3 Positions That MUST Improve Moving Forward For Cowboys | Time To BENCH Starting Linebacker?

Summary

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Locked On Cowboys Podcast: “3 Positions That MUST Improve Moving Forward for Cowboys | Time To BENCH Starting Linebacker?”

Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool | Locked On Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool break down the three key positional groups that the Dallas Cowboys need to improve as they head into week two and beyond. With a keen focus on the linebacker unit—highlighting issues with Kenneth Murray—the hosts also assess the tight end and offensive tackle groups. The discussion is packed with candid analysis, practical suggestions for improving positional play, and specific player insights, providing listeners with expert context into what the Cowboys need to address to contend in 2025.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Linebacker Situation: Time to Bench Kenneth Murray?

(Starts at 02:18)

• Initial Analysis:

  • Marcus opens with concerns about linebacker play against the Eagles. Landon points directly to Kenneth Murray as a liability after week one:

    "They get Kenneth Murray off the field. I mean, I hate to be a little bit cruel, but it feels like…Murray was kind of exactly who we thought he was.” – Landon McCool [02:37]

  • Both hosts note the high expectations coming out of camp and preseason were unmet in the regular season opener.

• Kenneth Murray Critique:

  • Missed tackles and lack of discipline in gap control highlighted.
  • Murray’s absence in training camp (for personal reasons) and lack of preseason reps cited as reasons for his slow start, but the hosts are skeptical improvement will come.
  • “He is a high variance player who can make some splash plays, but you have to live with the inconsistency...and I just don’t know if that’s going to fit in here.” – Marcus Mosher [04:04]

• Who Else Should Play?

  • Landon argues for more snaps for younger linebackers, especially DeMarvion Overshown (when healthy) and Marist Liufau:

    “It feels like when you’ve seen him [Liufau], he’s played sound football…and last year he played really well in a demanding Mike Zimmer defense.” – Landon McCool [04:52]

  • Discussion of snap counts emphasizes the imbalance:

    “Leofau played six snaps to Murray’s like 50-plus.” – Landon McCool [05:40]
    “62.” – Marcus Mosher [05:42]

• Green Dot & Leadership:

  • The question of why Murray is wearing the green dot (defensive play-caller) arises despite his underwhelming play. Possible solutions are discussed, like giving the dot to Jack Sanborn or Liufau.
  • “Go peel that sticker off the back of Murray’s helmet and go give it to Liufau. Let him call these plays.” – Landon McCool [06:42]

• Outlook and Rotation:

  • Expectation of more rotation, utilizing the depth beneath the starters to both improve performance and develop young talent for later in the season.
  • The need for a physical, energetic presence and the importance of Lightning rod players emphasizes Liufau’s potential impact.

• Notable Quote:

  “Let’s see what you get out of Liufau if you feed him more snaps. When you fed him more snaps last year, he got better.” – Landon McCool [09:42]

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2. Tight Ends Must Contribute as Receivers

(Starts at 10:16; resumes at 13:04 after ads)

• Summary of Concerns:

  • Marcus says he was “underwhelmed” by the group in the passing game, although run blocking was solid.
  • Landon agrees, stating, “All three of the guys had targets that went to them that they couldn’t come down with. Obviously, Ferguson with the most glaring of those.” [13:04]
  • Tight ends combined for just 8 targets and 23 receiving yards, under 3 yards per target — called “abysmal.” [14:50]

• Execution and Impact:

  • Poor execution at tight end makes the offense easier to defend.

    “If you’re not gonna burn them for committing all those defensive assets... then they’re just going to continue to do that.” – Landon McCool [15:32]

  • Ferguson’s missed catch in the middle of the field could have been the difference in the game:

    “If Ferguson catches that ball in the middle of the field, you probably win the game, or you’ve got a great, great chance to win it.” – Marcus Mosher [15:11]

• Blocking:

  • Despite issues in the passing game, Landon highlights improvement in run blocking:

    “I have more faith that they'll solve the receiving part…The fact that we saw them really do well in the run blocking aspect, that was encouraging to me.” [18:19]

  • Use of 2- and 3-tight end sets is set to increase under Schottenheimer.

• Outlook:

  • The hosts are not in full panic mode, attributing some struggles to players missing time due to injuries and preseason rust.

    “Maybe now that they've knocked some of that rust off, they'll be better. Again, they have to be, because this is going to be a unit that gets a heavy workload.” – Marcus Mosher [17:39]

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3. Offensive Tackles: Inconsistent but Critical

(Starts at 20:45, Main Segment Begins at 21:38)

• Week One Performance:

  • Marcus gives a mixed review: “Tyler Guyton…gave up five pressures but was fine. Terence Steele was okay. I thought he was better as a run blocker, but it's only going to get harder…”
  • Landon notes Guyton’s performance was passable considering injury and missed camp time but asserts, “But guess what? Now it's time to perform. Now it's time to play football.” [22:04]

• Key Upcoming Test:

  • Immediate concern is pass protecting against the Giants (Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux).

    “Schedule is not going to be relenting for him [Guyton].” – Landon McCool [23:16]

• Seasonal Importance:

  • Marcus underscores that tackle play could define the Cowboys’ season:

    “If the tackle struggle, I think the offense can still be good…but the ceiling just isn’t there….If these tackles play extremely well…the front is going to be the strength of this team—now you could do a lot more.” [23:46]

• Adjustments, Power, & Protection:

  • Landon notes improved run blocking, which can be used strategically:

    “It gives you a floor, and it also just gives you an opportunity to get physical with some of these pass rushers…” [24:08]

  • Expect more help from tight ends in pass protection, with host insight into different linemen’s preferences for help (chips, backfield support).

• On Dak’s Role:

  • Dak Prescott’s mobility and pocket feel can mitigate some OL issues:

    “Dak handles pressure from the outside better than in his face…he’s very good about stepping up into the pocket, giving himself a little bit of extra time.” – Landon McCool [26:16]

• Stunt Pickup:

  • The need for better stunt and looper recognition between guards and tackles is highlighted as a key fix to protect Dak.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Kenneth Murray:

  • “We also already know what Kenneth Murray is…he’s a 27 year old linebacker. He’s on his third team. All right, let’s see what you get out of Liufau…” – Landon McCool [09:42]

• On Tight End Usage:

  • “You need them to be able to convert their targets when they're receivers. And…we need production from that position, which it doesn't feel like we've had a consistent level of in the receiving game from in quite a while.” – Landon McCool [13:04]

• On Offensive Tackles:

  • “If you told me how the offensive tackles were going to play throughout the season, I could probably tell you how the entire team is going to play…” – Marcus Mosher [23:46]

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• 02:18: Start of deep dive on linebacker issues and Kenneth Murray
• 04:04: Marcus dissects why Murray may not fit Eberflus’ scheme
• 05:40-06:42: Breakdown of snap counts, green dot leadership discussion
• 09:26: Marist Liufau’s energy and needed leadership in the linebacker room
• 10:16 & 13:04: Transition to tight end performance, highlights of missed opportunities
• 14:50: Reviewing poor tight end stats (8 targets, 23 yards)
• 16:13: Marcus on blocking needs versus Giants’ front seven
• 17:39: Tight end availability, rust, and upcoming usage
• 21:38: Offensive tackle review, Guyton’s performance and next steps
• 23:16: Schedule and pass rushers ahead, critical nature of tackle play
• 24:08: Emphasis on run game setting a physical tone
• 26:16: Dak Prescott’s pocket presence as a stabilizer
• 27:56: Recap of three key improvement areas heading into Week 2

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Conclusion & Key Takeaways

The episode presents clear areas of concern and opportunity for the Cowboys:

• Linebacker: Snap reallocation away from Kenneth Murray in favor of Liufau and developing younger talent is key for defensive improvement.
• Tight End: The group must perform more consistently in the passing game to complement their improved run blocking.
• Offensive Tackle: Health, development, and consistency of Guyton and Steele will have an outsize impact on protection schemes and the overall ceiling of the offense.

The hosts are cautious but optimistic, asserting that adjustments can and must be made for Dallas to reach its potential.

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For Further Listening

• Preview of Giants matchup with more positional breakdowns coming later in the week.
• Crossover with Locked On Giants for further insights into upcoming opponents.

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Follow the hosts:

• @McCoolBCB (Landon McCool)
• @Marcus_Mosher (Marcus Mosher)

Locked On Cowboys: Available on all podcast platforms.

Transcript

[Marcus Moer]

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[Marcus Moer]

There are three key positional groups that need to step up for the Cowboys moving forward. We'll tell you which ones they are next. Foreign you are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked On Cowboys Podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day to today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and if your bet wins, you'll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Welcome back. I am your host Marcus Moer. You can follow me on Twitter Arcus Moer. He is Lana McCool. Check him out on Twitter @McCool BCB. On today's show, we are taking a look at three key positional groups that need to step up for the Cowboys not only in week two, but but for the rest of the season. Atlant I want to start with the linebacker position because this is a spot that looked really good in training camp, really good in the preseason, not so much in week one. How did the Cowboys get better linebacker play?

[Landon McCool]

They get Kenneth Murray off the field. I I mean I, I hate to, I hate to be a little bit cruel, but it feels like a lot of the the problems we had in week one were was that Kenneth Murray was kind of exactly who we Thought he was right. And, and this has been an issue since, you know, we signed him that you and I kind of just didn't see the vision here. We, you know, fast forward into training camp. We see a couple of different guys like you referenced have really good camps and, and show out really well. And it felt like, man, maybe we've got like a kind of nice deep group. We get into week one and, and yes, of course, look, I mean it was the Eagles, I don't know how many times we have to talk about was the, the super bowl champs. And, and, and I think that that's obviously accounts to some of it, but there's also, you know, just simply making the tackles that are in front of you and, and, and, and kind of not looking lost on some of the inside run games despite being a, you know, I can't even remember a seven or eight year vet at this point. Right. So I just think that, you know, he, he missed all this time during training camp, you know, with, I think it was the birth of a child if I'm not mistaken, and then just didn't get a ton of time in the preseason when he did. He didn't necessarily look great. Great. We didn't see anything that made us feel like that he was any better than the other linebackers that we were seeing out there at different points. Clark, especially Leo Fowl. I mean, I guess that's the guy that we should be mentioning here. And so it's just a little bit frustrating to kind of see him out there get a ton of snaps in week one. And lo and behold, he didn't play all that well.

[Marcus Moer]

So I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt because you're right, he missed a lot of time this off season and it's a new scheme for him. Didn't play a lot in the training camp, didn't play at all in the preseason. So I think we should give him at least one more game before jumping to conclusions. Unfortunately, this is just who he's been and I struggle with his fit in the defense because Matty wants to have a fundamentally sound defense where the gaps are all controlled, guys are where they're supposed to be, and that's just never really been Kenneth Murray in the NFL or in college. He is a high variance player who can make some splash plays, but you have to live with the inconsistency is in him jumping the wrong gaps and being in the wrong spots. And I just, I don't know if that's going to fit in Here.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And, and I think the thing that is the most frustrating again to me about it is that it's not like Leafou is. Has been like, you know, unplayable or so undisciplined that it's still the same issue with him either. Like it feels like when you've seen him, he's played sound football and last year he played really well in, in a. In sometimes very demanding, you know, technical Mike Zimmer defense. So yeah, I just think that it's one of these things where you're hoping that the kind of defensive coaches catch up to clue catch up to clue on to. What we've all seen is that it's clear that some of these down rostered linebackers, you know, it's not even just like they need to take all of Murray snaps. That's not even what we're asking. But maybe a rotation. I mean I think Leofl played six snaps to, to Murray's like 50 plus.

[Marcus Moer]

So 62.

[Landon McCool]

62, yeah. So I just think that you need to see better play from the linebackers, whoever it is. But I would also just like to see Leah foul more on the field because I think you're going to get better performance than the linebackers after all overall.

[Marcus Moer]

And one of the things that we're seeing with Eber flu that we did not see at all with Dan Quinn and, and Mike Zimmers, you're just seeing more three linebacker sets on the field. Like they are not afraid to put three linebackers on the field and that's how they're going to stop the run. We saw a lot of Damon Clark in this game. You mentioned Marisley Afoul Jack Sanborn played a lot of snaps. They're rotating some of these guys in. But I don't think Murray needs to be the guy that's getting 62 snaps or 100 of the snaps. But then again, he's been wearing the green dot which is the guy that's calling the defense. Maybe that's the reason why he's on the field so much. But it's, it can't be for his play.

[Landon McCool]

Well then I mean if that's the case then, then why go get a guy like Jack Sanborn, you know, like.

[Marcus Moer]

I mean, well, Sanborn was wearing it during the preseason as well, so at least he has some experience calling the defense.

[Landon McCool]

So yeah, it's not like it's, it's that you can't peel that sticker off the back of his helmet. Like go peel that sticker off the back of Murray's helmet and go give it to Leopold, let him call these plays.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, it's just a spot. If they're going to be a better defense this year, if they're gonna get, you know, as the season progresses, they're gonna need the linebackers to play really well. And you're hoping that DeMarvi and Overshone can come back at some point in the year, stabilize that group. But just based on what we saw in week one, it's not going to be good enough. And I. It wasn't awful, but they are going to need this unit to play a lot better and they should. They've got better protection up front. We. The Kenny Clark edition was a big one. There's really no excuse for this linebacker group to play as poorly as they did in week one.

[Landon McCool]

Well, and again too. I think the other part of it is that I think we would be a lot more panicked if we didn't feel like that you had two younger guys that were underneath these two veterans that did have a good game on just limited snaps. So, yeah, look, I mean, it's early in the season, it's a long season and linebacker is the running back of the defense in the term in the sense that these guys go to get into a lot of collisions and they take a lot of hits and they can really wear down. So it's not the worst thing to rotate these guys, maybe get, you know, some of the. Take some of these bumps and bruises early so you can let the young guys develop and have them playing by the end of the season. Obviously, you have Overshone coming at some point, you know, hopefully in the next few weeks, month or so, and then, you know that it'll change the landscape of the position. But as it stands right now, clearly you've got a ton of snaps that you need to eat up. You probably have four guys that you feel really comfortable playing on a heavy rotation. I think they just probably need to tinker with the. The snap rotation a little bit more there.

[Marcus Moer]

Why don't you think we've seen more of Marisley about. Because again, last year there were some up and downs, but he just provides a level of physicality that none of the other linebackers have. And I really think the defense could use that right now.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I. I don't know. You know, I do feel like part of it is, of course, previous coaching staff, you know, and he doesn't have the guys vouching for him that. That were in the room last season. That's clearly part of it, but, but I mean, at the same time, like, that's also the same problem that Damone Clark had the previous year with Zimmer. So, and, and, and look how Demone Clark has kind of shined a little bit when this last preseason in training camp and, and really in this first game, I think, you know, hopefully they're taking a lesson from that and saying, hey, let's not just poo, poo, leaf out, leaf out because his coaching staff isn't here anymore. He's out. When he's out there, he's making plays. If, if anything, it feels like what you get out of Murray, but without a lot of the negative aspects of it too. He seems more disciplined than Murray is in certain ways.

[Marcus Moer]

He also just has an energy about him that feels infectious. And again, when you have a defense that I think is talented, but not as talented as it was a year ago, you need kind of couple of these lightning rod players that can, you know, bring the energy to a defense and I think he can do that.

[Landon McCool]

Well, again, I mean, not to belabor the point, but we also, we also already know what Kenneth Murray is. We, as we keep saying over and over again, it's not like we're going to get a bunch of surprises out of Kenneth Murray by playing him more. He's a 27 year old linebacker. He's on his third, third team. All right, let's see what you get out of Leo Fowl if you feed him more snaps. When you fed him more snaps last year, he got better. Let's see if that continues to happen. So I think you need to develop that. I think that that's the plan. I just think that it's a long season so a lot of these guys are going to play a lot of snapshots. Let's just adjust the balance a little bit more.

[Marcus Moer]

All right, let's talk about the tight end position because honestly I did not think that group played particularly well in week one. We'll talk about what they can do in week two and beyond next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season is here and FanDuel is making sure that you ready, you are ready for kickoff with a can't miss offer. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and if your bet wins you, you'll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I love FanDuel because it lets me bet however I want to bet. Like I get really into the, the futures bets. Like I like to pick who I think is going to win the divisions. Who's going to be the mvp? I also like to do some of these parlays on game time where you know, you, you, you pick up a couple teams that you think are going to win. Maybe you just pick the money lines, but that's the way I like to bet. It adds just a little bit more excitement and, and juice to your Sundays. So are you ready to play? Download the FanDuel app by visiting FanDuel.com to get started. That is FanDuel.com to place your first $5 bet. This episode is brought to you by Supply House. When the opening whistle blows on a new repair, get your crew moving forward with Supply House order today and see parts on your doorstep tomorrow. Over 280,000 plumbing H vac and and electrical items from the most trusted brands in the business. Their real time inventory and honestly times keeps you from punting on projects while their industry leading customer service always has your blind side covered. And if you need parts fast, Supply House has next day delivery. Talk about an absolute game changer. I know there's several times where I'm working on projects but I can't get a part for a week and that just throws off my motivation to get it done. But with Supply House you can have it on your doorstep the next day so you can actually get the stuff done that you need to around the house. So join the free Trade Master program today and score some serious perks like priority shipping, lower prices and a dedicated support line. Visit supplyhouse.com to sign up for free and use promo code SHNFL5 for 5% off your first order. That is supplyhouse.com real people, real service. Welcome back to the Lock On Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. L. Let's talk about the tight end position because honestly I was a little underwhelmed by what I saw from the group at least as receivers. I think they did some work in the, in, in the ground game but I think as a whole this unit needs to be big better if this team wants to kind of take that next step as an offense.

[Landon McCool]

Definitely. And I think that that's, you know, it goes hand in hand like as they are becoming more valuable as run blockers and I do think that they had actually a very good game as, as a run blocking unit all things considered. You need them to, to be able to convert their, their, their, their, their targets when they, when they're receivers. Right. And, and it clearly was, it was across the board, all three of the guys had targets that went to them that they couldn't come down with. Obviously, Ferguson with the, the most glaring of those. But I also think that, you know, there was some spacing issues with some of these targets and, and, you know, not exactly on target some of. Some of these situations, but. But regardless, we need production from that position, which it doesn't feel like we've had a consistent level of. Of production in the receiving game from. In quite a while. I mean, you know, even when Ferguson came back and, and for early in the season, it just didn't feel like it ever kind of got back up to what we had expected. And I understand that you're going to have, you know, obviously more targets going to your wide receiver too, as you've got a guy that you want to throw to a little bit more there.

[Marcus Moer]

Not in week one. I mean, I think that's gonna change, but. Yeah, going forward. Yes.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I think exactly. Yeah, I think that will change going forward, but that's never going to go completely away from those seam routes. He's going to want to throw those. And, and if you're gonna make the tight end position valuable, the, the value comes in not giving away tendencies by deploying tight ends on the field, and you're only not giving away tendencies if you have success in the receiving game. Otherwise, no one's going to care that you're a receiver if you can't convert enough to make him make it worth them committing defensive assets to stopping you.

[Marcus Moer]

So between the three tight ends, they had eight targets for 23 yards. I mean, you're averaging under three yards per target, which is abysmal. Right. And that doesn't even count the Ferguson target on the unnecessary roughness one where he kind of bobbled the ball in the end zone and then got hit like this was a very poor performance by these guys as receivers. And unfortunately, because you have CD Lamb and George Pickens or fortunately, these guys should get a lot of targets and a lot of opportunities over the middle of the field and they have to convert on them. I think if, if Ferguson catches that ball in the middle of the field, you probably win the game, or you've got a great, great chance to win it. It's just. That's the difference in some of these little moments.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I think that, you know, the issue with, with not being able to convert that is that suddenly, you know, it becomes a very easy defensive formula to kind of solve this problem. Right. Because if, if you're not Gonna burn them for, for committing all those, you know, defensive assets and, and all that time to spending, you know, whether it's bodies or just, you know, tilting coverage towards the guys on the outside in CD Lamb and Pickens, then they're just going to continue to do that and, and, and, and they're going to make you force them to look, you know, to do something about the tight end. And if you can't, it becomes a pretty strong weakness. And, and the Cowboys have got to make sure that that's not the. And case.

[Marcus Moer]

Case. Now we should mention them as blockers because we're going to talk about spoiler the offensive tackles here in segment three. But I think, you know, even looking ahead to week two, when you're playing the Giants with Abdul Carter and Brian Burns, who had two sacks last week against Washington, and Kayvon Thibodeau, like, these guys are going to have to be able to chip and get out and routes. They're also going to have to be able to block in the run game. I think across the board, what we're saying is they just need this group to play better. We know that they're talented. The Cowboys just paid Jake Ferguson a ton of money. You need more consistent and reliable production.

[Landon McCool]

From your tight ends. Yeah, and you know, we believe in these guys. I mean, I think with Brevis, man, Ford had a really good game and limited snaps. I think even Schoonmaker, outside of the drop that, I mean all these guys had, I think it was, was good in the blocking game. And Ferguson has leveled up his game there too. And like you mentioned specifically in games like the Giants where you have these edge players who can really destroy and take over passing attacks by just delimiting all your ability to get drop back and, and get it throw, throw the ball from a clean pocket, you have to attack them on the edges, especially these speedy guys like Burns and Carter, right? Like, you have to be able to attack them on the edges in order to kind of neutralize the passing, the pass rush a little bit and give your passing attack more opportunities to play action off of them and take shots down the field to push the safeties back a little bit.

[Marcus Moer]

Now, the only thing I will say about Brevin Span Ford, he basically missed most of training camp with a high ankle injury. Did not do anything in the preseason. Schoonmaker, I believe, was a concussion late in the preseason, so he's missed some time. Ferguson didn't play at all in the preseason. So maybe now that they've knocked some of that rust off. They'll be better again. They have to be, because this is going to be a unit that gets a heavy workload and. And one of the things that Brian Schottenheimer has kind of followed through with is they're going to use a lot more two and three tight end sets. We're just going to see these guys on the field more often than we did with Mike McCarthy just to give.

[Landon McCool]

A little bit of sunshine here at the end if we were to go into this game. And of the two aspects that you really see with tight ends, which one would have been more worrying if you didn't see it early on? Because to me, I have more faith that they'll solve the receiving part because I've seen that before. The fact that we solve them really do well in the run blocking aspect, that was encouraging to me because that was the part that I wasn't so certain, you know, in principle that it was going to be able to work out if it looks like it really can.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, I think that's more of a timing issue. Dak was just a hair late on some of the passes and Ferguson just bobbled one Partly. It happens, right? Like, I'm just. I'm not all that worried. It's just one of these positions that has to be better. All right, let's talk about the offensive tackles, because as a whole, the offensive line played fairly well against Philadelphia, but they've got an honestly, an even tougher task in week two. We will get to them next. This episode is brought to you by Mazda. Mazda crafts cars for those who do more than simply move. Mazda delivers confidence with every ride, with more IIHS Top Safety Pick awards than anyone else. From footwork to breath work, athletes sweat all of the details. And Mazda brings the same attention to how they craft every single model. You can feel the Japanese craftsmanship in every detail, from metallic accents to available Napa leather upholstery. And you can make your everyday drive feel like anything, but with smooth handling and just absolutely fantastic controls. So, like our players, we sweat every detail because when you make every move count, impossible becomes irrelevant. Mazda, move and be moved. Mom. Mom.

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[Marcus Moer]

Welcome back to the Laton Cowboys Podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. The NFL season is finally here. And for your second listen, check out the Lot Done NFL podcast. Tyler the Madman Roland gives you a shot of NFL espresso to start your football day, while Tony Wiggins takes you into the barber shop for the smoothest, smoothest breakdowns. Find a lot NFL on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, let's talk about the offensive tackles, because I thought, for the most part, they held up okay. Tyler Guyton, honestly, I did not have much expectations because of the knee injury, gave up five pressures, but was fine. Terence Steele was okay. I thought he was better as a run blocker, but it's only going to get harder from here on out. You've got Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Cave on Thibodeau. This is a group that's got to play better.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. I mean, this is the week that they're even going to be tested, obviously, a lot more than they were even last week. Yeah. And I think, you know, as you're saying those things about Guyton, it's specifically in context of all the, of all that we know about what happened to him and the training camp, missing all the time, being able to even play in this game is just such a blessing. So we're thrilled about that. But guess what? Now it's time to perform. Now it's time to play football.

[Marcus Moer]

Get 10 days out of. Right?

[Landon McCool]

Like, that's right. You've had 10 days off. You got, you got your, your, your, your snaps in, you know, you should, it should be ready, right? Like, and you're going to need to come out firing on, on all cylinders. And, and there's a reason that, that Marcus and I, you know, decided to focus on the tight end and offensive tackle group is because we think that this is going to be a key aspect of this upcoming game against the Giants specifically, but also just moving forward, obviously, with the tackle. So I, I think for Guyton, you know, now that he's had some time to kind of hopefully recover a little bit more, kind of tighten up a little bit, this technique kind of get into the, the season that he did because he didn't get, you know, obviously the preseason snaps that you probably would have seen him take, like, I think that they were showing us that a lot of these young offensive linemen, they were actually giving opportunities in the preseason. I think if he was healthy, they probably would have given him preseason snaps. So now that he's gotten a chance to kind of get that under him, he's gonna need to specifically tighten things up in the past, the pass protection, because that's where they're going to attack the most. You're going to see Burns, you're going to see Carter, you're going to see Thibodeau. And then beyond that, there's. You're going to see a murderous row. The passwords coming up. This whole season, it. The schedule is not going to be relenting for. It's unrelenting for. For him.

[Marcus Moer]

I watched Chicago on Monday night and Montez Sweat was out there making plays and they, you know, then week four you've got Green Bay and we know who's coming to town that game. Like as you were talking, I was thinking if you told me how the offensive tackles were going to play throughout the season, I could probably tell you how the entire team is going to play because if the tackle struggle, I think the offense can still be good because Dax really good at manipulating the pocket. Right. But the ceiling just isn't there. Right. Because you're limited on some of the stuff that you can do. But if these tackles play extremely well and the front, I think is going to be the strength of this team now you could do a lot, a lot more five and six man protections and now you can really start to push the ball down the field and be more aggressive. I really think these two tackles could decide whether the Cowboys ultimately make the postseason or fail to make it.

[Landon McCool]

I, I think the key thing here that is helpful versus some of the other tackle situations we've had, especially in recent, most recent years. Right. Is that I do feel a lot better about the both tackles ability to block in the run game. And I, and I think that that gives you a floor and it also just gives you an opportunity to get physical with some of these pass rushers who are going to want to just try to tee off on you and try to like get around you in the pass game. If you get the opportunity to beat up on a little bit, wear them down, it just helps you out and also just has them thinking, you know, is play action happening? Is this quarterback about to pop out the back door and, and deliver something on a bootleg? So I, I think that using misdirection the way the Cowboys have, using motion and, and, and using, you know, changing the gaps, all these things, they're using all the tools in their, in their belt. But surprisingly too, we're Seeing we have not as much, but I wouldn't be surprised if you start to see some more tight ends kind of pairing up with the tackles and pass protection. It's not always preferred to do it that way because some tackles don't necessarily like that. They like the freedom of being able to kick out. But maybe you start to see a guy chipping a Carter on his way out to, to, to flat to try to catch a pass just to kind of help the tackles a little bit more in the pass protection game. And, and, and, and again, just being more physical with these guys, these smaller guys on the edge really quick.

[Marcus Moer]

I, I, I want to touch on the helping tackles out because you're right, there are tackles that would prefer not to have a tight end over there because it just messes up the spacing a little bit and they prefer their kick slide. There are other ones that can really benefit from it. Like I watched Armanu this week against the, the Jets. He was awesome. Once he got a little bit of help from the tight end who were released out in the flat that he was able to sit down and anchor really well. There's other tackles that like to have the running back behind them as kind of a last line of defense. They don't want anybody in their way, but just in case they get beat, there's somebody there. I'm going to be interested to see how Brian Schottenheimer and Clayton Adams handle these tackles if and when they start to struggle.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and again, I, I think it's, it's, it'll have to be a combination of things. Right. And, and the good news is like, I do think that Dak handles pressure from the outside better than in his face. Right. And I think that that's most quarterbacks, but Dax specifically is very good about stepping up into the pocket, giving himself a little bit of extra time. And if he doesn't have anything available to him in the past game, he's good. He's got enough legs that he can get 3 or 4 yards positive play, get down without taking a chat. Right.

[Marcus Moer]

And I'll even say, I think he's got, he's got a pretty quick release and just a really good feel. There was a play, I think it was on the big CD land play. I think it was maybe the third and one where there was pressure from the outside. He just made a slight step up, got rid of the football, and yet it was about that close. If you're watching with us on, on YouTube of him getting strip sacked, but he just, he kind of has a feel and where when he needs to let go of the ball. But you're right, it's the pressure in his face where now he's having to go backwards. He's just not a very good quarterback if he has to go back or way outside the pocket.

[Landon McCool]

Last thing, I think the, the key thing too to keep to keep in mind here, the, the thing that could really get them in trouble is they have to tighten up the, the transition in the passing of stunts and loopers in, in the interior that, that are attacking the interior. Right. Because I think that that's where it's, it's been a problem a little bit. You know, we've been attributing a lot of it to the guards, but I think it's also on the tackles to make sure that they're not getting beat inside by, by guys spiking down inside and having loopers on the outside. I think that that's a quick way for Dak to get pressure in his face and cause problems and, and throw errant passes. You got to make sure to avoid that best they can.

[Marcus Moer]

So just to recap linebacker play, we would like to see more of Marisley afoul here in Week two. We'll see if Kenneth Murray is better in his second start under Matt Eber flu. Need the tight ends to be better in the passing game. We thought they were pretty good as blockers in Week one. If they could step up in the passing game, I just don't see how they lose to the Giants. We'll do our preview later in the week and then we want to see the tackles just become a little bit more consistent. So keep a lookout for those three positions as the Cowboys move forward in the season. That is it for today's show. Follow Landon on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Underscore Moser. Download the podcast wherever you get your podcast. We are free and available on all platforms. We have a crossover show for you on Thursday with Patricia TRA from Locon Giants and then we'll be back on Friday to get you ready for week two.

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[Landon McCool]

Stop by the bar after have a few cold ones.

[Marcus Moer]

I don't drink at all until 4 o', clock, we limit ourselves to one.

[Landon McCool]

Bottle of wine a night.

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[Landon McCool]

Noha Initiative My Day kicks off with.

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