Talkin' Cowboys: Pro Bowl, Bucs & More

me and you again? This is happening every day now, that three minute show will be the best one of the day. Yes, because Mickey Spagnola will be joining us momentarily after his fan hit next door Kik Garrison fan hit the way he said, it's like he's over there beating up fans or he's getting hit by one. Five with some hard questions for this Cowboys team. Yeah, they need to get back to practice. They need to just file that one away. Last Sunday against Indianapolis and hey,

first shutout loss in fifteen years. It doesn't happen often. It can't happen again, right, No, it can't happen again. You can't go through you know the same things that happened to you in that football game. You know, a lot of it was let's see Dallas given that game away. But what I did see was Dallas physically getting beat up. And I don't that's I haven't seen that really all year from this football team. I haven't seen anybody just

beat them up. And that, you know, that's what I think when they get back on the practice field today, you know that's going to probably be their focus. Is you know, I always talking about execution and things of this nature, but you know, how about playing with some physicality. You could see that when we were in that walk off with Jason Garrett, it stressed him. You know, I asked him to question about with your team physical enough, and you know he could see he gritted his teeth

and said, no, we really weren't. And I think that's where he needs to try and focus first and foremost on with his football team, is let's get back to being a team that can be, you know, a dominant team up front when it comes to defense and things like that. So hopefully that'll be the that'll be the case. They can't go through another one like that, for sure. Mickey Spagnola welcome, good Marning. How's everything going going well?

Just talking about being physical. Hopefully they've got um a padded practice left where they can That's what Robin I were talking about, and get out there and knock some heads. They got any left, it's close because there's yeah, I think we're down to like he was trying to save a couple. I think there was one Wednesday where they went out there and it might have been after that three game stretch stretch, the stretch and and he I think he was trying to save one or two for

that for that day. I think I don't think they'll have a And they talked about having really good practices last week, you know on the defensive side of the ball. Clayton vander esh and Jalen Smith both said that, yeah, maybe the best practice they've had all year. They used one last week for sure. Yeah, yep. And you only get thirteen, is that right? I don't know the exact number. I know he always tries to save. He'll be grateful if they could get this thing into the playoffs that

we'll get one more. You know, every time you get back in you get another practice. So and you have that weird stretch with back to back Thursday games where you're probably not using them anyway right because of the schedule. But you can't save them all to the end either. You have to use so many by a certain amount of ton It's ridiculous, right. I think the coaches know their team and know when they can carry pads in

practice and when they can't. I'm okay with the one a week if that's what you want to do, But how about giving me sixteen. I gotta play sixteen games? Why can't I have sixteen? That part doesn't make sense. But I gathering TV of the NFLPA wave their flag and say, hey, we won one there. We don't have to put pads on every week. What was the biggest issue is physicality in that game. I don't think I don't think it was execution. I think that the coach

they got beat on both lines. Yeah, that's that's where I was the troubling thing that that's exactly what it is. It wasn't then making mistakes. I don't think it was their inability to really control both sides of the ball. I think I mean, I think Jason said it, we couldn't. They didn't get off block Yeah, they were getting blocked. Now, maybe the Indianapolis offensive line is that good. They're not frauds uh, and they're not going to call I'm fraud.

And then and then and then the offensive line you know, just wasn't consistent. And yeah, that's true. You gotta put that behind. We'll put it behind. The tape, burned the tape. Marcus Lawrence said, they hit us in the mouth. They did squarely in the mouth. And you know, they've got to return the favor against Tampa Bay this Sunday. You mentioned physical. They've played in some really physical ball games, like the ones that stand out to me this year Houston.

Houston was bloodbath and that Saints game was a fight. Yeah, physical like guys flying around hitting each other. Probably the best tackling game they've had. Yeah, I mean they got after when it came to tackling. And and yeah, I mean there were there's some fronts that they've had to play that have been been tough, but they've they you know, they've stood in there, Todd toe Like we've talked about this on a bunch in the show. Defense has carried

this football team all year. The questions we've had have been offensively yep, and and and if going into Oxen, hard I would have I would have said the opposite, you know, because there was too many unknowns on you. Yeah, there are too man unknowns on But I should have seen the receiver by committee. Thing that pisses me off as I think about it right now. It started to unfold in Oxnard though, because defense, because the defense started

covering those guys. Yeah, yeah, they were winning a lot and team drills out there, well they made it, they made a switch. But yeah, I think the physical I think you'll see a much different cowboy team off the jump this week. I think I think you. I think that I guarantee you when you guys have the locker room sessions that it'll be the physicality. The word physicality will come back into play. You'll you'll hear that with

a bunch today. I heard one of the I guess he's a hot boy in the in the dining room, uh to yesterday Tuesday, right all I heard him say to somebody that ain't happening again. Yeah, so they knew, they sure, Yeah, they are the first ones to know. By No, we don't need to point it out right. They know we got a big show today. We got a lot to cover. Five to two ninety seven is the number if you'd like to join us over the

next hour. We've got bucks to look at, We've got injuries on this roster, and let's start with some news of the day. What happen today, Well, what happened last night? The Pro Bowl got announced? Mick, Yes, it did, you're right. Break it down for us. Who's in Cowboys had five guys, yes, selected Tyran Smith, Zack Martin, Zeko Elliott, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Byron Jones for the first times too. Tyrn. I believe

that's his sixth selection. Yes, that ties him for the second most Pro Bowl selections of offensive lineman and Cowboys history with John Niland, Nate Newton, and Rayfield. Right here we go. The ultimately guy that's had more is Larry Allen. Yeah, and I believe it was ten or eleven. It's eleven. Yeah, I think you're right. So everybody wanted to point out Rayfield, right, but they forgot Nate and they forgot John Nilan. Oh absolutely.

John Allen was really good too, by the way. Yeah, back in the day when I was watching him play, Can I say Septing real quick. Yeah about that, I mean we all kind of put up on the board who we thought. I didn't have Tyron Smith on the board, but I had Layton Vanderesh, but I had everybody else, right, but I had those two. I didn't have Tyrn Smith as being one of the guys. You forgot one thing.

What was that? Welcome to the NFL rookie. Yeah, it also happened to that guy in Indianapolis who's playing really well, Darius Leonard. I think I only saw one Ricky selected well. The Derwin James Dwin James Derwin James is Yeah, he's played with Barley. Yeah, yeah, so that Yeah, you're right about the rookie stuff. I just I just kind of

thought that those two guys would get opportunities. Well here I'm going to talk about snubs here, Robert trying to say that if you, you know, if you if you had to say Kate Brian and of the list you had, who would you have had on and who would you had off? I don't think I would have had Tyrn Smith on and I would have had Layton Vandersh on. Who would you had instead of Tyron? I was just

talking about the Cowboy. No, no, but see, and that's what I'm saying because yeah, I just was not seeing every single offensive tackle playing this This was not the best year for Tyrn not get it. Yeah, but okay, so tell me you know, and I think the names out there were floating around was Whitworth from the Ring Yeah he got snubbed two and ram Check from the Saint and he got snubbed as well. Those are two

good ones. Williams did he play? He didn't even play the Trent Williams has been in and out of the lineups. He's been much like with Tyron Smith. But yeah, I mean it's a lot of that was reputation there. I believe there's Okay, so let me let me pick this bone on on the linebacker thing. Yeah, so they came up. They finally got it kind of right. Like they got

inside linebackers right and outside linebackers. So Keithley and Wagner, you knew that's what's going to happen inside right, right, So outside linebackers usually are reserved for guys that have a bunch of sacks, right, So Khalil Mack had ten sacks, He's gonna make it right. Pretty good. Kerrigan nine sacks. I don't know how well he's played other than that, but he's got nine sacks. Reputation, No Kerrigan's yea. If Karrikin gets a sack, I think he's had ten or

more sacks, like six straight years. So everybody knows about everybody. Yeah, absolutely, Anthony Barr. Somebody's gonna have to explain to me how they voted for Anthony Barr. He's only played eleven games. Yeah, he only has three sacks. And you know what his grand total of tackles are forty nine. That's a hundred less less than vander is one hundred who voted for him. Reputation What reputation? Yeah, he has a reputation as a good player in the league. I just said, welcome to

the Pro Bowl. Rookie. Yeah, all I know, but usually you got to have two good years in a row to make it the first time. So that's a rookie. But Anthony Barr was there not somebody else they played better as an outside linebacker. Well, they don't tell us the alternates for the Pro Bowl, but I would be shocked if Vanderesh wasn't at least in wrong consideration. There Jalen Smith too. Both had good years. Um, and there's

no shame in missing the Pro Bowl. If you look at the NFC and Alvin Kamara does not make it, you know what they need and McCaffrey doesn't make it, that's a big snub, right. So which one of those running backs would you have taken off? Well? Maybe Barkley he's played really well. He has played really well. Rush. I'm just saying I'm not taking Girly off and I'm not taking Zeke off. So if you've got to take one off, get the rookie. Maybe the rookie. But he's

he's deserving as well. It's just it's just a loaded group. I mean, he's he's he's third in rushing and second in from How about what's his receptions leading he has more than I think he has more than Zeke. Yeah, you know, he's a more receiving yards. You know McCaffrey's got almost one hundred catches. Yeah. Um, But you know this linebacker thing. We when Brady James was here, it was the same thing. He never made it because he was going up against Patrick Willis and there's two spots

and then it's the outside linebacker stuff. You've got three four defenses who were have pass rushers and it's a sack thing all of a sudden, get it, you know how it is. But Anthony Barr with three sacks? Yeah, okay, well let's focus on a little positive then that would just stuck him by Crows. That's fine. And one other thing about Rayfield, right, everybody pointed out him, and the reason why is because it's the offensive tackle thing and he's a Hall of Famer and that's you know, you

put Tying in that category. That's that's pretty impressive. This is a guy tiring that's putting quite the resume. Time I've seen I've seen ram check play for the Saints. He's played better than Tyron Smith. Okay, that that I'll say. Now. I have not seen Andrew Whitworth play much for the Rams.

I have not seen any of the Rams tape this year, to be honest with you, So I don't know how well he's played, but I know that I know ram Check has been If you if you were to say, okay, Ram checks in and Smith's out, I think people would say, Okay, you know, but that's hey, good for tiring to get in. I just that's a I just went through all the offensive tackles in the NFC, and you know there's nobody you would select over Smith, with the exception the two

guys that got snubbed. Yeah, Ram check and then again, I don't know Whitworth is. I don't know his game as well. Knew it last year. Haven't seen him play much this year in any cross film I've done. Yeah, and you're right, I was just talking offensive lineman and yeah, by position, Yeah, because the other two guys were actually the other three guys were guards, right, Yeah, although one year as a tackle, yes he did. He did. Let's talk about Byron Jones just for a minute. Had that

one right? Had that one right? Yeah? I don't know if anybody had this pegged preseason. I know you were skeptical that this move could work. I was, and it's rightfully so, and it's worked out better than maybe anybody thought, maybe even Byron himself. Maybe we can ask him that today, how quickly he's adjusted to this role and why do you think it's worked out as well as it has. I think it's worked out well because of how competitive the guy is, you know, I mean we talk about

to play corner. You have to have athletic ability, you have to have mobility, you have to have the ability to turn the match to run to do you know, he's not the quickest guy. He's not the fastest guy. But what he knows, he understands. He's smart, he plays in position, and he's got a physical side to his game. And you ask me, how does a guy make the Pro Bowl not have a bunch of interceptions or one? Yeah,

or one? And that's you know this If you watch how they play scheme wise here, how many passes do they knock down? They don't get a lot of clean looks at footballs. The way they play, I mean, the way they knock down. They're driving on balls, they're they're they're ripping balls loose, you know, I mean to me, the ball skills and stuff like that. Yeah, that's a big part of what you do. But with the way they play scheme wise, I don't think these guys are

gonna get much in many interceptions. They're just not in position to get intercepts. There are more better, better positions to knock balls down. And Byron, I think, I think if if you, if you hold receivers that have played against Byron Jones. They'll tell you the guy's difficult to get rid of because you know what, what kind of penalties do is Byron Jones get. He generally gets holding penalties.

He doesn't get pass in or Ferren's penalties. He's really good at sticking on guys, and officials have let him play a little bit and not let him play at times. He had a coup. He had a series there he was in Philadelphia where he had back to back penalties in a series that got him, you know, got him down the field. But Byron Jones is a tough He's like gum. He's like gum on your shoe. You're trying to get it off, and it won't it won't leave. And so I yeah, and I don't think he's ever

gonna have the high interception numbers. But what what whoever made the decision to play him at corner might have made him a ton of money because if he doesn't get it here, someone's gonna say, well, look how he plays, Look how he plays. This guy's you know, this guy's tough, you know, and he's he's a good kid. You don't have to worry about him. He's smart, He comes to work every day, he practices hard. Yeah, pay that guy.

He did whatever was asked of him for the first three years, which meant play a little corner, play a lot of safety. Yeah, he lines up and plays. He's played. Before the season, he had played in forty eight NFL games. He hadn't missed one yet. How many how many games we out now thirteen? Add that to it, fourteen games? Add that. Yeah, this guy lines up and plays. There's

something to that. And you know, if Chris Rashard made the decision solely to say, oh no, he looks like a better corner, good for Chris Rashard because he put him in a category where people now are gonna have to look at him and say, that's our type of corner right there, you know. And the guy, I think it speaks to how well he's played because he doesn't have any stats. And normally when you start picking corners, you start looking at that list of interceptions and go, okay, yeah,

he's good. Okay, he's good. He ain't got an interception, and he made the Pro Bowl. Yeah he's got fourteen leads the team with fourteen passes broken up, but no interceptions. But somebody thinks he can play. You know he does what does he do? Your buddies, my buddy bro football Focus has been him. Well maybe that's why he made it. It helped him. They get helped him. The players picked up ro football Focus and how Hi, this guy's ready. They've played a lot of national games on TV. That's right.

And I don't know if guys sit around like we do and watch football games, they probably don't probably sit around two other things. But you know, I mean the smart ones know. And like I said, if you if you did a poll with the receivers that have played against Byron Jones, who's one of the toughest guys you played against? I think Byron Jones we get mentioned a lot. Yeah, and player voting is part of this thing. Yeah, I mean they know they know the guys who are good

players because they have to go up against them. I wonder how rare it is to have a first year corner in the Pro Bowl, like a guy. I don't know if it's you know, if there's a staff for a guy that switched positions and makes the Pro Bowl his first year other than rookie corners. Um, but he's the first Cowboy corner to make it since Mike Jenkins and Terrence Newman back in oh nine, nine years since

the Cowboys put a corner in. Yeah, you would have fooled me if Mike you said Mike Jenkins made a Pro Bowl oh nine with with Terrence Yeah, that that that would have fooled me, Mickey, Would that have fooled you? Mike Jenkins? I don't remember Mike Jenkins oh nine season being all that spectacular. Did he have a bunch of interceptions? I believe he did. I can't remember. I mean, I'll tell you what I had for breakfast this morning. That's about as good as I can do. And I believe

I'm trying to remember which way it went. I apologize after the Cowboy he got um trying to think what I was trying to Yeah, he had a good season, some terrible radio. We're doing nineteen pass breakups right there? You go? Five interceptions? Right? That was oh nine? Yeah? So was that the year after he got punked when they brought in pac Man oh eight? Probably? Yeah? The pac Man was pac Man. Yeah, and he had a decent year before that, and he got punked because pac

Man was here. He got punked by remember the whole thing with him when he came in and him and Scandrick same time, Right, that was a weird situation there. He felt like, wait a minute, you're playing this guy all right? You know this was the fifth round pick, Yeah, playing more early. Yeah yeah, and then he had the good year and then something happened the next year he got hurt knee, right, yeah, I believe so he's always

had knee issues. He always that that you hurt. You get a defensive back with lower body injury and using a hockey term here, you always describe all their injuries as lower body. You get a lower body injury that there they make their living with their legs. They can't run, they can't move, the achilles has gone, calf strains with all that, you know, hamstring, just not the same guy, Mark b for false. Those guys are done absolutely no

truth of the matter. And that one, you know. And and if you look at two of the guys that got selected at cornerback, Fuller and Howard from Miami, Yeah, well they're tied for the league league each with the seven interceptions. Yeah, so they're in right, So yeah, that I think it's a it's a great credit to the level he's played with. That's that's coaches vote and player vote right there. Yeah, that's what that's all about. And and but Calboy nation out there can line up for

their guys. I mean, here's a fan vote. Were Norman made it? Who was the no? It was the AFC uh, it was the AFC corner was a name, I think, And it's like, Okay, I guess he's good because he made the Hey just hang with me. Jalen called Ramsey Ramsey oh in Jacksonville. Yeah, hadn't been the best year for him or the Jags or his mouth. Okay. On that note, let's take our first break. Eighty eight eighty five five two two ninety seven is the number. Give us a call and we'll dive into the injury report.

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can't have it now. That is it? Doctor Pepper? Craving Doctor Pepper, the one you crave to talk in Cowboys? Oh I grabbed the wrong one. Oh not the off season, is it? WHOA? No, not even close. So we're gonna leave the office play like he did last week. We might be reading now here in Cowboys Country, we always ry with our boys when it comes to your underwear. You definitely don't want their riding up on your boys.

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again that's Tommy John dot com. Forward Slash Cowboys were ruding the surfboard, so well, we usment needed and we went for that. We went for the move and just wiped out. Well, what's the different what's the difference between adjustment and adjustment? I thought you said injustice, No I do.

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the United in a training camp. Yeah. I always love going buy and say a lot of those folks. Yeah, a lot of good football fans down in there. They are dedicated, They show up early there, they kind of hang out. They got a good vantage point though. They put you right there on the field. And I'll go I love going buy and visit with those guys, the ones in the pen. Yeah, the one in the pen. They do a great job down there. I love it. Absolutely, best fans in the world. Yep, still no Jack Black here.

You're good at You're good at just driving the bus on that one. Maybe you got fifteen minutes to come up. You come up, and you come up one there. Yeah, speaking of great fans, let's hit the phone lines. Start us off. Jim in California. You're a first day I'm talking cowboys. What's up, Jim? Good morning, Rob? How are you do well? Are you well? If he called you Bob, that'd be okay. I was just wondering, where is Bob today? Bob's got TV duty? Okay. Hey, I've got a theory.

I think the legs on athletes epps and flows. You peak and you have valleys, and I think Garrett's got his finger on the pulse of the team, and I think that he trained them such that he needs them to peak for the final run. I really do. I think when you miss tackles and you drop balls and you can't get off blocks, you can't sustain blocks, you can't do your run fits quickly is like you used to. I think it's because your legs are dead. And I

think Garrett knew that. And I think that we're going to see a different explosive team in the next two weeks because I think they're going to recover their legs. And also, I was wondering your thoughts on Tampa. I take shows that they are just having fun. On defense, run to the ball, they're fast, Uh, they're good tacklers. In on offense, my impression and Brian's the guru, is that their offensive line is physical. They just want to pound you inside. Anyway, thanks for taking my call, guys,

have a great day. Thanks. Jim Well, I don't I don't agree with him about the deadness of the team. I mean I don't. I don't. I don't agree with that at all. If anything, I think there probably were a little refreshed to be off of that crazy Thanksgiving schedule. Yeah, but probably helped them act. But as far as I know, I know, if you if he would have come out and said they just physically got beat up, yeah, I mean I felt like that they they just couldn't get

off blocks. They couldn't. They couldn't, you know, they couldn't didn't tackle well enough. I don't think that was a byproduct of that of being dead. I think they just physically got beat up in this game. They didn't play their game. They didn't do this thing as well they've been they've been doing all your life. Yeah, No, they've been in the five game winning streak. They they've been playing with some physicality. They you know, I think there

was a freshness had anything to do with that. I think they just it's just the Cults were a better team. I don't mean, I'm sorry, I don't mean to disagree there, but when I heard him say that, I was kind of like, going, ah, nah, nah, you'd watch them. You watch him play, you sit down and watch the all twenty we obviously he sits down and watches and stuff.

By the way, the Tampa Bay defense, since they've made the switch with the coordinator Mike Smith getting fired, their oh and four and giving up a ton of points on the road and has not been their strength and their games they've given up at least thirty points. Yeah, they they've struggled with Mike's since they fired Mike Smith. You know. I mean, we could talk about the Saints game and so that's a division game. But I'm watching them play the Ravens and stuff. The Ravens are playing.

I don't know how the Cowboys are going to evaluate the Ravens film to help them in this gaming list that helps them with Okay, how they're going to defend the read option because really that's all Lamar Jackson. That's all they ran. That was their offense. It was it was what it's like watching Louisville play, you know. So I don't know how I mean unless you say, okay,

well this is this is how we evaluate him. But yeah, I mean, you know, they they scored fourteen point watching the Saints game and they just they collapsed in the second half of that game. So yeah, I mean that's I I think there's a lot of really good names on that defensive line. Rob I like the fact, you know, Jason Pierre Paul is, like, I'm right about him as an old nemesist. Gerald McCoy is a good player. I don't think he's the same player he was back in

the day. They got Vita Vea the defensive tackle from watching the rookie they got him in the lineup. I mean, he is a hard guy to move because he's so damn big. You know, that's a problem. This Carl Nasst the defensive end, He's got a little bit of that that like he would be one of those guys you would see when they faced the Redskins. You have to do with Preston Smith, Ryan Carrigan that kind of that try hard, relentless, keep coming after you. Guy. Probably not

the most talent. I don't know if he's as talented as those guys that just mentioned, but he's but he's got some you know, he's gonna give He's gonna give Lyle Collins a test. If Lyle Collins doesn't play with technique, you know, this guy is gonna give you a little bit of problem. Right. I like their I like their safety Jordan Whitehead, who they got from Pitt in the fourth round. He's a guy you got to kind of keep an eye on because what he'll do is he

could cover your tight end. He can cover your tight end, he could play physical around the line of scrimmage. But other than that, you know, I'm you know, I'm just kind of looking at their team like, Okay, you should be able to move the ball against good people have Yeah. Yeah, I think especially in zone coverage, these guys are terrible when they play his zone. They took Vita Vea in the first round, thirteenth overall. I believe ant twine Woods

got seven more tackles than he does. Well, he's missed games. He's missed a lot of games. They just got him back. He hasn't played how many games. I'm almost positive he's missed like four games for them. There was a problem there with him. He was he was he was nicked up. Total number of games looking it up right now. Yeah, I mean, having trouble with my else. But you know, to me this going back to Jim's calls played, he's played eleven games six Yeah, yeah, so I hadn't played

as much. That's okay, But I mean, hey, they're two big men inside though. Yeah, they make plays. The strength of this Tampa Bay team, what we've seen so far this season is their offense and and not and you talk about moving the ball, They've moved the ball. Oh that's matter. It's been in a quarterback, right, Yeah, it's kind of like the Cowboys offense. It's been about finishing drives. And I think they were the only team in NFL history a few weeks back against Washington to get five

hundred yards of offense three points. Yeah, no touch. I think the six sixteen to three, sixteen three, sixteen three. You're right, yeah, you know. I'll tell you another thing. Guys, they've had problems catching the ball. Yeah, they we see Chris Goodwin. Who are Chris Godwin from Penn State who I really really liked in the draft in seventeen from he This is a team I mean it drops. I mean I'm watching these games and it's like, guys open over the middle, drop, guy open over here at drop.

You know they've had they you know, I'm hey, I'm just hoping that they continue to drop football. So the way they have, they're gonna probably get to Sean Jackson back, though that's gonna be a pain in the rear to have to deal with. They got this little kid named Adam Humphreys who's kind of a Cole Beastly starter kit. He's been in the league since fifteen, but he's one of those guys that plays in the slot, kind of

a pesky guy. You throw them the ball underneath. He doesn't have a really high yards per catch, but he's really consistent catching the football that way. Now again, the other ones have had some prompt Mike Evans is a big time player. He's a problem. Yeah, he is a big problem because what will happen is Jamis Linson will just throw the ball down the field. He doesn't care. I mean, he would just launch it down the field and think, Okay, that guy's gonna go get it. You know.

I went to a couple of Texas A and m Aggie games where Johnny Manziel it was that's all I did. It was the same thing Alabama game when one time we just launched it down the sideline and it's like, okay, go make a play. I think he had like two hundred something three hundred ye insane. Yeah, and the same thing here just because he can go get it, can't They'll also get the ball to the other team. Yeah, that's big for them too. Thirty one giveaway. Yeah, twenty

five of those interceptions. Yeah, most in the league. And they had the second worst ratio in turnover turnover margin, just in front of San Francisco because they don't really take it away that much. I don't think they're tied with Dallas and takeaways yeah, sixteen. Well that's that. Yeah, that's the difference between winning and losing. That's probably the biggest stat there is, five and nine. But they're not

a bad football team. I will say it's about John John Wright was a call, right, Jim, Jim, Sorry Jim, it might have been Bob. Who knows Jim I'm sorry about that. No, he's right about the soffitsive line though that you know, they're just trying to kind of they're kind of a molly group, and molly like you know, they get into and they're they're really not gonna get much movement, but they try and get into you. And and movie, if you can't, you don't. You don't see

them really coming off the ball the best one. I mean, it's hard to beat the lines that you've played with, with what Indianapolis had, with what the Saints had, what Philadelphia has had to a point too as well. But this group, you know, this group is one of those they'll try and get into you. I think if you if you want to go after somebody. The tackles look a little heavy footed to me. Donovan Smith at left tackle and DeMar Dotson at right tackle though they look

a little heavy footed to me. Ali Marpett who plays guard for them, you're talking about a guy who probably got snubbed. He's a good player, Ali Marpett is. He's a small school guy, small school Hobart College. Yeah, I watched the film. Yet they have a bounce house in the in the end zone, like the kids are in the bounce house playing while the game's going on. It's awesome. Different, it's different, but think it works for them. But yeah, it's a it's a it's a it's a group that

it's there's nothing really pretty about him. But i'll tell you what though. They just get ready for Jamis Wins to throw the ball down the field and hope for the best. That's kind of how they play Evans. But pressure on them, you know, two of them. Yeah, you hope you hope he does. That would be a great thing to got to catch it. How about get two and finish two, you know, instead of get too and kick field goal too or don't get dragged down at

the four yard? Yeah, that's a goal at the four. Yeah, that's that's a bad sequence for the Dallas Cowboys first and goal of the four. It is. We've talked about that offensive line issues there that really don't trust them that much. Yeah, it's kind of a problem. What, Mick, what else has to happen in this game besides red zone? Because I think we I like this, I like the line questioning here. I like this. We got after that horse pretty good. Yesterday. I wrote about it yesterday again

what besides that? What else has got to change from the indie game to this game to get back on track offensively defensively? A really good question like that one. Well, Zach Martin needs to play. Yeah, that would count that, that counts sh right there? Yeah, start right there? Uh, Sealfulo needs to play. Yeah, I'm not sure about him, right. I think he's gonna play, you do I think they thought he was gonna play on Sunday. Is he gonna borrow the Buccaneer patch? That would be great, Bruce, the

Buccaneer Bucks patch on. I don't think you can play with one eye. He had suns even the stadium. I'm gonna tell you this. I'll tell you a real quick story. It was a guy named Bob Whitfield that played left tackle for the Atlanta Falcons eighth overall pick nineteen ninety draft.

Had one eye, played left tackle with one eye he had he was blind, legally blind in one of his eyes, and played left tackle for a long time for the Falcons because we were gonna draft mcgreen Bay and then all of a sudden the medical stuff came back about the eye is legally blind and his his left eye there there was a Dallas Desperado that was had one eye. Yeah, um, I think it was Josh White. You remember that nick he had he had an accident as a child with

a toy. Oh yeah, and good good player for the Desperadoes, by the way, indoor team you know the uh the Cardinals back in the Saint Louis Cardinal days, yes or not the Chicago Cardinal late seventies. I believe it was Pat Chilly. They had a defensive lineman who was deaf, legally deaf. Yeah, Nebraska had a guy Denver drafted a guy. Can't remember his name, remember the guy's name? And he actually he made the team. Yeah, he actually made the team as a defensive tackle. I took you off the

path there. That's thankfully Spilo's injury is not that serious. So to give you a more tangible answer, they need to get back to making on offense, a big play. Can't always drive eighty five yards for a touchdown. At some points you need a forty yard or you know what. In these last couple of game game, you know, Zeke's ran the ball well and he's been like one tackle away from going the distance from wherever he's at twenty four yard run, gets caught on the cliff of the hills,

just got you know, he's he's break. You can see it opening, and it's like, oh, this is gonna be big, and then something happens and he just gets derailed right at the last minute. They need one of they need him to bust one of those and they need to hit one of those deep passes to At some point,

you gotta get some easy stuff. You can't just keep grinding and grinding and grinding, you know, and and like you know, Jason pointed out those first three drives, it was like eighty yards, sixty some yards, fifty some yards points and no points. But you're grinding and grinding and grinding, and then you get a hold. It's like, okay, there it goes, and now I got to kick a field. The longest pass play in that game was Blake Jarwin eighteen yards. Yea. And Amari Cooper has been that guy

for them. Yeah, he's been the big out guy. Yeah. He had an eleven yard run on the reverse Amari did which was very close to being broken. That was another YEA take. If Connor Williams would have just kind of cut his guy a little bit more. That was a big play, but his long reception was eleven yards. What do you think they did against him in that game? We were talking about that last night on the Happy Hour. I didn't see anything normally. I mean they played single

high year on the quarterback pression. The quarterback was huge, and it didn't give him any opportunity to go to him like he had been. You know that that extra second mark. Still he gets open, but I didn't. It wasn't like, Okay, there's this massive bracketing going on right now. I mean, they played their defense. There's Bill Jones just walking back. I don't think he's stopping in. He's not. He's a TV cats. It's like he's running for president right now. Is well, he could probably win the Can

I say what I think the Cowboys need to do? Definitely? You know what, I'll tease that. Let's tease it. That's a great tease. I think Ryan bros. Will tell you what he thinks next next I'm talking Cowboys. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a high thing, then cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch to DirecTV now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no bulky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live

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You want to know about get Jack Black the Facial what the Facial company? Yes, keep going, you keep stopping. They have all these faves they love. But they put a package of four together and if you use the Cowboys code, then you get free shipping and you only have to pay ten dollars for four of their playmaker faves And you have to go to get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys and the faves are yours and they ship them pretty quickly too, do they? Yeah? Mine

and showed up for my gifts. Good stocking stuffers. You're doing that for the fam and friends, that's right, that's yeah, great idea. And then they get to test the different four and then they can buy what they want. It's a good promotion. We'll send the marketing department there at Jack Black. Absolutely, thank you, Mickey. All right, Brian, yeah, I made you wait. Give me, give me. What's got a change this week from the indie game? Maybe besides red zone stuff? What do they got to do different

to get back on track? How about some offensive rhythm? Okay, you know Micky was talking about the big play and stuff like that. I think part of the big plays come when your team's running the ball. That's the one thing I think they're in just five game winning streak we've seen from them, the ability to run the ball past the ball, you know, keep keep it going. Big play. I mean, I think when you have rhythm with your offense,

you make those big plays. You make the plays down the field to Amari Cooper, you make the plays you know, on the waggles and you throw it to you throw it to one of the tight ends for you know, eighteen nineteen yards. You know, you get Zeke going. I think they need to. I think they need to get some rhythm going that way. They can move the ball. I mean, there's just no question they can move the ball.

We get down in the red zone and then Okay, there's all kinds of issues, but get back, I don't think they got in good enough rhythm in the Colts game. I mean, I think that was something that kind of affected the way that they play. They didn't make those plays like Mickey was talking about, those chunk plays are great. I mean it's just you know, driving the ball, grinding

the ball. Yeah, that's tough, but you know, get a little bit of Really we've seen them, we've seen them, have you know, capabilities, I say, thirteen plays, ten plays and all that, but you're right, just getting a little bit more, a little bit more rhythm, get the quarterback feeling a little better about himself, protect him a little bit better. You know. I don't think the issues defensively

or anything to be worried about. I mean, I want I wanted to say, I wanted to come out here and say, oh jeez, I was worried about the Colts running the ball against someone else is gonna try. I think that's just a product of the Colts offensive line. I think they physically, like we've said a bunch, I think they physically took it to Dallas's front. And I don't think they're gonna play many more offensive lines that

play with that style, you know. I mean, yeah, I think if you rematch, if you rematch the Saints again, you know, maybe so, But I don't. I don't think they're gonna play a line that that has that kind of capability to take it to him like they did. If I got to pick something on the defensive side, I would say they got to get back to stop in the run. That was the most that was to me.

It was the difference in the football game. Yeah, what they were able to do and just keep Luck comfortable in the pocket, him in comfortable down in distant situations. You look at Tampa Bay's rushing attack, it's not a highly productive one, right. They like to throw the ball a lot. Anyway, Peyton Barber is not a bad player for them. He's not not at all. He's only getting three point eight yards to carry this season, though He'll see sneaky in the way that he gets yards. That's

what I will say about him. And jakez Rogers is kind of their third down guy, and so what will happen is they'll bring him in now where you need to take advantage of Jakez Rogers. Drew's real quick rob if I good. Since you're talking running backs, sure take advantage of him and in past situations if he's in the game, make him have to block you because that's

a problem for him. And this is maybe where you get your you get your defense going back with more pressure because I'm gonna make him half the blitz pick up because I don't think he can not with any consistency. So to me, go after him if you can. But they're back, you know, Payton, I can say Peyton Barber look kind of a nieky guy the way he runs the football. But yeah, I'm not just worried about the defense. I think the defense just I think it was a

bad day at the office for them. Yeah, because the Colts the offense. I just like I said, I need the offense to get some rhythm here, get some rhythm, finish some drives, put up some points. Make the Tampa Bay team quit, you know, don't let them stay in this game and feel like they have a chance. Don't do that. You know, here's an indication of them driving the football. They had fifth seventeen plays either third or fourth down. Yeah, so that means first and second down.

You're not getting that many, right, that many first downs. Now, they had nineteen first downs, so they were moving the ball, but seventeen times it was third or fourth down trying to convert, so that you know, and a lot of that probably is because of the penalties. Can't have that many holding penalties, Yeah, regardless if they're good calls or bad calls. And a bunch of them were bad calls.

But where I should say, at least questions questionable calls. Yeah, yeah, Um, you know it's almost gotten to the point now where they don't want Tyrann Smith locking somebody up in space well on the line of scrimmage that one. Yeah, and it depends on where your hand placement is with the shoulder pads and then it depends if this happens. Yeah, yeah, that too, sure, Mickey showing the European flopping soccer mana ah for those football players ought to be ashamed of

doing that gets penalties, which is crazy. But no, I just don't. I'm not. My concerns just not defensively. Yeah, I think they'll be. I think they'll I think they'll be on the screws for this one as much as is it just we've kind of talked about it as positive. I know there's some people out there on Twitter that are going nuts right now because we're talking positively about a five and nine team. Well, but but they still

have the capability of moving the football. And if all you need is an indication of what happened last week in NFL with San Francisco and you know, beat in Seattle, and you know that's all you need. Carolina hanging on to the last seconds. Yeah, Hey, this five and nineteen beat New Orleans and the opener. Now I get it was the opener. Get that Jamis beat Philadelphia too, and they took Philadelphia. They took Pittsburgh to the wire in Week three. Yea, all with Fitz Magic at quarterback. But

that I'll take my chances. If they give up forty points to the Cowboys there, that's fair. Cowboys will win. Yeah, but I mean fans were unsettled by this loss, not just because of the defense. Like you said, it's bad day at the office. Offensively, we've seen some of these same things, same things. Yeah, you'd like to be at a better rhythm, like you said, better job finishing drives as you finish out the season. You want to be peaking as you get there. And they've still got a

couple of games to get there. Now they've got they've got to get one. You've got possibly go anyway, this is the one you gotta take. You've got to You've got to play this game like it like you're not gonna have it tomorrow if you lose. And I know that's the wrong way to probably think about things, because you do have an opportunity to lose, to beat the Giants. I just don't think this football team wants to go

and have to Mickey said it yesterday. I don't think this team wants to have to go to New York and listen to us all week talk about and maybe we won't talk about maybe like how much pressure. Yeah, you know, to go and win a game at New York in a divisional game and have to deal with conditions that you really don't know and you know there's so many unknowns. The known fact this week is you're playing a team that's worse than you, You're playing at home.

You should try and find a way to finish these guys. Yeah, you couldn't finish off the Colts, but you can finish these guys off. This is a team you need to finish off, and as I said, now, all they'll hear if they don't win this one is how they lost the last game twenty eleven and twenty twelve and twenty thirteen. It'll come up. I'll guarantee you though, you'll hear the romo clip. First question, why do you prevent that from happening? Yeah, so I'm getting tea in the break room right before

the show. Brian walks in behind me and today, Yeah, on TV this Morning, First Takes Graphics says, do the Cowboys lack mental toughness? Now, I'm shocked that a stephen A. Smiths show would have that, because, yes, it's so objective when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys. But that's you know, maybe that this is good for them be doubted a little bit, you know, And I don't buy that, by the way, I don't think they're I don't think I

don't think you lack mental toughness. If you go and win five straight games, which season's on the brink, That's where I'm going. You're three and five, and if you didn't have mental toughness to bring this thing back, yeah, you were mailing it in. That's the one thing I give Jason Garrett credit for is that. Hell, he preaches the right things, you know. I mean they were three and five and dead in the water. Yeah, they were dead and to come back and win five straight games

to have a chance to win the division. Yeah, yeah, that's mental toughness. So that's that's just radio talk. I mean, we know Steve and a his thing with the Cowboys. It's a bit funny. It's fine, but shouldn't even use his name. Well, maybe, you know, putting that chip back on your shoulder a little bit this week, maybe that'll be good for him. Maybe maybe that's, you know, a little extra motivation. It's all you need. I don't think you need any more motivation than being shut out, though,

I think I think guys were pissed off. Yea. Zeke said it was embarrassing. Yeah, I mean this is a prideful group. It's a young group that's learning how to be maybe learning how to be consistent. But they play hard and I just don't expect that to happen again, I really don't. Um, we'll see what happens, though, He's still got to execute on both sides of the ball to be able to win. Let's grab another phone call before we get out of here, Steve and Mississippi. You're

up next on Talking Cowboys. What's up Steve? Hell you? What's up? Guys? How are y'all actually? Thank you? Hey? Uh? Just kind a couple of questions really around the offense both before I got to that. I just I want to thank all of you all your job you guys do man. I can't appreciate it more as as a Cowboys fan. U. The content on the web is just amazing.

And Brian, your analysis is spot on. Good work. Um. The question I had around is uh, um cavon Austin, if uh, if we have him healthy back this week, if you guys see him being a little bit more part of this offense in terms of, you know, keeping the ball moving, changing some things up. And Brian, I agree with you on the waggles. To me, I think that's where Dak is at his best, getting him rolling out in the pocket, um, you know, just giving him.

I think time to sit in the pocket has been an issue for us and and and him that mental clock. I guess that was my next question around is that is that a coachable thing where you know I'd like to see him just tuck the ball and run when that pocket starts to collapse. You know, you just you just you'd like to see him take off. I know there's some holes out there and some big, big lanes you run in lood like you get your comments on that, and guys, I appreciate your show. Thanks a lot, Thank you,

Thanks Steve. Well do you see big lanes, Mickey? Yeah, I don't see that's been the problem. I mean, yeah, I think Dak wants to run if he can, and some of the problems they've had in the pockets him with the middle of the pocket when things start to collapse. If things are always coming from the edge, and he had an opportunity to step up and go to his left or go to his right, I would agree with my friend from Mississippi, the honorable gentleman there. But I don't.

I don't see it. A lot of a lot of operating now. I will say this. On third and one the other day, he took a shot down the field, overthrew Amari Cooper, who was wide open going to his left, and usually Dak thro one who was left doesn't miss that much. He could have run the football there and got the first down. And fought for another day. You know, got a fresh set of downs and here we go. So I don't think there's a lot of opportunity to run because I think the middle of the pockets where

he could run through. He saw him with the Saints, so him in that game run through the middle of the pocket, had some opportunities. But boy, a lot of their sacks have happened in the middle of the pocket. That's that's been a big, big problem. And the Colts had some pretty well timed blitzes. Oh they did a great job. And it's really hard when that guy's coming off the edge. Yeah, you're gonna pull the thing down

and run. Well, you you only got the middle. Yeah, and so it's not as easy as everybody thinks, oh just run. Yeah. Well, early in the game he was able to dump it off to Zeke, Dalton Schultz, those guys well, and you know what, somebody somebody asked, but what happened with Cooper? Right, Why I didn't write the ball to him? Right? There was a lot of dump offs to Zeke in that Yeah, that tells me the linebackers were dropping dropping quick, and they were saying, okay,

we'll give you the underneath stuff. But you're not gonna get us for sixty yards on one play. If you're gonna throw it over the linebacker's head, then my safety. And they started off the game. They may have changed and I saw him go single safety high, but early it was too safety to see. They were playing double safeties deep, and so you were going to have a hard time getting the ball down the field. They were gonna make you drive the football and count on that.

If you're going to drive the ball for twelve plays for eighty yards on the eleventh play, you were going to screw up. It's almost like their defensive coordinator used to coach here, Yeah, very similar. Well, he challenged Mickey's right. He challenged them to drive the football, and they couldn't without making a mistake, Yeah, a holding or something like And you know who knows, Tampa may and may say no, that's not the way we play. This is the way

we do well. If they play zone coverage, they'll get killed in this game, because that's the one thing when you watch them play zone in their secondary, that's where they give it plays big place. They lose coverage a lot. You know, they get confused on who's going where teams have been able to put complete passes on them down the field. That way back to practice today, What do you expect the injury report to look like before we

get out of here? A lot of questionables. I think Zach could go this week or you think he may try to play without practicing. I think needs anything. Play without practice might be the best thing if he's ready to go. I mean, he's got to sprain to MCL. Now, I don't know what degree it is, but it was to the degree that their a brace and he couldn't play. And normally it's two to four weeks of rest. It's not two to four weeks playing with a brace on

your knee because that ain't getting in any healthier. And the only way the MCL gets better is rest every year. And this is the most hard earned Pro Bowl he's had, yes, and and you know it's rest. The medial collateral or ligament kind of regenerates itself that you can use all the therapy you know, rehab you want, but mother nature has to run its course. So yeah, I don't I don't know that he's I'm saying he doesn't practice. I'm saying Tavon's going to be limited, Sean Lee will be limited,

Sue a Fee will be limited. Um, who else is hurt? Is that it? David Irving? David Irving. We just like to see them more so than out there with with one of the strength and conditioning coaches jogging. Yeah, I'm just like I said, Mickey's right about Zack Martin. But I think Zack Martin also understands that he was on that sideline the other day and he realizes what's you know we talked about players don't don't realize what's going on. No,

they realize what's going on. They do not want to go to New York and have to play a game to get in the playoffs. They know they have to do whatever they have to do to get in right now. I don't say sacrifice Zack Martin, but I think Zack Martin, if he can, if he could buckle it up and go. You know, now, it might be against the trainer's best wishes, but they're not gonna put hurt players out there, and

trust me, they're not going to do that. But you know he's probably gonna look at them and say, now, I gotta play this one today, guys. You know, Yeah, and that's I think that's where we're at. I think that's right. Think there's a lot of guys out there that are having to say. I think with Tavon Austin to the caller's question about him as well, I think you need to get him involved here soon if you can, with returning punts and stuff, get him incorporated back in

the offense. Maybe that's Mickey's way of getting some boi those big plays down the field. You got Cooper, you got him, jet sweeps, screens, whatever you have to do to let for punt returns. Gotta flip the field a little bit here, just not getting anything out of that punt return. All right, fellas, everybody, thanks for joining us,

Thanks to Kim for producing. Stay tuned to Jason Garrett at ten thirty five, The break later, Hanging with the Boys, all our content on Dallas Cowboys Mobile and we'll talk to you guys on Thursday. See well, this has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.