Talkin' Cowboys: What's Next?

be doing doing some work right now. And how y'all do you guys doing on a Monday morning? Doing well? Doing well? I used to, you know, complete the autopsy and find out what happened and then you move on, and that's we talked about. There you go, Garri said, nothing wrong with a little Simon Garfunkle this morning. It is kind of sad when a season end. Well, it's it's we talked about. This is and again I always I'm afraid to use this word because I don't think

I use it the right way. Finality of it all that, you know, it comes to an end, it comes to an abrupt end. It's it's my racing analogy of going two hundred and seventeen miles an hour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then hitting the wall and you stop, you know, and your and your suddenness to it, and you're shaken and you're kind of dazed, and you're you're

kind of looking, you know, to Okay, what's next. And you know this, Uh, this football team has a lot to be proud of the way they play, the way they they a young team came together under some really trying circumstances. But you know that the thing about you know, you you got to you placed the team team that is h that did a really great job of blocking your front. They took away one of your strengths and they kind of played how you needed to play against

them to win that football game. And I think that's really what I learned about it watching that tape. Mickey decided to take his headsets off. Yeah they're not working, So I thought i'd listened with you had the dead set on. Yeah. Absolutely, I think Brian was exactly right. Um, you know, the strengths we thought the Cowboys had running the ball and stopping the run ended up being their detriment. In that game, and hate credit the Rams absolutely there too.

They were you know, maybe we undersold how good that front. We you know, we talked all week about how good Donald was and Sue and Brockers and and and then we didn't expect him to play well and they played awfully well. Yeah, I mean that looked like the Domicon Sue twenty twelve or whatever. When you guys were going on Friday eight, talked about that about Sue. He was worried about Sue showing up, that this non existent Sue.

But all of a sudden he shows up. And I think the Cowboys did a heck of a job against Darren Donald in this game, I really really do. I think the plan they had, the way that Connor Williams played, I think a boost of confidence for Connor Williams to line up and he got Sue a couple of times and Donald to play. He made, you know, two tackles.

He made one of the tackles where they're trying to scoop him on the back side, and you know, Tyren Smith could have been a you know, you know what and hit him in the back of his legs, and he didn't do it. You know, and and so I feel like though that you know the thing where I where I missed the boat, Guys. This is where I missed the boat is I didn't watch the last three games that they played Arizona and San Francisco. In those games, I was trying to figure out, Okay, how did they

get beat by Philadelphia? How they get beat by Chicago? That's where. But if you go back and watch those games, you see C. J. Anderson running the football. You see the combinations that they're using with their blocking schemes. This is where I let the cowboy fan down, is that I should have gone back and looked at Arizona. I'm thinking, Okay, Todd Gurley, Todd Gurley, Todd Gurley. When an actuality, you should have thought, well, C. J. Anderson has played well

here the last three weeks. They find him on the scrap heap, They get him involved the line scheme, push shot blockers, they create holes, He makes runs. You know, their offense kind of moves along. But give them some credit with that their ability to run the ball. Give some credit with the way they blocked against DeMarcus Lawrence in this game. And they and they did it in

a unique way. With a wide receiver with bunch formations and bringing the receiver across the formation, so you never he never really got an understanding or a bead on who was going to block him. You know, either it was a cross receiver or a bunch receiver on a chip. You know. Those were things that they did to try

and and alleviate him. And some of the stunts that that the Cowboys have run to get guys home, the combinations with with Lawrence and Crawford and Collins, they said, Okay, you could do your twist stunts, but we're gonna put four guys to block your three and we're gonna let Andrew Whitworth take take Randy Gregory by himself. You know, we're gonna we're gonna let that that We're gonna try and win that block or one on one, and then

we're gonna take care of your other scheme blocks. And some of the big plays that they made in the passing game, and they didn't have a lot of big players. I mean, it's some twenty two yards. I think twenty one yards was as long as pass of the day. But that was a well protected four on three scheme that they went one on one on the other side and then boom, there you go. I mean, that's how they make plays. See, that's that was the first thing

that surprised me. Uh when I we knew they were gonna be in their nickel offense though time three wide receivers, so I expect to see them spread all over the field, right, But I was looking and I'm going, why are they so bunched up? That's the way they playing. It was like I had to go back to my flip card to go they got a bunch of tight ends and why is everybody so close to the line of scrimmage?

And that's what really I think fooled. I don't know if it fooled the Cowboys, if that's what they had done all season long, or if they did it for this game. And Brian's exactly right. That's how they controlled DeMarcus Lawrence because he was it looked like bumper cars over there. Yeah, they they figured out with with the receiver. Sorry, Bill, I know you're gonna make it a point, probably better

than mine. But they well that goes without say they you know, they did a really Robert Woods not only can he hurt you throw, but he's a bigger body guy. You know, Robert Woods did a really nice job. They also with Josh Reynolds. You know, they they they found ways to attack Lawrence and keep him off balance. You know, they said, okay, you know, Hamerstein, We're not gonna let

you just have to block him one on one. But they but they it wasn't like every single time it's say, Okay, we're gonna chip you this side, we're gonna chip you this side, we're gonna chip you over here. Oh, we're

gonna play you one on one here. So yeah, this was this was very reminiscent of to me, the the Cults game in the way that they when the Cowboys are really good, and we saw this against Seattle, when you see white jerseys and you can send you're watching the tape and you can see their numbers, When you can see the backs of their numbers as they're playing run defense, that's that's when you know they're really on it.

They're playing really well because nobody's moving them, nobody's But when you when you don't see the jersey numbers on the back end, you're you're saying, Okay, guys are not square, guys are turned guys are facing the sidelines. You get a defensive lineman shoulders to face the sidelines, there's gonna be natural gaps. And you know, Garrett talked about it too, and I'm sure when he got talked about two o'clock today, they're gonna talk about run fits because they did a

really poor job. When you talk about vander esh Smith Lee, they you know, there were some times where they had Anthony Brown down in the box. You know, they play a single high. Look, it's just that's how they stopped the run. They play single high, put an extra guy down the box. And people were asking me, They're like, well, could they play their bass defense and helped the run. They could have. They could have, Yeah, they could have.

But they've stopped the run playing single high all year long. You know, I mean, they're the adjustment they made. There's it's hard to make an adjustment when people up front are blocking you the way that that the Rams are able to block the front in this game, and because of the way they did it, it allowed their offensive linemen get to the linebackers. I don't doubt, no doubt the Cowboy linebackers blocked. So you know what, and it was the Colts game. It was the Colts game the

same thing. They got to the second level absolutely, and because they controlled the two outside guys the way Brian said, yeah, they're inside guys were getting to the linebackers and that's what was creating those big holes. That and a couple of times they're shooting the wrong gap and exact he's

going one way, exactly going the other way. Yeah, So I thought that was that was huge, the way they they controlled that, and it was almost like they were telling the Cowboys, well, if you want to stop the run, you better go to your four three. You better not sit there and nickel, yeah, the whole game, because we're gonna run right over you. And that's what they did now, Mickey, to your point on the munched formations that the Rams run, Will McClay on The Jason Garrett Show, which should be

on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. I think it's segments on there. Uh did a great job illustrating what the Rams do on offense, and that's what they do on offense is they bunch in their wide receivers type formation formations and there's he and he illustrated with several examples about six different plays, some run plays, some pass plays. Why they do that and how that can can confuse the defense and how they well be able to sort things out. Yeah, I mean they gatter too. I mean that's something too.

We talked about bunch. What did they do They use bunch formation when Todd Gurley when they moved Todd Gurley out wide against Green Bay and ran him underneath, what did they do? They got bunch formation and then they ran everybody inside, creating like you know, traffic and trash to have to run through. So yeah, yeah, it's a it's a good scheme. It really is a good scheme.

The way that they the way that they get their guys down the field, you know, I mean there were there were some of the open throws that they were able to make were because of some of those routes. And that's one of the main reasons they do it.

It helps out the quarterback when, for instance, if you're if the balls on the right hash and you've got a tight formation there, and let's say you want to throw a flag route Brandon Cooks well on the left side over they go the left flag Well, that gives so much room for the quarterback that throwout on the sideline out there right. Well. And the other thing it did is if you look at the Seattle game when the Cowboys were blitzing you know, they were blitzing vander

esh off the edge right a lot. Well, when you got all that bunch over there, how you gonna you can't blitz You're not gonna get through that stuff exactly. And so they kind of took that away too, and forced the Cowboys into coverage. But again, the bottom line was they ran for two hundred and seventy yards three yards, two seventy three. Seattle ran for seventy three. Yeah. And if you look at all the teams that won, yeah,

they all ran the football. That's the other thing I was talking to all this talk about the you know, the scoring, scoring and the big, you know, showtime offenses. Kansas City ran for one hundred and eighty yards with some guy named Damian Williams Oklahoma sooner. He was like a third string running back in the Rams run for two seventy three. The Patriots Sony Michelle one twenty night and three touchdowns player, and the Saints combined for one

hundred and twenty four yards rushing. So go figure say, Philadelphia has to be sick. They had that game and control. Yeah yeah, let me ask you something real quick about that game. And I don't want to. I know we're talking cowboys and trying to put it. But was Peterson was Doug Pearson? Was he should he have accepted that holding call and backed him up and made them run

another play. I was surprised and I wasn't watching. Well, okay, they the kind of holy Pilley, And the first thing that came in my mind was, Doug, you're dealing with a guy that's just as crazy as you are over there. He's gonna go for this, you know. He thought what point in the game was that they're down fourteen and they're fourteen to nothing. Yeah, they're stopped again. They stopped him.

They're making them, they're making breezing and punt again and at his own like thirty thirty four thirty five, yeah yard line. So he's gonna make him. He's got him to a point where he's gonna punt. He could have accepted a penalty to make it for a third and eleven at a third and eleven, but instead he declines to Pilley and make it fourth and one. Sean Payton goes go for it. I mean, with the way the flow of the game was, you knew that Sean Payton

was gonna go for it. There. He was gonna he was gonna some way energize his team good or bat. He was gonna try and find a way to do

something different than what had been happening to them. Kind of kind of like the same situation at the Cowboys faced with the Rams, however, is a different situation as far as the game, because the Rams were in the lead and they had an opportunity they it was fourth and two, right, and then the Rams out smarted themselves faking like they were gonna take fund right and they winds up kicking at twenty five yards to the twenty five yard line instead. That was a lot of work

for it. Um. But but yeah, about that Eagles game. How about al Sean Jeffrey, who's got just about the strongest hands in the league. Yeah, And in fact, just a couple of weeks ago he was quoted as saying, I've got the best hands in the league and the ball goes right through that. Yeah, Well that you know, that just shows you though they that was a strange game.

And I know, again people don't want to hear about the Eagles game and all that, but I mean, I think it's that just shows you these games come down to place. They come down to hands to the face, They come down to the third and in the grasp, third and seven, you know, I mean, the Rams think about this. You know, people were critical and I and again I'm one of those guys. It's critical of Jason Garrett to a fault, but I also thought that he did the right thing of not even though they had

not stopped them. The right thing was to kick the ball deep. It almost played perfectly to his situation. Third and said, Jeff, Heath is so locked into the tight end, and the tight end is blocking Crawford. You know, Everett is blocking, and I'm thinking, I'm just watching them going, Jeff, just just be a football play Go go force him either a to throw it away, be to get to the ground or see you know, maybe you get maybe you get the stop right there. You know. I mean,

I just I kind of look at that. I'm like, God, if they it played out just like it would have in the played out in the in the Redskins game that time at fed X, What do they do. They got to stop, they got the ball back, they drove, they win. You know, that's that's kind of the mentality. I was thinking, like, you get to stop here on third down and they had a time out left with probably a minute thirty to get the ball back with Tavon Austin maybe bringing one back to midfield or something

like that. Yeah, I mean, I think he played it the right way there the on site kick. To me, the way the rules are with on site kicks, you got no shot unless the ball hits somebody and bounces around and you get it. He played it the right way with the timeouts, the two minute warning, kicking it deep, they almost got to stop. I wish Jeff Heath would have just seen I wish he would have just seen golf coming his direction. He was so locked in on on Everett to tight end and the ball got to

the outside. It was almost like he was looking at a ghost, Like if you would just stayed inside so long on it. Yeah, it's like, and you're right, it's third and seven, yeah, or you've got and even when they kicked, you got three timeouts in the two minute warning, right, and you're right unless you hit a line drive and it bounces off somebody and comes back to you. You're not getting the on site no, with the way you

can sign up now, yeah, because you got you. You don't put all the guys on the line of scrimmage. You put your whatever you're allowed, and then the other second lines there. So even if you chip it over, they're gonna catch. He played it the right way and it almost worked out. I mean if they just they just couldn't get bodies to get to It's like golf just decided, I'm just gonna keep running until somebody hits me or stop. Nobody was able to force him to

have to make a decision. And that's the unfortunate we're in the In that Redskins game, Jayleen Smith, everybody human, they were all flying to the I mean they were flying. They were they were in the base defense, and they were trying to cover guys up. They had guys covered. That's why he had to run the ball. But they just couldn't get him to force to have to make a decision. And that's because the way they were moving

the football. If they had stopped him, I think they would have had a great Yeah, yeah, I think they would have had a shot. I think they would have had a shot in this one. And as bad as the run defense was in this game, as bad as it was, they would have had a shot. As bad as the run defenses was, as as average as Goff's numbers were they it's a one and as bad as

it look because they only stopped him twice. And the fact that Zeke only had forty seven yards rushing and they were to me, that to me was probably the most surprising thing going into this football game, is the fact that they just the inability, the inability to stop the run. But they were, especially when you looked at what they were doing on film about the season, they were awful. And Trotman even said it, I mean it was it was the way they were playing run defense

at the end of the year. Was they were thirty second in the league coming in in the regular season yards per carry defense, Yeah, rushing yards per carry. And you were within one possession of tying the game up. Yeah, one possession. There's a lot of it looked like a slaughter. And then when you know, when I did the post the game deal and I said the score, and I said, I was thinking to myself, did I did I make him a snap? It was thirty to twenty two. Yeah,

it was like, how could have been that close? You gave up two hundred and seventy three yards. Oh no, they it was. It was It was a strange deal. Again, you get that one stop, but there were there were a lot of other things that happened. You know, there a lot of this in that game. Third some third down players on offense that you know, the Maury Cooper they had exactly what they wanted with that crossing round on third down. Amari Cooper's on Mark Baron and the

ball he just gets his hands up late. I mean it was a catchable pass. He just his hands were laid to adjust. You could see it from the end zone copy clear that he did. He just was late with his hands. He catches that ball. That ball is gonna be in Ram's territory, you know, with them having to try and react. And that's just the way things have kind of gone for this team. You know, when they when they needed a play like that, they just

could not execute well enough to make it happen. The fourth down play too, was you know, they had to go for it so many times on fourth down and you know that really the bread and butter is, you know, just take the ball, go straight ahead and let Zeke be the guy. Hell, they blasted them out of they're on the goal line doing say, that's what everybody criticized, and I said, well, it was the same play they used on the goal line twice. Yeah, and they score.

I mean, they blasted that thing open and it just didn't. You know, but you're running at Sue, You're running it. You know, you're running at Donald. These guys are. You know, there's power, there's quickness. You know, if they if they swim you, you're you know, you're in trouble. You know.

There's just a lot of things going on there. I mean, I just it's a shame that the one thing that this the Cowboy teams, I felt like they could always do was the bill to kind of run the football, and it just didn't materialize well enough for the Rams. The Rams took your game plan and won the game with what you should have been able to do. Dak playing with you know, good numbers like golf, run the football, play some defense, and then you know you're on your

way to New Orleans. Because it looked like they won their bet stopping the run. But the reason why, and I had written it down, they had like the Cowboys had more twenty yard or more plays than they did. The reason was is they stayed in their base defense when the Cowboys went three wide and it said we're stopping the run. Yeah, and that's why they were able to come up with those big plays they did down

the field. And to your point, Mickey, about teams running the football in the playoffs and having success this weekend, that's another thing Will McClay was talking to me about last week with we were talking about the Kingsbury Hire in Arizona, and you know, the emphasis on hiring the quarterback,

whisperer type coaches and so forth. What wins in this league is if you look at the teams that are successful in playing right now, they have the ability to run the football and for that matter, they can stop the run. The four teams left, all right, The Patriots are fifth in the league and rushing and they're fourth in the league and rushing touchdowns. The Chiefs are just sixteenth in the league and rushing, but they're seventh in

rushing touchdowns. The Rams third in the league and rushing, second in rushing touchdowns and the Saints sixth in the league and rushing first in rushing touchdowns. There you go, There you go, Damian Williams. That's all I got. And by the way, those four teams, C. J. Anderson, Those those four teams, CJ. Anderson. Those four teams are also the top four scoring teams in the National Football League. But they're not doing it just through the air. They're

doing it with a combat balance. Yeah, exactly. All right. We continue and rub it in our face a little bit this morning with that ball cap. You got, what do you got on there? Oh? That's ready for the bills going later. One of us is headed there a couple of weeks. Yeah, all right, there is. Yeah, there is some breaking news being made from here at the Star this morning, which we will get into when Talking

Cowboys continues. In a moment or has been helping Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seventy two, so they don't miss a moment on the field. Get classes with slurs, best vision, clarity and protection with the Ultimate Lens Package, three innovative technologies in one lens. For a limited time. You can double your lenses for free when you purchase the Ultimate lens package and get a second pair of frames. Find a participating I Care professional and details by visiting

or USA dot Com. That's USA dot Com terms and conditions applying. You want the most interesting, up to the minute Dallas Cowboys news straight from the Star in Frisco. How about exclusive and on command. That's right news and nuggets you can't find anywhere else. With our exclusive Cowboys content on Alexa, you can have all the answers, secrets, stories and more. What's Stephen Jones thinking during a game?

What's Joe Looney's favorite pregame meal? We take your questions to Cowboys players and coaches and you can hear the answers directly back to you. Just say Alexa Open Dallas Cowboys. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a high thing, then cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch it or actv now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no polky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports you love. Tried direct tv Now

for ten dollars a month for three months. Visit DirecTV now dot com direct tv now more for your thing that's our thing. He's called real. The limited time price for a little page at three months when he's monthday full price currently minimum forty dollars and less cancer. Prices may change. We subscribers on cancel any time. Content varies by package and maybe limited. The sixtins a play a man's steps and doesn't just protect him from life's elements.

It projects an unstoppable and legendary spirit, just like the men wearing silver and navy on the field every Sunday Sends eighteen sixty five. Steps and Hats are American made with pride right here in Texas. They are still the official crown of all self prospecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Find Steps and Hats in the pro Shop or at Stetson dot com. Today. Doctor Pepper is the one you crave,

But how do you explain that craving? Imagine being shipwrecked on the desert diamond alone, glass like curls of self bound the shore with Doctor Pepper colored waves, surrounded by desire, but you can't drink its because it's the ocean fish and even there, the only thing you want is doctor Pepper, and you can't have it now, that is it? Doctor Pepper, Craven Doctor Pepper, the one you crave to talk in

Cowboys Tommy John time. In football, often the quickest plays mixed with some good old fashioned ingenuity are the key to winning. Kind of like Tommy John's horizontal quick draw fly. It's the most intuitive, simple and speedy feature. Other underwear brands just don't have shop exclusive Cowboys underwear Tommy John dot com Ford Slash Cowboys and welcome Rob Phillips, Welcome Hello. Rob was away at the outset of the show because he was working, right, Rob Phillips breaking news as you

tease so eloquently before the first time. Maybe he didn't have was quick draw fly of Bill. Yes, I was. I was adjusting. I was adjusting. Did you wear your quick draw fly on Saturday with your Cowboys on logo on it? Yeah? I went with that route too, so much for that. You know what, with the accommodations we had in that press box, you needed that quick draw It was It was great, wasn't it. Yeah? That's right.

Coliseum does not have much in the way now the facilities for the homemade press box port port of John's out in the aisle. It's a little challenging from a viewpoint perspective. It's like looking through the windows of a house actually with the window panes. It's an interesting setup right now. Yeah, but they're working through it, you know, doing the best they can. You know. Went and by the way, when everybody made it, they were And I forgot to mention it when I did my deal on

the fan. They were making a big deal that Jerry didn't conduct his postgame press conference. There's no way for him to get there in time to do it. Yeah, because the only way from where we're at to the press to the tunnel. It's the worst state walk world down ninety rows of stands while everybody else is coming up. Yeah, and so if you don't leave before the game's like

way over. Yeah, Jared Bell and I were swimming downstream would everybody coming upstream, And it was one step at a time, about every minute, trying to get people to move so we could walk. So there's no elevator for no elevator and an elevator. That's where Ambar and I got trapped in a preseason game. We had to walk from down and then walk all the way back up as the Ram mascot was taking pictures and signing autographs in front of us. The whole so good. I couldn't

get there. You would have to stack. He walked to the top of the stadium all the way down, and then if you have to come back up, you walk all the way back up. It's it's it's see what I forgot was back in the day when you did it, you could walk your typewriter. No, you could walk down the on the on the seats like they were bench. So when people were leaving, you just kept going down. Now they got actual seats in there. It's see at our seats. It's so cool to see a game. There's work,

there's so much history there. But logistically and tonightmare. Yeah, except for us. We park We figured out how to park at that place. We did. I did a couple of years, got that down. Yeah, we got good parking there. I remember parking garage across the show. That's kind of where you go. Yeah, well, I covered a Raiders playoff game there. Not good. I had no parking pass and I parked about five blocks away and there was a

sign it said number. It was a hashtag number thirty and I said, okay, that's parking lot thirty right, No, it was thirty dollars and back in the day that was like a lot. Yeah, and I had to walk five blocks. So when the game's over, you finished writing, it's pitch dark and I'm walking and the guy's coming out of the press box where are you going? And I go, oh, I didn't have a parking pass. I'm walking to my cards. Well, no, we'll give you a ride. I said, no, it's just they go no, we will

give you a ride. I said, oh, okay, maybe I better take a ride going. But you know what the neighborhood has changed. They've got condos up around now. Yeah, you wouldn't recognize it. A new soccer stadium, yep. Yeah, that's a beautiful stadium. Yeah, just down the road. It's right like next door. Yeah. But yeah, as for the facilities inside there, there would And I forgot. So the owner's box was basically what we were in. Yeah, he

was just a trailer. Yes, that's the owner's box. So if he stayed till the last there was no way he'd make it down there. Yeah, I mean they brought I don't know if you mentioned this, but they did this in preseason games too in the past. That's ninety players, even with fifty three or forty six, whatever it is, they bring the players out to you in the tunnel instead of an actual open lockroom session because the locker

room's just not big enough for it. Well, all the equipment people are trying to move their stuff through and yelling at us to move. As Dave said, it's all about perspective. It was a you know, that was a great atmosphere. That's that's I've never experienced a pregame atmosphere quite like that. And I don't know if it was just the vibe the amount of Cowboy fans there. It felt for a while like they were invading that stadium and you really had the feeling like they were gonna

feel at home at this game. It was gonna be about like Texas U style and the Cotton Bowl. But those Rams fans filled in pretty nicely by the end of it. But that was that was a hell of an atmosphere. Just didn't work out for this team. So what was the split? You think once the game got going. I think by the end of it, when we went down on the field, it felt like it was eighty twenty or seventy thirty something. There were a lot of yellow towels waving in that. Yeah, but the cowboy fans

started waving their yellow towels, did they? Yeah? Because didn't you notice that makes sense? The first two possessions when the Rams had the ball, I go, why is there so much noise? And and and people were waving their towels. And then I looked and it was like Cowboy fans were waving the yellow towels like the Rams were trying to call signals. I missed that. What happened? Uh? Can't just dropped in an old and yellow? Yeah? What do you mean yellow? An old? What's the old inside? Never mind?

He can't hear ken't that's the problem. Yeah, it was a good drop. Yeah it was. You don't want to tell me? No, I didn't really hear what was that was? Talking about the breaking news that you got? You want to read your story? No, it's not gonna be much different than anybody else. Rob just wrote the story. And that's why I missed the first segment of the show. Yeah, I want me to read it on the air. Yeah, do it. And we got a little voice we got off on a tangent voice, Captain Luck. No, I'll do it.

I'll Petry Bumpkin. I'll do it in a Wade Phillips voice. You go ahead, speaking Monday on one Old five. Not Wade, but all right, I'll do it my speaking Monday on one Old five, three the Fan. The Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said he expects offensive coordinator Scott Lanahan to return in twenty nineteen. There it is. There you go, breaking news straight from the flagships from Garrett. We don't anticipate any major changes on our staff. What was the

last line of the story? Is there a last line? Well added? And then okay, adding that the team is still in evaluation mode less than two days after its divisional round playoff loss to the ram I think Rob put it very well there. Yeah, that's that's got to be noted, right, absolutely has to be noted because you never know when somebody finds another job. Yeah, that's true.

See that's where I think that to me, the the you know, you look at Jason Garrett when you know he's always been really consistent about you know, he'll give you the answer, you know, asked the question. But right now you don't know. I mean, they got to sit down and continue the evaluation. If in fact, you know, we get to the Pro Bowl and all that, and Scott Linahan is still coaching, you know, next week, next week. You know, I was kind of expecting those guys to

be with me next week at the Senior Bowl. But now they get to co coach the Pro Bowl. But if they haven't made any decisions or any changes by next week, then you know he's going to come back. Jason Garrett madam his word. But I just don't think he can answer that question at that particular time. You know, I just don't I think that there's I think there's still evaluation there. I really really do. It's kind of like when Jerry's asked, what's he gonna say new weeks ago? Yeah,

Dak Press got your guy for the future. Yeah. I mean he says yes, and I believe him when he says it, But well, yeah, what's he supposed to say on the spot like that? Yeah? Yeah, If if in fact we get to we get to the Pro Bowl next week and Scott Linehan's coaching him up, then that's a pretty good idea of what's happening. Yeah, He's gonna make headlines either way. Right, if he said says what he said, he's making headlines because he's said that he

expects him back. Yeah, well, he's under contract, Okay, absolutely, yeah, all right, if he said that, if he if he didn't say, if he the question was posed to you expect Scott land a hand to be back. It's under contract. And if he said we're in evaluation mode, that's making headlines. That's a huge he took. He took the path of least resistance, is what he did. You know, just say he's back, and if they make a if they make a coaching change in the next three or four days,

then somebody here will break it. Rob Phillips will break it, Mickey will break it. Somebody will break it, you know. But until then, I mean again, if he's if he's out there coaching and the Senior the Axcumean, the Pro Bowl practices, but then you know, you got your answer. But until then, I think we kind of have to just let the evaluation process take I think it's a good story, Rob, I didn't think it was a bag of a thank you man. Well, I mean, look, and

he's always he's been consistent. I mean he's back Scot absolutely for years now. Yeah, I mean every time they lose a game to get back, it's you know, he comes. Scott is probably the first guy under fire, even beyond Jason, when they lose a game or they struggle offensively, and DA's probably in that mix too. Um, And I looked up the stats. You know, it's it's really a tale

of two halves of the season. Pria mari Posta Marii and before they made the trade, the first eight games, I think they were twenty eighth, and total offense they rose to about twenty second, and clearly they were a more functional group, a more efficient group with with Amari Cooper in the lineup. So, like Brian says, it's about players too. Yeah, it's about getting guys that can help

execute what you're trying to do. Absolutely. Yeah. And then on the defensive side, Um, I guess the Dolphins news broke since we were last on the air. At least the speculation is that, yeah, from the Patriots staff is in line to get that job. That's who they're targeted. It hadn't been official, officially done yet, but that and of course the Jets have done their thing. The Bucks have done their thing with arians, and so Chris Richard

appears will be back, and uh, we're y'all around. Rod Marinelli when he was asked about the thing, it was a terrible question. I was, yeah, got there just about when it started. I didn't hear how the question was asked. Yeah, but I heard the answer asking about him retiring as a terrible question, you know. And I guess it's reports from from Ian Rappaport that he's going to retire and all that. And oh he said he was going to be named the senior defensive advisor and they were going

to promote Richard to defensive coordinator. Okay, well, I thought it was he mentioned the word retirement though too. It's something about these answer. Marinelli said something to me, Yeah, but you know, if it's been Marinelli think the question was asked very well. No, I don't at the right time. I don't think the question was. And I love Kate and I love her trying to get you know, answers the questions. But you know, the guy, I mean, his

defense got shredded. You know, that's just a terrible time time. If you want to talk about run fits or why they didn't play well or what was their thoughts? By all means fairy game. But to ask a man about you know, is this it? Are you done? You're retiring? All that? That's a terrible question because he stood up there a lot of times and been very honest about giving you answers, give you some of the some of the best answers you get from a coaching perspective of

Rod Marinelli's answers. How honest he is about the players, how honest he is about the opponents, how honest he is about his own team. You know, I get on us about this. We asked terrible questions. We asked terrible questions, and you wonder why these folks don't want to talk to us. You don't want they don't want to be

around us. And seeing the other thing you gotta take also with a grain assault as these reports on pregame shows on game day, Yes, because everybody's got to come up with something, yeah, And if somebody comes up with something, then the other station's got to trump them with something else. Yeah. I just don't kind of the way it works. And you gotta be careful because the pressure is on those guys to come up with something, and if they don't,

then it's like, oh, well that guy had this. Yeah, it's it's just it's the wrong it's the wrong timing for question. Ask him why they lost that game, and he will stand there all day and tell you why they didn't play well enough. And you know what, and Richard did the same thing exactly. He stood there and took the blame poor stationed by the players and the coaches. He said, it's on me. Yeah, he put it on him,

see to ask better questions. However, Scott Rod has been so supportive of Chris throughout this whole season and giving him that responsibility to share that play calling and probably do with the majority of it. It seems like at times, just like he did with Matt eberflu So, I don't know how it's going to work out, but he's such a competitive guy in that moment, that's the last thing he's thinking about. And that's why that answer was what it was. Don't blame him, Yeah, don't blame him at all,

you know. And it's like before the game and I don't know how I would be, but you know, they it's like Rod's on the sideline while we're down there. It's two hours before kickoff, and I'm thinking, if that was me, I don't want to talk to nobody, right, he always does. But he comes up. He goes, great atmosphere here, and I go, yeah, I said, well, you've

you've spent some time in this stadium. And he tells me about his senior year in high school when they played the North South All Star Game, which was the big game in California, and he played it in against Dan Pastorini. Yeah right, And it's like, gosh, but you know, and that's him. So how many years ago with that a bit it was I think he told me it was nineteen sixty nine. Maybe, well he's sixty nine years

old now, yeah, so years old. Yeah, yeah, And and Hud was telling me about how they won a national championship at Southern cal in nineteen sixty two. Yeah, in that stadium football lifers. Man, Well that's the thing about it. But anyway, I mean, just that's well, and here's here's the other thing. To do that to him in that atmosphere. And it was a terrible atmosphere also, with everybody jammed up outside around this wall and just took a bad loss.

Your defense, you're you know, this, this defense that that we coming out of Oxnard, that Brian brought us thought was a question mark end up being the thing you can hang your hat on, and it was, you know, and now they're gonna they're gonna. The only time that this team has seemed to have really played bad lost games was because of defense. But for the more majority

of the season, they've been outstanding. Coverage, run, defense, coaching, whatever you have to say, this defense has been outstanding. What did I write on my gut feeling in defense? We trust We're gonna make a new coin. If you that's that's what it was gonna take. You were gonna have to find a way. Whether it was against the Rams or the or the Saints, you were gonna have to play against some pretty good offensive teams, you know.

And who's a better team guy than Rod Marinelli. And we're talking about what Rob was mentioning about with Richard coming in, and he did it with Ebraflus two, given them the freedom to improve the defense and the other part of it. With In terms of Richard, I mean, the way the rules work in the NFL, the only way he's leaving is for a head coaching job that doesn't look likely now, like the Dolphins have centered on Brian Flores, and I think the only other opening is

Cincinnati and Zach Taylor's going there. So yeah, I mean, we'll see how it goes. So you don't have to promote him to quote unquote defensive coordinator to keep him from another job, right, So, I mean you can make it work the way it is right now. I mean, if you want to do whatever with titles and stuff, great, But I mean obviously here in Rod Marinelli after that game at sixty nine years old, he's got a whole heck of a lot of coaching left in him. He's

certainly got enough fire in him. And we'll see what happens. But like Chris Rochard's tied, isn't affecting him from getting head coaching, That's what I'm saying. So, and Rod was talking about this during the week, how he believes in molding young coaches and trying to you know, empower those guys and allow them to position themselves to be able to move on and get those opposite teacher, but he is, he's a teacher, very serious, is a teacher. Quote was

he goes Christopher Sard's a head coach. They just haven't hired him yet. I did say that. Yep, right, all right, we continue and take your phone calls here when talking Cowboys continues in a moment. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a thing, then cutting the court is scary. But then I found out I could switch to direct TV Now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no polky hardware,

no annual contract, just that the live sports. You tried direct TV now for ten dollars a month for three months. He's a direct tv now dot Com direct tv now more for your thing, that's our thing. He's called really the limited time price a litle little page if three months when his monthday full price currently mad him in forty dollars and less. Can prices may change you subscar on cancel any time. Content varies by package and maybe limits the bo It's time for tailgating with the Auterbox boys.

The Auterbox that builds those crazy protective phonecases. Yep, and now they're changing the side dish game with the Auterbox Trooper. Soft cooler, lightweight mobile, and leakproof Trooper is perfect for blitzing a crowded parking lot with a Freedo pie. Amazing. Hey you think I could fit my seven layer salmon salad into the Trooper cooler. Yep, but please don't. And that's been tailgating with the autobox boys. Learn more about

the Trooper soft coolers at auterbox dot com. While a player could look good on paper, it's one he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you should rely on more than just specs and features. You've got to take it out and put it to the test. The Cowboys did when they name John Dear their official tractor experience one

for yourself. Visit my John Dear Dealer dot slash football. It can be hard to find the right resource for learning about important financial matters. You search how to build savings, you end up reading about the one weird ingredient from supermarkets that can make you taller. That's why Bank of America build Better Moneyhabits dot com, a safe little corner of the Internet for answering your financial questions. Full of

simple videos and tips. Better Money Habits can show you how to make the most of your money without resorting to random searches that always seem to lead to unbelievable photos of childhood stars grown up. To learn more, visit Better Moneyhabits dot com. SLOR has been helping Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seventy two, so they don't miss a moment on the field. Get glasses with slors best vision, clarity and protection with the Ultimate Lens Package, three innovative

technologies in one lens for a limited time. You can double your lenses for free when you purchase the Ultimate Lens Package and get a second pair of frames. Find up participating I Care professional and details by visiting SLOR USA dot com. That's USA dot com Terms and condition and supply. Better to talk in Cowboys. Probably a lot of sad, sagging faces around here, Cheez, tell me about it. They just need to get there Jack Black and everything

back to normal. Yes, And if you just go to get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys and get your JB faves for ten dollars in free shipping, you'll feel a lot better. The mirror will look a lot better, and get jack Black dot com. How about a boxing match at the at AT and T Stadium. I can't wait. Let's how about we pit Amari Cooper versus Marcus Peters is a prelimweight fight when old AFC West rivals. Now, We've got boxing coming up March sixteenth at AT and

T Stadium. I BF Welterweight champion Errol Spence Junior defending his title against four division world champion and current WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia. You don't want to miss this highly anticipated blockbuster showdown. Tickets on sale now at SeatGeek dot com, the official ticket provider of at NT Stadium. And I think we ought to work on Amari Cooper versus Marcus Peters as a prelimb March sixteenth. I love it. I love it. I'll take the bigger guy, you know,

Mark Amari. He's got some dog and him. I like that about him. Yeah, He's like, yeah, he's got It's still to me, it's you look at what how the season went, you know, the the resource that they used to go get him, that was absolutely the right play, and the fact that it's it's the twenty seventh pick.

I can only probably find nineteen first round grades. So if you're telling me I'm given a second round pick for a Marii Cooper or a great a player on the board that's got second round ability, all right, Yeah, sure, I'll absolutely do that all day long. You know, I'm gonna I'm gonna go through a bunch of wide receivers. I guarantee you. If I look at a Maury Cooper at twenty four years old and what he's accomplished is compared to a lot of these other wide receivers, I'm

gonna go. Please give me a Maury Cooper, you know. And if they hadn't made the trade, if we're sitting here right now saying what's the biggest need on this roster? Sure, wide receiver? We have been talking about that two weeks ago. Yeah, well, they wouldn't have been in the playoffs and have been in the playoffs. Yeah, you know what I mean. No, No, you're right, You're right, You're absolutely right. You know. That's the thing about it is I you know, it's it's

they've got it. They're gonna have an interesting offseason as far as you know the signings and how they're gonna do it, and all that. But I trust I trust these guys draft in football players. Yeah, I really really do, even though even though that their first pick will be at fifty eight and we don't know that. You never know, Jerry Jones might jump in there and get the bottom of the draft and say, you know what I'm I'll jump back in. I'll give next years one he'll do something.

You know. They really love a guy, Yeah, they really love a guy. But if you're telling me at twenty seven, I got to pick a guy that's better than the guy just got. That's that I've seen play well, help me win games, got me in the divisional round, the playoffs. That's a no brainer to me. I might, I might be a dumb personnel guy, but I'm not that dumb. You know, Draft show coming up Thursday, Thursday, and we go to the Senior Bowl next week. Let's start Monday.

I'll be out Monday Monday to all next week. So if you guys are doing shows, it'll be me do at the Senior Bowl. But I'm sure you guys will handle that the best you can. But yeah, we'll get started when this will you know, and the draft never stops. I mean, you know, they're gonna get some picks, they're gonna get an opportunity to make their team better. There's a free way of doing it, you know, So by all means, let's talk about it. Well, we'll accept your

collect call. I don't anybody make a collect call if you're in jail. If you're in jail, you're calling collect. I think I've been in jail. The only guy here's been in jail. That's that's that's the line. I'm the only guy here it's been in jail. Yeah. So anyway, Yeah, it's well, yeah, the off season's always Hey, it's off season. Yeah, that's what you do. Now, you kind of get you get your team together. It's the best drop we got. I love it. It's not the actually the Miles Austin

that one too, Thank you, Miles. Okay, that wins. Yeah, you go absolutely every time. And today is deadline day for the underclassmen to declare. What do you think it's happening in Oklahoma? Yeah, what's your quarterback in the I think he's declaring he wants fifteen million from the A's. That right, I think the A's are gonna give it to him. I don't I'm not sure that that's true. It's too high. I think that inflated got thrown out there, and I don't it's others have said that's not true. Um,

but you know one thing about that. And we're talking about Kyler Murray. The rules on the supplemental draft, But could he go play with the report for spring training? Go with the a's through in play a base half a season baseball and spent drafts in July. Now you're going down Ken you declare YEA, and what are the circumstances. It's usually post it's usually post draft that that happened, right, and we get into like May, and then we the rules change on that, the date changes on that. It's

depending on who's in. Let's just say that, think you can. I think you could qualify that. I'm not conserning. I've never had to deal with a I don't remember a

baseball I don't remember a baseball player. Let's say okay, Let's say he doesn't declare today, he goes and plays baseball, and then he would have the option of returning to OU for his senior year if once okay, or the other option is okay, he's playing baseball, declare make himself available for the supplemental draft, and I'm sure a team could take him if if he doesn't like the quarterback needy teams right now yeah okay, and doesn't want to go to those places, but he feels like there is

a team that would be willing to spend a first round pick in first round money in the supplementary balls, you know, like, for instance, let's say the Saints. Let's say Sean Payton likes him whatever, and he did that, then that would be a way to do his baseball thing and still whatever. Anyway, I just hasn't been mentioned, and so I thought i'd throw it out there. I know we haven't. Okay, just real quick, because I don't want to make this the draft show. But where does

where do you see him being selected? Just right now? Where would you guess at what point in the draft would you be would see him being selected. I didn't think he would be that high given his size. But when I hear rumors of old Kingsbury might want him at Arizona and take him high in the draft like number one if they had the pick, didn't somebody say that he said that when he was at Tech. When he was at Tech, Yeah, he didn't know yet he

wasn't coaching job. Yeah, he wasn't coaching Josh Rosen yet. Yeah. I I don't see him as a first round pick. Me personally, he's an aggie. I got nothing against the guy. I got nothing nothing against See. How about a guy like John Gruden with three first round picks. You see him like getting picked at twenty four mazel picked. Okay, let's say that. Okay, I don't see him being a top ten picky. But that's a masket depending on where

you see him. That's where he could say, if people see me as a top ten pick, I'm in I'm going I'm gonna play football. If he's not a top ten pick, then now you know where does he look at himself? Then? And then you're looking at the money aspect of that absolutely critical past. Yes, yes, well I think the money is the ultimately ultimate decision, right because baseball I don't think I mean guaranteed baseball player guaranteed. Yeah, but it's so far down the road, it's it's like

boil in the minor league three or four years. Yeah, what's three years until you even get to the major league? How many years you have to wait to get paid. It's like Dak Prescott same, you're waiting if you're if your first round pick, they could even they could even carry you another year because you're you know, if your option. That's right? Plus baseball? I mean he's good, right, but how many I don't know how good he is in baseball?

You know? Lead off? We have a better idea, We have a better idea what kind of NFL player he can be than what kind of Major League Baseball player? Obviously Billy Bean in Oakland thinks he could damn play baseball. He took him ninth overall. Yeah, but I watched money Ball. But how do these guys? How many first round picks make it in baseball? There are? I mean no, no, it's not the same as football bats. And how about Johnny Manziel and how no, No, what I'm saying is

how many even make it to major leagues? Yeah? Sure? Two eighty hitting center fielder with no power. Let's go to Ken in Shreveport, Ken, how are you I'm playing for? How about you? Guys? Great? To my call? I got a circle question number one? I had heard you think lately on Pravis Frederick, how's his health looking? At going into next year should be fine with the government of Michael Gallup. I'm wondering what the status is on Karrence Williams.

And also in the game Saturday night, I don't remember seeing Damien Wilson. Was he not playing? They played, Yeah, they didn't play, but the last player of the game, they played Bass. Basically they played Nickel the whole game is what they did. So Damian Wilson, yeah, he wasn't

in until the last basically the last player of the game. Okay, because the other question I have is this, I'm looking at the team and staid of going into the next year, what kind of weaknesses do you think we have and who do you think will or what do you think we will address in the draft? And also frets and I'll hang up and listen. Got twos left in the show.

All right, So fred Frederick you I think Frederick is gonna You know, Frederick has come out and basically said it, other than his conditioning, he feels pretty good about the where he's at, so hopefully that would be a good positive thing for him. As far as what you need to address, you know, it depends on who you lose. You're gonna lose they are they gonna do they franchise? Are they gonna get a deal done with Lawrence? Anybody want to anybody want to hedge a bet right now? Yeah?

I think they will, Mickey, I think they do. Okay, Then that takes care of the defensive end spot. Okay, what are you gonna do at tidy end? You're happy with all three of the tight ends you got, It's something i'd look at. Okay, we're gonna think about drafting to tide end. What about safety? You guys happy with Jeff Heath the way he played or any of those other guys not in the first round? Okay, then we're gonna have a first round No, no, looking at a

safety right there? Then how about defensive tackle? Got the human log you know we've got to You're not gonna probably have David Irving this this campaign, like you didn't have him this year. I'll take I'll take some competition there. Okay, we're gonna look at a defensive tackle there. How about about back up running back? Yes, yes, okay, they were looking now we were looking strongly at a running How

about a slot receiver? That's another I went cold. Beasley free agent Cole Beast is going to be a free agent. I think colebas is coming back here. But even going forward, even if Cole Beasley came back, still I have a need. Or how about offensive tackle? You're happy with you? You worried a little bit about Tyrant Smith in his health? Are you worried about the contract in a couple of years of Lyle Collins. I would look at depth at that position. Oh my gosh, we're looking at a lot

of things, guys. Mm. Yeah, I tried to answer the man's question there. I think how about linebacker? How about yeah, how about linebacker? Absolutely? Aman Wilson's a free agent, isn't he? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I don't know about Sean Lee and John Lee. I think I think Sean Lee. I think that decision is probably gonna have to be make too. Maybe Sean Lee

will make that decision for you. M you know, but I, like I said, you can go a you could go a thousand different ways here, depending on every position on the roster. Every position. Yeah, especially I'll tell you what. Let's not sleep on that backup running back thing, by the ways, right, that might have held your hostage a little bit. Look at what the Rams did well. I mean, yeah, they picked that guy. Happen four weeks ago, five weeks ago. What a great store Saints have. Look at what the

Patriots have running back, I mean, safety, d tackle. So yeah, I mean everybody on periscope is kind of dancing with us right now. Smart fans, kicker, kickers and other things. There you go. Ye see, there's so many different way this team is far from being set. And if you tell me that the biggest one, the biggest thing I have to do is get Lawrence done. And I've got that done. I'm in. Let's go all right. Now, we'll

figure about drafted. Maybe I could get maybe, maybe I call that guy out there in the Pacific Northwest and say, listen, this is what I got in for a couple of years, for a couple of years. If he says no, then I'm moving on. There's a safety at Delaware I really liked too. I've already seen. You know, there's guys out there. They don't have a lot of major free agent decisions to make. I think three four starters. Beasley's one, obviously Lawrence.

I think Beasley walks. But they've got they've they've got a lot of spots where they say we can improve here, we could look at doing this here. There's no question question even though it's a young team where they feel good about a lot of young players. Yep, you know what. Every team can do that, and especially if you're eliminated. When this team was eliminated, right, yeah, I bet the Saints will sit there in three weeks and go, we you know, we couldn't the thud, Nick, it's we that

I know. It's the thud. You're running nine hundred miles an hour and you hit the wall and you thud, and everybody says, oh, oh God, get rid of this. Do this to you know, No, you systematically find a way with a plan to figure this out. And MC caller said something about Terrence Williams. Terrence Williams is gone. Yeah, I think that's that's got another year left technically on his deal. Yeah, I think yeah, But technically he's a good Let me tell you what, this receiving corps might

not be bad. If the four guys you run out there are are going to be is guaranteed money's done. Yeah, right, But I think about the four guys. If you run out Cooper, you run out there, gallop, you run out Brown and you run out I'm on you. What my guy, Cedric Wilson, Guy, Cedric Wilson, don't sleep on Cedric Wilson because I think he's a better Alan Hearns. Alan Hearns

is a tough s ob. I'm not saying broke his ankle, but I'm saying Alan Hearns never once complained, never you did everything he had to do, made a player to a game. Give me that guy too. Tavon's a free agent too. Yeah, y, this receiving corp might it's not going to be a committee next year. It's gonna be legitimate guy's plan. Get ready for that, and hopefully that will help the quarterback and hopefully the runner. We got to get the runner some help, you know. So he

kind of became that at the end of the year. Yeah, you know, yeah, yeah. Would you dare draft a fullback? Moves round? Yeah? I'm is there a fullback? I was gonna say there's probably none of there's a defensive end that will convert. I look at cornerback too, corn nerf back? All right, court her, all right, We're back with more talking about talking cowboy. As the week progresses, This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.