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, Heckma Harrison, and Newie Scruggs.
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I'm Heck Maharrison and in studio, inst the studio and at the desk with me per usual. It's my man Danny McCrae, uh, former Dallas Cowboys safety and my man.
BC in the place to be.
I'm always here, been always they know. That's all all right, all right, you always somewhere.
But he wasn't late. He was here before me. So the last today he was he was not.
So in the spirit of Barry Church being on time, sir, we're gonna do it like we always do.
New Scruggs is on New Scrubs. What is new He's doing on the side of sabbatical assignment is new scrugs. But man, football is back. It's back. It's back in full swing. And I know, I know.
Y'all was loving last night. But before I even address any of that, y'all know what I do, man, I always do the well to check mental check. How is your mentals? Uh, Danny McCray, how you, sir? I feel good?
Man? Were at the weekend?
The weekend is zero unless you got a chance to, you know, write this ship a little bit against I think Grammy.
We played this week, so you know, give you know, and the Cowboys play on Sunday night.
So I got you gotta get you beat who they put out there? Get back, get back Battle of the bands. Let's do that band from Tiger Hey with Grammy put the mystery that's on the ground, and so we're gonna lose that.
It's up with See what's up with you? Brother?
Man? It's going good. It's one real good. It's hot once again. Man, I thought for shoulder temperature going diper just a little bit. But it's hot again. But who's doing amazing?
Next week?
Next week your golf game gonna be so cool you're gonna have to bust out the jacket to tell you what. Wait, Tuesday seventy nine thsday hot seventy.
Yeah, we're gonna. We're going to heaven is my goal.
And but that rain's gonna come with it though it's gonna being brown.
I will I will take that to my grass train.
Now, hey, yard man has taking a break. This stuff is dead out there. Boy, uh man, listen, I will take for me. For me, I'm good. Uh my son, I took him to the doctor. My son's been dealing with a hip injury. Fully one hundred percent good, ready to go, so healing grace. Man, I'm so happy about that. But football is back, and y'all saw yesterday the matchup we talked about a little big Kansas City, the defending
champions versus the Detroit Lions. Damn gonna start with you, man, what did you think about yesterday's matchup and just football being back on television?
Man, I was excited.
I watched the usually on Thursday night games because sometimes the competition is don't be good, right, you fall asleep ahead of time, you know, you'd be like, forget this. I watched that whole game. It was the Lions. I was watching the food Lions because my former teammate Kelvin
Shepard is the linebackers coach there. I'll say this, something got to get fixed, okay, because Hutchinson was getting cheated all night because that right tackle was not lined up in the formation at all, lined up all sides the whole time. And it make you just wonder, like, how many sacks, how much more pressure would they have gotten had.
This dude not been lining up through us off the ball. And they didn't fix it the entire night.
And even though that happened, your new Detroit Lions, like we've been talking about, Hey, man, Dan Campbell gotten right.
They came out.
They was physical, old line was moving the point right, They dominated in the trenches and they got the dub.
Man. I was excited.
I'm excited because now you get to see the NFC North. It looks a little different up there, and that's gonna be an exciting conference to watch now.
Without a doubt.
Man, I was super excited that the games were back on Kansas City versus Detroit, and like you said, usually them Thursday night games.
Man, it's hit or miss. Either gonna be greater, they gonna be just got off of the watch.
Luckily we stumbled upon a good game and Detroit Man, we all kind of heard the hype this all season. Everybody the hype trained Detroit Man, bite kneecaps. They gonna be ready, they're gonna be go out there and they're gonna roll. Hey, we got the witness man this team. This team looks good. They got a lot of exciting pieces out there. I was watching the kid from Alabama. I believe right man,
the dude's explosive, explosive, He's physical, fast. And then Montgomery as well, we were talking about it before the show. That man looked like he rejuvenized his career out there running through cats. They got the best offensive lying in the in football right now left by Swell out there. So to me, Detroit man, they look good. Kansas City, you know, my homes is gonna be my homes. I mean, they're always going to be in the game if they got fifteen under center.
But you could tell they missed Kelsey bad. They missed Kelsey.
Really bad because those guys, I mean those guys were looking like, what's my man?
From the little Giants. Oh, they couldn't catch a cold out there. Man.
It was dropping everything. They was dropping everything. But man, I was a good game to watch. I'm just excited football is back.
No go ahead question for you, do they have a top five receiver on their squad? The Lions cold Cold. Let me tell you something if if you didn't watch the Lions last year, they started off I believe, one and six and then they finished the season off on a tear and one of the huge reasons for that was was Brown.
And you saw last night.
It's one of those guys where you say, Okay, we're gonna line them up and the defensive courd and that they're gonna try to figure out how they can stop them, and no matter what happens, you ain't stopping them, right And they go into the game knowing that, especially what
he did last year. And I'm looking at this guy saying, hey, he's gonna be making the case for one of the best receivers in the league because Jared Golf was throwing it to him and he's bawling no matter who's on him and what defensive scheme they're running.
No, I agree with you completely.
And this is a guy that came into the league with a chip on his sholder, always talking about the guys that were drafted ahead ahead of him, But you saw last night Detroit is much improved that running game, and I think you were looking for Gibbs initially. When they drafted Gibbs, I'm like, oh, man, he's gonna be everything for them. But then comes in David Montgomery. He's
like the forgotten man. You forget that that Montgomery is so good, especially in the red zone, but he's that third down back and just trying to tie this into the Dallas Cowboys. I'm sitting there thinking looking at both sides, especially for Kansas City. They get that tight end goals out and I'm like, man, this offense don't look the same.
And because before they.
Were, I would say they were more of a three headed monster with Tarik Hill and Kelsey, they had more weapons, and I think they tried to go out there with a bunch of Joe's thinking that that would get it done. And they didn't have any playmakers. They didn't have any guys that can stretch the defense. They didn't have any way to the running game was done. And the leading rusher last night, Patrick was and I don't think anybody's
gonna be successful when Pat you're a leading rusher. But like I said offensively, I'm looking at that and I'm like, man, the Cowboys offense, the running back specifically.
You look at the Kansite Chiefs.
And they're what they do well, and I think they rely so heavily on the big play and they rely heavily on taking away the interior of the field with Kelsey didn't see any of that. But the Cowboys have to do that. They have to be able to run the ball, and they have to be able to stretch teams in the middle of the field with a really
unproven tight end room. So, just switching over to the Dallas Cowboys offense versus the New York Giants defense, do you agree that even when you look at that, that it's very important for teams to be able to one get the attention of your defense with the running game and also have those safety stay in place because there's a threat in the middle of the field.
Yeah, without a doubt, you got to have balance when you're when you're on the offense. And you're talking about the Dallas Cowboys, and that's what they've been good at these past couple of years. They've been able to run the football and then from running the football, they can have that play action, they can have those deep crossers in the middle. So I feel like, you know, I don't want to say they're on the same level as far as skill wise as you know, a fully healthy
Kansas City, but they're they're right there. They're right there because you got you know, Ceedee Lamb, who can be that jack of all trades guy. He can hit you with the deep but he can also hit you with that intermediate and shallow routes as well. And you got Brandon Cooks, a healthy Brandon Cooks man. He's one of the fastest guys I've ever seen on the field. He can stretch the field and that should open up so much more for not only Ceedee Lamb, but you're talking
about Ferguson as well. Hopefully Michael Gap is back in his you know, his old ways where he can he can stretch the field as well than do to some of those intermediate routes.
But overall, and if this team can stay.
Healthy, if the Dallas Cowboys can stay healthy, which right now it's kind of shaky talk every update, every update, every update is like, oh man, I don't know what's gonna happen. But if they can stay healthy, they should have one of the top offenses out there. But like they say, man if I was a fifth, there be a lot of guys out there, So we'll see what happens. Because that offensive line is still concerning for me.
I'm gonna disagree with you on one point. They are better, im more talented than Kansas City's current offense, even with Kelsey in the game. You're looking at Tony versus CD Lamb or Brandon Cooks, or you say Brandon Cooks and CD Lamb versus Tony and Kelsey. Maybe I'm hyping. I'm like, I'm putting too much up on my Tony Polar Cloude. It was a layer all right. You look at at this point, you say, Duce a Cloude. It was a
layered I'm an uls. You got like, once we see him get out there and play, you got to say, okay, which one of these guys are gonna play better? And the flashes that we've seen from Deuce look better than what we've seen from Clyde.
It was a lair already. You know, he telling the truth.
I mean, I'm just saying I think I think when you look at the talent that we have offensively Okay, we haven't really seen a Schoolmaker be able to do much yet because of his injury. But he was drafting the second round for a reason, all right, so I imagine that he's going to be utilized.
You look Hindershot.
First, we have some guys that in the tight end room who who can put up some numbers. All right, They're not Travis Kelsey, but they're going to be effective in the passing game. And then you got Brandon Cooks, you got Ceedee Lamb, and you got Tony Pollard. From what we have seen of Tony Pollard, one of the most explosive backs in the league. So when you look at our skill across the board outside offensive line, you look at our skill positions, I think we match up
with just about any team in the league on paper. Now, I love everything you're saying right here, But there's another part of this. Because Wink Martindale, you know, is going to come after this offense. You already have your questions on the offensive line. Those have been stated. But yesterday you said something about personnel, and you broke it down just so that the average if you don't know what twelve personnel means, but this is what could potentially protect
this offensive line. But if you do that and you're keeping guys home, will that take away being able to exploit the middle of the field in some of these matchups.
I don't think so, because I think if you are going to specialize and run a twelve personnel, the creativity and the way that you line up is going to be, like, you have to be super creative with it, right, So you may see a tight end lined up at one with a receiver lined up at two, and they're forcing linebackers if you recover one to go out out of the box the box, so you have to be really creative.
Like I said, go back and look at when Aaron Hernandez and Gronk were playing with New England, right, and how creative they were where they forced you to stay in your base in your base defense to where hey, if one of your linebackers is a pass rusher, well he in base four to three.
You can't even get.
To those same looks as you can get to if it was a nickel package that you were putting into the game. So if we are going to specialize a twelve to help that out, then Big Mike, who's been in the lab is gonna have to get really creative with his with his personnels and how he lines guys up, which I think he can do. You got three tight ends, who you say, all right now, they should be able to play.
I just, man, I just don't know we're gonna specialize in that twelve.
I can't see it happening. I just can't see it happening. With all the skill position that we have out there. I could see them specializing in eleven. I mean, I just even if you go back to his Green Bay teams when he was back there with you know, Aaron Rodgers and autumn, they had eleven personnel.
They had some dogs at tight end.
You look at Jermaine not your mame, Jermichael Finley, he was out there killing the games, and they had some weapons. And I feel like this this Dallas Cowboys offense is kind of similar to that as far as the weapons on the perimeter.
So I can't see them specializes in twelve.
I can see them basically making their base package that eleven personnel, which if you got to know health.
The offici of line, that's no problem at all. Let's get it. And that's the point. Specialize in the twelve if.
Up. No, I don't think you go into the season saying, okay, we're specializing a twelve person Yes, but if you got to find a way to make sure the defense isn't able to come at you from all different ways because you lined up in eleven and now they can put any personnel they want to out there because they're not really worried about the run. Then you have then you got to do that, But no eleven personnel because you got you're paying gallup enough. You're not gonna have you know,
on the bench like that. Now you got, I mean you got really created right there, twelve personnel splitting out your tight end, moving the linebacker out there, but switching over to the giant side of the ball a Shawn Robinson, Danster, Lawrence come on now, I mean Leonard Williams, hey Wan Tibodeau. That these matchups up front, I mean, before we get to what's going on on the outside, these matchups up front have got to be a big worry, uh for you, especially with that Ford I just named.
Yeah, I mean you you talk about just imagine how when we.
Go up to Washington or Washington comes down here and they got those two bad boys in the middle. How much trouble they've given a fully healthy Cowboys offensive line.
Now you're talking about that same thing in New York.
Because I feel like Leonard Williams and Dexter Dexter Lawrence, they might not be as good as Allen in pain, but they're right there, one A, one B. They can give this offense trouble because we understand as a quarterback, what you know troubles the most, and that's pressure coming right out in your face.
You know.
I feel like Dak if you've got guys coming from the outside, tipoea those guys, I feel like he's smart enough and he's beending around this league enough that he can step up in the pocket.
He can make those shows. He's proven that he's been able to do that.
But when you get that upfront pressure like that, it kind of just clouds everything. And those two guys up front, they can create that that interior rush and it can stop the run. So to me, that that's gonna be a Marque matchup. I understand, we've got guys on the perimeter, Waller, you got Barkley in the backfield. You gotta content, But that right there, if they don't handle that part in the middle. It's gonna be a long afternoon for the Cowboys, do.
You think, because I think this will also be a key to success for us throughout the season. It's that more mobile this this season. Can Mike McCarthy call plays to get him on the move and him feel comfortable enough to be the deck that we've seen of old before you had the leg injury, because don't forget how much Dak Prescott ran the ball his first two to three years in the league like he was on the move,
and that's what made him so dynamic. Right third down, you get into the thirty five, all of a sudden, they playing man, the man covers, he can find a gap and get up and get get that five yards and demoralize your defense with getting that by getting that first. Now, but lately we haven't seen him be willing to do that, right, You've seen him be in the pocket and that pressure
comes up and then that's a sack. It's even more comfortable now was it two years of move off of that injury to where we see some of the old flashes of Dak being able to say, you know what, I am more mobile than I have been in the last two years, and let me go out here and show that I do have that that part of my game as well.
I would love for that happen.
Us be able to run some boot legs, misdirection, get him on the perimeter because he has that athletic ability to be able.
To pinpoint passes on the run. We've seen it in the past.
But to be honest with y'all, I don't think he wants to be that guy anymore. And just from what I've seen these last couple of years, I think he wants to be that guy.
Or word.
Look, I could do this with my.
Arm and I you know, I would love to see him run just like you and you I would love to see this guy incorporate his legs back into his game.
But I'm not so sure he wants to be that guy anymore. I don't know who.
Soo who still does that. I mean, even Aaron Rodgers gets out on the edge. We see him from leading Russell, you know. So it's a part of the game. You have to got to be able to get out on the edge and be mobile to make those players. We don't have those statues in the league anymore. The Tom Brady's not in the league, pay Man and not in the league. Most of the quarterbacks that are playing now have the ability to get out on the edge and
then extend plays with their legs. You go Trevor Lawrence, you go Dak Prescott when he first got in the league. You got Russell Wilson. All these guys who we've seen be successful are successful because they also have that dynamic, dynamic ability to run as well. It's two types of quarterback. Guys that run out of necessity and the guys that that's just that's built in their game, like the Lamars, the.
Jalen Hurts, that's a part of the game.
I mean, if you take that away from him, you almost change who he is as a quarterback. But that just the willingness coming back from that injury. I think it just he he just had hadn't been there, he hadn't been willing to do it. And I think this year he's in a position, especially when we talk about all the stuff that's around him, he's in.
A position this year where he's he has to if that.
Lane is there, like you talking about getting him out on the next boot, and he can run for that first down. He absolutely has to. It can't be a situation where I can just try and make this pass up. No, get what you can get, get down and let's live to fight another day. That's gonna be. That's what is going to be important. But going back to something you were talking about about this offensive line, to me, the keys to success is them firing off the ball and
getting this running game going. I think you saw it last night with Detroit. They just got a similess of the running, running game going and it kept them on time. That to me, is going to dictate what this what this game imminently is going to be. Can the Cowboys run the ball with Tony Poler?
Because if you're able to do that, let's just say the Cowboys are able to win the trenches and they're able to you know, run the football, well, I mean that sets up so many other things.
It sets up manageable second downs.
Third you're looking at you know, second and five or third, third and two, you're looking at that, and more importantly, you're looking.
At the time and possession.
You're able to control the game out there, and not only does that help offensively calm things down, but defensively it gives the big Bazooka.
You know, the Marcus Lawrence.
All those guys time the rest and be on the sideline so when they do hit the field, they're fresh and they're ready to get after Danny Dimes. I mean, it's so demralizing as as a defender when you go out there, three and out.
Cool, we made them punt offense.
Hets the ball three straight passes, three and out were right back out there.
I mean, you're fatigued.
It's one of the most demoralizing things you can that can happen to you as a defender. So to me, it's up the upmost importance that the Cowboys go out there, establish the dominance and the trenches and win that time of possession.
YEA, be a little bit more directly when to say stay ahead of the chains there you go, all right, because one, if we're not healthy, which I'm playing that okay. One of the most demoralized things you can see for a team like US is.
Pre snap penalties.
All right, all of a sudden first and ten turns in the first and fifteen, or you get a holy call on first down and now you got first and twenty, right, and I think that sets you back to where it forces you to then be one dimensional.
All right.
So along with man in the trenches and making sure that that we control them and we're able to run the ball, we also need to make sure that we stay ahead of the chains. Anything we can do to stay out a third loan, it's positive. Anything we can do to get second and seven, unless it's positive for us. When you get to second to ten, that's when you're like, okay,
well we got two straight passes. So I think staying ahead of the change for us is going to be man, it's going to be essential for us to make sure that we're able to, like I said, control the run game and then allow our defense to get out there and make some noise.
And the real quick when you're all so doing that, as far as getting second and sevens and second and fives and all that good stuff, you can bring guys like Deuce in the game because if you if you're second and ten, you know, dudes ain't gonna be in there past protecting. So defense is gonna kill on it. He's doing something, he's getting out, We're gonna kill on this guy. But when you get into that, you know second and four, five, you know intends rupted like it could be a run.
You know, it could be something like that.
It just it just doesn't make your offense as predictable as a second in ten.
Speaking of the du man I had, it was one of the moments where I see you saw the running the linebacker came in and ran straight through the rund back. Bro I was like, I was like, oh no, I'm imagining it us right. And I'm because I don't even know how good Lofty is at past black. I don't even know. I just assume the rest he made the team he betta be. I'm assuming there's better, So I
don't want to see you. You said get behind the change deuces out there, and they're like, because that is what that's what defensive coordinators are gonna do, especially who's in the game. First of all, Tony Paula's gonna get tried anyway, just based off of what what happened last year.
Where you say Zeke's coming in the game and his specialty.
Is being able to block a third down because you assume that Tony Paula can't do it as well, so he's gonna get tried anyway. So that means all of our running backs are gonna get tried. So yeah, that's yeah, that's so, that's some we gotta worry about. Give me, give me one matchup that you're looking at, Cowboys, oh versus Giants D matchup you're looking at.
Man.
I mean it's pretty clear for me because I'm always on the old line, our old line versus their D line, And I'm talking about it in the run the game, not the pass again. Can we make sure we go in there and set the tone and get our offensive
line started? Older guys Tyrone Smith and we have all our guys healthy, or especially if you got the younger guys in there, are you going to give them a minute to get their feet wet going there and impose they will on some people and build their confidence so when it's time to pass, then they're ready to do it, Versus putting them out there on the island from the beginning of the game, you know, and just holding your breath wondering what the heck is going don't want that, Chazz,
see who you're gonna be looking at it on the two hundred inch.
Yeah, checking them out.
But I understand I think they're gonna they're gonna key on cd Lamb, you know, and rightfully so that Do is a baller, so I feel like they're going double team him.
The matchup I'm looking forward is.
Man Cooks, Brandon Cooks, and Michael Gallup versus that young secondary, because it is pretty young over there for New York. You got a rookie start at the cornerback position. I think he was their first round pick out there. They got some young pieces in on your interior as well, So I'm looking forward to those two receivers eating off of this young secondary, especially if all the tension is gonna go to ceede Lamb. My my matchup is Jake Ferguson.
Jake Ferguson, I think with all the things that y'all just said, I think New York is gonna come in trying to take those things away. They know if they don't, if they can't stop the run, it's gonna be a long night for them in that defense because you know ing martinll is gonna be bringing that blitz, and how do you handle the bit blitch You run right at it.
So that's got to happen immediately in Mike McCarthy's head. On the other side, if they don't double team Ceedee Lamb. Damn Trump.
He gotta go, he gotta go.
And if they double team Ceedee Lamb, then Brandon Cooks gonna eat. He got all right, But Jake Ferguson is going to have one on one matchups with with that defense and those linebackers, and to me, the guys that they have over there, Michael mcfatten or even if you put Javier Xavier McKinley on him, you're gonna have a problem. If Ferguson starting to tight end for you this whole season, do you think he holds that spot? I think I thought he was your started last season. I thought I
thought he pretty much prove second rounder. Yeah, I believe he proved that, and I think he's been proving that all summer and spring that he showed you that he's the number one guy. They took him. I don't know why they took him. You know why they took him. But either way, you got an extra tight end and we go see Jake Ferguson prove itself to Jake. Shout out to Jake, Jake. I know school he's gonna be blocking. I know that that's what they got him. He say
we're gonna run the ball. We need to go hold hold ship all that you know. And for Dak Prescott, you know we talk about Dak and running and he knows what's to stake, trying to get extended. So Dak is trying to get the bag. But we know a guy that did get the bag yesterday and were gonna talk about him. Will we come back next on the players lounge?
I think we out. Yeah, I think we don't break. Okay.
I'm Dak Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and they snapped.
The fresh guy who looks right, it's not there.
He escaped slaft.
He'll k for a firstyn.
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uh we said knew he is own assignment. Did you guys get the chance to get a chance to see new Ye on Champ five yesterday with Tad Yeah, he showed me the whole thing on the It was awesome, man, just a just interview with Tad Prescott, Dak Prescott's older brother, just basically talking about just all the things they've gone to gone through. It's hard not to pull for this dude when you know his story. Well, you know everything that he's gone through and just that old family from
his brother, the suicide and mother to cancer. It's a lot, man. It's an inspirational story. And I thought knew he did a good job yesterday talking about it.
Man.
So did he ask him about why he'd been going back and forth with all of the Uh, he's the one that goes back and forth with all the commediation.
He kind of told you that too.
He was talking about how you know, he he made it now to where, you know, if it's just talking about football, you know, I kind of let it roll off.
My shoulder, like I'm all right with that.
But when they start talking about him as a man, he said, that's when it starts bothering when they when these guys start talking about back is a man. Because I and I agree, because man, that dude, you know, the one year I played with him, he's an amazing leader. Man, an amazing man overall, So that dude, man much respect up for that.
Yeah, man, I mean as a family member. Man, you're one of your cousins.
Somebody say something about you on Twitter, they gonna cut you know, they gonna clap back. Man.
It's just we have too much access. Like it's easy.
He's looking for it, you know, I'm telling you, yeah, and we're looking for say something, brother, say.
Exactly. But man, talking about the bag.
Talking about the bag, your your LSU Tiger and Andre he he cashed in. You talk about breaking the brink truck. He bought his own brink truck to Cincinnati. What are you guys as former players that are signed contracts thought about that two hundred well, let me say five years, two hundred and seventy five million dollars two hundred and nineteen million guaranteed Maign the paper. The first thing I thought was, oohie, Joey b you got everything that you deserve.
Probably deserve more because what nobody think about Cincinnati before Joe Burrow got there, and even his first.
Year would have got heart. He's like, man, I don't know them.
Man, they're gonna ruin this man career and all he did was turned the Cincinnati Bagles into the value of that team. It's going way up the owner with me without without with me, without me with me, And it just and it just made me think about how much money LSU Tigers are about to get over the next three years because you got Justin and you got Jamar
Chase coming up. You're looking at almost what five hundred million about to be paid to these three guys all on the same squad, same national championship team, quarterback in two receivers.
Easy, that's a great man, that's crash. I even thought about that.
That's not that's half a billy fit against signing the league off.
L off l SU. This off l SU.
So shout out to Joe B Man he got I'm glad he got it because also with a story of he was at Ohio State totally wasn't good enough, went down to LSU and this first year LSU, I was like, oh, here we go, here we go. And that very next year is when they go out there and they have a remarkable season, probably named as the best college football team ever to win the National championship and be out
there and they went out there and did that. Then he goes, he gets hurt out for the year, comes back and here we go Super Bowl, NC Championship and then now he's getting paid.
So shout out to him. And the road has been tough for him, but it definitely paid off.
Yeah you, hey, BC, you done had a bag. But what about that bad that bagge?
That bag is somehow I've never seen in out life. I mean, that is remarkable. Man.
You two hundred and nineteen million garb on teams like that's that's.
Generational, man, That's what we said. I said, that's generation crazy. He's almost touching NBA numbers with that. I mean, that's ridiculous.
But like McCrae saim, and it's much deserved because you what, man, even though you know I talk a lot of junk on between him and Herbert, I still feel like Herbert is that guy. But but but but he showed me last year that the difference between Herbert and Burrow is that in clutch moments, Burrow has has that extra he has that swag whatever you want to call it, that moxie, whatever it is, he's gonna will his team to get that victory. I haven't seen that yet from Herbert. So
that's the difference between them two. But much deserve for Borough. Man A dude, Man, you're talking about coming back from ACL and just leading your team at AFC Championship, Super Bowl ASC Championship. I mean it's remarkable. Man, nineteen million, there's a lot of Patrick mahomes. I'm clearing my throat every time I get around.
What was he a twelve year deal or something something? What does he think he was?
In the Tom Brady mindset of if I take less or make it more friendly, then we can also keep all these weapons.
They didn't keep heal did he ain't got no work? Kelsey. I guess, hey, we got a problem.
And I'm telling you, man, that's a crazy I mean market setting. Everybody right now is telling their child, look, you need to play quarterback.
I don't care, it's your door saying that everybody that's coming in the league.
Don't play running back. Don't play running back, play court, pick up a ball, throw the ball, because two hundred nineteen million dollars is reridiculous.
Guys, who's after him? Trevor Lawrence and who Herbert got the got the second? No, No, who's at Trevor Lawn.
Trevor Lawrence, because I mean what he did in Jacksonville last year, first.
Year, it ain't two hundred and nineteen. No, no, not yet.
He's not up yet. That was the second year. Peters in there now and all the hype around Jacksonville. Right, they go out there and they make some moves. They got Calvin Ridley this year, all right, they got ETN and some college. So I'm saying, if he somehow starts to make then you say, all right, well, now you gotta look at two in the nineteen plus A me right,
that's crazy because ain't nobody Jaxon. You're not gonna get another talent like like Trevor Lawrence if he pans out to be where we think he's gonna be.
Ain't that?
So you have that those contracts, and then you look on our side for Micah who is looking down what Bosa did. Bolsa won one hundred and seventy five. These guys that are being able to impact games the way that Micah Bosa's guys like that, they are looking for that quarterback bag too. And so if you're the Dallas Cowboys and you're looking at all the guys that you have to sign.
Oh.
And by the way, you gotta fit Micah into this because he's gonna take I'm not saying he do it two nineteen guaranteed.
No, I'm not saying that.
What I'm saying is he's gonna get a mighty halfty sack when he walk out of that office.
Bosa numbers gotta be right at there or above above that.
And then you I thought you was about to mention CD because Justin Jefferson still waiting out there.
All right, you wait for.
Justin Jefferson, he get paid and then cde lambod I have fifteen hundred yards this season. You think he's gonna be like, nah, just better than me? So nah that somebody go miss the seat. Everybody, everybody's not going to get a seat.
Man.
But switching it over to this defense man, Dan Quinn is about to install the latest version of the Dallas Cowboys defense. And I think we're all excited to see if we hadn't getting hadn't had an opportunity to see any of the starters.
But when you look at this Dallas.
Cowboys defense going up against Daniel Jones, Danny din.
Against Danny Dies.
We look at this matchup on NBC on Sunday Night, Man, what do you think for this defense is going to be the key to them shutting this offense down and pulling out a victory on Sunday? Keep in the pocket. I mean, his best weapon is his legs. Being able to get out there and run and forcing defensive lineman to stay in lanes and not get creative with their pass rush is something that he uses to his advantage. All Right, you see Daniel Jones most of the time
he's making big time runs forty fifty yards. You're like, man, I ain't know he was that fast. So as a defensive lineman on defense, you got to make sure that you're not spying this guy that you in your lane, so he can't sting those players on third and long.
You fight to get him in third and twelve.
And then you play man and man because you got the Trayvont Diggs and Stefan Gilmore out there, and all of a sudden, everybody has their back turn and here he comes running through the lane for a first down demoralize them. So to me, that's that's your main thing when it comes to him. And then oh yeah, say one, Barkley gotta shut in this up. So it comes down to stopping the run of those two guys.
You ain't lying, I mean you one hundred percent correct. You gotta keep him in the pocket. We all understand when when New York's at their best, they're playing their best football. That's when Barkley's rolling in some form of fashion, whether getting catches out the backfiel or running.
The ball, and then Daniel Jones is on the move.
I mean, that's that's when they're at their absolute peak, their absolute best.
So what the Cowboys got to do.
Not only do they have to get after them, but they got to be smart about it, and they got to play, you know, responsible football.
They can't be hero ball out there where I gotta get this sacked. I gotta get this sack.
So I'm a rush by the the officer tackle, opening up a huge lane for Daniel Jones to run through. You gotta be smart about it and trust your teammates to make the play as well, even though the guy may be on the other side of the field. Don't think oha'ma take this short cut over here to get there and lose your responsibility and lose your.
Edge, because guys in his league are good.
They'll see that like, oh okay, he wants to bite on something, the very next player gonna hit you with a play action and roll Daniel Jones out. So you gotta be responsible with your keys out there and make sure you're trusting your fellow teammates. But Dany's one hundred percent correct. They got to keep this man in the pocket because I I he's gonna be the most improved, but he's not gonna be a pocket back. He ain't gonna be able to beat you with his arm. It's
got to be his legs as a combination. So they gotta keep him in the pocket.
When you guys, look at this wide receiver group, not guys to jump off the page at you at all, Isaiah Hodgens, Darius Slayton, Paris Campbell, Sterling Shepherd's back health, the Jalen Hyatt as two former safeties. When you look at those guys and just their production that they've had in the league, is there anything about that group that makes you say, you know, if.
They can beat us?
I mean, obviously anybody can beat you, but what is your respect level for that wide receiver grou You know, Sterland Shepherd, Like when they're healthy. I believe Sterland Shepherd is a serviceable wide receiver, like he could make some plays on you. Go out there and get caught slipping, He'll make some plays on you. I believe that. Young guys, I'm not sure. I just know for us, the expectation is high for our defensive facts. No matter who is
on the other side of the ball. We should be able to feel like we can man them up no matter what. So I respect them, but I have so much confidence and step On Gilmore, Dryn Bland, Jordan Luke, all of our defensive backs that we playing on trotten out there. I have so much respect for him and so much expect The expectation is so high that.
I'm not really worried about them.
Man them up and they put all the extra resources that you can to stopping Daniel Jones and stopping Saquon Barkley, and I think you should be able to do that.
You just avon on hunt for Player of the Year.
So yeah, I mean, I'm okay, that's not a worry of mine. You gotta be able to do that.
And if I'm a safety in this game, this is the type of games I love because you understand what you got on the outside. You got this, you got Gilmore. I ain't worried about that. I don't got to be over top of them. You know, we may run a little bit of something here and there, but I ain't gonna be over top of those guys. I'm letting them guys know before the game, a man, look, you're making the bag. You're a defensive player of the year. Y'all can handle that. These are the games I love. We
could play one Robber. Back in the day, we used to play one Robbers where you know one of the safeties is just coming down. We used to call it air reading, where you're just looking to make a play reading a quarterback. And I think Daniel Jones, even though he's getting better and better, I still don't think he's at that level to where he's gonna look people off and you know, make these no little he's not there yet.
He's just not there.
So when you're coming down to that robber position, and you know they're gonna work the middle of the field, they're not testing those corners. They got Waller and Barkley and they gonna try to work that intermedia. This is the games you love. You like, man, I gotta be
able to dive on something big hits. You can get some interceptions off of this, but it's all predicated on if you can keep that man in the pocket, because if he's running around, I don't care what defense you got, and the guys can't cover forever, so you got to keep them in there.
But these are type of games.
Is a safety you would love to Sterling ship what's the other guy's name that's been there? Slaton, Slate hits you, he can hit you with the Deaulo. You gotta respect them. But like I said, when you're looking at Slaton versus Gilmore, you're picking Gilmore. When you're looking at Trayvond's versus h Sterling, you're looking at it. So I mean, yeah, Trayvon Diggs, like, that's what you're picking. So that's why I'm not worried.
But yeah, listen, all resources go to say. The only way that the New York Giants were able to be successful as they were last year is because the resurgence of Saquon Barkley. So number one, number one goal right here, stop to stop that guy, build the wall. Yeah, stop stop the run is my key. First of all because I feel like that's pretty much all they have. We talk about these safeties and you talk about the one robber.
I think that also is going to be something beneficial, especially when you have three guys at the safety position that can do it, and you have that back up with guys like you know Donald, who who's I feel like it is that guy that really can lurk and be that he could be that dude that you're talking about in the system. But also Jeron Kurks. Jeron Kurks has a great match up him and Waller. Really a lot is gonna be on him because as an RPO offense, which they run in New York as well with Saquon,
He's gonna be the key to stopping that run. Also because you know that Dani Jones gonna be keying on him, whether it be Saquon in the run or try and catch him over the top with Waller. But I think in that split when we were talking about the Cowboys're saying split out Ferguson, I think that's what they gonna do with Waller.
I think they're gonna split him out.
He gonna be he gonna be in trouble, yeah, because we got two guys out there who I know dan Quinn is not gonna let that mismatch just be the thing that they use all games. If it becomes an issue, you see Trayvon or you'll see stuff on Diggs in there, and maybe add another corner out there as well to replace them now and for for me, like even on the other side, you know, Wing Martin, that's gonna bring
the blitz dan Quinn. It doesn't do a whole lot of blitzing at all, but I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you this is a game that for me, Michael Parsons canna get in and put it, get his numbers up. You know, he could put that pressure off on the edge they can't handle him.
Let me ask you this question.
I know we talked about this a little earlier in the week, but now that we're getting closer to the game, we know kind of what the game plan is going to be as far as New York attacking us with the run, because that three safety defense concern you at all? What stopping Saquon Barkley Like, they're gonna don't concern what they're running at that down safety all the time?
No, No, not me just because of the type of safeties that they are, right, I think dan Quinn's gonna put put the right guy down there.
Right.
They might disguise a little bit, but then also what you have at linebacker is not better than what you have at the safety that's gonna be coming down. So so I mean I'm confident and dan Quinn, no matter what he does.
Spoken like a spoken like a true defensive guy.
We're gonna take our last break and come back, man for a quick two minutes to just outline on how these guys get ready for uh this great weekend of football, and I'm hoping it's with some tostitos.
Right.
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I'm Duk Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and they snapped the fresh down.
Who looks right, It's not there.
Pe escapes left.
He'll look for a first down.
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A fanatics experience Here.
For the last segment of the players Lounges before we get down with some cowboy football. It's all right, the preseason with all the conjectures over with. But guys, tomorrow they got some college football. I know y'all tuning in for dis mys c CV.
I know y'all.
Go ahead, y'all to see how they follow that up. I don't want to sound like I've roomed against them. I just I just they got to be backing up some real talk deal. They gotta put it out there, gonna they didn't put it out there, all right, So I got it. I'm watching to see if they can back that up again. Ain't gonna throw it forty five times. They're gonna be running that thing.
That's all right, We're gonna see.
No, it's gonna be a whole nother game. What games are you guys looking for Saturday and so? The college game and pro Listen. I need one L s U. I don't care who were playing, Okay, we need to have a bounce that game to show that we are progressing forward and building some coin.
Hurts.
It hurt.
The second half hurt me. I like what we did in the first half. You know, they came out, they beat us, but they beat us last year. I think I think we learned something. I think we're gonna be okay. So I'm gonna watch L.
S U. And I'm gonna watch them for sure. Yeah, watching that.
Man, that Texas Alabama Texas Alabama game. I thought Texas had them last season. They had them and uh quinn Ewles goes out with the shoulder injury. I think it's gonna be a good I think it's gonna be a good game. And I think Texas is a lot better than people giving them credit for.
I'm just telling yours.
As the top guy, and I'm telling you I've seen yours since high school. Man, this kid Cannon, so you are you taking you sounds like you're taking textans. I'm taking texts. I'm not going against Nick. I'm not going again. They had him last year.
Last year.
It's a whole new it's a whole new squad. Quarterback by to me scrambling like crazy this week. I'm not even like like one of those crazy Texas fans. I'm just telling you they're a lot better. They got some talent over there on both sides of all. They have Alabama exactly I'm taking and Tuscal. All right, So what we got to get to before we get out of here is they're doing pot picks for who's going to score the first touchdown for the Dallas Cowboys and Sunday's game.
So tell me if you just had a guess on.
TP tpl ferguson ruston touchdown, Tony Pola.
Actually, I'm not even gonna go to Tony Popla.
I don't gonna get that little hook over the middle fire on the fact.
I'm going Dak. I'm going Dak. Russian, Yeah, Russian, Okay.
Yeah, he's gonna do the uh al Hurts impresonation from the one yard line and run would be started.
Crazy.
That's been diving. Yeah, the helicopter for sure. And then we also have our pick'ems. And the two games that we are picking I believe is Miami Dolphins versus the Los Angeles Chargers more Baby, and the Pittsburgh Steelers versus.
The forty forty nine Ers. So I'm starting with you who you got uh?
For the Chargers game, I'm gonna with the Charger. I'm going with the Chargers. I do think they're gonna be out there. They're gonna put up some numbers. Shout out to Justin Man. Let's go back. And then for the forty nine Ers game, I'm going with my man Tomlin.
I'm going with the Stealers.
I think they're gonna come out and they are going to beat San fran Bosa. He might make some noise, but I believe in Mike Tomlin. His defense is gonna go out there and they're gonna put the work on party.
Y'all want the scores on these two y'all want the scores? Yeah? Yeah.
The first one is thirty thirty one, twenty four and the second one will be seventeen.
Fourteen, seventeen fourteen, low scoring game. All right, who you got? Oh? You know who?
I got that first game? Charges you know already, Herbert Kellen Moore. I mean, it's just gonna be the start of something special, start of something special. I'm going Chargers twenty eight Miami twenty one, and then when we get to the next game, I'm.
Gonna go ahead.
I'm gonna go with you on this one. I think Pittsburgh's gonna win because if you look at it with San Francisco, Party missed the majority of camp, you know, so he's he might be a little rusty. And then Bosa, who just got the bad but he missed the majority of camp as well. So those two guys, your best two players missing a lot of camp. I'm not too sure about that. Plus Tomlins a heck of a coach, so I'm going Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh seventeen, San Francisco fourteen, Oka.
Are you still my score? You said that?
No, yeah, exactly twenty to seventeen twenty, right down the line on that one seventeen. I'm gonna go with the Chargers Miami. I'm going with three or five. I'm going through five. I think Tarik Hill. Yeah, I'm going yeah, going with three or five. I think the defense. I think the defense is a lot better. They don't give him credit, Jaylor rams No, no, Ramsey, but I think my man in fifth ward is a he good too. So I'm going with that.
And in the so score on that one, man, I think it's gonna be high scoring game. So I'm going into thirty. So I was go through thirty twenty four, thirty twenty, thirty twenty four.
And the forty nine ers Steelers game. Going with the Niners. The Niners defense against the Steelers, Man, yeah, I'm going with it. They don't say defense coordinated.
But they got another coordinator, guy from from the same Yeah it's not, but he's still a good.
Come on. Now, I'll go with the forty nine Ers.
I think the defense gonna be too much for the stealers, and it's low scoring game too. I'm not gonna go seventeen ten. I'm gonna go. You went twenty seventeen seventeen. I want seventeen four. He did for I said seventeen fourteen. Jeez, that's what I'm saying. It's gonna be eight. You can do seventeen ten, seventeen ten. I'm gonna go seventeen ten.
Thanks for picking that in the last one. In the last one, I know we already got our picks, but you were picking the Cowboys Cowboys and you were picking d.
Cowboys Cowboys. Yeah, I'm gonna go Cowboys.
Cowboys score. I forgot the score. Let me see turn good crazy. You know what thirty one seventeen, thirty one, seventeen Absolutely what the way I see Cooks and Ceedee Lamb getting out there and making some noise in their first game together. I think I think they're gonna go out there, They're gonna make a statement. I think Dak's gonna go outd and protect the ball and he's gonna light them up. I got the Cowboys, got the Cowboys
with score. I'm going twenty four to seventeen twenty four seventeen. Okay, I'm going I'm going twenty. I'm going twenty seven to twenty twenty seven, twenty Cowboys take the the NFC opponent, the New York Giants. We take the first win in the NFC East, and man, it's our year.
Man, sorry, I knew he couldn't.
Be here for it, but I had y'all here, and y'all ball plenty of drama on the players lounge. Man, we're gonna have a good weekend. It's gonna be a great weekend a football band. But I know what my team is gonna do, and y'all know what I'm about to do, So y'all might want to take these headphones out because I'm gonna do it like.
I do it. Cowboy, N up your team, let's go.
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