Talkin' Cowboys: Big Easy? Not Exactly

a victory Monday. That's actually a victory Thursday around here, right, it's actually Thursday at you got your days straight exactly exactly right, because the New Orleans Saints are fast approaching on this Thursday. To follow up Bill Jones's Rob Phillips, Yeah, yes, how was your weekend? Everybody? Have we not done this for a week. It's been a while, hadn't it. Yeah? Whence the last time we did our show, y'all did one Wednesday that I wasn't a part of, right faith,

that was the last one. So it's been a week for you. Yeah, yeahs I do miss you know, it's longer because you missed because Beltrey, I try. It's been a full week. It has because I maybe Beltrey retired sports stuff is get involved with our talk here. Huh yeah, that's right. So but how about them Cowboys? Yeah, nice victory, really nice victory, you know, and it sets you up for this week. You know, you just this is one of those things. It's you have to find a way now.

You know, we're at the point of the season where you know, you just have to find ways to win these games. It's a banged up football team. You're playing one of the best teams in the National Football League. You know, they're a complete team. That's just not a that's not a one trick pony, as they say. They've got a pretty good defense too to go along with their offense, so present a lot of different challenges. So that's it's time of year for that. There's no time

to patch yourself on the back, is there. You know, there's there's not a ten day break after Thanksgiving. And oh, by the way, you're about to face a team that's won ten straight football showing up this week. No, yah, neither, it's Texas Tech right, Nope, they struggled down the stretch. Yeah, we're staying topical. I guess. Yeah, they made a coaching change up in Lubbock. There's uh yeah, there's ways to win these games, and you just got to figure it out and and see, you know this is a good

credential check right now. Well, and then you sort things out after Thanksgiving weekend in the in the NFC East, you got the Cowboys and the Redskins at six and five, and the Eagles come from a nineteen to three whole yesterday to beat the Giants and they're sitting there at five and six. I mean I saw that score in nineteen to three and I in the first half yesterday. Well, well the Eagles have given up on their season and they came back and win. And then you look at

the standings and they're a game out of first place. Yeah, and then yeah, come in here, yeah next week exactly. Yeah, and they've got a Monday night tilt. I beleeve with the Redskins before that, so we'll see how that all plays. But they start bunching up in the NFC, by the way. Yeah, and then yeah, you look at the wild card Seattle Carolina. Both teams you've lost two are both six and five. You've got four teams six and five, one six, four and one and one five and six. That game last

night was huge, obviously for wildcard purposes. And I think they said on NBC they had some kind of math that said if the Packers losing, they've got a two percent chance to get in now, and Minnesota's got like a seventy three percent chance. I stand that stuff. Who figures this out? Well? And then of course in the game you get stats that say, well, now the Cowboys have a seventy three percent chance of winning this game. I thought that. I thought that college station the other

night too. I mean me too, me too. Three weeks ago or three games ago, the Cowboys had like an eight percent chance of making the playoffs. Now it's sixty four percent of all analytics? What what? What? What? What are god? Y'all sound like you're from the dark ages? Why would you believe it? But did you believe the eight percent? It's based on math. Yeah, it's based on the other teams that have done it before. Well then these aren't other teams, though, this is this is different? Right, Hiking?

How being wrong? Hik Harrison? How is your way? It was wonderful? How ya Okay was trying to in a way make his point that was a big game, big swing. Now you've got some teams fighting to get in the Cowboys again, I think they're still in the same boat they've been in. They need to win their division. Just take care of business. Here, into your home and get your home game, and don't worry about because Carolina is Caroline has lost three straight now, but they still have

a win over you. I mean think Seattle has a win over you, so so still take care of business. Speaking of these analytics, what was the Aggie's chance of winning that game against LSU went on the fourth and eighteen past play the yard shore of the first down. It's just I think, yeah, you just gave him an opening. You know I had that one ready. Sorry, Brian, Sorry, Texas Satan played well in the overtime period they played. They played much better than LSU. Did they really? Did

you know that one played better? That was one two point conversion better? One played better one one? What were you waving your golden purple flag for one on here? I just liked things to be honest, okay and act. Okay, there was no got it, there was no accuracy in that game. Okay. It was a great game, and I graduate, I'm glad. I was gonna wear my white hat today. That was that was a great game, But if it was a Big twelve game, it was, how come these

teams can't play any defense? That's right, That's true, true, true. There was no defense involved there at the very end, for sure. But now speaking of defense, you better be you bet to play defense this week against the team coming in here. Idea, the team that's this is this is gonna be interesting because I don't think they've seen a team and I'm not saying something you folks already

don't know out there. This is a team that stretches you horizontally to make plays vertically right, which is they create a ton of space. And the way they they operate their routes, the way they're offensively, this is this is one of the best offensive lines that I've seen of the games. I mean, I mean, I'm telling a lot of a lot of games of watching offensive lines play this one right here. They got it. They've got this thing figured out, and they they're never on the ground.

They're running backs run hard, their receivers do a great job, they have tight ends to get involved, and they got a quarterback that knows how to get them the ball. So that's what I'm saying. Get ready. They stretch, You stretch horizontally to play against your vertically. Be ready for that game and they give you and you got a quarterback who gets every at the ball. Yeah, exactly, even guys you never heard of. Yeah, they do that. That's

has that ever happened? What we saw on Thanksgiving with their game four undrafted free agents with four touchdowns in the win over Atlanta. I mean, when you're your role and when that's happening, you know, there's there you know, if you look at what Philadelphia want a game yesterday playing with a bunch of banged up secondary guys too, I mean there's sometimes you just have to play with these guys and they and it works out well. Think

about you know, Cam Fleming playing the other day for you. Yeah, we we haven't always been very positive about Cam Fleming and his you know, and like oh geez, and and you know, really during warm ups they can by the way you're playing today, oh wow, okay, yeah, sure, I'm in there, you know, and you've got two guys on that left side. So yeah, you get sometimes you get

performances from people that are unique. Sure, but that that she goes to show you though, the scheme that they have the ability to have to plug players into their scheme and the way that allows the quarterback to execute the scheme that they have their in New Orleans. You don't want just don't want to play too long with those guys, because then the next team sees what they can and can't do. They get exposed, and they get exposed. They still that quarterback though. Yeah, no I'm saying I'm

referencing Cam Fleming. Oh I'm sorry, I'm referring Xavier cia Filo, who you know, would look like the first game, it was really good the second game. So now you gotta beat on what Cam Fleming can do and can't do, and how the Cowboys were trying to cover them up with no question tight end over there, uh brown uh kind of motioning over there, and you know it wasn't

just him on an island. Like they sacrifice Chaz Green right at Golden Point, Gold, Gold, gold Star and cookie for the coaching staff for that ability to make that adjustment and not allow somebody that game, because it could have been very difficult for them. You know, if you talk about Preston Smith and you talk about Ryan Carrigan over there, and maybe you get a Jonathan Allen come walking out there a little bit. You know, you gotta

worry about those things. Fill the novice in on who makes the call on something like that from an offensive coaching standpoint, As far as given help to a left tackle, is it? Yeah, they didn't concert There was not a lot of practice time last week, you know, but it's been like going back to Atlanta last year. Who is it that ultimately makes the call on Okay, we got to give this guy help over here. I think the

offensive corner does. I think the offensive corners, if he's calling the game, he has to tell the offensive line coaches, Hey, I still want to get to this, and then the offensive line coach then has to remind him, Okay, if you get to that, I'm gonna have to have help for that guy if you expect him to block lay one on one is how much on the fly during the course of a game does that conversation go on that, Hey, we got to get help over there, And then I

think it's with your own Yeah, I think it's with your own I see, And I don't mean to harken back to the LSU A and m game. But A and M LSU was way too late of getting Greedy Williams, one of the best corners in the league and college football, over on Rogers. You know, they never I mean, Rogers started killing him in the overtime period, and Dave Randa's adjustment should have been, Okay, I'm playing a twenty five

yard field. I've got to get my best player on their best player right now and try and stop this. And he never got to that until it was way too late in the game. And I think coaches are like that that you don't want to wait too late. You're gonna think, Hey, if we're going with this guy, I've got to have this guy some help. I can't. I've seen him not perform at a level that is acceptable.

I need him to have some help. And to Mickey's point, give credit for them making that adjustment somewhat on the fly, because it wasn't like last year in Atlanta with Chazz and all that. I mean, they they thought Tyrn was starting that football game, no question. I mean, I think Cam Fleming told us he walked in after warm ups and they said, you're up today, by the way, Yeah, so that you know, and they made, They made a

schematic adjustment. They weren't going to do that with Hyrn if he was good to go, I mean, they would let him take his guy. Yeah. So the big takeaway from the Redskins game as far as what was since we haven't had an opportunity to talk about that game yet, what was it that impressed you the most about what

the Cowboys did in that game? I think that the way that they went they gave up the four sacks early in the game and in the half, and then came back and didn't give up any I think that was a really big key in this game, and it looked like it was there could potentially be some problems in the second half, but you know, the defense did a great job given the offense some opportunity with some turnovers and things. I really do like what I saw

from again, the left side of that offensive line. It wasn't pretty over there, but at least they got things done against a very difficult defensive line, difficult, difficult defensive front, and you got what you needed at a zeke running the football. And you know, again, Amari Cooper, what do you need to say about that? They raised the hurricane flag with Amari Cooper. It was like, the touchdowns were great, but it's the warning going forward you want to blitz,

you better get there. You want to you know, stuff the line of scrimmage to stop the run. You better have a corner that can stand up for however many plays you got to play man to man against Amari Cooper because if you make a mistake, he might go ninety yards on you. And so I think that it was the thing that Sanjay Lal talked about. He said, I don't know how productive he'll be, but his presence will mean a lot. Well, I think his presence will

mean even more now that you've seen the production. It's helped out Zeke a lot. There's no question about it. Just his presence for the running game. To me, the thing that stood out is they had three players in the game, all pro, Pro Bowl type level that just took over the game. Zeke took over the game, Amar took over the game. DeMarcus Lawrence continues to have such a huge impact what they do defensively, not just rushing

the passer. He's just relentless back there. And I thought those three guys played at that type of level and kind of mitigated. Like what Brian said, the strength of that Washington team is their defensive front, and they kept a minute for a while. But I think, you know, the talent took over for Dallas in that game. That was really impressive. And I thought that the mental toughness of the team for the third straight game after they

lacked mental toughness in the Tennessee game. Remember, in the third quarter of that game was tight game, and then Tennessee just kept on, kept on, kept tight, and Tennessee wins the game. And the Cowboys, I mean, it almost looked like they were done for the season at the end of that day. And for the third straight week, the Cowboys had a game in the third quarter where it was either tied or they were behind. In this case, they were behind thirteen to ten. And that's when they

kept pressing and they took over the game. And at winning time, they made the plays they needed to make to take control of the game. Absolutely, I think Rob was I think Rob hit the nail on the head with the thing with Lawrence too. You look at the play. I mean, here they are they try and chop him down at the edge. It was a second time they've tried to run that play and he was up to the task the second time and him not to be cut down in that situation with the ball going to

the outside and make the play he did. And that's you know, we talk about turnovers, so and you know, the Cowboys are getting their hands on turnovers. I mean that's one of the things that we've kind of unfortunately though with you know, with with the Woods. You know, I wish you would have just been a little bit more aggressive inside to get that to get that one.

But you know, least they're getting their hands on footballs, and I think that's you know, Woozier, that was a tough chance to off the tip ball of vander esh But again, least they're getting their hands on footballs to try and create some turnovers. It's, uh, you hope it's the start of a trend if you're Dallas, right, because I think in this game more than anyone. I think you kind of spoke to it in the Atlantic game, but this one's at another level. Yeah, you got to

create extra possessions. It's like it's like it's like arena football. The team that's got the most possessions and can get one or two stops is gonna probably win this football game Thursday. So can you give Dak the ball one or two more times? It's probably you're probably gonna have to do that in this game. You just gotta make plays. Well,

that too, right, that too. I mean defensively. Offensively, you can have up the greatest schemes in the world, but sometimes I'll guarantee you they didn't scheme a ninety yard touchdown pass right now. You gotta make plays in this league. You can't just keep grinding and going eighty yards and fifteen plays. Sometimes you just gotta make a big play. And that's why you have great players or good players.

They got to make those plays along the line. And if you don't have anybody who's gonna do that, you're gonna get beat. So they made plays because the longer you have the ball and the longer you're trying to drive something bad's gonna happen. There's more of a chance of that. Yeah, they odds go up. Gotta make a play. Yeah, So what happened over the weekend for you guys? Anything big? We worked on Friday and Sunday, so there was no

weekend Saturday. We had Saturday at college football Saturday. Yeah, we did. We did nothing else big happened for anybody. I became a grandfather for the third time. There Where he's going with this, I was thinking none of us. Jane Mars Griffith third graduation on the get a little camera right there. I'm not sure, but anyway, born on Saturday at four eighteen. I've got sons now PM. We got a call on Saturday morning that she was going, my daughter, Jessica was going into labor. Spent all day

on Saturday at the hospital and he arrived at four eighteen. Congrats. Unbelievable. I mean, this the miracle of childbirth. But you did that cause you to miss football? Or I got home in time to watch seventy four to seventy two, the seven overtimes on Saturday night basically, and Friday night was your big night to watch. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was fifty nine fifty six. I thought we're gonna say, oh, another big twelve title game birth. It's a little bit

different kind of birth. Yeah, let's right, it'll go a little bigger news than that. That was yep, yep. So we're trying to get him ready in time to go to at and T Stadium on Saturday and check out the biggest ou Texas game ever. Oh, there you go, because the stakes are last time they've played twice in the same season nineteen eleven ninth, like nineteen o three or something something like. At that game, either one of

them Bill. At that time, Bill's watching the birth of a grandson and I was taking a turkey out of a smoker or eighteen on side. Yeah, all right, we continue on talking Cowboys, and we take your phone calls and we come back. Has been helping Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seventy two, said they don't miss a moment on the field. Get glasses with best vision, clarity and protection with the Ultimate Lens Package, three innovative technologies

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is it, Doctor Pepper? Craving Doctor Pepper, the one you crave? Back to Talking Cowboys, Tommy John, time fellows. Adjust your cleets, adjust your pads, even adjust your helmet, But seriously, don't adjust your underwear because once it's been seen, it cannot be unseen. Mickey, It's a lesson to you. Tommy John has a contour pouch to nestle the boys and moisture winking fabric to keep you cool and dry on the field or in the stands. Tommy John, No adjustment needed.

Shop exclusive Cowboys underwear Tommy John dot com Ford slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order. That's Tommy John dot com Ford slash Cowboys. They got holiday specials going. Yeah, I saw that. Yeah, I think about special And you know what, art reads are much better than the national reads. I heard you know that was that read that kind of combines I thought Mickey was combining two reads the other day. Was that was that the one? But that's

just the read? Yeah? Yeah, I thought Mickey was just kind of just combining reads just to kind of two for one sale. Today, you know, kind of change. It's the actual read, right, it's the actual read. Yeah, okay, very good. What do you got Bill? You know, the Star District offers over thirty restaurants and shot the Dallas Cowboys them to campus. It is the perfect place to shop nine and bring the whole family. For more information on all that the Star has to offer, visit the

Star District dot com. Another one that I hadn't eaten at before. Oh yeah, which one Friday East Hampton? You uh No, I decided I was going to treat myself that I was working on a Friday and I missed Thanksgiving at home and I got the crab sandwich. It's excellent. Yeah, I got that figured out over there. Wow, it's a tay food place over there too. It's really good on the other side of Canes. Need to visit. If you like that stuff, We welcome you back here to Talking Cowboys.

We're Talking Food. And by the way, did you hear the big news out of North Carolina this morning? Yeah? Mac Brown? Back Mac Brown, that was true, Yes, coach North Carolina. I got here. And I also hear that James is in North Carolina and he is next up here on Talking Cowboys. Hello j James? How you doing good right now? I just wanted to say, basically, I watched your show. I've been a Cowboys fan ever since I was seven. I'm fifty five now, and what's your

show religiously or watch the break religiously. I've always been trying to get on but never get on, But now I finally got on this morning. I just want to say the game Thursday was great. I loved it. Dak played the awesome game. I do know that. You know, I heard a lot of rumors last year that Dak would see what Dak was basically without Zeke and everything else, would they If you go back in the nineties, Troy wasn't that good either. You know, Emmett set out two

games they lost to two games. So it's not just basically, you know, a quarterback can't be good without a running back because you got to have both of them and I think Dak is playing awesome. Thank you well, thank you Sure. How about Dak's performance on Thursday. You can't beat it when you make plays right. She's playing with a lot of confidence right now. Yeah, he is a third down it's been so much better for him. He's actually got guys that get open, you know. I think

that's a big help. You look at what happened early in that football game. What do you do go out to Maury Cooper? You know, you throw the ball with a guiding separate and not have to make a bunch of tight window throws. Those are those are Those are the kind you want where just you and the receiver are playing pitch and catch, not with some quality defensive back hanging on a guy trying to make it a throw, you know, two inches here or two inches there. So yeah,

good for him. He's got a guy can throw the football to first and second down have been a lot better. Zeke's running continues to run really well. That's help. That helps stack out. We keep talking about the down and distance. That's a huge factor. He is playing more confident. I think he just seems more comfortable back there. It wasn't a perfect first half by any stretch and they you know, they miss an opportunity in the red zone again and

it's like, oh, here we go again. But I think there's a trust factor with a Maury Cooper right off the bat, I think, and it's kind of speaks away. Brian said, he just trusts this guy's going to get open and separate, and he is. And the main thing is his run after catchability. The guy's at home run threat. And I don't know if they've had that since Dez was,

you know, really in his prime. Yeah, a lot of his drops, you know at Oakland where we were talking about when he was doing just what he was doing, taking the football and trying to get north south quick. Yeah, that's when you know, there's a couple of concentration ones. But you know, people are like, he drops the ball all the time. No, he drops the ball because he's trying to just run. He's trying to take a twelve yard game and make it a ninety yard game. That's why,

you know, and that's what football players do. That's what great football players do, and that's what started to get Des in trouble. Yeah, trying to run before he could be catch the ball and his son and oh that's a drop, okay, but let's read into it. What are you what are you doing exactly? You know, he said something interesting Amari did a couple of weeks ago, and he's an interesting guy, like he's quiet, but he'll give you some real insight. You know. I just thought it

was interesting the way he put it. He said, my job as a receiver is to get as open as humanly possible with my routes. So Dak just has to throw it somewhere within the vicinity of my route and I'll go get it. And it was a simple statement, but it really speaks to just how precise he is as a route runner. You know. I think he's very he takes that very seriously. And you see these routes that he's running. Yeah, they're big plays, but he's also putting in himself in a spot where Dak just has

to get it. He runs routes I've and I was trying in my head and I wrote about this for or after the post game from the scouts. Scouts, I he does something in his route I have never seen other receivers do, and it's his ability to he can he could drive a guy off, but if he's but if he's going to have to break, he almost turns his not almost, he turns his body sideways to where most guys will have to go and then settle their

weight and then plant and go. He could run and turn him self sideways and whichever direction he wants to go, so he opens up to the side he's going to break too, or if he's going to break the route inside or out, he just turns his body that way and instead of having to stop and then break. So I mean, you can watch him. It's I'll show you guys on tape one day if you want to come

and see it. But he'll run and he'll just turn and the defensive back still thinks he's going forward, and then he's right into his break because his hips already opened up to where he could plant and go where he needs to go, and that buys him a little bit more. I mean, that's why he was able, you know. You you look at the what he was able to do against the Redskins, you know, against their cornerbacks. I mean, and he's done it a couple of different times. So

it's it's a technique thing. You talk about pride and route running and all that. Boy, he's just got really good technique. It helps gives him much more ability to get opened faster than it does like the normal guy that has to run, chop his steps, settle his weight and then plant and go. So if you look out, I forgot which touchdown it was the dB fell down. Yeah, he didn't fall down because he had bad footing. He fell down just because of what Brian said. His route

was so good. The dB couldn't turn away. He turned. He had him going out and when he tried to go back in he slipped and fell. It was the route. It wasn't the guy falling. He got separation on Josh Norman, which is not easy. Now Josh Norman isn't Carolina Panther Josh Norman anymore, but Josh Norman is a guy that usually can stay with and it is really good at

reading routes. Murray had him a little had him a little bit playing on his heels, and I think that's where, like I say, I'll show you guys one time if you want to see the way he's kind of able just to open his hips and still maintain speed and then get inside or get outside. Just because of the way his positions his body. You know. That was one of the drills Sanjay had him doing in training camp and I was, I was like, what are they doing?

Because he was he was trying to teach them how to sink their hips right when they turn, and so he was making them put their hand on the ground right, And I go, that's not the way you're gonna do that in the game, is it? And he goes no, But he goes the idea is to get them to feel how to sink your hips. And you put your hand on the ground. You have to sink your hips when you're gonna make your break. And he doesn't need to put his hand. He understands, Yeah, to be able

to do that. It's rare when you have a receiver that can run routes at the same speed and never change. Miles Auston Jason Garrett was Miles Austin had that ability to run routes at the same speed. If he was running at you, he could run his route at the same speed, make that cut and not have to settle weight.

That's where defensive backs understand when they're watching and they're playing you, they see you start to set to sink and once they see sink, then that's the that's their queue to drive or to them for them to sink and then go with you. I think you find great running backs are able to do that. Yeah, but the fast the fast running backs and in fact, yeah, you know, yeah,

you know what's interesting. There was something about Felix Jones and that when he made cuts whatever, you know, and then I think he got hurt later, you know, and so he busted as an NFL player, but when he came into the league he had that on a break where and similar type. Well, what you're talking about, I think right now, it's it's it's the way these receivers get separation now and the really good ones have the ability to sell where they're going or sell on a

different idea and not give you a read. And Josh Norman, I think Josh Norman is one of the best ever played. And Amari Cooper had him guessing, you know, guessing, hesitating, and that's what you have mean you get that, you get that hesitation, then you get the separation. And he's kind of the unwide receiver when it comes to his personality. Rob's right, he doesn't say a heck of a lot.

But when he says something you ought to pay attention, which made me think which touchdown celebration was more surprising because his I didn't. I didn't. I didn't think he had a free throw. Seriously, Well, it wasn't just a fine go ahead. It was the Marquelle faults um, which I feel but yeah, the juggle things. I feel bad for him, Yeah, faults because if you've watched the NBA,

he's really struggling. He's got like a mental block with his jump shot and somebody has told him to just juggle it like this to get your mind off your form and then just put it up. Yeah, and I don't know if it's working or not, but my son unique Yea Benes, that was a great celebration that Amara had. And I said, he just shot a free throw? What's that? Was my take? He goes, he was was trolling faults what he was doing? And I go, what do you mean?

He goes, if you ever watched faults shot free throw? He goes, he juggles the ball now, and I go, oh, that's what that was. We got to watch. I think, yeah, yeah, this is this is like a Chuck Nabler kind of thing. With this young player for Philly, the sixers, like he's been missing them all. He's he's he has this hitch in his shot, like he can't. He's almost it's almost like he's forgotten. And maybe he got too he's got yips. But anyway, this fult to knowledge it on that. Yeah,

he took it and stride. It was these free throw shooters, it's simple. All you gotta do. You bounced it three times, you've been your knees and you shoot. That's it. But that's what you could have made a lot of money. That's how. That's how former Dallas Chaparral since he pal taught me as an eight year old, Well he should have got a hold of Shack then that he should have. I wish I could have got a hold of Shack. I could have been a lot of Lebron, a bad

free throw shooter. He's okay, he's okay. For some reason, Lebron had some troll. Shack had he would change his his You gotta stay in rhythm, horror, that's what. That's why you dribble three times and then you shoot. You you're in rhythm. It's like a three point shooter. You you gotta be in rhythm to shoot. How strong do you think Zeke is that he picked Dak up. Deck's not light. No, by the way, No, he's too forty. I kind of wish he wouldn't have picked him up.

I don't think that that was That was a That was a that was an untime was an important coverage. The coverage was not great either though that that. I went back and watched that, and there was a couple of guys got out of their lane badly on that play. On the way I mean when they they took the ball right up the middle and it kind of sucked everybody in and then when they bounced it, there was nobody on the outside other than you know, Rod Smith is not fast enough to to take a you know,

to take a returner like that. And then luckily Jeff Heath playing safety did his job. But that's that was a bad That was a bad situation. That ball was only kicked to the eleven and then I think about the penalty, you know, not a good situation. One more thing on the Mari celebration, The best part of that was the offensive lineman standing on each side like going for a rebound and Joe Looney. If that was a basketball game, he would have in lane. Oh he was yeah,

he was bent way. Oh he had his foot over the line. But I don't know that was good. They don't call that anymore, do they. No, they don't. They don't. Pretty good, not as good as the limbo last night with Minnesota. That was that. That was good. That might take the kid. Okay, we got all these celebrations go on. Minnesota does some good ones. Did they do bob sled one time? Did they? Then they were all like they

were in a bob slid during the Winter Olympics. It was pretty Minnesota comes up with some creative ones that watch are all with going into the Salvation army kettle. If we're gonna do the bob sled and we're gonna do the free thrill, we're gonna do all this other stuff with an imaginary I have no idea or getting twenty one dollars handed to you. Yeah, if you're that's like, let me ask you this. If you're if you're Jason Garrett, do you ask that the kettles be removed from the field?

You know, all you gotta do. You don't have to run from the kettle you don't have to remove them from the field, but you could put them on the sideline. Yeah, so people can run into them. No, so you could do it. You go to the Cowboys sideline and then you're the can and now you're not. So technically if they just moved him around the corner, yeah, then or you could keep him. You could keep those prominently displayed and get additional ones on the sideline. Well, guess the

Cowboys sideline. I why, yeah, no, kiddy, the show is a false alarm. So when I was headed to the locker room, Jerry was Jerry was leaving, and I said, you know, I said, you might want to put those those kettles up on a stand. Yeah, the players can't get to him. And he looked at me, he goes, why would I do that? You know? Did you see how much attention that drew for the Salvation Army? But I don't like the But then but then he prefers it going. He goes, as long as it turns out

the way it did. Yeah, we had a family discussion about this, and my daughters and wife were saying, well, it's it's it's doing so much good for the Salvation Army. You got to keep doing it. I said, no, it's penalty. So it is if you have a fifteen yard penalty. And I'm all for jumping in the cut. I'm all for changing the rule. And what's the make it like the Lambeau leap. What's the difference between the two. That's what I'm saying. I think you call the league and say, look,

we're raising X amount of dollars for this wonderful cause. Right, just let it go, right, I mean seriously, for a month out of the year. How Jason answered it? Finally was it the next day when he or no, was that game? He said, no, was it was at the game and he said yeah. He goes, you know, we're gonna have to be careful, and then he goes, and then maybe the NFL needs to rethink things exactly. He said, yes, yes,

he said it. He said. I asked him about it on the Jason Garrett Show after the game, and he said, you need to start a letter writing campaign to the NFL to get this rule change, because what do they used to call it the no fun League? Right? And so now you got all these cool celebrations, but you can't go some goofy whatever, go ahead, but you can't. But you but you can't do it in the name of charity. That's come on, let's let's just realize what

we're doing here. You know, jumping a kettle jumping stands was the difference. Well, that was grandfathered in, wasn't it. And I was there for the first one. The first one who didn't it was Leroy Butler. He was He got a interception, Reggie White recovered a fumble. He pitched at Leroy Butler. Leroy Butler ran at the rest of the way. Adamska se La La Raiders nineteen ninety four jumped in the stands twenty into nothing first lambo leap, Wow,

standing right there? Cool? But yeah, it was grandfathered in. But yeah, so that's not really grandfathered in. It's fathered in because because now everybody else, everybody else is doing it. Now, if you got it stands, you can jump into everybody's doing it. And that's not for charity. I just think if you're doing a limbo like last night, which was awesome, you can jump in a kettle. Give me a brand ex.

I mean, it's kind of like mascot humor. You know, It's like if you're if we're gonna get crazy with this stuff. Yeah, that's not that crazy. Just jumping in a kettle for a second. Not a big deal, Not a big deal, all right, Tony in Atlanta, You're next up on Talking and Cowboys than guys. Good morning, Good morning. I know everybody's doing well, thank you. So here's my

my concerned kind of question. Um, the last couple of games, you know, we've gotten up by double digits at Atlanta and next thing you know, they roared back and tie the game and we had to kick a field goal late. And then Washington, you know, we got up double digits and you know, they came back and made things a little uneasy. Just from what you all are seeing, are they is the defense loosening or these offenses just kind of turning up the voltage, you know, and we're not adjusting,

you know, to them. I'm just kind of concerned, you know what I mean. I'm not thinking we're gonna get up by ten on Thursday, but you know, I'm just kind of concerned with you know, when they get up, you know, double digits, you know that they're not you know, putting the foot on the gas and putting these teams away,

they letting them back in and making things uneasy. Thanks, well, they got back in because of the kettle, yeah, and not covering the kick properly, right, And that made it thirty one twenty with eleven forty three left in the fourth and then the Cowboys came up with an interception on the next Washington possession. Right. So it's a fair question. Actually, it took care of six minutes of the clock in the fourth quarter. Yeah, yeah, you know, but it is

a fair question. I always we all do. This is stupid for me to say, but we all feel better about this defense when they have a double digit lead, you know what I mean. It seems like that's why we were so concerned about, you know, missing field goals in Philadelphia and stuff like that. I was sitting there going, oh my gosh. I was telling Nana, go get this thing to double digits. They got a chance to win.

You know, Dallas offensively, like you said, Bill can take time off the clock running the football, so you can protect a lead a little bit better. They're accustomed to play in that way and keep you keep your best player involved. Yes, yeah, yeah, But I just think there's some teams that you know, hey, I didn't expect to know, No, Carson Wentz moving to football. That's different than than Colt McCoy moving the football. Know, Carson Wentz, I expect him

to move the football, I really do. I mean, with that tight end and receivers they got in the quarterback, the way he throws the ball. But you know, I and Matt Ryan as well, Matt Ryan as well, I think you're just you know, you're talking about guys that are that's their job. I mean, Drew Brees this coming Thursday, the flat. I'm sure somebody in Washington, or and Philly were going, well, you know, or Atlanta were going, well, god,

how does Dak Prescott move the ball? I mean, you know, they probably didn't see that one coming, but you know,

good for him. I just think defensively, they they they put themselves in the position and make some plays like Mickey was asking the other day or today, and and they just haven't really followed through you know, some of the you know, like they needed to, you know, getting that key sacked, sack strip something to kind of turn the game around, you know, to keep people from driving in on them, you know, in a little bit in the fourth quarter when you have a double digit lead,

you're also playing defense against the clock. Yeah, you don't want to give up anything big, keep them in. Well that in the Atlantic game, Atlanta game, you didn't have enough defensive lineman. That that that hurts you a lot. True, that hurts you. I felt like it hurts you a lot in that game. How about to run defense in this game against the Redskins. Yeah, that's see, that's that's what you got to do, because you know, the Redskins

want to play the same way you do. They want to run and play play action and throw the ball down the field if they can. But I mean the first time around they ran for one hundred thirty Yeah exactly. Peter said, had very little room to run most of that game. Yeah that was second time. That's exactly. They were actually punishing him. Yeah, well you need to be whatever that run defense was needed to bring it yeah this week, Yeah, bring it with you whatever, different cat,

a couple of different cats. Yeah. Yeah, all right, we take more of your calls here on talking cowboys in just a moment. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a thing, then cutting the court's scary. But then I found out I could switch it or actv now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no bulky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports you love. Tried DirecTV Now

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Learn more about the Trooper soft coolers at auterbox dot com. While a player can look good on paper, it's when he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you should rely on more than just specs and features. You've got to take it out and put it to the test. The Cowboys did when they name John Deer their official tractor. Experience

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do you want to use what the pros use? Jack Black is the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys. Get your Jack Black playmaker that's for JB faves plus a full size lip bob for just ten bucks and they'll ship it to you no cost at get Jack Black dot com use Cowboys code. I have a feeling, I just have a feeling after my wife and daughter's Black Friday shopping expedition on Friday that I'm going to

get a lot of those products for first Jack Black. Yes, I think I am good for you, which is great? Which going to be It make for a very merry Christmas? Did Jack Black have a Black Friday. It was Jack Black Friday. Yes, so many dad jokes on this show. It's incredible. By the way, as your dad ever responded. He finally got back to me at like four o'clock. Yester. Rob had a tweet your dad with LSU or he's an LSU fan with LSU and tweet what did you say? What?

I texted him at like eleven fifty two PM right after the game ended. I just an amazing game. Heard back from him at like four thirty the next day. Just he just ignored me. He just laid out on me for an entire day. Even Brian came in the next yesterday morning for practice and was just like, hey,

congratulations Tip. Some terrible calls, terrible calls, but you know you guys, guys are well that's like me my father with d A and M, you know, and and he's trying to like be all nice to me, and I'm like, I've got to go to work. I'll talk to you later. I didn't want to deal with that. We have congratulations drop first time in eight years, you know, the backhand, but hey, I appreciate it, appreciate it might have been the first time if that happened to me to tell

my dad the shutdown. College football brings that out in people. I think there's a lot of passion you have. You have a you have a sweat equity. It's lawyers five years, eight years, it's money, it's you know, it's where you grew up. Can't where did you graduate from? He is trolling. He's an Aggie, a pure blood Aggie. Yeah, you went to school. Where's your degree from? I had a film degree and they don't offer that at A and M. Where's your film degree from? TCUs? Oh? I see, thank

you very much. Man. His heart is in college. You have to go to the school to be able to for them. Just be careful. We all have some songs. We play them again. Notre Dame is the king of people that are fans that never went there. How about that that place? People will remind you Notre Dame there? If your name right now, I'm like, you didn't even

go to school there, You don't even where. If you're Catholic, you qualify, you can go, you can root for Holy Cross is available to My dad didn't like Notre Dame right one years. I can't remember who beat him, and somebody beat him, and my dad goes to confession on Saturday and basically in the confessional booth he gives the priest a jab notre dame losing right. Eddie comes out and starts telling us about it. My mother's going, oh

jes making the sign of the cross. And you told the priest that my dad goes He's just a man. I'm just a man. My name is Fred. So if you know where I get my stuff from, it's the Jeans. There you go. Here we go. All right, let's go to Louisiana. Let's check with Ray Ray. Are you an LSU fan? Hello? Ray, Good morning guys. How a y'all? Thanks for taking my call. Sure, but don't worry about getting a call from Louisiana because I'm an American by birth but detecting by the grace of God. All right,

here we go. So I got three things, go on asking, I'll hang up. Let's see, I'll talk. As the beginning of the year, they said that Jayal Smith was only about eighty five percent. I wandered his head at one hundred percent yet or we have to look for more coming next year. On Joe Looney, with the way he's played this year. I think he's on the one year deal. He think we'll be able to sign him to keep him as a backup or do you think he'll move

on to another team? And as far as the game goes Thursday night, I'm gonna go with what Mickey always says, every time you win a game that much closer to losing one. I don't think the Saint to play the defense as solid as we have, and I think they'll lose that game thirty one to twenty four. Okay, you got have a good day, thank you? All right? Yeah, someone who agrees with Micky, he loves that way. You'll have a sale may at the Santis. That's right about

Jalen Smith. How close is he to one? I think we haven't seen the best of Jalen Smith yet. I think Jayalen Smith is only going to get better. I really do. And this is a complete one eighty from where I was three years ago. And to his credit, I've said it a bunch, but the doctors, the trainers, everybody was talking about this was the year to kind of take a peek at Jalen Smith, and my guy,

Jalen Smith looks a lot better. I think that he's you know, you can see the change of direction, you can see the lateral mobility, you could see the forward stuff. We've always seen that. You've seen the ability to cover, You've seen the ability to run, you've seen ability to blitz. I just think he's going to get even a better feel for how to play defense. And I think that, you know, he's a lot like Layton Vanderish as they're both young, and they're both really smart, and they both

get it. They both understand, Okay, prepare, study, and now go perform. And you know he's gonna he's gonna continue to grow in his instincts as he's growing in his health. Yeah, I think he continues to grow in his instincts, and I think that's where you're going to see the best of Jalen Smith. I don't know they're gonna need him in this game, for sure, Oh for sure. I don't

know if we talk enough about that. The fact that this is his second year, yeah, you know, and he's been here three years now, but last year was his first time on the field, and just the more he sees, the more comfortable he's going to be out there. You see it with Layton too, just as the more snaps

he gets, the better he gets. And and yeah, Jalen, I think everybody's so focused on his physical recovery last year that nobody really talked about just, I don't know, getting back into football and reading reading things out there. So yeah, he's he's growing week to week two thanks for Joe Looney. He's under contract next year. Yeah, yeah, he would not be a free agent till twenty. I think Joe Looney is doing a very good job as a backup, and I think that's probably what he is.

So he's got two thousand nineteen. He's under contract, right, Yeah, Okay, so he's not a free agent. You got that on there line and you really don't worry about that as much. He's not thirty, he's twilight. But see, you know, and has anybody heard any whispers about Travis Frederick and next year? Next year? Next year? I've had people tell because I've kind of in my mind, I'm thinking about the draft show and what I direction on what we needed. Do we need to talk about a center? Do we need?

You know, I'm trying to add. Someone come up to me and say it felt like that, and I'm hopeful I'm not putting words in people's mouth or but this guy trust told me. He says there's a really good chance to Travis Frederick plays. Because I'm thinking, well, you have to look at the center. I gotta find a center. I gotta look at somebody. And I don't know how. I mean, I hope that's right, you know what. I

hope that's right. But to what you're thinking. Was my thinking on it was, I've got to have a center that would at least challenge Looney, yes, for the backup job, right, And if that's the case, then maybe he's good enough. If indeed, if they get in a in a bind, they can start. I don't think that's wrong to spend a fourth round pick center. Yeah. I don't think that's out of the question. They traded for Arringer right before the season started to can he play center for you?

Or is he guard? Yeah? Yeah, ok, yeah, he's on I R right now and Redman right now as you're a backup center guard type guy. But I couldn't remember that. Rob. I was like, he's been on our the whole year. Yeah, right, he got hurt the first day was here. Yeah, that's why they brought Yeah, yeah, I think with Travis and by the way, practiced, so he's out of the yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And by the way, there at least yesterday they were

they were numbers wise, not very deep on the offensive line. No, the guys that were playing scout team were also you're starting with the exception of the center and the right tackle. I believe. Yeah, well, they didn't have enough guys to have two lines when they practiced. When we saw Zach Is dealing with that knee, and um, we were watching them all work on the grass field. That's good. They were working. What happened to Sulphilo in the game, you got rolled up on Denny ankle. Okay, so and then

we'll see what we'll see on Tying. One thing I was gonna say about Travis is I don't I haven't heard. I don't think they know. They don't know the deadline or timeline for a return. But we were just talking about Jalen. This is a much more serious thing than

Jalen's knee. Obviously, this is a this is an autoimmune illness, but I think it's it's maybe similar in one respect and that it's a it's kind of a nerve situation and you don't know when, but you're just hoping that, you know, it gets to the point where everything starts firing again, and that's that's where they're at. And it's first off, his quality of life that's the most important.

Oh no, absolutely, I was just I was surprised with again because I was trying to in my mind thinking, Okay, when we do the start this draft show here in another six weeks or so, do we do we have to start talking about positional like centers. And the guy's like, well, you know, yeah, what Mickey said makes a lot of sense. But I mean you're thinking about oh, second round center, third round center. I mean, but you know, I mean, what if I can find somebody that's upgrade for my

backup game day a guard center? Maybe Redman is that guy, and maybe is maybe Redman's a guy because yeah, maybe they just you know, they work with Redman and that's the way they go. What about thirty one twenty four? I as good as his defense has been, to think that they're gonna hold them under thirty that would be an amazing accomplishment if they can do that. I mean, this is I think they're thirty seven point two for

the season. New Orleans, now, we've we've seen them face the Saints before and it's kind of a similar situation. They went out there in two thousand and nine, they were thirteen to o. They were putting up close to forty points a game, and nobody thought they were going to do that. So you can't say they can't do it. But it's gonna be at New Orleans. Yeah, but it's gonna be an awfully big challenge, there's no question about that.

You're looking at a Saints team that has starting a month ago October twenty eighth, at Minnesota, won thirty to twenty against a good Vikings defense. Yeah, against a good Rams defense. It was forty five thirty five. At the Bengals, it was fifty one to fourteen. Against the Eagles it was forty eight to seven, and then against the Falcons thirty one seventeen. So that's how they're playing most recently, you know. And I went back and they watched those

Minnesota game. In Minnesota game and then watched the Atlanta game. It's like those teams are driving the ball and are fumbling like in the red zone, right, They're they're just you know, that's what happened to Atlanta. Yeah, I mean, yeah,

I mean it's crazy. They they're they're driving the football and Julio Jones is like making one of those violent runs through the middle of their defense and all a sudden he tries to jump over somebody gets hit, ball goes flying out and instead of having the ball on the you know, the fourteen yard line, it's you know, it's New Orleans, ball going the other way and they're trying to score right before half and you're like going, my gosh. And you know, the same thing happened in Minnesota.

They they create turnovers. I mean, this team, somehow they create turnovers. So you know, there used to be a time where this whole, this New Orleans team was it was all about Drew Brees. It's not that way anymore. Draft picks and yeah, they they've got their Their defense is legitimate. I mean they went out and and adding Eli Apple at corner is was not Yeah it was.

That's a great move for them. But you know, I say, if you can hold them, if Dawaski keeps us into a twenty eight point game, Dallas got a great shot at winning for sure, game for sure, and that's not impossible. I think they can move the ball in New Orleans. I mean from what I've seen, and that as that great philosopher said, the more you win, the closer y are to lose. And what a great philosopher that guy must have been. So you'd be nice to have David

Irving back in this game. And I know there's no indication he's close, but I'm just saying a guy makes you say that because he's six seven with long arms, I get it. What made you say that he had nice having David Irving back. I'm just saying it would be nice to get him back for this game to try to collapse the pocket but Jones to take the headset off and just start banging your head on the table,

just like that. Of having David Irving back for this game, or two tall Jones tall, at least you might give Ryan Ramchick a little trouble out there to tackle him. Okay, No, I'm just saying I think I'm just I'm like I'm Joe with Flower Mount, you know, I'm I'm I'm mad because what's frustrating around? Yeah, It's like it's like you know, and it's high ankle sprain, Brian, it takes six to eight weeks high ankle sprain. Hi this Hi that you know? Hi? When when did he get when did he get hurts?

That Titans week in practice? So it's been three and a half weeks, so basically a bye week, a good recuperation from on high ankle sprains. Four weeks. Yeah, I mean a good one to see Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington. We're at We're at four weeks now, right, this would be the fifth week. Well he got hurt Tennessee, Aladelphia, Atlanta, Washington. Yeah, so after the bye maybe then you got to maybe

Philadelphia ran It's like that would be reasonable. I'm just saying, though, is you know the way that when we ask the coach about him, the coach kind of gives you, well, we'll see. Yeah. I mean it's not like I was getting closer. We hope to have him back this, you know. I mean our office is overlooking practice field, you know, I see I see I see Austin out there, I see Sean Lee out there, I see Sue Philo out there, I see Smith out there. I see all these guys

out there. And we're in Fresco now, so we don't see irving anymore. Yeah, yeah, Joe, drop for that. Go take care of your grandkids, all right. That. In fact, we're leaving the hospital and headed home about noon today. I think that's exactly what I'll do, or else I'll finish putting up Christmas lights. Are you? Are you? Are you the driver? I think they've got a desciminated drive. Thank god, he's gonna call uber. Yeah, all right, let's

let's see it tomorrow. I'm talking boy. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.