This he is Talking Cowboys, streaming live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the official Dallas Cowboys as by no Your hosts Mickey Spagnola, Brian brought us, Taylor Stern and Rob Phillips Welcome everybody into the SWBC Mortgage Studio as we get ready to go into week eleven. Of course, it's Tuesday at the Star. I'm Taylor, joined by Brian, Rob Mickey, and we're still getting over Sunday's loss or are we officially over it? Move on? Move on? Got you're right for the Eagles, you got no time. Got
an eight one football team coming in, Billy Mickey. Three games in twelve days, right, Yeah that too? Yeah, I figure that out. Yeah. Player's safety, we're all about it, giving everybody, We're all about that player's safety. We are, we are married. Are you over it? You know, I'm trying to sound like you're not. I don't know. We had an interesting discussion on cover four yesterday and it was kind of one that made me think a little bit. We did. Our big talk was is Philly a must win?
And of course, you know you think division they have to win all of that, But Manny's argument and He's kind of argued this for a while now, was that you let Philly kind of run away with the NFC East title, and he argued that Atlanta was really more of the must win because they could be a wild card. Yeah. I mean, so now that you didn't must win, it does the next one a must win? Yeah, it seems like it. I think they're all must win. I got my thought on that. But go ahead, Rob, Well, they're not.
They're not out of this division race. I mean they're they're two and oh in their division, right, So that's that's good shape. You play Philly twice in your three games behind them, so you gotta hope for them to slide a little bit and you gotta beat him twice. They're technically Eagles have now run away with this thing. Now obviously it's an uphill task and this team is
banged up right now. Philly's got some injuries too, But yeah, I mean the wild card part of it hurts Tay because now you have head to head losses against two teams that are right in the hunt with you, and that's Atlanta in Green Bay. Yeah, so you know you've got to look around the rest of their first place schedule by the way, Mickey had just won row for two.
But you know it doesn't matter. But if they had the second or third place schedule and they had to play the Saints, Minnesota would be another one they got able to play. Had any arguments on that one, green Bay or Minnesota, I would other play green Bay in the Atlanta the Saints. You should have had a better chance against Atlanta, right, should have you had your guys
on the field. It was interesting. I think either the NFL or Bleachport one of those shared a graphic the other day is that all of the teams that are currently leading NFC divisions were either at the bottom two or like the bottom of their division last season. Wow. It just shows you the parody in this league. And
I mean Atlanta is threatening. If they don't make the playoffs, that'd be two years in a row the NFC champion doesn't make the playoffs the next year, which is just kind of crazy when you think about Rosster turnover and all that stuff. Can I go back to my must win? Yes, yes, please? Because you only play sixteen of these they're all must win.
I know it's not it's not aggressive last night, Yeah, it's not like Major League Baseball or NBA or hockey, where you have a number of games where you look at the Dodgers. You know, the Dodgers went out through and had a terrible month, had a great month when
they won twenty something in a row. But yeah, when you when you only play sixteen games, they're all must win and the problem is that it comes down to usually one game, you know in the division, or one game you know, you're trying to think, okay, can ten wins get you in the playoffs? You know? I mean the I think the NFC South and the NFC West is making that very difficult for you to have to think about that. Usually you can just kind of just dance on in there and say, hey, we're we got
hot at the right time and let's go. But that's why that Rams games, Ramley sticks with you. Yeah, Rams game, Rams Game, Atlanta game and Packer game all means something to me right now? They really really do so four out of their five losses, no, they're only have four losses. Three out of their four losses have all been NFC teams. They could have a great division record and not make the playoffs. If you want to be yeah about it. Yeah, well, yeah,
you got the Eagles just run away with it right now. Yeah, I mean in the league, see, they've got they A lot of this has to do with when you play teams. You know they've got They've still got to go to Seattle. I mean, after Dallas, they got to believe they've got Chicago, then Seattle. Then they've got the Rams and then Giants and US again, I think is how it kind of goes. But yeah, it's it's uh, you know, that's what you do when you win the games you're supposed to win.
I mean, they've done a great job. They've beaten Washington twice. The only loss they've had is to Kansas City. We all kind of understand what Kansas City is, you know. So that their wins have been against the same teams as Dallas have. They've beaten the Giants, they've beatn Arizona. Yeah, they won. They won games that the Cowboys have won as well. There's always team there's always a team that rises up that you don't expect, and I think New
Orleans is probably the biggest one. The fact that they're winning games is by the margin that they are and they think that they've won seventh straight they have. But yeah, I mean you're scoreboard watching now, and and last weekend hurt because Atlanta, Carolina, Detroit, Green Bay all win, yeah, and you lose, and and a couple are head to head that you've already lost too, So it's uh, they've
got an uphill battle, no doubt about it. There's only two teams in the NFC that aren't in the first place that have a better record than the Cowboys, the Titans NC. It's Carolina, Carolina and Minnesota and Minnesota. No Minnesota play Detroit or Seattle six and three, yeah, Settle, Yeah, yeah, so they won I think Carolina and they went on Thursday in Seattles. I mean, that's it. And one of them's only one game better, So just take care of
your business. The Eagles still have Eagles, easy to say. Eagles still have Oakland as well. Yeah. It took play check with me after Thanksgiving. That's what Bill always says. Right.
Let me ask you this though, Mickey, these three games we kind of talked about that you would like to win two of the three, two of the three, So that puts you in a position of seven and five, seven to five, yeah, and I think it's easy for you to say must win brand because there are only sixteen and maybe better phrasing of it would have been like, is this a game that if they lose, they'll be out of it? You know what I'm saying. You got
a hard time winning the division when you're four games back. Yeah, you've already lost a Philly once. Yeah, I mean that from a division standpoint, this year feels like a must win game. You're gonna have a hard time anyway, since no one's repeated since two thousand and what three? Yeah? Is that right? That's true? Philadelphia? Yeah, Philadelphia one from two thousand to through two thousand and three, right, right,
that's crazy, that's parody. No one's known is repeated. No, it just shows you it's year to year, it really is. One year does not beget the next year. Well, and that's why it's almost unfair that they do the first place schedule thing. And I get it. It's easy to schedule it out and if you had such a great team the year before, you should be able to play these same teams kind of in that New England. Yeah, and so you know, but when Mickey's bringing up is
a good point. Now you have such drastic free agencies, such huge drafts. You're a different team. Yeah, but but I think if you're a fan of other teams, it sells, it really gives you hope. Well, yeah, the league is yeah, yeah, the league is. Yeah. I don't, I don't and I
don't particularly have hope for my Dallas Mavericks. Right now, you tip off the NBA season and there's two teams that have a chance to win it, like legitimately maybe three, Like yeah, I mean, I guess hope springs eternal, and I wonder, you know, Philadelphia could have the very same thing happened to it that Dallas did last year. Yeah,
you have a heck of a run. Then all of a sudden, you get into divisional round the playoffs with the home field, and you go up against a team that is very capable of beating you, like the Saints or Minnesota one of those people. Well, and it's funny that you bring that up to because obviously a huge storyline that everyone's going to be looking at this week nationally is the Dak first Wentz talk. Yeah, you know a lot of people are talking about, oh, dak first Wentz.
The different places that they were taken at right, and I was thinking about it, and it's almost like the Philadelphia Eagles are having the Dallas Cowboys twenty and sixteen schedule or not schedule, but season the way it's going right now, way it's going right now, right. You know,
they've had some different injuries. Cowboys had injuries too. They were not injury free last year, sure, and so looking at that is kind of funny to see because I was going to look up there twenty and sixteen where they wore Okay, so they had seven or not three and our right, and then lost. Yeah, they lost their
tackle got suspended for like ten games. But then they're three and two after Week six, five and two, after Week seven, five and three, after Week eight, five and four, week nine, Yeah, and then they beat the Falcons in Week ten. Yeah they did in a close game. Yeah. You know, you look at Wins's stats too, and he and Dak are very similar this year. But Wins is having a kind of a Dack like season from last year,
where he's the efficiency is sky high. I mean, no very few turnovers, ball's going down the field, making a lot of plays. Yeah, they got he's got some weapons on the outside. They went out, and they've kind of solidified the running game a little bit. A little bit like watching the Cowboys play, they do more of their ball goes sideways more when they run the football. It's more of a read option attack, and you rarely really see him pull the ball where you see him where
he gives people problems. He's really accurate. He's a very accurate throwing quarterback. I mean, at least this year he's been you know the games I was watching, He's hit some really good touch passes, but he escapes trouble. There's people that have a chance to begin him on the ground and they don't do it, and he buys a second chance with his feet. He's a big guy, he's got some athletic ability. So yeah, I mean, if you have a chance to get him on the ground, you
better do that. Few teams haven't. Do you think they ever think about that, like a just little edge, like I just want to be better than this guy. No, you don't think so the want to be good. I don't think you. I mean, I don't think you sit there and contemplate that during the week, like you go home and go, oh, I'm going to be better than him. I think it's just kind of something funny to think about what Prescott in Wins is saying, Yeah, you try
and think you want to be better. Well, you want to be better, but I don't think you would be labor the point. No, you know what, I think the Cowboys really respected Wins. They had him up on the top of the draft boarder near the top of the draft board. They coached him in the Senior Bowl game, learned a lot about him. They had the fourth pick of that draft, too. Yeah, they could have moved up
if they were really interested in getting him. I was more so thinking of, like, you know, there was such a storyline of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for so many years about who was the better quarterback, and you know, different things like that that people loved to compare the two and know you ever wondered they did different things where it was like Peyton would be like, I'm the better one. Oh yeah, very similar to kind of like
the Dez Norman type rivalry. Yeah, another basketball comparison. I'm not comparing them to these two guys, but Magic and Bird used to They admitted they would open the paper in the eighties and see what the other did in the box score, and Bird said when it was time to go, he knew it was time to go. When he stopped checking. He didn't care what Magic was doing anymore. But see, they played against the I know, I know different.
It's more fun probably for the media and fans because I mean, like Tay said, there's that Cowboys Wentz connection that went back to the Senior Bowl, like they coached him, you know, and then they had that high pick and they wound up, you know, going with the running back. Wentz is already taken, but they didn't know Tony Romo would get hurt. They didn't tire exactly, no, but there is that, there is that storyline that goes back and
Dak obviously has been fantastic. Well they made the Cowboys made the determination though they were going to try and help Tony. We've talked about that. That's whether you drafted Ezekiel Olliett. You know that was going to be your difference maker right there. You know, he it was, you know him Ramsey. I mean, they were, they were, they were, but you know, they said, hey, we need the runner. They were they were trying to prolong Tony's career with
a legitimate running back. Well, the best season he had I think, correct me if I'm wrong. Twenty fourteen, DeMarco Murray had that fantastic season and it just took so much pressure off Tony and then DeMarco got hurt and he had an incredible December if I remember correctly as well as you know. I mean, everybody was always getting on Romo about his poor Decembers, but that one, they don't think they lost a game. He was his touchdown
the interception ratio was was big. Yeah. I mean he was pretty good in two thousand and seven and two yeah, and two thousand and nine, yeah, well it was up there. It was pretty good. I think I think he might have been his best quarterback rating of his career in twenty fourteen. Anyway, you see what a running game does for any quarterback. Yeah. Absolutely. So it's always fun to talk about these different things. Mickey loves it. He's the one who wanted me to bring all of this up today.
He's just very excited by it, aren't you, Mick. We better be excited about who's going to be able to play and who's not going to be able to play. On Sunday. I think more than anything else. Well, why don't you that's a great segue, Mick, Why don't you give us a full update on what Jerry Jones and
Coach Garrett said yesterday afternoon. I don't know that they said anything that was totally revealing, but I think when Jason says of somebody it might be some time in reference to Sean Lee, let's say three games, then I think it'll be some time. He's going to have a hard time making it back for this game. And if he doesn't get back in time for this game, Thanksgivings probably out too, So then you gotta see. It's a
weird injury. Jason explained to us how it happened, and it's almost like you get pushed from behind and you stretch your hamstring out. I've never even heard of that before. Remember what happened, Yeah, Remember what happened with Switzer at camp when he got yea Yeah, same thing. Yeah. He's also dealing with a bilateral quad problem too. There's a lot of things going on with Sean Lee. You really
don't He's got things, brus that people don't understand. He's got he's he's playing through he was playing through some things right there. But yeah, Mickey's right, though, I think there's a better chance for Tyrann Smith, who matter of fact, he was out there. Yeah when when you Yeah, that's a great thing about working here. You can just kind of walk by the windows and somebody's out there working on the field, and you know they're trying. I mean,
Britt Brown's out there. They're trying to get him ready to play. They understand the magnitude of the game and what's going on right now. It's just we all saw it. But with Lee, I don't expect him to play the next three weeks. I mean the schum Yeah, three games in twelve days. You can't ask him to do that. You really can't. I mean probably even if he could. Don't want him playing the next two Yeah, yeah, it's a bad schedule. Think about the first time he heard
his hamstring like. They didn't rush it. They said, hey, we got this bye week at a bye weekend, let's give him Green Bay And so yeah, I mean, oh yeah, because you know, when you say three games, that sounds like a long time, but in this situation that you're right, Rob three games twelve days very appealing to someone who needs that time to rest, and it affects Hire and too.
I think you know. Jerry reiterated that this morning on the fan, better chance for him to play this week, But then can he turn around on three days rest and play on Thanksgiving? Well, it depends on what happens in the games. On what happens in the game. Jason yesterday said, you got to look at it individually and say, can he play Sunday and then when we get to Thanksgiving? We need to Thanksgiving. But obviously they need him in this game. And then Jeff Heath in concussion protocol and
I was reminded that he had a concussion in training camp. Yeah, so this is two within what four months? Four months? Same thing's going on with Freeman right now in Atlanta. Yeah, he's had multiple three Yeah, yeah, he added in training camp. Remember you missed some time, Okay, I don't remember at what point, but he did, so that complicates this one. Training camp feels like a long time. Now. Dan Bailey starting to kick a little, I understand, I don't know
if he's kicking enough. And then we have to consider what Jerry said initially about well can he get back sooner than people thought? And just kick field goals and not kick off because the kickoff kind of torks your leg more severely. So that's another one to keep an eye on. The one do we know for sure is Zeke's not going to be here, Thank you. It's a good wrap up. And by the way, Swain was out there working too today. Sounds like he may be able
to practice tomorrow. Jason, we founded hopeful. Yeah, more so than the other two guys who they he basically ruled out of practicing on Wednesday. So yeah, the Tyrone one I think you got to hope for. I think the Sean you better start figuring out how you're going to play without him, Yeah, which they haven't figured out yet. Nope, you know who I kind of feel, And this is way early. We're sitting here on Tuesday. I feel like Shanley and Cheeto will switch places on the inactives list
this week. Yeah, oh you think probably so probably? So are you trying to rub it into him that he that he missed on Cheetah last week? No, we got pizza tomorrow. Technically I missed too, So I need to help you on that. Nah, Okay, we're good. No, I just know that they need to figure out something to I mean, like I say, Jason said, he's not in the business of trying to develop guys right now. He's trying to win football games. So let's see where Cheetoh fits.
And he might and they might need him, I mean, because Anthon Brown hasn't been Anthony Brown hasn't been great. And you know, and there was some even before we got to this point Anthony Brown, they were they were doing some things rep wise in practice with Jordan Lewis to kind of give him more work, you know, or equal amount of work with with Anthy Brown. Well, and I know, Mick, you know, you have fun saying you think, but there could have been there is going to be discussion.
Last week, two linebackers were on the inactive list. Of course, you had Marsha Lillard and Justin Durant on that list. You got to look at that now with Lee out, Yeah, no, yah, that's that's you know. Do you do you go with you feel more comfortable going with Durant the experience but maybe not the athletic ability, or do you feel like, well maybe and I know you don't know, march Lillard. I think this is really probably an unfair question. But which if you had the better athlete, would you go
with the better athlete? Now that or the experience? Mickey, My understanding is it's gonna be Hitchens probably at the week spot. Okay, So then they have to figure out out who's gonna play who's gonna play Mike? Then, So now that gives you the question, do you do you go with? You continue to go with Jalen Smith there? Well, but they can't not not for saying, I'm saying somebody else Durant. Can Lillard play? Yeah, that I'm saying, I think you could try try March Lillard? Yeah, why not
at Mark? He's played Mike linebacker before. But he's I think he's a better will. But you know, you're you're in a You're in a situation where you really don't have a lot of options. You touched on this yesterday. Lillard better runner at this point, movement, younger guy, right, fresher legs than duran He's a veteran. He's played twenty nine games though in the NFL, so may sit on the outside all the time. Been on the outside of majority of preseason. He played in the inside a little bit. Yeah,
play twenty nine career games. Yeah, well that makes you feel a little bit better because I would say, you know, Jalen, there's that experience factor too when he's had to step in, So it does. Durant helps stabilize things. They're just for
recognition experience standpoint. So I think it'll come down to who can play that middle linebacker spot on the nickel, because that's where I think Jalen gets in trouble because you gotta cover, you gotta cover, you gotta move you still, and you got one less linebacker to stop the run. But he's good on the blitz stuff to hear. Yeah, if you're gonna blitz him, right, but then you gotta have guys in coverage, right, you know, and then you
got the factor if Heath isn't there. You asked about a Woozier, Well then Heath and Woozier just changed spots, right. So yeah, I think we'll see more of a a playing safety. We did in the Green Bay game before he got hurt. That's where he got hurt. He was playing.
Oh they were playing woods quite a bit. Yeah before before Cavon Frasier right way, Yeah, you could get funky and just have hitchens as you're only I would I would consider that and have two guys in the slot depending on how the Eagles play it, yea, and how you're handling the run. You got to figure out how to stop Ertz yeah, za, because they couldn't stop Hooper. Yeah. So yeah, they've got you. Now, maybe this is where
you maybe it's where you go with Jones. And you know what they've done with Woods is they played him in the slot. You know, That's kind of what they've done with him, So you know they well he had to in that game when Skendrick went out. That's right, he was the slot slot player, right, Okay, all right, well let's take our first break here in the SWBC Mortgage Studio. When we come back, we will have much
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with that. Yeah, it throws us off a little bit. Behave. It's a great product. Everybody buys some Tommy John. Uh yeah, everyone while everyone buys Tommy John. So question I have for you guys. This is a broad question, so feel free to discuss how you see fit. Who has been more inconsistent this season, the defense or the offense, Taco depends who's available to play. Does that depend on your depth at those positions? How much does expectation factor in
to that question, because this is a good one. Probably a lot. You know, a lot of people don't expect the defense to be as solid as the offense. So you know, you look at a performance like Sunday and you're like, come on, this is one of the best offenses in the league. Because of expectations, I might lean towards I would lean towards the offense because it took them a little while to get going with the running game. It was the week before the buy where they really
got their running game on track. They felt like, and now they're without Zeke and they're having to kind of reinvent themselves a little bit. Yeah, and without Dan Bailey and without Tyrn Smith that too. Injuries obviously a huge factor. And what happened the other day. I'm thinking about this
one because it's a good question. I think my expectations of the defense were far less because of the young players, you know, the guys in the secondary having to play, didn't really wasn't really sure where the pass rush was going to come from. But they've seemed to have kind of found that Mickey's right, Sean Lee and without in the lineup is bad for your running game or your
run defense for everything. Yeah, is that the biggest loss? Yeah? Yeah, I mean, even though what we saw you could have sustained. I think you could have sustained the offense. Yeah, yeah, but you didn't see that's yeah, well yeah, I think missing Zeke. But then again, but Mickey, I think you're onto something with this Sean Lee thing because the defense clearly Tay does not do what they need to do
without Sean Lee in the lineup. It's given me another game without Zeke, and and give me somebody to play left tackle, left guard, tight end. It just blocked the way you're supposed to block. Then I'll answer your question. Yeah, only then do they have somebody do that? Well, they didn't have anybody to do it on on defense for Shawn Lee. Pretty simple one guy, right, Yeah, it's a it's it's staggering the difference when he's not in the game, you know. And yeah, I just think it's it's a
huge It's just interesting. It's who what position they more in trouble at linebacker or tackle when they lose a guy like that. See, I think the biggest thing, and Brian brought it up. Without Zeke on the field, you lose the fear factor. Right. They can run the ball, they'll still cobble it together, but no one is a ski, No one's scared of the run, right, you know they're gonna play a wide nine when Zeke on the field. Yeah, come on, big boy, come on, big I'm coming right
through that big hole. Right. But they weren't worried about that, right, No, they were not. See, I just it's not funny. It's not funny. No, I just don't. I mean, and it'd be both. I don't know. I don't know if you can say one's more important than the other. Honestly, they're both all pros for a reason. Well, the important thing is what are you going to do at both of those positions? It is important if those guys aren't playing. You've lost more games without Sean Lee in there than
you have. Yeah, Sharon Smith only played one without tire. But but no, I'm just talking about previous years. Previous years, you know. And somebody said, well they played well in twenty fourteen, It's like, yeah, well row Row was out there. Yeah, what was his name, Mick? You know then that I am asked McLean? Yeah him too. Yeah. Well. See, the funny thing is is a lot of people are questioning
the depth on this team. And I think maybe you said it yesterday, Mickey, you shouldn't worry about the depth so much because you hope that these guys should be able to be out there. Very few teams have depth, very few, I mean, look around the league. We answered the mail back question this morning, and I'm with Mickey on this. I don't know how you replace all how do you place all pro players well? And then to the frustrating things, and you brought up another expectations people expected.
I'm speaking for myself too. I expected Chad's Green to have a solid performance, not a Tyren Smith, but he's a third round pick, and the expectation is injury pronet expectations where he's played better. You know, I know the coaching staff didn't feel like he was gonna go out there and give up six sacks or four Samy sacks ever he gave up or yeah, I've or f four. You want to bet I got thirteen snakes over here? Are you okay? I am good? He's a betting man.
These corrected somebody on Twitter today. I saw that it was four. Is that because one of the was running out of the pocket and he oh and and he didn't rush, he didn't block him. Chazz blocked his guy right and that guy was it was a zone blitz and he backed off. Clayborne didn't rush. No one blocked hikay, well fours a lot still, Well, no, it is anyway,
I'm just saying four anyway. Nobody expected that to happen. Really, I mean, that was one of those Okay, you feel like though you can handle things up front, a week of practice, getting involved in the scheme, all that stuff, you feel like you can you can get that done. But the coaching staff thought that for three quarters. Sure, they kept thinking, Okay, he's everything's gonna fine. We've seen him play down there were some plays that he blocked. Okay, right,
he was fine. Right, you're down by three at half, and they still kind of felt like, all right, maybe he can settle in here. And it just it didn't happen. But yeah, I mean, having this question Tyron or Lee nothing against Tyran, but I think prior to this last game, I think you'd feel like Shawn Lee is probably the least question. I mean, as a poll, like eighty percent of the people, or sent of the fans or the folks voting, thought that that Smith was the most important thing.
When you know, you look at defensively, when Sean Lee went out. What happened? They it wasn't as good. I mean, it's depth is a is a great thing to talk about, but how good is your depths depth? A kicker good enough? No, it's not never going it's not you have a Pro Bowl kicker and it's not good enough with Mike NuGen. Yeah, we went through this with quarterback just a couple of years. Like how many backup quarterbacks can you name in the NFL?
Like there's you can't that many. And so you can talk all about, hey, we invested in this guy, but if you lose your starter, you're probably in big trouble. So rude to Mark Sanchez, Brandon Weeden, Matt Castle, No offense to those guys, but they're not Romo and they're not Dak or else they'd be starting somewhere. Yeah. Absolutely, it's a good question. Can you have both of them? Sean? I don't think. At the same time, I don't know what. Yeah,
So do you make a switch at left tackle? Do you let those guys compete and see how they play in practice or you just make a decision. Coaches coach real quick though. If if they do decide to make that switch, Mick you think it would probably be this week since they're about to go into a short week next week. Is that more of their thought. I don't. I don't think that enters into it. It's like who
can do the job? Well. I was just saying, if you don't have as many days for practice and say they have to do more walkthroughs than practices and not this week the Charger That's what I was saying. The Charger game is going to be one practice, and I don't think it's really gonna be a practice, to be honest with you. It's probably a couple of walkthroughs and then well, it's not like Chaz is a grizzled veteran, no,
because he's been practicing so much. Right, here's the problem, Like he has been practicing on Wednesdays though, yes, you're right, you know. I mean that that's he has been splitting reps on Wednesday. So they had to see something. That's my that's my question. Can you judge off this week of practice and say it Chaz is okay because you thought he had a good week of practice last week? Yeah,
or do you go with the more experienced guys. Let me ask this guy about Belle did were we I think Mickey on some of these shows, maybe Rob as well. We were kind of critical of of Jonathan Cooper, you know in some of those early games that he played in, and they stuck with him, stuck with him, stuck with him, and he wasn't real good on Sunday. Oh he really wasn't.
He really wasn't. But that's what I'm saying, though, Well they just go ahead and say it's better just to bite the bullet and go with Chaz Green and try and help him and hope that, you know, hope that Vinny Curry doesn't have a field day or whoever else they put over on that side, Brandon Graham, you know, Coach Pollock said after the game, we don't want to lose him, and he's talking about his confidence level. But Cooper's struggles in the early season, they weren't. I mean,
this was disaster last week. No, it's it's like it was disaster missing a thirty eight yard field goal. It was disaster or not, you know, it was obviously yeah, absolutely, it wasn't just chatz. But yeah, can you build back up his confidence in a week and he's really I think him standing up there and taking all the questions was the right thing to do for him. Yeah, but yeah, he you know, it's just technique going to approve. Yeah, there was like Mickey's right, there were some times where
we actually blocked the guy. This technique wasn't I mean there the problem was he when he broke down, it was just so bad. I mean, you know with with Lale Collins, you have one or two bad play law Collins has a breakdown. Didn't have another one. But then we'll get back on track. This's just like snowballed out of Yeah. This was just you couldn't do anything right. You couldn't do anything. And the worst part was is the guy wasn't gonna come inside. He's gonna rush to
the oub. Everything was gonna go. Well, just keep pushing him wide, just go run, don't sit there and do your kick thing. I'd have just gone run sideways. I mean, this is all mood of tyrant can go. Yeah. But um, it didn't sound like yeah but you better have you better have a swing you ready to go right? Ready, might have to have two ready. Yeah, it didn't sound like Jason was looking at moving two spots. You're like moving in a lyle or a Zach out there, somebody's
got to take their place. Yeah, who would you feel better out? Then? Then? If if you if you don't feel good about either one of the backup tackles, but then you screwed up putting your roster together. Fair point, that's a fair point. I just don't believe in moving moving two things to fix one. No, I mean, and hey, but you know he's right. I've sat there, I've been in that. You look at your team and you go, where do we miss this? Then we we do? We do we think that you know, maybe maybe Smith was
going to be better than he is. Well no, but yeah, but let me see this. Did you mess up as a coaching staff too? By giving Chaz Green reps at guard the majority of training camp instead of just letting him be the swing ta tackle from the beginning because they wanted him to win that spot. Yeah, they saw Byron Bell they said, oh now we don't have a swing tackle, right, And you could try to get greedy and say, okay, I'm gonna keep him in reserve just in case and Jonathan Cooper have at it. It's it.
They better have a better plan protecting them. And who's ever out. Even if Byron Bell's out there, you still got to give them some help, right, you know, and they helped several times. Yeah, probably not enough. But then again, tell me this, if you if you constantly put two guys over there, or have your running back chipping over there, what happens when they blitz? Who's picking up the blitz? That's fair, you know, it's not. It's not as easy
as Okay, I'm gonna put two guys. No, No, you're right, You're right, Jason, They're gonna put a linebacker behind them. Yeah. Jason also spoke to it's about its confidence level too, like try to build him up a little bit and say let him okay, we have confidences you can handle this guy and not just have to have some you know, oh no training. Yeah, I mean, I'm the shame of it was. The guy was a one trick pony. He did the same move every time. Beat never beat him.
To the insight. It was around the outside. He made contact with him and went around slap slap. The hands got him off balance. It was to the corner. So what would you do this week? If Tyring couldn't can't go Hypothetically, I'd give him one more chance, and I'd make sure that but if it happens again, I'm pulling the plug early quicker hook. Yeah. But what's happening though, too,
is then four days later you got another game. Yeah, I know, you know, And now now it's like, okay, you've you've exhausted that, you've you've lost Chaz Green, and then it's Byron Bell the rest of the way or until you know, for at least for the Chargers game, and the Chargers the Chargers have better rushers on the outside than what the Eagles have, and and I respect what the Eagles have, but you better figure it out quick because the next two games, you know, are going
to be very difficult for your tackles to have to deal with. And it might be that you have to rest tying for one more week here against the Eagles and just say, okay, he's going in, he's going to uh, you know, against the charge he's gonna go against the Chargers, and then he's gonna turn on and go against the Redskins. That's what you might have to do that and that should figure into their thinking if he's not totally ready
to go, right, do you you know? Do you you don't want to have another situation where you get it out there like Sean Lee. How long Sean Lee go for? How many games did we have him back for? He played? Yeah, he's play. He got hurt in the fourth fourth game, so yeah, but it wasn't well, I guess it was kind of the same thing. It didn't happen the same thing. No, we got pushed in the back and it kind of jolted him a little bit. Yeah, that's what happens guy
when completely healthy. Let me ask you this real quick, do you want to go to break? No? No, you had a quick Sean Lee question. Do you think when he does get back, do you think maybe you could reduce his snaps a little bit? I know you need him all the time, but you don't play defense without him, which is I know, but like when he comes I know, I off two hamstring injuries. Can you play him sixty
snaps a game? My uh mo Claiborn bubble rap theory? Well, yeah, I mean better, better does keep him until week nine? Better forty five snaps than none. The problem is you'd love to be able to do that. But what happened, what happened in the play. The only played the Kansas City play series, The Kansas City The Hill Mary. He's off the field and they score, you know, so, I mean, yeah, every time you think about taking him off the field,
you run a risk of giving up points. And the fact that you don't have any really simbilance of a running game, a consistent running game. How do you control the clock? How do you control you know? I mean they're looking for solutions. No, no, you are. Oh no, it's not a bad idea. It's not a bad idea. Okay, take him off the field, and it's not a matter of if you replace him with Hitchens, then who you
place in Hitchens with. That's I'm saying, if you had somebody, if you had somebody that could step into Mike linebacker, let Hitchens play will during a game and you felt really great about it. Well, maybe maybe that's maybe that's Smith, maybe maybe reduced Smith. Maybe the guy that doesn't come off the field is Anthony Hitchins because he plays two spots. He's been playing great too. I think they don't have a true backup middle linebacker. That's that's that's healthy, that's fair.
And they made the decision that Jalen was going to be that guy they did. I guess they thought Durant could do with something. But he's not a middle linebacker. He retired. He retired, so he was your He was your security blanket in case something happened. And like I said, it might be this week of who do you like better? A veteran that's kind of you know, playing the back nine right now or march Lillard who you said, Hey, you know what you're We're good enough, You're good enough
to go. We like you as a special teams guy, and we like you a little bit as a defensive player. So with all that being said, maybe that's what they need to do. You know what that guy reminds me of every time I say him, and I can't think of his name. The linebacker they had, the kind of stocky short linebacker they had from Florida. He looks like him and he runs like him. He think of them under He was an undersized basically from my era. No, no, no,
within the last five, five or six years. A couple of minutes to think about it. Yeah, we'll give you a few minutes in our last break here in the SWBC Mortgage Studio. Stay tuned to everything when we come right back. Cowboys fans know that the second best of anything simply won't cut it, and your skincare should be
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you'll travel like a pro. Visit Cowboys Travel dot com to book your travel package. Today, I hear all this talk about what it takes to be a cowboy. Everyone's got their ideas, but I just say to myself, it's what's up top that matters. Sure, you need men with the muscle and heart to get her done. But if your scouts and coaches are listening out there a word of advice. Pick the man with the most well worn stetson. That's the one most cut out to be a cowboy.
Stetson hats are handmade right here in Texas and a bet on Cowboys heads for over one hundred fifty years. The rest of you can visit stetson dot com slash cowboy to find a retailer nearest you. What does it mean to be a Dallas Cowboy fan. It means you've got the passion in the heart to do your part supporting the Boys no matter what. That's why when the game's on the line, you're on your feet, whether you're at home or in the stands. Actually, you're more than
a fan. You are a member of Cowboys Nation, and so is AT and T doing their part to keep you connected to America's team all season. Law AT and T is a proud member of Cowboys Nation. This is talking cowboys. And if we're talking cowboys, we're talking Papa John's pizza, which we might be enjoying tomorrow because them ingredients are gonna come in. They're gonna be freshole, never
frozen pepperoni and hopefully some sausage on there. Ye, one hundred percent pork in beef and with ingredients like that, and it's gonna be free. It's gonna be some great Papa John's pizza. So, Mick, you know, we are at a good time here eleven thirty am Central Time. I think I think it would make sense if we just kind of while we're on the show. Oh no, it's gonna be here. Yeah, we can get some paper plates and sure, and munch away in the break. Yeah. It's
kind of like a lunch meeting kind of. Yeah. Yeah, we did a lot of those talk about cowboys football. Cowboy Is that like? How I imagine thank you sitting around talking the good old cowboys. Turn this thing around. We got a lot of problems. We're gonna try and sell very say anything this morning that cut your eye? Um, hey dad, relative to football or outside of football, probably outside of football. You go ahead on that. Huh, go ahead.
I thought he's pretty funny. They asked him about supposedly if the owners wanted to, they can force him to sell the team. Laughable, said it was laughable. Yeah, I told I said. When it came up, I said, heck he'll He'll go ahead, force him to sell, then he'll just buy the league. Thank you. Kent thought that was real. That was scary. It's like, what do they people find loopholes and then somebody has to point it out to somebody, right, you know, you know it's interesting though. In the NBA
they got ribbon owner who was that? Donald Sterling? Oh? That was yeah, that was a little different. Was it a little different? Different? And refused to play if he was the owner. That's exactly right, Kent. They were gonna walk There was some story that they were gonna walk off the court before the ball was tipped. Wow, that was two That was what twenty and twelve? What year was that? Something like that? A while ago? Yeah, but that was twenty and twelve. It is a while ago,
da five years, six years ago? That still. Let me ask you this, just did the de Bartlow family take the team away from their brother? Did she your that was that was a family feud there, Yeah, right, but he got I think that I think that he got himself in trouble. I think Benson's in the same boat down there in New New Orleans a little bit with the daughter. Yeah. But remember he got he got the barbelow, got booked up in Edwin Edwards, the governor of Louisiana
some horse track stuff. Yeah, it was horse track stuff. Yeah, And so it was like they almost kind of forced him. I don't know that Jerry's done anything wrong. I didn't say I don't agree with a fifty million dollars base salary and a use of a private plane for the rest of your life and health insurance for your entire family for the rest of their lives. Yeah, that's pretty
good if you can get it. No, that's where that's where, Like I said, I think that, you know, his thought process is absolutely right, though if you think about you know, and I don't know what every CEO and guy makes you know, I'm sure there's I mean, we see sometimes when these CEOs get replaced at these huge corporations that all of a sudden, it's like they get this, the twenty five million dollars to walk away and this and that and the other in stock and this and that.
But you know, I think he has a point considering when you look at what the other commissioners around the professional sports are paid, you don't have the issues. You know, maybe they don't have the television package everything in the NBA, but Adam Silver seems to do a pretty good job
with what they're got going on in the NBA. I thought Jerry said sen million dollars a year very rationally on the fan this morning, that he pointed out that Roger Goodell is like sixty five, he's two thirds of the way through his current contracts and given the some of the issues they're dealing with in the league, there's plenty of time to work those out and there's not this immediate need for new contract talk. That's basically what Jerry said, and I thought he said it in a
very rational way. Eighteen months he said, I got eighteen months left on his contract. Yep, eighty months. All right, Rob your Twitter poll, okay, anticipating it, Well, we've been talking about these three home games. They are home games in twelve days coming up, so simple, what's the Cowboys record going to be in that stretch zero to three, he wins. You guys think they got Eagles, Chargers, Redskins
coming up. The answers are just zero one, two three, zero one and three, one and two, two and one or three and oh well, Brian Sarah, you know everything's must win. This team is just going to pull out the Jason Garrett. He has some Thanksgiving magic, you know, you know what? You know what? You guys, what did I say about the NFL yesterday? Yeah? What did I say about it? What I call She's a strange lady. He's a strange lady. The NFL. You should patent that.
I love. It's a strange lady. I like their chances this weekend. I really do. And I'm not trying to be Sunshine blowing up the rear guy, but I'm just telling you, though, when everything seems to be the darkest with this team, things are questionable and all kinds of stuff, they somehow pull things together, you know, And I do believe they have some pride. I do believe they got embarrassed last week in Atlanta, you know I do. Yeah,
I mean, I I you know what. Philadelphia has been riding a great streak right now, but this league has a way of balancing things out. Well, that was kind of my rationale. I picked the Falcons last week, and I felt like Atlanta was due offensively they did. Atlanta was probably the more desperate team, and I think I think that this. I think the Cowboys are desperate team.
I really really do. I believe in that. I believe in that that you know that you find a way to win games, that you find a way to pull things together when people don't think you can do it. Can they be consistent? But I just I don't know. I'm I'm gonna fall short of saying of fall short of saying three and oh, but I think two and one is clearly possible. They could lose to San Diego on a short week, or San Diego the rant the Chargers on a short week. I mean, the Chargers have
found ways to lose games. It's amazing how they lose games. You guys familiar with Brian Downing just play center field for the Angels, right catcher, Actually catch your left field, you catch your left field. Yeah. Actually he started off at third base with the White Sox and I think moved to different anyway. Brad Sham's quote from him when he was with the Rangers, and Brad likes to say it all the time. He said, Brian Downing would come
around and always remind Brad of this. He goes, just when you think you're in, you're out, and just when you think you're out, you're in. Yeah, and it's got a funny way of working out that way. Yeah, don't ever start assuming one way or another they find a way to get this victory this week. You got a shot at winning three, you really really do. I'll take two and one, Tay go three and note, Tay don't want to. I'm gonna go tu and one. Well, tune one and I don't know if the one. I think
you're right, Brad. I think this week they're gonna rally through. The one could be something like the Chargers, Well, the Redskins. He caught the Redskins when they were beat up pretty badly. Who are the people voting on this on Twitter? Yeah, so you're people, Mickey, the top you love? The top percentage is going to be oh and three. You're tired
of the Twitter fan of Marchia getting after him today? No, they said two and one, one and two thirty percent and then they are split on oh and three or three and oh both fifteen percent. I think fans probably look at this stretch and say, Eagle's gonna be tough with all these injuries. Redskins offense when they're healthy is potent, but we usually they play well on Thanksgiving. They should
at least get that one. But maybe that's today. So so say you go two and one, that's seven and five, right, then you got Oakland. Well you got the Giants, Giants, Giants, oak Oakland, Seattle and Philly. Yeah, if you want to make this very interesting, you better find a way to be seven and five at least. Yeah, you bet, because you're gonna have to go then win it. Oakland, you're gonna have The Seattle game could very well come down
to either getting hit or out on that one. And by the way, you get through with this three game stretch. And there is a chance, although a slim chance, that Zeke could be available against the Giants on December tenth, if he wins his appeal and they and they rule in time, that would be a huge, huge play for the Cowboys. I mean, it's it's people don't think it's likely all observers out there, but it's possible that he's only gonna miss the next three games. We'll see, Yeah,
can't can't count on it. I'd like to believe. I could say divisional opponent, backs against the Wall game, and you've got to figure out a way to win without Shawn Lee. That's gonna be the key. You've got to figure out a way to win a game without Sean Lee and that and very likely could be these next three games. You know, we're here, we're talking two and one and all that, but you've got to find a way.
You've got to have somebody step up, you know, and we talk about the depth, and I was like, you know, it's hard replace all pro players. All I know is they're five and one with him and oh and three without him. Yeah, so you gotta figure out a way to win one with him or where you get to our caller on the line, Mick. Some nice people tweeted in was it Ernie Ernie Simms? Yes, yes, thank you Simms. Didn't he go to Florida Gloria State? I thought he
was Florida State. Oklahoma State, I'm pretty sure. No, not Oklahoma State. I thought Florida State. Look up Ernie Simms I think he Well, I was in the right state, so you meant siminar one is in the Panhandle. Actually the state, actually they're both of them. He was born in Tallahouse. He would be a sin if actually they're both of the Panhandle. Think about it. Yeah, he had a gold Lurida state as well. Ernie Sims, Yeah right, he was here long? How long was he here for
a couple of years? That's two years now? Thirty two? Yeah? Where it wasn't that long ago? Where have you gone, Ernie Simms? The years he was here, he was strapped at the top with your top ten. Was the first round pit by the by the Lions team, he's with the old Falcon. He was with the Falcons. Kind of asked McLean like former top pick and bring him in. After that he was I think it was the ninth overall pick team I write about that. By the wife
was here from twenty twelve to twenty thirteen. Okay, so well it was it was after wad. Yeah, Hey, let's go os. Thank whoever sent that in. By the way, thank you guys. People you hate Mickey the fans? What is the question? Hey, what's going on? Guys? Hey? Um no,
I wanted. I was at the game, and really, you know, I was wondering when after the after halftime, when the Cowboys came out and they were running the ball, and it just brought me back to the Super Bowl when the Cowboys were playing the Bills here in Atlanta, and you know, they weren't doing really well, just like they did here. But then they came out and they ran the ball, and they ran the ball and we were moving the ball got all the way down to the
twelve yard line. I don't know why we stopped running the ball. We could have ran it on in board touched now would it say answer the game? And I actually thought that's what we were doing. But then you allow your weakness to kill you. Chad Green gives up aside. You can't do that, So that to me was coaching. I actually thought we were doing really well and you just gotta ride. I don't know what it is that people don't realize, but you gotta ride the running train.
It would have we would have won a game if we had to roll the running train. Seattle would have won the People Ball if they would have rolled the running train. You know, you gotta do that. But my question to you is you know, I had a couple of questions. First one is Anthony Brown starting because Woozier is injured and we don't really have anybody else because I know for a fact that he's probably given up of the passing touchdowns that Dallas has given up. I'm
sure he's trailing the path. I would bet money on that.
And my second question is coming up. I wish we would have really tried to throw a lot of money at trying to get an Evolve bowling I mean really overspent because it's no everybody knows that Shaun Lee is not going to make it through a whole season, and that's got to be our number one draft party is getting a leader, either a free safety like they have in Seattle that runs to defense, or a middle linebacker like a naval bowman that comes in like he does
in Oakland and took over and now he's the leader of that defense. We're gonna need somebody because Shaun Lee is not going to be able to play another full season. I mean he's getting that the tail end of his career. So I want to hug you guys think about that. Yeah, thank you, Horace than So and Hey, Horace. I love you. It's a great it's a great second guess. Yeah, first
and ten at the twelve. If they did run the ball the next time and they lost two yards, Yeah, and I finally got a chance to go back and look at the play. If if if rod Smith doesn't stumble coming out of the backfield, they've got a passed to the running back who's it was actually Morrise that stumble, because it was Morrise that came out of back Okay, Yeah, and he comes back inside to try and look at Bryant. It's what happened. Yeah, But he looked like he was
gonna go there. He stumble, and I gotta give up on here. He gave up. Yeah, he had he had about that five or six full yards and one on one with a linebacker. And then when he had to come back and he's looking inside Bryant. Yeah, it was too late. Like the thing about it was, though, I think, if you have Elliott, you might run it there twice. Yeah,
I agree. Had Elliot at the first and ten at the twelve, you get inside the six, you handed to Elliott again, you know, you get inside the one, you hand it to Elliott again, you know, or you or you got your read option with dak back. I mean, they're they're they're poison using that, the two of them. Yeah, so, I mean it was almost like they had planned that. Okay, here's our play when we get down close to the ten yard line. Yeah, and then the stumble kind of
threw someone threw up. It's funny now that everybody's kind of got on the Sean Lee can't stay healthy train again. Yeah. Yeah, I mean we got to lay all last year and I and I just missed the last game of the year, right because they held him out, held him out. But see, that's what I'm saying. It was a time there. Now with the move to will linebacker that he that he's his health had improved. Now everybody is like, and no offense horse. I appreciate you List, You're one of the
good guys out there. But everybody's now the narrative becomes, well, shun Lee can't stay healthy, Shaun Lee can't play. We need to do something better than shan Lee, you know. Yeah, and I and I you know, two to three years ago, I'm with you on that. But the fact that they moved him to will linebacker, he's been able to stay healthy, he's been able to play in games, all those things. I mean, I I don't know. I think the narrative is a little you know, it's it's like that low
hanging fruit stuff. You know. Here's the issue with that is, unless you make a big splash and free agency next year, he's gonna be the best player on your defense next year too. So you know, I don't think you go out and you spend a first round pick on his replacement. You still need him, You still need him on the field, and you still have to count on him being on the field for you. Sean Lee, we love you. Yeah, navorro Bowman two. By the way, you had no chance
in that one. Yeah, we talked about that at length. He wasn't coming here. We had a full show about the possibilities kids. I mean, you talk about overspin but he wasn't gonna It wasn't money, it was family. He went. He stayed in the Bay Area. Yeah, his kids. He bought a boat and went across the water. Yeah, so did as mclang. So Anthony Brown, Yeah, you gotta play. Yeah, if you go Nickel, all right, you gotta be out there and on the touchdown with the guy back of
the end zone. Xavier Woods didn't get any depths. Xavier Woods got caught like a deer in the headlights. Yes for sure. Yeah, well good, which I sat in my tweet. Watch the game, Watch the game all right, guys, same time, same play, same people. Join us tomorrow as we get back to more talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
