Hangin' w/ Talkin' Cowboys Break: #WASvsDAL Preview

You should have them vote which apparel they like the most. Your shirt, minor Nates or Dave's hat. My hat's gonna win in a landslide, for whatever that's worth. It is a special hat. It's starting to get cold outside, Beanie weather. It is beenie season. And tell me this when you when was it colder when you got here than when you left wherever you live? No, but only because I live right down the street. It was freezing when I walked from the parking garage to hear this morning. There

it is. We don't have tay to keep you in line today. I'm gonna do that. That's your job. Yeah, all right, let's talk some Cowboys. It is the eve of Thursday night football. The moment is almost here. Color rush. Can the Cowboys end this crazy three game slide there on? We're gonna talk about that over the next hour. Any thoughts there off the top? Anybody feeling better about it than you did after Thanksgiving? I'll tell you this, after

I saw what Washington's wearing tomorrow night. They should never win a football game? Is that right? I haven't seen it. What is it? It's yellow yellow, mustard yellow with the burgundy numbers, burgundy helmets doing I mean, yes, that doesn't sound very good. That's a new look for them. The rumors they're trying to get out of it, well they've been out of it. Yeah, you're right. Can't they petition the league that we are not wearing this? I think

Bruce Allen called the uniforms garish? So what what the players? However, you pronounced the players saw it and we're like, yeah, no, the unit the administration didn't like the color, so get ready for it, all right? The Cowboys is kind of normal. It's just white with wood pants the one they've been wearing, right, blue stars on the numbers. Yeah, it's nothing. I thought it was gonna be all white. It's a clean look though. Yeah, yeah,

but yeah, get ready for that yellow. Everything that happens is going to look like a flag gut thrown or something. Won't be any difficulty deciphering the teams. No, kind of like Thanksgiving where you had two shades of blue. To answer your question. Yeah, sorry, I feel a little. I feel better over the course of this week just looking, you know, you see the amount of guys missing for Washington, it's a lot like this first game they played. Seems like half their team is out and the ones that

will play are hurt. You know, Trent might come back, but he's not at one hundred percent. It doesn't look like Jordan Reid's gonna play. Ari Quanjo's playing left guard for them. They're probably gonna be They're on their second or third center. They got a lot of issues. Having said all that, you know, Anthony Hitchins looks like he's gonna play. Their hopeful le Collins is gonna play despite

not practicing. Having said all that, that deficit of seventy points over the last three games is just kind of hard for me to overcome in my mind, you know, I mean, I thought that they were gonna thought they were gonna have their backs against the wall and play well on Thanksgiving, and they did the opposite. So little, little, little more optimistic than I was over the weekend, but

still not really sure what to expect. Eight. These are two imperfect teams right now, both banged up, as Dave said, and both have had losses this season, both five and six. But both all of you guys have been to more practices around these guys more than a half. What I would like to know, what's the fit in of this team? Where are they at? Mentally? They just talking, just talking to the guys during the week. I mean, give me some feed on that I can. I can about to

tell you, Oh my ass out of that. What's been happening? Like the pulse of the locker room? Yeah, what's been happening? I mean I don't see a really down group during the week. Now we're only in there for forty five minutes, Dave. But yeah, I don't get the feeling that they've lost all hope. No, I don't get that. But I think there's frustration there though, especially and you know, somebody, we just did a mail bag where somebody asked and was like,

you know, what's what's the deal? Why aren't these losses even competitive? And I don't have a great answer, and I'm not sure they do either, And I'm sure that's really frustrating. I think frustrations. Okay, yeah, they don't seem like they're down and out. Dude, would you guys there

for the beginning of practice yesterday, I can't remember. I came in a couple minutes late late, but anyway, when they broke after they did their stretch and everything, I thought there was a little bit more bouncing their step that you know, they were kind of lively and short of playing it's the song gets Friday because it wasn't Friday, although it was Friday in their schedule. I thought they were moving around and I was kind of keeping an eye on just what Rob said, and I thought their

nature was pretty good. Yeah, and see that that's that's the only thing that matters if they if they're feeling good about this situation, and their body language dictates that. Uh, because you you you you're facing two teams where uh, they don't have no true identity. Uh, they're going out playing the cheffling players. Whether it's injury or whether it's the competition thing you chef you cheffling players, so you

don't know what you're gonna get. But as long as the Dallas Cowboys come out and play hard, play smart, they should be all right. They they're at home on Thursday night, the fans that are there should be in our favor and just go out and play. Run the ball twenty five thirty thirty five times, make a few jessament is not doing the game. I'm talking. Let's see some of jestaments as the game go along. You know, in the first quarter, try to keep your defense off

the field. Try your best to keep the defense off the field. And the reason I want to run the ball not just to say the defense. I want to run the ball because I think it gives Dak a better chance to be who he can be. Me. Yes, I wanted to ask you this. Let's think about this question coming in just for you because you're you're the former player, you're the six time pro bowler, you're the champ, former champion. Have you ever been on a team in this type of situation? Like I know you played a

long time. You're on some bad teams, you're on a one in fifteen team. You were on a championship team,

multiple teams. Have you ever been on a team that had high expectations and then something happened in the middle of the season, whether it was a suspension, injury, and then all of a sudden, the team doesn't look anything like itself, and there's this there's this lull that you guys went through, Like if you have you experienced that as a player, Nah, because we were either very bad very good, and even a year where we had where we lost an NFC championship game to San Francisco, we

never had, Mick, Can you remember what we just had? Yes, I got two for you. Your first year nineteen eighty six. Yeah, they were six and two. Yeah, they were six and two at the halfway point, tied with the Giants for first place, and they were playing the Giants and Danny White broke his wrist. Yeah, and they won one more game the rest of the season. That that right now,

I was a rookie and I wasn't you weren't, really, Bob. Yeah, they you know, everything was moving around me and I was just seeing it and I'm kind of like a rookie, like, man, I'm just having to be a cowboy. I mean they had the number one offense in the National Football League. Yeah, the offensive coordinator, um ah, what's out on them? What's amazing? But they were they Herschel Walker, Tony Dorset, yeah, Tony Hill. I mean they had it going and then they lost

the quarterback and Steve Pullur couldn't keep them together. And then the other one that comes to mind is nineteen ninety seven. You know, this team had been to the playoffs from ninety one through ninety six, so six straight years, had won the NFC East title five straight years, and they get to the middle of the season, if I remember correctly, they were struggling some six and five, and you went to Greeny yeh man, freezing cold and got the snot beat out of you and it fell out.

It would win another game. Let me say this, man, see the bad things like that, you forget them, You get rid of them quick. And I remember that game. I remember too, because I got I got hurt. I got hurt rep foot a half, I hurt my knee and when the wheels to come off and we we Switzer was our coach and his last year, yeah, Switzer was our coach and even though I love him to death, he had no control. The wheels had to came off.

So but this is I think it's different here. I think the coach is secure, he has a whole of his team. He can still talk and relate the guys. Where it's coach Switzer, it was like, yeah, right, okay, you know, and we were old and we were at the end, so it was man just to just to grind away on those games. What was was living, you know what I mean, just to grind away. But these

guys here, nobody should be feeling that way. And just my outside looking in, like I said, I don't I'm not that close to the team, but nobody should be feeling that way, you know. Uh. Now, my my biggest question is and I hated to pose this question, that's it to my phillies yesterday. Are we good enough? You know? Are we That's that's been a question posed on our show this week, A million dollar question. Yeah, I would have said, I mean, I think I'll sit right here

and say I thought, I'm pretty sure. I said four and two in the six games that Zeke wasn't here. Well that's not doable anymore. Now you're just trying to stick at five hundred, which will take some doing. And it's three wins in a row, two of which are on the road, so it's it's gonna be tough. I don't and I don't. I mean, like I said, I'm still a little shell shocked at the way this thing has gone. I mean, to lose three games is not a big deal. To lose them in this fashion is

not something you see in the NFL. The first game back home without Zeke Philly, I felt like they kind of emptied the bucket, at least in the first half. I mean the not that they don't anything left this season, but they gave it everything they had emotionally in the first half, five straight three and ounce and then Philly just kind of swarmed him in the second half. And maybe that speaks to that's a nine and ten and

one football team talent wise. It's just a different story when you're missing Zeke, when you're missing Sean Lee, things of that nature. I felt that more that the Eagles find found themselves. They were rushed in the first half, and I find I figured that the coach said, come on, let's let's run the ball, let's get ahead, let's stay even or get ahead of the chains and then let our quarterback. Though, let's don't let our quarterback try to win this game. Let's let's let the team win the game.

What what what I feel is this right here? You cannot go away from what you think you are just because you're missing a player you you have if you're going to impose you will as a coach. And people say, well, he's not making no adjustments, but he don't want to make adjustments. He wants his team to stay as it is. Okay, if you're gonna stay, run first now more than ever, you have to become run run first. And I'll go

back to what I said earlier two reasons. For your defense sake and for your quarterback sake, you have to. I don't care if if it's first in ten, run the ball. If you get two yards, so big, it's the second and eight, run the ball. If you get two yards, you're throwing anyway. Don't start getting fans since that all we're gonna throw the first down or we're gonna throw the second down because these guys are not up the party yet as the offensive line. So guess

what now? You you third and twenty five because we don't got a penalty here, we don't got a sack over here. I'd rather go down the field with thirty six, third and five and trying to complete that then the thirty nine, the third and eighths to third and fifteens. Run the ball for two reasons, to keep your quarterback standing and to keep your defense giving them a chance. You got the best partner in the league. He's doing

it right. Job. That's an interesting thought because I feel like most people would say, and I hear you, but I'm same. You could also argue you're setting yourself up to be punting a lot if you're just trying to run into a concrete wall. And the running game hasn't been bad at all over this three game losing streak, but coupled with what the passing game doing is, you can't say it's been good enough, can you. I think they're averaging four point seven yards of carry without Zeke

the season, so it's not bad. That's not bad. Mickey's point is that how many times have they run it into for a touchdown? None, I believe, or well, Dak yeah, no, oh, you're right, well Rod yeah, but it was a two yard run yeah, yeah, right, And what was Dax It was inside ten Yeah, something like that. And they started that drive at the twenty and the one time they did with an explosive play, he got called back for holding last week. Yeah, I'm one with you, mag I agree.

If if if everything was intanch is Zeke was going and everything was attack, I agree with you one hundred percent. Everything ain't intact. They mentally not on par I got to make it as simple, you know, and as easy as I can, because you know, at the end of the day, when this season is over, it's one guy that I got to have that's one hundred percent ready to go. That's Dak. I got to have him ready to go. And and I know from playing in this league,

it don't take year. Offensive lineman, you can beat me down over the year. You know. That's what I'm built to do. I'm built to get with you, right. I don't think quarterbacks are built to be hit the way this kid is being hit in this second year now. Troy Aikman survived it. Yeah, and you know pay for it at the end. But I don't want Dak, and I know he has supreme confidence, but man, I want

him more than that after the season. So and that's kind of being seven as Nate being seven, I think I think opposing defenses are just fine with the Cowboys running the ball. They almost hope they just run the ball. And the longest run Nate last week was nine yards. They're not getting anywhere. And I understand being persistent, but at some point, when the game gets away from you in the second half, you can't just keep running for

three or four yards. And the other teams scoring touchdowns from forty two yards out, well, they abandoned the run in the fourth quarter last time. If you're behind by twenty eight to six, what are you gonna do? If they were hind by thirty seven to nine, are you gonna do? I'm with you, I'm with you, I'm with you. But Jason Getty, we was ten to seven this and then Jason Garrett said, we disclose so seconds. So the second half we felt good about what we were doing

until the game becomes a blowout. You got to run the ball until it Once it becomes a blowout, then you do whatever you gotta do. And it's a thin line between when do you decide the game is to blowout. I've seen us be down ten twelve points and I know it is. Zeke is there. So we don't consider the blowout because we feel we in every game, well, you know what, we got to keep that same mentality because and I'm saying that, I'm saying it's from a

purely selfish point of view. It's gonna come a point with Dad gonna say no more. Whether he want to say it out loud, he gonna say it any way. He started to throw that ball, I promise you. I don't have the number, but I guarantee you in the first half of these last three games, I bet it, it's been very close to a fifty fifty split and I'm the ball, and I need for it to be that same way in the third quarter until it becomes a blowout. Almost like you're just you're game planning for

an eventual blowout. You're like, well, let's run the ball. You have to know it, like well trying you're trying to keep him off a dock. To some he's been sacked twelve times in fourteen fourteen twelve times in how calm twelve quarter or something like that, because we've not been pass blocking well in fourteen sacks and twelve, our receivers ain't been getting open. If the same guys that aren't pass blocking, well are they run blocking? Well they

run blocking? Are good enough? Because you know? And I'm not. And it's always the eye test, because that's what the coach is looking at. Right, Jason Garrett is looking at the eye test, and I'm with you. I'm with you. It comes a point where you gotta pass the ball just to stay even, or you gotta pass the ball to win the game. The question is, if you got a defense that ain't stopping nobody, you got to slow the game down. Be it by you break the hubble

with ten seconds left? Are you get are you run the ball? However you want to do it? You gotta save your defense. You gotta save your defense because no matter what you do, teams have been able to figure out that we got we can get them doing this and doing that is Uh. A Woozier is a combination of woods and all the competition is supposed to have them gonna gonna make that change. I don't think so. Uh. It's about giving guys opportunity and trying to figure out

a way to win the game. I agree with you. If Ezekiel Elliott was playing running back right now. But I just don't know that they have the juice in that running game to try to dominate the game that way. And I get you know, it's football one on one that you don't want to have your quarterback get hit. But this guy's built like a truck, Nate. I mean, if anybody can handle and it's twenty four year old Dak Prescott, Like I think, yeah, you gotta give you gotta give him a chance, you know, I gotta, I

gotta rap, I gotta raptor. And long as I'm running over VW bugs, I'm pretty good that Matt eighteen will have hit me by eight times. I'm gonna be like, oh my god. But I'm not saying don't throw it. I'm saying, give us a better percentage. Third and eight is way worse than third and five or third and four. Give us a better percentage. You're right about that. Yeah, that's all I'm axing for. I'm not saying we can't

throw the ball, but give us a better percentage. They do need to get some chunk plays down the field. I'll say that they've had three of twenty plus yard passes in the last three games, and La hit eight on them alone on Thanksgiving. They've got to be able to stretch the field to some degree and eight and and be balanced. I agree with you there. Let's take our first break on hanging with him there too. Yeah we are, Yeah we will now. Oh, I got some

numbers to combat you. Nicky's got those when I'm going about with Jason got hot content. It can be hard to find the right resource for learning about important financial matters. You search how to build savings, you end up reading about the one weird ingredient from supermarkets that can make you taller. That's why Bank of America build Better Money Habits dot Com, a safe little corner of the Internet

for answering your financial questions. Full of simple videos and tips, Better Money Habits can show you how to make the most of your money without resorting to random searches that always seem to lead to unbelievable photos of childhood stars grown up. To learn more, visit Better Money Habits dot com. What does it mean to be a Dallas Cowboys fan? It means you've got the passion of the heart to

do your part supporting the boys no matter what. That's why when the game's on the line, you're on your feet, whether you're at home or in the stands. Actually, you're more than a fan. You are a member of Cowboys Nation, and so is AT and T doing their part to keep you connected to America's team all seasonal AT and T is a proud member of the Cowboys Nations. Ice Cold, Doctor Pepper and the Dallas Cowboys go way back. They belong together like Texas and football, Silver and Blue shotgun

formations and Hail Mary's. Having a Cowboys football party without Doctor Pepper is like having Thanksgiving without the Cowboys. Basically, we wouldn't recommend it. So next time you have a tailgate, homegate, or whatever else kind of gate, grab some ice cold Doctor Pepper for you and your friends to enjoy. It's a Dallas Cowboys tradition. Doctor Pepper the one you crave. To work this big land. You need equipment with values

rooted as deep in Texas soil as you are. Like John Deer, compact tractors with a six year power train, warrant to in big features that help you work less so you have more time to do what you love. John Deer was first in the Texas fields and we're proud to be on the field as the official agg and turf equipment of the Dallas Cowboys. Find Texas sized deals at mind John Deer Dealer dot com. Slash football terms, conditions, exclusions, and warranty limitations apply. So who do you move for

the James? Hi? Everyone, I'm Taylor Stern. Inside the AT and Media Center, the Dallas Cowboys will be sporting their Coloraush uniforms on Thursday Night Football. Of course, they've borne them the past two years in their one and one in them, so hopefully this year they will add to the winning column. Stay tuned to everything inside the AT

and T Media Center. This is the Talking Cowboys break streaming live on Dallas Cowboys dot com and the officials Dallas Cowboys app and brought to you by Tommy John. Tommy John gives you the feeling of freedom where it counts with a contour pouch that nestles the boys with over three million pairs sold. We've put the hustle to make We've put in the hustle to make, John con you are nestle. There we go. There's a comment in there that doesn't belong in there. Cowboys underwear at Tommy

John dot com. Slash Forward Boys, what board slash Cowboys got You've been trying to take these liners away, transpose it. Yes, you did, million pairs sold. We've put the hustle. They then some of the best journalisms you know and it needs some Missouri editing here too, by Man Rule number six, no excuses. Read liners like a champion editing. Thank you, Vince Vaughan, you got it, you got hey. See all this merchandise we got here in the Orgas studio. It Christmas.

It is the holiday season, and it's Cyber Week at the Cowboys Pro shop online only at Shop Dallas Cowboys dot com. All offers valid through December second. And you can see some of these items in our studio right now. Look at these bobbleheads, man dak Zeke Dez. Why they all got neck braces because they will bobble if we don't and if we want to lead a neck braces on. Because we don't give these away, we could be messing

with them and break their necks. We're keeping them under wraps like they did McFadden until they didn't wow till he decided to retire. Well, they did keep him under wraps. Don't do that, don't do that. Hey, great career from Darren, no doubt. I wish they should last. I wish his last carry hadn't been a two yard loss, but he deserved better than that, right, sort of like Roger Staubucks last completion going to an offensive lineman. You know, the number of guys that get to end their NFL careers

on their terms is real. Real short ill Way bus might be seeing in New York right now, Haydon, Yeah, how about that man? Good guy? So I ain't like Man McAdoo or whatever his name with John McAdoo or fat dude, but I hated me. What do you I mean? Do you think they're just trying to tank the rest the season? Make sure they do another day? I get, I get wanting to see what your rookie quarterback can do, but why not just let him play? I don't go

play at a Geno Smith. You know what he is, I know what, I know what the head coach he is too fired. What's that name? He's a Macado. I mean, I don't want to cuss on this show man and never have it all. It's it's strange. What's going on up there. Cat was going to try to get less strange this week get a win over Washington. We'll see if it happens. Mick, can you break down the injuries for us? I've got the injury report right here, and it looks like Lele Collins has not practiced the past

three days. They only gave us two days of injury report. But I think maybe they're trying to get them to Thursday, not to get wear and tear on that back. So we should find out today what the official game day designation is. My question. My guess it's to be questionable. Unless you guys disagree with that. I completely agree with you. Malik Collins limited all week. I think he'll be good to go. Jason Justin Durant still in concussion protocol, has in practice all week. I think he's out. I don't

think he makes it back. Anthony Hitchins a little optimism yesterday after missing practice a couple of days with the groin. I think they were trying to just rest him up. He was limited yesterday. I saw him doing those individual drills. He seemed to be moving just fine, so I think he's got a chance. Sean Lee still gonna be out. So he'll miss his fourth consecutive games. Zach Martin, if he's good today, I say he's out of the concussion protocol.

They'll probably list him as questionable, but I think he'll make it. Tyrant Smith still trying to play through the groin and back and he sure looks stiff yesterday, but they've got him limited and then he'll go again. And then Ryan Switzer still limited with an ankle, and um, you know he was kind of moving around. I thought, did you? Yeah? He, I mean he was moving. He was making his cuts and doing the little donuts that

they like to do before practice really gets going. If I had to guess, I think we'll see two outs and a bunch of questions. Yeah. And I think the two outs, I mean, obviously those two guys are out, and I think most of the questionables should should be ready to go. We'll find out about Leil Collins. Yeah, Redskins wise Dave mentioned Jordan Reid being banged up this week. Could see more Vernon Davis for them. They've got to

see this list, yeah, get you. Eleven guys either limited or did not practice, and five of those guys in that category are their starting offensive Lineman. Yep, so including two starters Rulier and if I'm pronouncing it correctly, and Trent Williams. No, they're all starters. Sureff No, I mean guys that sat out there. Oh you mean did not? Yeah, two guys did not, but the other guys were limited. Is Ryan arrogant plan? Yep, it's zigger hood plan. Yeah,

Junior can let plan? Yes, Josh Norman back, yes, Okay, tell you something, man, let me tell you something. That's why, that's why we have to be careful in how we handle that rock. We can't put it on the ground. And I'm talking about offensively. We can't put it on the ground. We cannot have those holding penalties, we cannot have no off sides. We have to play nice, solid

offensive football. I mean, because I'm telling you their offensive line coach gonna have a scheme that he can deal that his offensive line will be able to deal with. That's just how good he is. So I'm not worried about them, Jamison Crowder, It's come to life. Their quarterback is lighting things up. So I'm not worrying about the offensive line. What I'm worrying about is if this team and I'm sticking to what they said, and what they told is this team was built an our team offensively

to take the pressure off our defense. We gotta make sure we've keep the pressure off of our defense so they can compete. All right. So having said that, yes, sir, it was three nothing at halftime, Yes it was. Cowboys had to kick off. Chargers had the ball for nine minutenutes. Yes, sir, I'll do it, and now it's nine nothing. That's right, Dallas Cowboys get the ball. They drive to a first and ten at the forty. One of the charters did a little passing. Most of it was passing. First down,

Alfred Morris gains five yards. Second down against the Blitz, he gets two yards third and three at the thirty four. They run dak On a read option keeper for a touchdown holding call thirteen. All right, what are you gonna do on third and go? All right? Got as what happens? Uh? He gets pressured, Uh, and he has to throw the ball away. You punt, all right? You can't even kick

a field goal? Right? The Chargers get the ball back and the next time the bout Cowboys touched the ball, it's sixteen to nothing and there's one forty two left in the third quarter. Cool, So now what do you do. You run Morris for five yards, you throw uh an out pass, and you get a hold on Collins. Now it's second and fifteen at the fourteen right now, and see what they did second and fifteen. They threw a

screen pass to Morris for thirteen yards. Now it's third and well my numbers, So off third and two, they get a first down, they drive down two and they score a touchdown. All right, but now there's twelve forty eight left to go, and it was the school okay, so they had to get out of the running sixty. We got a sixteen and six, okay, and then the Chargers make it twenty two to sell. Well, that's what happens when you give up scoring drives of seventy seven

ninety two yards, seventy five yards. Not only are they building a lead, but they're they're wasting time off the clock seventy five, eighty five and ninety against the Eagles if you want to take it back four days. And you can't blame that on the offense. The defense not getting off the field, they're not putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. I know that it's first of all, I don't know that this would make all the difference in the world based on the way they've been playing, and ill it's

also not completely up to them. I mean, it's a fifty fifty shot. But might we see a different strategy at the coin toss in this game after the way the last two have gone. I would be in favor of that, I think, But I and I loved. I loved the strategy of taking the ball to start the game last year because it was working. It's not working now. It last year reminded me of Nate's old teams. You get the ball to start the game, you have a

five minute drive, you score touchdown, it's seven nothing. That's what you guys did every week. But maybe I'm oversimplifying, but Mickey just spelled it out for you, like a nine minute scoring drive that it results in a touchdown and puts you down by two possessions right off the bat in the second half. And how many games this year have we seen something like that happen? So what if that happens with the first possession. It's every It's

entirely possible, And like I said, it's entirely possible. That the other team wins and defers and then there's nothing you can do. I get that, but if you're put in that situation, I think you try to maximize the strength of your team. The Cowboys forced five three and outs against the Eagles. They managed to hold the Chargers to three points. Even if they had made that missed field goal, you're still talking about six points. They've been much better at getting stops in the first half than

the second. I don't think you can argue that. So I try to play with the strengths of my team. Again, would it make a huge difference. I don't think you can say that they've lost these three games by seventy points, but hey, makes it up and try for something. Okay, okay, what's the strength of your team right now? Who? What's the strength of your teams? A great question. I think they're trying. They're trying to figure that out. Right, it's your offense, Well, it's supposed to be okay right now.

I think the strength of your team is that you can still run the ball fairly effectively, and you have a versatile quarterback that hasn't been playing great, And why don't you want to put them on the field because they haven't because you've been because yourself at a disadvantage. With the way these games have been, the third quarter by far has been their worst quarter. Receiveless we get open, we wouldn't be having his issue. You think that's the main issue. I catch the ball when when when it

does hit the hand. First of all, we dealing with a quarterback that's still finding his way in the NFL. He is a safe quarterback. So when he see a window that normally Philip Rivers have learned and Tony Romo have learned, any quarterback that is better than the average have to learn. He's still deciding, Okay, is that open now? He said, okay, what I don't have the opportunity? Now I don't. It's like I gotta throw this ball. So now he's trying to get it out of his hand.

So you have to make plays for him. He's still a young quarterback. You have to make plays not that fifty to fifty. Forget him throwing the deads and he got the back shoulder. I'm talking about just him fitting into a window. You know, now you got to come up with some of those plays. You have to come up with some of those plays and because now he don't know he got pressure coming from the rush, he got even smaller windows. So what do you do? What

do you do? Receive us have to make play. If you I don't mind, I would probably have a different attitude if we were catching the ball. If we were catching the ball, I would have a different attitude. But you're not catching the ball. What are you doing to your quarterback? It's some of that the Zeke effect too, though, that they've taken away that big play element and maybe in the play actions not as much of a factor as it was, and it's not as easy as for

the receipt I agree one hundred percent. I agree one hundred percent. But still as a wide receiver, you gotta you gotta catch some of those balls, and maybe maybe it's something hey hould have been a great catch, will make the great catch you you At the end of the day, it's one person that's got to be standing. Do it. If this man ain't standing, now, you got to go out and find another one, Rain Dakota, this

guy yeah, number four, Yeah, if he ain't standing. At the end, and when all of this clears, when all of dust settle and Zeke is back and and I ain't teking I this year. I'm to my year going into whatever we're going to if that man there ain't standing and feeling strong and standing at the podium saying I'm gonna find out what's wrong and I'm gonna figure it out. Did you get the impression just talking to him the other day that his confidence is shaken. No,

he's he's he's he's the same guy. He doesn't ever strike me as not confident. He's a walk of life. He's the most even killed guy I've ever been around five in the last two games. And I gotta tell people a lot of times, it ain't about what you say, It's about what you're doing. Well, that's fair. No, that's one hundred percent fair. And I'm not sitting here trying to tell you that it's playing well. But I think his response to it has been the response that you

that you would like to see at least. Yeah, I'm with that. I'm with that. I mean, I'm with what y'all saying. That's why I ask y'all, what are y'all? But as time go on, we gotta throw I'm not I'm not one of the people that oh no, no, no, we gotta throw. But if it's if it's third and four or five or third and two, I don't run it. And if you have to get up the field, so be it. We get out the field, well then that's

more pressure in your defense to get stops. And you're facing a guy Kirk Cousins that he will make mistakes, he will make turnovers, but he also can rack up yardage and score points on you. So they got one, they got one, They got one and a half receivers. They got a Crowder who's playing nice. They got Dotson who is coming along well, they got a tight end Davis. Who's who's doing it as an old man? Read is I don't know is he playing or is he questionable? Read?

Who's that? Is? He? It doesn't And you got a guy and Pete Ryan that will put the ball on the ground. They've lost. They stood running back in practiced all week. I don't think you got a guy that can put the ball on the ground. You got a guy that can put the ball on the ground. Pete Rynder put the ball on the ground. Don't let him get started. I think he got one hundred yards ord one hundred yards last week. But Jason Jamison Crowder. He had a decent game against US, fast time this time,

he he but he's not Keenan Allen. You know, he's not Keenan Allen. So he's you know, I talked to somebody and you know, a defensive back, and he made it seem so simple. He say, you know what, shouldn't win man the man to put a guy on top of him? No, goddess, well he be. He say, whether it's like, say, is it that simple? He say, well, the where I play, it's that simple. But maybe the way we do it over here is not that simple. Way way too much zone. I thought, one man, one man,

should not this dude. This dude is not the dude in Atlanta. Other dude, other dude. That's what still is. He's not that guy. But he is a good receiver. I steal is a solid receiver. I spent all last week saying that about Keenan Allen, and he made me look like an idiot. So you know, I mean and I mean, I agree with you. I agree with you. But the way that they've been the way the opposition has been hitting these chunk players is not we It's a fine line with all of us say, it's a

fine line. How much do you run? How much do you pass? But it still goes back to this right here. And I've asked everybody asks me. I've asked you, and I've asked you defensively. Are we just blowing smoke because they're just not good enough? Well, let's answer that question when we come back. Well they are for a half. Let's answer that question when we come back. What a segue phone number two one four eight seven two twenty one oh two. We can take your calls and we

will answer that question. Next on Hanging with the Talking Cowboys, Break Cowboys fans know that the second best of anything simply won't cut it, and your skincare should be no different. A long time locker room favored of the players and the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas based Jack Black is the number one best selling men's skincare brand in the country because we make products that

help guys look, smell, and feel better. Visit get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys to get ten dollars off your first order of fifty dollars of more Jack Black Look good, smell good, feel good Official Men Skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys. Star Sports Tours is the only official fan travel partner of the Dallas Cowboys, offering exclusive game weekend travel packages with sideline access and photo ops

with current players, alumni and cheerleaders. That's not all, though, You'll get to talk x's and os with Senior Director of Player Personnel Will McClay and of course with yours truly, me, Brian broad Us. You can trust the official fan travel partner of the Dallas Cowboys, and with us you'll travel like a pro. Visit Cowboys travel dot com to book your travel package today. I hear all this talk about

what it takes to be a cowboy. Everyone's got their ideas, but I just say to myself, it's what's up top that matters. Sure, you need men with the muscle and heart to get her done. But if your scouts and coaches are listening out there a word of advice. Pick the man with the most well worn stetson. That's the one most cut out to be a cowboy. Stetson hats are handmade right here in Texas and at bet On

Cowboys Heads for over one hundred fifty years. The rest of you can visit stetson dot com slash Cowboy to find a retailer nearest you. What does it mean to be a Dallas Cowboys fan? It means you've got the passion and the heart to do your part supporting the Boys no matter what. That's why when the game's on the line, you're on your feet, whether you're at home or in the stands. Actually, you're more than a fan.

You are a member of Cowboys Nation, and so is AT and T doing their part to keep you connected to America's team all season. Law AT and T is a proud member of Cowboys Nation. This is the Talking Cowboys break streaming live on Dallas Cowboys dot com and the official Dallas Cowboys out Hey, guys, do you know why Papa John's pizza tastes so great? Why? Why I do? Mickey? Do you know? Every day? It's the veggis? Right, Well, it's the ingredients. Mandents like the veggis which are never frozen,

and the pepperoni one hundred percent pork and beef. Better ingredients. Pizza A John's pizza, all right, and enjoy some in Papa John's while you're shopping online this holiday season? How about that is they have a cyber sale. It is Cyber Week at the Cowboys shop. Nate at Shop dot Dallas. Cowboys dot Com offers valid through December second. We mentioned some bobble heads. They're all down to twenty four ninety

nine right now through December second. And we've got some gear that we're show Yeah today, Yeah, I got my sharing old man. Vicky and Nate have the Mitchell and Ness sealed the wind shirt sealing the wind footed shirt. Yes, I walked in. There you go, there you go. It was seventy bucks. Now it's twenty four ninety nine. I've got a Mitchell Raglin t down to fourteen ninety nine. Go shopping too. How about dates had? This is a new Arabini. I don't know how much it costs, but

it's uh, it's awesome. Shall we put them up? Yeah? Say wow. May Newton calling out Assassin's Creed, I would have never. I would have never he'll go to Apple on you take away you wheel. I never would have guessed that Nate Newton would talk to me about Assassin's Creed. You played the video game or the movie? I watched a movie? Man on it to tymplally get to apple Man, can we do it this way? There you go getting more like Obi wan Ye waking bro Elichick style. I

like it. I like it all right. Let's answered Nate's question. Defense. They play well for a half. I think they've had a lead in one of these three losses, and then it's a close deficit at halftime, and then the damn breaks and it's the offense involved too. But it's seventy two to six in the second half of the last three games. How much you put on the defense? And what's wrong? Besides not having Sean Lee? We all know that's a problem. So a big problem is that everything

is it just like not having Zeke. It can't be everything, right, I mean, like the results tell you that it's everything, But how can that be? So how can you be good enough to hold the Chiefs to seventeen points one week and and everything that's come after? You know one guy, and I know how good Sean Lee is. I know he's an all pro. I know he's a tackle machine. I watched him rack up like twenty five against the Giants last year. He single handedly won the Eagles game

at home in twenty sixteen. It's stuff like that where he pushes the Eagles out a field goal range, which sets up the offense to tie the game, to go to overtime. Like he's a big time player, But how can it go from above average to nothing? Well without one guy. I'll just say this, you guys chime in. The biggest correlation to me when he hasn't been in the game has been run defense. Yeah, been bad when he hasn't been in the game specifically, But you know

the Chargers, I don't know. Did they not have to throw? They run? They ran a courtesy They gave you all some courtesy. Run They did not run. They didn't have to run. They ran five yards per carry. They had eight at half time, ran thirty three times for eighty one yards, and they held Melvin Gordon to three yards of care. That's about what he's been averaging this. No no, no no, no, no no. The quarterback held him quarterback.

They only had eight yards in the first half. Of the first play of the second half, they ran for eleven. Where I was going was Shaun Lee wouldn't have stopped all those chunk plays in the passing game last week. Most likely not not everything, but they were seeing I bet if you go back and look, the majority of those plays were busted coverages. They weren't like getting beat, they were busted coverage. And see that that that's what irritates you to death, and that and that, and that's

part of not being good enough. One thing you should the first thing a young player should understand about this league is my technique. Technique may be bad. I may be not the greatest tackler, but I'm at least know where to line up and who to get now you and that takes some inner inner thought. Okay, I at least know it's third and fifteen. Okay, I'm not gonna get third and thirty back off of this guy, even though it's a zone. I'm gonna move up a little close.

And if I pass off a guy, I'm gonna least make sure, Hey, switch switch switch and call it guy Nay, you're switching to Jones. Switch switching Jones, Jone. I learned him on something. Jones should be saying, Hey, I got you, got you joining, I gotta switch somebody. Part of being good enough is knowing what to do. So do you think shuffling in the secondary this week does anything? Because

it looks like that's what's gonna happen. I'd be interested to see how they play those guys, Yeah, because I think from a rookie standpoint, they're better off playing man than they are zone. I agree. I mean, I don't know what they were playing on that first series of the second half, because they got him to third and two, and then they got durant on Eckler is that his name? Yeah, yeah, yeah, and he did a stop and go on him and

nobody helped him. Yeah, and you got, you know, your ten year veteran linebacker trying to run with their speedback. That's a great scheme on LA's part. It's like they mismatch, they hit him with something, you know. And then the next time they had him fourth and one, and and then there was the previous series at the end of the first half and they got the it's it's third and four, third and five, and they got the interference call on on Anthony Brown. They run a similar offense

fourth and one and it gets interference call. They run a similar offense to hours. Pieces of their offense fits into offense. Fellow, I'm gonna be honest with you, Please do nay. They they they they they did not run the magnificent scheme. It's just guys got to care enough to least compete in line up. You know you got you got to line I see you. It stirred and whatever I got you, Yeah, you got if you motion away, if you motion away, and I have to seal down

because I can't go all across the field. I got to seal down. I'm gonna let somebody know it's called communication. Two years ago you're here, Uh the Devon's accordity to say, it's all about communication, It's all about talking, being alert. That's where my man is so great. He's babbling, he's talking, and I'm talking about Sean. I'm talking about Sean Lee. He's talking. Somebody's got to be talking. Somebody's got to be saying, fella's alert to this, alert to that. Rod

spoke to that during the week. He said, there's got communication breakdowns and obviously technique is part of it too. And you have situations too like the forty two yard Keenan Allen touchdown and run. That's the one that I can't stop thinking of. Well, I mean, it's just guys trying too hard to make a play hit, you know, get the big hit instead of just making the tackle, and you miss five tackles on the way of the end zone. You know, those those things are correctable at least, right, Mick.

Does anybody ever play zone against the Cowboys? Sure doesn't seem that way, right, It's always man with safeties over the top. Yeah, Yes, the Cowboys are playing this zone stuff and guys are running you got the tight end running wide open across the field, you know, and don't play it well. Going going all the way back to twenty thirteen, I feel like that's been They're they're better in man than they are in zone, right, Okay, been a theme for years. So we may see a lot

more a cheetoh this week. Yes, what do you guys think of him as a man corner? Seeing enough? Well, I know, yeah, I know you have him and he's big. He's big and athletic, which would typically mean maybe he could be a good man. But I have seen enough of him to know how I should feel. And he can run. Yeah, exactly. I tell y, it's here. Tell 's here, and I'm gonna tell you what make what change the face of what's going on. If our two safeties,

we're good. If our two safeties were good. I mean better, not just good, but better than good. It'll be a whole different It'll be a whole different atmosphere out there. It just would. I mean, you can't be guessing as a safety because you are to clean up. You clean up all messes. But when you are part of the mess, it just looks worse. Just you. You saw the player on Brown where the safety came late, where Woods came

I'm like, okay, he got caught underneath. This is the This is what bothered me is I looked at the him. Phillips dropped back and he didn't look at nobody, just like, okay, safety, I can see it. I know they bet underneath. No, you're right, I think I'm not. We're gonna need to get Nate a headset. That's true. Nobody. Nobody's gonna confuse Barry Church with Darren Woodson. But you miss a guy like that in a season like this. There were fewer

big plays when he was in the game. Last year when he had the broken arm, there were an increase. They didn't they didn't give up chunk players. I gonna tell you what, don't see that That the reason I refused to bring up these guys name is because that's just wished for thinking and and we had Zeke, so we ain't got Zeke. These guys gotta understand line up. See if step one, I'm gonna know what to do and I'm a tack on my guy, you will be amazed if we just know what to do and tack

our guy, how much difference in the the landscape will look? Well, this is versus not knowing what to do and then you ain't tackling too because that that don't that don't see. I got you gotta get me past the basics first. Okay, this is where you line up. This is how you handle this. If they go in motion, this is what you do because these coaches go over every ounce of that. Yeah they do. So this is what you do. You you don't tell me at eleven ten eleven games in

you don't understand that. Now it's the effort of do you want to tackle? And when and when and when? This keenan Allen got ran through five people. I put my clothed, my pad, y'all zip close your pad. Yeah we got five stop stop right? And I told Brodest, I said, Brodest, you keep charting. I want to. I want to watch a game with you and brought us. That's the saddest thing about being at the stadium is that I don't want to get to watch with y'all. I want to know what that's like. You just well

see we sit two different places. See, because I don't want to brod Us always give me. You know that was fifteen yards. You know I've dated the first half of last year. Hey, fifteen yards. You know we charted the plays and so he given me. I'm We're on the other side of the room, and I just tell Brad said broder no, not you. You have to know what. That's enough for me. Thanks, that's enough. Fight. Now you

can dispute me on everything. Me and Mick will go back and forth, Me and you will go back and forth about whether we should run a pass. But you can't dispute me on You should know your plays and you should have the gotta be assignment sound on this game, no doubt about it. Let's go to take a phone call. Gene and Philly still in the line, Kent Yep. Sounds like hey, Jeane, yes, hi, hi, hi, Hey, this quick question. Um, don't you think that where we're sitting right now is

because of the salary cap. I mean, where's Terrell McClane, he's in Washington. Where's Barry Church He's on another team. Where's JJ Wilcox, Where's Brandon Carr? Where's Moo? I mean, decisions were made by management based on the salary cap. We couldn't keep those people, and all right, Zeke, we're gon We're gonna be based on Zeke. And now Zeke is gone, and now we're seeing all the flaws come out of the woodwork because the salary cap is what

is handicapping us. And just like to get your thoughts on that. So thank you, Thanks Jean. That's a great calling. You've been the best call all week. I don't know if we have maybe all season. I don't know if we have three minutes to I mean answer that question. It's because it's a great share we do well. It's a philosophical question that really it affects. Yeah, it is, and it affects everybody in the league. Everybody's had to deal with the But the cap is there so that

stuff like this happens and the league is unpredictable. That's exactly right, that's what they want. They want. Every team in the league except for maybe two or three knows going in. I don't know. I don't know what they was. I don't know what philosophical and all that, right me? But I bet you just philosophical to omit reality here what the data is called? No, it is, It is philosophy because you have to you have to make a decision. You have to side on guys you want to keep

and guys you don't want to keep. And they made a decision to let a bunch of veteran dbs go and draft younger players to step in and fill their roles. And what's happening is you're seeing young guys and some of which missed a lot of time in preseason and during the season, are now put in position late in the year to make plays. Which that's part of the life in the NFL these days. This is this is

the epitome of hindsight. But you could argue that you could have seen you you could have seen this coming, that the decisions they made in twenty seventeen would set them up to take a step back. They would have needed a lot of things to go their way to maintain the momentum of a thirteen and three seasons. Okay, the big question, sorry, the big question is going to be is do those decisions set you up to maintain that success moving forward? Do these young guys become good players?

Do your you know, do those basic your decision to get younger and move on? Is that going to work out in the long run? And I don't think these struggles indicate that that can happen. But like I said, you could have seen the writing on the wall that trying to turn over your defense and part of your offensive line, et cetera was gonna make you take a help if you had zeke for a full sea of course. Yeah, okay, what was your prediction at the beginning to year? What

was your roocort? I believe I said ten and six, Say ten and six nine seven ninety seven. See, because I factored in that with the loss of these guys, I've been factory in that they would be injured. But still I will go back to this right here. If you know where in the line up and and I don't care if you catch a twenty yard as tackled a guy if he's there tackling him. Now you get a chance to line up again and let him through

another twenty yard pass and we'll tackle him again. But if you don't know who to get, this is what happened in the second half. You don't know who to get, you don't want to tackle nobody. This is what you get blowouts in the second half. You tackling the first, well, you can't tackle in the second. They're five and six right now. Yes, if Zeke and this is the epitome

of hindsight, I get it. But if you have Zeke for a whole season, you're at least probably six and five right now, right and seven and four is not a totally ridiculous idea. Yeah, hypothetically you're approached tread the thought of having Zeke. I mean, he does a lot to help you patch over the problems with this team as we saw. I mean, that's a huge part of the reason. I think that's fair to say that they

were winning games earlier in the year. That's why that Lady huf Huff philosophical is out of it, because I think, yeah, because because you made a decision and a decision and yeah, I'm just saying you have to you have to have you have I got to have a philosophy with your team. Got you gotta decide you want to spend bigger, got to go through the draft. And they're trying to do the right thing, I think. But what they've got, they're playing a lot of young players on defense, and they're

paying for it. And I'm glad that I have no problem with. My only problem is and and I've did shows what you guys before, and I and I line up if you want to impress the coaches, line up, know who to get and tackle that person on defense because they have been shown a willingness. We will take a big play here and there, will will take a chunk play here and there. But if you tackle these guys, it gives us a chance to line But you can't just back to back, you know, walk off the field.

I got you and do that, But think about think about the safety last one, mick okay, think about the safety position Byron Jones, first round pick, Jeff Heath, free agent guy right Okay, Cavan Fraser, sixth round pick, Xavier Woods. I understand what you understand what you're doing. So so you're relying on some guys that were not drafted high and and and you're you're asking them to perform like starter, no, no, no, I'm I'm asking them to know who I understand what

I'm saying. Yeah, I'm sometimes it comes down the talent I do. But you can't tell me that you can't break down after after two guys to miss the guy you don't got a chance of run and get him in position. And now all of a sudden he faked you out too. So they're like, that's that's yeah, the end of the Kansas City Gate be a Simon sharp for four quarters and that's that's all. That's what we're gonna find out if the Cowboys are gonna do on third day night, k can they put a complete game together?

Such a good host in this losing streak. Thanks Dave, Philosophy has met Reality, Thanks Mick for joining us. Thanks to Kid for producing off hand sight. It was it was Gene right, We gotta right, we gotta remember. It's a great called Philosophy has met Reality. Thanks everybody for joining us. Enjoining Thursday night, Well philosophy is We'll check in with you guys on Friday. See then. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.