The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Cowboys. This He's Talking Cowboys Straining live from the Dallas Cowboys World Course at the Star in Frisco Streets Dot ten, six ty pat touchdowns.
And now your hosts, Isaiah Stanback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeomans.
It's a Wednesday edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. As Week one is here and it's time to preview the Cowboys defense facing the New York Giants offense here on this Wednesday. That's what we'll do all season long. Wednesdays we previewed the Dallas defensive mat and then on Thursdays we switched things over we preview the Cowboys offensive
match up. But that is where we'll get things started this week, alongside Isaiah stand Back, John Machoda, Nick Harris, Chris Beam in the back, I'm Kyle Yeomans. Gentlemen, how we doing fun?
Tabulous?
Doing fantastics? Four days, four days?
Yeah, it's all We've got it's own.
Cowboys back in the practice field today, Mike McCarthy's got his press for coming up at eleven. Any pressing news that we're waiting to hear from.
I guess more clarity on Tyler Smiths as the days pass. Reports coming out about an MRI yesterday. You know, I think his status is kind of uncertain going forward. So here's to hoping that that left guard situation gets figured out quick.
Goodness.
That has to be the biggest thing. Yeah, I saw that there's reports that it came back on them RI as a hamstring strain. So it's all about you know. I feel strongly if this is a playoff game, you wouldn't even be thinking twice. But because it's so early in the season, you just never really know. And and I don't think that Mike McCarthy would even if they thought today, yeah, he's probably not gonna go Sunday night. He's not gonna tip his hand on that at all.
Just looking for the game planning things. I'm just from being around Mike McCarthy over the last few years like he does not give that stuff up at all. So that'll that even if it even if he wasn't gonna play, we won't know about it until probably Jerry on the radio Friday.
Yeah, getting really close right up to it. Yeah, Yeah, I think I think you're gonna probably see him play. I that's just a that's a gut feeling more than it is a report.
I just I look at it.
Game line, yeah, and and the matchup that they have, and I mean, we'll talk about more of that matchup specifically tomorrow, but I just don't see them not playing Tyler Smith in this game. And if they do, maybe they they they if they are pushing it a little bit, maybe they keep him in a rotation and it's it's not full snaps, but that's really hard to do with an offensive lineman anyways. You want to have some continuity up front. It's not like switching in and out receivers
and getting snaps like that. So I think he plays. I think he'll be there and I think he'll be ready to go. But of course we'll look to see some clarity. And do you think there will be clarity today whether or not he is on the practice field or do you think most of that is going to come Friday, because you I mean.
There's a chance he's not out there today for sure, where he could just be getting treatment and things like that. I don't necessarily expect that, but yeah, that's always a possibility. If they think given him a couple of days will help, then yeah, that's possible. But I still think even if that was the case, they wouldn't tell you if he's going to be out or not.
Yeah.
Yeah, keep an eye on Tyler Smith moving forward. But yeah, Cowboys back on the practice field. McCarthy coming up at eleven am Central time. Isaiah, I want you to dive into this real quick. We talked about the identity, and identity is such a buzzword around the NFL, Yeah, and it varies. But what is the offensive identity for the New York Giants and how could the Cowboys? What are the Cowboys to take away if that is their identity?
Well, you want to force him into a passing situation, and that's easy to say with this defense. But the best player on the field for them offensively is their running back, Sakwon Barkley, and I feel as if he is such a huge element of their offense. And I don't want to start throwing random percentages out there, but I believe last and when I heard it, around seventy percent.
He's about seventy percent involved in what they do offensively, whether he's in the receiving game or whether he's running the ball. So if you are able to have from the defense's perspective, a positive effect on him, it's just simply slow him down. Everybody wants to say, stop him, shut him down, like certain individuals, it's kind of hard to do that on right, especially when they have the
versatility to flex out and all those things. But if you could simply slow him down, you go back to last year's game back in November, they were able to simply slow him down, right, get their hands on him at the line of scrimmage, really disrupt his route out into the whether he's running a route or whether he's running a screenplay, right, just really disrupt him before he
gets the ball in his hands. Because once the ball is in his hands, you're gonna need you're gonna need all your partners to come come to the party, because he's just that shift. He's just that dynamics, that's what it is. So to that point, find a way to slow him down, and I feel like you're gonna find yourself in a good situation because I still don't believe that Danny Dines is Danny Dimes. I still think he's Danny Nickel.
Well, Mel, I mean to that point, though, I will also say when I look at my time covering the Cowboys versus Giants, going back to Dack's rookie year, like, I don't think the Giants have done a good job at all of replacing Odell Beckham. Odell Beckham twenty eighteen, that's the last time they had a thousand yard receiver. I mean since then, there's been times where the Cowboys have talked about potentially having three one thousand yard receivers
on the team. And I'm not saying they haven't tried. They gave a bowload of money to Kenny Galladay, he's gone. They drafted Darius k Well, yeah, but I was gonna say Cadarius Tony High, thinking that he was gonna be a big part of it. They have not put a
perimeter player out there that you really fear. I think I would say over this last four or five years, really since Odell Sterling Shepherd maybe is their best guy, and I don't think anybody looks at him like he's a number one and so during that time, so they lose both those games to the Giants Dax's rookie year, and since then they've only lost the Giants once and it was at the end of that twenty twenty season, So, I mean, and then just listening to all the questions
they were getting, because you know, for us, you know, Michael Parsons sucks, he'll talk today. That's I think that's what the schedule is gonna be for the season. Dak always talks on Thursdays. Man, yesterday the Giants had Daniel Jones talk, Dexter Lawrence talked. I think somebody else did to maybe Darren Waller. I mean, they had a lot of their top guys talk, and man, just looking at the questions they were all getting. It was all about how, you know, is it in your guys head now that
you guys can't beat the Cowboys and all stuff. Just one question after another. And as a player, you got to be annoyed by that. But I mean, records are what they are. But when I look back at why it's been like that, one of the biggest things that jumps out is just that perimeter playmakers just haven't been there.
Yeah, I want to touch on a couple of things we could talk about the receiving corps for the Giants and kind of piggybacking off of what you said about how they haven't really had that reliable guy since Odell. I do feel like eventually Jalen Hyatt could be that guy for them, but it's not gonna be week one. So it's another instance of Hey, very fortunate that they get him at least this early in the season on the road, very similar to how they get Aaron Rodgers week too.
At least that happens early in the season.
But I think Jalen Hyatt further down the road could definitely be that guy for them.
And looking around Darren will.
Let's say on that for real quick, Yeah, why do you think he fell as far as he did in the draft?
Though?
I think what people looked at when they looked at him from Tennessee as he's just boom or bust. Whether you know he can have the big play, he's not going to get you much in the short to intermediate game. And that could be attributed to his rout tree, that could be attributed to Tennessee's receiver development over the years too. I mean, I can't really think of a Tennessee receiver. Off the top of my head, that's been something as of late, so I think that's a big part of it.
But you know, if you have a guy like you know, Danny Dimes or Danny Nichols, however Isaiah wants to put it, if he can just get the ball to him downfield, that's eventually going to open up a lot of things for sake.
Wand that makes sense why they drafted him.
The only reason I wanted to bring that up with you is because people that live on Twitter like we do, have seen the video during his draft process with him and Cowboys wide receiver coach Robert Prince, and Robert Prince is like basically telling him, you know, hey, man, just go yeah, I want to say, you know what it was. It was at his pro day. I want to say he was in Tennessee.
Yeah, oh yeah. Yeah.
He's like he's like telling him, He's like, man, you know, you know what you are? You know what you are? And Jalen highly comes right, Bay goes what am I?
Coach?
What am I?
And it's like kind of contentious for a little bit. Uh. One of our reporters at the Athletic asked him about it. This week a couple of days ago, I think, and he said it was all cool, and it was just like it was one of those environments where he was just kind of trying to motivate him or whatever. But if you just watch the video, it makes it certainly seem like Robert Prince's kind of inferring that, you know,
everyone knows you're the speed guy. Now you're out here in this show everybody that you can do everything else. It wasn't saying you're not anything else, but it's like, hey, that's what these guys that are watching right now are thinking. Show them in this.
That's what I took it as.
Yeah.
Yeah, but you know how when.
That stuff gets on social media, it can gain legs like that happen.
Yeah, he gets out of contact.
But then when he fell in the draft too, there was kind of part of me where because there was some talking positive being a first round pick.
Yeah, here's the con that I had on him. Whenever I was watching film and draft coverage, I said, pretty confined to the slot even in college because some of the other players outside. They had a guy named Cedric Tillman on the outside that was pretty good as well. It'll likely take a transition period to move to a pro style spread, but he's talented enough to make it happen, needs to develop his route tree to expedite that process.
So it kind of goes back to what the video might have been talking about was the route tree and the speed because he's quick released, he's got the skill set, he's explosive. He brings all that to the table. But like you said, Nick ching him in week one, you're not catching him as a rookie in week fifteen yet.
I mean, of course you faced the Giants later in the year as well, but you're not seeing the high end of Jalen Hyatt initially to where it's really going to scare you from a weapon standpoint, And going back to what John was saying earlier, Daniel Jones is one in five in his career against Dallas. The only win was Week seventeen of twenty twenty against Andy Dalton as
the starting quarterback. So that's not all his fault. There's been injuries to Saquon Barkley, there's been lack of production on the outside, But Isaiah, you'd seem to think that Dandy Dimes plays a pretty significant factor into that as well.
Absolutely, and I think he's going to have a substantially better season this year. He'll probably have his best season of his career this year simply because of who his head coach is and his coordinator. I mean, Dave bow is an absolute beast when it comes to play calling and his understanding of concepts.
Just to back your point ups one seed he's in with Dable. He set career highs and completion percentage, passing yards passing, touchdown passer rating all last year. Ye yeah, and playoff ones. Yeah that's a good one too.
So I mean the reality is he has more time underneath that leadership now and he's going to be that much more refined. And these guys don't have a receiver as we're talking about the receiver room, but they do have a pretty solid committee of receivers. And when you have a OC or head coach however you want to call him, okay in Dable and you have a quarterback who's been underneath his wings now for a little over year, has a great understanding, and then he have a room
where anybody could be the man any day. That creates a dangerous kind of kind of setting for any defense, and it really just comes down to what your front can do now to force them into those passing situations, because we all know mister Nichol is going to give you an opportunity. He's gonna give you opportunity, right, Nikel. Yeah, he's going to give you an opportunity, but you have to force him into that position. You can't give Dabel the option to run the ball and passed the ball.
You will find yourself in a situation.
And obviously he sold on him because they wouldn't given him that contract. And if they didn't, one other thing I was gonna say in hya. I mean, he was a top seventy five pick. I'm not trying to act like he fell to the fourth, fifth round. But I
don't know. Maybe I overrat it because I like college football, but I mean, when a guy wins the blittne cough best you know, college wide receiver in that and then there was just all the hype coming out of college and that I just thought he would be late first, you know, mid second or something like that.
I fully expected a mid to late second on him. And yeah, even I wouldn't have surprised me if someone took a risk on him in the first, you know, he just kind of felt like that kind of talent and as he kept falling.
That really surprised me back in April.
But I think he's gonna have a very similar year to Christian Watson in the fact that, like, you can't forget who he is the first six seven weeks and then oh my goodness, where did this one hundred and fifty yard three touchdown performance come out from?
So can we make sure that that opening, like his his coming out game, doesn't happen against Dallas.
It kind of happened against the secondary that doesn't have a good safety corep because it's going to require him to get over the top and have those big plays and daty dimes to be able to connect with him.
So I don't think that happens against Stallis. It does just me theorizing. I don't want to sound with the homer.
Here, but yeah, net Packers game, if Daniel Jones are the quarterback and that Aaron Rodgers, I don't think he would have had that game.
Yeah, exactly, point exactly. I want to touch on Segua Barkley really quick.
I think Dallas has done a really good job since Barkley has come in the league of at least limiting him. Through eight games, Saquon has played against the Cowboys, averaging fifty eight rushing yards on twelve carries. He's had more action in the receiving game as of late. In his last three games, he's had a one hundred and twenty rushing yards, one hundred and nine rushing yards, and then
eighty receiving yards. So at won two three. So I guess just trying to limit him in both of those categories. And you know, the run defense is going to be something we put a big spotlight on in week one just to see how it's improved, whether it be with Hankins, Mazie or with the guys in the second level, to see if they can come in and you know, limit that running game. But I think overall the Cowboys have done a pretty good job. But started Barkley is starting
to catch up a little bit. He's starting to pick up back on those averages a little bit.
Yeah, he reached twenty miles per hour on six carries last season, which was tied for first in the NFL, and a lot of that came at the back half of the season because he did deal with some of those early injuries. Do you think you talked about the shiftingness earlier? Do you think Saquon I mean, there's a lot of discontent there as well, in terms of contracts and running backs and whatever's ended up happening in New York. Do you think he's back fully to what he was
originally to where it will be tough for Dallas? And I mean it's gonna be a task regardless. But this is a run defense that we're still kind of questioning going into Week one.
I'm interested to see what da bolls approach to this defense is going to be To next point. Dallas has done a pretty dog one good job against Saquon Barkley in the past, and dan Quinn has had a good game plan for him. However, you're meeting off asive coordinator who's probably the most confident he's been in that organization. You're meeting a quarterback who's the most confidence he's been in that organization. Those guys have whatever chemistry that has
been brewing for the entire offseason. So you're gonna get the healthiest version of sa Kwan Barkley that you will
face all year long. So there's a lot of things that are against you in that regard, but at the end of the day, you have the personnel to handle this, and you're gonna have to have your head on a swivel because he's gonna stable, is gonna be in his bag, and there's gonna be things that he's been brewing up all off season, you know, since last year or since the beginning of the year, that he's just been waiting to pull out against Dallas, And you know, you just
have to be calm, you have the steady of the sas. There's gonna be plays that they make, there's gonna be splash plays. Then you just have to know that, hey, this is a part of being in the first game of the season. Every team's going to go through this for the first four games of the year. There's gonna be things that they just haven't seen because guys have been drawing stuff up all summer. So just be calm, be collected, you know, stay to your keys, stay to
your stay disciplined. They're going to get their plays, but just make sure that you don't get too high or too low.
They've been definitely following the Cowboys Blueprint of twenty eleven on with spending those first round picks on offensive linemen, and you'd think that. Obviously, the Cowboys a lot have had a lot of success draft in the first round, and it's not always going to be a hit for everybody, but Andrew Thomas, Evan Neil. They just took the John
Michael Schmidt, I think it is the center. So they've been like they've been spending, Yeah, they've been spending a lot of really high picks to solidify this offensive line. So it'll be interesting to see if that group has taken another step forward.
They're really starting to get talented in the trenches, and they're young too, so that's that's kind of concerning.
How much does Daniel Jones play a factor into that because he's a mobile quarterback. I mean, as much as you really want to talk about it, he's where would you rank him? Let's start there. Where would you rank him in terms of mobile quarterbacks in the NFL? Where would you put him?
I mean, how high are we going on ranking?
So here I'll talk.
About guys that are definitely above definitely about Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts.
He's in a top team, that's he's in the top ten.
I would argue he's top five. You're out your No, actually I'm not. I'll give you something.
There's not many more here we go.
How about this?
If we only we could get a hold of a mobile quarterback that we could ask about this, Yeah, that would be nice.
Or two of them.
Daniel Jones last year?
How does his mobility stag up against yours?
Oh?
Yeah? Now yeah, where is it now? Thirty nine year old Isaiah Yes. Daniel Jones is one of three quarterbacks in the NFL last year that had three thousand passing yards and five hundred rushing yards, only behind Josh Allen.
And rushing day against the Yes he did.
The facts are he has the capability of ready.
He was also top five in rushing yards by a quarterback last year, behind only Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts. He was above everybody else in here.
Kyler Murray, Cakyler Murray would run circles with Kyler Murray was seventh. I understand what I'm saying. So we're talking about capabilities. Are we talking about how the team utilizes them? Like those two different things?
Two things?
So we're talking about skill set, skill set? He is not even close in the top five of athe leticism of quarterbacks.
That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about dual thread ability, and again that includes throwing the ball.
So how they utilize him is totally different than how the skill set what he's capable of doing if everything is covered, because most of the time he gets his rushing yards because everybody's covered and nobody's really concerned about rushing him, right, So of course you're going to take off and get what you can get. Every every offense isn't necessarily set up that way. Dak Prescott has more
Russian capabilities of Danny Dines. But guess what, he's been a little tentative over the past few years, so he's not going to take off past a lot of scrimmage. Now that most likely would change this year. But he's definitely somebody you have to respect. He's not he doesn't look like he's the most athletic guy, but if you don't pay attention to him, he'll take off on you. He'll make you pay for it. He'll move the chains
and that's all he wants to do. He's not trying to score touchdowns off a running He's just trying to move the chains and keep this offense on the field, and.
He had him in the top five. Who were your five? Again?
I had Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Justin and Fields ahead of him. And that's mostly because I think Daniel Jones is a better passer than Kyler Murray, and so that's the why I had it there.
My other factor in this is if.
We're talking athleticism completely separate, absolutely, but in terms of complete package, is a dual threat quarterback. I would have Daniel Jones above Kyler Murray right now.
Would you have him above Patrick Mahomes?
Oh?
Probably not so that I would push out of the top five.
Then, if Daniel Jones had good point Patrick Mahomes' arm talent, he would not be running as much. And that's why I don't think that Patrick runs nearly as much as he could.
Mahomes was ninth in rushing yards last year, and I would agree with you on that.
I mean, he takes some hits that even then I'm just kind of like, you don't need to top six.
He's barely slipping in the top ten for me, kay, Would you put Geno above him?
Absolutely? I don't think I would gas faster than Danny Dimes talking about talking about package, what do you guys consider duability his ability to sit back in the pocket and throw and ability to throw in a run CORRECTCT and run.
And you guys are.
Saying Danny has more ability than Gino Smith in that regard.
I think so. I think it's closed, But yeah, I think so.
Yeah, I think so too, Man Seattle guy.
Before last year, I would have said, yeah, no question, But Gino was.
He was good.
Yeah, I like you guys, but you guys, yeah, no, I don't know man Gino. I do want to see another year from him, But man, last year was.
I guess to your point, Isaiah, you could factor in the fact that Gino has a lot more weapons available, so he doesn't necessarily have to do as much as Danny did at.
Times last year.
But whenever Danny needed to get out of the pocket, hey we picked up some extra yard and she did.
How things pan out versus how things are what they're capable of, those.
Are two two different things, for sure.
But you also have to look at the results on the table sometimes.
That's why I'm not a stats guy. That's why I'm not a stat.
Wins versus lost.
Guy, absolutely me.
Let me ask you this then, would you?
I mean, I don't. I mean listening to if Dak Prescott throws for five hundred yards this year, but the Gallas Cowboys win every game, I don't give a doug on you still he still you know, he probably make ad decision, you know. So when it comes down to that, I don't care in regards to a lot of stats. But in terms of when I think about dual threat quarterback, I'm thinking about their ability to have speed, agility, arm strength, and accuracy.
Okay, so maybe not on the accuracy part on what I'm about to ask you, but all the other ones, like Justin Fields just knocks it out of the park. Athleticism, Yeah, how would you feel if you were an NFL GM if I had if I was like you got to pick for your team going forward, Daniel Jones or Justin Fields? Where would you go on?
That depends on who the coaches are.
M hm.
Okay, so you're the least close though, So you're you're talking utilization.
But I mean some things can't be taught, right, That's why athleticism can't be taught. But you can If a guy is willing to learn and capable of learning, you could turn an athletic quarterback into an absolute beast of a player. Danny Dimes has a cap on how good he can be physically, there's a app on it. Yeah, Right, at some point in time you have to sit back and say, Okay, now we have to strategize him being
in the pocket for the most part. Right, you take Austin Fields, a Trey Lance, uh, whoever else you want to put out there, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, all these other guys are way more athletic than Danny Dimes and put them in an offense that allows for them to run a ball, they run his zone read and things like that. They of course their stats are going to show that they're that they're more capable, But in terms of their physical aspect, like these guys, it's night and day.
Have you ever mentioned Jalen Hurts.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. He barely I mean, Jalen Hurts is number two one or maybe one on that list.
That depends.
I would have to actually look down at it.
There's no different than the conversation you guys had about Jalen Hurts, right, Jalen Hurts didn't have great status and all of a sudden, the system, the system is what the system is.
Out to your point about that tell me who the coach is. Absolutely, that was. That's a big factor there for sure.
And the coaches in New York take advantage of Danny Dimes and his ability. I mean, that's that's part of it. Is Josh allen Esh, you you play with the card value jet Absolutely is.
Josh allen Esh. Yeah, it is.
He's six five, two thirty and he runs for seven hundred yards and not eight running straight.
He's gonna run straight. You're not worried about him making a man miss right, But if you don't, if you don't keep your eyes on him, Yeah, he's gonna burn you for a first now, but you're not. But you take him and you take a Kyler Murray and those guys get outside of the pocket. You're not threatened by j about by Daniel Jones.
The way that you're That's what I'm talking about.
You see what I'm saying.
Like, but if you don't pay, if he gets outside the pocket and there's a receiver open thirty five yards down, feel better, you more upset or are you more concerned with Daniel Jones? Are you're more concerned with Kyler Murray?
Murray ky m all day, yeah, all day.
Way more powerful arm, Yeah, way more powerful ARM. I don't know about way more eighty r versus eighty yards versus sixty five yards, that's a big difference.
Eighty yards.
I could throw eighty yards, scut. I know you Calum Murray can throw absolutely all.
Right, We're gonna take our first break when we come back. Kind of pairing the two together. We talked about Saquon Barkley, We've talked about Daniel Jones, but then there's a read option game. Who has to stay disciplined on the Cowboys front seven in order to take that away from New York on Sunday Night football. And as we continue to get in to week number one, we'll be right back with more talking Cowboys.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller.
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To Talking Cowboys, This portion of Talking Cowboys is brought to you by a Quaker Oates, a super trusted super food Quaker Oats, the official oatmeal sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys. Welcome back into the SWBC studios at the Star in Frisco. Nick Harris, John Machoda, Isaiah stand backam Kyle Yeomans with Chris Beam in the back. We talked a lot about Daniel Jones and his mobile ability, but really it's the
way he's utilized. As to Isaiah's point, Brian dabol does a phenomenal job of allowing him to get into space and allowing him to carry the football with confidence. Part of that stems from the read option, and part of that stems from allowing a defense to make a decision. So I'm going to give Nick Harris, I want you
to start things off. Give me one player that has to stay ultra disciplined against the Giants offense this week on the Cowboys defense that has to stay disciplined against that readoption in order for them to be successful.
I mean, it always plays into the defensive ends, and you want your best rush defender to play at his best. So I would say DeMarcus Lawrence coming off the end. You know, I want him to stay disciplined there and that seals off that side of things. You know Michael Parsons, I would like to see how he improves in the running game this year, and I think this is going
to be a very fun test in week one. But I want DeMarcus Lawrence just to you know, quiet all of the weird hate that he got during training camp and just go ahead.
And bawl out on Sunday night.
Somebody, I think Dan Quinn was the one that told me. It was a conversation late in camp. It was like two or three days before we left, maybe even closer to that. Somebody told me he thought Daniel or DeMarcus Lawrence had his best camp.
Yeah, since he's been Mike McCarthy said that in his press conference.
Maybe that was Mike that said.
Maybe it was staying the said in his press conference.
I think one of the two it's important people that did it.
Yeah, his two bosses and Mike. Mike made it, you know, I want to say it was him and it was since he's been the head coach.
So it's the best four years.
I think the big thing with the Marcus is just he's he's healthy right now. And I don't know this to be a fact. I'm just throwing this out there. I kind of he hasn't been in the locker room a ton. I kind of think he's avoiding, like he doesn't want a bunch because he knows that that's gonna be one of the first thing you're gonna talk about, like, oh, you're so healthy, you're playing great. Where when you're a veteran like him, you don't even want to talk about
it stuff. You just want to play. You don't want to even harp on like oh yeah, yeah, I'm finally healthy and stuff like that. You don't want to, you know, almost drink it. I mean, it's pretty tough to be in pro sports, and I have a little superstition to you. So no, Laurence is a great one for that for sure.
Do you load the box Isaiah against New York In that case, Dallas didn't load the box a whole lot last year, but they had success in doing so. Do you do you load it up because of the threat of the run and maybe to help out the Reds In terms of the guys on the edge, I do not, And.
I my player that I believe needs to be the most disciplined that's going to be demonk Clark reason being at the defensive line position. Whenever you're facing your zone read, your coach is simply asking you to, yeah, be aware, but more so be decisive because if you're decisive, then your second level defenders can now adjust off of you. Right, But if you're caught in no man's land, they don't
really know where to go. So d'mond Clark, the reason why I believe that he has to be the most disciplined with his eyes in particular, is because it's hard. You're ready sitting, you know, three to five yards off the line of scrimmage. You're responsible for coming downhill and filling gaps, but you're also responsible for playing at the
second level defender. So as you start talking about the zone, zone reads and things of that nature, and well you have to start talking about RPO because you can't just play the zone read aspect of this RPO. There's two guys that can run the ball, and there's routes that are going on behind you as well. So if Deamond Clark fully commits at that second level and comes downhill,
now there's a gay hole behind him for those slants. Right, So those quick little quick zone rings and it boom, pop, little quick little pop passes what we call them, whether it be to Darren Waller coming off the ball and turning right behind the first level, or whether it be Slayton or one of those guys getting it at the second level. So that's those linebackers. Is really tough on them. Talk about a Marque's Bell, Jamon Jay, Ron Curst, those guys walking down and playing the end of that second
level as well. It's really hard on those guys. It's really difficult.
Yeah, the RPO throws a really fun wrinkling all that. So I like the Damone Clark pick there and him and Lawrence are gonna have to work together anyway, you know, coming off that same side, so it kind of goes hand in hand for sure.
For sure, Dallas last year had a fifty nine percent success rate when a lining six or fewer defenders in the box. That was seventh best in the NFL. So they had success in doing so. A big reason for that was Lton vander Esh and having Anthony Barr there too that were able to kind of combine on the
edge and kind of fill those holes. But it also played a factor with Donovan will I mean the fact that Donovan Wilson could come down and shoot the gap and fill those holes well, and you're not probably gonna have Donovan. Do you has to get an update.
I don't have an up, Billy. Yeah, it's very question.
It goes all the way back to the start of training camp. It's yeah, this calf injury, So yeah, I wouldn't I wouldn't count on it. And if he does, then you're you know, it's a pleasant surprise. But fortunately for them, that's one of the deepest positions on the team. So yeah, when you were saying that about the guys, I'm glad you mentioned Curse because that is definitely someone that stands out to me just because of he's gonna
have the big assignment of being on Waller. And I really feel like, if you can tell me that Jay Run Curse is going to have a really good game, I think things are going to go really well for their defense.
How much does Waller add to this offense for the Giants, because that's an element that they've had in the past, but not necessarily the same level of Darren Waller specifically.
Yeah, they've hoped for it. I mean that's why they drafted you know, Evan Ingram, and that didn't work.
Out.
But it's tough because I can't see her and say I've watched their training camp. But if Daniel Jones are on the same page and that's you know, Daniel Jones's guy, yeah, that could be huge. I mean you've seen it when we talk about you know, Brady and Gronkowski, or you obviously talk about Mahomes and Kelsey. That can be huge. I mean, but that goes back to what the point I was making earlier. It's like you have Saquon Barkley.
You draft these offensive linemen, but you just haven't had that perimeter threat to kind of make them pay, not just Cowboys, but any opposing team. So maybe that is Waller if he's healthy. But I find it hard to believe that they part ways with him for I think it was a third round pick. If they thought Darren Waller was still the once it was twenty twenty, he made the Pro Bowl, I think that was it. That was his best year and he obviously was great double but.
He had some interest.
Yeah, right, yeah, there, that's the big thing.
Yeah, if he's healthy, he's still legitimate.
He's a problem. He's never been known for being the biggest blocker. He is a receiving, big tight end. He's freaking massive.
Twenty twenty Pro Bowl.
Yes, this is my question. Nobody, they're not talking enough. Conversation isn't being had about Donovan Wilson's potential options in this game. The impact that he has on defense is absolutely insane. Him being gone, you have to feel that void. Yes, you can rotate another player in there, and they are deep. They have Marque's Bill, they have one y A. Thomas.
Both of those guys had amazing camps. My question is with a Darren Waller, right, there's a couple of guys that you kind of have to just counsel out because you can't allow Darren Waller to sit up there and have a field day of eight to ten catches for you know, ninety plus yards. He would destroy you in
that regard. Do you take Curse and place Curse on him to and put him on that matchup or would you bring in Israel Mikuamu who's a better pass defender and let him take Darren Waller and allow Curse to play more in the box.
I'm starting with Curse, and if it doesn't work out, then you adjust, but I'm starting with Curse.
Yeah, same here. I completely agree.
Yeah, I think I would start with curse there too. I know you're asking this question because we were in studio yesterday, Yeah, trying to figure out the same thing for Hitsticks. We were trying to make the adjustments for No Donovan Wilson in the fold. Where do you go? I feel like you have a different answer to that question.
I don't disagree that I would start there, but I would. I would make his life complete hell by the office, Yeah, I would. I personally would put mcwambo in there to just stay in his hip pocket long rangey. You can't. You're not gonna run a round on them. There's nothing that There's nothing that Darren Waller's gonna do that's gonna really allow for himself to have a one to two yard separation, right, and you have this lanky arms, right, So in terms of body frame, I think it's a
heck of a matchup. In terms of footwork, you have to give the footwork to Israel mcuambo right, his ability to be able to guard every route that Darren Waller would run. I know a lot of people are gonna say, well, mcwambo again, you have curse. You know it's about taking what guys do best and the reason why you have depth at these positions because all these guys do something different, they all bring a different valuable asset to this team.
I think this is a week where mccuamo is better fit to stick on Waller and allow Curse to be that running that Ren enforcement in the box to take away Saquon Barkley.
I like that.
Who do you think is more physical? Jay Runner is real Kambo?
It is all day long. You think I'm sorry, sorry, Jem, sorry sorry.
You said it was like wait, sorry, that's.
Fine, that's fine.
Then it comes down to how physical do you think Darren Waller is. If you think mukamu can handle that challenge, then okay.
I don't think that's his best asset. I don't think anybody is ever Darren Waller is a maaller.
Yeah absolutely not never right, but you.
But you always fear his ability to be a pass catcher, run down and feeling.
When he was when he was making the Pro Bowl in twenty twenty, he he was a little more physical than I think.
The contested catches were there.
Yeah, he was physical, physicality and ball catching rather than physicality route running.
So then that makes sense with Mukammu.
You you would rather have him in coverage or i'm sorry, in ball skill coverage whenever the balls in the air. So I understand that line of thinking, but I want I don't even want to.
I just I'm saying that because I know most people out there are going to go against what I'm saying, right, but I'm thinking about it from straight attributes. From straight attributes. If you're going off for attributes alone, and what are you trying to take away I'm going with mcwamball, I'm not trying to take a better overall player off the field.
I'm just simply saying, allow curse to be a reinforcement at the second level to take away their best player, right, and let MCWAMA take away one of their best passing threats.
It was interesting too you mentioned about Donovan Wilson. I'm huge on Probably my favorite saying is just because it's proven to be so true in my life as actions speak louder than words, and man, the way free agency started and when they went after Donovan Wilson, the way that they did it made it so clear how important he was. Because you know, when you talk about the Cowboys defense. I mean, where does he even come in
the ranking of how much you're talking about somebody. He's not in the top two, three, four guys that you talk about. But the way they went after him in free agency just made it very clear of the importance, like you said, and it's just easy to forget about him because he's a later round pick. He's a guy that we haven't seen much this year because of the
injury in training camp. But yeah, there's no question that they feel, Yeah, this could be a major hit not having him on the field because because of his importance that maybe doesn't always show up in all the areas that get you on TV.
Name your top three enforcers, physical enforcers.
On his own, he's definitely on it.
Yeah, he's up there. Yeah, they talk about somebody who's a tone.
SETUP would probably say Wilson, not in any particular order. Wilson Micah. Micah just had the flash places I did what it could and sneakily, I would say Leyton vander USh at the second level, he came down, he can come downhill and hit you a little bit.
I think he's more of a tackler than a hitter.
Okay, that's fair, but I still think he plugs the gaps the way that I want you.
So the reason why I bring that up is because Wilson's absence, if he's gone, if he's not present in this game, which I think we're all kind of in accordance that the chances are he's probably not, that's a huge, huge void in terms of energy, in terms of somebody that can come downhill and make a big hit and just really just turned the momentum. That's huge, especially at the second level. Third level, all right, he works his way down to the second level. Who else is bringing that?
Man, It's tough for me, even after him and Mike I even to.
Come up with that third exactly exactly.
I mean, there's the potential for Demon Clark, but but I mean he has to get there.
Yeah, you see what I'm saying. Yeah, there's this major So that's I want. I just want the fans out there to understand Donald not being on the field, that's a void. Now, just because you can put another guy in it that could run around, doesn't mean that you're going to feel what he brings. Because his intensity is second to none except for Micah.
Yeah, right by the way, I saw stat this morning about Donovan Wilson that blew my mind. He was the fifth fewest targeted EPA in the NFL last year. That's in terms of safeties, so out of the safety groups in the AFL, he was the fifth fewest ep A on targets last year behind Poyer, Simmons, Neil.
That's some good dudes.
Yeah, yeah, I guess that that's three, but yeah, Poyer, Simmons, Neil, then it's Wilson and actually Malie Cooker is up there as well, so you've got multiple guys there. But terms of EPA, which is expected points? What is that?
Is it?
On average? I believe sell ya expected points added, That's what it is. That's what the expected points added new metric. In the NFL, he was top five.
In terms of sting keep your hand on a swiveling.
So not having him in the fold this week could be big. All right, We've got to take our second break when we come back and put a question on Twitter last night, got some responses. I'm going to see what y'all's response are. What three cowboys are you most excited to watch in twenty twenty three? And it could be for any reason whatsoever. We'll answer that question when we come back right after this.
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Bad to Talking Cowboys. This segment is brought to you by invisi Line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Welcome back in to Talking Cowboys on a Wednesday in week one. All right, I put the question out there and you can also add in your answers to this question. Textus at eight one seven two nine zero three two nine eight. Again, that's eight one seven two nine zero three two nine eight. What three cowboys are you most
excited to watch? In twenty twenty three? I had like one hundred and seventy responses on this yesterday.
A lot of followers.
I don't, I don't, I really don't. I would love some numb just kidding, uh, but yeah, we got a ton of responses and it's really all over the place, which is part of partially why I put the question out there. I don't have a for sure answer. I do now, but at least whenever I was doing it, I didn't have a for sure answer. I want to see what y'all think, Nick, who would be your top three guys to watch?
I'm going to start just guys. I'm personally excited to see exactly that's purely what it is here. Brandon Cooks. I'm really excited to see what he can calling to this offense. I'm really excited about that Dak in this new offense, just how that looks. And Stefan Gilmore I for some reason, and I just feel like he's not.
Being talked about enough. I just I don't feel like he is. I feel like we just need to be banging Stefan's name a little bit more.
So.
You have the starting quarterback and the two former Pro Bowl additions. Yep. On the answer, I guess not not Cooks. Unfortunately he should.
Oh yeah, that's Trouble, not Aproble.
Never never made a Pro Bowl, which is weird. But hey, maybe this year, maybe this the first time for everything.
What do you think those are all? Great?
Number?
One for me is too just Fawn that was a popular one. Yeah. I just want to see how they're going to utilize him.
And uh, what's the original question?
What are the top three guys you're looking forward to the most on this Cowboys team.
I also think in year three, Micah Parsons can still take another step. So he has to be on my list, and if I have to pick someone that you haven't said, I would also go because Cooks is definitely on.
There for me.
Man, He's been to me super impressive all the way from the start of training camp. Kind of going back to what I said about Okay, well, I got to see Daniel Jones's rapport with with Waller. If I was at the Giants training camp and it looked like the report I've seen with Dak and Cooks, I'd be like, Yeah, it's gonna be a big year for Waller. Cooks and him have been on the same page. Honestly takes me back to how quick Amari Cooper and Dak got on
the same page after Maury was traded. Here, I'm gonna have to go jail in Tolbert and just because with the way that football's played nowadays, even if you are the fourth receiver and everyone the top three stay healthy, he's still going to get opportunities. And he just didn't get many opportunities last year because I mean, he'll say it. It just you know, he wasn't where he needed to
be in the playbook and for his assignments. And so I'm interested to see what kind of impact he can make, because to me, he's the type of guy where I would try and get him the ball pretty early just to kind of build some confidence in some certain situation. I'm not talking like opening series or anything, but I don't want to come out of this first game without giving him a touch or two.
What's you think, Isaiah, I have two off top Damone Clark.
That was my honorable mention.
Ye's good one. I think DAMONK. Clark is going to be one of, if not the most impactful defensive player on his team. I mean on the side of stat line. I know Michael would get a sacks and all that, but Demon Clark is gonna have a heck of a year and.
He's finally healthy. And that's the thing people forget sometimes that neck injury he had. I'm telling you, I'll never forget seeing it his locker. First time he talked to us and he was like, I've never had anything before this.
You know.
That's the same thing with Michael Gallup and the injury. Like it's not like that. You know, it's easy with football. I think like, oh, these guys are just one major injury after another. Some guys don't have that, and that that Dimone Clark thing was an outlier for him. That's why he was surprised at the combine when they were.
Like, yeah, by the way, here's your neck.
Yeah yeah, sorry going.
No, you're good. Damone Clark, Tony Pollard. I think he's gonna play lights out this year because he wants the bag and then the third one. Hmmm. I think Dax's gonna have a much improved year. But I think, hm, hmm, it's very difficult.
I want to say Ferguson, Yeah, that's that was actually a sneaky popular answer on.
A lot of the Ferguson I think that he needs to have a big year. I'm just not sure how big of a year that would be.
Both Ferguson and schoon Maker were mentioned.
What would be a big year for Ferguson in your eyes?
Not even stats wise. I just think that he needs to have a heck of a year at the line of scrimmage.
Yeah, it doesn't have to be sad, Yeah, yeah, I think.
He needs to have a heck of a year at the line of scrimmage.
He shown improvement in that he has, he really has, and I'm excited for.
I think in order for this offense to go, you need both of your starting tight ends to have an impact in that running game. You're gonna see them come out in a lot of douce sets where tight ends on each side and they can audible to either side, not knowing what direction you're running or passing, play action, all those things. Those tight ends are going to be heavily involved in this offense. There's gonna be a lot of two tight end sets, a ton of two tight
end sets. So Schoonmaker, wake up, get going, and then Fergie, you're gonna have to he has to have a good year in order for this offense to go. And everybody talking about the old line obviously as we should, but those tight ends are going to play just as much of a role into this blocking scheme as is the office in linement.
Are the the limit of three guys made things tough on this question, because there's you could probably pair guys. I mean, I think just pairing the wide receivers in the cornerbacks would be fun. Stefan Gilmore and Trayvon Diggs and then Seeedee Lamb and Brandon Cooks. I think that would be a whole lot of fun. My three guys are Micah, CD and Cooks at the top without I mean, of course, doubling up on some of the things that
y'all have talked about. I just have so much excitement to see this wide receiver corps really take off, take to the next level. And then I think Micah the way that he dominated and practice at times at training camp, I think he can take that to the game too, and just see that next step kind of like what we talked about yesterday with the pass rush and getting up to maybe close to twenty sacks. I think that's possible if he stays healthy through an entire seventeen game season.
There's there's possibilities. One other I want to throw in.
There, one other, one of the I'm just kind of surprised that no one said, but I'm sure you did in your.
Let me going.
I think Sam Williams that was what mine was gonna be.
I'm just thinking of covering it up NFL football team. When you ask questions like that and you get enough people, you think eventually somebody says the first round draft pick.
No, yeah, it popped in my mind when you were talking, But none of us are going to say.
I want to see, Yeah, I want to see going down.
I have a name that nobody's going to say, who Zach Martin.
Okay.
I believe that this will be the most challenging year for him in terms of talent that he's facing.
Mm.
Yeah, that's interesting week in and week out. Yeah, this is I think this is the strongest that this division has been on the interior deepest line in a very long time.
Yeah, because every every team has guys right there at that three epect that are gonna be ready to roll.
I'm still scrolling and I haven't seen a single Massie Smith, which.
Is everybody You've seen a lot of that we didn't mention.
I mean a lot of deuce. Mic is probably far and away the number one.
I think Micah's If you pose that question, like on like an NFL level, I think there'd be Michael Parsons.
On a lot of those, no doubt.
I do have one Masi here. It was tweeted an hour ago, and I tweeted this eighteen hours ago. So that's the first Mazie that I've seen. But he got in there, got in there. A lot of Mazzi, couple, Michael Gallops sneaking in there too, because they want to see him fully healthy back into it. I get that Trayvon Diggs, Trayvon Diggs hasn't really been talked about a whole lot, Tyler Smith, Donovan Wilson whenever they're both healthy and fully ready to go. But yeah, a lot. Honestly,
the sneaky ones were Ferguson, Deuce and Scoon Maker. Lots of those answers scattered throughout. But that just goes to what we've talked about on this show already, is that there are weapons on this team. Their roster built, This roster is built to do something. You just got to put it all together. You got to find a way to do it.
But I want to throw in a really quick one. Yeah, I'm excited for Layton vander Ush's evil off ball twin, which is the on ball.
Yeah, yes, I'm excited to see.
Let's tell us right now. I don't know if I should be saying the sign here, but I'm just gonna say it. And I wasn't there for that last last week of training camp, Okay, but I they'll watch everything that's out there. And when you asked him about Leaden vander I have never seen Dan Quinn answer a question like that. Like it literally was one of those things where you know, you're eating some cereal, you're doing some our things, and it was one of those things where
I was like, yeah, let me wind that back. Did he really say didn't know he was talking about?
Let me write that.
I actually kind of felt better. What about for the press or. I was like, hey, man, I wasn't trying to call out anything. He's like, honestly, it's all good man. He's like, I had my wife text me about it this morning. I'm like, dang, it's getting out. I'm like, yeah, yeah, man, there's cameras here. But he's like, no, it's all good man.
I mean people are you.
Actually saw me in Seattle too, like out in the city and Layton happened to be with him, and he was like, I was just telling Layton about your question the press conference. I was like, Hey, it's good to know you're not madam you man, that's cool.
Hey.
Yeah. There were just there were drills out in training camp where it's just late and with with uh with Ed and Dirday just working on Pastor's things in between other drills and swimming for like and then there's no questions going to do it week one. But it was just funny that when he asked it and the last week of training camp that don't know what you're talking about.
It was not familiar with that alignment.
Yeah, interesting, let's keep going.
That's awesome.
All right? That does it for us. Here on Talking Cowboys Tomorrow, we'll flip the script. We go Cowboys offense versus the New York Giants defense, one of the biggest blitz heavy defenses in the NFL last year. How can Dak Prescott in this West Coast scheme combat it. I'm excited about this preview. I think it'll be a lot of fun tomorrow. We've got to do some more film study tonight to get ready for it, but that doesn't for us. Here on a Wednesday edition of Talking Cowboys.
For Chris b Isaiah Stanback, John Machoda, Nick Harris, I'm Kylie Yemen saying so long here from the Star in Frisco. We'll see you tomorrow. This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.