Player's Lounge: Playoffs Scenarios

reporter with Barry Church, Danny McCray. It's Wednesday, so that means we celebrate the birthday of one Lebron James who turns thirty six, Tiger Woods who turns thirty five, Sandy Kofe. I believe Sandy's eighty one or eighty five years old. Hall of Fame picture with the Dodgers. So, uh, big time, big time days for these people, man, it is it is. There's a lot of goats on this day, a lot

of goats. Uh. You know, I used to talk about Matt Lower being born on this day, but then Matt Loward had to go out there and do his thing. Um got kicked got hmself kicked off NBC News. Rick what a Rick Fox's old girlfriend's birthday today. Elijah Douche Coup, the actress. I think she was in that. Cara was the one of these w B shows she used to be in there. So did you say did you say Tiger Yes, Tiger Woods in nineteen seventy five, December thirty,

nineteen seventy five. It is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes yes. All right, Church, I'm gonna start with you here. Okay, Yeah, we got going. Man. It was a cliffhanger from yesterday, so I'm gonna go ahead and bring it to you to day. I got bad news for you, Okay, got bad sucky ducky. It is not that the Cowboys will lose to the Giants, because I'm going to tell you right now, on a Wednesday, for tomorrow's show, our final show of the week, I'm going to pick the Cowboys

to beat the Giants. Okay, Cowboys are better team, playing better football than New York Giants. Right now. The disappointing thing I got to tell you because I believe Washington will go in too Philadelphia and win the East. I really do, no, sir, no sir, no, sir, look man, Even if even if Alex Smith is at quarterback. I still don't see them taking this win. I mean, look, Philadelphia, their offense sputtered a little bit against us, but I feel like they'll go out there, They'll be at home.

They'll be back at home. Jalen Hurts will be back in Philadelphia. And look, Doug Peterson already said there's a no hat rule. They're not letting Washington come in here and celebrate a division championship on their turf. All right, that is not gonna happen. Alex Smith, he's on one leg right now, one leg right now. He's already dump it down and chuck it down, Charlie. All right. So

I don't see their offense producing that much. But what scares me about Washington, and what's always scared me is their front seven. I mean, they're vicious in that front seven. And if Philadelphia doesn't score at least seventeen to twenty points, you might be onto something. But I'm praying and I'm hoping that Jalen Hurts comes through with Miles Sanders, Doug ep do not give up on the run like you did with the Cowboys, because that's saying does he gave

up the run against the Cowboys? I don't know why. I don't know why. It helped me out, but I don't know why he did that. Do not give up on the run, all right, I'm telling you now, do not give up on the run. Contain this crew and you should get a w Do it for me, for anybody, Just do it for me. You can't do enough for you. Man. After the game, I'm a fan of going and listening to certain teams radio stations, you know, just to hear what their fans are saying. And then because it's Philadelphia.

Through the years, I've been on NBC Sports Philadelphia so much, I know those folks have checked out their things. There's a real problem in Philadelphia in terms of not just the personnel, because they're like, hey, man, we got street free agents out there. Mean, you saw how thirty eight was getting beat like a drum against the Cowboys. But they don't believe in the coach, that the coach has

any answers to understand. So what you were saying about, hey, why did he give up on the run, Doug Peterson was getting drilled up and down because they were sent there saying, okay, you went away from what was working for you in the first quarterbe what were you doing? There's not a lot of faith and what's going on in Philadelphia. And then we don't know about the status of fletchri Cox. Okay, we saw what had with Fletchrick Cox. Let that lineup, and so I fletchri Cox is in there.

He can he can, he can change the football game. If he's not playing, it's a lot easier for Washington. But Doug Peterson may get fired. I mean that's what you're talking about now. These guys on this staff may get fired. I don't know how many guys are ready to go ahead and just say, hey, look, the season's done. I'm ready to take it to the house. Mccraig. Yeah, this is a Philadelphia team that is used to playing for something. Even last year they played the final game

against the Cowboys and won the division. You know this team is that's one of the the Super Bowls, and three years ago these guys got nothing to play for. I just wonder how many dudes are gonna come out there Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday against Washington ready to actually get up here and play. And how many of these guys they have left are any good? Their offensive line is terrible too. They got a lot of issues barried, You got a lot of issues, you know, you know.

I want to kind of push back on that one a little bit, just just coming from the perspective of guys who don't have guaranteed contracts and aren't for sure to come back next year and playing for other teams around the league. They have a lot of guys, especially in the receiving group, that have to really prove that they're able to play so they can be on a

roster next year. Jalen Hurts has a lot to prove so he can show that he needs to be the starter next year and continue to hold Carson Wentz either on the bench or to another team. Miles Sanders just competing for his running backspot because they brought back Howard, you had Scott come in and take some carries from him. So they have some stuff to prove. But I don't

think that they can really stand Washington's defense. Who is who is really the backbone of their team And they've been playing outstanding for the entire year and they continue to get better, and I think they'll be able to put pressure on Jalen hurtson and confuse them a little bit and call some of those that those interceptions that you've seen happen when they played US last week. So you know, I put it on the defense. Like you said, Church, Alex Smith is on one leg. But I think they'll

have McLaren back. I think Gibson to be a little bit more healthy. So I think they'll have just enough to beat Philly. But you know, it's football, man, you never really know. I just don't see Washington's offense. Man. Like I said, their defense, they're legit, they're solid. They got Chase Young, Ryan Kerrigan, they got Jonathan Allen and those boys. Their front seventh is probably one of the better front seventh's International Football League. But their offense is

what's dragging them down. And I just can't see it. I can't see Alex Smith pushing the ball down the field and beating this Philadelphia Philadelphia defense. I think they're gonna make them go throughout the whole draft. They're gonna have to do long sustained drafts and I just don't see that happening. And if Alex Smith doesn't play, you got Heineke back there. I mean, he looked decent when he when he had the Southern for Haskins last week.

But we've seen that plenty of times where guys come in they're not expecting to play against this quarterback and he goes out there and plays lights out, and then the very next week he goes in there and lays an egg. So for me, I just don't see their offense being able to go out there and produce big points. Philadelphia is gonna end up winning this. Y'all not ruining this man. Y'all, y'all this guy. Boys are going to

the playoffs. Y're not ruining this for me. Man, listen to church Man, the guy who wanted to see double G two weeks in the row. Now he's talking about Heineken and go out there and look look decent, and then the next week he had come out there and not look so good because they weren't expecting to play

against them. They had no take. Listen if if if last week, and as an example or vision for anything, mcclara will find the mismatch on that Philadelphia Eagle secondary, all right, so Alex Smith will be able to push it down the field just a little bit. And when when they were on that role, their offense was able to put up some points even though that Alex Smith was just dumping it down. He was maximizing the skills

of mckissic and and Gibson. And we saw that when they when they brought it here to Dallas, they it was it was dumb down. But they were making big games out of those plays. And that's the way that they were. They were winning those games. They were Dinking and Duncan, they were moving the ball down the field, chewing up the clock, and then they were playing good defense. And even without Alex Smith, that good defense and that dinking and Duncan with Dwayne Haskins on the field, had

them in the game versus Carolina. So I think it'll be a, you know, a tough match up for Philly. Sure, it seems to me like you floating towards like you floating towards uh, Phillip plueing this one out, mccraig. How from that, No, I said that Giftson is gonna be more healthy, mclard's gonna be back, Alex Smith to be healthier than than he would have been last week. No, No Haskins And they're actually really playing for something, and they're going to play for their coach. So I think

that they have the edge on Philly. We know Phillies turning Phillies turning the football over way too much, just just way too much in Church. Here's the thing about the offense. And I see where you're coming from. But you're not happy with that defense. You you know you can win this thing with two touchdowns and chicking a bunch of field goals. I go back to what Washington did to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. It was dink and dunk City. It was really more of, hey, look,

we're just not going to be ourselves. We'll play competitive, conservative football and allow our defense to keep us in this thing. And I think that's basically the same thing that I would I expect against Philadelphia. Okay, they're not gonna ask Alex Smith to come out here and throw the ball like Patrick Mahomes because he can't do it.

But Kenny throws some swing passes out here to Gibson. Yeah, can he hit McLaren on a slant route and just hope, you know, your defense can can get a sack or two and maybe Chase Sham causes a fumble and you get the ball to thirty and maybe you're kicking the field goal and get it. Tell. I mean, that's the kind of game that I'm expecting from Washington to play. The other side of it is can I Can I trust Philadelphia not to turn the football over? Can I

trust their head coach to run the football? But I just I'm telling you I don't trust Philly. And this week watching it in person, I was shocked at how badly they played after the first quarter. And that's where this whole thing comes for me. Man, That's what scares me. Dougie p just has to get out of his own way. If Peterson's able to get out of his own way and we're able to run an offense like they did against the Saints, I mean the Saints have a similar

front seven as Washington. They get after the quarterback group. The linebackers are side line of sideline, so they have a similar defense when it comes to the front seven, is Washington. We gotta take that game plan that we had against the Saints and take it to Washington. Good option Green, Miles sanders a lot, and I think we can pull something out. Church. Where's this we who is wet? If they had it would be on it would now fly.

Eagles fly for a reason, you know. And this is the thing we're you know, we're sitting here on this podcast talking about, you know, hoping a bad football team will do something good, that hey, they'll probably figure it out this last week. I mean, that's what That's what you're asking for. Church. You're asking for a team that's frustrating its own fan base, and then the owners like, I don't know, but I'm wonner do what I'm doing

with this coaching staff. I mean, you're asking them that they're gonna actually figure it out, get it right in a game of that map. Y'all thought the same thing when I told y'all to Dallas Cowboys was going to turn this around. Y'all told me, oh, man, what are you talking about. There's no proof of this. They didn't win two games in three years. And now we're on the edge of the playoffs. We're on the edge to the playoffs, so it can happen. It can happen right now.

It was. It was true, and we keep talking about them digging and duncan. I'm just going to remind you, guys of what Gibson did when he came in here running the ball against the Cowboys. Zeke had a hundre yards against Philly last week. I think that was his first one hundred yard game and I don't know how long, So no, I'm saying, and in a long time. That's the first one hund of yard game in a very

long time. And then now, yeah, so they're going to go up against the team who's getting a healthy running back, quarterback with explosive guy like Gibson and the kissing. I just think they're going to be too much. And I look, I'm a Cowboys fan, Barry, all right, So don't let

the podcast fool you. It's it's it's as much as I would like for you to take me to Nick and Sam's and pay for my entire meal, I am still rooting for the Cowboys, but I have to be realistic, like I said, because my feelings were hurt so much at the beginning of the season that I just got to be realistic with this man. Here's my bets to say. Look, Philly is probably not going to pull it out against Washington, and we're probably going to pull it out against New

York and that's gonna be heartbreaking for us. But we ended a season on a good note. And I'm with you mc McCray. I'm sitting here with you. I think the Cowboys are going to win against the Giants. The Cowboys will do their part. But as Nate Newton talked about on Talking Cowboys, you're now at this point or hanging with the boys, You're now at this point in

time where your fate is in someone else's hands. And that's just a really you know, you're gonna fly home, uh you know, from from from New York or she say, New Jersey. You fly from Jersey and sit around here, come back home and turn on the TV and know there's nothing you can do. And you're relying on a bad football team with a coaching staff that's made some

you know, interesting decisions here. That that's that's rolling the dice, man, that's that's real hard and Church you're now going to say, you believe these dudes are gonna muster up something that they had against the Saints that things showed us since Okay, that's just I think it's possible. You're you're right, you are You're completely right. You are completely right. It is tough. It is tough, and then the loss of Fletcher Cox makes it even tougher, and I hope and I pray

they do not walk number thirty eight out there. He doesn't get a name, he just gets number thirty eight. Whoever for Philipoli that court, he just gets number. Do not march him out there, because if they do, they're gonna be going straight at him. They're gonna find Terry mcclaure and they're gonna say, hey, wherever thirty eight is, just match him McLure. You know it's usually opposite, but whatever thirty eight is, they're gonna send McLaurin that way.

So please, Philly, do not march that guy out there. And if you do, do straight double coverage vis them like a punt. I mean, just do not let them crazy. We need you, Philly, we need Church Church. Do you agree that now, when you're playing against the top defense that now has three four weeks of film on Jalen Hursts, that this would be a different game? Does that? Does that make you nervous at all that that New Orleans

came in they're playing against Jalen Hurts. I think they didn't have Michael Thomas, already didn't have Drew Brees, and it was the first time that the teams are really seeing him, and the same thing happened with Arizona. Now you got real tape on this guy, and you've seen teams a team be able to stop him and get some interceptions off of them and seeing what really can

confuse him and cause him to make these mistakes. And now you're going up against the Washington football team's defense, who's been able to create this type of stuff all season. I think that also makes nervous, makes Feelly a little bit nervous as well. I'm nervous. I ain't gonna lie to you. I'm nervous, man, I mean, especially after that performance we saw down in an AT and T Stadium and we don't have half of the front seven that that Washington has. So I'm a little nervous. But hey,

it's too late to back down. Now we're in this playoffs, man, Philly, do your thing. So you said, so, you said, Randy, So you said Randy, Randy Gregory and d lawis not carrying in and chase up. See, I see what you trying to do. I think it's time for a commercial break for a commercial brand. That's exactly we're at the fifteen fifteen mark. I think, uh, I think we need the time for a commercial. I didn't say that. I didn't not say that at all. That's mcraig. We get New.

I didn't ask ask the question, can we get NEWI to answer the question at the commercial break that he's been ducking for two days. It's not even that hope of a question, but I, you know, I just want him to just give us an answer. It just it's really simple. It's never hurt nobody. Please do that because let's let's let's do that. Let's I'll answer the question. Uh Andy Dalton's future, Zeke Elliott wins an award, and um,

who do you credit for the defensive turnaround? A lot more coming up on the players not scot you by Hotels dot com, Newis crust is Bury Church, Danny mccraie right here on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. 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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taste buds. It's new Doctor pepper and cream Soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor and Cream Soda. Is he a new Combonet's music to my ears? Okay, doctor time, music to my ears and mouth new Doctor pepper and cream soda. Delas, just do back back back to the player's loud. All right. We are back here on the players lives. It's hump day, all right. We're in our s WBC Mortgage Virtual home studios of new we scrugs. Along with Barry Church and

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looked for Starview under the stadium tap. Ezekiel Elliott yesterday named the twenty twenty Dallas Cowboys Good Guy Award that goes to the guys the most successful and the guy that has has a really good relationship with the media. So Zeke wins that award. Dak Prescott won in twenty nineteen. Dak also won in twenty seventeen. Uh, Jeremy Mincy won it twice twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen. Dez Bryant has won the award. Des Bryant won it in twenty thirteen. Tara

Owns has never won that award. So Elliott congratulated my friend. Happy for you as well. This happen we did, like this Good Guy Awards start. This has always been around, like oh yeah, I think it started in about oh nine maybe, Um I never heard of that. I've never heard of this one. It's been um boy Marcus Marcus Spears has won it. Roy Williams, I didn't know. I didn't. That's the first time hearing about it. Church. They would they were an interview on us like that, So then't Yeah,

that's true, that's what it was. Yeah, you're right, we would have never heard about this. You know how you might knew he is you might knew he is man. You know, he goes those are just special teams. Guys over there, let's let's go. That's crazy. That is best say this. I'm gonna say that. This is This is one thing about Church I get no credit for. Church was a rookie. When Church is a rookie. I was out there beating the chest where we talked about like guys,

we thought we're gonna make the team. Guy picked Romo because I remember talking to Terence Newman when Romo was it's true that day and he knew had played against Carson Palmer and Tony Romo at Kansas State. He said, Tony Rome is the Carson Palmer small school quarterbacks. All that okay, that's guy's gonna make a team Church with the undrafted guys I pick and make the team, make team. You know that's true, that's true. But hey, but hey,

that's but you're right. I mean, look right, this award is normally going to people who are are are guys. You go to a whole lot and and also they like that they'll talk a lot. Here's where Ezekiel Elliott really stands out. After a game, when you go on the Cowboys locker room and they had let you in. Ezekiel is right there at his locker, ready to go. Almost always, I mean nine out of ten games he's right there. And if he's not there, he's coming in

pretty quick. So he'll answer. He's accessible, which all all bad people like. Um, he's accessible. He uh, you know, he answers the questions and you know, even if they're not always questions, he wants to answer. He answers the questions. And I said, biggest thing is the guy is a consistent dude, and people have appreciation for that. Dak has

been that same way. So yes, guys who who are in their normal rotation, your quarterbacks, you're running back, those guys are definitely gonna be dudes at the media, you know, Selex. But like I said, Jeremy Mitzi, you know he was there. That's true, Spear, that's true. So um you know, Daz, I mean they've got John Kitler won it won you you know John won it so um so so, but you're right, Danny. We do not seek out special teams guys.

Very often we do not. We do not, so I you know, and when we do seek you out is after you know, something happened. Yeah, so what happened here? Guys? Your boy your boy her out here missing field goals in Chicago. You know, that's what we're gonna get you. You know, LP Lattice School, you know. I mean, we're gonna come get you. And something happened and you're not to get two sidetrack, not to get two star. What happened to damn Bailey? Man? I mean, I know this

is way off script, but I'm man. The miss like fifteen field goals in the past, like three games man, remember that that? Remember that movie Rickie of the Year was a dude broke his arm and then all of a sudden he could then he lost. Yea, it's like that or space Jam, Like I don't know if somebody came and took his kicking poles. I don't know some aliens. I don't know what's going on. I mean, I'm mad. I ain't even get side tracked. Nick Folk was like that.

When Nick Folk first got here, um out of Arizona. They guy ended up making a Pro Bowl and had some good years. Then he got hurt and and then you know, it went off track, and then they ended up cutting him and then went on to the Jets and had a nice career there, and then he fell off um New England and brought him back and he was kicking up there for a little bit. To me, this kicking thing happens in cycles. Man. I was aw young Way Coo of Atlanta. He makes the Pro Bowl.

They sent him out there for a kick to tie it against the Chiefs and he hooks it right. Uh you know, and he had a good year. But when he first started with the Chargers, dude couldn't make anything. So I mean, this kicking thing, is it truly is? It goes, it go up, and it's like golf. You're here for a bit, you here the runner and then you know it humbles you. But and this just maybe toward the end for Dan. I'll say, this guy's had

an incredible career coming out of Oklahoma State. I remember the kicking battle he was in over the Alamo Dome in San Antonio. Was him, it was Kay or Bath and it was another guy and then dude ended up winning it and kicked very well for a long time. But yeah, this this is probably it for him. I definitely don't think he'll be back in Minnesota. But that kicking game, man, it comes and goes. Bro It's hard, It's hard. To see. We've been spoiled. We've been spoiled

by the adamnitaries of the world. I gotta listen. I gotta ask the church just you brought it up, because now I can't think of a guy's name. Tampa Bay drafted a kicker I want to say, was the second Florida State and Roberto Aguayo, Roberto Aguayo or the state and he couldn't make a kick. He was terrible. And this is what I've seen outside of Sebastian Janikowski, who

went in the first round. What I've seen is when they draft these kickers that high, there's just so much pressure and you're also I mean, here's the time when you're actually for a guy like me. You're at training camp focusing on a kicker. Normally we don't even know who do due is. We don't pay attention to that high were were on you? And then he goes to Tampa Bay. So you already a dude who was a legend at Florida State, you're part of a national championship team,

You're they're playing with Jameis Winston. They take you this high and band it's on you, and then the general manager Jason Light traded up for the kicker, so there was more pressure. Man, who trade up for a kicker? Um? And it's crazy. Meanwhile, I look at the punter over at Seattle, Michael Dickinson. Here's a guy who was a fantastic All American punter at Texas. He was so good he left early. I got him going pro. They take him in the fifth round. He was everything for Seattle

that he was in Texas. And because he's a fifth round guy, you know, you know, and he came out, you know, handling his business from jump, nobody said anything. So it's it's a it's a tough thing, man. I would definitely not recommend trying to draft a specialist as a kicker second round because you just put so much pressure on people just talking about it, even a third round guy. I've seen some of these punners going to third round and it's just it's just a lot of pressure, man.

So I would not be trying to spend the first, second, third round a guy like that, who who did Tampa think's gonna pick up that kicker? If nobody? And I'm gonna lie man as a player as a foo as a player, man, I was so mad I'm talking about in twenty ten my draft, there was at least four or five kickers and punters drafted, and I went under. I was so hot, man, I was one of the most bad I've ever been in my life. But how's a kicker and a punter getting drafted and I'm over

here sitting on the bench. Man, it was Yeah, that worked out for you, bro, Man, it didn't work out in the plan. You would have ended up on some team. It might have not played out the same for you. You know, this is very true. This is very true. And I'll say this. You gotta understand on draft day there are a lot there are a lot more mistakes made than it hits. Okay, there's a lot more missus, just a lot more misses on draft day than than hits.

And and we talk about the hits, because you know, that's the thing to talk about, But the amount of missus, like Jason Lights training up for a kicker, you know that that does. You know that that's the crazy stuff. But for him, here's a guy that somehow hooked his way into ownership and they continue to buy what he does and what he sells. But usually, you know, there's a lot of miss I remember when a Doma can Sue became a free agent in Detroit and Nick Fairley

became a free agent the same year. So here are two defensive tackles that are going out the window. And here's Detroit with an opportunity to take Aaron Donald needing a defensive tackle. What is there? Gm Martin May who does he drafts tight end Eric Ibrom And I'm shaking up, why are you getting the offense? Plus Matt Stafford doesn't want to throw to the tight end anyway. This guy's always trying to go deep and you pass on it. Donald. I mean we see stuff like this all the time.

Or Doug Whaley. Doug Whaley trades up for Sammy Watkins, give us up a number, what to get Sammy Watkins? And then who's drafted about three or four picks later, Odell Beckham Junior. I mean, there's a lot of misses that happened in this league, man, a lot. So you know, Church, when you talk about, hey, how does this happen? Because people don't do a lot of good work. Okay, there's a lot of people missing, just straight missing. It's hard and you know, and also I don't want to beat

up people too much. It's hard. It's hard to pick players. Man, it's hard to hit. It is hard to hit. It's easy to miss. It hard to hit. And then also what's to fit? How many guys church in mccrad? How many guys do you know? And if you've been around, you're like, man, this guy's in the wrong scheme here. Ain't working for him. This they're asking this player to do something they can't not do. A lot happens a lot. This is true watching it. I'm watching it this year. Now, okay,

go ahead, Then what happened? And so when you see that, what happens? We look at the player, We blame the player. We say the player ain't no good. This is I mean, that's what we do. I'm sitting around here looking at Laton vanderst this year and I'm saying, I don't think this guy's a middle linebackers. That's not what you drafted him to do. You turn on his tape and you say, hey, what did you like about this guy? When he plays best football? It wasn't a middle linebacker. It makes you

shake your head and it can be detrimental. Marcus Spears is a guy that I love. I mean, I love swagg Man. Swaggo is my guy. The biggest disservice ever happened to him was being drafted by Dallas Cowboys, because he went from being a defensive end at LSU that was rushing the pass. Was a heck of a good football player, National champion. He comes here and Bill Parcells

wants him taking all blocks. He's not able to do what he does, and so his career, in my opinion, by playing a three to four never put him in a position to do the things that we just saw him do at LSU. Not that he had a bad career, I just don't believe. I just believe had he been in a four three system and they put him out there on the edge, man Swago could have had a lot more Saxon and been a Pro Bowl play. That's what happened. You know, you know, I'm gonna hop on

the LSU guys man. Same thing happened to Glenn Dorsey, Same thing happened to Tyson Jackson. Indeed, I say the same thing happened to Morris Clayborne. He came here as a man, the man guy, and Church was in the in the locker room and watched this happened where you didn't have to think about anything except guarding the person in front of you. Then they started throwing cover two, covered three, swaps, you know, all type of crazy stuff in there. And then it was like, what's wrong with him?

I'm like, what do you mean? You watched them in college? They told Mota go line up in front of this receiver, covering him and make sure he doesn't make any catches. And he did that, and then you brought him to hear and Rob Ryan had them all doing you know, if everybody here, it was spending. So I know Mose was as a rookie and that and I think that

ruined it for him, especially for his rookie year. You're right looking at the Sam Darnold now with the Jets, here's a guy that was in USC and this guy was, this guy could perform. I feel like they've broke in with the Giants. So so scheme fits a lot. So yeah, you're right. I mean Glenn Dorsey at LS, she was them talk about the bad and you know, go to Kansasy, all right, man, plug up some holes, like what do we do? Well? Remember watching the game Albert Haynesworth a

hundred million dollars to go plug a tackle? Who gives a hundred million dollars to a nervous tackle? But this is what teams do. Man more people making mistakes than they're out here hitting on guys. Let's take a break, um, what is the credit? Who do we give credit to for the defensive turnaround? And then I'll answer whatever question it is that Danny McCrae wants me to answer. Here on the Players, brought to you by Hotels dot Com and new Scrugs Danny McRae, Berry Church on Dallas Cowboys

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Cowboys dot com for new gear to day. All right, you're in the Players Lounch, brought to you by Hotels dot Com, where we scrugs along with Barry Church and Danny mccraig. Danny, what question is that you want me to answer? Listen? Listen. Two days ago I asked a very simple question, right Church made made the assumption and a prediction that I thought was wildly absurd. And he said, the Cowboys go to the playoffs, then they're going to

the super Bowl. And I said, all right, right, if that's if you Nostradallas and this stuff really does happen because you calling it out, Andy Dalton takes this team to the super Bowl? Do you sign Dak Prescott next year to a forty plus million dollar deal? Hell nah? And that's the question for me, Yes, yes, for you,

Oh yes, yes, he's getting watching money. Yeah. And y'all just talked about how hard it was to draft people and how how big of missus that the GM's in the NFL do and y'all want to sink all that money. You know, how much pressure is gonna be on Will McClay to hit defensively in this draft? Man? Oh man,

here comes eight and Nate ten and six Church. If it's anything that I've seen this year, I mean, first of all, you guys, you know, you guys know I'm always I've always been a that guy, but I this year solidified it even more to me that you're gonna pay to get this guy. First off, it's the organization's problem and fault for not having this deal done. I firmly once they want so Wentz got paid and Golf got paid that they just needed to sign sign him up to the same check. If you signed up to

the same check, you'd have done it. But there were people at that time. I don't think he's worth thirty million dollars. They're trying to sit up and get some deal for twenty five or twenty eight. They were wrong. Should have signed him too that. So what have we seen between Wins and Golf. Those guys aren't even worth

that money. Okay, they're not even worth that money. I was on Twitter yesterday, are not arguing but but debating with a lady about Deshaun Watson making the Pro Bowl because Ryan Tannehill was upset saying he should have made it. And I'm like, okay, so, so who you're gonna kick off? Ryan Tannehill, Patrick Mahomes. No, you know he's gonna stay on the team. You know, Deshaun Watson made He wasn't on a winning team. But I think we all saw Deshaun Watson was a one man gang out there offensive

line South Park. You get rid of DeAndre Hoggins. This dude is out here at Black Moses out here. Okay, this guy he got part seas trying to get the team and making them. Okay, what have we seen when Dak Prescott went down? Everything Everything fell apart, bro every ear thing, I mean, but first offs. But but we're talking about it. If they go to the super Bowl like it fell apart. But but we the assumption is they make the super Bowl, you have to figure some

things out. And I just said it. I'm paying Dak forty million. Either goes oh no, because you know what, because if they if the Cowboys end up making the super Bowl with this roster, imagine what happens when I put in a difference maker like that. That would be like the Nets getting That's when the Nets got Kevin Durant. This year, were gonna bring in Kevin Durant. Okay, bab, you're about to see something happen here. You're about to

see a difference maker. Dak Prescott is a difference maker at a position where not many guys are not difference makers. That's one of the things that's truly exposed Jared Golf this year. This guy's not a difference maker. Carson Wentz is not a difference maker, and you need a difference maker. To me, if you're going to win. And the Cowboys, because they tried to be cheap and save some money, are now gonna have to pay forty million dollars for

Dak Prescott. That's and they're committee to do it, even if you go to Super Bowl. I'm paying Dak Prescott. I agree with you, which your first take when you say it's it's all the organization's fault when they could have had just got signed up. I agree. I think I think Dak is a phenomenal quarterback. I just don't think he's worth taking your whole cap and ruining it.

I just don't think so. I think you can take that money, you can get a quarterback, and I think you can take that money and put it towards the defense, and I think will be better situated going forward. But if we sink all our brand, it's a Dak Prescott and he, like I said, I think he's a phenomenal quarterback, but I just don't think he can carry a team

by himself like the San Watson can. I just I just you know, it's it's it's tough for me, it's tough for me to sink all that in there, knowing how bad our defense is, and it's all assumes that Dak Prescott comes back and he's healthy. And you also have to assume that we go to the super Bowl, which I don't think it's happening. But you know this, this is just one of those one of those fantasy type things. So you know, I feel, I don't know, I think the leverage has lost a little bit if

if Andy Dalton somehow takes this thing to the super Bowl. Now, and keep in mind, I am a Andy fan. Got to cover Andy at TCU, so you know a lot of ways got to see this this kid grow up. I'm an Andy fan. I clearly remember when Andy was signed, how many of the Dak Hayters were saying, you know what, man, this guy just as good, he could do that. I mean, there's a whole lot of those What did we see

from Andy Dalkon? We see buried Church out here trying to throw the guy out for a dude who was playing Hey, I apologize, I apologize, right so, and I think Andy Dalton is good. Okay, I think Andy Dalton is good. And in Church, you would ask, what about Andy Dalt's future? I think Chicago, Indianapolis, San Francisco, New England, Denver, Washington.

These are places that I expect Andy Dalton to possibly be playing next year because these are these are organizations that there will probably have some quarterback needs and he could fit in there. But Dak Prescott, in my opinion, raises the level of other people, and that's what you pay a franchise guy for. I thought Ezekiel Elliott was gonna be able to do something and show us something with Dak Prescott being out, Like, okay, hey, put it back on twenty one. That's what abody say, it's all

about twenty one. Well, guess what we saw. It didn't matter. It didn't matter. Now it's not all twenty one's fault because his offensive line is nowhere near what it needs to be. Okay, so I'm not putting up but but but there was this assumption, Hey man, we go got Andy Dalkon would be just fine and just give it

to twenty one. And no, Dak Prescott is a difference making quarterback and in this league, and you see how bad the quarterback play is, that's what it's going to cost you, okay, Church, and you can set up and say it's gonna wreck your cat. You know what Houston find Houston decided we're gonna wreck our cat. We're gonna do what we're gonna do. And there's somebody you see what's record. But is that what is that the shot off?

Where would they be without him? I mean yeah, let me ask you, do you think do you think that Dak Prescott with his bat let's just say our defense is just as bad next year? Do you think Dak Prescott can carry this team to the playoffs and even into the super Bowl. Let's just say that to the Super Bow, because anybody's tried, are just going to the playoffs? You said you know, you said it yourself. Jerry Jones is getting up there in age and he wants a

super Bowl. Do you think Dak Prescott can carry a team all the way to the super Bowl with a defense being historically bad. That's a tough task for any That's a tough task for any guy in his league. But I'll say it this way. I believe Dak. Signing Dak Prescott and having him as your quarterback gives you your best opportunity to get to a super Bowl. I

believe it does. I go back to a Joe Flacco and I'm reading a book right now by John Fineteine called The Quarterback, and just going back to Joe Flacco and his evolution and what he's done there. If Flacco, I thought I had a pretty good thing. And you guys know this is playing in the league. What you want to do is get yourself in a position, get yourself an opportunity, you know, consistently, make the playoffs, and

see where you can go. I believe Dak Prescott with a consistent run of five or six years, if he's there starting quarterback, I believe they can possibly get to a super Bowl. I got some other management issues about how they do things on this football team, but I'm not worried about the quarterback. I'll pay the quarterback. Okay, I'll pay the quarterback. They're also hedging their bets as his TV deal is going to go up. I know this.

TV deals for the NFL rarely ever go down. Jerry Jones made sure that that's how they moved the NFL from CBS to Fox. So signing Dak Prescott the forty million dollars is going to be what they have to do. I do believe in Dak Prescott. This defense, Yes, it has to get fixed. And the biggest thing is right now, I gotta get a defensive coordinator in here who can at least tell me what can I do with some of these personnel Guys? Who do I say and who

do I get rid of? But you're going to commit to the quarterback right now, you're seeing in this league what happens when you don't have a guy worth a salt. Look at the Eagles, look at the Rams. How about Cleveland? Right now, Cleveland used a number one pick on Baker Mayfield. They're going to have to make a choice here in about two years or whether they gon pick up this fifthyear option. To do they give this guy thirty million dollars A here, look at Jimmy Garondbolo in San Francisco.

Jimmy took him to a Super Bowl, and they're like, I don't know if we're gonna bring this guy back. It's hard to find competent quarterback play. You got competent quarterback play, and Dak Prescott pay the note for forty million dollars versus going off into the abyss and hoping you've got something, you know, your Mitchell Trubisky away from trying to say what do we do to ourselves? Look at Philadelphia right now, they don't even know what they're

gonna do next year. I mean, think of what the problem Philadelphia has next year that Dallas does not, what Washington has in terms of a problem that Dallas is not. That the Giants has a problem that Dallas does not if they signed Dak Presco. But Dallas got one of the biggest problems out of all those teams, and that's their defense. Like when we're talking about you know, they have all these quarterbacks, but how are we gonna stop

anybody from scoring? Mc crae, what do you think about this? Mccraige. I think this is crazy. I think that y'all are like the one the question was, if Andy Dalton takes this team to the Super Bowl, what do you think about signed in Dak Prescott? And then it's like, then Andy Dalton's gone. Think about this. Andy Dalton would have had to win four games in a row plus maker run to the Super Bowl to get there, all right, So we just acting like Andy Dalton can't can't be

a quarterback here? If he, you know, happens to do that. That's why I say I think the leverage falls a little bit, because, yeah, you can say Andy Dalton might go to Chicago and this other place. He could also stay another us. If he's your super Bowl, if he's your super Bowl guy, if he if he was getting super Bowl, if he goes to the super Bowl, he gets the Trip Dulford treat. That's what will happened to him.

They'll say thank you, but we need to approve upon this position and trip Dulford got showed in the door and they brought it Elvis grback in Baltimore. But but Jerry, Jerry's already told you they're bringing it back. Mike McCartney said to day talking about Dak Prescott. He's here every day, is a big part of our football team. He's a big part of our future. So were having these conversations about something the organization has already told us they're bringing

Prescott back. So if they're bringing it back, they're paying the forty million dollars. Note NUIs they told you there was gonna pay him two years ago. They lay they can say whatever they want to about that. They can say whatever they want to. They haven't done it. Okay, And you also you're also talking about you're talking about a guy who was coming off a really, really bad injury. So you have to assume a lot of different things. Right,

Let's let's says he's behind the eight ball. When when you get back into training camp, then what do you do? You don't have any Doughton any before you go out with double G. Okay, yes, great quick. I love that because I asked a friend of mine who's an agent and who signed big deals in this league and worked

with a lot of quarterbacks. I asked him about that, and he told me, he said, look, this league is so starved that he'll get If the Cowboys don't want to pay that money, he'll get it on the free agent market because other people want that guy so much. And then he pointed back his head, Lekadur Bricks. Here's a guy that had a bad shoulder, that flunked, flunked the test in Miami and New Orleans still went out there and wrote a checkpool. He said, Dak Prescott should

get paid. He said, he said, that's just how desperate people in this league are. And he said, look, how much money Kirk Cousins, he's getting And he said, who's a better quarterback, Dak Prescott Kirk Cousins. He said, what would you who would you want to get money too? You said, would you rather pay money to a hurt Dak Prescott or a healthy Kirk Cousins like you know Kurt. So so he's going k did not get paid in Washington. Though Kurt didn't get paid in Washington, they let him

move on and go to Minnesota. All right, So so Dak Prescott will he will get his bread, he will get his bread. I'm just I'm just saying that this hypothetical day we have with the Super Bowl, I'm not sure to be here. Oh I'm glad you said that about about Kirk Cousins. And once again and reading the book Quarterback by John Fines, and he just went over this um this part in the book where Daniel Snyder and especially Bruce Allen, they didn't believe in Kirk Cousins.

He was never a guy. They were sold on the cowboys here are singing a different tune. And Stephen Jones talked about the number of years Dak wants four, they want five, so that that in itself puts him in a different position than kirk Cousins. They never made him a real offer. They never made him a real offer. And Washington, they've made an offer here and it's come down to the years. So there in lies, there in

lies a difference there about about the situation. They franchised them two years in the row they sacrifice, they capped twice for kirk Cousins and then and then let him get out of there. So I mean it's different. But like I said, Dallas has been singing this soon for two years and they still haven't gotten this man paid. They know what, they know how many years he want. So if he still wants four years next year, you're still gonna do the same thing. Well, I'll tell you what.

Here's what we do know. They're running out of chances. I mean, they running out of chance. They they're gonna have to really literally sign a contractor get off the pot because they're running out of chances. You know, this is where they're at. So we'll know here, we'll know here one or two years what they you know, they'll have to really back it up here in the next one or two years for sure. All Right, we're running late here we're running late. We'll get well, we'll say

the defensive topic for tomorrow. Okay, who do we really credit for the Stephen? So also make our predictions. New Year's Eve is our last show, um that we'll do this week. Um Big boss Man Doc Team Derek Eagleton says, we're taking Friday New Year's Day off, which is okay because I'm gonna run out to the Rose Bowl. I want to check out, check out Alabama do that thing. And the AP Defensive Player of the Year DeVante Smith, want to see him get off and do his things.

So we'll do one last show. Have our predictions already said. Giants are gonna win, but we'll get the official predictions from Barry and Danny for Chris Bean Danny mccraig, Berry Church on NEWI Scripts. Thank you for watching The Players Latch brought you by Hotels dot Com or Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.