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This he is Talking Cowboys, straining live.
From the Dallas Cowboys World Course at the Star in Frisco.
Straight todaydown and now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeoman's.
It's a wonderful Wednesday edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company. We are live from the Star in Frisco, Texas and the SWBC Studios. It is Week seventeen of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys facing the Detroit Lions coming up on Saturday. We've got Isaiah Standback, John Machoda back in the building to day.
Mister Nick Harris, Yeah, barely back in the building, but you got him here. My flight landed at eight eighteen, but I am here nine am ready to go. Let's Jennie Capper.
Yeah, it sounds like that Black Rifle this morning too. I haven't.
I haven't. I'm just ready to go.
Oh you just that excited to talk about this. I'm going to hit.
Black Rifle after though, for sure.
Yeah.
Yeah, nice felt left out yesterday. I getting better at.
This Chris being in the back of Kyle Yeoman's glad you're with us, all right, Nick, we haven't heard your thoughts on the Miami lost twenty two twenty yet you were there.
What happened?
Yeah, I think if we remember back to last week, I would not. I was not expecting this defense to play as well as it did on Sunday in Miami. I think that was probably the biggest surprise. Honestly, the run defense was great. It was pretty pretty damn good, limiting mostered in a chance to the yardage that they had.
If you told me going in that that was going to be the case, you were only going to limit that Dolphins offense to one touchdown, You're going to force them into some long field goal situations with a kicker that had missed seven straight fifty plus yard field goals going into that game. That always told you, oh, okay, this this Cowboys team that they figured this out. But that second and third quarter man not being able to
get anything going offensively. Obviously, the fumble on the goal line from Hunter Lipkey, it's very tough, very tough stuff to talk about it. Unfortunately, let's pull the band aid. This is you know, I think I think there's probably half half blame on both sides between Dak and Lipkey. I mean, that's a that's a that's a handoff that you got to practice throughout the week, and that they haven't had that practice throughout the year. Obviously, he had
only had six touches coming into the game. Go ahead, go ahead, you touch on it.
So going back, how long do you think hunter Lypkey has been playing the running back slash fullback position in his whole life? Okay, yeah, so there's certain just mechanics operation for per se that just just happened every single time, meaning like arm up, armed down with a little clamping motion, right, Okay. He had no bottom arm. The bottom arm was was was non existent.
We all came high.
We talked about it in the in one of our breaks on yesterday's show about the mesh of you know when you do like the read option, like the polling. I wonder if he thought that Dak was gonna pull.
Yeah, that's a I just I just don't understand why they would pull.
Right there, there's no pull.
It's just it was bad mechanics. He didn't have a bottom arm, there was no bottom bar. It was more of like was like this, so Dak put the ball rather high low. It doesn't matter, like that's what the whole personal base. There's no there's no base, there's no bottom shelf, right, so the ball is gonna come straight out.
It doesn't matter who you are. So that's just he was anxious. That's what that's what comes out to.
He was anxious, and he lost his mechanics and unfortunately and the Cowboys had to pay for.
It four touches on the first drive though, like whenever he lined up with the goal line, I was like, oh my god, here it is.
This is the top.
Of the mountain. And then we just came crashing down the boulder, came down the mountain and hit me in the jones boler so bad.
But Nick's running down the mountain.
It's just gonna clamp me. But yeah, ten point swing right out of the gates. I mean when that happened, and they came down and kicked the field goal, and they had two opportunities to have some big shots that Tyreek dropped the one that would have been a ninety three yard touchdown, and then Waddle came back with a fifty yarder. I was just worried that that defense was gonna get killed over the top ball game, and then
that didn't happen. The defense held up, and obviously I have to give credit to that unit for being able to do that against an offense like that. But man, the offense, they're gonna have to come to play in all four quarters. The third quarter has been the quarter that has killed in the most this season, but it was stacked with the second quarter this season or this past week. So we'll see against Detroit obviously a really
good opportunity to bounce back. We'll dive into it today, going back to going back home against a quality NFC opponent. I think there's still time to write this shit before the playoffs start. But man, the way Tampa Bay played this past weekend, this wildcard round isn't becoming such an afterthought anymore. So they've stacked four wins in a row. I think that's gonna be probably what we look at here in a couple of weeks.
But what do you think the key is to on the teams you've been on when to play well coming out of halftime. Is there anything that you've noticed, because you know on the outside there's a lot of the play, you know, halftime speech and.
Halftime all sorts of stuff.
Honest with you, man, there's there's substantially more talk on outside looking in than there ever is on the inside.
Yeah, like you only got eight minutes in there.
Yeah, this quick, Isaiah's literally.
You walk in the job, you walk in the locker room, you throw your helmet in your locker for a hot second, you go use the bathroom, you sit down, you grab a drink.
Coach runs in there. Literally, the whole coaching staff runs into the locker room. They get in front of the border like all right, boys, listen up, listen up, all right, this was going on, boom boom, and they hit on a couple points. And then it's like they have to run out and get back to the booth like it's
literally no time. So I mean, yeah, you addressed up the key points, but it's not like you're sitting there having a whole team meeting, you know what I'm saying for a half hour like this not that much time.
They're gonna come down.
They're going to tell you exactly what's been going on, all right, the changes that need to happen really really quick. And then like it's gone, and then you come out and you try to execute better. Like that's there's there's more, substantially more talk. On the outside looking in, it's just an insight. You're just you're playing, man, you're playing. You recognize, Hey, things aren't going our way. We've got to make some changes.
But it's not like a come to Jesus meeting where you have to you know, everybody's sitting there kumbaya and at halftime.
Would it be comparable to would it? Would it be comparable to like in between drives having conversations when your coaches on the sideline. I mean it's the same thing.
Basically, there's there's more time in the game that's on the drive.
There's more, there's more information that's conveyed in between drives, and there areas at haveltime.
I do think it's funny because I think on the outside you look at it as it's like the movies. You know, it's like any given Sunday, it's like you're in picturing almost like Mike McCarthy's the only one talking to the entire team the Niners. I want to say it was last season. I think it was last season during preseason game, they let one of our writers at the athletic go in the locker room. Now the writer
can only write about certain things. But to your point, it was a lot about how people are broken off into groups. It's not like this one big like message rah rah, you know, speech in the middle of the locker room type thing like I think that maybe you see in the TV shows and movies.
Everybody take a knee right right, and like you get the white board and then there's like a soft music underline.
Literally, the coaches.
Are the same for you in college too, same deal where you break off like that or because it's a longer halftime. It's the reason I ask.
I feel like college was more deliberate in terms of the team.
Okay, but then you're like the the OC comes, you know, or your decordinator takes the team. They mentioned a couple of things that you need to hit on, like okay, get what your position groups, and like your position coach comes over to your lockers like all right, look, this is what we're looking at. This is what we need to do, and then you're gone. But like in NFL, it's quick. Literally by the time you come away from the dog on urinal and come back to your locker.
You can see the coaching staff literally running in like they're running again. They're like okay, okay, you know, like hurry up, and everybody knows they only have a hot second to get across their message, so they get everybody's tension real quick and they're like okay. They write their little quick notes on a board, they tell everybody what'll do it, and they're like all right. Then they're running back out the door, trying to get back up to the dog on booth.
Interesting.
Yeah, because you've got you've got moments with your position coach, and a lot of times those position coach coaches are on the sideline, so you'll probably get a word with them as you're on your way in or on your way out, whenever you're going in the locker room. But then you've got the coordinators and some of those other coaches that see it from a different angle than you do, and they have a different perspective, and so maybe that's the one time you get the chance to hear that
different perspective. It's interesting to think about because teams, there are first half and second half teams in any level of the sport, and so far the Cowboys, at least in terms of the first quarter, have been great. In terms of the fourth quarter, for the most part, have been pretty darn good. Third quarter has been where they've been really missing that same level of emphasis.
I think that just comes from a coach's adjustments.
Some coaches are better at not only gaining attaining knowledge in that first half, but then being able to quickly convey that information and those changes that need to take place to your team, and your team being able to make those alterations and execute them on the field in the second half. I think that's the more important aspect. And that's not to say that you know what it is to say some coaches are better communicators than others, and then the team has to receive and actually go
out there and apply it. Now, there's different levels of changes, right there's hey, you know, maybe the coach in the booth saw something that everybody else on the field didn't see. It's like, hey, you know, makesure shorten you're split down on this, or make sure that you don't overset, you know, if you're tackled it. Just little cues and pointers here and there that might that might pay huge dividends in
that second half. But it's not an overtaking. It's not a hey, we're gonna we're going to change everything that we're doing now. It's just that's not what it is.
Speaking of some changes, I just want to throw this out there, because we didn't talk about yesterday to you guys. I really liked when they won the toss, they took the ball, just as it kind of change up. What did you guys think of that?
I think you have. Yeah, I gotta get out. I think it's a situational basis, and.
I'm doing it against the Niners two. I don't think they've had the ball once to start the game any of those three last three nine Ers games. There's just something about getting a lead with this particular team. I'm not saying, like Mike McCarthy loves the double double, the going into half scoring, having the ball coming out, the percentage you winning that game are through the roof. I get that, But for certain teams, I think you have to change things up. So when they won the toss
and they took it, I really like that. Now, of course they didn't score, but the way that they went down the field like that, I liked it. But I wanted to hear what you guys had to say.
Well, if you have Lipkey hold onto the ball and he's into the in zone, and let's say the Dolphins and the next Cowboys drive end up the exact same as it would have been anyway as a field goal, and then see Lamb touchdown, you're up fourteen to three. I think, completely different ballgame at fourteen to three, and I think you're And of course it's a butterfly effect. If Flipkey scores, then you don't know what happens after
that because it's a different ballgame. But let's say that that it does stay the same and he just holds on and crosses the goal line, you're up fourteen to three on the road. I think this team with an eleven point lead is a completely different ball club. So I agree with you in this situation. And I think in a situation against like per Se forty nine ers, yes, I would take it. Against San Francisco Philadelphia, I think I would rather my defense get out there and get a stop first.
It's just kind of a situational basis.
But I liked it in this game because you thought you were gonna have to go down and score points and control time of possession.
You did so you just turned it over at the goal line.
Yeah, I agree. I agree. News and Notes, Yeah, let's do it. Practice report coming out of yesterday. So it's a short week. Reminder of the game is on Saturday night this week, so yesterday was treated as a quote unquote Wednesday here in the building. We could dive into some injury things here. Jonathan Hankins, we spoke to him in the locker room last week. Y'all may have touched on this yesterday when Jerry Jones spoke on the fan, but there didn't seem to be as much optimism yesterday
morning as Hankins had last week. As far as playing against Detroit, he was listed as it did not practice with his knee slash ankle injury. We'll see as that as the week goes on where he's at with that. Tyron Smith once again did not practice with his back injury that kept him out of the game on Sunday against Miami and then going through some more injury stuff. Stefan Gilmour he told me in the locker om matter for the game that he suffered a rib injury during
the game. It looked pretty scary whenever it happened initially, just because he was kind of writhing in pain, threw his helmet off really quick, but he was back two plays later on the field. He was on the injury report, but it was for rest reasons. The rib is not on here, So that's that's a good sign as far as him going forward this week. And then it's really
quick to touch on some other ones. Rego Daddle ankle limited, Brandon Cook's rest limited as well, DeMarcus Lawrence with rest, Jordan Lewis with rest, Hunter Luke has a thigh injury. You know, maybe that had something to do. You know, he was limited, and Molly Cooker with his ankle injury limited as well. Okay, so and no major concerns for the Lions either. Brought right backup tight end hip injury. He was the only one that did not practice yesterday.
So for the most part, whenever you're looking up and down the roster, it's about the same as what it was last week, which is, I mean not one would that's great, but Tyron Smith questionable, Hankin's probably doubtful, And that's what you've got going on to injury wise, right yeah, do you think there's a better shot to see Tyron this week? Do you where would your confidence level meeter be?
I right now, I think he plays on Saturday. I mean, he hasn't practiced first day of the week at all this season. They're not going to practice in the first day of the week when he's battling something. So I'm not I'm not concerned yet about Tyron. Ask me Friday and we'll see. But as of right now, I don't. I think there's a little bit more concern with Hankins, if you're tsking me specifically.
But so, Tyron was walking around the locker room yesterday and so for two things why that stood out to me. One he was moving better than he was last week during the week, and two is that when Tyron I'm not saying this is a fact, but there's oftentimes I would see Tyron not being in the locker room at off he didn't think he was going to play. Yeah, they're just the fact that he walked, he walked through there, was at his locker for a little bit. Normally he
would you just wouldn't even see him in there. So I thought that was a pretty positive sign. Again, that's just some reading between the lines. But yeah, I would agree with you. I think he plays in this.
Of course the one day I missed Tyron Smith.
Of course, dude, I will say, though I've been covering this team since twenty eleven, if you were to miss a day, yesterday was the day. Yeah, and like there was just nothing going on there. It's it was the least productive locker room day of any time any my entire time covering the Cowboys there. So yeah, including those times when you go in there after a season ending loss, you know for the locker room they get out pretty bad. Yeah, but no, this was there was just not a lot
of guys there. So that means that today will be very busy. Everybody will be talking the word.
There's nothing to read into there, right with what based off of two straight losses.
No, it's because the way they flipped this practice.
Yeah, I wanted to put it out there because everybody at home is probably like said, like, no locker.
Room probably, No, it's worse than a season ending loss.
No, no, no, no, they flipped the they flipped these practice schedules. So that's why it's like that. So the locker room available at least early in the morning when like guys are either just getting there or all the guys you don't see everybody at their locker because they don't have
to go there. So that's the reason. It's not because of this loss or anything like that, because I thought this loss after the game too, remind me a lot of the Philadelphia game, where it was a loss, but I didn't get the sense that it was like, you know, after the Buffalo Niners game, We're like, we got major things that we need to fix here, and then I'll.
Say this, I think there was a little bit more frustration in the locker room after this loss to any of the other four or five. It was similar to Arizona in that sense where it's like why did this happen? Like how did we not come out with the win? And little kind of like the vibe I felt.
And a little bit of more officials for sure.
But Micah dofinitely would stand off the record.
Absolutely, I could see that because there's a there's a frustration with man. They they had every opportunity and they let it slip because of the lip key fumble and plays down the stretch and things like that. Didn't get a stop at the end. From your defense, it felt like Dallas had every opportunity to win that game and they didn't, And so I could sense a little bit
of frustration. But you're right from the way that they answered questions, and for what we could see from here at the Star and looking at postgame reaction, it was okay, we've we can learn from this, but we have a bit of confidence on the road in a way in a loss like this.
Not a moral victory, but still something to grow upon. All right, when we come back, we're gonna preview.
The Dallas defense versus the offense of the Detroit Lions. There are some weapons here, is the speed comparable.
To Miami, And what do they do well with Jared Goffic quarterback? We'll talk about it when we come back. More talking cowboys.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answered life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller.
Would you, Dear doctor?
My friend supported me during a tough time.
But what's the right gift that says thanks for being a soldier? To cry out?
Okay, this one's easy, I say, give her a delicious doctor Pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any Doctor Pepper flavor will do. Now, Just a reminder that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Doctor Pepper is the one you deserve.
Better to Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys presented by a Black Rifle Coffee Company. This portion of the show is brought to you by Quaker Oats, a super trusted super food. Quaker Oats, the official oatmeal sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, Isaiah, did you get him in?
You know what, Kyle? What I didn't I get them in today? They weren't cooked to my standards today? Or were you just they must not have been Quaker they were Quaker grits.
They would agree with that. The preparation was off today. Looking too much water today? Oh little, too much water today. Well, hey, we'll get back at it. We'll get them again tomorrow, We'll get back at it. I'm with that, super trusted. Yeah all right.
Detroit Lions eleven and four, fresh off of their first division title since nineteen ninety three, Isaia, where were you.
In nineteen ninety three? Dude, that was nine years old? Nine years old?
Where were you eleven man Diehard Liones?
Wow? Yeah yeah, So do you remember that?
Yeah?
Oh yeah yeah. Did you get the T shirts and everything? They didn't really do a whole lot.
I got, well, I went and well after they won in ninety one, after they beat the Cowboys and that was the first time they had won a playoff game. They had like some of the players like Lomas Brown air cream or some of the guys at like autograph signing or something like that. So I have a picture of like I was, I don't know, like nine ten years old with Eric Kramer because it was like the biggest deal. Because I mean, to be honest with you,
this isn't just a Detroit Lions thing. I mean you see what the Pistons are going through right now, the Red Wings, the Tigers, they've all had like the worst seasons like any franchise can have. So when there is any type of like what's going on right now, that's what I'm telling you. There's gonna be a lot of Lions fans a game Saturday night. I mean, like, yeah, I got four or five friends coming down because of the one. You think it's going to be better weather
than it is in Detroit. It's fair New Year's Eve, It's a Saturday Marquee game, and your team is finally good and they're playing another team that's good.
So yeah, we've talked about that before too.
Of with AT and T Stadium being a destination stadium, absolutely fans across the NFL want to go to Arlington to see the stadium, and I don't blame them.
Every time we walk in there, it's it's insane.
And there is that like you look at some of the questions that their players are asked, Like I saw Jered GoFish say like at the end of his press conference, was asked about the whole, like so what do you think of the whole mystique of whole like America's teams that still lives. Yeah, you know, so that adds to it too, because when you said that, the first thing I thought of was Vegas. That's going to be a destination I see for a lot of teams going forward
because they're fans. You can go to Vegas and then to your team play the Raiders. But there is something about Dallas, the Cowboys. If you've never been to Texas, most people I would think, because I know I was like this, you think of like Texas like is football, you know, So there is that part of it too. And then again, like you're thinking December, Texas, the weather probably be decent, especially if you're from Michigan.
You know, yeah, yeah, this weather. It's supposed to be cold on Saturday, but it's not supposed to be like Detroit, Detroit cool. That's not happening.
But with all that being said, I mean, the Lions have been playing very good football and the offense of course, run by Jared Goff. You've got some weapons, David Montgomery, Jamir Gibbs at the running back position. Sam Laporta, who was a draft target for the Cowboys, went a little bit too high in the second round for Dallas to even have really a shot at him at the tight
end position. He's had a phenomenal rookie season. And you've got like the trio on the outside of Jamison Williams, a Monas, Saint Brown, Josh Reynolds, Donovan People's jones that are that are out at wide receiver. It's mostly Saint Brown and Reynolds that have kind of been the guys this year.
Uh.
With with this offensive line too, and the offensive line with Pinney Suel, they don't allow a whole lot of pressure.
This offensive line is really good. Yeah, it's it's it's kind of the core of what they do offensively. It's why they've been able to run the ball so well with multiple guys in the backfield, even when Montgomery gets hurt or Gibbs gets hurt, they can throw other guys in there and they still have success. It's allowed Jared Goff to really settle in in the pocket and have time, and when when Jared Goff has time and we see what he did in the Rams offense, he's starting to
do that here in Detroit as well. They got two guys up front. You can make the argument three guys up front that are Pro Bowl, all Pro type caliber guys, Frank Ragnow at center and Pine Seol at tackle, and then the third is Graham Glasgow at guard.
Yeah, this offensive line is up there in terms of what Dallas has had to go up against. But Isaiah, when you look at Jered Goff in the way that this passing game rolls, is it is it predicated off of the same type of play action, the speed, the motion that we saw.
From Miami or is it completely different.
No, it's more simplistic. I think they're running more base concepts offensively. But the one thing that kind of sticks out from the film that I have seen is these guys are their patient.
They're super patient.
They're they'll they'll try to push it down the field from time to time, but ultimately these guys are perfectly fine just throwing underneath. If you want to play soft covers, they will they will dump dump, dump, you know, quick pass, quick, pass underneath and then ren the ball like they're they're not in a hurry. You don't get the sense that they're like they feel like they have to have a big play. They are perfectly content on having long drives.
And it shows really their maturity and their and their coaching staff and that and and that's that's kind of the sense that I get, like these guys are mature, They're confident in who they are, and they want to just date. They like beating you up, like they like the physical aspect of long drives, like they take they.
Take joy in that. So you don't like Miami is more so like hey, they'll run it.
They'll beat you up and running the ball, but ultimately they want a big play like they they love the big play this team. You don't get that sense like they're just they're just they're prying fifteen play drive cool like they they like it.
It's it's similar to Dallas in that sense that they want to win the time of possession battle, and if they win the time with possession battle, then they're cons hit with whatever happens on the following on the on the back side of it. So uh, that's that's probably the biggest thing you look at when both teams are on offense on Saturday.
It's impressive how much they've gotten out of their young guys too, how much of the impact they've gotten. I mean, just look at this draft class. And I know we're talking about the offensive side of the ball, but Sam Laporter, Jamier Gibbs both key cogs and their offensive attack. First round pick on Gibbs, second round pick on Laporta. They also had another first and second round pick. And they're
on the defensive side. Jack Campbell as you're starting linebacker, and then you've got Brian Branch, who's your nickel at the moment, who is a second round pick, And all those guys are making impacts from this youth, which makes me think that this team has a chance to build moving forward.
This is only the beginning of the.
Lions window of what they're doing winning football games. And I think, John, whenever you look at what the Lions have done this year, there's an excitement around it, but there's also a bit of an experience there that Dallas could possibly take advantage of.
Yeah, oh there is for sure, And I will say I mean that it's very popular saying is same Old Lions. You're always just waiting for the bottom to fall out. And so you mentioned that draft, and it looks good right now, but I can tell you when it was being drafted, there was a lot of criticism of like running back, linebacker, tight end, that's we're using these premiing positions.
This is an organization that thought they were going to be ahead of the curve and go Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams at wide receiver and put all these guys around Joey Harrington and it was a huge disaster. I mean it led to that all and sixteen season that they had. And so to see them actually have success doing this, it makes you feel like, oh, you know, something's different here. This isn't the same old Lions. There, I will say, them building through the offensive line, having
those high draft picks. They're just things about the way this team's built that remind me a little bit of the twenty sixteen Cowboys, where Dak was NFL Rookie of the Year, but Dak wasn't asked to do what he's being asked right now, like Jared Goff certainly not a rookie, but he's also not being asked to just win these games. It's like, hey, we got a good offensive line, we got a good running game, you got a really good receiver you can count on an I'm ran Saint Brown.
And so the next step is them trying to get Jamison Williams to take you know, play like a first round pick. He has got thirteen targets the last two games, but it's been like a slow bill. It just doesn't seem like him and Golf had been on the same page for a while, and so maybe they're getting there, but no, it is certainly a young team that you know a lot of people are excited about, for sure.
But to Isaiah's point from earlier in the year, though, a lot of really disappointed people that about the whole not making a move of the deadline, especially when you saw what Chase Young, what you had to give up to Chase Young in San Francisco, because you had Chase Young to this it takes everything to doing next, you know, Tiers so kind of like the Cowboys, they didn't make any real big moves that like shake things up during the deadline with a lot of people are like, let's go,
let's go for it right time, four the move, and maybe to your point, I think they didn't because they do think this is just.
This is the beginning of the window. And I mean they've got three you mentioned high draft picks on that offensive line that has been very, very good this year. You got three first rounders and two second or two third rounders.
That's it. I mean, everybody is a top one hundred pick on their offensive line. That's what they've got.
And then they've got some guys behind them that could kind of fill in where it need be. Just kind of pieces like that. So if they continue to stay healthy, their offensive line is dangerous and that's gonna be something that's going to challenge Dan Quinn in company. But when you look at this defense from the Cowboys side of things and where they're banged up, Nick, do you have any specific spot where Dallas is.
Going to have to bow up against this Lion's offense.
I mean, even though the run defense was really strong this past week against Miami, it's another two headed monster that you have to go up against. So yeah, it's that defensive interior once again, especially when you factor in the matchup that Mauzi and Neville Gallimore will have this week. Compared to last week against a reserve and Lester Cotton, and both of those guys were able to win some reps against him and kind of force things to be
a little bit of ray in the middle. Now you're going up against an all pro center, all Pro caliber center, and it's only going to be more difficult. You got two different style of backs. I think that's also something a little bit different from Miami. You got Montgomery who's going to be the thumper. He's going to come in right down the middle of the defensive line and make things difficult. And then Jamier Gibbs, he's going to be the outside tackles guy, and he's going to make your
life hell in the receiving game as well. So it's a multiple game that they run out of the backfield. And that's what I worry about, is this defensive front can't hold up.
What did you think about the interior defensive line against Miami.
I thought they played well, but I think more so the running game and being able to limit that was more of an effect of DeMarcus Lawrence being able to seal off the edges. Michael Parsons did a really good job of that as well. Even when he was put back into the second level. And then I have to credit Malik Hooker as well. He's sneakily one of the better run defenders on this team, which is strange coming from the level and typically he's coming from that high
safety look as well, which is also strange. But he diagnoses those things so fast and he never bites on play action. He typically knows it's it's It's quite impressive, and so he's he's been able to make a significant impact in the run game since he's been back, or I guess just the Miami game since he's been back.
Right, Yeah, what do you think which part about the interior defensive line?
Uh, service ball.
I mean, they obviously took care of business in comparison to the Buffalo game. I think obviously the Buffalo game was mostly the edges that were really soft, and obviously you miss Jonathan Hankin's presence. But you know, holistically, these guys they had a relatively good game.
But to your point, you know, this is gonna be a huge challenge for them.
This is a Miami was really efficient, you know, stat wise coming into the game. Dallas took care of business and met the match. This team is one thing you know about them is their character is running the ball like that the that's the literally the ethos of this team is physicality. And if there's anybody outside of Buffalo and outside of San francisc that it's going to test
you is it is freaking Dan Campbell. If there's any there was any personality in his league that was gonna say, hey, what we saw on film, let's see if that's true, Like make them prove it. Like this is the guy that's gonna say go downhill, downhill, downhill, and this game might be over in sixty minutes on one side of
the ball or the other. You know, if coach McCarthy or Dan Campbell, I think both of them gonna try to take the air out the ball and really try to try to try to meet physicality with force, and you're gonna find out what you have.
You're saying, Tony Poller is gonna get more than twelve touches.
I hope, man, I freaking hope. But I think Dan Campbell's definitely gonna try to prove a point in this game. I was reading some of his comments and how excited he is about about this game and coming to town and oh yeah, and it's the Jimmy game and he's he's ready, He's ready, and this office on line is obviously they saw some they've seen some things multiple times now that they're like, all.
Right, let's see. I mean, there's no different Do you think there's maybe a factor here for for Mazzie Smith. I mean we've talked.
About how there have been flashes, but that's about it from Mazzi this year. I mean from Southfield, Michigan, Hope into Michigan.
That's my hope. Can he have something similar happen this week?
My hope that's home.
No, I don't know, I don't I don't know what his trigger is. Everybody has a trigger, Yeah, every person walking this earth has a freaking trigger. And I'm hoping that his competitive bug is triggered this week, not only by Detroit coming to town, but also the fact that there's another Michigan boy on the opposing side that might just get a little bit more attention than he does
Aiden Hutchinson. Yeah, I'm hopeful that that that just pushes his easy button and just turns him into the monster that we know he can be.
But he just hasn't shown since he's been here.
And it is funny to say that though, because I just think of being from Michigan. I'm not a Michigan football fan, but those two guys are just like the face of the turnaround to buy, like Michigan's in there the third straight college football playoff. Like those two guys right there, Hutchinson and Mazzie Smith, that like helped change everything for them.
Do you think do you remember Mazi maybe being a a Lions fan. Did that ever stick out to you, like growing up or anything. I've never asked him that question. Oh, I I don't know if from back from draft process now, I don't.
I've never heard him talk about anything like that. Jhonathan Haangens though last week certainly sounded like he like, this is the game he was targeting. He wanted he's from Detroit two he wants to get back for and I mean to next point. There was just a lot of stuff about how he would help out in this game so much if he could play, because he knows that they want to run the football.
Oh, Mazzi's not a fan of football, remember that's yeah, that's right, Like he likes hitting people.
Yeah, I was thinking about that the other day, like that's a quote from training camp that whendn't happen.
Everybody's like, oh, yeah, that's like he's a maller. And now everybody's kind of like.
Thinking about that quote and it's like, oh, maybe that wasn't Yeah, maybe.
He was serious.
He was genuine, He was totally genuine.
Yeah, I like hidding people.
Okay, all right, sweet Mazzie.
That when he said that, we were just like.
I hope he finds it.
I do, I really do. And I haven't given up on Masi yet. I still think he can be a valuable piece of the interior defensive line for a long time, become it.
Just it hasn't hit yet.
It hasn't hit yet, And like you said, maybe it takes a trigger, Maybe it takes a flip of the switch, and maybe that comes.
This week against Detroit. All right, let's take our second break.
When we come back, we have some national storylines to talk about.
John Mitchoda's got a couple of topics that we're going to hit in a couple moments. What would you just face palm for? I know what he's going to talk about.
That's okay, all right, When we come back, with more talking Cowboys.
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To Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys, presented by a Black Rifle Coffee Company. This segment of the show is brought to you by in Viz a line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. We've got John Matchoda, Nick Harris, Isaiah stanback hi y Kile Yeomans John.
It's time for some national storyline.
Yeah, we're gonna start out.
Are we gonna start with the one that Isaiah wants?
Yeah, let's anger Isaiah early in the morning.
I don't want to mess up my day. All right, Well, here.
We'll get through this real quick. So there's a gentleman from the Chargers by the name of Sebastian Joseph Day, a defensive tackle who probably would help a lot of teams run defense. And he was released and free to sign. Well, he was put on waivers. I don't think it. No one claimed him, so he's free to sign with any team he wanted. So it seems like that would be a potential fit for the Dallas Cowboys.
Wasn't he a captain?
He was? He was one of their captains.
Ye in great leader.
Then yes, and so and so he was available within the last few days and he did not sign with the Cowboys. He signed a one year deal with the San Francisco forty nine ers, of course, and so the rich get richer, and they have added a key piece, much like they did right before the trade deadline with Chase Young. So, yeah, Isaiah, what are your thoughts.
How many defensive lignment have they acquired? Now, have any? No? No, let's think about it. They haven't.
They acquired an entire starting defensive line as their backup defensive line.
That is what I think. Go through Chase Young, Randy Gregory, Sebastian, Joseph.
Day, somebody from Philly maybe.
Uh oh, you're talking about Jovon Hargrave.
Oh that guy.
Yeah, you're talking like off season, just in general, Yeah, just a general. Then yeah, there's a couple more guys in there as well.
I'm pulling it up. Give me two seconds.
Yeah, yeah, So they've they've acquired a starting defensive line as supplemental defensive line.
Farrell or Clellan Farrell, whatever his name is, from Las Vegas, Chase Young, Javon Hargrave, Eric Armstead. That was a draft day Gregory Gregory, Sebastian Joseph Gregory.
Young as your d NS Okay, and Day and Hardgrave as your d tackles.
Correct, that's been acquired.
I'm running for two hundred yards myself on that D line.
Yeah, that's been acquired. That was added this year. It's over. That was a buffalo issue. Yeah added. That wasn't there on the roster last year.
You know what that makes me thinking? I was thinking about this yesterday whenever it came down that he had signed with forty nine ers. I wonder if they're there's not a lot of confidence in the group that they have, or if they just they just love having rotational guys and they want as many bodies as possible up front. Like, I don't get it. I don't get why they need to add so many more. I don't get it. How
hurt they have? How does it hurt if you have a guy like Sebastian Joseph Day that you can't put on the field in a starting situation.
Isn't that a great situation?
I mean yeah, but like it's that a.
Great I wons out the physical style they play usually by the end of this when you get into playoffs, they are usually missing some guys because of that, you know that they allot of people like to talk about that physical style play, how it you know, how it adds up for the opponents and how bad opponents play the following week because of that. I think that they're loading up because they're like, hey, if we need somebody else.
They probably are loading up. We're saying that they don't have confidence, but yeah, it's.
Just I definitely don't think it's a confidence issue. I think it's more so about Hey, guess what, you're great? You great, You're great? How about I just limit you to fifteen plays a game? How great could you be?
Then I wouldn't say I would not say that.
I would not say that works for everyone.
Though not everybody.
I think there's a lot of guys that elite of the elites. I think you need to leave them out there.
So I agree, and Boast is not coming off the field, But when he does, there's a young and a Gregory that come in.
It's nice, it does sound nice and real.
It's wild. Yeah, a couple of guys like that.
All is it Cleveland Cleveland? Cleveland Cleveland?
I don't know.
I don't either. I've never been able.
That was a very that was a very typical Detroit Lions draft pick. When the Raiders took him where it was like the whole like I think he took him like four or something. It was real high. It was just one of those whole back away, we know what we're doing. You're just like, yeah, but you're not really the organization that is usually on the cutting edge and this stuff you're sure about it. I want to say it was it might have been John Gruden's first pick
when he took over his head. It was up there because it was him and Mayak we're running that draft, and I just remember when they when they took him to everyone was just kind of that's kind of early there.
I just I shook my head while I was watching that game the other night, the San Francisco versus Baltimore and when Lamar Jackson had that intentional grounding in the end zone. Who are the two guys that were chasing him? Young and Jos was it? I thought it was another guy, Boson Young.
I know he was Young because he was the one they showed like running off the field. Yeah. And the ref, I mean the ref got in the way to the REFF definitely got in a way that was embarrassing. Yeah, good talk.
The other one I wanted to bring up was just because we visited this couple weeks ago, but it was the whole NFC South. If the Cowboys don't win the division, likely having to go on the road to play against the NFC South. And I remember when we talked about it a couple of weeks ago that was like, Oh, I have all those teams, I think you'd most want to play the Buccaneers, and I'm starting to think that
that isn't the one. And so I remember I said the one that I thought was most hairble was the Buccaneers, and that I thought the one that you wouldn't want to go to is the super Dome. But now I'm thinking the Buccaneers might be the last one of those.
I might have said the same thing. I think New Orleans was the better.
Was a team that I would much rather face, but not the environment that you want to go into.
Yeah, I think that's that's my case as well, And that's what it was, but now it's now I think I would rather go to the Superdome than face a red hot Buccaneers offense.
This baker's been balling. You could joke about it as much as you want. He's been balling. Uh who'd you rather face, nick I?
Falcons? Yeah, the Falcons, but they would they would need the Buccaneers to lose one. That Buccaneers control their own destiny. If they went out, then they're in.
So isn't that nice to be an imposition?
It's also not I mean the Cowboys were in the playoffs.
I didn't say anything. I just did it's nice to be in that position.
Yeah, that's all the dig I saw the dig a little bit. But yeah, I the Saints would need to win out. The Falcons would need to win out, and they would hope that the Buccaneers drop one at some point or drop two.
Actually, the Falcons have the Bears this week and the Niners next week, or excuse me not the Niners the Saints next week, so they could win out.
Falcons could totally went out.
The Buccaneers have the Saints this week and then they have the where to go Oh, the Panthers next week, so they can definitely went out too.
Actually, the Buccaneers can lose to the Saints this week and still be okay. And still make the playoffs. So I guess they only really need one win to clinch the NFC South. It's looking more and more likely that that's going to be the four seed. So yeah, man, it's interesting.
Love that great one.
Other one was the Chiefs and their downfall. I still think they're in the mix. I still wouldn't count them out. And you guys feel like they're done.
No, absolutely not, not as long as he's quarterback and young and healthy and yeah, with that coach, with that coach, it's they need a receiver so bad, they need like five receivers, actually so bad.
Even their safety blanket that has been Travis Kelcey, and of people want to make the joke about Travis Kelcey and it's Taylor Swift.
No, it's it's the fact that this is year ten in the league.
And he's played a physical brand of football forever and so at some point he's going to see a bit of regression and bad.
He said, what, he doesn't have a supporting cast. He has zero around him.
Zero, Like it's not even like a supporting cast. It's like if I would have showed up today and put on the mic and none of you guys would have showed up. That would have been the worst show of all time because I can't do it all but time.
I think that's another team that historically has not been aggressive in off season. I think that's going to change for them this year.
I think, well, I think they I think they move up to get a receiver in the first round, and I think they might even go try to pull a receiver from somewhere, like honestly, like a Michael gallup in Casey. Who knows like that, that's hype Michael g type receiver in Casey. That would be fun.
So you guys don't think that. I'm not saying just a Taylor Swift thing, but just his popularity with everything hasn't benefactor at all, distraction.
To a certain extent. So man, they're just not doing well.
He was to start the season two. He might not even be healthy. Yeah, remember he didn't even start this They when they played the Lions at the beginning the year. That was one thing else I was gonna say. It's about the difference between the Lions and the Cowboys. The Lions like they're on everyone's happy because they're the direction they're heading. But like if you look at their schedule. If that was the Cowboys schedule, nobody would be sitting
here going yeah. But the Cowboys got that road win against Kansas City to start the year because that was a big kickoff to the season for the Lions. Where it's like they didn't have Chris Jones, they didn't have Travis Kelcey. This isn't the chief scene you thought was. And then they've beaten the Bucks on the road. And if the Cowboys had done that, I don't think we'd be sitting here going yeah.
I know.
I understand they didn't beat the Bills or Dolphins, but remember when they beat the Bucks, Like, I don't think we would say they went in Tampa Bay and beat the Bucks.
What worries you most about Detroit's offense?
The run game is going and then they're just eating clock and keeping Dallas' offense off the field. I think that that would be the biggest one. And then Dallas has to play from behind, and then you got eight and Huches and pin his ears back and that kind of stuff. So I think that if the running game got going, I think that would be the biggest concern. What about you you want to get you would love to get in a high scoring game against this team.
I feel if you're the Cowboys, yeah, a shootout, yeah yeah, I worry about them just eating a clock, yeah, and then playing a physical brand football on opposing So I mean they took out tight end for the You're worried.
They buffalo you like James Cook And now it's Montgomery and Gibbs and it's just boom boom, boom boom, down the field, down the field down, Yeah, because their style of offense, like they would They're okay running at seventy percent at the time, am throwing at thirty But they're okay with that now they are perfectly fine with that. Yeah, and like that from that sense, how calm they are in their operation, it's it leads me a little.
Little bubba gouddy, not bubble guppy, but bubble gouddy, you know. Yeah, you say that, and I agree with you. I think they do.
They run the ball effectively, and whenever they've had Jared Goff held underneath thirty five attempts, they're undefeated. They are six and zero whenever he's held under thirty five passing attempts.
So I mean a lot of that is cause I mean, it's because you're playing from behind, you throw it a little bit more.
He's thrown it at least twenty five times in every single game this year, all but three, he's thrown it at least thirty three times, and he has four games where he's had forty or more passing attempts. So they will throw it around like that's not out of the
question either. They've thrown it forty times against Minnesota in a win, forty four times against Tampa Bay in a win, forty four times against Green Bay and a tight loss, and then he threw a fifty three times in a blowout game against Baltimore, so that one's kind of a loss.
But they'll throw it around every would you say their approach was to Dallas last year?
Offensively, I don't remember what half for dinner last night.
I Saydah, do you remember where you were last night?
I do, I do. Fortunately, gosh, do not remember that game at all?
Coming back, I'm getting to that game at all. I just remember the physicality. It was very, very physical.
That is what I worry about when I look at this game, is because you look at the teams that have been on paper more physical than the Cowboys this year. They've given them issues even at home, Like there's been a couple of instances where they've they've been given issues in Dallas.
I feel like Dallas matched the physicality of this week in Miami.
I really feel that.
I mean, yeah, but Miami I don't feel like has.
Agreed agree terrible physicality agreed.
But it's a it's a mentality thing, right, It's a decision to enforce your will. So I told I'm not gonna argue with you on that one. Miami is not detroit when it comes to physicality. But I like the fact that they matched it right. Even though it wasn't at that level, they still they didn't They didn't bow down or back down from it like they brought it right. You talk about Millie Hooker like he brought it, you know,
d Law, he brought it. Like those guys, they had an attitude to them on that side of the ball.
But I think we would all have been surprised if they didn't coming off that Buffalo game. The way they played against Miami is exactly how expected because we have a long track record. Like when I talk about the Lions, it's a lot more of it is about this season
the Cowboys. This is like a building off of we're a third season now of team making the playoffs, a good football team, and so because of that, it's just it's a little bit different of a thing where I feel like you can count on like, well, they just played that game against buffal There's no way they're going to show up this week playing that poorly. Their run defense, no way, now, dan Quinn in this defense, they got too much skins on the wall for that.
Yeah.
Last year's game for Detroit, Jared Goff twenty one of twenty six passing, but he had two interceptions, no touchdowns. They lost, of course, twenty four to six. Had the two field goals in the first half and they were shut out in the second half. Michael Parsons had a couple of sacks. Donovan Wilson had a sack. They were running is whether they were I mean, they were running away is what they were doing for sure, and that was the game plan survived.
The difference too, is they had neither of those running backs that they're going to bring to the field on Saturday. There's a lot of weapons on that offense that they did. James Williams, Samuel Porta. I mean it's a completely different look.
Williams was there leading rusher last year. I forgot his first name, Jamal Williams. Jamal Williams was their leading.
Rusher fifteen seventy nine. To improve their offense this year, oh yeah, definitely, that's what those picks on them.
It is crazy, though, how much this Lions team has turned around. And I don't think enough is said about this. From the day that they traded TJ. Hockinson. It makes no sense because you're talking they trade Hockinson and they're maybe like two one and six, two and six. They look like you're just waving the white flag or whatever, and they went on this run after it happened, and it doesn't make any sense because he's obviously a good player.
So I honestly, I don't understand it at all. But they obviously that was That's what I'm saying, just a different team than they were when they played the Cowboys.
Well, they were one and five after they lost to the Cowboys last year. They lost the week after that to the Dolphins, and then since then they've absolutely taken off and they've won I mean most of their game since then, after losing to Miami, they won all but two of their remaining games.
So what is that.
That's eight and two down the stretch, and then of course they're eleven and four this year, eleven fours. That's an incredible season. It's incredible season. It'll be a fun one to see on Saturdays.
That tied for the best in the league.
Right now, who is Baltimore's twelve and three? Okay, yeah, best in the NFC. It's tied for best in the NFC.
And they've got a chance, they've got play Baltimore. Man, that was not even I mean, that was embarrassing, Like the Liones were destroyed by Baltimore. It was during the Cowboys bye week, and that Baltimore did the same thing they did in San Francisco, where you just look at them, you're like, man, maybe this is by far the best team in the league.
Yeah, thirty eight to six was that final score. It was in Baltimore.
It's a noon game. I remember it was just bloody for at the very beginning.
Yeah yeah, all right, that's it for us today here on talking Cowboys.
Tomorrow, we've got QB vision.
We'll take a look at the offensive preview for the Cowboys offense going up against the Detroit defense. Can the Detroit defense match the physicality of what their offense will bring to the table on Saturday for Chris be Isaiah stand back, John Matchoda, Nick car some cow yeoman saying so long from Talking Cowboys, We'll see you tomorrow.
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