COWBOYS SQUAD SHOW: The Cowboys were orange crushed by the Broncos in Denver.

Summary

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Locked On Cowboys: Cowboys "Orange Crushed" by Broncos in Mile High Meltdown

Cowboy Squad Show – October 27, 2025

Hosts: Jeff Biggs (Cowboy Squad Show Host), Glenn “Stretch” Smith (Former Cowboys Coach)
Special Notes: Regular co-host Aisha Morrison was out sick (Happy Birthday shoutout from the team).

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers a blunt, in-depth breakdown of the Dallas Cowboys’ brutal 44–24 defeat to the Denver Broncos in Denver. Jeff Biggs and former coach Glenn Stretch Smith analyze where things went wrong on both sides of the ball, discuss the ongoing crisis in the Cowboys’ secondary, question Dak Prescott’s and the offense’s struggles, and look ahead with a sobering take on the state of the season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Reactions and Game Summation

• Theme: One step forward, two steps back for the Cowboys.
• Jeff Biggs: “Looked like very early on there was a little opening there and a couple of mistakes, penalties, and then the floodgates were opened and it was a literal stampede today by the Broncos who ran all over the Cowboys.” [02:00]
• Glenn Smith: “You saw a team that was in a secondary that is completely depleted… Denver did whatever they wanted to do offensively, and when you couldn’t keep up with them offensively as a Cowboys fan, that’s when the game became out of control and you really had no chance.” [03:09]

2. Defensive Struggles & Secondary Crisis

• Glenn Smith:
  • Emphasized the lack of depth: “You’re dealing with depth at a position where they don’t have any…you would sound like an owl, you’d go ‘who?’” [03:09]
  • On replacements Bridges & Stewart: “Bridges and Stewart—if I told you those names at the beginning of the season, you’d have no idea.” [03:09]
  • “Denver did whatever they wanted to offensively. I don’t see any way right now that the Cowboys have any chance of matching up with any of those teams—Kansas City, Detroit, etc. You have to be realistic about where you’re at with this football team defensively, and they are not very good.” [06:25]
• Impact of Injuries: Debilitating absences (Diggs, Wilson, Thomas) were clearly felt, but the hosts refuse to let that excuse the collapse.

3. Offensive Disappointment

• Jeff Biggs:
  • “Aside from the bad defense, was the offense…they needed the offense to help them out…disappointed in the play-calling…the lack of adjustments…Dak obviously had his worst game of the season.” [07:00]
• Glenn Smith:
  • “Dak did not play well…You played a really good Denver defense. Vance Joseph should be considered to be a head coach…They sent a lot of different pressures.” [08:34]
  • “Your frontline guy scored 17 in a game that they needed to score 35 and they couldn’t get it done.” [10:19]
  • Critiques situational play-calling and missed red zone opportunities: “I didn’t like the play call when they had it in the red zone. Run the ball, hammer the football in.” [10:58]
  • “I think this is what we’ve got to look forward to…going to have to score 40 points to win.” [11:36]

4. Execution and Costly Penalties

• Critical Early Sequence:
  • Cowboys get an interception, can only manage a field goal.
  • Defensive stop nullified by James Houston’s neutral zone infraction; Broncos capitalize with back-to-back touchdowns, shifting all momentum.
  • “Lined up offside…when you’re on a defense absolutely struggling…cannot have mental breakdowns and mental mistakes. Inexcusable…That changed the entire complexion of the football game.” [20:49]
• Pre-Snap Penalties: Five throughout the game; labeled “inexcusable” as they handcuffed a team needing near-perfection to compete. [42:05]

5. Play Calling and Offensive Philosophy

• Jeff Biggs: Questions if offense needs to be more methodical, take what’s there instead of “the perfect long 1-in-10 throw.” [40:27]
• Glenn Smith:
  • “You have to take what the defense gives you…when you play really good defenses, they’ll take one or two aspects of your game away from you. You’ve got to be able to take what they give you.” [40:46]
  • Critiques failed attempts to adjust—to Denver’s aggressive run defense, Cowboys needed a stronger passing answer.

6. Broncos’ Game Plan & Dominance

• Broncos were aggressive from the start:
  • Received the kickoff—“they were not sweating facing this secondary.” [18:35]
  • First drive shows no respect/fear, attacking secondary; after initial hiccup, dominated.
  • “Denver did what they wanted to offensively the entire game other than those first two series.” [31:47]

7. Individual Player/Unit Assessments

• Secondary “Band-Aids” Failing:
  • “You had Stewart out of position…Bridges, trying to get accustomed…just unfair matching him up.” [21:18]
  • Elam “shouldn’t even be on the field…He’s just a guy. He really is depth, you know? … They ran the toss out there, and he’s back on his heels—instead of really filling it hard in that gap, the next thing you know, the guy’s out the gate.” [37:31]
• Jake Ferguson: Zero catches on National Tight Ends Day. [12:12]

8. Trayvon Diggs Situation

• Concussion turned IR, lingering issues.
  • “Really bizarre,” casts a “cloud,” but inside the locker room, “the guys have enough to worry about.”
  • Glenn Smith: “You need his leadership…He’s made himself a problem.” [34:41]

9. Coaching and What’s Next

• Is the season salvageable?
  • Smith: “You’re asking some guys to play that just are not very good players, and that’s hard to say.” [38:34]
  • On making trades: “So many pieces needed to become competitive…I don’t feel good even about saying, let’s go out and make a trade.” [21:18]
  • “Just one day at a time” for the coaching staff; focus on getting guys back healthy, but no magic solution. [38:34]

10. Positives, Young Players, and Looking Ahead

• Jaden Blue: Had some good runs, but costly fumble; “right now you need Blue to continue to grow and continue to be a player…can’t put the ball on the ground at this level.” [45:56]
• Joe Milton: Nice to get him in late, shows some depth/development.
• Defensive Line: Smith praises Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa for solid play up front. [48:41]
• Playoff Picture: “Still in contention for the wild card,” but Eagles are “starting to run away.” [47:02]
• Next Up: Arizona (Monday Night), Raiders, then a brutal stretch (Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, Commanders, Giants).
  • “They’ve got to try to play with their backs against the wall here because that kind of has to be the mentality right now.” [47:49]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Defensive Depth:
  • Glenn Smith, [03:09] – “If I told you, Bridges and Stewart at the beginning of this football season...I mean, you would sound like an owl. You'd go, 'Who?'”
• On the Tone of the Game:
  • Glenn Smith, [20:51] – “Lined up offsides…when you're on a defense that is absolutely struggling and you know you're hamstrung, cannot have mental breakdowns and mental mistakes. It's inexcusable.”
• On the State of the Team:
  • Jeff Biggs, [25:31] – “After falling behind 14–3, they just shot themselves in the foot, both defensively and offensively...it just, he [Dak] never really looked right after that, the entire game, for the most part.”
• On Trayvon Diggs:
  • Glenn Smith, [34:41] – “He's a problem. He's made himself a problem. You know what I'm saying?”
• On Moving Forward:
  • Glenn Smith, [38:34] – “You're asking some guys to play that just not very good players, and that's hard to—it really is hard to say.”
• On the Reality Check:
  • Glenn Smith, [21:18] – “You kind of what your record says you are, and that's at the end of the day, that's really what you are.”
• On Making Adjustments:
  • Glenn Smith, [40:46] – “You have to take what the defense gives you…they were not going to let Williams run the football…you gotta throw the football and make them pay or they’ll just stay right where they’re at.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:00: Opening reaction, game summary
• 03:09–07:00: Defensive summary, secondary injuries, no easy fix
• 07:00–12:12: Offensive failures, Dak’s tough day, coaching and play-calling critiques
• 18:09–21:17: Walkthrough of opening sequence and key momentum shifts
• 25:31–27:56: Second quarter collapses, lack of offensive rhythm
• 31:47: Broncos’ dominance on third down, Cowboys’ draft misses
• 34:41: Trayvon Diggs discussion
• 38:34: Coaching realities, week-to-week survival
• 45:56: Jaden Blue assessment, running back depth
• 47:49: Looking ahead to remainder of season, necessary mentality
• 48:41: Defensive line positives and secondary must improve

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Summary Conclusion

This episode provides a hard-hitting, realistic assessment of the Cowboys’ alarming loss in Denver, with both host and analyst refusing to sugarcoat the issues plaguing the defense and the disappointing performance from the offense. The depleted secondary was thoroughly exposed, mistakes and penalties killed any early momentum, and the offensive unit failed to rise to the occasion. With a tough schedule ahead and little help in sight, the hosts underscore that the Cowboys must find motivation fast to stay afloat in the playoff race – and that means playing almost flawless football every week.

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Stay tuned for daily analysis on the Locked On Cowboys podcast and upcoming live Monday Night postgame coverage by the Cowboy Squad Show crew.

Transcript

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

It's the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day.

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[Tyler Roland]

I'm Tyler Roland from Locked On Titans. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. You left your wallet in the car or was it at home? No need to panic. With your iPhone you can tap to pay using Apple Card with Apple Pay and earn unlimited daily cash back when you do. Apple Card is ready when you need it. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and [e-mail].

[Jeff Biggs]

I'm Jeff Bigs and I am the host of the Cowboy Squad show. This is my script for today's game.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Glenn Stretchmith and we can't get over the 500 hump. It's. It's tough right now. Jeff.

[Cowboys Squad Show Intro Announcer]

How about them Cowboys? It's the Cowboy Squad. Everything Dallas Cowboys every week covering all the big hits and game changing plays from America's team the way only the Locked on podcast network can get ready and start squad up. It's the Cowboys squad show starting now.

[Jeff Biggs]

Well, how would the Cowboys respond after the impressive win at home over the Commanders? It's one step forward and two steps back for the Cowboys as they fall in the mile high matchup to the Broncos 44 to 24. Welcome to the Cowboys squad show along with former Cowboys coach Glenn Stretch Smith. I am Jeff Biggs. Today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code locked on NFL for $20 off your first purchase. Well, Coach, you know we talked about the game during the week. We were looking forward to this matchup. How would the Cowboys go out on the road against a very good Broncos team? A very good Broncos defense looked like very early on. There was a little opening there and a couple of mistakes, penalties and then the floodgates were opened and it was a literal stampede today by the Broncos who ran all over the Cowboys lot to break it down. But just give me your and give us your initial thoughts.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, you know the, the you saw a team that was in a secondary that is completely depleted. Let's start by saying that why Sean Payton felt like he needed to run an RPO early in the game and throw the slant behind for, for an interception, I have no idea. You could have done on this defense whatever you wanted to. You could have called the run and run the football. You could have thrown the slant and gotten the completion. Why you needed to run an rpo, I don't know. But at the end of the day, that was the one time that they were able to get off the field and then, you know, they couldn't go convert. They had to kick a field goal. And so, you know, it's really hard to get on here and be critical from a secondary standpoint because you're playing with guys that if I told you, Bridges and Stewart at the beginning of this football season, I mean, you would, you would sound like an owl. You'd go, who? Because I, you know, quite frankly, I didn't know who they were. No. So, you know, you're dealing with depth at a position where they don't have any. And that's, that's, that's a problem and it's going to be a problem. And how do you fix it? I mean, last week they were able to, let's, let's, let's face it, they were able to play with some better leverage and they lined up against a depleted receiver core that the commanders had and so that was a good thing for them. They needed a little confidence. Unfortunately, they played a real offense today with a real play caller and a real scheme and they, you know, they just, Denver did whatever they wanted to do offensively and I think when you couldn't keep up with them offensively as a Cowboys fan, that's when it became, you know, the game became out of control and you really had no chance. I mean, I'm just going to be honest with you. They didn't have, didn't have any chance in this football game. It was, it was that kind of a night. And you know, you, you as a Cowboy fan and as Cowboys coaching staff, I mean, you kind of take your whipping and you get on out of, you, you get on out of there and you hope you can get back here for a Monday night tilt with Arizona and see if you can look a little better or maybe you can get some guys back healthy. I don't really have any answers. I mean, I came on here thinking that our last time we got together, you know, would the Cowboys be looking to make some trades? And I, I, I, I just don't know. They're, they're so far away from being competitive defensively that it doesn't matter who the coach is, it doesn't matter. Matt Eberflush is not going to go out there and cover anybody. He's not going to go sack the quarterback for you. And so right now, this is a, it's a tough place to be because you look at the schedule and you look at what's coming up and an Arizona team that's got a quarterback that can extend plays, and then you got, well, you got the Raiders, who are not very good, but I mean, then you just, it's just a caval. The cavalry is coming and, you know, Kansas City and Detroit and I mean, I just, I don't see any way right now that the Cowboys have any chance of matching up with, with any of those teams. And I don't want to get on here and cry about that. I want to tell you that what this game showed you is you have to be realistic about where you're at with this football team defensively, and they are not very good. Yeah.

[Jeff Biggs]

I have to say, for me, coach, and you're. You're completely 100 correct. And I don't want to sound like I'm minimizing the injuries that they had or, or have right now in the secondary. Who knows what, what's going on with this whole Trayvon Diggs situation and, and what kind of impact that's kind of having, you know, within the group. And that's just another. We'll get into that in a minute. But for me, I have to say my, my big disappointment today, believe it or not, aside from the, the bad defense, was the offense. I, you know, we have talked week in and week out. I mean, you started the season, Coach, you started the season by saying they needed to score 30 a game. Then we raised it to 40. And, you know, here was a game where they needed the offense to, to help them out and with the talent that they have. I was just, I was disappointed in the play calling. I was disappointed in the lack of adjustments, just the, the execution, the situational plays really, just, just across the board. Dakota obviously had his worst game of the season. I'm not looking to pile on anybody. Everybody's going to have a bad game over the course of the season. You know that better than I do. But I was just really disappointed that clearly, they know, they know what's going on. They know what's on their shoulders. And to not respond or to respond the way that they did was just, it was really disappointing to me.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

You know, I agree with you. I mean, Dak did not play well. I mean, he's got the flat wide Open. And you know what he saw? He saw that he knew the tackle was going to quick set that end. And as soon as that end saw him being quick set, guess what he did? He just kind of froze there and he almost intercepted the ball. Now what I'm telling you is you played a really good Denver defense. Vance Joseph should be considered to be a head coach in the National Football League because he is really, really good, good at what he does. And they're really good. And think about it, they're missing their best linebacker Greenlaws out. So yeah, so this is a defense that can get after you. He will get after you. He sends a lot of different pressures and he, he likes the four week look, which is when I say four week, that's opposite of the strong side. They're sending one more than you can protect. And he did it multiple times. And then you had, you had Guyton get beat really bad inside one time for a sack. You had Steele get beat really bad inside one time for a hurry. That's going to happen when you play good defenses. And I don't want to take anything away from the Denver defense, but the Cowboy offense was, we keep saying this. They, they, they, they went out and, and, and did not get it done. I mean, 17 points will not get you a win with what you have defensively you're going to say, well, they scored 20. What? I scored 24. Yeah, because Joe Milton came in and I don't know that I, you know, that was a hell of a pass and Tolbert made a hell of a catch and you know, the game's over. I mean, let's, let's be honest. And so your frontline guy scored 17 in a game that they needed to score 35 and they couldn't get it done. And so I, I'm with you. I mean offensively they were not, they were not where they needed to be. And this is a result of what you're going to look at. I think, unfortunately, I, I, I really think this is what, what, what we've got a lot to look forward to is a scenario where it's going to be that challenging every week moving forward that you're just going to have to go score 40 points. I didn't like the play called, I didn't like the second down play call when they had it the first time they had it in the red zone. I mean, run the ball, hammer the football in the end zone. Yeah. And, and they didn't do that. I mean, and then they got back down there and they tried to sneak it with Dak and he about got his head beat in. Yeah, he is not a sneak guy. So you got a back that can hammer it in there. You've got lifty that can run it in there, hammer that thing in there. And finally they did that some. And so that's what you're going to have to get used to. I just think you, you, you're going to have to be perfect offensively. This is a good offensive football team. I mean, you saw Pickens, they, they couldn't cover him. And, and as soon as certain went out, I mean, you know, they were able to do what they wanted to do there as far as getting the ball to Pickens. But the, the football game was over by then because I don't know until late in the game, did they even force a punt? I don't even know that they forced a punt. So you gotta, you gotta be perfect. And that's, that's where we're at with this football team. That's just, that's just being as real as I know to be about it.

[Jeff Biggs]

They did not force a punt. So there you go. And on National Tight ends day, Jake Ferguson had zero catches today and leading the league.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

And the time they did try to, and the time they did try to spin it in there to him. Jihadi Baron, the former Longhorn, just did an incredible job of turning and running with him in a cover two. That frustrated me too because there was time left. Dallas could have gotten off one of those big 60 yard kicks. He didn't have to, he didn't have to push that ball down in there. And then, you know, you say that and everybody's like, well, I like how aggressive they were before half. Well, wait a minute, you're, you're down in the football game, you needed that three points right there because you were going to get the football coming out in the second half. So sometimes, sometimes it, you know, you get on here and you say, well, I love all that aggressive play call. And sometimes that's what I say all the time. Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. And when you play a good defense like they played this afternoon, you got to take your hat off to knowing that they had your number today. And they did a good job of dialing up the blitzes and creating pressure on a quarterback. And you know, once you, once you didn't score twice right there in the first half, once you couldn't score. The game's old, the football game's over with and that's hard. That's hard to say. And it really is hard to get on here and say, but I'm not, if you expect me to get on here and, you know, blast certain players, I'm not going to do that. They're, they were, they're asked to do things in the secondary today that they couldn't do. Jeff.

[Jeff Biggs]

Yeah, well said. All right, when we come back, let's kind of break it down a little bit further. Also, we want to hear from you via the comment crew and also want to give a shout out to our regular partner on the show, Aisha Morrison. It's her birthday today, but unfortunately Aisha is not feeling well. We hope and pray that she feels better soon and can enjoy. I'm sure this, this game didn't make her feel any better, but she'll be back with us next Monday night. But happy birthday to Aisha and wish it would have been a Cowboys win to cheer up a little bit. All right, when we come back, we're going to talk about kind of the start of this game. I want to run a couple things by you, coach, and we'll talk some more about the numbers as the Cowboys fall to the Broncos 44 to 24. This is the Cowboys squad show.

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[Tyler Roland]

Foreign.

[Jeff Biggs]

Welcome back to the Cowboys squad show that is former Cowboys coach Glenn Stretch Smith after the Cowboys have the mile high meltdown today to the Broncos 44 to 24. And you know, just right out of the gate, coach and Greg Daniel points out that Denver did punt once. That didn't show in the stats, but.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I think it was very, very end of the game, wasn't it?

[Jeff Biggs]

Yeah, I think so.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah. They not once when.

[Jeff Biggs]

Okay. Yeah. Thank you Greg. Thank you Greg. But at the very start of the game, the Broncos won the toss and they elected to receive. Which shows you that they, they were not, they were not sweating facing this Cowboys defense or the secondary. Secondary again without Diggs, without Wilson and without Thomas. I mean that's just, it's just that's a lot and that's not to make an excuse. But that was clearly Going to be an issue. And the Broncos to their credit exploited that. But you know, I, I thought the Cowboys, they got the interception on the first drive, right. And had to settle for the field goal for the Cowboys offensively. But then after, after the field goal and the three nothing lead, the Cowboys got the stop until James Houston was called for the neutral zone infraction. That gave them new life. And they went on to score. They, from there they went on to score back to back touchdowns. Did the Broncos. And I mean to me pretty much that was it like you said. I mean that was just, you know, you got the field goal and didn't get the touchdown and then had another chance to score and the Broncos got back to back TDs and that was it. But that, that penalty though was huge.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, so Denver takes the football. They run lead. Let's go to the start of the game. They run lead to Dobbins for seven and they run a tight end option to Ingram for seven. So just bang, bang, for whatever reason they call him, they call an rpo and he throws an interception. So good for Bridges. He gets the ball, he intercepts it. The Cowboys get down there, I got to kick a field goal. And you're like okay, now let's see if the Cowboys offense can get in some sort of rhythm. The defense goes back out like you said. I mean it's, it's third and seven and they've got a chance to get off the field. Houston is lined up offsides. Lined up off sacks.

[Jeff Biggs]

Can't happen.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Lined up off sacks. I mean that you cannot, when, when you're on a defense that is absolutely struggling and you know you're hamstrung, cannot have mental breakdowns and mental mistakes. It's inexcusable to me because they were going to get off the field right there and the Cowboys were going to get the football back.

[Jeff Biggs]

Yes.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

With a three to nothing lead in decent field position. Cannot happen. That cannot happen. And so then they, then they, I mean they run. Then Denver gets the ball. They run, they get, they get it on third and two. They run a mesh to Franklin, hit it for 20 and then they run a toss to Harvey and he just takes it to the house. Two plays later the game changes. On one snap, one snap of the football and really it was a pre snap of the football. It cannot happen. That cannot. The entire complexion of the football game changed there because where your offense could have been in somewhat of a lead had you gotten them a ball with back to back stops, it doesn't happen. And so that, that, that, that really is a killer. Then they come back, Dallas comes back after that and they go, they run, they run. Let me see here. Dallas runs Williams on a draw for four. They false started another pre snap penalty. It's second eleven. They run a wide receiver screen to CD for six. It's third and five. Guyton gets whipped inside and you sack. Boom, you got, you got to punt him the football. Now instead of what should have been a scenario where you were in the lead, you've had two pre snap penalties that have absolutely handcuffed you. It's inexcusable for this kind of scenario. Then, you know, they get the ball back and let's be honest, from that time forward, Sean Payton said, I'm fixing to take it to the secondary. And he runs what they call switch, which is the inside gap, runs the high angle 7. The outside guy runs the post. Some people call it a scissors. Look, there's nobody there. And he just flings it out there for a touchdown. You're down 14 to 3. And for all practical purposes, it is over there. Very frustrating that, you know, you got to get off the field defensively and yet you have a pre snap penalty that allows them to maintain a drive that they take down and score. They take you out of your offensive rhythm. They get the football back and it's a 14 to 3 game. So that is the big, that, that is it in a nutshell as far as in my mind, what really happened in the football game. Because then you had, you know, Bridges and Stuart, you had, Stewart's out of position, he's kind of a nickel guy. They've got him playing at safety, he's out of position. You got Bridges, who, I mean, let's be honest, he's trying to get, he's trying to get accustomed to the game, playing for digs at corner, you know, and, and he, you know, just, it was unfair matching him up against those guys. And so at the end of the day, we're right where we were to start the season, which is, I mean, I, I don't feel good about this defense. I don't feel good even about saying, let's go out and make a trade. I mean, because you need, there's so many pieces that you would need in my mind to become, to become competitive. So here we are, we're a three, four and one football team. That's, I mean, that's really. And I, you know, I'm not into quoting other guys, but I mean, it's A parcel thing. I mean, you kind of what your record says you are, and that's at the end of the day, that's really what you are. You're a below a 500 football team because you, you're, you're lacking what you need defensively to get critical stops. Now, I thought they were going to get those two critical stops today, but they did, and they got one. And then, and then, and then it became, you know, a runaway freight train on you.

[Jeff Biggs]

Yeah. And, and even with that said, I mean, after falling behind 14 to three early in the second quarter, they were able to score. Javante Williams got his touchdown that made it 14 to 10. But again after that, they just shot themselves in the foot, both defensively and offensively. And the Broncos again before halftime, scored back to back touchdowns to go up 27 to 10. And just you talked about it earlier, about that whole situation at the end of the first half and, and giving them the ball back. And it was just like I said, I kept waiting, waiting for the Cowboys to kind of compose themselves offensively so they could keep moving the chains and get into a rhythm and, and just the, the play calls and the throw calls. For Dak, it just, he, I, I mean, I think that the fourth and two pass to Pickens, that might have been his best pass of the game. I mean, he never really looked right after that, the, the entire game, for the most part.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Well, and I told you, we, the one thing we did discuss Thursday night, I told you it's hard to play at that altitude.

[Jeff Biggs]

Yeah, yeah.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

You saw guys one play and they'd come out, they were gassed. You'd see CD1 play and he'd be like, you know, get out. I mean, it, it is a tough place to play. That's not making any excuses for anybody. I'm telling you that your chance to be competitive in the football game happened early in the football game. And when you didn't show that you had the composure or the chance to fight in the football game, the game was over. I'm just telling you, I mean, I, you, you almost looked at Sean Payton and, and he, he just kind of was like, yeah, I got this, guys. You know, normally you'll see in a Denver game, him get a little frustrated if you're able to shut him down or, you know, you get a, you get a sack or you get a, you know, you get a quick change of possession and then it didn't happen. Dak makes a bad throw before the half. He made several bad throws and, you know, it's, it's, it's. I'm certainly not pinning it on him. I'm not pinning it on anybody. It's a team loss and it was a team loss. And you know, you're, you're, I don't know how to cut it any different ways than that. You're right where you, you're kind of right where you, right where you are, which is about a 500 football team.

[Jeff Biggs]

All right, we're going to take our second time out. I want to ask you a couple of questions that have come up here on the comments and also get your thoughts. We talked a little bit about the trade deadline coming up now less than two weeks away. We'll get into that as well. Also, some other numbers want to run by you, but the bottom line is, like you said, the biggest number is 44 to 24. Cowboys lose and they are now 3, 4 and 1 after this defeat today falling to the Broncos. This is the Cowboys squad show Foreign.

[Tyler Roland]

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[Jeff Biggs]

I want to talk to you about game time and what they're doing right now. Because at game time, NFL season is back and honestly, there's nothing better than being in a stadium surrounded by fans cheering on your team. But let's be honest, getting tickets can be a hassle. Between the queues, the login screens and prices jumping at checkout, it's really frustrating. That's why GameTime is the app that gives you the advantage and gives it back the fans. Game Time is fantastic. Fast, easy and backed by the gametime guarantee. You always get 100% authentic tickets delivered on time and at the best price. Plus all fees are included. So the price you pay, the price you see is the price you pay. They have zone deals as well. You pick the section, the game time picks the seats and you save big. It's 5 faster, cheaper and less stressful than any other way to buy tickets. So download the Gametime app. Create an account and use code locked on NFL for $20 off your first purchase terms apply again. That's promo code locked on NFL for $20 OFF. Swipe tap Ticket Go download Game time today. All right, we are back. The Cowboy squad show after the Cowboys fall to the Broncos 44 to 24. Just some of the numbers on the day today. Dak Prescott, 19 of 31 for 188 yards. No touchdowns, two interceptions. He was sacked twice as well. Devonte Williams in his return to Denver, 13 carries, 41 yards with two touchdowns. And then on the receiving end, George Pickens and C.D. lamb each had seven catches a piece. Pickens with 78 yards, Lamb with 74. Jalen Tolbert had the TV pass late in the game by Joe Milton and Luke Schoonmaker had a couple of catches, two for 25 yards. But just a quiet day for the offense. And again, credit to the Broncos defense for playing really, really well.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, that's, that's what, that's who you got to give credit for. It's the best third down defense in the league. And you know what they showed, they showed why they're the best third down defense in the league. So I'm, you know, I'm just looking through where I'm charting the game and I'm just, I mean, I'm, you know, you, you, you look through as someone who's trying to analyze this and you say, okay, where, where was another, you know, where was it a, a big point in a game for the defense? And I mean, I can't tell you that there was one simply because Denver did what they wanted to offensively, the, the entire game other than those first two series, they did exactly what they wanted to do. And so, you know, offensively, we're going to keep saying this and we got it. What we got another three, four and one. We've, we've still got another nine games to go. And you know, I, I still think you're going to be in here Talking about scoring 35 points a game because that's just where you're at, Jeff. It's just I, I'd like to say that I could come up with some, you know, I could shake a crystal ball and come up with some other magical ideas or magical thoughts, but that it's not there. And, and this defense, when you don't have guys that you've drafted early in the draft, and I don't want to point the names, but we've got a first rounder and multiple second round guys who are not contributing right now. That, that really hurts you. And that's, that's where this football team is. They're being hurt because they, they have picked some guys early in this draft that, that are not. That are not contributing on the defensive side, and it's hurting this team.

[Jeff Biggs]

It is. That's. That's putting it mildly, to say the least. And to your point, with the trade deadline coming up now less than two weeks away, I'm in agreement with you. I, I don't think there's one, One player that's gonna turn things around. You hope that some of the guys will get healthy and got. You got a stretch coming up here with the bye week mixed in. That. That will help. I have to say, we touched on it in the open. This whole Trayvon Diggs situation went from a concussion at home, missing a couple games to now the, the ir. This whole thing is really, really bizarre. And I, I don't know. I, I was going to say, is this having a cloud in any way? But I, I don't. I think the guys that are in the locker room, they're not really thinking about that. Right. I'm sure they're. They got enough to worry about trying to prepare for these games, but still, it's not a positive. And he's a guy that, you know, you want him to be healthy and playing well and contributing, and you need.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Him to be playing well. Position your needs. Intense position. You need the death. I mean, you need his leadership out there. You need. You needed Trayvon Diggs to take, you know, to kind of take hold and be somewhat of a leader on that side. And I think that's. I think that's why they got frustrated at how he rehabbed. Now, whether he rehabbed it the right way, the wrong way, that's for somebody else to try to come up with. But right now, this is not. It's not a good feeling for him. You know, It's. It's just not. And, and he's. He's a problem.

[Louis DiBiase]

He's.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

He's. He's made himself a problem. You know what I'm saying?

[Jeff Biggs]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

That's where I'm at.

[Jeff Biggs]

And I don't know, you know, I don't know what, what, what, what kind of secondary help. I. I'm with you. I, I had not heard much of Triquez Bridges until today. I really didn't. And I'm. I'm just keeping it real. And I think to your point, when the Broncos scored, you know, the big run and then the big PD early on to go up 14 to 3. That was just. That just kind of set the tone. And I don't know, as far as the offense are surprised that they were. Were not able to kind of get their bearings at all at any point, or was it just just one of those days where the Broncos pressure the O line, the. The altitude, just. Just. They just. The. The score. They just. I was waiting for them, like I said, to kind of get. Get control. They. They did score coming out of the locker room. Right. They did put together that long drive, and I thought, okay, you know, maybe this is their chance to kind of get back into the game. But then the Broncos responded again, and it was over.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's exact. That's exact. I mean, that. That's it in a nutshell, Jeff. I mean, you have to be a damn NFL analyst to figure that out. That's really it. You know, it. It. It's tough. It is. It was a tough watch. It's tough to swallow. It's tough as a fan to imagine, but it. It is. It's just. It's where they are, and it's where they've got themselves right now.

[Jeff Biggs]

All right, somebody. Who was it, Greg Daniel was asking why Carson didn't play at corner. That's a good question. I don't have the answer for that. Got some other good comments. Kip Brown says Elam shouldn't even be on the field. Not a lot of love.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

That's the other thing. And. And. And who. Who made that comment? Is it Carson?

[Jeff Biggs]

Greg was asking about Carson, and Kip Brown was saying Elam shouldn't be on the field.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So Elam got. Got caught up one time. He.

[Jeff Biggs]

He didn't.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

He didn't know how to. He did a terrible job of filling the run. I mean, I can see where I. I can. I can feel that pain of, you know, going, God, what's he even doing out there? I mean, he. He's just a guy. You got to remember. He's just a guy. He really is depth, you know, that. That's what he is. And he got caught up one time. They ran the toss out there, and he's back on his heels. Instead of really filling it hard in that gap, the next thing you know, the guy's out the gate. I mean, is frustrating to watch.

[Jeff Biggs]

Yeah. So I know we. We've already gone over this a hundred times, but if you're. You're Matt Eberfluth and the coaching staff, I mean, is it literally Is it just one day at a time, one week at a time and you just try to try to improve in any way that you can just with what you have and week to week, that's.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

All you can do. I mean, you can't, you can't. I mean, the last I checked, I mean, I guess they could call. I mean, you might pick up the phone and call Arizona tomorrow and say, hey, are you guys planning on blocking us? Because we better figure out a way to tackle you or are you guys going to plan on throwing it? Because if you are, we better figure out a way to cover you. I mean, they're not, they're not going to come in here and feel sorry for you, I can tell you that. They're gonna come in here and try to, they're gonna come in here and try to carve your guts out. So that's all you can do is continue to kind of work with what you got. Now I've been critical of what they've done defensively and in the defensive coordinator, but guess what, you, you got some down the line players that you're just having to play now, Mike, you know, might we look and say, boy, we, you know, hopefully we can get over shown back. Hopefully Siobhan Ravel can, can be ready, you know, asap. Hopefully. You know, I don't know where Wilson is. I don't know how banged up he is, but I mean, you gotta, you know, you got to continue to work with what you got. And that's, that's, that, that's just where it is. That's just. Unfortunately, that's just, I mean, I, I'd like to have some answers. I'd like to come on here and tell you, you know, I could point to this or I could point to that or at the end of the day you're asking some guys to play that just not very good players. And, and that's hard to, it really is hard to say.

[Jeff Biggs]

Yeah. What do you think? You know, I was thinking back, back to the offense about, you know, really trying to keep the offense on the field. And I know we talked about that and, and you made a great point when you said that, hey, you know, you have to play the game right? I mean, you have to, you have to take your shots and you can't, you know, you have to play the game right. But with that said.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Would it hurt.

[Jeff Biggs]

Like on some of these second and fives or third and fives, rather than trying to go for the perfect long, you know, 1 in 10 throw, would it Hurt to just try to get the first down and keep, you know, I know you want to score. I know. But. But what?

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, but at the end of the day, you have to take what the defense gives you. They, they, they, they were not going to let, I can tell you this, they were not going to let Williams run the football. They were going to stop the run. That, that was, that was what they were going to do. They were loading the box up, they were loading the line of scrimmage up. They're going to stop the run. Now you got, you, you got to take it the other direction and you got to throw the football and you got to make them pay throwing the football, or they're just going to stay right there where they're at. So defenses, when you play really good defenses, they'll take one or two aspects of your game away from you. So, yeah, I would like to say third and three, run the football, but you know what? Sometimes they're, they're going to stop the run. They're going to know that's what you're going to do. And so you got, you got to be able to take what they give you.

[Jeff Biggs]

It just seemed like so many plays today. I mean, Dak was just kind of running and rolling out and, and just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting, and there was no play and nobody to throw to, and he would just end up keeping it himself. And I'm just wondering, you know, can they, can they simplify that a little bit and try to make it easier where they can just get first downs and keep, keep the drives going?

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I get it. I mean that you're right. That's the common sense monopoly way. Boy, if I could get over there and I could own Park Place and what's the property. Yeah, I could collect every time that they come by here. It's just, it's just not that easy always. And so, you know, I know how hard it is from that side of it to call the plays and to try to get everybody in the right position. The thing that hurt this team was again, five pre snap penalties. Those are things that are inexcusable, and when you have to be perfect, you got to cut that out.

[Jeff Biggs]

All right, going to take our final time out. When we come back, we'll have our final thoughts and we will get you ready for the week. But one other thing I want to bring by. You want to talk about Jaden Blue and his performance today? We'll get into that when we return. Cowboys fall to the Broncos 44 to 24. This is the Cowboys Squad show.

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[Jeff Biggs]

And I want to talk to you about FanDuel because with FanDuel, not only is this episode brought to you by FanDuel, but as you know, the NBA is back. In fact, the Mavs are playing right now hoping to get that first win. And there is no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of the game or want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. It keeps every game exciting, especially when your team is making that late push. So right now FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first five dollar bet wins. So head to FanDuel.com to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Okay, final segment of the Cowboys Squad Show. Don't forget to make sure you listen to Marcus and Landon and the daily Lock on Cowboys podcast. We will be back with you on Wednesday night for another edition of the Cowboy Squad show and then we will be with you after the game with Aisha back for next Monday night after the Cowboys host the Cardinals on Monday Night Football. So final thoughts. Coach, you're going to get a little bit of a little bit of a longer week because of the Monday night game. Hopefully they'll be able to to use that. I did want to ask you. Jaden Blue got into the game. Look, look good. Clearly because of the altitude they wanted to give Javante a little bit of a breather. He did have that costly fumble. Thankfully the Cowboys recovered. Glenn Hoffman did it. But nonetheless that, that just kind of stirs up all the, all the pre draft, all the things from coming out of Texas about putting the ball on the ground.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, I mean he, he, he made a couple nice runs. You can tell it feels like he's getting some used to the game. You know, you, you've heard me say what I've said on here. I'm not going to take that back. I mean, I, I, I said what I said and I, I, I, you know, I want him to be a player. Do I hate he put the ball on the ground? Yeah, I, I, I hate that he did. But in that thin air, you knew you were going to have to give Williams a little bit of a break. And right now you need Blue to continue to grow and continue to be a player. So hey, he got it, he got him some burn. And that's what you want to see. Get in there and get yourself some burn. And then hopefully, you know, he, he'll, he'll learn from this, watch the film, see what he can do to make himself better. I'm not, I'm not willing to throw the towel in yet, but you know, you can't, one thing you can't do is put the ball on the ground. You just, just can't do it at this level.

[Jeff Biggs]

All right. And I would think again, we've seen this team, it's been kind of a, a good game, bad game, good game. So even as bad as this loss was today, big picture, and I know we're getting way ahead of ourselves, but they're certainly not, they're, they're still in contention for the wild card race for sure. The Eagles are, are starting to pick up wins, so they're starting to run away with a little bit. But still you got an opportunity now to come back at home taking on a kind of a banged up Cardinals team. And again, you're still in the, you're middle of the season. So you're, you're, you're trying to build, you're trying to grow, you're trying to get better. So they, they, they should be motivated, right?

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

You would think so. You, you think. I don't think Kyler Murray's ever been beat at AT&T Stadium nights. 8 no. Between his time at Allen, his time at Oklahoma, his time at Arizona. So you know, you got, should, you should come in here with a little bit of a, know, with a, with a little bit of a, you know, a mat on and try to get yourself back to that 500 mark because they've got, I'm looking at the schedule here now. They've got the Cardinals, the Raiders, then they've got the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, commanders, Giants. I mean, you know, they, they've got to get, they got it They've got to try to play with their backs against the wall here because that kind of has to be the mentality right now.

[Jeff Biggs]

All right, any, any other final thoughts? Anything that you stood out, that stood out to you today or that, you.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Know, it's good to see. It's good to see Joe Milton get in the football game. You know what I mean? I mean, get, get some of those guys in the game. It's not what you want to see that. Excuse me, guys getting trash football time. But at the same time, you got to have some of that. And so. And I thought that was a positive thing. I think you're seeing some okay defensive line play. I think Kenny Clark's still a good player. OSA is a good player. You know, you just gotta, you gotta get a few things cleaned up. And, boy, you've really got to, you've really got to dial in from a secondary standpoint on what you're gonna do and greater angles and continuing to hammer home the, the, the, the, the. The fact that you gotta go downhill and you gotta play aggressive in the secondary.

[Jeff Biggs]

All right, well, it's gonna be as is every week with the Cowboys, right? It's gonna be an interesting week and we look forward to it. Coach. Look forward to seeing you on TV tonight. Have a great. I wish it was after a win, but have a good show anyway.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

All right, Appreciate you. Thanks, man.

[Jeff Biggs]

All right, that is former Cowboys coach Glenn Stretch Smith again. Happy birthday to Aisha. Hope she's feeling better. And we'll be back with you on Monday night. And again, we'll have our squad show on Wednesday night. And don't forget the daily Lock on Cowboys podcast. Marcus and Landon, they crush it every day during the week. And they have their own post game coming up as well. Final score today, though, the Cowboys get blown out in Denver, 44 to 24. This has been the Cowboys squad show.

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[Tyler Roland]

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