Cowboys vs Giants Preview

0:00Hello and welcome to the Love the Star podcast week one. We are here, ladies and gentlemen. What a blessing. It is Friday, September 11th now Just two days away from Sunday night football and your 2026 debut for the Dallas Cowboys in New York Taken on the Giants with the Super Bowl champion Brian Broadess. I'm Eric Chiafala. We are presented by the on-time experts And we have finally made it how sweet it is. Broadess great to see you man. How you doing? Doing well. Thank you. Yeah, we got a little little appetizer the first couple of nights You know the way the game. I don't think the game particularly played very well. Great job by the 49ers Getting that thing done Over over the Rams and then unfortunately for the Patriots You find a way to turn the ball over while the Seattle quarterback starting quarterback Super Bowl winner sitting on the bench So Couple of teams got to be super happy about the way things turned out a couple teams have to kind of look at themselves and say You know, where did we go wrong in the summertime? And that's the thing that's so

1:03Uh, you know, how you get off to the start. How do you you know? Are you the team that's you know Win in that opening day Everything that you did up to that point all the planning all the meetings all the walkthroughs all the extra Hey, we're gonna condition a little extra today When you win boy all those things get reaffirmed when you lose it turns into wow You didn't allow enough days for travel and oh, why is your quarterback throwing the ball late in the game when you have an opportunity to To kick a field goal there and maybe make it over time. I understand. Oh, it's just it's it's almost like You're going to a hundred miles an hour than you hit the wall when you lose and now you have to regroup and you know We've seen some teams. It's very important very important to get off to a good start and you know We've seen this one before we've seen the Cowboys and the Giants NBC seems to this is like this is old hat for them You know putting this game on a Sunday night picking up the markets that the way they do

2:06Dallas with a very very quiet off season When it comes to drama the Giants making all these changes so uh You're right. We're here and then let the games begin Yeah, man, I'm fired up. This is fantastic. I love it And we do have a little bit of news here. I know we're gonna that we're gonna break down We're gonna look at the Cowboys offense versus this Giants defense and then we'll flip it and then we'll uh We'll hit some mailbag questions But speaking of the Cowboys offense as we get things kicked off here Congratulations to Breven Span Ford tied in to Getting a little Contract extension bump there three years 18 million just over 12 million guaranteed This was an undrafted guy and he was going to be set for a restricted free agent tender in the off season Now he's under contract through 2029 just like Jake Ferguson is I love the deal. I think this is a value deal When it comes to the Cowboys kind of getting ahead of this a little bit before what I think is going to be the best season of Breven Span

3:08Ford's career to date We know he's a dynamite blocker. I do think he's shown things throughout training camp To lead me to believe that he's developed as a Rout runner and a pass catcher such a big body you would think in the red zone He would be a guy that they would be able to go to a little bit more especially for an offense that struggled in that area a little bit But I saw enough in Oxnard even a little bit here with the Frisco stuff and training camp to think okay Even as a pass catcher. I think he's gonna be much more of a threat and with the league going to more two and three tight-end sets You can't have enough of these guys I love the move with with span four. I think he's in for kind of a breakout season And then the guy who did already have his breakout season what a value this is for the Cowboys One year six million for Ryan Flanoi. What do you think about these deals brought us? Yeah, the Cowboys told us when they When they made the deals where they flipped some of these contracts and you know flip the switch on With you know with Blance contract and Clark's contract and you know and going forward they created that cap space

4:16Everybody was kind of thinking like oh wait a minute Maybe there's something bigger on the horizon. Maybe there's something. Oh, they're trying to line up for a trade Oh, there you know, there's a lot of speculation that you just don't flip this This space and not do anything with it and you know talking to people in the organization about it They were very adamant that they wanted fluidity they wanted to be the ability to be able to create opportunities If those opportunities arose it wasn't just about a max crossbeer sweat or Brooks or something like that it was like okay. Let's try and kind of take care of some deals Along the way the span four deal. I think is there's a very very nice one for them span four is developed as a tie it in He was a guy that really struggled initially coming at him in a soda with catching the football He just did not let comfortable catch in the ball Hand placement was poor You know, he's not going to separate in a lot of these routes. I mean he's a big guy It takes him a little time to get going. He's gotten better with his route running

5:16But there's going to be a lot of these contested plays and he's done a much better Being able to handle Contested catches and then come down with the football so good deal for him And then you get ahead of it on with Ryan Flanoi, you know, you try and you know give him a you know You bump him up you make him feel a little bit better about His situation kind of dangles the carrot to in front of him to all right here's here's this deal Let's try for the next deal. Let's keep working on this thing and you know It gives the players some incentive to go out there and and perform at a very high level He will be a big part of what they do Teams are going to be very interested in how to stop pickings. They're going to be interested in how to stop lamb I don't know if teams can maybe stop all three We saw a team The other day and with the 49ers that did a great job against the Rams Maybe there's some teams out there that know that that have that kind of ability to completely shut you down that way

6:17But overall just a good job of the Cowboys using that fluidity that flexibility To to ink A couple of guys that are going to be a big part of what they're going to do in 2026 Yeah, yeah, I love the moves and congrats to the Cowboys on that I mean one year six million that's the extension for flanoi who I think is I mean hopefully about to pop even more than what he did last year So great moves all around for sure and making sure that he's going to be here for a little bit Not knowing what's going to happen in the future with pickings now. Let's get to the nitty gritty baby We got a game breakdown to get to I know you're fired up about this Cowboys offense versus giants Defense with denard Wilson now your defense of coordinator in New York with a lot of new faces on that defense Yeah, a lot of new faces and when you're dealing with the new coach and staff it's very very reminiscent of what um The advantage that Dallas had last year going into the Philadelphia game you know with thick vangio in that group we're having to

7:18They were having to kind of figure out what film did they need to watch but they watched they were probably watching Arizona film For Clayton Adams they were probably watching Seattle film they were you're you're watching all kinds of film In order to try and get an idea and so now what you have to do with denard Wilson is They're the Cowboys are in the same boat They're they're now the ones that are having to hunt the film they're having to hunt The Tennessee film and the places that he's been and you know and look at that coaching staff and kind of figure out Okay, where some of these influences going to To fall so you know, you're going to you're going to get a situation. I think where uh and and John owning and I were talking about this on On here on crown global media on crown plus that you know how how does how does denard Wilson? How does he shape up when you start to talk about these these uh And how is he going to play? Uh, how's he going to play his front? You know, he comes from that that if you look at denard Wilson's background

8:21Yeah, like I said, it's the The Baltimore Principles of things and this is why he gets the opportunity You know with Harball, you know, he was with with McDonald with mentor with those guys He's very aggressive. There are three four base front They play primarily we see teams play this four two five Four downline and two linebackers five secondary guys He plays that the other way he plays the two four five is what he does So you have the two down lineman and then everybody else is kind of the stand-up guy. It's a light box Kind of a group uh, he likes to play the too high the shells things like that Rotate post snap, you know everything that everybody's trying to do nowadays He's really really trying to to to kind of do the things that these young these young coaches are doing Um, you see all kinds of coverages with him the two the three the six

9:23Man stuff as well. I think you're going to see a little bit more blitz and in this game The question is do you really want to blitz dac press god now? That's the thing that you you know with With these receivers is he going to have to blitz but dac press god has become In one of the better quarterbacks in national football league over the years when it's come to dealing with teams blitzing So um, you know, there's a lot of things he's gonna a Wilson's going to uh He's gonna have to make his uh Is gonna make his secondary have to stress a little bit when it comes to if the if they play a lot of one-on-one coverage You know that's stress when you're having to do with lamb pickings and flanoi And then even with you know with a Ferguson and there as well. So uh, he's he's he's he's going to He's gonna try and match you that way. He's gonna try and be aggressive, but how aggressive Dallas has got to think about too to how they want to start this game. Do you want to try and start it where You're running the football and then that makes him a have to commit

10:27Uh, Tyler nubin and the other safety uh, John Holland Do you have to commit them to playing in the run game? The giant really believe that they're lying back in course really the streak that their defense when they look at rfl Reese and when they look at uh, Tremaine Evans They feel like you know, they don't have the guys that used to have up front That those monsters that they had inside at the one and three techniques, you know, they got a little bit of Nothing against uh DJ reader or Shelby Harris But that's just not the same group, but they feel really really good about their linebackers And can they play the run with the lighter box Dallas wants to do the same thing Okay, they want to play with a lighter box Can Dallas make them Can they run them out of that defense and then all of a sudden it turns into well the safety help is now It's no longer too high shell. It's just a single high and now they can't double everybody like they probably want to double everybody So Dallas has got to make a determination

11:28In this game should we attack them through the air and then loosen up for the run Where do we run them into submission and then make them play the safety and then open up things on the outside It's a problem that the giants are going to have to deal with Yeah, I mean when I first think about this giants defense Obviously no more dexter lorance. That's a beautiful thing as you mentioned, but uh, I mean the past rush the edge rush Like you talk about their linebackers and their confident and remain Edmunds and Arville Reese and that's certainly an upgrade from what they've had But I mean when I look at the giants I look at their ed rushers as being the The strength of their defense abdol quarter Brian Burns Tibido as a rotational piece now. I mean they got some dudes and so That's the thing that I would be concerned about if uh, you know, if I'm if I'm Clay Nattobs and Brian shot and I'm a right now Gaighton and in particular steel with what we've seen from him throughout the summer I wouldn't want to be leaving those guys on an island too long I do think you should be able to run the football on these dudes

12:28Uh, the giants were terrible at stopping the run last year And I think on the interior of the defensive line with no more dexter lorance They're actually worse though they are probably better at linebacker. So yeah a little bit of give and take there But uh, I think you should be able to run the ball on them and I would be trying to run right at these these ed rusher dudes to slow them down a little bit But in the secondary you mentioned Holland is is a you know a pretty solid safety But for the most part I think pickins and lamb and flanoi and the rest of the passing game These guys should be able to have their way as long as DAC is being protected So I'd probably come out running the ball at him a little bit get some push going and then and then I think through the air as long as Burns is not screaming off the edge of steel and steels on an island Then you should be good through the air and on the ground But I'd be trying to pound at burns and and Carter for for a little while Because those are the two guys that really scare you on this defense right

13:29Yeah, no that's uh the thing with burns is you know the you know he is Probably their best pass rusher the the guy that they That they feel like is on the rise though as abdual Carter They they really do like abdual Carter and just something to think about though traditionally if you go through last season Cowboys offensive tackles you talk about being on an island 75 to 78% of the time They were one-on-one In blocking you know and they in this and so they're they go into games You know thinking about We're gonna leave our tackles alone. We're gonna see if they can hold up and you know I think initially it's going to be that way. I think it's going to be like okay Can steel hold up can guy and hold up? You know, it's it's it's unfortunate the situation You know with Tyler Smith not being in there, you know, that's that's a You know because Tyler Smith when the the front of that pocket, you know with Smith and BB and Booker

14:32You know tack has really been very very good at being able to step up move slide You know Williams the back has been able to pick up some of the if you go back and watch some of the big plays The Dallas May offensively last year It was because Dak moving and then all the sudden you get a pickup by Williams That is able to kind of get Dak get the ball out of there. So it's gonna need to be some of the same stuff Um, you know, will they will they if things get really really bad Um, now does it turn into okay now we have to put the tight ends over there We have to put the back over there. We have to space this thing out To try and do we'll see if they move if they move these guys around too We've seen some stuff where in the past that they've moved a card or around And they've also moved burns around and that was something we even saw in the preseason this year if you watch the little tape that they had Yeah Drink up baby fantasy football happy hours here to get you wins and have some laughs

15:35Matthew Barry here and my podcast fantasy football happy hour as the sleepers bus and start sit advice You need to win your league. We're diving into the tape We're crunching the numbers to bring you sleepers bus weekly start sit advice whether you're defending a title or desperately avoiding last place I've got you covered every single weekday the bar is open. It's fantasy football happy hour with Matthew Barry wherever you get your podcasts Yeah, I mean that that's uh to me I would be making sure javante Williams is in in there uh to try and help out some of these guys And and Dak has shown as you mentioned the ability to navigate the pocket and all that kind of stuff is incredible And if it's just one of your offensive lineman if it's just steel that he kind of has to worry about and guidance got things kind of handled Then Dak can usually deal with that kind of stuff But for four quarters if you're going to have a guidance and steel on an island with Carter in Burns There's going to be times where there's almost no quarterback that thing that can navigate that unless it's just a super quick passing situation

16:37Um, I was curious to get your thoughts on Uh, I think it was it was Graziano and uh Jeremy faller at ESPN They were doing like some insider reports and they were talking about the Cowboys plan of being able to move pickens around a little bit more this year I don't know how much we saw that in training camp. I know they were trying to keep some things close to the vests your shaking your head No, I didn't notice it when we were out there you were obviously out there quite a bit longer than than we were but Not something we have seen to this point, but it's something we've talked about that we hope in terms of this offense evolving and elevating from what it did last year Lamb being your versatile moving around anywhere. He's always been that guy. It's a huge benefit to have that But pickens and he can become a little bit more of that guy where defenses don't know exactly where he's going to be every single play Hopefully that's something that we see and I love seeing some of the ESPN NFL insider guys saying that that seems to be the plan right now And hopefully it comes to fruition on Sunday night Yeah, there were there were several practices and I was out there for 12 days and and there were days where I did not notice the motions nor the

17:45You know him playing in the slot and all that now There were practices that were after practices that they had and and maybe this is where we never saw these guys participate in and training camp Uh, I was not out there for the joint practices. So I can't address the the uh the Ram scrimmage or the saint scrimmage I can't address was he moving around But they did have practices you know walk through practices that the media was not privy to and there've been practices at the star Where you know since they've been back where practices we haven't been privy to as well So if if in fact and we had the opportunity on 105 3 the fan on the g-bag nation two to seven every day um, we had the opportunity to interview Pickens and he was he was talking about it and in a way he's like yeah Cool with moving around and all that stuff and you're kind of thinking like I don't know about that bro You seem like a guy that kind of likes to play and run your routes the way you run your routes to pace you run your routes

18:48You know, you're you're a different cat in a good way You're not you know you're not everybody's wide receiver, but when you play you show you can do a lot of great things So we'll see uh, it's just a matter of comfort. I think cd lamb is very comfortable moving I think ryan flanoid very comfortable moving I think that you know even You know turpent very comfortable moving there's some receivers that just don't want to move They like to play a certain side or they like to stay stationary and right or left I know that Marvin Harrison was that way for so many years with the cults You know, he just like to play on the right side don't move me around just let me run routes over here and I'll be just fine so You know the thing that when you move guys around He keeps you from getting double team and what happened late in the year that cloud coverage the cover two the cover six you know Man on one side zone on the other side, you know the way that they were able to kind of take

19:49Take George out of games when it came to to stop in his you know those devastating routes He runs those in breaking routes where he catches the ball and then gets up the field Teams at the end of the year were able to kind of take that away from him and by moving him around It's a lot harder to double somebody that's playing on the move than it is somebody that's playing stationary All right, let's take a look at the cowboys defense versus the giants offense. You're listening to the Love of the star podcast love of the stars and Odyssey podcast you can find it on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast Of course, we are presented by the on time experts the official ac heating and plumbing partner of the doubt Cowboys the Dow stars and right here on love of the star and all summer long They've been offering first-time customers a $59 ac tune up and professional cleaning And we so got a few more weeks of the extreme north Texas heat here ladies and gentlemen So take advantage of your first time customer let the on time experts come in there

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