WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Different Approach? 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.560 The following Here's a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:07.600 --> 0:00:19.320 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Let's go. Are you 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:23.440 ready for a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:23.600 --> 0:00:27.800 Ready for a break? Yeah? And so much for that. 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:33.159 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:39.479 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:44.400 It is Wednesday, January twentieth, twenty twenty one, Season sixteen, 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:47.640 episode number ninety four. Welcome to the latest edition of 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:50.360 The Break, live from the s WBC Mortgage studios at 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:52.440 the Star. Got Nick here in studio with me. David 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:55.680 Amber are remote and we're gonna talk some Cowboys football 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:57.440 here for the next hour. We're gonna talk a little 0:00:57.440 --> 0:01:00.520 bit about the offseason and what the Cowboys might want 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.120 to do different this year than maybe they did last year, 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:06.040 facing some of the similar challenges that they had last year. 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:08.200 We'll also get into some NFC East talk. There's a 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:11.240 one coach that's out. One coach for the Cowboys is 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:13.520 maybe a candidate for that position. We'll talk about that 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:15.800 a little bit, and as usual, we'll take some picks 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:17.320 at the end of the show, and everybody will give 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:20.920 their picks for the NFC and AFC championship games this weekend. 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:23.080 Before we get to some fan questions, how's everybody doing 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:29.280 this morning? Good? Awesome, Derek, good, good, wonderful, good good. 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:31.120 Let's go. Let's get some energy here, Let's get this. 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:33.600 I'm feeling really good. Ready to go. A lot to 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:36.320 talk about it. Bill, great, let's go. Thank you, Dave, 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:38.040 all right, thank you, all right. Let's jump right in. 0:01:38.560 --> 0:01:41.240 Let's start with a little conversation on the offseason. I 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:43.720 was I was actually looking around on the internet yesterday 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:47.040 and I saw this interesting quote from Damari Smith, who 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:51.480 is the nfl PA executive director. He was on a 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.080 call with agents and this was reported by Tom Pellicero. 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:57.720 He said that there's no rosy outlook on widespread vaccinations 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:01.840 of players by August, and OTA's mini camps likely will 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:04.960 be virtual again. Quote. We're planning for an off season 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:07.360 that looks a lot like the twenty twenty offseason. My 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:10.000 question for you guys is what would you change if 0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:13.040 you were Mike McCarthy. You're going into this offseason. There 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:17.040 isn't necessarily an answer yet to this pandemic. There are 0:02:17.120 --> 0:02:19.720 things that may make you a little more optimistic. But 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:21.480 all that being said, what would you change that you 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:23.519 didn't do last year that you would do this year, 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:25.960 or things that you did last year that you wouldn't 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:29.239 do this year. Let's start with you, Nick, Well, I 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:34.160 don't know, like I think that you know last year 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:36.920 when you think about what happened, you know, when it started, 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:39.960 I think everybody was just figuring, well, this is gonna change, 0:02:40.000 --> 0:02:42.120 This will get better when the season starts, and then 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:45.200 it never did. In fact, it got worse a little 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.760 bit as the season went on and they had different 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:51.040 restrictions I think for about a two week period. So 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.320 you know, I mean they've learned. It's hard for me 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:56.600 to answer that. I mean, they may have better answer, 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:58.040 but it's hard for me to answer that. But I 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:00.520 think that they know the things that were working for 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.760 them in ways that you can kind of get around 0:03:02.800 --> 0:03:04.720 some of the rules and some of the guidelines on 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:06.799 how you can get on the field. I mean, they've 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:08.880 got to figure out a way to get on the field. 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:12.400 The coaches have got to get on the field. And 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:16.000 I think that's just personally. I think that you have 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:17.800 to say that if you're d Murray Smith and you 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:21.000 have to say it doesn't look rosy, and we're planning 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:22.640 on an off season that looks like it. You have 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:26.560 to plan that way because you've been burned before. Personally, 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:28.600 I don't think it'll be that way, but I think 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:30.079 you don't think the off season will be I don't 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:32.160 think no. I think they'll be on the field more. 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:34.680 I think that they figured things out and how to 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:37.240 do things distant, you know, distance wise and all that, 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:39.640 So I think it's fine to plan that way. But 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:42.400 I do think that, you know, I would imagine they'll 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:44.040 get on the field, and I think that's the biggest thing, 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:51.360 is getting on the field. Yeah, I think they would 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:54.200 be on the field as well, especially after you being 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:57.160 able to go through a whole NFL season, and if 0:03:57.200 --> 0:03:59.840 they keep the whole testing going and just taking this 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:02.160 and kind of measure, I would imagine that you can 0:04:02.240 --> 0:04:07.200 get everyone together and practice how you were practicing during 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:10.200 the regular season. Now, if that wasn't the case and 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:12.839 they go with an off season similar to last year, 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:15.960 I was thinking about this question, Derek, and I really 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:19.480 don't have an answer because even last year, I mean, 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:21.719 you would listen to Mike McCarthy, you would listen to 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:25.520 the coaches and hear them say how great it was going, 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:28.599 how everything was working so well, and they got a 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:32.520 great offseason virtual program and everything was great. So in 0:04:32.520 --> 0:04:35.159 your mind you're like, Okay, it sounds like they're good, 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:36.919 and then once they got on the field, it was 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:40.240 a total mess. So I really don't have an answer. 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:43.480 I would hope that they were able to learn from 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:46.080 their mistakes and take away some of the things that 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:49.719 did maybe work for them, and try to apply new things. 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:52.800 Now I am very curious to know what's going to 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:55.760 happen with all these new coaches. I mean, you go 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.000 through a year where you had new coaches, you go 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:01.279 through all that, then you end the season starting a year, 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:04.800 and now you're having to make coaching changes again. So 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:08.200 I'm curious to see how that all applies, and maybe 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:13.360 different ways than Mike McCarthy decides to do things this year. Dave, 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:17.880 sorry if I sound like a broken record, but I 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.280 said this last week. This is I mean, they already 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:22.760 did the big thing. They hired dan Quinn, like I 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:26.279 legitimately believe, and I don't mean that to sound like 0:05:26.320 --> 0:05:29.040 disrespect to dan Quinn, like he's not a good coach. 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:32.760 He deserves to be hired regardless. But I think the 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:35.440 big appeal of making that higher is because it helps 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:38.200 them get through another weird offseason if that's what it 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:40.360 comes to, if you can't get on the field that much, 0:05:40.400 --> 0:05:43.080 if the off season program is you know, if it's 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:45.840 virtual or if it's shortened or whatever. This is a 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:49.479 scheme that the bedrock players of your defense already know 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:51.880 how to run. Most of them should feel comfortable in it. 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:55.240 And everything we know about it is that it's a 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:58.600 little bit more simplistic than what Mike Nolan was trying 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:02.200 to install here. And I mean, of course there's other 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:06.440 lessons to learn, you know, I mean the offense, you know, 0:06:06.520 --> 0:06:08.919 not like they don't have to work, but obviously everybody's 0:06:08.920 --> 0:06:11.400 a lot less worried about that than the defense. And 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:14.320 I really think that's why dan Quinn was hired, is 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:18.000 that should make it easier for them to handle this 0:06:18.279 --> 0:06:20.599 if if we do have to deal with another you know, 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:24.640 pandemic offseason. Yeah, it's interesting. Jc trut Treeder, who is 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:27.960 the NFLPA president, he went on to say, and this 0:06:28.000 --> 0:06:29.880 wasn't at the same time. He actually made the quote 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:32.800 earlier before Demuri Smith and he said that he advocates 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:36.880 ending the offseason conditioning program altogether. His quote was, there's 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:39.160 no reason for us to ever return to the previous 0:06:39.200 --> 0:06:43.080 offseason program because he feels like that they have figured 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:46.880 out a way to be able to play good football 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:49.719 without having the off season program as it used to be. 0:06:49.800 --> 0:06:51.719 Do you agree with that, Nichola start with you one 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:54.359 hundred percent disagree. I think it's selfish for him to 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:58.840 say that, and I think it's shortsighted. He's a he's 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:01.640 a guy that's played for years as a starter. He's 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:05.360 a starting center, and you know what kind of I mean, yeah, 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:08.680 those guys need conditioning and all that, but what about 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:11.640 what about the rookies? What about those players? What tell 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:14.960 me Reggie Robinson didn't need an offseason? I mean, he 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:17.720 didn't need a preseason, He didn't need to get in 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:20.120 the weights and stuff like that. I mean, I just think, 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:22.680 you know, I think it's and I hate that when 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:26.520 some of these players, these the guys, the guys that 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:29.640 speak for the NFLPA, those are the representatives, Those are 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:32.000 the good players, those are the veteran players, those are 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.480 the ones that think, oh, we don't need preseason games. Well, no, 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:36.840 you don't. Because you're on the team. You don't have 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:39.560 to prove it to everyone. Russell Wilson's going out saying that, well, no, 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:41.320 he doesn't want to get hit. I don't blame him, 0:07:41.560 --> 0:07:45.360 But there's guys that need preseason games, they need offseason, 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:48.720 they need the strength program. There's coaches that need to 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:50.840 be on the field to teach their stuff. I just 0:07:50.880 --> 0:07:53.360 think it's a very shortsighted thing for him to say that. 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:55.320 I don't know, never met him. He's probably a good guy. 0:07:55.400 --> 0:08:00.640 But no, I gotta get your point, Amber, No, I 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:03.360 absolutely agree. The only thing I would add to that 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:07.360 is the whole injury aspect of things. It's another thing 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:09.080 that you have to look at. I mean, this season 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:12.560 we saw a crap ton of injuries go on, not 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:17.000 just with the Cowboys but all around the NFL. So again, 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:19.520 I don't know if it's due to that, but that 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:22.680 might be a big reason as to why we saw 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:26.080 so many injuries, and not just young guys, veteran guys 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:28.240 that you need them to go out there, even if 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:31.440 they think, oh, we're veterans, we know how to handle it. Well, 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:34.640 clearly not because I didn't go down that way. And 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.640 a lot of really good players ended up getting hurt 0:08:37.760 --> 0:08:40.240 and being out for the season. So that's another way 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:42.720 to look at it. So I absolutely disagree with what 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:45.040 he said. Yeah, you know what, real quick, Dave, I was, 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:47.720 I forgot about the injury part, and I was, but 0:08:47.840 --> 0:08:49.880 it wasn't gonna say crap ton, So I'm glad I 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:53.400 didn't mention that. Yeah, I mean, yeah, but she is right. 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:58.959 I mean, it wasn't good football, Yeah, Dave, I sympathize 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:01.840 with the point that he's trying to make. And you know, 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:05.480 in today's NFL, these guys work ten eleven months out 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.880 of the year. Like the vast majority the good NFL players, 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:11.120 the ones that stick in the league for a long time, 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:13.960 they're back at work by a Valentine's Day. You know, 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:16.480 It's not like these guys are just twiddling their thumbs 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:20.280 all throughout the offseason. But at the same time, I mean, 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:22.840 I do think and not just the Cowboys. Obviously the 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:24.599 Cowboys didn't handle it as well as a lot of 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:27.040 other teams, But yeah, I think I think you saw 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:30.480 the side effect of not having those practices in the spring. 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:32.480 I mean, it doesn't seem like a lot because it's 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:35.640 not full contact, but like in terms of installing and 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:38.199 getting people comfortable with what you're trying to do. I mean, 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.960 you think about it, there's there's nine OTAs I believe, 0:09:42.320 --> 0:09:45.200 and then and like three or four mini camp practices, 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:48.120 So twelve to fifteen practices. I mean that's half of 0:09:48.160 --> 0:09:50.040 training camp when you think about it, like if you 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:52.400 take out off days and things like that, I mean, 0:09:52.679 --> 0:09:55.520 that is not an insignificant amount of work. And yeah, 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:59.319 I mean it's significant for rookies. It's significant for undrafted 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:02.480 guys trying to the team, new players trying to learn 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:04.280 the scheme, or if you have a new coaching staff. 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:07.880 So no, I don't agree with him at all really, 0:10:07.960 --> 0:10:11.360 but I mean I do sympathize that, Yeah, some of 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:13.920 these veteran players deserve a little bit more of a break, 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:17.040 but you know, they are well compensated for their efforts, 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:19.440 so it's hard to feel that bad for him, And that, 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:22.160 to me becomes a coaching issue. I think coaches have 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:24.640 to realize their veteran guys may not need the same 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:27.199 work that the younger guys do and figure out ways. 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:29.040 And we saw this happen with Jason Garrett quite a 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:32.200 bit he would give his veteran veterans veteran days during 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:34.000 training camp when they didn't work with the rest of 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.040 the team and some of those drills. So I think 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:37.959 that's up to the coach to figure that part out 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.520 and figure out the balance. Every player doesn't need the 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:43.120 same things, but you guys are right, these young guys, 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:46.439 they need this like it is absolutely essential in their 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:48.920 development for a lot of them to be able to 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:50.680 make it in the league, let alone to be able 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:53.079 to reach their full potential. Right. Yeah, and maybe maybe 0:10:53.120 --> 0:10:57.160 you know, as Dave said, I mean, you know, they 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:59.400 do have a lot of OTAs and they have mini camps. 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:01.680 I mean, maybe there's a there's a middle balance there. 0:11:01.720 --> 0:11:04.640 Maybe there's two rookie mini camps instead of just one. 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:08.199 And then you know, we're because that helps him. Those 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:10.360 are those rookie you know mini camps. I mean, somebody 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:12.600 has to be the quarterback for that, somebody has to 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.480 be the running back. And it might just be a 0:11:14.520 --> 0:11:16.000 guy that's not going to be on the team or 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:18.160 or you know, have a hard you know, not going 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:19.800 to play a lot of snaps, but he's gonna get 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:22.320 a lot of reps and so maybe maybe there's a 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:23.920 way to kind of mix it up. But just to 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:27.200 say just to say we figured it out this year, 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:30.520 I don't agree with that. Go ask fantasy owners if 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:32.440 it got figured out. Just go look at the top 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:35.080 ten of the of your first round fantasy draft. Half 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:36.960 of the players didn't play. They got hurt. I mean 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:39.960 it was it was a bad year from an injury standpoint, 0:11:39.960 --> 0:11:42.000 So I don't think it was figured out. Yeah, Dave, 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:44.520 you actually mentioned some of the other teams around the NFL. 0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:47.640 My question for you guys, did the Cowboys just get 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:50.800 it wrong where others, let's given example of Cleveland who 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:53.720 had first time head coaches or first year head coaches 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:56.400 found a way way to do it well. Or is 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:59.200 it just too much of a disadvantage for new coaches 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:01.080 if you didn't have an off season. Let's start with 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:06.679 you Amber. I mean, it's not very easy when you're 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:08.880 not able to have an off season, especially when you're 0:12:08.920 --> 0:12:11.640 trying to get so many new elements put together and 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:14.720 make it work as a whole. But I can only 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:17.480 speak from the outside and listening to some of the 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:20.280 things that I heard from the coaches and Mike McCarthy. 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:23.360 I mean, I feel like they maybe got a little 0:12:23.400 --> 0:12:27.160 too overly confident in what they got. I mean, I 0:12:27.559 --> 0:12:30.840 don't really know what their whole assessment on things where. 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:33.640 I mean, we talk about a lot of these free 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:37.000 agency guys, free agent guys that didn't end up making 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:39.480 the team, and they ended up getting cut. So I think, 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:42.559 like right off the bat, I don't think that they 0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:46.560 were really all aligned, so it didn't necessarily work in 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:49.520 their advantage to be away. But then at the same time, 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:53.000 and I'm here contradicting myself, it's like, at the same time, 0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:56.120 we have so much technology that there should not be 0:12:56.600 --> 0:12:59.520 such a bad communication between and like you should be 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:04.040 able to communicate better and get things more right. And 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:06.720 you see other teams they made it work. So why 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:10.400 couldn't the Cowboys have done a better job right off 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:13.199 the bat? So I don't know, that's a tough question, 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:15.720 but I think I guess it doesn't help you. But 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:18.160 at the same time, it shouldn't have gone that way. 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:21.360 They shouldn't not have had such a bad season. They 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:26.240 should have done a better job in general, Dave, I 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:29.000 mean I said this throughout the season. Of course, of 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:33.079 course it's trying. Of course they're tough circumstances, and they 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:35.920 deserve a little bit of grace for that. But I mean, 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:38.360 look around. I mean, the Cleveland Browns are one example, 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:41.800 But how about you know, hey, check out the NFC East. 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:43.960 The first year coach won the division with a lot 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:46.600 of the same problems, Like how many quarterbacks did Ron 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.400 Rivera have to use up in Washington this year? Four 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:52.280 he had, I think he had his fourth quarterback playing 0:13:52.280 --> 0:13:55.040 in the playoffs, and they gave Tom Brady everything he 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.040 could handle in a playoff game. So no, I'm not 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.480 trying to hear that. The Carolina Panthers had a worse 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:02.959 record than the Cowboys and arguably played better football. They 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:05.520 had a they had a better point differential. They took 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:07.840 the Kansas City Chiefs to the brink. They took the 0:14:07.880 --> 0:14:10.600 Saints to the brink this season. They played tough against 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:13.600 the Packers like they were in games against the NFL's 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:15.959 elite throughout the season. I don't think you can say 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:18.400 that about the Cowboys except for maybe that game against 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:21.520 the Steelers. Um. So yeah, I mean, it's a crappy 0:14:21.560 --> 0:14:24.760 circumstance and I sympathize, but it's not an excuse that 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:31.320 I'm interested in hearing at all, nick Um, I just 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:33.920 think that was kind of funny just to hear that Washington, 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:37.400 Washington and the Panthers as the as the examples. I 0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:40.520 mean they they weren't good either. I mean, like it 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:42.680 was just a bad year. I mean I think I 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:46.240 think Cleveland. I think Cleveland had I mean their guy, 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:48.840 their guy did a nice job. But I mean they 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:50.320 were able to do what they want to do and 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:52.360 that and that's the that's the biggest thing. I mean, 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:55.400 offseason or not. I mean the Cowboys. The Cowboys season 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:57.560 went the way it did because they weren't able to 0:14:57.600 --> 0:14:59.080 do what they want to do. And what do you 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:01.160 mean that they didn't. I mean they want to run 0:15:01.200 --> 0:15:03.560 the football and they want they want to run the 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:06.080 football with a with an experience offensive line, and then 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:08.720 they've got a quarterback that can that can throw throw 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:11.280 it around, he's got all these weapons. Now, they weren't 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:14.840 able to do that, and that matters. You find out 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:16.920 right now, if Patrick Mahomes isn't gonna play, are you 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:20.800 going to pick the chiefs of the Bills, Because well, 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:22.920 I mean but you don't have to. I mean, if 0:15:23.000 --> 0:15:25.400 he's not playing, you're probably not picking the Chiefs. That's 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:27.560 that's my point is that, I mean, you lose your quarterback, 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:30.720 it affects everything. So I don't know, I don't know 0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:32.720 how you can really grade how they did or not. 0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.480 They lost three. That's not a good excuse, it's a 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:38.040 great it's not You're right, it's not a good excuse. 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.080 You're right. It's not a good excuse. It's not a 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:44.000 good excuse. You're right. It's not an excuse. It's a fact. 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:46.920 It's not an excuse. It is a fact. They lost 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:50.000 the best thing that they did that they did. Who 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:52.560 who else can do? Who else can you say that about? 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:58.240 I mean Washington? Yeah, but is a bad team that 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:01.760 may do without their quarterback? Yeah. But here's here's my point. 0:16:01.800 --> 0:16:03.520 And Dave, I think I think the point that that 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:06.240 that you just made with that is, let's say, for example, 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:08.880 they lost two of those defensive linemen. Now what is 0:16:08.880 --> 0:16:11.360 Washington because that's what Nick sings, Nicks things, they lost 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:12.960 the best of what they did. The best of what 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:16.200 Washington did does is on defense, particular defensive line, not 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:18.560 their quarterback. So losing their quarterback wasn't as big of 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:21.440 a detriment for them as it would have been for 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:23.800 the Cowboys, Right, That's what I mean. You're right, that's 0:16:23.800 --> 0:16:26.880 what I'm saying. I mean, and you can argue the Saints. 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:28.720 I mean, I don't know. I don't know what the 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:30.640 Saints are. I don't know. I don't know what they 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:32.960 do is the best, I don't, you know. I mean, 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:38.280 they their coach is outstanding. He really is an outstanding coach. 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:39.920 There's no doubt about it. I mean, so they're a 0:16:39.960 --> 0:16:41.840 hard team to figure out to say, well, they lost, 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:44.200 they lost a ton of injuries. He should be Coach 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:45.640 of the Year in my opinion. He won't win in 0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:48.480 Sean Payton, but he should be. But I'm just saying 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:51.920 it's not I mean, it's not an excuse. It's just 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:54.160 that's that's the way that that it is. So then 0:16:54.200 --> 0:16:56.880 it's hard. It's hard to gauge what this team really was. 0:16:56.920 --> 0:16:59.760 They played five games this year before dad got her. 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:02.680 They lost three teams that all went to the playoffs, 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.359 two of them won games. It's hard to gauge what 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:07.880 this team really would have would have been. I don't know. Yeah, 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:12.919 and quite frankly, and I was just gonna say it 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:15.240 just I'm not gonna say pisses me off. But it 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.399 just bothers me when I hear that, because when you 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:21.880 talk about quarterback, Yes, it's unfortunate, Okay, you gotta get 0:17:21.920 --> 0:17:24.080 over it. It happens in the NFL, and it's out 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:27.119 of your control. But then it's how you react to 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:29.439 that challenge. What do you do from then? And we 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:33.320 got to see down the line that the Cowboys they 0:17:33.320 --> 0:17:37.080 could have they are, they were capable of still moving 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:40.520 the offense and having those guys, even with the online 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:43.520 men that they lost, they were still able to piece 0:17:43.560 --> 0:17:45.640 it together and do some things in there. I mean, 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:49.840 you talk about Andy Dalton, you had a great quarterback 0:17:50.000 --> 0:17:52.719 as a backup. He might not be a great starter 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:55.479 in the NFL in general, but he was. You probably 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:58.400 had one of the best backups quarterbacks that you could 0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:01.240 have had. So it's like that. I just I just 0:18:01.320 --> 0:18:05.560 think that the problem there is that the Cowboys weren't 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:10.640 able to adjust to the challenges that they were faced with. 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:14.560 And one of those things is, for example, the tackle 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:17.520 position that we all talked about right off the bat 0:18:17.560 --> 0:18:19.760 at the beginning of the season. So little things like 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:22.640 that that they could have done that we didn't get 0:18:22.680 --> 0:18:25.439 to see earlier on or in the middle of the season, 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:27.760 but we had to wait all the way until the end. 0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:31.160 So that's where where That's how I look at it. Yes, 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:34.159 it's sucked, you don't. You lost Dak Prescott. You weren't 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:37.800 able to run the ball successfully with Ezekielitia. But at 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:40.439 the same time, you had tools, You had tools that 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:42.720 you could have used to gut in better, and you didn't. 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:44.959 You didn't know how to use those tools. What tools? 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:48.560 I also can't. I can't. I'm sorry, sorry, go ahead, 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:50.480 and now I just say what tool? I mean? What 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:57.399 were the tools? The tools? As a backup quarterback, you 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:01.320 were in a better position than most teams terback got 0:19:01.359 --> 0:19:05.160 you you haven't. I can't. Guys, do there? Go ahead, Dave, 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:07.520 go ahead. No, I just well, I'm with you, ag 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:10.800 because I can't help but be tickled by the irony 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:14.000 that and I agree. The Cowboys lost the best thing 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:17.919 that they do. They lost Dak Prescott. Dak Prescott hasn't 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:20.320 been paid in two years, like he's been eligible for 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:22.880 two offseasons and doesn't have a deal. The Cowboys paid 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:25.400 a running back, a receiver, and a linebacker before they 0:19:25.400 --> 0:19:27.720 paid him, So did they think he was the best 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:30.199 thing that they do. The stats are you know, the 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:35.080 financial you know, the allocation of funds indicates not so 0:19:35.280 --> 0:19:37.919 with Andy Dalton being supposedly one of the best backup 0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:41.800 quarterbacks in the league, all this wide receiver talent, and 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:45.159 obviously Ezekiel Elliott, he's been called the straw that stirs 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:47.800 the drink. I mean, I think they should have been 0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:49.840