WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Change is Needed 0:00:05.600 --> 0:00:08.119 The following. He's a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:08.160 --> 0:00:19.880 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Let's go. Are you 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:24.040 ready for a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:28.360 Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that. 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:33.720 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:40.040 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:44.120 It is Wednesday, December Night, twenty twenty, season sixteen, episode 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.160 number seventy six. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:49.599 We are alive from the s WBC Mortgage studios at 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:51.879 the Star. We got forty five minutes to tell you, 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:54.560 guys what went wrong yesterday for the Dallas Cowboys, And 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:57.440 there was so much that went wrong yesterday for the 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:01.120 Dallas Cowboys. They lose thirty four seventeen to the Baltimore Ravens. 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:04.800 I think we all picked against them going into this game, 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:06.640 so I don't think it was a surprise that they lost. 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:09.039 But there were certainly some moments where you felt like 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:12.160 they missed opportunities and maybe they could have made this 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:14.840 more of a game than it was. We start where 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:17.240 we normally start the day after a game, with big 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.959 picture storylines coming out of the game, Nicholas, start with you, 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:22.280 what's the big picture storyline for you? Well, I mean 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:25.760 they were outclassed, outplayed, out coached, out hit, you know, 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.120 just everything. Really. I mean, I thought They're offense just 0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:31.199 didn't play very well at all. The defense was way worse. 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:34.920 Special teams wasn't really good other than one play. And 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:37.840 you had all that up and you get somebody that 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:39.880 scores twice as many points as you and they have 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:43.080 twice as many wins as you, So that just you know, 0:01:43.319 --> 0:01:45.840 they were they were you know, and there were some 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:48.920 crazy stuff happening way before kickoff. But when it got 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:51.280 to actually play in the game and they decided to play, 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:55.160 they got They got beat by a much better football team. Amber, 0:01:55.200 --> 0:02:01.880 what's your big picture storyline? Big picture, Well, that someone 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:06.400 needs to get fired and probably won. Let's get a 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:11.160 lot of people, probably the defense on the defensive side 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:15.600 of the ball, especially now the defensive coordinator. I mean, 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:18.799 this is I feel like this game, and we've been 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:21.960 talking about this throughout the season, but I feel like 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:25.320 this specific game was maybe like the tipping point where 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:28.560 people are just like, okay, there absolutely needs to be 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:32.320 a change in coaching because and I know we're gonna 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:35.560 get into this, but we cannot just blame everything on 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:39.040 the play or the coaching for whatever reason is simply 0:02:39.440 --> 0:02:43.120 just not working. So maybe this is something that obviously 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:46.079 it's not gonna happen this year, but for next year 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:52.560 in the offseason, I would expect some changes. Dave, Yeah, 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:55.960 I mean a G when a G stole my thunder. 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:58.840 I guess I don't know, because I think my big 0:02:58.880 --> 0:03:02.200 takeaway is, like, what do we always say about football teams? 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:04.520 What do we always say in the NFL? Like December 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:07.600 is when you're trying to round into playing your best football. 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:10.680 Good football teams are supposed to improve as the year 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:16.480 goes along. Specifically the Dallas defense. What on earth was that? 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:20.240 Because like we saw this trajectory of them, maybe they're 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.960 not great, but like slowly getting better, making improvements, and 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:26.960 then the bottom just completely drops out. They look just 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:29.840 as pathetic as they did back in like October when 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:31.720 we thought they were never going to win another game, 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:35.760 and honestly, leave the offense out of all of it. 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:39.840 Like the offense honestly looked pretty decent. Andy Dalton played well. 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:42.280 I thought he got the ball to eight different receivers. 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:45.480 Zeke had a pretty nice night all things considered. The 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:49.200 offensive line held up Greg zerline misses three kicks, but 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:52.240 they were in position to score, you know, twenty six points. 0:03:53.040 --> 0:03:56.920 But what about that defense? Like embarrassing doesn't do it justice, 0:03:57.200 --> 0:04:01.080 Especially in December, after we've already had all of these 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:04.040 growing pains, they just revert right back to where they 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:06.760 were against the Arizonas and the Washington's of the world. 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:10.480 I'm at a loss, and yeah, I mean, how can 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:13.160 you look at that defensive performance and think that you 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.120 can just run it back? Like, what's the excuse there? 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:19.320 Who's who's hurt on defense? That's not allowing them to 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:25.039 play their best game? Um, it's mystifying and embarrassing. Yeah, 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:26.760 I don't. I don't know how else to say it. 0:04:27.000 --> 0:04:30.400 We will. Let's let's dive into that a little bit more. Actually, 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:33.240 one of the things that I think is a big 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:36.840 picture storyline for this team, and it's been a consistent theme, 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:39.240 is they really can't stop the run. It was very 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:41.840 apparent last night. They give up almost one hundred yards 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:44.599 on hundred ninety four rush yards on thirty seven attempts. 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:47.960 In average, let'sist an average of seven point nine yards 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:51.719 per carry. It's almost eight yards per carry every time 0:04:51.760 --> 0:04:55.360 they ran the ball. That's just it won't do. And 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:58.240 and the interesting part about it is, you know there 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:00.320 were there were all these different things out look at 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.760 and I'm just like baffled by And this has been 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:06.719 an all season thing that are about the scheme one 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:08.960 of the things and this it's funny. We were watching 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:10.719 the game last night, Dave, you were sitting right there 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:13.000 by me. Micky was sitting across from us. And this 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:16.799 drove Mickey absolutely crazy. That you get teams that present 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:19.039 a twelve personnel so they have two tight ends on 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:21.240 the field, or they have a fullback on the field, 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.760 and Dallas will notoriously stay in their nickel like they 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:26.720 are not moving off of their nickel. They're gonna keep 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:29.479 that extra defensive back in there. And when you think 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:32.760 about that, you're basically allowing the other team to overmatch 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:35.159 you like that. You're allowing them to have more power 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:36.919 on the field than you do. And when you're playing 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:39.360 a power running team like they were playing last night, 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.040 it just makes no sense why they would do that. 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:45.520 But Mike McCarthy says after the game, he says, we're 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:47.920 pretty far down the road to blame it on scheme. 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:51.240 He's not blaming it on the scheme. He obviously is 0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:53.880 saying that there's more issues from the standpoint of execution 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:57.240 and the players. My question for you guys is is 0:05:57.240 --> 0:06:01.120 it believable that all these players on dee Fense, now 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:03.640 we're here last year, all of a sudden can't play 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:06.640 football anymore? Or is it more believable that there has 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:08.840 been something changed from the standpoint of what they're being 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:11.600 asked to do that is causing them to be not 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:14.000 as good as they were even last year. Let's start 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:20.760 first with you Amber. It's so hard because for me 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.400 and I don't play football, I'm not on the field, 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:27.400 so I know we see from the outside we see 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:31.040 things differently, But for me, it looks so simple. It 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:34.680 looks like, Okay, this is football and doesn't matter what 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:37.960 kind of scheme you're playing, you should be able to 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:41.000 play it like you're a football player. You get paid 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:44.880 to do this. So I just don't talk to me 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:49.120 about scheming. Simply, the coaching, whatever they're doing, they're not 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:52.240 being able to get their players to play at a 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:55.239 decent level. And the thing to me when I've watched 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:58.080 the defense playing and like, look at highlights and all that, 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:03.080 they just absolutely we looked lost most of the time. 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:07.039 They just looked confused. They don't have the anticipation. I 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:09.840 talked about this last week, and it's every time I 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:13.000 look at place, every single time, it's like they're always 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:16.880 a step behind and they're always just being confused at 0:07:16.960 --> 0:07:19.080 what's going on in the field. There's not a good 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:22.440 reaction time, and to me, that has been the problem. 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:25.560 I don't I don't really know what to blame it 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:30.320 specifically on, because again, we look at last year, these 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:33.240 players were able to perform better. We were still criticizing 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:35.800 the defense last year, but they were playing a lot 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.960 better than they are this year. So there has to 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:42.920 be something to do with the coaching and them not 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:46.960 just not getting the players to be right where they 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:52.800 need to be. Dave Yes, Stephen Jones, actually he had 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:55.000 a radio appearance like right before we came on, he 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:58.120 said something similar where he was like, you know a 0:07:58.120 --> 0:07:59.800 lot of these a lot of these guys are out 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:02.160 here last year and we didn't look this bad against 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:05.600 the run. And I mean, if Mike McCarthy doesn't want 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:09.280 to blame it on scheme. That's fine, but like I said, 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:12.080 it was mystifying, like I'm at a loss for how 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:17.280 to explain it otherwise, because these breakdowns have been and 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:20.640 continue to be unconscionable. And that's you know, Derek, I 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:22.920 was arguing with you and Mickey last night, is like 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:26.720 who cares how many linebackers they have on the field 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:30.480 when the linebackers just completely bite on basic play fakes 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:35.840 like Layton Vanderesh Lamar Jackson's thirty seven yard touchdown was 0:08:35.960 --> 0:08:38.320 just it was just a read option, like it was 0:08:38.360 --> 0:08:40.840 something that every high school team knows how to do. 0:08:41.200 --> 0:08:44.800 There wasn't any crazy eye candy or motion or any 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:47.840 of that stuff. He just put it on JK. Dobbins 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:50.839 and then pulled it and Layton Vanderesh ran himself five 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:53.720 yards out of the play. Darry And Thompson was in 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.280 the box, so there's no backup and he's in the 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:59.800 end zone five seconds later. Like that's it just shouldn't happen. 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:03.480 Huge NFL team and it's a perfect sorry go ahead now. 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:04.880 I was just gonna say, you just answered your own 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:07.240 question with regard to that though, in my opinion, because 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:09.600 if Darian Thompson is not in the box, and let's 0:09:09.600 --> 0:09:12.680 say he's back and that's a linebacker there in the box, 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.640 then maybe there's a chance that either that other linebacker 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:17.480 makes a stop, maybe he can get off a block. 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:19.200 He has a much better chance of getting off a 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:22.920 block than Darian Thompson does. And you start that safety 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:24.600 back there that can come up and fill in the 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:27.240 event both the linebackers missed. So my point is, I 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:29.440 still just feel like in those kind of situations, when 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:32.360 you're playing a run deep a run offense that plays 0:09:32.440 --> 0:09:36.160 power run football, you want bigger guys on the field. 0:09:36.440 --> 0:09:38.480 You want more of those bigger guys on the field 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:40.679 so that you have the better opportunity to maybe make 0:09:40.720 --> 0:09:46.400 those stops. I just want my Pro Bowl middle linebacker 0:09:46.440 --> 0:09:48.640 who's supposed to be in the middle of my defense 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:52.160 to make a better read and agreeing, Layton, to his credit, 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:54.600 owned he owned it last night. He was like, that's 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:57.640 one hundred percent on me. I second guessed myself. But 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:03.800 the frequency with which that has happened this season is 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:09.439 absolutely unbelievable. Yep, nick Um, we got kind of far 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:12.800 down there. What's your question again, Well, question, is is 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:15.720 it more believable? Is it more believable. Has been on 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:18.160 a flight all night again, give him a little bits. Okay, yeah, 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:21.360 I go, okay, I got it. Um, you know there 0:10:21.360 --> 0:10:23.280 are there's not the same team. I mean, this is 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:25.400 not the same defense at all. I mean, whether they've 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:29.160 missed a couple of really big free agents. Um, you 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:31.439 know that that left I mean Byron Jones being one 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:33.400 of them. But but some of these guys have taken 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:36.760 a step back, you know. And and I think the 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:40.920 one player on defense that's probably been the I don't 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:43.560 know you guys that were gonna say Jalen, but I 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:46.440 mean he's made some plays this year. You can't say 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:50.360 that about Davier Woods. He makes zero plays and he 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:54.400 doesn't to me, he doesn't understand the sideline. He doesn't 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:57.800 understand that a sideline is his twelfth defender. And he 0:10:57.800 --> 0:10:59.920 he just makes these plays and then he gets beat. 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:02.360 Happened to two games in a row, and like if 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:05.040 you get them back to the inside, you would think 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:07.439 you'll have some help that could make the play. I mean, 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:09.679 he doesn't make it any plays at all, and so 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:11.600 I think that that's it. And he didn't he seems 0:11:11.640 --> 0:11:14.520 like he gets a pass. He doesn't I think people 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:16.560 are killing him. I mean people are I'll put it 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:19.240 like this, you don't know, I said last night, I 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:22.400 tweeted that, I'm sure you guys probably saw on TV. 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:25.080 They showed that one image of all four of the 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:28.400 defensive backs kind of sitting on the bench together, and 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:30.840 it looked really like they were just sitting there like 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:34.040 they'd all lost their best friends. And what I got 0:11:34.080 --> 0:11:37.800 back in tweets from people mostly targeted Xavier and they 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:40.920 I think it's because most people believed that of all 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:44.920 those guys, he still had Tod the chance to maybe 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:47.120 turn out to be a player that could be a 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:49.480 player for them long term. And I think everybody after 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:52.320 this season has come to the same conclusion that he's 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:55.320 not the answer. Well, you know, when Romo made the 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:57.839 comment he made about this, this is the worst thing 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:00.199 that's ever happened to me. You know, he can't act 0:12:00.240 --> 0:12:03.360 the next what seven eight, nine years and was a 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:07.360 pretty good player. So it's like, okay, okay, yeah, but 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.160 when you make the comments Xavier woods Maine and then 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:13.479 he hasn't he hasn't come in and done anything about it, 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:15.559 it still hangs over your head, you know. And so 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:18.520 that's that's unfortunate. But they just you know, they don't 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:21.120 have any safety that make play. I mean, their best 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:25.559 guy was out. So it is the scheme, right, is 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:30.439 that they have to the cowboys. The cowboys, they've known 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:33.880 this for years. I don't know what are you saying 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:36.360 what you're saying about the safety, but they need to 0:12:36.360 --> 0:12:40.480 go get into safety. Yes, I mean, I don't know, 0:12:40.880 --> 0:12:43.240 only not yeah quite acting like you could just go 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:46.160 you know, I mean, I don't know. I don't want 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:49.200 to name any stores because they're not sponsors. But you can't, 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:52.000 you know, you can't. You can't go down the street 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:53.600 and just get a safety and just say, oh, well, 0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:55.560 just we'll just get one up. Oh hey, where are 0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:57.000 you going? Oh can you get the safety for me 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:58.880 real quick? Okay? Things that doesn't work like that. It's 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:00.920 not milk. You gotta you can put some you know, 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:04.120 investment into it, and they don't do that. So there 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:07.560 needs to be a change a defense. I bet you, 0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:10.760 I bet it happens before the end of the season 0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:13.559 that they'll change the coordinator. Is that what you're saying. 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:16.280 And that's gonna be tough. That's easier said than done, 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:20.520 because why because the head coach, that's his buddy. At 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:24.160 some point, at some point it becomes you know, you 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:26.560 just can't continue to do it right. And and my 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:29.160 thing is, even if even if you buy what Mike 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:32.040 McCarthy said that it's not the scheme itself, like there 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:35.480 are not flaws in the scheme itself, my thing is, 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:37.600 then that point's even more to the coaching. And I 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:40.000 think that's the point that Amber is making. Two is, 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:43.040 if you have a team and your team isn't able 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.120 to buy in and do the things that you're asking 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:47.599 them to do, then as a coach, you got to 0:13:47.640 --> 0:13:50.400 figure out a way to either change it up or 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:52.680 put them in a different situation. You got at some 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:55.000 point realize they aren't capable of doing what you're asking 0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:57.120 them to do. And that still comes back to coaching. Yeah, 0:13:57.120 --> 0:14:00.400 but you know, to their credit, they didn't really have 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:02.880 a lot of time to prepare for this game, you know. 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:05.120 I mean, it wasn't like they had two full weeks. 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:08.840 It wasn't two weeks. Okay, it was like twelve. That's 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:11.320 not two weeks. They're prepared, but it was herkey, jackey. 0:14:11.320 --> 0:14:13.280 They didn't know when they were because they were trying 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.040 to prepare, but they didn't know when they were actually 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:17.640 preparing to play, so that does kind of affect what 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:20.640 you can do, right. Yeah, well, remember remember guys, why 0:14:20.760 --> 0:14:23.400 McCarthy said he wanted to make sure they did not 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:27.160 over prepare for this game because it could actually hurt 0:14:27.520 --> 0:14:33.200 Point so they you know, I actually I got in 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:36.440 I got into an argument with some people last night 0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:39.920 just about like the talent level on this defense relative 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:43.480 to other teams. And you know, technically the Cowboys, you know, 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:47.000 they let Byron Jones leave, Taco Charlton did not become 0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:50.320 a good player, so they really only have one first 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:55.000 round pick on this defense. I don't care. They have 0:14:55.240 --> 0:15:00.840 absolutely invested a decent amount of resources in to this defense. 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:04.920 When you think about Cheeto, Jordan lewis Leyton Vander esh To, 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:09.000 Marcus Lawrence, Jalen Smith, Like, they don't have the talent 0:15:09.080 --> 0:15:11.800 to be elite, but we know that they have the 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.600 talent to be pretty good because we've seen them do it. 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.200 Like they were middle of the pack last season, they 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:20.640 were a top ten defense. Somehow in twenty eighteen. I 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.440 have no idea how that happened in light of what 0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:26.400 we've seen in the last two years. But I don't 0:15:26.440 --> 0:15:28.080 want to hear that. I do not want to hear 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:30.320 that they don't have enough talent. I'm not asking them 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:34.880 to be incredible. I'm asking them to be basically. I 0:15:34.920 --> 0:15:37.840 came into this season obviously we didn't know everybody was 0:15:37.840 --> 0:15:40.400 going to get hurt. But I came into this season saying, 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.360 if you can just be a mediocre or a little 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:46.320 bit worse, this team has a chance to be pretty good. 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:49.960 And they're not even close to being mediocre, and that 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:57.320 is a coaching failure on every conceit. Don't come to 0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:00.520 me about the COVID stuff either, because the New York 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:03.320 Giants have a new coaching staff with a first time 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:07.840 head coach, by the way, and are rounding into decent 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:10.680 form for their talent level, like without their base ones 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:13.400 five in the last seven games. As yeah, they went, 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:15.600 I mean they went on the road to Seattle and 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:20.520 beat Russell Wilson with Colton McCoy, largely because their defense 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:24.720 played so inspired. Which go ahead, name the best defender 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:28.360 on the New York Giants, right, badass stud that the 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:31.720 Giants have. I guess they have Leonard Williams, but he 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:35.360 is certainly not you know, he ain't Aaron Donald, So 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:38.160 please please do not talk to me about the pandemic. 0:16:38.240 --> 0:16:42.240 I do not ever want to hear that again. Sorry, anyway, 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:47.520 what I mean, but that's a thing. I mean, no, 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:50.400 it's it's okay, that's not that's not I know, I 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:52.760 know what you're saying. No, it's but it's a thing. 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:56.360 I mean, it's it affects, it affects teams. I mean, 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:59.520 it affects the Cowboys. I mean, it definitely affected the 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:03.880 Cowboys in what way. Let me let me rephrase. Obviously, 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:06.280 it's a it's a big I'm not saying that. We 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:10.040 don't need to talk about COVID nineteen never again. And 0:17:10.119 --> 0:17:13.480 there are considerations that you've got to make. Of course, 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:17.600 it affects everybody, but like nobody else seems to be 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:21.040 handling that adversity as poorly as the Cowboys are. That's 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.359 that's my only point. I think that's the point because, 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:26.280 by the way, the Dallas isn't dealing with things that 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:28.439 other teams aren't dealing with. You want to talk about injuries, 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:30.439 other teams are dealing with injuries. You want to talk 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:32.560 about COVID, other teams are dealing with COVID. You want 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:34.199 to talk about a new coaching staff that having to 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:36.480 dealing with no offseason. Other teams are dealing with that 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:38.840 and they're dealing with it better. And so that's the 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:41.160 point I think some people are making and I think 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:44.640 I agree with, is that this team is not handling 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:49.000 adversity very well. And and again it's it's hard because 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:50.920 you look at it and you say, one of the 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:54.199 best things, in my opinion about the previous regime in 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:58.080 Jason Garrett, was that they tended to handle adversity pretty well. 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:00.720 They didn't handle success well, but they had to handle 0:18:00.760 --> 0:18:04.280 adversity pretty well. And this team just seems to fall 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:08.880 apart when they face adversity. Yeah, there's there's too many 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:12.439 resources now on the Like, this thing blew up on 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:15.439 them because they keep putting resources on the offense to 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:18.719 have the best offense in the land. And maybe they 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:21.280 could have if everything, you know, fell into place, but 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.280 it didn't, and the injuries were you know, just kept 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:28.160 you know, piling up, and then the offense was supposed 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:30.960 to carry the defense because and I don't think they 0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:33.120 have enough talent to win on defense. But they knew 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:35.320 that going in. They knew that because they were the 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:38.200 offense supposed to carry them. But when that didn't work, 0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:40.639 and that's a bad that's a bad plan because you 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:43.240 gotta be you gotta be balanced. You can't just say 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:45.440 I'm gonna be a right handed fighter and just punch 0:18:45.480 --> 0:18:47.400 punch with my right hand and then when you break 0:18:47.400 --> 0:18:50.040 your right hand, then you can't do anything. So it 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:53.359 was a bad, bad concept to start with. And you know, 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:56.520 I think they should have put more resources on the defense. Clearly, 0:18:56.760 --> 0:18:58.679 let's take our first break when we come back. Well, 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:00.480 do we need to talk about des Ryan and we 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.000 need to talk about COVID because you mentioned that and 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:06.040 it certainly was a part of the conversation last night 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:08.240 prior to the game, and I think it'll probably be 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:11.119 a bit of the conversation about this team for the 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:13.280 next few days at least as people keep an eye 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:14.679 on what happens. We'll talk about that when we come 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:19.280 right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. There's 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:23.280 nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why SLOR 0:19:23.400 --> 0:19:27.360 pioneers ways to make lenses as unique as you. Very 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:31.359 Lux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, and 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:35.720 Crisolved for freedom from glare. Three cutting ex solutions and 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:39.919 a single unique lens. So whatever your needs, insist on 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:43.600 selor visit your local slor experts and find a perfect 0:19:43.680 --> 0:19:48.040 lens for you to see more, do more slore. Since 0:19:48.119 --> 0:19:52.080 eighteen sixty five, Stetson hats are American made with pride 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:55.000 right here in Texas, and Stetson is proud to be 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:57.600 on the field with America's team. Want to show your 0:19:57.640 --> 0:20:01.239 Texas and team pride too, you can't. By purchasing your 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:03.800 own Stetson. You can look just like how the flag 0:20:03.840 --> 0:20:07.080 guys do on field at every home game. Stetson hats 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:10.560 the official crown of all self respecting Cowboys and your 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:14.080 favorite football team. Get yours today at shop dot Dallas 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:18.080 Cowboys dot com or at Stetson dot com. I'm Jay Novachek, 0:20:18.200 --> 0:20:21.280 former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Back in the day, 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:23.359 I was the guy who always got the tough yards 0:20:23.560 --> 0:20:26.679 and that's why I run with John Deer today. In fact, 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:29.000 I have a John Deer three zero twenty five E 0:20:29.160 --> 0:20:31.920 tractor that can handle any yardwork I need to do, 0:20:32.160 --> 0:20:34.760 even the tough yards way out back. So if you 0:20:34.840 --> 0:20:37.480 have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the 0:20:37.480 --> 0:20:40.320 equipment that's just right for you visit a John Deer 0:20:40.400 --> 0:20:43.400 dealer today and run with us. We are the official 0:20:43.440 --> 0:20:47.240 tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. Here it's nineteen o eight. 0:20:47.400 --> 0:20:50.400 Don't you think we should get electricity and stop using 0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:52.919 candles to see it night? It's just electricity lights up 0:20:52.920 --> 0:20:55.760 the room fast, It's more reliable than candles blowing out, 0:20:55.800 --> 0:20:59.440 and people seem to love it nationwide. Well, ken, dear, 0:20:59.560 --> 0:21:01.720 did you us run into the wall? May I have 0:21:01.760 --> 0:21:04.560 a new Kango? Please? Historically, switching to new technology is 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:07.720 a no brainer. Today it's AT and T five G fast, reliable, 0:21:07.760 --> 0:21:10.280 secure and nationwide. Switch to AT and T five G. 0:21:10.480 --> 0:21:13.080