Talkin' Cowboys: Backing Dak

Spagnola with that hand up in the air. It's like roll call in h yeah, in in great, He's gotta figure it out. I'm here, I'm here here President Chicago Heights. That's right. Kim Garrison next door producing as always, and uh, you know we're onto Jacksonville, I think. Yeah. Cowboys back to practice in a couple hours, getting set for Sunday's home game against the Jags. And it's time for us to start turning the page as well a little bit we can continue talking. Are going to be different from

everybody else. Uh probably not, probably not completely one has turned the page yet. Well, it's hard to turn the page on It's Wednesday, right, it is Wednesday. You should turn the page and Garrett's still getting roasted. Well, it's a tough loss, Mick, and that was a tough call to make. And we broke that one down pretty good. We got we got roasted, each roasted each other. Sure, sure, but that's you know, that's part of the fun of it. Everybody wants to have their say. Now that's true. Yeah,

that's true, and that's what our society. Yes, and that's what this show is for. Two you can you can join us as well eight eight eight, five five two two nine seven. Give us a call throughout the next hour if you'd like. As I said, cowboys, get packed to practice today here at the Star and let's just lead it off, Mick. You got any any nugs, any nug gets coming up with practice. It's a beautiful day. It is a beautiful day. The rats Hurricane Mike doesn't

seem to be moving this way. That's sure headed towards Florida. Okay, we got the weather report. Good there, that was my nugget. That was your negga for the day. You know, it'll be interested to see how we how things play out with the David Irvin situation. Yeah, will he be back in action. Uh, you know, we'll see how that all plays out. Hopefully he's got all his off the field stuff with his family taken care of, and that the Cowboys can now focus in on having him play really

the next ten weeks. You know, I mean it, you had to endure a suspension, you did that. Uh. You know, this guy is an incredible player. And I think one day, when Mickey Spagnola writes a book about all this, one of these chapters will be about players that had this tremendous potential and you only saw him for only just a bit of a glimpse of you know, and I think David Irvan is one of those guys. This team has a great history of players that have come through

and then you wonder why what happened? How did that? How did that happen? And uh, you know, the David Irvan in a contract situation, don't kind of feel don't really feel like that when we get the offseason talk that David Irvin is going to be in the mix for hey have to have this guy, So can you capture something from him in you know, in ten games basically? You know, So that's always an interesting angle to me.

I'm interested about Malie Collins coming back. Want to see what's going to happen with that defensive tackle rotation if he could get back to it, because I talked about it yesterday. Really felt like that the defensive tackles being under manned played very well in that football game against the Texans. They're gonna have some decisions they're gonna have to make about that. And you know, will we now start to see Bryce Butler. I know I'll call for this.

I'll call for somebody that can extend. I will call for somebody that's a big body that will go get

the football. I might have to live with all the knucklehead plays that you might get from him or things that happen in the game, but give me an opportunity to get a guy that and I when we get into the Jaguars, I believe I'm gonna tell you about that this secondary is one of the best you're gonna play and they're gonna they're gonna contest every ball you throw, and so you need people that are going to be able to extend, have guys on their backs, but make plays.

And that's what's gonna be one of those keys for this football game. I've called for that too on Monday. I mean, I'm also the guy. I'm not saying he's the savior, right, I'm just saying maybe something a little different. Yeah, And I'm also the guy that said been saying for weeks I think a couple of us have, you know, pare down this rotation. Well, maybe it's time to look at something different too. And he's a guy that has made plays, not always consistently. That's a big that's a big,

big question question, and that's and that's consistency. He's been a part of this offense that they have to find. Yeah, but he's a big white out three be the biggest receiver they have on the team. That's another option. That's a guy that Dak has played with and has had success with. That's one option. But again, I mean, you go back and watch the game the other night, it's kind of like the other two road losses. You can't look at the receivers and say, oh, it's all their

fault or not. It's been a it's absolutely like a but it's been everything at some point in time during out during one of these losses. Yeah, yeah, you know, they almost paired it down with the wide receivers. This last game. I was a little surprised when I saw this. The majority of the snaps went to Gallop in Hearns. Gallop had forty snaps, Hearns had forty seven, Beasley had thirty eight, and Thompson was down to twenty nine and Tavon Austin had seven. I'm sorry that was the Detroit game.

Let me go back. Hearns had thirty eight snaps, Thompson thirty six, Butler had one snap. That was the Hail Mary. At the end, Gallop only had twenty, so he went from forty snaps against Detroit to twenty four. Yeah he's got a play. Yeah, you're here for more Bryce Butler, Mick No, he's here from Okay, he's here for more Gallop. Which, yeah, you're run on Gap, get me gallup, Herns and and Beasley.

I think you just get him out there. Yeah. I think you see Herns a lot more because they use him in twelve personnel stuff too, used Terrence Williams role. So you know, if I'm with Mickey on on on Gallop, you know I'm the selfish side of me wants to see him succeed. I mean, I just want to give Dak Prescott the best opportunity he can to have some success.

I think that we've I think people out there have been overly critical of Dak Prescott, you know, and I you know, I maybe it's the people that were laying in the weeds, you know, that had to bite their tongues a little bit when he came on the scene and beloved Tony Romo. And again, I'm not making fun of Tony Romo. I'm just saying though there was a change there. The organization made a change. They moved on

from Tony. But you know, I think you have to give this quarterback every opportunity that you can for him to succeed. It starts with protection, it starts with a running game, and it really starts with you know what they're able to do passing the game on the outside. If he throws a ball that's a tight window throw, these guys have got to come up with it for you know, and they're not going to come up with all of them because these defensive backs are good in

this league. And again you're about to play a group that's really good in the secondary. So anything that you can do to help him along the way it just feel it's unfortunate that the you know, I watched those press conferences every after every game, and there's only one man that stands up there and takes all the arrows, you know, and and he stands there and then he walks off, and he thanks everybody, and he moves on and he tries to, you know, pull things together. But

that's the responsibility of the quarterback here. I just don't think his fans and his writers were really fair to him as much as we need to be. You came in here passionate about that this mon I am. I mean, I'm tired. I'm tired of I'm tired of fans not believing that if you that he is not Brady, he is not Manning, He's not these guys the past. He's

not one of those guys. But if you, if you, I would challenge I would challenge any other quarterback other than those guys I mentioned to come in or and have success with some of the things that are currently happening to this offense. I was asked the other day, who do you think is a better quarterback, Blake Bortles or or Dak Prescott. I think Dak Prescott could actually succeed in what's going on in in Jacksonville as a

opposed of Blake Bortles coming in here and having success. So, I mean, I'm I'm a little I'm a little bit tired of the narrative that people are just totally blaming him for everything and calling him, you know, you know, a bag of you know what I just am. I just feel like though that you know, there are some things that he has, there's some things that he is not good at. It's absolutely the truth, but they're things. I mean, he laid it out on the line for

you last week. He did he did everything he could to try and win that football game. Spinning out of pressure, what doing I mean, Yeah, he is not a perfect quarterback, but you know what, if given the opportunity and given the weapons around him and giving him the level of play. You know, we talk about this offensive line, hang your hat on it, it hadn't been a hang your hat on an offensive line, Ezeki Olio. The running game got shot down last week. You know that's something that can't

happen when you're a run heavy based team. You know, I wrote about it yesterday. I asked, I asked Jason Garrett about it. He pointed out the stat unsolicited. Zeke had twenty carries in the game, and nine of them went for zero or minus. It goes to Mickey's point, but he tried to make the other day and he was getting hit in the backfield like he did on third and one one, the big the you know, the

big third and one in question. And then he Garrett also point out, and he's not putting all the blame on the offensive line, but he said, the three worst games we played up front have been on the road.

Communication factors have been a problem. Yeah, And and you know, and Garrett will point out it's on coaches, it's on players, on everybody offensively, right, But you do have to look up front because I'm the one that said in July, they're gonna make the playoffs because they drafted Connor Williams. They're they're healthy, they're gonna get the development of Lyle Collins explaining right tackle. They're gonna saw in Oakland him blocking Khalil Mack. Yeah, they're gonna get back to doing

what they do best. Yeah, and we saw it against Detroit and a little against the Giants, but we haven't seen it consistently, certainly not. They're two and three. So the new darling quarterback in the league is who Baker Mayfield? Pat mahomes at homes Yeah, watching that film, yes, sir, Kansas City. By the way, Mayfield Good Mayfield and UH and Dak have the exact same quarterback rating. But which which, guys?

Everybody you know, the favorite? So let's see. But there's there's no I think the expectations the bar is a little lower. Yeah, we're talking to first pick in the draft. No, No, you're right, right, right, you're right right, you're right. But any anything in Cleveland is it's great. There's still whole Cleveland, it's the whole country. Baker Mayfield's the new you know, the new flavor of the year. He's Johnny without all the baggage, and honestly, you know, and it looks like

he's played well. But his quarterback rating is eighty one point four, right, exactly the same as Dak. So I don't know if anybody's making excuses for him. He's only got three touchdown passes, he has three interception, Dak has five. He's got four deflected passes for interceptions. Yeah, so I just think we and I appreciate your point, man, here's my My other point is that no one changes their

minds on quarterbacks unless they win a Super Bowl. It's like the people that didn't like Tony Romo continued to dislike Tony Romo even though he rewrote the record book for quarterbacks for the Dallas Cowboys, which has two in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. No one changes their minds. So the people that were not in favor of Dak taken over for Tony now feel like they have a platform to get louder and louder and louder because things aren't going as well as they did in twenty sixteen

and the first eight games of twenty seventeen. And my opinion, and you've guys have heard me say this about quarterbacks. Quarterbacks are like presidents. No one changes their mind on who they liked and who they didn't unless the guy does something to get impeached. They will defend him to the end of the earth, no matter what's happening. And it's the same thing with quarterbacks. I kind of agree

with that. I mean, I'm seeing I do the mail bag every morning, and quite frankly, on weeks like this, it scares me to open it up better you than me, and I did it for ten years. I'm getting yeah, mixed mails, bad idea that those were rough at times. Um, I get a lot of messages for you know, Brian and I to answer in the morning that fans that say, look, I love Dak as a leader. He's got a lot of great intangibles. He does a lot of things well

on the field. But you know, there's limitations and there's also I think general just dissatisfaction with the offense in general, and it goes to the coaching staff and then the quarterbacks, the guy that has the ball in his hands every time. And so I get the overall frustration. But if you go back and watch this game last Sunday, Dak Prescott was not the main issue here. No, he was. He was running for his life a lot. Uh. He had to make a lot of throws where he really wasn't set. Um,

it wasn't perfect by him. He's miss throws. You know, Aikman, I trust Troy Aikman's opinion on quarterback play much as anybody. He talked about accuracy, anticipation right the other day on local radio, Dax's got to get better in those areas. He knows that, right, But he's proven that if he has help, he can win games in this league. And I don't know what what's wrong with saying that a

quarterback needs help. Yeah, because you you listed Brian like three or four guys that are probably all going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. Sure, maybe they can get it done without a lot of help, but ninety percent of the quarterbacks in this league need a nice cast around them. There's nothing wrong with that. You would be hard pressed, like I said, to put other quarterbacks in this in this offense what's going on

right now and have success. He really would just with you know, the inconsistencies with the line and what they've had, you know, I think I think that's been the biggest the the I wasn't shocked about the committee part of it, because I think we've discussed about having that guy you can hang your hat on. I think the biggest shock to me has been that that the offensive line has

not The bar is so high for those guys. You know, when when Tyron Smith just plays well, you know that that would be you know, they would kill to have Tyron Smith in a New York. The Giants, they would kill to have him just playing at the level he's playing right now. They just cut one of their tackles, they fire their starter exactly. That's what I'm saying this.

You You sometimes you get to a level with with these players, what we've seen with the line, and you're just so used to such a high level of play, and then things don't work out, and people like, should we worried about Smith? I go, We've talked about this

really all year. This is not something new, but the bar is so high, and maybe the bar is so high for Dak and what he did for his rookie season, you know, offensive rookie of the Year, winning thirteen games, going toe to toe twice in the season with h with Aaron Rodgers, winning a game in Hines Field, winning a game at lambeau Field in Kansas City. Yeah, beating

Kansas City, I mean last year. Yeah, there's there's things about this guy, and you're right, I think both you're right if you find ways to help him, you know, And it's I don't want to say it's just as easy as to say play to his strengths, but these quarterbacks do need help. There are very few that are rare. Aaron Rodgers looks like to me, he doesn't need a whole lot of help. He hasn't had a lot of help front for a couple of years. That's a rare

football players. And he's gotten injured because of it too. He has gotten hurt because of that. Yeah, absolutely right. So you know to me to say to sit there and wonder why there's so much hate for dak if you, if you you should try and understand what his limitations are, not attack him as the player. You should say, Okay, the anticipation needs to be better, right, you know, the

the accuracy needs to be better. You know, look at the Look at the difference with and blank Bordles playing with Leonard Fournette yea and without four net absolutely just go look at it. And their defense has played well except for this last game. He doesn't have a running game. The Cowboys will not win if Zeke finishes a game with fifty four yards. That's that's that's just He's absolutely right, write it down. Yeah, and this team is built to

do that, right, that's what that's the problem. And if you're saying, okay, yeah, we have to sling this thing around. Mickey's right, you're gonna take an l you know, bortles through the ball sixty one times against Kansas City. That's a problem. He's the reason why you might have a chance in this game, you know, and the rough games and people, and that was a first overall pick. Yep, you know that. And you think about that that that top top three, right is the top three number one

was right there? Three? Okay, you're right, yeah, I mean he but that was a top pick, right though, doubt so to me. You know, look for answers, but don't don't have to say, oh, it's this, it's this, it's this guy. You know. Yeah, the pitchforks come out after

a loss, the pitchfork. A lot of kids are looking for one guy to blame, and a lot of times, as Garrett, and sometimes I feel like I feel like it's the folks that were waiting in the weeds after a Romo that they had to kind of go away because Dak was having some success now all of a sudden, it's rest revisionist history, you know. And trust me, I always say this. I was on the staff that brought

Tony Romo here. I thank you know, jim Hess Jim Garrett, Sean Payton, Bill Parcels, thank you guys for what you did to bring as Tony Romo. You guys deserve a lot of credit for that. But you you've got to move on. You've got to move on from this and trying to bring back you know, trying to bring him back is not going to fix your problems for today, right. You know, the general manager needs to look at himself and say, Okay, have I helped this head coach? Have

I helped this head coach with enough to win? You know, obviously he feels like he has because he said, well, I see DAK being a long term in his mind, Jerry said. Yesterday he said, Jerry said he felt like the DAK right or wrong. That's the general managers the thought. So we'll see. But you know, as a general manager, he also needs to think about did I make the right decision at receiver? Did did we adequately staff? What's

going on at at at tight end? And it's my offensive line really playing to the level that I thought they would see and I and I'm tired of hearing, especially on not going for fourth and one. You've got the best offensive line in the NFL. And you don't want to run behind him. Well, let's can that for a while, okay, because it's not the best offensive line in the National Football League. You don't want to not playing to that level right now? Yeah, And that's fair,

you know. And and God bless Joe Looney, he's not Travis Frederick. He is not Sorry, he's playing well for Joe Looney. Yeah, but he's not Travis Frederick. And you only have two guys out there right now that are Pro Bowlers. You don't have three. And and Lele Collins was not playing to the level that he was at the end of last year. So you know this idea that well, that's your bread and butter, this offensive line.

Watch the game, yeah, watch it. Just trying to figure out You got to try and figure out what what clues you have. You have to try and figure things out. Sure, and you know, I'm not I don't think any of us here in this room right now or are giving the quarterback a pass. But I'm all we get accused of that, by the way, And I think that's that's what upsets me is I don't mind. I don't mind answering folks questions. I really don't that's my job. But also I ask you just to give it some thought.

Give it some thought. If you feel like, hey, that that's the only avenue, then I can't help you. I'm sorry. Mickey's right, you voted for a president. I can't change your mind. And in some degree they went the route they did at wide receiver. And I think even Stephen Jones said this on the fan this week. It's like, we're into the season now, Yeah, it is what it is. We're gonna try to do the best of what we can right with it. They're not saying they made a mistake,

but that's where they are. And it's not one fix. And that's a problem when it's not just one thing with an offense, you know, the dealing with right now, Look what this team did last last year during the off season, they went out and they realized that Mickey was screaming that they needed better left guard. He was absolutely right. What they do they spent resources. They already

had three Pro Bowl players. But what they do They took the fiftieth overall pick and went for a guard, and they could have traded that pick for an All Pro safety, which they didn't do. They thought it was important enough to try and fix or help the offensive line. So they went and got a guard to shore that up. What's been the narrative all through the long boy, I loved I love Sean Lee. I love Sean Lee. I love Sean Lee. I love Sean Lee. But Shan Lee's

always hurt. I can't love Sean Lee when he's always hurt. What they do They go out and get Layton vander Esh. You know where they could have got a receiver. They made a decision that, you know what, it was more important to them to go out and get a guy that could play when Sean Lee wasn't available. And it might be that Laton Vanderish. He might be the guy that, you know, god willing just goes on and has his tremendous career, a reliable sixteen out of sixteen game career.

They made a big push, They made a gutsy move to go get Jalen Smith. That looks like it's helped him as well. So I mean, there's ways to they What I'm trying to say is I think they're gonna look at things and say, you know what, we didn't do this very well. We didn't do this very well. And we need to address those things. They prove they can do that, just need to do it. It's like you said, it's in the season. It's a little bit

harder to do it all right now. That's why maybe you need to try and find a way to get Bryce Butler involved. Maybe it means, hey, Jeff Swain looks like a pretty darn good option throwing the ball down the field. To get him more involved some way you can. Yeah, those are the things you have to do. You remember last word for break, Mick. You remember when I got sick and tired of me And I think it started with the media. First, the narrative about Dak friendly. Yeah,

you love that. Hell is Dax's friendly? Now, Yeah, that's all I'm gonna say. Oh, it is your Dak friendly. That's all they talked about in the off seat. Well, we've gotta be more Dak friendly. Well, Dak friendly was getting Zeke on the field and protecting him better than

they did the last eight games of the season. And that's and I'll say this before we go to break the sensible fans that are frustrating that there are fans out there that they're just yeah, it's not everybody but it's just there's overall frustration going back to last eight games of twenty seventeen and it's carry over into this year,

and how do we fix it? And and look, they're gonna have to We're gonna get into this after the break and in the final couple segments, how do they manufacture drives yards points against this quality of the defense? So let's get to that next when we come back on Talking Cowboys has been helping Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seven, and he too said they don't miss

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Imagine being shipwrecked on a desert island, anone glass like curls of self bound at the shore with Doctor Pepper colored waves, surrounded by desire. But you can't drink its because it's the ocean fish even there. The only thing you want is Doctor Pepper, and you can't have it. Now, that is it Doctor Pepper? Craving Doctor Pepper, the one you crave better to talk In Cowboys in football off the quickest plays mixed with some good old fashioned ingenuity

are the key to winning. Kind of like Tommy John's horizontal quick draw fly. It's the most innovative, simple and speedy feature that other underwear brands just don't have. Shop exclusive from Cowboys Underwear at Tommy john dot com, forward slash Cowboys quick Draw. You're right about that, Mickey. You said it. You said it. It was it. It works, And when you're snow skin and your ski pants stuff like that, you gotta be able to you know, a lot of maneuvering going on that. I did miss one word.

I said innovative. It's intuitive mostly to overall your dismount was okay though, Yeah, yeah, I think it was. It. It works really well. You know where I didn't have no scripting from me for this Jack Black, We're about to do so as real well on airplanes too. Yeah, there you go when you don't have much room to maneuver, and maneuver even for like a forty five minute flight back from Houston and you were wedgie free. Can I ask somebody a real quick question about that flight? Yeah?

Did you guys enjoy it? You guys got sandwiches on the way home. They handed out like wrapped up Were they good sandwiches? It was amazing. They were really good about Philly Philly, like Philly cheesteaks, steak sandwich. Yeah, it was hot, we got it. It was in tinfoil. It was too hot. I saved it until I got home at like three. It just wolfed it down, wolfed it down at like three to thirty in the morning. It was the best late early dinner breakfast ever. Man finished

my work, so I kept it going. I have to admit. On the way there, they right at the end they handed us out chicken sandwiches, right, and I wasn't hungry, And I said, you know what lunch tomorrow? Oh god, okay, okay, okay. It was so hot I couldn't need it. Yeah, I felt like an old miser sometimes sometimes though, and I'm not again, those those meals on the way home. I remember him being like, I really don't want that. I would rather those sandwiches. Yeah, I'll take any of it.

I think it's great sandwich, which I'm not trying to complain. Trust me, folks, Hey, listen, you're talking to guys. Lived a lot of life on airplanes. I appreciate the food on the charters, but there's sometimes where you just go. It just never sounded great. All I know is his light was so short. Yeah that just before we took off the Missouri South Carolina game got delayed by lightning and he got we landed, it hadn't resumed. That's why you aren't hungry. Can't tell a real quick story, Mickey.

Do you still do your thing when you Mickey is the only guy know that could find a college football game without internet at thirty eight thousand feet. Mickey can hold he had this radio. You still that radio, that little h m MP three player. Mickey could get scores from around the country. He would hold the antenna against the window and over his head. He just he'd hold it up a little. He hold it up against the window. He'd movement behind his head, losing broad as. I'm like, ah,

it would pick up radio stations as we as we went. Yeah, I don't know how he did. He's the only one that could get scores on those on those Saturday road trip still works. I just don't don't anymore because we get which we get Wi Fi on the plane. That's too bad, because that's yeah, watching you do that, watch it's it's yeah scoring. You see Gort and he's standing up. Somebody's got a be ap wire. That's right, ap wire, very important. All right, let's uh, let's get to the phones. Here,

go to the first phone call of the day. Matthew in Iowa. You're up first on Talking Cowboys. Man, I don't even know where to start this week. It's uh, um and Barnet. There's just so many things all on UM. I know you guys are you know? There was a nice segue because I was going to kind of lead into the fact that everybody wants to blame these wide receivers, and after watching the twenty two, you know there's times

where they're not doing a job. There was a blitz where nobody reacted, nobody kept their route off and Dac was left to hug Um, you know. But there was also another blitz where you know it was I think it was a pass where Dak threw its way over Colby Very's head hind two or three options on the right side where the safety and the linebacker had blissed and completely vacated the area. So, yep, it's just a mess.

And so my question to you, Brian is We've had several quarterbacks coming through this offensive system that Garrett Is installed, Matt Castle, Tony Romo, John Kittner, but Tony's really been the only one that's been successful in it. At what point do we have to start looking at the system? Well, yeah, you want to lump those guys in. I mean, you know, Kittna had a solid career as mostly a backup. Castle was at the end of his rope pretty much these days.

By the way, Yeah, I think back in Detroit right now is what he's doing. And I'm not trying to say these guys around the same level as Dak, but it just seems like Tony is the only one that could ever figure it out and use this offense to to you know, do great things. It just seems like doesn't matter who we throw in there. There's there's just a struggle with the quarterback position, unless unless it was Tony And I don't know if that happens to again,

did that have to do with the offense? Maybe? Yeah, Well you've only had how many I mean, how many actual quote unquote starting quarterbacks have they had? They've had two quarterback and I tell you, I wish he had in a quick because I I really thought, even though that that that end of the season game didn't go well his way. I thought he played very very well and I who who Kyle Orton? Oh till he didn't want to play anymore. I know. That's what's so disappointing

about it. He seemed like he was finally making progress in this offense and and then he decided to quit. And ever since, it just seems like, you know, put Kitten in there as well. But you know, looking at everything, and I think it's I think you're making too big of a broad brush on all that it's possible. I mean we're talking backup quarterbacks that you know, they were at the end of their careers. Kitten, it wasn't bad, No, KIDDA did a pretty good job. I mean, he's right

of the ship was five and three with him. It's it's a home I believe if I remember right, Let me ask you can I ask everybody a question here? Do we feel like that maybe Romo was Maybe Romo's the anticipation, the smarts, intelligence, reading, defense, all that, you know, maybe that you know there's things that I'm sure And I've asked Sean Payton this question about Drew Brees, you know, and I like, how's it to work with a guy that's that sharp on the field? He says, it makes

up for a lot of mistakes that I make. You know, so sometimes you get quarterbacks that are very comfortable playing. Okay, you're gonna give me a system, but I'm gonna figure out ways to manipulate it. I think I think Tom Moore said it about Peyton Manning. I'm naming great quarterbacks here, by the way, you know, I'm naming guys that are great quarterbacks. But Tom Moore would say I would send in a play, and Tom Moore even said it a little bit about it. He did some work with the

Kurt Warner. You know, you send in a play and then all of a sudden, it's my play turns into another play, which makes it Oh okay, I see what you just did there. So sometimes you get a partnership where the offensive coordinator calls a play, you get a quarterback that's so intelligent in Okay, i'm gonna read the defense. Let's cover two. Okay, I need I'm gonna get a blitz him over here. Okay, I'm gonna throw it right here.

I think that's where Tony did a really great job of manipulating the system you know that he had, And so I think there's I think there's some merit too of Hey, you know you have a system, but you got a guy that can expand this system. You need to change the system for Dak. Maybe Dak does what happened? Did you have the same opinion in twenty sixteen, You know, I thought Zeke took over. I thought it was that whole the whole season was predicated on the offensive line

and Zeke, and I didn't think Dak. I still don't think Dak is a natural passer. That's just my opinion. I think he passed the ball too much. He doesn't have a very quick release, and I think that's what gets him in trouble. Especially on the balls that are tipped up. It's not because it's not because the wide receivers not necessarily driving enough back to the ball. It's the ball has been you know, let loose late in his break and he gives a cornerback that opportunity to

get that hand in there. And I like the past that Michael Gallup just flat dropped into an interception. No, this was the first interception, I believe, the very first one that was low. But it was again Dak almost took an extra step, had at the ball and then used his whole body the where you sit in there, where you almost knee when you finished that third step. You gotta snap that ball off before. So that stuff breaking,

and that stuff didn't happen in twenty sixteen. In the first eight games of twenty seventeen, he just had he just has happy feet. Now, Well, how come like the off season, all of a sudden he developed happy feet? Why is he got happy feet in it? Why is he half happy feet? I said? The offensive line is

definitely all right, all right, we're getting better now. You still have you know, he had time in this game last week times and sometimes he doesn't understand that you can drop the ball in between the safety and and uh, that's difference. He goes off to swing for a three yard game, which I thought some notes here. I mean Eavy was open about three or four times. Sure, And I want to come back to the very last play last week before the end of regulation. You have four seconds,

the defense is playing fifteen yards off your wide receiver. Yeah, why not just immediately pitch it to a wide receiver, get five yard six yards to get it to the forty four and give your kicker a chance with one second left. I think I can take the sixty five yard field goal when I give them an opportunity. Yeah,

I didn't, you know. I went back and watched that too, and I from the TV copy, I thought, just sitting there, I thought, Okay, why wouldn't they just throw the quick out and do what Parcels did against the Giants that time and go Billy and Billy kind of try the fifty something yard field goal. But it looked like to me, with with only ten seconds left, it wasn't you know, it wasn't going to happen fast enough for them to

be able to pull it off. So yeah, I understand, I understand the frustration, and I you know, the thing about the quarterback is, you know, we're I think you're trying to make Dak Prescott into Tony Romo when it comes to what's going on between his ears. And I mean well, and I mean that, I mean that in no disrespect to Dak, because I think that they're they're

two totally different quarterbacks. And you know what, they're not running the same offensive system, right it wasn't they get a little bit of that in the game the other night too. There's things you can do. There's things you can do with Tony clearly throwing the ball down the field and manipulate offense, manipulate the defense that you can't do with Dak. And you know, we all need to realize that, you know, the anticipation, the smarts, they just

the savvy. I think they're both extremely tough. I think Tony's you could be a very accurate quarterback. I don't think Dad could be particularly accurate, but you know he is. You know, in this day and age, maybe it's not the best way to play football, but they've decided until somebody else comes in here, if that's the case, if that happens, that they're going to play football by trying to be physical upfront and run it and then make plays off play action, and they just you know, that's

that's a tough thing when they don't run it. And Dak didn't have the same uh NFL upbringing as Tony did. Tony sat watch prepared for three years before he got his chance. This guy's three years he's going through it on the field with the bullets flying. Just remember Romo didn't become Romo until his fourth season. He also had nine years in Garrett's system, and by the end of his run here, like Brian said, he'd mastered the system. Yeah, where he could, he could basically have Lanson, you know,

make adjustment again. I've talked to Sean Payton about this a long time because I'm always fascinated by Drew Brees. But he's like, I'll send stuff out there and Drew will just take it and he'll think, Okay, I'm gonna think it a little bit further down the line. I just don't feel like you have that quarterback here right now. And I think that's why the great wins are the great ones, because they have that ability to kind of take it. It's not all athletic ability because or armtown

or all that. Because if that was the case, Jeff George would be in the Hall of Fame right now. Peyton Manning didn't have a great arm Dante Colepepper would be in the Hall of Fame right now. Steve McNair, who was a great quarterback in his own right, would

be in the Hall of Fame right now. If it's just about taking the ball and throwing it through the car wash and having it not get wet, you know, yeah, and you have to get Peyton Manning didn't become Peyton Manning the first couple of years of his career, by the way. He he he. But where he and Dak do share some similarities is, and this is gonna be funny. Their rookies and they had to play I mean the Colts.

The Colts were a three and thirteen team, and they had they had the pick, and they they took Manning and they threw him out there and he got lit up, and Troy he got lit up too. They all got lit up. And again I am not if you if you want to, you can't compare Romo and Dak in this way. You can't because I think that there's things that the escapability both seemed to have when when Tony was playing, you know, the the armed talent. I think Dak has got I think Dak has is strong enough farm.

I mean some of those throws he makes going to his left. But really, but what's between the years? And I mean that not as he's a dumb guy that you can't function in life. I mean sometimes to be successful you have to have smarts. You have to have that uncanny ability to see what's happening in front of you and make plays whether they're you know, it's anticipation. People ask me about Dak's worst trade. I think it's anticipation. You know, it's just something he could develop. You know,

it's it's going to take some time. But right now you're taking the lumps because he lacks it. So all right, fair enough, good points, Thanks Matthew for the call. Let's take our final break. We come back. Let's talk a little bit about Jacksonville's defense and the challenge it's going to present to this Cowboys offense Sunday next. I'm talking Cowboys. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a thing, then cutting the court is scary, But then I found out I could switch it DirecTV

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dot com. That's or USA dot com Terms and conditions. Applying back to the Talking Cowboys, Yes, we're back to talking cowboys. And you know when we talk cowboys, we also have to talk Jack Black. Oh. Yes, and Jack Black is the official skincare products of the Dallas Cowboys. Suspicial skincare products of Talking Cowboys. Because you got some guys here that need some help and we'll take all

the help we can get. So if you if you want to get some of the the Jack Black products like we do, make sure you go to uh get Jack Black dot com. Uh. They have a promotional code for cowboys. You get the four faves of their their like kind of their their program with all the skincare stuff and the lip bomb thing, all for ten bucks. Make sure you use the code cowboys to do it. Jack Black is for real, So check it out. You know it's done, Brian. You know what Jack Black's gonna cause me to do.

And I don't know if this is manly or not, but I've got all my products. But when I work out and shower at the health club before I come here, it's hard to get them to the shower. I need a shower candy. Yeah, is that you're gonna carry it around? Like? Is that unmanly? Not at all? I tried. I tried to tell my son, who's now you know, high school football player that you know, don't put all your stuff in something that you can carry. I remember like being

in college. You know you haven't go into the shower stuff and then you have and you never have everything. You would forget shampoo or you get if I'm around, put it all on a thing. You can buy these little handles, you carry them all what I need. It's it's awesome. I wonder if Jack Black's got it's but you know the thing that Jack Black, it's interest all they're all the tubes are all blue, right, so you

have to kind of okay, what am I? Okay, that's what's kind of graf, that's the skin, that's the beard, loub that's you know, it's all great stuff. But you have to kind of physically look and see because they're all kind of shape the same way. But they're all great. But they're all tremendous products. I take really the three and yeah, Christmas coming up soon, the holidays. Yeah, I take my three one watch with me every road trip. I can't do without it, even Houston where you're just

four hours away. Forty five minute flat. Gotta have it. Man, hair, body face got a times save in the four faves. Yeah, beard loop all great, butterface good times. All right, quickly, I know we only got about twelve minutes left in the show. We say we talked a little bit about this Jacksonville defense, Brian, I mean, from what you've seen, Yeah, are they as advertised? Are they the toughest unit they've faced the Cowboys will face so far and possibly the

entire season? This is this is a unique group and they've done a great job. This is a team that's had a poor record for a number of years, they've had high picks. They've done a great job of adding defensive talent to their team. They're working on that offensive side of the football now, but you know, they've also hit on some guys that they've spent money on. If you talk about their cornerbacks, A. J. Bouyer, the corner

they're playing op to Jalen Ramsey has been really, really good. Now, this is a unique team to watch, guys, because the cornerbacks flop sides. So I was kind of thinking of a plan of maybe taking taking my whoever wide receivers not gonna be a factor in this game, and put him over there, you know, and Jalen rant and just occupy him. You can't really do that because they stay flip flop, uh, you know. And it's not because they're

carrying guys. They're not shadow they're not shadowing. They'll play field, and they'll play boundary, and I mean boundary near the sidelines, and then they'll let the other guy play the field. So you can't really, you don't. You can't get a bead on where where Jalen Ramsey's gonna play. So that could be a little bit of a problem. You gotta be able to identify with him how you attack him. I would attack him when he's in zone coverage. Don't

attack him when he's in man. And when he's when he's gonna give you a little space, make sure the decision is quick, get the ball out and then and then take what you can get out of that. When you play man against him, he's very much like Patrick Peterson, and he doesn't give you very much room. He doesn't give you space. He's gonna run with you, he's gonna be physical with the line, and he's gonna do all those things, so you have to be careful the secondary.

Barry Church has done a nice job with them. This Tayshawn the Gibson, you know, he's the other safety. I'm I'm kind of a little bit I'm not too sure about him. They drafted this Ronnie Harrison from Alabama, who they've used a lot more when they played Tennessee, who was run heavy. They took They took Harrison and they took Gibson and they put them both down and then

also played with Barry Church back. So they put three safeties on the field and kind of a kind of a nickel look, but that was to handle they didn't feel like that Tennessee could throw the football. So now I think the Cowboys being very run heavy, Tennessee being very run heavy. You might see the same thing where they try and get more safeties down Miles Jack this Telvin Smith. I mean, they've got a good group of linebackers, but the defensive line is impressive. It's gonna remind you

very much of how the old Giants were. They got big. They've got a big defensive end in Kalaiss Campbell. He plays what they play, the strong defensive end. So whatever whenever they declare your strength, they say, okay, your strengths to the right, They'll put Kalais Campbell to that side

and then he will be a rusher there. We also have to be worried about him putting them over the top of Connor Williams because when they went to Nickel against Kansas City to try and create pressure, they put Kalaiss Campbell inside and he is He's as six eight guy. He's six eight like David Irvy, but he doesn't have the quickness of David Irving. He's yeah, but his lateral agility struggles a little bit. But you talk about power, he's a straight power player. I've seen him walk guys

right back in when he's playing end. When he's playing tackle, I've seen him walk guys right back into the quarterbacks lap. So that's the problem you're gonna have to you're gonna have to do with Malik Jackson plays as the undertackle of the three. He's another guy that could very well give Connor Williams a little problem. And then Marcel Darius, who they got from Buffalo is in a trade, is

just a big guy that's hard to move inside. So they're gonna they're gonna try and stop you from running the ball, but they think they're good enough too in the secondary to just to cover you up and not give anything on the back end. And we'll see what happens. I mean, they've they've had, they've they've you know, Kansas City uniquely the way that Kansas City plays. Mahomes did a nice job wet day, getting the ball around, very creative and when some of the things they did offensively

to try and take advantage of Jackson. But I think Jacksonville lost that football game because of Blake Bortles. That's why they lost. He was awful. Yeah, that's why they lost that game, Mike, what do you see from them on tape if you've watched a little bit so far. I watched the game, yeah, and so I've got a messed up view of what they are. Yeah, because they got torched. Darius IMPRESSI to me. He gave Kansas City trouble. Yeah,

in the middle, he made a lot of plays. Um, I mean, Kansas City just kind of had their way with them, and with the amount of turnovers they made, it made it easier on them. I mean, they're they're they beat New England, all right, they did, but then they won. Uh, they're they're they're the champions of New York because they beat the Jets and the Giants. Yeah, they do have desistically the best defense in the league, and they do have eight guys on their roster who

have made Pro Bowls. They're still number one. After the yards they gave up against Kansas City, they're still number one. And they will score touchdowns too. That's the other thing you got to worry about against a Cowboys offense that has been challenged so far. Team scored seven touchdowns last year defensively, and I think they've last year. I think they got a couple this year too, at least one. I think they got one against the Giants. Yeah, so

they played their tough game. So if they do that with their corners, Yeah, then I'm putting my wide receivers in motion. Yeah. We talked, and then they can decide where they're going. We talked to Alan Hearns yesterday, who knows these guys very well, practiced with him every day, and he said, look, they're gonna load up to stop Zeke, and they're gonna press us, and we have to make plays on the outside. That's that is imperative for this

wide receiver group. This week, Well, they weren't. They weren't pressing the whole game against Kansas City. That's why they started playing off. Yeah, that's why I felt like though they respected Kansas City speed with that hill. I think they were worried about They were worried about hill. They're playing on a grass field, it was wet conditions, and

they thought, Okay, we can't slip, we can't fall. But yeah, it's a I really wanted to see them play against the Giants because the Giants with it was the first game of the year. You know, the Giants are gonna try and run the ball with that rookie back. But the way I think they're going to play the Cowboys, and I think Alan's absolutely right, They're gonna press you and they're gonna try and choke this run. And where where it was very evident, like I was talking about

with moving guys around, was that Tennessee game. You know, because Tennessee is a They're much like the Cowboys. They're very run heavy. And I felt like, Okay, how do they do this? But when they wanted to get to when they want to get the pass rush, they kicked that Campbell inside. You know, they bring on they bring on Fowler, their first round pick from a while. But I mean they have guys that can legitimately rush the passer.

They got big guys inside, they got fast guys on the edge, and they got linebackers that are really sidelined to silence players. I will say this, Uh, as much as I love Miles Jack, Jalen Smith from what I saw on tape is playing better than what Miles Jack. Is interesting. They put Campbell inside so much. I thought he was a defensive tackle. Now I said, when did they move in the defensive Yeah, He's like they had

him inside quite a bit. This is I just feel like that they're gonna try and press and push Connor Williams. This is gonna be a tough game for Connor Williams because he's gonna have to hold up against some guys. I'm mentioned that whole thing with Malie Jackson. He's he's

like a a big quick guy. I mean, they attack your shoulder around, you know, and when we see Connor when he gets a little over extended, he gets you know, that guy swims around him and kind of like wit saw last week with the with the Texans JJ Watt quick movement. Then there you go. So when you play two tight end, how do they declare what the strong

side is? They'll probably declare to the strength of the tight ends because they probably feel that you're going to run the football so to Swayton side, right, Jarwin's right, right, So if if they put if if you the thing, what you what you're gonna try and do is try and balance them. You know, you could play twelve personnel

and then split your tight ends and then balance. That's what I meant both if they're both on the same side, of course, that's very obvious, but if you play twelve personnel and you put one on the right, one on the left, you're gonna balance them and try and make them declare. Okay, now, maybe you could scheme a way to keep to keep h to keep Ramsey out of the out of the picture, and then just play against ten guys. You know that that that that's gonna be.

Like I said, that's gonna be. But he will travel and he will also play in the slot. So don't be surprised if all of a sudden Beasley's down in the slot. They're trying to work that angle a little bit because they're their normal slot guy is Tyler Patman. We all from here, So all right? Why no Malik Jackson from Was he Texas? He was? Was it Denver? They got him from Denver? I know no, But I mean did he play college? Jefferson? Right, Belle, Jefferson's a linebacker?

Oh okay, yeah, Texas? I said, right, jack Yeah, okay, all right, all right, right, quick plug by the way and go to Dallas Cowboys dot com four tickets to purchase tickets. Cowboys Jaguars Sunday three, twenty five kickoff at AT and T Stadium, Nate in Frisco. If you're still holding quickly, you got the last word on talking cowboys.

Good morning y'all. Um, last time I wanted to mention um, especially with difficulty you're having with the run, why don't they go out and try to get a blocking tight end. I'm thinking made you like a Tyler Conklin or a Mercedes Lewis. I mean, what do y'all think? You mean? Like now, right now? Yeah, how are you gonna do that? He wants to trade you out of trade? He wants to trade. Yeah, all right, thanks for the calling, Nate.

I'm not sure they're gonna Yeah, where's the deadline? By the way, if you want to make a trade sometime this month, right yeah, it's it's end of the it's it's the end of the month of the month, the last Yeah, right around there. I think that to me that if you can identify you know, this is gonna sound funny, but Rico Gathers has not been terrible, you know,

so big body, yeah, big body. And I'm thinking that maybe the more confidence that you give him, maybe you say, you know, and he's starting to understand the plays and it knows what he needs to do. If you're gonna throw him the football. Put him out there and let him block too, you know, let him, let him let people see him block, block, block, block block, and then sneak him, you know, up the field like you did. Don't just put him on the field to throw him

the ball. But Rico Gathers has not been terrible locking, so I'm kind of can he be an h back? If I asked, I don't know. I'm just gonna put him. I'm just gonna put him in line and let him but use that big body to capture the edge. I appreciate the caller because he's thinking, hey, you know I've said all along, please if you could just have James Hannah walk into this building. But that's a stuntman. That's

not gonna happen. But suddenly, you know people and he's not the first one to bring that up about a fullback. But remember when Zeke got here. Oh he's better in a one back. He doesn't run well. Keith behind the fullback me personally, I miss Keith Smith. Glass eater. A glass eater, that's what Keith Smith is. He's a glass eater. And you know, Ola Wally is kind of a fit and fin or finding fit guy. Keith Smith was a he would go in there and blast and whatever he saw.

Now you know, that's kind of way they If you can have a fullback, give me a guy that's gonna go in there and blast people. That's what I need. All right. That's it. Thank you guys for joining us. Thanks to Ken for producing. We'll be back on Thursday, Bill, We'll be back. We'll can and you're breaking down Cowboys Jack Sunday at at and T Stadium. So you guys all. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club