Talkin' Cowboys: Psychological Advantage

of the Dallas Cowboys. We are live from the s WBC studios at the Star in Frisco with Isaiah stand Back, Patrick Nosy Walker. I'm Kyle Yeoman's Chris Beam in the back as always, gentlemen, how are we doing? Fantas fantastic cool? So moving in two week eighteen? Is it crazy to you that we are in the final week of the regular season? Tom Flies? It does, fly Man. But the good thing is we won't be done. What was the last questions? Like, Kawi for a second? You like that

the year one by entirely too fast? Yeah, hopefully we're not anywhere near the finish all. I was thinking about it the other day. We were going two Cincinnati or playing Cincinnati in Week two, not knowing what this team was going to look like. Dak Prescott injured nineteen to three in Week one. Doesn't that seem like four ever ago? I mean, that seems like another lifetime. How long ago those games were happening early in the season. But at the same time, I also feel like we just were

a training camp. We were just in Oxnard getting this thing started. So it's kind of a weird paradox of time of the way that the NFL season has gone. But I'm happy to be where we are at the moment. Well, it's you know, like we said all season, and particularly at the beginning of the season, you suffer that just Abismo loss to the Tampa by Buccaneers, and then you lose Dak Prescott, and you know, all of a sudden, fans are saying the sky is falling. You know, media

pundits are saying the sky is falling. But we did not. We said there's a lot of football to be played. And there was even even Isaiah, who's like the leader of the chart sometimes when the sky is falling Badwagon, even he was like, hold up, let's let's top the

brakes here. Yeah, a lot of football that needed to be played, and now the Cowboys played it and applied pressure to the Philadelphia Eagles going into week eighteen, and like Asaiah said, hopefully there's a lot more football to be played because as everyone knows, this is the starting line next week with Super wild Card weekend, so this is not the finish line. The regular season has ended or is about to end. But then dance, it's coming.

It's time for the prom That's the thing about where the Cowboys are right now after that start is everything is still on the table for you. Every single goal you set out to start when you did start in Oxnard is still there. Win your division. You could win that this week. Now you need a little bit of help to do so. You've needed a little bit of help to do so, maybe a lot of help, but you could still do that. Be the number one seed in the NFC. You need a little bit more help

to be the number one seed in the NFCA. However, you can still do that. You could still make a run, you could still get a buy, you could still go to the wild card and make a run from there. Regardless, if you've got everything in front of you going into the final week, of the regular season. If I were to tell you that and then also say that you matched your win total from last year, what would you say about this season? Ridiculous? This season has just been

there's no way right. I mean, I figured the Cowboys would would fight the adversity, and you know that's why I figured they've bounced back and defeat the Bengals, even after you know the the what happened in Week one, including the loss of Dak Prescott. But you know, even me, even myself, having predicted a twelve and five season back in March when I was looking forward, you know, having some foresight for the season, obviously didn't predict that you

lose Dak Prescott for five games, etcetera, etcetera. Still on, that didn't change it. But nonetheless, I'm not mad at anyone who might have predicted twelve and then saw the loss of Dak Prescott and then shaved it back to ten or nine wins. I mean that that was just logical to do so. But again, here they are twelve on the cusp of potentially getting thirteen, thirteen and four

after losing your starting quarterback for five games. The Eagles couldn't get one win with their starting quarterback, I mean with their backup quarterback, and they're supposed to be world beaters. So you know, shout out out to the Cowboys, and it is something that you said yesterday and we really need to just give kudos to this coaching staff has been magnificent. They've they've whether the storm, yeah they have not. With the win over Tennessee, they have now registered a

season in which no two game losing stream none. I think the only other team that has that can boast that now that the Eagles have suffered that are the Minnesota Vikings, and I know the Kansas City Chiefs, so I think if the Vikings were to lose in Week eighteen, then only the Chiefs and Cowboys could could make that claim.

And that's pretty good company right there. Yeah, last time the Cowboys have lost back to back games was the week eleven, Week twelve, the short week with Kansas City and Las Vegas going into Thanksgiving in twenty twenty one. So it's been a long time since you've lost back to back matchups in the same season. So that's always fun to look at now kind of makes me one funny. I always want to beat the rivals. I want to

beat everybody, sure in fact this period. But funny thought on the way here, you know, team hasn't lost two in a row. You know, maybe to guarantee that first playoff around win, maybe you drop one and watch drop one. Yeah, don't do it though, stop but yeah, don't do it. But just funny thought, I said, funny thought. Yeah, it's funny. I got my laugh. And now let's move on. All right, Yeah,

let's let's pretend like that one didn't happen. Isaiah's just looking down at his iPad or as a tablet right now. I'm looking into the percentages of the scenarios, potential scenarios I knew as I knew it the question. That's that's

where I'm That's where I'm looking at. So I'm looking at the percentage of chance that they win with the vision, the conference and you know host A, you know, the two seed, like I'm looking at all those Okay, so I'm gonna tell you the scenarios that it takes while you find the percentages of of the likelihood of each of those scenarios. So Dallas has to win regardless if they lose. There the five seed, plain and simple boom, there you go. So that's the one to the five.

Those are the three potential seeds for the Cowboys. If you lose, you're the five. If Philly wins, you are also the five. Or ties. Philly wins or ties in their matchup against the New York Giants, you are the five. So there you go. There's scenarios one and two that lead to the five. If you are going to win your division, you need Philadelphia to lose and you need to win as well. That would make you the two

seed if San Francisco wins. So San Francisco is playing the Arizona Cardinals Cardinals at four and thirteen right now or whatever it ends up. I think four and twelve probably going to be four and thirteen. The possibility that you are going to be the one seed is very low because it would take Philadelphia and San Francisco losing, plus you would have to be point washington point zero seven percent chance that you're the one seed. Yeah, that's fair. Honestly,

that's a fair percent. There's a shot, one point seven point seven shot, So curve this not even a full percentage point. So if you're looking at it in a in a fraction, that is point o seven out of one, So not a whole lot to look at there, However, it's something you need. What's do you have the ones for winning your division against Philly? Winning the division is six percent? Six percent? Yeah? And then and that would mean you're the two seed and you would play either

Green Bay or Detroit. The winner of that game, yeah, would win a division. The Cowboys need to win. Eagles need to say Green Bay or Detroit. Right to secure the top seed, they need to win. Eagles need to lose forty nine, Ers need to lose correct. Yeah. Yeah. To be the two seed, you need to win. Eagles need to lose, correct, and then everything else leads to the five seed at Tampa Bay in wild Card weekend. Who would you rather face Tampa? Tampa? Not even a question?

Not over Green Bay right now? Tampa give me Tampa, give me on the road or at home against green Bay? Well so, so say well, because you're at home against green Bay. You know I how Tom Brady in the highest of his teams play with him, he's the goat. Okay, he's still fully capable of playing really well. Mike Evans

Finally they finally connected last week. They figure that out. Okay, two plush yards, even with those guys figuring it out, even with them having all their weapons and all that, Jazz, I believe that we match up really well against Tampa. Beginning of the year, we took that ill and I felt like we were gonna take that all right right now, if we played Tampa, I feel very confident in our ability to shut down what they do well because I don't believe that their office A line can handle the

defensive front of Dallas. And that's both in the running game because they don't have a solid running game, so they have to depend on their passing game and well, they don't have the most mobile quarterbacks regardless of how smart and intellectually intelligent here. So I think that Dallas has advantage against Tampa. You go to Green Bay, it's kind of funny. They have less weapons than Tampa, but they have a dude who has a drive. Out of

this world. Now, when I say that, people are automatically gonna look at it and say, well, Tom Brady doesn't have a drive. Absolutely, he has a drive, But Tom Brady isn't as streaky as Aaron Rodgers. And when Aaron Rodgers is in Aaron Rodgers mode. It's I don't care who's receiving the ball. He's a dude, and I just you just don't want to face him, especially in Green Bay. Well, well, first of all, let me say this, I think the

Lions are gonna beat them. I think, dude, we're gonna we're gonna pick that game on Friday, and I might I like Detroit. Yeah there's you don't want to face Detroit either? Yeah, I think I would if you had to give me the option. I'm just saying, but like detroits of dangerous team. We talked about that when we face them, right, they hit the crap out of us. Yeah, with the fighting Dan Camp, they'll bite off some knee caps. Yeah. Um. I mean I say that to say I don't think

this is going to be a conversation next week. But to answer your question, I honestly don't care. And I understand why people do, because it's all about matchups and I get it. I get the science behind it, But for me, it's about Catharsis, right. Um. And And you know, to kind of glance over to MLB for a quick second, and you know, you guys know how much I love my braves but this is a situation where be it

the slight odds of stealing away the division. Everybody's like or not everybody, but a lot of people are like, well, go ahead and rest the starters because the chancels are too slim, etcetera, etcetera. If you follow MLB and you saw what the Braves were able to do to the Mets,

all you need is a shot. Okay, But if you look at the twenty twenty season and you look at it from the standpoint of how the Braves won that World Series, right, they had to go through they had to exercise their demons from the Dodgers, they had to exercise demons from the Astros. I mean, they had to run through goliaths to get it done. And you get it done and now no one, no one can question it. There are no doubts. So if you had to go through Rogers and or Brady in order to get the title,

what questions could haters have for you? Like, what doubts could they have? There's nothing, It's at It's pure unadulterated catharsis. So I see it from both points. I see the matchup thing. Oh well yeah we do, and I agree we do match up better against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers than you would Aaron Rodgers. And we know Aaron Rodgers does love playing an AT and T stadium. We we've seen that, We've we live in the trauma. We're still

trying to recover from the trauma of that. Yeah. But that being said, I just I want to beat the best, like I want you to show me all this talk about this team is being special. Okay, show me God, line up against Tom Brady whom you've never defeated, and possibly retire him. Okay, invite Aaron Rodgers in and say, you know what, you are the one who has prevented You have broken our hearts in the postseason time and again, great storyline, it's time for us to break yours en

route to breaking a two and a half decade long drought. Yes, there's there's a lot to be said for me, for Catharsus, and that nothing would be more cathartic than to run through Brady and or Rogers en route to hoisting. Do you think do you think we could just fast forward to Wildcard weekend? Oh? Because I'm ready in a role that you got me riled up. But I agree, I think that's what the mindset should be going into the playoffs this year is I don't care who you are

on the other side, You're gonna get it. And you've talked about that too, Isaiah, You've talked about it before. Even going into last year's playoff run, you didn't feel like this team had that mentality. Do they have it this year or is it at least a little bit closer? I don't feel any better at this point really now after this week's game. I might feel differently now from what I've seen from this team over the last month. I do not feel that they have that killer, consistent,

killer instinct right now. I think that you don't know what team you're going to see every Sunday? Are we Are we nitpicking that too much though, because if they win this week against Washington and they put it put it away, they were able to get it done early. They'll enter the playoffs having won seven of their last eight, seven of eight so in the season. That's why the stat line. I don't just look at stat lines. You know, you know, I know you don't how you won those games.

And people are gonna say, oll ws aw, Okay, yeah, that's true, right, it shows up as a w but how you won those games matters as well. Sure, Okay, um, how you yeah, exactly. I'm just gonna leave it at that. So I agree. I don't feel at this point of the season that they are complete dogs right now. We'll see. And this is why. This is another reason why you don't rest starters, no doubt, because you need the momentum.

And this is why I believe that Brian Dable is honest when he says no, he's not going to rest starters. It's because for a similar now, well i'm not going to say similar, but not entirely dissimilar reason. The Giants need this final game to fine tune some things and make sure that they're on the right track. The Cowboys, in the same breath, need this final game against the Commanders, not only because they have a very slim chance of being able to move up from five to possibly two,

maybe even one. We'll see how things shake out, but worst case scenario, they need to make sure that some of the holes in the run defense is short up, some of the holes in the secondary are short up. Keep in mind, you're Nishan right has played for the most part better than you would have hoped he would have played being thrust into the situation he was thrust in this late in the season after giving Kelvin Joseph

the first couple of nads. That was a lot to ask of Nishan, Right, he needs this game as well. So I say all that to say, you're right. If you're talking about the Cowboys team that played the Titans and lost to the Jaguars going into the playoffs right now, there's concern there. But use and utilize this final game to say, hey, you know what, let's just go beat

the hell out of Washington. Let's just hang fifty on them, fifty to three, fifty to zero, and make sure that this is not only a game that we're using to try to better our standing in the playoffs seed, but also to send the message to the league that hey, we are ready for the playoffs, so let's let's do it.

So let use this game for that. If nothing knils, I agree, it's a it's a ramp up, and it's also a chance for you to keep your hopes alive of winning a division and possibly points seven percent chance to get the bye week, which that bye week is those odds if there was one team that you think would hurt to have the bye week, it might be San Francisco. That's a team that's won their last nine games. They're probably gonna win ten straight going into their playoff push.

So you talk about a team that's been playing well and continuing to win, San Francisco's on that that type of tear right now. So a bye week may actually kind of be counteractive to what they're doing. I could see that because you're hitting pause a momentum, whereas Philly and Dallas they could each very much so use a bye week. The thing is when it comes to bye week,

and I don't whole hardly disagree with you. Yeah, when you have a good percentage of your team that has had good playoff experience, you can afford for guys to have a week off. You can afford for guys to to rest guys right if you're in a position to do so, because you are fully they're fully You're fully confident that with that time off they're still gonna come back and do their job because the moment's not too big for them. Been there before. Counterpoint green Bay. Last year,

green Bay was the one seed. What happened? They lost to the San Francisco forty nine ers, a team that on paper was not as good as that Green Bay teams. And you know what, that's right, But we can all agree San France mentality is totally different than any other

team in this league. Sure there's they're in a category there, oh, which is why you don't want to face them, not from the roster standpoint, from the mentality standpoint, right from their their their approach to the game is totally different than everybody else's. And I'm fully fine standing, I'm all honest saying that we got to taste of that last year. Are used? They were not no, no, no, no scared, no no, not scary. Say when he got her, it doesn't matter who hands the ball off of that, right,

it does not matter. Right. But the thing I'm that's what I'm waiting to see from Dallas. Dallas on paper has the best roster in football. They're all healthy, absolutely best roster in football. Last year I would have to say the same, their roster was substantially better than San Francisco. What did it come down to? Execution and mentality? I haven't seen that dog from Dallas. You don't feel like

Dallas is gonna drag every team that they face. You don't feel like they're just gonna come out of it. Every game that they faced were playing to the level of our competition. Fair point, and I agree with that, um. But here's a counterpoint to that. Which team in the league, And this is an actual question. Whose team in the league has shown you that every single week they can drag somebody? I think the best team right now is San Francisco team. Every week they can drag somebody. It

just took them a field. San Francisco's playing with their third quarterback. I hear what you're saying, and they're still executing. That's the same level they're beating. Do you feel as if I do? Every they just showed you they almost lost, say dragged. I'm not even talking about the points. I'm talking about physically just beating the crap out of somebody and controlling the game. It doesn't have to always points

That didn't just happened against the Raiders. The Raiders had the lead on it, and the Raiders have wanted If you look on paper, Raiders have a heck of a freaking roster, and Raiders coaches trash. The coaches trash but on paper before the season, what was everybody saying, the Raiders have their roster is freaking ridiculous Chandler Jones. So I mean, you can't disregard the fact that they're they're playing bad, but their roster is still amazing. What I'm

saying is hashtag keep that energy. Again, I don't disagree. I believe that the Cowboys have shown instances of playing down the competition. Undeniable, the Coats for three quarters, the Texans for fifty nine minutes, right, And I'm not going to say Jacksonville because we agree that Jacksonville is in a different stratosphere than the Coats, the Texans, and even the Titans at this point. But played against you know, played it with your food against the Tennessee Titans, So

you're right in that aspect. My point is, be at the Kansas City Chiefs. They've shown that they can play down the competition. Buffalo Bills have shown they can play down the competition. The Philadelphia Eagles with Jalen Hurts have played down the competition almost lost to the Code. So can I ask you direct question. My point is, at this point in the season, because to use Kyle's words, it is so wide open in both conferences. It's so wide open. All you have to make sure that you

do is be the best that particular day. That's it. That's it, because because you might you might. I totally agree with you. Yeah, if Dallas shows up Dallas, it wins most of these games. Yeah, Okay, I don't I don't care who they face. Totally agree with you. However, you don't know what Dallas is gonna show up. Yeah, And that's the problem that goes back to Patrick's point of the only team that can beat this team? Yeah

is this team? Well guess what. They better figure it out because I can't put them in the same category as in the confidence going into the playoffs as a Buffalo, as a Kansas City. I can't do it. I can't do it yet. Roster wise, I roster wise, I can. Yeah, roster wise, like roster wise and coaching you can. Okay, But unfortunately that's not the whole thing. You just said. Two AFC teams, by the way, I know, I know, but I'm just talking about the confidence that you have.

But the competence Saloff, I'm speaking on the confidence that you have though in those teams. Now right when city in the playoffs. You expect in the playoffs. Oh, you think about Dallas in the playoffs, But I think, I think, I think a large part of that, A part of that is what you're saying. But the larger driving force behind the lack of confidence in the Cowboys being in the playoffs this season is because of the Cowboys in the playoffs last season and their inability to make it

to the playoffs. The season projects so forth and so on. So until the Cowboys make the run exactly, there's going to be the psychosis of Cowboys in the playoffs. They broke them a heart so many times. So I'm not saying you're wrong, but I think in there, in that wonderful big brain of yours, is actually trauma speaking more so than to show me I want to playoff of which is fair. But I'm saying I want to play

off of that when we come back. Is there a psychological advantage of the Cowboys this year that we're not talking about? Okay, I want to hit it on the other side of the break when we come back with more talking Cowboys. When you build, you start with the foundation, and homeownership is a foundation of a stable future. The Bank of America Community Homeownership commitment has helped over thirty four thousand people lay the ground work so far with

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five minutes or so. However, I want to playoff of what we talked about at the end of that first segment, because Patrick is talking about how this year has a chance to be different, and it absolutely does. You every time there's a chance. Yes, Isaiah's talking about the mindset and how it's not the same or it is the same.

Early you feel the same as it was last year. Right, So last year you're going into that playoff game against San Francisco, a lot of your roster you don't understand what you're going to get from them in a playoffs scenario. You had some core guys that have been around since the last time the Cowboys were in the playoffs, but for the most part, the roster turnover was much different

from twenty twenty to twenty twenty one. However, from twenty twenty one to twenty twenty two, is there a psychological advantage one because it's the majority of the same guys that are on the field with you this time around as they were last time around. Even with some sprinkled end injuries. There's not a ton of newcomers that are going out and playing a significant number snaw. So that means there's a couple I mean, Anthony Barr one of them,

couple guys on the back end. But that's about it. However, now you have that heartbreak, you have that San Francisco game to lean back on and say, I don't want that to happen again. You didn't have that before. And it's also the first time you've won back to back twelve win seasons since ninety six? Awesome? Is this the best chance for the Cowboys psychologically to have an advantage knowing, Okay,

we can't let that happen again. We got to take care of business in the playoffs whenever we get there. Absolutely absolutely, heartache helps you. It should learn from if you learn from it right, otherwise you're bound to what repeat it. So I hope that that that hurts. I hope they got a little a little, a little stab in the side right there, kid. I hope that's just uncomfortable, right, like a little dog on splinter that you want to

get out. I hope that's there because that pain reminds you, and when you're reminded of a pain point, you don't want to repeat that pain point. So they need that to drive them towards success. So to answer your question, yes, my concern is what Dallas does. Let's let me back it up a little bit. When you think about teams, if you had to say one way in which your team was going to beat you, right, you think about san France, right, we talk about san Fran's mentality. How

san Fran gonna beat you. They're gonna be there physically, gonna beat you up. Yeah, okay for the full game. It doesn't matter over time or not. They're gonna beat you up physically, okay. Kansas City finish, yeah, speed, they're gonna score. They're gonna score, right, They're gonna I'll score you. Yeah, right, Dallas, how's Dallas beat you? To run the ball? Is that what the first team comes in your mind? I was saying, pass rush rush, What have we not been? You haven't

been winning on your pass rush? You see what I'm saying sometimes about the identity of the team. So so I'm not saying that there's not other ways to win, but I'm saying the identity of your team and what typically would carry you through to beat opponents, and especially really high opponents. Yeah, you have to be doing that will and look at even Philly. That's another team that you would say, what is their identity getting after people?

It's gonna be their defensive front seven. They've been getting after people. They're the first team. And I god knows how long there was a stat out there this week on Twitter. I got to look at it to get it completely right that had lost after sacking the quarterback seven times in a game. So, even as good as you are pass rush wise, you gotta have something else

to rely on resolutely. So what all I'm saying is that Dallas can beat you other ways, but they have to get their identity back, and right now their identity is not present. Coupled with you're turning the ball over. So if you're not so, if you're so, so, what I'm saying so if you're not getting home? Because that was west of what everybody fears the team has. There has to be one thing that teams fear about you.

What do you fear about Dallas pass rush? You fear don't let them, don't let them boys get home, gone get in the past. The situation Dalla's gonna get, They're gonna get home. They're gonna sack you cause you third and long take the ball away. They haven't been doing that. No, okay, Um, then you go on the other side of the ball and we're giving the ball away. So that combination does not make me feel good. It doesn't make me feel good. Not saying that we can't overcome it, not saying that

that light switch can't come back on. But as of right now, if I'm standing today, that's why I need this last game to show up. Okay, as of today, I don't feel that what Dallas does best they are doing at a high level right now because they're not and you're giving the ball away. That that scenario right there on both side of the ball does not equate two wins in the playoffs. I do feel like they

still have their identity. They know exactly who they are defensively, and they know exactly who they are offensively as far as run first and then playoff the play action and get the plays down the field. So I do disagree in that aspect. I will say the pass rush needs to get home. That's something that should be no surprise because if for those that listen to the show religiously, the receipts are out there, you gotta get home once you get hands on these guys, whether it be Trevor

Lawrence or you know, Jalen Hurts. Eventually, you know, you got to bring those guys down to the ground. But the pass rush disruptions have remained best in the league. They're still getting back there. I will say, once again agree with you, it's the giveaways. If you stop giving the ball away a lot better position, the Cowboys odds of winning games jump exponentially. So that's what I need

to see from them in the playoffs. You're not going to get five or six sacks every game going forward, hopefully to the super Bowl, because look at the compet the level of competition you're about to go up against. But you can continue to get your disruptions as you have been. You can't continue to get your takeaways as you have been. But the question is are you going to give added possessions to Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers or you know, don't do it. But so if you don't,

you win these games. Say you saw it in Green Bay, and yeah, I'm not saying, you know, just making the point. You saw it in Green Bay. So let it be the throne in their pall. Let the overtime loss in green Bay, which was irreally similar to the overtime loss

in Jacksonville. I think that that's just the universe sending the Cowboys a message used to Jacksonville jackbuoys as a reminder to say, hey, maybe you forgot what happened in Green Bay, so let's give you a late season reminder that hopefully will carry you to and through a playoff run. Because as the Cowboys entered the playoffs that the most recent humiliation that they have is fairly just. It's just that it's recent. It just happened a couple of weeks.

Or going Baxonville pick six off the hands of Noah Brown, you lose that game, and what was Dex's body language after that game, like, Wow, I can't believe this happened. Remember that, mister Prescott. Remember that feeling, because you don't want to feel it a game when you get up, when you have a lead on the team, whomever you're playing. And I believe if the Cowboys don't give the ball away,

they're going it doesn't matter who Tom Brady Arrod. They're going to have a league, and there's going to be a two score league. Question is can you maintain it, and yes you can if you don't throw the ball away. Yeah, those are two games that if you go back and you look at you had multi score leads and you blew it against teams at that point that didn't look like they were great. Now. Jacksonville if they win this week, they're in the playoffs. Green Bay, if they win this week,

they're in the playoffs. But those are playoff caliber teams with good quarterbacks. You had them beat, you had them dead in the water, and you weren't able to close it. So you know, now you've got you've got the playoff teams because you know now, I mean, it turns out they're not world beaters. Wonder who the I mean. That's the thing though, is if they end up both of those teams end up winning, which honestly, I think there's a chance both of them do end up winning. All

four of your losses are against playoff teams. But if you take half of those away, you're the number one seed in the in the in the playoffs. You've got to buy we're not even talking about all this stuff. But you didn't do it. You didn't take care of business. So that needs to be a calling card for this team going into the playoffs. Let's talk about Washington though coming up this week. The Commanders, they've got their own problems, their own set of problems. Ron Rivera this morning he

said this. Would you hear what he said this morning in the press conference, He said he didn't even realize that it was an elimination sea. He had no idea it was an elimination game. That talks to their leadership. Yeah, there's a problem there somewhere they had, Carson Wentzon. They're now flipping back to Taylor Heney I knew that they didn't know flipping back to Taylor Haneke and mixing in

the rookie Sam Howell. So that that's the news that came out this mone good is that they're going to flip back to Taylor Honekey, but they're also going to get the rookie some snaps and obviously we don't know what the person is going to be. But from the Cowboys standpoint, you've kind of seen this before Driscoll and Davis Mills Texans so started last week, or you thought you were going to see it last week with Dobbs and Willis in the Minust has changed for Washington now.

Now Washington is looking towards next year. Now, they're trying to figure out, Okay, who's gonna be who's gonna be here next year? We see that. That's why I say the players. Though the players are, they're more most certainly fine for the jobs. So absolutely, I still don't believe the news comes out and everybody's like, yeah, this is gonna be you know fifty and it should be. But it should have been regardless of if it was wins Honeker, how it should have been. It should be exactly that.

So this quarterback news doesn't change that for me, and we'll talk predictions later in the week. But what it does do is tell me that the Cowboys might need to prep a different way. Right you you already played Taylor Honeke, You played against Carson went several times. You know how to play against him. Okay, so just approach it with kind of like the Texans. It's mindset where it's just like, okay, we don't know who they're going to start, and they kind of caught us off guard.

So don't let the commanders get you off guard with you know, one play, it's how the next plays. Tina Key wanting the next play is how just be prepared for that and go do what you were supposed to do anyway, which is just blow the doors off this team because it's it's a dysfunctional team. It's a dysfunctional organization, and there is no reason that they should be in this game by the time halftime rose around. They've got a lot of issues. But is this a better Washington

roster than you saw in week four? Yes? I think so too, Yes, but we can't talk about that till tomorrow because it's on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, they're not very good right now. No. I mean, they had a chance and they started to kind of sneak up right in the middle of the year, and then they don't have an identity, fell off a cliff. They

don't have an identity. I mean, you think about the old the Washing Commanders, even going back to last year, their rushing attack was but you minimal, Yeah, I mean what you feared from them last year really I was that was what you're You're worried about the rushing attack and you're worried about Scary Terry. Those are the two guys that you're worried about. Logan Thomas. You never know if he's gonna be on the field or not, just do to health issues. But you don't fear anything about

this offense right now. That's just the reality now. That does not have anything to do with well, I'm gonna say that that has no effect over your approach to the game. The fact that they don't have any dudes that are scaring you. Right now, you have to get back on track. For Dallas's defense, this is a get back on track game. That's how I perceive it. Figure

it out. I don't care if these guys are lighting up the scoreboard, if they suck like they do right now, you have to find a way to get back on track. Right What I was just talking about, your identity of this team is your is your pass rush? You teams fear that. I don't think teams are fearing it as much right now. Right there was a point in the season where when teams got the third down, if it was third or seven or more, we were all sitting back like watch this, Yeah, right now, we're back like

can they get home? You know, if maybe it's gonna be the ball's gonna get out quick because they may have to tackle the first government tackle. You know, is that a byproduct though, of teams actually resolutely fearing the pass rush enough to where they're completely changing their identity. Teams have absolutely done that get the ball out quickly.

So with that even being said, going into the playoffs, no matter if you have eight sacks or more against Washington, our team's gonna actually fear this pass rush enough to where, oh my gosh, even if we change our own It depends on how you go about it. It depends on how you go about it because there's different ways in which you get scat sacks. Right, So you got the scheme and that's one way to get sacks. And then you just have peer talent, right, just peer talent, and

I'll throw another category in their will. Right, you have straight will, the will to win, right, the will to make the play. I'm gonna I don't care who you are, I don't care what you how many all pros you got, I'm about I'm about to throw you at the club. Right, nothing's gonna stop me from getting from from this point A to point B. Right, I'm throwing you just j mights was just get out the way, yeah, right, y'all MS would you go there in a screen route because

I'm I'm coming right. And then you got the skill set for like a Micah and and and Fowler or stuff like that, which is like, crap, these guys are fast, right, and you're gonna spin moves and speed and dip and rip and just tenacious. And then you got the scheme of dan Quinn, right, dunts, right, mismatches, you know, all those alignments and all those type of things. So there's different ways in which you go about getting sacks, and

there's throwing the worst sacks and pressures. That's an umbrella. But how you get there, that's where the finite the details are at it, and that's what teams are gonna look at and try to scheme up, because you can scheme up some of it. But even if I scheme up what dan Quinn is doing, okay, A's office accordator, I did that, well, crap, Now I still got the women determination of these cats. Washington just doesn't have the horses.

In fact, stop scary Terry and and that's a rapping we've seen Tom and again Trayvon Diggs has been able to shut down Terry McLaurin um Robinson he's not completely healthy. He's he's doing what he can to produce out there, but he's not really healthy. So you have a Gibson man. Yeah, I think he's been banged up. He was on my fantasy team so didn't but they didn't even start the year off with him. Like it's like it's almost like they had some kind of dispute. I think he's been

banged up. He's had like a lingering things like a Zeke thing. Just there was a beast. They're rushing to that point, the rushing to think after him, I know what I'm saying, Like I feel like there's something internal that happened because they didn't even start the year one and give him the ball. Yeah, no telling, everything's internal with that organization, hopefully, but their rushing attacks hobbled quarterback play is nothing to speak, nothing worthy of speaking of whatsoever,

regardless of who's back there right now. And that in itself helps Negate scary Terry. But then Treyvon Diggs, even if you had a quality quarterback to get McClaren the ball, Trevon Diggs has shown he can clamp him. So I don't see a situation where any situation any scenario in which the Commanders get their offense going against the Cowboys, I just think they get beat up early and the

spirit that already is not there. I mean there will be some competitiveness because again there were players trying to keep their jobs and their coaches that are trying to keep their jobs or at minimum put on film something for another team to come and pick them up, so that there will be a competitive nature there. It'll be scrappy, but you can just go ahead and break their spe You get up fourteen oz and it'll get away from Commanders really quickly. They'll start laying now. Yeah, they'll roll

over and show they barely at that point. It's a big chance for you to do that early in this football game. But when we come back here on Talking Cowboys, will wrap up this episode and we're going to talk about the secondary. We talk about getting right. This might be a chance for the secondary to beat test in getting right, but also still get right with the w Getting right. Is that a column column headline right there? It's pretty good. All right, We'll be back with more

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of talking Cowboys, I say a standback. We've got Patrick no c Walker, Kyle Yeoman's Chris Beam in the back. All right, gentlemen, the secondary has been the biggest question mark, and we're previewing the Cowboys defense versus the Washington offense. It's been the biggest question mark since the injuries of Anthony Brown and Jordan Lewis. You brought it up a little bit earlier. Nashaun Wright has come in and he's played above the expectations, but still a lot of room

to grow. Facts, still a lot of a long way to go. And for those that there were some of my Twitter mentions when I said Nashan Right is trending upward, they were like, oh, man, he's terrible, blah blah blah, you're not watching the film. In fact, you're you're not watching the film period. He's doing good things, which is

something we couldn't say from the guy he replaced. Is this a game where not only is it a get right, where it's a winnable batchup, however, but they're going up against some good receivers Curtis, Samuel, Terry McLaurin, Logan Thomas out tight end. I mean there are guys that are good on this offense. Is this the right time for them to get a good challenge and to win that challenge? Absolutely. We talk about tuning yourself up for the playoffs and

for the secondary. This is your final chance to do that. And and to your point, yes, Nashan Right, who grabbed his first career interception against the Tennessee Tuttans, he's showing you what that length can do. It can be disruptive, it can get into the passing lanes. It can make quarterbacks think twice about maybe I can float this over

his fingertips. I don't think that you can. So you love where the needles is pointing on a guy like Nshan Right, But he also needs more reps and that's why it's paramount that you see him get that against

the team like Washington. And it's going to be a confident a chance, I should say, to build that much more confidence because you're going against the rookie and Howard, you're going against Taylor Heineke, whom the Cowboys basically own and even if even if it were Carson Wentz, you know, Carson Wentz is going to give your opportunities to the ball away. So as a young secondary not named treyvon Diggs and not named it Ron Bland, because Bland has

already shown you what he can do. He's he's a star, right, But for Nishan, right and something maybe at least one or two of the veterans that the Cowboys have, trayvon Mullin has been inactive both of the games that he's been with the Cowboys. We haven't seen him yet. Maybe we see some treyvon Mullin in this game, so the Cowboys know what they have from him before. Because and I'm with Isaiah, I see the eyes. You gotta know what you got there before you go into the playoffs.

You gotta know what you got there. You've seen some McKenzie Alexander, but you haven't seen Kendall Sheffield yet either. So good opportunity for the Cowboys not only get additional reps for Nashan, right, but let's let's see Mullin and hopefully Sheffield, because you gotta know what you have before you go into the dance. I love Nashan. You know, I've been I've been a big fan of e Honda R since he got here exactly, and I want to see him more impressed. Yeah, I can't say this enough.

I don't know what's going on in terms of defensive strategy, but I know Al Harris is one hell of a press corner back in the day, and Dan Quinn used to be a press you know, press man coverage guy, and he's got two years in the system now. Yeah, so I'm hoping that they allow Ehana to get up there and put some fisticuffs on some people. But he

is coming along. And if it's your point, Kyle, if people are saying that he's coming along too slow, well he hasn't had a ton of reps, and then the reps he has had, he's doing pretty dug going well with them. So he was in there, He was able to be in there consistently last week and he made

some place. So I'm looking forward to seeing him continue to develop and build his confidence because I don't care what people think about draft status and how high they're drafted and where are they what they should be doing by this point in time. This is a confidence game all these guys are capable of playing at a really high level. If you if you're in the NFL, you're one of the best in the world. Regardless of how bad or how good you may be looking, you're still

one of the best in the world. Yeah, it's all on confidence. So if you're out there and you have your swag back and you got you know, you got closed right socks, right shoe game right? You know what I'm saying, got your visor on whatever it is that you do, feel good and you actually go out there and play good. Well, now you just need to double down on that. Give another game, give me, give me the same amount of reps. Let me get my feet wet,

let me get used to this game. Which is why players hate getting cycled in and out because I can't get a feel for the game, right I can't get my swag because shoot, as soon as I start feeling good, I'm coming out of the game right now, I gotta get back in there and try to get warmed up again. So let guys get in there and get used to the floor of the game and start remembering the types of players that they were, because that's what it is.

When I'm in the league, and I'm into my second year and I haven't had the opportunity to make a lot of plays. I was a dude in college, but now in the NFL. You know, everything that's been the position I've been in, the reps that I've been given has shown me that, oh, you're not a dude anymore. Then all of a sudden, I get an opportunity to start getting these reps again. Oh crap, maybe I still yeah, yeah,

this is what I do. Right, So you start to start remembering who you were as a player, and as soon as you make a play like that, you get an interception. Oh yeah, oh yeah, I'm back. Yeah, I'm back. Now. Just keep me in there, keep me in there. Confidence building, this booster. That's what this game has to be. A momentum boost of momentum booster as well as a confidence booster, while also potentially giving you an opportunity to move up

from the five seed. And in worst case, even if even if you win this game, and like you said, the Eagles win and it all you know is could put in the Eagles clinched consideratesiderate for me. And I've said this and I would say it one more time. I said a thousand times. I'll say it one more time. The fact that you forced the Eagles to do something they did not want to do with their starting quarterback might and that might negatively impact their chances in the playoffs. Checkmate,

and so win. And in that regarding going back to what you said about Nashan, for those that listen to the draft show, they know I wasn't very high on Nashan, right, I never really was. I love him as a person. He's a delight to talk to. He's a great dude. The work ethic is off the charts. I love what he does behind the scenes, and I see why they drafted him because of that. He's also got the physical tools now it's starting to put that together with that confidence.

I agree with you leheartedly in that regard. I hope he continues to trend in the right direction. That'd be huge. That'd be massive for this football team heading into the playoffs and moving forward really quickly. Another guy that I loved interacting with for some time. We haven't confirmed it, but reports are out there that the Cowboys have waived wide receiver James Washington. So the reports have hit this morning, of course, with the signing of t Y Hilton and

what he brought to the table. Wait to confirm, got to confirm it. But that's the report for me, and rapid reports are out there there. Yeah, So James Washington, he will be subject to waivers so he can be claimed by any of the other teams and we'll see all that happens. But the addition of Ty Hilton and the immediate impact of t Y Hilton pushed James Washington to the inactives list and now off of the rosters. I hate I hate that for James. Yeah, he's such

a good dude. Yeah, really good dude, and he came in with a lot of a lot of optimism, but injury and training camp and at the start of training camp, no list pretty much deleted his chances with the Cowboy. Yeah, that derailed the whole thing. But best of luck to James Washington. Whether he ends up being taken on waivers or maybe he's back here kudos squad. If he cleared, could happen in recent we'll see hopefully he wherever he ends up. Best of luck and best wishes to James Washington.

Continued prayers by the way for tomorrow, Hamlin, Yes, continuing to fight up at the UC Medical Center in Cincinnati after that play on Monday Night Football. I want to continue to send our thoughts and prayers that direction into the Buffalo Bill's family as well, but that doesn't for us here on Talking Cowboys on a wonderful Wednesday. We'll be back tomorrow previewing the Cowboys offense and the Washington defense for Chris Beam, isaiahs, Dan Back Patrick, No see Walker.

I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long. Thanks for joining us on Talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club m