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Cowboys.
This is Talking Cowboys straining live from the Dallas Cowboys World Tours at the Star in Frisco.
Straight six second Pascot tisdown and.
Now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda and Kyle Yeomans.
It's a Tuesday edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company. As we are live from Black Rifle Coffee in North Frisco, Talking Cowboys on the road today, as we break down, of course, what happened on Sunday with the Dallas Cowboys and what's coming up in week ten. Alongside John Matchoda, We've got Isaiah standback, Nick Arrists, Chris Beam in the back of Kyle Yeomans. Everybody is here.
We are on site. It's a little bit different this time around, John, but you've got the fireplace behind you, you got the smell of medium roast in the air. It's the perfect way.
To start the morning, right a coffee drinker.
I want yeah, I want you to lie. I uh, good to be here, Good to be here, Isaiah.
I'm going to be here. You know I've been showed shooting up Black Rifle Coffee Company for a minute now, So uh, you got all the RTG, all the RTDs in person. We got the brew right there, we got the brew crew, got a big fella back there, you know, making it happen. So I'm happy.
Now.
I am a little confused as to why John and I are sitting there to each other with a nice little little fire behind us. We're gonna ask Beamer about that one, but I'll pass it.
No, it's gonna be here.
This is a quicker drive for me this morning, so I got like ten extra minutes and it was great.
A little bit closer than what the Star brings for you, and a little extra fuel to go with it as well. I've got my coffee on the way, really excited about that. We've got the drip. Do you even know what the like drip coffee is? Because you're not a coffee Okay, you know of it, so that's that's good. You've got the America's Team Blend in front of us, which is available. I know they're on the shelves right over there too.
But then I'm flying walking out with a T shirt.
You're walking out with a T shirt. They got a merchandise here too.
Yeah, but I'm walking out with a T shirt today. I'm a rep.
Okay, absolutely rep some Black Rifle coffee. They do a great job in the community. Plus they've got their Frisco grand opening. This is the soft opening of the North Frisco store, but they have a grand opening on Saturday. Doors open at five am. It's a coffee shop, so starts right. Got to get here early. The first fifty in store customers receive a free twenty ounce yetti tumbler. I feel like we should count as the first fifty. I mean, we're here right.
Right now, I feel like but you know, I don't mind getting here early. I'll do five am.
Yeah yeah. If you didn't want just the tumbler, you get a free batch brew coffee for an entire year.
Oh wow.
Yeah. Real camping about.
At like three am though, you know it's gonna be popping.
See.
No, what happens is you got it's all about smoking distractions, you know what I'm saying. Oh look at that it turns around. You just slide right in spot and they can't move right.
I'm too big, right, You don't know who's going to be showing up.
I might not want to mess with I just about.
To say, you might not want to mess around with it.
Box out.
But the address sixteen five nine nine farm to Market Road FM for twenty three here in Frisco, Texas, five am, doors open. Charlotte Jones will be here on Saturday. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders will be here, Rowdy will be here. It's gonna be a whole lot of fun. But John, we've got to get your thoughts first time here on the show since you arrived back in Dallas from Philadelphia. Twenty eight, twenty three final score of the Eagles over the Cowboys. What are your thoughts from Sunday night?
So for me, going into the game, I thought that there was a chance that they could lose by multiple touchdowns, and the way the game started, I thought it could have been headed in that direction. So I was I was impressed on how when they came out and got when three and out Philly scores. But then the answer the way that they did, I was, I was genuinely impressed with that and kind of it set the tone like, Hey, this isn't going to be some type of a san
Francisco Part two. But then the third quarter happens and you're just like, yeah, this could this could get out of control. I didn't think the defense played well enough. I mean, that's you know, how much any times have we talked about them being the strength of the team. The defense had to play great, needed the defense to show up, and they didn't in that third quarter, But
then they do in the fourth. I mean, just the ups and downs of that game were wild, and then to even get the chance to steal it in the end, it was stunning. And I will say this, going in the locker room, I didn't really know what to expect, but it certainly was a more positive locker room than I can remember after any loss. I literally there isn't even like a comparison. I can't even think of a
rival to it in my time covering this team. And so maybe that's a good sign, you know, maybe that they feel like that this is a building block and they can take it's in a positive direction. The issue is that now you're two and a half games back of the Eagles, and this is a team that really needs to win the division. With how they've played at home, you don't want to be going into this as a wild card and having to play on the road all the time, and so they got some catching up to
do now. I mean, I certainly think when they rematch against the Eagles, that's a must win. They have to have that game. But there were a lot of good things to take out this game, obviously, with number one being Dak Prescott.
I'm gonna sound like a therapist, and it's not just because of the coffee and the fire behind me and we're leaning back in these nice leather stures, so we're here for you. But I'm gonna ask Isaiah, how does that make you feel? From a player former player standpoint? Whenever? Following the loss, there is some positivity around it. I know, we talked about it yesterday. There are positives you can
take from it and build from in that game. But we've talked about moral victories, we talked about the some of those things you can rest your laurels on. Does that make you feel confident in the way this team is moving in the right direction or is that something that could maybe come up in the future.
I think that is realistic, you know, everybody. I mean, there's no moral victories, but there is facts and the facts are earlier in the season, when you got your butt kicked by San Francisco, the gap between you and the teams that are on that level of competition was vast. It was it was a freaking you know, it's an ocean right in between, you know, in between you and them. And now all of a sudden, you play the Eagles, and now you recognize that it's not that large of
a gap anymore. And you know, you hear people saying, well, I could play with these guys. That's not what you want to say. You know that you could play with these guys, but you didn't recognize that, hey, we're that we're just that close to winning the game. And now you know, and now you know exactly what issues they present to you. Now you know instead of just going off of, you know, the analytics, instead of just going
off of you know, the rosters. Now you know for sure where your where your problem spots are and you can address those via film. And now that you could dress those via film, you go out there. You can correct these issues over the next few weeks, right and you take you have some tough opponents following that, and then you get to face the Eagles again and then guess what, you get the chance for redemption. So I
think it is awesome from that regard. Like I said, like we say yesterday, the only thing that sucks is you two and a half games back, So now you've got to try to play catchup and you're kind of hoping that they that they stumble along the way in the middle of their season.
One other takeaway I wanted to share. I know that this has been a pretty notable NFL story, so I'm not breaking any news here, but it was wild being there and seeing how they're head coach and quarterback are handling his knee injury, Like just how secretive they're being about it. It is so strange. He clearly was injured at the end of the first half and just like
you didn't expect questions about this. I mean, there was some Marcus Mariota was warming up on the sideline, and the way that they're just keeping that under wraps, it just makes me wonder, like how significant is this. But then the other part of it is like he's not on the injury report. Yeah, that whole thing is is kind of kind of wild to me. The way that that's going down who knows how significant it is. Obviously he played well, so he's able to play through it.
But is that something that they have their topest part of their schedule coming up. How is he gonna make his make his way through that. Obviously they can sit there and say publicly what they want, but I don't understand how you're in if you're playing the Eagles, how you're not trying to put big time shots on Jalen Hurts right now, because it does look like just the
wrong tackle type thing like that. I mean, I didn't even think the way Micah tackled him that it was any type of you know, thing that would lead to an injury.
Or or it was the law it was de Law fell on his knee that first first half year's.
One when when Micah like kind of you know, honestly I thought he like went and set him down nicely and uh and in just the way that he just didn't seem like one hundred percent right. So just something that to monitor going forward. But again just because how secretive there being about it's weird.
Two piggybacks off that one.
You could see on the TV copy right after that uh tackle late in the first half it's like his left leg is like shaking as he's getting up, and I was I told Patrick Walker next to me, I was like, oh, he's done. Then he comes right back out for the next drive.
I'm like, all right, so.
Well, they did a great death to building up the hype out. Yes, when they came out, he was one of the last people to come out of locker room, and Mariota had his helmet on and was throwing. So, I mean, you're sitting there like, are they really about to is he not? And then all of a sudden he comes out, granted his helmet at the last minute, goes back in, So it's almost like they're playing up to it a little bit too. It just it's something interesting to watch.
Well, when we were talking about it on the TV copy as well. He goes in early at halftime, and of course if you're just just watching the game casually, you're like, oh my gosh, he's heard. He's going into the locker room. He's going into halftime. They weren't going back out on offense, and he's getting treatment to begin the second half and try and get an early start
on treatment. But you need the treatment for an injury normally, and we were even doing our prep for postgame and I write the postgame highlight reel and I put together plays as a game goes along, and there are some that I put in there, and I take out. One of the plays I put in there was the d Laws sack right at the end of the second quarter, and the way he got up and the way he kind of hobbled to the sideline. He continued through the second quarter and then once of course they had to punt,
went into the locker room. I was like, Okay, I'm gonna put this in the highlight reel because if he comes out and he doesn't look good, or if he doesn't play, then it's a significant storyline coming into the third quarter. He comes out and they drive right down the field, and I texted our producer, I said, yeah, he's fine. I was like, I'm going to take that
one out, that play out of it. But that's that's kind of speaking to what you're talking about, how how played up it was to the point where now it's a complete non factor. It is kind of an interesting dealing. I mean, if you withhold injuries off of an injury report, that would be possible draft picks.
Fine, I'm not sure exactly what it would be, but yeah, the other thing I wanted to mention of it too is and maybe just watching more of that game than a lot of the other ones. But the key to the brotherly shove is Kelsey.
Oh yeah, I mean.
As well, as soon as they snapped the ball, it's like he's already leaning in and you look at like when the Cowboys tried to run it one of those times dek is beyond the oddish mm hmm. Whereas like when you watch the Eagles run it, there is always a push up, there's always like immediately. So my old thing is I would like to see how it looks if Kelsey wasn't out there. I bet you it doesn't have the success it does without him.
What do you think, Isaiah, whenever you look at something like that, I.
Think it's as successful with or without Kelsey. I think the guards are the main guys that really kind of spearhead it, literally spearheaded it, because they're in a four point stance. Kelsey has to be in a three point because you just you know, you know, snap the ball. But those guys are in a four point stance, and as soon as the ball is snapped, they literally just shoot. They shoot right down and pretty much clear out the way for Kelsey and so that between the three of
those guys, there's no way to stop that dam. I mean, if somebody stopped it, what once this year, I think, but the chances are slimmed it none.
Well was Washington who stopped it, and then the very next time they turned around and ran it. They flipped it out and there was a fake brother lea shove and then they ranched into the end zone with DeAndre Swift. So plenty to talk about from this Eaguals game. I want to get into the defense in the next segment before we do that, Nick, do we have any news and notes to hit from? Yes, hearing from coordinators Mike McCarthy, etc.
Yeah, We'll start with something we didn't really get to touch on a whole lot yesterday with Marktavis Bryant coming in today this morning for the workout.
Should be happening right as we speak, right now. Steven Jones talked about it yesterday.
Mike McCarthy spoke a little bit about it, but it looked like it was an evaluation from Will McClay and his staff based on what he did in the XFL with the Vegas Vipers.
Not a lot of production.
I believe it was eighteen receptions for one hundred and fifty four yards this past spring season in eight games with the Vipers. So bringing him in today for a workout. He's at thirty two years old, hasn't played in the league in five years, so not sure what the level of expectation should be, but it's something that's happening and there's an open practice bot available for him if he does end up wanting to be signed by the staff.
If he doesn't, then he'll head to Tennessee and workout for the Titans.
We talked a little bit yesterday about Michael Gallup along with Brandon Cooks and kind of the inability to get those weapons involved. It's mostly for a practice squad spot that they're trying Brian out for, so it's in terms of the grand scheme of this offense. It doesn't shake things up significantly, But does that tell you anything about what they're trying to do from an offensive standpoint, trying to find some weapons and work guys out.
I mean, listening to Jerry this morning, I thought it was interesting that he mentioned two different times that they have this receiver coming in that they're going to work out. They have workouts all the time, he never talks about that. For him to mention it multiple times, I did think that that was interesting. So it made me think that, yeah, there must be some genuine interest in potentially adding him
to the mix. I mean, yeah, I guess, I guess it could help, But I don't know how he's going to bring anything more to the table than what they already have. Like, how is he going to bring more than what they have in Tolbert? You have Brandon Cooks
who's coming off and getting targeted only twice. I don't know how all of a sudden, a guy that was playing for the Vegas Vipers, which I just learned that team name right now, is going to come in here mid season and then be like a major factor for this team just because another factor in that for me is just I kind of thought the way that t Y Hilton started when they first added him, that it was going to be a bigger factor as the season
went on. You know, he had that big catch against the Eagles and that kind of just kind of faded out, you know, and I just I would be very surprised if at any anybody at this point that is going to make this this notable addition to the offense. I think that they're pretty much when they didn't make a move at the trade deadline, they were their hand was was shown. It was gonna be what they have right now.
You took a page right out of the next question, it was are they trying to find t Y Hilton? Is that where they're trying to find just somebody to make an impact like that, maybe from a veterans standpoint, maybe from a locker room standpoint, because isay, I know you liked what he brought to the table last year, not necessarily from a production standpoint, but what he did outside of the field.
So about t Y and t Y, oh yeah, t Y was a dude. I mean, I mean, obviously he had to play against Philly, but he was open a lot. He just didn't get the ball. So some kind of like Brandon Cooks this year, Brandon Cooks has opened a lot. He's just not getting the ball. So they're going to control. You can control from that position. But to you guys's point, I don't see that if they do sign Brian I don't think that he comes in and has a major impact.
If he didn't have a major impact in the XFL, I can't see him doing it in the NFL.
Yeah, he was drafted by Pittsburgh, spent three seasons there, traded to Oakland, spent a season there before getting suspended for a year, ended up getting suspended for indefinite amount of time that eventually ended this past Saturday. He spent time in the CFL and then obviously the XFL. He never played in the CFL because he kept getting suspended in the CFL too, But and then now he's in the XFL.
But I'm not sure.
I'm not sure.
We'll see, We'll see what comes out of this. I think if he signed today, then there's probably a lot more questions that come on the backside of it of you know, what if he's done in the last couple of years to tell you that he's not.
Going to be suspended again.
So I'm trying to think, like, who they've added, like a mid season type thing like that that's had Like the biggest impact in the last like ten plus years.
Was Greg Hardy a mid season No, he wasn't okay.
Okay, and even that I think maybe that was more of a negative impact.
Yeah yeah, if anything, Yeah, yeah.
I maintain that's the worst always a moved the last decade. And they obviously they trade for Hankins last year. You know, he's he's helped the run defense. But I just think of like like Michael Bennett and some of these other moves that they've made, Like, I don't know, there's just something about mid season like that there's hope that you know that this can be something, but you're probably gonna roll with the guys that you've had going all the way back to Ota many.
I thought you're talking more like mid season character guys where it's like, oh do we.
Really want to throw him in the locker room?
The middle is a good point mid season?
No, no, no, I was not speaking to him on like a positive I got you.
I was just I meant, like just in general, like making a move that like, hey, this could well if.
You're talking trade Amari Cooper, yeah, I mean, if you're talking trade wise, there was an impact there, But in terms of a signing off of the street, I don't see any.
Give up a first round pick and you can get mid season improvement.
Hey, there was mid season improvement there. Yeah, no, but then you didn't have your first round.
Yeah, I think you know that.
So what do you feel like Major Pain would say about adding a guy like Bryant Isaiah? What do you feel like you would say the.
Major pay is probably the only person I can get him right, Yeah, A little bit.
That anything else.
Yeah, there was one.
Uh, there was a tweet that I had put out yesterday and I honestly didn't expect it to get as much traction as it did. It was more so just kind of highlighting the inconsistencies on the offensive line this season.
John Friday is what I'm talking about already.
I just kind of highlighted the total pressures that have been allowed by Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman this season. And I put all five starters, and then Chumanidoga just because he's gotten so much time as well.
So we'll run through the list here.
Tyler Smith four only four pressures season, He's on an all pro pace. I think we can all agree to that. Tyron Smith five. Whenever he's been healthy, he's been super awesome. Zach Martin thirteen, Tyler Biattish fourteen, Chuma Ydoga eleven and Terrence Steele twenty eight, including twelve versus Philadelphia. He had twelve versus Philadelphia and nine versus the Niners. Those combined are more than any other guy on this list for
the season. So yeah, got a lot of tracks, a lot of people kind of highlighting Steel in that moment, which you know I would have.
It's very just.
And there was a question asked yesterday to Mike McCarthy, you know, is Steel still the same pre post.
Injury as he was pre injury?
He's like, you know, it's still He's still gonna have to like ramp up and you know, get used to being back on the field in the.
Full full capacity.
So I get that's the first time I've kind of.
Heard concern post injury from Terrence Steele from anybody. Where's where's y'all's confidence level and Sarren Steele and especially given that they just paid him this offseason.
Two, that's the biggest one is that they Smith there, Dalen Smith, you know, if it's going to be because they just paid him. But I maintained that as much as you know, we'll spend time on the draft and and all that going into it. Like my leader in the clubhouse by far is them drafting the offensive lineman in the first round.
So I'm with you.
I don't know how that impacts, you know, steel and everything like that. And obviously he needs play better, but that was probably the one area on the team where I was like, you know, and and and he obviously stood out in terms of it. They just had to be better late in that game, and if they were, they were just if he just would have been solid and that, and then I think the Cowboys win that game.
So I totally understand why white people are pointing to that after the game for sure, but because of the contract, I don't see where you'll be going in another direction.
Yeah, I liked he still. Yeah, I mean, I think he's having a little bit of a rough spell, but I liked he still. I think he's a fighter. He's probably the one dude if I had to ask anybody on this office a line to go into a going to a uh Ali with he STI would be one of those guys, you know, if nothing him and probably Tyler Smith. He's struggling. He's struggling, but he's also facing some of the best dudes in this dog on the league. So I mean take, you know, taking, give, give and take,
however you want to look at it that situation. You know, yeah, he got paid, So if people have a level of expectation that comes with that, I understand that. But he's also coming off of freaking a c l you know, so.
You know, nine pressures against San Francisco, the twelve pressures against Philly. When you're an opponent and you see a
week link, you normally try and attack it. Is he the weak link on this offensive line to the point where I think the pressure speaks that it is, because honestly, one of the other things that stood out to me about the tweet that Nick put out there was the fact that Zach Martin has thirteen pressures or twelve, what was it, thirteen pressures Tyler Biottish has fourteen, So they're right there neck and neck in terms of pressures on
the interior. Now, interior pressures are not equal to tackle pressures. We talked about that before. It's not the same, correct, But whenever you have twenty eight pressures and there's that much of a discrepancy, especially over two games against the best two teams in the NFC, I think there is a factor there that needs to be talked about as him being the weak link, because if they're the best teams in the NFC, they're going to use their strength
against your weak point. And if the week point is a total of twenty one pressures allowed in two games, then that's something I think of it. Of course, it's Bosa, Graham, mixture of all those guys. He'll see Chase Young at some point down the line.
Yes, you're getting literally the NFL's best. Yeah, I'm not saying that it's okay for him to not be successful against that, But you're getting Bosa, you know, had a part in that. You're getting sweat, Sure had a part of that. Brandon Graham, He's been sacking people for a living his entire career. So yeah, he has to do better, absolutely has to do better. But I don't I would not put him as the weakest link on this on this team right now, that's not the guy. He's the
guy has on an island. Now, tackles are on islands. We all understand that, right, So they don't have if they misstep at all, they get beat. They have one misstep, they if they have one error in their blocking technique, they get beat. Interior linemen not so much. Right, you got help.
But even even Tyrone Smith and Chumadoga, who have played the same competition that Terrence Steel has played, have combined for less pressures by a significant margin over what Terrence Steel was put out there.
I hear you again. It comes down to matchups. It really just comes down to matches. I mean, you could look at the analytics all day long to say, yeah, his numbers are way higher. To look at who they're facing as well. Right, Tyrn Smith's been out there for you know, a couple of sneezes, and you know Cheumandoga the same thing. Right, those guys haven't had the mount of reps. Terrace Stale hasn't come off the field.
Well, I know, we haven't.
I know we haven't.
I know we've talked about internal pressures being different than the tackles, but look at what the interior guys have faced this year too.
Look at Tyler Smith.
Four pressures allowed. That's going up against Dexter Lawrence, that's going up against U. I don't know, rattle off a lot of the defensive tackles that this team is facing.
The whole right side is getting beat up, right, now, for sure, the.
Left side is the strong side, and it's by a healthy margin. I think there has to be some sort of there has to be some sort of improvement from T.
Steel.
If we look up in five six weeks and this trend is still happening with Steel, I think that's when you look up and you're like, all right, Chuma, you've done a good job filling in at left tackle. Let's look at Tyrant right tackle. But I don't want to get ahead of myself there. But I think those are just conversations at a certain point. I don't think it's just right now. I think there's still time for T. Steel to be able to.
Pick it up.
There's three really good opportunities coming up against weak defensive lines.
So I think we gave We gave Michael Gallup two years before we started saying maybe his knees not right, you know, you know, Terry Steel. We're eight games into it.
Yeah, but I mean you bring up Gallup. I mean the elephant in the room is when they've given these given guys new.
Like it's not just that.
I mean I'm talking look at like the last guys that given new contracts too. I mean you're talking about like Lyle Collins, Ezekiel Elliott, Jalen Smith, Michael Gallup, Terrence Steele. Like, I mean, there's just a lot of completely understanding why you would want to resign those players. There's no like questioning any of that. But it's like, I don't know if it's bad luck or what, but it's just one
of those. Man, it's rough with your guy always used to Belichick move away from guys before he got time to pay him and stuff like that. And that's obviously tough to do because you have to draft. You have to be excellent drafting. Obviously the Cowboy's been very good at drafting. But it's just so interesting how it was like so many of these guys, it's made sense like oh yeah, no, that's the next guy to give a contract to and then just hasn't lived up since they've gotten paid.
So many times we have to take our first break and went a little bit over. When we come back here on Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, I'm want to talk about the defensive side of the ball. I want to talk about what we've seen from this team over these last few weeks. The offense building in the right direction. Where is the defense heading When we come back live from Black Rifle Coffee in North Frisco.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller, would you there?
Doctor?
My friend supported me during a tough time. But what's the right gift that says thanks.
For being the shoulder to cry out?
Okay?
This one's easy. I say, give her a delicious Doctor Pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any Doctor Pepper flavor will do. Now, just a reminder that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Doctor Pepper is the one you deserve.
To Talking Cowboys back here on Talking Cowboys Live from Black Rifle Coffee Company in North Frisco off of FM four twenty three. John Machoda, Isaiah standback, Nick Harris. We have Chris Beam in the back. We have Jasmine Marshall back in studio running everything from the Mothership. Should also get storylines with Nick Keapman going at ten am as well from inside the Star in Frisco. Got a couple people hanging out. We've got, of course, our great baristas
in the back making some fire drinks. I just got mine in the break, Isaiah, you got yours? Yeah, they're whipping me of something with cayenne pepper on top. So it's we're gonna try some wild stuff spicy. Yeah, okaymy, it's the fireplace behind you. We've got Augustine in the building as well. Just showed up in the middle of the break and hanging out for the next couple segments. But we talked in that first break about the offense. We talked a lot yesterday about the offense. It's headed
in the right direction. There's lots of growth on that side of the football. Defensively, have you seen a match of that energy, John, whenever you're watching this team, Because depending on who you ask after the twenty eight to twenty three loss to Philly, some would say, of course that the offense is to blame, The defense is to blame. Everybody's to blame. Who knows where would you see the defense and evaluate the defense over these last three weeks since giving up forty two to San Francisco.
I mean, I think that they've played pretty well. If you can take that third quarter away against the Eagles, they look like they're.
Supposed to look.
I mean, that is, you know, that is the strength of this team. So point and I did think that they played well enough for them to win the game. In the fourth quarter, they came up with the sass. The thing that really hurt them is that they were able to get the ball out, but they just weren't able to recover the ball against the Eagles. You know
that was the thing. Like I really felt for them to win that game, they probably were gonna have to win that turnover battle because that's such a big part of what they do, you know, It's been such a big part of their identity the last couple of years, and for them not to win that that was a big That was a big issue in that game. But I guess I guess you could maybe want to see some more pressures. I don't know, Like I don't really
have a lot of strong criticism of the defense. I will say after the third quarter, I did think my game story was going to be about the defense not playing well enough. But it's hard to sit there and not give them their props for that fourth quarter, because it's not a game if they don't step up as well so they can play better. But I don't sit there and look at them it's like, oh, this is all of a sudden an issue. It's not as good as we thought it was, or anything like that.
Yeah, it's surprising because coming into this game, Dallas was zero to two when they lost the turnover margin, and then they were five and oh when they tied or or won the turnover margins. So this is their first loss time on the turnover margin. But you can't. This team needs to be grateful whenever you have turnovers, but you can't say, oh we can we only can win games when we get turnovers, right. It's just it was one heck of a game. It's just flat out that's what it was.
You got to have something that you know that kind of tips it tips, I get it.
And they put the ball on the ground three times. You didn't come away with any of them. The ball just didn't bounce your way. Sometimes, you know, there's games we're just like, dude, we can't, we can't. We can't win for losing, you know. And it's like it was one of those games where the ballgeres would not go your way. They weren't putting it in the air to have any errors in that regard to Ron Bland didn't
have any opportunities to have any pick sixes. So it's just, you know, they took the l you know, hopefully they can force them next time.
I get your thoughts real quick on this is this the Cayenne.
I'll let y'all know when I could ever get down to the far So good?
Is it frozen?
Is it?
It's just him on top.
This is honestly some good stuff with some grace.
Delicious, Yeah, but it.
Was y'all are just gonna see me like I am every morning, just drinking a drink, honestly, Yeah, normally you have just a drink show, and I'm just like the token drink.
Guy on this show.
Right now, he gives with cream on his lips. I'm not telling him. I'm not telling him at all.
That's how I know you're a fake friend who needs friends.
I'll tell you.
Thank you, John.
Part of really quick on the defense, this is, uh, try and change the two things that I highlighted from the defense. You were talking about the turnover margin. Obviously big deal of second time.
This year that they haven't been able to generate a turnover and they're rolling two in those games.
The big thing for me, six games in a row they've allowed points on the first possession.
They got to be able to come out the gates a little.
Bit hotter, and when you look at the losses that they've suffered in those six games, and how critical those first drives were to not only setting momentum for the opposing offense, but also just kind of like putting the offense behind.
It's it's it's been really bad.
So you know, it hurt them really bad to get San Francisco, hurt them against Arizona. I'm trying to think of some other games as well. At Chargers game and had them playing from behind. You know, you take out that opening drive touchdown, that's probably a much more wider margin down late late in the game. And obviously on Sunday night, and not only on Sunday night against Philly.
Was it the first half, it was the second half, you know, coming out and allowing those back to back touchdown drives out of the break, and they got to be able to pick up momentum off off rip a little bit better. That's that's the biggest knock I have on this offen or on this defense right now.
It's one thing to say you have to get off to a better start, you have to play better from the jump and get off to a hot start. But when you say that, Nick, where where do you start? How do you how do you get to that point? And who on that defense needs to step up and make a player? Or is it different every time? I think it's different every time.
It's a unit thing, you know, it's it's a whole I guess it would have to be commune just all the way around. So whoever's wearing that green dot, you know, that's the guy that's that's gonna be maintaining momentum in those situations and being able.
To get off helped in that situation.
Yeah, but it was the same when Layton was on the field. You know, it's it's been six games in a row. He hasn't been out for six games, So there's got to be some sort of leadership step up there in that sense and getting off the field, And I know that was just an overarching big problem against Philadelphia two seven for fourteen on third down that they were I believe it was two for two on fourth down. So they just got to be able to get off
the field. And that's that's the toughest thing I look at whenever I look at, you know, a ten minute drive a couple of weeks ago. I forget the opponent, but it was a ten minute drive and a really critical time of the time of the game. And then you look at Philly in the second and the second half. They started the third quarter these long, methodical drives where they took ten minutes off the clock in the third quarter with fourteen points and had them working from behind
and they never caught up. So they just got to get off the field. That's my biggest thing against this defense right now.
Do you missed the production of Vanderish.
No, I don't think so, because if you look at what Marqu's Bell has done, it's been fine. And you look at the running game, it's not like there's been a significant change there.
Thanks, you know, if you look at something, I would rather have Layton vander Esh and Marky's Bellark, Yeah, and Demon Clark. I think de moon Clark's played well. And I liked the intensity. Everybody's talking about Jason Kelsey because the Kelsey name is hot right now, and that's kind of everything him yelling at the moon Clark and kind of dem Damon was in his face all the way through. And that second year player who didn't play a whole lot last year.
Girl, I'm here for it. But the thing is, if so listen, I'm just asking a question, because this is done on the roster. If you don't miss vander Esh, do you take somebody off the field to put Vanderish back on the field, Because you only use two linebackers, right exactly.
I don't think that there's been I don't think there's been that for me that I know that there has not been the drop off that I thought there would be. No, I'm not and think it would be major, but I think there'd be a little bit. But to your point, I just think they're so thin at linebacker depth that it would be nice to have.
No for sure, saying Benners comes back, does he go back to starting and you take Markey's bill off the field.
And he would, Yeah.
Absolutely, But when you look into the off season and you look at some potential things that they can do, and not only in the linebacking corps, but at the safety unit as well. You look at the one safety that hasn't been signed long term and Jalon Curse is starting safety Karalon Curse. You look at one Yea Thomas has been able to do. You look at what Marky's
Bell has been able to do. You're able to slide Layton vandrush back into that lineback and corp and then rely on either Bell or Thomas if they don't want to resign Curse.
So I think there's options that that Bell could have after the season.
But once Layton van Rush is healthy, you have to be able to plug him back in because he's not only valuable on the field with his with his play, but like his presence as well. You can't take that away. And Bell's never going to live up to that. Nothing against Bell, like that's just not who he is.
I'd much rather have Baill speed than personally then that's me personally sure. I just I think that Bell has stopped a lot of the threats that you you that you face opposition. You know, obviously not an Acres, but Eckler. Eckler shut that down. He was a big, big reason why he didn't get off the ground. He's able to go sideline the sideline a lot more effectively than Vanner. She's able to change directions a lot more effectively than
vander esh. I feel like batter Is is relatively stiff, and I think that you're not losing anything by having bail in there. I think you actually gain by having bailed in there. I think there's assets that he provides a Bantererest is not.
There are a couple of things here that I want to dive into in the final segment, One with Jay Ronkers two. When it comes to the defense as a whole, is its still the front seven that sets the tone or have we started to see a shift there as well. There's a lot I want to kind of dive into when it comes to the defensive side of the football. I want to reminds you one more time. The Fristco
Grand Opening coming up on Saturday. Doors open five a m. Here in North Frisco with Black Rifle Coffee Company off of FM four twenty three. First fifty in store customers get a twenty ounce Yettie tumbler and a free batch of brew coffee for a year. Comes in the tumbling too.
Might actually be here, I want to get you. I might actually be here for that.
I'll camp out with you.
Yeah, let's do it.
Gonna be early.
On the one day off we have this all night or with our Black Rifle Coffee. Maybe we'll grab a bag and we'll make it work. The America's team blend all right, we're taking a break. When we come back, we'll wrap things up. We'll take a look ahead defensively for this Dallas Cowboys team. Get you set for the rest of the week.
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To Talking Cowboys. I'm Talking Cowboys presented by the Black Rifle Coffee Company, live from the brand new, just opened Black Rifle Coffee Company from North Frisco. We're also not only live on site, but we're breaking world records here. We watched you in that last segment received that drink writer, by the way, who I did not shout out in the last segment, writer, thanks so much for setting all this up. You do a great job. He handed you this drink. It's gone, it is, it is done. I
mean there's another one already on the way. I mean we're gonna you're gonna run.
Back to the.
You're gonna pull a Kyle in twenty twenty and run to the Star and back. But whenever you, whenever you got down to the Cayen Pepper to live up to the expectation, it did.
I felt it. Whenever it got a little kick, it was a nice little touch.
I do it again.
Where'd you feel it?
Like right on the tongue, right on the tip, John.
Maud stand back nairriss, Yeah, appreciate it. Fantastic, Uh John, John wants to leave so bad.
Just like the resident adult show.
He's just I feel like.
Maybe a little all right, John, when you're looking at the back half of the schedule, of course, boys five and three now eight games down, you've got nine to go. When it comes to the back half of the roster on the defensive side, who needs to continue to step up and elevate their game as the year goes along.
Bell for sure, I mean, like we were just talking about before, like he has exceeded expectations for what I mean. He showed glimpses in training camp, but we've just seen so many guys show glimpses in training camp and then once the season starts, they kind of fade a little bit. He just keeps Yeah, he just keeps taking it to another level.
So that's crazy. We were talking about it in training camp, I mean, similar setup in the U shape right in front of the field, and we were talking about Janye Thomas, Marquis Bell, and there are so many times where you do have those camp names that elevate and then they just don't ever show up. And both of those guys have lived up to the expectation.
Jay Ron Curse another one, because we've seen jay Ron Curse play really well over the last few years.
And do you think he's played well this year.
I don't think he's I don't think he's played up to what his standard is and what he was expecting. And I say that because, you know, I thought he would be the one that would be that would get the offseason deal and he never did, And I thought that was going to be like a major you know, like fire light under him. Yeah, and yeah, he's I know he has the ability, but he's the type of guy that he needs to kind of take it to another level for them to step it up on that
back end of the defense. I still think this defense, if you tell me that they make a deep playoff run go to Super Bowl, I would point more to the front seven, though I would say that they would probably have to play lights out. The D line just would have to be rotating in guys where Sam Williams making impact, Dorince everybody on top of the d Law and Mike. I think that would be what you have
to do to get there. But if you're talking about who needs a step up on the back end, I think Jay run Kurrs is pretty high on that list.
Yeah, yeah, curses my number one in regards to that, I would like to see the front line continue to improve, but I want Curses to stop do less talking on behalf of the team. I want to see him do more hitting and more you know, guarding tight ends.
That's ice reporters like when they talk. Yeah, I know, I know, I just I mean, I see a lot on Twitter people say the same thing that you're saying.
Just you know, the talking talking aspect. Just just go out there and hit somebody. Go hit somebody. You're a big safety, go hit somebody. Make your presence felt. Right now, I don't think anybody fears curse. You have no reason to fear curse. You know, when you think about big safeties, there's there's not a lot of safeties that have come across this league that were his size, that that you that you can really put in a category of feared.
You know, there's Cam Chancellor and was my man Sean Taylor. There's somebody. Only handful of big guys go hit somebody right and and and make teams be fearful for crossing the middle of the field. And I don't I haven't felt that from him at all, nor have I felt like he can totally eliminate a threat at the tight end position this.
Year, sort of how Marquis Bell has been the X factor, been an added plus to this defense this year. Would you say jay Ron Curse was that X factor for dan Quinn's defenses in twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two kind of an unsung hero. You knew Michael Parsons was going to be him, You knew DeMarcus Lawrence was going to have the impact. He did, but jay Ron Curse was not expected to be an impact player going
into that twenty twenty one season, but he was. Do you feel like maybe that that new shine, that shimmer from jay Ron Curse is just worn off and it's a little bit different than still.
Sometimes guys get comfortable, okay, and guys lose their drive and they lose that fire. And a lot of times the reason why you see a surge in production in contract years is because guys have a they have a why, right, and their why is very is high. It's on high, highest team, right, Like they're trying to go get that think it's their one opportunity. But sometimes when guys get comfortable,
what's what's their drive? You know now that we can list out a whole bunch of things in terms of what their why should be, and I think that Curse falls into that categor He should have a lot of wise but it's just not showing up. I'm not seeing it on the field. I can speak from my opinion. I'm not seeing I'm seeing more of this than I'm seeing him playing. You know, my guys, this my guys, we ready. You know you go go just go have an impact. Just go have an impact.
The initial question was somebody on the defense that needs to be able to elevate the rest of the season. For me, it's Jordan Lewis, like far and beyond. I think he found a stride against Philadelphia, and the secondary as a whole found a stride against Philadelphia, did a really good job limiting those weapons, and Jalen Hurts only
had just over two hundred yards passing. But when you look at the season as a whole and the biggest problems that they've had in the secondary, you can point at Jordan Lewis and be like, gosh, if he had just played a little bit better in this instance or that instance, then this would be a different result. Keenan Allen his match up against Keenan Allen is the first
thing that jumps to mind. Obviously that wasn't a loss, but you needed to play into that game late because of the way Keenan Allen played in that game.
I don't know.
I just felt like Jordan.
Lewis has been kind of a liability at the at nickel at times the season. But at the same time, again, I have to give him credit for bouncing back against Philadelphia having.
Some really good moments, but he wasn't perfect.
When you look at the cornerback room and let's let's throw in a healthy Trayvon digs into the equation.
Let's let's pretend for a second. Unfortunately, you look at Jordan.
Lewis's the biggest liability and I think it's I think it's a healthy margin. So that's something you talk about, especially going into next season with the way Deron Bland has been able to step up whenever Trayvon dis is healthy again, do you re sign Gilmore and put Bland in at nickel or do you let Gilmour walk and put Bland outside and.
Still trust Jordan Lewis at that nickel.
I think that's going to be the biggest thing you look at over the course of the next nine weeks is do you trust Jordan Lewis to bring him back or do you trust stuff On gilmore More to bring him back. That's a really interesting like head to head that kind of is cooking up.
I think when you mentioned Jordan Lewis though, the thing for me when you and then when you ask about the back end of the defense, like, I do think they'll be okay if those three can stay healthy Jordan Lewis, Duran Bland, Stefanie Gilmore. Where I have concerns is if they were to lose one of those guys, whether we're talking just for half or for the rest of the season, the next guy up, I think is a pretty notable drop off there. I think you would have some major
concerns there. But if you can keep those three guys together and and they just keep growing throughout the rest of the season, I think they'll be fine as the season goes on. I don't think that you need more more than them. I think that that is a good quality trio. They obvious you'd love to have Trevon Diggs, but sure it just if you were to lose one of those guys, uh, that's it could look like the end of last season.
To that same point.
If you lose a guy on the boundary, Gilmore or Deron Bland, then you're looking at Naseean Wright or no Igbinoghany to fill in on the boundary. If you if you lose Jordan Lewis Eth and Nickel, then you're looking at Deron swinging in and still having that opportunity. But there's also wan Yae Thomas as kind of the wild card in that situation. I think he could be able to play Nicol. You'd be able to trust him in that moment, but he would have to he would have to be able to step up.
And do that.
Isaiah's otherwise go back to preseason.
Look what he was able to do at n There was a lot offers to check.
The tape Isiah, where he said, check the tape.
I love to guess it.
I mean we saw it last year from from ISRAELMA Israel. Mcuamo filled in that corner whenever John john situation down the stretch came to fruition and you had to have an emergency cornerback. Now he played it in college. Janye has always been a safety, so making that switch would be a little bit tougher, but definitely not something that I think Cowboys fans want to get to. Definitely they want Jordan Lewis to continue to stay healthy and then step up in that regard and continue to play better
as the season goes along. You mentioned Keenan Allens. I'll see the catch Keenan Allen maybe time ten thousand yards. Oh my gosh, that thing was nuts.
When we talk about top receivers in this league, and I feel like it's been like this for like a decade, Keenan Allen's name never gets brought up, and it's mister wise. It's just a modeling at him and Mike Evans, just model of consistency.
Throughout their career. He made want insane catch. You should look it up. I'm sure you. It was insane for his buck almost lost his mind in like a non factor game, and that takes a lot.
Let's just say, ad it's super late light out of Philadelpaes. I didn't get back here. This is probably the latest ever got back here.
So really, you gotta talk to your days or I mean, what was what was?
We'll talk about it.
We'll talk about it, Okay, all right, sounds good. Well, Hey, one more time special thanks to Black Rifle Coffee here in North Frisco for hosting us today. This has been so much fun. We've gotten a chance to really interact and have some great coffee. By the way, five am on Saturday, November eleventh, North Frisco off of FM four to twenty three b here for the grand opening. Cowboys cheerleaders, Rowdy Charlotte Jones will be in attendance, and of course
we'll do some salute to service as well. Nick Harris will be in attendance. I'll see if I can wake up in the morning. I'm not gonna promise anything, but I'll see what I can do.
Uh.
Salute to service all throughout the week for Veterans Day as well, So thank you to the troops and for those that serve. There's lots of that throughout here at Black Rifle Coffee. And then of course the Dallas Cowboys got the American's Team blend. You can pick that up on Saturday and of course continue to watch Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee as the season goes along. For John Matchoda for Isaiah Standback for Nick Harris, Chris b.
Matt Kent, Jasmine Marshall. Writer in the back. I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long from Black Rifle Coffee. We'll see you tomorrow with more talking Cowboys, one of the only ones.
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