WEBVTT - Talkin' Cowboys: A Puzzling Season 0:00:04.519 --> 0:00:07.040 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:07.120 --> 0:00:18.000 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This He's Talking Cowboys, 0:00:18.440 --> 0:00:21.880 screening live from the Dallas Cowboys World Headhowarters at the 0:00:21.920 --> 0:00:34.239 Star in Frisia. No, your hosts Nicky Spagnola, Rob Phillips, 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:40.520 Everson Walls, and Bill Jones, And welcome into Talking Cowboys 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:44.760 inside the SWBC Mortgage Studio. Rob Phillips and for Bill Jones, 0:00:46.080 --> 0:00:50.640 off for it. You decide that I will not weird. 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:53.400 We are not better off. We're not right, Mack. Are 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:57.520 you okay? No, he's not. Oh he's going headphone less. 0:00:58.000 --> 0:01:02.280 Oh he's left the noise cancelers on and the battery 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:05.399 ran down. No, yeah, I want to come sit by me. 0:01:06.440 --> 0:01:10.200 I'll stay in my spot. Had a power through this. 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.920 We're off to a roaring start today. Yes, we hope 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:17.960 everybody had a happy Holidays. Yes I did. Did you did? 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:21.920 It was fun? Get some rest? I know, no rest, no, 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:25.200 no rest. It was all about family and yes that's 0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:28.080 the good thing about is Christmas and my family. We 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:30.200 had a good time. Yeah. I think I wore myself 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:33.200 out on Christmas Eves. I believe it. Christmas Day was 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.800 kind of recovery day. What did you do on Christmas Eve? Oh, 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:38.560 we had a bunch of people over, did a lot 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:42.600 of cooking. I had a glass of wine or four 0:01:42.720 --> 0:01:49.280 or five. That's the nick I know some veno. Well, hey, 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:51.240 i'd love it to you. I'd love to hear you 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:55.320 do the jack black jack reading. I got it? Well, no, no, 0:01:55.360 --> 0:02:02.400 oh like that after five? Probably better that happens right? 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:09.440 Rate more well, and what about you tip the same thing? Family? 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.079 It's nice ever since You're right, it's nice to take 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:14.800 just a break from this season and kind of put 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:19.080 things in perspective. But we're back at it today, and 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:22.640 the team is back at it today, practicing outside on 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:26.480 a Thursday, even though not going on the road. Their 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:29.600 day out there, back at home on Sunday. Yeah, nice, 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:33.720 little overcast, but preparing for those Washington Redskins. We'll have 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:36.600 Bill Jones back tomorrow. Sometimes it's good to get out 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:39.680 of your routine, change things up a little bit. I think, 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:43.400 so kind of refresh. Let's hope it works. I just 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:46.840 want to work it needs. They have all these remedies, 0:02:48.000 --> 0:02:51.840 but it doesn't work. Everything's yeah, we want to lay 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:54.160 this out for I mean, okay, guys, you guys are okay, 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:56.240 that's all right. You've been having the tough day, you've 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:59.639 been having the tough year. It's okay. All you need 0:02:59.800 --> 0:03:02.600 is just so vast and you'll be good. That is 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:06.359 not it? No, not so far right. Wish that was 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:08.480 the game. These guys need to be focused, and it 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:11.040 doesn't look like they get a higher level of intensity 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:14.360 than anyone around these holidays. It doesn't look like they 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:17.360 got any healthier either. By the way, Well, let's go 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:23.520 through it. This list is pretty long. Vacation I needed 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:26.000 two patents. It looks like, yeah, I'm looking at vacation 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:28.679 for them or allay? I mean? Is that the mindset 0:03:28.720 --> 0:03:31.360 in this in this arena, that would be That would 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:34.880 be like the last slap in the face, because, as 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:40.400 I wrote yesterday, the biggest fear should be the motivation 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:45.120 should be that you don't win and the Eagles get beat. 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.480 That would scare me to death. I know I would 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:51.720 be out there trying as hard as I can because 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:55.640 I don't want that on my legacy of You could 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:58.800 have won the division title at eight and eight and 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:01.400 gone to the playoffs, but you didn't beat the three 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:04.760 and twelve Redskins. Wow, because all year they've been saying 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.440 to us after every loss, we control our own destiny, 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:10.920 still control our own destiny. Well you don't now, but 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:14.240 you could. Isn't that sad that the last weeks and 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:17.880 weeks and weeks of this every week you right, we've 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:19.719 said that every week and when it was like a 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:21.880 broken record. So when you guys sit there and you 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:24.560 go to the press conference, doesn't that sound like a 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:27.240 broken record? Yeah? Done everything he said, sound like a 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.400 broken record. Done every post game interview, sound like a 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:34.119 broken record. Yeah, I mean you took it, took you 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:38.599 and I think I got this right. Fifteen games to 0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:41.720 fall out of first place? Wow? Is that in the 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:45.800 first place the whole time? Right? Or tiedelievable because when 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:48.120 they were three and three, I don't think the Eagles 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:51.840 had a winning record, so that no one else did either. 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:56.279 That door has been opened for such a long time. Yeah, 0:04:56.760 --> 0:04:59.200 just waiting for the Cowboys to just walk through and 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:02.480 shut it behind. And I'm not sure when they took 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:04.840 over first place last year at the end of the 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:09.159 season when they finished ten and six and won seven 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:12.080 of their last eight, so at some point they moved 0:05:12.120 --> 0:05:14.240 into first place. So it's been a while since they 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:17.080 haven't been in first place, and that that team's destiny 0:05:17.120 --> 0:05:19.719 seem to be the opposite of what this team's yeah destiny, 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:22.360 because they were winning all those close games. He talked 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:25.880 about it, eight out of ten were one score games, 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:29.360 and this year they've lost everyone that's been a one 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:34.040 score game. God, this lost six games, right, So do 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:36.360 those things even out? Like, you're not gonna win them 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:38.680 all and you're not gonna lose them all. But over 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:41.599 a course of two seasons it evens itself out. You 0:05:41.680 --> 0:05:46.120 get about fifty fifty on one score games. And once 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:50.400 again it goes back to you've got the players, is 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:55.479 it the coaching? Do the players of this caliber? Do 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:58.440 they need to be motivated? As you spoke of just 0:05:58.480 --> 0:06:01.080 a minute ago, do they need to be motivated? These 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:03.360 are players that are getting paid a lot of money. 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:05.920 You got a lot of linebackers something I don't think 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:08.320 some of the highest paid linebackers maybe in the NFL, 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:13.080 I don't think so. No, he's not making much. Vander 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:16.760 esh was on his rookie deal, yes, and san Sean 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:19.120 took a pay cut to come back and play this year. 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:22.320 It's just him like serious, like he's making two million 0:06:22.680 --> 0:06:25.719 b bo. I'm sure he was thinking he was going 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:28.320 to do it because this team has the potential right 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:31.360 to be off the charts. Such same thing with Whitten, Right, 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:34.279 he didn't take what he normally makes to come back, 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.599 but he thought this is I'm sure he thought the 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:39.039 same thing. Oh ten and six, you know, if I 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:42.200 come back and help out here we go. Hey with Witten, 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:44.760 he I think he kind of missed his little opportunity 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:47.080 that he he went into the booth. I think that's 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:51.680 when things to change for him all of a sudden. Uh, 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:53.360 you know, his hairline goes and he's back with the 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:57.000 cop and think about it, the cornerbacks aren't you know, 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:01.360 making big bucks? Oh no, right, the safety the only 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:04.479 guy that's got paid. The only guy that got paid 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:08.200 on this defense was DeMarcus Lawrence. You know, Quinn was 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:12.239 on a you know, uh like a five million dollar 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:16.880 base and then he had a a bonus for seven 0:07:16.920 --> 0:07:19.120 and a half sacks, so he got that ten and 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:21.600 a half and I think he had a per game 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:26.040 bonus also, so but still no one was making like 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:28.920 ten to twelve thirteen million a year on this team. 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:31.800 I forgot what Byron Jones would have been on his 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:36.800 fifth year. Um um, I forget is it like nine 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:40.400 or ten something like that. Yeah, yeah, and he's played. 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:43.480 You know, he didn't have any more interceptions this year 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:47.000 than he had last year. I hate to say it, 0:07:47.160 --> 0:07:49.440 but it's kind of no. But you know what if 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:51.960 you take him off of the secondary and where are 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:54.320 they at right now? Yah? Know, So just you know, 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:57.040 turnovers aside, and I know you're the you're you're the 0:07:57.200 --> 0:07:59.560 one of the godfathers of interceptions in the in the 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:03.760 second area there without an interception. That was that was 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:05.760 amazing to me. I talked to him about that. I 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.240 talked to him about how did you do that? You know, 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:09.840 how do you do that? I don't think there's ever 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:11.840 been a pro bowler that didn't have an interception. That's 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:14.440 got to be an NFL record. It's because normally they'd 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:16.480 look at stats, right, So that's the first thing you 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:21.760 can numbers. I don't know how many times you get toasted, 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:24.360 they're gonna consider you, right if you've got a number 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:26.920 of interceptions. Yeah, absolutely. And so when you look at 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:29.800 this team and you look at the not just the individuals, 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.280 but you look at this group when this season is 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:36.000 all said and done, they're gonna be who's gonna point 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:40.120 the finger at who linebackers at that DB's offensive line, 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:43.960 You're gonna point out the defensive line. And to me, 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:48.240 the answer, the answer is you all failed. There's not 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:52.040 You're right there. There's not a position on this team 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.040 that you can look at and say they've been one 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:58.880 hundred percent consistent throughout the season, and that bar is tough. 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:02.280 One hundred percent? Is it to give me a lower percentage? 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:05.600 And it's still gonna be. It's gonna be a few, 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:08.360 just a few groups, and they're gonna look back at this. 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.720 And so you can help with the history here, it's 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:17.120 been I would think quite some time that a Cowboys 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:21.720 team that so much was expected of did this. Didn't 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:25.280 give us anything because normally there was a reason for it, 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:29.840 right like in twenty fifteen, Tony Romo played four games, 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:33.959 finished two, and there was a reason why they finished 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:37.680 the way they did, you know, twenty seventeen, nine and seven, 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.600 but Zeke misses six games and they had an effect 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.480 on this team, the one that it reminds me of. 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:48.360 And it's not over yet, but oh eight, they won 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:50.719 the first three games of the season, and everybody was 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:52.640 talking about how this is a super Bowl team won 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:55.400 thirteen games a year ago. Naturally they're gonna take the 0:09:55.440 --> 0:09:58.520 next step. Right, finished nine and seven. Now, Tony Romo 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.240 missed three games, l two of them. Yeah, and that 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.800 probably costs him at the end of the cost him 0:10:03.800 --> 0:10:05.840 getting in the playoffs. And they went to fill weeks 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:07.800 seventeen with with a chance to get in and they 0:10:07.840 --> 0:10:09.880 got blown out. I don't know that you could look 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:13.480 at this season and say, okay, there's why, right, it 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:16.120 wasn't like a quarterback injury. I mean this season, yeah, 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:21.440 this is and I call it last season. Yeah, this season. 0:10:21.960 --> 0:10:24.600 So no, and Jerry has been quick to point out 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:27.560 on his radio segments, this is a pretty healthy football 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:29.800 team overall. I mean, he makes a point of saying that, 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:34.200 and he's right. We knew in twenty two thousand through 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:38.000 two thousand and two this team, the roster wasn't very good. Uh, 0:10:38.080 --> 0:10:41.560 Troy got hurt in two thousand. Uh, you know, things 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:44.160 went downhill. You didn't have a quarterback and O one, 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:49.200 O two miracle and oh three oh four you brought 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:52.760 in Vinny Testaverdi because you wanted a veteran backup right, 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:54.800 and then all of a sudden, he's got a start 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:59.320 fifteen game, right, right, pretty right? I remember that, you know, 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:03.559 I can take you nineteen ninety nine when they finished 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:06.680 eight and eight, but they lost Michael after a three 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:08.960 and old start. They got off to a great start. 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:14.439 They didn't have wide receivers, right, So ninety seven, I 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:17.560 don't know if anybody thought ninety seven was going to happen, right, 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:21.959 and they fell apart they were six seven five. But 0:11:21.960 --> 0:11:25.559 but there's the difference that that team was getting older. Yes, 0:11:25.640 --> 0:11:27.960 the core of that team was getting older. And that's 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:32.120 why this one is so surprising. Trying to right, we 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:35.840 don't have anything, don't because this this was a young 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:38.280 This is a young team that was even younger last 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:42.200 year that started three and five, and all of a sudden, 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:45.880 you get Amari Cooper and they grew up. They grew 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:48.040 up down the stretch. They were able to win closer 0:11:48.080 --> 0:11:51.240 games because I think they the experience benefited them. And 0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:54.760 to y'all's point, and six and games decided by one 0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:57.360 score less this year, yeah, and someone won. And some 0:11:57.440 --> 0:11:59.880 of these games haven't been close, and they haven't shown 0:11:59.880 --> 0:12:05.240 the same Uh, resolve against adversity on the road the 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:09.160 best word. We have, no resolve. It seems like every 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:13.960 time we hit some type of adversity, we're ready to buckle. 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:16.280 We're ready to buckle, it takes us. And then when 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:18.920 we do buckle, it takes us a while. We're reeling 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:21.439 for so long, and then at the end of the game, 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:24.120 here we are got a chance. Guys, we're still in it. 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.080 You know. It's like a distance runner who coasted and 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.280 then that last lap. Okay, my high school track coach 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:36.319 I hated that. You come sprinting across the run. You 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:39.480 will hear his voice all over the stadium, the late 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:42.959 John Freeman. Guys, you man rest in peace. But I'm 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:45.880 just saying that it's that's kind of how it is. 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:53.000 We don't We always take sometimes even a game to 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:57.960 make adjustments. Going back to Atlanta, that gets the heck 0:12:58.000 --> 0:12:59.920 beat out of him. One guy makes a pro bow 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:05.200 along him in one game made his career. Yeah, so, 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.319 I mean, but look how long it took it. We 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:09.800 didn't even make the adjustment of that game. We didn't 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:12.360 even put in two tight ends that game. We didn't 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:15.080 even have a back to chip him that game. Yeah, well, 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:17.840 the next time they started Cameron Fleming, they had two 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:21.280 tight ends in Low Long that was the next year, 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:25.679 this year, and then even after that the next week, 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:28.240 then I was suddenly, oh we got we got dacks back. 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:30.800 Now we're gonna get protected. But yeah, he just got 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:35.960 sacked what was it eight times in Atlanta? Okay, So 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:40.200 our coaching staff, for some reason, I don't know if 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:43.880 it comes from, they don't trust the players to grasp 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:48.280 the changes and the adjustment that needs to be made, uh, 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:51.160 in real time, in real time. When they finally made 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:53.400 the change in the third quarter in that Atlanta game 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:55.560 and brought Fleming in, it didn't get any better. It 0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:57.880 didn't get us the same same thing. They just needed 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:00.280 help over there, and that's all you just to But 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.920 I think they were just stubborn. I think they thought 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:09.320 that with um A Green in there, uh taking tiring spot, 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:13.080 that they'd seen him play well before, so it was like, Okay, 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:16.040 sometime it's gonna come along. It's gonna come along and 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:18.200 at halftime and it hadn't come along. And it took 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:21.440 them midway through the third quarter to take Chaz Green 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:23.720 out and put Fleming in, and it didn't get any 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:30.680 better once again the whole time, and they were they 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:33.600 were just stubborn. And I know what it cost problem. 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:36.560 I think it costs the offensive line coach his job 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:39.480 because they made the change. No doubt that they cost him. 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:42.040 And it's a ripple effect. That entire season was a 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:44.560 ripple effect. That's why your offensive coordinated from last year 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:46.880 it's gone as well. Yeah, it was a ripple effect 0:14:46.880 --> 0:14:49.920 all the way down the line. So I'm just wondering 0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:53.840 if we need I wonder why we don't have more 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:57.840 of a sense of urgency to make the adjustments sometimes 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:00.920 they made I mean next drive right. I've been on 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:03.360 teams where they've made that the next drive ye. And 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.480 that's the thing about Philly last week. Doug Peterson is 0:15:07.520 --> 0:15:11.200 in a situation where he doesn't have any receivers. Zach 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:13.800 Ertz gets banged up in the game. But they found 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:19.520 a way to kind of read refigure things offensively and 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:22.040 win ball games. And yeah they didn't. They said, not 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:24.320 next guy up, We're just gonna use two tight ends 0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:26.640 because there are two best wide receivers. Guess when that 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.880 falls right into our lap, well, we we fall into 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:32.640 their lap, I would I would say, because now they're strict, 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:36.440 and how they were able to to survive the way 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:39.880 they weble to struggle and still make it in those 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:43.600 two games and still be victorious. Yeah, and now that 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.000 that fall, that fell right into our weakness, right tight 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:49.600 ends running backs and when I can't get back into 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:54.320 the into the eighties. Eighty six, Danny got hurt, right, 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:58.640 Pilau wasn't good enough to finish those last seven games. 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:01.720 Eighty seven, the strike was there kind of screwed things up. 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:04.400 Now eighty eight. I don't know what everybody thought the 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:06.640 eighty eight team was going to be, but it was 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:09.200 done right, it was it was I put it like this, 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.240 that was the most competitive what we three three, three 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.160 and thirteen. That was the most competitive three and thirteen teams, right, 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:17.320 I've ever been on. There was a lot of close games. 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:19.600 I just didn't win them. Didn't win them, didn't win them. 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:23.840 And and a lot of people thought that Tom's uh, 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.200 you know, age right was getting in the way of 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:29.320 him being more aggressive on calling plays and being more 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:31.880 heads up. Right. Yeah, we knew it was gonna happen. 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.960 Eighty nine. Yes, the surprising thing was ninety because they 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:37.440 won seventy games and it's so funny about ninety we 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:39.800 won three preseason games and we're like, man, we're going 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:43.880 to nine eighty nine. Remember nine, we're winning field goal 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:47.560 against Houston the final, the last preseason game, I think 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:50.680 or something. I mean, I'm not sending to you a 0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:53.320 fumble return. We were like, whoa, we are good. We 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:56.480 were like, no, that's so much So it's been a 0:16:56.480 --> 0:17:00.080 while since this has happened to this and every we 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:03.160 had excuses on all of those years is where you started. 0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:08.760 Excuses in all of those years. I mean legitimate, exclusive excuses. 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:11.280 No talents. You know, we're getting older. It is what 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:14.119 it is. You can't change for the time. This team 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:19.120 no excuses now, they're just they're young, they've been relatively healthy, 0:17:19.240 --> 0:17:23.200 paid and yeah, and just haven't gotten it done technically. 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:25.879 They're still alive. Got to beat the Redskins on Sunday 0:17:25.920 --> 0:17:28.120 and hopefully loses to the Giants. Let's take our first 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:30.880 break and we'll come back. 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We are the official tractor provider of your 0:20:02.320 --> 0:20:07.520 Dallas Cowboys. Better to talk in Cowboys. Welcome back to 0:20:07.600 --> 0:20:11.760 Talking Cowboys inside the SWBC Mortgage studio, Rob Phillips, Everson Walls, 0:20:11.840 --> 0:20:14.960 making Spagnola here for the next twenty minutes or so. 0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:19.960 Cowboys practicing outside. They've got the Redskins at home on Sunday, 0:20:20.000 --> 0:20:24.119 the regular season finale. Will find out about six thirty 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:27.560 seven o'clock on Sunday whether the season continues. We need 0:20:27.600 --> 0:20:29.479 a couple of things to happen in order for that 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:34.280 to happen. And Nick, you're chotting down what you got? 0:20:34.359 --> 0:20:36.119 What do you think we should have a split screen 0:20:36.160 --> 0:20:39.640 on the big video board half giants. Oh, that ego 0:20:39.680 --> 0:20:42.719 will happen. No, because they change, they change the time. 0:20:43.200 --> 0:20:45.480 They will not do though, been on the video board. 0:20:45.560 --> 0:20:50.359 Oh no, no no. In regards to the networks, yeah, 0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:55.560 I would look forward to that. Got to get dicey 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:59.320 on both sides, or either side. Yeah, the other see 0:20:59.359 --> 0:21:02.080 what they're and they changed it. What we were playing 0:21:02.080 --> 0:21:05.120 at noon and now with those games we're gonna be new. Yeah, 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:07.520 so they changed both of them. Come on, man, that 0:21:08.119 --> 0:21:11.280 they want us to fail on national television. That's what 0:21:11.359 --> 0:21:14.440 they want. This is not about Cowboy fans. You We're 0:21:14.480 --> 0:21:16.640 gonna give you a chance to root your team on 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:20.280 and support them nationwide. No, that's not what it's about. 0:21:20.560 --> 0:21:23.760 They want to see the Cowboys fall flat on their face. 0:21:25.119 --> 0:21:27.600 Stephen A. Smith is gonna be I'll get the Cowboy 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:32.080 hat on, right, Yeah. Yeah. Those those those end zone 0:21:32.640 --> 0:21:36.200 um scoreboards that have stats on them, they just should 0:21:36.280 --> 0:21:39.720 have the running total of the Eagles Giants. So I'm 0:21:39.760 --> 0:21:43.280 just telling you this is this is score time out 0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:46.960 to be Uh how can I put? This could turn 0:21:47.080 --> 0:21:51.880 out to be uh real satisfaction for the Cowboys. It could, 0:21:52.480 --> 0:21:55.920 and that is a shame that they have this opportunity. 0:21:57.160 --> 0:22:02.280 You know, God is good because there's no way a 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:05.399 team should still have a chance like this. And they 0:22:05.480 --> 0:22:07.840 know it. They know it, and they I mean they 0:22:07.920 --> 0:22:11.320 set it back after the is It Chicago and they 0:22:11.400 --> 0:22:15.040 still found themselves in first place after losing on the road, 0:22:15.600 --> 0:22:17.959 and now at seven and eight. Here's a stat from 0:22:18.000 --> 0:22:19.920 Gil Brandt. We'll get to the injuries in the second, 0:22:20.240 --> 0:22:24.080 but the great Gil brand tweets the Cowboys have the 0:22:24.160 --> 0:22:29.879 best point differential plus eighty two and yardage differential plus 0:22:30.000 --> 0:22:33.159 fourteen hundred and twenty six of any sub five hundred 0:22:33.240 --> 0:22:37.280 team in the Super Bowl era. Last year, the last year, 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:39.600 they were ten and six with a plus fifteen point 0:22:39.640 --> 0:22:44.080 differential and plus two thirty three yardage deferential, which just 0:22:44.680 --> 0:22:47.440 it speaks again to just how puzzling the season has been. 0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:51.679 They put up yards, they put up points, but they 0:22:51.760 --> 0:22:57.679 have eight losses and are staring playoff watching playoffs at 0:22:57.720 --> 0:22:59.680 home in the face. So it just qualifies what we've 0:22:59.720 --> 0:23:03.080 been talking about. And to me, I promise you guys, 0:23:03.280 --> 0:23:05.919 you can say what you want. The numbers for defense 0:23:06.119 --> 0:23:09.000