WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Good, Bad & (Mostly) Ugly 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:07.160 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:19.360 and the Dallas Cowboys Football clubs. Are you ready for 0:00:19.400 --> 0:00:23.040 a Break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:27.400 Ready for a break? Yeah? And so much for that. 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:32.760 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:33.560 --> 0:00:39.080 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. 0:00:40.560 --> 0:00:43.920 It is Monday, October fifth, twenty twenty, Season sixteen, episode 0:00:44.000 --> 0:00:47.520 number thirty seven. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. 0:00:47.560 --> 0:00:50.239 We've got forty five minutes here to talk to you 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:52.559 guys and try to make sense of what happened yesterday. 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:56.080 Cowboys lose forty nine thirty eight in a game that 0:00:56.280 --> 0:00:58.760 was very similar to many games that we've seen them 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:01.680 play this season. They fall in a deep hole, they 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:04.759 managed to come back, they make it very interesting, and 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:06.679 at the end of the day, they end up with 0:01:06.720 --> 0:01:09.440 a loss. We're gonna start first with what we do 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:11.759 every Monday, where we're just gonna go around the table 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:14.400 and talk about what we think is the biggest storyline 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.080 coming out of this game. Nick, I see that somber 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.280 look on your face. I'm going I'm gonna start with 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:20.960 you and let you kind of have a little moment 0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:24.760 time honestly trying to figure out something to say that that, 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:28.600 you know, the other two wouldn't say. The defense was terrible, 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:34.240 is terrible, has been terrible, was terrible, terrible or in 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:38.399 that game, and it's that's the problem. Can't stop the run. 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:41.520 I got a lot of friends that are that are coaches, college, 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:44.680 high school, probably pee wee, I don't know, yeah, and 0:01:44.720 --> 0:01:46.679 they're all gonna tell you if you can't stop the run, 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:51.080 you're gonna lose. So Amber, you didn't have as much 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:54.680 much trepidation going to this game as many others did. 0:01:54.720 --> 0:02:02.120 How do you feel today? You know a lot of 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:05.320 people for some reason are expecting me just to go 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:08.080 completely off and be mad and all that. But to 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:12.320 be honest, after watching the game again, I am not 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:16.760 mad at all. Like watching the game, it was just 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:22.239 I felt complete secondhand embarrassment. It was sad. I felt 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:25.960 so bad just watching the way that the defense was playing. 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:30.160 It was embarrassing. They just looked like a lost heard 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:34.560 that just was in pure confusion, not knowing what to do. 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:40.480 The he looked like high school players playing against NFL players. 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:44.680 It was like the level was completely unmatched. There's absolutely 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:50.320 zero positive that the defense did nothing positive aside from 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:55.079 Aldon Smith put him aside, nobody else did absolutely anything. 0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:58.000 And I just don't get how week by week you 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:04.320 just keep getting worse rather than improving. Day I was 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:06.920 gonna be so disappointed if Amber didn't know me to 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:09.079 actually ramp it up there, Like I was like, are 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:13.080 you kidding? After this game of all games, you're not mad? Okay? Um, 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:16.800 I just I'm gonna I'm gonna bounce off of what 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.959 I said Friday, which is that they're probably not a 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:21.800 very good team if they can't win this game, and 0:03:21.800 --> 0:03:24.400 it changes my expectations of what they are. I came 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:27.320 into the season thinking this offense is gonna cook, This 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:29.880 offense is gonna score mid thirties and flirt with the 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:32.400 forties on a regular basis, and it's gonna give them 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:34.680 a chance, and all they need is for their defense 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:37.040 to be mediocre and they'll be a pretty good team. 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.520 If the Dallas Cowboys had the eighteenth best defense in 0:03:40.520 --> 0:03:43.160 the league or the twentieth best defense in the league, 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:45.400 they'd have a winning record right now. But they're the 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:49.360 absolute worst like they are, and maybe I don't know, 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.800 I'm sure. I haven't looked at the statistics. I don't 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:54.960 know if they're updated yet. Even if they're not thirty second, 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:58.840 they should be. They're awful. That was that was so bad, 0:03:58.880 --> 0:04:03.640 and it's going to hinder their ability to be competitive. 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:05.880 Like you know this, Like I said, if the defense 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:08.840 was even below average, you're talking about a team that 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:12.040 can flirt with double digit wins. But they're awful, and 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:14.600 so now you're talking about a team that's probably gonna 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:17.680 win between six and nine games depending on a few 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:20.960 bounces of the ball. So I got three storylines I'm 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:23.320 gonna run by you guys, and we have a couple 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:25.920 of questions on each one of them. The first one 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:28.760 is obviously the run defense, and you guys all started 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:31.520 there with the defense. But the run defense, particularly yesterday, 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:34.040 was really really awful. I mean, they gave up three 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:37.039 hundred and seven yards on the ground on forty Russians. 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:39.919 That's the seven point seven average. I don't know that 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:42.680 I've seen too many NFL games where you're giving up 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:46.960 seven point seven yards per carry. And that's with what 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:50.679 was the league's leading rusher in Nick Chubb going out 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:52.760 in the first quarter and not returning to the game 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:56.839 after being injured. That all being said, what was the problem, Nicholas, 0:04:56.839 --> 0:04:58.400 start with you, what was the problem with the run 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:04.120 defense yesterday? Well, they the Browns had you know, it 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:06.520 didn't matter if Nick Chubb was the running running back 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:07.960 at all. That just kind of tells you what kind 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:11.320 of system they're running. And also that the Cowboys weren't 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:13.920 going to be able to stop it really anybody, Um, 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:15.920 you know that they just plugged in whoever. But I 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.680 thought Cleveland did a really nice job of misdirection, getting 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:21.960 people to go one way, kind of suck of the 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:24.839 defense there and then and then cutting back, Um, the 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:28.599 Cowboys aren't getting off blocks and you know there and 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:30.520 I didn't I don't know if was there a lot 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:33.360 of miss tackles. I can't There were some there, I'm 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:35.159 sure there was somebody didn't seem like a ton of 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:39.400 mis tackles. It just was like they're they're just gashing them. 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.360 So I'd have to go back and kind of watch 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:45.159 more of it. But man, that it was. It was 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:48.520 just demoralizing an you know, Dave said it and I 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:50.440 kind of agreed with him when he said, I don't know, 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:52.719 I'd play the safeties back because I don't see a 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:55.200 team just running him to death. And I when he 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:58.640 said it, I actually agreed with that, you know, but 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:01.080 they did, they actually did. They actually ran over them. 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:04.440 I didn't think that could happen, and that happened. Amber. 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:06.320 What do you think is the biggest problem with run defense? 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:13.360 They just look completely lost. Everyone just looks lost, honestly. 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:18.000 And essentially, there are what three levels to the defense. 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:20.520 Let's say the defensive line, then you got your linebackers, 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:24.000 and then the secondary bank. Then neither level is doing 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.400 a good enough job to do like their neither level 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:30.400 is doing anything, honestly. So to go back and to 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:34.080 think that that you got a whole new coaching staff, 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:37.240 you got to see tape from at least last year. 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:41.040 You knew going into this new job that you were 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:45.599 having issues already with the run defense, and you still 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:48.240 haven't managed to figure out a way to solve it. 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:50.880 I just I don't know what to tell you. There 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.000 needs to be a big change happening this week. Yeah, Dave, 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:59.000 I think it is. It is ironic. I thought they 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:02.000 could get away with let the Browns run between the twenties. 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:04.720 I mean, there were plenty of explosive plays too. I mean, 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:08.840 the anytime you can give up an uncontested forty yard 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.040 touchdown pass from a wide receiver, I mean, it just 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:13.040 it's just signals the type of day that you're going 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:17.080 to have. I don't think that they have a player 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:21.240 who's above replacement level in the middle of their defense, like, 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:24.120 not a one. You know, we can hate on him 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:26.920 for his contract all we want. DeMarcus Lawrence is still 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:29.000 a pretty good player, even if he's not getting sacks. 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:32.960 Alvin Smith has been a revelation. That's cool. What about 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:36.160 the middle of the defense, Like the defensive tackles can't 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:39.600 get off blocks, they get pushed around. The linebackers certainly 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:42.280 can't get off blocks. The best linebacker on the team 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:45.320 is Joe Thomas, who I you know, all things considered, 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:48.400 I thought had a pretty decent day. It seemed like 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:50.480 the effort was there, he was tackling. He should have 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:54.480 had an interception on a terrible call. But you know, 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:56.840 I brought it up Jalen Smith needed to have a 0:07:56.880 --> 0:07:59.560 great game. He had a terrible day. And then you know, 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:01.960 we know all about the safeties. We know that that's 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:05.000 a problem. So in the middle of the field, I 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.280 don't know that there's a single player on this roster 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:10.320 that another NFL team. Damn, I wish we had that guy. 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:12.400 He's better than what we have. I just don't think 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:14.440 that's the case. And it shows when you go against 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:17.400 a great offensive line and a good stable running backs. 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:19.400 You know, Dave, I kind of agree with you. I 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:21.080 definitely agree with you on the linebackers. I think the 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:25.000 linebackers played horribly yesterday, and even Joe Thomas. Joe Thomas 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:26.920 I thought had some splash plays and I even tweeted 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:29.160 about it earlier in the game. I think during the 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:31.280 first quarter he had like this, you know, this stat 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:33.960 line where he was actually making some plays. But as 0:08:34.000 --> 0:08:37.160 you watch that game, they're linebackers just and I've said 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.520 this before, I said this in earlier weeks. It was 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:42.240 on display yesterday. You got linebackers right now that are 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:45.439 not diagnosing what's happening quickly enough. And then once they 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:47.360 do figure out what's going on, they start trying to 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:49.560 run to the play and they're not fast enough to 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:52.400 get there. They can't get off blocks when an offensive 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:55.040 lineman engages them, and in a lot of instance that 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:57.400 means either they get washed out of plays or they 0:08:57.480 --> 0:08:59.480 end up just being blocked and can't get to the play, 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:01.720 and so they're not filling gaps. And so I look 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:03.679 at this and I'm actually thinking that yesterday a lot 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.520 of the runs were right off tackle, which in this instance, 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:08.880 when you're playing a three man front, you want your 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:11.960 outside linebacker to maintain to make sure they don't get outside. 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:14.920 They did that pretty well. The problem is when you 0:09:15.000 --> 0:09:17.560 do that and the defensive end is not closing that 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:20.760 gap by flowing out, he's getting blocked, and then you 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:23.040 don't have linebackers that are able to get over there 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:25.600 and fill the gap because they're getting blocked. Then you 0:09:25.640 --> 0:09:28.480 create this lane. And that lane was there all day, 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:31.600 all day for the Cleveland Brown. So I'm looking at 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:34.440 the defensive ends in a three man front, I'm looking 0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:36.559 at the linebackers, and I'm saying that's where I think 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:39.760 the Cowboys are having we're having problems yesterday. That doesn't mean, Dave, 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:41.760 I disagree with you about the defensive tackles, because I 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:44.120 think they've had some problems throughout the season, But I 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:47.200 think yesterday and particularly the defensive ends in a three 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.800 man front and the linebackers were the main culprits with 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:54.400 the running game. Well, anytime you play a three four defense, 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:58.120 anytime you know three four defense, Yeah, they're supposed to 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:00.600 be able to get up the field and get get pressure. 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:04.120 And what you sacrifice is that, Yeah, you have smaller 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:08.600 guys and you could you could, you know, not get 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:11.440 off your blocks and get pushed around. But you offset 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:14.439 that because you've got speedy, quick pass rushers that will 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:18.680 get to the quarterback. Well that's not happening. So they're 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:21.280 just getting gashed. Yeah, So let me ask you this question, 0:10:21.440 --> 0:10:23.120 and I'll throw this out there to day. Oh once 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:25.400 you answer this for me. How much blame? I think 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:28.080 we all agree this defense is bad. How much blame 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:31.200 do you give Mike Nolan? I saw stat this morning. 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:32.680 If you go back to the last time he was 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:35.680 a defensive coordinator twenty twelve through twenty fourteen, he was 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:38.880 the coordinator defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. His defense 0:10:39.000 --> 0:10:42.640 was twenty fourth, twenty seventh, and thirty second in those 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:45.199 three years. Dave, how much blame do you give Mike Nolan? 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:49.800 I think I said this last week about the players 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:52.000 and it can apply to coaches too. Is like I 0:10:52.040 --> 0:10:54.319 love it when they make it easy for me because 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:58.920 they've given up the sixth highest point total through four 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:03.080 games in the history the entire league. So a lot 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:06.120 of blame because and I get it, like, I know 0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:07.880 that they have a lot of injuries. I know Layton 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:09.680 vander esh isn't out there. I know that you lost 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:12.360 Gerald McCoy. You still had a whole training camp to 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:14.560 evaluate what you had and adjust what you wanted to 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:17.840 do based on that, not to mention the offseason that 0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:20.199 you had where you know, you got to sit down 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:22.040 and watch the tape of what these guys could do 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:24.640 in the last scheme and figure out what suits them 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:27.400 the best. And it doesn't look like that plan is 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:31.520 awesome right now. Again, sixth highest point total in the 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:36.160 history of professional football. So yeah, plenty, because I mean, 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:38.800 and a big part of being a coach is adapting 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:42.040 on the fly. It either doesn't look like they're doing 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:44.120 that or it looks like the adapting that they're trying 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:46.720 to do is even worse than the original plan. All right, 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:48.439 let's go ahead and move on to the next area 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.800 where I thought that it was a big storyline for 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:53.760 this team, and it is a storyline that's continued throughout 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:56.160 the year is fact that they are giving the ball 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:59.120 away and they're not getting turnover, so their turnover margin 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:02.400 is out of control. You look at it, yesterday, they 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:04.840 had they gave away three turnovers. They didn't get a 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:08.319 single turnover. Zeke gets his second fumble loss of the seasons, 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:10.280 the third time he's fumbled. He recovered one of them. 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:13.840 But that all being said, is this something that the 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.559 coaches can actually fix or do you think this is 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:18.720 a situation where players just have to be more aware 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:21.840 and have to just take more time to protect the ball. 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:26.160 And let's start with you Amber, Well, I think it's 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:30.760 definitely a combination of both. Certain players. There are certain 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:34.240 things that you couldn't you should not be able to do, 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:36.720 Like there are certain mistakes that you shouldn't be doing 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:40.280 at this level, especially when you're speaking about vettering guys. 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:43.760 That's one thing. But I get it. Errors happens, things 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:47.959 happen in the game whatever, Okay, But when you as 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:51.480 a coach you are putting a guy like Terence Steele 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:54.800 out there on the offensive line and you know that 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:58.440 there's a guy called Miles Scarrett in their playing as well, 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:02.640 you gotta be aware of the kind of situations that 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:06.920 you're putting your offense in and what those things can create. 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:09.640 I mean, one of those were created by you making 0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:13.160 the decision to have Still in there rather than put Night, 0:13:13.400 --> 0:13:16.520 and that's a guy we I think all the Greed 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:19.439 that has played a little bit better than Still. So 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:24.640 those kinds of decisions that you should already know prior 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:28.160 to going in the game to kind of just prevent 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:31.599 certain situations from happening. Both but at the end of 0:13:31.640 --> 0:13:34.520 the day, I mean it also goes to the players. 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:37.720 So it's just a combination of both putting your players 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.400 in the best situation as possible, but at the same time, 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:43.560 you as a player trying to play better football, and 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:47.360 the biggest thing in football is securing the ball and 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:49.960 being able to just not let it loose. Yeah, you 0:13:50.000 --> 0:13:51.880 mentioned steal there. One of the unique things A note 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:54.120 about that is earlier in the game he'd already given 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.120 up one sack and there was another play where he 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:59.920 allowed a quarterback pressure because he basically just got thrown 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:02.240 to the ground. So this was not I mean, they 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:05.360 already had seen this was looking bad, and they decided 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:06.880 that they were going to stick with it, and it 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:08.800 ended up costing them. Nick, what do you think do 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:10.439 you think the coaches at this point can make a 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.240 change with regard to this or this is or turnovers 0:14:13.240 --> 0:14:15.560 in this instance more function of the of the players. 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:18.400 I think. I think a fumble is a function of 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:21.120 the player, you know, I mean, I think it happens. 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:25.760 I mean, but but I I mean, they they they 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:28.800 stress that, they stress protecting the football and all those things. 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:30.960 But you know, I just think when it comes down 0:14:31.000 --> 0:14:33.720 to I think she's right. I think that that you know, 0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:37.200 don't get surprised that that Terrence Steele's giving up sacks, 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:39.040 and especially when you're not giving him help. The thing 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:43.800 about Steel is that he's an athletic tackle. If that's 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:47.400 the case, you know, he's his quick feet whatever, agile. 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:51.680 But Miles Garrett's is more athletic than you, and he's 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:55.080 got experience and he's got power, and so that's that's 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:57.960 not a good matchup there at all. And so don't 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:00.600 be surprised. I mean, I don't really blame that on Dak. 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.400 I mean, Dak's trying to throw football and the guy 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:05.240 knocks it out. I do blame it on the fact 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:07.600 that he's not getting much help and expecting that Terrence 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:09.600 Steals all of a sudden Gon gonna be able to 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:12.320 stop Myles Garrett. But but but on the Zeke fumble, I 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:14.440 think it's on Zeke. All right, let's move on. Let's 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:17.480 take this next area that was a story of the game. 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:19.680 Can I throw I know, I know we only have 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:23.800 forty five minutes, but I mean three that's three sacks 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.520 in three games where Dak has coughed the ball up 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:31.200 getting sacked. And I know that that's it's hard. I 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:33.760 understand that. And it sounds like you're not gonna have 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:36.720 Lyle Collins this year, so it's probably gonna be a theme. 0:15:36.800 --> 0:15:39.120 But there's got to be a way you can protect 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:41.040 that a little bit better. And the same goes for Zeke. 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:43.640 You know. I remember we talked about this with DeMarco Murray. 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:45.560 The way that he carried the ball seemed like he 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:49.200 opened himself up to fumbles. I don't think Zeke's technique 0:15:49.280 --> 0:15:52.160 is as bad as DeMarco's was, but when you've had 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:55.040 this many fumbles through this few games, it's probably something 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:58.640 you should revisit for both of them, because not every 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:01.760 quarterback in the league gets strip sacked every week. Well, Dave, 0:16:01.800 --> 0:16:03.320 there's got to be a way you can clean that up. 0:16:03.600 --> 0:16:06.080 I will say this with regard to Dak, I don't 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:09.520 think every sack of a quarterback or a fumble created 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:13.560 by a quarterback is necessarily equal, because it's one thing. 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:16.320 If he's standing in the pocket and the guy comes 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:18.240 and swipes the ball and knocks it out of his hands, 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:20.200 that's one thing, and that's on the quarterback. It's a 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:22.440 whole different thing if the quarterback is actually in the 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:25.080 motion of throwing and the defender gets to him and 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:26.840 knocks the ball away. To me, I put that on 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:29.200 the offensive lineman. And by the way that I've heard 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:30.880 this narrative that people are trying to throw out there, 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:33.080 he was holding on the ball too long. That's bs 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:36.080 that ball. If you watch that play he took me 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:38.320 he didn't have to take a drop back because he 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:40.800 was already in shotgun, but literally within a matter of 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:44.080 two seconds, he was about to throw the ball. So 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:45.960 this was not a situation where he held the ball 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:48.280 too long. This was not a situation where he wasn't 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:50.720 protecting the ball. He was in the motion of throwing. 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.520 His offensive lineman has to do a better job of 0:16:53.640 --> 0:16:56.360 protecting him from allowing that defender to get to him 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:58.280 to be able to knock the ball away as he's throwing. 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:03.240 Very fair point, which raises the question of why everyone 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:05.600 in the world knew that Brandon Knight should be playing 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:08.080 right now exact Steff the coaching staff, And it's right 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:10.040 back to that, because that's what we've been talking about 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:12.600 here for the last couple of weeks, is that was 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.040 a better scenario, especially a game like this where you're 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:17.520 coming in against a guy like Miles Garrett. And it 0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:19.880 seemed like, for whatever reason, this coaching staff has been 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:22.800 sold since the season began, they have been sold on 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:25.720 the fact that Terrence Steele is their guy, and yesterday 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:27.600 I think they had to recan on that a little 0:17:27.640 --> 0:17:29.440 bit because they had obviously took him out of the 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:32.000 game and a movement at night in there. Yeah, all right, 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:34.199 real quick, let's get to this final area that I 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:36.720 thought was a storyline of the game. Once again, the 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:38.960 Cowboys in it end up in a situation where they 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:42.600 create this huge hole for themselves. They were down forty 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:45.600 one to fourteen at the beginning of the fourth quarter. 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:47.840 I think we all thought this game's over. There's no 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:50.760 way and Nick as the look I gave you at 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:53.600 the point when they when they pulled close and when 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:57.400 werein three. I think we all agree this offense had 0:17:57.480 --> 0:18:00.359 that That shows you the power of this offense. Question 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:02.480 I for you guys, though, is do you think in 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:05.440 any way what we're seeing from this offense is a 0:18:05.480 --> 0:18:09.080 function of the fact that they're really great when defense 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:12.160 is kind of loosen up and maybe they're maybe they're good, 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.600 they're not as great as maybe their numbers are because 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.320 they're getting a lot of that in situations where defenses 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:19.360 are loosening up and just not trying not to give 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:20.920 up the big play, even though they're seeming to give 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:22.840 up the big play those situations. What do you think 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:26.399 one percent that they're not this offense isn't as explosive 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:30.000 dynamic as as as those yards are showing, especially in 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:33.119 the first half, they're not. They're not coming out and 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:36.080 and being you know, getting a lead. I mean, yeah, 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:37.960 you put it on the defense, but it's also the 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:41.479 offense isn't scoring the points um in the first half 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:43.680 like like they are in the second. And I think 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:47.680 it is the case. You know, prevent defenses work. I mean, 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:51.080 I know I've heard for years people say, well, prevent 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:53.760 defenses only prevent you from winning. That's stupid. That's a 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:56.680 stupid phrase to try to be catchy and all that 0:18:56.960 --> 0:19:00.640 prevent defenses get make you score and and it takes 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:03.160 time off the clock to do that. And so yeah, 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:05.920 they go and they score points and they're coming back 0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:09.520 in the game. But it hasn't been enough except for Atlanta, 0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:11.760 and it needed a miracle kick. The one thing I 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:13.600 will say about that is, I think yesterday, for the 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:16.400 first time, we did actually see the offense get somewhat 0:19:16.400 --> 0:19:18.760 of a fast start. The problem was a defense couldn't 0:19:18.760 --> 0:19:21.200 get a stop, and on top of that, the offense 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:23.320 started turning the ball over and then it killed all 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:25.879 their momentum to points. They got going, but they had 0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:29.600 turnovers there, Dave, what do you think? I think y'all 0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:33.040 are insane. With all due respect, I say that respectfully, 0:19:33.080 --> 0:19:35.080 but I mean what. I got the stats right here. 0:19:35.200 --> 0:19:38.080 Dak was thirteen to sixteen for two hundred yards and 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:41.959 two touchdowns. At halftime. He was absolutely annihilating them. The 0:19:42.000 --> 0:19:44.359 baffling thing to me, I've never seen a game, and 0:19:44.400 --> 0:19:45.800 I like, you got to hang onto the ball. I 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:48.440 get that. I've never seen a game where a pair 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.560 of fumbles completely swung things like. The Cowboys looked like 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:54.679 they were in position to dictate this game. They had 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:57.520 a fourteen seven lead, They're moving the ball at will, 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:01.120 and they cough up the ball twice and it's thirty one, 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:03.760 fourteen before you can even blink, and now the whole 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:06.879 thing's flipped. And again you have to hold onto the ball. 0:20:06.960 --> 0:20:10.120