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This He's Talking Cowboys screening live from.
The Dallas Cowboys World Course at the Star in Frisco. Let's got pitson Texdown.
And now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Patrick Wilker, Nick Harris, and Kyle Yeomans.
Well, obviously I am not Kyle Yeomans. I am Haley Sutton filling in for the Kyle Yeomans as he is celebrating his honeymoon. He just got married last week, so letting him celebrate that.
He's somewhere in Alaska.
I think Seattle, Perusing they're taking an Alaskan cruse.
We wish Kyle, Well, I'm excited to be with you guys.
Chick.
This is our first time really getting to work together.
And Patrick, I feel I haven't seen you year.
No, it's been a minute a while.
Yeah, I stepped away, had you know the the vacation air quotes a little bit of a mental health reset. But we are back in the building and no better way to do it than with Nick and you and you and I. We haven't we haven't tapped in on a pod together and in a minute, so.
We gotta we gotta get this live today. Yeah, the unique show.
Advantage of it.
Today, it's just like a little preview for where we do our remix shows during the bye week. So excited to be with you guys here on Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys.
It's also very good coffee I've had it.
So excited to be on the show with you guys. Excited to get talking a little Cowboys this morning. And the obvious place to start is with that schedule that just came out last week. I know, we haven't really had a chance to discuss. We did a gut feeling on the website and.
The consensus from everybody was pretty much the same. That stretch at the end in December doesn't look like it's going to be a holly jolly Christmas season, but who knows. Let's dive in first impressions of this Dallas Cowboys schedule.
Even though your size kind of.
Yeah, the first thing that stood out, and I love that we all had a different, mostly different view of the most difficult part of the schedule. So a lot of you guys looked at the back end, and rightfully so, look at what's coming for December and around Christmas Eve and that trip from Buffalo to Miami. You talk about traveling miles and things like that, but what really jumped out to me was the start. So it's all about how you finish. Absolutely, it's all about how you finish
in the NFL. But getting off to a hot start will absolutely help your finish be that much stronger. The Cowboys four of their first six games.
You're at the Giants. You're at the Giants.
And when I say at the Giants, ladies, you don't be Keep in mind, these are the same Giants that made the playoffs last year. These are the same Giants that are taking a step forward under Brian day Bow. This is the Giants team that, in my opinion, is a contender for the NFC East crowd. So this is not just the oh, well, we're playing the Giants again.
You better pay attention because these Giants. Yes, Dak Prescott owns them, that's also true, but the Giants can make waves and you don't want to start off on one because that's you know, that's just not how you want to start the season. Come back Week three and you're in Arizona. We'll see how that goes. Not worried about that. But it is a road game. So for the first six games are road games. Majority of those six games,
you have several primetime games mixed into that. This is that's brutal because also you're at San Francisco rematch.
You love it, but you hate it.
Yeah, right on Sunday Night especially.
Yeah, Yeah, that's what I was going to say.
The biggest thing about that is it's a Sunday night game, so you want to talk about the pressure of that being a playoff match up the rematch rematch of the year before, and then the drama just continues and now we get to see that on Sunday Night football.
Oh but wait, there's more because you go from Sunday Might Football playing against the forty nine ers, whom you're really trying to.
Get that monkey off of your back against.
Monday Night Football is the next week and it's against the Los Angeles Chargers. And you could say what you want about Kellen Moore, but if you're paying attention to the numbers and the trends and how he calls offenses, and you give him Justin Herbert, you give him assuming Austin Eckler still in the building. But then you also look at what they have defensively as well. On a short week from Sunday night to Monday night, that little two game stretch in California is pretty freaking brutal.
We will know.
Most about the Dallas Cowboys in twenty twenty three before you get to the week seven.
By Yeah, yeah, Kellen Moore, he's gonna walk into so far with like that Cam Newton.
Giff Oh yeah, okay, okay, yeah.
This is it.
But yeah, you mentioned that start.
The start is definitely something to pay attention to, especially with three of those four road games being on the West Coast.
I mean, we'll see how much.
Maybe maybe training camp will help them, you know, come over that obstacle. But I like what you said going into the bye week, we're gonna know a lot about this team, and there's we're gonna what the problems are, We're gonna know what the fixes are. But then coming out of the bye week, I think you know you got the Rams and then going at Philly, I'm surprised that's not a primetime.
Game, but hey, I'll take it, I'll take you.
But I do want to talk about that December stretch just because you know, I think there might be a little positive you can find in that December stretch. And I was thinking about it this morning on my drive up here, and I've looked on and this is definitely a positive to take away. So bear with me here. We start on Sunday night home against Philadelphia. Now Philadelphia going into that game will be coming off a three game stretch of at Kansas City, home against Buffalo and
home against the Niners, and then at Cowboys. Thought exactly, So, I mean, that's that's not too bad. And then if you look at Buffalo going at Buffalo going into that game, they got to go at Philly, they get their bye week, but then they gotta go at Kansas City and then they come home against Dallas. So the Cowboys won't be the only one on a tough stretch in December. But Miami they kind of have a couple of layups before
we have Aaron Rodgers the week before. But I'm I'm not completely sold that Aaron Rodgers is going to just turn Here's like he could.
Don't get me wrong about that, though, because I agree and people were trying to clown me on Twitter whenever the whole initiative of get Aaron Rodgers to the Jets started coming to fruition Aaron Rodgers. And I'm not trying to dog him for his talent, right, He's a great quarterback, one of the best to ever do it. He'll go into the Hall of Fame, all that good stuff, right, But when.
You look at how he literally just gave up last season.
He kind of felt that the year before as well, and then we make all this who blob about him going to the Jets. Somebody was asking me the other day, you know, like, oh, the Jets are going to be so good, and I'm like, well, who else is on the Jets? Like, you've Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Will you have Garrett Wilson, You've got the little running back that that was a rookie last year that I believed towards acl or his achilles.
So Michael Carter, Yeah, yeah, Crickets. I like Sauce. Garter say, I like Sauce.
You have to right, You're right, yeah, yeah, sure, there's holes up on both sides of the ball there, And I'm just I'm not convinced that he's going to sepend day one and be an afcast.
It's a tough division.
He's got to get out of the division.
I think was going to help Aaron Rodgers is the familiarity he has with playing at AT and T Stadium, because in that first six game stretch, Aaron Rodgers is coming to at and T Stadium week two, So you mess around and start off on one against the Giants, and now you're staying at ane and two hole, a possible and two hole with Aaron Rodgers. I don't think that Aaron Rodgers is going to be the magic medicine for
the New York Jets. I think that time has proven that there is no magic medicine for the New York Jets because ultimately, while they'll ebb and flow even at their.
Peak, they're still the Jets, right.
So I do think that will be a competitive game because I don't think number one Aaron Rodgers versus the Cowboys is Aaron Rodgers versus the Cowboys.
Flash back to twenty twenty two.
If we got it, you saw it, you know, yeah, you know the facts are the facts. So yes, he could come in here and make and costs damage. Let's put it that way. But by the time the season is over, maybe midpoint, I think the Jets kind of start to wane a little bit. And as you stated, with Aaron Rodgers's temperament, he's not going to give the Jets as much emotional grace as he gave the Green
Bay Packers. If the Jets and those teammates around him that didn't come over with him from the Packers, if those new guys are not up to his standard, he's going to mentally check out and it's going to be what it's going to be, and then maybe he plays for the Vikings before.
It's as Yeah.
Let me ask you this though, because this was obviously a conversation that was going around as the schedule was getting released, the idea that the Jets were going to play the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
We obviously know that didn't happen.
But my question for you both are is it better to see Aaron Rodgers week two or would we have rather seen Aaron Rodgers Thanksgiving time week two?
I think just because it's going to take him a little bit to get accustom with that offense. There's a lot of different weapons than what he was dealing with. In Green Bay. Also getting in the mindset of competing again, because like you said, it didn't really feel like he was competing at times last year.
It was like Christian Watson in the world.
And so I mean, yeah, exactly, I'm going to be watching them in the preseason pretty closely, just to see how in tune he is with those receivers. I mean, everything you hear out in New York is, Oh, he's at practice, he's doing you know, great, and they're connecting with him. And he's showing up to Nixon Heat games to watch the Knicks lose and yeah, ye slight, slighttick.
There, but.
Yeah, exactly. But the Jets, I would rather see them week two. I hate that it's the first home game, just I feel like that was someone was evil laughing.
Someone was evil laughing. But step up to the challenge.
And I'm saying I agree, Nick, I believe that it's better to see Aaron Rodgers in week to number one. Go ahead and get it out of the way. Also, I want to see I'd rather play that Aaron Rodgers coming out of the darkness, right. I want to see this Aaron Rodgers. I don't want the one that still needs to be broken in with his new team again. I think by the time you get to November December,
the Jets are kind of we'll see. But even around Thanksgiving, you know Aaron Rodgers will get up for It's not a primetime game, but it's a prime time game, and Aaron Rodgers is going to get up for that. He lives for that, and it's against the Cowboys. Week two is much more of a from his standpoint. It's like he's still feeling out the new guys and he's like, hey, it's the Cowboys and going to try to get up for it.
But it's week two.
If I lose this game, it's not a big deal because that's how Aaron Rodgers thinks, because he knows he's good enough most times to overcome it over the course of the season. I'd rather see him week two while they're still figuring out things in New York.
I agree.
I think that exactly everything you just said. Don't give him a chance to get warmed up and finally break that curse. And then I think, from a just a morales standpoint, like you get that off the way, then your next checkpoint is beating the forty nine ers and getting past that checkpoint as well.
I think a.
Sneaky interesting part of this schedule that has potential to be really good or really bad for this team as well. It's a stretch right after the bye week, so you host the Rams at home, and I'm not super concerned about that one. The Rams, to me, I don't feel like they really.
Improved full rebuilt.
Yeah I don't. I just I'm not worried about it.
And that's not to say that teams can't play, but it's the stretch that comes after that. So they're at Philadelphia and then they are back home facing the Giants. They got a quick road game to Carolina to see what Rice Young can do. And to me, to me, that Carolina game, it reminds me of the not the Titans game last year. Ecuse me, the Jacksonville game last year, where we were there was so much momentum going into that one. The expectation was that the Jags aren't very good.
They don't have, you know, the same weaponry that the Cowboys had. It should have been a walk away when and obviously we know that wasn't the case. So to me, that Carolina game kind of has that same Jacksonville Energy, and then you have to turn around and.
Come back and host Washington.
So that's all three of your division games back to back to back.
Essentially. To me, that kind of that would be.
The defining point, if you will, of the season because you want to start fast, you want to keep that momentum, but that stretch there, you lose one game to your point, the Giants are on the rebuild there up maybe it's the same thing last year where everyone is vying for that first and second spot. So to me, that's an area that I think should be circled on the roster right now that they're preparing for.
One hundred percent agree if you look at the stretch from November fifth to through Thanksgiving, like you said, you got three NFC East games, and I think that's going to be pivotal to deciding who comes out the victor for this division. I think all three of those teams, New York, the Giants, I should say, Philadelphia, and the Dallas Cowboys, those are going to be your three front runners. But I don't think the Commanders are going to suck. Okay,
I think the Commanders are. They're going through some things, new ownership and everything but I don't think they're a three win team. I think, particularly with that defense, I think they can six or seven eight the ball of bounce in their favor in one of those games and they'll get a plus one.
So Ill said they're an eight win team.
But if they're eight and nine, they're at least making things difficult for the three teams I see as contenders, the Giants, the Cowboys, and the Philadelphia Eagles. So that four game stretch is going to be something to watch for sure.
Yeah, all they really need is consistent quarterback play, and I feel like they can put it together. I mean, they have the weapons, they have key pieces on defense. I feel like they can make that work. But yeah, coming out of that bye week through like Thanksgiving or even the Seattle game, that's a crucial part of the schedule. You have to be able to build momentum going into
that December stretch. But something that's really cool that I found last week at Carolina Sunday November nineteenth against Bryce Young, the Cowboys in franchise history have only defeated one number one pick at quarterback the year.
Do you know who that is?
I don't. I'm horrible at trivia.
Jim Plunkett nineteen seventy one.
I would have never known that.
One in four all times. So yeah, looking for dumb number two. Hopefully we can get that on the road.
And the Panthers offense, it's shaping up to be pretty healthy. And I was one speaking of about the Jackson New Jaguars last year. Previewing that game, I kept telling everyone, you need to make sure that you understand that they're cooking some things down there, especially with Doug Peterson and what he's able to do with Trevor Lawrence, and you know, you saw Etn come on strong coming off of his injury, and so they did what they did, and the Cowboys
should have won that game. And I predicted they would win the game, but I predicted it would be close, but unfortunately the Cowboys at the end kind of gave up the the Buns. But nonetheless, when it comes to facing Carolina, it's another NFC South team that can be problematic. If it were against the Falcons, I'm not too concerned. I mean, you be concerned about Bijon, but overall you're
not concerned. The defense they have aj Terrell. They got a complimentary piece at cornerback, but overall they're not putting things together, nor are the Buccaneers, who are rebuilding now post Tom Brady.
Now I feel like and.
The Saints they're right there, But it's Saints Panthers as far as NFC South troublemakers for whom the Cowboys.
Would have to play. So thankfully it's going to be.
Not the Saints, because I think the Saints could are better because Dennis Allen has things going on, but the Panthers are still so to be real.
Yeah, like I said before, I think the Panthers will be on the rebuild obviously, I am.
I am most interested to see Bryce Young.
You know, I think as the number one overall pick, we kind of saw that coming to Fruition.
Do you feel he was the best quarterback in this dream. I'm just curious.
I do, and I will tell you I think it's really close between him and C. J.
Stroud.
And I know that new SR S two test can get but it still new.
Yeah, we don't care about that play football.
But but but something that I actually learned from talking with Deuce Vaughn this week, in terms of size, that's Bryce's big question, right, He's small and He did put on some weight after the season ended, but he's still small.
He's there's going to be times where he's going to get crunched.
But here's why I like Bryce Young and I can say this as well because I've covered him before. Bryce is always the most intelligent person in the room in terms of football, in terms of just general knowledge. He's attentive, He's a very quick learner. I think back to when he was It was this freshman year at Alabama. He's playing behind Mac Jones, and every time he would get reps when Alabama was up on the scoreboard, you could just tell, even as a freshman that the wheels were turning.
It was constantly clicking. The way he communicates, the way he's able to roll out of the pocket and be composed, I think that that's the type of stuff with the quarterback that you can't necessarily teach. And it's not to say that CJ. Stroud isn't composed. It's not to say that Anthony Richardson wasn't the most athletic quarterback in the draft this year. It's not to say that Will Levis might be a sneaky good contender.
But I just think in terms of overall package.
When you look at what you want in a quarterback, I think it's Bryce Young, and I think if Bryce had maybe three more inches of height and fifteen more pounds.
It would be dangerous, dangerous.
I think for my money, it's CJ. Stroud as the best quarterback coming out of this class. And for me, it's not because Bryce is a couple inches shorter than people. I don't care about that because not to impair him, because you have to build this resume, but you could cite things like this. You look at Drew Brees and what he was able to do, and even Kyler Murray before his struggles recently he came into the league, size
was a question for him. There is something to be said for these guys who don't necessarily hit your your threshold as far as height is concerned a quarterback, because if you then turn around and look at the other side of the ball and you say, okay, well, yeah, there's a prototypical size. You're Ben Roethlisberger's those bigger guys and things like that, but then okay, pack stilynch Okay. So there are prototypes physically that just that just don't
a while. To my point exactly there. You don't go for the prototype, you go for the talent and the IQ. And I feel like Bryce has that in spades, and I don't put him, you know, light years behind c J.
Stroud. I think it's a one A one B equation.
I think for me, and it might be biased, not necessarily towards CJ. But because much like you covered Bryce, I experienced the terror of c J. Stroud all right in the college football Playoff semi final Ohio State versus my dogs. He was an absolute terrorist and the only reason they lost that game was the.
Kicker and sucked, right, But c J. Stroud was a maniac.
And it was at that moment in that game where I said, hey, you know what, And I've seen plenty of Bryce obviously, sec I've seen plenty of Bryce Young, but it was that moment where.
I said, c J.
Stroud takes not But that said, Bryce Young can get it done in Carolina. So when Cowboys travel out to Charlotte, yeah, yeah.
That defense is going to have their hands full.
But that said, contrarily, I think this is where the streak kind of ends. And we'll get the previews during the season, but I think the street kind of ends here because I don't think that defense that has existed, the defenses that have existed since that plunket when are anywhere similar to this particular defense. So Bryce Young, it's good that he played in the SEC because this defense he's about to go up against the Cowboys and Dan Quinn.
Good look, young man.
Yeah, Debarvey on Overshown is gonna be looking for a little bit of revenge, just a little bit. You would have to think you would have a little bit of a chip on this. Yeah, I'm gonna have to ask Demo about that one.
We'll have to get into that.
All right.
Well, let's go ahead and take our first break here on Talking Cowboys. When we come back, we may or may not have a special guest, and we will get into some of those rookies like Nick Harris.
Just he's here on Talking Cowboys.
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Welcome back to Talking Cowboys, presented by a Black Rifle Coffee Company. Head to Miller Lighthouse at AT and T Stadium for the Cowboys, Tacos and Tunes Festival presented by Miller Lte rescheduled to Saturday, June third, from three to eight pm. Enjoy a variety of tacos and food truck options while you sip on cold drinks and listen to some live music Admission and parking for the Dallas Cowboys Tacos and Tunes Festival is free. Visit at and T dot com slash Tacos and Tunes for more info.
We will see you there. Well, gentlemen, No Tacos and Tunes this morning, but a lot of taco.
About this schedule today, I just came up with, Uh, we've been discussing the Cowboys schedule obviously, and I'm excited to welcome in our special guest.
It's not really a special guest. He's on this show every week.
Isaiah stand back on the phone with us. Isaiah, Yeah, what's cracking, buddy.
Cragging last night? But it's okay. I had to be president because I've been wrecking from my city. I'm proud of my boys for the you know, Seattle cragging. They went out there and complete it hard against the Dallas Stars and the Dallas Stars. We did a little bit too much this time around. But if I didn't show up prisons on this show, I knew that there's a young man older a hand acrossing the table that was gonna have a whole mouthful of the king. So I have to be pregnant, Isaiah.
I want you to know that it's not just you. Patrick came in today all decked out head to.
Toe in his Atlanta braves to talk smack to Nick Harris. Uh and then literally in the break did a complete head to toe outfit change.
So now he's got Dallas Star's hat. Choose the whole.
Six I'm watching.
I am a man of my word when I say I'm going to bring the smoke to all respective parties, that is what I'm going to do.
Nick Harris had to catch it the Rangers versus the Braids. I had to give them segment one.
But the beauty of it is we didn't know quite yet if you'd make it on to segment two. But again, respect my god, because you're not running from the smoke.
But I did tell you, did I not? I did tell you.
What it was. It was the most competitive and serious, Yes it was. Yes, regardless of the support. Yeah, I mean all the way down to the last second. Seattle had their chances. They didn't take advantage. So Dallas, kudos, and y'all going off to the conference finals right there, and hopefully you guys take care of business now that Seattle's elegant. Now I'm a Dallas fans welcome.
I love it and shouts out to the craw because we nothing can be taken away from that team and what they were able to do. Yeah, and you know it took seven games to put them down. Jump out on the on the Stars in Game one in that overtime win. And again, like you said, isaid just easily the best series thus far of what overall has just been a light a nightmare or I should say nightmare scenario for those who complain about hockey and hockey is too boring.
If you're not watching these NHL playoffs, I don't know what.
You're watching, but yeah, Isaiah inhale that smoke in hell, just take a deep breath, get it all in your LVO Live.
Yeah, just get get it all in your bloodstream.
Isaiah, we've been talking about the schedule.
I would love to know your thoughts on it, just initial thoughts and maybe a stretch where you feel like the Cowboys have to be successful in order to be successful in twenty twenty three.
Do you know what, as I look at this, I think it's the whole season two of us see this schedule. The person that comes to my mind it is as competitive That's literally the first word that comes to my mind. There's maybe two teams on here that you just feel like you can probably you know, handle in your sleep. Other than that, this is gonna be compective till I mean, you obviously got your your division roles that you got to deal with all the time. But then you start
sprinkling in, you know, the Jets, the Patriots and Chargers. Uh, you know, you got those guys, and you got the Panthers. Who are we know they're they're loading up on a bunch of talent and they have a bunch of young talent right now, make them some veterans. They're gonna be competitive. Schiano obviously is always competitive, regardless of how big of
the names they have over there. Buffalo competitive Lions. They're gonna fight too to nail Dolphins freaking track meet, right, So, I mean, this is gonna be a l I don't know who had it out for the caliber, but this is not an easy schedule by any means. This is not last year. Last year's schedule could could have been very well perceived as being relatively easy. This year, oh, they have it out for the Virginia this time around, So they got to bring the big boy pants.
Receivon, you know.
And what makes it even more challenging is you look at the schedule and just from a superficial standpoint, you can tell, like Isaiah saying, this is going to be very challenging because, whether it's generally speaking or in certain segments, you talk about the front end, you talk about the back end, we talked about the middle. Okay, well, the front is difficult, in the back is difficult, in the middle is difficult. I'm going to go go ahead and
say the whole thing is freaking difficult. But if you break it down to the minutia talking about that trip from you got Philadelphia, which is going to be a home game, but then you go all the way to Buffalo, and then you drop all the way down to Miami. But then you go all the way to we didn't say this yet. We got to point out you go to Detroit the Lions. I'm sorry, the Detroit is here,
but you're playing the Lions. The Lions the past couple of years under Dan Campbell, they're the fighting Dan Campbell's and arguably they now if you look at the roster as it set up now on paper, this is the best roster that Dan Campbell has had, and I think this is going to be his third year with the Lions, so that's going to be a difficult challenge as well. So no matter where you point, I mean, you could just drop a pin at any point in the schedule and you're going to have a challenge.
Yeah, seventeen Detroit.
I feel like a lot of people are talking about how they're the team this year that can really get going and surprise some people and sneak into the playoffs. I don't think they're gonna be sneaking into the playoffs by any means. I think their division favorites over there, which is crazy to say these days, but I'm looking at this schedule and I could see a reality where they're coming out of this eleven and six or maybe
even ten and seven, sneaking into a wildcard spot. And I would feel more comfortable going into the playoffs than I did last year, just because there's so much more battle tested.
They have some tough road games.
And to have that kind of battle on your schedule going into the playoffs, that's that's something you really want to have.
Let's say you get one of Buffalo of Miami.
You go to Philadelphia and get a win, and you know you have some scary wins on your schedule.
That's gonna help whenever playoff time comes around.
Isaiah, I want to take you, sorry, I want to take you back to your playing days as well, because I know you said that this schedule top to bottom is incredibly difficult. Was there ever a time, whether it was with the Cowboys or somewhere else where, you had a schedule like this as a player, and how did you approach that mentally?
You know, I heard it again, I don't remember. I mean, you look at as a player, you look at it and it's like, oh, it is what it is. You know, you go you go into every game knowing that you're gonna have to bring your best. Now, obviously some opponents are obviously more talented, more experience, and are gonna be a little bit more gridier than others. But the reality is, as a player, you're going on and you're giving your one hundred no matter what, because if you don't, you're
gonna go out there and get hurt. Something bad is gonna happen and your season will turn around in the opposite direction. So competitively, you approach it the same. But you but you let's be real. You know, you look at the schedule, you say, oh crap, there's some dogs
on the schedule. You know, like I don't know who decided to give Christmas to Dallas, but this is like when you get decided to write this up in December, right, like honestly, like I understand that you have your your Thursday night games, and you know you have ten days off before your next game, and you're knowed for the first game of December. But that last third man come on Philly. Then you got Bustalo, and you got Miami,
and you got Detroit. These are all playoff teams, right, Like not just playoff teams, but like deep in the playoff type teams. So it's like, yeah, this wh is real. So I mean, from my perspective only like these guys are gonna approach every game the same. It's just that some teams are better than others. In Dallas Seemingley looking at their schedule have some of the best teams in the NFL.
You know what, Isaiah, to your point, anyone who pulls up the schedule point, I challenge you to point at more than two teams that you could scoff at on the schedule. Yeah, you could scoff at the Cardinals. They're still the NFL team, so they'll but they'll compete with You know, you can scoff at the Cardinals, and you can scoff at the Rams.
Who else you scoffing at?
We just said you can't scoff at this version of the Carolina Panthers.
Especially on the road on a noon game.
Correct. You definitely can't scoff at the Lions.
You can't even scoff at the Commanders because again, I think that's an eight win team, which is below five hundred. However, they're going to compete tooth and nail with the Dallas Cowboys. And we know this, so other than the Cardinals and the Rams, none of these are games that you can even remotely overlook. They have to come and play every single week. Now to the Cowboys credit. Look at the offseason moves they've made on Gilmore, Brandon Cooks.
You know, look at the additions they've made in the draft.
Overall, especially on defense, This Cowboys roster looks to have leveled up.
It looks more electric.
You talk about duce Vaughn adding him with Tony Pollard and Rojo being that short yardage back. You talk about adding Schoonmaker to the tight end room with Jake Ferguson and paying him to shot. So the Cowboys are not lacking for weapons on any side of the bar, including special teams as well, because Deuce can provide a return game opposite Cavante Turpin when they need to rest Turping whatever they want to do there.
So these teams also.
Kind of have it up there back against the wall facing the Cowboys. So I know we're talking a lot about you know, the Cowboys have the schedule cut out for him, but the teams that they're playing, it's not exactly a cakewalk with this particular Dallas Cowboys team. If Dak Prescott, which I'm wholly confident he can, if he can improve upon the interceptions, which statistically weren't aberration if you look at the entirety of his career, he can
improve upon them. You got a new quarterback coach, which I think matters massively in Isaiah, I know you agree with me on that as well. If Dak Prescott scales back the interceptions, this Cowboys team is going to be It's thirteen and fourteen.
Yeah, the offense is gonna be a really big determining factor of how this all plays out for obvious reasons. But if we're coming out of the bye week and we have questions about the offense, then we better hope the defenses has taken that next step that it looks like they're about to take, and we're gonna have to outscore teams or we're gonna have to, you know, put you a.
Little month, put that stone wall up. Yeah, exactly. Madzi's gonna have to get active. That's that's one thing.
That is very much. Yeah, Yeah, I don't think that's gonna be a problem. He's gonna be ready to go.
But Isaiah, final thoughts before we let you get back to your morning.
I'm excited to see when she said mourning, she means that, m oh, you are in Ida.
I'm generally interested in your mourning.
Isaiah. No, you know, one boy, there's only assistent with me is competitiveness. Ever since they turned Dan Quinn, that was one of the words, you know, culture and competition and competitiveness, those are the words that are being really at the root of everything that I really say on this show. On any other platform. This is going to
be a testament of their character. You're really going to see the character the Dallas Cowboys in this season because you're going to have to find out based upon their opponents alone, regardless of what is self generated these guys when they step on the field against these opponents, these types of opponents. You talk about the thirty nine ers, they got grit, and you talk about the Evils and
obviously everybody else in our division they got great. And talk about the Panthers, they're hungry, Buffalo beat, Dolphins, beast, blind beast. All these guys are beasts. There's never a question about the resilience and the effort of these teams and the reporters that they're going to be facing. So you're gonna find out exactly who your two Dallas Cowboys are come this season. And I'm looking forward to it.
We love that we're looking forward to it too. Well, enjoy your morning. We're happy that you are a Stars fan with us.
Now you can also you can also so helped me root for the Florida Panthers because that's my secondary team.
So we don't second, we don't do that here, Yeah, we don't.
The Obamba Scato's gang. We're not judgmental.
We don't do that here.
Isaiah, thanks so much for being with us this morning. We'll see you next week. I love Isaiah Man.
He always brings such a different perspective and I love the idea too.
Uh.
You know, I wanted to ask his perspective on the player side of it too, and I love that his answer, you know, like it doesn't really matter.
You got to show up and play every day.
There's a certain level, a certain mentality that you have depending on certain games.
But uh, good to have his perspective.
All yeah, And that's that's something that we've heard from current players in the Dallas Cowboys organization speaking to them game by game. You talk about Dak Prescott and some of these guys who are your cool hand, Luke's in the room.
No matter what happened.
When law or lost that particular week last season, they were always it's on to next week. It's on to next week now. Obviously some lost the sting more than other others. Green Bay Checksonville and you could see that seething in guys like Dak Prescott, Cede Lamb and you know, going forward, Tony Potter, especially the defensive side of the ball. Layton Vandersh Michael Parsons, you talk about a guy who hates losing, But it doesn't matter who the opponent is.
They're going to approach it the same way every week. They're going to prepare every week the same way. The only thing that would change is how big of a chip is on the shoulder.
For the next week.
Now, I will say this, Cowboys have a little bit of an issue with consistency, not nearly to the under the McCarthy era that they had under the Jason Garrett era, but they have shown they can play down to competition and that's why Green Bay happened, That's why the Jacksonville Jaguars games happened. If they can remain consistent and never play down, just always play like.
You're playing the Alpha.
Again, this is a thirteen, maybe even a fourteen win team, but it's not going to come easy. They're not rolling over any more than maybe one two at best the others to play.
Look, if we're coming out of Week three two and one and they really stepped on Arizona and didn't play down to the competition in Arizona, yes, man, I'll feel good.
Yeah, that's that's check. That's checking thember.
I liked it.
I liked it all right.
Well, let's take our second and Vinyl break here on Talking Cowboys, and when we get back, let's dive in a little bit into some of the rookies. I have a couple of guys who I was impressed with from Rookie Camp last week. I know, Nick, you probably have some ideas too, So let's talk about it when we come back on Talking Cowboys.
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Back to Talking Cowboys.
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Today we've got a few more minutes here on Talking Cowboys. I want to talk.
About some of these rookies I think we all knew coming into this year's or coming out of this year's draft, rather some guys who would maybe be impact players.
You teased Mazzi a little bit earlier.
I think over shown as a guy who we know is going to be a competitor, possibly Deuce Vaughn Nick. I want to open it up to you before. We kind of chat about it. We were at rookie camp this weekend. We had a chance to meet all of them. They're so excited, it's like first day of school. But your impressions on this rookie class and maybe a player drafted or undrafted that we should be paying attention to.
Yeah, we talked about it right after the draft, the fact that they picked up guys on both sides of the ball.
Around the ball, there's a guy at every.
Position that I feel like could make a contribution at some point, whether it be during training camp, preseason, during the season, whatever. And we got to see that during Riocky Mini Camp and big emphasis on many because it was a little bit different.
The ACMs kind of threw everything out of wag.
Mike McCarthy was out because of a back procedure, so the coordinators were running everything. But it was as smooth as it possibly could have gone. And you know, we get to see these guys in action for probably thirty forty five minutes on Saturday, and it's it's kind of a tough environment to see if anybody's standing out, but you can look at the physical statue. You can look at and see how they're moving, and if we're talking about moving, you have to start the conversation with Duvan.
Just because they were doing some change of direction drills and I was just I was evil laughing once again.
It was it was.
It was very fun exactly seeing him returning punts a little bit and I was like, Wow, this is this is fun. But I look at some undrafted guys. There were a couple that really did stick out to me. Jayalen moreno cropper out of Presno State, a wide receiver with a lot of speed that I think will really translate downfield. I think that's a guy that could definitely sneak onto a roster and make a contribution as early
as year one. He's been really productive at Fresno State, eighty plus receptions in each of his last two seasons.
And then Isaiah land.
Bully shout out again big time, and there's some talk about him moving to inside linebacker, and whenever I saw that, I was absolutely thrilled, just because he is so athletic, He's had a long history of get into the backfield.
But what I always wondered with him is can he take that next step physically and can he not be overwhelmed if he's trying to rush the passer every down, and so moving him back to inside linebacker, letting him really hone in on his athleticism rather and move space to space and cover sideline and sideline and still be able to crash into the backfield. That that I feel like might be his best chance. And then one more I want touch on his Hunter lip Key full back
and he's talk about thrilled to be here. That's me and Mickey Spagnola got the building. He is he is and he's ready to do everything.
He h you know. I asked him.
I was like, hey, you know you're North Dakota State film, and you know it's got some Kyle use check to it. Just because you're lining up in the slot, you're lining up out wide, you're coming out of the backfield, you're blocking. You know, is that someone you you know look up to And he's like, you know, yeah, I watched them in used check film in his Wisconsin acient. He's like, yeah, I will watch them used check film. But I'm just
really trying to be Hunter li Key. At the end of the day, I was, Oh, I like you.
I like you. So he's got some receiving talent.
And so when you ladies and gentlemen, you look at Hunter Lipken, you look at him on the on the depth chart and it says, f be next to him. You don't put him in the box of Oh, he's only here to block. The cowboys are really going to try to move him around. And you see they're kind of hamp leaning more heavily on versatility. Tony Pollard, he's versatile. Duce Vaughan, he's versatile. Rojo is your short yard is back. But they look for versatility. See Lamb can play all three spots,
Brandon K. Cooks can play at least two. Maybe he'll be a small slot every once in a while, but they love it.
So I think Lipke will stick.
Let that FB stand for fluid back, not yeah like position.
With that for me, I'm going to I'm going to circle back. And you know, obviously there are the big names and that's easy Mazie, Samith, tomarve On, Overshan, Luke Scoon Maker. Keep an eye on On Junior. They call him Junior Junior for Hoko. I said this after that pig. He is just violent. He wakes up every morning he chooses violence like he's Sarah cy Lanister.
But for me, I'm going to look at Eric Scott.
Looking at Eric Scott out of Southern miss There's a reason the Cowboys gave up a twenty twenty four fifth round pick to move up and select Scott at one seventy eight. Obviously, immediately the googlers went to work and they saying, oh, well, four to seven two, Uh, what are we doing.
Trading for four to seven two?
This guy jumped almost a forty inch vertical, kind of tweaked his quad doing that, and chose to still run the forty.
And then we got updated film.
And then we got updated film and Will McClain Stephen Jones then confirmed that not only did the Cowboys get more data on him after the fact, but it said and confirmed that he ran sub for four at one point four two nine forty on a fully healthy quad. I'm going to tell you right now, first and foremost, if I tweak my quad right now, not only am
I not running the forty, I'm not running to the refrigerator. Okay, So lit'sten the inhumane athlete first and foremost so the fact that he ran a sub four to eight with a tweaked hamstring after he's Oh my god. But if you look at his film, not a lot is known about Eric Scott, but when you look at it, he does have room to grow, which is why he was a six round pick. But what he does show, he shows in spades. He can take the ball away. He just needs to get there quicker. He needs to be
able to trust his eyes and his instincts more. Once he starts over things, that's when he loses a step. When you lose a step in the NFL, you already lost. You've already lost. But he has the length. He's prototypical. And when you talk to Will McLean. We talked to Steven and Will in a couple of post conferences, particularly Will McClay, he lights up.
Talking about this camp. He lights up talking about Eric Scott.
And I don't know about you, but if Will McClay lights up talking about someone, is somebody you should probably pay attention to.
Yeah.
Typically with a speed dB you sacrifice physicality. It's for some reason. You just get one or the other, and he has both and they're both at an adequate level to where you can develop that and get him to a position where he could be you know, a Deron Bland type of impact he last year. I'm not saying he's going to be, but you have that type, you have those traits. You have those traits because you have the speed, you have the physicality. It's just about ramping it.
Up for him. It's just refinement.
It's refinement for him, and that makes sense because he's a sixth rounder. But this is against someone I say keep an eye on because I think that he has the potential. We'll see how it goes in OTAs and training camp and preseason, but Eric Scott has the potential to not only make the roster, but make a couple of waves as early as this coming season.
I like everybody you guys just talked about.
My favorite part of this process, and this is why I love doing the job that we do, is because you get an opportunity to get to know these guys.
Were some of the first people.
That they get to know just from a professional football standpoint, and so I love the opportunity getting to know these rookies and.
You know, kind of helping them on their way.
You mentioned Junior Foko and how he wakes up and chooses violence every day. I love that you said that because when he's not on the field, he's opposite of that. When I got an opportunity to talk to him in the locker room on the first day of rookie Minni camp, you know, he came over and I mentioned like, oh, you get to talk to me before you have to talk in the big media scrum.
And he was like, I have to talk over there. And I was like, I was like, yeah, but it's cool. We're going to practice.
You're gonna be like, they're not going to ask you anything crazy and we're going to prepare. And so just getting to know him, getting to know like just how kind of not quite soft spoken, but just.
You know he it's opposite.
So it's even crazier when he gets on the football field and you see how he's attacking.
You know, the dummies, like it's a crazy flip.
But what I'll say about Isaiah Land, you know he's tall, right, you know.
He's a big body.
Six five two fifteen is what he is on paper. He looks that way for the most part when you see him. But when he was out at practice on Saturday in his pads.
I agree, I was like, who is that?
He is massive looking on the field and so for him to be able to.
Move as well as he does.
You talked about him shifting inside to insidelnebacker, Like that's terrifying to me because you know, again like he's a big body. You see him, he looks big, but you put him in football pads and he's out.
There, you know, actually playing.
He's a guy to me that I am willing onto this fifty three because I think he can be a guy who learns under a Layton Vanderreesh, very similar to what Demone Clark went through last year. I think he can also learn some things from Michael Parsons. He talked about wanting to improve on his rushing ability. So I think, now you've got a Michaeh. Parsons who is floating back and forth playing whatever position Michael Parsons wants to play.
So I think that he will also be a good kid on this roster that I hope makes the fifty three as well.
Yeah, I'm with you, and I think it's really interesting how he came on to the roster. Will McClay talked about how they were watching Marquise Bell this time last year and they see this edge rusher that accounted for twenty sacks and twenty five and a half tackles for lost.
Back to the year from me came back around. You got Marquise Bell on the roster.
You've had a lot of zoom meetings with Isaiah lan since then, and then when he went undrafted, it was almost immediate that.
He was on the tap.
Yeah, he was one of the first guys.
Yeah, that really helps.
All right, that's rookie talk. Patrick.
I know you had a question for us as we wrap up this show, so fired at us.
Just just a quick question again, circling back to the schedule. We talk about how challenging it is front to back, top to bottom. But I pose the question to both of you, which is the singular most difficult game that you see right now before the offseason finishes playing out.
I'm going to start us off here, Okay, love that that here. You have a lot of options, you do have a lot of additions. I think I'm going to go at Buffalo just because it's December seventeenth and Buffalo, New York. That's point A, point B. That offense is going to be humming by then. You're coming off a
Philadelphia game a Sunday night Philadelphia game. Traveling to Buffalo has been a little difficult in the past as well, so I think that's one where if they come out of Buffalo with a win in what is expected to be negative temperatures, probably in snow, and whatever else could could go down in that game, you're looking pretty good going into the rest of the schedule. Whether you lose at Philly or lose two Philly or not.
I'm going to go the game before that Philly home game, and here's why we talked about getting a fast start at the beginning of the season.
That's going to be your tone setter. So depending on how that goes, Let's say let's say they do really well. Let's say they go.
Four and two in that math is hard, but regardless, let's say they do really well in that first stretch that we talked about, Right, you come back from the bye week, you've got the Rams, and then you're at Philly. We talked about the challenging stretches of that NFC showdown. In those three out of the four games, you're coming off of a Thursday night game against Seattle, so that's a primetime game against the competitor who is going to give you their all right the second time seeing them,
especially after the preseason. To me, that Philadelphia game it's the make or break game because depending on what you did the first time around at Philly the two times as you've already faced the Giants and Washington again, that game, to me feels like it's going to shape up the way this year's Christmas Game, or I guess last year's Christmas game.
Did with the Eagles.
That was like it was a big game because it was the Eagles, but it was also the Cowboys opportunity to stay in the hunt for the NFC East, and so I do think physically.
Buffalo will be challenging.
I think that Eagles game has more implications in terms of what the way that the NFC East could shape out.
I do agree with you there. I think that might be the most pivotal one. And I have proof here because I put a star next to it. I agree with Nick. The most challenging to me is Buffalo at Buffalo Buffalo in December. I mean that winter in Buffalo and Josh Allen and that offense is going to be humting, that defense is going to be humting.
That that's just going to be a lights out challenge.
For the Dallas Cowboys to march into Buffalo, into that stadium with Buffalo, with Bill's mafia, you know, jumping through tables and just going nuts. And of course they're already leveled up, they're maxed out just by default.
But now you also have the Cowboys coming to town.
I think that that crowded audience, theyre going to find another gear and the team they're going to feed off of that, and Buffalo is going to be the most challenging one for me.
All right, well you have it.
But if you go you go to the Buffalo and you win that game, you just told me in that instance that you can make.
A playoff run.
Well we will see.
Obviously you've got so much time until this season starts. But that'll do it for talking Cowboys today. Thanks for letting me talk with you guys.
I think we get you again next week, don't we We?
Yes, I will be here next week as Kyle finishes up his honeymoon. So again, we are so excited for Kyle. I'm excited to get to chat with you guys. I never really get to do this on air, so exciting stuff, and we will do it again next Tuesday.
Yeah we will.
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