quicker than we'd seen from any of the guys that have come in since dec And I think when you're playing with this kind of offensive line that is that's porous and can certainly lead to pressure coming from a lot of different points and a lot of different times in games, and ability to be able to quickly diagnose where you need to get the ball and get it out quickly. I think is very very important. I'll take you back to

earlier in the game. It was about seven fifty six left in the second quarter. Cowboys was second and seven, and this was to play just before the touchdown. He had pressure coming, he was able to get rid of the ball, and he got rid of the ball quick and it was he basically threw it into the ground. He knew he wasn't going to complete the pass. But what I liked about it was he got rid of the ball. He got rid of it in a place

that it wasn't going to be intercepted. And at the same time, he didn't take the sack, which would have been a much different third down at that point when they would have gone for the when they were shooting for the touchdown. If you're at you know, third and twelve, third and fourteen, that's a much different way that the defense plays you then if you're a third and seven and again. That to me, I was that was the first moment in the game when I said, Okay, Scott's

got a little something. He has a feel for what's going on around him, and he saw the pressure coming, he saw that that pocket collapsing, he got rid of the ball. That's the part that makes me think that maybe he might be a better fit for what's going on in this offense right now than what Andy is. But I mean, again, this is one of those decisions where either way, I don't think either one of them is going to make a huge difference in the fortunes

of this team, win or lost. I think at the end of the day, it's just a matter of which one do you want to really get time to see, And I think that'll be a decision that the coaches will have to make. We're gonna another thing, another thing,

Oh oh sorry, I was just gonna add that. Another thing to take into account is what are you gonna do with the whole quarterback position in the future with Dak Prescott and all that, Because again I'm starting to see a lot of conversations on Twitter just after seeing one game from Gilbert It's like, Okay, well, why do you decide here? It's just it depends the way I see it. It's like, what are you really trying to obtain in the future? Are you wanting to see more

from a younger guy? I know he's being in the league since what twenty fourteen, I think, so he's not super young, but still young enough in the league. So it's like, what are you looking at the back cup position? What are you gonna do in the draft? What are you gonna do with Dak Prescott and all that? So it's one of those things I would rather just keep seeing Gilbert and see what he has. All right, we're gonna take our final break. Comeback. We're gonna talk a

little more about the running backs. They did a pretty good job yesterday. I want to talk about Polar in his day versus Zeke and his day. We'll talk about the offensive line, We'll get into the defense, We'll get into the special teams to all that. When we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor pepper and cream Soda. Let's take a listen.

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Copyright twenty twenty Bank of America Corporation. Dear, it's nineteen oh eight. Don't you think we should get electricity and stop using candles to see it night? It's just electricity lights up the room fast, It's more reliable than candles blowing out, and people seem to love it nationwide. Well, candles, dar, did you just run into the wall? I have a new candle. Please. Historically, switching to new technology is a no brainer. Today it's AT and T five G, fast, reliable, secure,

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Starting at just twenty dollars. Visit Dallas Cowboys dot com Slash United un phased. Welcome back to the final segment of the break. We got a distractable player over there, Nick Eatman. We're gonna jump back in. We gotta finish up this. Uh. These performance reviews we talked about Garrett gil Gilbert. Let's move to the running backs. Tony Pollitt yesterday had nine rushes fifty seven yards, leads the team in yardage on the grounds. Zeke has eighteen carries for

fifty one yards. The total for the team was one hundred and forty four yards. Rushing, which is a really really good day based on kind of what we've seen from them recently. But that all being said, is Pollitt running better than Zeke at this point in the season, and does he deserve more opportunities? Nick, let's start with you. He is Scott, He's got more juice, There's no doubt about it. He's definitely running the ball. Well. I just think this is you know, this goes back to years.

Everybody loves the backup court of running back more than the starter. They always have. I mean, people loved Hambrig more than they loved him at Smith at one point. That just happens, um. But there's a reason why they come in and run the ball better because they they got some you know, they're they're they're fresh. Um. But it doesn't have to be an either or I mean, put them both in there. I mean, but use it

like that. I thought it was a good compliment because I don't think Polar can keep doing what Zeke does, and you know, Zeke right now is not showing he can do what Pollard does, So I like, I like what it is. Dave, Yeah, if I had to guess, there's there's more to this story. Then Zeke is bad and Tony is good. Like if I'm gonna guess, when I go and turn on the tape, you can see Pittsburgh keying on Zeke's snaps in a way that they

probably don't for Tony. Whether that's because Tony's more versatile as a receiver, they have to account for that, maybe they're just not as worried about it. I understand all of that, Like I don't. I don't just think Zeke is bad. I think what the Steelers were doing probably has a lot to do with that. At the same time, yeah, like there's no better way to say it than like, there's the juice, Like Tony Pollard has juice and Zeke doesn't right now, whether because of what defenses are doing

or maybe it's his hamstring. But I saw a staff this morning. Tony Pollard has his mini twenty plus yard carries on like one hundred attempts, as Zeke does on his last four hundred, and at some point that stops being about what defenses are doing. I'm sorry, but it does. So. Yeah, I you know, I'm not trying to put Zeke on the bench, but that definitely, I don't even know if you want to call it a committee. But Tony Pollard needs snaps, he needs carries. I think he had nine yesterday.

He should be hovering around He should probably be hovering around ten to twelve for the foreseeable future, maybe more depending on the game plan. But yeah, I mean, so you have to really good running backs. You'd like to be getting more from one of them, but just use both of them in the meantime while you figure that out. Camber, No, yeah, I agree with everything they said. And the great thing is that you don't have to necessarily choose between one

or the other. It's not like you're gonna only have one active during the game. You have both of them in they're ready to go in and just keep adjusting based on their performance. If you see Tony Poller being more successful in that day in that game, allow him to be more on the field, and just keep adjusting based on what you are seeing during the game. And I know that's easier said than done, and it's hard to predict who's gonna be able to keep making the

better place. But at the same time, is you have the ability to choose between these two guys very easily and just interchange between the two very easily. So I just think create a good balance and allow one to be more the field depending on who's performing better that day. You know, there's people that love to look at what Zeke does and what he does not doing and put his contract up there and all this stuff, and I'm probably going to be the last to ever go there

to really criticize him. I respect what he does. I respect the role that he plays. He plays the leader role and whether or not he is a great leader, who knows, but he plays that role. He knows that. You know, he's got to be the one that talks to the media. He knows he's got to play in that game. I mean, that was a game time decision. I was told, don't know, if he's playing, he's gonna go down there with Britt Brown and on the courts and we're gonna see how it goes. There will be

people that would say, in this situation, I'm out. You know, there's people on this team that aren't playing right now, and maybe they should. Maybe they shouldn't, you know that they're not healthy or not. Who knows he played. He could have easily backed out that game. Limited all week playing the Steelers back quarterback, the fourth stream quarterback. He played, So I'm giving him credit for how he played. I mean, he didn't play it is great, but you know he

was in there. He was in there in front of that was tough sledding for all those running backs, and I just I think he deserves a little bit more credit for going out there and playing. There's not everybody's

doing that now. I actually agree with that. And the one thing I will say, though, is I do think, going back to what Amber said, I actually think that Yestersday's game, I think there was a point when it seemed to me, at least, there was a clear difference between the juice of Pollard and the juice of Zeke, and I think in that instance I would have opted to give Pollard a few more carries. That's my whole point is that I'm not thinking necessarily for the season.

I'm not saying, you know, bench Zeke all that stuff like that's that's it. That's silly. The point is if you're in a game and you notice one of them seems to have a little bit more which yesterday, and I attribute that more to Zeke's hamstring, and I give him all the credit in the world for getting out

there and playing through it. But if you start to notice that one guy has a little more juice the other, I think he's stick with the hot hand, And I would have given Paula a few more opportunities in that instance, sure, because I do think yesterday he had a little more juice. What were you saying something, Dave, No, I just I really agree with with Nick's point. That's kind of it's fair to it's fair, very fair to criticize the play

of the fifteen million dollars running back. But I just, yeah, I don't I'm not ready to throw dirt on the guy's career. I still think he's a hell of a player, and I'm sure his hamstring didn't feel good yesterday. And on top of that, he's sort of stuck in a situation where he's weathering this crappy storm on his own because he's I mean, he's the he's the biggest face on the offense. He's he's the one of the highest paid running backs in the league. He doesn't have his quarterback,

he doesn't have his own line. So I respect what he's going through right now. That's not to make excuses for, like I mean, you know, you want better production from a guy that you're paying that money to, but I respect what he's doing. Let's flip to the defensive side of the ball. Yesterday, particularly on the rush defense. In the rush defense, they helped Pittsburgh forty six yards with a long of eight rushing yards on a particular carry.

They've had now, in my opinion, back to back solid performances. If you go back to the Philadelphia game, are you so that they may have finally figured this thing out? Because I think for so long we've been wondering, like between the defensive coordinator and what he's trying to do and the players and them trying to figure it all out, they didn't seem to have a clue. And now we've had two weeks where it looks like maybe things are changing. I think they've started to figure it out. Day. We'll

start with you. Yeah, I mean, I was the guy that sat here and basically laughed at you when you asked me about the run defense on Friday. Like I predicted, I wrote down in my prediction that I thought James Connor was gonna go for one thirty. So yeah, that might be the most stunning development from this entire game is that they were rock solid against the run to

the point that Pittsburgh gave up on it. Mike Tomlin even said that after the game, he was like, yeah, like, we just realized we were going to have way better luck trying to spread them out and throw the ball. Which that is what I expected this defense to look like. Not not great, susceptible to the passing game because they're

inexperienced on the back end. You know, they they started giving up backbreaking plays at the end because Roethlisberger's a beast, but standing in there, man, they were good against the run and a great Roethlisberger. Credit boy, he found Stavion Smith and goes, oh, who's this. He's not on my roths let's go. Let's go. That's a great point. Yeah. And he tested he tested Trevon Diggs in the in the early going, and and Diggs was up to and so yeah, I think this was this was their best

performance of the season. Um, I'm way too pessimistic to just be like, this is what we're going to see the rest of the way, because you know, I think there's some degree of circling the wagons. I think there's some degree of you know, getting juiced up to play the seven and oh, Pittsburgh Steelers, that's a team with its target on its back. You know, how do you how do you respond playing a crappy Washington team on

short week's rest in a couple of weeks here. Um, So you know, I'm not ready to say that they're just amazing, but I was very very impressed, particularly, you know, not just that they played well, but how they played well. I mean to make Pittsburgh quit running the ball. Pretty pretty impressive. Amber definitely impressed as well, but definitely not convinced yet, even though I started talking about, Okay, maybe they got a shot to the playoffs and all that,

and let's hold up. At the same time, I need to see more because one of the things that this UH Cowboys team has lacked is consistency. They haven't been able to maintain consistency all throughout the season, weeks by weeks.

So it's one of those things that I great, great performance against the Steelers, but at the same time, we do to see more, and they need to keep doing it again week after week and then maybe me I'll start buying into that whole idea that finally the Cowboys rush defense has been able to uh turn the page and start performing better. Let's put some names on it. I mean Neville Gallimore. I mean he he was a

beast for a while there. I mean he played really well and then and even in the fourth quarter and at the very end of the game when they when Pittsburgh said we're gonna have to go for it because Tomlin did not trust the field goal, he didn't then trust that they could block they could block it, you know, so great, great job by the special teams for that.

But but I would say Neville Gallimar in the middle Antoine Woods, which you know, Antoine Woods needs a game ball for other reasons too, but you know, just just doing you know, being a Dallas Cowboy. You know, if Cowboy fans really saw what he did, I think that was that was amazing. I don't know if we wept well, I mean, oh and we saw this right for the show. I'm not on TikTok. I don't I don't know what. I don't even know how to spell it. I was

like trans transcribing it last night. But TikTok is where Antoine Woods saw Juju Smith whatever his name is, Juju he was on the Star before the game on Saturday dancing. He did TikTok video. So Antoine knows him because they went to the USC together and he was like, ah, he's going to do something. When Juju scored, Antoine saw it the whole way. He started running to the Star because he knew Juju was gonna run and try to do something like t O and he said it's not happening,

not gonna happen at all. So he goes that zero tolerance for that, which, hey, that's great. Do you think people really think George Teak was a great player or did they? People love what George Teague did the to I mean, he was a good player, but that was an unbelievable, unforgettable moment. So Antoine Woods was gonna make sure that it didn't happen. And I asked her about it and he said, no, not gonna happen, And I said, well, what would happened if he didn't? He said, I would

have speared his ass. No. And you can go back and watch the video. It's actually you can see hold on tongue in cheek. Yeah, he was like, that's my boy. Because there they went to Carl together, but he's like, nah, he ain't gotta taken care of it. That's the thing. You see Juju heading for the end zone. You see Randy Gregor reach out and swipe the ball away from him.

He stops, he picks up the ball, and he keeps running towards the Star and then you can kind of see his head kind of shift as he's getting near the start, and I think he sees Antoine Woods and then it's like all right, yeah, let me go my team. Yeah, yeah, this is all good. Yeah, hey we gotta score, you know. So Yeah, I think I think mission accomplished by Antoine Woods or got about him. I'm glad we brought that up because that's like the vibe for this entire game

with everything the Cowboys have lost. Like, are any fans out there like mad that they're losing? I don't think so. But it's whether or not it looks like you give a damn, like whether or not you're gonna be as upset on Monday as they are because you lost the game. You can't tell me that they were giving off that

vibe against Arizona and Washington. They just weren't. So for them to scrap the way they did against Pittsburgh, and you know, for two guys to be like, you're not doing that in our house, like, I think that's I mean, obviously you prefer to win, but like, if you're doing that, at least in a situation like this, I think fans can at least get on board with that and that it was great to see for that very reason. Yeah, I think they were really good. The defense was really

good yesterday. I think that we will find out a lot about this Russia defense. They have a bye week, but the week after that they'll be playing the Minnesota Vikings. And if you've been watching Dalvin Cook over the last two weeks, that's when we're gonna find out about this RuSHA defense, because that dude has been on another planet these last two weeks, and we will see whether the

Cowboys defense can put a stop to that. All right, So, Glad Amber I was gonna ask you, guys, do you think that it's bad that they have the bye week right now? Us far as like when you see them finally performing at a better level than what we've seen so far in the season, do you take this bye week as like men? I wish they can just keep the momentum going or man, they just need the bye week. Give me the bye week. This is almost sorry, this is a person as you can have the bye week. Yea, yeah,

well that's true too. But even even with no preseason, with a short training camp like these guys are, obviously they're beat to hell. I mean not just the guys on IR but everybody. So uh no, that's it. I think week to week momentum is real, but these guys need a breather. Yeah, that's a good question. But but I do think, you know, another week for Zeke's hamstringing, and you know, I think, like Dave said, there's there's a ton of guys that probably could could do that.

But you know, yeah, I think Neville Gallimore and those young guys, and and Garrett Gilbert if he if he's the guy, you know, I mean, this gives another week for you think about it. If Andy Dalton's gonna come back, I think it's actually perfect because Andy Dalton was in the COVID protocol last week and then he has another week and then he should be good to go if

he's going to be the quarterback, so for the next game. Yeah, I'm a big believer too, in that theory of you know, every team has a moment in their season, no matter how bad they are, when they get to a game that they look at as this is our super Bowl. I think the Cowboys had their super Bowl yesterday, and I thought they gave everything they possibly had. Don't say that, and no, but my point is, I think when you go into a game like that, it's the real challenge

of and you give everything you got. So I think the buy actually comes at a good time because it lets them refuel a little bit and get some perspective. Because I do think that, you know, they went into that game they played well above what we all thought they could play yesterday. I think sometimes teams have a propensity to do that when they're playing a much better opponent.

So I think this is a good time for them to kind of reevaluate, step back for a second, and then be ready to go into the next next several games to finish out the season. All right, I appreciate you guys joining us. We will be back tomorrow. Actually, we're gonna do something a little different tomorrow. We're gonna have our shows shake up. I will not be with these guys. I will not see them for the rest of the week. If you're looking at the screen, you

can see all the different shows and the lineups. The Break will consist of myself, Isaiah Standback, Buried Church, and Kurt Daniel. So make sure you check us out tomorrow at eleven thirty as we're normally on. We'll have a lot of stuff to talk about. It will be good to hear some perspective from some of those guys, and then you can check out these other guys on their other shows. They'll be in their different shows. Yeah, that's a good name for it. Bye Week Scramble, and they'll

be on their other shows. Where's that. Amber's gonna be on Hanging with the Boys, and Nick's gonna be on Talking Cowboys, and Dave's gonna be on mix Shots. That will be interesting, all right, So we appreciate you on us. We'll be back. I'll be back tomorrow. These guys will be on the other shows. Make sure you check out all the shows tomorrow and Wednesday till then for Nick, even Dave helm and Amber Garcia on Derek Eagleton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.

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