Talkin' Cowboys: Previewing Cowboys vs. Panthers

got a little dose of the NFL last night. We've got no Mickey again today, so he's out the whole week, but hopefully Mickey will be back on Monday. Bill Jones with Brian brought us and Rob Phillips, Rob, do you get some maroon on over there? A little bit of a touch of maroon? It's a big aggie weekend, isn't it? Is it? I mean, yeah, they're hosting the Clemson Tigers. We're on game day. That's pretty cool. Yeah, and then once kickoff starts, I don't know how cool it's gonna be.

So do you do you wish that the Cowboys were playing at home this weekend, so you could make it down to Aggie Land and take in that game on Saturday. If the Cowboys were at home, I would be there on Saturday. You would be Yes, I would. I would pay for Aggie but kicking that we're about to get on Saturday night. But you know what, you sound just like me watching LSU play. Oh, I'm the worst when it comes to my team, and I always always feel

something disastrous as now. Oh, I've always liked that. My brother in law give us me who's a Texas Tech fan, so he prepared every week to lose. Yeah, prepared to prepared to scored sixty. And he always gives me a hard time because I always say, it doesn't matter. We're playing Florida Atlantic. Let's doing You know, we got Lane Kiffin over there. You know we may not be able to handle this one. You know, I think it could go either way. We got Chip Kelly and UCLA by

the way, you got the Bruins. Yeah, you know they didn't look very good the other day playing. But yeah, but he's gonna be a tough game. Yeah you got through, you know, mind you so much like Lou Holtz. Lou Holtz used to be. You know, they played Navy and they'd beaten Navy like forty consecutive year. This is one of the best Navy teams I've ever Yeah, lou you lost him in forty years. Who's ls you got? They met nobody Southwest Scott, I mean nobody because it's a

short week. Yeah, we're one of the directional Louisiana. Southeast Louisiana, South Southeast Louisiana's one of that. Yeah. Southwest Louisiana is now Louisiana. Yeah. Yeah, So Southeastern Louisia got one of them. You got MacNeice or somebody. We have Southeastern Louisiana. We got the name. We got Auburn next week, all right, we got Cowboys and Panthers. Did y'all watch much of

the Eagles last night? First? I kind of kept a little bit of an eye on it, just up until the half, and then I lost interest after that, and then I can't. It's funny because I took that for you. Yeah, I went to sleep and I woke up just in time to watch the final series. Yea, the final drop. You need to watch that game. And it was crazy because I'm thinking, come on, Steve star kissing you can call better plays than this, and no he can't. So the Falcons got what they deserved at the end of

the game. You know that, you just basically I got home about the same time. Maybe they were throwing for the end zone. Yeah, if you don't have a good plan, if you don't have a good plan in the red zone, then you're gonna probably have problems and probably lose games. And that happened to Atlanta. It's it's a shame that they didn't learn their lesson, but they they didn't. That's

why they took an ll. I tuned out after thirteen penalties in the first half, and I kind of kicked myself a little bit because I didn't think we'd see the Philly Special. Ever again, I didn't. I didn't think was it the same Philly Special? The same but it was more like the Brady play, the pass play, the Patriot's head in the Super Bowl. It was. I just I never thought Nick Foles would catch another pass in his Eagles career. I thought, you know, everybody would have

that scouted. But apparently, if I want to ask you this, so you feel, just watching what you've seen, you feel we were pretty I think we were all talking about Philly being the best team in the division, Philly being the team that you have to kind of watch. You know, Dallas will be behind Philly. You know, do you feel a second, who do we pick yesterday? No, No, I'm talking about I'm asking Rob and myself here. I'm just

kind of looking at Rob saying that right now. Well, yeah, I mean they struggled to move the football last night. Kind of the preseason, they had that problem moving the ball in the preseason. You said that, and Chris Collinsworth said that last night. Um, the questions. You know, Falls obviously is a folk hero there now. But well they maybe not now. I mean because the Lusters come off that super Blay did they didn't win last night? Started the Lusters come off a little bit. The boot Birds

came out of half. They were going them off the field at halftime. You know, if Carson Wentz is gonna need some time to get back, That's that's interesting. That's what I'm thinking. Maybe, you know, I was My I thought was, okay, that you're gonna get Carson Wentz back. It's not going to be one of these three or four game things. You're gonna you know, have him back in a couple of weeks. But you know, the Eagles very well could be a team that offensively, Now, defensively

they're really good. Yeah, they are good defensively, but you know, offensively, I mean, that was that's a lot like what we've seen in the preseason from them. And if Nick Foles, you know, if you're a Cowboy fan, you got to hope that you know, last night could have been a loss for them, and it wasn't. But if Nick Foles has to continue playing only averages like four yards a throw, then you know, maybe you feel pretty good about you know, Dallas,

I just didn't. I said, yes, I just don't see Philadelphia running away with this thing like they did last year. I don't see them rolling off. And that was the way I picked. That's one of the reasons I picked Dallas yesterday is because I just don't think Philadelphia is I like the way they've constructed their roster and so forth. But you know, even you know, al Shan Jeffrey's coming off his injury or surgery or whatever he had, they didn't have him last night. They're things are not going

to fall into place like they did. They're going to have to really scram But when they had injuries last year, Foles stepped up his game. We saw more what Nick Foles is really like I think last night. Yeah, absolutely, And you know, now, how long are they going to be without wins? I mean that injury occurred and it was not your typical ACL injury. No, and it happened very late in the season, and you know they may not have him for another month. It knows they're not

going to sneak up on anybody either. And Cowboys kind of found that out last year coming off thirteen wins, that everybody's gunning for you. It is a first place schedule for them this year as opposed to absolutely the third and fourth a year ago. Sure. Yeah, it's going to be more difficult for sure. All is hard to maintain the NFCS. There's rarely you got back to back champs. Yeah, I think if you're a Cowboy fan, you have to

feel a little bit better about the situation. You know that that means Dallas is going to have to go out and take care of their business too. Yeah, this first month we talked about it. Yeah, you can't go to Caroline and flop around and figure out, you know, lose the game by doing some stupid You know, you have to do better. If Caroline's gonna beat you, make Carolina beat you because their players are better. Don't do

anything stupid to cost you this game. So we'll break down further and get our final thoughts on Cowboys Panthers over the course of the next hour. Here when you look at the Cowboys and what's going on with this team right now? Today, Travis Frederick talked for the first time yesterday since the announcement came out a little over two weeks ago of the gee and bar a syndrome.

After hearing him talk, any I don't know that it cleared up anything because he didn't know and the doctors don't know what's going on with him right Well, that is true, and that's gonna I think the way it's going to continue to roll. They've they've we talked about this um. They they're keeping him on the active list and if you know, if things approve in the next three, four or five weeks and you can kind of get

things go in the right direction for him. As far as getting back on the practice field, well, that was a gamble that was worth and I and I don't mean to use the word gamble in like they're gambling with his health. I mean they're gambling that, you know.

And listen to him talk and listen to him on the Bin and Skin show, you know, he feels like he felt like, excuse me, that he caught this early enough that they feel like that they can they could treat this and he can get some of his strength back and work his way back and there's no paralysis and things like that. There's still some loss of feeling and things like that, but they he at least feels positive that, hey, we caught this at the right time.

Now let's see if the treatments and all that will take take hold. And that's what's great for his long term health is that, like you said, that potential for paralysis the longer you wait, that's great prognosis long term for him. Now it's the question of it. They're not going to rush him back, so how long does it take. He has no idea at this point, and I don't

think the Cowboys do either. I mean, he said he's still got some numbness in his hands and his feet, and but he is going to progress to some weightlifting, which is, which is good. He's he's doing some active things. There's just no way to tell right now. Yeah, and really he may not know exactly what he can do until he is able to do some physical exertion. Yea.

On that level, you know, when you're talking about him eventually getting back to being an NFL player, obviously it's a far beyond what we have to do on a base right. This is a tough game. It's tough for any games for him to miss for the Cowboys because what he means to the team and you know, and into the scheme. But when you talk about how this game could very well hinge, you know, and I just look at matchups and if you know, if if Connor Williams and Joe Looney and I don't worry much about

Zack Martin. I think Zach Martin holds up fine. I just worry about Okay, can Joe Looney? You know. And they're not gonna win every snap they're him and Connor Williams are not gonna win every snap against short. They're

not gonna win every snap against Luke Keikley. But you don't need them to lose at key point in time if it's a key down in distance if it's a key third one, or it's a key third and two, or it's a key third and seven where they're trying to you know, they have a good play call, but all of a sudden they give up inside pressure and guy's open. Cole Beasley's open, but they can't get him

the ball. You know, don't don't expect these guys to win every snap, but I mean, I'm talking about Looney and Williams, but they just they don't need to lose every snap. That's that would be that would be devastating to this offense if that happens. You know, when you saw Connor Williams and the short sample against Geno Atkins in the pre season, what did you think and how does that compare with what he faces against It's gonna

be a test for him. This is gonna be a test because what we've always talked about with Connor Williams, it wasn't the athletic ability or the mental capability. Those things are fine. Where he's going to struggle as he's gonna when he struggles against power. That's when he deals with a guy that's got some quickness, that has some power. Now, The problem is, you know, you have Joe Looney on the other side of him. That's he He's trying to think, Okay, what do I have to do in this game? Oh

my gosh, you got Luke Keickley over there. I gotta find you know, I gotta block him. I think, No, Thomas Davis really hurts helps the Cowboys here by the way, him being suspended, you know, top linebacker for sure. But but Luke keik we still I just worry about if you said it was Frederick playing the center, you could then say, Okay, he's gonna be okay because he knows, he knows how to get through this. He could not only do his assignment, but he can do your assignment too.

And I wonder if that might be just a little bit too much for Joe Looney to have to do his assignment and maybe help a little bit. But to answer your question, though, it's it's the power, it's the quickness. That's the things that tend to throw Connor Williams off. He'll learn, he'll get stronger, he'll get better, and as

the game wears on, you know, he very well. He could get in a situation where every snap he's winning, and that would be a great thing for the Cowboys because you know, Kauan short, he could wreck their running game, he could wreck their passing game if if, if, in fact, he gets on a roll and you put that guy that under tackle and he's inside on Dak Prescott before you note, I asked Zach Martin about the transition that he made as a rookie and what Connor made is

making this year tackle left tackle to guard in the NFL, and he just said it simply, It's just things happen. Quicker guys are up on you faster inside, and so we see Connor's a great athlete. He is terrific. I

got a great feat. But yeah, you know, you got big defensive lineman coming at you quickly, and you've got to be able to set and have your leverage and be able to hold you hold your ground, and yeah, that's that might be a working I hesitate to make the comparisons though, between Connor Williams and Zach Martin, just just based on what they did in college too, because Zach was a four year guy, right, he was okay.

Connor Williams was a three year he and he missed a lot of time his last year, he's facing Big twelve defenses, and and I know the reputation about the Big twelve, but I'm not talking about the personnel so much as the scheme in the Big twelve as compared, it doesn't duplicate what he faces in the NFL. Zack Martin at Notre Dame over a four year career, saw a little bit more of that. He was better prepared for starting day one in the NFL from his college experience,

I think than Connor Williams. Yeah, you know, this is clearly a plug and play player, though right exactly, I'm not saying he shouldn't be in he is. He is a plug and play player, and you know that's the thing there. This team has had great success of taking lineman that are first round guys on their board and drafting them and then you know, and making it work. So uh, you know, I'm I just look at that.

I think there's really some really good matchups throughout. But I think their matchups that both Carolina and Dallas can win against each other. You say, Okay, cross that off, cross that off, cross that off. You know a better Jalen Smith. Now what we've seen with Jalen Smith is a good matchup if you're talking about what you're having

to do with the running backs with Christian McCaffrey. There, if you had last year's Jalen Smith playing against Christian McCaffrey early in the season, you would have been like, Okay, Dallas is going to lose this matchup, right totally, you know. And movement, yeah, you got you know, and you know, let's see. I mean, Layton vander Esch has been practicing quite a bit now. I mean, they they're getting him involved. Can you play him encourage? That's one of his strengths.

You know. Damien Wilson has been really good in training camp. They're blitzing him now and doing things with him. We saw it in the in the Texans game. There's things you could do with these these players. I think there's just more okay, wash wash wash. You know, you could kind of go through and just say, boy, good team,

good team, good team. Yeah, that kind of way. But then there's some things you could say, Okay, well, now you've got a All Pro Pro Bowl defensive tackle, you know, going up against a rookie who tends to struggle when he does struggle, you know, one of short strength is Connor William's weakness. So that's if it comes down to one or two, and maybe Connor Williams will shine in this thing. Maybe Kawan Short will struggle and he won't be able to get all blocks and he won't be

able to use this quickness. But if you just look at if you just look at position by position by position, that's the one that really catches my eye. And then you look at the next one and you say, okay, oh wait, you don't have your all pro center, but you have a guid that's a capable backup. In any other week he might be okay, But now you're thinking about Luke Keikley on the other side, and now Luke

Keikley running sideline. Sign if you don't get somebody to Luke Keikley, we know he can make every single tackle. But I know that Travis Frederick can get to Luke Keikley. I don't know if Joe Looney can't get to Luke Keikley on a regular basis. When you see done Terry Poe, okay, and his effect on this Carolina defense relates to, Okay, you got Keikley behind him, Yeah, okay, And when he

was at Atlanta, he had fast linebackers behind him. Now he was a three four nose tack in Kansas City, right, he has from a Carolina perspective, he has a very positive effect I think on their defense and what getting their playmakers in position to continue. There's no question. There's no question about that. And I mean it's the you know, I think that, you know, to me, it's this is

gonna come down. And I'm writing this for Dallas Cowboys dot Com today for the Cowboys because if it was Travis Frederick, if Travis Fernick was in there, that would be one of my wash you know, that'll be a wash. You know. Now I can't say wash, you know, because I'm thinking advantage Carolina, Advantage Carolina. And what's the one thing that Dallas wants to do. Dallas wants to run

the football. I just worry, My biggest, biggest, biggest, biggest worry in this game is a Denver situation where all of a sudden, it's eight carries for eight yards, can't run the ball and everything, and all of a sudden they're making maybe they're making plays on your defense, and now you're in the whole fourteen nothing and you're having to throw your way out of that. You know, that's that's that would be what would worry me when you

play Carolina. Carolina's secondary is not as good, which might help you. That's that might I mean, Denver secondary lit it up. They were good. But but we're but if you cannot and we knew going in they were good, yeah, if you cannot do we didn't want to hear about how good they are. Oh that's true, right, but he probably should have listened. But that's that's where hitting some plays in the passing game early can help back things off a little bit. But then again, now let's talk

about Okay, Carolina's secondary, Dallas receivers. Who you hanging your hat on? And that Dallas. That's and that's what I'm most anxious to find out. It's finally you're hanging your hat on, right, That's what I want to see. Yeah, we finally, let's see a rotation. Let's see, you know, who can step up and make plays. It's Friday before the Sunday getting You mean, Witton's not gonna walk through that door. No, he's got a Monday night game. He's prepping,

he's got one of those Monday night games. I think he's got Jets Jets Detroit. Probably is he doing Rams Raiders. I'm no, no, no, no, he'll do the first one, the first one, you know. I think it's such a The Rams Raiders is a much better It is a better game, and you got Gruden there. Yeah. See, I just think you put your number one team on the Gruden game because although I realize that audience wise, I think the Rams Raider game will be a better game myself. Yeah.

If I was not I was calling the shots, I'd say her make the East Coast, stay up later and put your number one. I love Mike McGan. Mike mckegnan at the general manage of the Jets is a dear friend. I love you, Michael, but I'm not interested in watching your football team. Whoa all right? Well though, Sam Darnold, though maybe watching him play. That's the rash. We're watching gms and coaches trying to save their job in week one.

We're way ahead of ourselves looking ahead of Monday, though, although I do like the fact that first Monday you got right doublehead. Let me ask you, guys, since you know I act like I know what I'm doing. I'm sitting here doing radio. At one time I was scouting, but now I'm doing radio with you guys. Where where do you see this thing hinging? Where do you Rob Fiel? Let's do that. Okay, come back, that's a good team coman. We'll come back and do that. And I'd like also

flip it around. And we've sat here and talked about the Carolina playmakers up and the seven. How about the Dallas front seven right against a what is a much malign now Carolina offensive line. When we come back on talking cowboys. It can be hard to find the right resource for learning about important financial matters. You search how to build savings, you end up reading about the one

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I want to remind people because when of course we're focused on the season opener Sunday, but there are tickets available for the home opener on a week from Sunday, Sunday Night Football. That crew that was doing last night's game will be at at and T Stadium a week from Sunday with that New York Football giants. I did say they were bad. I just said no, no, no, we're they're bad. I'm just a lot of people kind

of complaining crew. Chris collins Worth will draw that al I love AlCH my all Michaels to me, I love Al Michaels. Not just from the nineteen eighty hockey game with him and can drive and call in the game, but I love I love Al Michaels. Yeah, I mean, but I just is Chris Collinsworth was beating people down. I didn't I don't listen. I didn't watch enough to catch it. I do know. There's a lot got some feedback.

There's a lot of Collinsworth hate out there. I feel like, oh yeah, from the average viewer, and I've always kind of enjoyed him. But he's not for everybody, apparently, I don't know why, kind of just kind of kind of a WTF type attitude sort of rubs people the wrong way, like Starkey Joe snarky snarky Joe buck of the Some of the time you wonder if he's just stirring it up, yeah, exactly, rather than And I've heard some stories. In fact, there's

a um I heard a story yesterday. I'm not going to say who told me the story about New York Times about to tell who that guy. I heard a story early on in collinsworth career when he was in a three man booth and the conversation was going on before the game started about certain players, and then they get on the air and Collinsworth all of a sudden is throwing out a totally different opinion about that player

than what he was saying before the game started. But it was just in the interest of creating good TV. I'll tell you what though, that doesn't sound not not familiar, because real quickly Randy Galloway did the same thing. A local legendary broadcaster here Galloway. One time I was on the air, and this one the first time. Randy was one of the reasons why I got into this business. This site went from scouting to media. Him and John Lund who's out in San Francisco now, and Randy goes,

he goes, brought us watch this. I'm gonna trade Dez Bryant and cut Tony Romo and that's Randy's voice, and I go, you can't do that's irresponsible. He goes to watch next thing. I know he did it. He didn't believe it, but he did it. In the phones lit up, I mean, and they did a whole They did four hours of radio because just just based on watch me trade Dez Bryant, I'm getting rid of him, and I'm like,

I can't do that's your responsible. It got to the point where Steven Jones actually had to comment that you know that it was that that they weren't gonna they weren't going to get rid of des Brian. Well, you know this is several severer years ago earlier. Yeah, there are people that will do radio or do TV. I think did the Skip Bayliss and those guys. I think that half the things they say. They don't believe. They've kind of changed television in a way because it's like

you take this side, and I'll take this side. Let's just yell at each other even though we got well. And the other thing that's happened now because of social media and the instant news cycle um is ESPN or Fox Sports, CBA, whoever, whatever website it is, they then take what is said by a commentator and they turn it into a headline that gets tweeted and retweeted, and all of a sudden it becomes a story when it

had no have you have you know? So one of the funniest things I've seen ESPN do is they will have an insider say something and they will have another ESPN insider or refute what that just said. How does that happen? It's like me going, Rob puts out Jason Garrett said today, Rob Jason Garrett did not say that today, or like source reports, and then they come back with their own sources from their own colleagues and saying, well,

my sources are saying something different. It's the worldwide leader, man, They're they're a big operation, all right. It's funny, it's funny. Eight eight eight eight five five two two ninety seven. Give us a call and give us your thoughts on what's gonna happen on Sunday in the Carolinas in Charlotte A three twenty five kickoff. Brian just posted the question what do you think this game is gonna? What do you think this game is gonna? Hinge on? Well, he

spoke to it in the first segment. I agree with him. Can they block the interior of the Panthers defensive line? And then conversely, with all the injuries you mentioned it as well, I was going, yep, can de Marcus Lawrence? Can Randy Gregory? Can these quicker, revamped tackles they've got in the middle? With Lee Collins coming back, can they feast as well? And so who's gonna win more upfront?

And the thing that I keep going back to that I've been fascinated with since camp started is which which these wide receivers for the Cowboys are gonna step up? Tight ends as well? Um? And just who who's who is dat gonna hang his hat on week to week? And maybe it's not gonna be a week to week thing. It's gonna change depending on matchups, But I just go down the list of these receivers and they've all got something to prove. I mean, Tavon kind of washed out

of the Rams. Chip on the shoulder, that's been the story of the week. You go on my local sports guest on CBS eleven, the way you guys, you guys love to do that. I could tell by the line of questioning. But you know, Jason, the attitude of the team. Do you feel like I can't stand and I'm and I'm going, okay, I know what tonight ad to six in ten, I'm gonna get There's been three straight days now where I've had to do stories on players saying

that they've got a chip on the shoulder. It was Tavon on Tuesday talking about all the wide receivers we all got a chip on our shoulder. And on Wednesday it was Zeke talking saying he's got a chip on his shoulder and we'll do your run better with a chip on your shoulder, Zeke, or find out. And then yesterday dak Is asked about everybody having a chip on their shoulder something. Is that something when you put on a tide, does it automatically come into chip on it?

The only guy that's got a chip on his shoulder literally is Anthony Brown's right. He's got a tattoo with a chip on his shoulder. Yeah, I think it's a ruffles, though he's got several probably have bone chips on the should exactly. Yeah. I think with Zeke, I think it's definitely legitimate. Given everything he's been through last year. I think you know what it means, a chip on his shoulder. Do you know where it started? Do you have any idea? No, I'm sure you're gonna tell us. Bill Well, I had

to look it up, did it? Oh? You got one? I looked it up if you if you check Wikipedia, Um, it goes back. Well, is this for the story? You had to do research? I said, I'm sick of doing a story on the chip on the shoulder. What does it even mean? I didn't even know. So I did a Google search. Yeah, and so I looked it up our Wikipedia in North America. It goes back to the early eighteen hundreds and apparently the carrion stuff. Many, Yeah, there's some of that. It's too long. I just picked

out one little bit that worked for me. Of course you did. There was some newspaper called the New York Democrat or something like that. Of course it was a Democrat making up probably a New York some newspaper story talking about two churlish boys. I don't even know what churlish means, but anyway that we're gonna fight, they were gonna scrap. And one of them said and put a chip on his shoulder and challenge the other boy to knock the chip off his shoulder, and that way he

could punch him. And so that's what the cowboys are doing. They put a chip on their shoulder so that they can challenge Luke Keickley and the Panthers and they can hit him with a hard right cross. Okay, here's here's where Bill will remember this. There was a guy named Robert Conrad, right, the actor. He used to put a battery on his shoulder and he's like, I dare you to knock this sow. That was his That was his bit. You can look it up Robert Conrad. Yeah, So does

does the chip on the shoulder? Is that going to be the difference in this game? You know what, You're right, it's probably the most cliche thing we have in our language. But I mean, if you go down this list of receivers, they do have something to prove. There's the biggest chip on their shoulder the receivers. I think Tavon does. Probably Tavon he did kind of wash out of LA He felt like he didn't get enough opportunity there last year. Terence Williams, we know what he's been dealing with in

the off season as well as the foot injury. Alan hearn says he's got to stay healthy and prove that he can be a thousand yard receiver in this league. Cole Beasley's production was cutting half last year. About Deonte Thompson's been a couple of different places, hasn't been able to stick. And Michael Gallups a rookie trying to show what he can do. So I think I think the chip on the shoulder theory is valid. Now. The difference is when you line up on Sunday, it doesn't matter.

You still have to go execute. All that stuff's great, but you still gotta be better than the other guy. And we're gonna find out. Can they take advantage of a Panther secondary where if you had to show one weakness in the defense for Carolina, it's that one. Well, I think you're right there, Rob. I mean this this game. As much as we want to talk about Dallas's ability to run the football, you know, if you go if they do run the football and it turns into some

play action stuff. I've said all along, I kind of feel like, dude, we're gonna see them try and take advantage of Dante Jackson. You know, it's some double moves and things. They're gonna see how Yeah, we're gonna see how gress I trust me, I've watched him play, and you'll run double moves on him. You'll either get him to tackle you, to hold you, whatever he has to do. But I do against Calvin Ridley, remember anything now, anything of note. He he was a guy in an LSU

that played a little bit of corner. He played a little of safety. Never thought he was a very good zone player. You know, everything about him was man if he could play man. And that's why again the aggressiveness, I feel like you have to kind of to see about where he's at. But they see That's the other thing about the Carolina defense is they signed Ross Cockrell in free agency right out, who was with the Giants.

Had three picks last year for the Giants, he got hurt, and so I don't know if he was gonna be kind of the stop gap until the second round. It got ready. He got ready, but the second round rookie is starting instead. Well, if you know, Dallas needs to take advantage of the second there's no Josh Norman plan back there for them. And we talk about the front seven. It's good, but that back end, if they can get some things going, it gets some guys open. They they

they we've got to figure this out. Though. They're gonna dress six receivers for this game, you know, and now, okay, where does that do they do they only dress two tight ends? Do they dress? You know? I mean they're gonna you dressing six receivers and stuff exactly. So you have to look at a lot of different ways of how they're gonna do this. But all six of these receivers are gonna play at certain times in this games. Scott Lenahan said, all year you could see maybe as

many as six, at least four or five. So because they all they all kind of bring something different to the table. I know, Jason Garrett said, they're not. I hope they're good enough. Yeah, I hope it's not just you know, I hope it's not one of those things.

And maybe it turns into they figure out after dressing six by week four, maybe they think we only need to dress five, We only need to dress four, you know, I mean, or maybe they maybe they say, hey, all six are part of what we do, and and then defenses had they know, well, that's what I'm saying, that they keep defenses guessing that, Okay, which six are gonna be or which ones are they going to use this week? Right, and then they make a decision on game day that

they're not using one of them. Okay, all right, let's go to Ruben in Austin here on Talking Cowboys. Hello Ruben, Hey, good morning, Bill. How are you good? Good? Hey, Well, thank you for taking my call. I just wanted to say, yeah, I'm not really worried about the wide receiver position. I think what we saw Dak play without Dez a year ago or whatever it was, if he missed those three games, he had a really good game. I think we're gonna miss Witten more with a tight end position than we

will with the de in the wide receiver. But my real question is I called in last year and I was really concerned about the one technique I wanted us to draft beat A Veya, but he went way before Sure. So my question is this, how good do you feel about our defensive tackle position? I mean, I know some guys stepped up in the off season and a training camp, but do you feel that is there anybody out there that we should acquire to beat that up a little

bit more? Or do you think we're okay? All right? Great, Ruben. And that leads to what I wanted to talk about too, this defensive line going up against thee. What is an injury plague Carolina offensive line? They're missing Matt Khalil at left tackle, who's been placed on IR after arthroscopic knee surgery. Menu Silatolu, who was a part time starter, only started three games last year. They were counting on him to replace Andrew Norwell at left guards. Norwell signed a huge

contract for Jacksonville. He's been hobbled as well, although he is practicing and he's hoping to play. Darryl Williams, the right tackle, dislocated a kneecap, had an MCL injury early in training camp. He's back practicing. They're hoping that he can play. Too, sure, So it's they're pretty decimated on their defensive line. So Canon Antoine Wood Scanamliitue Collins. We don't know where Collins is physically right now. Yeah, we've noticed though, and it happens if you've been watching the

college games as well. These early season in games, the conditioning of the players seems to be a little off. And I don't mean that that they're out of shape, but you're now you're playing. Instead of just playing ten or fifteen plays, you're playing thirty forty fifty plays. I just can't in my mind. I'm thinking about the LSU Miami game. You think about young kids playing and everybody's on the field cramping this, that and the other. And it happened last night a little bit in that game

with Atlantic. Yeah, you know, you feel like though your team is in good shape and they're in they're they're not there. You know, they've done the hydration and all that stuff. But then you get guys coming out of the game. And I would feel a lot better about the defensive line if in fact, that say, like a guy like Donta Jones was in there and it was part of the rotation. I would feel a lot better about how that how the rotating. Now, well, we'll see.

With Collins, we'll see. I mean, he's a guy that he's worked hard in the offseason and he had the foot problem. Hopefully he can get through this whole season. That's the one thing that I worry about, the frailty of his feet, the bones in his feet, maybe some brittleness in his feet. A big man that's got a Yeah, if you're a big man with a foot problem, that's never a good thing. Yeah, And he's had it in a couple of different feet now, Yeah, so I'm both of them. I'm just I'm a little bit like I

like what I've seen. I'd like what I've seen with Woods, I do. I've said this on our show, Bunch. I was ready for him to take that left turn right off the road, and that hasn't happened yet. Now we're getting into some you know, we're gonna get into some real football here, and it's gonna be him, it's gonna be Collins, it's gonna be kicking Crawford inside. You know. Also, something to keep an eye on this defensive line. I

don't know if necessary. And this is kind of some of the things, just talking some people in the building. When you have lunch here, you can kind of bump into people. I would be keep an eye on what's gonna happen at right end if in fact that Crawford goes inside. I don't think it's a necessarily a given that you will see Randy Gregory this guy in and it goes along with what you're talking about. You want

to keep him fresh, keep him fresh. And then but that's a taco taco possibly being if they go lords. But they're gonna rotate all these guys, they're gonna but a lot of people feel like, oh, Randy Gregory will be He'll be the starter, He'll be the starter. Don't don't be surprised if if in fact that they do kick Crawford inside, that you see a rotation over there at that right defensive end without with Randy Gregory and then with taking Okay, and let's let's factor in the

North Turner factor. When we come back here on Talking Cowboys, we'll get to Matt in Austin as well when Talking Cowboys continues. In a moment, cowboys fans know that the second best of anything simply won't cut it, and your skincare should be no different. A long time locker room favored of the players and the official men's skincare brand

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one solution I use every day. So what are the three in one body soap, conditionery, shampoo? Brother? There you go? Yeah, well you know what, you know where Rob got that? He got that at get Jack Black dot com and used to code Cowboys to get it. I'm serious that Jack Black skips is good. You would not think, I mean, it's it's in a just a blue bottling. But you know you're kind of looking at all the ingredients in it. It smells good, but you could tell, I mean, you

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on your beard? Yeah, you're good? Like he was about to put a chip on his shoulder too. Yeah. Yeah, literally, but we're sponsoring him up today. Yeah. But Jack Black, get that stuff. Good for you, Tommy John Jack Black, go to a casino, wind Star do whatever you have tried that while you're there, but going your Ford pick up. Yeah, maybe you're looking enough to have a helicopter to get you there. That would be great. Ye, that's right, all right.

Let's go to Matt in Austin. Next up on talking Cowboys. Matt Happy football, gentleman, how y'all doing groll? Thank you good? Um. On the offense side, watching that game last night, I think the pressure for us with the receivers. This weekend is going to be on Lenahan to be creative, figure out a way to find matchups that work. Last night, you're watching that game and between the twenties Julio Jones. Great,

he can go out down the field. But when you get into the red zone, if your number three receiver is better than their number three cornerback, go pick on him. It doesn't matter if it's your stud. But everybody in the building knew they were going to Jones, and I

think it just kind of fell flat. It was boring, it wasn't creative, and so I think the pressure is going to be on Lenahan to find a way to use these guys in more inventive ways versus when we had a Bryant and a Witten, where everybody in the building can recognize, okay, let's double team. These guys run

somebody underneath, make it a problem for Dak. And on the defensive side, I think with our d line, y'all were talking about a minute ago, if we can contain Newton, make him stay in the pocket and make throws so long as guys don't rush past him and create lanes where he's, you know, five ten yards down the field

before we realize. I mean, I think our linebackers are fast enough to catch him, but I mean if if he's another running back back there, and if you can contain him and make him make throws, I think that puts us in a good position. And then finally, random question. There was a D line guy I think he was a D tackle in the fourth preseason game who I think flashed a little bit and he wasn't what was his name? I was surprised I didn't hear his name

when Price got picked up off waivers. I want to ask you too if there was if there was anything on that um. But anyway, final point, if we can run the ball, like I was watching Philly play last night, their front I think is as good as Carolina's front. That if we can figure out a way to run, that'll put you ahead of the chains, and I think

then our receivers will be in better situations. That's what it comes down to, keeping keeping Dak clean, keeping him in the pocket where he can hit guys when he needs to. But hopefully, hopefully we don't come out flat and sloppy like that game last night. We're gonna hear everybody talk about how they should have played more in the preseason. Yeah. But anyway, so you'll have a good weekend, travel safe to enjoy the game. Thank you. Thanks. I'll

address this. You know, I think that you know, you talk about Lenahan and I agree put it on Linehan. I agree. I think Lenihan will figure out ways. I think the receiver coach, tight end coach. All these guys are new coaches, right, They've got some new ideas, maybe some things they can help Lenahan with. But it's got

to be on the players though, too. If Lenehan can scheme guys open, but if Thompson doesn't make a catch, if Gallup has an unfortunate drop, if Austin doesn't he has an opportunity on the jet suite or a screen or whatever, and he doesn't read the block the right way and gets tackled for two yard game. You know, he can only be as good as the players some of that last year. Yeah, he can only be as good as the guys that and then he can help.

He can help, you know. I do think we sat there and watch training camp practice after there were some creative things they tried to do. But I think this is going to be on the players to execute for him, because they if they, if they, if he could call all the creative plays you want. But if guys, if if they they throw a screen and Prescott overthrows when they got blockers out in front? Is that on Lena Hanner's that on Prescott? He can call plays, but they're

gonna need these receivers, like you said, Rob to execute. Well, it's it's basically they're gonna have to exit. And part of that it might be like what Atlanta did last night. Was it on Sarcasian or was it on Matt Ryan? Yeah, they where Julio was doubled in the back of the end zone right and he overthrew them. It looked like Austin Hooper, the tied end who was working out of the slot on the left side, had beat that linebacker.

They're gonna watch the tape. They're gonna see that, and that's gonna be sar Kissing is gonna get a lot of grief for Well. I don't blame him for trying to get the ball to heal. I mean I roll my eyes a little with that, because he's a Hall of Fame caliber player that if you don't go to him and it doesn't work, then it's like, well, why the hell aren't you throwing to the best player? They have four shots down there, Yeah they did. You know, I didn't see the final actually, but five shots because

they had kind of defensive holding. That's right, Yeah, but he did. The caller did bring up a good point. You don't have Witten, now, you don't have Dez. Who are you going to in the red zone If you're in a clear passing situation where you can't just hand it to Zeke and and have him rumble in there? You know that somebody's got emerge. There is it? Rico there? It is? I see that. Look up just going there. I bet there are there are listeners out there that

are yellow. That the yeah, yeah, the Rico chant just started. You can't you want him active for like a couple of plays, just so when you get in the red zone you can two fades a game to him? Could be the difference line. Yeah. All he does is score touchdowns. Let him score touchdowns. All he does is swore touchdowns. I mean, you know, yeah, I'll tell you what though. You know, remember Cole Beasley a couple of years ago

was a good little red zone player. Yes, many times he wear Green Bay out out and stuff like that. You know, Blake Jarwin. And in training camp when they've got down in some red zone stuff, Blake Jarwin knew how to get open a little bit big target like big target. Yeah. But I I, you know, I I kind of think that the best weapon for the Cowboys in the red zone when they get down there is

just keep handing the ball to that number twenty one. Well, yeah, there he is one of those rare guys that I believe there was a late season game that had they done that when he had just become eligible again, exactly done that. Just keep just keep feeding him the ball. If the thing that bothers me is when coaches get cute, I don't need cute. If you're hammering somebody, if they can't stop you from running the football, why do you

why do you think that throwing play action? And my alma mater did it the other day twice down there they are hammering the ball at Miami and all of a sudden, and you know, Steve Ensminger the OC, throw it, throw it, and I look at him and I go, what the f are we doing? You know? And but that's that's where I think that coordinators get a little cute total agreement with you. I was thinking more of the like third goal from the nine, you know, yeah, seven and what do you what do you do there?

But yeah, I don't get cute. You got an all pro back, all world back there, find a way to get the ball to beat. You don't have the ability to throw jump balls, you really don't. And Rico might be a jump ball player, but I don't know if Rico's gonna be active for this game. You know, I really don't. And you know you I kind of thought I would have an idea who was playing more him or Schultz, and I really didn't get a feel. It's like, no, both are really kind of getting a lot of work together.

You know, it's it's jarwin. It swaying those guys, and then you're thinking, Okay, who's the third tight end? Both of them are? They run twelve personnel, both on the field the same time. You know, it's not like that swaying that excuse me that Schultz was getting more reps than It's going to come down to special teams though, And I don't necessarily think that either one of them play special teams very much if you look at how it went in training camp and and you know kind

of what I'm gathering right now. All right, how about the Norv Turner factor for Carolina? And obviously we have no evidence of what kind of an effect he might have on Cam Newton just yet. Talking to Daryl Johnston the other day when we taped Cowboys Insider, he's got obviously all of the respect in the world for North. Things should got super Bowl ring exactly, and he thinks he's gonna have a very positive effect. We'll see how

quickly that that will happen. But you know, when you look at the two question marks at tackle injury wise for Carolina, left tackle special, what's North Turner going to do to help Cam Newton out in that respect? Running screens? Yeah, there you go. You have a pretty good screen back. Yeah, running screens, that's what they're gonna do. They're gonna try. They've got the threat where I worry about where I not worry, but I'm interested. Norv Turner has always the

timing based offense requires an accurate quarterback. Yes, Cam Newton isn't always an accurate quarterback, always accurate, and that's what our call yea he will. You gotta be ready when he throws you the ball. Don't drop it. Don't be Orlando Scanner can drop the ball, you know, don't be Uh. You know Anthony Brown? What game was that last year? Come my gout was late? Yeah, Anthony Brown had a chance to seal the game, steal the game. Don't drop the ball. So it's it's it's a. It's a it's

a unique fit and unique it. I have a lot of respect from Norv Turner because what he's able to being able to do, but he requires an accurate quarterback to run his offense with some success. And Cam and watch me just blow this up because Cam will then throw for five hundred yards, but he doesn't always throw the ball accurately. And that's but he's got big receivers. That's what you have to be. He will throw the

ball up for the big receivers. And when you look at Cam's numbers throughout his career, he's always been a double digit interception guy, and he's been a less than sixty percent. That has always been his m But the biggest thing he can kill you with is running. The man he had the most run yards rushing that he's had in his career. Last year with seven hundred and fifty four yards averaging five and a half yards of care.

And it might be because of the offensive line situation that he might have to do a little bit more running. But I think the way North Turner is going to play around this is get ready for get ready for a lot of targets to McCaffrey. You know that that, you know the screens, the Texas route inside. He's going to find ways to try and back Dallas off of him. You know he's not going to let that rush. If he's going to try and protect his line, He's got to be very conscious of that rush. And we talked

about Olson earlier in the week. He's a He's as good as an underneath safety blank ancient, but a great great. When I talk about contested ball catcher, you know him, Heath Frazier, whoever's got him in this game, he needs to They need to fight through him because he can catch some contested think of Turners offenses over the last twenty five years, and he was in Minnesota had Rudolph, he was in San Diego for like six years with Antonio Gates super Nova check here in the Redskins. I

remember when he was a head coach. Do you have anybody at Washington he had? Um Cooley? Was he around? He wasn't there yet, Conlved. No. In fact, I looked it up the other day. I wrote it down somewhere. I gotta find it. Yeah, that's right, it's somewhere in here. Uh. It doesn't help you if you write something down and then you don't know where you wrote it down. Um, when he was at Miami, he had like Randy McMichael

or somebody like that. Yeah, and but he didn't. It wasn't an ash with Washington, Okay, James Asher, I don't remember. I did not have a tied end. I played a couple of games out of helmet. I can't remember. I do remember some games, like in the seventies. Though, there's some games I remember something something I was I wanted. I left early when Clint Longley threw the touchdown. I left early that game. Well, that's the last time I

ever left the game early. I mean when you talk, I mean Clint long we complete the ball, Drew Pearson seventy four. Yeah, that's the that's the first time I ever left the game. And it was the last time I ever left the game early. Oh man, I remember trying to beat traffic or what we I was with my grandmother and she was she was kind of like, you know, we we My family was in the restaurant business and we had a company that provided bus service, you know, had an open bar and food all that.

It was really a good thing, not for a kid that's my age but eleven years old. But but it was fun. And we were sitting on the bus and everybody got on a bus and they were all excited, and we're like, what happened? And oh, the Cowboys one and I'm like I looked at my grandmother and she's just kinda put her head down. I'm sorry to mean, make it leave early, all right? The two minute a warning goes to both benches. Here we go. Okay, so Cowboys,

what are they gonna do Sunday? What's gonna happen. I've gone back and forth all week. I'm gonna I'm gonna go with the chip on the shoulder theory Cowboys. The boys chip is gonna be larger than the Panthers chip. I think maybe these receivers surprise us for this week and they can they can hit some plays in the passing game, because I think Zeke's ready to rock. I think he's gonna have a terrific game now, notwithstanding maybe you know there's gonna be some problems up front at times.

But I think Zeke and they they get back to what they do when they win this one on the road and you gotta score. It might be sloppy and raining out there. I'd say twenty one seventeen. Wait, one seventeen, Dallas win there? Huh yeah, Okay, I got the Panthers in this one kind of And I feel like that if you weren't playing a really good front. So I know the Cowboys have an outstand offensive line, but I don't know how good they are right now at center,

and I don't know how really good they are. They could be really good at guard one day. Right now, left guard they're not, and that kid can develop. I just worry about that. I just worry about them trying to run the football. I feel like that they might get in a situation like what it was with Denver. Hopefully they could take advantage of the secondary, but I think that I think it'll be difficult for them to

move the ball offensively with this case. But I'll take the Panthers in this one, twenty four to sixteen, twenty four sixteen Panthers. Here's what I've got. It's gonna go right down to the wire, field goal rising, It's going to be a field goal, and it's gonna be Brett Maher with the game winning fifty seven yard fields on grass as the Cowboys beat the Panthers twenty twenty three to twenty. Your final school added that incorrectly, didn't, did you?

Let's give him twenty four twenty four twenty oh wait yeah no, wait, So there you go. I hope you guys are right. I just I just worry about maybe maybe this thing will prove if you're playing anybody but this defensive front, I I think I would kind of I would lean that way. I just worry about can they do enough? If I was on Carolina Panthers dot Com, I'd say, Graham Gano has the game winner seven yards

on grass. Yeah, there you go. All right, hope president, enjoy the game on Sunday and enjoy Dallas Cowboys program Dallas Cowboys dot Com programming. In the meantime, this has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club