Cowboys Break: Dak’s Performance

edition of The Break. We're presented by Miller Lite, the only beer of the Dallas Cowboys, and we're talking about the Cowboys win. They beat the Detroit Lions twenty four to six, and it was a game that was pretty tight. The score doesn't, I don't think, necessarily reflect just how tight the game was throughout most of the game, but Cowboys do pull away at the end and make it a big win for them. Let's start first with stories

of the game. What's the story of the game? Nick, I think the story of the game is that and I this is what I wrote. So I think that Dak has a new team around him that he's not used to, and I think he had to play that way. This is the first time that he's able to play with a defense that will carry them when when they're not very good, and so I thought he stated, the course did a good job kept it rolling until it was time, you know, to to score some points there

at the end. But not all games are going to be that way. But I thought that once again, this defense carried him along and he didn't make the mistakes. He didn't make mistakes and just allowed the game to flow to him. And I think this is going to be the recipe for this team moving forward until they get better on offense, which probably won't be you know, this year. So I thought it was it was a good win for him and good win, you know, to get back into it. But the defense just carried him through.

I mean, that seems pretty healthy. He didn't seem like the thumb was an issue at all. He said it after the press conference that it didn't bother him or hurt him in any way. It wasn't even something that came into thought while playing. So it was just good. I know, he didn't have a good first half of the game, and typically that tends to for it to be that way. Like he always shows up in the

second half of games, and he did just that. I was I like the way that he was able to adjust some things a play calling and kind of changed a little bit as well. So I'm just looking forward to what this team is actually gonna look like in the next weeks, next week, after they get through the buy and all that, when they come back just the second half of the year of the season. I mean, I'm excited to see what the team just overall looks like with him back in the mix and then scoring touchdowns.

So that's something we're not being used to see in throughout this year so far, it's just those touchdown so we were able to tell these get two with Zeke running the ball. Yeah, he didn't get to really practice all that much. They didn't practice at all. Mike McCarthy's big thing is about trying to keep his team as healthy as possible, and so they really didn't have any

real practices. You know, they got out and throw the ball around against air, like Mike was talking about, but you know, when they were coming off the Sunday night game Monday, didn't do anything. Helmets and T shirts all week. The first real, first real action he had was actually really playing in that game where things were flying around and all that. So I thought he was a little bit, you know, trying to maybe do a little bit too

much early on some things. But overall though they scored that touchdown before half, you know, that's a different game. That's a second they come out in the second half. You know, they get the turnover, and now you see what happens when this football team when defensively teams have to throw the ball. When teams have to throw the ball, they can get after him and they've got some players.

That play was some great determination. Will you look at what Michael Parsons did to chase that tight end down on that screen and knock that you know, knock him out of bounced there or knee down there at the one and then the very next play the effort of Lawrence. You're gonna win a lot of games playing with guys like that, and despite of what the offense might do. I mean, I think Dak was ten of eleven in the second half throwing the ball. You know, I mean

it's they're going to have some busts up front. They're not always going to get open on the outside. You know, things are going to happen to them. Offensively, they kind of stop them along the way. But this defense is really your calling card right now and the way that they're playing the effort. But man, if they get people into situation where they have to throw the ball, their pass rush is really really good. They turn over. They get people to turn the ball over, and you know

that's going to be the recipe for them. And they're good enough on special teams, the kicker, the punt returner, whenever they get those opportunities, they're going to do good things. So it's a shame that they had a big punt return and didn't get any points out of that, but hopefully that's something that they can continue to kind of work on here in the future. You mentioned those two

plays there. I guess it was in the third quarter or maybe in the fourth quarter where you had the Michael Parsons rundown right tackle him there and then obviously the subsequent play, so the next play where they were able to create the turnover. What do you guys think of that play? When Wright got taken down, do you think he was in the end zone or he was down? He was down? Now the end zone copy shows knee

down is what it is. And I think Calvin Watkins actually tweeted a picture this morning of a close up maybe the pylon cam where knee was down before he was able to reach out there. I would have reviewed it. I mean, if I was Dan Campbell, I would have thrown the flag there because they definitely missed the spot. I think he I think he would have won the challenge, honestly. I think I think if you challenged the spot, you don't challenge the touchdown, you challenge the spot. I think

you would have won the challenge. So you're saying it may not have been a touchdown, but the spot would have been different. Yeah, and then where he got hit in the backfield, you know, maybe maybe he's already in the end zone at that point, because that spot was ridiculous for where the ball actually because it was really really close for being a touchdown. So I think if you have to word it that way, because if you say, hey, I'm challenging I think he scored, now he didn't score,

you lose the challenge. But if you challenge throw it and say your spot is off big time, like we should be nosed up on the line there. I think they would move it. I think he wins the challenge and then yeah, it's good Tack. I had never thought about it from next I thought, you have to word it though way that way. I remember chan Gaily one time. That happened to them on a spot thing. You have to say that to the to the officially, you have

to tell him what you want them to look for. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but yeah, you know, it's just just back to back plays, you know, for you know, for him, I mean, Parsons's five yards I mean he's up to field and he's and literally, you know, the catch is made and now he's five yards seven maybe six yards behind, and he just goes flying through the defense to run run the tight end down and to make that play. And then the very next play Tank does like he's it's like

he's pinballing off guys. You know, he's swimming through tight ends, blocks and stuff like that, and his elbow knocks the ball loose and and then happen you know, the you know, bars just waiting for it right there. They're all playing scheme. How many times we've seen ball out he ends up in the end zone and the lineman falls on or something like that. I mean, everybody was where they needed to be to make that play and that's why you

keep playing. I mean, Michael Parsons just showed you. It might be one of the best plays he's ever made. You can talk about sacks and things that he's done in his short career with the Dallas Cowboys. That might be when they when they send him to Canton, that might be the play that they show of him. And how he saved He saved you a touchdown. He saved you a touchdown right there. We talked about it last week.

I think Mike McCarthy mentioned in his press conference that Dan Quinn had some self scouting type meeting with Michael Parsons, and Mica talked about it after the game yesterday and he was talking about how he said, you know, one thing that DQ told him was using your speed to make plays out down the field. That's your superpower. If you're not doing that, you're not using your superpower. That's how he put it, and that play was exactly that

it was. You saw him literally run by Vanderesh because Vanderes was closer to the play that he was up. He just literally just ran by him, getting blocked pretty good. Yeah, but I'm saying at one point he was running and you saw him just kind of go past him. And the point was, like, Mica just has this rare ability of size, speed, all the things that you kind of put together in a player, and he can do some

remarkable things if he's willing to do those things. And another thing about that too that he has is at that point in the game, he has zero sacks. Yeah, and he had zero sax until the very last drive the game. Um, that pisses him off, Like he plays piss And we talked about this last week. I think he when he's frustrated, he's out of his game. Right when he's pissed, watch out. Yeah, that's he's angry lion at that point. Penny souled. Penny souled at a nice

job blocking him yesterday. That he's a very talented tackle from Oregon. He's very highly talented, maybe one of the best tackles in the draft. He's going to be a good one for a long time. I know he struggled with some injuries and stuff, but he did. He did a really good job in that football game that wasn't like you, Micah can take advantage of some of some blockers. But you know, you get those guys that they're kind of evenly matched there. That's that's kind of a one

on one thing. Right, Was that Bar's best game or or up there? I think there was some times there was when you watched him play, he Bar, to me is a fifty fifty player. There's times where he gets the ball. When they went on a crossing route and Hackinson caught a ball in the flat that was a waggle and it's Bars guy and he just he's like staring at the quarterback with the titing going by him and that's this guy, and it just and it's a big play. I mean, you know, it's it's one of

those things you look up. But there was a couple of tackles that he was able to make. I just feel like that there's there's times where he doesn't react. They used him as a blitzer in this game a little bit yesterday, and it just it wasn't what we've seen from him from a guy that's had a pretty good career doing that. You know, who else is a fifty fifty player and it was probably skipping around your offensive line. But Terrence Steele like he had some issues

in the passing. You know, like you said pass block, I mean Aidan Hutchinson man run blocking. I mean he's just walls off the him and he's a really good athlete with that him when they when they blocked d Yeah, when him and when Martin and Steele get together like that, they can really run block. The first thing was Steele's played really well as a pass blocker since the first week. But you know on that first sack that they gave up. If not Tyler Smith, it was gonna be Terrence Steele

Skoy different. You know What's like, what's really the difference there? Because in my mind, I just feel like sometimes like blocking for a run game and like a run play seems harder than having to block for a passing play. The way that they block, it's really convenient for him, or it lends to his skill set because it's movement, it's being an athlete, it's you know, when he has to pass block, it's about power and kind of holding on, you know, and being in position when he run blocks.

He's got a good feel for how to work with Martin next to him and then get off on the next guy or wheel himself to get to make the defender have to run over him to get to the football. So he plays with much better position as a run blocker because of how he moves as opposed to how he passed blocks. He's still not a bad pass blocker, but you see the things when they get this, when they get the shoulder on him sometimes tis he can't get over and stop somebody from just running up the field.

And think about it like this too. Amber When you're when you're pass blocking, you're having to react to the other guy, so you're you're taking your steps and then literally you're like, Okay, what is he gonna do? Is he gonna come out with your power? Is he gonna use a move? Is he gonna spin? Like you're having to react when it's run. It's like, Okay, I know where I need to move this guy, so I'm gonna get engaged with him and I'm trying to move him.

So you can be on the offensive because you now know exactly what you're trying to do rather than having to react to what he's doing. That's why I think it's harder a lot of times for and I think offensive lineman personally, you listen to them talk a lot of them. I think prefer run blocking because they can go on the offensive. They can say, they can dictate to the other person, I don't care what you're trying

to do. I know what I'm trying to do, and I'm gonna move you from point A to point B, as opposed to I have to just kind of figure out what you're doing and then react to that. So I think that's why run blocking is a little a little easier. All right, um, let's talk about about Dak prescott um yesterday. It's interesting because if you watch the game, there's probably more reason for you to be concerned than if you just look at his stat line. His stat

line yesterday, nineteen to twenty five. That's a seventy six percent completion rate, really good, two hundred and seven yards, one touchdowns, no turnovers, one hundred and thirteen point two rating. You look at that and you say, he did his job. He did a really good job yesterday. But you watched the game and there were moments where, oh wow, why did he throw it into that? Oh man, he threw it into some coverage there he got got away with one.

What did you guys think as you put all that together. What did you think of his performance yesterday? You know, I thought he was he was okay. I mean it was it was okay early on. He just he had like like Brian said, I mean, obviously you're going to be rusty because he you know, he didn't even get to get the flow back into of the week. But yeah, he did some things that we saw in that Tampa game too, where he throwing it in there when you don't really need to. One time he got away with it.

He threw a past and the CD made a really nice catch on there. Um. But you know, I think he's still having to learn how this this team works. Like you don't have to do everything. Two or three years ago, he had to do everything. He the offense had to do everything. You don't have to do that right now. So I think he's going to continue to get better and better. I think they'll finish off a couple of drives and and this is a recipe for

a team that that can have success. I mean, like you look at this schedule and you're going to be able to really to win some games and and and and maybe blow him out. But he's just gotta, you know, keep it going. And don't f it up like that's that's that's that's the model right now. And he's not used to that, but that's what it is. Just don't mess it up. Just keep playing punt. You saw. I'm sorry,

but you saw that field goal. I think that you see usually they would have gone for it down there, but they're like, you know what, take the point, Take the point, right, And I was fine with that too, because just this points points points points. It'll add up because this team's not given up much. Yeah, there were you know with Dak and I. You gotta remember, and I mentioned it last week too, he didn't have a preseason.

He just played one game all seasons. So keeping that in mind, okay, you gotta expect that now he had been out what was it a total of six weeks, Yeah, it was five weeks, five week weeks. The point is he hasn't been out there, so of course you're gonna get some rusts. He's gonna be rusty and he has to go out there get the field. I thought he did a really good job in the second half of the game, but there were moments that I also thought

he he had some risky throws in there. There were times where you could look at Michael gallups Cede Land. They had two or even three defenders at times, and he's throwing the ball that could have easily been intercepted. I mean that was Those were not even fifty fifty balls, So moments like that that he could have been bad.

It wasn't even those were even catches. But just like Nix, it just play it safe, get back in the groove, I thought even I think it was in the second half where he they were in the red zone and he kind of took off on his feet. He didn't gain much, but just seeing him doing that, Yeah, gives me the belief that, Okay, he has his feet where he feels comfortable. That is something that he hasn't lost. We most I'm thinking we're gonna see more of that

as the season goes. And he just think I think he did a nice job taken into consideration everything that has happened till this point. He got fooled on that pass. It almost got intercepted. Coverage, Yeah, the one Kirby Joseph the safety. They're playing a single high look with that safety in the middle of the field, and then and Joseph just they rotate him and he goes straight back into two and I think he thought he had a shot. I think he when he when he saw the initial read,

he's thinking, single high, I could fit it. I got lamb, it's gonna run the route, and all of a sudden that that safety Joseph that was down went back and he and it's like the next thing, you know, now it's a little bit of a wait a minute, that guy's not where I thought he was gonna be. So that particular time, I felt like that, like you know, sometimes quarterbacks get fooled. Sometimes they see something they think, okay, single high, I could fit it on the hash right

there before that safety gets over. But then you got the drop safety. That kind of gave him a little bit of a problem there the first pass of the game, and that was one of those times where you're thinking. He even said he felt like that he was going to run and then he just kind of just really didn't make a great throw. I mean it, you know, it's one of those things where he could have led.

He could have just tooked the ball and fired it to Noah Brown in it and just carried Noah Brown to the sidelines, and it would have been a completion, much like what the lines did in their first play of the game, the same kind of throw out front. You know, it's a big play up the sidelines. So he got it, got caught in no man's land there,

just fired the ball of the outside. There was there was a play that they got sacked on on the third and two where he was in a situation where they had no they had they ran CD from the slot on the out and then Noah Brown curl behind him. He's looking at Noah Brown the whole time, or I think the first read was the lamb Brown and then he tries to come back inside. So you can't, Bro, you gotta just you see it. You see where that's

gonna happen. There's there's space there, there's three lines. There's space to throw the ball in the third and two. So when he's bad, it's usually because he's not reading it the right way. Yeah, that's when Dak struggles. When it's like, okay, I think I could throw this ball. Even said, oh my thumb was feeling good and I thought I could throw it all the way down the field. You're like, okay, cool, you're great, Just don't throw an interception. But when Dak is not at his appolute best is

when he doesn't see it cleanly. And that third two he could have fired the ball to Noah Brown and it's gonna be a first down, you keep it going. Instead he gets sacked, you know, I mean steel strange, Steel gets knocked back. They have problems and all that, you know. So, yeah, he had three different reads, but he didn't get the right He went from the first read and said, Okay, that's not gonna work. Second read, boom, just fire the ball because the lions were all around

where it was, there was nothing keeping him. But but he got a flash because they got a flash off the edge because of what happened was steel. So I think when Dak's bad, it's reading, that's the thing. I think that that the most problems. And also a field too, like you can't take a sack right there. Yeah you're at you're in field goal range. You know points you need them, and that that that was one of those were you know, you just can't. You have to get

rid of the football quicker than that. Because the sa I mean, they would have kicked the field goal. I think now I'm not sure he would have made it, but you know, he's been good enough where you do kick it there. He still could have kicked the field goal, you know, at that point, like it was going to be a sixty yard he still could have done it, but you know you don't. Why give them the ball to do that? You know, Yeah, that's where he misses

those high fifties. Punt it, keep it down there. That's a negative quarterback play that doesn't show up in the stat sheet, is what that is. Because I just he just can't take that set. I think there's things that when you play, you know, he's a seven year vet. I just think if you go back and look at all of Dak's really bad plays in his career, he would go what was he looking at? What was he looking at? But there was plenty of times where he

saw the right things. He saw development, the routes that he hit with Scholtz, the spot routes and stuff like that. He threw some good balls, no question. It's when he tries those you only live once type of throws and stuff like that, you're kind of thinking, man, did he not see that safety? Did he not see that guy? Did he not see that curl where he could have thrown the ball and then he tries to come back. It's I think those are the things that kind of

get back in a little bit of trouble. All Right, we gonna suck our first break. We'll come back. We'll talk about surest of the offensive line. This running game continues to perform well that when we come right back. Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. Todd thought it would be secure to jog in the Cheetahs Savanta. Todd believed the big Cat repellent he bought online was reliable. And now Todd is trying to be faster than this cheetah that

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the public. For more information, visit The Star and Frisco dot com. Welcome Back. It is the second segment of the Break Life ne s WBC Mortgage Studios. At the Star, We're talking about the Cowboys big win over the Detroit Lines twenty four to six. This segment brought to you by blockchain dot Com. Let's talk about Zeke and Tony Pollard. Zeke carries the ball fifteen times for fifty seven yards

three point eight average, two touchdowns. Tony Pollard also carries it for twelve times for eighty three yards six point nine average. He also adds two receptions for twenty six yards. Talk to me about the running backs and how they're using them. From the standpoint of the mix between the two, it looks perfect. That's what they want, right I know, running backs coach Skip Pete, that's exactly what he wants. Right there is is really close. Fifteen carries for Zeke

doing a lot of the dirty work. I thought, honestly, I thought down there in the goal line and they I don't think they use Zeke enough actually on third and one and even something down in the goal line that they kept it with Pollard a little bit there. There's a couple of times where I thought they could have gone more with Zeke. But you know it's that was a thunder and lightning type approach right there. You see if really good breakaway runs by Pollard, Zeke doing

a lot of the stuff around the goal line. You know, I think Pollard probably could have scored that last touchdown, but you know that's not going to come back and not thought a touchdown here, So real quick, I will I will mention you mentioned the goal line. One of the things they're doing down the goal line I thought was interesting is they're using that twenty three personnel. Yeah, and they'll actually line up Poller on the wing and then bring him in motion. So what it does it

forces the defense to go wide. They have to respect the fact that he has the speed and if they turn around hand it to him he has he's gonna go around that corner. That exactly. That opens up some stuff up the middle. So I think that was something that was really interesting they did yesterday. Yeah, they got it back that's carrying the ball twenty seven times for one hundred forty two yards at five point two yards

an average. That's what they're doing, right, Yeah. Yeah, they got one back that's really really physical and one back that's really really fast, and they're playing him the same way. That's what you gotta do without just look at these guys. It's the same guy. Don't look him at don't don't look at it as as Ladanian, Tom Woodson or Emmett Smith. Look at him as one guy, two bodies. So you tell me, I'll take twenty seven carries, I'll take one hundred and forty two yards. I'll take a five point

two yard per average per carry. Just it doesn't matter, It doesn't matter who gets to carry. Just give me the combination of those two guys very similar, once powerful, once really quick. You know this, give me that guy.

And the best part about that is is on Monday, you don't have a guy that's had twenty seven carries, right, you don't have that, even though you're getting that production, you don't have the guy that's the wear and tear that needs something else because he had twenty seven carries. So that's even better if you can figure that. I'll say this though, on the third and one runs, I think they were trying to I said this on the radio on the post game. I think they're trying to

break some tendencies here. I think there. I think because when you get Zeke and pollowed in the backfield and I formation stuff, like one hundred percent of the time it was it was Zeke, Zeke carry, Zeke carry, Zeke carry that what they did was they said, all right, we're gonna fake Zeke carry and go for the flip. The Lions played it really really well on the outside.

I mean, you know, Jeff Akuda, I mean he played like a down linebacker, kind of like what curse and those guys played several times he was the unblocked guy and that's why he ended up with fifteen tackles. But they did a great job. I think there really were trying to break a tendency there with their inside runs, inside runs, inside runs on throw down. They said, let's see if we could catch him plane like a crash defense and flip the ball and get into the edge

lines just guessed right with you. I absolutely love how they ran the ball with the two of them. I think this was exactly the type of game that you know when you keep asking about oh more Tony Polar, More, Tony Polar. This is the exactly like the perfect combination that you can get from both players. They were exactly like doing what they're best at. You get Zeke doing the heavy work. Dirty were going there and just smashing it and going through and getting in the extra yards.

And then you get ze I mean Tony Pollar, just like Brian said, the speed getting out those dynamic plays. So the combination of the two of them was really really great to see. And I was gonna, I was gonna make a point and I completely got thrown off with something that you were saying, Brian, And now I can't remember but oh my god, I'll circle back when I remember. But even and Dad mentioned this after the game.

He was talking about the time that he spent just watching from the sideline, how much he realizes because it's a thing you see it on the film and all that, but it's another one. You're seeing the game live, watching from the sideline, realizing what you actually got on your team, and trusting that, trusting the defense that you have, understanding that, hey, a running game is running is working pretty good right now. They keep improving week after week. The running game just

keeps getting better and better. So and then seeing Zeke jumping doing the hurdle, I mean, that's freaking amazing. That's twenty sixteen. Zeke. He looks great. There was a big scare when he got hit and you thought he was out. I don't think there was any reports after that. I mean he stayed in the game playing. Yeah, he said he said he had a contusion, but he is like, I haven't even gotten to check. That's what said after the game. He's having to check. I'll get a check.

I thought it was more of a thigh bruise than it was anything. Didn't. I didn't think it was his knee. I thought he got hit on the thigh and that's what kind of like jolted him a little bit. But no, you're nothing, no, no, no, no, yeah, like he's got a ripped acl and he's just that's the thing. No, he played through that whole thing. I mean last year. Yeah, I was trying to say he has a tough guy. I asked the trainers last year about that. I'm like, well,

what hell you know? Oh no, he's good, he's good, he's good eating and after this season, oh man, I had a ripped you know. I'm like, Zeke's a tough guy. He is not miss games. But that's but that's the thing about with there's there's no fall off with these backs. There's if Zeke was struggling where I mean, last year, you could argue that Pollard was averaging like two and a two a half yards more a carry, and you saw it. You're like going just play this one, play

play this one. But now it's like, you know when you the people that like, oh no, Paulard needs more pop, well, why Zeke's running the ball just as well. Last week against Philadelphia, who ran the ball better, Zeke ran the ball better. So you know, just if you could tell me every week, I'm gonna get twenty seven carries in one hundred and forty two yards rushing. Just give me that whatever whatever combination that seems to work or that is,

that's what you need for the Dallas call. The one thing that Pollard obviously is doing better than Zeke is in the passing game is is you know, I don't think Zeke has really made a big play at all. And Pollard's catch coming out of the end zone that was big, crazy, big play, good call, and I don't think you know what's funny if you when you get to the all twenty two on that, I don't think Pollard.

I don't think Pauler knew where the ball was. I Paulard just stuck his hands up and the ball happened that because he doesn't have his head back looking for the ball. I mean literally, the defender dives and he's got his head kind of not even looking, and he puts his hands up and the ball goes right in his hands and then he catches it and then he goes up the field. It was like it was like it was almost like he was surprised that he caught it from our angle. I was active sworn it was

an interception. I was like, oh, and then I was like, oh wait, he's running. Yeah, it literally looked like an intercept. What It's crazy. I heard the crowd in there. Yeah. And and we give them some some props out here too. We didn't talk about this yesterday. The Lions fans, Yeah, they brought it yesterday. I knew this. I was really surprised by how many fans were there. This is a one in four team. They sucked last year. They're not much better this year. Sucked forever. True, that's who the

Lions a bad. Let's be honest. I mean, I got I got friends who are Lions fans, which I when I was when he told me, I was like, I was like, they were Lions fans. But they got Lions fans and they stuck through it and with their no matter Ryan said it. Remember you said they're gonna come in here, they're gonna play hard, they'll figure out a way to lose it, and they did. You know, they figured out a way to fumble in the one and all that stuff. But but yeah, I mean, but yeah,

they brought some fans. But I'll say this get ready next week too. Oh, next week's should be very origey. That's the thing about it. Much we do our we do our pregame show out in the plaza, in the middle plaza, and you saw a lot of Honolulu blu. Yeah, you saw a lot of Honolulu. You will see a lot of Bears fans. Last time they came here, it was a ton of them. Yeah. So it's a lot of Bears fans. I want to help them. Yeah, you're not gonna help them play. Probably not play tonight. We'll

see short week. Yeah, all right, let's take our final bike when we come back. I want to talk about third downs because this team is let's get to that. We come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Right, the season is finally here. For months, we've been gearing up to win. Now it's time for the team that

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slash Holidays for tickets and more info. Welcome back. Final segment of the break Life in the SEBABC Mortgage Studios at the Start War presented by Milla Lake the only beer of the Dallas Cowboys Let's Talk Third Downs. Cowboys were three of nine yesterday on third downs thirty three percent. The good side is they also held their opponent to three of nine on third downs, and it was a point.

It was into the second half before the Lions had even converted the third downs, So the Cowboys defense was doing their job. Yeah, you expect more of the Cowboys offense. And I broke down their third downs. Check out these numbers. They ran to the right side three times on third downs, all three of them didn't get converted. They tried to pass the ball four times on third downs, only one of those was converted, and two times they ended up

with sacks. Here was the most interesting thing. Of the nine third downs, seven of them came on third and shorts. I'm talking two yards or less. And they couldn't come up with a better convergent percentage than thirty three sent What is the problem on third downs or what was the problem yesterday? On third downs? They struggled with sustain of blocks and I was going through all of them, and the first third and one you had Dalton Schultz. He could not keep his guy from making the play.

That's that was that was very very clear there, and he's had a problem with that. They had ay, I went back. They had the third and two was one we just talked about where Dak didn't read it clean.

But the previous play to that was a second and one and they lost a yard on the second and one Noah Brown, McGovern smith all missed their blocks, so now it's third and two instead of they try to get the first down on second down, but they lose a yard, so now it's a third and two and then that leads to the sack on the next play.

They had another third and one where where there they had three players the lines had three players on the on the field that didn't get fooled at all on the play, the lineback of the safety and the defensive end. That was the flip that they try to run on third and one. So yeah, they've struggled. Yeah, they have struggled.

They have they have. They've struggled in this game yesterday, they really struggled a not sustaining blocks and be not fooling anybody if they tried to get a little cute, you know, and sometimes being cute it works and then other times it doesn't. But in this game, it it kind of it kind of held him up a little bit. You know they put turpin in the game. We've been asking for that, and they gave him the ball into round, which is which is fine. I mean he got the

poorly block play, Yeah, poorly block. He got three yards. Fine. But the thing about it is is use that use it again, put him out there and then fake it to him. I mean, just keep it, keep it rolling out the way. I mean, put a play on tape like that so you can play off of it. I thought, you know, I mean, has he not proven in the open field? He can kind of do some things. I mean, like this guy, he every every play, every game, he is making a play on special teams that gets him

in great field positions at least once. It's amazing. I wonder this. I wonder about if they should maybe change the kickoff return part, like you know how far he can go back with it. But the problem is is you get the ball to twenty five If you just let it go and it's not him, I think he could get to the twenty to twenty five. I just don't trust one of these young tight end running back somebody to block in the back and put you first and ten on the tent. And I don't want him

taking extra hits if he doesn't need to. If he's only get him back to the twenty five, it's not worth the extra hit on him. He's already a slight guy. I want to limit his his hits or the exposure to hits, as much as possible. I'd rather be on plays when I think he can take it to the house or get me to the forty fifty or the other. We'll have some cold weather games where it'll happen. They'll they'll kick it shorter or whatever, and he'll he'll go

off to make a play. You know. Um, before the show, Derek, you you ask me, what are you gonna talk about today? Be mad about today? And I was like, I'm mad. I don't know that mad. But now that we're talking about third downs, I'm like, you know what, there is something im is starting to piss me off, and it's forget about third down because okay, no, don't forget about it. It's clearly a problem. But what is happening before third downs?

Like for us to get to that point, you look at the whole since the moment they get the ball, the offense goes in there. And I'm tired of this happening. I'm there with my laptop and I've mentioned this on the show for sure before, and this is something that it's not Oh, Dak Prescott, it was happening with Cooper Rush as well. So it's just the play calling or something that they're doing that is not working. Because how many times do we watch the offense go in and

then go right back out. It's like a bunch of three and outs, and it's just not like a one time thing. It just happens over and over. And I think that last yesterday it happened a bunch of times. Didn't keep track, but even in that first half, it just kept happening over and over, and I'm like, oh damn, They're already back out like nothing happened there. So I guess, how do you even how do you extend the place because okay, clearly third downs issues, but then how do

you keep your defense off the field so much? How do you extend the place that you're creating with your offense? Because and I guess that to me the way I see it, Brian, and I don't know what you guys see, but I mean it comes down I would say to the play call and you're the play strategy. That's part of it. But I also think that you know, when like this, you kind of you know, you kind of gloss over a five, you won five out of six,

you're kind of glossing over some of the issues. But this team, in my opinion, has a real problem at wide receiver. They don't have any ride receivers that can go make plays that you're really scared of. I like CD, he had a good game, but CD doesn't dominate the game. He doesn't and they're gonna have a tough decision to make when it comes resigning him and all that, because he's not that guy that's just killing the team. Noel Brown, Michael Gallup, good players and all that. They don't have

a dude at receiver. And I think it's a problem. I think I can kind of grind out some yards here and there, when you get to it, you're like, I'm going to him. I don't think it's it's there. Do you think Amari Cooper was that guy? I think the combination of having CD and Amari Cooper and Gallop and all that, and yes, Cooper was just enough of that guy where he could do it. And then he had it and it kind of worked. But yeah, because he was a great route runner. I think he was

close to that guy. He needs help a little bit around him, but I think, yeah, I think it kind of worked together. But when you take him away, you basically replaced him with NOELH. Brown, And now you don't. I just don't think you've got it got you know what I would have probably several weeks ago I had

have disagreed with you. But I'm coming around to what you're saying, because you look at the one guy that we talked about that could benefit from Dak coming back and maybe it'll happen against the Bears or you know, off week Packers, whatever you know. But Michael Gallup, you know he had two targets, just catches, and you're and so I started watching. Are they winning off the line? Yeah? Are they? Are they getting open? It? Is it the

is it the play calling? Where you know Cooper? I think you got to give Kellen Moore credit for at least like winning these games with Cooper Rush at quarterback. I don't think you could just completely say the defense, but you had to score. You have to score to win these games somehow, some way. You have to score. But I'm starting to come around to your thought about the wide receivers because I don't I don't see that. I don't see that dynamic player. And I saw a

dynamic player in college with Ceedee Lamb. How they used him in Oklahoma and how he was all over and making plays and all that. I haven't. I haven't seen that, And I don't know if it's creativity or it's To me, it's there's times where they don't went off the line. I mean, Philadelphia ate them up in that game last week. They couldn't get away from anybody. This game a little bit better, you know, getting open, but not nearly enough, not to the point where it's just an easy throw,

easy throw, easy throw and all that. So I don't know. I to me, I say, I don't know. I know that. What I see that, I'm starting not to like. Yeah, that's that's a problem, because there's gonna be as good as your defense is, you're gonna have to score some points. You know, you're I mean, this defense is finding a way every week to to you know, get this offense back the ball and do some things. But I think you know, when they sit down and self scout at

the buy. That's when, and that's the week of the trade deadline too. I mean, maybe this is something that they need to really really really think about going in going in forward. I honestly, and I know what I hear what you're saying, Brian, and I agree with you, Nick, but I don't know that it is a personnel issue. I tend to wonder, and I don't know if this is true, but I tend to wonder if it's just that you don't You're gonna have to say, Ceedee, Lamb

has some really unique skills. How do I, as an offensive coordinator find ways to get him into really great situations where he's getting the ball and being able to do something with those really great skills. Like you said, Brian, I watched this guy do that in college. I watched him do it every Saturday in college. Yea, like he could do it. It's just a matter of are you doing the things that are necessary. Cooper Cup to me,

is a really really, really great wide receiver. I think he becomes a great wide receiver because that offensive staff knows how to get him into some really unique situations where they can use his skill, where he can use his skills to make big plays. I don't know they're doing that enough with That's that's the that's the issue right now, because you know, on the defensive side of the ball, dan Quinn is going to take somebody that you know, he's going to play to the strengths of

whoever his defenders are. And you wonder, is is this offensive staff really playing to the strengths of the players you have, you know, And and to your point, I think you're I think you're right about it, But I also want and maybe if if Nick you go out and you get a wide receiver, they might not use him the right way either. No, no, maybe, yeah, But I will give them credit for winning football games with a backup quarterback. This thing could have gone completely off

the rails. And I kind of feel like that that coordinator, whether the head coach went up to him and said, listen, bro, we're gonna run the football and we're not going to turn it over, and we're gonna punt it and we're gonna make it. We're gonna get the ball back at midfield and then we can drive it, you know, and do things like that. But I wonder, I mean, I wonder if it is a personnel thing maybe and I but I also wonder, you know, is can this these

coaches use their offensive guys in the right way? What is you know thing about CD? And again I rore a weapon? I really like CD. I like him a lot. He told a story in the locker room the other day about some of the stuff he's gone through in his life and some of the office field stuff. I mean, easy guy to root for. Um. I'll say this though.

On the field though, when you look at say Madden rating type stuff, all different attributes, like what is he at ninety nine at you know that that's what's gonna be tough? Is like making these guys special. He's not super fast, His hands are questionable at times. At times his route running isn't like super crisp playmaking on the ball, we saw it an Oxnard. We haven't seen it all the time. Good catch the other yes, we saw it more earlier in his career. Yeah, we haven't really seen

that a lot. So playmaking. He's pretty good. Speeds, good hands are you know okay? At times? Are out running okay? I mean like like so like what is it? I'll tell you what he was in college? What the thing that stood out to me was he was a guy that was slippery. It was hard, It was hard to get him down. He got the ball in his hands

and he's making guys miss all around the field. And I don't know if they're getting him enough situations where he's cleanly catching the ball and has an opportunity to show some of that stuff, Like, he's not a guy's gonna get a lot of separation. So unless you're creating separation for him by scheming it that way, then he's gonna have somebody right on him, and you're gonna trust the fact that he can make that tough catch and then probably get tackled. Just having those nightmares of that

cotton bowl where he just ripped text. Yes, yes, that's what you build parselves. You say, right, if you've seen it, you know they can do it right, And I've seen him do it. I know he can do it. I just don't know if they're putting him the right situation. Yeah, what is the right situation for him? They got to figure out how to scheme him open, get into into situations where he's getting the ball on the run and then can make some plays with they schemed him open

in New York, the perfect fas. Yeah. True, But to his credit, he came back and a Micah Parsons type of way and that rest of that game where he was like, I'm gonna just run people. Oh, I'm gonna take over this game. So maybe he piss him off a little bit, him all off. I guess that's that's that's the moral of this story. Five two. Keep winning. We appreciate you guys. Jumps me back tomorrow, get a big picture. Look, we'll get some questions. It'll be Fan Tuesday.

We'll get some questions from you guys. Answer those till then for Nick even Brian brought us Amber Garcia. I'm Derek Eels and this has been the break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Clock