Talkin’ Cowboys: Week 1 Roundup

Summary

Talkin’ Cowboys: Week 1 Roundup (September 8, 2025)

Podcast: Talkin’ Cowboys
Hosts: Kyle Yeomans, Isaiah Stanback, Josh Rodriguez
Location: The Star, Frisco, TX

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Overview

This episode of Talkin’ Cowboys delivers a lively, in-depth breakdown of the Dallas Cowboys’ 24-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, offering both measured critique and optimism. The crew also surveys the broader NFL landscape, analyzes NFC East rivals, highlights key moments from other opening week games (especially a wild Ravens-Bills finish), and candidly debates the Cowboys' current strengths and weaknesses.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Cowboys vs. Eagles: Film Review & Takeaways

• Pressure and Defensive Strategy

  • Isaiah Stanback emphasizes how Dallas's defense limited key Eagles playmakers but allowed Jalen Hurts to make plays with his legs.

  • First half: defense played conservatively, aiming to contain Hurts rather than over-commit and allow big plays to A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, or Saquon Barkley.

  • Adjustments in the second half included a variety of "stunts" and creative blitz packages; defensive backs like DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs blitzed and impacted protection assignments.

    “You limited Saquon Barkley substantially. You limited the receiving corps substantially. Jalen Hurts hurt you on some broken plays.” — Isaiah [05:02]

• Explaining Stunts for Laymen

  • Isaiah breaks down ET (end-tackle) and TE (tackle-end) stunts and how they are designed to confuse offensive line blocking schemes, potentially freeing up pass rushers.

    “What you’re trying to do is get one guy on the defensive line to consume two guys in a blocking scheme…so you can free up one of your guys.” — Isaiah [06:13]

• Personnel Limitations

  • There’s debate about whether Mozzie Smith can execute these stunts versus more mobile interior linemen like Kenny Clark, but the current rotation is viewed as promising.

2. Wide Receiver Effort & Run Blocking: A Problem?

• Effort Concerns

  • The crew draws a link between receiver effort—especially in run blocking—and offensive limitations.

  • They specifically note:

    • CeeDee Lamb gives some effort but isn’t highly physical.
    • Jalen Tolbert is “not a blocker” despite his frame.
    • George Pickens appeared disengaged when not thrown the ball early.

  • Citing PFF grades, the group underscores that the receiving corps isn’t fulfilling promises of being more physical run blockers—and it shows in the lack of explosive run plays.

    “There are individuals that need to exert more effort so that they can be a more dependable resource for Dak…as a quarterback, if there are times where…you don’t feel that there is a sense of urgency, I’m probably not going back that direction.” — Isaiah [08:02]

    “The reason why you only saw one splash run is because there wasn’t enough blocking happening at the second level.” — Isaiah [12:14]

• Positional Role Models Needed

  • The need for a “run enforcer” among receivers—a la ex-Cowboy Noah Brown—is highlighted as a roster void.

    “Who’s that guy here?... I don’t think that you have one.” — Isaiah [15:50]

• Potential to Correct

  • The group frames these as “week one problems”—correctable if the staff/coordinators address them, but potentially fatal if left unchecked.

3. Dak Prescott’s Postgame Mindset and “The Spitting Incident”

• Dak’s Attitude
  • Dak expresses both disappointment and determination to improve (“a lot to grow from”).
• Spitting Incident

  • The crew briefly addresses Dak’s in-game altercation with Jalen Carter, with Isaiah reflecting on how players keep composure when provoked, especially with refs present.

    "In this exact situation that Dak was in, I would most likely have done the same... Because literally, as it happened, Dak sees the referee...so knowing that it’s going to be handled by the referee, you can sustain yourself from doing something crazy.” — Isaiah [22:53]

4. NFC East & League Roundup

New York Giants & Russell Wilson

• Giants’ offense is in disarray—three straight season openers without a TD.
• Receivers/tight ends aren't helping Wilson; persistent drop issues, questionable coaching future for Brian Daboll (now in year four).
• Defensive line praised for depth (Dexter Lawrence, Burns, Thibodeaux).

Washington Commanders

• Offensive “rust” and growing pains, but a decent run game with promising rookie Merritt contributing.

Green Bay Packers

• Jordan Love's steady play and a defensive monster in Micah Parsons (now with Green Bay) make them favorites for the NFC, per Isaiah.

• Packers lauded for roster depth and “across the board” team-building.

  “They are a threat now. They are my favorites in the NFC...across the board…teams like that are very dangerous.” — Isaiah [31:09]

Detroit Lions

• Defensive regression without top coordinators; secondary struggled—“every receiver was wide open.”

San Francisco-Seattle Slugfest

• Low-scoring, physical contest; both offensives sputtered but Seattle’s defense stood out despite loss.

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5. AFC Fireworks & Where the Cowboys Rank

Ravens-Bills Thriller

• The show marvels at a wild 41-40 comeback by Buffalo, the talent present (Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Josh Allen), and quirky moments like the backup kicker Matt Prater’s game-winner.

• Baltimore’s depth and roster construction are praised as model franchise-building.

  “They have so much depth, it's not even funny. They go three deep at many crucial positions…” — Kyle [45:25]

Chargers & Team-Building Trends

• Justin Herbert shakes past crunch-time doubts; Quentin Johnston finally emerges.
• Lesson: Elite teams are ‘dangerous across the board,’ not just reliant on superstars—a direction the Cowboys aspire to follow (the Micah trade being a sign of that).

Where Do the Cowboys Stand?

• Josh: Puts Dallas at roughly 14th in the league after Week 1 (“right there in the middle”) [53:04].
• Isaiah: Sees the team as “good, especially if they add this one piece”—hinting at free agent Christian Wilkins [53:15-53:36].

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “If you want big plays from your running back room…the linemen are only responsible for those front seven guys...Beyond that, corners and safeties...that is a responsibility of the receivers.” — Isaiah [12:16]
• “You need somebody like that to just give you that versatility.” — Kyle, on needing a Noah Brown-type receiver [16:32]
• “I can’t say that I’m putting all of the blame on Russell Wilson…their receivers and tight ends, man, they were not helping him out in any way.” — Josh [25:13]
• “He is truly one of the few guys in this league that…you might be fearful of as an offensive coordinator.” — Isaiah, on Micah Parsons [30:41]
• “If George Pickens…knows he's not getting the ball now…as a receiver, you have to do what you can to get a release and get up the sideline to be a threat…because if not, that safety can go take your tight end's head off like he did.” — Isaiah [50:59]
• “All correctable. Right. Nobody had a problem. Get that rust off. Calibration, calibration, calibration.” — Isaiah [52:39]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 03:00–07:00 | Cowboys defensive strategy, pressure, and adjustments | | 08:00–14:15 | Receiver effort in run game; blocking, positional needs| | 21:48–24:46 | Dak’s postgame, spitting incident debate | | 24:59–28:16 | Giants’ woes, OL praise, NFC East breakdown | | 29:46–31:53 | Packers’ case as NFC favorites, Micah Parsons impact| | 34:06–35:46 | Lions’ struggles, San Francisco-Seattle recap | | 41:59–44:50 | Ravens-Bills recap; AFC drama | | 48:04–52:17 | How Dallas fits league-wide, what’s correctable | | 53:01–54:03 | Quick power ranking of Cowboys, needs for improvement|

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Final Thoughts

Tone and Takeaway:
Engaging, candid, occasionally lighthearted but deeply informed—balancing critical film study with realistic Week 1 optimism. The O-line and pass rush look promising; the receiver room needs a physical tone-setter; and while Dallas sits in the middle of the pack, the hosts see potential for quick improvement.

Looking Forward:
Potential roster moves (Christian Wilkins?), more focus on blocking effort, and a continued push to build a “dangerous across the board” roster—the message is clear: Week 1 is not doomsday, but the margin for error, especially with a tough NFC, is slim.

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Next Episode Teaser:
Talking Tuesday is back, with fan call-ins and more deep-dive analysis ahead of Week 2 (vs. Giants).

Transcript

[A]

Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company. They're one of America's largest financial services companies. Like how I'm more than saquon Barkley, the NFL's reigning leading rusher. I'm also the NFL's leading husher.

[B]

Shh.

[A]

Hush up back there. Wow. I might have just set the hushing record. Well, almost. For your insurance and financial needs, Nationwide is on your side.

[B]

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation. Amber Finra, Columbus, Ohio.

[A]

The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys.com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This is Talking Cowboys streaming live from the Dallas Cowboys world headquarters at the Star in Frisco.

[C]

CD Lamb Touchdown.

[B]

Karchics has seconded. Prescott keeps it and he bangs it in for the touchdown.

[A]

And now your hosts, Isaiah Stanback, Patrick.

[D]

Walker, Josh Rodriguez and Kyle Yeomans.

[A]

It's a marvelous Monday edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company live from the Star in Frisco, Texas in the SWBC studios. Welcome in, everybody. We've got Patrick. Or no, we don't have. I'm used to seeing him here. Oh, we've got Josh Rodriguez.

[C]

Hi.

[B]

Does not have a shirt that is creased to the te like that.

[C]

No, he.

[A]

He's a T shirt guy. Yeah, he's a T shirt guy.

[C]

He's a T shirt guy.

[A]

We got Isaiah. Stand back.

[C]

What's up?

[B]

Hello.

[A]

I'm Kyle Yeomans. Chris in the back.

[B]

Yes. You know what? I saw our buddies at Black Rifle this weekend. Did you? Yeah, there was a black Rifle. Absolutely. I stopped in and got me a little cup of joe there they were as an event at Shields this weekend. And I went and they had a bunch of tents and barbecue and stuff. And they had Black Rifle.

[A]

They're not a sponsor, by the way.

[B]

That's okay. Black Rifle is. Black Rifle was there and that's where I stopped.

[A]

Generic Sports store.

[B]

Generic. Her name was here. They were there. They were there. And I stopped by our friends at Black Rifle and I got me a nice little cup and my son got some stickers to add to his water bottles and laptops. It was good to see our folks, man.

[C]

They got good stickers, they got good, good coffee. Really good coffee. And you can buy it basically in any store in the Metroplex. And it's really good.

[B]

It is.

[A]

It is good.

[C]

It's just the most American looking coffee you see on it.

[B]

I feel some type of way. Yeah, we haven't had any RTD's in a while.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

We just. Just saying. I saw. I was talking to them about It. But like, they were, like, from out of town. They wasn't like the local.

[A]

They're like, sir, we're just here to serve coffee at an event. We got the generic store. Is it still in there?

[B]

The RTD in there?

[A]

Things got to be expired by now. It's been a minute, but, yeah, we need to. We need to get some. Some product in here. Some black rifle. We've got it right here, but right here, baby. That's all we got.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Week one is in the books in the NFL. Lots to talk about around the league.

[C]

Goodness, so much we're going to get.

[A]

Into what we saw out of the NFC and what we saw out of the AFC here in a little bit. I want to start with the Cowboys, though, as we went into the weekend. Of course, the Cowboys fall in week one, 24:20, the final score against the Philadelphia Eagles. But I think as we've gone on and as we've kind of looked at things, Isaiah, the more you watch the film, the more you see positives to take out of a loss. And I'm not trying to be. Be Mr. Positivity here. It's a loss. You're owing one.

[B]

Don't you bring that moral stuff.

[A]

That's what I'm saying. It's not. Not. I'm not trying to do any of that. But there are positives to bring from this game. We talked about it briefly on Friday, having a hodgepodge of topics. But as you rewatch the film and go back through it, what's kind of the number one thing that stands out to you?

[B]

How'd you know I watched more film this morning?

[A]

Because I know you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I know what your routine is.

[B]

I get here early.

[A]

We've done shows.

[C]

And you have another job that requires you to know a little bit more about the rest of the league and what's going on.

[B]

Very tr. No, I get here about an hour before the show, and I watch film. There are a lot of positives. There are a lot of positives. One of the things that I feel good about is Dallas's ability to generate pressure. No, it was a big concern.

[C]

Scheme pressure.

[B]

Scheme pressure. The first half, it was not scheme pressures. In the first half, it was more or less. Keep this. Try to keep Jalen Hurts bottled up, and we would rather die on the Sword of Jalen hurts running around versus being killed by A.J. brown, Devonte Smith, and Saquon Barkley. Clear. Right. So that was like you had to pick your poison. I said it on one of our other shows. It's like if you had those. The three portions of the game as a defensive unit, you had to stop the two receivers, all right, And Goddard. Then you had to stop Saquon Barkley, and then you had to stop Jalen hurts. If you can only pick two of those, which just. You can't cover all three. You can't. You cannot just wrap around. It's not physically possible. So you have to pick two of.

[A]

The try and limit the three.

[B]

So you limited Saquon Barky substantially. You limit it limited the receiving core substantially. Jalen hurts. Hurts you on some on some pass on some, on some broken plan.

[C]

If you're talking pick your poison. It's between cyanide and killer mustard gas. You know, it's for sure it's all bad, it's all deadly.

[B]

But in the second half, here I.

[A]

Am trying to be Mr. Positivity, and then Josh is bringing out.

[C]

Well, I mean, I could be positive. A win, a loss is a win win kind of in a way.

[B]

But as you watch the film in the second half, I was encouraged because you saw eber flus make adjustments, and the adjustments that were made were a ton of stunts on the defensive line. They ran stunts galore. They ran TT stunts, they ran TE stunts. They ran all kinds of different forms of pressures with the four guys up front. In addition to bringing Duron Bland, Trayvon Diggs, on numerous occasions, there was new. There was. I think there was two plays where Duron Bland was a blitzer. One time he missed, Jalen Hurts got out, and another time he got up field, really caused havoc in terms of the blocking scheme. And what they did up front, they actually ran a TE stunt or ET stunt at the same time as bringing Duron Bland. It really threw off the. The protection of the offensive line, and we ended up getting a sack because of it.

[C]

For the layman, what is an ET that's was. I mean, I know tackles and ends, right?

[B]

So tackles and ends, when they start swapping out positions, instead of just rushing, if you're a defensive end, instead of just rushing upfield to your tackle, you. You go upfield for a half a step or two, you get that tackle to commit to you, and then you go around to the guard. The tackle does the same thing. He engages the guard, and then he goes and takes the tackle. And what you're trying to do is you're trying to get one guy on the defensive line to consume two guys in a blocking scheme, right, so that you can free up one of your guys. So whether you're freeing up your tackle or whether you're freeing up your defensive end, that's what you're trying to do. So there's different variations of that. There's times where the tackle will go up and then loop around. There's times where the DN will go up and loop around either way. And that's what the TDE or the ET stands for.

[C]

Let me ask you this. What does that look like in a defense where you don't have a Kenny Clark and you're relying on Amazie Smith? Let's say.

[B]

I don't think Mozzie has the mobility to do it, but I think with the guys that they were rotating through on a defensive front the other day, you did. Right. You had.

[C]

I just want to give the listeners sort of an idea of what he's bringing now that you ordinarily wouldn't be seeing at this point.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Even if your defensive ends were a little better.

[B]

For sure. I mean. Well, Eberfluous. Let's talk about Eberfluz. Eberfluous clearly has a great understanding of what the responsibilities of the offensive line are.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And his ability to run those types of stunts. Understanding where most likely these guys are going to be trying to block you. Right. And then being able to find the free runner to. To go get the quarterback. Now the guys have to make the plays once they get there. And that's where we. That's where the Dallas Cowboys failed this past weekend. But seeing him dial those things up was awesome. That was very encouraging to me. There were some things offensively that were not necessarily the most encouraging in terms of some of the route running, the efforts that were exerted in that.

[A]

Some of the ball with your chest. What are you. What are you talking about?

[B]

Not going to go crazy this week. It's not Friday. But there is. There are. There are individuals that need to exert more effort so that they can be a more dependable resource for Dak. Because as a quarterback, if there are times where you want to get the ball to one of your receivers and you don't feel that there is a sense of urgency or a sense of effort, I'm probably not going back that direction. So if people have questions as to why certain people weren't getting the ball, that might be playing a part into it. That's not to say that they're not able to get open, but you need to see that level of consistency and effort every single time guys run routes so that you can feel confident as a quarterback that when I make My read, and I turn my head to you in that split second, I know that you're going to be there.

[C]

Well, we talked about it a little bit last week, and I guess it kind of resurfaced over the weekend. You know, people are Looking at all 22 now, George Pickens, in terms of run blocking, and there were a lot of plays where there was just not a lot going on. When he wasn't involved in the play, he really wasn't doing much. Does that concern you guys at all?

[B]

I think that you have to understand the personalities that you have. And I don't know him.

[C]

It's one thing if it's George Pickens, and it's another thing when it's a guy like a Jalen Tolbert who.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So, like, you're relying on to be a good run block.

[B]

So, I mean, let's call a spade a space. So, Jalen Tolbert. Let's talk about run blocking. CD Lamb, please. Let's start at the top. CD Lamb made some efforts in the blocking game and in the run blocking, he did make some efforts. Now, CD Lamb is not the most physical blocker in the world. Okay. So understanding what his capabilities are.

[C]

Frame, too.

[B]

Exactly. Right. Like. Like when I played receiver in the league, like, I wasn't the. The biggest reception receiver, but one thing I did do was I blocked. Right. So there were certain situations that I was placed in, in responsibilities I had as a blocking receiver that other guys wouldn't have. They're not putting Randy Moss in there to go block certain guys. Right. So understand what your. What your person, what your personnel is. CD Lamb did, however, make some relatively good efforts in the blocking game, so that was encouraging. Jaylen Tober is not a blocker. He's a big frame, but he's not a blocker. He doesn't want to really get in there. And you could tell. Right. It's just that his intent when he goes in there is not to demolish anybody. It's like, I want to catch you more than anything.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

George Pickens didn't want anything to do with it. I felt the sense that he was kind of getting frustrated. And Kyle can kind of attest to this during the game. I said, you have to get the ball to him.

[A]

Yeah. You wanted him to be fed pretty early on. You have wanted him engaged, confident to be engaged in that first quarter, second quarter, and then build from there. It doesn't have to be the big play. It doesn't have to be scheme it up to get him there. You just Got to get him on the ball once or twice.

[C]

Consistent.

[A]

It's kind of like what they used to do with CD Lamb early in his career. Get him the football. Just get him in space a little bit.

[B]

You want to have the.

[A]

They didn't do that.

[B]

You want to have the threat of both of those guys. And there was a. I mean, early on he got the ball, right? He got the ball early on. I think he had three catches for 30. He had probably four targets on the day. One was the big PI call. So he was a big reason why Dallas was able to get down there on that drive. But there were times where I felt like could have looked his way. But again, understanding the quarterback's mindset, I think there are some other factors that might have been at play in terms of why Dak may have looked CDs way on certain down and distances versus George Pickens way.

[A]

What factors?

[B]

The effort. Just straight effort. Just straight effort. So I think that, again, that's me just watching the film. I don't know. I haven't talked to these guys, but I, I would assume that that probably plays a small part of it, and I'm sure that that will be addressed collectively as a quarterback and receiver room going forward.

[A]

Pickens, just according to Pro Football Focus. And since it is the first time I'm mentioning PFF this year, remember this is just for context. Don't use PFF as the bible when it comes to grading players.

[C]

Be all, end all. Kyle.

[A]

It's not the, the highest pass blocking or, excuse me, highest run blocking grade for a wide receiver against the Eagles was jalen Tolbert at 61. He got a 61 and everybody else below that. Pickens was at a 60. Even his overall grade was a 58, which is not super high. Highest offensive grade for the Cowboys in week one was Dak Prescott. He had a 90. Those were actually the two highest players was Dak Prescott and Jalen or Jalen Hurts. Both of those guys were the highest graded players according to PFF in that matchup.

[B]

Yeah, so we've heard through training camp, through OTAs and training camp that they want to be a running team. We've also heard from the receiver group individually that they want to be physical in the run blocking. And I didn't see it. I didn't see it. And the reason why that's important. And people are like, oh, well, they're supposed to be receivers. They're supposed to catch the ball. That's facts. That's, that's, that is their primary role. However, the reason why you only saw one splash run is because there wasn't enough blocking happening at the second level. Yeah, right. So if you want big plays from your running back room, the linemen are only responsible for those front seven guys, like your lineman, your tight end and your fullback. At times, those are guys are responsible for the, what we call the box. Those are the six to seven guys most of the time that are in that box, right. Playing 5 yards or closer to the line of scrimmage. Beyond that, the corners and the safeties. That is a responsibility of the receivers. And if you want the big splash plays like you have with Miles Sanders, you have to dig out at what we call a receiver, dig out those, those safeties. You have to go in there and be willing to go crack on those safeties. And then you leave the, the cornerback for the receiver, for the, for the running backs. Right. A lot of times, like a running back is perfectly fine saying, hey, you leave the cornerback for me, I'll handle him. Right? Like, I'll run him over, I'll make him miss whatever it might be. But you don't want to allow safety. Safeties are kind of paid to go hit and make tackles, Right. That's not the guy that you want responsible. You much rather leave the corner. But either way, you have to get those guys blocked on the edges and at the secondary level in get those bigger plays. So there are, when I say encouraging things that you see on film. There are plays that are left out there that could have been bigger if there were more effort exuded towards those assignments. It's not to say that guys don't want to do their jobs or don't intend to do their jobs, but it's like maybe they're retired, maybe they're gas. Maybe they just didn't feel like maybe they're frustrated. Maybe they were. Think like there's a whole lot of factors that can go into. I could say maybe all day long, but at the end of the day, there were plays that were left out there that could have been bigger affects drive results.

[C]

For sure.

[A]

It was week one. So having this conversation in week one, is that a problem? If it can. I mean, if it continues, it's definitely going to be a problem. But is it a problem right now?

[C]

Well, one thing you know, especially about the coordinators and how prepared they were going into week one, and we talked about it, we were pleased with how prepared the coordinators were. They've already talked about this. They know, they saw the tape. They, they watched film and they know that they're receivers and the run blocking in general needs to be better. So they have to go in with the idea that in week two we're going to pound the rock. And it can one be one thing to just say it constantly, but like I just said, effects, drive results. If they're not willing to run block, if they're not willing to put forth the effort, you're not going to get the result of a better run game and wins. You see what happens now if you're not engaged in run blocking, that's a loss.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

When it could have been a win.

[B]

You typically every most teams, I'll say this, most teams that are successful in the running game. Right. You can look at last night's amazing game.

[A]

Oh man.

[B]

Freaking A. The receivers are the ones that allow for those big plays like Derrick Henry's long runs to happen. Right. The blocking up front handles their business. The front seven takes care of business. But those in order for that to turn in from a five to ten yard run to the 40, 50 yard run, somebody downfield got blocked. Yeah, right. Either they got caught up in the wash, right. By getting to the line of scrimmage, they got kind of got caught up in a mumble jumble.

[A]

But either way they're going to get caught because then, then they have a head start trying to catch up.

[B]

Right. Whoever. But you, you see that usually there's one guy in every receiver room for successful running teams that is responsible for being that enforcer.

[A]

Who's that guy here?

[B]

I don't think that you have one.

[A]

There you go. That's, that's the concern.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That's where the problem is right now. Because I agree with you when you look outside and it's part of it is the wide receivers that you have in the room skill set wise. CD is not going to be asked to block like that. George Pickens, he's a bigger receiver, but he's not going to be.

[B]

Turpin's not going to be asked like that.

[A]

Turpin's not going asked like that. Tolbert might be asked to, but he's not going to. And that's just part of how it, how it goes.

[B]

And those are the guys that are.

[A]

That'S where you need the Ryan Flanoy is on the roster or the Jalen Brooks is on the roster.

[B]

That's why Noah Brown was so long.

[A]

Noah Brown, that's a great example of somebody that's willing to go and do that. Are they going to catch 100 passes? Probably not.

[C]

Yeah. Exactly.

[A]

But you need somebody like that to just give you that versatility.

[C]

I would say no. Brown is also a kind of a receiving threat now, too.

[B]

Yes, a little bit.

[C]

You know what I mean?

[A]

He's still in the league for a reason.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

He's been around for a little bit.

[B]

He's doing more than just blocking. For sure.

[A]

You mentioned that game 41:40 last night. The Buffalo Bills come back to beat the Baltimore Ravens. I want to talk through that game here in just a little bit. But when we come back, let's take a look around the league. The nfc, afc. What does the picture look like after one week of play? We've talked a lot of Cowboys over the last 48 hours of podcasts or so. Let's talk about the rest of the league right after this.

[B]

Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company. They're one of America's largest financial services companies. Like how I'm more than just Peyton Manning. I'm also motivate Manning. When I say insurance, you say financial services. Insurance. Financial services. Insurance Financial services. Now when I say nationwide, you say is both. Nationwide is both.

[A]

Nationwide is both.

[B]

For your insurance and financial needs, Nationwide is on your side. Nationwide Investment Services Corporation Ember Finra Columbus.

[D]

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Bank of FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

[B]

Copyright 2025 bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

[A]

Back to TALKING Cowboys Back here on Talking Cowboys. This segment of the show is brought to you by Invisalign. The official smile of the Dallas Cowboys back alongside Josh Rodriguez.

[B]

Hi.

[A]

And Isaiah Stambach. It is I I'm Kyle Yeomans. Chris Beam in the back. Yeah. Talked about the the way that Dallas has to get involved in the blocking game has to get involved with guys like George Pickens as well before we move on to the rest of the league. Dak Prescott had some some words. There's a good article from Tommy yarish on Dallas Cowboys.com it says a lot to grow from for Dak Prescott Cowboys offense following week one. And this is just based off of the words that he had post game where he talked about how there was there were good, there was bad, but there's still a lot of good to grow on. Josh. What did you take away from his words?

[C]

Mainly it was, it was the spitting incident which I know we didn't necessarily talk about. Yeah, you're right.

[A]

We have not talked about.

[C]

We haven't talked about it and it's been talked to death. I mean, I don't know. You need a whole. Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Said what?

[C]

Daktua? Yeah, I don't think a whole segment needs to be said on it. It was a ridiculous exchange. I don't think Dak Prescott meant to, you know, insult Jalen Carter, but, you know, to spit on another human man is just. That's offensive for sure. But of course, he obviously took blame for it. He was suspended for the game and, you know, maybe more, we'll see. But that's just a crappy thing. That's what I mostly got out of Dax comments after the game.

[A]

I have to ask, though, I have to ask, what would you be doing, Isaiah, if somebody did the same thing that Jalen Carter did to you? Would you be able to calmly stand there and just gesture toward the official waiting for a flag?

[C]

Or can I say before Isaiah speaks?

[B]

Uh huh.

[C]

I think Isaiah would keep his cool. You think so? I really do.

[A]

Would you?

[C]

He's a man of upstanding character.

[B]

I have.

[A]

You do have a high standard.

[B]

I have high emotional intelligence. In this exact situation that Dak was in, I would most likely have done the same thing as Dak. Because literally, as it happened, Dax sees the referee. See, right. What just happened. Right. So knowing that it's going to be handled by the referee, you can sustain, you can sustain yourself from doing something crazy. Right? Because the referee, middle of the field.

[A]

Is literally like the slow mo.

[B]

You know, say so, like.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

However, if the referee had not been there, huh. Might have been a little bit different situation. It might would have had a little fisticuffs, huh?

[C]

Maybe a little bit.

[B]

A little bit of fisticuffs. Just maybe.

[A]

What if you're just like walking down.

[B]

The hallway if somebody spits on you?

[A]

Yeah, just like in. In a conversation, like, gets heated.

[B]

Kyle, I don't allow myself to get that mad. Yeah, yeah, I don't. I'm. I'm the guy that blacks out when he gets that mad. So, like, I don't allow myself to get.

[A]

I know I would. I would not be happy.

[B]

Yeah, no, it wouldn't be. And then it happened in college, you see, that happened in college football.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Somebody else. Yeah, it was bad. Right in the face.

[C]

Oh, yeah, that one was in the face. Arguably worse.

[B]

Oh, now we're fighting.

[C]

Yeah, that's a fight.

[B]

Yeah, that's a fight. I'm fighting your grandma at that point. Everybody's getting it.

[C]

It's like, it'. It's my Mom's birthday. Like, we're fighting.

[B]

Yeah. Everybody's getting it.

[A]

Oh, man, how interesting. It wasn't. I love you.

[B]

Imagine trying to clean that off.

[A]

Stop. There are people listening to this. Their headphones in their car that had.

[B]

To take a shower. After that. Throw the shirt away.

[C]

And Jalen Carter, of all people. Like, come on, man. The big dude.

[B]

That's assault.

[A]

Who's bidding for that game? Warren Dak Prescott.

[B]

That's assault, man. What if he had coveted or something.

[C]

On his first captain jersey?

[A]

20, 20 years.

[B]

Seriously, man. That's a.

[A]

All right, let's. Let's take a look around the NFC a little bit here. A couple other division foes facing off Russell Wilson and the Giants, huh? Oh, man. This is the upcoming opponent for the Cowboys.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And, yeah. You say that they've. They've had three straight season openers where they have not scored an offensive touchdown.

[C]

You. You open with Russ, though. And I can't say that I'm putting all of the blame on Russell Wilson.

[A]

I don't think all of it's on.

[C]

Like, let's Ride isn't. It's not him. It's not. It's Russell.

[B]

You're not darting. You're not darting over that way, huh?

[C]

Not necessarily. And a big part of that is.

[A]

Starting straight to the bench.

[C]

Receivers and tight ends, man, they were not helping him out in any way, dude. And they. They were fourth last year in drop passes. They did not address that over the off season.

[A]

Neighbors was targeted 12 times, had just five catches.

[C]

That's crazy.

[A]

12 targets, five catches.

[C]

And hey, CD dropped four balls. That's. You know what I mean? Like, can't be pointing week one, Week one. But that was rough. His offense was not helping him. The.

[B]

The.

[C]

The receivers, mainly. I liked what I saw from Scatter.

[A]

Boo.

[B]

Honestly, Physicality.

[A]

Yeah. Two attempts for negative three yards.

[C]

But. But his blocking. Yeah, he's getting in there, man.

[A]

He did have two receptions for 12 yards.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

So, yeah, you know, it's two. Two.

[C]

Not necessarily the rushing attempts.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But just the overarching picture of gottaboo. Whereas Jerry says scatterbug.

[C]

Was it scatterbug?

[A]

It's like scat. Russell Wilson, 17 of 37, throwing 168 yards, did not have a touchdown nor an interception. So you're going into week two, you're not immediately looking at Jackson dart. I saw Brian Broaddus, one of the friends of the show, on Twitter. He was saying I'd be ready for dart in week two. I was like, I don't know if they're going to make that switch.

[C]

A really quick switch.

[B]

That's a bro wake trigger for it.

[C]

To not fall completely on Russell Wilson either. I think that's a really bold move and. But then again, you know, this is Brian Dabel we're talking about. I don't know how he still has a head coaching job in New York. I really don't. I don't understand it.

[A]

But you liked it when he was hired though. I remember.

[B]

But everybody's not great head coaches, so. Yeah, it is what it is at this point. Yeah, at this point.

[C]

And I'm not four years into it. I'm not saying he wouldn't be a bad coach. Head coach for another team, another situation, another roster. But.

[B]

But at this point, four years, right? This is four. Year four for him. Has to be four or four or five.

[A]

It's definitely.

[B]

It's. The time has.

[C]

It's past. You've been able to see the time has passed for sure For Brian.

[B]

I thought last year was it, so.

[C]

I don't know, man.

[A]

Yeah, this is year four.

[C]

This is your four.

[A]

Year four. He was hired in 2022. Remember he was the offensive coordinator with the bills till 21. So yeah, maybe, maybe. 18 and 33 is his head coaching record right now.

[C]

And I like their defensive line. We got to say that too.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

D line is nice.

[C]

I like Brian Burns.

[B]

One thing you know about them. Well.

[A]

And Dable's supposed to be an offensive minded head.

[B]

Yes. And their D line is nasty.

[A]

What's their number one problem?

[C]

But that's their identity. What we've talked about before, the New York Giants defensive line has always been their idea.

[B]

It's disgusting. Yeah, their D line is nice.

[C]

Got Dexter Lawrence.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They got Sexy Dexy. They got Burns. Burns Thibodeau. They have.

[A]

It's going to be a challenge.

[B]

Yeah, they got some dudes. Yeah, some dudes. They got like a wave. They have two waves that you have to worry about. So it's not. They're not. No scrubs.

[A]

How did you feel like Washington looked in that matchup?

[B]

Rusty. Yeah, I think they look rusty. But I think that their running game.

[C]

Wait, was it week one for them too?

[A]

It was week one for them.

[B]

They're running games.

[A]

No, week zero here.

[B]

Good though. Their running game was nice. Yeah, nice. And then I think the fact that they're doing plan runs now for Jaden Daniels, that was surprising to see. But you know, he has elusive speed.

[A]

I'll say that they were averaged just under 7 yards per carry?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

They 6.9 yards per carry.

[B]

Towed the rock and they had a rookie who kind of bought out Cross.

[A]

Cross key Merritt. Yeah. Undrafted free agent.

[B]

He got. He got dropped to one of my.

[A]

Fantasy before week one drafted. He got dropped in. Did you pick him up?

[B]

I am planning to do so.

[A]

Did you make sure you get that waiver claim?

[B]

Come on now.

[A]

He was late in the seventh round. He was literally the 245th overall pick and he out of Arizona, the leading.

[B]

Carrier for the Washington Commanders.

[A]

Yeah. 10 carries, 82 yards and a touchdown.

[B]

And a Teddy Long 42.

[A]

Austin Eckler had like six carries for.

[C]

26 yards to go back to the Giants really quickly. And I know we're going to talk about it ad nauseam this week. Obviously getting ready for week two matchup.

[B]

Yes. Home game.

[C]

Did you feel like their offense was. I mean, obviously it didn't get going, but like, doesn't part of you feel like if they get things going, they might be a really good team here? Not a really good team.

[B]

I'm not threatening my other offense.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Not threatened at all.

[A]

Even with a guy like Neighbors?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Neighbors could be an elite wide receiver in the league.

[B]

Not threated by their offense.

[C]

All right. All right.

[A]

We'll talk about that later in the week as we go on this one. I don't know if people really want to talk about the Green Bay Packers.

[B]

Oh, who are they then?

[A]

Well, they're. They're a good team led by Jordan Love on offense, and they're led by some guy that was number one on defense.

[B]

Now, he kind of had an impact on the game.

[A]

Micah Parsons played well.

[C]

Garbage time.

[A]

Played well. He did have a garbage time sack.

[B]

But he was a terrorist.

[A]

He was still. He was still there.

[C]

He's getting pressure for sure.

[B]

He was what you. He was what you expect from him. Yeah, just. It is what it is.

[C]

Back look fine.

[B]

Listen, the back look great. He played as. He made the impact that you expect him to make, whether he was on your team or somebody else's team. He was him. You know, I wish him all the luck. I mean, he. All the luck, all the health. I know people are mad about it, but it is what it is. He's.

[A]

I don't think people are mad at him.

[C]

No.

[A]

Maybe some people.

[B]

Some people. Somebody.

[A]

Because of how it got handled.

[B]

There's always gonna be somebody. But I wish him nothing but luck. He's a. He is truly one of the few guys in this league that you like, might be fearful of as an offensive coordinator. Like, he like, you just have to. He impacts everything.

[C]

The game changes once in.

[B]

He impacts absolutely everything. And he showed up yesterday like you expect him to show up any other week. So good. Good on them. They are a threat now. They are my. We made projections on cbs. They're my favorites in the NFC general.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Just because they're across the board. Across the board. Because there's not. They don't have guys offensively that you like. All right, we need to shut down this one guy. If we can shut down this one guy, we're good. Like, they're good across the board. Like, everybody makes contributions. And I think teams like that are very dangerous. And I think obviously with their defense the way that it was last year as a top five defense and then number two in sacks last year. Now you add Micah to that. Like, they are truly organization that wants a team to be solid. They don't want just one guy to be solid. They genuinely want. They want.

[C]

They've built a foundation.

[B]

They want to be dangerous across the board. And I think teams that are like that, and I believe Dallas is trying to work towards that. I really get that sense that. And obviously the trade of Micah kind of. Kind of backs that up. Like, they want to be good across.

[A]

The board, but Green Bay was in a position to where they were already good across the board. So that way they can make a move like that and then go get a superstar to try and push them over the top.

[B]

Absolutely. I mean, but even still, like. Like, even by adding Micah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You have a player that you have to now highlight when you're on film, but they still have a bunch of other guys that make huge contributions. So it's not like you guys. Like, we shut down that one guy and we're good. Like, no, you might be to shut him down, but somebody else, because we're good across the board. Somebody else is going to hurt you. And I think that's what Dallas is trying to get to. I truly do. I still think that Dallas needs to pick up one more piece. And Kyle knows that. One piece that I want him to have. I've been talking about it for the last two months.

[C]

A piece or two.

[A]

He played it Cleansing.

[B]

Yep. He's free.

[A]

He is a free agent.

[B]

You say his name. He's. Yeah, I know about. But let's keep it as a secret.

[A]

Go ahead and say it.

[B]

Oh, no. We don't want people. People be listening. Other teams be listening.

[C]

What's his nickname?

[B]

Tickler. He's a precursor to that. He's out there free Agent, free agent.

[C]

He's out there. Okay. What really surprised me most about that game was Detroit's defense and their secondary, mainly.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Because Jordan Love have all day, all day to throw. And every receiver was wide open.

[A]

16 of 22 every play.

[C]

Insane, dude. Not something that you'd expect out of the Lions defense. They were sort of a bend, don't break situation, but they obviously generated a lot of pressure. They weren't necessarily getting it yesterday, even with a healthy Aiden Hutchinson. Yeah, I was. I was very surprised by them yesterday. And a part of that must be, you know, losing their top two coordinators, losing their offensive coordinator, losing their defensive coordinator. It was really surprising to see how poorly the Lions defense was yesterday.

[A]

Yeah, they're not necessarily beating those allegations of no coordinators, no problem, that sort of deal. I mean, they. They struggled at. And it looked out of sorts quite a bit for. For Detroit in that matchup. I think they'll still figure it out. They're just as talented as any other team in the nfc. Somebody, something else to keep an eye on as they go on. Because the packers looked great. Lions did not. Of course, that's going to be the flip of that, but I think both of those teams have a shot to go to an NFC title game. Like, they're both very talented.

[C]

You'd think that the Lions are going to put it together at some point.

[A]

Yeah, I think so.

[C]

Yesterday was a really tough showing in Green Bay. Green Bay has all the momentum behind him. You got a Micah making his debut. I mean, come on.

[A]

Do you see Mike McCarthy getting a standing ovation as he walked out of the tunnel there?

[C]

What?

[A]

Yes, there's a video. He walked out of the tunnel. I don't know if he was like a legend of the game or they did, like, one of those things where. But he walked out and the entire Lambeau Field crowd gave him a standing ovation.

[C]

This is AI. That sounds.

[A]

It was not. I don't think it was AI. If it was, then I got fooled and I'll put my hand up and say, yep, sorry, that's on me. It's all fake. Whatever. I saw the video, so I'm gonna to throw it out there. One more NFC game I want to touch on real quick. It was a sloppy one between San Francisco and Seattle.

[C]

What a heartbreak.

[A]

Dang it.

[B]

It was just a gross. Dang it.

[A]

Sorry.

[C]

The defense, man. Seattle's defense, Seattle special teams, they were on one the entire game.

[A]

They could not run the ball, though.

[C]

Could not run the ball, man.

[A]

Didn't really pass it. Much better.

[C]

Marcus Lawrence had a really good game.

[B]

Did he?

[C]

I thought he had a really good game. He'll block one of the. The field goals that they attempted. Come on, man.

[A]

Interesting.

[C]

It was good stuff.

[A]

I like it. D law. You just don't want to talk about it.

[B]

No, no.

[A]

You just want to move on. You're not a fan, though.

[B]

You're.

[A]

You're a bipartial media party currently now.

[C]

What was with the offense, Isaiah? What happened there?

[B]

I honestly didn't watch the game. Oh, I was watching red zone. Okay. But I don't like the result.

[C]

Well, if you're watching red zone, you didn't see Seattle, San Francisco.

[B]

San Francisco always, always wins in Seattle, and I don't understand it. Yep, they always win in Seattle.

[A]

Yeah, they figured it out. I mean, Brock purdy threw it 35 times, and they only ended up with 17 points. Usually you would put those two things together and figure out and say, hey, maybe they didn't play very well. They didn't.

[B]

When a game's like that, it just takes a handful of plays, man. That's all it takes.

[A]

Gave it to Christian McCaffrey 22 times. Yeah, 22 times.

[C]

But McCaffrey didn't have an excellent game.

[A]

No. 3. 3.1 defense.

[B]

Nice.

[C]

They were nice. They were holding it down the entire game.

[B]

They got some dudes. If they can figure out the offense. They're a dangerous team because their defense is nice.

[C]

What was Sam Donald's statistics there?

[A]

26 of 35 to 77. Two touchdowns, two interceptions.

[B]

That's what.

[C]

That's what it was.

[A]

That's pretty much rock.

[B]

That'd do it.

[A]

That's the Brock Purdy experience on that. That occasion. But, yeah, Tank looked good. Seattle's defense, pretty solid across the board. The NFC was kind of. I'm not gonna lie to you guys. It was kind of boring outside of that. But you know what wasn't boring?

[C]

Oh, my goodness.

[A]

The afc. Oh, my gosh, the afc. When we come back here on talking Cowboys, we'll flip sides. Where does Dallas stack up amongst all the teams that we've got to watch in week one, both on the AFC and NFC side. Isaiah's got a great ranking for the Cowboys when we come back right after this. Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company. They're one of America's largest financial services companies. Like how I'm more than saquon Barkley, the NFL's reigning leading rusher. I'm also the NFL's leading husher. Shh. Hush up back there. Wow. I might have just set the hushing record. Well, almost. For your insurance and financial needs, Nationwide is on your side.

[B]

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, Ember Finra, Columbus.

[D]

Ohio this is Julian Edelman from Games With Names. Anyone else feeling hungry? Because Applebee's just cooked up the ultimate option. Play with their new Ultimate Trio deal. You can choose from three of their delicious appetizers and pair them up with three sauces for just 14.99. Craft your perfect trio from over 80,000 different combinations in this flavor packed plate. Built for one or to share if you're generous. You could stick with the classic pairings like boneless wings and buffalo sauce, mozzarella sticks and marinara, or brew pub pretzels with white cheddar beer cheese. Or you could spice things up and try some unexpected combinations like dipping chicken wonton tacos in their honey Dijon mustard. The choice is yours. The Ultimate Trio is the perfect way to hit all your cravings in one plate and turn appetizers into an entree. It's time to head to your neighborhood Applebee's or order online today. That's eating good in the neighborhood.

[B]

AT T has a new guarantee because most things in life are not guaranteed, like getting through self checkout by yourself.

[A]

Warning.

[B]

Each item must be placed in the bagging area. Not guaranteed. Place item in the bagging area. Place items in the bagging area. You know what AT&T guarantees connectivity you depend on, deals you want and service you deserve or we make it right. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.com guaranty for details. AT&T connecting changes everything.

[A]

If you're looking for fresh American roasted coffee that gives back, you need to head to your local grocery store and pick up a bag of Black Rifle Coffee. That's right, America's coffee is now available in the coffee aisle of a grocery store near you. Black Rifle Coffee Company is veteran founded with a mission to give back to those brave men and women who have served our nation. Every bag, box or can you purchase helps support that mission. Head to your local grocery store and roast yourself some Black Rifle coffee today.

[B]

Welcome back into Dear Doctor the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of Dr. Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from next caller. Would you Dear doctor My friend supported me during a tough time, but what's the right gift that says thanks for being a shoulder to cry on? Okay, this one's easy. I say give her a delicious Dr. Pepper. Nothing says thanks girl better than a one of a kind soda yes, any Dr. Pepper flavor will do. Now, just a reminder that I don't need to be a real doctor to know that Dr. Pepper is the one you deserve.

[A]

It's the official men's skin care brand of the Dallas Dallas Cowboys Jack Black. And right now, Cowboys fans can get 15 off their 75 order plus because every deal needs a playmaker. Your order will include a free five piece skin care set and free shipping. The Jack black playmaker is four of Jack's favorites in a full sized intense therapy lip balm. Make a play for the [e-mail] Cowboys with the code Cowboys VIP that's getjackblack.com Cowboys Cowboys with the code Cowboys VIP. Back to talking cowboys back here on talking cowboys with Josh Rodriguez. Isaiah, stand back. Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Yeomans. Just taking a look around the league a little bit. We got a little extra Monday. Tomorrow on talking cowboys. You know what day it is?

[B]

Oh, my goodness.

[A]

You know what day it is?

[C]

Is it a talking Tuesday?

[A]

It is a talking Tuesday. We're gonna take some phone calls tomorrow. It's been a little bit.

[C]

Hello?

[B]

Hello?

[A]

First talking Tuesday. Are you there officially of the year. We were on last Tuesday, but it was our only show of the entire week.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Holiday and the travel days and so.

[B]

Do they have the phone number, Kyle?

[A]

888-8552-297888.

[C]

TLK CBYS.

[A]

If you still use a phone that.

[C]

Uses letters, well, it's talking Cowboy T9, baby.

[A]

If you didn't understand the go right back into it.

[B]

Let's play some snake beamer. Get the Nokia, baby.

[A]

Let's go get those Motorola phones. Let's go get the razor out.

[B]

Come on, bro.

[A]

I like it. All right. Flipping attention to the afc. I just, I partially wrote this segment because I wanted to talk about the game that happened last night.

[C]

Amazing.

[B]

There was a game last night.

[A]

There was a great game.

[C]

That was the game of the week.

[A]

Maybe game of the year.

[C]

Maybe game of the year.

[B]

I don't know how 1. I don't know how there's a game.

[A]

That tops that with that much talent that that big of a performance from some of the biggest names in the sport.

[B]

Insanity.

[A]

Lamar, Henry, Both go off 4025 with.

[C]

Like eight minutes left in the game.

[A]

Yeah, it was 34:19 with nine minutes left. And then Baltimore even scored again.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And got to 40, 16 points in four minutes.

[A]

And then turns around and here comes.

[B]

Josh Allen after the extra point. Doink yeah.

[A]

Doink. And the Buffalo kicker was picked up off of the Arizona practice squad. Yeah. Matt Prater flies in like 72 hours before the game. Red eye, baby. Didn't even know the names of his teammates.

[B]

Not even a holder.

[A]

Not even close. He said, I've kicked her a couple times before. He's only played three games in Buffalo, but he was like, I'm comfortable. Comes through drills.

[B]

They almost blocked it.

[A]

It was an easy kick.

[B]

They almost blocked it.

[A]

Yeah, you got to. You gotta sell out. That was one opportunity.

[C]

That's the game right there, man.

[B]

A doink. A doink ended up costing you the game plus a fumble.

[C]

Oh, that fumble was crazy.

[A]

That was big.

[C]

That was huge. Derrick Henry, of all players, E. Henry.

[B]

Was running through that whole defense all game. Oh, my goodness. In the first half.

[A]

Yeah. And then 100 and change.

[B]

Change.

[A]

He's still a dog.

[C]

Two tuds.

[A]

I mean, he's still a dude. Yeah. I don't remember a week one game being that exciting. And I thought the Dallas Philly game was extremely entertaining. Take work out of it. Take the fandom out of it. I thought Dallas and Philly, that was a fun game to watch, but man, it had nothing on Baltimore and Buffalo.

[B]

That's a lot of talent on the field. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You think?

[B]

Let's just the two top mvp.

[A]

Let's play a game here.

[B]

MVP winner, mvp, runner up.

[A]

Yeah, let's play a game here. What do you think is more likely, either one of those teams making it to the super bowl or the field, the entire rest of the afc? What do you think is more likely one of those.

[B]

I got Baltimore going to the Super Bowl.

[A]

Yeah, you think so?

[C]

One of those teams makes.

[B]

I think they figure out what their issue is. And late. Late in the games, they have to figure that out. Harbaugh has to help them identify what that is. Like. They're probably like this right now, just taking her finger and trying to. Of trying to point somewhere. It's like, there has to be this. No, it's not that. It has to be. Eventually they're gonna be like, ah, ah, that's it. And once they figure that out, you're not going to be able to stop them because Lamar Jackson, the plays that he was making were insane. The throws that he were making, he was making even though he only had like 19 attempts was insane. Derrick Henry, the inability to stop him is insane. Zach Orr caught a terrible game last night.

[A]

Hey, hey, chill out.

[B]

Call it what it is.

[A]

Chill out.

[B]

He gave up 41 points. A terrible game last Night. He'll figure it out. Right. Because he has the players. Right. So the defensive talent is there. Talent is there. So, I mean, when you got Humphreys and freaking Starks and. And. And everybody else in the back. Hamilton. I mean, those guys have so much talent. Jair Alexander is not going to suck. You know, saying multiple games like he's going to figure it out. He got Tostedo last night, but he'll watch that film. He is too much of a competitor to not figure it out. Right. So those guys just have so much talent and so much size.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That they can literally just command a game.

[A]

Well, you know what's the best part about Baltimore? And we talked about this in the preseason off air when I was building the preseason boards for our broadcast. And just looking through when I put together the depth chart of the teams, normally I could get a pretty good indication of, okay, this team is built well, or this team is big, or this team is fast or whatever. It ends up being the thing that stuck out to me with Baltimore. They have so much depth, it's not even funny. They go three deep at many crucial positions on the rock.

[C]

You were going into, like, their fourth and fifth linebackers, and you're like, that's a dude.

[A]

That's a guy's a dog.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[A]

I remember loving him out of school when they took him in, like, the sixth round. And we have a running joke on the draft show every year where it's like, of course Baltimore takes that guy. But that's what happens whenever they take good football players and they know how to build a roster. Their scouting department's as good as anybody's in the league.

[B]

So anytime their size.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, that was the one thing. Obviously, we called the game, and obviously we work for the Cowboys, but there was a substantial. Yeah. Size difference when we played. When Dallas played Baltimore in a preseason.

[A]

I don't know if it's just the purple and black noses, too.

[B]

No, those are some large human.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

I quite measure the hardball, but that's how the hardballs build their teams. Yeah, but I mean, you saw it with the Chargers, too.

[A]

Same thing.

[B]

Chargers, the same exact way. Like, they build their team from the inside out. Like, get us the biggest cats that you can find, and we'll teach them how to play football. And if they're already good players, awesome. If they're not good players, we'll teach them how to be good.

[C]

They have a hairline trigger. Let's draft that.

[A]

Speaking of the Chargers, Chargers get a big win down In Brazil, that was a 27, 21. That was a good game, too.

[C]

Herbert was killing him.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Herbert was methodically marching down the field. In those moments where you haven't expected Herbert to do, like, he's great in the first through the third quarter and then in the fourth, you know, something always happens to the Chargers, it feels like. And in this moment when you're expecting, like, oh, here we go, Casey's going to do their thing and, you know, win the game, right? Justin Herbert, very calmly, coolly, collectively marching down the field.

[B]

Well, now he has ease. Was it Quinton Johnson? Quentin Johnston, he showed up Temple Texas, his first three years. I think it's been three years in the league for him is he has not produced. Right. He's been. He's been dropsies. He's a big receiver that can get open.

[A]

My favorite meme of the entire weekend is it was a picture of Tobey Maguire, Spider man. And he was looking at his hands like something crazy had happened when he just first got his, like, web powers in that, that first Spider man movie. And the caption was Quentin Johnston. As he figures out how to catch in year three, he finds his hands in three.

[B]

Obviously, based off that game, he figured it out.

[A]

But now he was a first round.

[B]

Pick for a reason.

[A]

He loved him out of TCU. He was a 30 visit here. There was a lot of conversation on whether or not he would fit in an offense with CD Lamb. And now they're going to give him the opportunity to have the keys to the car. And Lamb, he did fine.

[B]

Keenan Allen, I mean, those guys, 79, 74, 68, like, when you can be like that. And that's what I'm talking about, like the team aspect. You're seeing the kind of the theme here with some of these more successful, successful teams that when you're, when you're strong across the board, it's really hard to defend. Yeah, it's like it's. And that's what I think teams are starting to try to get away from. I think that's what the Joneses are getting away from. Obviously, with that Micah trade. It's like, yeah, freaking dominant, amazing player. But, like, if we can be dominant across the board and dangerous across the board, like, how much more dangerous are we as a unit? Right? And so that's when you start talking about the Chargers. Like, if there's not one guy at the receiver position that we have to be super threatened by, but they all are fully capable, like, dang it, I much rather have a one guy you know, and just to the point of like. Like CD and George together. Like the reason why you need to get George the ball and get him amped up and just kind of feed his ego, I guess, in that sense, because he needs that motivation. He needs to be engaged that way. So now you have multiple dangerous players out there, and then when they're focused on those guys, then you can get Ferg the ball.

[C]

You know, you've seen what it looks like when George Pickens is not engaged.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You want to prevent that at all costs.

[B]

Yeah, for sure.

[C]

You really do.

[B]

And.

[C]

And. And the. The benefit of that is having two receivers that are. Are on.

[B]

Capable.

[C]

That are capable.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That are open, you know, and he has chances, too.

[B]

And unfortunately, you know, Dak underthrew Ferg for. For a big play. But like, even the play where who took the shot? That was Fergus that took the shot across the middle. Right. Got. Got destroyed in the end zone. Right.

[C]

Gotta pull that in, though.

[B]

No, not even a chance. Not even a chance.

[A]

Are you talking about the.

[B]

The under throw where you got the hit today? Where the differences.

[C]

Oh, not that one.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Different one.

[C]

But the one in his hands.

[B]

But even that one, when you go back and watch it, it was cover two, Right. Really? Of a Tampa two.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

If George Pickens spends the energy. Right. Because he knows he's not getting the ball now it's cover two. And they did that to him a lot. So that's something that they're going to have to fix. They just kept rolling coverage, and it reminded me of my time when I was here in Dallas and what they did when we started having issues between Romo and tight ends and receivers, they were doing that to. To they want to eliminate to. So they just roll coverage. Right. Roll the. Roll the corner down, play a safety over the top, take away majority of his routes that he will run. That's what they did to George Pickens. They eliminated him out the game.

[A]

But Gabe C. Even then, everything he's wanted underneath.

[B]

True that. But like, if you have a route that converts and you're supposed to run a go and you have a tight end who's isoed in the middle of the field that you're. As a receiver, you have to do what you can to get a release and get up the sideline to be a threat to that safety. Because if you're not a threat to that near safety, that safety can go take your tight end's head off like he did.

[A]

Yeah, I. So I called the Rice Houston game for ESPN on Saturday, as I was walking down the stairs in the stadium, I ran into one former Cowboys tight end that goes by the name of Jason Whitten.

[C]

Oh, wow.

[A]

Said hi to Whitten. Clarence Hill was there. We were just having a conversation after the game.

[B]

We took.

[A]

Because Whitten's son plays for Rice and.

[B]

So does Patrick Creighton.

[A]

Yeah, Creighton's son's on that team, too. Neither one of them played a whole lot, but they were there. In talking to Whitten, Chill was the one that asked the questions, like, what did you think about the Cowboys? Like, what did you think about how they played on Sunday or on Thursday? And he was like, man, I thought they played well. I thought they played really good. We somehow got into the topic of conversation of the tight end position, and he brought up that play specifically. He's like, you got to reel it in. But it wasn't a whole lot of help either. He's like, it was a. It was a tight window. He's like, as a tight end, he's going to beat himself up is what he said. He's like, I think Ferg's going to beat himself up for not having that catch, but you got to have that catch.

[B]

He's not bringing that down. Yeah, he got it. He got his head taken off. And there was a. The. The play.

[A]

Literally.

[B]

There's another Tampa to play where Dak under threw him. Should have been a touchdown. Dak severely under through the pass. I mean, so, like, it wasn't like. I know people are like, where was Ferguson yet? Fer had his opportunities, you know, but the ball wasn't there.

[A]

Or the landmark one that sticks out to me is the underthrown one on the. It was also Tampa 2. Bond covered him on that. That seam down right hash mark. If that ball is lofted in the back of the end zone, that's six severely underthro.

[B]

And there was a number of other plays that would have been. But guys weren't on their landmark. So, again, there's just a number of things that just are. Are all correctable. Yes, they're all correctable. Right. Nobody had a problem.

[C]

You get that rust off.

[B]

Yeah. Again, the calibration. Calibration, calibration.

[A]

Just because I'm looking at Floyd in the chat and he's upset that we're not talking cowboys 24 7.

[B]

I'm sorry.

[C]

We just did.

[A]

Yeah, we just did. But where would you rank Top half of the league, Bottom half of the league? I know they're 0 and 1, but in terms of performances through week one.

[C]

Cowboys.

[A]

Cowboys. Where would you put them?

[C]

I don't know. I'm just going to come up with an arbitrary number at this point. 14th.

[A]

Yeah. So right, right, right there in the middle.

[C]

They haven't proven anything yet. We got to see it.

[B]

Yeah, I'm. I can't get these.

[A]

Can't even get there.

[B]

But I mean, they're. They're going to be a good team, especially if they add this one piece.

[A]

You're trying to will it into existence, aren't you?

[C]

When it happens.

[B]

Feel it's going to happen, bro.

[A]

Yeah, I feel it's going to happen if it happens. His name is Christian Wilkins. He's a free. Oh, that guy on the Ross tell. The rest of the teams are Kyle. And it's after week one, so veteran contracts are not guaranteed the rest of the year here.

[C]

So where's the spoon?

[A]

Zaya's trying to pull out the crystal ball. We'll see if he's right. Whenever they get in that four or five, man, you have to wait until Tuesday until that official their Wednesday.

[B]

Can you imagine that?

[C]

It's just tomorrow that's talking Tuesday, buddy.

[A]

Well, it won't happen on our show tomorrow. It'll happen after our show tomorrow.

[B]

That would change.

[C]

I'm talking Wednesday.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, on a wonderful Wednesday edition.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Oh.

[B]

Hope it happens.

[A]

Don't make that sound when talking about facts. For Josh Rodriguez, for Isaiah, stand back for Chris, I'm Kyle yeoman saying so far from talking cowboys, we will see you tomorrow.

[B]

We're out of there.

[A]

This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys.com and the Dallas Cowboys football club. How about this?

[B]

Cowboys nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company. They're one of America's largest financial services companies. Like how I'm more than just Peyton Manning. I'm also motivated Manning. When I say insurance, you say financial services. Insurance. Financial services. Insurance. Financial services. Now when I say nation nationwide, you say is both nationwide. Nationwide for your insurance and financial needs. Nationwide is on your side. Nationwide investment services Corporation Ember Finra, Columbus, Ohio.