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This He's Talking Cowboys Straining live from the Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at.
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And now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Patrick Walker, Josh Rodriguez and Kyle Yeomans.
It's a terrific Thursday edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, live from the Star in Frisco.
Texas in the s WBC studios.
Today we preview the final matchup of the Cowboys twenty twenty four season. They welcome in the Washington Commanders, a familiar face looking for a bit of revenge and Dan Quinn and company. We're gonna talk about it with Patrick no, Cy Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah stand Back, Chris Beam in the back of Kyle Yeoman's full casting crew ready for you to rock this Thursday.
Happy New Year everyone, especially five.
Happy New Year fellas it is.
Have you messed up?
Have you messed up by writing the wrong date or typing the wrong date?
Yeah? I don't really write checks anymore. Oh wow, you've got people to do that for you.
No, I just call No, it's just just move hit this button, take the money out.
Yeah, just moved on. How it goes now. No, you guys will be proud of me.
First thing I did website changed to twenty twenty five. Hey, that was like at twelve o'clock. I was like, I have nothing better to do.
Change the website dates ceremonious.
Yeah that's awesome.
I thought you were doing with some watch and K terror type thing like.
I was just like, I got nothing better to do.
Yeah, I might as well just flip it to no one invited me to. Poor Josh. After you did that, did you like jump up in freezing midair?
Yeah, yeah, we did it.
Got nothing better to do it than work.
Oh man.
Now, hope everybody had a safe, happy holiday, have some happy New Year and a great start to the new year.
That's the thing, is it.
New Year's resolutions are always I think for the most part, they're kind of cliche. But you can still change your your mindset on things, and there's no better way to do that than to have a starting point, having a January first. I don't think a lot of times new Year's resolutions can get a little silly if you don't take it seriously. But if you take it seriously and you really want to take a resolution and run with it, I'm all for it.
I think it's great.
So my resolution is to be better at communication. I'm bad at that, so I'm gonna try and be better at community, especially since the babies came.
Communications rough. I'm not around my phone as much.
I was going to say so, considering what you do for a living, the communicating communication, right, being a bit of a downside, not downside, but opportunity for improvement, kind of an oxymoron.
Yeah, yeah, Actually it's mostly communication with others and family.
It is kind of yeah, being the one to reach.
Out man, you and not communicate very well, done right, very well, You're done right.
Yeah, big day for you dogs play to night.
Yeah, but yeah, I'd be remiss if I first didn't, you know, offer my prayers and condolences to New Orleans and you know, the families for those who relatives of the lives lost in that terror attack on yesterday. So I mean, yeah, we will get to the football here today, and I'm excited to get to the football. But I know there are a lot of fans of both sides, the Irish and the Dogs, who were as I was reading on Twitter, upset that the game was moved. I
had no issue with it whatsoever. Let's just not be insensitive. Life is bigger than football. We will get to the football when it's time to get to the football. So yeah, so today three o'clock Central Town. You know, we get it all.
Are you doing media mash at three o'clock?
Absolutely not, Chris, Oh you're not. Yeah.
Eatman said that you were going to do that.
Wait, fire me.
For this one.
For this one shows it's not happening, but it's not happening.
Taking it serious.
Here's the thing is, if Nick Eatman was put in the same exact scenario and it was the Arkansas Razorbacks that were in the college football playoffs, finally you would say the same thing. It'd be like, no, yeah, so I completely get it all. Right, Let's get into some news and notes. Cowboys had some Pro Bowl nods today.
We did have some information coming over from five Cowboys who not only are getting Pro Bowl nots, but are returning to the Pro Bowl, Cavante Turpin and Brandon Aubrey. The XFL experiments gone wonderfully successfully. They both are returning to the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row, which is fantastic for them because they've only been in
the league for two years. For Brandon Aubrey, that makes him the first kicker in Cowboys franchise history to ever go to back to back Pro Bowls, and that is actually mind blowing when you consider some of the names some of the right foots that have kind of walked through here, Dan Bailey being the most recent legend that walked through. So shouts out to those guys. Michael Parsons, he gets another Pro Bowl nod. Ceedee Lamb. You talk
about someone who could not deserve it more. Ceedee Lamb and what he went through and put on the field and put on tape and put in the locker room leadership wise for the Cowboys with one bad armed shoulder barely attached to his body. Shouts out to him and Tyler Smith, the lowe offensive lineman for the Cowboys, who got another nod. But Tyler Smith, he was a manchild again this year. He was the stabilizing force when you talk about the flux due to injury at left tackle,
the Zach Marer in situation at right guard. Is it brock Hoffman, is it TJ? Bass t? Terrence Steele had a rough start before he finally kind of got going. It was Tyler Smith who was basically handling his business for the majority of the game and if nearly of the season, And if you don't believe me, go ask Vida Vea if Tyler Smith should be a pro bowler. So Turping Aubrey take that year, that Turping Aubrey parts.
I did that on purpose, Lavin Smith.
All Pro bowlers, all deserving and will likely see some alternates as well as injuries and guys kind of pull out pause because they're in the playoffs and things like that. So that is one of the headlines we'll kind of go down before we finished with the explosive one. Cowboys signed three on yesterday. They signed Luke Barkoo, who is a cornerback. Household name, household name. He went to school at Well. He was undrafted in twenty twenty of the
Jacksonville Jaguars. But if you know anything about that particular draft of bark who was one of the names that had a lot of interest coming out. Offensive guard Jack Anderson, Plaino native went to you know, high school out here in Frisco, so he's a homecoming for him. And then Ernest Brown, which is a defensive end. He won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, so he does bring some experience here. Former what is it, fifth round pick of the Los Angeles Rams before getting a trophy
in a ring with them, Aubrey, Texas native. All right, and he went to school out in Ditton, your neck of the Woods's care. So we got two homecomings for the Cowboys, got a cornerback, of defensive end and offensive guard. And for anyone wondering, you know why sign these guys now? Well, as the season is about to in effective next week, futures deals can be secured by the Cowboys. So these are guys who are going to get a shot this
offseason to try to stick with the roster. Now what head coach will they be playing for, We don't know. What are the assistant coaches? We don't know, But that's Those are storylines that will wrap themselves up hopefully in the next several weeks or so, and now several days hopefully hopefully. And now for the bombshell, Ezekiel Elliott. This happened on New Year's Eve, so I will say Happy
New Year's because it was his request. So Ezekiel Elliott requested to be released on New Year's Eve and the Cowboys honored it. So for the second time, and I love numerology, for the second time in exactly twenty one months, the Cowboys and Elliott. Yeah, Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott are parting ways.
He cleared waivers yesterday, so he is free to sign with.
Any team that will have him going into the playoffs. So if there's a playoff team that needs a running back for whatever reason injury depth, Ezekiel Elliott is now on the market. Now what does that mean for evaluation purposes for Washington Commanders? Do we see a lot more deuce? Do we see Hunter lip keep get back in the mix? Do we see an elevation from Alik Davis to kind of get him some burn because he's had any burn it all this season? Just makes it a little bit
more interesting. But yeah, So, former two time NFL rushing champion, one of the most productive Cowboys running backs in history, for the second time in less than two calendar years, is back on the fruit market.
Stand back, He's making faces, he has.
He said one word this entire show.
Fair enough, But I gotta ask, if you're a playoff team, you're kicking the tires on them.
I think it really depends on the type of team that you are and what is it that you're looking for. What role are you looking for him to feel? Are you looking for somebody to come in and be a good blocking back? Then I think that's the guy that you go with. He does a good job past you are fighting. It's not Friday, say for tomorrow is our last Friday of the year.
I gotta you know, I gotta build up for it.
Yeah, I think, I mean, it really depends on the team needs. I personally can't foresee a team needing his services. As I look at the look forward into the outlook of these teams that are a playoff bound, I think of one team that may be interested.
Who is that?
Can we talk about?
There's one that comes to I mean, he's a free agent, so yeah, I mean the only playoff team that I could potentially foresee would be a Detroit.
That's exactly what Montgomery.
Yeah, but he's almost back to the world. I mean, from what I'm hearing, he's working towards it. So I mean, what insurance possibly, I mean it's possibly. I mean it's it's it's a depth move.
Yeah, so I would end up being anyways, but in times he's going to take an RB one.
Spot in all of these But I mean, I don't see a team in need of the running contributions from the running.
Back picking up Ezekiel Elliot. I don't foresee that.
I could only see it as a practice squad insurance signing. Yeah, he's I don't see him taking anyone's active spot. He wants a ring before he retires. Yeah, that's that's what this is about. Do you very clearly here, here's here's a conversation. I'm interested in you guys thought process because it popped in my head. How far or phrase it this way? How close are we to Ezekiel Elliott call it in a career.
This year that I think this is this is why he's asking to be released.
It's either this.
Year or next year. There's there's only two, and I think it's probably this year.
It's the only the only justification that I have for him wanting to be released. He's like, Okay, this season is done. I necessarily haven't been that welcomed here.
It might stay.
Hasn't been great, right, I've caused some some issues while being here last week in the season. Go ahead and cut me so I can go bandwagon it and get a ring and call my.
Career a rap.
That's that's what my thought process is with this.
I can't I'm not going to put that on him, but I'm that's what I'm perceiving.
Outside of past blocking, though, do you see him contributing in an of the other fashion outside.
Of that's it. That's what I mean.
It's a supermergency. It's a break glass emergency running back. I mean, but I'd imagine that most of these teams have a running back on their roster on the practice squad already that they probably feel good about.
But if they don't, then you have a veteran.
Who knows, you know, all the defenses, he knows how to protect.
I mean, that's what I'm saying. That's the value. I don't see him. He hasn't done.
Anything here this year to prove his running ability as valuable for another team that or that's playoff bound.
No, really doesn't have that burst anymore. It looks worse than he did in New England last year, which I thought was going to be a sticking point this year was like, okay, well let's bring that, Let's bring a receiving type Zeke into the fold, and it just didn't.
No.
I was curious because Detroit was who popped in my head first with a Montgomery injury. And yeah, like I said, practice squad insurance. But I think the same would be said for Skip Pete. And so if Tampa gets into the playoffs, I just looked at their practice squad situation. The only running back they have on their practice squad is DJ Williams, and I don't think DJ williams presence there.
Will be enough for Skip Pete.
With the familiarity he has with Ezekiel a l to four Golds, I think that's the reason why he wouldn't sign him.
Think so, I don't know if they were particularly close. Yeah, like during his time here a lot of times and in the conversations would Skip Pete back. Whenever he was in Dallas. He wanted to get Tony Pollard more involved, and there was more of a there was more of a forced hand at Ezekiel Elliott than there may have been for Tony Pollard at that time.
So I don't know if.
It if it fractured their relationship, but I don't know if they were.
Necessarily like Buds, I would think that his familiarity would work against him in that regard.
And so you're saying what he's saying.
Yeah, all that being said, there's nobody else more on his side than Jerry Jones. What Jerry Jones said about Zeke obviously has a lot of respect for him, with a lot of love for the player that he is and what he can provide to a team leadership wise. But obviously you know they're doing it because you know, even McCarthy said, like, he deserves it. If he's requesting this, he deserves to get what he wants in that regard.
So it was interesting to see a Jerry Jones statement out of that because you know that a player that didn't necessarily impact your team statistically throughout the entire season to get a statement from Jerry Jones, the owner, and it says a lot about his character.
And also not to mention I put this on Twitter when the news broke, but the fact that Zeke came back in the first place, the fact that he returned to Dallas took a different number, took a second role completely, at least from the outside looking in, was okay being that second back because it seemed like that was the case from the get go. I know there was kind of a back and forth between him and Dowdell early on,
but very much so that changed into Dowbdele. The fact that he came back and showed it shows how much he did enjoy being here and the guys that are around him. Of course, you know the relationship that he has with Dak, the relationship he has with.
Some of those other guys in the locker room.
So I will always appreciate Ezekiel. And we did the whole Goodbye Zeke the first time that he was released twenty one months ago, so I don't think it's as ceremonious now, but it doesn't change what he did for this organization. I heard somebody on the radio the other day. I'm not going to say which station. Somebody on the radio the other day was like, man, what did he even do? What was his most memorable time with the Cowboys? I was like, you obviously did not watch Prime Zeke.
I was like, tell me you didn't watch Prime ze without watching Prime Z, which he was a two time reising leader. He was one of the more elusive and incredible and explosive backs in all of football, and even up until the end of his first tenure with the Cowboys, he was one of the best past protection backs, one of the best red zone backs. He did a lot of things for this organization, including seventy one touchdowns.
Worth which led to him sort of breaking down physically, yes towards the end of it.
And his frustrations this year.
Notwithstanding, over the course of being one of the more dynamic beacks in not only the history of the franchise but in the history of the NFL, he was also mentoring guys like Tony polit and Rico daudle, getting them up to the point of performance that you're seeing right now from Tony polit in recodoubt so Ezekiel Elliott has his fingerprints all over the success of Rico o'dowdle this season.
Not to take away from Rico's work, but if you go back when we were having these conversations two three years ago with ric o'dowdo asking him about the mentorship of Tony and Zeke, he gave all these reasons, all these things that he was kind of absorbing from Ezekiel
Elliott to become a dynamic back in the NFL. So when you talk about influence in the locker room production on the field, the highlight reel right the fact that he kind of reset the whole running back market when the Cowboys took him and he showed that he was more than worth it. That's why you didn't see a sa Kwon Barkley get a high pick. So that had ramifications. So, yeah, let's admit two things can be true. Wildly unproductive reunion with the Cowboys in twenty twenty four, but don't let
that draw strike through from what he actually meant. He is a ring of honor candidate in my eyes, So let's not dismiss Kennedy did candidate, not a lot, not a shoe in, not a lock. But that's that's definitely a rightful conversation.
He was a very, very productive, very good back during his time in Dallas. Don't forget that just because of the last couple of years.
I do believe that he will.
I don't believe that he makes that request without knowing that he's going to get picked up.
That's kind of what and the fact that he came from his agent to makes me think there's something out there.
They Hey, if you guys get releaved, we'll pick you up. That's how I would foresee that going.
Also, not to mention it gives him the option. He doesn't have to sign right now. He can sign whenever he wants because he's an unrestricted free agent.
So there will be another reunion. It'll be the one day contract thing, is.
What when he finally decides.
Yeah, when he decided to retire, and he'll get a one day contract thing and the whole press conference because he didn't get to the Jason Witten treatment first time around, so I think they'll give him the Jason Jason Windrey.
All right, when we come back, it's time to dive into a little bit of q B vision. We're going to preview the matchup with the Washington commander's taking a look at what dan Quinn's bringing from the defensive side of the ball, and then after that we'll flip to the offense. See what the Cowboys offense or excuse me, see what the with the Tampa or the Washington offense.
Goodness gracious, we're talking about all.
These different teams what the Washington offense is bringing with the rope Jaded Daniels.
Welcome to twenty twenty five. More talking cowboys right after this.
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Quaker come Slash Talking Cowboys for a free O Wait is that it's not?
I got really excited for the second. I was like, oh, I would have been typing that real quick.
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Get your oats.
You know, I wonder what would happen. I'm actually gonna try that, all right, because of this we've got We've got isaiahs stand back.
He's a little koy chill, a little chill Chip was hanging out kind of sad last week. Man. Yeah.
By the way, Talking Cowboys will be at ten am Central Time on Tuesdays throughout the off season.
So uh, we will be back every week same as last year.
Am talking Tuesday and Tuesdays.
We'll probably take a phone call or two every couple of weeks, but for the most part, it'll be our only time to talk throughout the year.
Are you able to be on on Tuesdays? Good Morning Football?
No, I'm done, man, You're done. I'm done. Contract's done.
That's quiet.
That contracts them done. Contract here is done. I'm just done.
You know, contract here is it's get okay, say we're talking to get some contract talks.
Okay, just a free agent out here, guys.
Don't mean we're gonna see him on Jackson talking Jaguars next year, Brooks buy that's your guy. Guy, You're our guy, which means we will rely on you to give us some.
Why Eddie, why Eddie put up.
It's time for QB Vision with Isaiah's stand back.
All right, guy, we're back for the last QB Vision of the twenty twenty fourth season.
Sir twenty five.
Now, I guess we have to put the slash in there.
Yeah, it's coming to an end.
It is coming to an end. It's kind of whack. Honestly, we get a whack. I mean three straight years we had playoff talk around here. Yeah, three straight years. You want to talk about getting boiled?
Yeah, talking about somebody's yelling what's going on on the okay Beamer, I mean that he let me know something going on.
And tennis are up all the way in a box.
The last case of glass I got you. Thank you, brother, appreciate you. We know this defense too well.
Right, It's it's not a whole lot to add to what we've done recently. This is a team that you beat last time that you faced them. They only you only gave up one sack and it was against one of the Bama boys because the other Bama boy was gone.
You guys know who I'm talking about. Pain. Yeah, mister mister Paine, uh majia, my name is waiting for pain.
Yeah, so one of the Bama Boys was gone, but that was the last time that you faced them.
Correct, Duran Payne had a sack cool.
We talked about the potential of the Bama Boys coming back together, right, the bands back together again.
Do you guys know when that occurred? When they started to winning again. You're just happened.
These guys are back. The Bama Boys are back. So you're your worries that you have on the defensive front are back. Unless unless dan Quinn is gonna be plan on sitting his guys.
We don't know. I don't know.
We don't know that, but let's just let's just act as if these guys are gonna be there. You this is arguably the nastiest interior combo defensive line that you're gonna face in terms, I mean, we've this has been a conversation. We've seeing individuals individuals, but I'm talking about bass brothers. We're talking about Doron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Jonathan Allen is back.
He is back.
These guys are making nasty and when you throw in what Dante Fowler Junior is doing, you're throwing what Doris Armstrong is doing.
It's a problem.
Well, this looks like what Dan Quinn wanted to be exactly when he was signing those guys from Dallas and saying, Okay, I've already got the two guys on the INDs. I've already got the Bama Boys down wall. I need the guys on the edge. I need Dorin's Armstrong, need Dante Fowler Junior.
You need to put somebody behind those guys.
It's some linebacker help. They'll get there, may make a train like maybe like a lot of more time. You're talking about in the.
Secondary, im talk about linebacker.
You're gonna if you're gonna have two really good interior defensive linemen, yeah, you want to put a really good defensive and bookings.
Off around them, which they've done. Got it.
These guys have been productive. From George Armstrong, Dante Faller juniorr Dallas Cowboys from last year have been very productive. Maybe a future Hall of famer, maybe a future Hall of Famer at linebacker that's just.
Been consistent for forty five.
We had like one hundred and fifty tackles like each of the last twelves or something like that, like.
Crazy, and then next to him, just put somebody with the name, we're here. Yeah. Anyways, these guys, we know what we know. Their front seven is nice. Okay, the front seven is nice. I haven't seen Marshawn Lattimore touch the field still, he's on there.
He's out there. Yeah, he played last week.
I don't know if it will be there this week.
He was there last week and got injured, so he's on the sidelines again there.
Yeah, so that's yeah, that's it. Yeah, So not much going on.
We know what they do in terms of the secondary coverage wise, these guys are gonna go and they're gonna pray press man. They're gonna play a little bit of Cover three mixed in there. They're eighty eighty percent of the time, they're gonna be single high.
You're not gonna get anything crazy.
The guy's up front kind of like what happened here, exactly what happened here here. But yeah, this but the defensive line allows for them to do whatever the heck they want to. And you have to deal with Jeremy Chin sitting in a dog on box, right, so he's gonna They're gonna take away the run game by having an eight man box. If you want to try to get them out of the past. You're gonna have to be able to throw yourself out of Manda Man coverage and you have no CD Lamb and your number one
receivers Brandon cooks with Yeah he I don't know. So Cook had about one hundred and seventy seven attempts in the first two drives. Yeah, so he had a bunch of attempts last week and the first two drives they were trying to force them the narrative there, but somebody has to step up and never.
Seen me game.
You have to step up. But you're gonna have to do a versus Manda Man. So you're not gonna have the ability to sit back and be comfortable in the pocket. If these guys play, if you're depending on regardless of who our quarterback is going to be this week, they're gonna have to get the ball out on time and they have to be precise what they're passing because the coverage is gonna be sticky. We haven't seen our receivers show the ability to get off a sticky coverage outside of Ceed Lamb this year.
That's the facts. That's not an indictment on them, It's just is what it is.
Well, that was the conversation when Dak was playing quarterback, zero separation outside.
Of a guy wearing number eighty eight, and there.
Was tight windows to throw the football into. This late leading the turnovers and bad completion percentage and all sorts of things.
That's that has changed. It's gotten better to a certain extent.
But I'm not gonna jump out of the cake and say, hey, here's here's look at all these wide receivers that we love so much.
Yeah, no, don't do that. Don't no butt nicka today, not today.
So yeah, in regards to just the report, I mean that's they're gonna do what we know that they're going to do. And I don't foresee them doing a lot of blitzing cause I don't think that they need to. I think that their front four is strong enough and nasty enough to get there. I think that if those gentlemen play Dante Fowler Junior and Durrance Armstrong didn't get sacks last time they played, they're going to want to get that. I truly think they're gonna want to get
that regardless of what the qbdia. So I think those guys are going to be highly motivated and I think the Bama boys are going to look to get going as they work into the playoffs if they play again.
This is if they play a thing.
I can't foresee DQ keeping those guys out because I think that he wants them to have momentum going into the playoffs. But I think that they probably will be on a pitch count exactly.
Yeah, you pull them out after the first or sayings, depending on how bad or good the game is going for either side. I think you did a good job though in highlighting what worked for us against Washington earlier in the year and what we don't have for this game.
Oh yeah, it's it's going to be interesting.
But I think the most important winner loss. I think the most important thing is like seeing what you can get out of the guys that you have on this team.
Remember, so who will who will be year next year?
Granted you're saying Brandon Cooks is a free agent next year, do you need to see him on the field.
Really, he's going to want to play, he'll play.
I get it, I get it, But and you don't, I mean, I don't need to see him. No, it's now, there's no evaluation that needs to happen on Brandon Cooks. But that being said, I could also foresee them looking at him and saying, yeah, we do want to try to go out on the high note. And as it stands, you are the best receiver in the room right now, so you know. And from a Brandon cook standpoint, he wants to go out on a high note because he's going back in the free agency in a few weeks.
So I could see it happening.
But it's it's and we were talking about this before we went live with the first segment. It's very difficult to do homework on a game where you don't.
Know who's playing size not playing. I mean, we can only speculate on who.
Right we assume that they're going to play.
The commanders of fourteen guys listed on their injury report, sixteen guys, and fourteen of those guys with D and P yesterday, and a lot of those guys were you know, in ire not injury related rest. So at most I said, I could agree with Isaiah in that if you see any of the starters for the Washington Commander's pitch count, maybe they're pulled after the second series, maybe even after the first series, so they don't really know what you're going up against. But you do know that you don't
have CD Lamb. You do know that Cooper Rush is as it stands. As it stands, Cooper Rush is going to be the starter. We will see if that changes. Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy and Stephen Jones, they all want to see some Trey Lance. We don't know if that will happen. How much Tree Lance will we see? Will we see Willgrid? How much will Grid see? Even that goes into the capacity of you don't know who's playing, what the snapcount is going to be, what the splits
are in any given position. So all you can say is just go out there and understand one thing in particular. Regardless of who Dan Quinn chooses to put on that field, could be his third, fourth string, doesn't matter. Dan is going to want to coach them to hell up because he wants revenge for what happened at Northwest Stadium.
How much of a factor does that play, though.
It plays a factor, but not enough that he in my opinion, not enough that he'd be willing to risk the postseason to get that revenge against the Cowboys and try.
That's where I'm last week, because it's not like Dan Gunn had sour grapes with Dallas.
That's not the case.
He's very well respected here. He still has a lot of respect for the coaching staff here and you could see that by some of the players that he took with him to Washington. He had a great time in Dallas and that's why he has the job that he does with the Commanders.
So no sour grapes there.
Yes, does he want to come back and win his reunion the second time around and have a little bit of revenge for what was a wild fourth quarter.
At Northwest Stadium.
Absolutely, but he's not going to bet and wager his postseason possibilities by He's exactly.
I just want to let people know what production you're missing this week, right from the last matchup, the last time you face them in a week twelve, Ceede Lamb was targeted twelve times.
Ceedee Lamb was targeted twelve times. It's a lot. He had ten catches.
It's a pro bowler, Yeah, twenty twenty four pro bowler, some guy that should be in the Pro Bowl.
Yeah, you take him out of it, out of the equation. If you remove Ceede Lamb from the equation, like you will have him removed this week.
Not good, Bob, you're you.
Your next leading receiver was Luke Schoolmaker on three catches out of four attempts.
I would love to see a lot of the touchdown.
Maybe it was a touchdown, okay, all right, yeah, so that's what twisted.
Everybody else is there?
Everybody, everybody else who touched the ball is here in available, but you are missing that, right.
That's a lot.
I want to see more Luke this week. This would be a great Luke schoom Maaker week. I don't even see much of Jake Fergus I do. Really, Yeah, you're you're not. I mean, it's not going to change your evaluation of him going into next year.
Has he made strides this year?
No, I need to see him.
But does it change the way you view him as a.
Player, view him as a player. No, But there's a way.
You could positively positively view Luke Schoomaker going into the office.
I think there's a concern that you may have hit a ceiling.
With all the other titles that made strides.
Everybody else in that who has made strides, he has to remain stacks.
Been banged up at different points throughout the year. So why was Michael Presser reset button was more of a yeah.
I think there's not I agree with you.
Actually, really there has been.
That's not that's not what I'm marging.
We're not saying there hasn't been a stick when you.
Look at why would not?
So why would you not need to see continue to see development out of him?
Honestly because I'm already sold. I already know what you're.
You're satisfied with you what you're getting out there.
He has shown far far more positives than this down seats. So as far as the now we're talking risk will war, right, So what do you gain for? Okay, Jake Ferguson, he goes against the commanders and he goes off one hundred and fifty yards and three touchdowns. That's wonderful. That's fun, pretty fun, It would be wonderful. It's fun. But that doesn't take my current evaluation of Jake Ferguson as a player any higher than what it already was. Let's say he goes out there and you know, two catches for
fifteen yards, it doesn't take it down. At this point, I am where I am with Jake Ferguson, which is extremely high on him. He had he regressed a little bit this season, but for several reasons. Right the offense couldn't get going in the first half of the season, and then he battles some injury. He came back from the springed MCL to a backup quarterback. They couldn't get the real chemistry going, He misses some time to the concussion, comes back.
It's just been a weird season for Jake.
My argument here, though, is that I don't.
See more of Brevin span for I'm in that evaluation mode. I won't evaluate loom Loo tool maker.
I want value Jake's player.
Thirteen games, Okay, okay, thirteen games. He's had three games over seventy yards.
He has not elevated the team. That's what I was going to say.
I'm just that there's been a step back, but we were applying context to it, is what we're saying.
Finish your thought, Josh, just in the sample size that you have from him this season, granted had been banged up, but when you've needed him most, when you didn't have the offensive rolling as you should have. Sure he has not elevated the team by any means he has not stepped up and had a great season despite all of the things that have happened. You've seen that from a lot of players that obviously this is not a great UH team this year, that they're they're not winning obviously,
but you've had great performances from individual players. He has not done that.
What I'll say is it feels like and I'll kind of spin off it.
Sorry, but but if this season is a wash, totally understand and hope to see him do better next year.
Like I said, though it's not been great.
Also, keeping in mind now we're talking about the risk physically, because do you want to risk losing Jake Ferguson for to something that might cost him the beginning of the off season. But if that's the case, then you're saying with everybody who's gonna be here next year?
You know what I mean? Like so like, but not everybody is a Pro Bowl potential. Care you're playing Tyler Smith, am I I don't, I wouldn't.
Are you playing Cooper BB? Are you playing any of your other guys that are coming back for b because he's a rookie, So those are all contributors. Though, like those guys don't even come off the field. I mean to ask your question, No, I wouldn't play. So I'm saying, all those officer of lineen, they don't come off the field. So are you trying to talking about preserving your team? Don't playing none of your office of lineman?
You know what I'm saying like that, That's that's what I'm That's what I needs those reps. Tyler Gotton. We know he needs those reps, right, but Tom.
Not mending on a table.
If Zach Martin were healthy and he would, and this question was posed, I'd say no, you said, Zach Martin, Yeah, and you sit Tyler Smith and you would, I would sit Jake Ferguson.
I think you know what you have in Jake Ferguson.
Yeah you do.
But to your point, and my point is as well, I did not see, regardless of the games that he missed, the three games that he missed, right, I have not seen the growth, the continue with the continued, And for that reason, I don't I don't know how you can can say that you that you've seen enough, because I've seen enough going into this season from him, and he's a pro bowler. To that point, and I believe that the shakeback for him comes when QB one gets back.
Right, Yeah, that's yesterday.
I looked Jordy Lewis in the face and I said, I think your coordinator proof. I think Jordan Lewis's coordinator proof. Okay, that spins over to Ceedee Lamb. Ceedee Lamb used to have downturns when Cooper Rush would be in the game, right, but now he has proven that he can be QB proof. Right, Jake hasn't proven yet that he can be QB proof. So in that capacity, fine, I get what you're saying.
But for the amount of risk that's there for this particular game, nothing's going to have in this game that's going to change my outlook on Jake Ferguson. I still think that he has all pro ability. It just didn't happen this year. I believe he'll have a good shot at it happened in theation.
So you talked about it real quick.
Just to go back to your stat that you brought up, he's only had three games over seventy yards this year receiving from the tight end position. Right, you know how many plus seventy plus yard games the rest of the Cowboys team has had this year. I would rather evaluate the rest of the room because Jake Ferguson is my tight end one. No matter what next year, he is still tight end one, and that's not going to change.
You spend a second round pick on Luke schoon Maker, and at times this year, Luke schoo Maker has taken.
A step, especially with Cooper Rush.
Right with Cooper Rush, he had that connection, he's had that chemistry, and he's had some reps, some reps because a lot of those once Ferguson returned, rightfully returned to Ferguson. I want to see Schoonmaker with more reps and see what he brings going into the offseason because I know whether or not he plays in Week eight or not, that Jake Ferguson is tight end one.
That's where I'm evaluating.
Understood, It's not.
Necessarily about Jake Ferguson and his regression this year because he has he missed one game early in the year, two games late in the year for two completely separate injuries. So because of that, his statistics and his entire.
Season, and you know what, I don't put all everything on stats.
I don't I know you don't.
But I'm evaluating the rest of I understand.
But if we're going to lean on it, and from that perspective, I know he's going to be my my tight end one that everybody else that you know.
Is going to be your number one.
Sit them, okay, unless they need the rest. That's where I'm at. You need if you need reps. I would love to see Cooper bb.
And get another game for me. Rookies need to play. But if you're not a rookie.
Everybody, so every all the other onlinemen can can rest.
Take Terrence Steele, take a seat on the bench for a little bit.
Your biggest money guy. Sounds good on your office line to fit them? Okay, totally fine.
I would love to see.
Geidon the value.
I would love to see Hoffman. I would love to see I would love to see all those.
Well, let's go unleash them all. I want full evaluations. Josh Ball got plucked, so you can't play him. So he got picked up. Okay, I loved it for him. Oh good question. I have to go back and look.
Let's take our second break.
When we come back, let's flip it to the defensive side of the ball. What do you want to see from the Cowboys defense up against Washington's offense? Impossible offensive Rookie of the Year Jaden Daniels when we're talking cowboys.
Right after this to talking Cowboys.
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To talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys.
This segment of the show is brought to you by in visil Line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys, Patrick Nosey Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah stand back, Chrispy in the back of the Yeomans. I've learned to just pause after I say your name, so that way I don't have it covered up by Isaiah. Isaiah's name covered up because he's just high every time.
What's the yop for? I don't know you have No, I'm still sleeping, still sleeping. We got TV in a couple of minutes. Again we do eggs and baky.
I didn't get any breakfast this morning. I'm much right into work this morning, straight into work here. No, I'm going to get my Yeah, I need to get a double I mean some black that I'm say empty stomach. Anyway, tomorrow morning you say with your Friday, you're definitely getting three hundred million grands, Buddy, three hundred stomach though, that's what I'm saying. That's maybe I've got straight into the That's what the smell is, straight into the bush and smell.
You would know who?
You would know if all the starters play.
For the Washington Commanders, one offensive player, one defensive player.
Who you guys most concerned about Terry McLaurin. That's my answer, drum pain. Yeah, one offense, one defense, one off one defense.
You know what, I'm gonna throw a little wild card in there for you.
On the defensive side.
Jeremy Chin, who talked about him going into the last matchup.
He's played really well this year.
His worst game of the year on tape, by far was against the Dallas Cowboys, who he's ready. He's going to be coming downhill, repeat baby, if they play him, if they he played like absolute garbage.
He played like garbage.
Against the Cowboys the first time around. He was we got the number, Buddy, I'm worried he's going to turn it around.
I'm worried about Drince Armstrong.
I'm not Doris, but I'm gonnaant what.
Is his sack total at now do you know playing? Dante Fowler Junior.
Dante's eating, I mean he's he's eating something nasty.
So he's at twelve, he's at how many? Ten and a half?
Oh, I'm me, how meany can say one more time?
I mean, he's my.
He's at nine and a half, nine and a half different types of games. Ones played sixteen games, and well.
I get it. It's still productive productive. Yes, that answers the question. Off.
Mike is playing.
Oh, he's playing. As soon as he gets one. Yeah, half a second, he's.
Gonna pull that campboard. I'm done, guys.
Thinks he's gonna pull Peter Griffin on.
You see, like the cartoon hook and just come up.
And just for a perspective, losing my dog anyways, just for perspective, if I can get back to it.
Dante Fowler Jr.
Okay, you guys feel like he was productive while.
He was here? Yes?
Sure, okay, absolutely two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys he had ten sacks total total.
Yeah, he's ten and a half this year. Rotation a rotation. I get it.
And I'm saying, but you felt like he was productive, you guy? Yeah, he's rolling this year. He's he's a freaking I can't. I don't want to use that word right now. He's a Yeah, he's a he's a problem, he's a Well look.
At Dorn's Armstrong buddy. All right, Look how much they paid him. Look how much he's doing.
All right. Yeah, Durrance is playing being a cup Entry player.
But Dante Faller Junior is being that guy because Carl Lawson d QR.
Dorris Armstrong has five sacks this year. Yeah, Carlawson has five and a half.
He's still in the year.
Dante Faller Junior is doing some things. Yeah.
Yes, his his career high in the season was for the Rams at eleven and a half.
That's when he was he was the man. He was balling. He's one sack away from that. Yeah, he might get that if he plays. Yeah, I'm just saying like, that's how impactful he's been this year.
And it's nobody's talking about him, but I'm just bringing it to the table. That's the person I'm most concerned about that when he was at his Pro Bowl, Hey, everybody fear that man right there circle him on film.
He's one sack away from that.
And not to mention what you're saying.
I completely agree with the nation is not taking notice Dante Faller Junior is did he even get a Pro Bowl? Not?
You haven't seen it.
That's crazy bad. Yeah, he should be a pro bowler. Yes, However, the nation's not taking advantage of it.
If there was one fan base that right now is looking at him and saying, oh, there's what we saw glimpses of it's Dallas. Dallas. We like you said, he was productive here. Ten sacks over two seasons. He was everything you needed him to be behind Michael Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. But now that he's the featured guy, Dallas looks at him, says, yeah, that makes sense. Ten and a half sacks. That's not shocking in a dan Quinn system.
So good for Dante. I'm glad he.
Does a tenth season. It's impressive. Ever years, it's his tenth season.
Wow, and he's able to look he turned back the clock like that.
That's impressed. It's very impressive. So that's what I'm trying about. On the defense side of the ball.
Offensively, who is it, who's your guy?
You know, I might change my I I was with you on McLaurin. If Jayson he said, this is assuming everybody plays. Assume everybody plays.
He's still he's we had a third string quarterback, absolutely terrorist apart last week.
So because I mean, think about it in anotherwise, I mean, he's had the Cowboys weren't his only unfavorable game, but it's one of the few unfavorable games that he had, and it took all the way until the back end of the fourth quarter with that shot, that deep shot to McLaurin. Because if not for that deep shot to McLaurin, that stat line for Jaydon not good, not good, not great, Bob.
So I think Jaydon Daniels, if he were to start, he'd have that chip on his shoulder to say, you know what, I gotta get this revenge before I end.
Uh, here's the backup. What you got hand up.
Us backup quarterback for Washington, isn't it, Mariotta?
It is? We got back Heisman Heisman things I was gonna ask.
And we were talking about Mike Zimmer the other day and were talking about how emotional he was in the press conference, and we.
Can all I don't know, we can run on the wall, writing.
On the walk type of deal.
Right, I don't want to say that, but you said potentially might be his last game. Do you think he just empties all the all the attacks in thumbnails on the ground.
That'd be awesome.
I would love to see that, Yes, especially if if they want to.
Play, the guy can't take it with them.
So if this is in fact the final game, the final coaching game for Mike Zimmer, because I mean, honestly, like we talked about a couple of days ago, it sounds as if he's teetering on if he's done coaching period. If that's the case, you can't take this playbook cover zero. Everybody rain down.
Hell yeah, I'm down to see it.
Yeah, me too.
All Right, that does it for us here on talking cowboys today. Nice job, everybody.
QB vision was fantastic because it always that was aggressive.
We're gonna get some three hundred milligrams of caffeine and brought to you by a Black Rifle Coffee in Isaiah tomorrow for a little Say It with your Chest Friday, the last Say It with your Chest Friday of twenty twenty four season. Say in the first of the twenty twenty five calendar year.
A bomb it's sad. It is sad.
Remember Talking Cowboys throughout the off season.
I'll remind you again.
Tomorrow will be on Tuesdays ten am Central Time, same time as it was last year, starting next week, and we will have plenty of content for you tomorrow and going into the final regular season matchup, and then as well next week for the rest of the off season for Patrick Nosey, Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah's stand back, Chris Beam in the back of Kyle Yeoman saying so long from Talking Cowboys.
We'll see you tomorrow.
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