Talkin' Cowboys: Final Predictions vs. Saints

Rob Phillips, last week, we have to do this. That's right, that's right. Let's get that long weekend after this one and get back to a normal schedule. Rob Phillips hosting four Bill Jones today, Brian brought us joining me across the table. Is always welcome, sir, Thank you, sir, appreciate that. I think Mickey's Bagnola's showing up at some point. I don't will he will, eventually, he'll figure out how to get back over here. Yeah. Still get still yelling at

the guys on the fan. Absolutely, yeah, Ken Garrison dropping those drops next door? All right, we got one day left, yeah, for the big showdown. I figured out yet, I think. So we're gonna make our picks in the final segment, okay, and picks to click as well. Yeah, and we can spend the next hour our final diagnosis, our final keys to the game and matchups. And I don't know you've been spending all week. Yeah, I'm trying to find this thing out. Yeah, you feel any better about it? Matchup now? Yeah?

I do. I feel better in some regards. I think there's some strengths. I'm really worried about what's gonna happen. I know Mickey's gonna come in here, We're probably gonna go through the injury report. I'm worried about the situation with Tyren Smith. You know, that's another no practice yesterday, the only practice if he were to practice today, it's

basically a walkthrough. And you know that Tyren Smith is an all pro left tackle, and you know, and it's he could probably roll out of bed and go play. But still there's that that factor. The one thing that I do feel good about is that Camp flaming least got work this week. You know, last week he was basically coming off the field, and you know, Jason Garrett walked up to him, or Mark Colombo walked up to him and said, hey, you're starting to night, you know,

be ready and good luck, but good luck. And he you know, he went out there and did Okay, I'm not going to say he did great, but he did. Okay, Mickey's right. They got him a little help. But you know, once again, you're talking about guys. You know with the Saints, you know Cameron Jordan and you know and OAKA four and what those guys can present as rushers. And the Cowboys have not shown the ability to really protect overall

that did the second half of that football game. But you know, you keep taking you know, guys off the field that are big time players. It hurts you. Now you know the same answer in a similar situation with Armstrong or assuming Armstead, yes, you know him being out and so you know bush Rod would be the replacement there. He did make the start it last Thursday against Atlanta.

He would be the weak link of this Atlanta keep talking like I'm crazy today, this New Orleans offensive line, right And okay, now do you take advantage of the situation with him? Do you do you put rushers to his side? Do you you know, do you take the Marcus Lawrence and walk him over there? You know, all the things that you think about you might want to do to create opportunity. But I think the I think where the rush is going to have to be the

most important for the Cowboys in this matchup. It's through the middle. I think, you know, if you can get guys to win early, that that affects Drew Brees more than things from the backside, because his game is all about looking over the top of the defense, you know, moving a little bit, slide a little bit, adjusting himself. So the way he gets affected in the pocket is

things that happened in front of him. Now, most NFL quarterbacks struggle with that, but him especially because he has to be able to see, to keep his eyes down the field. He's six feet tall, and we've seen it over the year, every bit of that. Yeah, backing up, backing up for drops, trying to see over the middle of that defense. Sure, mickey, welcome, Hi. He's just a little taller than me, just a little bit, just a little bits all Yeah, did you get yelled at just

now on the fan? So no, I was so engaging they kept me longer. Oh, goody good, Sorry to steal your time. Not at all, not at all. You got this thing figured out? Oh yeah, absolutely, all right, you got your pick ready for later in the show. Yeah, doing it tomorrow, so yes, yeah, we got I was thinking tomorrow it's game time. Yeah, okay, all right, you go hang out with all the old men in the sauna and talk about it there. You know, sometimes you figure a lot of things out in the absolutely that's

happened out the sun. That's a good point in Michael Irvin one night in Minnesota or one afternoon in Minnesota, I had a great conversation while he was injured and

wasn't playing in the sauna. Didn't you tell me a story though recently where you were in a sauna at the gym and some guy just recognized you and started asking you about Yeah, yeah, yeah, I try to go in there and hopefully there's a lot of steam, keep a towel over your head, don't hear your voice, and keep a towel your right, and all of a sudden night here I recognize that voice exactly. It's a compliment. That's what happens when you're celebrity focused. I don't know

about that they happened with just the towel on. You know, they just know who you are. Absolutely, we're gonna have a good group today with Star Sports Tours. We should They won't be too combative. I believe we've we've kind of got past the fire. Jason Garrett questions or maybe not maybe not that last night on The Happy Hour though, No, we didn't. It's a good question. And thanks for everybody that showed up for the Happy Hour too. Yeah. I like that setting up by the way a lot better.

I like the booth because I think everybody can see each other and talk to each other, and I like that. I think that's a better setting, kind of like we're hanging out having a happy hour. Yeah, a lot of good food and stuff on the table, but yeah, good conversation. If you haven't ever watched The Happy Hour, everybody kind of rotates and yeah, some good opinions on that show. You really do. Yeah, every Tuesday night, Concrete Cowboy here at the Star District. Check it out, all right, Mick. Yes,

we were just talking Tyrant Smith. The injury situation. Basically, they had their final practice the week yesterday, so the final injury report will come out this afternoon with designations. What do you think his status is going to be. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it'll be questionable. Yeah, there's no sense letting the Saints know for sure what's going to happen there, although I think they can surmise if guy didn't practice

all week. But again, it's it's one of those it's one of those nerve things where you just never know when things they're gonna change. So I would imagine what times the games start nine seven twenty I believe it is, So give me a ninety minutes before that, and then we'll know. We'll find out that's that's when we'll find out if because I think they'll take it all the way. There's no spot, there's no question. But they're not going to do what they did last week and and and

they didn't do it on purpose. It just kind of happened, right, have a forty five man roster because you found out, you know, fifteen minutes before game time that oh he can't go. Here's the issue for him. And this is probably what happened last week too. It's like you don't want to have him in contact during the week to fliter that thing up, but you don't really know how it's going to respond until you play. So how do you how do you know? I guess warm ups is

the test. Yea, warmups is the test. And I think what you have to do is you take one of those defensive linemen, you know, practice squad guy whatever. And I'm not saying pat him up and go do it, but I think you have to go push on him. I think you have to go and see how much strength he has in that shoulder and neck area. If he does a pass set extends and then all of a sudden he's the US coming up the field and he extends and then all of a sudden it gets him. Yeah,

it catches. Then you then you shut the workout completely down. He can't go. But if it's a rep, it's a rep. It's a rep. And you're like going, We'll wait a minute now, Okay, he's he's he's got to be able to prove to Britt Brown and these doctors and trainers other trainers that he can, in fact take a three hundred pound man and hold him in place right and when. If he can do that, then he will play. If he can't prove that he can do that, then then

you will see. Uh, like I said, um, you see Cam Fleming, who's practiced all week at left tackle, get that opportunity with likely Connor Williams being the backup if something were to happen to him. If you know Williams mcnor, Sorry, he got to play in the game at left tackle. One play. I think his swimming shoe got kicked off. Yeah, So I was gonna say, what they'll do is you know how they warm up the defensive lineman and Leon

let's out there with those big old pads on his arms. Well, he's gonna be hitting Tyrann Smith, Yeah, and see if he can stand up. He's just got to figure you know, Tyran, he's gonna try and do it right, and you know, try to convince him. But again, yeah, you just can't play with a forty five man Ross. Usually. Usually it's the game time decision, and it's truly not a game time decision. Mickey's right, this is going to be a

game time decision. Yeah, And all indications of talking to people, and Mickey talks to just as many people as I do, and they're all like, we'll see, we'll see. He's just got to prove it. Yeah. It's like and guys, you know, I could remember and I've told this story before, you know, parcels with guys with injuries, and I can't remember who the player was, but he hurt his ribs and he

was insisting he can play, insisting play. And we're out at Valley Ranch and Bill was walking away from where the players used to eat, and the guy who was saying had the rib injury was like, hey, I'm good, I'm good. Bill comes up behind, unannouncing, pokes them in the ribs. Yeah. One see, Haller reacted. The guy almost jumped through the ceiling, right He goes, yeah, and you're

telling me your ribs are good, you know, I'm not kidding. Yeah, And it was like that was Bill's way of checked it out a guy if he was telling the truth. Right now, he's too because no one ever wants to admit they're hurt, right, Nobody does go ask I mean go out. I mean how many times have we asked Tyran right on the way back from Philadelphia, I'm good. Oh, I'm good, I'm good. And in the week, oh, i'm good. Last week early in the week, oh, I'm good. You know,

And so no one ever admits the hurt. Look at Zack Martin. Zack Martin has been playing through a spraying knee for how many weeks? Now, Yeah, you know he's not and he'll be listed as questionable and he's been limited all week. But he'll be good to go. But Tyran, you know you're gonna have to watch him even if he is active in this game. I remember Christmas Eve last year he played. He started against Seattle and played

three plays and then he was he couldn't go. Yeah, so cam Fleming's got to be ready throughout the game. One the one saving graces and maybe maybe it wasn't maybe the fact that Cam Fleming didn't have any practice and didn't didn't know he was going to play. Now that he kind of knows, maybe it'll be a different situation. But he's ready. At least he's gotten the work this week with Suephilo in the in the in the majority

of the work that they've needed. And now Suephilo was out the first practice, but the other two practices they've had since that, Sue Philo has been involved with that. Now the downside with you know, maybe the good thing last week is the Redskins didn't know he wasn't gonna play tomorrow. The Saints might have an idea. Yeah, okay, this guy, they've seen him on Flay. Yeah, and now I've seen what Fleming can do, and now I can

adjust my my my game plan. Both teams are gonna be If that's the case, it's sounding like both teams are compromised at left tackle. Yeah, yeah, that's their guys still. Yeah, there's they're having problems there too. And if I, like I told you when we started sing, bush Rod will be the weak link for the Saint. He's a good player, but he is not to the level of what Armstead is and he hasn't and and he's got a peck and that's one of those things you can't hide. Yeah,

you cannot hide that. That's right, that's all about punishing. Can't go they got they gotta start a backup. Yeah, Andrew's Pete, the Saints standout guard, has been limited the last couple of days, so and he's he's really important to what they do. And I just with you know, with with Pete, Unger and Warford, that that that those guys they had the same philosophy as the Cowboys have

about protecting the front of the pocket. And and but but especially with them because what we talked about with the quarterback that's the same height as Mickey, that they they have to keep him. They have to keep his ability to see, you know, clear. They can't afford to have things happen in front of him because if he has to see a lot of things in front, then his eyes come down and he can't you know, then he gets to find the field again. Drew Brees is

one of the best ever players game. He's reason why he's got seventy over seventy thousand yards passing in his career. But there's a ways to affect him. But the Saints maintain their way of protecting. The best way is keeping that front as clean as they can. So I asked Jason this question. I'm going to ask you take me back to two thousand and one. Yeah, and what were the thoughts on the six foot Drew Brees coming out

in the draft. He had beaten Michigan and Ohio State and had Purdue tied for first in the Big Ten and they got to go to the Rose Bowl. But everybody was worried that he was six feet tall. That's the that's the what you look at Drew Brees. This is what all you need to say about him. He won in high school, he won in college, he wins in the NFL. That's all you need to know about

Drew Brees. You don't need to the whole thing about high you know, and we tend is scouts to get two wrapped up in numbers when you should just look at the player. You know, you look at a guy like Baker Mayfield. You know, I mean he's having some success with the Cleveland Browns when no other quarterback really has had success. And I mean the success in a way of winning football games. But great high school player was a walk on bouncing me when the Heisman Trophy.

You know, there's guys like I say, it doesn't matter you know how short you are or what you are measurables wise, There's some guys that are just really good football players because that's built into them. You know, they

might not have the total measurables. And that's where scouts make the biggest mistakes is the thinking, oh, because this guy is six four Jeff George and it hasn't rocket armed Jeff George and gets picked like Jeff George, but then busts because you know he does he doesn't have the he doesn't have that inside of him to that winning mentality. You know, that's where Drew brees. It just

blows everybody away. Is that what makes quarterback probably the hardest position to evaluate because there are so many intangibles that go into the position because you're basically running the football team. A. Yeah, you're running the football team. What makes it hard now is the systems that you play in.

That makes it hard. Now, if it gets to a point where all of a sudden, say a guy like the guy at Tech, you know, Cliff gets an opportunity to coach the NFL and he brings off and we've seen an offense like what Peyton is doing and what McVeagh are doing. So now then you see, okay, now you could start seeing guys like Mahomes playing in systems and then having success in NFL because you see it

now being used in the NFL. That will make your evaluation easier because there's a time where we couldn't evaluate Michael Vick. You know, we really couldn't evaluate Oh, well, he doesn't throw it, but cash he runs all over the place and he could do this Lamar Jackson the same way. I heard he's getting to the start again

this week with the Ravens. You know, those are guys that you kind of look at and like, Okay, he doesn't fit what we do, but wow, look what he does if you know, so morning morning Wig and them doing a good job of catering the offense to him

to make his life easier. And so that's why it's a hard evaluation because you're having to project a player that can as a certain skill set into something that might not be what you're trying to do, and that I think that's the biggest mistake the coaches that have been able to adapt. I'm talking about the guy in Philadelphia. He adapted to that quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

He had to. He couldn't play the way he played with Carson Wentz with with that with Nick Foles and give him credit for that, and that's one of the reasons why they had success. So maybe the best second round drafted quarterback ever, I have to go back and we'd have to look at the list. Yeah, you'd have to look at it was the first pick in the second round. He lasted as you take Ladanian Tom Winson at five or six and then take him in the top of the second round. I'd say you had a

pretty good day. I mean, that's can you beat that? Can you? Because Drew Brees will be a first ballot Hall of Famer, I'm pretty confident. Yeah, yeah, they might waive his five years. He's incredible. He's incredible the way he's But you know what's funny about Drew Brees. You look at his career and it's a little bit like Aaron Rodgers right now. You know, you look at it and one super Bowl, you know, and you look at Aaron Rodgers one super Bowl? Is it his fault or

is it the people around him for not getting him enough? ELP. I think Sean Payton finally realized, you know, we've got to be able to run the football a little bit here. We gotta you know, they go out and they hit on Alvin Kamara, they hit on Ryan Ramchick the right tackle. You know, they draft Pete as a big inside player. You know, they trade for Unger, They give up They're tight end to get Unger in return. So they got

their center. You know, they give up Jimmy Graham to get unger, you know, so you sometimes Fate smiles and we look at thinking about with the Dolphins, I mean Nick Saban, he had a choice, but because of the shoulder injury. It's the same thing. Reminds me of Larry Allen when we're in Green Bay. You know, torn rotator cuff. It's gonna be a problem for him. Ron Wolf. Every time we played the Cowboys. See that there's seventy three there. He's gonna moll us today. He's the guy. You guys

failed on the physical. The doctors would stand there with their arms crossed like okay, they'd hear it every single time. Sometimes you get, really, you get very fortunate that a player might have an injury that allows you to take advantage of that. And think of what the Dolphins have gone through quarterbacks, quarterback wise, and they could have coach wise he would that was his first stop and they decided, no, we're not paying him. And the Saints were really smart.

They structured the contract where the first year they gave him a one year, twelve million dollars guaranteed contract and that was it. And then the next year there was an option. Yeah, they didn't have to continue it, right, and so they they you know, they rolled the dice. But then again, they were in a different situation from everybody else because they're coming out of Hurricane Katrina, the cities decimated, and they're playing and practicing in San Antonio

and it's like and they got Aaron Brooks's quarterback. Yeah, it's like, okay, what do we got to lose? You know. And it wasn't like a long term investment in him, and it's like, okay, here's a look seed contract and if he's good, all right. And he ended up being really good and the marriage with Sean Payton has been great for him too. It's funny though it's some seven and nine's mixed in there, you know, three in a row. Yeah, there was a lot of questions about was Drew Brees

really the right guy at that time? Was Sean Payton the right guy? You know that the Saints. This hasn't been one of those things like Belichick getting Tom Brady and having success for fifteen sixteen years. This is one of those things that Drew Brees came in. Yeah, they won a super Bowl, but after the Super Bowl, this team went south, like three years in a row, and

really before they got that year. You know, the first year was really good and then it was like a five hundred type deal and coach Peyton wasn't there for one year because they had the bounty. So yeah, it was it was, you know, a lot of chaos and controversy in that organization. Safe to say they've righted the show up now. Uh. And like you said, Brian, they've added a lot of pieces around Breeze. They've done a

great job doing that. They think there's a lot of teams out there saying, oh we passed on Elvin Kamara how many times? Yeah, well this again that you look at Alvin Kamara and you watched the Tennessee tape the draft show. I mean I thought we felt like we really covered Alvin Kamara and we covered the guy at Kansas City as well. Uh it was picked in the third round. Yeah, Kareem Hunt. I mean we really can

if I'm right about that. We were we really talked about those two guys, and it felt like we talked about him higher than where they were selected. You know, like, okay, if you want to complete back this is now, I'll tell you this with about Kamara at Tennessee, he didn't always finish runs. He didn't finish runs like he finished his runs here right now. You watched him play at Tennessee and they hand him the ball, throw him the ball,

he blocks, you know, you see that. But he's become an even more of a weapon with the Saints than he was at Tennessee. But Tennessee was some bad football going on right there, you know, And all of a sudden, good players get on bad teams and people have these thoughts about them, like, well, maybe they can't do this, can't do that, you know. But yeah, sometimes you have to get lucky with these runningicks. I'll tell you what.

It does make you think about, just real quick, you know, to a couple of teams, the Cowboys being one of them, the Giants being another. It makes you think about drafting a back that high in the draft with the top five pick, you know, it really does make you think about. Look at James Connor with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's another one that all of a sudden, you're replacing a guy. Now you got a back that's doing just as well. Rare cases, but it makes you think about doing that.

I'm sure the Cowboys absolutely love having Zeke. I'm not questioning that. I'm just saying there's people out there they will argue, Hey, Alvin kamaras just as good as Ezekiel Elliott. But I'll guarantee you when the Saints took them, they thought they were drafting a toy, not in every down running back. Yeah, well him, him and Ingram together, Yeah, it's a great company. If you said, if you went to the old Jimmy the Green, if you go back

to the old NFL Today broadcast, Mickey'll remember this. You used to have the intangible board and all that stuff with Jimmy the Greek, and he would say, give the check mark to the running backs. Give the check you know, I think if you looked at the running backs thing, you would say, Kamara and Ingram and Zeke wouldn't be a wash. I think if you look at those two as one, you know that you would probably think it's a wash there running the football because one could really

really catch. Both of them can really really run. Zeke can really really run and he can catch, So that would be kind of a wash right there. If you want to look at that, leave it to our friend Gil Brandt. He actually ranked the top ten best second round quarterbacks since nineteen seventy. Way to go, K did he really? Yeah, he's got an article on it like recently it was last year. Okay, who's a guy? Um?

I'll start with number ten, Neil Lomax, Oh, Neil Lomax, Yeah, been at Cardinals and Nick nine, Cordell Stewart, number eight, Jake Plumber, then Ron Jaworski, oh Andy Dalton, Andy Dalton, there you go, Cunningham, oh Randal kay U and Ov Boomeriss Hiasin. That's right, Derek Carr. Derek Carr was the second, and then the top two is Drew Brees and Brian should know Number one? Who is number? Yeah? Ar far

second round pick traded? You know, Mickey asked that question and now and I sit there and hear all those names, and I think, what an idiot I am? I should have known. I should have known that I forgot seven. Yeah, Farv was the second round pick. Matter of fact, Browning Nagle was taken ahead of him, but the Packers didn't actually draft Atlanta Falcons draft, and they traded a first

round pick to get him number nineteen pick. Overall, it ended up being a Tony Smith, who was another running back, the Falcons took Tony Smith at that spot, and he was a Southern miss running back, and so yeah, but Browning Nagle went ahead of Brett Farve in that draft. Well, and and but you also have to put an asterisk there because after them, he's coming out of he's coming out of Southern Mississippi after having a really bad car wreck and they didn't know if he was going to play.

He lost a lot of intestine. Yeah, yeah, he was. He was fighting for his life really. Yeah. And then my very great Jerry Granville story when we're leaving the hotel in Minneapolis after the Super Bowl that year, so that we've been the ninety season, Yeah, it was the ninety season and ninety one, Yeah, it's far and far Bes drafted. Yeah, so ninety one. He was a rookie that year. And we're walking out and my friend that I was with, he worked with me and Jackson, Mississippi.

Grew up in Hattiesburg in a new the Fire family. His dad was the Sida, so in Mississippi, and we're walking out and it's freezing cold. We're walking back to our hotel and all of a sudden, we're here, Hey, where are you guys going and it's Jerry Grand Glanville and he's going to the same He goes, oh, I walked with you, so we made small talk. And then my friend goes, I'm sorry, Jerry, but I can't help myself. I just want to know if Brett five can really

be in the NFL quarterback. And he looked at us and he goes, yeah, he goes. He goes once he figures out by Wednesday, you got to quit all that corn squeezing yeah, meaning drinking drinking yeah, And and he goes in. I think he can have a career, but he's got to get that under control. I swear to God. Two weeks later the trade came down. Yeah, it's funny that they blame. If you talked to Ken Hirok, who was a gym at the time in Glanville, I've talked

to him. Both they blame each other for the trade. It's clearly I didn't want to get rid of he says, I thought he was gonna give you a Chris Miller. I didn't think he was gonna, you know, And so it's funny. It's it's it's kind of up there with the herschel Walker trade. Actually, one of the they have Chris Miller then, or was it Bobby Abert Miller Miller, Yeah, Baybert got there later. Yeah, the thing was real quick. I mean it it was a trade that it changed

the history of the Green Bay Packers. That's what happened there. That's the trade that you know. I get Mike home Brand and Steve Mariuch all lout of credit for that trade. Really because the magic Man was losing his magic then once he got hurt, he never came back. Yeah, great list by Gil Brand, who, by the way, I can't believe a good job Bill. Guys, my gosh, it's stupid on my gil Brand getting inducted into the Ring of

Honor formally Thursday night at half. That's right. We almost forgot to mention that it's kind of gotten lost in all this hype, right, Yeah, I'm glad to see that though. Yeah, really glad to see that. All right, let's take our first break. Is it way passed? Its first way past? That's okay? Five two ninety seven is the number if

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coming up, Holidays coming up. Caboo, Texas is coming up in May. There you go, Little ways away still May ten through twelve feet here before you know it. You check it out. Our liners just disappear every week. I don't know. I think our gamer guys taken in this room. I think whoa, whoa, whoa whoa. That was almost a dream, right, yeah, shut off my mic that's it for Mickey. Thank he's underwater, all right. Welcome back to Talking Cowboys inside the SWBC

Mortgage studio. We are giving our final breakdowns for Cowboys and Saints. The Showdown at and T Stadium. Saints on a ten game win streak, Cowboys on a three game win streak, and the biggest question is how they're gonna stop Drew Breeze in that offense. DeMarcus Lawrence is fired up for this game, Mick Good. I think he decided and Dak came close the day before, but he did

it a little bit more delicately. I think they got tired of hearing everything about the Saints and how good the Saints are and people asking him, are you guys in awe of the Saints and it's Drew Brees and do you have to play a perfect game? Yeah? And I think they find because Dak's all answers are yes and yeah, And Dak kind of started with, you know, we put our pants on the same way they do

and yeah. And then I think I think DeMarcus Lawrence he's a little more perceptive, I think than everybody thinks like he pays attention, and I think he finally decided, you know what, look, we can play football too. Sure. I mean, he he had that planned. It didn't just happen. Well. He gave him a lot of credit too. He called him they're a maddened team. He said, if you really look at the numbers, they're by far the best team

in the league. Yeah, but he was very complimentary. But you saw what he did, right he got in the middle of Jalen Smith's interview. He jumped on the bench right behind him, like, you know, was how to doty or something. And finally Jayden just got you entertaining stuff. Jen just gave up and left and then he started. And I think what he was trying to make sure is these young guys don't walk out there and it's like, oh, it's Drew Brees. You know, we can't play against him.

And I think that's what he was trying to do, is like give his his own room some confidence. And I don't think he was bragging. I don't think he was trying to egg on the Saints. He was just trying to say, hey, we can play too. Yeah, and you know we always ask about leaders. Well, I think that's what he was trying to do in that instance. And it was very entertaining. Always is even the parts you couldn't quote, well, we get an idea what he was saying. Did you bleep him out? Yeah? Dave wrote

the story and he was there were bleeps in there. Okay, good, yeah, go check it out and cowboys dot Com and everywhere else I've made major headlines yesterday, and he's the best quote in the locker room, no doubt. And he's the best playmaker on their defense too as well. And he's got to have a big game. I think he knows it. And you know, he was asked over and over again Brian about their offensive line, and he gave him a lot of credit, but he said, they also haven't seen

us yet. Yeah, and this is a defensive line that's been very productive for for the large part of the season, even though they've dealt with some injuries, especially the last couple of weeks. If they win this game, it's gonna be because of their defensive line. It's you're gonna have to They're gonna have to play really well against the run. Because of what we talked about earlier with Ingram and Kamara. The Saints are gonna want to try and establish that

you've got to be ready for downhill game. A lot of toss, sweeps, ball coming right at you. Things like that. They're gonna put extra They're gonna put an extra tackle in the game, you know, to you know, to try and help they're blocking at the point of attack. You know, they're gonna be a physical front and and I'm really I'm excited that that Lawrence is a you know, trying to rally the troops. They're gonna need to play one

of their best defensive games. It's and we laugh about being perfect and all that, but you almost have to be perfect because the problem is they put so much pressure on you to cover them when it comes to those routes. Drew Brees is one of the best in the league when it comes to finding a mistake in the secondary that you've made, and he will hit that guy every single time. And so how they play up front, how they controlled the Saints offensive line, how they get

after Brees, how they play the run. There's They're gonna give up some plays, but they just can't give up play after play after play. They've got to find a way to get some stops. Keep an eye on this game. If this turns into an Atlanta first, like the Atlanta in the first half, the Cowboys can very well win this game. If it if it's if it's something where

you know, we came in and I was bragging on Atlanta. Hey, these receivers, their ability to run the football, you know, Matt Ryan on third down, all these things high flying offense and at home. Look what the always did defensively to the Falcons. They kept the Falcons out of the end zone when they had to played really great red zone defense. You know, you're eric gonna have to have the same type of effort and same type of game that you did against the Falcons if you want to

win this game. Yeah, and by perfect, it depends on the definition, right, Like Saints aren't perfect either, And when a player gets asked that, they're gonna bristle at it because look, they're not facing a robot on the other side of the front either. But your definition, I understand it. You can't play a really sloppy football game against this

team and expect to win. No, this is one of those things where if you get them in third and eight and all of a sudden, it's an incomplete pass and you can't have defensive holding for a five yard penalty in a first down. You know, if you get off the field, you get off the field. No hands to the face, no defensive holding, no pass interference. I mean, just go out there and play as clean a game as possible. That means with the turnovers, you know, you

can't turn the ball. We always talk about that. But for the Cowboys, if you get the chance to get them off the field. Byron Jones, Anthony Brown, Jordan Lewis, any one of you guys don't get called for defensive holding, pass interference, hands the face, anything that gives the Saints a fresh set of downs. You know, if you look at what Atlanta did, I mean they moved the ball up and down the field on the Saints. Problem was they turned the ball over four times, lost three fumbles. Yeah,

and Ryan got sacked six times. Yeah. I mean they had over, you know, almost three hundred and seventy yards offense. Most of it was passing because they couldn't run the ball right. Well, they couldn't run it against the Cowboys either, but it was the turnovers that did them in in that game. Yeah, So you know you can't give them extra possessions. Yeah, absolutely. And I don't want to go back to where we start left off yesterday about extra possessions.

Why because I still want the ball if I would the coin toss. Yeah, we covered that part. Yeah, but that's I mean, they moved the ball on them. Yeah. You know, now, can you can you hold them to twenty eight thirty points. You hold you make this, you hold them under thirty, which the Cowboys I think have a streak now of twelve straight games, so they've hold held an opponent under thirty points. I think I'm right about that. Well every game this year. Tennessee was the

high at twenty eight. Yeah, they hold them under thirty, they've got a shot to win this football game. They were literally more than that, Brian, because it's eleven games this year. They they held them shut out the Eagles in the last game, right, it was six to nothing, right, and the game before and they got beat by Seattle.

Wouldn't it like twenty four thirteen something? I thought it was twelve something games myself, But it's it's a it's a pretty nice streak to have if you're holding people, especially in this day and age with the way the offenses have just you know, the light you up if you if you allow them to do that. Cowboys given up nineteen point three points per game this season. Yeah, and you know the run defense, it starts there, I think, because the Saints do want to get those two acts involved.

You know, they're Cowboys holding teams under one hundred yards per game, They're gonna have to do that. They're gonna we've talked about down in distance with this offense here, they've got to put breeze in some of those long down and distance situations and not where he's just comfortable all the time in second and six and third and

two and all that kind of stuff. Can I ask you guys a question, and hopefully you'll get a good answer here, Give me a player and I'm not talking to pick the click kind of guy, or you know, give me a guy that we're not talking about that could be a difference maker in this game. You know, we've talked a bunch about the receivers and the defensive line, the quarterbacks. Is there a player that we're not talking about? You're thinking, okay, when all these things are evenly matched,

this guy will make a play. This guy will make a stop, This guy will make a catch. Is there somebody you got in your mind? Hold that thought? Okay, let's carry it over next on Talking Cowboys, pick the click predictions and maybe some under the radar guys to watch next on Talking Cowboys. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a high thing, than cutting the chord is scary, but then I found out I could switch it DirecTV Now and still get

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harbor while you're reading. By the way, the Cowboys have a streak of seventeen consecutive seven teams giving up less than thirties. Time they did it was Philadelphia is spanking them thirty seven to nine during that three game, losing seventeen games of not giving up thirty points that's pretty impressive.

I thought it was like, hey, maybe, but maybe this year maybe I just trust who ever did that, you know, like Parcel said one wrong, all wrongs, right, Yeah, being the score in that Seattle game was twenty one twelve last year. Yeah, that was the one that kind of eliminated them from a chance of getting into the playoffs. That's right, well, and then they won three in a row before that, they did, they lost three in a row, they did, and Tyrn Smith only played yeah, like a

series in that game. We'll see if he can go this week. So they're already ahead of the curve because last year without him, they were oh and three, and now they're one and oh and without you know, Sean Lee miss some time in there two last year and five and now they're four and one, five and one. We talked a little on The Happy Hour Show last night, Mick about you know, they're they've withstood injuries better this year,

and I think it. You know, we talked about Vanderesh and Jalen Smith and the job chrish Shard has done on defense. I mean, they've they've dealt with adversity better than they did down the stretch last year to this point, they had a better player to step bid. Right. Well, that's part of dealing with adversity, right, Yeah, you know learning curve. Yeah, Smith is still here. He was there last year. He's taken a step forward. He's keep an

eye on Cam Fleming in this game. Yeah, and you know he's a guy that has started a Super Bowl. My neck just stood up. Yeah. Well, and like you guys said, they gave him some help last last week as well. They need to continue that, whatever plan that is, continue on. But the Cats out of the bag. Now for the Saints, they've they've seen him once. That's his hope. Seventy seven can hold a three hundred pound man in place. Yeah,

that's your biggest hope. We'll keep an eye on him at the AT and T Stadium pregame see what was going on, and we'll be there early. There can be standing next to Britt Brown while he's running. I'll be there before they get there. Well, Mickey, go down the field and tweet out what happened. For any good, any

anybody going to the game. Don't wait to get there because it'll be Thursday traffic and it's not like Thanksgiving, right when you know everybody was off, Yeah, there's gonna be some tailgating two out there making weather report traffic reports, right, yeah, which a lot to guys. Chica tweeted out, Hey, it's

three o'clock. I'm here for the seven twenty start. Well, now go down the field, Mickey, you know, get the thumbs up from doctor down from Brett if if they if it's a go and you get a thumbs up, tweeted out, Man, I don't even get analysis on the cheerleader's warm up. Don't need that, Nicky, need the analysis of whether seventy sevens playing or not. It's just you know, just stop, just you're you're you're doing good right injuries cheerleaders? Okay, no, no,

absolutely not all right? How about this? How about answer Bryan's question from what you got a guy? You got a guy that that we're not talking about that you know in this game, when you have so many players on both sides that are key components, is there somebody on that forty six that's gonna show up in this game that at the end of the day, we're gonna go, wow that that guy right there made a little bit of a difference. And it doesn't have to be like ten, twelve,

fifteen plays. Maybe he makes a tackle on a kickoff return or or a kickoffer tun but a you know tackle or on a special teams or makes a field goal or you know punt s well whatever that give me that guy. I'll give you a guy. Go ahead. And he's he's been a part of a big part of this thing. But last week one catch Cole Beasley. Ah, I mean we haven't. I don't think we've talked enough about other receiver. I mean we talked so much since Michael Gallup has been here as Cole Beasley has been

put on the back back burner since since Cooper got here. Yeah, I say, yeah, I said Gallup, I meant Cooper. I meant Cooper. I'm sorry, Yeah, I mean, And we've talked a lot about Cooper for good reason. But he also and you've talked about this during the week, Brian, how are they going to play him? Could that open up some opportunities for other guys if they try to double him a little bit? See what the Saints do. Beasley

is such a safety blanket for Dak. I think in this game, you've got to get your offense cranked up and you're probably gonna have to spread it around and and find production from other sources. And I think he's a guy that uh Dak trusts and and I just expect more from than one catch for five yards. I don't know what you saw on tape, you personally that maybe in the Washington game, maybe they took him away. Yeah,

but he's a guy that certainly can step up. Is that all he had one catch one, two targets win catch one and he had five or fifty one against Atlanta. I mean he's been productive in a maybe a little bit more reduced role with Cooper here, but get you know, get him going a little bit, find ways to get him going. That was my pick. Got another one, Beasley, Let Brian go in. I'll think of another way. Game.

This is gonna sound really, really strange, And I want to love on what the potential is with Jordan Lewis, with all their receivers and backs, with Kamara and stuff. I want to love on Jordan Lewis. I'm throwing at you. That's gonna you're gonna I'm gonna get a wow. I'm gonna get a Nate Newton wow from everybody here. Rico gathers yes, yes, this is the type of game where Rico Gathers has been used as a blocker, blocker, blocker.

Do you find a way to get him involved some way, you know, whether it's a red zone opportunity, is it a third down opportunity? Is this a time where we see them throw the football? And I know I'm asking a lot here because all Rico's really done is he's been blocking. He's been trying to learn the offense and block, and but is this a time where you know, these tight ends we haven't really you know with it. The whole thing was Jeff Swain is we've said, Okay, who's

gonna step up, who's gonna play? You know, you think maybe Jarwin, maybe Schultz, But this might be one of those games or something good happens with Rico Gathers and and he makes one or two plays where you go, wow, that was a difference. That was a key catch there, That was a key moment in this game. That would be my guy that kind of keep an eye on, because I think they're setting him up for something. You know, I think they're setting him up to do something in

this game because all he does is block. But let's see if he can make a play reception wise in this football game. So I got one, all right, do it like you know, family feud. Ye give me Xavier Woods, Xavier Woods, all right, because the Cowboys are gonna get pressure on Drew Brees and I think and I think he's gonna be stubborn. He's still gonna want to throw some up down the field. Okay, And if Xavier Woods is in single high coverage, he's gonna pick one off.

Get that body in front, just time, right, get the body in front, you know, watch out. Yeah, Okay, anybody liking maybe maybe a bounce back or a better game from a Woozier or am I am I? Or is a Woozier right now? Just kind of a Woozier. I don't think that would surprise me. I mean, he created the one interest right right, and he should have had another. Yeah, it was a good tip ball. Nice job of vander esh beginning between McCoy and a Woozier on that play

that to try and give him a chance. Yeah, but I'm I'm kind of you know, the boy. They need him him, They just need him to play a little more aggressive. And I think Jason Carrett mentioned it a couple of weeks ago that he needs to be more aggressive, and I think the last couple of games he has been. You see him playing man at uptight close run with the guy. I think he needs to continue to do that because I bet they got Michael Thomas on that

side of the There's no question. Yeah, there's assignment. There's no question. He's been in position this season to make plays on the ball. Yeah, and hasn't quite finished. We've seen him finish better, finish Yeah. So because his coverage has been good largely throughout the season. Um, I'll give you one more. Okay, give me, let me hit the bells. Ding ding ding ding ding. Taco Charlton. If indeed he's active, he practiced this week, I think you're good to week.

I think you're good. I mean he's uh. Like we talked about the left tackle situation right for the Saints. We'll see what happens with him. Randy Gregory, those guys. Yeah, Gregory, you have a run, get some production on the other side, right, and then you get Crawford going inside, you get d Law on the other side. It's gonna take a full effort from the D line. I wonder if they trust Taco to start and then they can move Crawford inside.

I think that to me, I would go with the human log and and Collins as my starters and keep Crawfordford on the out because I need to play some run dee. Yeah if it turns yeah, if it turns into I think you need because if you forgot about Collins, that's right. Yeah, I think it like I say, you put as many big guys inside as you can, and then you put as many guys on the edge that

can tackle you. Like the human law gunt you. I always giggle at it because I imagine somebody who's never listened to our show and doesn't know much about the Cowboys. Nate Newton came up with the human law. The human log is yeah, yeah, Antoine Woods, Yeah, Antoine Woods call him. And they're gonna need to play the run early in this game. I think they're gonna need to be firm

at the edges and firm in the middle. And and but if it means moving, you know, taking Woods out to rush the passer and the nickel by all means do so. So I think that you know, we'll see this rotation at least with at least with Taco back. He gives you another body to rotate in there. It's a shame that you don't have David Irving in there to make things happen. But that's that, you know, we've talked about that. That's a that's something, is what it is. So they got to play with what you got and

what you got. It's not bad. David Irving will continue to be the cherry on top of the Sunday. You can eat the Sunday without the cherry, right, can't count on it. Yeah, And if somebody puts the Sunday in front of you without a cherry, you're okay with that, cam hole. I'm eating it. Yeah, I'm still That's the ice cream and the whip cream and I'm still now. And that's kind of what's about my My outlook has been since the beginning of the season when he had

the service four game suspension. Yeah, anything you get on him is cherry on the top, count on it, gravy on the biscuits. There you go. Which game was it? Was it Jacksonville where they had Irving and Gregory on the field together. Yeah, and it was I think Jerry said this is something I've dreamed about for years. I mean, it's it's the potential is amazing, you know, but it's not a lot more issues there than we'll even know. That's the issue. Yeah, all right, Uh, we got a

few minutes left in the show. Let's just go ahead because the break is following us immediately after this show. Immediately. Yes, we got short, short shifts today. We're in hockey mode. Yeah, we're all bunching those lines to get a Saturday Yeah exactly. Yeah, So we don't usually do a show on Saturday. Welcome to Welcome to the big Time. We're doing one. We normally do one on Sunday. That's true. Well, we're gonna do one on Friday. Okay, I think, well we check

back for that. Probably need to all right, Uh, we need to get picks in and picks to click as well. I'll start with Bryan. Since you're making that face, you're making that Mickey face. Go ahead, Brian. You know what I'm I'm riding a little bit of a winning streak of one game. I had a three game skid there, I had a five game in a row, start seven and four right now, and I you know what this

team has baffled me all year. When I don't think they're gonna play well, they play well when they when they play well, I don't think you know, you get the idea, you get the picture. I don't want to confuse you out there, George Bush, but I mean, I'm trying to to tell you this. I think this team wins this game this week. I do. I think that the Saints are coming in. Yes, all the offense they're d I don't think their defense gets to their enough credit.

But I don't think the Cowboys defense gets nearly enough credit for where they for where they're going, and I think they're I think this is a big time measuring stick game for them. I think they do carry this thing. Under thirty points. They carried under thirty points. Dallas can move the ball offensively, finish some drives, though it's gonna come down to having to finish some drives. H And if that's the case, then the Cowboys will find a way to win this football game. They're the ones that

are going to score thirty. The Saints are gonna score twenty eight. Dallas thirty Saints twenty eight. This one kicks them in the right direction for the remainder of the season to go try and win this division. And I think it's a it's a one of those measuring stick games. I think they get it done. Picks the click, pick, the click, I'm gonna go with. I'm gonna need this is where I'm anything. I'm gonna need. H I don't have that in mind yet my pick, no, no, no, no,

but I need I need something. I need to think of something because you got me with Taco there in what he need because I think that rotation. I think anybody my picks to click, Okay, picks to click are anybody that's rushing against bush Rod on that side, whether it's Randy Gregory, whether it's Crawford, whether it's Taco. Somebody on that right side needs to help me a little bit. I'm gonna try and get some push in the middle of effect breeze. I need to close in the backside.

Anybody that's going up against bush Rod, I need you to click. In this football game, don't be surprised if Marcus Lawrence moves over. I'm on a two game winning streak, not three. I guess I was not believing that they can go on the road. You were first road guy against Philadelphia. They showed me. Um, look, the Saints have one ten in a row. It's probably time they lose one. WHOA, So I got the Cowboys thirty one thirty wow, and my pick to click will continue to be Ezekiel Elliott.

They haven't faced a running back like him since the Rams. Yeah, that's a very good scored. What forty some What was the score of that game? It was a high score. It wasn't enough. Uh it was forty five thirty five. So um, I'll that's that's where I'm going. Okay, all right, here comes the thundercloud from rob U. I'm on a

three game win streak. I believe picked the Cowboys. I picked the Cowboys the last several weeks actually, and I was cut with Mickey covering the game in two thousand and nine when they went to New Orleans with I think LP was the only guy left, the only guy left over from that team beat New Orleans. Similar situation, undefeated, averaging thirty five thirty six points a game, and they

cut the point total in half. I wouldn't be surprised, like you said, Brian, if this defense steps up and plays terrific um the Saints just have something going right now and you're not wrong. You're not wrong at all. And maybe that can change by January, but right now they are in such a role. Um. I like, I love the way Dallas overall has played at home this season. They've really played overall a lot better at home. I think this is gonna be a really good game, right,

hurry up, and picked the Saints. I think off offensively, the Cowboys gonna score some points. Um, But I like the Saints in the end in this one fair enough. I think maybe they get they get to thirty thirty one, twenty eight, yeah, and flip it the other way. Yeah, and picked it like, I wouldn't be surprised if they do it. And if they do, it's gonna be to Marcus Lawrence reaking havoc. And and you know, they need

to create some extra possession and maybe it's him. Maybe it's a strip, sack, fumble on breeze, something like that to give them an extra possession. Offensively, they're gonna have to have one of those. Yeah, you're gonna get it from the coit toss? Is that what it is? Defer it's been working for him, Yeah, he ain't played the Saints. That's fair, that's fair. You don't know to get three

and out though, just ball, it's still three plays zero zero. Okay, my point punning from that, you're punting from your own eighteen. I don't want to go down this rabbit hole. But you're talking about what Marcus said in the locker room. You want to give your guys some confidence, give your defense some confidence. Let's go out there and stop him first possession. Yeah, all right, Micky's not in that. On board with that. All right, it's nothing wrong with stopping

him the second possession. That's fair enough. Stop him possession, stop him the first possession of the second half. All right, Thank you guys for joining us. Thanks you, ken, everybody. Enjoy the game. The break is coming up next, they'll have their picks and we'll have more coverage of the matchup today and after the game on Thursday. Thanks for joining us. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.