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Cowboys.
This He's Talking Cowboys Straining live.
From the Dallas Cowboys World Course at the Star in Frisco.
Straight suchdowns, tison, any paint today, touchdown.
And now your hosts, Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeomans.
It's a Wednesday edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by a Black Rifle Coffee Company, live from the Star in Frisco, Texas, in the SWBC studios. And since it's our final show of the week, it's a Sayer with your chest Wednesday here on Talking Cowboys.
Glad you're with us.
We've got Isaiah Standback, John Matchoda, Nick Harris, We've got Chris Bean.
In the back.
I'm Kyle Yonan's gentlemen, how are we doing today?
Doing fantastic. It's a beautiful morning, Kyle y, It is a beautiful morning.
It's a little bit chilly. What yeah, it's chili.
I'm wearing shorts, Kyle.
What is Seattle whatrea can go?
Are you just trying to make a point, You're just trying to show off a little bit.
No, actually it is. I agree it is chilly. I will not cross the line and say that it is cold, but it is chilly mainly because of the breeze. The temperature is not bad. The breeze will cut through whatever you have on.
Well, it's thirty eight degrees, so.
Yeah, anything about fifty I'm good.
I will say it's not fifty eight degrees or thirty eight.
We're talking ut on here.
Oh, let's put that up there real quick. That's amazing.
If you could take my solo shot here, got that done today, got that in last night.
Let's go.
That's incredible.
Oh hell yeah, let's go.
Yeah, bad words, let's go.
I need that.
Se I need that.
I had to commemorate my favorite moment of talking cowboys history for those of you listening on the podcast side of the I have a black T shirt on and it's a screen grab from the whip cream moment on the Hot Sauce segment Friday Show.
That's phenomenal stuff.
That guy, that guy right there, that guy, but that guy, how about that?
That's that is amazing.
I told Isaiah earlier in the week, I was like, if I walk in with a puffy jacket, just know something's coming and uh, I think you forgot.
It's been a crazy week.
It has been a wild week.
I love that shirt. That shirt is class. That is amazing. Hall of Fame team.
You'd have done the all.
No, it was like online So.
He's a guy, he's a guy has a guy.
Yeah.
I mean I had to rush order it though because I wanted to get here before Thanksgiving.
It's not quite the hundred liffy shirt, but it's I mean that.
Yeah.
Yeah, let's go on.
That is incredible. Yeah, it is incredible.
Uh.
With that being said, let's get into some news and notes.
Yeah.
I don't know if I could drump that. But uh, practice report yesterday. Once again, since the short week, things are moving pretty quick. So yesterday was treated like a Yesterday was treated like a Friday, like a Thursday in the building. My bad, there's so much going on. Yesterday was treated like a Thursday in the building. Today will be treated more like a Saturday as far as practice schedule goes.
Uh.
So the practice report coming out of yesterday's practice, Rico Dudele still did not practice with his ankle injury. This is just me theorizing I'm not super confident in him playing tomorrow. Michael Gallup he missed yesterday's practice with a personal issue. I don't really know what's going on there, but wishing all the best for him. Ceedee Lamb was a full participant with his ankle injury yesterday, and we were able to even talk to him yesterday and kind
of asked, like, how's that ankle? He said, I'm straight, I'll be good to go. So he'll he'll be playing tomorrow, no doubt. Let's see, oh said Yezua remained a full participant as well as Peyton Hendershot. Jay Ron Curse did not practice once again with a back issue. Still waiting to hear how severe that one is. We're all able to talk to jay Ron in the in the locker room by chance.
No, yeah, I didn't. I didn't, didn't guess.
So yesterday was a lot of things jammed into one day, so it was like one after another. Tony Pollard, dak CD Micah.
Yeah, so yeah, it was mainly Hallway stuff yesterday.
Terrence Steele he was upgraded to full with his ankle injury, so looking good there, and then Cavante Turpin remains full with his shoulder injury. And then Tyron Tyron Smith had his rest day yesterday, so that's the that's the injury report going into tomorrow. The team will hold a walk through today. It's a it's a little bit more of it's a little bit more than a walk through and
a little bit less than a practice. So it's typically what they do on Saturdays, and we'll have game designations coming out of today's practice, which should be around three o'clock.
Yeah, so a lot of just speculation at this point, nothing official.
But would you say you're concerned about Ricco Daubell? What about jay Ron Curse? Where do you feel gut wise on you?
Yeah, that's a that's another one for sure.
But the thing is that if Jayron Curse can't go, I think that's going to open up some opportunities for guys like one Ya Thomas or even Izzymkuamou to get in there and even just to have some sort of some sort of presence. But I think it's more so one Yeah, like that's that's the guy I would want to see if jay Ron can't go tomorrow, that makes sense.
And then if Rico can't go, you go and Douce Vaughan under Lipke.
Yeah, that's a great point. That's a great point.
I say, just give Hunter Lookey about fifteen carries and you know something healthy like that.
One of the most random things I saw in Charlotte was and this guy had a great seat. He was in the first row right behind, like right on the fifty right behind the Panthers bench, has a Hunter Lipke Cowboys jersey on. No way, but was wearing a cheesehead. Wow, it's just real random.
It must be like a family member because he's from Wisconsin. It's got to be like a family member, just like.
A stubborn family member. That's like, I'm still a fan of the I'm still I'm still a Packers fan. He's got the cheese head on, and then he's respect the jersey.
I respect that a lot.
We need to get you.
That's that should be our Christmas present to you. Is just one hundred lifty jersey.
You can wear it every day. Look, I'd wear it. I'd appreciate the gift.
I know.
All right, let's go ahead and jump right into this preview.
Since we have a shortened week, we're down two shows, We're gonna preview both sides of the ball today. We'll start with the defensive preview up against Washington. The Washington Commanders, of course, coming in fresh off of their loss to the New York Giants. I mean, this is a team that has not been consistent. They've been up and they've been down all year long. That's just kind of how it's been for them. But they do have the league leader in passing yards at the moment, and that's same.
How isn't that interesting?
So I mean a lot of times they come from playing in a lot of games here now and throwing a lot.
But yeah, you're off as a coordinator, just maybe a dude the.
Enemy is just though, is he's a head coach, he's a future coach, needs.
To be most likely to head coach next year, I would assume of Washington.
Yes, interesting, I wouldn't hate it.
What'd you do?
But new ownership, based off of they being able to see everything, what has been, what what needs to be, what the team needs, I think they're I think the ownership group over there now, I don't think they're in a business of playing games well based off of their four and seven record. They're gonna have to change something down the line. But they've been scoring points for the most part. Yeah, the quarterback is the is a problem.
Sam Howe.
Yeah, twelve interceptions, I believe that is. I think he has twelve on the year something like that. He does twelve. Yeah, he's not doing very well. And his interceptions are bad. They are They are bad reads, man, and bad decisions. It's just terrible decisions. I'm talking about like pull you in the first quarter type decisions. Because they must not have anybody else that they feel good about on his roster, because the decision is that he is making is absolutely insane.
They are not I know they have Jacoby Brissett, that's their backup, but like they're going to draft a quarterback very high. Like if they don't have a high pick at the end of this year, they will trade up and go get a quarterback because Eric b Enemy is not going to go to waste in Washington. It's not gonna happen. And right now you see the office, you
see the potential. They're scoring points, they're getting yards, all that jazz, but there's the mistakes that keeps putting them in terrible to the situations and it's because of their quarterback play. It is they they would continue to ads to their personnel groups. Okay, they have some pieces. Obviously, they have good running back, to have scary terry receiver. Those things are all in place, but they you can't fix a bad quarterback.
Yeah, man, man, like a Jayden Daniels or Michael PENNOCKX in Washington with Eric that'd be fun.
Washington and Washington.
Yep.
They would currently hold the seventh pick in the draft right now, by the way.
That would put them in prime like Jaden Daniels, quin you weres J J. McCarthy territory.
I think.
So that doesn't answer anything to be on.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, I'm with you.
I mean, those guys are great college quarterbacks, but I don't know if I'm sitting here going, oh no, they got Pennix and Daniels, they've fixed it all.
Okay, No, they have a lot of work, But you have to start there.
About this Heisman race that I find interesting how it's like all these guys have been playing like ten years in college, all on their second I mean, there's just let's yeah, I'm with you on it's great for college.
I love college from Washington.
It's my favorite thing.
But you mean Oregon sam Ellinger, Yeah, Yeah.
Sam Howell was good in.
College too, so he was very good in college.
I will say outside of that, they have name recognition. I mean, you've got Brian Robinson junior. He's having a nice year. Five hundred and fifty eight yards, he's got five touchdowns, he's been decent, but they've been really running him significantly four yards per carry, so it's not like he's really torching people. Then you've got Terry McLaurin, Logan, Thomas johan Dotson, Curtis Samuel those four legitimate.
Targets to throw the football too. You got to be able to throw it. Yeah, It really just it comes down to him just making terrible decisions. So some of the things that we've seen from Dak in the past were now we're praising him for just tucking the ball sometimes taking the sack right, throwing the ball out of bounce. That's exactly where Sam Howe's at right now. Right Dak had had his interception run last year, Sam Howe's smack
dab in the middle of that. But the only thing is, you know what Dak Prescott is capable of, and so you were able to give him grace last year, right as a fan. As a fan, you're able to give him grace because you're like, ah, that's a terrible year for you. You know, bad decisions, interceptions, Okay, but we know that you're going to get better. That we know
that what you're capable of. Sam Howell, not so much the case, Sam how You're just in the thick of it, just kind of just Mari nadan In just garbage and he's making these garbage decisions and he's throwing garbage passes, and you don't have the hope, you don't have the evidence of times past to say, okay's this is just a rut that he's in and he's going to get
out of this. We'll be better going forward. Right now, they're hopeless out there, and Dallas has all the hope in the world going into this game because of Sam how So, who do you.
Think that benefits on the defensive side? Is it is it the takeaway category.
Or is it the pressure that takes away that you can think of, like who takes the ball away? Would who would want to throw the ball.
Near Gallimore with the interception?
That's who you want?
Would Neville Gallimore interception ran back for a touchdown? Could you imagine celebration.
Could you imagine if Mazi did it? Oh jeez, on Thanksgiving?
He just do it, be exactly what he would do.
I think it benefits anybody with a start in their helmet. On the defensive side, I mean that the pressures are going to get there. Sam Housman under pressure literally every time he's breathed post snap this season, So that pass rush is going to get home. It's going to force turnovers on the back end. I think this is the week that Gilmour gets a gets a big pick. That's kind of what I felt the last couple of weeks. But that's what Deron Bland got last week instead.
But would you like to make a bed?
Just kidding look at me. I'm not the next one to make a bet on the show.
Oh you're right, So I want to see you're you're talking about decisions and we're talking about how they do have held on.
Yeah, what what's the other side? I mean of the bat So if he doesn't get out of it, if he wouldn't have gotten one hundred yards, I would have had to do it.
Yeah.
Oh, I never heard anything about that.
There was really no point because it was you're talking about he had it in the first half, so I was very confident Cooks is going to get over one hundred.
Yeah, okay, yeah yeah, if yeah, if he didn't hit that, Mark Isaiah would do it.
And then if it was right down the middle, if it was one hundred and it was a push away, all three of us.
Were going to do I would his palette is way more tolerable to mine.
I would have cried the whole way all right, we would have the shirt. That wouldn't have the shirt.
That's great quite the moment.
The But going back to the conversation of the decision making and the pressure, do you feel like the pressure that Sam Howe's under is a benefactor to some of those decisions. Maybe he just doesn't trust the offensive line and he trusts his weapons enough to try and go get the football.
I can see that.
I think it's just straight back quarterbacking. It could be that too.
I think it's a combination, right, it's a combination of everything. But there's no way that he continually keeps making these decisions like he just literally is just chucking it in the air and just kind of just wishing upon the star and almost like take the ball don't take me. You know what I'm saying, like pretty much is what it looks like, and it's unfathomable as a starting quarterback in the NFL, but that's what they're in and they're just weathering the storm.
The bright side is he's got weapons.
He's got Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson out of the backfield. He's got Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel Johan Dottson. I mean, these are all guys that we've looked at in the last two to three years and said, you know, he's had a good game, or he's a guy that could be scary, and then the tide end grad Logan Thomas has really stepped up this year and become a really good safety net option across the middle for him, and he does a lot of things out of that tight
end position. I think, honestly, that's going to be a really big challenge for Dallas, especially if General Curse can't go. You look at Logan Thomas as a guy who could probably have a big day. His size is athleticism, but it's not gonna matter if the pressures get home like they did against Carolina and you saw it really crashing on Bryce Young there. It was after their touchdown drive whenever he just he couldn't get anything out of the
pocket and things couldn't develop at all downfield. I think you'll probably see that against the Commanders, but I think earlier in the game it's a much more difficult offensive line situation up front for them.
Yeah, I look back to just last year's game. I thought it was interesting that Dak mentioned that right on the podium when he was asked about like looking a had I mean, it's not going to be something you have to really dig up here. They're pretty aware of how the egg that they laid in that Week eighteen last time that they played Washington. And now I will
say that's more because of the offense. And I know we're talking about the Cowboys defense right now, but I'm just bringing that up because I just don't have any concerns about the Cowboys defense being able to handle business against this Washington offense.
Yeah, it's one of those things where you can call it a trap game where you want, but there's no I don't think there's any trapping Dallas this week because of that eight Week eighteen matchup.
I mean, they went twenty six to six. Yeah, Sam Howell threw for one hundred and sixty nine yards, one touchdown, one interception. It's not like, oh, they just put on because he's had some glited year where he throws for over three hundred yards and it keeps them in games and things like that. But that wasn't why they beat the Cowboys last year twenty six to six. The Cowboys offense was terrible.
Yeah, that was a gosh, that was a rough game.
If we see anything close to that tomorrow, I would be beside myself shocked.
I don't think you're gonna see anything close to that.
By the way, the nine to seven one says Nick just keeps disrespecting bodacious bo Nicks. It's part of it bo Nicks at me, Yeah, Isaiah's disrespectful.
Bow Nicks have a freaking banner on a building in Dallas.
I know, man, Yeah, really make that makes sense.
Some strange stuff. So he has a he has.
Perhaps the University of Oregon.
They spend money.
Man, he's got some the same thing that that's the same one that's in time Square.
The only reason why they're ranked that high.
He's got some financial people live in Dallas. I'll say that, but I was looking at a staft the other day Bo Nixon. I think it was sixty eight percent of his passing yards or yards after the catch, Like, get him out of here, get him out of stop.
It, stop it?
You do.
Top yeah, but without mind strike at four.
Four, Top four, top four, year off again, year back there?
Top four?
What number do you wear in college?
Were four?
Okay?
Just your top four? Though?
All right, let's take our first break when we come back. We're gonna do some QB vision. We're gonna take a look at the Washington defense, the biggest segment of the year.
Really, you that quick.
We've got to talk about something around this game.
Some guys defense.
Yes, there are there, definitely are. When we come back with more talking cowboys.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller.
Would you, Dear.
Doctor, My friend supported me during a tough time.
But what's the right gift that says thanks for being the shoulder to cry out? Okay, this one's easy, I say, give her a delicious doctor Pepper. Nothing says thanks good better than one of a kind soda. Yes, any Doctor Pepper flavor will do now, just to remind her that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Doctor Pepper is the one you disc.
To.
Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company. This segment of the show is brought to you by in Visi Line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. The cowboys are eight and two all time against the Commanders on Thanksgiving Day. They've faced Washington on Thanksgiving Day more than any other opponent on the holiday. This is
their eleventh all time meeting on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys are zeroing two versus teams with winning records in twenty twenty three, seven and one versus all others, and of course the Washington Commanders are sitting at four and seven, so that boat's pretty well for what the Cowboys could do on Thursday. Nick Harris, John Matchoda. I'm Kyle Yeomans with Chris Beam in the back, Isaiah standback has us some why Dadie, why lady cut up? It's time for QB vision with Isaiah's dan back.
Go for it. Well, Kyle, I hate to disappoint the people out there. It's not a lot the last few weeks, there hasn't been much right. We kind of told you what to expect last.
Week, and this Washington team didn't give up a whole lot.
Of the gain.
This Washington team is at the bottom of the league in defense. Felt like we said that the last few weeks, but that.
Is they only gave up thirty seven against Buffalo, thirty four against Philly, forty against Chicago, forty against Chicago. That's twenty yeah, thirty eight against Philadelphia. But that was a close game. It was thirty eight thirty one.
Yeah, good talk. Yeah, So you guys given up a lot of points. They're not a good defense. However, let's address the elephant in the room. There's actually two elephants in the room to Alabama elephants in a room actually down there. You see what I did there, Big Big Jonathan Allen and Deron Payne. Those guys are still in
the building. Everybody thinks, oh okay, this d line is not as day as they once were, and they're not as dangerous as they once were because obviously they traded away their their their their defensive ends at Montese Sweat and Chase you Chase Young, So got rid of both of those guys. So if you were going to run the ball against this defense, John, where would you run it? Would you run in the middle?
Probably not?
Probably not, yeah, probably not. Now that those guys are gone, they're a little soft around the edges, kind of like the the end caps of the bread kill, a little soft around the edges. So you can definitely run the ball. You could top this rock to the edges, but don't mess with those big fellas in the middle, Like don't like you're gonna have to see them, but like don't attack them. Like let's let's not be let's not be silly. Okay.
If there's a way to get from one side of the of a brick wall to the other, the best route is probably going around. So let's let's do that. Let's take that route and go around these big fellas in the middle. They have big John Ridgeway. If you guys remember that name. Last year's fourth round pick was a fifth Sorry that was fifth. Sorry, I keep thinking about myself last year number four. Yeah, the four just keeps popping up. Last year's fifth round pick for Dallas
Cowboys that obviously did not make the roster. The Washington picked them up, and he's actually making a contribution. Surprisingly, he's making some good contributions. He's showing up on the film. But that is pretty much the synopsis of their defensive front. That's where they're strong at. That's where the strength of their defense is at. As you get to the secondary, I don't have a guy that sticks out for me.
I know they have a few names, but there are not any there's nobody that's popped out on the film. To me, this defense is much like the charge the Chargers. To me, this is very similar to the Chargers, except for I guess they're similar in the sense that they play they want to play a too high show. They want to play cover four, they want to sit back. We've seen that story a couple of times this year. The Rams ran a lot of that and the Chargers
ran a lot of that. Right, very similar defenses. Cover four, ben but don't break. We're gonna sit back and keep everything in front of us type of deal. That's what they want to do. The thing that they do that I think is pretty pretty clever, and that might have an impact on Dallas because Dallas runs so many over routes with ceed Lamb specifically. We've seen it with Ceede Lamb. We've seen it with Comant Toe Turpin on his touchdown. We've seen it with Brandon Cooks on his big play
a couple weeks back. Is they cut their safeties and when I say cut their backside, to cut their safeties, meaning they run this cover four umbrella coverage right cornerback has a quarter safety safety as a quarter cornerback has a quarter but what happens is a lot of times there's only three underneath the fenders, and you could you can easily take advantage of their between their second and
their third level defenders by running over routes. The way in which they negate that they cut that out is they take that backside safety and they cut that corner. They cut that over route with that guy. Meaning if I see you running over, John and I'm playing the backside safety as I see you coming over, I'm not gonna let you just cross in front of me. I'm now going to drop down as if it's a single
high coverage and I'm gonna cut off your route. Right, So if the quarterback sees cover four, then you think that it's open. Hey, this over route is typically open versus cover four. They want to give that appearance and that then that safety is going to drop down and try to intercept the ball or take your head off by picking off that that over route.
Is there a way to bait that though, with like Brandon Cook's coming over.
The top, by the time you bait it, you've been in the pocket for forces. It's a long time. So right, so I'm saying you're coming across the formation, you're getting behind the linebackers, you're working up to the backside safety. That's where that that kind of that honey hole passes right a goal post throw, throw it up and over, drops over the the second level defenders, and it drops in right between the third level defenders. Being the safety.
These guys don't want that. They know that Cover four is a soft defense. So the only way that they can make it a little bit tougher is by ensuring that the over routes don't happen. So you do that both safeties. It's not like one safety has has the role of being the cutting safety is whatever side you're going to, if you're going to his side, he's going
to drop down and try to cut you off. So by the time you if you take a snapshot of this defense at the completion of the play or what the ball was in the air, is going to look like a Cover three, it's gonna look like a soft Cover three because the cornerbacks are going to be out of there the safety. One safety is going to be back further, and one safety is kind to kind of
drop down a little bit. So if you're not paying attention, it will look like a single high safety, but when you look at the coverage of the corners and the techniques and all that stuff, it is a very very soft Cover four with just a safety that's cutting. So that's pretty much what they like to run. They'll run a Cover two from kind to time. Every so often they'll drop down to a single high and play man, but it's not what they want to do. It's not
their thing. They don't have the pass rushers to get home, to be to be applying pressure while playing while playing Cover one, you can't play man and not get pressure. So they're not putting themselves in that situation. They're saying, Hey, we're gonna keep everything in front of us. We want to play downhill hopefully paying and Allen can get home
by kind of two gapping and driving guys back. But that's pretty much what they have going on defensively, and it shows because they're at the bottom of the league and all the statistics defensively.
Yeah, they're lasting points per game, points per game allowed over twenty seven and a half points per game allowed, most by any Ron Rivera coach team. They're twenty ninth in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed. Their thirtieth and passing touchdowns allowed. They've allowed twenty four passing touchdowns, which is dead.
Last, and opposing quarterbacks passer raining against them as one hundred point seven, which is the worst league. That's so I don't see any way, especially with the way Dak's playing right now and how they've played at home. I don't see any issues with them being able to throw the ball, but I am interested to see how they
run against them. Yeah, And the only reason why I say that is just because last year, if you look at the Cowboys worst games in terms of running the football, the worst two were both against the Commanders.
Interesting.
Yeah, now, they won the first one and they only rushed for sixty two yards. That was their worst game of the season. But that last game against the Commanders they only ran for sixty four yards, And then that was the Tampa Bay game only ran for seventy one, and then the Niners game only ran for seventy six.
So those are three losses out of those four. They beat the Commanders despite only running for sixty two yards, But I don't see them having as much of an issue you running the ball with some of the moves that they've made because it's to me. Also, the thing with the Commanders is it's not just the personnel. It's the message that's sent when you trade away Montese Sweat,
when you trade away Chase Young. It's that there's things like that that when a teams I think they've lost seven of their last nine, I mean, who's really really? I mean, I guess it could happen, but it's very rare that a team just like, no, we'll overcome that, We'll play better without those guys. It's probably not going to happen, But I am interested, especially with like you said, Nick ricodoud Will being injured. What do they do in the run game? You know, can Tony Pollard build off
of that run? I thought that that was his best run of the season, the touchdown run last week, the twenty one yarder, broke four or five tackles, ran angry. Can he build off that? Can you have another run like that? That's kind of more what I'm looking for as opposed to ken the Cowboys win this game.
We had a question from the nine to one seven off of that, do you feel like there's maybe a chance for Dallas to force the issue in a good way or a bad way to run the football with Tony.
Pollard on the interior, whor do you have to go outside. I am not in the business of challenging these two guys up front. I mean, obviously you have to have some inside runs, right because people take that and run with it. Oh, you have to run inside. Let's go outside. Let's make that the primary if you had to, you know, if you had to split it up, I want seventy
percent outside. Get the edges, combo block right, your center and your guard working together to be able to try to seal allen or pain whichever direction you want to go. Because those guys are gonna be sitting smack dab in the middle next to each other's like Siamese twins, So you might as well find a way to get to one side of them. If you come downhill at them, it's not gonna turn out.
Well.
I don't care if you have Tyler Smith Adam on them. I don't care if you have Zach Martinaham and like these guys are these are dogs? Like these guys are they're freaking good twins. Yeah, seriously, I mean, at the very I mean, you could hope if you have one on one on these guys. You're hoping to have a stealemate at the defensive line, right, You're you're hoping that these guys just don't go anywhere. Like that's a win
if you're playing against these guys coming downhill straight at them. Like, so, don't don't be silly and try to think that you're gonna move these guys off the ball, you know, repeatedly. I'm not saying that you might win one or two or you know, across a whole game span, but like, don't make that your mission. Don't don't don't do that.
Somebody had asked Tony Pollard ahead of the San Francisco game earlier in the season, talking about Trent Williams was referring to the Cowboys as an ice bag game, and you know, it's always going to be physical, And they asked Tony Poller's like, hey, do you feel like San Francisco's an icebag game? Which, looking back, that's kind of tone, def considering he broke his leg against San Francisco the previous year. But anyway, he was like, no, not really,
Washington is the is the icebag game? So I asked him about that yesterday. I was like why do you feel like it's an icebag game and it's the same thing. Super physical in the interior. Those guys they whenever they bring you down, they bring you down, they put all that body weight on you.
They know how to just like make you tired within the tackle.
But he also did mention that Montese Sweat and Chase Young were part of that as well, So a little bit of different personnel up front, but I think it's still going to be as physical.
Yeah, this is a question.
I know we already talked about the defense, but before we get into pre predictions, I want to kind of reiterate this. Do you feel like the opposite thing can happen against the Dallas run defense and Washington running the football more effectively with their run game and maybe trying to take the ball out of Sam Howe's hands a little bit On the opposite side, I think they'll try kind of complete opposite from all way on the opposite.
No, absolutely, I think they'll try. I think Eric Bannaby will obviously try his best to put forth the best game plan, and the best game plan against Dallas is running the ball. There's no doubt about it. They have the personnel to do so in the backfield. The question is do they have the offensive lineman that can go out there and move that Dallas' defensive line off the ball.
And they'll test that out early and if they are having some success there, Eric banna Mey is smart enough, savvy enough and discipline enough to keep going with that. Now he wants to throw the ball, I'll put you know he's he is the sinse to Kellen Moore. I consider that right, He's the dragonfly Jones of throwing the ball. So I think they he wants to get to throw
on the ball. But if he knows that the best way to do it to beat Dallas is run the ball, run the clock out, don't you know, try to keep these guys out there, get him tired, and don't allow this offense to get back on the field. That's what he wants to do. He wants to wear you, wear you down. He did the same thing in Kansas City, except for instead of running the ball doing it, he would throw the ball all over the place and he would,
you know, use the screens. He would use the quick little passes, the now routes, to slant routes, all those kind of things to be his running game when they didn't have a solid running back, and that's how he wore you down, you know, made you go sideline the sideline. I can foresee some of those things going on and him forcing maybe Gilmour to come up and try to be physical out on the edges instead of trying to come downhill at our defensive line. Not to say that
we have the greatest run stopping defense. They've done a great job. Last week. They got beat up a little bit. But if I'm Eric Banamy, I want these cornerbacks to have to go out there and make plays because I'm gonna wear you down, wear down your your your I'm gonna get away from your biggest asset, which is your defensive line and your rush, your pass rush. And then I know that Deron blan is having a heck of a season and I know that Gilmore is a sav event,
but I'm gonna make those guys tired and didn't. Once those guys are tired, now I'm gonna pass the ball down the field and I'm gonna se those guys can come out of the auditor break.
It's interesting because they may have to do that.
I'm looking at some of these Sam how sacked numbers and their mind Bossard, how much he's been pressured. Sam Howe has been sacked a commander's franchise record fifty one times in twenty twenty three.
Reminder, we're in.
Week twelve and he's been sacked fifty one times. No other quarterback has more than forty this year. The previous record was forty nine by Trent Green in nineteen ninety nine, and he played in fifteen games that year. Hall is on pace to be the third quarterback in NFL history to lead the NFL in both passing yards and times sacked in the same season. He would be the first one to do it since Jeff George in nineteen ninety seven.
I just can't even take you serious right now because I keep looking at that shirt.
Yeah, sure, I always got a clipse of it, and it just throw me off. He's on pace to break the David Carr record, like by healthy, what is that seventy six?
Yeah, he could get there healthy, especially if Dallas gets home and they do throw the football around. That's what Dallas wants teams to do. They want them to drop back and throw it. And Washington has I like Brian Robinson Junr.
I do like what he brings to the table.
If he plays a good game and they're able to block up front, they may just run him one hundred times and that might be better than him dropping back and trying to throw against this fast.
I foresee there being at least ten like forms of wide receiver screens in this game, Like just get it out of my hand quick boom right right now, make one block as another receiver. Make one block now, I'm trying to get five six yards right, which you know what?
That'll pave way to turnovers? And can I pick sixes? Who could do that on this team?
If Doron has the pick six this week, what would the national reaction be? Of course, Cowboys Nation would lose their mind. I feel like I would lose.
He's starting to get that national buzz, like it's starting to happen, like you could see more, you see more people pick them up.
So the two games against Commanders last year, the Commanders ran for one fifty, so that was obviously a huge part of their game plan and they had success to it.
So completely different OC though, Yeah, completely different OC different approach, right, So I mean, yeah, they've had success in the past, But again you have to see is that going to be their approach this year? Yeah, you know, I mean personnel. A lot of the personnels are the same, but again, being in me has a completely different mind, and I think you really can lean on his history as a OC and see exactly how you can slow it. He wants to get to the throw. He wants to get
the throwing. So how can I how can I have a negative impact on these defensive backs? These guys have been all over the place, right, how can I wear them down? It's not even so much. I can't wear down this defensive line. That's reality. I can't wear these guys down. There's waves of them, right, There's there's three waves of defensive line. So if I spend my energy trying to trying to beat these guys, Okay, I got Michael Parson, I got d law I got them tired. Okay,
Now there's a Sam Williams, there's a Dante Fowler. Now there's somebody else coming in right, So those it's like facing the dou Juggernaut. Like there's this there's just waves right playing the Horde mode on uh what was the name of the video game. I can't remember anyways, right, Sorry I blanked out, but yeah, what hoard? Here's the war.
Here's a war playing zombis level and call of duty right like, there's waves of them, so like it doesn't make sense to take that approach because the next man that's coming in is is gonna be just as effective. So where do I know that they don't.
Have that depth outside?
So I could physically beat them up by blocking them, trying to run them into the dog on gatorade, you know, a patch, and then when they're tired, now I can throw the ball. Now I can throw the ball on them, right, and now I can see, Okay, are these guys able to defend because they don't want to play zone Dallas wants to play man. So now they have to follow me around the field while they're gassed, while they're physically beat up, and now I can get to the concepts
that I really want to get to. So that's that would be me if I'm airy being me, that's my game plan. I'm gonna wear out your corners and I'm gonna say, okayf Dron Bland or Gilmore have to go out. Now who's coming in?
I'm running the ball I'm running the ball distantly like thirty times, like I'm just hand off Brian Robinson, hand off Brian Robinson.
I'm running it as screen outside receiver screen. That's what I'm doing.
I'm doing perspected. I see, I see your vision.
But man, I'm seeing what Miles Sanders did to that defense at times last week whenever he was really starting to find a groove. And you look at what is plagued this defense the most this season. I prove to I'm I'm going out there if I most see I'm saying, hey, you're gonna have to show me that you can stop Brian Robinson. That's one I think that's one of the more physical runners will see all season.
It's lots of pressure on the front seven to get the job done against Washington tomorrow. Who's going to get the job done in our pick'ems, give us a call eight eight eight eight five five two two nine seven to be our guest phone line guest picker this week eight eight eight eight five five two two nine seven. Hop on the phone line right now so you can get on the line. When we come back. We will update our Pickham's standings. John man Chodes here this week to do his pickums live and in person.
It's good.
I like it.
Well, we'll be right back with more talking Cowboys.
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To Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys presented by a Black Rifle Coffee Company as a Thursday edition or a Thanksgiving edition on a Wednesday before the Thursday matchup with the Washington Commanders. Pregame Live getting started two pm Central Time tomorrow Isaiah, Nate Barry, myself, Nicole Hutches, and Nick Eatman on Pregame Live. Be sure to join us for a Thanksgiving edition of the show. Hope everybody has a happy Thanksgiving.
As always should be a whole lot of fun. All right, it's time to get to our pick'ems. Though, let's pick them last week. I don't know if this has ever happened before.
Every single person had the exact same record.
Let's go.
Everybody was four and two. Everybody, how about that pretty wild look at us? So our stand look at us were just to update the entire standings. Bringing up the rear right now is none other than Isaiah's right, I see everybody thirty four and twenty six, so he is a solid six games above five hundred. Next up on that list, John Machoda eight games above five hundred, bad math, Actually.
Twelve games up five hundred. It is bad math.
That was thirty six and twenty four is John Matchoda. Nick Harris is one game up on him thirty seven and twenty three, one game up on Nick Harris. As the fans at thirty eight and twenty two, and then I'm at the top right now forty three and seventeen.
Lely damn got a five game lead.
Are you sure about that?
I'm super sure about that. And Beamer checks my homework, so you're about then, yer Beamer.
Check here about that?
All right? You sure about that?
On the line today, Raja in Virginia, Raja, you're on talking cowboys.
How's it going?
What?
What's up?
As good?
A's it going? What part of Virginia y'all happy? Thanksgiving?
You?
What part of Virginia?
Springfield?
So like right in the DC area?
Okay, so you're not too far from from Washington Commander's country.
No, No, I'm right in it, right in the middle of it.
So this going to be spending the day with my brother in law and his family.
All Commander's fans will be the only Cowboys and in the building. So I have a serious question for you. Who's responsible for the macaroni of cheese at the residence that you're gonna be eating at? Who's responsible? That's right? Is this really? Honestly? I don't think they ever past couple of years i've been I don't think they ever had hack and cheese.
You're going to the wrong house, sir. Not only are you the only Cowboys fan.
But that which is good turkey is always the winner. I don't need is going on in this play. I love it. I love it.
Oh Man.
Well, we appreciate you holding down the fort out there in Washington, uh, in Virginia, out there in Washington, Commander's country. We're gonna pick all three Thanksgiving games. Of course, the Cowboys and Commanders will go last. We've got the Packers in the Lions starting things off, Nick Harris, I'll let you begin.
Yeah, Lions, Lions, big time, John oh.
Man, Lions.
They have restored the roar happens.
You don't like cheese, he doesn't any noodles?
All right, I'm going Lions.
Roger I got I'm taking Detroit there as well. Give me, give me the lions across the board. Forty nine ers at the Seahawks San Francisco at Seattle, Isaiah, Seattle, bounce bag, baby, I hope you're right.
I hope you're right.
In what world do you live in?
Bird Land?
Baby?
My god?
This Niners?
Give me the Niners, bang bang Niner.
Ye, Nick, I'm gonna take the I'm gonna take the Seahawks right lot. But the Seahawks, oh, the home home seven.
Give it to me.
I feel like they come out you know what it is.
Yeah.
Yeah, they might not have Kenneth Walker though.
That's okay. We won't have.
Their brain. It's fine.
I've got a five game leak turning.
I don't have a victory coming into play Dallas, trust me.
Okay, I hope, I hope you're right.
I am right, I hope you're right. All right?
Uh, Roger, what do you got?
Yeah, it's gonna be Niners gig. Yeah, he's the two guys that don't eat cheese.
Sorry guys, Uh, he didn't say he doesn't eat cheese. John said he just doesn't eat noodles. That's all it is, mac and cheese.
Yeah, I've never seen it.
There for Thanksgiving Unfortunately, I've never seen it.
He's just at the wrong household, that's the problems.
Yeah, he needs an invite to Dallas.
Is what it needs to happen.
Yeah, Cowboys press box.
There you go. Oh man, best mac and cheese I've ever had, all.
Right, other than yours, Other than yours, yours is Yours is better.
It is better.
The smoke mac and cheese is better.
All right, Jaguars and sins Uh, this is a tight MATCHUPJ Stroud's been balling. But can he take down Trevor Lawrence and the Jags? Roger will start with you.
Yeah, this is a tough one.
I must go see Thetroud. He's hot right now. I think the Texans went at home taking the Texans.
Yeah, the Texans already got him once. I think they get him twice.
I don't think they get him twice.
Give me the Jags on.
The road to bounce back.
I agree, I'm going Jags on the road. I just the CJ. Stroud story is great and I probably should go with him. But give me the Jags.
Jaguar, yes, Duvovo all right?
All right?
The Browns at the Broncos. The Broncos speaking of a team that's real hot right now. The Browns are seven and three currently, they have a better record or above the standings at the moment than the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pretty interesting there.
Give me, I keep picking against the Browns and they come back to bite me. Give me the Browns on the road.
To get the job done. Isaiah Keebler ilves the Browns.
Another tough one.
Bronco Country.
Okay, Nick, I'm gonna take the Browns.
Taking the Browns. I'm trying to.
I'm trying to decide between some of these other other games, because these other games are kind of interesting. So not Ravens, Chargers, Rams, Cardinals.
We could do the toilet Bowl here. We can do.
Patriots and Giants. I think that's what we should do, all right. Patriots at the Giants. Oh, I thought you already said sorry, sorry, noodle hate right there.
He looks so upset.
He did.
He was just waiting for me.
Okay, sorry, we're doing this.
Sorry, John, I'll.
Let you go here for this.
I'm sorry, John. Patriots at Giants? Who you got there?
Wow?
That's so bad.
It is bad.
Give me the Patriots, I just I mean the veto We're not doing this Patriots.
Giants did beat the Commanders last week.
Though it says a lot about the commanders.
It does say a lot about the commanders.
Nick Man, this is a this is god. This is gross, isn't it?
It's gross?
Giants?
Wow, Okay, give me the pats that head of jail.
I don't know it was giants.
Rosa, Yeah, I think Patriots get it done. Bill needs a way.
He does need a win, no doubt about it. You know who else needs to win? The Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. It's like a Thanksgiving tradition against Commanders. Eight and two all time against Washington. And it's a three twenty five kickoff on c b S. Should be a fun one. Roger will let you start this one off.
All right, I'm gonna say it with my chest.
It's gonna be uh, we're gonna win for shoot.
Uh.
Guest fired.
Eric Benley becomes a new interim head coach.
Wow, so you're you're making a couple of tranches there.
I like it.
Ye say it with your chest. It's happening very nice.
Rosa.
Appreciate you holding down the four out out on the East coast. Keep doing the Lord's work out there and enjoy your non macaroni and cheese Thanksgiving tomorrow with all your your family and friends. Thank you, appreciate you as always.
There he goes. He said it with his chest. Forty to twenty one, Isaiah, I love.
Magic Johnson, but he's not gonna win this game. Okay, I'm going twenty seven to ten Dallas Cowboys twenty seven. What if he plays magic.
When he comes in at quarterback in the second half? That changed this at all?
In your mind?
I do believe six eight.
I do believe that Rajah I might have might be onto something in terms of run Vera possibly getting fired earlier in the season.
Yeah, I would think he has to be pretty high in the list of next got season.
It's like they're going into a long weekend, so you know, that's that's when conversations happened.
Who knows, Maybe he's got an inside track. He's out there, he is, he's.
On the ground.
There's maybe that was like Josh Harris on the on the on the call, making the decision.
Maybe what do you think?
Uh yeah, Cowboys, I think they I'm with I'm with Raja. I think they get a forty burger. I'm gonna go I'm gonna go forty five. I'm gonna go forty five twenty. I think it's gonna just gonna be a high scoring a lot of a lot of feasting in this game.
Oh how scores twenty four?
Yeah? Yeah, this offense is.
Say, put up points. They just can't stop.
Mean a Veto scored seventeen, We forget about that.
That means it RN. I think you routed up.
Is that what you're saying?
No, I'm playing.
That sounded like a Blandard Gilmour, which was somebody's getting beat.
You give up twenty four points.
Late in the game.
I think I think the running game gets beat Ooh yeah, but we'll see fair.
I originally thought it was gonna be a lower scoring game as well, but I'm gonna give I'm gonna give a forty burger update as well. Give me Cowboys forty five twenty finals scour.
Yeah, they get it done. I'll let John finish it off.
I'm gonna go fifty two.
Oh my gosh, that would have been fun.
No, because of Thanksgiving and just the way that they play against Washington, I just don't think it'll be quite to that level. So I'll go Cowboys thirty one, Washington thirteen.
There you go, so wins across the board for the Dallas Cowboys. Hope you had fun with us here in the short week. We will be back on Monday really quick.
Me and Nicky Me were doing this yesterday. Six teams that have never played the Cowboys on Thanksgiving?
Can you name them all?
Real quick?
Well?
Lions, but bang, we couldn't figure that out. One out. Yeah, so I'm glad we always played exactly.
Jaguars, Jaguars, the Panthers Nope, no that game.
The rest of them are AFC teams. I'll give you all that.
I'm thinking Cam Newton game. The rest are NFC.
AFC, AFC. We got lines and Jaguars.
No.
Steelers play the Steelers quite a bit.
Cheaps nope, Jets nope, Mmm, Dolphins nope, Browns.
Nope, Jacks nope.
We are said the Jacks.
Oh that's right, pat Patriots nope.
Chargers nope. No, that was a couple of years ago.
Browns Nope.
My god, y'all are going all around it. It's wild really yeah. Wow, Bills, you want to just run him down? No, we had that a couple of years ago to Texans, Colts, Ravens, Bingles.
Texans should ahead of the Texans, Colts, Bengals, Ravens and.
Gosh and then the Lions and the.
Yeah, Texans, Colts, Ravens, Bengals, Lions, Jaguars. Anyway, there we go, interesting.
Little Cowboys Ravens on Thanksgiving would be fun.
That would be really fun.
All right?
That does it for us here on talking Cowboys. Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, and you've got plenty of mac and cheese to enjoy for Isaiah's purposes.
The disappointment, Yeah, you're upset.
It's okay.
I can't believe John. I don't know if you'll ever look at John the same ever. Again, It's fine, It's okay.
John doesn't care strawberry salad.
That doesn't for us.
I hope you had as much fun as we did for Chris Beam, Isaiah's standbag, John, Nick Carroens, some Kyle Yomas saying so long from the Star on Frisco.
We'll see you on Monday.
Go Cowboys.
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