Cowboys Break: Stay Back or Attack?

We are live from the s WBC Mortgage studios at the Stargout. My crew Nick Dave Amber here with me and we're joined as we are every Wednesday and Thursday, by Bucky Brooks of NFL Network. Bucky, Welcome to the show. Let's jump right in. Today we're going to talk about the Cleveland Browns offense a little different than what we've been talking about the past two weeks, from the standpoints

of the offenses at the Cowboys that face. But we'll start in the same place we always start talking to me about their greatest strength and the greatest weakness of that Cleveland Brown's offense. You know, they really found at the last couple of weeks. The greatest strength is this double two headed monster that they have in running back Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. They're only two running backs

in the league with over two hundred rushing yards. The Cleveland Browns are running the ball fifty two percent of the time. They're averaging one hundred and seventy rushing yards per game. And so what they've discovered is that when they play hit you in the mount football, they're a lot more successful. By running the ball and committing to the run. They've been able to put Baker Mayfield on a pitch count. The last two games, Baker Mayfield has

had a passer rating over one hundred. Because he's throwing fewer than twenty five times in each of those contests, and because they're able to run the ball, and because they forced the defense to put an extra defender in the box, you're now getting more one on one coverage

for Odell Beckham Junior and Jarvis Landry. And even though they don't throw it as much as they have, you still have to be worried about Obj because despite the narrative that comes out of Cleveland about them needing to get rid of him, he's still as dangerous as he's always been, and he could be a problem, particularly for a Cowboys secondary that has been struggling in coverage. Bucky, I'm trying to get a good grasp of what the

second the Cowboys secondary might be facing this week. When you when you compare the Browns receiver group to the ones that the Cowboys have already faced, where would you rank them? I would say that the Browns are more talented than the groups that they face. Now. They may not be as effective because an Seattle or Russell Wilson

was you know, he's been letting them cook. But I think if we were to do a draft and you could pick your druthers over OBJ and some of the other guys, I think he would be at the top of the list, up there with Julio Jones. I think some of the bloom is off the roads just because of all the stuff that has taken place. But make no mistake, he's as dangerous as ever. And then Jarvis Landry is a guy that is just a chain mover, and with Austin Hooper coming in, they can give you problems.

And for the Cowboys, I think the big thing will be how does Mike Nolan decide to play this game. They're a team that has shown some split safety looks, some quarters, and the advantage of quarters is you can get nine men boxes in traditional sets. The problem is your corners now are left on islands. And so how confident is Mike Nolan that his young guys can hold up on the corner because it starts there when he's building the game plan, does he believe that his corners

can hold up? Because if he does, then he could put extra defendants, but if not, they could get gash with the running game, Bucky. Are the Browns playing better or their last two weeks or their schedule just I mean the opponents just suck. I mean, like, are they any good because they got blown out their first game and then the next two games are playing better? I mean, are they playing better just the schedule helped them out?

I mean it's a combination of both. Like right now everyone's trying to figure out who they are because of the lack of the preseason. But I think they're better because they found an identity. Kevin Stevanski comes from that system, that Shanahan system, learning under Gary Kubiak a season ago that they want to run the football and everything is predicated off the run. The passing game matches the running game,

and so it can be problematic for your defenders. I did not discipline, and so this offense won't like offense. But there are a lot of similarities in terms of the zone based running scheme, how they want to attack the edges. But they know who they are now and it runs through Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and so the priority has to be how do you stop those

two running backs? And then oh, by the way, you have to figure out how to stop number thirteen on the perimeter, Bucky, which I mean, yeah, the Browns running the ball is the big storyline for them right now, and I think that ties into their offensive line. I mean, the big narrative last year was that, you know, Baker had this sophomore slump because he was never comfortable. So they go get Jack Conklin to play right tackle. They draft Jedrick Wills to play on the left, and it

seems like it's working. I mean, they're third in the league in rushing offense and they've only allowed four sacks, but Baker Mayfield still isn't really lighting the world on fire. And I mean I know that they have this great rushing attack, but what's the deal there, Like, I mean, is Baker Mayfield still not comfortable, you know, with his protection, or is the offensive line still struggling to buy him time? Well,

I think Baker Mayfield is what he is. I think Baker Mayfield is probably a mid tier quarterback even though he's drafted number one. And I think they've discovered that they can't put too much on his plate. When they put too much on his plate and they try and get into a drop back passing game where they're chasing points and they're not able to use play action, that

is when he really struggles. He has a tough time of what I say, seeing out of the pocket because he's shorter and so he can't throw from the whale, and so if you got big bodies around him, he'll keep retreating, and because he's retreating, he ends up losing some of the steam on his passes. They've been able to make him very comfortable by throwing off play action. He was one of the best passes in the league throwing off play action in twenty nineteen. They've continued to

do that because that's the strength of his game. When he has to do other stuff like traditional drop back passing, his efficiency, his completion rate, his accuracy at all declines, and he has a bad tendency to try and flee the pocket going to his right and so controlling the game with the running game and throwing play action on

early downs. That is their recipe for success. Don't know what they look like if they have to chase points, and so that's why it'd be interesting to see if the Cowboys can put them behind the eight ball then make them chase points. Can he be a guy that can lead them back if he has to throw it thirty or more times. I'm gonna jump in here, and this is for Buck. You're really anybody? So is that

a bust pick? Then? If you if you need all this help around you and you have, you know, you can't put too much on your late should you be the number one overall pick? This is his third year. I mean he's still developing, But I mean, I mean, that doesn't seem like a guy that would carry a franchise to me. I don't know. Yeah, let's we're gonna I'm gonna get Bucky's answered, and we're gonna take a whole segment on that, because that's an interesting that's an

interesting question. Let's get your answer all nobum. So I think the thing with Baker, but he may have been overdrafted, like he may have been overdrafted based on his talent based upon what you expect from Ann pick. But now, yeah, but now that you have, now that you've taken him, you got to make it right. And so the way that you make it right is you surround him with everything that you possibly have, because when you look at what he has, there's not much that the Cleveland Brown's lack.

On offense. They got two good wide receivers that both have been number ones at their previous places. They got two running backs that are number ones. They got an offensive line that they've rebuilt. They just added another tight end in Austin Hooper. If if Baker Mayfield can't get it done with this staff, then he'll never be able to get it done. So, yes, he's I would say he shouldn't have been the number one and pick based

on what his talent was. But now that he's the number one, their job is to put everything around him to help him thrive. And so maybe Baker Mayfield can resurrect his career and maybe becomes Jared Goff and Jered Goff. Isn't everything, but when he's around about the right thing and he has the right play caller, he can play at a high level and get his team to the super Bowl. I think you could probably say the same

for Baker Mayfield. Everything has to be right, but if it's right and he plays within himself, they certainly can win a lot of games. We'll join right now by Bucky Brooks of NFL Network, And Bucky, you look at this Cleveland offense. Obviously, as the whole conversation as unfolded here, it's pretty clear that their offense is predicated on the run far more than it is on Baker's arm, specifically

when they've won this season. Talk to me about what other teams have done to stop the run, because my first thought is, well, you croud the box and you force Baker to beat You have teams done that and just not been successful? Or what have teams done defensively to try to slow down that run? Well, I mean,

you can load the box. The problem is are you good enough outside to deal with Odell Beckham Junior and Jarvis Landry and as they get more and more comfortable in this offense, you're beginning to see Kevin Stefanski draw up these isolation routes where look, they're able to max protect and they're able to let Odell Beckham freelance and do all the stuff that he wants to do. And

he is a very very difficult guard. And so when they get him the ball, and they get him the rock early and often, Odell Beckham Junior is a handful, and so you kind of forced to pick your poison. Do you want to stop the running game because you know that's what they do? And are you willing to live with some of the big plays that could happen in the passing game. That's the dilemma that they're able

to create. But the personnel that they have on the field, Bucky, My next question isn't necessarily specific to this upcoming game, but more of the Cowboys defense in general. We keep hearing them speak about communication and just maybe simplifying or trying to simplify the defense a little bit. How long does it actually or usually take a defense with a new coach be able to find connection and be able to be in sync and be able to be fully communicating and everyone to have just kind of be on

the same page. Well, it depends because you got a lot of moving parts on that defense. You got young players that have never played in the NFL, who didn't have the benefit of a preseason, so they're trying to

figure out the speed of the game. You have a new coordinator who is still trying to figure out all the pieces that he has at his disposal, and he is one that likes to have a very healthy playbook, meaning he wants to be multiple, he wants to be to change a bunch of different coverages, and so that requires typically a lot of experience and communication. And the problem that we're seeing with the Cowboys the ball is

flying over their head too much. I mean too many big plays, too many blown coverages, too many miscommunications and assignment errors. And at that point, when you're the coach, you have to figure out what do we do well, can live in this one coverage or one or two coveragers of calls and just see if we can just play solid, keep the ball in front and not mess

it up. I think the challenges on Mike Nolan, even though he wants to do all of these things that maybe they were even doing in New Orleans because it's so complicated. How long can you go with this and how often can you do These guys bust coverage and give up big plays when you know that the team is struggling not only on defense but also in the

kicking game. We've talked about this before though. If you simplify that for the players, how much how easy is that for an offensive coordinator, Because if you're simplifying it for them, I'm sure the offensive coordinator can figure out what's happening too. All right, so you're cutting out, but I'm assuming that you said, when you simplify the defense,

are you also asking about complimenting the offense? Well, no, I'm saying, if you simplify it for the defensive players, are you also simplifying it for the opposing offensive coordinator to figure out what you're doing. Look, so here's the thing. There are two ways to approach it. You can try to make your defense one where you fool the other

the quarterback and the coordinator. But if you're fooling your own players, it's all for not like there's something too Sometimes lining up playing a basic so that everyone knows exactly what they're doing. And I think when you look at this team, and this is something where Mike McCarthy has to step in. He has to look at the team and say, we're one in two, we're struggling, we're leaking a lot of oil on defense, and we're not

really good in the kicking game. What can we do to put ourselves in a situation where we're scoring enough points to win games? And some of that maybe, Coach Nolan, here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna line up in quarters coverage. We're gonna play it all day. They're gonna keep the ball in front, and we'll be good inside the red zone in the twenties, and we'll make them kick feel goals because offensively we're putting over thirty points

up on people, so we can score enough points. We just don't need to die a quick death by giving up these big plays. And that's what's happening. And when you have a guy like Trevon Digg, when you look at the film four or five, six mental Eras and Bust, it is obvious that it is too complicated for him. Sometimes the coach has to step in and say, hey, I got to help the young fellow, Let's make it as easy as possible so I can let him play

to his town. So along that same line, Bucky, I mean, I think we laid it out pretty well going into this game. You know that they're going to try to run the ball, But I almost feel like maybe you just make peace with that in an effort to protect yourself in the passing game. I mean that is that kind of what you're saying is because I'd rather I think I'd rather let Nick Chubb run all over me than give up you know, these these game changing plays

like we saw in Seattle. I mean, do you just kind of live with with dying slow deaths via the running game? I mean, is that a preferable strategy? I mean, I think you can do that. And they're defensive coinators around the league that will look at a team and they will say, you know what we'll do. We will be willing to see if they're willing to run the ball over and over and over again, is their offensive coordinator patient enough to be able to do it? And

can they score points on the running game? So that certainly can be a thing where the Cowboys line up in a seven man box and they say that abe, we're going to take it away. You can selectively bring pressure. But I think here's the big thing that has been

a kind of revelation to me. I thought that Mike Nolan was going to be a lot more aggressive when it came to wanting to be multiple and having a defense that's very varied, but we're seeing in critical downs he refuses to dial up pressure, and so in talking to people, they say, look, that's kind of how he is. He's very conservative when it comes to that. He's not going to bring a lot of blitzes because he just thinks that he can kind of stop him with a

base defense. And what we're seeing if the front four can't get home and you can't cover in the back end, I mean, it just makes it very, very problematic. He has to determine what is the best course of action, and it may be sit in, die a slow death and hope that they can be great in the red zone.

You can have as many yards as you want to inside the twenty between the twenties, but once we get into the twenties, we spend all of our time really working on our red zone defense, and we can make you kick field goals as opposed to score in touchdowns. That's a win for the defense. Yeah. The one thing I will say about dying that slow death. The only problem with that is even when the Cowboys tend to keep both their safeties back, they're still getting beating coverage.

So I don't know that you necessarily say when you're gonna put that guy, that extra guy down somehow that's gonna make a difference. We saw it last week in that first touchdown. Both safeties were back and they still bust at the coverage. Guy gets behind them and you get an easy, quick touchdown. So I don't know how much that helps, but I do think it's something that we're gonna have to pay attention to this week. All right, Bucky Man, we appreciate you joining you go ahead, good, Yeah,

I appreciate Yeah. Now you're right about the safety. So here's the problem. Like they gambled. They had Darren Thompson and Xavier was and they thought those guys would be good enough, and they changed to that split safety defense, which is the old defense that they used to have success with Jimmy Johnson and those guys quarters coverage. But you're safeties have to understand exactly what they're doing, and right now appears that those guys are lost with the

corners being lost and even the linebackers being lost. So they just need more time to figure out how to play that coverage that's going to be their base coverage. You know, real quick. Before we let you go, Bucky, I did want to ask you about this because you may you may have some perspective on this before Clinton, how Dix got to the Cowboys was the what was

the scouting report on him last season? What were the things he did well and not so well that you think may have led to the decision that the Cowboys are like, you know, we can do without him and we'll go with these other two guys at safety, which one Clint Dix? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the big thing

with high Clint Dix he wasn't a great tackler. And when you would talk to people around the league, they would just say, he's an okay player now because he was a first round player, because he's been to a Pro Bowl. Sometimes the reputation exceeds what the player really is, and so they thought he would be solid. They thought he would be a nice When I talk to people around the league, they thought he'd be a nice stop gap player, someone that could kind of be the community kat,

the traffic cup. I don't know what happened in training camp where they felt like they were better on better off without him, but there was a thought that he would be just a solid communicator. You'll be able to kind of talk to the young guys and provide some leadership ability, even though he had some flaws and deficiencies in his game. All makes sense. All right, man, we appreciate you join us. We'll be back tomorrow. We're gonna

talk a lot about this Cleveland defense. And I know I saw you had a little interesting conversation on Twitter about the Cowboys in their offense and how they approached games. I want to talk to you a little bit about that tomorrow. We'll get into that, all right. All right, man, thanks so much. Let me let's do it. All right, we'll talk to you guys. We're gonna take our final, our first break. I'm sorry, we'll take our first break when we come back. We got some questions for these guys.

Talk a little bit more about this Cowboys defense versus the Cleveland Brown offense. We'll be right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com radio. We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor Pepper and creep soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor Batman cream soda. Is he a newcombone that's music to my ears? Okay, Doctor times, music's my ears and mouth new Doctor Pepper and cream soda. What delas just du bay? Want to

use what the pros use? How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black. Right now you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just ten bucks with free shipping. The Starter includes four Jack Black skincare favorites plus a full size intense therapy lip bomb. Go to get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys and use the code word Team JB. That's get Jack Black dot com

slash Cowboys. The Jack Black Starter ten bucks, free shipping since eighteen sixty five. Stetson hats are American maid with Pride right here in Texas, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Want to show your Texas and Team pride two by purchasing your own stetson. You can look just like how the flag guys do on field at every home game. Steps and hats the official crown of all self respecting Cowboys and your favorite

football team. Get yours today at Shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot com or at Stetson dot com. It's funny as we travel places, often we find the places we want to travel aren't really places at all. They're people, their grandparents, moms, old friends, and new nephews. That's why at American Airlines we've been using enhanced cleaning measures so you can feel confident every step until you get to them. So as always, our people can't wait to take you to yours American Airlines.

You are why we fly back to the Break. Get your tickets to see the Cowboys take on at Cleveland Browns when they returned at and T Stadium Sunday, October fourth, elevened numb tickets are on sale catchers at Dallas Cowboys dot com slash tickets Welcome Back. It is the second segment of the breakwere life from the s WBC Mortgage studios at the start, joined by Nick Dave Amber and

we just finished with Bucky Brooks. We're talking about Cowboys off I'm sorry Cowboys defense versus the Cleveland Brown offense, and I have some questions for you guys around that topic, just to get your opinions on kind of how you think that matchup works for the Cowboys. First question, Dallas has faced this has faced the third, the fourth, and

the eighth offenses in their first three games. Those are all top ten offenses as far as the numbers that they've put up offensively, right, Cleveland's ranked thirty first in offense. Is there more reason to believe it's because these offenses are that good or the Cowboys defense is that bad? Because obviously for them to get to three, four and eight it also has to do with who they faced and the Cowboys defense, as we know, it's pretty porous.

So which do you put it more on? Do you think the Cowboys offenses, I mean that these other offenses are really that greater, or do you think gets more of the Cowboys defense. Let's start with you, Nick Well, I think that's a good point that you know, the Cowboys defense is a third of the reason why they're up there so high. But like we said yesterday, you know these are established teams, established quarterbacks that have been to you know, the playoffs and even been to the

Super Bowl in the last few years. Uh, Matt Ryan, Jared Goff, of course, Russell Wilson. I guess it's been a few years for Russell, but he's playing outstanding, so, um, you know, and it's different these next you know, three games. I mean, if you know, they've got Baker Mayfield, you got Daniel Jones, you got Kyler Murray, got inexperienced guys.

They're they're drafted high, but inexperience. So I think it's probably more about the um the just the offenses that they've faced, and you know, not so much that I mean, the defense struggling, there's no doubt about it, but I'm just saying that, yeah, it'll get easier with the offenses that they face. Amber I guess, um, if you look at it that way, looking at the opposing offenses that they face so far, you can make that argument. At the same time, I don't think it's to either extent.

I don't think the Cowboys defense is that bad, but at the same time, they I don't think they have been playing to their potential, and there are things in their game that we've seen where it's just simple things that need to be cleaned up. They need to overall as a unit, play better football, clean up their game, quit making the mistakes that we've seen. And yes, it might be a cause of facing better teams. But at the same times, there are just basic things that I

think that the Cowboys need to improve. So hopefully, hopefully we start seeing them play better. But I do think that their defense is just not that great but also not that bad. Okay, Dave's where's the gift of my roll from the taco commercial? Why not both? Why can't Why can't they play good offenses and also be bad? Um? Yeah, you play Matt you know you play Matt Ryan Russell Wilson MVPs super Bowl guys, it is going to be tough, and they deserve a little bit of leeway for that.

At the same time, two straight weeks where receivers are just standing, you know, by themselves, that's I just I can't let that go. At the NFL level, that's not supposed to happen. It's hard enough to stop points from being scored when you do things right, let alone when Hayden Hurst and Tyler Lockett are just like, but where is everybody? Oh, there we go, So that that's just not good and that's the type of stuff that even

bad offenses can't exploit. So they get credit for going against some really good offenses, but some of those breakdowns are troubling no matter who you play. Yeah, that was gonna lead to the question of are we evaluating this defense too harshly? But I think you guys have basically said no, we're not like this defense, and I agree

with you. I think the defense is just not played well and it's it's for you, I think precisely the reason that Dave hit on, which is it's not just that they've given up the points, it's how they've given up the points in a lot of instances where you just have guys completely open and that's just busted coverage, and you're just like, come on, you can do better. But that's the part that that we get into. And

this is the next question. Do you think that if that's really the biggest issue that we have with this defense, do you think that's correctable? Because busted coverage can be corrected. It's one thing if you're getting beaten in man to man coverage and you just can't cover the guy. It's a whole different thing if it's busted coverage, where it's just nobody knew what they were supposed to doing. Are certain people didn't know what they were supposed to be doing.

Do you think this is correctable? Nick? Yeah, I do. I do think it's correctable. But it all stems back to the pass rush For me, I mean, I just don't think that that's I mean, and we've talked about this before with other with the other previous coaching staff, about the arrogance of the staff of like this is how I do things, and this is this is my system. When it's not working, can you fix it? And you know, we heard Bucky say that about what Mike Nolan doesn't

usually blitz and call it blitzes. You need to because these guys, it doesn't matter what Dlogue, Griffin, Poe, Aldon Smith. I mean, he's Aldon Smith, got three sacks. But I'm just saying it's not consistent that across the board that this pass rush is getting home. So it doesn't matter what their name recognition is, they're not getting there. And I think that's where stemspect all the other stuff in the back end. I think it's the pass rush, all right,

Ambury and Dave. I think you guys already answer the questions. I'm gonna move to another question for you guys. Dave, you have some well real realm. So yeah, sorry, and you're you're right, we need to move on. But I did think and I actually wrote a story about it yesterday. You can go read it. Jerry Jones had some interesting comments about yesterday. I just about that. You know, if there's something that gives him optimism, it's that this coaching

staff should be adaptable. And I thought he made the interesting point, which is like, you're not gonna get fired. You know that that was always a thing with Jason Garrett for the last however many years, is that you know, the wrong result can cost you your h But but nobody on this staff should be worried about that right now, and hopefully that gives them the you know I mean right now, yeah, for sure, but I mean hope hopefully that should give you the freedom to mess around a

little bit. And you know, like this isn't this isn't the personnel that Mike Nolan probably views as ideal for how to do his stuff, Like that's gonna take time, so tinker around a little bit adapted. If it's not working, throw it out the window until next season. So and we saw, I mean, it's a different side of the ball, but they were willing to do that with their offensive line, like they chunked. They chunked their preferred method out the

window when they saw that it wasn't working. So that at least gives me a little bit of optimism that maybe they'll be a little more creative than what we're used to seeing. Okay, here's what we got. This next question. I want you guys to follow me a little bit on this because I'm gonna have to lay it out for you and then I want to get your opinions. Right now, Cleveland is tied for third and rushing and

the first in explosive plays. Yeah, seven plays where they've at a run for twenty plus yards, So again, their running game is really good. Dallas, on the other hand, is twenty third in rush defense. However, if you look at the numbers a little closer, you'll notice that a lot of that is about volume. They have the fourth most rush attempts against them, which makes a lot of sense.

They were in a lot of games where the other team had a lead, they start running the ball a little bit more so with all those rush attempts they've They've other teams have built up more rushing yards. However, yards per carry is only tenth in the league. They're

only giving up three point eight yards per carry. So looking at the two and trying to balance the two, which you do think plays out here, the Cleveland rush offense or who has more I guess more of a more of an opportunity to do well this weekend Cleveland rush offense or the Dallas rush defense. Let's start first with you, Amber. I want to say Dallas, but I

just I don't trust them right now. I don't trust the rush defense regardless of these numbers, and in comparison to what Cleveland is currently doing with their rushers, I just don't don't see it balancing too well there. I think that Cleveland is gonna be able to run the ball and the Cowboys are gonna give up some big plays. And when you talk about explosive plays, yeah, it could

only take one. I mean I think you mentioned about them only giving up one big rushing play, explosive play, So those are things that it could only just take one play like that to give them the gay the gay the game, sorry, give them the game and let them win. So in this one, I'm not completely loving the matchup here. I think that the Cowboys defense should be able to hold them up a little bit, but at the end of the day, I don't think it

will be enough. Everyone else is gonna have to help, and the defensive line it's gonna have to put their part and try to help the linebackers, Dave. If the Browns are arrogant enough to just charge right at them, then I like the Cowboys chances honestly, because you know people are tired of hearing it. DeMarcus Lawrence is really good against the run. Jalen Smith is probably at his best when he can just crash toward the line of

scrimmage and hit somebody. The problem is, is Cleveland gonna be that arrogant or are we going to see counters in misdirection Because that's the stuff that gave them trouble against the Rams was misdirection, Like they weren't terrible when when Malcolm Brown was just charging right at them. The Rams won the game, obviously, but but it wasn't awful. Same thing with Todd Gurley. Um so if that's what the Browns want to do, I think the Cowboys will

hold up. But I have a feeling that's not what they'll do, and hopefully they're a lot more prepared for it this week than they have been in past weeks. Nick, Well, this is kind of a tricky one because when you look at the Browns, you know, they beat the Redskins and the and the Bengals. Okay, those two teams that were you know, first and second pick overall. Um, huh, whatever this is gonna take. Used to apologize Ravens. Uh,

they gotta beat thirty eight to six. But in that game, they you know, Kareem Hunt seventy two yards and Nick Chubb sixty yards and they're getting beat the whole game. So they're still running the football. But you know, to Dave's point, I think I think it's it's it's good. I would rather if I'm in the Cowboys defense, I would rather them run the ball, run the ball and

not get beat with big plays. But you know, do you trust Baker Mayfield to really to really hurt you, I mean, or do you want to get after him and say, you know, like Seattle didn't say we'll stop the run. I don't know if this guy can beat us, So it's got to be a combination of both. I mean, but they they better blitz Baker Mayfield more because he's he's not that mobile where he where you can't get away. You know, he's not in Russell will so of course, and I don't trust his arm the same, so I

think you gotta get after him as well. All right, we're gonna take our final break when we come back. I do want to talk a little bit more about what you just mentioned, Nick with Baker Mayfield and the strategy for the Cowboys. Do you load up and try to stop the run and make Baker meet beat you, or do you stay back and play your conventional defense that you've been playing and just take whatever comes to

you on the run defense? Or trust trust the fact that your front six or seven can stop the run. We'll talk about that when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Since eighteen sixty five. Stetson Hats are American maid with pride right here in Texas, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Want to show your Texas and team pride too. You can by purchasing your own stetson. You can look just like how the flag guys do on field at

every home game. Stetson hats the official crown of all self respecting Cowboys and your favorite football team. Get yours today at Shop Dallas Cowboys dot com or at Stetson dot com. I'm Jay Novachek, former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Back in the day. I was the guy who always got the tough yards and that's why I run with John Deer today. In fact, I have a John Dear three zero twenty five E tractor that can handle any yard work I need to do, even the

tough yards way out back. So if you have one acre or a thousand, John Deer has the equipment that's just right for you. Visit a John Deer dealer today and run with us. We are the official tractor provider of your Dallas Cowboys. Want to use what the pros use? How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black. Right now you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just

ten bucks. With free shipping. The starter includes four Jack Clack skincare favorites plus a full sized and tense therapy lip bomb. Go to get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys and use the code word Team JB. That's Get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys. The Jack Black Starter ten bucks free shipping. We're back in the tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and taste buds. It's new Doctor pepper and cream soda. Let's take a listen, Doctor Batan cream soda.

Is he a new combone. That's music to my ears? Okay, doctor music to my ears and mouths new Doctor pepper and cream Sodas. Back to the break, Derek. Are you coming to the game this weekend? Yes, I'm coming to the game. Are you gonna wear a mask? Yes, I'm wearing a mask. Keeping your distance from everybody else? Yes, especially David Amber right. Are you gonna have casualist transactions? Be prepared for that, because I will, but I'm not paying for anything. Yes, I'll be ready, all right, But

be aware of casualist transactions. You have to wear a mask horse keep your distance. Those are the safe stadium policies that you need to know prior to arriving at AT and T visit Dallas Cowboys dot com slash stafe stadium. I'll just read it next time. Just season work. Yeah it worn't. Yeah no, but you know, actually, I'm excited about getting back out to the stadium. The last time we had a home game, it was nice to be in the stadium and actually have football being played in

front of you. I'm sure Amber and Dave would agree with that. It was it was kind of cool to be in that environment. So I just want them to bring back the bacon, egg and cheese Croissan. That's really all. It is a new game, so there is a real possibility we will get that again. And you know I much I love food, so I'm all in with you on that. You know, Dave, we hadn't had a chance yet to talk about college football. You want to take a segment to kind of catch us up on what's

happening there. Hey, everybody knew that. You know, when you have a season that good, you're gonna come down a little bit. But that's all right because those memories last a lifetime. Even if Saturday was Saturday sucked, man. I mean, we could get into it if you want to. I don't know. I actually don't want to get into like go ahead. It's like when you wait, It's like when you wait all year for Christmas morning and then you're

it's not even socks. It's like it's like if you're you wait all year for Christmas morning and your parents like gave you like school supplies, like it just it sucked. Yeah, that's okay. I don't think any of us, any of us were happy with our college team performance on Saturday, but you know, it is what it is. And I was happy to have college football back. We did win, but I was not happy at all. So it is. It's just part of it, all right. Let's jump back

in cow Do we do this to ourselves? I know, but it's the fun of it, right, It's the love hate relationship you have with football, all right. So Cowboys defense versus Cleveland offense. And before the break, I kind of teed up the question I have for you guys at this point Strategically, do you think it's better for the Cowboys to load up to stop the run knowing

that this team runs the ball really really well. I know you got the options out there at wide receiver, but as you were saying, Nick before the break, I don't know that any of us thinks that the trigger man is a guy that that really is gonna kill you. So that all being said, do you think Cowboys should load up stop the run or do you think they just play back and trust the fact that they they're six or seven in the box, are gonna be able to get it done stopping the run. Let's start first

with you, Nick. I think you gotta you gotta see if Baker Mayfield can beat you. You know, obviously, you know he's a Heisman Trophy winner, number one pick. He's got some you know, he's got that it factor, moxie, he's got all that stuff. But you know he does he doesn't have that The arms drink the same and you know he's still he still doesn't have all those intangibles, um, you know, to beat you, you know consistently. I don't that I haven't seen yet. So well, I think you

gotta you gotta stop. What you know that they can do is run the ball, get close to that line of scrimmage and just make him uncomfortable. Amber. I agree with everything that Nick said. I think that the Cowboys should put their focus on energy in trying to stop the run and then trying to pressure him when he's trying to throw it past, just make him uncomfortable, and then hope that your secondary. I am hoping that the secondary is able to make a comeback this game and start,

hopefully creating some takeaways. There's been times where we've seen the secondary be like super close in certain places and it just doesn't happen. So I hope that because of the quarterback that they'll be facing this weekend, that they are able to kind of redeem themselves a little bit as far as the secondary goes, and able to just create some takeaways. Dave, I don't think I could disagree

with y'all more. And maybe it's maybe it's recency bias because of what we watched on Sunday, But you know, six Flags over Texas is right next door to the stadium, and I want, I want, I want to play too high this entire game, and I want my safeties at six Flags, like that's what I want. I'm gonna sit back and I'm gonna say Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, you chew up all the yard as you want between the twenties, but we're not letting anybody go to the

house from fifty sixty yards away. That ain't happening, because it's very it's possible, but it's very unlikely that running backs are going to turn this game on its head. I mean, even you know the NFL level, it's very rare to see runs of more than fifteen, twenty twenty five yards. It happens, and they're leading the lead, in leading the league in that they are they are, but hey,

that drop the safeties back. If they run for thirty yards, that sucks, But it's better than a seventy yard touchdown. And guess what, Odell Beckham can absolutely turn a game on his head by himself. The Bengals were playing the Browns fairly close a couple weeks ago until it all changed on a forty five yard Odell Beckham touchdown. And that's what I'm worried about. So chew up all that yard as you want. We're gonna let you get to the red zone and our hope is that we're going

to force you to kick field goals. But I think you know, the passing game is how you turn a game on a dime. And I can't afford to let that happen this week. So that's that's how I feel. I'm playing those safeties all the way back all day long.

I'm gonna flip back to Nick's question he had for Bucky Brooks, and I want to start a day with this question because I remember, David, I had this conversation back when Baker was being drafted, and you were a believer in Baker back then, And so my question is for you, I guess, from Nick's standpoint, is it a busted pick? Are you still a believer in what you saw of him coming into the league and what he's turned out to be to this point in his career. I mean, I do like Baker. I mean I was.

I was as surprised as anybody when he went number one. I don't know that that was the right decision, but I still think he's a good quarterback. And I thought Bucky made the case very well himself, as you know, I mean, as Jared Goff a busted pick. I mean, you can obviously get to a super Bowl with him. You need the right combination of coach and scheme, and

there's got to be talent around him. But like I'm honestly I'm so sick of that narrative, Like they're just aren't very many quarterbacks that can get it done without a lot of help right now. It's it's probably Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. And as much as we all think of Patrick Mahomes, we've never seen him have to do it all himself. He's got the best receiver corps in the best tight end in the league. He's had good running backs his whole career. He's got the best

right tackle in the league, or one of them. So, you know, I absolutely think Baker can still be successful. He's got to have the right talent around him. But I don't think anybody's questioning right now Baker's talent around him. I mean, as Buckie said, his talent right says, his talents better than the teams of Cowboys that face so far. I mean, he's got talent. No, you're You're absolutely right.

I mean, he's got a first round pick at left tackle, he's got a big money free agent at right tackle. He's got two great receivers, he's got two great backs. I mean, if if this season is disappointing, I don't want to hear a whole lot of excuses, but right now, I think I think the jury is still out. I want to I mean, I want to see how the Brown's fair this season and how Baker plays. Obviously, I don't watch every snap of his career the way that I do with Dak Prescott, so it's definitely early to

say it's a busted pick. But I do think that the Browns can build a contender with Baker Mayfield as their quarterback. Camber, do you have an opinion on Baker Mayfield as the quarterback? I think that anytime you're drafted first round, you have big expectations for someone like that, and the way that he's been playing and the way that the Browns have been kind of trying to rebuild their team. I think it does take a certain amount of time for that too, for you to start seeing

the returns on that whole investment of everything. So I don't think he's a complete bust. I would like to give him a little bit more time to see how he turns out the rest of the season, But as of right now, I don't think it's fair for me to kind of completely rush based on all the changes that the Browns have been making in order to make their team more successful. Nick Well, I mean I didn't like to pick at the time, mainly because because you know,

he had the first and fourth overall pick. I just thought I would have I would have done that differently. I still think you could get you know, there's the irony here is that I always said I think you could get some something at the top of the second round, very comfortable, you know, to Baker Mayfield. As it turns out,

I would have taken se Quon Barkley. But I think the guy, the running back that they got at the top of the second round, Nick chubp is probably he's not the same as as Barkley, but he's he's really good. He's really good. So he said that next year, and so you know it to me, I would have taken Quentin Nelson, you know, with the guard, I would have taken him at like fourth and then probably Barkley and him. But you know, he Baker came in there and and

you know turned it around. I mean, that was a terrible, terrible franchise, and you know he's turned it around and he's got some help around him. I just I just think when everything Bucky was describing of what he needs to help win. Just doesn't sound like the number one overall pick. But I mean Joe Burrows trying to do the same thing. He's taking a very struggling franchise. You know, he was a much better college player. I think Dave would agree, and uh, you know, I mean he doesn't

have a mini holes in his game. So but he's still it's gonna he's doing this by himself too, so it's gonna be tough. I will say this, like, Baker has way more talent than anything Burrow's working with at this point. And you look at this team. Hey, I want those out there that haven't watched the Cleveland Browns

just no going into this game. They got a ton of talent, like they haven't been able to over the last whatever number of years to be able to make it matter as much for them on the field with their wins and losses. But just the raw talent they got on that team, it's impressive, because it is absolutely impressive. I mean, when you when you're terrible, like four or five years in a row, like you're gonna get a lot of good picks. You know, the Carolina did that too.

They all of a sudden like, oh, they're good now because they they've been bad for it's the Washington defensive line. Like they got a great set of talent, amount of talent there on that defensive line, but it's because they've had picks for so long down at the top of the draft, and so it just happens like that. David, you have something you want to say, I didn't know.

I'm not really I just I guess That's kind of my point is, even even if you are worthy of being the number one pick, it's very hard to do it yourself. Like there aren't There are not a lot of number one overall drafted quarterbacks that went on to have amazing careers. You know, Peyton Manning obviously is one, and Cam Newton off the top of my head. But like, when you go into a situation like that, unless the team is good at putting talent around you, like, it

breaks a lot of guys. So I'm not ready to I'm not ready to hate on Baker too much, but I mean, it's it's year three. He's got talent, it's time to deliver it. And honestly, it reminds me a lot of what we said about dak a couple of years ago, and Dak has risen to the occasion in my opinion, and it's it's time for Baker to start doing the same. Absolutely, all right, appreciate you guys joining us. We are back tomorrow. We're going to get into this

Cleveland defense versus the Cowboys offense. Lots to talk about there. We'll be right back tomorrow. Until then. For Nick Eatman, Dave Helmant Amber Garcia. I am Derek Hilton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.