Talkin' Cowboys: Confidence Meter?

the favorite dip of Talking Cowboys. Welcome in, everybody, Glad you're with us. Rob Phillips, isaiahs Dan Back, check my Harrison, Chris Beam, I'm Kyle Yeoman's. We're already in a good mood this morning. You know why why are we in a good mood? Ten to four because we get to talk to Cowboys Nation today. Give us a call. Eighty eight five five two two nine eight eight eight five five two two nine seven. How's everybody doing today? Peach peache? Good?

Except who's deaf on our team that sits here all the way up? Yeah? Yes, I know? Yeah? Hearing aid for Christmas? So every since Monday last year. Yeah, seriously, who's the last show Monday on? Or Chris? Do we know Kreamer last night? That would be Shannon gross makes sense? Well he is like sixty five yeah at least right, Yeah, yeah, that's fair. He's getting up there. The Cowboys hour was virtual last night. Oh okay, so they did it in here. That makes a lot of sense. Well, good, So Shannon

needs hearing aids. We now know that as a part of talking Cowboys to start things off. But everybody else is good. Isaiah, I'm fan Tabby looso thing one thing too. You like that worst worst thing too. She's at the house. Okay, that's good, the house. That's fine. Take here to meeting. The meetings are home from you know, I don't know. Heck Man knows that. Yeah, you know that too. Yeah, the meetings are home, so you gotta find what to do with them all day long. Just clean up grandma

twenty minutes later, clean up cartoons. Huh, cartoons, cartoons, going to gym, workout train, grandma, go back upstairs, clean up do U by the way, isn't it though? It's every everything right? Dude? It's like, no, you don't understand, Kyle, I don't understand, and you're right crazy, man, I'm not looking forward to that. Yes you are, Yes, you are great. Don't don't get I don't want you yet. I'm good right now. Hold yet, I'm all right. Right now, I'm

having fun. The oldest twenty three year old. I know twenty I'm twenty five. I'm twenty five. Make sure you get it right. Well, he was struggling, was all. I was twenty three when we met that. Yeah, because that was when I was. I can eat at the bar. Sometimes. You rent a car barely. I still haven't done that yet. Yeah, I can barely rent a car. Everybody got their Christmas shopping done or no? No, not yet, no, Isaiah almost

there almost almost Yeah, Okay, that's good. I got my done yesterday, and I just was mad at the world. Everybody was cutting you off in traffic. Everybody's just crazy right now. But you gotta you gotta go out with your mind already right when you it's gonna it's gonna be chaotic. You're in, You're in the crowd. So come on, man, you get positive, face up, a game plan. You can't just go out just browsing. You have to know exactly

what you're going to grab. And I had my game plan, but then my game plan got up ended because the game plan didn't have what I needed in certain stores did have a plan and I didn't have a plan. That was my problem. I see I couldn't get these off of Amazon. Amazon, you can't get these off Amazon? I know it was what are you kidding? I don't know? Is it an elephant? But raf, actually you could get that kid? You prime in elephant telling you he got

the Harrison family a new puppy. Oh whoa Chris? What are you doing? You just giving that out on Christmas? Right? Chris? Wow? Can you guys have as listening to the show, I'm super excited. Do you guys have dogs? Yes? We got one one dollar? Yeah, we got we gotta what you got dog? Dog? One? Yeah? Huh, let's go. You got a cat? Right? No? I don't have anything right now? She got a fish. I don't even have a fish like cat. Somebody had a cat I was thinking about getting. No,

Beamer doesn't have it. He has one cat and he has another cat that no one's ever seen. It's a mystery cat. It's a mystery. It's a mystery, mystery met He always says, bo I got another cat. I'm like, no, you don't. I've been I've never seen this cat. The cat's name is Scouts, like a Scout sniper. You never exactly where some way did the kids want a new dog? Is that where the jokes? Let's kill this whole conversation. I'm just curious. My wife just picked up X one.

You want one of bars? I do not. I don't have three dogs. Kid, kids, listen right now? Yes, Okay, let's job. Let's not Cowboys. Yeah, let's news and the biggest dog we can find he lock in South African boorable? How about that? Can you get one of those two hundred and twenty five pounds master? Yeah? All right, News and notes, Dallas Cowboys, let's talk about it. Let's go what's going on with this team, the Dallas Cowboys. They

are relatively healthy coming out of the Giants game. No uh, no injuries that they've officially reported coming out of this game. Covids a different story, although no players, no new player tests yesterday. Matt Daniels, the assistant Special team's coach assistant to John Fossil, tested positive yesterday, so he's on the reserve COVID list, and they are the league might be moving to this anyway this week in light of more

and more cases yesterday throughout the league. But Cowboy's going virtual all week in terms of meetings and then practice, trying to get ahead of this or just treadwater and no more cases. Now. The HL National Hockey League went on a pause as of last night. They concluded their games last night and then they put a pause on things to just try and get everyone right, because it's not just the NFL going through this COVID spike right now.

The NFL's going through it, NHL, NBA, pretty much every professional sports league at the moment that is playing is having some sort of issues with this. I don't I think I know the answer to this question already. But do you see the NFL ever even remotely entertaining that

possibility down the road? Doesn't sound like it. I mean, Jerry was asked about it today, and they're trying to move forward with new protocols targeting, targeted testing not you know, and and they've they've even changed the you know, if you're vaccinated then and you don't show symptoms, you're not being tested is I think that's correct, right, and then uh, now you can get back sooner potentially if you're vaccinated one negative test twenty four hours, well instead of two

twenty four hours apart one negative test, you can be back on the field. So they're trying to move forward. What does that say? Isaiah has got a great look on his face right now, what are you what are you thinking? I having zero comment in regards to that, because that makes zero sense, but I'm gonna leave it

at that. Yeah, I think what I think one of their rationale behind it is I saw a report that Washington had like twenty five cases, twenty three showed no symptoms, and there's no evidence that this can be pas asked on the field to each other during games. And that's why they think, you know, it's it's it's endemic in society now it's you know, and so trying to live with it and trying to move forward, that's what they're trying to do. So basically, it's a it's a step

forward away from the original line of thinking. That's why it doesn't necessarily make a whole lot of sense, right because it's it's not the way you've always thought about COVID in sports. It's basically trying to move past that. It's it's a first step. I will see if other leagues follow it, you know. Um, I'm sure they're in communication with the NBA. NBA's having a ton of cases too. Yeah, so yeah, you could do one way. You could pause it and try to make a stop, or you can

just kind of move forward. And that's what the NFL is going to do. And then in terms of injuries, you said no big injuries out of that. Do you think of anybody that can return? Akaa, Donovan Wilson, what's his what's his situation like at the moment, sounds like he's got a good chance to this week. Jerry was not ready to say Tyrant Smith would be back this week. You know, if it's close, then I would think they

would try to give him another week. But he sounded optimists, very optimistic about his prospects the rest of the way as they move into the postseason, most likely three games left. Do you think he makes it back this week or do they save him for Week seventeen against Arizona. The way they're talking, you know, Mike said, it's too early to tell. It doesn't sound like they're super optimistic, but they're gonna give it the week and see how he's feeling.

That's good, Okay, So he could potentially get on the practice field. Doesn't necessarily mean that he's gonna play though, right, not ruled out. Okay, Yeah, well there you go. So there's a news and notes update from Rob Phillips and gentlemen. We talked a lot yesterday about the offense and the look of zeke Im Pollard and Deak as a whole, but I want to before we start taking our fan calls today, I want to talk about the offensive line.

Because Connor Williams jumps in starts at left guard, you have Tye Insecki rotating back and forth with Terren Steele at the left tackle spot. Do you feel better about the depth of this offensive line from what you saw yesterday as opposed to what you it seemed the previous four weeks? You know, I think it seems like it's

ever changing. And when you talk about Tyren Smith and him coming back, obviously that's gonna be a bigger part of seeing who's gonna start at left tackle until he's back healthy, and I think they should take their time with that decision simply because, as you talked about going into the playoffs, how we're gonna need our full litany of guys up front, and definitely need Tyren Smith for that. I felt better at left guard, honestly, and not that

you know, the Connor bros. Are looked at one as the same, but I really felt like Connor Williams took the lead last week, and let's just see how he does versus Duran Payne. They've had their run ins with one another over the last couple of years, so it's gonna be interesting to see that matchup. I just felt like an offensive line, you know, you saw them getting

after the defense pass protection. We still have some issues and those are the things that have to be corrected going back into the Washington football team week, but I felt a lot. I feel a lot better about where we are on the offensive line now. This previous game, I felt better. Obviously, Connor Williams came in and did a much better job than what had been there previously, regardless of what Connor Brow was in there. I do believe that this you know, is ready, this continuity, all right.

I love it, this word that we keep using. I don't know if they're kind of starting to shy away from the traditional form of what they considered to be continuity in terms of the same guys out there every week. I am starting to believe that these guys are approaching it as a matchup. It's just a personnel thing. What are we going to face this week? Who is better suited for this particular team that we're facing, you know,

playing against the Giants. Okay, you had you had one guy that you really had to worry about, you know, on that left side. Now this week, who we got three guys they're probably got to worry about on our left side. So who's going to be best fit for to handle pass blocking instead of run blocking? Right? What's our game plan and what is the personnel that they present that can create some mismatches for us? And that's who we're gonna put out there. It give us ourselves

an advantage. Yeah, it was a true rotation at left tackle in the last game. I want to say, thirty something snaps for Terrence Steele, twenty something snaps for Tian Secky, and I think it came down to pass protection. They felt like and Secki's experience could help in that area in the game, so it's very possible that if there's no Tyrn Smith, they go to both guys again, depending on the situation, depending on the matchup. You know, if they're more in pass mode, maybe you see more more

Tian Secky in this game. Yeah, I think Connor Williams gave him some juice at left guard. I really do. There was more pulling, there was more movement in the run game, and I think that's where he excels. And the other thing is too that they really we didn't talk about this, and I didn't think about this during the week, but they felt like Connor McGovern has a role as a fullback in this offense that they really like, and that was another reason why they went to that switch,

because they like him in that two back offense. I think it was a better fit for both of those guys in their respective roles. I mean, Connor Williams has been the left guard for quite some time. They gave McGovern an opportunity to win that job out right. But McGovern's been better than Connor Williams at the fullback spot as well. So I completely agree with you. I think it does completely even Aldan it makes a lot more

sense to have those guys in their roles. But we've kind of mentioned this previously on the show about talking it's a contract year for Connor Williams. Did he make himself some money coming back and winning that job back that quickly? I mean, he came back and it was almost an immediate change. Is this making sure that he one either sticks around next year or two is able to at least ensure himself a starting job at some place in the NFL's so that, I don't know, it's

a long way away. It's a long ways away. I think it really. I don't know what the college prospects are in terms of that position group right now, or where we may be seated at in terms of the draft and all that jazz. So there's a lot of conversation that has to revolve around that. If there's a guy that they can take at that position and that's a dog, I'm pretty sure they would pull the trigger

on that. I'm gonna go TBD on that man, because I think you still have so much the season left and the way that the beginning of the season started for him with the penalties, he still has some stuff to prove um. I think you know when they went away from McGovern and with Williams, I think you saw immediately when when they went that counter trade. You see his ability to move and maybe that's the difference between the two how they operate out in space. But either

way it goes. I mean, I feel I don't want to use the word confident. I just I feel better with Connor Williams right now with after seeing the little small sample size that we got of McGovern and McGovern is so freaking good at the full back position, and a touchdown is coming, It's coming. They all want They drew that up. Kellen's you here, Kellen Moore yesterday, it's he wanted it for McGovern. He wanted that touchdown to

go to him. But I mean, every game we're seeing, you know, whether it's with the jumbo package, the whole package, whatever it is, all of these offensive linemen are getting in on the act. And so we talked about the C word. I'm just gonna say that when you gotta

take another shot this morning. But everybody knows that all of these guys, I think they fully anticipate being able to play and listening to Jerry Jones this morning, he talked about the flex position or being able to use guys offensively the offensive line at multiple positions, and that's the way that you see Tara Steel operate, McGovern operate and also Connor Williams. And I think that's the value

that we have up front with certain guys. The C word is continuity, by the way, just Coty just want to throw that out there so that all of our family friendly audience. Now with this being said, you're mentioned the movement up front, you talk about the left guard spot and pulling and allowing the athleticism of Connor Williams to shine through. How much does that open up a playbook for Kellen Moore? Does that allow you to do

different things? From a run game standpoint, we mentioned there needs to be an uptake and pass blocking in that past protection, but from a run game we saw that there was some considerable steps forward. Is that just based solely on the opening of the playbook with Connor Williams up run? I think it definitely helps. Isaiah is shaking his head, Yes, So I'm gonna go to Isaiah. But I think I just from the layman's perspective, I feel like everybody's been begging for them to attack the edges,

you know all that. I think he's best suited to help them do that, and I think we saw more of that in the game. And it helps to have Tony Pollard in the game because that's where he excels the most. But I think that, yeah, I think that that varies their attack a little bit. Yeah, he allows for re to have movement. You know, I don't believe that this is a downhill team anymore, at least not

where we're standing right now currently. So I think that, you know, the best, the most advantageous form of running for us is obviously trying to get to the edges, and when you have running back like TP that can come in and give me that change of pace he gets out to the edges, when you have guards like Connor Williams that can pull and get out there, and now he can kick out those defensive ends and work his way up inside to the next level of the

linebackers seal off guys. It allows for you to have that movement that you may not have had without him in the lineup. I love what you were talking about the match up and probably using guys based off of where you are guys on the outside or what have you. When we know we talked about that Washington football team at length, and it was all about matching their tempo and their aggressiveness at the line of scrimmage. And you're

finding that our guards are able to match that. There are teams that we go up against it a lot quicker on the outside, and so the Washington football team is one of them, and they will put pressure on

you and not allow it. But with Zeke and what we saw last week with him just looking healthier, if we can play smash mouth football through the rest of this sea, maybe that's something identity wise, we could kind of take that mantle back up, and it's something that we use in the playoffs because we're gonna need the running game. No matter how you look at it, We're gonna need the running game. It would be amazing if we can line up and just go down here and

get four yards. How long has it been since teams were afraid of you running the football? Probably years earlier this season, But Isaiah's that's a good point, like those early in Dak's career when you had Travis Frederick and you had what I'm saying that will smash. That's why I say a couple of years. Yeah, they you know, they put eight nine guys in the box. It didn't matter. Zeke's got seventeen hundred ruction yards, you know. And that's again,

this line is somewhat in transition. They're young at the center, spot Tyler Beaches think has played better as the year has gone on, but they've had a change at left guard. Like they're trying, you know, they're still trying something, still trying to find the right mix. And they've had injuries too. It's kind of interesting. They've had one hundred and forty six, one twenty two, one twenty five on the ground the

last three weeks. So I mean, as much as this run game has been knocked down and torn down, it still looks like they're able to produce a certain amount. Now a lot of that is garbage time and running out the clock. And I think it goes back to the reason why I say a couple of years is because of how dominant that offensive line was a couple of years ago. Yeah, when when Frederick and you had Frederick and you had Martin Area, Yeah, you had all

those guys that were it was straight. We're coming at you. It doesn't matter who you have, it doesn't matter what you do. We're gonna get four or five yards a pop coming down here. You don't have to get out to the edge now with this particular running scheme that we have now and obviously the personnel that we have upfront, your your two yards hopefully three yards, and then you're

hoping for that change of pace, big play. Right now, you're hoping for that big play versus before, if it was if it was third and three, you didn't have third and four. Guess why we can run the ball right We don't have to air this thing out. We don't have to go in the gun five yards deep just to go you know, three yards for us. And now you're asking guys to go eight yards no lining up and we're coming down hill. And I mean, I've been saying running the ball, they got to do it.

Running is great, but they got to get more explosive plays. They didn't have a single explosive pass play in the game. And so much of that for this offense comes off a play action though, Yeah, so much of that true. Right now, I went back all the way to the first games, all the big players I'm gonna say, oh, but a lot of the big plays came out of play action. How many how many play action tries did they have this game? Because I didn't feel like they

utilize play action a ton. I think they did it, they tried, They did it a little bit more than they did in previous weeks, and I you know, I think they figured out that getting Dak out in space is better for him as far as the passing game. But those explosive plays regardless, Guys, I just feel as though if you can continue the death of a thousand cuts mentality with this running game, maybe that's the thing.

It's it's not pretty. Obviously, you want the big players, you want the splash plays, but if you're able to time of possession, ball control, all of those things, that's an easy formula in football to win games. And right now, all we want to do is clench this up and get into the playoffs and have home field and advantage. That's what I'm sure that's what every Cowboy fan wants. I mean, I would want that. That'd be on my

Christmas list? You kidding me? Yeah, that'd be awesome. All right, When we come back, we're gonna take calls from Cowboys Nation eight eight five two two ninety seven. Bob from Nashville is gonna go first, So after the break, you're on talking Cowboys. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why Pioneers Way is to make lenses as unique as you. Varilux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, and Crasolve for freedom from glare, three cutting

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at jobs at Caliber dot com. Bred Man. Yeah, back here for Talking Cowboys at a Talking Tuesday, which means we're gonna take some phone calls from Cowboys Nation. And first let's talk to one of our good friends, Bob in Nashville. Bob, how's it going. You're on Talking Cowboys, Hey, guys, great show a column. The guy that you said sounds like Doug Nus. Yes, you do, you just like honestly in it. It messes with me every single time. Yeah, apologize,

it's thirty years of coaching. I guess took a toll on my voice. But that makes a lot of sense. But real quick, you know what, I'm not too concerned about our offense in the sense that I think that all we need to do is change up a couple of things. Continue to pound the run, the run, you know, keep the running game going. Dak's got to just take

those little thinks and dunk. Somebody said it earlier, you know, the cut by a thousand, you know, you know, just get them a little bit here and there, keep moving the change first downs. I think that the big plays will come later on down the road as you keep running, maybe dinking and dunk into the tight ends, hit some

short crossing routes. I think that's the recipe. It's been my experience, even though on a smaller scale, and when you get into the playoffs, it's more fundamentals taking care of the football and just imposing your will on a team. And I think we have the capability of passing, running, and if we take care of the ball, I think we're going to be very successful going down the stretch into the playoff. I just want to hear your guys thoughts about that. I'm I think the big plays will come.

Thanks guy, appreciate you. Bob as always sound like a coach, boy, sounds like it's not like it's like Mike McCarthy, Mike McCarthy yesterday. Last two days that we've talked to him, he's been talking about fundamentals because it's more scheme early on where there's unscouted stuff and then Isaiah knows about this. You got you gotta be able to because teams know more what you're gonna do. Um. But he likes the time of possession right now. He likes the turnover ratio.

Obviously likes what you know, what the defense is doing, and that's more. I mean, that's really encouraging for the playoffs when your defense could play like this because it's forty point games don't happen as often when the weather gets colder and all that. As a good as a coach, he's got his head's got to be spinning with the way that his defense is playing right now. I mean, twelve takeaways in three games, and the question is can

you continue that streak, And obviously you can't. You know, you don't expect for that to be the norm every week, but as the competition level goes up, meaning at the quarterback, you're starting to see the top of the food chain. You know, if you're able to steal, continue to generate those turnovers, especially in a winner takes all scenario. Those are gonna be big fundamentals. That word, right there is everything as your approach the playoffs, because you want to

do what you're saying, keep the ball away. You can play the play a game and keep away, right. You want to keep the ball away from those from those quarterbacks because they're going to be the best that the league has. Right. That's just peering simple on those guys, aren't. You can't expect them to make the mistakes that other quarterbacks have made against your defense. So you're you're hoping that your defense can simply just you know, hold these guys,

you know down to lower point totals. And you can't really expect them now if they go out there to show out and continue playing like they're playing freaking awesome, right, But that you can't realistically have that expectation of your defense when they're going to start playing against the Aaron Rodgers of the world and all these guys. So I hope they do. Guys take care of business on defense and offensively. Yes, we have to continue to get this ground game. And I don't want to hope that the

big plays come. I want to make the big plays come. Right, and that comes in running the ball officially, and that's what this team has revolved around. I don't care how many guys we got a receiver. You have to run the ball in order for this offense to be successful.

So I have a question for y'all because to that point, because like I mentioned, they'd want The longest pass play in the game against the Giants was nineteen yards and they played all that shell coverage and all that, and Kellen Moore talked yesterday, but you got to be patient with that. You can't try to force things that they're gonna give your shoults underneath. You take it, but at some point you have to make something, take shots down the field, do something to shake them out of it.

Or is it just simply like we gotta run the ball the hell out of the ball until they stopped doing this. There were there were two big plays that did not happen in the CD drop, the CD drop across the middle, and then you also had right there on the sideline the ball got caught in the air, he got got on the wine. There was another on too.

There was another one too where Dak was rolling out to his right and basically tried to take a deep shot and what he thought was man to man coverage with Amari Cooper over the top, he wound up and happened he got hit from behind him fumble. I don't know what kind of time he thought he had on that particular play all day, but yeah, I'm gonna tell you, be honest with you. I was right next to the gallop deep throw and that corner was windy. Just I'm not trying to got was it was circling right in

that corner. It was hit me from the makes it makes sense, especially in that stadium. I don't take that away from him. I mean Christie and the and the broadcast said, because I asked which way the wind was going, and she said, well, if you look at both goal posts, they were both blowing in, which is crazy. The metal asking is crazy. And did the first extra point the wind got him too, right? Yeah? And then then obviously he said he tried to overcompensate for the second one

and that's when he hit the right goal post. Yeah, so you know, but no that that honestly, that end, I was watching their kicker during the warm ups and he missed, like almost everyone on that end, you know, it's just going back to you know something that I know Isaiah knows that the temple for the playoffs is going to increase times one hundred once, you know, we get to wild Card weekend and create our ability, our ability to run the ball to steady our team because

anxiety and everything else is going to be up. And that's why we talk about smash mouth. Uh. And right now, this this two safeties deep that Dak is having to face and the way the teams are playing him. You're right, man, He's got to find a way to get them out of it. And the only way I feel is through the run game. Because if teams are willing to sacrifice that much because they believe wholeheartedly that their front five can stop our run, that's thank you. And we've got

to be able to beat them out of that. And Dak has got to find a way in the passing game to you know slants, you know, gett finding shows in the middle of the field because they're leaving the middle of the field wide open for him. And that's they love CD on those routes too, Like that's that's you know, just he's got to catch the damn ball. I mean, what I think he said he had three drops,

I played terrible, which is fair. I mean, if he has those three we mentioned yesterday, Dak Prescott's probably what only five in completion six in completions and he's got up close to three hundred yards, so it does make sense. There's a lot on both ends of the stick. All right, Mike from Iowa, you're on talking Cowboys? What up? Mike? What up? Mike? Brian? Brian? Sorry, I went back to I went back to last week we had Mike from Iowa on the show. But this is Brian from Iowa.

What up? Brian? Hey, what's up? Guys? What's going on over? Hey? Well, I guess one question. I know we're only like four weeks and I mean going into the playoffs, but um, you know, just like the Cowboys, they have issues right now and they're not totally healthy. But but I guess gel from one to ten, how confident? How confident are you heading towards the playoffs with the Cowboys of being a big time t ten yars? Because we know that

Cowboys are not just owling team in the playoffs. I mean looking into the playoffs that are are showing issue. But some teams are you know, like the number one seed. You know, they having a lot of luck going on their way right now, but they're also showing issues too, but they're not showing it right now. But I mean, going into the playoffs from scale to one and ten, how confident are you of the Cowboys getting backhund track and trying to solve those issues. Thank you very much

for the call, Brian, and appreciate your listing. As always, He's got a great point. So before we give our one through ten, let's talk about Tampa Bay shut out at home by New Orleans, Green Bay one play away from potentially losing that game to a backup quarterback in Tyler Huntley who played exceptionally well, by the ways for the Ravens. Who was the other who are the other ones? Arizona? Yeah, getting blown out by Detroit that's a big time too.

I mean, these division leaders are not indestructible by any means. Neither are the Dallas Cowboys at that at that rate. But with that being said, I think my confidence level would go through the roof if the offense were to click the final three weeks. You're putting up points, you're having those big, sustainable drives, you're hitting the big play again. I think I would go into the playoffs with an eight or a nine, but right now I'm probably at

a six or a seven. You know, I'm come on now, y'all know I'm gonna jump out of the cake and so at least a forty five off the rif you know, I just feel like, you know, for all the things that we the criticism that this team gets, that no one is recognized the three victories on the road now and giving them a gold star for that in December. You know, I think if you look around the NFL and you just mentioned those teams that have had those their losses, Green Bay is the one team that you

just gotta circle. That man, Aaron Rodgers. No matter what it is, what's going on, it just seems like he can overcome any adversity and still do his thing. Even though they won by one point. My thinking is, even when you talk about the NFC East and how bad these teams are, hell, we still have teams that are battling for that seventh position. So leaving the game tonight, there's there's something to play for, you know. So I just feel like the Cowboys can control what they could control.

But when you talk about the rest of the NFCUS as a group, you got to feel confident with the way that our defense is evolved right now to take on those teams. So much of the playoffs is about momentum, and I feel as that the Cowboys, even though they haven't been playing up to their standards, nevertheless, and the fans standards and the analysts standards, they haven't been playing

to their standards. Momentum is seemingly creeping up. Defenses playing out of this world, offenses throwing flashes of getting back on tracks. So momentum is trending up as you come towards the end of the year when you start thinking about some of these other teams that we may face going into playoffs. You think about teams like the Cardinals. Okay, the Cardinals, obviously their momentum is down right now. They're they're on a downward trend. They lost they lost arguably

one of the best receivers in the league. Ye that hurts them tremendously, and they're really to make big plays. So now they're relying on Aj Green to somehow be what he was five years ago. Right, That's what they're expecting or they're gonna go to Earth's Okay, so that's what you're expecting that at seas. I don't. I don't. My competence level against those guys is pretty dog on high because I feel like they're trying to figure it out right now when we already are figuring things out.

You start thinking about the who am I Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay just lost Godwin unfortunately, Yeah, he's out, and Evans has a hamstring. Evans has a hamstring. Fournette has a hamstring, said, Fournette's gonna miss some time. Hamstring's linger. So you got two of your three, of your number one, all three of your offensive guys hurting right now. Tom needs those guys. He can't he can't generate plays himself. He needs those guys in order to be there to

make plays for him. So those guys are trending down right now. Then you look at Green Bay. Green Bay is scary. Yeah, Green Bays freaking scary, not only because of the do they have at quarterback, but because of their ability to run the ball with both of their running backs. Right now and at the moment, you're gonna I have to go up there to win. Yeah, which I mean it's always a problem. I got a stocking camp. Let's go. So as you look at those four teams,

three teams right, three teams. As you look at those teams right there, there's only one team that I'm like, yeah, you better bring your you better bring everything has to be clicking that day. If that's the case too, that would be McCarthy's first return to Green Bay's crazy. Got the storylines get ready to yeahs and worn? Can you talk? By the way, I have no idea, not enough, not enough,

not enough for that. I took that class. So what's your confidence level real quick before we take I'm with you. I'd probably put like a seven right now because I think you know your defense has to be clicking in January. It's weird. Though there's three games left in this season, and if it's the week of Christmas and that that is red is weird. It's weird. There's a lot of

time left for momentum one way or the other. Offensively, though they still got it, they still have to find some things here and get and get some more consistency. It was a step forward in this last game, um, but it's not where they want it, and it's not where they needed to be in terms of explosive plays and continuing to run the football red zone, all those things you run into an Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, you're going as good as your defense is playing, you're

going to have to match some of that. Absolutely. The Giants put up six points. That's not going to be a luxury for you in the playoffs. So I think that makes it where I'm not an eight or nine yet. They do have the capability to turn the switch eventually, but it's been a stretch here where it's not there. And you're right about the Buck's injuries, but they had that hiccup last Sunday. They had scored thirty plus points four straight games before that, so that to me, that's

more of an operation than a trend. Now, how do they handle these injuries though? That's a problem for them. Yeah, it was the first time since the merger that a team that had entered the week leading the NFL and scoring and in points was shut out at home, first time ever, So I mean maybe that's yes, yeah, yeah, he's gonna be back, and you saw what he did against the Cowboys. A baby um, all right, let's hear

from Tony in La. Tony, you're on talking Cowboys. What's up, Jimmy? Okay, yeah, all right, um Hey, my question is this I'm at work right now, but my question is, um, uh, do you guys think maybe that like Kelly Moore, Mike McCarty, they're kind of like, uh holding their hand, like they don't want to show too much of some new plays, the d of trying to perfect maybe like um work execution of like the run game and differ things like that version for the playoffs and not really showing their

heads too much as far as like the creative players that we kind of saw like in the early part of the season. Um, maybe they're trying to maybe like trying to save that for the playoffs. Do you have to get the possibility and uh, this is one let you guys know you got doing a great job and thank you for your heart work. Appreciate he's on their caliber. Collision getting that that bread man, you know what, Tony need to keep La warm for us. Man. We on our way here. It is there's the there is the

cake was there? You were now over there you have just jumped out of the cake man y'all have you lived the hotel rates? By the way, I'm already booked. Oh we're so far to week that baby California Love. I looked at rooms last two weeks ago. Ten thousand dollars a night. What heck, heck? What are you doing? Bro? Yes, yeah, I gotta talk to our produce. I gotta hook up. You gotta get the hook up. Seven thousand a night. Uh,

going back, I'm gonna be staying. Uh So, Tony brought up a point that I had kind of brought up a little tongue in cheek yesterday about maybe saving some for the playoffs. I don't know if this is a league where you can do that realistically, But Isaiah, what is your thought in terms of if that's the case, and if it's a possibility, why would they do that?

You always have some kind of black book put away, right, you always have the Waterboy playbook put away A little bit on the side, show them a little sample size, and most of it is you're setting teams up for the future. Right, I'm gonna show them this run, I'm gonna show them this bootleg. I'm gonna kind of throw some little hints out there to kind of expose some

some uh what's the word. I'm looking for tendencies, right, But I suppose some tendencies and then I'm gonna change it up on them when I get to the players. So yes, in this in that sense, yes, you're always projecting and setting teams up, you know, putting out there what you want them to see, while in the same process hoping that you execute the plays, but knowing that you have a secondary play off of that that can

come back and kill them later on. But in terms of just holding back your offense, that's how you end up at Denver Broncold. You know, this guy is the only guy know that he could successfully agree and disagree with you in the same he did didn't do that? Did he totally didn't. You're just like, no, dude, but they hold back a little bright Johnny Cocker. I'm just saying, man, I might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but man, I'm telling you that looks like they sound

like an agreement to me. But you wrap it up there now, I don't agree, he goes. He goes, Tony, I really just don't agree with you that. I mean, that's I even alluded to this through the Washington football team. Knowing that you're gonna have to play them and you know, back to back the way that you have, then maybe you were holding something back. Um. I think that there are parts in the season, especially like when you come

up against AFC competition stuff like that. There maybe because there's so much gamanship, it's such a chess match between these coaches and they don't want to expose everything. I mean, one or five, three the fan if you listen long enough, they'll call it sandbagging or whatever is being called these days. But I just feel as though you know this team

in particular. I believe for Kellen Moore with all the problems that he's having on third down, the red zone problems, you know, and you talk about momentum and trying to get things back going offensively, he's he's got to be trying to find everything you possibly can to get four back on the road, not just going to a shell because you think you're going to clench the playoff spot. Kellen was asked this exact question and he said yesterday

and he said, we're still trying to win games. So if I feel like something helps us win a game, I feel like we'll utilize it. So I think it's a fair question because some of the waterboy type stuff, formation crazy stuff, like we haven't seen as much of that. Maybe there's been less motion, I don't know, but like, yeah, there's they're trying to shake out of this rut they've been in. So I don't I don't really buy that.

I think when you play a team like the Giants, there are situations where if you're not threatened by their offense, you kick the field goal at the end of the half and you play. You played at your defense the way your defense is playing. But I don't think you just totally hold back. I know you hate that, but I think, you know, I think that was a case where look, we'll kick, we'll get fifteen points at half.

We probably don't think they can score fifteen in this game. Yeah, so yeah, you know, the last time I really looked at or not or not, the last time I really looked at Kellen Moore and said, hey, you had a really good game, it was probably the Minnesota game with Cooper Rush at quarterback. You can maybe say it against Atlanta, but Atlanta is just downright terrible. They're just not a good team. But your boys on that team, Kyle Pitts. Yeah, he is my boy, and he's not playing very well

because he doesn't have anybody else around him. But that's kind of the thing is, I don't know if you've really looked at any of the games lately and said, oh, that was Kellen Moore's best stuff. It was New England Minnesota straddling the sides of the bye week, and since then, I haven't really seen that. So you think he's holding back maybe a little bit. Yeah, he might be. I think there's a chance. All right, let's take our second break.

When we come back, we'll wrap things up and look ahead to the week that is it's the Watchington football team and the Cowboys again in week sixteen 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. Right now, you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just ten bucks with free shipping.

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Find a retailer nearest you at stetson dot com, slash cowboys to talk in Cowboys, whether you're watching from home or you're cheering in the stands with or lindsays, you can see every exciting play book an appointment at your local essel or experts and see that's the Lord can do for you. See more, do more on Talking Cowboys. That was a dual read I like it, Chris anyway, Guys surprised. It's like, yeah, we got we bring reading the heat. Everybody's doing crazy crazy is I'll get on

one shot. He throws it to the right and then I get to that shot, see and we can throw you know, never mind go back and forth, just bushwhackers. Yeah he tag team okay man, all right, all right, well heck my Harrison Isaiah stand back, Rob Phillips, got Chris Beam in the back of Kyle Yeoman's all right, we will preview the Washington football team offense tomorrow versus the Cowboys defense. Let's give a little taste of what we're gonna talk about tomorrow, because could be a different

looking Washington team as of the end of tonight. Then it will be that the Cowboys face on Sunday. It's definitely gonna be a different looking team than what they faced two weeks ago. Have you ever seen a change in a roster as potentially big as this could be in the span of two weeks in between matchups. Now they're saying that Garrett Gilbert could be the quarterback. It's

gonna ask you, is that the case tonight? I'm just saying, if I had told you at the beginning of the season that we're gonna play the Washington football team, it's gonna be the I mean, you say, what are you smoking? But I'm just saying that. I mean it's like the Ghost of Christmas pass for everybody coming through here. Right. So, I mean, look, I'm excited about the matchup. I feel like our team is excited to see the football team.

You can tell, man from the sounds of the sideline, if you haven't watched the sounds of the sideline from the Washington football game, that that was amazing. By the way, Uh, Alex Lily is doing a fantastic, fantastic job. But you know, the robbery is renewed. Man. On our side, you know, we we're looking forward to sitting. They gotta keep that same energy that they had from last year. We want Dallas. Yeah, come on with it, right, I'm this defense it is

gonna look totally different. I know that. I'm looking forward to seeing how our guys respond to a formidable defensive line with sweat back. Yes, yes, so I'm looking forward to seeing. That's a good test, Yes it is. It's a good one because they're still not full string, no Chase Young. Of course, soon they'll get Montes wet back who was not there two weeks ago. They'll have three or their four they'll get they'll get after a little bit, Yeah,

they will. I just think energy wise, though. It's gonna be tough for them, you know. And it's like, it's to me, it's a scheduling thing that's weird. It's like, Okay, you're given the opportunity to reschedule, but you gotta push it all the way to Tuesday. We're gonna make you play a night game, night game, then come back and play the Cowboys on Sunday. I'm just saying we're not We're not crying for them. It's not ideal for them, and I think it's gonna be a challenge for them.

But Ron River is a great coach and I think he'll He'll get them up. Three games in twelve days, I know, and every team kind of every team plays on Thursday. If they tie tonight, then the Cowboys would be NFC East champions on a Tuesday. Yeah. By the way, here's here's the update for the Washington football team quarterback situation. Heading into tonight, Washington still without multiple players Taylor Heineke

Kyle Allen, and both are on the COVID nineteen list. However, they both have an opportunity at four pm or until four pm today to take test and test out of the league's COVID protocols, which would allow them to play three hours later for the seven o'clock kick. If neither one of them were to test out, Garrett Gilbert would start tonight for the Washington Football When when does the

new league protocols kick in? It's I already kicked in right, No, they have yes, I think it was Monday or maybe yeah, something officials come out. But that's the thing is if they test or if they test negative today and they test out of the protocol, they can play three hours after the deadline to test out of the protocol? Is this like wrestling where you have to go get your way down, undest kind of what it's gonna be. You're gonna they're gonna test and they're be like, all right,

get your helmet, get out there, like have fun. Crazy, What a year? What a day? We live in? Day and age New World. It is all right, that's it for us here on Talking Cowboys. We'll give you more Washington offense versus that Cowboys defense tomorrow for Chris being, Rob Phillips, heck Ma Harris and Isaiah stand back up. Kyle Yeoman's We'll see you tomorrow on Talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.