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This he is Talking Cowboys, screening live from the Dallas Cowboys World Hours at.
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Six second's tydown.
And now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeomans. It's a Thursday edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company. We are here from the Star in Frisco in the SWBC Studios previewing Week eight of the NFL season. As the Cowboys get it's set to face the l A Rams at at and T Stadium on Sunday. Like the big voice man said Isaiah stand Back, John Machoda, Nick Harris.
We have Chris Beam in the back, gentlemen. How we doing today? Swell Swell, you look locked.
In over here. You're always locked in.
Kyle, ready to get your your QB vision, taking care of you.
Ready for QB vision?
Not Yeah, that's the second. Yeah, it's pretty nice.
Right when I wanted so when I walked in, the first thing I said to him, like, obidell your homework on this RAMS defense because I just see a lot of similarities between this Rams defense name wise, and let's say I don't know the Arizona Diamondbacks. You're not following along. There's bunch of names you're probably not gonna know.
Yeah, yeah, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
That's still they're in the World Series right, still, They're still formidable.
I'm literally I would love for someone to reach out tell us. I would love to know of a team with less name recognition on it than that air Arizona Diamonbacks. It's made it to a championship a series. I will say that, Well, I'm just gonna stick with because the ones that followed the most are baseball, football, and basketball. But I would man that that that lineup, I mean, of course there's like Evan Longoria, but the rest of that crew is it's.
Like an old Evan Longoria.
Though now I'm just talking about like nay recognition, where just baseball fans will be like, oh yeah, yeah, no, I know this guy is good.
There's very little That's what I was going to point out.
I was watching I think it was game five or game six of that series, and Evan Longoria is in the eight hole.
I was like, wait, Evan Lo, when did he get here?
Yeah?
That was I think I was very early in the series.
It was the nl d S and I was like, I didn't even know he was still playing nonetheless playing well.
And that's exactly what.
They don't even think of an NFL team that's made the super Bowl with that little name wreck. I mean maybe maybe the Panthers that year that they they lost to Brady with like j J.
Yeah, but then even then they had they had some guys on that defense then, right, I don't know, so long ago, that.
Was so long a Seahawks team with what was like hassleback that was starting or am I losing my mind?
And this was like six.
Seahawks ever go to the super Bowl in the mid two thousands. Sean Alexander was on the team.
Yeah you did? Yeah, Oh yeah, the ball we're gonna score?
Yeah that one.
Hey, I should know that Super Bowl is Indy treading the Steelers.
Yeah, you're right, Oh man, I forgot.
Yeah, that one's that's a go one too, man. Yeah, that was pretty rough.
Yeah.
Recently there's been name recognition because either one side had Tom Brady for the most part, or the other side had somebody that was really like an MVP or something even.
Like it made a bunch of moves that are a bunch of I mean, heck, this RAMS team going to the super Bowl. All the moves that they made to get them to that point, you know, moves they made. I thought I said something wrong.
They did. They're aggressive. You said something right, Yes, that would be Isaiah perked up real quick.
It's just wild. That just tends to be the commonality around these parts. People would be aggressive, they go get guys, and they automatically just end up in.
A in the bowl game. It's almost like we we talked about this.
I like that he used commonality because I said that word yesterday and immediately after I said, I'm like, make sure it works. Make let me make sure this is an actual word.
That's funny.
It is very much good AP style book.
Yeah, uh, nick and uh let's do some news and notes. Yeah, we'll say, well, I was gonna say nick and nick, nick and or news and notes.
It was just like a bunch of bens.
Yeah, we'll get out here. Look at tomorrow.
We'll try it again on Friday.
We could start with probably the shortest injury report in the history of the Dallas Cowboys.
That's not a fact.
But I was talking with somebody and uh, I was talking with somebody in p R yesterday and that they couldn't recall a practice report as slim as this one since at least twenty fifteen, so.
It's been a while.
There was only one player on the injury report yesterday, and it was one Yay Thomas, who obviously missed a Chargers game with the hamstring injury. And he was a full participant. And the only reason he was on there is because he missed the Chargers game. If not, he wouldn't have even been on there. So basically a negated practice report yesterday.
Everybody's healthy on the fifty three.
Man, I've never seen anything like that. I've been covering teams of twenty eleven. We get these email to us, you know, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. I have never seen one with only one name on it. And I'm talking even at the beginning of a season much less you know, now they're coming out of the buy That obviously helps. But when I got that email, I was kind of like,
is this wrong? Like the only I mean, the only way to beat that would be is if they sent one out and there was no names on there, and I've definitely never seen anything like that. But then even the fact that you know, it seems like Juan Yer is on track, it's not. I mean, he was full
listen is full participants, So that's a good sign there too. Now, obviously when we say that that's not counting you know, Trayvon Diggs is out for the season, Leyton Vanders is on IRE, like, that's not counting them, because I feel like sometimes be tweeted out everybody's available in that that some people wonder, all, does that mean latent too, No, it doesn't. He's he's on IR. So when you're on IR, you're not in that week to week like update on what your status is in practice.
Obviously.
What it does include, though, are the guys that have been dealing with with nagging injuries.
Zach Martin offensive the first one.
I thought.
Offensive Line just really across the board. It's awesome to see nobody out there.
Now.
Thursday's really been the trouble practice. Thursday's been the one where something has popped up. So, I mean, we got to knock on our wooden plank here just to make sure that.
When's that coming.
By the way, I figured that's why you paid the phone.
I was kind of interested to see if, like Michael McCarthy prefers obviously to practice on grass, and we haven't gone inside at all this year yet for a practice, and I thought that today might be the day. With the rain and then walking in here, i mean, all the stuff's set up outside, so I'm thinking they're going to keep going outside. And obviously he does that because of a lesser chance of injury in that. So yeah, we were.
We had just come back in after the media portion of practice yesterday, which for the audience is typically about twenty twenty five minutes that we get right at the beginning of practice, and as soon as we came.
Out, it started pouring down.
Right now. I was like, oh, they're about to go inside. They stayed out there the whole time, and the field looks good.
I mean, yeah, it being this far into the season, there's been times where you know, you walk around by the natum up there and you look down You're like, man, this thing ain't gonna make it till the end of the year. Put a new one down at thinking towards the end of last season, Yeah.
It was right at the end of the y.
Yeah, and I don't know if I mean, I'm not a grass expert, which Mike McCarthy is. He's super into this stuff.
But uh, Beamer, what's the what's our? I guess our? I don't know what his title is. The guy who handles all the landscaping out there, what's his name?
The grass pert?
Chris Chris.
He's doing a great job.
He's he's been around since I was around. That dude's amazing.
And what was it when they've.
Brought in a guy as well?
I was about to say a consultant as well, because we were having grass problems.
It was a consultant that deals with the world up.
Yeah.
It was one of those things that back in the day, or not.
Back in the day. Just there yesterday reading an article.
Aund they were at the stadium this week I think it was Monday.
They've been around.
So for people that have never been to the Star, just so you know, I mean, for one, the Texas sun is going to be down on some grass. That's so that's your line. One. The other is that these two fields are in the middle of these these three buildings that are all covered in glass, So that's just
reflecting that sun even more off. So when I talk about this, I'm not just it's not just like keeping your front lawn green, like it's tough to keep and then they're wear and tear for how much that Mike McCarthy, I mean, he won't say this publicly, but I bet he would prefer both of the fields out there being grass, you know. I mean, that's what the way it was in Green Bays used to price it on grass and stuff like that, and then obviously have the turf inside
at the forward center. But everything looks like it's going pretty good out there, and I imagine they're going to stay out there even because that's the thing too, is that people thing, oh why would they be out there today, Like they're going to be playing inside on Sunday, But they're trying to get They want to be on the grass as much as possible, you know, that's always it's that's a big thing with like teams like Bill Belichick.
I think that before they played somebody that was indoors, it was raining outside, and he's like, everyone, we're going outside and they and they practiced in the rain, and obviously not the greatest of field conditions, and a lot of people were why would you do that? You're about to play, But it's more than just about that opponent, you know.
Yeah mentioned too. Yeah even had somebody upstairs. I don't remember who said it, but somebody asked that yesterday. It wasn't one of the media side of things. It was one of the business side. And they even asked there like why they're playing at at and t like this the roof's going to be closed, like why are they outside?
And sure enough, I mean, they kept rolling all the way through it. And like you said, DFW got a lot.
Of rain over the last twenty four hours, a significant downpour, especially through the night last night, and the Star was hit by that. But they're still out there, They're still rolling, They've got all the equipment and should be ready to go. H only time I've seen him go in this year was in the middle of a practice two weeks ago, maybe going I can't remember it was. Yeah, it was before the chargers came. So yeah, that was the only
time they've ever gone in. And they started outside and then moved inside whenever the lightning.
Yeah.
The other thing that factors into is that because of those three buildings be around. It gets real windy out there, yes, and so yeah for Brandon Aubrey, I'm sure he doesn't love kicking in that, but yeah, it's been real windy.
Good practice, right, yeah, perfect practice makes perfect.
There was one day last week when the wind was just cooking in that in that wind tunnel on the practice field, and he would aim at almost right of the goalposts and it would just come around all the.
Way left and it was it was hilarious.
Speaking on that note, This wasn't my next note, but since we're on the point of Brandon Aubry, I go ahead to bring it up. He did mention yesterday that his personal best inside the Star is sixty eight yards and that outside on those fields in the notorious wind tunnel, it's fifty five yards.
So I feel like throwing that out there.
Just because we saw I think it was in the Jets game where he had an opportunity for a sixty six yard or yea, the fall start moving him back and they ended up punting. But I don't know, would y'all be comfortable if he was to roll out for sixty eight on Sunday?
We're part of the game, Yeah, who knows, who knows, who knows.
If it's you know, going into halftime or something like that, why not in a game.
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't say comfortable.
I think, yeah, excuse me.
When he was talking to I think you mentioned about how his hope is that they can just get the ball on the r side of the fifty. Yeah, if it's in you know, late game situation like that, I would say, if he can kick sixty eight in practice, I think that he probably could make a seventy yard
or if he had to. I'm not saying he's he's going to, but I'm saying if he had to march him out there for it, it's got a chance, just because I think he'd be a little bit more amped up with a crowd around you than it hit sixty eight with nobody around inside the Ford Center. So yeah, it would be interesting. But I don't I mean, heck, they trotted him out there for a sixty six yarder and we're going to kick it up until a point where there was I think it was a false start
right before halftime. So yeah, but I bean comfortable thinking like, oh yeah, let's go get something to drink. This one's in no, but yeah, but I think he's got a chance.
You know.
Mike McCarthy talked about that.
A little bit after that.
That opportunity arose where it was a sixty six yarder and everybody's like, why would you even attempt this?
And he tried it out the field goal unit.
It was in a game that at that point it was out of hand, right, I'm trying to remember why.
Yeah, yeah, because it was out of hand.
And he said, you know, I mean just the confidence level that that gives to a kicker one to say, hey, we're willing to try this.
If you say you're good, let's do it.
Let's try it out there.
But two, it's almost a mental rep or a rep in general, if you actually physically go through and kick it to see just how close you.
Are from sixty six yards.
So that way, whenever a playoff scenario comes down and something like that happens, it's an end of game scenario, you've at least seen it before, because then you can be more calculated in your decision making whether to do it or whether not to do it.
Down the line whenever things matter more.
So, I like it if if the opportunity arise, it arises at some point throughout the season, and it's not going to hurt the outcome of the game.
I think that's the number one thing.
And I don't think they would do it if they thought it would hurt the outcome of the game. But if it doesn't have a direct impact on it, Yeah, why not, that's cry.
He'd probably feel more comfortable with their with the Cowboys kicker than the Rams kicker right now.
M probably yeah, yeah, probably.
Yeah.
They just brought in somebody new.
Yeah.
Well, and they had been Brett Maher and they just recently, Yeah, they.
Just cut their guy, right, he actually had a good start. It's it's really difficult Lucas have. I don't know, we're gonna need the pronunciation guy on something.
I don't really know about that. Fine, I don't know anything about about this guy. All I know is that they moved down from Brett Maher, who obviously was the Cowboys kicker last year.
Yeah. Yeah, I think Brett missed an extra point in two field goals on Sunday and they just said, yeah, you know, and he had actually had a pretty decent start to the season, like he was a lot of volume, he had had a lot of reps and he was he was doing alright with it. Next news and note running backs coach Jeff Blasco. That will make this one quick. But he is back with the team.
He was out.
I think it was since training camp, like towards the end of training camp is when he left with a health issue. But Mike McCarthy said yesterday in his press conference that he's back with the team.
So obviously good news.
Happy for Jeff Blasco to be back in the building and back doing what he loves. But I had a question proposed to me on Twitter whenever I tweeted that out. So it's like, Okay, now that the running back coach is here, does that mean there's gonna be a lot more a lot different utilization for running backs?
And no, that is not the case.
The running backs coach responsibilities they were shared by like a handful of offensive coaches while Blasco was out and him coming back in has nothing to do with the utilization through six games. So it's more so Mike McCarthy making the schematic choices in the running back coach. It's his job to make sure that they're fulfilled. So don't expect any big changes there and I don't know if you'll have any thoughts on that, but.
You have any thoughts position coach wise, I mean, how much of an impact do they make in scheme choices.
I don't know with this team, what about what you deal with dealt with When I was here, we had Skip Peete, and Skip Pete was one heck of a coach. They elected to not bring Skip Pete back. I know he had a tremendous impact on the group, but I was a part of it, and I would imagine that he had a tremendous impact on Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard in years past.
Yeah, I mean he had input.
I mean what he said his word was bond and I know the coaches listened. At least when I was around, coaches listened to what he had to say. His insight, his knowledge of the game, his responsibility as a standard that he healed guys too when they came off the field, if they had a bad carry, bad decision, bad read,
He got off in their butt. It wasn't a pat on the back, Oh you're okay, Like he held you accountable and you didn't want to make a mistake because you were representing him at all times, so I can't speak to what they have now, but that's my experience.
And he's over with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now. He got plucked pretty quickly and he's been with the Bucks since the Cowboys let him go.
But not that Namba shouldn't about other than us. But yeah, he was always great with the media too, So I'm like, I always been a big fan on and off the record. He's great to talk to. Great dude.
Yeah, he was always a lot of fun. Anything else.
Last thing I got.
Trayvon Diggs had his surgery on Tuesday to repair his torn acl We were able to ask Michael Parsons yesterday just to hated you talk to him or anything, and he.
Was like, hey, this is this is what he said. He said.
He facetimed me and was like, I just got my surgery. I said, are you good?
Do you need anything?
I know his mom and everything is here. He was like, nah, I'm good. I'm still gonna go over there and play the game with him. I play the game with him too much.
You see.
He's on with des now and everything. He's picked up some new hobbies. He still sucks at the game, so I'd be trying to give him a couple tips and things like that. So it looks like Trayvon Diggs is finding his new passion while while he's on the while he's on bed rest.
I always found that interesting, how when you get a major injury, knee injury like that, how well up until like maybe I don't know, six seven years ago, I used to always think that, oh, yeah, no'll operate next week. But with certain injuries like that, I think it's because they want the swelling to down. Is that why it is.
I don't know why they waited so long for them, It's a long time.
Yeahah.
It was similar with overshown. Though they really want the swelling to be completely gone. They don't want to even jump it even a little too early, because if you go in with swelling, then there's possibility a scar tissue on the other side and you've got to go back in and then it's a longer recovery. So they did with Terrence Steel too, So I don't think it makes the timetable.
But I think it's just a knee thing, or would they do that for others, for achilles and things like that as well.
It's just the swelling. It swelling complicates things in terms of surgery and your recovery. But that was a long time for Trayvon. That I yeah, that was surprising to me.
And correct me if I'm wrong. The knee is one of the more like areas of the body that swell the most they can they can, they can be there for a while, So maybe there's a little bit more time and that and waiting for it to go down. But I don't think it affects his timetable by any means. I trust the staff here that they.
Know what you're doing.
Yeah, especially after Terrence Steel. How quick he got back, no doubt. Uh what game was he talking about?
Talking about Madden?
Uh?
He had he had talked about Madden and two K earlier and like the press conference that he was that he had been playing quite a bit during the bye week.
That's what Micah had said, that.
He'd like him personally, but he didn't mention what game he'd been playing with Trayvon.
So I assume it's one of.
Those, probably one of them two, Yeah, I would imagine that was probably the case.
All Right, let's take our first break when we come back.
We've got QB vision Isaiah Standback is going to break down this Rams defense and how the Cowboys offense can take advantage of some of the holes in that defense when we come back right after this with more talking cowboys.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I am so life's questions with an ice cold can off Doctor Pepper, Sheila. Let's hear from my next caller, would you.
Dear doctor?
My friend supported me during a tough time, but what's the right gift that says thanks for being a soldier?
To cry out?
Okay, this one's easy. I say, give her a delicious Doctor Pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any Doctor Pepper flavor will do now, just to remind her that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Doctor Pepper is the one you deserve.
To Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys, presented by a Black Rifle Coffee Company. This segment is brought to you by Invisi Line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Back here with Nick Harris, John Matchoda, Isaiah standback. I'm Kyle Yeomen's Chris Beam in the back has got the sounder ready because it is time for some white.
Eddie Why Leddy put up?
It's time for QB vision with Isaiah's stand back.
John doesn't like the sound you.
No, I'm finally who said it though?
Who said that?
Was you saying that?
I said that? I did not say I said what did the cadence?
Yeah, yeah, that's what that was not my voice?
No, no, no, but even didn't really sound like you. The cates didn't even really sound that much like you.
You know, I have a lot of a lot of gifts and talents.
I just think it's funny because because honestly, it makes me think of like it just makes me think of like all this season, like when it really it was like it was Romo too, but all the other quarterbacks. So I had to say the cadence the way that Romo said it. So then if he goes down and it's the same way with Dak now like when he said saying that, here we go, like Uber Rush has to say it the same exact way. Trey Lance has
to say it the same way. So when you said that, I didn't necessarily it didn't sound like you right away. So okay, cool, sounded good.
Though, maybe maybe we get back over here, get to record a cadence.
Here we go, here we real quick.
What was probably the most difficult one you had to copy in your career. I didn't have to copy and we didn't have to copy anybody.
Okay, flex, Okay.
You guys, you're just looking over at the play cards on the sideline they were holding up.
I mean, only the only time I was playing quarterback in the league was in New England, so I mean, Tom Brady, I didn't have to. Tom didn't have like this extensive you know call snapkin. He he literally most of the stuff was him calling out the mic and like that stuff.
The protection aspect was the more important thing.
Like the actual cadence didn't give too much of an indication as to what we're doing.
Is more just fluff. You can kind of do your own thing.
Well, he went to Michigan, so he was just looking on the opposing sideline.
Wow, pretty good time.
It's a timely joke over to the Patriots by Gate.
Let' see what you did there.
So it all started from Michigan. We're piecing this together.
So can Michigan get knocked out the top four because of this?
Uh?
They can get in significant trouble. But no, I don't think that.
I don't think it's going to come to.
A one spot to go one spot to come out the top four.
So that you interests investigator, we're number five right now, we're sitting strong.
We need to slide in all right.
Yeah, tell me about this RAMS defense.
Rams defense. Okay, so the RAMS defense. Obviously, when you think about the RAMS defense, what's the first thing.
You think about?
Aaron Donald a d right, and there.
Are some people around these parts that don't believe that Aaron Donald is still Aaron Donald.
I'm not gonna say any name.
I didn't say that.
I didn't say you. I'm not talking about you.
But i know you're coming at me, So I'm just gonna ahead and a dress it. I didn't say that.
I'm just saying I don't think he would be worth trading so much for at this point in his career.
But go ahead, all.
Right, Well, Aaron Donald is still Aaron Donald from my perspective, from my QB visionized, okay, from my eye in the sky, you see that he is a complete dude. These guys run a three four defense, okay. And because they run a three four defense, it gives Aaron Donald the opportunity a lot of times to work on offensive guards.
And when he's able to work on offensive guards.
It's it's pretty bad for opposing offensive guards.
He's quick, he's.
Fast, he's explosive, he's all the things that you've come to know about Aaron Donald. And he's the leader of this defense that hasn't changed. He has a couple of guys that are playing next to him, Kobe Turner and Jonah Jonah Williams. Kobe Turner ninety one shows up more on film to me than Jonah Williams does. But they could they compliment what Aaron Donald does in terms of giving him the one on one matchups that he's looking for. They have the stand up defensive ends in a typical
three four defense. The only person that really pops off the field to me is Byron Young, number number zero. He flies around, he is aggressive, he's gonna, he's gonna. He's that non stop Who's some guys, I mean, you could throw anybody eater. I think when I think about NonStop, relentless guys, I think about guys like Klay Matthews. I think about what's much your name out of Detroit? Not a youngin Aiden Hutchinson, guys like that. That's just like
not saying that quality of player. But I'm saying that he's just that tenacious, right, He's just not He's relentless.
Byron Young, by the way, was a thirty visit for the Cowboys this year.
They really liked him, especially in the draft.
They got to the point where they were really looking into him and they thought.
He would be there and mid rounds.
They were thinking maybe late third, early fourth, and he got picked up in the third top third.
Was Kobe Turner another thirty visit or well, he's just somebody that we talked about a lot during the draft.
I want to say he was more so a talk about part.
I can go back and look, but yeah, either way both I don't think he was a visit.
Either way, both of those guys are showing up on film in terms of what they do. Okay, this is a prototypical Cover four defense, much like we face against the Chargers. We talked about the Chargers a couple of weeks back. We talked about how they're going to play a lot of Cover four, how a lot of the ways in which you can beat them is underneath. We saw a lot of that, right, We saw a lot of that in terms of Ceedee Lamb getting some slants, getting the ball early, and often a lot of the
things were open to him underneath. Coverage wise, that's going to be more along the same for this RAMS defense. The difference is that this RAMS defense does a great job of disguising whether or not they're going to play two high or one high.
A lot of times.
They'll line up with Cover four look meaning the corners corners are off and outside, the safeties have depth, and it looks like Cover four every single play, and then sometimes they'll roll down to three.
And how they roll down to three is.
Typically that the traditional way of rolling to Cover three is when the safety rolls back to the middle of the field, that other safety rolls down right into the.
Box he plays.
He looks for crossers and things of that nature. Well, these guys don't play the typical Cover three. They'll keep their safety lined up in their original position and they'll just drop the other safety down And a lot of times when they drop that safety down, they're looking for crossing routes. So when they played against the Philadelphia Eagles, they played a lot more Cover three, and it's a lot more single high because they were looking for those
over routes. They were looking for the things that are coming across the middle.
They really wanted to take that away.
You would think the more weapons you have, the more you would play too high safety, but they didn't take that approach. So seemingly, the more threatened they are by your receivers, the more they want to play single high so that they can have more guys in the middle of the field to take away those things. That's the middle of the field that's typically open. So that's what I am seeing on film from them. In terms of personnel and the secondary that stand out to me. Jordan
Fuller is he's a safety. He's not bad, but Rush Yeast number two he pops on film to me. He really does pop on film to me. He wants to take your head off. I think he's relatively good in coverage. He's aggressive, he's decisive when he comes. When he makes a decision that he wants to come hit you, he's going to try to he's going to try to knock you out. He's trying to put you out the game. So number two and number four of those guys are solid to me at the safety position. The cornerbacks, Keilo
Witherspoon doesn't really impress me on film. Darien Kendrick number one, So one and forty four of their corners they don't really impress me. Kobe Durant, they're nickel for fourteen.
He's okay. He's okay.
Again, not threatened by necessarily anything that they're doing that in that regard, which is why I think they play a lot of four. I think they give them the grace to keep everything in front of them, and they're trying to much like the Chargers did, okay, which is kind of scary when you look at it, but you've
had a week to look at it. They want to keep everything in front of them, so if you are trying to get beyond them, then that takes more time and it gives their pass rush opportunity to get to you.
And their pass rush is Aaron Donald. That is their pass rush.
And for those who are looking at Aaron Donald's stats and saying, oh, he doesn't have a bunch of sacks, listen here, this dude is about er point zero two seconds away from sack after sack after sack. These guys are barely getting the ball off. I don't care what team that they've played to date. He is right there. So he's literally not even half a second away from being all over the headlines that you're you know how you're typically used to seeing Aaron Donald's name.
He is right there, Johnny on the spot throwing guys off.
I mean the explosiveness that he has to lift these grown men guards most of the time off their feet and just shd. You can't hold onto him. He does such a great job of shedding blocks. Guys get on to him and he literally punches him or he lips of him and tosses them, and then he's off and he's going to make a big play. He's running things down from behind, and his other guys that they have around him are just playing to that.
Right.
He's a he's the disruptor. Everybody else is a complimentary player. And that's what they try to do to you on defense, their rush defense.
I'm not I'm not.
I'm not afraid of it, especially when they're playing too high. I think that that's where you could really take advantage of these guys being at their playing.
A soft cover four defense.
You can obviously take advantage of things underneath with your option routes, your slamts, all those things that we saw in the Chargers game. You'll have that at your disposal. But the running game you have to get that back going again. And I think this is a good bunch of do it against How do you do that against Aaron Donald?
Well?
You ready to combo block them, right, Tyler biadis you read? You better to put on your chance strap, your jockstrap, your your studs, everything else, because you're gonna have to get low and be engaged on this guy and hopefully they're not leaving you on the island to do this by yourself. Hopefully Zach Martin can help you out. Hopefully Tyler Smith can help you out, but you're going to
need too. And it's hard to use two guys to combo block versus a three to four because those guys are covering up your center and both of your guards, so it's really one on ones and your tackles are left on an island with those stand up defensive ends, so it makes it difficult to double team. But you have to win your one on one matchups. The question is who's that one on one matchup gonna be against, Because if I'm Aaron Donald, even though I don't play
nose tackle, i might place no tackle this game. Because that's that's your honestly, your weakest office alignment in terms of who he would line up on between Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadish, and Zach Martin. So he'll move around. Sometimes he'll be on the end, sometimes he'll stand up, but a lot of times he's right there in the middle, right there over those guards. But I can foresee him lining up over Tyler Beiotis and trying to be disruptive in that regard, I think.
Of it's just being Tony Pollard and having it like you're you're back in production and you're just trying to help out and anybody that gets through, and here comes Aaron Donald and you just got to try and do your best to try try and disease.
Right, Yeah, go for it.
Question if if they're able to minimalize Aaron Donald, they have a really good game plan on taking him out of the game, who do you then have to account for?
Probably the most.
I would say Kobe Turner is probably the next man right there on in terms of the defensive line.
Just in general. I was talking defense in general. But if you if you want to go, yeah, I would's fine.
That's the only other guy in that front seven that I would be concerned about right now, and that's number ninety one, Kobe Turner. Again, once you get to the secondary, I don't their linebackers don't. They don't do nothing for me right now. But their secondary again, you got to go to, uh, whether it's Russ Yeast, Yeah, Russ Yeast I mean Witherspoon, he's a guy to me.
He's a guy to me. I think he's I think he's serviceable. But he's not a lockdown corner.
He's not somebody that you that you have to worry about taking any of your guys out the game.
He's a he's an.
NFL corner, you know, and he'll he'll have his plays, but I think that majority of the time you'll win your battles against him. And again, I think that's why they played to this coverage.
You know. I don't think they want to play and cover four.
I think they want to play more press, but I don't think they have the personnel to do so.
But their safety will come bush you in the mouth, Russ.
Yeast, if you if you're not locking and you're running an over route, he will come downhill and he'll light you up. So that's the guy that in terms of big play, mojo moment type of guy for them. That's the that's the other man aside from Aaron Donald, that I would be concerned about.
It's really interesting.
I went back and I just was curious the last time the Rams were in the playoffs, so of course was their Super Bowl year, and I just wanted to see what their defense then compared to what their defense is now. They have one returning starter on that defense. His name is Aaron Donald. It's the only guy that's it. Everybody else is gone, Michael Brockers, Sebastian, Joseph Day, Leonard Floyd, Micah Kaiser, Kenny Young, Troy Hill, Taylor Rapp, John Johnson,
the Third, Jalen Ramsey, Boom, Darius Williams. I mean, they had some guys, and even their backups are starting elsewhere. Morgan Fox, who had a sack on Dak in that Chargers game, was a backup. Greg Gaines a backup still in the league. Ayshawn Robinson still, yeah, you do, Justin Hollands, Troy Reader. I mean, they have all these guys that were legitimate and over the last three years.
That's how quickly one things can change in the NFL.
I'm sure if we went back and looked at what the Cowboys defense looked like in twenty twenty, it's completely different. But sometimes it goes in your favor, like the Cowboys have, and sometimes it doesn't go in your favor.
Yeah, and these guys are middle of the road.
I mean when you look at them statistically, right, they're sitting right in the middle, they're like sevent you know, seventeenth in the league in terms of yards allowed, things of that nature. But when you look as really interesting as much of an average defense as they are right now, statistically, when you look at their completion percentage against them, they're sitting at about fifty eight percent. So it's kind of interesting how, you know, it really plays to how much
pressure there is happening up front. Even just with those front five guys, right, the three down linemen and the two stand up ends, they're causing enough, they're pressuring, right, They're causing enough enough disruption to not allow quarterbacks to really set their feet. Because with this type of defense, like the Chargers, right, you would think that you could light them up on the scoreboard.
You would think you'd be able to, you know, get big playoff the big play.
But Aaron Donald again, he is pressuring the crap out of guys, and he's not allowing these quarterbacks to really set their feet and get the ball to where they're where the openings are in this defense in the secondary. So that's I thought that was a very interesting stat line that these guys are top five. I believe it is right now, the top top four. Fifty eight percent of the passes completed against them. Dallas put it in perspective, Dallas is fifth with sixty percent of passes against them.
So statistically, well.
The one there's one statistic that they're bad at, and that's taking the ball away. Yeah, they only got five takeaways in seven games. That's not very good. But the only reason I brought up Witherspooner I mentioned him when I thought that, as you're gonna say, he does have three of them. He has two interceptions, he has a fumble recovery. But it is not a defense that you're really scared of making a bunch of plays, especially in the back end.
Not at all.
It's a super young group only aside from Aaron Donald, only one starter on the defensive side was drafted before twenty twenty, so a lot of youth on that defense. Are a couple of guys that I really liked in the college days. Garien Kendrick one of their starting corners. He was actually at Clemson initially and then whenever they opened up the transfer portal to make it immediate eligibility, he was one of like the very first big names that popped in the portal and he ended up at Georgia,
finished there, won a national championship. So a really good talent there on the boundary daring college. But I'm with you, I'm with the Isaiah. I think there's a really good opportunity to go after him specifically. I don't feel like he's quite caught up with the speed yet. And there was another guy who went to Texas A and M
a few years back. He was on the defensive interior for them, but he's on the IR now, Bobby Brown, and I was watching a game in week four and man, they were running right at him every time that he rotated it, and I like put it in the notes on my phone for this very exact day. I was like, whenever a KEP vision gets brought up, I'm be like, it's going to be their prerogative to go after Bobby Brown in the run game.
But he's on the IR, so yeah, maybe they'll have.
A chance to go after Trey Tomlinson Wacoway's own I went to there you Go Waco Midway had to.
Shout them out, go Panthers.
But I would like to stress that the best way to handle this defense is to get up on offense.
Right, you don't say like yeah yeah.
With that being said, I want to come back after our second break and I want to talk about that.
Who needs to have the biggest day offensively?
Who has a chance to get up on offense quicker and have a chance to really put this team and it gets a good situation to be successful come Sunday when we come back with more talking Cowboys.
Right after this, they.
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Back here on Talking Cowboys. This segment of the show is brought to you by Quaker. It's a super trusted super food Quaker Oats, the official oatmeal sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys.
I got mine, man, did you I feel.
Super super Quaker?
I don't know, super trusted, super food food, super super.
I had some Quaker Oats in my smooth this morning.
Hey, yeah, they were Smoothe tip lately.
What's going on? He's got he's got the log upstairs.
I do have a plug up plug should have Talking Cowboys work out. I'm with you, said one Talk Cowboys work out.
You said that'd be hilarious.
Do it?
And yeah, we don't want to do.
That would be great.
There would be a lot of weight changes. You're coming down, you'd have the three plates on for isaay.
No, I don't live heavy and oh yeah, the bars enough, then you take leave the bar there, two of those plates off.
Put a band. I put a band on there, put a band on, half a bar.
Half a bar. Put the band.
Heyway, the bands are sneaky, but that's what I do.
I just I don't do much weight anymore.
I just do bands.
Is that because you're around time? No, And I'm not joking when I say this, but like to me, he's like one of the faces of it. It's Tom. And then and then it got to uh got to like Lebron where it was like lean down, not big weights and stuff like that, because it was about, hey, I'm a goat the longevity of my career is probably not best to be trying to throw up the heaviest weights.
You know.
You know what, now I'm thinking, I don't remember seeing TV twelve workout.
Yeah, don't say that.
Well, I'm saying I'm saying, like I think he was working out with his own guy, you know, like he was working out with his own guy. I'm not saying he wasn't working out. I'm saying like the team facilitated, like, hey, go to the weight room during this wing.
All the time, Like I didn't see him in there.
We put it to you this way. You've ever covered baseball, there's definitely some times when you're in the locker room, particularly with well you're just gonna call out middle relievers,
where you're just like this person just walking around. There's no way you're guessing, oh, pro athlete, but just say by body types, you know, if there was a position in the NFL, maybe not so where the game is going right now, at the quarterback position, but let's say maybe around that time early in Brady's career, I'm back quarterback would be the position where I'm like, I don't know that these guys are necessarily in the back. I
mean obviously we've seen Shorter look like a trucker. I mean that, so I'm thinking Len Dawson smoking SIGs, you know at halftime.
You know they're Kentucky quarterback. Who was his name.
I'm just saying like there wasn't as much that would be that that would be the player that would most be like a Pitcher to me where you're like, you don't have to be You're not running all around. You got to run the office a.
Kicker who was the kicker out of Oakland. H Yeah. Yeah.
To play to your point, I was downtown and.
We were this was this past offseason, so this was like, uh, I don't know, maybe March ish, and it was it was before spring training and it was after the Super Bowl, so it was right around that, like March time, early March whenever I was. We were just kind of hanging out with some family and friends and stuff, and we were in one of the hotel lobbies. I can't remember which one it was, and all of a sudden, my wife looks up and she goes, hey, who is that?
Who is that person? Turn around and it was Matthew Stafford. So very timely with what it is. Was Matthew Stafford of course, went to Highland Park still has a place here in Dallas.
And he just kind of walked in.
No one in the bark new Yeah, not even a single soul even recognized, And then if they did, they kept it under wraps, kind of like what we were doing, just kind of chilling and hanging out. Sure enough, he goes and sits next to somebody who had been at the bar for a solid twenty five minutes, Clayton Kershaw, his childhood friend who also went to Highland Park pitcher quarterback, and.
The whole bar just was oblivious to the whole thing.
Hotel you staying at, Kyle, I wasn't staying at the hotel. We went there for high money.
Kyle just pushed his way right between the two of them.
Kept going.
Was like, is that Kyle Yeomans, That's not what happens.
He's a guy though, that I feel is like leaning down. The longer he's played in the NFL. Sure, Matthew Stafford, you can just see it, really, you could just see it. Like there's that really popular video of Tom Brady, Like his face, the way it's changed like throughout his career, how he's like like really skinny in the face like that. I think Stafford would be pretty similar.
Opposite has happened when with coaches.
Yeah, maybe uh Isaiah who needs to have their biggest game on the Dallas offense to to ensure success on Sunday.
Who's got to step up their game against this matchup? I think CD will have his biggest game.
But I feel like to yes, really yeah, but I feel like I feel like Tony Pollard needs to find Oh, they have to find a way to get Tony Poller going right now. I feel like he's just I'm like present, like like.
Just he's a local.
Yeah, you know, I'm not I'm not saying that's an incapability of him. I'm just saying that because of how he's been utilized, he hasn't had the splash plays. And for what he this is a this is his resume. Be real, now, this is his tryout. You can still look at it however you want to look at it. But I don't care that he's franchise tag. I mean his dude, he is vying for a job next year. Yeah,
and this is his money here. So this right now, it's not looking great for him statistically, nor does this Does this brand of football match his brand right now, what he's trying to do going forward.
And the rest of remaining part of his career.
So I think they have to find a way not only to get those splash plays for him for himself, but I think for this team they need another threat.
There's there's no threat right.
Now, like you don't fear, And I think Mike and Micah was even talking about on his podcast. I believe it was yesterday this week, Like you don't. There's certain teams you fear, certain players like you're You're And when I say fear, I mean like you better be concerned about this person because otherwise they're gonna they're gonna they're gonna tax focused on. Yeah, you better be focused on otherwise they're gonna make you pay. Like Philly has their guys.
Everybody that we played has their guys. Dallas ceedee, lamb, stop him. What do you gotta worry about?
Crickets?
You know what I'm saying, Like that's where they're at right now, and I think they need the change that narrative so that you have to be concerned about out there right here at the tight end and the running back. We like, you have to be concerned about multiple points right now. It's just like, find a way to double CD and we're good.
So if CD's one, would Tony be two on your list? Do you get the next priority?
You have to get?
Who would be the third priority?
Cooks gotta be right, you think that's more important than any of the tight ends.
No, Tyler be Ottish, Okay, Tyler be Oddish. If Tyler beis.
Not even just skill guys, but guys that are able to be feared the guys that are.
Okay, So what's the question, what's the.
Out of the guys outside of CD Tony Potler, those are one and two of who are capable of being the feared parts of this off?
Who else is on that priority list?
All right? Then? If feared, I'll say Zach Martin.
Okay, Zach, I can say that that has to be Zach.
You if you don't, if you don't, if he if that front three, okay, Tyler Be Ottis, Tyler Smith and Zach Martin don't don't have like a solid, physical, demanding game. You're going to be surprised at how difficult it is to win his ball game.
You got, You're going to be surprised.
Do you feel like the strengths of Zach Martin and Tyler Smith hide some of the incapabilities of Tyler Beiottish at times?
Yes?
I think so too.
Whenever I'm watching it in film, I can't help but think correct. Bettie gets helped out a lot by the fact that one he's looking next to a Hall of Famer. That's that's part of it. I mean, Zach Martin helps anybody. He would help me blocking out there if I could, just because he's Zach Martin. Tyler Smith. It's the strength. He's just got Superman strength to the left. And a lot of times if Beattish is left on an island, he's getting blown off the ball.
He's the ice cream and ice cream sandwich.
Okay, does that mean he can melt away? Did you just make this up?
Or is this something that is as a term behind the scenes.
Like that?
Okay, what was it?
I don't know if this is something like you know term that.
No, he is ice cream.
And if you don't, I mean, if you don't have that pressure and here's go, it's gonna fall apart.
But isn't that the best part?
It can be?
It can be, it can also not be.
When is ice cream never not the best part?
Whenever it's melted.
Down, whenever it's the wrong flavor, if it's melted and soggy.
I think the wrong flavor of ice cream is still better than almost anything else.
See, And I think that's good because I'm not saying Tyler Biottish is a bad player.
I'm just saying he has some in capabilities.
He's the weak spot in this office line. And that's the fact.
That's I don't think you're saying anything.
Yeah, I don't agree.
He made a Pro Bowl last year. He's a good player. Out of five.
Yeah, I would put Terren Steel at five.
You feel I.
Don't think you're alone in that regard.
I agree.
I think I think what the reason I the reason I could be edge is because of everything he could do pre snap for that offense, and I think that's invaluable. If we're not factoring that in, then okay, I'll put Terrence Steel for.
Okay, So Aaron Donald, Aaron Donald's gonna line up over Tea Steel sometimes, Yep, Aaron Donald's gonna line up over Tyler be Oddish.
Which one do you feel more confident with? One on one?
There you go neither.
I understand what I'm saying, But if you had to choose that, I have a greater I have a greater chance of survival with this guy versus versus Aaron Donald.
I would put Terrence Steele. But it's because Aaron Donald is an interior guy.
He's a he's a whatever.
Guy also, but that also puts him further away. So that's why I would probably go with it.
I agree with you.
I would agree with you because he was on the outside. It's farther away we're talking.
We're talking Michael Parsons, and it would be Tyler Bead.
I want a lot.
I want everybody to pay attention to how they go after Dallas's offense. I know we gotta get at it, but like they're going to literally line up with Aaron Donald over tyled Beiada, and they're going to have the other tackles over Tyler Smith and over.
They're gonna get after Tyrone Smith too. Tyron can't move as well as he used to. Tyran, Tyron's gonna make him move. Tyrann's weakness is bull Rush. And that's why I say Kilo Mack was gonna have a day, and he did have a day, right, Like bull Rush gets gets Tyler against Tyn Smith right now, that's his thing, right, he doesn't.
He's not hunkering down.
I'm less concerned about people running the edge on him because he has those go go gadget arms still, right, He's not as quick as he used to be, but he can still get his hand on you and run you by. You get up underneath him, and you actually have the technique and the power and the strength to be able to get underneath him like a Khalil Matt. That gives him problems right now because he just can't you get your hand in his chest.
He just can't. He's not sitting down on that knee and he doesn't have that anchor.
But I really think that those three interior alignment are going to be isoed. They're gonna be isoed, and they're going to force right Terrence Steele in Tyron to go and be able to win their one on one matchups and try.
To get up to the next level.
It's gonna be very difficult to work up to the linebacker level against his team because they are literally gonna say, I want Aaron Donald one on one with one of these three guys, and if I have to choose, I'm choosing I'm choosing sixty three.
Yeah.
It's it is a conversation, and the.
Concerning side of it is the fact that it always will be.
A conversation from this point forward. For the rest to the regular season.
They're gonna see they're gonna see some great defensive fronts. They're gonna see some great front sevens, and we're gonna have this conversation, i'm sure down the line, and we'll see more film on what they're able to do against ninety nine, what they're able to do against Aaron Donald in this front. But the truth of the matter is this is not the best front they're gonna see, but they're still gonna be challenged.
This might be the best individuals.
It is the best individual defensive lineman they will face. However, he's also the quickest. What they have to deal with going forth next week is size and straight just just just mammoth humans that are strong.
This guy is gonna beat you with quickness and explosiveness.
So pad level right, not getting not putting your head down right, being like having like your feet underneath you. All that stuff matters. Otherwise you're gonna be laid. He'll olay you.
So I don't know.
I guess it's wrong to look at it this way, but I just look at it as if you can somewhat control him. There aren't a lot of guys on the defense agree.
You agree, and that's why they're gonna go man to man on the interiority old line. Yeah, man, they're gonna go three three guys right in the middle. We gotta get out of here. Got a good talk.
About it all day. Great job on QB Vision. Got a great look at what the.
Cowboys offense and the Rams defense will do on Sunday.
We'll be back tomorrow.
Let's say, with Chest Friday, we'll update our Pickham standings. We'll give you the chance to be a part of the Pickham segment. You can also be a part of Cowboys storyline coming up next eight eight, eight, eight, five five two two ninety seven with Nick Eatman. We'll talk about that down the line as well. That does it for us today for Chris b Isaiah stand back, John Michoda, Nick Harris, and Kyle Yeoman saying.
So long from the Star in Frisco. We'll see you tomorrow on Talking Cowboys.
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