Player's Lounge: Believing in Ben?

it and beat who got the high school highlights? Nice? It is nice out here. If you've never been to the Ford Center, there's a beautiful football field right here as you enter the building, and people come and they play all the time. And I don't know yet, I got to ask. But in December they do it. They do a show and you've you've seen the show they do that, but they rockets. I don't think they're doing

it out here this year. But yeah, So the Rhythm and Blues team comes out there with a friend Jinny Derb and puts that thing on. Man, it's it's tight man out there putting on the show they do. They do everything out there. It's nice. So I hate I hate that they won't have that. Man. I hate that hate because it's it's a heck of the show. It's not that safe. But uh yeah, yeah, I hate that they're not having as well. Okay, um, let's work for you.

Let's work for you. All right. My headsets aren't working here, so so you got to cut me a little bit of slack. I'm gonna take it off out here so I can hear because I can still I can still hear you guys. Uh Cowboys. By the way, this is the players on hotels. I come up and we scrugs. Long time Cowboys reporter Barry Church down there at the end David Craig two former Dallas Cowboys safeties. Sunday Night

Football on NBC. Mike McCarthy said today that less Andy has some type of practice Tomorrow it's gonna be the Bend Nucci Show against the Philadelphia Eagles. The rookie seventh round draft pick out of James Madison. You guys are former defensive players. When you saw a rookie coming to the game as a quarterback, what were your thoughts, Well, hopefully you know this doesn't happen, so my guy the Nucci out there. But I mean when we saw rookie quarterbacks coming in, I mean it was looking it was

like licking your chops out there, man. I mean you knew, especially if they had to throw, like if it was you know, they were down fourteen or twenty one points or something like that and they had to throw to get back in the game. And now you see a rookie quarterback coming in there, I mean you're licking your chops. You know that you're gonna get something. He's gonna throw

at least something to you. And the thing about that is if you can disguise, if you can, you know, get him off his game early, because when you're a rookie quarterback, you're thinking about a lot of things. You got this this huge D line coming at you, you got linebackers barking out commands while you're up there. I mean, you got the secondary messing with your head over there playing you know, maybe it's three, maybe it's too high.

I mean you never know. So as a as a defensive back coming out there, we used to disguise and we would love love licking our chops to see a young quarterback coming out there. But you know, hopefully, you know Ben, you know, got a little bit of moxy to him. You know, hopefully he comes in there and takes command of the huddle because this is a big This is huge for him. I mean, I know a lot of us didn't want this going into the season. We didn't want to have to get down to our

third string quarterback. But I mean, this is huge for him. This could be one of his you know, this could be his moment, and hopefully he's able to take advantage of it. I knew he was gonna get into some positivity in the kool aid before he finished to finish

up his take. But uh, listen, if you are on defense and you see this guy coming in, this is when when we used to play like Eli Manning, Uh Mark Rod marnellis just say, hey, this is the game where we're gonna start getting our turnovers right because we couldn't. We couldn't find a way to get turnovers. So we will find quarterbacks to hype us up and say, look, this is the guy right here. He'll throw you one. Right.

So I think right now their defense is like, listen, if you want to get you something, and we already discussed this, if you want to have a career day, you show up against the Cowboys to get right game. So this to get right game. You know, I hope it doesn't happen because, like I said, I'm I played for the Cowboys and I love the Cowboys. But if I'm being realistic, these guys are looking at chops and

they're waiting to see who gets the first interception. But this, I mean, it's it's it's definitely you know, he has one thing working in his advantage. There's not a lot of tape out on him. I mean he threw the ball but maybe three or four times last week in Washington he was under the rest. I mean it was it wasn't a good show him by far. But what Philly doesn't have, they don't have a lot of tape

on him. And we saw that, you know, helping advantage when when Andy Dalton came on the field after that went down, he came on the field, there was no tape, The defenses weren't prepared for Andy Dalton. He came up there and lit him up. I mean the next week, you know, we saw once you got that tape on him, you know, they would kind of corral him. But one time I wouldn't Giant Philly Phillies Bears. I wouldn't say littlem up. But you know he made some he made

led two scoring. Yeah, yeah he did. He did what he did, what he was supposed to do, and they won the game against who the giant? Okay, all right, just who are weak? It was winning Phi Phillies better than New York. Everybody's better than New York, but Philly like Phillis. You know, the eighty five Bears, seventeen Jackson Jack So everybody's better. Oh we did beat him on that on that on on the fleuzy little play, but yeah, everybody's better in New York. We are so much better

than know. Hey, Shannon, can you give me some of that Jack Black? That Jack Black? What's got you recognize? I recognize you. I saw you right there when you came up there. You guys didn't recognize civilian clothes. I couldn't recognize him. No, listen, you write my moti. I gotta listen to church over here. Hype up the Nucci. That's what's wrong. Here we go again. See let's go. Let's go. Shannon does one of the great podcast here Dallas Cowboy dot com and just say hanging out here

as well with the family. Um, okay, so Church, I'm gonna address this one to you, okay. And and and the reason I'm addressing it to him it is because please, you played in the MAC and and that's a Nonpower five school. Yeah. Ben de Nucci started off at PIT then transferred to James Madison, which is not and this is below the MAC and below and below the Mountain West. We're talking about that that next level, that that f that FCS levels technically what they call it, where Carson

Wentz ended up playing at in North Dakota State. So what's the adjustment when you come from a conference like that to the National Football League within your rookie year. Give me, give me that baseline because you went through it well. For me, you know, the speed was the biggest thing because in the MAC, you know, you got a lot of guys, you got some talent in the MAC. But there's no you aren't touching the speed of the NFL. Like every body from the defensive line to the secondary

to the to the linebackers everybody's fast. You can't just outrun anybody in International football league. So for me, the biggest adjustment was the speed, and for him, I think it's gonna be the speed of everybody, but also just trying to figure everything out on the fly. I mean, this is this is a guy who didn't have OTAs, He didn't have a you know, a long training camp it was abbreviated training camp, didn't have any preseason games

under his belt. So he's going into a game right here, just you know, off of a week of practice, and it's gonna be hard for him to see all these adjustments. I'm sure they're gonna bring the house on him. They're gonna try to make him, you know, flustered out there and trying to make him get the ball out of his hands quick, decision making quick. So for him, he's just gonna have to stick to the game plan. If

that means running the ball a lot. Look your first your first option, your second option win throwing the ball, and then you might have to take off use that twenty one mile and hour speed we're hearing about. But for me, he just can't make the game more complicated than it is. If you see cover three out there and it's not there, open man, just take off and run. I mean, you have nothing else to lose, all right,

So mcram would have put this one to you. We're talking Ben the Nucci as we should the starting quarterback. It's gonna be the starting quarterback. But how much is this really on Ben as much as it should be Kellen Moore coming up with a game plan that that really protects him. That you don't want this kid out here trying to throw fifty passes on Sunday night football against Philadelphia. Honestly, I think it's I think it's fifty fifty. But but you also have to put, you know, Zeke

in there. You have to put Coop in there because that they have. Kellen has to come up with a game plan that that that caters to the Nucci and the fact that he is a rookie and this will be his first start. He has to put that out there, and then Zeki has to go out there and hang on to the ball. Coop and UH and Gallop and CD what they will probably have to make a lot

of contested catches, make some special catches. They will have to make some special plays because they are out here with a rookie quarterback, and the defense will have to turn over the ball are or not let them score as much. So it's going to be a team game. So but I'm putting fifty fifty. De Nucci has to go out there and exit cute the game plan that Kellen hopefully puts out there, and then the rest of the people around him have to do their job more than they had to when Dak was on the field

or when Andy Dalton was on the field. So is this the kind of game where the head coach McCarthy goes and finds twenty one and says, hey, look, I need you to be the guy that's got the ninety million dollars contract. I need you to carry this Look, you're not gonna have the regular line you're used to that made you an All Pro and a Pro Bowl player, but I need you to find a way. I need

you to carry this thing. I think that was last week and uh and unfortunately, you know when I came on the shore earlier this week, That's why I said I was nervous because to me, it looked like he was splitting carries with Tony Poller. So is he going to twenty one and twenty or they are they putting this on twenty ones back. If it's me, that's what I'm doing. I'm telling Zeke, hey man, this is on you as far as we go, is as far as you take us right. And I'm giving you everything you want.

You need twenty five carries, I'm giving you that, and we focusing this on you. We need you to hang on to the ball. We need you to lean always fall forward, you three to four yards and putting us in third and shorts. That's that's what we need from you. And I think that will be okay. The quarterback's best friend, it's a running back, and that's your opportunity. And we can't get frustrated with man. You know, we might be

down fourteen. We cannot get away from the runs till I mean, we've seen it happen too many times this year where we you know, we start out slow and other team kind of picks it up on us and we just leave the run, you know, just throw the throw to the wayside. We can't. We can't do it at that today or this game coming up. We cannot lose focus of the run. Even if we get down a couple scores. We gotta stay pounding the run because if we leave the Nucie out there, I mean, the

kid could get hurt. We can't. I mean, we gotta lean on Zeke. We gotta have that that that top back back in the backfield to help us out this and and listen once again. The running game in today's NFL consists more of just handing the ball off to Zeke. It also consists of quickouts. It consists of jailbreak screens, It consists of of zone reads. It consists of more than just that. So it doesn't just have to be the elementary turnaround and get the ball to Zeke on counter,

get the ball to Zeke on power. It has to be a creative type of running. Right. So I want to see Cede Lamb and Mary Cooper come around on jet sweeps and get and get some carries. I want to see quick outs, some hitches from from Mary Cooper, get the ball in their hands quick and let them see what they can do after. I want to see all that that's an extension of the ring game. We could and able to slow this rushdown to slow branding Graham and all those cocks and all those boys over

there in Philadelphia. We could see some RPO action. I mean, we haven't seen a lot of it this year so far, but we could see some RPO action. You know, let the Nuccie see. I don't know if that's that might be a little bit too much on this. It might not that I think about. It might be too much on the play because he's gonna have to read the defensive end, read the linebackers and see how they're doing it as well as you know, should I hand this offer, should I pass the ball? So that might be a

little bit too much on his plate. But right now, I mean, we need all the help we can get, and and the best way to get them, get them acclimated to the game is get the ball out of his hand, quick, easy, quick throws, right, get him some confidence, let him know that he can actually get in there and make those plays. And then and then build off of that. Right, So if you get the running game going,

he start getting some short passes. Defense starts sitting a little bit trying to jump some stuff because there's a rookie quarterback and they thinking that they can get some picks off of them. And then you can go over the top with play action. I think that that's just the floor of the game that you have to try to get get figured out. As we're talking about the offense getting ready for this this Eagles in Cowboy game, the group that I haven't spoken about enough to me,

he's gonna be the most important here. It's the offensive mine. Yeah, you know what you're getting with Jim Schwartz, he's bringing the house pressure. They're gonna bring. They're gonna do some twists and things up there with Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham and Benny Curry. Mean, they're gonna do some different things here. And Zack Martin is supposed to be back. Zack Martin didn't reveal whether or not he might play a little right tackler, but he didn't. But Joe Looney

could also be back. So is Joe Looney gonna be a guard or is he gonna be at center? I mean, we don't know yet. Mike McCarthy keeps so much of this full secret like a hockey coach, and I kind of laughed because he's sitting around here saying, well, you know, unless Andy practices, uh, you know, I can't see him going. So then we're going to let the whole week play out because Jerry, Jerry Jones goes on to the show and yeah, don't will be back next we should be

back next to me, right. We just took me back to and Chris being remembers these the days when when when Wade was here and so you know, uca Wade sit there and had these press conferences and and try and you know, play cool with people. And we're like, man,

Jerry already said that. And one time, man, it was some kind of player I can't remember what player that they were trying to talk about that they were going to sign a release and and Way was like that hadn't happened yet, and we're like, Jerry already told it did. And then Way he was like, okay, whatever Jerry said. I think at one point he asked, like something asked him a question and a press conference, and he asked before and answering the question, that's what did Jerry say?

Sounds yeah, that's a real similar to you. I haven't been in those meetings we were talking about. I don't know nothing about meetings, right, and and so that's why I just laughed. So you McCarthy sitting here talking it was fifteen ten ten fifteen to day and trying to play Corey and then Jerry goes on one the fire through the fan and uh, we won't be seeing next week, will be here. I'm laughing at that point, like, okay, so do you believe it's one hundred percent no chance

that Andy Dalton is starting this week? I don't think. Again, but you know younger practice today? No, No, I think if he's no matter if he practices or not, if he's clear medically, I think that he'll start if he's cleared. Okay, And I'll say here's the most I think you'll see maybe in a backup role. Which McCarthy did you know say that you know he could back up the Nucci? Yeah? That,

but I I don't see him. I mean, plus, when when when Jerry Jones goes out here on radio show and says, yeah, we'll see we'll see you next week, Like okay, I mean, honestly, if you're Andy Dalton, are you are you trying to rush back to get back to get behind that. I mean, I don't know you get you getting you, You might get Lonely back, you might get Zack Martin back. I mean this this would be the time. Listen, I hope he comes back. I

hope he's healthy enough to get out there and play. Uh. If he's not, you know, and and he's he's and he's the backup guy. I don't you know, I know you're positive. I don't know how long Nucciu is in the game. I don't know how long he's gonna be in the game. If you have Andy Dalton sitting back there active as a backup, it's the Nucci's time. It's just time to row. It's going to be. Okay, it's going It's going to be when Jerry Jones comes out

and says, we'll see Andy Dalton next weekend. That's where I'm going. Okay, cool, you know, having done this long enough, covered enough press conferences, and here, Jered, I'm gonna go with Jared all right, these you know, you know, and I'm not picking up my card. I'm just this is just how it is. I've seen enough of these coaches come out here and tell us this, and then we go right around here and ask Jared. I mean, that

was the thing. Garrett would say things like, okay, where's Jared, and then soon that was the beauty of Jerry show up for training cap because we go get all our questions ask Jerry, because Jason would do what any coach is supposed to do, be vague and just kind of not really give you anything. Jerry gave it to So what do you think about that? Though? What do you

think about that? As as a head coach and you got the owner out there, you know you're trying to hide something as the head coach, keep played close to the vest, and then it doesn't matter because you could just go get the answer from the owner. What do you what do you think about that outside looking at not because you get to get the information from Jerry and it makes it It makes it a little easier and all that stuff. I'll set it up for you two ways. And I used to say this about Jason Garrett.

I never had any sympathy for Jason Garrett on these issues because he turned down the head coaching job in Atlanta and he turned out head coaching job at Baltimore to stay here. You knew what you were signing up for. You played here, you knew you were an assistant. You see what it was. So it just comes with the meal. And as far as Mark Mike McCarthy goes, this guy was trying to get jobs, wanted a job. This comes

with the meal. And by this time Mike McCarthy been in the league long enough to understand and know how it works. Not my question. Every everyone knows how it works. Do I Do I have any sympathy for these guys know because they understand this is what is. It's almost as the I harken this back to the Lake George Steinburner. Everybody knew when they worked for the Yankees what the boss was gonna say stuff, and you just had to

deal with it. Now, Joe Tory in the book The Yankee Yars, Joe Tory had an amazing way of dealing with George Steinbern and what he would say and then how he would relate it to the players. So one time, George Steinbern is mad at his first space with Tino Martinez and he's killing him in the papers, and George brings him in here. I don't need you to worry about that. You're my guy. You're gonna be in the lineup, Okay, just do your job. You're gonna be in the lineup.

And I thought Jason did an excellent job and understanding here's Jerry and what he'll say, and here's how I'll go about my business. And I thought he did a very good job in handling that. And I think, and I say this because he was here as a player and his assistant. He understood what it was. Yeah. Well, I'm not asking for sympathy. I'm just asking, like, what do you think about it? Is it? Is it right? Is it wrong? Does it undercut you or whatever? Is it just part of it? It's just part of it?

This when it? How many? How many? How many other organizations does it happen? And I want to know outside looking in, do you think that that that's the that you know exactly hurt? Okay, that's what I'm as. I know. I don't want you to have no sympathy for him, because right, it's been happening to since way and you know it's not ideal. But you know, I go to the butt. This is what it is when you coach the cow. I understand, I understand it, but I'm asking

what do you think about it? Though? Like, of course you come here. If you come here, you know you know what you're getting into. I got that, all right, that's that's absolutely fine. But as we talk about it, what do you think about it? It's not ideal, it's not ideal. But at the same time, Bill Parcells had a great line and he took the job. Here. It's like, this is the big top. You know that. Then in his when he said the big top of yourself, it's

the cowboys. It's gonna be big. There's gonna be distracted. This is what it is. And I'm sure Church, when you went to training camp, the first time you were there, you probably there's the media Jacksonville, about five people. I'm over there thinking it's going down. They're like, all you gotta do. You gotta come to the podium and do this little you know, this little interview. While I'm in Jacksonville, I'm all right, cools, you know, I'm coming from Downs.

I'm thinking it's gonna be like twenty thirty reporters there. I come in. It had to beat about the size of a closet. And I go and I'm looking like, oh, I right, you know, two or three you know reporter. I mean, it's just different. I was like, maybe I must I must not be that popular or something. They must be waiting for somebody else. But the first pro team I've recovered. When I worked in Austin was the Cowboys, and then I went to co cover Bill Belichick's Cleveland.

I was just shocked, like, this is what training camp is. This is what the inter this all the people is going to show. I'm like, I'm right here next to this is hit. I got a one on one. I mean it was with the quarterback, you know what I mean. It was. It was just different. And so, well, you're Mike McCarthy and you take this job, and you've been in the league as Mike McCarthy as long as Mike McCarthy's been, you don't understand this is it. The owner

has a radio show, that's a television show. He's going to speak his mind. Yeah, and this is what it is, and you have to figure out how you're going to manage it and how you're gonna deal with it. Said the same thing when you take the Yankees job, when you taking the Lakers job, and when I worked out in Los Angeles, you know, there were things that came with that job that you just had to deal with, but that was what made it that job. They'll by

the way, you got paid very well. Everything isn't ideal, but this is what it is, and and you know it's it just kind of is what it is. So as I said, I laughed when Mike McCarthy's trying to play Corey Bytt and Jerry Jones goes and not. The real deal is alway back week. Let's squeeze in a break here at the fun Town RV tailgate in which we've been eating very well, and make sure I get it correct correct at Tostitos Championship Plause at Fort Center.

Since you all rolled me yesterday, I'm not sure I'll make sure I get it right. I don't want to hear these these least shots coming from Chris Bean. This is the playoffs loss right Hill Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Hey, they're Cowboys fans with Tight Cleaners at home pickup and delivery. Cleaning your clothes has never been more convenient. Simply sign up at your local store, set out your dirty clothes, and one of our Tight Cleaners professionals will come directly

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crucial catch gear. Support a great cause and look good doing it. Visit your local Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop or shop Dallas Cowboys dot com. How everybody, Players Lounge, We have taken the show on the road. Here we're right outside the Cowboys facility. This is the Tostito's Championship plause up right here at Board Center, Barry Church. Danny mccraig knew he scrugs. So I get done with my spin class today, all right, was at the gym, get done

right in the bike, and I checked my phone. Calvin Watkins from the Dallas Morning News sitting in a text Calvin talking about Oh, I'll tell you what you're talking about talking about four and ten against the spread last week? Jic quick, hold on, man, then let me finish it, I said, So I read the text. I said, nope, those picks were all made by Barry Church. He talked about how good he was at picking games so so much on podcast. I let him do mine for the week.

Then he says, you need to take it from him. Man. So that's how we doing, man, that's how we're doing Calvin. Can I remember that. I will remember that because you know I was always there for Calvin when he needed an interview or something like. I was always right there comes so we know his He wasn't anonymous. Way to act yourself. I'm dropping down what you were fourteen? What are you supposed to say? Oh, optimism, drink some of that? Man? What the thing was though? He was getting no new

he didn't even know what was. But we wasn't even talking about the spread and spread was something that wasn't even I told you at the time. I said, look, we are talking about the talk about you made the picks. What's a right? Because I still im gonna still be right by my NFC. E's prediction. So as long as you get that one pick right, that's it. That's the only pick that's last week you lost that pick. It's

all good. I see this negativity. I'm around. Let me just put it into perspective here, okay, because this is the thing, this is, this is this is the true test, all right, Church, This is what you did last week against the other selectors. In the Dallas Warning News, David Moore was right there with you against the spread. He was four and ten. Okay, they more probably experienced, you know, picking these picks and so so straight up he was

nine and five. That's the opposite of yours. Nine. Dallas Warning News blogger John Owning last week five of nine, So he wasn't too far off from you. It's five and nine against the spread. But he was ten and four straight up. Kevin Sherrington the Dallas Warning News against spread. Kevin was nine and five straight up. He was twelve and two. You know, like I said, you know, Damon Marks, you know what are the editors over the Dallas Warning News. He was seven and seven against the spread, ten and

four straight up on PI. Dana Larson Dana Larson the Fox Sports Southwest, she was eight and six against the spread, ten and four overall. I don't like this road were going down. She was killing it. Michael Gelkin who asked the long question that somebody didn't like yesterday and said, oh, are you talking about my boy? My boy's back not a true mick shot, uh, Michael Gelkin last week against the spread was six and eight. He was eleven and

five straight up. This road is week. It sounds like it was an easy week side Timkllishaw, Tim Callishaw nine and five against the spread, nine and five straight up. And Calvin Watkins, who was writing me about your picks, was eight and six against the spread, ten and four straight up. And you know you wouldn't even you didn't even sniff. It was a run, guys. I think Danny is to do next week, now you know what? Now, Like you said Church, you and David Moore were dead

last as the spread at four ten. So you got company there, okay, you got and when you talked about how hey man, all about the straight up picks, everybody else won nine minimum at least nine. You're the only one who not only you didn't go fight. You had a losing record. You had three fifty seven winning. Pretended straight up you were five and nine, dude, I mean everybody else. Nine and five was the lowest everybody. It was ten and six, twelve, two, ten and four, ten

and four, ten and four, ten and four. Never happened. It's never happened in any in in picking predictions ever, this has never had. I had the words rec ever, impossible. But you're the one who likes to walk around saying I am you know you had off week. I had a lot of one already this week A second chance and it'll happen a second d NFC East champions and that's and I'm gonna take that, and I'm gonna take

it and run with it. Last happened last night. So last night we picked the Carolina Atlanta game between us week. We didn't do it on the every week. I picked Carolina uh to win and I picked at Land against the spread. So I'm one and one. We didn't know Teddy was gonna get put out the game. You see how they came to Teddy defense once he got knocked. So what you all what you trying to say? Teddy got hit the same way Andy don't And what happened?

I talk about a scrump. It was they was about to get Are you saying that's what the old line should have? Absolutely got You gotta show that film. I gotta show that film and you say, hey man, they listen, I don't care what happens to y'all. All right, you go protect your quarterback. Showed the Nucci, since he's starting on newis end that we got your back. I watched the game and I was like, Oh, that's how it's supposed to look. You know how. They're gonna show him

they have his back. They're gonna protect them, They're gonna keep them clean. It's gonna be a clean pocket for the Nucci. They're gonna get this done. And they don't get then get knocked out the game because his pocket wasn't he took off. His pocket was played. He took off. That was That was a business decision on on his part. All right, that was that was on hit. He got a dirty yeah, out of bounds. If you need to, you know, you got you got it out. He should

be able to he can stay. Yeah, he twenty one miles and now he's skating around some cash and it could happen. Yeah, new looking at me, like man Church. You are talking crazy right now, but he was five and nine. Every everything you say is crazy. It's about the fact, my boy, everybody you felt about Stephen and you and you picked up Miami and six. That's how I feel about Church. I put your picks out. I'm like new picked out, unlike Nui. I'm not gonna try to switch up and try to you know, you know

I didn't pick that. That didn't happen. No, I ain't switched up. I'm the boy bro against the kool A. We U was against the koul A two weeks ago, and you switched up nine. You're a cool a drinker. I'm a cool a drinker because I still feel like we have a chance to win an NFC. All right, let's check a break on the Players Lounge, brought to you by Hotels dot Com, and let's just go ahead and get into the pick. I've already made my pick. I already made my pick. I can put it on

out there his own video already. Okay, check it out on Twitter. Now we scrugs, and let's get these picks and get them one out the way here. Let's just go right there. Let's go straight to the game man. What we no sham is gonna let everybody know what exactly is going to happen Sunday, your pick and how they're going to get it done. Barry Church, Danny mccraham knew we scrugs. This is the players they show you. I'll pay attention to Danny's as well. Hi, Dallas Cowboys

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professional by visiting slur usa dot com. Seemore do more. Back to the players, Loud Beautify welterweight World Champion Errol Spence Junior, The Truth will due two time division champion Danny Swift Garcia in a blockbuster main event on Saturday, December fifth at and T Stading and get your tickets now before they sell out at SeatGeek dot com. It's a nice Friday afternoon. It's beautiful. Took the show on the road. We hadn't seen the last time we saw

it for yesterday. We did the show out here February. Maybe we weren't even doing it short, yeah, probably it was twenty nineteen. J Yeah, December. Yeah. Man, it's been a minute, man, Yeah, it's been a minute. So thanks to the folks over with FunTown RV right here at the tailgate they put on for us and we got to see each other socially distant to all. You know, got got tailgate, betwist. I know you're trying to take this cooler home, aren't you. Danny right right, I got

my mask. I'm trying. As a matter of fact, a fun time. If I can get this RV y'all. Let me know, man, I got some other parking I got some other parking man, So what do you mean? So really, what are you gonna every day? Everson Walls is left with free stuff? Nate got some free stuff he was I guess he got pair of drawls, and so they walked out with that. He kept talking about that until until so so you're gonna walk away. It's one show on here. Man. You know what I'm saying. We got

we got got wings. Stop what I'm saying. You know, I'm trying to get hotel dot com. I just need something. I want a bag full of goodies. Well that you had wingstock already got tips, treat you got the gumbo that I got you. First of all, it's sixty five degrees outside. That stuff been out there for all. I don't want that hotel dot Com. I want some hot win. Give me a hotel church takes advantage of that off every other week. Give me the grace they get me

the greatest rooms, tore at the best rates. Hotels dot com and stay with it, baby, I'm telling you hey. You know, uh, back in the day, man, they used to have this lady. This is be on TV. You watch it late at night on the commercial. Come on, her name was miss miss Cleo used to come on and uh, I think something happened to where they found out she was a straight up fraud and we hadn't

heard from it. And uh, you know, I'm actually starting to see the male version of the missus clio based off what's happening with you know, I'm just saying we headed that way. I have one bad week and we gone. George was New York Jets bad. The type of disrespect, okay, it was cowboy it was Cowboys bad. So let's get straight to the picks here. I was thinking, you know, I'll go first, okay, because I already made my picket

at NBCDFW dot com. I put up on the Twitter to the page on my Facebook page new we scrug Sports, so you can like me over there. Thirty two ten, I said, Philadelphia thirty two to ten. And this is just a really tough spot to bring in a offensive line. Once again, it is going through another combination of players, a rookie quarterback and a running back who's probably started off the worst of his career. I can think we can say that this is the worst Elliott to start

off his career. Yeah, and we're in an offense that hasn't helped the defense because they turned the football over. We haven't seen the improving yet. And I've said it before. Until I see them play better, it's hard for me to pick them. The Eagles are a nine and a half point favors nine yesterday. I have seen it as high as nine and a half, and based off what I've seen against Washington, I can't pick Dallas. And I look at that game that the Eagles played against Baltimore

and Pittsburgh. Well not only that close, but these were games in which the Eagles were down, they were down double digits in both of them, and then storming back at the end. And despite having the same kind of injuries that Dallas has had, they've continued to fight. And I wonder as well, And this is something we talked a little bit about about earlier in COVID, how teams would perform that had some type of you know that they already knew the coaches, everybody knew what they were doing.

And I still think that the Cowboys are trying to learn defensively how they need to play. I mean, they're still trying to get this thing correct, and this is a tough week to try and get things correct when you have a rookie like Ben de Nucci out there, in a veteran defensive coordinator like Jim Schwartz's wont Us super Bowl is gonna bring the house. So that's my pick I got. I got third to fourteen. I think that we were gonna score or touchdown defensively or on

special teams this week. I think that we'll get one of those and that would be seven of our points. But you know, I don't think they we'll be able to stop them, and it would be worse be being negative. It would be worse. But Deshaun Jackson is out and Miles Miles Standers is out. So somehow it seems like we always come up and we get lucky and somebody on impact player on the other team ends up ends

up not playing and it saves us. J Jalen Raker is going to play in this game, the first round draft pick, the kid out of TCU, who was basically Deshan Jackson too. That's why I thought that would cut DeShawn Jackson for two years now. Yeah, yeah, and then he had that comment that he made um in the off season. You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa. You know, I can't say stuff like this, and your your owner and general manager both Jewish. I don't think he needs to

be making him kind of comments. Man. So I'm surprised that he stayed. But well, they kill Riley Cooper and they paid rally. They aid him after, they only keep him him after they were up against That was a part of the conversation, very much part of the conversation. Um, but he's not gonna be playing, but Jalen Reagor coming back. So Jalen Reagor coming back and Travis Fulgham. So those are obviously some weapons. And the Cowboys have got to figure out how they're going to defend him, which is

that's another question. How do the Cowboys defend these guys, especially with now you got to speed Murcher and get down the field here, how do you you know, what kind of coverage do you play? And oh, by the way, they haven't stopped the run Cowbys giving one hundred seventy two yards on the ground. And I don't care. The Philadelphia's not gonna have Sanders back there. You can't sleep on Scott. Yeah, you can't sleep on you talk about a miss mass on linebackers. We saw what happened. Talk

about linebackers. I'm seeing some angle routes. I'm seeing them. The line up at number one, I'm seeing I'm seeing a lot of stuff out of Bart Scott, so so Boston, Boston Scott, my bad Martil lineback Mark Scott can't wait. Great guy. By the way, if you never met Bart, that's a guy you want to hang out with. He's a good dude. He used to radio embarkment. Great guy. All right, man, so is a jamas? Is it time for me to go ahead and get your hand, get

your blue pen and all that stuff and get ready. Man. As much as much as I don't want to say it, man, I got I got Philly in this one. I got Philly taking this one. And you know, as much as I want to bet with my heart and say, you know, the boys in the new they're gonna figure something out, I just don't think that this is the game that that's going to happen. I mean, like you said, NEWI Philly.

They've been dealing with the same type of injuries as far as offensive line, as far as skill position as the Cowboys have had to deal with. But the major difference and the major variables, they were still able to keep their quarterback and they still had that same system, that same coaching system that they had last year. So for me, WinCE, I just think, you know, he's been playing,

he has to been playing great. He has turned the ball over, but there's been laws out there, as there's been stretches where he's been, he's looked, he's looked unbelievable with it, with the talent he's had. Yeah, he'll give you a ball, but he'll also fight and he'll also fight you to the end. So for me, the Cowboys, I mean, they gotta play a perfect game to get this win. They gotta, you know, they gotta protect the news. She the news. She gotta go out there and play

turnover free ball. We gotta see the Zeke Elliott of twenty and sixteen or defense. He's gonna have to try to take the ball away, which we haven't been able to do all year. And that's just a little bit too much to overcome for these Cowboys. Um, you know, I hope, I hope and pray that I'm wrong on this one that the Boys end up doing something still

in the victory. But I gotta ga. I don't. I don't think it's gonna be a blowout because there's stretches in games where Philadelphia will go and turn the ball over, won't run, they won't stop anything. So I don't think it's a blowout. I think Philly takes this game twenty four to seventeen. But you know, it hurts me to say that. I gotta go. I gotta Philly on this one. Stop the press, hold on because if this is the case, if this is the case, you have to explain to

me the route to the NFC East Championship. We don't be Philly. We still gotta play Baltimore. We still gotta play, we gotta play. We gotta play Philly again. We gotta play Washington, who just pretty much blew us out. Tell me the tell me the route. Steal one, Philly, We're gonna have to steal one. I wouldn't be if Dalton was in there. I'd be bet with the Boys right now. But the new chie I just think it's a little bit too much for him to overcome. He's only had

a week of practice. It's just too much. So I'm gonna have to go with Philly on this one. But the route to the NFC East, we're gonna have to steal one. We're gonna have to steal one, and we're gonna have to just basically sweep the rest of the games that we have against the NFC East, and we got to steal one where that comes, and you gotta hope that Philly, that Philly loses. Oh yeah, it ain't. I ain't worried about and I ain't ready about Philly

running away with they already played. They played some games already, so the games that they already lost, we still have to play. So we're just gonna writ out Philly just winning the rest of these games. No, not the rest of them. I'm saying. We still have some games almost we're gonna have to steal one, and we're gonna have to hope on something else. I didn't want to get to this point. I didn't want it to get to this point. But we're gonna have to hope on something

else because of this. But I'm telling you, you got Obama over here. You just take away Barry Barry Obamas. He didn't just throw the whole season away. Better than that NFC East, the game that they really need to win didn't say last week. The caveat was if Ben the Nuti's out there, I gotta I gotta have some strategies. Hope. It's better than throwing the whole season away. It's better than throwing on So you said we're gonna be three

and one after this. You're talking about it if if Andy don't will be playing after this week, and I think the Cowboys got better chance when he's in there. So so, so we lose this week and then as long as Andy don't come still one, we will. No. No, now we have to. We are because you said, okay, cool, no still one. Mister Cleo over here, We're gonna have to steal one. I cannot wait. You know what I'm not going saying. Just remember because what you say it's

gonna come back. I'm standing on mine his handy Dandy five and nine last week, one time on one time, the one of the things that the Cowboys defense is gonna have to do besides you stop the run. Now, that's to me, that's number one above everything. Stopped the run. And also be wary of Wins because Wins does make a lot of plays using his legs. They've got to get guys off the field on third down. I'm just checking the statistics here. Dallas is twenty seventh in the

league it and on fourth down they're worse. They're twenty eight. So one thing I could see Doug Peterson doing is, you know, going for a lot of fourth downs here and the belief on third day that they can convert it. And we saw Kyle Allen last week running for first hands. We saw Matt Ryan running for first hands. And Carson Wentz is a better athlete and a better runner. So this is gonna be another interesting thing of what do they do from a linebacking standpoint. And we're hoping that

chun Lee. I expect Shunley play. Oh yeah, Mike McCarthy didn't say it, and I don't think they asked him on Jerry's show because Jerry Wood told us. But Sean Lee being out there is going to be a help. But just somebody's gonna have to be weary on third downs of Carson Wentz getting Now, we're gonna have to heat up this phillyd this Philly offense early and often we're gonna have to get We can't let them go and have third and manageables. We can't have third and

six is third and five. They're gonna have to be in third and ten pluses. We're gonna have to get Carson Wentz back there and throwing the ball, because, like you said, he'll throw you one. But we just can't give him these third and five, Third and six is that we've been doing that. I don't know how comfortable I feel with our coverage running blitz, but let's let me. Let's be I'm gonna be positive again. I'm gonna give us a path to victory. All right. We talked about

the offense and what they need to do. They need to get some confidence in the end of the nut. You start them off with some with some basic hitch routes, out routes, getting seeks started. On defense, we need to be disciplined. We need to I say, we need to run some games on the defensive line, and we need to run some basic coverage. We need to run some

couple of one. You can run his own blitz every once in a while, but do some stuff to where they are they you make them, you bember, but don't break right long if it's long drives, but you hoping the field goals, that's perfect. Do not try to sell out and then get beat for a ninety yard touchdown to have us down by fourteen points. So it sounds like a lot of third and manageables. Man, Yes, you gotta heat. I think you gotta heat. I mean, I see what you're saying, but I just think you gotta

heat him up. Man, you gotta get him off his rocker, like you gotta confuse him, gotta do something to him. We heat it up. I mean, we had, but this is just what we got to do. Like we were at the point right now. We just can't throw a D team out there, defense out there and be like, all right, we're good. We're gonna have to do something like this is like this, like it really has to be the week that we've done stuff that we have not done all year, even even from the beginning when

Dak was playing. We gotta eat him up. We gotta play coverage, we gotta we gotta get some pass rush on him. We gotta run the ball. I mean, we gotta it's just teams we gotta do. You know what I'm saying all this stuff has to get done for us to win. But yeah, that is the route to winning. We have to be super discipline and we also like this is huge. We have to make some type of difference on special teams in a positive manner. I see that you have to make a play on special teams.

You have to get the team apped up. Is nothing like one of those miscellaneous scores. Nothing, nothing like that where they've been scared from them past the fakes right out of the game. That they've got to do what they did on the first Sunday night football game when they played the Rams, can't have any turnovers. Then they played turnover free ball, cannot have any turn Since that game, the Cowboys have turned the ball over at least twice every game. And we were in that game. We were

in to the at the very end. So to me, that's you know, we can talk all these different things, but ultimately, if the Cowboys are giving the way, giving away the football on offensive, put the defense in. You know, when they got were phillies ten yards away from the red zone, it's it's gonna be hard to win win like that, and they've got to try and get one of these balls that Carson went seemingly every week tries to give away. They've got to go and get some

of those. But the turnover game has got to be where the Cowboys first off win, can we win? Can we win time and possession? Also, it was that was one time of possession last week. But once you get the takeaways, I mean, when you're giving the ball away and making it real easy that Washington's got a you know, a nice quick short field. And Jerry Time talked about

on this radio show. You too many times the d and people are mad at the defense, but too many times the offense has put the defense into bad possession. But that but doesn't that play into talent posession, Like you win the talent possession. But they had short field, so they were scoring. You know what, say they didn't. They didn't need to have a ball that long. So stats like that stack can fool you depending on where the offense starts. But that was because that was just

the first time, the one time of possession there. And remember unfortunately really it was because you know, you know, I don't see us win the time with possession. I think we're gonna have to make some really some splash plays until many. You're hoping maybe this week things can turn around for the Cowboys to at least just play better. But but we'll see that's the main thing. We can just get a better tape out there. That's it, just

out there. Okay, so we've made our picks here. Church has Philly winning twenty four seventeen, which means, by the way, that the Cowboys are gonna cover. Okay, you got them, Yeah, I got them covering, got them covering. Since we're doing spread and all that good pray. You got the Cowboys thirty to fourteen losing to Philly. I've got the Cowboys losing thirty two to ten to Philly. So we both are saying that the Philly is also going to cover

the spread. So hey, look, it was fun to be out here today at until stee those Championship plaza here at Ford Center. Thank the folks over here at funtwn RV for the tailgate and all the folks who came out here and gave us some good food. Fellas, we'll text each other during the game is always on Sunday, and I'll be a long night for me since the game is on same here. I'll be in the post game, I probably won't get hunt around twelve something, I'll be

hanging out. I'll be hanging out listening to y'all, listening to y'all talking and laughing because no Tradamin's over here, is uh actually not? You pick Phillies, So I'm good. I'm gonna be laughing at you. You're right. But if the Cowboys do win, Oh, it's going down on Monday. It's going I don't care, it's I don't care, it's going down. We got if it's time to go, says this show is run. We gotta get him out of here. Harrison, go pick kids, gotta go pick his kids up with

your chest. He got a good time to go. Well, brought to you by Hotels dot Com. However, knew he ends this show. That's how we're gonna do it today. Fun fun, fun, twn over me everything. It was a great show. Welcome to the players now, and the players now, however we're gonna do it. Goodbye, goodbye, everybody. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.