Talkin' Cowboys: Final Predictions vs. Jags

heard some of them this week. Absolutely. As we get you set for Cowboys and Jaguars on Sunday at three twenty five on CBS, Bill Jones, Brian brought us, Rob Phillips, we await the arrival of Mickey Spagnola and we're breaking down this game over the course of the next hour. We invite your participation at eight eight eight, eight, five, five two two nine seven at a little Thursday Night

football last week. And what I got out of that game last night is the fact that the Cowboys will never fall into the seller in the NFC East, as bad as it gets this season. The Giants will own the seller in the NFC East the rest of the way. Yeah, was Eli that bad or because I didn't watch all of it? Or was it protection too because people are calling for his job this morning and saying it's over,

his career's over. I'll tell you what, you know. I feel like though, that the Giants made a decision about their quarterback that they were going to try and buy some more time. They basically took the same approach. And this is interesting because of Dave Gettlman as a general manager, and Dave Gettlman had always in Tom often believed us too when he was with New York that they were trying to model what the Cowboys were going to do.

And you look at the Cowboys and you know that the you know, trying to establish a running game, trying to build an offensive line, I mean, and all those things. And now Dave Getleman has come in, and you know, Dave thought that that you know that Saquon Barkley was the best player in the draft, obviously he took him and you know, passed on the quarterback. Now, let's see if the Giants in factor as poor as we all think they're going to be down the stretch here or

the rest of the season. Then they'll get their opportunity to draft that quarterback and maybe a quarterback that's better than the ones that were available in this draft. So, you know, we'll see how if that strategy plays out the right way, if in fact having Barkley and then a quarterback, or if they should have gone with the quarterback and then maybe a defensive player or something like that. We'll see how that plays out for him. At one

in five, they are in the Justin Herbert sweepstakes. They are, and gil Brandt told us on Wednesday night, Mickey, how are you They just did it? Bass Acwarts That's that's right. But but Gill told us on Wednesday night that Justin Herbert, the quarterback at Oregon, is the best young quarterback he's ever seen. Something like that. It was, Yeah, yeah, I've had a couple of quarterbacks set a couple of quarterbacks come out of Oregon. One pretty good, one not so good.

Joey Harrington was real bad, Jerry still out on Mario and Mariota. Yeah, so you need to see what that situation. But yeah, there's a lot of if you're you know, I need to get into at some point in time and see who all the quarterbacks are. But I got the pression there's probably four or five guys. I know, Mickey's got a guy that's pretty good that we all need to take a look at. Yeah, we'll find out tomorrow how good he is. Alma fair well, you know

that's if you look at Deshaun Watson. One of the reasons why people thought very highly of Deshaun Watson was the fact that he played well against Alabama in two national channel more help, Yeah, he had a little bit more help. But but sometimes, you know, I mean, sometimes you could find out a lot about these young well these quarterbacks, if they in fact are able to attack defenses and have some success, it might not be team's success.

But you know, the Shaun Watson, I mean, he took he should have two national championships if you look at really what you know with Clemson, and that was his hard time to Alabama. I've ever seen Alabama with a Nick Saban led defense with a quarterback that plays that way. So you know, maybe he could go out there and do something. You never know, it's gonna be tough. The quarterback for Alabama. He's really good. Yet, that's right, he's really good. That with the exception of Trevor Knight Deshaun

Watson against an Alabama defense. Trevor Knight was the only one that there you go, that was a joke that was tugging. But Johnny Manziel, I think we were all in agreement right that if you're a Cowboy fan, you're probably pulling for the Giants last night. That didn't work out so well for you. I was yelling for him a little bit. Maybe phillis right all hard enough. Yeah, maybe Philly's right of the ship a little but um yeah, that's the you know, and the Cowboys already have a

win over them. This this division could be for the taking if you could put something together. But you need to keep pace with the Eagle, the Eagles or the team to beat. Yeah, and you got need to keep pace and get the player twice the Sunday at three twenty five against Jacksonville. And can the Cowboys keep pace with the Eagles now at three and three or will they fall to two and four after against a tough

Jacksonville defense. Yeah, I think that. I think that this game will clearly come down to I think Dallas is going to have to throw the football. I really do. I don't think Jacksonville is gonna let them run the football. And so, you know, can your guys on the outside win enough, and can when they do win, can you find ways to get them the football? Can your protection

hold up? Can the quarterback make the right read? You know, there's a lot of ifs going on here, a lot of things that have been negative about the Cowboys offensively that they're going to have to have positive. It might be me just banging my head against the wall over here trying to say, Okay, they can do this, they can do this, they can do this. Well, they're gonna have to prove that they can do this. You know,

you're gonna have to give this guy protection. You're gonna have to hit these receivers quickly, and you're gonna have to make some plays. You know, Jacksonville is not going to let you run this football. I always like to compare, compare what does these games remind you of? It reminds

you very much when you play the Philadelphia Eagles. You know, when the Eagles with their front seven, aggressive linebackers, they've got guys that can run in the front seven, They've got big inside players, they've got guys in the outside that can can stretch the run. You know, you've got to take advantage of their their speed, their quickness, their pursuit, all those things. You've got to call almost a perfect

game to play against these guys. Now you'll say, brass, what about Kansas City and what about Tennessee and all that they You know, if you go back in the history of Jacksonville playing Tennessee, Tennessee has always had Jacksonville's number. It's just the way it is. But I would say this about Kansas City. Kansas City attacked them a different way. Kansas City also benefited from turnovers. That's something that this

defense has not been able to create. Eight And if they could create those, then you'd feel a lot better because Blake Portles will turn the ball over to you. So would you take thirty rushes for one hundred and twenty six yards, Yeah, it would because that's what Kansas City did. Yeah, but Kansas City again, I got ahead. Yeah, Kansas City got ahead twenty to nothing in that game, and then it was twenty to nothing at half time.

I just think that I just think that there's they've played three teams that have been able to run the football. They played the Jets the Chiefs in Tennessee. Here's another thing that happened in that game in the first half. The Jaguars total approach to that game against Kansas City

goes against the nature of Tom Coughlin. Once that team the football right right and two passes the game, and they respected Kansas City's ability to score so much, even though they have the number one pass defense in the league themselves, that they got down on the goal line and we're going forward on fourth down in the first half, Yeah, you know down. I think they were down ten nothing or it was a situation if they just go ahead

and kick the field goal. It may have been thirteen nine, I can't remember what the score was, to just get on the board, get stay within striking distance. But that game got away from them in the second quarter because they their approach to that game was their approach being that we can't score enough points. Yeah, we have to score touchdowns rather than field goals. And yeah, you do have to score touchdowns against Kansas City. But the most important thing in that first half of that game, they

needed to stay within striking distance and they didn't. And then you can throw everything and they can wind up throwing sixty one passes. The other thing about Jacksonville last year they were a run first team. Now they haven't had four net okay, and they only have one healthy running back that had that has been that was selling the team last week. Yeah, because they signed Jamal Charles

this week and signed guy off a practice squad. Right. Okay, So last year they had equal number runs to passes. I think it was five hundred twenty seven rushes and five hundred twenty seven passes all season. Not a balance, and this year they've been sixty five to thirty five percent right in a pass run Bortles is averaging forty two pass at ten forty two again including sixty one. They are going to come out running the football against

the Cowboys. I think they're gonna They're gonna try. Yeah, that's the best way to protect Bortles, to make the mistakes that would fade right into the Cowboys defensive hands. Though that's true because they've done a good job against the run. Yeah, So you're telling me they were too aggressive with their play calling and decisions, they were too desperate. I think, oh, yeah, they got mesmerized by they didn't feel like that they could keep up with, right Kansas City.

That's what Kansas City will do to you because they score at such a fast pace that it's hard to play them because you feel like, okay, if we don't score touchdowns here, that we're gonna be behind it. And again it led to it led to a loss. Anyway, It's two teams. If you look at them statistically, they're kind of a mirror of each other. Honestly. I mean, the Jaguars are only putting up twenty point four points

a game. They're struggling to manufact at your points. They put up more yards, way more yards in the Cowboys per game, almost one hundred per game. But like to Mickey's question, can they run the football? Can they have any balance? With no running backs that they usually hang their hat on and their minus seven in the turnover marginis, Brian said, that's the key right there. Cowboys get two

takeaways last week. They're probably gonna need to do something like that in this game to help out Dak in the offense. But I see two teams that are flawed offensively, so we'll see. I think the biggest question, though, like Brian said, you're facing the most talented defense in the league. With an offense that has struggled mightily, mostly on the road, they've been more efficient at home for whatever reason. I don't know if it's crowd noise or I mean, they've

handled crowd noise in the past. I'm not sure if you can just point to that why they've struggled on the road, but they've been more efficient at home. Can you can you keep that up in this Can you manufacture some offense and can the receivers win on the outside? Alan Hearns gave us the key to the game the other day. He said, Look, they're gonna press us and we have to win on the outside. When you place play a defense, it's gonna man up on you. You

gotta win your matchups. It's on them, and they're saying receivers are saying, look, it's not on us, it's not all on us. You can show it this week against two Pro Bowl corners. Absolutely. It might have to do with who you played on the road. Yeah, you play some good defenses on the road Carolina, Seattle, Yeah, Houston as opposed to the Giants and Detroit at all right, Yeah, Brian talked about it with Detroit. They could you know,

they'd really struggled against the run. Yeah. Yeah, although Detroit came in here favored after a win over New England the week before, right, Yeah, so you know we're based on what the Jaguars did because they beat New England. I just don't think Jacksonville can do enough offensively to blow you out. The only way they can blow blow you out is if you turn the ball short fields. It'll be a one play game, just like Houston, just like Detroit. Yeah, yeah, exactly. This team can't get away

from anybody. I mean, the Cowboys can't. That's that they are what they are. And you know, they don't have any explosive players on the outside. That's a problem. And so if you know, if that's if the thing I worry about is Dallas having to drive the ball, that's

what I worry about d with the run. And yeah, if you can't, if you if you struggle to run the football in this game and it turns into you have to throw, you can't sustain drive, you know, And and you look at Houston in overtime against Houston, how many people really thought that the Cowboys could drive the length of the field and score a touchdown? And overtime

against Houston. Everybody that said you should have gone for it, I mean I yeah, all you needed was a field goal at that point I would have us still have to have to play defensive. Yeah, yeah, because you had the ball first. That's why I asked. I asked the question is to say I'm not I don't get into the fourth or one thing. But how much confidence do does anyone have that this? That's why I wouldn't have punt it in the first place. That can can this

team drive the length of the field? Now? They had done in the games they've won. They have had long, sustained fourth quarter drives and so they've been able to take control of the game. But they played from ahead in those games too, and that's such a key, and it was a key in twenty sixteen is getting ahead, staying ahead, and that will be a key against Jacksonville. My question for Brian because typically with this framework of the offense the last three years, if they don't run

the ball, they lose. So do you when you look at the matchups, do you feel like, hat on hat they can't block these guys or is it some something schematically like Jacksonville is just gonna load up and say, all right, we're gonna give you options in the passing game, but we're gonna shut down the run. Yeah, we've we've seen those some issues with getting to the linebackers, yeah, you know, and not just on third and one. You know,

we've seen some issues there. And so you know, I think this is the best group of linebackers that they're going to play that'll put this way that they played so far. Okay, So I mean and I and these guys never come off the field Smith, you know, and and Jacky. They're not going to come off the field, and they're gonna try and make every single tack on If you don't get hat on hat them. You know, i'mould say there's any times you block them, but you got to take advantage of that. And I just I

worry about that. I worry about this front seven and their ability to control the front. Like I say, I kind of think about like the Philadelphia game, what happens when you try and run and then all of a sudden, you know, Philadelphia turns it into a second and nine second and ten day all day. Yeah, you know, they can't they just can't win that. They can't win that way, and if they have to throw the ball, I worry

about them winning on the outside. And you know, in completing passes, we haven't seen them have any consistency doing that as well. So the key will be how well they play defensively to not let Jacksonville get away from them, Yeah, and and t them out of what they want to do, which is run the ball. And if you're not doing well consistently, right, you never know when he'll break a big one. Yeah. So defensively, yeah, defensively, yeah, Well they

get if they're gonna win, it's gotta be twenty to seventeen. Yeah, it's something like that. To turn the sky over somehow, some way, They've got to get some you know. So what happened other day, They get a nice fumble, you know, on the other side of the Houston fifty, and they turned it into a touchdown. You know, we haven't seen nearly enough of those to try and get this offense

going again. You know, Jacksonville, I think they want to get back to a run first mentality, sure, but with their situation at running back, offensive lines a little bit at struggle and their offensive said that last week about Houston can they do that yet is is a question too, because the only healthy running back they have who has been there any length of time t J Yelden. Yeah, and Jamal Charles will be there for three practices and apparently he's going to be active on Sunday, So what

can you expect out of him? And then they got a practice squad guy they sign yea. So even though they may want to get back to what they want to do, I don't know if they can do it yet. And and they do have to worry about Dallas's pass rush, right, they have to worry about right, so so that they may not have success running the football might turn into them. Yeah, but they that's the way they figure out how to

how to beat Dallas is run run. If they got some game breakers outside, they got some speed at wide receiver where they can hit a deep one on. Yeah, Westbrook and Chark and those guys absolutely, Yeah, go Tigers. I've got a trivia question to throw out and see if any of the masses out there or the masses here in studios can't answers yes, uh, what member of the Jaguars was drafted by Dallas? Got that question to throw out for you to ponder, and we're gonna take

your phone calls here, your thoughts on the game. Where's that phone number there? Mickey? Thank you very much. Brian brought us as we continue here on talking Cowboys in just a moment has been helping Cowboys fans eat better since nineteen seventy two, said they don't miss a moment on the field. Get classes with slor's best vision, clarity and protection with the Ultimate Lens Package, three innovative technologies

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at at and T Stadium. It's presented by Seek Geek. Tour the stadium, see the Dallas Cowboys alumni and the Cowboys cheerleaders even play on the field. Visit att Stadium dot com Slash Rally Days for details and to get your tickets and addend them to my trivia question I threw out there, what member of the Jaguars was drafted by Dallas? Let's a coach? Okay it is not, and I'm not talking Bo Scarborough. Who was? Who was signed this week to their practice squad, who obviously was a

Cowboys draft pick. So I guess I must make it a member of the fifty three. How do you have Tom mss Linsky? Is he on their staff? He's the strength strength coach? That's right? What round was Tom? Miss l must say? Fifth fourth at a Tennessee Right, We're not going back to nineteen sixties talk, are we? No, we're not. We're in the nineties. It's a member of the fifty three, drafted by Dallas. And let's go to Eric in North Carolina. Eric, how are you doing? And

are you and seriously how are you doing? Because did the hurricane make its way to North Carolina? Oh? Yeah, we're actually good. I mean eastern North Carolina close to Greenville, East utampers Is and we've got some residual wind and length. That was about it. Um, So we're good. We're good. We've got two bullets so far, and we're blessed to say that want to get hit. So that's good news.

Oh man, But thank you guys to take them a call fans on all of you guys or trust time I ever got through and I just want to make a quick comment and have a quick question for Brian's if I could sure, Um, First of all, I would just want to I think you hit it right on the head yesterday when I was Brian when you said that the quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars will hand you to football. At times you can get stopping, you can get messy, and there will there could be some opportunities

for our defense. I think us winning the game is contingent on that defense capitalizing on those opportunities to create short field for this offense, because if they're lining up, you know, try to get into that territory all games for the eighty yards series, it's not gonna be good for us, I don't think, especially if we can't run that football and get three or four yards a chip

on first down. Now, that leads to my question, Brian, if we are are unable to under ball officially your first down second now, good, good yards, what can we do schinematically to open things up to perhaps get us more y'alls on early down if they're stopping the run. And I'm going to hang up, you take you guys on this takes chime in on that. Thank you again, Um, and I love y'all. Do what you're doing. Thanks, thank

you appreciate that. What do you guys think, you know what, watching the game, and this might have happened because of who was playing the position, because Kelsey wore them out. Yeah, but they had trouble with the tight end. There's no question. That's exactly the direction I was going to go. And you know, I mean, I know Jeff Swain's not Kelsey, but Day didn't cover the tight end. They did not,

They did not at all. And that's a great idea, Mickey, because to me, I was thinking, Okay, if even if you even if you go play action, even if you know, you can kind of get these these defenses to start moving a little bit, you know, get somebody going in the tight end. I mean, the one thing that Swain has shown is that if he gets open, he can he can catch the football and get up the field. You know, he can create some problems. And Mickey's absolutely right.

I was just I'm happy he said that because that's the direction I would go in. If if they're not going to win on the outside consistently, you know, or they can't or they're winning and they can't get it to them. The one thing you can simply do is throw a six yard pass to Jeff swing and let him try and run for another two three or run for forty two more and they've got him in space. The last they have they have And you're talking about a very aggressive defense, as we've we've said it a bunch.

So anything to do to take advantage of them going one way, throwing that ball back the other I think you have to do. And that's that's exactly the route I would go. I would even maybe consider throwing the ball to the backs, you know, I mean if even if you go, if you find a way to get them into the you know, into some space, you know, the screens and things like that, and by all means, try and do some things. If they're going to rush hard up the field and you've got linebackers that are

going to run again, take advantage of that. Send them one way and then and have it throw a screen. There's delayed screens that they run to the tight ends though the backs in the flat things like that. You know, I mean, hey, you're gonna be fighting for yards in this game. It's gonna be tough. But you know, if every yard's a good yard, you know, every carry is a good carry. You just gotta keep keep hammering at it.

You know, the Cowboys are looking for givens in the past game, and Jason Witten for years was it was a gift given in the past game. And even you can look back at twenty sixteen, he had sixty nine catches. Okay, there was not yardage made after the catch whatever all catches, but they were catches. Even last year he had sixty three. And for a young quarterback especially to have I mean, we all know what he meant to Romo, but he

also meant a lot to this quarterback. They haven't found those catches yet, and you you would hope maybe that Jeff Swam, what's happened the last couple of weeks for him, that that's given him confidence. Um, you know, I just worry about them beating him up. Right. He's playing a lot of blocker, right, He's a blocker well, and maybe this is the emergence of Blake Jarwin, because don't you think they're gonna play a lot of two tight end to take care of those defensive ends that Jarwin will

you know, get his Jarwin? And you said, Rico, I mean, hey, we laugh, We snicker. But you know, we saw if if they can get Rico going as a blocker a little bit, as far as you know, show that he can you know, I mean when you put him in there, you're thinking they're gonna throw him the ball. I'm smiling. I'm smiling because as soon as you mentioned Rico, Rob gets a smart on it. I just because he just I'm not like you like the story. Oh no, no, no, his story. I want to see the internet break. Yeah,

I want to see if. I just you know, I'm just sitting there thinking, I'm thinking about who is it? Is? It? Is? It? Is it? You know? Is it Butler? For two weeks now, I thought, oh, Bryce, Butler's gonna be a part of his game planning. He hadn't been right. So if they're if they're not going to use him, and they're not gonna use Gallop and they're not gonna get okay, who

else I got. I can't sit there and go down to its bill parcels and those guys just say I can't go down to home depot and just go to the wide receiver section in Aisle seven and pull me out one and bring him back. That was Texico by the way was it Texico? Whatever? You know, but you get the idea. I can't. You can't go down the street and just grab what I mean. You got to play with what you have right now, right or wrong. You've got to figure out what you know. Okay, how

do you get Sway more involved? How do you get Rico more about? How do you get all these guys more involved? As far as Jarwin goes, Darryl Johnston said it on Our Cowboys Insighter, so far the stage has been too It seems to him that the stage has been too big. But you know, he could have won the game last week if they had blocked you know, blocked that linebacker. You know why, I'm sorry, why? Right? Yeah? And you know, and that's the other thing about this offense.

If you go back and look at there was a couple of plays late that one and then the one in overtime after the Xavier Woods picked they had Beasley deep. You know, there's been things that might have changed the narrative had they just executed better or communicated better. And you know, maybe that's a story for all teams that struggle. You know, if we would have done this, we would have done that. But there's plays to be made. Jarwin's

only got one catch in this season so far. But you know, Brian mentioned the backs and swam Zeke is the leading receiver on this team twenty two catches, and Swims third with fourteen catches, and some of that's just been bailout. Hey, I gotta get rid of this. I'm dak, but yeah, maybe that's the You gotta find something cooking if you can't get anything going on the outside. I'm with you there, Okay, you want the answer to this trivia question. Yes see, I'm Jaguar player drafted by Dallas

or some catch here. But it's Dallas Cowboys, It's Dallas Mavericks. There you go and brought us. You got it, you got it, and Rob you should have it. He's an aggie. I have no idea who I got it. He's a basketball Josh Lamb Josh Lambo, the kicker kicker first round. He was a first round draft pick of FC Dallas, the major league soccer team here in two thousand and eight. Gonna say, okay, might Brian smelled it out at the beginning,

He's like, is this a trick question? Yeah? Questions. Here's the draft Czar over there, he's looking at his list going, I'm like, I have nobody, nobody on this list that I and I was, I was going through all that I did. I went down through the specialist with you know, Logan Cook and he'd been picked in the seventh round this year, and I'm Carson tinkerd the long snapper. I'm like, by the way he got placed on IR so they've got a different um, got different snapper. Snapper downson too,

who's an age there's the three points right there. Yeah, bad snap Josh, but Josh Lamba And this is Dallas FC, Dallas two thousand and eight first round draft pick. I think he was a goalkeeper as a matter of fact, And I mean it's a pretty interesting story. He was playing professional soccer for years then finally fall of two

thousand and twelve. So four years later, in rolls at Texas A and M joins the football team as a place kicker, became the starting kicker at A and M in the two thousand and thirteen season, and then he winds up after he was with the Chargers for a little bit, signs with the Jags last year. He's made nineteen straight field goals so he's been very consistent. Chargers had Camillus. He's due. Yeah, there you go. You said that about Maher last week. Didn't happen. I did. I

was very concerned. So there's my trivia question. Yeah, very good. And I have to credit Rick Goslin for putting me on the scent of that, because when we were taping Cowboys Insider, he mentioned FC Dallas and whoa wait a second, Okay, anyway, I'm not a soccer guy, and so I would not know that otherwise or an aggie guy. No, he kept there. Yeah, seems like news things like someone who was an aggie wouldn't know the history of all. Kent didn't get it either,

he tricked us. I figured I figured it was some secure when you ask those questions, right right, thinking fifty three, I was thinking of some obscure offensive lineman. Yeah, and and I was thinking, but I had research Josh Walker and I saw all the places he was on a practice squad, so it's like, no, it's not a him. And Josh Walker plays a key role in this scene. Yeah, you're talking about this Jacksonville offense and that offensive line that is beat up right now, So if they do

throw sixty one time. Yeah, Cowboys are going to be in good that will play right into the Cowboys quarterbacks is not quite as mobile as Deshaun Watson. Right, speaking of Cowboys secondary, did you do the We haven't done the injury report? Have we yesterday? We need that. We need that, Mickey, do you have your injury report? I do. We need to talk about one of those guys. It's and by the way, David Irving a full practice all right,

Well you're looking for that. Oh I know how much will David Irving if he makes it to practice today and makes it to the game. I did see him breakfast, by the way, you did. I did see him breakfast, all right, So that's how much how many people he was? Yeah, he can live with me if he'd get a couple of sacks. He Okay, here's a guy that if he makes it to the game on Sunday, we'll have three

practices under his one last week and two this week. Right, Yeah, he'll get a walkthrough okay tomorrow, Yeah, okay, Yeah, much like Jamal Charles who will have three practices under his belt with Jacksonville, right, okay, right, But they're not going to hand him the ball. Supposedly he's going to be active. Oh yeah, and he's gonna make big plays. He said, that's right, all right, So how much can we really expect from guys who practice three times in the least?

I'd tell you what. I am so glad you went this direction, because to me, I would be worried about a guy that has only had the three Now if he'd practiced this Wednesday, say he got all the practices in this week. You know, I felt a little bit better about the situation. But I'm looking at a defensive tackle group. Okay, how is that rotation going to play? Yeah? You know, how is that gonna Where does Dave? Who does David Irbin? Whose spot does he take when you

put him in there? Because to me, and Mickey's gonna give you the injury report here, I think you're gonna have Malite Collins back you are? You know? I think? Okay, now what does that do with? You know, you've got some other guys that have been playing some of the backup roles that you know, Woods and Collins and yeah, Ross Ross been Ross played pretty well the other day before we did Okay, now, okay, do you if Ross is playing pretty well for you, and it's gonna sound crazy.

Do you do you have to do? You give David Irbing one more week to try and get a little bit more and I know we're running out of games. Well okay, here's there's two sides to it, because I think, but I think we're acting like this guy walks on water. Well, no you're not. And you're not going to activate a guy I don't think if you're gonna play him three snaps, I mean he needs to be part of that rotation. Get at least ten or a dozen or something like that.

But I asked Rod Marinelli about this yesterday because we talked about the defensive tacker rotation being undermanned. He said, that's an issue for us. Like Tyrone playing sixty snaps or whatever was last week, Wood's playing fifty because of the style that they he wants those guys up the field, up the right up there. That's as trying to throw the football. It's the style that they play with that you've got to have that rotation. So I think if

he can give you anything, he's active this week. And maybe maybe Malik is active, but you maybe he's not ready for forty five snaps or what all right? And then looking ahead to next week. Reportedly he's got court cases next week starting on Wednesday, which one days practice again next week. Let's put it this way. He had one practice last week and he was playing all right until things came up on Friday. So one practice and

now he's doubled that. Yeah, and to this week. My question is what can we really expect out of someone who hadn't third and six or more? He's on the field. Yeah, so he comes in on nickel. If he's going to be active, they've got to have a plan for him to put it. When he had the impactful game against the Packers a few years ago with on nineteen snaps, who was the NFC Defensive Player of the week, he

had been practicing with the team. Yeah, I know. So that's that's my point is what what how productive is he going to be? Let me ask you this, do you feel better about him? This might be I might get my answer right back, Abby, but you feel better about a Collins playing in the nickel or him playing in nickel right now? Because you're gonna not take You're not taking Crawford off the field. It's tough for any of us to answer because we haven't seen him practice.

I always don't know what he's and that's what I'm saying. Have they yeah, right, Yeah, I know. I know what Irving can give you when he's right. But I'd have to go with Collins because the last time David Irving had a full week of practice was Thanksgiving. That's a long time, man, That is a long time. And so if if I'm with you on this, if then i'd go in the least seven to ninety and they will have seen him in practice. We haven't seen him in practice this way. Why are you? Why are you giving

his measurements? He's a mismatch, that's what. Thank you, thank you, that's good. He's big time talent. I agree. I know where Vicky's gonna Micky's saying, just stand there and put your arms up. Okay, So you would rather him than Collins right now? Not not every play, but ten snaps. But Nickel. I heard they're gonna play Nickel on second down the whole game. Get ready, they're playing Nickel the

whole game. Use them all so you use them on third and when it's a definite passing situation, definite path. If they're going to be a nickel on second and five. No, I'm not sending them out there, but third and eight. Yeah, he's on the field. I mean they were gonna play him last week with one practice since November. I'm just answering Brian's question, Like one, I know I can use both of them. Then, yeah, let's use both. It's both, Brian, it's both kind of figure that was going to be

the case. Well, don't you think why does it have to be one or the other? No, I don't. I don't think he's ready to play me personally? Well he can't be. Well, then why play him? Well, they were gonna do it last week. I don't care. Why play Why don't we answer this question? Why? Why? Why do we think he's gonna play? Not because he's not, because why would you play him? They were gonna play him. I'm just saying what they don't ask me, Go ask them. Oh,

I'm just well, that's our discussion. That's the discussion. Does his contract play into it that? How much they're paying? I don't know, he's got ten games, but no, I would lean towards the guy that was in camp and has been around for most of this year as opposed to he hasn't. But again we've seen him. Freaking nature is what Brian brought up. Brought up a couple of weeks ago. He can that's what the head coach said. He can come in and do something on short notice.

But this is awfully short notice. We'll see how much. See he's an amazing talent. How much practice did he get in after he came off the suspension last year, like the next week didn't he? Yeah, he went to training camp though too. Yeah, you're right. Anything else on that injury report he was working hard in La. Yeah, you need you need to talk about that. I know one you want to know is Wooz. Yeah, I worry about that one. I worry about that one. Guys, I'm

not gonna lie to you. That'sked a couple of people. You know, Rod was kind of he's a tough guy. Though he's a little better. But yeah, you know, in a corner is different than playing other positions. You got to be able to plant and go and all that stuff. Well, he's limited two days in a row. Yeah, that's the one. I was not a long practice and they sat him the second half. Um, yeah, I think they're thinking big

picture here. I don't know anything other than to me, the fact that he was limited yesterday tells me that they they they likely had to go with with Brown, and then with Brown and then Lewis in the slot. I mean, that's if a guy a lot of people wanted to trade. Yeah. Yeah, And and they signed a cornerback. Why that's a good point. They added a corner The reason why they did that, yeah, because if they don't think he can play, then they need a corner I

think that was a telling thing right there. I'm signing a cornerback off of practice squad who experience. They have corners of themselves here in the practice squad that they didn't bring up. I was told this kid too, by the way, this Goodwin kid, watch him cover punts, watch him cover as a flyer. They they really like what he can do. And I not only talking to guys here, but guys around the league. I said, hey, what do you know about this good one guy? This guy is

really good flyer. Now is he the one that's played or not? He played twelve games for Atlanta last year, both safety, both guys who played, both guys of Giants. Was it yeah, Yes, yeah, you know Thompson's gonna be active too. He's gonna be your fourth safety. They don't have it. They don't have another safety other than I mean, him and Fraser are gonna be your two backup safeties in this game. Does he have any corner skills? Darian Thompson,

I would not put him in a corner, Okay. I would just go ahead and let go ahead and let Goodwin play, and then you know that's why they got him. But I'm worried about a Woozia in this game. I mean, I like to see him practice today. If he's out there and able to take more reps than what I'm hearing he's taken, then okay. But he's a tough guy. Woozier's played through knee and all that other stuff, going out there and practice when I didn't think he was

gonna practice, and he was able to do it. When you signed a guy off someone off a practice squad, it's three weeks, right, every week got him for three weeks. So that may tell you a little bit too about the fact that they think of Woozier. You know, you're looking at Jacksonville this week, at Washington next week, and then the bye after that. Yeah, so exactly all right, we continue here on talking cowboys. Take more your phone calls at eight eight eight eight five five two two

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we talked Cowboys, we talk Tommy John once again. This morning. I use four of the Tommy John fame. Tommy John, Tommy John, that's the John. If you put the underwear on your head, I'd be impressed, Mickey, and I'd be a little worried. At the same time, Tommy John, or how's that poups fitting over that nose of yours? Messling that chinos look at something? All right? Pull back the curtain here, he mack, and bring us back from break one more time. Yeah, sitting there, whatever you were doing,

I don't know. You were looking at the New York newspapers. He wanted to see what the headlines were about the giants right now, sack So fifteen seconds Tommy John, fifteen seconds ago, I told Micky of Mickey, you got it all. I got it. What about your spot you're about to red? Oh? I got it. I got it, And so the Jack Black spot. But game, Tommy John and Jack Black just got more time, right because now we've talked about it for more than fifteen seconds. Right, get you some Tommy John,

Tommy and some Jack Black. How about some Jack Black? Yeah, that'd be good. Babes, do you use yours today? I have not, though you didn't. You didn't shower when he wears this outfit, he doesn't shower. I haven't showered yet, Vicky. I'm sorry. Punishment for that, you have to wear Tommy John boxers on your head Monday jacks outside the pants. You know what, I just washed him last night. Oh good, that's great. Good. I've got five pairs so I can

put one on my head. All right, Well that's gonna happen. Then I I'll bring a spare pair. Make sure you like it. What would be worse wearing and tom for you, Rob Phillips, what would be worse wearing Tommy John's on your head? Or a Texas cap like I did last Monday? UT cap? Anything? Tommy John is fine. I'll wear I'll wear the press convert where Tommy John in my head? To Garrett ten minutes. All right, so's your Jack Black

where you're Oh never mind? Yeah, exactly. So on Monday, Nikki will wear Tommy John's during Talking Cowboys, and Rob Phillips will wear one on his head to Jason Garrett's press conference Monday. YEA, I didn't, I said I hypothetically, I'd be fine with THEA he deserves punishment boxers on Monday, Jack Black elsewhere? What never mind, let's move on. You guys are following. I beture there's a call? Is there a call? We ca Really we could be saved by

that call. I'd use my Jack Black there, all right, very good. All right, this Jacksonville team, the concern is the defense, right, Yeah, I think so. There's one guy's name I want to say, Yaunique in Gockway just because I like his name. Yeah, I like saying his name, and Cowboy fans should hope his name does not get called by Jim Nance on Sunday. Twelve sacks last. Yeah, Nick Inquay, they're so good. He's kind of the lost guy. He was their front. Yeah. They they they they have

they do. They roll guys in. I'll tell you if Fowler's kind of been a lost guy. I mean, if you talk about here's a guy that was the ion save was a third overall pick in the fifteen draft, and and Goquay has done a nice job of kind

of keeping him, you know, on the bench. And but yeah, what I what I what I worry about though, is if they do get you in Nickel's situation or passing situation where they have the ability to kick Kalais Campbell inside, and then they put all those rushers on the field at the same time, then that that that that could present some issues. We've seen the Cowboys struggle a little bit and not as much at home with the communication.

But we've seen him struggle little bit with some twist stunts and things like that that the Texans were able to pull off last week. So uh, hopefully you could stay out of those down in distance, But I just do I just might have these visions of Kalais Campbell and that six eight body playing inside. If you want to talk about what day of at Irving is six eight can do. This guy is even better at doing

it inside. From there, it'd be a nice little test for Connor Williams if it's yeah, And Connor Williams has played better, he really has. And Connor Williams I don't think has been this issue Dawn, but this this group presents a little bit of a different challenge for him. And I kind of compared him and Malik him in the matchup with him and Malik Jackson to what he had to deal with kan Short a little bit last week.

A guy, it's gonna plan your shoulder, it's gonna get up field, it's gonna play a little Power's got some core strength to him, it's got some quickness to him. So, you know, Connor Williams has come a long way in

six weeks. You know, hopefully he continues to bend the knees and sit down and do his very best to make if those guys are gonna run over you, make sure they run right over the top of you, don't you know, don't want to beat you around the corner and then all of a sudden, Dack's trying to slide forward and then there's a sack. That's what they don't need to guarantee they if they watch tape from Houston, they're blitzing, yeah, and so you better be ready for it.

And I was wondering last week and especially in the second half, and they were having trouble with that. Zeke came out on several third downs and Rod Smith was in. Now, was that because they thought Zeke was worn out or they thinking and we need somebody in here that it's going to do a little bit better block. Zeke has been a little bit better playing on his feet, Mickey. But that's a fair point to your that you just made, because the early in the season he was cutting cutting

away too much. And but man, I'll tell you he's he's I think alive. It had to do in that game off there were some banged up offensive players on their side of the ball and on your side of his knee and ankle bothered him. So I was just wondering, all right, you wonder why Jacksonville, If anyone out there wonders why Jacksonville has a top rated defense, look at how they have invested in their defense line. They've been

bad though, They've had a lot of high picks too. Yeah, yeah, but look how they have invested in their defensive line the last few years. A couple of years really. Laias Campbell unrestricted free agent from Arizona last year, four years sixty million, thirty guaranteed. Marcel Darius, who, of course was a former first round draft pick of Buffalo they acquired in a trade last year, six years ninety five million,

forty two point nine guaranteed. Malik Jackson was an unrestricted free agent from Denver in twenty sixteen, six years eighty five million, thirty one and a half guaranteed, first round draft pick number three overall in twenty fifteen, Dante Fowler, Yunick and Ghakuway third round draft pick in twenty sixteen, and then this year, first round draft pick number twenty nine overall, Tavn Bryan. Yeah, they have invested in their line,

no question. But you also you can look at their secondary two, you know, with what they've done with Ramsey, with Church, oh yeah, I mean it's five years fifty seven, and this is one of those teams that where if you want to give a good example of a team that's hit on free agency of paying guys, that's your that's your good example right there. They're one of the few teams in the league that's been able to take free agency to a whole nother level with the guys

that they got. Usually we've seen free agency worked the opposite way for some teams. You know, they spent a lot of money and didn't don't get the bank for the buck. But these guys have done a nice job of adding the right type of players for their scheme and then having them play very, very well. And let me continue there, a very Church shook course. Four years,

twenty six million, twelve million guaranteed last year. Tayshaun Gibson, local kid from Dallas, unrestricted from Cleveland, five years, thirty six million, twelve million guaranteed, third round draft pick this year, Ronnie Harrison, who they're using up as a lineback linebacker, Right you know and in the corners. Jalen Ramsey was the fifth pick in the draft. Booyer was five years sixty seven million last year. Tyler Patman of course didn't.

They haven't invested much in that, but he's getting playing time. D J. Hayden was an unrestricted guy from from Detroit. This year they three years nineteen million. Problem and I point out though that they had gobs of exactly they did. They did so even if you missed not a few, it doesn't show the and you don't have a lot, and you missed then and then and then Telvin Smith got to his second contract and they went ahead and signed him four years, forty four million. How many of

them offense? Well, I guess Parnell, Parnell and yeah, yeah, yeah. Now look at the rest of the they paid that. Andrew norwell though, that's right from from Carolina. Yeah yeah, all right, let's go the phone lines. Cortez and el Passo. How are you doing, Cortes, I'm doing good, Good morning morning. I want to get a sta to the point. I have a question and a couple of comments and the questions for me. Um, I want to ask you, what's Jason Garrett's formula for winning football games. And then my

comment is for Brian. I'm a big fan of the JAST Show and I just want you to keep a tie on a quarterback from Washington State. I can't pronounce his name. I think it's like Matthew the second. But that's something to speak about. DA get back to me the JAST Show. Okay, thank you. Let me ask was there was there some incentive for asking that question about Jason Garrett. I just kind of want to know, because I know you you kind of back up with Jason Garrett says a lot, and I just want to I

just want to hear from you. Go back, go back and look at go back and look at the twenty sixteen season and you'll see the formula. Go back and look at the first eight games last year and you'll see the formula. Okay, well is that? But I think they've gotten away from from that because they say that running the ball is our you know, how we win

football games? Play. I don't think so. I think it's passing because when push comes to job on thirty seconds down, they always passed the ball and and everybody says, well, it's running the ball, and I don't think it is. I think it's passing the ball because when push comes to job, they pass it. You got two downs to make the first down with this offensive nine running back, and he always shootes the pass. Oh they handed to Zeke on third and one, didn't get it over time. Yeah,

I'll see that. But the way I look at it with this team, you got two downs to get the first down. So even if he didn't make it on thirty one and he lost the half yards, I would have went no huddle and had two plays right off the bat, hit the defense off balance and got the first down. On that play that you're talking about, the thirty one can Colin blocks blocks the linebacker fifty nine Jack got an easy first down there. Colins didn't make

a play there too. Also, So what you're saying is the approach is right, but if you don't execute, it doesn't work real Well, yeah, the excuson didn't work on that one on college block, But all he had to do is get in front of the guy who Well, I think you answered your own question. You didn't need me. Well, I don't believe you keep listening to Draft show though

I need you, Gardner Minshow is that quarterback from Washington State. Yeah, like I say, Gardner, McKay, Jimmy Buffett, Books Menshoe, I haven't seen Washington State player. I know Mike Leach. I'm always fascinated by what he does with his offense. You know, here's a guy that doesn't run the football at all. I mean he's won games without running the football, which is kind of fun. But I I you know, I think that to me though, that you know, the questions

about Garrett and stuff. You know, this team has built the way it is. You know, he had a hand in that. If they can run the ball, they're going to have success. If they can't run the ball, it's going to be a struggle for them. So you know, I mean, we got to stop beating our head against the wall here and say, okay, what can you do well? How do you find ways if we can't manufacture, if the run game is not going, how do you able to throw the football? You know, we've said this a bunch.

This team is not the Rams, even though if you go watch the Rams play, they're a big play action team. By the way, I did watch them play a little bit, you know, on tape. Just to sit down, every one of the everyone of every time that golf goes back. You know why they do that so they don't make him have to think. They don't want golf to think in the pocket. They run play action. They have a play action tag on everything they do because that way, it doesn't make him have to think, it doesn't make

him have to read coverages. That's what he did at caw so Ts plays early in the game against Houston came off play action. Yeah, both went to the tight ends. Yeah, so you know, I figure out ways for this for at least this season to do that. And again, the identity of the football team is to try and run the football. That's their identity. You know, they're different than most teams in the National Football League. I've said this before.

There's a lot of teams I've talked to that throw the football a bunch that are envious of the way they run the football here or can run the football or Yeah, so let's not act like that there. It's a dinosaur deal. They when Dallas has success running the football, we've seen it. We saw it in sixteen, we saw it for eight games in two thousand and seventeen. You know, something along the way just did not is not gone right.

And whether it's protection, the quality of receivers, the lack of a tight end, the quarterbacks, mechanics, whatever you want to say, that's what's been the problem with this football team. Mickey mentioned twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen. You're right, formally hasn't changed. Personnel has changed. Personnel has changed. There's no doug He's not your right tackle. You got a right tackle you thought was gonna be better. He showed some signs.

You know. I guarantee the Bears when they made the pick or the trade, didn't look at the Dallas game on on Khalil Mack because Khalil Mack had to move to the other side to get away from him. You know, let's let's you know, they've had some they've had some issues with this line. They have a rookie. They don't have a center that can cut this defense in half. You know, that's why you can't run the ball as

successfully as you can. I wish that Travis Frederick could play this game because as aggressive as this Jacksonville defense is, as soon as those linebackers start to flow, you would see Frederick hit once hit, take a shot on the on the tackle and then he would turn his body and he would cut that linebacker off and there would be a nice lane for Ezekiel to make a cut. All right, two minutes left. Picks to click. Who's your pick to win the game? Mickey, and your pick to click?

I have no idea. Okay, let's go to Rob. I said I would go about it. I said I would go with what Brian did because Brian's undefeated. Okay, you want to start with Brian, then no, I'm gonna go my own way. You know what I'm gonna let I'm gonna ride this roller coaster one more week. I think they've played better at home. I'm gonna pick him to win this game at home. I don't feel Look, I don't feel good about it. I think they've got to prove that they can move the ball and score points

against this defense. But they have been better, and I'm counting on the Cowboys defense to do something to stifle Bordles, get turnovers, whatever it takes to get an ugly win at home, and your score twenty to eighteen. Twenty to eighteen, Cowboys, and you got a player. I like what you guys said about Jeff Swain. Jeff swam is your play. He's been their big play high the last two weeks. Jeff Swain Brian brought us. I'm gonna go with Jacksonville this week.

I'm gonna think they're gonna win the game twenty to six. I think they're gonna be problems running the football. I think they're gonna have to throw the football to win. If they can do that and have success, they could win this game. But I just don't see them having enough success throwing the ball. I do worry about Jacksonville getting getting some opportunities. They do get their running game going, they could you know, if they don't turn over the ball,

they can win. I just worry. I think this game is more in Jacksonville's defense than it is their offense. I have them win in this game twenty to six. Can I take the Tweboys Cowboys in three Cowboys and three point two? I'm going with Rob on the Teeter Totter philosophy, the Teeter Totter feel good about it. This is the up this is the up week. Okay, but you guys are right, so you got what's your score? Twenty seventeen twenty seventeen you have a pick to click

if they lose, who's gonna click? Yeah, I could have someone, you know what, I would like pick someone from Jackson. I would know. I would like to see if if they can win this game. I think it's gonna be on Prescott and I he's gonna have to outduel portals here and what they win. But yeah, I do have Jackson the cow and if you think about it, that's what happened last Sunday. Right, all right, Mickey, you got twenty to seventeen. Yeah, and you got who's your pick?

I'm taking Dak to Dak also, okay, and I'm going Dallas eighteen to fifteen. Brett bar Her six field goes to Josh Lambo, the former first round graph pick of FC Dallas five field. Now, Bill's making a bit. That's what I should have figured out a long time at eighteen fifteen Brett bar Her over Josh Lambo. We'll be back on Monday morning to wrap it all up. Thanks

for joining us all week here I'm talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.