Locked On Cowboys — September 16, 2025

Episode: Dallas Defense in SHAMBLES | Can Cowboys SOLVE Defensive Woes?

Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Topic: An inside look at the Dallas Cowboys' struggles on defense in Week 2, the state of the offense, and the impact of recent injuries.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the alarming performance by the Cowboys defense in their Week 2 win against the New York Giants. Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool break down why the defense gave up 500 yards, assess if the issues are fixable, and discuss the unit’s personnel and coaching. They also analyze the offense’s second-half explosion, touch on injury concerns—especially the loss of starting center Cooper Beebe—and consider possible depth chart moves on the offensive line.

Defensive Woes: Spotting the Issues and Searching for Solutions

[01:19 – 11:08]

Key Discussion Points

• Defensive Meltdown vs. Giants

  • Cowboys win in Week 2 despite defensive collapse; 500 yards allowed to NYG.
  • Marcus: “It was one of the worst performances I've seen from them. Now, luckily they got the win…” [01:19]
  • Acknowledgment that improvement is needed more than dominance: “If they can be an average NFL defense, you'll take that all day long.” [04:31]

• Personnel Concerns

  • Young, inconsistent edge rushers (“guys like Ezraku is just not consistent enough. Sam Williams is just not, you know, enough for all the snaps...” - Landon, [02:37])
  • Defensive tackles lauded for strong play: “The one bright spot of this defense is, man, those defensive tackles played well in this game.” – Landon [06:20]
  • Lack of game-changing stars: “You don’t have a Micah Parsons-type of player that can…cover up weaknesses… now you’re seeing all those weak points exposed.” – Marcus [08:04]

• Scheme & Communication Issues

  • Poor communication in zone coverages and trouble rerouting receivers.
  • Reliance on getting pressure with just four, but lack Micah Parsons (now gone).
  • “Press the issue. Make (the offense) shorten the time, get the ball back and let your offense start to score points... I’ll take a shootout with almost any team in the league at this point.” – Landon, advocating for blitzing [10:42]

• Blitzing as a Solution?

  • Surprisingly high blitz efficiency: “Fourth most successful blitzing team in the league, but they just don't blitz that often.” – Marcus [09:05]
  • Argument to increase blitz frequency to manufacture more pressure and play to strengths of the offense.

• Scheme Mismatch with Offense

  • Marcus questions “bend but don’t break” with a high-powered offense: “I almost wonder if Matt Eberflus is the wrong type of defensive coordinator as it stands right now for an offense that's this explosive.” [10:16]

Memorable Quotes

• “They just have three or four guys out in the field on any given moment that offenses can attack. And I'm not sure how you're going to cover up those guys unless they just start to play better.” – Marcus Mosher [08:18]
• “It just needs to get developed, and it just doesn’t feel like it’s gotten anywhere these first few weeks, which is, you know, not surprising I guess.” – Landon McCool, on the pass rush [07:45]
• “What’s the point of playing off coverage zone if you’re going to give up big touchdowns anyways?” – Landon McCool [10:42]

Cowboys Offense: Breaking Down the Bounce-Back

[13:52 – 21:44]

Key Discussion Points

• Second Half Transformation

  • O-line wore down Giants defense; early rhythm struggled due to lack of possessions.
  • Dak Prescott lauded for toughness: “He was just absolutely the bravest quarterback I’ve ever seen. Just standing in the face of pressure and delivering strikes on deep crossers to 88.” – Landon [14:29]
  • Creative protection calls, including pulling guards for pass pro: “If you want to sell your play action, pull your guard. And they've started doing that a lot more.” – Landon [15:22]

• Improved Run Game

  • Powerful duo blocks and more effective running lanes.
  • Javonte Williams receives praise for hard running and smart play: “Williams just had an absolutely masterful game.” – Landon [17:32]
  • Blocking adjustments: Williams learns from early chip block mistakes, later executed correctly (details at [18:48 - 19:39]).

• Downfield Attacking

  • Emphasis on taking chances deep, especially to George Pickens:
    • “It feels like in the second half, the Cowboys kind of came to the realization, like, okay, throwing the ball downfield to George Pickens is not a bad idea.” – Marcus [16:58]
    • Noting Pickens' ability to draw penalties: “George Pickens already has 80 defensive pass interference yards drawn through two games...” – Marcus [17:07]

• Unsung Heroes & Scheme Adaptations

  • TE Brevyn Spann-Ford highlighted for dominant blocking: “If you only watch one play, please just go watch the four yard Miles Sanders touchdown run where he takes Okaraku, finds him, latches him, turns him, buries him...” – Landon [20:00]
  • Offensive line “absolutely tremendous” on run blocking.

• Kevonte Turpin’s Role

  • Noticeable impact as WR3; offense misses juice when he went out: “There is a big drop off between Cavante Turpin as wide receiver 3 and Jalen Tolbert as wide receiver 4. Like they missed Turpin on offense at different moments of this game.” – Marcus [21:04]
  • Landon: “They were serious about making Kevonte Turpin a featured weapon. This offense through two weeks, it's absolutely true.” [21:36]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “By the end of the game, Dak was really locked in on getting the ball down the field and was very successful.” – Landon [18:03]
• “Brevyn Spann-Ford…if they didn’t meet after the game and have a fight, then Bobby Okaraku like is now legally BSF’s son as far as I’m concerned.” – Landon [20:31]
• “I can’t believe I’m saying it, but…” – Marcus, on depth drop-off after Turpin’s injury [21:04]

Injury Watch: Cooper Beebe Out, O-Line Depth Tested

[23:28 – 27:29]

Key Discussion Points

• Cooper Beebe Injury

  • Starting center out for at least six games (IR) due to broken foot and ankle sprain.
  • “It's a big loss because he's been playing great. He's an ascending player…you want continuity on your young offensive line, right?” – Landon [24:24]
  • Brock Hoffman replaces him; solid but lighter/less physical.
  • Concerns over offensive line depth (“kind of down to your last two guys here…” – Marcus [25:37]).
  • “I think it's a big loss…The reason that I even hesitated…is that the strongest backup…is Brock Hoffman.” – Landon [24:24]

• Broader Injury Concerns

  • Cowboys already missing Robert Jones and Shadiq Charles in OL group.
  • Around the NFL, multiple starting QBs also injured this week.

• Steele’s Underwhelming Play

  • Landon wonders if Nate Thomas could replace Terence Steele at RT: “If Steele continues to just be a very up and down player…maybe you lean into the youth of this offensive line and you start getting Thomas ready for a starting role a year earlier than you expected.” [27:34]
  • Marcus notes financial aspect: “Don’t think the Cowboys haven’t looked at that cap number too with Terence Steele…They could say 14 million if they designate him as a post June 1 cut next year.” [28:15]

Memorable Quotes

• “I'm just more bummed for Cooper Beebe than anything else, if I'm allowed to.” – Marcus [26:56]
• “Nate Thomas is somebody we want to get on the field. We'll see if it happens in the next couple weeks.” – Marcus [28:32]

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “It just feels like they're still very discombobulated on the back end. Their talent isn't matching their production at any point.” – Landon McCool [07:36]
• “You want continuity on your young offensive line, right? That's just a huge part of this.” – Landon McCool [24:24]
• “Williams just had an absolutely masterful game…he came in and played the way he has through two weeks has really been impressive.” – Landon McCool [17:34]
• “Fourth most successful blitzing team in the league, but they just don't blitz that often.” – Marcus Mosher [09:05]
• “I'd rather give up 34 points and create two turnovers or a couple big sacks and give my offense more opportunities than what we saw on Sunday…” – Marcus Mosher [11:08]

Key Timestamps

• 01:19 – 08:29: Defense dissected, edge struggles, absence of stars, communication issues.
• 08:29 – 11:08: Scheme and blitz discussion, Eberflus’ fit, need for aggressive approach.
• 13:52 – 16:16: Offense builds momentum, O-line adjustments, creative play action.
• 16:16 – 18:48: Run game dominates, impact of physical backs and blocking.
• 18:48 – 21:44: Blocking breakdowns, Brevyn Spann-Ford’s play, Turpin injury impact.
• 23:28 – 26:56: Cooper Beebe’s injury, O-line depth, league-wide injury context.
• 27:29 – 28:32: O-line shake-up possibility, Nate Thomas watch.

Tone & Style

• Conversational and passionate, blending critical analysis with humor.
• Candid—praise and critique of players and coaches delivered bluntly; optimism about fixable issues, tempered by concern for depth and development.
• Hosts are clearly invested—highlighting real fan frustrations and hopes.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for Cowboys fans seeking honest, detailed analysis after a wild week: Expect sharp breakdowns of defensive fundamentals (or lack thereof), a deep appreciation for quietly crucial offensive efforts, and pragmatic but hopeful takes on injuries and rookie development. The hosts don’t sugarcoat anything, but they see ways out of this early-season funk—provided the right tweaks are made on both sides of the ball.