Talkin' Cowboys: Concerned After 5 Weeks?

excellent job yesterday in the SWUBC mortgage studio. But today we're back and we're looking at a bigger picture of everything and how we're going to move forward with these next eleven games for the Dallas Cowboys. So how's everybody doing today? Y'all have your long sleeves on because the weather dropped here in dallastow time. It got below ninety today. How about that? How about that fine to fifty? Wait,

we'll take it. It's so funny we went so long without a weather report and I knew, and then I'm here and you drag Mickey right back with the weather channel on. I guess when you're home in two days, it'll be ninety again, and then Micky'll say, you know, don't go planting your pansies just yet. You're not. You're going to do some outdoor activities this weekend. Yeah, I was, but it's too it's it's too hot. They'll die. You're hot. I'm just trying to help rob out. New homeowner, you know.

Oh thanks Mick, new homeowner. Wait wait another week or two for the pansies. One more thing. You're the same age as my parents. And my parents have the Weather Channel. Just when they're not listening and talking, cowboys are watching. They're watching that. You're just like them. I don't watch the Weather Channel. How nice at them unless there's a storm. You're a storm hurricane man, right, true? All right, guys, Well the Eagles look for real. Let's get to the

NFC East. First, they're four and one. They're only lost being to the Chiefs who are five and oh Redskins following behind. They had a bye week last week, but they're sitting at two and two and their loss come to the Eagles into the Chiefs and of course the Cowboys losing to obviously the Broncos, Rams and Packers two and three headed into the bye week, and then the Giants oh and five. I really truly didn't see that happening, And now you know Odell Beckham Junior and all their

other injuries to their receiver corps. Would you have thought this would have gone the way it's going so far forward the NFC's now lots of games to be played and different things happen, But right now it looks like the Eagles leading two games ahead of everyone. I think on paper, guys, to start the season, you would say Cowboys and Giants buying for that Vision title. And you

look at the standings right now and they're the bottom two. Now, like you said, it's really early, but a winless Giants team has got to be one of the biggest surprises in the entire league right now. I totally agree. And I thought they had the second best. I know. Somebody asked me on Twitter, and I actually had the Eagles in fourth. Yeah, you had the red Skins enough. Again, that shows you why I'm doing radio and not scouting anymore.

But that's the NFL. But no, but that's I just felt like though that the Giants, it surprised me just because of the defense and just what they were able to do last year eleven and five. You know, they were on the Cowboys heels the whole entire season thinking like, Okay, they got a lot of the same players coming. Maybe it's the same thing that's happened. You know, maybe John Smelking those guys up there in New York are kind of thinking the same thing we are. You know that.

You know, you look at your team, you have a talented team, You bring back a lot of the same players. Oh that offensive line's gonna click, I'm talking about for the Cowboys. Yeah. Oh, the receivers are gonna click. Oh they're gonna run the football. Oh, they're gonna play good run defense. Oh, they're gonna, you know, be great in scoring defense. You know. And then all of a sudden you look at and you're like, well, that's not right, and you have to review some Yeah, you have to

review some things. And a lot of those players that we saw that we thought were in the opening week that we really really worried about, have let them down a little bit. And I think you could kind of say the same for really for the Cowboys as well. And the reason why you're you're sitting here at two and three right now, absolutely so you know, it dawned on me, what did Tony Orlando and Don Washington is the only team in the NFC East that has beatn

a team that currently has a winning record. The Eagles know who they beat. They beat the Rams. The Eagles have beat Washington, which is two and two. Right, they beat the Giants, Chargers one and four and Arizona two and three. Right, they lost the only team with a winning record that was Kansas City. The Cowboys have beaten two teams with losing records. Obviously, the Giants haven't beaten anybody, and Washington at least for their two wins of beating

the Rams in Oakland. Yes, that oak wind was big, soa sit here they still had Derek Carr. Now sit here and talk about Philadelphia. Well, okay that now go beat somebody, and the same thing with the Cowboys, go beat somebody. You know what Philadelphia has been able to do, though, Guys, they've done a really good job of stopping the run. And I know it might be the opponents, but I think they've given up about sixty nine yards a game

on the ground. Defensively, we think about you know, it looks like that they're making some plays through the air. The quarterback looks a little bit more solid, you know, he doesn't the ball going down the field. I mean, I was watching the game, but they're playing the other

day against Arizona. I look up, it's third nineteen and they throw the ball to Nelson Aguilar for seventy six yards down the field, and you're going, you know, and that's against the Arizona secondary that we you know, we felt like that two or three good players in that group. So yeah, I understand who you play and how they play and all that. I just I think that right now, the Eagles are the most complete team in the division. They're getting to play that. You know, they had a

sixty one yard field goal to win a game. That's a special team's win right there. You know. They're defense. Yeah, I mean that's I think that's where teams. I think that's where the teams are struggling a little bit right now. Is has anybody in the division really played a complete game where you have oftense defense, special teams getting you through these games. Well, I like what Mickey said, and so that made me wonder, who did the Eagles have

up next? Carolina? Yeah this weekend? Well, maybe we find Actually Thursday, isn't it said Thursday Night game twelve? It is Thursday. Yeah, how exciting. We finally get a good Thursday night game that everyone's going to be interested in. Yeah, we have some good time. Further bye, way, you didn't watch that Donnie Brook last night? Two three two score into the house. That's your Bears. Though, that's a three two three. I thought I had turned the baseball game

one by stake? Is that the final score? Non? Some team? Okay? I was gonna say, well in a soda kicked a field goal late twenty something seconds left. Yeah, I like what you're saying. Brian and the Cowboys are overall sitting at number twelve in the NFC to vision in Philadelphia, Green Bay and Caroline sitting in the top three with four and one records. So, but they've got to play everybody. The Cowboys of play sure with the exception of a

couple of games, and they're they're place game right. They got the forty night I mean, they got um the Bears, but they also got Carolina. Right, let's go figure see this This would be to me though. Yeah if Carolina with you know, Carolina two really nice wins. They go to Foxboro and get a win, and they go to Detroit and get a win. So hopefully you know that Philadelphia having to travel. I believe Philadelphia travels there this week, are you know Thursday? They do? Yes, And so you know,

Cam Newtonham keep it going. Now, that's but that's an NFC, you know, depending on seating sometimes doesn't matter. We make a you know, you had the best record in the league last year and didn't get it done, and so sometimes seating does matter, and sometimes it doesn't. But yeah, if you're a Cowboy fan, of course you're hoping that Cam Newton and him continue to to do the things that they've been able to do to win it New England and to win it at Detroit. Yeah. Who who's

who are the Eagles opponents corresponding opponents Carolina? And who else be the Bears? The Bears so as opposed to Atlanta, Atlanta the Green Bay. Yeah, but Carolina is right there with Atlanta and Green Bay right now. First, So now first schedule matters. It's one game now, okay, but right, yeah, but you guys, God take care of business though, and you know what, they got to play the Cowboys twice. Yeah,

so take care of your own business. That's right. There's that Cowboys do have five division games now left, so you take care of your division business and you're still in position to win your division getting the playoffs. So you know, the thing that I'm thinking about is that last week the games are always said at noon, and certain games get flexed. Right now, the Cowboys are slated Week seventeen to be playing the Philadelphia Eagles at noon. Last year it stayed at noon. Really nice, got home

in time this year. What are you worried about New Year's Eve or what I mean? Sort for everybody. I know, I don't have a social life, social director, but no social life. You can get a get a victory in you party on the flight the way home. Yeah, but I'm just saying I hope it stays in noon. Yeah.

You know, you know the thing about though the East, the division games, that's what you got to you know, the Cowboys have found ways to I mean last year though they took three division losses, which were the only three losses during the year, but they were able to beat the you know, the AFC North and then you know, able to get through the NFC North and that might be you know, depending on how things are going to

go right now. I mean that's a you know, Seattle, I'm looking at some of these teams down the line, though, you know, do you really trust some of these teams? Do you really now trust Oakland? Do you really now trust you know, what you're going to see in Seattle Kansas City looks like a for real team, you know, and then we quarterback doesn't turn the ball over. Yeah, I mean Alex Smith has played almost perfect. Yeah, And

that's what they do. I mean, they've got you know, they've got a rookie rusher that's much like what was Zeki Elliott. They've got some you know, good design scheme wise. Defensively, they're they're not as great as they've been in the past. But I think to me, though, that you just play the games and you see what happens, and you know the but the the one when you have opportunity like the Rams game, and you have an opportunity, and you have an opportunity like in the Packers game, you know

that that's what that's what hurts you down road. We spoke about it yesterday, is you lose that Rams game, which look, they're three and two they're not a bad team. No, we don't think so. Anyway, still should have beat him, okay, And by virtue of that, then you look at the schedule and you're like, you may have to go to atlant and you know you may have to steal one right and on paper looks like a tough win Kansas City at home, you know, Yeah, yeah, I mean, I

always know what you said about Alex Smith. He's near perfect as quarterback round one twenty five doesn't He doesn't have an interceptions I think to intercept. Yeah, I think him and Drew Brees are the only two quarterbacks that don't have an interception in my right of the top ones in the NFL has one, Yeah, Breese says one case Keenum, there you go. Zero. But here's the deal with Alex Smith. His average gain per attempt eight point eight.

That's rare for him. It usually was probably five or six. He is usually one of the lowest rating when it comes to yards per attempt. He is leading the league eight point eight. He's not a bus driver, man. Well, but you know they throw the ball to that runner and runner can can scoot. I mean he gets a lot of sixty five yard You know, sixty yard plays, throw it to him maybe at five yards and there he goes kind of a thing. But they've got weapons.

I mean, they've got hill, they've got guys. I mean, we'll catch him here in a couple of weeks and talk about it'll be one of those you know, Okay, who do you try and stop bits? But like Micky said, take care of your division. Yeah, go find a way to win. You gotta now, you're gonna have to go win a game at Philadelphia, You're gonna have to win a game at New York, You're gonna have to win a game at Washington. Find a way to win those games.

That's the most important thing. Kareem Hunt kind of seems like they're Dak Prescot. You know, he's having this stellar season and he wasn't even supposed to be the starter, and they his first play a fumble. Boy, Yeah, he was good at Toledo's really really have two hundred against this run defense? Yeah? Yeah, very well could And did you guys, did you know who Aaron Jones? Not you? Yeah you guys hashtag draft show? When's your draft show? Yeah? Yes, yeah,

Well you're already giving up on the season. You're having a draft show. No, no, no, no, no, not at all. And there's people on Twitter, Mickey, I know you look like me, right yeah. Yeah, there's people on Twitter like, well, you're already given up. And no, it's not a give up. It's just it's our opportunity to, uh, we like to go and kind of reset where the draft went. And then thank you, Ken Garrison, appreciate that. But yeah, we'd like to reset the draft, but maybe and giving an

opportunity to look at some head look at that. Okay, well I have a strong question. I was saving it for later, but I think it comes back to the draft show, and it comes back to where this team is sitting. Obviously, Ezekiel Elliott not having quite the start of the season that he did last year. Year he ended the season with sixteen three one rushing yards, one thousand, six hundred thirty one rushing yards, fifteen rushing touchdowns an

average five point one yards per carry. He's on pace this season for one two hundred and fifty eight rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns and with a three point seven yard average this season. And you know, let's not forget what could possibly happen this week. With the decision. But sure, what I want to ask you guys, you know, looking at this, Tuesday is Tuesday. I think today's a day myself, that's what we said. This is my phones on. Yeah, I'm ready for this. I'm ready for somebody to come

tweeting that out. But I can already interrupted. No, no, that's good. But the question I want to ask, and I think this is this is an overview show, so just go with me. If you could go back, are you sure that you wouldn't have wanted to draft Jalen Rams over Ezekiel Elliott, who was the cowboys other option sitting there at number four. You know, obviously he went to the Jacksonville Jaguars and currently right now in the season according to some Pro Football Focus. Yeah, right now,

let's get the bible out. I just wanted to get that out of the way so before anyone asked me. He's the number three ranked cornerback in the league, so, you know, and the Cowboys having their issues at cornerback looking very thin back there. Yeah, I still think they did the right thing. I think they they made the decision to draft a guy that can help their offense and their defense. In turn, by what he can do ball control, power, running, game time and possession, all those things.

And they did that against the Packers. They really did exactly what they've set out to do and what they did for the majority of last season. They had a bunch of five minute drives. People knitpicked the last scoring driver. They left time for Rogers at the end, but it was seventeen plays almost nine minutes. Mean that's how they play offense. It seems like they're starting to find some traction there. The other thing too, for me, Jane rams

is having a terrific career. They may have found a corner, but they have found a cornerback in Jordan Lewis. He looks like that. He looks like a guy who's going to be a starter for this team for many years to come. The way he's playing already. Gave up the touchdown at the end, but he has been terrific making plays on the ball, making tackles, being physical. They're really happy with his progress so far. And Ramsey played a run back to that run defense. Ye awful. Yeah no

to me. I totally agree with what Rob's said here about about Ezekiel Eliott, you know, and I I respect Jalen Ramsey's game. I mean, when we were evaluating him last year, we thought he was one of the top corners, you know, in the league, and so or two years ago. I have no problem with the way the direction that the Cowboys went because I honestly believe they drafted Ezekiel

if to help Tony Romo. Absolutely, yeah, I thought, yeah, I mean they were trying to trying to help him in the latter part of his career, or give him a running game, be a play action team. You know. He actually benefited Dak Prescott, you know, and then it got Dak Prescott to the point where even without a running game, now he's now at least he has an understanding of how he needs to make plays to be effective.

So yeah, I still have no problem with you know, we and I hate to think about this because of what they did with the pick with with mo claiborne, you know, and how that worked out and it and it didn't. I mean, Moji couldn't stay healthy, which was you know, which was a problem in itself. But I do believe, you know, the guy led the league in rushing. He was the offensive rookie of the year, Am I right? And what award did he win? I mean he was

something or was that Prescott was offensive rookie? There was? But yeah, yeah no, but yeah, first team all problems. I mean, I think you did the right thing there, I really do. And you know is is it started off slow this year? Yes, but I know a lot of teams in the league that would love to have a twelve hundred yard rusher at the end of the day if they could, if that's in fact what he's going to be like Arizona. Yeah, well they traded for

a guy today. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely sorry, shout no better talked about it before you get Yeah, well, before we get to the run defense of what Mickey brought up, which is a great point because this team is looking a lot different than they did last season. We're going to take our first break. Join us after the break. You guys can call us the numbers two one, four, eight seven two twenty one O two and we'll get

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Shop exclusive Cowboys underwear at Tommy john dot com Forward slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order Tommy john dot com Forward slash Cowboys good stuff. You think you have to make that request like on the phone, or you get to a lot of form, you send him a picture visual evidenced by Yeah, hey, this stroub got an issue, not a hamstring like this team who's having hamstring issues, especially with Shaun Lee who who sat out again last week. So this team is greatly missing him.

But guys, Mickey brought it up. The Cowboys were fifth in the NFL last year for points aloud, in fourteenth in yards allowed. Right last season, what were they against the run? I didn't get that one, number one, number one, number one run defensive. Now they're twenty ninth and nineteenth in those categories for points allowed in yards allowed and so far what is the points aloud nineteenth tenses nineteen oh, the points allowed twenty ninth. Okay, they went from eighteen

to nineteen. Ye last week? Got you now thirty five points in each of their losses and two in the third. Yeah, but at least what I was saying, at least thirty five, No, no, thirty five, thirty five, yeah, and then forty yeah, at least thirty five and allowing four point six yards per rush tip for twenty fifth in the NFL. So yis they've gave it up one hundred and sixty yards rushing at least three times in five games, and they've lost all three games. And I went back and looked at it.

Since Rod Marinelli has been the defensive coordinator here for four seasons, now, that's happened. I think eight times, they're like one in seven when they do that, so you just can't. That's the thing about this game last week. Brian was like, you knew Aaron Rodgers was gonna get some gash you at times in the passing game, and what they expected to do was stop the run. Yeah,

it was way too balanced for him. I was talking some guys in Green Bay last night and they they were they were surprised to how well they ran the football. You know, they they they thought that they liked Jones a lot, Rodgers likes Jones, but they were they were surprised that the amount of success that they were able to have running to football. They were worried about their offensive line, their ability to block and create any kind of lanes. And you know the thing with Jones is

they still like, yeah, but he didn't fumble. You know, that's they're kind of like worried. That's you know, that's one of their deals. They you know, he he known for that. Yeah, he's known for that. So you know, they were, but they they ever got hint. They knew Rogers was gonna play. They knew Rogers was gonna play well, but they knew but they didn't think that Jones was going to be that They thought that would get some traction with him, but not to the level that they

were able to get. I think they found something with his speed. They did. They got to the line of scrimmage like boom. That's what they say. The quickness that the one trait that they really do like from him is the is the quickness. And and he's different from Montgomery in that way. He's not the pass catcher, yeah, you know, but he's a surely the explosive player that

we saw so other than missing Sean Lee, which is huge. Yeah, in this running game, when you only have two defensive linemen with more than two tackles, yeah, you got a problem. So you had Lawrence and you had Irving. Collins had two, right, he had two guys with one more and Crawford and the other three guys they zeroed out and they played. Now I know they didn't play. You know, probably twenty some snaps. But between Price, Mayo and Charlton zero zero zero,

you can't have that line. Just get one line linebackers or safeties can you can? You put them one? Two three? There was a couple of missed tackles in the hole by the linebackers. Yeah, safeties, Yeah, that's what I'm saying. If you put those guys just not holding up on the line, you had to rank where it. Yeah, the deficiency of problems. I'm not asking any players, but just give me the linebackers one, two, and three. If you linebackers hadn't been good, no, that's there were too many

times you saw the linebackers getting washed out of the play. Yeah. On tackling from behind, yeah, I totally where you've seen him tackle, if they've made place five and six yards down the field. That's that's the thing that's most concerning to me. But well, hold on, let me ask you, Brian, how much is Jalen Smith affecting this. Well, he's to me, and the first thing, the first thing out of your words, the first thing out of your mouth is what a

great story? Yeah, every time. But then now it's become okay, can I rely on him? Down after down after down? And I think the fact that he's been thrown into the deep end of the pool, and even Stephen Jones said this yesterday with Sean Lee and Hitchens both being back on the field, that he will play less and I think that's a good thing right now, To be honest, with you, because to me, there's a lot of thinking

going on out there, and more thinking than reacting. And then when when he turns into okay, now I have to react and you don't make the play. You know, in the preseason, we saw him step up and make some physical tackles and then, like Mickey said, you had a couple in the hole where he was waiting and then all of a sudden, you know you need to attack those plays. But I with Jalen, it's he needs a break. He really really needs a break. He needs to come off the field for a bit and let

things kind of reset for him. He played less in this game, but when you go back to the Rams game and he played every snap and we're talking seventy defensive snaps, like that's that's two too many for any young player. And I'm not even factoring in the injury

that he's overcome. It's just that's a lot, and and that that can expose some things for a young player every time now and then, so I think you try to get him in a situation where you give him a package of plays but not forcing him to be on the field all all of that playing time a lot. It's a lot. I see you looking up some difference. I was trying to look up the plays, the play time, Yeah, percentages. You feel like he's played too much? Yeah yeah, and

they're starting to get diminishing returns. And if you notice, they basically got him off when went to the deacon right and they had two linebackers right and then the two linebackers go the wrong way. Two linebackers that they had him on the nickel most of the time, but Durant was coming in right. You know, you had Durant in there, who hadn't played that much Hitchens that's his first game, no Lee, and you know, and then Jalen

trying to play through somewhat of a handicap. So you're so the way, maybe if I'm reading you wrong, correct me. D line one, safety two, linebacker three, I would go that way. Yeah, because the safeties have missed too many tackles, that's all. Yeah, I mean, and a matter of fact that you know, I'm the champion of a play the young kids and Xavier Woods in the last drive missed a couple of tackles. Yeah, that's that's I mean. Your safeties are missing tackles. You know, your defense is going

to be bad. Your defense is gonna be bad when your linebackers and your safeties are missing tackles. Yeah, Jalen Smith leading the team with forty one combined tackles. Obviously shun Lee and de Law follow behind him. But then Byron Jones, your safety has eighteen combined tackles. It's probably probably needs off. Yeah, probably a drop off right there for sure. So you know, and then it's you're looking

at different things like that. You're looking at the dbs obviously, not just safeties, but cornerbacks Jordan Lewis and Anthony Brown are the only ones with lone interceptions. Yeah, you know, I was looking at. Cowboys have scored a total of fifteen touchdowns to start the season, opponents fifteen as well. Now the Cowboys have two more rushing touchdown, opponents have two more return touchdowns. Obviously, keep Ti Leaves pick six

and then this past weekend pick six. So that makes a difference, and you know that's where you need your defense to step up and to have those plays that will get you over the edge. The takeaways are big, the lack of takeaways. They haven't had one in the last three games, and you think about how close all three of those games were. I mean, you guys, want to hear something funny. Yeah, the last time the Cowboys had a defensive touchdown, Orlando McLean in November of twenty

fifteen intercepted Mimi Dolphins. Yeah that's yeah, that's a Tony Romo game. That's a blast from the past right there. We were all flying home thinking the season was saved, right, and win them all and then Carolina. Then the Carolina game the next week. I think, happy Thanksgiving? Sad and funny it is, But isn't that sad that that's the last oh it is touchdown? Well, they've it's it's amazing for a team that works as hard as they do

to create turnovers. You know, yeah, they drill it like crazy. We so many days of even incomplete passes on the ground, somebody's picking up the ball and running and they're forming a wall to you know there there. It's not from a lack of trying to prepare for turnovers, you know, but you know, we look at how they were. Hey, the fumble in Denver, you know that was a good scoop by a defensive lineman and you know, a way

you go. But yeah, for somebody that works as hard as they do to try and create turnovers, it just has not worked out. Yeah, and then obviously everyone knows the storyline of a DeMarcus Lawrence and what a career season he's having with eight point five sacks, But MALIEK. Collins is second with two point five. That's where I see an issue. Yeah, I was thinking that MALIEK. Collins was going to be in that six seven eight sack range, you know, and he still might be. But to Mickey's point,

you know, MALIEK. Collins hasn't been as a dominant player if I'm using the right word dominant player in the on the run, in the run side of things. You know, he's been getting locked, he's been he's been getting as Rob say, he's been getting washed. He's been getting turned, you know, ball going up inside. He hasn't made those across the line of scrimmage place. I was expecting him to be a big quickness tackle for lost guy. Okay, second and twelve guy. I was expecting that, but it

hasn't really materialized for him. Now he's helped he's helped Uh Lawrence get some sacks, but his numbers are not anywhere near where I thought he would be. I mean, that's supposed to be your playmaker on the line. I totally agree. Yeah, yeah, it hasn't happened. Hadn't happened at all. Yeah. Now, another guy that I personally believed had a great training camp. I really expected bigger things from him. Haven't seen that so far. Kyle Wilbur only as one tackle on the season. Yeah,

what's going on with him? Well, he's not on the field. Might you might start seeing him more though? I mean he played the other day, lay the other day. He was on the base. But he was I mean he was just a special teams Yeah, he was. He played, he played a little getting more involved. Yeah, well they actually he I wrote about this. He was good on the screen on the sack by Crawford. He was good on that because he read the play and he was

able to get over and get Jones. But there was a couple of different times, like on some other plays that the balls that went to the edge, I want't even say the crack, the fourth and one flip that they ran, they caught him inside, you know, I mean it was a couple of times here's a guy that's playing because they think that the other guy because the other guy makes Yeah, yeah, exactly. So now you're your

backup guy. Dam yeah, Damian Wilson's your starter. Now your backup guy is you're putting him in to to bridge because you're not getting what you want from your starter. Well then all of a sudden you put him in the game, and now he's making the same mistakes that the starter's making, and and you're now, now what do you do there? And you know, I thought, Kyle Wilber, you're right, Tay. I thought in training camp he's, you know, kind of Kyle Wilber. He was a feisty Yeah, yeah,

you have a little bit better season. But you know, to Mickey's point, not playing as much they play him in the game. He has one good play and three bad ones. So when he gets back, is it Lee Smith and Hitchens? I think that they. I don't think they want to move Lee from the Will linebacker or not. And I don't necessarily think it Anti hitchens best spot is the Sam linebacker. He's played it, but he's played it. He's played it, and I don't think it's his best spot,

but he's played it. So if you want to put your best three on the field that can tackle. I think you have to include him as your SAM linebacker. And then when you go to the nickel, I think you take Jalen Smith off the field. And but that means that Hitchens and Lee play the whole game. You know, that's basically what's going to turn into. And you know if they keep giving up run and don't get off the field, and it's sixty seventy plays a game, that's a lot of plays for those guys to have to

play with eleven straight weeks. Now, yeah, well, let me switch over to the other side of the ball, and I have a question for you rub First, what surprises you more when I tell you these two stats. Dez hasn't had a one hundred yard receiving game. Came close. Zeke has only had two one hundred yard receiving games against running Yeah, I mean yeah, rushing, rushing yea, yeah, so rushing and receiving. Zeke's only had two one hundred yard rushing games. And Dez hasn't had a one hundred

yard receiving game. I'd say, Zeke, you know, we've we've talked about Dez and Daks still trying to get on the same page at times. But you saw a lot of games last year that they won, and I know this year is different. Every year is different. Where the receiving stats, the passing stats, they don't look that great on paper, but the focal point is they're running the ball.

Zeke's getting one hundred plus yards every time, he's averaging five something yards per carry, and they're winning games that way, and they're converting third downs when they have to. In the passing game and the run game, to me, has been the biggest surprise offensively that they haven't found consistency with it. I do think the fourth quarter they stuck with it. They were persistent with running the ball despite the score, and eighty five yards in the fourth quarter

for Zeke. Hopefully that's something to build on, assuming he's eligible to play and is still on the field. Why because teams are trying to take Ezekiel Elliott out of the game, and if they're doing that, then you ought to be able to beat him with your star wide receiver. Yeah, and the the fact that he hasn't yet and I'm not I'm sorry, I'm not buying the same page thing. They got to play better, but they just devil's advocate, right, Yeah, they loaded boxes last year. Yeah, there's only so many

guys you can put in the box. But what did they do They passed their way out of it, or they ran against them. Well, they ran on eight man fronts last year. It's sometimes it's more than a night man front and it's not the same offensive line. And that's the problem. That's the problem with the des part, also with the When the protection is not as good as it should be, then you have trouble getting the ball down the field. You know, this last game, they were,

they were working them, they were using them. But again the way the Packers played it, they said, no, you're not going down the field. You can have all the Witten and Beasley you want underneath each eat your heart out, but you're not. And they were, you know that that safety was running over there. Um. So I think it's a somebody else has got to emerge. It's sort of like what's going to happen defensively with DeMarcus Lawrence. Somebody else has to emerge because teams can see they're not

they're not. You know, I'm not saying we're smart, but we can see it what they're doing what do you think we're surprised by the rush? The rush? Yeah, and I think that I think the one thing that and I think Mickey makes a great point though, I really really do, and it made me think about this, But I think the rush because I had a lot of faith in the offensive line, even with the changes that they were going to make. I felt like that if four of the five could really play well, then you

could probably still run the football. I feel like though with with the thing with with Dez is that he's drawn some very difficult corners against him. It's fair, Yeah, I think that to me, you know, I if you said who who has a better chance of winning matchups consistently, I would say the offensive line has better chance of winning more matchups than Dez and I And so you know, I like, I say, Mickey makes a great point. He

really really does. And you know, you the the surprising thing about it is that that they haven't run the football as well. You know that that that to me has been just almost shocking. But you know, teams, it's a little bit about who you're who you're playing. And I think Dez Bryant, especially early, drew so many bad matchups for him, and he finally got a matchup this past week where they were able to kind of take advantage of that a little bit, and in some instances

it's that's fair. And in the run game too today they faced him really good defensive fronts for Zeke as well. It's just tough to look at this stat sheet and see three point seven yards of carry was Zeke. It's just not what you're customed to it. And watching the game the other day, I just I looked at the at the box score at one point and he's averaging two yards of carry, and it just didn't seem like it was that little. And I gave him a lot of credit for the dirty yards he was able to get.

It was tough sledding for a long time in that game the other day the other day, and he was able to get some things moving for them despite what he was up against. After three quarters, he was sixteen for thirty one. Yeah, sixteen for thirty one, right. He did five yards yeah yeah in the fourth quarter, and then he had a twenty five yard run. The crack toss really kind of got things open in one run and almost he almost had more than what he had

the first three quarters right, but it wasn't there. They give it to him sixteen times. Sure, yeah, it's crazy. Well, let's take our final break here in the SBbc Morgat Studio have harder questions for the guy. These guys. After the break, we'll get to Rob's pole. You have the hard ones to them. Yeah, yeah, you guys get it.

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Hey on the brights, guys, the Cowboys scored twenty points at least on Sunday, and you guys a discount advantage of the fifty percent off discount yesterday. Props to you on Papa John's. Papa John's, yeah, right, anytime that happened. So you know, yeah, you say that, but the Cowboys didn't score that high of points last season. What do you mean? I'm saying like in games? You know a lot of games came pretty close. Well, they didn't let the other teams. That's yeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah, take

advantage of that. Mick. Next, I'll let you know. I was just you had me confused. I was. I'm sorry, I'm confused, just kind of a weird topsy turvy Tuesday. He is, sure, especially on bye week time. So our brains are everywhere, so give us a break if you guys can. All right, question for you guys, what is happening to this team in the third quarter, and I asked that now, looking at how they're scoring and scoring

by periods in the quarter. In the first quarter, this team has scored thirteen points total, the opponents have scored twenty three. In the second quarter, however, this team has scored sixty five points opponents thirty three. This is where the question is. Seven points in the third quarter for the Dallas Cowboys, thirty seven for the other team, and a rounded off the Cowboys get forty in the fourth quarter and opponents thirty nine. Great, great minds, I'm writing

about this today. Actually, see we're just right here wayfall then yep, go right to you for the end. Well, I'm in the process of trying to figure out why, right, I'm actually writing this a right? Seven points now, yeah, it's they scored seven against Arizona, right, yes, yeah, and their scoreless in the other four is that right? Yeah? So it's been it looks like it's been a different

issue each time, or a combination of issues. If you look at like the Denver game, they were down twenty eight ten when they got the ball in the third quarter. You're playing from behind your one dimensional so I think that's a factor. Um the Giants game and really this the Rams game too, they had some minus runs first and second down put you behind the chains, so you

can't get traction that way. Penalty in the Giants game on one of the drives, and I'm not sure what the issue was on this past Sunday again, can actually oh, they didn't have the ball at one time. They didn't have the ball, so yeah, sometimes it's not having enough time to get things going. So it's it's it's hard to pinpoint one thing when you go look at your for your numbers, look and see how many possessions they've

had in the third quarter. Yeah, because, off the top of my head, if you're winning the toss and taking the ball to start the game, the other team's getting the ball to start the third quarter, right, and if your defense can't get off the field, then there goes half the first third quarter, that's right, And if you go three and out, then you're not getting the ball past. Yeah, and that's what happened in this game. Well, yeah, this game, But there's also been times they punted on three straight

drives against the Rams. Was it all in the third quarter? All in the third quarter? Yeah, it was, and that didn't happen at all I think the season before. So they just that was first and second down. They couldn't run the ball. Yeah, so it's been a different thing last time and the next one. Check that out what their running stats are, and maybe this could be a combined article. Yeah, do a double headline. Yeah, double headline.

We can share the research. Let me ask you this, if you had the opportunity, would you play defense first if you're the Cowboys, Because I'm thinking my strong suit is offense and i want to go score rob go defense first and try to get the ball second half. I just think you got to execute better in the third quarter. To me, it's what I've seen. It's more

about execution than not happening. Now. They didn't have the ball much on Sunday in the third quarter, but I think they've just got to do a better job execute and play. You like playing defense first with this team, No, I really don't, But I'm trying to think of a way that maybe juice up the third quarter. Yeah, because to me, one of the things that really bothered me going into the at the end of the first half the other day, Dallas couldn't score even though they had

the ball at the fifty yard line. I was hopeful that they would get some type of points out of that last drive because what I feared was that green Bay had a score and then if you were gonna just kill the half, you know, kneel it down whatever, you know, or not do anything, then green Bay was going to get the ball back. So that lead that you had, you know, you really weren't slowing them down.

I worried about the ball then taking the last drive scoring and then taking the first drive and scoring in the game. And but you know it's both team. I mean they Dallas what Dallas punted once and green Bay punted twice. Yeah, that just showed you that both offenses were we're on the screws of trying to, you know, do what they needed to do, and both defenses were in the on the struggle. Bus Packers had the ball

in the third quarter eleven twenty eight. How many points did they score the fourth, Well, they only scored up bild goal in the they scored fifteen at the end of the third quarter. They scored it, I mean they scored a touchdown on the first play of the fourth. Okay scored it. But the drive right, all, okay, so they got they got They got two touchdowns in the fourth is that right? Then one at the end, Yeah,

for sure, I remember that. And they only had the ball for over and then they had the touchdown on the on the interception, so accidently they got They got twenty one points, yes, in a matter of only having the ball for what three minutes? Yeah? Uh? In the third quarter, their possession time was no, no, the Packers were huge. They killed the Cowboys in possession. No, no, no. In the fourth quarter, yeah, two sixteen to sixteen, and

they scored twenty one points. Seven of those came off a pick six and then one play in the top the first play of the fourth and then the last drive. Think about that, they scored Cowboys had the ball the

whole time. Yeah, but the but that just shows you though sometimes at time of possession it can be a little bit misleading, just like targets a free yeah yeah, time possession targets are always kind of yeah oh yeah, me and making we were looking at them a lot of incomplete passes that which one was that they threw at his foot And I said, oh there target, it was completely off and it was a target, but part of that third quarter, and so I know when we

do research, we like to tie everything into a night. Nice little conclusion was the Packers on their second possession should have been third and twenty at the two yard line, right, and they got out of the hole and then that started a fourteen eighty eight yard drive. Yeah, I'll be able to I'll be sure to include that in my story. Yes, guy, that the guy's cheeks were still puffed out while Mayo

was laying on top of them. And by the way, when I complained about the SEC referees in that Kentucky game, the SEC came back and said their officials screwed up that whole play. He should like, I'm thinking about replacing Mike Pereo with you, yeah, or Landino. Those guys get too technical. All you gotta do is look at it and say, you know what, that ain't right, that that

ain't right. The problem is a replace saved your at least gave you a chance on the extension aerial view whatever that aerial view whatever, that better bring that camera with Yeah, the blump view is the best. That is the absolute best. It was. It was bone crusher up there, just so you know, giving he took a shot from his camera that had he puts up in the ceiling. Yeah, Christian's doing that up there. So it's pretty awesome. But

you know it's also awesome is Rob's pole? Yeah? Simple one today, Mick I missed it, thank you, Tay, of course she did. I mean I've not been on Twitter the whole week, smart, stay off. Are you concerned about the Cowboys playoff chances after Sunday's loss? What's your level of concern? There's three options that you're concerned A little, a lot, or not at all? I feel like about the doctor self, that's right? Can you can you put

not yet? It is early? It's early, right, So you got the option of not at all or a little bit. What's what's in between? Again? A little bit, a little bit. I don't see a dominant team so far in the in the in the NFC. I mean I understand what Carolina is doing right now, which is pretty special. You know, going to win and get a Foxborough. New England's defenses ranked thirty second in the league. Yeah, but no to

go win at Detroit, I thought was big. I don't know, there's you know, I think you have to look at really what the NFC East is and tell you did a great job of kind of walking us through all that. Well. I love what Mickey said about Eagles. Yeah, I'm cover four. You know what I would Oh wait a minute, I need a footnote. Yeah, I think you Mickey, No, I think if you go through this, if you go through and you need, of course, you're gonna have to win

these games. You know, San Francisco get you back to five hundred, and then you go find a way to win at Washington. You know, that's San Francisco game, the trap game of this season. There's no trap games when you're two and three. Yeah, you're you're just as you're right there, right there. You just actually need San Francis gonna win against Washington this week. That would be a big help. You're part of the bugs flat around that trap.

But I think that to me, I I if you go and say you lose one of the two games the either the Washington game or the San Francisco game, I would be concerned. I would be concerned because you got Kansas, Okay, Kansas sitting in Atlanta, and it's not going to get any ease in Atlanta. On the road. Yeah, so is your answer you're a little concerned or not at all? No, No, I no, no, I would say, I'm you're head in that direction. No, I don't want to I don't want to ride the fence. I never

ever want to ride the fence. But I do believe that these are these are games. And I thought the Rams game was a winnable game too. Yeah. So going to San Francisco, I mean, for a half last year, you were, you know, nip and tuck with them for their you know what was going on. But you find a way that you lose one of these next two games. I think you're I think you have to be concerned. Fair, I'm sticking whatnot yet? Okay, tay, you go to two?

However that fits into those other two alternatives, I put a little bit. I'm the same way. I think at two and three again, like losing a game at home, that when you feel like you let one get away, that's let two get away. Well, okay, fair, And that's tough. That's tough in this league because there's the margin. Fair is so slim. So I'll say a little bit. Fifty

percent of the fans said they're a lot concerned. If that's a accurate they're probably yes, well they're but they're listening to Mickey talk about the defense, and he's right. I mean, if if you're thinking that, you're a playoff team, and the reason one of the reasons why they won thirteen games last year was not just so much well the offense, but you were one of the better teams.

You were the best team in scoring deef or top five in scoring defense, and you didn't give up big plays and you didn't allow teams to run the football. This has been all the recipe that we've seen so far for disaster in these games. You guys talked about it. One hundred and sixty yard rushers, you know, third down, the big third down conversions, untimely penalties when you have them deep into territory, no turnovers. You know, there's a concern. Okay,

here's a bigger concern. Can't consistently run the football, you know, receivers not consistently getting open, you know, I mean, there's things muffpunt on special teams. You know, there's things that make you say I'm concerned, and I don't. I don't like there's enough body of work after five games to say this needs to improve. Is it's yeah, just an oversight at this point. If not, we've been through this before with this whole Oh we could turn it around

and flip a switch bit. You know, but if you if you go out there and you lose to San Francisco and then you turn around and lose to Washington, or or you lose one of the two. I mean, now you're thinking about okay, if you just look at the way the schedule plays of the teams that are in front of you, you know, I mean you have to you have to be concerned because you gave away a game at the Rams, you gave away a game against Green Bay. Yeah. Oh, I like what you're saying

about the division, because that's really who's gonna win that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mickey's right. They're gonna play the same schedule. Philadelphia is gonna have to go to Denver or get Denver at home. They're gonna have to play the Raiders. You know, they're gonna have to play who we said, Kansas City Raiders, San Diego LA. They've already played La. But you know, and and the Giants are not gonna go winless through this thing. They're gonna beat the red Skins, so they're

gonna beat the Eagles. They're they're gonna do something. You know that. It's it could very well mean nine ten wins. It's not gonna be pretty, it's not gonna be easy. But that's kind of what the mode you're in right now. This Philly game, it's it's all. It's starting to become Giants Week one, Eagles week seventeen, and that game could very well be very meaningful to who wins this division. A very very year's day. Yeah, seven pm start time.

But Washington's got the third place schedule right right. I was trying to figure out who they if they if any team flipped already that was in third last year might be good this year. Yeah. Um, well, and I'm sorry, I know the NFC North Detroit. Do they get Detroit

or Minnesota? Well, Detroit was in second. It might be Minnesota, Minnesota Minnesota because they finished eight and eight in there, and then in seventh South they're gonna get New New Orleans seven and nine, I believe ye that's right, okay, or because Carolina was last and Tampa Bay right who won the division. Tampa didn't win the Division, Atlanta, Wan Division Tampa, they get New Orleans, right, Yeah, we'll see

knock on wood. You know, I'm not saying talking about this because I hate it, but the Cowboys have been lucky enough with injuries. Where these other teams. I mean, you're looking at the Giants right now. I mean, I know what you're saying that they could go win one. Yeah, what are they here's the saving grace all the stuff we talked about. The two games they lost, at least they scored thirty points, right, So if you keep that up,

you're gonna some ball is gonna fall in your lap. Yeah, you just gotta make a play Robs, Right, He's gotta make a play at a significant time. Yeah, if you could have the other day, would have been a huge play in that just one. What did I tell you if if I said something, Jordan would do something. Jordan Lewis would have somehow come down with that ball, you know, on the first time they tried to Yeah, I mean hand up a swide. You know, if he's Orlando Scandrick

had an opportunity. Orlando Scandrick, if you know he knocks the I mean they just have not got the brakes that Way and Ron Crawford with the ball in the Rams game. But you make your breaks, you really do. You make your breaks by getting to the football, tackling well and knocking it loose. And that's what this team in the past has been able to do. I mean, you remember the turnovers came in a bunches, Barry Church knocking balls loose. I mean, guys, were you know, knocking it.

You know, receivers were running, they get hit the balls on the ground and you don't throw the body catchers that too. Do you know what? That went back and looked at that. It hit him in his hands. It did hit him in his hands, but he couldn't he turned, he had to come. Yeah, he couldn't. He couldn't get it, couldn't get it. Such situated, you said, Okay, you scored thirty plus points, you should win. There are three losses they've given up an average with thirty seven points. You

you can't. You can't give up north of close to forty. But if you keep scoring thirty, somebody's not gonna keep scoring three. You're not gonna help. You would hope against I mean they drawn against Rogers and the Rams were averaging thirty five. I mean, goof Jed, goofy. If you could have Okay, let's talk about second second, a big picture after the bye. If you could get one area to play better, you know, and all the things we've

talked about, what one thing would you try. We've talked about turnovers, we've talked about past defense, we've talked about run defense, we've talked about running the football. What one thing, What if you could say, Okay, magically, everything is going to turn around for you after this bye. To me, it's it's run defense. Because they didn't generate a ton of turnovers last year. They got twenty. They need more of them. But they were able to get off the

field with down in distance. They didn't allow a single one hundred yard rusher last year. Right, they can do that and get teams into third and eight, third, nine, stuff like that. Got a better chance to get off the field. That's me. That's the biggest one. Yeah, they can't link those big plays in the ground game because you're talking about these big games. Okay, Kareem Hunt, I'd like to see you have your worst days, Dallas scoutboys.

So you're gonna say run defense, I would say I would say run defense, but a close second is secondary and then maybe some different different things on the special teams area. I mean, very happy with Dan Bailey seven for seven. Great for you, Chris Jones. Great, let's get some bigger return returns. What do you got How about blocking the guys that come down as the gunners. Yeah, the run defense, and then one CEE is the offensive line.

Oh I like that. Yeah, I don't disagree. I think I think I think that I think they've been putting some Their ability to run last year put a lot of pressure on teams. Their their inability now to not defend the run has been able to It has helped a lot of teams and it's kept them off even though they had the time of possession against the Packers, and a lot of it had to do with the turnover, right,

as you got two possessions in a row. Right, got to get that offense on the field, right, If you're going to score thirty points a game, you need to get them out there as much as you can. Actually if you're not helping them, Yeah, yeah, I just I wish if the run defense was there. But the problem is you say play run defense and now you're throwing at a bunch of young guys in the secondary. I know, I know, but I'm thinking back to the worst loss and I think unanimously we can all agree that was

the Denver Broncos game. And of course you could say, oh, well, look at their defense, they're so amazing, you know, all the stuff. But Trevor Simeon and C. J. Anderson were a huge threat that day. And you know you're talking forty two points. Yes, some came from the defense, guys, I get that, but what oh Brian said it that week. Yeah, the Broncos offense won that game, being able to keep the Cowboys offense off the field. I think the Rams loss was the worst one they've had so far. That's

the one. I mean, I know, the Packer one. I kind of my mind was thinking, it's Aaron Rodgers, as you it's going to be difficult, and I was hurt because they lost the way they lost, But the Rams one was the one that bothered me the most. Yeah, and who knows, they may come back to the Pack just the way they did. Sure last year, you never know, but you will know more when you tune into the Draft Show today at three pm time, and when you

Tune into US tomorrow eleven thirty am Central Time, same place. Yeah. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club