Interview Only: Cris Carter discuss Dallas Cowboy spiral. Run Derrick Henry Run. NFC North.

Published Oct 15, 2024, 4:00 PM

Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.

Stephen A. recaps Week 6 of the NFL with Hall of Famer Cris Carter,  including the Dallas Cowboys spiral, the strong standing in the NFC North, and more.

We got to get right into the NFL in the headlines from week six with a regular right here on the Stephen A.

Smith Show. All he did was catch touchdown passes.

He's a Hall of Famer, one of the greatest wide receivers in the National Football League history, the one and only Chris Carter. Chris, I mean, you were a little bit late get into the show today and they would talk about technical difficulties and all of that stuff.

I happened to know that was a lie. I happened to know that you was hoted.

I happen to know that you hesitant to come on to date's show because when you sort the Detroit Lions ripped those cowboys asked the way that they did, you said, Damn, I'm not in much of a position to come talk with some smack about those Minnesota Vikings.

Ain't got the real reason you were delayed.

Now I got respect for what's going on in Detroit. Okay, Now, this has been the old school way to build the team. First, you get a coach the people believe, then little min the docs style. But old school, we're gonna bring our lunch pail. We're gonna be biden ankles everybody laughed to have they fail. Now Dallas put Dallas understands what Biden ankles means.

So I got plenty of respect for what they've done.

How the rebirth of Jarrick Dolphin, his career there in Detroit, the weapons that they have in Detroit, that was spectactic. I think that's one the best overall performance by any football team we've seen. But you cannot discuss Detroit without discussing Aidy Hutchinson and the horrific injury that he had. Because people like him, they can't be replaced. That defense was just starting to have some biting. Yes, they score points, but now see this team might be like the ninety eight Vipens run through the regular season offensively, but defense around the middle.

Of the pack.

I don't believe that's gonna be good enough in the long run. But you're right about the lines.

I'm good.

Get to the lines a little bit more in a second, because that Hutcherson injury, I'm gonna ask you about that and.

The impact that I expect that to have of them. I get all of that.

CC, but I got to tell you, said, man, I am not satisfied with your response. You are not giving me the passion and the laughter that I need when it comes to that ass whipping those Dallas Cowboys talk. I mean that wasn't ass whipping, Okay, I mean it is right. I mean, we see people lose games every single week. It's where we see folks get pumped the way that they did get beat at the line of scrimmage. We got colleagues and contemporaries in the business calling football players soft. That's what they're saying about these Dallas Cowboys. That's what a lot of people are seeing.

CC. What did you see from the Cowboys?

Okay, I've heard all the analysts.

I've heard every man what you talked about offensively and defensively, the deficits at home, getting smacked at home. But the worst was after the games to you today, and not only on Jerry's birthday. That was not the type of present this team is supposed to give that man at eighty two. But Dak Presco when he got to the podium and said, I'm not going to hit the panic.

Button, Oh my lord.

You know what, when he was when he was on his first contract and he was trying to make a name for himself, he would have pushed the panic button now.

But now that he got that two hundred and thirty million guaranteed.

I saw the outfit he had on, body looking nice and aircut, nice and fresh. But that performance and that type of leadership afterwards, it's time to hit the panic button.

I'm so panic right now. Man, you're not getting ready to believe it. I'm getting ready to tell you.

Oh, I'm ready to entertain Bill Belichick as the coach. I'm willing to stop being the general manager. I'm willing to stop because this team stinks and Bill Belichick his overall leadership and knowledge of football. It's kind of break the glass. It's an emergency five alarm, Stephen, bring in Bell up.

Win, win win.

When are you talking about bringing in Bill Belichick next season?

Win?

Yes, we're gonna bring him in, But you gotta realize the JITs are already looking for a coach.

They're gonna be five or six teams looking for a coach.

That meant don't that mean you need to grab them now? Don't that mean you need to grab them now?

You you need to entertain them. You need to entertain man that if you don't hit through the month of no Haber. I mean, with the Dallas' schedule, man, anybody can dig them right now. Should college teams be lining up to play the Cowboys right now? And they can't stop the run, can't run the football, stop c d Land, what else they gonna do to you?

I'm looking at the Dallas Cowboys right now. You bring Updak Prescott, i'mna sart callinghim Zoolanda. He looked like the male model. The cut was fresh, the outfit was nice. I mean he looked he looked all stealth and everything, looking damn good, looking like he gonna have a nice time after games, no matter what the hell they do on that football field. And that's the damn problem. But I will combat you with this. I don't agree with you on this point. You said that before he got his contract, he would have hit the panic button.

Nah.

The Dak Prescott that I see at the podium talking to the media after losses like this is the same Dak Prescott I've always seen Cecie. I think that's part of the damn problem that never seems to be a bit of urgency. He always says the right things, but he damn sure doesn't always do the right things.

Listen, that is in a situation that if he does not play spectacular football, his team is not going to win the game. So what he's going to say after these games, he gonna run out of excuses, like you can only lose so many different ways.

You can only get embarrassed at home. And I mean, we thought this was the same team. It's not the same team.

Man. They used to be dominated, they used to be super ex close ve on the offensive side. This is not the same team even on paper they brought back to say team.

I look at Derrick Henry as maybe being the luckiest dude in the Nation Football League. He's in Baltimore making noise, running Roughshod had another one hundred and thirty two yards brushing yesterday against the Commanders in Baltimore's victory over them. The brother is getting touchdowns every single week. He's a fantasy football person's dream. He's balling right now. Had he gone to Dallas running behind that offensive line, his career might be in danger.

That's how bad Dallas is.

Sometimes you need God to close doors. Everywhere is not a lesson, even Dallas. All the glips in glamour, even though you live in that town no, no, no, no, man, you need to go to Baltimore, because guess with Baltimore Nobles, they known physicality.

They teach that every year.

Any hardball team, the dad through the sons is a physical teamer.

They got Grand Piers posting football right now. In another league.

That's a physical football team. That's the way they're gonna play. It's hard to teach that in the National Football League. So I told you earlier in the season. Don't be surprised wing the slow start with the big fella in Baltimore tackling the preseason, let them figure out his style. But Baltimore and with Lamar playing the best football now spreading on his eyes still down the field, this is the best Lamar, not the first MVP, not the second MVP. This is the best Lamar. So to Baltimore, Yes, they're fortunate. They're fortunate Jerry and them couldn't come up with that money. So now he ends up in Baltimore, and man, right, explosive combination.

May let me switch back to the NFC North in this respect. So you got the Vikings and defeated. You got the Detroit Lions looking in some people's eyes like the best team in football. The Chicago Bears, you know, just blitz the Jacksonville Jaguars. Don't get me started with the Jaguars. Only thing going for Trevor Lawrence is his heir commercials. Outside of that, Ain't nothing going on good in Jacksonville for crying out loud.

Okay, we've got that going on.

And of course Green Bay this could arguably be the best division in the sport right now. Tell me how you and absolute all of this that you've been seeing from the NFC North teams and what do you see coming out of it? Is it the Lions, is it the Vikings? What are you seeing at this particular moment in time? Ce see, and I need objectivity, state stay not that purple people eat a waving the pompoms.

Okay, I need objectivity.

Here, listeners. The people that produce theirself, they know it's purple rain this year. That's why I got purple.

On the back door, so I don't have to wear purple all the time. All this stuff behind me is because of the purple people understanding that. But I'm gonna recognize good football, especially quarterback.

Player Caleb Williams in Chicago. What they did over in London.

It was special the last three games. He's starting to live up to what they thought he could do. The person getting.

Healthy, my man, Keenan Allen in that slot is nasty.

He one of the most underrated football players the last ten years. Now he brings his actors to Kydlerbill help out the rookie. You could see the difference in London with him getting healthy. Green Bay, they finally have the quarterback healthy. In their defense, I believe it's going to be a top ten defense, So it's going to be about defense eventually the Vikings top ten.

Detroit's not gonna.

Be all stay in that top ten because of the injury, and Chicago's going to have a top ten defense. But we say right now because of the quarterback play of Jared Golf, I would give a slight ed to the Detroit line. But guess what, we getting ready worked out out on the field next week. So my opinion ain't gonna matter because next.

Week we're going let it fall right, need the fault.

There you go again.

But I will say this, Detroit's got two running backs both for over three hundred yards of Montgomery and Gibbs and what have you.

I'm looking at their dual run.

They got dual thread at the running back spot, they got a dual threat at the receiver spot in Williams. And obviously I'm in Rod Saint Brown. You got Laport at the tight ends spot, and golf playing lights out. I'm looking at the weapons and now, once upon a time I thought that Minnesota was a team with the bevy of weapons because of Jefferson and that Edison and what have you. But I'm looking at the Detroit Lions right now, and that coach of that, Dan Campbell, isn't stilled in that team. And I got to tell you something, I'm very impressed with what I'm seeing from them.

See, yeah, but this when you don't have the double A team an Adie Hutchinson.

When you can have our tight end TJ.

Hopkinson from Detroit, he'll be playing in next week's game when you can have him released and get into the pattern, they still don't have a Justin Jefferson. Okay, Jordan Addison is a better compliment, all right than anyone that they have there. And I know Jameson Wims is starting to emerge, but Jameson Addison is a better all around receiver. So Now that offensive line that we have, we match up with you have to double team Jefferson. So now it's a numbers camp. We get a lot of single matchups. And with Aaron Jones, if he's able to avoid a serious hip injury and able to run the football, doc is don't seen nothing but man domain.

So that's it's a match up man.

And now with Aiden Dan out, that's a huge component to who's going to win this divisit.

Let's transition to the South with the Bucks and the Falcons. Right now, I'm done with New Orleans. I mean, you give up fifty one points yesterday, I'm done with you. Okay, I know you don't have Derek Carr and there's your quarterback, but still, I mean, damn talk about getting us Ran russhot over. That's what happened to them yesterday. I've lost all faith. And then we know that Carolina is the worst team in football. It comes down to the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who dropped fifty one on New Orleans yes day. Baker Mayfield throwing touchdown passes, Mike Evans didn't even have.

A big game.

But Chris Godwin, did you know Todd Bowles knows how to coach that defense, even though that second quarter didn't look so great. What are your thoughts about what you're seeing in the in the NFC South, particularly from Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Man, you have to respect what he's doing.

I think seventeen touchdown passes, God wouldn't seem like you got is that second guy? Now, their ability to build to score the football, you're gonna always have a chance. And that division really only competition is going to be that Atland of Falcons.

But Baker Mayfield and.

His ability to build find a landing spot after having traumatic things happening as a starting quarterback. Most franchise quarterbacks, especially number one pick in the draft, formal Heisman trophies, they don't bounce back once they lose that first starting franchise. They don't ever get the keys to another city, to another franchise. And that's what Todd Bowles has been able to do with Baker Mayfield. It's almost impossible to rectorrect a quarterback that has had real, real success and real trauma as far as the quarterback position, as far as people giving up them. Baker Mayfield has found that that's magical to.

Bill to find.

And then this year when the South is down, I believe they emerge and win that division there and they're team I believe gonna make it to the playoffs.

You know, I'm gonna look, I'm gonna go to the NFC East. Only in this regard, I'm looking at the Commanders. This kid Jay Jayden Daniels, Listen Baltimore won the game yesterday, but he wasn't awful.

He showed up. The Commanders were formidable.

I'm thinking they still got a legitimate shot to win the division.

I don't know what the hell.

Nixon Rihanni was doing talking smack to Philadelphia Eagles fans, but it didn't I didn't mind it that much other people did.

What are you seeing in the NFC East?

I think it's safe to say, after watching the Dallas Cowboys what the bed yesterday that this division is going to come down to the Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles. What did you see and what do you believe in terms of who's gonna win that division?

First of all, Nick Sirianni yelling at the Philly Fame, I mean in Philly, you know, I played three gears Dan Philly. Every time me and Randall Cunningham warmed up.

Before the game, they booed him to death.

They called him all kinds of things. I used to be catching the ball next to cunning In and the guy who is boo when I've come from Ohio State. This stuff is foreign to me, but that is something. Do you remember the name rich co type. Yes, that's some that's some old rich pro type.

Former head coach for the Eagles and the Jets. He was not good and I really.

One of the worst head coaches in the history of the NFL. Those type of coaches are yelling at the families where your team gett't played with him.

I heard Bill.

Belichick talk about one time in New England they won like twenty games in the world and he took the mee at halftime and the fans boomed him. He said, that's par for the course, that's what that's what you're supposed to expect. So to me, regardless of what Philly looks like on the field, he loses the press conference every week. He looks like a a he looks like a guy trying out for the job. He looks like an interim head coach. So for me, I was very very disappointed about that. The team does not look good and used in Kelsey. You can see it in the press council after the game. You can see in the lack of leadership on that off the center.

The center.

I mean, I don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to devalue him, but it does make sense now I see what Jalen Hurt is talking about. But I'm kind of wondering how the quarterback allowed a situation and how.

The head coach allowed the situation where.

The center is the voice of the whole damn team and without him, y'all seem lost and discombobulated.

That don't make sense to me.

See listen, Bruh, that case of lining.

We never give him any credit. But you got a dude at center. I'm talking about the dud dude at center. This is just like Jeff Saturday.

Man.

Man.

It ain't no regular guys. Man. They keep all the linemen together. They are the most intelligent.

Typically decide to the quarterback own the football team. And you can see by a personality stuff he's doing off the field. Maybe he's a special, special guy. You want to just take that out of the locker room and.

Just replace it. Man, he talk offensive lineman, bruck Hey, man, you're going to give him some respect.

Man, smartest group up on the team, an underrated and every freaking aspect. And you watch this Philly team, they will miss his leadership throughout the season.

For I'll let you get on out of here. Who's the best team in football right now?

Football?

Man?

Best team in football? Who is it? Who is it?

Kansas City Chiefs?

Because they're algorithms, they can win more games.

More different ways.

They got the best coaching football in Andy Reeve, special teams, one percent defense. Fact know what he knows his personnel. Kansas City put some respect on him. Man, back to back, trying for back three in a row.

Best running back in football is who?

Best running? Mmm? I gonna do a kid from clown Man.

He's nice man, He's told Robson to me he's the best running back. I would take him over anybody in the NFL. He's got speed, he runs between the tackles. Great receiver.

Yes, yes, okay, yes, I would ask you the best would I was gonna say, Derek Henry, I ain't gonna lie to you. I was gonna say, Derek Henry. I mean, he's just a man amonkst boys. I'm just looking at him right now. He's just a man amongst boys. That's just how I feel about him. You know, I can't I can't say I can't say enough about him.

I would ask you who the best wide receive is, but.

I ain't wasting my time with your obvious answer. We all know you're gonna go justin Jefferson. We all know we ain't gonna think about it at all, So I'm just gonna leave it alone.

Man, all right, I'm gonna let you get on out here. I ain't gonna let you answer that damn question. How about that? Because I know what you're gonna say. I know what you're gonna.

Say that they do stuff like this.

Here we go, there you go see see Leudy Bro. Talk to you next week. We man, Thanks so much. You take it easy.