WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Discussing The Broncos Loss 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:06.920 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:06.960 --> 0:00:10.119 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Are you ready for 0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:13.840 a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:18.200 Ready for a break? Yeah? And so much for that. 0:00:18.400 --> 0:00:22.520 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:22.640 --> 0:00:28.680 well with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:34.159 Derek Eagleton. Monday, September eighteenth, twenty seventeen, Season thirteen, Episode 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:37.760 number forty one. Welcome to another edition of The Break. 0:00:37.800 --> 0:00:41.040 I'm Derek Eagleton and we're gonna talk some Cowboys football 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:42.320 with you guys here today. We're live from the s 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:46.479 WBC Mortgage Studios. Cowboys lose yesterday in a game that 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:48.800 was at least surprising to me in the way that 0:00:48.840 --> 0:00:51.159 they lost, because we really haven't seen them lose like 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:53.320 that in quite a while. But they lose forty two 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:57.080 to seventeen in Denver versus the Broncos, and we're gonna 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:59.600 break that whole thing down for you. How's everybody doing 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:04.440 this morning? Awesome? I'm freaking great, freaking great, freaking awesome. 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:07.440 We gotta love this stuff, right, Hey, that's what we do. 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:10.200 Still my job to talk about football. Regardless of what 0:01:10.240 --> 0:01:12.319 the result was. My mom. I just talked to my 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:15.440 mom on the phone and she said, how did How 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:17.679 was the trip? And I was like, well, you know, 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:20.759 the plane landed. I mean, we got that right. Yeah, 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:22.920 that was a positive part of it. A lot of 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:24.760 things that went wrong for the Cowboys. Yeah, they said 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:28.840 we're gonna break it down. I mean it's really easy 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:32.600 moving on end result. Yes, you're absolutely right, But I 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:34.840 think there's so many pieces to that on a level 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:37.360 that we really haven't I mean, you alluded to that 0:01:37.480 --> 0:01:39.840 on a level that we really haven't seen very often. 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:41.160 It was the last time you saw them get beat 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:44.280 like that. I did. You can take your pick between 0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:49.520 twenty fifteen Carolina, twenty fourteen Philadelphia on Thanksgiving, and twenty 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:51.640 thirteen New Orleans. I'm gonna throw one in. I still 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:53.600 remember that New Orleans. I'm gonna throw another one in 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:57.080 there too. From that fifteen season. I mean, I don't 0:01:57.120 --> 0:02:00.160 think they were ever competitive against the Patriots. See I 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.480 thought about that, and I disagree. I thought they were 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:06.080 because that score was manageable at halftime. Like they fought, 0:02:06.160 --> 0:02:09.160 and they fought, they couldn't they couldn't move the ball 0:02:09.240 --> 0:02:11.480 and they I don't think the Patriots scored to really 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:13.680 put it out of reach until maybe early in the 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:16.760 fourth quarter. Like it was a lopsided looking score, but 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:20.079 if you watch that game, it wasn't terrible for most 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:22.040 of the game. And as bad as the score was 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:25.280 yesterday and the Cowboys were dated, the Cowboys got beat 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:28.280 yesterday worse than the score. And I know that sounds crazy, yes, 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:30.360 but they got beat worse than the score yesterday. I 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.080 think this was the second most lopsided game I've seen 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:36.560 them in other the twenty thirteen at the Saints in 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:40.040 New Orleans. That's the most savage beating I've ever seen 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:43.639 in football period and on any level. But I don't 0:02:43.680 --> 0:02:46.720 know about that, considering that they were both professional teams. Yes, 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:49.760 this was right up there. Though. This is number two 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:51.560 or one A in my opinion. All right, so let's 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:53.520 go ahead. And as I wrote in the in my 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:57.120 column yesterday, then the Keep to Leeves touchdown was fitting 0:02:57.320 --> 0:02:59.920 because that was not a thirty five twenty four game 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:03.240 that would have been embarrassing really for the Broncos if 0:03:03.280 --> 0:03:06.800 that's all it was. I mean, forty two to seventeen. 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:09.919 It was every bit that. So yeah, they had a 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:11.920 chance to do some things, and you know, in the 0:03:11.960 --> 0:03:15.000 fourth quarter, and I thought Garrett maybe could have handled 0:03:15.000 --> 0:03:18.280 it differently there. But I mean, they got their ass kicked. 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:21.079 And that's what it looked like, all right. Was Let's 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:23.320 dive into the storylines of this game, and I want 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:25.600 to start first with what I think is the most important. 0:03:25.639 --> 0:03:28.320 You guys can disagree, but the fact that they couldn't 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.480 run the ball, to me was the biggest storyline of 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:33.640 that game. Yesterday, Ezekiel Elliott was held to eight yards 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:37.520 on nine carries point nine average. His longest run was 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:41.000 five yards. Obviously, we haven't seen anything like that when 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:43.440 it comes to execue Elliott since he's been with the Cowboys. 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:45.880 His worst game before that was against the Giants Week 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:47.880 one of last season, where he carried the ball twenty 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:50.760 times for fifty one yards, two point sixty yards per 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:54.680 carry and a touchdown. What do you think went wrong yesterday? 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:57.680 What happened with the running game that the Execuellett could 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:00.640 go and get could average less than one yard perry? 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:04.000 I touched on well, I said this while the game 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:07.360 was still finishing up. And then Vance Joseph came out 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:10.440 and kind of and all the Broncos kind of came 0:04:10.480 --> 0:04:13.960 out and confirmed my theory, which is that this is 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:17.120 a uniquely position team to be able to do that 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:20.840 to you. They have a secondary where they can put 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:24.280 their three guys out there and cover your three receivers, 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:26.719 man up, and then put the rest of their defense 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:28.800 in the box and say go ahead and try to 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:31.520 run it. You can't beat our corners. We dare you 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:34.080 to beat our corners. And they did that, and Dak 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:37.760 Prescott could not do it. This is about Dak and sorry, 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:40.600 you're right though. This is about this is Hey, we're 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:42.919 gonna see if Dak Prescott can beat us. Now, not 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:45.559 everybody can do what Denver did it, like you're saying 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:48.560 with the corners, so good luck for everyone to try it, 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:50.640 but we've seen it in the past some teams that 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:54.320 can do it. Having said that, I'm still stunned. I 0:04:54.320 --> 0:04:56.640 mean that's I mean, that's football, one on one team 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:58.480 like you can do if you've got the personnel to 0:04:58.520 --> 0:05:00.880 do it, load the box and worse your quarterback to 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:05.240 beat you. I'm still blown away that they were that effective. 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:08.440 I mean, you know, goyboys weren't that successful running the 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:10.920 ball against the Giants by the standards that we're used 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:12.760 to seeing, you know. I mean they were averaging four 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.760 yards to carry. Zeke's longest carry was eight to ten yards. Like, 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:18.000 wouldn't anything amazing. I mean, we're used to seeing this 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:20.320 team and run for one thirty one forty one, fifty 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:24.080 one sixty, So even with the Broncos key enough to 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.320 stop the run, I would have thought Zeke would at 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:29.080 least have fifty sixty seventy yards. I mean, that's a 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:31.800 bad rushing day for this offense to hold him to eight. 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:34.920 Good lord. I mean, I know a little bit of 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:37.000 that is just on getting away from the running game 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:40.800 because you're down. But I never thought I would see 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:43.240 this running game have so little room to work. I mean, 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:46.159 all credit in the world to the Broncos. That was insane. 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.080 How much of that do you guys put on the 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:50.000 offensive line? And the reason why I asked that question, 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:51.640 I know we heard a lot, we hear a lot, 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:54.279 and we're hearing a lot about them loading the box. 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:56.920 But when I went back and watched the game, most 0:05:56.960 --> 0:05:59.760 of the time, even though they might have let's say 0:05:59.760 --> 0:06:02.440 eight in the box, it was typically when the Cowboys 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:05.360 had seven guys out there, they'd load up and they 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:07.680 were gonna run, and so in most instances, a running 0:06:07.680 --> 0:06:09.200 back is gonna have to beat at least one guy. 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:12.560 And literally there were no running lanes, like there was nothing. 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:15.960 There was really no room for Ezeicul Elliott to work. 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:18.839 And so it to me, it begs the question. Was 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:21.800 the offensive line just inadequate when it came to being 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:24.479 able to move this defensive front around. Yeah, they were. 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:27.120 I thought it was one of the worst games I've 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:30.080 seen from Travis Frederick. I mean I thought he was 0:06:30.120 --> 0:06:32.839 getting beat in the middle a lot. Um. Yeah, they 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:35.200 could move it now that Denver did put more guys 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:37.120 up front, but we've just kind of seen that before. 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:41.200 It's not like, yeah, um, this is just about the 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:44.679 fact that you know, as good as we think Dez 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.560 and Terrence and Beasley are, they're not at leeds and 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:51.760 they can get beat by elite corners, and um, that's 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:54.760 pretty much what happened is that they dared Dak to 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:57.440 beat them with these receivers and it really couldn't do it. 0:06:57.480 --> 0:06:59.800 I mean, look at their targets again. For Daz six 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:04.440 targets and seven he caught seven. Two of those targets 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:07.240 went to the Broncos, you know, so one of them 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:11.000 was a touchdown. So I mean, you know again that 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:12.720 they try to get the ball to death and it 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:17.280 just it doesn't work as as much as as frequent 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:18.800 as it should. I guess when you're throwing it to 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:22.720 your best receiver sixteen times. I agree with everything he 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:25.000 just said, but I guess going back to my earlier 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:28.760 point for and I know they've got two new starters, 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:31.120 and that's you know, that's a growing pain that we 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:33.880 talked about all eating into this season. For all the 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:36.800 praise and accolades that they get and the first team 0:07:36.800 --> 0:07:40.320 All pros and the money that's invested in the offensive line, 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:45.560 I would expect better than point whatever yards per carry? 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:49.280 What was point nine for Zeke Devils? Point nine yards 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:51.560 per care? I mean, if they've got ten guys in 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:53.520 the box, you should at least be able to get 0:07:53.560 --> 0:07:56.360 a yard. You should there shouldn't be a zero starting 0:07:56.360 --> 0:07:59.120 out that statistic. I mean, And that's you know, I 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:01.880 think about how you know, I always say I grade 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:04.200 on a curve and Zick or Nick just grades him 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:08.200 straight up. I mean that that's just catastrophic failure. If 0:08:08.200 --> 0:08:10.200 You're supposed to be the best line in the league, 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:12.800 and you put in that and I don't I mean, 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:15.200 I don't care if the Broncos were uniquely positioned to 0:08:15.200 --> 0:08:18.440 stop it. I mean that was that was lacking. Even 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:20.800 for a bad effort. I mean, it was that was bad. 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:22.960 And you know what was most interesting to me when 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:25.160 you talk about the offensive line is the fact that 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:27.760 they were so um they were so bad when he 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:31.160 came to run blocking. But in the passing game, they 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:33.440 for the most part, and I think it's kind of 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:35.400 a tale of two halfs. If you look at the 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:38.120 game before it got to the point where there was 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:41.560 the Cowboys are basically an eleven personnel and throwing every play, 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:43.719 they actually gave Dak a pretty good amount of time 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:45.640 to be able to get the ball out. It was 0:08:45.679 --> 0:08:48.800 after that once they once the defense for the Broncos 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:51.440 knew that they were just passing every down, then good 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:54.079 luck with that defense trying to stop that pass rush. 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:56.200 But you look at that and that that's the part 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:58.800 that seems really interesting to me, is that they did okay. 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:00.959 And you look at the Denver defense going into the game, 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:02.520 I think we all would have agreed you were way 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:04.760 more worried about their ability to get after the passer 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:08.119 didn't stop the run, and they did exactly the opposite. 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:10.480 I hate to pat myself on the back, but in 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:13.160 the Blueprint video that we did on Friday, I said 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:16.000 they calways have to start fast because if you wind 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:17.720 up in a situation where they know you have to 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:20.400 throw the ball, you're not going to win this game. Yeah, 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:22.920 because then you let von Miller who really wasn't a 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:25.559 factor in the game until the end, you know. And 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:29.079 and he had more offside penalties than Sad And that's 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.320 just that's just say, well he hadn't had a second 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:33.960 five games. The Marcus where used to do the same thing, 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:36.360 you know, the same I mean, as good as the 0:09:36.440 --> 0:09:39.360 Marcus was. He got off side pony every single game. 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:42.199 Same with Flozell Adams. He'd have false start every game 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:46.000 because he's trying to anticipate that rush, and so you'll 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:48.480 give up three or four off sides if you're gonna 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:50.440 get some. Sad I didn't mean. I didn't mean the 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:52.840 flag as a bad thing. I know as an illustration 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:54.720 of the fact that he was coming. That's what he does. 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:56.640 He comes off the line. Obviously if I had a 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:58.960 guy like that, I'm fine with it if I'll take it. 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:03.360 Not because you're getting offside because the offensive line is 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:05.640 terrified of what you're gonna do, and you know that. 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:08.960 I mean, I'll take three offside flags per game for 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:11.800 a guy that scares offensive linemen and quarterbacks like that. 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:13.400 And he did get a false start at one of 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:16.160 those times out of Lyle, so it kind of works 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:19.000 both ways. Right now, Dak ended up with he got 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:21.880 ended up throwing for more more times than he has 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:25.200 in any game previously. He went thirty of fifty sixty 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.920 percent completion rate, two hundred and thirty eight yards, two touchdowns, 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.640 and two interceptions. It was his worst quarterback rating at 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:33.360 sixty eight points I'm sorry, his second worst quarterback rating 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:36.160 at sixty eight point six, only behind the second game 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:38.199 last year versus the Giants, where he had a forty 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:41.640 five point four And when you look at the interceptions, 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:45.080 which is uncharacteristic of him. He had two interceptions, but really, 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:47.640 and you pointed out this to me, Dave after the game, 0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:49.360 if you really think about it, there were two other 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.680 players he probably should have had interceptions if it weren't 0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:54.800 for the fact that Dez Bryant basically played great cornerback, 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:57.920 as you said in a tweet, Nick, But you look 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:00.240 at all of that and are you starting to believe 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:03.640 is there any part of you that believes this offense 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.440 is not good enough yet that without the running game, 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:08.679 they can put it on Dak in win ball games. 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:11.120 I think I've always believed that. Okay, I mean, I 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:13.040 have all the respect in the world for Dak, but 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:15.480 he is not at a level and this offense is 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:18.800 not yet at a level where you're gonna you're gonna 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:21.800 be fine no matter the circumstances like and I know 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.120 they came back in the playoffs, but we saw that 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:27.120 against Green Bay. I mean, this is a team that 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.240 has to control the game. You have to take it 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:31.480 to them. You have to be the ones running downhill, 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:35.479 preferably playing with a lead. I don't think Dak Prescott 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:38.120 is quite on that Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady level 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.440 where no lead is insurmountable. I don't. I mean, that 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:42.480 doesn't play well to his strengths, it doesn't play well 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:45.440 to how you've built this offense. That's I mean, it's 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:47.600 and it's not I don't mean it as too big 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:48.960 of a knock on him. I mean, he's in his 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:52.600 second year and they've designed this to be a run 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:55.880 happy offense. When when you're based around the run, you're 0:11:55.880 --> 0:11:58.800 not gonna probably farewell and shootouts and comebacks. It's just 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:01.400 the way it is, and it's part of his maturing process. 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:05.480 I don't fully agree with that just here we go 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:09.800 always no no, no no, no no. I just don't really 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:12.960 agree with that, just based on this specific game, just 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:16.439 for the reason that not only did Dak play bad 0:12:16.760 --> 0:12:20.760 even when he made good throws, somebody else would play 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:23.520 by Jason Wit and everyone else in the whole team 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:26.680 was playing back. Sure, and I'll Dak was not good 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:28.720 by any stretch of the imagination, but I said it 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:30.440 last night. He didn't. He didn't get a whole lot 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.640 of help from anybody. So I have a hard time 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:35.680 putting this on him as him just not having a 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:38.720 good game. I think this was just a f across 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:41.480 the board for the offense. I mean just not really 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:43.800 any There's nobody on the offense that should come out 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:46.600 of this feeling like, well, I played pretty good, yeah, 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:50.040 you know at all. I mean there's fifty two guys. Well, 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.400 maybe I need to do better. Marcus Lawrence got two 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:56.440 sad kind of a penalty that changed the whole game, 0:12:56.840 --> 0:12:58.480 you know, and I don't. I don't like that call. 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:03.880 That's a questionable call in a questionable rule. But you know, yeah, 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:06.880 you would. There's only Dan Bailey. Dan Bailey is the 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:08.760 only guy that just went out and did his job. 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:11.240 You know, I thought the first punt of the game 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:13.719 by Chris Jones, you're in the thin air. You want 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:15.680 to push him back. I thought it was a difference 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:19.800 in two weeks because Denver starts. I mean, he got 0:13:19.800 --> 0:13:21.520 a forty one yard punt that went out of bounds 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:23.360 at the twenty four yard line, and they went and 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:26.680 marched and scored. You would expect I know, we're kind 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:29.480 of expecting more from him, but I think he's gonna 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:31.640 get that ball inside the ten and that changes their 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:33.760 drive a little bit. But for the most part, Chris 0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:36.000 Jones was fine. But I thought, you know, that play 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:37.680 right there, it's a difference of them starting at the 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.920 ten or the twenty. But I have some opinions on Dak. 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:44.240 I mean, I thought he didn't play well and he's 0:13:44.280 --> 0:13:46.000 I don't think he's good enough to carry the team, 0:13:46.080 --> 0:13:48.440 right now I don't think he's at that point. But 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:51.559 when you look at it in a T T O 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:56.560 drop from Romo, like that's your quarterback, like that, that's 0:13:56.559 --> 0:14:00.680 your guy. And I like the way he played, honestly exactly. 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:05.199 I liked not as far as the interception. He had 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:07.480 some he had some bad games. We were talking about 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:10.880 the effort and what he brought as a as a 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:13.440 guy that's gonna keep going, keep fighting. That last play 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:15.679 where he's scrambling from von Miller and then runs over 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:17.840 a guy and all that he's running for his life. 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:19.960 I mean, it can get better, and it's got to 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:22.680 get better. But there's some things that you can really 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:24.320 like out of what you saw out of Dak. And 0:14:24.360 --> 0:14:28.320 I think I'm the only person that's sit saying that. 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.080 I don't. I don't see anyone that's with me there. 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:32.200 I think I'm with you there. I mean, I like 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:34.760 the way his toughness was. And that's nothing to do 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:36.800 with the running back and not And I don't I 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:39.160 don't even know that play that everyone's talking about. I 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:42.040 really didn't see. It has nothing to do with that. 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:44.760 I liked what I saw from Dak, and I liked 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:46.880 what he said after the game and all that, like, 0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:48.920 it's got to get better. He knows it, he knows 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:51.320 it's on him. But I think he's the type of 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:53.080 guy that's gonna get it better. But are you at 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.800 all concerned that this is now because well, let me 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:58.640 back up last week, did you think he was a 0:14:58.680 --> 0:15:00.680 little bit off because there were some people who felt 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.640 like he didn't play his best game last week? Are 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:04.760 you now at all concerned that this is a second 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:06.320 week in a roll if you believe that he didn't 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:08.720 play his best game last week, are you now concerned 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:10.080 that this is two weeks in a row when he 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:12.680 hasn't been completely on with his passage. Let's let's see, 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:15.520 but when the defenses don't get I mean, this is 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:17.920 two of your better defenses in the NFL. We know this. 0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:20.160 Let's see what happens when you're facing that. Some other 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:22.520 ones coming up? Fine, Arizona is a pretty good defense. 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.880 That's fine. The Rams are actually a pretty good defense. 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.200 Green bas until last night. They played pretty well week one. 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:31.000 Obviously not in week two, but I think that was 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:33.480 the Cowboys. That was the Cowboys at that But see, 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:36.360 they played pretty well week one, but not in week two, right, Packers. 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:39.880 I was making it right, right, but such a buzz kill. 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:43.720 Whatever game was a buzz kill, it was big time, 0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:46.840 all right. I just I'm talking about It's one thing 0:15:46.840 --> 0:15:48.600 to have a good defense. That's another thing to have 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:50.960 a defense like that. It's like, why are you good? 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:54.320 Are you good because you are? Like Cincinnati was last 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:56.400 year where they're so good against the run and all that, 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:58.160 and then now the Cowboys blew them off the ball. 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:00.760 I think what we're finding out you got good pass 0:16:00.840 --> 0:16:04.320 rushers and good corners, then this is you're gonna be 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:07.600 able to handle the Cowboys a little bit. Because you can, 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.320 then you can manage to stop the run and you're 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:13.160 not as worried. I think this is the bigger concern 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:17.320 that I have is that Williams, Beasley and Dez are 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:21.520 pretty good. Pretty good is not going to always win. Yep. 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:23.560 We saw this last year when you look at the 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:25.920 defenses that gave them problems. It was a defenses that 0:16:26.040 --> 0:16:28.840 had a really good cornerback or two really good cornerbacks, 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:31.440 and then had a pretty good solid pass front. Yeah, 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:33.600 pretty good front to where they don't have to worry 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:35.720 about giving help on the back end. They could just 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:37.800 play it straight up in the front. And that's that's 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:41.040 where the Cowboys that problem. Even in Dak's best games 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:45.320 last year, when he looked like Joe Montana, the offense 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:48.280 was predicated around the run, and the passing game was 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:50.840 a compliment to the fact that the defense was terrified 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:53.200 of giving up the run. You can go back and 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:55.280 look at any game you want to, and that even 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:58.520 includes I mean, there were some games Washington on Thanksgiving 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:02.400 comes to mind, you know, the Eagles game obviously comes 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:04.600 to mind, the pits, but there are games where Dak 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:07.600 made some must have plays in the passing game that 0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:09.680 doesn't take away from the fact that the run set 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:13.080 it all up. And yeah, if if you can shut 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:16.320 down the run and force this to be and force 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:18.560 the Cowboys to play through the air, it's probably not 0:17:18.560 --> 0:17:20.480 going to go great form, at least not at this 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:22.879 point in time in Dak's career. You certainly have a 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:25.240 much better chance of being able to beat them doing 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:28.520 that than you do otherwise. But as you guys both 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:31.160 started this show saying, there aren't a lot of teams 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:33.800 out there to have that personnel, it's not until you 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:35.560 get to those teams that you really had to worry 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:38.320 about that. But I'm if I'm, you know, a diehard 0:17:38.359 --> 0:17:41.159 Cowboys fan looking for a silver lining to cling to, 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:44.960 it's that I just don't. I think there's probably four 0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:47.720 teams in the NFL that have the personnel to do 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:49.400 with the I think you got two more this year. 0:17:50.000 --> 0:17:52.600 You want to guess which ones they are? Kansas City 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:58.840 comes to mind, yep, and December Giants. I mean, well, yeah, 0:17:58.840 --> 0:18:02.439 but Seattle, Seattle, Yeah, yeah, I forgot me. So basically 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:04.520 those three so far from that's what I say. They 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:06.919 are like three teams that you have left on the 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:10.800 schedule that fit that mold of good cornerbacks that can 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:12.879 cover you man to man and then a front that 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:15.720 can get after you. Yeah, but you know, it's not 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.119 like it's the only way to do it too. I mean, 0:18:18.280 --> 0:18:19.760 if you, if you if you don't have, if you 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:21.680 didn't face the best pass rusher in the in the 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:26.000 league yesterday, you will when you face Oakland when they've 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:28.119 got Khalil Mack and so, and then they have an 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:30.840 offense that's explosive on the other side. So that's gonna 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:33.000 be a different set of problems. But the pass rusher 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:35.760 by him by himself, I think the Cowboys can manage it. Yesterday, 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:38.280 I think they managed, but you said it, they managed. 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:41.800 Von Miller actually played pretty well. Yeah, they managed that 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:43.720