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It is Week five, Cowboys forty nine Ers, the rivalry that just keeps on giving. It's the fortieth all time meeting between the two, Isaiah, without looking at it, would you guess where the win total stands for both of these teams through their first thirty nine meetings.
I have no idea, no clue. Would you like a guess? Or did you see it already? I haven't you have seen it?
Twenty wins for the Cowboys.
Twenty wines for the Cowboys? Would that be like nineteen for the for the forty nine ers?
I think I saw it yesterday. It's I remember it being very.
Close Yeah, it's tied.
It's nineteen nineteen and one including postseason play. Wow, that is the all time meeting between the two Crazy stuff. I mean that this rivalry has so much storied history behind it, so much packed in there. Owing then, by the way, these are two of the best teams in the NFC facing off on Sunday Night football, so it doesn't get much better than that. Of course, alongside Isaiah standback, John Matchoda, Nick Harris, I'm Kyle Yeomans with Chris Beam
running everything in the back. Gentleman, how we doing today?
Fan Tabuloso?
Okay, good, I am. I'm really amped about Sunday.
Why.
Each each of these games so far definitely have like their own level of juice, But this one's different obviously, right, and I'm I'm excited to get up there to San Francisco and see this one.
It's the biggest game you've covered so far.
You could say, which is big? You could say NFL game for sure, NFL game. Yeah, sure, it covered a lot of really for sure game. But yeah, I'm really excited about this one.
Yeah.
What about from a from a team standpoint, is there ever just a little bit of extra juice? A little bit of extraor something something going into a week like this where you you know you got.
To be laser focused.
Yeah, I think your senses are hiding, right, and all your focus is hiding everything. Tension to detail, all that stuff has to be on point. And like I said yesterday, you know when you throw, you throw the element that you've gotten punched in their mouth the last few times you played them. I mean that that adds to it as well. So you're really trying to manage emotions the entire week. But to your point, you know, as a player, you know what this means to your season.
You know this is.
A huge test that you want to pass, that you need to pass and shoot.
What better way to do it than on prime time.
I just think it's a huge game for the quarterback. And I wrote today for The Athletic about how I think the offense, whatever the Cowboys offense does, will tell you what happens in this game, and that starts with
Dak Prescott. When I was writing this, I went back and I was like, let me go watch that last press conference after the lost San Francisco in the playoffs and how much he took on himself and you know, blamed himself for a lot of the way the offense played, how much they struggled and couldn't get you know, still can't get past that second round. I just expect him to be as motivated as he could potentially be for a regular season game. I think that he knows all
eyes will be on him. I think that the Cowboys haven't shown everything in their back on offense, and so for for someone like him, like maybe it lends to him running a little bit more in the red zone. Maybe just there's something a little extra for him. He's the number one player that I'll be watching in this game. Like if I was going into a game, you know, a lot of times, you know, your editor would be like, what are you thinking about his storyline? Stuff like that,
So you go in thinking one thing. Ninety nine percent of the time that never ends up being what you read about. But it would be for me, what does four do? How does four play? You know, because there's a part of me even if the let's say the fort Enders one, but Dack played really well, it would be interesting.
To see how that unfolded. I don't see that happening. I really don't. I think if Dak plays well, Cowboys win.
Wow, So that's the key moving forward and it doesn't help And you actually started your article with this on the athletic is it was the final two offensive plays.
Are the most memorable ones of.
The losses in the Divisional round last year and the wild Cart Round in twenty twenty one. Twenty one, it was dack sliding and not getting back up to the line of scrimmage and time running out and it was just that whole debacle at at and T Stadium. And then last year in the divisional round it was the Ezekiel Elliott getting run over while he was trying to block on the weird play and then you got it to Cavant de Turpin and then he gets tackled before
he could start pitching. Like it was all the oddness at the end of those games that sticks out. Does that add a little fuel to the fire from an offensive standpoint, knowing that, hey, the last two games, one we haven't held up our end of the bargain, but two it's ended in a way that hasn't been great.
It has to.
I mean I wrote in the article for today that if they win that game, Kelimore is still the oc I really don't care what anybody wants argue on that, there's no way they gets the NFC Championship game, and they're like, yeah, first time twenty seven years, But let's go in an other direction offense, because also to have won that game, there would have had to have been some big offensive possessions late. And so if they got past that, who knows, maybe they beat the Eagles, maybe
they don't. But if they get past that, I find it very ARDU believe that they go in the offseason like, yeah, something just absolutely has to change here. I think that the momentum would be I think we're headed in the right direction. We finally got past forty nine ers, we came up with these big possessions late. Who knows, maybe Ezekiel Elliott still here too, you don't know. But the way that that offense played, I think led to some
of these changes. And Clarence Hill asked Mike McCarthy about it the other day, and of course he said, no, it's not going to come down to one game like that. But he can say that, But I look at that season, I find it hard to believe that wasn't the start of what ended up being some offensive changes.
It may not have come.
Down to one game like that, but it was certainly the final nail in the coffin. I mean, it was something that had really caught there as the season went along. And then if that game, like you said, if they get over the hump in that game, then all of a sudden, that Creshindo dies right back down and it goes right back down to neutral.
And I think I agree with you.
Actually, I think that's what the decision had to be made if you win that game.
But of course you saw.
Some of the similar things that had gone wrong throughout the season in that forty nine Ers loss in the divisional round, and that's what led ultimately to the moving on of Kellum Moore. Now, defensive side of the football is what we're looking at today, So we're previewing the Cowboys defense versus the forty nine Ers offense. Before we do that, I want to get into some news and notes. Anything crazy come out of yesterday.
Yeah, So we didn't get a ton of time to talk yesterday about just a couple of things that happened on Monday and Tuesday. So I have three things, one of them quick, two of them more conversational. We'll start with the quick one, Jerry Jones saying, yesterday, I'm the fan that Tyron Smith is quote unquote if he for Sunday. I don't think it's any different than what Mike McCarthy has communicated to us on Monday as well. How big is it in y'all's mind if Tyron can't go?
It's major? Major? Right, yes? Major? Why why so major?
Against this defensive front?
The physicality. I mean, you know we talked about it. We can't weak out. I mean obviously last week I thought it was gonna be a problem, But this week, you know it's going to be a problem.
It's not even a question.
So you want, you want your best guys out there, but you don't want your best guys out there if they're not one hundredercent healthy. So you know, chew many doga strap them up.
Let's chew mydoga versus Matthew Judon last week, and he held his own I thought he did a decent job. And I mean, of course, by that point Dallas had already really taken the lead and put that thing on cruise control.
However, this week it's.
Not Matthew Judon on the opposite side, it's it's Nick Bosa, So yeah, things get crazy there.
Yeah, and he's gonna he's gonna do his best job to wreck this game.
And there'll be plays.
I do believe that he will wreck the game to a certain extent, just like I believe they'll be plays. And Mike Parsons are the same. And that's because I don't know how many possessions they'll have. There's going to be a handful of them that are don't go very far. Three four plays boom out like they're just not gonna be these what we've seen so far, long ten play drives differ.
And I mean, well, I don't think there will be. If there are, that will be amazing.
I will be stunned if they're putting together four or five ten plus play drives against this defense. But what will happen is when Nick Posa does get through, it can't turn into a SEC fumble, it can't turn into an interception. It's got to turn into Okay, live to play another down, punt the ball. But there will be that There are gonna be two or three series where you have a chance to score on and this Cowboys offense is gonna have to get seven on those. They
can't settle for field goals. So yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be tough. But I still feel that way to a certain extent. Even if less than a hundred percent Tyron Smith plays, I would prefer that, but I still think that they're gonna have their hands full regardless.
It's funny because if he does play, it'll be the first time the Cowboys have had all five of their best starting offensive lineman playing since that twenty twenty one wild Card game against the forty nine Ers. That was the last time their five best offensive linemen were ready to go in a game.
It's a long time.
It's a long time with.
Some row games. Something like that.
Yeah, something like that right away.
Crazy next point, We've talked about this a little bit. We haven't talked about it since preseason, I think, but yesterday Jerry Jones was asked about Ceedee Lamb's contract and if they continue those talks during the season. Jerry said, it's there. As you know, all of our players have representations, so those conversations could be going on. They might not be going on right now. Frankly, our minds are on going to play San Francisco, And then later on he said,
I'm noodling it all the time. And when I say noodle, when I noodle something relative to the Cowboys and has a good chance of having action on it, his contract is in my thoughts. But in a manner of speaking, all of them are so rob and noodles or Jerry Jones, who wins in the chick beef.
That's a pretty good spicy romen last night.
Courtesy of Barry Church.
Actually, yeah, it was good. Have you ever noodled before, Isaiah.
In this conversation? You don't like that. I don't like that, not one.
I mean, whenever you write something down and does it usually come true, like Jerry Jones trying to write down he should get Cede Lamb locked up in the future.
I mean, we all know CD is gonna get done. I mean, we just don't know when it's gonna happen. A lot of money that's about to get dished out, a ton of money.
Let's talk about it.
So CD Mica, of course, I mean those are the first two.
You've already gotten.
Trayvon done, potentially Pollard.
Pollard maybe, Yeah, he's on the franchise tag.
He's doing else. If he keeps this pace going all season, what act, what do you do?
Oh yeah, dak dak extension. Yeah, that would happen again. Would you think if if Pollard keeps this pace up, would you you saying sign a long term two year Yeah? Yeah, I'll probably give him two years and be okay with it too. I'm trying to think of anybody else on that defensive side.
Oh, I keep thinking about it.
Is just I'm trying to and I know there's gonna be some obvious one that people point out. Maybe you guys will think of it, But who's like the big time Cowboys got a contract extension done during the Sea m.
I don't.
I mean, I think back to Romo's last extension. I remember they really had like the I remember it being in March because it was like the Sweet sixteen and Elite eight were out at and T Stadium, and I remember it was just kind of announced, they had a press release and everything.
They just got done.
You know, I'm thinking dak as seek Jalen smith Le counting that none of them are during the season, So, I mean, Jerry's asked that, so he's not gonna sit there and say no, no, no, we're table and talks, because hey, if we're playing the two sides get together and they can work something out, then yeah they do it.
But I just really can't.
No one jumps out to me as being someone that got done during the season with the Cowboys.
You know, maybe we'll open that up to the text line if anybody can think of one that happened in season eight one seven, two nine zero three two nine eight, I'll hop on there and see if anybody else.
But I'm right there with you.
I don't think I know of one big name Cowboy that happened at any point the season. It was either preseason, training camp or complete offseason.
Yeah, so interesting.
What else for new was.
In those last point? Dan Quinn opened his press conference on Monday or his availability rather talking about how last week he stood up on the podium saying that that wasn't us, you know, very uncharacteristic of us, and everyone knew it. And he opened with last week I set up here and was discouraged about her performance and said that wasn't us yesterday. That was us talking about Sunday. The energy, the hitting, the ball hawking, that is us, and that felt like that felt more like our style
and attitude. My question out of this for you guys is what does the defense seem to do on Sunday to win this game? If the offense does not play well, how can the defense win this game?
I guess it's gotta be takeaways, right, absolutely, it would have to be multiple takeaways against this.
Front, against the scene that doesn't turn the ball over.
Isaiah doesn't have words.
Yeah, it's tough, man, This is a tough team. These guys are freaking tough.
Well tell me about him. Why are they so tough?
They just do things the right way. It's hard to tell what they're doing from play to play. A lot of their stuff looks exactly the same, but it's different. They have a ton of personnel. It doesn't matter who gets the ball. I mean, heck, they elevated Willie Snead last week. Like, who the heck has Willy Sneen on their practice squad?
You know?
But like they just have guys, you know, and everybody make a play and they don't care who gets the ball. Dee Bow, you know, it doesn't matter if it's Kiddle, doesn't matter, if it's McCaffrey, doesn't matter if it's Brandon eye, you doesn't matter. If it doesn't matter, they just go down the line. And again their offensive scheme, They'll come out in heavy sets all day long and just run the ball down down your face. You know, a lot of options in terms of their running scheme because of
how they block it up. It's not their ball, their their players aren't meant to necessarily go one direction. Like, yeah, they might have a it might be mapped out to go one direction, but they have like three different lanes that they can go through because of how they're motioning and putting guys in position, and you just always it almost feels like no matter where you line up at like they want you there.
You know what I'm saying. It's almost like do am I.
Supposed to be sitting outside right now? Or do they want me outside? I'm not really sure. It's just it's tough, man, and so you've got to be very disciplined. You're gonna have to, you know, be physical and hopefully you can force some turnovers, you know. But like it's like you guys mentioned, they don't they do a pretty dog on a good job of that. I think you're going to have to try to find a way to get ahead of them and try to put the ball in Brock
Pertty's hands. I mean, I think that's really your biggest hope is to get them out of their running game as much as possible, because if they feel confident they can run the ball and you know, three downs in a row and keep getting first downs, nobody can beat them.
Kids.
Yeah, for the offense, like I think it comes down, like I said, the Cowboys offense, So for the small chance that they aren't that big of a factor, like they really weren't really in the three wins. It's really been just a dominant defense. It's led to these blowouts. But so the only way I see it happen it
would be just like those three blowouts. You have to talk about at the end of the game, that somehow they force the Niners to turnover at least three or four times, Like I don't even think winning the turnover battle two nothing gets it done if the offense doesn't show up like you're gonna have to three four, you know, scoop and score.
Type stuff that I'm not.
I mean, it's pos but this forty nine Ers team just is not the type that you really pull that off against I guess unless you know you got ahead of them, and then yeah, prettys to throw. But even if you do get ahead of them, it's probably going to be your offense has to play pretty well too.
So it was interesting. I was looking up yesterday and of course all of the PFF grades rained down and we talked about it on.
The show before. PFF is not the go to be all indall in terms of your evaluation of players.
But out of their top eight grades in the NFL, across the league, their top eight grades, five of them belonging to the Cowboys or the forty nine ers. It was Tyler Smith as the top highest graded player. Brandon Ayuk was second, Christian McCaffrey was fifth, Trent Williams was seventh, and Dak Prescott was eighth.
So those just offensive players are both just offensive players.
Yeah, so talking about both sides, and that goes back to Brandon to almost said branded as in Brandon Ayuk. To Isaiah's point is you got Brandon Ayuk, but you also have Christian McCaffrey, you also have Trent Williams.
They were three of the top seven been graded PF only offense. It is only off.
Okay, yeah, only off.
Most of those guys, none of them should be a great iron Mike hal Parson.
I'm sorry, yes, yeah, correct. I mean I can get the defense.
You're good, You're good.
But you talk about Trent Williams on the left tackle spot. You've got Brandon, I you Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel who hasn't been Deebo lately, but he can certainly be Deebo. He can, he can certainly find that sleepy.
I mean, he just had one bad game. I feel like he started the season off strong. Yeah. I only know that because he's in like two checks.
George Kittle, you're forgetting where we're forgetting George Kittle.
It goes back to what I was saying yesterday, like you have to out physical these guys, and you gotta be ready for a fight. You really have to be ready for a fight. Like you're getting ready to play Tyson. You're getting ready to fight Tyson. And you know when you go to fight Tyson, if you want to knock him out, you got to take some blows.
Who are the Eagles?
Eagles?
Don't thee The Eagles is more scheme to me, you know, what I mean. The Eagles are more scheme. These guys are scheming physicality. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So yeah, they going to may Weather. It's gonna be a little bit boring fight, but then you know they're gonna be effective.
Effective.
But yeah, these guys, I mean, you just have to you gotta come hit these cats in the mouth, but you know you're gonna get hit in the mouth at the same time, so it's gonna be you know, you have to be emotionally intelligent because Trent me Williams literally, I don't know if you guys saw his tweet yesterday where he was trolling the defensive lineman that he punched it in the face a week or two ago and
didn't get called for a penalty. But he literally just punched his dude in the face mask but we have to find it in the break. Yeah, he like posted like it's the it's the most disrespectful thing in the world. He didn't get called for the flag, but in his tweet, I think yesterday I was posted I was reading an article and he he posted the video of him punching the dude in the face and then put like a
clip from some movie. It was like when you're gonna teach your boys how to squabble like Will like he's trolling, like that's what he does.
Absolutely before the last he was going up to Brett Maher before he was trying to warm up and stuff like that. And I was just kind of like, I'm watching from the press box and of like I get where you guys are coming from. But isn't there a certain things where just like certain players are on a level where it's like, yeah, I'm not gonna be doing that. I'm on this level like I'm all famer type, I'm not.
When it plays when it plays into their favor And I said, in their minds, their bullies And that's seriously in their minds, their bullies. And my boy coaches out there, so I already know and that's his mindset.
He's a dog and he's a coach and as a player, he was absolutely beach. That's Deshaun Golson.
So it's I mean, these guys, they have that attitude, they have that swag about them, and until you punch somebody in their mouth, that's like that you're gonna allow them to do what they want to do. So Dallas, Dallas is fully capable. This is gonna be one heck of a fight. Now Dallas is fully capable, but they got to get their minds right and be ready to weather the storms that come. This is gonna be a
give and take game, both sides, both teams. They're gonna have some good to happen, you have some bad to happen. Who bounces back, Who forgets what happened? Who tries to put it away and come back and just continue to progress? You know, he can continue to move forward if you if you well over it and you get emotional and you started getting frustrated, you start thinking it's gonna be too late, you'll just get driving to the ground.
And if there was a unit on this Cowboys team that you could classify as bullies in their own right, which union would be defense. It's gotta be right, Gotaac. That's who you need to set the tone. Offense has got to do their job, no doubt, But setting the tone is it up to the defense?
Yeah, it's setting the tone is definitely the defensive job. My biggest ask is that they go on to the next play. That's my biggest ass because they're gonna have some big runs. They're gonna have some big plays. They're gonna be some dudes that make some exciting plays. You're not at home. The crowd's gonna be into it. Everybody in their mom is gonna be hype. Got they have all day long to drink. E forty will be on
the sideline getting everybody crunk. Like you know what I'm saying, Like everybody in their mom's gonna be at this game. It's gonna be It's gonna be a lot of Cowboys fans too. So I'm saying the energy is gonna be absolutely insane. So you have to be able to go on to the next play. And that's easier said than done.
When you got Trent Williams hitting you in the face, grabbing your face mask, not getting called for stuff, the rest of their guys doing the same thing you check, trying to take your knees out, you know, all the receivers doing cut blocks, all that stuff.
Like, it's gonna be an emotional game.
So you have to be able to say, Okay, McCaffrey just got a fifteen yard run, all right, boom a right, forget about it, let's go next to back. After you know, I'm saying you can't be up there, tumball man, forget you and get caught in net talking back and forth in because they're gonna come right back at you, hitching the mouth again, and then they're gonna be talking to you some more.
That's what they want.
That's what they want, They want you talking.
I see an opportunity though in the interior of that offensive line. They haven't been the strongest for San Francisco through these first four games. I think there's a really good opportunity for this interior defensive line to build on what they did last week. Guys like al said that he wouldn't have a Galla and talked about him Mazzie Smith to get some real action and plug that run in the middle. But what kind of goes hand in hand with that if you're San Francisco is that Christian
McCaffrey is so good outside the tackles. I mean, that's where he's gonna find his space, That's where he's gonna make it happen. So I mean it's really up to that whole defensive line then to just be able to hold that run. But I think there's gonna be an opportunity to generate pressure in the interior. We talked a lot about Michael Parsons lining up in different alignments throughout the year. I think you could see a couple of a couple of times him lining up over center and
trying to get after the quarterback. He had ten pressures on Sunday. I know he didn't get a sack. Its ten pressures, I think at least three of them were generated from him coming in the interior, whether he was lining up on the interior or if he did a stunt and came around. So I mean there's I think there's gonna be opportunities there if they can get after Brock Purdy and kind of force them to figure out stuff in the run game, and then the defensive line
could be firm up front. There's an opportunity there.
I think to your point, internal pressure disrupts what they like to do on offense because they run a lot of counters.
They do a lot of a lot.
Of what we call, you know, cut blocks, cutting backside right, So they whether they're sending a receiver, a tight end whoever, pulling guard, pulling tackle, they like to go and cut the backside off. So it's hard to kind of get pressure from the outside. You can kind of get caught up in that game. But if you can get internal pressure, you mess up the footing of the quarterback and the running back exchange.
You can do a lot of that.
So I'm hoping that this is Mazi's big game where he comes out.
I'm hoping be something I've just imagine, like how much criticism he gets, and then they have that game in this game just that I don't know, sports is like that is, you know, expect the unexpected when it's especially a game like this where you just dissected all down like Okay, well this is going to happen, then this
will happen this and then. But there's always some randomness to it, you know, where like next thing, you know, Nevill Gilmore is running down the middle of the field trying to cover George Kettle.
Yeah, stuff like that.
Sometimes you throw a ball right at Trayvon Diggs and he has some of the best hands on the team, he doesn't catch it.
I mean, just random stuff happens.
It does. And I went back and watched just a little bit.
I'm still like a quarter and a half in of last year's game, and I'm watching the all twenty two of the Divisional round. There was times when I was asking, pleading for internal pressure and there wasn't any. There was zero internal pressure. Maybe that's part of the thought process with dan Quinn of getting Mico on the inside, and of course it's part of it with trying to stop the run and stuff with my with Maszi Smith in
the middle. But even in the passing game, there was little to no interior pressure in that divisional round game last year. So it allowed San Francisco to do what they want to do. Not that the defense played poorly. The defense allowed nineteen points. They should have won that game just off of what the defense did. However, if you can get internal pressure, then all of a sudden, I think mistakes start to stockpile.
Agree And like I said, because a lot of the things they do running wise, that would if you can get that internal pressure. Never Gallimore did a heck of a job last week getting off the ball and getting internal pressure. Also Diggi Zuell through the first three games, I know especially, it was very effective in that regard.
If you can get some unforeseen production out of Masi or you know, in that regard, I think that would not only give this team a little bit more juice, But I think that that plays this is his type of game, right, I'm speaking towards Mazi, and I've been tough on Mazi. I think this is his type of game, the type of team that talks smack like. I think
that that's what really gets his juices going. So I'm looking forward to seeing that if you can get that figured out, and I want to see the defensive backs get like press up. Majority of the teams that have played San Francisco has played off. They played off because one because of the speed that they have on the
outside too, because they want to see everything right. And if you come up and you press and everybody's playing pretty much at one or two levels, then all of a sudden, once they get past that first wave, you got problems on big plays. Right, So you may give up big plays, but the reality is you're gonna give
up big plays against San Francisco anyways. So I'd rather negate eighty percent of their offense and have them hoping and wishing on a big play versus giving them the space to do what they want to do.
How much of a factory do you think that it is?
Just other teams and maybe not having the corners, maybe not having the pass rush to be able to do that against this Niers.
I think teams rather would rather play ben but don't break defense against San Francisco.
That's what I believe.
I think teams fear them in that regard, so they're like, you know what, let's let him run, run, run, run, run, and hopefully we can force them into a third and long. You know what I'm saying, a third and eight. Hopefully we can force them into that. But what ends up happening is they end up motioning McCaffrey out and they're
playing eight yards off him. He runs a five yard out route and he beats him on a you know, he beats one man or Deebo Samuel cat catches a five yard pass, or Ayuk he is able to have some you know, party's able to sit back there and throw an en route to Ayuka in for twelve yards.
So like these guys are, a lot of their stuff is not down the field.
It's get the all of my playmaker's hands, short, high precision passes and let them make a man miss. Like that's what this office is predicated on, aside from the run.
So instead of the bend, but don't break. It's the bend door break defense.
Yeah.
I radther them come up and just be overly aggressive. I want that. I want this defense to be overly aggressive. I don't think you could play soft on these guys and think that you're gonna dislikes that for sure.
No, no, and I don't doubt un you know that's my dude. I just want I want them to be overly aggressive on defense. Come up, pressing. I listen, I you beat me over the top, right if you want to bring up Willie Snake, beat me over the top.
You haven't made plays in a couple of years. Come beat me over the top.
I dare you, perdy, I bet you can't get back there and throw it right like.
That's what I want.
And we're gonna we're gonna load this dog on box up and I dare you guys to try to run at us.
He tried to hide it a little bit by sprinkling in the big plays at the end, but Isaiah made a positive prediction about the Cowboys already.
He just put it in there.
He said, Mazzie Smith's gonna have a breakout game. Here's what he said, that's what he said.
I said, tried to hide it. I said it. Yeah, I'm calling you out, Massie.
Hmmm, Mazzi, Hey, this is what you cal Hey, step up, step up and make some plays.
Buss.
He's casting their mouth.
I'll take you in most fights, but careful, Mazzi.
You only got me by a couple of pairs, and I'm playing it. Oh.
Hey, take these guys and Moody's cats backwards. They're gonna be in your grill talking mess to you and the rest of your squad. You don't let nobody take your cookies. Gotta go out there and get it.
Don't get it.
There you go, Isaac stand back straight to Mazzie Smith ahead of this Sunday's matchup. All right, whenever we come back, we're gonna hear from John Machoda. We're gonna have some national storylines. We're gonna talk about each and every one of them when we come back with more talking cowboys.
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Today, Cowboys fans. After that move, We've just coined the term rowdy replay. Let's roll back the table.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller.
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All right, John, what do we got nationally? Now?
This is the only thing that sucks about a seventeen game season is that it was so nice when I was sixteen that you could just break it up into quarters. Yeah, I will say coaches still do that though, Like McCarthy's some about the other day about how you know you know and why you value things a little different after you know, four games, and so we'll pretend that it's the quarterway. And so I'm looking at who has been the biggest surprise through these first four weeks, and I
think it comes down to two teams. I think it's either between how bad the Bengals have been or how good the Bucks have been. You could also throw on how bad the Giants have been, but I don't think that that's on the same level. But out of those two, let's say between the Bucks being what they are and the Bengals being as bad as they are.
Which one is surprised you the most.
Bes Bengals being as bad as they are, I would say Bengals only because of the NFC South. I have zero expectations out of that division this year. But the Bengals being one and three, I guess you can attribute it to Joe Burrow not being fully healthy. I know Jamar Chase was kind of in the locker room about how he's not getting the ball. I was always, yeah, that's what he said, right the hell, little fo men. But that's that's a little bit more surprising to me.
Especially Joe Mixon hasn't been able to get going in the run game. They haven't tried to implement anything different. And that Titans game, I actually had a chance to go back and see a little bit of it yesterday just see what happened, And man, they looked bad. They looked really bad. They look like pre Burrow Bengals as far as like not being able to move the ball down the field, giving up chunk plays. And the Titans are not a great team. I don't feel like that's
a playoff team by any stretch of the imagination. So that's more surprising to me. Also, the Buccaneers. I don't feel like they've really had a true test just yet, but I have liked what Baker Mayfield has done so far. I think that that that has surprised me for sure. I thought he would kind of come in and it'd be they'd be like third in that very bad division.
Can I throw in an honorable mention because I don't think it's as high as Cincinnati, but I just want to throw them in there. How about the Houston Texans. What the Houston Texans have done? I mean, because they won had three wins all of last.
Year, they already have two. They're two and two, and they've done.
So by beating Pittsburgh thirty seven to seventeen and or excuse me, beating Jacksonville thirty seven to seventeen and Pittsburgh thirty to six. I mean, they've had two blowout wins so far with a rookie quarterback, rookie edge rusher, and just really zero expectations. Like Nick was saying about the AFC Division, I mean, Texans are two and two with the rest of their division, but still something to look at.
CJ. Stroud has been awesome, He's been great, be awesome so far like he's outplayed Bryce Smith or Bryce Jicks Smith, Bryce Young by a mile.
He was six there head coach.
Not being the forty nine ers defensive coordinator has any impact on the Fortyanners defense. It's now Steve Wilks is now the DC. Do you think that that has any impact? Do you think it's the same old, same old.
Doesn't look like it has a whole lot of an impact on the film.
Wilkes is a doug on good coach. He's actually one of my former coaches. He's pretty dug on good. Where'd you have him? Washington? Oh? Ed you done? Really? What was he there?
Sure?
I don't know. Whenever quality control?
He's a coach.
Well, let's segue into my next one, because it does have a small Washington tie. Hey Pooka Nakua Yes, okay, five hundred and one receiving yards through these first four games, second only to Justin Jefferson. So I really don't care about talking about him as much as when I was looking at where he ranks and all the top you know, pass catchers so far through four games.
It made me think if you.
Could take any one wide receiver off of another team and put it on this Cowboys team, who would that be? And it has to be a wide receiver, can't be a pass catcher. Has to be a wide receiver. So for me, when I was looking at them all, the first one that jumped out to me was just Stefan Diggs because of what he does in the red zone. And so if you think the red zone is an issue, and then I think he fits. If you don't think that,
you just want the best playmaker's probably not him. But if you could add one, who would you add?
That's tough?
I would I would think I think Keenan Allen's in that list, same same deal, because he's been so good in the red zone and he probably wouldn't be too pricey at that point.
I just think he's so good in the red zone.
Tyreek Hill were just from a playmaker standpoint and a speed standpoint.
Would be really really fun.
Could you imagine?
Uh? DeVante Adams would probably be my pick though, Okay, I think that would be my guy because once again, red zone. He's incredible in the red zone. He's good as a playmaker, he's got the size on the outside that Dallas just doesn't have. I mean, your biggest receiver of Ceedee Lamb in terms of size, give me DeVante Adams and we can sure that up a little bit. That's that's probably who i'd pick, even though it's either him or Tyreek.
Okay, Tyreek, Yeah, just speed, Yeah, you don't have that right now. You don't have that good speed.
You don't have that, Tyreek.
But you've got good speed, you have good speed. But Tyreek is his world spfriend. You can give Tyreek the ball of five yards and all right now. By by then, I think the.
Only issue with Tyreek would be alignment with him and CD like, how do you?
How do you?
You can figure it out. That's a phenomenal problem to have, but I think that's the only problem you'd kind of run into. I've been playing for size in this receiving court for the last like three years, so as a result, I'd probably go with a guy like a J. Brown or Jamar Chase, somebody that can be really physical high pointing balls and bringing down the red zone like.
You like Adams.
Yeah.
Yeah, That's why I picked Tybek because I think in this offense, I think he could you could drop him in the scheme and not have to change anything in terms of like getting the ball out quick, getting in his hands just he did go, let it go. Yeah, you don't have to try to you don't have to try to create something for him.
He'd be really good on our hitstick show because that's how he watched his film. So yeah, I know by playing playing Madden.
He'd be good. And that was definitely a troll, right, Yeah, it's gotta be.
That he eats candy for food.
Yeah, I'm surprised nobody said Justin Jefferson. I think a lot of people, Yeah, just because of the numbers he's put up. But I made sure that's say wide receiver because for me, if it was any position, probably.
Would you say Justin Jefferson.
No, no, I'd still go digs. But if it could be tight ends too, would be Kelsey. If you just look at his numbers in the red zone crazy And I know that has to do with his connection with Mahomes in that, but I think that would be pretty high in the list.
TheInk.
We'll figure it out.
Yeah, I think they'll be fine.
There'd be room in the suite. Why do you guys think that George Kittle's numbers have been down this year?
Why?
Yeah, I don't know.
That is a great question, because they are when you look at compared to you the rest the where his production normally.
Is well, if you think back to last year, I mean, he was battling injury most of the year, and whenever he got reinstated back in that offense, it's kind of on par with where he was towards the end of last season. I don't feel like it's anything different than what he's shown post injury. He was saying the playoffs though, he really turned it up.
But I don't know.
I think that office has just had to kind of change whenever he was out, and Brandon and Yuk is getting a lot more involved. He's finally kind of coming into his own. I don't think it's more so them going away from Kittle. It's more going to other weapons. You've got McCaffrey on the team now, and when he was hurt, they didn't have McCaffrey. There's a lot of different things that I think play into that. I don't think it's speaks to Kettle taking a step step back.
That's a really good point because if you go back and you look he was inactive the first two weeks last year, and then in weeks three and four he had six receptions for fifty two yards. Right now he's sitting at fourteen catches for one forty eight, so he's ahead.
Of what he was last year. Week five and six, though, was when he woke up.
Last year, he had five catches for forty seven yards against Carolina, and then the day after or the week after that, he had eight catches for eighty three yards, and then from then it was touchdowns almost every game except for a three game stretch in the middle of the season. So maybe he just tas to get going a little bit. Like you said, he was battling injury last year. Maybe this year it's more so just getting
off the ground and facing good competition. Last year, yeah, he was inactive for the first two games.
Felt like it was a lot more.
He said he woke up in week five. He did woke up in Week five and six. Just don't let history repeat itself.
Right, you're not a stats guy, remember that his numbers in week five last year went from forty seven seven yards then to eighty three ninety eight, and then he kind of dove off for two games, was thirty nine to twenty one, and then it was eighty four with two touchdowns by the end of the year, ninety three for two touchdowns, one twenty for two touchdowns against Washington.
I mean, he put up numbers, but but Week one Giants obviously Darren Waller hasn't quite figured it out just yet with that, but the whole Giants offense hasn't figured it out. Cowboys did their way with him even in Arizona. Coming into that game. They've been heavily using those tight ends with Joshua dob Zachers and Trade McBride. And while that offense did succeed, like the Titans did not get going. I don't remember ERTs having a catch. I could be wrong on that.
I don't.
I don't remember him being active in that game against the Cowboys or against the Cowboys last week. Yeah, if he had a reception, it was maybe like one or two. I just he had two for eight.
Yeah, and looking at Kittle to have the huge game against the Cowboys. But I'm looking at Kittle of that. Oh yes, you know, if you fall asleep for a second and you're looking at these other guys just like the other you know, do you fear.
And talk, do you fear Kittle more in blocking or in receiving.
Blocking because the guy that's behind him, Yeah, unfortunately.
Yeah that's tough.
Yeah, so I know we're talking about him and receiving aspect of things.
Yeah, he's blocking. Kind of the best blocking tight end in the game.
Yeah, thanks to Mercedes the littlest tighten you.
Yeah.
One fun one I had for you guys. I was watching The Man and Cast the other day.
I don't know if you guys like it or not, but I was just going to say that I thought Will Ferrell is a great guest because he can be funny, but he also knows enough about football that you know, it's not like he doesn't know what's going on in the game. And I thought his jokes fit into that as well. So it made me think of if Derek
Eagleton came to you guys. It was like, Jerry really wants to do a show something like that with you with you two during a Cowboys game, and he's willing to invest any amount of money to get that one guest. Who do you think would be the best guest or maybe the guests that you guys would most want, And same for you if you if Derek came to you, is like, hey, we're going to do a podcast just you and one guest for the week, and you can get any it doesn't matter who it is.
Who would you pick?
Are we talking about like if this was week five of the twenty twenty three season or just no at any time?
Because I think week five, you and you and money was no option.
You would try and get Taylor Swift on the show, because yeah, I mean, whatever she touches turns to gold. You cannot deny it.
Okay, you can't.
There's my See Kyle's looking.
For Kyle's looking for what does the best numbers? I was thinking, And that's interesting because I was thinking of it that way at all. I was thinking of it as just like, hey, this is my chance.
To talk to somebody. See, she wouldn't be on my list that that, but numbers was it would blow.
Up because when I was thinking of it, to me, it's like so obvious, it's clearly Michael Jordan and nobody's close. Because me, selfishly, I would want to hang out and talk to Michael Jordan because he just on a level that no other entertainer athlete is for me. So but that brings up a good point because if you are looking for numbers, that clearly would work.
Yeah, but what about you come on? You got somebody?
Yeah, I'm calling it my boy Spice Adams.
Okay, that would be a good one, very very entertaining.
We've had him on the show before and it was awesome. Yeah, it was maybe our best segment we've ever had.
It was really fun. You want to call him? You want to call him?
This week?
What Team Chamber? He was a fan of a team that was last year and he puts out a video every week. The last one was pretty funny.
I'm trying to think of who mine would be. I don't know if y'all know Vince Staples, but it's probably the funniest, funniest guy in entertainment in my opinion right now. That he would be hilarious to have a sports podcast with because he also knows a little bit about football as well. That'd be that'd be a really funny one.
I don't know who I would pick. My first inclination was Dirk, but I feel.
Like we could go bigger than that. Is my favorite athlete of all time. We need to get Shack on the show.
Shack would be really that might be my answer. Honestly, I think I might take that one.
Jack. Would that would be awesome? You want show?
Heck, yeah, that'd be so that'd be Yeah, that would be so fun.
We just need to show up to an E. D M concert, like all four of us and just.
Just yeah, we'll paint the chest and we'll put it out there. That's saying it with your chest.
How about that? All right?
I like it, John, A couple of fun topics of conversation.
Got time for one more and o uh, let's.
Take a break and then we'll come back with one more. Let's do that when we come back right after this.
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Five G requires compatible planning device. Five G may not be available in your area. See att dot com Slash five G for you for details.
To Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company.
This segment it's.
Also brought to you by Invisi Line, the official Smile of the Dallas Cowboys, Nick Harris, John Machoda, Isaiah stand back. I'm Kyle yeomens. Have you texted Shack yet? Isaiah?
I don't know what you're talking about. Kyle.
You haven't tell you haven't texted him yet.
I don't have context.
You're more of a yes everybody.
I know is through uko is such a lie? Sounds like yes, such a lie?
It's same yeah, whatever, all right, you said you had one more for us, John, Yeah.
I remember a couple of years ago, uh, the way that Cowboys finish the season against the Cardinals. There was some talk of how, yeah, I don't know if that would be the best matchup for the Cowboys in the playoffs to play the Cardinals again, even though that wasn't necessarily one of the top teams in the playoffs. And we just talk all the time about the Eagles, Cowboys, Niners kind of be in a group and then everyone else.
So if you take those other two teams away, no Niners, no Eagles, what team would be you think not a great matchup for the Cowboys. Maybe it's a team that they open, Maybe it's wildcard, maybe divisional round, just someone else, you know, the OTHER'SNFC. Yeah, So other top teams are right now, Tampa Bay's got three wins, Detroit, Seattle's got three wins, and then the next tiers, your two win teams like Atlanta, the Rams, Washington, Green Bay, New Orleans.
If they have to go into a wildcard round like on the road again, like they did last year. I feel like the game I would be most nervous about would be Detroit, but I would I would still like the Cowboys to fight in that game for sure. I'm not sitting here saying, oh, that's the nightmare matchup, but Detroit would probably give me the most paws in a wildcard round for sure.
Pause as in like Lions Lion Paul, there you go, paw. I would probably say Detroit as well. And I still think Dallas is in the upper tier.
Like I look at the.
NFC as tiered right now, I see Philadelphia, San Francisco. Dallas is probably the lower end of that first tier. But if they win this week, I think they're right back into the fight there. Then there's a tier two, and I think Detroit's at the top of that Tier two. Seattle's in there, maybe the Rams. I'm kind of I'm iffy on the Rams right now. I feel like there's a chance that they could continue to elevate. They've they've
been banged up with a couple guys. Of course, Cooper cups out, but Park Puka Nakua's really stepped up the way that he has. I think the Rams could be in that tier two, and then I think it's a significant drop off going into Atlanta, Washington, Green Bay, New Orleans, Minnesota, all these other teams that might be fighting for the sixth seventh spot in the NFC. So I probably, Yeah, I would circle Detroit as that team right now.
I mean they they.
Played tough and we talked about it on the show significantly last year, the fighting Dan Campbell's fight for Dan Campbell.
And they're fun to watch too. Yep, I would not want to face Detroit. You're gonna face Detroit, Yes you are. Somebody hated the Cowboys when they created this year's schedule, but December thirtieth, Yeah, it's seven pm Central. This is a team that you know you got to It's gonna be a fight, it's gonna be physical, and they beat you up last year and you know, they just literally just took your knees out and for.
An entire half they had yesterday that game.
Yes, they took Micah making the most incredible play I've ever seen by a defender. Yeah, to turn that game.
Around, that's the I would agree with you guys in that too. And that's also if it was Cowboys at Lions. It's the last time the Lions have won a playoff game ninety one and they beat the Cowboys. So wow, I haven't won a playoff game since T goodness, yep.
Who would you?
I mean, we're in Week five, but who would you pick to win that game? If you if that was the matchup Cowboys at Lions in the.
Wildcard round for oh wild card round, yeah, I mean yeah, I would go with whoever's the home team. So in that case, it probably be the Lion, so I would go with the lines if they're at Ford Field. I do think the Cowboys are the better team. I mean, the difference between those two to me is pretty obvious, and it's the two teams that follow the most. It's that one team is having a hard time getting to
the NFC Championship game. The other team is like their next step is just to make the playoffs and win a playoff game. You know, the Cowboys of one playoff ben winning playoff games. It's that you know, Detroit hasn't even experienced that, you know, of actually winning a postseason game, so that they're on a different level there. So I would I would give the advantage to the Cowboys. But if they had to go play at Ford Field. I mean, yeah, I think it'd be a tough place to win at.
By the way, we do have some breaking national news. Christian Gonzales, the Colony prospect who, of course, was playing for the Patriots this past week. It was thought to be a dislocated shoulder. It's a torn laboram He's out for the season, or at least he's it looks to be out for the season, Rap Report times. So what did the Patriots do. They went out and traded for cornerback ja C. Jackson in a homecoming deal.
So when got j C.
Jackson, Cowboys already threw it. You're probably not gonna see the Patriots again. But just interesting since that injury did happen to a Dallas product in Arlington during this game this past week.
So his tons of family and friends with out the game.
Yeah, I feel bad for the guy.
I really do.
Gonzo playing he was playing lights out too as a rookie, so best of luck for him moving forward. That's it for us, are on Dallas or on talking Cowboys. Tomorrow we will have QB Vision with Isaiah stand back. He's gonna break down this uh this forty nine Ers defense talk about the Cowboys offense and how they can have some success.
I can't wait. We're gonna have to.
Get our our bleep button ready for Isaiah too, just in case.
All right, for Chris be Isaiah stand back. John Maachow to Nick Harris.
I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long from the Starre in Frisco.
We'll see you tomorrow with more Talk Cowboys.
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