Speaker 1: The Around the NFL podcast does four hours of independent
Speaker 1: study per week from the Chris Westling podcast studio and
Speaker 1: Keith and Dev's kitchen. It's Around the NFL. I'm Dan Kansas,
Speaker 1: joined by two heroes, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler. Boys. It's
Speaker 1: a t N Coast to coast for week seven the
Speaker 1: preview show. For such a great reason. You're, you know,
Speaker 1: your home, surprising your dad on his birthday week and
Speaker 1: I think we can handle this. We're gonna have to
Speaker 1: bring extra energy. Mark, I think to just like send
Speaker 1: that energy over to New York. I totally agree, Dan.
Speaker 1: I just I'd like to know what kind of breakfast
Speaker 1: your mom made you back in your home, childhood home.
Speaker 1: What happened? That great question, it's a great question. Uh.
Speaker 1: It's fall in New York here in the Lower Hudson
Speaker 1: Value of Valley. The Folia, the foliages just off the charts, beautiful. Uh.
Speaker 1: Deb prepared some eggs with onions, a little bit of ham,
Speaker 1: and then some paprika, which is a u a trick
Speaker 1: of Deb's for years. So you know it tastes, it
Speaker 1: tastes like home. Here, it feels like home. I'm wearing
Speaker 1: my orange autumnal button down to celebrate actually feeling what
Speaker 1: fall is like again. And I will tell you. I'll
Speaker 1: tell you something else. Boys. Obviously the Yankees in the
Speaker 1: playoffs right now. So a good sports scene here. It's
Speaker 1: on in New York City with the Jets and Giants.
Speaker 1: People going nuts here. Uh. Talk to a Cabby. I
Speaker 1: talked to a guy at the airport. Uh. There is
Speaker 1: a lot of positive buzz and of course the Giants
Speaker 1: are getting more of it here because this is this
Speaker 1: is more of a Giant's town than the Jets town.
Speaker 1: But you feel that pulsation that has not been happening
Speaker 1: in a long time, this part in this neck of
Speaker 1: the woods. Andy, I think you can respond to them
Speaker 1: as a Jets fan. Yeah, the Giant the Giants are
Speaker 1: five and one. Uh, but the Jets are better and
Speaker 1: have more talent. Let's be real. That's what I would
Speaker 1: tell just to start. So that's how you handle a Cabby.
Speaker 1: I think that's a good move with a Cabby. Just
Speaker 1: get confrontational. As Greg Wood. Uh, so you know how
Speaker 1: it is. Nothing changes for the preview show. We're gonna
Speaker 1: do all the games to come here in week seven. Greg,
Speaker 1: It's crazy how it flies, buddy, just the season just yeah,
Speaker 1: it keeps moving, it moves along, and it's faster than
Speaker 1: we expected. How did people? I hope you are checking
Speaker 1: out all the E t N content, the QB Index,
Speaker 1: Haiku special Um hearing a lot of good buzz about it.
Speaker 1: Please check it out if you have not yet. I
Speaker 1: mean it was. It was a raging hit because I
Speaker 1: looked at the metrics and the ratings behind it, and
Speaker 1: I don't know what to attribute it to, but um
Speaker 1: off the charts, participation from the listeners, and also an
Speaker 1: interactive episode where they kept tweeting us saying please more
Speaker 1: of this. It was. It was delightful as it was
Speaker 1: happening on the ears. Yeah, it was prerecorded show that
Speaker 1: had a high interaction level. And that's if we can
Speaker 1: get Mark reading poetry in general, we should mix that
Speaker 1: more into the program moving forward. It's always a winner,
Speaker 1: you know what. I bet the listeners would love it.
Speaker 1: And you know what, Mark, let's just put that on
Speaker 1: your plate for on a weekly manner. Uh, we need
Speaker 1: thirty two high cups everyonesday Wednesday, six am and then
Speaker 1: we'll do a recording. That's when I hit like Craigslist
Speaker 1: and hire an intern from usc to right start writing
Speaker 1: my content which we've which I've done before and where
Speaker 1: it's quite successful. Yes, you you will undoubtedly reach out
Speaker 1: to an intern at usc UM at some point. All right,
Speaker 1: let's get into the game, starting with the prime time
Speaker 1: action as we always do before we hit the draft,
Speaker 1: and on Sunday Night football. It is the Pittsburgh Steelers
Speaker 1: at two and four at the Miami Dolphins three and three.
Speaker 1: And the big story around this one, Greggy is to
Speaker 1: h is expected to return. Um he as we knew.
Speaker 1: As we expected, this was going to be a different
Speaker 1: process than a typical player given the high profile nature
Speaker 1: of his particular head injury. So even though he was
Speaker 1: cleared last week, he was not playing. Now another week passes,
Speaker 1: they feel comfortable. Obviously, people are gonna be watching it
Speaker 1: closely to see how to reacts and and I think
Speaker 1: hopefully he's gonna be okay, but it's gonna be a
Speaker 1: big lift in Miami. Who after a big start to
Speaker 1: the season, things have gone sideways. They have, and I
Speaker 1: don't necessarily think it's because of the quarterback position. They've
Speaker 1: certainly gotten luck are bad luck where in three games
Speaker 1: in a row now They've had their starting quarterback knocked
Speaker 1: out in the first half, and yet I don't think
Speaker 1: their quarterback play is really the reason they keep losing
Speaker 1: these games. Mike McDaniels had a bad month because I
Speaker 1: think the way he handled to his concussion uh publicly
Speaker 1: was problematic, and I don't think he looked good. And
Speaker 1: I'm surprised how little he seems to have reflected and
Speaker 1: have regrets about how he's handled it publicly. Yet I
Speaker 1: think he's such a good coach. I was watching Teddy
Speaker 1: and Skylar Thompson looked pretty good last week. I was
Speaker 1: surprised you were so hard on Teddy Mark on the recap.
Speaker 1: So they moved the ball, and this Steelers defense is
Speaker 1: a defense you can move the ball against. I have
Speaker 1: more confidence that to a tongue of Voloa and his
Speaker 1: great wide receivers of course, will move the ball up
Speaker 1: and down the field than I had for Tom Brady
Speaker 1: moving the ball up and down the field on Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1: I just don't think this is a defense it's gonna
Speaker 1: slow them down much. Yeah. I watching that Dolphins game,
Speaker 1: I kind of was wondering why, or with the Bucks
Speaker 1: Steelers game, why Tom Brady didn't take more shots down
Speaker 1: field because I think you can do that against Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1: They're the thirtie past defense in the league, and it's
Speaker 1: set up well for Toua for Jail and Waddle for
Speaker 1: Tyreek Hill. I think to make plays. You know, before
Speaker 1: Tuah went out, he was nine yards per attempt, highest
Speaker 1: in the league, tops in the league. He also, though
Speaker 1: I think something hidden in his game. He's a four
Speaker 1: point nine turnover worthy play rate this year, which is
Speaker 1: six in the league. There's been a couple he's been
Speaker 1: lucky on some would be interceptions on some fumbles that
Speaker 1: got recovered by the Dolphins. The biggest thing for me
Speaker 1: Toronto Armstead is back at practice. If he's back in
Speaker 1: the lineup, that is a big part for their offense
Speaker 1: because without him they have struggled with backup left tackles there.
Speaker 1: And you look at statistically during the three game losing streak,
Speaker 1: they've averaged just sixteen points a game, but even the
Speaker 1: week one through three, you say, oh, twenty seven point seven.
Speaker 1: But a lot of that was done in that huge
Speaker 1: shootout come back when they had uh in Week two.
Speaker 1: So I'm very interested to see where this offense is
Speaker 1: that I think it's interesting even with the points down
Speaker 1: during to his absence, you know, Wattle and Hill, they
Speaker 1: were getting there is in most of these games, even
Speaker 1: the game's game against the Jets where they didn't put
Speaker 1: up big numbers, they gained a hundred yards and past
Speaker 1: interference penalty. So you know, even I wrote about it
Speaker 1: earlier this week that you almost hit pause on their
Speaker 1: season the moment to his head smacked the turf in Cincinnati.
Speaker 1: But I also really interested to see if this fixes
Speaker 1: things quote unquote and they get on back to their
Speaker 1: winning ways, because let's fay is it, this is a
Speaker 1: game they should win at home, first prime time Sunday
Speaker 1: night game in a while against the Steelers team that
Speaker 1: you know what they are at this stage. Miami's gotta
Speaker 1: win or you gotta re examine where they stack up
Speaker 1: in the a f C playoff mix. I agree, and
Speaker 1: yet I think these are both underrated teams. Like I
Speaker 1: think everyone's given up on Pittsburgh because they started one
Speaker 1: and four. Every single game they've played has come down
Speaker 1: to the final play of the game, except for the
Speaker 1: Bills game, and everyone remembers that Bills game. It was
Speaker 1: a terrible game. I get it, but the other five
Speaker 1: against kind of mid level teams all came down to
Speaker 1: the final possession. Now they're gonna start Kenny Pickett. It
Speaker 1: appears in this game he's coming off a concussion as well,
Speaker 1: but he practiced fully and the reporting is that he
Speaker 1: will play. Rabinsky played so well the bench that I
Speaker 1: actually was curious to see if somehow that loosened him up,
Speaker 1: because he was much more aggressive. But we're not going
Speaker 1: to find out because it looks like it's gonna be
Speaker 1: pick it. But hope fully he throws the ball down
Speaker 1: the field a little more like like he had been
Speaker 1: to his receiver's Claypool got off last week. I thought
Speaker 1: the Dolphins defense played their best game of the season
Speaker 1: by far last week. Really look like they're old selves
Speaker 1: against Minnesota. For the most part, I think this is
Speaker 1: a sneaky good game, and I hate giving the Dolphins
Speaker 1: seven points. This is not even in the lock zone
Speaker 1: the Dolphins are. It's so favorite. I think these are
Speaker 1: two teams it will be. It's not like two Super
Speaker 1: Bowl contenders, but it'll be a good game. I do
Speaker 1: attribute some of what Miami's defense did to Minnesota, just
Speaker 1: the Vikings way of life, where they had like about
Speaker 1: twenty eight three and ounce and then two beautiful drives
Speaker 1: that went for touchdowns. But I think you can. You
Speaker 1: can obviously, uh you thrive against the Steelers offense. But
Speaker 1: I love the Pickets back in there because I think
Speaker 1: you can. If you look at his you know, the
Speaker 1: turnovers and stuff, a lot of that to me mask
Speaker 1: what he's been is an aggressive down field thrower who
Speaker 1: makes better use of their weapons. I know Trabisky look
Speaker 1: great and relief, but I would not want to continue
Speaker 1: with Mitch Robisky. But you got Picket showing the showing
Speaker 1: up the way he has. All right, should be a
Speaker 1: good game on Sunday night. Let's pivot now to the
Speaker 1: Monday night football matchup and Greggy, it works up, works
Speaker 1: out well for you. You handle our Monday Night football
Speaker 1: recap every week, and now it's your team. You know,
Speaker 1: on some level, the New England Patriots that will be
Speaker 1: hosting the Chicago Bears, they don't need to see the
Speaker 1: Bears again in primetime. But we've we've talked about it.
Speaker 1: It just happens. It is what it is. It's the market.
Speaker 1: So the Bears are back in primetime once again to
Speaker 1: face the Patriots team that's really found itself in the
Speaker 1: last two weeks here in Mark. They won twenty nine
Speaker 1: zip obviously against Detroit, then they beat up on your
Speaker 1: tea help maybe your team, maybe not the Browns, And
Speaker 1: now they get the Bears, which seems like another plus matchup,
Speaker 1: especially in I. This is a game I would think
Speaker 1: about locking at home. They're too they're too big of
Speaker 1: a favorite. That's unbelievable at home in prime time against
Speaker 1: Justin Fields, who has shown signs of growth growth the
Speaker 1: last two weeks, but I've seen it before. Justin feel
Speaker 1: could be seeing ghosts sizzler on Monday Night. I think
Speaker 1: if you're Bill Belichick, you're absolutely adoring what's unfolded over
Speaker 1: the past fortnight and what will come on Monday Night.
Speaker 1: This is a great matchup for the Patriots, And I
Speaker 1: think one thing, if you look at their metrics as
Speaker 1: a run defense, they're low. It doesn't look good. But
Speaker 1: then they what They put the clamps on the Lions,
Speaker 1: and they did the same to the Browns a week ago,
Speaker 1: seventy yards. That Cleveland ground game has demolished people, and
Speaker 1: Belichick specialized against that. And what are they? What are
Speaker 1: the Bears? Do well well with Justin Fields. They've run
Speaker 1: the ball really well with their backfield with Killiel Herbert
Speaker 1: as well. And so if that's the If that's the
Speaker 1: formula and they can shut down Chicago on the ground,
Speaker 1: which I think they're gonna be able to based on
Speaker 1: the last two weeks, then you're asking the Bears to
Speaker 1: make money through the air, and that is a big problem.
Speaker 1: I mean, Justin Fields is on pace for fewer completions
Speaker 1: and attempts. You have to go back to like Doug
Speaker 1: Williams with the seventy nine bucks to find a comparison.
Speaker 1: It's just not They're not a modern day passing offense
Speaker 1: right now. You can squint and see it at times,
Speaker 1: but it's really been when they've been good on the
Speaker 1: ground that they've done anything on offense. And this is
Speaker 1: a tough matchup. Patriots struggle with athletic running quarterbacks over
Speaker 1: the years because they played this sound defense that can
Speaker 1: stop like the logical plays, and Justin Fields is a
Speaker 1: great runner. So maybe they'll break that out a little more.
Speaker 1: They really haven't much, but I've seen enough out of
Speaker 1: this Patriots defense that they do well against mediocre or
Speaker 1: worst quarter I mean they can do it. And they've
Speaker 1: got a nice little secondary going. They've got three safeties
Speaker 1: out there almost every step. Adrian Phillips is playing great.
Speaker 1: They got these two rookies, Jack and Marcus Jones. They're
Speaker 1: playing great. And this game means a lot Danny to
Speaker 1: Bill Belichick. It's crazy. The NFL schedule makers absolutely put
Speaker 1: this game on Monday Night Football in this spot with
Speaker 1: the hopes that Bill Belichick would be passing George Hallis
Speaker 1: the the great UH Bears Grando on Monday Night Football,
Speaker 1: and it worked out. I guess they knew he could
Speaker 1: have been either tying or breaking, so there was like
Speaker 1: a chance either way, and they got it. And we
Speaker 1: saw last week and this I'm you can say I'm
Speaker 1: like only partly a Patriots fan. Well, I'm a full
Speaker 1: Belichick fan, and I love how much this means to him.
Speaker 1: He's not even hiding it like it means so much
Speaker 1: to him, and he he's having the Patriots like go
Speaker 1: check out the Jim Brown name and statue in Cleveland.
Speaker 1: It's all connected. And he's talking about the history and
Speaker 1: he's talking about seven minutes of house. I'm sorry, I
Speaker 1: gotta stop ranting, but this means a lot to him,
Speaker 1: So I love it's happening in probably yes Belichick, even me.
Speaker 1: As you know, time has went on now and we've
Speaker 1: moved out of the Brady are I have a much
Speaker 1: much warmer feeling about Belichick, and I think he deserves
Speaker 1: all these big moments that are going to come his
Speaker 1: way now at this point. So this is a nice
Speaker 1: set up. And yeah, again, we've seen too many of
Speaker 1: these games, uh, these primetime New England games, and I
Speaker 1: know Brady's not there anymore, but Bill devours young quarterbacks
Speaker 1: in these type of settings. This does feel like a
Speaker 1: multiple touchdown win. I hope it's not, because I want
Speaker 1: to see entertaining football. And also I know, Greg, I'm
Speaker 1: kind of picking up that you're trying to let the
Speaker 1: schedule makers off the hook for giving us the Broncos
Speaker 1: five weeks out of six by saying they nailed this,
Speaker 1: But you're right, Okay, yeah, I'll give you credit for
Speaker 1: this one because they did. They really did the kind
Speaker 1: of I'm sure this was part of their internal thinking
Speaker 1: that the Patriots would have around this record at this time.
Speaker 1: So it works out, will turn it. It's gonna be
Speaker 1: a celebration of Bill by the second half totally, yes,
Speaker 1: quick quickly. By the way, the Bears are at ten
Speaker 1: am every single game the rest of the season on
Speaker 1: the West Coast, where they below pm on the East Coast. Uh.
Speaker 1: And we should mention Mac Jones is expected to be
Speaker 1: available for this game according to Mike g Reece from ESPN,
Speaker 1: and he is expected to start um this game according
Speaker 1: to Jeff how at the Athletic and that goes with
Speaker 1: a lot of local reporting that inside the building they
Speaker 1: were never considering going away from mac Jones at least
Speaker 1: not at this point. Do you think, if what I
Speaker 1: gotta take their I mean this one. This feels like
Speaker 1: the Cooper Dack situation where no quarterback controversy. But if
Speaker 1: you have a young player in playing really well in
Speaker 1: a very positive game script situation, and the guy that's
Speaker 1: recovering has the type of injury that could be easily aggravated,
Speaker 1: which a high ankle sprain absolutely can. We've learned that
Speaker 1: why not go with Zappy and give Mac one more week?
Speaker 1: If and let's say that Mac Jones ever came into
Speaker 1: this game and struggled after to fine, Zappy starts and
Speaker 1: Bill Belichick for some reason, this went south. He doesn't
Speaker 1: eclipse Papa Bear George Hallis because of a bag Mac
Speaker 1: Jones game. Then tell me that New England won't be
Speaker 1: going nuts over the concept that Zappy this isn't Dak Prescott,
Speaker 1: cause Matt Jones does has a rookie contract. If Zappy
Speaker 1: is getting better play out of Bill Belichick's offense, I
Speaker 1: think Zappy got to compare to the lineup. I just
Speaker 1: love saying his name. They're already going crazy. There's a
Speaker 1: total controversy among the fans in the media. There was
Speaker 1: all this like negative Mac Jones stuff I didn't even
Speaker 1: know about, like Michael Lombardi was putting out there a
Speaker 1: few weeks ago, the way he was playing and the
Speaker 1: way he was reacting to coaching and all this stuff.
Speaker 1: But I would just say from a football vantage point,
Speaker 1: there is nothing Bailey Zappy did over the last two
Speaker 1: weeks against two of the worst defense in league, with
Speaker 1: great protection and great game planes that Mac Jones couldn't
Speaker 1: have done. And mac Jones showed so much last year,
Speaker 1: and I think even the higher level, even in that
Speaker 1: Ravens game this year, that I don't think they would
Speaker 1: consider that. And Dad, I'd flip it the other way
Speaker 1: or marked you two is that this is another easy matchup.
Speaker 1: I don't think they would want Zappy to have another
Speaker 1: great game with Mac on the sideline. That gets harders repulsively.
Speaker 1: There's been reporting that Mac Jones was quite upset that
Speaker 1: they wouldn't clear him last week, that he felt ready
Speaker 1: to go and they he thought last week they were
Speaker 1: playing it too same. Not upset, but he was really disappointed.
Speaker 1: He thought he could play and he was practicing, and
Speaker 1: so he's ready. I mean, if you get Zappy two
Speaker 1: or three more starts and he's he's a crystal gem,
Speaker 1: you've got major issues to deal with. Found something though,
Speaker 1: They found a nice at worst backup quarterback in Zappy.
Speaker 1: My my final word is for words on this or
Speaker 1: Zappy ain't no Slappy. Let's now let's move to the
Speaker 1: draft and the old Zeuser is back with the number
Speaker 1: one overall pick. And I went through the games. I
Speaker 1: combed through them, and I was going down the list
Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh am I in a my own
Speaker 1: Luke jokel Eric Fisher situation, and then bang I hit
Speaker 1: the kickoff. UH Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco forty
Speaker 1: Niners that is the first overall pick of the draft.
Speaker 1: It's an easy one. It is a rematch of the
Speaker 1: Super Bowl a couple of years back in Miami or
Speaker 1: Marks as you know, Uh, the one with j Lo
Speaker 1: and Shakira, as you often done, so I I identify
Speaker 1: it correct right. But here we are now with the
Speaker 1: Chiefs UH coming off a stinging loss at home to Buffalo.
Speaker 1: They traveled to San Francisco and you know, we talked
Speaker 1: about it a little bit on Tuesday. If you if
Speaker 1: you listen to the Power Rings podcast, you know it's
Speaker 1: really annoying that there's no clear fourth best team in
Speaker 1: the league. To me, the Chiefs of the clear third
Speaker 1: best team. I want San Francisco to be the fourth
Speaker 1: best team in the league. It makes sense that they
Speaker 1: should be. But I had him dropping UH down because Greggy,
Speaker 1: these injuries can no longer be annoyed ignored uh. For
Speaker 1: San Francisco. They finished Sunday's game with four of eleven
Speaker 1: projected starters on their defense and eleven of twenty two overall. UM.
Speaker 1: So they are going through it right now. And you
Speaker 1: saw the cracks showing and taking nothing away from Atlanta,
Speaker 1: but you absolutely saw the crack showing in week six. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and so they've gotten some good news. This qualify I
Speaker 1: would say it's definitely good news. Trent Williams and Nick Bosa,
Speaker 1: two of the best players that have been hurt. We're
Speaker 1: back at practice, and so it looks like they're going
Speaker 1: to be back. Jimmy Ward, who is another important piece
Speaker 1: of their secondary it was also back. So it looks
Speaker 1: like they'll get three of those players back, but that
Speaker 1: still means you're missing seven or right, well, you know
Speaker 1: one is not coming back, and and one of those
Speaker 1: players that probably is gonna be out at char Various Ward,
Speaker 1: who has been really good in the secondary and this
Speaker 1: is a secondary game, So who fonga. Your guy suffered
Speaker 1: a concussion, and it's it's really interesting how little attention
Speaker 1: that's gott. He suffered a concussion in the game, he
Speaker 1: passed the concussion protocol testing on the sidelines, he re
Speaker 1: entered the game and finished it, and then he showed
Speaker 1: up on Monday with severe or I shouldn't say severe,
Speaker 1: but he self reported concussion symptoms and it sounds like
Speaker 1: he's not gonna play this week, which is basically an
Speaker 1: admittance that they should not have allowed him to return
Speaker 1: to the game, and they did, and he suffered a
Speaker 1: concussion that's now got you know, more injury to that
Speaker 1: to his head. So it's like, yeah, you're playing it
Speaker 1: safe with the quarterbacks, but no one really cares about
Speaker 1: the safeties. Are the all like the whole idea that like, oh,
Speaker 1: they're playing it too safe. I don't think that's really happening.
Speaker 1: You can still fake out these guys. And it's disappointing
Speaker 1: because I'd love to see who Fonga in this specific
Speaker 1: game because they're gonna need him, and I feel like
Speaker 1: they have a great fens, a great secondary, but we're
Speaker 1: not really going to get to see the full secondary
Speaker 1: against the chief It's a shame because this is the
Speaker 1: best defense in the league right now. I mean, you know,
Speaker 1: even at this stage, they were giving up one point
Speaker 1: one six points per drive, which is the best in
Speaker 1: the league by a bunch. But they're playing the Chiefs,
Speaker 1: who scored two points seven seven per driving, which is
Speaker 1: best in the league. I kind of love what the
Speaker 1: Chiefs did against the Bills, seeing Juju Smith Schuster make
Speaker 1: big plays start to emerge. They haven't really had the
Speaker 1: benefit of one of these wide receivers really stepping up.
Speaker 1: I think it's gonna matter in this game. But I think,
Speaker 1: to me, the acid test is how many Niners players
Speaker 1: are on defense. I mean, no matter who you are,
Speaker 1: if you're gonna miss seven or eight guys, you're so compromised.
Speaker 1: And what team can you imagine, what coach, what quarterback
Speaker 1: combination than Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to make use
Speaker 1: of that. Yeah, they they have their averaging just about
Speaker 1: thirty points a game Kansas City, so they're they're gonna
Speaker 1: put up points obviously. So the question becomes, can San
Speaker 1: Francisco keep pace and we'll see, Greggy you gotta I
Speaker 1: heard you in the newsroom on Sunday get none the foul.
Speaker 1: The San Francisco offense unable to getting to come back mode.
Speaker 1: I watched a game I couldn't totally agree because they
Speaker 1: had a penalty that wiped out a big play. They
Speaker 1: had a huge drop. I uh, it wasn't Kiddle I
Speaker 1: believe was the backup tight end that would have set
Speaker 1: them up. They did get played fine, Yeah you still
Speaker 1: you still had an eight minute fourth quarter drive they
Speaker 1: fairly made. I understand that. I understand that, but this
Speaker 1: offense that it looks like that way until one of
Speaker 1: the yacht brothers goes and that's kind of the way
Speaker 1: they're built. Um. But at the same time, yeah, they
Speaker 1: just scored fourteen points and they got shut out in
Speaker 1: the second half, and that's why you gotta feel really
Speaker 1: good about the Chiefs here against the beaten down defense
Speaker 1: is a game. I feel pretty confident the Chiefs are
Speaker 1: gonna take care of business. Is he gonna lock it up? No? No, No.
Speaker 1: I have a team that I'm way more confident in
Speaker 1: this week. But I think I you know what I
Speaker 1: am gonna I know they wanted me to tell them
Speaker 1: this a long time ago, but I'm gonna lock up
Speaker 1: the Chiefs because I feel good about this situation. There
Speaker 1: we go. You know what I don't love about the
Speaker 1: Niners is I I think that certainly with their defense compromise,
Speaker 1: they are a team that when they play with a lead,
Speaker 1: and we saw it like when they play the Rams,
Speaker 1: they get up there punishing on defense and they can
Speaker 1: run the ball and cause havoc. They're unstoppable. But they
Speaker 1: have had in three games over the last four weeks,
Speaker 1: really low returns on their ground game. This isn't a
Speaker 1: typical Shanahan run attack. They're sitting, they're searching for something.
Speaker 1: I think that's the identity and then then the yards
Speaker 1: after catching all the other stuff that me Jimmy G's
Speaker 1: in a better place. So I think I think Kansas
Speaker 1: City coming off a loss that they're agitated by, Uh,
Speaker 1: they're gonna come out firing. This feels like the first
Speaker 1: time cest Dog is ever locked against Kyle Shanahan. Potential
Speaker 1: it is, but go look, go look at his numbers
Speaker 1: when he's down late in the third quarter. It's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1: They're not a comeball. To check a lot of teams
Speaker 1: numbers when they're down late in the third quarter. The
Speaker 1: stats are probably his are actually like you would think
Speaker 1: that Shanahan's would be at least average or fine. They
Speaker 1: stand out as a big problem and a big hole
Speaker 1: in his in his resume, I'd say, I think, I
Speaker 1: do think this is a dangerous game for the Chiefs.
Speaker 1: That too. I'm speaking out of both sides and about
Speaker 1: I do. I would not feel comfortable locking this because
Speaker 1: I just think is coming off for loss. I think
Speaker 1: I shouldn't say I don't. It doesn't affect my decision
Speaker 1: at all because I I don't even remember who I locked.
Speaker 1: The injury report is a big part of it. Like
Speaker 1: last week they didn't have their entire defensive line. If
Speaker 1: they get two of them back, including both, like, that's
Speaker 1: it's a big difference. It also can't be it can't
Speaker 1: be debot or nothing on that offense. So I want
Speaker 1: to point out also as as frustrating as that second
Speaker 1: half was for San Francisco, Kittle was you know, on
Speaker 1: Dug's radar and Brandon you've got in the end zone twice.
Speaker 1: You know, I would I would not feel comfortable here
Speaker 1: locking up. The chiefs personally are doing this what we
Speaker 1: shouldn't do this? Dan, just let him stay. No, but
Speaker 1: this is more fun. You can see the mind at work,
Speaker 1: the gears turning, the pain. I don't because they'll he'll
Speaker 1: just switch to a better locker. So he's anyway with myself. Also,
Speaker 1: I was terrible strategy by us. All right, No, it
Speaker 1: was a great It was a great lock mark. All right,
Speaker 1: let it. Let's take a break. It does not sway
Speaker 1: me one way or the other. Okay it now we've
Speaker 1: cornered him into not show a weakness of character. He
Speaker 1: just yeah, he just dug in his Heels, so we're set.
Speaker 1: Good job, Greg, All right, let's take a break and
Speaker 1: the draft roll on. All right, welcome back, the draft
Speaker 1: rolls on. Greggy on the clock. Okay, sometimes you gotta
Speaker 1: just draft the draft that's in front of you, and
Speaker 1: it's important to get a good UH Pacific game. I'm
Speaker 1: taking Seahawks Chargers with the second overall pick, higher than
Speaker 1: I wanted to, but did not want to get stuck
Speaker 1: with Texans Raiders, which is the other option there if
Speaker 1: d N gets the Jets game. And I really want
Speaker 1: to watch this game anyways, what am I talking about?
Speaker 1: Gino versus Justin Herbert, two of my absolute favorites and
Speaker 1: a game that feels winnable for the Seahawks. Maybe I'm crazy.
Speaker 1: I'm shocked that they're six and a half point underdogs
Speaker 1: in this game. I think the Chargers have a lot
Speaker 1: of problems. Yes, they could get to their bye week
Speaker 1: at five and two, and then it would feel like
Speaker 1: none of it mattered. And it just that doesn't feel
Speaker 1: like the path this Chargers team is taking to me.
Speaker 1: They feel more like a four and three type of
Speaker 1: team at there By that struggled with a lot of injuries.
Speaker 1: I was encouraged to see what the Seahawks did defensively
Speaker 1: a week ago. They did make some changes. They've been
Speaker 1: playing this style of defense where they're just trying to
Speaker 1: hold up blockers up front and let the linebackers make
Speaker 1: plays behind it. Last year, they came after last week, rather,
Speaker 1: they came after the Sea. The Cardinals and their defensive line,
Speaker 1: which I thought was gonna be good this year, played well. Darryl.
Speaker 1: Darryl Taylor has had had a great game. Nuosa has
Speaker 1: been good all year. The defensive tackles with with Puna
Speaker 1: Ford are kind of underrated. Shelby Harris like just gives
Speaker 1: me a feeling that this Pete Carroll trend that his
Speaker 1: defense always starts really bad and then he improved. Average
Speaker 1: could happen here, and I think average defenses can slow
Speaker 1: down this Chargers team. You're not buying it. It's it's
Speaker 1: wistful thinking. Is your fandom is coloring your analysis. That's okay.
Speaker 1: So here here's the thing, um, just be careful because
Speaker 1: the defense, the offense that they shut down last week
Speaker 1: is broken. It's busted. So that's one thing. But here's
Speaker 1: the good news. I don't know if the Chargers are
Speaker 1: that far off under their fearless leader there Brandon Staley,
Speaker 1: because that offense we watched on Monday night for the
Speaker 1: Chargers against Denver was eerily reminiscent of watching Cardinals football,
Speaker 1: where it just seemed disjointed and they weren't playing to
Speaker 1: the strengths of their quarterback and so many fruitless drives.
Speaker 1: I think Seattle's catching Los Angeles and in general the
Speaker 1: schedule where they have a potential to yes build on
Speaker 1: what they did defensively. They never they gave up three points,
Speaker 1: they gave up an opening drive field goal Seattle against Arizona.
Speaker 1: I just caution getting too fired up because they were
Speaker 1: terrible the whole season before that. Terrible that the players
Speaker 1: don't seem terrible though, That's why I don't get. They
Speaker 1: seem like they have okay talent and they should have
Speaker 1: good coaching. I think if you're Geno Smith, though, if
Speaker 1: that was sort the floor game for Geno Smith, you
Speaker 1: know it might be in this offense though, because he's
Speaker 1: given us a lot of evidence that he's going to
Speaker 1: continue to be successful throwing the ball deep. I love
Speaker 1: that he's gotten more aggressive in the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 1: The Chargers allow the fifth most deep passing yards in
Speaker 1: the league. J C. Jackson, he was on your list
Speaker 1: of UM offseason signings that have gone completely and totally south.
Speaker 1: I mean, it's a tough matchup. He's either going to
Speaker 1: be on d K or tire lock. I don't know.
Speaker 1: He's bench, which he was at the last when comments
Speaker 1: coming out of that game where he was benched, talk
Speaker 1: to me about a player who neck up is in
Speaker 1: a tough place right now, and I think this is
Speaker 1: a good spot for Geno Smith and I you know,
Speaker 1: the defense, I don't know of what we saw last
Speaker 1: week against the Cardinals. I'm with Dan. I would tend
Speaker 1: to think that's more of an aberration than the way
Speaker 1: forward for Seattle's defense, just based on the other five
Speaker 1: games they've played this seasons. Fair we'll see, I mean,
Speaker 1: but even if they just hold teams in the twenties,
Speaker 1: then this Seahawks offense I think will be better and
Speaker 1: they can This is a row to possibly winning games.
Speaker 1: Brandon Staley I think is he's just starting to like
Speaker 1: lose a little support I feel like from the media,
Speaker 1: which has generally been a fan of his. I have
Speaker 1: been Mark has been at least on our show. Uh.
Speaker 1: And part of the reason not just the game management,
Speaker 1: which is weird sometimes, but the defense has been disappointing.
Speaker 1: And yes they are missing key players and and maybe
Speaker 1: that's part of it, but there they've been disappointing. There
Speaker 1: are a mediocre defense again, Dan, And that's not like
Speaker 1: this was supposed to be kind of a super team.
Speaker 1: They've lost a lot of great players and maybe we
Speaker 1: should give them more of a pass. But is it weird?
Speaker 1: Isn't it weird how we're all down on the charges
Speaker 1: because there's also a vision of what we and not
Speaker 1: just us, but a lot of people in the football
Speaker 1: gagna cent expect them to be, which is this fun,
Speaker 1: high flying offense, and they're not. And yet they've won
Speaker 1: three games in a row there, four and two. But
Speaker 1: I don't think anybody is buying in uh the Bolts
Speaker 1: right now. But that said, they're at home there against
Speaker 1: the Seattle team that's been surprising. Obviously, Gino in the
Speaker 1: offense is really played well pretty much all season. The
Speaker 1: defense is coming off their best game. But Los Angeles
Speaker 1: is gonna be favored here. They should win the game.
Speaker 1: And then they're five. They've won five or seven to
Speaker 1: start the season, and yet I don't know. I think
Speaker 1: just the way the feeling, the vibe around this team,
Speaker 1: now you're about to lock him. No, no, I I
Speaker 1: really think as much as like I I was just
Speaker 1: downplaying Seattle's defensive performance, I think, like I said, the
Speaker 1: Chargers offense has not been the same since, uh justin
Speaker 1: Herbert's rib injury. Statistically, I don't even know if that's
Speaker 1: necessarily what it's about. I think there are more things
Speaker 1: in play here with Los Angeles. So this seems like
Speaker 1: a spot, Greg where you could be excited on Sunday
Speaker 1: night talking about your your Seahawks again. Not only right,
Speaker 1: I've got to enjoy this game. I think Gino is
Speaker 1: more ready to test the secondary downfield than Herbert, who
Speaker 1: was just it's just thinking Doug right now. And that's
Speaker 1: why I am at least gonna drop some rain on
Speaker 1: so Far stadium. The roof is gonna be open, it's
Speaker 1: coming in sideways on Sunday afternoon. And you said it's
Speaker 1: gonna be a home game for the Chargers. I don't
Speaker 1: think so that twelves are showing up and it's gonna
Speaker 1: be a home game, and I'm saying about two feet
Speaker 1: from Greg in a different seat the normal and he
Speaker 1: is just shouting and his face is growing redder and
Speaker 1: redder as a tomato can be. The Seahawks to six
Speaker 1: and a half point dogs. We already took this route
Speaker 1: in Week one this year and we're undefeated. It's been raining,
Speaker 1: you know, Mark, or you don't know, but I love
Speaker 1: you to try it one day. The power chair, which
Speaker 1: is the chair that faces the producer and the production team,
Speaker 1: which is typically my chair. It's very dangerous to put
Speaker 1: Greg in that chair, and I understand. I think that,
Speaker 1: and I think that there's a situation that play here
Speaker 1: where we just need to be careful and why I
Speaker 1: need to race back to Los Angeles to power. We
Speaker 1: know that that he whenever he comes closer power It's
Speaker 1: just it's like a ridiculously ridiculous thing. It is completely
Speaker 1: up in all My friend, their jerks, Mark Seler the
Speaker 1: third overall pick. All right, I'm gonna take my late game,
Speaker 1: which is the Houston Texans at the Las Vegas Raiders. UM,
Speaker 1: I know that does not feel what well. I have
Speaker 1: a pick after this too, but literally that's the only
Speaker 1: uh game there that's even left before you go down
Speaker 1: your little avenue, comment before I will tell you why
Speaker 1: I am taking this. The Raiders are a wounded animal
Speaker 1: right now. Here's what I love about what they've done
Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks. They went from a team
Speaker 1: trying to figure out what to do with Derek Carr
Speaker 1: in the passing game to a ground and pound. They
Speaker 1: had two and twelve yards against the Broncos, a good defense,
Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty five against the Chiefs. I think
Speaker 1: they're gonna come out and continue this approach under Josh McDaniels,
Speaker 1: who wants to win the games on the ground and
Speaker 1: puts Derek car in a better spot. Houston is a
Speaker 1: sitting duck in this thing. They can't do anything on
Speaker 1: offense outside of Damien Pierce. This is where the Raiders
Speaker 1: turn their season around. In my book, They're gonna win
Speaker 1: some games here. The schedule really softens up for Las Vegas.
Speaker 1: I think they are a a team that will be
Speaker 1: in the mix in the playoffs. But you gotta start
Speaker 1: winning games now, and I think coming off of by
Speaker 1: knowing the urgency, Uh, this is another game I think
Speaker 1: we could see. I don't want it to be, but
Speaker 1: you know, what There's been so much parody and so
Speaker 1: many close games. This could be a week where I
Speaker 1: think we see some one side of games. I think
Speaker 1: this is another one. I think this is a game
Speaker 1: where uh and I don't know where where the desert
Speaker 1: makers come down on this, Greg, you could let me. Unfortunately,
Speaker 1: we can't lock this. This one, to me, has this
Speaker 1: one has you know, thirty to fourteen written all over it.
Speaker 1: I think the Raiders are the better team. I don't
Speaker 1: think the Raiders by any stretch, have been bad this year.
Speaker 1: They've been bad at closing out games. That's been their issue,
Speaker 1: and I don't think Houston's gonna be able to keep
Speaker 1: up with them in this environment. They've lost to the
Speaker 1: Chargers by five, the Cardinals by six, the Titans by two,
Speaker 1: and the Chiefs game that was a heartbreaker by one.
Speaker 1: I mean they they're the team that's gonna come out
Speaker 1: and explode because they've lost too many tight, close games
Speaker 1: that have put them in a wayward place in the West.
Speaker 1: I don't think the West is out of control to
Speaker 1: get a wild card spot if they come roaring to
Speaker 1: get it. But I I feel weird that we all
Speaker 1: agree so much that I'm worried, But I really do
Speaker 1: uh find what they did on their offensive line, which
Speaker 1: just looks so bad for so long, really encouraging. It
Speaker 1: really looks like a Josh McDaniels type of offense. And
Speaker 1: Davis Mills just can't shoot straight. He's not an accurate quarterback.
Speaker 1: It just hasn't been a lot of juice there. When
Speaker 1: it gets past ten yards, he doesn't get it. The
Speaker 1: only thing that would give me a little positive Damian Pierce.
Speaker 1: Is he a top five running back in the NFL
Speaker 1: right now? I mean I might. I mean a lot
Speaker 1: of the numbers suggest he is, especially the yards after contact,
Speaker 1: the way he runs if you give him a little space,
Speaker 1: runs through people, but also the cuts he makes against
Speaker 1: this Raiders defense, which hasn't been great, Like you could
Speaker 1: see him having a big game and at least keep it.
Speaker 1: I mean, if the Raiders drop, rageous Danny, if the
Speaker 1: Raiders drop this game, you have got major issues in
Speaker 1: the desert with McDaniels. You cannot lose this thing. They're
Speaker 1: not losing this thing. I think. I think They're running
Speaker 1: back has been excellent. He you know, he had that
Speaker 1: long touchdown run that pads your stats a little bit.
Speaker 1: But he's had multiple weeks now where he's proven to
Speaker 1: be the guy that should be the work horse of
Speaker 1: their offense. But if you shut him down, Yeah, like
Speaker 1: we had Nick Wessling, who will be hearing from I believe,
Speaker 1: uh coming up in a bit. Um, he had a
Speaker 1: buddy connected to Houston like asking, Hey, what's the deal
Speaker 1: with Davis Mills. He is kind of what he is.
Speaker 1: He's had five games with a sub passer rating, and um,
Speaker 1: if he does not put together a stretch of really
Speaker 1: good football, it feels like mortal lock territory. That Houston
Speaker 1: uses a first round pick on a quarterback, it might
Speaker 1: not matter. Quite honestly, I think they've already made that decision.
Speaker 1: I would imagine, all right, you now, Mark Sesler snakes
Speaker 1: to you, buddy, I'm going to pick the team that
Speaker 1: is most intriguing to me in the league right now.
Speaker 1: And if I were to pick a new favorite team, um,
Speaker 1: going back to my childhood roots, this might be choice.
Speaker 1: The New York Giants going down to Jacksonville. And I
Speaker 1: know everyone's well, there are there aren't a lot of
Speaker 1: great Premier matchups this week, but this one, to me,
Speaker 1: it's like, so I'm gonna pick one team I care about.
Speaker 1: At least the Jaguars try to win me over. We'll see,
Speaker 1: But this to me is just another continuation in the
Speaker 1: Giants journey. They're so well coached. I want to see
Speaker 1: Wink Martindale go after Trevor Lawrence. That's what he did
Speaker 1: against Lamar Jackson last week. They went nuts applying pressure
Speaker 1: to Lamar Jackson, and you know, statistically their defense does
Speaker 1: not really measure up in a lot of ways. But
Speaker 1: then you're getting guys like Cavon Thibodeaux. Our friend. He
Speaker 1: I don't know if he knows he's our friend at
Speaker 1: this point. Good friends. I think he's like my friends
Speaker 1: still because I was here for that. You're the only
Speaker 1: one not friends because you asked them in a very
Speaker 1: awkward way. Well that was a separate but I think
Speaker 1: we probably we probably wiped out your situation um as
Speaker 1: much as anyone else's. Greg, I don't think you'd be
Speaker 1: winning battles. Here's one thing I know is that he
Speaker 1: can't tell us apart, so it doesn't really matter. That
Speaker 1: may be true, that made but two weeks in a row,
Speaker 1: because if you go back to the end of that
Speaker 1: Packers game, in London. One of those fateful tipped passes
Speaker 1: of Ayaron Rodgers went off of Thibodeaux. Last week, he
Speaker 1: had a huge like a huge play against Lamar Jackson,
Speaker 1: a big turnover the change that game. So not unlike
Speaker 1: the Jets, they have a couple of young players on
Speaker 1: both sides of the ball that are showing up. It's
Speaker 1: just there's such a one sided offense because they're they're
Speaker 1: passing numbers in their wide receiver group is a total mess.
Speaker 1: So they're getting creative at least with day ball. It's
Speaker 1: like direct snaps to say Quan who then hands it
Speaker 1: off to Daniel Jones who Prepansy. It's like they're doing
Speaker 1: the day bles, going into his bag of tricks whenever
Speaker 1: he needs to. Was that wait a second? How, speaking
Speaker 1: of the desert, how are the Jags favored by a
Speaker 1: field goal in this game? What? What I felt? This
Speaker 1: was a lockable one? And I unless I'm looking at
Speaker 1: bad data here, how is it possible that Jacksonville is
Speaker 1: favored this game? So these teams each get kind of
Speaker 1: like a baseline Vegas number, like like the Jaguars are
Speaker 1: just like against an average team, are like worth a
Speaker 1: point in the in the Giants are worth negative two
Speaker 1: points or what are based on their season, and that's
Speaker 1: based on you know, their performance, you know, points scored,
Speaker 1: points allowed, which the Jaguars still look good, and a
Speaker 1: lot of the underlying analytics of like how effective the
Speaker 1: offense has been moving the ball, turnover margin, how effective
Speaker 1: the defense has been, and in all those numbers, the
Speaker 1: Giants are you know, inferior to the Jaguars. They profile
Speaker 1: as a mid level team. The Jaguars profile is slightly
Speaker 1: better and they're at home. But yeah, it's it's kind
Speaker 1: of like they're begging everyone to take the Giants and
Speaker 1: they're trusting their numbers and seeing because everyone will take
Speaker 1: the job. I don't want to because I know this
Speaker 1: makes you seem someone who should never be taken serious
Speaker 1: on any level where we are with sports. But like
Speaker 1: that's why the game is not played on spreadsheets, Like
Speaker 1: Vegas should be paying attention to the way the Giants
Speaker 1: closed these games and how, but it's also why Vegas,
Speaker 1: you know, wins well that serves them over time. No,
Speaker 1: I think the Giants are like a better team, but
Speaker 1: I understand the headwinds that they're sort of putting that
Speaker 1: number at in in such a way that they believe
Speaker 1: these teams are equal, and they kind of probably in
Speaker 1: this one. No, everyone's gonna take the Giants and they'll
Speaker 1: take their chances. Yeah, I I just I sort of disagree,
Speaker 1: But I also make the Jaggers to win this game online.
Speaker 1: So I'm I'm you're boxing a little bit. I think
Speaker 1: I think the from my angle on, it is the
Speaker 1: way the league is right now where it's a big
Speaker 1: three and let's see on everything else, it matters the
Speaker 1: way the Giants have played these games and the way
Speaker 1: they've been coached, in the way their their game plan
Speaker 1: has been rolled out that with all these teams kind
Speaker 1: of in a similar place. Like I'm not saying that
Speaker 1: Jacksonville is inferior, grossly inferior talent wise. You could definitely
Speaker 1: make the case they have better talent. But in Jacksonville,
Speaker 1: you've had a very inconsistent team that's been up and down,
Speaker 1: a quarterback play very up and down, a Giant team
Speaker 1: that has showed you week after weeks so far exactly
Speaker 1: who they are. I don't think that's gonna stop. I
Speaker 1: think this is especially in our league and where things are.
Speaker 1: I think you're gonna see the Giants playing close games
Speaker 1: all year and winning close games all year. I see
Speaker 1: this as an eleven and six team with you. I mean,
Speaker 1: I think in general, you look at the league on whole,
Speaker 1: the average margin of victories eight point nine points per game,
Speaker 1: which is the lowest ever in the NFL. And so
Speaker 1: I really don't have a big problem with this spread,
Speaker 1: per se. I think they're not factoring in the way
Speaker 1: that we feel about the Giants. The Giants make us
Speaker 1: feel a certain way because not only well they did,
Speaker 1: they've flipped entirely who they are. And every week you
Speaker 1: can point too close to you right now, you can
Speaker 1: point to Wink Martindale, you can point to Brian Dable
Speaker 1: that they really have been coached so well and the
Speaker 1: team is totally bought in. I don't think that's totally
Speaker 1: untrue of Jacksonville. But they're not where the Giants are. No,
Speaker 1: But I saw some good things last week. You know,
Speaker 1: Trevor Lawrence's highs aren't that high, which is unfortunate for
Speaker 1: the most part. Is lows other than in the rain
Speaker 1: aren't that low. I don't think either. I think these
Speaker 1: two quarterbacks are similar in that way. That's where you
Speaker 1: can really say that Brian Dable has done a fantastic
Speaker 1: job is that he's coached Daniel Jones to not have
Speaker 1: lows despite a tough situation. They've been very reliable, but
Speaker 1: I think Lawrence has been reliable the differences. I trust
Speaker 1: Able to attack the opposing defenses weakness is more. And
Speaker 1: the Eagles put Devin Lloyd, who everyone wants to talk about,
Speaker 1: his defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, in a blender
Speaker 1: in that game, and I noticed last week the Colts
Speaker 1: did too. They're just targeting his over aggressiveness and killing
Speaker 1: him h with running backs and tight ends and coverage,
Speaker 1: and se Quon Barkley can definitely kill you as a receiver.
Speaker 1: Darius Williams was another guy they handed a lot of
Speaker 1: money to who's really struggling. So the Jaguars defense has
Speaker 1: some weaknesses, and I think Dable is good at attacking
Speaker 1: those weaknesses. If the Jaguars bring their quote unquote a
Speaker 1: game at home, they should win. I just I feel
Speaker 1: like it's more likely that you get another consistent, solid
Speaker 1: effort by New York. Um. By the way, we're talking
Speaker 1: New York or Northern New Jersey. We're talking about Duval,
Speaker 1: But why don't we head over to the Cincinnati Zoomy Years.
Speaker 1: No surprise after your last week. I'm a little under
Speaker 1: the weather. It's okay, though, because these games aren't worth
Speaker 1: me getting out of bed for. There are two six
Speaker 1: and a half point favorites, the Bangals and the Ravens.
Speaker 1: I can't wait to see which one's Dan and Greg
Speaker 1: lock up. It's okay. I'm gonna add a little spice
Speaker 1: this week. Everyone keeps talking about the Giants. Where's three
Speaker 1: and one team in the league. Where's four and one
Speaker 1: team in the league. Where's five and one league team
Speaker 1: in the league. These are the New York Football Giants
Speaker 1: and they're taking on the Jaguars. That's for you, Dan.
Speaker 1: The reason the Giant people talk about the Football Giants
Speaker 1: like they're not that good is because they aren't, and
Speaker 1: the Jags are going to expose them for the impostors
Speaker 1: they are. That's a bold lock. I don't know if
Speaker 1: you got full buy in from the other brothers on
Speaker 1: that one. I always like his lock explanation because I
Speaker 1: never know who he's taking until the very end. It
Speaker 1: never like supports the case he's got to make. But
Speaker 1: he did take your note, Dan, I think you asked
Speaker 1: for him to be under a minute and he did it. Yeah.
Speaker 1: You know, if there's any pushback against old zeus are
Speaker 1: on that. You know. It's not that I'm trying to
Speaker 1: to rush the man, but I think a more concise
Speaker 1: message could lead to even better entertainment value. And I
Speaker 1: just thought, you know that that shot in in particular,
Speaker 1: and please watch us on NFL Network and NFL Plus
Speaker 1: YouTube wherever you can get the show. Um, just for
Speaker 1: the value of that overhead shot of Nick Westling, please
Speaker 1: tune in. I mean, I'm I'm just concerned because there's
Speaker 1: been a lot of in fighting between that group and
Speaker 1: you look right here. He's clearly, um, heavily medicated. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and he's just locked up the Jackson. We've got Scorsese
Speaker 1: directing Nick's hits. It's just very artistic with this view.
Speaker 1: I don't know, Yeah, I don't know if the brothers
Speaker 1: are even connected at this point. I think I don't
Speaker 1: think so. Nick has just drifted off as a satellite
Speaker 1: and uh reach out to us, you know, Brother Wesley
Speaker 1: brothers that are all paid attention. I don't know if
Speaker 1: they're Phil listens. I'll let us know if if you're
Speaker 1: happy with this, all right, let's take a break and
Speaker 1: move all right, welcome back. Now I'm not looking. This
Speaker 1: isn't me prodding here, says dog, you're a top ten
Speaker 1: NFL insider. Um, but the third overall pick might have
Speaker 1: been the word top ten football insider in the history
Speaker 1: of this draft. And Greg kind of pointed it out, Um,
Speaker 1: and now I just have to it just needs to
Speaker 1: go down for posterity. People need to know. Um, there
Speaker 1: was two remaining four o'clock games, late games, you know,
Speaker 1: I want to be all over Jets Denver, which means
Speaker 1: Greg had already picked a late game. I had already
Speaker 1: picked one previously. No one was going to take Houston
Speaker 1: Las Vegas period. You could have taken it with your
Speaker 1: final pick of the draft, um, and picked another game.
Speaker 1: And I just I think it needs to be pointed
Speaker 1: out that that would be something that the draft knicks
Speaker 1: would absolutely go off on you for that terrible value.
Speaker 1: That strange of this. I don't operate cold strangers having
Speaker 1: a great rookie season. By the way, so that if
Speaker 1: the Rams want to laugh at me for my draft
Speaker 1: pick here, that's perfectly that was That was Alex Leatherwood.
Speaker 1: That's what that was. I would just say, like the
Speaker 1: idea that I am going to sit around tonight after
Speaker 1: the show and fret and be concerned because of you
Speaker 1: two thinking that my draft pick wasn't up to snuff.
Speaker 1: I will not be tonight. We're trying to make you
Speaker 1: feel uncomfortable and sad. Now very comfortable and very confident.
Speaker 1: My pick is what I wanted, although I gotta admit
Speaker 1: that I got the next pick here and I'm quite
Speaker 1: annoyed because Jack's Giants was gonna be my first overall,
Speaker 1: because so that's just perception. I got the same I
Speaker 1: got what I wanted. Had I just flipped them, I
Speaker 1: know what you're saying, I could have. I could have
Speaker 1: also taken the Jets game, which I really wanted, and
Speaker 1: I didn't because of you, Dan, So maybe pipe down
Speaker 1: just for a minute. I mean, you're a good guy,
Speaker 1: but you couldn't. You wouldn't do that. You're too good
Speaker 1: a guy to do that. I could in a trade trade.
Speaker 1: I mean, it's not a great gift to watch the
Speaker 1: Broncos at this point. I'm taking Lions Cowboys with the
Speaker 1: next pick, all right in this draft, and I want
Speaker 1: to learn a lot of gems here in this draft.
Speaker 1: Let's not act like this is like the game of
Speaker 1: the same get it. It's the team of coming off
Speaker 1: of by at a moment where it's put up for
Speaker 1: shut up time. It's kind of like you gotta show
Speaker 1: up and you're in a brutally difficult spot here going
Speaker 1: against the Cowboys, who I think are a top five
Speaker 1: team and a very watered down NFL. They'd be in
Speaker 1: my top five because of their defense and because the
Speaker 1: offense has shown enough to believe that with Dak Prescott back,
Speaker 1: that they'll be an average, maybe an above average offense,
Speaker 1: and with that defense in this NFL, I think that's
Speaker 1: all they'll need. Dak Prescott is expected to start in
Speaker 1: this game the Cowboys, you know, sending out a thumbs
Speaker 1: up creatively on Twitter, and he's practicing fully, so it
Speaker 1: looks like it's all systems go, and he's going up
Speaker 1: against the Lions defense that's still banged up. They were
Speaker 1: missing nine starters in practice on Wednesday. Coming off Thereby,
Speaker 1: it's like you hope that the buy like magically heals people,
Speaker 1: but it's only one week. They will get Iman ros
Speaker 1: st Brown back. It looks like he's practicing and DeAndre
Speaker 1: swift back, So those are the two most important guys
Speaker 1: on their offense, along with Jared Goff, and so that
Speaker 1: gives him a chance. I just don't know what's gonna
Speaker 1: happen in this game. I tend to think that it's
Speaker 1: gonna be a Cowboys game and and maybe they'll even
Speaker 1: cover the seven points spread here. But I'm hoping I'm wrong.
Speaker 1: I'm hoping the Lions do it. You've had doubts about
Speaker 1: this Lions team, Dan coming off of by Now you
Speaker 1: think they'll like respond like this is the time where
Speaker 1: you I mean the doubts. Doubts have always been about
Speaker 1: the defense obviously, and um and that is really played out.
Speaker 1: And the concern was what if the offense comes down
Speaker 1: to earth and we saw what happened in New England.
Speaker 1: They got this bye week to reset. I'm gonna speak
Speaker 1: possibly about Detroit. They got the bye week to reset
Speaker 1: some things. Get some guys if healthy, healthy, Yer closer,
Speaker 1: having swift back and st Brown getting uh, you know,
Speaker 1: some break That's that's important. And I think, you know,
Speaker 1: I think this is a very important week for Dan Campbell,
Speaker 1: like a proof of concept type game for him uh
Speaker 1: and his Grit Warriors because Dallas as good as their
Speaker 1: defense is, um, I imagine DA's gonna have Russ. I
Speaker 1: don't think this is that offense. Is that that's gonna
Speaker 1: you slide in Dak Prescott and they're often to the races.
Speaker 1: Remember what they looked like in week one before he
Speaker 1: got hurt against Tampa. There was a lot of moving
Speaker 1: pieces and they hadn't figured things out. Like we talked
Speaker 1: about last week. Michael galves back, but he doesn't look
Speaker 1: like Michael Gallup. Um. So there are there are reasons
Speaker 1: to believe Dallas will not score a lot of points.
Speaker 1: The question is Jared Goff, who's oh eight and one
Speaker 1: in his last nine road games, going to face this defense.
Speaker 1: Michael Parsons this could be one of those games where
Speaker 1: everybody's talking about him on Monday. Um. So I'm worried
Speaker 1: about the Lions, But I don't think that Alice is
Speaker 1: gonna score a ton of points which should keep them
Speaker 1: in the game. We shall see. I mean, I don't
Speaker 1: think that if the Lions lose, it's it really changes
Speaker 1: much that we think about the competitive at least, and
Speaker 1: they need to be there. I love. No, they can't
Speaker 1: get blown up. I love the fact that Swift is back.
Speaker 1: I mean, I think if you want to give Jared
Speaker 1: Goff a chance in this uh, it can't be one
Speaker 1: of these games where he has got someone in his
Speaker 1: face left and right because he starts to one ravel.
Speaker 1: And I think that what the Patriots did to them
Speaker 1: and took away the run game, other teams are gonna
Speaker 1: try to do. And I think the Cowboys and we
Speaker 1: talked about the Niners as the best defense in the league.
Speaker 1: It maybe Dallas and Dallas is you know, you can
Speaker 1: run on Dallas here and there, but but Detroit's gonna
Speaker 1: have to make players through the air, and they're gonna
Speaker 1: have to keep Jared Goff safe and Jared Goff under pressure.
Speaker 1: To me, is a completely different quarter. I just think
Speaker 1: that Cowboys have a lot of dimensions to them this year.
Speaker 1: I think the offensive line has gotten better. I think
Speaker 1: the running games a little better than I expected. And
Speaker 1: you mentioned that the defense the way dan Quinn has
Speaker 1: continuity and he changes things from week to week. Now,
Speaker 1: they really are built because they have veterans to adopt
Speaker 1: a creative game plan and and do what belichicked in
Speaker 1: kind of send that pressure and have the big bear
Speaker 1: front where you got five defensive linemen up front to
Speaker 1: stuff that running game, and then you send surprising people
Speaker 1: like Golf like they can kind of do it all.
Speaker 1: They can go tempo to offensively. I just think they
Speaker 1: have a lot in their back pocket. I think they're
Speaker 1: just a team that can win all sorts of different games.
Speaker 1: They have a great returner, Cavante Turpin. Dan, maybe you're
Speaker 1: all pro return guys so far this year. Dante Hall
Speaker 1: on Sky Sports. I saw this. I was asked who
Speaker 1: reminds him of himself in today's NFL, and he said,
Speaker 1: Cavante Turpin of the Cowboys. That's a returner. Hey, you
Speaker 1: know what, Greg, thank you for that, in fact, since
Speaker 1: you pointed him out to me in that way and
Speaker 1: I heard that sound. But he's one of my guys. Sorry, Mark,
Speaker 1: you gotta take him off your list as possibilities, list
Speaker 1: of guys that I'm ready to unveil at some point
Speaker 1: on our podcast. Mean, Neil's unfair since I talked about him. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but the way you threw it to me, you left
Speaker 1: it open and I grabbed him. Mark, I didn't notice that.
Speaker 1: It's like, hey, Dan, listen to my football thought like, oh,
Speaker 1: there's another person on the show. Well I get it,
Speaker 1: but he's over there, and I figured this game discussions over.
Speaker 1: Believe me, I will be thinking about that tonight. Mark.
Speaker 1: I would like to see at some point, we would
Speaker 1: love for you to unveil your private list of guys
Speaker 1: that you love. You tell me when it's it's a
Speaker 1: long list, and it's a lot of possibilities, and it's
Speaker 1: not none of them. Typically you have you keep your
Speaker 1: private list of men hidden from others, but we do
Speaker 1: want to see them at some point. I don't like
Speaker 1: how you phrase that. Um, let's bockholder back. Let's move
Speaker 1: back to the old zeus Sir, Yes, I will take
Speaker 1: jets at Denver Broncos mile High Stadium. Um, here's the
Speaker 1: latest on Russell Wilson shoulder. That's an ongoing thing. I
Speaker 1: guess hamstring an ongoing thing. What is he listed at
Speaker 1: They don't have the injury designations out yet, but it
Speaker 1: sounds like he'll play. He's practicing again, he said. He
Speaker 1: mentioned he had wolverine blood, that's why he's healing so fast. Well,
Speaker 1: you know we Mark, You and I were talking to
Speaker 1: a birdie in the newsroom that pointed out you know,
Speaker 1: he went out of his way to let the media
Speaker 1: know about these injuries. Um, so it's not like this
Speaker 1: is something that's coming out from the team. Uh. These
Speaker 1: different maladies that that Russ is dealing with. And you
Speaker 1: could take that info and think nothing of it or
Speaker 1: just think, is this a quarterback making some excuses for
Speaker 1: being statistically, in many ways the worst QBAN football this year.
Speaker 1: There's an there's an immense amount of pressure on the
Speaker 1: Broncos to start putting some stuff together here. Um, it
Speaker 1: is an offense that is not getting better. It is
Speaker 1: you you watch that ten for ten start, uh and
Speaker 1: the touchdown past the dulcitch and you think maybe something's cooking,
Speaker 1: and then things just got worse and worse and worse.
Speaker 1: And this is here's the bad news. And for those
Speaker 1: fans at Mile High, except for the Jets fans because
Speaker 1: they traveled really well to Green Bay, and I wonder
Speaker 1: if we're gonna see a lot of green in the
Speaker 1: stands on Sunday. Uh. The Jets defense is not going
Speaker 1: to be friendly to Russell Wilson, who can't pick up
Speaker 1: blitz Is, who doesn't spot receivers that are open that
Speaker 1: flash open quickly. Quentin Williams is absolutely playing. I don't
Speaker 1: know if we've heard this yet. We're hearing Pro Bowl,
Speaker 1: All Pro. He keeps this up, He's gonna be in
Speaker 1: the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Quentnin Williams is
Speaker 1: an absolute game wrecker right now. And Sauce Gardner, what
Speaker 1: he's doing, what we're getting all across on all three
Speaker 1: levels of the Jets defense. Their ability to get pet
Speaker 1: pressure without blitzing that is going to be a huge
Speaker 1: issue for Russell Wilson in this game. So I don't
Speaker 1: know if I've I mean, I'm sure I've done it, boys,
Speaker 1: but it's been a long time. He got to do it.
Speaker 1: I believe that Jets are gonna give the Russell Wilson
Speaker 1: Broncos offense absolute fits and that's gonna be enough for
Speaker 1: me to lock up the j E T S Jets, Jets, Jets.
Speaker 1: Keith has is somewhere in the house right now. I
Speaker 1: know he hears it. Um, the Jets are gonna win
Speaker 1: this game. I was rewatching the game before we started
Speaker 1: taping today and I and I was counting Zach Wilson mistakes.
Speaker 1: UM in the first half and it was gonna one,
Speaker 1: two three, whether sliding early or badly placed pass or
Speaker 1: whatever it was. He's the one concerned with New York
Speaker 1: because if he puts it together and really does take
Speaker 1: that step, the Jets can hang with almost any if
Speaker 1: anybody in the a f c um But we need
Speaker 1: to see that step. But I think it's the defense
Speaker 1: that's going to carry them to yet another win. And
Speaker 1: it's impressive to see Quentin Williams what really how he
Speaker 1: impacted the game of Aaron Rodgers a week ago and
Speaker 1: their their faulty offensive line, the issues they were having
Speaker 1: that he took. He took passes away from Rogers that
Speaker 1: would have been that would have changed that thing. And
Speaker 1: so I'm with you, he's having a fantastic season. I'm
Speaker 1: watching the Broncos and I'm Greg you mentioned this after
Speaker 1: the Monday night game. I cannot really remember a team
Speaker 1: like this with a quarterback situation like this, where it's
Speaker 1: unfolding in such a public fashion and it's almost uncomfortable
Speaker 1: to watch, especially when it's been games in Denver Stadium
Speaker 1: where there is a fair debate because it's like Russell
Speaker 1: Wilson in his first game was playing the worst football
Speaker 1: of his career. But you're also it's possible to look
Speaker 1: at what's going on with Nathaniel Hackett in the entire
Speaker 1: organization of the offense and say which one is it.
Speaker 1: I think it's so clearly a terrible mixture of both.
Speaker 1: And the Jets absolutely keep finding these teams at the
Speaker 1: right time. They put the Packers into total chaos where
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers has to talk about simplifying the offense. I
Speaker 1: mean the Broncos offense. We're hearing people talk about their protections,
Speaker 1: other aspects of it being running a sub pro NFL level,
Speaker 1: And and it doesn't help that Russell Wilson seems to
Speaker 1: have completely lost his ability to see it, to see
Speaker 1: the field, and it's starting to feel like in fighting
Speaker 1: and teammates others are so disappointed with what's going on
Speaker 1: that the Jets right here who are riding is high
Speaker 1: magic carpetright as anyone in the league. I already locked
Speaker 1: him up, but I think it's a great spot for
Speaker 1: the Jets. Can I push back on one thing, mark
Speaker 1: that the you're satting the Jets of found teams at
Speaker 1: the right time. I think this is the landscape of
Speaker 1: the league. And that's why part of the reason why
Speaker 1: I have so much optimism about this Jet season. I
Speaker 1: know they're not the Bills. I know they're not the Chiefs,
Speaker 1: but you get you catch any team and the team's
Speaker 1: probably dealing with some type of issues. How the Jets
Speaker 1: were when Zach Wilson nearly blew out his a c
Speaker 1: L and they were playing Joe Flacco for a month,
Speaker 1: Like the Jets are just attacking their schedule and picking
Speaker 1: up The Jets still are. The Jets still are, And
Speaker 1: that issue is is Zack Wilson. Now, I gotta see
Speaker 1: multiple bad weeks until you get overly concerned. But there
Speaker 1: was a stat like his expected points added as a
Speaker 1: quarterback was one of the lowest in any single victory
Speaker 1: by a team in the last you know, five six years.
Speaker 1: He had a rough game and even though he's had
Speaker 1: good moments, he's very unpredictable of like when he drops back,
Speaker 1: you're not sure what's gonna happen. And this is an
Speaker 1: incredible test. We keep throwing around who's the best defense
Speaker 1: in the league. Cowboys for the Broncos are absolutely in
Speaker 1: that mix. They are doing everything well. They're the number
Speaker 1: one past defense in the league dv A way. They
Speaker 1: just added their all pro Justin Simmons back into the mix.
Speaker 1: There's a couple of spots there where they're thin, but they,
Speaker 1: like a lot of these teams, are very versatile because
Speaker 1: they play three safeties. Cayden Stearns played outstanding early in
Speaker 1: the season, and they have Kareem Jackson and their past
Speaker 1: rush is awesome. Baron Browning's been a revelation, Bradley Chubb's
Speaker 1: having the best season of his career, and then Draymond
Speaker 1: d J. Jones. This is a really good defense, and
Speaker 1: that's one of the things that's crazy about them being
Speaker 1: two and four. What's the most waste of defense we've
Speaker 1: seen there? There there number one right now in d
Speaker 1: v O A and defense. I'm not saying they're like
Speaker 1: so dominant that the Jets won't be able to run
Speaker 1: on them and make some place like no defense is
Speaker 1: that dominant, But it's a really good defense, and you
Speaker 1: would expect them to create some chaos for Zach Wilson.
Speaker 1: And that's the route. And that's why as bad as
Speaker 1: it's been for the Broncoes all these games they lose
Speaker 1: by three points, it's not like they're getting blown out,
Speaker 1: You're gonna be most likely. I think Dan sweaty out
Speaker 1: this lock. Even though I'm wish you, I'm with you,
Speaker 1: and I think the Jets will win. I think it's
Speaker 1: just time for me to go all the way in
Speaker 1: uh and and get behind them. I just like the
Speaker 1: spot and part of the reason I was watching Sunday
Speaker 1: or Monday night. You know, those third downs, whether it
Speaker 1: was third and medium, third and long, the complete inability
Speaker 1: for the ski forget about just Wilson who starts coaching
Speaker 1: scheme that they don't have that guys coming in unblocked.
Speaker 1: Every third down dropback was absolutely doomed. And I just
Speaker 1: think it sets up well for a New York defense
Speaker 1: playing really well. I will now snake it and I
Speaker 1: like to hurt. I like to hurt people. I like
Speaker 1: to hurt my friends, and that's what I'm about to do.
Speaker 1: Not in life, but in this game. I like to
Speaker 1: really stick it in the ribs and then twist because
Speaker 1: I know both of you were hoping Atlanta at Cincinnati
Speaker 1: would fall to you, um and yet it will not
Speaker 1: come on. Be honest, be honest, I'm a I'm a
Speaker 1: little peeved at you taking that game. But I'm over it.
Speaker 1: I'm getting over it currently. I can't say I'm like
Speaker 1: that disappointed. Listen, the Bengals offense in a very unsettled league.
Speaker 1: I really enjoyed watching Joe Burrow, and I've enjoyed in
Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks as they've been cleaning up
Speaker 1: their offensive line play and Tee Higgins getting healthier and
Speaker 1: back on the field, and all of a sudden, oh right,
Speaker 1: this is a Cincinnati this is that offense. And I
Speaker 1: just get the view, the feeling and the vibe that
Speaker 1: that Burrow and Jamaar and t and Mixing, who looked
Speaker 1: better last week, are about to go off and and
Speaker 1: win a bunch of games and score a lot of points.
Speaker 1: I really like them in the spot at home against Atlanta,
Speaker 1: And that's not taking anything away from the Falcons. I
Speaker 1: know you guys are higher in general, um on the
Speaker 1: Arthur Smith ra than me. I'm still more like, wait
Speaker 1: and see. They're definitely better than they were a year ago. Um.
Speaker 1: They beat San Francisco, which is a really nice win. Obviously,
Speaker 1: but like I said earlier, the Niners were decimated by injuries,
Speaker 1: so I don't know if we're seeing twenty eight more
Speaker 1: points from the Falcons, and I think we get that
Speaker 1: from Cincinnati. This one feels to me like a thirty
Speaker 1: one seventeen Cincinnati victory. I mean, except that Atlantis scored
Speaker 1: week after week and they found a way back into games.
Speaker 1: And if I if I you look at the way
Speaker 1: that they're playing, you get enough from Marcus Mariotta, and
Speaker 1: if you get him on the ground, they're running for
Speaker 1: like two hundred plus yards a game and dominating defensive
Speaker 1: lines um with not a great offensive line. Actually, that's
Speaker 1: why I think they're so well coached under Arthur Smith.
Speaker 1: And if you look at the Bengals, they have been
Speaker 1: gashed on the ground two weeks in a row. So
Speaker 1: I see an opportunity for Atlanta too, and you know,
Speaker 1: do what they want to do on offense and attack
Speaker 1: the way they want to attack. But Daniel right, I
Speaker 1: mean this, if you look at you take away that
Speaker 1: Week one result for Joe Burrow, I mean he's really
Speaker 1: been mistake free in terms of giveaways. He's not He's
Speaker 1: got like two picks or something like that, and you
Speaker 1: saw the big plays are starting to creep up. And
Speaker 1: if you get Burrow and Jamaar Chase the way you
Speaker 1: did last week. You know, you talk about the fact
Speaker 1: that Jamaar Chase for teams that haven't faced him yet,
Speaker 1: that on the field, when you deal with him, he's
Speaker 1: a completely different surprising entity than he is on tape.
Speaker 1: And I think that's the that the element of surprise
Speaker 1: for the Bengals is still there. They're growing into who
Speaker 1: they were last year to Sundergrand with they're that spicy.
Speaker 1: But it is a huge test for a Falcons team
Speaker 1: that I find to be as fun to watch as
Speaker 1: any in the league right now. Yeah, I I struggle
Speaker 1: with the Bengals. I want to say they turned some
Speaker 1: corner and I was expecting that, and then when I
Speaker 1: watched that game, I just don't. I don't feel like
Speaker 1: they've turned any corner. I don't think their offensive lines
Speaker 1: playing well at all. Like their only plays are Joe
Speaker 1: Burrow get the ball out of his hand in like
Speaker 1: one second, so there is no offensive line, or they're
Speaker 1: great players Tee Higgins, Jamaar Chase Burrow make just great
Speaker 1: individual plays. They either break tackles or they making insane
Speaker 1: catch or they're making insane run and that's great. They
Speaker 1: have great players wasn't he having to do that behind
Speaker 1: the line last year? Just so? But it it was,
Speaker 1: it felt a little more consistent. They didn't have a
Speaker 1: running game. I don't think they're well coached. And then
Speaker 1: the Bengals defense, which had started off the season so well,
Speaker 1: I think you can push them around a little bit.
Speaker 1: And this is the wrong team to play when you
Speaker 1: can get pushed around. To me, I see these teams
Speaker 1: as another two teams in the middle. I don't see
Speaker 1: them like because people do power rankings, Dan, you have
Speaker 1: to pick a team that's like, has potential and it's higher,
Speaker 1: and to me, these are two very much in the
Speaker 1: middle teams. The Bengals have so nothing other than what
Speaker 1: they did a year ago to believe that they're any different.
Speaker 1: We throw some stats out there because your your field
Speaker 1: test says Cincinnati is not getting much better. They still.
Speaker 1: Burrow has a one ten passer rating since Week three,
Speaker 1: third in the NFL. He has five interceptions this year,
Speaker 1: only one since Week one. Right, they have eight touchdown
Speaker 1: zero interceptions against man coverage that they've won three or
Speaker 1: four after starting oh and two. Joe Burrow on a
Speaker 1: you might not see what the offensive line greg but
Speaker 1: Joe Burrows went out of his way after these games
Speaker 1: to say that the offensive line is improving and it's
Speaker 1: helping his game. And I just think there's I'm not
Speaker 1: saying they're a perfect team, and what you're saying about
Speaker 1: the power wreckings is true. Do I think Cincinnati is
Speaker 1: a top five team almost any other year. No, They're
Speaker 1: kind of like a ten to thirteen type team. But
Speaker 1: the league is what the league is right now, and
Speaker 1: I saw certain things being unlocked with their offense, especially yesterday.
Speaker 1: The defense. Yes, they they're vulnerable there potentially, but I've
Speaker 1: just seen enough personally to say I could see the
Speaker 1: Bengals really getting hot here in the middle of the season.
Speaker 1: I'm with you because I think that, you know, had
Speaker 1: things continue to pace after Week one or Week two,
Speaker 1: you're in panic mode because it looked like Joe Burrow
Speaker 1: wouldn't last the season. Right now, I mean, it's like
Speaker 1: this is a process, and we're talking about the entire
Speaker 1: league looking mezzanine level outside of two or three teams.
Speaker 1: The Bengals at least are trending back to where they
Speaker 1: were a year ago. My difference is Joe mixing fourth
Speaker 1: most carries in the league seventeen in yardage because he's
Speaker 1: running the three point three yards per carry. I know
Speaker 1: he's had a couple better games here, but they were
Speaker 1: dominant down the stretch last year because, especially in their
Speaker 1: own division, mixing in the ground game would punish teams
Speaker 1: entire out defenses. They're not able to do that right now.
Speaker 1: I just think in this muddled NFL sometimes that we
Speaker 1: we signed a lot to wins and losses, that is
Speaker 1: the point. But have they really played like they lost
Speaker 1: a couple of heartbreakers early and we assigned a lot
Speaker 1: that things are falling by and now they're winning a
Speaker 1: couple of heartbreakers for the other teams late, and we're
Speaker 1: assigning a lot to that. And to me, they just
Speaker 1: they seem in the middle. And I think coaching is
Speaker 1: more important than ever. I always would say there's only
Speaker 1: five or six coaching staffs that matter on one side,
Speaker 1: good and bad. But I don't know what's so little
Speaker 1: separating these teams this year. I think coaching has mattered more.
Speaker 1: I found it interesting the Falcons like aren't blitzing much anymore.
Speaker 1: That's what you think of him as, but they've really
Speaker 1: adapted and they're different. And I look at this six
Speaker 1: and a half point spread, and like a couple of
Speaker 1: six and a half point spreads this week. I'm like,
Speaker 1: that seems crazy to me. These teams seem absolutely even,
Speaker 1: and that's why it's Uh, it's gonna be rated in
Speaker 1: Cincinnati to the Rainmaker doesn't come out twice in a
Speaker 1: week very often, but he is this week. We're taking
Speaker 1: the Falcon six and a half. I love it. This
Speaker 1: thing's coming down to the end, Dan, this is a
Speaker 1: chore sitting here today. Some people can handle the power
Speaker 1: and some people this person consumes. You know. Some listeners
Speaker 1: were like, you haven't done a Raidmaker in three weeks.
Speaker 1: I was like, okay, I gotta make up some and
Speaker 1: I do feel strong about these two. I love getting
Speaker 1: that many points. All right, good team, we'll be tracking
Speaker 1: that very closely. And if God forbid, your two Rainmakers
Speaker 1: don't hit, I'm sure that Mark and I won't be
Speaker 1: bringing it up on the show. Right I I just
Speaker 1: gave Dan one more thing to root heavily for on Sunday,
Speaker 1: So you're welcome um again. I'd like to hurt my friends,
Speaker 1: but only in scenarios like like this. Another example Greg's
Speaker 1: Rainmaker like that would be fun to celebrate sunshine in
Speaker 1: a I mean, the record over the last two years
Speaker 1: is getting to be ridiculous. I think it's like twelve
Speaker 1: and four something something outrageous. We're on a HoTT Well,
Speaker 1: you've had a lot of practice over the years, Greg
Speaker 1: in this realm and you you're really doing well and
Speaker 1: we thank you. Greg. You're up. Oh I am, I am.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna take the Browns in the Ravens. Uh. I
Speaker 1: feel weird with Mark City next to me taking the
Speaker 1: Browns back to back weeks. But we're deep in the
Speaker 1: draft and I'm just not. Uh, I wouldn't have. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you could have. I could have could have could you
Speaker 1: could have taken it with that third overall pick, Mark,
Speaker 1: That just I could have taken Colts Titans, And that's great.
Speaker 1: And I don't know, there's so many loyalties here. I'm
Speaker 1: loyal to football and I am uh interested in this game.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm loyal to I'm just saying to like
Speaker 1: making the best Sunday. I'm I think this is a
Speaker 1: great game at this point in each of these two
Speaker 1: teams season. I think it's a very compelling game. I
Speaker 1: find both these teams compelling and confusing. The Ravens are
Speaker 1: such a strange three and three team. The Browns are
Speaker 1: a strange two and four team. They both feel like
Speaker 1: they should be better than they are. But one of
Speaker 1: these two teams is gonna be devastated after this loss
Speaker 1: and in a really difficult spot that they didn't expect.
Speaker 1: I want to think that the Ravens can punish the
Speaker 1: disorganized Brown's defense because this team has given up a
Speaker 1: lot of big plays. In theory, that's what Lamar's should do.
Speaker 1: Looks like they get Rashad Bateman back this week, but
Speaker 1: then Mark Andrews is out of practice when Day and Thursday,
Speaker 1: and it's like they they're just too thin. It's crazy
Speaker 1: how they don't have anyone but Andrews and kind of
Speaker 1: Devon DuVernay when Bateman was out. Now Bateman's back, that's
Speaker 1: not enough. Like no other receivers are getting involved. And yes,
Speaker 1: I think they found something with Kenyan Drake last week
Speaker 1: running the ball. He looked good. J K. Dobbins is
Speaker 1: out of practice. I get the feeling they might sit
Speaker 1: him down for a minute. He just never looked right
Speaker 1: this season coming off his injury. And maybe they're just
Speaker 1: gonna give him a couple of weeks off with that
Speaker 1: injury and just see if you can get a little
Speaker 1: more juice Kenyan Drake something. But they're an inconsistent offense.
Speaker 1: And you mentioned it, Mark, like Lamar has five fourth
Speaker 1: quarter interceptions? What turnovers? Four interceptions? Uh? They said something like,
Speaker 1: I think he only had six in his entire career
Speaker 1: until this year. Like something strange here. And he's definitely
Speaker 1: not playing at the level he was in the first
Speaker 1: three weeks. Now, I'm I'm with you. I mean, he's
Speaker 1: he's he's falling off a cliff in a lot of ways.
Speaker 1: But the turnovers have been um absolutely critical. And this
Speaker 1: is your game though, if you're the Ravens now that
Speaker 1: you have bateing back, because I'm with you, they always
Speaker 1: seem like they're if they're missing one weapon. They don't
Speaker 1: look like other NFL teams in terms of the more
Speaker 1: important right he's there, he's the core of their their
Speaker 1: passing game. But if you can't run against the Browns,
Speaker 1: if you can't get plays against Cleveland, it's that would
Speaker 1: be more concerning for me than anything about the Ravens,
Speaker 1: because the Browns defense right now, I think is a
Speaker 1: bottom three unit. It is Miles Garrett playing out of
Speaker 1: his mind week after week and nobody else, and it's
Speaker 1: like they're not the sum of their parts, because there's
Speaker 1: talent on this defense. But it's funny because, like John
Speaker 1: Johnson their safety this week, I thought he had some
Speaker 1: pretty revealing comments about the fact that, you know, this
Speaker 1: isn't a team that after practice people are sticking around
Speaker 1: logging more hours. It's like kind of get in your
Speaker 1: car and go home situation, and I kind of kind
Speaker 1: of I'm not done necessarily that they don't like each other.
Speaker 1: It's like, are they putting in the work? Is it
Speaker 1: all hands on deck? After what we've seen from this defense,
Speaker 1: they should be making adjustments changing what they're doing. And
Speaker 1: they've been discombobulated and out of sorts week after weeks.
Speaker 1: So if the Ravens can't do it here, then I'd
Speaker 1: be really concerned about the Ravens from that angle. Well,
Speaker 1: that's the thing. The Ravens are annoying. The Ravens are
Speaker 1: in uh uh tugboat time out right now because it's
Speaker 1: just like, guys, what what are we doing here? Like
Speaker 1: that they've they've blown now three games with a ten
Speaker 1: point lead that's tied their franchise record in the second half,
Speaker 1: and that's through weeks six, And you just want to
Speaker 1: you what you're looking the way things are right now
Speaker 1: in this unsettled league to grab onto things teams that
Speaker 1: you could trust. In Baltimore, I I've lost two locks.
Speaker 1: Both my locks this year are getting behind the Ravens
Speaker 1: and games that they have in hand and blow and
Speaker 1: it's just like, what is that about? And I think
Speaker 1: there's two things. You could definitely point the finger at
Speaker 1: some coaching mistakes that are happening, but it's right. And
Speaker 1: I'm glad Greg because I know you and Clay Bown
Speaker 1: and others are always looking out for Lamar. But he
Speaker 1: is absolutely played a role in these collapses, especially against
Speaker 1: Buffalo obviously against the Giants, and he needs to be better.
Speaker 1: And you could say he doesn't have a lot of
Speaker 1: supporting parts, but you know, the great ones, uh, they
Speaker 1: find a way uh to get it done. Look at
Speaker 1: what we're seeing from Mahomes in Kansas City and we
Speaker 1: see Lamar. Maybe he's not Mahomes and that all time level,
Speaker 1: but if he's truly a superstar, that's gonna get paid
Speaker 1: the highest contract ever for a quarterback, well, he should
Speaker 1: be able to make it work. Maybe you shouldn't have
Speaker 1: traded Hollywood Brown. I don't know, but that's the past.
Speaker 1: You need Rashande Bateman to hit the ground running. Um.
Speaker 1: I expect this to be one sided for the Ravens,
Speaker 1: but again after three games, blown games and Latin teams
Speaker 1: back in games, it's like, I don't know what to expect.
Speaker 1: Look to be clear, Lamar overall is the reason why
Speaker 1: this team has a good offense. And of course he
Speaker 1: deserves that contract because like Kyler Murray gets those contracts
Speaker 1: like he's on he's at another level and that he's
Speaker 1: gonna get it. He's just got to clean up. His
Speaker 1: passing has just been a little in says. I think
Speaker 1: the reason they lose this game is because, unlike other
Speaker 1: Ravens team, their weaknesses are really weak. They have no
Speaker 1: edge rushers. I mean, they signed Jpp off the street,
Speaker 1: play him every snap and he he did, he did,
Speaker 1: he didn't show up in the stat sheet. Like their
Speaker 1: offensive line has been really injured. But I do think
Speaker 1: they're coming together. Ronnie Stanley has played well for them
Speaker 1: the last two weeks and they've they've improved the last
Speaker 1: couple of weeks, so certain things have come together while
Speaker 1: certain things have fallen apart in terms of giving up
Speaker 1: big plays defensively and like being really thin at receivers.
Speaker 1: Their weaknesses are weak. And yet, uh, I'm stepping into
Speaker 1: that trap to like you did, Dan, You've gotten a
Speaker 1: couple of Ravens wrong. I got it wrong last week,
Speaker 1: but then I jumped out of it at the last second.
Speaker 1: But this time I'm jumping right back in. I'm walking
Speaker 1: up the race. So I'm gonna say, I think you're
Speaker 1: in safe territory and you're gonna have to count on
Speaker 1: the fact that the Browns when they've been good on offense,
Speaker 1: like if Nick Chubb does Nick Chubb things, that they'll
Speaker 1: keep it close. But why a teller is out? I
Speaker 1: think that's a big loss for Cleveland's offensive line. I
Speaker 1: don't see Baltimore is getting stopped by Cleveland and there
Speaker 1: in Cleveland. It not to get to But I know
Speaker 1: Kevin Servantski does not listen to our show during the season.
Speaker 1: He's an every show listener in the off season. But
Speaker 1: just in case somebody can get this to him, Um,
Speaker 1: I was saying, give Nick Chubb the ball Mark, you
Speaker 1: gave it to him twelve times last week. I know
Speaker 1: the game script. Blah blah blah. Give the ball to
Speaker 1: Nick Chubb thirty times and see what's going on in
Speaker 1: the fourth course. Is he in a tug about time out?
Speaker 1: Oh no, the only one tugboat tugboat time out for
Speaker 1: any given time in the league. Put one of us
Speaker 1: in a tugboat time out at some point. That sounds child,
Speaker 1: sounds like less work. We just wouldn't come. It wouldn't
Speaker 1: come to the show. Why do you think I'm in
Speaker 1: New York? All right, let's take a break and finish
Speaker 1: out the draft. All right, it's time for the Sunday
Speaker 1: Dry presented by Toyota, and picking is Mark Sessler. First
Speaker 1: of two. We are down to teams that to me
Speaker 1: are depressing um and I'm gonna talk about two of
Speaker 1: them right well, uh, the Bucks at the Panthers, am I.
Speaker 1: They both kind of strike me as tough to watch
Speaker 1: right now, which um annoys me about the Bucks. But
Speaker 1: that's just been the case. That's been who they've been
Speaker 1: all year long. I don't know why last week against
Speaker 1: the Steelers you don't have Brady taking more shots down
Speaker 1: the field. Um, they were playing a secondary that was
Speaker 1: absolutely stripped of starters, no t J. Watt, and yet
Speaker 1: it looked like the Bucks offense we see most other weeks.
Speaker 1: He's throwing the ball well, but at the same time
Speaker 1: like it's just not happening. I feel like if you
Speaker 1: can lock down Mike Evans to some degree, then this
Speaker 1: Bucks offense has essentially been reduced to field goals and
Speaker 1: not even making all those. It's like this Brady is
Speaker 1: freaking out on the sideline. We're watching it right here
Speaker 1: on the clips, Like he just seems so frustrated and
Speaker 1: pent up, and I think it's you could just expect, Oh,
Speaker 1: Tampa is going to figure this out and round into
Speaker 1: something looking like they were two years ago, a year ago.
Speaker 1: I don't know if it's there. The thing is that
Speaker 1: you're playing the Panthers this week. So if you can't
Speaker 1: come out and drop thirty five point it's on this team,
Speaker 1: then you gotta look at why you can't playing Bruce
Speaker 1: arians he's not part of Carolina's defense has been the
Speaker 1: biggest issue for them, Like do I think that they're
Speaker 1: missing guys? They're starting to miss guys. They might get J. C. Hornback,
Speaker 1: who has been great for them, but they lost potentially
Speaker 1: two of their other starting cornerbacks h C. J. Henderson
Speaker 1: and Dante Jacks. I would say the reason that you
Speaker 1: that you think that Buck the Bucks could put up
Speaker 1: a ton of points in this is the fact that
Speaker 1: you've got p J. Walker starting a quarterback for an
Speaker 1: offense that's broken down, and you get a lot of
Speaker 1: three and ounce and you've got a tired Carolina defense
Speaker 1: by the end. Let me let me counter that. The
Speaker 1: reason I don't expect is because they just don't do it.
Speaker 1: This is their points per game this season nineteen twenty twelve,
Speaker 1: thirty one in a game that was a blowout, the
Speaker 1: other team scored forty one and eighteen. They they've been
Speaker 1: They've been a twenty point game offense this year for
Speaker 1: the most part. And it's this doesn't feel like a
Speaker 1: team to me like Cincinnati. Greg you, I know you
Speaker 1: are not on the same page, but I feel like
Speaker 1: Cincinnati is a team that's finding himself and getting better
Speaker 1: and looks like they are about to click and go off.
Speaker 1: I do not see the Tampa Bay offense as being
Speaker 1: close to that. Right now. Now, the NFL is unpredictable.
Speaker 1: It could absolutely happen. He could. They could score thirty
Speaker 1: five points against a Panther's team where half the organization
Speaker 1: is on the phone looking for work for next season already.
Speaker 1: But there's just a lot of there's a lot of
Speaker 1: bad vibes letting different than Cleveland, but again bad juju
Speaker 1: around the Tampa Bay team. No, they don't seem like
Speaker 1: they're having fun. And when you went through the point totals,
Speaker 1: I almost thought like maybe that Chiefs game, like that
Speaker 1: was like the one game. And I don't think it was.
Speaker 1: They were always chasing the score, but I think they
Speaker 1: played well from the first quarter to the end. It
Speaker 1: was like the one game. They all felt alive again.
Speaker 1: Especially but you know, like thee we're playing the Chiefs,
Speaker 1: like this game actually means something to me. Tom Brady's
Speaker 1: just it's like he's counting the days until the playoffs
Speaker 1: or something. I just thought that we're different on that
Speaker 1: point to Greg that game in particular, but like that,
Speaker 1: I would imagine Kansas City was playing maybe a little
Speaker 1: bit of a different defense is once they got ahead,
Speaker 1: I just would wonder what that game was like if
Speaker 1: if they're Tampa Bay's defense had showed up um, I
Speaker 1: want to make one quick thing about their defense and
Speaker 1: just about them in general. You're right there. Not the
Speaker 1: Bucks we expected. They used to be the best run
Speaker 1: defense in the league, like just best every year by far.
Speaker 1: Their mediocre. Uh, they're dead last and rushing right now
Speaker 1: and rushing like they used to be a very efficient
Speaker 1: rushing team. They are different. Todd Bowles made a statement
Speaker 1: after the game that some people are still living off
Speaker 1: of the Super Bowl, which I thought was like a
Speaker 1: really cutting statement, like their people are still living off
Speaker 1: the Super Bowl, And I'm just like, well, Todd Bowls,
Speaker 1: you wouldn't say that unless you're talking about specific players
Speaker 1: or players like player. And I was thinking, like, well,
Speaker 1: who's Todd Bowles talking about. I don't think he's talking
Speaker 1: about Tom Brady actually, because I just he's a defensive guy.
Speaker 1: And I thought in my head, if I had to guess,
Speaker 1: it would be Devin White. Devin White who gets talked
Speaker 1: up as like one of the great young linebackers in
Speaker 1: the league, but is always at the center of big
Speaker 1: plays being allowed. And I think it's one of those
Speaker 1: guys who doesn't necessarily do his assignment and searches the
Speaker 1: big plays and hasn't played as well, uh for the
Speaker 1: last year, especially this year, as people really on the
Speaker 1: outside believe. And then at his press conference on Wednesday,
Speaker 1: Todd Bowls pointed out that Devin White was responsible for
Speaker 1: the roughing the passer call last week and failing to
Speaker 1: cover Naj Harris, Like they asked him who had the
Speaker 1: busted coverage on that play, and he's like Devin White,
Speaker 1: So I don't know. That was just my little, uh mystery.
Speaker 1: I think you've connected the dots very well there. I
Speaker 1: would also imagine that that whole statement isn't being made
Speaker 1: about one player alone, because that's the White probably knows
Speaker 1: that he's talking about. And I just find that interest.
Speaker 1: How about how about Bruce Arians Well, there's a that's
Speaker 1: a thing. There's a there's a lot of candidates you
Speaker 1: could point to and just say this is this team
Speaker 1: is just their vibe is not a fun one at
Speaker 1: the moment. By the way, Julio Jones I believe is
Speaker 1: still not practicing, So that's right. P J. Walker also
Speaker 1: is starting this game. Um, so he will try to
Speaker 1: complete more than one pass that pass the line of scrimmage,
Speaker 1: which was how many he had last year, and that
Speaker 1: was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota. How about we
Speaker 1: snake Dog. Alright, I'm gonna go Cults at Titans. Kind
Speaker 1: of surprised this is still hanging around. Uh me too,
Speaker 1: I know, Grave Digger, I kind of I feel the
Speaker 1: same way that Dan feels like this is something you're
Speaker 1: gonna have eyes on. So maybe I'm picking in lieu
Speaker 1: of you handling the work side of this. We will decide.
Speaker 1: But I think if you look back at how they
Speaker 1: dealt how the Titans beat the Cults the first time
Speaker 1: to seventeen a couple of weeks back, the Titans didn't
Speaker 1: have a player with more than thirty eight yards receiving,
Speaker 1: but it was one of our indicators that Derrick Henry
Speaker 1: I think is having I mean, he's looking he looks good.
Speaker 1: And that was a game where they also hassled Matt
Speaker 1: Ryan into three sacks and interceptional lost fumbles. One of
Speaker 1: us worst games. So if you're the Cults, because you're
Speaker 1: gonna get Jonathan Taylor back, Nihim Heinz is practicing again,
Speaker 1: You're gonna get him back. Do you go back to
Speaker 1: what you think you were last year? This run heavy
Speaker 1: team against the Titans, or do you try to maybe
Speaker 1: duplicate some of what happened last week when Matt Ryan,
Speaker 1: I thought, finally played a game where he looked competent
Speaker 1: and quite dangerous, and they were more of an air
Speaker 1: team than they were a ground team. Yeah, these teams
Speaker 1: developed during the course of the season, and they're a
Speaker 1: different team than the one that played the Titans a
Speaker 1: month ago. Graver, I'm sure you're a little concerned that
Speaker 1: they're coming up with solutions. Dennis Kelly played at left
Speaker 1: tackle last week. He quickly replaced their draft pick, and
Speaker 1: he played well and kind of solidified their offensive line
Speaker 1: a little bit. Alec Pierce has come along as a
Speaker 1: nice rookie wide receiver. Dion Jackson is like a nice
Speaker 1: little backup. Like they're finding things on offense. And I
Speaker 1: feel like these teams never I was gonna say, it
Speaker 1: feels like they never sweep each other. But the Titans
Speaker 1: have beaten him for straight how about that. Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 1: Dennis Kelly revenge game. He was a right tackle for
Speaker 1: the Titans. Now he's you know this game got drafted
Speaker 1: so late. Well, hey, you know what, this is the
Speaker 1: second closest spread of any of the Sunday games. With
Speaker 1: the Chiefs two and a half point favorites on the road,
Speaker 1: Titans two and a a half point favorites at home, It's
Speaker 1: like gonna be a close game. Most likely it's a
Speaker 1: huge a f C South Divisional game to position whoever
Speaker 1: wins with a lead going down the stretch where they
Speaker 1: don't play each other again. This is also the colts
Speaker 1: fifth division game in seven weeks, which is crazy. That's
Speaker 1: so stupid. It is um and the CBS crew has
Speaker 1: their fifth CBS fifth ranked crew out of the five
Speaker 1: CBS games. I don't really get people don't yeah, watch it. Yeah,
Speaker 1: a f C South consigliari, keep going. I think the
Speaker 1: Colts are going to stick to this passing approach because
Speaker 1: it works so well last week. Number one and number two.
Speaker 1: The Titans defensive strength is their run stopping defensive line.
Speaker 1: They have been torched through the air all season. They've
Speaker 1: allowed three yard passers in four straight games. I think
Speaker 1: Matt Ryan's gonna probably hit that number again, and this one.
Speaker 1: That doesn't necessarily mean the Colts win, but I do
Speaker 1: think it's gonna be like a fifty plus attempt game
Speaker 1: again for Matt Ryan trying to attack a week or
Speaker 1: Titan second arry and staying away from the Titan strength,
Speaker 1: which is running. I will be interested to see if
Speaker 1: Shaquille Leonard makes his return. He's back with practice, he
Speaker 1: is practicing, and like you know, Jonathan Taylor also, it
Speaker 1: was a week ago where he was sort of said,
Speaker 1: like on the ankle, it's just not right. And I mean,
Speaker 1: he'll he'll play. But I wonder if we're gonna get
Speaker 1: last year's version of Jonathan Taylor at all this season
Speaker 1: or if not for a while, because when you hear
Speaker 1: ankle injury running back and it wasn't good a week ago,
Speaker 1: I don't know if this is the guy you lean
Speaker 1: on the same way that you as as a as
Speaker 1: a last season, and I know must be super annoying.
Speaker 1: Grave digger. We've talked about this that the Cults are
Speaker 1: in pretty good position and uh, you know, I called
Speaker 1: it out on Sunday Show that you know, to have
Speaker 1: fifty eight pass attempts as the Colts did, and Ryan
Speaker 1: not to get sacked. These are all positive signs that
Speaker 1: India is out of the darkest winter of their season,
Speaker 1: which often is the beginning. Now. Um, but you know,
Speaker 1: the Titans, I just I feel good about your Titans here,
Speaker 1: justin I think they're coming off a bye week, h
Speaker 1: Henry finding his way. I think Tannehill will make some
Speaker 1: plays here, and this feels like a good Tennessee set
Speaker 1: up to really take control and sweep the if you
Speaker 1: can sweep this series. Unless you're hot about Jackson Mill again,
Speaker 1: maybe they do show Vegas to be smart and they're
Speaker 1: back in the race. That's a pretty commanding lead if
Speaker 1: they can get a w here. Yeah, I think it's
Speaker 1: a huge game for the Titans. And I actually feel
Speaker 1: good about the Titans and this one because Mike Rabel's
Speaker 1: record coming off of a bye or off of a
Speaker 1: Thursday night game, I wish I had it in front
Speaker 1: of me. It's really good. It's not that high, but
Speaker 1: it is really really good. And so I think the
Speaker 1: Titans will be well prepared. They're better rested than this
Speaker 1: Colts team coming into this game. I think it's gonna
Speaker 1: be another game where they get Derrick Henry heavily involved
Speaker 1: in the passing game, like with five catches for eighty
Speaker 1: yards or something for Henry in this game, and I
Speaker 1: think the Titans could win it, not comfortably, but more
Speaker 1: comfortably than they've won any game that they've won. This. Wow.
Speaker 1: I mean he's only coached for four years before this, Justine,
Speaker 1: so your options are really four no or three? And
Speaker 1: what well? Also including a break after a Thursday night game,
Speaker 1: if I could get personal for a moment here The
Speaker 1: best career advice I ever got. It was at the
Speaker 1: Super Bowl about ten years ago, and I was lucky
Speaker 1: enough to run into John Madden um at a rest room.
Speaker 1: Um at a restaurant, and uh, I was a little
Speaker 1: shy um obviously, and it was the bathroom, so it's
Speaker 1: kind of weird. But as he was walking out, I
Speaker 1: came up to him. I told him I was a
Speaker 1: huge fan and how important he has been, what a
Speaker 1: figure he was in my childhood. And like he looked
Speaker 1: me right in the eyes, gave like a good handshake
Speaker 1: and said to me, the one this is the advice
Speaker 1: I'll give you, and take this with you. If you
Speaker 1: don't know a stat or something, just make it up.
Speaker 1: He did a fist pump, and uh, that's amazing, and
Speaker 1: that was and he walked away. It crediful advice. That's
Speaker 1: a true story. How have I never heard this story?
Speaker 1: Of course, that's not a true story. It was completely
Speaker 1: made up. Well that you're taking and made up advice
Speaker 1: to make things up. But the Titans are four and
Speaker 1: no after they're buying the Mike Rabel era with an
Speaker 1: eighty two point differential. Over those four games, they're scoring
Speaker 1: thirty three points per game and allowing twelve point five one. Okay,
Speaker 1: Actually another advice he said, don't don't say it's stats
Speaker 1: when they're just kind of made up. Dan, you should
Speaker 1: not have acknowledged that that was a fictitious story because
Speaker 1: I think, let's thinking about that because the bathroom. He
Speaker 1: gave you a fist like, let's let's let's close the
Speaker 1: curtain on a f C South Consigliari, justin, I think
Speaker 1: that Mike rabel is one of the most underrated coaches
Speaker 1: in the entire thing. That doesn't that Also, that drop
Speaker 1: doesn't need to exist. Justin, you've gone too far, but
Speaker 1: we still love all right, close it out, Greg, unbelievably Sure,
Speaker 1: the Washington Commanders last, that makes sense, but the Green
Speaker 1: Bay Packers the final pick of a draft. Yeah, that's rough.
Speaker 1: I um, and I'm not looking forward to watching this
Speaker 1: in particular, despite the you know, presence of Taylor Heineke
Speaker 1: back in Our Lives. He says he was a little
Speaker 1: overwhelmed last year as a starter. He feels like he'll
Speaker 1: be more prepared for and they can throw the ball
Speaker 1: around a little bit. They have weapons, and the Packers
Speaker 1: defense tends to lose guys in coverage. They've had a
Speaker 1: couple of guys who had total career years a year ago,
Speaker 1: Devandre Campbell and Roswell Douglas, who are playing bad this year.
Speaker 1: But they're not playing like amazing anymore. And it just
Speaker 1: doesn't seem to be a very aggressive or particularly well
Speaker 1: coached defense. They let passes uh in receptions happen in
Speaker 1: front of them and just try to make the tackle
Speaker 1: while giving up thirteen yards at a time. So it
Speaker 1: I'm I don't know why I feel crazy. I know
Speaker 1: the Commanders have scored twelve points of games since Week three,
Speaker 1: Yet I kind of feel like this game will be
Speaker 1: close at the end, because most Packers games are. I
Speaker 1: think it will be too. I mean, the Packers have
Speaker 1: scored ten points in six quarters. They look fairly broken
Speaker 1: on offense to me, like I thought, if anything, if
Speaker 1: you're not gonna have a coordinated passing attack, let Aaron
Speaker 1: Jones be the heart of the offense. That's not been
Speaker 1: the case. And I mean, I don't love Washington in
Speaker 1: any game, but I do like Taylor Heineke honestly better
Speaker 1: than Carson Wentz. I'm probably in the vast minority there.
Speaker 1: I just think there's something to his game where it's
Speaker 1: not a big drop off. And I think maybe that
Speaker 1: this is a team that needed a quarterback switch for
Speaker 1: multiple reasons. And if you've got Montes Sweat and Jonathan
Speaker 1: Allen against the Packers offensive line that has major issues
Speaker 1: last night, that was wrecked last week by Quentin Williams,
Speaker 1: maybe you've got to find a way into this fourth
Speaker 1: quarter and if something happens, the Packers become one of
Speaker 1: the most disappointing teams in the entire conference. Yeah, I
Speaker 1: think or they get right. Yeah, I think they're gonna
Speaker 1: get right. I like them in this game a lot.
Speaker 1: And I think Matt Lafleur will look hard in the
Speaker 1: mirror after watching the game tape against the Jets and say,
Speaker 1: what am I How am I still giving? Aaron Jones
Speaker 1: said game scripts where he has three touches in the
Speaker 1: first half against the Jets, they they have to understand
Speaker 1: and listen, that man knows more about offensive football uh
Speaker 1: in his pinky than Old Zeuser or any of us
Speaker 1: for that matter. So but pinky is so smart. But
Speaker 1: at the same time, like, don't overthink it. Your offensive
Speaker 1: passing game is just not there right now, and you
Speaker 1: have a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers that might be playing
Speaker 1: through an injury. Uh. They're obviously gonna keep that quiet.
Speaker 1: But he was clearly favoring his his right throwing them
Speaker 1: during that game against the Jets. I'm gonna say it again.
Speaker 1: Give the ball to Aaron Jones like the brown should
Speaker 1: be given the ball to Nick Chobb. Get a j
Speaker 1: Dillon involved, make it a running attack, and then if
Speaker 1: the offensive passing game comes back and they figure some
Speaker 1: things out, then you can make it more balanced. It's
Speaker 1: okay to play through your running game even though you
Speaker 1: have Aaron Rodgers, unless Aaron Rodgers isn't gonna let that
Speaker 1: uh go. But at the same time, where the Packers
Speaker 1: are at a five D team that looks like a
Speaker 1: five hundred team at best, it's time to make some changes.
Speaker 1: Good opponent for me, you kind of convinced me, yeah,
Speaker 1: like wow, this is even a better lock maybe than
Speaker 1: than the one I have, just because like, hey, it's
Speaker 1: it's still the Green Bay Packers. Greg does this everything.
Speaker 1: If you had told us before the season, hey you
Speaker 1: got a chance to lock up the Packers over the Commanders,
Speaker 1: it's like week seven. That that sounds they were pretty bad.
Speaker 1: Pretty it does sound delicious. That's why I'm doing it, Okay,
Speaker 1: I like that locks. It also feels like the thing
Speaker 1: you do before we find out the Packers are even
Speaker 1: more broken than we realize that that's wishful thinking. So
Speaker 1: you heard off the Ravens that see I kind of
Speaker 1: think that's a smart move. No, that was Grave Digger
Speaker 1: is locking up the Packers. I I he inserted himself
Speaker 1: back into the show. You know, merciless. Now, I thought
Speaker 1: you drafted this game last right after the Titans game.
Speaker 1: Yeah it's true, I know, and I have three early
Speaker 1: games now. It's a whole thing that's shook this problem.
Speaker 1: Why is great they're not locking up the Titans. By
Speaker 1: the way, for the Colts, he just said it'd be
Speaker 1: a blowout to No. I think they win thirty one
Speaker 1: four to jinks. I can't jink to show much this
Speaker 1: season has changed as we say goodbye. The three biggest
Speaker 1: declines in offensive e p A this season for many
Speaker 1: team uh yeah. The third biggest decline the Buccaneers, second
Speaker 1: biggest decline the Packers, and the biggest decline is the Rams.
Speaker 1: It's like all these little superpowers from the NFC a
Speaker 1: year ago who have just that has absolutely been a
Speaker 1: driving factor in the chaos that we're seeing in the
Speaker 1: NFL right now. The big A lot of these war horses,
Speaker 1: these powerhouse teams of the past have come down, while
Speaker 1: a lot of the bad teams have come up, and
Speaker 1: it's just creating this like really thick stew um gross. Finally,
Speaker 1: before we say goodbye, let's check in on those lock
Speaker 1: of the week's standings and see where we are. Old
Speaker 1: zeus Or drops another one with the Ravens falls to
Speaker 1: four and too Grave Digger up to four into Greg
Speaker 1: four and two, and then Mark and West both three.
Speaker 1: The West is both three and three. By the way,
Speaker 1: I'm happy this is happening on national television. This is incorrect.
Speaker 1: I was three and two and one. My charger's locks
Speaker 1: and four and two. Are you sure? I am dead sure.
Speaker 1: I think we'll just go with three and three. I
Speaker 1: know you know what you're doing, because this is this
Speaker 1: is a weekly bit. It's a weekly bit, and you've
Speaker 1: really pushed into it this time. But I am four
Speaker 1: and too and should be on top the list. I think, well,
Speaker 1: I think my courageous lock win of a week ago
Speaker 1: it happened on Monday. I mean the Chargers didn't, Lou,
Speaker 1: I think with they everyone lost in that game, So
Speaker 1: I think of giving you a loss for that game.
Speaker 1: You don't decide anything remotely, Mark, Do you want to
Speaker 1: know how the sausage gets made a little bit on
Speaker 1: this one? I'm pretty sure I know, but you could
Speaker 1: you could tell everyone else if you'd like. Some people
Speaker 1: behind the glass wanted it to say one in five
Speaker 1: for Mark, but I was like, no, what, We'll get
Speaker 1: him much more mad if you just miss it by one.
Speaker 1: I thought it was five and one to be honest,
Speaker 1: but I'll four and two. It is clowns, all right.
Speaker 1: Thank you to everyone for watching the Friday Fun Show tomorrow.
Speaker 1: That's live, that's interactive, so make sure you're there at
Speaker 1: ten am Pacific, one pm Eastern, five pm London Happy
Speaker 1: Hour and then yes, the flagship program Sunday Night where
Speaker 1: we go over every game we just previewed. Until then,
Speaker 1: Dan handsOn signing off for the Quiet Storm. The Old
Speaker 1: Boss need the call.