Football Club Cowboys.
This he's Talking Cowboys Straining live.
From the Dallas Cowboys World.
Course at the Star in Frisco Streets.
Tidday, Any patient.
And now your hosts, Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeomans.
It's a Thursday edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, live from the Star in Frisco and the world.
Headquarters of your Dallas Cowboys.
Welcome into the SWBC studios, like the big voice, man, said Isaiah stand Back, John Machoda, Nick Harris, I'm Kyle Yeomans.
Gentlemen. How are we doing here on this Thursday?
Doing good? Can't complain? Yeah, just two more days. We're out to Arizona. I'm gonna see the kle Williams Show on Saturday night and then see the Michael Parsons Show on Sunday afternoon.
Did you get an invite to that? I did not.
I don't get invites, Kyle.
Did you get one? John?
I didn't, But I've thought about going to that.
Oh you should.
That line keeps going up somewhere. I'm like, is this even going to be competitive?
But maybe?
Yeah, it's cool.
Did you have to go see the second best quarterback in the Pac twelve. Yeah, maybe even a third.
Doors pretty good.
Ward at a Door has been good. Ward at Washington State has been really good.
Yeah, I mean offense, it's in the whole pack twelve and oh we got the whole country.
You're right, Washing has been great.
Yeah, go koops.
Wow, that's rough.
I've always been a Wazu guy, always been.
I don't know.
I just like the I like the logo where they got a cool logo.
When I think State, I think of those people because it's not one person.
Yeah, it's the random guy or the draft pick.
No.
That in the back of college game day for the longest time, you always have like flag watched Crimson to the point where they did like a feature on it about how like they it's mailed to you know, whatever city it's going to be in so that it can
always be up in the background. Because it's one of those things where, I mean, game day was was not going to cover a Washington State game, but that flag was always in the background on the highest flag pole and behind every single set of every college game day that I watched in the nineties.
I thought, when you thought about Washington State. You thought about Ryan Leaf. That's what I thought you guys were going.
I'm serious that second behind the flag, the flag, and it really is you got.
You got to respect the loyalty. You got to I.
Don't understand why there's loyalty. How that started? Have you even been to the police?
No? Yeah, no, I.
Mean I've been a lot of colleg football stadiums, and but you don't want to go to that one.
It's not list not on not on the one.
The University of Washington on the list. You know, that's a pretty I've been there. Most seen in the country every year.
Is one of the most difficult college towns to get to. Fly to Seattle.
They make it difficult because nobody wants to go here.
Whenever I think it's like four and a half.
Whenever I talk to WHOA.
Whenever I would talk to recruits, whenever they took an official visit to Washington State, they'd be like, yeah, I was done before I even got there.
Oh I that's rough.
Let's talk some news and notes around the Dallas Cowboys.
Of course, they were back on the practice field yesterday Nick and some injury updates from Mike McCarthy a couple guys that look like they're on their way back and trending in the right direction. Then Zach Martin was inactive yesterday, did not practice because of an ankle. It's that same ankle that he practiced with last week. But any case, we'll start with Zach Martin just because that's the biggest name on the list. But any cause for concern on him missing practice on Wednesday.
Yeah, I don't think so. I think they're just giving him a day off there. I would expect the same today and or a limited fashion. I don't see him missing Sunday as of right now. I always heard it from Mike McCarthy, We've heard it from Jerry Jones, and we heard it from Zach after the game on Sunday. I don't think this is going to keep him out for a game. That's just me theorizing.
Yeah, pretty wild to think that how long they've gone without having their best five. I mean it's that Niners playoff game at at and T Stadium. Is the last time you know, when they had Leyle Collins and Terren Steele both playing like right tackle.
They're both available for that game.
Since then, there's not because all of last season when they didn't have Tyron Smith, they had Terrence Steele, and then when Terrence Steele went out, then they had Tyron Smith and so and then obviously the way they.
Started this season out Tyler Smith.
So we're talking over six hundred days since you've had your you know, best five able to go out onto the field. So, yeah, I agree with you. I'd be surprised if zachamiss this game. I think it was to give him some extra arrest. And for Mike McCarthy always talks about how important that Saturday practice is. As long as he's in on that, I think all systems are going there and they'll have that best five out there.
Yeah, just bubble wrap them and get him into to Sunday, get him the Sunday, make sure that he's good to go at three twenty five.
I mean, watching that game over it does have it does remind me how much it must suck sometimes to play on the offensive line.
When you're just like, I'm blocking, I'm doing a great job. Everything's going great, We're blowing this team out.
Somebody rolls up on the mat and you don't see it coming, you don't know where it's and then just like like, I mean, just the way he fell down multiple times and then just like fought to get back up, Like it's like thea out.
I imagine that's exactly what goes through Zach's head whenever he's blocking.
Everything's going great, this is so easy.
I'm just going to drive this guy ten yards in the field.
Got him?
Uh So, Tyler Smith trending in the right direction, though, you expect him to go on Sunday.
I think all five will be upfront on Sunday. Knock on. We're gonna knock on this every single day. And it's the offensive line. Woodplank, that's what that's what.
A wood plank. Can just put it in here.
But yeah, I think all five will be up front on Sunday against Arizona for the first time ever.
That's huge and we I mean Mike McCarthy's talked about it that the cohesion on the offensive line, the consistency of the same group up front is imperative. And going off of what John just said, I mean, six hundred plus days two years since you have had that best five, what what does that.
Do for a quarter?
I mean, what was that due for Dak Prescott knowing that you've got your best five upfront. Just from a mentality standpoint, I mean, it gives.
You more confidence obviously when you have your best guys out there. But I don't think in this particular offense that he's too bothered by it because he's not holding the ball a ton. I think Tony Poler will probably be the happiest person on earth going to this game.
He's the real benefactor.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
I was about to piggyback off that and say the exact same thing. Two point nine yards per carry for Tony on Sunday. I think he will be the happiest man in the room.
Win all five go up front, especially if Zach's fully ready to go and you have Tyler Smith fully ready to go. That's some strength up front. Tyron Smith had one of the highest PFF grades in terms of run blocking in the most recent matchup, So I mean, if he's healthy, he's still Tyron Smith, which is phenomenal to see. What about Donovan Wilson switching the defensive side of the ball and jay Ron Curse both on the injury report, any concerns around what they're doing.
Yeah, it sounds like Jayron Curse is battling an illness. I don't think it's anything that would keep him out of a game at this point, and then Donovan Wilson slow ramping him back up, getting him back into you know, game routine, game speed. I don't think he'll have a large part in the game if he plays on Sunday. I don't think you need him right now. If it were me, i'd keep him out one more week and
then let him let him roll against New England. But you know, we'll see what happens as the week goes on.
Yeah, I could see him maybe like the Jordan Lewis situation where he's on kind of a little pitch count just to kind of get him back out there. But I'd be surprised if he played the full game. But he seems like he's pretty close to getting back out there. And the same with Jay Runkerts. I think it's just it's an illness, not anything that's as Lisa is right now that would keep him out of the game.
Just just Joe Burrow situation make you pump breaks a little.
Bit, yes for me, at least in the Aaron Rodgers situation, Yeah.
Both of them just having the reaggravation of an injury.
Yeah, specifically that calf.
Yeah, now, Joe Kevin Durant. For me, that's true.
That's always the one I think of Kevin Durant when he had that. He had the calf, and then and then the achilles right after that. Because it was in the playoffs, they wanted to come back out there. Obviously he wanted to play at least, I think. And then I'll always remember that one because it's the one where again they're wearing shorts, so you could see on the replay you were like, yeah.
That's not good.
I mean with at least with Joe Burrow's case. I mean, it's not severe reaggravation, but it could be severe if he continues to push it as the season goes along.
Why do you make that foot because calves suck.
Calves are like hamstrings, and you can't do anything without your calfs, especially at the quarterback position or the deepest back position or any position.
Yeah downhill, you know, you can't just tape it up.
So, I mean, there's there's a lot of a lot of moving parts in there, and so when you piss it off, you got to chill on it for a while, and you have to do constant work on it and scar tissue, making sure nothing's being bound down.
It's a it's a pain in the butt.
And then it probably also I would think as a quarterback limits your thought of running or moving as much. You probably wanted to stay in the pocket more to that, and you don't want to limit somebody as talented as Joe Burn.
Yeah. I mean, but you're staying on the balls your feet.
That's what's the thing about this sport, right unless you're a office alignment and you know you're on the balls of your feet for everything that you do, so your calf is activated like and dependent upon heavily. So it's just it's a bad situation. I would play it super cautious, super good, you know, safe. I would just be safe as I'll get out and you know, Joe Burrow, your boy, oh Will Grier might get get a shot here sooner or later out there.
I will say, I do think that they've tried to be as safe as they can with Donovan up to this point too, because you think about when this happened. This is like right at the start of training camp. So I remember thinking at that time, like, oh, is this something like he's gonna be back in like a couple of weeks, and we didn't see him again on the field until other than doing chords and things like that. So I think they are, to your point, trying to give as much time as possible for sure, as.
They helped out a lot of tensions being placed on calves in the NFL right now.
Yeah, yeah, I think, And Mike McCarthy's talked about it too, with Donovan and Wilson being closer than Tyler Smith. If Tyler Smith's going to go, I think Donovan Wilson's well ready for it.
We talked about it even last week.
Do you let him sit because he did enter practice, he didn't put the pads on last week, he was limited throughout, but do you sit about one more week if he's not ready? Of course, they did end up doing that, so I think at least at this point, like you said, the way that they've handled it with caution from the very beginning, it looks like he's going to be good to go heading into Sunday.
Now, there's plenty to talk about.
Of course, Today we're going to preview the Cowboys offense versus the Cardinals, defense. But I want to talk about some of these role players on the defensive side of the football first, some of the guys that with Donovan Wilson returning, how will their roles change and either diminish or increase throughout the season. Starting with Marquis Bell. I mean, Bell's come in, he's kind of been the enforcer. He's played down a little bit at linebacker with some of
the injuries upfront. Do you think that who do you think's role changes, Markuspell or wan Ye Thomas more with the return of Donovan.
Wi Honestly I think both, Yeah, because you're not taking Jay run off the field, You're not taking Leak Hooker off the field, You're not taking Layton Vanderscher off the field, You're not taking Damont Clark off the field. And so Donovan Wilson fits in somewhere in there. But then that's their thing about what's been so great about dan Quinn is that he has different game plans week to week. And so I say that as a whole, like, after you look at it several games and you look back, like, Okay,
who's tutored down? Have been take snaps away from I think it'll be those two.
Yeah, I would lean wan Ye, but I'm with John. It's both both of those guys have been able to kind of fill in for that role here in these first two weeks, and we saw them kind of a toy with those roles during training cam or excuse me, during preseason as well. So I think Wanye just a little bit more, just because I feel like he has more of that defensive backfield tendency right now. Whereas Bell, they've been highlighting him in the second level. He's working
with the linebackers, it's been a little bit different. I think he's eventually going to carve a role there where he can rotate it more with a second level rather than Donovan in the backfield. So I lean Wanye, but both for sure.
Tuche touche touch.
Now, what about on the second level with guys like the Moon, clark in Leyton Vanderest. I mean, those the two guys are pretty much solid in terms of the roles that they're gonna have. But do you have anybody on that second level that has to step up and continue to take a step forward now with without having to rotate down Marki's Bell with having Donovan Wilson now come in the fold. Who else do you need to step up at that second level at the linebacker spot.
Nobody.
Yeah, I don't see anything that's glaring right now.
It would have been interesting, though, if Overshown stays healthy, because you can only play eleven players on the field, and he was trending in a direction where you were not going to want to take him off the field. So I think that would have played a little bit more into it. But there's just a lot of proven guys in this defense that I'm trying to keep them on the field as much as possible.
I just think it's wild that you're running right now with two linebackers. I mean, that's kind of what you're running with. You're you're running with Layton Van Derush and Dumont Clark. And that's kind of why I asked the question, is there's nobody else there? I mean, the only other linebacker on the entire roster is Devin Harper, and Devin Harper has been special teams almost.
I mean, I feel they look at it that way though, I mean, just watching some of those drills in practice and that he's down there with with the linebackers. I think because of the overshown injury. That's the way they view him.
Now, that's it still is wild. Like you said, it's the way. It's a very non traditional def what would you what would you call it?
Is it? I mean, is it a true it's like a four to two pretty much for two? Yeah, four two big nickel, that's I mean, it's like a base big nickel. Now though, like that's not a rotating in sort of view it is.
It is.
Unfortunately with football, how it trickles up like it doesn't trickle down. It's like it starts at you know, high school, college level, and then that stuff becomes such a norm that it's like, well, yeah, if we're going to do this and be successful in the pros, this is what these guys are doing. We have to adapt to some of this. And the game is obviously changed with all the everyone's spread out like that. So that's why it
feeds into that. It's also why, unfortunately, you know, the salaries for running backs have gone down themself.
Yeah, and it'll turn around. It'll always flip. It's got ebbs and flows back and forth.
Running back may not I'll say this, if an injury happens to either Leyton vander USh or de Mont Clark at any point during the season, especially if it's like during the first quarter of a really big game, we're
going to see that depth get really tested. Like Marky's bell would have to step up in a huge way, and I think he would be the guy to fill in for either spot over Devin Harper or Wonder Thomas, just in my opinion his athleticism, I don't feel like you could you could keep that off the field in that situation. That'd be tough, though, it'd be really tough.
You talked about the bubble guts on the offensive side of the ball, that's that's a little bubble gut now right now, it hasn't had to come into fruition because your defensive line's.
Been so good. Yeah, your secondary has been so good.
But if it comes to the point where one of those two guys does go down and he's not available for a significant amount of time, then it's I don't know, like, where do you what does that defense even look like?
Yeah, I mean you got guys, I mean the second level you just can't be physically. I don't know what's the best way of saying this. When your defensive front it's playing like they're playing, it's not a problem.
It's really not that much of an issue.
Now.
If your defensive front is not getting penetration, if they're not demanding double teams, or they're allowing guys them to the second level, now all of a sudden, you need some size right there because you don't want to get just random over. You don't want to get to juggernauted. So right now, it's not a problem, you know. And even if there was an injury at that second level, if the defensive line continues to play like they're playing,
I still don't foresee it being a problem. Now, if you come out against a team that is running the crap out the ball, which I don't necessarily see one team that we're going to face right now that is doing that, then you would then you have some things that you ever worry about.
Let me post this question. Let's say an injury does happen in the second level, they have a they have a week to practice on it. They can they can flush it out and make it look good. Do you put Michael Parsons back?
And then I'm so glad you asked that. Literally was what I was say. I was about to say.
I know no one's asking this, but if anyone out there is thinking, I still don't want across across my.
Mind for like point two seconds, and that counts it out.
Like you know, with as elite as this past past rush group is, you still want him involved there?
Absolutely, I don't. I personally don't think Michael Parson is that effective at linebacker.
That's that's me, that's I think the numbers say that, that's film.
Certainly, it's more so just like do you want to put the natural guy who put who knows the position a lot better more than marku east Bell, or would you rather have Mark Easpell who's still playing that versatility role. He might be a little leaner. He might when he's coming downhill, it might be a little bit more difficult to make that tackle.
Looking across the board at linebackers in the league right now, I mean usually most teams have one, maybe two good sized, traditional sized linebackers.
Other than that, these guys are not big.
Now, they're athletic.
They're the athletic, these fifteen hundred and twenty pounds linebackers. Now, so I'm bigger than most of the linebackers in the league.
You know.
So, I mean, it's just just a slight flex.
Just stand back.
You don't do that. But his phone number is yeah.
I mean, but like linebackers are just not it's not built that way. Often to your point, offensives have changed. And because offenses have changed, they're not running downhill and you know, these these I formations and these big thirteen person nails, you're not seeing that anymore. So there's no need to have two hundred and fifty pound guys at the second level.
And just like the running back thing, man, I'm telling you, the money, the money is the proof in it.
That's why no.
One's wanted to be like, hey, I'm the top linebacker type. No no, no, no, I want to be judges an edg rusher. I'm an edge rusher over here because that's where the money's at, you know. So, uh, Bobby Wagner phenomenal. Obviously, if you can have a Bobby Wagner, you'll take that every day.
You could.
But well, yeah, good point, that's true.
Yeah they could have Bobby Wagner, yes, but uh, but give me the edge rusher if it's going to be on that type of a level. I'm talking like Hall of Fame type Bobby Wagner level. I'd rather have the edgresser.
Yeah, I mean, especially with the way that.
This is also an ed rusher who's not just an edge rusher, a rusher that lines up literally all over the defensive line that you can constantly move around like that. It's just I don't want to take I don't want to take that strength ever away from from the defense. But to your point, it does make sou mean, they're so deep up there that I just don't want I wouldn't want to take Mike away from being on the ball.
Would you do it, you asked the question.
No, I wouldn't do it, off off Rip, I would. I would give Marquis spill a thorough opportunity, and if it wasn't working out and something needed to happen there, then I would toy with it.
What would you classify as a thorough opportunity a whole game, maybe a game and a half, even just having that opportunity to play in the second level and play every snap.
Yeah, they're so good everywhere else that I would try and sign a better that is well, like I mean, and I know that that player is not going to come in and be you know, blow you away or anything. But I would rather keep my strength my strength and to sit there and pull away from my strength and kind of maybe make my defense practice.
He is, yeah, yeah, go for I like Malik, Yeah, I like him a lot.
I think Anthony Bar still out there.
To Malie Jefferson, Okay.
I just want let's say, what's that about?
Just he's a big body. He doesn't fit the defense.
That's a good point. That doesn't really fit with way this defense is played.
Would you you just want more?
There is what you're saying.
I don't mean this, I really don't.
But would you say you have a clear eye view of.
Of Anthony Bar? Would you? Would you?
I thought you might have having a clear idea.
No, oh no, I'm referencing. I know he's definitely reference. This is going trust me. Oh yeah, you weren't clear?
I view is the the brand for Jalen Smith?
Okay, gotcha, got clear.
That's his that's his mantra. John's like, all right, let's go to the second segment.
Yeah, when you said that thing to us with the with the on the list, I thought were going to do offensive players too.
I was like, got ready to go about players, talk.
About offensive player. We just kind of ran out of time because he.
Brought up Ques she said the defense.
I was like, damn, Like, I can't really think of any defensive guys that for the right I can see, you know, you know, because you said like step like having more of a role as the season goes on, Like I was like, man, there's just so many I already think the depths so solid that barring any injuries.
Like it's pretty set.
Like what I think they have on offense, there's definitely some spots.
Let's talk about it when we come back. We'll have some offensive roles that are going to increase. And then we'll also have Isaiah's QB vision scanning the Cardinals defense for their biggest player playmaker and where are they struggling? How can Dallas have a big day when we come back with more talking cowboys.
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To the Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. This segment is brought to you by invisil Line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Back here at the Star and Frisco with Nick John, Isaiah Chris in the back of Kyle Yeomans. Now John, you alluded to it which role player will
increase throughout the year? Which role will increase for some players throughout the year On the offensive side, I threw out the defensive question in the first segment mostly to point out the lack of linebacker depth and then also to point out the fact that it's pretty set in stone across the board.
Offense is a completely different.
Story, absolutely. I can think of multiple players.
One that jumps out to me is Jalen Tolbert just because he has a series where he catches three balls and he only had two catches off last year. I can just see that continuing to increase, and I see him as a young player that they're going to want to get involved more as they go. Even with Brandon Cooks back healthy, I still think Jalen Tolbert will have a bigger role.
So he would probably be number one on my list.
And he didn't just catch multiple passes.
I mean he was creating separation, and that's something that we hadn't seen from Jalen Tolbert prior, even in the limited amount of time that he had, but separation was not there.
He had the one in the back the end zone.
I would have been interested to see what would have happened that deck through to myth, it wasn't the past interference. That would have been a really nice grab to first touchdown, all that to add on your resume. But then he was held so but I mean still Drew got him first down and in the third and long.
Had his man beat all the way through. Like That's the type of stuff I've.
Seen from Jalen Tolbert that has been more impressive is the fact that he's building room between he and the defender and then he's making grabs on top of that, and he's being productive consistently.
I think right now.
I mean, of course, the numbers say he's the number three wide receiver, but he's pushing Michael gallup for that role just because he's been more productive at this point.
Yeah, I agree. I would extend as far as guys that will probably see an increased role, I would extend that to every receiver not named Ceedee Lamb, whether that
be Brandon Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert. I think all three of those guys coming into the season, we expected a little bit more through the first two weeks, and granted things have gone great and it's been sunshine and rainbows, but at the end of the day, you want to see You want to see Brandon Cooks have that random one hundred yard game, which I think I'll get into that a little bit later. Michael Gallup, you would like to see him get active in that or to intermediate game.
We haven't quite seen that from him in the last couple of years, and even when he had his big season, you know, most of his stuff was downfield. We've talked about it a little bit this week as well, So I would like to see all three of those guys kind of pick up an increased role. And I'd also like to see Rico Dawdle get more involved in the receiving game specifically, just because I think there's a lot
of potential there. We've seen a couple of times, so these first couple of weeks it'll be a third and five, third and medium type situation. Dack will dump it off to Rico Daddo in the flat and he's got green grass in front of him and he can make a play. And he's done that. So I'd like to see that a little bit more too.
What do you think about the wide receivers.
I think everybody who's playing receiver and his team, to your point, is going to get the rock. It's just that style of offense, and they're going to make sure that everybody gets the ball spread around.
Do you think it'll get it all the way to Jalen Brooks.
Too, though Brooks was involved last week?
Yeah, I mean, like but getting like game yeah, like where let's say, like he catches like I don't know, three or four passes.
Do you think it'll ever get to that level.
I don't think. I don't.
I don't think that this offense is structured to get one person ball aside from CD yeah, or you know obviously Cooks when he's in there. This this is like literally come up to the line of scrimmage. These are the routes we have on this side. These are the routes we have on this side based upon the coverage. This is where we're going with the ball. So whoever is on the field at that point in time is
going to get the rock. And that's why this offense can be so dangerous because you can't key in on one or two particular guys like everybody's gonna get the ball. And that's why it's difficult. On West Coast offense is really hone in on somebody like it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if Jalen Brooks is out there, It doesn't matter if if Jalen Tobert's out there. It doesn't matter if you put Jalen Brooks turping and who I just put Jalen Brooks, to Tobert and Allum and Turpin out there.
Like somebody's getting a rock and somebody's gonna be able to do something with it. That's the that's the awesome part about this. But I believe that one person my vote would be Hendershot. I think Henny Hendog has to get going and I think that he will get more opportunities. I think he is a mismatched nightmare for people, and I think the biggest thing for him is just confidence, so he'll get his opportunities. Who saw them start to try to spin some sprinkle some things in there for him?
Last week. It's just there's a lot of talent on both sides of his ball. Offensively, you're just starting to see the beginning of it.
You think better chance for Hendershot than a schoonmaker to have a larger role as the season goes.
On, different different Schoolmaker's huge. This is a large human that you know. He's a traditional tight end. He is is about as traditional as they get. He is wit right, he is a wit tight end. Hindershot is your your version of Darren Waller. He's your version of it. And I'm not saying he's Darren Waller, but he's He's the closest thing that you have to Darren Waller at the tight end position on this roster.
So Isaiah just said that they have I heard Darren Waller definitely did.
That's oppressive.
What do you think, Jake Ferguson is he's like a Tony Gonzalezie's a combo.
He's a combo.
So you hear John Stevens comparison, But.
You, I mean, you truly have three tight ends in that room that are still trying to figure themselves out. They honestly haven't figured themselves out, and once they have any kind of confidence.
I mean, any of.
Those guys can really skyrocket, but I do believe that they offul feel different roles.
That's the challenge of having a young room like that, Jake Ferguson being the oldest guy in that room at what twenty four it maybe just turned twenty five. That's the challenge of that. But I think that's a challenge that this offense is built for. You know that it's everything getting out quick and the Titans are a big part of that. They're going to figure out their role really quick, and I think it's already happening.
Are you surprised that one Schoonmaker and Ferguson had a touchdown grab before Peyton Hindershot the most, because the majority of the time we were an ox Stard red zone work, it was Peyton Hindershot show dropped a tight end, he drops his touchdown. That's true, and we won, Yeah, dropped.
It can't drive touchdowns drop touchdowns, They don't just come your way like that.
Are you surprised that the tight ends are the only ones that have a touchdown to this point there has not been a wide receiver touchdown yet.
No, I mean it doesn't matter. I mean, for me, from my perspective, it doesn't matter. As long as you get the touchdown. It doesn't matter who gets it.
I think most Cowboys fans would Yeah, I.
Mean going to see a spread all over the place. I know people Oh yeah, I know, people are fantasies. They're like, oh, get it to CD, get it to be Cooks.
You just don't know.
And the fact that you just don't know plays to your advantage so well.
The fact that your plus sixty. Yah, it doesn't matter. But I am surprised, Like, if you've told me before the season, yeah, there won't be a receiver touchdown until Arizona in Week three, I'll be like, well, what happens?
Well, in fact, factoring the weather week one and how good that defense is week two, I guess I'm not stunned get through this week three without a wide receiver havingue touchdown.
I'll I'll be surprised then, especially this week, because I think there's ways that this this Cowboys offense can put up some big numbers.
And here's to keep me smissing on the back end of that Cardinals defense.
Yeah a little bit, so, Washington, guy, where did you go whenever you're missing?
A Washington guy. You're probably going to be hurting a little bit.
So I'm saying now, Isaiah, I'll let you make the decision here. Do you want to take a break and then do your scouting report or do you want to go straight into it?
Right now you're calling may roll the dice.
I want you to I want you to go deep into it. So let's go. Uh, let's go to break.
When we come back, we'll do QB vision and Isaiah, well, I'm not gonna do it all right.
We'll be right back after this.
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To Talking Cowboys. Back here on Talking Cowboys.
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Of the Dallas Cowboys. All right, Isaiah, give us that QB vision.
Tell us exactly how the Cowboys can have some success against this Cardinals defense.
Well, Kyle, I believe that they're going to have to run the ball. I don't think that's any secret. And if you have a Tyler Smith on your team and he's on the front line, and you have your starting five upfront.
I don't see why you would have any issues doing that.
I would run the ball, particularly at an ex cowboy by the name of Carlows Watkins.
I think that's the direction that you want to take the ball.
I don't believe that these guys have the ability to really be dominant.
Run stop first.
I think they run a traditional defense, and that when I say traditional, I mean, uh, you know, typical base four, four to three, cover two, you know, too high, too high safeties. These they blitz a ton.
Hey, I don't think they're gonna going to have Carlos Watkins Yesterdyeah, he's got a biceps.
You're gonna have to buy SEPs surgery.
I don't want to interrupt you.
You're good, You're I just heard his name mentioned and I thought that they were still evaluating it.
Whoa, okay, yeah, the good undergo surgery.
That was yesterday, late yesterday.
What I see on the film. So that's my fault.
So I think these guys have the you have the ability to run against them relatively well. They try to do Dallas Ish type stuff, meaning that they run a lot of stunts up front, They try to cross the face. They have the stand up ends that are trying to come downhill and really try to cross the face of the offensive tackles or their tight ends. So they're pinching a lot and there's a lot of lanes that are created. It's the same thing that kind of causes Dallas some
problems whenever they leave some cape holes. Laan discipline isn't necessarily their thing right now in Arizona, So I think that you can expose them in that regard in terms of pressure. You're going to have to take care of your responsibility in terms of your keys and your You were and pretty much was being asked of you for your for your responsibility right for your if you're running back, you got to sit back and make sure you get
your keys. Like if I'm going one to two, I'm going to outside linebacker to inside, I need to keep my eye on that safety because they do a really good job of disguising their coverages.
They do a really good job of dis guys and their coverages.
You can't tell what they're doing pre snap, and they time up their movement with their safeties at the snap of the ball like they do it probably better than what I've seen in a long time.
I was about to say, you said the Jets did a nice job of that of disguising certain coverages, not necessarily the entire coverage, but it happened.
Correct, So take that and like turn it up because that's these guys do a really good job with that. And obviously Buddha Baker was a big part of what their success and that he's not going to be present. But in terms of safety alignment is typically if you come up to the line of scrimmage, you see one safety deep, okay, your mind automatically goes to cover three, right, you know, cover one. These guys, the safety will be
lined up typically towards your strength. So if you come out in a three by one set, that safety is not going to be in the middle of the field. That safety is going to be shaded as if he's going to be a too high safety, and they'll still run single high coverage out of it, so you really have to keep your eyes on it. They do a lot of split coverages, like we talked about last week. You know, the Jets did a little bit of that. These guys do a ton of it, and it's really
hard to tell. I'm talking about two seconds into the play, it's still hard to discern what it is that they're running. Are they running two, are they running four? Are they
running a combination of it? Like, it's really difficult. So in terms of Dak is going to have to really either be super sure of what it is and get the ball out of his hands quickly, which this offense is really predicated on, or if they do decide to start pushing the ball down the field a little bit more, he's really going to have to know exactly what the coverage is, like he's really got the key in on it, because he's not gonna be able to come up, line up,
snap the ball, run to play. He's got to take a look at it pre snap and then get confirmation or reassess what the defense is presenting after the ball is snap, because these safeties make it really difficult whether they're coming down in the box or whether you know. Sometimes they'll have a safety lined up way over over
your three man set. They'll bring a safety in the box, and then this safety over here, and he'll play a cover two, which is weird, right, He'll play a two on this side, and then they'll play a four or a man on this side. It's really funky some of the stuff that they're doing. And I'm surprised that they don't have more turnovers than they do.
Do you think this is why New York kind of it took them a while to get going.
Yes, I really do. Yeah, they cause a lot of problems, and they they because they blit so much. Where's my where's my stat shot at?
What did they find? Eventually?
Do you think, oh, Waller, that's nice to have.
Yeah, so they leave some gaps. So when they decide to bring pressure, I think they pressure. I think like the eighth most in the league or something crazy like that.
Where is that? Yeah, yeah, they pressure a ton.
So yeah, they have a blitz rate of thirty four percent, so they're the eighth in the league. We're twenty seventh in the league. So they're bringing pressure and when they do it, they usually doing zone blitz, so they're dropping guys out. When do they drop those guys out? Your tight ends have a chance to eat because there's a lot of gaps right in those little seams right, they leave those voids, so guys, if they're not getting to their mark, you can get the ball out quickly. The
pressure never gets to you. But that's not to say that they can't get to you, because they are right behind Dallas in Sacks, like right behind Dallas and Sacks. So these guys can get after you. What's the dude's name, He's just a hustle man. He's not even a starter forty forty five Dennis Gardick. That dude has a ton of sacks. He has three secks. I think he has the same amount of sex as Micah. So he's just one of those try hard guys.
And don't this Candi.
You know most people are thinking about Micah so so he can get after you. He can definitely get after you. These guys are high effort. Like I said, I think there are they are, there are wan to be cowboys defense. It's probably the best way to say.
Anything like that.
Looks anything like Philadelphia, just because Johonathan Gannon, you know the DC over there.
In Philly the last couple of years.
I'm just thinking that he's going to probably be pretty familiar with Dak.
And yes for Dak, and you see the effort, yeah, you see, you definitely see the effort. I mean the relentlessness of these guys. They're getting after it now they're their balls to the wall. They're not stopping until the whistle is blown, right, and that's the reason why their non starter has the most sacks on the team. But you also see the blitz rate is up right, so
you see something that carry over. I don't think that they have the personnel yet to be as effective as a Philly obviously, but you're seeing a lot of the confusion that they cause. You know, Philly casts dack a lot of issues in terms of disguising coverages. We've seen that a lot over the last last year or two, and that's when he had his turnovers. You you see that same strategy come over to Arizona. He just doesn't have the personnel yet, but he has some young guys.
There's a cornerback that I really like, you know, I suck with names kind of tree, yes, Park, there you go. Contrail Cart thirteen. I like him. I like him a lot. That boy's footwork is nasty. I don't know how he's able to get in and out of break A.
Sixth round pick too. His football player.
Is I've seen some double moves, I've seen some really good cuts, and this dude gets himself in positions and gets out of them, and it's almost like there was a glitch on the film. I had to go back, like there's a glitch. I'm looking at his footwere like, how did that? I don't know how he did that. But he's able to get in and out of it, right, and they're aggressive, they're safety thirty six andre I sure loading Sherry.
Yeah he's from Philly, right from Philly.
That boy hits a couple of guys from from Philly on this do you have to bring over?
Yeah?
White was on there my pace reloading, but oh I think for the most part, yeah, there you go. So yeah you got Andrey Kevon Wallace is going to.
Try to separate white ball. He's literally trying to like punch a hole in your chest.
Then he hits you.
I really like some of the guys that they picked up in the draft too recently.
I mean Dante Stillers. Stills was a.
Sixth round pick out of West Virginia that was kind of late in the draft and they made him work.
Lucky FO two was fun.
He was a fourth round pick in twenty twenty Xavan Collins in twenty twenty one out of Tolsa.
I mean, they've got some guys, but they're young, and they're inexens.
And they have a lot of young, young talent, you know, And like I said, just going back to kind of summarize it, I think the best way to go at these guys run the ball number one running effectively. If you can do that, then you can get them blitzing. And once you get them blitzing, now you can have some nice little easy outs, which is why I bring up first, and that's why I bring up the tight end room because I think they can have a really
big day in this particular game. But also a lot of their coverages are they're they're they're down there now, I mean they're they're playing off they're playing untraditional looking coverages, which at times, because of what they're being asked to do, there's a lot of guys that are.
Just left wide open.
So I think their defense can be so complicated and their guys are so young that they haven't been in the system long enough to understand, hey, I'm passing this off to you. When I'm in this position, this is your responsibility and now right we're interchanging are what it says on paper that we're supposed to do.
So there's a lot of times where you can catch them slipping.
But you're going to get one hundred percent effort out of these guys, and you're going to get a lot of disguise. So a lot of pressure on back this week, and you can't sit back obviously not holding the ball anyways, but you can't sit back and hold the ball on these guys because their effort alone will get back to you.
I'm just looking at the guys that made plays for them the last time the Cowboys played, when they played them and at the end of twenty twenty one and they won that twenty five to twenty two game, that was an eleven win Cardinals team. Isaiah Simmons, Buddha Baker, Chandler Jones Like, I mean, they're just godd point, it's just not the same.
No, it's not the same, And which is why I think they're playing a lot of his own. Yea, they're playing a time and these guys are where they are. They they play his own almost eighty percent of the time.
Yeah, the Dennis Gardak had a good game in that one though too, that you mentioned.
And looking at what they've put on film the last couple of weeks. There is a specific Cowboys player that kept popping in my mind as an opportunity to have a big game. I'm curious if we have the same one who would be yours?
It's gonna be for me, it's gonna be fergy.
Okay, for me, it's Brandon Cooks because I look at what he could possibly do on the outside against a guy like Marco Wilson, and I think he can have a really big day. I think he could get over the top finally, and we could get a past twenty yards downfields.
See.
And my thing with that is, I think that if you're going to expose these guys, it's gonna either one. If you're gonna beat them over the top, it's gonna be because they dropped. They dropped the responsibility, right, somebody had a mental mental error. They don't want you over the top.
I think that's likely.
Yeah, so there's definitely a chance of that, right, But we just talked about the youth, right, Yeah, but the probability of it, yeah, Right, they're gonna play more. It's play safer than they are gonna be more aggressive on.
The back end.
Okay, the middle they have because they play eighty percent zone there. You have to just find the hole. Just find the hole in the zone. Number one. Identify what zone they're playing, because they don't play just two. They don't just play three. It's two over here and a combination of a three over here, and it's really funky. I don't know how they're figuring that out, but they are playing some very untraditional defenses.
So you have to identify it A and B.
Make sure that you put the ball where it's supposed to go based upon what that coverage is on that side. Because if you sit back and you sit on your back leg and you wait for him to cross one zone and go to the next, well he might be going into a completely different defense depending on where you're hitting them at in the route.
So you think it's more unlikely that there's downfield action, then you know what we could see against idle know New England, right, I know you haven't scouted it.
Yeah for sure.
Now I think I think the hole is in the middle. I mean it's just right there, right, You did talk about the middle portion of the field. That's where it's going to be at. My only fear is that Dak I won't say fear. My worry, right, is that Dak does not diagnose what it is post snap. That's what I feel like he fell into a little bit last year. But obviously we're not really running routes that deep unless they're off of play action.
Yeah, that's just isn't right.
So as long as they continue with what they're doing in terms of getting the ball out of your hands quickly, I think there's gonna be a lot of opportunities for guys to get yackyardists right, get the ball early, try to make it, break a tackle right, and try to find some space on his own. But if they're asking to hold the ball a little bit longer than we've seen over these first few weeks, then he's gonna have to do a really good job of diagnosing what it is.
Because guys are gonna be at the line of screamation. They're gonna be dropping out right the zone defense right. Sometimes they'll pressure, because they pressure a lot, sometimes they're gonna be dropping out. And if you don't, if you think that you have a slant route open because the corner sitting outside leverage and you see a linebacker walked up in the safety walked up, you're like okay, I'm
just gonna throw the slant right here. Somebody will drop out from the opposite side into that zone that you thought was void was vacant, and you get picked off. And we've seen that before from Dex. I'm just hoping that he sees everything post snap. Just just get that confirmation of a post snap read as well. It's not as easy as just walking up and saying, oh, okay, this is what it is.
So out of the three defenses that we've seen, the Jets, the of course, the Giants in week one, and then now.
The Car, this is the most complicated.
This is so talent wise, there third on the list, no doubt in our mind, especially without Buddha, especially without Buddha Baka talent wise, But from a scheme standpoint, you think this is the toughest matchup. Yes, just from a scheme only perspective.
Ye, tam standpoint, I think this is the most complicated defense that we face. And again that usually works to your works to their advantage against teams that hold the ball. I'm gonna keep saying that if Dallas continues to get the ball out their hands, I think it's gonna make it more difficult what I foresee Arizona doing is doing
something they haven't been doing much, which is pressed. I see them coming up and pressing, regardless of the CD, regardless of be Cooks, They're gonna put hands on you because they want to disrupt their ability to get off the line of scrimmage and get to those quick routes and Alex hold make you hold the ball. Now they can drop their their their first level, first and second level guys, defensive ends, linebackers, safeties.
They could drop those guys.
Out into those sole unquote unquote holes on their defense, and then that's when you start forcing it.
That's when they can force some errors onto you.
So running the ball is gonna be a big that.
Running the ball is is?
Is Ty Pollard over one hundred yards?
Hmmm? I think there's Fat Smith.
And a defensive line that's replacing guys. I think there's think there's an opportunity.
It wouldn't be out the question which one's more likely, Brandon Cooks getting one hundred yards, Tony Pollard getting one hundred yards, or Josh Dobbs rushing for seventy five hours.
To let me let's pose that question, Isaiah, what.
Do you think is more likely.
Three.
I think TP might get his first hurnd the yard game dred yards is a.
Lot and sound confident?
Are you thinking? Cooks?
Uh No, I'm gonna go Pollard?
Pollard? What would you say?
Pollard? For sure?
He took.
He took a good good amount of hits in that game.
On Sunday, twenty five carries.
He had twenty five carries, thirty two touches, both where career highs had a real nasty had a real nasty chip block that knocked two guys down. I'm sure he was feeling he said he was feeling it Sunday night. But now I think again, Carlos Watkins being out boot a Baker, I don't know, I think And to your point, man, it seems like running the ball is the best recipe, and I know fans like to see it. I'm not that thrilled about all the Dak Prescott runs unless you absolutely need them.
And you know what I'm saying, especially if he's going to take a hit on the hip. Yeah, yeah, inside the five.
So I don't like, don't get me wrong, like there's times in January where I'm all for that.
I do think that that will be needed.
But week three, Arizona go ahead and give its Rico and Tony, maybe get deuced von going in the run game.
You know, maybe this is a little bit of a litmus test, though, I mean, the focus has to be there.
You can easily.
I mean, it's the NFL. There's no off week, right, I mean that's always the saying. But talent wise, you you were head and shoulders above Arizona. That's not even a question. It's more so, get your job done. Do your job, dyj. I mean, get it through, get to week four, don't overlook this Cardinals team, get back home with a three and oh record, and then try and set up a four to o battle with San Francisco too.
I understand that we're not looking ahead, but.
Don't do it.
I mean we are, don't do it.
But however, if you're telling me that you're giving me this entire schedule, and you're telling me which game am I most confident they're going to win the rest of the way, it's this.
Cardinals, I get it.
I don't resk the rest of the way.
Yes, I don't disagree with that, but you can high.
It also speaks to It also speaks to their schedule, Like, I don't think their schedule is easy by any means, Like I think the NFC East is going to be tough, Like there's.
Not many give me games like Panther Carolina. Yeah, Carolina. Yeah, m that's what it comes down to. It's between this game in Carolina.
Yeah, I think you're right. I think I would say they're more common because.
At least that by that point they have a first overall draft pick that could be finding a little bit of a rhythm.
It's a late game like Yeah.
Also, I'm going off of I don't know how they'll be playing at that time. I don't know who will be healthy. I know what they have right now. I know that the way that they've played, so factoring all that in not having Buddha Baker, like, there's just this is the one I would say if you're like you have to you know, survivor pools, I think you have to just get one of these right for the rest of the season.
This is the game I'm taking.
That doesn't mean they're going to cover, you know, winning by double digits or anything like that, but I'm pretty confident.
They're gonna win the game.
Yeah, it's a litmus test for the running game could be a lip miss test.
We got to the final thirty seconds of the show and there's our hunter lipkey.
There you go in DSU proud alum Jesu not not Nick Harris. I was about to say many, yeah, you might as well be all right. That does it for us. You're on Talking Cowboys.
We'll be back tomorrow nine am Central Time with some say it with your chest. Friday, we'll give our pickams and we'll update the standing.
Somebody had a really good week last week. It was Isaiah.
Isaiah had a.
Good Chris by Isaiah stand back for John Matchoda and Nick Harris and Kyle Yomen saying so long from the Star and Frisco.
We'll see you tomorrow with more Talking Cowboys.
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