WEBVTT - #446 Packers Unscripted: Dive into Dallas 0:00:00.600 --> 0:00:20.800 M Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:24.319 I am Mike Spofford sitting next to my partner in crime, 0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:27.440 Wes Hodkowits were coming to you here from our studios 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:30.560 at lambeau Field and West. It is Wednesday, our midweek show, 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:33.639 and that means we take a look at the Packers 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:36.239 upcoming opponent in a little bit more detail, and that 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:40.600 of course is the Dallas Cowboys. It'll be a PM 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:44.840 kickoff Sunday from a T and T Stadium down there 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:49.000 in Texas. And you know, we always start these examinations 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:52.640 of the opponent with the guy who sort of jumps 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:55.279 off the page is where it all starts. And I 0:00:55.320 --> 0:00:58.760 think it's pretty obvious with the Dallas Cowboys. And certainly 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:00.520 when you look at what happened to the how Boys 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:03.160 last week and how they lost to the New Orleans Saints, 0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:06.039 it all starts with Ezekiel Elliott with this team, doesn't 0:01:06.080 --> 0:01:09.240 it it? Does? You know? Danny Vitali had those uh 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:12.080 you know, make fullbacks great again hats. I don't turn 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:13.920 this into the whole political thing, but I thought it 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:16.000 was kind of cute, you know, with fullbacks. If I 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:19.360 kind of had to go through Ezekiel Elliott. For me personally, 0:01:19.360 --> 0:01:21.600 I don't know how about the outside world feels about this. 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:25.120 Zeke Elliott changed my perspective on the running back position 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:28.000 because there was a time, probably as recently as five 0:01:28.080 --> 0:01:30.039 years ago, where I was like, I wonder if we've 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:31.680 seen the last time we're going to see a running 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:34.080 back taken in the first round, you know, just because 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:37.480 there's sort of been this devaluation of the position, and 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:39.480 thoughts said, okay, well, you can find these guys in 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.160 the fourth, fifth, sixth round, undrafted free agents. The Alfred 0:01:42.160 --> 0:01:44.200 Morris is the world. You can find your franchise running 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:47.039 back anywhere. And then you see a guy like Zeke 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:49.440 Elliott come into the league and just flip everything on 0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:52.520 its head. I think it now see Quon Barkley, this 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:56.920 new guard at the running back position, and I'll say this, 0:01:57.000 --> 0:01:59.600 personally speaking, it's very difficult with you know, this new 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:01.600 constraint into the c b A for these running backs 0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:03.280 to kind of get what they feel their value is. 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:05.320 I have a lot of respect for how Zeke Elliott 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:09.079 approached the situation this offseason. Kudos to Dallas for recognizing 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.000 this is our franchise player. We have to take care 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:13.200 of him. Everything we're going to talk about here in 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:15.400 the next twenty minutes, Mike, it starts at Zeke Elliott. 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:19.000 The passing game, the momentum, the just the confidence of 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:21.600 this unit and how they play together. Starts with what 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:23.480 he does in the backfield. Yeah, I mean, it all 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:26.520 stems off of that. And there's a reason, quite frankly, 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:30.679 that Zeke Elliott got a contract extension before Marie Cooper did, 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:33.040 before Dak Prescott did. I mean, this is the guy 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:35.320 right on the offensive side of the ball, and it's 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:37.000 just no way to replace him. I mean, I think 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.840 now they do have a nice prospect here and Tony 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:41.960 Pollard that they brought in. He you know, he's had 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:43.840 a carries and looks does some nice things. But you 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:45.720 have to understand, and you know, the way that this 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:48.560 offense is set up, and and credit to Kellen Moore 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:51.120 and the job that those offensive coaches are doing right now, 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:54.079 but everything is set up on Zeke Elliott in making 0:02:54.160 --> 0:02:56.799 defenses commit to stopping him, the play actually game of 0:02:56.880 --> 0:03:00.640 Dak Prescott, the downfield passing options for Marik Poper. It 0:03:00.680 --> 0:03:03.000 all starts with Elliott and I just I think, you know, 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:05.800 the numbers are not huge. It's not going to be 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:08.680 the six yards per carry average that you know, it's 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:10.880 just gonna whole you right off the bat. The boy 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:13.240 does he remind me a lot of you know, when 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:14.960 you look at em at Smith and the way that 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.280 he just sort of plowed through defenses and war teams 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:20.840 down over four quarters, Elliott brings that dimension. Yeah. Well, 0:03:20.840 --> 0:03:23.680 I think the question with Zeke Elliott heading into this 0:03:23.720 --> 0:03:27.200 game is because he's coming off of really one of 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:29.280 the worst games of his career in terms of the 0:03:29.360 --> 0:03:31.880 yards per carry, the number of carries he was given 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:36.400 would ended up being was it t th yards? So 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:40.600 not even not even two yards per carry with essentially 0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:45.200 a full workload realistically speaking against the New Orleans Saints. 0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:47.880 So my question to you is West, does this just 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:51.760 mean Ezekiel Elliott, regardless of who the opponent is this week, 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:53.720 when he's coming off of a game like that, is 0:03:53.760 --> 0:03:57.080 ready to bust out or are there things that the 0:03:57.160 --> 0:03:59.520 Packers can look at what the New Orleans Saints did, 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:02.280 because this is not the same Packers defense that has 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.200 had trouble with Elliott in the past. Whether the Packers 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:07.600 of one are lost the game. Elliot has always kind 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:11.400 of done his thing against Green Bay. So how do 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:14.640 you see this now heading into this Week five matchup, 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:17.920 with where the Packers defense is in the struggles against 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:20.720 the run, and with where Elliott is coming off of 0:04:20.760 --> 0:04:23.160 one of the more forgettable performances of his career. What 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:25.400 are the really strange things about Zeke Elliott? For as 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:27.280 much as I just said about him and and how 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:29.520 accomplished he has been in his first three point five 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:32.280 seasons here in the NFL, is that he has these 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:35.040 performances every once in you know, basically once a season, 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:37.719 maybe twice a season, where they just don't get the 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:39.800 ground game going. It's happened during each of his four 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:42.480 NFL seasons to this point. But one of the things 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:45.760 you understand about him is he bounced back quickly. And 0:04:45.920 --> 0:04:48.120 you know that's not to say you know, you look 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:49.839 at where the Packers are at. They have to bounce 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:52.159 back as well, coming off the performance that they had 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:55.120 last week when they had you know, too stiff challenges 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:57.080 with what Denver was throwing at them and what Philly 0:04:57.160 --> 0:05:00.560 was throwing at them. Both of these I think both 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:02.880 of these units both you know, the run game for 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:05.920 Dallas and in Green Bay's run defense. I don't want 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:07.840 to call it a crossroads by many means, but they 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:09.760 want to, you know, get a little bit of momentum 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:13.040 back to what they're doing, and ultimately only one is 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:15.680 going to prevail on this matchup. I just think, you know, 0:05:15.880 --> 0:05:17.880 when you look at Elliott, I wish I could really 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.039 give you a nice exces and o breakdown for what 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:23.800 New Orleans did to take him away. My initial thought though, 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:26.040 is they just gain tackled really well. They filled their 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:29.039 gaps and there just wasn't a lot of holes for 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:31.839 him to seep through into that second level. And you 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:34.960 look at the first two games again, hundred yard performances, 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:36.520 but it wasn't like it was carried on the back 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:38.560 of a sixty yard run. It was just a lot 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:40.760 of grinding out those yards and they just didn't get 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:43.719 them in that matchup. Green Bay conversely, coming off a 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:47.160 game where there weren't a whole lot of big, massive breakdowns, 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:50.240 but there was enough penetration in that second level that 0:05:50.240 --> 0:05:52.080 it really hurt them against the Eagles. It's gonna be 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:54.400 a gut check for both of these units. Yeah, I think. 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:57.880 I think That's what makes this matchup really intriguing because 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:01.599 we've been hearing from the Packers defense. They they believe 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:03.840 they know they can stop the run better than they have. 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:06.360 They don't feel like that is the kind of defense 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:08.880 that they plan to be and that they will be 0:06:08.920 --> 0:06:12.000 as the season goes along. This is as as tough 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:15.160 a test as it gets. Now you flip it to 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:21.800 the Cowboys passing game and Amari Cooper the top target 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:26.160 obviously for Dak Prescott. Now, Michael Gallup started the season 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:28.159 with a couple of pretty good games. He was over 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:30.760 two yards through the first two games of the season. 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:33.279 Now he's missed the last two contests. I'm not sure 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:37.159 what his injury status is at this end of any word, 0:06:37.200 --> 0:06:38.920 We're gonna find out this week. The nice think about 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:41.000 when you play the Cowboys is Jerry Jones always has 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:43.520 something to say, so he's been saying that they're not 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:46.839 ruling out Gallup. Um. I actually really think it'd be 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:48.360 cool if he played in this game, because you want 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:50.560 to talk about Elvis Witted in the job he did 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:52.919 at Colorado State, Gallup was one of those one of 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:56.479 those receivers that his program, so seeing him if he 0:06:56.480 --> 0:06:58.000 could you know both of those guys now at the 0:06:58.000 --> 0:07:00.120 next level would be neat to see. But we're to 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:02.080 see exactly what he can work through this week. But 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:06.760 typically typically and we'll see exactly what the injury reports 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:10.400 looked like. When they always say we're not ruling out somebody, 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:13.040 I always take that as a doubtful designation. So we'll 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:16.160 see exactly how it shuffles out. But you know, at 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:18.160 the very least, Jerry Jones is leaving that door open 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:21.560 for him. Well, the other targets with gallop out the 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:24.600 last couple of weeks, aside from Amari Cooper, Dak Prescott 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:27.880 has the former packer Randall Cobb working out of the slot. 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:31.160 He's also got the veteran tight end Jason Witten, who's 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:33.920 gone from the field to the monay at football booth 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:35.720 and back to the field over the course of the 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:40.160 last couple of years. Now, those guys really getting you know, 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:43.520 three or four catches a game. Nothing that would qualify 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:49.160 as as game breaking in the passing game, but veteran 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:52.040 players who know what it takes, and you always wonder, 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:55.360 you know, Randall Cobb was a fan favorite around here. 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.160 You have a media favorite around here. As well. Really 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:00.680 good guy to talk to. But you wonder, you know, 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:03.240 will that little chip maybe beyond his shoulder because the 0:08:03.240 --> 0:08:05.920 Packers didn't show that interest in bringing him back, and 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:08.120 and he found a contract somewhere else. Yeah, we'll see. 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:10.640 I mean everybody approaches a little differently, right. Remember what 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:12.840 it was like trying to cover this team when Greg 0:08:12.920 --> 0:08:15.360 Jennings went to the Vikings, And then there's other times 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:17.640 where t J. Lang was with Detroit and remember those 0:08:17.640 --> 0:08:19.360 conference calls and it was just all kind of cool 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:22.600 and fun. And you know, everybody handles these situations differently. 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:25.880 I mean Randall cop I mean he's on that then 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:28.880 Mount Rushmore of receivers that Aaron Rodgers played with, and 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:31.960 you talk about the trust factor and and what the 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:35.520 relationship that those two guys had. Um, you can't really 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:38.760 overstate it, um. I mean they they had a chemistry 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:41.000 there that is not only hard to you know, achieve 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:44.320 between any kind of quarterback and receiver, but what just 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.640 was what was truly special. I think they still you know, 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:49.200 I think Rogers I remember correctly stood up in Randall's wedding. 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.000 I mean they had that kind of friendship together. Now 0:08:52.040 --> 0:08:54.560 that being said, Um, he came out of the gates 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:56.520 in Week one and looked really good. I mean, he 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:58.280 had a nice touchdown there. I think that came off 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:00.000 sort of a post route from the middle of the field. 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:02.160 Last couple of weeks they've had a more difficult time 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:04.520 getting him going for the first time ever. The Packers 0:09:04.559 --> 0:09:06.200 are gonna have to worry about him in the kickoff 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:09.079 and punt return games. That's an area that the Cowboys 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:12.520 have been using them in. And then lastly, that slop 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:14.959 position has been very important for the Cowboys over the years, 0:09:15.040 --> 0:09:18.040 especially during the Dak Prescott era. Now, last year, Cole 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.080 Beasley kind of fell off a little bit, but before 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:22.480 that he was one of the primary targets in that offense, 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:25.440 and that's sort of the role that Cobb has stepped into. 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:27.439 So seeing how he feels that throughout the course of 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:29.280 the year and in this matchup will be intriguing to watch. 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:31.719 And how exactly Packers want to defend him. Is that 0:09:31.760 --> 0:09:34.360 going to be Trumont Williams lining up across room. That's 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:37.280 kind of an interesting dynamic. And then just to touch 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:40.520 on Jason Witten. He had the regrettable fumble last week. 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:43.360 I'm sure he's gonna want that back. But watching that 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:48.240 game man against the Saints, his what Jason Witten does 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:50.760 now at thirty six or however old he is, it's 0:09:50.800 --> 0:09:53.880 not predicated on speed anymore. Right, It's not predictor hasn't 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:55.920 been for a long time, frankly, and that's not taking 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:59.160 anything away from him. But even before he retired that 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:02.080 first time he was he was not the seams stretcher 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:04.920 that he was earlier in his career, but he adapted 0:10:05.040 --> 0:10:07.080 in in the real good tight ends in this league, 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:09.400 the Tony Gonzalezes of the world, they adapt their skill 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:11.760 sets to fit their time and their career and both 0:10:11.800 --> 0:10:14.400 the time of the play style and just seeing wit 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:16.559 and get back into this thing he is. You mentioned 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:18.280 it's only about two or three catches here and there, 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:21.079 but it's been touchdowns, it's been you know, moving the 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:24.080 chains type of plays. He's just that old war horse 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.320 that just kind of keeps stredging on and um, yeah, 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:29.080 he's a guy that the Packers definitely have to be 0:10:29.120 --> 0:10:31.480 cognizant of because, well, it might only be two or 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:34.199 three catches, those catches a lot of times have some 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:36.960 meaningful impacts on football games. Yeah, Well, before we get 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:40.120 to the Cowboys defense here real quickly was select Cousin 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:44.000 Subs locations are now offering delivery. Whether you're ordering catering 0:10:44.120 --> 0:10:47.160 or your favorite sub, They're delivering right to you when 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.640 you order online at Cousins Subs dot com. Cousin Subs, 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:54.800 we believe in better. Okay, with regards to the Cowboys defense, 0:10:56.120 --> 0:11:00.280 the Packers you look at in the playoffs, seven team 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:04.160 going down, winning a pair of last second type football games, 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.720 this is a different Cowboys defense. They have rebuilt things, 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:11.200 They have revamped things on that side of the ball. 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:13.840 I think it starts with Jalen Smith, like another guy 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.880 they gave a new contract to before they even looked 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:21.080 at their quarterback, which says something about how they feel 0:11:21.240 --> 0:11:24.520 about what he has done and a great story with 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:27.880 everything that he came back from from the college injury 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:29.880 and where he was taken in the draft and and 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:33.160 everything that that had started to go wrong for him, 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:36.480 so to speak. There he's right where a lot of 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:38.760 people thought he would be if he had never gotten hurt, 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:42.280 and he is really the centerpiece of a much improved 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:44.800 Dallas Cowboys defense. Yeah, I mean, I really think of 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:47.160 this is when you look at the Dallas Cowboys. If 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:49.200 you're like saying, Okay, you gotta pick out you know 0:11:49.240 --> 0:11:52.040 who goes on the program cover who's the highlight of 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:55.400 this defense. It's Jalen Smith. Just because of his skill, 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:59.560 his size, his speed, his athleticism. It brings a different 0:11:59.600 --> 0:12:01.920 demension into that team that they've been kind of missing 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:04.560 in this interim basis. As we talked about with you know, 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:06.680 Sean Lee working through the injuries that he had to 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:09.800 work through, and the different versions of this defense, and 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:12.320 how Rod Marinelli for many years had to kind of 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.439 just make all these things fit when maybe they didn't 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:17.040 have the top of the line talent that they might 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:20.160 have needed to make a true championship run. Jalen Smith 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:22.760 is that player. I also think Layton Vanderesh, you know, 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:24.200 a couple of weeks ago, I think I was talking 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:27.480 to you about, uh, you know, Darnell Savage, and I've 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:29.760 always been I actually wrote this an inboxes where it 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:32.319 came from. I've always been sort of leary of climbers, 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:35.880 guys that maybe weren't picked his first round picks or 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:38.960 second round picks, but then right after the combine up 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:41.800 until when you know, April comes around. They just jet 0:12:41.880 --> 0:12:44.480 up the charts. Darnell Savage is a guy that has 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:47.240 sort of changed that for me. Layton Vanderesh is another one. 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:49.559 A few years back, you know, I remember going to 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.760 the combine. I want to say Laton Vanderesh was guestimated 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:56.080 to be like a third round pick, definitely a Day 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:58.880 two pick, and then he just climbed the charts man. 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:02.600 And I think him and Smith are really bright future, 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:05.560 you know, playmakers in that defense and what they want 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.720 to do. And then they got you know, the old 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:10.240 veterans there too, you know, the Robert Quinn's the world, 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:12.559 and certainly Dexter Lawrence has been a playmaker for them 0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:15.440 for a number of years. DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence text 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:18.600 to Lawrence Will DeMarcus Lawrence has been there already been 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.360 a long week, you know. But you know they I 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:22.960 think they just have a really good blend of of 0:13:23.000 --> 0:13:25.240 some veteran talent and some really young playmakers that are 0:13:25.240 --> 0:13:28.000 pretty exciting. Jeff Heath, who's just Jeff Heath, is always 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:31.400 just in the mix two with them. Yeah, it seems 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:33.800 like he's been there for a long time. And I'm 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:35.960 not even that familiar with his career. But of course 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:41.000 I remember I remember him mostly from that playoff came 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:44.080 down there because he had a big interception of Rogers, 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:48.160 but then he also had uh a sack of Rogers 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:50.600 where somehow Rogers still hung out of the ball and 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:53.680 didn't turn it over. He was a big factor in 0:13:53.720 --> 0:13:56.920 that game for the Dallas Cowboys. But some matchups that 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.240 will be interesting here West because we don't know the 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:03.720 status of Ande Adams, so obviously if he is absent, 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:06.880 that will change completely how the Cowboys decided to match 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:09.400 up with the Packers receiving corps. And then you mentioned 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:12.720 a guy like DeMarcus Lawrence, the top edge rusher for 0:14:12.720 --> 0:14:14.880 the Cowboys. We don't know the status of Brian Bulago 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:17.840 with his shoulder injury at this point, and whether the 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:22.000 Packers will have to adjust if Alex light will be 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:24.800 stepping in potentially at right tackle, and then what that 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:27.320 does to the game plan, and if he if you 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:29.800 need to scheme some things to help him out in 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:34.080 certain situations. So um, a lot of really going into 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:36.240 this game. It seems like there there are a lot 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:39.880 of questions with regards to injuries, because you know the 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:43.360 injuries on the list right now are to such prominent 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:46.280 players Kevin King won for the Packers that we're not 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:49.240 sure of his status on defense, and when you're talking 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:52.360 about Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb and whether or not 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:54.600 Michael Gallup is going to play. So a lot of 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:56.840 questions here as we head into this game as to 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:01.000 just what I guess the really primary matchups are going 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:03.480 to be, depending on who's on the field. Yeah, and 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:06.720 then Davante Adams just seeing exactly what what the you know, 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:09.080 what that's gonna look like. And if Adams isn't out there, 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:13.640 how does both Matt Lafleur, And then also for the Cowboys, 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:16.040 how they move their chest pieces around and who plays where. 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:19.440 The big thing I think is going to be, especially 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:23.280 how Green Bay's run front, as we talked about, matches 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:25.840 up with the trenches of the Cowboys. And the reason 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:27.480 I pointed out one of the other aspects we didn't 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:28.880 really get a chance to talk about with the offense 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:32.080 is that you know, you have Cameron Fleming, who's been 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:33.920 a veteran, He's been around I think for five six 0:15:34.000 --> 0:15:36.400 years now. He's the guy that steps in at left tackle. 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:38.960 Smith doesn't go. But beyond that, I mean, you still 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:41.960 got Travis Frederick, you still got Zack Martin and then 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:45.320 Lul Collins, all very accomplished players and have been in 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:48.040 solidified in that scheme for a number of years. That's 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:50.840 busy work for Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry in that 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:54.520 defensive front and on the other side of it, depending 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:56.760 on what happens with Brian Bala, how the Packers handle 0:15:57.120 --> 0:15:59.520 what they're gonna be thrown at. From the Cowboys perspective, 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:03.800 I just think probably one on one matchups wise, Um, 0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:07.080 seeing exactly what happens with Kevin King this week and 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:09.920 where that's going to be at and soft tissue injuries 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:12.000 are so tricky as we know, and we've talked about 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:16.240 it so often. Um, if he's unable to go, depending 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:18.480 on what's happened with Will Redmond, that's where it starts 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:21.280 a little sticky, because then you're really getting into your depth. Yeah, 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:23.400 well quickly before we go, I just want to get 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:26.360 your overall take on where you think this Cowboys team is, 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:29.440 because there was so much talk last week as they're 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:32.560 heading into New Orleans for a tough prime time assignment 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:34.920 at the Super Dome Sunday Night football and all that 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:37.600 that the Cowboys were three and oh, but they had 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:42.000 beaten three teams the Giants before the Giants went to 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.880 their rookie quarterback and Daniel Jones, who's helped turn things 0:16:44.920 --> 0:16:47.880 around for them a little bit. They beat Washington, they 0:16:47.920 --> 0:16:50.440 beat Miami, two teams that don't have any victories yet 0:16:50.520 --> 0:16:53.600 through the first quarter of the season, and then the Saints. 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:57.160 Obviously we're without Drew Brees. But the Cowboys didn't get 0:16:57.160 --> 0:16:59.280 the job done. They scored only ten points in a 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:02.920 in a tough road game. So all those questions about, okay, 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:06.159 just how for real, so to speak, are the Dallas 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:09.400 Cowboys in twenty nineteen. They're still kind of hanging out there. 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:11.280 What do you think? It's funny? So you know, I'm 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:13.800 a big m m A guy, right, yea, yeah, So 0:17:14.160 --> 0:17:16.880 before not everybody just goes to the UFC, Mike Spofford. 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:18.760 Once become a professional writer, you don't go right to 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:21.520 the UFC. You do this regional promotions, right, and a 0:17:21.520 --> 0:17:23.720 lot of times on these regional promotions you're taking on 0:17:23.760 --> 0:17:26.000 guys who are five and twenty eight or you know, 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.159 zero and six, and you're kind of building up your 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:30.720 resume in a way. I kind of view that is 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:32.800 what the Cowboys were doing those first three weeks of 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:35.560 the season. They looked great. They did everything they were 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:37.440 supposed to do against teams they were supposed to be. 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:40.280 They were supposed to hammer the Giants, they did. They 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:43.480 were supposed to hammer Washington they did. And certainly we 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:46.600 know the story right now with the Miami Dolphins. Now, 0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:49.000 that game, as I was saying last week, if Marv 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:50.960 would be able to replay the film, I was saying, 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:53.840 that was the big litmus test for them against the 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.560 Saints going into New Orleans. And you can view that 0:17:56.720 --> 0:17:59.560 one of two ways. You can view it as you 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:03.480 only it up ten points against the Saints, or you 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:05.480 could view it that you were the first team to 0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:09.560 not concede a touchdown to a Sean Payton offense in 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:12.200 the Superdome I think during his entire tenure, at least 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.439 during a Saints victory. So you kind of get a 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:17.639 little of both. I think the one thing I learned 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:19.640 is that their defense, they can win games with their 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:21.919 defense if they have to. YEA, it didn't work out 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:24.560 from in that game, but I mean they are very dynamic, 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:29.520 especially with how they played together. But it's interesting because 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:31.200 they have this game against the Packers and then you're 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:33.000 going up against the Jets who have a lot of issues, 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:35.119 and then you really got a big, you know, test 0:18:35.160 --> 0:18:38.399 against the Eagles. I think we're gonna learn a lot 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:40.159 of but we're gonna learn about a lot about Green Bay. Two. 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:41.760 I think we're gonna learn a lot about the Cowboys 0:18:41.760 --> 0:18:43.919 in this game. Yeah. Well, I think the NFC East 0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:46.399 from what we've seen so far, I mean, maybe Daniel 0:18:46.480 --> 0:18:48.560 Jones really starts to light the world on fire and 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:50.879 with se Kwon Barkley and everything really starts to go 0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:52.960 in another direction for the Giants. But I think, based 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:55.440 on what we've seen so far, the Eagles and the 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:57.679 Cowboys are gonna be duking this out for the NFC 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:00.960