The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
Cowboys.
This is the.
Players Lounge broadcasting live from Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at the Star. Now your hosts, Barry Church, Hecma Harrison, and Newie Scruggs.
We alive from the Tasma Hall of Football, the headquarters of your Dallas Cowboys. And this is the Players Lounge sponsored bot Aristocrat Gaming.
You know what you're doing, You're rocking with the best. I'm HECKM.
Harrison and the player the players and the building is former safety of the Dallas Cowboys, Barry Churches in the place to be and uh the double dip in.
Turns out my Colt branch.
You it's my man probably he has some has some visions last Sunday night.
He's like, well, that used to be your boy out they use me on that. I bet they could, my man, Jesse, boy.
You don't talk about that because they probably gonna use you a cover kittle. That's facts we're gonna get. We definitely getting into Jesse. Holly is in the building and that's the word of the day. Let's get the exposure. That's what that was the word.
The word of the day for players is exposure.
Buried Church.
My man new He Scruggs is making his way back from the Bay Area, probably had him a you.
Know, not a cigarette.
No sound bites, no sound bites coming from but you know what we did did actually have a SoundBite from Newly Scruggs. And we're gonna get to that in just a second. But before we before we do anything, but we're gonna do it, we're gonna check in. We're gonna handle our business. That's what we always do. And we check in as brothers, just on each other. And I'm gonna start with you, jesse Man, check you mentals.
Baby, I'm a little tired, you're a little I was up late.
You know, I got the pre halftime and postgame show, so I'm out on location. I'm way down and depell them so I ain't get done to that in about about eleven thirty twelve and drive home and you know how it is like we've all been covering games late at night and then you try to get home and it just takes a minute for your.
Whole can you know what I'm saying? Like up? So you just up, You just up.
And for me, the body clock say, hey, you're getting up at whole thirty, whether you want to or not.
Bro, that's the time we get up. Hover time.
Nobody get up for me. So he's like, hey, I'm gonna let you get you a five oh five, but.
You're getting up.
Yeah.
So yeah, I'm a little tired, but I'm here. I'm here to give you what you need.
What you want. Okay, what's up with you? I'm doing good.
It was just good family good. Actually did a little bit of lawn madenance today. You know what I'm saying, Believe it or.
Not, did not really, but you know, you know I stepped out there today.
I stepped out there today, some lawn maintenance done, winning pointed.
Yeah, that's where you're not just what do you mean you did? I sprayed some weeds? You know what I mean?
Doesn't I sprayed some we I ain't cutting no grass, and I'll tell you I ain't doing none of that. But you know I sprayed when I felt good about that. You know what I feel like, neighbors over.
There, what's going on?
You know?
It was a good It was a good day, man, like I was doing something.
You know, you know what Man, the thing that the visit that I have of you out there spring with.
First of all, it was probably what three he's out there, it was probably about two or three. Yeah, a lot.
So I was like, this is an eye sore, you know, keep trying with that. You know that long and the along of the week. We all know, we all know that's about.
Man.
Look you cut grass, don't you cuts? No, I don't, I don't. I pay somebody hold on so you won't there like time. We're good, We're good.
Uh, you know, life is life is amazing. The kid had three catches this week. Come on, man, baby steps, baby steps, So we feeling good about that. But man, I was talking sound bites and uh one NEWI scrugs. Just happened to be in the right place with his phone up and he caught what was probably a moment that is going to continue to go viral throughout the week as we look for someone to point our fingers at.
But it was the exchange between Trayvon Diggs and Mike Leslie from w f A A and And I want to know from you guys as as former players, because you've had to interact with the media, have you ever had a said encounter like that immediately after a game, where obviously you go to your phone you see something that you know that happened during the game, and you
still do I don't. I guess we would have a visual of you guys already out there coming out to report with in your pads, but in your still in your pads.
B see. I just want to start with you.
I really need to, I need to really need to know your thoughts on this, because I think it's it's one of those perception as an always reality, but sometimes perception is reality.
And you got to tell me what you saw.
Yes, you know, as a former player, me personally, I've never you know, had deal with those type of situations. I understand that, you know, people are gonna have their criticisms of the game and how it goes, and there was times when I'm frustrated this heck, but I never once you know, felt like the need to go in attack a reporter or go say whatever I need to
say to a reporter. They may come over there that my answers may be short whenever they want to talk to me, I may be short with them, but you know, I'm not you know, the game's over. You know, I'm frustrated we'd be lost in a way that we didn't, you know, think was gonna happen. At least I didn't
think it was gonna happen. And you know the thing is that was funny was, you know, my man's came out the locker, out the locker like you're not you're not sitting in your locker, and you know the media is coming over to you, talking to you, and you just like, you know, what I'm tired is the man went outside the locker room, fully fully dressed, the pass number seven on, everything strapped up, and it had this confrontation with with my man's over there. So that's just
something I wouldn't have done personally. I understand, you know, Diggs is a different man. He's his own man, and he was probably frustrated about you know, what happened out there.
But to me, personally, you know, I wouldn't have went that route.
You know, the frustrations are from the game enough and I'd have just got undressed and got on the bus and got ready to get up out of there.
Jesse. It's the optics on this is really bad, extremely bad.
The optics are bad and no matter how you trying to play it up or play it down. You know, I think you I think we all can agree as men.
Period.
You know, frustration starts to boil over and you know, look, maybe we don't have pr guys that are pulling you back and telling you, oh, that's not the move, or somebody you know.
And we played with, were played with guys that are Friary likes.
Somebody fixed that rich you know, you know, Chris, Chris Bean, what about y'all fix this? Chris, appreciate you being on top of.
The on hanging with the boys.
Chris gave us some information to kind of a little bit of a backstory to that. Earlier that day, Trayvon Dick's brother, Stephan Dicks had went down with an injury. So after the game is over, he goes back into his locker and is looking at his phone trying to get an update on potentially what happened to his brother. Now, I don't know whether he was I don't know did he search his name? They say no, did someone send it to him? How did he see it? Because he
wasn't tagged in the tweet? Right, But there could be other fans that are fans of his that then quote tweeted it and sent it to him whatever, but he checked it.
He was wrong for coming out of.
The locker room to address it like, let's but I laughed because and you know this, it's the frustration that's build up over time, and Trayvon is probably like, hey, dog, the one time I actually do what that I'm supposed to be doing, you're gonna call me out. So when you hear him say, is that what you got from
that play? Because that ain't his responsibility, Like he's actually trailing trying to prevent the cutback, so he guarded his guy already his guy was was locked down, and then he's spun back and saw the kind of he's like, you know what I mean, Like he's like, this ain't.
Even who y'all should be talking about.
Is the other single digit that was supposed to be gone number number that was supposed to be guard number eighty five, that's run up and down the sideline now? And so I think that was the frustration for him, was y'all. And and now granted he is he has caused the level of things to be talked about with his his inability to to want to tackle, to put his nose in on tackle, to turn down the tackles,
and frankly the way he's played. But he's probably like, all right, damn dog, the one time I do something right, you're gonna say, you know.
And that's why he was like, you know, you don't know what you're talking about. You know what I'm saying.
But but again, that whole situation could have been handled differently. Is he wait till Mike Leslie comes in the locker room when it comes by his locker, or he goes over him like and let me talk to you for a second.
Dog, pull on to the side.
And you could, you could, you could undress him in that you know, type of situation, pull him to the side.
But when you walk.
Out of the locker room still fully padded, what's your phone in your hand? You know that this is you're walking out to media. Everybody's waiting for the rope to be dropped so that they can go inside the locker room. Everyone's gonna have their phones out. And you went out there and you made a viral moment for now, for one for yourself that you're gonna have to answer that whenever, whenever your media time comes up, you're gonna have to answer that.
Your teammates are gonna have to answer it.
On the local radio today they ask Steven Jones and he's doing his time. Guess what they're gonna ask tomorrow, Jerry Jones. They're gonna ask him tomorrow. They're gonna ask that when he goes his availability. They're gonna as CD when he goes to his availability, They're gonna ask all the guys. So now you've created a commisation in the locker room that becomes a distraction. These are the little things that come about and it doesn't Now the national
media is looking at this and they're piling on. Look at the cowboys, they got rabbit ears. They're sensitive.
That's right, that's Jesse. That's where I want to go. That's the where you're What you're.
Talking about right now is from the outside of this building. In the perception and what people are starting to write is soft. You have people using those words, and as former players and guys that know the game, well, it's hard to call a man that does what these guys do soft, But sometimes it's ish?
Can we put ish ish on there?
And when you do stuff like that, do you not validate that statement because you look soft.
I don't know if you validate it. I know that you don't put the flame out. It grows from there.
You know what I'm saying.
Like it's a different like you you ain't beating allegations.
You're helping the allegations.
You know what I'm saying, Like you're throwing a little bit more kerosene on the allegations. You know what I'm saying right, Like it doesn't help you. It doesn't help you.
I mean, and to say you can't do what I do, you don't know ball, It's like no, s Sherlock, Like, let's state the obvious, bro of course, nobody, what are you talking about?
And I think and I'm learning this. I'm learning this media stuff, guys, I'm getting I'm getting kind of right.
So these news guys, we work with the news guy.
We can talk about this, you can talk about this.
Why us plus you guys know this dog y'all, whether you're media trained or not, you know that these news got they eat this moment up.
Why are you ali open this moment, especially if I'm in big situation.
You bagged up. You You ain't going nowhere like you're secure and what you've got. I mean, I'm looking at that whatever dog you know this week.
But see we've been we've been around cast at are different. It's different. Each man is different. I'd have been like, oh, yeah, whatever, you know. I mean, it is what it is. You know, I'm caked up.
I'm good that I got what, I'm secure on, what I got going on. You know, it's whatever. But different guys, you know, sensitive to certain things like trigger word for me might be different from what a trigger word for you know, Trayvonds might be. And obviously whatever Leslie said or did or posted got underneath that man skin.
That man I'm almost lost it with that was that'd be through back.
Sports media over the last couple of years that these moments that happened and Mike Leslie and Travon Diggs now have their moment.
Hilarious. Come on, keep it rip. That was hilarious.
Bro.
Another one of my shows on Friday, We're gonna we're gonna pull up the greatest cowboy sound bites from players.
So you're gonna.
Get the fixed this ish, You're gonna get the image Smith. I'm a diamond surrounded by was the drivers, rounded by doodoo. You go, you're gonna get, You're gonna get, You're gonna get a I mean, there are sound bites among sound bites among sound bites. You can just take Charles Haley and do you do a top twenty five?
You know what I mean. So it's gonna be interesting when you do. You think about it as assistant, remember that one? Yeah, what is that thirty six million, thirty six.
Million dollars reason to be a Yeah, to be alive?
We've had some over the year and last night and last night we had another one, and it just looks bad. It looks bad for you know, everybody that's going to continue to keep that capsulated and always play it over and over again for this team to remember that shortcomings at the most embarrassing times, when you're at your most emotional time. I know, for me in my life, well, some of the worst mistakes I've made is being overly
emotional about stuff. And that's I mean, I don't want to call Trayvon Diggs a young guy, but that's a learning lesson for him to never do that again, because now you put yourself on front street with that and you don't have to you're too good of a player to do to yourself. You too could of a player to let somebody like Mike Leslie get under your skin, Like, for get them bagged up, forget them bagged up, forget
the dog you go. You got a lot of years in this league that you're gonna play and that you're gonna be a name that people are always gonna put you at the top of the list when it comes down to the cornerback market.
I don't give nobody that.
That's not even his character. It's the other dig's brother that you know what I'm saying, Like that ain't that ain't what Trayvon even do. So like you, you went way outside of your normal self to now have a viral moment in cowboy infamy.
Yeah, that's uh. And look, man, I Michae. Mike Leslie is a dude that I work with. I work with him in football games. Uh do Friday night football with him, And uh that I laughed.
When I woke up this.
I didn't see it to this morning when I got up and I was like, you gotta be giving me something else.
Had it had to be bread somebody else.
He got into it and then he was just like, look at his phone, you know what, and just because it's like you said, it's just not in his character to be like, you know, I'm you know, I'm gonna sell what's on my mind to me, you know, frustrating game, maybe something went.
Down in the locker room, and then want them, you know, mama to push you off. Yeah, that's it.
I'm going off as the next person, and he just happened to be the next person.
Man, dude.
The what we got to really get into before we go to our first break is this offense. Quickly, guys, this is I think something something has to be said or done about where we are.
Can we stop blaming the coordinators?
Okay I'm not.
No, I'm not because I'm not.
I've been trying to say it since since we've been doing this. So let's let's go. We remember before on Friday, we asked, what do we need to see that?
What's that line that we need to see? Thirty twenty five of thirty eight two hundred and forty three yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions. Okay, let's talk about this Russian attack. Russian attack, we have no nineteen carries for fifty six yards. Okay, you're not gonna be very balanced with fifty six yards all right on the other side for you for the passing game, twenty five for two forty three as a group and obviously ceedee Lamb had thirteen for one six
and two tuddies last night. But the offense, to me, guys and just I just want you to summarize what you saw. This looks like a complete dumpster fire live. The offensive play calling is all over the place. It's me with a joystick calling place. There's no rhyme, there's no rhythm. There's nothing to this offense that's saying, Okay, you can hang your hat on that Barry Church. Do you point your finger at four or do you point
your finger at McCarthy. But some where in there is going to be the truth for two guys that equally share blame.
One hundred percent. And you know I get both of them. I don't know one hundred percent both of them. They the play and I'm gonna let the officer guy talk a little bit more on this subject. But from what I seen from the competitive part of the game, like I see the stats two forty three two toes, but from the competitive part of the game before the forty nine ers took the foot off the pedal defensively and started playing some pre event and all that and just
letting guys wide open. That offense wasn't even there was There was nothing that they could do out there offensively.
The receivers were getting no separation. And what just bothered me.
The most was the decision making from one Dak Prescott, because when you look at it, yes, he threw two interceptions, he could have threw another one.
Warner could have had one the same same play right there for that interception, and.
This just takes me back to the to the year he led the league in interceptions. The decision making, to me, he should be on beyond this point, you know. And to me, he's basically adding on like when you when you're scrambling, like the one interception on the sideline, I believe it was a norm who picked it off.
Man's is not hoping just throw that away and live for another down. And he knows that. I mean, he's been playing.
Quarterback in this league for a high level for a lot of years and he knows more about quarterback than I'll ever know.
But I know, man, you know that thing away.
He's pressing out here, throwing the ball deep ball down the sideline. I believe it was the C D Lamb that the last one, the first interception, that was.
The decision making.
Man, Maybe that's the play calling, you know, getting guys in the right spot, because why are you throwing a deep ball to a man that's five seven? I don't understand it in a jump ball at that that's a To me, that's a safety's dream.
You're breaking up the Oh this is what the ball just lofting up in the air. He came like it was a punt. So to me, it's it's it's decision making that looks god awful. Right now.
The creativity offensively just isn't there. I mean, we're not drawing up plays where guys are just scott free like they were a year ago in the Running Game. I mean, it's not coming back. Like my man said, you know last week on the show, there's no way this running Game is ever going to be or at least this year, what it was in years past. There's no type of
balance going on with this situation. So to me, I don't know where to point the finger at exactly, But this offense right now is looking mighty pedestrian, even below pedestrian in mind stand.
Jesse Dak Prescott has eighteen hundred yards, ten touchdowns and eight interceptions after seven games.
Yeah, he's on pace to actually break his career high at fifteen. He's on pace right now to get seventeen eighteen. He's he had three. This is a third game. He had two interception. Third back to back to back to back game and he had two interceptions in the game that hadn't happened since the nineties by Troy Akman and to Barry's point, the decision making. But I believe right now, I told you guys on Friday that I needed Michael from Pittsburgh to be in his Louis Gucci Fendi.
He said, how about this hefty? How about how about about this track? How about not even the scented one, not even not even the one. You don't even get that. You don't even get that. You know you have the little pool strings on the side. You gotta make your own. You gotta take the air out and.
The not the not the one that that that's that's stopping the lids.
No, not even close.
And and and when you when you have that type of when you have that type of play calling, guys don't get into what we're calling. I've been in huddles what you call a play and guys roll their eyes like not this, And for the life of me, I'm I'm, I'm.
Where Dak Prescott gets yourself in trouble is when you go and you play zone against him, when you make him have to sift through all the reading of the zones because the last two office of coordinators that he's had three really if you had count Jason Garrett, Keller Moore and.
Now Michael from Pittsburgh.
What ends up happening is teams are saying we're gonna rush for get pressure with them, drop seven, and you're still running man routes. See now you're trying to run man routes and there's.
No answers for you.
So now everything is You wonder why there's no separation. You wonder why he's thrown into these tight windows because gods are sitting back there saying, well, if you're gonna just keep running these man veaters into the zone, we're gonna be right here. And everything now is super contested.
Hands are in the way. You gotta throw around bodies or over bodies, and you gotta try to make these difficult throws because you have so many dudes standing into the vicinity where you want to go with the football, and they and they've yet to incorporate the answers to these tests for Dak And so I'm not absolving him of any blame because at the end of the day, the ball leaves his hand last right like the interception, CD doesn't play throw out of bounds bro either tucking
or run it throw out of bounds the other play to the other interception to turpen down the football field. I know that he got a hit when the ball was coming that was gonna be intercepted no matter what. That safety was sitting so far back there waiting for the very thing that that they gave him, he layers at it anyway, and so he he's pressing, and then his coach isn't helping him out because he's not drawing up plays that give him easy options, that give him
answers to the tests that he's facing. And so now he's having to to take educational guesses.
He's got to go out.
There and and a little bit of hope, um and a little bit of yeah, yeah, a.
Little bit of my guy, maybe a little bit better than your guy.
And what ends up happening. Talked about it last week. The defense say we're gonna play the percentages. Sure, ced gonna get his. Oh, but you're gonna come one too many times to CD and we're gonna get you. Oh you're gonna make one or too many mistakes and we gonna get you. Yeah, he gonna get his'. He's the first team All Pro four reason but to mess around a play around with it, we gonna get you.
And they just been chatting. There is enough blame to pass around. And we got another bowl we gotta fill up. And here in just a second, we got to talk about this defense. We got to talk about this defense. He's Barry Church, He's Jesse Holly, I'm heg Ma Harrison. We'll be right back after this.
Hey, they're Cowboys Nation.
Kyle Yeoman's here sharing that same team that brought you Buffalo, bringing NFL casino games that show America's team on and off the reels. Aristocrat is changing the game with a new experience football fans. This means you can pick your team and play your team. Check out the Cowboys theme casino games developed by Aristocrat A. Brown, sponsor of the
Dallas Cowboys. Gambling problem please contact the US National Problem Gambling Helpline at one eight hundred gambler that's one eight hundred gam b l e R for twenty one over.
Hey, Cowboy fans, I'm Dak Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas but lately I've been learning a new game. Crypto sound confusing, Don't worry. Even US pros were rookies and crypto once. That's why I trust blockchain dot Com. They make crypto easy, no confusing jargon, just the tools to help you win.
Ruscott kits slides with a first.
Down invest like your icons where everyone is a rookie in crypto with blockchain dot Com perfect pro.
My goodness, wow, did he ever thread the needle?
Visit blockchain dot Com slash Cowboys to get started.
It's the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black and right now Cowboys fans can get fifteen percent off their seventy five dollars order. Plus because every deal needs a playmaker, your order will include a free five piece skincare set and free shipping. The Jack Black Playmaker is four of Jack's favorites and a full sized intense therapy lipball. Make a play for the Playmaker at Getjack Black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys vip.
That's get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys vip.
Are you the twenty twenty four Dallas Cowboy Fan of the Year.
The Dallas Cowboys and Captain Morgan are.
Celebrating extraordinary, inspiring and original fans. Nominate yourself or the biggest Cowboys fan you know for a chance to be named the twenty twenty four Fan of the Year and win prizes including a trip to Super Bowl fifty nine. Visit Dallascowboys dot com slash Fan of the Year Go Cowboys.
To the Players Lounge.
Hey, parents, get ready for a spectacular time at Little Stars presented by Nona on Wednesday, October thirtieth. The free Halloween themed event is perfect for your little pumpkins age five and under. Join us from ten am to twelve pm for fun activities, silly games, and lots of treats. Visit the Star District dot com for more information. We're back in the SWBC Mortgage Studios in pc Maherrison, he's Bury Church, that's Jesse Holly. This is the players now
sponsored by Aristocrat Gaming. Uh new Shrugs is in al right now and on his way back, and I'm sure he's gonna have plenty to say about his trip out to the Bay Area. But man, he gonna bring that l back when when he gets and the defense he probably did, he packed. He bought it right back because he would against the.
Sheet up intake that ship. Tough intech. Man ain't to see it, to see it.
Our defense, Our defense is sending God to the Pro Bowl right now. And if you're okay, if you're looking to make your bonuses and hit those incentives and those little marks on your contract, you cannot wait to see our defense. And I'm having a hard time understand ending how at the beginning of this game it looked to me and you guys talked about this on Friday in detail, about selling out to stop the run.
Barry Church, what did you say?
You said, I don't want to see it too, safety high man, you better put your extra man down in that box. And hey, and you tweeted, zim sell out. Put it all on it, put it all on the line, whatever they whatever you do when you wake up on Monday morning, that's that line. Better be better. Not say what I think you said, but boy, then look at it. Let me look at Jaques Murray marches and boy, that's two hundred and twenty three yards rushing.
Six point two average.
Have you have you ever heard that six point t that's crazy, Fallas, that's remarkable.
Fellas.
I'm gonna start with you, Okay, I'm gonna start with you.
You're the defensive guy.
Please please explain to the people, Barry Church, what is happening with the defense and how is that if there's any chance of how you make this better?
Man, Look, these guys on the defense of at front seven, say everybody on the defensive side of the football, man, they're not winning any semblance of any type of one on ones. I mean there's a time. I understand double teams. You might get pushed up out of there, but you gotta have linebackers coming downhill.
You don't see any of that.
And you just talked about career days for people when they play against the Cowboys.
I didn't even know who number thirty one was.
The rookie when when we when he when he came in for Mason when he got injured. Girndo, Garnded, I don't even president's name, IM Sorrynda Grinda. He went in there, threw eighty five on usifth front pick two and twenty four. Yeah, we could have used that, but we gave it to Yeah, my boy, each of them on the bench right now, yeah yeah, yeah.
Yeah no, because he is the Yeah that that just you you know, what makes it even worse. That lets you finish.
But like Isaac Garrindo, think about it for a second, he's actually the backup to the backup.
Christian Mcca. He's his third string, the third string back going out there doing you like this. He's the backup to the back and he's doing you dirty.
And honestly, had he started, the way that they ran the ball with Mason was different the way they ran the ball with Isaac. Had he started, he might have hit you because.
They were trying.
They were trying to They was trying to run Old Mason kind of you know, east and west. They said, okay, this guy because he runs. They told me that he did like a four to two. So he's like, oh, we's gonna go north and south. With him and they just ran downhill and his first two players are like fifteen eleven.
Man can't start, and the plot thickens. Yeah, oh man, that's too.
Good Man was talking about, Yeah, you gotta throw a fly out on on the on the on the on trade and I don't see a problem with it. My man's that sit here usually now we're looking at my man four round picking on anyways, Man, two hundred and twenty three yards is just it's embarrassing. I mean it's embarrassing. And this is multiple games this year that this defense just looks I can say, God awful.
Give you another stat it looks terrible.
And the four losses and the three losses leading up to this fourth loss, and the three losses prior to this one, the Cowboys on the running game has given up an average of two hundred and sixteen yards and rushing nine touchdowns. So you can add a tenth touchdown because Isaac scored a touchdown, uh, and then you canna add what he did and what they did, so that number will probably go up. In rushing they had two twenty three to twenty three and two sixteen. That average
is gonna look a little different. Go be brought to nineteen. Probably to eighteen has some change to nineteen, it's some change.
And that's in the four that's in the four losses.
Four losses and all combined their averaging giving up over one hundred and seventy yards and seventy that's just those are numbers you just don't hear. Six point two a carry is just something you don't hear. So the running game, and that's been a problem for how many years now with the Dallas Cowboys. Man, So I can't really put my finger on how do we specifically stop it? But that's been a problem no matter who the coordinator is, that's been a problem. But when you talk about this
past defense, all right, no, no iyuk deebo. Samuel was in the hospital a couple of days ago, a couple days ago, had to get the fluid drained from his lungs. Kittle, who, by all, that is a great tight end. You'll not get me all, he's a great tight end. But I don't want to call it coaching male practice. But damn, mama, you see that, my man Donald, he's struggling. He cannot cover eighty five at all. And part of that was
technique you know people that don't understand zero coverage. Zero coverage is where the defense is sending more players than the offense can block. So and zero coverage when you're covering the guy, you're not one of the blitzers. You have no help, all right, no help on the inside, no help on the outside. You have no help at all.
So the easier throwing correct I mean, if I'm wrong, if you're.
A quarterback facing zero pressure, the easiest throw is a thought in right, right right in the middle.
It'side.
That's why it's been taught since the day of time, since zero coverage has come out. When you're playing the guy in zero coverage, you're off and inside, you're expecting that rush to get there, and if he throws the football, you're inside leverage right there you can break on it, break it up, or intercept.
The past, never have I seen safety is playing off.
And outside versus zero coverage, alignment, assignment and solid front the beginning multiple times. And that's why I'm like, I don't know if it's you know, the player not understanding what was being topp to him, but I gotta believe it because you got our hair is one of the best defensive back coaches in the game, so I know he told them, when you're going zero coverage, you gotta play that inside. We saw it multiple times. My man
was just opening the gate. We all open the gate, no hands, no nothing exactly, just letting my guy just run away from his leverage. And I can see it happening once maybe maybe even why maybe, but to continuously get beat with the same mistake. And that's why I said the word of the day is exposure. Like you it's hard to you know, just just fathom because because he's been in Leewild, this is not a rookie, and you got exposed out there at the safety position.
Try to switch something up. You could go put hands on them. If if that's the case, you.
Know you can't play off coverage on the man, go up there and put hands on them, at least jam at least get the quarterback's eyes off them. But he knew exactly where he was going with the football each and every time they lined up and passed the ball. And to me, that's why I say it's kind of a coach mail practice because she helped my man out.
Or throw somebody else on it.
More.
If you just reminded me of when y'all y'all remember this God, you know, I gonna use that example. I'm not gonna use that as my doll. I'm not gonna use that example.
I'm gonna use the other offensive example when they had Chance Green at the tackle and Atlanta was destroying this man for six sacks, but nobody wanted to put a back, Nobody wanted to put a tight end and helped Chip out or help the man out.
I'm sitting there just watching this thing happen with Donna, and I'm like, manah, help him out somehow. But this defense guy got issues man all over the board.
And I understand they don't got parsons, they don't got d long, but that still doesn't excuse the way, you know, they performed out there on Sunday.
The problem is, and I'm looking at this is specifically when it comes down to the tight end and the free releases, two way goals that you're giving these guys. And it was the second half, the second if we took two games, we separated the first half. It looked as though Zim were saying, I'm going to sell my soul to stop the run. Six guys at the line of scrimmage, all those things that collins Worth was talking about. But then, oh, as people say football is a game
of adjustments, Shanahan made the adjustment. Now I watched football, guys, as just my Brock asked his eye. I watch football from the inside out, and I'm watching because it all starts in the trenches and it just kind of makes its way out and it's easier to follow it that way from the instead of the outside end. Your defensive line is not giving you anything by way of a rush. Now, you as being informal safety, you understand zero coverage means
that we only have so much time with this. So there's a clock going off in your head saying that by now there needs to be pressure on this guy.
Where was that?
Where was but my man wasn't even close. I can see like if he was a step there and he reached ah man. But Kittle made a great grab.
I'm not trying to give I'm not trying to give him an excuse at all. It's confusing me because even on the pick play, you and zero, you know, you gotta be on different levels. Can't be that closer.
You know, that's one of one like you know, if they run this slant straight to the flat combo, you've got to know you got to be on different.
It was like the guys just didn't they just didn't understand, and it was Man, it's confusing, it's confusing many.
To Barry's point, when you even talk about Al Harris, if you know the history of Al Harris, one of the best man corners to like, you know what I'm saying, Like he so man principles. You know, Al was teaching proper man principles because he spent a large majority of his career in man coverage.
So he gets it.
He understands it, how to play the leverage, how to put the hands on them, you know, down and distance, splits and cuts and all the other kind of stuff.
So you know, you know that I feel like that it was being taught. It's being taught.
The other stat that I gave you guys last week when you talked about loading the box right like and having more guys in the box, and this is I'm gonna say this, and then the next thing kind of helps with this. The Cowboys were fourth in the league at loading the box. So and then total number of
the they're fourth and loading the box. Here it comes meaning for the fans that don't know what loading the box means, it means that they have more guys between the defensive linemen and the linebackers in that box area than the offense has to block, right, so they're loading that box with more men. The Cowboys are fourth in the league with that. But the Cowboys also give up fifty two success rate when running the ball when they have a loaded box, and what they deem success is
four yards or more. So in a loaded box, fifty two percent of the time the Cowboys defensively are giving up at least four yards when they have more guys there than you can actually block. That goes to show you just how bad this defensive front is. And when you see and when you see it right like this, there's little things that happen in the game that some
people paying some people won't pay attention to. But the cool thing that they do these you know, Sunday night, Monda night football games, your face pops up and you get to say your name and where you're from.
And then now because college were from.
His affiliation with PFF and all that kind of stuff, they get to put your rankings up there, and it got to the defense, and it got to the one spot where you really needed help at And this is not me piling on, but it goes Mazzie Smith University of Michigan or Michigan University. And then the other side it has PFF ranking and it has one nineteen of one nineteen. He's the worst defensive tackle according to PFF.
And the Dire National Football League.
So even when you get the pressure or try to create the pressure and manufacture the pressure, the offensive line is not put with a threat because even the one on one blocks are not winning. So they're just they're just they're just mushing it all up and brought pretty was just back there picking you apart. And the other part of that, this is where the coaching malpractice comes in for me. You're coming off of bye two weeks, you had two weeks your two weeks leading up to
that game. You knew Christian McCaffrey wasn't gonna play. Yes, you knew Brandan Ayuk wasn't gonna play. You thought to yourself, maybe uh deebo will play. But pneumonia fluid to the lungs is probably not gonna be one hundred percent right, Juwan Jennings not gonna play. You had to say to yourself, Yes, we gotta stop the run. I cannot let this tight end like Kittle's not a name that you just forgot about. No, he's arguably the top two or three tight end in the National Football League.
And not only is that, he's also put belt to tail on y'all season.
After season after season several times several times. So how can you think in your coaching mind? And and and this is where I'm getting a little bit off on on on on on Michael from Illinois, Okay, Michael Zimmer from Illinois. Is you said a couple of weeks ago that you panicked in the game. You said that, you verbally said that into a microphone in front of people.
You know your roster.
You know that out of your entire defensive out of the entire group, that number six is the worst cover guy in that group. And you thought in your conscious mind that, hey, we're gonna go zero coverage and I'm gonna take number six and put them on number eighty five. That's the coaching malpractice for me, and those are unforgivable things. I get to a point now, I know we gotta go. I can't even blame Donald anymore.
He can't do it.
You're asking him to do something that he physically cannot do. But he gotta least something physically.
Cannot What has he been able to cover? At least do the technique?
Right?
Okay, but at something.
Time you gotta say you should have been like you know what, a yo, listen, we go zero covers Ao, you go inside here, Jeorge Lewis, you go over here something booth or if not, scratch him or if not, ye one ye, come on, Marquis Bell, come on. Like we're at a point now, and I know that he's gonna make a lot of money this year. It's around seven million dollars. Whatever the money making, that's we're passing.
You gotta start putting the guys on the bench now, like we gotta stop getting at the money and start putting guys on the bench.
Look, this is an ugly lost man. I said it. It's a lot of blame to pass around.
But what we're gonna do, We're gonna scrounge up all the hopeium we have left because we gotta leave here on the positive note.
Hope Bill hope, Bill, I'm just gonna leave.
Okay, So we're gonna take a break. We're gonna take a break. We'll take a break, and we'll be right back. This is the players Lounge. Hey, Danny mccraig here for Smoothie King.
You know, every great workout deserves a great reward, so treat yourself right with new coconut smoothie bowls made with real fruit, crunchy purely Elizabeth Granola, creamy coconut, and top with the chocolate, hazel nut or honey drizzle with two new flavors. It's perfect for you and the workout buddy, so you both can stay on track even after.
You leave the track.
Scoop up new coconut smoothie bowls only at Smoothie King, the official smoothie of the Dallas Cowboys.
Hey y'all, Matt Pittman of Meat Church here. With football season kicking off, I'm already gearing enough to bring the smoker back to AT and T Stadium for some epic tailgates. But with that Texas heat, it's crucial to keep my beer hand cramping cold. That's where Yetti's insulated Colster Kingkuler comes in.
Clutch.
This year, you can even get them with the iconic star engraved on the side. Licensed Yettie Cowboy is now available at stadium pro shops, concessions and on yettie dot Com. Check it out today. Yetti official cooler and drinkware of the Dallas Cowboys.
To kick off the twenty twenty four NFL season, Boss teamed up with the Cowboys and Micah Parsons to launch an iconic apparel collection. The Boss Cowboys Collection unites football and fashion while reflecting what it truly means to be a Boss. Arriving just in time for the start of the season, the distinctive attire from the latest Boss Cowboys expansion offers sports officionados and true bosses the chance to
show their team spirit and style. Get yours today at NFL shop dot com, slash Hugo, Boss Hugo, Boss dot Com and Boss retail stores hashtag Beer Own Boss.
Raising Caines presents the other Rules of Football.
Rule one.
Any broadcast without the express edition of Cook to Order Cane's Chicken Fingers is prohibited.
Rule twelve.
No crinkle cutfries, Texas toast or cravable cane sauce constitutes an illegal formation and Rule thirty one anybody who loves to feed their game face is an eligible receiver of games when it comes to winning game Day Caine's Rules raising Caine's chicken fingers One love Go Cowboys.
Back to the Players Lounge.
Head to AT and T Stadium to experience Rally Days presented by seat Geek on Saturday, November ninth. November ninth from ten am to two pm. Get ready to cheer on the Dallas Cowboys with tours of AT and T Stadium, autographs from the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, ticket giveaways, games, and more. Visit att Stadium Slash Rally Days to get your tickets to day. The last segment of the Players Lounge is going down. New Scrush will be back tomorrow as he
travels back from the Bay. Cowboys lose thirty to twenty four and the score is not indicative of what the entire game look like. Guys, I said, if we could please Jesse Holly, Barry Church, leave up out of here with something positive.
The Cowboys are three and four.
I asked you to go deep into your satchel like you're looking for Granny's peppermint and church. If you can find it, Deacon there, baby, you know what I'm talking about, Jesse, give me some positive man, if you can find it.
If you don't have it, you don't have it.
That's fine. I'm not answering for uh and impossible. Don't lie to me, make it sound flying to him.
You just tell me.
My grandmother always said, if he never got nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all.
Nothing, m nothing. Barry Jeordan Lewis is playing well on the slot.
Lois.
I like Lois. That's about that. That's about it. I ain't gonna lie. That's about it. I'm sorry, bro, you know not even that's about it.
All the positivity that I had coming to this season, you're mister mister cowboy positive.
No, No, for sure, it showed me against Detroit. I saw it.
I saw it against Detroit, and that's why I said, Oh no, I know, I know that I have seen that, but whooping before. I don't when they say don't go around there messing with the older kids. I have seen that, but whooping before, And I know no, and and I know who can bring those butt whippings.
Man.
Look, I don't have anything either, so I ain't gonna hold it. It's the players louds.
We did our think today, just how the thinking were coming in, sitting down with.
Way.
We'll be back tomorrow.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
Eight