- 3 hours ago
Steve Beuerlein, Cowboys National Analyst and former NFL Quarterback, joined Shan, RJ, and Bobby to talk some ball. Beuerlein discussed the NFL Draft, the Cowboys outlook for the 2026 season. He also explored the impact of adding safety Caleb Downs in the first round, how the defense will evolve under the new staff, Dak's playoff expectations, and more.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00As former Pro Bowl quarterback and current Cowboys national analyst for Compass Media is joining us on the Fan Cam,
00:07Twitch, and YouTube, Steve Berline on the home of America's team with Sean and RJ 105.3 The Fan.
00:13Good morning, Steve. How are you?
00:15Good morning, guys. I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on the show.
00:18Awesome.
00:18Appreciate it.
00:19Appreciate you joining us.
00:20So we're getting a little bit concerned that the Cowboys Kool-Aid is overfloweth right now.
00:25A lot of people, contender, top five, amazing offseason.
00:31What are your thoughts on what the Cowboys have done so far and up to this point after the draft?
00:36Well, this is the most excited I've been.
00:39I'm drinking the punch, too, you know, about the Cowboys going into a season.
00:42I think when you look at what they've done this whole offseason, everything was done with a purpose that you
00:48can really justify and understand.
00:50And they identified some areas, especially through the draft, by going with defense on the first two picks.
00:56I think two players that really are going to be impact players early on with Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence
01:03bringing pressure.
01:05And then obviously Caleb Downs offering hopefully stability and longevity and consistent play at safety moving forward.
01:14Those are things that really have been a problem for the Cowboys.
01:17And, you know, the big question, obviously, is what's going to happen with George Pickens long term.
01:23Everybody's asking questions about that.
01:25But nobody really has a lot of concerns about the offense.
01:28And truly, I think now this year, with what they've done, the Cowboys have done this offseason,
01:34I really think it's going to come down to whether Dak can stay healthy at this point in his career
01:39and whether he can make the big plays in the big games down the stretch that they're going to have
01:44to make to be a contender, be a legitimate contender.
01:47Because I think they've got enough talent on both sides of the ball now to be able to compete with
01:52anybody.
01:52Steve, when you look at the way that offense operated last year and you saw them a ton and you
01:58probably saw all those busts on the defensive side and just how difficult it was for them at times to
02:02stop opponents.
02:03But when you look at the offense and what they're building on, is it reasonable to expect they can perform
02:09at that same level or maybe even surpass it?
02:11Or is there a little bit of regression that might be expected?
02:14Well, I mean, it's hard to tell what they're going to be at from a metric standpoint, from an analytics
02:21standpoint with the statistics and all that kind of stuff.
02:24Who knows how they're going to measure up versus last year overall throughout the course of the season.
02:30But truly what it comes down to, and you guys know this, if you're serious football fans, it comes down
02:37to the key plays and the big games that are going to determine whether or not you win that game.
02:43The untimely turnover, taking advantage of a receiver who's open, a missed throw, those are going to be the determining
02:52factors down the stretch in the big games that really make a difference.
02:55I don't think production is going to be an issue for the Cowboys.
02:58It hasn't been, you know, as long as Dak has been healthy, it hasn't been an issue for the Cowboys
03:03during the course of his career.
03:06But I do think the question mark, if you can point at anything where Dak really has to prove himself,
03:11as we all know, the playoff record and the big games down the stretch,
03:15that's where he's got to take it on his shoulders and say, you know, we're in position to win these
03:19games.
03:20We've got to find a way to get it done with everything on the line.
03:23So I think they're going to be very competitive.
03:26I'm not worried about the offense as long as Dak is healthy.
03:30And I think the defense is going to be good enough.
03:32And obviously they're going to get better with experience with these young players, but they're going to be good enough
03:37and impactful enough defensively to compete with anybody.
03:41Steve Berline with us here on 105 through the fan.
03:43Steve, when you watched all those issues that Dallas had defensively last year, especially through the eyes of a quarterback
03:49and how to attack a defense,
03:51what did you see?
03:52Did you just see like flat out, like that was a team that didn't communicate.
03:55That was a team that didn't know responsibilities.
03:57Or did you just see like, that's a lack of talent and you need to change over that roster, change
04:02over that side of the ball if you want to be better?
04:04Well, I think it was a little bit of both.
04:05I think there were injuries that impacted the Cowboys going into the season.
04:10You know, Demarvian Overshown was not healthy going into the season.
04:14And truly, I don't think he ever really got into a flow and was as impactful as hopefully he will
04:18be this year.
04:20You look at the inconsistency and the injuries at safety.
04:23There were a lot of busted coverages early in the season.
04:27That was a major issue.
04:28And, you know, the question about Matt Eberflus as a defensive coordinator, that's been addressed.
04:33There was obviously a lot of major, major communication issues through the first half to two-thirds of the season.
04:41I couldn't believe how consistently every single week there was some kind of a busted coverage that allowed for a
04:48receiver to be running wide open down the middle of the field.
04:50Now, I do think that one of the big issues early in the season last year for the Cowboys was
04:55running the football defensively against the run.
04:59And the big trade for Quinnen Williams, obviously, during the bye week, I think addressed that issue very well.
05:06He was a real stabilizing force internally for the Cowboys defensively.
05:11You know, if there is still a concern now for me, it's the middle linebacker position and addressing that long
05:18-term.
05:19Are they going to be able to really find a guy they can count on to really manage that defense
05:25on the inside from a linebacker, second-level position?
05:29That's the one area that, to me, is still a question mark.
05:32But, you know, Quinnen Williams, I think, has got a lot of juice left in his tank.
05:36That was a great move by Jerry Jones during the season last year by the Cowboys.
05:41And, you know, I think that was as significant as anything in terms of impactful and, I think, reason for
05:51optimism going into this season.
05:52Steve Berline joining us here on the Home of the Cowboys, Cowboys Compass Media Analyst for, obviously, the NFL and
05:59college.
05:59I'm trusting AI on this, so blame them if I'm wrong.
06:03Was Fangio there with you in Carolina in 96?
06:07Yeah, he was.
06:09I was with Vic Fangio.
06:11He and Dom Capers go back a long ways, and Vic was our defensive coordinator in 96 and, I think,
06:1897 and possibly 98 as well.
06:22I can't remember when he left, but he was there with us when we went to the NFC Championship in
06:2796.
06:27Yeah.
06:27I know I should have trusted my brilliant football instinct on that.
06:31Steve, explain for us principles of a Fangio defense.
06:36A lot of people, Christian Parker, Fangio, what is it like as a quarterback facing it, seeing it, with the
06:43complications it can present,
06:44and how you've seen it evolved from the booth now calling games?
06:48Well, I think one thing that Vic Fangio has proven over the years, and I should say there's three things,
06:54but there's one thing that I think really stands out is that consistently his defenses are ready to play.
07:01You are not going to see up and down throughout the course of the season where they play at a
07:09very high level one week
07:10and a very unacceptable level the next week.
07:14That is not going to happen with Vic Fangio in control of the defense.
07:19That's first and foremost.
07:20Secondly, you're going to see a defense that's going to be very physical, very tough.
07:26They're not going to back down from anybody.
07:28They're going to challenge teams offensively to make plays and to be tougher than them.
07:36The team will play defensively with an attitude of, hey, you think you're going to walk out of here without
07:45a little bit of blood?
07:47That's not going to happen today.
07:49You're going to get hit in the mouth, and you're going to get hit all day long.
07:52That's the mentality that Vic Fangio brings to the equation.
07:55Whenever they show the camera on him, and I remember this with Vic, we used to try very hard to
07:59try to get him just to smile.
08:01He never looks like he's having fun.
08:03He never looks like he's just in a good mood.
08:06He always looks pissed off.
08:08And that's just kind of the way his mentality is.
08:11It's what I think made him so successful at this level.
08:14At his age, for how long he's been doing it, he just brings a nasty attitude into every single week,
08:20does not accept anything other than toughness and consistent dominance week after week.
08:27And it's been a trademark of his defenses everywhere he's been.
08:30Steve, you brought up Dak earlier and not winning the big one yet, having to prove himself in those big
08:37moments.
08:38When fans see a player who hasn't won, who's been good, they immediately go to, he's a bum, he'll never
08:43win.
08:43How do former players or current players at the time view a quarterback who's pretty clearly been around one of
08:51the 10 best
08:51but just hasn't gotten it done in the postseason?
08:55Well, I don't think there's a question in the locker room about whether Dak is the undisputed leader of this
09:04football team.
09:05I don't think there's a question about whether he has the ability to get it done in the big games.
09:11I don't think there's a question about whether or not he is worth the status and the economic pay scale
09:21that he's at
09:22and he's been at for a long time because of what he's earned and what he's proven over the years.
09:27But there still is that question mark.
09:29And I think more than anything, it should motivate him.
09:32And it should be something that he addresses and gets out in front of and say, hey, this year, coming
09:37into this year, it's on me.
09:38You know, the organization has addressed all the issues that anybody can identify as being potential issues for this team.
09:46Now it's on me to say, OK, let's get this thing to the finish line
09:51and let's show that we can go deep in the playoffs and make a run at this
09:55because we really have nobody to point a finger at and no excuses to make.
09:59And I think that's the attitude Dak will bring into it.
10:02And the rest of the league, I know, respects him.
10:04But I guarantee you, when you get down the stretch, when you get to those big games at the end
10:08of the year
10:09or if you're going into the playoffs, I guarantee you that the other team is going to be mentioning the
10:14Dak Prescott.
10:15They're going to be reminding their team, hey, this guy has not gone deep into the playoffs in his whole
10:20career.
10:21He's one of the highest paid players in the NFL, in NFL history, and he's never gone deep into the
10:26playoffs.
10:26Let's see if we can continue that streak.
10:29So, you know, that monkey's on his back until he gets it off his back.
10:32Steve, put on your draft tab for us and let us know what you thought about Caleb Downs coming out
10:37and some of the other picks that you really loved or you questioned, particularly in the NFC East,
10:43with the draft that just happened.
10:45What did you think of Downs?
10:46Did you have thoughts on Reese and Stiles, receiver, anything else that happened inside the division and with the Cowboys?
10:55Well, you know, I haven't really studied the division on a whole yet.
11:02You know, I've got a few months left before I get into the in-season mode.
11:07But in general, I thought the Cowboys did a great job.
11:11There was a lot of talk with the George Pickens situation that the Cowboys might go with that receiver that
11:18went to New Orleans.
11:19Tyson, yeah.
11:21I know that the Cowboys were kind of infatuated with him and really focused on him and his ability maybe
11:30as a difference maker.
11:31And there are people painting the picture that maybe the Cowboys might not be able to pass up on him
11:36because of the George Pickens situation especially.
11:39But I was glad.
11:40I think he went at nine to New Orleans.
11:43And I was really happy when they took that temptation off the board and the Cowboys went with what they
11:49should have done,
11:49which was either going to be a safety, in my opinion, or an edge rusher.
11:53They ended up getting Malachi Lawrence with the 23rd pick.
11:57So they addressed those two positions first and foremost, which I thought is where they had their biggest need.
12:02But as far as breaking down the rest of the division, I do like what the Giants did.
12:07And by the way, opening the season up with the Giants, I think, is that game in New York?
12:12Yeah.
12:12Or is it in Dallas?
12:13Yeah, it's in New York.
12:15You know, the Giants, I think, they're a team that if anybody asks me who I think a sleeper team
12:22is this year, it's the Giants.
12:24Because bringing John Harbaugh into it, that immediately brings a credibility and a proven track record of how to be
12:34a physical, tough, winning football team consistently.
12:37The Giants are going to be transformed just because of him, number one.
12:41And then I really like what they did in the first round and throughout the course of the draft as
12:45well.
12:45They addressed needs that were big, big question marks.
12:49And I think they're going to be a different team because of it.
12:52And the big question for them, again, it's going to come back to the quarterback, whether Jackson Dart can stay
12:57healthy, stay on the field,
12:58and make the progress that he needs to make from a maturity standpoint as a quarterback.
13:04I still think he's one of those guys that believes he's kind of a Superman mentality, that he's the show,
13:14so to speak, and that he's arrived.
13:16Well, as we all know, year two in the NFL as a starting quarterback is a huge difference from year
13:22one.
13:22Teams have studied the film.
13:24They've looked at things that you've struggled with.
13:26They've identified areas of weakness.
13:28And they're going to come out and change it up on you.
13:31And you're going to have to show that you can adjust and adapt and develop.
13:34So that's going to be the big challenge for New York and Jackson Dart.
13:37Speaking of AI, Steve Berline here on behalf of HeartFlow, one in three, up to one in three retired professional
13:45football players die from cardiovascular disease.
13:48Steve, tell us how you're helping with it.
13:50Well, my main goal here with HeartFlow and the Game Film Registry, which is designed truly to get the word
13:57out to former NFL players,
14:00about the issue of heart disease.
14:02You know, as you said, one in three former NFL players is dying due to heart disease.
14:09And that is a staggering number.
14:11When you compare it especially, it may not sound like a difference when you break it down statistically,
14:16but the normal population is one in five.
14:18But that's a difference between 20% and 33%.
14:23There's a reason for that.
14:25Former players need to be aware of it.
14:28The word needs to get out.
14:29And HeartFlow has addressed it by this new AI-powered, state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind technology
14:36that really analyzes the heart from a 3D perspective, breaks down where the plaque is building up, both heart plaque
14:44and soft plaque,
14:46which may not seem like a difference to most people out there, but there's a huge difference between that.
14:52There's no other technology that can break down and identify the soft plaque, which is really what causes most of
14:58the problems,
14:59because that soft plaque can break off and get into the arteries and clog it up more significantly than what
15:05all the other tests out there now test for.
15:07That's the hard plaque.
15:09And so it's a state-of-the-art technology.
15:11I'm excited to be a part of it.
15:13I've gone through the scan myself, and whether the results come out good or bad, and fortunately for me, the
15:20results were very good when I went through it,
15:22but it confirms one way or the other whether you have issues.
15:25And when you get to be our age, I'm now 61, you start losing friends for reasons that could have
15:32been prevented.
15:33And that's the whole purpose of HeartFlow and the Game Film Registry is to try to identify heart disease early
15:39so it can be treated.
15:40You can get out in front of it and hopefully make a difference and extend lives.
15:44Well said.
15:45Thank you so much for the time, man.
15:46We appreciate it.
15:47We'll catch up with you as the season gets closer.
15:49Enjoy the schedule released tonight.
15:51Thanks, guys.
15:52Appreciate it.
15:52Take care.
Comments