Talkin' Cowboys: Postseason Or Offseason?

for the final time in twenty twenty. Welcome in on Dallas Cowboys dot Com and then host the coast streaming live on the interwebs, and glad you're with us here for the final show of twenty twenty. We were just talking about it a moment ago, about our year and really how crazy things have been for the Dallas Cowboys, and we're gonna talk about how we could get even crazier. Coming up this weekend. Kyle Yoman's here alongside our resident

Super Bowl champ Isaiah Stanback. We've got Rob Danger, pe Island Cowboys Insider down to the bottom right hand corner. Then heck Ma Harrison as always the professional football analyst leading the way and boys. First off, Happy New Year's Eve to each one of you guys and excited to go into twenty twenty one with you and have a show next week. Talking about the playoffs, right, I mean, that's kind of where we're at, right, Yes, playoffs. Playoffs?

Are we talking about playoffs? So let's talk about how the Cowboys could get to those playoffs, because today we're gonna talk about the Cowboys offense matching up against the Giants defense and really the matchup that I think is going to the side this game for the Dallas Cowboys and it's going to decide the winner of this game. But first, let's talk about some injuries on that defensive side of the football for Dallas and rob injury report came out yesterday and there were a couple of names

on there. A couple more names on there I should say that I did not want to see, and most of them were in the secondary. Well, which one's concerning the most, Kyle Well. Donovan Wilson concerns me the fact that he did not practice yesterday. Xavier Woods was limited, Laton Vanderesh again on the injury report, there are a

couple of big names there that really concerned me. Yeah, I thought it was encouraging that Xavier Woods got some work in yesterday with the ribs injury that kept him out against the Eagles, So I thought that was encouraging. Donovand Wilson had an illness was not present at practice. You mentioned Vanderesh Cheeto has been I feel like he's been dealing with a sham string or growing maybe last week.

I have to check if he was on the injury port last week, but something bothered him during the game. I think, so, Yeah, they're a little banged up, but you know, they did okay at the linebacker position without vander esh last week. And I think with Sean coming in with Joe Thomas rotating in if he can't go this week, I think you feel okay because you've got

some veteran depth there. But yeah, you got to keep an eye on the secondary for sure this week and darry and Thompson again, it may be a Jordan Lewis game at safety, who knows, or he may have to

play a few snaps there depending on their situation. Heck, my, how big is it going to be if you don't have either one of those guys, and then who would you expect to potentially step up and play if Donovan Wilson and Xavier Woods are not available, because I think you started finding a rhythm with those guys in the backside of the defense. Now, we opened up the season talking about hybrid players, so let's right, let's get the hybrid on. You know, Jorge lewis a little bit of safety.

He Bill then nicely. I feel like hit all of the injury reports and our safeties being banged up, but all over the league, guys are banged up. So I fully expect that, at least for my conscious need, Donovan Wilson to be able to go h and Xavier Woods because obviously he was out up from the Philly game. But you know, I think that we did pretty good with guys that were out last week, all things being considered, with the passing yards that they got towards the end

of the game. But still I feel good about whomever we have in there. Right now. Our front is playing so so good and getting pressure and got everybody needs to understand, man, when you're able to manufacture that pressure and get sacks and move the quarterback out of the pocket, it does well for your secondary. So I look for these guys to repeat that effort. No Cheeto out there,

or at least he was limited out there as well. Isaiah, do you think Cheeto had a solid enough game last week against Philadelphia to where if he were unavailable against New York and a couple of these weapons like a Sterling Shepherd or an Evan Ingram that it would play, that would pay huge dividends for the Giants in terms of an advantage. I don't think so. I don't think. I mean, where he's at right now in his development, I don't. I don't feel like he's that dominant of

a of a player right now. So, and especially if he was ever going to be out a game, it would probably be against these guys because they're gonna they're gonna struggle to throw the ball. They don't go, they don't go down the field much. We're gonna be sitting in the zone anyway, just because we want to try to continue to get pressure with our front seven. Uh, you know, I it was encouraging to see that. What my belief was in terms of vander Ish, I didn't.

I didn't think we're gonna miss him that much. Last week. So that was that was positive. You know, Joe Thomas and Jaylen Smith running around. Hopefully we can get the same production out of those guys um in terms of safeties, trying to fulfill that void. You know, you know who, you know who I'm who I'm trying to get in there, Kyle going for for that boy, Reggie, that boy Reggie Robinson.

If you look at his his play to turn the forced turnover ratio, I would say it's pretty high his turnovers versus how many plays he's actually had in the NFL. So I say, let the boy roll. Hey, maybe that play on special teams where he did punch the ball out potentially provides an opportunity for him to see more playing time and more defensive reps. And I talked to We had the Cowboys Hour last night with C. J. Goodwin, who was on the receiving side of the fumble recovery.

And I asked him, I was like, so did you think you were in? He goes, No, I was out. I just tried to sell it. He's like, I knew my foot was out the whole. I mean, speaking on Goodwin, Goodwin did a heck of a job coming in and fulfilling that that spiral um. You know, I know he didn't necessarily make a bunch of players, but he didn't have to. The simple threat of him being there, I think kept Jalen Hurts at Bay pretty much, you know,

at Bay for that second half. So it was very encouraging to see them, you know, Mike Nolan expand his his repertoire um and dig a little bit deeper into his black book um to go into that bottletop defense whereas three guys, three safeties across the top of and you dropped that middle at that time, that middle safety, you drop him down and said courage to kind of watch over the quarterback. So that was encouraging to see

them expanded a little bit. And Mike Nolan talked about that on Monday and he said it got to the point where if CJ wasn't chasing him down himself, just that threat, they felt like Jalen Hurts, like you said, was kind of aware of it and was more hesitant to run. And he only had maybe ten or twelve yards rushing in the second half. You know they did, they did bottle him up. That was big. Yeah, he

had four carries for sixteen yards when CJ. Goodwin was at least in the formation or in that second half, I think was maybe the stat and Rob you wrote a really good piece about it on Dallas Cowboys dot com that I read earlier this week, and even talking with him last night. The thing about CJ. Goodwin is he's one of those crazy stories of how he got to the NFL. I really encourage everybody to go and listen to the Cowboys Hour. Not for me, forget about me.

I'm talking about for CJ. Goodwin, because he was fantastic, A great interview. A guy who was a basketball player who worked on mel Blunt's farm, the Hall of Famer from Pittsburgh, and went to a pickup basketball game against the football coaching staff at the college he played basketball at and they said, hey, come out to football practice.

Turned him into a wide receiver. Then mel Blunt talked to Steelers into trying him out, and then from the Steelers tryout, turned around, signed and then ended up bouncing around the league. Was turned into a corner during his time and Atlanta, went to the Super Bowl with Atlanta, and then has bounced around the league and ultimately settled here in Dallas. Which by the way, was his childhood

favorite team always. So really really really cool story and it was a great interview last night with Danny Serek and company on the Cowboys Hour. So he was he was in He's playing a basketball game and the football coaches told him to come out for football after a basketball game. That means he used all his files. Oh yeah, what he said. Actually, what he said is that he dunked on one of the football coach coaches and the football coaches like, nah, come out to practice. Come on, Okay,

I bet you they wanted to run them. I bet you they wanted to run them. If that was what it was they wanted to They wanted to put them on the team so they could run lines and make them pay for that dunk. But so, ways, really cool. You talk about a success story. You mentioned it's three different programs. He was at Bethany College. Okay, he played basketball there. Then he went to Fairmont State to play football, and then the California University of Pennsylvania not California, Pennsylvania.

Journey journeyman and uh man. Just finding a way to get noticed, right, undrafted? What a story? Yeah, so so rot what you're saying is the next celebrity kickball game. We should make sure that Kyle has his opportunity so that we can get him in there at potential kicker down the road. Is that what you're saying. You're saying there's a chance. I'm telling you there's a chance. Let's do Let's do it. Yeah, I need to get in

the kickball game. Look out. I've had commenters on the show already tell me that I have the body of a retired punter, so we might as well make it come true and make it an active punter. Let's make it. Let's make it happen. So I'm not along the way. Let's oh god, let's go ahead and talk about this matchup between the Cowboys offense and this Giants defense, because I want to know it's gonna be a sloppy weather game. And we looked at the weather earlier today and it

was it was fifty five lower. I mean, of course it's gonna be in the middle of the afternoon, but sloppy, wet. It's gonna be raining up in New York kind of like it is in Frisco for all of those who are actually in the Metroplex. But really sloppy week of game play up there at MetLife Field. But whenever you talk about running the football, that might actually go into

your favor. And this is a Giants team that over the last four weeks has given opponents at least one hundred rushing yards after not doing it oh so much the first dozen weeks of the season. But my question to you, Isaiah's can Zeke replicate the week that he had last week? It was a he's in high game for Ezekiel Elliott, But can he do it again against this Giants defense? And how can he? I think so? I think, I think, I think we need to establish

that renting game. I think, especially going into a rivalry game like this, it's gonna be physical. You can't can't get around it. I don't care what the Giants are playing for. What we're playing for is is gonna be a physical game regardless. Now you throw the playoff applications on top of that, and for both teams and guess what, Oh, there's gonna be some hidden So we need to be

able to control the line of scrimmage. We need Zeke to I don't even I don't even have to say we need Zeke to you know, to get off and be aggressive. He's going to do that. I think he felt that flame last night or not last tip of last week, and I think he plans on doing the same thing. And I think there's no better team to do it against them with than your rival Rob Yeah. Absolutely, And you know what, he ran well in the first

game against the Giants. Nineteen carries, ninety one yards, two touchdowns. It's kind of what I was saying a week or so ago. I thought he ran pretty good earlier in the season. They just they got behind and he fumbled the ball and they did something to take themselves out of the running game. Tony Pollard had five yards to carry as well, so they ran okay against the Giants.

But I do expect the Giants to really be on their keys this week because they got dashed by Baltimore last week and a lot of a lot of teams do the Cowboys did too. They do, they do. Heck, they do a lot of funky stuff pre snap and that can throw you off. But they're they're a pretty solid run defense team overall this season, and I expect them to be the focus to be much higher this week. That I was so happy to see the weather report in New York for Sunday. I mean that's that's Zeke weather.

It's football weather, and that's Zeke weather. I mean he when you look at his career at Ohio State, he played a lot of games in this kind of weather. So I expect for him to play, you know, above and beyond his level that he has been all season.

And we know what Zeke hast at stake. Man, He's right now sixty three yards away from a thousand yards and what does that mean for him here in Dallas is putting him in the company of Tony Dorsett and him and Smith being the only running backs to ever record four thousand yard excuse me, rushing yards in five years. So I mean, asides from the accolades and everybody knowing what we have at stake here, I expect for Zeke

to be eteam. Now, I do want to point out over the last four games this Giants run defense giving up a hundred yards. I mean those teams were Seattle, Arizona, Cleveland, and Baltimore. And I mean those are four teams that ran pretty well against the Cowboys this season. So I mean there's a lot to look at whenever it comes

to this Giants team. We're gonna get into it a little bit later on when we get into the pickums and say it with your chest about how the Giants had won four straight and now they've lost three straight, all against really good playoff caliber teams, and so there's this isn't a go ahead, let's win this game type of game for the Cowboys. I mean, this is gonna be a battle. I don't think this is gonna be

an easy win by any for Dallas. And I think one of the reasons why is that defense and rob when you look at the Cowboys in the success that they had last week against Philadelphia, where did they have that same kind of success against this this Giants defense? Because I think the secondary is playing well together. I think the front seven is pretty ruthless. They're not Philadelphia, Washington Pittsburgh level, but they're still a pretty good front seven.

But I want to know where the weakness is in this Giants defense and how the Cowboys can exploit it. Well, that's a good question. I think I agree with you. I think they're pretty solid front to back. They've they've had some problems recently, and I think some of it has been their injuries in the secondary. So it's it's it's a little bit like Philly last week, although I

think Philly Philly was kind of decimated. I just think beyond Bradberry at cornerback, James Bradberry, they're they're kind of young in the secondary at the coverage spots. And so you look at the game last week or last time in mid October, ceedee lamb a huge game and um, you know against I think it was Darnay Holmes work in the slot. Now, I don't know Isaiah Hack from what you guys have seen, I probably expect them to

play some zone. I think they kind of do anyway, but but I would imagine they try to keep things in front of them, given that this is by far the best trio receivers maybe they faced all years. Yeah, I definitely see them playing a two highest shield. I don't I think, you know, to answer your question called the weeks by their defense, I think it's their linebackers. I think their second levels a little a little, a

little soft, little young. I think Martinez right there in the middle, I think he's pretty dug one good, but I think his his comrades on the side who we got here. Yeah, yeah, those guys are those guys are a little a little soft, little little tissue paper ish. But so I think if we can, we can, if our offensive lie can work their way up to the second level, I think we can have some some huge plays on the ground. Now, this is the NFC East battle.

It didn't matter when you're right, when you look at schedule and you saw that we had the Giant the last game, it wasn't gonna be an easy matchup in in perfect form. Here we are having to play for potentially playoff berth. But you're right, Rob, when you talked about what c Lamb did versus the Giants in our first matchup, he burned them. And just like Philly last week, they tried to just say, hey, let's pick our poison. Right, We're gonna pick the poison, and we choose Michael Gallup.

We all they got poisoned by Michael Gallup in the first half and they had to bring guys from awful

safety to play corner to stop the bleeding. But that's what you get versus the Cowboys when you have three receivers that can stretch the feel the way that they can and Ceedee Lamb had that big game because he was in the slot a lot and they had to move down that nickel corner right now, like you said, with the injuries that they have, you look for Xavier McKinney, but he's a safety, but he does play a lot in the slot to be matched up with Ceedee Lamb. Again,

they have to pick their poison. And with the way that Andy Dalton is playing, I just to see us go out on our shield, no matter how it goes, I want to see it us go out firing and to back door that you both of you guys comments. I think if you're if you're the defensive coordinator for the Giants and you had to pick and choose between do I want to stop the run primarily or do

I want to stop the pass primarily? Based upon Zeke's year so far, even though I know he's still creeping up on a thousand yards, I'm gonna go ahead and rest on the shoulders up. Hey, I'm gonna I'm gonna make Zeke get back to old Zeke Forum and make

him beat me. And I'm gonna put my I'm gonna put my best six guys in the box, right because most of the time will be in in eleven personnel, so they can have six guys in the box and we'll have five to six guys in the box and guess what, Hey, my six guys are better than year six guys. And I'm gonna make you prove it. I'm gonna make you prove it. I am not gonna put myself in a situation where I have to say, Okay, my dbs are better than your receivers, because they know

that's not the case. That's a good point because you know when you see comments pregame during every week about how to approach the Cowboy's offense, it's always like, well it starts with zeke, we gotta stop throw, We're gonna stop the run. But when it got pretty toasty, it got pretty toasty for Philly Secondary last week, So yeah, you might need to change it up because Andy Dalton is clicking with his wide receivers and with the protection

it's gotten better too. Yeah, that is and that's it, man. And you look at the numbers for the Dallas Cowboys and just around the league. I mean, it's a comparison thing that we do here and just the upper echelon teams, you know, comparable to our defense being thirty second, But on offense, my god, the numbers for our passing game or two through the roof. I mean, we're in top

ten in passing. And I know I'm one of those people. Man, I just want to see us ground and pound and wear that clock out and phil you know, Philip position ball control all of those things. But it's proven, man, these last couple of games that once our passing game

gets going, we're really hard to stop. Well, it's also been proven that you can do both, and I think that that's really kind of come to fruition in the Minnesota game and in the game against Philadelphia last week, where you did have a hundred yard rusher, but you also had a ton of success with your receivers and with the passing game. It's a marriage between the two that's going to allow you to be the most successful.

And that's kind of where I think Kelln Moore and Mike McCarthy are trying to get this offense to land is right in that little that safe spot right in the middle, and it's hard to do that. Well. The trust tree, the trust tree of play, colleague, but it's hard to do that. That's not an easy thing, and that's why you have to have as many talented players as the Cowboys do to try and at least even

attempt to get to that point. But I kind of want to go back really quickly before we had to break here and address something that Heckma said about Xavier McKinney. I really liked Xavier McKinney coming out of Alabama in the draft. Last year. Rookie kind of got banged up in training camp, didn't play until week twelve of the season, but he's played over fifty percent of the snaps and each of the last three weeks, by the way, all three losses, and in those games, I mean, he's been decent,

he's been good. But if you're taughting me that Ceedee Lamb is going to go one on one with Xavier McKinney right this weekend, I feel pretty good about that. Headmont feel pretty good. So hopefully that's the case, and maybe the Cowboys get an opportunity to use Ceedee Lamb out of the slot this weekend when we come back, though, is momentum going to be the biggest factor in this game? I'm going to ask that question to all three of these guys. We're going to talk about it when we

come back on Talking Cowboys presented by Geico. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why Selor pioneers ways to make lenses as unique as you. Varilux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, and Crisolve for freedom from glare. Three cutting edge solutions in a single unique lens. So whatever your needs, insist on Selor visit your local slor experts and find a perfect lens for you.

Seemore do more slure. Since eighteen sixty five, Stetson hats are American maid with pride right here in Texas, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Want to show your Texes and pride too? You can by purchasing your own stepson. You can look just like how the flag guys do on field at every home game. Stetson Hats the official crown of all self respecting Cowboys and your favorite football team. Get yours today at shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot com or at Stetson dot com.

I'm Jay Novachek, former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Back in the day. I was the guy who always got the tough yards, and that's why I run with John Deer today. In fact, I have a John Dear three zero twenty five E tractor that can handle any yardwork I need to do, even the tough yards way out back. So if you have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the equipment that's just right for you. Visit a John Deer dealer today and run with us.

We are the official tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. Here it's nineteen oh eight. Don't you think we should get electricity and stop using candles to see it night? It's just electricity lights up the room fast, It's more reliable than candles blowing out, and people seem to love it nationwide. Well come, god dare did you just run into the wall? May I have a new canggo? Please? Historically,

switching to new technology is a no brainer. Today it's AT and T five G fast, reliable, secure and nationwide. Switch to a T and T five G. It's not complicated. Five get requires compatible plan may not be in your area. See att dot com slash five G for you for details. Better to talk in Cowboys, whether you're watching from home, or you're cheering in the stands. With or lenses, you can see every exciting play book an appointment at your local or experts and see what esselor can do for you.

See more two more on talking Cowboys. As always, Isaiah stand back, Rob Phillips and Heck Maharris and I'm Kyle Yeoman's going into our second segment here of a say it with your Chess Thursday. We've got predictions and DraftKings players coming up later on in the show. By the way, I went back and listen to our Draftking segment last week. All four of us were on point, and you would have won some money last week. I think if you would have chosen exactly what we said. And I'm not

saying we all just hyped up the Cowboys. Isaiah last week said don't go with Tony Pollard. He said there's more better places you can spend your money. And well, of course that's what ended up happening. Because Isaiah's got a crystal ball, so plenty of stuff to talk about whenever it comes to DraftKings, and we'll do that coming up in the third segment. But Isaiah, want to ask

you a question. So being a former player in the NFL and being around a team with momentum, and that team just happened to be the New York Giants nine and seven went on to a Super Bowl, And you've been a part of a team that has been to the highest point even after having kind of a mediocre regular season. Where does how much of a factor does

momentum in a locker room play? Because right now, you can look at the last three games for each of these teams, and the Cowboys had beaten bad team Cincinnati, San Francisco, Philadelphia, all teams with five or less wins at least whenever they played them. And then look at the Giants and their last three losses Arizona, Cleveland, Baltimore. Like I said in the first segment, all playoff caliber teams.

So two teams going in different directions but with different skill level on the other side of the on the other sideline during those games. But the Cowboys have a much higher morale and much higher momentum right now? Right can they write that into a game like this? Absolutely? Confidence is everything, and people can sit up here and say, oh, well, these guys are professional athletes. They could say, oh, these guys are getting paid a lot of money. This guy

gets paid ten million dollars a year. I don't care what happens to him. He needs to find a way. You're a human being. You're a human being. You just happen to get paid very well at what you do for your employment. When you're confident, regardless of what profession you're in, things become easier. Right, you have a little swag about you. Right when Kyle, when Kyle is feeling that we could tell when Kyle is feeling that could Kyle comes on to Mike and he's just you know

what I'm saying. Bust arrives with the word you know what I'm saying. You know, he heckma goes into his little the source and he starts pulling words out there, you know, out the back. You know, Rob got the injury reports for the last seventeen years. You know. So you when guys are in their groove, you're confident, and things flow right, and and those little those little, those little speed bumps in the rope, now they kind of you got suspension, right, you got you got some shocks,

You got some fresh shocks. When when you don't have confidence, things are hard, Things are hard, and those speed bumps hurt, right, your shocks, and your shocks might you know, they might not be screwed in this type, right, they might be a little squeaky um. But but when you got things rolling, you know your conversation around locker rooms a little bit better. You know your swags a little different. You come into

the locker room a little different. You show up to practice your laugh and they're joking around, talking about what music you're listening to, what the latest dance is, you know all those things. All that stuff matters, and then you go into the game and guess what, you're a kid again. You're having fun. You got the same confidence you had in college. Guys get drafted high. Why because they gain their confidence in college and then they hit

their peak. Then they come into the league and either continue that or they get they get awakening, and they got to dip, and they guess what, they have to build their confidence back up. It's not that they're less of a player, is that they don't have the same confidence that they had in college. So as you're going into games like this, it's all about momentum, right, and if you can go out there and you can build

off of these last few games that we've had. You go out here and you can bust the giants in their mouth and then guess what. Hopefully, hopefully you slide into the playoffs and then it's a four game season. That's why it's all about what team is hot going into the playoffs, because that's what matters most on I like that he said I'm in my bag when I'm in my thesaurus. I like that, Hey, look, man, ain't nomentum like momentum, And I love that we haven't. We

haven't had it before the beginning of this season. We were getting hit over the head with a bag of nickels. Em like every game. You talk about the challenges that we had on defense, not being able to get this offense going in the first half, and now suddenly, all of a sudden and over differential. I mean, the defense is clicking and the offense seems like you know, Andy Andy Dalton can't miss except for when he's overthrowing CD

or underthrowing CD. Lamb um. But I like it. I like the fact that we're in a position now where these guys that you've seen play feel better about themselves. And and like Isaiah said, if it's you know, a little bit looser. You you take the sounds from the game and guys are talking about let's eat and all

of that. You know, let's this is the game for these guys to show up and regardless of how it plays out with the with the football team and the boot Eagles, is imperative that we go into this game, get a victory and feel good about ourselves no matter what, because this has been a season where the Cowboys has been dumped on by everybody, players, coaches, around the league, anonymous sources, all of the media types. So this game is for us, man, and let's just go out and

let's just hear them. Let's just hit them and hit them hard and go, like I said before, go out on our shield. Yeah. You know, it's hard to gauge the confidence of the team just because we're not in the locker room this year and it's just these calls every every day of practice. But I just got the vibe from Zeke talked yesterday, de Marcus Lawrence talked yesterday, and Joe Looney talk and I just felt like there

is a lot of confidence flowing right now. They feel they just feel better about where they're at and quick quote from DeMarcus Lawrence. He said, I feel like when things go south and all of it goes downhill, that's when real men show up. I can just say we've got some real men and some real characters that love playing this game. And he talked about camaraderie and all

those things. I do think it's building. But I did want to piggyback on what Isaiah said, because momentum, like you mentioned momentum, is it a real thing week to week? You know, because it's six games or seven days in between games, Like can you really carry it with a new opponent or is every week kind of its own deal, especially when it's a rivalry game, And like I think Hex said, you can just kind of throw it out

every week when it's when it's two rivals going at it. Yeah, regardless of the days in between, its still builds right here. So you're coming off a game in which you played well, so like these last three games, it's no, it's not just it's not scheme why we force turnovers. It's not. It's not a scheme thing. You know, one game you force turnovers and then guess what, Oh crap, I forgot. I get hit. Oh yeah, yeah, I get hit. That's right. I'm I'm I'm I'm freaking Darian Thompson. You know what

I'm saying. I'm I'm d Law. You know I'll be your everybody better recognize what the name is. And you start, you start, you start getting that swag, but you start remembering who you are. Sometimes some guys gotta go back and watch college highlights. Sometimes you gotta do that. Whatever, whatever helps you remind yourself of who you are, that's what you gotta do. When sometimes it comes into in the form of a big play, it's no, it's no. It's no secret that guys disappeared for a while. Like

say Zeke, Right, Zeke wasn't Zeke for a while. Right, all of a sudden, Zeke goes out and runs his tail off last week and we see this come back. Well, is that because oh he just had a good day. No, Zeke is getting his confidence back the office, A line is getting their confidence back, right, So then what does that do? That transitions right over to the practice week.

Guess what film studies a little bit better? Oh yeah, Now, all of a sudden, it's not a can we can we make this play happen, and it's like, oh yeah, coach, put that in. We're making that happen. Is the question marks start leaving your head. Can I rush without fumbling? Hey, yeah, I can rush without phone Kenn, nobody take the ball from me. I'm zeke. It's that kind of talk, right, and that stuff carries over and then when you go into the next week and you do it again, now

all of a sudden, that's a confirmation. That's affirmation that that is true. And you keep building that up until somebody comes and bust you in your mouth. That's the way it goes. And I don't like keeping going and going back to this Cowboys hour last night with CJ Goodwin, But there was a lot of great information in there, and CJ T you mentioned like the confidence of play calling of hey, throw that in there, coach, let's figure

it out. The CJ package where CJ. Goodwin came in and spied Jalen Hurts was in a pure example of that. Because they talked about it earlier in the season. CJ said that Sean Lee was the one that came up to him and actually brought that play to the forefront. But he did it back in like week eleven, Week twelve, they didn't run it until week fifteen, and when they did, they had confidence in it. They did it for sixteen defensive stabs and it ended up helping them win the

game because both interceptions against Philadelphia came while CJ. Goodwin was on the field. So there is that growth, I

think within a locker room. And Rob, you mentioned the guys who talked yesterday and Joe Luney and Ezekiel Elliott and DeMarcus Lawrence, all three of them talked about how much fun it was to be back on a winning side of things, and I think it may even play more of a factor momentum, that is, in terms of a team that lost so much early on, because you can go and look at the Jankansas City Chiefs right now,

who are fourteen and one. You can say, yeah, they've got a lot of momentum, but you know, for a fact, there's pressure in that locker room. There's not a ton of fun, happy, go lucky in that locker room as much as there would be if they would have lost a couple games early on. Just that's what they do. They're the Kansas City Chiefs right now, and you're winning and that's what you want to get to. But right now, when you start three and nine, it just feels good.

It's a relief to finally start winning again. Right heckma, well, hell yeah yes. And you talk about the momentum from the Kansas City Chiefs that they're the Super Bowl champ so they can't be with all the momentum. But for our guys, and you know, I said what you said will spot on. Man about like remembering who you are, like you and sometimes you gotta go back to your college highlights to remember, Man, I was a dog, right, And I think it's been so much piled on this

team that they kind of lost sight of that. Man, it goes. It makes me think of something my grandfather used to say. Man, it's the reason why donkeys and thoroughbreads don't run the same race, right, because they're not the same. And you're here for a reason, so be

the thorough bread that you are. And they've had to prove that and look all of the at the end of the year, no matter how this goes, we're gonna we're gonna evaluate everybody who's us up, throws down, Who's gonna say the job of the scouting department man Mike McCarthy and all of his guys. They have a job trying to figure out who's gonna be here. Who are going to be the guys that's gonna fit this culture, you know, this continuity that started to this team that's

jailed at the last part of this year. Who are the guys that we're all in and dialed in. Who are the guys that want the outside of this because right now we have a problem where maybe we're overpaying guys that's not giving us that production. And again that's a conversation for another day. But these guys have to realize who they are and play up to that standard.

I don't know if there's a better way to close out the final non prediction segment of twenty twenty by talking about this momentum and talking about the winning that's been happening and the kind of the movement that you're starting to see within this locker room and the confidence that is building. So we're gonna step aside, but when we come back, it's time to say it with our chest one more time, gentlemen, and guess what. Isaiah Standback made a bit of a run last weekend. He's back

in the races. He's back in the race, and there's an opportunity for him to try and catch Rob Pee. It's gonna take a lot, but we're gonna predict a bunch of games when we come back. You're on Talking Cowboys. We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping air waves and taste buds. It's new Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor Peppett and Cream sodas he

a new Combonelet's music to my ears. Okay, Doctor Pepper, time already in a glass, music to my ears and mouth New Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda, A delish, Just do. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why SLOR pioneers ways to make lenses as unique as you. Varilux for super sharp vision, Essential Blue for protection, and Crisol for freedom from glare, Three cutting ex solutions in

a single unique lens. So whatever your needs, insist on, Lord, visit your local essel or experts and find a perfect lens for you to see more, Do more, Lord, The Cowboys Way, where sixteen Hall of Famers and five championships shows us what success looks like. Where Turkey is always the second best part of Thanksgiving Day, where we are all defined by one single thing, the star, where we as fans know it's our job to keep the tradition going.

Bank of America is proud to be the official bank of the Dallas Cowboys and to support the quest of living life the Cowboys Way. Copyright twenty twenty Bank of America Corporation. Dear, it's nineteen o eight. Don't you think we should get electricity and stop using candles to see at night? It's just electricity lights up the room fast, It's more reliable than candles blowing out, and people seem to love it nationwide. Well, dear, did you just run

into the wall? I have a new candle please. Historically, switching to new technology is a no brainer. Today it's AT and T five G fast, reliable, secure, and nationwide. Switch to a T and T five G. It's not complicated. Five get requires compatible plant may not be in your area. See att dot com slash five G for you for details. To Talking Cowboys. All right, everybody listen up, because whether you're listening to Talking Cowboys through them ran now, or

you're trading those DraftKings fantasy football players. Setting your lineup for Week seventeen of the regular season, you can experience audio at a whole new level with the Bows Quiet Comfort earbuds. With Bows Quiet Comfort earbuds, they do help you experience audio at a whole new level. The official earbuds of the Dallas Cowboys. Heck, what do they sound like over there? Col's like a symphony in my head.

I love it. I love it so much. All Right, everybody, let's go into our draft kings picks this week, and you're gonna you're gonna see a little bit of a higher price tag on these Dallas Cowboys this week than we've seen in the past. And I mean for good reason. You saw what they did last week, and they would have won you a bunch of money. There you see the graphic up there, fifty six hundred dollars for mister

Andy Dalton. Zeke's at sixty four hundred. You got a Marie Cooper who had a big week last week, one hundred and twenty one yards. He's at fifty eight hundred. The most expensive skills player outside of Zeke for the Cowboys. Zedie Lamb, who had a big week won me my Fantasy football League title last week fifty two hundred dollars and Michael gallup but clean even five grand. So Isaiah, we're gonna start with you. You're right up at the

top there loving on Andy Dalton. Why it is fifty six hundred dollars or why not fifty six hundred dollars for Andy Dalton this week? The red rifle cocked that thing up. All right. He has definitely worked your fifty six hundred dollars this week. I think that we are going to see a lot of two high shale. So maybe not in the first quarter, you probably won't see him ball out, but in that second quarter to the second half, we're gonna really see things open up because

they're gonna have to come down. They have to drop down a single safety, and we all know when teams decided to go single safety, your red rifle gets released and all of our receivers start to eat. So go ahead and load up on the red rifle this week. And Rob, you're sitting there with sixty four hundred dollars with Zeke, correct, I mean, that's the highest price tag we've seen from Zeke in a while. Yeah, as Isaiah said,

he brought the feed me spoon out. Last week, he got his mojo back, and he told us yesterday it's the best he's felt physically since probably the first Philly game in early November. So heck, mas set at sixty three yards to a thousand. He wants to win the game, first team goals first. But you've got to know, after everything he's been through this year, some struggles, the injuries, a thousand would mean something to him, he said it. So I think he's gonna try to get it for sure,

and they're gonna try to get it for him. And if he does get some favorable boxes, I'd look for them to have success in the running game once again this week. And we've now hit the quarterback, we've hit the tailback, and heck, whenever it comes to these three wide receivers, the big three wide receivers, which one sticks out to you? Oh boy, I'm going with the Cooperville Mary Cooper definitely. Man Um, Let's think about it, guys, how the prices have gone up on our players to

draft draft kings. You could have got these guys draft a dirt cheap a couple of weeks ago. Last week been the new kid, and uh, the Yak Gilbert h Man ge Wagon uh. Now, Now the way that the Red Rifle has this team rolland man, it's uh. I feel like this is a game that Amari Cooper can definitely get off. And like Isaiah was saying, they're gonna be some favorable boxes and once Andy unleashes that rifle, one of those bullets is definitely gonna go to Uh.

Mary Cooper. I love it. I think Amari could have a big day. I think Michael Gallup might continue what he did in the first half last week against Philadelphia because he didn't get a whole lot in the second half. I want to know if he can continue that going into this week. I think CD also with the success that he had last week, actually the last two weeks, he scored and found the in zone. But I think he had a ton of success in Week five against the Giants and he should be able to do that

as well. So it should be a big day hopefully for these Cowboys. They put up thirty seven points the first time around against the Giants. Now, I know the first half of that was with Dak Prescott, but hey, Andy Dalton did pretty well in that game too. Is his first with the Dallas Cowboys. But Draft Kings is the official daily fantasy sports partner of the Dallas Cowboys, and this Sunday only, you can play for free for over a million dollars in total prizes with your first deposit.

Just download the app today and play for free on Draft Kings. The leader in daily Fantasy Sports, and then the leader in our clubhouse in terms of the final week of our pickums is mister Rob danger p Island over there in the bottom right hand corner, sitting at forty five and twenty five. As he had a decent week last week, kind of stumbled a couple of times, Rob, I was a little upset with your consistency there. It allowed sorry to sappoint, It allowed Isaiah place. Yeah, I

know you're right. So Heckma is in second. He's at forty two and twenty eight, so he has three games back. He needs a game three if he's gonna beat Rob. Three games back from Heckma is Isaiah stand back at thirty nine and thirty one, and then I am, of course bringing up the rear three games back from Isaiah thirty six and thirty four. So moving on from the let's go, let's go into this week's pick hims, and we're gonna start off with one of the better games

of the week. I think Bill's Mafia the Buffalo Bills at twelve and three playing really good football right now against the ten and five Miami Dolphins, and we're gonna let Rob p Island start this one off, right. I said it a month ago. Bill's Mafia will be in the AFC Championship game against Pat Mahomes in the Chiefs. I think they win this game at home. Heckma at home. I'm definitely gone with the Mafia, all right. Isaiah Buffalino, Yeah, I think I'm gonna go with the Buffalo Bills here

as well. I can't pick the Dolphins or I can't pick against the Bills. Rather, I think that's the biggest one. Let's go with the Steelers on the road against the Browns. The Browns in dire need of a win after losing last week to the Jets and really what looked to be a four gone conclusion that the Browns are going to be in the playoffs for the first time since two thousand and two. They're sitting at ten and five and the Steelers at twelve and three, We'll go with

Heckma first on this one. Well, I got the news Ben Roethlisberger isn't playing in this game and Mason Rudolph has to start. And with the history of Mason Rudolph and the Cleveland Browns and knowing that the Browns if they lose this game, they are potentially out of the playoffs at ten with a ten and five season, Dude, I think Baker Mayfield plays out of his mind in this game. Going with the Browns, Rob, I think the Steelers are gonna rest more than just Ben Roethlisberger. If

they rest a bunch of starters. Yeah, give me Cleveland Isaiah. Mike Thomas is still angry. He doesn't care who the hecks in a game. They're gonna go for the dog on a victory. And I think Baker Mayfield goes outside of himself and tries to do too much. It makes too many mistakes. I'm gonna pick the Browns here. I agree with you guys. I think the Steelers kind of rest some some interesting and that might be one for

Isaiah to catch catch up a little bit. Okay, how about this a little bit of a toilet bowl game? The Vikings on the road against the Lions. No Dalvin Cook for the Minnesota Vikings. So this really is a toilet bowl game. This is fun, though. You gotta gotta pick the bad games too, all right, Uh, Isaiah, who you got Detroit? What? Hmm? Okay? Heck mon oh big? Rob go Okay? Oh good lord, I'm going to Detroit, you copy cat. I'm gonna pick the Vikings at six

and nine. I still think kirk Cousins has a better game. Go for it, Rob, Yeah, I'll go. I'll go Minnesota. I think Stafford's banged up, so I do know. I believe in Casey. I believe in Casey kirk Cousins. Let's go. Come on, four more games, come on, four more games, Okay, four more games to get to Okay, So the Jets and the Patriots, now, I'm just kidding, we're not gonna pick. Let's let's go ahead and pick it. Let's pick that game because the Jets have one two in a row,

and the Patriots, man, they look bad, they look bad bad. Uh, Patriots all right at home on this one. I'm gonna take the Patriots still to beat the Jets, but I'm not very confident about it. Isaiah, I'm rocking with the Jets defense in my fantasy championship games. So I'm going with the Jets, baby, Rob. You see Bill Belichick chucking that phone on the sideline. They're not gonna this game. Pats win. M Heck, I'm going Jets. You know what, Heck, I really don't like you right now. Um, let's go

with the Cardinals and the Rams. This is a really important battle in the NFC West this week. Cardinals, at eight and seven, still have a chance to get to the playoffs. The Rams have a chance to get out of the playoffs should they lose at home. Uh, heck, go first. I'm going to Cardinals, all right, Rob, Cardinals? No Jared Goff? Right, Cardinals, Yep, no Jared Goff. I'm gonna pick the Cardinals here as well, Isaiah, can you gain a game? Ill to the baby? Let's go? Of course,

you know he's gonna do that. Let's go. Hey, how about that. I got a trick for you guys. I gotta trick for Heckma and Rob. They're gonna love this, Okay. So I'm gonna we're gonna pick the Seahawks and the forty nine ers. Rob, who are you. Who are you taking an game? Seahawks? Who are you taking that game? I'm taga Seahawks. Seahawks as well, Who are you gonna take in that? What you gonna do? Lakers, buddy, Cootie Queens, Okay, I'm going to Seahawks. You don't go with my dog

on birds Man Seattle whole day space needle baby. I tried to do it to him. I tried to get him to pick against Jos Goodness, Um gosh, we're running out of time, but I want to pick so many more games. Okay, let's do. Let's do the one that the Cowboys need. Sunday night football, Philadelphia Eagles at home Washington Football Team. Depending on what the Cowboys result is this weekend, this will decide the NFC. I mean it will decide it anyways, but it will decide whether or

not the Cowboys go to the playoffs. And HECKMO will have you start. I think our guys come out out of their mind. Man, this is our super Bowl game. Last games? Whoa Washington? Philadelphia? Fade a minute? Heck, we're picking the games and Philly, Oh, I'm gon Cowboys. I'm sorry, Um, Cowboys, I gotta have. I'm going you can't pick Philly. You just can't pick Philly. Pick your Rob. You're manny, you're manny A word. Heck, I can't pick for me, Rob, I can't do it. Come on, you gotta go fistitos.

Let's go. What was that? Heck? I'm sorry? The ron's with Beagle Ron. I'm sorry. I don't I don't have the I don't have the bows, I don't have the plaza again, Beagle. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna pick Philly. Actually, I'm gonna pick Washington. I think Washington gets it done. How about that? I'll pick Washington just to try and turn it around, all right, Isaiah, hurts business, hurts business. I love it all right? Here we go. Heck, but you were chomping at the bits to get it. I

didn't make a pick game over. Yeah, you were saying, you were saying, isn't there the is the fix in? Kyle? What? What what are we doing here? How you got? I mean, excuse me, Rob, who you got? I hate to say this. I'll take Washington in an ugly game. Ugly Yeah, I think it's gonna be a bad game. Are you all right? Here we go? Cowboys versus Giants and NFC East playoff.

Berth on the line, Isaiah, go first for us? Here, my friend, you see it on the wall, going with the star baby, let's rocket m heck mom, hey, he should turn his camera the other way. I show you that Giants Jersey did he asked, no? But the Cowboys out a little bitch, rob U. Cowboys averaging more points in three games stretched than any team in the league right now, last three games, Giants averaging eight point six. I'll take the Cowboys, all right. Well, here's the thing.

I've got to preface this by what I've said the last three weeks, during this winning streak. Every single time against Cincinnati, against San Francisco, against Philadelphia, I have picked against the Cowboys. I've lost those three games, and I'm not changing that now. I want to take that juju and I want to push it toward MetLife Stadium where the Cowboys can come out with a win. But I

picked the Giants. New York's gonna win this one twenty seven, twenty one, just to continue what I've done the last three weeks and hopefully it works things out. So I'm picking the Giants. I'm not changing things now, final week of the year. We're rolling with it and the Cowboys hopefully will have an NFC's Playoff earth because I also picked Washington to win, so maybe that'll work both ways. So that's gonna do it here for us on Talking Cowboys.

Everybody out there, have a very safe, very very safe New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Hope everybody gets to spend a lot of time at least talking with your family and things like that along the way, but be careful, be careful when you do it. We'll be back on Monday to break things down. Win or lose for the Cowboys, either we will be in the playoffs on Monday morning or we'll be wrapping up the twenty

twenty season. Still a lot to go on this weekend for the Cowboys, but we do want to thank every one of you for listening to us here on Talking Cowboys, for Chris being back at the studios in Frisco, for Hack Mohrrison, Rob Phillips, Isaiah stand back. I'm Kyle Yeoman. So long here on Talking Cowboys, presented by Geico. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football club