Talkin' Cowboys: Setting Sights On New York

back at it? Are you guys doing today? Guys? Good coach? Good coach? Garrett? How doing guys? How we doing? Here we go? Here we go. That's a coach who still has his job, unlike the Giants one. That's right. I know a lot of people were talking this week. Of course, for those listening, the Giant did let go of Ben McAdoo and their GM Jerry Reese, who had been there a long time, and a lot of people are saying, Okay, this can go one way or the other. For the

Cowboys and Brad you're already shaking your head. Yes, you've seen this happen before in the NFL. What do you think? Yeah, Steve Spagnula is going to take over. He was a head coach with the Saint Louis Rams wasn't successful at It's been a long time defensive coordinaty guy, kind of put together some really good game plans the last couple

of years against the Cowboys. This one does worry me because now you're starting when you fire coaches, fire general managers, and then all of a sudden, you know, you put Eli Manning back in position to be the starting quarterback this week. I worry about this one. I do. And I was watching the Raiders tape this morning with the Giants defense, and you still have the guys you have to deal with with Olivier Vernon and Pierre Paul and Harrison,

those guys. And this is one of those things where players the last month of the season now are playing for jobs and they're playing whether they need to be back or not, and coaches are the same way. You know, whoever the new GM is going to be is gonna come in. He's gonna evaluate the current staff that's still there, and he's gonna evaluate the players. So this this one for a team that's lost all these games and now they've got there kind of their leader back at quarterback.

This could be a very, very difficult game for the Cowboys. I think there's two layers of this, and you spoke to both. Twenty ten was the last time this happened, really the only time in Jerry Jones's tenure that he's replaced a coach mid season, and you spoke to it. Back then, players were put on notice and they were playing for their jobs and performed a lot better in the second half of the season under Garrett, who eventually became the full time coach. The other the other layer

to me is Eli Manning. Yeah, I really unfortunate and rare the way he was treated last week, and it sounded like based on Giants ownership, they were they were regretful of how that went down, and I could see this team rallying around him for everything he's meant to that organization. So on the flip side, the Cowboys still have what to play for, so they should be motivated, and they you know, they they're obviously still playing the

best they can to before the best they can. They still have a bad offensive line, and they don't run the football all that well, and and they don't have great receivers on the edge, So that is a problem. Other than that, No, but that's it's gonna be hard for them to score points. Now, have you righted all your ills that you had from last the last few

weeks of scoring points? Joe of hands, If you thought thirty eight spot was going to happen this Thursday night after putting three games twenty one, I think is what I thought they're gonna come. They're gonna come out all jacked up, all emotional, fired up, ready to play. And what the Cowboys are gonna have to do withstand that first emotional assault. If you can just get through the first quarter, get into the second quarter, and get down to where the talent has to play out, then I

think the Cowboys will be fine. But unlike what happened to the Giants when the Cowboys changed head coaches, the cow Boys jumped out to a lead. Uh, they were up. I think it was like sixteen to three on that hundred and one yard interception returned by Brian McCann and and it just snowballed after that. So what you gotta do is withstand that first part and let them know, hey, we're here to play football and we're better than you and go back to being two and ten. Yeah, but

if you don't, you're gonna you're gonna be in trouble. Yeah, this you're gonna get the Giant's best shot. Then it's like I said, Mickey's absolutely right, and you just got to withstand the early you know, there could be some

early problems in this game. Especially again, it's they've still got a lot of the same defensive you know, mess around at landing, Collins hits you in a pile and also the ball comes flying out of there you don't block him, yeah, or you don't block or you know, Jason Pierre Paulson comes running down the back side and you know, and grabs Alfred Moore's for no gain on third down. I mean, those types of things are capable. Their defense is what scares me the most. There there again,

their offense is a mess. It is a McAdoo got fired. I mean, I don't think he got fired before the way they handled the Eli Manning thing. I think he got fired because they all year long, he he is they they've they've had this problem of scoring points. He's supposed to be this offensive coach. They score even when they're healthy, they score fifteen points a game. He got fired for a lot of things. I think the Eli thing factored in because there's such outrage up there for

the way he was treated. But yeah, I mean, the performance of the football team is the man. That's an organization that doesn't fire. I mean, I think I think McVeagh. I think McVeigh was the last coach that got John McVeigh was the sparker. Ardsburg got fired. It was okay, it was writer. I mean, yeah, he might have been fired before. Right, See said something saying, though, this is an organization that traditionally does not make these types of moves.

So you're right, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, Eli had not been benched. Yeah, probably could have just finished out the year. And they made a change in January, although I hadn't even been on a coaching search because McAdoo had been on that staff with Coughlin. Right, yeah, you know what happened though, I think, and I don't know if this happens a lot on teams, and all I can say is for stuff that happened around here, I think the players generally disliked the hit. That's true. I

think that I don't think they liked them. And I think you're right, Mickey. It started who was it? Was it DRC? Who was well, yeah, they had a couple of guys. Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, a lot of guys came out and it was a very odd thing, and you guys a lot of different coaches things. You know, the first year, it felt like he was still player coach. You know, he had kind of the loose, relaxed look. And I say that just from an outsider looking in,

and I'm saying this from his appearance. You know, he wore kind of like the sweat jackets and did all that and was just kind of like, hey, I'm just here to coach ball. And then the second year, I mean it was a joke that he slicked back his hair back, this you know stance of hey, we're not going to take crap from you guys, And I think that's what you're right, Yeah, is that then the players

were like who are you? And publicly dressing down your quarterback on multiple occasions, you know, the guy who's who's built this thing on his back two super Bowls. I mean, there's been outrage up there over the way Eli has been treated, and I guarantee you that had a big factor in why. You know, he never had answers for his team as well. I mean we joked about it the halftime thing when they said, well, what adjustments did you make it halftime? But he goes just given the

Miles Austin. Yeah, what we're gonna say, Bran, I'm sorry. No, I'm just gonna say, let's be thank you, Let's let's be honest. Though, Eli Manning has not played very well this year. No, and he hasn't. And and that's you know, if if McAdoo would have handled things differently, you know, maybe, but I don't think there's anybody that could say, boy, you know you're benching a quarterback that's on a roll. You know you're you're benching a guy that's been playing

pretty bad. I'm gonna go to his brother, Peyton Manning and his last season with the Broncos, he was not playing well. Of course, he got an injury, and then you know, Brock Eiswiler was able to come in and he was on a roll and he was doing well. But if they would have bench Peyton Manning for that Super Bowl to go with Brock the hot hand or even throughout the playoffs. Well, they knew they had a great defense. Yeah, that's true, that their their defense was

going to win that Super Bowl. What I'm saying it was Peyton Manning esque. Well, it's never easy to look what happened with the Cowboys. How many days do we talk about Tony Romo never coming back? Well, yeah, I mean that was You know, that's a difficult thing when you're when your face your franchise is now no longer the face of your franchise. Yeah. Rarely do quarterbacks get to go out on their own terms, even the greatest. I mean it really, Denver is the only Alway winning

a Super Bowl. You're right. And Peyton yeah last what a couple of years ago. Right, But but he didn't go out where he started. No, yeah, right, exactly, You're right. I mean Eli's had had a tough season. But again, it's it also speaks to what's around him. We talked about a week one. I mean the Giants have invested defensively, a lot of money spent on that front four not a lot of money and investment in the offensive line. The running game is near the bottom of the league

this year. I think they're getting three point eight yards of carry. So he needs help. And it doesn't help that you don't have Beckham and those some of his weapons as well. But it's always the quarterback's fault comes with the dinner right, part of that part of the job. But they're not scoring point No, they're not not what and so what we were talking about the Cowboys getting off to a fast start, their downfall has been getting

off to a slow start right offensively. I mean it took him four or three and outs before they got going right in this game that they won, and look at what's happening in the other three first half. So yeah, they've got to rectify that. If a strong coach and a strong GM would have benched Eli Manning, and do you think that would have I mean, they could have come out and said he's not playing well, we're not winning games. When we said that, I thought of Bill

Belichick and Robert Craft. Yeah, if they had benched him for Davis Webb, I would have understood it because I think you could have rationalized it as seasons over. Yeah, let's take the last month of evaluate this young guy. And because we're gonna have a top pick, maybe we need to go draft a quarterback next spring. Let's evaluate the guy we have. I know Jerry Reese, you know, I mean I know him, and you know, I respect

what he's done. But the thing about it is, this is not an easy job being a GM, because you do have to make decisions like that, you know, just so happens. The GM here is also the owner. He had to make the decision on Tony Romo. Yeah, you know that these decisions aren't easy, and everybody's like, oh, you know, you're feeling sorry for the player and all that. The general managers the guy, like, you know what, they're

paid to make those decisions. If you feel like that Eli Manning is not playing well enough, or any quarterbacks not playing, or any players not playing well enough, you know you you got to make a move. You gotta go on. Well, don't you think the owners had a hand in it? Though they did have a question, they didn't have a visible here if any general manager worth assault ownership? Yeah, hey, this is well all of a suddy.

You think you have those meetings on Tuesday or Monday maybe and you say, listen, and we need to figure out what the situation is with Davis Webb. What's the best way we can do this, and you know, the ownership would go, we really want to do this, you know, I mean, you know there's that, Yeah, you're back and forth talk. But then Jerry Reese obviously, I mean, like I say, Jerry Reese and Ben McAdoo are not making

a decision to bench Eli Manning. They're they're making a recommendation, you know, Ben McAdoo maybe making a recommendation to Jerry Reese. Jerry Reese making a recommendation to Tish and to Dmera. I think Mara said publicly this week I could have overruled it, I didn't. Yeah, so but they've skated. Yeah, they got a pass. I don't. I didn't see a lot of people criticizing the owners, but they sure it

came down. Yeah, but is it But to me, I don't put ownership on it, because isn't the owner's ownership. I mean, Jerry's different, he's the GM. These guys, what kind of hands on are they because normally when when this nineteen twenty five, they've been hands on. Okay, I mean I just kind of feel like a lot of this is a this is a unique situation with the Cowboys with Jerry's role obviously, but a lot of owners they just they let their gms handle business. And yeah,

but it's changing. Yeah. But the thing about it is when you when you're talking about it's not like you're talking about somebody that's only been there two years and you're making this call. You know, it's not like it's like a guy that's been there. It's been your franchise, Like you say, your face for fourteen years, might be

in the Hall of Fame, two Super Bowl rings. Yeah, yeh know, it's not like the guy the owners living in Paris and just has this toy here, you know, kind of kind of the way the cowboys were at the beginning. Yeah, you know, telegram to our owner out there in Paris. Yeah, I'm very new. I mean back then, that's what they knew. That's why it used to be. This was my little toy here, and I let the general manager of the president run the team. Just tell

me how much money you need? Right, Well, things changed when this became a business, a business. I wonder if people didn't realize that there would be such an outcry when Manning was benched. You know, maybe they thought, hey, they'll understand he's not doing it if they even't thought about that, you know, if the Giants, and I think the Giants have dot com department very similar to ours. Oh we need to call John Yeah, oh yeah, I'm

I'm I'm I guarantee you. Though, their evaluation is that they came out and they would say, hey, Manny's not playing well, yeah, you know, something has to be done. And again it's about the quarterback. And there's no easy way to do this. There's no easy way. It's no just okay, hey, we're you know, it's it's said and done. Well, if it's about the quarterback, though, then why is he expected to start this week after one game and you know it didn't play bad. Now, that's because because Spagnola

knows he can't. He's got four games left and he can't lose the locker room. He's got to find a way to raise what happened. Yeah, yeah, he lost the locker room. And so now what Spagnola smartly has done is because his own players. See, that's the thing coordinators have different with the head coach. Players will talk to the coordinators. Yeah, they'll come in an office and close the door and talk to Marinelli, talk to you know that you could get a better vibe as as an assistant,

You get a better vibe than the head coach. Nobody wants to go talk to the head coach. Yeah, everybody wants to go talk to the assistant. Who's your position, coach? You know that's you close? You walking there and close. Yeah, so Spagnolan knows talking to some defensive guys. Hey, what's the mood in the locker room in there? Man? I can't believe what they did to Eli. Yeah, we need to fix that. Okay, let's do that. He's got to get everybody back on the same page. Yeah, there's seasons lost,

but Mickey's right, you're gonna get their best shot. I mean, you better be ready for their You better be ready to withstand their best shot. Doubt about that. And it might not be good enough on offense, but it could be good enough on defense, surely could well. Hey, they would attend seven game last year with Eli Manning playing. This was a team that was twelve and four last year exactly. That's what I'm saying. A lot of that

defensive personnel's there and still healthy and still playing defensive front. Yeah. I don't see this as me being like, hey, sound the alarm out. I'm just saying I've been in these situations where guy get fired and in the last month of the season, you're thinking, Okay, I've been getting a check every Tuesday. It's been kind of nice. Well wait a minute, I'm not going to have a contract next year.

It happened. It happened here. The Cowboys finished started one and seven, five and three, five and three down the stretch and played a lot, a lot, got the head coach the job. Yeah where did where did they win their first game? Four fifteen Saturday Sunday? Right? Yes, yeah, Well, you know, I just told you guys that the Giants were twelve and four last season, but the Cowboys were thirteen and three and we were sitting here a year ago with the playoffs clenched, and now we're sitting here,

up and down, up and down. Of course, they won on Thursday. The Eagles lost, and last week Rob and I jokingly told you guys, hey, if the Eagles go out and lose their next five games, Cowboys win their next five games, the Cowboys can win the NFC East. One down, four to go. It's t shirt ready, four to go? Who did the Eagles have this week MS MS RAMS. So that's a great They stay out there too, didn't they? Yeah, they did eight. I think they they

did this did out there. That's hard. Probably in Thousand Oaks, it's possible, or it's possible none. Where they're training. Someone told me this. They're at the where the Angels play baseball. Oh okay, us nice. Well, maybe you know there'll be some animosity. Jared Goff taken before Wentz. Wentz is like I'm the MVP. Ice, Yes, get some talk going. Yeahoke

those flames story line here. I don't think Wentz is the kindness you know, it's you know what, you needed him again, you need him to beat Seattle to help you. But but the problem you're going to get into is you don't want to play in that last game. That's part of your plan. You don't you want them to have things kind of wrapped up. They're gonna have to play that last That's what I'm saying. Minnesota is making

them have to play this game. Here's the other's real Yeah, yeah, thank you, Yeah hot quarterback defense is great quarterback yes, well, and they've got hand and they've got they've got the rams in who's the other team. It's nine and three the Saints. They're pretty then down their neck. The Saints played Thursday United again. They the Saints can get they can knock the Falcons down again. Here's the other thing

about it. We've seen the Cowboys a couple times in recent years sit that last game doesn't pay off because then your guys are wind up, you get two weeks off essentially for your starters. There's some rust maybe there. And also if you're sitting there as the Eagles and the Cowboys need to win to get in and you got Zeke and it's a different football team, kind of like when Rogers came back last year for the Packers or the Eagles, and you're like, I don't want to

see these guys in January. Let's just knock them out right now and treat it like a playoff game. So yeah, I fully expect the Eagles to that one. I think everybody's planned going forward was beat the Giants, beat the Raiders, beat the Seahawks at home, and let's see what happens in that last game, because if they don't have to play, you can win that game. I think that's what everybody's planning in their mind. Now it's Minnesota is making this difficult.

The Saints can make the is difficult to Saints keep winning. They you know, the Saints. You're playing for home field too. Got the Seahawks win the other night. They're only a half game back. They're eight and four. They're only a half game behind old Rams No a game right, yeah, game nine and three eight yea four. The thing about it is, though you go out and lose a game, it's over. Yeah, probably over. Yeah. So I mean because China has got a two game lead on you too,

essentially with the tiebreaker. That's why then they I think the head coach rubbed off on the owner because this morning he said, I don't mean to sound like an owner when they asked him about winning five straight, and he said, we got to focus on one play at a time, one game at a time. It was great. I loved it it. He goes, I know this is boring, but you're not going to get anything else to come out of my mouth like insite anybody that, oh, yeah, we're gonna win this one and then we're gonna win

that one, and then we're gonna get Zike back. You know, it's like you better go out and have a good practice on Wednesday. And apparently I guess I was mistaken. And I'll just say this real quick before we go to break, but they will not be flexing. The Cowboys Readers game gonna stay at Sunday Night Football NBC. They need those points. Yeah, yeah, Well, the Thursday night game against the Redskins was the most watched Thursday Night game

of the season. I was had a good Thursday Night schedule, though the league has done a better job right Thursday night games good, but that was that was sixteen million people watching. So, Sandy, you didn't like the Jacksonville, Tennessee game. There's been some good ones. That's some not so good. Decision winner, Okay, give them truth truth. Yeah, all right, Well let's take our first break here in the SUBBC Margat studio. When we come back, we will talk more

about updates. Shaun Lee back, so join us after this break. It can be hard to find the right resource for learning about important financial matters. You search how to build savings, you end up reading about the one weird ingredient from supermarkets that can make you taller. That's why Bank of America build better money habits dot com a safe little

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pair you'll ever wear. Or it's free guarantee. Shop exclusive Cowboys underwear at Tommy John dot com for slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order Tommy john dot com Forward slash Cowboys. Thank you, sir. Yesterday I was listening to sirius XM and they had the the woman hosts that's a reading. Did you hear that? Yeah, she's the part owner. She's the founder of Tommy John. It's a lady. She's got an unusual last name. I don't know, but she was like, and it's the best. She's the

host of the show. Was the host. She was just a commercial break the found then you're gonna start reading these the founder of Tommy John. And it was and I better get something. And it had something to do with hadd and your man's ornaments or something like that. It was one of those ornaments. Yeah, it was something like that deck the Hall. Yeah, I'm just telling you. She I was driving along, I was listening to I was listening to the Oklahoma TCU game, driving to do

my high school game, and she was on. I'm like, oh, it's late. The founder of Tommy John's is a woman. Awesome? Yeah, good, absolutely. Hey, Sean Lee back in the lineup this week. What do you think of it? Robert, It's looking like that's the case, I'm going to see how he practices, but the expectation sounds like Wednesday he should be pretty full go. He's been pointing to this. I think those that three games

in twelve days was too much to ask. Yeah, i think they've been pointing to this for a while, and it would be big to get him back. You know, the Cowboys with Lee in the lineup in the opener against the Giants, those three points allowed, lowest of the season, lowest of the Giants season. So hey, can they replicate that with him in the lineup. The way that the lack of second level blocking for the Giants will be a huge factor for their inability, I mean they will

be a factor for them. They won't be able to block Shan Lee. I really don't think they will because again, they just do not get guys up. I mean they're fighting with guys along the line of scrimmage or a push shove group kind of billy to billy kind of try and push you around group, and they're really not good at that. And so Sean Lee let him run free. We all know that Sean Lee will make thirteen tackles

in this game. Trust me. The way that the way that the Giants block, it's gonna be a problem for him, It really will be. Then Hitchens I'll have ten, yeah, Jalen Smith will have eight, and then Marcus Lawrence will be back with the sex. There you go, keep that lead. Yeah, No, that that that is that I mean yeah, because cha Chad Wheeler, who's been playing right tackle for them. I'm just gonna say this is awful. He really is. He's awful, and it's a problem. And you feel bad for Eli

Manning in them. I mean the way they're taking hits and stuff. But every time he has to step up in the pocket, it's generally Chad Wheeler on that right side. And that's what I go back to with the Eli decision, Like is he really the problem? Like I mean, well, I mean I get maybe you can make throws under pressure, you know, but not maybe not this much pressure. Yeah, And they don't have a running game they can lean on.

They're bet the best, their best. Their best runner, in my opinion, is Wayne Gallman, the kid they drafted in the fourth round out of Clemson. They don't hand him the ball. They have four backs at play and they all kind of I don't know why Gallman he's the best one at since you can give him a nickname, Gallop and Gallman. Yeah, yeah, but the jack rabbit on the other side of the ball. Yeah, that's what they're problem. That's that's but their their problems have been this offensive

line they have. They have no identity other than bad. That's their idea. We're bad. So do you think, uh, since you mentioned Sean Lee, what do you think about Scandrid? He was able to finish well, he didn't finish did he didn't like the leg end. He came out of the fourth quarter and he was walking awfully, gingerly after the game. So, I don't know. I Garrett didn't sound like he was going to practice tomorrow tomorrow for sure, maybe by the end of the week. I don't I

don't know. I'm able to make it. I'm kind of half. I think he missed my arm, like I think he misses one. Yeah, Tony missed one, same injury. Yeah, for position. I don't know. If that Tony didn't have to tackle, yeah, I would say I would say he's probably not gonna play. Yeah, So we'll see. They'll they'll match things up. I mean they did it last but we saw what happened last week. What did they do to put Xavier Woods in the slot? Yeah, and put somebody on the outside. That's what they'll do it.

It'll come down to either or Anthony Brown Brown, because Anthony Brown the slot. Jason brought his name up when somebody asked it as well, we do have Anthony Brown, yeah, Ben Wickery, yes, so yeah, don't don't count that out either. Giants have a hard time throwing the ball. They do. They did no receivers, no line quarterback gets hit every play. Still, now we got to watch him because of the defense we do. Dude, let's go to the phone lines. We

have Elvis from Midland on the line. Well, I thought you said Elvis from Memphis. I was being a little impressed there this. Well you got yes, yes, sir, it looks like to me. And again, I'm just sitting on my couch watching. But the receiver routes are predictable occasionally days is in the slot. Well what I'm looking for is maybe get this receiver stack like they do in

Arizona where they're stacked three deep. Um, I just don't think our receivers can be can be covered like a lot of teams beating Dallas with over the middle and stuff like that. So you can just comment on changing the receiver routes and the stacks up. Thanks. I mean I've seen him stack the receiver and they just kind of scatter, bunch, bunch scatter. Yeah, they've been going three left, three right. Take up into the last game last week. That does have been put in the slot, like one

hundred and twenty eight times in the slot quite a bit. Yeah. Yeah. See, I think that there's a perception out there that he's always on the outside right, runs the same route all the time, right, and it's not the case. Not the case. He does run It seems like he does run better routes against the Redskins. He's got those down the ends, slants, the curls, things like that. They need more of that. Well, the routes get better when the production gets better. That's

fair too, that's like we will score more points. No, And he saw what he did the fifty fifty ball that went up. I mean he went and gout and it was a good pass, but you know how it was a catchable ball. Well you know how, you know why I thought it worked out well for him. He won off the line of scrimmage. He won, He won

the route. Now he gives himself an opportunity to go and find the mark and then go get the ball when he's fighting with people and then having to go and try and find the ball doesn't work out for him all the time. That was Derek Dooley's pet peeve when he got here with Dez Bryant. You got to get off the line of scrimmage. You can't be sitting there muscling your way around. And by time that happens, the quarterback says, oh, he's eliminated and they move on

from you. Right. You got to get off the line of scrimmage, yep, absolutely absolutely, And then what other there's should be one? Oh, Dax hand. So we took care of Dax's hand. We got Sean Lee in there, got scan Drek already questionable far they practice right, yeah, anybody else, everybody else good. Got your offensive lineman a little banged up still, I'm sure probably, I'm sure this did wonders for Tyrn Smith. Yeah, yeah, but it's something he's probably

managing through throughout the rest of the n LC. He's going to manage the problem, I mean, but it's his growing. That was the bothering him, not the back. It was his growing this time. See the thing about it is too these players see what's ahead. Yeah, the calendars now switched to December. They know there's four weeks. So we've had It's been a long campaign for going you know. I mean we were in a Hall of Fame game, right so, I mean it's been a long campaign. It

seems like a year ago. Yeah, so you really you really have to suck it up the last four games of the season. You're actually you're playing for something. You're playing to try and get in the tournament. I mean, you could be San Francisco or Cleveland or one of these other teams. I mean, heck, think about what they're going through in Kansas City right now, you know, I mean, you're you're thinking, how we just get a damn win.

You know Marcus Peters who threw the flag because he was just more shot too good throw get it into the stands. He did. But yeah, but that's insane, Alex Mac players. Players know their bodies are hurting, but they will gut it up for four weeks. I feel like Tyrone Crawford is a great example of that. For the past two seas. Absolutely, yes, you know he always knows. DeMarcus Lawrence is another great example for that. I mean, all of these guys are playing through something. You're getting

beat up all throughout the season. Dack's hand is going to be a problem until you know they finally you know, he gets to rest it. Now, someone who who might be more rested than others is who's wherever he's sitting Zeke Elliott two games now? Is it crazy to think we've already gone through four games? That's why the season flies? Oh, it seems like it because they lost three of them. Yeah, lost three of them. Mickey was nicky, was looking at this picture of him framed on his desk. Ye. One

to ten shape factor for Zeke. I think it's going to be good. Ten being the high shape factor, ready to go. One being Brian, you get out there and carry the ball. Oh I don't think that's the option. Yeah, I think it's gonna be eight to ten range. I think it's gonna be some of the best you've ever seen. Are you're asking that, Brian because I earned about it? No,

I'm asking, Yes, he is, I'm just asking. I'm asking because we're all we've all kind of taken the our little baskets and kind of walked down the street and we're just kind of like, put all those legs in him. Let's hope, and he's gonna come back, and you're gonna be like that's as he call it. I hope, So, I hope, So Tay, I think, but we haven't seen a guy that has a whole hell of a lot of discipline. I know. I mean, we're not exactly talking about you know, do you think he's learned his lesson?

That's a hard question. It is a hard question, but I mean, you know, maybe they put him in solitary confinement somewhere. Seems time out for six weeks, work out time out. Well, when he reported to camp, what do you think about his conditioning, how he looked, Because that's after an offseason and I know, okay, you're through OTAs in mini camp, but then you have about five weeks away.

My running back wears two hoodies, a turtleneck and he wears all those stuffs are practicing, Yeah, they're signed, an extra sweat kind of thing. Always are kind of a little bit of a concern. I don't. I hate the rule that you can't be I don't. I don't think it's fair to any team, and no matter what type of suspension, but because it's you can't be around, you can't have that environment. But I'm not that concerned that

he's going to be way out of shape. No, let me ask you this, the torious slow starter worried about six weeks Mickey, the torious slow starter. It looks like the last couple of seasons we've had him. Yeah, but there was a reason. The first year he missed all the training camp with a hamstring. Hamstring playing him in a game. Sure, I don't know if he started slow this year. I think we've we've given credit to those those opponents months. Sure, I thought he was pressing the

hole trying to make plays in those games. Oh line, I mean he got hit by the high A lot of scrimmage a lot. Yeah, So you're right, you're right. Though we're counting on these last two games of the season, he's gonna put up one fifty and and they're gonna be backed exactly the way they were. Well, did I ask you guys this question? To ask you the other day when you were on Mickey, if you're out of the playoffs, to you even play him, Yes, I think you do. Try to finish strong. Yes, I feel like

you would. And I say that because you know, you would kind of have the idea of like, hey, you got a good back, you gotta use your back. You know, I just give I would give Rod Smith the games to see find out about him, find out about him. If you're out of the playoffs, you know, maybe even give maybe give Cooper Rush a game if you're out of it. If you're out of it, I don't know if that's the head coaches. I'm just telling you, though, I don't want to go in I wouldn't want to

go into two thousand and eighty. Chaz Green a shot too, sit tyrant Smith? Yeah why not? If you're gonna play Cooper Rush, you're gonna play Noah Brown? Yeah? Why not? How about all those defensive backs too, they're already playing. I'm just talking about start them. They already are, Start all of them. They're they're playing. They're starting. Good thought. I just I don't know if I mean no, no, you know, hey, I hope this is a playoff run.

I'm just saying, though, would you how terrible would you feel in a meaningless week fifteen games. You realize, since two thousand and six, we've only known twice that the season's going to be over before. Oh no, I know, the last game of the season years ten and twenty fifteen parody. Oh, it's not parody. They've been They've been right at the edge all those years. Now. I know they didn't win a Super Bowl, and I know that's the bottom line, but think about it. We couldn't plan

our lives any of those years, but twice. Yeah, what are you trying to plan right now? You realize for the last fifty ski have won at least ten games. Mickey's trying to get that Missouri game. Imagine, Mick, if you're sitting up in foxb bro, you for the last fifteen years, you've always won ten games in your season. You could just book it skiing in February. Yeah, Yeah, you're in super Bowls sometimes too, right, Yeah, sometimes you gotta wait till mid February. Yeah, you're going at the

spring break point. Yeah. I saw that today. I was like, wow, I don't know, I mean, I just I you know, I'm hopeful, We're all I think we're all hopeful that they But I'm Also, I'm also from the school of you know what, I'm not afraid to let a guys,

a couple of guys be inactive for those games. If I could get twenty eighteen off to a healthy start, I mean, I guess if if and we're going way hypothetical here, but like, if you get to week seventeen and the Eagles have it wrapped up and they're not playing anybody, Okay, maybe I could see that, but I'm focusing on having a great Tuesday. Are you trying to beat those giants? Because it's not sure you know you should and I don't. I didn't. I didn't say it

was over. I didn't say it was over at all. I'm just saying that. It to me, it's it's one of those things you got to kind of, you know if it if it gets to that, then you have to kind of plan ahead. It didn't happen at the end of the twenty fifteen season, did it. What Just play guys, Just play guys. Well, you bench Moore in there because he was the best option was Toyer and Terrence Mitchell, and those guys were in there. At the end.

Terrence Mitchell got an interception again, fantasy chiefs. Hey, coach, but this is the way I like to do it. Yeah, yeah, Coach Marinelli there oh yeah, yeah, I didn't last long. Not don't buy in your out? Yeah, I mean who who did they bench to put in? H Kellen Moore?

Matt Castle? Yeah, after the most bosire. It was one of the guys that helped the Patriots get a ten win season with the Jets game an interception that was trying to throw it away and he threw it right to the guy intentional grounding on interception, probably a league first ever. Yeah, I think you're there was no receiver, they're just a just a defensive back. Is that what happened? It was falling backwards, trying to throw it out of bounds, and he threw it to the dB who returned it.

That's right, Yeah, I remember that. Yeah, there was no receiver there, throw a flash. What a time to spend a minute. We are going to take our final break here and when we come back, we do have a Rob's Twitter poll, so we're back, all right, yeah, poll return the pole returns, so we will be back right after this final BREAKA. Cowboys fans know that the second best of anything simply won't cut it, and your skincare

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only costs ten dollars eight pizza. You want even in the pan. And if you get that pan pizza, you get more of those ingredients like the veggies that are freshhold and never frozen, and the pepperoni one hundred percent pork and beef made to us DA standards. In with ingredients like that, you have a better pizza. And it's Papa John's. That sounds good. Hey, I was gonna make you a Papa John's bet, Brian, got it. You know

we're sitting here, we got four games left. Obviously a lot can happen if the Cowboys make a play make the playoffs for a week, four weeks, once once a week for four weeks. Okay, So I'm saying they do. You say they don't or no. I'm just taking whatever bet you want to take, whatever side, whatever your side do you want, I'll take the other side. We win. I think they have a distribution center off of three to sixty when you're going towards the stadium. Oh, keep

that in mind, Brian. Yeah, if you just go to the distribution and this thing keeps going into January. The deep dish was really good. It's great. Yeah, and that came through. I appreciate it now, Robert, you always have it the Rob's Twitter poll. Yes, it's been a minute since we had one of these, and the third time I've heard that today. Oh, it's been a minute. That's not so Hey, everybody's feeling better about the team after last Thursday one. Huh got a twenty four point in

against your rival. You're not out of this playoff thing yet, so okay, four got Piza riding on it. Yeah, Pizza's riding on it. Which area of the team do you feel best about now heading into December? Simple? Pole, offense, defense or special teams. You can factor in Zeke coming back in two games. You can factor in Lee coming back. Maybe this week, most likely this week. Where do you guys feel good about entering this holiday season? Hmm, yeah,

stumped you good pole question? Thank you? What do you got, Mickey? Special teams? That's an option? Hey, that was the first punt return for a touchdown, says twenty thirteen Dwayne Harris. Yeah, Switzer with the heck of a play. Cavan Frasier doing some things is it foolish to think that the changes that they made in the secondary makes the defense better. Is it foolish just adding a Woozier and moving Scandric outside and Cheeto is impressive? Huh? What have I always

said about Scandrick better on the outside? Let him play one spot one, don't let them do both. Yeah. I think the foolish thing brand that I'm having a hard time thinking about with those guys that you're talking about adding, is thinking, Okay, yeah, they're rookies, they'll get better, but I want to see him have a full off season. And I say that, like, you know, you can't just put those guys in there and say, oh, they'll be great. They didn't really play at training camp. Yeah. What was

better about the offense this week? They protected better line? He said it during the week. Yeah, the old line they protect better run the ball, But they did a better job. And I don't think you can run the ball better if your offensive line didn't play better. So it's not just the protection. And I think I think they just they were healthier. And I still think that if you go back and look at it, there was some meat left on the bone in that running game too.

Ask you this though, So the three game winning streak, knowled, do you not think so? Didn't you see some things that you said, Oh, look at that. No, I'm just laughing at the Joseph Randall quest. Yeah yeah, breaking Joe Randall up every now and then. But do you feel like do you feel like they were capable of playing like that during the three game losing street. I think

the injuries. What I point the offensive line I pointed out today is they had some things go badly for him, and they didn't grit their teeth and play through it. It was almost like, oh, here we go again, and well, if you're gonna win in this league. And I hate to sound like the head coach, but you got to overcome some adversity, and they didn't. Every time something went wrong went bad, it was like, oh, you know sometimes, okay, you give up twenty five points, go score thirty. You know,

you don't quit playing defense. I kind of I toss out the Atlantic game, and I'm not trying to put everything on Chat took the blame for that one head coach too. Well. They didn't help him enough. They they should have made a chance probably and just gone something else earlier in the game, and it just affected everything because they couldn't pass protect, and then it affected how you can maintain balance in the running game and you score got out of hand. So I take that one

out of it. Make his reference in that three game losing streak the other two. Yeah, Brian, I mean not having tyrants. You know that Philly game hurts. So yeah, they were the closest to full strength they've been. I think that that was a factor. As Tay said, I give Low Collins a lot of credit for the way he played the other night. No practice at all, no practice, Ryan Kerrigan. Yeah, not Freston Smith, not full strength, not

a ton of help. Yeah, really good job under the radar player of the game on the Jason Garrett Show, Oh there we go a nice who did the who did the fans say? I went, I went defense, defense, defense. You guys gotta vote. What was the question? Oh my gosh, I'm joke. The best thing that you could go, I said, special teams just to be a jerk. I feel good about I feel you feel good about being a jerk? Now? I feel well, of course, with Sean Lee on the field,

I feel better about the defense. Okay, that one I just feel better about that. Just every just life, just every offense. Okay, yeah, I think you're right. Thirty eight after not scoring, but twenty two total. They look more like themselves in the second half, wearing on teams, grinding with the running game. Special teams wins the pole Mick one. Well, think about it, goes to the defense, nineteen percent to

the offense. Your punter is on fire. Yeah, I think he's second in the league, and punts down inside the twenty. He's got a really good net average. People just don't return the punts. No, your kickers back healthy. By the way, you don't have to worry about extra points banging off the upright right? Um? How about this? How about this? You create turnovers and create turnover turnovers part you create a turnover and you get a score. How about that?

I mean I could, I could. I know he said it with tongue in cheek about the special teams, but I mean that's not wrong. A lot of jerks out there voting for special teams today. You think you think it was a jerk move. No, I think no, No, I mean you think people are just pulling Oh no, I think they Ryan Switzer, you know we talk about the punt return fumble you had being the difference in the game against the Rams. Momentiums shifts. This was a

momentum shift in the positive way. Here's here's your quests. It's right, Switcher the most misunderstood player on this team, meaning misunderstood, misunderstood what he what he does, his role, what his what he you know, did He's a how everybody wants more? Yeah, I think you know there, I think it's fine. I mean one of them he misunderstood that. The fact that they don't. Everybody's kind of like they're either really on in or they're with him. I mean,

he's they don't use them enough. Yeah, yeah, I mean the big question I got the next day was why was Beasley catching punts? It's like, well they did that last year when the punk's gonna land inside the twenty yard line. I want to have something because because a quarter of the fans also said he was that that Ryan Switcher has no judgment, you know, so then you you you say, they say, well why is he catching? Why is basily catching punts? He's because well they're the

coaches are worried about his judgment. Oh and then you're like, well, because then half the other like I say, a quarter of the other fans are going, well, he has no judgment. That's what I'm saying. I think he's a really misunderstood player on this shiny new toy and you're happy to see that it's actually working. Yeah, you drafted him in the fourth round for what he did the other night. Overhyped. I think you're talking about over hyped Taco Charlton Taco

all the way. No Switzer, Switzer, Oh yeah, because he got to play during the offseason and everybody is everything he was doing and hey, both hands up here, No Beasley, both hands up. This guy's doing he yeah, because Beasley missing both hands gonna start. He was the lucky whitehead of this o ts. Yeah, both hands up here. Hey, that's what I'm saying. It's one of those things when you're writing about guys and you're kind of like you're thinking, Okay,

what is there role going to be? That's another one of those mis evaluations. What he's done a great job. I mean, we felt like, though we've had some discussions on the show, that he's capable of returning upun or a kick. We just need Mickey wanted. Mickey said, give

me some blocking. Mickey got some blocking the other day. Yeah, when we were talking about inactives, I wasn't down with putting him down because he kind of he's been building towards the return like this, He's had some prol he was he was ten minutes away from sitting in that one. I mean, he was the last guy. There were questions about the ankle and all that stuff like that. Yeah, yeah, that's right. He was banged up too during ankle looked okay to me. Yeah, I think you got the wrong

word for taco, not overhyped. I think there was expectation for expectations of him from people because he was a first round draft choice. Sure, and I think if people had listened to this show, we warned him that this guy's not a walk in starter. He's not a walk in star. He's a project and it's gonna take some time. And I think but because he was a first round pick, everybody expected him to have ten sacks by now, and that was never gonna happen. Not just not has any

rookies got ten sacks? What is what is Lawson having? Barnett Barnett Barnett. Barnett is Philadelphia. I don't think he's got ten t J. Watt he has it like eight, maybe eight and a half something like that. He's a good year. You know, we're sitting here talking about DeMarcus Lawrence getting back on track, and I didn't realize that clay Is Campbell actually set the season record for the Jacksonville Jaguars with twelve point five. Yeah. Wow, single season

highest number of sacks. Yeah. Well they only been a round twenty. I know, but but five is pretty low. Saxonville, Saxonville. Yeah, that's still pretty low. Yeah, it is fun defense to watch. Yeah, they get after you. They've shut out a couple of teams in Burry Church's waving to Brian. Yeah, better, you got better talent here. Just gonna tell you we've got better talent here. The game that they have like ten sacks in though Indie when it was in Indiana, Yeah

it was. It was a massacre. Yeah, no one's gonna catch him. What you get ten sacks in one game? That's a guy done in Atlanta. Since that's a great question. You know what I was watching that that's thirty for thirty right there. I've watched that game, and I was waiting to hear his name right never And I finally went on the NFL site and I wanted to see if he was playing, who was playing, because I you know, it's hard unless you see his hair, it's hard to

see numbers on TV. That's why I feel sorry for people to have to watch game up eight total. He came in. Yeah, he's got a so he doesn't have any since then? Right? Did you have six in that game? And he had two? He had two going in and if he gets a ten, he gets one point. Oh gosh, he's got to get there, doney. He hasn't had it. I mean I would. The only time I noticed Giants on the schedule there somewhere. The only time I noticed him is they put him inside and the other guy

that's the pass rusher. Did they move Beasley over there? What's the other guy the McKinley. They put McKinley on his spot and moved him inside, and they both rushed and the tackle couldn't decide which one to take, and I think the tackle went in and McKinley got through the quarterback because the guard double team the guy inside. It's like, well, the guy's right, and for why are you double teaming to the right. It's adjustments right there, Mickey. Yeah, well,

let's go to the phone lines. We have a friend of the show, Nebby on the line. Nebbi, what is your question? Uh uh hi everyone, uh uh Happy holidays to you all and to uh Mickey and Brian, Happy early birthday. Thank you very much, nay to go, um listen. UH to be honest, I don't know if we're gonna make the playoffs this year or not, but of course uh uh I'm hoping we will and uh give our ourselves a chance to win uh super Bowl fifty two.

But uh I just want to say that, uh, regardless of what happens, if nothing else, uh, let's use uh the rest of the season uh to show Commissioner Goodell uh uh that he made a huge mistake suspending uh uh zeke. And also uh let's use uh the rest of the season uh to show the end uh to show the NFL UH the kind of team I believe uhh we can uh we can be and let's win the Super Bowl either this year or next year. We uh we can do it. Uh uh uh uh take

care of thanks for being patient with me. Uh, I have a great week and once again, uh, happy holidays to you all. Thanks, thank you. Nab Yeah you know what he mentioned. Goodalla just reminded me that's from tomorrow meetings here. Yeah, I wonder if he has somebody go in and check his room before he checks staying at the omney at the frist CO meetings usually at the airport. No, no, right, right, yeah,

they have that mart the Hyatt. The Hyatt there had the meetings, right because everybody just kind of congregates, lots of security, lots of I think we're allowed to kind of go over there before the media. No, you can be in the hallways. Wait, absolutely, and white a good day to go over there and wait yeah, Rob loves to go over there and weight on owners, right Rob it every year. Rob knows the drill. Yep. Yeah, bring

a book. If you've been watching any type of sports television today, you've seen a lot of clips of Ryan Shazier getting carded off the field and kind of a scary moment for the Steelers, of course, and a lot of cowboys just immediately outpoured their support for wrench Chasier. Of course, he went to Ohio State. He was a guy who was thought to maybe come to the Cowboys that year. They had the card ready, had the card, they had the card loaded and ready to go black.

It was going to hand it in and then he went right ahead of them. Then they took Zach Martin. So it worked out for both teams. It did, It did, but definitely scary. You know you saw the Smith brothers who are very close to him. Yeah, obviously Rod went to Ohio State with him. Yeah, it's it's sorry, Brian,

go ahead. It just speaks to I think the fraternity that this league is because these guys, I don't know if anybody can relate to what they go through in a seventeen week season like they do what you know, they put their bodies on the line. I mean, as you said to Hayling the show, nobody is one hundred percent at this point in the season. Yeah, they know what it's like to play hurt, to get hurt, and

you hate to see that happen to somebody. Yeah, it's and that that game Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, those AFC North games, and you can even talk about the Ravens in there. There is no love loss between those teams, I mean Cincinnati, I mean they you know, with with the with the player bursts, you know, and how he plays, and he took a shot at brown It one time, you know.

I mean, there's just there's a lot of a lot of going back and forth between Nut two and I've seen games like you can watch tape with then they played the Ravens is another one, the Ravens Steelers rivalry like ten years ago. Oh my dad was got I mean that was those rutal games. I mean those were ten six games and it just incredible those guys going

the way they did after each other. But I saw Troy Aikman kind of tweeted out about you know, he was he was disappointed in watching that game, you know that the way it was, the league should be ashamed and all that. And I don't know, I don't, I don't know what to say. It sounded like it was

more of a brawl in a football game. Yeah, I you know, I mean we were out of pocket last night, you know, having our our holiday party and stuff, so I didn't get to see a lot of it, But I just seen the replays that it looked like, I say, there were a lot of wicked hits. Well, we saw this earlier with the Bengals. AJ Green and Jalen Ramsey went at it and what we're gonna say, Rob Well and Brian mentioned perfect and you don't want to see

anybody get hurt. He's been involved in a lot of stuff, you know, and so I think you got other teams maybe you want to strike first because they don't want to get hit, you know. I mean, it's just it's a it's a volatile situation games that he's been in and then unfortunate Yeah, that's yeah, there's been a lot of stuff, just kind of extracurricular stuff stuff. Huh. It's like you as you asked these guys, Okay, go tackle this guy, go get him, you know, be aggressive for

sixty minutes. Yeah, but there's a difference there, difference and being just out and out dirty. But that's what I think. Mean, this was like going back to those seventies when the object going into a game was well, let's get that guy out of the game, slapshot and knock him out. Well, it was kind of that way. I mean, it was unspoken, but that was you know, it was interesting when we had and it's as Roger stab I was just gonna

say so. When Roger Shabak did the breakfast, you know, at the Cowboys Club a couple of weeks ago, someone asked him in the audience, like, who is one player that sticks out in your mind? Lambert? Jack Lambert, Yeah, Jack Lambert. He said he would look at me, he didn't have any teeth and take him out for the games. He had a toothlick smile, and he was just a psychopath. Yeah. Well they were so scary. Yoh, he was terrified of him. He's like, I go to bed, I see his face.

That's when they didn't know. The rule book I think was on three pages, you know, six points for a touchdown, one point for extra point. Okay, let's go play football. Well and they didn't, I mean they they they You could go back and watch old highlights of way the way those guys used to tackle around the head, you know, I mean just I mean Deacon Jones, because they showed quarterbacks they get mauled in the pocket. Yeah there was no horse collar. Yeah that was a tackle. I mean,

guys were literally just getting you know. But that's Roger, I mean neat, you know. And he used to run around and think about this back then, when when guys like him wouldn't run and Tarkington would run. It's like these defensive guys weren't as athletic as guys are today. And so once they got him, you're so frustrated. And if you've ever played against a more superior athlete, once you get him, you want to give him a little extra, right, little extra? You know they used to talk about. I mean,

he tells the story. You know what I mean. You guys know. But Dyrn Talbert went openly said on thanksgive before the Thanksgiving game, that Longley game, if we just knocked him out of the game, we're gonna win. And they knocked him out of the games or didn't win. We won day because we went so long we didn't even know time flies. When you're having fun. Absolutely, we'll be back tomorrow, same time, same play, same people, Join

us then. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.