High-Powered Cowboys Offense PRIMED to EXPLODE In Week 2 | Can Defense Hold Up?

Summary

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Locked On Cowboys – Episode Summary

Episode: High-Powered Cowboys Offense PRIMED to EXPLODE In Week 2 | Can Defense Hold Up?
Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Podcast Network: Locked On Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

This episode of Locked On Cowboys previews the Week 2 NFC East matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. Hosts Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool dive deep into the strengths, weaknesses, matchups, and key questions for the Cowboys, including whether the offense can put up 30 points and if the defense—minus key starters—can hold up against the Giants led by Russell Wilson and Malik Nabers. They give detailed analysis on both sides of the ball, highlight strategic adjustments, and end with score predictions.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cowboys Offense: Expectations & Matchups

— Can Dallas Hit 30 Points?

• Marcus sets the tone: "The Cowboys will need to score 24 or more points to beat the Giants. Will they do it? My question to you is, can they score 30?" (01:19)
• Landon emphasizes the need for Dallas to find its identity as an elite offense:

  "It's like they're racing against themselves...you need to be able to score 30 points on a team like the Giants if you're going to feel good about where this team is going." (02:47)

— Advantages against the Giants' Defense

• Giants lost LB Micah McFadden. Their secondary is better but still a liability. They’ve improved with Javon Holland and Paulson Adebo, but Marcus claims:

  "This should be a unit that they're able to torch...Dak Prescott has had a lot of success against [these corners]." (03:50)

• The Giants’ defensive line is highly talented and focused on pass rush, presenting a significant test for Dallas' young tackles.

— Strategies for Dallas' Run Game

• Marcus: Washington ran for 220 yards vs. this Giants defense. "Can the Cowboys have the same success?" (05:43)
• Landon’s analysis:

  "You have to find a way to incorporate a run game that isn't running directly at [Dexter Lawrence]...I think you can do that because the Giants have leaned so heavily into pass-rushing defensive ends...if you wanted to find a way to run some power at them...and you do that a couple different times, and it's going to start wearing on them." (06:41)

• Both expect more “outside zone” and edge runs after seeing Washington's two-TE formations succeed.

— Tactical Adjustments: 12 & 13 Personnel

• Landon predicts heavier sets (12/13 personnel) for Dallas to exploit New York's weak linebacker group, especially after McFadden’s injury:

  "I wouldn't be shocked to see a bunch of 12 and 13 personnel out there this week...you feel like you have the advantage even with two wide receivers out there." (09:12)

— Pass Game Targets

• Jake Ferguson could see a big game over the middle with weakened NYG linebackers (10:19).
• Marcus expects the offensive scheme to keep the Giants’ best DB, Andrew Phillips, off the field, leading to favorable matchups for CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

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2. Cowboys Defense: Holding the Line without Key Starters

— Injuries and Depth Concerns

• No DaRon Bland (CB) and no Micah Parsons (EDGE/LB) this week.
• Marcus outlines the Giants’ offensive line woes, especially if LT Andrew Thomas is out:

  "If Thomas doesn't play, that means James Hudson is going to be at left tackle. That was very rough last week...Jermaine Eluemunor...shouldn’t be your best offensive lineman." (16:09)

— Key Defensive Strategies

• Landon is skeptical about the Giants’ offensive talent:

  "This is not a great unit, man...They didn't trade away neighbors. Even with neighbors, this is a rough group. So I think...the Cowboys should be able to play their game and handle it." (13:58)

• Expect less blitzing and more zone coverage; emphasis on preventing big plays from rookie WR Malik Nabers.
• Strong safety play (Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker) will be crucial to avoid deep TDs.

  "They had fantastic games against the Eagles… They need to have big games to make sure they’re keeping a blanket a top on everything, especially with a guy like Malik Nabers." (20:02)

• Possible heavy usage of S Wanya Thomas in slot—“not the best coverage guy but your best tackler,” which is what might matter against NY. (18:39)

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3. Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On the Evolution of Dallas’ Identity:

  "This is a question that the offense kind of needs to look at itself in the mirror and prove to itself, you know, starting this Sunday against the Giants." — Landon (02:47)

• On the Giants’ Defensive Philosophy:

  "They've leaned forward onto the edges...They've got a collection of first-rounders and high-end talent that they're going to try to throw at the Cowboys' young tackles..." — Landon (04:31)

• How Dallas Can Counter Giants Edge Rushers:

  "The Giants have leaned so heavily into pass rushing defensive ends...run some power at them...and you do that a couple different times, and it's going to start wearing on them." — Landon (06:41)

• On Dak and CeeDee’s Importance:

  "When you have Dak and CeeDee together, I think those two just give you a scoring floor that most teams don't have." — Marcus (24:54)

• Potential Game-Decider:

  "I am worried about Malik Nabers because my fear is that the Cowboys play really good, sound, fundamental defense and it's just two big Malik Nabers plays down the field ... and that's how you lose a game like this." — Marcus (19:41)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:19] – Can Dallas score 30+ points?
• [03:50] – Giants’ defensive strengths and weaknesses
• [05:43] - [08:17] – Run game breakdown and possible strategies
• [09:12] – Personnel groupings and tactics to exploit NYG
• [10:19] – Jake Ferguson’s expected role
• [13:58] - [14:49] – Giants offensive talent & key approach for Dallas defense
• [16:09] – Offensive line mismatches and how Dallas could exploit them
• [18:39] – Using Wanya Thomas in the slot for run support
• [19:41] - [20:24] – Emphasis on containing Malik Nabers: critical role for Cowboys’ safeties
• [22:35] - [26:09] – Score predictions and rationale
• [26:40] – Impact of NFL kickoff rule changes: favorable for Cowboys’ field position

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Score Predictions

Landon McCool:

• Picks Cowboys to win, citing Dak's historic success ("Dak Prescott has won 13 straight against the Giants." — 22:35)
• Predicts Dallas pulls away late:

  "I'm picking the Cowboys to win 35-24. I just think that the areas where the Giants have the advantage, the Cowboys can neutralize." (24:33, 24:54)

Marcus Mosher:

• Sees a lower-scoring, grind-it-out affair, but still a Cowboys victory:

  "I'm gonna go 24-21 in a very, very close game." (25:55)

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Final Thoughts & Analysis

• Both hosts view the Cowboys’ offense as primed to respond after a narrow Week 1 loss and to take advantage of the Giants’ vulnerabilities, especially at linebacker and in parts of the secondary.
• Defensively, Dallas is confident in their ability to keep the Giants limited—provided they contain splash plays from the likes of Malik Nabers and minimize turnovers and penalties.
• The rule changes on kickoffs and strong special teams play are expected to boost Dallas’ field position, further helping their offensive prospects.

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TL;DR

The hosts expect Dallas to control the game—on offense by exploiting New York’s weaknesses, especially via heavier personnel and edge runs, and on defense by staying fundamentally sound and preventing explosive plays. The game should test Dallas’ ability to operate as a high-powered offense and offer clarity on the defense’s depth after key injuries. Both picks go for a Dallas win, with Landon seeing more fireworks and Marcus expecting a closer contest.

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For more in-depth breakdowns, subscribe to Locked On Cowboys wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

[Lena McCool]

Foreign podcast network your team every day.

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[Marcus Mosher]

The Dallas Cowboys will need to score 24 or more points to beat the Giants. Will they do it? Break it down next. You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked On Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day.

[Lena McCool]

Thank you.

[Marcus Mosher]

This episode is brought to you by Mazda. Like our players, we sweat every detail because when you make every move count, pulling off the unexpected is only the beginning. So stay tuned for later in this week's Moving the Game forward Mazda. Move and be moved. Welcome back. I am your host, Marcus Mosher. He is Lena McCool. And on today's show, we are previewing the Week 2 NFC east matchup between the New York New York Giants and. And the Dallas Cowboys. Landon, we teased it at the front of the show. I think the Cowboys are going to need to score 24 or more points to beat the Giants. But that's not my question to you. My question to you is, can they score 30? Because I think for the Cowboys to have a successful season, they're going to need to be one of the best offenses in the league, and they need to be able to score 30, 35 points against some of these lesser teams. Do they do it this week?

[Lena McCool]

Yeah, I mean, this is one of those things where it's like, it's kind of like they're racing against themselves. Like they definitely have to play a Giants team that we'll talk about all the matchups and. And there's a lot that they have to kind of get over because the Giants defense does have some key pieces at some key spots. Right. But I, but I do think, like, the question is kind of being posed to the team overall because you, you looked at what happened with the defense of where it stands right now without Micah Parsons, and, and, and, and it's just like this is a question that the offense kind of needs to look at itself in the mirror and prove to itself, you know, starting this Sunday against the Giants. Right. Is it. Is can they be the driving the, the engine to the winning football for the Cowboys in 2025? And, and, and you know, maybe the Giants are the team that you're going to need 30 points in order to win the game, but you need to be able to score 30 points on a team like the Giants if you're going to feel good about where this team is going beyond just week two.

[Marcus Mosher]

And in theory, this should be a game in which the Cowboys have a lot of the advantages. You look at The Giants back seven, they just lost Micah McFadden, their top linebacker, to an injury. This has not been a particularly good secondary. Now, they did add Javon Holland this offseason. The cornerbacks they signed Paulson Adibo, who is better than what they've had, but this should be a unit that they're able to torch. Now, the defensive line's really good. Really, really good. We're going to talk about that in a second. But this is a team that Dak Prescott has had a lot of success against. You would think the offense, the Cowboys offense certainly has the advantage over the Giants defense in this game.

[Lena McCool]

Yeah, I mean, even the corners that they brought in, Dak Prescott's had a success against them too. You know, and so it's, it's one of those things where, yeah, the, the defense, the secondary isn't a nuclear fallout zone that it was last year. Right. But it's still bad. Right. So the Cowboys still need to take advantage of those matchups. And the Giants are betting on the fact that the Cowboys won't be able to because of the pass rush that they've acquired. And that's where they've leaned into the pass rush versus coverage debate. Right. Is they've leaned forward onto the, the edges and, and wanted. They've got a collection of first rounders and high end talent that they're going to try to throw at the Cowboys young tackles to make sure that they get the ball off before CD Lamb or Pickens breaks open. So the Cowboys are going to need to Find a way to neutralize the pass rush. I think to throw the ball successfully down the field consistently. And then up until that point they're going to need to either run towards the edges to kind of take down the, the, the, the takeoff speed a little bit of those guys, or they're going to need to find some success in the short passing game just to kind of keep the ball moving while they, you know, try to figure out a way to contain what's happening on the edges.

[Marcus Mosher]

I want to talk about the, the Cowboys run game because they actually ran the ball pretty well last week against the Eagles. The Giants did not have as much success stopping the commanders. They ran for 220 yards. Yes, 220 yards on 32 carries. It was a little bit of Jaden Daniels 11 carries for 68 yards, but Bill Crosby merit 10 for 82. Austin Eckler ran. Okay. Devo Samuel had a rushing touchdown. Do you think the Cowboys will have success running the ball here?

[Lena McCool]

Is Dan Quinn still calling the defense? I just was wondering if that's the case because if that's the case then then yeah, probably. Yeah, I think, yeah, I mean that's, that's the thing, right, Is that like this is a defense that is going to focus on getting up the field like we are very well comfortable and aware of. I, I do think that, that, you know, there's a. Hold on, hold on. Washington ran the ball, Washington ran the.

[Marcus Mosher]

Ball really well against the Giants. Can the Cowboys have the same success?

[Lena McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I think what Washington does on offense is very different than what the Cowboys are going to do in their run game. Right. I mean, I think a good portion of like you mentioned what was, was Jaden Daniels, his ability to kind of get on the edges. But I think you still saw them have success between the tackles. And I think, you know, look, they have Lawrence in the middle. That is one of the, the best, if not the best nose tackle defensive tackles in football. And I think you have to find a way to, you know, incorporate a run game that isn't running directly at him and try to find a way to kind of work around that. But I think you can do that because the fact that the, the Giants have leaned so heavily into pass rushing defensive ends, right. Thibodeau and Carter and all these guys that they're going to play on the edge are, you know, not necessarily big, you know, bodied, long armed lever type defense, power defensive ends. So I think if you wanted to find a way to run some power at them, right that gives you the opportunity to get someone like Terence Steele down, blocking and doubling, someone like Lawrence. If he's playing in, like, the three technique, right. Then you've got. You got guys like Tyler Smith coming across the formation who's able to kick out the undersized defensive ends. And you do that a couple different times, and it's going to start wearing on them. Maybe it takes a little bit off the edge, no pun intended, of their pass rush. And I think that that's, you know, that's a good plan to at least kind of get the defense in a rocker situation so they're not just pinning their ears back anytime that you're. You're dropping back to pass. Yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

One of the things that we saw Washington do a lot last week against this Giants defense is they played a lot of, like, two tight ends. And because these edges for New York, you know, Brian Burns is 250 pounds. Abdul Carter is lucky to be 250 pounds. Cave on Thibodeau is 255 pounds. They just put a lot of beef on the offensive line and said, hey, we're going to run to the edges. Like, let's just try to ignore Dexter Lawrence as much as possible. It will make these guys stop the run. And a lot of times what they were doing is just like outside zone runs, trying to make Abdul Carter and Brian Burns set the edge. And they had a lot of success. So I won't be surprised if we see more of Kevonte Turpin this week, if we see more outside zone. I know this is not a heavy outside zone team border, you know, more tosses like we saw with Miles Sanders, it feels like that's the best strategy, and that's even before Michael McFadden went down. Who was their best run? Defending linebacker.

[Lena McCool]

Yeah, and exactly. I think, you know, when you take in the fact that they're down a guy at the linebacker position, like you said, all you have to do is find a crease, and then suddenly you can bust one of those things open. I, I also think, too, that, you know, the Cowboys are in a better situation. You know, previous to this year, the plan was the Cowboys wanted to deploy as many wide receivers on the field as possible because the Giants just were so poor in the secondary that the more defensive backs that you could get on the field, the better the results were going to end up being. But I think with. With the way that the, the. The. The. The Giants pass rushes set up with the dangers they have at the edge, and I just think with the Advantages like that you talked about that you can create on the edge. I wouldn't be shocked to see a bunch of 12 and 13 personnel out there this, this week because I think you've got two receivers now that really can play well in 12 personnel because you're not afraid about either one of them's ability to win in. In coverage. You feel like you have the advantage in even with two wide receivers out there. So look for the Cowboys to press that advantage and attack the edge and not just kind of wait for them to come back and have them attack it. Attack the quarterback.

[Marcus Mosher]

Two more things really quickly. This should be a big Jake Ferguson game. With the injuries at linebacker with the pass rush, I would expect Ferguson to get a lot of targets in the middle of the field. The other thing is you mentioned 12 personnel. I think that works well against the Giants because that keeps Andrew Phillips, I. I think honestly their best defensive back who plays in the slot off the field. And that means Cordell Flot, who I think is going to be starting as one of the outside corners on the field. That's been a guy that CD Lamb has had a lot of success against. And let's say it's Paulson Adibo up against CD Lamb, maybe we see a lot of George Pickens targets down the field. So I would anticipate this being a heavy personnel package game for the Cowboys.

[Lena McCool]

Yeah. And the heavier personnel that you put out there, that also means they have to put out more linebackers. And linebacker is currently the position where they're the most compromised.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about the Cowboys defense, which played pretty well in the second half against Philadelphia. Can they keep it up in week two without Daron Bland? We will get to that next. This episode is brought to you by DoorDash. I absolutely love doordash. And it's almost the weekend. It's time to look back and and crowned this week's mvp. On who delivered Powered by Door Dash. Just like you can win on every Saturday with Door Dash streaks saving more every time you order. These players delivered when it mattered the most. So let's break it down. I want to talk about Kenny Clark, who was a such a big addition for the Cowboys. I know he didn't have big stats on Thursday night against Philadelphia, but man, he just gave the Cowboys the interior presence they needed to to help stop the run. He got off the ball quickly. He's the type of player they've been missing in their defense and this performance wasn't a fluke. Kenny. Kenny Clark on a streak and I can't wait to see him play this week. And just like Kenny Clark delivered for the Cowboys in Week one, Door Dash delivers your Saturdays with Door Dash streaks. You save on every Saturday order. Stack it up all season and you can save up to $250, including $180 and door dash credit order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your game day only with Door Dash Term supply promo period through 1118. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season is here and FanDuel is making sure that you are ready for kickoff with a can't miss offer. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and if your bet wins, you'll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I love FanDuel because it fits however you like to bet. Like I love the same game parlays, getting into some of the live action. Or you can go bet on this Giants Cowboy game here in Week two. The Cowboys opened as four and a half point favorites. It's fluctuated a little bit, but that is the number right now. It makes every game more exciting, whether you're watching your favorite team, the Cowboys, or just keeping an eye on your fantasy lineup. It's quick, it's easy, and it's the best way to add just a little bit more energy and excitement to your Sundays. So are you ready to play? Download the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.com to get started. That is FanDuel.com to place your first five dollar bet. Welcome back to the Lock on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. Later, let's talk about the Cowboys defense because that's the unit that everybody's going to be watching. No Duron Bland this week, obviously. No Micah Parsons. How do they stop this Giants offense which looked so bad last week, but I'm sure is going to have more tricks up their sleeves here in week two?

[Lena McCool]

I'm not so sure this is not a great unit man. Like I, I mean obviously they're going to be playing for their lives and the Cowboys can't downplay that. But on a talent level, this is not a great group. You know, and, and, and look, you can look at the Cowboys defense and say it does. It's not a super talented group either, but we just traded away Micah Parsons. They didn't trade away neighbors. Even with neighbors, this is a rough group. So I think that the on a talent level, the Cowboys should be able to play their game and handle it. The question is like, you know, can they do it at a pace that. That, you know, keeps them in the game a little bit. And I think the key thing is, again, is are they going to be able to kind of stop the run? Right? Because I think the passing attack. We know what that's going to be, right? I think it's going to be. It's Russell Wilson.

[Marcus Mosher]

We've all watched threes.

[Lena McCool]

That's all it is, the threes. He's going to throw the short stuff to Wandell Robinson into Tyron Tracy out of the backfield. He's going to throw the long stuff to neighbors down the field. So. So you have to have. And look, the Cowboys say what you will about the defense. They had a plan for multiple sections of the Eagles defense. I mean, I'm sorry, of the Eagles offense. They just couldn't execute that final piece of containing. Jalen hurts. I don't think that they're going to have to worry about that as much as Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson is Basically Jalen Hurts, plus 15 years on his body, I think, you know, so there's going to be opportunities. Yeah, there's going to be opportunities to, to. To sack Russell Wilson. He's going to hold on to the ball when it's a deep drop. It used to be that he would try to escape out of the pocket and make a play. That's just not who he is anymore necessarily. I mean, he will still try to do that, but he's not quite as dynamic as that. So the Cowboys need to find a way to get a. Get pressure to get a hold of him, but also to make sure that they're kind of doing the. The. The. The collapsing of the pocket. Not necessarily always just rushing to the passer because sometimes it's. It's almost better to let him stay into structure, structure and feel the pressure and throw the football wherever he may as it is, to kind of let him get out loose and create a play with his legs.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, and that's why there's a big injury that we are monitoring this week, and that is Andrew Thomas, the Pro bowl left tackle. He did not play last week. He's been dealing with an injury that he's. He suffered during the off season. It's unclear whether he's going to play on Sunday. He was. He did not practice on Wednesday. He was very limited on Thursday. We'll see what his status is for this game, but if he doesn't play, that means James Hudson is going to be at left tackle. That was very rough last week. They've got Sean Runyon at. John Runyon at left guard. John Michael Schmidt is one of the worst centers in the league. Greg Van Roten is a 34 year old guard, excuse me, 35 year old guard now. And then there's Jermaine Illuminor who I actually covered with the Raiders, who's a nice player, but he shouldn't be your best offensive lineman. So I, I wouldn't be surprised if this is another week where, if, if Thomas doesn't play where you don't see a lot of blitzing for the Cowboys. It's a lot of guys dropping in coverage, maybe not so much nickel because of the injury to Duron Bland. And it's a lot of three linebacker sets and you're daring Russell Wilson to dink and dunk all the way down the field.

[Lena McCool]

Yeah, I mean honestly I, I think it, I wouldn't be as I think I'm less nervous about playing nickel than I normally would be because I think you can play a lot of zone in this situation because I think you're going to be able to get pressure with four, right. So I, I think you could even play some nickel. And, and even with the injury, as long as you're just dropping and you're playing zone rules, I think because of the pressure that hopefully you should be able to generate up front, you should be able to do so and play some zone. Last week they played almost no man coverage.

[Marcus Mosher]

None, not a single.

[Lena McCool]

And so I think when you think about that and you think about the nickel position, the first thing I worry about a nickel corner is how is he going to handle the two way go aspect of it. And usually someone like Robinson can usually take advantage of that stuff very, very well. I think if the Cowboys plan on playing kind of more exotic zones, some two, some three, some six, that sort of stuff, I think that they'll be able to kind of deal with that. Having a sub in much better than asking tasking some guy who's just coming off the off the bench to go chase around someone like Robinson for 50 plus plays.

[Marcus Mosher]

I was talking with Stretch today and I both of us kind of think that Wanya Thomas might be the guy that plays the most slot snaps just because he can do exactly that, what.

[Lena McCool]

We talked about, right?

[Marcus Mosher]

Yep. He can tackle the best in space. He also helps you in the run game and he's a pretty good blitzer. So like we saw last week when Matt Eber Flutes decided to blitz, it was usually a defensive back coming in on the blitz. Like I wonder if this their way to kind of help with the Bland injury, at least this week is use Wanye Thomas because yeah, he's not the best coverage guy, but he's your best tackler. That might be what matters more this week.

[Lena McCool]

Well, think about how they were trying to solve that problem before Bland came, before Diggs came back, right? They were cobbling together that position with a couple different spots. If they plan to be a mostly zone team, then you can do that, right? You can put a couple different guys there because the principles are the same. You don't have to worry about the physical profile, their ability to chase smaller guys around. When they're all just responsible for his own, it's a lot easier to fill that spot with. And again, like he likes to blitz, he likes to use that nickel spot for a whole bunch that other other than just coverage, I think guys like Wanye Thomas, you know, can fill that role quite nicely. I'm.

[Marcus Mosher]

I gotta be honest, I am worried about Malik Neighbors because my fear is that the Cowboys play really good, sound, fundamental defense and it's just two big Malik play neighbors plays down the field, whether it's receptions or penalties that give them easy scores. And that's how you lose a game like this, where you're favored by more than a field goal.

[Lena McCool]

We, you know, the two people that we have not talked about nearly enough and that who need to have big games are Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker. They had a fantastic games against the Eagles. I think that they really fit into what Eberfluss is doing. Obviously Hooker is very familiar with this. At this, at this point, they need to have big games to make sure that they're keeping a blanket a top on everything, especially with a guy like Malik Neighbors.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about our score predictions here for week two Giants versus Cowboys. We will get to that next. This episode is brought to you by Mazda's Moving the Game Forward moment. For those who believe it's not just about playing the game, it's about redefining it. There are moments that do more than just put points on the board. They move crowds, move culture and keep the game on. Moving forward in this week's moment that moved the game forward is Dak Prescott's opening drive of the season against the New York. Sorry. Against the the Philadelphia Eagles moved the ball right up and down the field. We didn't see him at all during the preseason. He had not played in about 300 days after coming back from a hamstring injury. And he looked absolutely fantastic. Even though the Cowboys lost, I think Cowboy fans have a positive outlook for the season moving forward because of the way that Dak Press got played. And when you follow what moves you, the unexpected is only the beginning. And just like there's more to every highlight, there's more to every Mazda vehicle. So Mazda move and be moved.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first first listen of the day. For your second listen, get a double dose of the Locked on NFL podcast. Tyler the Madman Roland gives you a shot of espresso to start your football day, while Tony Wiggins takes you to the barber shop for the smoothest breakdowns. Find Locked on NFL on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast. All right, Lana, my favorite part of the week, Prediction time. Who do you have winning this big NFC east matchup?

[Lena McCool]

I hate you for making me do these. I know, I, I have the Cowboys winning. I mean, I, I think that this is a game where, you know, I, I think I read it earlier today. Dak Prescott has won 13 straight against the Giants.

[Marcus Mosher]

If I'm not mistaken, his, he, he's only losses to the Giants came both during his rookie season.

[Lena McCool]

So, you know, it's, first of all, it's hard to bet against Dak when he's playing the Giants. Right. For very obvious reasons. I, I just think that, you know, the Giants have certainly, they've changed the angles on these matchups this year. This is a better football team than it was previous. The problem still remains that they don't have a quarterback yet. You know, Russell Wilson is still Russell Wilson. I think we very predictable. Honestly. I, I was actually on Stretch's radio show today talking about the fact that I honestly can't believe that they aren't playing Jackson Dart because to me like it at least adds chaos to this situation. I feel like that might actually give you better chance. I understand why the reality of coaching politics and why they're not doing it, but I'm just saying I, I, to me, I, I think that the Cowboys have some key advantages in this game. I certainly worry about the, the edge pressure, but I also really, really Trust Dak Prescott right now. And I think he showed us last week that, that, that DAC is still there. I think he was the, the number one quarterback in adjusted EPA after everything of all of week one. And I think this is a secondary that if the Cowboys offensive tackles and tight ends can work together to block, block things up for them. CD Lamb is about to go absolutely nuclear because he's furious about the way things ended last week and he's playing at home. There's just no reason for me not to pick the Cowboys. I think at this point I'm gonna go and I know the spread is like, like just over. Like I think it's four and a.

[Marcus Mosher]

Half right now over on FanDuel.

[Lena McCool]

Yep. I, I'm picking the Cowboys to win 35, 24. I think, because I don't, I think it'll be like a last minute kind of pull away situation and maybe a little bit closer during the game. I just think that the areas where the Giants have the advantage the Cowboys can neutralize and the areas where the Cowboys had the advantage, the Giants just don't have answers for.

[Marcus Mosher]

So one of the points you made is really good. Like I, CD Lamb, at least historically, whenever he's had a poor performance, usually bounces back in a big way. And I think, I think the Giants are much improved compared to where they were at last year, at least from a talent perspective. And I think the, the injury to Duron Bland is a big deal. But when you have Dak and CD together, I think those two just give you a scoring floor that most teams don't have. Like I have a hard time and again, I hope I'm wrong. I'm knocking on wood that I'm wrong. I, I can't see them scoring like under 20 points. And maybe the Giants defense is really good this year. Even then I think Dak and CD get you there. But I wouldn't be surprised if this is more of a grinded out type of game than maybe people anticipate. Like I could see on both sides, like the Cowboys using a lot of short passes to Ferguson and the running backs to try to exploit the linebackers. And then for the Giants, the Cowboys not trying to give up big plays and they force Russell Wilson to put together these 1012 play drives and it's one of these games where you have seven or eight possessions and it ends up being a 24 to 21 type of game. So I, I'm gonna pick the Cowboys. I'm not going to pick them to cover the spread so I'm gonna go 20. Yeah, I'll go 24, 21. In a very, very close game.

[Lena McCool]

Yeah, I mean sometimes these games come out like that, especially if they wanted to play a lot of cloud coverage and, and they are daring always run game to beat them, which isn't the worst, you know, obviously the worst way to handle that. I, I think that, that it could certainly be a low scoring affair in which it's a lot closer game. I also think that in that kind of game, I think the Cowboys, it will feel like the Cowboys are in control maybe, maybe for most of the game, even when the scoreboard isn't showing the kind of dominance that you'd like.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, real quick before we go, I, I thought last week's or this year's rule changes to the kickoffs greatly helped the Cowboys. Right. Like if you're gonna kick the ball out of the back of the end zone and start the Cowboys at the 35 yard line, they legit need 15 yards to be in Brandon Aubrey field goal range. Right. Or if you want to kick the ball low to Kevonte Turpin and let him get some big returns that he did last week. He got some big returns that pushed him past the 35. It's just when you have a quarterback like Dak and you have weapons like this and you have a kicker like Brandon Aubrey, it's just too easy to get in scoring range. And now that you're home with good weather, I, I just have a hard time seeing the Cowboys not scoring a decent amount of points in this one.

[Lena McCool]

And the Giants just don't have the offensive line to grind the Cowboys down like the Eagles do and to grind out the way the possession. So that's, that's. It just seems like an unlike likely path to, to victory for the Giants. But it may be their only chance. And you know, if it does happen, I think we're going to be really disappointed with the state of the Cowboys defensive line at that point.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah. And this is a game the Cowboys have to play relatively clean. They did a good job cutting back on the penalties last week. The turnover was honestly the biggest difference. You cannot have a game where you have your minus 1 minus 2 in the turnover department. They're just not ready to be that team that can avoid, you know, that can overcome those type of mistakes. So keep an eye on the turnover margin, keep an eye on the penalties. That'll probably tell the story of the game. All right, that is it for today's show. We want to thank you for making Lock On Cowboys your first listen every single day. Go download the podcast wherever you get your podcast where you're free and available on all platforms. Follow Landon on Twitter @mccoolbcb I'm @marcus Moer. Enjoy the game and and we'll see you right back here on Sunday night.

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[Lena McCool]

If you could hear love, what would it sound?

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[Lena McCool]

Yeah, Dad, I think we should helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking. Maybe that's what love sounds like. More at rethink the drink.com an OHA initiative.

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