Talkin' Cowboys: What Went Wrong In Denver?

an hour delay from the rain. But last night the Cowboys fall to one and one on the season, losing to the Broncos forty two seventeen in a game that became a blowout. And I speaking for myself here, but I didn't see that necessarily coming. But before we get to that, how are you guys doing today? You're hanging in there, You're keeping your heads up. Good to go, let's go, Ready to go, Ready go. These guys will break it down for you and tell you how the

Cowboys will get back on track. And first of all, let's start with the main topic of it all. Ezekiel Elliott plays the game nine carries for eight yards total in the game. How were the Broncos just completely able to take him out of the game? Not even make him a threat be the Broncos. Brian, you want to take it, go ahead, if you got any thought, I think it's got to be credit to the Broncos defense

first and foremost. I think this to me, this was the Giants game last December exaggerated in terms of the Broncos personnel stepping up and stopping running lanes. They did a terrific job. I mean their mo is to crowd the line of scrimmage, load the box. As Brian watched the tape, he didn't see a ton of that. Yeah, saw that a little bit. But really they just they controlled the line of scrimmage. They dominated. That's really the

only simple answer. Really. At four times they played eight man box, three times they played seven man box and some runs. So yeah, I didn't. I didn't feel like that they had to. I'll tell you where they that Cowboys had some problems is they had some individual guys lose in the running game. You know, individual blocks lose. Jason went and lost one time in a running game situation.

Chaz Green lost in a one on one situation. But Rob's right, the Broncos just did a nice job of when it came to playing run defense, you know, and I'll tell you what really helped them in this game to control the run was the fact that they were able to make the Cowboys have to try and score along with them. I think that took the Cowboys out of their game plan to try and run. I mean, you didn't have some success all of a sudden, you

kind of look up in the next CEO. They're they're driving the football and you and they're scoring, and they're scoring and their scoring, and You're now kind of in one of those modes where I got to figure out what we got to do to kind of get back in this football game. But the running game never materialized. And you know, a lot of it had to do with really what what the Broncos were able to do upfront.

I thought the Broncos were basically movable with their defensive front, and I don't think it was one of the better games for the Cowboys offensive line, not only run blocking but also protecting the quarterback. There was a lot of dirty quarter dirty pockets for the quarterback. They just got

beat up front. They just absolutely got whipped. And that's one of the things, you know, maybe we need to tap the brakes on Oh this is the best offensive line in the National Football League because the shirt and didn't play like it, which caused a lot of problems. When Zeke gets nine carries in only eight yards, there was nowhere to go. I thought they would run outside a lot more to get away from them three hundred and eighty pounders they had in the middle there. But

you know they tried that too. Oh they couldn't get outside. Nothing was over. So what Jason Garrett said was they had to pass their way out of that problem, and they were incapable of passing their way. I know a lot of people want to say he was blaming it on Dak, but to me, he was blaming it on the entire passing game. The blocking up front. Some of the routes that were being run were not very crisp

or accurate. Drop balls, drop balls for interceptions when you play like that on offense, and you know, look, the Cowboys aren't the eighty five Bears on defense, and they know they got to score points to win. And when you after two games only have three touchdowns and one was a gift on a fumble recovery at the three yard line, you're having problems offensively because You've got to score points to win. You're not gonna win playing defense

with this team, You're right, Mickey. And last week a big discussion and going again to the Giants was going to be how is this team going to handle red zone efficiency? They didn't do it that well in the Giants and they definitely didn't do it well last night. Thirty three percent in the red zone compared to the Broncos obviously one hundred percent. Yeah, so how do you fix that problem? How do you get don't get behind thirty five seventeen start, But that's where the red zone

problems came in at the end of the game. At the beginning of the game, they weren't getting to the red zone right, They were punting right, that was the problem. They at halftime, what did they have about one hundred yards total offense? If that they had less than two hundred and the fourth quarter, Yeah, they were at like one sixty seven midway through the fourth. I mean that that hasn't happened for this offense in years. I think it was like sixty something at a halftime. Sixty Where

are you looking? I think I think the Broncos secondary had a lot to do with you know, we talk about the running game. I think the Broncos secondary had a lot to do with the Cowboys misery overall. I don't think the Cowboys. Mickey's right. And we could talk about the blocking up front, you know, we could talk about all the things like that and pressure and whatever

you want to say. But I think the Broncos secondary was clearly better than what the Dallas receivers were, you know, and that's and that's if you're not getting open or you're not you know, you're you're not even having any type of success. I can't tell you how many times I looked up watching and thinking, Okay, somebody's gonna come open late. And nobody comes open late. I mean, they're playing single high and nobody's open, and you know, Dak's

having to try and make some throws. Mickey's right. The Dez Bryant interception was really unfortunate. You know, that's something that you know, you don't see from him that the balls. Dak threw some really poor balls. The interception that went back for one hundred and three yards was a poorly thrown ball. He should have thrown that ball to Deaz. I mean, with the way the way that to Lee was playing Deaz all day. I would have stayed away

from to Lee, but that didn't matter. If you go the other way, they're the two corners were just Harrison the But yeah, they were just as good. Yeah, I mean it was just as good. It was a it was as bad. They they talked about blueprints and whatever. No, their players were just clearly better. Yeah, they were better at they were better on they were better on the upfront, they were better in the secondary, and they surely tackled

better than what we saw from the Cowboys defense. I'm glad Brian mentioned blueprint because that's kind of a narrative coming out of this game that, oh, now there's if you have those players, good luck, go play it all day. Now there's a template for stopping the Cowboys. Where was that template for most of last year? I mean, sure, okay, the players stop the run and play man to man and forced the Cowboys to throw. There's only certain number

of defenses that can do that. We've seen the Giants be able to do it, and the Broncos had been able to do it. Minnesota played them well too last year. But the difference and we'll get to the Cowboys defense, I'm sure, but really efficient Broncos offense way more efficient than what the Giants were able to do. And a lot of that was the Cowboys I'm doing defensively, we're struggling. You brought up Dez Bryant and he talked about it

just being a bad day at the office. He said, then he had a bad day and I called him out. I called him out on you got the prediction right, we got the over anxious out of his game. As Bryant, I sure got what the word you you used last Friday, volcano? Volcano? Does he he lost his composure, sure, and lost his especially after he dropped the slant that went for an interception. Then he wasn't running accurate routes. That's he wasn't on the same page with Dak. Dak's throwing back, shoulders stops

and he's going and the cornerbacks are breaking. That's somewhat would happened in the end zone on that interception. Absolutely, Dak thought he was gonna stop and kept going. It was it was he let to leave undercut the route. Yeah, just to pour, I just thought, I mean, you know, I mean, it's you're right though, that to me, you could talk about the Broncos front, but and von Miller

and what, you know, what he was able to. In a matter of fact, you know, looking at the overall numbers for for Lhile Collins, you know on thirty four snaps, I had a thirty four gradable snaps for him. Yeah, you had twenty plus his twelve minuses and two really ungradable plays. So you know that's you know, but von Miller ended up with two sacks. He also had four off sides playing. I just told you, really the desperation I didn't think. I didn't think that Lyle Collins was terrible. Again,

I didn't, I really did. I've seen offensive tackles play far worse than that. And and but you know, the the the narrative, as Rob likes to use that word, the narrative is, oh, that Lyle Collins got his ass kicked. That's really not I don't think the case there. Now, if you want to say the offense as a whole got their ass king, yeah they did. They didn't do

a very good job of run blocking. The quarterback was off, the receivers were off, like you said, and the Broncos secondary just did a great job of just choking anything else off you were trying to don His two sacks came late in the fourth quarter. Now, he did have five quarterback hits, right, so they were getting part of the bonuses. Yeah, they were. They were getting pressure on Dak, but the sacks came real late, and he should have been called for more off sides he than he did.

They were jumping the snap count, and there was a couple of times it was obvious he was off size. They didn't throw a flag, so I think there's a couple of times he missed loile jumping out of his stance though too too. So yeah, it was probably a wash, Not sure, probably a wash. Those guys had probably a wash by the way. Yeah, but yeah, they they just didn't keep Dak clean. They were coming and they weren't really blitzing. They played their three fourth front right, you know.

And and they kind of stayed with it too. They didn't play Nickel a lot. They said, no, we're gonna put a because there was a lot of times they had a linebacker in the slot. Uh. And but they were getting to Dak where he couldn't wait for guys to get open. It had to be quicker. They couldn't get down the field, and then when you get behind, well they they had their place, They had their safeties

playing in Boulder. Yeah, you know, they were so deep and and the cornerbacks were you know, ten yards off the line of scrimmage and it's like, hey, big boy, eat all you want underneath, but you're not getting over the top. They didn't come out trying to run the ball though. The first fourteen plays they had three Zke runs, ten throws and one Dack scramble. So they tried early and I don't know if abandon is the right word,

but they went past happy early on in the game. Well, I felt like though that once they once they felt like they couldn't run, once they saw some of the earth. I'd given credit to Denver's offense. I think Denver did exactly on offense to win that game what Dallas needed to do. I mean the run, the football, control, passing, game break. Some tackles put pressure on, put pressure on Trevor Simeon to have to make throws to keep up.

Never had to, never had to. Never. You know, the one when it was seven to seven, you're thinking like, well, maybe Dallas is going to find some traction here. Yeah, but they didn't, you know, and then the mis tackles and all that started happening, And yeah, it's difficult. It's difficult to play from behind in this league, especially when

you get way behind in this list. C. J. Anderson was terrific for that, and a lot of mistackles by the cow was Broncos take nine to fifteen on third down, and really Simon only had a couple real third and longs in the entire game. You to make nine third and eleven third and fifteen late when the game was already out of hand, you had to make it worse than that. It was nine of twelve till they got to the fourth quarter, right. All they were trying to

do is burn clock right exactly. And you know, we well get really into the Cowboys defense and how kind of a little bit different narrative than the week one whenever it was ready to call this the best defense in the NFL. But going back to Dak pres say, everybody maybe not Mickey, I don't think anybody here said that. I thought they were going to play better than they

thought they would have played. I thought the running game would travel, but deminishing returns when you're playing all those young kids in the backfield that hadn't played in the positions they were asking over play, but that was that was secondary. We'll get there, get there, we'll get there. We want up front, Hey, we'll get to that. I'm right before you had to dive into that. But let's

talk more about Dak Prescott. We pre game, we're talking about how he is about to cross off this milestone at five hundred pass attempts with the fewest interceptions known to an NFL quarterback, and here he goes and has two picks. Mickey explained it to you about playing behind like that. Of course you're rushing your passes, but that's just so unlike him to have had one pick. You're calling the Dez won the goodness gracious, he's got to

catch that and go twenty yards. Has saved a couple others he did well, Yeah, because that might have been their best defensive back yesterday. It could have been three slash four picks in that game potentially, but it wasn't. And one of them what shouldn't have been there? It should have been a twenty yard reception. But why was Dak so inaccurate? I told you he didn't get any protection. He was under fire the whole game. They were all

around him. Who do you think was the weakest link the offensive line as a whole on the offense and the fact that they couldn't run the game. So now Denver said, huh, we got this run. Stop, let's go get him. The week is linked on the offensive line, you know what I mean? It didn't to me. I thought the press, I thought the pressure wasn't bad until the very end of the just watching the film, just watching the film, I mean I was looking for I was looking for a Chaz Green bust. He had one,

I was. I mean one where he just clearly, you know, gave up the guy. I was looking for Lyle Collins to really have a bunch of them. I mean, I didn't feel like that. Like I say, I gave you the breakdown to him. Twenty minus plays. That's gonna be some pressure there. That's gonna be some you know, some things where it's late pressure stuff. But I'm just telling you to me, there were no there was nowhere to throw this football, nowhere to throw this football. I think

cowboys on the receiving corps. If you watched them as a whole was probably the best they'd been covering to some Giants games. Giants game last the Giants games. There have been some games where you're like, man, there is nobody open here. But when even even when Dak had time to make a throw, there was nobody down the fields. Some of the things he checked down or through to Zeke or throw underneath or made some of those shows

there was nobody down the field that was open. Beasley, who you normally think is he wasn't open, you know. And then and then like the one like he makes a kind of a miracle pass on an off sides play down the field to Bryce Butler. Butler was open, but it looked like everybody kind of stopped on the play a little bit. And now that allowed Butler to get open. But other than that, I mean it, Jason Witton,

I mean, think about what happened. Though Jason Winton had a touchdown, dropped a touchdown, Bryce Butler had drop dropped it, that would have been a fourth and one at at you know, it's a third and fifteen and he drops it, it's gonna be right at the sticks. They're gonna mark him a yard short. But I'm just looking at these receivers and I'm thinking, Okay, if it turns into a passing game, you gotta get open and then and nobody did.

Nobody did and that and that's the thing that you know when you say, well, how do you stop the Cowboys were stopped the running? Well, no, just stop the receivers. Make make that Prescott have to make a bunch of tough throws. Da Dak put the blame on himself post game. He's the quarterback and he kind of fell on the sword. I think he had a part of it. Obviously, he missed. He missed some throws and he spoke to what you said, Brian, that there's tight windows and I've got to be able

to make some of those throws. But but again you're right, guys aren't open. But it was it was interesting Tay watching Dak in the post game. It was like Mickey was there. It was it was like he was looking at all the media members like okay, you get my point here, like I'm this is the narrative, Like I'm I'm following on the sword here. Yeah, And you know that's what a quarterback does. I don't think it's all

on him. Definitely not his best game, but yeah, there was some other factors in it that made made life difficult for him. I'll be honest, I thought he I thought the pressure was there. Now he got they marked him down for seven quarterback hurries or hits. I thought it was more than that. It felt like he got sacked six times. You watched you if you sit down and really and Mickey, I know, you go back and see this some more. If you go back and watch

the tape. There are times where he has the ability to throw the football and there's no but and he but he has to come off the read so fast because of what's going on. I mean, it's like cover cover Now now you're now you get the leakage or whatever, a little bit of pressure that you have. Count the hurries or hits. Yeah, count count the times he had to run, which I think was three and those weren't called runs, right, and then to dump offs the dead sure,

I mean to Zeke, those weren't called that. That was safety valve right, So that that probably was a dozen plays right there? Easy? Easy? Yeah, And so you didn't have let me beginning with sixty six I think, and then count the drops you know, it was just a horrible passing day. It wasn't all him, it was the entire unit. And that's what Jason Garrett said after the game. We had to pass our way out of here, out

of that problem when we couldn't do it right. Yeah, we will get into all of this and more the defense what went wrong there? Join us in the SWBC mortgage studio right after this break, We the entertainment loving people, demand the best unlimited wireless plan ever from AT ANDT. What else do you want? Are you in a car? Maybe only AT and T offers you unlimited data with HBO included and never payoverages. Get ATNT Unlimited Plus our best wireless deal and unlimited data plus save twenty five

dollars per month on direct TV. It's entertainment. You're right after twenty two three delights of data us A and Team may slow speeds. Plan includes stream saving videos, will stream and standard definition unless you turn it off. Twenty five dollars directed savings across AT and T Unlimited Plus credits start within three bills. Service prices such act to change other usage, speed fees, charges and restrictions. Supplies The

att dot Com slash unlimited for details. Hey Cowboys fans, did you know that over the next few years, more than a million service members will transition from military to civilian life. Veterans face unique challenges when they get out of the military, and Bank of America and the Dallas Cowboys are teaming up to help with financial education, career opportunities, and support of military nonprofits and organizations locally in North

Texas and across the country. We're proud to support our troops and are deeply grateful for the debt, medication, and sacrifice of our service members and veterans. Bank of America Official Bank of the Dallas Cowboys invites you to join us in our efforts to get involved by tagging game day photos on social media using hashtag troop thanks. That's hashtag troop thanks, and by learning more about our commitment

to veterans at Bank of America dot com slash Military Support. Together, we can thank our troops and ways that make a real difference. Copyright twenty sixteen, Bank of America Corporation. It's bowling night with brands and you're hanging out together top us there, but you're craving something better, but they're fust de consign you don't know what to do, you do the same. Believe doctor Pepper. When pepper, when you crave

a doctor Pepper, nothing else will do. Pick up a nice cold twenty ounce bottle today, Doctor Pepper on you crab. I hear all this talk about what it takes to be a cowboy. Everyone's got their ideas, but I just say to myself, it's what's up top that matters. Sure, you need men with the muscle and heart to get her done. But if your scouts and coaches are listening out there a word of advice. Pick the man with the most well worn stetson. That's the one most cut

out to be a cowboy. Stetson hats are handmade right here in Texas and have been on cowboys heads for over one hundred and fifty years. The rest of you can visit stetson dot com slash cowboy to find a retailer nearest you. This is talking cowboys. In football, adjusting your plays are key to a win, but underwear adjustments or something we'd rather avoid. That's why there's Tommy John, the twenty first century men's underwear that never rides up.

Tommy John, no adjustment needed. Shop exclusive Cowboys underwear at Tommy john Ford Slash Cowboys for twenty percent off your first order Tommy john dot com Fort Slash Cowboys. Do you know while the Cowboys were squirming, I wasn't in the press box because well, that's good. Tommy John's maybe taking care of old Mickey over there, which I appreciate because it was a game where they needed to make some adjustments, and particularly to their secondary. Let's address some

injuries that occurred during the game. Of course, Orlando Skendrick was inactive. People thought he was going to play. We knew it here, right, Brian, do your sign? He was out. Nolan Carroll gets a little bit banged up in the game, then it goes out with a concussion. Cheeto early in the game goes out with the same hamstring injury. How do they even evaluate these dbs now in the depth that they're going to have their Jordan Lewis, playing his first game, gets a pick. But Mick, what are they

gonna do? Help us out? They gotta get healthy? How can they do that? Benet ben Wiker, were you better get ready to play? Because I got a feeling Carroll's not playing. I mentioned this Friday, just a possibility of

Noah Brown being active. You guys surprised at that. I mean, I guess you can't predict that two of your corners are going to go down because you're saying it should have maybe been been a Well, they were in a tight situation there because okay, you're you're without Scandric, right, but you it's like on the other side of the ball, Terrence Williams in practice, Bryce Butler wasn't practicing the whole week, So you had two wide receivers that you didn't know

if they can make it through the game. Also, so you kind of pick your poison there on who you keep active. I think between Noah Brown and Ben Rickery. You know, as it turned out, yeah, they could have used him because not only did you have to play Jordan Lewis about I'm gonna guess about forty snaps more than you planned on, because he was just going to be out there on dime and play special teams. He

had to be basically your starter. And then because you ran out of corners, Xavier Woods, your safety has to come in and play the nickel spot in the slot. But she's done that, But did that second or third time. Right, Yeah, yeah, he ain't doing it against Sanders and Thomas. That's a fair point, you know. So yeah, I mean, you know, you got to the point where, okay, fine, you know it's a bold thing to say, next man up. But when the guys aren't prepared to do what they were doing,

I'm sorry, you just get diminishing return. You want a bright spot in this one, I do. I'll give you one bright spot that I saw. It's the fact that Jordan Lewis played and I'm and I'm okay with that. I mean, I know it sounds you know, we're we're you know, Mickey's right. The kid took absolutely no snaps during the week of practice with the ones. Maybe one or two. I mean, I just asked me, how much did he really he goes? He didn't. This guy goes.

He didn't practice very much with the ones, the twos. I mean, he's gonna do it here he is. He plays similar to what Anthony Brown had to do the other day against the Giants, playing thirty five snaps in the slot. That to me was encouraging the fact that he was out there. Was he perfect? No, he wasn't. Was it good positioning on this interception. Absolutely he could have been. He could have been on the on the route that Thomas is stumbling and he could have you know,

stumbled right along with him. Instead, he held his position, ball was to him, showed ball skills, got up the field. He tackled well in this game. They brought him in a couple of different times where he was like a slot slot player and to try and stop the run. He was able to do that. I think the physicality which he played with I thought was good. So yeah, if he has to play, I'm all for that. I

like the fact that he didn't back down. No, he struggled, but you know what, he kept coming if you kept playing hard, if you've given up on Nolan Carroll, if Norland Carroll's But yeah, I can say Ben Wickery was a guy that I thought to get Demontre Moore back on the roster this week. Matter of fact, he gets to come off I think tomorrow because we got a money night game tonight. Yeah, the different week. Yeah, so tomorrow will be his first time that he can come back.

I was thinking ben Wickery was going to be that guy, but I don't think it. Can't do it now because you've got to you've got to look at it. You're thinking about him possibly playing. So to me, you know what, it's a shame of Woozier went down because I was hopeful that him and Lewis and those guys and Brown, we're all gonna get opportunities to keep playing, just no matter how good or bad, just keep playing and figure it out with those guys. Maybe Jordan Lewis is better

than Nolan Carroll. That that was my hope. I mean that when that was gonna be what I was thinking, Hey, if he's gonna have to start, put him out there, limb start. But you know, Scandrick Brown, Lewis, give me his Minio's cornerbacks that can cover. I just we'll see on a Woozier. But there's got to be some concern there that this is going to be another multi weak type injury. Oh, it will be. It's the same. He

will being aggravated. That's why they try to bring those guys along slowly with those soft tissue injuries because you don't want to reaggravate it. And that's what he's done. And it's just a shame for a young guy to not have this on field reps. He missed enough time in camp already. I mean, what did he play two series? And basically yeah, yeah, so they've they've got a tough decision to make it. They want more on the fifty

three man roster. Somebody's got to go. It was his man on the It was his man on the on the first touchdown. You know, let us go inside. You can't do that. I'm not on the goal line, you can't. Jane Rone Elliott was also inactive yesterday, the new linebacker they brought in. And surprisingly, guys, this team, even though they went against some of the best runners in the league last year, hadn't allowed a one hundred yard rusher since two thousand Alfred since yeah, the two thousand and

fifteen season, Alfred Moors with the Redskins. Obviously, he didn't even play yesterday. Oh, he played a couple of snaps. Why did they put there? He did not pay? He did. He did play. A mistake, made a mistake there. He played. He did because I was curious. Mistake I was curious rod Smith at the end though, right, no, no, but he played one snap. He tried to they they they they were gonna run. I think that we're gonna run a screen, and he kind of checked up and then

went out. But he did play in the game. I noticed that just watching the tape. So Shaun Lee comes out and he's just like Dak Prescott, the quarterback of the defense, basically saying, this was my worst game ever. And I saw you right about it, Brian. The tackling. Why was it not there for him? Yeah? That that I think the for him or just as the unit.

I think as the team. Yeah, as the unit was bad, and you know, and then it's the great example though, was the twenty eight yard run that that Anderson had where you know he was able to just I mean it was it was incredible. Yeah, I mean he's running through Jeff Heath, He's running through Janal Smith, he's running through Sean Lee, he's running through uh Nolan Carroll, you know all these guys. He's just but yeah, as a group,

it was really poor. They did they didn't They physically got beat up in that part that I thought felt like that the Broncos running the ball, catching the ball, it made it difficult that you know, where the Cowboys were. Their guys when they made a play got tackled, the Broncos made it very difficult the way their ball carriers and the open field and stuff, the running backs, the receivers,

the tight end. I mean, they they made it. It seemed like every time they were their plays were finishing going forward, and you know there was somebody hanging on, you know, hanging getting drug an extra three or four yards. So yeah, when you when you don't wrap up. There was a lot of shoulder throwing in their body tackling. And when you do that, then you're not gonna You're not gonna have a very good day tackling overall. Is it blasphemous to say that they missed Anthony Hitchins in

this game? Just insulted. I didn't think I didn't think that that Jalen Smith was terrible. Okay, I didn't think he was terrible, and I you know, some of the stuff right at him. I thought he handled very well. There were a couple of times the outside that he was in position, Like you said, Mickey, I know your questioning that, and that's fair, but I felt like that that when he had a couple of times where he just fell off where it normally you might see him

wrap up a little bit better. I think he led the team in tackle how he did with ten, probably could have had three more. But they ran for one hundred and seventy eight yards. Yeah, And what did I say Friday, If they ran for one hundred and forty yards like they did against the Chargers, Cowboys were gonna get beat. Yeah, and they ran for one hundred and seventy eight. That's not just Jaylen, that's Sean No. I'm saying front. Yeah, they had. The front was bad, and

then they also had problems to the safety. The safety play was bad too, as far as when the guys came down, I mean Byron Jones had a couple of them where he missed one right in there. Yeah, he missed one till he was getting cracked. He was getting cracked by Thomas and he was gonna he's looking at the play next, you know, his eyes look, and then Anderson just goes right by him. He's missed a couple. He fell down once. Uh. MALIEK. Collins was m I A. I don't know what happened with him. He had an

assisted tackle, yeah, early in the game, assisted tackle. Well, early in the game. Won early in the game. I thought he was better early in the game, you know, the matter of fact, when they got the fumbles, the twist stunt that they were able to run and get him home. But overall, you know, these uh, I'll tell you,

Ron Larry had attack of a game for them. It makes a difference, you really did playing right guard and there and they're and they're you know, left guard has kind of been a revolving door over there for them. But they they up front, they were dated a nice job. You know, Tank got a couple of pressures and a couple of the sacks. But other than that, you got to give the Broncos a tip to Cap Again, everything that Dallas needed to do to win that football game,

the Broncos did. That's if the game planned to win. The Broncos did. And they still can't find somebody to be effective at the right defensive end spot. Those guys did nothing, no, nothing. Yeah, Taco Taco had one time where he had spin move that got a little pressure forcing completion. Yeah, that was it. But other than that, I mean, they're they're looking they're looking for Yeah, he

just he didn't do very well. Tyron Crawford was in there, he's tackle and yeah, but their right tackle spot for Denver. You wrote about this, that was the weak link for yeahson. Yeah, Watson was the weak link and they and they were able to take advantage of that. And you know, but you couldn't never get them in a situation where it was third and long and you had to throw the football.

You never would get him in that where like they had the Giants the other day, where they're able to get some pass us or generate some pass rush because of down and distance. They were in a lot of third and fourth. Yeah, they were way ahead of the change the second down, and I mean second down in one, A lot of that, second and two, a lot of that, either because they threw the football or they were able to run for six seven yards at the time. Well,

we have a caller on the line. You guys can still call us the numbers two, one, four, eight seven, two, twenty one or two. But let's welcome in rocket from Orlando. Hi, guys, how y'all doing today? Good? Oh? Painful? Painful. It was painful to watch, not because we had our shirts handed to us, but because of the kind of attitude that

was demonstrated throughout the game. I mean, nothing demonstrated this better to me than Zeke's response to the interception that was in his vicinity, and whenever the whenever Aikman on the other chap got the camera back, he just had his hands on his hits instead of running and chasing the ball. I was so irate when I saw that, just a really, really bad attitude Brady would have had people lit up on the sidelines, and we don't. We just don't have anybody with that intensity certainly that I

saw in that game. Okay, well, so the second point, the second point I wanted to make quickly is that a number one receiver is not synonymous with elite, and we're paying Dez to the elite, and we just haven't seen that in the last few years. And Brian, you were right that Carol's really not an upgrade at that position. So I just I'll come off and listen to you guys chat. Thanks a lot for taking the call. Thank you. Rocket.

Garrett on the fan this morning was asked about Ezekieli giving up on that plane, if he believed that he did or not, and I thought he had an interesting answer. You know, he's a coach, he knows how to handle these types of situations, so maybe this is just coach speak, but he said, of course, you always want guys to pursue the football. That's what you teach them. What what'd you coach them? But he thought this was a great coaching moment for the entire team to see that when

you don't pursue the football, it's going to fire back. Sure. Sure, right, that's that's the foundation of their program, right and Zeke and Zeke's a competitor. I think I think these guys got frustrated. They got frustrated because I think we established it. I mean, they just got beat down up front, both lines of scrimmage, Denver dominated, and I think it wears on you after a while. No excuse for you, I mean, you can't do that. But yeah, that's that's that's where

it came to. Essentially, people now taking shots at Zeke you know, oh yeah, fight you know, yeah, yeah, you know, and all of a sudden, you know, and and and nothing against Rocket the caller. I'm saying. I'm just saying that, you know. It's it's amazing how we go this in this game from a week to week. We're like a week to week team is what we are as fans. Weird that's way, and you know, yeah, it was it bad. Yeah. I think Coach Garrett addressed it, will address it in

the meeting with everybody. Absolutely, he'll say that does Ezeki Elliott know that he should have probably chased that play? Absolutely? But I can also think about the times when Ezeki Elliott was really the only damn thing you had running the football, finishing things out, running over people, making plays, diving for the pylon, picking up guys on blitz, pickup so Dak Prescott. Yeah, you have a bad play. Yeah, do you have a bad game? Yeah? Was he frustrated? Yeah?

But but you sit there and you want to sit there and pile things on him about one play. You got to remember where he's at right now. And I'm not saying because of the off the field stuff, but I don't blame him for being frustrated. I really really don't. Is this team too one dimensional with their run with Ezeki Elliott being their main guy? What do you mean is the team too one dimensional? In leaning completely on Ezeki Elliott? What would you lean on? Well, she's saying,

I believe, I believe what you're saying. I'm not understanding. That's why I'm asking does this do they rely too much on the run, rely too much on the run, because I've seen him throw the ball and be effective. They just weren't effective again this team. I think they ran into a buzz all. I think they still their identity is to be physical, Tay and I and I'm passing and running, yeah, and if if the run can set up the pass, I'm all, yeah, that's that's what

you have to do, you know. And I Rob's right, they ran into a better front, And I thought, I thought that the Giant's front was better than Denver's front. And I still, in my heart of hearts, believe that the Giants the way they play match up with the Cowboys better. But but but you saw what can happen if they If Cowboys have to play an offense that can generate points and generate yards like they like Denver was able to do, that puts them in a bind if they can't run the football. So to me, I

do believe it's still their identity. I do believe it's the best way to win the football games. Because Dak Prescott throwing the ball fifty times is not the answer. It's not the answer for any team. Now, maybe it's Drew Brees or I remember talking to Sean Payton about this. He goes, Heck, I want to run the football, but every time I look up, we've thrown the ball forty one times and we've taken a loss. He goes, So, I think their identity is the right thing. Was it

a bad game yesterday? Absolutely? It was all right. Well, let's take our final break here in the SWBC mortgage studio. We'll come back. We'll get to more questions from the callers. Still, you guys can call us the numbers two one, four, eight seven two twenty one O two. We'll be right back to work this big land. You need equipment with values rooted as deep in Texas soil as you are. Like John Deer compact tractors with a six year power

train warrant to him. Big features that help you work less so you have more time to do what you love. John Deer was first in the Texas fields, and we're proud to be on the field as the official agg and turf equipment of the Dallas Cowboys. Find Texas sized deals at my John Deer Dealer dot com. Slash football terms, conditions,

exclusions and warranty limitations applies. He you lout for details, We the entertainment loving people to man the best unlimited wireless plan ever from AT and T. What else do you want? Are you unicorn? Maybe? Only AT and T offers he unlimited data with HBO included and never pay off. Get ATNT unlimited plus our best wireless deal and unlimited data plus say twenty five dollars per month on direct TV.

It's entertainment. You're right after twenty two FID devices of Data USA and TAM Slow Speeds plan includes stream saving videos with streaming standard definition unless you turn it off. Twenty five dollars direct savings across AT and T Unlimited plus credits starting three bills. Service prices subject to change. Other usage, speed fees, charges and restrictions. Supplies the att

dot com slash unlimited for details. Star Sports Tours is the only official fan travel partner of the Dallas Cowboys, offering exclusive game weekend travel packages with sideline access and photo ops with current players, alumni, and cheerleaders. That's not all, though, You'll get to talk x's and those with Senior Director of Player Personnel Will McClay, and of course with yours

truly me, Brian Broadest. You can trust the official fan travel partner of the Dallas Cowboys, and with us you'll travel like a pro Visit Cowboys travel dot com to book your travel package today. This is talking Cowboys. Hey, we're talking Papa John's pizza here because do you know why it tastes so great? Why greedy? It's like the veggies delivered freshold, never frozen pepperoni, one percent pork and beef, made to U. S DA standards with no fillers whatsoever.

So when you got ingredients like that, you got better pizza. Papa John's. We had that in the studio yesterday where you guys were going s mellot in the frigerator upstairs. Yeah, nicky, you get some cold pizza in the morning. No no, no, yeah, Well you guys could watch and eat some Papa John's tonight as the Giants will be playing Monday Night Football.

Of course the Cowboys we'll be next week. But let's get some NFC East watching in tonight to see the Giants come back from their first loss and we go in two. That'd be nice, so by them down the hatchet? Sure? Why not? How many times did you watch the leverage penalty. I was confused by that one. I appreciate as a former long snapper in college that they're trying to protect the centers. But I don't know how you jumped straight up without putting your hand on the blocker. I didn't

put his head down by toes. Yeah, I don't quite get that I wrote about that wasn't it was on the It wasn't the center either. It was one of the Yeah I've got there. Anybody with their head down, that's what they're trying to protect. They don't want you doing that. But I maybe I don't know the rules anymore in the NFL, I really don't. So what happens is they have these these new rules or the emphasis on these rules, and then the officials over exaggerate what

they're looking at. Because when a guy dives at someone's foot to Marcus Lawrence, and that was his first move and protect yourself, and you pushed them down right, and then you said, okay, I'm gonna jump up. It wasn't like he ran put his hand on the guy right leap. The guy was already down. You're protecting yourself. But just a terrible call. And I know they got beat forty two to seventeen. But at that point in the game

it was seven to seven. It was gonna be ten seven, right, ten seven, it would have been seventeen ten at halftime. What seems like to me a huge difference in twenty one ten. No, you're right, a field goal turned into a touchdown on that call. Can I ask another thing, please? Do Rob, you watch a ton of college football, right, Yeah, both of you guys do, and you watch for college football too. So when Xavier Woods did he is there a college rule about you could be in the end

zone and then come back to get a ball. I believe so. I think he was playing college rule. I think I think what happened when he had a chance to down the ball on the one about and I think Aikman explained it. He said, in college, it's not who's in the end zone, right, it's where the ball is, right. And I think he might have got confused, right, But I think he lost track to exactly where he was,

Like he get back and up. It looked like he was in the end zone and he knew he was in the end zone and he was coming forward like he was playing college football. I need to ask, but when I saw it, because Chris Jones for two weeks has been outstanding that that ball should have been on the one yard line, you know, and Xavier Woods, he's a rookie, I get it, but I think he was in his mind he was playing college football, like I can go in the end zone. I just batted out

and then batted out. Yeah, and where the ball is? I need to ask, I need to ask that. That was another Yeah, that was kind of a crazy There's a couple of plays where I went special teams play special teams well, and the one was it the was it a punt? No, it was a kickoff return. The guy went twenty nine yards. Yeah, and Woods got let up from behind and they didn't call blocking in the back. I thought that was another emphasis. We're right, it's killer penalty,

but overall refs didn't decide. No, I'm not, but there's in the game. He has a couple of questions special teams wise, there's certain spots in the game that changed the momentum. Yeah, I mean when you when you when you get in a sack on third down and force a field goal, that was huge, right, and then all of a sudden they get fifteen yards. Agreed. Yeah, No, let's get back to special teams. Ryan Switzer finally how to be the punt returner that everyone wants him to be.

Didn't quite see that showing what do you expect from him moving forward? Now? Well, I mean he had one return for nineteen yards, right, yeah, so like one, I'm okay with that. I've been asking if we can if you if Mickey's wanting him the block better, if if you get the blocking and you can get him in the open field, we're capable of seeing that. That's you know, twenty twenty almost twenty yards. That's too us first downs right there if you think about it. So, yeah, he can.

He has the ability to make a difference. And I think, and I wrote again this last night, I think that he we're going to see a game where he is going to be the difference maker doing this, where all of a sudden fuel position, hidden yards is going to be because of Ryan Switzer's ability to carry the ball in punt return situations. I may offensive snaps. Did you see him get I think it was two he was couple.

They double slide a couple of times. Yeah. One. At some point I'd like to see him more involved there too. I think he can get going in space for them. I think he's kind of vision with some folks. I think they had a plan for him, and the way that the game went took them out of that plan because you couldn't nibble underneath. Yeah, they were going to let you nimble underneath them, Oh day long after you're

up by fourteen. There's some things that they were willing to do with him, and they just I don't think they could get to it. And that's we'll see maybe the future here. A lot of fans are very upset with Bryce Butler. You talked about his drop earlier, but how has he been able to help this team? How's he at all? I should be They should be upset at me for telling you that Bryce Butler has done

a nice job of finishing. Because Bryce Butler knows he's in training camp, he's not gonna get many He's not gonna get many opportunities. And when he gets an opportunity, he can't drop that football. He can't drop the football on third and fifteen because he catches the ball. It might be fourth and one and maybe Jason Garrett says, you know what we need to try and get this going. Maybe they get your team going, but all of a sudden, you drop a ball. There, he comes back, makes a

nice play. But you can't be fifty percent player if they're gonna if you're gonna have two opportunities to make plays, and every time you're only making half of those plays, you know, then that your shame on him for that. Yeah, and I to me and I'm the guy all along that said, Hey, you know what, here's a guy breakout season. He's gonna finish blah blah blah blah blah, and he's making me look pretty bad right now. Well, you can just go off of what you've seen though, and it

tastes said him. Preseason, he was one of their most consistent players offensively. Yeah, you know, he beat himself up. He's last week over the drop he had against the Giants, but he did come back and almost scored a touchdown with a deep reception. There. You see his potential. You see it there, And I don't know if it's as Brian said, he doesn't get that many opportunities. Are you pressing? You know, are you try are you you know? Are you pressing too much to try to make something happen

with a few opportunities you get I'm not sure. Yeah, but make plays. You gotta make plays. You know he allowed that. He allowed to one. Uh didn't run a good route on that that slant pass last week, loud the guy to hook him. So yeah, I mean he's got to make plays. He had a chance to heay and and he's if you get two chances, you should be two for two. Those are the first ball was catchable. He coming. He does a nice job running around. Coming

back to the football. Go secure that football. All right, Well, let's go secure a phone call. We have Bobby from California on the line. Bobby, what is your question? Hello, guys, Yeah, I'm feeling bad. I'm I'm a long time Cowboy fan, and I've been trying to get through on the wonderful two shows since the summer. I'm so I'm happy to get through. I wish it was on better circumstances. But I guess my question might be primarily for mister Brian broad Us, because I believe he was alignment at LSU.

If I was mistaken, and here is my question. After watching the game, Yes, we have a moonted offensive line. They're great and everything. Yeah, we got stuffed. We all admit that. But my question is, I'm sure Brian may have had a game like that in his past, and it's not what's happened, it's how are we going to go forward? Can we be smart and have heart? Can we do you think this offensive line can because they're a fraternity, can they get together and say this is

not going to happen again? You know? And I'm just wondering if you know how that might transpire in the next couple of days. And I'll hang up and listen to your answer, and thank you very much. I love you guys. Yeah, Brian, that's that's your question. I was gonna ask you Mickey, Yeah, he said, Brian, I'm sorry ask you Mickey. Was alignment in high school? That's right now. We have the thought maybe you run out there and do some secondary help. Yesterday, the guys, did you say

that last week? Did you ask that same question last week? He's got a number three to Jersey, could put it on. Don't worry, just just just be. Don't be one game. This is the end of the world type of person. What have you done? You see it for two or three games in a row. I mean if if if you read my column on Friday, I told you don't jump to conclusions after one game, right, and so now don't jump to conclusions after the next game. Right. It's two games into the season. You know what the Cowboys

record was last year at this time? One or one? Thank you? When was the last time they were able to get to three? And? Oh, that's what I want to know. Even in that twenty fourteen season, they lost the first game against the forty nine ers they were in two thousand and eight. I remember that. I guess you missed the playoffs. But go ahead, heart, you know, did you see did you see lack of heart? Just don't don't don't sweat the little stuff and come up with reasons why I got beat. I just Denver was

awfully good. I thought Jerry Jones was comment after the game was right on the on the button. He said, this wasn't our team, that might be Denver. Yeah, And I thought that was a really good comment in a short sentence by Jerry Jones. I felt like, though Tay watching the tape though, that it really you know that Denver was the team upfront that did a really nice job and their offense. Their offense helped them in this football game. Their offense put a lot of pressure on

the Cowboys. Well, we do have some breaking news here. The judge has denied the NFL's emergency stay request in Ezekiel Elliott's case, So he will, like Jones, which which court, a US district court judge in Texas on Monday, didn't I thought he'd already done that. He still hadn't done that yet. We're still Yeah, we're still but you gotta wait on the New Orleans. Yeah, which five your means the case will now move to the fifth year, Okay,

and that's the one we're waiting now. The final briefs had been turned in for that one, so the NFL asked them for a ruling by less hopefully for by tomorrow, no later than the twenty six. So yeah, since the nineteenth, tomorrow tomorrow, Okay, so we'll see, we'll see. Yeah. Jerry Jones did say last night he can't comment on any further. He does believe he'll play Monday and moving forward with that now, we talked a little bit about Alfred Moore's

playing a little bit. Judge Mozan he was passive aggressive, They watered it on Friday and said, you know what, what did I say, Patson? No, you said PATSI I thought that was true, okay, And he said, no, do this on my time? Should do it on Monday? Yeah, my time? He could have said the say they got Friday, Alfred Morris. Would you have liked to have seen Darren McFadden in this game at all? Could he have helped spur the run game? No? I just learn about the

wrong stuff. I just think there's just there was nowhere to run. Walter Payton could have been out there and they weren't going to run for ten yards. They just weren't lanes open at all. It was it was really give, just give the Broncos again, tip of the cap. They had a great plan and they and they physically were better than you know what was going on up front.

When Tyron Smith doesn't make a cutoff block and Lyle Collins doesn't make a cutoff block, and then Chaz Green doesn't make a block, you know, a guy with a guy on his nose, you're gonna have problems. Do you think the size bothered him? No, those guys were pretty big, I don't think. Just move them. Yeah, the big. Really. The interesting was even on the goal line. I remember they ran the ball on the goal line that first

first play. That that's where you looked and you said, wow, they're not getting any not getting any penetration, not getting any type. Yet they didn't move him, could not move them. But then again, I'll tell you what a couple of times though I felt like that Zeke. The times he had there was go back and watch, you'll see there was he kind of cut into some stuff where if he just stayed yeah, if he just stayed outside, maybe they'd had a little bit. But there was no traction there.

I mean, this was no traction at all. I know because if anybody complained that they ran the ball on the goal line there at that time, so through it like one you can find a tweet here there. The tweets were, what do you do run on the ball? You're not running it? Well throw it. I'm apologizing right now to all the people I muted yesterday? Did you mute a lot yesterday? I spent halftime muting people. I apologize for not reading at all. It's calmed down today

on Twitter. I think Twitter is a little calmer. Maybe the hour delay of rain helped here maybe maybe a little bit. And that was a little interesting to me because going into that game, I hadn't really expected the rain, you know, making you were on the sidelines with us rob you guys it was sunny out there. Yeah, but there was fifty percent chance of rain between two and three, and it went up to eighty percent and it came. And there were some people said, well, I didn't see

any lightning. Well, it was behind us where we sat in the press box. The lightning was behind us. We couldn't see it. I talked to people that were down there. They saw the light A funny tweet was apparently there's a sign in the stadium. I don't know where this sign is located, but it says Denver Broncos ride through any weather, any storms. Like just kind of here, pretty

sophomore with their signs. Because the door to the Cowboys locker room when you walk out, all the big the big painted sign about Denver, Colorado is a mile high, five thousand, two hundred and eighty feet, and it's like, oh, thank you very much. You know, with Sophomore, we can, we can. We might as well just go paint the locker room pink. I kind of told you though, did we think about that if your players were better, altitude really didn't matter? Yeah? Oh yeah. And it had nothing

to do what none? Yeah, not one bit. Yeah, they just got beat. Yeah, it's awesome. Tweeds that were saying, should they have been more acclimated to the weather, Yeah, they should have been more acclimated to what the Denver defense was going to do? And the delay made no difference at all. I mean they were struggling actually, the way they struggled after the breath and maybe redesign things, could it? Yeah, well, Mickey, you're right, it gave them

a break. Could they have really taken advantage that? Hey, they're not opening any running lanes? Can you receivers get ready here? Yeah? It's it's surprisingly I shouldn't say surprising because Denver's got it a really good secondary man there. If you go back on you know, on the game pass and watch it, you will not see cowboy receivers opening in this football. Well we always talk about that,

I mean consistently down after down after down. Bond is great and he's the he's the cornerstone of that franchise. But when they won a Super Bowl, a couple of years ago, the best overall unit they had was their secondary. Yeah, and that was no fly zone, and they a couple of phases have changed on that group, but that that was literally championship level defense yesterday, and the Cowboys didn't

match it well. Their linebackers played well, they did Marshall yeah, Barrett Yeah, and uh Simmons right, the Simmons is safety. The safety. Yeah, he came down in the box and played pretty well at times. But yeah, those linebackers played awfully well. There's there's gonna be a lot of look in the mirror moments for the Cowboys today as they get the next couple of days. As they watched that tape, Yeah, look in the mirror and seat, Hey, did I do exactly what I needed to do? Did I win enough

out block? Again? You know? I mean to me, I just I just don't feel like that they look at that. They did. You know, Mickey is watching the TV in here. If you guys are listening, they can't see their TV's terrible. They did the leverage, They did the leverage play again, they showed it. Yeah. Did the Cowboys put a blueprint out there now for other teams to kind of Oh, here we go. They're not asking that. I'm asking their seventeen games last year there was there, yes, and what

was the record? And no one had a blueprint after seventeen giants. The Giants figured them out. But it's it's really the personel. It's the personnel. I just like asking this question because everybody jumped on that angry. But but if you to me, you could say, teams can go out. They're smart coaches around the league. They're smart coaches around the league and say, you know what, we could do this, and we could do this, and we could do this. And then another coach will say, wait a minute, do

we have to leave Do we have Harris? Do we have Robie? Well, no we don't. Okay, do we wait do we have you know, then you can't leave your corners on an island? Yeah, and gamble that way. I thought whatever good best qualities Jimmy Johnson had was self evaluation. He knew what his players could do and what they couldn't do right, and they planned accordingly. A lot of coaches fooled themselves, Oh yeah, we can do this. No, you can't do that. You don't have the talent. They

had the talent to pull off what they did. Everybody tried that last year and they couldn't do it. Yeah, everybody, you can try and stop the run. But if, like you said, if you don't have three hundred and thirty pound guys inside, and you don't have linebackers that are active, you don't have a safety that walks, then you're probably gonna have some some problems. And this schedule is not going to let up for the Dallas Cowboys. They're going to face some big time defenses and they're going to

face the sooner rather than later. I think making you brought it up, Patrick Peterson is waiting there for Dez Bryant, waiting for that that matchup. So it's not going to be easy for these guys. But are they ready for it? Are they going to reevaluate? And as Garrett Garrett would say, recommit commit, Yeah, better recommit, better find something, better, find something. But we'll have more for you guys on Talking Cowboys tomorrow.

Remember to join us eleven thirty am Central Time. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club