Talkin' Cowboys: Missed Opportunities

and Bill Jones. It is a forty degree morning here at the Star in Frisco, and I'm not sure what the temperature is outside the SWBC Mortgage studios, but it is a crisp morning inside these studios and things are going to be heated up as we get going over here today course of the next forty five minutes. And outside on the practice fields here at the Star, the all the equipment is out there for an outdoor practice in forty degree weather. Yes, it is forty degrees outside

here at the start. As the Cowboys get set to take on the Detroit Lions. Bill Jones with Mickey Spagnola and Rob Phillips, we take your phone calls at eight eight eight, five five two two nine seven as we turn our attention to the Lions. But Mickey, I don't think the Minnesota game goes away very quickly. No, when you lose games like that, and there's always you know, sometimes I think you're better off getting beat twenty eight to seven than twenty eight twenty four. I don't know

about that, but well, there's less contention. You just got your button whipped and that's it, right. But now when you lose close games to two pointers and a four pointer, you find this play that play and this reason and that reason for getting beat and not because you weren't good enough. The media likes it when there's contention, absolutely absolutely, you think so. I think so Sota's talk radio too, by, But you have a point, Mick. I mean, they've lost

four games this year. They've lost three by a total of eight points. And when you do that, it's always a player two here, player two there. And in this particular case, we're still talking about that last second to last drive. We're still talking about Tavon Austin's fair catch. And you know, you just hope that when you get to the end of the season, those aren't the things you look at and say, oh, if we'd done something different here, maybe we'd have a different result of our season.

So like last year when you probably won about three or four games by that margin of points, but it wasn't talked about because you won. And when they went seven and one last year, the last eight games, it was like, well, they blew everybody out. But the you know, the the honest part of it is they beat Atlanta by three points, they had a last late fourth quarter drive to beat Philadelphia the first time. They beat Philadelphia the second time in overtime. By the way, they had

a close call with Washington, if I remember correctly. But because you won, you beat everybody handedly. When you lose, and you lose close, then it becomes an issue. And Troy Aakman spoke to that on local radio this week as well. And you know, for what it's worth, Troy didn't seem too bothered by the play calling at the on that drive in question. But when you lose, you all, I mean, it's fair game. You can open it up and say we should have done this, maybe done this,

you know, and but you gotta live with it. So yeah, on to Detroit. But no one brings up the second to the last possession when they threw the ball. Should you bring it up? Brought it up? Mickey's banging that drum man, Well should should they have run at that possession? If it worked. Sure, yeah, right, same thing with the last possession and in what I yet, And I got a text from a friend this morning at how come they didn't challenge the past interference in the end zone?

And that's another one. Yeah, but I mean theoretically sure they could have and they would have lost the time out. I think the league has demonstrated that at the very high bar to get those overturned. Yeah, it's got to be. It's got to be Ram Saints yea. And as of last week, the rate of that of a past interference challenge being overturned it was ninety one percent against five out of fifty three past interference challenges the first nine

ten weeks of the season. This was again a status that was out there last week, only five out of fifty three times was it overturned, which is why and the going rate and around the league on coach challenges, they are usually successful of forty six percent of the time, So they might as well just get rid of the rule and then there would be no discussion about you

should have challenged it, because it's it's it's worthless. Basically, it didn't even cross my mind to challenge it because because of now Now, had the officials been overturning past interference challenges, then great, But it's they've they've proven and

in that stadium they've proven it too. They're not getting that call, and you need those timeouts at the end of the game, right, And that's and that ends up being the determining factor, not if I'm right to challenge this, but if they're not going to overturn it, then I just blew a time out and I'm behind, and I'm

going to need all three timeouts. Yep, sou And by the way, I was you're talking about close games, and so I was going back to the nineties and the Super Bowl teams of the nineties, and in hindsight, we think of, oh, they just rolled through. I think this a lot of times that oh, yeah, what great teams those were in ninety two, ninety three, and ninety five. They rolled through, and we forget the fact that there were a lot of close games during those Super Bowl seasons.

But it's your ability to win those close games that makes you a championship team, right, And you have to be good enough to exactly and sometimes you're not. Yeah you got And that's the bottom line. To give Minnesota credit for what they did, their game plan and their personnel. It was better on that day. They get off to a better start and they were able to withstand a run by Dallas. But I think Jason Garrett had a stat earlier in the season. You know, two thirds of

games or within one score in the fourth quarter. That's just the life in this league. You know, you're not going to have many games like you had first three weeks of the season, where you're just dominating and these things eventually even themselves out. You win a lot of close games last year. This year, well, you're gonna lose a few. You just kind of even which Yeah, which is it? Does it even out? Or does it matter that you're a good team and you win those games?

So is this team? Do you think this team is not better than last year's team? I thought it was coming in, but every year is different. I mean, the record says so at this point with Amari Cooper, the record says they are better against superior competition. They haven't shown it yet. They've been competitive against those teams, but they haven't shown it in the final score. But they still have opportunities to show it. Just like a lot this point last year, we were sitting here going all

right to top ten draft pick. You know, well this time last year they traded away that draft pick. Okay, there's your risk, and what happened. They basically almost ran the table the last half of the season. I think Todd Archer from ESPN had the stat of the final seven opponents. It's like a thirty two, twenty and one record. You know they're going to be tested down the stretch here, they know it. And they're in a four game stretch right now against four teams that have going into last weekend,

we're twenty three, ten and one. The one team that did not have a winning record out of those four the Detroit Lions, who are now after losing to the Bears without Matthew Stafford, three five and one on the season. But you want to talk about close games, look at what the Detroit Lions have done this season, and you talk about games that are within one score of going the other in the fourth quarter. Every single one of their games has been within one score at some point

in the fourth quarter. Seven Okay, they played nine games. Eight of the nine games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Yeah. Yeah. Against some pretty good teams too. I mean, you know, Philly's got a winning record. Kansas City with Mahomes, I believe Green Bay lost by a point, so yeah, but their defense has not been the same did okay against the Bears last week, but it hasn't

been the same the last month or so. But but it is against the Bears, and you want to if you want to tune into talking Bears the last month, they're talking about Mitchell Trubisky and so it's been a struggling Bears offense. Not the same as as the season he had last year exactly. But you're you're talking about the Lions. Tied Arizona first game of the year. They win by three against the Chargers, they win by three. Against the Eagles, they lose by four. They played a

very good game against Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes. They lost thirty four thirty and Matt Patricia kind of set the tone for a lot of teams the blueprint on how you defend Mahomes in that game. Even though Mahomes did they did get thirty four points in the game. But then at Green Bay they lost by one. Minnesota was the one game that they was not settled by one touchdown. It was forty two to thirty, and it was a five point lead with two minutes left in

that game. Minnesota at tacked on another touchdown. Giants they went by five. Oakland they lose by seven, Bears, they lose by seven. You think it's going to be a tight fit in Detroit on Sunday afternoon. Yeah, they all are. Yeah, absolutely. You know when you when you spoil everybody, when you beat the Eagles thirty seven to ten, it's like, okay, this is easy. You know, Well I forgot about that one.

That was the best game they played all year. Yeah, yeah, the most complete game, and you know, and that shows you what they can do if they are on point, don't make mistakes and don't have turnovers and you know, convert. You know, we sit here and keep talking about you know, third and six, the first two possessions they didn't convert. I think they ended up what sixty percent third down conversions in that game. Yeah, again, and so did the Vikings. Yeah,

so okay, let's go seventy percent or eighty. You know, if you're in the forties, you're doing really good on third down conversions. So they converted sixty percent, but it

didn't win. And that's the bottom line. When in the four losses, and I wrote about this yesterday, beyond third downs, beyond slow starts, offensively, it's been unable to cash in in the red zone, which is that was their problem last year more than anything, because they were able to move the ball with a Mari Cooper, but they didn't necessarily cash in even with a Mari down the stretch

as much as they'd like to. And if you look at those four losses, they're they're overall, they're much better this year than they were last year, but you know, you factor in their percentages up, I don't have them with me right now. It's towards the bottom of the league. In the four losses, they're one of two or they're one of three, including this last game where they had you know, didn't cash in twice in the fourth quarter and doesn't have that's a difference. And don't have Lenahan

to blame them anymore, you know. And but for much of the first part of the season, when they were playing against lesser opposition, the red zone percentage was amongst the tops in the league. And I'm looking it up right now that has drifted for the Cowboys offense. They're now seventeenth in the league in red zone percentage. Yeah, and a lot of the problem was inside the ten yard line goal to go situations. I mean, that's that's that's kind of been them, uh several times in these losses.

I need a new phone. My phone is charging right now. I'll I'll look it up from my column yesterday and read it after the first break. How about that. Okay, I've got the goal to goal and the red zone in these four Yeah, there you go, because that they were dead lasting goal to goal last year. And they've been better. They've been better, I think tied for thirteenth or something like that, but um, they haven't cashed in as well in these losses. All Right, we're just getting

started here on a Wednesday edition of Talking Cowboys. We take your phone calls and more when we come back. Slor is a proud sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, helping fans see more and do more with our best vision solutions. Our lens technologies reveal a world more beautiful than you can imagine. For a limited time, get the slur Next Gen Offer, where you buy the latest generation of transitions

lenses with select slor lenses. You can choose a second pair of clear lenses for free with qualifying frame purchases. Restrictions apply. Find a participating eyecare professional by visiting slur usa dot com. See more, do more ready helps? Hey? Yes? So are we get? Just okay? Is not okay? Whether it's cheerleaders or your wireless network. At and T is America's best wireless network. Best network based on GWS one score SIP number twenty nineteen. I want to use what

the pros use? How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black. Right now you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just ten bucks with free shipping. The starter includes four Jack Black skincare favorites, plus a full sized and tense therapy lip bomb. Go to get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys and use the code word team JB. That's get Jack Black dot com slash

Cowboys the Jack Black Starter, ten bucks, free shipping. Do you want the most interesting, up to the minute Dallas Cowboys news straight from the Star in Frisco. How about exclusive and on command. That's right news and nuggets you can't find anywhere else. With our exclusive Cowboys content on Alexa, you can have all the answers, secrets, stories and more. What's Stephen Jones thinking during a game? What's Joe Looney's

favorite pregame meal. We take your questions to Cowboys players and coaches and you can hear the answers directly back to you. Just say Alexa Open, Dallas Cowboys. I'm Jay Novachik, former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Back in the day. I was the guy who always got the tough yards and that's why I run with John Deer today. In fact, I have a John Deer three zero twenty five E tractor that can handle any yard work I need to do,

even the tough yards way out back. So if you have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the equipment that's just right for you. Visit a John Dear dealer today and run with us. We are the official

tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. To talk in Cowboys, join us at another official Dallas Cowboys a watch party presented by AT and T on Sunday, November twenty fourth, that's one week from Sunday, joy a festive game day atmosphere on Tostito's Championship Plaza at the Star as the Cowboys take on the New England Patriots at three twenty five. Kickoff that Sunday on the twenty fourth at Mission in Parking or free. Visit the Star in Frisco dot com

for details. Great place to watch a Cowboys game with other Cowboys fans, and there'll be a lot going on as well as Christmas at the Star kicks off that weekend as well. I might as well do that read as well as the Cowboys will host the third annual Christmas at the Star presented by Albertson's and Tom Thumb from November twenty second through December twenty first, So that

starts a week from Friday on the twenty second. It's at the Star in Frisco and enjoys and you can enjoy free, family friendly events throughout the holiday season, including the Christmas Spectacular presented by Albertson's and Tom Thumb and the opportunity to take a photo with Santa Claus. For more information, visit the Star in Frisco dot com. All right, Jason Garrett at a press conference before or you want

do you have your numbers there? Um, yeah, just real red zone this year overall fifty eight percent, that's seventeenth in the league. Goal to goal they're seventy one percent, that's tied for thirteenth. In the four losses that they have, they're down to forty one percent in the red zone and only sixty six percent and goal to goal if you if you put that out over an entire season,

that's twenty seventh and twentieth in the league. That's just not that's back kind of where they were last year, and that's that's a huge part of why they're you know, slow starts is definitely a problem, but you know it's throughout the game. They haven't quite cashed in like they need to. So so in the wins, I'm looking at the goal to ghost situation, they were seven of eight. In the losses, they're three of six. That can spell

the difference between winning and losing a game. And when you lose three of them by eight points, right yep. And then on inside the twenty when they've won, they've been thirteen of nineteen. When they've lost, they've been five of twelve, So makes a difference. It does all right before we get into ye maybe maybe they don't know how to call plays once they cut it get inside there. Sometimes they do. It's only when they win they know how to call the plays, and when they lose, they

don't know how to call the place inside. Okay, in goal togo situations, Let's go to Austin in Phoenix. You're first up. I'm talking Cowboys. Hello Austin, Hey, what's going on? Guys? So much is going on. I have to go to Austin to get to Phoenix, you know what I'm actually, you have to go to Phoenix to get to Austin because Austin in Phoenix. Boy, I was coming today because I feel like in some ways, you guys are kind

of misrepresenting why fans are trustrated with this season. And I consider myself to be one of the more optimistic Cowboys fands that I know. And the thing about this season is, you know, there really isn't that big of a difference between average teams and really good teams. Like when you look every week, you know throughout Vegas Lions, you always see Vegas Lions. You know that by points by lesson six points, So you know, we keep hearing about how we've watched all these games by you know,

by teams the digits. But the thing is that we've caught all these teams at the right time. You know, you go through a grind of an NFL season, and some of it is about getting lucky, some of it is about catching a team at the right time. And like, I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if we had faced the same without Dak Prescott, or if we had faced the Package without Samari Cooper, or if we had faced the Vikings without Comari Cooper and DeMarcus Lauren.

So it's just the fact that we couldn't have taken advantage of two of those games, or at least one of those games. It just it just makes you realize that this is an average or slightly above average for that team. And I guess that's what's really hard to come come to terms with. Well, how about how about conversely, what if you had faced the Packer or the Jets with your two starting tackles and your starting wide two starting wide receivers. Well, I mean, that's one of the

worst teams in the league. When you look of teams like the San Francisco forty nine ers or if they have to most out there for the last three or four weeks ago. But you started this, but you started, but you started this saying that that there's not much difference in the teams in the league. No, but between the average teams and the good team there's a big difference.

Oh okay, okay, Well, I mean think about it. Like you know, there's not much difference in the teams in the if you if you don't have your two starting wide receivers in your two tackles, it's not an excuse. Every team goes through this stuff. But in and it was a twenty four, twenty two game, but it happens in the league. I mean, just it's to your point. I'm agreeing with you, but you got to include the Jets in that. I mean, every every team is like that.

The Dolphins won two straight games. How that happened? That's fine. I get what you're saying that. I guess I just feel like if you are actually a good team, and you're more than a slightly above average team, we are right. Yeah, but right, but is anybody disputing that? I mean, I think i' said a few minutes ago, they haven't shown against the better teams that they can win consistently. I mean, they've beat a five and four Philly team, but they haven't. And I think I think the Jets game is a

missed opportunity despite the injuries that they had. I think you still expect you to win that game, um, but but they still That is what's you know, frustrating for fans, I'm sure, is that the Philly game at home showed the potential of this team, and there just hasn't been necessarily the consistency that you want game to game, especially We're only going to get games the rest of the season, so we you know, we kind of missed our chances to gain some round on some of these really good

but we actually we don't know that we're going to have tougher games because look where the Rams are going with their season right now, Look where the Bears are going with their season right now. As the season began, we thought that the Bears and the Rams, you know what a tough second half schedule that is. But but that doesn't mean that they aren't fully capable of beating this Cowboys because this Cowboys team is five and four

right now. Just as you said, Austin, they are an average to above average team and the record indicates that because they haven't had that consistency to put away opponents.

And I'm I'm I've never been someone that's been as critical as most about Jason Garrett, because I do think he's a lot those than most people will get him credit for us, But I have finally kind of come to the realization this year that you know, he is kind of just slightly above average head coach, and he will probably get another job, you know this, and probably when we let him go after this year, whether that's

in college or in the pros. But it's just, you know it, just it just seems like we have a window of talent that we can take advantage of. It just it seems like a low squander. And that's all. That's all I'm saying. Beautiful, all right, I think that appreciate it. I think that's a really practical way of illustrating how fans feel. And because we get a lot more of the angry crowd on Twitter if he didn't cuss at me, he's not wrong in a lot of

what he's say. Yeah, I don't think he's wrong. No, Um, But the bottom line right now is the Cowboys are five and four, They're tied for first in the East, and there's only two teams not leading a division in the NFC that have fewer losses than the Cowboys. The

Vikings have three and Seattle has two. Yeah, but I think probably what he would say to that, I'm going to speak for him, is that you're five and four and you feel like you've missed a couple opportunities, and it is approaching a point where it's going to be difficult to do to get in unless you win your division. You know, these teams so you don't know it, but these seems the Vikings aren't going to lose two or

three more games. I'm saying that, Well, I guess more specifically, what I'm saying is those top two seeds a buy in a playoff is getting harder to accomplish at this point when you've got a couple of teams with eight wins and you've got five. Oh you know, well yeah, and that's that's to try to make a run in the playoffs. Boy, you'd love to have that, you know, and well, just got to get in. You do have to just get in and every and you're right, Mick,

everything is in front of them. I mean, what was what was their record after nine games last year? Four and five? Yeah? Is that right? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah. Well I said last segment. They they're better team, I think than they were last year. But I don't feel like they would say they haven't felt like they've played their best football on a consistent basis. Well, no, obviously not. But but it goes back to my point. Sometimes you win those close games and sometimes you lose those close games.

They did win a lot of close games last year. All right. For those who did not hear Jason Garrett's press conference today, what happened during Jason Garrett's press conference today? What's your take from it? Go ahead, Mick. Well, it sounded like, um, folks think he misrepresented what they told Tavon Austin and on that last punt return that he immediately called a fair catch. And if I remember correctly, yesterday, Jason said they miscommunicated what they were trying to get done.

In his mind, what they wanted to get done was don't catch the punt and run around for a long period of time. If you don't have that, we can't waste seventeen seconds if you don't have that, call fair catch. That was what was in their minds. And evidently the chain of communication got to Tavon before he went out

in the field, call a fair catch. And so that's why you saw the ball was barely off the punter's foot and he was waving for a fair catch when in reality he looked at it and he probably could have gained twenty yards. And I thought, that's what Jason said even after the game about it, And yesterday I'm getting mixed up which press conference it was. I think

the two press conferences. He basically said it was on the coaches needed to communicate better to the player and explain it that way that if you have if you can go north south and get in a limited amount of time, get as much yardage as you can, but air on the side of fair catching, right if air on the side of caution, right right? You know? And Tavon said it. Somebody got ahold of them Monday in our limited time in the locker room, and he basically said, yeah,

I was told to fair catching. So so he did what he was supposed to do in his in his mind. Yeah, Well, because that's what somebody told him apparently, but it was a chain of command from But what should have been communicated to him was if you've got twenty yards of well estate in front of you, take what they give you, basically,

right exactly, And so that that's where the communication. And I think that it happened now, sir, and I think it started on talk radio that they were basically calling Jason a liar, that he was throwing Tavon under the bus, which I don't think that's what happened. That that was not you know, that was not the intention, right, And it's just unfortunate because he gets out there quickly for the return and like you said, Shannon, command wasn't there.

And boy, if you go back and you watch it, we mentioned it yesterday, he might have wound up at the thirty twenty five yard line and all of a sudden, you can call a play, You can get to something that is beyond a hail Mary, you know, maybe twice. So although Jason did make a good point, but I don't know if guys actually see that when they're running up field to cover a punt, that the guy are what he called a called a fair catch. So there's no sense me running hard, Yeah, because I'm thinking they

tell you to run hard because he might drop the ball. Right. Well, one of the things on it, when you've got your gunners in tight and they're protecting against a block, I mean, that should be an indicator that there's not going to be anybody that's close to tell you when I'm catching this punt, you know. And so whoever was the last person to relay, you know, call a fair catch when they saw no gunners, they should have been yelling at him. I'm surprised they punted to him. Well, I him too.

I mean, I'm sure the punters trying to get it out of there as quickly as he can. But punt it, you know, just like a kick off, a coffin corner kick, you know, punt it to the sideline, straight out of bounds. Yeah, well do you want to get some depth on it? But well it's still straight out of bounds, but you yeah, right, yeah, at least get it inside the numbers or outside the numbers.

I guess what I mean. And I think Tavon was he was lined up near the Cowboys sideline and that's where he caught it, and so punt it away from him. You know yep, So all right, we're gonna take more phone calls. Continue on talking Cowboys in just a moment. Since eighteen sixty five, Stetson Hats are American maid with pride right here in Texas, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Want to show your Texas and team pride too? You can by purchasing

your own stepson. You can look just like how the flag guys do on field at every home game. Stetson hats the official crown of all self respecting Cowboys and your favorite football team. Get yours today in the stadium pro shop or at Stetson dot Com. Already help, Hey, so are we gonna win? Just? Okaying is not okay, whether it's cheerleaders or your wireless network. At and D is America's best wireless network. Best network based on GWS

one score, September twenty nineteen. Tessela is a proud sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, helping fans see more and do more with our best vision solutions. Our lens technologies reveal a world more beautiful than you can imagine. For a limited time, Get the slur next gen offer for you buy the latest generation of Transitions lenses with select Slur lenses. You can choose a second pair of clear lenses for free with qualifying frame purchases. Restrictions apply. Find a participating

eye care professional by visiting slor usa dot com. See more, Do more. So you're shopping, and that's when you see it. I old twenty three doctor Pepper stack from top to bottom as far as the eye can see. The phrase two going to be true comes to mind. Get there. It is a rich, delicious doctor Pepper paradise. Wait did did that can of doctor pepper just open itself for you? They all are as if to say, so nice to

treat you. And even though it feels weird to talk to we, can you pick one up and say, it's so nice to be treated doctor Pepper, So nice to treat you. Back to talking cowboys, I think it's my turn? Well yes, what oh, let me think? Is Winner cracking you up and drying you out? Well you need to go to get Jack Black dot com because now's the time to prep against dry chap Winner skin. You get

free Winner Warriors. With your sixty five dollars plus purchase, you get nourishing oil along with dry erase Ultra calming face cream. Use the code winner and shot now at get jack black dot com. Very nice. Nicely done there, Mickey. I don't know if I could have written that little chromo better myself. He delivered it flawlessly to cracking you up. Huh. That's what those reads do for me every day. That's my dose every dad. I can do a public service

to everybody. All right, let's go to James in California. You're next up on Talking Cowboys. James, Hey, guys, good, good morning to you guys. How you guys are going good? All right? Good to hear? Um. I think I need to see you guys a check because you guys all have my therapy session because I thought lost like that. It's kind of hard to get over. So you need like guys to talk around and trying to get over this.

But one cowboy way by the way. But I gotta I gotta ask you guys to these hold the coaching staff their feet to the fire because you guys have access to them. I mean, I don't understand it. How um the defensive back coach, I guess it's Christa Shard Kyle he doesn't teach his guys to look back for the football to make a play on the ball. They never do. Like, I don't get it, Like, what are they teaching them how to cover? It makes absolutely no sense.

I've never seen a linebacker over run to play as much as Chilan does. It's it's beyond me for him to be a captain and to be as supposed to be a great linebacker. I don't I don't see that. Um, So I'll just hang up and listen to you guys

take on that. Okay, thanks James. You know, these back shoulders started becoming very prevalent how long ago, within the last ten years, maybe even less than that with Deaz Well, yeah, but I mean around the league, the back shoulder fades became prevalent, okay, And I think secondary coaches had to change their way of teaching how to defend. And because if you turn on a back shoulder fade, if you turn back towards a quarterback, you're you got no chance.

That's what an old secondary coach told me, and the old secondary coach and specifically texted me when the Cowboys gave up the back shoulder fade to Aaron Rodgers, and that Packers game at the recently. Yeah, yeah, that's the coaching point, right, Yeah, so don't call Campo. Yeah, we love camps. The reason the reason I don't. I didn't mention him by name is because there's some people because he was five and eleven three straight years as the head coach say said, well that's Campo, but he's a

damn good exactly, that's exactly right. He's got some rings and he texted me and said they got to teach him how to defend that soon does He turned and looked back. He was beat. And you recall on that one they twice they threw to that corner and first it was wasn't a back shoulder, it was a fade in front of the receiver, and Jordan Lewis looked back

at the quarterback. Okay Rogers, as Campo said, so does Rogers saw that he knew how that what technique he was going to use, and he hit that back shoulder fade and Jordan turned around. So there's I think what has happened in the league where it's being coached that way, and you know, we need to We probably ought to have Campo on and have him explain it because I can't do it justice. But that's that's one of the

reasons why it's being defended that way. Well, what are the things they're doing, and they're obviously teaching it is to keep your eye on the receiver's hands. His hands go up, years go up, and then you'll see the ball. And that's kind of what they're doing. Now, you're exactly right. As far as his other question, I think was about overrunning plays. We talked about that a little bit yesterday.

How on those screens in particular, you know, you're trying to get up the field and you can get caught out, caught out of place there, and they've got to be mindful of that. You know, teams will probably continue to try to do that. And if it is Jeff Driscoll this week at quarterback for the Lions, that's a guy that's a mobile quarterback. He's a leading rusher the other day and you're just watching the game back against the Bears. He brings a little bit of a different element than

Matt Stafford does. I think obviously they'd like Stafford in there, but that's his scrambling ability is something they've got to be mindful of. In this game as well. Things break down says a lot about the Lions running game too, and the quarterback. Yeah, and they lost Carrie on Johnson Johnson. They yeah, they've got tried to commit more of themselves to the run, but they don't have enough there. They've tried Ty john in their rookie Ums has looked good

in spurts. He got hurt in the game with a concussion. So J D. McKissick got fifty eight snaps. They converted running back. Yeah, yeah, and yeah, they haven't gone out and tried to acquire anybody to to help fix that problem. And there's nobody out there right now. Yeah, Paul Perkins, there's a guy they picked up off the street. So so Driscoll ran for thirty seven yards the case they had thirty six yep. And you know, I just watching that game back, Mick. He showed some good poise in

that game. And I didn't realize that he's had about six or seven starts in the league. Driscoll has had a nice first drive. They just didn't convert a touchdown down down deep wound up with a field goal. Um. By the way, he was a guy they coached here Cowboys coach at the Senior Bowl. He was on the North squad. I forgot about that. Um so you know, was he the kid from lattecht from Florida? Right, yeah, Blaton Well and lon Tech by the way. All right, let's go to Ray in New Orleans next up. I'm

talking Cowboys. Hello, Ray, Hey, how you guys doing great? Ray? I think what gets I think what gets lost in this thing? Does anybody realize that we lost to a good football team by like one player or two plays? You know? And in saying that, Nagantes start winning on Sunday and so they're five and four. But I know our our defense gave up some some big time runs on the one drive on the I guess on the winning drive for the Vikings, Kirk Cousins had to complete

one third down. The rest of them are like four consecutive first downs of ten plus yards. That's that's the concern. But if we find a way to pass the ball into the end zone and win the game. The Vikings are screaming about their defense. They couldn't stop back because at that point it would have been four cartoons and probably over four hundred yards. So all of these games

are so close man, I don't. I think fans just start tripping out and on one of them, yea, my head was in my check on the fourth down call, Mickey, That's the only one I have a problem with. And I'm going to ask you this question here in a minute, but or here a couple of seconds. But the only problem I have a problem with, the only call I guess is the fourth down call and maybe the fifty seven yard field goals. In the beginning of the game, Where did you want What did you want him to

do on fourth down? Run the ball? Maybe not? Maybe not go And I don't have the luxury of watching the All twenty two, so I'm just a fan watching them TV. I just didn't want them to go to Zeke. Maybe on that out well maybe, Yeah, they doubled Amari. Amari got doubled on that play, and they did have Cobb inside, you know, but he Dak looked at him, Mark, I think we broke it down yesterday, right, Look, he glanced at Amari and then he went left and went to Zeke. Try It's not like, yeah, it's not like

they said, Okay, we're throwing this ball to Zeke. No matter what that was Dak's decision. They called a pass play and he's got to read his coverages. And when he read the coverage, it was like, okay, I don't have amri here, I'm going left. All right. He should have hung he should along, He should have hung in a little longer, and Cobb eventually broke open. But there was another factor there. But he never looked back to

the right. He was getting pressure from the left. He got the ball off just in time because he was getting ready to get hit. Yeah, and you know what, so don't say you don't think because of what they do. That was the play. They don't get in the huddle and say, okay, Zeke, go out, I'm thrown to you. That's not that's not all right. That's just like when you played a deep pass. It's not like, Okay, go deep, I'm gonna throw it until you you get past the foot.

Was the lead options play where I'm with you, I don't I think ninety nine that decides to keep it. So some of that is great Minnesota deep. And what was my point to begin with? We played a good football team and they kind of shout an maybe we make a difference play. Like I said, when the Windy's close to and that's another thing. But this team was almost the same as last year. Rob says, they're a little better. I don't. I won't disagree with that. We're

losing some of the close teams. And because when we got to when I went to the college seams in playoffs, I'm like, what the hell did we just watch with two hundred and seventy nine yards? Well, we kind of see a little bit of that against the Colts, So it just depends on what teams. And then we shut down the Giants running back. So I think it's just about styles and matchups. But in saying that, we gotta started this week with winning because if we're just close enough,

we won't make it to the tournament. We won't make it to the playoffs. So I think we're okay. I see we're a good football team making with the potential to be a great football team on against different teams, against different matches, matchups. If you make one or two more plays, we're not having this conversation in Minnesota's wondering how the heck did our past defense get like this? Because we did. We scored a lot of points on them, and we gave up. They gave up a lot of

passing yards. I should say, Okay, appreciate. I think that's well said. I think you could say that about eight or nine teams in this conference. Though. There's good teams that have potential to be great and win a lot of games depending on matchups, depending on execution. It comes down to, you know, how consistent you can be down to down. He mentioned about the fifty seven yard field goal attempt to start the game. What do y'all think

about that? I think, yeah, I mean I looked it up and I think he's four of eight this year fifty plus. It's not guaranteed, and it was a momentum shift, but I mean that's Jason Garrett with He's got the pulse of his team and he thought that that would be well within range for Bret Moher to make and he's done it before. He didn't make it there, and it did put the defense in a bind early, you know,

for that first touchdown. I was a little surprised they tried it, but it was like then, I thought, well, he's made All those sixty yarders were indoors and roof's open, but yeah, it's the door shut It wasn't a there wasn't a win factor there. But you know, it wasn't so much that he can't make it. He just did. He didn't hit it, well, yeah, he ain't it. If you would have hit fifty seven down the middle when he came up short, it's like, okay, fine, right, but

he yanked it. He's better than that. Any thought it was fourth and six, there's no I didn't thought now, no thought of going for it on fourth and six at the thirty nine. No, that's why you have him. That's one reason why you have him is because of his ability for those deep kicks. What's this percentage? No, um should not ask I had? Yeah, he's he's fourteen of twenty. That's it, fourteen of twenty. And how about beyond fifty from you know, he's only get this. He's

only tried one forty to forty nine yard field goal. Okay, eight four of eight beyond fifty, that's what you have already indicated that. Okay, we will continue talking Cowboys tomorrow. The break is next. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club