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This He's Talking Cowboys, springing live.
From the Dallas Cowboys World Course at the Star in Frisco Street. And now your hosts, Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeomans.
What's up, y'all? Welcome to another episode of Talking Cowboys.
It is a Talking Thursday, today, Talking Thursday, and we's going back on a fast here myself, Isaiah Stanbag, Nick Harris, and John Machoda in the building.
K Y Kyle Yumans will be in the building sooner than later.
I think his his unicycle blue attire, so he's gonna come in a little bit hotter than normal.
But how are y'all doing today?
Doing good?
Kyle had some heavy shoes, you know, he was coming that unicycle bust attires.
Have you been on a unicycle before?
Actually not. I'm not coordinated enough, fely No.
I can't even write a skateboard like if it doesn't have like severe stability, I can't do it.
Like It's just like unicycles were like, man, they were like part of gym class back in the day.
I feel ourpe not for me really, out of no way am I the only one I don't know?
Is it Seattle just that weirdle class?
And that's actually very on brand.
I just see you can see like a lot of people in Seattle just riding unicycles.
Does it make me a bad person that I came in here? And I was kind of relieved that I wasn't the last person. Now, I don't want any anything bad to happen to Kyle.
Obviously you talked.
About ycle or his unicycle. But when I texted the group coming in hot because I was running late, I was like, man, I hate being the last I don't want anybody to be waiting because I'm holding the group up. And so when I came in here and I saw an open seat, I was.
Like, all right, I feel a little bit better.
I'm not the last person. Whatever.
But obviously we want the unicycle to get facked.
Yeah, we had to.
Get the unicycle fixed, but nah, that's good man. So talking Thursday, obviously we're getting ready for the game with Dallas Cowboys versus Detroit Lions. The fighting Dan Campbell's we've been hitting on what yesterday we hit on our offense a little bit in terms of Detroit and some of the weapons that they have, some of the.
Issues that they proposed.
We talked a little bit about their backfield, and then they're two headed monster in Montgomery and Gibbs and the issues that they provide. I mean, obviously the receiving corps that they have out there, and who we're worried about, who we're not worried about.
Today, we're going to talk a little bit about the defense.
Okay, we're gonna preview that Dallas Cowboys offense versus that defense. But before we get into that, we need to know what's going on around the building, mister Nick Harrison, any news and notes popping off?
Yeah, yesterday was a busy day. We could start with It was around right when we got off the show. Yesterday, the Cowboys made the decision to waive linebacker Rashaun Evans, who they signed earlier in the season whenever Lateon Vanderush went down with his season ending neck injury, and they activated offensive tackle Matt will Let's go from the injured reserve and it was met with a lot of how do I say this?
Hate?
On Twitter? Twitter fans were not enjoying it. As the day progressed and the news came out, it kind of made a little bit more sense as far as context goes, is why the Cowboys maybe released him. Mike McCarthy setting his press conference yesterday that you know later in the week there'll be more answers to questions and stuff like that, so that leads me to believe that they're open to
bringing him back to the practice squad. Now, he wouldn't be able to play if he came back to the practice squad because he started his season on the practice squad and used all three of his elevations, So if he was to go back to the practice squad, he wouldn't be able to play until the playoffs at the earliest. But for Matt Will, let's go, it's an opportunity to get back on the field, and I'll kind of preview
what the injury report is looking like. Tyron Smith did not practice today with a back injury, and then Chumydoga popped up with a toe injury. So if both of those guys can't go, then you know, Matt Will Let's go. Maybe is the next man up or Awesome Richards is gonna be one of those two guys. So it's a bit a big opportunity for Will Let's Go to not only get on the roster, but potentially even play this week.
And can you remind the people exactly why Will Let's Go wasn't hasn't really been active as late.
So yeah, So his rookie year he dealt with shoulder supplexation.
Is that I can say that word, I know.
But he had it in one shoulder. I forget which one it was last year. It was it was a left shoulder. Oh no, he's right tackle, right, So yeah, but he had it in one shoulder last year and now he's got it in the other shoulder this year that he suffered during the preseason. I believe that was the last preseason game against the Raiders when he suffered that shoulder supplexation and he's been on injured reserve since then.
He got back on the practice field about three weeks ago they opened up that twenty one day window and he was a full participant from that moment on. So it looks like he's been ready to go. It's just about like finding him a spot on the roster, and this is a spot, So this is a big opportunity for him to get back on the field.
How do you feel about the possibility of not having Tyron Smith or I don't think I think Chumo would play, but obviously he's dealing with the tow injury from the game.
I am less concerned this week than I was last week. I think the defensive line in Miami Dolphins is a lot more active than that of Detroit Lions. Obviously we'll get into that a little bit more here in a bit, But Detroit Lions defensive line doesn't scare me.
They don't scare me.
They're they're solid, they're discipline, but they don't individually don't fear me. I don't fear them in that regard as I did with Miami. They they don't fear you exactly, they don't fear me. So yeah, I'm less concerned about tyrans availability this week, but obviously just want him back
one hundred percent healthy. So whatever that requires, if that requires, if he's if he got those shots in his back and now he feels good and he can come back and play this week, then I'll be more than elated. If he can't, then to just let you know that he's not one hundred hopefully, and he gets back next week ready getting.
Ready for the playoffs, you know, as a warm up for the playoffs.
So just want him healthy, man, I want this entire offensive line healthy because to the conversation that we had yesterday, we can't afford any of these guys to be going. You know, we can't shuffle the deck. You know, the deck has been shuffled too many times over the past few years. And now you just want guys to be where they where their feet are, and just be constant and be you know, steadfast. Just just be be consistent
so that Dak can be sure back there. Because when Dak is unsure in terms of his safety, just like any quarterback in this league, you we know what can happen. You saw it happen with Brock Purty the other day. Brock Party was mister, you know, bus driving, no interceptions. All of a sudden he gets a little pssure on him and you go take it. Four interceptions later, you know, you know, he's a different guy. And that's any quarterback you know who doesn't have the ability to necessarily utilize
their feet. So we don't want Dak getting out the happening to you get out the pocket just because so I hope that I hope the tyrant could be there. But shout out to Matt, well, let's go. Hopefully his shoulders are intact and he's ready to go. You know, your opportunities in this league come from different various ways. You know, whether it be somebody underperforming, a lot of times it comes from injury. This instance, it came from you know, we'll let the end of the week tell,
but it seems like behavior type stuff. So you know, hopefully he gets hope he doesn't get an opportunity to play, No disrespect to him because of Tyrone, but if he does get his opportunity, I hope that he did that he shows out.
Yeah, absolutely, which leads us into the injury report from yesterday. I spoke kind of about Chumley Dogau and we were talking with Mike McCarthy and kind of the walk off yesterday after the press conference, and he was we were kind of talking about, well, let's go, and he's like, yeah, you know, Tyron, he's been hurt and you know, Chuma got dinged up in the Miami game. He's like, did that pop up on the injury report yesterday? And you kind of look around, he's like, he's healthy, he's good.
But then he did pop up on the injury report later that day, so he's he was limited with a toe injury. Something to keep an eye on he obviously he wasn't listening on Tuesday. We can go down the list here. Rico Dawdle. He's been battling that ankle injury. He was limited on Tuesday. He's been limited in the last few weeks. But he did not practice yesterday, so maybe something to keep an eye on there. If he can't go, then you're looking at you know, Hunter Lipke,
deuce Vaughn. Malik Davis is out of elevation, so you can't use my leak. So yeah, it would be kind of an interesting a compliment to Tony Pollard, who would have why do.
You believe that they elevated Malik and did not utilize.
Them special teams?
He was.
He was utilized on special teams all three games. He was the.
Uh, what what's what's right in front of the kick returner?
What do you call that? Just like the first protector basically yea of the off set.
Yeah, so he he was utilizing that role all three games and every single kick return, so he was helping out turping in those instances. But yeah, didn't really use him in the backfield much, especially you know, when the running game wasn't really working in Miami. It kind of surprised me that they didn't at least try him a couple of times just to see what, you know, he could bring to the table from a running game perspective.
We'll keep going here.
Let's see Jonathan Hankins once again did not practice. Mollie Hooker was back to a full participant yesterday. That's a good sign. Hunter Limke as well, with his thigh injury, was back to a full participant. Zach Martin did not practice yesterday with rest no where he's there. Zach Martin continues to not practice, and then Matt will Esko was a full participant with his shoulders. So kind of a couple of things to keep an eye on as the
week goes on. Yeah, it's it's gonna be an interesting week, especially Freako double can't go and or Tyron Smith slash too Maneydoga. Then then you're starting to work with a lot of things before Saturday.
I know, Thursday usually gives us a lot more information in terms of guy's probability for availability on the game day Sundays. Typically this week is gonna be Saturday Night obviously or a AT and T. But what's you guys's confidence level right now in the availability of Jonathan Hankins.
So I would say Tyron Smith is ahead of Jonathan Hankins. And we'll know later today when the injury report comes out because today will be like a Friday. And last week Tyron was doubtful. And I'm pretty sure, I'm like ninety nine point nine percent sure that there has not been a person listened as doubtful that's played this season for the Dallas Cowboys. So if you see Tyron Smith is doubtful or Jonathan Hankins is doubtful, you know that they're most likely not playing. I think Tyron's going to
be questionable. I don't know about Hankins. So I feel a lot more confident because if they list you a question wele I think it's like fifty to fifty that you're going to play or whatever. I think that's closer to sixty or seventy percent that Tyrant plays. I think for Jonathan Hankins it's forty.
Yeah, I was I was putting in about thirty forty. I bet Hankins is doubtful. Smith is questionable. And there's only been one player in the entire league this year that's played when listed is doubtful and it was Max Crosby a few weeks ago.
So no kidding, Okay, yeah.
So it's since he's the only one.
Yeah, he's different.
Yeah, but yeah, if they were playing the Chiefs, like, he's not gonna miss that game. So uh but yeah, if that's kind of my prediction, we'll have game designations come out of today since today is technically a Friday in the building, and then tomorrow would be a Saturday. So uh yeah, definitely some things to keep an eye on as far as enturies go.
I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. Man.
What's what's it looking like over there in Detroit? Are they Are they looking relatively healthy right now?
Or yeah one moment, gay, yeah, give me.
Sorry, all things considered for this time of year, that they are. Yeah, I mean there's like a couple guys that are on their injury list. But in terms of this part of the season where you look at so many teams that have lost like key guys because early in the year they lost challenging Ardner Johnson and he has been like working back into practice. I don't know if they he'll come back for this game, but they're ramping him up so that he could potentially be back
for the start of the playoffs. But their safeties have actually played pretty well, so it'll be interesting to see how he works back into that mix. But it seems like it would be iffy for him to return for this game, but he's He's obviously a really good player. I thought I thought he was a huge part of the Eagles last year, Like I just kind of help
him putting them over the top. Also, by the way, when the athletic pulled anonymous players throughout the league, he was by far and away the winner for the biggest trash talker in the NFL. I just wanted to throw that.
Yeah, Ramsey wasn't really chirpy that he was he was.
I don't know.
I don't know what was going on there. Was he bored or I.
Don't know, he was followed, So maybe that was a part of it.
Maybe maybe for Detroit, they're starting left tackle Taylor Decker did not practice yesterday with a groin injury. He was limited on Tuesday and it was downgraded to a did not practice. So that's that is one thing to keep an eye on as the week goes on. As far as everybody else, we mentioned it yesterday, backup tight end brock Wright, who's kind of worked in whenever Laporta is off the field.
He did not practice yesterday.
But as far as everybody else like it, Pinnace seols on there, Frank Ragnole is on there, but their full participants, and then CJ.
Gardner.
Johnson remains limited, but he still needs to be activated from the IR to play on Saturday.
All right, that's it, so I gotta go.
There goes the Dallas Cowboys injury report and a little update there and the Detroit Lions. When we've come back, we're gonna take a little bit deeper dive into what this defense is looking like of the Detroit Lions, of how they can try to slow down the offensive the Dallas Cowboys.
Right here on 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 answered life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller, would you, Dear doctor?
My friend supported me during a tough time. But what's the right gift that says thanks for being a soldier?
To cry out?
Okay, this one's easy, I say, give her a delicious doctor Pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any doctor Pepper flavor will do.
Now.
Just a reminder that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that doctor Pepper is the one you deserve.
To talking cowboys.
Welcome back to Talking Cowboys on a Talking Thursday. This portion of the Talking Cowboys is brought to you by Quaker Oats, a super trusted super food. Quaker Oats the official oatmeal sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys.
You guys get your old too.
Did you?
You know?
You know we didn't.
We don't get my oats in. I mean, come on, huh, you've.
Probably eaten more oats this morning than we have ever before ten a ms.
Believe, no doubt, probably no doubt, but I think we might have talked about this. What do you put in your oats?
I mean, probably would put strawberries in if I oh.
Your strawberry. Yeah.
I'm more of like a brown sugar cinnamon guy.
Me too, Yeah, me.
Too'm brown sugar cinnamon. And I like a little bit not cinnamon, but brown sugar for sure. And raisins or crazines?
Are you turning it into like we got a joke, yesterory? I can't put strawberries in a hot in a hot food, I don't need oats, So I don't know what you put it on. Thinking of like what you would cook up with, like some cereal that I would like. But anyway, like I always think it's funny when someone gets a salad. Guy over here, someone gets a salad and they get like bacon and ranch and all the stuff to where it's like it's not even really healthy at this point.
Like that's what I'm thinking, Like, these oats are just like it starts off as the base solid. By the time you guys are done, you're just like it's kind of a dessert.
Now.
Oh man.
All right, well, y'all, it's time to talk a little bit of defense for the Detroit Lions and what they can potentially do or what problems they present for the Dallas Cowboys.
Hold up, does that mean it's time for some.
Why Eddie? Why Eddie?
It's time for QB vision with Isaiah's.
Standback liking Nick, let's get a little intro right there. All right, let's get into the details a little bit.
The Detroit Lions. All right, right off the back.
Soon as you started talking about the Detroit Lions and their defense, I really believe that the ethos of their team is on defense. I think that Dan Campbell has these guys running and hidden. Aaron Glenn, my former teammate. Here are Dallas Cowboys. The defensive coordinator. He was a cornerback here in Dallas and now he's a decordinator down to Detroit. There is an identity with this team, and I believe that the physicality is a requirement in order to be on the field for the defense of the
Detroit Lions. When you think about what they're doing scheme wise, it's not a lot of craziness, but you have to have your antennas up. These guys want to come out and be very base. They want to come out with their base defense and they want to play downhill. They number one, they want to stop the run. That is right off the back. They want to stop the run. They got some big fellas in the middle. These jokers are huge. I know we talked about how big one
of the guys of Miami Dolphins were. They were big and athletic, more Aaron donald Ish right, kind of quick twitch. These guys for the Detroit Lions are just big nasties upfront. As as Nate Newton called.
Them fourth best rush defense in the NFL.
Yeah, they're they're kind of stout. They're stout, and this computer's not jelling with me, But I'm trying to pull up their sizes here so that you guys have a little bit greater understanding. Isaiah Buggs big man up front? How big as is do six three three thirty five? Okay, playing right next to him is another big joker in Benito Jones, and he is six one three thirty five.
So when you started talking about the ability to move guys off the ball and move them backwards, the probability level is relatively low unless you're trying to find a way to get double teams and get combo blocks to be able to push up to the next level. So as we talk about trying to get Tony Pollard, getting him going more frequently, this may not be the.
Best game for that, at least inside the tackles.
However, I do believe that they're that they're kind of soft on the edges, And that's kind of surprising to me because of how much we've talked about Aiden Hutcheson and how.
Important he is to this team.
He hasn't been as active as he has been in for recent years, at least on film.
He's not popping off the film.
To me, I think he's still giving great effort, but it seems like his technique is nowhere near what it used to be.
And I'm not sure what that.
I'm not sure why, but he's less effective to me on film than he has been in recent years.
You know, That's what you were talking about. That's that's popped out to me as well.
And you think of the problems that has happened with Mazie Smith and his rookie year and where both of them went to college. I don't know, it's just something to think of, like it's technique maybe something that's being whacked at Michigan Bama.
I'm picking Baylor.
Jalen Bamin versus Washington.
Baby, let's go, if you want to let it go, let mil Row throw Oh go, okay?
Interesting?
So yeah, no, So I'm glad that I'm not the only one that's seen that Aiden hutcheson. As much as you hear his name, you're going to continue to hear his name in terms of effort. The next man that you're going to hear in regards to effort is a gentleman that's right behind him and alex and zelone, Okay, alex en zelone. He is going to be number thirty four, and then outside of that is going to be Jack Campbell.
Those guys, to me are the energy buses defensively for them, at least in that front seven.
It's going to be very difficult to get to get the ball moving on the ground. That's what I foresee. At least.
Do you like Jack Campbell?
I think coming out, I really enjoyed what he did in a Big ten defense and was able to be that run stopper and the consistent run guy, and I think he has a lot of that. But I think there's just some things he lacks from a physicality standpoint, Like I don't know if he can be as physical as he needs to be whenever offensive linemen are pushing it to the second level.
I could just be a rookie thing like you need a couple of years to adjust to that. But what have you seen?
Yeah?
I agree, I don't see that the physicality from him, But I do see decisiveness in terms of him coming downhill, Like he wants to come downhill, he wants to stop the run, and I think he has the free range to do so because of those big guys in the middle. When you got seven hundred pounds, you know, close seven hundred pounds in front of you, it's relatively easy to be able to roam free and pick whatever hole that you want to and then and then make sure that
your gap discipline. And that's what these guys are defensively in terms of their rush, their running defense, they're very gap discipline. They're not hopping around, they're not doing a bunch of stunts. They're big guys are literally two gapping, meaning that they're just literally just grabbing onto alignment, pushing them away from them, and then kind of peeking over the shoulders, kind of playing hide and go seek. And while they're trying to progress him backwards that you know,
progress office linement backwards. And then they're letting these linebackers just come and shoot the shoot the gaps. The problem that I foresee, or that that they do a really good job of, is whenever they do want to get after the quarterback, they widen the entire line out, very similar to what to what Dan Quinn does with our defensive line. Whenever he wants to elicit pressure, he widens the guys out to his d tackles out to five techniques.
His defensive ends go to freaking ten eleven techniques, whatever you want to call it. Okay, they're really wide and he ISOs that center right. But the thing is instead of being a Micah Parsons where he's isolating right up the middle, these guys are bringing pressure off the edges.
And how that causes issues is.
It really opens up the gaps between the tackles and the offensive guards.
What happened I left tackle?
Yeah?
Yeah tackle?
So the math in fact you bring that up. That's what I'm seeing on film.
Whenever they want to elicit pressure, they're really widening those defensive linements, stretching out your responsibilities as an offensive line, and they're just natural seams.
There's natural seams.
Now.
They're typically doing that on passing down, so you don't even have a threat of run because typically if you see five techniques out there defensive tackles and eleven techniques of dms, you're like, okay, just run it up the middle, whereas typically on passing downs they're doing this and they bring their pressure from the edges. And this is where Aaron Goodglan has these guys locked in. Not only are they gap discipline up front when they want to bring pressure,
and I think they have. They have the seventh best pressure rate in the league right now, I believe from correct again, seventh best Dallas is number one. Okay, they are bringing it from wherever.
But it's usually one guy. Typically is one guy.
Every so often they'll bring two, right, but they usually bring a one guy and he'll come from anywhere. It could be a cornerback from the field. It could be an outside linebacker, it could be a safety from seventeen yards deep. It's crazy how these guys bring pressure and they don't tip it off.
That's the thing. They don't tip it off. I trust me. I was looking for a key. I was looking for some kind of cute. There was nothing.
The only thing that I was able to find that may raise Dax Antenna's up a little bit is when teams motion, if you motion in the direction of of their of their their obviously, if you if you motion across the formation, when they adjust, it's almost like a green light for them to go.
And it's really weird.
I was looking for it to be consistent. Obviously, it's not nothing that you see is going to be one hundred percent right. They're just not going to do that. But it was a high percentage from the film that I watched that whenever you motion across the formation, when they adjust over, it almost gives that near side guy the green light to just go, regardless of what his responsibibilities were before you motion across, and he's like, all right, I get the green light to go blitz And it's
almost every single time that I've seen it. So with that, I would say, be very wary in terms of what you're doing motion wise, and if you're doing so, like use it as bait because you're because you know what type of action that you're going to get from them, what type of reaction, But something to keep your antennas up on as.
You guys are watching film, as you guys are ready to watch the game.
Whenever if we motion across that formation, keep your eyes on that second level because somebody most likely is coming and there's nothing that they're doing that gives you an indication of who's coming, but you just typically know the area in which is coming from. Did you is there anything that you guys saw on film in terms of pressure wise?
Pressure wise, I think if it can be limited and you can find as a stride in being able to limit the pressure that's coming in, there's opportunities in that secondary.
Oh yes, a really young secondary. I know you'll dive into it.
I think that's where Detroit has had the most struggle in the last few weeks. As far as you know, they've kind of gone through some lumps in the past, going into like going into Thanksgiving obviously that Thanksgiving game against Green Bay, and then kind of since then they've been up and down depending on what game you watch.
But I think there's opportunities to find some things in that secondary.
Of the top there is, and being that these guys are so adamant about stopping the run, being that their linebackers are very aggressive their d line once you just come downhill for they're not doing stunts, they just want to play vertical. They are overly aggressive towards the run. And because they're overly aggressive towards the run, there's a lot of plays that you can get going against them in the play action game. You can get behind their
second level because their linebackers can't cover their linebackers. Their hips are locked up like akon, they just they don't open. Okay, but there's there's exactly so there's plenty of opportunities there. However, However, their safety is do an amazing job of disguising coverage. Amazing job. This is probably the best I've seen out
of disguises of safeties and what their responsibilities are. Since I played back with Pittsburgh and Troy Polamlou had a freedom to do whatever the heck he wanted to, this is probably the best.
And I know that's a that's a big comparison.
I'm not saying that these guys are Paula Malu, but I'm saying what they're doing with their coverages and their disguises and how how they're rolling to coverage is very late, right, I mean, yes, it's one second after the snap. These guys are then rolling. Sometimes these guys are have their safety all the way down in the box. And these guys are running back like Troy used to back in
the day and Ed Reid. Right, you think about those guys that had the freedom to be at the line of scrimmage and then they're jetting out, springing, you know, twenty twenty five yards back.
That's what these guys do.
So in terms of Dak identifying what he believes it to be pre snap and what he sees it to be post snap, I think that may present a problem. He's gonna have to do a really good job of looking at finding those guys, finding out what he believes that they're supposed to be doing, and then getting that confirmation, because you can really get tricked in terms of where.
These guys end up after the ball is snapped.
And that's a little bit worrisome to me, just because of how I know where our guys are typically open. Our guys are typically open on in the middle of the field. That's usually where we like to eat up the middle of the field. And these safeties are all over the place and don't mess up because their safeties are ball hawks. Both of their safeties are ball hawks. And the guy who sticks out on film to me out more than anybody else on their team. Sorry, this
Doug n things just going out on me. Okay, here we go, number six, Yeah.
Go for that.
Yeah, there you go. You said to its malafin there you go? What he said? He f yeah, there you go.
He's a beast. He's a beast. I don't know if anybody else perceives it that way, but I do. And he pops off the film to me, He to me more than anybody else on this defense. To me, I feel like he everything revolves around his ability to play at the line of scrimmage, to play in coverage, to be a ball hawk, to run and hit like he's the guy that jumps off the film to me when I watch the game, and I watched multiple games, and
it's consistent. Either he's either he's intercepting the ball, either he's coming down and playing coverage from from the city position. He's coming down, he's playing coverage, or he's hitting a mess out of somebody. If they're coming across the field, he's making you pay, so you better find out where the heck he's at at all times. Like there's one guy that I'm saying, hey, come out there and dak circle him and find him.
Number six is a guy who would.
You compare him to ah manferent lanky man.
Yeah, he's linking, he's rangy and unlike a lot of other safeties, they're not sitting back and kind of waiting for the ball to come to them.
That makes its like they're going to get the ball.
It's almost like if the balls at the air, like in their head, that's their ball, Like they're all their guys are aggressive that way, but especially him he has the ability to actually bring it down. I don't know who I would compare him to. I really don't. I feel like he's I feel like he is like our version of Malik Hooker, but with more more aggressive and
Malik's been playing more aggressive as of late. But like I feel like, because they don't run that three safety look like Dallas does, he's required I'm talking about that is he's required to cover more ground and because of that, you see him flying all over the place. But he's the guy that causes me concern, not Adam, not not not Hutch, not any of these other guys, not you know, Azelone. Those are all effort guys. If I'm concerned about anybody on their defense is number six.
The comparison to the NFL dot Com gave him whenever he was during the draft process was Trumaine Johnson, which is very very specific. He was a long, kind of rangy defensive back. He played more corner, but he played a lot of safety as well. So that's that's interesting. A couple numbers I wanted to throw at you here because I'm honestly, if Tyrons Smith plays on Sunday or Saturday and there's an opportunity to limit that pressure coming off the left side.
I'm not worried about this defense. Yeah, I'm really not.
You look at the pass defense twenty fourth in the NFL. You look at sacks generated. Would you guess what number that they are in the NFL? Probably based on their pressure rates seventh and pressure rate.
Yeah, they're not getting sacks twenty fourth.
Yeah.
And as far as getting to the quarterback.
So they beat up, they beat up Denver, they beat the crap out of Denver.
Yeah, as long as they can keep Dak clean, and we've seen what Dak can do whenever he is clean in the pocket.
This year, I think this offense is fine.
It's it's I'm kind of expecting the shootout that we expected last week, yeah, and this one. But yeah, I think if Tyron Smith goes, this offense is fine. If Tyns Smith can't go, I still feel like there's opportunities. It's just there's gonna be a little bit more pressure off that loft side as we saw against Miami.
Yeah, I completely agree with you on that. I mean, obviously it's better with Tyron, but there's something about this team when they play at home and then the other thing that stands out to me is that there was so much talk after that Niners game about how CD didn't get the ball enough, and now the following week, I think it. I mean it's targets went from five Constanrancisco, I think seven against the Chargers. But when they came back after the bye, that's when it was like, you know,
twelve fourteen targets per game. Man, I got a feeling that they're just they're gonna go. They're coming out passing from the beginning. Yeah, I just I just see this being a big game for CD Lamb. You know, I thought it was interesting actually how Dak was talking about how, you know, CD needs three receptions to pass Michael Irv and obviously Michael Irvin will be in the building at least, we think with you know, Jimmie Johnson going in the
Ring of Honor, just everything about this. Knowing how the Lions played defensively, I'm like, why are you just gonna run into a brick wall. I mean, this is a team I think it's three point six, three point seven yards per carry. I mean, this is one of the best run defenses in the league. I get that you're going to have to run the ball at some point, but I would I would. I think that they're going to start by trying to go up tempo and try
and move the ball around one player. I want to ask you about not about Lions as much as you know, you see that you see that catch that that Jalen Tolbert makes in Miami. You know what, what do you think that that potentially does for a guy's confidence, Not that he needed a confidence booster, but to pull down a big catch like that in a big moment.
It's huge for him. It's even greater for Dak.
Yeah, it's it's huge for Jalen Tolbert to get affirmation of his his self confidence. But it's even greater for Dak in this offense to know that hey, in for a contested catch, right, there's somebody outside of CD. There's somebody outside of Cooks or somebody outside of Gallup right that we know that can make a contested catch.
And this young fella came to play.
He's been coming along all year long, and when we when we need him most, he's apparently going to be there. And I think that assurance to this offense and the people who are in charge of calling the plays and the operation at a place is absolutely is huge.
I actually asked him that yesterday. Hey, guys, I asked him that yesterday in the locker room. I said, hey, first off, nice play. Second off, what does that do? And he said, basically the same thing.
He's like.
Honestly, it reminded me of who I used to be, which I really liked him coming out of the draft in South Alabama. He was a contested catch guy, but he was doing it against future accountants in that in the Sun Belt. He wasn't doing it against top notch professional corners and defensive backs like he was.
He was having to make plays as your accountant. Are they your accountants?
Now?
Not my account I don't make fun of the fun Belt, all right, sorry?
But he was That's the thing, is he?
He He said, At times I forgot who I was, And that was another play where it's like I'm back, ye I am who I once was, And so yeah, it's a confidence boost for him.
But I agree with you.
I think that now it gets to the point where you're in a similar, similar situation. You're throwing the ball down the field and you're going, Okay, their CD He's there's Gallop or whoever cooks covered, there's Jalin told let me throw them the ball.
Yeah, And I think that's huge.
It adds another weapon, somebody that you can rely on.
Yep, really quick.
On the note about CD only needing three receptions on Saturday night, he also needs only one hundred and seventy nine yards to break Irvan's record, So if he gets both, that would be that'd be fascinating.
That'd be dope, that'd be fascinating.
On Jimmy Johnson, They'll be in the building.
Yeah, that'll be that'll be interesting, that awesome.
I just feel like you just expect this game to be Detroit's gonna do everything that they can to run the ball, keep keep Dallas's offense off the field, and then if Dallas gets a chance to throw the ball over the yard, which they should, then then they'll be at their best. But I just I look at the way that both these teams have played all season, and I don't think that it's I don't know. I think
that this is the biggest game. If either one of these teams, who ever wins, it will be their biggest win of the season.
That's fair.
That's a fair yeah, fair assessment. I think it would be my my biggest win for the Cowboys in terms of confidence level. I can tell you about that a little bit more. I kind of want to talk about that when we come back. Y'all didn't take a second break, right, Nope, No, sir, you want to take it the break as he did a good job the first time around. We'll be back with more talking Cowboys right after this.
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To Talking Cowboys.
This this segment of the show is brought to you by and Visi Line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Isaiah standback smiling over there.
I listened to you guys on the way in. It was great.
Oh god, why you were changing your tire?
Yeah, while I was changing the tire, I still got like, like I noticed stuff all over your hands.
From Yeah, I've got grime all over. Yeah. It's it's rough.
It's a rough day out there.
It's okay, nothing too exciting. Just had a flat tire on the way in. All right.
I want to tell you why this game specifically, and I'm gonna see what you guys think about.
This as well.
If if Dallas falls in this game, it almost feels like there one shield of armor. They're one plate of armor has been penetrated, and that's home field advantage, right, That's that's what it feels like, is when you get to that point in time where you can go into the playoffs and have that one thing you can rely on and that's your home field, and that gets just upended by the Detroit Lions. I can't stand you us. So he's it's just as soon as I walk in the building.
Okay, you choke up on your tea, Yeah my tea, Yeah, yeah, I got stuck.
The thing is, though, it's not looking like they're going to play at home in the playoffs. I mean unless a couple of things happen on wild cards.
Obviously don't have any confidence on the road.
Though, not right now.
Yeah, man, in three games in a row, losing to Buffalo, Miami and Detroit, it would be you know, three equality opponents. Beating Washington the phone week does nothing for you in terms of absolutely not.
It could be fifty, but it could build your confidence to say, Okay, we're still the same team. If you get a win in Detroit, yeah, you can build that confidence to say this is the same team. We just had a couple down weeks against Miami and Buffalo, and then he just happened.
To be on the road.
So from where my confidence level is waivered, it hasn't waivered a.
Whole lot this year.
I think this team is right where you expected them to be. I picked them to go eleven and six, twelve and five, like right around there, and they're there. This is where that team was expected to be. Whether they win the division or not, that's mostly outside of their own control. But with this win, I think my confidence would go further up than it has. And I think my confidence would take a hit if they do end up losing more than any other loss this year.
Yeah, I can understand that, I think. I think for me, I think the biggest confidence booster for this team was that win against Philadelphia, just because the commanding fashion that had happened.
I don't could you say that's the only confidence boost for this team this year. So far this year in terms of a singular win, I know they've blown some teams out.
I mean, like that win against the Rams coming up to the bye week, and you look back on that too, especially how the Rams have been playing recently. Yeah, they didn't have Kyon Williams. Yes, Cooper Cup was still getting back on the field and used to thinks. But like you look back on that, a twenty three point win coming out of the bye week at a time when they had a lot of self reflection in that time, that was a big win. This win would be bigger.
A Detroit win would definitely be bigger. But as far as Philadelphia goes, I mean, a twenty point win against you know, the team that made the Super Bowl last year, the team that won the NFC. I think that proves what this team can be on their best day. I'm sure it would give them confidence if they had to go back up to Philly in January.
What do you think My answer is not going to be received. Well, I feel like this team gain more confidence last week. Okay, honestly, I think that the question marks, the question marks revolving around this team are can you hang with a team that can score points on your
defense and run the ball? And I mean yeah, right, but being able to stop the run it was huge for this t and facing the Miami Dolphins, which are obviously went fourth in the league in rushing and number one in passing and keeping them to twenty two points like that, to me is a huge confidence booster.
Knowing that.
Minor errors were the reason why, you know, correctable errors were the reason why you lost.
The ball game.
You know, you talk about Tony Pollard not scoring, that's that's something he could change, Like he just has to trust his speed. And you talk about the following play Hunter Lifty, you know, just not securing the ball like those that changes the game. And I feel like if you convert on those things, you win the ballgame. And Miami to me, is one of the most threatening teams in the league. To me, they're one of the most threatening teams the league because you you just feel as
if you can't stop them from scoring. And to me, I believe that they gained a ton of confidence last week off of that. Knowing that, hey, they had all their guns. They had all their guns, right. They had Raheem Moster, they had you know, a hn, they had you know, Tyreek Hill, they had Waddle, they had everybody, and you still held them and you handled them relatively well and kept them in check. It just your offense
had some issues, right, they just fumbled the rock. They had a couple other things they did in convert on. To me, I gain more confidence with that this part of the year than anything else that's really happened this year. That's not to say that Philadelphia wasn't important in any of those other things.
That everybody's probably going to have a rebuttal on.
But to me last week, knowing how close you were and knowing that easy, easy corrections changes the outcome of that game, that gives me more confidence than anything.
And I agree with you, and I think it's funny because of the fact of how many teams would you sit there and say that I want to take it another step. I want to say that I'm I'm gonna go to the third game that I think is most important. I would agree with you on that, and it's two losses now because I would say the loss at Philadelphia, the way they played there, come back win five games in a row off of that. You know, I think as you're leaving the press box when they lost phil
you're like, Yah, they're probably gonna pretty down there. But when you're in the locker room, like I said at the time, and I say again, now, that's the most up I've seen a locker room after a loss in any time covered the Cowboys, they roll off win five in a row. So that's one of the top three most important games they've had this year. I think the Miami one's there too, but I would say Number one
for me would be the win against Philly. But if they beat the Lions on Saturday night, we're just where this Lions team's at, how well that they've played, being a division champ, I think that would take over the top spot for me.
You know what's kind of fascinating. They've been through a stretch like this already this season. You look back to the lost in San Francisco, pretty demoralizing. You look back to the lost in Buffalo, similar things. Then the very next week. In both of those instances, you need a late offensive score to take the lead, You need one defensive stop to win the game.
They get that in LA. They don't get that in Miami. But they're able to score and you know, make that game what it was.
And then CD's talking about coming out of both of those games, just feed me, feed me, basically, and they come out of the bye weekend, what does he do? He rattles off what is that three straight one and fifty yard ten reception? Plus games, So maybe they've fall back on what they know works and that's feeding CD And especially in a moment like this, in a game like this, I think this is a CD's game.
Just because you guys brought it up, especially Isaiah mentioned it a second ago, it probably isn't received well to say that, hey, you're building confidence from losses. I'm gonna play devil's advocate here, I actually do. Just disclaimer, I do agree with what you guys are saying, but just as a devil's advocate, is that a losing mindset to say, hey, two of our three most confident building games this year
have been in losses? Or is that just a mindset to say, hey, we're not okay with losing, but we're okay with learning lessons along there.
Everything's perspective, right, everything's perspective understanding, Like, there's no question this team.
Doesn't have any quit. There's no question about that.
Okay, you know they got their butts kicked a few times this year, but they don't have any quit in them. So knowing that, for me, you learn more from that, you're the losses. You learn more from adversity that you've faced in your life. I mean I think majority of people do. So to say that you gain more common is because of the lessons that you learn in those games, to me doesn't sound crazy.
Yeah.
I don't need a pad on my back for beating the team. Don't pat me on my back for beating the team. Tell me what I did wrong? You know what I'm saying, Like, tell me how I can get better? That's my outlook on life, Like okay, oh well I shouldn't say that on her, but yeah, there's there's.
Some awards that I've gotten.
It.
That was actually showing my mother in law yesterday and she's like, why don't you have this put up? I'm like, like, I did it? Like what's next? Like what's next? Like, you know what I'm saying, how can I get better?
From me?
I don't need to keep looking back and seeing, oh yeah, good job, that was awesome. Like I don't need to look at that.
You know.
The difference is though they don't have those pleas on the wall. Okay, they don't have the pleas to put on the wall.
I think that's the whole I think that's the whole frustration around this team is okay, looking like a third straight season of an eleven twelve win type year. What do you get out of it? Three straight divisional rounds or three straight you know, wild car slash division rounds. That's what fans are expecting at this point because you come off with two losses against really good teams on the road, knowing that you're gonna have to do that same exact thing in January.
And I understand where the fans are coming from.
So because they don't have those you know, accolades under Mike McCarthy or even under Jason Garrett, going back under Dak Prescott. So I think there's a little bit of difference there because they have to prove that they can stay in that realm when January comes. And I think if you can win in January, then it's a completely different story.
I agree.
But like, regardless of like how people perceive it, everything that you could talk about in regards to Dallas Cowboys is history history, and that's anything, right you could say, now, I have more confidence.
Because of what their history shows me.
Right, But in regards to the opportunities that are in front of you, you're into playoffs, that's yes, your number, I mean, that's number one goal. Give me an opportunity to go Hotel Lombardi right now, I hear you. But in order to even have a shot, Yeah, you got to get in the playoffs. And that's just the reality that's taking emotion out of it.
Yeah.
So now that I'm in there, okay, Now I'm in there, Okay, I need to put myself in the best position to go on a four game win street.
That's it.
Don't care how I get in there right now. There's preferred methods of getting in there. Right There's preferred methods in turns, home fields, easier routes, and things of that nature. But at the end of the day, I need a four game stretch in two weeks.
Me and Kyle kind of talked about this yesterday and I'll let him take it here. But the Rangers had a very similar kind of yeah, yes, kind of run.
We walked outside yesterday to media availability and.
Take me higher by a Creed was playing.
I was like, Wow, maybe they're trying to channel their enter Texas Rangers, because if you look at the Texas Rangers and the way that they played down the stretch, and I know this is a football show, but hold tight, I promise it does relate a lot of similarities.
You're going to say, are very similar to Mike McCarthy's twenty ten Packers team.
But going, wow, interesting, I didn't know that.
I mean, they weren't that great, and they weren't that great in December.
Nope, they pitter pattered down the stretch. They weren't very good on the road all season long. And I'm talking about the Rangers specifically. They and they blew the division late. Hopefully that doesn't happen. Let's not blow the division late, and let's see if we can still win that thing. You got two weeks left to try and show that. But let's say that the probabilities rang true and you
do end up losing the division. Well, the Texas Rangers still found a way to go through the toughest route in the American League and beat the top teams, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Baltimore Orioles, and then of course the Houston Astros to get to the World Series, and then they won every single road game along the way. It can happen. It has happened in pro sports this year.
It's happened in your city this year. So yeah, like you said, get in the dang tournament and see if you can figure it out from there.
So we tell it on a run.
I just don't worry as much about communication and baseball on the road as I do.
It's a little bit different.
It is kind of wild though, a little.
Bit of the home thing I wanted to talk about real quick. It's just that Tom Brady is the last quarterback to beat the Cowboys at at and T Stadium. That just sounds weird.
Whoa that is weird?
How weird is that gonna sound if they win against Detroit and they don't play at home again right until later next year.
The other one I was thinking of is that Tyler Smith. That was like, that's the only home loss that he's been part of, so he just is used to just walking to the locker room like, yeah, we just went he's been part.
Of the first time that he's had back to back losses. Oh yeah too.
Yeah, it's strange looking at the twenty ten Packers really quick. They had two December losses, both of them on the road to Detroit and New England, and then obviously rattled off six straight wins to win the Super Bowl. But the difference there they didn't lose a game by more than four points.
All season. They went ten and six in the regular season, and.
I don't think they had Rogers for both of those losses. Yeah, I think he's played a little bit in the Detroit game, and then Matt Flynn came in. I think Matt Flynn played the other game too, So it's not apples to apples.
Matt Flyn's Tyler Legacy High School.
Let's go.
But they had to go on the road in the playoffs. In the playoffs, they had to go win at Philadelphia, at Atlanta, at Chicago. So I mean it's been done by Mike McCarthy. We'll see, Yeah, we will see.
Also the Cowboy, This current Cowboys seems a lot healthier than that Packers team was nice.
Not home the one John not gonna be here tomorrow. What's your pick for the game?
I got Cowboys thirty one, Lions twenty four, just from when the schedule came out the season started till right after both games ended last week. Never wavered on this. I just knowing that both of these teams, in the way that they play, I just I will be very surprised if the Cowboys don't win this game.
There you go, you're from Detroit. You got a lot of Detroit people hitting you up this week.
I got five or six coming down. But that's also because I mean go to the game. But then also New Year's Eve hangout.
So are they gonna come hang out with Oh yeah, Cowboys pregame live beforehand.
I'm gonna try it. I'll see, I'll see. I think they're gonna be at Texas Live.
But we'll try and get them to come over.
It'll be fun, that'll be fun.
All Right, we gotta get off the air. John, we'll see you on Tuesday after a happy New Year. See you next year, Yes, sir, Yeah, there you go for Isaiah standback, Chris Beam in the back, John Matchoda, Nick Harras, some cow yemens. We'll see you tomorrow with us say it with your Chest Friday and more Talking Cowboys.
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