Drew Pearson, Pro Football Hall of Fame Wide Receiver

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Wildcard weekend is almost here and the wildcard round will conclude on Monday night with the Dallas Cowboys traveling over to Tampa Bay to go up against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, which by the way, the Cowboys have never defeated Tom Brady in his career. And now joining us is the Pro Football Hall of Famer, the original 88, and that of course is our pal Drew Pearson. Drew, always great to hear from you. I appreciate the time. How you been?

Always appreciate you having me on. I've been great and looking forward to this playoff game coming up Monday night. Where's your confidence level in the Cowboys as they get ready to embark on another post-season journey? Well, not as high as I would like it, you know, because all the years that I played in the NFL 11 years and made the playoff 10 of those 11 years when ever we had any playoff success, we were kind of had some momentum going into the playoffs. We are playing well.

When we didn't, then we kind of stumbled through the first round and maybe in most in some cases didn't make it through the first round. So I'm a little concerned the way they finish the season, especially off on the offensive side of the football in the passing game. But, you know, it's playoff time and maybe this will understanding with at stake here, one and done, and maybe that'll give them what they need to boost that they need to get the emotional level going to meet the Tampa Bay Bucks. You know this, and I know this, there's a big difference in the NFL from being good to great. It seems like, and the Cowboys had a good season, they're 12 and 5, but it seems like they're just stuck the last few years on that good kind of category and aren't close to get into great. Do you agree with that?

Yeah, that's a good call. There's no question about it. You know, it's been gaudy, but not to the point where that gaudiness is getting past the playoffs and stuff like that. You know what we've done, you know, we're good in the regular season, but there's no history of any playoff success, you know, any recent history of any playoff success certainly with not with any of these guys in the lineup going taking the field on Monday night. So yeah, we talked about all this, the Cowboys got the best personnel, the Cowboys got this, one of the best records, 12 wins and all that, but still at the same time, we haven't proven anything that doesn't prove anything. So this is another opportunity for them to get over that hump, get that monkey off their back and prove something that they can, you know, have some success in the playoffs with what they have, not just on the playing side.

I'm talking about with the organization, the coaching and everything else. The Pro Football Hall of Famer, Drew Pearson is here with us. It's kind of remarkable to me, Drew. Dak's getting paid 40 million dollars, 40 plus million dollars a year. He missed five games because of an injury and still was tied for leading the league in interceptions. Like that's concerning to me what I've been seeing out of the quarterback.

Hey, concerns me too. I was about to cut them a couple times so far this year, you know, the way he's played and a lot of these interceptions, you know, sometimes it's a threefold, twofold reasons why they happen. You know, it could be receiver off his hands, it could be the receiver running the wrong route, you know, protecting, breaking down, ball getting tipped at the line of scrimmage, you know, those kind of things that, you know, are forces of nature that you really can't control. But there had been situations where he could have control some of the balls that he threw.

They could have been better passes and he has to step up, you know. Coach Landry used to tell us all the time, you want to make a name for yourself. Have a good game when you play in the New York area because that's the media capital of the world. And then have some good games in the playoffs, you know, take advantage of the opportunity when you get to the playoffs and have some success there. That's when people start to remember you and start to recognize you a little differently and that's the step that Dak has to take. And if Dak's ready to take that step, Zach, hey, the team will follow, I bet. I heard Jerry Jones the other day do an interview on the fan in Dallas and he was asked about the job status of Mike McCarthy and basically said he's not coaching for his job this weekend, he's safe, he's okay. I don't buy that for a second. If they lose again on Wild Card Weekend, I think there'll be some major changes at the coaching position in Dallas. How about yourself, Drew?

Well, you know, I'm not so sure. I don't know, you know, at Mr. Jones' age, I don't know if he wants to go through that whole process again. You know, the whole process of finding the best guy out there and all that and I know there are going to be some available candidates, like everybody's talking about Sean Payton. And all that, the next guy in waiting to be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, but again, you know, McCarthy's won, what, 12 games last season, 12 this season. Done a lot better than a lot of coaches in the NFL, so he might look at it in that regard and think that this might be his best chance to get to the playoffs, win a Super Bowl before, you know, before his time is up. Bringing in another coach with another system, new coaches and all that, here we go again. And I don't think Mr. Jones and the rest of the organization, speaking of the Jones family, is ready to take that on right now.

Interesting. The Pro Football of Famer Drew Pearson is here with us. Defensively, what are you seeing out of the defense? Because they have a lot of talent, but I don't think they're playing their best football right now. The defense, what's saving the defense right now is turnovers. They're getting turnovers, okay, which gives us good field position, gets the other team off the field, gets our defense off the field and, you know, stuff like that. But they got to be a little more solid, you know, playoff time.

And where I think they need to be more solid is against the run. You stop the run in the playoffs, especially this game against Tampa. You stop the run, make it one-dimensional for Brady to win this game. Now, that might sound crazy because that's the great Tom Brady.

You know, don't be asking, don't wish what you don't really want, wish for what you don't really want. But we should know this because we had pretty good success against them at the beginning of the year. They didn't, you know, put the ball in the end zone, they kicked some field goals to beat us. But you make Tom Brady one-dimensional, you stop their running game, put that pressure on him from the defensive pass rush, then you might have something going on the defensive side of the football. Trying to depend on turnovers, interceptions, I wouldn't be so receptive to worrying about those because Brady does protect the football.

And if he does throw an interception, it's usually not his fault, the tip ball or drop pass or something like that. So, we got to be solid on defense, and that means against the run, against the pass, and do whatever it takes to keep them off the field and keep our offense on the field. Before we let you run the Pro Football Hall of Famer, Drew Pearson, you've been talking about this matchup, we've been talking about it with you. Buccaneers and Cowboys, Bucs are 8-9, have not had their best season, but like you talked about, they still have Brady and that's always a fear. How do you think this game plays out on Monday night to conclude Wild Card Weekend? Yeah, it's going to be an exciting game. There's a reason they put the Cowboys on Monday night, you know that, right? Yeah, those ratings are going to go through the roof.

Are you kidding me? People all around the world will be checking this game out like it's a Super Bowl or something, but it's going to be a tough physical football game. What we got to do is go in there and meet the emotional level that they're going to run into and experience when they go in Tampa and play at their facility.

Their fans are going to be going wild, Brady's going to be hyped up, the rest of the guys are going to be fired up because of that. And if we don't go in there and meet that emotional level, the intensity level, then we don't have a chance. And if we can meet that, the reason I say that is because last year against San Francisco, we went in there that first quarter, we weren't ready. We've taken punches in the mouth and getting a delivery. We didn't wake up until late in the third quarter. And then, of course, that fourth quarter, you know, we were pretty good, especially offensively moving the ball. But, you know, we got to go in there and be ready to meet the level, understanding that it's going to be like that. It's going to be a highly intensified atmosphere and every fan in there is going to be for the buck. So if they can do that, then we'll be able to match what they do.

I think we can put that ball in the end zone at least three times, kick two field goals, and hold them out of the end zone to one touchdown and maybe a couple field goals and we'll come out of there victorious. You've got to add that up for me. You know, I can't. Sounds like that is about 24, 27, like 13 is what you're saying. Something like that.

Yeah, that's a good one. Yes, that's a good playoff score. Thank you for adding that up for me. Well, don't trust my math.

My math is sometimes horrible, but if we confirm it with you, that sounds good to me. Before we let you run Pro Football, Famer Drew Pearson, see, something you said at the end is why I kind of think McCarthy's job is on the line. Because he even admitted it and we all saw it last year. They weren't ready to go in the playoffs. So they keep on having these good regular seasons, which they've done the last two years, and then they just fall flat on their face in the postseason.

And this year, I know it's Brady, but you lose to a team that's eight and nine. That's why I think McCarthy's seed is pretty warm entering this one. Yeah, and I understand that. A lot of people around here feel the same way. And it might turn out that way. It might go down like that, that, you know, Jerry sees I don't need to waste another year.

You know, let's make a move now. But if McCarthy goes, it'll be perceived as his decision. OK, that's how it will be released, that he decided that he can't take the team any further. He's done it. That's how they'll spin it.

And that's how it ends up coming out. If McCarthy is gone, I don't think it'll be a situation where Jerry just says, I fired the guy. You know, I think he has more respect for him. And I think it'll be a decision that he'll present it in a way that, you know, it's a mutual decision between both parties. So I think Jerry will handle it that way if that's the way they decide to go.

And we always know with coaching, whenever they say it's mutual, it's never mutual. The Pro Football Hall of Famer, Drew Pearson. Drew, great to hear you. Thanks so much. Anytime.

Appreciate you, man. Be safe. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. Your playoffs, your Odyssey.

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