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Touchdown and now your hosts, Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeomans. It's so wonderful Wednesday edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company. We are live from the Star in Frisco, Texas, in the SWBC studios as we continue to break down Cowboys Eagles this week Cowboys Eagles Sunday Night Football from AT and T Stadium. We've got Isaiah stand Back, John Machoda, Nick Harris, and Kyle Yeomen's. Gentleman, how we doing today?
Doing well? Doing well?
Obviously you're doing very well, Kyle. Why is that you have a sea through watch on? Have you ever seen something like that?
James? I have.
It's like broken on the back end.
I don't wait, don't show the back and show the front end that huh? I hate? Yeah?
Yeah, I could not care less.
I've never seen nothing like it before. You know what I'm saying. Beamer transparent watches.
That's just because I couldn't pay for the rest of it.
Wow, they just unveiled a freaking invisible cloak, and now he comes out with invisible cloak.
There's an invisible cloak.
Yeah, you never seen it, like like Harry Potter style. You guys didn't see that.
Really, No, it was the same email you get the cyber.
You know, the United States did not create the technology. I'll say you that.
Yeah, absolutely, there's no way beamer you you creepy saw it online?
Oh yeah, it was awesome. I just don't know where in society that would fit.
Oh, there's plenty of places.
Not in society necessarily, what I'm saying legal society.
That's what I'm saying, in a normal legal society. I don't think there's a solid purpose for that.
Kids playing hide and seek?
Fine, all right, even then that might be terrible. That could be that could disaster.
What would you do with an invisible cloak?
Oh gosh, uh tracked out sources.
Probably no, I probably work himself into the team meeting.
Probably would probably would have went a grape vine over the weekend and try and figure it out how this group came up with leaving Florida State out of the copy.
Yeah, like that, just.
To hear, just to find out who is the most against it, and I would tweet all that out.
Yeah, so you would use it for sources. What would you do with an invisible cloak? Eight one seven two nine zero This is a dangerous thing. You'll be nice eight one seven two nine zero three two nine eight. That's that's a fun question. Invisible cloak?
What would you do with it? Well, I can't believe that it's real actually existence. Yeah, who has.
That much time on their hands to say, look, you know what, let me build an invisible club.
Not the United States, obviously, We've got a lot of others.
Yes, yeah, yeah, fact yeah, fair. All right, let's get to news and notes. Cowboys of course off yesterday that was the down day of the week and it's back to a normal schedule, which, thank goodness it is. We're done with the short weeks.
It feels weird because of it, though it does.
It feels like this week is going to drag on forever.
Yeah, Jam and I were just talking.
It doesn't even feel like a game week, Like it just feels different because normally we'll be within what almost forty eight hour role right now.
But right now, yeah, yeah, not a ton of news and notes obviously coming off of Tuesday. The only thing which we mentioned already this week is we will get an update today on Peyton Hendershot and his act decision. I don't know, yeah, if he can, yeah, decision on it. If he can be activated to the fifty three man
rosters today. His twenty one day practice window is up, So either he gets activated and someone drops down and is released on to the practice squad, or he is on the IR for the rest of the season.
So what are you leaning towards?
I think he ends up on the i R for the rest of the season. That's I don't know anything there, but that's that's just kind of like my hunch feeling here.
Yeah, I agree, same thing I think.
I mean, I don't, I don't know for sure, but it seems like that's the way it's leaning, kind of like how you thought the Jack Leonard thing was leaning towards Philadelphia. So I was wrong on that though. I thought he was leaning towards the Cowboys. They become the Cowboys, So hey, what do I know?
I agree, I think he's probably going towards ir as well. But I would like to see him utilize on this offense. I think he would be another huge resource. Only only caveat there is if he was on the field, you're most likely in a passing situation.
Yeah, And I don't think that you think.
That less of Ferguson's abilities to take him off the field and and replace him with Hindershot.
And Ferguson excelling at all, Yes, factored in with it with you?
Yes?
How about with you?
Do you?
Yeah?
Absolutely, just because I mean that's a that's a legitimate sig in that you have out there. Schoonmaker is stacking confidence. And then for me, it boils down to do you want another receiving threat out there or do you want another or another run blocker in the red zone. I'd rather have another run blocker in the red zone, So keep Sean McEwan. That's kind of my thought on it. I feel like this receiving group is doing just fine right now. Obviously Dak Prescott's doing just fine right now.
If the pass offense was a struggle and there was you know, Jake Ferguson wasn't playing as well as he has been, then maybe I throw Hendershot back in there. But for me, if I'm making the decision, I'm keeping him on ir and rolling with McEwan.
So you're saying that training training camp showdown next.
Year, it's gonna be a fun one. I'm telling you, between Hendershot, whatever McEwen can do between now and then and then John Stevens Junior, that's gonna be it's gonna be a blast. Even Scoonmaker he's involved in that in that mix as well, So it's gonna be fun.
Yeah, maybe we've put too much stock into what we've seen from Peyton Hendershot on the field of training camp and things like that, because in the game he hasn't necessarily produced. He had eleven receptions last year one hundred and three yards. He has one catch for three yards this year prior to the injury.
It's pretty solid.
Over twenty games.
You say, twenty tea, how many attempts, how many targets you have targets?
I can give you that.
I mean, it's still not crazy production. The reason I kind of gave the face was because.
Like eighteen targets, twelve receptions.
I mean, we can say the same thing about be Cooks prior to you know, the last few games Unifation.
I get it. I mean, but you have to start somewhere, get it track.
It would be interesting if John Stevens or Peyton hendershot next year elevate themselves to where they're on a level where you're like, we can play these guys all the time, just because I think of schoon Makers clearly the guy they look at that way, his second round pick.
Ferguson's clearly there.
And it just makes me think of the rest of the NFL, like, how many teams have three tight ends that you can really try? I mean, how many teams really have even two trucks? I go back to I think it was two years ago, I think in free agency when the Patriots like that was like their key thing, like was to get Hunter Henry and man, I'm Jona Blink on the other.
But it was Don Smith.
It might have been, but it was just like they were going to get their two you know, veterans tight ends and try and build around it. For the Cowboys to possibly have found that and maybe even have a third, that would be really impressive and obviously be great for dak How.
How imperative is that I caught Isaiah in the middle of the yond.
Yes, it was. How did it went to the US women's National game last night?
That was right? But how fun was that?
It was good? Where was it they played against China?
Is that why you're yawning? It was a little late start, little late late night night. It took the kiddos though.
It was awesome.
Nice there you go. Uh, when you have tight ends like that to rely on heavily, and we've talked about this in the past with Dalton Schultz, how what does that do for a quarterback mentally that you have multiple guys that can be that safety net, not just one player specifically, because in the past for the Cowboys it has been one player. First it was Jason Witten, then it was Dalton Schultz. Now you feel like there's multiple
guys that can do that. And of course the athleticism from this tight end room can take the top off of a defense as well.
I think it's huge because, especially in this style of offense where you're using two tight end sets a lot, you're not as worried about where your primary tight end is lined up, Is he attached, is he you know, is he had does he have.
To have his hand in the ground.
Is he on the right side or is he on the left side, Like you're less concerned about those things. You can come into two tight tight end sets and have a tight end on each side and feel good about either direction.
If you need to.
Over over a play, if you need to change the protection, if you need to change the route concepts, Like you're you're not as concerned about what you're doing there because you're not taking away from one's abilities. Right, you feel comfortable with both guys. You know they both can block, they both came run the routes, they both can catch
the ball. So now I'm like, Okay, now I could play this even Steven and go whatever direction is best in favor of the team and us and us being successful in that particular play instead of being kind of catering to what that particular player does best.
One last thing, You're done with news.
And yeah Tuesday, Super super Light have more coming out of today.
I want to hit your Nicked Knight playoff scenarios because there's a couple of things on there that I think would be great for listeners to hear. The Cowboys would take first place with a win on Sunday, However, the Eagles would still control their own destiny the rest of the way. What are some of the scenarios that fans should probably keep an eye on as we get down
the stretch. I know there were a lot of different theories out there with the forty nine ers in the Eagles game this past Sunday on who would be more beneficial for the Cowboys to see win. A lot of people thought it would go one way or the other just based off of seeding come playoff time. But out of your scenarios, what are some of the ones you want to highlight?
Yes, so, I think, first off, it's important to highlight that this game is the most important game on the entire seventeen game schedule and determining playoff implications. If the Cowboys lose on Sunday, you may as well play your SHARPI out and write them in as the number five seed and they are going to go play the NFC South winner. Who would be Atlanta, New Orleans or Tampa Bay. I wrote a NICKD. Knight that maybe Tampa Bay probably the best matchup there, but I feel like you have
confidence going into any three of those matchups. But if the Cowboys were to win, that's when things get a little bit interesting. You mentioned, We've talked about it last week as well. The first tipebreaker would be that divisional record. At the end of the season, if they were to win out, Philadelphia has two more games against the Giants. Cowboys have one more against Commanders. If they were both to win out, then they would still be tied in
that divisional typebreaker. Then it would go to the second type breaker, which is common games. And again, if they were both to win out, it would be ten and two both of them, which would go to the third typebreaker, which would be conference record, and Philadelphia would have the advantage there. They only have two losses against Dallas's three. So best case scenario, Dallas beats Philadelphia on Sunday, what
are you rooting for? You're rooting for the Giants to beat Philadelphia one of those two games because if they're able to do that, Yeah, exactly, Because if they're able to do that, not only will Dallas be a game above Philadelphia, but they would own the first tiebreakers, so that would almost give them two games of flexibility there. That would be the best path towards winning the NFC East. So if who knows, maybe Tyrod Taylor comes back and
gives you a little bit of magic. But I kind of mapped out as well what it could look like for the Cowboys to get the one seed. It's really unlikely because they would need the Niners to drop a game at some point, and the way the Niner schedule looks right now and the way they're playing, I just don't see that happening. But if they're able to do that and Dallas wins out, then they have that one seed.
So San Francisco has Seattle, Arizona, Baltimore, Okay, yeah, Washington, Baltimore, Yeah, Washington, and then Los Angeles.
So interesting is that Arizona game is really important?
Yeah?
Absolutely? We said it, well, we said it as soon as it happened. I feel like I was like, this is going to come back to bite them late because if they were ten and two right now and they would still be tied in that conference tiebreaker with Philadelphia, this game would be huge. Then they could own the division. Coming out of this game.
You'd be up by two games with what is it? Five to play? Four to play to play?
Is what it is?
Is what it is? No, it definitely is what is and qut trivia question?
We were doing this should can you name all five starting offensive lineman in the Cardinals game?
No?
You delete games because you're bringing it up. It makes me want to say that when the name started at TJ Bass.
He did start at one of them.
Yeah, we'll started left tackle tackle.
Awesome Richards. No, it was left left.
Guard Tyler Smith, center Tyler Beatdish. Oh, so then that would have been No.
Who is long?
We had the same thing going on to the meeting.
This is what we do in our meetings here.
He's not even on the team now.
Yes he is, he is.
He's on the active roster.
Frock Hoffman, Okay, was the right guard practice Zach?
Oh?
No, that was I'm sorry, and that would be Terrence Steele.
There you go, man, that's it.
I mean, you think Dak would be putting up these m VP numbers playing behind that offensive line for the last six seven games.
Probably that's probably not.
But but yeah, those are the playoff scenarios there, and again a lot determines on the outcome of Sunday. If they lose, may as well just get your just lights ready sharp plan on New Orleans and Tampa.
Bay uh, Philadelphia schedule. Of course, it goes Dallas this week, Seattle next week, which is Seattle's going to be in desperation mode pretty quickly. They play San Francisco this week, and then they follow up with Philly next week. They need a win pretty badly, and then it goes New York, Arizona,
New York down the stretch for Philadelphia. Maybe the one thing that can benefit, like you said, Tyrod Taylor may be finding a little bit of magic there from the Giants standpoint, but I think you're gonna see Tommy Cutlets and the New York Giants. But the fact that they play him two times in three weeks, maybe that's a benefit. It's hard to beat the team two times in three weeks.
That's that's the best. That's the look at me, like that's the best optimism you could have. But like again, it's it's it's highly unlike.
Trying to see it with the glass half full.
The best you can go to his last year's game at Washington. I mean, there's reason that the Cowboys still need to win that game. They're at Washington. Washington's not very good. You would think nine out of ten times they're winning that game and not only did that win it, that wasn't really even that close.
So do you think it benefits this Cowboys team the fact that they have to kind of go pedal to the medal here though? Down the stretch, they can't let up for a game. There's no there's no room for error, even if they get some help outside of it. We're talking about scenarios that include the Cowboys winning out, and that's that's unbelievable.
I don't know.
I don't think that.
I don't think it'd be any different than it has been though, because they still needed to win all the way to the end last year. And some will argue, okay, well, they weren't going to catch the Eagles anyway, so they but they played all their started against Washington.
They obviously were playing to win that game.
And I could see it being the same thing, exact thing this year, where it's like, we look at that right now, but going into that final week at Washington, Philly might already technically have it locked up. And so are you really playing that Washington game like that?
You know?
I can see us watching that Detroit game that's the last home game, and thinking like, oh, this is gonna have so much implications and then Philadelphia takes care of business and it doesn't really end up mattering that much. So in that case, I don't see it being that much different. I mean, this season could be very similar to last year, where you could be going to Tampa Bay and then you could be going to San Francisco or you know so, and then that'll be how this team will be.
Judges. Can it get past what it did last year?
Yeah?
They go to San Francisco again. I might not get on the flight.
Yeah, it was. It was dramatic. That is dramatic, you guys. Do you guys feel as if they would win out?
No?
No, so I honestly I do feel like that scenario where the Eagles lose a game to the Giants, that's that's what you need to happen, because you're going to lose one down the stretch. I mean, they're going to Buffalo and Miami back to back weeks. If they come out of that two and zero, wow, Yeah, and then they got to play Detroit on it which week?
So the remaining schedule outside of this week? Okay, what team do you guys feel will be the most challenging for Dallas.
I always feel like Miami's the biggest challenge on the schedule. Really, yeah, just because their speed is going to be unreal.
That's tough.
It's it's gonna be tough.
Really, if you could tell me the elements of Buffalo, that would help. But with me not knowing what it's going to be, sure, I would also say Miami. But if you tell me it's just like this snowy, awful Buffalo type weather, then I would say that that builds the game.
Is see, I think it's Detroit. Okay, why is that? Because they're more physical. They're very physical, but Dallas. Dallas has struggled with physical teams.
Yeah, I think that Detroit would speed. I don't disagree with that, but there's things that you can do about that. Sure, Dallas has struggled with physicality. The forty nine ers beat up Dallas multiple years now because of physicality, and.
Detroit beat up Dallas with the physicality.
Dallas won the game, but they made it dog on interesting because they were just beating the crap out of them and everybody was getting hit. Yeah, and I foresee that being their tenacity, their relentlessness, their physicality, all those things about Detroit scared of crap out of me when I look at it any comparison to Dallas.
Yeah, just knowing how Detroit's played for the last I don't know, thirty plus years of my life. There's a part of you though that anytime that you really get up for thinking like this is gonna be a big matchup whatever like that, that they've laid a lot of eggs. So that's the only reason why. And then also they're putting Jimmy Johnson the Ring on or halftime that show. I mean, come on that place, canna be rocket now.
The other thing I just have to bring up because sometimes I feel like we gloss over it and maybe they lose this weekend and maybe well it'll change the narrative. But the reason why I would also side with Nick on possibly Miami or Buffalo is just because of how good the Cowboys have played at home, and if they were playing at Detroit, maybe it'd be a little bit maybe that would put it there, But just because they've played so well at home, I give the edge to maybe one of those two road games.
By the way, the conditions were within the ten day forecast on the weather change. Gotcha. Sorry, mainly cloudy, high near thirty five with wins from ten to fifteen miles an hour, mostly cloudy skies at night with a low of twenty nine.
It's awful. It's less about the temperature, more about the wind. Win the wind, the.
Win at thirty five miles, I mean, at thirty five degrees at fifteen miles perur wind, that's gonna feel like twenty seven twenty eight, Like, that's gonna that's what cuts through.
Your There is a twenty five percent chance of precipitation.
There's forty five the day before, so maybe that moves up.
That actually helps up.
I mean, there's probably a ten percent chance they don't even play the game there and they have to move into Detroit or somewhere else like they've had to do.
It's snow games awesome.
I like that Beamer is ready to roll, all right. When we come back here on Talking Cowboys, we're going to take a look at the defensive preview for this Cowboys team. How do they stack up against Jalen Hurts and the weapons on the Philadelphia offense. More Talking Cowboys.
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Today, Cowboys fans after that move. We've just coined the term rowdy replay. Let's roll back the table.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answered life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller.
Would you, dear doctor?
My friend supported me during a tough time. But what's the right gift that says thanks for being.
A shuldier to cry out?
Okay, this one's easy, I say give her a delicious doctor pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any doctor pepper flavor will do. Now, just to remind her that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Doctor Pepper is the one you deserve.
To Talking Cowboys. I Care on Talking Cowboys. Presented by a Black Rifle Coffee Company. This portion of the show is brought to you by Quaker Oates, a super trusted superfood. Quaker Oats the official oatmeal sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys. All right, let's take a look at the defensive matchup. Jalen Hurts, the RPO and all these weapons. They put up some pretty incredible numbers throughout the year, but not necessarily scoring off the chart. They've had some struggles in
the red zone throughout the year. Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott both rank inside the top three of offensive touchdowns, though in twenty twenty three, Hurts his second, Prescott is third. Josh Allen is the only one in front of both of them. When you look at this offense, Isaiah, and based off of what you've seen, not only this year, but over the last couple of years, what do they do best as a unit?
Man?
I think they're just effective in getting downhill. I believe that these guys have a solid running game. I really like their running game, whether that comes on the heels of Ondre's swift or whether that comes to Jalen Hurts. Last time Dallas faced the Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Hurts was injured, and I think a lot of people are forgetting that or choosing to ignore that he was not whole. I
think he's more whole now than he was. He's really starting to cross the line of screamage like he used to. He's utilizing his legs to get first downs, getting out on the edge, throwing the rock. I think these guys obviously have the weapons on the outside. You have the big physical receiver, you have the fast receiver, much like Dallas face last week in Seattle. You got the big man, you got the speed guy. Which one you're gonna put your point of emphasis on to try to shut down?
Can you shut down both? Not really sure. Dallas Goddard, We've got to see about his availability if he's going to be there. But these guys just do a great job. They're officing line is solid. I like their old line. I think their physical I think their tenations. I think they try to be nasty. But you know one thing that I think in terms of opportunity is you've seen these guys before, you know what they do. They don't motion, they're not trying to trick you. I think in terms
of just lining up. These guys are thirty first.
In the league.
In terms of shifts and motions, they don't really do a lot of that. So when they when they step to the line of scrimmage, you know where these guys are going to be at. You're not worried about making any adjustments there. It just comes down to communication, and then you do have an opportunity to get some turnovers against these guys. These guys have I think fourteen takeaways this year, so there give they've given the ball up. Jalen Hurts has coughed the ball up a number of times.
He doesn't like pressure, he doesn't like people all in his face. So there is opportunity there. As dangerous as these guys are with all their weapons and their system, they're not trying to trick you. I'm not going to say the second part of that, but they're not trying to trick you. But they but they will come downhill and if you can't stop the run, like we've talked about, they will do it over and over again. There that's just who they are at heart, That's who their coach is.
He's he's that arrogant of a guy where he would just take the air out the ball.
It's funny too, Like I think a lot of people looked at the way dron Bland played last Thursday, and there's concern, you know, because of Mike I said for the game. You know, similarities between Philly's receivers and Seattle a little bit. And there's the oh DK Metcalf was able to do this, what if AJ Brown's able to do that? So I'm asking you guys, because I'm fine
with this, So I'm wondering if you guys agree. So that last game against the Cowboys, AJ Brown seven for sixty six in a touchdown, Devonte Smith three for fifty one in a touchdown. I would be fine if they can if that's their production again or do you think that that's too much?
No, I think that's fine. I think if the defense does exactly what they did the first time against Philly, then I think this offense can win this game. Obviously you'd win a little bit more leeway, but I feel like if that's the defensive effort that they put across. I think this offense has developed more in the last five weeks, especially in the running game, to be able to score more than twenty eight points against this team.
Yeah, and this is the part of the year where and we saw it against Seattle a little bit. Seattle was a good test for this offense as well. But you're starting to see this offense click. And we've seen it over the last five games. Right, It's continuously gotten better. You've seen it crescendo up to this point. This is the point they I wanted it to peak right here in this game. Like you said a moment ago in the first segment, Nick, that this is the most important
game of the regular season. They know that across the hall, they know that this is when they want this offense to be at its best, other than, of course, a playoff push. But you got to win this game to set you up better for that playoff push. I'm I'm actually excited to see what this offense has in store. I think the defense does very similar to what it did the first time around against Philly, even with the
struggle that they had last week against Seattle. It's a different challenge though, because Gino Smith doesn't run as much as he used to either. Jalen Hurts leads that the NFL in terms of quarterback rushing touchdowns. I like this that Prescotten Hurts will be the fifth matchup between the outright passing touchdown leader and the outright quarterback rushing touchdown
leader in December or later. Since twenty ten five times, three of the first four times were won by the quarterback leading the NFL in passing touchdowns.
And that would be press guy is like eight of his ten rushing touchdowns from one yard out.
Yeah, I think so, Gosh, that's why.
I actually, that's wow.
That's yeah, Beamer off the top rope. I don't want to sound like Deybbie Downer, but I'm just being you know, I'm a realist.
I just from my perspective.
It's like what Mike and New York told you yesterday.
We know you're picking Philly.
I just want people to be aware that what you saw last time against Philly was a reduced version of who they are offensively, Okay, and that's just that's not taking away anything from what our defense did, how successful they were, but that was a reduced version of what they're capable of. And I'm not saying that they're going to display what they're capable of this week. I mean,
Dallas has a chance to shut it down. But that was taking what your quarterback does best and saying, don't get out the pocket because you can't get out the pocket right, don't run, don't do RPO, don't do zone read option, don't do any of these things that you're capable of doing, which makes us more of a threat offensively because you didn't have the ability to do so. Once his knee got compromised, he was he was done.
I think he got out the pocket maybe a handful of times, and you saw that he did not want to get out of the pocket. He was gimpy as all get out. So I'm just saying that to be realistic.
Ran ten times.
Yeah, but I'm saying like, but you could tell when he ran it like it was like, yeah, like let me grizz out of bounds, you know what I'm saying, Like he was like, give me out of bounds now. So I just want people to be realistic about that in terms of looking back at what they what Dallas did and say, oh, we're going to be better this time. Just just just timper your expectations and be realistic and have your office prepared to be able to score some points.
They also took away They also in doing that with dialing it back and simplifying their offense, they also took care of the football. They never they didn't have a turnover. They had a couple fumbles of course late in the game that nearly gave probably took your football. Probably on the other side of it, Jalen Hurts, whenever he has been healthy, has been giving the football away at a
high rate, four team giveaways in fact. So maybe this is an opportunity for the Dallas defense to be aggressive and to get after Jalen Hurts to the fact that hey, maybe he wants to play hero ball and that's when he turns it over, So he could open up possibilities on one end where like I agree with you, Jalen Hurts was not okay in that last game against Dallas, and it was pretty painfully obvious. But now that he is okay, it just means he has an opportunity.
To MAT's funny.
It's funny you guys say that though, because so I brought off his game log from this year, and yeah, he only threw three for two hundred and seven yards. Okay against Cowboys the first time, but he was seventeen of twenty three, passing two touchdowns, no interceptions. His his passer rating was one thirty point two. It's the second highest that he's had all season since then. Passer rating Hays City Chiefs game sixty four point six, Bills ninety six point two, Niners eighty five point two.
So we're just saying, don't hit him, keep him in a pocket.
I mean, he was just on it. He was on a run there. I'm just no, I'm not believe me. I think Jalen Hurts is great. I'm just saying that there, even though he was banged up at that time. Those three games in a row Miami, Washington, Dallas, his passer rings like one O nine, one thirty five, one thirty and these last three games it has not been on that level.
Yeah. So with that being said, Nick, who do you feel like on the defense has to have their best game?
I feel like it's those the interior defensive line. Because whenever I was going whenever we were going into the first game against Philly, the thing that I worried about was DeAndre Swift, and if Hurts is a little bit more healthy and he's able to get out of the pocket and kind of expand the running game a little bit,
that's going to expand opportunities for DeAndre Swift. And that's still a weapon that I fear on that offense because I don't feel like Dallas has really seen the full potential of what that weapon can look like against this Dallas defense. So yeah, those guys in the middle, Jonathan Hankins, Mazzie Smith, Neville Gallimore when he gets in also a Digiezua, those guys need to have a really strong outing again.
They've they've been stacking good games in the last couple of last couple of weeks, So if they can keep that going, then then I feel good about how this defense can stop the rushing attack from Philadelphia. And if they can do that, then I think we're gonna have a similar offensive output from Philadelphia that we had last time.
On another part of the defense that maybe hasn't had their best couple of weeks, and if anything has maybe been criticized for it at the safety position, how impreparative is their play on Sunday night. Being able to see Jay Ron Curse play better, MALIEK. Cooker play better. Donovan Wilson. Donovan Wilson stepped up, made a huge play on fourth downhill. De Lawrence DeMarcus Lawrence kind of have that stop on Zach Charbonne at the goal or at the line of
the game. Can those three guys they'll play a complete game? And how bad is that needed for this Dallas defense?
Yeah, that would be big because obviously you don't want to have these receivers take the top off this defense. That would be that would be pretty catastrophic in my eyes if they're able to work a downfield passing game with the weapons that they have in the receiving core. So yeah, obviously, yeah, these safeties need to play well. Mollie Cooker as well. Whenever he's in those single high situations, He's been up, he's been down, He's had his moments
this year. I think if he could just stack really good reps on Sunday, then they could limit that passing attack and keep everything underneath. They can keep everything underneath. I feel good about what the second level and what these dbs can do to keep everything from letting it, letting it kind of lead out. You know, the DK Metcalf Gearre at Wilson touchdowns. So we've had this year that we've seen this year.
So yeah, I feel like with both these teams, honestly, I think the game will be decided by the two quarterbacks on who can get outside the pocket and extend plays the most, whether it be with their legs or to you know, Mike McCarty always talks about the two point three extend it beyond that to create bigger plays down down the field, and that very well could be Jalen Hurts, but that could be Dak Prescott too, especially
with the way he's been playing lately. So if you tell me they keep Hurts in the pocket and they are able to contain him a little bit, I really like the Cowboys chances. But if he's getting outside running, you know, extending plays for aj Brown stuff down the field, yeah, the Cowboys are in trouble then.
M because something to keep an eye on, something to keep eye on. I want to highlight Marky's bell. I need Marku's bell to have a heck of a game. And yes, I think that, you know what, maybe maybe back pedal a little bit talking about the defensive backs.
I don't know the last time that we have been in a position to praise the safety trio that we have on this roster.
I think you think in a couple it's been a while since we like sung the praises of these of these safeties now, prior to contract extensions and things of that nature.
Oh, they're balling.
They were the talk of training camp.
It's being kind of quiet, and I'm not sure if that's because we're paying less attention. I'm not sure if that's because they're not making as many plays. But I don't feel as if that trio has been as impactive as they have once as they once were, and we need a resurgence of that, whether that be from the coverage standpoint, whether that be from having hard hits Donald,
I haven't obviously he made a big tackle. I don't know the last time that we saw Donald have a big hit right and have that enforcement that he used to have near the middle of the middle of this of the defense and the line of scrimmage. A couple of years ago, this dude was a complete dog up there right, being a force to reckon with. Kurs was coming up there putting vicescripts on tight ends. You know, these are all the things that we were talking about.
Haven't heard that, so I want to see a resurgence of that. But in terms of this game and taking away one of the things that this team does very well, Markus Bell has to have a heck of a game. Yes, that's not taking away the interior defensive line Ohsa Digiezuo. Those guys have to do their deal to be able to take away the internal rend, the running game, and the RPO. But Marku's Bell has a high task and that's going to be shadowing Jalen Hurts.
That's his role.
I think he's done a great job of that with other running backs. That's going to be his role most likely this week against Jalen Hurts and preventing him from being able to get outside the pocket and applying that pressure, forcing him to throw some some air and throws, and putting pressure in front of him his face to make him fumble even possibly. But I think he's going to play a big role in this game. Obviously, it's going
to be a collective effort at all three levels. But in terms of shutting down Jalen Hurts, I'm looking to Marcus Bell.
Got to have a big game, and really that safety group in general has to step up in a big way as well. When we come back though here on Talking Cowboys, we talked to John Manchoda's national storylines. He's got a couple of good ones that we're going to hit in a couple moments when we return with more Talking Cowboys after this.
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Details to Talking Cowboys. Welcome back into Talking Cowboys.
This segment is brought to you by Visiline, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys, and we're all smiles as John Machoda reads our national stories.
Let's go, Jayu.
I'll be honest with you, I think that the national storylines, because here's one of them I obviously was going to talk about with you guys would be Aaron Rodgers and coming back potentially from that Achilles and they're terrible, and so I'm like, let's just make this about the Cowboys, so that if the season ended today, they would be the fifth seed and having to go play the NFC South champ right now, that would be the Falcons. But the Falcons, Bucks Saints are all kind of in that group.
I wanted to ask you, guys, if you can pick if that ends up being the case for them, you can pick.
Where they go.
What's the best one of those environments teams whatever for the Cowboys to face, and what's the worst one, like the one that you absolutely don't want to see.
Because for me, I'll just start with the best one. To me, I think it's Tampa Bay.
You already went there last year and beat them with Tom Brady a ton of Cowboys fans.
I would expect the same there.
Again, I wouldn't love the road environment as much of those other even though there'd be a ton of Cowboys fans either of them. I think that Tampa Bay would be the one that you'd want the most. But I want to hear your guys takes on this.
Yeah, I would.
I would agree with Tampa Bay being the best scenario because they're just not the same. And like you said, they Tampa Bay fans are even not as all in as they were whenever Tom Brady was there the TV. The Tampa Brady fans.
Have left well, I think they're Ravens fans now or something.
Yeah, like they're all over everywhere else.
Yeah, give me Atlanta, but okay, give me Atlanta there's nobody that I fear out on Atlanta's team Bejon six, and there's no I don't fear neither one of those guys in terms.
Of what they've done in at least he's there.
Any j Turell, I.
Don't fear those guys. There's a Mike Evans.
Yeah, I like Mike Evans, and that's who else Kate Mike Evans, Kate.
Oughten, Kay, Tampa has a company, guys.
I think my least favorite of the bunch would be New Orleans going on the road and playing in Super and and I honest just I just don't trust New Orleans and the fact that they're going to find a way to play well in that game, like they're so streaky and.
Car gives you a chance to win plenty of times.
And then you've got Winston who could either throw for thirty picks touchdown.
So Atlanta is four and two at home this year, Tampa Bay is three and three, and the Saints are surprisingly two and three at home.
Selfishly, I'd want to go to New Orleans. Yeah, but I think the best the best case scenario.
Why is that, Nick? Why would you want to go to New Orleans?
Love that place. You to join me on on New Year's Day, make a make an early trip out there. So I'm already already out of the stadium, real real.
Quick, enough of that. What is your guys favorite NFL road city?
Oh?
Because I thought it because a lot of people would probably say New Orleans if you're.
New Orleans.
Was the craziest road environment that I've ever played in, Like rocking, freaking y yang twins, stand up and get crunk after every time they score.
I mean, so that was regardless of the team that you were on, you felt like it like there wasn't more when you were with the Cowboys.
New England.
Okay, New Orleans is up there. I haven't been there. I mean I've been to Miami. I haven't been as like an.
NFL Miami atmosphere.
Not the same thing.
I liked.
I'm really looking forward to Buffalo.
That a little cool.
I'm looking forward.
It feels like a high school stadium.
Yeah that's the only thing. And they're building that new stadium so like here in like five years and you know that. But the next time the Cowboys, Buffalo feels like high school. Miami feels like eh whatever. Minnesota, Minnesota, is nice.
Yeah, Kansas City would be up there.
I'm not saying it's number one for me, but I'm not just saying it because he's sitting here. But Seattle's pretty high in there too. Yeah, Like it's a cool city. It's down the stadium's downtown, walkable stuff, and US an opponent. Yeah, stadiums so loud. And that's just a really cool advice.
You're there as a broadcaster.
Was there?
They just have really bad service in the restaurants. That's about the only thing that's true.
That's true.
You at one more, Yeah, let's do one more.
All right.
So again, I want to keep it to a Cowboys thing here, and right now everything in the NFC is being talked about is forty nine Ers, Cowboys, Eagles, and I feel like everyone thinks that that's going to what it's going to come down to who wins the NFC. So right now, the forty nine Ers, I feel like are in the driver's seat. I think they clearly look like the best team with what they've done against the
Eagles and Cowboys this year. So I'll just ask you who has a better chance of being the forty nine Ers in the playoffs.
The Cowboys or Eagles.
Oh, no, gosh, Detroit, that's a trick question.
I feel like they would both probably be on the road.
Yeah, probably, Yeah. I think San fran Is probably gonna run the table, or at least get close to running the table down the stretch, did you I would say that they.
Put Chase Young in in garbage time. I'm watching that and I'm like, is garbage time and Chase Young's chasing you?
Hm? Chasing you?
Yeah?
He's what to do there, Chase Young?
It's crazy? Yeah, yeah, I was literally watching, I'm like, what the hell?
In a way, I kind of like the Cowboys because of the fact of I do think if that if both of them played at San Francisco, I do think that the Philly spread would be smaller. I do think that the Cowboys most people would be expecting them to lose that game. But I think that there's a little bit of There's they've been such a thorn in your side. They're thinking they're going to be everybody thinks they're going
to be you. There's it's like one of those few places where the Dallas Cowboys can be an unequivocal underdog, And so because of that, I don't know that there's that same feeling with Philly where I think people might look at is you know, if they had their quarterback last year, this game would have been different or maybe not.
I don't know.
There's a little bit more debate there where I think a lot of people just look at as like, oh, well, you know, San Francisco is gonna beat the Cowboys. And anytime in sports where you just think it's like this foregun conclusion, that's usually when wild stuff happens, you know.
I think I'm looking at the Cowboys there just because they're a much different team than when they went up there on Week five. Yeah, offense is different. Defense has found a little bit more chemistry with a couple of pieces that are out and a couple of pieces that have kind of fit in. I think they are a different team than they were in Week five. So I would say the Cowboys.
I liked your reasoning.
I do.
I would probably say from a roster standpoint, Philadelphia is better. Yeah, just because of the trenches and what they can do from a defensive line standpoint to try and stop the run. They didn't do a great job of it on Sunday against San fran The thing that Dallas would have there is You're right, it's they're written off in that game immediately. I don't think anybody would really, with a clean conscience
pick the Dallas Cowboys to win that game. If it's Cowboys and forty nine Ers, or even whenever they've met the last couple of days, somebody would do it, but it wouldn't be with a clean conscience. You would pick the Cowboys to win over the forty nine.
Ers in San Francisco if it happened tomorrow.
Yes?
Why?
Why?
Yeah?
Because I don't trust Brock Party.
Okay, I think the past Rush MVP favorite Brock Party that I don't trust Brock Party, and I think that Brock Party will lay down when pressure is put on him, and I.
Think that the first.
I think Dallas presents the first.
I think Dallas presents a greater opportunity to apply pressure at Brock Party than the Philadelphia Eagles defensive front.
Does I disagree? I disagree.
That just happened.
I like it.
I'll let you have it.
Yeah, I like it. You agree, I'm happy disagree, But it's just not convinced of party and it's.
Not going to be a foregone conclusion when you walk into that building, because there's gonna be plenty of Cowboys fans. There would be a chance to be on the road and to finally take care of business against the team that's knocked you out the last couple of years. There's gonna be a pride factor into it.
I do y'all feel like there's any team in the AFC that is like in the same tier as Philadelphia and San Francisco in the AFC.
Yeah, Baltimore, Baltimore, Kansas City, Miami, Kansas City. I'm not I'm not counting.
Out Kansas if it was like the AFC, yeah, sure, but the Kansas City been there, done that. Kansas City would scare me more than the Dolphins. Okay, yeah, not me, Like who just comes out of nowhere like that.
I know.
I said this earlier in the year, like the Dolphins would to just be this team where oh, yeah, this one, you're boom boom boom, put it all together.
Super Bowl Like, I mean, it's possible.
But Miami feels like the Detroit of the AFC for me. Yeah, they're nine to three, hadn't really been anybody. They're dangerous, yes, and they could you know, win a big playoff game, but like, I don't feel like they'll reach the super Bowl.
Baltimore Baltimore cases Baltimore.
I was probably ranked Baltimore one, Kansas City to Miami three.
And for me, it's not even Kansas City.
Like as in the Chiefs organization, it's like what team is Patrick Mahomes exactly? You just don't want it because he can just have this huge game in boom.
You're how many first round receivers are they going to get this year?
Yeah?
Reading a different receiver every week after a Chiefs game would be like, so a Roma Dune say, they're going to get.
Those guys looking pretty good, SMU prospect is pretty good.
They're going to get any more?
All Right? That does it for us here on national storylines and for talking Cowboys. We've got to get out of here. Nick Eatman coming up with Cowboys storyline. You can get on the phone line right now, eight at eight eight, five to five to to really quick.
We had a fun text in about the invisibility Cloak guy said I would get on the field during the game and just knock people down, trip the other team's quarterback, et cetera.
That's the best response. That's best response.
I wonder if this Philadelphia sideline has already invested in an avilable invisibility cloak for their security officers. Big Dom, Big Dom, you be an XXL cloak? All right?
That does it for us? Here on talking about for Chris Bean.
We do have cable for Isaiah standback John Machoda, Nick Harris, I'm Kyle Yoman saying so long from Talking Cowboys. We'll see you tomorrow.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.