Talkin' Cowboys: Taking Your Questions

Talking Cowboys here on this Tuesday from Frisco. Hey, everybody, Kyle Yeoman's Isaiah stand back with you in studio, Rob Phillips are Cowboys Insider and the fantastic, the vibrant, the sultry voice of mister heck Ma Harrison as always leading you into another fantastic episode and one where we're gonna really break down this this Cowboys loss. We we kind of had the emotional reaction yesterday to the twenty five to three loss to the Washington football team on Sunday.

We had the emotional reaction. Now we have the logical reaction whenever it goes into Tuesday. And by logical I mean just basically we're going to think about it a little bit more than than just letting it ride with Isaiah just being completely emotional and it was emotional. Yeah, it seemed like it was irrational. Isaiah don't deal with emotions. That's he's only sexual never ever, ever, Yeah, ok, yeah,

that's my wife shall tell you. Hey, we got some some emotion from Jerry Jones on the fan just now, Yes, we did. With Rob Would you like to kind of go into what happened there because he was he was in not the best mood this morning. He was a little testy, a little testy about the question from Sean and RJ about the leadership on the team right now and as they're a void, and he got a little

testy about that one. And that's okay, you know. He apologized to Sean at the end and said, look, this is basically this is a tough time right now, and it's a tough time for our fans. I think fans needed to hear that this is this is a rough stretch. This is as rough as stretch, guys as I can remember since maybe twenty ten when they got they got blown out in a bunch of games leading up to a coaching change. And that's not going to happen here.

They're not that's not happening here. Obviously it's here one with Mike McCarthy there. They have the utmost confidence in him, but just it has that kind of hopeless feeling right now until they can get out of this and with the injuries, it's going to be hard to do it now. Whenever it comes to Jerry and his reaction, like you, you mentioned it a moment ago that it's something that the fans kind of kind of want to hear. You

want to hear frustration out of your football team. And Isaiah, you both you and Heckma talked to a yesterday about the passion and finding a pride factor whenever it comes to winning football games and stepping up and doing your job. But whenever you're hearing that from the owner, is that encouraging to you or is it just another morale win or a morale boost. I guess you could say from a team that's just itching for any kind of boost. I mean, from the players perspective, I don't put any

extra on it. Right from the fans perspective, I think it's encouraging for sure. I can only imagine a frustration that Jerry has and his entire team, you know, with the start that this team has had. They put in a lot of work this offseason, and I think we've we've made that very clear. We agree that they made a lot of strategic moves, a lot of things that look great on paper that as ownership, as management, you expect to really come through for you, and it just

hasn't come through. So, you know, when you have those expectations, when you've done your work, when you've done your job, and then the players get out there and don't do it there, I would think that you would be a little bit a little bit testy as he was today. Whenever it comes to doing the same thing, whenever it comes from an ownership perspective, do you put extra I guess factor into it? Do you put extra val you

into it? Whenever it comes from Jerry Jones, well, I love to hear Jerry's, you know, voice, his frustration about the way things are going right now. I think everybody is frustrated. They can't believe they're what they're seeing on Sundays. But Jerry's not gonna put on a helmet and go out there and make this right. And so for the guys that are on this team, they realize that they're putting out a lot of bad tape, and everybody right now can go back and see a lot of plays

just not being played being made. Excuse me, guy's missing assignments. It's not It's not a good place to be. And now people can you can deal with your team losing, because I don't think that anyone expected this season to be the seventy two Dolphins. But when guys just are not giving any effort at all, and when you know, if you're coming on a stunt and it's just as slow as it possibly can be on blitz and you're missing things, that's all on the coaching staff and these players.

And so I appreciate Jerry going on one of five point through the fan and being frustrated with those questions that he was being asked. But at the end of the day, it's going to be up to these players to get this corrected. Whenever it comes to going to the next level and finding another way to find that pride and to find that energy, I don't know where it starts. And honestly, on the defensive side of football, you just might be bad. Offensively, you might just be

banged up. There are a couple different excuses Jerry alluded to all of those in the interview, and that was a bit frustrating, I think for every Cowboys fan. But Rob, whenever you look at it now and you move into what is now week eight of the season, you're going up against Philadelphia. Who has to step up whenever it comes to a pride fact or whenever it comes to finding a way to take reins of this team. Is it the coaching staff or is it some of these

veteran leaders with the bigger contracts. Well, I think it starts with the players. I think what Tank said after the game is exactly what needs to happen. There's got to be more belief from the team that when things go wrong they can dig out of it. Now, to your point, Kyle, especially offensively, there reaches a point with injuries, and it's that it's not an excuse. It's just a simple fact of being out outmatched, and they were outmatched

in that game. Especially when Andy Dalton goes down and you've already got a lot of guys compromise on the offensive line. It really affects the way you can function. That's just a simple fact of it. Especially when you get behind. Turnovers don't help. The safety doesn't help. That's been a big problem this year. That has to get cleaned up. But yeah, there's got to be guys have

to continue playing with confidence no matter what happens. If they don't, then it's just going to continue to snowball. And I think what they really need more than anything, they need a takeaway on defense. They need something to spark the defense. I think they're I think they're tied for the fewest takeaways in the league this year with three I believe maybe four um And that's been a continuing problem for years. It hasn't changed this year. But

they need that. They need something to spark the defense, and they're gonna need something to help this offense because right now we have to operate under under the assumption that Ben de Nucci's the quarterback this week. Unless Andy Dalton can get out of concussion protocol swiftly, it's been de Nucci's team. And that's a lot to ask on the road in Philly for a first career start man. Talk about out of the frying pan into the fire,

my goodness, yeah talking yeah, no, Ick, my go for it. No, I want to piggyback off of what Rob said, because that's big old facts right there, Rob Phillis, because this defense needs something to feel good about. They have nothing. And you know that first drive, Yeah, you know m last Sunday that you're getting that stop on the one. Maybe that would be the thing to galvanize the defense. Although they took with the whole length of the field.

They need something. They need something where, you know, whether it be an interception, whether it be locking a number one receiver down, stopping doing something. They have nothing at all to hang their hat on um offensively for this decimated offensive line. It's gonna come down to just establishing

something right now. In the absence of Dak Prescott. I think since he's been out, we haven't I believe that the numbers are and I don't want to say this wrong, that we haven't scored any what ten thirteen points uh since since Dak's absence. So that's not acceptable and there has to be a way to get all of these things back on track, even with the injuries that we have.

Is Zah, Yeah. I think. I mean for me, it's it's they win big one big play from every phase of the game, right we need a big play on offense to establish a confidence in the entire offensive line, the receiver cord, the entire coaching staff that this unit that's out there can actually make some plays. So you need one big play that obviously results in a touchdown, something major. Then on the special team side of the things,

you need you need something major as well. You need a block kick, You need a punt return block for a return. You need something that really spikes it again that gets to energy and a morale going. And then on the defensive side of the ball, we gotta have a takeaway. Right, It'd be awesome if we have a strip, sack,

scoop score. Right, If we can have something major from all three phases of the game in one game, I think that everybody will look at each other and say, crap, we're not too dog on bad, you know what I'm saying. We we can figure this thing out. But I think if just having one thing go right in one phase of the game, I think is really gonna It's gonna leave everybody up for a question and say, Okay, well, our weas announce was to look at these guys and

make plays for us instead of everybody. And we need all three fasts working together now, just to play devil's advocate here. Of course, during the Giants game, you did get one of those plays. You've got the strip sack and the fumble recovery and it was returned for a touchdown by Anthony Brown. So you had one of those plays.

But then you also, let's say, let's take it to Washington, you had a special teams play that was actually what resulted in the three points was just because Tony Poller got down the field and had the sixty seven yard kick return. So you've had a couple of these flash plays. But are you saying you have to string them together or is one good enough to finally turn them a round around on this football team, now, I think you need to string them together. And I know that's a

lot to ask, but it's something that's definitely doable. Like you said, we've been seeing flashes of it, a little a little taste of it, but we need all three fasts to come together. And the reason being because it brings your team together. It makes it feel as if not one one unit won the game for you. One one unit puts you in a position to win the game.

When you're able to look at everybody who touches the field, all the special teamers, all the guys on defense, all the guys on offense, and say hey, I played a

part in something major today. I think it has it has a big effect now, kind of going to change the subject here, just based off of the banged up offensive line and of course what we're dealing with in terms of in terms of Andy Dalton and him getting knocked out in the third quarter, rob we heard yesterday from Mike McCarthy that Andy Dalton is going to enter h concussion protocol and he is going to be throughout the week. He was not in team meetings yesterday, though

he was in the building. At this point, you've got to have Ben de Nucci ready either way to play quarterback right now? Is it? Is it enough to galvanize and to find a way to rally around a seventh round rookie and Ben Denucci this week and give him the resources necessary to be successful on Sunday should he be the starting quarterback? They got no choice, They have no choice if that's the case. And uh yeah, I

mean we'll see on Andy. I know, I know they've said that it's his it's his first concussion, So I don't know if that means typically that's a longer you know, you're more careful or I don't you're you're the same level careful every time. But I don't know if that's it takes longer through the protocol with the first concussion

or not. I don't know if that's significant, but I think, yeah, they have to operate under the assumption as they moved through the week that Bendanusci, when you put a game plan together, he's gonna be your starter. And maybe that changes by the end of the week, but they Yes. I think I said the same thing though, when when Dalton came in, that you've got to when your backup quarterback comes in, and it's the same thing for your

third string quarterback. Everybody has to raise their level of play, you know. I think Isaiah spoke to this before the Cardinals game that Dalton's not supposed to be the reason you win or lose games. It's got to be guys, receivers doing more to make themselves quarterback friendly. It's the run game, it's the offensive line. Defensively, it's making something happen, just like we talked about, and defensively to piggyback on

what you guys said. It is stringing it together. It's not always got to be just big splash plays, but it's got to be down after down, just your assignments, just the simple part of your assignments. I know that Mike Nolan said, you know, a couple of games ago against the Cardinals, they had about thirty plays to start the game where it was, it was solid, it was good enough, then went south. And that's the problem. They haven't been consistent on defensive or really in any area

for an entire game. Until they do that, no matter who they're playing, they're gonna have trouble winning football games. Hema, yeah. I think Asaiah has said it before about you know, teams during the week in their preparation for games and guys not getting those first team reps. And so for me, if if we're saying that Andy Dalton is in concussion protocol, he's in the building, but he's not taking those reps, and I believe that tomorrow as an indicator on whether

he'll be able to play. But if that's the case, then bender Nucci is your guy, and you're right back to square one with some of your issues that you have before and that's your receivers being in rhythm with your quarterback. And now we have a seven rookie quarterback, so that there's got to be heightened awareness for what the playbook is, what the play call is going to be for him, our game plan is going to be.

Is what I'm trying to say for being in the Nucci because this is a this is a situation where with the Cowboys being down to our third string quarterback and an offensive line that is not getting giving us a whole lot of protection, where do we go. We want to go to the running game, But in the last seven games, guys, we hadn't had any any spark at all from the running game or anything to tell

us that that's something that we can rely on. So we keep talking feedsique, feed you know, polar just get some balance, but we're not able to get that compliment for our quarterbacks that are coming in that need those things in order to be successful. Now those are facts, man, I don't and I know I really shouldn't say that any don't's gonna be fine. But you know, I've been

knocked out before and it's not that bad. No, No, I mean, I've had a concussion before I've had my share of him, but here I feel like it's if he'll be back. But you know, obviously we have to watch what the medical crew does. Those guys are amazing. But if it is the Nucci, right, if it is the Nucci um, then he he's like and there's there's no questions about it. I mean, it's not the situation that you want, but it is what it is. I mean, that's you know, that's what you have to do in

this league. You face your your You handled all cards that you're given, right, whatever cars you're dealt, you deal with them. You don't make any excuses you steered. Your job is still to go out there and do your assignment and get victories, no matter who's in a position of quarterback, no matter who's leading this team. You know, And that's a great point because that's one of our actual fan on the fifty questions that I want to

address when we come back after this break. But what is going on whenever it comes to the depth of this team. We were told off all off season long that we're built for depth, We're built for these injuries and for whatever comes at you. We're gonna talk about who's responsible for that not being the same kind of depth that we were anticipated for going into the twenty twenty season. We're gonna hit that and the rest of the fans on the fifty questions. Send him in right

now on the paras Scope stream. We're gonna answer them when we come back. You're on Talking Cowboys since eighteen sixty five. Stats and Hats are American maid with pride right here and Texas and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Want to show your Texas and Team pride two You can by purchasing your own Stetson. You can look just like how the flag guys do on field at every home game. Stetson Hats the official crown of all self respecting Cowboys and your

favorite football team. Get yours today at Shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot com or at Stetson dot com. Want to use what the pros use? How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black. Right now you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just ten bucks with free shipping. The starter includes four Jack Black skincare favorites

plus a full size intense therapy whip bomb. Go to get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys and use the code word team JB. That's Get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys, The Jack Black Starter ten bucks free shipping. Esseloras a proud sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, helping fans seymour and do more with our best vision solutions. Our lens technologies reveal a world more beautiful than you can imagine.

For a limited time, get the Slur next Gen Offer, where you buy the latest generation of transitions lenses with select Slur lenses, you can choose a second pair of clear lenses for free with qualifying frame purchases. Restrictions apply. Find a participating eyecare professional by visiting slor usa dot com sor see more Do more. We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor

Baba cream Soda? Is he a Newcombonlet's music to my ears? Okay, doctor time, music to my ears and mouths New Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda. Delass do Bay back to talking Cowboys back here with Talking Cowboys. It's a fans on the fifty edition. Glad you're with us on Dallas cowboys dot Com at the various streaming platforms. We got a bevy of questions flying in from all of these over the next couple of moments. Let's go with let's go with the sounder for fans on the fifty. Fans on

the fifty almost forgot it. Chris Beam got in my ear and said, hey, listen, you gotta you gotta have the sounder. The fans need the sounder, and I completely agree. So once again, every Tuesday nine fifty, we're gonna answer your fan questions and pull the pull up the Twitter and the periscope stream. So send those in if you haven't already. Which one do I want to go with first? Okay, so we're gonna start things off. Oh yeah, there's there's a good amount of them. But let's go with Jeff

Proctor first. And this kind of sounds like a it looks like a bit of a sarcastic question, but I'm gonna ask it in a real way. If the Cowboys are going to trade players or player why not put actual players on the trading block that you could get a couple picks or another player for rob and and basically I think he's alluding to the Don Taripo and Daryl Worley being reports of him being on the trade block.

But I'm turning it around to actual where would you go in terms of actual players that could get something at this point. We love Jeff, Jeff never misses as a show, never, but I gotta disagree with it. I gotta disagree with Jeff. I mean, you're you're at the end of the day, as bad as things are, You're a half game out of first place with nine games left. So I know it's bad. We watched it. We haven't missed the snap it's been. It's been really bad. But

the season's not over. And that's the Cowboys are are in this business to win football games and win divisions and give yourself a chance to win a championship. So if you have that opportunity, you have to go play for it. If you've got guys on your roster that can help you this season, you don't. You don't tank. I don't think any team in the league tanks. I really don't, especially this season. I think there's an opportunity for everybody, as weird as this year is, to at

least try to get in the tournament. And so that's what they're going to try to do. Okay, follow up question going away from any Oh, I'm sorry I was gonna say, follow up question. I'm asking it to you.

Heck much. So with that being said, and you're talking about don't tank because of the opportunities that lie I had, especially in the NFC East, does this also play a factor in terms of the evaluation prospect of process of these draft picks and how tough it's going to be to evaluate a slew of these big time draft picks that are at the top of the board because of them either opting out of the college football season or

not playing a full college football season. Well, I mean, the top dogs in the draft, you know what they can do, and you know it's as far as the evaluation process of our own team, that's what I'm basically looking at. I'm looking at who's giving up. I'm looking at who's gonna be here next year. Guys that are under contract, Guys that you know that we brought in. What are you giving us? Because if the perception is that all is lost and there's there's nothing to play for.

If your players reflecting that, I don't want you around. And I'm definitely not even considering getting rid of any guy that's we talked to us a name. Let's we've heard people talk about Michael Gallup and potentially training him for some draft picks. Hell no, no, that's no way. Well, no that's not what that's not even no, So not do that. And again, the evaluation process of everybody, everybody's under the microscope, even the trainers. Zah, yeah, I mean

it's too early. Rob just said it and how I alluded to it yesterday and people didn't like it because you know how I take that emotion out of it. But you know you're a half game back. You know you're a half game back. Yeah, you're here to win the division, right, that's step number one, Number one. Your goal number one when you walk in for summer camp is win the division. Boom. That's the goal. And that's

and that is attainable. It's attainable. I don't care if you do it with with a with a five or six win season. You get in the dog on game, right, That's what it's about. Get in the game, however you do it. I don't care how ugly it is. If you win a game, if you win a Super Bowl, right, nobody cares about how ugly it was. You just care about the fact that you walk away with a ring.

That's all that ultimately matters. So as bad as it is, as Rob said, as bad as it is, you still have a chance, and that's all you can ask for. You hope, you put your hope in this team that they'll figure it out. We got veterans coming back this week. Hopefully we have some more coming back at the end of the year. Hopefully these guys start playing well and all this hope that we have, right, we put it all together and we get a little hope, Samwich and

these guys can figure this thing out. And guess what, there's there's still potential that these guys can go on a run. And that's all they need. We've already got people in the chat, Sandwich, right, Yeah, Well they're all asking for for the for the draft show. That's the hope Sandwich right now is is the draft up on the horizon. But I don't think that's the case. Go go for a Rob Can. I just add this last bow on this because I appreciate fans man. They keep

us in business and they're going through a lot right now. Yeah, this is no fun, I get it. But you can't have it both ways, right. You can't accuse players of quitting and not giving effort and the same breath saying let's just play for next year, let's trade away for picks and and do all that that. What type of message does that send to the team, to the organization, to the locker room. That's that's not the way to

go about it. And especially when you've got a new coach that's trying to create a culture, a culture a foundation for his program about grit and toughness and all those things that Mike McCarthy has been about, you know, all the way from growing up in Pittsburgh to being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers to now. You can't send that message. You just can't do it, no matter how bad things are, no matter how bleak

things look the rest of the season, you know. And that's a fantastic point because one of the big reasons why this is even a conversation is because you just lost, right Well, if you just lost and you're wanting to tank. Shouldn't you be happy? Shouldn't you be wanting to I mean that's the thing is, like, like you said, you can't have it both ways. You can't go too and fourteen, or at least be on that course to go too and fourteen and then be unhappy with the production that's

on the field. There's no way that that's going to happen regardless in this organization. I'll just let you know. Let that be known. Now, you're not going to see a tanking football team, especially when you're only a half game out of first place and you have a chance to make a playoff front and remain relevant. Even if you go six and ten and when the NFC East, you're still not going to necessarily see a tanking season at least at this point. Now that's crazy. I say,

this question is for you. Yes, Kevin comes out here and he asks, and he's another loyal, loyal listener. He said, why haven't we signed Earl Thomas? Who? And I know you want to sign Earl Thomas, So let it go, Kevin. Kevin's Kevin's putting saying on the spot, keV, I'll put it like this, if my name was Jerry Jones, which is not, which is not? It's definitely not Jerry. I don't have those commas. UM, I would have been signed Earl Thomas, and I think that's very as very apparent

on this show. I have made that very bundle league clear that I would have signed him a long time ago. And maybe that's just a personal thing because I know the competitor that he is. UM. I know, I don't know all the issues that they're referencing that people are the reason why people are scared of him. I don't know. I didn't experience that with my time with Earl U as a teammate or as a friend. UM, I do know that he is. He was one of the greatest

competitors that I've ever played with. And I know what this team has been missing. I know what was a question mark about this team at that particular position, and I think that that that is still a question mark for us. So I don't know why we haven't signed him. UM, you know, I don't. I don't have an answer for you, but I do know that it's not too late and m and the things the same reasons why I wanted to bring him on the team. You know, a month ago.

Are the same reasons why I think he would be beneficial to not only the secondary, but then this entire defense and its entirety. I like that answer. That's pretty good over. I mean, that's a good explanations that you would do it. But there's other factors and there's different things that come into it that that definitely make it kind of interesting. I would entertain the option. It can't really get much worse. So we kind of mentioned that

in a to yesterday. I think Rob made the joke is like, whenever it comes to the locker room, when is it couldn't get worse time with the locker room at that? Yeah, just like, let's go ahead and figure this out. Let's maybe it helps. I don't know, Uh, this one comes from Jay or no, I take it back, This is from Uh. I can't read the name. Okay,

so this is not Jay. It's another loyal listener though, and he asked Quinn and Williams from the Jets defensive tackle defensive lineman he's reportedly been shopped around this week. Heck Bun of course, with the need that you need in terms of the interior defensive line. If he was available for a second rounder. So this is the opposite of tanking. This is adding talent and giving up a draft pick to do so, would you entertain the option

of getting Quinn and Williams on this defensive line? Quinn and Williams from Alabama is a future star in this league if it was, I mean he was, he's a top five pick. The Jets would trade him for a second that, Yes, I would do it that. The answer is yes, that, but I just absolutely don't see them do that. Ye. Yeah. He was picked third overall in the twenty nineteen drafts, so this is only his second year. Goodness great, and they're already shopping this guy for a

second round pick. Had three sacks this season, had two and a half a year ago, so it's not like he's necessarily played up to that third round pick caliber. But the fact that they're already shopping him, does that give you any pause? Rob? Oh, we lost Rob. That's unfortunate, but I think either way. One the reports are now coming out Rich Simony from I don't know where he's from,

he's a Jets report. He said the Jets are not shopping Quinn and Williams per league source, So at least they're at least they're throwing it out there and then they're reeling it back in at some point. But yeah, there's a couple of different things with him. So Rob is apparently back in the mix. Rob, Are you there, buddy? Got you okay? Sweet? So we were talking about Quinn and Williams and what he could potentially bring to a defensive line if he's even available, but not even talking

about the players specifically. Would you be interested in adding talent specifically on the defensive line in the middle of this season, in the middle of this run. Yeah, I mean I think yeah, just generally speaking, I think that is the biggest issue they've got right now, because I think Jerry alluded to it on the fan like five times, the run defense, and I know we've talked about it a lot. It starts there because if you're not if you're not sound there, you're on skates. You're allowing the

offense to dictate everything they want to do. Like Heckma said, open their full playbook. And that's that's been the problem. You know, when they're not getting a push or they're getting washed out of plays, it's affecting the linebacker. It's affecting everything and then you bring play action in the mix. So I think, yes, I think that's probably the biggest

issue they've got. I said this yesterday though, when you're talking about maybe adding someone through a trade, you've got to be mindful of your salary cap because I don't think you can get into a situation like you work two years ago with Amari, who big time talent. It's going to need a monster deal in a year or two, and not only do you need to pay Dak, but you need to, you know, just make room in your

salary cap because there's no question it's gonna drop. It's either gonna be a flat cap or it's gonna drop a little bit from what it is now, which is close to two hundred million dollars, and nobody really knows. So you've got to be really careful with what you know your structure of your CAP's gonna look like. You always hear about the pieces of the pie. You hear about the pie and the salary cap and what you've

built at the moment. And final question before we get into our third segment coming up here in just a little bit, but how would you grade Connor mcgunn's play over the last two weeks. And Isaiah, we'll start with you and then go back around the table in terms of what you guys have seen from Connor McGovern coming in at that right guard spot in the absence of Zack Martin. Be honest with you, I haven't done my

my deep dive in on him specifically. I've more soul looked at the offensive line as a whole um, so I probably wouldn't be the one to speak delivery on him. Offensive line as a whole not good. So we've got that grade down. Heck have you have you looked a little bit at at Connor McGovern Heck, yeah, I have. And and you know, I didn't think he gave up any He didn't give up a sack, he didn't give up a pressure. I mean he's he had a pretty

solid game in the midst of it. I mean the guy on the other side of him, he may want to take a look at him and get him some more help. I don't know what they have to do for Tara Steel. He was just out match U. And I know we're talking about mcgovernor. Just Tara Steel popped in my head right there. But you know mcgovernor has played mcgovernor has played played well beyond Chazz as well. I mean, man, when we say on the scale of one to ten, ten being absolutely wonderful, this, no, we're

not at ten. But you know, I think his high six seven is doing pretty good right now. Then you also look at the Yeah, I think given, go for it, Rob, go ahead, Sorry, Kyle Well, I just yeah. I mean, you know, given what they're dealing with upfront, it's it hasn't been good all the way around. I think the tackle spots were probably the spots that really struggled the most in the game, containing those edges, which isn't a surprise when you're talking about Chase Young and Montes Sweat. Yes,

I think I think he's played. You know, he's been solid. I guess given the fact what you know, what they're facing, in the fact that there's not veteran really guys around him. But you know, I think you'd like to get Zach back in there. I don't know, you know, I know that people are gonna ask about it, kicking Zach to tackle, I don't I don't know if that's something they would consider. I think if they go through the valuation. They feel

good about mcgovernment guard. Maybe it's something you consider because I think Zach can play anywhere and can really help steal off one of those edge spots. Now, that's an interesting conversation whenever you talk about the depth, and we've talked about switched up the offensive line, but Connor McGovern never really was in that conversation. We never really knew what he brought to the table. We didn't know what

kind of stability he brought. And at least at the moment, he's the third highest graded pass protector on the Cowboys this season seventy six point eight. According to Pro Football Focus. He's thirty fifth of seventy seven guards in the NFL, which is not too bad compared to especially what you're seeing with guys like guys like a Terrence Steele, who's sixty seventh of seventy three tackles at the moment on Pro Football Focus. So you've got some stability, it seems

like with Connor McGovern as a backup. So if he's in there and he's playing guard, and then you also get Joe Looney back, why not throw Zack Martin out the tackle and allow him to maybe try and sure up that right side a little bit more at least than we've seen from Terrence Steel so far this season. So as always, it's un of fun answering the fans

on the fifty questions. We'll bring that back, of course next week, and then i'll say it with your Chess Friday coming up this week whenever we preview the Philadelphia Eagles and these Dallas Cowboys. When we come back, where is the blame in terms of the rostered instability following the starters? Will address that when we return here on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. I'm Jay Novachik, former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Back in the day. I was the guy who always got the tough yards and that's

why I run with John Deer today. In fact, I have a John Dear three zero twenty five E tractor that can handle any yard work I need to do, even the tough yards way out back. So if you have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the equipment that's just right for you, Visit a John Deer dealer today and run with us. We are the official tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. Selora is a proud sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, helping fa see more and

do more with our best vision solutions. Our lens technologies reveal a world more beautiful than you can imagine. For a limited time, get the slur next Gen Offer, where you buy the latest generation of Transitions lenses would select Eslore lenses. You can choose a second pair of clear lenses for free with qualifying frame purchases. Restrictions apply. Find a participating eyecare professional by visiting esselor USA dot com. See more, Do More. We're back in the tasty treat

that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor pepper and cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor cream Soda. Is he a Newcombone's music to my ears? Okay, doctor time, music to my ears and mouth? New Doctor pepper and Cream Soda. Delas just do by. I want to use what the pros use. How about the official men's skincare

end of the Dallas Cowboys Jack Black. Right now, you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just ten bucks with free shipping. The starter includes four Jack Black skincare favorites. Plus a full sized and tense therapy lip bomb. Go to get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys and use the code word team JB. That's Get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys the Jack Black Starter ten bucks free shipping to

The Talking Cowboys. Back here on Talking Cowboys the final segment here of our Tuesday show. Isaiah stand back, Kyle Yeoman's HECKM. Harrison, and the Great Rob Phillips with you whether you're watching from home or cheering in the stands. With slor lenses, You'll see every exciting playbook an appointment at your local essel or experts and find the perfect sel or lenses for you. See more, do more, slur.

I'm trying to memorize that read actually, by the way, I'm trying to trying to do it without saying it, so that way I can the eye goggles with the eye goggles with Isaiah at the same time they essler Lenz goggles while we got a shot. So, man, we just got through some fans on the fifty questions. But I've got a fans on the fifty question as a Cowboys fan myself talking to three experts. Whenever it comes

to this franchise, in this organization top to bottom. Where do you put the blame in terms of this football team not having any depth? And we mentioned it earlier with training camp and where this team was built for depth, which on paper it absolutely was. You looked at it whenever it came to the corner spot. You had a Jordan Lewis, you had an Anthony Brown, but you also had a Trayvon Diggs, and a Cheetah Awoozier and a Darrel Warley at the time. We had hahak Linton Dicks

at one point. I mean, we had guys that were veterans that had seemingly had to added depth. We had Donetary Poe upfront, and of course Jerald McCoy got hurt. I'm not even mentioning Jerald McCoy, but there are so many of these layers that it seemed like, on paper we're gonna work out, but they didn't. Is it time to start, not necessarily even just pointing it at the players. Absolutely, it's on the players. We've already mentioned that, We've addressed

that plenty. But as if a chance that we look at a personnel evaluation problem when it comes to this franchise, Rob Well I mean, I don't think there's any question that some of the moves they've made defensively adding veterans, it just hasn't It hasn't panned out. I mean, I think Isaiah spoke to it. On paper, it looks great. You know, you're adding guys now that they're in their thirties or late twenties that they've added on the defensive side of the ball that you know, have a lot

of accomplishments, but it hasn't translated to the field. So I don't know really where it falls other than I would say with the depth they have depth. What they don't have, what they haven't shown to have defensively from the starting lineup through the depth are playmakers, Guys that can make impact plays that that can change the course of a game. And we talked about takeaways earlier. They don't they haven't shown that this year. Now they have guys that can do that. They have a tank, Lawrence

Alden Smith, guys like that. But top to bottom, I've mentioned the speed on defense and some of the playmaking too, it just hasn't been there. So to me, it's it's more about that than depth. You know, a lot of teams when you don't have your starter, it's gonna affect you. But in your in your starting lineup, can you have guys that can that can wreck game plans? And they you know they haven't. They haven't had that so far

at all this season. Yeah, well it's you're asking me to play uh Jerry Jones, like Isaiah Sarah said earlier. And for me, it's the difference of crying in the Ford escort or may back. You know, it's it's it's what do you do? What do you do with this team? When you look at what you put together and thinking that these guys had some jews left, we celebrated done to every poe. We looked at the film. We thought that all of those things were gonna be there. The

same with Everson Griffin. We almost threw him on parade when he got here, and we have gotten the production wasn't there. Look, no matter how you look at it, I don't think anyone could have projected the worst pandemic ever. Guy's not being able to be in OTA's training camps, all of that, and right now, all of that sounds like an excuse, but it's true. This team hasn't had an opportunity to gel and it doesn't matter even with seven games. The coaching techniques, all of those things have

not taken. These guys are not getting it. And you just have to go no further than the Kyle Island run away on the third and nine the second quarter to five minutes and forty five seconds, and it just shows, man,

the defense is just out of sorts. Guys are playing out of position, and we just look horrible in those in those circumstances, in situations, but as far as the way that this team was put together, I think you know, you were built to win and all of the problem instictis thought that the Cowboys had an opportunity to go far uh in the playoffs, but after all the injuries and all of that, it's just you know, obviously you can hindsight is twenty twenty and you can look at

it now and say it didn't work out the way they had planned it. Actually bringing out the big words manosticators. I like it. I got my sat words on the day player. Uh No, I mean I think we've already touched on it, right. I mean, these guys look good on paper. I feel bad for them, if you know, for Jerry and Will and the rest of the scouting department who seemingly did a great job assembling this team.

But I go back to some of the things that I continue to reference, and I know it might be hard for people to grasp, but as a former player, culture matters, right, Culture really matters, And there's that's it's the reason why you take certain players flourish in some systems and certain players don't. Right, It's because of the culture of the organization. Um. And you see that. You know when you when you look at teams like Baltimore and some of the move they make, they're like, oh, shoot,

when that player gets there, they're gonna ball out. Why do you say that? Why do you say those things about certain players? Because you know, if you take a talent, if you tak your talent and you put them in that environment and that culture, they're gonna flourish. Right. So when we talk about the Dallas Cowboys, we have all these guys who look great on paper, they have they've

had successful careers. We put in all these veterans. We have guys that we've we've been here since they're since the beginning of their career that are established players but again, what's the culture here? Yeah? Right? What is the culture? Or? Dude, when you play the Cowboys, are you gonna our guys gonna play you know, from in front of whistle to whistle? Are are they gonna? Are they gonna drag you into the ground? Right? Are are they gonna score? NonStop? Are

they gonna? Are they gonna? Are you gonna walk out the game? You know, limp in and cut up and bruise? What is the definition? What's the culture of this team? And I don't think that they have one right now, and until they do, you really can't have any real expectations from these players, even regardless of their track records. Okay, well where does it start? Where do you start that culture?

Because we've talked about it already, and people are trying to fire the coach, You're trying to fire the GM when they're trying or I guess you can't fire them, trying to fire the defensive coordinators. What I'm meant to say, You're trying to fire all these different people. Yeah, and I think that that's gonna work. Yeah, But the way of establishing culture is by continuity, right or is it more than that? It's more than that, and I think the culture has to come from the coach, right, culture

has to come from the coach. And I'm not sure as good as coach McCarthy is, as good as his history has shows, I don't think that he's come in and established a culture. I don't think that we've seen him come in and demand anything obviously forward facing, right, we're not in the meeting room, but it doesn't appear as if anything forward facing, like he has any strong personality.

It doesn't seem like he's demanding anything. It seems like he's more so, it appears if he's a more of in a waiting game and hoping for one of his veterans to step up and kind of establish it instead of him doing so himself. When you look around the league, you can see based upon the personality of the coaches. You take up Pittsburgh, look at their coach. You know what they're gonna bring. They're gonna be fired and desire

all day long. You go to Baltimore Hardball, you know what he's gonna do, right, you know what the energy of that team is, Coach Carroll. He's gonna be over there dancing in high five and then that's the and those guys are reflection of their coach, right. Unfortunately, the Cowboys they were in the history in the past years, they've been a reflection of their coach. Right. In terms of Jason Garrett, right, he just not a he's not

He's a clap your hands type of guy. It's gonna be okay, we're gonna be all right, guys, we're in a good situation. No, no, we're not. No, we're not in a good situation. So now, obviously we have McCarthy stepping to the fold. And we know that he's a good coach. We know he's knowledgeable, we know he has he's he's coached great players in the past. But what is his culture? We don't know. You guys have anything to add on to that. I think I said is

exactly right. It's got yeah, it starts, it starts with the coach. I think his culture is, like I reference his background earlier, I think he's kind of a you know, blue collar, gritty guy in terms of that's the culture he wants to set. He wants to and a team

that values the football, which they haven't accomplished that. And I don't I don't know it sounds like an excuse, but I just when you don't get to be with your players in person until mid August early August, I don't know if you can set a culture this quickly. And it may take a hard look at the roster at the end of the season and saying, Okay, does this player fit in my culture? Does he not, and

and try to reshape it that way. We'll see, but I think it's I think it's a challenge for a coach to do that, especially, like Isaiah said, if it's got to be a one eighties shifting culture or approach to the way you coach players or what you demand of players then in the past. So it's just a

weird year. No, absolutely on the same page with what these guys just said, And it's hard to establish that no matter what, Mike McCarthy came in with an ideal that this season was going to be, he probably did not have in the back of his head trying to get to know as players on zoom meetings and again, all of these things sound like excuses, but the evaluation process for Mike McCarthy has to start right now, all

the way through the building. And I'm talking about everybody, because you know, Isaiah, the one thing that you alluded to or we're talking about the Pittsburghs the Baltimores, is that those are football franchises that it permeates through the building and nobody gets down after a loss. They know that, hey, we'll get out there and get them again. So it's not gloom and doom. And so I appreciate you saying that, and so I think that's a bigger challenge for coach

Mike McCarthy. It's just making sure that not only the culture being set with the team, but through the organization so that once this culture or whatever this is what these anonymous sources, all of that stuff, that you don't allow those things to get in the building and wreck your team. Gota's that would never happen on a Bill Belichick thing. That stuff just doesn't that doesn't exist. There

are no anonymous sources in New England. That does not happen. No, I mean, but but even I know we got get ready to get off the air. But even talking in reference to New England, right, my time in New England, from day one, from the time I showed up and I had my first workout in New England. It was the beginning of the season, right. We were lifting weights as if it was the off season, right, And I knew from that day these guys are lifting heavy, right heavy,

and it was it was. It was a direct reflection of coach, I don't give a dog on what time of the year it is. There is no off season, right, We're going full throttle all the time. I'm gonna drag you all the way through. We're gonna we're gonna bust your butt in the weight room, we're gonna bust your button. Meetings, we're gonna bust your button and walk throughs, and we're gonna go out there. We're gonna dog these guys and

then we're guess what, it's onto the next opponent. Right, don't don't don't feel yourself, don't patch yourself on the back. You show up to work, you grind, and we go to work and we handle our business and then we go on to the next opponent. And that was that again, that went through the whole facility. Yeah, you do that, You do your job, You get through and and find a way to move on. Put the last game in the rearview mirror and get to the next opponent, which

is exactly what we're gonna do starting right now. We've had a lot of sulking, we've had the frustration, we've had the anger over the last forty eight hours following the twenty five to three loss. I'm not even gonna mention it again. We're going we're gonna moving forward now here on Talking Cowboys. So tomorrow we start looking at one, how we get better on the field, x's and oh's,

We're gonna talk about how to beat Philadelphia. We've got the Philly offense versus this Cowboys defense, which arguably might be the key to this football game. We're gonna talk about that tomorrow. Then we've got Cowboys offense versus Philly defense on Thursday, and then of course say it with Chess Friday coming up as well. That's gonna do it today for us. Here from the s WBC Mortgage Studios, for Chris Beam in the back, for Isaiah Stanback, Rob Phillips,

and the Great Heck Harrison. I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long from the Star in Frisco. We'll see you next time. On Talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club fucking gol