Hangin' with the Boys: Vander Esch Interview

Trey McBride might be the most dangerous player on the Cardinals offense, so how do the Cowboys stop him? Can a tight end really beat them? We don't want to find out. Then there's shifty quarterback Kyler Murray, who has never lost at AT&T Stadium. Can the Dallas defense contain not only Arizona's passer but also its leading rusher? Don't let the Cardinals' record fool you.

Is the Cardinals defense tougher than we might think? They play a similar scheme as the Cowboys, and they don't have any big stars, but they've been in every game they've played. So what's the difference? Is Arizona just more consistent and in sync? And because of that, what does the Dallas offense have to do? Be darn near perfect, it seems.

Why have the Cowboys struggled to draft defensive players? Is it because they don't know what they're looking for? After all, Dallas has had three defensive coordinators in three years and different schemes require different players. Plus, would it make sense to use draft capital to bring in new players for the future? Why not get a known commodity or two on defense while the offensive window is wide open?

We've asked it before, and we'll ask it again – what's wrong with the defense? Mental mistakes, physical talent, bad assignments, schemes, it's all not good enough. Is there any hope in sight? Plus, we all knew Dak Prescott would have a clunker of a game eventually. He can't be perfect all the time (though the Cowboys desperately need him to be). Let's commiserate together after a tough loss in Denver.

Could this game in Denver make or break the Cowboys' season? Beat a good team on the road and you could go on a nice streak and maybe be a buyer at the trade deadline. Lose and, well, things get that much tougher. So can Dallas' strength (the offense) overcome the Broncos' strength (defense) in a tough environment? We've got key stats, players to watch and predictions coming your way.

The Broncos offensive line is no joke. Can a Cowboys defensive front that's struggled to stop the run at times match them pound for pound? And quarterback Bo Nix and Denver like the short game with a lot of rollouts and screens. Can Dallas keep him in check? Plus, tackling, double-teams and Nate's thoughts on shaking hands after the game.

Several injured players are now entering the 21-day window to return, including rookie cornerback Shavon Revel. What can we expect from him? Should he be brought along slowly? And is too much pressure being put on DeMarvion Overshown to be the linebacking savior? Plus, will we continue to see more blitzing and man coverage? Sounds like maybe not.

Coordinator Matt Eberflus sure looked happy on the sidelines, and he should have been. Using more man coverage and blitzes, the Cowboys defense played their best game of the season. Now, can they do it again? Plus, with the trade deadline coming up soon, will the Cowboys be buyers or sellers? And Nate shares what it was like seeing some old teammates during the alumni weekend.

We're feeling kind of sorry for the Cowboys' defensive coordinator today. After all, he was put in a tough situation, one that could only get worse with Trevon Diggs now sidelined. So does that mean we could we start seeing the offense take more risks? Hey, they're already starting to. Plus, Jesse's key stat, players to watch and our predictions.

There's been some criticism that Cowboys defenders are trying to punch the ball out instead of making tackles. Is that true? We've also heard a lot of talk about the defense playing man-to-man coverage, but is this the right week to do that against a mobile quarterback and an up-tempo offense? Plus, Nate has a sure-fire way to beat an offense … but does Dallas have the players?

It's looking like star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could return on Sunday against Washington, but what's that mean for George Pickens? He's been a beast in his own right in Lamb's absence. What changes? The Cowboys also need to try to establish the ground game. Can they do so against one of the best run defenses in the league? Better rush to the edge, my friend.

We've been hearing that the pass rush has the potential to be strong, and that there aren't one or two major problems but a lot of little ones that can be fixed. Is that true? Or is that just hope? And what exactly are some of those little problems? Coverage schemes? Gap integrity? Discipline? Accountability? Let's get in-depth and break it down.

The Cowboys ran into a lot of big bodies along the Panthers' defensive line and couldn't get anything going in their running game. Meanwhile, Carolina's rushing attack simply dominated the Dallas defense. What the heck happened? We can blame Matt Eberflus all we want, but sooner or later the players need to show some discipline, right? Are there any solutions to these ongoing problems?

So how about those Eagles last night? Then again, do we need to start worrying about the Giants? But let's focus on the Cowboys. Are they growing as a group? Are they gaining confidence? Could that be the difference between a good season and bad? Plus, Nate shares stories of Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer and we make our predictions.

Panthers (and ex-Cowboys) running back Rico Dowdle has hinted that the Dallas defense should be ready for him. But is he ready for Dallas? Could that defense be in some trouble if both starting safeties are out? Or does this give others an opportunity? Speaking of, is Jonathan Mingo going to get a chance soon? If so, who comes out? And what about James Houston? Does he need more snaps? Maybe … not.

Dak Prescott's game has gotten so cerebral that there's likely nothing the Carolina defense can do to surprise him. So does that mean if the Cowboys don't have success, the errors will be self-inflicted? And how does Prescott compare to Tony Romo after matching him in career starts? Plus, should the Cowboys spend draft capital to trade for defensive help?

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been outstanding as a play-caller, but how has he been doing as a head coach? Plus, are some of those tough teams late in the schedule as tough as we thought? And will playing lesser opponents like the Jets now pay off then, especially with the young players? Let's hope. Regardless, why do we discredit those wins? It's Nate's fault.

The Cowboys got a dose of the medicine they needed with their victory over the Jets. So are they where we thought they'd be after five games? Are we any closer to knowing what type of team this is? One thing is for certain – Coach Schottenheimer and his staff are cooking right now. And Dak Prescott is better than he's ever been. But what about that offensive line? Who saw that coming?

The Cowboys have four games under their belt now, so should we expect better play? Can they still improve the defense? Also, is George Pickens limited by the routes he runs? Why is it harder for some guys to go in motion and expand their route tree? Jesse breaks it down for us. And is Jaydon Blue ready for his NFL debut? Let's hope so. Plus, a key stat, players to watch and our predictions!

The Cowboys are not only facing another mobile quarterback this week in Justin Fields, they may be facing the best one. So is it better to keep containment than actually go for the sack? We've also heard a lot about communication in the secondary, but is communication between the defensive line and linebackers even more important this week? And about those injuries ...

Could these next two games on the schedule be the turning point of the season? Does that bring any added pressure? Plus, is Jake Ferguson essentially part of the run game now? Is that bad? On the other side of the ball, last year the Dallas defense was one of the worst at stopping the run. Now they're one of the worst at stopping the pass. Which is better? And is help really on the way?

Should the NFL even have ties? Can the overtime format be changed? Plus, Jack Sanborn has come under some criticism, but does his knowledge of Matt Eberflus' system help the team? Also, is this secondary built to play this defense? And how about the defensive line? Can pressure be manufactured? One hall of fame head coach doesn't think so.

Should the Cowboys have gone for it on fourth-and-goal in overtime? If they wanted to really build a culture, maybe they should have. Because does a tie really mean anything? Should you let your best player go win it? Plus, missed tackles were a killer for the defense. You got to get off the field. Let's talk about that crazy overtime tie!

Can the Cowboys manufacture more pressure in this Sunday night showdown with Green Bay? Does that mean blitzing more? Or maybe having Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland roaming in the secondary will help. Also, what about Kenny Clark? Is he being overlooked in all this? Might he have something to prove? Plus, players to watch, Jesse's key stat and our predictions.

We heard a lot of talk during the offseason about culture, but does it really work if you're not winning games? Is there a risk now that the message will get lost? And the coaches have said they're simplifying things. Does that put pressure on the players? And how does that sit with them? The grace period may be running out.