WEBVTT - Player's Lounge: Is This A Must Win? 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:09.959 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:20.200 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This is the player's label, 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:25.080 broadcasting live from Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at the Star. 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:30.720 Now your hosts Bury Church, Danny McCrae, and new He scrugs. 0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:38.400 All right, everybody, is Thursday, week number two of the 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:41.120 NFL season coming your way out. Knew he scrugs, a 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:45.080 long time Cowboys reporter, joined by my man, Barry Church. 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:49.479 All right, Church, Cowboys face the Atlanta Falcons. This is 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:51.839 going to be the Cowboys initial home opener that will 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:53.920 be fans in the stands. Here's the question we got 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:56.280 to ask right out of the gate. Is this a 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:58.920 must win? Because if you lose your O and two, 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:03.200 if you win one and one, man, that's that's a 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:06.200 tough question. Man. Is it a must win? I mean, 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:09.600 it's only the second week of the season, so I mean, 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:14.839 but I'm gonna lean towards yes. And here's why. I mean, 0:01:15.959 --> 0:01:18.920 I just think this, this defense and this offense they 0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:21.640 both disappointed in how they performed in Week one. I mean, 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:24.120 I think we can all say that they're both disappointed. 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:26.240 I think the offense didn't put up as many points 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:28.480 or many yards they wanted to. In the defense, they 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.120 just played pretty much off balance all week one. So 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:33.720 I think it's a bounce back game for both of 0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:36.960 those growth of those units. But being as it, it's 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.320 only the weeks two, and if you look at our division, 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:42.240 I mean, they haven't fared that well so far. I 0:01:42.280 --> 0:01:45.960 mean the Eagles lost the Philly loss, and then I 0:01:46.000 --> 0:01:49.400 don't think anybody trust in Washington long long term, even 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:51.200 though they did win Week one. So the division I 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.200 think is still up for grabs. But for confidence wise 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:56.920 and just going forward with momentum, I think this is 0:01:56.960 --> 0:01:59.120 definitely has to be a bounce back game. It has 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:01.680 to be a momentum shifting type game. Has to be 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:04.080 a confidence building type game. I mean, if we go 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:06.160 out there and we go up there and lay an 0:02:06.160 --> 0:02:09.000 egg offensively with all this talent, all the I mean 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:11.880 throughout the whole offseason, that's all we heard was we 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:14.000 got so many it's talent we got, you know, Dak 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:17.880 is the reports of Dak getting mentioned for MVP, and 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:20.240 then we got all this talent we added on defense. 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:22.600 So I just think this has to be a must 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:26.200 win as far as confidence and momentum momentum building because 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:29.440 this this offense has the capabilities of being one of 0:02:29.440 --> 0:02:32.040 the top five offenses in the National Football League. But 0:02:32.160 --> 0:02:33.840 we got to start playing late, and I think we 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:37.440 gotta get more creative when it comes to play calling. Now. Defensively, 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:41.680 we got everything set, I believe in tune, a couple 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:43.480 of things here and there just to get that pass 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:46.239 rush going, and we got to stop the run. But offensively, 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:47.720 I think we gotta go out there and have a 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:50.880 huge game. And I'm gonna lean towards yes, saying that 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:54.720 this is a month must win game even though it's 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:58.800 only Week two in the National Football League. All right, Church, 0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:01.519 for me, I want to touch on something that Mike 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:05.120 McCarthy said before at today's press conference, which is to 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:06.799 go where you want to go, you gotta win your 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:09.920 home games. And this is the Cowboys first home game. 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:12.480 Mike McCarthy's pretty good at at and T Stadium. He's 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.919 won a playoff game, their Divisital playoff game, and he's 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:18.520 also won the Super Bowl at this very stadium. So 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:22.000 Mike McCarthy has he has some success in this building. 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:24.720 But they gotta win because you need to protect the house. 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:26.440 I mean, that's as simple as it gets. Very you 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:29.080 play for the Cowboys, you know what it's about. Winning 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:31.520 at home. There will be some fans, McCarthy said, a 0:03:31.520 --> 0:03:34.400 twenty five percent capacity. And coming off this rams game, 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:36.400 to me, not only do you have to win it, 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:39.040 but next week you gotta go to Seattle. I mean 0:03:39.040 --> 0:03:41.200 we're talking about a team that if you lose this game, 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:43.360 you could be oh and three. If you win this game, 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.080 you could be one in two. I mean, these are 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:47.320 scenarios that are real for the Cowboys. And if you're 0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:50.280 trying to get where you want to go, you gotta 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:52.880 start winning your games at home. And they can talk 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:56.119 all day long about cleaning up things, but they need 0:03:56.160 --> 0:04:00.160 to leave Sunday with a w in their pockets. I 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:02.280 am going to call this a must win from the 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.520 standpoint of you can't fall behind you know, O and 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:08.800 two and maybe go oh and three, And you're right 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:10.560 about that. I don't even think about that. They have 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:13.120 to go to Seattle next week, and then these are 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:15.960 all three NFC opponents that they're facing. If they go 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:18.320 down oh and three. It's not just you know, oh 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.320 and three in the National Football League, it's the NFC. 0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:23.720 I mean, this is all playoff. You know, you're trying 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:26.200 to position yourself for a playoff and if you go, 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:28.160 you know, it ends up being like a tiebreaker or 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:30.280 anything like that. You look back at the first three games, 0:04:30.279 --> 0:04:33.680 those are three NFC, three NFC opponents that you let 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:36.919 you know, slip by. So you know what, you've convinced me. 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:38.839 You've got me going in the right direction that this 0:04:39.160 --> 0:04:41.960 has to be a muscle win because Seattle is it's 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:43.839 just not going to get any easier with Seattle. We 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:45.800 saw what they were at capable of doing week one, 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:48.839 so you don't want to go up there too. And two. 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:51.440 So you know what, you convinced me, know, you got 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:53.360 me thinking that this is a must win game from 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:58.400 McCarthy and the Cowboys they talked so much about. We 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:01.240 looked at take We saw some things that we need 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:04.560 to clean up here. Bear you played this game, Tell 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:08.480 our audience what goes into that when they talk about, hey, 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:10.920 there's some mistakes that we had here, some prestat things 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:13.840 we weren't doing correctly of guys not in position. How 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:16.080 do they go about that? What's the teaching process and 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:18.640 the practices like during a game week to look at 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:21.800 last week's take and how you get better off. Well, 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:23.840 for going back to my days as you know, as 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:27.040 a Cowboy and a jackquar, I mean they're pretty much 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:29.280 the same. As you go off through any any team 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:31.880 in the National Football League, especially coming off of a loss, 0:05:32.480 --> 0:05:35.000 you go in. You got that some teams have Mondays off, 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.640 some teams have Tuesdays off. But whichever day that you're 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:40.840 in the facility, that first day after a game, you're 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:43.680 going into film, whether it be good, bad, or indifferent, 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:45.880 you're going into film study. And when I was with 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.640 the Cowboys, we used to call it Garrett vision because 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:52.360 before you broke off to you know, your defensive meetings 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:54.680 and your offensive meetings where you watch it as a group. 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:57.120 You sat there as a whole team in front of 0:05:57.120 --> 0:06:00.440 the whole entire team and staff, and were put on 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:03.040 There's these ten plays and five of them were good 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:05.040 and five of them were bad. And Garrett we called 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:06.880 it Garrett vision because he was be the one that 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:09.320 breaks it down. And if you were part of those 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:11.960 bad plays, I'm telling you you did not want any 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:14.039 parts of that because, I mean, you're pretty much getting 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:17.160 embarrassed in front of the whole team. So they're coaching, 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:19.440 the head coach, they break it down for you that way, 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:21.400 and they pick out the five good, they pick out 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.960 the five bad, hopefully just to teach their teaching moments. 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:27.640 They're trying to get teaching moments to better correct the 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:30.000 mental mistakes that were that were made out there. Now, 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:32.080 once you break off and you break off in your 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.480 offense and defensive meetings, usually you don't break off into 0:06:35.480 --> 0:06:38.080 your you know, position groups, like everybody pretty much stays 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:40.279 the same. So when we were there, and that's when 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:42.200 it really got you know, it really got heated. If 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:44.359 it was a it was a bad game because the 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:47.240 coaches they're calling you out on everything and they have to, 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.680 I mean everyone, everyone has to be coachable when you 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:52.760 get to this level. So it don't matter if you're 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.680 DeMarcus Lawrence or if you're you know, CJ. Good went 0:06:55.720 --> 0:06:57.719 on special teams, you're going to get coached the same. 0:06:57.839 --> 0:07:00.599 So when they break that film study down, the first 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:03.040 thing they do is look at those mental mistakes. I mean, 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:04.919 that's the first thing they point out. It's you know, 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:06.960 where were you aligned right here? Why didn't you go 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:09.040 to this gap or why didn't you stunt to this gap? 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:11.720 And whether it be good batter and different, they're gonna 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:14.280 break it down and they're gonna have you right afterwards. Now, 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:16.480 once they break it down, they kind of you know, 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:18.280 stash it away and they kind of say, you got 0:07:18.400 --> 0:07:20.560 to forget about it until you know the next or 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:22.800 they forget about it and get ready for the next week. 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:25.720 So right now they're probably going through that process of 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:27.560 you know, breaking down film and all that good stuff, 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:30.320 and then on on today's Thursday. So this is Thursday. 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:32.080 This is a practice week, so they're definitely working with 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:34.840 a secondary and going over the passing scheme for Atlanta, 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:39.040 which is probably extremely intensive because Atlanta has one of 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:42.400 the premier passing attacks in the National Football League. So 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:44.520 today they're going over as a secondary, going over the 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:46.840 passing attack and we'll see what they have in store 0:07:46.840 --> 0:07:50.720 for Atlanta. All Right, these Bury Church former Dallas Cowboys 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:53.120 safety underwey scrugs and you are checking out the players 0:07:53.160 --> 0:07:55.480 Lounge brought to you by Hotels dot Com. We are 0:07:55.520 --> 0:08:01.800 in our SWBC Virtual swc BC More home studios, virtually 0:08:01.920 --> 0:08:04.320 not in studio yet. One of the things that I 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:07.720 look at for the Cowboys in this game that I 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:11.440 want to see them do offensively, Barry is go deep. 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:14.320 So went back looked at my notes here, and Atlanta 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:18.000 gave up four plays of over twenty plus yards to 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.800 the Seattle Seahawks and the seahawkstion rolling out DK Metcalf 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:24.960 and Tyler Lockett. I think the Cowboys have three better 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:29.240 receivers to go at this Atlanta Falcons defense. And one 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:32.640 of the corners for Atlanta is aj Terrell, who was 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:36.120 taken before Cede Lambs. So he's a rookie corner out 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:39.000 of Clemson. And I'm just thinking, if I'm Kellamore, if 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:41.199 I'm Mike McCarthy, if I'm sitting here in the offensive room, 0:08:41.200 --> 0:08:43.600 and I'm looking at this tape of the Atlanta Falcons, 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:46.000 and I'm saying to myself, Okay, look they're gonna give 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:49.079 up some big plays here, Let's attack them. The Falcons 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:51.760 are better up front, they're not as good at the back, 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:53.920 and to me, that's where I feel like they've got 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:55.880 to figure out a way to attack. I don't think 0:08:55.880 --> 0:08:59.560 they attacked enough of the Rams in terms of going deep. 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:02.199 That one play that could have turned the whole game 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:04.839 around the Michael Gallant was a deep pass. Why didn't 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:07.440 we see more of that when the Cowboys took on 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:08.840 the Rams. I want to see some more of that 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:12.400 against the Atlanta Atlanta Falcons. I would love to see 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:13.800 more of that as well. I mean, I don't think 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:16.760 they attacked the Rams vertically as much as I would 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:18.760 have liked, but I mean it was tough when you 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:21.319 got you know, Aaron Donald in there breathing down your neck, 0:09:21.440 --> 0:09:24.160 Michael Brockers, you got Floyd on the outside. I mean, 0:09:24.200 --> 0:09:26.640 the trenches were pretty much owned by the Rams that 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:28.840 last game, so he didn't really have that much time 0:09:28.920 --> 0:09:31.560 to pretty go back, go through his progressions and let 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:34.400 it rip. So hopefully this week we have a you know, 0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:37.760 more stable situation at the offensive line, and we're going 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:40.240 against some some ballers on the Atlanta side of the 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:42.080 ball too. I mean, they got Dante Fowler, who I 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:45.000 was a teammate within Jacksonville. They got Attack McKinley and 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:48.199 especially Grady Jared on the inside, So I think they 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:51.200 the biggest thing with this offense in my opinion, I 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:54.520 think they have to establish dominance on the line of scrimmage, 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:56.600 and I think that starts with Ezekiel Elliott. I mean, 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:58.880 we love to see them take shots, and we'd love 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:02.480 to see them keep this defense off balance. But in 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:04.720 my opinion, you to do that, you have to start 0:10:04.720 --> 0:10:06.600 with the running. You have to own the trenches. If 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:08.760 they can get that going, then I think they can 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.240 take those deep shots down the field to Cde Lamb, 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:14.200 to Michael Gallup, to to a Mark Cooper. But I 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:17.360 think but I think it starts in the trenches. And 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:19.280 like you said, with A J. Terrell out there at 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:20.960 that corner, I think you know he was a first 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:22.640 round pick and he was a high pick, but I 0:10:22.679 --> 0:10:24.920 think we can take advantage of him on the outside. 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:27.400 Like you said, they gave up multiple deep passes to 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.960 the Seattle Seahawks last week, so hopefully we can replicate 0:10:31.040 --> 0:10:33.880 that that formula to replicate that game plan to go 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:36.760 and go and defeat the Atlanta Falcons. But let me 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:39.439 ask you a question here, Nui, do you believe our 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:42.560 offensive line has what it takes to pretty much slow 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:46.040 down that pass rush of the Atlanta Falcons. They're gonna 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:47.600 have to figure that out. I mean, this is this 0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:49.040 is what you have practice for, and you have to 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:51.520 scheme up forward all week long. I think you got 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:54.640 to look at some of the things that you didn't 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:57.000 do enough of in the Rams game. And to me, 0:10:57.120 --> 0:10:59.080 just going back and looking at my notes, I looked 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:00.800 at the Rams forty it's just for one hundred and 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:04.160 fifty three yards, and they controlled the clock. The Rams 0:11:04.200 --> 0:11:06.600 had the ball for eleven minutes and sixteen seconds longer. 0:11:06.840 --> 0:11:08.680 Going over here, look at the Cowboys run game. You 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:11.240 look at the numbers and Bury the numbers were pretty good. 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.760 Twenty seven rushes for one hundred thirty six yards. They 0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:16.480 averaged five yards to carry. They didn't have the ball 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:19.079 enough to keep it going. So to me, you've got 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:22.400 to actually get out here, run the football and your 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:25.280 defense because there's a question you would ask before in 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:27.680 the preshow meeting, who's got more pressure this week? To me, 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:30.920 the Cowboy offense has more pressure because they have to 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:33.319 carry the defense. How do you help the defense, it's 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:36.319 by running the football. With Ezekiel Elliot, Bucky Brooks was 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:38.400 on the break earlier today on one of our Dallas 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:41.880 Cowboys podcasts, and he spoke about how Seattle and beating 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:45.320 Atlanta and they controlled that football game pretty much from go. 0:11:45.720 --> 0:11:48.160 They were using Chris Carson and they were using that 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:52.240 screen game to help out there, help them out there. 0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:53.839 Let me go back here and I see my notes here. 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:58.240 Who we talked about was how the swing routes to 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:00.960 Chris Carter early. He said him going, and he thinks 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:03.280 that the Cowboys need to go with that with Ezekiel Eli, 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:06.200 Chris Carson ended up scoring him. I think we about 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:10.320 a thirteen yard touchdown run on a screenplay. We know 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:13.120 Ezekiel Ellick can catch the football. You had three catches 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.160 in the Rams game here. And another thing Bucky talked about, 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:19.040 which I believe is on point. He said, you gotta 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:22.160 win first down to help your offense, especially your right 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:24.920 tackle steal. So if you're not in third and longs 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:27.719 where you can allow a tack McKinley to rush off 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:31.280 the edge, if you can control Grady Jared up the middle, 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:34.320 if you guys can win first down, then you got 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:36.520 an opportunity to do a whole lot of things you 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:39.040 want to do. Because Barry, we saw the Ram game, 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:42.559 third downs for them were easy because they were so 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:45.440 effective on first downs with the quick passes, and that 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:48.360 just sets up a whole different kind of a play 0:12:48.400 --> 0:12:51.080 calling for Kellen Moore if he's dealing with third in 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.319 shorts versus third and loans, and that's how you protect 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:58.200 your tackle, your right tackle out here. And Grady Jarrett, 0:12:58.200 --> 0:12:59.280 we know he's going to be able to come up 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:01.640 the middle. He's not in or don't Okay, nobody else 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:03.680 in here that fl is. But they've got a better 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:07.400 job of securing things up front. Yeah, I think I 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:09.480 think that that would be a start in the great 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:12.200 direction if they were secure that interior part of that 0:13:12.280 --> 0:13:15.280 offensive line. I look, we know Zach Martin's gonna do 0:13:15.280 --> 0:13:17.080 what he does. I mean, he's all pro, he's you know, 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:19.000 probably going to go to the Hall of Fame one day. 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.120 We know he's gonna do his job. We know Tyren 0:13:21.160 --> 0:13:22.920 Smith is going to do his job on the left side. 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:25.560 I think it just comes down to Joe Looney, Connor 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:27.720 Williams and what Brandon Steel's going to be able to 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:30.520 do on the outside versus a Dante Fowler or versus 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:32.959 attack McKinney on there to pretty much see what his 0:13:33.080 --> 0:13:34.960 offense is going to be able to do. UM. I 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:37.520 would like to see just a little bit more creativity 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:40.120 when it came to offensive play calling. UM. I felt 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:42.280 like sometimes we were just too stagnant. We would come 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:44.880 out in eleven personnel. Here's a slot, here's the two 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.079 receivers outside. I mean I want to see some more 0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:51.880 you know, bunch bunch, bunch situations or stack the receivers, 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:55.000 just creative different ways to get Amari Cooper the ball, 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:57.560 or to switch up your offenses. You might run the 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:00.640 same routes as you ran before, but just have them 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:03.520 situated in a different type of formation to catch the 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:05.520 defense off guard. I just think we need to get 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:08.240 a little bit more creative offensively, which takes on those 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:13.280 We could talk about creative things all day long here, 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.680 but it comes down to execution. Now you look about 0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:17.760 that fourth down play and where cd Land didn't go 0:14:17.760 --> 0:14:19.560 deep enough here they got to some of the things 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:21.920 you gotta do is you know, not so much creativities, 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:25.960 execute And to me, they've got to keep the football. 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:27.600 I mean, if we see, if it's one thing we 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:29.080 know and we've seen in the past couple of years, 0:14:29.240 --> 0:14:31.200 is the offense has to protect the defense. And how 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:34.520 do you do that by making sure you are holding 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:36.840 onto the football with some long drives here use the 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:38.800 run game. So if they can do that, then I 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:41.680 think they could be pretty dug on effective here. I 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:43.960 know people talk so much about pre snap motions, and 0:14:44.000 --> 0:14:46.240 if you heard a minor guard this press conference today, 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:48.600 it was all about Hey, pre snap, this, pre snap 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:51.880 that Barry you played this game. They can try to 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:54.440 disguise things all day long, but if you can't execute 0:14:54.440 --> 0:14:57.120 the play, who gives a rip of who ran where 0:14:57.200 --> 0:14:58.880 it looked like it was going to be a direction there? 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:02.400 You gotta go out execute. You can have holding penalties, 0:15:02.720 --> 0:15:04.800 you can't get bull rushed you. You can't allow a 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:07.360 guy like I mean Aaron Donald was wrecking guys at 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:10.000 the at the line of scrimmage. Cowboys got to win 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:13.040 up front. So so we can talk about moving people 0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:17.040 all day long, but if Grady Jared is busting Connor Williams, 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:18.960 then that's gonna be a problem here. So those things 0:15:18.960 --> 0:15:21.440 have got to get fixed, and we got to talk 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:23.520 more about that. Hey, we have Will McClay join us 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:28.320 on the Players Lounge yesterday, So let's hear from Will McClay. Next. 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:29.920 For some of you folks out there to want a 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:32.000 whole lot of changes on the offensive line group, we'll 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:33.520 do that right here on the Players last brot to 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:37.640 you by Hotels dot Com. Next, Hey, they're Cowboys fans 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:41.360 with Tight Cleaners at home pickup and delivery. Cleaning your 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:44.600 clothes has never been more convenient. Simply sign up at 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:47.320 your local store, set out your dirty clothes, and one 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.040 of our Tight Cleaners professionals will come directly to your 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:53.880 home for a totally contactless experience. Your clean garments will 0:15:53.920 --> 0:15:56.920 be returned promptly the next scheduled delivery day, So skip 0:15:56.920 --> 0:16:00.680 the errand and enjoy life not laundry. Visit Cleaners dot 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:02.840 com or your local store to sign up for Tight 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:07.440 Cleaners at Home pickup and delivery today. I'm Jay Novachek, 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:10.560 former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Back in the day. 0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:12.800 I was a guy who always got the tough yards 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:16.000 and that's why I run with John Deer today. In fact, 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.360 I have a John Dear three zero twenty five E 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.280 tractor that can handle any yard work I need to do, 0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:24.120 even the tough yards way out back. So if you 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:26.840 have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:29.680 equipment that's just right for you, Visit a John Deer 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.760 dealer today and run with us. We are the official 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:37.000 tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. We're back in a 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:40.560 tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:43.800 doctor pepper and cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:52.920 bad cream Soda. Is he a Newcombone's music to my ears? Okay, 0:16:54.240 --> 0:17:02.440 doctor time, music to my ears and mouths new Doctor 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:06.159 pepper and Cream Soda. De lass Esselor is a proud 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:09.800 sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, helping fans see more and 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.359 do more with our best vision solutions. Our lens technologies 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:16.159 reveal a world more beautiful than you can imagine. For 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:19.080 a limited time, get the slur next Gen offer, where 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:21.960 you buy the latest generation of Transitions lenses with select 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:24.600 slor lenses, you can choose a second pair of clear 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:28.440 lenses for free with qualifying frame purchases. Restrictions apply. Find 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:32.640 a participating eye care professional by visiting slur usa dot com. 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:40.560 See more, Do More to the players loud No. We 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:42.560 believe in the people that we have and they have 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:45.040 to improve what they're doing. We have to help them 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:46.679 out with some of the things we're doing and with 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.040 It's like riding a bike. The first time you wrote it, 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:50.800 you might have scanned your needa first time. Now the 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:53.320 second time you got better. The third time you got better. 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:55.560 We feel good about the group. No it's not Leo 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:57.760 Collins out there and some of the stuff. But these 0:17:57.760 --> 0:17:59.439 guys are paid to do, you know, to do their 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:01.400 jobs and that's what we expect to do. You can't 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:04.720 just switch everything around. It's not fantasy football. You can't 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:06.960 take a piece and put it into place and think 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:10.439 that everything runs consistently from the beginning. Um, you know, 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:12.440 it was like you go into your job, if you've 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.199 got somebody new working next to you you, you have to 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:16.560 figure them out and you still have to do your job. 0:18:16.560 --> 0:18:18.399 And that's that's where we're at right now, and we 0:18:18.400 --> 0:18:21.000 feel better about it. And we have to continue to 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:25.480 do things to you know, work to use our strengths 0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:28.240 to you know, to the positive and overcome some of 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:31.080 the negatives by doing some things that way schematically. And 0:18:31.119 --> 0:18:33.240 that's what all our teams are going to have to do. 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:34.760 The teams that are wanting to know, they're gonna have 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:37.360 problems next week and then everybody will be talking about them. 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:44.080 So it is a marathon, not a sprint, all right. 0:18:44.480 --> 0:18:48.280 That's Cowboys Player personnel director Will McClay. He is the 0:18:48.320 --> 0:18:52.520 man who gets the guys and Will's done a fantastic 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:56.000 job here. Look, I know, Cowboy fan, you're frustrated right 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:58.399 now because you're seeing the injuries and you worn't happy 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:02.000 with the Rams loss. But everybody is talking about trying 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:04.280 to make these wholesale changes on the offensive line after 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:06.200 one week. That's just not how you do it. Okay. 0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:09.200 They've been working at training camp all summer long here, 0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:12.040 and after one game in which you lose by three points, 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:15.280 you don't just scrap the whole thing. Aaron Donald is 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:17.919 a two time NFL Defensive Player of the Year for 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:21.760 a reason. This week, when the Rams take on the Eagles, 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:24.800 I think Cowboy fans are gonna say, you know, maybe 0:19:24.840 --> 0:19:27.600 they weren't as bad as we thought, because the Eagles 0:19:27.640 --> 0:19:30.160 gave up eight sacks to Washington last week, and Aaron 0:19:30.160 --> 0:19:32.560 Donald could be a one man wrecking crew. You're checking 0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:34.359 out the players. Last brought to you by Hotels dot Com. 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:37.159 I'm NEWI Scrukes, longtime Cowboys reporter, joined by former Cowboy 0:19:37.200 --> 0:19:40.240 safety Barry Church, who got us Will McClay yesterday, and 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:42.920 I just thought Will McClay trying to be the voice 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:45.200 of reason here when people talk about we'll move Carter 0:19:45.240 --> 0:19:47.159 Williams right out to right tackle, take steal out of 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:49.920 the game, put Joe Lounian center, and put Conor McGovern center. 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:53.000 Like no, no, you can't go make all these changes. Maybe, no, 0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:57.720 you can't do it. I mean, and he broke it down. 0:19:57.760 --> 0:20:00.239 I think what he said was perfect. I mean, I 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:02.919 think he broke it down perfectly for all the Monday 0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:05.640 morning GMS and all the Monday morning quarterbacks out there, 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:07.560 because I was one of them. I was one of 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:09.680 those people that were like, man, what is going on. 0:20:09.960 --> 0:20:11.720 We need to move this guy here, We need to 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:14.000 put this guy tackle, or we need to be doing this. 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:17.480 You just can't do that. I mean, it's just frustrations 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:19.680 and if and if you build upon your frustration, you're 0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:23.080 just compounding the problem. So we'll put it perfectly, man, 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:25.639 you can't. This isn't fantasy football. This isn't where you 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:27.400 can just go, let me go pick up from this 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:30.040 group over here and put him at tackle and put 0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:32.000 him at guard and move him from center over here 0:20:32.040 --> 0:20:34.119 because he's a little bit heavier. You can't do that. 0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:36.960 I mean, these guys have been practicing at these positions 0:20:37.400 --> 0:20:39.679 for all of camp, for thirty some days they've been 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:43.200 gelling together to become a very strong unit for this team. 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:44.960 So you can't just say, let me move this guy 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:46.680 to guard. He can probably play a little bit better 0:20:46.680 --> 0:20:48.919 over here. I mean, you can't just throw him out there, 0:20:49.040 --> 0:20:51.800 especially the first game of the season. After that, I mean, 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:53.919 you just can't do that. I think will broke it 0:20:53.960 --> 0:20:57.040 down perfectly for us. This isn't fantasy football teams. This 0:20:57.119 --> 0:21:00.399 offensive line has to gel together to be able to 0:21:00.440 --> 0:21:03.159 perform at a high level. And we're getting Lyo Collins 0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:05.439 back in a couple of weeks, so all is not lost. 0:21:05.480 --> 0:21:08.240 And like you said, Nui, Aaron Donald is a premier 0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:10.440 pass rusher in the NFL. He's probably going to go 0:21:10.480 --> 0:21:12.240 down in the Hall of Fame. I think when they 0:21:12.280 --> 0:21:15.000 play Eagles the next week. Like you said, we'll see that. 0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:17.639 The Cowboys officive line, it struggled, but it wasn't as 0:21:17.680 --> 0:21:21.360 bad as it looked. Hey. Twelve Cowboys Way brings high 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:24.959 rise luxury apartment living within steps of the Dallas Cowboys 0:21:25.000 --> 0:21:28.720 headquarters at the Star in Frisco, providing luxury amenities, multiple 0:21:28.760 --> 0:21:32.680 floor plants, and unparallel conveniences. Twelve Cowboys Way is where 0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:36.600 the elite Living meets Exclusive Access. Leasing is available now. 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:40.479 Book your virtual in person tour at twelve Cowboys Away 0:21:40.760 --> 0:21:45.640 dot com. So I went back and was checking out 0:21:45.680 --> 0:21:50.600 Tank Lawrence here and look, Barry, he's got to be 0:21:50.600 --> 0:21:54.040 better because we could take a hundred and five million 0:21:54.080 --> 0:21:58.639 dollar contract. People are expecting results. Aaron Donald was a 0:21:58.640 --> 0:22:01.760 difference maker for the last Angels Rams. That's why they're 0:22:01.760 --> 0:22:04.600 paying him the big bucks around here. Tank Lawrence did 0:22:04.640 --> 0:22:06.520 not show up enough. He didn't leave the team with 0:22:06.560 --> 0:22:09.919 four quarterback hurries. He was credited with one solo tackle, 0:22:10.000 --> 0:22:12.760 two assists, so a grand total of three tackles. But 0:22:12.800 --> 0:22:15.520 that's not you need more from Tank Lawrence, okammy, That's 0:22:15.560 --> 0:22:18.520 about you need more for him. And he was asked 0:22:19.040 --> 0:22:21.159 by the media what he could have done better in 0:22:21.160 --> 0:22:23.520 this game and how can he get better after that 0:22:23.640 --> 0:22:27.639 Rams loss. Here's Tank Lawrence yesterday. Always think I can 0:22:27.680 --> 0:22:30.959 play better, especially coming out the game with the loss. 0:22:31.720 --> 0:22:34.280 Always try to, you know, critique myself on how I 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:37.000 can get better at how can help my team be better. 0:22:37.040 --> 0:22:41.959 But overall playing the new defense, new schematics of things, 0:22:42.000 --> 0:22:45.800 and just looking back on the game, I think I 0:22:45.840 --> 0:22:48.480 played decent. But like I said, I always think I 0:22:48.480 --> 0:22:55.439 can get better, all right, Church, So so my feeling 0:22:55.520 --> 0:22:58.000 is Tank Lawrence get he has to be better. I 0:22:58.160 --> 0:23:00.720 need more from Tank Lawrence on Sunday. I need Tank 0:23:00.800 --> 0:23:04.040 Lawrence to be the guy. I mean, we were yucking 0:23:04.080 --> 0:23:06.480 up having some fun yesterday, joking about playoff pee and 0:23:06.480 --> 0:23:10.600 Paul George not getting it done. If this is what 0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:13.760 comes with when you take one hundred and five million dollars, Okay, 0:23:13.760 --> 0:23:15.600 we have a right to sit up here and say 0:23:15.680 --> 0:23:18.640 we need production. I'm wearing his Dallas Stars cap here. 0:23:18.760 --> 0:23:21.760 And you know they paid Jamie Ben a truckload of 0:23:21.800 --> 0:23:24.800 money over eighty million bucks, and they came out. Ownership 0:23:24.880 --> 0:23:26.960 came out and said early in the contract said what 0:23:27.000 --> 0:23:28.920 are you doing. We need to see a return on 0:23:28.920 --> 0:23:32.000 our investment. And right now, when you start looking at 0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:34.199 last year, five sacks for Tank Lawrence. And I know 0:23:34.240 --> 0:23:36.240 we're just starting to hear, but Tank Lawrence has got 0:23:36.240 --> 0:23:37.760 to be better. Can't be out here on the first 0:23:37.760 --> 0:23:40.600 play jumping outsides. He's got to rise to the level 0:23:41.119 --> 0:23:44.000 of what you expected. And let's be honest here, Barry. 0:23:44.560 --> 0:23:46.840 The best defensive player they had on Sunday was a 0:23:46.920 --> 0:23:49.040 dude who hadn't played in five years in Olden Smith. 0:23:49.160 --> 0:23:51.720 What does that say about a guy like Tank and 0:23:51.800 --> 0:23:56.040 other guys who've been with the Cowboys. I mean, you're right, 0:23:56.480 --> 0:23:58.920 it's he's he's got to step it up. I mean, 0:23:58.960 --> 0:24:02.840 with great pay like that comes great expectations, and right 0:24:02.880 --> 0:24:06.040 now he's he's just not fulfilling those expectations. Right now, 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:07.600 if you hit the you hit the point right on 0:24:07.640 --> 0:24:09.119 the head. I mean last year, he's coming off of 0:24:09.160 --> 0:24:13.240 him five sack performance after getting that huge, huge, huge, 0:24:13.280 --> 0:24:15.440 huge bag he got from the Dallas Cowboys. In now 0:24:15.760 --> 0:24:17.840 this year he's starting He's only one game, I'll give 0:24:17.840 --> 0:24:19.920 it to him, is only one game, but he's starting 0:24:19.960 --> 0:24:22.639 off slow. He's just not having that impact that we 0:24:22.720 --> 0:24:25.440 thought he would have with his other counterparts right there 0:24:25.480 --> 0:24:27.879 and you and you said it already. Alvin Smith, a 0:24:27.920 --> 0:24:30.639 guy who hasn't played in five years now. Granted, when 0:24:30.720 --> 0:24:33.200 he was playing, he was one of the premier pass 0:24:33.320 --> 0:24:36.119 rushers in the NFL, but he came off a five 0:24:36.200 --> 0:24:38.639 year hiatus and he was the best defensive player we 0:24:38.680 --> 0:24:40.760 had on the Dallas Cowboys. Not the guy that you're 0:24:40.800 --> 0:24:43.200 paying twenty seven million dollars a year or two. So 0:24:43.720 --> 0:24:45.640 this is a guy that has to step up if 0:24:45.640 --> 0:24:48.480 he's seeing these double teams, or if he's if if 0:24:48.480 --> 0:24:50.320 the offense is starting to get the ball out too 0:24:50.440 --> 0:24:53.119 quick and not letting him use his pass rush abilities 0:24:53.119 --> 0:24:55.400 to get to the quarterback. He has to find another 0:24:55.440 --> 0:24:58.320 way to affect the game. If that's jumping up, batting 0:24:58.359 --> 0:25:01.800 down passes, if that's playing great against a run. I mean, 0:25:01.840 --> 0:25:05.360 he has to do something to negate not being able 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:06.960 to get to the quarterback and not being able to 0:25:06.960 --> 0:25:09.520 make those huge splash plays. He has to find a 0:25:09.600 --> 0:25:12.399 way to help this defense out, even if it's not 0:25:12.480 --> 0:25:15.520 creating a pass for us, it's tackling, it's batting passes down, 0:25:15.760 --> 0:25:19.399 it's doing something creating more opportunities for his other d lineman, 0:25:19.480 --> 0:25:22.159 taking up too offensive lineman. It's just something that he 0:25:22.240 --> 0:25:24.199 has to do to step his game up because right 0:25:24.240 --> 0:25:27.200 now we're not seeing that or the Cowboys aren't seeing 0:25:27.200 --> 0:25:30.280 that return investment in there one hundred and twenty seven 0:25:30.280 --> 0:25:32.560 million dollars man, So he's gonna have to step it 0:25:32.640 --> 0:25:34.840 up along with the rest of the defense. But he's 0:25:34.920 --> 0:25:38.520 their main guy. He's their main focal point of the defense. 0:25:38.880 --> 0:25:40.640 He I mean, he took on that bear, he took 0:25:40.640 --> 0:25:43.119 on that responsibility when he took that humongous bag the 0:25:43.119 --> 0:25:45.760 Cowboys gave him. So he has to step his game 0:25:45.880 --> 0:25:49.520 up for the Cowboys defense to be successful. You and 0:25:49.560 --> 0:25:53.080 I love watching inside the NBA with Kenny, Charles and 0:25:53.119 --> 0:25:55.159 Shack and Ernie. Those guys are good. And one of 0:25:55.200 --> 0:25:57.280 the things Charles Barkley kept talking about and he's like, hey, 0:25:57.320 --> 0:26:00.680 your playoff guys, your best players have to be your 0:26:00.720 --> 0:26:03.440 best players here and Sunday Tank wasn't one of their 0:26:03.440 --> 0:26:05.439 best players. And to me, that's where I would go 0:26:05.480 --> 0:26:07.040 and look at the focus. As you start to go 0:26:07.080 --> 0:26:09.359 get ready to play the Atlanta Falcons, He's like, hey, Tank, 0:26:10.200 --> 0:26:12.960 we need ninety to be in the backfield. And yes, 0:26:13.200 --> 0:26:15.479 I know it was a new defense and Tank reference 0:26:15.520 --> 0:26:17.880 at and yes I know Jared Golf was out here 0:26:17.880 --> 0:26:20.040 getting the ball quick, get rid of that ball quickly, 0:26:20.240 --> 0:26:23.119 But you need ninety to show up. Alden Smith was 0:26:23.160 --> 0:26:25.639 showing up. And if Alden Smith is showing up like that, 0:26:25.760 --> 0:26:28.320 and you could get ninety to show up too. Now, Barry, 0:26:28.400 --> 0:26:30.159 you're starting to cook with some you cook it with 0:26:30.200 --> 0:26:33.399 some gas right there. If these two don't ye get there, okay, 0:26:33.440 --> 0:26:37.119 if you got that and with what Atlanta wants to do. 0:26:37.600 --> 0:26:40.000 They want to go deep with the ball. Matt Matt 0:26:40.040 --> 0:26:42.080 Ryan had four on the yards over four yards of 0:26:42.160 --> 0:26:45.520 passing against Seattle on Sunday. Now, the game was out 0:26:45.520 --> 0:26:46.679 of hand when a lot of that went down, but 0:26:46.760 --> 0:26:48.399 still they were putting the ball in the air. So 0:26:48.440 --> 0:26:49.680 if they're gonna put the ball in the air and 0:26:49.720 --> 0:26:52.479 he's taking five step drops, then you gotta see fifty 0:26:52.520 --> 0:26:55.480 eight Olden Smith and ninety tank lords in the backfield. 0:26:55.560 --> 0:26:58.080 These guys have got to get home. And this is 0:26:58.119 --> 0:26:59.960 the time you put the pressure on your best play. 0:27:00.400 --> 0:27:02.200 You say, look, I need you to get better here. 0:27:02.280 --> 0:27:05.119 I need you to step up your game because defensively 0:27:06.240 --> 0:27:08.159 there I mean, I expect this game to be a 0:27:08.240 --> 0:27:10.280 high scoring I don't know about you, but I expect 0:27:10.280 --> 0:27:13.040 both teams to have at least four touchdowns each in 0:27:13.080 --> 0:27:15.360 this game because they have that those kind of offenses. 0:27:15.440 --> 0:27:18.000 It's gonna be who, in my opinion, who can figure 0:27:18.000 --> 0:27:21.840 out how to control the game with the clock and 0:27:22.040 --> 0:27:24.040 if you can find a way to get the get 0:27:24.080 --> 0:27:26.440 off on third downs, because very third downs for the 0:27:26.480 --> 0:27:29.440 Cowboys against the Ramslers a troaches nine to seventeen. That's 0:27:29.440 --> 0:27:31.760 a recipe to get beat. That's a recipe to get beat. 0:27:31.880 --> 0:27:33.600 You got to figure out how to get off the field. 0:27:33.640 --> 0:27:36.320 And to me, that's these guys doing their job and 0:27:36.440 --> 0:27:39.639 finding a way to either knock Matt Ryan off his 0:27:39.680 --> 0:27:41.800 spot or go ahead and put him down with a sack. 0:27:42.720 --> 0:27:44.480 I mean, I agree it, and it really quick before 0:27:44.480 --> 0:27:46.960 we got to take another break. But we can't have 0:27:47.080 --> 0:27:50.920 two years back to back where our highest paid defensive player, 0:27:51.080 --> 0:27:53.240 you know, highest paid defensive player that the Cowboys have 0:27:53.280 --> 0:27:55.560 ever put paid in history. We can't have back to 0:27:55.600 --> 0:27:58.720 back years where he's outplayed by the opposite defensive end. 0:27:58.800 --> 0:28:01.280 I mean, last year it was m quinn who basically 0:28:01.280 --> 0:28:04.000 took over that mantle as the premier pass rusher. This 0:28:04.080 --> 0:28:06.720 year is starting off so far it's looking like Aldon Smith. 0:28:06.840 --> 0:28:09.320 So I'm just hoping that Tay can step up his 0:28:09.400 --> 0:28:12.200 game because we cannot as a defense. We cannot afford 0:28:12.560 --> 0:28:15.520 two back to back seasons where our premier pass rusher 0:28:15.600 --> 0:28:18.200 is only second or third best option to get after 0:28:18.240 --> 0:28:21.040 the quarterback. And that's just telling it like it is. 0:28:21.080 --> 0:28:23.919 That's not picking on anybody, that's just that's the expectations. Now. 0:28:23.960 --> 0:28:25.680 I know a whole lot of people have been want 0:28:25.720 --> 0:28:27.480 to jump on Jalen Smith, and a lot of people 0:28:27.560 --> 0:28:30.800 have jumped on Jalen Smith. Let me at least say 0:28:30.840 --> 0:28:35.360 this and Jalen's defense, We all thought that Laton Vanderush 0:28:35.400 --> 0:28:37.399 was the better linebacker up the two. He was the 0:28:37.400 --> 0:28:39.400 first round pick in this first year making the Pro 0:28:39.480 --> 0:28:41.960 Bowl um and so he goes out of the game 0:28:42.000 --> 0:28:44.240 and they switched him back. I mean they took Jalen 0:28:44.280 --> 0:28:46.600 out of the middle four reason. Okay, they made the 0:28:46.720 --> 0:28:49.640 switch for a reason. And so that this is true, 0:28:49.760 --> 0:28:52.200 and and you know, some of the some of the 0:28:52.200 --> 0:28:54.280 things that you didn't like to see, like that Chicago game, 0:28:54.320 --> 0:28:56.440 they were I felt like McVeigh was picking on him 0:28:56.760 --> 0:28:59.120 and they made they were making some plays against Jalen 0:28:59.200 --> 0:29:02.440 Smith even though they said he played well. But folks, 0:29:02.520 --> 0:29:07.280 Jalen is not tank. And also the defensive line has 0:29:07.400 --> 0:29:10.400 got to be able to hold the point of attack 0:29:10.840 --> 0:29:13.360 and limit the other team from running the ball. Forty 0:29:13.440 --> 0:29:16.080 rushes by the Rams was too much. You have to 0:29:16.120 --> 0:29:19.000 help Jalen out. Jalen Smith is not junior, say out, 0:29:19.040 --> 0:29:22.080 He's not Laton Vanderesh. He's a good player, he's not 0:29:22.160 --> 0:29:24.479 a great player. And they got to help him out 0:29:24.520 --> 0:29:27.000 a little bit. He also has to be better at 0:29:27.040 --> 0:29:29.920 diagnosing some plays here. But Jalen's taking a lot of heat. 0:29:30.000 --> 0:29:33.320 So vander esh is out. He's gonna be gone six weeks. 0:29:33.400 --> 0:29:36.400 We found out yesterday Sean Lee had sports attorney surgery. 0:29:36.480 --> 0:29:38.600 So Sean Lee is gonna be out six weeks. So 0:29:38.760 --> 0:29:40.760 Jalen Smith is gonna be calling the plays for the 0:29:41.200 --> 0:29:44.000 Cowboys on Sunday. Joe Thomas is gonna go in there. Look, 0:29:44.040 --> 0:29:46.000 they got warts at the position, and that's why I 0:29:46.000 --> 0:29:47.440 come back and I say, look, that's where you need 0:29:47.440 --> 0:29:50.000 the tank Lawrence to go ahead and do his thing here. 0:29:50.160 --> 0:29:52.440 They've got to help each other here and the offense, 0:29:52.480 --> 0:29:55.360 I'll say this until the Cows come home. Offense has 0:29:55.400 --> 0:29:58.640 got to have the football longer than the defense. Being 0:29:58.680 --> 0:30:00.680 on the field eleven and a half half minutes is 0:30:00.720 --> 0:30:02.880 what the Rams have the ball for longer, not hurt. 0:30:02.920 --> 0:30:05.360 The Cowboy defense can't be out there thirty minutes. Arry 0:30:05.520 --> 0:30:09.160 They can't win games out at all. They can't. They can't. 0:30:09.200 --> 0:30:12.320 They've got to help the defense. It's just not a 0:30:12.360 --> 0:30:15.080 formula for success. I mean, if you're if you're there. 0:30:15.280 --> 0:30:17.680 I just don't think having their defense out there that long. 0:30:17.760 --> 0:30:19.960 This is a defense to me that's that's hungry for 0:30:20.000 --> 0:30:22.360 splash plays and they need to make those slash plays. 0:30:22.400 --> 0:30:25.400 And like you said earlier, the best defense in my 0:30:25.680 --> 0:30:28.360 or not opinion for this Cowboys is the Cowboys offense 0:30:28.360 --> 0:30:30.120 staying on the field. I mean they if they can, 0:30:30.320 --> 0:30:33.200 If they can basically just milk that clock and just 0:30:33.360 --> 0:30:36.400 drain that Atlanta defense and our and our defense only 0:30:36.440 --> 0:30:38.040 has to stay on the field for a short amount 0:30:38.040 --> 0:30:40.760 of time, I think we'll have great success. But really quick, 0:30:40.760 --> 0:30:42.520 I want to ask you a question is did they 0:30:42.600 --> 0:30:45.080 move Jalen back to middle or is he playing will 0:30:45.160 --> 0:30:48.960 even with um LV being out. Hey, man, you can't 0:30:48.960 --> 0:30:51.720 have Joe Thomas playing the middle. You know they can't. 0:30:51.880 --> 0:30:55.040 That's why you can't. He's got he's got, Yeah, he 0:30:55.080 --> 0:30:57.040 has to go back to the middle. He's just it 0:30:57.040 --> 0:31:00.600 would be unfair to Joe um And Yeah. Will McClay 0:31:00.600 --> 0:31:03.360 talked about Luke Gifford and Mike McCarthy said, the other 0:31:03.480 --> 0:31:05.440 you know, the other linebackers are gonna come in and 0:31:05.520 --> 0:31:08.160 basically take a lot of those snaps that Joe Thomas 0:31:08.440 --> 0:31:11.200 was doing all specials and try and help out that way. 0:31:11.280 --> 0:31:13.520 But Look, you've got warts. And one of the things 0:31:13.520 --> 0:31:16.560 about coaching, and the best coaches they figure out how 0:31:16.560 --> 0:31:18.120 do we cover up the warts? And when you talk 0:31:18.120 --> 0:31:19.960 about that, I look at Bill Belichick, dough The issue's 0:31:20.000 --> 0:31:22.680 that a fantais out there so um. But but to 0:31:22.680 --> 0:31:25.880 protect the linebackers, the d line has got to be better. 0:31:26.040 --> 0:31:28.120 They can't, you know, up the middle. You've got to 0:31:28.160 --> 0:31:30.760 be able to solidify, you know, you gotta be able 0:31:30.800 --> 0:31:33.400 to solidify the run and not let Todd Gurley just 0:31:33.480 --> 0:31:35.360 run up the middle on you. And they got to 0:31:35.360 --> 0:31:38.320 force some third downs. Okay, that's one thing they weren't doing. 0:31:38.360 --> 0:31:41.080 They were losing first down all game along against the Rams, 0:31:41.040 --> 0:31:45.000 and the Rams had control Berry that entire football game then, 0:31:45.080 --> 0:31:48.800 and that just cannot happen. It cannot happen. The Falcons 0:31:49.400 --> 0:31:52.080 are a good offensive team, but they're bad defensive teams. 0:31:52.080 --> 0:31:54.040 So the Cowboys have got to take advantage of that. This, 0:31:54.120 --> 0:31:56.920 I mean truly, this has to be a team victory 0:31:56.920 --> 0:31:59.560 on Sunday. Offense got to help the defense out. Defense 0:31:59.600 --> 0:32:01.320 can't make keating mistakes. They got to clean up what 0:32:01.320 --> 0:32:03.200 they did against the Rams and be ready for this 0:32:03.240 --> 0:32:05.560 Atlanta defense. Because if you make one mistake here, you know, 0:32:05.640 --> 0:32:08.320 Julio can burn it. Then when we come back, let's 0:32:08.320 --> 0:32:11.840 get in. Let's get into Julio Jones and Trey Bond 0:32:11.880 --> 0:32:14.120 Digs and what Mike McCarthy had to say about the 0:32:14.200 --> 0:32:17.360 Rookie Corner from Alabama. You are checking out the players 0:32:17.320 --> 0:32:20.480 allounce with Barry Church and Newis Scrugs. Danny mccraig got 0:32:20.520 --> 0:32:21.880 the day off and it is brought to you by 0:32:21.920 --> 0:32:26.320 Hotels dot Com right here on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Hey, 0:32:26.360 --> 0:32:30.360 they're Cowboys fans with Tight Cleaners at Home pickup and delivery. 0:32:30.640 --> 0:32:34.040 Cleaning your clothes has never been more convenient. Simply sign 0:32:34.120 --> 0:32:36.760 up at your local store, set out your dirty clothes, 0:32:36.800 --> 0:32:39.480 and one of our Tight Cleaners professionals will come directly 0:32:39.520 --> 0:32:43.080 to your home for a totally contactless experience. 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For details, visit the Star in parisk Oh 0:35:00.320 --> 0:35:02.680 dot com. You are checking out the players last. We 0:35:02.719 --> 0:35:06.640 do it every Tuesday right here on Dallas Cowboys dot com. 0:35:06.719 --> 0:35:09.719 I'm knew he Scrugs, longtime Cowboy reporter joined by Barry Church. 0:35:09.760 --> 0:35:12.319 Former to Dallas Cowboy safety our boy Danny McCrae has 0:35:12.400 --> 0:35:16.120 the day off here. Okay, Um, the Falcons bring in 0:35:16.160 --> 0:35:19.040 three guys who had over one hundred yards of receiving 0:35:19.120 --> 0:35:22.439 last week. So Julio Jones the the perennial All Pro. 0:35:22.719 --> 0:35:24.839 Then he got Calvin Ridley, and then they brought in 0:35:24.880 --> 0:35:28.280 another kid here. Um, and I think he played at LSU. 0:35:28.440 --> 0:35:30.279 So I hate that Danny's not here is he can 0:35:30.280 --> 0:35:35.480 go down all day long, but but he had a 0:35:35.600 --> 0:35:40.160 hundred Um. Mike McCarthy says, Trayvon Digs, the rookie from 0:35:40.160 --> 0:35:44.319 Alabama will start for the Dallas Cowboys, and he says 0:35:44.320 --> 0:35:46.919 it's not any disrespect the Julio, but that's what they're 0:35:46.920 --> 0:35:51.480 gonna do. Here's Mike McCarthy today. Well, I think that 0:35:51.640 --> 0:35:54.680 you know, the fact you noted his wide receiver type skills, 0:35:54.719 --> 0:35:56.719 I mean, his his his ability to make plays on 0:35:56.719 --> 0:35:59.799 the ball is exceptional. That's something that jumps off to, 0:36:00.880 --> 0:36:03.799 uh you know, going back to Alabama. Um, but you know, 0:36:03.800 --> 0:36:07.120 outside of his obvious uh you know, high skill set 0:36:07.160 --> 0:36:09.960 to play the position in the physical measurables. The thing 0:36:10.200 --> 0:36:12.880 that I'm so impressed with, you know, off his college 0:36:12.880 --> 0:36:15.120 state and and he's and he's brought it here to 0:36:15.239 --> 0:36:18.880 Dallas is you know, he has such a patience and 0:36:19.040 --> 0:36:21.719 calmness to him when he's in coverage and that and 0:36:21.719 --> 0:36:25.120 that breeds, you know, to me, the confidence that he 0:36:25.160 --> 0:36:28.239 plays with and the understanding that he plays with not 0:36:28.320 --> 0:36:30.880 only would expect it of him and how he fits 0:36:30.880 --> 0:36:34.680 into the coverage scheme, but his his ability to understand 0:36:34.719 --> 0:36:37.640 route running, you know, the breaking points of a route, 0:36:37.719 --> 0:36:40.200 you know, the stem of a route. But he plays 0:36:40.200 --> 0:36:43.400 with with with with a lot of maturity, uh in 0:36:43.840 --> 0:36:47.399 his coverage um and and that's that's something I've been 0:36:47.800 --> 0:36:50.279 impressed with from day one. You don't see him, he 0:36:50.320 --> 0:36:53.640 doesn't panic out there, which you know when the inexperienced 0:36:53.640 --> 0:36:55.839 players sometimes gets in a in a tough spot. That's 0:36:56.280 --> 0:36:58.520 you know, that goes back to that timing and rhythm 0:36:58.560 --> 0:37:02.840 and being insane that you're always trying to improve on 0:37:02.880 --> 0:37:05.440 as a football team. But he's he's a very confident 0:37:05.480 --> 0:37:11.800 young man. That is Mike McCarthy talking about the rookie 0:37:11.800 --> 0:37:15.520 Trey Diggs from Alabama. Thanks Christian being for getting that 0:37:15.560 --> 0:37:18.440 cut from us from the Mike McCarthy press conference today. So, Barry, 0:37:18.480 --> 0:37:21.759 you played this league as safety. You understand what corners are, 0:37:21.840 --> 0:37:23.960 what they can do. Give me a grade, And how 0:37:23.960 --> 0:37:28.239 did you feel about Diggs against the Rams Week one? Well, 0:37:28.320 --> 0:37:30.880 Diggs against the Rams week one, I mean it wasn't perfect. 0:37:30.960 --> 0:37:32.560 I mean he gave up a couple of catches. But 0:37:33.040 --> 0:37:35.640 what I did love about his game is that he 0:37:35.719 --> 0:37:38.760 was always right there in coverage. I mean, the receivers 0:37:38.800 --> 0:37:41.279 weren't wide open, they weren't butt naked free out there 0:37:41.480 --> 0:37:44.480 just catching anything. Every time the quarterback through at him, 0:37:44.480 --> 0:37:47.000 it was it was it was a contested catch or 0:37:47.160 --> 0:37:49.839 was an incomplete pass. And what I loved about this 0:37:49.920 --> 0:37:52.720 kid coming out and what made him, in my opinion, 0:37:52.760 --> 0:37:54.880 a first round pick and a second round steal for 0:37:54.920 --> 0:37:58.520 the Dallas Cowboys is his ability when the ball is 0:37:58.560 --> 0:38:00.680 in the air to become that receipt. I mean, you've 0:38:00.680 --> 0:38:03.239 heard it from him time and time again, is that 0:38:03.280 --> 0:38:05.279 when that ball's in the air, it's just not all 0:38:05.280 --> 0:38:07.080 the way, you know, just give it to the receiver. 0:38:07.160 --> 0:38:09.280 It's it's mine, it's mine as well, it's my property 0:38:09.280 --> 0:38:11.279 as well, and I have just enough right to it 0:38:11.320 --> 0:38:13.719 as anybody else. So and that's what I think we've 0:38:13.760 --> 0:38:16.319 struggled with as a secondary for these past couple of years. 0:38:16.320 --> 0:38:18.320 It's just taking the ball away and go and getting 0:38:18.360 --> 0:38:20.399 the ball at the highest point. And I think that's 0:38:20.400 --> 0:38:23.000 what he brings to this secondary. He brings that physical 0:38:23.080 --> 0:38:26.200 nature that being able to press at the line of scrimmage. 0:38:26.239 --> 0:38:28.480 He's a bigger He's a bigger corner, kind of reminds 0:38:28.480 --> 0:38:31.279 me of that Byron Jones type build, and he can 0:38:31.320 --> 0:38:33.399 pretty much get after the bigger receivers in the league. 0:38:33.440 --> 0:38:35.680 And then he won't back down from a Julio Jones. 0:38:35.719 --> 0:38:38.200 So I think he is the perfect candidate for the 0:38:38.280 --> 0:38:40.759 secondary to kind of throw at Julio. I'm sure he 0:38:40.840 --> 0:38:43.319 won't travel with him all over the field, but I 0:38:43.360 --> 0:38:45.239 think if they throw him at Julio, it'll give him 0:38:45.280 --> 0:38:47.560 a different look. He's bigger than they other corners, and 0:38:47.600 --> 0:38:49.840 I think he can abode well. Now, will he shut 0:38:49.840 --> 0:38:52.360 out Julio Jones. I don't think so by any stretch 0:38:52.400 --> 0:38:54.880 of the imagination, because I just don't think any corner 0:38:54.920 --> 0:38:57.239 in the NFL can do that right now. But will 0:38:57.280 --> 0:38:59.239 he have a good chance. I believe so, and I 0:38:59.239 --> 0:39:01.319 think McCarthy doing it right by putting him in the 0:39:01.320 --> 0:39:03.240 starting lineup and seeing what he can do it against 0:39:03.280 --> 0:39:08.120 the NFL's best. How do they help out TREYE. Diggs 0:39:08.400 --> 0:39:11.080 Because you don't leave a rookie one on one with 0:39:11.640 --> 0:39:16.480 a premier talent like Julio Jones. Now you can't. I mean, 0:39:16.640 --> 0:39:19.439 even if that was Jalen Ramsey out there, I'm sure 0:39:19.480 --> 0:39:21.719 they're gonna do something to kind of give him help. 0:39:21.719 --> 0:39:24.759 And what the Cowboys defense, in my opinion, should do 0:39:25.120 --> 0:39:27.960 is they should at least shade a safety over there 0:39:28.040 --> 0:39:30.719 just in the early downs, just to see where they're going, 0:39:30.760 --> 0:39:32.880 if they're going to attack him, or how they're gonna 0:39:32.880 --> 0:39:36.280 play Digs out there. But I would have a safety 0:39:36.360 --> 0:39:39.040 shade over top of him. I would let Diggs be 0:39:39.080 --> 0:39:41.759 as aggressive as he wants to get in the face 0:39:41.840 --> 0:39:44.200 of Julio Jones. Go ahead, jam him up at the 0:39:44.239 --> 0:39:46.560 line of scrimmage, get him off of that rhythm that 0:39:46.680 --> 0:39:48.759 he and Matt Ryan have, because I think that's your 0:39:48.760 --> 0:39:51.480 best opportunity at slowing down this passing attack. You have 0:39:51.560 --> 0:39:53.120 to get up in his space. You have to jam 0:39:53.160 --> 0:39:55.000 it met the line of scrimmage. And the reason I 0:39:55.040 --> 0:39:57.839 say have a safety shaded over there, because Julio he's 0:39:57.880 --> 0:40:00.880 a big guy and he swats corners around left and right. 0:40:00.960 --> 0:40:03.600 So if he's able to miss that jam, you at 0:40:03.640 --> 0:40:05.759 least have a safety over the top to help him 0:40:05.760 --> 0:40:08.040 and deter the quarterback from just launching a deep throw 0:40:08.120 --> 0:40:10.840 down the sideline. So to me, they have to shade 0:40:11.040 --> 0:40:14.040 a safety over there. They have to let digs become 0:40:14.080 --> 0:40:18.040 aggressive and pretty much just distruct that whole rhythm that 0:40:18.440 --> 0:40:21.000 Matt Ryan and Julio Jones has. Now. Will it be 0:40:21.040 --> 0:40:23.080 a tall task, of course it will, because he's the 0:40:23.120 --> 0:40:25.279 best receiver in the game in my opinion, But just 0:40:25.320 --> 0:40:27.120 shade a receiver over there, just give him some help 0:40:27.160 --> 0:40:29.279 early in the downs and then maybe once or twice 0:40:29.280 --> 0:40:32.000 trickle in just some single play. But for the most 0:40:32.000 --> 0:40:33.840 part of the game. I would definitely shade a safety 0:40:33.880 --> 0:40:37.279 over top of him. All Right, what's one advantage you 0:40:37.360 --> 0:40:40.319 think the Cowboys have against the Falcons? And what's one 0:40:40.400 --> 0:40:44.799 disadvantage you think the Cowboys have going against the Falcons? Well, 0:40:44.800 --> 0:40:48.080 one advantage I think the Cowboys has. I think it 0:40:48.160 --> 0:40:49.920 has to do with the offensive line or not the 0:40:49.920 --> 0:40:51.640 offensive life. Thing has to do with the offense. Period. 0:40:51.680 --> 0:40:54.080 They have that bell cow back in the back name 0:40:54.400 --> 0:40:57.239 Ezekiel Elliott, I think if they're able to win those 0:40:57.280 --> 0:41:00.160 trenches offensively and get him the ball going early, get 0:41:00.239 --> 0:41:02.520 him his touches, whether that be out of the backfield 0:41:02.520 --> 0:41:05.160 as a receiver or running the ball, whichever the way, 0:41:05.160 --> 0:41:08.000 they can do that to grind this Atlanta defense down, 0:41:08.200 --> 0:41:09.759 I think they'll have to do so. They have to 0:41:09.760 --> 0:41:12.160 get him going in the running game early, and I 0:41:12.160 --> 0:41:13.560 think they will be able to do that. I mean, 0:41:13.560 --> 0:41:16.439 this defensive line for the Atlanta Falcons is more known 0:41:16.480 --> 0:41:19.600 for its pass rushing abilities. Yes, the Seattle Seats didn't 0:41:19.600 --> 0:41:21.640 do much on the ground, but that's because they had 0:41:21.719 --> 0:41:24.239 whatever they wanted in the air against Atlanta, So I 0:41:24.280 --> 0:41:26.759 think for us it'll be the exact opposite. I think 0:41:26.840 --> 0:41:30.040 Zeke should be able to eat well on this Sunday afternoon, 0:41:30.080 --> 0:41:33.760 and hopefully we'll be able to get after this Falcons defense. 0:41:33.920 --> 0:41:38.040 But the disadvantage, I will say, I think it's going 0:41:38.080 --> 0:41:42.560 to be just the passing attack overall. The Atlanta Falcons 0:41:42.640 --> 0:41:44.920 is a better one than the Cowboys, So I think 0:41:44.960 --> 0:41:47.880 the disadvantage is even though we might shade a safety 0:41:47.880 --> 0:41:50.279 over there to help Digs out on Julio Jones, what 0:41:50.360 --> 0:41:52.560 about the rest. I mean, they got Calvin Ridley out there. 0:41:52.600 --> 0:41:54.759 They got that kid from LSU, like you said, and 0:41:54.800 --> 0:41:56.960 really we cannot sleep on him. This is one of 0:41:56.960 --> 0:41:59.560 the better route runners in the NFL. We've seen what 0:41:59.600 --> 0:42:01.200 he did to Sealoty the other day. I mean he's 0:42:01.239 --> 0:42:03.680 making people fall left and right, and there was nobody 0:42:03.719 --> 0:42:05.680 around him for his touchdown. I mean it was like 0:42:05.880 --> 0:42:08.080 somebody maybe twenty yards away from him. So this is 0:42:08.120 --> 0:42:11.120 an extremely dangerous receiving corps and I think that's one 0:42:11.120 --> 0:42:13.720 advantage that they do have over the Cowboys. But overall, 0:42:13.760 --> 0:42:15.400 I got a lean towards the Cowboys to get this 0:42:15.480 --> 0:42:19.319 victory on Sunday. All right, So one week for Mike 0:42:19.400 --> 0:42:22.160 McCarthy in his new staff to kind of go ahead 0:42:22.160 --> 0:42:24.160 and work out the kinks here and understand what it's like. 0:42:24.200 --> 0:42:28.480 A lot of teams who had coaching staffs already intact 0:42:28.600 --> 0:42:31.879 had advantages. And you look at the Cleveland Browns. They 0:42:31.920 --> 0:42:34.840 got to be thirty eight to six by the Baltimore Ravens. 0:42:34.920 --> 0:42:36.360 And we know the Ravens are a good team, but 0:42:36.360 --> 0:42:39.080 that's the new staff led by head coach Kevin Stefanski 0:42:39.440 --> 0:42:44.120 and just that's not an excuse. But at the same time, 0:42:44.400 --> 0:42:46.640 we can't act like it's not an advantage because we 0:42:46.640 --> 0:42:49.120 spoke about that how the new coaches who didn't have 0:42:49.160 --> 0:42:50.960 all the kind of time that they need the offseason 0:42:51.080 --> 0:42:53.840 would have some issues in The Cowboys definitely had theirs. 0:42:53.960 --> 0:42:57.239 Speaking of the Browns, they play Cincinnati tonight. They're going 0:42:57.280 --> 0:43:00.239 to have that game in Cleveland. Both teams are over one, 0:43:00.760 --> 0:43:03.480 uh the brown six point favorites. Who do you like 0:43:03.600 --> 0:43:07.600 and why in this game? Barry Church, I'm gonna I'm gonna. 0:43:07.719 --> 0:43:10.319 I'm gonna lean towards Cincinnati on this one. I you know, 0:43:10.360 --> 0:43:13.120 I like what I saw early from from Joe Burrow. 0:43:13.160 --> 0:43:15.640 I mean, he had some rookie struggles out there, but 0:43:15.719 --> 0:43:18.200 it didn't seem like the moment was too big for him. 0:43:18.239 --> 0:43:19.880 I mean he went out there and I feel like 0:43:19.920 --> 0:43:22.440 he played to the best of his abilities. So I 0:43:22.480 --> 0:43:25.279 think um Aj Green and him will get even better 0:43:25.320 --> 0:43:28.160 as the season progresses. Um I think they have the 0:43:28.239 --> 0:43:31.359 better running option now, Nick Chubb. You know, I feel 0:43:31.400 --> 0:43:33.080 like he is one of the better running backs in 0:43:33.080 --> 0:43:35.839 the NFL. But I think he's getting his carries eight 0:43:35.880 --> 0:43:38.279 into by Kareem Hunt. So I mean, I don't think 0:43:38.280 --> 0:43:40.799 their running attack is as strong as just Joe mix 0:43:40.880 --> 0:43:43.919 him by himself. Um So that's what I'm gonna lean towards. 0:43:43.920 --> 0:43:47.040 I'm gonna lean towards Cincinnati. I just think the Cleveland 0:43:47.120 --> 0:43:50.279 right now is a dumpster fire, and I gotta lean 0:43:50.280 --> 0:43:53.560 towards Cincinnati on this one. All Right, Cleveland's at home. 0:43:54.000 --> 0:43:56.439 Cincinnati's gotta show me they can go out and win 0:43:56.600 --> 0:43:59.680 games on the road. Um So, I'm not gonna tell 0:43:59.719 --> 0:44:01.880 I'm gonna take the Bengals. What I want to do 0:44:01.920 --> 0:44:05.160 and see tonight is how Baker Mayfield responds to a 0:44:05.239 --> 0:44:07.960 bad first game. He's got to find a way to 0:44:08.080 --> 0:44:10.719 make some connection with Odell Beckham Jr. He's too good 0:44:10.760 --> 0:44:13.360 of a weapon to not put up some better numbers 0:44:13.560 --> 0:44:16.000 in Cleveland with all sorts of help around him. So 0:44:16.160 --> 0:44:19.200 can Baker Mayfield see down the football field? Because I'm 0:44:19.200 --> 0:44:21.600 getting to that point in time where if Baker Mayfield 0:44:21.680 --> 0:44:23.640 doesn't have a good year, you gotta sit around here 0:44:23.640 --> 0:44:25.759 starting to ask yourself, is Baker Mayfield really the guy? 0:44:25.840 --> 0:44:28.120 He was a number one pick in the draft, and 0:44:28.280 --> 0:44:31.040 right now I'm not seeing Baker Mayfield played to the 0:44:31.080 --> 0:44:33.680 level of what I think he could do and be 0:44:33.719 --> 0:44:36.440 for the Cleveland Browns. But I'm gonna go ahead and 0:44:36.440 --> 0:44:38.080 pick the Browns, all right, I'm gonna pick the brown 0:44:38.920 --> 0:44:41.839 I'll say. I'm gonna say the Browns went at home, 0:44:41.880 --> 0:44:44.120 because when you have two teams that are bad, and 0:44:44.160 --> 0:44:46.520 to me, the difference in good teams is can you 0:44:46.600 --> 0:44:48.960 went on the road. I don't know if Cincinnati can 0:44:49.000 --> 0:44:50.759 do that just yet. I think it would be a 0:44:50.760 --> 0:44:53.040 close game, these Thursday night games and you played in 0:44:53.080 --> 0:44:56.360 a barry there turn the turnarounds are tough. The and 0:44:56.480 --> 0:45:00.359 I know Cincinnati is not far from Cleveland. I used 0:45:00.360 --> 0:45:02.320 to live in Cleveland. I've been down to Cincinnati before, 0:45:02.360 --> 0:45:04.320 so it's not like trying to fly across the country 0:45:04.360 --> 0:45:06.600 like Seattle, having to go over to go over to Cleveland. 0:45:06.600 --> 0:45:09.160 But still it's a one less day. You've got to 0:45:09.480 --> 0:45:11.600 prepare here, and the whole team has an advantage on 0:45:11.640 --> 0:45:14.719 these Thursday games. You're right, the home team does have 0:45:14.760 --> 0:45:17.040 the advantage. They don't have to travel, they don't have 0:45:17.080 --> 0:45:19.480 to spend spend the previous night in the hotel, they 0:45:19.480 --> 0:45:21.840 get to relax and all that good stuff. But I 0:45:21.960 --> 0:45:24.520 tell you this much, Baker, he better do something this 0:45:24.600 --> 0:45:27.840 game because he's he's about one or two weeks away 0:45:28.000 --> 0:45:31.319 from people starting to consider a Gardner mits you as 0:45:31.320 --> 0:45:33.400 a better quarterback option than him. So I mean, he 0:45:33.760 --> 0:45:35.239 better do something this week. If it ain't if it 0:45:35.239 --> 0:45:37.160 ain't a win, he gotta put up huge numbers. He 0:45:37.200 --> 0:45:39.560 has to get Odell involved. I mean, he just has 0:45:39.600 --> 0:45:42.239 too many weapons out there to be this abysmal in 0:45:42.280 --> 0:45:44.960 the offense. So he better get something going on or 0:45:45.000 --> 0:45:47.319 they're gonna start he's gonna start hearing the chance for 0:45:47.600 --> 0:45:51.560 putting him on the bench. But we shall see, all right, Church, 0:45:51.760 --> 0:45:53.920 good stuff. We'll get out of tomorrow. We'll have our 0:45:54.040 --> 0:45:58.120 picks for the Cowboys and Falcons. We appreciate everybody part 0:45:58.160 --> 0:46:01.200 of the Players Lounge, brought to you by Hotels dot Com, 0:46:01.320 --> 0:46:04.279 especially our man Chris Bean, who's producing getting everything done 0:46:04.280 --> 0:46:06.160 to make sure this show gets out here to you. 0:46:06.160 --> 0:46:08.879 I'm nui scrugs. Thank you for checking us out. We'll 0:46:08.880 --> 0:46:11.680 be back tomorrow right here on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. 0:46:12.560 --> 0:46:15.480 This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:46:15.480 --> 0:46:17.520 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.