Mick Shots: Chomping On Champs

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This is Nick Shot, streaming live on dallascowboys dot Com and the official Dallas Cowboys Half now Here are Bill Jones, Savannah Humoler, Everson Wolves, and Mickey Spagnola.

And here we are on a Monday morning, here at the Star and Frisco inside the SWBC podcast studio, and we are down to a final two in the National Football League. Welcome to another edition of mix Shots. Did any of you get the prediction right last Monday? Kansas City versus San Francisco in the Super Bowl?

We got half a half? We got half?

Which half?

Did you get right of Kansas City?

Yea?

All of you pick Kansas I picked the raven You.

Picked the Ravens.

I thought Kansas City.

I picked the Ravens.

She was everybody picked Detroit?

No, yes, yes, yes we did. Yeah you did too, No, yes you did.

I picked San Francisco. Yeah yeah, this season.

He picked it in his head show.

You know, I always picked Dallas to go to the Super I always picked the Dallas Cowboys versus the Dallas Texans and the Super.

Bowl And as I was driving in this morning, I thought, I'm so stupid. I keep picking the Cowboys, so you stupid too.

So here we are.

We got the Chiefs and the forty nine ers and ought to make for a very entertaining Super Bowl, and we had a very entertaining championship Sunday on Sunday? Would you all agree?

Quite entertaining?

Yes, it's like we called it in the Chiefs game. I think all of us could see, well some of most of us that I just I just couldn't see Baltimore's offense keeping up.

That's what I just couldn't see it.

Because they're high powered offense, but they're ground and pound, and I just knew that.

They decided not to ground and pound.

Well, you just couldn't keep up with uh.

They didn't have the ball, you couldn't.

Keep up with it.

And that's I pretty much thought that's how they were going to get This game was going to be played, and I thought that was gonna be the game plan.

Of the Chiefs scored seventeen points.

Yeah, but they got a head right. Baltimore had to play from behind, and the so called NFL MVP when he's behind and he's got to throw the ball, he'll make a mistake on you.

But they through a touchdown pass that was fumbled at the goal line.

I was going to say that was the key play right there, if they scored that talking a whole different thing.

Not a very bright player. Well they Flowers, I.

Mean not just him, but did it against Casey. It was the same thing, but he.

Did two stupid things within five minutes.

That's true.

I think they were even saying on the broadcast the emotions kind of got the better of the Ravens just the way that they were playing, and some of those calls like they couldn't control even some of their emotions on the field, and that affected even.

When the order came from the sideline to jump off sides. They couldn't control their emotions, and Roguewan Smith gets a personal file penalty, which gave them an additional ten yards.

And it was pretty obvious you could jump off side to stop the clock.

Or tip the guy.

You don't have to lay out, just clock them.

But I didn't know that that was worth a personal file. I thought you could just hit them. I thought you not like.

That, not intentional. Credit to the officials for figuring out what was going on here.

I have a feeling depending on what team did and what player did, what I think, you know, I don't know if that's automatic, Oh I have I don't know if that's.

I immediately said, that's got to be a personal really, Oh, just laid him out. And the reason that they were jumping off sides is they wanted to make it first and ten and not first and five at that juncture in the game, and so they would have could have ended the game earlier. As it turned out, the end of the game anyway, with a third and nine pass down field to MVS, which I didn't think was a surprising play call at all. No, No, you had to go.

There, special if he'll catch the ball, and.

The only the only risk involved in it is it's an income well and with Mahomes at quarterback, he's going to take care of the football and so the only risk really is an incomplete pass where you're not taking some time off the clock. Where Baltimore with the defense like the Chiefs have. You put the ball down there, and you think the Ravens are going to drive the length of the field for a touchdown.

But what they assumed was they were going to get single coverage and they were going to have everybody at the line of scrimmage to stop the play.

So the easiest thing to do is throw it deep.

But the Ravens had used their timeouts and that meant you're just north of the two minute warning. That means you get a first down. This ball game is over.

You know for it.

You can look at stats all you want, but it's when you make plays.

And that's what Mahomes did.

He didn't while you with completing twenty of twenty five passes for three hundred yards.

Twenty five in the first half, right, Yeah.

Trying to go downfield though, and that.

Is merely the only way they were going to lose the game is if they committed a turnover in the second half.

You know, it just came out the NFL network.

How about those catches by Travis Kelce, Just some incredible catches from him.

I think I saw something he passed uh one of.

Yeah, for most post season catches in a career.

Well, well, you know what you saw was to me connection, You saw a team work.

You saw a.

Quarterback and a tight end that were they just doubted. They just doubted, Like.

The one that Mahomes ran forward and threw it the last minute makes a diving a not.

A real good pass, not a good path.

But it was the past much chance to make the play.

It wasn't gonna be You're not going to get a great pass, and Kelsey was prepared for wherever it came. And the touchdown itself, that was just both of them just being in sync. Back shoulder. The dB was in perfect position, perfect position, and all he had to do was react. He was in position, but he didn't react in time and just the way that Kelsey, Kelsey.

Knew Will was coming and that was just a beautiful.

Catch, beautiful connection. You know, those are the times when you need your quarterback and your wide receiver all you receiver to be. This is the time when you need to dial it up on the same page. And they did.

And there was also another indication if you get pressure on the quarterback, and I don't care who he is, it's going to cause problems.

And that was one of the things down the stretch, the Cowboys could not do well.

You had a one thing about this this playoffs, you saw good defenses. No matter which side, you still gave your quarterback a chance, you know your quarterback, and didn't have to keep scoring just to stay in the game. You had defenses that kept things. I mean even Baltimore's defense, as you said, Casey didn't score.

That seventeen points.

Right, come on, I mean that defense played their asses off.

They just made a few mistakes, but they gave the offense a chance at all times. And that's what we needed out here. We need a defense that the offense can rely on. I don't want to offense that the defense can rely on. That's just not the way the game is really supposed to be playing.

What happened to that complimentary football? The defense didn't do much complimenting in significant games.

Right.

Here's the other thing that I thought stood out to me was and if we can just switch over to Detroit running.

Backs do matter?

They do? They do?

They?

And is it okay to take one in the first round?

It?

And Gibbs, what I saw from him was he made people miss in the hole, and the Cowboys running backs were always such in a hurry to get to the line of scrimmage. It was like straight line running instead of making people miss. And boy can make people miss as long as he doesn't go the wrong way on a handoff.

Well, I gotta say this McCaffrey.

Yes when he did not want to be brought down, I saw something I didn't.

I always thought he.

Was good as I thought his footwork was more amazing than anything. But that kid is strong. He had some big guys falling off of him on a couple of those last drives on the second half. That was key, and so he and party working together. I just thought, I have a brand new respect for christ McCaffrey.

That's the other thing he saw in both games yesterday. It is tough, physical football, man.

That was good stuff at not a lot of high scoring that was That was kind of.

Like throwback football.

Those are the games that we saw back in the day, you know, when, especially in the AFC, where the best team didn't come out looking so pretty.

They just came out that was all they had to do.

And we thought we thought Dan Campbell was stubborn when the your point.

I kept saying to myself in my living room last night, Kick the field goal, Kick the field goal, and they're nope, they're going on four down and always.

It has been a tie game last night.

And it could in turn, and it played out the same way. Now, who says it would in turn? That means when you get down on the go line at the end, all you need to field goal to win it. He probably would have gone for the touch.

We're not happen, We're not winning a game in the field. Gone, we're winning it.

We're getting into an angel.

My god, that's what he did. All lion.

Yeah, lions.

The reason why they were where they were, well, yeah.

But sometimes you have to lift at things and say, you know what, that's stubbornness has gotten me in trouble.

Maybe I need to set my ass down and just kind of go kick.

What was the biggest mistake he made coaching wise? It was down on the goal line at the end of the game, on third down, running the football and you've got three timeouts because you cannot leave that game in the hands of an on side kick. And there's how what are the chances of recovering an on side kick?

They said, very close to, very close to zero per.

But no, but but but when you're down there, third and goal at the one yard line, you have to throw the Now, you can run it on fourth down, okay, because.

The is going to stop it anywhere.

But you cannot run the football because if you don't. Now you can all say that, oh, if you made it, there's a great call. No, it's still a bad call to run the football in that situation because if you don't make it, you just ended the game. And it doesn't matter whether you score the touchdown or not.

But just think of the things that went wrong for them. Josh Reynolds with the two drops, one on fourth down, one on the third down.

It's again, it's about being mentally strong, you know.

And then the the fifty one yard pass off the DB's face.

Masks, man, what is going on? When I saw that? When I saw that, I.

Said, this is the.

This is a bad sign.

Just catch the ball, just knock it down. I don't know one of the two.

And then the catch from Brandon Aiyuk that's the one. Yeah, that was just incredible.

And after the game they're asking him what was going through his mind, Well, not a damn thing. He just saw the ball up in the air and well, I better go get it right. God like he planned it out that way.

So let's let's let's do we need to take a look at Party.

Do we need to look at him in a different way after these two.

Well, I was looking at him at halftime as he's this he's a seventh round draft pick, in the last pick of the draft. And then at the end of the game, I'm like, okay, he's the first round pick. I love the way he ran the ball.

In those two runs he made were huge, but it opened up and he just took I never seen him.

Run, and he showed a toughness he did.

He did.

He took opportunities to run the ball and it worked.

Out for that.

And so when did they vote for the m v P, So even before the playoffs?

Yeah, somebody needs to vote for an m v P after the after the whole thing is done. All right, let's start out here.

I'm saying, look, look who's look who's on top? Now?

Yeah, we talk about Dak, We talked about Lamar, and no one wanted to include Party even though we knew he had good stats.

But they kept on talking about mystery I relevant.

So okay, let's take a vote right now, who's the m v P and the we're taking it all the way to the Super Bow, all right now, who's the m v P in the league.

That's easy call. Who I vote for?

Mahomes? Mahomes, I like it. I just didn't like that took to it. I mean if you go take everything, okay, that right there. That's why I say party, because you know you have to take the season also into consideration.

And the look what Mahomes did with nothing.

We just want you an example of why they base it on the regular season, because otherwise, whoever does the best, whoever wins the super Bowl, is going to be the m v P.

So does that mean that these other coaches there on the hot seat now.

At halftime, on the sitting there.

At halftime, going Shanahan on the hot seat, you can't get this team to the super Bowl and win one.

Now, but you got Campbell's on the hot harball?

Yeah, what about when's that harball guy?

Do they need money back from from Lamar Jackson's contract?

Did they regret it because.

He looked clueless over there?

He didn't look clueless, And that's one of the reasons why you know, the sacks he had.

He he didn't get rid of the ball.

Confused out there like he was looking for somebody to be open, and then he just was like, Oh, I'm just gonna I'm gonna hold on too.

That's why I didn't pick Baltimore. I just I didn't trust him.

No, well, I didn't trust the entire offense.

Especially if you stop him from running right right.

And that's what I mean. It's a limited game plan, that's what I mean.

I can't remember exactly when it was, but I think it was in the fourth quarter, and there was a time where he got flushed out of the pocket and he wound up me may have gone as a sack. He was out on the near side of the field, and I think he was cut short of getting back to the line of scrimmage, which was probably counted as a sack. But I was like, okay, there there's nothing open down field. You were in the open field, You're

He actually stopped on the sideline though, that's like, let him catch up.

I don't know what that was.

And I can't remember what the down and distance was, but it was down and it wasn't much, and I was like, run run the ball. Now there's your here's your opportunity.

You're in the old He kept making moves and faking and.

But that's where that's where uh, Mickey's cousin did a great great job of confusing Lamar Jackson and the Ravens confused.

On that play well.

And here's the other problem with their offense. They ran for eighty one yards, the leading rusher Lamar Jackson with fifty four. So your other guys ran for basically twenty seven yards, and you had a quarterback with an.

Efficiency rating of seventy five point five. You got a problem.

You like that Kansas City cornerback McDuffie.

He's pretty darn good.

I like h number thirty eight Sneez.

Knocked the ball out of it.

Was making plays all season long for them.

He's helped them defensively, keep everything intact while Mahome's trying to get.

So you think Za Flowers learn some lessons, like after you make a big catch, don't get up and spin the ball in the guy's face.

I think, I think he has a lot of learning to.

Do, and then stand over the guy and then two plays later dive exactly.

Like That's what I kept like thinking. I was like, he just he doesn't know how.

To control these emotions right now.

Well, they didn't control any of it during the season because he was so amazing and he played off of that emotion.

Yeah, and I think everyone was saying, Gosh, look at how good this kid is, and he can make these catches. And then when it wasn't working out for him, you saw another side.

You think, like Pete Carroll, Steve Spagnolo has a eye for cornerbacks, defensive backs. He's got it in his background, just like Carol does. Seattle seems to come up with cornerbacks.

Flowers also learned that when you take your gloves off and you go to the bench and get pissed off, don't slam your bare hands against your helmet.

They were talking about cut his hand.

I go down.

He didn't cut his hand. He had gloves on. That didn't happen in the game. Goodness gracious.

And so when you're dealing with an organization that this year you know, always came out on top. Then how do you play when you're from behind? Yeah, and we saw what happen.

I was afraid that Detroit was ahead because I've seen.

That before with them get a big lead and then they disappear in the game.

I said it at halftime, I'm going I don't know now.

I never felt comfortable if I'm as a because I picked Detroit.

I never felt comfortable that my.

Pick, uh was gonna be what was gonna hold up in sant fan Yeah?

Yeah, and my mine was based more on what San Francisco is capable of than what.

At home at home. So once you and it's just like we always see it. Once you make that one play which I use played, I knew it was over. I knew it was over. Okay, we go, there, we go.

Okay, let me post this question when we come back. Your responses. What is the just It doesn't have to be the most important thing, but the name of thing that the Cowboys can learn from the four teams that played yesterday. What do you think of that? I think you like it?

Love that.

Okay, all right, let's see if we all have the same answer. We have four different answers. When we come back here on mixed shots.

I'm Dak Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and they.

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All right, let's go around the horn one of the Cowboys learn from Sunday the four participants in the championship games on Sunday, and the answer my answer to the question isn't even an answer to the question. I post the question wrong for my answer. So I'll let you all go first, and then I will correct. So I'll chime in with just my observation. It's more like an observation from the games on Sunday and how they apply to the Cowboys. Have ever seen you want to go first?

Yeah?

I think with me, And it's something that SPACs just brought up, and I said it all year long. I don't really care much about numbers and things of that nature. And this era of football, you know, you can have numbers all you want, but you just got to make the plays when it's time to make the plays. And I do a lot of ego stroking when I get on the treadmill or whatever. I always watched the old games that we played, and I do try and mentally compare them to what we did back then versus what

Sometimes we won so ugly.

I'm talking about eighties and nineties, I mean just ugly games, and.

We lost to some people we never should have lost to.

But when it was time to step up and play in December, after Thanksgiving and in the playoffs, most times we did that. And I'm talking about whether it was me with the Cowboys or with the Giants, those teams knew how to elevate themselves when it was time. I remember some thirteen ten games that were exciting, damn games, and the Cowboys pulled it out because of some heroics in the nineties, especially by Emmi Smith or someone like that.

I think we get so.

Caught up in numbers and how pretty the score looks when it's got all these high numbers up there. I think we need to go back to where we were and let the defense control the games for us.

It's okay to score a lot of points, but.

In games where the real boys come to town and the games where the tough teams come to town, you gotta be able to play. When I say down to the level, I mean play is low down, dirty as you have to to win a ball game. So to me, once again, it's all about when you make the plays, not how many plays you make.

So you want to like screw with the kicker before the game and move its t throw it.

In the end. Ze perspective on Justin Tucker and why he was at that end of the field and the Chiefs were at that end of the field, I.

Don't think you took it that far.

Well, he was stretching or something, wasn't he he was just the video I saw he was. He was down stretching and he had his helmet off whatever it was, and Kelsey came over and grabbed his helmet and his footballs and threw him or whatever whatever it was.

And the side I think, but that's one of those things where okay, if we need to, we need a broader perspective on who is that wrong here?

Who was there first? And who's supposed to be at that end of the field.

You know, the kicker warms up and that's what happened last year in the playoff game in San Francisco midfield do whatnot?

Was that closer to midfield though?

Well, he was probably trying to tempt from about forty.

Yards because this one looked like it was down near the goal.

This was at the goal. Yeah right, but last time he.

Was way on the either the Chiefs end of the field of the Chiefs.

But around they trade sides, and you know it's just the kicker he's not and then anybody's way is.

Just being a jerk.

Man.

That's how that is. Man.

You can tell he starts firing people out.

The needed big dom out there to take care of that stuff.

But when I first heard about it, without seeing the video, I thought that there was they get he got in his face or whatever. But the way Kelsey did it, he just grabbed it and threw it over to the side or whatever I thought it was. That was the way to do it.

Now, here's what you do, because this is what San Francisco did. They just stood right in front of mar and they couldn't kick the ball, were just standing in his way.

But that was confrontational. Yes, this one was.

Just and you could imagine what some of the kickers were done back in the day.

They would kick the freaking ball.

Yeah yeah, I want to stand there.

I can see Chicago Bears kicker Butler butt head they called it. I can see butt head. He kicked the ball. Hey, that's they called him. I didn't call it.

That's what they call Can's City's kicker.

Now.

Butker, Okay, that's Harrison, Butker's Yeah, we just we just called him that.

All right, all right, Savannah Europe, Yes, all right, thank you. Back on this season and then watching some of the games yesterday, I really did love seeing how San Francisco was able to come back when they were playing from behind, and their ability to make big plays that were meaningful and actually get them somewhere.

I think was one of the biggest takeaways.

And when you think about games that we played just this season that we lost to big opponents, when we lost to San Francisco and we just could not fight, and then when we lost to Miami. Yes it came down kind of to the end there, but still things like that. And then against Buffalo, I really recognized, like we already mentioned, the running back situation. You saw Christian McCaffrey, you saw the ability for him to make huge runs, huge plays.

You see brock Party running the ball.

I think that there was just a lot of inconsistencies in some of our really big games when it came to rushing and the.

Ability games, Like you said, the big games was against a tough opponent.

Exactly exactly, and you look at all these other teams that have a really stacked group of running backs and you see how the how well they're doing. Look at Pacheco and look at how Edwards, Hilaire and Holmes.

They all know how to run the ball, and I think the Cowboys need to do a better job at that.

And I think going first round with the running back is actually a great idea.

Running the linebackers. Don't don't steal mine.

Don't go out there and try to finesse the linebacker positions, especially when teams go heavy and they're playing a full back the way San Francisco plays a full back, or go two tight ends as much as some of those teams did, and be out there with six defensive backs that are masquerading as linebackers. You got to have linebackers out there making plays. And don't get caught short handed just because your third round draft choice got injured in training camp and you kind of threw your hands.

Up and go, well, oh, well, what.

Happens if you get an injury and don't get shorthanded at cornerback, especially in the playoff game when you've got to play a guy with a harness on his shoulder that you don't want to be in single coverage and start playing zone defense.

That they had no idea what they were.

Doing, and a lot of to your point with Marquise Bell, everyone, we've been applauding him all season for he had one of the best season him best seasons of player. But there's something to be said for having played linebacker your whole life, you know, and being able to read and react, you know, to dissect your instincts exactly, and and Marquise Bell will have that, okay, but there were so.

Many kids a linebacker. I wanted to have that as a defensive pack, right.

And because there are occasions that he will be lined up in the box and just like you saw with the teams yesterday, but they always have at least two linebackers on the field.

I think with me, it's.

You got you have to know that this is where the game is going now, this is what has beaten you. We weren't able to make those big plays in the big games that she was talking about because we were whipped. You know, we want tough enough up front. That's just the way it is. And I'm not talking about just offensively, defensively.

We went tough enough up.

Front, and we were wishing our way through each game. You know, we were talking about it and here like, man, we got just sixty b's, sevent dy b's that running all of us. And thank god we even stayed in the Dolphins game, that was one of the better games. I wouldn't have put that in the big game because we actually played well in the end.

But those other games.

The Buffalo game, you know, we have to get those out of our system. They cannot happen with a good team. You got to go in there and show you got something down there. You can't just go in and say, oh, well, guys, you know, and you look soft as a team and therefore your reputation. Ron Springs used to say all the time because we did business together. He said, your rep is all you got, and that's on the real Your rep is all you got.

You know.

So if you come in there and they think that you're a certain way, that's how they're gonna play you, and they will always look at you that way.

One of the tough decisions they're going to have to make is can Mozzy Smith play better, make that second year jump or did we make a mistake with a first round pick, Because if you're relying on him to get in there and provide some bulk in the middle, you better be right because if not, you saw what happened when Hankins wasn't in there, by the way, and he's getting older, and he's an unrestricted free agent, by

That running back position, resigning what.

You have free agent draft Those are kind of some of the big decisions they're going to have to make, and Bill, I'll let you have.

The floor on Mine is more of a positive one, Okay, you negative nancies those tight ends. Look at those tight ends that played yesterday. Yes, the Niners with George Kittle, the Chiefs with Travis Kelcey. Mark Andrews was back for

Well, if you need to know what the NFL thinks of Jake Ferguson, who's going.

I can't play in the Pro Bowl?

Two of them? Kittle ed Kelsey.

So Ferguson's going to replace the NFC. Yes, I hear he's going to replace him.

He was that, he was close.

He deserves it.

So you're right, he's going to do what in Orlando.

He's going to do what. He's going to replace Kittle on the NFC.

So what do they do.

They're going to play flag football, Flag doesn't matter.

The wars.

I'm surprised they're they're adding Did they add players to the Pro Bowl team as often back in your day? Ever since? Do you recall that they did?

No, not a lot, but there were a lot of it for the injury reasons or but.

Nobody held out nobody like, I'm not going it was it was Hawaii.

Everyone wanted to go to the Hawai Yeah.

Yeah, and even back then. But plus I got some money for it.

Chump change.

It wasn't chump change. If you make twenty thousand dollars a.

Year, yeah, but you had to pay for your family to come with you.

Years I was making twenty thousands.

I thought that was your bonus.

My bonus was more than twenty thousand.

Come on, man, So when remind me when the Pro Bowl was played?

Back then, it was after the season, so it.

Was after the Super Bowl, right.

Yes, it was a week after the Super Bowl, right, and the teams that won the Super Bowl. I remember the Niner guys coming in after the game. They can't we went practice already. They would come in later.

Yeah, because it was like that in the nineties too, right.

Well, I remember when the nineties.

The nineties and when it got when it started to was going now only because during the eighties when I was there, that's when you can tell people like, hey man, I'm not going to go out here and bust my head open in this game. And I haven't been practicing since for mid December. Yeah, you know, and now you want Chuck Munsey to come out there, who's usually two thirty five when he plays me, he walks around at

There, and especially they've been drinking beer.

Yeah, of course, right.

The playoff teams, we were still you know, in shape because we had just finished playing. But if you talk about guys that didn't make the playoffs, yeah, and then that coming in here, you talk about.

Their season was over at Christmas.

It's a rough game.

So they were still playing it after the Super Bowl for sure in ninety three because I remember Troy was supposed to fly to Hawaii after the Super Bowl and he ended up bowing out and he went to doctor Andrews in Birmingham to do some check ups on.

Of course that but it was that were in the Super Bowl. Yes, but now you replace those guys with.

And I don't know, I wanted to go.

You don't need to replace them for like football.

But if you're the guy defensive line.

But theirs is the Hall of Fame resumes What.

It does is to let you know that what other people thought, who was next in line.

But we never we never had to go that deep. We just did. People wanted to come and play and so.

But think how many more Pro Bowls you would have made had there been the same number of people that were not going yesterday.

I've been waiting.

Yeah, pack it all right, we continue with more mixed shots in just a moment.

The Medal of Honor is our entry's highest military award for valor in combat. More than forty million individuals have served in the armed forces since the Civil War. Fewer than four thousand have received the Medal of Honor. The National Medal of Honor Museum will be a place to preserve these legacies and inspire America. It's being built right next door to the Dallas Cowboys in Texas. Help us honor our country's greatest heroes. Learn more and get involved at mohmuseum dot org.

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To mixed shots.

The ninety ninth annual East West Shrine Bowl will feature one hundred and thirty of the nation's top NFL draft prospects on Thursday, February first, at the Star in Frisco. Tickets as low as twenty dollars are available at Shrine Bowl dot com. Proceeds benefit Shriner's Children's All.

Right, very good and in fact practice going on this morning here at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco. The East squad was there this morning working out, and the West squad later and that game on the Thursday night. And a face on the field, not a face in the crowd, but a face on the field was one Dan Quinn here back home today. Oh yeah, well it remained is home. It's the question this.

Week were they outside or were they indoors?

Indoor? Indoors?

Okay, we should go as a team. You're going to get a suite for the game.

Do you afford it? Making?

I don't think there's any sweets up there.

Can we take one of the coaches booths like we watch practice.

There, bring some binocular So Dan was supposed.

To by the way, since you brought it up, he's supposed to fly.

That's why I brought it up.

He was trying to sneak that in there.

So what happened?

Dan Quinn was in Seattle the end of last week. That link is on Thursday, interview there at his second interview is in person interview there, and he is headed to Washington, d C. And reportedly to interview for the Commander's head coaching job tomorrow. And they've other reported candidates that they have include Ben Johnson, the Lions offensive coordinator, Mike McDonald the Ravens defensive coordinator. Uh so they got that,

And Bobby Slowick offensive coordinat So who are which is Bob Slowick's son?

Who are we interviewing?

Well you got nothing nobody yet.

Well, I mean he's going around taking interview as you said, Quinn.

Well but what if he doesn't get a higher question? Well, they better have a list right now.

Who do you have you heard anything that we're looking at?

And there's there are I've got an. I have a thought a thought on one.

Uh.

It's been reported out there that the Cowboys might be interested in the former head coach of the Commanders, Ron Rivera. I have a thought that there's a former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings that I would be interested in. That would be Mike Zimmer. What do you think of that?

I like, no problems with it whatsoever either one.

Actually, I don't need.

A first time just like I didn't want a first time head coach if they moved on from McCarthy, I don't want to. I don't need a first time defensive coordinator at this point, especially with the offensive. I mean with the head coach on his final year of his contract. The one thing I've noticed with some of these talks going on, like the thing in Seattle, they want to talk to Ben Johnson, the Detroit offensive, and they want

So see, here's the other deal with this.

You just mentioned all the different people Washington wants to talk to, So you fire your head coach not knowing what you're going to do, Well, what if you end up with worse?

If you could bring the head coach back in for an interview.

Yeah right, Just like by the way, I think that made a mistake.

George George Steinbrener did that with Billy Martin all the time.

I mean, you should have a list of what you want and you don't go out there just fishing, right.

You know what. It reminds me that you said that.

Charlie Waters tells the story that for the final cut his rookie year, Uh, coach Myers.

Came.

He was the he was the the guy that came in and told everybody, you're cut right, uh.

And the Myers he was too happy to do it.

He was what did they I forgot what was the name? What was the name they gave that guy? Not the hatchet man?

No, I can't, but thank god I didn't have to know what his name was.

Anyway, he calls he calls Charlie in and says, you know, we're sorry you didn't make the team, right, And Charlie's like, what am I doing with my life now?

I didn't make it? And it goes on for a.

Couple of hours and he gets a phone call and coach Myer says, uh, Charlie scratched that we made a mistake.

It wasn't you that.

Was getting killed someone else, Yeah, Charlie, And I think Charlie like started cussing, like son, don't talk to me like that.

So in the past the has been the name.

That's what I was sorry.

I didn't know it would apply to appropriate.

To Yeah, the sorry. We didn't mean to tell you you were cut.

Speaking of coaching moves, you know who the happiest person in the room is, don't you, Savannah.

I was going to bring this up the guys first.

I was going to bring up did we all see that Kellen Moore is going to the Eagles?

Yes? I was going to get to that. I was going to get to that. I thought, more importantly for you, we ought to talk about Jim.

Jim coming in to coach the Chargers. Actually was so happy with that move. Family's really happy with it. And then I honestly think, now that he is there, you have to look at Justin Herbert a little bit more seriously. He's going to really coach that guy up. So I'm excited.

I wonder who they bring in is their offensive coordinator.

He's got to be good because he's got a good quarterback.

Because he's talking about bringing his defensive coordinator with him.

Yeah, I think he's bringing in the defensive coordinators I heard, but offensive, yeah, it's questionable.

And there was two other guys. Names came up for his defensive coordinator, Greg Roman's still out there way and then somebody named Tanner Engstrand, the Lions pass game coordinator. Okay, they were thinking of maybe he would be brought in, but I think he was bringing in his defensive coordinator from Michigan.

So in that AFC West, now you've got Andy Reid, you've got Sean Payton, and you've got Jim Harbaugh along with Antonio Pierce with the Raiders. So it's fun.

That's fun.

So are you confident now that the Chargers are going to supplant the Chiefs as the team to beat the AFC West because Jim Harbaugh is there?

Yes, you guys will wait and see next season. We'll come full back to this.

Conversation writing it down right now.

The Chargers are on the come up.

Okay, guys, all right, okay, okay, So Kellen Moore to the Eagles, what do we make of this?

I think it's a little wild, pretty wild.

That means they're going to throw the ball more.

It's just good.

The Calgary is going to be happy with that.

Jalen Hurts, Jalen Hurt. He goes from Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts. I'll say this, He's going to run the ball more than what he did here because Jalen Hurts will run the healthy Jalen Hurts will run the ball more.

Run my quarterback as often I think Jalen. I think he will make Jalen throw more.

So you think that may be one of the reasons plays. You think that may be one of the reasons that they decided on Kellen Moore is that he's more pass happy.

You saw what happened with Hurts at the end of the season, the mid seasons. He's hurt all the time, and that's just not the way you want to use your quarterback. You don't want your quarterback to be a

Maybe I should point out that in twenty nineteen, when he took over as the Cowboys offensive coordinator, that Ezekiel Elliott ran the ball three hundred and one times. So this notion that all they did was the Cowboys threw the ball is pretty false because when they ran it, Zeke was running the ball more than two hundred times a season. And if you look at twenty twenty one, Zeke ran the ball two hundred and thirty seven times

I just think he got a bad rap here.

So I wonder if Doug Nussmeyer is going to Philly two to be the quarterbacks.

Coach coach too.

Yes, Alex Tanney was a quarterback, that's right, and they he is free to move on. So there and nuss Meyer was with more with the Chargers.

Now with Siriani what but wasn't he but an offensive guy?

Yes, he's the offensive guy, so maybe he So that's the more the more critical thing I think for.

Jalen Hurts is who's the quarterback coach?

Right right?

Oh, it's gonna be interesting to see what happens there and he's.

Just gonna be.

No, I don't think so, mm hmm, like the quarterbacks coach here. He could he could do both, but you want someone who, especially with a quarterback like Hurts and like a quarterback with Dak, you wanted someone who is total yeah, and on mechanics and so forth.

So and I think somewhat this year McCarthy was part of that and is coaching the quarterbacks. If you noticed when they did their quarterback deal before practice that he wasn't out there with the rest of the team.

He was in there with the quarterbacks. So yeah, he had a heavy hand in doing the quarterbacks here.

And I do think quarterback coaches do make a difference, especially with young guys that don't know everything yet.

Right.

So yeah, but that's a that's an interesting choice, isn't it? So somebody thought a lot of Kellen Moore.

Mm hmm.

It's kind of close to home.

Close to home.

Yeah, juicy.

Now you're going to say twice.

It's one thing. It's one thing when he's with the Chargers and you're just facing somewhere. Now, when you're your chief rival in the division and you're going head to head with him twice, it's a different story. Now intriguing.

I saw somebody report that, uh, some two teams requested permission to talk to Aiden Derney as the defensive coordinator.

Who the Cowboys defensive line coach.

Wow, I don't even know his name.

He's the guy that got started as part of the.

It's the international international program they had for coaches. It's a green bay. The Rams and Atlanta have sought permission to speak to Cowboys defensive line coach add and Dirty, per multiple sources. According to Todd Archer two days ago, Okay, I thought, would you like to know more about Dirty's football journey?

Yes.

Having grown up in London, he played in NFL Europe before joining practice squads in Carolina and Kansas City. He helped train players like f a Obata, remember him when he passed through here through nfl UK he was the d C for the London Warriors. There's some background on Dirty highly respected as obviously as three teams now want to talk to him.

Yeah, and he was a guy that Quinn wanted to bring along with him.

Well, the thing that I see about the the different defenses this year that up successful. They're all successful with a lot of pressure upfront from their first from their front four, And to me, I think that really if we could have a system like that where it takes a lot of pressure off the guys in the back seven, you know, that's something that we've got to really take a look at because right now, our linebackers I put them air quotes, they need to be able to see

Up starts up front, upfront.

Yeah, it's got to be one in the trenches.

I like our linebackers, I do, but you need to have a team that has that DeMarcus launch mentality to where you go. I'm gonna make this play myself. And I don't mean coming out of this, going out of the scheme of the defense, but being able to just control your area to where it doesn't spill off to the rest of the team.

And we just didn't do.

It when you're not pin in your ear bags going after the quarterback.

And this might be too obvious of a question, but how many Cowboy defensive linemen finished in their top ten of total tackles?

Got a guess?

None?

Are you considering Parsons to be a defensive lineman?

I don't consider him.

Oh what is? He?

Is? An edge rusher?

As an edge rusher, so is that a defensive right la And now.

Once again Lawrence Lawrence finished with fifty seven tackles. Parsons finished ninth with fifty six. Okay, so what you were saying, they didn't get a lot of production. Now osa Uh was eleventh with fifty three, which tied Jordan Lewis, but he only had twenty four solo tackles, so you have to go down to number thirteen. Dorance Armstrong with thirty three, and he finished second with seven and a half sacks to Parsons right fourteen.

He's an unrestricted free agent.

That's a that kid there.

That's pretty good numbers there, and he considering he didn't really get too much.

And his percentage of plays went down his snapcot last year.

Who are you talking? Okay, yeah, from last year to this year.

It because they probably played Parsons more at defensive end.

And that's another issue when the new well, I'm sorry, I'm not.

I'm not I fired the man already, but defensive so sorry, yeah, we are so sorry.

Well, I think what we have to look at is what the hell are we gonna do with Parsons? I mean, we need to define what he's doing. We're not doing ourselves in favor by I guess trying to trick the opposition.

We're tricking ourselves. We don't know.

Where he's supposed to be supposed We can't answer that question until next week. You're on mixed shots, okay, because next week we will know who. We will know whether or not the defensive coordinator is returning or not. Right, we'll know this week whether dan Quinn is headed or coming.

We should know that and.

So it should be defined. I think going forward may be defined.

What is his position?

It may make a difference to the defensive coordinator is.

If they will start there, we could you know, if he's a linebacker, then that means that we just need one more linebacker, right, I mean as far as starting, you know, but then you have to have another edge rusher. So yeah, we have to figure this out who and it goes to who we want to draft or who we want to sign.

And if you think about it, when you stock your linebacker position you use we have we can see it five or six linebackers, right, because you need linebackers to play special teams.

Right. Yeah, Well they had one after Van der rsh got hurt. It was Clark.

They used the elevations on Jefferson.

Uh, what do you got? Fifty years ago today, the Cowboys drafted out of Tennessee State one Ed.

And this is.

The picture on draft to him getting the phone call shirt.

Look at the hand.

Was tweeted out by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Fifty years ago today, the Cowboys made history by selecting ed two tall Jones first overall in the NFL draft. At Mark, the first and still only time from an HBCU was taken with the number one pick. Congratulations had two tall Jones. You know how the Cowboys got that draft pick? Oh?

Go ahead, and I knew.

Oh, you're so smart. Tell us.

They had some inside intel that he was eligible for the draft. Everybody else thought that he wasn't eligible. He had to play one more year.

How did they acquire the pick? Oh?

How did they acquire the pick?

They made a trade with the Houston Oilers, and they traded a wide receiver named Billy Parks and a defensive end named Tody Smith to the Houston Oilers, and they acquired the number one overall pick from the Oilers. They to Jones, that's and I have a great fondness for Billy Parks because you know why I have a great fondness for Billy Parks because over the weekend, my daughter gave birth to my fifth grandson, dang and the name the name William Parks Griffith watch I'm going to call him,

So when somebody yells, hey, Billy, come here for people, that's right.

So that's all right.

So hopefully Billy Parks Griffith comes home from the hospital today.

It's a it's a it's a deep story on how they got to Jones.

So you know, always got something.

So the draft was this was this early.

Yeah, I used to have it. They used to have it like in December. It was like at the end of the round.

It used to be in November. Okay, November before the season ended.

That's why the Cowboys didn't have a draft their first year because the draft for nineteen sixty was already done in November of fifty nine, during the season. So now you know the rest and you only get that here on Mix Shots.

By the way, all.

Right, that does it for this edition of Mixed Shots. And who knows who the Cowboys defensive coordinator will be when we reconvene next Monday.

E go Cowboy.

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