Talkin' Cowboys: Cardinals Countdown

Welcome in everybody to the virtual SWBC Mortgage Studios from the Star and Frisco. We are glad to be with you here on a say It with your Chest Thursday. No shows tomorrow, so we will be saying it with our chest all day today and we're gonna have to do the fan questions or excuse me, the fan pick thems a little bit differently today, but we'll figure that out as we go along. As always, back with Isaiah stand back heck my Harrison. No Rob Phillips again this week.

We will try and get him back next week. But gentlemen, how are we doing? As another day of virtual that's okay, but we'll be back together soon, Isaiah. I mean, everything to look forward to for this Cowboys team this week, and hey, you've got a new year you're celebrating as well. Absolutely, man, I'm feeling good. You know, say, y'all are looking good. You know, we're coming up on another year with this podcast. I'm happy to be you know, obviously, this is the

kind of coming to the end of year two. You know, hopefully we have a playoff run to go handle this year, so I'm really just looking forward to the future. Man. You know, I'm blessed to have this opportunity and I'm happy to be around drawn as always. What was the what did you say earlier? What did you say? Kyle? You said something? You said a lot, man, I was I was trying to take it out. Oh yeah. It was just basically a big intro and then a new year on the way. And it is weird that Isaiah

brought it up. I mean, this is the end of the second season with this group of talking Cowboys, and it feels like yesterday that we were in the studio for the first time together, in the at least virtual studio for the first time as well. But we're almost through our entire second year as a group, and I know you're having some fun. No I am. I'm jealous of you right now. Man, You're in the studio and I'm sitting here and wishing that I was in the studio.

So I think that's why my brains blinked out there for a second. Kyle Yeoman's But yeah, man, this is this, dude, I this has been outstanding. And loving the season that we're having. I'm with Isaiah on that. Man, this is like to finish up the second season of doing this and the team beyond the all time high that they're on right now. I mean, nothing can be better. Man. We want this to go all the way to the

super Bowl. Baby. So I'm just I'm feeling good, man, I'm feeling good about the wid this year has gone, and just feeling good about twenty twenty two. Well, and with that being said, it is a complete turnaround of twenty twenty two. Of course twenty one. Because of the fact that six and ten and eleven and four anyway you shape it, spin it whatever, it's way better to deal with on a Cowboys landscape. But heck, when when you look back at this year, What do you feel

like it's going to be remembered for? Because I feel like the Super Bowl may be kind of thrown into that that twenty two conversation of a year if they were to make it that far. But in terms of twenty one, what do you feel like it's going to be remember the most man? Dak is back. Dak is back. We remembered how twenty twenty went, and you were so, I guess uncertain about how he was going to come back from the ankle, and just the way that he came back at twenty twenty. I think we all twenty

twenty one. I think we all had our reservations about his health, and I think he's checked a lot of those boxes. Also, dan Quinn is gonna be a big part of twenty twenty one, and just man, how could one man make that big of a difference on your squad? And that's just his impact on our twenty twenty one season. So Dak and dan Quinn are going to be the narratives that I would write for twenty twenty one, The narratives that I'm coming with our cultural change and identity.

Those are the things I've been preaching ever since we went on a defensive coordinator hunt in this past all season. As soon as that man, dan Quinn, as you just mentioned his name popped up, those are the two words I started throwing around. And I'm not sure if you guys truly believe what I was saying, but hey, you guys are seeing it now. Is it fair to say

is it fair to say kind of you? Going back to what Heckmo was saying one man turn around, that it is a one man turnaround that dan Quinn deserves that big of a fraction of the credit. Or is it even just as simple as this is a defense that's finally healthy again with guys like Gallimore and DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory. I know Michael Parsons thrown into the fold helps that as well, but is it just is it more of a personnel change on the defensive flipper? Is

it a defensive coordinator thing? Ecma, I believe wholeheartedly that is dan Quinn. And I've been, you know, just trying to wrack my brain on how one man can have the kind of impact that he's had. But culturally, just like Isaiah just mentioned, his cultural impact has been for you could see it. It's night and day from where

this team was last year. I think this is the first time in a long time that I've watched the Cowboy team from top to bottom that's playing with that reckless abandon especially our defense, the way that they have been getting after teams. Now, obviously this thing didn't just change overnight, but gradually these guys have started to trend

up and his impact has been it's been amazing. It's been immediate, and players that like Jeron Curse when he you know, when when Dan went out and got guys like that, you didn't think that, Okay, what kind of impact would Geron Curse have on this squad? Man a huge impact on the squad. There were names last year, Robinson at cornerback, and only reason why I bring him up because I was watching the take from last year

Hill getting burnt down. But just guys that were on our squad that just obviously wouldn't have been able to play in dan quinn system. I just I love the physicality of this team. I love the way that they play, and I think that's all due to Dan Quinn. Absolutely. Dan Quinn, I think is obviously a huge part of it. I'm not gonna say it's wholeheartedly him, but he's definitely at least three quarters of this thing. There's a huge

contributions list. Obviously when you start thinking about organization or football team man starting. You know, obviously Will McClay, Coach McCarthy, all these other guys that play a huge part in making sure or that they execute the drink, the thought process and the dreams that dan Quinn came in with. You know, obviously they all bought in. And yes, dan Queenn came in with this new British regime. You know,

there's doing this new mindset. But it takes the remaining the other pieces on the board to actually buy in and say, okay, cool, this is the direction we're going. They didn't give him any points of resistance. They didn't say this is how we've always done it. They didn't say this is the way we feel like it should be done. They say, okay, dan Quin, what kind of support do you need? We're here to help you out in that regard, and hey, whatever you need from us,

let's make it happen. Are you typing an essay? Are you typing an article while you're doing the show? I said, what was the click of the clackity of the keyboard? Was that you? Was it? Click my hands? Ah, I don't know. I heard it. I heard a clickity clackity. Heck, are you writing an article over there? I didn't know what was going on. It was funny. I'm not I'm

not doing none of that, man, No, I'm not. But hey, while we're talking about this stuff, I know we don't have rap to go over the news and notes today, but I have two things that that kind of happened over the last twenty four hours and I would like to bring to the table. Let's do it, one of which will put up, yeah, a lot of one of which will put a lot of people's minds at ease and let you guys know exactly where Dan Quinn is at in terms of his commitment to the Dallas Cowboys.

He turned down the ability to go and interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Can we here be just anay and give a little golf flight for that? He wanted no parts of that. I'm from what I understand, there's a two week window where he can go and interview for other Jeff, you don't coach, and he said, now I'm good Jacksonville and keep that now there is I like that. That was that was great news. That was great news

to see that he passed up the Jacksonville interview. But you know, hey, as as coaching vacancies that things come open, I don't think he'll turn down another. Maybe it was just Jayville being the dumpster fire that had no like. Now, y'all go ahead, keep that. I don't want that. There is a report out that he will actually interview for that job after the season is over. He just didn't want to do it while the season was still happening. It's ultimately what it was. But that's say I'm just

sign right there. I'm just saying that is very important, key passive information. Hey, butau it is key. However, Shot Khan, mister Khan and Jacksonville Jaguars don't have that kind of time to be sitting around and waiting. That's a disadvantage to organizations that need to fulfill a role at the head coaching position, having to wait for some of these

really good coaches that are going through the playoffs. They if they wait around it and try to interview those guys, and those guys decide not they're in the situations where their hands were tied and they don't have not even their first, second, or third choices. So, even though that might be the word out there, I don't think that Jacksonville is in a position to sit around and wait that long. It also might help out the fact that dan Quinn can sit and wait for the right opportunity.

He does have to necessarily jump at a job for a head coaching position in the NFL because he knows that if he can continue doing what he's doing in Dallas, if he can continue being a fantastic coordinator like he had both with Seattle and now of course here, he's gonna get those opportunities and they're gonna be better opportunities other than Jacksonville moving forward. If you're Kellen Moore, do you have the opportunity to pass up on head coaching

jobs right now? And a second part of that question, and I'll direct this to heckma first, but do you feel like Kellen Moore is ready for a head coaching job should one of those open up for him? You know, the funny thing is is that I guess I'm one of a few people that feel like Kellen Moore is If you have guys like Cliff Keysbury, the one of you know, the younger coaches that are coming into the league.

That was the one thing that people questioning about them, their ability to lead a locker room full of grown millionaires. You know, I believe that Kellen Moore, although we don't know much about his personality, UM, I just feel as though it would be hard pressed for him not to be actively pursuing one of these great thirty two jobs that are out there. And I think he's ready. Man,

I think he has the offense um as well. Uh that would that would compete at in the NFL, so that we're seeing right now, um, and there there are some quarterbacks and I just look at the Jacksonville opportunity. When you have a young quarterback like they have and a young team, you know, that may be ideal for him. I don't want to lose Kelly be honestly, I don't like this gives me the hevgv's just talking about him leave it. But at the same time, you know, that's

that's a good problem to have. That just speaks to the talent that we have on this coaching staff. Yeah, yeah, and I agree. I don't honestly believe that either one of those our coordinators, the Dallas Cowboys coordinators, want to leave. I truly don't. I don't think that either one of them want a head coaching position. I don't. I don't get the vibe that Keller Moore is so just like genuineeing to go ahead and just take on the leadership role of an entire NFL team. Don't don't don't see that.

I also don't believe that Dan Quinn wants to rush back to the pressures of being the head coach as well when he's doing so well here as a defensive coordinator. So I don't get there. I don't get the sense that either one of those guys who going to leave, regardless of the attention that they might receive. But I do have one thing that I am kind of kind of sat about fellas. Yea, yeah, the AFC beat us again. The AFC beat us again, and they took one of

one of Dallas Cowboys players yesterday. From my understanding, what a man. They Debra Broncos stole Justin Hamilton of the off the practice squad. And I'm not happy about that. Why about that at all? Why are you not happy about that he's been cut and brought back and waived and then come back, and he's kind of gone back and forth and then finally somebody picked him up off of waivers. He wasn't gonna play if these guys stay healthy at the d tackle spot, why why are you

upset about it? Because he's a good player, He's a good hungry player. He plays hard, he's effective, he makes plays, and he had a big impact in that game against Denver when he when he was called to duty. So you know, not not only did Denver already beat us, right, and they feel good about that because they put out the script on how to beat the Dallas Cowboys, and now they're coming back instilling players that we might need to rely on next year because hey, let's face it,

we're not retaining everybody next year. That's not good, but we don't We can worry about that in the off season, but the reality is we're not getting everybody back next year, so we're gonna take some applacement guys. There's nobody leaving at D tackle. I mean, all those other guys are young Gallimore, hill Osa, Diggi Zuoa. There you're throwing DeMarcus

Lawrence on the interior. I mean, all these guys are young pieces that I feel like if there's a position to not be upset about losing a guy ad, it would probably be d Tackle Now that absolutely feel you. Man, Hamilton was a guy that was coming in the spot duty when God's was going down, and he was playing his butt off and so and not only did the Broncos coming beat us, like he said, they left what they left with one of ours scathered him out at the same time. So he did too damn bit of

a job first day. But I'm with you. You know, we got players like that, and maybe you know I've heard that the whispers of maybe through the salary cap or whatever happens, that this team is gonna not look the same next year. But man, I want to live

in the now, yea now where we are. But also Kyle, I just want to say this, um, as we're giving these coaches their flowers, Joe Philbin, I want to give coach Joe Philbin his flowers right now because when you go back and you watch the tape for when we were going through the loll and the running game and some of the things that was happening happening with our offensive line, man, he had the ability to rectify, uh, some of the shortcomings of our offensive line. And that's

just man. Offensive line coaches are don't come a dime a dozen. And I've always believed that the fourth times played coach on your on your on your team should be your offensive line coach. You look around the league, man, and you see the impact that offensive line coaches make, and he has had a tremendous impact on this team as well. Yeah, I think his name should be on that award. He should have his name played on there

for two years consecutive. You know, it should be twenty twenty one and twenty one twenty two because last year he had his hands all completely full, obviously trying to figure that thing out with the wounded offensive line that we had. And now he piggyback that with a healthy team for the most part, and he's still finding ways to address issues on the offensive front and still trying to find ways to be successful. Yeah, and he's going to get those guys to peek at the right time.

I feel like that's what his whole goal, to his whole mindset is. Despite, like Heckma said, what he called the lull that middle of the season where there was a lot of revolving door and it wasn't working out necessarily. He wants those guys to be ready when it matters most. And speaking of that, Tyrant Smith limited in practice yesterday, so he has really the green light to get going again this week. And Stephen Jones talked about it, Jerry

did as well. They hope that Tyrant Smither. They are very hopeful that Tyrann Smith will be back this week. All right, when we come back, let's talk about the offense again. This offense versus the Arizona defense, Arizona forcing two and a half turnovers per game on the defensive side of the football, how do the Cowboys avoid giving into that and have some success against that Cardinals defense?

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You can join him to do great work with great people for great pay, and apply right now at jobs at Caliber dot com. That's jobs at Caliber dot Com. You didn't pull your bible out today, heckma, it's still across the room, Kyle, I'm sorry I didn't. It's okay. I'm just waiting for it to show up and to have it as Rob Phillips wallet. That's okay, Missing p Missing Rob Pie. I know it's it's not the same

without him. And hopefully he's back next week and we'll have him back for the entirety of the week and also hopefully we'll be back in studio as soon as next week as well. But second segment here talking Cowboys presented by Tostidos, helping fans get in on the game. And let's talk about this Cowboys offense versus the Cardinals defense. And we mentioned it yesterday that the Cowboys offense is

putting up historically good numbers at home this season. There the top offense in the league whenever they play at home, over thirty four points per game, over four hundred yards per game. And they continued that last week, of course against the Washington football team. And David Hellman actually wrote a really good article on Dallas Cowboys dot com. I encourage you to check it out. It's talking about how

this week presents an opportunity to make a statement. A lot of the pushback after the fifty six fourteen win over Washington was the fact that you haven't done it against a quote unquote good team. And this is a good team, even though they're a bit banged up and they don't have DeAndre Hopkins. This is a good team

in the Arizona Cardinals. So is this the best opportunity to make a statement maybe since the Kansas City Chiefs game, Isaiah, because it really hasn't been that way just because of what schedule has been handed to you the last couple of weeks. Yes, and I agree on both sides of the party. So I agree with the crowd that says Dallas Cowboys haven't beaten and destroyed anybody like that of

great value. Totally get it. But I also understand if from the Dallas Cowboys perspective, it's like, Hey, we're going to play who shows up on our schedule, So don't don't don't shoot the messenger. You know, we just take care of We just knocked down the pins that that show up. So I understand it from both sides of things.

And to answer your question, Kyle, Yes, this will be the next greatest opportunity, even through for the next two games, and so the greatest opportunity we have in the remainder of the season to prove that what you're doing is real, that what you have is real, that it's not a fluke, that you're not just the big bully of the the NFC West that's running around NFC's running around beating people up.

This is your opportunity to show that, Hey, we shut down Kyler Murray, one of the respect backs in the league. We get shut down Zach Erst, We get shut down these guys offensively and then defensively. Some of the guys that we're gonna face. Tyren Smith, please come back to this week because we need you against Chandler Jones. We need we need our blocking against Chandler Jones because he will wreck the game and take care of him. To the Baker, one of the league's respective he's coming up

in the game, Guy Murphy, and guys like that. So there's guys that can present some issues on this team, and they are a well respected organization, not even just team, a well respected organization in this league of twenty twenty one. Yeah, for me, guys, it's hard to dig us that argument about you know, saying basically, the Cowboys aren't playing anybody. You know. I watched enough football over the years to remember when the Patriots were playing the Miami Dolphins and

they didn't have anybody. The Buffalo Bills didn't have anybody, you know, and nobody even questioned their plight in the AFC and how they got to the playoffs. But now with the Cowboys. The goal post is moving each and every week. We lose to the Denver Broncos, we're horrible. We lose to the Raiders, were horrible. Oh but then when we beat New Orleans that was okay, that wasn't That's an ugly win, man. I'm not going with all of that. You know, Like like you said, you play

who's on your schedule. You beat who's on the field with you. And that's the job. That's the assignment that we have when we come into this game. If we win seventeen sixteen, that's gonna be critics that jump out the cake and say, oh, look at that, you're only one by one point. I don't give I don't care, right, I don't care. I want to win. I want to take it just like this all the way through the playoffs.

And the thing about it is you're you're right when you when you talk about the players that they have. But guys, let's just say go back to the Raiders the Las Vegas game and Dockway Crosby. Those guys were formidable. They had sacks, they had that defense was something. You know, Look, you have to give them their respect. This is a copycat League. I expect for the Arizona Cardinals to come in here and play us exactly like other teams have played us. Now, they're a single high safety team, but

they would. I mean, look, they're gonna They're gonna try and get due some two safety looks. Right as you were stating, Isaiah, Budda Baker is the key. Here is the straw, the stairs to drink for that defense. He plays down in the box. He does so many special things. I'm not trying to negate the fact that they have some really special players over there, but I feel as though with the way that this offense is playing, and especially the way that the defense is playing, you know, man,

this may be role killed. They may be role killed. And I'm talking about the Cardinals coming up against the Cowboys. That a hot right now season. Huh, yeah it is. I agree with you, heckma, more so than I would even say with Isaiah, because I understand you want to see it against good teams and this is your opportunity to do it. But you have a direct benchmark on how your team is improving. From Week fourteen to week sixteen.

You played the same team twice in a row. Pretty much, I mean, you had the two out of three games with the same team opposite of you. One of them you dominated through the first quarter, couldn't finish. The second of them, you kept your foot on the gas all the way through, and you stomped them in the Washington football team this past week. So I want to see

it against a good team. But just because you're you're winning games and these four straight wins haven't come against the quote unquote best opposition, I still want I still think that's that's something that you have to take notice of, and I think the NFL is taking notice of it, but also looking at the defense, like like Hackaman was just saying, with this Arizona team, Buddha Baker, Byron Murphy junior is having a pretty good season, Hicks in the middle.

How about Isaiah Simmons, the top ten pick out of Clemson a couple of years ago, Chandler Jones. I mean, there are so many different pieces where this defense could hurt you, Isaiah. If you had to look at one of the three levels and say, whichever one scares you the most or at least worries you the most to try and slow down this Cowboys offense, which one would it be. Yeah, it's tough. I feel I feel like

they have a guy at every level. This reminds me more of a Sandia who Yeah, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Chargers type defense. I did save it, I reeled it back in. It reminds me of that defense because they have all pro at every level. They have a guy at every single level that can hurt you, but they don't have a complete unit that you're worried about. So in that sense, it gives me a sense of

confidence going against these guys I do. I would say I will feel a lot more confident if Tyrn Smith is there. And that's no disrespect to and Seki has no disrespect to tern Steel Chandler Jones as he loves to write defensive ends in this game that can make plays, and then there's defensive ends in this game that that get high off of off of just making your life miserable, and he's one of those guys. He's one of those

type of competitors. So he presents a problem. You start talking about Isaiah Simmons at the next level due as an athlete sixty four two hundred and forty some hot pounds, a boy runs around, he goes sideline, the sideline, he'll come downhill bust you in your face. Man problem and you go to the third level, and you got Buddha base see my U dub family. And he is a

complete dog. He's he's not a big president, he's not a big guy, but he has a huge presence and he will find himself in the back half of the field. He'll find himself in the line of scrimmage. He'll time that thing up and jump over the dog on line of scrimmage like old school Roy Williams on you in a heartbeat, if if you if you give him the ability to so you have to time you change up the timing of your snap count. And then you already

mentioned you going to the outside. You got Burn Murphy, a nothing you dubbed guy you dubbed is in the building conscious hope. But he's also doing a good job. He's not a shutdown corner. But they're him in Buda Bay present that they present the prisons at the line of scrimmage. That in the secondary will actually give you an opportunity to give them an opportunity game from the second from the secondary level, which I see is also a huge attribution whenever you can get that defensively. Oh,

good old Isaiah boy, don't leave no meat on the ball. No, no, see the helmet. No, you see the helmet that the U dub nation heat. So, like, I agree with what you just said, but I have to take it a step further. You know, Buda Baker, his IQ, the way that he plays for a guy that's as undersized as he is, I mean, he's just special. Uh, And he's one of those guys that we have to watch for. He's changed his number three, so you may not recognize him,

but he's still doing what he does. You know, Look, these guys play a three four base defense, but they always play with you know, five six guys at the line of scrimmage. For the Cowboys, I think the running game is gonna be imperative. And you say, well, they got a five six man box. I still think that we have to try over these next couple of weeks

to re establish our running game. I know we've seen some success, we have some things that hey, all right, those are some more things for us to build on. But a team like Arizona you have to bust them in the mouth. You have to meet their physicality. So the line of scrimmage is going to be very important. When you talk about guys like Isaiah Simmons, I think he's you know, look, I think he's a sideline the

sideline guy. But what I also see from Simmons as a finesse guy, you know, I don't think he wants that the pressure that I think of Zach Martin or anybody. Nobody wants the pressure that Zach Martin will put on you. But he does a lot of running around blocks, So I think running at him, getting out to the next level, getting to the second level is gonna be important for our offensive line. Establishing a line of scrimmage. Again, it's just going to be imperative. But like you said, it's

one of those things. This is one of those matchups where you know, defensively, getting big get takeaways. They are very aggressive and once they smell blood in the water man, these guys pen the ears back and come after you, and that is something we can't afford as offense. Yeah, two of these are both of these teams in the top ten are actually even the top five in terms of turnover deferential. And then you also look at top five in scoring defense top eight in a total defense allowed.

I mean, this is a really, really good and very talented defensive unit. They were right there with the Cowboys in terms of the way that they've played, even despite a couple injuries on that back end. But it kind of reminds me of the conversation that we had when of course facing the Chargers that Isaiah was talking about, when also going up against the Patriots the Panthers early in the year, when you thought the Panthers were going to be more than what they were. You have to

match the physic reality. We've heard that term over and over again. It's almost been like continuity. It's matching physicality. It's that other word, that other buzzword where we need to take a shot every time we hear it. But do you think the Cowboys can match that physicality? You feel like the one game of confidence hecma that they had against the Washington football team is enough to propel them into a game like this against the top ten defense,

a formidable opponent, and to be able to take advantage. Yeah, I think they've made some tremendous strides. You know, since the loss to the to the Broncos, where a game that they came out, they just didn't look like they were ready. And you go back to the victories versus the Washington football team, if you go back to last year, that was the one thing that made the difference in the ballgame, not only the talent level drop off at

the quarterback position, but just how physical they were. And that's look, that's those are just some of the things that had to change for us in order to take the NFC East. Look, this is no matter what the the the contact level, the physicality is going to change once the playoffs start. And I know Isaiah has antecdotal account of how once the playoffs start, the physicality goes up.

And this team, this team is going to have to continue to match that physicality and if you want to be dominant, and especially on our defense, you just see, man, how these guys are coming out and they're just taking team's soul away. We saw the Washington football team. They didn't want anymore. They basically quit. They wanted that clock to give us a running clock like in high school.

In the second half, they could have took it. And that's just the thing, Like you say that about what we have at the excuse me, at the offensive line position and establishing the line scrimmage. Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott are going to have to be running downhill this entire game. The physicality is going to have to be there. It's got to be there in the cavalry. You're gonna

have to take advantage of it. We're gonna take a break to try and get Isaiah's WiFi back and up to speed like Buddha bay Her in that entire secondary. We gotta get those YouTube guys up to speed whenever we get a chance too. So let's try and do that, and then we'll also have our pickums after we keep this conversation going. When we come back here on talking Cowboys, I want to use what the pros use. How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black.

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or here on talking Cowboys. We don't have any uh oh yeah, HECKMA got the mitas at the end there, I saw that I can't. I can't do it like men. I know. We don't have Rob Phillips on our our say it what's your chest? Day to do the or read all right, Isaiah? Before we get into pickums, I wanted to hear your response to what Heckman was talking about in terms of the physicality matching that and how it could propel you into the playoffs. You know, the

physicality in the NFL. Wanting playoffs are arrived are absolutely insane. But you know, this game is actually perfect for what Dallas needs to prepare for because of their ability. For Arizona, they play very, very fast. That's what this team is made off of. Their momentum based defense. They want to run around and hit, they want to cause issues. They'll blitz from deep into secondary to cause issues for you, and you're gonna have to make quick decisions. And that

is exactly how playoff football roles. It doesn't matter if it's happening that the line of scrimmag doesn't matter it has happened at the secondary. Also, this is a great challenge for the Dallas Cowboys because their ability, their their necessity to focus on their ring game right now. Arizona does a great job of stopping the run game of opposers with their secondary players. Their cornerbacks play physical and downhill, they're gonna they're gonna be cornerback blitzing. You don't see

that too often in the league anymore. But they do it, they'll shoot their cornerback inside the receivers. So the receivers, they're gonna have to be the biggest challenge for them in terms of blocking and getting their man because if they receivers, if if you're receivers of your team don't block well, your running game won't get going against these guys.

So in all different fastens, in terms of intensity, in terms of speed, in terms of where your eyes need to be, assignment wise, um, in terms of the assignments of the receivers, this is going to be a huge challenge for these guys and everybody. They have to check every single box otherwise he's again, this is one of those teams that can really wreck things for you. Heck no, he said, that's a high take. I mean, that's that's

that's absolutely correct. And my only thing. The only thing about this game in particular is the Cowboys have to string along long, methodical drives. And you know, the best offense sometimes the best defense. You know, best defense is a good offense. Excuse is what I'm trying to say. And if our offense is either having those long drives, what it's doing is just keeping Colin Murray over there sipping gannerade and that's what we want to do. Um,

but also in his drives with touchdowns and not field goals. Uh, that's it's going to be imperative that we do that. And that's why I look at for like a mismatch of sorts. I think that Schultz could definitely feast on this defense because of the way that just what Isaiah said, they will blitz from a lot of different angles, and you're right, they will bring cornerback pressure off the edge. But where has Dak been most successful. He is the

highest rated quarterback when facing a blitz. That means his ability to adapt it in process on the fly is high. And I think his safety blanket has been Shultz for a lot of these games. And so I think if there's a one on one matchup versus Schultz, he has to win. It. Is that one of the X factor matchups for you as well, Isaiah? Is there anybody else that sticks out? I'm looking at these at these receivers.

I think obviously with Dak trying to get back on track last week, cover say you take a big leap forward in that regard. These receivers have a lot of pressure on them, and it's not they can't just go into this game focus on trying to you know, get off the line of scrimmage, run a good route, catch

the ball. That's that's not just your assignment. This week and again I reiterated their ability to block these corners and block these safeties are gonna be a direct Uh, you know, they will have a direct effect over our Dallas's ability to be able to run the ball. And if they if they do a poor job of that, it's gonna be a long day. It's gonna be a

really long day. So I'm putting a lot of pressure on these on these receiver question, Uh, Kyle, Yeah, for us, said, I said, when it comes out to like two safety high cover two versus the single high safety zone. Um, those throws that we had talked about earlier in the week that Dak has started to make and we've seen a few dimes that he's been throwing. Talk about the difference for our receivers being if they do go with

that single high safety. Look, how is it gonna be the contrast between what they've seen over the last five six weeks. Yeah, the holes are different and obviously it's it's all depending on the type a route concept that you have, the route tree that you're running. But you know, typically when you have those two high safeties, there's a

lot more there's a lot more room underneath. When you start talking about, you know, underneath coverage you're expecting you know, two high safety, you got two cornerbacks, two safeties deep, there's three linebackers. Typically in the middle where those three linebackers are covering all fifty three and a half yards and then that's that's a lot to ask those guys to cover as set for him unless those corners, those two those cover two corners really sit so the middle

of the field is really only being covered by three guys. Now, all of a sudden, you drop down to a single high safety, they're really taking away that underneath and saying we're not giving you these five yard routes, We're not giving you these eight yard routes. Everything that you're gonna have to do is gonna have to be behind our second level defenders. So you're gonna have to run your routes at least twelve yards deep. And guess what it gives Dallas now the opportunity to win on the outside.

So that's kind of the dare that Arizona is going to try to present the Dallas and say, we don't think that you guys gonna could beat us on an outside man a man, you know, we're gonna step up in your face. I'm gonna put hands on you, you know, like like a old nation, right, gonna putting the Hondas on you at the line of scrimmage, and dare you to throw the ball outside, And we're gonna try to make sure that we sit on your inside shade and

force all your routes to the sideline. We're gonna try to negate your ability to run anything interior wise, and if you do want to run it on the inside, because we're running single high safety, it's gonna have to be ten twelve yards down the field, which gives who Chandler Jones, Isaiah Simmons those guys at the time they

need to try to get in the backfield. I absolutely love it, and I love the inside about what this could look like because normally when we talk about that kind of exs and O stuff, we didn't turn around on Sunday and we see it happening almost instantly, So let's see if you can predict as well on the field as you are in the results of these games, Isaiah, because I don't have the standings updates, but I do know that you are currently bringing up the rear still,

so we'll let you go first on this one. Well, I mean, I'm gonna type of individual that likes to have each other's back, you know. I want to make sure our secure things and make sure and my guys are good. I like to see you just like when I'm eating with my family, I like to have my I don't like my back turn to the door. It's the same way, you know. I'd like to make sure that Joe he loves being the caboost. Yeah, that's what it is. That's what I just heard. Hacma, That's exactly

what I just heard. All right, I've got I've got six games here. I'm gonna put the fans vote on Twitter, So follow me at Kyle Underscore Yeomans. I'm gonna tweet out Poles and whatever the percentage Pole gets, it's gonna be a true fan represented week here on Talking Cowboys, and that will be the official pick of the fans. All right, let's start with the Rams at the Ravens. Rob Phillips has already sent me all of his picks, so I'll just throw his out there first whenever we

come around. But the Ravens is who he picked in that one, and we'll go with Hack my first. Rams at Ravens, Yes, sir, Yeah, both teams eat that. I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the Los Angeles Rams. I'm gonna go with the Rams as well. Isaiah going with Sheep the Sheep, all right, Chiefs at the Bengals. Rob picked the Chiefs. Who do you guys have We'll start with Isaiah. You know what. I'm going

with Casey oh Man, Bengals playing well. Joe Burrow, Joe Burrow hot right now, boy, But I'm going to see ain't crazy. I'm crazy. I'm gonna go with the Bengals at home. I think they get a big win in Kansas City's win. Street comes to a close, so I'm gonna take the I'm taking Cincinnati, all right. NFC East battle the Philadelphia Eagles on the road against the struggling Washington football team. I'm gonna take the Eagles on the road. As they continue to push toward the playoffs, and it'll

be another tough matchup again in week eighteen for the Cowboys. Isaiah, who you got, chief steak Man? I go, Can I just take a mulligan on? No, just gotta pick one of the two. You have to you know, you go ahead. I know you you don't want to say the guard, but you gotta say, just say something else like I did. All Right, I'll go with the Green team. The Green team. Okay, so not the Washington football team. It's the Philadelphia Green team. Uh.

Rob also picked the Eagles as well. Let's go with the Bears at home against the Giants in this this could be a low scoring game. New York and Chicago rank bottom five and points per game this season. Heck, one will start with you, all right, you said it was you broke up. You said, Bears at Giants, Bears hosting the Giants. So Giants at Bears, Bears. So okay? Uh And oh god, I think that's a horrible game. The club. I want to go with Bears Isaiah nineteen

eighty five. Ah, the Bears. Okay, I'm gonna go with the Bears too. It's a Bears across the board, because that's who Rob Phillips pick as well, and then our final non Cowboys game, the Browns on the road against the Steelers. Pittsburgh has won three of their last four against the Browns as they continue to struggle as well. Rob picked the Steelers. I'm gonna pick the Browns. Heck, but who you got? That's gonna be a tough divisional

matchup and I'm gonna go with the Brownies. They gotta get a rebound, Nick Chubbs, you just don't like saying team names, do you, guys? Aah? That's all it is. You just don't want to say the actual team name. Okay, here we go, Final games, final game. We're pick in this week, and it's the one everybody wants to hear about. It's the Cardinals at the Cowboys. Arizona's won four or excuse me, five of their last six against Dallas, but they've lost three straight coming into this one. The Cowboys

have won four straight. And our ring on all cylinders, each team already locked into the playoffs. We'll start with Rob Phillips. He goes thirty four twenty eight. Cowboys get the dub at home at AT and T Stadium, a one possession football game. Isaiah, who you got, Let's go thirty seven thirty four Cowboys. Oh? I thought you were gonna say Cardinals right there. I thought that was gonna be a delayed Christmas tree game. What what's going on? I mean, you got all your you dub guys over there.

You mean to tell me you're gonna go with That's that's shocking. That's shocking. That shows the confidence level that Isaiah has in this ball club. Yeah, all right, what about myself? Coyle? What's you guy? I'll go Cowboys. Thirty one twenty one is my score. I think the defense plays exceptionally well. I think it's actually like thirty one fourteen until late, and then the Cardinals get a late

touchdown and then that's about it. But I think thirty one twenty one is the final score when all things are done at at and T Stadium. HECKMA, no feeling good about this matchup. I think everybody in Cowboy Nation should be feeling good about this matchup as well. I'm feeling like the Cowboys will win this game. It'll be close, but twenty four thirteen thirteen is my final school A little low scoring matchup. I like it a little different from heck Ma, Harrison. But that's gonna do it here

for us here on talking Cowboys this week. Hope you had some fun. We'll be back on Monday to break it all down. Everybody, have a very safe and happy New Year's. Let's bring in twenty twenty two the right way, and of course, hopefully the Cowboys get to win on Sunday as well. For Chris Beam, for Rob Phillips, for Isaiah Stamback, heck Ma, Harrison, I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long. Heckma. What do we say on say? Or what's your chest? Thursday?

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