This. He is Talking Cowboys Screaming live on Dallas Cowboys dot com and the official Dallas Cowboys as Joys No Your hosts Mickey's Fagnola, Brian broad Ess, Taylor Stern, and Rob Phillips. Hello, everyone, and welcome into today's edition of Talking Cowboys, finally at our normal time of eleven thirty am Central Time, coming to you live from the SWBC Mortgage Studio, of course, joined by Mickey, Rob, Brian myself. We are going to finally really dive into this Rams game.
But before we do that, I have to know, how are you guys doing? Fantastic? Mickey's wearing some Rams colors over there? Is that a fantastic? Yeah? O? Our brothers at one of five three gold do you see this? They're wearing blue and green on the other side, Ramsey, and and you're wearing the gold Rams over there. And what do you got on white? I'm just neutral black
and white here the visiting white, visiting white. So, if you guys are listening, sorry, but if you watch on connected radio or our app, yeah you see that, because I should all download our connected TV devices. You are kind of ramtastic, aren't you? Ramtastic? Yeah, well I just needed a little blue. But I've got that tie to wear today for TV. That's the Michael Irvin approach, you know. He wears on the NFL game day, the opposing opponent Colors.
And yesterday we cleared some things up here in the training table. We're lucky to have Michael Irvin around sometimes. And he was he was walking with Mickey and I said, hey, Michael, Mickey gave me a hard time today because I said that. You know, the other day Todd Griley was giving you a hard time about whooping up on the Cowboys, and it goes he was seriously joking. It's like when you say, like, hey, that shirt doesn't look that good. Yeah, just kidding, Yeah,
are kidding, just kidding. There's always a little truth in every joke, you know. Is yeah, there's a lot of truth in every joke. Well, that's that's pointant. That's a that's another quote for Mickey. That will write that down in the book of quotes. All right, So Shaun Lee didn't do anything yesterday. Of course, it was just basically a walk through practice and air quotes. He didn't do anything, and a lot of people are starting to worry of course, with the short week, and if he will be able
to play this week, what do you guys think. I think they should be worried. I bet he doesn't do anything today, yep, and he may not do anything tomorrow, and then about ten o'clock on Sunday they'll check and see if he can do a lot on Sunday. I just think that they're going to let him rest as much as he can. And I think he's the one player who probably can get away with playing a game without practicing a whole heck of a lot. So I
just don't expect him to do much this week. Very similar scheme to what the Redskins have done over the years, you know, and Shaun Lee's faced the Sean McVay Redskin attack, you know the last couple of seasons. Kind of understand that, hey, it's gonna be about a lot of play action passes, there's gonna be a lot of big players in the game, and you gotta be ready for all that. So you know, I'm I'm from the approach that usually when guys don't
practice Friday, they don't play. Yeah, that's you know, you've seen me. Mickey likes to make fun of not make fun. He always you're out and I I'm one of those guys that you know, but we've we've seen. I mean, Anthony Hitchins was a game time guy one time against the Colts. But hey, Piot didn't really do much. I had to do anything. Well, he he worked out on his own out. Yeah, and I just it's one of
those things with Sean Lee. And you know with the hamstring you're going to you're gonna win the battle or you want to win the war. You know that that's you know, you gotta buye week coming up and stuff like that. So I mean, you know, do you get him ready for Green Bay? Do you feel like and that, Okay, I'm not gonna win. Well I shouldn't say not win. You're gonna lose the hamstring battle here, but is it gonna help you maybe win that war against Green Bay?
I've been dealing with those hamstrings. Were you there when he talked about it yesterday? It's a little off the locker room. I heard secondhand. It wasn't off the record. It was off to the side. Yeah, Well, so what he said what he said, it wasn't he said it wasn't as bad as some of the other ones he had, but he said, I'll just test it and we'll see. So well to Brian's pretty vague about just where he was at Brian's point whenever, and they've had some injury
hamstring issues with guys already this camp. They always say, you don't want to turn into a six week injury. He is too important to what they do, absolutely, so I think if they need to err on the side of caution, they will. The interesting thing to Meeta is you look at this roster and if Hitchens isn't ready to go, which Garrett said as well, if he does anything today, he'll be very limited. You got four healthy linebackers on your roster right now, so what do you
do if you don't have either one of them? And you know, you've got a fullback who used to play linebackers, so there's some things they can do, but you're awfully thin at that position. I talked to Anthony Hitchins in the locker room yesterday, was off to the side and Anthony but on the record, yeah, he's a great guy. I really enjoy him and he's very just trying to be accurate, that's all. Hey appreciate it. Ramsey anyway, So Anthony Hitchins, great guy, he's talking. You know, he's excited
to get back to practice this week. You know, he said that he feels like he will be able to do stuff this week, get out there, get more comfortable. He obviously didn't know if he was going to be able to play. That's really not his decision, right, but he was anxious to get out to practice. I mean, he looks good. He's been working out every day here, even when they've been on the road. You know, he said he's just hungry to get back there because he was so happy with what was going on in the
preseason's outstanding, great camp. Yeah, so he's ready to get back. The linebacker situation might be really good. We get to this Screen Bay game next week. Yeah yeah, wait a little longer and it might turn out. Now, this is some you have to think about as well. They play a lot of Mickey's Dime stuff. You know that that Deacon front they play, and you only need two linebackers
to play that. So if all of a sudden and I asked to Cooper cup question today, you know they're gonna get a lot of eleven personnel for the for the rams. That's how they attack you. And so it might mean let's kay, let's play three down lineman, two linebackers and then the rest, you know, defensive backs. You
feel good about those young guys. Now you got a couple of those cats nicked up a little bit, but that might be their way of getting around things where they can go where they don't have to have but four linebackers to dress. The cool thing about this discussion, and like you said, you play those subpackas at least in base and maybe in some subwork. We're not talking about Jalen Smith as like a liability snaps Wise's pencil and him in for however many snaps you need me
to play well. The liability question became asked to Jason Garrett today was Justin Durant. Does Justin Durant play enough? And he played thirties. I think you looked thirty two snaps the other day. That's okay, that's what you're going to need Justin Durant to do. So, Yeah, I don't Should you be worried about Sean Lee, Yes, absolutely, because of what he brings every week to the defense. Other ways they can work around it. Yes, there are ways they can work around it, but you know, we'll see
how they have to go to that route. Yeah. On the more positive note, Jordan lewis pretty much ready to go now. A lot of people were worried about his hamstring and he wasn't even on the practice report yesterday, so it's good to see that, especially with those secondary woes. I think that Orlando Scandrick, you know, a couple of people were worried when he went out of the game, but really that was just yeah thinks, So you know,
I do feel better about that. Obviously. Cheetos still dealing with the hamstring, and Nolan Carroll, you know, still limited with the concussion, but they're getting back to a little bit of where they wore. I think we find out more today. Yeah, because yesterday was a walkthrough. Yeah, good point, and you could walk through Hitchens can walk through che could walk through, you could walk through it. Luis probably could do the whole thing. Very similar what coach was
describing as an ox stard practice. And I know fans that have gone out to ox start and watch practice don't get an opportunity to watch the morning practice. So you know, it's a lot of Baseball Caps and shorts and T shirts and stuff like that, and you're kind of moving around and not not really trying to knock balls down, you know, not trying to run your route with full speed or anything coming off the line, but you know, it was it's moving around, and I think
there was some positive things with it. Sound like that Carroll was limited. It sounded like that you talked about it Tay with Hitchens and a Woozier and Mickey's right, you're going to know a lot more today of how they're gonna probably go forward here with their practice. Can I ask a question real quick and and it's it's
it pertaining to Nolan Carroll. If Nolan Carroll, does Nolan Carroll get his starting spot back from what you've seen guys with so far with Jordan Lewis and though with with Anthony Brown, you've got a solid starter in Scandrick. Is this one of those things where you know Nolan Carroll is gonna probably be put to the side because of better play. I would be awfully hesitant the way Jordan Lewis is playing to all of a sudden cut down his snaps, because it seems like so far, the
more he plays, the better he gets. So yeah, I mean I think and this is something you push four all camp. Like. The frustrating part with these guys, these young guys being hurt was that there wasn't that competition that you expected to see, right, So yeah, I think guys can continue playing into more snaps. That's what we expect from these rookies is to eventually play. And we've seeing it was Xavier Woods as well. And I up the Annie on the question, go ahead, do you expect
him to keep his fifty three man spot? That's that's and you know what, I appreciate that's going to be a question next No, I appreciate you bringing that up. I really do. That's a big picture thought right there for next week. Wow, Well if you but him or Ben Wickery, David David Irving. Yeah, he's he's trying to get a defensive tackle on the on the roster that could help you, you know with some of that Deacon stuff.
Put him at nose, let him go, I mean, or find it, you know, or I know you got Collins in there, but you know, maybe they don't have to play as much Deacon and maybe a day more. Nickel. When did they sign him ben Wickery was right before the season started. They picked him in the final cuts. So he and Carroll in the same boat of if they wanted to take their guaranteed bass salary right got cut, they would get it right. I was thinking he came later. Yeah,
the thing wouldn't save you any money. Yeah, I'll say this. You look around the roster. There's not an easy cut there, you know. There there's every guy's either a young guy you like, or there's they might have to find a linebacker too. If we're thinking, I mean we we talked about kind of hinted that things maybe better next week. Yeah, but I admire you for saying that, because that's a bigger picture thought right there, you know, has no discussion. Yeah,
as Nolan Carroll done enough. And that's the thing is, you know he got hurt unfortunately, bad game okay against the Giants, bad game against Denver. Didn't get a chance to play this week. You know, he might be healthy enough that something. Coaches like those crutches, like the crutch and ben Wickery, he was active, but he really didn't get but a couple of snaps didn't do it, didn't get any They played special teams. Yeah, so because yeah,
who is who would you rather have? That their their choice is going to be who would you rather have Ben Wickery or would you rather have Nolan Carroll? And obviously with Nolan Carroll being the starter, you know that you're thinking, well, you know, that's that's easy. That's easy
to do. So I don't know, I think it's a I think it's a really when you're looking big picture, you think about you know, Garrett likes to talk about we think about today, but like the personnel, guys kind of think of, Okay, what's going to happen in the future, you know. By the way, the Rams now they had a regular practice yesterday they did and they had a lot out of a bunch of guys. Connor Barwin they're starting outside linebackers, but he didn't practice. LaMarcus Joiner had
a hamstring. Their starting safety, he didn't practice. John Sullivan the center with a yep, that's key right there. In practice, um Andrew Whitworth took a rest day as well, resting Cavan Austin out with a concussion. Yeah, you're getting healthier in the secondary though, Webster they're starting corners back to practice. He missed the last two games. Yeah, right, and that's that's when we were talking about that Robie Coleman. It's
two names, a hyphenated name, Roman Robie Coleman. He's number twenty three. He's been their starter. This team has given up a lot of big plays in the secondary. I mean they've given up a lot For a team that has as good a pass rush as they have, they give up some big, big, big play. Well, let's get to there. And they actually have less Oh okay, that's what I was going to get to. They actually have less sacks right now than the Cowboy. Yeah, that's ubsaying
they do. Yeah, ten to eleven. Okay, So I don't start start with you, Mick. We are going to place and tell me more, tell you more. What do you want me to tell you more about? I got a lot to say today, do you. I don't know more about the Rams defense if I know enough about Michael Rockers. But that's my guy. The nose tackles six five, three hundred pounds, was the fourteenth pick in the twenty twelve draft out of LSU, by the way, and he's a
load in the middle. And so everybody wants to talk about Donald and the linebackers Quinn um, but this guy you got to be able to neutralize him otherwise he will mess up your offense. Right now, he's got sixteen tackles, thirteen of them are solos. It's got four tackles for a loss. And I've ran into a new stat stuffs not just stuff, stuff stuff. He've stuffed three runs. I guess was without five years about right, so watch out
for him. Stuffs. I appreciate, Mickey, Travis, Travis Frederick. You could have his hands fair and match all line up on him. Now. I assume they go to a four man line when they go to their their nickel. But again then he's in gaps and now you've got a problem there you go, this guy. Appreciate that, Mickey, because today in matchups, if you go on Dallas Cowboys dot com, Michael Brockers and Travis Frederick check it out two hundred and fifty words of how and why. So that's you know,
he's absolutely right. People focus on really on Quinn and Donald rightfully so, but Michael Brockers can wreckt your running game with that. With his size, he is unusually big nose tackle, I mean tall with length and you know He's probably better built to play as a defensive tackle, which the Rams were very good defense as a four
three front. But I really, uh, he's going to be a handful for Frederick to have to deal with, you know, when they have to try and snatch him to get that running game going so they can get the ball in behind him. Now bull have done it. Yeah right, they're they're twenty ninth against the run right now. Right, But he's he is a factor. He's a guy Carlott's hide pretty easily last week. Yeah, and I mean, granted that's a divisional game, but yeah, Brockers is for real.
He's a guy that Cowboys might have drafted in twenty twelve if they hadn't trade up form Claiborne. That's a guy they were really look let him or Fletcher Cox. Yeah too, so many different matter of fact, the Rams, Sorry Tay, the Rams. I'm just walking all over you today. The Rams drafted him in Dallas's spot, So that just tells you, you know what they you know they could have got Yeah, sure, yep, and longtime guy, All right, Rob,
who's your guy? Well, Brian, you stole mine on the email chain this morning, so I went with an obvious guy, but a guy that is so key to what they do defensively. The key is Aaron Donald absolutely left defensive end. He's he's moving to a slightly. It's technically he's a different position in the three four defense for Wade, but he's really so far he's doing the same things. He's playing the three technique one gap system. He's shaded over the guard and he's get up the field and trying
to rush the passer. And he's one of the best interior linemen in the league, maybe the best at doing it. He's got twenty nine sacks in his first three plus seasons in the league, taking a few picks before Zack Martin, by the way in twenty fourteen, three Pro Bowls, All Pro the last two years. Question is is he rounded into shape? You know, he missed Week one, he's been
holding out for a new deal. Played the last two games went in a span of four days, and ESPN reported he got one hundred and fifteen snaps in those two games, So he's getting a lot of work despite the fact that he wasn't with the team the entire summer. An interesting story. He worked out all off season with the same guy that trained him on away from high school and then in college, a guy who's a family friend. So you know, not your typical pro training in the office,
and but it's gotten him ready for the season. He still looks good. He got a sack last week and you wrote about this yesterday. He almost got a pick against the forty nine ers two. Yeah, you know this. This is one of those guys to me that Rob gave it really good nail of what this player is and he's absolutely right. Wade plays that scheme when you play three four. He doesn't play a two gaps scheme
table what we were talking about. When you extend and look and look, he is a gap player and go and I have a feeling that we're gonna see Wade put him over Chaz Green in this game. Yeah, and see if Chads Green can handle him one on one. That's gonna be. He plays both sides, but you watch him playing that three on the outside shoulder of Chaz Green,
and he is a very disruptive player. Another one of those guys like Brockers, that once they get up the field, they cause the ball and the block and the blockers to have to go sideways and the ball goes back instead of going towards the line of scrimmage, it goes away from the line of scrimmage, and you know he can he can cause a lot of problems that way. Here's how good Aaron Donald is. When he was at the Senior Bowl, even I could tell that guy was special. Yeah,
it was. He was the best player we saw that year. And he's only like six feet tall. He's Leroy Glover. He's le Roy Glover to me, he's a He's that similar type of a sick And I wanted to ask Garrett this question today and Christie Scales kind of got into the Aaron Donald question. I wanted to ask him because Zack Martin when they evaluated Zack Martin in that draft, Zack Martin, like Mickey said, we were at the Senior Bowl watching those reps every day, and Zach Martin was
the only guy that can block him. He's the only guy. And it's all of a sudden you're thinking, Wow, we really love Aaron Donald. But here's this guard tackle from Notre Dame. Yeah, yeah, we're thinking this looking at this tackle of Notre Dame playing guard and he's blocking him every single snap. So you're sitting there thinking, Wow, that's pretty special right there. But yeah, Aaron Donald, he reminds me so much of what le Roy Glover was when
he played for the Cowboys, that disruptive kind of a player. Hey, well, we're going to get to the last two. Tell me more, guys. Right after this first break, you guys can call us the numbers two one, four eight seven two twenty one O two. We will be right back. We the entertainment loving people demand the best unlimited wireless plan ever from AT What else do you want? Are you in a car? Maybe? Only AT and T offers you unlimited data with HBO
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Back in the to be confused with wrestling. Right, we're here in the SWBE studio. We are getting through our second segment. Hey, we've already gotten through two guys of our tell me more for the Rams defense, if guys you should look out for. But let's get to Brian's guy. Who is your guy that we should know more about? Mark Barron, the inside linebacker. And we go back to that draft with you we talked about with Fletcher Cox and Brockers and Clayborn. Mark Barron was selected by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers right after the Cowboys pick. There was a safety at Alabama and really never ever played well enough at safety to you know, all of a sudden, now there's a position switch and you know he's he's put on weight. He's still a little bit of a liability in the run. And now if the ball's going sideways and he has to go chase that, Mark Baron can do that. Mark Baron is one of those guys that you know, he's got a little he's got some
quickness to him, he's got that ability to run. But his take on and you've seen offensive lineman when they get into him, and I'll be really interested to see in this football game because if he's not able to avoid, that's where I would take this football. I would run it right at Mark Baron. And you know, Alec Ogletree is a good linebacker for them as well. He was out of Georgia that was taken the year before, and he's one of those guys that to me, I mean,
I like I like Ogletree. But Baron is the liability. And so let's see how he plays in this game. The past coverage stuff underneath not a problem. But let's see him t having to take on Chaz Green. Let's see him having to deal with Travis Frederick. Let's see him having to deal with Zach Martin and see if he can get off those blocks, because if he can't, that's that's your soft spot where you need to run the football absolutely. All right, Well, I like what you
said about him. Look out for Mark Baron and look out look out for him in a way that maybe take advantage of him. Let's let's pressure it that. Yeah, Redskins game, when Redskins put up two hundred and thirty yards rushing, was that those inside because out that Tree is a he's a converted outside. He's an outside linebacker. Two. When you make these switches to schemes sometimes, yeah, I mean it's not a perfect fit for every guy. So
is that kind of the weak spot? Yeah, I the liability their defensive line, like you guys have talked about with the two players you mentioned, that's that's the strength. That's the strength of their group. But you get past that first level. In the second level, Ocal Tree can make plays, Baron can make plays, but it has to be a lateral play. The plays that go at them, they tend to have their their problems. So that's that's
why I wanted to point that out. Giving up one hundred and thirty nine yards of rushing a game, Like I'm gonna go say it right now that I said the opposite when the cowboy he's played the Broncos, and I said, if the Broncos run for one hundred and forty yards, Cowboys are getting beat. If the Cowboys run for one hundred and forty yards, they win this game. This game, Z Gilly. It's the only running back out there. All right, I'm gonna go with a guy. We've talked
a lot about the Redskins familiarity with this team. Obviously, Sean mcvagh coming from over there, Joe Barry, all those guys. But somebody from the Eagles came over to the Rams this past offseason and his name's Connor Barwin. Yeah, Connor Barwin has played the Cowboys eight times and had a lot of success when he goes up against them. He's had five sacks and thirty tackles. When he goes up against them, he would kind of, you know, get that
DeLine going if it wasn't Fletcher Cox and everything. Obviously, Mickey told you a little bit earlier he had a rest date or yesterday because he is an older guy. But that familiarity, you know, sometimes breeds that competition. We saw Von Miller get hyped and those guys get hyped on that. But I just want to tell you guys. Connor Barwin is over there. If you guys have heard his name, what you have if you've been listening to this podcast. So yeah, I'll tell you what. That's good.
That's good, and that's going to get Lyle Collins. They're on that right side. So yeah, good matchup over there. Another one of those guys that has quickness, length, all the things you described him perfectly, Tay, and you know he's a guy you definitely have to account for in the running game. He doesn't always play with a strong edge. He always doesn't set the edge. But when he gets in if it turns into a passing game, watch out because he can't attack that corner. No rest for the
wicket over there for Loye Collins. Now keep rolling. Hey, I like what Mickey said about one hundred and thirty nine yards rushing, and you know, if the Cowboys do get that in this game, they will they will come away with a win. So Zegiellett had a bounce back game on Monday night. We've just talked about how strong this d line is and how these guys can stop the run and block them. Hey, look away from Brockers.
That was a lot of blocking and right there. But how can a Zigellett continue on pace and hopefully get back to the norm of of getting those hundred yard games in this game against this strong D line. Well, against the D line they've got the cable. Mickey's right though, they even up yards, But you know, you gotta still you gotta be alert of what's going on over there. I think with Elliot though, and I keep asking this, you know, and keep wondering this, it's about making those
guys miss. They can't account for every single guy that the Rams or any defense is going to put in the box. They just can't do it. And so you know, if the Rams are committed, they've got to figure out that, Okay, do you want to do you want to give up the run to maybe hold up your your secondary Against the past, we've seen what Dak Prescott's been able to
do throwing the football on the move. You know, that's that's something that that's been very very especially like the Arizona game, that was something We're starting to see those plays going down the field. The Rams got to figure it out, are we going to commit somebody down and we're going to try You know that we talked about Baron and him being a little bit of liabilly. Do they bring a safety down, do they allow the big plays? You know, I think it's it's about a little bit
about Ezekiel Elliott. You know he got a little taste of some success last week. Again, get back to making those guys miss you know again, they can't account for everybody. I keep saying that they can't account for everybody. Here's how you account for everybody. First play a game. They better go four wide, play action and throw the ball forty yards down the field and see if they can stop it. Well, you know what makes start loosing it? It up? Yeah, to make people back off. Yeah, because
you can't keep banging your head against the wall. The wall's gonna win, right, So they've got to get away from handing Zeke the ball on first down to start the game. I want to see play action and just wing it and I don't care if it's incomplete or not. Just plant the seed that we ain't messing around here. Well they plant in the scene with Bryce Butler. I was just gonna say, Bryce Butler showed him that they
could do that this week. But also, you notice, guys, you didn't name anybody in their secondary when we did to tell me more game. And that makes me very excited because for the first three weeks there have been some big playmakers for the Apoure offences, especially in the secondary, and Dez Bryant has had a lot of hard matchups. This is the first week that I feel more comfortable, especially with him going up against a guy like Truemain Johnson. Obviously he's a good guy. You know they put the
franchise tag on him. But will it be to Dez Bryant your first play. I don't care who it's too. I just want the ball going down the field to set the tone. And I don't want to wait to the third quarter to find Bryce Butler down the field right off the bat, and I don't care if it's incomplete, I don't care. Yeah, just wing it down the field and give them something to think about because they they've got to loosen up the front. And if you can't run through it, then you got to pass over it,
and you might as well start there. And sometimes you got to use the pass to open up the run. Go ask Troy Aikman. It happened a lot use the pass. It helped the Arizona game. Yeah, dack him off and then start handing them. You know they talked about wearing
him down. Well, okay, maybe they wore him down late in the game, but that what they also did is throw the ball down the field and all of a sudden Arizones going, oh yeah, maybe we better to vote somebody else to be back there and cover those deep passes. So Yo, Renny, go after them, Yo, Renny. I like that. You didn't you guys don't know who are you? TV show was called Rin Tin Tin Ben Tin Tintin. Good one, Mick, But can they capitalize on this poor secondary? Not poor secondary,
but just a week give it? Big play? Yeah? But big play? Yeah? I mean you block, you blocked the front and you know you don't you keep the pressure off them. Yeah, absolutely they can. They've got the ability. Mickey's right, they could throw the ball down the field. I just don't know if it's in Dallas's DNA, Mickey, I just I just don't know if it's in scotland Ahan's DNA. Want to they want to run the ball.
They want to run the ball. And I love what you're saying, Mickey, I really do, But I don't want to keep running into the wall. Yeah, what about more screens and quick outs? Well, you know, anything to you know, anything to kind of back them out of there. Yeah, but that they I just I just don't see Lenahan going that route, Tay, I really don't. I think he's I think he's like saying, Okay, we're gonna try and
run this football, especially on first down. You know, you could play with numbers however you want, but this is one of those things. One of these times Dallas's offense is still seventh in the league when it comes to you know, forty six percent of the time they get
four plus yards on first down. I know it doesn't seem like that, but you know, if you look at there, if you look at their numbers, that's what it tells you that the problem is, Brian, is when they run the ball on first down, they're averaging like three three and a half yards. Yeah, well yeah, put them in second and long. Well, this is this is rushing. This is just I'm just saying, Macky, this is just rushing
for four plus yards on first down. It doesn't seem You're right, it seems like they're banging their head against the wall. I totally agree with you on that, But is it any different than it was last year? I mean, this team ran the ball on first down last year and ran it effectively. Let me see you this though, I don't think they're devoting ten guys in the box here. I mean they've had trouble the last two games on
the road. How many guys you think are in the box when they line up to two tight ends, Mickey, they're going eight? Can I can I give you? Can I give you a little stat here, Mickey, I think this is gonna make you smile. They've run against eight two thousand, two seventeen play selection on first and ten Ready, they've had seventy of them thirty five runs, thirty five passes. That puts them eighteenth in the league. They're fifty fifty the team that runs the ball more than they pass
on first down, as Indianapolis Colts at seventy two. The Cowboys are at thirty five runs thirty five passes. They've averaged three point nine one on first down runs, like Mickey said, and they've averaged six point eight six on pass attempts in first down. Okay, so we've got conflicting stats because I looked up the first down stuff on NFL Jesus and they had thirty six runs averaging three point two eight yards and forty four passes averaging six
point three nine. Yeah. This is from this is from stats Inc. This is what the team. This was from the NFL. So anyway, three three point two eight it's a lot different than four. Yeah. That means there's a lot of less than threes in there to get you to three point two eight. So he's gonna fight for balance when you're not. When you're not getting something on first down, you're struggling because then it's second and long.
And even even if they're averaging six and a half yards passing on first down, that's that's dumping the ball underneath. I know you're saying to take a shot, but you're also risking an incompletion and being in second and ten and then I just want to plant the See. I know what you're saying, but I didn't say the whole time. I said, okay, first play, right. But you know the Denver game, they tried a little. They dip their toes trying to run the ball, didn't work, got away from it.
Then they got behind. Well the first then you have no rhythm going in your running. What happened the first three plays against Arizona. I have to go back and look at it, you know, off the top of my head it was. It was a pint out, it was incompletion and the a three yard passed to Witton. Yeah, they just need to get some traction early. They need to get it. You know, this team led the league in five minute drives last year and we're I think
right up there in terms of ten play drives. And that's their offense and they've just gotten out of they haven't been able to getting sync early in games. That's because they and then their other problem is they can't convert on third down. There. Last year they converted forty two percent of their third downs. This year they're at thirty four. Yeah, well the last two weeks they've been down seven nothing before they knew it too. Yep, you
know that's been a problem. Absolutely, they have had some slow starts that way. Defensively, they just haven't you know, they haven't got anybody off the field. You well, win the coin toss, Win the coin toss. I like what Mickey saying though about, you know, giving him some different reads and something that the Cardinals saw last week, and that a couple of Cowboys fans have been rooting for maybe a couple more than that. But Dak Presscott had a rush touchdown, and he's had seven in his career.
Four have come in primetime games. And when he does that, when he has a rush touchdown, the Cowboys are six and oh very good. Yeah, oh no, this is a noon start. This is a start. So you know, hey, maybe what I see though, is that his legs will be fresh, You'll be ready to go. So you know, the Cowboys are now prepping with Dak learning to get more comfortable with the run. Right. Maybe you know he doesn't see the long pass, Mick, But what do you feel about him running on first down? I never don't
want to start that. Well, I love it in the red zone. I love the zone read stuff they do there because it takes some of the pressure of Zeke and and we saw it last year. They're really effective doing it. I'm with Mickey, I don't I don't want him being RG three and running around and really risking his body when you think certain situations. Absolutely, when you think of that, you just think of two plays. The tackle he got pretzeled Denver and the dive into the
end zone when he almost landed on his head. Yeah, you don't want a heavy dose of that. You're gonna lose your quarterback. Sure, look cool though, he boy, it was great. Yeah, fi a lot of that. And Cam Newton lilipped right over him, didn't he? Yeah. I mean, but what I'm saying is that Dak is a good rusher himself, and hey, hopefully if they get one hundred and thirty nine yards plus, he's part of that. It's certainly an element they have to account for. And and
this is is Brian point. I mean, this is a run defense. This is it's funny. And we're gonna talk with the Rams offense tomorrow. That's been the strongest part of this that has been the best part of their team. And Wade is an unbelievable defensive coordinator. But they haven't I don't know if they've quite figured it out yet. So what have they done wrong? I mean, they gave up thirty nine points to San Francisco. Yeah, it was a twenty seven to Washington. That what's been wrong? It's
been the big place they are. They're one of the worst in the secondary when it comes to giving up big plays. They they their offense is one of the best when it comes to big places, especially on first down. But when they get when they get in, when they get in like long yardage situations, or they can't handle it, yeah, they give up place. They're one of the worst tackling teams after catch in the league. Actually there their thirty second in the league. Run after catch. They give up
more yards than anybody else in the league. That's that's troubling right there. You throw a ball to somebody, all of a sudden's a seven yard game turns into a thirty seven yard game. Yeah, that's that's that's that's bad defense right there, big time. Now, a guy that has been active for the past two weeks, Noah Brown, we saw a little bit of last week. What can he really do in this game at all? How can Noah
Brown contribute to the Cowboys offense this week? I think they like to use Noah Brown in their running situations. The crack toss, we saw the ball go on the outside. They liked the big body coming inside. It's a bigger body than what you normally see with Terrence Williams. Now, what they've got to do is they throw him a
ball the other day, which is good. Get him in a route you know they're gonna they were gonna try and throw the ball to Terrence Williams underneath, and that the linebackers drove on him and it allowed it allowed Noah to go over the top. They had two level read and so Dakt was able to hit him. You've got to find ways to throw the ball to him if you can, because you don't want it to be one of those tendencies where all of a sudden, Noah Brown's coming in the game and you're running crack toss,
crack toss, crack toss. Devin Street was here. When Street came into the game, you knew they were running. Yeah, same thing with Dwayne Harris. Yeah exactly. I mean big, but sometimes coaches are very cavalier and they say, you know what, We'll put him in there and we're gonna run the ball and we don't care with Noah though he is a big body guy. He can get the edge, you know, but make sure, like they did the other day, throw him a pass. That was a huge play in
the game. It was a huge play in the game. Set up the touchdown, but yeah, absolutely helps. Definitely. All right, well, let's take our final break here in the SWBC Market studio. We will be right back and we'll be getting into sum of Rob's pole, so stay tuned for that. I voted to work this big land. You need equipment with values rooted as deep in Texas soil as you are. Like John Deer compact tractors with a six year power
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Papa John's pizza. The reason it tastes so great those ingredients freshhold, never frozen pepperoni orkin b U s d A approve and with pizza ingredients like that, you can't miss on your piece. You have a senior moment there, Yes, I did, Yeah, I was ahead of remembering it. I have the same problem with players. Your liner right there? Oh like reading, he's got the want you to start memorizing all eight of those. I'll nestle and I may come up with my pouch soon. So before the break,
we heard that Mickey did vote in today's poll. So I'm anxious to see if he got right with the face or if I remembered who I voted for exactly. Well, tell us, Mick, which RAMS player are you most concerned with in this matchup? Aaron Donald, Jared Off, Todd Gurley or Robert Quinn another pass rusher for the Rams. I believe I voted for Todd Gurley. M hmmm. Anybody got to vote, I would say Todd Gurley, Odd Gurley, I've
voted for Golf. Wow, nobody's got Donald. The fans forty nine percent say Aaron Donald and Donald the biggest concern, followed by Gurley Golf at nine percent. Yeah, oh nine percent, Robert Quinn only four percent. Wow. I think because Robert Quinn will be going against Tyrant Smith. That's a pretty favorable matchup for you right there. It's interesting to me with about with golf and what they've able with McVay
has been able to do with him. You gotta get him off off sequence though he's inside the thirty yard line. He's been incredible. He hasn't missed inside. They get it. They convert a lot of third downs inside the thirty. They they finish a lot of drives. Yeah, that's why they That's why they score. Their scoring has been so good is because the fact that golf has taken advantage
of the receivers they got Watkins, Woods, Cooper Cup. These guys make plays for him and Gurley they throw the ball to him in the flat and he makes a play. You know, you got to find a way to disrupt him a little bit. I'm worried about him, especially if they if they get into a situation like we had early in the game against Arizona where free access and routes and no real rush and here we go just
kind of players you go. Jared Goff has one hundred and forty three quarterback rating when thrown into type windows one yard or tighter open for him. So, hey, you're right what you're saying. Yeah, they's made some place. Would you vote for I didn't vote Mack. I just make the poll vote. You don't vote for your own pole master master you ever vote? You never do sometimes that's what I mean, bias. I think that's a fair you know, I want to just want to see very fair. I've
vot it forgot with nine percent. That's terrible. Hey can you vote? I may say it's a pretty good poll. It's a pretty good poll because this team has a lot of talent the ball. You think you got a key on this guy. They may have to get girly conscious they're in trouble. Yeah, okay, well we're not in trouble because we have a color on the line. Nebbi is on the line, nebe what's your question? Uh uh uh hi, everyone listen. I know the Rams have a high powered um offense, so so so quite honestly, uh
uh uh uh uh uh. In order to beat the Rams, uhh, we have to uh uh uh uh. We have to make our big plays in the passing game. Uh I could I convert on third down? Make sure that we get off the field on third down and limit the number a big place we give up, take care of Thanks for being patient with me, and have a great weekend and a great week bye. Thanks to Herrifemian nab Where you've been, Yeah, I bet he's been listening. Can't get through Yeah, hey, Nebbi knows. Okay, Yeah, there's a
recipe for Victor here. Yeah, he's He's right, though, you gotta get out. You can't take advantage of the rams. They're big place, get take advantage of their defense like that, but in limit limit what they do. And we just talked about golf and Woods and Watkins and and Gurley. He's absolutely right. You can not let those guys get rolling in this football game. Well, I like what Nebbie said about converting on third down. We know we just talked about that a little bit of struggle at exhaust.
But it's just it's so unlike this Cowboys offense and with all the parts there. I think people are getting frustrated. Why that is, They're they're in way more. I need to go look at it. But they've got to be in more way more third and ten third and long than they were last year. For sure. It comes down we've talked about it down do that better. They'll be in much more run or pass. But winning on first down there, that's what you need to find. Went went
on first down? Run or pass? They've been in too many third and six or longer. Yeah, and they're not converting very many of those. Absolutely not. Hey, I know we talk about staffs and we haven't really got to the NFC's because right now the Cowboys are pretty much up at the top with the Eagles. But you know, yeah,
Washington one, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, everybody's at the top. Everyone's Giants exactly all has currently with statistically showing the Giants have the worst rushing offense and the worst rushing defense in all of football. That's surprising. A lot of pressure put on Eli manning this. Yeah, I mean that's surprising about the run defense. That really it is because you look at that d line that they put what two hundred million in it's it's that's true. It's they've spent
a lot of money on that. Uh. Money can't buy you happiness. Yeah, but they didn't know. I'd like to try though a helicopter. Just give me a shot and make you give me that. I'll be fine. Yeah, that's it's not it's it's not surprising that their offenses struggled. Yeah, and they're one of the they're one of those teams when you look at and you talk about teams that have the ability to convert inside the thirty yard line
to get into the red zone. Giants don't have a Giants don't have a conversion yet inside the thirty yard line. They're over four and converting, you know, and they just they don't And it's it's been it's a problem they don't score. You know. Then ultimately it's a you know, they're they're losing games. I mean, they got beat on a sixty one yard field goal the other day, but but they had when your season is not going, but they had to score twenty four points in the fourth
quarter just to get back in the game. Well, we talked about it before week one. I mean, they didn't really address their offensive lines. They didn't help your running game. You got a thirty six year old quarter back who's under pressure. It's not a good don't run. Yeah, even gonna have all the weapons in the world, Yeah, field girls aren't gonna win games. They've been kind of their enemy because Matt Prater made that one that looked like
it was just not going in at all. And then Elliott gets the sixty one yarder and did you guys see that Carson Wentz was miked up during the game and they were filming him during this, you know, while Elliott was going out there lining up and he goes he makes this, I'm giving him my game check. I'm giving him my game check. Did you see that? I heard about it? Yeah. And then so what happened? Did charity run up very closely? Yes, charity giving it the chair.
That's cool charity, I mean, even though I'm sure Elliot would have been happy to be ninety seven thousand dollars plus more. Thinking if I'm a rookie kicker, I gotta I gotta take that. There's my money right there, Mickey, Mike chairit. Yeah, no, they're gonna that's what I heard. They're gonna do his choice of charity. It's yeah, hey,
I like that, yeah hey. And then Deshaun Watson, obviously quarterback who almost was able to beat the Patriots last week, is giving his game check to three employees of Energy Stage m who were greatly affected by Hurricane Harvey. And they had a very nice video. Obviously, Texas we came together strong for that. So check out that video because that was a nice thing for the rookie quarterback. So a lot of there's a lot of really good guys
in this league. There are there are a lot of guys that have come from nothing and appreciate the fact that they there are where they are right now, and they're willing to share. If you remember Deshaun Watson, his family got a house from work Done. You remember the running back. I don't know, Tay, it might be a little maybe, Yeah, Yeah, work Done with the Florida State and started a program building homes for single moms and he was one of the first that was able to
get or he got a home from work Done. So he benefited from an NFL player stepping forward. Yeah, so a lot of really guys with big hearts in this league. Work Done was like doing that on a once a year once a year. Yeah, he was building a home for a single mom. It isn't he You know, I think we'd talk a lot about this game, and this game is very important, but I think it's nice sometimes when we have this opportunity to talk about and highlight
these great guys. You know, there are different guys around the league who are continually trying to do better. So absolutely, but that was neat to see Deshaun Watson yesterday. Very cool. I knew that in a little bit earlier. I know, we were talking about Todd Gurley and we'll really get into the Rams offense tomorrow, but Todd Gurley is the only player in the NFL to lead his team and
carry his touchdowns and reception. So if you shut him down, he's just a great flat Yeah, we'll talk about him tomorrow, but man, he's one of those guys. It's probably benefit the quarterback has benefited the most, Yeah, from the coaching change and then the fact that the Rams went out and helped him with some better talent around him. Offensive line talent, receiver talent. You know. That's that's that's a
big commitment. And the quarterback talent there too. So how we've been talking to dumped the ball to him that much. He's a leading scorer in the NFL. Flat pass, Mickey, get ready for it, up the field, flat and up. Yeah, we'll really get into but how you guys are talking today. It kind of gives me some optimism because two weeks ago, we're sitting here getting ready for the Broncos game, and we're talking about how insane this Broncos defenses and how
they're just so powerful. No one has the personnel like them in the league. And you know, the Cowboys, their offense was still struggling a little bit, but the Cowboys defense was doing better and everything, and it was kind of a mismatch game and it ended up being a lopsided score at the end of the game. But on the other side of this, it sounds like this game could be more in the favor of the Cowboys having a strong defense, but a strong offense, an offense that
can attack their weak defense. Right now, Yeah, and I think being at home too will help the crowd and the silent count and all that stuff, and especially Denver, but Arizona too. It creates problems for your communication offensively, I think being at home should be able to help. And you pointed out, you know, they haven't been perfect defensively. They do have a good defensive front though, and it is going to be imperative to block those guys up front.
I like what you said about home field home field advantage was something that a lot of people questioned at the beginning of last season. Obviously, after the Week one lost to the Giants, they went on to win all of their home games. Has it greatly improved? Well, A noon game on Sunday against the Rams give them that edge this week? I think so. I think. I think it's a big people will still be sleeping. They'll be sleeping, not us. Mickey will be there at seven thirty am.
Rather play there at Denver? Oh No, I'd rather play at home. Okay, I'm just saying, don't think that. I don't know. I mean, I'm talking about offense too much of noon games at home here that the fans aren't real fired up for. Yeah, I you know, I I There's been a time, you know, before even Dak and Zeeke came where it was a struggle at home. I mean, Jason Garrett had to ask answer a lot of questions about, you know, why are you playing so well on the
road and not playing well at home? And you know, last year kind of turned things around. If you look. I felt like, you know, when the crowd, you know, he always says though this too, and it just came in my head. You gotta give them reason to cheer. Yet, you gotta give them reason to get into the football game. And you know, if they have a start like they did against Arizona that that I'm from Dallas, I'll admit this.
We're a front running team. We're a front running crowd, you know, and so you know, if things are going well, we tend to kind of go with it and be part of it. If not, then we struggle with that. And I just feel like they need to get off to a really good start. That's captain obvious. I'm sorry about that, but but they really do need to get it off to it, especially with the noon game. You know, get off to a good start, get the crowd into it.
You know, the last time I remember the Rams playing here, they weren't very good, and you know, uh Sam Bradford was playing quarterback and a back went for two hundred and fifty yards or something like that, and you know, I mean it was a great win for the Cowboys. Brian moment, Oh no, that was in That was the the game. It was played. That game was played in
Saint Louis. The Proud Brian god Bryan was born in St. Louis. Yeah, but Proud Brian at home against the Rams was the the Marco Murray game and they just they mauled Sam Bradford that game, and they need that similar type of They need to get going on a role again like they did last year. Hey, I like hearing that. I like hearing that. Well, Dak be able to maul this defense though. I just want to see Dad have another consecutive good game. Yeah, it's to me, it's it's about
the balance. It's about and I appreciate what Mickey said about throwing the football. I think he's right about that. I think you have to take advantage of the situations that are played to you. The Rams, you know, they've got the front. I mean, they're capable of making play. Have they made plays defensively? Know, all it takes is one game. You know, we saw what happened to Cowboys against Denver. They got mauled in that game where they
do to Arizona. They mauled Arizona once they settled down and started, you know, playing the assignments and they got pressure and things started clicking for him a little bit better. So all it takes is one time. You don't want to poke the bear with a stick too much. But yeah, take advantage of what you're gonna and that means Dak, if it means having to read option outside throws, be consistent. Don't put him in a lot of situations where he's the one having to make every single play that that's
not fair to him. This their quarterbacks Golf, Jarrett Golf has has thrived with guys around him making plays. We thought coming into the season, Dak Prescott was not going to have a sophomore slump because of the players around him. Those guys need to make some placeful They need to pick up their game. Yeah, Wide receivers need to run
better routes and catch the ball. Yeah, they got They got a couple of guys that made plays the other day, you know they had They had a couple of When you look at what Bryce Butler was able to do and Williams is able to do that, that goes to Mickey's point. That just shows you right there, when they do have receivers that make plays, they're capable of having success on offense and the run game. When they won thirteen games last year, he averaged thirty attempts a game.
And that's when you think about he plays is in a football game that's fifty fifty and they need to get back to that. Fifty attempts in Denver was crazy. Eighteen is an anomaly too. You never get forty four plays in a football game. So they need to win and win. Yeah, I mean, that's that's what's incredible. They need to get back to that balance. Just don't fall behind by twenty five points. Yeah, talked about Cole Beasley getting, you know, more protection than he's ever seen a lot
in this Arizona game. How can he take advantage of the defense for the Rams to kind of have the production we've seen from him with Dak. Yeah, he thinks about winning on the outside, but if des can win on the outside, that kind of clogs saying a little things a little bit in the middle for him. I mean that that and the running game. To me, if Dez can take care take care of his opportunities outside,
that would that would really help things. Yeah. They He's come ups against some really some very good slot players and even last week Arizona put a safety inside on third down. Teams have understood that Cole Beasley might not beat you on first and set down where Cole Beasley can kill you is on third down, especially third and six, third and five, whatever, he can kill you on those
pivot routes and stuff like that. So people have figured out that, hey, don't let him have the ability to change directions on you don't let him if you put a guy inside and a guy outside, you're gonna take away his ability to play to his strength, which is his lateral quickness. So yeah, he's gonna you know, he's now gonna find a way to Okay, I know I'm
getting some double coverage down on third down. You know, I've gotta be a little bit smarter what I need to do, how I need to escape, you know, And the Cowboys have to be a little bit smarter saying okay, well,
let's find somebody else here, Let's find you. If guys like Williams start making plays and Butler starts making Witten, you know, is going to make a play throwing the ball to Ezekiel Elliot outside on the screen and him making a play that all of a sudden now will spread things out and now will no longer allow people to double team Cole Beasley. Yes, exactly. Now we have going to get into the Cowboys defense versus the Rams offense became is. Yesterday we told you that DeMarcus Lawrence
one NFC Defensive Player of the week. Well now he has one NFC Defensive Player of the month of course, with six point five sacks, he is leading the league. But on the other side of that, we just told you Todd Gurley's doing great. So now we're gonna get into it tomorrow. But you've got Todd Gurley the NFC Offensive Player of the month and now you've go righting up against DeMarcus Lawrence. So it'll be a great show and you guys should join us tomorrow at eleven thirty am.
We'll be right back here in the SWBC Morgage studio. So for Mickey, Rob Bryan, I'm Taylor and we'll see tomorrow. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.