WEBVTT - Player's Lounge: Dak and the Contract 0:00:04.080 --> 0:00:06.640 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:16.480 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This is the player's 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:21.760 label broadcasting line from Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at the Star. 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:27.440 Now your hosts, Barry Church, Danny mccrai, and NEWI scrugs. 0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:35.519 All right, everybody, it's Friday Friday, and the Cowboys are 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:39.240 gonna find themselves in a battle with the Seattle Seahawks 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:42.360 on Sunday. No fans in the stadium, so the twelfth 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:46.159 Man will have zero part in the game. Is the 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:49.400 Cowboys face Seattle and KNWI scrugs, longtime Cowboys reporter, and 0:00:50.000 --> 0:00:54.200 we marked the return of our man Danny, Daddy, Daddy, Matt, 0:00:56.480 --> 0:01:00.440 Danny and Ride welcomed in a bay be a girl 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:02.760 this week. He took some days off. I wanted him 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:05.600 to take the rest of the week off, but he's 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:07.600 got things handled right now, so he's gonna come back 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:09.839 and spend forty five minutes with us. Here the players 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:12.040 launch a bought to you by Hotels dot Com. So, um, 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:15.640 take me through the experience. Man, man, it was it 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:18.080 was crazy, right, so we uh, you know, late at 0:01:18.160 --> 0:01:20.000 night and then you know, she started feeling it. So 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:21.480 I was like, all right, So I was I was 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:23.560 being the doula, you know, keeping the time of the 0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:25.680 contractions and stuff. With the COVID going on, we can't 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:27.720 really have one come in, so you know, I'm starting 0:01:27.720 --> 0:01:30.160 to get nervous. So we get to the hospital quickly. 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:32.800 You know, the contractions were coming fast, and then we 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:34.959 got to the hospital and it slowed down. We ended 0:01:35.040 --> 0:01:37.479 up being in there for about fifteen sixteen hours before 0:01:37.520 --> 0:01:40.440 the little little princess came out, so you know, gained 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:43.600 a new respect for the wife and women who give birth. Mans. 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:46.520 It's amazing, but it's you have to be really strong 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:48.800 to be able to do that. And you know, seeing 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:52.000 seeing her come out, it was like nothing I've ever experienced. Man. 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:53.600 So it's just it's just been great. You know, no 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:56.400 sleep the first night that we got home, but you 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:58.720 know that's to be expected. So that nap I just 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:01.880 took got me ready for the players lounge today. All right, 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:06.840 So tell me when you drove home, did you drive 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:11.560 under the speed limit or at the speedit I was. 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:14.839 I was definitely driving under the speed limit one specifically 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:19.400 because the hospital is right off of Dallas North Tollway, 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:21.880 so I almost thought about just riding the feet are 0:02:21.919 --> 0:02:25.240 all the way home, but you know, we were hungry, 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:26.639 so we wanted to get something to eat. Sau. I 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:27.959 was like, you know, I'm gonna drive just a little 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:30.640 bit under and uh, you know, make it there safely. 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:32.600 And I think I found myself doing that day too 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:35.040 as well when we went to the pediatrician. Just drive 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:37.440 a little slow and you know then you know, as 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:40.280 as the longer I went, you know, the faster, the 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:42.040 faster I went, I got a little bit more comfortable. 0:02:42.080 --> 0:02:45.320 But yes, it's one of those protective feelings. Yes, And 0:02:45.560 --> 0:02:47.600 that's always you know, with those questions. I kind of 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:50.880 wait to ask guys, all right, when you drove home, 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.320 how did you drive? This says thirty five, you're about 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:55.760 twenty eight, twenty nine, or you're that guy on the 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.440 road everyone hates because when you're taking that bundle of joy, 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:02.320 Hold man, you're not speeding. You're just trying to Hey, 0:03:02.360 --> 0:03:04.320 I'm just trying to make sure everything's good. Don't want 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:06.040 to hit a bump. I want the baby to become 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:08.640 and tell that's good. I'm glad you. I'm glad you 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:10.840 got that same experience because I had the same way 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:15.520 three times, three times, I did it. Let me tell 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:18.400 you something. Listen. So when I was younger, I used 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:21.280 to see all these the vans and the long SUVs 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:23.880 with the baby on board stickers at the back. I 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:26.280 like sought myself in that. When I was going slow, 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:27.480 I was like, man, I don't want to seem like 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:30.239 I'm just some dude just just cruising along holding the traffic, 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:31.800 So I might have to give you one of those 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:34.200 baby on board stickers. So everybody knows that's the reason 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:37.360 why I'm going slow. Good for you, man, good good 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:40.600 for you. Protect that bundle of joy, and welcome to 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.720 the Dad Club. We are in our s WBC Mortgage 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:51.280 Home studios today and normally I'm I'm texting you a 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:53.080 bunch of topics and where I want to go and 0:03:53.120 --> 0:03:54.840 how I want to how to flow of the show, 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:57.480 and we're doing the same thing. But today I said, no, 0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:01.119 I'm not even sending anything in because I know where 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:06.680 I'm going for a segment. And look, you and I 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:11.640 in church. We've gone round and round talking about dak 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:15.640 in the contract, and one of the things that continues 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:19.360 to frustrate me is when it comes to dak in 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:25.880 the contract, how they're seemingly is this moving target of 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:29.000 what he has to or not doesn't have to do that. 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:35.599 People are wanting Dak Prescott to earn his money in 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:39.160 a sport where people at his position are not paid 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:45.119 by what they've done. They're not They're paid by the marketplace. Okay, 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:47.280 make sure I understand it one more time. Now people 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:49.320 are saying, well, he has to go on a super bowler, 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:52.000 Go do this, Go do that, then prove yourself to 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:55.560 get paid. That's not how it works. Okay, And I'm 0:04:55.560 --> 0:04:57.680 gonna give you a couple of examples of ware that 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:01.000 hasn't worked or has not applied to him. Danny, I 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:04.599 want you to just take a small guess in eleven years, 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:12.920 how much money Matthew Stafford Detroit Lions is. Just take 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:16.320 a staff Man. I would say somewhere in the two 0:05:16.440 --> 0:05:20.920 fifty three hundred range, two hundred and twenty six point 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:23.679 one million dollars from Matthew Stafford now win his twelfth 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:28.520 season with one Pro Bowl and not one playoff victory, 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:31.919 not a one. So then I looked at Sam Bradford. 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:35.120 Nobody's stolen more money for the National Football League than 0:05:35.160 --> 0:05:37.400 Sam Bradford, former number one pick in highs Pet Trophy, 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:40.080 Gonta Olaholm. In nine seasons, he made one hundred and 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:44.840 thirty million dollars. Alex Smith Alex Smith former number one 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:48.360 overall pick, one hundred eighty nine point seven million dollars, 0:05:48.560 --> 0:05:52.040 and Kirk Cousins now in his ninth NFL season for 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:55.280 one hundred and forty point six million dollars in contracts. 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.440 Of what they've given Kirk Cousins, who just got his 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:01.160 first playoff win last season, and if anybody saw him 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:04.080 play last week or the first two weeks in the 0:06:04.160 --> 0:06:06.880 National Football League, you would say, boy, he should give 0:06:06.880 --> 0:06:12.960 some of this money back. I am consistently a person 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:16.760 who's on the player's side. Get what you can while 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:21.479 you can. The National Football League is a one casualty industry. 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:23.840 When you leave this game, there is something on you 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:28.440 that is hurting. Okay, so these guys got paid, fine, 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:31.040 they got their money. But when you come to Doc 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:33.640 Prescott and you've got a whole legion of people out 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:36.919 here trying to say he must earn this, and according 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:38.240 for you to get this guy, you got to go 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:40.480 out and show this no, you don't. This is a 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:42.640 league that has shown you that we don't care, we're 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:45.200 gonna pay you. I've just given you a list of 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:50.520 guys here and Sam Bradford, Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins, these 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:57.840 guys are They're just dudes. They're just multiple talents. Yes, 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:02.200 multiple contracts, okay, multiple contracts on third and four, you know, 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:06.760 third contracts. And I remember them. I remember they paid 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.840 saying Bradford was twenty five million when he went to Arizona, 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:11.720 and then he ended up tearing as they sail, but 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:14.080 everybody knew saying Bradford was down before then. They paid 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:16.880 a twenty five meal to go there. And kirk Cousins 0:07:16.880 --> 0:07:20.200 did the franchise tag twice and then got paid a 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:24.120 fully guaranteed contract pretty much in Minnesota. So it wasn't 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:26.200 even a struggle for them to get money, you know, 0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:29.080 on the open market, right, you know, kirk Cousins had 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.119 trouble with Washington, but once he hit the open market, 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:35.280 he was paid. Mark Sanches got a second contract, okay, 0:07:35.480 --> 0:07:39.360 Mark Chanches. And never during Mark Sanchez's time did you 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:41.800 think that he was the engine driving the Jets so 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:44.120 that they were winning because of the quarterback. They were 0:07:44.520 --> 0:07:47.840 truly protecting the quarterback and running the football. There. So 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:50.160 David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, who I've known 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:52.520 a long time, no my twenty years here in the 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:55.320 Dallas Fort Worth market, and I liked David Moore. But 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:59.000 what David Moore wrote today made me say, wow, really, 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:01.280 so this is what they bit more robe, he says. 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:03.440 Dak Prescott's only a few days removed from becoming the 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:05.680 first quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:08.200 four hundred yards and rush for three touchdowns in a game. 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:11.240 Every single yard was violence. Prescott let a come back 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:14.080 that saw the Cowboys overcome a fifteen point deficit in 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:16.360 the final eight minutes to win. The question now for 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:19.880 the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week is simple, 0:08:20.440 --> 0:08:23.160 what is next? How do you top that performance? Go 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:26.600 out and beat Russell Wilson in Seattle. That's all life 0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:30.360 is a quarterback of a high profile guy. It isn't fair. 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:33.800 It generates even more scrutiny when you pass the point 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:35.520 roughly of nineteen months of trying to strike in a 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:37.439 court with the franchise on a long term deal. In 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:40.760 can't If you want to be paid among the best 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.160 at the position, go out and beat the best at 0:08:43.200 --> 0:08:45.880 the position. No one is better at the moment than 0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:49.400 Russell Wilson. So that's what David Moore robe. And my 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:54.880 problem with this again, this is not how quarterbacks you're 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:58.199 paid in this league. You're telling you're saying once again, 0:08:58.280 --> 0:09:00.679 hey Dak, you have to do this in order to 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:03.040 get paid when we need to Oh, by the way, 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:06.280 look at this offensive line is bad. This defensive line 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:10.560 gives you nothing. This defense is not good. It's it's 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:13.080 more than just the quarterback. When we're talking about trying 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:16.960 to win games. Dac Prescott, in my mind, has earned 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.440 a contract from the Cowboys. Danny and I don't get 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:24.200 this man. Go ahead, so listen that that has definitely 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.880 earned his money, right and they I think they try 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:28.840 to give him something that he didn't want and he 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:31.040 had the right to decline it because I think he's 0:09:31.040 --> 0:09:34.720 worth more. What happens is, you know, the people that 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.080 write these articles should go listen to what Lamar Jackson 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:39.439 said when they're trying to pit like him versus Mahomes 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:42.200 in the game, offense doesn't play against offense, all right, 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.240 Lamar Jackson will not be thrown against Patrick Mahomes. He 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:47.120 will not be trying to complete a pass against him, 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:49.199 in the same way with Patrick Mahomes trying to complete 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:52.120 the pass against Lamar Jackson. That's not the game. So 0:09:52.160 --> 0:09:53.960 you can say he got to go auhead and beat 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.840 Russell Wilson. Are you saying that his stats have to 0:09:56.880 --> 0:09:58.680 be better? Are you saying that the Cowboys have to 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:00.960 win the game, because, like you said, we have problems 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:03.120 on defense. This is a this is a defense offense, 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:07.319 a special team's game, right, this is the optimal the 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:11.400 sport where teamwork is optimal. Right, you have to beat 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:13.320 You have to have teamwork to get out there and win. 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:15.520 So this isn't all on that that can go out 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:16.839 there and play a hell of a game and our 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:19.360 DEFENSEI go out there and play trash. And then they'll 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:21.760 be talking about how the back didn't win the game 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:23.920 and he can't win whatever, blah blah blah, and none 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:26.319 of that would be accurate. So you know, those are 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:28.240 just people talking and trying to get some get some 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:31.199 stuff across to try to you know, paying the reason 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:33.560 for why that hasn't getting paid and why he will 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:36.079 if he does win. But that's not what it is 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:39.439 because this is a team game and you know how 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:41.560 that plays and if we win, to lose has nothing 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:45.400 to do with his contract going forward in my opinion. Okay, 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:46.880 so so I go back. I want to read this 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:49.079 one more time. If you want to be paid among 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:51.160 the best of the position, go out and beat the 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:54.000 best app the position. No one is better at the 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:56.640 moment than Russell Wilson. I'm gonna throw out this date 0:10:56.640 --> 0:10:59.320 in case people forgotten. All right, and I wrote a 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:05.760 game yesterday. Here it is January fifth, twenty twenty. The Cowboys, 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:09.080 led by Dak Prescott ended up beating Russell Wilson and 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:13.720 Seattle little playoff game twenty two. Does that not count? 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:16.640 I mean, how many times when people have beaten up 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:18.960 Dak Prescott well with a playoff game? Go do this? 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:22.720 I mean, it's it's the never ending moving target for 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:27.520 number four. And that's what I don't understand. Why listen 0:11:27.559 --> 0:11:31.680 to market all the time? If if that, I promise 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:33.720 you listen, because this is why it's hard to listen 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:35.320 to people who write that type of stuff. Because I 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:38.040 promise you, if that goes out and have has a 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:42.400 horrible game, but our defense somehow scores to two touchdowns 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:44.120 and the kick return that comes out and score a 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:46.120 touchdown and we win by six. But Dak has a 0:11:46.160 --> 0:11:49.000 horrible game. They won't credit that to that. They'll be like, 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:51.240 what Dak played like, he played like garbage. But they 0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:53.120 won the game. So he still has a proven that 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:55.680 they had to get paid. Right. That's stuff. That's stuff. 0:11:55.720 --> 0:12:00.080 Doesn't work. It doesn't work. It doesn't work. And and 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:02.160 I say it's four times I liked David Moore. David 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:04.240 almost really good at his job. Okay, he's really good 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:06.360 at his job. We just have different takes on this 0:12:06.440 --> 0:12:09.400 situation here, and I'm starting to realize more and more 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:12.840 when it comes to media and Dallas full Worth that 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:15.280 I'm really on a different side with some of these 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:18.120 guys and how they are evaluating Dak Prescott and how 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:20.880 you judge the quarterback market, I said many times right 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:22.920 here on the Players Lounge, brought to you by Hotels 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:28.920 dot Com. Quarterbacks are like houses in Beverly Hills. There 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:32.640 is no liquidation sign. The price is the price. It 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:35.680 only goes up. It's what it is. I lived in 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:38.080 Los Angeles. I used to drive around Beverly Hills a lot, 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:41.080 and you know what, I didn't see any you know, 0:12:41.960 --> 0:12:45.800 reduced signs all these houses, these houses were what they were. 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:48.280 A baby you want if there was a sign right there, 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.360 you called, you made it just what it was is 0:12:50.440 --> 0:12:54.400 Beverly Hills, and quarterbacks are Beverly Hills. And the Cowboys 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:57.880 have done a bad job in terms of trying to 0:12:57.960 --> 0:12:59.880 get this contract done. This thing should have been done 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:02.240 last year. Okay, if people have written that that the 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:05.280 Cowboys miss time this and they misjudged this thing. But 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:08.880 this whole premise that Dak Prescott has to earn his 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:12.400 dollars or that this win is gonna therefore show you 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:17.000 that he deserves to be paid, now, I think that's ludicrous. Now. 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:20.000 A person I do respect when it comes to the 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:22.840 quarterback market and their football acumen is Rick Gossell. He 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:25.120 is a media member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:27.760 and one of the things he consistently says is, if 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:31.080 you're a franchise quarterback, what you need to do is 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:34.320 elevate the players around you that you need your quarterback 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:37.600 to make other dudes all right, boom Scotty Miller. All right. 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:39.480 I know Scotty Miller was, but now he's playing with 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:41.880 Tom Brady. You've seen the guy like Scotty Miller makes place. 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:43.920 Chris Hogan was the guy in Buffalo. I didn't know 0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:45.520 who he was. He goes out of New England. Next 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:48.959 thing I know, I see Chris Hogan catching passes in 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:51.200 the Super Bowl from Tom Brady. I mean Tom Brady 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.439 was able to elevate players when he played. Last week, 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:57.920 I saw Dak Prescott elevating guys. Dalton Schultz was a 0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:01.280 guy out about you, Danny. After after that, after the 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:03.360 Ram game, I was done with Daltons. I mean getting 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.520 rid of this guy, okay, because Blake Jarwin gets hurt. 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:09.000 Dalts dropping easy past on this guy's and what do 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:12.640 we see, career high and catches caught a touchdown pass. 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:16.120 That to me is a part of elevating players. And 0:14:16.200 --> 0:14:18.760 I'm starting to see Jack do more and more of that. 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:21.480 He's improving his game because I go back to the 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:23.560 two Super Bowls. I went to that Seattle was at 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:25.680 and there were so many people who were saying, Russell 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:28.280 Wilson's not a franchise guy. They're Carrie and Russell Wills 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.880 and people were hard on him. Pete Prisco, one of 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:33.040 my friends at CBS sports dot com, you shall have 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:35.320 my all my old NBC sports radio show. We would 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:37.640 go round and round about Russell. He's like, Russell's not 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:41.400 a Francise quarterback. Now he's finally saying it two years in. 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:44.160 But I just shake my heads, like, what are you 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:47.680 guys watching? And why is it certain quarterbacks have to 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.000 go ahead and prove the standard above here? And then 0:14:50.000 --> 0:14:52.480 other dudes get these passes and they say, well, he's 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.680 got this, he's got that. I'm telling you, Danny, it's 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:58.560 hard for me. It is hard for me when I 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:01.360 see this stuff written a guys like Dak Prescott, and 0:15:01.360 --> 0:15:03.800 I just shake my head because it's not a standard 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:05.240 that's held to everybody else. I want to read you 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:08.160 what I got on Twitter, and this comes from a 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:10.600 guy named Art. He says, I'm a big Stafford fan. 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:14.080 He never had a running game or defense. I also 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:17.840 think CJ is the greatest rite receiver ever created, but 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:23.560 his supporting staff was garbage. I think Stafford was wasted. Wow, 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:29.040 it's excuses. What are you talking about? Cool old man? 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.720 This dude if he if he's the greatest receiver ever 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:35.000 ever created, and you have one of the top quarterbacks, 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.040 you know, getting paid that way that their game was 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:41.640 not that bad. They've won games, they've been to the playoffs. 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:44.400 You know, he just he just didn't win. So if 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:46.080 you're just gonna make those shoes for the guy, I 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:49.160 think that's crazy. I do want to preface this by saying, 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:53.560 you know, I'm off for Dak and Dalton Shultz and 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:56.320 all that stuff and whatever, but I still feel the 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:59.120 same as I felt last week. You know, after we 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:02.440 beat Atlanta that we won the game, and credit to 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:05.280 the Cowboys for being able to do so, but we 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:08.160 weren't playing Atlanta, all right, So you know, we went 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:10.520 through this. We went through some similar last year where 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:12.880 we struggled against teams that we should have beat, that 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:15.800 we shouldn't have blown out, And to me, last week 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:17.800 was one of those games. But the difference was we 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:20.440 were able to come back and win a game that 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:22.760 we should have won. It dominated from the beginning. So 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:25.520 I'm still looking for big things for us moving forward. 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:27.520 I don't want to take anything away from us, but 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:31.280 you know, history shows what Atlanta is. Week one showed 0:16:31.320 --> 0:16:33.360 what Atlanta was, and we went out there, you know, 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:35.280 in the second half, and did what we were supposed 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:38.080 to do versus Atlanta. So I'm looking forward to seeing 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:42.080 this next game where it's something where we might be 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:44.760 considered an underdog, and we go out there and we 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:47.160 performed like we're supposed to from beginning to end, and 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:51.120 you know, and get us a win. I'll count your 0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:53.520 point here, and I hate that it's going to sound 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:55.720 very homeristic, but but I think this is also just 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:58.480 a legitimate This could be legitimate when I said, and 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:00.760 you haven't played in the National falling, I think you'll 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:04.320 agree with this. Over the course of sixteen games during 0:17:04.320 --> 0:17:07.399 a season, you're gonna need to win one that you 0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:12.040 probably didn't necessarily deserve to win. That's normally the case 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:15.600 on teams who end up having playoff season that hey, 0:17:15.640 --> 0:17:17.639 you know what, we snuck our foot out of the 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:19.960 bear trap of this week. But that is what you 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:22.520 have to do over the course of the season. Win 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:25.080 some games that maybe you didn't have your best effort 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.639 and maybe the other team outplayed, but you found a 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:30.320 way to do it. And I go back to this 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:32.639 thing again of who we choose to praise and who 0:17:32.720 --> 0:17:35.679 we choose to condemn. There are many times where I 0:17:35.680 --> 0:17:41.320 would watch the Patriots play a game against Miami, especially 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:43.159 down to Miami, when they do with that that that 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:46.800 that that weather, which is especially human for the Patriots 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.240 in that second part of the season, or they're going 0:17:49.280 --> 0:17:51.760 to play Buffalo up there in that snow, and the 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:54.560 Patriots would end up winning a close game, not playing 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:56.800 their best, but they ended up winning the game. Bill 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:58.840 Walsh of San Francisco forty nine ers. They played in 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.760 a notoriously weak NFC West where they would go and 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.719 face the Atlanta Falcons. They face the Saints and they 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:07.760 being a slobber knocker and just kind of barely beat 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:10.080 you know, eke it out with a Joe montana um, 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:12.399 you know, last second drive, but they were able to 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:15.080 win those games. You're not gonna play sixteen perfect ones. 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:17.760 If you win ten games, letting games, you're not. They're 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:19.560 not all going to be pretty. So you need to 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:23.480 get an ugly win in here. And huge difference was 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:27.640 hus difference because you know, we talked about you talked 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.920 about New England going to Miami. My huge thing with 0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:34.160 with with us in Atlanta was not so much the players. 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.960 It was the coaching right. Players go out there and 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:41.240 players fumble, players drop passes. Those things happen. This is 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:43.959 the National Football League, the highest paid players go out 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:46.680 there and make mistakes. Where I'm talking about from a 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:50.439 you know, strictly coaching stands stands point. We had a 0:18:50.440 --> 0:18:52.800 game when we went out there and we and we 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:56.800 craped the bed coaching wise, and our talent came out there, 0:18:56.880 --> 0:19:00.520 you know, and and helped us overcome that. When you 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:03.760 get into a sixteen game season, those are not the 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:05.720 things that you could do right or your talent and 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:07.760 overcomes with stuff. But if you continue to have those 0:19:07.800 --> 0:19:10.439 type of coaching mistakes and coaching errors, you will not 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:13.199 win no matter how good your talent, especially against the 0:19:13.200 --> 0:19:15.760 most talented teams. I'll tell you, we were lucky to 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:17.560 be playing the Atlanta found us when we got that 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:20.960 hopefully we got that coaching style and those coaching errors 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:23.359 from being off a year out of the way, So, 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:25.639 you know, lucky for us, and we played Atlanta and 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:27.240 we did pull it out thanks to the talent that 0:19:27.280 --> 0:19:29.960 we have around and Dak Prescott raising this game and 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:33.000 helping us come back and overcoming that. But I just 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:35.720 think those are a little different from from us from 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:38.800 New England playing Miami because those games are always tough, 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:41.960 you know, because they just Miami just plays New England 0:19:41.960 --> 0:19:43.720 tough for us. It wasn't even like that. It was 0:19:43.760 --> 0:19:46.320 this was total, total, totally opposite. It was our coaching 0:19:46.440 --> 0:19:48.359 was getting us in so much trouble that we just 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:50.040 had to keep clawing out of getting out of there. 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:52.720 It was a long time since I've ever seen two 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:56.240 coaching staffs equally horrible at the same time, like I 0:19:56.320 --> 0:20:00.280 did um with the Falcons and Dan Quinn and Mike 0:20:00.359 --> 0:20:02.639 McCarthy and the Cowboys. We've got to take a break 0:20:03.720 --> 0:20:07.520 when we come back. There is a player that is 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:11.920 getting lit up on social media, and I want to 0:20:12.000 --> 0:20:18.320 defend the player who was not asked the question, but 0:20:18.520 --> 0:20:21.600 merely was asked a question about something someone else said 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:25.040 and he co signed on it. That's next. Players Lounge 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:26.919 brought to you by Hotels dot Com right here on 0:20:27.000 --> 0:20:31.680 Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Hey, they're Cowboys fans with 0:20:31.800 --> 0:20:35.560 Ty Cleaners at home pickup and delivery. Cleaning your clothes 0:20:35.600 --> 0:20:38.560 has never been more convenient. Simply sign up at your 0:20:38.560 --> 0:20:41.200 local store, set out your dirty clothes, and one of 0:20:41.240 --> 0:20:44.080 our Ty Cleaners professionals will come directly to your home 0:20:44.240 --> 0:20:47.760 for a totally contactless experience. Your clean garments will be 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:50.800 returned promptly the next scheduled delivery day. So skip the 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:54.520 errand and enjoy life not laundry. Visit ty Cleaners dot 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:56.680 com or your local store to sign up for Type 0:20:56.720 --> 0:21:01.240 Cleaners at home pickup and delivery today. I'm Jay Novachek, 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:04.440 former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Back in the day. 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:06.600 I was the guy who always got the tough yards, 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:09.840 and that's why I run with John Deer today. In fact, 0:21:10.000 --> 0:21:12.159 I have a John Dear three zero twenty five E 0:21:12.359 --> 0:21:15.080 tractor that can handle any yard work I need to do, 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:17.919 even the tough yards way out back. So if you 0:21:18.000 --> 0:21:20.639 have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the 0:21:20.640 --> 0:21:23.520 equipment that's just right for you, Visit a John Deer 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:26.560 dealer today and run with us. We are the official 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:31.240 tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. We're backing the tasty 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:34.680 treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor 0:21:34.720 --> 0:21:38.119 Pepper and Cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor and 0:21:38.200 --> 0:21:41.639 Cream Soda. Is he a new combone that's music to 0:21:41.880 --> 0:21:55.359 my ears? Okay, doctor music to my ears and mouth. 0:21:55.720 --> 0:21:59.920 New Doctor Pepper and Cream Soda. Delila is a proud 0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:03.600 sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, helping fans see more and 0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:07.159 do more with our best vision solutions. Our lens technologies 0:22:07.200 --> 0:22:09.960 reveal a world more beautiful than you can imagine. For 0:22:10.000 --> 0:22:12.880 a limited time, get the slur next Gen Offer, where 0:22:12.880 --> 0:22:15.800 you buy the latest generation of transitions lenses. Would select 0:22:15.880 --> 0:22:18.399 Slur Lenses, You can choose a second pair of clear 0:22:18.480 --> 0:22:22.240 lenses for free with qualifying frame purchases. Restrictions apply. Find 0:22:22.240 --> 0:22:26.440 a participating eyecare professional by visiting Slur usa dot com. 0:22:26.640 --> 0:22:37.680 See more, do more to the Players Lounge. All right, 0:22:37.680 --> 0:22:39.879 coming to Cowboy Coming to see the Cowboys next weekend? 0:22:39.960 --> 0:22:42.560 Make sure you know before you go, wear a mask, 0:22:42.640 --> 0:22:46.920 heat distance, and be prepared for cashless transactions. Please be 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:49.879 aware of all safety stadium policies prior to arriving at 0:22:49.880 --> 0:22:53.280 at and T Stadium at Arlington. Visit Dallas Cowboys dot 0:22:53.280 --> 0:22:56.640 com slash SA Stadium for details. This is the Players 0:22:56.680 --> 0:22:59.280 Lounge on a football Friday in new restricts, A long 0:22:59.280 --> 0:23:02.840 time Cowboy Boys reporter, and we're joined by Danny mcraie, 0:23:02.880 --> 0:23:06.080 former Dallas Cowboys safety. Our other running buddy, Barry Church 0:23:06.240 --> 0:23:10.240 is off today, so let me dive into something that 0:23:10.480 --> 0:23:14.640 was a topic for Mike McCarthy, the head coach, and 0:23:14.720 --> 0:23:19.080 that was being asked about the defense and Mike Knowles 0:23:19.080 --> 0:23:21.960 defensive coordinate and he was basically asked, you're given guys 0:23:21.960 --> 0:23:25.439 too much because you're trying to install a new defense, 0:23:25.520 --> 0:23:27.880 trying to run some three four concepts and four three concepts. 0:23:27.920 --> 0:23:30.560 These guys are pretty much used to a four three 0:23:30.760 --> 0:23:32.520 And Mike mccarthur will make sure to read this right. 0:23:32.560 --> 0:23:35.000 He says, you cut the volume back when he talked 0:23:35.119 --> 0:23:37.480 talked about simplifying the defenses his time is a head coach. 0:23:37.480 --> 0:23:39.439 When guys are having issues and missing the sims, you 0:23:39.480 --> 0:23:42.439 cut the volume back. So Jaylen Smith was asked about 0:23:42.480 --> 0:23:45.440 that and he said yes. And here's another quote from 0:23:45.480 --> 0:23:47.200 Jaylen Smith and when he was spoke to the media, 0:23:47.240 --> 0:23:49.280 he says, I believe it's important that each and every 0:23:49.280 --> 0:23:51.440 player knows in and out what they have to do, 0:23:51.760 --> 0:23:54.720 and with the smaller playbook, it gives us a better 0:23:54.840 --> 0:23:58.719 opportunity to do that. Jaylen Smith is getting lit up 0:23:59.040 --> 0:24:01.720 on social media for saying that people. Oh he can't 0:24:01.720 --> 0:24:03.320 handle it. Oh he didn't know what to do. Oh, 0:24:03.400 --> 0:24:08.280 Jayalen needs to study more. Danny, you spoke about the 0:24:08.320 --> 0:24:12.480 Cowboys defense and having a whole lot in the playbook 0:24:12.880 --> 0:24:15.880 from the time you got to the Cowboys and there 0:24:15.960 --> 0:24:18.800 was the lockout and Rob Ryan was the head coach. 0:24:19.000 --> 0:24:24.600 So please remind listeners and viewers what you said. Yeah, so, 0:24:25.080 --> 0:24:28.679 you know, when when Rob Ryan was first hired as 0:24:28.720 --> 0:24:30.960 a defensive coordinator, it was the year of the lockout, 0:24:31.000 --> 0:24:33.639 so we didn't have any offseason and we had to 0:24:33.720 --> 0:24:37.160 report straight to training camp. Right. So Rob Ryan has 0:24:37.200 --> 0:24:40.280 this this very complex defense with a lot of players, 0:24:40.320 --> 0:24:42.160 a lot of different blizzers, a lot of players playing 0:24:42.200 --> 0:24:45.680 different positions, and he tried to install the same thing, 0:24:45.760 --> 0:24:48.040 and you know, credit to him, he tried to do 0:24:48.040 --> 0:24:50.240 what he could. He had never, you know, experienced having 0:24:50.240 --> 0:24:52.199 to do that during the lockout, but you know he 0:24:52.200 --> 0:24:54.919 figured his players could pick it up. And when you 0:24:54.920 --> 0:24:57.280 saw us out there on the field, the first thing 0:24:57.320 --> 0:25:00.639 that you said was, man, miscommunication. These guys look, you know, 0:25:00.680 --> 0:25:03.400 they don't know what they're doing, and you know they're 0:25:03.440 --> 0:25:06.440 forgotten that we hadn't had much time to input this stuff, 0:25:06.480 --> 0:25:08.080 and Rob kind of forgot that too. So as we 0:25:08.160 --> 0:25:10.360 moved throughout the season, we did try to cut back 0:25:10.359 --> 0:25:12.879 and run a few different things, but you know, for us. 0:25:12.880 --> 0:25:15.080 It was just, you know, too little, too late. So, 0:25:15.359 --> 0:25:17.399 like I said, I said the same thing about about 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:23.280 fossil Um, I'm sorry Mike Nolan. I said the same 0:25:23.320 --> 0:25:25.760 thing about Mike Nolan. You know that hopefully he comes 0:25:25.760 --> 0:25:27.879 in and he's able to input his defense, but he 0:25:27.920 --> 0:25:30.440 takes it slow, especially having all these young players and 0:25:31.040 --> 0:25:33.399 draft picks that will be playing, and he just puts 0:25:33.400 --> 0:25:35.320 it in, you know, slowly, so these guys can focus 0:25:35.320 --> 0:25:37.320 and know where they're supposed to be at. And it 0:25:37.320 --> 0:25:39.600 looks like he did not do that, and I don't 0:25:39.880 --> 0:25:42.280 I don't take anything away from Jayalen for saying what 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:44.160 he said, because if that's the way it is, that's 0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:46.440 the way it is, right because you know you're gonna 0:25:46.440 --> 0:25:48.000 get on him when you see him out of position 0:25:48.040 --> 0:25:51.359 and missing plays. So it's it's his right to defend 0:25:51.400 --> 0:25:53.560 itself and say, hey, look, it's fine. You know that 0:25:53.680 --> 0:25:55.639 we have all this stuff in, but you know some 0:25:55.680 --> 0:25:57.800 guys aren't picking it up. And I think it'll be 0:25:57.800 --> 0:26:00.439 best for us if we cut back and let us 0:26:00.480 --> 0:26:02.960 play fast with our ears, pent back and go make 0:26:02.960 --> 0:26:04.760 the players like we usually make, because when you have 0:26:04.840 --> 0:26:07.879 players out there overthinking, that's the worst thing you could do, 0:26:08.000 --> 0:26:10.320 especially on defense, because that'll get you beat all day. 0:26:10.520 --> 0:26:13.040 And I think you know, we've been seeing some of that, 0:26:13.119 --> 0:26:18.280 you know, on the field defensively. Everson Griffin told the 0:26:18.320 --> 0:26:21.080 media that he prefers to play with a three point 0:26:21.160 --> 0:26:23.280 stands that he wants to go ahead and play with 0:26:23.280 --> 0:26:25.560 his hand down, that he basically likes playing in the 0:26:25.640 --> 0:26:28.040 four three. That's what he knows. Tank Moritz is another 0:26:28.080 --> 0:26:31.240 four three guy. Then, and to ask guys to try 0:26:31.640 --> 0:26:35.639 and make this switch here without an ota, without a 0:26:35.680 --> 0:26:39.120 meeting camp, without a full training camp, that's a challenge here. 0:26:39.400 --> 0:26:44.280 And so the question starts to become is Mike Nolan 0:26:44.680 --> 0:26:48.560 going to decide that, hey, I'd better do what these 0:26:48.600 --> 0:26:52.160 guys know how to do and then slowly bringing my system. 0:26:52.440 --> 0:26:54.880 I go back to when Bill Parcells was here. Bill 0:26:54.920 --> 0:26:58.200 Parcells takes over, he's a four three defensive guy. When 0:26:58.280 --> 0:27:01.560 two Super Bowls running the four three defense. That arguably 0:27:01.560 --> 0:27:05.040 the greatest linebacker ever in Lawrence Taylor. But when he 0:27:05.080 --> 0:27:07.600 came to the Cowboys, Mike Zimmer was a defensive his 0:27:07.680 --> 0:27:10.480 defensive coordinator. They ran a four to three and then 0:27:11.119 --> 0:27:13.800 as he went into his second year, they started transitioning 0:27:13.840 --> 0:27:16.800 into a three four, drafting three four linebackers and making 0:27:16.840 --> 0:27:18.720 that change. But even he didn't come in here and 0:27:18.720 --> 0:27:20.560 try and switch it in one year. It's like, let's 0:27:20.560 --> 0:27:22.399 do what we know how to do. And then he 0:27:22.440 --> 0:27:24.440 was able to switch it and get things more into 0:27:24.440 --> 0:27:27.919 what he wanted. And to me, Mike Nolan, especially with 0:27:27.960 --> 0:27:31.359 as you said, you know, a shortened offseason, you have 0:27:31.480 --> 0:27:33.520 to really try and do what these guys do best 0:27:33.920 --> 0:27:37.880 because right now two games in, this defense has got 0:27:37.920 --> 0:27:41.040 a lot of issues. You're not good up front. Okay, 0:27:41.320 --> 0:27:42.840 you're not good up friend, let me run some of 0:27:42.840 --> 0:27:46.200 these numbers here for you. Danny two sacks, seven quarterback hits, 0:27:46.440 --> 0:27:49.320 fourteen quarterback pressures and that is tied for twentieth in 0:27:49.359 --> 0:27:52.159 the league when it comes to pressures. There. When you 0:27:52.160 --> 0:27:55.320 look at their run defense here, they are twenty first 0:27:55.359 --> 0:27:59.600 in the NFL. Atlanta ran thirty three times against this 0:27:59.680 --> 0:28:01.840 team for one hundred and nine yards, and then you 0:28:01.960 --> 0:28:07.560 had the Rams run against the Cowboys four thirty three 0:28:07.600 --> 0:28:09.760 times over one hundred and fifty one hundred and fifty 0:28:09.840 --> 0:28:12.359 nine yards. So you're not good up front. And if 0:28:12.359 --> 0:28:14.000 you're not good up front, and that's what they talked 0:28:14.000 --> 0:28:15.600 about Hey, we're gonna be real good up front and 0:28:15.760 --> 0:28:20.479 let these linebackers roam free. No, Jayleen Smith is not 0:28:20.520 --> 0:28:22.520 doing what we thought he would do, because right up front, 0:28:22.520 --> 0:28:26.240 they're not any good. So it's more than just pointing 0:28:26.240 --> 0:28:29.240 it at fifty four and thinking, hey man, you stink 0:28:29.400 --> 0:28:32.199 you're the whole problem. There's a lot of problems on 0:28:32.200 --> 0:28:36.359 this defense. Two games into this, well, listen, if you listen, 0:28:36.359 --> 0:28:38.160 we had Will McClay on here, right, And if you 0:28:38.200 --> 0:28:40.360 don't want to put any stock into what we're saying 0:28:40.680 --> 0:28:42.800 or what the players are saying, Will McClay came in 0:28:42.840 --> 0:28:45.000 and straight said, you know, I asked them, you know what, 0:28:45.080 --> 0:28:46.640 you know what's going on the defense. How can we 0:28:46.680 --> 0:28:48.960 get better? He said, Hey, we have some guys, you 0:28:48.960 --> 0:28:51.000 know on the defensive lines that have been playing in 0:28:51.000 --> 0:28:52.480 a four to three and they've been one gap in 0:28:52.520 --> 0:28:54.960 their entire career, and now they have the two gap. 0:28:55.200 --> 0:28:59.040 This is how Crawford's telling Will this right, So he's 0:28:59.080 --> 0:29:01.680 adjusting and trying to get used to playing playing a 0:29:01.680 --> 0:29:04.000 two gap system. So Will McClay come up, came on 0:29:04.120 --> 0:29:06.320 here and said the same thing that Jaalen said, the 0:29:06.440 --> 0:29:08.720 same thing that McCarthy said. As far as our players 0:29:08.760 --> 0:29:11.200 are trying to learn something new and you know, and 0:29:11.280 --> 0:29:13.560 learn a new system. So if you're not taking any stock, 0:29:13.600 --> 0:29:16.120 putting any stock into what we're saying, put some stock 0:29:16.200 --> 0:29:19.160 in what Will is saying, because you have to listen 0:29:19.200 --> 0:29:21.640 to somebody and this is the whole the whole band 0:29:21.680 --> 0:29:24.880 is saying the same thing. So yeah, you know, minimize 0:29:24.920 --> 0:29:27.360 the playbook. Put these guys in positions to where they're 0:29:27.400 --> 0:29:29.680 running fast and they're not thinking. Put one or two 0:29:29.680 --> 0:29:32.400 blitzes in. You know, put a put a put a 0:29:32.400 --> 0:29:35.040 blitz into where wherever the team runs. Whenever they run 0:29:35.080 --> 0:29:37.960 a certain formation, you always blitz that formation. Do something 0:29:38.160 --> 0:29:40.760 as simple as that, and then build on it. Right, 0:29:40.760 --> 0:29:44.280 because we want we should be creating more pressure too. 0:29:45.120 --> 0:29:47.680 We should not be as lost as as we are, 0:29:47.880 --> 0:29:50.920 you know, considering what Jalen said, like so it's a 0:29:50.960 --> 0:29:53.840 way for him to minimize the defense and still be 0:29:53.920 --> 0:29:57.360 effective and not be vanilla, you know, like like like 0:29:57.440 --> 0:29:59.680 we were in previous years. He can still get this done, 0:29:59.800 --> 0:30:01.520 and that's why they get paid the big bucks. You know. 0:30:01.600 --> 0:30:03.040 He has to come out here and create a different 0:30:03.040 --> 0:30:05.080 game plan and he has to fit it to the players, 0:30:05.080 --> 0:30:06.840 fit the system to the players. Those are Those are 0:30:06.880 --> 0:30:08.880 what the great coaches doing. That's what the great coaches 0:30:08.920 --> 0:30:10.560 do for the teams to win, in their players to 0:30:10.560 --> 0:30:14.040 perform at the highest level. Yeah, and I'm not sitting 0:30:14.040 --> 0:30:16.480 here saying that Jalen is playing perfect and he has 0:30:16.520 --> 0:30:19.000 no room from proving. What I am saying is fans 0:30:19.000 --> 0:30:21.120 that are making it seem as though fifty four is 0:30:21.160 --> 0:30:23.440 the biggest problem here. No. And if I'm going to 0:30:23.560 --> 0:30:26.240 call a player out and say, look, I need more 0:30:26.320 --> 0:30:29.800 from you, it's number ninety. If DeMarcus Lawrence is getting 0:30:29.800 --> 0:30:32.240 to the quarterback, then this whole defense is a different 0:30:32.280 --> 0:30:35.280 deal because you didn't bringing Alden Smith and Everson Griffin 0:30:35.320 --> 0:30:36.800 to be the guy. You brought them in to help 0:30:36.880 --> 0:30:39.920 the guy in this old D line. Also, we look 0:30:39.920 --> 0:30:42.000 at don Terry Poe, who Jerry Jones said today was 0:30:42.000 --> 0:30:44.200 playing well. A lot of people have a disagreement with 0:30:44.240 --> 0:30:46.600 their Tristan Hill. These guys have got to be better 0:30:46.600 --> 0:30:49.200 at plugging up the run, Danny. When you're running thirty 0:30:49.200 --> 0:30:52.000 three times in the football game as an offense, that's 0:30:52.080 --> 0:30:54.800 that's telling you what they're They're saying, we feel like 0:30:54.880 --> 0:30:57.320 we can attack you, and that's what both teams did. 0:30:57.520 --> 0:31:00.720 The Rams did it in Game one. They were effective. 0:31:00.880 --> 0:31:04.000 The Falcons tried to do it, not as effective. And 0:31:04.040 --> 0:31:06.520 I'm gonna tell you this week, you better believe Brian 0:31:06.560 --> 0:31:09.480 Schottenheimer's gonna take Chris Carson and Carlos high and run 0:31:09.600 --> 0:31:12.360 right at the Cowboys here. So I expect another thirty 0:31:12.400 --> 0:31:15.040 point I just thirty point, but a thirty carry day 0:31:15.200 --> 0:31:17.920 for a team against the Cowboys. You'd be crazy not 0:31:18.000 --> 0:31:21.120 to try and put this. Put your team out here 0:31:21.240 --> 0:31:23.520 to run and keep this Cowboys defense on the field 0:31:23.520 --> 0:31:25.640 as long as you can. They're playing over thirty minutes 0:31:25.680 --> 0:31:28.240 a game. That's how you've beaten the Cowboys a past 0:31:28.240 --> 0:31:30.680 few seasons, Danny is win the time of possession and 0:31:30.760 --> 0:31:35.239 wear out their defense. Yeah, listen, as we said, you know, 0:31:35.640 --> 0:31:38.200 once you put something bad on tape, the other teams 0:31:38.240 --> 0:31:40.520 around the league that you're playing, they're going to try 0:31:40.520 --> 0:31:43.200 to do the same thing. Right we put we put 0:31:43.200 --> 0:31:45.840 that on tape that we're we're we're susceptible to the 0:31:46.000 --> 0:31:49.120 run against what our offense, I mean on our defensive 0:31:49.160 --> 0:31:52.560 line and our linebackers. And Atlanta saw that tape and 0:31:52.640 --> 0:31:54.760 they said, hey, we probably can do the same thing. 0:31:54.840 --> 0:31:56.440 So let's focus on trying to do that now. They 0:31:56.480 --> 0:31:59.800 weren't as successful as a team before, but they had 0:32:00.000 --> 0:32:03.000 some success at some points, you know, the floor of 0:32:03.040 --> 0:32:05.880 the game kind of change that form. So Seattle will 0:32:05.960 --> 0:32:07.720 will definitely do the same thing. I also want to 0:32:07.760 --> 0:32:09.960 touch on this right because I heard you guys talking 0:32:10.000 --> 0:32:13.480 about Everson Griffin and de Marcus Lawrence, and for any 0:32:13.520 --> 0:32:17.400 of the fans out there people listening, whoever run a 0:32:17.440 --> 0:32:21.240 forty yard dash or seeing somebody running forty yard dash 0:32:21.280 --> 0:32:23.440 at the combine, you see that they can take off 0:32:23.520 --> 0:32:26.280 in a three point stands right. They practice this, you know, 0:32:26.440 --> 0:32:28.320 over and over again so they can run as fast 0:32:28.360 --> 0:32:31.480 as they could. You have some guys that you know 0:32:31.720 --> 0:32:33.840 that are in the three to four right, so they 0:32:33.960 --> 0:32:36.280 they're able to do the run their you know, their 0:32:36.360 --> 0:32:39.400 forty yard dash from a stand up position. When when 0:32:39.480 --> 0:32:41.280 coaches come in and they try to coach the Marcus 0:32:41.320 --> 0:32:43.360 where they're not gonna try to get him to go 0:32:43.520 --> 0:32:46.080 from what he does best, which is standing up and 0:32:46.200 --> 0:32:48.560 rushing to putting his hand in the dirt, right, and 0:32:48.640 --> 0:32:50.720 if he complains about it, he's going to be standing 0:32:50.800 --> 0:32:52.960 up again. The same thing with our defensive line every 0:32:53.000 --> 0:32:55.960 time you watch the Marcus Lawrence, he has his hand 0:32:56.040 --> 0:32:58.440 in the dirt and he's able to create his leverage 0:32:58.440 --> 0:33:01.640 and his pressure from from that rushing position. So now 0:33:01.720 --> 0:33:03.480 when you put them in a different position, of course 0:33:03.520 --> 0:33:05.760 you're going to see see a little, you know, a 0:33:05.800 --> 0:33:07.840 little a little something off of the same thing ever 0:33:07.920 --> 0:33:09.720 since Griffins. So they just need to get back to 0:33:09.840 --> 0:33:12.080 what they do best. And the coach, like I said, 0:33:12.120 --> 0:33:14.600 they have to be able to create this scheme and 0:33:14.720 --> 0:33:17.080 adapt it to what their players are able to do. 0:33:17.120 --> 0:33:19.400 Because you're paying these guys too much money to try 0:33:19.440 --> 0:33:21.040 to force them to do something they're not good at. 0:33:21.600 --> 0:33:23.360 So let them get back to what they do best, 0:33:23.560 --> 0:33:26.600 and I think you will see some big change in 0:33:26.680 --> 0:33:30.960 production if you do so. All right, let's take another 0:33:31.040 --> 0:33:34.160 break here on the flip side. Alden Smith has some 0:33:34.320 --> 0:33:39.360 words for Cowboys fans about this defense, and we'll give 0:33:39.440 --> 0:33:43.760 you our predictions for Seahawks and Cowboys. I knew he scrugs, 0:33:43.800 --> 0:33:46.680 a long time Cowboys reporter. Key is Danny McCray, former 0:33:46.760 --> 0:33:49.000 Dallas Cowboys safety. This is the Players Launch, brought you 0:33:49.080 --> 0:33:52.960 by hotels dot Com since eighteen sixty five. Stets and 0:33:53.080 --> 0:33:56.320 hats are American Maid with pride right here in Texas 0:33:56.680 --> 0:33:58.720 and stets And it's proud to be on the field 0:33:58.760 --> 0:34:01.720 with America's team. Want to show your Texas and Team 0:34:01.800 --> 0:34:05.320 pride too, You can by purchasing your own stepson. You 0:34:05.400 --> 0:34:07.520 can look just like how the flag guys do on 0:34:07.680 --> 0:34:11.200 field at every home game. Stetson hats the official crown 0:34:11.280 --> 0:34:14.879 of all self respecting Cowboys and your favorite football team. 0:34:14.960 --> 0:34:18.399 Get yours today at Shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot com 0:34:18.760 --> 0:34:21.960 or at Stetson dot com. Your new apartment's big. Such 0:34:22.000 --> 0:34:29.359 a great deal, that's okay, just okay. What's not right 0:34:29.400 --> 0:34:33.320 about the subway? Well, I bet you don't even notice 0:34:33.360 --> 0:34:38.400 it after that's my neighbor. A deal that's just okay, 0:34:38.600 --> 0:34:42.240 It's not okay. Get a great deal with America's best network. 0:34:42.520 --> 0:34:44.160 Come into an AT and T store to find out 0:34:44.200 --> 0:34:46.279 how to get one of our popular smartphones for zero 0:34:46.360 --> 0:34:49.080 dollars down based on GWS one s cour September twenty 0:34:49.160 --> 0:34:55.040 nineteen to Dallas's frontline responders, thank you. To show its gratitude, 0:34:55.160 --> 0:34:58.160 Tide is offering free laundry services in Dallas to the 0:34:58.200 --> 0:35:02.080 families of frontline responders. Simply bring your laundry and your 0:35:02.160 --> 0:35:05.200 identification to Tide Cleaners and they will wash it within 0:35:05.320 --> 0:35:08.360 two days. One thing lasts for you to worry about 0:35:08.840 --> 0:35:11.080 while you take care of us. All Tide will take 0:35:11.120 --> 0:35:13.799 care of the laundry for the families of frontline responders. 0:35:14.280 --> 0:35:17.120 To learn more and find a location near you, visit 0:35:17.200 --> 0:35:20.680 Hope dot Tide Cleaners dot com. Slor is a proud 0:35:20.800 --> 0:35:24.320 sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, helping fans see more and 0:35:24.520 --> 0:35:27.920 do more with our best vision solutions. Our lens technologies 0:35:28.000 --> 0:35:30.680 reveal a world more beautiful than you can imagine. For 0:35:30.800 --> 0:35:33.640 a limited time, get the slur next Gen offer, where 0:35:33.640 --> 0:35:36.520 you buy the latest generation of Transitions lenses with select 0:35:36.680 --> 0:35:39.120 SLOR lenses, you can choose a second pair of clear 0:35:39.239 --> 0:35:43.000 lenses for free with qualifying frame purchases. Restrictions apply. Find 0:35:43.040 --> 0:35:47.000 a participating eyecare professional by visiting slur usa dot com. 0:35:47.440 --> 0:35:59.520 See more, Do more to the players. Loud all Right 0:35:59.680 --> 0:36:03.839 Ticks versus Cleveland Cowboys single game tickets are available now 0:36:04.200 --> 0:36:05.879 and you can see him take on the Browns when 0:36:05.880 --> 0:36:08.919 they return to AT and T Stadium on Sunday, October fourth. 0:36:09.120 --> 0:36:11.400 Limited number of tickets are on sale now. Get yours 0:36:11.400 --> 0:36:15.480 at Dallas Cowboys dot com slash tickets and new describes 0:36:15.520 --> 0:36:17.360 this is the players Laws, brought to you by Hotels 0:36:17.440 --> 0:36:22.160 dot com. But you're in our SWBC Mortgage Virtual Home Studios. 0:36:22.600 --> 0:36:26.120 Got Danny mccraie, former Cowboys safety. Barry Church, former Cowboys safety, 0:36:26.280 --> 0:36:30.560 is off today, all right, Tank Lawrence is still dealing 0:36:30.600 --> 0:36:33.239 with the knee issue. Danny. Basically, they're telling us are 0:36:33.239 --> 0:36:35.480 gonna be a game time decision on him and then 0:36:35.840 --> 0:36:38.600 Tyrant Smith. According to Mike McCarthy, who missed last week 0:36:38.640 --> 0:36:42.359 because of a stinger, he's making progress, which also means 0:36:42.400 --> 0:36:46.160 we're going to have to see what the available ability 0:36:46.360 --> 0:36:48.400 is on game day. So I expect those decisions to 0:36:49.200 --> 0:36:51.080 get made then about when they do what they do. 0:36:51.800 --> 0:36:54.520 Alden Smith was asked about this defense. Aldon Smith got 0:36:54.600 --> 0:36:57.440 a sack in Game one against the Rams. Cowboys have 0:36:57.560 --> 0:37:00.000 two sacks overall, Smith with one of them, Everson Griff 0:37:00.000 --> 0:37:02.160 Them with the other, and he said, quote, I feel 0:37:02.200 --> 0:37:04.120 like the coaches have made it fairly simple. I think 0:37:04.160 --> 0:37:06.520 everyone needs to chill out. This is the third game 0:37:06.600 --> 0:37:09.120 coming up. We didn't have too much of an offseason, 0:37:09.200 --> 0:37:11.399 we didn't have a preseason. I know every week we're 0:37:11.440 --> 0:37:13.719 gonna get better, Danny. What do you say to what 0:37:13.840 --> 0:37:17.520 Alden Smith came out and told the media today. Yeah, 0:37:17.520 --> 0:37:19.359 I mean, like I said, I think it makes sense 0:37:20.200 --> 0:37:21.759 or half of it. Anyway. It's the fact that they 0:37:21.800 --> 0:37:24.560 didn't have much of an offseason, and you know, to him, 0:37:24.600 --> 0:37:26.879 the defense could be simple. He he's a vet, right, 0:37:27.000 --> 0:37:30.240 so he's been through different schemes. He's he's learned systems before. 0:37:30.600 --> 0:37:32.400 So for him, it may be, you know, it may 0:37:32.440 --> 0:37:34.399 be simple enough. But for some of those younger guys 0:37:34.440 --> 0:37:36.360 that we have out there. We have a young safety, 0:37:36.400 --> 0:37:38.680 we got a young linebacker, we got young corners, right, 0:37:38.880 --> 0:37:40.920 it's not as simple simple for them, right, So I 0:37:40.960 --> 0:37:42.880 think that they can't get better, you know, as the 0:37:42.960 --> 0:37:44.759 year goes on and those guys, you know, they get 0:37:44.840 --> 0:37:47.120 rid of those you know. You know, all rookies go 0:37:47.200 --> 0:37:49.040 through go through a phase of like trying to pick 0:37:49.160 --> 0:37:51.400 up the speed and the systems and things that they 0:37:51.480 --> 0:37:53.840 do different from college to the NFL. So you know, 0:37:53.880 --> 0:37:56.160 it's it's a learning curve for them, you know, and 0:37:56.480 --> 0:37:59.520 you know, unfortunately, this is this is the season they're 0:37:59.520 --> 0:38:01.640 we're in where we didn't have much time to learn, 0:38:01.760 --> 0:38:03.279 so they're going to pick it up as they go. 0:38:03.440 --> 0:38:06.280 So I don't think it's any reason for us to panic, 0:38:07.280 --> 0:38:08.960 you know, as far as for them being able to 0:38:09.000 --> 0:38:11.160 perform better and learn the scheme. You know, the biggest 0:38:11.160 --> 0:38:13.399 thing to panic about his injuries, and that's happened all 0:38:13.440 --> 0:38:15.279 over the league. So you know, you just got to 0:38:15.320 --> 0:38:16.960 be able to plug and play, and that's difficult when 0:38:17.000 --> 0:38:19.399 you have a system to where some people maybe maybe 0:38:19.480 --> 0:38:23.279 think already that it's too difficult. The Cowboys, I'll go 0:38:23.320 --> 0:38:25.120 back to say something we continue to say on the show. 0:38:25.160 --> 0:38:27.480 The Cowboys offense has to take care of the defense here. 0:38:27.600 --> 0:38:31.239 This defense isn't good enough to survive shootouts. I will 0:38:31.320 --> 0:38:35.000 give the defense credit. Last week against Atlanta from the 0:38:35.040 --> 0:38:37.880 standpoint of the offense put them in some horrendous positions 0:38:38.560 --> 0:38:40.799 and they were holding the falcons to fit some field 0:38:40.840 --> 0:38:42.759 goals on fake punting some of the fubbles here. I 0:38:42.840 --> 0:38:45.759 thought they did a decent job of that. The Cowboys 0:38:46.040 --> 0:38:48.759 have to win the time of possession battle. Okay, this 0:38:48.960 --> 0:38:50.840 is two games in a row where they've not done that. 0:38:50.840 --> 0:38:52.359 And I already talked about the numbers. When you talk 0:38:52.360 --> 0:38:54.319 about rushing the football, when the team's running the ball, 0:38:54.360 --> 0:38:56.600 thirty three times against you. That shows you that they're 0:38:57.040 --> 0:39:00.160 they're being more aggressive and they're taking it too. But 0:39:00.280 --> 0:39:02.960 the Cowboys front offensive standpoint can help this team by 0:39:03.040 --> 0:39:07.439 running the ball. Church you and you McCrae. You guys 0:39:07.520 --> 0:39:10.080 were at playing for the Cowboys when you went up 0:39:10.080 --> 0:39:13.240 to Seattle and DeMarco Murray had a game of games 0:39:13.800 --> 0:39:18.120 and it was a twenty fourteen and Seattle never had 0:39:18.160 --> 0:39:19.600 the ball. And I remember because I was at that 0:39:19.680 --> 0:39:22.399 game and Seattle and afterwards people people said to see, 0:39:22.440 --> 0:39:23.960 you know, Pete Carroll, what happened? He said, we never 0:39:24.040 --> 0:39:26.759 had the ball, and the Cowboys had the ball. They 0:39:27.320 --> 0:39:29.719 ran it. Tony Romo did an excellent job with play 0:39:29.760 --> 0:39:31.439 actually passing me. He was one of the best game 0:39:31.480 --> 0:39:34.399 plans that Jason Garrett, Scott Lena had had, ever had 0:39:34.440 --> 0:39:37.160 ever come up with. They need to do a lot 0:39:37.239 --> 0:39:39.640 of that. And to me, not only is it giving 0:39:39.680 --> 0:39:41.600 the ball to Zeke to run it, but I also 0:39:41.680 --> 0:39:44.760 believe it's throwing the balls, you know, throwing some screen, 0:39:44.920 --> 0:39:50.040 some wheel routes and using your best offensive player and 0:39:50.239 --> 0:39:53.080 making the Seahawks have to defend him. We know the 0:39:53.160 --> 0:39:55.919 Seattle passed. He's terrible. There's their thirty second in the league. 0:39:56.080 --> 0:39:57.960 But if you're running it with Zeke Danny and if 0:39:57.960 --> 0:39:59.520 you're able to get him out in that passing game, 0:39:59.719 --> 0:40:02.120 that that's gonna make it even easier to try and 0:40:02.239 --> 0:40:07.840 hit Amari Cooper, CD Lamb and Michael Galler. Yeah, most definitely. 0:40:08.000 --> 0:40:10.279 So you know, knew we unfortunately, you know, I had 0:40:10.360 --> 0:40:13.480 gone to Chicago that year when they were able to 0:40:13.600 --> 0:40:15.880 put that put that season together and get you know, 0:40:15.960 --> 0:40:18.480 and get those guys running. But I did see them 0:40:18.560 --> 0:40:21.320 when they came to Chicago and they definitely ran that 0:40:21.440 --> 0:40:23.680 game plan on us. It was keep the ball away 0:40:23.719 --> 0:40:25.640 from us, which they didn't really need to, but you know, 0:40:25.680 --> 0:40:28.440 they controlled the clock, they ran it, and you know, 0:40:28.640 --> 0:40:31.120 and they beat us pretty badly. So you know, I 0:40:31.400 --> 0:40:35.320 think that is the recipes for success for us. And 0:40:35.800 --> 0:40:38.440 getting Zeke involved early, having him start the game with 0:40:38.520 --> 0:40:40.319 a couple of carriers and unlike we did last week, 0:40:40.360 --> 0:40:42.520 I think will be huge. And I think getting us 0:40:42.560 --> 0:40:44.920 into some third and shorts to be it passing it 0:40:45.000 --> 0:40:47.960 to Zeke, getting into Schultz or just you know, creating 0:40:48.040 --> 0:40:51.839 creating some third and threes with some with some hitch routes. Whatever. 0:40:51.920 --> 0:40:54.279 She was on the outside will help us tremendously, right, 0:40:54.280 --> 0:40:55.960 because that gives you the option to a run on 0:40:56.080 --> 0:40:58.640 third down or pass on third down, or and that 0:40:58.719 --> 0:41:01.000 opens up play action as well. And when you can 0:41:01.160 --> 0:41:03.000 when you can have all those options open to you, 0:41:03.360 --> 0:41:05.279 that's when that's when you had an opportunity to make 0:41:05.320 --> 0:41:07.839 some big plays. And then you know, control the clock 0:41:07.880 --> 0:41:10.719 and move methodically down the field, you know, and keep 0:41:10.760 --> 0:41:13.440 our defense on the sideline. So I think if we 0:41:13.520 --> 0:41:16.440 play that way, we can we can definitely get a W. 0:41:16.760 --> 0:41:19.320 But we have to stick to it and uh and 0:41:19.440 --> 0:41:21.040 try to make that happen when we get out there. 0:41:21.080 --> 0:41:23.040 You know, things change once you get out there on 0:41:23.120 --> 0:41:26.160 the field and things don't go your way. I go 0:41:26.280 --> 0:41:28.759 back to a stat that I said yesterday with Church 0:41:28.880 --> 0:41:31.680 that's talking about winning first down. Here's a number. The 0:41:31.760 --> 0:41:35.239 Seattle defense allows six point eight yards per attempt on 0:41:35.360 --> 0:41:37.320 first down, which is twenty seventh in the league. In 0:41:37.360 --> 0:41:40.480 the Dallas offense is averaging six point six yards on 0:41:40.680 --> 0:41:43.319 first down, which is seventh in the league. And that's 0:41:43.360 --> 0:41:46.319 where I think about, Hey, what could you do by 0:41:46.440 --> 0:41:49.560 throwing the ball out here and getting Ezekiel Elliott in space. Yes, 0:41:50.000 --> 0:41:54.040 Bobby Wagner is a fantastic linebacker. You could argue maybe 0:41:54.080 --> 0:41:56.640 the best linebacker in the National Football League. And we 0:41:56.719 --> 0:41:59.160 know kJ Wright is an awesome player. But if I'm 0:41:59.200 --> 0:42:00.719 the Cowboys, I'm going to say I got an awesome 0:42:00.760 --> 0:42:03.319 player here too. Let's see my guy against your guy here, 0:42:03.640 --> 0:42:06.280 and I think Ezekiel Ellick can win his fair share. 0:42:06.520 --> 0:42:08.880 And if the Cowboys Danny can win this first down battle, 0:42:09.120 --> 0:42:11.480 I think I have an excellent opportunity to win the game. 0:42:11.680 --> 0:42:14.040 Speaking of winning the game, Danny, what is your prediction 0:42:14.280 --> 0:42:16.040 as the Cowboys or a four and a half point 0:42:16.160 --> 0:42:21.399 underdog in Seattle? You know what, a lot of times 0:42:21.520 --> 0:42:23.200 last year I picked, I picked us to win and 0:42:23.239 --> 0:42:26.000 we lost. This year, I picked us to win and 0:42:26.120 --> 0:42:30.239 we lost. Then I picked us to lose and we won. So, uh, 0:42:31.200 --> 0:42:33.680 for the sake of us, you know, proving me wrong, 0:42:34.360 --> 0:42:36.960 I'm gonna say we should be at three point underdog 0:42:37.680 --> 0:42:41.400 and we'll probably we'll probably fall to Seattle thirty or 0:42:41.440 --> 0:42:44.120 to twenty seven, you know, on a late field goal 0:42:44.680 --> 0:42:47.239 with you know, Russell's kind of driving down there at 0:42:47.280 --> 0:42:49.400 the end of the game and giving their kicker a 0:42:49.480 --> 0:42:52.320 chance to beat us. You know, hopefully hopefully that changes. 0:42:52.400 --> 0:42:54.279 But if I'm just being honest with myself about what 0:42:54.360 --> 0:42:59.760 I've seen last week, Um, that's that. That that's my pick. Okay, 0:43:00.080 --> 0:43:06.040 So McCray thirty to twenty seven, Seahawks winning. Barry Church 0:43:06.200 --> 0:43:08.920 gave us his pick for the game. He's got Seattle 0:43:08.960 --> 0:43:12.600 winning thirty one to twenty four, got Seattle with a 0:43:12.719 --> 0:43:19.960 seven point win, and I am going to go thirty 0:43:20.040 --> 0:43:27.480 five thirty Seattle wins. I don't know. I'm still worried 0:43:27.480 --> 0:43:31.080 about the Cowboys' ability to control the line of scribbage 0:43:31.120 --> 0:43:34.719 on both sides of the football. Here, Tyran Smith possibly 0:43:34.880 --> 0:43:39.040 not playing again, and even if Tyring comes back, you 0:43:39.200 --> 0:43:41.000 never know what these next stingers. He could play a 0:43:41.040 --> 0:43:43.160 couple of plays and it happens, or at any point 0:43:43.200 --> 0:43:46.920 in time he could suffer another stinger. So Lell Collins 0:43:47.040 --> 0:43:48.480 is not going to be there at right tackle. So 0:43:48.800 --> 0:43:53.200 you're the offensive line overall, it's been an issue. Connor 0:43:53.239 --> 0:43:55.319 Williams one of the guard spots. He's been an issue. 0:43:55.360 --> 0:43:57.520 The offensive line has not been the strength that we 0:43:57.680 --> 0:43:59.680 thought thought it would be. They haven't shown that they 0:43:59.680 --> 0:44:03.480 can win the time of possession. So as bad as 0:44:03.560 --> 0:44:08.880 Seattle's defense is, I'm gonna go ahead. And say the 0:44:09.000 --> 0:44:11.640 Cowboys end up losing this game and they can start 0:44:11.719 --> 0:44:14.480 to get healthy in October, starting with Cleveland coming to 0:44:14.560 --> 0:44:18.520 town October fourth. But before the season started, when I 0:44:18.600 --> 0:44:21.200 was going through my little win loss tracker, I had 0:44:21.239 --> 0:44:23.600 the Seahawks winning this football game and I don't think 0:44:23.640 --> 0:44:27.000 there'll be any shame and a Cowboys loss of five 0:44:27.160 --> 0:44:29.120 points at all. This is two teams that could end 0:44:29.200 --> 0:44:31.000 up meeting again in the playoffs. Because I actually have 0:44:31.120 --> 0:44:33.239 Seattle winning this division. I think they're gonna be a 0:44:33.280 --> 0:44:37.240 really good football team. Day. Yeah, I think Seattle's Seattle 0:44:37.280 --> 0:44:38.640 is gonna be good. It's a it's a good test 0:44:38.719 --> 0:44:41.360 for us, you know, you know, to kind of phase 0:44:41.440 --> 0:44:43.440 off what we did last week, because I know everybody's 0:44:43.480 --> 0:44:45.840 riding high with the biggest comeback and happy. But I 0:44:45.920 --> 0:44:48.560 think us playing a good quality team, you know, will 0:44:48.560 --> 0:44:50.319 show us a lot about where we are and if 0:44:50.320 --> 0:44:55.239 we're getting better throughout the season, you know, Like I said, 0:44:55.320 --> 0:44:57.360 I hope we got some of those coaching things fixed 0:44:57.719 --> 0:45:00.160 and we're able, like if we lose this game. Let 0:45:00.239 --> 0:45:03.040 us lose this game, because we got outplayed. Our players 0:45:03.080 --> 0:45:04.600 went out there in fault, but we just didn't have 0:45:04.680 --> 0:45:06.600 it to have it that day. Don't let it be 0:45:06.680 --> 0:45:10.000 because we made some silly mistakes coaching wise, and you know, 0:45:10.360 --> 0:45:12.000 and we come back here on Monday and we say, 0:45:12.080 --> 0:45:15.400 what the heck were we doing again for the second 0:45:15.440 --> 0:45:17.840 time in the row. So you know, I'm going for 0:45:17.920 --> 0:45:19.960 the Cowboys. But like I said, my honest feeling is 0:45:20.360 --> 0:45:23.520 is that's where we are and hopefully, hopefully I'm proving wrong, 0:45:23.600 --> 0:45:26.120 and hopefully our defense could get out there and uh, 0:45:26.520 --> 0:45:28.760 you know, and create some pressure. It's gonna be difficult 0:45:28.760 --> 0:45:32.120 because that that scrambling quarterback is It's something very difficult 0:45:32.160 --> 0:45:35.960 for a d line and linebackers to stop. But I 0:45:36.080 --> 0:45:37.840 think if we if we can get that done, I 0:45:37.840 --> 0:45:39.840 think we'll be all right. Keep keep Russell in the pocket, 0:45:40.239 --> 0:45:42.319 you know, don't let them run around and create those 0:45:42.440 --> 0:45:44.880 extended plays. And I think we give us give ourselves 0:45:44.920 --> 0:45:49.320 a chance on defense. And DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett 0:45:49.320 --> 0:45:51.600 are playing very well. Cheat to a Woosian, one of 0:45:51.600 --> 0:45:54.440 the Cowboys starting corners is out with a hamstring injury. 0:45:54.480 --> 0:45:57.160 Anthony Brown, another one of the Cowboys quarterbacks starting on 0:45:57.320 --> 0:46:00.239 injured reserve, and Trayvon Boyk and the rookie on her 0:46:00.280 --> 0:46:03.400 back had a shoulder injury earlier this week. So the 0:46:03.480 --> 0:46:05.800 Cowboys secondary has got some misues and some things that 0:46:05.880 --> 0:46:07.719 they've got to work on as well, which is once 0:46:07.760 --> 0:46:09.880 again why I picked Seattle, just looking at what the 0:46:09.960 --> 0:46:12.239 Cowboys have. They got to get some things cleaned up. 0:46:12.239 --> 0:46:14.440 But as I said, you start looking at schedule in October, 0:46:14.600 --> 0:46:16.719 I think that's a point where it gets schedule gets 0:46:16.719 --> 0:46:18.680 a little bit easier and the Cowboys starting to get 0:46:18.719 --> 0:46:20.560 some guys back, and then you start to see where 0:46:20.640 --> 0:46:23.360 they are. That is the Player's Lounge, brought to you 0:46:23.440 --> 0:46:25.560 by Hotels dot Com. Also got to thank the folks 0:46:25.640 --> 0:46:28.279 over the Bows for the headphones here Danny McCrae. Man 0:46:28.400 --> 0:46:30.680 have a bunch of had a bunch of fun getting 0:46:30.680 --> 0:46:32.520 back with you. Man. Enjoyed that baby this weekend, and 0:46:33.000 --> 0:46:41.080 we'll chat on Monday. Okay. That is. This has been 0:46:41.120 --> 0:46:44.280 a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas 0:46:44.360 --> 0:46:45.520 Cowboys Football Club.