Babe Laufenberg previews Cowboys/Browns, keys to the game

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Cowboys color analyst Babe Laufenberg joined Shan & RJ to preview the Cowboys' first game of the 2024 season agains the Cleveland Browns. They discuss the keys to this game, including what it'll take for the Cowboys' offensive line to stop a formidable Browns defense.
Transcript
00:00You've been talking about this for years, and you've been right about it for years.
00:19How do you feel about this year's Mike Zimmer version of the Cowboys' Rundy?
00:24Well, the way I talk about it is I'm really more concerned with stopping the pass and
00:29stopping the run.
00:30But obviously, everybody, that's been a focus here.
00:33And I found it very interesting that in training camp, I've never seen this many veteran players
00:41in the front seven, or any position for that matter, you know, be acquired after training
00:46camp started, guys who were just out there.
00:49And they clearly weren't content with what they had because they kept bringing in these
00:54guys.
00:55And, of course, Linville Joseph, 35 years old, he's going to be in the thing.
01:00But here's my thing.
01:01Why are we so focused on stopping the run?
01:04They don't pay running backs, do they?
01:06The NFL has deemed them to be non-factors, right?
01:11They pay receivers.
01:13Let's stop those guys.
01:15So that's where my focus is, always stop the pass.
01:18Really?
01:19Yeah.
01:20Stop the pass, more important.
01:22I don't think that the non-paying of the running backs mean that the running game is meaningless.
01:29It's just the way that they believe the running game can be achieved.
01:32I mean, you know, against San Francisco and tougher and more physical teams, and last
01:37year in Aaron Jones, the game can still be controlled by it at times.
01:44At times, but hey, look at San Francisco, Christian McCaffrey in the last three games,
01:50he wasn't here for the first one, that first playoff game at AT&T Stadium.
01:55He's averaged three and a half yards, three yards a carry.
01:59And his long run in the two games is eight yards.
02:02So the running game hasn't beat him against San Francisco.
02:06They don't score points when they played San Francisco.
02:09That's been their problem.
02:10But the running game, and I know Aaron Jones tore him up, but look what Jordan Love did
02:15to him.
02:16Yeah.
02:17I mean, all the big plays they had in the passing game, that's, you know.
02:19Right.

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