WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Where They Stand 0:00:01.600 --> 0:00:04.080 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:04.120 --> 0:00:07.280 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Are you ready for 0:00:07.320 --> 0:00:11.000 a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:11.160 --> 0:00:15.360 Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that. 0:00:15.560 --> 0:00:19.640 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:21.520 --> 0:00:26.480 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek 0:00:26.560 --> 0:00:30.760 Eagleton this Tuesday, number four, twenty eighteen, Season fourteen, episode 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:34.360 number eighty nine. Welcome to another edition of The Break. 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:36.800 We're live from the s WBC Morty Studios at the Star. 0:00:36.880 --> 0:00:39.440 Got Nick and Dave with me. Ambers out today. She 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:42.280 will be back tomorrow and that's when we'll start getting 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:47.120 you guys ready for the upcoming Cowboys versus Philadelphia Eagles matchup. 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:53.960 How's everybody doing today? Great? Derek? You good? Dave? Yeah? Nick, wonderful, 0:00:54.560 --> 0:00:58.040 awesome here see yeah, I mean all right, good you go. 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:00.240 We we could hear you. I don't think you know, 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:02.360 I got it. I'm all good to good. We got 0:01:02.400 --> 0:01:04.800 a lot to talk about today. We're gonna we're gonna 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:06.840 take a big picture look around the NFL today. And 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:08.760 it's no better day to take a big picture look 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:11.440 than today, because thank god we did that show Friday. 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:13.400 You would have come in here and ben all right, 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:17.080 first quarter against the Saints, Yes we would. We would 0:01:17.120 --> 0:01:18.640 have had to jump into the game, But we did 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:20.640 that on Friday. That's old news. That's a team we 0:01:20.640 --> 0:01:23.840 already beat us tonight. Ain't It doesn't matter, it's just 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:27.119 the Saints five years ago. It does, It absolutely does. 0:01:27.600 --> 0:01:30.080 But I mean it's just really if you go back 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:33.400 to Thursday and then you factor in everything that happened 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:37.319 Sunday and then even last night, it seems like everything 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:39.480 is just going to Cowboys away. All the teams that 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.160 you would want to lose, for the most part, lost 0:01:42.200 --> 0:01:45.399 on Sunday and on Monday, and it's put the Cowboys 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:48.600 in a really really unique position just from the standpoint 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.840 of where they sit right now. Cowboys are leading the 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:55.120 division at seven and five. You've got Philadelphia, I'm sorry, 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:58.400 you got Philadelphia second at six and six. Washington tied 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:00.800 with them at six and six, in New York at 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:03.760 four and eight. Um. The interesting thing about all this 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:06.160 is there's now a clear scenario as to how the 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:09.960 Cowboys could win, could clinch the division essentially, if they 0:02:09.960 --> 0:02:12.000 can win the next two games, which will be at home, 0:02:12.000 --> 0:02:15.960 against Philly, then on the road against Indianapolis UM and 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:18.840 then if Washington loses one of the next two games 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:23.519 against either the Giants or at the Jacksonville Jaguars Cowboys 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:28.399 will clinch the nfcast. Amazing that we are here. WTF, 0:02:29.960 --> 0:02:33.160 wtf happened? How did? How did we get here? Which? 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:35.360 They were three and five? They were three and five, 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:38.480 And I mean, yeah, it's not mathematic, but I mean 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:40.880 it's not a lock. But I mean, if you beat 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.720 the Eagles, you take basically a two game lead with 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:47.720 a tiebreaker with three games to play. So I'm like, 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:52.880 win this game and it's almost impossible for you to 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:55.840 not make the playoffs over because of what happened last night. 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:58.600 And I mean a lot of people were like tweeting 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:03.280 in the middle of the game, like, wit, should I 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:05.000 did that? Now? Yeah, I mean you kind of think 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:07.560 about it because you're like, they're not gonna win anything 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:10.200 with with with Sanche. Yeah, you couldn't have predicted that 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:12.200 Colt McCoy was gonna also, right, I don't think they 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:14.119 were gonna win with him. But I think halfway through 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:16.600 the game I started and actually really before the game, 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:18.720 I was kind of on the fence. I was like, yeah, 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:21.160 I know, Philly's probably the best way to root here, 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:26.160 but I don't think Washington's going anywhere. So the one 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:28.280 thing I do fear a little bit if, and I 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:31.799 think Cowboys fans should, is that Philly gets on a 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:34.440 roll and you start looking at what some of the 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:38.960 things that have changed for Philadelphia last Yeah, I mean 0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:41.440 you can it can happen. Yeah, you can stop it, 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:43.720 but you look at some of the stuff that's happened. Uh. 0:03:43.880 --> 0:03:46.200 Golden Tate last night gets going for them in a 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:49.560 big way. He has seven catches ready, five yards in touchdown. Um, 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:52.200 they get back Darren Sproles who has a touchdown for 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:55.240 them last night. An important piece They've now found this 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:58.840 undrafted guy Josh Adams, who is now giving some giving 0:03:58.880 --> 0:04:01.120 them a regular presence as a runner. Last night he 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:04.240 had what was a twenty carries for eighty five yards 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:07.720 four point three average. Yeah, ERTs is still being arts, 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:11.200 Wins is still being wins. The big problem for them 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:14.480 still is their secondary has just been stripped to to 0:04:14.480 --> 0:04:17.800 to you know, it's been tattered at this point. Ribbons um, 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:20.360 And so do you think though that that that's a 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:22.560 legitimate concern that Philly now can get on a role 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:24.240 and you might be facing a very different team in 0:04:24.279 --> 0:04:26.400 Philadelphia than what you face the first time round. Of 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:29.479 course it's a concern. But here's the thing that's the NFL. 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.479 Like nobody's gonna do this job for you, you know 0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:34.120 what I mean? Like you, We're gonna have to win 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:36.400 games to make the playoffs. That's how this works. And 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:39.200 the Eagles winning that game put you in a position 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.919 to take care of business by beating them. I didn't 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:44.960 want Washington to win that game because the Cowboys can't 0:04:45.000 --> 0:04:47.480 do anything about them from here on out. They don't 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:49.640 play and all of their opponents the rest of the 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:52.880 way are pretty easy as far as record goes. Obviously, 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:55.440 I know it's the NFL. The Eagles tougher than I 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:58.000 thought it was. It is a little tougher, especially to 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:00.760 what you saw last week. A seat like they're not 0:05:00.800 --> 0:05:05.320 winning those games. Giants, Jags, Giants, Jags, Titans, and Eagles. Right, yeah, 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:09.800 that's no, that's no teams with winning records zero. So again, 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:12.400 every game is tough in the NFL, I understand, But 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:14.840 then go compare that to what the Eagles have to do. 0:05:15.480 --> 0:05:19.000 They go Eagles go to Dallas, I believe, to La 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:22.400 to La Houston, and then they finish it off with Washington. 0:05:23.000 --> 0:05:26.680 So that's three teams that are likely, two teams that 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:28.680 are definitely going to the playoffs, one that looks like 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:30.520 it is in Dallas, and then a division game to 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:33.880 finish it out. That's rough, you know, like you always want, 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:36.320 for the most part, what you always want when you're 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:38.480 talking about division games is you want to want them 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:40.960 to split. You want the home team to win. And 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:43.320 that's what happened last night. And I think if it 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:46.000 comes down to it, if it matters at that last game, 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:48.960 you'll probably want Washington to beat Philadelphia at that point. 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:51.440 But I don't I don't know if it will matter. 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:53.240 You know, I have a feeling that the Cowboys will 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:56.600 be playing Tampa Bay two days before Christmas with a 0:05:56.680 --> 0:05:58.720 chance to lock it up, right then, that's what that's 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:00.120 kind of what So you think they're gonna lose one 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:01.960 the next two if they're gonna need to Tampa Bay 0:06:01.960 --> 0:06:05.520 to lock it up, I mean, or somebody wins a game, 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:09.600 Washington wins the next two, they got to win. If 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:11.880 they lose one of the next two and the Cowboys 0:06:11.920 --> 0:06:17.320 beat Philadelphia and Indy then Cowboys clinch. Yeah, anything can happen, 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:20.240 but like it's reasonable to think the Cowboys split these 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:23.240 next two games. Division game against Philly, who you just 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:25.440 you could be a completely different team, and then a 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:28.200 Colts team that's fighting for its playoff life on the road. 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:31.719 So this has happened at least three times that I 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:36.159 can think of. Now in December where the Eagles are 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:41.440 not the favored and they come in Dallas has a 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:44.960 chance to really do something here. I think Thanksgiving fourteen 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.599 was one. They were kind of hot and Sanchez came 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.560 in there and it did well. Um, I want to 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:53.159 say in the two thousand and seven season they were ten, 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:55.800 they won ten in a row and lost through the 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:59.920 Eagles and Westbrook, and maybe even two thousand and six 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:02.120 or so when they had a chance on Christmas Day 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:04.440 and Jeff Garcia came in here and be I mean like, 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:06.760 it just seems like there's been times where they have 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:09.159 had a chance to knock out the Eagles and win 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:12.960 something big and they couldn't do it. So this you could, 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:15.240 I mean, the whole division turns on this game because 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:17.600 everything looks so cut and dry right now, But the 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:21.640 Eagles win that game, they're in first player in first place. Although, 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:25.240 like I said, though I like, I like this situation 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:27.840 for the Cowboys because the Eagles have a murderers row 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:30.200 in front of them. But again going back to my point, 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:32.520 this is all you can ask for, Like the game 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:34.920 is in front of you, the opportunities there, Like you know, 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:37.720 you're not going to build up this unassailable lead by not. 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:40.480 You have to win games and play your part in 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:42.800 it too, So this sets you up. It's all right 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:44.760 there for you. And that's why I think it worked 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:46.360 out so well if the Eagles won that game. And 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:48.560 the best part about it, like you said, you're exactly 0:07:48.640 --> 0:07:50.800 right there. And the best part it is is down 0:07:50.880 --> 0:07:53.880 the stretch here. Cowboys have the lead by themselves. That's 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.320 what it was good about Philly when they had the 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:59.000 lead by themselves. They've got the best team in the 0:07:59.040 --> 0:08:01.520 in the division right now now. I mean, they're playing 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:03.400 better than the Eagles. They're the most they're the most 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:06.560 complete team, and they have the most favorable schedule to win. 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:10.080 What else do you want? You just said it's all 0:08:10.080 --> 0:08:12.640 lined up there for you to go with. Which and 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:16.239 one more thing I can hear I can hear somebody 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:18.160 saying it at home. It's like, well, what if the 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:20.280 Eagles get on a roll, the Cowboys are on a roll, 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.320 so what whatever, let's go. Yeah, what else do you 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:26.360 want but division rivals playing for the lead in December. 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:29.400 That's why we do this, right, And if you want 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:32.120 your mind to be blown even more, take that three 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:35.080 and five team and consider the fact that they are 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:37.280 in a great position to even be the third seed 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:40.200 in the NFCA, not just the fourth seed. Right now, 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:42.959 the Chicago Bears are the third seed. They're at eight 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:44.640 and four, But listen to what they've got left on 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.040 the schedule. They're at home against the Rams this weekend, 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:49.360 They're at home against Green Bay. The following weekend, they're 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.920 at San Francisco, and finish the season at Minnesota. Three 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:54.760 of those four teams, I'm sorry, two of those four 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:57.680 teams are playoff bound teams or at least fighting for 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:01.520 the playoffs. And obviously Green Bay is still green Bay 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:03.960 when it has Aaron Rodgers. So any given week keeps 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:06.719 can I keep saying it can be Aaron Rodgers and 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.079 the green Bay Packers that we know every Friday, I'm 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:12.400 like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers and every Sunday they embarrassed. 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:15.240 They just like in this last weekend, which first now 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:17.360 that they fired their coach, watch them. You know they're 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:19.880 gonna finish, get a road in one. Yeah, but that's 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:22.760 also good for the point. Yeah, that's good for the 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:25.000 Cowboys at this point because you just want them to 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:26.920 put losses on teams in the division, I mean, in 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:29.360 the in the conference. That all just helps the Cowboys. 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:31.240 Here's the Green Bay won't get back in the playoffs. 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:33.520 I love having the It's so much fun to when 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:34.680 you know, when you get to this point in the 0:09:34.679 --> 0:09:36.599 season when you can sort you know, sort of. I 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:40.400 spend more time than anybody on that stupid ESPN like 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:44.000 playoff predictor, you know. But the funny thing for me is, like, 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:46.680 you know, people in my mentions on Twitter are like, well, 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:48.920 are you sure we want the three seed? I don't 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:50.679 want to go to the Superdome? How do you eat? 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:52.719 Like how do you even know how that's gonna shake out? 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:56.040 Like literally, the Rams. Unless you think the Rams are 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.520 going fifteen and one, that's not over either because if 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:00.720 the Rams lose another game, then the answer back up 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:03.560 in first and Honestly, flip a coin. Either one of 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:05.800 those teams is gonna be a tough out at their place. 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.840 I know what everybody's saying about the Saints, but the Rams. 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:10.960 Have you watched them lately, They're gonna be a tough 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:13.559 out at their place, just like if you get tough 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:16.280 out at there. If we can assume today that it's 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:20.080 gonna be Rams one and Saints two, I would much 0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:23.000 rather go to LA. That's just because you haven't faced 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:25.720 the Rams this year. It's because I've been to the 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:28.160 Superdome for a big game and I know what a 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:30.640 tough place that is to play. That's really all it 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:32.520 comes down. I'm not certainly wouldn't be the same thing 0:10:32.559 --> 0:10:36.400 in LA. They've turned that fan base into well. I mean, honestly, 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.320 there'll be some silver and blue in the stands in LA, absolutely, 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:40.960 but there'll be some silver and blue in New Orleans 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:43.400 as well, but as much. Yeah, but I just think 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:45.760 that both those teams on the field, both those teams 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:49.000 are gonna be a tough Games are tricky because you 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:53.480 don't really have a huge advantage to go buy those tickets, 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:55.520 you know, as a home team. I remember when the 0:10:55.520 --> 0:10:58.760 Cowboys played the Packers the game that you know, the 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.600 days non catch or whatever. There was a lot of 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:04.760 Cowboy fans tons at the end. Remember they were holding 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:07.160 the finished this fight signs. And I remember there has 0:11:07.200 --> 0:11:10.200 been times here when the Cowboys have won a playoff, 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:12.720 made it to the playoffs at home, and then kind 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:16.520 of scrambling to sell out the tickets that week. It's 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:19.480 just kind of a chaotic thing that happens. I think 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:23.079 they've gotten better at it by putting it into the ticket. 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:26.360 It cracks me up, like, Yeah, people clowned on the 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:29.000 Cowboys four or five years ago for putting playoff tickets 0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:31.720 in their season ticket package, Like that's just smartest smart. 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:35.480 It's like everything the year that they won. Actually, I 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:38.080 think it is ironically because I mean in what like 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:40.360 twenty fourteen was when Jerry was like it's going to 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:43.440 be an uphill battle man and they went twelve and four. 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:47.120 Which leads me back to the overarching point, which is like, 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:50.360 I can't believe we're talking about it's every every game 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.920 when you when you think about points in the seasons 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:55.960 since you've been here like five or six years, I 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:59.600 mean like twenty fourteen they lost to the forty nine ers, 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:05.000 and you know, it was a sea of red. You know, yep, Kent, 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:08.720 but it reminds been one of the Kent's best lines. 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:11.440 But that and then you're like, there's no way this 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:13.600 team's gonna do anything. And they go twelve and four, 0:12:13.800 --> 0:12:15.600 you know, and then and then like in twenty fifteen, 0:12:15.600 --> 0:12:18.720 they're two and oh and they're looking looking really good, 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:21.720 and then they go four and twelve, and then Romo 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:24.559 gets hurt in sixteen You're like, okay, but that's exactly 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.080 the reason why. And we remember back, go back to 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:29.520 the beginning of the season, and we're having the conversation 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:31.319 about you know, they always just at the beginning of 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:34.439 the year, all the networks are talking about like, okay, 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:36.400 who's the O and two team that will who's the 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:38.200 team that will go on in two because their percentages 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:41.000 of making the playoffs or so I'm like, that's irrelevant. 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:43.240 The only reason why that statistic holds up is because 0:12:43.280 --> 0:12:45.600 typically if you go into you're a bad team, it 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:47.800 doesn't mean that if you go into you're not gonna 0:12:47.800 --> 0:12:50.520 make the playoffs. They're two different things, and you're seeing 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:52.320 it more and more in the NFL now. Team to 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:55.160 sometimes get off to these tough starts, they somehow start 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:56.800 turning it around and before you get to the end 0:12:56.800 --> 0:12:58.840 of the season they're on a role. Houston was that 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:01.840 team this year, Like they go three and three and 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:04.160 then went on a run, lost to the New York 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:06.480 Giant sacks, right, and then went on a run. So 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:09.280 I just think, I just think it's not about it's 0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:12.240 not about the start necessarily. It's about if you're a 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.280 bad team and you continue to be a bad team, 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:16.160 you're not gonna make the playoffs. If you're a bad 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:18.920 team that gets better, then you have you still have 0:13:18.960 --> 0:13:20.880 everything in front of you. You remember when when you 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:24.920 were doing the Houston preview and you were like laying 0:13:24.960 --> 0:13:27.880 out these things like, well they're second in sacks, and 0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:30.640 their offense is average, you know, ninth and in scoring, 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:33.160 and Hopkins is this and that, and I was like, 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.760 why do they suck? Yeah, You're like, well, I don't know, 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:41.079 And they didn't, Right, they did not suck. They were 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:43.040 just having a rough time. I mean, but that lot 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.200 was coming back after being out the whole previous year. 0:13:45.240 --> 0:13:46.360 I mean, there's a lot of stuff that But the 0:13:46.400 --> 0:13:48.640 Cowboys this year, I mean three and five, I mean, 0:13:48.679 --> 0:13:52.120 like against Tennessee like they sucked, Like that was bad, 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:55.000 and that's I keep thinking about that too again going 0:13:55.120 --> 0:13:57.920 the time that I've been here, and I mean, we've 0:13:57.920 --> 0:13:59.960 never seen in my time, we've never seen a trade 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:01.679 like this where you do something like go get to 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:04.160 Mary Cooper. So I'm obviously you're talking about a different 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:08.600 not in season. No am I crazy year that? Yeah, 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:12.000 what happened with Roy Willams with him here? I was 0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:15.800 years for me? Really? Are you serious? Ten years ago? 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:19.040 You know my timing is sold ten years ago for 0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:22.600 Roy Williams. Ten years ago. Yes, I was in college. 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:27.680 That was like that seems recent to me? No, um wow. 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:33.200 My point was even the last Roy Williams. My point, sorry, 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:37.520 was that we have never seen a Cowboys team in 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:40.520 my time transformed like this like you, like I said 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:44.120 this last week, like usually by mid October to Halloween, 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:48.800 you know what the Cowboys are like last year? They well, 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:51.360 actually they transformed last year for the worst. I guess 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:53.680 you could say by this point we've known what they 0:14:53.680 --> 0:14:56.440 are twenty fifteen. They you know, they're two and seven. 0:14:56.440 --> 0:14:58.560 Even when Romo came back, it was a fools hope 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:01.720 that they're going to do anything twenty six unprecedented winning 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:05.200 street twenty fourteen. By Thanksgiving they were eight or nine 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:06.720 and four. They were pretty good even you know, in 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:09.920 twenty thirteen they had a winning record, but that defense, 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:12.680 like nobody was under any impression they were winning anything 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:16.560 with that defense. So to sit here on December fourth 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:21.280 and literally six weeks ago, I mean I would have 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:23.520 bet my life we'd be talking about draft picks right 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:26.360 now on October fifteenth. Think about what you just said, though, 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:29.080 the two seasons that you pointed out that were anomalies 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.800 last year and this year for two different reasons, one 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:34.560 going the wrong way, one going the right way. In 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:38.240 both those instances, there were two big things that happened 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:41.360 to cause the change. Last year, they had gotten on 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:43.120 a bit of a run, and then they lost Ezekiel 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:46.400 Elliott and that changed everything, right, and they lost all 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:48.720 those other guys by the way as well, But that 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:52.800 changed everything last year. This year, I think personally, as 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:54.640 much as you talk about Amari Cooper, I think he 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:56.880 added something to this team. But I also think the 0:15:56.960 --> 0:15:59.080 changes they made on the offensive line made just a 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:02.440 huge difference. So I think those two things combined were 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:04.640 the reason why we saw the ascension of this team 0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:06.200 to where they are now from where they were at 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:08.080 the beginning of the season. And I think Sean Lee's 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:11.600 injury is as weird as it sounds. I think that 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:16.360 was actually a blessing for the for the Cowboys because Sean, 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:18.840 not for Sean, not for Sean. But I'm just saying, 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:22.520 I'm just saying Layton vander esh is one of the 0:16:22.560 --> 0:16:26.000 best linebackers in football right now. He's playing at a 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:28.360 high level. If he's gonna win Rookie of the Year, 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:31.280 it's gonna be close, because Derwin James is playing out 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:33.240 out of his mind. Oh my gosh. And the guy 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:37.120 in Indianapolis, Darius Leonard, is playing really well. He's got 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:39.200 great stats. I don't think he's gonna he's gonna be 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:42.080 able to win it. But I'm just saying, Layton Vanderes 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:43.920 is playing at a Pro Bowl level, not just Rookie 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:45.760 of the Year. And I don't know if that's gonna 0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:48.320 happen with Sean Lee still in there. And now if 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:50.040 Sean can come back. And I know you wrote a 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:53.560 story about saying a great segue and where you're going 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:55.680 to as you started talking about I was like, thank you, 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:57.920 Nick for the segue. We're gonna take our first break. 0:16:58.000 --> 0:16:59.800 When we come back, We're gonna talk about with Jerry 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:02.880 right about Sean Leean where he fits into this linebacking core. 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:04.520 Whenever he comes back, we'll debt women come right back. 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:07.320 This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. And you love. 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:11.119 I mean, if you have a right thing, then cutting 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:12.720 the court is scary. But then I found out I 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:14.760 could switch to DirecTV Now and still get the live 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.240 sports I love. No satellite needed, no bulky hardware, no 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:21.840 annual contract, just that the live sports. You try DirecTV 0:17:21.920 --> 0:17:23.840 Now for ten dollars a month for three months. Visit 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:26.600 DirecTV now dot Com direct tv now more for your 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:28.600 thing that's out at than he's called really a limited 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:30.320 time price with LITTLETT packge if three months when he's 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:31.960 months at full price currently mad Himum forty dollars and 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:33.840 less cans. Prices may change and we subscribers on cancel 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:35.760 any time. Content varies by package and maybe limited districts. 0:17:35.920 --> 0:17:38.800 The boy Star Sports Tours is the only official fan 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:42.600 travel partner of the Dallas Cowboys, offering exclusive game weekend 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:46.119 travel packages with sideline access and photo ops with current 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:49.360 players alumni, and cheerleaders. That's not all, though. You'll get 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:51.840 to talk exces and those with Senior Director of Player 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:54.679 Personnel Will McClay, and of course with yours truly me, 0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:57.800 Brian broad Us you can trust the official fan travel 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:00.280 partner of the Dallas Cowboys, and with us you'll travel 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:02.960 like a pro. Is a Cowboys Travel dot Com to 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:06.280 book your travel package today, I want to use what 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:09.440 the pros use. How about the official men skincare brand 0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:12.520 of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black. Right now you can 0:18:12.520 --> 0:18:15.680 get the Jack Black Playmaker, a curated collection of Cowboys 0:18:15.680 --> 0:18:18.320 locker room favorites, or just ten bucks with free shipping. 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:21.960 The Playmaker includes four Jack Black skincare favorites, plus a 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:25.760 full sized Intense Therapy lip bomb and a Cowboys can cooler. 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:28.840 Go to get Jack Black dot com, slash Cowboys and 0:18:28.960 --> 0:18:32.600 use the code word Cowboys the Jack Black Playmakers ten 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:36.400 bucks free shipping. While a player can look good on paper, 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:38.639 it's one he's out on the field that you really 0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:41.760 find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:44.840 rely on more than just stats and scouting reports when 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:48.199 building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:51.080 should rely on more than just specs and features. You've 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:53.320 got to take it out and put it to the test. 0:18:53.720 --> 0:18:56.600 The Cowboys did when they named John Dear their official 0:18:56.680 --> 0:19:00.800 tractor experience one for yourself. If this my John Dear 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:06.480 Dealer dot com slash football. Back to the Break, Welcome back. 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:08.520 It's the second segment of the Break, live from the 0:19:08.680 --> 0:19:12.320 SWBC Mortgage studios at the Star. We're talking big picture 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:15.040 today Cowboys and where they sit in the NFC, in 0:19:15.040 --> 0:19:19.120 the NFC Easton, in the NFL. Right before the break. 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:21.359 I'm sorry, I'm gonna ruin your segue, but I do 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:23.400 think it's worth pointing out just you know, we spend 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.399 so much time talking about the division thing like, thanks 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:29.440 to everything that happened over the weekend, wildcard is in 0:19:29.560 --> 0:19:31.560 play for the NFC that I know, No, no no, no, 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:34.000 had I had that, and because Nick took it a 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:36.640 different direction, I thought, well, I might not bring it back, 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:38.439 but let's take it back. Let's let's jump in that 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:40.200 real quick in before before we get over to what 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:42.280 Jerry had to say. Never in my life would have 0:19:42.320 --> 0:19:45.280 thought that would happen either. We all concluded at mid 0:19:45.320 --> 0:19:48.800 season that was not an option. Wildcard was not an 0:19:48.800 --> 0:19:51.000 option for the Cowboys or anybody from the NFC's for 0:19:51.040 --> 0:19:53.760 that matter. And right now, here's where they sit. You've 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:57.400 got Seattle at seven and five as the top wildcard 0:19:57.400 --> 0:19:59.320 at this time. They are the only team that has 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:00.840 a record the same him as the Cowboys, and they 0:20:00.840 --> 0:20:03.640 obviously have a tie break over the Cowboys. Everybody else 0:20:03.880 --> 0:20:06.639 right now as it sits, is below the Cowboy for 0:20:06.840 --> 0:20:09.080 Cowboys for even a while. That second wildcard spot. You 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:12.720 got Minnesota at six, five and one. You've got Carolina 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:15.959 who is just mightily sliding like they are. Things are 0:20:15.960 --> 0:20:18.280 going bad for them. And by the way, yeah, and 0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:20.720 by the way, Greg Olsen might be done for the season. 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:23.560 I know he said, he tore, he ruptured his plants, 0:20:23.560 --> 0:20:27.760 are fascists whatever it's Yeah, it sounds very painful. And 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:30.879 they've got the Saints twice. They're six and six, and 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:33.399 then you got obviously Philly in Washington. Listen to what 0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:36.560 the schedule looks like for Minnesota, for Carolina, Minnesota for 0:20:36.600 --> 0:20:38.920 the rest of the season, they'll play Seattle, so one 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:41.440 of them has to take a loss at Seattle. They'll 0:20:41.480 --> 0:20:43.639 play Miami, then they'll play at Detroit, and then they 0:20:43.680 --> 0:20:46.359 finished the season against Chicago, So they got two games 0:20:46.359 --> 0:20:48.199 there that are gonna be really tough for them, and 0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:51.840 then Carolina plays at Cleveland, they play New Orleans at home, 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:53.800 they play at Lanta at home, and then they finished 0:20:53.840 --> 0:20:56.439 the season at New Orleans. So two games against New Orleans. Now, 0:20:56.480 --> 0:20:58.960 maybe that last game at New Orleans may not matter, 0:20:59.000 --> 0:21:03.280 who knows, But all that being said, those two teams 0:21:03.280 --> 0:21:05.400 are gonna battle each other a little bit. There's gonna 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:08.160 be some jockeying for position there. And so it does 0:21:08.240 --> 0:21:10.760 line up to where even if the Cowboys lose to Philly, 0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:13.520 they still are sitting in a really really good spot 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:16.280 to finish out. If they can finish out strong, to 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:18.320 finish out and be able to be a wild card team. Yeah, 0:21:18.400 --> 0:21:20.960 I mean if Philly, If Philly is capable of getting 0:21:20.960 --> 0:21:22.879 on the type of role that you're describing, obviously, like 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:25.120 they're gonna have to beat some good teams to do it. Yeah, 0:21:25.160 --> 0:21:27.399 I won't be surprised if Dallas and Philly both make 0:21:27.440 --> 0:21:30.000 the playoffs. Yeah, you don't want which is amazing. You 0:21:30.000 --> 0:21:31.639 don't want that in that four or five game, if 0:21:31.760 --> 0:21:33.760 Dallas is the four, you know you have to go 0:21:33.800 --> 0:21:37.360 to Philly. No way, just play him again. Yeah, are fat? 0:21:38.040 --> 0:21:41.439 I tell you the one that I think is the 0:21:41.480 --> 0:21:44.080 most favorable. I mean, if you can get to three, 0:21:44.119 --> 0:21:45.840 I guess that that's that's fine. You might have to 0:21:45.880 --> 0:21:48.320 face an NFC team. I have to face the Vikings, 0:21:48.359 --> 0:21:52.920 But um, I think being a four seed and play 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:57.160 in Seattle like yesterday at the hospital visits, which by 0:21:57.200 --> 0:21:59.960 the way, is one of my favorite things we get 0:22:00.040 --> 0:22:01.880 to do now, it really is. It's a humbling thing. 0:22:01.880 --> 0:22:04.719 We did it yesterday and the guys were great. DeMarcus Lawrence. 0:22:04.720 --> 0:22:08.240 It's just amazing in so many ways. But and he 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:10.760 you know, he said something before the Saints game, obviously, 0:22:10.800 --> 0:22:13.800 and he was right about how how he was. He 0:22:14.000 --> 0:22:16.080 was right, I'm detailed on how we're gonna how they 0:22:16.160 --> 0:22:19.920 gonna win that game. He was asked about a fan 0:22:20.080 --> 0:22:23.000 that one of the kids as a Seattle fan, and 0:22:23.080 --> 0:22:27.240 he he asked them about, you know, the question was 0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:29.520 do you did you turn him? Did you turn him 0:22:29.520 --> 0:22:31.359 as a as a Seattle fan? And they still you know, 0:22:31.600 --> 0:22:33.680 or they cowboy fans down. He's like, it doesn't matter. 0:22:33.880 --> 0:22:36.520 I don't think we turned him. But it's okay. He'll 0:22:36.520 --> 0:22:38.439 know because we have to play them coming up in 0:22:38.440 --> 0:22:40.960 a few weeks and it'll be I mean, he's just straight, 0:22:41.680 --> 0:22:43.719 like like he really thinks that was on the schedule, 0:22:43.720 --> 0:22:45.240 and I was like already putting him in the playoffs. 0:22:45.200 --> 0:22:47.080 He's like, that's what's gonna have to be. I think 0:22:47.080 --> 0:22:49.360 he acts. He said that about the Saints too, Like 0:22:49.520 --> 0:22:51.560 I'm pretty sure after the game he was like, we 0:22:51.600 --> 0:22:54.040 don't need to talk because we'll see him again or 0:22:54.080 --> 0:22:56.520 something like he's kind of matched up four versus five. 0:22:56.600 --> 0:22:57.959 They win and then they go to FLA. I think 0:22:58.480 --> 0:23:01.359 his mentality is probably just like everybody who ain't us 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:03.800 is in the way. I mean, I don't know which 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:08.720 I love. Yeah, he is hands down my favorite player 0:23:08.760 --> 0:23:11.840 on this team probably. I mean just the you know, 0:23:11.880 --> 0:23:16.560 between production on the field, personality off the field, genuine dude, 0:23:16.760 --> 0:23:20.160 good dude. Yeah. Just I think he took that that 0:23:20.640 --> 0:23:23.280 spot for me yesterday too. I actually walked around with 0:23:23.359 --> 0:23:26.080 him at the hospital and just the things that he 0:23:26.320 --> 0:23:29.280 that he does and the stuff he thinks about, it's unbelievable. 0:23:29.320 --> 0:23:31.040 He's got so much in front of him, so much 0:23:31.040 --> 0:23:34.840 going on. He's the leader of this defense right now. Um, 0:23:35.160 --> 0:23:38.200 and you know he's worried about going back to room 0:23:38.240 --> 0:23:41.199 twenty four twelve because the little girl was crying and 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:44.480 didn't want to make sure that she she remembered the cowboys, 0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:47.280 as you know, when she was crying, you know, they 0:23:47.320 --> 0:23:50.000 woke her up basically. So he came back in there 0:23:50.040 --> 0:23:52.159 and she was in a better mood. And that was 0:23:52.320 --> 0:23:55.080 you know, his focus. Some little girl, you know, who's 0:23:55.720 --> 0:24:00.240 beautiful girl, bald head, just going through chemo, and she 0:24:00.320 --> 0:24:04.320 wanted a different toy, a specific toy, and he was like, 0:24:04.400 --> 0:24:06.320 you want that for okay, And he turned around to 0:24:06.480 --> 0:24:09.520 the pr lady that was working there and he said, 0:24:09.520 --> 0:24:11.400 write that down, please, her name and all that, because 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:13.680 he's gonna make sure it happens. Yeah, I'm glad you. Yeah, 0:24:13.720 --> 0:24:15.680 we should have talked about at the top of the show, Joe. 0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:18.520 I mean, it's it's so cool when they do those visits. 0:24:18.560 --> 0:24:23.400 I was with um, I was with Dak Jalen, Byron 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:27.560 Travis and some other guys at the Children's hospital in Dallas, 0:24:27.600 --> 0:24:30.840 and it's I mean, the way those kids and you 0:24:30.920 --> 0:24:34.440 know obviously the kids, but in their families too. I mean, 0:24:34.760 --> 0:24:37.040 you know, I can't even imagine like living my life 0:24:37.040 --> 0:24:39.159 in a hospital with my kid, and I mean and 0:24:39.240 --> 0:24:42.119 the worst part of that being you can't take away 0:24:42.119 --> 0:24:44.800 what's harming your child. Yeah, like nothing you can do. 0:24:44.840 --> 0:24:48.240 I wouldn't just comfort them. That's as much it. I mean, 0:24:48.440 --> 0:24:51.440 you know parents are Cowboys fans too. It lights there. 0:24:51.680 --> 0:24:54.080 I mean, you know, it's just it's cool to see 0:24:54.119 --> 0:24:57.200 the impact that those guys, the brand. You always talking 0:24:57.200 --> 0:24:59.040 about the brand and the star and all that. Just 0:24:59.080 --> 0:25:01.800 the impact of it. And I mean, as great as 0:25:01.840 --> 0:25:06.200 DeMarcus Lawrence is, these little kids don't know DeMarcus Lawrence 0:25:06.240 --> 0:25:09.080 and they know two players on the team, probably Um 0:25:09.480 --> 0:25:11.560 and and that, you know, just just by face and 0:25:12.000 --> 0:25:14.400 they see him and they definitely don't know Damian Wilson 0:25:15.000 --> 0:25:19.600 or cheerleaders, but the uniform and start in the star 0:25:19.760 --> 0:25:22.040 and then they come in and just like you said, 0:25:22.040 --> 0:25:24.440 it just kind of it brightens their day. I mean, 0:25:24.800 --> 0:25:27.400 they woke up some parents, you know, they had long nights. 0:25:27.520 --> 0:25:29.280 Parents are there, you know, and they're trying to get 0:25:29.280 --> 0:25:31.880 their phone and to take pictures and all that. It's 0:25:31.920 --> 0:25:34.520 just it's awesome. It's really one of the best things 0:25:34.520 --> 0:25:36.399 that the Cowboys do. I'm glad they do it. I'm 0:25:36.440 --> 0:25:38.680 glad we get to kind of tag along for it. Yeah, yeah, 0:25:38.720 --> 0:25:40.680 those are those are the really cool moments to show 0:25:40.680 --> 0:25:42.680 you that what you do, because I know sometimes I'll 0:25:42.720 --> 0:25:44.600 have conversation with different people and they'll be like, you 0:25:44.640 --> 0:25:47.160 know they you know they're a doctor or their teacher, 0:25:47.320 --> 0:25:49.639 or you know, they have careers that that really matter. 0:25:49.680 --> 0:25:52.080 And what I mean is like they are touching people's lives. 0:25:52.440 --> 0:25:54.280 And it takes moments like that for you to realize 0:25:54.280 --> 0:25:57.040 how much these jobs and I'm talking about working for 0:25:57.119 --> 0:26:00.679 the Cowboys can affect people's lives because it does have 0:26:00.720 --> 0:26:02.560 a way of bringing joy to people. It does have 0:26:02.600 --> 0:26:05.760 a way of helping people escape from their reality. Sometimes 0:26:05.800 --> 0:26:09.120 it's a pretty hard reality, and so really it does 0:26:09.160 --> 0:26:11.159 in a way have its own place in society of 0:26:11.240 --> 0:26:13.520 being able to be a help to people in times 0:26:13.520 --> 0:26:17.239 of need. Ye, this little kid, he I don't know 0:26:17.240 --> 0:26:18.879 what he was dealing with, but I'm sure it was 0:26:18.960 --> 0:26:22.439 terrible based on the setup in his hospital room. But 0:26:22.840 --> 0:26:25.359 they woke him up to it, like this little kid. 0:26:25.400 --> 0:26:29.679 And this little guy woke up and dak Byron Jaalen 0:26:29.840 --> 0:26:31.840 or like at his bedside, like that's like the first 0:26:31.880 --> 0:26:33.680 thing he saw when he woke up from his nap. 0:26:33.720 --> 0:26:36.159 And I was like, that's probably pretty cool. Yeah, that's 0:26:36.200 --> 0:26:40.240 pretty cool. You wake up, dad, don't wake me up 0:26:40.320 --> 0:26:42.720 right now, Like I'm in this great dream. Don't wake 0:26:42.760 --> 0:26:45.399 me up. It was actually funny. I'll change something a 0:26:45.400 --> 0:26:47.480 little bit. Last night at the Christmas party, I was 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:49.000 standing with a couple of people and we looked up 0:26:49.280 --> 0:26:51.680 and you know Steven, and Steven kind of walks around 0:26:51.760 --> 0:26:53.840 and works the room a little bit. So he's standing 0:26:53.840 --> 0:26:56.520 there and he's talking to to take and I'm like, 0:26:56.560 --> 0:26:59.879 I wonder what that conversation is, Like he's like patting, 0:27:00.000 --> 0:27:02.119 I'm on the back, yeah, And I'm like, I wonder 0:27:02.160 --> 0:27:04.679 what that conversation is, Like, I wonder what exactly is 0:27:04.760 --> 0:27:07.280 being said in them home. It's probably nothing, but you 0:27:07.280 --> 0:27:09.879 could probably go and put some pretty funny lines that 0:27:09.960 --> 0:27:13.800 you could add to that conversation. Hey me, he can't 0:27:13.880 --> 0:27:16.040 right now anyway. That's he's like, I can't. I gotta 0:27:16.040 --> 0:27:20.000 wait till February. Although February soon enough. Yep, it's it's 0:27:20.040 --> 0:27:22.280 soon enough, all right, So let's let's flip back over 0:27:22.320 --> 0:27:24.119 to that other conversation. Actually, we do need to take 0:27:24.119 --> 0:27:25.600 our other break. Let's go and take our final break. 0:27:25.600 --> 0:27:27.520 When we come back, we will get to what Jerry 0:27:27.560 --> 0:27:29.159 had to say this morning, not only about Sean Lee, 0:27:29.160 --> 0:27:30.879 but he also talked a little bit about Tyren Smith 0:27:31.440 --> 0:27:34.399 and had some comments about a one particular guy that 0:27:34.480 --> 0:27:36.360 a lot of people are talking about as an offensive 0:27:36.400 --> 0:27:38.959 coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. At some point, we'll talk 0:27:39.000 --> 0:27:40.480 about that when we come right back. This is Dallas 0:27:40.480 --> 0:27:44.120 Cowboys dot Com Radio. While a player could look good 0:27:44.119 --> 0:27:46.480 on paper, it's when he's out on the field that 0:27:46.520 --> 0:27:49.320 you really find out what he's made of. That's why 0:27:49.359 --> 0:27:52.440 the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting 0:27:52.480 --> 0:27:56.160 reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's 0:27:56.200 --> 0:27:58.960 why you should rely on more than just specs and features. 0:27:59.160 --> 0:28:01.159 You've got to take it out and put it to 0:28:01.200 --> 0:28:04.200 the test. The Cowboys did when they named John Deer 0:28:04.240 --> 0:28:08.320 their official tractor. Experience one for yourself. If this is 0:28:08.440 --> 0:28:12.040 my John Deer Dealer dot com slash Football, it's time 0:28:12.040 --> 0:28:14.960 for tailgate with the Autobox Boys. Auterbox the makers are 0:28:14.960 --> 0:28:17.879 those crazy protective phonecases so one and only. 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A 0:29:40.240 --> 0:29:43.600 man's steps and doesn't just protect him from life's elements. 0:29:43.720 --> 0:29:47.520 It projects an unstoppable and legendary spirit, just like the 0:29:47.560 --> 0:29:50.240 men wearing silver and navy on the field every Sunday 0:29:50.480 --> 0:29:53.880 Sends eighteen sixty five. Steps and Hats are American made 0:29:53.880 --> 0:29:56.640 with pride right here in Texas. They are still the 0:29:56.720 --> 0:30:01.000 official crown of all self prospecting Cowboys. Stetson is proud 0:30:01.080 --> 0:30:04.120 to be on the field with America's team. Find Steps 0:30:04.160 --> 0:30:08.480 and Hats in the pro Shop or at Stetson dot Com. Today. 0:30:10.680 --> 0:30:13.680 Back to the Break, Welcome Back. This is the final 0:30:13.720 --> 0:30:16.200 segment of The Break, Live from the s WBC Mortgage 0:30:16.240 --> 0:30:18.560 studios at the Star. Nick tell us a little bit 0:30:18.560 --> 0:30:23.440 about Tommy John. Tommy John, it's got they proudly pride 0:30:23.480 --> 0:30:26.760 themselves on. You don't have to adjust anything. Sometimes it's 0:30:26.760 --> 0:30:29.120 good to adjust. Like in mid season, the Cowboys have 0:30:29.160 --> 0:30:32.400 made some adjustments. But when it comes to your bridges 0:30:32.920 --> 0:30:35.480 down there, they don't want you have to mess with them. 0:30:35.520 --> 0:30:39.720 You haven't heard that one bridges briches, all right, the 0:30:40.000 --> 0:30:43.400 best bridges in the business. Tommy John dot com Forward 0:30:43.440 --> 0:30:47.320 slash Cowboys, off your first order, Tommy John dot com 0:30:47.320 --> 0:30:52.560 Forward slash Cowboys, slash draws. That's that's my favorite. My 0:30:52.880 --> 0:30:55.320 my old football coach in like middle school said that 0:30:55.480 --> 0:30:59.160 all draws, you draws, ro your draws in the laundry 0:30:59.240 --> 0:31:02.360 or whatever. I don't know has had this draw great word. 0:31:02.560 --> 0:31:04.760 But until I got to college, I realized drawls. Would 0:31:05.120 --> 0:31:08.400 they oh like I'm in I'm from the country, Yeah, drawls? 0:31:08.760 --> 0:31:12.120 You know, sorry, not really anyway, all right, let's go um, 0:31:12.160 --> 0:31:14.640 let's talk a little bit about Jared Jerry Jones had 0:31:14.680 --> 0:31:16.680 a couple of things to say this morning on his 0:31:16.800 --> 0:31:21.520 local on his show with the local radio station, The Fan, 0:31:22.400 --> 0:31:25.320 he did mention that Tyren Smith um looks like he 0:31:25.360 --> 0:31:27.920 should be able to come back this week against Philadelphia. 0:31:27.920 --> 0:31:30.600 That's a big thing for the Cowboys, I think, um, 0:31:30.640 --> 0:31:32.600 and we'll talk about that more as the week goes on. 0:31:32.640 --> 0:31:35.920 And we started talking about the matchups. But in addition 0:31:35.960 --> 0:31:39.320 that he also talked about Sean Lee and his statement 0:31:39.360 --> 0:31:42.320 was that Sean Lee is going to resume his role 0:31:42.360 --> 0:31:45.080 as a starter. Um, but he was the caveat he said, 0:31:45.120 --> 0:31:47.280 but we're not going to rush him back. So I 0:31:47.280 --> 0:31:49.080 think there's a lot of things to take from that. 0:31:49.200 --> 0:31:53.000 What did you guys take from from that statement from Jerry? Yeah, 0:31:53.040 --> 0:31:55.720 I don't know. It seems like, I mean, you gotta 0:31:55.760 --> 0:31:57.760 have something to talk about, I guess. So, Yeah, that's 0:31:57.840 --> 0:31:59.640 the big debate. I was tweeting about it this morning. 0:31:59.680 --> 0:32:02.160 It's like, I can't bring myself to get worked up 0:32:02.160 --> 0:32:05.320 about this. If it was quarterback, I would understand. But 0:32:05.920 --> 0:32:08.440 for the millionth time since they drafted Layton Vanderesh, like 0:32:08.480 --> 0:32:11.400 you need three guys to play two spots, it doesn't 0:32:11.400 --> 0:32:15.040 matter who's listed on the program as the starter. Like 0:32:15.200 --> 0:32:18.160 I you know, I think they'll find a way to 0:32:18.240 --> 0:32:20.480 use them all. They'll rotate them. If that means that 0:32:20.480 --> 0:32:22.240 Sean Lee's on the field for the first series of 0:32:22.240 --> 0:32:24.600 the game, that's cool, because Layton Vanderesh has been too 0:32:24.640 --> 0:32:28.280 good to play a signal Like they're not just going 0:32:28.320 --> 0:32:29.800 to take him off the field, you know what I mean. 0:32:29.840 --> 0:32:32.520 I actually I was curious about this. I went and 0:32:32.560 --> 0:32:35.760 looked it up. From the time, you know, from the 0:32:35.800 --> 0:32:39.040 first time League got hurt, which is when vander Esh 0:32:39.120 --> 0:32:41.280 really took over and started playing well as a starter. 0:32:41.800 --> 0:32:45.560 They've only all been healthy for one game. Wow. Yeah, 0:32:45.960 --> 0:32:49.360 because Sean came back for Washington and then he got 0:32:49.440 --> 0:32:53.200 hurt the next game like halfway through the Tennessee So 0:32:53.280 --> 0:32:56.720 they've only really been healthy. So the snap count in 0:32:56.760 --> 0:33:00.440 that game, there were sixty defensive snaps. Sean played thirty 0:33:00.440 --> 0:33:02.959 eight of them, Jalen played fifty eight of them, and 0:33:03.200 --> 0:33:07.720 Vanderesh played twenty one, which obviously that's a little low 0:33:07.920 --> 0:33:11.760 on the Vanderesh side, but that was also that was 0:33:11.800 --> 0:33:14.800 really before he kind of hit his stride, because it 0:33:14.880 --> 0:33:17.040 was the Eagles game where he really kind of announced 0:33:17.080 --> 0:33:19.880 himself and he's been playing great ever since. So I'm 0:33:19.880 --> 0:33:25.440 flipping that. Yeah, no, I I guarantee you, and we 0:33:25.440 --> 0:33:27.440 don't for we don't know if Sean will be available 0:33:27.480 --> 0:33:29.680 for this game. He said on Friday that he hopes 0:33:29.720 --> 0:33:33.719 to come back to practice this week. We'll see tomorrow. Um, 0:33:34.400 --> 0:33:36.640 but I you know, if they play sixty five snaps 0:33:36.680 --> 0:33:39.600 against the Eagles, I can't imagine Vanderesh playing less than 0:33:40.160 --> 0:33:42.360 forty of them. You know, I watched the Eagles and 0:33:42.480 --> 0:33:45.520 we'll get into their offense, I guess tomorrow. But but um, 0:33:45.960 --> 0:33:47.800 you know, it just looks like because you know, when 0:33:47.800 --> 0:33:50.200 you when you watch fantasy, when you have when you're 0:33:50.200 --> 0:33:52.080 playing fantasy football, and you see like you want to 0:33:52.120 --> 0:33:54.120 know who's on the field, and they actually on Monday 0:33:54.240 --> 0:33:56.440 nights show you every play. Like the guys that are 0:33:56.440 --> 0:33:59.520 out there, it's a lot of three receiver sets a lot, 0:34:00.080 --> 0:34:03.239 and so I think they might have found something with 0:34:03.280 --> 0:34:05.560 the Jordan Lewis thing playing in some dime, I could 0:34:05.600 --> 0:34:08.480 see that that happening a little bit more. And they 0:34:08.520 --> 0:34:12.360 don't have they don't have Kamara, but they've got a 0:34:12.440 --> 0:34:17.080 Sprowls and he's similar, you know, similar. I mean he's 0:34:17.120 --> 0:34:19.600 not the same as Kamara, but I mean he's he 0:34:19.760 --> 0:34:21.839 was he was at one point he was Kamara before. 0:34:21.840 --> 0:34:23.640 I mean, yeah, the Saints have had four or five 0:34:23.640 --> 0:34:25.719 of those guys. I mean he wasn't as Smara gets 0:34:25.760 --> 0:34:27.399 the ball in the middle of the field more than 0:34:27.560 --> 0:34:31.360 than than you know, than I remember, like a Sprowls 0:34:31.400 --> 0:34:33.960 getting you mean runs up the middle, runs up but 0:34:34.000 --> 0:34:35.759 oh no, for sure. Yeah, and again they have a 0:34:35.800 --> 0:34:38.279 Heisman Trophy winner. Not sure why they don't give Ingram 0:34:38.320 --> 0:34:40.160 the ball and some of that, but I don't know. 0:34:40.360 --> 0:34:44.960 He gets it plenty who Ingram? Yeah, he gets a plenty. 0:34:45.200 --> 0:34:49.319 I just I they're gonna they'll they will find they 0:34:49.360 --> 0:34:52.120 will find jobs for all of them, and having all 0:34:52.120 --> 0:34:55.319 three of them healthy for the home stretch can only 0:34:55.320 --> 0:34:57.160 be a good thing. Like, yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. 0:34:57.239 --> 0:35:00.279 I'll ask this question, Um, Sean Lee is a guy 0:35:00.360 --> 0:35:04.080 that before this year, I think he was probably regarded 0:35:04.080 --> 0:35:06.640 by most people as, if not the best in one 0:35:06.680 --> 0:35:10.000 of the two best players on this defense. Is there 0:35:10.040 --> 0:35:14.680 something that that vander esh and Jalen Smith can do 0:35:15.040 --> 0:35:21.480 that you don't think Sean Lee can do? Good question? Um, 0:35:21.640 --> 0:35:25.279 I would imagine at this at this point, and they're 0:35:25.360 --> 0:35:27.399 they're a little bit more athletic than he is. I mean, 0:35:27.400 --> 0:35:30.080 they're just they're freaks of nature and they're better tacklers 0:35:32.120 --> 0:35:36.520 in terms of the contact was made at the twenty 0:35:36.520 --> 0:35:39.480 five and the ball is now going to be spotted 0:35:39.520 --> 0:35:42.120 at the twenty five or the twenty six. And I'm 0:35:42.160 --> 0:35:46.239 not saying that Sean Lee goes on you know, piggyback 0:35:46.360 --> 0:35:49.120 rides and all that, but I'm saying just from a 0:35:49.200 --> 0:35:53.520 strength standpoint, those guys and Rolando McClean was better than 0:35:53.520 --> 0:35:56.160 Shan Lee at that as well. I mean, bigger, stronger. 0:35:56.520 --> 0:35:59.279 You know from the press box, that was a Rolando hit. 0:35:59.320 --> 0:36:02.560 That was a or Jalen hit. Sean doesn't provide those 0:36:02.600 --> 0:36:05.560 type of hits, but that's the one thing he does better, 0:36:05.680 --> 0:36:09.400 and then he's always overcome everyone else with his instincts. 0:36:09.680 --> 0:36:13.759 They have the instincts as well, so they're better linebackers 0:36:13.760 --> 0:36:16.000 than Shan Lee is. Right now, That's okay, I think so, 0:36:16.200 --> 0:36:18.200 But that's my question because I look at Sean Lee 0:36:18.200 --> 0:36:20.759 and I think he is a playmaking linebacker. I mean, 0:36:20.920 --> 0:36:25.040 there were many years that Sean Lee was the only guy, 0:36:25.080 --> 0:36:26.880 the only guy, one of the few guys on this 0:36:26.960 --> 0:36:29.400 defense that you could that could make a play for 0:36:29.480 --> 0:36:31.920 you and you needed it. And so I do think 0:36:32.280 --> 0:36:35.200 to some degree this is one of those situations where 0:36:35.600 --> 0:36:39.319 his injury status is clouding people's judgment about him as 0:36:39.320 --> 0:36:43.040 a player well and his injury status, and maybe he 0:36:43.080 --> 0:36:45.440 struggled a little bit because of that too, because honestly, 0:36:45.480 --> 0:36:50.000 I was gonna say, I agree with you like Sean Lee. 0:36:50.040 --> 0:36:52.120 His hits don't just jump off the tape at you 0:36:52.200 --> 0:36:55.040 the way that like a Jalen Smith does. But before 0:36:55.200 --> 0:36:59.120 this season, he was such a sure tackler, like if 0:36:59.120 --> 0:37:01.520 he got his hands on you, you were not going 0:37:01.560 --> 0:37:03.880 to break the tackle. And I remember him making tackles 0:37:03.880 --> 0:37:05.400 behind a lot of scrimmage with a guy didn't get 0:37:05.400 --> 0:37:08.320 an extra yard, he dropped it. He it's an art form, 0:37:08.440 --> 0:37:11.800 like he's the tackle for Lost King, and it's mainly 0:37:11.880 --> 0:37:16.360 instincts like that got it done for him. But this season, 0:37:17.560 --> 0:37:19.680 in the early going, when he was still healthy, like 0:37:19.760 --> 0:37:22.120 it kind of he seemed like you saw that slip, 0:37:22.160 --> 0:37:25.800 like miss tackles against Carolina, miss tackles in the Seattle 0:37:25.840 --> 0:37:28.880 game before he got hurt, which you know, chalk that 0:37:28.960 --> 0:37:31.920 up to more of an aberration because we've seen him 0:37:31.960 --> 0:37:33.640 been doing it for so long. But it was definite 0:37:33.719 --> 0:37:35.840 Seattle game. I thought he had about ten tackles in 0:37:35.880 --> 0:37:39.680 the first two drives. He probably did. I remember, I 0:37:40.560 --> 0:37:43.160 remember it being it feels like ancient history. But in 0:37:43.200 --> 0:37:46.680 September I remember multiple times being like, yeah, it's not 0:37:46.920 --> 0:37:48.480 that's not what you're used to see him from Shawn 0:37:48.520 --> 0:37:53.839 Lee specific the Carolina game specifically, um and so yeah, 0:37:53.840 --> 0:37:55.880 I think you're right. I think I think it's easy 0:37:55.920 --> 0:37:57.640 to forget how good a guy is when he doesn't 0:37:57.680 --> 0:38:00.120 have a chance to be out there making plays. To 0:38:00.239 --> 0:38:03.279 that point, the play you know, that that amazing play 0:38:03.320 --> 0:38:07.600 that Layton made in Philly on the screen, that's a 0:38:07.680 --> 0:38:11.040 shan Lee Like that's Sean Lee's play, and which was 0:38:11.080 --> 0:38:13.000 what made it so impressive. It's like, whoa, this guy's 0:38:13.040 --> 0:38:15.439 doing Sean Lee stuff at the age of twenty two. 0:38:15.480 --> 0:38:19.360 That's amazing. So um, it's just hard to say because 0:38:19.360 --> 0:38:22.120 we haven't seen much of him this year, which that's 0:38:22.360 --> 0:38:25.279 a theme unfortunately. But that's also why I mean, when 0:38:25.280 --> 0:38:27.160 I look at it, I think this is much ado 0:38:27.239 --> 0:38:29.880 about nothing. If you've got three really good linebackers at 0:38:29.880 --> 0:38:32.319 all can make plays for you, the more the better. 0:38:32.400 --> 0:38:34.560 Like I don't have a problem with taking Layton or 0:38:34.600 --> 0:38:36.520 j Jalen off the field. It just means to me 0:38:36.800 --> 0:38:38.719 they're gonna be fresh, and all the three of them 0:38:38.719 --> 0:38:40.279 will be fresher than they would have been if it 0:38:40.320 --> 0:38:42.760 were just two that they were rotating in. I would 0:38:42.800 --> 0:38:44.640 like to it doesn't really, it doesn't concern me from 0:38:44.640 --> 0:38:46.600 that standpoint. This is a question for brought us. We 0:38:46.640 --> 0:38:50.040 should talk to him about this, but like, Okay, that's great. 0:38:50.040 --> 0:38:53.239 You're gonna obviously rotating is good, I think, but you're 0:38:53.280 --> 0:38:56.120 not just gonna rotate arbitrarily like you're gonna have so 0:38:57.160 --> 0:38:58.879 who do you want in there? On third and long? 0:38:58.920 --> 0:39:00.719 Who do you want in there? It's you know, are 0:39:00.719 --> 0:39:03.160 you sure you're not? Just because it did seem like 0:39:03.200 --> 0:39:05.759 when they all three were playing, it would be like 0:39:05.800 --> 0:39:08.000 a series, this guy's in and in a series, this 0:39:08.080 --> 0:39:10.480 guy's gonna be out, and it seemed like they were. 0:39:10.520 --> 0:39:12.239 It was kind of like what they were running backs 0:39:12.280 --> 0:39:17.080 back And remember the drive that the Redskins scored, They 0:39:17.160 --> 0:39:19.640 drove down. It was the first drive of the game. Yeah, 0:39:19.760 --> 0:39:23.560 screen passed two bibbs bibbs and Layton wasn't really on 0:39:23.640 --> 0:39:28.239 the field. Sean started the game and they went down 0:39:28.280 --> 0:39:30.759 the field and scored. And that's really the only time 0:39:30.800 --> 0:39:34.319 that I believe that Washington drove the field and for 0:39:34.360 --> 0:39:36.640 at least for a touchdown. They might have drove down 0:39:36.640 --> 0:39:39.280 for some field goals, yeah, because their other touchdown was defensive. 0:39:39.520 --> 0:39:43.640 So I mean, and I just I remember tweeting about it, like, um, 0:39:43.760 --> 0:39:48.560 can we get Vanderesh out there where we weren't even 0:39:48.560 --> 0:39:51.799 doing that back then. That's that's how crazy this season is. 0:39:51.800 --> 0:39:54.560 Like this dude has a whole You see his girlfriend 0:39:54.719 --> 0:39:57.839 on Instagram last night the picture. Yeah did you see 0:39:57.840 --> 0:40:01.799 that cowboy's Christmas party? Everybody gets dressed up to the nines. Uh, 0:40:02.160 --> 0:40:04.640 Layton and his girlfriend took a photo and he draped 0:40:04.719 --> 0:40:07.359 a freaking wolf over his shoulders in the you know, 0:40:07.520 --> 0:40:10.279 you know, coming to America. Yeah, yeah, it was. It 0:40:10.400 --> 0:40:12.960 was like the head, the wolf head, Yeah, it was. 0:40:13.239 --> 0:40:15.920 It was I'm just like a badass. And last he 0:40:15.960 --> 0:40:17.600 was just kind of like, no, I couldn't quite wear 0:40:17.640 --> 0:40:19.600 it all the way here, Like I thought about, well, 0:40:19.800 --> 0:40:22.839 I mean, if you've spent time around Layton vander Esch, 0:40:22.960 --> 0:40:27.560 like great guy obviously, like he's so enthusiastic and passion 0:40:27.600 --> 0:40:29.560 on the field, Like he's not like that, you know, 0:40:29.640 --> 0:40:32.560 he's he's not that guy that's much more laid back, 0:40:33.120 --> 0:40:36.560 laid back, but like he's unassuming. He's from freaking Riggins, Idaho, 0:40:36.719 --> 0:40:39.640 Like he's not he could never call himself the wolf 0:40:39.719 --> 0:40:42.600 Hunter with a straight face. I don't think like if 0:40:42.640 --> 0:40:45.600 we named DeMarcus Lawrence the wolf Hunter, he'd be walking 0:40:45.600 --> 0:40:47.719 around T shirt. He would have a T shirt and 0:40:47.800 --> 0:40:49.680 he would say, call me wolf and he would have 0:40:49.760 --> 0:40:53.239 a wolf head. He would just big wolf medallion. Yeah, yeah, 0:40:53.280 --> 0:40:56.520 I can't imagine Layton, although Layton. Did you see Layton's ring? Yeah, 0:40:56.560 --> 0:40:58.880 he does have a wolf ring, like it's a big 0:40:59.000 --> 0:41:03.040 gold wolf hid on a ring. I'm actually pretty cool 0:41:03.080 --> 0:41:05.279 that dude hits the crap out of people and has 0:41:05.360 --> 0:41:08.719 literally killed wolves, Like, I don't want to mess with him. 0:41:08.760 --> 0:41:12.839 And as great as Derwin James is playing right now, 0:41:13.680 --> 0:41:16.640 they're they're almost playing the same position because I saw 0:41:16.800 --> 0:41:18.919 several times the other than he is. He's up there 0:41:18.920 --> 0:41:22.919 playing like a linebacker. Um, remember he was drafted two 0:41:22.960 --> 0:41:25.959 spots ahead. It wasn't like the Cowboys had the choice three. 0:41:26.040 --> 0:41:31.000 Actually to think, I thought it was seventeen nineteen. Anyways, anyways, 0:41:31.320 --> 0:41:33.920 you're thinking right ahead, and the Cowboys would have had 0:41:33.920 --> 0:41:36.160 to move up for it. And that's actually important. Was 0:41:36.200 --> 0:41:38.279 it sixteen or seventeen? Because which draft pick do you 0:41:38.320 --> 0:41:40.320 have to let go? I think I think right now, 0:41:40.680 --> 0:41:43.480 even if you think James is better, there's no way 0:41:43.560 --> 0:41:47.120 James is better than him and Gallop. And you're saying, right, 0:41:47.440 --> 0:41:50.399 I think everybody. I mean, you know he's not gonna 0:41:50.400 --> 0:41:52.879 win offensive Rookie of the Year. About everybody is pretty 0:41:52.960 --> 0:41:56.160 encouraged by what Michael Gallup is doing. And I think 0:41:56.360 --> 0:41:59.440 I said after the like, in an alternate universe, Michael 0:41:59.440 --> 0:42:02.080 Gallup has like three hundred more yards and four touchdowns, 0:42:02.120 --> 0:42:05.840 Like if Dak it just gets five plays go the 0:42:05.880 --> 0:42:10.319 other way like a Gallup a few Washington Saints game, 0:42:10.560 --> 0:42:13.960 I mean the Panthers game, that crossing route, Like, yeah, 0:42:14.960 --> 0:42:17.840 I feel bad for Michael Gallup. He's they're like easily 0:42:17.960 --> 0:42:19.719 left like two hundred yards on the field. But you 0:42:19.719 --> 0:42:21.319 can also think about it like this, if you didn't 0:42:21.320 --> 0:42:24.480 have Layton vandersch this season and Sean Lee did what 0:42:24.600 --> 0:42:27.960 he did, which typically happens when those injuries, where would 0:42:27.960 --> 0:42:30.239 this team be right now? If Jalen's out there and 0:42:30.280 --> 0:42:33.160 you've got Damien Wilson out there with him. Not nothing 0:42:33.160 --> 0:42:35.720 against Damian Wilson, but he's not Layton Vandrett and Jodha 0:42:35.719 --> 0:42:37.440 has been hurt too, So it's not like, yeah, so 0:42:37.480 --> 0:42:39.439 it's that would you would have been in a real 0:42:39.520 --> 0:42:43.359 pitch at linebacker had you not had Layton Vandersh Here 0:42:43.560 --> 0:42:50.200 staggering how well that plan came and he's really you know, 0:42:50.480 --> 0:42:53.680 when you think about the take Shawn Lee out because 0:42:53.719 --> 0:42:58.239 he's been hurt. The four best players on defense, this 0:42:58.400 --> 0:43:01.720 might be kind of harder. Four best players of Tank 0:43:02.200 --> 0:43:08.400 we know, Vandersch, Byron Jones, there you go, Jalen, and 0:43:09.320 --> 0:43:11.120 to me, it's kind of a toss up between him 0:43:11.120 --> 0:43:13.640 and Crawford. I think Crawford. I think Jayleen's probably here 0:43:13.640 --> 0:43:16.560 for the mccrawford's at close fifth. I love Tyrone Crawford 0:43:16.560 --> 0:43:20.640 to death, but he Jalen Smith is a freak right 0:43:20.800 --> 0:43:25.040 and and but Crawford played much better for his role. 0:43:25.440 --> 0:43:28.680 I think he's all right top five. And that's fine 0:43:28.719 --> 0:43:31.520 because where I'm going with this is that personality wise, 0:43:31.560 --> 0:43:33.919 and he fits right in the middle, you've got two 0:43:33.960 --> 0:43:36.799 guys that that like the camera, they liked to be 0:43:36.880 --> 0:43:40.239 out there, they liked him, I guess, yes, Tank and 0:43:40.480 --> 0:43:43.120 jal Yes, that's a great point. You've got two guys 0:43:43.280 --> 0:43:47.080 that they're they guy's personality, but they but they're they 0:43:47.080 --> 0:43:49.840 don't mind being quiet and laid back in both Layton 0:43:50.040 --> 0:43:52.920 and Byron Jones. And then Crawford's kind of in the 0:43:52.960 --> 0:43:57.360 middle him, Yeah, thanks pulling him. Yeah, he might be 0:43:57.400 --> 0:43:59.600 all in over, but those guys are good to have 0:44:00.000 --> 0:44:02.399 it's good to have a Layton that kind of does 0:44:02.440 --> 0:44:05.160 this thing. It's good to have. I mean, I'm telling 0:44:05.200 --> 0:44:09.279 you what, Daniel Ross and Antoine Woods, they owe a 0:44:09.320 --> 0:44:11.960 lot of what they've been able to do to Jalen 0:44:12.120 --> 0:44:15.200 I mean Tank, I mean, he just kind of makes 0:44:15.239 --> 0:44:17.600 them part of the team and the and they thrive 0:44:17.640 --> 0:44:20.440 off it and they've played pretty good for those are 0:44:20.480 --> 0:44:22.759 those are those glue kind of guys that you just 0:44:22.800 --> 0:44:24.879 need him to play the role and play the role well. 0:44:25.160 --> 0:44:27.279 And that's what they are there are mind, I'm remind 0:44:27.320 --> 0:44:29.800 of a guy like Brandon Noble was never a great player, 0:44:29.960 --> 0:44:31.520 but he was one of those glue kind of guys. 0:44:31.600 --> 0:44:33.640 They end up getting a pretty good contract to be 0:44:33.719 --> 0:44:36.160 able to leave. But he's just a good, solid player. 0:44:36.360 --> 0:44:37.960 You need those kinds of the problems. He was the 0:44:38.000 --> 0:44:40.880 best player on the defense. He was He wasn't, but 0:44:40.920 --> 0:44:43.279 he was just he was just a good player that 0:44:43.400 --> 0:44:45.040 was in a position where he was asked to be 0:44:45.080 --> 0:44:47.400 the best player on the defense. That's the story of 0:44:47.440 --> 0:44:50.279 the NFL. Jack Crawford and Terrell McLean were those guys 0:44:50.719 --> 0:44:52.919 couple of years ago, and they went and got better 0:44:53.040 --> 0:44:56.000 contracts elsewhere. And if these guys keep playing that way, 0:44:56.040 --> 0:44:59.200 I'll probably happen for them too, you know, and real quick, Yeah, 0:44:59.239 --> 0:45:01.000 we have the time a little bit, so, but just 0:45:01.239 --> 0:45:03.680 we could talk about this another time. But you know, 0:45:04.160 --> 0:45:06.880 the Cowboys, you gotta give credit to to Will McClay, 0:45:07.360 --> 0:45:11.680 Jerry Stephen, Jason. You know that then they're drafting every 0:45:11.719 --> 0:45:14.160 one of those guys is a guy that's been drafted 0:45:14.320 --> 0:45:17.399 other than maybe David Irving who's not here, Jeff Heath 0:45:17.760 --> 0:45:21.640 and well, okay, you're right, but I mean, I they 0:45:21.840 --> 0:45:23.920 deserve credit for bringing those guys in. And yeah, they 0:45:23.960 --> 0:45:25.759 go and find a lot of those guys. Those are 0:45:25.840 --> 0:45:27.759 gems that they find that other people are kind of 0:45:27.760 --> 0:45:30.160 throwing away. So but mean, swell Field is a good example. 0:45:30.160 --> 0:45:33.320 But the drafting of of you know, DeMarcus Lawrence and 0:45:33.480 --> 0:45:36.440 yeah Layton and jay Len, I mean, those are moves 0:45:36.440 --> 0:45:38.439 that you're like, sure, we want to do this. Yeah, 0:45:38.800 --> 0:45:41.000 and and and look and Cheeto and those guys and 0:45:41.280 --> 0:45:43.239 look what it's got them Woods. Yeah, that was the 0:45:43.320 --> 0:45:45.400 graphic I think in the Eagles game. Woods is the 0:45:45.560 --> 0:45:48.520 only guy that's playing a meaningful role for this team 0:45:48.760 --> 0:45:53.560 that wasn't found in offense or defense. Just defense, just defense. Yeah, 0:45:53.600 --> 0:45:56.000 but still it's huge. That's huge. All right, We appreciate you, guys, 0:45:56.040 --> 0:45:57.600 Joan us. We'll be back tomorrow. We'll start breaking down 0:45:57.640 --> 0:46:00.040 Cowboys versus Eagles. It'll be a fun week till and 0:46:00.080 --> 0:46:02.160 for Nick Eatman, Dave Helm and I'm Derek Eagleton. This 0:46:02.239 --> 0:46:06.040 has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. 0:46:07.400 --> 0:46:10.080 This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:46:10.320 --> 0:46:12.359 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.