WEBVTT - Talkin’ Cowboys: Breaking Point on Defense? 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:04.680 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:06.280 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:16.320 Cowboys. This He's Talking Cowboys, springing live from the Dallas 0:00:16.360 --> 0:00:19.120 Cowboys World headquarters at the Star in Frisco. 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:25.360 Put Jake Burgers here, Puscott Kinson, Teddy. 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:33.159 And now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Patrick Walker, Josh Rodriguez 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:35.080 and Kyle Yeomans. 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:42.199 It's a mundane Monday version of Talking Cowboys, presented by 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:46.000 Black Rifle Coffee Company, live from the Star in Fresco, 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:49.800 Texas in the SWBC studios. Welcome in, everybody. We've got 0:00:49.800 --> 0:00:53.120 Patrick noc Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Tommy Yarish with Chris Beam 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:55.880 in the back. I'm Kyle Yeomans. After the Cowboys fall 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:59.960 to the Denver Broncos forty four twenty four. The fine 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:04.240 score in Week eight. It was not pretty, it was 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.800 not good, and I said this on the postgame shows 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:09.959 last night. But there are just some days when you 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:12.360 don't have it and you don't play very well. There 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:15.200 are some days when you beat yourself and penalties play 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.200 a large factor, and then there are other days where 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:20.840 the talent on the other side you just aren't as 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:24.360 good as and I think yesterday was a combination of 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:26.720 the three. You weren't as good as the Denver Broncos. 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:30.240 Even when you had the opportunity to play better, you 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:32.720 probably didn't. You didn't execute the same way that you 0:01:32.800 --> 0:01:36.760 have at different points in the season. And then if 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:40.160 all of that fails and you were finally executing, penalties 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:42.640 shot you in the foot. Nine penalties for eighty yards, 0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:45.600 much of that happening in the first half. At least 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:48.200 they weren't self inflicted, right, they were all self inflicted. 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:51.200 Oh okay, that's how penalties work a lot of the time. 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:51.720 Cool. 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:55.120 Yeah, I saw that one too, But it was just 0:01:55.200 --> 0:01:58.520 not a good day. Dallas falls to three four and 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:03.080 one seasons not over yet, but as Jerry Jones said yesterday, 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:05.960 there is a long way to go with this football team. 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:08.919 You played a playoff caliber team yesterday, and you saw 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:12.560 how you stack up against the playoff caliber team. And 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:15.000 I'll start with the gentlemen that were that were there yesterday. 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:17.800 Patrick Nosey Walker, I'll let you start. It was not 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:19.400 pretty in the Mile High City. 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:22.280 It wasn't. He'll be doing me a favor. Cute that 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:23.760 old brother Sounder real quick? 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:25.960 Oh no, it's because I'm here, isn't it. 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:28.840 No, it's not that we love having. 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:33.480 Oh brother, this guy Stacks set a plus to everybody, 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:36.760 with the exception of maybe Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens. 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:37.519 They did their best. 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:40.040 Avonte Williams, he did what he could when he was 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:43.160 given the opportunities to do what he could. Thirteen the 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:46.959 only thirteen opportunities, and unfortunately none of those opportunities came 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:49.360 in on that first drive when you were you know, 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:54.560 second in gold or Okay, yeah, I'm thinking of I'll 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.520 give shouts u Queasy Bridges for that interception. Initially, Yeah, 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.000 to set up the cow Boys offense to go do 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:04.760 a thing. But I mean I just named less than 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:08.200 a handful of people that actually kind of deserve some credit. 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:12.720 Everybody else stole some money yesterday from the Cowboys and 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:15.639 I'm talking coaches too, so yeah, stole some money. 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:16.919 Yeah, yeah, free check. 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:19.880 I do respect what Shotty said, because you know, Shotty 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:21.440 got up there and he said, I was not very 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:24.200 good today. He said, Matty Riflus was not very good today. 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:27.079 Clayton Adams was not very good today. I mean, when 0:03:27.080 --> 0:03:28.720 you stink up the joint like that, I mean they 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:31.160 absolutely got trampled by the Broncos. 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:34.160 There's there's nothing nice. 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:36.720 To sprinkle on it, right, It's just a pile of 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:41.360 what it is, which is horse crap. So I don't 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:43.480 I mean, the cowboys don't know who the cowboys are 0:03:43.560 --> 0:03:45.720 right now. So when you asked that Dak Prescott the 0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:48.360 question last night, you're three four on one, what's your identity? 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:51.680 He's like, our identity is inconsistency, perfectly said, because that's 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:54.600 exactly what it is. And Kyle, you pointed everything out 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:58.000 perfectly in the in the in the prelude to this, 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:01.600 which is you know, you knew that the defense was 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:04.080 probably going to struggle based upon the samples as of 0:04:04.120 --> 0:04:06.520 everything before. You hope they could replicate what they did 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:08.280 against the commanders, but you kind of felt like they 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:09.280 maybe wouldn't be able to. 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:11.320 Yeah, but you figure you. 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:12.760 Had a little bit of hope, Yeah, a little bit 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:15.920 of hope. But you just knew that the offense was 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:18.200 going to show up. We tried to say it last week. 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:19.840 You just knew they were going to show up. 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:22.719 And everybody was saying, what was the term last week 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:24.760 that that was brought up glazing? 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:28.279 Yeah, yeah, well yeah, people said that we were glazing 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:29.760 when to Broncos. 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:30.560 How good the Broncos defense. 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:33.960 We tried, we literally tried to tell you that this 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:36.320 is what could definitely be the case. I mean, we 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.720 previewed it on Friday talking about how stout their defensive 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:41.440 line was and how they were going to be able 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:44.200 to stack the box against the run game, and basically, 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:47.560 you know, my thought process was, if Javanti Williams isn't 0:04:47.600 --> 0:04:49.920 able to get or just a run game, not necessarily 0:04:49.960 --> 0:04:52.320 just pinning it on Javante, but if the run game 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:54.320 isn't able to get going in the first two quarters, 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:55.039 the game is done. 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:56.280 Yeah done? 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:57.680 And what would really kill them? 0:04:57.720 --> 0:04:59.560 And you lost by halftime, by the way, Yeah you did. 0:04:59.600 --> 0:05:04.960 And there's something that correlates here. You basically lost by halftime. 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:07.680 Most of those penalties were in the first half. In 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:10.360 the first half, oh okay, you had a couple of 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.480 those that killed the first drive and then it just 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:14.520 kind of went from there. And then on the defensive 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:17.159 side of the ball, you had penalties that extended drives 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:20.120 and then created situations where they could get a chunk 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:22.640 played out of the middle and then run for an 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:25.359 explosive touchdown on the ground, the very same drive in 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:27.000 which you could have been off the field and three 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:30.760 and out. And then you look at just schematically, so 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:36.400 personnel wise, the execution was horrible. Schematically it wasn't there either, 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:38.920 because here you are again. You got guys getting wide 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.120 open touchdowns. Here we are again, you turned down the 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:43.560 man coverage. Here we are again. You only blitched, you know, 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:46.320 twenty four percent of the time listing or the time, 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:50.400 which correlation you only got pressure on bo Nick's twenty 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:51.360 four percent of the time. 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:52.920 It's not a lot. 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:55.760 There's not a lot. So whenever you blitzed, you got pressure. 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:58.960 Whenever you didn't blitz, you didn't get pressure. Okay, and 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:01.840 you weren't stopping the run. Okay, over four hundred yards 0:06:01.839 --> 0:06:05.039 almost two hundred and seventy yards allowed in the first 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:08.719 half alone with those four touchdowns, ball game past the 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:09.599 sticks man. 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:11.800 At one point, they were averaging nine yards to carry 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:13.719 at one point, Denver, We's. 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:14.080 Denver, well. 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:16.320 Despicable. 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:18.400 That just you don't win games that way. 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:21.479 They're averaging thirteen yards of play at one point too. 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:23.440 Yeah. 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:26.400 Look, you know, I just don't think that this is 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:31.520 a great football team, to be honest, Yeah, I think that, 0:06:32.040 --> 0:06:34.799 you know, defense obviously, it's either to say that defensively 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:38.880 because they're so shorthanded, but you know, offensively, they they 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:41.120 can do really good things and that's kind of the 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:44.000 heartbeat of this team, and that's where their identity if 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:46.720 they even have one lies, is hey, we can go 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:48.640 and kind of score points and move the ball down 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:52.080 the field offensively. But even still yesterday, I thought they 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:55.479 missed some opportunities. Patrick touched on the first drive. 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:55.719 Of the game. 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:58.880 You've got second and goal from the one. Deevontae Williams 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:00.720 was the one that got you down there. I think 0:07:00.720 --> 0:07:04.440 he picked up three yards from the four. I think 0:07:04.440 --> 0:07:06.760 Brian Schottenheimer maybe got a little bit too cute trying 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:09.320 to throw the ball into the end zone. Sure, you 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.600 know they've run the slip play action plays really well 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:15.560 and it's worked, but I think that's one where look, 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.120 Denver is a really good line of scrimmage team, and 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:20.800 Dallas had a chance early to kind of punch him 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:22.240 in the mouth and say, hey, we're here to play 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:24.720 We're here to play physical, and I think they missed 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.000 the opportunity to do that. And then after that is 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:30.320 when you kind of just saw things start to snowball 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:34.720 with the pre snap penalties and the procedural penalties and 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:38.600 just way too much undisciplined play from a team that 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:42.120 is in week eight and you don't know what your 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:46.880 identity is. You can't find any sort of consistency relatively 0:07:46.960 --> 0:07:50.840 outside of the offense, and it's just bad. It's just 0:07:50.880 --> 0:07:53.640 not great football. And you know this team. The thing 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.600 that is worrisome is this team has good players, and 0:07:56.800 --> 0:07:59.120 a lot of those good players granted didn't play yesterday 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:03.200 defensively because they're injured, but the fact that there is 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:07.800 no remedy and no consistency is concerning and it brings 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:09.720 up a lot of questions. I know the trade will 0:08:09.760 --> 0:08:12.600 and it's been a big one, and oh do you 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:16.800 go out in trade? No? No, no, I don't think 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:19.360 you do. I think yesterday shows you. I've said this 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:21.880 from the jump. I don't think there's one player. And 0:08:21.880 --> 0:08:23.520 we talked about this on Talking Cowboys. Is it last 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:24.360 week or the week before. 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:27.240 Two weeks ago when they after they lost to Carolina, 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:28.000 We talked about it. 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:31.000 There is no one player. There is no two players 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.880 unless you get to all pros at their respective positions 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:37.720 that can trade that can change this defense for this season. 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:40.400 I think you look at this and you say, Okay, 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:43.120 the season's not over by any means, but you hold 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:45.760 onto those two first round picks and maybe even try 0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:48.280 to sell some guys here at the deadline and try 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:50.920 to gain some more draft capital and look to build 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:53.199 through the draft. I think in today's NFL, building through 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:55.920 the draft is a way to win super Bowls. And 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:59.120 the Cowboys have now two drafts coming up where they've 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:03.319 got four first round picks, and that is a war 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:06.360 chest of picks that you can use to completely change 0:09:06.360 --> 0:09:07.760 this defense. You don't have to use all of them 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:11.040 on defense, but you can change everything about your franchise 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:13.360 through these next couple of drafts. I know it's difficult 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:16.000 pill to swallow, especially when we're sitting in the present 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:19.720 and we're talking about the future. Right but right now 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:21.880 this is this is not a team that I think 0:09:21.960 --> 0:09:24.560 is going to contend for the Super Bowl, even the playoffs. 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:27.079 I think that that is that is a that is 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:30.200 a big stretch. But once again, you know, this offense 0:09:30.280 --> 0:09:32.360 is going to be something that can keep you in games. 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:35.160 But if your defense can't find any sort of footing, 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.000 your identity at all, it's just going to be ugly. 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:38.959 And I liked what Tony Romo was saying. 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.120 I mean not that I liked those words, I just 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:45.080 liked how he brought up that. In they kept referencing 0:09:45.080 --> 0:09:47.679 this twenty thirteen game, you know, Romo versus Manning and 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:49.959 how the offense was able to put up forty eight 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:53.719 points and lost fifty one to forty eight, and that 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:56.480 being a sort of perfect amalgam for what's happening now 0:09:56.880 --> 0:10:00.000 with the Dallas cowboyshere. The offense is just so good 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:03.280 and they didn't play very good yesterday, but that was 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:06.000 a large part into what the defense was doing, and 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.120 then of course the penalties that kind of got you 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:09.200 in that position. 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:12.200 But for me, the game was lost. 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:15.160 You know, your defense makes a play and puts you 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:18.480 in a pretty great position to go get a touchdown, 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:21.079 and you were able to muster up three points out 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:24.000 of that drive that could turn the tide for you 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:26.160 in that game and set the tone for the rest 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:31.000 of the game. To me, that is a huge step 0:10:31.040 --> 0:10:33.800 back in the aggressiveness that Shody has taken so far 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:37.079 this season, and he's been conservative at times, but I 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:39.079 think overall he believes in his team, and I think 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:42.720 yesterday was sort of indicative of their belief in what 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:45.560 Brock Kaffman is able to do at the point of attack. 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:49.400 I think there was a severe lack of confidence in 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:51.920 what he was doing because you saw it every opportunity 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:55.240 he was getting moved around. And for good reason, they 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:58.760 didn't have the confidence there because the Broncos broughen whoa 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:03.760 Broncos of line was so good, but at so many 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:07.360 points are like Javonte Williams can certainly gain these three yards. 0:11:07.440 --> 0:11:09.400 I think you guys all bring up great points because 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:13.040 the pass rush gave problems to Tyler Geiton, gave problems 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:15.760 on the interior to Brack Kaufman. He had probably his 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:19.480 worst game of the year maybe Carolina, which there's a 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:23.760 little bit of a coincidence there. Those are probably two 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:26.840 of the poorest offensive performances that you've seen throughout the year. 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:30.280 Even elite offenses have down games, and they had a 0:11:30.320 --> 0:11:31.959 down game. They just did not match up well. 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:33.040 We taked time to have it down. 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:34.839 It was a terrible time to have a down game, 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.400 but they had a down game. You talked about the 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:41.160 opening drive. I'm thinking and when I went back and 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:45.080 watched it this morning. The drives at the end of 0:11:45.120 --> 0:11:50.320 the first half were infuriating to me because even if 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:54.720 you look at Denver interception, touchdown, touchdown, punt, touchdown, that 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:57.400 sounds like they're dominating, they really weren't. It was twenty 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:00.800 to ten, Dallas had the football with three mines and 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:04.360 change three forty seven when they took over. You go 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:07.360 down the field there and you score, you're within three points. 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:09.240 You're close to the end of the first half. We'll 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:11.960 see what happens at the end of halftime. But even 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:13.880 if Denver tacks on a field goal there, you are 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:16.960 within a touchdown to start the third quarter. Yes, if 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:20.319 you go down in that area that portion of the game, 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:24.680 you're within a possession at halftime more than likely, and 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:27.520 you get the football to start the third quarter. Instead, 0:12:27.559 --> 0:12:30.680 what happened? You go three and out, You pump the 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:34.240 ball away. What does Denver do? They drive down the field, 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:37.480 They get a touchdown before halftime, so then they go 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:39.960 up twenty seven to ten. Oh and you've got hey, 0:12:40.000 --> 0:12:43.240 you still got the football. You've got what was it 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:46.240 thirty nine seconds, which we've seen. As long as you 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:48.559 get Brandon Aubrey and field goal range. You can make 0:12:48.600 --> 0:12:51.520 it work. Even in the elevation in Denver, Colorado. You 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:53.440 can get in field goal range. Kick a field goal. 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:57.240 You're good, completed a couple passes early, got right at 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:59.240 the edge of what you would be willing to try 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:01.640 with Brandon Aubrey, and then you try a deep seam 0:13:01.720 --> 0:13:03.680 over the middle of the field to Jake Ferguson into 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:07.680 triple coverage. There was double coverage over the top and underneath, 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:09.400 but then there was an extra safety coming over to 0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:12.520 so it was really a Bermuda triangle. As Isaiah called 0:13:12.520 --> 0:13:16.559 it yesterday on the postgame show. You're trying that football 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:18.600 instead of trying something to the boundary to get out 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:20.480 of bounds, set up a field goal attempt, and at 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:23.520 least go into halftime with some dignity, down by thirteen 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:26.480 points instead of being fourteen points, instead of being down 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:29.800 by seventeen. And then you go down and you score, 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:32.160 and you're opening drive of the second half and you 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:34.800 feel like, okay, are offense starting to feel better again? 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:37.960 Not the case. You're still down by two scores. You're 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:40.360 still in a position where your defense needs to stop. 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:42.560 And this is not a team that has to need 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:44.720 the defense to get a stop. They just don't have 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:47.120 the dogs on that side of football. You cannot rely 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:50.280 on that. So as much as this was on the defense, 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.080 and as much as we've praised the offense throughout the season, 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:56.240 it was a down day in scenarios where they have 0:13:56.480 --> 0:14:00.440 converted in situations like that previously. They did not credit 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:02.839 to Denver. They're a good team. I think Denver is 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:05.400 a legitimate contender in the AFC, and I don't want 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:07.640 to take anything away from that, absolutely not. But if 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:11.120 Dallas plans to be a contender in their division, plans 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:12.960 to be a contender when they get to the playoffs 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:15.360 as Tommy said, or if they get to the playoffs 0:14:15.400 --> 0:14:17.920 as Tommy said, you got to play better than that 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.680 against the teams that are benchmark caliber teams that you're 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:22.920 going up against. And they did not pass their test 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:23.440 this week. 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:25.280 And time and time again, the Cowboys have proved that 0:14:25.320 --> 0:14:26.600 they don't win those games. 0:14:27.040 --> 0:14:28.720 Yeah, those are. 0:14:29.440 --> 0:14:30.480 This is the litmus test. 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:34.040 Dallas Cowboys are going up against an actual contender and 0:14:34.360 --> 0:14:38.880 the result continues to be the same. Outside looking in, 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:44.600 of course, I feel very It's the word passionate about 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:46.480 you know, how I feel, how good. I think the 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:50.680 Cowboys can be. But when you're talking about a defense 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:59.040 that cannot personnel wise afford making any mistakes, it's not 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:01.040 indicative of a good team. And Tony Roman was seeing 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:02.600 himself at the very end of the game as far 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:04.840 as like, this is a team that will. The offense 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:07.320 is good enough to keep you in half of these games, yeah, 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:10.240 and the other half you know you're going to struggle. 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:12.160 And that's exactly what we're seeing right now. 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:14.480 It is difficult to really get a good litmus test 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:17.240 on how good this team can be when their three 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:21.640 wins are against the Giants, the Jets, and the Commanders. 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:25.320 Those teams have what have come by banged up Commanders, that's. 0:15:25.280 --> 0:15:31.000 Seven wins and the Jets got their first one yesterday. Yeah, 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:34.840 that's that's telling. And I mean, and then you look 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:39.240 at the back half of this schedule Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:42.600 I mean, this is gonna be a this be a 0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:43.840 long back half of the year. 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:46.400 I liked what you were saying a second ago as 0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:48.760 far as like, why do we sort of when. 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:49.360 Are we gonna learn? 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:50.160 When are we gonna learn? 0:15:50.240 --> 0:15:50.480 Yeah? 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.400 Yeah, can you speak more to that? 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:55.560 I think I mean, I predicted Denver would win yeah Friday, 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:57.800 So it wasn't a shock. I thought it would be 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:01.000 a whole lot closer though, because I I don't believe 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:04.200 this team is far off. I really don't. And we've 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:06.520 had that debate before about the draft picks and whether 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:08.120 it'll hold on to them or whether it or not. 0:16:08.560 --> 0:16:10.480 And I even asked the question of Stephen Jones a 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:13.000 couple weeks back, how much are these next few games 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.800 going into the deadline going to decide how you handle 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.680 the trade deadline? And he said he didn't really give 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:21.160 like a full answer in that case. But I think 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:23.480 the answer is a ton You go into the deadline 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:26.640 at three five and one, you lose this week against 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:28.920 the Arizona Cardinals, and with the back half of the 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.920 schedule that Tommy's talking about, why would you not sell 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.000 at the deadline? Why would you not take some of 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:38.200 these good players that you can accumulate draft picks and 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:41.520 try and build around some guys that are still here. 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.240 Dak's not going anywhere, CED's not going anywhere. You could 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:46.600 still resign George Pickens if he continues to have the 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:49.640 season that he's having. Jake Ferguson's not going anywhere, Tyler 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:51.720 Smith's not going anywhere. All these guys that you've resigned. 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:54.200 The core of your team is staying here, but there 0:16:54.200 --> 0:16:57.080 are some other players that teams would value elsewhere. So 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:01.080 to speak to your quote, and this is a roundabout 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:03.600 answer of getting there, or roundabout way of getting there. 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:07.200 I don't think they're far off. But if they don't 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:10.920 have the season that you would anticipate, and they certainly 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:13.720 haven't to this point, I think you have to look 0:17:13.760 --> 0:17:16.040 toward twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight because of what 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:19.240 you already have from a draft camp Capitol standpoint. You 0:17:19.320 --> 0:17:22.399 got to be within striking distance to take advantage of 0:17:22.400 --> 0:17:25.199 this year and possibly trade those picks and say I 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:28.760 need a legitimate pass rusher, I need a legitimate linebacker 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:31.040 or a safety or whatever the position is that you 0:17:31.040 --> 0:17:34.080 want to address. First, you got to be within striking distance, 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:35.159 and right now they are not. 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:37.600 No, it's not gonna take one or two players. I mean, 0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:41.040 it would take a full overhaul of my opinion in 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:41.920 the defense. 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:43.879 And I think you're gonna get a couple guys. I 0:17:43.920 --> 0:17:46.520 know everybody's probably rolling their eyes when they're talking about oh, 0:17:46.560 --> 0:17:49.560 Demarveyn overshow's coming back? Or Savonzette Rebel's coming back? And 0:17:49.920 --> 0:17:51.520 I mean Treyvon Diggs is out. I don't know if 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:53.800 he'll ever play another game in the Cowboys uniform. And 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.240 we'll talk about that at some point down the line too. 0:17:56.760 --> 0:17:58.600 But all of that to be said, you are getting 0:17:58.640 --> 0:18:01.120 some reinforcements. If you add those guys and then get 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:04.399 an elite player, maybe it does help. Who am I 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.160 to say, but right now I don't have a whole 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:09.840 lot of confidence that that can help fix this team. 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:12.960 For the audio listeners, Patrick had a perfect response just 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:14.400 then because it was just all shoulders. 0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:16.760 He's just like, you know what, what do you do? 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:20.199 Shrug because my thought process is I'm hearing everything you 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:23.600 guys are saying, keep the picks and build for the future. 0:18:23.800 --> 0:18:27.560 That you know, great, wonderful. What's your identity on defense? 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:31.200 So you don't have one exactly, So my follow up 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:33.719 to that would be, now that I disagree with those points, 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.600 my follow up would be, yes, Okay, use those draft 0:18:37.640 --> 0:18:39.719 picks and war chests. You're going to empty the war 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:42.920 chess and for the most part you throw that at defense. Okay, sure, 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:45.280 you're throwing it at a defense that has no identity. 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:47.200 It doesn't know what he wants to do. It doesn't 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:48.160 know what it wants to be. 0:18:48.320 --> 0:18:49.600 And that's the whole conundrum. 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:51.200 Schematically, it doesn't. 0:18:50.960 --> 0:18:53.840 Know, So you're. 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:56.200