Talkin’ Cowboys: Nine Problems

Podcast: Talkin’ Cowboys
Date: December 11, 2025
Episode Theme: In “Nine Problems,” the crew breaks down the Dallas Cowboys’ matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, with a major focus on the Vikings’ quarterback situation (“Nine” is a tongue-in-cheek reference to rookie QB J.J. McCarthy’s struggles), injury news, and a granular look at how the Cowboys defense matches up with a dangerous but inconsistent Minnesota skill group. The episode is marked by a lively, humorous tone, detailed analysis, and plenty of banter.

Main Discussion Themes

• Previewing Cowboys vs. Vikings
• J.J. McCarthy (“Nine”) Analysis
• Cowboys and Vikings Injury Updates
• Minnesota Offensive Skill Position Threats
• Defensive Game Plan Strategies
• Playoff Path for Dallas

Detailed Episode Breakdown

1. Setting the Stage & Injury Updates

(05:38 – 13:53)

• Cowboys Injury Report
  • Tyler Guyton (OT): Trending in the right direction despite missing practice. (06:00)
  • Malik Hooker (S): Missed practice for personal reasons, not injury.
  • Good news: Jadeveon Clowney and CeeDee Lamb returned to practice. Lamb is still in concussion protocol but “looked good” in drills.
    • “The eye test looked good on CeeDee Lamb yesterday. He was participating... in good spirits... I expect he will take the field against the Minnesota Vikings.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (08:08)
  • Sivoane Revel (LB): Dealing with knee soreness after practice, expected to manage rep count.
• Vikings Injury Report
  • Christian Darrisaw (OT) and T.J. Hockenson (TE) both missed practice. Hockenson’s “shin” injury draws jokes about oddly specific injury designations.

Notable Quotes

• “If you had a dodgeball game tonight, would you feel comfortable picking up CeeDee Lamb and playing tonight?” — Isaiah Stanback (09:20)
• “Shin injury? Have you ever heard of shin being on an injury report?” — Kyle Yeomans (10:57)

2. J.J. McCarthy (“Nine”) and the Vikings Passing Game

(13:57 – 25:50)

• Statistical Woes
  • J.J. McCarthy (nicknamed “Nine”): The only current start-qualifying NFL QB with more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9).
    • “Would you like to take a guess on who that is?”... “Nine.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (14:21)
  • The McCarthy-to-Jefferson connection ranks LAST among qualifying QB-WR duos (quarterback rating of 45; closest is 54).
    • “The combo of JJ McCarthy and Justin Jefferson rank dead last in passer rating.” — Kyle Yeomans (15:11)
• Causes of Struggle
  • “Inconsistency, lack of chemistry between McCarthy and Justin Jefferson, with Jefferson posting career-low numbers”
    — Josh Rodriguez (14:38)
  • Multiple hosts note that while Jefferson is elite, McCarthy holds him back.
  • Despite an offensive system they praise as “immaculate” (19:12), McCarthy’s lack of arm strength, ball placement, and velocity limits the offense.
• Danger of ‘Get Right’ Opponent
  • The Cowboys defense has, at times, been a “get right” unit for struggling offenses—a risk for a potential outlier McCarthy game:
    • “The Cowboys defense so far this season has been a get right game for a lot of offenses. And I don't want that to start clicking.” — Josh Rodriguez (16:57)
• Should the Cowboys Blitz?
  • Counterintuitively, McCarthy performs worse the longer he holds the ball. Dallas should consider NOT blitzing, dropping 7+ into coverage.
    • “Defenses are opting to not blitz J.J. McCarthy this season... when they do that, J.J. McCarthy has the lowest completion rate in the entire NFL at 56%.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (24:44)
  • “If you leave him alone... he'll throw you the ball.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (25:41)

Notable Quotes

• “He's actually consistently bad.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (17:17)
• “He has an inverse relationship! The more time he has back there, the less likely he makes the completion.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (23:43)

3. Minnesota's Skill Position Weapons: A Real Test

(32:17 – 41:26)

• Top-3 NFL Skill Group Without the QB
  • Wide Receivers: Justin Jefferson (“arguably best in the game”), Jordan Addison (“really good”), Jalen Nailor (dangerous YAC threat).
  • Tight End: T.J. Hockenson (“tried and true”)
  • Running Backs: Aaron Jones (“always a problem for Dallas”), Jordan Mason.
  • Fullback: C.J. Ham (“physical as heck... will hit your face mask off”)
• The hosts agree Minnesota has “top-3” offensive skill positions the Cowboys will face this season, with Philly and Detroit the other top units.
  • *“Is this in the top three of the most well rounded offensive skill positions we face this year?” — Isaiah Stanback
  • “Top three. Yes.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (39:13)
• Coaching Praise
  • Kevin O’Connell (“freaking dude, heck of a coach”), paired with DC Brian Flores, draws admiration as one of the NFL’s best all-around play-callers/leaders.
    • “Those guys are good at both [leadership and X’s and O’s]. I think Kevin O’Connell does that. This would be a 10-win team if they had a quarterback.” — Kyle Yeomans (35:42)

4. Defensive Gameplan vs. Vikings

(37:00 – 41:26)

• Strategy: Drop Seven, Four-Man Rush
  • Play coverage, don’t blitz unless McCarthy starts to get comfortable or effective.
    • “Tell your front four get pressure, just get pressure organically... Film scouting numbers say that McCarthy will blow this game.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (37:42)
  • If McCarthy unexpectedly makes plays, then increase pressure:
    • “If he bucks that [trend]... then you send the blitz because you need to do whatever you need to knock him off his spot.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (36:41)
• Aaron Jones as X-Factor
  • Jones’ history of big games against Dallas is a source of concern.
    • “Until you figure out a way to stop letting Aaron Jones come into AT&T Stadium and... look like Eric Dickerson every single time...” — Patrick Nosi Walker (40:55)
• Call for Improvement
  • Defensive line, especially Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark, need a bounce-back after the previous week’s poor showing.

Notable Quotes

• “If you're going to have [Logan Wilson] take the majority of the snaps... This is the game to do it.” — Josh Rodriguez (38:34)
• “Cowboys defense has been a get right game—so if McCarthy goes out there in the first quarter… flip the script.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (38:10)

5. Lab Coat Segment: Playoff Odds and Scenarios

(46:27 – 50:51)

• The Path Is Narrow
  • “Cowboys have to win out—no margin for error,” plus need the Eagles to lose at least 2 of their last 4 (Raiders, Commanders twice, Bills).
    • If the Eagles lose 2, Dallas can win the division; if not, focus shifts to wildcard, requiring a Bears collapse (Bears need to lose 3/4).
    • Complications and variance in playoff odds models discussed (ESPN and NFL model discrepancies).
  • “If you don't [win out], nothing I'm about to say matters.” — Patrick Nosi Walker (47:01)
• Hope for a Raiders Win Over the Eagles
  • The emotional tone and atmosphere if Philly slips, setting up a high-stakes finish for Dallas.
    • “Could you imagine the scene at AT&T Stadium… if the Raiders… upset Philadelphia?” — Kyle Yeomans (50:51)

6. Notable Banter, Humor, and Misc. Moments

• Running From Dogs Tales (05:01): Panelists share stories about escaping from dogs, keeping the tone light (“Have you ever like ran away from a dog?”).
• Basketball Digression (30:16): Brief but amusing debate about Glenn Rice and what team pops to mind for Shaquille O’Neal.
• Fullback Praise & Subtle Cowboys Jab (34:09): Isaiah Stanback: “If you have a fullback, might as well use them for fullback things.”
• “Lab Coat” Fluster: Panel rushed to the science portion, jokes about drops and timing (“Lab coat coming up a little bit later as well!” — 25:50).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:38 – Cowboys/Vikings Injury Reports
• 13:57 – J.J. McCarthy struggles; “Nine” nickname origin
• 16:04 – McCarthy to Jefferson is the NFL’s worst-rated WR/QB combo
• 19:12 – Kevin O’Connell’s offensive scheme
• 23:43 – Why not blitz J.J. McCarthy?
• 32:17 – Evaluating Minnesota’s skill group threats
• 37:42 – Defensive game plan: coverage vs. blitz
• 39:13 – Are the Vikings “Top 3” skill group faced this year?
• 46:27 – “Lab Coat” Playoff scenario breakdown

Memorable Quotes

• Patrick Nosi Walker (22:36):
  “I would not blitz J.J. McCarthy… the Vikings do want to get the ball out of his hands quickly. This is one of the weird instances where I'm completely fine with not sending a plus one… The more time he has in the pocket, the less likely he's going to make the completion.”

• Patrick Nosi Walker (25:41):
  “The film and the stats, the scouting report on JJ McCarthy is if you leave him alone… he'll throw you the ball.”

• Isaiah Stanback (19:12):
  “Kevin O’Connell, when I turn on his film, his offense is nice… the pass concepts are immaculate.”

• Kyle Yeomans (35:42):
  “This would be a 10-win team if they had a quarterback.”

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is analytical, witty, and self-aware, mixing detailed football data with frequent diversions and inside jokes. The recurring “Nine/None” theme serves both as an evaluation of Minnesota’s current quarterback issues and a running comedic motif.

Key Takeaway:
The Cowboys face a top-tier supporting cast in Minnesota—on paper an elite challenge—with an outlier of a weak quarterback (“Nine”). Defensive strategy should be coverage-heavy, not blitz-heavy, and Dallas’s playoff hopes, while slim, hinge on perfection and NFC chaos down the stretch.

Summary by [Your Expert Podcast Summarizer]