Talkin' Cowboys: Has Amari Exceeded Expectations?

on a Wednesday Big Show. Today, Brian brought us across the table from me, Mickey Spagnola to my right as always Kent Garrison producing next door. You're rubbing your hands together. You're ready go, I'm ready. Hap your birthday to brought us. Thank you appreciate that Mickey had the Lumberjack breakfast over there. Do you knows that, Yes, he had the Lumberjack breakfast. What do you have eggs? Over easy? Now? I would I went the I went. I'm on that program that

diet where I'm not eating anything and anything. Basically, Mickey, it's like I'm eating air very yeah, but it's very yeah. But it's like they allow you to eat eggs. No cheese. I eat egg like an egg omelet, three egg omelet with with a bell, pepper and spinach. That's it. What's wrong with that? Nothing's wrong with it. I'd love to have like one hundred pounds of cheese in that thing, too, especially when someone cooks it for you. No, and I have no complaints about the fifty. It's easy to be

on a diet this place. Egg whites are regular. You have regular eggs in this thing. Yeah, splurge, Yeah, why not? Why can't you cheat on your birthday? I'm not gonna do that. I've come. I've lost a serious I've lost like fourteen pounds doing this. Congrats. No, I appreciate that. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, there's no cheating. Well, you know your birthday, man, it's especially especially did you make a pizza last night? No, it's a long story. I'll tell you later. Okay, sounds good.

You don't want to, you know, I'd say, no, it's good. It's good. We've got all It's funny how we have all these birthdays. It's crazy. Ambar on Saturday, Mickey yesterday, me today, Dave Hellman on Fridriday. Friday. Yeah, there was there one last week two week Mills. No, No, I think maybe it was next week. Yeah, yeah, just damn staff back around the holidays. Yeah, you know, absolutely, it's uh and I feel like we're a tight knit group.

So yeah, it's good to celebrate everybody. Yep. And it's easier when the team Shannon there for a minute, you said, like, Shannon, what did I say everyday? Everybody? What's up? Birthday brought us had to Concrete Cowboy Go last night. It was a good show. Shannon does a really good job hosting

that thing. Yeah, moves it around too, you know. And the and the folks that came out, and we had a couple of fans that were there, gentlemen that we're wearing the cowboy gear and kind of cozied up there at the watering hole and uh asked some good questions. There's some good questions. Had a gentleman from Jamaica that

was there last night. He was would he say he moved he moved the United States to get close to the Cowboys, but he ended up in Washington, d c. D To figure out that He's like, whoa wait a minute, I didn't come from this team. I game from the Southern team. Wrong nfcastrong wrong rival there, but no, that's compass or what. I don't know that Nate gave gives you like a quick rundown to somebody's life. Yeah, you know, right before the question. Yeah, you know it is Mickey, Yeah, exactly.

It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of enjoyed the show. He was in honor of Columbus. He came one place. He was not on the penior of the Santa Maria. No, he was. He was fun. He might have been with the Bob sled dudes. He just ended up in the wrong spots found America. But he ended up where in Puerto Rico or South America summer where it was about three hours north. You know, he almost had it, almost made it. He found he found the Star. Yeah, you know he did a good job. Yeah. I appreciate

the guy. Had a good discussion about Dak and maybe we can get into that again today, just kind of you know, dissecting stuff there. Yeah, we're dissecting where he's at. I think there's mostly positive stuff. Yeah, I don't think some fans, some observers are ever happy completely Dallas Cowboys calling back and it wasn't a perfect day or anything like that. Coach too, Yeah, um, coach deserves your respect today from what you know. I mean again, they've got

to clinch this division. And but you know it looked pretty bleak there for a while at three and five, and he pulled things together. They made a trade. That trades help the quarterbacks playing better. You're playing with backup offensive lineman, you get a really good defense. There's a lot to be to be looking forward to as this thing kind of winds down the next three weeks. Eight eight, five, five, two two nine seven is the number if you guys would like to join us over the next hour. We've

got a big show. We've got an unfamiliar opponent to maybe dive into a little bit. Yeah, today Indianapolis Colts different looking at their tape and seen that in a while seven and six. Yeah, they're in playoff position as well, second place in their division, trying to get a wildcard spot. Huge win against the Texans the other day, snapped a

nine game Houston winning Street. Yeah, the Texans. You know, the Texans are out in front of that in that division and so but you know they got a game closer to them, and so this is an important game for them if you look at the big picture. I'm not going to act like I sit there and know completely what's going on in the AFC, but I do know that the Colts went and got them a big victory the other day, but had a bad loss the week before though against Jacksonville. That was a bad loss.

I shut out six to nothing. Yeah, turnovers, turnovers happened in that one. That was the one where they got They went forward on fourth down and one on the goal line, tried to run a shovel inside and got stuffed, and so you know, and then they just couldn't really manufacture anything else offensively. But goodwinned Houston and they got there. They were shut out early the other day, yeah, against Houston,

and then got it going. Now you say a little unique familiar on defense, because offensively, it's kind of a different look. They showed less. Well, it's yeah, a little bit Philadelphia. You got Frank Ryet. It's still you know that there's some of the things with the a little bit of the inside handoff stuff, but it's a very patient offense when you watch it play. I mean, the thing they've managed to keep Andrew Luck upright that has

been the big big thing for them. They've they've invested a couple of different draft picks, high draft picks and offensive lineman. You know, Quinton Nelson was mich Wick a consensus it was him, say Quon Barkley, you know, as two of the best players in the draft, and and you know, the Colts at the sixth overall pick ended up getting Quinton Nelson, which was I thought a surprise. I thought he would I thought he would go in the top you know, probably four, but six is still

tremendous for a guard. And then the Braden Smith who they drafted out of Auburn in the second round. Kind of thought of him, were of a third round type of a player. But he's playing really well for them at right tackle, and so they've kind of pulled some things together on that offensive line. They went and got Eric has really helped them in the passing game. And he's a guy that another tight end Mickey that you have to find a way to cover. You have to

find a way. Okay, is at Jeff he is at linebackers? Is it? You know? Byron Jones. I think Byron Jones is going to have his hands full with t Y Hilton as well. Ryan Grant is also on this team. He used to play for the Redskins, so it's kind of a different group maybe other than Hilton. Not a bunch of big time wide receivers, but the quarterbacks doing a great job of staying upright, delivering the football, taking what they can get, and then occasionally taking that shot

down the field of t Y Hilton. He had a huge game against Tennessee. Nine targets, nine receptions, some big, big time catches. They're starting to get him involved more. He started off high targets, high catches, kind of faded in the middle a little bit, and then now is back to the last five games. They've really started feeding him the football to try and generate some offense. How many times do you play back to back teams that the tight ends they're leading. Yeah, receiver in touchdowns, Ibron

has twelve. I think, well he's broken Dallas Clarks Colts record. Yeah, and he's already Dallas Clark was a great time. Dallas Clark was pretty good play with a pretty good quarterback. I next guy has twelve. Yeah, this is this is when you watch when we're all kind of familiar with Eric Ebron when he came out of North Carolina, he really wasn't an inline guy. He was more of a flex uh you know, play detached, mean detached away from the line, away from the tackle. You know, he's he's

tough and and you know his he's his career. He's starting to play. Like the Detroit Lions believed that they were that he was going to play. He was the tenth overall pick, I want to say in that draft in the in the uh so, you know, it's just kind of watching him play and I'm like, okay, how do you how do you cover him? How do you stop him? You know, there's a lot of things. They throw the ball underneath to him, They throw the ball underneath to their backs a lot. They drafted this Naheim Hines.

If you watched the draft show, you know from North Carolina State, we talked about him. Five to nine, one hundred and ninety six pound type of guy. You know, he's he's tough to bring down. But they use him like as a wide receiver. They use him in the slot, they toss him the ball. They kind of have a

rotation of backs that they do use. But I think the most important thing for this offense for the Colts is the fact that they're protecting Andrew luck now and and that's something that you know for a while there that wasn't always the case. Well, especially given the injuries that he's had shoulder. Yeah, and he's bounced back thirty four touchdowns. That's I believe that's second behind Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. Yeah, and a bit of a renaissance

season for him. The run game is not their strengths. Basically, they mentioned it. Marlon mack Is is their starter, they use a couple of different Jordan Wilkins, Yeah, And for me, I think I mentioned this on The Happy Hour Mick yesterday, and you talk about this too. Defensively for Dallas, line one is stopping the run and they've been able to

do that, particularly in the last five games. Sixty six yards given up per game during this win streak, and I don't think they've allowed one hundred yard rusher yet. That's kind of what you try to do first for Marinelli, and then everything feeds off of that. They've been able to do that. Zeke's like one hundred yards behind their entire team rushing. Yeah, they've rushed for thirteen thirty three

their leader sixteen six sixteen Mac Mac that Zeke's doubled that. Yeah, although when you mentioned Luck getting protected, he's been sacked three times less than your quarterback. They went for a stretch there though, where they did so why did they go one in five? What in the world happened? Yeah, they got off to a one in five, they did. They got off to a really bad start, and but they were able. I mean they lost to the Jets in Buffalo. There were some questions about the quarterback though

early in that he wasn't healthy. He wasn't healthy enough. I take back Buffalo was the Jets, not Buffalo. Yeah, you could say the same thing about this team. What in the world happened to start three and five? Well, you lose two games by three points, one game by eight points, and yeah, I think there's I think, you know,

the early sacks and stuff you saw. I think they've gone to they had a game, they had a stretch there where they had three games where they didn't get a they didn't give up a sack, and I think that's been recently though. They they when you say you watched, you know, Jacksonville is a team that we feel like can pressure the quarterback, are capable of pressure in the quarterback, and they did a great job of protecting you know, you talk about with the with the Texans as well.

Texans are a team that could also rush the passer. So they've had they've had some stretches where they've kind of you know where you're sitting there thinking, Oh, with Dallas, I mean, can you imagine Dallas having a stretch worth they have three straight games where they don't give up a sack. I mean, that would be we would throw a parade in downtown Dallas that or Frisco if that, if that were that right now. So yeah, I mean

I think it's you know, give him some credit. They started off very poorly, and you know, because I think the quarterback, I think the quarterbacks has come back, you know, to to the form that he once enjoyed. So he's given up forties plus, he's gotten sack forty plus times. Luck Mick no I said he was sacked three times less than than um Dak Daxman sack forty eight times. That's what I'm saying. But there's both sacks sixteen times, oh three times less three times. Oh, I was gonna

say I didn't. I feel like the protection is better than that. Yeah, because he's a guy for sixteen but guess what five of those have been in the last two games. Yeah, yeah, actually six in the last three games. Yeah. Just watching him throughout his career, Luck is a guy that he'll hang in the pocket and he'll take hits. He will take a beating. Tough guy. Yeah, yeah, really tough. Yeah,

almost to the detriment of his health in recent years. Um, but you're right about if you flip it around and you talk about their defense, get ready for the same thing that you see from the Dallas Cowboys, the Cowboys defense. Get ready for slot blitz, get ready for twist game, get ready for slant front, get ready for fire zone, get ready for single high safety, get ready for picket fence on third down and long. You know, everything that you see with the Cowboys. Mattieberflus is carried over to

the Indianapolis Colts. Moved him from a three four or four three absolutely cover two with some other principles and a built on speed. They do they run, I mean and you know, if you remember againting Marcus Hunt Cincinnati, big tall guy from smuh, they're using Marcus Hunt like they use David Irving, you know, like this the six seven six eight defensive tackle guy. That's what they've got, Marcus Hunt. He's not really playing as a defensive end anymore.

He's playing more is than playing like a three or occasionally playing as a one. And what they're trying to do is affect the middle of the pocket if you're gonna you know, if he doesn't get home, hands up, you know, trying trying to flec balls and things like that. So they've got a They've got a pretty good front there. They're will linebacker. This Darius Leonard from South Carolina State is really good. He's Vanderesh's main competition Awards Y Award, Yeah,

him Vanderesh. Uh. The guy Derwin James at the Los Angeles Chargers. Those guys are going to be in the running for the AFC Rookie of the Year Defensive Rookie of the Year because they're they're they're really good. Now they've got their secondary actually tackles pretty well. Malik Hooker was a guy that they got in the in the two thousand and seventeen draft. He was a first round pick. Uh. He was banged up a little bit last year, but

this year playing very very well at Ohio State. He's got played with a lot of range, coverability, good tackler, so they are secondary tackles pretty well. When you watch them play over all, they kind of uh flip flop their their nickel players at times, so you got to be a little bit. Clayton Gathers uh sometimes will play in the slot. He's a safety that will sometimes play in the slot. And then they'll also take this Kenny Moore,

this number twenty three. He's their primary nickel player. So we'll see they got him on waivers from New England. So we'll see how how they want to play Cole Beasley in this game, if it's going to be primarily Kenny Moore, or we see Clayton Gathers line up in the slot and play some as well. They got him listed as their starter. Yeah, corner, Yeah, so they move them inside movement inside, yeah, sure to So yeah, it's a it's a it's actually it's a it's a good

it's a good defense. I mean, they do a good job. When you watch him play, it's you know, they've they've got a lot of young players. They've used a lot of draft picks, a lot of they have second round guys. Uh. This guy Toorey that they had, you know as a defensive end is as a good player. I'm bean a good rusher and they've used they've used some picks. New general manager there though, you know Ballard. Yeah, it came from Kansas City and so he's done. He's done a

fine job of retooling this team. It was a team that I thought it was very talent poor. I know we played him the preseason. What year was that we played him, like two years ago? Was at sixteen that we played him in the preseason here. Yeah, they looked very, very suspect with their overall talent, but their team has improved greatly since then. Colts defense is forced at least

one turnover in every game this season. Yeah. And if do you want to knock something offensively for the Cowboys, it's it's red zone offense overall, cashing in on your opportunities and Dak protecting the football. You know, he's lost I think six fumbles this season, and he did have two picks the other day, which he more than atoned for in the fourth quarter and overtime as well. One thing that was pointing when I said unique about the Colts offense, It was like watching the nineties Bills a

little bit. In that last game with the tempo, they showed some no huddle, some of the Frank Reichs stuff that he knows to try to get them out of the rut they've been in. Right, So, I don't know how often they want to do that. When you do that, you can't change personnel groups and give Dallas different looks. But it's something maybe to be, you know, watchful for. If they feel like that, you're gonna substitute a lot of guys on and off in which the Cowboys like

to do. They like to rotate their defensive line and they like to get those uh you know, generally the defensive backs will stay the same if you if they get you in nickel to start, they'll stay in nickel. Yeah, that won't be a problem for him right there. I think this is one of those games where everybody's gonna kind of overlook this team. Oh, it's Indianapolis, or you shouldn't. They shouldn't, they shouldn't know, just like everybody was overlooking Philadelphia, Tennessee.

Oh it's only Philadelphia. You already beat them. Oh you barely beat them. Yeah, you know these things aren't easy. Yeah, you know, these are the types of games though that again not a common opponent that you don't normally see, you're not familiar with. You're not familiar with them at all. And then so you can you know, you don't know how the game. Now you can be familiar with the coaches.

You know, you could be familiar with Frank Reich and what you know he potentially could do at Philadelphia, but he did at Philadelphia, and you could you know, Matt Eberflus was you know, he's Mattilus was a guy you didn't want to lose, you know, but he went on, he went on, got an opportunity. But you know, when you watch the tape, you see a very similar plan of attack, and you know that that has to make

you feel a little bit better. Okay, yeah, it's a it's a blue jersey and a white helmet, but it's you know, it's still that's the scheme we recognize, and I think that's something that has to give you. Usually you'll play these divisions, these excuse me, these other opponents you know in the AFC, and you have no idea. You don't see them enough to get a feel or how their coaches react to whatever whatever changes you make

on the way. You know, but that's you know, this team is, this team has found a way to to kind of right itself, you know, playing on the road. That was something that was very that was a big concern, you know, before the team took off to Philadelphia. How is this team going to get better on the road? And you go beat Philadelphia, you go beat Atlanta, and hey, at the time, those teams were you know, those teams were playing for something. Yeah, and a right now is

not nearly the team it was. But you've won some games on the road that you know that you thought you probably weren't gonna win. And you know, I think that's a I think that's a mark of you know, like I say, the head coach doing a nice job of keeping everybody on task what they need to do, no question about that. Eight eight five, five, two two nine seven is the number. We'll take our first break, continue breaking down Cowboys colts, take your phone calls, talk

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field every Sunday. Since eighteen sixty five, Steps and Hats are American made with pride right here in Texas. They are still the official crown of all self prospecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Find Steps and Hats in the pro Shop or at Stetson dot Com. Today. Doctor Pepper is the one you crave, But how do you explain that craving? Imagine being shipwrecked on a desert island, anone glass like curls of self bound to the shore, up with Doctor Pepper,

colored waves, surrounded by desire. But you can't drink, kids, because it's the ocean, a fish and even there, the only thing you want he's Doctor Pepper, and you can't have it. Now, That is it? Doctor Pepper? Craven? Doctor Pepper, the one you crave back to talk in cowboys. Here in Cowboys Country, we always ride with our boys, but when it comes to your underwear, you definitely don't want him riding up on your boys. Mmm, that's why we

always wear Tommy John. The revolutionary brand of underwear was stay put waist bands that keep everything in place, Tommy John, No adjustment needed. Shop exclusive Cowboys Underwear Tommy John dot com Forward Slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order. That's Tommy John dot com Forward Slash Cowboys. And I'm sorry, Mick, I just grabbed this like it's in the other normal day. I allogized and ask a question. I know, I didn't know what you were doing. I said, okay, go ahead,

you're running the show here. Do you think do you think that? Do you think that Tommy John? When they're sitting around writing their copy, did they all think of us? No? No, they they they they sit around and they come up when and they look at you, Oh man, we can't use that one. Oh yeah, they like, okay, here try this one. Now read it all right, Bill, read this one? And he oh, you know, and don't grab your your

you know your boys? Is this PC? And and and then they're laughing, and then someone's laughing and then say yeah, no, that's good, that's good. Change the word to this, you know. And I mean, they sit around write copy would you, I mean used to, used to you've done that stuff? Having you. I was a copywriter in marketing for three years before I came back. Do you just cringe? Is that cringe worthy? Um? I mean I love the product. I love the product. But Tommy John folks didn't write this.

I don't think I think you are folks. Oh really it was their folks, was it. Yeah, that's their whole marketing scheme. Well, and see their ads and that's their voice. The guys are sitting on the bench like pulling their you know we're talking about it, right, miss accomplished, No, miss accomplished, for sure, it's and I guarantee you yes, they are nitpicking over every word because that's what happens, because every word counts in terms of trying to sab

somebody's attention. So like when Bill reads it and Frank wrote one there or Julie wrote one, that's just ridiculous that they are like, no, Julie, we can't go with that. Was probably a room of twelve people trying to figure out, yeah, can we use boys, Okay, it's stretch it. Here we go. I love it, I love it, and it is a great product. I'm wearing mine right now, Katy two. Yes, good job, Mick. So did they put out a red carpet for Amari Cooper when he walks out to practice

today for NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Yes, second time he beat the quarterback out. Huh. Yeah, a quarterback deserves some kind of acknowledgement, didn't he aw? They're gonna say, because of the two interceptions, somebody had to throw them the ball. Yeah, somebody did. Quarterback deserved a nod? He does. He's been kind of getting kicked in them and the boys. Yeah,

he needs his Tommy Johns. Yeah. Because Yeah, I think people probably looked at the three turnovers and said, well, I mean, I've got tweets from fans that are like, oh great, great, glad that he had a great fourth quarter in overtime. Yeah, he should have been able just to hand off the whole fourth quarter if not for the turnovers. The way that they were dominating the game offensively. But he's not getting enough credit, Dak Prescott for what he's doing offensively. I do think, I do think Amari

is a worthy winner. Though no catches on thirteen targets, I think absolutely. He was eight for eight the week before playing really well. Mick Anon makes the game winning catch. Nice tracking that ball, Yeah, that's tough. You know, ball gets knocked in the air. You're kind of looking around, you're trying to move. He was boop right there, grab it go. I'm not covered even when I'm covered. Yeah, gotta love it. He said that it was Russeul Douglas right, Yeah,

and coverage. He said that he was sitting on those routes inside all game long. Yeah, and he knew that I'm gonna I'm gonna try to sell this fade. Yeah, but I knew he wasn't gonna bite on it, and he didn't, and he almost made the play. Yeah, that was a good chess match there. But that just showed you, though, how really in bad You know, Douglas probably should have should have could have intercepted that ball, you know, but

he was so he was so out of sorts. That's the thing that that Cooper does too as a cornerback, that he makes he put so much stress on you to have to deal with all his moves and the ability to catch the football even when you have him covered, the ability to finish. That's that's very stressful to have to play because you feel like you never get in a rhythm playing against a guy like that because you're not making any plays. He's making every single play. What

did the Eagles do? I mean, they tried to put all They took two or three different guys just to try and put him in front of him, and it didn't work. Yep, you know, and that just showed you that that's just what this guy is. Well, that'll teach him to all out blow and play single man on four guys in the secondary. They took it, They took

a chance. Yeah, do you think they had to take a chance, though, Mick, do you think that mean like they were down to where we've got to make a play or we're not going to get this ball back. I mean, I think it was a heck. I understand what you're saying, but that Dallas took eight minutes and ten seconds off that clock. The only get ten minutes for the whole quarter. If I was Jim Schwartz, I hey, he took it. He took it gamble and he gambled and Zeke had a good pick up and Dak was

able to see Bradham coming in his face. And once they once all that happened, then Amari Cooper was gonna win. But I don't blame him for blitzing at that situation because actually, if they hadn't blitzed, Yeah, then Hooper was gonna break wide open. Yeah, Dak had to throw the balls right then, he wanted why Douglas got his hand in there and he had he had a double move on him going and that second move he was gonna

leave him behind. I just think that to me that you know, you're you're you're probably gonna lose the game anyway, you know, because if they get the first down right there and you just kick a field well you hope you kick a field goal after and you can train the clock and right, yeah, no, that's exactly right. You can. You can, you can take it all, but you can. You can have a drive that lasts for nine minutes

and fifty seven seconds if you want. And they but you know what, I tell you what that's that was just that was that was a clinic. That was a clinic. The way to play the special to play the overtime period for the Cowboys, the way they drove the football, the way they mixed up their plays, the way they got it down to the very end and then but you know, get the game winner right there. That's still the downside of the overtime rule. I'm just if it was.

I saw seven overtime game Mickey that I never want to see again. No, no, but and I don't want to see that. But I think lowering the time to ten minutes, one team can do basically what the Cowboys did and I don't never get a chance to get the ball back. Maybe something they revisit because of the

short I hope they don't. Well, I hope they don't, but it does create more but what did they do it for player on the field, But it does create more kissing your sister scenarios where you got more ties and everybody kind of feels empty about it at the end. There's been more ties I'm sure this season than in Passion. Oh no, there's no question. But but also you got

to look at the situation. Though Dallas had dominated that game offensively the entire time, you know, it really shouldn't have surprised us that they were able to you know, they had they had a couple of ten play drives, you know, six seven, eight minutes that that didn't result in touchdowns. So to me that that doesn't surprise me that Dallas took the ball and then and took it and kept it because they had they had really dominated

Philadelphia throughout the game. That's Philadelphia's job. You get a stop. They couldn't get a stop. Did they not blitz on that final play of regulation to force overtime and Sackdack the final player regulation? Yes? Yes, yeah, I mean it was like they was after the bad snap or the low snap that that that killed us. I mean, that

was that that rolled in it. See if they're probably gonna get a completion there and then kick the field goal to win it, right, that's probably what's gonna happen because Philadelphia really didn't have any answers for I mean, he's gonna hit Beasley, he's gonna hit he's gonna hit Cooper, he's gonna throw the ball to see, he's gonna hit somebody to get another five or six yards, and they're gonna, you know, then the Eagles's gonna try and use their

time outs. And you know question that a fan sent into me the other day, and I know the answer, But because you go, if you kick a field goal first possession, the other team is supposed to get a shot, right if the Cowboys had kicked it with no time left, the game's over, though, we were Yeah, the game's over. Troy Aitman explained it that way, and I was thinking, Okay, do you get one untimed play. Do you get a

chance to return the kickoff? Or okay, the kickoff goes in the end zone, it's a touchback, you don't return it. Do you get one untime play? I don't. I've never game's over. I think the game's over. It's over, Yeah, that's what I thought. Yeah, but game's not supposed to end on a field goal in the first possession of overtime. But if there's no time left, yeah, that's my point on the time. Yeah. That that the reason they said

player safety. They were worried about the length of the game, that the games were going longer and longer, and they weren't nice and sweet in their little three hours of the box. So the next game could start. I need to look at college football then, too, because that's a six hour marathon. Some of those that's ridiculous. Even something will be done, not not not about the seven overtime game. How many games have we seen it four four and a half hours. I love college football, but I trust

me sitting to that seven overtime game. I would never wish that I've had kidney stones before. I would rather do kidney stones and have to sit through that thing. No, I shouldn't say that kidney stones one of those. Yeah, I think we've all had kidney stones. That's that's a bad idea. That was a I mean in the college tried. Because now they they'll at the block, will start as soon as after the first down as the ball spotted.

It's not like they need to get way of that, nap it they need to get rid of They're they're moving that up. Yeah, don't stop the clock. I'll move it up again and just keep it, you know, keep going, but keep it going. Yeah. Okay, since you brought up a Mari Cooper, Yes, since coming to Dallas in week nine, he leads the NFL in receiving yards six hundred and forty two or he catches and it's tied for the

lead with six touchdown catches. Okay, better anything. You're gonna pick at twenty five right now, that would be the draft pick right right at the moment, right has this worked out better than you could have imagined. Right now, Mick, Yeah, I mean, did you what were your expectations when I thought they I thought they hit a home run, but I wasn't sure on the first round pick. And then it's fair. Part of me was, Okay, why why are the Raiders doing this? They know something we don't. Yeah,

and evidently they didn't know what the hell they were doing. Sure, how do you trade that guy traded? We're sitting here going, oh, maybe they gave up too much for him, And now I'm thinking maybe they didn't give up enough for him. Yeah, that's funny. Some of the tweets afterwards are like, wow, you only give a first round pick for that guy? You know, kind of a thing because we've seen a

history here in the past. You know, our administration gave up two first round picks for Joey Galloway, and then administration after me gave up first and thirst a third and a flopping a fifth. I believe something like that, or seventh or something like that. Yeah, I think that to me, this this this move, this move was brilliant

on several different fronts. It was brilliant because the general manager staff realized that this divisions for the taking, and they went and got it, and they also realized that, hey, we have to help our coach, we have to help our quarterback more Portland, we have to help our defense. We have a championship type of a defense here. You know,

we've got to try something. And the willingness say they could have set pat and just played it, played it out and likely ended up eight and eight or seven and nine or something like that, and the coach gets fired and everybody's disappointed, and you know, with why the season win. But you know, the general manager and you know the front office and the coaches, they made a decision at three and five to trade for this guy.

That's huge. That is, That's what that's That's what you have to you know, if you're a fan, that's what you have to ask for. Don't don't give up. Don't give up the season. Don't give up the season on this. You know, if if if you still have moves to make, try and make moves, you know, and if it works out. You know, like Mickey said, there's plenty of people out

there that had apprehension about giving up a one. It's looking good right now because this thing could you know, if the Cowboys keep winning and it ends up being Okay, it's the twenty seventh pick, you're hoping it's the thirty second pick. But but really, look, Luke, what's happened with the Raiders in the trade that they made their team? They fired their general manager, the coach is obviously taken over.

And there are a situation with the picks that they got from Chicago and Dallas are going to be roughly the same spot at the end of the draft, and you were probably thinking that both those picks were going to be top ten picks. It was a unique situation where John Gruden clearly he wants his own guys. He does, and he's so much yeah, right, and regardless of Risano there, probably regardless of the talent that he traded away. I mean, Cleil Max arguably the best pass rusher in the league.

He's up there. Yeah, he put Tank up there, he put some other guys up there. And there was some apprehension from fans too, because Amari Cooper's numbers had dropped the previous year and a half, right after making a Pro Bowl in his first two years, and there were other factors clearly involved with the raiders offense that contributed to that. Yeah, but this was a unique situation where a guy at this tow it probably should not be available via trade, and he was, and so it gave

up what they felt like was adequate. I don't know that, or maybe I missed it what the genesis of the trade was. Did did Oakland just overtly put out a sales sign or did the Cowboys start calling around looking for a wide receiver? I could, I could very easily ask that question, and I can very easily get an answer, but I didn't want. I just wanted to let it. I know, right, it hasn't come out though, Yeah, it hasn't come out, and and I could very I think I think we can get an answer Mickey, of all

of us that we you know, we live in this building. Yeah, I just thought I had never thought of it before. I just thought of it right now. Yeah, And you know, and so does it does it mean that that does John Gruden? And we could find out does John Gruden tell Reggie Mackenzie start trading these guys? And I think I think we have to worry about a situation, not worry about, but maybe a situation that Oakland got into is before. Now they're in. They're in. They're in a

lawsuit over their stadium. The Raiders don't have a lot of cash. They're they're they're pretty cash poor. They gotta get to Vegas. Yeah, they they You don't make these trades in Vegas. You make these trades when you're a team that's bottom of revenue. Stadium lease is a disaster. There's a questions, you know, and maybe Mark Davis told told Reggie and John, hey listen, I can't pay Khalil Man.

I'm gonna get to the bottom of that. Well, Khalil Max was different because yeah, he was holding out right exactly exactly. But this maybe they just saw the fourteen million and say we can't sewn next year. John and the ask John this question. Does John look at him Maurray Cooper? How quiet he is? Does he look at him? How the body language is Sometimes I'm not saying it's bad body language, but he's not. He's not Dez Bryant. I mean, we saw emotion after that game the other day.

We saw it. You know, it's but what's what's generally been a Maury Cooper's demeanor, very very calm, serious, very serious, very quiet, Yeah, very quiet. And you know, John's one of these guys that loves being with John for as many years I had. John's a very loves passion, He loves the he loves he would he loves he would love a Dez Bryant. He would love a guy that he can go back and forth with. Keishaw, John Coach. Yeah,

he likes a personality, you know. And Amari Cooper is a very best Mickey pointed out yesterday a book, smart book read, you know, very quiet to himself, kind of guy. We saw a motion the other day and maybe John Gruden didn't like what he was seeing from a Maury Cooper could be Yeah, everything. I don't know that for a fact. I'm just putting out there. But Jerry is spoken about the homework they did on him before the trade. They spoke to Nick Saban, they spoke to Jack del Rio,

who pushed him in Oakland. Great young guy. Yeah, not a problem in the locker room. I diligent professional. All that has been unwide receiver. Yeah, and he's been that. I've I've said this last night on the Happy Hour. I'm looking forward to twenty and nineteen when you've got a young Amory Cooper. You've got a young Noah Brown, You've got a young Michael Gallup. You've got a young Cedric Wilson that we forget about him. You know, They've got some a nucleus of a young group of wide receivers.

And maybe now it won't be the committee anymore. Maybe it'll be some guys that are developing. We don't know what's going to happen with Cole Beasley. You'd like to think that he would be back in the mix, but you can't guarantee that, you know, maybe they have to go out and draft another guy to to get there, to get the nucas. But I like the young group that they have of young guys, of guys in their in their early twenties going forward. Right, Yeah, it's it's

it's a lot of promise there. Yeah, and uh, and it's working out in the in the present short term as well. Right now. Also, all right, let's take our final break, Irene, I apologize, just keep holding. We'll get your right after. Where are you been? Irene? Our second break ie talking cowboys? Next? Nice? Now you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a right thing than cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch to DirecTV Now and still

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I apologize very much, so thank you. What's up? Hey, No apologies, Like I got to listen to both of the reads during the hold that was Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah it made your day. I bet that. So I'm actually not the Irene who used to call you. I'm I'm the hot Sauce leaving Irene from last year. Okay, okay, great, well thank you for calling. Yeah, yeah, the hot Sauce. Yes, absolutely, we appreciate that. Yeah, oh, hot sauce. Come on, Mickey, hot sauce. Yeah, I didn't get it all together. Mickey

was struggle a little bit here with this steper. Go ahead, there you go. Well, Brian, happy birthday and happy birthday today as well. Thank you. Um, so perfect segue from your last segment. I'm going to be the fan that admits that there they were completely wrong about Lamari Cooper. Okay, good for you. One of one of the things, because Brian, I remember when you were talking about the possibility of the trade. You were talking about how you heard some

rumors that he didn't want to play football. That was true, and and I think after listening to what he said after the game, Yeah, that was even more evidence that that was true. So I think the new culture, new new team, New City has brought him life. And I was seeing on the field, but I was I was on record saying this is going to set the franchise back like half a decade. So happy to be wrong. Good. The other thing I wanted to say, Um, part of the reason I'm calling today is because you share a

birthday with my father. So my father actually passed away a couple of years ago, and I have to say you guys I had. It was like the worst summer of my life. I lost my cousin, my dad, and my grandmother. It was a struggle and all I did was listen to you guys just to kind of get through about maybe a year of just that darkness. So I wanted to say thank you to you guys for that. Um. I know it's entertainment, but sometimes it's just something you can cling to you too, and there's things you need

to be distracted from. Well, thank you, stronger, Well, thank you, hey, thank you very much. Are you still there? You're still there. I'm still here. Yeah, tell us what you think? What give us? Give us how this thing is going to finish out? For this team? Oh man? So I you know Nate would be like, don't say but yeah, but yes I am. I am afraid of how it's going

to turn out. But I will say the way the defense is playing, sure, there's I don't want to jinx it, but they're starting to remind me of the two thousand and seven Giants who knocked off are awesome team that year. Oh wow, there you go. I like it. I'm hoping to go all the way. I don't know about that we're at least gonna win one playoff game though, So okay, we'll see, we'll see how far we go. Not a bad start for a young team. Yeah, not a bad

start at all. Thank you many much. Yeah, happy holidays, the kind word. Yeah, call us back anytime. That was a great call. Good, good call. Good. Um, that's a I hadn't thought about that comparison the Seven Giants, that was kind of a young team, is a team that got better as the season went along. Whe Their defense was really good. Yeah. Yeah, the pressure they were able to put on quarterbacks with their front for right, that's what they did to the Cowboys. Yeah, exactly was that

front fourth? The Cowboys couldn't handle it. Yeah, And you've said this from the very beginning, that young football team, one of the youngest in the league, needed some time to for some young guys to grow up on the field, you know a little bit. But they also made a couple big changes that had they not made those changes, I don't know if they'd be in the position they're in.

We just talked about. We spent a segment on Amari Cooper and this offensive line has regained their identity now the past protection they'll tell you it needs to improve, yes, but what they've done, especially in the running game with Zeke, it's more reminiscent of what they've done in recent years. Yeah, no, absolutely, and you know the defense grew. Look what you were doing. Yeah, you basically had two first I mean, I know Jalen Smith played last year, right, he wasn't Jalen Smith? Correct?

It's almost like a first year starter. And then vander Esch has to step in with Sean Lee. You have Antoine Woods starting a defensive tas maliek Collins in his third seat, only his third season, and he missed a lot of the first two with injuries. Yeah, you know. And then you were throwing out on the outside. Okay, you had Crawford, but behind that it was Tacco who you know, how much did he played last year? You know? And behind that, oh Randy Gregory you remember him. Yeah,

when's the last time he played? Rolling the dice? There? Two years? Yeah? Pretty much? And then a rookie Armstrong. I mean it was it was awfully young, you know. And we said this the other day Byron Jones playing a different position, m Shitabewoozier. He started five games last year. That was it five games? Right? You know, Antoine Woods never started at safety, he was playing in the slot,

and this is his second year. So there was a lot of moving parts with young guy eyes, you know, and you know, I know everybody looks at it going into the season and you know the quarterback and the running back, well they're salty veterans. Yeah, they played all of two years and the running back missed six games last year. So it was an awfully young team and with a basically almost other than the coordinator, is a

new coaching staff. That's true. The thing you talk about the coach, you still have good segue from me there there Chris Rashard. I have to give Rod Marinelli a lot of credit, not just for the defense that they've kind of put together, you know, in his vision, but the unselfishness that he's shown to allow Chris Richard to flourish here. He could have very easily said, you know, no, you coach the defensive backs. I'm gonna you know, I'll do what I have to do. But he saw an oppertunity.

The first I remember the first press conference, well, first meetings we had with him. He was just glowing about Chris Rashard. It was like the best acquisition. And you know, and sometimes guy say stuff and you go, ah, he's that's not sincere. But you know, Rod Marnelli, He Marnelli is not a bser. He's not that guy. If he tells you it's this, believe it's this, you know, and he's all along. He's he's come out and singing the praises of Christopher Shark and he's allowed him to flourish.

And they allowed him to make the moves that he felt like he needed to make in the secondary. Think about that, though, you take and you got, you got Byron Jones started corner, but you also took Jordan Lewis out of the starting role as well, and you said, okay, well, no, we're gonna put Anthony Brown in this role and we're gonna make you know, And there was a lot of,

like Mickey said, there's a lot of moving parts. And then you go out and somebody on the defensive staff evaluated Leyton vander esch and as along with the scouts, and somebody in the defensive staff evaluated Jalen Smith and said, you know what, yeah, let's take a shot there. If you guys feel good about this. Let's go. So you know, it's there's a lot of really things that are there that are coming up on this defense, especially that some

really really good decisions that have been made. And that's why your defense is in the condition it is in now and playing as well as it is because some guys and made some really hard decisions, but there were the right decisions. Like I say, you go only find the human log to play. You know, one, you get a one technique starter off the street right that plays at the level that he does. You know, we we were talking about last night, unsung hero guys of the defense.

Crawford's a guy. Human logs should be another one, you know, the way he's playing. Anthony Brown, Anthony Brown, Jeff Heath. I mean, there's guys that are just playing. Every time they're asked to do something, they're coming up with a player two. It might not be forty played, but they're coming up with four or five plays a game that are making the difference in the way this defense is why this defense has been consistent all year. That's the

one thing that's been consistent about this football team. Yeah, and speaking to young guys, maybe on the offensive side of the ball. You've got a couple tight ends that are growing up on the field a little bit. Those guys that played, Yeah, that's that's Mickey's right about that, none of them. Yeah, Rico Schultz, Jarwin, Yeah, I've been waiting for Dalton Schultz to play like this. I really have it because you watch him at Stanford. He was

a good player at Stanford. I mean you're starting to see like the blocking, the catching, they're running him and routes. You know, he's he's he's doing things. You're thinking, Ah, there he is, Yeah, there he is, you know, and hopefully, like Mickey said again that these guys and Garrett sitting the walk off, Hey, these guys are getting the play. That's you know, that's the great thing about it is you throw them out there, they get to play there

having some success. Rico's blocking the right guy. I mean, you know that's that's Those are good things. Yep. Nate Newton's philosophy, you don't be judging guys until you play them. Yeah, how do you know what young guys can do? If you don't play him, you gotta play them, and if you're gonna make a mistake, make the mistake playing them not sitting them and then say, oh I need you now. Yeah, you know, I mean think about Jarwin what he did. Yeah,

everybody was ready to give up on him. Yeah, and all of a sudden he gets a chance to play. He gets a chance to play. And suddenly, now when he catches the ball, it's not getting knocked out. When he catches the ball and takes two steps, somebody's not hitting him and causing a fumble. Right, He's turning and

actually running with the ball like he knows what he's doing. Yeah, I mean, there's no how how ironic was it though, that he had a great guy, a breakout game for him against a team that tried to poach there then and they're probably sitting there, go see, we knew what we're doing. Well, they trap the Dallas Goddard's player either, but they might not have drafted they might not have

drafted Dallas Goddard. Absolutely right, absolutely right, you know. And the thing about Mironelli, you know, he's such a he's a team guy. He learned that in the middle of the military. Right, there's no I think when he came here, oh, no question, he was just the defensive line coach, right, Yeah, um Monnie was, you know, and he didn't want to overstep his bounds. He knew the chain of command. He

wasn't gonna take over. And even when they kind of kind of move things around, he was like, yeah, but Monnie's still the defensive coordinating right, you know. They had to move him to what was it, defensive consultant or whatever. They kind of pushed him to the side beach duty. But yeah, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to step on his toes. Like, that's my guy. You know, I'm gonna listen to him. You know, That's just that's that's he is. That's he's always been a chain of

command guy. But he's a guy that understands leadership. He understands you know, accountability. You know, that's that's the thing. When you work with a guy like that, or see a guy work, that's that's things you take. That's a great thing about athletics. There's a lot of crummy things about this, but there's a lot of good things too. I don't think we talk about the good things enough, no question. Yeah, all right, as they get back to practice here in an hour or so. Outdoors by the way,

outdoors here's your offensive line today. Is it gonna be they were setting it up, Yeah, flaming, flaming a left tackle probably right the practice, we're probably gonna get guard. I hope it instead of not Redman. Yeah, oh it might be. How about this, they want to give him a day? Well, what if it? Yeah, what if it's Williams? Well, I think you want to put you want to put? Uh, you'll probably put Williams on the right side. Okay. If yeah, it's gonna be. It's gonna be a preseason game. Yeah,

it's gonna be a preseason game. Yeah, lineup out there that Wednesday, No Wednesday. We always look out there where you go. Oh my, looks like the preseason lineup out there today? Jumbo Joe Connors. Yeah, and Connor Waves is gonna get right guard work, and then Collins he'll go out my guy, last man standing. He'll be the last man That's what happens in mid December, and that was all right. Let me ask you guys this. Did you get any did you take any Sean Lee this week? Limited? Okay?

All right? Then Tavon Austin maybe limited? Okay, let me ask you this, Mickey, I kind of got to these guys last night. And I'm not trying to put you on the spot here at all. If it comes down to Tabon Austin getting active, do you and do you

take Alan Hearns off the field? I mean because if they're using, if they're using which receivers in acts, yeah, if they use if they're using if they're using lance lnor on special teams along with Noah Brown, and they feel good about that because I mean, you think, oh, the switch would be take lance L Noor off. But if he's one of the guys that's help you win games as one of the forty six. Now he's also made some crazy plays as well, you know when you go,

oh Lancel Noor. Yeah, I mean I don't think. But Noah Brown to me is active for special teams and he's getting more and more snaps. Yeah yeah, but do you do you do you consider? And I'm sorry, missus Hearns, I'm not trying to take your son off the field, but I'm just asking a question here now that worries me because of one of my front line of wide receivers gets hurt. Who Who's who's lining up outside? Yeah, I mean the thing is he can't play all positions.

There's no questions. You're gonna have to You're gonna have to grab from somewhere else. So you're gonna dress like eight wide receivers. I mean, you're not gonna You're probably gonna go eight offensive linemen. Given the that you're a little banged up, you're assuming assuming Zach if Zach can play. See, this is where Tacco has got to influence somebody here because he's fighting for because he's fighting for forty six, I mean giving up on him, but we'll see if

he fights. Yeah, he's gotta fight. He's gotta fight in here. He's got to, you know, find a way. I mean the safety spot. I mean, see when you start getting guys like Sean Lee back and okay, who's gonna sit? Somebody is gonna sit when Sean Lee comes back. Yep, because because Covington already sits. So who is March Lillard gonna sit? He plays special teams? Joe Thomas gonna sit? He plays special teams. We'll find out one of those special teams guys don't have to sit, which one? Well,

one of those three? All right, we gotta go sit in on Jason Garrett's press conference here momentarily, carry'll answer that we'll carry live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. The break will be coming up after that. Thanks for joining us. Thanks to Kim for producing Happy Birthday, Brian, Thank you, Happy Day Birthday, Nicky. Yeah, thank you guys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.