00:00Good morning, Tommy. Is Tyler Smith coming back for Thursday's game?
00:06Sounds pretty optimistic. We'll see. I think today's going to be a pretty big practice day
00:11just because he was telling us yesterday that, you know, obviously with the thumb you can't punch and things like
00:16that.
00:16You can't, you know, grip the way that offensive linemen will need to.
00:19So today he'll get some work doing that for the first time.
00:23I'm sure he's done, you know, some simulations of it, but nothing is going to actually, you know,
00:28test it out other than going and actually blocking somebody.
00:31But it sounds like he's trending in the right direction.
00:34That's all we've heard coming into the week and going throughout the week.
00:37So it sounds like things are headed that way.
00:40We'll see, though, what comes out of this one and if there's any, you know,
00:43troubles with grip or anything like that that may give him, you know,
00:48some issues or would give him some issues if he was to play in a game.
00:51How much of what's left would be the conditioning aspect of it?
00:56I don't know if that has a lot to do with it.
00:58He was telling us that he's been, you know, he feels like he's in good shape.
01:01He's been working with the rehab crew and the training crew to stay conditioned over the last few weeks
01:07because that he can do, right?
01:08I mean, that's stuff that he can do and, you know, whether it be sprints or, you know, movement, things
01:14like that.
01:14That's fine.
01:15It's just the actual, you know, gripping and grabbing of the opponent
01:19and needing to overpower them that he hasn't been able to do because of the injury.
01:23So it sounds like conditioning-wise he's in good shape.
01:26Now it's just a matter of, you know, can he do what he's best at, which is, you know,
01:30being strong at the point of attack and moving guys out of the way.
01:34Tommy, the offenses seem to have the last couple weeks these moments of we need to move the ball down
01:39the field
01:39and they just do it and it feels like the offense is starting to, like, max out where it can
01:44be.
01:44Can they reach another level offensively, think, with Tyler Smith in there?
01:47Or is it just, hey, unit as a whole is playing pretty well right now,
01:51and so I don't know how much more you're going to get in terms of effectiveness just by putting Tyler
01:55Smith in there?
01:57Yeah, I think they get way better with Tyler Smith in there.
02:00I think it not only gives, you know, Dak Prescott maybe the additional half second
02:04that maybe he hasn't gotten with some of the plays that T.J. Bass has given up,
02:08but I think you can find another level in the run game.
02:11I think that, you know, the Cowboys haven't really needed it because they've been throwing the ball so well,
02:15but eventually you get later into the season, and we all know how important it is in the postseason
02:20if that's where the Cowboys get to, but you need to be able to run the football.
02:23You need to be able to control the clock, and they did that well in the third quarter last week
02:28and in the second half in general last week, but that's how you beat teams, right?
02:31That's how you find ways to win, and that's how you win close games is you control the clock, you
02:36run the ball,
02:37and I think that Tyler Smith being in there allows them to have another option to run behind.
02:43We've seen them run a lot of the zone stuff on the right side behind, you know, Terrence Steele and
02:47Tyler Booker,
02:48and rightfully so. They've done a pretty good job, but I think the way that Tyler Guyton's been playing against
02:52the run
02:53paired with Tyler Smith in there will give them some more options on that left side too.
02:56Not that T.J. Bass hasn't been good, but Tyler Smith is just in his own, you know, on a
03:03different level,
03:03and I think that you'll see, you know, maybe some more opportunities for them to tap into the run game
03:07and find explosive plays there with his return.
03:09Tommy Yarsh, DallasCowboys.com, here on Sean and RJ 105 through the fan.
03:15How are things looking for Overshawn and Durant?
03:19Durant looks like it'll be another week or so with the hamstring,
03:22and then Overshawn is another one that's kind of wait and see.
03:26It sounded like last week Overshawn was further along, but still not ready yet.
03:30He's another guy that I think could have a shot this week.
03:34So that's another one where I think today is going to be important because it's the only practice of the
03:40week.
03:41And, you know, do you want to push it on a short week or do you feel like the whatever
03:46day break,
03:47I think it's a 10-day break or something like that coming up here between this one
03:50and it's Green Bay next on Monday night if I'm not mistaken.
03:56So do you want to just give him that extra day?
03:59He did not practice yesterday in the walkthrough Overshawn,
04:02so I wouldn't be surprised if he's maybe limited today at best.
04:07So that might make it a bit of a long shot, but it sounds like there's still at least a
04:11possibility.
04:12Tommy, the defense right now and the way that they're stacking small victories right now,
04:17it's not these huge leaps and bounds that maybe people were expecting at this point.
04:21How much do you think they're settling into the defense they're going to be
04:24versus showing the signs of the defense that maybe they can really level up to be
04:29once they get some of these injuries straightened out?
04:32Yeah, that's a good question.
04:34I think that, you know, at least in the secondary, the addition of Porter when he was on the field
04:40seemed to have a positive effect in the sense that he didn't get thrown at a bunch
04:46and he didn't, you know, really get challenged.
04:49So now you take away maybe half of the field, right?
04:53Or you take away a team's best player.
04:55And I think that that can, when he starts to get, you know, a full snap count
04:59and get his legs under him, that can really change how opposing offenses
05:03are going to be effective against this defense.
05:05And now you just need your other guys to step up.
05:09Obviously, Deron Bland got picked on a little bit, certainly not his best game.
05:12But you start to wonder if, you know, when you get healthy
05:16and guys like Kobe Durant, Savone Revell are back in the fold for you,
05:21whatever that rotation or whatever that lineup looks like, you know,
05:26do those guys have opportunities to maybe jump on the ball
05:28and be a little bit more aggressive in coverage?
05:31So I still think, though, where you see that settling in,
05:36I don't know if they're all the way settled in,
05:38but one thing that certainly can't be settled in is their pass rush
05:41because if this is their settled in pass rush, then it might be a long year
05:45because they're still struggling to get home,
05:48and that's going to only make things tougher on your secondary.
05:51And, you know, I was a little bit surprised that, sure, two sacks is good,
05:55and they found pressure on Stroud in the second half.
05:58But, you know, he was still able to throw the ball around pretty well on you.
06:02And you've got some tough quarterbacks that you'll face here in the coming weeks
06:06and guys who can run, and we saw what the running quarterbacks did to them
06:09through the first three games of the season.
06:11So I think you're seeing a little bit better play in the secondary,
06:15or you will see a little bit better play in the secondary with Porter there now,
06:19but the pass rush is still something that certainly can't be settled.
06:22Very nice job by you asking about Jake Ferguson's blocking yesterday
06:27in the Brian Schottenheimer press conference.
06:30Can you recap for us Shottie's explanation
06:33and whether it changes your mind at all over Ferg's blocking?
06:39Well, I asked about all the tight ends, not just Jake Ferguson.
06:42Okay.
06:43Because I think that – well, I'm just saying.
06:46I'm clarifying.
06:47I mean, we don't have to tiptoe around it right here.
06:50I mean, we know you're asking about Ferg's.
06:51Well, hey, Brevin Spanford, do I need to tell you about his blocking?
06:54A good blocker.
06:56He's a good blocker.
06:59I think the interesting part of it was, you know,
07:01he really harped on the fact that, hey, we ask our tight ends to do a lot.
07:04He called it a level 400 operation that they're asking him to do
07:08in terms of, you know, some of the assignments that they've got to pick up.
07:11Last week it was, okay, we need you guys to come around
07:14and block guys like Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.
07:17And, you know, yeah, I can understand that that's pretty difficult.
07:21I certainly wouldn't want to do it.
07:23And I know that, again, that has nothing to do with these tight ends.
07:26But it's, you know, he said a lot of full-speed motions, movements.
07:32We ask our tight ends to do a lot of really hard things.
07:36And, you know, I think that's fine.
07:37That's fair.
07:38You know, somebody's got to block these guys when you need the extra help, right?
07:41Somebody has to do it.
07:43And I think that Spanford up to this point has been the better blocker of the bunch.
07:48I think there was one clip that I saw of him just straight up one-on-one blocking Will Anderson.
07:53I mean, you don't see that very often from a tight end.
07:56But, you know, I still think that the execution of it needs to be better.
08:01And it wouldn't just be Ferguson.
08:03I think there's some that still, you know, Spanford misses.
08:05But I think it also has to come with the understanding that these guys are tight ends,
08:09that they're not, you know, offensive linemen.
08:11But that doesn't excuse the fact that you need to do your job a little bit better
08:14in terms of executing blocks and giving Dak Prescott the extra second of time
08:19that he needs or more to, you know, be able to hit.
08:21Like the sluggo to Pickens that he popped wide open on,
08:24they would have had a 60-yard touchdown shot,
08:26and I were set after the game.
08:27Those are the plays where you just need to be able to find a way to get that extra half
08:32second
08:32and allow your offense to get an explosive play and maybe a touchdown.
08:36Was it always this bad with him, though?
08:38I don't remember us talking about that in the years past with Ferg and the blocking.
08:44Or Spanford.
08:48I don't know.
08:49I don't think so.
08:51But, you know, I don't think it's – I think that this coaching staff will find a way to maybe
08:57–
08:57I won't say make it easier because there's still going to be a lot of things that have to be
09:02done
09:02in terms of what you're asking your tight ends to do blocking-wise.
09:05But there will be ways in which you can, if you have an explosive play that you're trying to hit
09:11or something like that, maybe you see more of Spanford in there or Ferguson on the opposite side.
09:16You know, I still think Ferguson gives you some in the downfield receiving game.
09:22Evidently, he's got like three or four touchdowns already this year.
09:25So, you know, he can help you there.
09:27But it's all about finding guys' strengths and weaknesses.
09:30And I'm sure that, you know, Linda Wells does a good job as the tight ends coach.
09:33I'm sure that that's something he's not happy about
09:35and is going to work on with his guys throughout the week.
09:38Tommy Arsh from DallasCowboys.com, the only person on the plane who didn't stare at me
09:42like I had ten heads when he saw me walk on with a suit.
09:44Tommy Arsh joining us here.
09:45I said you looked real good.
09:47I said you looked very good.
09:49Yes, you did.
09:49You were the only one who was just like, oh, that's nice.
09:52Tommy, Joey Porter Jr., obviously they talked about him being on somewhat of a pitch count in this last game.
09:59Is he full go or is this short week you think still going to have him
10:02maybe with some limited reps and we're not going to see the full version of,
10:05hey, Joey Porter's out here, part of this defense until Green Bay?
10:08Yeah, I don't know about full go.
10:10I asked Brian Schottenheimer that yesterday, and it sounded like he would be –
10:13he said they would see if he would play a little bit more.
10:16But they're going to, you know, figure that out as they go.
10:18It's going to be another one where – yeah, I think that's a byproduct of the short week that,
10:23you know, again, the guy wasn't in training camp,
10:25hadn't played throughout three weeks of the season.
10:27I thought he was fine through the first 24 snaps that he played.
10:31Excuse me.
10:33So, yeah, I wouldn't expect that it jumps from 24 snaps to, okay,
10:36you're getting a full workload on a short week.
10:39I think you might see that closer to the Green Bay game.
10:43Tommy, bigger concern moving forward for you, clock management or special teams?
10:54I would say – man, that's tough.
10:59Speechless.
10:59They're both just so bad.
11:00I would say – I would say – well, I think special teams has had some areas where they've been
11:06okay.
11:06Like the kickoff coverage has been all right.
11:08They had that one return last week.
11:09But other than that, I thought they were okay.
11:13Clock management, I thought, was fine in the second half.
11:18I thought that management was fine.
11:19I don't necessarily agree with the end of half sequence, but, you know, we all have our differing opinions.
11:26So, I would say maybe special teams only because the leaks on the field goals, you know, those are difficult.
11:34And you've got to be able to find a way to find those.
11:38And then, you know, having the kickoffs out of bounds in week three, that was tough.
11:43And that made things difficult for you as well.
11:46So, there's still some things to fix on there.
11:48But I think there are things that they can build on as well.
11:50Like, again, the kickoff coverage has been fine.
11:53Turpin, I thought, had his better – one of the better games of the season last week in the returns.
11:58But, yeah, the field goal stuff just – you know, that's got to get shored up.
12:02Thank you, Thomas.
12:03We'll preview and pick it on Thursday.
12:04I appreciate it.
12:06All right, guys.
12:07Thank you so much.
12:08Have a good one.
