Talkin' Cowboys: Rest vs. Rust?

joining us momentarily. I think Kent Garrison producing next door. Working by yourself today? Am I pretty much? Wow? You don't sound good. I'm not good. I don't feel good. Did you have a merry Christmas? Oh it was way too merry? Am I talking too loud right now? Oh? It's good. I feel I feel, I feel okay. It's just don't ever go out with young people. That's all I'm going to say. You're you're a young guy. But I'm talking like like like twenties twenty year old kids.

Don't go out with them anymore. Just a bad idea. It's not good. It's not good. I'm sorry. I sound like garbage today. It's my fault. You sound like you're working on the flu. I've got a little bit of everything going on right now. It's not good. Not good.

You want to tell us what you did last night? Well, to celebrate Christmas, celebrate a tradition with my best friend and his family that we play this game like name that tune, you know with we pair up and everybody has their iPads or their phones, and you know, you play, and you partner up and you just play songs and you know. It's something we've done now for four years and and it involves celebration along with it, as you know,

but you keep score. And so my godson Jack and I we uh won for the third straight year, and we celebrated our victory out with Jordan Speace brother and all. We went out and had a good old time. Steven Speeth, we had a great time last night. And you probably didn't pay for a single drink either, No I did. That's what. That's what having a decent job these bums. Steven's a professional basketball player kind of in between, and Jack's doing it working with with Darren Woodson and those

guys him at Smith Company and all. So yeah, I mean, these are young kids, and I made a mistake. I really didn't. I shouldn't have gone out with those guys. I should have done it. There's things in life you just shouldn't do. And I and I I crossed that line last night. I think you should have. And I'm I know you're struggling this hour, but I think it's our busiest days. It is. It's like, you shoot me a mailbag. I'm like, I'm laying it bead. I'm like, all,

I'm sorry, I got the mailbag. I'm like, oh, Randy Gregory question, here we go. Okay, one eye open. Yes, I think Randy's got a future. Typing on my phone. I had no idea. Just pull back the curtain. I send Brian two mail back questions around seventh. We appreciate the mail back questions. We love. We love the mail back questions. We really do. That was a little early for you. No, it's just because I got in just a little bit before they arrived. Uh, that's okay. Nobody

wants to hear that. Gotta got a game this week, don't we. Yes, we giants this week. We can talk giants today, we talk we can talk playoffs. What's beyond the giants? Because is something beyond the giants? Yeah, but that by the way, I hope folks got to see our show last Friday. I thought you did a good job with some of those questions. If you, if you have a chance you hadn't seen it, go back and check that one out. It's Monday. It was on Monday.

When I say Friday, I think today's Monday. That's probably why. Yeah, it's okay, today's win because we have like a half off. Yeah, actually yeah, thanks coach. Appreciate coach. But yeah no, uh yeah, good questions though. And I always love the one about rest, rest and rust. I love that question, and I love the I love the okay, how do you play it?

And how you know? In this coach, I think this coach has developed a pattern of that of he's developed a pattern of I don't care what you Brian brought us think I'm gonna I'm gonna play these guys. I'm gonna play him into the third quarter and I'm like, and every play I'm holding my breath. You know, I'm watching the game and I'm going okay, okay, Zach Martin, Okay, you know, I'm just that's that's how it is, because

he's got like duct tape on that spring at this point. Yeah, I'm through this thing for a long time and I'm watching Ezeki Ellie just banging to people for four and five yards a shot, and every every tackle seems like it's a it's a car rack. You know, He's violently getting slung around, and I'm just I'm going, oh my gosh, just give him a chance. But you know, hey, they brought up they brought up Jackson. We'll see, you know, they brought Rod Smith. I've said before, he was the

giant killer last year. At this game. It's supposed to snow, by the way, Roberts, So when you do your pregame hit, make sure you have your overcoat and your stetson, felt hat on. It is it really, it's supposed to snow. Yeah, So that's what I'm saying. Cold snow not the most ideal conditions when you're just trying to get out of there. Yeah, yeah, especially get everybody in a big airplane there and then

get everybody home after that. You know. That's yeah, boy, But I just like I said, I so do you buy? What do you buy when when Jason Garrett, yeah, buy, I buy what he's saying because he's saying like, oh no, if you're healthy, we're trying to go win a football game. That's that's his mentality, and you know, and and good for him to have that mentality. The scouts mentality is Okay, if you hurt these guys, now, I can't can't help you.

I can't go down to you know, go get you another offensive tackle, or go get you another guard or you know. I can't do yes, yeah, I can't. I can't go down to home depot or you know, our lows or wherever and grab another guy. But I respect the coach for I respect the coach for wanting to play that way because, you know me, I'm the oh, hey,

let's they're all must win. They're all must win. Yeah, they're all must win until I know I've got things kind of wrapped up, and then I'm trying to I'm trying to get this thing into the more important thing, the more important area of this this season, the playoffs. Hello, Mickey Spagnola, playoffs. How are you guys? Whoa We're making it, Mickey, enjoy a day in the middle of the week that we normally don't get. I did good. Yeah, Brian came in for a little bit. I had to watch the Giants.

I haven't seen him since week two. I mean I had to watch him. But you made up for it later, I did. I just embarrass myself, Mickey, What do you do? Mickey? I didn't get into just a little bit ago like an all nighter basically, Mickey, Yeah, fans don't want to hear about but I just want to say this was alcohol involved, Mickey, and I want to ask the next question. Look, look I didn't I didn't. Yeah, I didn't. I made

it home. That's a that's a positive. Safely safely, yes, make sure if you're can do both, make sure you get home safely. Just like my wedding, which is the only time I've really seen you. Just you know, it was close last night, Rob, Christmas night. What's open? I'll tell you what, Mickey, you would be surprised the establishments that are opening. Yes, now, not enough food stops are open.

You know when you're going home. But I'm trying to think if I've ever liked done anything Christmas night other than really, I don't think. See that's my problem I'm like a one once or twice a year guy. That's what I'm saying. And that's only seen you a couple of times. Your wedding was incredible. Again here we are talking cowboys, but talking wedding. Yes, fine, but yeah the playoffs sewn up there in Yeah, but your wedding was

I had that plate? Yeah, yeah, that it's called a charger, the round that you know, Mickey, the thing on the outside you put the you're China in the middle of it, that round. Yeah, yeah, it's called charger. Rob was impressed. I held it up like I won Wimbledon. I won Wimbledon, because that's if you're a tennis guy. Was that before I had How long have you been married? Now? Two and a half years. I don't know. I was thinking maybe that was before Uber, but yeah, no, hopefully Uber

was working that. Yeah he did, he did. Yeah, we were things safe around. Yeah, we're safe team. So he's getting through it, he's fine, Mickey, Yes, rust or rest yeah, uh, can I get in between? I'm trying to find that path. I think I'm trying to farming ground in between between, kind of keeping the momentum going for a while. Yeah, and then making sure that I don't incur any injury that's gonna keep me or really hurt me getting into the playoffs. But I think for the majority of it,

I'm playing a quarter, I'm playing a half. And then it's like, Okay, that's good. Uh, this was this We had a good week of practice. I think if if you say we're resting everybody, you're absolutely right about that, then you blow off three days of practice, it's a worthless week. So what do you do? Do you get right from the Seahawks right now? It's what you do? Well? Yeah, but do you approach this week of practice everybody's attention?

You practice Wednesday, Thursday and then Friday. Do you tell guys? Oh? I tell him on Sunday, Come on Sunday. Yeah? How about how about beause I don't want the other guys to think, Okay, I'm chop meat. No, I'm not important. What a play? Let me ask you this, what if you did it like the night when you're at the hotel like sor or that. Okay, our inactives this week guys are gonna be Yeah, Arne Smith and Nat Prescott,

Ezekiel Elliott. And that's when I mean that's basically when they told h They told Cam Fleming that he was starting in the game, you know the game he had to you know. Tyrn Smith also, hey, you're you're playing this week? Walked into locker room and they told him. I think Mickey's onto something too, because you want those guys practicing hard like they're like the chance of them going to play. See. I don't worry so much about

preparing for the Giants as I do preparing myself. Why do I have to do to get my team better? Not necessarily preparation for the Giants, but self evaluation and here's what we got to improve on, and you can do sort of like they would do during the bye week. Yeah, it's like it's about you. Yeah, it's not about getting ready for an opponent. And I just think you have to keep their attention. You cannot allow them to blow off three days of practice. Yeah, excuse. Can I ask

you a question? Though? Have they've been playing playoffs? I'm just thinking to this they play they've been playing playoff football for the last nine weeks. Yeah, I mean, are we Is it? I don't know, Mickey, I mean, is it? You want to stay on him? But do they need a break. Well, I think you can. I'm just asking that question because I don't have an answer. No, I think you can kind of practice hard, but maybe not

as long. Yeah, just you gotta keep their attention. And I think you gotta keep because if I remember, right in twenty sixteen, they didn't know who was playing and who wasn't, and they ended up playing a quarter, right, Dak played a little bit. Zeke did not play that now and I'm okay. That was the game at Philadelphia, right, yes, and I remember, and then then they put Romo in for a series. They went down and scored Mark Sanchez

out of the game, and then Sanchez took over. After that. Yeah, well, hey, think about that game, think about try not to think about last year, but the last the same thing. Yeah, Falls was so bad. We're sitting there going, well, they need to start. Oh no. The question, the question after that game was Falls is like, h coach shortly, maybe, oh, we've got to figure some things out. Well they did. I think I think Peter that was the game that kind of made them figure things out about Nick Foles.

I think Peterson's sounds great. Oh, I love it. He said something like Sudfeld's got to get ready, just yeah, be ready, yeah, be ready. Yeah, we thought we left their going. Sudfelds should start nixt I. Yeah, I think I wrote that. I'm like the Eagles want to go far on the play a little, I know. So in twenty sixteen, the Cowboys ripped off. How many in a row? They win thirteen games? Eleven? Right? Yeah, home field advantage, yeah right. Do you think the first half of the

Packer game was a product of rust? I do? Now they had a week off in between. This is a little bit different. Yeah, but see you didn't you didn't you You kind of had that sixteenth game off. Yeah, he didn't play the next week and then you had to go another played and they didn't get going, like you said, until the second half. Yeah, offensively, I don't know.

They were they were way behind, weren't they. They they had Yeah, there were a couple of touchdowns, yeah, exactly, Yeah, it was yeah, yeah, they the first two drives of the game imeared Green Bay down the field and yeah, and then you were in trouble a little bit there, and then everybody kind of woke up and they had that bad penalty, the penalty on Bryce Butler, too many men in the huddle, penalty all that. There's a bunch

of crap, you know, one of those things. So yeah, I mean and the teams that you might be facing in a week and a half, Yeah, Seattle or Minnesota, they gotta play, right, I gotta play. They gotta play. Yeah, they can't be rested in anybody because Philly's lurking. They're trying to Why do I think Philly's gonna get in this tournament? Because they're playing really well, I mean really

well right now? Does anybody trust Minnesota right now? No, boy, They're got to be looking to themselves like Zim's thinking, well, Zim's like, oh wait, kind of just where we want when you're in I'm like, no, I wanted this thing wrapped up. A long st really is a good problem to have if you're the Cowboys, especially because we've talked about it. The stretch. They had three games in eleven days. Very fortunate. The division wasn't what it was, and you

know where I misevaluated that the conference was the NFC South. Well, I was looking good for a while. I was. I misevaluated Carolina and I misevaluated Atlanta Tampa. I was at now New Orleans. Just New Orleans went nuts. But you beat the best team in the South, you know which is And think about what happened because twelve weeks ago or whatever, it was the NFC least, right, Wow, it's the worst division in football. Well maybe not. I don't think anybody wants to play Philadelphia got a chance to

get two teams in, right, yeah, Philadelphia. That's that's what's great about this tournament is the fact that the fifth and six seeds can just you could go on the road. These teams nowaday, you go on the road and win games. Sure, you know it used to be like you got home field in the playoffs. You're lock. And I guess the numbers show that I think the Cowboys are the last team not to get to the Super Bowl? Is that right? With the number one? Look at that, right, Mickey, that

that sounds good. I think Dallas was the last number one seed not to make it to the Super Bowl. I'm sure Kent is feverishly, but you know, I've been on the keyboard right now looking at up. There have been years in the last ten years where wild card teams like we're talking about, Yeah, you gotta play you keep yeah, Giants Packers in twenty ten. That's absolutely Baltimore was a walk. Absolutely so parody. It's parody because the reason why it didn't happen before is the reason you

had the first seed. The reason you had the second seed was because you were a good team. So you should win, right, because you're playing an inferior opponent. But I think as we've gone along over the last decade, things have kind of evened out quite a bit. So if you're the sixth seed, doesn't mean you're that much worst. No first seed, No, you have a chance. As we've seen here down the stretch with the top teams in

the NFC. Well, I do know this though, if Philadelphia or Minnesota gets in, they've both played the Saints and both have lost. I mean the Philadelphia got that wasn't that bad stretch for Philadelphia. They got embarrassed. I mean I think it was right after the Cowboys had beat him, they went to New Orleans and then it was just

it was a debacle down there. But you're you're right, Mickey, these teams, I think you just you play whoever you play, But I think you also have to be smart about what kind of condition your team is at this point in time. I think every the one thing I've learned about once your team gets into the playoffs, people start to become healthy, you know, the bumps and bruises and stuff. Everybody wants to be a part of playoff football. And Mickey's been pool reported the Super Bowl. He's seen it.

He's probably filed an injury report with no injuries, no reported injuries, you know, I mean everybody, it's all everybody. It's when the playoffs did, It's like, okay, it's you know, all hands on deck, here we go. I got one more game to get Yeah, I've just got I've been dreaming about it my whole life. Yeah, exactly. You just don't know when you're gonna get back. And that's why that's why you'll see guys like it's very guys like

Tavon Austin right now. He's anxious to get back out of the General manager said that this morning, you know, on his show, he said, Hey, I want to see you know, I'd like to see Tavon on a good

film out there for people to see. On Tavon Austin, I'll give you the best example of that when the Cowboys went to the Super Bowl in ninety two and Bill Bates had torn as acl maybe four weeks ahead of that, five weeks ahead of that, they got to Pasadena, and he was trying to go out there and run and prove that he could play right and ended up basically probably crying silently to himself on the sideline that I have played ten years and I can't play in

the Super Bowl. Yeah. That's that's the gut punch right there. I mean, these guys, this is what they live for. It's like it's like the NBA, you know, Rob, you big NBA guy. They get down the playoffs that maybe he's like this regular season kind of and then they get in the playoffs, it's like, let's step it up here we go yep. So you know, and I think

you can monitor guys snaps while they play. Like DeMarcus Lawrence doesn't need to go out there and play thirty plays in the first half if he has ten, just putting in maybe to pass rush, keep him involved. Get Armstrong out there playing a little bit more. Randy Gregory, Taco, let Tacco, Yeah, Tacco, play the whole him out there, because obviously Crawford's not playing. No, I can't imagine that, but I heard really good news him walking around the

facility and stuff. It didn't run into him yesterday or anything, but I heard he was moving well. Jason Garrett told us Monday, functioning normally, walking around looked like he's okay. So that's great. And this is a guy you know, he doesn't need to play in this No, I don't know if he physically would be able to yet, like you said, it's a pretty big boy stinger is what big boy? Yeah? So yeah, yeah, And Jason Garrett's right now. His line is we're gonna play this game. But that

he hasn't changed. I give him, Craig he is. He's been very consistent about that. But there are significant players on this team where you can qualify it and say he does need rest. We talked about I don't want to see twenty one play when he once had some you know, he's my my hope, some bumps and bruises. Zach Martin, yeh, Tyrn Smith. DeMarcus Lawrence has been on

the injury report this season. So there's a lot of guys that mean a lot to your team who probably could use a little bit of rest, I'll tell you. And it's not it's not. Oh, we're just resting guys. They need it, And here's an opportunity. We played the quarterback or not I play him a quarter? Okay, then I need I guess some Mary Cooper can play a you know, yeah, maybe Mark Cooper. I mean Mark Cooper's big. Mary Cooper's just as big as twenty one in this thing.

If you think about the things he does, the plays he makes, but the stuff he opens up for other people too. I'm all for Noah Brown going out there and playing sixty five snaps if he can, you know, Tavon Austin, I'm all for those guys. Go ahead, Beasley with the foot man. Yeah, Noah, I mean I don't need to see her. Maybe I give him a quarter and then yeah, go go grab his helmet. This is terrible on my part. Did they get Lance Lenora back or we'll know that today on waivers. I haven't heard

that he'll be today. He'll be today, Okay, Yeah, that one. That one was a little surprising to me. Guys. I'm not gonna lie. Well, it's a sign that Tavon's closer, right, Yeah, But and your numbers at receiver then are heavy. I like link, but you hate to lose a guy. Yes, there's teams that are out of it. They're gonna say, you know what, I've heard how much about this guy? Yeah? That this is where bad teams kind of start playing

the waiver wire. Even the last week, they'll bring guys up off the practice squad to make sure they don't have to sign him. Arizona claim swearing jury. They did. Yeah, and Cowboys had no interest into him at all. And I know everybody out there is you know why, why why? But you know you got a young safety that played his rear off the other day. That kid, that kid does not get a break when it comes to how he how he tackles people. And that was something I

was worried about him rapid. He's more than physical. That man that that Xavier Woods will throw his body around and he and he and he really tries to do it the right way. He really does. I don't think he's not a headhunter. He tries to do it the right way. I don't know what else he could have done on that he that was textbook when they when when Mickey and I go back to the meeting they have and next summer, and then Al Rubion standing there, Mickey's gonna look at him and say, honestly, all you

really really that, Mickey? No, Mickey questions the guy. It's great. I sat there and watched him just question those referees. I'm like, yeah, I get him. Mickey. You know what we bought the hat there. I mean we're going back. Yeah, We're going back. I've got back every year. I've got a towel now it's a black and white stripe like a racist. It's on top of my my my computer square upstairs. Yeah. I meant to bring it in so I just throw the flag in your next life. You

were going to be an NFL official. I just know it. If I didn't do what I did, I would have gone into officiating. I'll guarantee you. Did you see Mickey those cold games. I could soldier Field all bundled up. You know he's got the his hat ons. Yep. Maybe over the years I'd have been calling balls and strikes or technical files in basketball. There you go. You have the mentality of a and do it. Don't put up

job at two. Yeah, Rickey, Mickey would get in trouble because the coach would say something to him and he would turn and say something bad. Oh, he would toss. Everybody likes him. Gosh that temper. Okay, all right, let's take our first break when we come back. Let's talk about my laughing at that. You mentioned Jerry on the fan. We'll talk yeah, Jerry set off. Yeah. Please do this interview this morning on the radio. Cowboys are back to practice. We'll give you a preview of that as well. Jason

Garrett at ten thirty five. Yep, some injury updates and all that. Next on Talking Cowboys has been helping Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seventy two, said they don't miss a moment on the field. Get glasses with best vision, clarity and protection with the Ultimate Lens Package, three innovative technologies in one lens for at a time. You can double your lenses for free when you purchase the Ultimate

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you explain that craving? Imagine being shipwrecked on a desert island alone, glass like curls of self bound at the shore with Doctor Pepper colored waves, surrounded by zalire. But you can't drink, kids, because it's the ocean a fish and even there, the only thing you want he's Doctor Pepper, and you can't have it. Now, that is it, Doctor Pepper? Craven Doctor Pepper. When you crave back to talk in Cowboys, put Tommy John on your underwear that's guaranteed to never

ride up. Trust me, I wear it. It's like nothing you've ever ever if worn before. Plus it's back by the best pair you'll ever wear. Or it's free guarantee you that shop exclusive Cowboys underwear a Tommy John dot com Forward slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order Tommy John dot com Forward Slash Cowboys. Thank you, Mick, welcome back. Saw a lot of folks tweeting pictures like a guy tweeted one at Derek about it is I look, I got in the stock. It was John Love. It

was he wearing him. No, he had him. He had just a pictures holding up holding him up. Yeah yeah. Some dude tweeted us and staid he got the playmaker Jeff Black. There you go package. Thank you folks for doing that. I appreciate you got both can over base, Tommy John's and a little Jack Black hair baggage. All right, I drank a lot of Jeff starting my new year off right. It is the way to start it off, Kent. It is nineteen we're Alrea fresh and clean. Oh yes,

so fresh and so clean clean. Mickey Spagnola, did you listen to Jerry Jones this morning? I did any highlights? Any nuggets, Um, I think, I mean, I think we sort of already hit on it, but he sounded like they're ready to put Tavon Austin on the field. Uh. And I believe a lot of it has to do with maybe throwing some plays out there to let the next opponents say, hmmm, I got to waste five minutes

of practice on that just in case. Well done. So it sounded like, you know, obviously Zack Martin does it need to be out there, But he was kind of a proponent of h he spying into his head. Coaches a right, the GM, the GM needs to think about replace the players. I'm telling you, don't. Don't buy into the no he's I mean, think about this. Doesn't ten and six sound much better than nine and seven? I know at this point it doesn't matter. Boy, we got

some nice hats, that's all. But I think I think ten and six sounds especially since I picked him to go ten and six. The Giants win the Super Bowl at nine and seven, they sure did, But he really cares to beat the Cowboys? Right? Yeah? They won? They won. I think they won three straight road games, right all right? They won at Tampa, won at Dallas, and then won at Green Bay and then won the Super Bowl in the road. So yeah, four straight road Yeah, in the season.

Um what else? Oh he also and I thought this was very interesting talking about the season, Uh, that he really values them being able to dig them selves out of a hole. That it was three and five and things got better, and he thought you could be more excited about that than basically anything else. They had the wherewithal and improved to the point and his point was, hey, we lost some games to some really good teams, and they were and they were close calls. You know, he

met the three five. You know, you lose to Houston at that time, Washington was hot. Yeah, two games by uh three points. So uh. He talked extensively about how how he thought that was very valuable for the growth of this team. More impressed, more impressive how they won in twenty sixteen the division or how they did it this year. I would say twenty sixteen only because number one, how good the record was, and number two, your quarterback was a fourth round draft pick who started training camp

as your number three guy. I don't think anybody saw that coming, not to the level that they played. And Zeke was a rookie and it was just kind of a magical season, right, But I don't want to take anything away from what Mickey just said. The way they've climbed out of this, that's a lot of people wrote them off. Most people did. I mean, if you think about it, even though the first game was sixteen to eight, yeah, we thought they were in over their heads against Carolina, yes, uh.

And then obviously Seattle it really wasn't as close as what was at twenty four thirteen. Yeah, it was like that was a tough one, you know, and then you go to you go to Washington and they had to scrap and beat Detroit at home, and then and then Washington and then you know, you get beat by Tennessee and you're ready to throw in the towel. Yeah. See, that's what I'm saying. It was to me, as they were winning games in two thy sixteen, it was a pres I said of how they they did a great job.

The offense was just humming along your rookie rookie quarterback, rookie running back, and it's just such a magical type of a run. I think I'm more impressed by what they just did. I think I'm more impressed by them going and winning the game in Atlanta, and Okay, Lanta turned out to be you know, Jacksonville. Mickey. Mickey was right about Jacksonville. I mean, I'm just saying there were teams at the time that you thought, damn Atlanta. They scored thirty one points at home, man, how do you

stop them? Remember that whole week I was just telling me, oh, yeah, you gotta do this, you gotta and he went out there and shut them down. Yeah, and then you and then he beat a New Orleans team. It was extremely high. I just feel now that season sixteen, he went the rookie the quarterback won a game at Pittsburgh, and he won a game at Green Bay. And not many rookie quarterbacks get to live to tell a story. One day. He's gonna be retired old Mississippi fishing with his grandkids.

He said, Yeah, your granddad won a game at Hinz Field against Ben Roethlisberger, who they just stuck in the Hall of Fame, you know, winning driving. Yeah, exactly. You know, I took Aaron Rodgers, went toe to toe with Aaron Rodgers Hall of Fame guy. Yeah, your dad or your granddad, you know, you know what I'm saying that those are But yeah, but the whole they dug out of when

it when it looked, I mean, it looks so bleak. Hey, three and five just looked like going to philadelphia're thinking there, this is over. I mean, all right, brought us fire up the coaching talk again, you idiot. You know, I think you're swaying me. You're swaying me. No, I'm not. I'm just saying. I mean I'm looking at the schedule right now, and it's that it's for Yeah, they went on the road at Philly, but it's that three games and eleven days, twelve days. It changed their whole season.

You know, you beat Washington on Thanksgiving and then it's a you go, you don't get this, that ten day break out Thanksgiving, seven days later you're playing the unstoppable New Orleans Saints and what they were able to do, and then coming back after the break and beating Philly and overtime at home, showing a lot of guts there. I mean, it's I don't think anybody thought not only could they come back and win the division, but win

it with a game to spare three and five? Right, It really is incredible what they've been able to do. You know. Jerry kind of compared it too when he first got here and they blew the whole thing up and they were, you know, they were awful, and he pointed out, he goes and everybody was saying, you know, with these guys don't know what they're doing. Dah, And he goes in we train. We chained some tradition, meaning people that had worked here for twenty nine years, well

they had a lot of them. Yeah, and then and then and basically dug themselves out of the hole they kind of created trying to get better. And then in ninety one they made it to the playoffs, and so it was like digging yourself out of a huge hole. And it's very gratifying than just inheriting something and going forward, you know, I mean, think about his life. He dug himself a pretty good hole, yeah, you know, and he

kind of dug himself out of it. So I thought that had a lot of meaning to this run to get into the playoffs. But there are some parallels between this one and twenty sixteen. And I'm talking about dealing with injuries because twenty sixteen was so impressive to me, obviously because of twenty fifteen when Romo went down, they couldn't do anything. Didn't do anything this year defensively, Sean Lee's been out for a large portion of this season.

Ealthy scratch, didn't play last week, only played seven snaps the week before. And what this defense is doing, what these young linebackers are doing, Yeah, really impressive. It's just night and day from the season before both those years. Every week and that we do a postgame show. I look at the tackles and it's either Vanderish or Jalen Smith.

Every weekend it's vander Smith. And sometimes they'll flip, you know, and then one day you'll get vandersch will make all the tackles and and Jalen Smith will knock down all the passes. You know. And I never would have believed that I would have seen Sean Lee be a healthy scratch for this football team. I would have never that if you just said, Okay, go to go to Vegas, Rob, you know, you and I we like the go in

the sports books. Maybe when we're allowed to back in the day, back in the day, and if you said, okay, put me put a ticket down on Shawn Lee will be a healthy scratch this year for the Dallas Cowboys. The odds on that after what you know about Sean Lee and how important he was to the team, and we're and you know, we're I mean, I know myself sitting here talking about on these shows and all the things we do, the happy Hour shows and stuff. Oh no,

don't worry about Sean Lee. You gotta put him in there, getting back in there, getting back and they're getting back in there. And then what they don't need him And it's I don't mean don't need him in a bad way. I mean, they just don't need him. They don't, They don't they they they have, they have survived the having

Sean Lee. They've served vibe the you know yeah, And I'm trying to say they've been able to withstand not having him on the field in two linebackers have made him just yeah, guy that's standing next to you, and I now Jason kind of qualified a little bit Mick the other day Christmas Eve. He talked about how Anthony Brown's injury kind of led to that situation where he writing active because they needed somebody to be able to

play special teams. And they're still trying to manage Sean's reps right back, and so yeah, you weren't going to play h much anymore. It was a thirteen to fifteen rep thing, and he doesn't play special teams. But I never always, I never thought i'd see a game though where Sean Lee, even playing thirteen or fifteen snaps, wasn't going to play when you gotta win get into division title.

So yeah, yeah, that that to me was that That to me was really that just shows you there's you know that, that's what Jerry Jones needs to be proud about the fact that he you know, he had blowhearts like me telling him, I don't draft Jalen Smith, I can't. You know, gosh, he's got a brace, he's got his nerve problems, you know. I mean there's a lot of risks there. Oh, I mean, doctor doctor Cooper. Give him a you know, tip of the cap to him as well. He should get a Nobel Peace Prize. Yeah, no for

what he did, doctor Cooper. Yes, Oh gosh, it's incredible. I love Staff. Oh no, absolutely. Then he's wearing the LBJ hat. Well, no, he's wearing the hat the back in the day. Cheez. I wish I knew with the doctor's name. But back when I used to come to the games in the seventies, the team doctor for the Cowboys wore the exact same was it was doctor uh, doctor Knight Night, Doctor Knight, doctor Knight. I don't want to get the man's no. I think that he was

Tom Landry's guy and he wore the hat. But I think doctor Cooper said it's one of those he honored LBJA. Yeah, he wears in honor of him, you know, and that's just that's that shows you the respect he has. But yeah, I mean, Jerry Jones has made some incredible moves, you know, and when we want to be critical and we want to point the finger of things he's made, he did everything he could to try and make this team go him. Will McClay, Steven give Jason Garrett quick. Jason Garrett has

a voice in that room too. You know, this season and it's not it didn't unfold identically, but it ended sort of the same. Just reminded me of nineteen ninety one and before right before the season started, by the way, they traded for Steve Berlin. Yeah, it was like, okay, backup Correadors from the Raiders. He was crossways with Al Davis and Davis trying to get rid of him, and I don't remember what they might have given up, a fourth round draft choice something like that. Anyway, they started

off pretty well. I believe they were five and two, and then they ended up six and five, and they had three road games in a row, and all the anal people were you can't you're done if you got what play three road games in a row, and they lost the first two, one of them I believe it was to Houston in overtime, and the last one was at Washington and Troy Aikman suffers the spring knee in top top the early part of the third quarter and Burline comes in. They win that game, and then they

went on won the last four. So they ended up with a five game winning streak to finish eleven and five and went on the road to Chicago, where they had no business winning, and they beat the Bears seventeen thirteen with Burline at quarterback. And so they kind of dug themselves out of a hole that they created and on the strength of a trade that they made early in the year to bring Burline in, who played awfully

well down that five game winning streak. All you can ask, if you're a fan of this team, all you can ask is your front office give you hope, get you know. I mean, and a lot of people will very critical of the Amari Cooper trade, but it was it was the right trade at the right time. I mean, it's you know, the Cowboys are gonna pick in the twenties now,

I trust you. And we start the draft show coming up here and you know, another month where there's not gonna be a player on that board at twenty five. That's better than Amari Cooper. I'm just telling you right now. And it's for the future. It's for the future. It will be twenty five next year when he's playing with that part. I can hear. I can hear our buddy

Steven Thomas out there right now. Ah. You know what, though, you gave up the money, you gave up the you know, and I'm like, but you gotta do what you have to do right now, and you're giving yourself a chance. Yeah. This season, And another comparison to ninety one, that was a pretty young football team, right, very young. I mean we're talking you had gone three and thirteen one in fifteen seven and nine and they were one win away in ninety from going from the worst team in the

league into the playoffs. Yeah. Actually they didn't even need to win. If if the I believe it was the Saints had lost the last game him of the year. They were going to the playoffs at seven and nine, and everybody was at Cowboy Cafe watching the game big screen, the big screens, Yeah, yelling the old Cowboy Cafe players, players were all in. It made it made it easy for me because I had to do a story after the game, and I had everybody there with me. I think I showed up there last night on my way

home hang over the movie. I just kind of walked in there. I think Cowboys Cafe is long gone. It is long gone. All right, let's take our final break and during the break we'll try to piece together night, we'll try to figure out what happened. We come back, we'll finish breaking up. We're breaking down Cowboys in the wildcard round, Giants too a little bit, Giants a little bit, and maybe how far this team can go. Next on

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him from life's elements. It projects an unstoppable and legendary spirit, just like the men wearing silver and Navy on the field every Sunday sends eighteen sixty five Steps and hats are American made pride right here in Texas. They are still the official crown of all self prospecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Find Stetson Hats in the proof shop or at Stetson dot Com today. That's what she said. Yeah, talking cowboys,

and if we're talking cowboys, we're talking Jack Black. And I told you guys about the playmaker to get this before Christmas and put it in a stocking. I did for two folks and they thought that was the greatest thing in the world. They got Jack Black, and I'll guarantee you once they try the little Tester tubes, they will be buying the large size big Boy Jack Black creams. Beard Beard Fud always has to repeat that turbo wash Rob, you can use some beard loub today. What Yeah, what's

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Georgia Tech. Like the Ramblin Wreck, you just jumping on the trampoline just one too many times and then face first on the metal part of the outside just a little bit too long. But that was good, you know to Parklin. You know what made me think of that? What I was looking at the guys that were on the practice squad. Yeah, and there was like three or four of them. I didn't even know they were there. Oh yeah, and it was the one guy that Jason

refused to say his last name. Oh it's the uh too. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. Yeah, and you got it out well enough. We won't ask you to say it again. Defensive tackle. Yeah, he gives him a good look from what I've told. You know, he's a really harm duel skyer reporting this young man really quick, like a like a you know, one of those guys that kind of a high motor high effort. You always the tag guys like that. But this guy's got a really good first step.

So what he does. They put him out there and he just he goes flying to the corner and like guys like Lyle Collins, I mean, they're they're having to defend their corner and you know, you know, I've heard if you watch like people practice against Tyren Smith, Tyron Smith wants him to go like full, full tilt against him. He doesn't. He's not like a brother in law guy where he's like, Okay, I'm just gonna hey, take it

easy on me kind of guy. I mean, they go full rep and he's kind of you know, it's it's impressive guy, all pro tackle and he's the two is like trying to beat him on a speed rush and he's you know, walling him off and all that. I mean, can you pick the guy out of a lineup? I don't can't. I don't think I can. He's number sixty five, I know that. How about Ony Amoli? Yeah, who are you? He's the local guy too, is he? Yeah, he's from

the area. They just signed him recently. Yeah, he's a sinner, right, Yeah, he's number sixty five. Sixty seven sixty seven. He's a center, play center, and he's like the swing center guards. What about Cody Wickman? Cody Whickman is another offensive lineman guard Francene State. Yeah. He I think he's been here the whole time. The Mariposa, California, all right, it's not like

a pretty place, Mariposa. I mean the first guys I kind of recognized, but I got down to those last three or four and it was like, who's hey, practice squads Olumba, you know, yeah, dinner all year? Who is okay? Gosh, oh help me? Mickey and Rob the kid that was traded before we went on the air Houston preseason game and he went to Kansas City. They traded him for the guard he started at corner Standrick West Is that right? Yeah? Exactly? Wow? Is that right? Yeah? I can't It feels like a

year ago. I can't argue, but he if it's wrong, Ward, it was Ward? Ward? Was this not west Ward? I can't say the first name the right way, but it's Ward is his last name. It can't. In Kansas City they were trying to move guy. I mean the Cowboys were trying to move that Cowboys wanted to keep the guy, and then they ended up in training for Anger. Yeah. Anger, Yeah, yeah, the guard who got hurt like the second practice he was here. Doesn't seemed like forever ago, yes, but but

but he started. He started last week for Kansas City in the in the game. Yeah, everybody liked him a lot. He was a he was a big time players ward dB and he had he had a good, good camp. Yeah that's what I'm saying. Him in a lumba and those guys. Yeah, they really liked those guys, and and they ended up the Chiefs got him, and he's been with them the whole year, and he actually had to start. They remember Anger's first day, first day. First name, Oh

Parker Parker. Yeah, I was gonna say Pete Parker Parker. So they it's a long season, isn't it. Oh? They So they took CJ. They activated CJ. Goodwin, Yes, yes, been on reserve, injured reserve flyer. Get another, Yeah, they could use one to get down there and cover punts. How about kicks? How about kickoffs? If people are bringing the ball out of there? My gosh, but they've exposed Lance Lenore. Yeah, we'll know today, we'll know about that

coming up three o'clock today. How do you feel about Anthony Brown this week or in the next couple of weeks with his back. I think maybe in two weeks he's good. They they seem encouraged when at the end of the week they just thought it was best to let him rest up and try to get that thing under control. But they were feeling better about it, so but not good enough to play him all right, Bryan brought us you spent time on Christmas Day breaking down

the New York Giants. I did look at the Giants little because I hadn't seen him since week two, and they're they're a little bit different team now than they once were. Uh. They've kind of made some changes. You know, the right tackle is now Chad Wheeler. They they've moved on uh since and that's really This offensive line still is the problem. You know. Eli Manning is still the trigger man. Se Quon Barkleys everything we thought he was going to be. They throw him the ball, They when

they hand it to him, he makes people miss. They've been playing without Odell Beckham the last couple of weeks. I don't know if Odell Beckham will be back this week. They might just uh, you know, but again they've had some problems with you know, Nate Solder. They gave Nate Solder a bunch of money for you know, the from the Patriots to play left tackle and he's had his struggles. Will Hernandez looks better. They drafted him from UTEP. He's

playing the left guard. Uh, with Spencer Spencer Pulleys now the center. They've when the last time to CA always played John Greco was the center. So they've they've made some switches in the offensive line. I thought for a while there they were going to be good enough to be eight and eight. You know, they were kind of making a little bit of a run there, and then they last couple of weeks they've kind of spit the bit. So, you know, we'll see. We'll see how they play it

with Manning. They on defense though a lot of the same guys still. It's not you know, Snacks Harrison is no longer there keeping on this BJ Hill from North Carolina State. He's listed as a defensive end, but he plays as a defensive tackle. He's one of my under the radar guys I wrote about today. I like him. I think he's a better he's playing really kind of

out of position. They play a three or four front, and so he plays like a defensive end, but he's really more of a defensive tackle, and so he's he's a rookie that's getting a start for him. Olivier Vernon is still there. Part BW Web or old Buddy b W. Webb is playing corner for them right now. Landing Collins is still there and Norris Jenkins. So yeah, they've changed a little bit since the last time that the Cowboys met him, mainly in the on the offensive side of

the ball. But it's a you know, I'll tell you what though, I'm glad. I'm glad though it didn't come down to having to go win a game there, you know what I'm saying. I'm glad it didn't because you never know, I mean you just the giants. You know, at times they've looked really good and they still I'll tell you again, here's another I forgot about Evan Ingram, the tight end, and here's another matchup of another tight

end that they're gonna have to deal with. You know, Evan Ingram had seven catches the last time these two teams met and went and watched him, and primarily there was some zone coverage with Mickey Hates and he's right about that. And then there was Jeff Heath kind of taking him with a couple of routes and stuff. So if no Beckham, then he's gonna be your primary guy. Him and Barkley are gonna be the primary guys that you're gonna have to deal with. And I'm saying this

in a way of young guys playing. Okay, let's see, Okay, it came on Frasier. Let's see a cover ingram. You know. That's kind of how I'm looking at this game. How how are the how's? How's a Randy Gregory gonna rush against Snate Solar? You know? I want to see those kind of things, you know, and see if these young kids can can make some plays. I'm trying to think

of the last time. I think it was twenty eleven, they went to the Meadowlands having to win the game to get in and they lost, and I think the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl that year. It's a very different. It's a situation you don't want to be in, no because it's a division rival, and you flip a coin and anything can happen and the tenor yeah, feeling around this game is much different than

it could have been this week. Yeah, you you you just don't want to have to go and especially if the conditions are calling for thirty four degrees or twenty thirty one degrees in snow, you know you don't. You don't want to have to deal with that, you know, and you don't want to have to deal with with Saquon Barkley and if he gets one hundred and fifty yards, so what you know, Okay, you know we'll see you in next year. You know, we'll worry about you next year.

But yeah, it's uh, it does. Division games are tough, and you know, the Giants. I'm sure the Giants are gonna try, and you know the Pat Shermer, the coach there, and you know, they don't want to lose. They want to finish on a strong I mean, they've they've had two bad games in a row here where they were actually playing pretty well and then and then they they lose. So I'm sure they want to finish on a high note. And you know Jason Garrett, I'm sure he wants to

finish on a high note. But we've talked about this at length. At what cost? You know what costs? Jason Garrett will play all the games, will play him. You know, he'll tell you there's only sixteen of these, you know, And and he's not wrong, not wrong what you're looking at, Mick. I was trying to see how many catches Ingram had, but he's not listed in here. I don't see it. He's had, he's been, He's missed time, Mickey, so he's not gonna be. He's missed like three or four games.

There was stretch where he missed like three games and then he's just now come back. But I know he gets the Cowboys. I watched him play specifically because I want to see how they played him. And that's where he was seven targets, seven catches, his high number. His high number was tennis. See, he had ten, ten targets and eight catches in that game. And that was just recently here. So so if I'm reading at this ride,

he doesn't even have thirty seven catches. Yeah, he's but he's missed probably five games this year with because of injuries. But you know whose second m whose second guy named Ertz? Yeah, and he broke Jason Witten's single season tight end record. Yeah, did he? Yeah, this past week? How many does he have? One hundred and what I think I saw one hundred and thirteen? What did Witten have? He has one hundred and thirteen. He's second in the league to Thomas New

Orleans with one hundred and twenty. Witten head I think one hundred and ten. He had one hundred catch season. Yeah, I remember got like a ninety. He was in the nineties a couple of times. Yeah, all right, Yeah, you mentioned the Giants offensive line, and obviously that's been a struggle for them. Let's see if these young guys can get some pressure, that'd be good Taco and those guys. Yeah, why not? He got me thinking. You know, Taco has been out, he hadn't played for a few weeks. Yeah.

And we had a mail back question on Randy Gregory. He's playing six acts in thirteen games, and just the more, ask more question, ask Mickey the same question. Well, the more experience he gets, the better. Yeah, right, just let him keep playing experiencing things. We had a question on before we get out of here, Randy Gregory, do you think he can be consistently dominant like we saw against the Bucks last week. Or you think he's going to be more of a good player, just a good player? Yeah,

as his ceiling. The question is good player or will he be a guy that I'm not saying that the Marcus, but I'm just saying, you know, a higher a guy that's gonna get eight nine sacks a year. So I'm trying to remember how much did he play last year? No? No, he did not. No, he basically didn't played one game. That's why you're trying to gauge where he's gonna be. He got to training camp this year, right, uh some point? Yes, Yeah, he was there for the start of yamp Yes, yes,

I can't remember, but he did practice right off the bat. Yeah. I think he missed most of the offseason. Is that right? I'm trying to He was not reinstated until training camp. Okay, So, and he's done this with that right, watch out for him. If he keeps himself on the straight and narrow. It seems to be on a pretty good path right now. M boy. What he can do is it look the sack fumble. Yeah, he got ridden off the play, did not give up, No, not as not like he's pretty boy.

Out there. I got all these great skills. He came storming back to get Jamis Winston from behind. Yeah, and farantee Winston probably thought that guy's long gone. Well, let me tell you this. I'm gonna break that play down for you today. They were they were Deshaun Jackson was wide open and that's who he was loading up to throw the ball too. He Jackson had beaten a Woozier on like he was gonna run the slant. They tried to pick a Woozier and then Jackson broke off the

went up the field. A Woozier was a good five yards away from him, and your quarterback was loading up to throw him the ball right down the middle of the field when Randy Gregory hid him from behind. I'll break it down for you guys to day and Dallas, you know what. And I just hope he's gotten to the point where he's enjoying himself because this has been

such a struggle. Sure, And I can't remember if I mentioned this on Monday or not, but after the game I got in there late after listening to Jason he said, evidently he had already talked and I didn't hear it. And I went up to him and he was I said, come on, man, he goes, yeah, I don't like to talk. I just want to play. And I said, well, there's something to be said for that. I said, but you need to enjoy this, you know. And he's been a long journey for him, many long journey, and you just

hope he's enjoying it. Yeah, like enjoying it to the point where now I can take care of the other stuff because I love this so much. And that was Marinelli's deal when they drafted him. Yeah, it was like, if the man loves football, he'll do what he needs to do to continue playing. And maybe he's gotten to that point. He's one of a lot of young guys stepping up for this team and they got one more regular season game to go. We'll be back on Thursday to talk about it with Bill Jones. Thank you guys

for joining us. Thanks to Keith for producing. We'll talk to you then. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.