The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 'Boys and Girl - Week 11 Lions Recap; Playoff Push; Pass First Identity with Cowboys.com's Dave Helman

Episode Date: November 19, 2019

On today’s episode of the 'Boys and Girl Podcast, Jane and Bobby welcome David Helman from DallasCowboys.com to break down the big victory over the Lions, look ahead to the remainder of the season, and discuss the team’s new identity as a pass-first offense. Follow Jane and Bobby on Twitter and subscribe to get all the latest inside information from two of the most connected people in the Cowboys' community.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played. with and just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to listen to learn the hard way on the iha radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast what's up guys

this is clivert taylor the fourth and on my podcast the clivert show i'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff like being an internet famous referee we're in the middle of a game this linebacker this linebacker walks up to me he goes a ref my mom wants you to wave at her what Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett. My mama want you to weigh better. What?

Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thunderstruck, adjective. Shocked and amazed by the power of fun on Carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first roller coaster at sea. Brian got thunderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother felt it 3,000 miles away in the Nebraska and immediately booked a cruise. Hooray!

Get fundersruck starting at 289. Carnival. Choose fun. Cruises run U.S. dollars per person double occupancy, taxes fees, import expenses, additional restrictions, apply. Full details on carnival.com, ships, registry, Bahamas, Panama. Hello, boys and girls. Welcome in to the Boys and Girl podcast with Cowboys' NFL Network reporter Jane Slater

and NFL network producer Bobby Belt, a Cowboys community with the inside scoop on the Dallas Cowboys. Now coming straight to you from the Lone Star State, here's Jane and Bobby. All right, this was a big game for the Cowboys as they look to reset their season. I saw a couple of players talking about it last night. They are now 1 in 0. That's how they are looking at the remainder of this schedule. It's a good mindset to have when you consider their next test,

in Foxborough against the Patriots who are currently 9 and 1. But before we get there and preview that, which we'll do later in the week, let's deep dive on this game against the Lions, Bobby. Yeah, this was, you know, another slow start. You know, it's some of the same sort of issues. It's a slow start, and then it's bouncing back. You know, we talked last week about that the Cowboys Point differential in the first quarter, it's minus 18.

And in quarters two through four, it's plus 99. Well, that didn't change. They are negative four in this game against the last. lines brings them to negative 22 on the year, and then they outscore the lines the rest of the way by 12. And explain that for people that don't exactly understand point differential, Bobby, because once I figured out what point differential meant, as a reporter, something that's important as a sports broadcaster, it is crazy because that tells you all you need to know about

how crazy these slow starts are. It's a number that really tells the story. Yeah, the point is, so point differential is a really good indicator of how strong a team is playing. You remember a couple years ago, the Raiders were like 12 and 4, and they get bounced out in the wild card around. Derek Carr also got hurt. But for that year, they were plus 30 or something. And so when you think about that, they've won eight more games than they lost, and yet they had only outscored their opponents totally on the season by 30 points.

So that says they're winning close games or they're getting blown out in their losses. And it can be indicative sometimes of how good a team is playing. So the point differential is just basically how much are you outscoring or being out. outscored by, you know, cumulatively on the season. And so on the season, the Cowboys have one of the best overall point differentials. In fact, heading into this game, like I just mentioned, they were negative 18 in the first quarter, and they were plus 99 in quarters two through four. And they actually have a positive point differential in both the first and the second half, because they've outscored teams by so much in the second quarter. And when you look at the teams that have, over the last

several years, that have a positive point differential in the first half, and a plus, plus 75 or greater point differential in the second half through the first nine games like the Cowboys had coming in this one. The Cowboys had the worst record of any of the teams in the last 20 years that had it. You look consistently, it's 9 and 0 Colts, 8 and 1 Bears. I mean, it's generally a good indicator of a team being really strong, which is why it's so frustrating how much this team has struggled. And again, played out again similarly yesterday.

They just, they start slow. They look like one of the worst teams in the league almost consistently in the first quarter. And then quarters two through four, they step up. up and they look like a legit Super Bowl contender. It is maddening. That was so nerdy, but it also, like I said, drives home why this is so maddening for us that are so entrenched in the news, the notes, the analytics, the talking to players in the locker room, talking to coaches, trying to get to the bottom of and try to make sense of what is now a six and four team who has looked good against bad teams and has looked average at best against good ones.

Yeah, I think that, you know, again, regardless of the opponent they're playing, a bad or a good team, their first quarters routinely, they look awful no matter who they're playing. And that's the frustrating thing and that's the confusing thing that, you know, we'll have Dave Hellman in here in a few minutes from Dallas Cowboys.com to get his perspective on it as somebody who works inside the Cowboys facility all throughout the week. But it is indescribable. I think that generally, you know, a lot of times people think a player's trying to brush you off or doesn't want to, you know, shoot straight with you. I I think everybody in this building is just as confused as everybody on the outside as to why they keep making silly airs like Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday fumbling on the second play of the game or DAC throwing the interception to open against the Giants. It's incredible. These are just to look back at my chicken scratch, my notes as I'm sitting in the press box monitoring this game on Sunday. First and 10 and complete to Cooper. Second and 10, Elliot up the middle for two. Horrible fumble against linebacker Jared Davis. Five plays later, you've got your former Cowboys running back, Bo Scarborough, who you picked in the seventh rounds, and then you released,

runs it up the middle for five yards in the touchdown, big stars next to the words, slow start, shooting themselves in the foot already. Yeah, no, this was, and again, it's, I can't feel like it's a focus issue anymore, because it's like, surely this would have awakened their focus at this point. So what is the problem? And I think it is just, it's one of these mysterious things that teams have sometimes. I mean, every year teams are plagued by certain things where it's like, you know, why can't we do this? You know, why I think last year one of the big things was Dallas couldn't stop teams on third down or they had trouble converting third downs.

And it was just one of those fluky things where you were just kind of like, what is the underlying issue here? And I think that if the Cowboys had a handle on it, it would be fixed by now. Because surely there wouldn't be anything this ingrained in a team this talented if they were able to identify what it is. So I think it's confusing for everybody. Because we're not talking game-changing injuries to some of their star players. I mean, sure, guys are playing through a number of injuries, but they haven't lost their quarterback. They haven't lost their starting defensive linemen.

They're starting running back. You look at the roster. These are talented players. Just look at the individual box scores at the end of some of these games. So it's maddening. And that is frustrating. And I think sometimes when you can't get to the bottom of things, that can lead to apathy and frustration. And we saw a little bit of that setting in after the Minnesota Vikings lost.

And then there was this discussion with Jason Garrett that we had heard about. And then I later confirmed that took place on Thursday. And then while they started out flat against the Detroit Lions, God bless this team, do what they've done all season. They find ways to battle back. And I think that sort of resiliency, that psychological makeup of the men in that locker room is what should give fans hope that maybe just maybe the Cowboys can go on a run and still do something special. We saw it last year. Somebody asked me on Twitter this week, they said, do you really think Dallas is a good safety away from being a Super Bowl contender? Yes.

And I told them, not just that. Like, I don't think it even has to go that far. I said, I think this team is faster starts to games away from potentially. making a Super Bowl run. If you look at the only team this year that has outscored them in quarters two through four is New Orleans, which means if they just either broke even in all the first quarters of their games this year, they would be nine and one with the one loss being the saints. And so this is something that- They haven't been blown out. No. I mean, they've been able, they've been, there have been in each one of their losses, lost by two to the

Saints and the Jets, lost by 10 of the Packers, and then you lose that game by four to the Vikings. in each one of those games, there's a play or two in each of those games that if it's different, they potentially are on the winning side of that game. And that's what's so frustrating. Or knucklehead penalties. Yeah, knucklehead penalties. Or, you know, it's just that's, I think, the frustrating thing. And so it's a two-sided coin.

And I'm interested to see where you fall down on this. Is that then encouraging? Because, you know, it's something that if that just gets remedy, that's one thing you have to remedy and you're among the league's elite. or is it really distressing that it's still something they haven't been able to remedy 10 games deep? I don't know. It's maddening. Because I keep going back to what my eyes saw at training camp and what I saw in those first couple of games was this is a team that can make her run at Miami.

In other words, the Super Bowl. And then you asked me, after that Minnesota game, I was sort of out. I mean, I looked at this team and I was like, man, I'm out. I could explain, I could make an, you could make an excuse and explain away any number of reasons why they lost those three games and that three game losing streak. Oh, injuries or this happened at this point. The Minnesota game was the first game of the year where it felt like, man, they just got beat down. They were not as good. And, you know, there was the slow start and they broke even.

But, you know, at the end of the day, that team just was better than you. And that was without Adam Thielen. Right. I mean, who knows what's going to end. You know, I think it was Jordan Lewis who tweeted later said something like, or said, it in the locker. I can't remember if he said it or he tweeted, but said, we'll probably see you guys again later. And that's stacking up right now where Minnesota's likely not going to win their division.

That's going to be Green Bay. And Dallas, that means Minnesota will be one of the wildcard teams. And Dallas is likely getting a three or four seat if they win the NFCE. So it's very possible they see that Minnesota team again. So there's a lot for them to straighten up and rectify in this final six game stretch. Yesterday, I think, was a good start. And these last two weeks has been a good start in terms of, The coaching staff seems to be accepting that the way you win football games with this collection of talent is you throw the ball and you let Dak Prescott win you games.

I was just about to say the only reason that I would say that I have faith that this team could go on a run and I am not discounting the possibility. And people think I'm crazy when I say this that they could go up there and shock it on Foxborough. Because it is just such a cowboy thing to do to go up there and literally shock in on a Foxborough team, the Patriots who were 9-1 right now on the road. The only reason I believe in this team is because of Dak Prescott. I feel like this team goes as he goes, and I just feel like this is the sort of game. Dak loves back against the wall.

He's always been an underdog. He's dealt with adversity his whole life. I feel like Amari Cooper told me, you know, that thing that Jason Garrett said to him a couple weeks ago, don't just enjoy being uncomfortable, thrive and being uncomfortable. Dak Prescott loves, like he marinates in adversity and being uncomfortable. And if there is one team and one defense that's going to do that to him in outdoor conditions, it's the Patriots.

Yeah, and we'll hopefully get a chance to ask Dak Prescott about this this week in his thoughts. But, you know, as a guy who's started every game since he entered the league and has seen a ton now in his almost four years in the league, it's not very often that he gets something new or fresh. that he hasn't ever seen before. Well, he'll get that this week, because this is one of two remaining teams, outside of the Cowboys, of course, one of two remaining teams that he's not played,

New England and Buffalo. He's played everybody else in this league. He's seen all the things that different coaches have to offer him, and I'm sure he'll see something fresh and confusing that Bill Belichick will have concocted for him. I do wonder if, I mean, I know the personnel wasn't quite right, but I do wonder if this game against Detroit was helpful in that match. Patricia comes from that Bill Belichick tree.

I'm sure he probably... Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tript Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth?

Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose

on my new podcast. Learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear.

The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up guys? This is Clifford Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clifford Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff.

Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to The Clippers Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues.

I like the bougie style of Housewives of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments. from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television,

I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more,

listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. has some of the same philosophies Belichick has in terms of how to approach a player like Dak Prescott. And so, you know, encouraging to see him, you know, 444 yards, three touchdowns, absolutely playing out of his mind. One more game of 400 yards this year, and he ties the NFL record for most 400-yard passing games in a season.

And, you know, we're 10 games into it. So playing elite, and if there's going to be a time for us to see this new and improved version of Dak Prescott, you hope it's this upcoming week against New England. Thunderstruck, adjective. Shocked and amazed by the power of fun on Carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first roller coaster at sea. Brian got Thunderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother felt it 3,000 miles away in Nebraska,

and immediately booked a cruise. Hooray! Get Thunderstruck starting at 289. Carnival. Choose fun. Cruiser and U.S. dollars per person double occupancy, taxes fees, import, import, expenses, additional restrictions, Plightful details on Carthel.com, ships registry behind us Panama.

Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide through this fascinating world.

Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. If I could be you. And you could be me for just one hour. If you could find a way to get inside. Each other's mind. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes.

Walk a mile in my shoes. We've all felt left out. And for some, that feeling lasts more than a moment. We can change that. Learn how it belonging begins with us.org. Brought to you by the ad council. All right, we now welcome in one of our favorite guys here at the Star in Frisco, Dave Helman of Dallas Cowboys.com. And, you know, Dave, it's interesting.

We are obviously talking about a Cowboys win on a Monday. But if things had gone a little bit differently in that game, we would have been talking about a loss because it was still an ugly baby. Yeah, which, hey, thanks for having me, guys. Appreciate it. Yeah. Shockingly, it looked a lot like a lot of the Cowboys other wins this year, which is to say, you know, It's the NFL. There's no such thing as style points.

You'd get credit when you win, but it certainly wasn't pretty, at least not all the way around. I mean, we can talk about DAC, obviously, anytime you throw it for 400 yards, that's great. But turnover on the second play of the game, falling behind right away for what seems like, you know, the 10th straight time this season. And, you know, it's confusing because you even look at the box score and you're like, okay, well, the Lions had 300 yards. I mean, that's not anything worth getting alarmed about. But then you look at the explosive plays, the 23-yard runs, the quarterback scrambles. Jeff Driscoll has 51 rushing yards. And it just felt sloppy.

I tweeted right after the game. It reminded me of the road win against the Giants, which is like, yeah, they handled business. They scored 35 points. They won the game. But you don't come out of it feeling like they turned this corner and they're all of a sudden playing like this juggernaut. And that doesn't necessarily mean that. they can't still. We keep, it's the same narrative.

Like, it's crazy every week. You're like, well, they're still not really playing as great as they probably should, but they are six and four on top of their division, and that's just kind of the type of season it's been. It's really weird. Are the slow starts, you think, a function of, I mean, are we just looking at something that's fluky? You think, like, this is just weird, bad luck,

or is there something innate that they are not doing correctly, either during the week or when the game starts? Like, if it was one thing, you would chalk it up to a fluke, right? I mean, you can go back and find all of our writing and podcasts and TV hits from the Saints game. And you're like, well, Zeke fumbled and Witt and fumbled and they lost by two. Those are flukes. Those guys don't fumbled. Well, Zeke just fumbled against the Lions.

I mean, like, if you keep starting slow, and I was kidding when I said for the 10th time this season, but it's probably not that far away, right? I thought the Eagles game, obviously, they came out really fast. They went up 14-0. And not surprisingly, they beat a pretty good team by. 27 points. But every other game this year, I mean, you go to New York, Dak throws a pick on the first play of the game.

Zeke fumbles on the second play against Detroit. The Vikings game, they fall down by 14. They climb out of it, but it's still, you spend half the game climbing back from a two-scored deficit. It just seems. So it's a long-winded way of saying, yeah, these are fluky one-off situations that keep happening. So is that player preparation or is that Garrett preparation?

people think I'm copping out like I don't know Jane tell me what you think like people think I'm copping out when I say I don't know I mean I think they're I think in the locker room the players are confused they don't know why it happens like you know is it Jason Garrett's fault that Zeke fumbled I mean all pro running back fumbles the ball or is it Jason Garrett's fault that DAC throws it right to Antoine Bethay on the first play of the Giants game I don't think so but then at the same time you sitting there saying like okay week after week this team isn't ready to go, it doesn't seem like when the whistle blows, which like that does seem like it reflects coaching.

But then it's crazy to me that in spite of all of the frustration on special teams and defense and some of these mind-boggling situations on offense, they still find a way to claw back. You know, lesser teams, less talented teams can't overcome some of the stuff that they've overcome in the first quarter in the first half. So that to me is not a bad team And you and I were at training camp Bobby was at training camp We watched this team

And I've asked every person That's come on this podcast As we've started Does this team have enough good players? And if you look at the players And you look at their individual performances Week to week, this team is full of talent

But for whatever reason It has not been able to translate And they're doing it against bad teams Which is crazy to me I think it was probably you Bobby because you're the stat king. I am. Just looking at...

Do you see him just own that? I am. He is. I mean... No, like a genuine... I think Clarence and Calvin and Moshota all said the same thing at some point. So now I'm just... Yeah, yeah, sure.

I am. But like, you look at, you know, you look at expected play on average, and you look at, you know, the... Oh, that was the one. That was the one that really impressed me is they're getting outscored by, what, 21 points in the first quarter? 22 in the first quarter now, and they're plus... nine... like plus 112 or something. Which is absurd.

That point differential is insane. Three of the four quarters. And so I tweeted that out and I was like, you know, it's amazing that like all of this stuff translates and then they're six and four. Or they were five and four at the time. They're like, they're literally a handful of bounces away from being eight and two right now. And they're right in the thick of it. And I don't necessarily disagree with this as like people in my mentions on Twitter are like that tells me that they're a talented, team that's poorly coached.

And I think... But where are they poorly coached? And that's the thing is... Maybe it's not... This is where I go back and forth, Dave. If it's not Jason Garrett, because this is what I was trying to get at last week. You know, he says he's not responsible for the play calling. You know what?

It wasn't his fault on special teams. We don't quite know what Jason's role is here, but maybe we need to start turning our attention to, okay, as much as I love my guys on defense. And, man, I feel like it's blasphemous to even talk about my man, Rod Marinelli. but should we start talking about the defensive line? Should we talk about Chris Richard? Should we talk the linebackers in Ben Bloom? Should we talk Keith O'Quinn on special teams?

I mean, we haven't even turned our focus. But then my argument is if the head coach isn't intimately involved in all of that, he is a game manager and he is the CEO of this team in the sense that if you're not a micro-manager, you're still the manager and you are still accountable for the work of your employees beneath you. Sure. And I mean, that's kind of what Jason Garrett, I think, you know, it was a big story five or six years ago when he gave up play calling duties. And he's the, he's the quote unquote walk around. Yeah, the walkabout coach where, you know, he's ducking in on every meeting.

He's kind of got an eye on everything. And that's fine. But at the end of the day, you're still the CEO of this thing, right? So, I mean, like, I mean, everybody's culpable in a situation like this. And yeah, I mean, I'm right there with you. It's hard to just put a finger on what you think the problem is. And to be, I mean, you can call me a homer. You can call me an apologist.

I don't really care. Like to put it all at Jason Garrett's feet, I don't think is necessarily fair. I mean, the Vikings game certainly. I thought the Vikings. That was the one game where I thought, I'm with you on that. If you want to do an autopsy of all four of the losses, I think the Vikings game falls most squarely on the coaching staff. And then you can go back.

The Jets game, a little bit of an amalgamation of everybody. I mean, when you're giving up 92-yard touchdowns to the Jets, I don't even know what to say. The Saints game, more about the offense. The Packers game, more about just. I mean, the Packers game, I put on players more than anything. That was dumb luck, a lot of bad shooting yourself in the foot. That goes back to my point.

Is like, are we really going to crush Jason Garrett because a ball bounced out of Amari Cooper's hands and into a defender's? I mean, I don't know how that falls on coaching. but at the same time I can look at the Vikings game and say, well, these play calls were terrible. This decision to kick this field goal was questionable at best. This decision, why did you punt 15 minutes after you felt comfortable kicking a field goal from the same distance? That 57-yard field goal to start off that game was inexcusable in my opinion.

It was. So early in the game. And it's funny, like literally just now you were saying like, well, is the defense, the defensive line? They're not playing. And in the back of my head, I'm like, it says a lot about what this. season's been like that they just won by eight on the road. And we're sort of talking about them like they just lost. And I don't necessarily think that's unfair because some of the same symptoms that have plagued

them in losses were present up there in Detroit. Again, slow start, uncharacteristic defensive play. And I know, I mean, they gave up 312 yards, but they also gave up 27 points to a backup quarterback. But in defensive, Jason Garrett, I appreciated the fact that, you know, we did that walkoff I've asked him all about the, you know, the Tavon-Austin thing. And to revisit again, it was, for me, it was important because that locker room does fight on Sundays for Jason Garrett.

Players have told me that specifically. So that's not a made-up narrative. They love that guy. But if they feel like you're throwing now guys under the bus in a situation that wasn't necessarily their fault, you run the risk of losing that. But I thought what was interesting this week and I had heard about it and I went and did some digging on it. He had gotten together with this group on Thursday last week

and sort of said, hey, some of the stuff is on me. We got to galvanize. Now, they didn't divulge all the information that went into it. But Bobby, you were at practice on Friday. The team felt rejuvenated. No, yeah, and I mean, I know Dave was in there, too. That was as you walk in the doors at practice

and it's always like going bad by Drake and Meek Mill or something like that, like pounding. It seems like going bad is always the one that's playing when we're walking out there. But it's always just like, you know, aggressive, like, heavy bass, you know, rap music. And, uh, you know, we walked out there and the first song they played was some relaxed R&B song. It's Friday. Yeah, it was the Friday song. Yeah. And you had like Jason out there, you had a Henry,

what's his, I can't even, Shroka. Shroka. He had Henry Shroka out there. The goat of all goads. Leading the most intense jumping jacks. I've seen him leave before. Jason's smiling the whole time. Ben Bloom coming out there in his old Tufts uniform to catch a I mean, they seemed relaxed more so than earlier in the week. Earlier in the week, that felt like a dreary locker room earlier in the week. It was testy on Wednesday and Thursday. I don't think there's any doubt about that. And if that's the case, then, that that meeting took place on Thursday and Friday,

they come out relaxed and it doesn't feel as testing by the time game day rolls around. I mean, to me, that's something that you do have to give Jason credit for, potentially saving what could have been a sour culture. And look, coaches have those, we would hope coaches have those sort of conversations with their teams every week. But it was my sense that there was something different in the tone, the delivery. It resonated. As I was told by a player, it was well received.

In regards to these slow starts just for a second, because I know this is something that I talked about with both you guys off the air last week. It was something I brought up, and I just looked up. I guess Babe Lofenberg had said on the broadcast yesterday, exactly the question that I was asking, the Cowboys generally script, like most teams, the first team, the first 15 plays on offense. It's something, I believe Bill Walsh was the first one who started that years ago, and now it's something common.

A lot of teams do. So, Dave, I'm curious for your thoughts. Is that potentially the issue for their slow starts? Are they scripting things? It's the more conservative old school offense that we'd seen struggling in the last couple years. And then after those 15 plays, you're seeing the freer version of the offense under Kell and Moore and Dak Prescott.

You know, this is way oversimplified, but I did a podcast with DeMarcus Ware. last week before the Lions game. He's the best. He is. Humblebuck. I kind of did sound like a humble brag. I didn't mean for it too, but I mean, he's the one that I'm stealing a line from him, so I have to mention it.

Because he said, and again, it's oversimplified, but he was like, just jump in. Just jump in the pool. Like, don't test the water. Just run what you run. Like, maybe worry less about identifying what they're trying to do and just do what you want, which I thought that. sounded good, but then at the same time, when you fumble on the second play

of the game, I mean, that just kind of derails everything. You don't have a chance. We don't know what that would have looked like, what the first drive would have looked like. And for that matter, I'll contradict myself, because Kellam Moore said it. Last week, he was like, you know, it's not like we're going three and

out at the start of these games. I mean, for the most part, they're driving. Vikings game, they get down to the 39, 40. Packers game, I mean, if they were They zipped downfield. Oh, yeah. That felt like it was going to be a four-play drive touchdown against Greenberg.

But then they'll have these penalties. Sure. That'll set them back. And let's talk about the Michael Bennett penalty yesterday, the jumping off sides. I mean, something that the Lions had done to the Bears the week before. That is the exact type of, like, the football gods, when you do something like that, you give up a touchdown. Like, that's the way it works. It's almost like the Lions disrespected the Cowboys and said, I bet they didn't watch this.

this one more time. That's, I... The exact same thing. It's hard. To be fair. Most of the times, you won't see that again. That has been one of the big knocks, to be fair, on Michael Bennett, his whole career, though, because he's a snap jumper.

He jumps off sides a lot. We've already seen it, I think, like, four times in three games. And they knew it. Which, yeah. But the bottom line is, that's a coach preparing his team, knowing, knowing the personnel, watching the tape. I will say, I mean, I'll go there with you, because I remember, what, three years ago, they got crushed by the Broncos.

Von Miller jumped off sides like eight times in that game. And you're like, you know what? If you're capable of getting 20 sacks in the season, I will live with that yardage all day long. On a fourth down, and they're not even going for it. I mean, they were faking like they would, but like it was a punt formation.

I'm a little less willing to forgive you when you jump offside on an obvious situation like that. And I think that's the thing, though. I think it is Bennett. I don't know that's because I think Calvin Watkins had a good point, which was Calvin had tweeted right after it happened, said that was something they practiced on Friday was Detroit's fake pun. Calvin said they practiced it.

And so to me, what more is Jason Garrett supposed to do to have them prepared? Like to me, that's Michael Bennett's just at fault. And that's literally, I can't figure out how to come down on the side of this argument. Honestly, it ticks me off because you practice it on Friday. And that's so, again. Day of mistakes, as Jaylen Smith says, though. Are they being prepared right? And the players are.

Is that the coach's fault? I don't know. Is that the player's fault? I think there's plenty of things you can put on the coaches in a given game. I don't know that that's one I would because, you know, I'd have to look. Is Michael Bennett, I don't know that Michael Bennett's normally out there on punts. And so I wonder if they were anticipating that that was going to be a defensive snap. Like, I'd have to look at the personnel they had in there, but I kind of wonder if they anticipated that was going to be a fake and they were prepared for it.

And then it was just the players messed up. I'm baffled by this team. And, I mean, you know, Zeke fumbles on the second. second play of the game. I think it was, I have it in front of me. It was, what, five plays. They go, 28 yards. Oh, yeah. Right off the bat. Seven nothing deficit just like that. Coming out a half time, 10 plays, 70 yards to make it 24, 21. And I mean, yeah, I don't think this is a super disciplined team. And I mean, there's plenty of, there's plenty of blame to go around for coaches and players alike. But I guess the thing that throws me off is when people try to place it all in one

spot, whether that's Garrett, whether that's Chris Rashard, whether that's DeMarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Elliott for that matter. I think that's fair. And I go back in four, too, because, you know, we've been having this eternal debate. I hate talking about a man's future, you know, before he's even completed this season. What I like about Jason Garrett is the fact that this team still believes in him. You know, if you've lost, if you've lost the faith, the locker room or guys like Sean Lee or Jason Whitney who've been here for years, right? They've been through those tough seasons in 2014

when they were so close and couldn't get it done. You know, you were here in 2016. You were here in, you know, even this season went on paper. It's like we were all talking about the Cowboys team being a contender. The fact that these guys still stick with him says a lot to me. That has always been my... And so who are you going to bring in here that's going to shake stuff up and do a better job?

And we keep going through this. Name me a better candidate on the, open market right now. Why does it have to be on the open market? Why is that a stipulation? So to your point, the only guy that I would be interested in bringing here would be Maddie of Perflus. That's the only guy.

That's the only guy that I actually like coming here to Dallas. That you think is attainable. That would be attainable and that could potentially turn this program around because of how much the guys like him. I still, my number one guy is Chris Peterson at Washington. As Kellyn Moore's coach, he helped show. shape him. It'd be an easy fit. They love the Boise culture. That just seems like a good fit to me. I just don't love the sexy, flashy Urban Meyer. I want a guy that this team knows that respects

that's gone and done something when he's left. I can't go here with you because this is the NFL. Like this isn't college where I feel like that stuff matters less, I guess is my point. Like, this is professional football. We'll get a coach in here and you do what he says because you're professional. Like, I mean, that you have, that's what you're paid to do. And if it works and it's good, then you'll buy in and you'll be part of it. I mean, but did Jason Garrett have, Dave, look at, look at all the teams this year that did that. Is that working for Miami? Is that working for the Jets? Miami. Is that working for the Cardinals? And my point is in Dallas, you, it doesn't work to like try a coach out here. I can't. The expectations are so high when you're the coach of this pro.

Just look at Texas. I always say Texas is a lot like Dallas and the sense of what you put in there, They haven't really found a good replacement since Matt Brown. Yeah. They tried the Charlie Strong. We can do an autopsy on Texas football. But my point is, is it Matt Brown was sort of whether they weren't getting the championships every year, right? But the players loved him.

The alumni loved him. He still got your butts in the seats. He understood the program. And look, he's successful in North Carolina. And you don't think, well, first of all, all right, all right, I have to, I'm, I did not expect to go this far off the rails. The dolphins are a tank job. We knew that when they hired Brian Flores. The Jets might be they're probably the second most dysfunctional organization in the league behind the one that the Cowboys share division with up in D.C. The Cardinals, I mean, they're not good,

but they're fighting in every game. They almost, I mean, they pushed the 49ers to the brink last night. They're like playing well and giving people problems. With this roster, with the money that Jerry's invested, and as he's always said, his biggest regret was wasting Tony Romo's years. Jerry doesn't want a project coach to come in here and try to figure this thing out in a year or two. Jason feels closer than bringing in a guy

that's going to try and give you a new message and coach this team up. He's going to need an immediate winner. Who's out there that you want that? That's not Jason. And I think that's what keeps Jerry up at night. Jerry's like, but every year, Jason makes me feel like we're close.

And I think he makes the players feel that way. too. I know that the Rams are not the capital R Rams right now. Like, I know that they're kind of a middling team. Sean McVeigh didn't inspire anybody when he got hired. Like, nobody was excited about Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when We're in the pursuit of the thing.

We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person

while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories. behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody

wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is Clifford Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clivert show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this guy, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Look, quarterback on office blue 42.

Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Portia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man.

They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewives franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Revenue.

Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. That higher. And now everybody's looking for him because he did a damn good job. That's all that matters. For two years. I mean, they're six and four. They have a winning record right now.

It's not like they're bad. And I don't think he's a bad coach, is my point. But is there another guy out there right now that's a Sean McVeigh? I mean, you don't know that. Five other teams tried to do that this off a second. I would argue, like, I don't think most of those. Time tried to do that in Arizona with Cliff. And Cliff's my boy.

Trust me. I think Cliff's going to figure it out. He got hired late and got like sort of a makeshift staff. I'm not paying close attention to the Cardinals, but I don't think Cliff Kingsbury is doing a bad job right now. I agree with you, but my point is not a bad job. Matt LaFleur, the Packers are one of the best teams in the NFC. Not a bad job. Isn't going to work for Dallas?

Matt LaFleur actually is a pretty fantastic comparison because he took over for a long time veteran coach. There was dissatisfaction in the fan base. they were good but not getting over the hump. They went in a different direction. We'll see where it goes. That's actually not a bad analogy. We're halfway through the season, but the Packers are one of the best teams in the NFC. They look like they have a good shot to win the North.

And he got Aaron Rogers to buy into LaFlor. Yeah. Oh, well, and again, and that's huge. This is a hypothetical, but if you get a new coach, Dak Prescott's approval is clearly going to be a gigantic part of it. Which, by the way, fans, that's why he's going to get a contract. Oh, yeah. No, that's, I mean, and again, there's, how many games are there left now?

Five? Yeah, there's six left. Six left, right. Yeah, that's right. Damn. The season, like, the season flies by and feels like it takes five years, like, all of the same time. It's just like, where are we? But, okay, so we'll see what happens.

Like, Jason Garrett. I mean, they could still make a Super Bowl run. Jason Garrett could absolutely coach his way to a new contract. It wouldn't shock me at all. But let's say he doesn't. The quarterback is going to be everything to that higher. And Dak, love. loves Jason.

Yeah. Which... And that could play a huge role. But if it doesn't, either way, he's going to be a big part of the decision. Thunderstruck, adjective. Shocked and amazed by the power of fun on Carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first roller coaster at sea. Brian got Thunderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother felt it 3,000 miles away in Nebraska

and immediately booked a cruise. Hooray! Get Thunderstruck starting at 289. Carnival. Choose fun. Cruises run U.S. dollars per person double occupancy. Taxes, import expenses, additional restrictions, apply. Full details on carnal.com, ships, registry, Bahamas, Panama.

What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org.

Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed.

Diapers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter who looks to be about nine or ten has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed and they're off. Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car. And there it goes! Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fan favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff.

Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at NHTSA.gov slash the right seat. Visit NHTSA.com. Slash the right seat. Brought to you by Nidza and the Ad Council. Keep John Kittna be a head coach. Because we haven't talked enough about John Kittna and what his influence on Dak Prescott's been this year.

John Kittna, Kellyn Moore. I don't, I mean, John Kittna, I think deserves a ton of credit. We don't talk about him. I was saying that we were doing a hit today, and I was like, at least us at the network. Position coaches, well, I mean, yeah, y'all are way up on the macro. But my point is, I don't feel like I've even put a spotlight on the fact that he's been so inherently involved in some of those mechanics that we've seen, the confidence that we've seen, the footwork that we've seen.

I think it's as simple as saying, first of all, he sits in the booth so the TV cameras never find him. And position coaches stop talking to the media after training camp. But, I mean, I remember OTAs in mini camp. Like, I could listen to John Kitt in a talk all day. Like, this is an organization that does not have a lot of great quotes. I mean, no offense. To be honest, yeah. Jason Garris, not a great quote.

I'm sorry. Kellamore, super, super nice dude. Nice is a great quote. DeMarcus Lawrence is an amazing quote. Maybe too good of a quote sometimes. John Kittner is, he just, he's fun to talk ball with. Like, he's interesting. He's willing to give you something, some juicy stuff.

He's got great analogies. That's like, John Kittina won me over like day two of OTAs. And he's like, I tell Dak, like, just go out there and let it rip. And I was like, yes, that's what I want to hear. That's that right there, you can hear, you can see John Kittner's influence on Dax, just in the sense that in the post game, I think, of like, the last five games, he has used the term rip it.

I just ripped it. I read, like that is a kitten afraid. We use the term heat check after every Cowboys game, which typically that's NBA stuff, but Dax's out here throwing literal heat checks. And I think that's got a lot to do with John Kittner. You never want to, you know, I don't think you, people want to just get, like I said, blame and credit,

they want to put it all in one place. You know, like Sean McVeigh changed football forever. Did he, or did he have some good players and some good ideas? So it's not all John Kittner, but I can't, I don't think you can deny

that he's had a big influence on deck. I wonder, you know, when we talk about, you know, who's going to come in here and do a better job, though, I kind of feel like this team now, if they drop the ball,

if they don't come through here, I feel like they are, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the early 2000s, where it's all this talent and everybody feels like, okay, come on. And, I mean, that was a team that loved Tony Dungey and fought hard for Tony Dungey, but it took just somebody else with a different energy

to, like, kind of help push that over the edge. And it crashed and burned after that. The Buccaneers have been better off for a seven, eight-year stretch with Dungee in there instead of Gruden, probably. But Gruden was the guy to push that group over the edge. And I kind of just wonder if that's where the Joneses are at right now with Garrett, is that they feel like, man, we like what Garrett's done to help build this. He's a good evaluator.

They believe in him. But we need somebody else to just push them over the edge. The phrase that got thrown around all offseason was taking the next step. Stephen Jones said it more times than I can count. And that's the thing. Again, you know, I work for the organization. People call me a homer when I say it. Like, you know, people want to fire Jason Gary when he loses to the Vikings.

I'm like, do you understand that they're still leading the division with seven games to play? like why do you want to do knee-jerk stupid stuff like that when literally just last year we saw him climb out of a three and five hole? And how much does the narrative change, Dave, if they go up to Foxborough and maybe just maybe beat the 9-1 Foxx team up in Foxborough. At the risk of sounding like a smart ass, I don't know how much it would change because I feel like people almost expect that to happen because that's what the Cowboys do. Exactly. That's exactly what the Cowboys do. But, yeah, I mean, no, absolutely. I mean, think of the Steelers game.

We were talking to the Steelers game in Dak. That was a big one. And then you think of Dak, his rookie year with the, I thought when he went up to Green Bay was one of his best games. That was the game. In 16? Yeah. Oh, yeah. They put it on them.

I'll never forget standing there with Ed Worder. And we were grilling Jerry Jones. Is Romo coming back? And remember Roma was on the road for that one. I heard he flew back with Jerry Jones of the family. So it got really awkward. Yep. Jerry took a real exception with Ed starting that narrative.

But it was. a narrative that that started to grow and get hotter and hotter and hotter because it's like your guy just went on the road and won at Lambo. That was the day it went from being like a feel good story to like, oh. Yeah. This might be serious. Yeah, there might be there might be something to that. Which speaking of that, I remember you had said last year or earlier this year heading into the Saints game, you had had that discussion on talking cowboy or not talking about as you were on the break. Cowboys break. You had said that, you know, this was the opportunity for to be Dax's signature road win.

And you started talking about, like, looking back through Dax history, where's his signature road win? Oh, yeah. Oh, for the Saints game this year. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that if you look back at it's Green Bay or probably Pittsburgh his rookie years.

Packers and Steelers in 16. And then, you know, last year against Philly was a nice win. Not that Detroit is like a great football team or anything, but I mean, this was a like, don't make me, no. Just hold on, just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Yeah, I'm going here. Yeah, I'm going to go here. because listen, here's what I'm just going to say.

This is a team that was like on the brink. Like that was a team that yesterday, that was Dak carrying them on the, like it was Dak. That was Dak, probably his second best performance routine. Is that Drutherism? That's not Dakrutherism. No, I mean, Dak played a hell of a game. A hell of a game.

But it's not a signature road win. No, but that's thing. If you look over the history, he doesn't have a lot of them, period. I'm not saying because it was like so amazing. I'm saying because it is pretty barren. Is that up there? No. I mean.

Maybe it's because maybe it was one. one thing watching it on TV, Bobby, you didn't travel with me this one. Sitting up there in the press box, this literally felt like the ugliest baby. The way that Bo Scarbro, and granted, some of this goes to defense, right? Some of this goes to defense. And I think to your point, it was a signature win in the sense that he did this. It felt like all by himself. Yeah, and that's kind of more what I mean with the team on the brinket was DAC's

shoulder in it. Yeah. And I'll say this. The last two weeks, and I, you know, we're going to. good friends. We're on Twitter all the time. I'm stealing this right from you, but like... At least you admit it. There's a lot of people in this market. No, but I mean, people,

people, you come to the same conclusions. Like, for years, my go-to line was like Zeeks the engine and Dax's the driver. But like, Dak is taking control of this thing to the point where you're like, I think Dax is just everything right now. And it's really... Even Zik said it. Yeah, it's really

fun and really encouraging to see it. So for him to go on the road and play a game like that, it's super encouraging. I can't ignore the fact that that was the 28th past defense in the league, a team that was two games below 500, and like, let's not act like this was Lambo or Heinz Field.

There were so many Cowboys fans. That was the most Cowboys fans I've ever felt on the road. It was the only place I've ever been where I felt a stronger Cowboys influence was in Washington. West Coast in general. I don't know what it is. Redskins was insane this year. DC is big.

DC is big, but man, when they play in like L.A. or Oakland, San Francisco too, but that's a whole other animal. The support is real out there. But Detroit, I mean, the whole lower bowl was Cowboys fans. So like for a variety of reasons, I don't think of it that way. But he's still balled out and that's still worth being excited about. But the numbers are Goddy. And we're going to get into him.

I mean, he came in here this morning, Bobby. Like, do you see these printouts? It was as if he was prepared to submit his case To the Hall of Fame He was ready to submit his case As a matter of fact Shereen Williams once showed me the binder That she had to get our boiled

Charles Haley into the Hall of Fame This binder was extensive And you know she had to petition for him a couple of times This I feel like he's already creating his binder For when one day someone asked him to submit his case to can't I'm gonna have it As somebody who spends as much Maybe not as much

As somebody who's on Twitter comparable to Bobby. Like, it gets, it gets tedious trying to convince people that the guy is actually a good player. And so... He's been a good player since the day he stepped foot on the field. Now, he's turning

into something more, obviously. I think he has the potential to be a great player. And to your point, I think, and I've referenced this a few times on the pod so far, it was the way that he handled himself as the fourth guy on the depth chart, Cowboys Training Camp, and the way he walked into

Tony Romo's team took it away, and they didn't even let Romo compete for the job. A healthy realm. That was the wildest thing to watch and cover. You were here for all of that. I will go to my grave letting people know that not Tony Romo, not Kell & Moore. Jamil Showers outplayed Dak Prescott for the first two weeks of his rookie training camp. It's crazy. And now look at us.

So we've kept you far longer than the 20 minutes I told you. That must mean it was pretty good, right? It was pretty great. That's pretty great. And I do have just one more question for you, though, because you made mention of Zeke really is no longer the engine. Like, this is Dax team. Yeah. Can we take it a step further and wonder?

Because I know Twitter is pounding their fists here. We see Tony Pollard again yesterday. When he plays double-digit snaps, they are 6 and 0 now, 0 when he doesn't. That sounds a lot like, that sounds a lot like when Zeeke has 20 carries, they're 50 and over, like whatever. Yeah. Like, because, yeah. Causality is not. If they're blowing people out, like he's going to get in later in games, I understand.

But the question is, is that when you saw earlier in the game, by comparison in the first half yesterday, who looked more explosive in that offense, who was making plays against the lines defense, is Pollard not a better player, but is it possible that his skill set is a better fit in Kellyn Moore's offense. Here's the thing. You took that one a little far. This goes back to exactly what I just says. Like, you're angry that the Cowboys lost. This happened. You already don't like Jason Garrett because he hasn't been able to get over the hump. And so that's where you put it all is like,

why can't we have more nuance? Like, why can't Ezekiel Elliott be a really good player who defenses Keon and base a lot of their game plan around stopping? And why can't Tony Pollard be a really good player who needs more snaps? Like, I looked this up before we went on the air. Tony Pollard played five snaps against the Vikings. He's played less than 10 in half their games. And remember, the first three weeks,

they were either blowing everybody out or Zique was coming back from not having a train. training camp. So like the numbers are skewed a little bit there too. Like the only game that was ever in doubt that he really had a healthy role in was the second Giants game. And so I like I don't know. I don't think he's a better fit than Zee because I think Zee can do everything. And I think he's an absolute truck. And I think the reason DAC has been able to throw for 400 yards two weeks in a row is because defenses are basing their game plan around stopping him. I think all of that is true. at the same time,

Tony Pollard is a dynamic player who can play receiver, kick returner, punt returner, and running back, and it's inexcusable to not get him at least a dozen snaps per game. I'm asking for 12 to 15 out of 60.

I don't think that's a huge ask. You bring up a great point. So I'm not willing to take it as far as you're taking it that, you know, everyone's saying he's lost his explosive. Zika's doing things in the game. You and I've talked about this.

He's blocking. He blows guys up. Like he's... Welcome to my new point. Podcasts learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way.

Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

What's up, guys? This is CliverTaylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue 42.

Hey, ref, my mama wants you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man.

They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise. the drama, the alliances, and the T, everybody's talking about.

As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. type of guy that is so physical out there, Tony Pollard's not going to be that dude for you. I mean, I've even seen situations where he's blocking for DAC.

I mean, he's taking out. We talked about that one situation. Who did he go up and he blocked against? He blew Derek Barnett off the ball. Like, ridiculous. That's still a guy that I want to punch it in in the end zone when you need him. But to your point, earlier in the season, when we saw them lining him and Tony Pollard up the way we see it in New Orleans.

Alvin Camarron, Mark Ingram. I don't know why we haven't seen that more. I literally thought about that on the drive home from the airport last night. And I was like... That visual lingers with me because I remember when we were sitting in the press. I go, look at that. They are lining him up the way they do in New Orleans. For four years, I guess it was three years.

The Saints found a way to make it work with both of those guys. Yep. And they are like... And have an efficient passing game with Michael Thomas. They're comparable players. Like I don't... Nobody thinks Tony's as good as Zeke right now. No.

And so, like, I'm not even asking for a 50-50 split or even 55-45-45. I'm asking for like... 80-20. Exactly. Like, I would need to go back and watch it on tape, but I feel confident saying that is the first time Tony Pollard has caught a ball out of the slot this season. And it's week 11. Yeah, in fact, I feel like a lot of times when they put them out there,

they're not even passing. They're just running it to Zieg. I would like to, I, before yesterday, he had four catches yesterday. Before yesterday, he had less than eight on the season. Because remember we were talking, Tony followed all preseason. Exactly. He was, he was so dynamic in the, in a grand, it's preseason. He was so dynamic.

It was leading to the conversation of, well, Cowboys should sit this one out. Why should you go ahead and fill hostage to go get that big contract done with Zee? They should sat that one out. Just say. That, I need another hour to cover all the angles of that. But my point. is knowing what you saw on tape from him in the preseason, I just don't know why we haven't seen him. And again, look, I'm not a coach. I am not a scout. I am merely an observer who's

the eyeball test. It just felt like that worked. And I don't, what I like about this offense is they're spreading it around more, right? Like, we're finally seeing them go to multiple titans, multiple wide receivers. That's what's exciting about this offense. When Dak was more of, when When Dack was developing more and he was younger and not quite as capable as throwing for $450, I get it, you know. But he can spread it around. Take the training wheels off. He gets it to 6, 7, 8 receivers per game. And you saw what Pollard could do.

That's Jason Garrett loves to say this and it drives me nuts. He said it last night. He was like, you know, we've been looking for opportunities to get Tony the ball and it just hasn't happened. And I'm like, Jason, you're the head coach. You decide. You create opportunities. It's completely up to you. You decide who gets to touch the ball.

So it drives me nuts. I don't think Zique needs to be scaled down. I think he is a fantastic football player. I think it's knee-jerk as hell to be worried about that in the long run. But I think Tony Pollard is absolutely deserving of having a real role in this offense, as he proved against the Lions. Helman, we could do an entire hour with you on this podcast in addition to what we just did there. But thank you so much for your time.

We hope to get you on the show more. And for the fans that want to follow you and some of your awesome stuff on Dallas Cowboys.com, send them to your social media account. Yeah, we're at, I mean, I'm at Dallas Cowboys.com, everything Cowboys all the time. Anytime on Twitter, Hellman, H-E-L-M-A-N-D-C, as in Dallas Cowboys, I live on Twitter just as much as Bobby does. You can find me there. I live here at the star, especially during the season.

So anytime y'all want me, just text me and I'm here. Yeah, and you can find my memes of Dave Hellman at Bobby Bell T-X. You got a chill. You're turning into Penn Badgley from you. Oh, my God. Yeah, which new season on December 26th. Season two, can't wait. All right.

Thanks, y'all. Appreciate it. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination. Our sense of wonder.

And our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie host of the new podcast Navigating Adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts.

Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Act Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to a tree.

adventure and they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. All right. So as we talk about heading into this final stretch, the Cowboys are six and four. The Eagles lost to the Patriots who the Cowboys get next week. So they have dropped to five and five. A big thing that a lot of people aren't talking about in the Cowboys winning that game against Detroit, Detroit beat Philadelphia. and one of the top tiebreakers in the divisional race is record versus common opponents. So the fact that Detroit beat Philly and Dallas goes ahead and beats the Lions, that gives Dallas an advantage.

They're able to close the gap a little bit. Philly still is up by one game on them on that tiebreaker. But as we head into this final stretch, knowing that the Cowboys have a rougher schedule than the Eagles do in the back half, I want to just quickly run down where the tiebreaker scenarios are in case Dallas finishes with an equal record in the. the NFC East as the Eagles. So the top tiebreaker is your head-to-head record. So in this instance, the Philly would have to beat Dallas at the end of the year to have any sort of a chance on the

tiebreaker. If that happens, then it comes down to best winning percentage within the division. Philly has a really great shot of finishing five and one. And if they beat Dallas, that would likely mean both are five and one. So that's the second tiebreaker. Then you've got four more that are really the tiebreakers where it doesn't typically get past these. And though that's the best win-loss percentage in common games, that's why it was big for Dallas to beat Detroit yesterday. Eagles currently are three and two in those games. Dallas is two and three.

Best percentage in games played within the conference, Dallas is beating Philadelphia in that right now. They're five and three. Philly is three and four. Strength of victory, the Eagles have Dallas killed there because Cowboys haven't beaten anybody yet. Cowboys victories have come against teams that are combined, to 25% winning percentage.

Eagles are 46%. And then the final one, if you get down past six, it's so rare. It's not even worth mentioning. Strength of schedule, which Dallas has one game better than the Eagles do in strength of schedule right now. So Dallas in a good position, the six main tiebreakers after in the event that the division comes to that, they're winning four of the six, and they've got a chance to hopefully get that common games winning percentage tied up again.

But Dallas is in a good position. Philadelphia, honestly, is probably going to have to win the division outright. which means Dallas being a game ahead of Philly right now, they're essentially two games up since Philly would have to pass them. I love that you just dumb that down for me. Four of the six scenarios is what the Cowboys are winning out of, giving you a high likelihood that at this point in this season, it looks like the Cowboys are still going to get into the playoffs for you.

I'm better at Gathering Sound and coming up with narratives and storylines. He is your stat guy that actually helps drive those. I hope you've learned something from this podcast. I'm super excited about our next one. We're going to have Jesse Hawley. You might remember him from Mr. Fourth and Long, part of that reality show. What's interesting about Jesse Hawley is after he left the Dallas Cowboys, he was on his way to Cabo, and he got a call from Bill Belichick, which resulted in him staying overnight in the airport to get all the way up there for a Bill Belichick interview.

He ended up on the team, and then he's going to tell you what it's like in New England when you're one of his receivers. He'll give some great perspective on this team as well as the matchup. We'll see on the next podcast. When Zieg has 20 carries, they're 50 and over, like whatever. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1800 Flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1,800 Flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1,800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values.

To order today, visit 1,800. 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where sports slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an Acapella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. many men carry a suit or armor.

It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game.

This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Cliverts show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.