Talkin' Cowboys Break: Taking The East

New York. Jaink said, ain't say the Philadelphia Eagles that won't can't fly. Let's go baby whatever that he's your hat, But thank you for let me wear right? Yes, your son got you? Absolutely? Who got yours? Mate? I ain't got a hat? Whoa who got yours? Shannon postgame? Postgame hit you you guys? No, I got nothing. Here. Here's a shirt for you, Mick, take the Vision title shirt.

Does everybody get stuff in which is available where I'm the last one to relieve the press bot that's you could get it at the pro shop there for sure, I know shop Cowboys dot Com I think is where we're at. And then you could also get it at the where else. We got the pros stadium out got them all. Hey, just hit Alex and say, hey da a scott Boys pro shop. Yeah, so you Doanas Scowboys. Yeah, fans United, Dallas Shop, Dallas Cowboys like all that stuff. Man, Yeah,

get your shirt now. You can't get a Looney tree, but you can get all the rest of the stuff. Giant's helmet, Looney Giant. Probably not a Giant's helmet either. But we're moving some merch today and we're gonna break down Cowboys bucks and we're gonna look ahead to the playoffs because the playoffs are in reality now for your Dallas Cowboys at nine and six, one game to go, but they know they're in. They are locked into the fourth seed. By the way, I'm Rob Phillips, joined by

Nate Newton. It took these who up the East, Mickey Spagnola and Brian brought his festive in the Miller Light sweater. And I should wear all about the sponsors today. Fantastic. I love it. You got one of those, Oh yeah, I got one big Bulls shirt, big Bush. Yeah, we got a couple of Big Boy wins. You wear it? Oh yeah, Well, we're gonna wear it all? Do we wear Wednesday Thursday? And Fred? Yeah? Yeah, me and Shannon and my man Kurta have ozone cool? Yeah. So this

is really hanging with the cowboys, talking cowboys. Break, Yeah, that's what it is. It's kind of with hanging with talking cowboys. Actually there's no break. Oh, there's no break. Break Kent, who produces the break? Absolutely, that's right. Yeah, So all right, let's break it on, fellas. We got an hour on this Christmas Eve to talk about the division title, the victory Cowboys twenty seven bucks twenty was

that score again? Oh? This is the first time all year he's been right about anything, So now we have to like know about it. Go ahead, what did you do that was so special? Yesterday? He called the games, I called it, he called the score, Yeah, exactly. You know the last time I got one right when nineteen ninety one, when the Cowboys beat the Redskins twenty four twenty one at the Redskins to ruin their undefeated season at that score right on the button. Yeah, So twice

in twenty seven years, that's pretty good. That's impressive. Hun Nate Man last night he was going crazy. I think he wanted to score to be twenty six. I had twenty six twenty and he's like mister Field, he didn't want him to hit that last time. I didn't want to it at twenty six twenty on the gut feelings, you are taking our season, gut feeling title eleven and four on the gut feelings. By the way, I'm impressed by that. I got second. Yeah, all right, let's break

the game down first. I got some questions for you guys coming up, not just about the game but about going forward here. But before we get that, your initial impressions of what they did yesterday to clinch the title and take care of business and win it at home. We'll start with Nate, Cowboys took the ease. Thank you. That is pretty simple. Pretty simple, man. I'm echo whatever Brian saying. No, I don't do that, because I'm gonna

echo what Mickey Spagnola said all year long. This offensive line had to play better when pass protection, and the fact that they went into this game, I felt like that that the Tampa Bay could present problems with their edge rushers that could present some problems inside to give up the one sack, and it really that was and

when you go back and watch it. Boy. If Dak just steps up, he's got Cole Beasley laid on the break, you know, I mean he's going to find a way to you know, if he just step up, just step up in the pocket. I mean it was clean up front, and he spun right into the sack. The only thing that he could have done to hurt Suaphilo he did. Suafilo was struggling a little bit, but he was going to push this guy up the field, and that was

Vita Vea. And man, if he just would have stayed and just climbed a little forward and then found Beasley over on the side there, it would have been a nice, pretty play. Offensive line I thought did a great job against a defensive line that I felt like going into this game could have present had some problems. They held him in check, ran the ball was well enough that they needed to and so give the We've been on this offensive line a lot, and I thought last night though,

or yesterday afternoon, they won. The reasons why you guys won this game, Mick I thought two things. One very encouraging that the defense stepped up made plays like they have been all season long. Short of the Colts game, and then the second thing going forward. And I don't know if it's going forward this year or next year, but and this is kind of what I'm writing about in my column for today. The amount of young guys that made critical plays for them to win this game,

I think is encouraging going forward. I've been talking all year about how young this team was, and nobody really wanted to admit it or agree with it. Randy Gregory, second year player. I don't need to tell you what he did in the game, right, Probably the defensive star of the game. Rookie Michael Gallup catches a touchdown pass

to kind of create the separation in this game. Layton Vanderish, rookie, single game high fifteen tackles And oh, by the way, Bucks, you picked the wrong guy to kick the on side kick too, because the guy with the best hands fielded the ball and put the game away. And they tried the old switchero They did their side yeah, and didn't fool anybody. First year guy Antoine Woods makes a tackle on the goal line to stop the first down and

turn the ball over the Cowboys on fourth down. Jalen smith scoop and score second year player and as I told him after the game, I said, you think anybody else will question your knee after this? And he goes, would you do me a favor and just tweet that out? Just tweet it because no one was catching up with this dude running down the field and the only person that was with him was DeMarcus Lawrence. He had an escort the entire way. And oh, by the way, Brett

maher first year kicker. I know he's kicked in the CFL, but this is his first year in the NFL. Hits his two field goals, one from fifty nine yards out, and if you just look at the amount of young guys that were starting on defense in this game, I think it bodes well for this team going forward, no matter what happens in the playoffs. I'd say Alazrael Man

should agree with Mickey and not with me. You know, I feel this way right here, you know, just for him to pick themselves up as a team, do what idea yesterday to go out and earn the NFC East. You know, I'm just proud of man. I'm proud of uh. You know, he said this all night the other Nightmake is mister Jones going out and observing where this division will is seven to eight games ago and saying we're in this in May. The moves and I don't even

the trading for Cooper, but allowing Jason Garrett too. Hey, you know what, coach, thank you for what you've given us, but we're going a different route. Brought Colombo in, Yeah, brought huss and hawking. All of this happens because you have an owner slash GM that's saying, hey, okay, this letter, it happened, and broad us talking about that great last night. Yeah, I mean I said it a few weeks ago. It looked like nine wins could get this thing, and it did.

I mean, I don't know who would have thought they would have clinched this thing with a week to go, sitting at five and to Mickey's point, a young football team. Really most people counted them out mid season. I mean, what are the odds that you're gonna make a run. Never have had it happened. They've never started three and five and made the playoffs. Yeah, now, they didn't have Amari Cooper first half of the season, but it's not just that move. Nate mentioned the offensive line coach change,

Colombo's you know brought a different attitude. I don't think there's any question about that. Can I name a couple other young guys that I thought stepped up absolutely, Malie Collins and Antoine Woods in the middle of the defensive line, especially All Stars, especially with Tyrone Crawford going down on the second play test results negative though on his neck

sounds encouraging that he's gonna be fine. Um, but those guys stepped up, and the hot boys, I think they atoned for last week when they were just it was just out of character. The way they played against Indianapolis

really team wide. Hey, even Taco Charlton had five tackles. Yeah, he played very well in that game, and you know, and made a nice play on a tackle for lost kind of made it to Marcus Lawrence move where he's able to dip his shoulder and get underneath that Donovan Smith the tackle and kind of work down the line of scrimmage on a redirection. So you know, the the idea of you know, earn Earn, Earn your jersey for

the week is working with him. I mean that's that was a very positive sign and hopefully, you know, he's going to get a lot of chances to play this week too, you know, against the Giants, and hopefully he can continue to build on it, and you can when you get him in the playoffs that he can make some plays and be a good part of the rotation with what they what they they thrive on a rotation and that's what they need and they will they will, and they will need everybody in the playoffs because if

you gonna put a team on your defensive back, that means our offensive line has to give great protection for the running pass and eat up a lot of clocks so these guys can stay healthy and fresh. Because we all said we challenge his defense. Oh well they pretty good. But you know, can they continue to stop to run? They continue to stop and run. Oh well, they need to get a few turnovers. Next thing, you know, turnovers are coming and uh the last to complete it was

uh turnover with a return for six. Yeah that that was a nice man. And once these dudes are like piranhas now well he stopped. It was interesting in this game yesterday is you know the beating that we talked about overall that they took against the Colts and they had to play a lot of snaps yesterday. Yes Cowboys only ran fifty offensive plays and yeah, and they had to face eighty snaps thirty five minutes. So yeah, that they had eighty offensive snaps when you turn the ball

out like that. Yeah, and basically they had to drive it back to back drives, right, and so yeah, it was that's a that's a gut check game. You'd lose Crawford very early in that game. Now, Randy Gregory traditionally doesn't play, but yeah, a whole lot the next note, he's in there and Tacos in there. I mean, they didn't have they didn't have the normal defensive tackle rotation

that they could do with Crawford as well. So some guys after what they had to go through last week and then turn around and play this week with so much on the line for them, I mean that that you know that that worked out just fine because if you look and saw it, you saw what happened when in Philadelphia, I mean that was that was crazy. And then to think that if you lose this game, that you have to go and win a game at the Giants, I mean after what, I mean, it just good, Like

Nate says, you took care of it. You went out there and did it the right way. But a lot of guys defensively had to play a lot of snaps the last two weeks. You know, again, the physical beating they took last week, able to bounce back and play very well this week. Do you realize that when they returned that was their first return, by the way, for a touchdown all season long. Yes, but Tampa Bay had the ball for twelve minutes and fifty four seconds straight

because they were driving. Yeah, you got the fumble return right, returned it for a touchdown. They came back, they had a drive for five to forty seven and seven h seven. The Cowboys didn't touch the ball. Yeah, like twelve minutes. They ran twenty two offensive plays in the first half, and I was trying to find if that's some kind of record, because I can't imagine how often that has really ever happened, you know, in games that typically you know,

you get sixty each yeah or less. Well, that's the reason. And then finally when they touched the ball after those twelve minutes and fifty three they went three and our three and out. Yeah, so they hardly had the ball the first half. Like you said, twenty two plays that should be a quarter Yeah yeah, so, Uh, I know everybody's gonna pick on the offense and they weren't perfect, but um, they weren't good. See this production I thought

was better. Like I said, the production was better. The protection protection was better that that itself I thought was better. As our offensive line played better and as our quarterback played better, then then it was stopped. I mean it will stopped. It will stop if our line gets better and our quarterback get better, and being in unison, it will get better. Uh. It's never gonna be ugly until we do that. It's a mess. It's never gonna be cute until we do that. Uh, that's too much pressure

going into the playoffs. And yeah, that's that's you're asking too much. And we're asking too much of the line of the quarterback. We asked you too much of both because and I'm talking about defense, but I ain't talking about our offense. I'm talking all defense about defense, and now I understand that our offensive mind. This is my hat soft. This is first year we've had two three different guys come in and do what they've done on

the offense and we still continue to win. But it's ugly right now, and we have to fix that if we want a serious chance in the playoffs. Nate just led me to my first question. Look at that, Look at that. I got some I got some tough questions for you. That's one of them. Won't we just start there? Okay? What's got to improve for them to make a run in the playoffs? And I know that. Look I'm staring at the helmet right now. They got the Giants in

week seventeen, but they're looking ahead now. They got a game that's very meaningful in a couple of weeks. What's got to improve the most? And Nate says, you got to help out your defense. Right, the game has to be played by the books because you are a defensive led a team. What I mean, when the ball is kicking inside the twenty or inside the teen, you just can't flinging all over the place. You got to think

about your defense. Well, do we do better with the run and putting this thing in third and four or third and three or less? We just slinging it like we did yesterday and go three and out. We ain't built that way yet. I don't. I don't know if our offensive line can hold on. But one thing that you asked one thing. Our offensive line has to play much much better for this team to to excel. You know, I was happy to see Cole Beasley get going yesterday. Yeah.

I think that's something that offensively can help. You know, Mickey's been talking about getting Michael Gallop going. I think that helped. I don't think there's any magical thing that teams are doing. Maury Cooper can't get open against any coverage. He really can. I mean, it's you know, it's just whether Dak Prescott wants to throw him the ball. But I was encouraged, I said, by the protection b I

was ulso encouraged by Cole Beasley. I think Cole Beasley is always a great option here in the playoffs, and Cole Beasley, you need to use him if you don't want to sit there and if you can't run the ball. It's as effectively as you want to run the ball.

You know. And maybe you know, you say, okay, you pounded in there with Zeke for three to four yards on first down whatever, But maybe some of those first down runs turn into play action pass and then you get Cole Beasley involved for five to seven yards and kind of move the chains that way. So I'm with Nate on on the protection. I don't know overall if it can improve. I think you'll improve if the health of Martin improves. But I think you are what you are at the center, and I think you are what

you're at the left guard right now. And and Tyron Smith. And I don't blame Tyron Smith with the holding calls, I really don't. He's just a dominant football player and he's and it's it's it's a hard thing for him because guys have gotten to the point with as soon as they get their hands he gets his hands on, they just turn and flop. When they turn and act like they can't make the play. I think they're in the NBA. Yeah, And that's that's a that's a point. Yeah.

I mean, he he's he's in. Jason he locked that guy up, he did, and it was it was Jason Pierre Paul that he got called on the holding call. But Pierre Paul didn't even try and disengage. He was so locked that guy up. He turned. Don't get me started on them, guys, Let's not do that. He turned his body in a way that made it look like he was being held and it's just it turn smith. Jason Garrett said this, he's so strong his hands. But to Nate's point, the offense, fine, I think they kind

of are what they are. But you just gotta you're gonna have to figure out the way. You're gonna have to play through it. Tampa Bay thought they could cover Beasley in man in the slot. Yeah, it didn't work. It didn't work. They were they were using their one linebacker to kind of shade through to Cooper a little bit, and they let that guy in the slot take Beasley. Yep.

I'll take that match up at me every day every day when he gets a free release like that, and the linebackers think they got other things to worry about, right, Beasley will hurt. You reminded me of the Jacksonville game where they said, hey, Tyler Patman, go stick Cole Beasley four quarters. Yeah, and look what happened. And really, the Cowboys it was a it was a wasted drive in the second half where he had three four catches, got him down in the red zone and then that's the

one time it did stall. They were better down there yesterday. But you know they tried that into round basically to Mary Cooper for a s loss. We need to figure out though the way that play was blocked. And I wrote about last night, I did that guy come free? It was they didn't touch him. It was influence. They thought Jason Pierre Paul was going to chase the chase the thing. You know, Pierre Paul is one of these

guys that but he's so smart, he's seen it all. Yeah, so if you're gonna fool somebody, you gotta fool somebody that doesn't see that a lot. And the way that the way that uh that swings Jarwin, Jarwin reacted, it was like, oh can I get him? No, I can't get him, you know, And I felt like it was gonna be they were gonna arc release Jarwin and get him up on the safety because he was looking at the safety and oh I should have done well. He

was trying to help the play. And the fact when I think it's surprised Jarwin that that Pierre Paul didn't react the way he did because using those defensive end, especially the ones in that situation, will rush that will they'll come down hard inside on the fake to chase the play. And in that case, at Pierre Paul he's seen it all. That's just a that's just a good football player kind of saying not today on my watch.

But you know what was the good thing and the reason they were two of three in the red zone because they were two and three and first in goal. Yeah, that's where they they created this face. They did different things, so that at least is going to give teams something to think about when they get down there. You know, they saw the reverse, they saw the pass to Gallop. It wasn't like, Okay, we're just handing Zeke the ball. Yeah. Uh, you know they they don't fight that one though. They'll

they'll uh, they'll uh. They pulled off the read option. Yeah, Dak scores a touchdown. So they were showing different things down inside the ten yard line. That's I think. Have somebody to think about that. I think I think they're trying to make people think about stuff. This is where I get into it, and I'll ask you, guys, rob I don't mean to ask a question here, but I'll ask one. But do they do they not? It's not so much the offensive line that do they trust the

tight ends the block? Do they try? I mean, do you miss is this what you miss Witten and Hannah and guys like that. When you want to really try and run the ball, I mean, is it do you have to kind of almost get in thirteen personnel and run it away? Run it away from the strength because you don't feel like that that Schultz and Jarwin and Rico are gonna be able to get any kind of pulls. Don't even go into three tight ends. Now three wide receivers and let's go. You know what's amazing. I thought

they're gonna run quarterback draw too. Everybody's time about how restrict the space hills down there, and that restriction goes for the defense too. Yeah, and and to me, and maybe I'm a neanderthal, and that's cool, but I gotta admit to everything. But what bothers me is the fact that if your offensive line I'm talking about from tackle to tackle understands that they cannot miss. I'm a guy can get can glade, can glaze off of you, but

you cannot miss. And if you practice just a little bit of hesitation, even you have to catch that guy. You got one of the coldest running backs in the backfield. And that's what we did as offensive line. Like even if we called we got a yard a yard and a half and EF we catch this guy. Eventually, you're gonna have to reach out to get in it. And when you do that, we're gonna finish you. And because they are restricted too, it ain't. But so many the

defenses you can get in. Yeah, who's really got the advantage When you really think about offense, the officive line do so you can give them all the looks you won't. But I'm telling you it's called load left or right. You put two tight ends in, you put a full back in, and you run that thing. 'reuph the butt of your guard and me in the center is double teening and that linebacker can't win because we're not moving off of him until this linebacker the size. I'm telling

you it would work. It will work because you got the running back and you had the fullback. This dude, it will work. Just one time it didn't work though, Right left. One time we did an open Yeah, we did it an open field. That's why it didn't work. And you said, you said everybody in the world knew we were gonna run that play. Yeah, right, But it's a restrictive space. I'm not saying. See I don't believe in create activity. I'm serious. I believe in not not

down there. Yeah, I believe in players. Okay, I believe in players. Players make the plays I watched, I went back and watch. I went back and watched the highly innovative Rams they basted. The run a lot of the same plays we run offensively, offensively. So what I'm saying to myself, hold on, now, why is it working for them and not for us? Well, their office line is healthy and intact, and so when you run a jet sweep with one of their guys, you got to pay

attention because it's gonna be well blocked up front. Oh you're talking about the Rams this year. Rams, not not those greatist show on turf. Rams, not the greatest show on Terifa. They ain't never run, they to right, Yes I do, that's why. Okay, Okay, Well let me ask you this real quick then, So you ain't gonna apologized this time right now, I'm not because I'm interested, Rob. You gotta go to break, you gotta be okay, you

gotta go to break Christmas, keep going, keep going. I'm gonna ask you this though, then, do you okay with that being said, do you believe in the personnel, the personnel of what. Yeah, your offensive line, yes, sir, And that's if you're saying, if it's not about if it's not about scheme, then you obviously feel like because y'all had a Hall of fame running y'all had a Hall

of fame offens line. Yeah, but no, but what what's what's amazing is if you don't want to put you your line, your line out on blast and put them on one on one blocks. Yeah, give them, give them, give them a chance of double team some people. Okay, now forget low left. We got a all pro sitting over there right at right guard. Yeah, so let Looney come with him. Yeah. You know you gotta got an all pro left tackle too. Yeah. So I'm just saying, and we ain't trying to even get out there. Yeah,

we ain't trying to get out there. So you're you're confident though, in this offensive line? Yeah? Yes, yes, because that that kills my argument that that that that's easy to teach, and it ain't. But many things you do now if if they load it up, so okay, we know you coming here. Yeah, okay, Now your tight ends become very very because now you got an option. You fake it down in there, so you pull it back because ain't nobody Russia now they're trying to stop the run.

You pull it back there. Any one of these Titans, you pick either one. You won't just throw it to him now, okay, all right, let's throw it to the rookie wide receiver who was in man coverage and beat the devil out of that game. But see, this is another issue. This is another issue I have. And maybe I'm wrong, and I want you, you and you to tell me I'm wrong. Do not tell me that Amari Cooper is not a red zone threat. I can't tell you that. It bothers me. He said, Oh, well you

don't have that, that's you do. He's number nineteen. Yeah, I don't let him do it. Yeah, I just believe that he has a hard time not getting open. So I'm with you there. All right, let's take our first break. When we come back, control the show up. We'll come back. I got some more questions for you guys now and in the present in the next two weeks, and we got a Tommy John Reid coming out. Are you rep in the East? Yeah? And we'll do it continue too.

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Is amazing. Crunch time. It was crunch time last night Christmas Eve, and then in the morning when you wake up, you get your jack black and take care of your face, take care of your beard, and you're set to go for Christmas. Brian, that was just smooth sailing out of the harbor. Just tell you what, man, it was amazing. We didn't even need to tugboat on that one. It's kind of just took it right out. We gotta rise to the occasion. Yeah, pressures on sometimes we bang off

the dock. Yours? Go ahead, Mick, that's Smari right when when the moon it's the sky gy like Big Pizza Pie. That's all right. Yeah, we got it. We finally got the best we can get from Go ahead. It's better than nothing. Sing there you go, Big Pizza Pie. It's Maari, can't You're the best. Welcome back to Hanging with the Talking Cowboys. Break inside the SWBC, Morgan stuio Ken said, we just have one break today, so we're just gonna

take this baby home. Yeah, last half hour five five, two, two nine, sevens the number if you want to join us so you don't have to wrap the Christmas Show? Outside? Does the Christmas Show go on after? I think we're down to the final? Is today's the final night? Is it tonight's to find? And by the way, what time? It's easily? Oh, I usually should be listening to Bill Jones. It's six o'clock, six o'clock. Yet last one see the cheerlead at five o'clock and a bunch of money. I

thought you, I thought the halftime show the cheerleaders. Yeah, yesterday knocked it out of the part. You guys probably don't get to see it. No, it's great. As a matter of fact, I actually watched it. It was not what I What I try to do with me and brought us try to do is we try to go back and you know, go over the first half, and that is the stuff we we kind of work, you know doing that period. You know what I can I

can work. You want to see my halftime analysis, right, Look at all that red man looks like Santa's list. I would get big going if I said that, I knew I would get don't knock his hustle man. Yeah, what happened. Here's and here's halftime. Okay, Winston seventeen of twenty six one eighty Dak nine of twelve for seventy five, ZEK seven for forty six. Cowboys only twenty two plays for one hundred and sixteen yards, Tampa Bay forty two plays for two hundred and eight yards. It's their m

O risk. They passed those sheets out of the press. Now. I don't wait for the sheets. I get it myself. The sheets don't show up till the start of the third quarter. And then and then it when thing's wrong, and then Purcel's I can hear him now one wrong, all wrong, that's right, ass Lamicky, I'm not kidding. That's right, coach, I'm not kidding. All right, I'm gonna continue on with my questions for you. Fokays. All right, cool, best move

this team has made this season. It can be a higher it could be a trade, it could be a position change. Give me something that's right, be so by it's Marie. So what's why don't we just say other than that, other than other than the Marti? Yeah, other than I think you could you could alight that one actually if you want. Yeah, But I think you know, I think, to me, the most most unselfish thing that I've seen on this football team, and there's been a

lot of guys who have been very unselfish. The way was what Rod Marinelli has done to allow Chris Rashard to be what Chris Rashard can be. Where I was going that hire is up there, I think Chris, I love you know. The team was three and five, I get it, but the defense was playing that, you know, the offense was the one that struggled. He didn't trade for a pass rusher or a corner or a linebacker. He traded for a He traded basically for an offensive

player to try and help his defense. And I give I give Rod Marinelli a ton of credit somebody that understands chain of command, military guy, teamwork, camaraderie, you know, getting the job done. He could have he could have just made Chris Rashard's job miserable, you know, and said, listen, I'm gonna do what I want to do. But he really hasn't. He's from the word go, he's embraced him being here and it's and it's made a difference on

this defense. Look at the moves they made of moving Byron Jones the corner and playing all those young kids at Mickey just rattled off, you know, that's that's that's you know, a lot of it is because that's how you drafted these guys. But a lot of it has to do with a coach stepping up saying, you know what, put this guy at corner. See what you're doing. It's a Pro Bowl, you know, I give I give Rod

Marinelli a lot of credit for this one. That's one of the ones that if you say, um, if you say move him, allowing Christopher Shard to be Christoper Shard was my best move. I got twofold twofold babies. Let's

fold it up, and they're kind of the same. When everybody wanted to s can Randy Gregory, Wow, the Cowboys stuck with him, tried to bring him along, and now suddenly here at the end of the season, it's and he's got if I I six sacks now for a guy that hadn't played football basically in a year, and I think you're seeing the talent that he has. And last night it was needed. When Crawford went out um he ended up playing. He ended up playing fifty three snaps,

sixty six percent. Childton was forty six naps fifty eight percent. So those guys took over for losing. Tyrone Crawford, who a lot of the guys on this defense will tell you he's the conscience of that defense. He's the leader, and they were able to win a game without him and Sean Lee on the field. So Randy Gregory number one, sticking with him and trying to bring him back as a person. After the game, he really didn't want to talk,

he said, he did a little bit. When I went up to him, he goes, I just want to play and go home. I said, but you deserve to talk, and he goes, nah, I'm not all about that. And then UH, give give a big hand, uh to talk to doctor Dan Cooper for fixing that Jalen Smith knee and that the Cowboys. I know they rolled the dice with it, and sometimes you lose those things. Sure, but that kid who worked hard to get back to where he's at now, and I think those two guys made

a huge difference in the game last night. So I'll go there. Tip of the Captain Britt Brown too, Yes, for the rehab, rehab and everybody a tip of the captain Jalen as as Bason Garrett said last night, Hey, those are lonely days. Were out there rose two guys out for an entire year. They were out there by

themselves a lot when people weren't watching. Jaylen has said that Britt is almost like another dad, you know, the way he's just been on him and on him in tough love and and and Jalen's his attitude coming back. I think he said last night, I never doubted myself because too many people did so I couldn't afford to. And I mean the speed on that sixty nine yard return. If there's any question, any question about him being back. There were wide receivers chasing him by the way, and

they weren't gaining ground. Who you got, Nate, that's a Mari. No no, no, no, no, no no no no. We're gonna leave a Mari to you. Rob, No, no, no no, I got another one. Actually, yeah, this is this is for the first time and Cowboys, in the last recent four or five years, for the first time, we have seen what a good scouting department can do as far as going out getting young players, as far as going out getting pro personnel. Yeah, I'm going back to the offensive line.

We have Looney, have Sue Fela, We have Cam Fleming, who I just ragged. Well, you know how bad I talked about no in oxnar Go Bay. Yeah, these guys have filled in a pro personnel and what I call him Jesus a little. You know, the guys have went out and did great things that let this team be where it's at. Yeah, you know, they have done it

many the human law human law me. Wow. Yeah, well how about the scouny department, you know, making determination that with you know, I would have never dreamed working here that I would seeing Sean Lee be a healthy scratch. Yeah, I wouldn't have dreamed it. But but by going out and getting the guys they had the jail and Smith's and that, you know, I mean the fact that they trust Joe Thomas, they trust, they trust you know, march Lillard. You know, they trust these guys. They let them play man,

they let him play. We got vander esh draft night on the on the board right now on the screen, and that was that was my pick. And it kind of goes into Mickey's point about all these young guys. Just how many home grown guys they've got. Yeah, I wasn't a sexy draft pick. I mean linebacker, you know, but they had the long term vision of we know what's what's wrong with this defense? When Sean is out right? And I mean that was just another monster performance from

Layton Vanderrett yesterday and Jalen Smith as well. Those guys have absolutely balled at a level that's a Pro Bowl level, even though they didn't get in. Let me say this here, boy and brought has brought this to my attention. Man, did you know this boy cover yesterday like a beast? Jaylen? Yeah? Yeah, at first I didn't notice it. May come I'm looking. He said, Man, that was a nice cover by Jaylen,

But you're going back. He had two or three nice covers, and that to me, you have to scout these guys. You have to do the medical with Britt Brown and all that. I'm talking about, the whole deal, the medical staff they put together with these last two three years. And if tackle can come in and prove himself, man, what bad player did have? Well, all the players they have in the Pro Bowl, the f guys were all

drafted by this organization. And I talked to Will about this the other day and he put the credit on the coaching staff for sure. These guys in the right spot. But I mean it's the vision of that front office though. Start it starts there right right when you were talking about covering. The thing that Jalen and vander Esh do so well is they may catch the ball underneath. Yeah, they're going to be right there in your jock. Yeah, as soon as you catch it. They broke up a

couple passes like that. Their ability to run to the football after the catch is quite remarkable. I just believe that, like Xavier Woods when you building the team, oh man, like they trying to trying to do here and it was ugly year man, that's why you know, office line, it's been ugly. But we have never been able to in the last two years. Every other year when we have a bad team, we can't overcome the adversity. A coach get him say, hey, I like to appreciate, but

I'm telling about games where it's just ugly. It is flat out Yeah. The next man up works when you have players, yes, that are able, and a lot of the times that's your skying department disable to find those guys, and the coaches developed guys too. Look at that play right down man, it's bad radio man. But they can't see what we see that, you know what I'm saying. They can't see that because you know they can't see

that they should be watching watch it right. Yeah, but that right there was by Vanish at home Human Law. That was a great play man, look at it. Yeah, those are great plays by like Mick said, like by young guys man coming down hill. I mean that I don't have them often. For my friend that I answered to your own question, I mentioned Layton, Uh and what the front office has done with some of these homegrown guys. Brian mentioned five guys in the Pro Bowl, all draft picks,

all high draft picks, but nevertheless they got them right. Um. Mark Cooper is a pretty good move though too. When you're three and five, you make that move and then they go on this run and he has certainly helped the offense out giving him You know, that's a big that's a big picture move right there. Yeah. I said it last night, and I appreciate Nate bringing it up.

Jerry Jones deserves a lot of credit for because nobody hates giving up draft picks, especially high draft picks, more than him, And for him to sit there and say I got to do something for my football team. I've got to do something in this division. He did exactly what he needed to do. So that's what you're you know, that's what general managers do. They have their good days, they have their bad days. Jerry's had both. But in this case he helped his football team. Ah, they just

needed Hudson Houck back here. Hey, that helped too, and that that offensive line shift that Nate mentioned a few minutes ago with Colombo, no question about it. And it gets better though. Yeah, it helps getting Zach Martin back and see a Filo back healthy the other day yesterday. Actually, you know, go ahead and just look quickie. We I hope we don't lose none of these guys. I hope, I hope because every team ever you lose thirty five

percent of day players. You don't know, Jones, whether you don't know whether there's a core player or you know high it's gonna fake your team or is it just a phillying guy. But we got depth. We got depth now, competitive depth in that that that's hard to get in his league today. That's why you just send out send out the signal right now about free agency. Don't worry

about free agency. Worry about resigning the guys you got, yeah, lest the majority of them, and I hope they had that fire bro And you know it starts with Tank. But you do have Byron for another year under contract. You gotta, Mari Cooper. You got to figure it out. You got a quarterback, quarterback under contract for one more year. But you gotta start thinking down the roads. Beasley as a free agent, I believe us after the season. Okay,

next question, looking forward to this coming week. I've heard the answer from Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett, But what would you guys do with your starters in week seventeen against the Giants, knowing that you're locked into the number four seed no matter what happens against the Giants at the Meadowlands on Sunday, and knowing and knowing I only got forty six guys on game day of it. Yeah, is a case by case deal. That's that's the only way you can look at it. Seven years, eight year veteran,

don't get you off. It's a case by case deal. My numbers would be four, twenty one, and seventy. That's kind of how I would rest that's where I would start whole game or whole game, Okay, I'll throw seventy seven in there, Okay, anybody that's had something, or in the case of the quarterback, he's the quarterback out. Yeah, I think the quarterback plays a quarter. Yeah, go back to what they did in twenty sixteen. I've played a quarter, right. I believe this right here. I saw a game with

remember that one time that the clinch in Washington. He played the starters almost into the fourth quarter with Romo and Dez Bryan and those guys. I believe this right here, and I call them what you need to call me, act the Neanderthal. If Dak is in there, everybody that's capable of plan needs to be with it, be in there right right if he plays, That's why I took him out. Everybody plays one. If you don't play one quarter,

you know, do you do what you want? But if you keep it on a basis individual basis, player by player, you'll be all right. You know, Like I say, just called you. How about ninety thinking about him too, He's had a little something this season at times with the shoulder. Case by case, he's pretty I don't know what you do. How how bad is this thing? Nick for number ninety Lawrence, Well,

he's been playing with that break shoulder. Yeah. Um, you know, but this might be gaming once to play because Nate Solder, those guys can't my patch's numbers a little bit. Those I just I just believe, Yeah, and the reason why I bring it. You go ahead, Nate, Sorry, I just believe that it's a case by case basis. And but you play Sean Lee, No, he plays Vanders or Jay No, no, no, you just keep the rotation. No, you keep the rotation. And then this is Joe Thomas ready? Is is the

Covington ready? Yeah? If these guys are ready? Yeah, Kevington's been kind of a healthy scratch all year. Yeah, you let him go, but I'd like to see him play a half. Here's here's what Jason Garrett said last night. When asked, he said, if guys are injured, obviously they aren't going to play. If guys are able to play, we're gonna play them. We've got an important ball game in New York next week. And he's I think he's

speaking to momentum. He's and keeping momentum. But he's got to say this, so his players don't shut down, right, he doesn't want to forfeit three days of practice. Yeah, these are three days of practice. You get to get ready for the for the playoffs. So you don't tell anybody Nate Newton, guess what on Wednesday? You're not playing on Sunday. Well, then Nate Newton doesn't practice. He ain't trying. This is what I this is, this is what I think this week. Get ready for Seattle. I just Jason

gonna gonna keep his guys going. Yeah, and he may some shock us all with a half on what you mean, he may shock because you don't have a veteran team that knows what do even even when I look at the Rams, you can shut it down if you won't. But your momentumate there. Yeah, you know, you know, like like the Saints, she did came back and got that win. So if they wasn't saying, hey, hey, you know we got but we we had two weeks, ugly man, we have been winning and this is a lot of stuff

we gotta clean up. So it's a thought. You and if you think about twenty sixteen that when they only played like a quarter, it took the offense a half to get going against Green Bay. Yeah, the second half they started moving, sir, Is that a real thing? Nate? The rest versus rust And I know the Cowboys don't have a buy, but this is an opportunity to rest. Guys if you want this week, like he said, number seventy Martin, Yeah, yeah, you know Elliott would use it

would help him. Todd Gurley's not gonna play anymore. He's gonna win the rushing title. He's up by Yeah, I just look. Yeah, Todd Gurley is gonna have to have an incredible game next week for him to do They're not gonna do that because he got in bad needs didn't play this pass week. He's up one hundred and eighty three yards. Yeah, yeah, so I am not playing number twenty one. He had twenty three touches again yesterday eighteen. Darius Jackson, this is your life. Hey, let's see if

Rod Smith he's a giant killer. He did it last year running and receiving. Yeah, why not let those two guys handle it. Yeah, sailors right here, Connor Williams get in there and get a little block and going on, I can say mega's forty six guys. You got what fifted something in practice. Squad players that you can pick from, but you can't deplete your team to the point where Dak is in troublef he plays. Yeah, so if Dak plays, and I'm looking for everybody else to play. But if

he don't play, then this or what's what? But uh, be honest with me, I'm just worried about my defense. It's just I want to see I want to see those guys. I want to see those guys get after Eli Manning. I watched the little Eli Manning on Saturday. Yeah, you know when I was here, and he's gotten worse. He really has. I mean he has, but the team is playing better. The Giants are playing better. Yeah, but he but he's Yeah. They were, yeah, but they were,

they were. They were on the course to try and be eight and eight and they and they That gets to Tennessee the Barking play. Yeah, they've been playing these say this right here. Beckham didn't Yeah, Beckham hadn't played. But let me say this right here. Still, Manny, he's the biggest flincher in the world throwing that ball. Yeah, but let me say this right here, Yes, sir, if Barkley plays, oh, he'll play. I promise you, if you don't want to get hurt, you better not take this

team lightly because this kid knows nothing but to hurt you. Sure, so I'm gonna just think about it now. If you have it on Barkley, yeah, he gonna punish you. Yeah. So if you in there as a starter or you in there, you you better be bringing everything you got because man, I've seen this kid do some amazing things to people, many shaking them out of their boots, are running slap dead over him. Let's get going, cabin Frasier

and Thompson and those guys. Yeah, y'all seeing this kid. Yes, here's my top rated player in the draft last year. Actually Martin was no, no, yeah, the kid they Quentin Nelson. Nelson was, but he's right there. He was number two. Yeah. One of the thing about the rest, I just thought of this this morning. If you're the head coach, you have to put in the back of your mind you don't know when you're gonna play next week, but it could be Saturday night. Don't they have game Saturday? Yeah?

I mean there's a possibility that your team is playing your first playoff game on a short week. Did you say reps or refs? He said, rest Oh, okay, we're not talking refs today. We'll let Bill can let you do that this week coming up, but we're not doing that today. We all have time. We have too much to marry Christmas. Re creative referee guilty animal. Yeah, Oh I know, man, go ahead, Rob, You're a good point to what do you what do you all? I mean? Is that is that something you have to think about

if you're Jason, that we might be playing you know? Okay, Well, I don't know. This is my thought. This is my thought. Fox A is not going to give up the game. I don't think they will. That's right. Be you're playing a West Coast team potentially in Seattle, so you're not going to be early, you know for TV markets. Yeah, so I'm kind of thinking you're gonna be the late game on Sunday. Okay, that's kind of where I think this is going have the option to not give that

game up. Well, NBC is gonna fight like a SOB, but usually NBC will go they play the Saturday night games, they'll play the Saturn game and they'll probably they could take New England. Then they they hope they hope New England gets a game, and then they could it snows like a you know what, that's what they want. They want the cold. They'll take the coldest weather team and put them out there and say, okay, let's hope for a snow game. Well, New England clinched lie yesterday. Yeah,

but they're but they're but they're not. They're the second seed right now, right now, behind Kansas. Yeah, so they went even they might not know, they might not play. But if Houston, if they were to lose and then Houston jump back in, so it might be a thing. Houston will get a game and traditionally Houston play. The last time that Oakland was in the playoffs, I think the last time that Houston was in the playoffs, they

played the Saturday afternoon game. The Monday Night Crew took that one, but they played it on a Saturday afternoon. If I'm right about that, it sounds right. Yeah. Yeah, So Houston being a Houston being a team that you know, maybe not a lot of people will watch, they tend to kind of knock those games out on Saturday, if you know what I'm saying. It's just something to think about. I don't know, Ravens. Ravens could be involved here, you know,

that's those are kind of your Saturday games. Don't worry about it's alright, yeah, I mean we're at that point, right they I think the Cowboys. I think the Cowboys are gonna play late Sunday a right personally, and just to recap their two possibilities after this Giants game first round Seattle, that's the way it is right now, right, and Minnesota is a possibility as well. And Philly's trying to get the sixth seed at this point. But Philly, Philly needs to win in a Minnesota loss and they're in.

They get they get a Minnesota lost, they're in. But as those six seeds, So the Cowboys wouldn't So that means they would have to go They would go to Chicago and then Dallas. This is the way Dallas could get it if if you think about it, this is the way Dallas if you beat Okay, I'm really going way ahead. No, but I know where you're going on that rabbit. I'm going get to this. You'll play the Rams instead of playing the Saints, you know what I'm saying.

And then you know, you take your chances. What if Okay, what if Philadelphia goes and wins against Chicago, and Chicago that means that they would go and play the Saints. Then that would mean you win your game, you would have to go to Los Angeles. I'll take my chances with the Rams. I really will take my chances with the Rams over playing having to go to play a game in New Orleans in the divisional round. If you want to say, Okay, you know, you find a way

to beat the Rams. Now you're you know, maybe you're back in New Orleans. Saints probably weren't happy about that. Eating No, not at all, trust me, I know, I know inside information there. No, they weren't happy all. But but that that's kind of where you're at, if you if you really, if you get you know, I think I think Philadelphia has a better chance of beating the Bar then Minnesota does. And I think they play this weekend, don't they. Vikings play at the Bears and then they

have to turn around and do it again. We've seen that happen before, right him, Man, see Philly, Philly I think has a better chance of going and beat in Chicago, and then that would mean that they would have to go then take on the Saints the first seed. Yeah, Philly's kind of got that look of you don't want to play, but but if if you want to knock out, if you want to knock out the Saints, they need they need many to win. They need to win win

in the Minnesota loss. Okay, okay, And so Minnesota play the Bears and the Bears. Yeah, okay, all right. Now the Bears are in a situation where they're not they're they're locked in the third seed, right yeah, yes, and they are. They gonna show everything against Minnesota because they play them if they if they lose the game, they'll play them again the next week. It's a great if Minnesota beats the Bears. Yeah, Seattle loses, well, Seattle would

still be the sixth seed. Yeah, that's at it right here. Yeah, I'll put that together. I pray to God Backley don't play but a quarter. Well, if you're just looking ahead, what's your what's your path? What's your best path? And not to happen? Do we all feel like New Orleans is the best team in the conference? Yes, yes, okay, especially if they're playing at home. Yeah, avoid Now, Philadelphia went to New Orleans and got their you know what handed to them. You know, will that happen again if

they had together? You know, what's the best way you can You can maybe knock out the Rams. Maybe you get Philadelphia to knock off Saint knock off New Orleans. Now you're hosting the NFC championship game. I mean, that's right about that. That's a crazy scenario. But yeah, it's possible. I think when Philadelphia has done to these last two weeks. Oh but they clearly this quarterback that won the Super

Bowl for him last year's playing unbelievably. Well, yeah, man, I just beat the Rams, beat the Texans on must win games, have to win games, win your home playoff game first, and then I oh, I know, it's it's fun. It's fun. Yeah, but just stop Barkley. I don't get ran over and hurt by Barkley. Absolutely, I'm not worried about Barkley. I'm really not. I am. I'm not worried about this game. I'm worried about the playoff game, all right,

I'm worried about it. Barkley playing. It doesn't matter, doesn't matter, Yeah, it doesn't matter, all right. We only got a couple I saw, I saw a guy for Seattle last night. You know, the right tackle ran down open field and I tried to block somebody that got through a move when he twisted. Is That's what I'm saying. Worry about Seattle? Yeah, and it could very well be Seattle in a couple of weeks, all right. Nate spoke eloquently about what's got

to improve, talk about helping out that defense. Yeah, tell me, guys, Brian Mickey to make a run in this playoffs. What's got to improve from what you've seen in the last couple of weeks. Well, for the offense to improve, the offensive line needs to keep playing better, and they're not there yet. Can't let the quarterback get sacked the way, and I know everybody wants to blame he holds the ball too long. You know, I saw Drew Brees getting sacked last night. He was holding the ball because he's

trying to get the diron thing down the field. Right, So the people that don't like Dak they grab that, they do. He hangs out the ball too long. All right? Fine, chas that I know if he's not wrong, But I'm not wrong because I know what people are gonna say. Yeah, guy was twenty of twenty five. I know it was only one hundred and sixty one yards. His quarterback rating was one oh six one oh six. Okay, so did he miss a throw down the field to the tight

end to Jarwin. Yeah he did. He went underneath. He's got to step up and throw that ball. But again, you don't know what he's looking at, what's in front of him. But if offensive line protects him, this offense isn't bad. They can hurt somebody with the talent they have. They got to protect and they got to protect for the run. Brian Brown's got the last word? Is this just about the line or what they have to prove overall? Overall? What? What?

What concerns you about this team? What do they need to improve to make or run here in a couple of weeks. Yeah, I think it's all. It's all about the quarterback and whatever you can do to help this quarterback, whether that means the protection, the routes, the play calling, whatever you have to do to help him along. He's proven before to you though he could play in a playoff game. Yes, he went toe to toe with Aaron Rodgers,

you know, and and was no worse for wear. I mean that that was just a brilliant game by Aaron Rodgers. He's got some playoff experience, he's got an understanding, he's got that feeling. He's going to compete. He's gonna give you everything he has. Make sure you do everything in your power as a coaching staff and as his teammates to try and help him have success. It's a lot of things. The line, the receivers, the routes, the tight ends, the backs, all that he needs. Wherever you have to do.

Just keep him focused on what he needs to do. Nate, I'm with you. What you got? Oh you see it? Look at that? Yeah, this is the Looney Tree. And that's how we're gonna wrap up today's show. Everybody, thanks you guys for joining us, ken't for producing. Thanks the is it the Looney Trees? That thanks mister Looney for joining us as well. We'll see you guys after the holidays. Huh. That's right. Absolutely had a big impact. Oh, Barkley, don't

play this week, Barry Christmas. Happy holidays, everybody. We'll do our normal shows. I think Wednesday we'll get back going. Everybody enjoyed the break. We'll talk to you a couple of days, he Louie m