Cowboys D to face dual dynamic duos in duel with Browns

The defense for the Dallas Cowboys will be challenged by a dangerous duo of receivers and runners for the Cleveland Browns.

There’s been a litany of challenges for the Dallas Cowboys as the 2020 season has unfolded. Three weeks in and three uneven performances leaves room for improvement, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Sporting a 1-2 record, Dallas still has a chance to correct those ills and find some semblance of rhythm coming out of the first quarter of the campaign.

The offense? Even though they aren’t yet clocking, they are still one of the league’s best, averaging just under 30 points a contest. The defense hasn’t been nearly as good as they’ve needed to be yet. It hasn’t been pretty as the Cowboys are near the bottom of the league in most defensive categories and there has been too many blown assignments through the first three weeks.

It hasn’t looked good, but it’s also important to have a little perspective.

The defense has been playing without two of their top three corners in Anthony Brown and Chidobe Awuzie, as well two starters at LB in Leighton Vander Esch and Sean Lee. DE DeMarcus Lawrence is also banged up and isn’t playing at a high level yet, though he continues to make opportunities for his linemates.

The schedule hasn’t done the team any favors either.

Playing the Rams in the first week of the season was a tough ask considering they had a new defensive scheme to learn and no real offseason or preseason games to prepare. Meanwhile the Falcons and Seahawks both boast top-level QB’s and receivers to take advantage of a short-handed secondary in Dallas.

In the Cowboys’ first three games, the common denominator in each opponent is they have elite WR combinations. The Rams have Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, Falcons have Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, while the Seahawks boast DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

When still learning a new scheme, down solid CB’s due to injury and having trouble pressuring the QB, it’s hard to slow down those combinations.

With the Cleveland Browns coming to town, the defense will be facing another one of the best receiver tandems. Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry will be a difficult duo for the Cowboys to keep in check.

However, it’s another tandem that should worry the defense as well.

The one-two punch of RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt will be a handful to slow down. The defense hasn’t done well going up against some solid backs through the first three weeks, but it’ll be a whole new challenge to stop the duo of Chubb and Hunt.

Hunt hasn’t practiced the last two days, but there doesn’t seem to be any concern that he’ll miss the game. Even if Hunt can’t go, Chubb is the starter and is a handful to deal with. Chubb is fourth in the league in rushing with 292 yards, averages 5.7 yards a carry and has four rushing scores on the season. Those numbers would be even higher if he weren’t sharing carries with Hunt.

Despite all the talent on offense, the Browns are just 20th in the NFL in total offense and 18th in ppg at 25.

This isn’t the same old Browns, they are on a two-game win streak and bring a significant amount of firepower on offense to make for another shootout. The Cowboys would be wise to force some turnovers on the erratic, but talented QB Baker Mayfield. If the Cowboys’ offense can work with some short fields and get a lead, they can make life difficult on Mayfield and force the Browns offense to be one dimensional.

Another week and another gifted offense for the undermanned Dallas defense to defend. It won’t be easy, the Cowboys need a better effort on that side of the ball than they’ve gotten in the past few weeks to walk away victorious.

There are no cakewalks in the NFL.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.

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