#446 Packers Unscripted: Dive into Dallas

in Texas. And you know, we always start these examinations of the opponent with the guy who sort of jumps off the page is where it all starts. And I think it's pretty obvious with the Dallas Cowboys. And certainly when you look at what happened to the how Boys last week and how they lost to the New Orleans Saints, it all starts with Ezekiel Elliott with this team, doesn't it it? Does? You know? Danny Vitali had those uh

you know, make fullbacks great again hats. I don't turn this into the whole political thing, but I thought it was kind of cute, you know, with fullbacks. If I kind of had to go through Ezekiel Elliott. For me personally, I don't know how about the outside world feels about this.

Zeke Elliott changed my perspective on the running back position because there was a time, probably as recently as five years ago, where I was like, I wonder if we've seen the last time we're going to see a running back taken in the first round, you know, just because there's sort of been this devaluation of the position, and thoughts said, okay, well, you can find these guys in the fourth, fifth, sixth round, undrafted free agents. The Alfred

Morris is the world. You can find your franchise running back anywhere. And then you see a guy like Zeke Elliott come into the league and just flip everything on its head. I think it now see Quon Barkley, this new guard at the running back position, and I'll say this, personally speaking, it's very difficult with you know, this new constraint into the c b A for these running backs to kind of get what they feel their value is. I have a lot of respect for how Zeke Elliott

approached the situation this offseason. Kudos to Dallas for recognizing this is our franchise player. We have to take care of him. Everything we're going to talk about here in the next twenty minutes, Mike, it starts at Zeke Elliott. The passing game, the momentum, the just the confidence of this unit and how they play together. Starts with what he does in the backfield. Yeah, I mean, it all

stems off of that. And there's a reason, quite frankly, that Zeke Elliott got a contract extension before Marie Cooper did, before Dak Prescott did. I mean, this is the guy right on the offensive side of the ball, and it's just no way to replace him. I mean, I think now they do have a nice prospect here and Tony Pollard that they brought in. He you know, he's had

a carries and looks does some nice things. But you have to understand, and you know, the way that this offense is set up, and and credit to Kellen Moore and the job that those offensive coaches are doing right now, but everything is set up on Zeke Elliott in making defenses commit to stopping him, the play actually game of Dak Prescott, the downfield passing options for Marik Poper. It all starts with Elliott and I just I think, you know,

the numbers are not huge. It's not going to be the six yards per carry average that you know, it's just gonna whole you right off the bat. The boy does he remind me a lot of you know, when you look at em at Smith and the way that he just sort of plowed through defenses and war teams

down over four quarters, Elliott brings that dimension. Yeah. Well, I think the question with Zeke Elliott heading into this game is because he's coming off of really one of the worst games of his career in terms of the yards per carry, the number of carries he was given would ended up being was it t th yards? So not even not even two yards per carry with essentially a full workload realistically speaking against the New Orleans Saints.

So my question to you is West, does this just mean Ezekiel Elliott, regardless of who the opponent is this week, when he's coming off of a game like that, is ready to bust out or are there things that the Packers can look at what the New Orleans Saints did, because this is not the same Packers defense that has had trouble with Elliott in the past. Whether the Packers of one are lost the game. Elliot has always kind

of done his thing against Green Bay. So how do you see this now heading into this Week five matchup, with where the Packers defense is in the struggles against the run, and with where Elliott is coming off of one of the more forgettable performances of his career. What

are the really strange things about Zeke Elliott? For as much as I just said about him and and how accomplished he has been in his first three point five seasons here in the NFL, is that he has these performances every once in you know, basically once a season, maybe twice a season, where they just don't get the ground game going. It's happened during each of his four NFL seasons to this point. But one of the things

you understand about him is he bounced back quickly. And you know that's not to say you know, you look at where the Packers are at. They have to bounce back as well, coming off the performance that they had last week when they had you know, too stiff challenges with what Denver was throwing at them and what Philly was throwing at them. Both of these I think both of these units both you know, the run game for

Dallas and in Green Bay's run defense. I don't want to call it a crossroads by many means, but they want to, you know, get a little bit of momentum back to what they're doing, and ultimately only one is going to prevail on this matchup. I just think, you know, when you look at Elliott, I wish I could really give you a nice exces and o breakdown for what New Orleans did to take him away. My initial thought though,

is they just gain tackled really well. They filled their gaps and there just wasn't a lot of holes for him to seep through into that second level. And you look at the first two games again, hundred yard performances, but it wasn't like it was carried on the back of a sixty yard run. It was just a lot of grinding out those yards and they just didn't get

them in that matchup. Green Bay conversely, coming off a game where there weren't a whole lot of big, massive breakdowns, but there was enough penetration in that second level that it really hurt them against the Eagles. It's gonna be a gut check for both of these units. Yeah, I think. I think That's what makes this matchup really intriguing because we've been hearing from the Packers defense. They they believe they know they can stop the run better than they have.

They don't feel like that is the kind of defense that they plan to be and that they will be as the season goes along. This is as as tough a test as it gets. Now you flip it to the Cowboys passing game and Amari Cooper the top target obviously for Dak Prescott. Now, Michael Gallup started the season with a couple of pretty good games. He was over two yards through the first two games of the season.

Now he's missed the last two contests. I'm not sure what his injury status is at this end of any word, We're gonna find out this week. The nice think about when you play the Cowboys is Jerry Jones always has something to say, so he's been saying that they're not

ruling out Gallup. Um. I actually really think it'd be cool if he played in this game, because you want to talk about Elvis Witted in the job he did at Colorado State, Gallup was one of those one of those receivers that his program, so seeing him if he could you know both of those guys now at the next level would be neat to see. But we're to see exactly what he can work through this week. But typically typically and we'll see exactly what the injury reports

looked like. When they always say we're not ruling out somebody, I always take that as a doubtful designation. So we'll see exactly how it shuffles out. But you know, at the very least, Jerry Jones is leaving that door open for him. Well, the other targets with gallop out the last couple of weeks, aside from Amari Cooper, Dak Prescott has the former packer Randall Cobb working out of the slot.

He's also got the veteran tight end Jason Witten, who's gone from the field to the monay at football booth and back to the field over the course of the last couple of years. Now, those guys really getting you know, three or four catches a game. Nothing that would qualify as as game breaking in the passing game, but veteran players who know what it takes, and you always wonder, you know, Randall Cobb was a fan favorite around here. You have a media favorite around here. As well. Really

good guy to talk to. But you wonder, you know, will that little chip maybe beyond his shoulder because the Packers didn't show that interest in bringing him back, and and he found a contract somewhere else. Yeah, we'll see.

I mean everybody approaches a little differently, right. Remember what it was like trying to cover this team when Greg Jennings went to the Vikings, And then there's other times where t J. Lang was with Detroit and remember those conference calls and it was just all kind of cool and fun. And you know, everybody handles these situations differently.

I mean Randall cop I mean he's on that then Mount Rushmore of receivers that Aaron Rodgers played with, and you talk about the trust factor and and what the relationship that those two guys had. Um, you can't really overstate it, um. I mean they they had a chemistry there that is not only hard to you know, achieve between any kind of quarterback and receiver, but what just was what was truly special. I think they still you know, I think Rogers I remember correctly stood up in Randall's wedding.

I mean they had that kind of friendship together. Now that being said, Um, he came out of the gates in Week one and looked really good. I mean, he had a nice touchdown there. I think that came off sort of a post route from the middle of the field. Last couple of weeks they've had a more difficult time getting him going for the first time ever. The Packers are gonna have to worry about him in the kickoff and punt return games. That's an area that the Cowboys

have been using them in. And then lastly, that slop position has been very important for the Cowboys over the years, especially during the Dak Prescott era. Now, last year, Cole Beasley kind of fell off a little bit, but before that he was one of the primary targets in that offense, and that's sort of the role that Cobb has stepped into. So seeing how he feels that throughout the course of the year and in this matchup will be intriguing to watch.

And how exactly Packers want to defend him. Is that going to be Trumont Williams lining up across room. That's kind of an interesting dynamic. And then just to touch on Jason Witten. He had the regrettable fumble last week. I'm sure he's gonna want that back. But watching that game man against the Saints, his what Jason Witten does now at thirty six or however old he is, it's not predicated on speed anymore. Right, It's not predictor hasn't been for a long time, frankly, and that's not taking

anything away from him. But even before he retired that first time he was he was not the seams stretcher that he was earlier in his career, but he adapted in in the real good tight ends in this league, the Tony Gonzalezes of the world, they adapt their skill sets to fit their time and their career and both the time of the play style and just seeing wit

and get back into this thing he is. You mentioned it's only about two or three catches here and there, but it's been touchdowns, it's been you know, moving the chains type of plays. He's just that old war horse that just kind of keeps stredging on and um, yeah, he's a guy that the Packers definitely have to be cognizant of because, well, it might only be two or three catches, those catches a lot of times have some

meaningful impacts on football games. Yeah, Well, before we get to the Cowboys defense here real quickly was select Cousin Subs locations are now offering delivery. Whether you're ordering catering or your favorite sub, They're delivering right to you when you order online at Cousins Subs dot com. Cousin Subs, we believe in better. Okay, with regards to the Cowboys defense, the Packers you look at in the playoffs, seven team going down, winning a pair of last second type football games,

this is a different Cowboys defense. They have rebuilt things, They have revamped things on that side of the ball. I think it starts with Jalen Smith, like another guy they gave a new contract to before they even looked at their quarterback, which says something about how they feel about what he has done and a great story with everything that he came back from from the college injury and where he was taken in the draft and and everything that that had started to go wrong for him,

so to speak. There he's right where a lot of people thought he would be if he had never gotten hurt, and he is really the centerpiece of a much improved Dallas Cowboys defense. Yeah, I mean, I really think of this is when you look at the Dallas Cowboys. If you're like saying, Okay, you gotta pick out you know who goes on the program cover who's the highlight of this defense. It's Jalen Smith. Just because of his skill,

his size, his speed, his athleticism. It brings a different demension into that team that they've been kind of missing in this interim basis. As we talked about with you know, Sean Lee working through the injuries that he had to work through, and the different versions of this defense, and how Rod Marinelli for many years had to kind of just make all these things fit when maybe they didn't have the top of the line talent that they might have needed to make a true championship run. Jalen Smith

is that player. I also think Layton Vanderesh, you know, a couple of weeks ago, I think I was talking to you about, uh, you know, Darnell Savage, and I've always been I actually wrote this an inboxes where it came from. I've always been sort of leary of climbers, guys that maybe weren't picked his first round picks or second round picks, but then right after the combine up until when you know, April comes around. They just jet up the charts. Darnell Savage is a guy that has

sort of changed that for me. Layton Vanderesh is another one. A few years back, you know, I remember going to the combine. I want to say Laton Vanderesh was guestimated to be like a third round pick, definitely a Day two pick, and then he just climbed the charts man. And I think him and Smith are really bright future, you know, playmakers in that defense and what they want

to do. And then they got you know, the old veterans there too, you know, the Robert Quinn's the world, and certainly Dexter Lawrence has been a playmaker for them for a number of years. DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence text to Lawrence Will DeMarcus Lawrence has been there already been a long week, you know. But you know they I think they just have a really good blend of of some veteran talent and some really young playmakers that are

pretty exciting. Jeff Heath, who's just Jeff Heath, is always just in the mix two with them. Yeah, it seems like he's been there for a long time. And I'm not even that familiar with his career. But of course I remember I remember him mostly from that playoff came down there because he had a big interception of Rogers, but then he also had uh a sack of Rogers where somehow Rogers still hung out of the ball and didn't turn it over. He was a big factor in

that game for the Dallas Cowboys. But some matchups that will be interesting here West because we don't know the status of Ande Adams, so obviously if he is absent, that will change completely how the Cowboys decided to match up with the Packers receiving corps. And then you mentioned a guy like DeMarcus Lawrence, the top edge rusher for

the Cowboys. We don't know the status of Brian Bulago with his shoulder injury at this point, and whether the Packers will have to adjust if Alex light will be stepping in potentially at right tackle, and then what that does to the game plan, and if he if you need to scheme some things to help him out in certain situations. So um, a lot of really going into

this game. It seems like there there are a lot of questions with regards to injuries, because you know the injuries on the list right now are to such prominent players Kevin King won for the Packers that we're not sure of his status on defense, and when you're talking about Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb and whether or not Michael Gallup is going to play. So a lot of questions here as we head into this game as to just what I guess the really primary matchups are going

to be, depending on who's on the field. Yeah, and then Davante Adams just seeing exactly what what the you know, what that's gonna look like. And if Adams isn't out there, how does both Matt Lafleur, And then also for the Cowboys, how they move their chest pieces around and who plays where. The big thing I think is going to be, especially how Green Bay's run front, as we talked about, matches

up with the trenches of the Cowboys. And the reason I pointed out one of the other aspects we didn't really get a chance to talk about with the offense is that you know, you have Cameron Fleming, who's been a veteran, He's been around I think for five six years now. He's the guy that steps in at left tackle. Smith doesn't go. But beyond that, I mean, you still got Travis Frederick, you still got Zack Martin and then Lul Collins, all very accomplished players and have been in

solidified in that scheme for a number of years. That's busy work for Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry in that defensive front and on the other side of it, depending on what happens with Brian Bala, how the Packers handle what they're gonna be thrown at. From the Cowboys perspective, I just think probably one on one matchups wise, Um, seeing exactly what happens with Kevin King this week and where that's going to be at and soft tissue injuries are so tricky as we know, and we've talked about

it so often. Um, if he's unable to go, depending on what's happened with Will Redmond, that's where it starts

a little sticky, because then you're really getting into your depth. Yeah, well quickly before we go, I just want to get your overall take on where you think this Cowboys team is, because there was so much talk last week as they're heading into New Orleans for a tough prime time assignment at the Super Dome Sunday Night football and all that that the Cowboys were three and oh, but they had beaten three teams the Giants before the Giants went to

their rookie quarterback and Daniel Jones, who's helped turn things around for them a little bit. They beat Washington, they beat Miami, two teams that don't have any victories yet through the first quarter of the season, and then the Saints. Obviously we're without Drew Brees. But the Cowboys didn't get the job done. They scored only ten points in a in a tough road game. So all those questions about, okay, just how for real, so to speak, are the Dallas

Cowboys in twenty nineteen. They're still kind of hanging out there. What do you think? It's funny? So you know, I'm a big m m A guy, right, yea, yeah, So before not everybody just goes to the UFC, Mike Spofford. Once become a professional writer, you don't go right to the UFC. You do this regional promotions, right, and a lot of times on these regional promotions you're taking on guys who are five and twenty eight or you know, zero and six, and you're kind of building up your

resume in a way. I kind of view that is what the Cowboys were doing those first three weeks of the season. They looked great. They did everything they were supposed to do against teams they were supposed to be. They were supposed to hammer the Giants, they did. They were supposed to hammer Washington they did. And certainly we

know the story right now with the Miami Dolphins. Now, that game, as I was saying last week, if Marv would be able to replay the film, I was saying, that was the big litmus test for them against the Saints going into New Orleans. And you can view that one of two ways. You can view it as you only it up ten points against the Saints, or you could view it that you were the first team to not concede a touchdown to a Sean Payton offense in the Superdome I think during his entire tenure, at least

during a Saints victory. So you kind of get a little of both. I think the one thing I learned is that their defense, they can win games with their defense if they have to. YEA, it didn't work out from in that game, but I mean they are very dynamic, especially with how they played together. But it's interesting because they have this game against the Packers and then you're going up against the Jets who have a lot of issues, and then you really got a big, you know, test

against the Eagles. I think we're gonna learn a lot of but we're gonna learn about a lot about Green Bay. Two. I think we're gonna learn a lot about the Cowboys in this game. Yeah. Well, I think the NFC East from what we've seen so far, I mean, maybe Daniel Jones really starts to light the world on fire and with se Kwon Barkley and everything really starts to go

in another direction for the Giants. But I think, based on what we've seen so far, the Eagles and the Cowboys are gonna be duking this out for the NFC East championship, right for the NFC East title. The Packers already got a taste of the Eagles. They came in here licking some of their wounds a little bit, and uh, and they took care of business against Green Bay. Now a Cowboys team is is licking some of its wounds.

But yet the Packers are now in that same in that same boat where you know the momentum, that early season momentum, has worn off a little bit. The winning streak is over. Now you gotta you gotta dust yourself

off and get back to it. This is you know, you don't want to put too much emphasis, obviously on a Week five game, but at the end of the day, one of these teams is going to be four and one and one of them is going to be three and two, and it's gonna be a big shift in the way things look as we head towards the middle of the season in the NFC, the whole the overall NFC pictures. Well, and Mike, let's just take away the

records even for a minute. If you're the Green Bay Packers and you beat the Chicago Bears, I mean, we saw how Minnesota looked at Soldier Field. If you beat the Chicago Bears on their turf, that's a big whim, that's a big feather in your cap. They you go down to a T and T stadium, which, by the way, spoiler alert history. Notice Aaron Rodgers had a lot of

success there. If you get that victory, it's not even about the four one record, it's the fact that you've picked up two big road wins in the conference against teams perceived to be contenders. So I think that's the biggest storyline here. But as you also pointed out, there is a big difference between being four and one in three and two, especially in this conference right now where there is so many teams kind of in that lock cham.

So I just I think it's gonna be a great atmosphere, it's gonna be a fun game to watch, and again, I just I see so much being on the line for a Week five matchup. Obviously, take everything with a grain of salt because things can change quickly in this league. But I just I really do believe that this thing is can really establish a solid contender who prevails in

this matchup. Well, if you want drama, Packers Cowboys at a T and T stadium, it always brings it right, whether you're talking the Matt Flynn comeback game, playoff game that goes right down to the wire, or the regular season game that goes right down to the wire. So you know, history says this one's going to be a pretty exciting ball game and we'll see how it chakes out. Funny bring up too, because I think that three or whatever that was and at the half, one of the

more remarkable comebacks, obviously without having Aaron Rodgers. Matt Flynn played out of his mind in that second half. Eddie Lacey looked phenomenal. It's it's amazing when you actually do, like start to look at the totality of these last four or five years, Packers have actually had some pretty big wins, notwithstanding the Super Bowl, but actually against the

you know, the Dallas Cowboys on their own turf. Yeah, the Cowboys have actually had more success coming in here to Lambo than they have against the Packers in their own buildings. So you wonder if that's in the back of their minds as well. But with that we will sign off on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com. You can subscribe to us, like us

on iTunes and other podcast services if you will. On Twitter, He's at west Hot, I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tune and everybody, we will see you next time. M hmm.