The Musers The Podcast – Cowboys Weekly Edition (@ Giants)

Hosts: George Dunham, Bob Sturm
Producer: Peter Welton
Date: January 1, 2026
Focus: Reflecting on the Cowboys’ late-season win over Washington, season-long disappointments, defensive declines, the Trayvon Diggs saga, off-season roster debates, and a look ahead to the Giants game.

Episode Overview

This week, George and Bob deliver their trademark blend of cynicism, football insight, and quippy banter as they review the Dallas Cowboys’ 30-23 Christmas Day win over a hapless Washington team—the second year in a row Dallas misses the playoffs. The discussion covers underwhelming performances, key player regressions, draft failures, and the looming offseason—with the Trayvon Diggs release and recurring defensive woes as central topics.

Key Discussion Points

1. Christmas Day Win – "A Game That Didn’t Matter" (00:05–03:28)

• George: Sat down to watch ¾ of the Cowboys game live, “for the first time since 1987, no kids in the house on Christmas day.” (01:44)

• Bob: “I have stayed married thirty years by not dying on the hill of Christmas Day NFL football.” (01:02)

• Dallas scored 30 and Malik Davis ran for 100 yards, but gave up six sacks; offensive line under scrutiny.

• Tyler Smith’s extended look at left tackle begins.

2. The Offensive Line Dilemma (02:29–12:40)

• Tyler Smith Experiment:
  • Bob: “At tackle, even at Tulsa, he was kind of mid… At guard, he’s been very, very good at the NFL level. I hesitate to move him back to a position where at Tulsa he looked vulnerable.” (05:23)
  • George: “This offensive line needs to get better if they're going to take another step next year.” (06:59)
• Roster Churn & Cap Reality:
  • Bob laments chasing “five first rounders” on the line, “not a good allocation of resources... so many contenders get by with two or one first rounder on their OL.” (11:00)
  • George: “Maybe with Clayton Adams and Connor Riley... those guys are a year better and your offensive line is better.” (12:40)

3. The Win Over Washington: Fool’s Gold & Defensive Neglect (13:23–18:27)

• George: “That’s a four-win team with a 39-year-old QB. You needed a gutty first down late to hang on… the defense being ridiculous.”
• Dallas went 6-for-6 on 4th down but only against a “wheels off defense.”
• Bob: “They should have been going for it [on 4th] all along… It’s perfect Cowboys football; offense explodes when nothing matters, against teams that can’t defend themselves.” (14:25, 17:19)

4. The Logan Wilson Vanishing Act & Linebacker Failures (18:27–24:30)

• George: “What in the hell are we doing, Bob? Logan Wilson did not play one snap on defense!”
• Bob: “The explanation is: we forgot to put him in… On Christmas Day, Kenneth Murray played every single snap, Logan Wilson played zero.” (19:14, 20:47)
• Points out the chronic neglect and mismanagement of the linebacker rotation, referencing past poor personnel decisions.

5. Defensive Collapse & Trayvon Diggs’ Release (24:30–47:04)

Trayvon Diggs & Secondary Woes

• George: “Trayvon Diggs released… 8 games, no INT, not one PBU. As a team, only six interceptions—the worst in team history.” (24:30)
• Bob: “Only two teams with fewer takeaways this year… none of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, or Diggs are on the roster now. When you say ‘why is the defense bad?’—there’s just no talent on this defense.” (25:39, 27:46)

Draft Review & Roster Building Flops (2020–2025 classes)

• One defensive starter in five years’ worth of top-three-round picks.
• Bob: “That’s just not good enough… you are where you are… The skeleton of this entire roster is lagging behind by a pretty good margin.” (32:34)
• Detailed position-by-position misses (Sam Williams, Luke Schoonmaker, Revelle, etc.) and laments about other teams’ better development.

Notable Quotes:

• George: “On Christmas Day… one more indication of how just embarrassing this defense has been this year.” (24:30)
• Bob: “When you look at the good teams… champions are built through the draft... The bones of your team are gone.” (34:58)

Roster Analysis:

• Rookie CB Revelle already targeted by offenses; “Of 17 rookie corners [from 2025], the 17th highest Pro Football Focus grade is ours.” (36:50)
• Washington averaged 8 yards per play: “Only six times in Cowboys history has a team done that to them.” (37:35)
• Jadavion Clowney is a rare defensive bright spot.

Diggs’ Downfall:

• George: “He had the world in his hands… knee injury, didn’t rehab, rules violations, release. Any theories?”
• Bob: “He’s a guy who was just never the same again after injury… Once a guy gets paid, the organization starts the countdown to move on.” (41:50, 49:43)
• Discussion of how NFL teams treat contracts, player injuries, and organizational coping.

6. The Next Defensive Coordinator & Offseason Outlook (53:28–58:51)

• Both hosts expect a 4th DC in four years. Bob “good with saying goodbye to the entire [free agent] lot of them” (53:33).
• 3–4 scheme? Osa, Quinn, Kenny Clark suggested as front three; as a raku and Clowney as potential edges.
• New DC candidates: Brian Flores discussed, but why would he take the job? Cowboys' reluctance to invest in top-tier coaching. (56:58)

7. Play or Sit Dak and CeeDee in a Meaningless Finale? (59:52–65:05)

• Bob: Raises the dilemma of playing franchise stars in a meaningless Week 18 game due to injury risk vs. “owe[ing] the game an honest effort.”
• George: “What if that major injury happens and we’re talking about they don’t rejoin the team until October?” (60:03)
• Extended debate about “load management,” fan expectations, and possible “tanking” for draft position.

8. Gambling, Fan Pain, and Podcast Farewell (65:05–end)

• George: “Was the over/under 7.5 or 8.5 wins for you, Bob?”
• Bob: Discloses: “I own some shares of this [win total] stock that I am propping up here.” (66:17)
• Banter about making the Giants game matter for “the last time we let them stomp on my heart.” (66:40)

Noteworthy Quotes & Moments

• Bob (on offensive line):
  “I liked about Mike McCarthy at Green Bay… taking day three guys and making seven year starters out of them.” (12:20)
• George (on defense):
  “Another chapter of the defense being ridiculous… you allow another 100 yard rusher.” (13:23)
• Bob (on Diggs):
  “Maybe Trayvon Diggs' best three years were right out of college—and that's true for a surprising number of NFL guys.” (44:58)
• Bob (on end-of-year apathy):
  “Waiter, please take 2025 away. We’re done here with this meal.” (22:52)
• George (on Christmas win):
  “That’s the only type of team Cowboys here late in the season win against.” (13:23)
• Bob (on the Cowboys cycle):
  “They’re bullies against teams that can be bullied, but they get bullied way too easily.” (17:40)

Important Timestamps

• 00:05–03:28: Christmas Day viewing and offensive line talk
• 03:28–12:40: Tyler Smith at tackle, resource allocation, O-line futures
• 13:23–18:27: Fourth down aggressiveness, defense faltering, offense vs. weak opponents
• 18:27–24:30: Linebacker mess, Logan Wilson’s absence, coaching staff neglect
• 24:30–47:04: Defensive failures, Trayvon Diggs’ downfall, five-year draft review, rookie struggles, Revelle gets picked on
• 53:28–58:51: Upcoming free agents, defensive future, coordinator search
• 59:52–65:05: Should Dak and CeeDee play? Load management vs. fan obligation
• 65:05–end: Win total bets, fan misery, wrapping up

Tone & Language

• Humorous, self-deprecating, riffing banter
• Mixture of frustrated fan and cynical analyst
• Sarcastic, sharp, and emotionally invested in the fate of the franchise

Closing Takeaways

• The episode captures the Cowboys’ late-season malaise and the hosts’ weariness with both management’s decisions and on-field results.
• Defensive mismanagement—both in personnel and coaching—was a consistent pain point.
• The release of Trayvon Diggs is emblematic of “sign and move on” Cowboys contracts.
• The future is uncertain—especially on defense—but at least there’s always next week. Or a prop bet on the over/under to keep things interesting.

Listener Utility:
If you missed the show, this episode offers a grim but entertaining postmortem of the Cowboys’ season, shines a light on recurring organizational flaws, and lets you vent alongside two grizzled, football-loving hosts.