The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
Cowboys.
This is the Players Lounge, broadcasting live from Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at the Star. Now your hosts Barry Church, Danny McCrae, Hecma Harrison, and Newi Scrugs.
Bay Tip of the Players loundes right here on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
You know the players, Danny McCrae, Barry Church.
We've got Heck Maharrison here in da house sporting the Cowboys, GEARI and Newie Scruggs.
We are brought to you by Tostitos.
Cowboys are entering into a pivotal game on Sunday at Landover, Maryland, in the worst stadium in the National Football.
League, Dallas terrible. You have to go going still, start balling down.
I'm sitting the press box and it's raining, and it's raining. All my papers on, no, no, and then they so. Then Tony Wiley, who started off here as a PR intern, eventually worked up there full time. He was the main PR guy. Tony was in charge of the food and when Tony left they gave the media the finger with the food. I was like that, that hot dog is not that doesn't look right. I started bringing my own food to the game, like, not doing it, not touching it.
No, no, no, I'm glad you only have to go to l A in Vegas and Miami. I'm glad you only get the best place fining things. Tough job to court, George W.
Bush. I'm the decided. I look at the schedule. Yes, yes, me. When I saw Buffalo in December, yeah, I won't be doing that.
That's not the one I don't. I don't go to Philly anymore. And I don't go to I don't go to DC.
That stadium was bad in twenty ten when we went, yeah there, when you saw.
The thing almost fell on Jen Hurts that time. No, they truly do not. Dan Snyder did not care. So no, no, I won't be there for that one now. Cowboys thirteen point favorite. Heck with your thoughts on Ron Rivera stating that Sam Howe will be.
The starting quarterback this week.
You called it, man, you called it, yeah and something. He got a call upstairs. He went upstairs right quick, and he said, look, run, this is what we're gonna do.
We gonna pay. Yeah, you want this is what you're gonna have to do. There's a lot of.
Guys I'm sure that are playing for in sentence, and around the NFL you've been seeing guys get bitched that are getting closer there in sentences. So hey, we're not gonna incentivize playing on Sunday.
Well, we're gonna do.
We're gonna try and get out of here so we could get this number two pick. Obviously, ownership is hell been on getting it and not gonna using run rivera as the mouth piece to go out there.
Who do we think they best shot at beating us? Is that quarterback? To me? I think they can run a little? You think how Yeah, I don't turn I think it is. I don't know. I don't have I don't have nothing to love go.
Out here that you know what, I'm just tossing up like I remember, you know, the beginning of the game and the like I remember that, I remember that the people who have the potential, Like I'm not saying he's gonna do it, but you're gonna get a guy who's gonna go out there and play play reckless and just may had that chance to throw up something that I don't know he makes me a little bit not set, and it's for set for all the reasons that we
got got in Arizona. I mean, not that he's as mobile as that guy, but still, I mean he's he has the arm, he still has the i Q. I just don't see that from Sam Howe. I remember that again. I remember the beginning of the season. We were watching Sam Howell and everybody was like, I don't know, man, Washington might be Okay, he's still the same guy.
It could be really ugly or it could be really nice.
That's the difference. He's not the same guy. The beating he's taking this year, it has warned him down. They've talked about it a whole lot within that the media just that hey man, this this guy seeing stuff now. They haven't protected him well. And it was a reason why Rivera went to Brissett and was going to start him, but then Brissette got hurt, so we keep coulting. But he benched him, and it just all the talk of what you thought he was and the way the season's gone and the man seeing stuff.
He just wasn't the same.
So the samehow we saw last year that beat the Cowboys and had some promise to start that's gone.
They didn't beat that out there man. Twenty touchdowns, nineteen interceptions.
Bring me samhow he used to beat that dog when the mail man walked.
Baby was in the yard chase now saying how they beat down? So he looking at the mail man to lay that now they have they've not protected. It's bad. I mean, it's they you know, God blessed Eric beenemy, but they've thrown it way too much. That kids taking a beating. So and I let's go back to this. But they didn't win a game. They've not won a game.
Week nine, and it's not I mean, I think at the beginning of the season, especially where they're being to me going over, you didn't think that the season would go like this for the Commanders. And it's unfortunate, especially for him as a coach, because you thought this was a side step to then elevate and it's not working out that way. So if he doesn't get his opportunity after they I'm sure they're going to fire everybody. If he doesn't get his opportunity now win, when does that
happen for him? And I think for as much as we dog, a lot of these teams in the nfcas because of the competition factor and it's the rivalry of it. The Commanders have been like a quarterback away from being a dominating team for years because we looked at their defense and the guys had up front, and then you bring in the Terry McLaurin and that wide receiver group
and you're like, man, this is a good team. They just don't have nobody that can get their guys the ball and they just hadn't been able to figure that piece out yet. And now they're going to have to go through this whole cycle all over again. So I mean, hey, continue confusion to your commanders. Let's keep it rolling. I love it. Don't feel bad. Listen, RG three was there, Okay,
r G three was there. They also they also they had a shot with Alex too, and then you know that that end up that ended up not going in their favor. So yeah, they've been searching. They've been searching. I know they said the beginning of the season they thought they may have had something, not not a not a not a game changing type of guy, but a guy who may have been serviceable. You know, hopefully he doesn't return to to what he was at the beginning
of the season. But we do know Jacobe Brisaid can't play can't play ball, so hopefully we don't have to see him. But it's just it's just like I'm trying not to be heck in this situation where he was talking about and all that, I'm trying not to be that. But I just know, like usually when it's this, Like
when it's this, that's when it gets tougher. It's tougher for you mentally when you start to see like, hey, all that is in front of me, all I have to do is do this, and then that's when stuff can start kind.
Of falling apart for you as players with the Cowboys, they can't go and to this mindset and I'm sure the coaches will see this throughout the week in practice, but you can't go into it like it's a preseason game, like you know how cass Just the mindset is different going into it.
Just you don't warm up as much.
You know, you're going out there usually doing all your defensive back drills getting ready, you might skip a few of those.
If it's preseason mode. You can't get into that. Versus the Commanders right here, we all understand.
You know, they're mailing it, and they've been mailing it since they traded half of their defensive way, so we understand what their player's mindset is. But as a guy going out there, you just can't have that mindset to where we're going wrong on cakewalk these dudes, because even if you might, if you go out their halfstep and you may get hurt. So you got to go out there for Tilton and the coaches will have a good.
Barometer or where the players are doing that that would tick me off if I saw, I mean for anybody, and I think who would that be an indictment on You have to be leadership because if you don't know what you're playing for, if you're gonna come out there and just roll your helping out there, oh we're gonna get this dub, and then you end up losing, that's the wrong way.
I mean, we talk about the narratives throughout the season. If that's the case, if that's what we're talking about Monday, Cowboys lose in DC, and now that instead of having the two games at home or potentially having two games at home, you're now on the road playing. I mean, come on, man, that's see what happens. Yes, we have seen it, but for home field advantage. It's for the number two spot over being. I mean, come on now, that's that's crazy that happens.
I just came from the locker room. Pose that question to Stephan Gilmore. Do you need to say anything as a veteran, guys already know that we understand, we know, so talk to him. I talked to Jake Ferguson, and I talked to Osa diggiye Zua, talk to Jaron Curse. They understand Tony Polarch.
They get it. They know what's in front of them.
And just in some ways the sure ability to just see it through that you were chasing Philadelphia.
Now here you are with the ability to get it done. Respect.
And I asked JK about these the receiving courts, like, look, this is a good receiving court.
We think these three guys are you know.
That they're there's something to you know, don't play around with it.
But they get it.
So in my conversations right now, just coming out of the locker room before the show, they understood it.
So I did have that. That was my whole kind of focus for my story. Five o'clock is you know, guys, get it? Does anything need to be said?
Jake Ferguson talked about people locking up and leaders, you know, being focused this week.
By the way, here's a stat for you.
No Washington quarterback has thrown thirty touchdown passes since Sonny Jurgensen in nineteen sixty seven. Guys, this is a bad franchise out He talk about searching for a quarterback, but he ain't. They ain't seen one in a minute here thirty Think about it. I thought RG three might have had thirty. O Kirk Cousins one of them years.
But had thrown thirty.
And I think they said Cousins got closed like twenty seven. If Jordan Love ass thirty this year for Green Bay, that is bad.
Bet, that's bad. Man. This is a cursed franchise. I've seen it, thinking like Doug Williams man, Yes that is horrible. Yes, yes, because.
This is they still search so good luck. So yeah, you do need to get this number two picture. You need to get somebody who can find a way to throw you in this league. I mean, now you got to think about you got an extra.
Game nineteen sixty seven or twelve games twelve fourteen games, except nobody could go anywhere.
Man, I'm trying not to be you righty, No, no, man, I want to be relaxed and you know, cool and happy and like we're goun to go beat the beat the heck out the commanders, Like, I want to be that way.
But the spirit, yeah, that half the getting all that.
Man.
Now the other thing heard the locker room sa, hey, look, they're going to be physical, they're going to play us.
So there was there was.
Not that air of hey man, just you know Vandardbilt were about to come out here and the LSU come to play. It's not a they they understand that they're going to go come out here and play too. But they also know and realize the opportunity that they have and to get the home games and to play at at and T Stadium.
So I just I just.
Believe that at the end of sixty minutes, the Cowboys will leave landover Maryland with a win.
And we also know it's going to be a home game of I met the last time.
Last time I was up there, ubers kept kept pulling up folks bumping out with blue jerseys, blue and white jersey. You know, Philadelphia. You just don't roll out there in the Blue Jersey. It's it's not a smart thing to do. You come in something neutral. You know I did and didn't pull it out at.
The ride, But not in DC. Man, they don't even get.
So when you walk through, when you walk through the parking lot and you see the tale, you see you see.
Washington fans partying with Cowboy fans.
But it's it's a whole different body's like there's there's just no there's no respect anymore for the Burgundy and gold like it.
Used to be. It's it's sad when we grew up. Man, this is right now. They just THEYD They just understand. They will beat them to submission.
What are you talking about. It's over. They're trying to find their way back. What are you talking about?
Fans?
It is just like, okay, we know it's no look, no sense of breathing no air into them this weekend.
So it's it's over it.
Let's go ahead and get your hurt, hey, go ahead and get your Bahamas reservations ready. Yeah, they ready, already've been ready for a few weeks. You said they ain't want against his win. Get that getting ready to get it.
When the Cowboys lost that Philly that was the last time.
They want booked already first class. They booked it early, so they they got a disco.
Hey, let's let's get a h Let's get a break in here, Tony Polly Talk, run game, Caney, you fix it. Let's dive into that next right here with Danny McCrae, Heck Maharrison, Barry Church under these Cooks players line I thought to you by Tostitos on Dallas Cowboys dot com reany.
It's the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black and right now Cowboys fans can get fifteen percent off their seventy five dollars order, plus because every deal needs a playmaker, your order will include a free five piece skincare set and free shipping. The Jack Black Playmaker is four of Jack's favorites and a full sized intense therapy liftball. Make a play for the playmaker at Getjack Black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys vip.
That's get Jack Black dot com slash.
Cowboys with the code Cowboys vip. Hi.
I'm Danny McCrae, Dallas Cowboys alumni player here with Smoothie King, and Smoothie King wants.
To ask you, what's that sound.
That's the sound of us magically transforming our smoothie bowls into two new decking and flavors. Dig into a coolie or pataya bowl, handcrafted with crunchy purely Elizabeth Vernola fresh starberries and finished with the velvety chocolate hazel nut drizzle, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or anytime you want to munch. And that's the sound of you making them disappear. Smoothie Bowls now in two new decadent flavors only as Smoothie King, the official Smoothie of the Dallas Cowboys.
To kick off the twenty twenty three NFL season, Hugo Boss teamed up with the NFL and Micah Parsons to launch an iconic apparel collection featuring hoodies, crews, T shirts, polos, joggers, and more. The bold, unique apparel of the Boss NFL collection unites football and fashion while reflecting.
What it truly means to be a boss.
Get yours today at NFL shop dot com, slash Hugo Boss, at Hugo Boss dot com, and at Boss retail stores hashtag be your own boss.
There is no eye in Dallas. There is no eye in the heart, either no eye in blue star or a nose star for that matter. And there's no eye in how about them Cowboys? Smeerenough Nos, there's no eye in football. Football is a wee thing unexperienced that is best enjoyed together with good drinks and good folks home or away. We rally together, we cry together, and we always rally cry together because there's definitely no eye in Cowboys. Fans smear enough were new game days, Please drink responsibly.
Back to the players lounge. I don't have a read.
It is louds on Wednesday heading into these season finale against the Washington Commanders.
Yeah mighty, Barry Church, Heck Maharis as Danny crayb new he Scruggs.
All right, our confirmed starting quarterbacks for Week eighteen. Blame Gabbert, Jeff Driscoll, Carson Wentz, Nick Mullins, Trevor Simons, stick Tyrod Taylor, Sam Howe, Mason Rudolph and Jared Stidham.
More to come, of course. Even though he was in I thought he was hunting somewhere. Eon McVeigh got him man.
Right, So so it's green like, who is it? Green Bay fighting for spot? Buffalo fighting for US.
Spot Buffalo Miami this weekend. Yeah, Tampa to.
Tampa, Pittsburgh fighting for spot. Yeah Tampa, your super Bowl winning team fighting this weekend. Everybody playing back up the AFC South Jacksonville is nine and seven, Indianapolis is nine and seven, and Houston is not and seventh.
Crazy, it's the winner of the Houston and Coast game, right, that gets it?
Man?
It's uh, it's it's folks battling this week man. So it's wild because everybody just assumed that the AFC was going to be this way better conference because they have better quarterbacks and that's not been the case this week. But yes, you've got the l A Rams taking on the forty nine ers. That game is in uh Levy Stadium. Run CMCs out this week, so they're arresting him at foot in foot think it was put so we'll see if Sam Donald goes.
I mean, do you really want to put rock Party out there at risk of this? So none of them, do you? Out of them? Seattle is taking on Arizona. Seattle can get into right there. They got a chance to.
So yeah, so right now, green Bay is the seventh seed. With green Bay, the Rams are the sixth seed.
So some kind of way, Chris Bean was explaining to me earlier that we may end up if we were in the NFC's uh, that that first wild card game could be against the Los Angeles Rams instead of I would love it instead of Green Bay. Look, look, look, I would love it. That's why he don't want the two seeds. As he said, we rather play on the road against sacer Mayfield whoever wins the NFC South, versus playing at home against the l A Rams.
Yeah, I'd rather. I don't feel that I'd rather play whoever. We understand.
Yeah, run game Tony Paula spoke and it was a good question from Todd Archer of ESPN, where he said, is there anything you can change or do differently in the run game here week eighteen or is it just what it is? And Tony's like, ain't nothing can change, just is what it is. And Tony admitted that the
season hasn't gone the way he thought. So he spent a lot of time in prayer and talk to the family, and so it's not been the year that he wished he had been when they franchised and gave ten million dollars price tag and said go be the number one.
Guy to kneal.
Did the injury have something to do with it? Or is it just like is a Skip peek?
I think it's one hundred what Skip said everything Skip said about the situation that Tony needs to be an a in a share time share situation terms of what he and Zeke had and they don't have that nothing against ric o'dowdell, but ric o'dalla is not the hammer that Zeke was.
Well, how do we explain no explosives though, you know, like even if you are in a shared situation.
I think part of it is the injury what you said, because he spoke about not you know, and it's one thing he covered up. I mean, say anything and gallup kind of the same way. Yeah, I wasn't really what I wasn't where I thought I would be, So took him a while to get there.
Is he still there now? I don't know.
I think that's still something we won't totally get the truth until after season or you come out and say, yeah, here long I wasn't, that wasn't what it was, which to me would explain why we haven't seen the explosiveness. And that was another question was asked. You know, you're down to four yards and average last year at five anything. He played good soldier. He didn't want to come up and make excuses. But we have seen Tony Pollard for five years now.
That's flash play. King.
This is not the guy who as he left the forty nine ers game and you're saying, man, what it could have been if he had not gone out.
He's not that guy. Hasn't been that guy.
So the only good thing about his season for the Cowboys in their favors, is they could get him back at a very discounted price.
I would love to see like a breakdown of how they were using them as far as running, because you know, I don't know for certain, but just looking at the games that he's played in, it seemed like they've been using them a lot as that that hammer, which to me, you know, doesn't make a lot of sense because we understand what he possesses as far as speed on the outside. So if we go back it was a break I
wish there was a breakdown of it. But if you look at last year, I mean he was catching real watch on the outside screenplays were versus I think they were using his speed. Now, granted you did have Elliott in there, you know, going in there using that hammer on defenses and wearing them down to where Poler could
get loose in there. But I mean, even this year, I feel like every time we look at the game is in between the tackles, in between the tackles, here goes a little maybe a stretch play here and there. Maybe they'll dump it that to him, but nothing really designed to use his explosiveness. And to me, that's I mean, that's what you're gonna get when you when you see him in the role he is now that in between the tackles, which is just not his game.
It's just not you know, his guy. He's it's not that thunder No.
I what I've seen in Tony Pollard which is different this year is the fact that he's not being used as a change of pace back and when you get an opportunity to hide behind, not high behind another guy, you let him take some of the brunt of those in between the tackle plays and then you come in at a whole nother pace than him.
Even the running style was completely different.
Between him and Zeke, Tony Poler still is sixty five yards away from being a thousand yard running back, all right.
For whatever that's worth. It's not whatever that's worth, all right, positive heck, trying to sprinkle in that. But it didn't work, did it. Dah?
Okay, So it's been but it's been bad. And that's the only thing that you could point to going into the playoffs that you are not really confident in and running game. How do you compensate for it? And I've been saying all along, this is a passing team. They compensate for it by a short yard pass. Okay, that's what makes up for it. By getting CD in the backfield, getting other guys involved to run some of those outside zone runs that you would used to see Tony Pollard running.
So that's how they've affected the running game. You're gonna have to find ways to milk the clock. And I was a little critical of Mike McCarty at the end of the game, but that tripping penalty really was the reason why Detroit was even in the position to win the game at the end of the game, because other
than that, you milk the clock and you're done. But you're gonna come up against some teams like the Rams, You're gonna come up against a Philly again, you may have to take that trip back up to Levi Stadium and play the forty nine ers. That's gonna have to be a component of your running game that defenses have to respect. Because even as you talk about him running in between the tackles, if he was just a one trick pony that just lists the defense know where he's
going and what he's doing. So Mike McCarthy had to scheme up to use him. Yeah, I'm listening twelve to fifteen character where you gotta get them, but Sweter fifteen Carris, I think they need to be a little You have to find a way to get creative because, like I say, if you have to travel in the playoffs, your running game and your defense has like you have to have
those to be able to travel. Now, Dak Prescott has been able, you know, to cover that up a little bit specifically at home, but once you get on the road, you see, once you don't have like, if you don't have a running game, you you essentially don't have a shot to really if you get ahead to hold the league or to find a way to crawl yourself back in the game if your passing game isn't working. So I think it's something that you really need to try
to focus on. Albeit, like we're playing the Commanders, we all expect to win, but then you have things that you can work on going into the playoffs. I know it's the end of the season, but you still get that one more real game flying bullets as you you know, to figure out how you can get this running game going before you get into the playoffs.
Sco around the table here. Obviously it's going to be a reduced price. Tony Park will not be making ten million dollars. Next, would you bring Tony Pollard back then?
I mean I have to see the landscape of like half the price mm hmm, half the price of five mil. Yeah, who else on the rosters? Just Rico? Now I'm not doing this again. I'm not doing a Tony h Yeah. Yeah, you got to forget Rico. I'm just talking about Tony.
You can go you go draft and go bring in some do whatever. I'm just saying Tony about Tony.
Yes, and I'm in the market for a running back. Correct. No, I'm not bringing them back no, five mil, nah.
Man, maybe two and a half two, especially if we're seeing you know, this is what's going to be the future. As far as him being a player like he needs to be a specialized player. Now, I'm not bringing him back for five. I would use that money elsewhere, you know, maybe in the linebacker room, maybe something like that.
But yea, I'm not bringing them back.
Under sixty for how many games sixty or something sixty yards we're talking about.
I have five million dollars. I can't do it.
They upset over there about Dalvin Cook or the money he made for it's two.
So I asked the question because this is going to be a very big off season in terms of there's a lot of you know, you got Dak, you gotta take care of Ceedee Lamb, you gotta take care of You're gonna have to sit around here, get read about Michael Parsons. You got your starting center, who's up? Now You're starting running back is up. And so that's why I asked that question, what do you do there? And I look at Detroit who totally revamped their run game.
They traded Swift to Philadelphia. They use their first round pick on Gibbs out of Alabama. Then they brought in David Montgomery. So you can go out and start over if you want to. But I think you got somewhere along the way ask Okay, what is it we want to do? And then how do you see Tony Pollard? Do you think Tony Pollard if you're combining him with someone else, maybe.
You draft that's free agent? Why that's what could you do?
That?
Is this a Ronald Jones thing?
Like? Because I'm assuming they expected Ronald Jones to be the hammer, the type of guy, and then Tony Pollard kind of be what he was last year, but we never really got a chance to see that. So I think they had the right kind of game plan in mind, but I don't think they were able to bring it to Fruition because we had the issue with Ronald wasn't
able to get there. So in my mind, maybe they are seeing the Hey, we get a guy who we expected Ronald Jones to be, then maybe we bring Tony Poller back so he can get back into his old rold. So I see there's a possibility, But you have to have a guy who's going to be able to really specialize with running up in between the tackles, past blocking, being physical, being that tone center. So then you can have Tony Paula get in there and have those splash runs like he had last season.
A lot of good college backs out there right now.
There's I mean, so if they want to go into the draft, there's an ability to go out and find yourself some serious, serious help. But at the same time, you gonna need a veteran guy. I think Austin Eckler is going to be free as well.
Out there, your boy, your boy sat Kaan Barkers. There's going to be there's going to do. That's one. There's going to be.
I yeah, we got one, I mean, and so so and then his what's his price? He's been hurt a lot too, So this is going to be a really interesting situation of what they decide to do here. And oh, by the way, I go back to what you've been talking about for a number of years now, getting more help on the offensive line.
This offensive line right now has definitely had.
Issues on the road. They've they've got some issues and tyroing over left tackle. I don't think you can come back and try and do this one more time. Your center, Tyler biattish. How about you really willing to pay him?
Yeah, and you've and you've been dealing with a lot of ton of injuries over the last couple of years up front your offensive line, and I think that's what plagued the running game before. But look, going into the playoff, I want to see more Hunter Lifke as a lead blocker. I'm not saying that he's a devastating blocker by a long shot, but I think that does help your play action when you do set him up as as your fullback as your lead blocker.
Teams have to respect that.
And so I'm just looking for ways to get Tony going through the playoffs. You know what we do in the future is cool. We're gonna have to draft the guy. You know, They're gonna bring a guy in, whether it's a bridge player or a veteran, whatever it is, they have to address the running game. Tony Poler. We're not giving him any grace at all with the injury.
We're not. I's just say that, we're not. We're just saying you need all season.
He ain't.
He a.
But it's true. It's true. They're gonna address it. Get a break in here.
Something pretty cool could happen for Dak Prescott on Sunday Dive into That with Barry Churchick Harrison, Danny Kramney structs this is His Place tostos on Dallas Cowboys dot com radio.
To kick off the twenty twenty three NFL season, Hugo Boss teamed up with the NFL and Micah Parsons to launch an iconic apparel collection featuring hoodies, crews, T shirts, polos, joggers, and more.
The bowld unique apparel of the.
Boss NFL collection unites football and fashion while reflecting what.
It truly means to be a boss.
Get yours today at NFL shop dot com, slash Hugo Boss at Hugo Boss dot Com and at Boss retail stores hashtag be your own Boss.
Hi. I'm Danny mccraig, Dallas Cowboys alumni player here with Smoothie King and Smoothie King wants to ask you, what's that sound. That's the sound of us magically transforming our SMOOTHI bows into two new decadent flavors. Dig into a Cool III or Pataya bowl handcrafted with Crunchy purely Elizabeth Rinola fresh strawberries and finished with the velvety chocolate hazel nut drizzle, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or anytime you want to munch. And that's the sound of you making them disappear.
Smoothie bowls now in two new decadent flavors only at Smoothie King, the official smoothie of the Dallas Cowboys.
It's the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys.
Jack Black and right.
Now, Cowboys fans can get fifteen percent off their seventy five dollars order plus. Because every deal needs a playmaker, your order will include a free five piece skincare set and free shipping. The Jack Black Playmaker is four of Jack's favorites and a full sized intense therapy liftball. Make a play for the playmaker at Getjack Black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys vip. That's get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys VIP.
I'm Dak Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
And they snapped the press guy who looks right, it's not there.
He escapes left.
He'll run for a first down.
Just like football, when it comes to crypto, it's important to have a team. You can trust with Blockchain dot Com. I know I'm in good hands, says twenty eleven. They've been trusted by millions around the world to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency.
Prescott's gonna run this himself, run it up the middle, and he scores.
Whether you're new to crypto or an active trader, They've got you covered.
What are you waiting for? Started at blockchain dot Com to the Players Lounge.
Players Lounge brought to you by Tostitos, Barry Church, Hech Maharrison, Danny McCrae, I am new he scruggs here, Dak Prescott leads the leak right now with thirty two touchdown passes.
Not interceptions, but he interceptions. Now, he technically didn't say that.
What he did say is that he would not they would not have ten tipped interceptions.
Okay, okay, I like the other one sound better because he only got eight.
But the national media got a hold of it. And so there was two things that the national media really took and ran with like crazy in the offseason, which we're taking out of context. One that one when he said ten tipped because they talked about really just the Noah Brown stuff in.
The world got him, and then that guy man your man who.
And then when Mike McCarthy was talking about Kellen Moore and talking about running the ball more and that was blown out of proportion because what he was talking about and running the ball more was after their first year together. He didn't mean it that last year they were together. And then that got blown out of proportion and people
started throwing all these darts at Mike. So we in the media have we do a real good job of misrepresenting things that people say, not telling the exact truth there. But Dak Prescott right now leads the league with thirty two touchdown passes. Brock parties behind him with thirty one and number three Jordan Love Green Bay.
Packers, which is awesome. So he turned around. Yeah, so there you go.
But it would be something and this would be the first time since Starbach that a cowboy quarterback has led the league in touchdown passes.
Really on the music, man, you know, it wasn't going for fifty.
Yeah, those numbers were astronomical. Only one of them left Aron He.
But that's so for this to happen. And before the year I predicted Dak to go thirty three and nine, And there was a beat writer here who was giving.
Me the business. Are you there, cut the bug? What are you talking about? Friend of yours? Yeah, good friend, our brother.
Point that it was either.
Way, although he pays to throw for thirty, Like what's the difference difference between thirty three and thirty it's.
Really right there in the same range.
But he has that opportunity and that would be that would be pretty cool for him.
And I think it's.
Pretty safe to say Dak Prescott will finish in the top five and the MVP.
Voting, Oh yeah, top five. Yeah.
He played, He's played his butt off man this season. With all the doubt coming into this season on Dak and the interceptions, he turned it around big time. And I think Mike McCarthy and him came up with a game plan that worked perfectly. Mid season, we were all asking the questions, do we trust the ball in deck's here? Are we throwing it too much? And by necessity you've
seen that it's worked. The short passing game, the West Coast offense works to a t for Dak because he's able to read, diagnose easily, and he has the wide receivers now to understand and I think him and CDs are mergings together because I think we've seen something from
CD that we hadn't seen in years past either. I mean, so him being able to lead the league in touchdowns and potentially CD because I believe he's like sixty yards away from Tarik Hill, which I mean he could end up being the lead leader in receptions as well, which I think together, man, that would be quite an accomplishment for them and this offense.
At the end of the year, Mitchie Sherman won't think so about CD. Well.
I mean, I think everybody came into the season with that doubt about CD because you've never seen him play. So CD at the beginning of the season, CD was upset too because he was, hey, man, I know what I can do. So the frustration that I'm showing you is because I know what type of player I am. And usually those type of players are right, you know.
You see Jamartez and Jefferson all those guys who get frustrated like that and they say, okay, listen, I know what I can do, and then you see the next week they come out and then CD has been able to go from whatever they talked about in the by week or whatever they were able to catch up on and fix because it was a new offense coming to the season. That the switches that they that they flipped, they both have been nothing short of amazing since that,
you know, one game here or there. But Cede Lamb plus two hundred, they were talking about one hundred catches in thirteen hundred yards. This man might go for seventeen or eighteen hundred yards. We're talking about Tyreek almost one for two thousand and ceed Lamb being hired than him. Dak Prescott protecting the ball over thirty touchdowns, may lead the league in touchdowns in the MVP race, may win
the NFC East, may have too. Like it's a lot of positives that come out of this season, especially based on where we were at after we lost to Arizona.
So McCarthy addressed this a little bit probably two three weeks ago, maybe a little bit further than that, but he spoke about going into that because that was Week five.
Go back to this forty nine er game. Yeah, we caught that.
They were still trying to in some ways understand how they were gonna run us offen. So they were still working through some bumps and that hey, we figured this out. And clearly Ceedee Lamb coming up and saying what he did, he made the changes. But if you go back and you think about Mike as a play caller, DeVante Adams, he had Jordan Nelson, he had Donald Drive, James Jones, Greg Jennings, this guy has usually had one of the receivers in the league who's been a top five wide
receiver terms of production. And Ceedee Lamb is right there now. And I think it just in some ways letting it play out that Okay, if you just look at Mike's history, your quarterback is gonna be able to put up some numbers and he's going to have a receiver get some numbers running back now so much, but Ceee Lamb is that guy. And along with what he's doing there, which I kind of go back into the people right now who are who were questioning Mike McCarthy in terms of
being a head coach. If you don't have Mike McCarthy here next year, you have to get a new head coach.
You have to get yourself a new offensive coordinator.
And with Dak Prescott coming off a year which he will probably finish two three, four five in terms of being MVP. I don't see Jerry Jones making that kind of call. I don't see him doing that because that's a lot you'd have to change even if he flails out in the first round. No discussion. So I'm glad you said that because because my man Jason McIntyre Fox Sports and I've been talking about this. What's Mike's records in the playoffs? The head coach, I have no idea
one and two? Here here, here, one and two. First year, they lost to San Francisco at home by six, and that those first two possessions offensive defense looked terrible, but they lost. Then the next year on the road wild card against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, a team that beat him two years in a row to start the season, they beat them in the playoffs, handled them. Then they lost to San Francisco and a game the quarterback was
not good. They lost by seven. So the premise that some people have is this guy is some loser out here getting spanked and rolled in the playoffs. It hasn't been the case. They did not look good in either San Francisco. Those were not good games for the Cowboy at all, but they didn't get It wasn't a forty four to six meeting. It wasn't it wasn't something that was drastically terrible where you would say, man, we got to get rid of this head coach.
Well, I think I think the issue is when you go back and look at it, one in the game situations, and then two things that you are supposed to be taking care of during the season, i e. Penalties become the thing of like, Okay, if you continue to make it to the playoffs and then these same things keep rearing their ugly head, that's when you say, okay, this probably ain't gonna get fixed.
Right.
So if you go in there and all of a sudden you got fifteen penalties for two hundred yards, right, and you get knocked out in the first round, and some stupid or crazy in the game situation where you slide and you got twelve seconds left, you can't get it fit whatever that is. That type of stuff is where you say is this going is it able to be fixed or is it not? Because we don't want to continue having the same issue once you get in those type of big time situations. So I think that's
where that comes from. I don't think Mike macarty should get fired, especially you got here and winning it. See'st uh Like, I don't. I don't think that is a thing. Maybe the top leading receiver, maybe the top quarterback in the league.
Like I don't. I don't think that's a move that you make. But you do hope that you don't see.
Those those same things year after year rid of his because at some point you say, I don't like, is it gonna get fixed or not?
Yea?
And for me, I think where you're talking about situational awareness and a guy like Mike McCarthy that's been coaching in this league so long, he has to understand that those are going to be the knocks on him. Even the penalties they're gonna associate the Obviously coaches say we don't coach penalties, but if it's happening to you repetitively over and over again, and you're leading the league in penalties,
that's a knock on you. And that's why when you talked about them coming into this next game, if they're not inspired to play, that's on the coach, you know. But when when the Cowboys first hired Mike McCarthy, my feeling was, man, why are we hiring the guy that challenge? There is catch you know, I felt about it, but.
Personally it was personal.
That's stung. But since he's been here and as a coach, I just go back to Nolan as a defensive coordinator.
He didn't stay the course. He's like, look, this ain't gonna work. Change it, all right. Any guy that he's balled onto his coaching staff that hadn't worked, he's changed it. Any player that hasn't played to his potential or found a way to make these guys work out.
And if a guy just didn't work out, he washed his hands of it and kept going. That's the thing that I love about Mike McCarthy now as our coach is the fact that he's so flexible at making sure that this team is always ready. And the record speaks for herself. If it went on Sunday three twelve and
five seasons like, that's big time. That's a big time record for a coach that for all intents and purposes, man, he was embarrassed by his firing in Green Bay, and he's I mean definitely restructured or revamped his career here and that is real.
So the bunker.
Let me ask this question. If he's not the head coach, who would you hide?
I mean, yeah, that's a good one. I don't know where you would go, Jim Harbaugh. I know he hasn't been proven to win the big one. Like, I don't know, what are you doing? You got?
I mean, we got dan Quinn here, same guy who we've been talking about changed the help change the culture. I don't want to take it none away from Mike. Help change the culture of the squad. Defense became like the star of the team for a while. Now you see it kind of going back to offense. But we still got big time players on defense. People still believe in dan Quinn, and I'm sure that people are going to try to hire him again this year, to be
as soon as the playoffs. So like, I know, you want to kind of open it up to everybody, but you look inside the building and you say, hey, man, we got a guy who is highly sought after around the league that could possibly be that. But I'm saying that I would not fire Mike McCarthy.
I thing I always asked people like, where would you go? So dan Quinn?
In my next question, dan Quinn, if you hired him, who's your offensive coordinator. Where do you go because he's a defensive guy and Atlanta he had a pretty good one that he Kyle so so okay, so him Bill Belichick.
That's the big that's the biggest question, like if you hired somebody like that. Mike McCarthy's ability to work in the hierarchy of the Dallas Cowboys, what really what makes him a guy that you can't replace because any other coach with a bigger ego couldn't fit, You wouldn't be able to not the way things work here, Micha for only so long, four years, for only so long.
That's a long time, but for only so long, and it is.
That's true.
But it's not like that didn't come you know, was burning It both ends towards the end. I'm saying, Mike McCarty, what he's what he's able to do is just stay in his lane. And how many guys could actually take this job and do that?
You're right, but I just but but this is more for the people out there who are well McCarty. If he doesn't do that, they're ready to replace Mike. That's those are where I go with this, and I think you're right. It takes a special kind of It's it's a different kind of job and it's a different kind of mindset when you're here and Parcels spoke about it. Mike's lived with it. So yes, I think that's a part of working for the Joneses is definitely different. That's why I asked that question about.
Who do you bring in? Because it's easy to say fire this guy. Tell me who you hire?
Yeah, this this is a guy, a guy like Belichick wouldn't be able to come in. It just wouldn't. It wouldn't work. I mean, he shouldn't. Wouldn't be his friendly with the media, Change the defense, Yeah, for sure, you're gonna change all of that.
So I just so that's why when people say these things.
And he's a general manager, right yeah, Okay, Mike about to get over the hunk. This ain't.
To get over because it's gonna be it's gonna be favorable matchups, Like I don't.
I think it's gonna be the path of the least resistance and it doesn't go to wag.
You know what's gonna happen here? You know what? Everybody, that's what you know what.
Let's let's just just say just through thee I was thinking about. He wins the two playoff games, the wild card game at home of the division game, and then goes to face let's say they face the forty nine and they lose that, then you're talking about a three and three playoff right now, he's good and and and let's say it's another close game enough to touch down our last game against the forty nine ers.
You really want to get off.
That talking about the Packers come up here, molly whop them in the first round.
We all like and it does not go its way. Colds or not. You want you go to the playoffs and it's the Packers. Man, that's tough man. They're gonna be looking like James at home. Jason, he plays that. I don't. I'm talking more.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.