Talkin' Cowboys: Happy Thanksgiving?

We are in our final show prior to Thanksgiving, and we've got a couple days off after this. But guess what, We've got a game to talk about tomorrow. It is that quick of a turnaround. It just doesn't seem real. It really doesn't feel like we just started this. I'm waiting on a heck, but ask, I'm just waiting for the eyes to go first. I wait, morning, I was waiting for the news I'm giving him wait, wait, what's he gonna guine? So anxious today I just went right

around that was happening. I was waiting for it. Come on, it's the Cowboys and the Raiders. Thanksgiving matchup at AT and T Stadium, And before we get into previewing the Cowboys offense versus the Raiders defense, ready said News and notes from Rob Phillips, Well, go ahead, you asked me, what do you what? You one percentages of what? Just come on with it? Be? You know, why do you do what? The people that be? You know, I don't hold back anything. Ever, what do you want him to

tell you? I want to know Tyren Smith act, helmet, shoulder pads clean, it's ready to go tomorrow. Sounds pretty good, sounds pretty good, pretty And I don't have a percentage. What was what was yesterday's practice? He was full in a big and all through run through. Okay, so they ran he was yogging yeah, yeah, So that's very encouraging, dud.

I Am I gonna guarantee he's gonna play after last week? No, but I'm gonna go with what Steven Jones said and if if barring a setback, they think he'll be available. So I think that's very encouraging. It's very encouraging. He's yogging around enough, I mean, Steve and Jones said it. But you gotta understand that that p is in like fabric in like and he's not. He's holding back and people out there America, I just don't want to be wrong, all right. I learned that from I was telling you don't.

If you don't, if you don't guarantee something, you can't be wrong. That's that's why he doesn't guarantee anything for the most part. Just know that I asked the people across the pond when I was talking to them yesterday to turn on their notifications on Twitter for rab Pie, all the things crappy news. I'm saying. No, I'm saying I just wanted them to know, Hey, this is where

your new sources. I appreciate that, all right, so they know they understand turning your notifications on ladies and gentlemen. It sounds as of this morning, it sounds good that you'll be able to play at think I think we need haven't heard of any setbacks at this point we need them. Heck, what is your favorite Thanksgiving side? O man? Everything? Um, sweopotatoes, sweet PoTA. So are you are you gonna be able to just let put in all the work I put in, all the deser I put in all the work, Isaiah,

and tomorrow it will be unadulterated spoonage. So now I'm now I'm my god. Now I'm just imagining on Thanksgiving. Yeah, that was a big spoonful of sweet potatoes. And then just looks at his phone and sees Rob Phillips no Twitter notification pop up, and he just spit takes it all. No, I'm not gonna do that. I got a question, free sweet potatoes, marshmallows or no marshmallows. Definitely marsh really gotta hell, yes, you gotta have the marshmallows on it. Really, you marshmallow guy.

We didn't do it. I thought you were looking for some in the store. Is that Kyle couldn't find. No, I thought it was I was telling them you can't find That's what it was. Yeah, yeah, I guess people buying, you know, and I have I don't even thinking against it. I just never did it. You know. My wife is from Akarin, Ohio, and they didn't put marshmallows on this either.

So I think it's a cultural Southern thing. Maybe some people put marshmallows, some people put like was it like is it becomes Oh no, don't do that, Wow, don't do that. I never don't do that. I've seen I mean i've seen it. Yeah, No, that's probably a watch not becas bro I don't do it. I don't make the sweet potatoes in my house. I can, but I don't care. You call dressing dressing or stuffing. I don't do dressing dressing. I call it dressing, but I don't

like it. I groups stuff is stuffing. Yes, I definitely had that word thrown around my household. Stuffing, stuff stuff stuffing. We had stuffing. He's your strong handwagon too, baby. All right, we are off the rails early on. You're with us here on this Wednesday. Is your favorite side? Oh it's heavy Green being Castle? Yeah, I love Green Being Castle. You want to just do the show just right here? Sorry? Sorry, Hey, Traymon Diggs is in the top two of Pro Bowl voting.

How about that? That's good at the cornerback position. Back to news and notes. There you go, stuffing, stuffing, He's stuff in that ballot box. Any anything else from yesterday's practice stick count well ceedee. Lamb did not participate in that run through practice. They say he's making progress. Yeah, I'm not. I'm not sure about day at this point. Yeah, we'll see. You had another day, and Zeke was full as well. So that's good Tyring and Zeke seeing them

upgraded to full. I think's encouraging for both guys. Do you think that Zeke it's a it's a is it a knee? Is it a side? And he basically said it only hurts when he falls, was his quote earlier in the week. So is this a thing that you would consider resting him for to let him play through? Its occupational hazard? Right there? Right, it's my understanding, that's a contusion. It's a it's a bruise, so it's a it's a pain tolerance thing, and Zeke ain't gonna sit

out from pain tolerance. So it's kind of what I figured. Yeah, I just wanted to hear it from you as well. But then, uh, what was the Oh, Michael Parsons had a fantastic quote yesterday too. I'm sure you guys saw that. You'd get a chance to see that about the rookie wall Rob. You were there for that that interview. What was the what was the quote? That's my favorite quote from Michael yet, and that's saying something because he's got

some great ones. He said, everybody talks about the rookie wall. But I'm just gonna keep climbing over it, climbing and climbing because I'm excited to see on what's on the other side. Does that make you want to run through the wall? Makes me want to run through the wall? Zooka on the shoulder, Man, this is uh. I'm just excited about him. I mean I can't. I don't know how Dan Quinn each and every week is gonna use him. So when when the game starts, he's just like, Okay,

he's at edge, He's he's a free safety. You know, he's he's at cornerback. Oh my god, he's playing running back. Wait, you know where can't Yeah, where can't this guy play? Where can he play? What can't he do? I mean, we have a special athlete, and I think we've been down playing it over the year, over the this season

because he's just showing so many different things. But you know, specially when you see it man, and just some of the things that he brings to the table for us and the missing pieces that we have with guys that are out. Micah is just filling in that void. Uh. Man, It's just I'm glad he's a cowboy no doubt, Isaiah, I know you're glad as well. Yeah, I mean he's special,

he said. He he's different. He's different, and some guys are built different physically, and some guys are built different mentally, and then the really special guys are built differently on both ends of that. And I think that he is that. I think that he welcomes adversity. I think he welcomes challenges. He welcomes people telling him what he can't do and what the what the normal is. He likes defying those things.

And there's those there are those players like Thomas Brady who has that type of mentality he wants to defy all odds. And then you have guys who have the physical ability as well, and you pair both of those things up and it's that that's what you call a physical and mental specimen. There's a tweet from ESPN Stats and Information this morning. He's on pace for one hundred and five tackles in thirteen and a half sacks, So

it's it's over seventeen games instead of sixteen. But the last player to hit both of those marks in a season was Bruce Smith. That's company right there. Yeah, I can as your question because I had a question about this. When the league changed, the game, changed the seasons to seventeen games, how are records going to be analyzed? Now?

Great question, there's no asterist. I don't think so, there's no as I mean, can you think about a league that didn't even count sacks for a certain period of times? It's they haven't changed that either. So so somebody goes out and breaks to the all time sack record in seventeen games, but they wouldn't have done it in sixteen games. They now become the doubt league best ever in that position, you know what I mean? Like that point, Yeah, you got to kind of take it per game, I guess

if you really wanted. I mean, how do they do that? Right? Like, it's really the only way Emmett Smith's record could be touched, the fact that there's an extra game or Jerry Rice Jr. Touched Yeah, yeah, extra. I wondered about the game making it a year. I'm like, that's kind of unfair to

guys from the past, just shows how great they are. True, that's true, that's true, but but the take but for there to be potentially having their their throne taking away from them knowing that it only happened because of an additional game. I feel like that's wrong. There were guys that had their records taken from them whenever they pushed it to a sixteen game game season two, because it's not always been a sixteen game season at the same time, so you can say the same thing previously. Oh yeah,

it was fourteen until the eighties. Yeah, so you could say the same thing. Every time you expand the schedule, the records are going to start falling. And maybe that's part of it. Yes, it's a part of the expansion there, and sure, I mean the capital side of it is certainly the driving force, but also the entertainment of trying to break some more. And that's brought up something else. I was thinking about what I would like to see next year. Maybe the competition committee could get to this

two bye weeks. That's gonna bother some people, but I think for the health, I think for the health of teams, you have to include another bye week if you're gonna go seventeen games. Yeah, I just think you could tell right now with the way that teams are beat up, are the way that teams are having to hold certain guys back knowing that you have seventeen instead of sixteen,

it would only make sense. And what if it extends the football season out until after Valentine's Day, I think we'll be okay on cbas the only way that's gonna go down to there. Okay, we'll do that. If you want up twenty games, YEA, twenty games. Yeah, I'm just telling you how it's gonna gon gonna add another game.

If you're gonna have three games, we're headed eighteen games, so it's going to add So I think I don't know this, but I assume the PA would push for that because I think that's eighteen games twenty weeks is

what it's probably gonna end up. Agree weeks. A lot it depends on the scheduling, but yes, yeah, a lot of those are stacked stacked up in the first week of the season, last week of the season, so that way, it kind of it's it's a weird start date in terms of college but it depends, and there's always three weeks in between a bowl game, so yeah, right, you got a lot of time. All right, let's talk about

the Las Vegas defense and this Cowboys offense. Vegas Raiders on defense the highest rated pass rush as a team according to Pro Football Focus entering the week. A bigger reason for that Max Crosby, Yanna King, Douay, both of them off of the edge, really big players. He got kJ right at the second level. He's been playing decent. So they have some guys in the front seven, the secondary a bit depleted. They of course lost their first round pick from two seasons ago, two drafts ago. I

should say, Damon Arnette. He is no longer with the team, and so they are a bit thin out there, and well they get after the quarterback. But that's about it. Gentlemen, what do you what do you see from this this Vegas defense? They scare me. I'm not even gonna lie. They scare me. You clip that too, yeah, clip that they do. They scare me. I don't like it. We saw with what one man playing with his hair and fire could do. Chris Jones. Chris Jones. Now they have two.

These guys have two and they're on they're on the edges, and there's another strong guy sitting in the middle of their defense at the second level. If you decide to go up the middle, he's waiting on you as well. Their secondary I agree their secondary is depleted, but gauess what our receiving chore is depleted? Depleted. So I don't like that. I don't. I don't like it. I'm just telling y'all straight up. I don't like it. I don't.

I don't have a little feeling in my gut that makes me feel a little in the bubble gubbles, the bubble guts. I knew the bubble guts on a Wednesday. Look at how we've struggled in past blocking, okay, and look at what they do best past rushing, past rushing. Weird. Their weak spot, which we would like to expose, is their secondary. We're down our top two guys possibly put that in quotations. Yeah, with CD. So we have to get a ground game. To get a ground game, I'm

not saying I think that. I think Kellen Moore is smart enough to scheme up some stuff and get this taken care of. But I do believe that if we go into this game dropping the balls and being inefficient and effective with our passing accuracy and things of that nature like we did last week, there this could be a problem. What do you think, Well, well, it looks I've been watching the tape just like you guys have.

And yeah, it's a it's a good news bad news scenario, and like most people, you want the bad news first. The bad news is is that they're gonna play you exactly like everybody else's playing you because of the league bids such a copycat league. They are going to put a lot of guys in the box and they are going to dare Dak to beat them. I think at this point in Dak's career that is a welcome challenge.

Even though he saw that from Atlanta, he has the potential with all of his arsenal of weapons there to expose that because people can't do that when you have Amari CD and Gallup it's just hard to do it. But when you're handicapped like we are that you watch the Raiders, they crowd the line of scrimmage, Max Crosby and Dockway man, it's going to be a challenge for us on the outside, and that's why Tyren Smith is

so important. But the good news, the good news is is that Kellen Moore, like you just mentioned, can be in his bag in a game like this to show exactly how he's gonna get other pieces involved in this offense. I think that the Raiders are going to dare Dalton Schultz to beat them because they don't. They're gonna press so much on the outside and line so close up on the line of scrimmage that they are going to

allow him to be in one on one situations. And I think that's where the nerve can be exposed and that's where we can make some way. But as far as our running game is concerned, this is a big, big, big time game for a Pollard in seek and that's actually what happened in the Chiefs game. But there's a lot of open space for Scholtz in that that game.

I'm with you, like I think it's I think there's it's a good matchup, and it's not a good matchup for the reasons you guys mentioned, Like you watch that Bengals game with in Dockway and Crosby and they had like a you know, first third down it was a Burrow sandwich. They just met at the quarterback. And that's if I don't want to call it a blueprint because I think it's still too early say oh, Cowboys can't, can't, can't beat this, But the Chiefs are known for blitzing.

They didn't have to blitz in that game. Nope. And the Denver Broncos didn't have to blitz in that game, and so can the Cowboys protection hold. You know, is Dad gonna be enough in rhythm to make the throws he needs to make, whether CD plays or not, that's the question. And yeah, Tyrn being back would would absolutely

certainly help. But that's what it comes down to, I think for me, because yeah, I mean that they play man coverage and they're they're gonna drop guys into coverage and clog the lanes and see what the Cowboys can do on a scale of one to ten, scale of one to ten, Tarren Steal at left tackle, what's your confidence level in the amount of time Dak is able to throw? And low lower than lower lower than lower than I mean, but they're gonna get They would give

him help. I mean, you watch you watch the the Raiders Bengals matchup. They put a bag, put p Rhyn there and chip and all that stuff. That's what you I think you'd have to do in this matchup. I was gonna say, because once you gave me a number, I was gonna give you one to ten Tyrn Smith's at left tackle. How much of an increase is it in terms of your confidence level between the two as it doesn't change a whole lot. No, it goes up considerably. Okay, I just I do wonder, you know, is it if

he plays? Can he can he get through it without any problems? You know? That's what when I asked Stephen pre game how close was he to play in Sunday? He said, once he gets back, they don't think it's going to be an issue. Well, does three extra days help that? You know? Are they just being really careful? So we have to see on that if he does play, and he'll be on the side of in Gockway, as I believe, because Crosby doesn't travel right, he doesn't flip side.

He's usually on the right side. So it's gonna be Lyle Collins against Max Crosby, and then it'll be in Gockway versus Smith and or Steele. Well, I mean still, I just know I'm with Pete. Yeah, you gotta get this guy help. You gotta go twelve heavy if that's the case. I you know, man, this is just gonna be one of those matchups that from the edge they have so much energy. These guys are they don't stop,

you know, the motor that Crosby has. And Crosby's a local guy, uh, from from Chris Beams High School, Collyville Heritage is in the third round of the playoffs here and there we go. Yeah, of course they't know Crosby was a pacer. Yeah, absolutely, But you know, it's just he's constantly moving. And that's the one thing about him that I think it's going may give Leo Collins some some trouble because he didn't have a good game. We talked a lot about other pieces, but Leo didn't have

a good game last week either. So, uh, in the middle of their in the middle of their defense, I think that's where we can make hay even on the outside with Casey Hayward Junior, he reminds me a lot of a cornerback that we used to have here. Uh, the guy that didn't make any interceptions, but he didn't give up. Byron Jones reminds me a lot of Barren Jones. And so I just think that, you know, man and man with CD, I'm really looking forward to that matchup

or with Gallup or whomever. I'm just saying I'm looking forward to that matchup to see if they can stop our guys. I say, his look right now, he's just looking at the ceiling, just thinking about not having cd LA And then I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't. I'm not brit Or Jimbo. So I'm not gonna I can't sit up here and say that it's not gonna get Yeah, but I don't think he's gonna be. There haven't been somebody who's had a concussion before a number

of times. I don't see CD player. Um, because even if he does get on the field, it takes one hit and those guys know he's concussed some somewhat and recently as of late, they're gonna take a shot at him in there. They'll take a late hit call to make sure that he gets out of the game. Not to say that there's killers on the field, but that's what they do. Um, we're gonna check it's it's yeah, we're gonna make sure and it's the same thing retiring.

You know, I do agree, obviously. Tyrann's a huge upgrade from Terren Steele. Terren Steel does his best to fill in when he can um. But even if Tyrn does play these ends, to your point, it's one thing to play against a really good defensive end. And you know, out of those sixty snaps you might have, you know, say you have, you know, thirty five passes, you know you have you have passed back on those gut thirty five times, maybe you could stop him majority of the time.

You know, maybe there's one play on most guys that that you're good with, you know, and then they just get you that one time. These guys, that percentage goes up drastically because they just don't stop. When you play some guys, you stuff them, you might muffin boom, get a little pancake, and they are You don't have to worry about them for the next three or four plays, because they got they gotta charge back up. I don't know what these guys are on. I really don't know

what they're on. They're on, they're on something. I don't know what kind of energy drink they're drinking, but they're both juiced up and they're coming yeah and there and there. And I know their defensive coordinator. Defensive coordinator was with me in Seattle, Gus Bradley, and I had him as a head coach in Jacksonville. He's the energizer bunny. That's why I do like this matchup in summer because Bradley's a hell of a coach. But there's there's there's that

DNA between he and Quinn. Yeah, they understand it. Yeah, and the Cowboys scheme, I mean the offense is familiar with that DNA of that scheme. Quinn Quinn was underneath Bradley. Yeah, Quinn Quinn replaced Bradley after he went to Jacksonville, So I think they're that familiarity might might help. And look, Terrence Steele was much better against Atlanta at home. I think the crowd noise and all that stuff not do him any favors. Obviously with the one snap where he

and Elsie both together did not get off the ball. Um, I think he'll be better. He's a competitor, but yeah, it's a it's a tough challenge for anybody. I wouldn't feel at ten with anybody against these two guys. Yeah, it kind of goes back. You've said this before on this show, Isaiah about how high motors sometimes give you more of a longer day than high talent. But The thing is with both of these guys, I mean, and Goquoy's got talent too, and Max Crosby certainly has talent.

He's having as good of a year as anybody, and they've got the motor which kind of scares me, scares you on that combination side. Yeah, it's it's rough and and it could be. It could be a good day if our receivers show up and played their best day. I'd just say that if if our current guys that we know are going to play, said said Noah Gallup Schultz, Charln Schultz, and I would imagine that Simmy Fooco is going to have his coming out opportunity has to turn two.

But I think Simmy has to be active for this even if even if even if CD plays, I think you have to bring send me up just because you know there's a chance that he might get put back out. I would that's the approach I would take. I want to see him take some snatch he need, he needs a g and actually get some targets. I want to see what he can do. That'd be a heck of a of a coming out party and a Thanksgiving game. Yeah, I almost had a touchdown on Thanksgiving, Dame dam what

was that story? Like, No, I just kick return? Which which which game? Seattle? Actually again Seattle? It was again Seattle with the whole stadium. Yeah, almost had it. I was mad. I was waiting on a block. I should have just went what year? Remember? Had him been eight? Had Hi been away? Yeah? Well I do almost burn you more than actually because I was wat. I was waiting on a teammate to take care of something for me right now. It was like and like he just

didn't take care of it. And my boy, Jordan Babineau from Seattle, he got he came and got me. I said, you bastard, and my family was right there. I think I got it to like just over the fifty or something. I was mad, so like a decent return. It was a good return. It should have been the should have housed it. Anyways, I think we can't exploit these guys, but it has to be on the ground. Got to I'll put it that way. And let's talk about that when we come back on the other side of the break.

Where has the Cowboys run game bin? And can we find it when we come back here on a say it with your chess Wednesday. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why SLOR pioneers ways to make lenses as unique as you. Varilux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, and Crisolve for freedom from glare. Three cutting off solutions in a single unique lens. So whatever your needs, insist on Salor, visit your local SLOR experts and find a perfect lens for you. See more,

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the official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys. So if you need a tractor to bail some hay, I'm more to cut some asked, or a gator to get some chores done, get a John Deer at unantagin Turf andam then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line, Well not today, get to work with a John Deer tractor package that's just right for you in your budget. Visit you unantaginturf dot com to Talking Cowboys. Whether you're watching from home or you're cheering in the stance with

or lenses, you can see every exciting play book. An appointment at your local or experts to see what esselor can do for you. See more, do more. Shot will not make this, but that's definitely a boomerang. Please putting on a boomerang. Please get it to the whole production team. Oh, I love it. Rob Phillips his ass name back, heck my Harrison, We've got Chris Beam, I'm Kyle Yam And gentlemen, we have to find that. I'm definitely going back and

I'm making a gift off of that. I'm definitely going back every time the Cowboys do something with Kellen Moore draws up the perfect red zone play. You can have Fridays back. No, I don't, it's yours. It's thank you. The heckman does look like a disappointed I am not. I am so impressed right now. You guys are not doing what I feel a disservice. I'm impressed by. It was the It was the back and form with the mic for me before trying something different. You are R

and B singer in another life. Sure of that? Not exactly? Talk about genuine all right, so anxious final two segments before we take on the Raiders on Thanksgiving, Let's find the run game. Heck, where has it been? And why has there not been any effectiveness on the ground? Man, it's it's been. I feel as though Zeke has been hurt. No one's made said anything about it, but you know there's something going on the way that he gets up

after he would say it's falling down. That hurts the first Yeah, just seeing him get up and he's been dealing with these nagging injuries. Just it hadn't been the same as far as that pop that you saw from the first couple of games. It's kind of slowed down. And I mean, obviously as we get these breaks and these guys, this isn't like another buy for us, because once they get past the Saints game, they're gonna have an extended period of time that they're gonna be off

as well. Just gotta get this guy healthy and I think offensively, offensive line wise, we just hadn't had the continuity that we've been talking about. When you're missing Tyrant Smith. That's a big part of your success that you haven't. I mean, I think it's all calls in effect, and you know, we just hadn't been able to establish it. We get a big run, we get a big game, and we go back airborne. So we've just got to in this game specifically, we've just got to dedicate ourselves

to playing smash mouth football. We are averaging eighty eight yards per game rushing total as a team the last four games. Wow, it's not great. Nah, not ideal. That's a problem. That's a problem. I'm not sure where stemming from. I don't know if it's because we've been in some games that that has required us to try to throw our way out of it. Um. I don't know if it's the injuries to Zeke. I'm pretty sure that the

coaches are fully aware of how healthy he is. But regardless of what the issue is they did, they have to address it because we can't go back to what Dallas cannot go back to what they did week one, and that is throw the ball. Yeah, Bannon a run and throw the ball fifty times, and I feel like that's eight back to I feel like it's getting back today. Yeah.

We ran for sixty yards in that opening game, and last week we ran for eighty two twenty two more yards about that it was sixty then one, sixty two, forty five twenty two. That was before the bye week. After the bye week, seventy eight seven fourteen against Atlanta, But a lot of that was late kind of salting the game away in the second half. Eighty two, So you're right. I mean, since the bye week, the Cowboys

just have not run the ball effectively. And yes, you can put the Atlanta game up there as much as you want, but in terms of winning that game, you didn't need the run to win that game. You needed that run to run out the clock in the second half. So a lot of that was kind of taken with a grain of salt. Whereas New England you needed the established to run early. New York same thing. Carolina. Certainly they won that game because of the run game. So what has been the chance is that just a Kellen

Moore thing run? Um? Well, the Denver game got out of hand. Obviously, they tried to run four thounds early, didn't get it. Um, maybe there's some candy out there with the man covers on the outside and they loved their one on one matchups with their outside receivers. M nick Eman did have a stat yesterday on media match that I'm gonna butcher it, but it was something like they ran sixteen times against the Chiefs and they ran ten times on first down and got like two points

something yards per first down. So like his his his thought on that is you get yourself in second and long, you know, get yourself out of it with the pass. Yes, Um, but I but I would go back to the Minnesota game where they didn't run it too well three point three yards to carry, but they stuck with it. They had twenty four carries, and we're just like persistent with it. And why did you do that in the Minnesota game because you had Cooper rush? Yes, but but I think

that would help DA's Dak's dak. But like when you got some changes on your offensive line, whether Tyrant plays or not. You got McGovern making his second start at left guard, help you help your young linemen out, you know, where they're not in pass pro all the time, especially against this front that we just talked about last segment. Yeah, seven games, seven games left. Zeke's at six hundred and

ninety five yards. He is sixth in the league. Even with those numbers, he still has everything in front of him to to play, you know, to get those numbers up, if that's what you know statistically where he wants to be. Um. I think that Tony Pollard has done a really good job filling in at times. But we know that Tony Pollard is not the blocker uh that Zeke is, and so it's it's twofold for me. We point out the offense, the offensive line, but I also think that defenses are

daring us to continue to try and run. And you go back to the Tampa Bay game where Keller Moore says, you know, after the after the game was over, well why didn't you run it more? And he says, I'm not going to just continue to run until this front, you know, run into a brick wall. I'm gonna try and do some other things. And I think that's been the model of what he's been thinking, especially with teams

willing to live and die in press man coverage. I think I think that third down, uh, the fact that you just brought up is another reason why we haven't seen as much TP as well, because we've been throwing so much on third down. He's not the blocker that Zeke is, and we have had issues with protection, so you make sure that your best blocking back is in there.

So I think that has hindered Pollard's ability to be on the field as much as he has in the past, even when he was as effective as a runner and as the ball carrier like he was laid in the game against Kansas City. He wasn't on the field a whole lot, even with a bang dub Zeke because just based off back, you needed more protection for Dad. What has happened to Pollard as a receiver though? That was a mail back question this week maybe for today, and

I don't disagree. I mean, that's one of the things though, that you have to if you're gonna be in there, if you're a third down back, right, if you're a change of pace third down back, you have to be able to handle your blocking responsibilities first, because a lot of the receiving that comes from a running back comes after you have checked your protection first. So your swing routes, your option routes, you know, your arrows, all those kind of things that you run out the backfield, they come

after you check your protection first. If your protection is secure and you're good, I can get out and run my route. But if you're not blocking well, then you're not going to be in that position. I'm not saying that he's not blocking well. I gotta go back and watch the film, but that's my assumption is that because of how effective Zeke has been in the blocking game at that position. I just rather have Zeke in there. Yeah.

Well I just I was just thinking if you if you don't have CD and I think they're still hopeful of that, but if they don't, then he could go more two back sets. You could put him back there together. And I'm not saying put Tony out wide all the time, but he does. I mean going back to Memphis, he does have that that skill set that they really haven't used a lot now three years. No, he could route run. He can be a good route runner. He's not gonna

be a wide receiver. He's not gonna win his battle of the line, but he runs great routes from this lot. And we saw that in No Tas at training camp, the way that he was running round and they haven't used that two back set like we've seen at OTAs in training camp. And then he saw it earlier in the year, Yeah with mcgover. You saw it with McGovern

and Williams back there. Uh. The only game where Tony Pollard has more than four receptions and more than thirty yards receiving the Atlanta game when he had six receptions on seven targets for fifty six yards. Like I said, a lot of that late. Every other game it's been two receptions one, one, three, four, zero and zero targets in that game as well, one reception for five yards against philadelph Not great numbers as a receiver for Tony Pollard.

So maybe without ceedee Lamb, I think I agree with you guys, and you said this earlier or two about Dalton Scholtz. I think Dalton Schultz needs to have a bigger game and has to have a bigger role. Same

thing with Tony Pollard. Use him as a wide receiver, use him out of the backfield, kind of get creative with the way that you split those backs out wide, because especially if there's going to be pressure coming off the edge, it might be an opportunity to sneak it out there and get some extra yards and a couple of extra blockers out in front. It look like you had something mad there. No, I'm just I'm just looking

at these stats. I'm not a big stat guy, but I think it does play a part in terms of our success at the Dallas success already past four weeks. We're two and two over the last four weeks, all right, and we're one hundred yard rushing game out of those four games for us. Every game our opponent has had one hundred yards rushing over the last four weeks. And that's just not a Dallas stat. That's not something that's indicative of a reflective of our DNA. I want to change.

If you want to look on the other side, a positive stat is the fact that they haven't allowed one hundred yard receiver since Week five. So the passing defense, or at least the air attack hasn't been nearly as successful against the Cowboys secondary as it had been. If you told me that before the game, kind of what Heck said after the game, if you're gonna hold Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelsey to to receiving yards in the seventies when the game, That's what it came out of

my mouth. Taken every day, Yeah, Rusher, no touchdowns for Patrick Mahomes, but not just sad. But in that same breath, let's let's put it where this this game actually needs to be on Dak's shoulders. Dak has got to come out, He's got to be sharp. You know, so much was made of that first throw to Michael Gallup, and I love what Babe Laufenberg said. If you thought that blew the game. Then you're wrong because Michael gallipood Goes scored

touchdown on that play. Maybe it would have gone for thirty forty yards, but look, that didn't blow the game. Dak has to start fast, he has to be sharp, he has to make key reads. A lot of this again, it's gonna be on him the start we gotta have. We talked yesterday about the Las Vegas and their capability, their lack of big play ability in having slow, methodical drives. We have to mirror that. We have to have slow

methodical drives. We've got to take that just pretty much the wind out of their sales immediately, because they are going to want to pressure, they are going to want to try and play us aggressively. We've got to match that. At three o'clock, I have a question, Yes, thank you. Can we ask every time you want to ask? Soos coming good home training? Can the Dallas Cowboys win this game without rushing for a hundred yards? Oh? I would

say no. I don't think they can. I guess they could if they just dominate on the outside or with Schultz and they just you know, you're talking with specific scenario and the personnel that's going to be available. I'm saying, gallup, Noah Brown, Cedric Wilson, at your as your receivers in, Malik Turner and send me for Hoko No and Isaiah standpack No, no, no, no, those checks have stopped. No, that's that you put it that way with that lineup, I think, yeah, you need to, like you said, you

need to pound it. You need to you know, rush twenty five thirty times, and so you gotta get to a hundred Dudes. Does Dallas win this game without getting two hundred yards on the ground. No, I don't think so. If CD doesn't play, no, no, unless it's like a three to nothing game, and that would just be wild in its own right. But that's hard, that's I mean, Look, that's you talk about what's been ailing us and why we haven't had a lot of success in these games

that we've lost. We haven't been able to get the ground game established. Therefore, the defense has been able to key off on everything that we do. Now that we have missing pieces, hell, that just makes that stat that you're talking about even more important. So, no, we have to establish the ground game because everything else that Dak is gonna do is gonna be predicated on what we do in the run. We can't run, I asked question.

I asked that question because if CD's out, if you're a defensive coordinate, if you're Gus Bradley, who's a freaking genius of a defensive coordinator, what are you taking away? I'm gonna take away to run. I'm taking away to run because I might my best matchup, or I guess the worst matchup I have is Gallup versus Desmond Truefont, who's a veteran corner in this league, respectable right everybody else. I feel pretty confident about If I'm Gus Bradley, I'm

not threatened by your receivers. Without CD and Coop on the field, I trust, I would wholeheartedly trust that Desmond Truefont can hold his own. I'm not gonna say that he's gonna win every battle, but definitely true he's no punk now he can hold his own against Gallup. Gallups

gonna win something, he gonna lose something. The Olidified another day. Okay, the rest of your corners, the rest of your corners out there, that the rest of the corners that the Raiders have, I don't think that they're gonna be threatened by are by the person of the Dallas has on the field. You can't include a Friday quote. Do you guys understand I'm getting that. I agree with I'm gonna press the crap out of those guys, and you're saying they may be a little too banged up offensively to

get this done. Potentially. Potentially, Yeah, I don't because because their personnel, their defense has not played amazing. No, right, their defense has not played amazing. They're they're they're pass rushes, pashes. Everything else is not that great. But when you know that you're playing at the wounded animal, you change your style, change your style up. For Michael Gallant, we've talked about

him as a true number two receiver. He's in the contract year and obviously he doesn't view himself that way. He's got to view himself as an apex as well. How big is this opportunity for him or is it one of those things or if you're not used to being the number one guy the target is that something that's the lights to bright? Basically, this is his resume game. This is his resume game as a number one to

the rest of the league. CD doesn't play if CD doesn't play, the rest of the league is gonna be looking at this game and say, what did you do when you were the number one guy? And this is a chance for him. We'll see how he does it when we come back. We got to make our predictions. We gotta do it pretty quickly. When week returned with more talking Cowboys. I want to use what the pros use. How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys,

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It's a great people, great pay replay here on Talking Cowboys. Jason Witten has joined the Caliber Collision team. You can join him to do great work with great people for great pay. Apply right now at jobs at Caliber dot com. That's jobs at Caliber dot Com. No running on the bro that is that is a Webster's dictionary that you have in your back podas you ain't got to do better. That is causing so many problems. Can we stack up to get Chris is in here too. Okay, we don't

have a ton of time. We gotta get going. So Isaiah went one and five last week and his yeah, you were bad. The only game you got right was the Cowboys game when he was well, actually, that's a fact, because you have the best record in picking Cowboys games, but the worst record overall. You're twenty and thirty two overall, but you're eight and two in Cowboys games. Man, that's

got a hurt um. Now, heckma went three and three, so he gained the game on the fans, who went two and four, and on Rob Phillips, who also went two and four, So the fans have a one game lead on Rob. Rob and Heckma are now tied at thirty five and twenty seven overall. That's what I was at the island, I was, I was like, what is the house? That's you plan is pulling up? Pulling up to the island? Uh? And then I'm at the at the top. I went three and three as well last week,

so pretty even at the same time. You going down? Am I going down? Going down? Let's see, all right, we've got our fan picker of the week. Let's go to Matres from Philly. Martz. Sorry I spelt it wrong on my phone. Martes from Philly? What up? How's it going good? Long? Long? Oh that's all thanks man. Well, we appreciate the support, and you're gonna get to pick some of these games and try and represent Martz. You are not be in Ohio, so you're actually you are

Martz and Philly. This is not okay, good, We're picture gotta gotta check from here on out. Be from Ohio. Actually he was by far the worst fan pick him of the entire season. Don't be from Ohio. Don't be b from Ohio. All right, we got first game on the way, the Bears at the Lions. We're gonna do all three Thanksgiving games, so let's start with the Bears at the Lions. And there's rumors around Matt Nagy is he going to last after this game? Playing on the

road and Detroit. We'll start with you, Isaiah Bears. The Bears win it, yeah, okay, Rob Bears, Martz Bears, Okay, are you gonna go for the first win of the year. You know, I think this is I think they're getting close, and I think right now with the turmoil that the Bears are end that this would be a prime opportunity for the Lions to win it, but they just won't do it. I'm goining Bears on this one. I'm going with the Lions. The Lions to win it at home.

I think they're gonna get it done. Yeah, yeah, I'm doing it all right. The other Thanksgiving game Bills at the Saints, Martez, what you got, Bill? Oh? Good? One at the Saints on I guess that's the nighttime slot. Both are running backs are hurt. I'm just gonna go with the Bill. Okay, that's a good, good one. That's a good one. What do you think. I'm going with the Mafia and this one as well. Um, Saints just hadn't been playing well since uh the quarterback went down.

So okay, Bills, bounce back Bills. Bounce back Bills are due to win one here. New Orleans has won five straight games against Buffalo. Wow, that straight comes to a close history. Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna pick the Saints on that one. All I mean, excuse me, the Buffalo flo Bills, Buffalo Bills. I'm tracking the Bills. I'm picking the Bills. I'm I'm not attracting. I'm picking the Bills. I misspoke. I'm sorry. So Buccaneers at the Colts, this is a really good game. I'm gonna pick the Colts

at home to take down Tom Brady. I think Jonathan Taylor is just on another level right now. Mark Tess, who you got I'm going to buck don't with the Bucks. Ah man, I'm gonna go with the Colts on this one. I think Colts at home that's gonna be tough. And you talk about the running games, so I think Colts and Vita Vea is still going. I'm gonna try to gain a game on heck, and it's Tom Brady Bucks. Wait,

so who did you just pick the Colts? The Colts? Okay, I didn't play the last game, and yeah, he's banged up a little bit, all right, Rams at the Packers. This is a fun one as well. Two teams that coming off of losses but still contenders in the number one seed for the NFC East or I mean, excuse me, the NFC seating. Let's start with you, Rob Rams. Can't see the Rams losing three straight. Take the Rams. Okay,

I'm gonna go with the Rams as well. I think the weather kind of concerns me being in Green Bay, but I'm with you. I just don't see them sliding out like this. So give me the Packers at Lambeau. Okay, yeah, there you got hackers. Don't pack game though it will. I think I think Beckham's gonna have hell of a game, Okay, Martes Ramsey shuts down Adams, then they get a much needed one. I hope that doesn't happen just because Ramsey Adams is on my fantasy team. So I don't want

that to happen. Uh, Vikings at the forty Niners, Minnesota at San Francisco, both teams at five and five, and both teams coming off a big wins. Rob forty nine ers at home. M Okay, yeah, same, forty nine is at home for Isaiah. You know, coach, the Vikings head coach is one of my favorite people now, and yeah, he's one of my favorite people. But I uh, I'm gonna go forty nine. Us Zimmer's winning on the field this week as well. Let's say he wins on the

road at San Francisco and Minnesota Vikings get the win. Martz, who do you think I'm gonna Do you like that? You like your cousins going Kirk cousins? Okay, I see you, all right. Cowboys hosting the Raiders. Dallas has lost three of their last four Thanksgiving games, and well they've beaten the Raiders twice on Thanksgiving and their last two Thanksgiving meetings. So this one's gonna be fun. Rob will start, actually, Martz, we'll start with you. I'm gonna say this is a

Kellen Moore game. He needs this one because he's gonna stay hot. Our running game Schematically, you look at the all twenty two schematically, the running game has not been good. So I'm hoping he gets some jet sweep going some more wild. Can't going stop running behind Connor Will I'm sorry, McGovern is, be honest. They're not strong enough. I'm just gonna go. I'm hoping our defense can carry you tomorrow. So I'm gonna go. Cowboys twenty three thirteen. Okay, defensive

minded game. I like it. Martz, thanks so much for joining us and for listening, and good luck out in Philly. There he goes Martz, representing the fans this week. I'll let Isaiah go next to last this week, so Rob, I'll let you start. I think the challenges we talked about for the Cowboys offense are real, but I think I think they'll be more comfortable at home. That includes the offensive line. Raiders give up the fourth most rushing yards in the league, and I think the defense is

gonna get a couple takeaways in this game. I think the Cowboys find a way to win this game something like twenty seven twenty three. So I'm right there with you. I was going to pull out the exact same stat in terms of fourth most rushing yards allowed. Because when I looked at that, I said, Okay, this is a chance to get that ground game going. This is a jump starter, this is a catalyst. Let's get that going. And I think the Cowboys in a very similar game,

very defensive minded, They're gonna get a couple takeaways. I think the Cowboys win it twenty seven twenty one, in a really close game, but ultimately I think they come out on top. All right, Isaiah, who you got? You're eight and soon picking the Cowboys twenty one seventeen. Oh, I don't feel good about this one, guys. I don't like it. That's fair. I don't like it. I don't think you're alone. I don't like it. I'm how to

go Raiders. Okay, you're going Raiders. Don't You're going back to bat I got the bubble Gus got it right last week. Bubble baby wipes. It's how he's gonna catch up, switching it up, all right? Hecka Well, Look here's my thing with Cowboy Nation. And I've been, you know, following the tweets and hearing all the rhetoric, and then a lot of people that are jumping off the bandwagon, all of a sudden and I love it. I love it because you need to all in. Are you all out?

And we like it like that to say the same team defensively, the guys said, I hope they come back and they carry it. Look, we got the big case. It's gonna be here, and you understand what the bazookas doing. Dak has to have a comeback game. It happens tomorrow. Stuffing is gonna go down great after the game, all right, when you guys are playing your games at the end of the night, everybody gonna be happy because's gonna be a Cowboy win. Cowboys twenty eight seventeen. I love it.

I always gets to be hyped up to do this thing that's break it down good while you're having a little dessert down great. I hope everyone out there, We hope everybody out there has a phenomenal Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks Be safe, make sure you get to and from where you're going with safety and mind as well, and be ready to cheer on the Cowboys come Thursday afternoon. It's gonna be a whole lot of fun and we're

excited to talk about it with you on Monday. Chris beam In the Back, Rob Phillips, Isaiah stand Back, heck My Harrison. What do we say on Friday? Cowboy Nason, I hope your team wait, let's go. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.