WEBVTT - Holiday Special: Understanding Their Roles 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:08.640 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:18.520 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This is the Player's 0:00:18.600 --> 0:00:30.040 label broadcasting line from Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters at the Star. Hi, 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:33.880 everybody knew, he scrugs here. It's not the Player's lounge 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:36.000 because we do that at two thirty, and it's usually 0:00:36.040 --> 0:00:39.320 with Danny Mccraneberry Church. They're not here. We're doing a 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:42.239 scramble today. So I am pleased to work with the 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:46.639 first time Mickey Spacknola, Dallas Cowboys dot Com. HECKM. Harrison 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:51.320 and Isaiah stand back here. So, guys, I just want 0:00:51.320 --> 0:00:53.320 to have fun for forty five minutes. I'm going to 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:55.440 defer to you for a whole lot here. I'll kind 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:57.480 of lead this thing, but I want you guys to 0:00:57.640 --> 0:01:00.560 do what you normally do on your pod cast, which 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:03.440 entertained me by the way I watched them. I watched 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:08.319 them daily. First off, how's everybody doing, how's everybody doing? 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:12.760 All Christmas eve? Wonderful, wonderful doing. Good man, this is 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:14.880 this is it right here. We got six more days 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:18.880 to the end of twenty twenty. Christmas is here, and man, 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:22.360 it's just a blessing to be with you guys. Now, 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:24.240 everything's good this way, no, man, I mean my pockets 0:01:24.280 --> 0:01:26.119 are a little lighter than they typically are this time 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:30.360 of the year, you know, But everything's good, man, I'm good. 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:32.920 I thought I was gonna be able to give you 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.920 an update on practice as practice went along, but they 0:01:36.160 --> 0:01:41.840 went indoors. So I'm here at the Star in one 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:45.880 of the little offices, the meeting rooms, and I'm glad 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:48.760 to be with you guys. Excellent, So, Mickey, I haven't 0:01:48.760 --> 0:01:51.240 been in the Star forever and a day, So tell 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.360 me what's the protocol to get in that thing? Man, 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:57.920 I haven't been in forever here. Well, it depends on 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.520 which end you want to enter. If you want to 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:06.040 enter where the players and the staff enter, that's on 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:09.840 the to buy left, on the other side of the 0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:14.919 Doctor the new Doctor Pepper building, and you have to 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:19.560 pass a COVID test every day. Now, if you want 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:22.400 to enter on our side where the media comes in, 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:26.400 you just have to fill out your little form no no, no, 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:31.400 no no, hopefully and have your temperature taken and you're 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:35.080 allowed in. So we are on this end of the 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:39.360 building and we aren't allowed to go on the other 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:41.600 end of the building, and they're really not allowed to 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:44.760 come to our side either, by the way, all right, 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:47.480 these are the changes that we've had for COVID nineteen 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:50.160 and twenty twenty. Hopefully we can get back to the 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:55.280 way things used to be. Twenty one Cowboys hosting the 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.400 Eagles at A and T and T Stadium on Sunday. 0:02:58.440 --> 0:03:02.600 Here m make one start with you on this. Antoine Woods, 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:09.960 Layton Xavier Woods could possibly miss this football game. What 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:12.480 will that mean? Mickey? Start with us and everybody go 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:14.320 around here and give me your take of these three 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:18.240 gentlemen aren't line up on Sunday. Yeah, and the Woods, 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:22.480 the Woods is are not practicing again today. They didn't 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:27.280 practice yesterday, so yeah, it looks like they're probably missing 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:31.200 the game. Layton Vanderish, I think with a high ankle sprain, 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:37.760 he's probably definitely out. He hasn't practiced. Ezekiel Elliott was 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:39.920 going to be limited today and I think they're hopeful 0:03:40.000 --> 0:03:44.600 that he can make it. Same thing with Blake Bell. 0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:47.720 He's got an illness and he hasn't practiced these last 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:53.080 two days, but McCarthy anticipates him being ready to go. 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:58.000 And Michael Gallup was full yesterday expected to be full today, 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:02.800 so he should be good to go. So yeah, the 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:11.160 two woodses what a Xavier down. Likely they'll use Darian 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:14.080 Thompson as one of the safeties along with Donovan Wilson, 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:19.039 and as Mike talked today, they'll probably be be training 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.040 some of one or two of the corners to fill 0:04:22.120 --> 0:04:26.800 in at the safety position along with Reggie Robinson if 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:30.440 indeed he's ready. At least he played more special teams 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:35.279 tackles in this in this pass game, ask for Antoine. 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:40.919 That means Justin Hamilton plan more at defensive tackle. And 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.760 you know, if you noticed what they did last week 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:47.600 when they went into their nickel in definite passing situations, 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:52.240 they moved Alden Smith inside as a defensive tackle and 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:57.160 Tyrone Crawford. So that'll be a shared position without Antoine 0:04:57.160 --> 0:04:59.440 in there, and you'd sure like to have him in 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:03.400 there because, as you know, dying well, what Philadelphia wants 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:07.000 to do. They want to run the football like everybody 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:13.560 else wants to do against this Cowboys defense. Thoughts, Yeah, no, 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:15.320 I mean in terms of the guys that we potentially 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:17.520 might be missing. I know, we typically have the Connor bros. 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:20.360 That we're talking about, but the Woods bros. Now, both 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:22.560 of those guys, their presence are going to be dearly missed, 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:26.320 obviously in the secondary, just that veteran presence back there. 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:28.520 Not even that he's been that exceptional this year, because 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:30.200 I don't think anybody has been on that on that 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:32.680 side of things, but I think you just had just 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:34.760 that veteran presence and having all of our guys last 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:38.880 week was huge. So we'll definitely miss him Lvie. I 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:41.279 don't think that we'll miss Lvee as much as people think. 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:43.120 I know that he's in there. He's a shot caller, 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:45.680 he's a captain on that side, and really controls everything 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:47.640 on the defense side of the ball. But we have 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:50.200 another intellectual guy in the form of Sean lead At 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:52.880 a step in, and I'm a big fan of Joe 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.039 Thomas and his athleticism and what he brings to this team. 0:05:56.240 --> 0:05:58.960 With him and Jaylen Smith hopefully being able to if 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:01.000 they're making the right and if they are where they're 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.440 supposed to be, their athleticism will pay huge dividends this 0:06:04.520 --> 0:06:07.960 game against this against this offense. And I think probably 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.000 more than more than anything, we're gonna miss the big 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:12.560 boy in the middle, Big Woods, because we know um 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:14.400 as making ready alluded to it, these guys are gonna 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:16.080 try to run the ball at us, and you need 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:18.280 somebody to really clog some things up because they're gonna 0:06:18.279 --> 0:06:20.599 try to pull their guards, um and pull their centers 0:06:20.600 --> 0:06:22.000 and things of that nature to try to get off 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:24.080 on the edge. So I think out of every position 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:25.719 that we're gonna be missing out of those guys, I 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:27.360 think big Woods in the middle is probably gonna be 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:30.680 the biggest loss we have. You know, I say, I'm 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:33.200 not gonna argue with you on Christmas Eve about them. 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:37.080 I'm just not gonna do it. But you know, of 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:39.320 the linebackers that I feel like, you know, all the 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:42.320 run stuffers, the guys that do better against the run, 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:45.480 LV is the one. And like Mix said, you know 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:47.760 what the Eagles are gonna do. They're gonna run the ball. 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:51.000 And no one is hedging their bets against the Eagles, 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:54.440 not trying to establish the running game the entire game. 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:56.719 But with the way that the numbers have been against 0:06:56.720 --> 0:07:00.120 this Cowboys defense. But you guys have already said it 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:04.080 with Antoine Woods in the middle, he'll be missing that rotation. 0:07:04.200 --> 0:07:07.039 But again, Neville Gallimore has shown you that he has 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:10.120 the ability to make plays behind Hamilton with Hamilton and 0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:13.200 the other guys. Uh and just look, man, our defense 0:07:13.320 --> 0:07:16.320 as of late has you know, the turnover differential and 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:18.720 all of that has made the difference in these ball games. 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:21.120 So if they can continue that, even with the guys 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:24.920 that we're gonna have missing, I'm excited about their chances 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:27.720 on Sunday. But you know, in the back half of 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.360 our defense, if we fill in with guys like you know, 0:07:30.600 --> 0:07:34.480 obviously having Donovan Wilson Thompson back there, you know, I'm 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:39.480 not as worried about the secondary simply because, like you said, Isaiah, 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:43.880 it's not as though we've had exceptional play from Xavier 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:47.040 Woods all season. So I mean, again there's the communication 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:49.680 that I feel like we've gotten better over the last 0:07:49.720 --> 0:07:53.800 couple of games and hopefully we can continue with that. Man, 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:56.960 you're looking good. I love the Christmas outfit. Man, you 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:59.040 got a party afterwards you're going to I mean, you're 0:07:59.040 --> 0:08:02.080 looking at going on. Man, and that boy sharp and 0:08:02.160 --> 0:08:03.960 he knew he that boy cast get sharp. I trying 0:08:04.000 --> 0:08:06.640 to tell you, here's here's a thing, here's a thing 0:08:06.840 --> 0:08:08.520 I knew I was gonna be on with you and 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:12.200 anytime Mickey's around. I gotta be clean for Mickey. I mean, 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:14.160 this is why I did it, because I was gonna 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:16.480 be on with Mickey Spagnola. You know, come on now, 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:19.280 you guys gotta be I'm surprised y'all didn't put on 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:23.800 touched those two. No man, no, no, I'm actually gonna 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:25.920 I'm gonna get done with this podcast. And I got it. 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:28.360 I got a head out here to go to go 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:30.560 pick up this Christmas cake. So I'm about to go 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:35.240 fight some crowds. So I'm just yes, I'm just gonna 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:37.320 be dressed down, pick up this Christmas cake, and I 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:39.000 gotta get some whole milk because I gotta make my 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:44.360 French toast pantatone uh for for most Christmas Breakfast. And 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.880 then I'll be done and i'll be out. I'll be 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:49.400 out him so so I'll be uh be all good there. 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:54.120 Um let me let me just dive here into this 0:08:54.240 --> 0:08:56.480 Eagles and Isaiah I want to start with you on this. 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:00.600 Jalen Hurts he's about to make another start, and the 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:04.840 young man from Oklahoma and Alabama. In his first few games, 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:08.160 he's been electric. And that game against Arizona, he was 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:11.400 three hundred three eight yards in the air for three touchdowns, 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:13.319 and he ran on the ball eleven times for sixty 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:16.400 three yards and a touchdown, four toll touchdowns. If you 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:20.559 were Mike Nolan, how do you slow up Jalen Hurts, 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:25.319 who's come in here and electrified this Eagle's offense man. 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:27.640 To be honest with you, knew you simplify things and 0:09:27.720 --> 0:09:30.480 you you just make sure that guys understand what their 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:32.960 role is, who they are, what their role is on 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:35.520 his team. Right, tell them to play within themselves and 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:38.520 within their position. You ask guys to be as discipline 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:42.240 as they can be because there's really no win. Whether 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:45.319 you sit back in the zone, he's gonna pick you apart. Right. 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:48.199 Everybody talks about his athleticism, but a beheaved as we 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:50.400 saw last week, he is. He is picking guys a bar. 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:52.959 He is precise with his passes. He's sitting back there. 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.120 He's confident his office. A line was given him time 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:58.079 and he could die that thing up. He's smart enough 0:09:58.120 --> 0:10:00.720 to identify what the coverages are in the weak spots 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:03.480 in his ownes. So you don't want to just sit back, Okay, Well, 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:05.680 what's the opposite of that? People say, well, how about 0:10:05.679 --> 0:10:07.280 we blitz him, right, Let's put some pressure on him, 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:10.200 let's make him uncomfortable. Well, that's probably not what you 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:11.720 want to do either, because he's one of the more 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.560 athletic quarterbacks in this league. Oh, he's probably the strongest 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.439 quarterback in this league. I would probably say as well. 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:18.560 So that's probably not gonna work out too well for you. 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:20.559 So if I can't blitz and I can't sit back 0:10:20.559 --> 0:10:23.160 in coverage, what do I do? Well? Again, you ask 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.040 guys to play the coverage that you're that you're that 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:27.040 you're calling, and you just tell them to be disciplined 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:29.760 and play team ball. And that's the only way that 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:31.800 you're gonna that You're gonna get this guy and hope 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:33.559 that he that he lays a ball on the ground. 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.760 As I know, Heck is gonna gonna talk about how 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:39.160 he's susceptible to turnovers in that regard. Yeah, I had 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:43.320 allow up. Yeah newly. I just feel like, you know, 0:10:43.360 --> 0:10:47.840 with the NFL being a league based off of evaluating guys, 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:51.120 and I believe with the way he's come in, a 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:53.800 lot of defensive coordinators hadn't been able to pick apart 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:56.280 his game. See what he likes to do and see 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:59.040 what Peterson likes to set him up. Now the film 0:10:59.120 --> 0:11:01.880 is out there and you can start to kind of 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:04.240 figure out where they're trying to place him with the 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:08.040 bootlegs and motions and things like that to make him comfortable. Uh. 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:10.520 You know, his skill set from Carson Wentz is pretty 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:13.840 much night and day. I feel like just because Carson Wentz, 0:11:13.840 --> 0:11:17.240 I believe talent wise is the better is the better quarterback. 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:20.240 He's just having a horrible year uh this year. But 0:11:20.640 --> 0:11:23.520 for our defense, it's it's the things that got us 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.400 in trouble in the past. Right, guy's not playing assignment 0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:29.959 sound and admit ad libbing and just doing things on 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:32.800 their own. We have to get home that we have 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:36.560 to manufacture that pass rush with not not adding extra 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:39.199 guys to it. And that's that's gonna fall in the 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:42.200 lap of God's like Tank Lawrence uh and getting that 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:47.360 backside pressure and Randy Gregory as well Alden Smith. You know, 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:49.600 these are the names that we're gonna have to be 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:53.880 saying a lot by making Jalen Hurts uncomfortable. He's still 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:56.480 a rookie, right, He's still a rookie. And as much 0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:59.160 as we want to you know, pump him up because 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.280 of the match up. There are some things that I 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:04.920 feel like, Mike Nolan should you do to make him uncomfortable? 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:08.520 And those things obviously going to be with tinkering his coverage. 0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:11.880 You know, Showman plays own things like that too. Safety 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:16.000 maybe one safety high, just to confuse the looks that 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:20.120 Jalen Hurst believes that he has pre snapped. You know, guys, 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.040 I had lost connection there, so I wasn't concentrate on 0:12:23.400 --> 0:12:28.600 whatever everything you said. But if they don't stop the run, 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:31.880 they aren't going to get a chance to rush the quarterback. 0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:35.760 So they better be able to figure out how to 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:41.320 stop the run. And especially if Philadelphia decides to go 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:44.560 two tight ends or two running backs, and then the 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.800 Cowboys are coming in there with their little nickel defense 0:12:48.120 --> 0:12:52.200 and some skinny ass safety close to the line of 0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:55.640 scrimmage instead of another linebacker, And now you're down a 0:12:55.720 --> 0:13:00.240 linebacker without Layton vander Esh. You know, you again to 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:03.800 play Shaun Lee and Joe Thomas. But again, to me, 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:08.520 you're overwhelmed than personnel if they go a run heavy 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:12.040 offense and you're sitting there in your nickel defense. So yeah, 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:14.760 you guys, talked about getting pressure on Jalen Hurts, and 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:17.760 I get that, but if they start running the football. 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:21.160 I mean you talked about how the defense played better. 0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:24.080 They gave up one hundred and fifty yards rushing to 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:28.640 San Francisco, and San Francisco had a big neon sign 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:33.000 out there saying We're going to run and they couldn't 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:36.280 stop it. So to me, they got to stop Jalen 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:38.920 Hurts from running, and they got to stop the rest 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:42.040 of that Philadelphia offense from running. And by the way, 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:45.679 I would rather see Carson Rentz Wentz out there than 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:51.280 Jalen Hurts running around with the football. So make it's 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.120 still an upset about that Baltimore defense that Mike Rola 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:58.800 ran out there. Hey, I got a question for you, Mick. 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:01.240 I know, I know you said the neon I think 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:03.120 I saw the neon sign flashing too. I don't know 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:04.400 if you saw that as well. Maybe it was just 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:07.440 me blinking a lot, but but San Francisco came in 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:09.120 here and did what they did. We didn't necessarily stop 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:10.920 them a whole bunch, right, they were running the ball 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:14.160 like they wanted to. My question is, and my concern, 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.280 I know you're talking about the skinny the skinny secondary 0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:18.520 guy coming down there. But I feel as if we 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:21.720 almost have to bring in a secondary guy to guard 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:23.680 if they do go two tights with these tight ends, 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:25.680 because these tight ends can get off the ball. These 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:28.360 tight ends are both dangerous and Jalen It likes to 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:30.240 throw to these guys and he's gonna put it on 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:33.000 the money, So he's gonna body up some smaller guys 0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:35.920 and he's gonna run by the linebackers. So both of you, 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:38.760 so what what do you do as a defensive coordinator 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:40.520 if you're if you're facing these guys. If I'm the 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:44.400 de coordinator, I'm gonna bring my my extra safeties in. 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:46.040 I know, we got about thirty of them now right, 0:14:46.040 --> 0:14:47.480 We're gonna bring one of my extra safeties in. And 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:49.400 I'm gonna tell these guys put your hands on these 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:51.720 guys at the line of scrimmage and disrupt it. And 0:14:51.760 --> 0:14:53.760 if they run the ball, you need to get on 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.640 the outside and shoot and hunker down and have leverage. 0:14:56.640 --> 0:14:59.640 And I hope that your boys come home from the inside. Well, 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.320 the thing I can the thing I worry about also 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:06.240 is one of the things he started doing these last 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:09.280 couple games is playing a five man line with Dorin's 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:12.960 armstrong acting like a strong side linebacker that he's not, 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:17.280 by the way. And so now once you miss a gap, 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:21.040 you only got one linebacker standing there, and it's it's 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:25.920 Katie Barr the door you're gone. To me, that second 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:29.160 level of the defense is non existent when you do that, 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.880 and I think that causes problems. I worry about him running. 0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.920 I know he threw for three hundred yards last week, 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:38.280 but the first week he started, he ran for one 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:42.040 hundred yards. And we saw what Lamar Jackson did running 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.680 the ball. We saw what Kyler Murray did running the ball. 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:49.440 They've got to figure out how to stop that before 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:52.600 they earned the right to rush the quarterback. So, menike, 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:54.680 let me say this. So when we say the defense 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:57.200 is playing better, we're saying, look, they didn't give up 0:15:57.200 --> 0:16:00.000 three hundred yards. They gave a bunch of fifty yards 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:02.760 over the business in last place. We gotta find a 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:04.920 civil lining to all of this. Obviously, you know you 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:07.520 gotta line up and stop the run for the Eagles. True, 0:16:08.040 --> 0:16:10.480 but you can't. Maybe you can't take away everything in 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.320 our Achilles Hill has been the amount of yards that 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:15.240 we've been giving up in the running game. So as 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:17.560 long as they don't go for three hundred, yeah, we 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:20.040 should be okay. No, as long as they take the 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:23.280 ball over, tike the ball away four times, they're okay. 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:26.840 If you don't get those takeaways. San Francisco had four 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:30.480 hundred and fifty eight yards. I forgot I put the quarterback. 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:34.960 It was a backup quarterback and they had four hundred 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:41.240 and fifty eight yards. Come on, all right, let's take 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:44.240 a break here. Nicky's fired up and I love fired up, Mickey. 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.360 I love fired up, Mickey. I do want to discuss 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:51.320 some comments that Ezekiel Elliott made to the media. Also 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:55.440 Kellen Moore's job status and that possibly he could be 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:59.440 moving on to an excellent opportunity if it comes this way, 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:03.320 and so the most disappointing thing that three guys have 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:05.920 had to check out this year. This is a scrambled 0:17:06.040 --> 0:17:07.960 edition of the Players Lounge. I'm knew We Scruggs along 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.400 with Harrison, Isaiah Standback and Mickispagnol on Dallas Cowboys dot 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:15.560 Com Radio. Hey, they're Cowboys fans with ty Cleaners at 0:17:15.640 --> 0:17:19.160 home pickup and delivery. Cleaning your clothes has never been 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:22.520 more convenient. Simply sign up at your local store, set 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:24.880 out your dirty clothes, and one of our ty Cleaners 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:27.760 professionals will come directly to your home for a totally 0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:31.520 contactless experience. Your clean garments will be returned promptly the 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.520 next scheduled delivery day. So skip the errand and enjoy 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:38.040 life not laundry. Visit ty Cleaners dot com or your 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:40.520 local store to sign up for ty Cleaners at home 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:46.159 pickup and delivery today. Just like all of you, we 0:17:46.280 --> 0:17:48.760 at Seeking can't wait until we're back in the stands, 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.560 at full strength, cheering on the Cowboys and singing along 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:54.480 to our favorite songs again. We're using this time to 0:17:54.520 --> 0:17:59.199 make discovering, buying, and selling tickets to events in Dallas easier. Plus, 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:03.240 every ticket purchased on Seki is protected by our buyer Guarantee, 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.480 which means you being your money back or better if 0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:09.399 your event is canceled guaranteed. Download the Seki Gap today, 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:13.560 and when the time is right, let's go Seek the 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:18.000 Cowboys Way, where sixteen Hall of Famers and five championships 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.359 shows us what success looks like, Where Turkey is always 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.359 the second best part of Thanksgiving Day, where we are 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:28.560 all defined by one single thing, the star, where we 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:31.520 as fans know it's our job to keep the tradition going. 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:34.440 Bank of America is proud to be the official bank 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:37.000 of the Dallas Cowboys and to support the quest of 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:40.760 living life the Cowboys Way. Copyright twenty twenty Bank of 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:44.840 America Corporation. We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:48.560 airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor Pepper and cream soda. 0:18:48.680 --> 0:18:53.360 Let's take a listen and cream sodas he a new 0:18:53.400 --> 0:19:06.879 combone that's music to my years. Okay, doctor times, music 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:10.000 to my ears and mouth. New Doctor Pepper and cream Soda. 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:21.399 Delis do to the players loud. Here we are on 0:19:21.600 --> 0:19:24.080 a Christmas Eve of the players londs. We got to 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:27.080 scramble today, all right, the no buried Church, No Danny mcgraide. 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:28.880 They'll be back with me on Monday. We'll be at 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:31.960 our two thirty pm Central starting time. But today we 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:34.560 got heck my Harrison, Isaiah stand back and Mickey Spagnola 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:37.719 doing it with me. Nui scrugs and um let me 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:41.120 dive into one ezekiel alliet. This has been the most 0:19:41.119 --> 0:19:45.400 disappointing year of Zeke's career, and he missed last week 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:47.560 this game with a calf injury, says he wants to play. 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:51.320 This is what Ezekiel had to say about people calling 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:54.080 for his job because Tony Pollard looked good last last 0:19:54.119 --> 0:19:56.520 week filling in for him, and he said, quote, at 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:59.679 the end of the day, those people aren't signing my checks. 0:19:59.720 --> 0:20:02.680 Those aren't the cats that are making the final decision. 0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:05.720 I think there's a reason they're not the ones making 0:20:05.760 --> 0:20:09.159 those decisions. I don't think it really matters. Hackman's going 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:12.000 to start with you your thoughts on Ezekiel Elliott and 0:20:12.080 --> 0:20:14.320 what he had to say, because there are people who 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:16.760 were disappointed in his performance this year, and you've seen 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:19.040 social media, some people saying he's overrated. Some people say 0:20:19.040 --> 0:20:22.720 it's a bad deal your tech. Yeah, I mean fair 0:20:22.800 --> 0:20:27.359 enough from ezekiel standpoint to say that. And this has 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:29.520 just been one of those things in twenty twenty that 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:32.080 people have been talking about him and losing a burst, 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:35.040 losing burst and not being what he used to be 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:39.760 in years past. And he hears the whispers from that, 0:20:39.880 --> 0:20:42.480 especially like you said, on social media, but he has 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:45.280 to keep his blinder zone and not pay attention to 0:20:45.520 --> 0:20:47.480 things like that, and even the people that are saying 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:50.320 that Tony Pollard was that much better of a running 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:53.320 back than him on last Sunday, Obviously we're not looking 0:20:53.400 --> 0:20:57.600 at the carriers and numbers before that forty yard touchdown Birst. 0:20:57.680 --> 0:21:01.960 So look, I think for it's about getting his health back, 0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:05.480 about having those OTA's training camps, and really coming back 0:21:05.520 --> 0:21:08.000 stronger next year. This has been an off year, and 0:21:08.040 --> 0:21:10.320 the people and the people that are not given credit 0:21:10.359 --> 0:21:12.960 to the fact that he has been running behind a 0:21:13.000 --> 0:21:15.920 beat up offensive line and not been and hasn't been 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:18.199 able to be the running back that he had been 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:20.119 in the past. I just I think that they are 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:24.000 looking at this and they're being very short sighted. It's 0:21:24.040 --> 0:21:26.640 not a beat up offensive line, it's a second rate 0:21:26.720 --> 0:21:32.520 offensive line. What you said, they ain't got nobody that 0:21:32.600 --> 0:21:35.600 can block, you know, if you can't protect the quarterback, 0:21:35.640 --> 0:21:38.000 which makes you think you can block through the running game, 0:21:38.720 --> 0:21:41.680 and you know, you guys said these people who are 0:21:41.720 --> 0:21:45.680 these people? Did these people realize that Tony Pollard had 0:21:45.720 --> 0:21:48.840 ten carries for twenty three yards before his last two 0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:52.440 carries for forty six yards, he was averaging two point 0:21:52.480 --> 0:21:55.439 three yards of carry. It wasn't because of his talent. 0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:59.439