Talkin' Cowboys: Dual-Threat?

and our favorite dip of Talking Cowboys. Welcome in, everybody in the Virtual again SWBC Studios and Chris Beam is back at the Star in Frisco. Here with heck Ma Harrison, Isaiah stand back. No Rob Phillips at the moment. He may join us a little bit later on, but most likely we'll see Rob tomorrow. Gentlemen, it's day two of

being virtual virtual again. I should say, and I'm not gonna say, I love it, but at least we had a fun show yesterday and today Isaiah, we get to talk about the Little Cowboys defense again taking on that Cardinals offense. I'm not ready. I'm ready for it. You know, I'm ready for it. You know our offense guys has the ball out and the defense is pretty good. They're already balling out. Yeah yeah, I'm ready for this. Though. I want to know what Heckma has to say, though, Well,

this is what I gotta say, this virtual thing. You know, we all got involved like this last year in twenty twenty. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. You know, this is just driving me nuts. Man. I'm agreeing with Isaiah too much virtually as a little bit in a studio. He makes so much sensier. He makes so much sense. Man, when he's coming through my bowls, you know what I mean, I agree with that. Yea. By the way, we need to have a conversation with Bows. Why do they leave us?

I feel I feel left right now? Oh as a sponsor, like yeah, yeah, we've got Caliber Collision and Esselor We've got I mean, I'm not mad at our current ones, but I'm just I just feel I feel left behind, that like Bows is searching for something that they already had. Ye It's okay. It's like a symphony in your head, right it is? It is. I love it, man, and and I'm happy now that Isaiah has his own so we don't have to hear about this each and every

time that he doesn't have his bowls. Oh my god, they finally got him song just saying D D E. Shout out to Derek Eaglet, whose birthday was yesterday. But you know, I appreciate you, d thanks for hooking your boy up. So I'm not out here with the with the gamer hit says, even though I know Chris Beam love my gaming hit says, I know these these look a little bit more official and team oriented. Chris Beam's gaming headsets. One trump to whatever you were working with.

It wasn't even close. He received the rig that Chris Beam's working with on the Xbox night end and night out. That guy does not take it halfway, does not take it halfway. It really is kind of ridiculous. Speaking of Xbox, though we did. We can't start this show without taking some time to recognize a legend and to remember a legend. John Madden, legendary coach, innovator, broadcaster. List goes on and on about John Madden. He passed away yesterday at the

age of eighty five. And honestly, it's a it's a hard hit for for me personally. It's a hard hit for really most football fans out there, because a lot of their earliest memories of football surround John Madden. Really from the get go, generation after generation has already been influenced by his influence and his love for the game, and it really has grown the game of football to

a whole new level. So I wanted to take a moment and kind of ask you guys, and I'll start with heckma, what did John Madden mean to you specifically? And what kind of impact did he have on your life?

And what will you remember from his legacy? Man, It just you know, John Madden reminds me of my childhood, reminds me of my grandfather really, you know, watching football games with my grandfather, who really is the one that introduced me to football, and his love and passion and he loved John Madden and just how animated he he was calling games and we would laugh, you know, our bus off during games just with him and his sound effects, the boom boom boom, you know and stuff like that,

you know, doing games, you know, as a as a color analyst, he was just so magnificent and at translating what was happening on the field to any type of what you know viewer his football knowledge and I Q he just was a football guy that could relate everything, didn't matter if it was to tellustrate or what it was,

you know, he could relate it. And I just remember man Cowboys games, uh, you know, Thanksgiving games specifically when he would bring out the turd ducing and describe what a turd Duncan was and big old Nate Newton with the turkey legs. And that's just like I said, it's just really a part of my purely a part of

my childhood. But Kyle and Isaiah, what I've learned, man, and from losing people, losing heroes, losing people that you admire that you got, you have to celebrate all of the great things that they are and were in your life, you know, period. And he left so many great memories

behind for us to celebrate. And man, I just think that those are the things that are so important when you lose somebody as legendary as John Matten and in this day and age, man, when you is the word legend and go way too much right because he personified what legend was all about. John Legend For me, he was a legend obviously h John. Sorry, John, you see it,

but he's suit in my mind's at John. John Madden to me is a legend and from that from that standpoint as a child, I didn't play a lot of football growing up, so my introduction really to football was playing Madden. And obviously I learned about who he was through that experience playing video games. Going back and seeing his impact on the Raiders organization, seeing his impact in the booth. I love the fact that you guys know, I'm not wanting to be boogie and do things like

like most people do it. I like throwing my own little curve on on your curveball onto things. And that's what he did, and he left, he left his impact. Every time you heard him announced the game, there was something that you took away. There's one thing to talk and just talking talking and talking give great information, but it's also another thing to do that and give somebody little nuggets that they always remember, whether it's a little same,

whether it's a phrase, whether it's a sound effect. And that's what I loved about him because that that's kind of that's kind of my style and I learned a lot of that from from him. You know, you don't have to be you don't have to be the same as everybody else, and he was okay being an individual in that regard. Everybody I know who's encountering him had

a high regard, had a high respect for him. And it's really kind of aree how how his passing just occurred because last week, actually last Sunday, during the game Nate pregame, Nate and I were having a conversation about Madden because I think they were doing his special, so it came up and we Nate and I had started having conversations about how amazing he is, the impact he has, and how Nate was actually planning on going to spend some time with him this offseason, um, because they needed

to catch up, and then this obviously just occurred. So, um, you know, just shout out to John Madden and everything that he's done for the game of football. Shout out to all the lives that he's impacted, and all the

opportunities that he's created as well. Yeah, the All Madden special that aired on Fox on Christmas Day, I saw a lot of reaction to that, and it was even before this news, talking about the impact that he did have and arguably there are a lot of people who have had impacts on the NFL and on the sport of football, but he's up at the top of that list,

if not number one on that list. I mean, he could be argued to be the most impactful man over the last forty years, forty five years in the game of football and the way that he has impacted and grown the game at new levels, and it really is a phenomenal legacy that he is leaving behind, and it's a loss that the football world is going to mourn

for quite some time. And I'm looking forward to the stories that are going to be shared surrounding his legacy, and of course the tributes that will soon be followed by that, whether it be on the NFL field, on broad cast, and then of course, I'm sure whenever the Super Bowl rolls around, there's going to be some sort of talk of John Madden, because that guy, that legend, John Madden, made such an impact for so many people surrounding this sport and so he will be dearly missed.

But we had to start that off and talk a little bit about John Madden, and I'm sure we'll have Rob give his impacts from Madden himself at some point down the line. But let's talk about this Cowboys game and this matchup coming up this week. I mean, this is an Arizona Cardinals team that is a bit desperate at the moment. They've lost three straight games, They've lost five of their last eight. In a team that's still fighting for an opportunity to win their division. They have

not wrapped up the NFC West. If anything, they were not in the driver's seat anymore because of this recent struggle and Isaiah, when you look at this Cardinals team, what has changed the most for you? When you look at a team that was seven and oz on top of the world and then all of a sudden has Pitter pattered down the stretch, They're missing their number one threat. This is pretty pretty simple with d Hops not there, and they're they're missing him tremendously. They don't have another

dominant receiver that's on their roster. This roster was really um, really cultivated around d Hop and Kyler Murray. Those were the two guys that they said, Okay, we're gonna we're gonna build this franchise around. And when you're missing one of those two elements and ones depending on the other you have that you're asking other guys to step up and fulfill that role, and nobody in this league can step up and fulfill those those shoes of d hop. But you know, these guys, these guys have have a

have a have a pretty good running game. They have they have their two headed monster back um, their defenses starting to play well as they always have UM, and they're they're trying to piece it together. And I think that they will piece it together, but just not to the levels that they were when when obviously they're at full steam. No Cliff uh yes, Cliff Kingsbury squads for the last three years have started fast, you know at the beginning of the season. That's why everybody's like super

Bowl is going through Arizona. And then something mid season. I don't know what it is, it just seems like they start trending down. Maybe it's just the division that they're indivisional games and they just get tougher at the end of the season. Injuries all of those stags. But you know, you're looking at the team and I'm just a piggyback off of what Isaiah said. You know, they're trending in the wrong direction. At this point and at injuries and everything. You look across the league and just

see how injuries have affected them. But they've had guys try to pull up the slack and Christian Kirk they have a guy and more and I'm sure you know a lot about him, Kyle from from the draft Froom told the Speedster, and so they're putting it together even with DeAndre Hopkins's absence. But Isaiah, you're right, they are missing. They are missing d hop for real and AJ Green, which is really kind of trippy to me because AJ Green is one of a few receivers in the league

that has thousand receiving yards. You know, he's been ten ye event and his production right now, I mean, it's obviously he's having a little bit of a better year now that de hop has been gone and the balls, if more balls have come to him. But he just isn't the same Aj Green that you remember from Cincinnati. But one of the things that this defense has to do is be mindful of the fact that he is still AJ Green, So you have to still watch him,

you still have to keep your eye on him. But for this defense, for us, it's just gonna be mitigating, making sure that we don't give up the big play. And we remember October nineteen from twenty twenty, Kyler Murray put it on us man, and that is the guy that we have to circle, highlight and on the line. Yeah. I think that's a great point because when you look at this Arizona offense, you still see plenty of weapons. You see Kyler Murray, you see James Connor should he

be healthy. Same thing with Chase Edmonds, and then aj Green on the outside, Rondel Moore on the other side, and then Christian Kirk. They have guys to get the football to Isaiah. Why why have they been so one dimensional through these last couple of weeks without DeAndre Hopkins. I know DeAndre Hopkins is that number one receiver, but is there a reason why they've seen such a massive drop off in that production. I just I don't think

contribute it to identity, huh. I mean that that d hop was such a portion of their identity that when he removed him out the equation now all of a sudden you're searching and I'm not sure if Klingsbury or anybody else's that's helping and contributing to the play calling over there hasn't necessarily wrapped their mind around that that, hey, you're not going to find somebody that does is what

he does, so figure out something else. Right. It's kind of like when when Coop is gone for the print of Cowboys, like, you don't have your main dude out there, he's not there. Now you have some other guys that are complimentary that can do some do some things as well, but you have to put them in the environment to do what they do successfully, not put them into Coop's shoes and expect them to do things. So I think that that's what they're still trying to wrap their mind around.

And they're really starting to try to lean on the running game, um in the in the past game and now Kylor, you're starting to see Colin Murray really start to take it on his shoulders as well and start to use his feet again. And I think the you know, you're absolutely right, uh, Isaiah. But when I think about DeAndre Hopkins, it's just he's just not a one trick pony. He's not a guy that you have some receivers in the NFL, all they could do is go routes. So

all they could do is a little small intermediate routes. Uh, he does it at all. You know, cross ends us all of those things he does, and that's a big miss for them. You gotta understand, Like for Cliff Kingsbury, he has the kind of offense that when he has a weapon like Hopkins, he's going to make sure that he gets every mismatch in your secondary for number ten and without them, you could tell like they're missing that piece.

But you gotta we also have to give cred you know, also have to mention that Kler hasn't been hasn't been healthy this season at all, and with his with his health, you could see the decline in their offensive production. He's tried to just kind of muscle through some of those things, but a guy his size really is harder for him to come out there seventy percent. You really need him to be one hundred percent because of all the other things that he brings to the game. Yeah, it's really interesting.

I mean, over the last four games one and three for the Arizona Cardinals and they've only had twenty one points per game, which is an offense that's still top ten. They're actually eighth in the NFL in total offense at the moment, and they're tenth in passing, tenth and rushing, so that balanced the attack is there. But you're right, it's kind of like Dak Prescott in a way. Now. The Cowboys were still able to win games when Dak Prescott was either muscling through injuries or just didn't look

right fundamentally. But heck, when you brought up Kyler Murray, is he's still the right man for that position? I mean, I guess that's that's an easy answer. Yes, But with that, is he in a position now to still be a threat? Is really what I should ask because this is a team that's still going into the playoffs for the first time since twenty fifteen. They still have the numbers offensively. Is he a threat to this Cowboys defense that is still firing on all cylinders? The answer is yes and yes,

and look, I'm reminded. I went back and watched the game from last year and Goss. I had to watch that all boy, because I don't know, well, I just wanted to see just what the scheme was to try and attack him, and our plan of action was to have Jalen Smith spy Kyler Murray go It didn't work out. You know his ability. He's a magician in the read option. You know, he's one of those guys that you know, you don't know if he has the ball or not.

That he is just uncanny. Is It's like for every one step the defender takes, he's taking like six steps. And so we have to make sure that we maintain the edge and not allow Colin Murray to get out on us. We have to keep a spy on him, and I feel better about our spies that we have now, whether we go with guys like Ken O'Neill or if we go with Michael Parsons. Again, I just feel as though the pressure that we're gonna be putting on him is gonna be hard for him. And we talked about

this yesterday. If we go after him and you go to get home, you better get home. You better not miss him, because by bringing that pressure, he still has that ability to get outside. And you know, I've heard you say this before, Isaiah about you know, quarterbacks, the hight and all that stuff doesn't matter. But you see what Arizona does for him because of his maybe hYP disadvantage. They keep him in the shotgun. They really try to roll him out and create that space for him for

his lunching points. But Colin Murray has has a big arm, man and Kyle you'll not both. No, man, this dude is a Texas high school football legend, and the things that he did in high school, he's just transferred all of that to the NFL. And it's really kind of just like I said, it's just one of those amazing things to watch. He's a special he's a special athlete. He's dominant. You already know. But there should be nobody disrespecting this man or his name the way he's capable

of doing. If you choose, if you choose to step on the field and act as if he's just like every other quarterback that you faced up to date, you will be hurt. You will be hurt. And even though he doesn't have his number one receiver, he still has a lot of guys and that backfield is getting healthy. So the things that they do with him in the shotgun, heck right zone, the zone reads, the sprint outs, the bootlegs, the you know, simply just sitting back and just trying

to throw the ball over your head. You have to take the approach up. Do we want to pressure this guy, or do we want to just sit back into high and gate his ability to throw the ball down the field, Like, what what's the approach we want to take? Because we've seen him just take off for sixty yards on Indianapolis last week like it was nothing. I don't know why they didn't put his speed on there like they do everybody else. But the boy had to hit twenty miles

per hour easily. And what would you do if you were if you were making that same decision, what would you do right now? With their receivers. I'm playing single high, and I'm gonna play five men underneath, and I'm gonna ensure that there's always a man in that zone or in that area that if he should should he choose to try to cross a line of scrimmage, at any point of those fifty three and a half yards, there's

gonna be somebody within five yards of him. And I would say that their their receivers can't beat our DBS, and I would call our DBS out. I would say that our defensive front has been kicking, but every single week, giving you guys opportunities. Now I need you guys to go out here and just simply take these guys out the game, and I would say, I would challenge Digs.

I would tell a challenge a brown ChIL j Lou if he's back all these guys, I say, step up, shut these guys down, because we need to ensure that he doesn't beat us with his feet. That's that's high I Q football right there, talk right there, Isaiah, that's uh, you know. And But me to think about it is if I was in the studio with y'all, would disagree with you, completely disagree. Well, if you put as that guy who's spying, who would you put as the guy who if Kyler Murray were to get past the line

of scrimmage? Who's the guy you want to stop him? Man? I would put you know, my guy Cramleton, curse on him. I would put h I would put curse around him. Uh. And I already said Kean O'Neill. The thing is is that we can't change our spots for him. We have to come after him and I and I agree with

Isaiah with a single high look. I would definitely cry out the line of scrimmage and dare them to do certain things they know right now when they're doing their film study that the Dallas defense is coming and they're gonna be applying pressure. We're gonna smoke come out and those outlets. We got to make sure that we have a defender in his face so that he doesn't create those big plays with his legs. But he's also his

vision is uncanny and it has a great arm. So there's the challenge that Isaiah's talking about for the DBS, and that's the pressure of these guys at the line of scrimmage. They're gonna try and get the ball out quick. I don't see them doing in any other way. And so if they do that, that's gonna give guys like Trey Von Diggs an opportunity to take one to the house because you know he's glitchy. You know he will

jump your route. But that's the same thing that makes them susceptible on the back end as well, and maybe

that's where the zone protection helps. Well. When we come back here on talking Cowboys, I'm gonna keep this conversation going because I like the thought process here because, if we want to look at it, Cowboys having faced a dual threat quarterback at the same caliber as Kyler Murray all year long and arguably the last guy that they faced had a pretty good game against them, and will tell you who that was and how they can stop it and down potentially the best road team in the

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Jason Witn has joined the Caliber Collision team. You can join him to do great work with for great pay and apply right now at jobs at Caliber dot Com. That's jobs at Caliber dot Com. Why do you look so upset, Isaiah? I couldn't find anything remotely that can even remotely looks like Rob P's wallet. I mean, the closest thing I have is this charging thing, and that's not even it. I have to add this on top of it, and I don't even know maybe even my mouse.

How about that? Is that better? That's about it. That's about the thickness of it. Okay, that's it. Everybody is across the room. It's it's sitting on the desk for Yonder in the study for Neckharrison. Second segment here of

Talking Cowboys, Heck Maharrison, Isaiah, stand backup. Kyle Jomen's Chris being back at the Star running things as usual, and we were just talking about Kyler Murray and kind of bringing his threat back into the forefront for this Dallas Cowboys team, and the Cowboys haven't really faced a mobile quarterback since Week three of the NFL season. And that was Jalen Hurts, of course, to the Philadelphia Eagles, who they'll face next week. So they'll see dual threat quarterbacks

in the final two weeks of the season. Because when you go down the list, Carolina, no New York, No New England, not so much, Minnesota, Denver, Atlanta, Kansas City, maybe Kansas City, it's probably the second best there with Patrick Mahomes and his ability to escape, but he's not necessarily using his speed as a weapon in that offense to gain yardage. And that's what Kyler Murray and Jalen

Hurts have done. But you go back to the stat line from that game in Week three, Jalen Hurts had a three hundred twenty six passing yards, a couple of touchdowns, a couple interceptions as well, but he only had nine carries for thirty five yards. So, Isaiah, I ask you the question, do you feel confident in the way that the Cowboys defense can slow down a dual threat rusher or a dual threat quarterback as they haven't really faced one since Week three? Yes, and the reason being is

this defensive front. I'm not as a former running quarterback, a quarterback who can threaten you on the ground. The only thing that ever gave me any issues was interior defensive line pressure. Defensive ends running around me at doesn't bother you. Right, you can step up into pocket, but when you can't step up into pocket, that's when there's

a problem. Gallimore, Tristan Hill, Ghost, and all our big boys up front, okay or Diggi Zuola, those boys are gonna be the ones that are going to present the most mayhem for Kyler Murray in this offense because of that internal pressure. When you start thinking about how does dan Quinn create pressure, well, he likes to line four guys up on the line of scrimmage or bring partons over that over the guard. Okay, well, where's the most of that pressure been coming from? D law in the inside?

Parsons on the inside. That internal pressure has given a lot of people problems, a lot of quarterbacks in his league issues. But it also gives these running time type quarterbacks a lot of issues because it really makes them uncomfortable. They'll they'll try to step up and step out, which is why I said, you need some guys all the way across their feet three and a half yards, so that don't matter where they he decides to go, there's

somebody there. You have to rely on your defensive backs to do what they do, and hopefully when he decides across the line, you take a shot at him and make them you make them reconsider that ever again, Yeah, no, no, I just in my evaluation of Colin Murray, you know, I said, I think he's one of because of his because of his hype. He doesn't like to step up in the pocket. He wants to get out side of

the pocket. And so I think for dan Quinn, bringing pressure from one side, that's why I say, smoke him out, you know, make sure this guy is going to dictate his direction. Basically, bring pressure from one end and have guys waiting on him on the other end. But you're but,

but you're absolutely correct. This interior defensive line guys like Osa Diggi zeul Uh like, you know, guys that we have have to get that pressure Neville Gallimore getting pressure up the middle to flush him out, because again he's so far back off the ball and once he gets the snap, he's already backing up looking to get the pass off. So that's why I feel like getting that pressure off the edge, forcing him to relegate to one side. Uh,

it's gonna be impactful for the Dallas Cowboys defense. But on the back half of our defense, that's where a lot of this is gonna be come down and how we defend and and Trey Von Diggs. He's giving up some big plays, but obviously we understand that he's gonna gamble, he's gonna he's gonna take an opportunity to get you know, get interceptions, and the same thing would be applied for Anthony Brown. It's going to be very important for him

to stay on. But also our safeties in the back the zone coverage, we're gonna have to make sure that we stay true to it. We just can't punch ourselves out in this game. We can't, you know, we can't get to the point where you know, we've thrown everything at him and he's just willing and Dillon anyway, so you know, making sure that we stay disciplined, staying in our lanes and whether we have Michael Parsons to whomever we have spying him, we have to stay disciplined in

our lanes. Because of the pressure that Arizona is anticipating here, heckma and the way that their game playing kind of surrounds Kyler Murray and the way that he can move and get out of the pocket. You expect quicker passes. Do you expect a little bit more of that underneath game from Arizona? Not necessarily, especially without DeAndre Hopkins, not necessarily testing the deep ball, more so keeping it fifteen

yards in. Do you feel like there's an opportunity there for the Cowboys secondary to giant some more or does that play against their strengths Whenever you look at that game plan, and I say, I don't know if you'll agree with this, but I just feel like when you play, when you face it athletic aggressive defense, the thing is to get them going side to side to start your game.

You know, screens are going to be very important. So Kyle, when you talk about those quick throws that they make, I think they'll be trying to do set up wide receiver and running back the screens to get this defense running. That's gonna be the things that's gonna be. You know, it's gonna make them have any success starting out because they can't go with a you know, waiting on gold

routes to open up. There's too much pressure gonna be there so once they get And that's why I say, don't punch ourselves out, because if we're applying pressure and he's still able to will and deal and willing deal and he's able to pick up fifteen sixteen yards on just screens, that opens up everything else. And so I think the biggest thing for us, Kyle is tackling. We've had games where we've missed tackles. Uh, you can't miss tackles in this game. We've had those, you know, the

Devil Broncos game to be one in particular. We just can't have a repeat of that. And I think we've healed a lot of that. But when you talk about how mobile Kylin Murray is and just the quick throws, I think that's what they have to be thinking about going into this matchup. I agree. I agree with both of you guys. I believe that they're going to try to get the ball in their hands of their playmakers as quickly as possible because because of this is pressure

that the defensive front has been showing. This isn't hasn't been on one game or two game thing for our defense. These guys have been showing up consistently. So you know it's real, and Kyla Murray and and Kingsbury, all these guys, they all know that this is a real threat that they have to worry about. And it's not just one guy. It's different. When you go into a game, you're like, Okay, we have to worry about this guy and this guy. If we could take care of them, then we're good.

You're not with this defense. So when you're when you're facing a defense that's playing with a motor like these guys are are are doing right now, you have to get the ball out quickly. So that means get the ball in Isabella's hands, get the ball in Kirk's hands, running them on these quick screens and trying to get

those four or five yards. Obviously they're gonna try to establish a running game, but if they can't, they're gonna be trying to get that thing out to the side and get you running and use your aggressiveness against you. That's the one thing that obviously Dan quinn i go would assume it's cautioning his defensive and say, don't be overly aggressive, because when you're overly aggressive, you know you're getting your your confidence is coming right, you're balling out,

you're destroying people. So every time if you come off the ball, you got your twenty five snaps and you're like, oh, here you go, it was one of my twenty five

and you're going, you're running like a madman. Now you're so intent on making a play that you sometimes forget your responsibility and that's when they can use that against you and they hit you with the old rope adult and get it out to your guys and they go get good, you know, a two yard patter, a two yard you know game really turns into like a fifteen or twenty yard game. And then you start focusing on getting out there and guarding those guys, and that's when

Kyler Murray can come in bite you in the butt. Yeah, that's why I say, don't putt yourself out, you know, don't put your stuff out. Stay disciplined, stay in your lane, you know, make sure that you're not being that guy.

And I'm sure Dan coinn is saying the same thing. Man. Look, stay in your lanes, don't over commit, because the last game that we played, the man, these guys we want of double reverses on us man getting getting our defense to go to one side and come back to the other Obviously, I think things have changed tremendously and they won't try that. But still the defense has to stay committed. Yeah,

but but to that point. But to that point, hey, if you're if they if they get our defense going side to side and looking okay, hey, where's the ball going, he's going over there, going over there, they can't go where. They can't go forward. So that's that's the thing that they're gonna do to try to slow down this rush. And I didn't say blitz, right, I said rush of our defense up front because they are all getting pressure and kind of keeping along the same lines of this.

I mean, you guys talked about tackling earlier. Heck Man, you mentioned that tackling was a big concern of you, especially with somebody as slippery as Kyler Murray and Christian Kirk and Rondel Moore, those three guys where are known for slipping out of tackles and being able to keep

their elusiveness going. Now, there's not a ton of things to nitpick on this defense over the last four weeks five weeks of the season, but through this four game winning streak, I mean, they're averaging fourteen points per game allowed to believe ten, they're plus ten in the turnover differential. Is tackling the number one improvement you want to see from the defense or is there something else that might

be bothering you? Heck, look, I've already seen it, and I only point out the tackling portion because that was something that plagued us through the middle of the season. I just don't want that bad habit to rear its ugly head again in this game because you can't afford it. You know, we've seen them come up against the likes

of Jalen Hurst. When you say, you know we're facing a mobile quarterbacks this week three, this gives us that opportunity right to make sure that even going into the playoffs, we may face another mobile quarterback, some mobile quarterbacks. Look, I just think our defense right now, these guys are

firing on all cylinders. They have everything going their way. Um, you know when when third down, the third downs, getting off the field on third down, the points giving up, this just says to me that this is a bend but don't break style. And when you look at Treyvon Diggs and the amount of yards that he's given up as a cornerback, but still his ability to create those interceptions. You know it look it just it just fells to how different offenses are these days, but also how different

defenses are as well. But I think the tackling bowls into your original question, I think we've already healed those good I agree. I don't don't. I don't know what I will put my finger on in terms of this defense and what they need to improve upon drastically over these next few games. I do believe that they're still giving up big plays. I do believe that teams still feel confident to be able to come in and throw against us, even though there's a threat of getting interceptions.

I think they're really willing to play those those odds. You know, if we throught about that though, why is that? Why do you have I haven't really given up the big play a whole lot since what week twelve, Week thirteen? I know, But statistically, when when you're looking at you know, I'm not a big stats guy, but add when you're looking at their stats, are they still twenty seventh in the league in big plays? Right? There's still twenty seventh.

I mean they're first on third down, they're up there. Obviously the obviously gon turnover on number one in the turnover as well, but they just got to shoot your shot. I mean, you know, to most people are gonna go into a fight scared. You respect it, But I'm not gonna go into it scared. So if I throw the ball forty times a game, like yeah, two of those might get got, But guess what, I still got thirty eight other opportunities that can turn into something major. So

this is a roll of the dice. Man. You know, the strength of this defense right now is in the front seven. So I'm not going to come into this game thinking that I'm a bully. Bully these guys. So what's the best thing I could do? Try to protect it up, get it out to my to my playmakers. Let them run with the ball because like he said, Ben, but don't break. Okay, well let them boys, Ben, Then let them be in. Let's be in the like Beckham,

all the way down the field. And then once I get down the field, now it's my responsibi office of coordinator to put my guys in a position to score a touchdown and hopefully we score enough to go ahead. And the gate with what Dallas does that's the approach that teams are taking, and Dallas has just been winning their their portion of the hands they're given, man, and just thinking about that defense in that front seven going

after Kyler Murray. We mentioned yesterday that third down with the defense, defensive front is the most entertaining part of football games right now, and I think this is going to be as good as he gets. I think between the Cardinals and the Cowboys prior to the playoff time, of course, because then it'll get even better than that moving forward. But when we come back here on Talking Cowboys, is this the best home team in the NFL facing the best road team in the NFL coming up on Sunday.

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to talk in Cowboys. Whether you're watching from home or you're cheering in the stands. With or lenses, you can see every exciting play book, an appointment at your local or experts and see what selor can do for you. See more two more on talking cowboys. There's is that Isaiah. I don't I don't know if that's at the barbecue Isaiah just yet that red ridingho it right there. Anybody who wears it on the tip of the note like that,

you gotta watch out for him right standback. Heckm Harrison, Chris Beam, Kyle Yeoman's final segment here Talking Cowboys presented by Tostitos as always virtual again today. Also some breaking news as of the last thirty minutes or so, Dak Prescott named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. So QB on getting NF Oh what was that? Elizabeth will come to join your honey ways? When he was who No, I just he just said breaking news last he's lit

with Dak. I'm like, what happened? I see what you're saying? Oh, my bad, good good? Breaking news this time? Good? So I should I should preface it by saying positive news instead of breaking news. But yes, yeah, my bad, my bad. But yes, Dak press got fifth time in his career that he has won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

And he's got he's got this thing rolling at home thirty four points per game over four hundred and twenty five total yards per game at home this season, both of which are numbers that are best in the NFL. And then you also look at the Cardinals though they are seven and one on the road, best road record in the NFL, and they average over thirty points per game and two and a half take ways per game in the NFL, which are both good enough for top three.

So heck, ma, I asked you, is this the best home team in the league facing the best road team come Sunday afternoon. I mean, I think based off of those statistics that you just brought up there, yes, if they are seven and one on the road, the Cardinals are and we are dominating with our numbers at home, so you know, I welcome in. And based off of the last game, Hey, we have a bit of a

home field advantage with the crowd. Man, if we could show up like we did versus the Washington football team, I think that and Dak even talked about that, how it the defense was energized by that and it caused so many problems for the other team because of the noise. We have to keep that going, especially through the playoffs, having that home field advantage. But I love the way

that we produce. Now here's the other thing about it, man, We've got to figure out how to get this thing going strong on the road as well, because we're gonna have to win. We may have to win a road playoff game. Yeah, yeah, that's that's good. Were you at

the game on Sunday, I was not. I was not. Okay, I was, I was not, but I was gonna as he while you did go, I thought you did go, and I was going to ask you how it compared in terms of the atmosphere, because that's that's everything that I've heard from you, from everyone else that actually that went to the game, because I had some friends that win as well, and they said it was as loud

as they've ever heard it in that building. And that's pretty impressive seeing that they've still yet to have playoff games there and at least here this season. So Isaiah, same things, talking about the best home team and best remote team in the NFL. What makes the Cardinals so successful on the road, And like Heckman was saying, how did the Cowboys somehow emulate that later on? I have no idea what makes them so successful, but I do know that I am finally excited that Dallas has home

field advantage again. And I'm not talking about the playoffs. I'm not talking about the seedings. I'm talking about the fact that when they show up to a T T Stadium, that joint is rocking because because for a long time there at and T Stadium that went to the Bougie's the boogie. I needed the Yeah, the pea exactly. I needed Old Texas Stadium at home field advantage. That's when

that's what I'm used to. I'm used to that place, rocking people out there, kicking it all day, drigging the Miller lights up there, Stone Cold, Steve Bowson, and then when they get in there, they go in there and

go ham And that's the home field advantage. Every time there's a big play man on defense, every time there's a scoring on offense, the crowd goes wild, and you feel that as a player, You want that, you yearn for that as a player, and now these guys are starting to have that same feeling at at and T Stadium. So I want to say thank you fans. Keep doing what you're doing because it has a direct impact on the play of these players that step on the field.

Does that kind of go back to what we talked about yesterday, heck, but about how there is a special feel to this season. Do you feel like that that's why this is starting to crescendo as opposed to maybe a twenty eighteen season that you made the playoffs but it still didn't necessarily feel like this. Yeah, I think people have just been waiting. Man, you know, you're just not sure about the team. Are they what you think they are? And then finally they start to show you.

I mean, we're eleven and four and what else? You know, we have number one on offense. The defense is starting to round into shape. You know, I personally was ticked off about the Denver game, the home game when I saw a lot of orange out there. But obviously enough complaints was made that has changed home field is ours

and defensively, defensively, I think that impacts them so much. Yeah, and man, it's just it's just good to see, right, It's just good to see where we are right now, going through these next two games and finishing out right now. I mean, you couldn't imagine this team at the beginning of the season possibly being thirteen and four. I just think about that. Think about what you what you went through last year, and just to complete just one eighty

from where you were last season. This is all this this this team has been revamp, retooled, or whatever re word you want to use. But when's the last time the Cowboys with thirteen three? I know, my rookie year they're thirteen and three or twenty sixteen. Six seven? Okay, seven, that's the last one. Uh no, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry, that's sixteen bad. How how does it feel, you guys know better than me. How does it this feel in comparison to that year? Oh? I think, man,

it's better because you have a defense. I mean, that offense was was next level. And the way that those those guys were firing on all cylinders with Prescott and Zeke and then Daz, I mean they were rolling. But that defense was still good, but they weren't this good.

And that's what I think is different about this season is that that that defense in its kind of what we talked about in training camp was if you had a mediocre defense and a top level offense, you still have a chance to win a lot of football games. And they did. I wouldn't say they were even an above average defense. This defense has been dominant. And then you turn around and say you have an offense that

has also an opportunity to be dominant. That's where I think it is a little bit higher than twenty sixteen as well. I'm gonna go back to oh seven, and the reason I'm going back to seven because Terrell Owens was on that team and that was just a team that you just felt like they were so explosive that they could score, and then the defense was there to match. You know, you had some young hounds on that Cowboys defense and No. Seven. It just felt that year. That

year felt like it was our year. It really did. It felt like the stars were aligned. We had the first seating with the buy and the Giants come in and cancel Christmas. Yeah, let's go back to that. Ka. I have trauma, But that's the last time I could think of a defense that match when you were saying on both sides of the ball and everything like, that was the year that I felt like I defense matched up. Yeah,

I agree with you. And if you ask others, I mean some might say it's been since the nineties that the defense has matched up and there's been kind of that go that back and forth. I agree with you. I think that two thousand and seven team is probably at least right now, that's the easiest comparison because that twenty that two thousand and seven team had an opportunity to do very special things and the same thing with

this team right now. But if if this team executes, then they can be carried over and compared to the nineties teams and those teams that actually did make it to the mountaintop. And so hopefully the Cowboys keep moving in the right direction, and we'll talk about the Cowboys offense and NFC Offensive Player of the Week Dak Prescott and company taking on that Cardinals defense that seems to like the offense does find a rhythm on the road, and we'll see if they can can keep that from

happening and keep their momentum rolling as well. But that doesn't for us here on Talking Cowboys today. Hope you had some fun with us here over the last forty five minutes or so. We'll talk to you again tomorrow morning, Thursday night am Central Time from the virtual s WBC Mortgage Studios. For Izaiah standback for heck Ma Harrison, I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long, we'll see tomorrow on Talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.