Player's Lounge: Offensive Concerns?

hosts thot we would. But if you're used to hearing Nwei's voice, knew he is on assignment right now, so he's out. So it's just your average box safety Buried Church hosting today. I'm with the Ultimate Survivor, Danny mccraig and the ultimate winner of bets. Well, you know, all right, I guess you know, I guess y'all give you that. I'll give you up like we did. We did not bet on the game. You didn't you right right up.

You ain't beat me in the bed. And I'm just saying, I'm just saying if we would have, I would have came away with the devil. But I didn't, So you know what, let's just dive straight into this thing right now. Or the Cowboys went up to Kansas City arrow Heads Stadium three twenty five Game of the Week on Fox. We had Troy, we had John Bucking there. I mean, it was hype. It was hyped. Everybody was hyping it up. They felt like this would be the game of the year.

Going into this game, we thought it was gonna be a shootout, bang bang, bang, back and forth. But it didn't happen that way. Mccraig, what was your thoughts on the on Sunday's game. Well, let me clear it up, because Barry, I'm just saying I did not think it was gonna be a shootout. I thought our defense was going to play well and hold them to twenty four points, which is the NFL game is is that that's a that's a good point total. We held him to nineteen,

but our offense did not get off the bus. The offense got left back here in Frisco. Buck, We could not get in rolling. We suffered more injuries in the game. We had Ceedee Lamb go out somewhere around the second half. We couldn't get an old line to figure out how how to block anyone. At that point, the noise was getting to us at the at the stated communication was off, so man, just all around offensively, it was just a

bad performance by us. But bright spot, Okay, you text me early in the in the game you said, I said top ten defense. You was like, yeah, right, yeah, I said, stop it. I can't and I'm like you just watch, you just watch and if you listen, the defense kept us in that game because there were so many times where I was like a man, we stopped

them this many times. It was like five straight times that we had stopped five or six straight drifts and uh, I was like, man, but one of these, if we don't score some like offensive points, the next one is gonna be twenty three. It's gonna look like the defense played horrible. But they kept fighting. They did even even when the offense would give them the ball, and in our own territory of with horrible field positions, they figured out a way to stop them. Ben but don't break

in make on kick field goals. Michael Parsons had another hell of a game. Agah, Yeah, we're gonna get on him a little bit later. That unbelievable, but I'm like, I'm still really excited about our defense. Um, I'm not gonna take everything away from the offenses we were getting into the injuries and and how hard it is to come back from some of the stuff that we had to deal with. But at the end of the day, they're still a way for us to win that game. Yeah,

we had we had an opportunity. We definitely had an opportunity. Like you said, this game was hyped up. I was talking about earlier. This game was hyped up from the jump. It was Dak Prescott, you know, is he in that elite quarterback conversation. Then you got my Homes on the other side, who everybody considers him, you know, the greatest thing since sliced bread. So these two guys going at it for the first time in their careers. You know, my Homes being a Texas boy. So this game was

hyped up. In my opinion, it didn't live up to that height. You know, I thought it was gonna come out here, shots were gonna be fired back and forth, big plays here and there, tyree getting getting loose on our defense. But that never happened. That never happened. And I'll give you credit for that the defense played its butt off. They kept this this high powered Kansas City offense pretty much in check. Like you called it. It It

was a bend but don't break style of defense. When they got into the red zone, they were able to hold Kansas City to field goals and I think they had well that three or four field goals tech gals, two field goals, I believe exactly. And early on, early on in that game, those first three drives, I was like, oh, here we go. Q just had to figure it out. That he had to figure it out. You saw him

running the ball a little bit. They were completing some passes, and then it was like that wake up of like, okay, we see what they're trying to do. I liken it to like how Floyd maybe whether it is in the beginning right, Usually he get out there in the first couple of rounds he's like, oh, we don't know, we're not sure what's going on, Floyd. And then all of a sudden, you just pick it up and you saw it. Man. We started getting pressure, the defensive backs were locking down.

They were playing some really good football, which is the most disappointing part about it, because you say, man, if your defense goes out there and holds Kansas City the nineteen you should be able to at least beat in the game, especially with the offense we got. We could we could not find a way to get in the game. And I think this was like the so it was like the Mahomes versus Dak thing, right, but this was

the Mahomes. This was like last year when we saw Mahomes in the Super Bowl and this offensive line did not have all their pieces and they didn't play well. And you say he's still Pat Mahomes. Man, I say he's still Dak Prescott. But Prescott in that offensive line, we just they struggled and that was I think that's the most they struggled all year. That was that was a bad outing for for our offensive line. Well, let's

just dive straight into it then. I mean, we talked about the game a little bit, but let's focus on that offensive side of the ball. Let's focus on specifically that offensive line. I mean, we going in here, you know this week, you know the Cowboys are like, all right, we got to find a new solution at left guard. Connor Williams, you know, he struggled a lot when going against the bull rush, and he was the most penalized player. I'm not if it's either in the NFL or on

the Cowboys. He's getting a lot of penalty. So they decided to make the move put you know, mc governing in there. Let's see what he got. He's done some full back work and for this offense. But let's see if he can go in there and establish that left guard position. Let's get it down pat. So they put him in there. They think they got their best five out there. You know, Tyren Smith didn't go. So we got Steel on the left side, and then we got Collins on the right side. I was the last struggle.

What was your thoughts on that. I'm just listen, I'm just I'm just gonna go back to this, Okay, because I've been saying this for a while. Okay, if you go back over the last three to four years, Okay, the most evident thing when when we're missing a player is that when we're missing Tyron Smith, yes, the game looks totally different. Like every time he's out for an extended period of time, we do not look like a

team that can beat anyone offensively. Right. I went back to Atlanta a few years ago when Clayborne came out and then he had six sacks. Right, and then you watch last year, right, Tyren Smith's out, Layo's out, but Tyren Smith is the guy. He's out. All of a sudden, everything's different this year. Now he's out two games one. You know, we hold up. Okay, this one it was,

it was bad. And then you throw in a new guy right right next to Terren Still when you put them on the left side, and you saw, you saw players where the communication was so off that Still couldn't even hear the snap count. He didn't even know the ball was snapping. He's getting beat off the edge, right, So I think I'm gonna go back to this. Okay, I do think still at the right it's still our best option. And then you can you put Leo at

the left and give him some help. Okay, at least you have McGovern over there with with the veteran player. Maybe they're able to play a little better. But if you have to show up at least one side of your offensive mind, you cannot have League Joan both. And what we know is if you put Terry Still on the right, based off what we've seen this year from him, he will be able to hold up on the right side.

So at least you could depend on one thing, right You could depend on the sprint out, you could depend on some passes to whatever. You can find a way to work with that. But when you have both both edges under attack and the middle under attack, name you got no chance, Yeah you got you got no chance. And I'm with you on this one. I mean, look, everybody on the officive line struggled. Everybody. I mean, I'm even Zach Martin. He got he got worked a little

bit as well. So that to me, it's a little worrisome because you know, at least if everybody else, you know, fails. We got Zach Martin in there. He played his butt off and he had a pretty good game. But he gave up one but Chris Jones. Chris Jones, he had the game on that defensive line. I'm talking about. This guy went ham on anybody. Everybody could have got something. He gave it to be honest, he gave it to m McGovern, he gave it to steal on the outside.

And then he said, you know what, I know this guy's going to the Hall of Fame. I know he's probably the best guard in the National Football League. But I'm feeling myself. I'm on fire right now. He can get it too. So he went over top of Zack Martin, gave him a one two steps, slapped him on by. Zach Martin's hand was all in the dirt, and he went and sacked Dak Prescott. So to me, Jones, Chris Jones,

I mean, he played a hell of a game. He was just one of the most game wrecking performances I've seen in the wild since the Dominicans who played that Nebraska and he took over that big twelveth championship. I mean this was because he also tipped the ball that led to the game selling interception. So this guy was unstoppable. But overall, this officive line it got me worried because we don't know when Todd Smith is gonna get back.

I mean, you know, I gotta concede to you. You called it from the beginning, you said, you know what this guy, you know, he says he's back to form, and I was believing it. But we just don't know what burns bonespurs all that stuff. I've never had that type of injury, so I don't know how long. That's gonna last. But we're on a short week. We're on a short week against the Raiders, and I don't know if he's gonna be able to play against them. We know we don't. We won't have him Mark Cooper because

of the COVID protocols for unvaccinated people. He probably won't be back in time. But to me, the more significant injury was that Tyrn Smith because that offensive line to me, seemed like it fell apart. Well, I mean, look, this is gonna this is gonna sound like I'm going back to the draft and all that. I love. Listen because you say game, game wrecking performances, yil. On the opposite side, Michael Parsons had a game record, so he did him

him like they Christian Christians. They went out there, bro and they really were like battling against each other to see who can have who can have the biggest impact defensively, right,

and they both were shutting it down. Um, but when you when you get to Tyren Smith versus drafting Michael Parsons, all right, I love I love Michael Parsons, Like dude, I'm not taking anything away from Michael Parsons, but you see no matter how good Michael Parsons plays, if we're missing and Tyren Smith on our offensive line, it does not matter. And the point is when you when you watch the Seattle it don't matter who was out there

against Seattle when Tyren Smith was out. You could have had a Pro Bowl roster and missus Tyren Smith and Clayborne would have went out there and wrecked the game. Our game was wrecked. And it wasn't just a left tackle position, but that just messes up the whole flow. The one position that you need to trust is your left tackle position, and we and we did not have

that and Sith get paid it and it was evident. So, like I said, I love Michael Parsons, but when I'm looking at our left tackle position, or actually our old line as a whole, but our left tackle what Tyren Smith is that we have to have some some consistency, there, some some dependability of the fact that you're going to be able to play the entire season. And we have

not seen it. Yeah, until we until we find it, You're always going to go into each week wondering which which which week is it gonna be that Tyre Smith is not gonna be able to play. You get into a playoff run all of a sudden and he's out three weeks. Yeah, well you only got one for sure. Saint Basketball got a game seven and only got one for sure. So it's yeah, it's it's it's worthsome. It is worries. Okay, so let me We're gonna stay on this old line for a little bit. But the crowd

noise in Arrowhead. I played there twice, It gets loud. I took two els both both times playing an Arrowhead, It gets loud. Do you think that had a little bit to do with the offensive line struggles? I mean, I know we got a young guys center with Bey Honest, she's supposed to be out there making all the calls and making sure the offensive lines on the same page. And for the most part this season, I'm not saying his play has been steller, but the communication along the

offensive line, it's been okay, it's been right. It ain't Travis Frederick, but it's been all right. Do you think that played a little bit into the struggles of the offensive line yesterday? Yeah? Absolutely, That's something that you really can't simulate. Right. We used to try to put all

the noise out there right and stuff. But then when you when you go through and you're playing home games or you're playing in Minnesota, it's not as loud as Arrowhead that there are people who say, man, it's Arrowhead and it's the Seattle Seall Stadium, right, who are the two loudest? And it was evident not only for the offensive line, this was for Dak talking to the receivers outside. You see plays where Dalton shows has no idea, where he's like, man, well, what were we talking about here?

The Seaton's out there running the wrong playoff one of the screen routes. So there was the communication thing because of the crowd noise, and then also because of the situation, I think it affected us. I think that's something that we are going to have to work on because if we continue to slide, and we do, it's gonna be away game at Lambeau, which quite which is no quiet place.

It's not at all same playoff season come around and and you know my thoughts on a on that crowd noise, I mean, I'm not sure you can do this because you know, in college they got the whole clap system and the silent count and all that good stuff. I'm not quite sure you could pull that off in the NFL, you know, because there's so much communication going on. I mean's do you think a silent count or something would

have helped a little bit better. I mean, I'm just not sure we could have pulled that off, being as though there's so much communication when you're talking about an NFL off. Oh man, that's that's credited with Spagnola. Yeah, I mean they came out there, they ran zero, they did some nickel blitzes. It was you never knew where it was from. And like their defense is a perfect example of what the coaches you should trying to get us to do as far as disguise. You never know

what Tyran Matthew's gonna be at. Sometimes he's lined up in the A gap and then in the middle of the cadence you see him drop back to deep middle. And then sometimes they line up in a zero look

and then they drop out. So it would be hard for them to go on a silent account without having to make that communication when you're seeing things switch so quickly, so you have to say, hey, man, hey, we need to make sure that we're here to block this up right, So we got to point it out to say it, and I think sometimes we got stuck on trying to do that with the offensive line because you got some new guys in there, new positions, right, So I think all that kind of just went into this this this

down this downfall the offensive line. This game. It was it was it really was what cost us the game. Yeah, because to me, I know, the Broncos situation was bad. The Broncos game. I mean, you know, they caught us sleepwalking. You know, Dak was kind of running for his life in that situation. But to me, yesterday just felt a little bit different because it was like everybody was getting beaten along the offensive line. And it wasn't just you know,

getting beat as far as Sacks concerned. They were stuffing on a run run And I'm surprised. That's where I gotta you know, I asked you this as well, But I was surprised that Kelly Moore went away from the run so quickly. I think Zeke only had maybe nine nine carries, Tony Pollard had maybe seven, and like, and you're in the game. It's not like the Chiefs were blowing us out and we had to up with the past. We were right there at the majority part of the game,

we were right there. I just feel like we abandoned the run game too quickly. I mean, it wasn't like Zeke was just getting out just getting smashed. I mean he was getting three yards in the cloud of dust. But we saw as as as a game goes on, that starts to wear a defense down, and we just didn't keep them off balance enough. They knew what we were going to We were passing the ball, so they were playing coverage. As far as defense, I just feel like we got away for the run too fast. What

do you think about them? There are a few things that I did not like about us going away from the running. This has been from the beginning of the season, right because I'm a firm believer of if you don't establish your team as being able to run the ball at the beginning of the season, then it's something that you're not gonna be able to say we're gonna lean

on this one. It's time like when when we go through a situation like we went through yesterday, right, So so the confidence is saying, all right, look, pass game and working offensive line is struggling, let's re establish our ring game. It was. It wasn't there. And I also think that this was a lack of confidence and our ability as a defense to stop Kansas City because it felt like it was like, this is our last chance. We gotta put up, we gotta put something on the

board because we don't. Then all of a sudden, they're gonna stretch this game out. And you're watching the game, you said, no, the defense is balling. Okay, keep them off the field a little bit. How about that, run the ball, run the ball, give them a break, change to play the field position game. And we got a ninety million dollars run, ninety million dollars run back, We got Tony Poler back there, and we cannot find out a way to get Zeke twenty carry. Last week was

a Zeke twenty carre. I mean last yesterday was a Zeke twenty carry game. That's a twenty carry game. Force them to change the field position. Our defense is playing good. Help them out by putting them on the one like they did us with that at the end of the game,

hit the ninety nine. I think if we don't find their way to establish a running game, there is no deep playoff run for us because we have not seen a game where we've been able to adjust once once once you once the defense is not on the hills, right because Keller Moore is great at getting the defense on the hills. But what happens when you're figured out You have to have something to lean all got to and usually it's the ring game. Gotta go on your wheel,

and we we we haven't. We start to depend on the Tampa Bay quick screens and the other version of the ring game about throwing it out, and that stuff doesn't work. Man. You have to help your old line out by getting them, getting them ready, move the offensive with the line of scrimmage. And we didn't do that yesterday because not only will the run game, you know, help the defense, say off the field, but that's when you know the Cowboys are at their peak powers, when

they're at the best of their abilities. Offensively, we're extremely balanced, you know, we got a heavy run attack, heavy pass attack. It's kind of like we make the defense pick their poison out there. And yesterday I felt like kelling in this offense kind of just you know, I don't want to say dismissed the run game, but just kind of went away from it extremely too fast, So shouts goes out to Spagnol and that defense over there that you know,

they held them in check for the most part. And this might be the first game you know, Keller Moore might got it all. Coach, well one more because this is what this is perplexing, perplexing about us not going to the run game. You're out there with all the Mark Cooper, yeah, and then you lose Cnee Lamb. The only two people who should be touching the ball at this point, it's Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elli. You know what I'm saying, Because one, you see your receivers going,

they're struggling out there. The guys Noah Brown come out there and they're coming out there and they're struggling. Helped them out, man, helped them out. And then open up the boot game, right, I even see that, see a lot of boots yesterday. If you don't establish the run, you can't do that though. The shows is our leading

receiver yesterday. Yeah, and that shouldn't happen. And you know also what it helps your offensive line too, because instead of just pass blocking the whole time, kicking back and letting the defense take their anger out on you. If you establish that run game, you're given opportunity for guys like mcgoverning Terrence Steele, be honest, who are struggling to go ahead and put some aggression. I'll get some get some confidence about the game, and go out there and

post your will on that defensive line. We didn't do that, So it's just it's a strike for my boy right there. Kelenn. He's usually he's been in his bag, but yesterday I think, you know, spac Nollack got the better of him. But last three, I don't know about the bag. Yeahs bag little empty right now. But all right, look we're gonna take our first break. It's twelve fifty. We're in a SWBC studios. This is the players Lounge. When we get back, we're gonna talk a little bit about that, just seeing

how his game went. I mean, we know it wasn't the most successful game for him, but we're gonna talk about his performance and our thoughts on that. So catch you guys when we get back. This is a buried church and Danny mccraide, the Ultimate Survivor. Just the players Lounge at Smoothie King, we are blending goodness to fuel your greatness. Every blind is crafted to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. Sweetie King uses only whole

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extremely high. I didn't know knew it. When you get back new if you listen when you get back and you got these reads, just no, man, we're playing at a high level right now. But let's get back to this Cowboys game. Man, Let's get back to it. We gotta take our medicine. So look, I mean two of the last three games Broncos Atlanta and now Kansas City. Two of the last three, which I'm saying Bronchos in Kansas City, Dak Prescott has not been his usual that

we've seen so far this season. I mean, usually he's extremely efficient, he gets the ball out well. His past placement to the wide receivers is amazing. He's making great decisions out there. But two of these last three, it's been a little shaky. Now with the Broncos, you know, I'm gonna chalk that up to being rusty a little bit. You know, he was injured that calf was two weeks out. You know, it was his first game back from that injury. So I'm chocked it up to a little bit of rust.

But this game coming up, or this game that we just played, I understand he didn't have you know, right Cooper out there, but for the first half he had CD Lamb. He still has, said Wilson who who was bawling um this season so far? He had Gallup who last weeginning against Atlanta looked like he was fresh and ready to come back and ball and take over his responsibilities. He still has Zeek back there. What was your thoughts on Dak's performance against this Kansas City defense, who we

knew going into the game wasn't the best defense overall. Listen, I would say this about Kansas City's defense. I think their last four they were giving up like twelve points a game, all right, so hictions so yeah, so so they had been playing better, I think. Um, So let me go back to where you said it was a rough thing with with the Denver Broncos not not buying it. Okay, he had off game, off game against the Broncos everybody had off game. We've seen him be out more more

time than that and come back and look fresh. All right, Tampa game, all right, came out look fresh. Um. So yeah, I don't when I'm looking at the Kanna City game, I think we've seen over the last few weeks his deep ball has been off. Sometimes it has the rock, you know. I see. I can remember a few to Ceedee Lamb where he's overthrowing them. Him and Michael Gallup usually have this connection to where they can complete the deep pass, and it didn't happen this game. So I

think he just had another bad game. I think the offense in general had had another bad game. And I also think that we were pressing because, like I said, I don't know if it's lacking confidence in our defense or the fact that he was like, hey man, they didn't stopped them so many times. Eventually, they're gonna give up something that's gonna put this game away. So we have to try to figure out a way to get get some chunk yards. So I do think he was

pressing a little bit. But it's hard for you to be able to really operate at your maximum potential when your offensive line is not giving you the time that you usually have that is usually in a clean pocket. He's usually able to get through some reads. And also he usually has his top three receivers all right, at least two of the least two of them two of them, so at least has two of them. He didn't have

that yesterday. And I think moving forward, if we don't find a way to help him out by the ring game and opening up the boot passes and the waggles and getting in some manufactured deep deep shots instead of just hey man, we're gonna shotgun it. See if they can win outside one on one and just let it roll, then I think we're gonna we're gonna struggle. Yeah, so yeah, so we just need to figure out a way to help him out. We know the offensive line is lacking

a little bit. We may be without Ceedee Lamb, and we already without Amari Cooper. So we're gonna have to find a way to make that ring game work. Yeah, We're definitely gonna have to. We're gonna have to get back to that to that balanced approach where you know, Zeke and Poler get their carries, Dack flows the ball. Maybe twenty to twenty five times around that rim. If we get to that, I think that's when we're at

our best. But in this game, I was. I was a little bit surprised at his performance out there, and it started early. It started early when he had galloping, like you just said, him and gallop on the deep ball.

The usually on that same wavelength. So I don't know if it's you know, because gallup missed so much time, but he had to get beat and they were playing some form of cover two or it was just an amazing break by the safety out of the middle of But he usually hits that, usually hits that gallop instride. He's gonna make a play. He might even score, because all he had to do was beat wan Thornhill right there, but he missed him, overshot him by mouth. I mean

the other plays out there we were looking at. I mean that that deep ball interception to where when they when they got the interest that they got, I think it was cursed with the interception, or maybe it was a force pump up by Parsons, but we got it in Kansas City's territory were right there. We should have had at the very least walked out of there with three points. Going into halftime. But you know, one on

want coverage and when you and that. I don't blame him for the decision to go to Ceedee Lamb, But to me, it was the ball placement. It was just too far inside. He gave his receiver no opportunity to at least back the ball down or trying to make a play for him. It was left inside and the arm strength just wasn't there. Now, I don't know if it was you know, maybe just fatigue or you know, he was just had like you just like you said,

he just had an off day. I'll definitely give a little bit of blame to that, the offensive line for making him run around and basically run for his life that entire game. But I don't know. Do you think it was a little bit of the hype of this game getting too much for him as to this stack versus you know, Patrick Mahomes elite quarterback versus elite quarterback.

Do you think that kind of got him pressing out there to try to make you know, big plays and big throws and that kind of threw him off his game. I don't know. I mean, the hype might have gotten to him a little bit. Yeah, I think he was pressing just just because you know, we were behind. The offense wasn't moving, and he was looking for that that momentum change, right that that like if that pass is completed,

the entire momentum of the change. He was looking for that, which we should be at that point establishing a some type of long drive. At that point, mar our own territory defense just made a big play. We should be fine because I think if you look at some of these deep passes, a lot of those are happening on like first down, like first it's like first down chunking fitting and see what we got to see what happen.

It's not behind the sticks, but it's behind the sticks when your office is not playing that, when your officsive line is not playing that well. You want to get into second and six and then manage you know what I'm saying. You don't want to be a second and ten somebody second and ten and you just had to run the ball. You get three yards clouded up. Then you sit in third and seven and you gotta put

the ball in the air. And that's when Kansas City came alive defensively, when they had him in those third and seven, third and tens. They knew they couldn't run the ball. So that's when spack Nolah started coming up with all these different type of disguises, and Chris Jones and Frank Clark they started eating because they all they had to do was like, look, they ain't gonna run the ball, Let's put our ears back and let's get

after it. So I mean, Kansas City they definitely had a great combination because sometimes when Dak was back there, he had a lot of time, but Kansas City Secondary was covering deep or when he had a guy open, Chris Jones or Frank Clark was coming in quick. So I think the Russian cover worked well together. But I'm with you a little bit on this one. Dak Prescott to me, he I don't want to say, you know, he just you know, just toss it off as he had a bad game, because this is two out of

the three, so I'm not worried yet. But if we go into this Raiders game without a Namari Cooper, without a cdee lamb, this guy's getting paid seventy five mills this year. He should be a leading to win these type of games. This one's gonna be tough coming into twit the Raiders without your top dogs out there, and if he can't come through for this team and get him a victory, I can see that snowball effect happening. Man, Okay,

I'll say this with that. I think it just depends on let's say we do lose the game, and all to me, it depends on how you lose the game, all right, all right, because if you go out like the Packers went out yesterday, I'm not blaming that on Aaron Rodgerson Rodgers having a bad game. Your defense didn't find a way to make the play at the end of the game. So I think it depends on that. I am going to jump this up to listen back human, He's human. For the first one, five or six, the

dude looked unreal coming back from injury. I mean looked unreal. All Right, he's gonna it's seventeen seventeen game season. He's gonna have a couple of bad ones, all right. I hope it's I hope it's behind us. I hope it's behind us. But I'm not worried about dak Man. I think the biggest thing, the most important thing for this Cowboys team is to get healthy. We are at this at this point right now, we were missing our two top receivers, we're missing our top offensive linemen, and we're

missing top two defensive linemen on defense. We're listening Neville Gallimore, you know what I'm saying. We're missing a lot of pieces at this point. And then it's unfortunate that we have three games in twelve eights. But I think once we get healthy, if we get healthy, I think that's when you can really look at this team and say, Okay, if we're not performing how we're supposed to, then then

you should be worried. Right now when we're trying to patch, do patchwork and find find the right old line combination where you're putting new guys in. Now you got still next to the like it's right now. We're just trying to figure out a way to get through these uh through these next two games. Not worried. I think we'll be okay. Hopefully. Kelly Moore is thinking the same way we're thinking of Hey, the best way to put our imprint on this game is to run the ball down

Las Vegas' throat. You have to run the ball. If you don't you're gonna find yourself in situations where you're gonna be depending on Wilson's Brown to make some plays to change the game. And that's just not who we are exactly. That's not who we are. And look, man, I'm with you on this one. I mean, because we're not gonna lose this division. I mean, I know the Eagles they've won too straight. I think Washington's won too straight as well. But they're not gonna catch it. I'm

not gonna tell you. Listen, you think, you know, you think it's a round. I think the thing that I think, the thing that stands in our way of winning this division is health. I think if we don't find a way to get healthy, we see this Tyrant Smith thing happening. Okay, when we played the Eagles last time, what was Hardgrave right on the right, right up in the middle. Okay, Okay, And whatever we say about the Washington football team defense, they hadn't played well. That's the same way we thought

about Kansas City. Yeah. And then all of a sudden, these teams in our division are picking up some dubs. We got New York Johns playing to night all right. The teams are starting to play better. So this is not a good time for us to say, hey man, we could just toss out two or three games, because

we don't want it to be that interesting. At the end, who we are fighting against is the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers to try to lock up the number one seat if we do not find a way to stay healthy, which is a lot is out of our control. But I think that's the one thing that can stop us from one in this division. All Right, you heard it here first, man, let's take our second break. It's one or two here, you're on a players lounge. We're at the s WBC studios. It's the players lines

brought you by Hotels dot Com. When we get back, we're gonna talk about this defense. I mean, the boys was bawling out there, especially number eleven Michael Parsons. So when we get back on a breakdown, is defense a little bit? But like I said, is f WBC Studios is the players lounge, brought you by Hotels dot Com. Nobody protects you from nahem like all State. I'm a broken traffic lady, Stop and go. As the name of

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twenty second at at and T Stadium. Space is limited. I'm telling you now, they're almost sold out, so make sure you go register today at w BUW dot Dallas Cowboys dot com Slash Academy. Come see your boy, I'm seeing him. Come see your boy. Where your team getting Team Danny gear? All right? Get that right? I got the black sweaties, the black seeing right now. The black hoodies are back limited, all right. If you don't get yours,

they will not be re ordered something like hotcakes. Shop Team Danny Merch m Arcas dot com or check the link in my buyo on Instagram at Danny mccraig forty. Get yours were to the camp and I'll show you some extra love. There you go. You heard it here from the Ultimates about I got my black, my black hoodie, I got my stylish. It works great. You know what. You know, winners in Texas don't get too too crazy cold, so you know you don't gott to wear those thin

crazy hoodies. Get you some of that Team Danny Merch hoodie. It's black, it's breathable. You could work. I'm telling you, you gotta get one. It's probably the best hoodie you're gonna have. It's worth the money. Go ahead and get you some of that team. It's very breathable. I'm all right, let's get let's get back to this Cowboys Kansas City matchup that they just had on Sunday. And look, we broke down an offense. You know, we took the medicine.

You know, the offensive line played terrible. That was a little rusty out there. Receivers dropping passes left and right, and you can't do that in no type of game. It's too big of a moment for you to go out there. We can't beat ourselves. We gotta go out there and make the plays that we know these guys can make. But let's put the offense over there somewhere in the corner and let's go ahead and give this

defense some flowers. I mean, look this, this team, this defense, who I thought for sure was gonna struggle without their two top dogs. You ain't have Randy Gregory, you didn't have the Marcus Lawrence out there, No Neville Gallamore. They had to find guys to go out there and make the pass rush and that is exactly what they did. Parsons coming off the edge. Basham went out there and

got him a fumble recovery. Was playing well. Duran's armstrong who quietly has been playing with these past couple of weeks, getting pressure up the middle off the edge. He's like a Swiss Army knife out there. Man. I just can't say enough about this defense. They're finding ways to take the football away and get it back to their offense

and letting them do what they do best and score points. Unfortunately, they weren't able to do that in Kansas City because they got the ball back for our offense twice in Kansas City territory, and all we were able to do was muster up three points. But Danny, what are your thoughts on this dan Quinn defense. I'm gonna give it to you because you've been calling it since March. We need to get this dude. He can make this defense do a one eighty. What are your thoughts on the

game for Kansas City? Listen, listen, whatever happens, I know all the players are gonna say, listen, their defense played better than our hours because and we would have held them to eight points, we would have won the game. But but the reality of the situation is the defense played out standing out They played out standing like like we mentioned, there was a point in the game where they got five straight stops and the Cowboys office start going three and out. They might get six plays and

the defenses right back there on the field stops. You get two turnovers. Right pick on Kelsey from what was being thrown to Kelsey, he bobbles it a little bit, tips and overthrows. I gotta get those. Michael Parsons comes in man shout, comes in there, and the speed is unreal. It's no way in the world. Patrick Homes like, ain't no way this dude catching me. Let me go for

you know it? Sack force bumble on third down Cowboys Hill Kansas City four of twelve we have been top of the league, and third down last week was one of eleven four last entire year when you've been top of the league, last week we were a top fifteen defense. All right, if you look if this, I believe this firmly. If our offense comes to play, how they can't, how they know they can't, right, and we're playing from even or ahead, and we're forcing Kansas City to have to

make some plays in order to win that game. I think the defense comes out and they put their foot on the neck of these guys and they make a statement and say, hey, we're here. We held them, dude to nineteen points in Kansas City, and you could tell that the Kansas City offense had no idea what to do with parsons. They had no idea what to do

with our what our dbs. I will say the one weak point, which is is continuing to show up for our defenses the runs to the edge, specifically this game, the left edge it was, and it's just a simple thing that can be taught of. Hey, don't peek inside. Right, you're peeking inside too early to try to make a play. Wait, hero back he wrote ball and then you keep seeing guys st around the left edge. But I think overall,

our entire defense played great. Two more turnovers for us, We held him, held him down on third down, We got stops when we needed to. We just could not find a way to put us together with the offense.

But I'm gonna give d Q another shout out his old coaching staff and the players, but leaving in the process and get the hands leaving in the process, and like I said, they are continu you win because you know, Patrick Mahomes last week had four hundred and fifty yards he did to us after us, everybody thought he was he was on his way, He's back, get back, and he ran into the Cowboys defense who was continued to

get better and better each week. And if they continue to play that way and they continue to get healthy, watch out for this defense. This is something that you can lean on going into a playoff run and say, hey, we don't care what offense we're playing against. We know the our defense to come up and they even they give up points, they're gonna get some turnovers, they're gonna stop you on third down, and they're gonna make big plays when they need you to help our offense get

back in the game. Well, I'm gonna tell you this. I'm gonna tell you a guy that if he continues to play the way he's playing, this guy, this guy's a limit. And you know who I'm talking about. I'm talking about Michael Parsons. So we're gonna get let's narrow this thing down. Yes, the defense played amazing as a whole entire group. The communication was great out there. The

secondary put a top on everything. You didn't see Tyreek Hill busting up the seams for seventy five yards or catching a bomb and you know, getting all these big plays. The defense did a great job out there of limiting those big plays to Kelsey and Tyreek Hill. Yes, they're gonna get there's a little bit here there. They mean, they get paid to the two of the best offensive players in the National Football League, So yeah, they're gonna

get there is here and there. But overall, I think they did a great job of communicating and settling down and making sure they didn't give up the big play. But back to Michael Parsons, this guy, I said, I haven't seen the biggest bigger impact since DA's Brian. But when I'm telling this guy, he didn't even play football

last year. He opted out of Penn State. He came in here and he's making it such a huge impact on both the linebacker the second level, and I would even argue that he's making a bigger impact on the defensive line. I mean, this guy, I thought, for sure, Okay, he'll come in for a little packages here and there. He's not big enough to go there and be defensive end the whole time, he's gonna get worn down. But the guy has been out there and he's just too

quick for these people out there. You see the quick twitch emotional. We talked about it earlier when the guy was able to bend the corner and chase down my Homes. I mean, my Homes isn't the fastest, but he can run a little bit. You're run away. Yeah, he was run away. We've seen it happened before, but this guy tracked him down. And not only did he track him down, you could just tell how much of a playmaker this guy is. And I credit Dware a little bit because

he was working with Dware in the offseason. He's seen the guy. He didn't go in there and just make the regular sack. He went and didn't go in there and just try to trip up the feet of Mahomes. He went in there knowing lee he had the ball on his right side, and he chopped at that thing, chopped it down, got the ball out. Huge play for the defense because it got the ball back for the for the offense. I'm not sure if that was a takeaway they got three points or not, but this guy

has been playing it lights out. I'm gonna say, defensive rookie of the Year, that's a lot. I mean, I think that's a lot for him. Can you see the absolute player of the year. Maybe absolutely, I mean why why not? When you think about like I said, I talked to Sean Lee when I saw him up here, and he said, he's never seen a stack linebacker be able to do the things that Michael Parcels is doing. All right, and Sean Lee studies linebacker. Yeah, he's seen

He's seen a lot of guys. And then you like, at this point, you're like, man, when is this dude gonna hit the rookie wall. That's what I'm I don't see a wall come. It seems like he comes into each and every game with more energy like this, like he's a grown man, but he's like a kid out there, like he's just like he's a kid on Christmas when when the gas kicked off, he's like, yeah, football, football, And I thought he was gonna I thought he was gonna want up it because if you remember, I said,

I was out there watching practice. I saw the guy on pump on punt return and he almost like this dude, I forgot about that like they like, you know what part we need a playoffs go ahead and the kid almost blocked the punt. Man. Listen, the guys playing great also, and you know, to accompany him the rest of the guys when they say next man up. This is a

next man up type of d without a doubt. And fortunately the next man up at some point are gonna be Take Lawrence and they're gonna be Randy Gregor without and imagine those two with Michael Parsons daring something strong like this this man. Imagine those guys at the same time playing. When you get a total game, it's just I just got going back to our offense, man, because I just really want our defense to beat top ten, and our offense has to play. You have to. You

have to at least play. Because the top of possession was almost even, which shows which shows that we still had an opportunity to get some things going. We could have random ball a little bit one of the time position, keep our defens off the field and let them make those big plays and get it dumb, let's seek play it. You know, I'm gonna stay on it all week, y'all hear from ya all week. I'm glad I'm glad we get to get this taste out of our mouth. Yeah, real quire days, three days and we run a low

on time. But I gotta get this in real quick because you know the game's coming real quick. Three games, like you said, fast turnaround Thursday against the Raiders. But with all these injuries, I mean it's probably what you would say, like a ninety percent chance Cooper doesn't play. Yeah, I would say that about ninety percent chance Cooper doesn't play. Tai Smith, We're not sure. You know, we thought he might be able to play this game. You know it

didn't happen. I don't know about burns, spurs or bones spurs. I'm not a trainer or anything like that. I'm sure Brown, Jim Mayer and those guys are gonna get him right. But if he doesn't play either. Are you worried about this Raiders game and taking an ellen with what it can do to the season. Yeah, I mean you would be dumb not to be worried about this game because

the health of our players. Two is because two out of last three we have not looked like the Cowboys at the beginning of the season now, so we need to find a way to consistently get this thing back rolling. I'll tell you this man, if tyred Smith comes back, who's playing right tackle? Because don't struggle tune. So it's like, who I want you to think about what we're talking about it tomorrow. Yeah, but I'm just saying it's not as clear as as as everybody thinks it should be.

They can say whoever is better than whatever? Turn the film on. Look at how Terrence still played when he was at right tackle, and look at how my man LC is playing right now. We're struggling overall, but I have a picture in my mind of Terrence still playing. Really damn good, A right to five game straight. All right, it was great, another great day another you know, it's a beautiful day in the metro play. So it's a great day on the here on the players lounge. They

got Mike shots coming up next. I'm along with you on the Raiders game though, because they got some pass rushers Yannick and Gockway Crosby on the side. I mean, they're gonna definitely test whoever those tackles are on the outside. But our time has come to an end. We're here at the s WBC studios, brought to you by hotels dot com. I'm just your average box safety buried Church,

joined by the Ultimate Survivor Danny mccraig. Don't forget to get your team, Danny murch oh, I got old, Mr Alt, they did not forget all right, get ready for miny shots here coming up. Like I said, were brought to you by hotels dot Com. We will see you tomorrow, hopefully our our esteemed Emmy winning hosts Louis Scrugs is back, but we set the bar high. We'll see you guys tomorrow,

twelve thirty. Have a good one. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Call.