WEBVTT - Talkin' Cowboys: Keep The Pedal Down 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:05.640 Dllas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club Cowboys. 0:00:07.880 --> 0:00:13.160 This he's Talking Cowboys, screaming live from the Dallas Cowboys 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:17.119 World How Hours at the Star in Frisco. Bowing to 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:26.079 the Scots and now your hosts Isaiah stand back, heck 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:31.720 my Harrison, Rob Phillips and Kyle Yeomans. It is a 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:36.480 wonderful Wednesday edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by Tostitos, helping 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:39.600 fans get in on the game and the favorite chip 0:00:39.920 --> 0:00:43.360 and the favorite tip of Talking Cowboys. Welcome in to 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:46.800 the s WBC studios at the Star in Frisco. The 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:50.559 normal crew is back with you here on Wednesday. Rob Phillips, 0:00:50.560 --> 0:00:53.559 Isaiah stand back, heck ma Harrison. I'm Kyle Yeoman's Cris 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:56.600 Beam is always doing great work in the back. Gentleman, 0:00:56.760 --> 0:01:00.720 how are we doing. It's hump day, got a little 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:04.520 bit of time until Sunday. It's weird not having like 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:08.000 an early like a game tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, it's a 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:11.000 little bit different. This is the first normal week of action, 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.520 and I feel like we should be getting closer, but 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:15.800 we're not a long ways away. Man, got a little 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:18.399 bit of ways to go. Huh Yeah, Yeah, that's okay. 0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:20.560 I guess a little break isn't gonna hurt anybody, or 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:22.400 at least a normal schedule. It's kind of nice to 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:24.920 be on Sunday to Sunday. I'm not complaining. I'm not either, 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.479 especially you had a lot of flying into it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:30.880 it's kind of you know, how long does it take 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:34.039 for you to recover from your flying back and forth? Oh, 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:36.480 you know, it's like a player. It's usually not till Wednesday, 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:39.840 till I'm feeling better, backs feeling better. Yeah, I'm not 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.520 gonna I'm not gonna compare myself to Can you sleep? 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:46.440 I cannot sleep on playing, man, I cannot do it. 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:49.240 Not a huge fan of flying. Are you want? Are 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:51.800 you like reading? Are you watching? You know I'm watching movies? 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:53.080 Are you just staring at the back of the seat 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:54.480 in front of you. I'm trying to do something to 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:56.160 take my mind off of it. It's a whole roller 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:59.200 coaster thing. Heck, I just you know, put all together 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:01.320 and I you know, so you you're clinched up the 0:02:01.320 --> 0:02:05.360 whole time, kind of way, you got tight cheeks. The 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:07.400 best thing is when like you right on the plane 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:12.120 going back. Yeah, there's a little clinch there. If I'm 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:14.639 focused on other things, it's fine. But if I got 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:17.160 to focus on certain things, So can you work on 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:19.040 the plane? Are you gonna sit there and yeah, pull 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:21.000 out a laptop. Yeah. But if I've got nothing to do, 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:24.000 I'm just like, god, how much time? Oh okay, ten 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:27.120 minutes past? Cool? We only got three hours left? Are 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:28.600 you don't want to watch it? Like the little plane 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:32.400 go across the map? It's like, oh, yeah, we're in 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:36.519 little rock almost there. Like watching Payton Dry that's terrible. 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:38.640 I do that because I like pull up a laptop 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:40.000 in front of me and I'll do whatever on my 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:41.960 laptop and then I'll just have that kind of up 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:44.520 in front. I think to watch me, I have to 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:47.079 watch a movie. Really, I have to watch movies. You though, 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:50.040 you go home and you watch a movie. That's my chill. 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:53.360 That's my chill. I cannot. The most pressrating thing is 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:55.840 with like my if my you know, my my iPad, 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:58.480 but my tablet dies or you know, they don't have 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:00.560 a screen and a back of a hand. Rast that's 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:02.519 the worst. That's the worst. You're just sitting there literally 0:03:02.520 --> 0:03:05.880 like this, especially if you have a metal seat, it's terrible. Yeah. Yeah, 0:03:05.919 --> 0:03:08.320 but luckily have some pretty good status with American Airlines, 0:03:08.360 --> 0:03:10.679 so I'm pretty excited. Actually helps out a lot that 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:14.040 always got a guy. You know, American American takes carapy, 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:16.799 they do American Airlines. Isaiah is the plug for all 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:18.959 the plugs. Let's just say that. I mean, he's got 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:21.919 a he's got a guy with everybody. Can you can 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:24.840 you fly or can you sleep on a plane? I 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:32.040 know you can fly, but Jesus yea, you are superman. Yeah. Man, 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:34.560 I don't have any problems with it. You know, it's 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:37.040 not one of those hangduffs that I have. But you 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:40.920 know I have a problem with you know, children on planes. 0:03:41.920 --> 0:03:44.560 You know, anytime I'm always surveying, like, look, where's the 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:46.680 little kid going? Where's the little kid? You gotta take 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:49.280 your balls, you know, noise cancelation headphones with you that 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:51.880 that that I can do. But I'm just saying it's 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:54.080 some over the years, it's like I'm the guy that 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:58.600 gets the kid that's screaming behind the whole flag. Yeah. 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:02.040 But fortunately I have a nurturing wife that always give 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:06.200 the baby to me and then she's the best next 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:09.560 to you. I might stop doing that stop doing that. 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:12.920 By the way, these headphones there, they are live changed. 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:17.320 They cut out everybody. Yeah, so all right, let's get this. Thanks. 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:23.440 Let's get into some news and notes with Rob Phillips. 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:26.800 Anything pop up. Yesterday, very quiet day around the starting, 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:29.600 which very good, which is a good thing. We were 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:32.560 talking pre show. I mean, we've talked injuries. Yesterday we 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:36.320 covered well, we covered the fact that that Cedric Wilson 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:39.920 is on the COVID list. As of yesterday afternoon when 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:42.520 the transaction wire came out, the Cowboys did not have 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:45.680 any additions to the COVID So that's a that's a win. 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:50.360 This is crazy based off the last two days. For sure, 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:53.640 I rs because man seventy five plus players I believe. 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:59.279 I believe, yes, whether whether they're positive cases or close contacts, 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:01.880 and I think, yeah, it's two straight days of record numbers. 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:04.080 So he hope that turns around. He look at what 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:06.600 Cleveland's going through right now and what you look what 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:08.120 the Cowboys went through a couple of weeks ago. So 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:11.719 you just hope that that continues. Yeah, thirty seven positive 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:16.240 tests on Monday for COVID nineteen and then addition to 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:20.040 that yesterday and now we're getting news today about guys 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:22.960 like Baker Mayfield is now on the COVID list, coach 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:26.599 Kevin Safanski's on the COVID list. I mean, we saw 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:30.200 what Odell Beckham junior hours after playing in Arizona on 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:34.360 Monday night football, what he was placed on the COVID list. 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:37.120 He kint a touchdown and then less than twelve hours 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:40.240 later he was on the COVID list. So it's very 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.280 interesting to see how this is evolving. And at the moment, 0:05:44.360 --> 0:05:47.320 the Cowboys, or at least they were ahead of the curve. 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:49.640 Let's just say it that way, because they they've had 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:53.359 some problems, but they're not necessarily the problem at the moment, 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:55.320 and of course that can change in any waking moment. 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:58.400 So let's knock on that wood. But what does this 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:00.920 say about the NFL or does this mean that they're 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:03.800 going to be any changes coming up soon or is 0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:06.840 that something that's that's on the horizon. Yeah, they did 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:09.479 send a memo out to um the Cowboys and the 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:12.680 other thirty one teams that all Tier one and Tier 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:17.720 two staffs, So that means coaches and in football operations people, 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:22.880 anybody that's around the players have to be boostered in 0:06:22.960 --> 0:06:25.359 the next two weeks. I think it's December twenty seventh. Ye, 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:29.240 So trying to you know, boost up that immunity is 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:31.919 the goal. And so we'll see what happens with the players, 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:36.360 because that's got to be collectively bargained. But the league 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:42.320 trying to take steps to mitigate this. Man, you're gonna 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:45.440 say anything, No, I wasn't. I was. I'm you know, 0:06:45.480 --> 0:06:49.000 I'm just this is a giant concern for I mean, 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:52.320 not just football teams, basketball teams, but society in general. 0:06:52.640 --> 0:06:54.880 The numbers going back up, and so you know, I 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:59.080 really don't want the season to be stalled out. When 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:01.640 you saw the percentage just go up like this overnight, 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:05.040 I think, I guess. I guess the only fortunate to 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:08.000 be fortunate for the Cowboys is that they had a 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:11.920 kind of an outbreak weeks ago and some certain provisions 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:14.720 have been placed put in place here to make sure 0:07:14.720 --> 0:07:17.960 that this doesn't continue. But it doesn't. It doesn't matter 0:07:18.000 --> 0:07:20.520 what you do, how safe you are, how careful you 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:23.160 can be, It's still just one of those things that 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:25.600 this ever president and when we get comfortable and we 0:07:25.680 --> 0:07:28.840 forget about it, it's like I'm here, how are you 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:31.760 welcome back. It's tough because you don't know if it's 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:35.000 the new variant that's going around or starting to go around. 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:38.600 You don't know if it's the fact that people that 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:41.440 got their their shots in March, it's been nine months 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:44.440 and that immunity is just not what it was. Maybe 0:07:44.440 --> 0:07:48.120 it's a combination of both, but yeah, it's all hex right, 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:50.080 Like just when you think we've kind of turned the 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.000 corner and you relax, here it comes back up again. 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.480 And the good thing about it is on this show, 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:57.200 there was a day in time when it was everything 0:07:57.240 --> 0:08:00.280 we talked about. It was that was the news of 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:02.680 the day, and it was pretty much, i mean, wall 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:04.960 to wall and we hated it. I mean we would 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:06.360 talk about it off air and we were like, we 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:09.200 cannot stand talking about this anymore. We just want to 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:11.720 talk football. And it's the first time we've actually had 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:14.160 to really talk about it outside of the Cowboys. But 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:17.360 that shows just how severe it really is. Getting anything 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:20.960 else in terms of the Cowboys and anything stick out there. 0:08:21.440 --> 0:08:24.080 Not just they're back to practice today. It's a pretty 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:26.320 nice day out today, a little windy. I would imagine 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:29.760 they're outside. I'm not sure on that, So let's see 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:32.600 what see what Tony Pollard can do this week. If 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:34.760 he can get back into limited practice, I think that'd 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:37.319 be a sign that maybe he can play. Jerry Jones 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:40.680 sound encouraged. We'll see, you know. I think the fact 0:08:41.320 --> 0:08:44.400 he did a little bit pregame with Britt Brown, but 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.520 it wasn't what I saw. I didn't look like he 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:49.040 was really pushing it, So I don't think he had 0:08:49.080 --> 0:08:51.480 a great shot to play to begin with. Maybe that 0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:53.719 changes with another week. And I don't believe this is 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:56.160 up on the website just yet, but I talked with 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:58.440 Steven Jones yesterday. We had a quick interview and he 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:01.600 talked about Tony Pollard and actually said that that he, 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:05.640 like like Jerry did, felt encouraged, but still cautious. They 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.160 don't want to rush him back, much like they've said 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:11.280 with a couple of different guys throughout the year, Tyren 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:13.040 Smith being one of those. They want to make sure 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:15.760 he's fully held, fully ready to go, so that way 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:18.480 nothing else pops up later on. You would you like 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:21.480 to see Tony Pollard back in the fold quicker rather 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:23.800 than later. Do you think you could maybe spare a 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:26.760 couple of games here It's been weird how the plants are. 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:31.160 Fasciitis injury has been perceived by people in the NFL 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:33.440 saying that if it tears, that's a good thing. I've 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:36.240 never heard anything tearing be a good thing, but obviously 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:38.720 with plants are it is, and it's something that's not 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:40.960 going to keep him out for the season. It's just 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:43.800 gonna be a pain tolerance thing for him. So, I mean, 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:46.800 obviously I want to see him back, but I think 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:49.760 I want to see him back healthy enough to make 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.280 a playoff run court. Klaman came in and did a 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:54.640 really good job. I mean, it's not enough being said 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:58.880 about the substitute duty that he did. So look, I 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:01.400 think when you go up again, it's a defense Like 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.520 the New York Giants. I believe obviously you're trying to 0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:08.040 get Zeke back on pace right now. If Tony is 0:10:08.080 --> 0:10:11.640 not one as far as the Plantard is concerned, then 0:10:11.679 --> 0:10:14.440 I would definitely be okay with keeping them out. What 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:17.240 do you think ISAA people ain't gonna like they don't 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:19.640 like what I say. I think I think you should 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:22.199 keep Zeke out this week. Personally, I think you keep 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:25.400 Zeke said them. I think you said them both. I 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:26.800 think you said them both. I think that you you 0:10:26.840 --> 0:10:29.439 feel good enough about your team against this particular opponent 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:31.599 that you can use this as a potential buy a 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:35.800 week for those guys. I'm not hes not healthy. I 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:39.560 remember the last thing we had confidence. I mean, I 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:44.960 mean no disrespect to me there, your professional team, professional team, 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:47.120 I mean, but you have an You didn't take advantage 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:48.920 of the seventeen days that you had that you could 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:51.480 have got Zeke healthy. You missed that window, right, You 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:53.600 chose to keep them in the game, playing for fourteen 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:56.800 fifteen snaps of pass protection, whatever it was. You missed 0:10:56.800 --> 0:10:59.680 that opportunity. Here's an opportunity again that presents itself where 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:02.280 you know you Zeke's most likely not gonna have a 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:05.400 major impact on this game. Zeke came in this past game, 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:07.120 looked like he was a little bit better, took one 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:08.480 shot on his knee, and then where did he go 0:11:09.800 --> 0:11:12.719 to the sideline? He's not healthy, Okay, much like we're 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:15.480 talking about Dak's not who Dack is right now because 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:18.280 of whatever's going on with him. Zeke's not healthy. So 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:20.800 take advantage of it, like you said, Corey Climman, did 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:22.400 it came in and did a great job. He was 0:11:22.480 --> 0:11:25.080 running hard, he had explosion, he had quickness, he had 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:27.079 some quick twitch to him that we haven't seen from 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:29.720 our backfield in a while. So let him go out 0:11:29.760 --> 0:11:31.120 there and do it. Do what he does. We had 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:33.080 hard yet we brought up from the from the practice squad. 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:35.320 Bring him back out there too. Let these guys establish 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:37.400 a run. It's really an office a line issue that 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:39.560 we've been having, not so much of a running back issue. 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:42.120 The running backs just haven't been healthy. So use this 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:45.160 week as an opportunity as you start trying to ramp 0:11:45.280 --> 0:11:47.960 up towards winning this NFC East and get your guys 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:50.160 healthy because you're not going to be where you want 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:53.800 to be with two limping running backs. It's interesting and 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:57.200 thought about that. Um, we're gonna get into the Giant's 0:11:57.240 --> 0:11:59.640 offense by the way, Yes we will, and they've struggled 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:03.400 for sure. Uh the only you're right, Like, I would 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:06.360 love to see Zee another week off and get healthier, 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:09.720 because he did say that many buy helped him. The 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:13.360 Devil's advocate side of that is, I would want as 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:15.800 many healthy guys on offense as I can get on 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.760 the field and try to get more reps together and 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:21.480 get this thing right. So I think there's merit to 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:29.120 both sides. Resting guys. Oh, healthy, healthy, healthy, Yeah, and 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:31.439 Zeke's not one hundred percent and he probably won't be 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.840 one hundred percent the rest of the season because there's 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.720 no more breaks here. You still have three weeks after 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:40.160 this one, though, so if you wanted to set him out, 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:43.600 you still have three solid games, three reps. If you're 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:46.960 locked into the NFC's title by week eighteen and you're 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:49.600 the fourth seed and you're not going in there, maybe 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.440 there's an opportunity that's happened before. But but if you 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:54.559 have a potential, do you guys feel good about this game? 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:56.800 I know that comes on Friday? Okay, feel good? Pretty 0:12:56.840 --> 0:12:59.280 good about this game. Our ability to execute on offense 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:02.199 without our two running backs, we feel good about that. 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:05.880 What would you say would be the contingency plan? Though? 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:09.640 That would make me feel Hardy Hardy? What if you 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:11.840 replaced Hardy with Ceedee Lamb and you put him in 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:18.920 the backfield? I did it twice. Yeah, he's good as 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:21.199 a changeup. He's good as a changeup. He is I 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:25.839 thought he's not. You're asking that question for a reason. Whoa. 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.800 I'm saying, if you can utilize this week as an 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.800 opportunity to get your guys some rest, polar Zeke, those 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:34.000 are the two guys I'm thinking about. Tyrants already gone right, 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:36.600 get those two guys a week off. Okay. Now you 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:38.840 let those guys chill, get healthy, work with Britt and 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:41.880 work with Jimbo, all those guys. Okay, then you ball 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:44.520 out these next few weeks. That's the expectation. And then 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:46.840 if you ever to secure the NFC East, now that 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:50.120 last week, do you need to play them? No? No, no, 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:52.840 So now you're still in two weeks right now, that 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:56.080 last week going and hopefully going into the playoffs, that 0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:58.040 isn't going to be enough. We know one week isn't 0:13:58.120 --> 0:13:59.720 enough to get Zeke back where he needs to be. 0:13:59.840 --> 0:14:01.559 So you have an opportunity to get him a week 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:04.400 off right now, get back, get him some more reps, 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:06.040 and then give him another week off if you take 0:14:06.080 --> 0:14:07.720 care of business. So I'm saying, you have an opportunity 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.720 to still two weeks. You don't need Pollard and Zeke 0:14:10.760 --> 0:14:14.000 to win this game. Yeah, that's the philosophy that I 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:16.520 think a lot of Cowboy fans that have watched Zeke 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:19.120 over the last couple of weeks, are probably you know, 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:22.240 clamoring for that because they feel like, you know, you're 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:24.920 not seeing number twenty one at his full potential. And 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:27.560 then when he's in there, like you said, he's limping 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.240 back to the sidelines. But I also like what Jerry 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:32.280 Jones said in this interview on one to five three 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.000 about resting anyone. He's like, hell no, we're going up 0:14:35.080 --> 0:14:36.840 to New York to play for all the marbles. Ye, 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.200 We're attacking this as though. Look, this is the game 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:42.440 to get us in the playoffs. And if that's the 0:14:42.600 --> 0:14:45.240 mentality the culture changed that we've been talking about the 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:47.800 whole time, we're not letting off the gas. Health is 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:52.200 what's important, I understand. Clearly obviously we all trust this 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:55.160 medical staff and Britt Brown. They wouldn't send Zeke out 0:14:55.160 --> 0:14:57.560 there if he was going to be a danger to himself. 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:01.560 I feel so, Look, the umber one thing is getting 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:04.080 this offense back on track. You're still top ten in 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:08.360 every statistical category even right now, but all of that's 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:10.320 gonna go back down to zero once we get to 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:13.920 the playoffs. Who's gonna be the healthiest going into it 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:18.080 is gonna be most important. And it's hard to debate 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:20.400 what you just said because obviously we don't have a 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.840 healthy Ezekiel Elliott going up against let's just say the Rams. 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:26.320 If we have the Rams at home for the first like, 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:28.360 that's gonna be a game that you're gonna be saying, Look, 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:30.720 we need him at one hundred percent, and right now 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:33.680 he ain't even close to it. So you see both 0:15:33.680 --> 0:15:36.280 sides of it. You're saying, but what would you do 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:38.040 if you were in that position? If I'm I mean, 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:40.840 y'all know me, man, I'm playing for blood. I want 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.280 it all. I'm you know, I want I want us 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:46.680 to dominate the NFCS. I remember last year. I ain't forgot, 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:49.560 you know, i'mn't you know, And I think that everybody. 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:51.560 We're on a revenge tour right now, and we got 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.400 to get back to get I understand that. You know, Look, 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:56.440 this thing gets an over with it and solidified. But 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:59.120 this verse, we could be a situation where we clinch, 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.600 but we need other help from other teams. But then 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:05.080 next week we should we should be the picture should 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:07.480 be clearer, you know. And I think when you get 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:11.200 down to that, maybe let's just say the Arizona game. 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:14.440 You clinched the NFC East. You're not gonna get any 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:16.800 better than where you are. Then maybe that's what we're 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:20.920 talking about, to start resting it or even considering resting guys. 0:16:20.960 --> 0:16:22.880 Then yeah, I'm just I'm just looking at it from 0:16:22.880 --> 0:16:24.960 the standpoint right now. Let's say, Zeke, what percentage do 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:27.720 you say Zeke is right now? Seventy five? I'm not 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:30.360 getting him seventy five, I'd say seven. I'm getting them sixty. 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:33.240 I say this is sixty percent Zeke, sixty percent z 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:35.840 there's no burst, there's no there's no running over people, 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:38.320 cut right, there's no cutting right. And if he gets hit, 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:41.240 where did you go down? He goes to the the sideline. 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:43.720 So I'm giving a sixty percent Zeke. So right now 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:46.640 we're asking, we're asking for blood. Right, you want to 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:48.480 go out there and take blood, right, But we're putting 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:50.920 out there a sixty percent Zeke, which is just that 0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:53.840 an estimate. Okay, Now, if you give him a break, 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:56.000 come back next week, maybe you have a seventy five 0:16:56.040 --> 0:16:59.080 percent Zeke. Right, that gets knocked down to maybe a 0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:01.080 you know, sixty five seventy during the game, and then 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:02.920 you can even build that backup. Right. So, what I'm 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:04.959 saying is, if you have a sixty percent Zeke right 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:07.200 now and you're not going to get a better version 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:09.400 of him going throughout the rest of the season, you're not. 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:11.520 So as we started, you start talking about playoffs and 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:13.880 all the things that everybody's hopeful for, you're not gonna 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:16.360 get anything better than up to maybe a seventy five 0:17:16.359 --> 0:17:18.560 percent ze If you allow him to chill that last 0:17:18.560 --> 0:17:21.200 week and you're hoping for that for that situation, you're 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:24.000 in control of the situation this week. Clement right now 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:26.080 is one hundred percent when he showed us other day. Yeah, 0:17:26.240 --> 0:17:28.600 I feel a hundredercent confident with him now. His blocking, 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:29.880 I don't know. There's a whole lot of other things 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:31.800 that we don't know about. Can he do to understand 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:33.880 the blocking scheme and all the things that Zeke does well. 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:36.560 But in terms of running the ball, we don't need 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:39.399 Zeke in this game. What about pass protection? That that's 0:17:39.440 --> 0:17:40.840 what I'm talking about. That's what I'm saying, like, that's 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:43.159 that's that's aspect that I say I can't speak to 0:17:43.200 --> 0:17:45.840 because I don't know his understanding of the offense that well. 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:47.560 Zeke is a beast when it comes to past protection. 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.200 He doesn't get enough credit for it. But there's ways 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:52.399 that Kellen Moore to being a gur he is. He 0:17:52.440 --> 0:17:54.240 has to be able to scheme some stuff around. If 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:56.520 it comes down to Hey playing Zeke because of his 0:17:56.560 --> 0:18:00.920 ability to block against the Giants versus getting him healthy, 0:18:01.320 --> 0:18:03.040 Kellum Moore can figure that out. I don't know if 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:06.119 I trust this team to start resting people yet. I 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:08.399 think when you have a veteran squad, and this is 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:10.080 what I'm saying, if a guy's hurt, he can't go, 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:12.439 he can't go, then let's not even play with that. 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:15.080 But I'm saying, when if the flow that you're gonna 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.960 go in with and you're not gonna have a buye this, 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:20.720 you get an opportunity to go in with some type 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:23.679 of rhythm and momentum. I think even with the Washington 0:18:23.720 --> 0:18:27.040 football game, look for two quarters, I washed us kick 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:31.119 Washington's tale and then completely let up off the pedal. 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:34.520 All right, I worry about that. I worry about this team. 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:37.040 It seemed like they get out of rhythm a lot 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:39.560 easier than other teams that I witnessed, and I worry 0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:41.920 about that going into the playoffs. If we give too 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:46.240 much rest, will we be just completely dysfunctional with not 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:49.200 playing Our starters are giving these young guys a break 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:51.679 going into the playoffs. And I don't disagree with you. 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:54.119 I don't consider us to be a rest. I consider 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:58.120 us to be a necessity for Zeke. Yeah, that's I'm 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:00.760 talking about for Zike. And trust me, I've spent more 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:03.640 time than anybody with this training staff. These guys are amazing. 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:05.640 But understand, when I was playing here, I was playing 0:19:05.640 --> 0:19:08.320 with a sublet shoulder. My shoulder will pop out in 0:19:08.359 --> 0:19:10.080 my sleep. But guess what on game day, I was 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:12.000 still tied that thing down and go play. So what 0:19:12.080 --> 0:19:14.159 presenters was? I wasn't nowhere near one hundred percent, but 0:19:14.200 --> 0:19:16.080 I can still make a contribution to the team and 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:18.320 whatever capacity put me in, I was nowhere near one 0:19:18.359 --> 0:19:20.600 hundred percent. Couldn't put my arms over my head okay 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:23.439