👋 Good morning! - Weather changes have people getting sick, so please be clean and responsible. Take care of yourself and look out for others. - Ali Jawad

Richard Sherman lit the match by saying George Pickens looked “uninterested” and “disengaged” in the 44-30 loss to Detroit, and Pickens didn’t exactly pour water on it, firing back with a now-deleted social post before cooler heads stepped in.

Brian Schottenheimer said he had a good conversation with Pickens, who admitted he didn’t play his best game, and the staff isn’t questioning his love for football even if the optics were rough in a night where Pickens managed five catches for 37 yards.

Meanwhile, Dallas’ bigger problem might be the stuff that keeps repeating on Sundays: the tackle situation and the linebacker rotation.

With the edge spots feeling shaky and the long-term answer still cloudy, Tyler Guyton’s athletic upside and versatility still look like the best bet to stabilize right tackle when healthy and settled into a role.

And on defense, it’s getting harder to explain why Kenneth Murray keeps out-snapping Logan Wilson when opponents are openly hunting Murray in space, a debate that’s only getting louder as the season hits desperation mode.

Twenty-five games into the season, the Mavs have already lived a full year’s worth of chaos, flipping from bottom-feeder vibes to a team that’s suddenly sniffing the play-in after winning four of five.

Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis are starting to look like a real foundation, and Ryan Nembhard’s surprise emergence has added a jolt to a group that badly needed one.

With a few disappointments still dragging the story in the other direction, Dallas now faces the big midseason fork in the road: tank for the long game, or ride this momentum and go for it.

Thanksgiving chaos had turned the Stars schedule into a blender, and it had been nearly three weeks since a normal weekday DLLS Stars Podcast, so we had plenty to unload.

We honored former owner Tom Hicks after his passing last Saturday and revisited the legacy that helped bring the Stanley Cup to Dallas, then broke down a monster 3-0-1 week that pushed the point streak to 10 games (8-0-2).

We also named our 3 Stars of the Week, shared a practice/injury update from Sam, and looked ahead at the next three-game slate for a packed reset show.

The Rangers might have already made their loudest “we’re tightening the belt” move by flipping Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo, which means 2026 could hinge on internal breakouts, and Evan Carter is at the top of that list.

The talent is real, but his everyday dream comes down to two things he hasn’t been able to prove yet: staying healthy and finally cracking left-handed pitching (eight singles in 60 ABs).

If Carter becomes platoon-neutral, Texas’ lineup and payroll puzzle suddenly looks a whole lot less scary, and the outfield could quietly turn into a legit strength.

Yesterday was a great day to give back.

Be sure to subscribe to our shows wherever you listen to your podcasts. Traffic can be the worst, and one of the best ways I get through it is by listening to the audio versions of our DLLS shows. You should, too!

Ali Jawad
Dallas Cowboys ​Content Creator/Newsletter Writer
[email protected]