Talkin' Cowboys: Seeing Red; Sense Of Urgency

had a helicopter to get him. It's got a Jerry copter. Jerry copter. Yeah, he does make TV money, he does do well. One of those air buses, Go get you one, if you can get one of those, by the way, airbus like the airstream now it's yeah, it's it's the company that makes the helicopter. Airbus. They make they make they make arrow they make airplanes too. I was gonna say arrow something. I was gonna use the wrong word. I'm just so poorly educated. Yeah, university. Okay, Hey, my

dad he turned out all right, Yes, your dad's good man. Yeah, all right, welcome in. Mickey should be joining us fairly soon. I believe we can have a really we have a good three minute show, right and let's let's solve these gold line problems. That's where I was going to start with, because you know, Jerry was asked about it sure on the fan this morning, and yeah, I don't know if he had any solutions that he divulged to one oh five three doesn't, But I mean, do we I don't.

All I know is that it's gotten. You asked a really good question pre show to me, what's that? Do you feel like that they can run the football to get in? Yeah, and they don't. If you're if you're running plays that are trying to boy, we're having fun with Kit as he's flipping these camera around, really flipping the flip around for me a getting Kit. One time there were going flipping back to Rob. There we go, Yeah,

there we go. Okay, I was just kind of noticing another corner of my eye I thought he was doing

I'm like Mickey right now. Uh. But you know, if you if you're having to run kind of scheme kind of plays, if you're trying to run waggles and boots and screens and whatever, you know, that that doesn't show me that you have a lot of confident you're trying you're trying to create opportunity, which I I you know, Jerry also talked about being in the playoffs you have to be creative, you know, and maybe this is their way. They've they've run some creative plays to score, but they

haven't scored. That that's where that's where I think things would be a little bit different for this team right now. You know, you'd say Lenahan, all right, yeah, oh that's that was pretty cool, and then they run the play and then all of a sudden it doesn't work. And then and then you got me on Twitter going or the or Cowboy Nation going broadestly got too cute there, that's a cute play. Don't run cute plays, you know that kind of thing. Scott is in kind of a

no win situation. He's not Everybody wants him fired, gotten on him about wrinkles all year long. Sure that's a pretty good wrinkle to jamay'z Ola Wally, Yeah, who hasn't touched the ball hardly at all this entire seat. That's what made it so cool. Yeah, but he could catch ol Wally could catch. He is what But you gotta put the ball out there in front of him, Yes,

and you gotta put the ball on him there. That's that's just you know, don't don't leave that one to chance the ball on him and let him let him go. So it could have been a better throw. Sure he should have caught it. Should have caught it. Yeah, caught it. But if you throw it at him, I think he catches that ball, even if his feet his footwork was horrible. He got all tangled up and you know, couldn't get himself in position in the hands, he adjust and all that.

All that's got to be together when you're throwing the ball that way. Hi, Mickey, where's everybody at? Tell me? Bill? Bills in the airbus trying to get over here right now the helicopter and the guys at the fan forgot to dial me up. So yeah, it's late. I did on paper a little. There's Bill and I together, got some Yeah, we're on the air Bill d sugar maybe on your chin there, it's probably my it's a napkin because he didn't use his beard lube this morning. No

I did. Yeah, absolutely, eat some donuts fans, oh my gosh. And I finished it so Bill didn't have to smell it briefcase. Yeah, you talking to Mike Bill, that's kind of what we did, is what you gut in there, Bob. Yeah, Bob's got to get all this stuff out like that. Yeah, Bob does with Billy, Bob. We we first time all year. You've been later that the first time all year. I'm I'm like on time, normal time, whatever. And I turn on Legacy up here and it's backed up all the

way to the highway. No way, got ways, the app ways. W A Z talked about ways. It's the best. I was late to my own rehearsal wedding. I supposed to use three single day. Yes, I use it from Frisco ten minute drive. I use it every morning, just in case there's another Legacy is not. That's the safer route to go. It's never backed up. Don't take the legacy, No, no, you can't. And so to hold on for to save money here, I think, no, no, no, Fortunately, all the back up so I was able to get out of it,

okay and go your way. Yeah I got And so you take what you do is you take? Well, maybe I don't didn't do it right. Maybe I took Dallas Parkway. Now you take you take the tollway. You get off on John Hickman because I got stuck at six lights on the Dallas Parkway coming over. Then you come back to doing the traffic report, talking routes, fucking routes. We're on the air, right, Yeah, to cost you on the air for six minutes. Now it cost you another four

five cents. But it's a well spent forty five cents a ze every day. Use it. Yeah, that's what my daughters tell me. I had one time where I got burned on that, and so all right, do it. It's never failed me. Well, welcome Bill. Well, Hi, how's everybody doing. How's everybody's fantasy football team doing. I was knocked out six weeks ago. It's actually refreshing that no player. Yeah, I'm one of those weird guys that don't play. I used to not play, and I do it for social reasons.

We've got a neighborhood group and we started it up about four or five years ago. And then I've got a family one. You know, once the kids move out of the house and stuff. It's a way to communicate with Yep, that's the way to week we communicate. There you go, and so congratulations to a loyal talking Cowboys listener, my daughter Jordan who has made it to the championship game with her victory last night. And guess who she gets to play in the championship game? Danny owns. That

would be Berry Switzers. That would be my team, the Barry Switzer Berry Switchers. Berry Switchers could have come up with a more creative game, and that couldn't You have always been the very switch all right, very good and in fact I got two teams. It made it to the championship game thanks to Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara, last two good players. There you go. You'd like to play? Have those guys on your red zone team? How about those two? We were talking about red zone before you

guys showed up. We're talking about what the problem, you know, Jerry Jones was talking about. We don't know if anybody really has a great answer here, because it's been different. It's been a different thing. It's yeah, drops, it's been sacks. It's been minus plays even on runs, which I don't put that on the best running back in the league arguably,

Um I think it's really the offensive line. You think that's the you think that's the main culprit here I did the inconsistency of the offensive line with protection and just also now and all the yeah, all the different bodies they've had to throw in there. Um, you brought up a good point. I mean, when you're trying to do this this direction plays and creative things, yeah, you're not. You're not lining up and just handing it. And sometimes

that's the look too. They're putting ten in the box, which they did on third down down there, I mean it was it was loaded. Yeah, maybe you try something else based on the look, but I don't know. Nate Newton will tell you in the nineties they didn't really care what the front was. No, not real. Yeah, but because they were really good. So you're they could blow people off the line of scrimmage. These guys can't blow people the line of scrimmage. What happened when they went

three three tight ends on fourth down? They ran the blown up, They ran it to the left side. Yeah, they went away from it. They went away from their strength. It tells me they don't trust their three tight ends blocking on the goal line. Okay, so it is the offensive line, then I think that it that's we can start there. Bill, How do the Colts score down there? I'm assuming Eric Ebron has a lot of touchdowns? Yeah, zone, Yeah,

there's there's a tight end issue there. They ran it in against the Cowboys, but it took them three times, by the way, Yeah, against that defense that wasn't trying. But when a tight end's got twelve touchdowns, you would think that a lot of those touchdowns probably are within creative ways of getting them the ball. But I mean, it's just it's it's almost play to play because second and six from the eight, because he gets a five yard game almost scores. Yeah, Okay, when you're talking wait wait,

wait real quick, he's offensive line. Are you lack of ten I'm going the lack of a Jason Witten like player Jason went I mean, what was a bread and butter play for this offense in twenty sixteen and seventeen for that matter. Yeah, it's a play fake tight end right there, right, and especially in the region, not so much in gold and go situation. Right, but when you're between the ten and the twenty, that's the perfect spot

you get inside the eighteen. Jason Witten was a killer, right yeah, And so that's going to improve your red zone right there, right, Okay, now you get into the Golden Ran too, Yeah, there's yeah, with the back shoulder on those too much, too much reliant on twenty one in four to score when they get inside the ten, no one out. Who else is stepped up inside the

ten yards? Good point, And maybe part of what Indianapolis was able to do scoring running the ball is the thread of the tight end down there too, you know, and and the threat of Witton or Bryant, you know, will open up things maybe in the run game down on the goal line where Zeke got fifteen touchdowns two years ago. Down I mean, I think the guy that has the best physical qualities to do what Dez did inside the ten is probably Gallop, Yes, just don't know

that he's ready for it. That's a good point too, because he can jump, he can get up. But having said all of that, the offensive line is an issue obviously, with especially the current state of the offensive line. Well, Zach Martineau, I would say, yeah, number one, that push up front, but they have been a lot better overall in the running game, he said, plus five down there running the ball right, gets in there, gets close, second down, got into third and one zeke for five yards. That's

why it's just kind of maddening. It's like it's you know and again. But it's not the only reason, because there have been two or three drops in the passing game that Noah Brown, I don't know if that was a drop that that just kind of missed him because of pressure basilely against Atlanta and then one the other day, you know, or maybe it's a different story if those guys catch the ball, but they're not just lining up and like Mickey said, blowing people off the line of

scrimmage at the three yard line. Yeah, oldah Wally makes that catch. They move up from the thirtieth in the league and red zone to twenty ninth. Probably it's been bad all year. No, that's you know, they're at the bottom. And you hope that's not what kills you when you get in the playoffs. No, it will, okay, all right, mark it down, Yeah, because when you get in the playoffs, any any short any shortcoming gets magnified exposed. Yeah. Is that the worst thing that they do this football team,

is that the worst thing they do? Red zone efficiency yeah, yeah, because they're ranked last I think or thirty first. Was that a problem last year? Not to this extent, not to the He's right about that. So what changed personnel? We just talked about Witton and Bryant, and I know Bryant didn't have as good as year Mickey Travis Frederick that that's huge. Travis Frederick's huge. The fact that you're you're you're playing with, you know, a backup guard and there.

I mean, I know that Martin's been there for a lot of this, but there's there's something not quite right there. And I think you're on it with the offensive line. I think that's really But I like the Witton argument too. I like the I like the availability of a tight end. You know, I know that you know. And it's not that these tight ends can't do the job, but there is a trust factor between they don't know the back in the tight end. Well, i'll tell you why. To

develop that. On the pass you through to Ola Wally, you had Jarwin open on the back, then the back the end zone. He just didn't throw it to him. It just wasn't the one to design the ball was to go to the flat, to go to the fullback, and you know, but why not throw it to the fullback? I mean, he's it should be an easy touchdown. No

one covered him. Do they red zone offense or pass protection? Overall? Well, that was the second thing that popped into my mind, because they're not the worst than anything defensively overall, that this has been a very stout defensive group. We know that how many sacks has DAC taken? Okay, area fifty one, most in the league, second second most. Um, I just read it. I think Deshaun Watson's taken Yeah, a couple of games where he was broken in half those games.

I just I don't know. I'm trying to you know. It seems like to me the I'm learning about this team. If the defense doesn't play well, they don't win. And the offensive line, which I thought they could hang their hat on, you cannot hang your hat on them. Well that's what I've learned about this team. I mean, think about it. Your your Pro Bowl left tackles playing with one arm basically, Yeah, the big old gadget he has on the left. You were down to your third guard

at left guard, your backup center, you're backup right. Oh no, I'm I'm I understand that. I mean, you know, at some point those things matter. I I love the next man up philosophy, but the reason the next man's coming up is because he's not as good as the man Yeah, and you can't have that spread out over the three fifths of your offensive line. So one reason next man up works when Sean Lee goes out this year is because you got Layton Vander you had some man up.

Although yeah, but they did win some games with with cam Fleming playing they did next Man, I know, and Nicky, I'm not. I'm not against you on that when I thought there were times where you know, I know you had some apprehension. I was right with you on cam Fleming. There was times where I'm watching him go, Man, I don't know if this is the right way to go. I don't know that, but you know he they survived that.

They they've survived with Sue Fie a plane. But you know what, I think you can And do you tell me if I'm wrong, because I ain't no offensive lineman, but I think you can protect your left tackle. I don't know that you can protect your guard. Not in

this day and age. You can't. It's out there by himself. Yeah, let's be honest here, this is gonna this league is gonna turn around where you're gonna see more Aaron Donald's not maybe that talent, but you're gonna see more people relying on defensive tackles in this in this football than there are defensive ends. The defensive tackles affect the game in the middle of the pocket. That's where these quarterbacks the problem for them is not the edge. They can

handle the edge stuff. It's the middle of the pockets that these quarterbacks can't handle because you can't climb it. No, you watch next year. You watch how this kid Williams, Quentin Williams from Alabama. He will be one of the top guys selected. The guy, the guy at Michigan will be one of the top guys selected. Because they're defensive tackles. They affect the game. Look at what happened last night,

Yeah blitzing. Yeah, up the middle, Up the middle. These quarter backs can't handle stuff come and happen in the middle. They if they could see stuff on the edge, they can deal with it. Take a step up, boom, Are you see the guy? Or get rid of the ball. Yeah, so hot, so that's kind of where I'm Mickey, I believe it is taking it this way where you know, look at what's happening inside with with with the center and the guard. The center's played well, but he got

overmatched in that game. He did. He got overmatched a couple of different times in that game that those holding calls were bad holding calls. I mean it was holding. It wasn't like he was, you know. And then Tyron Smith. You know, Mickey's right, he's playing with one arm. But sometimes one arm Tyron Smith is better than you know, there's teams out there'd love to have one arm Tyron Smith. I'll take it, but we're we're so used to Tyron

Smith just you know, just eliminating people. You know, it's just it's been I think that's if you want to if they go back and look at the season at the end of it and maybe will one day as you say, okay, what was what was the reason? What was the reason? What were the biggest problems? Well, the red zone problems a lobo. It has to do with what's going on with the offensive line. How about when they get down there and they give up sacks? You know that, I mean, I saw a stat there there.

I don't know. Again pro football focus, you know, take them or leaving whatever you want. But they're talking about that Dak is one of the most sack quarterbacks without blitzing, you know, with just just regular fore man rush. And if you're if that's if you're getting sacked on foe man rush, then there's some there's issues there. And again people will say, oh, he's holding it too long, but other guys not open them too. Yeah, that there's covered

sacks and I would argue two man route nobody gets open. Yeah. And how many offensive holding calls have There been way too many, way way too many. In fact, Jerry's talking on the fan this morning. They were asking him about the penalties and everything, and he's talking about, you got to focus on the penalties. Well, a lot of time those holding penalties, you're getting beat and that's why they're holding, you know, and um, it comes back to what you

have playing, you know. Yeah, those aren't the guys you intended when you put this team together. He's right off. That's why when when you start analyzing the draft next year, yeah, just keep your eye on offensive lineman. Sure, because as they doubled down on the weak side linebacker. I think they need to start doubling down on the offensive. You know what's interesting about that. I mean they took a

offensive lineman in the second round, Connor Williams. And in fact, there was a guy that they were looking at and they could have taken in the first round James Daniels center from Iowa. Yeah, it was with Chicago. But and at the time, if you looked at him, you were like, this is a walk in starter right here. They've they've draft some plug and play guys exactly. But then you look at it. How much do you have at the time of the draft? Yeah, how much do you have

invested in this offensive line? There's no way you can take an offensive lineman in the first round of this draft. What are we talking about here in Week sixteen? Yeah, there's still they got a chance to clinch the vision. But we're talking about what's bicky mix A great point. The offensive line could be the reason why you don't have exactly. It's good. It's like like the same thing the year before, where no, you can't take a wide receiver. Why would you there said it wide receiver? You can't

take a wide receiver in the draft. Well, you could have taken Juju Smith Schuster in the second round, sure of that draft. And you know Dez falls off, okay, and there was a desperate need for wide receivers this year. As it turns out, Okay, it changes so quickly in this league. You don't know. I mean, but Travis Frederick

that that hopefully he'll be able to return service. You don't know when Gey and Barre syndrome hits a player, you know, you don't know, and you don't know next year, right, you don't know, So maybe you have to cover yourself at center, kind of a center slash guard type guy. Think, and they took the right guy in the first round, like Vanderesh because they needed that. And I do think Connor Williams is going to be a good player, a

very good player. You watch him when they get out on the starting on the move, pulling like in the run game they did the other day. He's great at that. It's strength. We've talked about it. He could do and you might be able to do that too. He's gonna get stronger. He's twenty two years old. Give him a offseason in the weight room. That part of his game will be better? So are we We're talking about sinners and Mickey. I'll ask everybody who this it's about sinners

and looking at centers in the draft potentially. But Joe Looney? We are we just going to say Joe Loney coming back for another year? Where this offseason talk? But is Joe Looney everybody comfortable with that? Or would do you need to get comfortable with him as the sixteen game starter? Well, so far that's backup. I'm okay, yeah, but he's getting exposed a little bit not being paid as a backup. How do I know Travis Frederick? How do I know

he's gonna be there? Yeah, well, you definitely want Looney on the team, and yeah, but you want to m you know, you're hoping that Frederick comes back. See this is where people will argue with you about drafting an offensive lineman because they said, well, look what you've seen from Looney. You know, look, he's played sixteen games and it hasn't been terrible. And then you think about Connor Williams.

You know, you'd like Connor Williams to be the starter, and that's fine, but maybe I have a better backup? Is it? You know? The Redman kid wasn't terrible in the game the other day, but he's he is what he is. But it's tough when you look at that interior line against the Colts all of a sudden, Redman and Looney who's been there, and then and then Connor and it's just you need Zach back. You just really

kind of back right guard for the first time in NFL. Yeah, yeah, he never yeah, exactly right, and we got to go to a break. But they to wrap up the red zone conversation, we're asking about where they ranked last year and red zone percentage. They last year sixth in the league at fifty nine point six as Rob pointed out, their thirty first right now, forty four percent touchdowns in the red zone. All right, fifty nine point six percent last year sixth in the league. In twenty and sixteen,

they were third in the league, sixties six percent. See that, does that just have the percentage there is a half at times they scored at fifty seven in twenty and sixteen, they scored touchdowns on fifty seven out of thirty eight trips in the red zone two thousand and seven eight the other way around, right, Matty mean thirty eight touchdowns in fifty seven trips and twenty and seventeen thirty one touchdowns in fifty two attempts, sixth in the league. And

this year nineteen touchdowns and six of those games. I mean, they're calling card when they've had Zeke. It's not unlike the nineties where you just line up and we're gonna score or if not, we're gonna run some RPO and get Dak involved. That way. That's been productive for them too. But yeah, it's difference. The difference, crazy man. Those two years they were trusting the offensive line, and I think this year they're looking at what they are. Got to

trick them a little bit, got to trick them. It's not the same. All right, we continue and take your calls. I'm talking Cowboys in a moment. It's been helping Cowboys fans ce better since nineteen seventy two, so they don't miss a moment on the field. Get classes with slor's best vision, clarity and protection with the Ultimate Lens Package,

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Shop exclusive Cowboys Underwear Tommy john dot com Forward Slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order. That's Tommy John dot com Forward Slash Cowboys. Rob. How do we prove that we have the weggie to get a free pair and runny back? I guess you gotta tweet it out. You have to show a picture of you with the weggie. Yeah? Is that the deal? I think so? Visual evidence? Yeah, that's a great question. You know, I'm just wondering. You know,

we were talking about this. The Cusking Service Department need to see that. Yeah, you know, Tommy John, Yeah, I've got a wedgie here. Could you prove it? Please, sir. It's never happened before with Tommy Johns. Let's go a little FaceTime here. But you don't have to worry about it, because it ever happened. It's got the band. That's exactly right, the band Extra Wicking Fabric. We are one week away

from Christmas? Yeah, yeah, are you ready? I I'm about to start my shopping here and about two days I think same here Thursday Friday. Yeah, I'm a Christmas Eve shopper myself. Do you really? Yeah? All right, well, but you can't do that online importance. Do you wrap your own presence? You know? I will do that. He's got three daughters. He shouldn't have to do it, yeah, but I will. I like Christmas Eve, they just go in

the your office and close the door. Well, we get together. Yeah, and then it's like at ten thirty eleven o'clock on Christmas even night and I watch Wonderful Life, Wonderful Life and um my presence. Okay, so that's like your motivation and then run out of Scotch state. Yeah right, Scotch put together, put together toys, drinking scotch. Sometimes you have some leftover pieces. Don't worry about that unless it's a swing set. Folks. Don't leave extra pieces on a swing

set or anything where your kids are fired trucks. Okay, yeah, yeah, if it's the Barbie playhouse, it's okay, she doesn't need to slide. So have y'all done your shopping? Absolutely? Rob has not, absolutely none. Yeah none. Christmas Eve, I've done. I've done mine that has to be sent out. Yeah yeah, ten dollars, ten dollars. I will say this, right after this show, I've got to go to a store and buy something because it has to be sent out by Thursday.

I've got those direct orders from the boss that they're the only stores in Frisco. And Bruce Springstein hang out with you. That's right. All right, Let's go to Johnny in Salt Lake City. Mickey wants to know what there's snow in Salt Lake City. Johnny, Yeah, there is right now. I'm headed to Edmonton. I'm a truck driver, so here coming up safe man. Yeah yeah, thanks, appreciate it. Hey, So I just had two quick points. I'll make it quick.

First off, everybody's banging on the defense that they didn't do their job, and I'm gonna be honest with you. If he told me that a team is going to score six out of seven drives, I would imagine it'd be a little more different of a score might have been higher. But I think the defense did the best they could twenty three points. That's still not something insurmountable that this team couldn't have come out. My second point

is on deck. I think we also need to show a little bit restraint as far as trying to tell everybody what Dak might be or might not be. Bill Parcel saw you the beloved twenty Romo. He was not ready to take over until after his third four year year when he started playing, and I think Dak is in a similar progression. The biggest thing that I see that could have happened to him was losing Jason went because now you're seeing Dak had to throw the outside

receivers to work on that development of his game. And yeah, there's some warts you can see it, overthrown passes, all sort of stuff, you know, back shoulder faid. We should have been throwing in the front, in the back. But he's he's progressing. I'm seeing the game in the game. Um. The guys at the base that could they just got their butts whoop and um. I think we should just

let it play out. You know, once we get to the next year we see progression again, then we should give this this guy, this kid his hard work as ethic um a chance. If not, then you know we'll go from there. Thanks, guys, Well, a truck driver with common sense, are you? Is that surprising? Mickey? Yes, right now the truck drivers saying huh and commons Okay, that's not truck drivers, it's yeah. I think there's I think there's common sense. I think there's more people out there

that agree with what he's saying. I do. I think there's a side that we get, that we hear, that we see. You know, that's the thing with social media the way it is that we tend to see a lot of folks opinions mail bag and that's okay, you know that's a great thing about it. You know, you should if you have your opinion. But I do agree with I do agree with him. I do. I think there's you know, in the offseason, when it gets to off season, I mean, this team still got things to

play for it, they got meaningful games. This one's a huge game this week. They got a meaningful playoff game hopefully, and you know, it could take a run through this thing, but I think it gets to offseason talk. Yeah, you have to sit down and evaluate, Okay, evaluate the quarterback, evaluate the line, evaluate the defense, evaluate the coaches, evaluate everybody involved, and then and then make your decisions. You know, but you have to give this thing some time to

play out the way it is. But we're starting to see some clues of things that they need to work on. They heck, they saw at mid season. They knew that the receiver by committee was not working. They went out and made a huge, huge get. They knew the offensive line was struggling with the current coach. What they do they gotta or the passcodes. They got a new coach. You know, you gotta trust that these guys will make the right decisions with that way, you know. And then

the one on the quarterbacks a very important decision. But I agree with him, you know, you know, and he pointed out, you know, the defense taken a hit here. Even Dak said it after the game. Hey, the defense gave up twenty three points. No, you should be able to outscore twenty three points. And he's right, that's the bar they've set, right ye yeah, yeah, I mean that's just kind of great. I mean, they really have how many points did they give up the week before twenty three? Yeah?

And they won in overtime, right, right, And They held the Saints twenty seven below their average the week before that. Falcons too, remember that one. Yeah, they've been outstanding. Average took a hit last night Carolina held him twenty five below their average. Lass. Well that you know, you know how that goes, guyss Division games, Yep, you get you get a division game. All look at Sandfords. Just go

in Seattle and division game there. And there was a time when the Rams were really bad when they were in Saint Louis. Always gave Seattle trouble in those division games. But I thought six weeks ago, wasn't the fifty four fifty one was the way of this league, wasn't it? I mean every game was Thank god that happened. We've seen this movie before. These offenses that are unstoppable. In weeks one through ten, defenses start to catch up a

little bit and some of its division familiarity. We saw it with the seven Patriots, We're seeing it now the you know, Jared Goff is thrown I think seven picks in his last three games. Yeah, Rams have stuff to figure out too. Right now. This thing is so wide open, yes it is in the NFC. It is unreal, just how wide open it is. And when you compare it to a couple of weeks ago when it looked like the okay, the Rams and the Saints or the crop crop and the and the Cowboys exposed the Saints when

the thirteen to ten win. And now we've seen more evidence of it. Saints ruggled well last week, they got up to twenty seven or twenty eight points, but then last night against Carolina they only get twelve points. And then you see what you're talking about with the Rams. But you look at the Cowboys playing Tampa Bay on Sunday. How much pressure is on this game? I mean, yeah, it is five and nine, Tampa Bay coming in here.

As Jerry alluded to as show this morning, these five win teams or a four win team can beat you. Anybody can win, they got I mean. And here's the other thing. All right, The Redskins are playing Tennessee on Saturday. Okay, they could be eliminated Saturday, we'll see. Okay. The Eagles are playing Houston. What's the time, Oh so it's a noon game, same time the Cowboys are playing, right, Okay, If the Cowboys were to lose to Tampa Bay, okay, and the Eagles beat the Texans, and let's say the

Redskins went to No, I don't think it's going to happen. Okay, you go to next week and the Cowboys have to beat the Giants. Because the Redskins are playing the Eagles, one of those teams is gonna win, or a tie would also put them ahead ahead of the Cowboys. The last thing you want to do is give the Giants a reason to play what they probably considered a meaningless game on the final game of the season. Because they knock the Cowboys out of the playoffs, they will be

fired up. Ye gotta be ready to play. I mean there is there are no excuses this week. You gotta be ready and loaded for bear when Tampa Bay comes here on Sunday, they've got to Yeah, you get back in that mindset that you were in the previous five or six weeks, and that's it's just backs against the wall everything they've been saying. You gotta get back to that. And I don't. I don't. I don't think they relaxed against the Colts. I don't. I don't think we give

the Colts enough credit. Colts went out there and beat them. Yeah, sure it, but this is a young team that Jason Garrett talked about this yesterday. It's about mental toughness. Every single play, every drive. They're gonna win some you got to be able to forget it and bounce back. And that's a young team that's done a good job of that for the most part. Since November didn't happen. The other day for whatever reason, it didn't happen, and they've just got to get back to that. They've shown they

can do it. They've shown they can do it well, and they you know, you just put that in your rear view mirror and you you assume the same mindset the deck you had in the five game win streak, and this is a I mean, they've got to approach this. This is a playoff game on Sunday. Well haven't they been playing playoff game xactly? I mean, if you you know, the only thing the five wins has put them in

a position to win the division. You know, that's what surprised me about the Indianapolis came in Indianapolis a good football team. We saw that with our own eyes, but it surprised me with with with a lot on the line there, you know, going out and win in the division. You know, you go out and beat Tampa now, okay, you got to Now you could think about things for that final week, were you Okay, how do I help Zeke? How do I set myself up to be better in

the playoffs? You know, you could you could kind of spend a little bit more time. Maybe you know your opponent is Seattle and you can you know, you can kind of hone in on them a little bit more, you know, get ready for that game. Well one thing, you know what I'm talking about. Yeah, Jerry was asked at one point this morning, do you have a opponent you'd like to face in the playoffs? And Cherry was like, we gotta gotta get in the bucks coming in here. Yeah,

I couldn't believe that question. Um, but I mean in okay, So you're looking at Chicago. I mean they're Chicago is locked in the threat. They're locked in, and so the Cowboys if they win over Tampa Bay, they're locked into the four. So there's nothing to play for last week. That's substance. Now you're getting ready for your posting a wildcard game. Yeah, absolutely, yes there is because I picked them to go ten and six. Okay, Okay, go crack

the whip. Yeah, I just think you have to. You have to think about your I think you have to think about your guard. I think you think I think you have to think about your running back. I think more importantly, you do have to think about your running back. He's the one He is the one thing that can win you a playoff game, and and and his when his health gets compromised, then then I that's when I

really really start to worry about this football team. Oh. Sure, you gotta love a home playoff game with a running back that has fresh legs. Yeah, And it might be hard to say he's going to be any type of fresh because of what he's endured. We've all we all like throwing the ball, keep throwing the ball, throwing the ball from you know, and then now he's all beat up, and everybody's like, oh my god, he's carrying the ball too much. But he's the one reason why you have

a chance in the playoffs. He is a great equalizer, you know, because he could take over a game. If you don't stop the run, he will wear you out. I mean they were doing this in this Colts game until the fourth quarter. They didn't have a lot of third and longs, and a lot of it is his ability to get that four yards, two or three yards. I don't think there's maybe a guy in the league that can do what he can do in terms of

that yards after the contact. Even throw him the ball now, ye second and nine, they throw him the ball, he gets what nine yards? You know? I mean that he's an incredible player, he really really is. But you better think about you better find a way to win this game so you don't have to sit there and tax him another game against the Giants. And by the way, with the way that that Indianapolis ran the ball, you have a little concerned about the Giants running the ball

with their guy. But you're gonna probably say, you're gonna say broad us. Nah, the deffitsive line not even close, not even close. You worry about You worry about the Giants if you had to play a game where they would say, Okay, we're just gonna load up and run the ball against you. They did a nice job against him in the first game, right as sure did. But they sure did, and they really have all year long. Again, more so than anything, I just give credit to the

Colts line for what they did both sides the ball. Yeah, I mean they just they won the battle up front convincingly. Especially Yeah, especially with their offensive line. I do expect the Cowboys defense to play better than they did. You know, but you want you go back and you watch it. I know you did. I watched a little bit back yesterday. It's just guys getting the second level taking linebackers out of the play. Just haven't seen that. Yeah, they struggled.

They struggled. Their fits the run fits too are bad too. Yeah, Zeke's caught seventy two passes. It looks like every one of them he's taking a big hit. I wonder what the love record is for running back receptions because I think I had eighty Preston Pearson back in the day. A lot of catches to that level. He was just the third down guy. Yeah, but I was just saying a guy that was brought into the league to or

brought into the Cowboys to catch the football. Yeah, but they had Tony Hill and they had a lot of great players. Are just taking a running back suit. But you're right, Brian, as tough as he is and durable as he is. Jar he said after the forty touch game, a couple of weeks ago, he said, I've never seen him that spent after a game, and he's an energizer, bunny. Yeah, and he takes hits. That hits he that hit he took trying to the hurdle on a leak out pass

early in the Colts game. He's he's taking some shots. Yeah. Preston Pearson in nineteen seventy seven a Super Bowl season, was second on the team in receptions behind Drew Pearson. Drew Pearson had forty eight catches and Preston Pearson had forty six. Okay, it was a different era, Yeah, much different era. I'll show you where to find it real quick. Yeah, I'll tell you that. That to me is that we

we've all get the ball in Zeke's hands. Never a bad thing, never, but man, now you're starting to see a little bit of the wear and tear of of of our of our greediness what we call that. But that's that's how you win football game. And you built this team that way, and you ask anybody, he wants the ball for sure every time. I mean, he's a team player, but he doesn't care about the beating. Did he take me and those hits he takes on the sidelines and stuff, and you're going, oh, jeez, please please

get up. You know, I mean he jumps over guys and you know it gets hit by the linebackers and you're just like, oh, please get up. How about this? In nineteen eighty three, Ron Springs led the team with seventy three catches. Yeah, there you go, Preston Pearson, Ron Springs, those are the record. Herschel Walker had seventy six. You said, Richie Anderson at eighty. I'm going to Richie Anderson, had I got that wrong? He had sixty nine. I thought

it was Herschel. Herschel had seventy six and sixty when he led the team. So I'm sure we'll get a release on that. How many us he got right now? We said two seventy two, seventy two, okay, three screens against the H four screens and we're on our way. Yeah, all right. We continue with more of talking cowboys and just a moment. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a high thing than cutting

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professional and details by visiting slor USA dot com. That's USA dot com terms and conditions. Applying back to talk in Cowboys, Well, the cowboys might be looking for a playmaker in the red zone, but you've got your facial playmaker already. On get Jack black dot com. You get a TurboWash, a face buff, a beerlube, and a a facial moisturizer and they'll throw in a lip bomb and a Cowboys coolie can for ten bucks. So you get

a Cowboys cooling can, yes, and a beer lube. Right, you knew what I've said, absolutely absolutely, that is what you said at get Jack Black dot com. Slash Cowboys and use the code cowboys and you get free shipping. Yes. Wow, I didn't realize it gave you get loobed as well. Yeah, what else do you need? That's great. I'm asking for it for Christmas one a week from today. Kid. All right, let's go to Nebbi and Silver Springs, Maryland. Next up. I'm talking Cowboys. Hello Nebbi. Uh uh uh Hi guys,

um uh listen. I usually don't do this because they don't usually work. Uh. But in this particular case, considering how poorly we played against the Courts, I'm gonna try to make a motivational speech. Obviously, we played our worst game of the season uh against the Quotes, but we still have a tremendous opportunity in front of us, so U this Sunday at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We have to play as if our season is on

the line, because we uh, we don't. We don't want to have to rely on the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans to do our dirty work for us, and we certainly don't want it to come down to the last week against the New York Giants because usually divisional games are close and the Giants would love nothing more than to keep us out of the playoffs. So again, we have to play as if our season is on

the line. Uh uh. And let's go out and execute and win the NFC East and give ourselves a chance uh uh to win a Super Bowl champion uh uh uh ship uh uh. Take care thanks for being patient with me, and happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and happy New Year. Thanks a lot, take care of bye. All right, buddy, I feel like right now, ye me out there to give the post uh warm up speech. Yeah, that's that's

a great idea. Uh And it's exactly right. There's exactly the attitude that the Cowboys need to have this week against Tampa Bay. It's all there for the taking in. Uh. Put last week behind them and um and focus on these Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who, by the way, they had the Saints down fourteen to three going into the second half last week. Yeah, and Baltimore was only up on him seventeen twelve until a late field goal or late

touchdown in that game to quality opponents. And so you can't take Tampa Bay lightly at all a layups in this league. That's exactly right. So what Nebby said to understand that on the post game show, Nate and Cubby said, burn the tape and move forward. Yeah, no, don't even watch the game, just burn it. Yeah, might be a right approach to take. Well, yeah, I think everybody realized, like you said, Mickey, they took an ass kick and in that game. So you don't need to see it again.

You just you felt it. You know, you have the you have the bruises to prove it. But you know, there's there's there's just so much that they I mean, it was just the only thing to me that was disappointing was and I'll leave it at this, that they had chance to go and win that division right then and there, you know, and keep the moment of five, the five game winning streak. You know, they've done some

really great things to get themselves in this position. I just it's a shame that they went out there and had that happened to them. Because if you get the victory, now you're starting to think, okay, let's keep playing with momentum.

And now you know, Bill, Bill has brought up something kind of you know, Nelson, Okay, well, don't lose this game, because then doubt, you know, starts to creep in, you know, and I don't think doubt's creeped in for him yet, but you lose this game now, now doubt is staring you right in the face and that and that's that's a that's a hard thing to deal with. And it is a young team, but they've been work in way worse shape than this. Before three and five, everybody wrote

them off. I think Jerry said it was a kin to like not having any money and being broke and knowing what that was like. And now you're in a position where now you've come into some money, and how do you respond to success? You know, hey, look at

this from the perspective of the coaching staff too. I mean, if if they were to stumble down the stretch here the way this thing turned around from three and five to eight and five, and if they don't make the playoffs, I mean, we're back to where this was at three and five, you know, going into the off season. That's I mean, it's that's but that's where I'm talking about. That's offseason talk. Yeah, but that's end of season talk.

I understand that. I understand that, and which puts the focus they have got to for everybody in this building. They have got to take care of business here. There's no question, there's no you can't have a you can't have it go any other way, and not because I've I believe, like I say, it's offseason talk. But if it comes to that, I don't think the decision will be very hard for them to make. That's me personally,

if in fact it does. If in fact they don't get in the playoffs, because I thought all along that was going to be the case. But if they get in the playoffs, win the division and all that, then by all means is coaching staff should, you know, make whatever changes they have to make, you know, with their personnel or a coach here or there, but that that he deserves that opportunity to continue. But if in your scenario, if that happens, I don't think that decision would be

that hard. It's it's just amazing how things change from week to week in this league. Absolutely, and it can. It were a win on Sunday at noon, it flips right back around and we're talking playoffs and what this team needs to do to win of the first round of the playoffs. Exactly. Every time we think we've got it figured out there three and five, nobody gives them a shot. They couldn't beat Jacksonville, they couldn't lose the Tennessee They couldn't beat the Saints. They can't possibly can

win in Atlanta. Yeah, I mean, it's just when you think you've got it figured out, you don't, and so we'll see what happens. It's still the odds are still heavily in their favor because the other two teams have to take care of business themselves in this division. But they just have to take care of business this week, and they want to go out and understake care of business in the fallow way because they play each other.

Just just look at last night. I'll guarantee you the Saints have never thought a twelve to nine victory has been better than twelve to nine last night. You see the relief, Oh, no question their faces, the relief on Sean Payton's face. No, no one's going to be sitting there going god, we only scored twelve points, especially they won, especially with fumbling out of the back of the end zone and giving them a chance to Yeah, when all he had to do was fall down. Yeah, he didn't

have to score a touchdown. He had a first down right there in the game's over. Yeah, relying on players that you don't usually rely on key situations. Talking about on the goal line with the Cowboys. Yeah, yeah, same thing, you know, and division games, Like Brian said, you never know what's going to happen in division games. When's the last time you've seen a two point conversion go the other way for two points turn the whole game around. Yeah, game was going to be over right, and Drew brees

through into double triple coverage. And then Seattle they're sitting there. They take care of business against Minnesota and they go to San Francisco and they get beat. I mean, Seattle was was the team you don't want to play them in the playoffs of Carolina if we still may not want to play them, but still, I mean, they turn around and they lose the next week, and now they've got to play Kansas City and so they're fighting for their playoff lives now against the best team in the league.

When's the last time we saw the Patriots without a top two seed? Which is the way it's headed right now. You know things strange lady, strange lady, somebody please come up with that T shirt and send us all of one. Please. You got a trademarket. First, I think I maybe I can Can you help me out there? Yeah, put one of them little deals at the end of it. Yeah, I need yeah, the R with a circle yr. Yeah, Yeah,

that's right. You need to think of this at Thanksgiving time so they could be get made and you could profit off of it for the holiday season. Yeah, strange lady. If someone steals my ideas, please just send me men Rob a shirt. That's all you what, that's all the payoff? You what exactly the comments from the Cowboys after the game about a loss, oh maybe being good for the team. I was. I had the same mail back question this morning. We had the same reaction you did. I'm like, what

are you talking? A couple of them had to be talked into it. Let's see. That's what I was wondering. I was wondering what the context. He didn't say it on their own. The question came up, and I remember standing there next to Tyrone Crawford and somebody said, well, you know, is is this a good loss? It's hill angle and he kind of hemmed and hard and uh, just to get through the answer he went, and then he said, yeah, I guess I guess you know, it's

a it's just gets a wake up call. Yeah. See, I thought that that might be what some of it was. You know, they asked Dak and even right initially said no, and then he goes, well, you know, I don't know. Maybe we thought we were too hot to trot, you know. But but I don't have a problem with that. No, I don't. I don't have a problem with that answer. But I mean when you when you're talking about, oh, maybe a loss is good for us, that whatever makes

you wonder what was the mindset going in? Yeah, yeah, we needed a wake up call. Yeah, because if you talk to everybody, they talked about what a great week of practice they had, right, Oh yeah, that's yeah, yeah, exactly exactly. That was the whole The mindset was, Oh, no, this is we're ready to play this game. You know. I think they were ready to play this game. I just don't think they were physically ready to play this game. Yeah. Mentally they might have known what they needed to do,

but physically they'd sure didn't. They didn't tackle well enough, they didn't get off blocks, they didn't block anybody. You know, when they had a chance to execute plays, they didn't execute plays. So is that is that a mental thing or is that a physical thing? I think there's a lot of physical stuff going on right there. That team, the team and the with the horse show on their head,

was more physical than you are. That's you know, that's where I think you tip your cap to the other team, absolutely, and you just move on. Well, look what they're they're in the same situation as you. They're trying I mean that they're not. They're trying to get into pluffs. You're trying to clinch the division, you know. And oh with still possibility though they might win every one of their games on the way and not get in. How about that, right, I mean they might get they might end up with

ten and six and not get in the playoffs. And they started one one in five. Yeah, that just shows you right there. I mean, they made a hell of a rally, but that you know, that's that's why. That's why you go out and physically beat somebody up, because you're thinking, like, man, if we lose this game, we are done. And maybe the Cowboys didn't have that we are done mentality they had the previous five weeks, which

they've had the previous five weeks. Absolutely, they were done in New Orleans, they were done in Atlanta, they were done in Philadelphia, twice. You know, Washington they were done and that Well it's back on them now, it's back on them. You do not want to go to New York and have to win a game. You just don't. You don't want to have. You don't know what the

weather's gonna be. You don't know if they're gonna all a sudden, you know, like Mickey says, they're gonna say, huh, let's get this rookie running back going here, Let's see if we can run this football a little bit. You don't want to have to go and play in that those conditions and try and win a game up there, especially against the division opponent, and guess what they'll they'll go into that last game if that happens, and the entire week they'll be asked. You know, for three years

on a row Cowboys were in the same situation. If they win, they won the division, but lost all three. Why is this different? Well, none of those guys probably took place part in any of those three games. Maybe Lattice Sewer right, yeah, maybe, yeah, yeah, Smith, just go win this game. The rest of them got no idea, just go win them. They were in high school. Yeah, Brian, is that is the motto of week. Just go win this game. There's another T shirt for your trade market.

Absolutely all right. That does it for a talking Cowboys for a Tuesday shop Bill, Yep, time to go shopping and some of us or some of you will chat at them tomorrow. I'm talking cowboys as This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.