October 2, 2023 • 53 mins
Colin Cowherd reacts to wild NFL Week 4. Colin shares his takes on Russell Wilson vs Justin Fields and calls out the Bears coaching. Later he gives his takes on the Eagles struggles despite starting 4-0 and is everything fixed between Josh Allen & Stefon Diggs after their monster performances vs the Dolphins. Lastly he gives his takes on young QBs Kenny Pickett & C.J. Stroud and which one is heading in the right direction.
Then John Middlekauff - host of "3 & Out" - drops by to break down all the NFL action including the Chiefs holding on vs the Jets & the Patriots getting destroyed vs the Cowboys.
Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates! #Herd #Volume #3andOut
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The volume.
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days after issueance. Eligibility and deposit restrictions apply. Hi, everybody,
welcome in great podcast. We're going to start it off
with fifteen minutes my observations on the early games, and
boy do I have strong opinions on this. I've been
(01:53):
very critical of defensive coaches not understanding how to help
young quarterbacks. Two examples of this today. So there's about
a buck fifty five left tie game twenty eight, twenty eight,
Matt Eberfluse fourth and one has the opportunity for Justin
Fields to kick a field goal. Right, he leads the
(02:16):
team down field goal, take a thirty one to twenty
eight lead on the Broncos. And what would the feeling be.
Justin Field's had a good day. Justin Field's got you
in scoring position. Justin Field's got you the lead, regardless
if Denver comes down and wins it. The vibe all
week is positive for Justin Fields gave you the lead,
(02:39):
not his fault if the defense couldn't hold it. Instead,
Eberflus and I don't care what analytics say, decides to
go for it instead of at home for a team
that hasn't won in forever, instead of kicking a field
goal for the lead as a defensive coach and trusting
your schemes. Nope, they go for it. Fail. Denver goes down,
(03:02):
takes a lead, then you give the ball back to
Justin Fields very little time left, Hey, kid, go save us.
Terrible managing of a young quarterback. I don't care what
analytics say. Justin Fields had a good day, showed promise,
you had to feel great. He leaves the field, you
have a lead. It would just be the way to
(03:24):
support a young quarterback. And by the way, if you
can take a lead at home and you haven't won,
how many games do it? Prime example. I don't think
Denver's very good. I think Russell, Wilson and Sean Payton
have found a comfort zone. I think they sort of
understand now what they are and what they're not a
(03:47):
lot of it's under these stuff. In the first half,
I think Russell was twelve to thirteen for seventy nine
yards and seven first downs. But they've come to an
understanding of what each other offers. And that's not the
huge issue for this team. They have to do with
the trade deadline or probably in the draft just to
drafts the defense and maybe the defensive coordinator. But it
(04:10):
was the use of the clock and late game managing
which drove me nuts for the Chicago Bears. Protect your
young quarterback. So let's talk about a second game defensive
coach Ron Rivera. It's thirty one, thirty commanders, drive down
Sam Howe get within a point. Now, remember in this instance,
(04:31):
Philadelphia's got the better roster had averaged almost seven yards
of play. At that moment I went online, they'd averaged
six point six yards of play. It's in Philadelphia, they're
huge favorites. You had momentum. Eagles defense has been on
the field a while. You get the touchdown there, you
go for it. Different circumstances with the young quarterback, steal
(04:51):
a win, big dog on the road. If you lose
in Sam Howe can't deliver. Listen, Sam Howe has over
Achie to this point. He's not justin fields whose jobs
on the line. Sam Hall has overachieved. Even if you
lose that game, you talk about the guts and the
toughness and the willingness to make a play, and Ron
(05:12):
Rivera's trust in him going forward against a super bowl
team in Philadelphia. Nope, they kick the easy extra point,
go to overtime against the better team, and the better
team eventually wins. The better quarterback wins, the better O
line and D line win. So in that instance, you
(05:33):
kick the field goal for Justin Fields. The kid needs
positive vibes. You're not a good team. Washington's a better
team on the road, huge dogs steal a win in Philadelphia.
Now it's easy in hindsight to say this, but this
is what I have been. One of my knocks is that
how do you handle young quarterbacks? There is a way
(05:55):
to do it, and I thought Washington made the wrong call.
Chicago made the wrong call. So one of the things
I thought about what watching Buffalo hammer Miami and I
had a very good early day today. I went four
and er my picks and Buffalo was one of my
favorite plays. Dolphins couldn't stop man. We never thought the
Dolphins had a great defense, but it was just you
(06:17):
get into Buffalo they get some momentum. I've called them
the Mike Tyson of the NFL. When they get rolling
and punching and swinging and delivering, they are they are
an avalanche. They're coming downhill one hundred miles an hour,
and Miami found out about it. But you know, it's
really interesting when I watched that game, is that now
that we've moved to seventeen weeks, gms and coaches manage
(06:40):
the roster differently. Almost no starters are playing in the preseason.
So in Week one, Buffalo looked awful this morning, this afternoon, tonight,
they may be the best team in the league. Week one,
the Jets look competent offensively with Zach Wilson. You know,
Week one the Rams destroyed Seattle. Seattle looked completely over
(07:03):
their skis. We now think Seattle playing the Giants tomorrow
is pretty good. So Week one and to some degree,
Week two. You know, I'm trying to figure out what
everybody is because I think gms and coaches manage rosters differently,
and so Buffalo, Aaron Rodgers goes down, it's a very
emotional night. They're on the road. It just felt like
(07:23):
the Jets night. Since then, they have dismantled teams. The
offense is cooking. They're running the ball more. Josh Allen
not the primary ball carrier is often and I think
Buffalo looks really good. And again we've seen this from Buffalo.
They are a momentum team. Josh Allen is a momentum player,
(07:45):
a power thrower, a power runner. They play with a
ton of emotion. Now it's a defensive head coach. I
still think at times the offensive line and run game
are inconsistent. But I do think what Miami has been doing.
They're a little bit ahead the league with all the motion,
and they had a very good first half. But you
just can't keep that up. At some point, players get hurt,
(08:08):
you go on the road, you fall behind. It's a
different game playing with the lead and trailing. It's a
completely different game for a coaching staff and a quarterback
into it. So now you're behind, Buffalo knows you have
to throw. It's at Buffalo. They're getting a pass rush
two is not highly mobile. Oh suddenly they look like
(08:29):
everybody else. The way to always beat a great offense.
It can be the fastest show on turf, it can
be Miami. It doesn't matter who it is the way
to beat a great offense has always been the same.
The ability to get a pass rush with four, don't
have to bring extra people, don't have to take big risks.
You get a pass rush with four and it disrupts
even Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, fastest show on turf, all
(08:51):
the great offenses. And I do believe Miami is going
to drop a lot of points on a lot of teams.
In fact, I don't know what the line is next week.
I would take Miami next week because Buffalo is playing
downhill football and they look like the best team of
the National Football League. So I had said during the
off season at one point on the Houston Texans, they
were making a lot of solid b moves in free agency,
(09:15):
not big swings.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You know, c J.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Stroud doesn't cost anything. They're not paying their quarterback, so
they could have taken some big swings. They didn't. Solid
running back, solid linebacker, solid people in the secondary. They
were just really solid acquisitions in free agency, no hype,
no big egos, just easy stuff for CJ. Stroud to
(09:38):
enter into a building slow growth, and so far c J.
Stroud has been remarkable for a rookie quarterback remarkable, a professional,
stands in the pocket, delivers strikes, doesn't have nervous feet,
has nice mechanics. His comp was Jared Goff, which I
(09:59):
know you like Jared Goff, but he was a number
one pick and is the best quarterback in the NFL
last six years against the spread. C J. Stroud, Lance Zerline,
who's a Houston radio host, dad coached in the NFL,
works for NFL dot Com. I rely on him, bring
him on the herd often. You know, during the draft season,
his comp was Jared Goff. Not going to give you
(10:20):
a lot of juice on the outside, but if you
can protect him, stands tall, throws a beautiful ball, accurate
when not hurried. C J. Scroud's been terrific and again
Nico Collins had a big game for them. You know
it's different. Bryce Young has nobody to throw to, Nobody separates.
Houston did a good job finding receivers in the mid round.
(10:43):
Guys that have a little wiggle, a little juice. They've
got just enough speed to make you uncomfortable, make Pittsburgh
uncomfortable defensively, and the Houston Texans and c J. Stroud listen,
this stuff is so much fun to me. You never
know what you get.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
You know, c J.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Stroud at Ohio State walks into every game with a
personnel advantage. But I think c J. Stroud reminds me
a little of Justin Herbert, where they didn't move much
in college until their final game. Herbert against the Badgers
at the Rose Bowl, Stroud against the Georgia Bulldogs and
the coach knowing it was potentially the last game, right,
let him run. And then you look at Herbert and
(11:22):
you're like, oh, he can move. And you look at
c J. Stroud against Georgia and you're like, oh he
can move. It's not who he is. But if c J.
Stroud is Jared Goff with better mobility, that's a hell
of a quarterback. The only thing I'm surprised at because
I thought the comp I said up multiple times I
thought it was a reasonable comp, is that he was
(11:44):
this good this early. He looks very composed. Got to
give the coaching staff credit. Demico Ryans was the DC
at San Francisco, beloved in the building, heartbroken when he left.
They really they knew he was going to get a
head coaching job. He's been horrific, But again, CJ. Stroud,
no egos to deal with rookie coaching coordinator. They're all
(12:06):
in it together, putting them in situations to succeed. And
they've done this with all sorts of offensive line injuries.
So the Texans hammer the Steelers. I'll hammer the Steelers
later this week. But I thought the story, the positive
vibes on the Texans managing expectations. Stroud, big kid sits
(12:26):
in the pocket and delivers strikes the goff with more
mobility comp was reasonable. Didn't think he'd beat this good
this early. It's been fantastic, really really good early window.
A lot of fun. Okay, I went four and oh
on my picks that made it more fun. Zero and
five to start the year, four and oh today cross
my fingers. Good stuff.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
A lot of.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
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the full season. Get it before it's gone. John Middlecoff
(14:00):
three and out in the volume. If you put the
twenty five to thirty best throws of Zach Wilson's career
on a film on a tape twenty or tonight, he
was you know what was interesting?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
John?
Speaker 2 (14:13):
So he didn't play with a ton of confidence. First
quarter Chiefs made some mistakes, he had a good drive
game confidence, third quarter played with a ton of confidence,
and then fourth quarter played well, had a fumble, But
it's interesting. He is a player and I saw a
little bit of this with Justin Fields today. He's a
momentum player like you know, when Mahomes started struggling, it
(14:36):
sort of empowered him, like, hey, we're all human here,
I'm playing pretty well. He's always had a good arm,
but it was like he found some golden touch, some confidence.
You saw him grow in the game. And if he
was just that, which is you know, missed an open
throw in the Endzo should have had a fumble. If
(14:57):
I got this, this is a this team could win
five six in a row. I mean, I don't know,
it's just it's it's strange. Both Justin Fields and Zac
Wilson today it was like something happened star quarterbacks, you know,
came back down to earth and they felt empowered and
played pretty well.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I think confidence is a powerful thing for young players.
I mean, I think confidence is a powerful thing for
young people, right, I mean I think it was on
full display today, right, Guys like Canny Pickett and Mac
Jones completely unraveling. It's not like they have a ten
year career to lean back on. And you saw Mac
jon or i mean Zach Wilson today it looked for
a second like the Chiefs were gonna win this game
fifty to nothing. I mean early on it was like
(15:35):
they're gonna play a lot of Taylor Swift here to
keep this thing going. The safety then it flipped. Then
he hit a couple passes and listen the players, whether
they love the guy or not, they want to play well.
So that what happens. A lot of the receivers start
going over there, they start picking him up. He makes
a couple of plays and the place kind of erupts.
I mean, they've had two nights now in the first
month of the season where when it's been going good,
(15:57):
that place has been electric. I've watched a lot of games.
It's not the most you know, it's not exactly an
SEC football game, but this Jets team and just what's
going on this year, especially tonight, Rogers in the house,
Swift in the house. That was That was fun. I
mean it is something that didn't feel like it was
gonna happen, kind of came out of nowhere. That was
an enjoyable three quarters.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Well, I think it's mostly a young team with a young,
highly passionate coach, and you can sometimes mirror your coach,
and I think they play like Solo would play young
teams Green Bay. You make more mistakes, you tend to
play in streaks. I mean, the Packers have been like,
terrible first half, great second half. The Jets do that
(16:36):
terrible first quarter, great second quarter. So I think I
think young teams. You see this in basketball all the time.
Young player Jordan Poole's a great example. Just depends on
the quarter. They're very streaky. So you know, I think
the Jets. Listen after watching Buffalo today, it's like, and
the Jets beat Buffalo, either we should disregard the first
(16:58):
game of the season, or we can see that the
Jets can line up pretty much with anybody physically. Becton
was okay tonight. You know, he's not great, but he
was capable. And if he becomes capable your old line
Vera Tucker is good on the inside, then you're like, okay,
we can hang around. Early in the season you had
bad Zach badole line. Now Dwayne Brown's out, Becton comes
(17:21):
in and can block a little. It's like, okay, this
is a because Brice Hall Garrett Wilson are really nice players.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I talked to a personnel guy this week and he said,
if you look at the way the Jets built their defense,
what happened when Rogers went out, It really screwed him
because they weren't built like with Tony, Sarah Gusa and
Luke Keigley. You know CJ. Mosley is an overrated player.
But they were built to get a lead and then
just tee off Peyton Manning style, you know with Dwight
(17:49):
Freeney Mathis and just get after you. They got one
good corner and they were built to have a seventeen
to seven lead and know you were going to pass.
But what happened the moment Rogers tears Achilles. They've been
down and they get in these rock fights and they're
not built that way. You know, you can run it
on them. But if they get a little lead or
they're just in the game, and Andy, regardless what the
(18:11):
score is, historically likes to throw the ball that plays
to their strengths on defense. The last couple of weeks,
you know it's a ten to nothing game and it's
like they can just run it. The Jets have no shot.
But tonight when it's third and ten, if they can
get you in third and long and you're not, you know,
have a ten point, fifteen point seventeen point lead, they
(18:31):
got a shot. Because their defensive front is pretty special
as pass rushers. They're not just gonna hold the point.
I mean, they wouldn't play the ninety two Cowboys very well.
But a team like the Chiefs, maybe a team like
the Bills, they can at least hang because you like
the pass and I think you saw that tonight and
obviously you know Zach. I think the hard part is, though, Colin,
you know a lot of play. Once you get to
(18:53):
that level, you have the talent. What makes you just
a solid player is just being able to consistently do it.
And we'll really only see and be able. He said
two last year he had a Steeler game. I remember
he was really good, and this year he's had one game.
But like, what's the likelihood of doing that again?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah, I mean I think that's That's one of the
reasons C. J. Stroud has been so remarkable is I
feel like I get the same game from him. He
doesn't even have Zach's arm. That's not what he's about.
He can move better than GoF, but that was his
comp you know, sit in the pocket, give him protection,
throw it. But with Stroud, I feel like you get
the exact same every time I watch him, I'm like, yeah,
I kind of know what I'm getting, and it's pretty
(19:29):
high functioning. And with Zach you get fumbles, you get
you know what's interesting too. He's six two and two
eighteen and I always think he looks small. Rogers is
six one and a half two twenty five, and I
never think that Mahomes is six two two twenty five.
I never think small. It's the shoulders. He's got kind
of a Johnny Manzel build at like small hills, small shoulders. Yeah,
(19:51):
And so he is one of those guys that I
think he throws to me, he throws the ball better
on the outside because he has a clear pass lane.
You know too has talked about that before. You can
see it with sometimes Russell Wilson. You know, there are
certain player I feel like Zach when he's throwing, moving
and throwing outside. He's got a whip, he's got a
beautiful arm.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Well. I think Fields falls under that today too. Once
you get him moving around using athleticism, you don't have
to think it's not one two three, Mississippi. I gotta
get rid of this ball. I gotta go from right
to left. I got to diagnose the defense. Move him
to the right, move him to the left. I basically
have one option maybe too, and then I'm and then
I'm running forward. You can't. That's the simplicity. Even at
the highest level of football, only so many guys, right,
(20:35):
and Mahomes, you know, for his standards, was pretty shitty tonight.
But he, like many other great players, can just sit
in the pocket and pick you apart when they're dialed in.
That's very difficult to do. Only a small percentage of
people at that position have been able to do it.
Zach most guy, he's not alone, but you can put
him in more advantageous situations, and then once you hit
a couple of those, you're more likely to hit the
(20:56):
pocket pass, which he did to night, which you went,
damn that like a guy that you would draft high.
He definitely had some of those throws to Night.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, and I think Sola deserves credit. They ran the
ball enough, play action, they rolled the pocket. I thought
they set him up to succeed tonight. They moved the pocket.
It looked different. Used a lot of different players, you know,
I think, And to your point is at any one
time I remember Mahomes talking about and I think Mahomes cognitively,
(21:26):
I've never seen a player who can see something and
get the ball there faster.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
He just is a whip just I mean, look at
how that game ended. How many guys walk right into
the end zone. No one would have blamed him. The
game ends too, Yeah, hits the ground. That was like
a Brady Belichick level move in their prime, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, he's he's playing he's playing chess. I mean, Mahomes
is going a thou and he and Reed are going
on thousand miles an hour upstairs. But I do think
there's ways as players develop to let them succeed, and
I think it's moving the pocket play action, leaning into
your run game. Now. I thought Sala was super conservative
on fourth downs in the first half, more conservative than
(22:07):
I would have been. But in the end, you know
his takeaways, let's get like there was a fourth and one,
He's like, hey, if we don't get it, it's points
for Kansas City. So he was a tad Sala more
conservative than I like. But I also understand that he
was seeing in the second quarter how much Mahomes was
having trouble. That's about as poorly as Mahomes plays. So
(22:29):
I'm not a huge moral victory fan, but I think
you come out of that game a little impassioned. I
think you're energized if you're the Jets. I mean I
sat back and I said, they're giving Kansas City. Some
of these problems are just New York is speeding up
the game. For Mahomes, It's hard to me.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
The key, though, is you got to build on it
next week, like your next game. You have to look
good or they turned because you could feel the last
couple weeks the Jet, the New York negativity. It was
coming and rightfully so they had earned it. And then
tonight it felt like a completely different football team. So
all of a sudden, you win a game next week
or I don't know, I don't think they have a
buy and you're two and three, then all of a sudden,
it feels like like you said, why couldn't you rattle
(23:08):
off four or five? And then all of a sudden
being the wildcard mix. And I think on the flip side,
this Chiefs team is just a completely different version than
the first iteration of the Mahomes era. I mean they
are defensive, they have I mean Andy's had some good
running backs over his career. Obviously, when he got to
Kansas City, Jamal Charles Shady McCoy, some of the Westbrooks
induce Daly this Isaah, but Jaco is like a throwback
(23:30):
guy from the eighties. So you get this physical presence
and even Andy, who wants to pass it every play,
knows he's got to give it to this guy. And
now he's clearly right. Kelsey's their best weapon. This guy's
our second best weapon. And they defensive run game tight end.
This is not different than the you know, scoring forty
eight points a game Chief Chiefs, but it's this is
sustainable too.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, I mean one of the reasons the Chiefs had
trouble in the second quarter. The Jets corners are outstanding
for sure, and so the bottom line is nobody was open.
And I do think I think at the trading deadline,
Kansas City, yeah, I think they'll I feel like they
would go if there was a Juju Smith Schuster type
player just who was very productive for them, just a
(24:11):
guy that's good after the catch, kind of a physical
banger and experienced guy. Because I think that's the whole.
But to your point, this is the best fastest defense
Kansas City's had under Mahomes. It's the youngest cheapest and fastest.
But also by the next draft, you have to start
considering for Kittle and Travis Kelcey drafting tight ends. These
(24:32):
guys take a lot of hits and so overall, great
teams win on bad nights on the road. That's Kansas City.
Philadelphia didn't play very well today. I mean they know
their defense got shredded.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Washington has their number though, you know, I mean certain
teams in certain sports. The Trailblazers forever would Lillard and
CJ always played the Warriors well, even when they had
Durant Washington now two years in a row. Remember they
beat him last year. I think on Monday a fe
football today, they easily could have won that game. They
were to control the majority of it until some of
Philly's athletes just made plays. That's the thing. Like you
(25:07):
watch a team like Philly, the Niners, their skill guys
look more like the nineteen Chiefs than this Chiefs team, right,
I mean the talent at the high end. When you
have that much firepower a sixty minute game, if your
quarterback's good, you're just never really out of the game
unless you're down twenty.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
All right, let's talk Patriots, Cowboys, so Zach Wilson can struggle,
Justin Fields can struggle, but I never doubt they have talent.
They both move and controw. Today Mac Jones looked untalented,
looked overwhelmed. So here's what we know to be true.
(25:47):
The Patriot coaches. I've been told this and it's been written,
We're furious with him last year, like just didn't like
him as a player, you know, McEnroe, Jones, Braddy, the
cheap shots. It just looked bad for the culture. And
so we know that's documented. Belichick was furious with him.
(26:07):
We also know he's had several of these moments, and
I've been told last year he was called out by
one of his offensive linemen. He's had several of these moments.
You know, chippy hitting, guys kicking. That doesn't play well
in pro sports because what players think is if you're
doing that to them, they can do that to us.
So that doesn't play in a locker room at all.
This chippy stuff, the Grace and Allen stuff doesn't play.
(26:29):
And then today completely listless, no energy, completely overwhelmed, with
Trayvon digs out, Micah parsonshurt. Briefly, I thought it was
one of those I wrote this down is that I
think there's five. I think there's ten teams that are
going to draft quarterbacks. Some of them I think Atlanta,
(26:53):
you know, Vegas, Tampa very early, and then probably you
know Rams, Green Bay, Minnesota maybe a little later. I
put down ten teams, and I put in New England
in the sooner than later. Like he's not popular in
the locker room. He looks overwhelmed and untalented, the braddy
(27:14):
cheap shot stuff. I don't know where his alliances are
in the organization. I don't know justin fields. Those guys
still in that locker room, I think they like him.
Zach Wilson. You can see his teammates, his receivers come
to him. Watch Mac Jones on the sideline. Who's an
(27:35):
ally in that locker room.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
My thought coming into training camp, once we knew all
the AFC rosters is that Mac Jones was inevitably gonna
get in Bill Belichick's career. Now, I hate to say
get him fired because it sounds like, you know, Joe
Judge gets fired. You know, if coaches like that get fired.
I don't know how this ends, mutual departation. It's over
like this This team's terrible, and it starts their quarterback
(27:58):
play is horrendous. Like you said, he he's not talented enough.
I remember when Kyle Shanahan liked him and I thought
it is insane. No player of this talent has ever
been drafted this high. In my opinion, he's more even
based going back to college. More third fourth round pick.
That's where guys of Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, those guys
go in the third fourth round. And unlike those guys,
(28:20):
his floor he can't reach it right now because he's
so mistake prone. His turnovers are outrageous. I mean they
and they never end. It's pick sixes. He could have
thrown multiple pick six today as a fumble. He just
feels like most lopsided game and loss of Bill Belichick's career.
I mean the Cowboys they're not bad. I mean they're solid,
(28:42):
twelve win team, thirty eight to three. I mean that
was a full that was a bloodbath in Belichick. There
was the one when he was going like this on
his said, what's his other pitch? It's not like, well
I just throw a change up? Now what does he do?
You can't go to the bullpens it's like Zappie's any good.
They're screwed. And listen, they missed the playoffs last year.
This team feels worse. Judon got hurt. Now it's starting
(29:04):
to unravel a little bit and it's clearly not well.
It's Matt Patricia calling the place. No, they got a
grown up call in the place. I mean, this team looks.
I know he's an all time great coach and I
believe that, but this individual team, even with him five
six wins. I mean, look how hard the division is,
let alone just how they play in general.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
You know what's interesting too, he's regressed. So when he
first gets to New England his rookie year, again, you
haven't lived with him long. You haven't traveled with him much, right,
you haven't been through crisis with him. He had a
pretty good rookie year.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
I made the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Just like when you're a coworker, you're an employee. The
first year, you win some games, you're like I kind
of like Bob. And then you work with him a
second year. You travel with him, multiple camps with him,
practices with him. Have you noticed he seems less popular today,
He has less allies today, He's one of those players.
I mean, I had somebody who I respect, a former
(30:04):
Patriot recently out east, use the word brat like he's
bratty like, and you know, I think you told me
this last week or the week before. As long as
you're loved in the room, nobody.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Cares outside of the room.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I do not think. I think the coaches have tolerated him.
I think I mean today, I know it feels like
I'm being hyperbolic here, it feels like today was a
tipping point, like the coaches are just like, all right,
they have to go to craft and say, what do Bob,
we have to draft the quarterback?
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Do you think that if this thing gets really ugly
and it's trure headed that way? They win six games.
Bill's always been a little prickly with Robert, but he's
making him so much money. They're winning so big. You
deal with it. Now, this back to back years, Let's
say they win thirteen games over a two year span.
Maybe they just go it's time for a change, does Bill?
Because I was thinking about this, like if you're the
(30:59):
chart or some of these other teams, or is he
just too old and too crimogeny. He's kind of fascinating, right,
because his resume is unprecedented. I mean yeah, but it's like,
you know, this is he's not a spring chicken. He's
not mister get along with everybody.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Here's the other thing. We always thought they were just
such a smart football team. They make the same mistakes
as everybody post Brady, they're not. They make special teams blunders.
So you know, Brady covered up a lot of issues
with this team. He was so good pre snap. He
got you out of trouble. It's like a good boss.
You don't really know the trouble you would have been in.
(31:33):
He gets you out of it before your company's in it.
Brady got this team out of a lot of trouble.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
But it gets back to Tom also worked basically as
like his second job was also a coach. I mean
you talked to Adelman and Gronk and all these guys.
What was tolerated in practice? It wasn't just Bill setting
the tone, it was Tom setting the tone. So they
screw ups didn't happen in practice. What's Mac gonna do
yell at you for running the wrong route on Thursday.
So it kind of unravels from within because Tom set
(32:00):
the tone from a leadership standpoint, it's unreplaceable. And it
shows now their talent, I mean, their margin ferrer was
already so slim. They were gonna have to win games
what like seventeen to fifteen, and if Max's gonna play,
you know, like a bottom five quarterback, they don't have
a snowballs chance in hell at this rate.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
The you know the other thing, and I I there's
a lot of different things to talk about, so I'd
feel like we're sort of you know, you have a
Niner take. I had a brand and Staley take. So
when Assante Samuel at the end of that game intercepted
the ball and apparently Brandon Staley was telling him to
(32:41):
get down, get down, and I thought to myself, there's
been so many gaffes, so many snaff foos from Staley.
And my takeaway is if there had been forty eight
seconds or a minute four but there wasn't. There was
like two thirty two forty on the interception and you're
deep in your own territory. And my takeaway was as
a code, which if the Sante Samuels had intercepted that
(33:02):
and just gone down the sideline as he was going
down the sideline. You know, you could say sit at
the fifty, but to sit at like you're eight or
wherever it was. So my takeaway was, oh, god, you're
just overthinking it. There's just I don't know what the
analytics are. If you intercept the ball and it can
be a pick six and go up fourteen, just go,
(33:24):
just go. Now, the theory is, well, you may never
get the ball back. They could get the on site.
There's like two fifty left. So that really bothered me.
Should it or analytically that's understood.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Yeah, I mean I just let him run. Why are
you telling him get down at all? They play in
the same game every week for two years and four games,
don't they. I mean, they got a big fourth down
with under three minutes to go, the other team is driving,
with a chance to tie or to take the leak.
They play Honestly, you could even go back to the
Philip Rivers days. It feels like this team's cursed. I mean,
(33:59):
the Raiders are so far gone it's they're not even
worth saving. But the Chargers with this quarterback who he's
proven his physical capabilities, his production, his toughness. Now a
couple of years in a row, what was it last
year he had the rib or splint injury. This year
his fingers pointing the other way and him battling through.
What more could you want? I think how many franchises
(34:20):
are watching this, and how many gms and former gms
what they would have done for a chance of a
talent like that when he had a coach.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
He bailed Staley out, so you know, then they try
to they run the ball on the clock and the
Raiders use a timeout so they have to get a
first out or they're punning it from their end zone.
And he hits a beautiful, perfect deep throw and you're
like you and I are on the West Coast. I
wonder if people like Midwest who are watching their own
(34:48):
games East understand what's happening here with the Chargers. Justin
Justin Herbert is literally saving the franchise Staley is making.
They sometimes they overthink, then they underthink, I just I
watched this team, and if I'm Tom Telesco, this roster's
really really good. Today they were six acts, so it's
(35:16):
it's it's they won this game without five starters. I mean,
they have depth. They have players everywhere. I even if
they're a playoff too. It's pretty remarkable that a coach
would go playoffs back to back and be fired. But
I think it's been so discussed. Los Angeles is a
very kind of laid back, chill market. It's not Philly, Boston,
New York.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
No.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
You read the La Times, you go to messageboards, you
listen to sports talk radio in La. Staley is the
topic of conversation every Monday.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Yeah. I mean, I think because the quarterback's so good,
he might be able to will into ten wins and
you're right there in the playoffs. But with their lack
of discipline, decision making, defense, you never know what you're
gonna get. It's hard to see them winning a playoff game,
let alone several. So I think that the elephant in
the room, though, is even if they were to get
(36:07):
rid of him, would they ever be willing to pay
for a big time coach, because you see around just
this sport the impact of high end coach, I mean
San Francisco Christian McCaffrey. I think I can't imagine there's
ever been a better midseason NFL trade in the history
of the league. Last week, he broke Jerry Rice's record
twelve straight tds. This week, he tied Emmitt Smith's record
(36:30):
thirteen straight touchdowns fourteen. Next week he has a chance
to break it longest since nineteen ninety. So you're talking
about a guy that and I thought it was kind
of crazy too. Running Backs twenty twenty two, he had
been banged up. I'm like, wait, you're gonna give a second,
a third, and a fourth. He would have been worth
three seconds, thirds and fourth for his impact on the
(36:50):
forty nine ers. Yeah, he is easily. I think Josh
Allen threw his hat back in the ring. You know,
Lamar's having a pretty awesome season, but he's right there.
If it ended to day, he would be have every
bit as good of a chance as anyone to be
the NFL MVP. And he's clearly one of the best
players in the league. And he's taken a team that
was pretty damn good, right, they were in the conference
title a couple of years ago, they were in the
(37:11):
Super Bowl, and Purty's an upgrade over over Jimmy clearly.
But Christian has become like a superstar. I remember being
a kid when they signed Dean Sanders. Niners never looked
back and they dominated. It's different because he's an offensive player,
but it's similar in terms of the impact. It's like
it's impossible, despite his production, which is freaking elite, to
quantify how good this guy is.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Well, listen, Deebo is a Hall of Fame talent and
Kittle probably makes the Hall of Fame. They almost shrink
when they're on the field with Christian McCaffrey. I mean
they're I mean, like Kittle two years ago, pre McCaffrey,
that was your third down target. You couldn't wait to
watch Kiittle play. He's still remarkable when he's on the
field with Christian McCaffrey on a big third down, it's
(37:54):
like Deebo and Kittle become second tier players and their
Hall of fame. Kittle's gonna make the Hall of Fame.
So it's like McCaffrey is that rare athlete that among
other great athletes, it doesn't even it doesn't. I mean,
it's like this kid for the Rams, Pooka Nakua. I
keep waiting and it's like this is insane. He's physical,
he gets open, he reads corners like a twelve year veteran.
(38:18):
He manipulates him. It's like, oh, that's just different. I mean,
among other elite players. So, and the thing about McCaffrey,
despite his size, he's one of the most physical running
backs I've ever seen. And I mean seriously, he plays
three inches taller and thirty pounds heavier.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Well, David Shaw have pounded the table when he was
coming out. I was wrong. I thought, you know, I
bet he turns into more of like an Edelman Whelker
and he's more receiver than he ever is true down
running back he is. I mean, it's gonna sound like
a Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith. I mean he's a true
I mean Kyle's getting into him twenty twenty five times
a game, and it's not at the corners. It is
(38:57):
right up the gut, yeah, and breaking tackles, he shoulder.
He's really more of like a throwback to his dad's
era of a guy that would have thrived in the nineties.
And now I think, you know, to me, the Cowboys
a little bit of a front running team. When they
get a lead on you, which they've done three out
of the four games, run you out the building as
they did, and they're celebrated, and it's awesome. Their defense
(39:17):
pins their ears back. They got into one kind of
dogfight when they were down and they crumbled, and now
they're playing the Niner Sunday. The Eagles, I give them
some credit. They have not played their best football, but
their talent, like the Niners, they've been through, you know,
the ups and downs they've handled like today was not
an easy win, right, And I think when you look
at the Niners and the Eagles, the amount of high
(39:38):
end I mean, both teams could have ten Pro Bowlers.
I mean like ten, you know, all pro guys when
those two teams shake out. But the Cowboys, you know,
I just don't think they're quite on their level. I
think those two teams in the top tier of the NFC,
and then the next tier is the Cowboys and probably
than the Lions.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
Yeah, I think there's a way Dallas has to play.
And I think again, Buffalo, I think is more talented,
but is similar. They're an avalanche. When Buffalo gets a
lead on you and you're struggling with Josh Allen and
he's in a groove and Davis is getting open with
Diggs and now Kincaid and Knox, it's like, shit, this
is just too much. They play down.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Hill and he turns into John Elway basically like he
did today.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
You know, so like I think, whereas I think Stan
Francisco and Philadelphia can win multiple ways, I tend to
think certain teams Buffalo's this way. I think Dallas is
this way. They're momentum teams, and when they're headed downhill,
watch out. They're even more lethal than a Stan Francisco
or Philadelphia because they can score so quickly and they're
so aggressive, so hyper aggressive Miami. Let's talk Miami Buffalo.
(40:45):
What is interesting because I did think Buffalo would win.
I did not. I had a good day of gambling
four and one, four to zero in the afternoon games.
But my takeaway is what really changes is when you
can get pressure with four guys without bringing people at
Oliver today was very good. Is that the way to
disrupt Miami is very it's it's it's tried and true.
(41:07):
It was the way to beat Peyton Manning or any
great quarterback is you get pressure with four and then
you occasionally bring other people. Were you should I read
into anything that Miami was just boat race, just overwhelm
man overboard. Should we or is it just one of
those that came off a huge game on the road
(41:28):
against the rival. It was bound to happen.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
I think it's more they're going on the road to
a team that's won their division three years in a row,
who two of the last three years won thirteen games,
and have a quarterback who I'd say this year has
got a chance to be the MVP of the league.
I mean when he's on and he's been like this
last couple of years. Buffalo had to win that game, right,
I mean you're talking about they've already lost, so all
of a sudden, Miami would have technically, you know, they'd
(41:49):
have two losses, they would be undefeated. This was a
team that they should have beaten twice last year. Remember
Buffalo had the weird loss of them when they outgained
them and every statistic was in there, you know. On
the side. To me, this was a draw in the
line game from Seohan McDermott, who's taken over the defensive
coordinator and like you said that he got after him too.
Hasn't been touched, right. And the other thing is they've
been running it down the hill like untouched on everyone.
(42:12):
So slow him down from the running game, hit to
a and have Josh Allen be an all pro level
guy that formula. In general, you're gonna be able to
play with anyone in the league, right Stefan Diggs when
he's humming, he's a top two or three quarter or
a wide receiver in the league. And that in terms
of home field advantage and big picture, is Miami going
(42:33):
on the road in the AFC to Kansas City to
I don't even know. I guess you know, obviously Buffalo.
I don't know who would be in the north, maybe Baltimore.
That's you know, historically hasn't always been. Miami doesn't win
those games under forty or thirty five degrees. What would
change the way this team plays? Their defense is terrible?
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Yeah, no, I think that's the in the AFC. The
best team's Buffalo can get after you defensively. Kansas City
can get after you defensively. You start looking even the
heightens the way they played today can get after you defensively.
We know Baltimore always figures out a way to get
after you defensively. And then you start looking around and
you're like, yeah, Miami already can't. Now Jalen Ramsey comes back. Listen,
(43:12):
this is Vic Fangio and they're struggling. So the players
they just don't have the players, and so listen, New
England gave them fits in Foxborough in the second half. Like, yeah,
I think Miami is. I think they're the best team
to watch offensively. I think they're smart and clever and
it's a little bit of a firework show. But today
is a great example of and I think they're really
(43:34):
well coached. They just have some personnel limitations. They're just
they don't have a lot of guys that would start
for Buffalo on defense. Maybe two.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, Yeah, I just think today was a day when
you know Tua once everything's not schemed and there are
some plays in their first couple drives, you're like, geez, Luise, Mike,
he's got you know, Tyreek Hill in the backfield, these
guys guys motioning. I don't. I thought it was incredible.
He was the MVP so far. You realize how special
their offensive coordinator is. But once you just have to
play football straight up against a team that you're equal,
(44:04):
maybe even slightly, yeah, it becomes a lot more difficult.
So to me, they got a lot to prove just
historically they've never done it, you know, and think of
all the teams in the AFC that play in the cold.
I like Buffalo. If he's going to play under control,
their quarterback has a chance. I mean, he is an
(44:24):
all time great talent, but to have the best year
of his career, because after that first week clunker where
it was like god, we had to red flag that situation,
the last three weeks he's been brilliant. I mean he's
been you could argue the best player in the league. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
I think I think I talked about this earlier. Is
that because once the schedule was length in the game,
I think a lot of GMS and coaches scaled back
on playing guys in the preseason and they kind of
used the first week as a little bit of a
regular season game with a preseason feel. On snaps, you
can't take much from the first game. Seattle looked awful,
(44:56):
Buffalo looked awful. Maybe that is what Pittsburgh is. They
looked awful. I will say this before we go. I
had said during the summer, is that I always think,
because I would love to be a GM in the NFL,
never gonna happen. But if I didn't do this, that
would be my choice, probably yours. Just to run an
(45:16):
NFL franchise is that. I always think in free agency
the big mistake is the splashy moves. There's a lot
of B. If you take your time and get through
the first four days, there's a lot of B moves,
and I thought Houston made several of those. Just get
a little better at running back, a little deeper receiver,
a little better on the offensive line. And Tamiko Ryans,
(45:37):
as we both know, was really respected and loved in
San Francisco stud They really felt like they lost a
little bit of the soul of their defense. And then
all of a sudden, it's such a dysfunctional organization, but
they made a lot of these kind of like B moves,
B plus just get slightly kind of bill parcels, get
better in the locker room, the weight room, the culture.
(45:58):
Just get a second tied, a backup, just interior lineman.
Everything feels better. And they did. And then CJ. Stroud
The team makes no noise, they don't talk a lot.
Stroud just sits back and throws the ball confidently. And
there's not a ton of juice. But I gotta tell you,
(46:21):
I don't think it's a fluke. I think they look
I think they look like a well coached team that
knows exactly what they are. And I sat there today
and I watched them, and I thought, this isn't a fluke.
Now we're in Week four, that's a good That's a
pretty solid football team. That's my view on the surprise
team in the league. Houston's a solid, not great. They'll
(46:41):
meet up with their talent level at some point, but
I think they're a pretty solid team that's well coached.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Yeah. I mean, I think he's got a little burrow
to his game. You know, he's not a great athlete,
but he can move. He's really accurate. I mean he
has thrown the ball, pushed the ball down the field,
very calm and collected. I mean, you watch him the
last couple of weeks. He doesn't look like a guy
playing the fourth game of his career. He looks like
a guy who's been six years in the NFL. And obviously,
(47:10):
from a coaching standpoint, this guy, I think he's got
a chance to be like a Mike Vrabel. I think
he already is. I mean, he's a stud. I mean
he's the real deal. I don't know how good they
will be as the you know, as the season goes on.
Are they more likely to win six than nine? Probably?
But this is definitely a team. They got a lot
of firepower in the draft. That's the other thing. Remember
they're not done getting that back from Cleveland. Cleveland still
(47:32):
owes them. I think their first round pick this year.
So I think Houston, who knows that division? I mean
the Titans are just this gritty, ugly I mean Jacksonville.
I think Atlanta is terrible. One thing that hit me
this morning, how come like last night? Lsu Ole Miss
I have zero ties to the South. I don't care
(47:52):
about Like, I've never been I don't know anyone that
goes SEC schools. I've honestly never even been there, Like
it didn't go there scouting or whatever. I just mesmerized
by their games. I'm I'm glued to my couch watching
lsu Ole Miss. Yet whatever the NFC and AFC South
like the morning game does, I don't even want to turn.
I just think it's irrelevant. Why does college football for
(48:13):
them feel so gigantic on TV? And then an NFL game,
even one that sat by itself this morning felt like
I'm gonna watch the news or something before the morning
games come on.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
Yeah, well it's there's been some quirky owners.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
There's not the brands too.
Speaker 2 (48:26):
Yeah, and I also think there haven't been I mean,
Brady drops in on the Buccaneers, but before Brady, they'd
never had a great quarterback in the in the entire franchise.
They'd had great players everywhere, they'd never had a great quarterback.
Atlanta's had a lot of Chris Chandler's Matt Ryan. You know,
(48:48):
Matt's more than capable. But I think here, Jamie, I mean,
if you look at Carolina, Jake Dell, Holme, Cam Newton.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Ryan, Tannehill, Mariota. Yeah, these players down.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
There, it's always been athletic conference. Those rivalries are bigger
if you live in the South. You know, the Saints
in Atlanta is a bigger rivalry if you live in
the South. But I tend to think AFC South, NFC South,
that the SEC is so big. It's almost why pro
sports is so big in the Northeast and the West
that it shrinks college football, right, And I think college
(49:21):
football is so big in the South it kind of
pulls down the NFL. But they're just it just seems
to me that the NFC South, you know, Breeze wasn't
drafted by the Saints. They went and got him. It's
Brady entered at the end of his career. I don't
I don't see a lot of historically great quarterback play
in that division. Maybe it's some of its ownership.
Speaker 1 (49:43):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
I feel like in the Northeast, baseball and the NFL
mean more, you know. I feel in the West, the
NBA just means more, and so you get better GMS,
better scouts. The owners pay a little more. You have
really wealthy owners bal or Joe Lake of Paul Allen,
You've had some really wealthy Western owners. Now the Suns
(50:06):
have one of the richer owners. So I always tend
to if if there's a theme or a trend, I
always looked to ownership or passion, Like if you don't
win baseball games, they'll just fire you. In the Northeast,
you're just done, right, Stave. In the West, you don't win.
I thought Terry Stott was a good coaching Portland boom out,
I know, right, So yeah, so they're just I think
(50:27):
in certain regions, certain things matter more.
Speaker 1 (50:30):
Last thing on college really quick. It really hit me yesterday.
This year's wide open right, I mean, there are teams
that can win. How is this this is Harbaugh's opportunity?
I was. I think his team's pretty good. Yeah, that
quarterback is better than I thought he was. Yep, like
this is I mean, he'd have to beat a sark.
This Georgia team's not as good now. LSU's down Notre Dame,
(50:52):
Ohio State. You know, USC can't play any defense. Two
years ago that Georgia team he ran into a buzzsaw,
got his ass kicked. Last year, drop the ball. You
gotta be TCU in that situation. This year he's got
to beat Ohio State and then it's wide open for him.
I think. I think the gates have opened for Jim
Harbaugh and Michigan to take advantage. And if he's an
all time great coach, which I think he is, you
(51:14):
gotta win a championship and this year is right there
for him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:18):
The interesting thing is we know now he's very successful.
He not only it took him, you know, it took
Brian Kelly a lot of years to get noted at
these northern schools. They're not LSU, USC, Texas, Alabama, Georgia,
where you know your state has so many players that
you can really you can really dominate your state it
(51:40):
Brian Kelly, you have to ask kids to come play
in cold weather. Jim Harbaugh, you have to ask players.
You know, it's convinced that school, school's hard, school's hard.
So if Northern you know, James Franklin now feels like
he has his best team. I think it's about a
four or five year process. In the North Washington Chris
(52:01):
Peterson got it going I think year two to year three.
But I always feel it's a little easier in the
South because the states are so productive with recruiting. So
I think it took Kelly and Harbab about five or
six years to really I mean they were good early.
I mean I think Jim won ten games year one
and Kelly won big, but they were kind of fraudulent
teams right like they couldn't run with Ohio State or Georgia.
(52:23):
I think right now after now, Georgia's quarterback played well
this weekend. But I think the question becomes if he
gets to the championship winn or lose, and I think
they could win. He can be really picky because I
think Jim realized something in the NFL, is you can
be a great coach, but if you don't have the
guy pulling the trigger, they're just limitations on what you
(52:45):
can do. And now we who have Josh Allen in
his prime and Lamar and is prime, and Herbert is prime,
Mahlmes his prime. You can't take a second. You can't
go into this league with a second tier quarterback. Jalen
hurts like, you just can't do it anymore. So it's
different than when Jim left. It's more quarterback centric. And
there's all these guys that weren't in the league and
they're all in their primes. So I think you have
(53:05):
to be really picky Chargers job. I would absolutely take.
If Zach Taylor got run in two years, I would
look into that. But it's when Jim. When Jim left
this league, you didn't have all these Trevor Lawrence, Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Lamar,
the guys weren't in the league. So it's just a
it's a whole different ballgame. You can still be physical,
(53:27):
but as great as Rabel is as a physical guy,
he's kind of a one and donner in the playoffs.
He just doesn't have And Tannehill's not terrible he's competent.
Speaker 1 (53:36):
Yeah, and he's even maxed out even if he maximizes
the team what he's doing, what's he gonna win nine games?
Speaker 2 (53:41):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Right, I mean he can only go so far, so
not going on. I mean, what a what a first
month of football.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
It was great. John Middlecoff three and out the volume. Good,
see anybody see you Colin
Speaker 1 (53:53):
The volume
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
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days after issueance. Eligibility and deposit restrictions apply. Hi, everybody,
welcome in great podcast. We're going to start it off
with fifteen minutes my observations on the early games, and
boy do I have strong opinions on this. I've been
(01:53):
very critical of defensive coaches not understanding how to help
young quarterbacks. Two examples of this today. So there's about
a buck fifty five left tie game twenty eight, twenty eight,
Matt Eberfluse fourth and one has the opportunity for Justin
Fields to kick a field goal. Right, he leads the
(02:16):
team down field goal, take a thirty one to twenty
eight lead on the Broncos. And what would the feeling be.
Justin Field's had a good day. Justin Field's got you
in scoring position. Justin Field's got you the lead, regardless
if Denver comes down and wins it. The vibe all
week is positive for Justin Fields gave you the lead,
(02:39):
not his fault if the defense couldn't hold it. Instead,
Eberflus and I don't care what analytics say, decides to
go for it instead of at home for a team
that hasn't won in forever, instead of kicking a field
goal for the lead as a defensive coach and trusting
your schemes. Nope, they go for it. Fail. Denver goes down,
(03:02):
takes a lead, then you give the ball back to
Justin Fields very little time left, Hey, kid, go save us.
Terrible managing of a young quarterback. I don't care what
analytics say. Justin Fields had a good day, showed promise,
you had to feel great. He leaves the field, you
have a lead. It would just be the way to
(03:24):
support a young quarterback. And by the way, if you
can take a lead at home and you haven't won,
how many games do it? Prime example. I don't think
Denver's very good. I think Russell, Wilson and Sean Payton
have found a comfort zone. I think they sort of
understand now what they are and what they're not a
(03:47):
lot of it's under these stuff. In the first half,
I think Russell was twelve to thirteen for seventy nine
yards and seven first downs. But they've come to an
understanding of what each other offers. And that's not the
huge issue for this team. They have to do with
the trade deadline or probably in the draft just to
drafts the defense and maybe the defensive coordinator. But it
(04:10):
was the use of the clock and late game managing
which drove me nuts for the Chicago Bears. Protect your
young quarterback. So let's talk about a second game defensive
coach Ron Rivera. It's thirty one, thirty commanders, drive down
Sam Howe get within a point. Now, remember in this instance,
(04:31):
Philadelphia's got the better roster had averaged almost seven yards
of play. At that moment I went online, they'd averaged
six point six yards of play. It's in Philadelphia, they're
huge favorites. You had momentum. Eagles defense has been on
the field a while. You get the touchdown there, you
go for it. Different circumstances with the young quarterback, steal
(04:51):
a win, big dog on the road. If you lose
in Sam Howe can't deliver. Listen, Sam Howe has over
Achie to this point. He's not justin fields whose jobs
on the line. Sam Hall has overachieved. Even if you
lose that game, you talk about the guts and the
toughness and the willingness to make a play, and Ron
(05:12):
Rivera's trust in him going forward against a super bowl
team in Philadelphia. Nope, they kick the easy extra point,
go to overtime against the better team, and the better
team eventually wins. The better quarterback wins, the better O
line and D line win. So in that instance, you
(05:33):
kick the field goal for Justin Fields. The kid needs
positive vibes. You're not a good team. Washington's a better
team on the road, huge dogs steal a win in Philadelphia.
Now it's easy in hindsight to say this, but this
is what I have been. One of my knocks is that
how do you handle young quarterbacks? There is a way
(05:55):
to do it, and I thought Washington made the wrong call.
Chicago made the wrong call. So one of the things
I thought about what watching Buffalo hammer Miami and I
had a very good early day today. I went four
and er my picks and Buffalo was one of my
favorite plays. Dolphins couldn't stop man. We never thought the
Dolphins had a great defense, but it was just you
(06:17):
get into Buffalo they get some momentum. I've called them
the Mike Tyson of the NFL. When they get rolling
and punching and swinging and delivering, they are they are
an avalanche. They're coming downhill one hundred miles an hour,
and Miami found out about it. But you know, it's
really interesting when I watched that game, is that now
that we've moved to seventeen weeks, gms and coaches manage
(06:40):
the roster differently. Almost no starters are playing in the preseason.
So in Week one, Buffalo looked awful this morning, this afternoon, tonight,
they may be the best team in the league. Week one,
the Jets look competent offensively with Zach Wilson. You know,
Week one the Rams destroyed Seattle. Seattle looked completely over
(07:03):
their skis. We now think Seattle playing the Giants tomorrow
is pretty good. So Week one and to some degree,
Week two. You know, I'm trying to figure out what
everybody is because I think gms and coaches manage rosters differently,
and so Buffalo, Aaron Rodgers goes down, it's a very
emotional night. They're on the road. It just felt like
(07:23):
the Jets night. Since then, they have dismantled teams. The
offense is cooking. They're running the ball more. Josh Allen
not the primary ball carrier is often and I think
Buffalo looks really good. And again we've seen this from Buffalo.
They are a momentum team. Josh Allen is a momentum player,
(07:45):
a power thrower, a power runner. They play with a
ton of emotion. Now it's a defensive head coach. I
still think at times the offensive line and run game
are inconsistent. But I do think what Miami has been doing.
They're a little bit ahead the league with all the motion,
and they had a very good first half. But you
just can't keep that up. At some point, players get hurt,
(08:08):
you go on the road, you fall behind. It's a
different game playing with the lead and trailing. It's a
completely different game for a coaching staff and a quarterback
into it. So now you're behind, Buffalo knows you have
to throw. It's at Buffalo. They're getting a pass rush
two is not highly mobile. Oh suddenly they look like
(08:29):
everybody else. The way to always beat a great offense.
It can be the fastest show on turf, it can
be Miami. It doesn't matter who it is the way
to beat a great offense has always been the same.
The ability to get a pass rush with four, don't
have to bring extra people, don't have to take big risks.
You get a pass rush with four and it disrupts
even Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, fastest show on turf, all
(08:51):
the great offenses. And I do believe Miami is going
to drop a lot of points on a lot of teams.
In fact, I don't know what the line is next week.
I would take Miami next week because Buffalo is playing
downhill football and they look like the best team of
the National Football League. So I had said during the
off season at one point on the Houston Texans, they
were making a lot of solid b moves in free agency,
(09:15):
not big swings.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You know, c J.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Stroud doesn't cost anything. They're not paying their quarterback, so
they could have taken some big swings. They didn't. Solid
running back, solid linebacker, solid people in the secondary. They
were just really solid acquisitions in free agency, no hype,
no big egos, just easy stuff for CJ. Stroud to
(09:38):
enter into a building slow growth, and so far c J.
Stroud has been remarkable for a rookie quarterback remarkable, a professional,
stands in the pocket, delivers strikes, doesn't have nervous feet,
has nice mechanics. His comp was Jared Goff, which I
(09:59):
know you like Jared Goff, but he was a number
one pick and is the best quarterback in the NFL
last six years against the spread. C J. Stroud, Lance Zerline,
who's a Houston radio host, dad coached in the NFL,
works for NFL dot Com. I rely on him, bring
him on the herd often. You know, during the draft season,
his comp was Jared Goff. Not going to give you
(10:20):
a lot of juice on the outside, but if you
can protect him, stands tall, throws a beautiful ball, accurate
when not hurried. C J. Scroud's been terrific and again
Nico Collins had a big game for them. You know
it's different. Bryce Young has nobody to throw to, Nobody separates.
Houston did a good job finding receivers in the mid round.
(10:43):
Guys that have a little wiggle, a little juice. They've
got just enough speed to make you uncomfortable, make Pittsburgh
uncomfortable defensively, and the Houston Texans and c J. Stroud listen,
this stuff is so much fun to me. You never
know what you get.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
You know, c J.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Stroud at Ohio State walks into every game with a
personnel advantage. But I think c J. Stroud reminds me
a little of Justin Herbert, where they didn't move much
in college until their final game. Herbert against the Badgers
at the Rose Bowl, Stroud against the Georgia Bulldogs and
the coach knowing it was potentially the last game, right,
let him run. And then you look at Herbert and
(11:22):
you're like, oh, he can move. And you look at
c J. Stroud against Georgia and you're like, oh he
can move. It's not who he is. But if c J.
Stroud is Jared Goff with better mobility, that's a hell
of a quarterback. The only thing I'm surprised at because
I thought the comp I said up multiple times I
thought it was a reasonable comp, is that he was
(11:44):
this good this early. He looks very composed. Got to
give the coaching staff credit. Demico Ryans was the DC
at San Francisco, beloved in the building, heartbroken when he left.
They really they knew he was going to get a
head coaching job. He's been horrific, But again, CJ. Stroud,
no egos to deal with rookie coaching coordinator. They're all
(12:06):
in it together, putting them in situations to succeed. And
they've done this with all sorts of offensive line injuries.
So the Texans hammer the Steelers. I'll hammer the Steelers
later this week. But I thought the story, the positive
vibes on the Texans managing expectations. Stroud, big kid sits
(12:26):
in the pocket and delivers strikes the goff with more
mobility comp was reasonable. Didn't think he'd beat this good
this early. It's been fantastic, really really good early window.
A lot of fun. Okay, I went four and oh
on my picks that made it more fun. Zero and
five to start the year, four and oh today cross
my fingers. Good stuff.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
A lot of.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
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the full season. Get it before it's gone. John Middlecoff
(14:00):
three and out in the volume. If you put the
twenty five to thirty best throws of Zach Wilson's career
on a film on a tape twenty or tonight, he
was you know what was interesting?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
John?
Speaker 2 (14:13):
So he didn't play with a ton of confidence. First
quarter Chiefs made some mistakes, he had a good drive
game confidence, third quarter played with a ton of confidence,
and then fourth quarter played well, had a fumble, But
it's interesting. He is a player and I saw a
little bit of this with Justin Fields today. He's a
momentum player like you know, when Mahomes started struggling, it
(14:36):
sort of empowered him, like, hey, we're all human here,
I'm playing pretty well. He's always had a good arm,
but it was like he found some golden touch, some confidence.
You saw him grow in the game. And if he
was just that, which is you know, missed an open
throw in the Endzo should have had a fumble. If
(14:57):
I got this, this is a this team could win
five six in a row. I mean, I don't know,
it's just it's it's strange. Both Justin Fields and Zac
Wilson today it was like something happened star quarterbacks, you know,
came back down to earth and they felt empowered and
played pretty well.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I think confidence is a powerful thing for young players.
I mean, I think confidence is a powerful thing for
young people, right, I mean I think it was on
full display today, right, Guys like Canny Pickett and Mac
Jones completely unraveling. It's not like they have a ten
year career to lean back on. And you saw Mac
jon or i mean Zach Wilson today it looked for
a second like the Chiefs were gonna win this game
fifty to nothing. I mean early on it was like
(15:35):
they're gonna play a lot of Taylor Swift here to
keep this thing going. The safety then it flipped. Then
he hit a couple passes and listen the players, whether
they love the guy or not, they want to play well.
So that what happens. A lot of the receivers start
going over there, they start picking him up. He makes
a couple of plays and the place kind of erupts.
I mean, they've had two nights now in the first
month of the season where when it's been going good,
(15:57):
that place has been electric. I've watched a lot of games.
It's not the most you know, it's not exactly an
SEC football game, but this Jets team and just what's
going on this year, especially tonight, Rogers in the house,
Swift in the house. That was That was fun. I
mean it is something that didn't feel like it was
gonna happen, kind of came out of nowhere. That was
an enjoyable three quarters.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Well, I think it's mostly a young team with a young,
highly passionate coach, and you can sometimes mirror your coach,
and I think they play like Solo would play young
teams Green Bay. You make more mistakes, you tend to
play in streaks. I mean, the Packers have been like,
terrible first half, great second half. The Jets do that
(16:36):
terrible first quarter, great second quarter. So I think I
think young teams. You see this in basketball all the time.
Young player Jordan Poole's a great example. Just depends on
the quarter. They're very streaky. So you know, I think
the Jets. Listen after watching Buffalo today, it's like, and
the Jets beat Buffalo, either we should disregard the first
(16:58):
game of the season, or we can see that the
Jets can line up pretty much with anybody physically. Becton
was okay tonight. You know, he's not great, but he
was capable. And if he becomes capable your old line
Vera Tucker is good on the inside, then you're like, okay,
we can hang around. Early in the season you had
bad Zach badole line. Now Dwayne Brown's out, Becton comes
(17:21):
in and can block a little. It's like, okay, this
is a because Brice Hall Garrett Wilson are really nice players.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I talked to a personnel guy this week and he said,
if you look at the way the Jets built their defense,
what happened when Rogers went out, It really screwed him
because they weren't built like with Tony, Sarah Gusa and
Luke Keigley. You know CJ. Mosley is an overrated player.
But they were built to get a lead and then
just tee off Peyton Manning style, you know with Dwight
(17:49):
Freeney Mathis and just get after you. They got one
good corner and they were built to have a seventeen
to seven lead and know you were going to pass.
But what happened the moment Rogers tears Achilles. They've been
down and they get in these rock fights and they're
not built that way. You know, you can run it
on them. But if they get a little lead or
they're just in the game, and Andy, regardless what the
(18:11):
score is, historically likes to throw the ball that plays
to their strengths on defense. The last couple of weeks,
you know it's a ten to nothing game and it's
like they can just run it. The Jets have no shot.
But tonight when it's third and ten, if they can
get you in third and long and you're not, you know,
have a ten point, fifteen point seventeen point lead, they
(18:31):
got a shot. Because their defensive front is pretty special
as pass rushers. They're not just gonna hold the point.
I mean, they wouldn't play the ninety two Cowboys very well.
But a team like the Chiefs, maybe a team like
the Bills, they can at least hang because you like
the pass and I think you saw that tonight and
obviously you know Zach. I think the hard part is, though, Colin,
you know a lot of play. Once you get to
(18:53):
that level, you have the talent. What makes you just
a solid player is just being able to consistently do it.
And we'll really only see and be able. He said
two last year he had a Steeler game. I remember
he was really good, and this year he's had one game.
But like, what's the likelihood of doing that again?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah, I mean I think that's That's one of the
reasons C. J. Stroud has been so remarkable is I
feel like I get the same game from him. He
doesn't even have Zach's arm. That's not what he's about.
He can move better than GoF, but that was his
comp you know, sit in the pocket, give him protection,
throw it. But with Stroud, I feel like you get
the exact same every time I watch him, I'm like, yeah,
I kind of know what I'm getting, and it's pretty
(19:29):
high functioning. And with Zach you get fumbles, you get
you know what's interesting too. He's six two and two
eighteen and I always think he looks small. Rogers is
six one and a half two twenty five, and I
never think that Mahomes is six two two twenty five.
I never think small. It's the shoulders. He's got kind
of a Johnny Manzel build at like small hills, small shoulders. Yeah,
(19:51):
And so he is one of those guys that I
think he throws to me, he throws the ball better
on the outside because he has a clear pass lane.
You know too has talked about that before. You can
see it with sometimes Russell Wilson. You know, there are
certain player I feel like Zach when he's throwing, moving
and throwing outside. He's got a whip, he's got a
beautiful arm.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Well. I think Fields falls under that today too. Once
you get him moving around using athleticism, you don't have
to think it's not one two three, Mississippi. I gotta
get rid of this ball. I gotta go from right
to left. I got to diagnose the defense. Move him
to the right, move him to the left. I basically
have one option maybe too, and then I'm and then
I'm running forward. You can't. That's the simplicity. Even at
the highest level of football, only so many guys, right,
(20:35):
and Mahomes, you know, for his standards, was pretty shitty tonight.
But he, like many other great players, can just sit
in the pocket and pick you apart when they're dialed in.
That's very difficult to do. Only a small percentage of
people at that position have been able to do it.
Zach most guy, he's not alone, but you can put
him in more advantageous situations, and then once you hit
a couple of those, you're more likely to hit the
(20:56):
pocket pass, which he did to night, which you went,
damn that like a guy that you would draft high.
He definitely had some of those throws to Night.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, and I think Sola deserves credit. They ran the
ball enough, play action, they rolled the pocket. I thought
they set him up to succeed tonight. They moved the pocket.
It looked different. Used a lot of different players, you know,
I think, And to your point is at any one
time I remember Mahomes talking about and I think Mahomes cognitively,
(21:26):
I've never seen a player who can see something and
get the ball there faster.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
He just is a whip just I mean, look at
how that game ended. How many guys walk right into
the end zone. No one would have blamed him. The
game ends too, Yeah, hits the ground. That was like
a Brady Belichick level move in their prime, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, he's he's playing he's playing chess. I mean, Mahomes
is going a thou and he and Reed are going
on thousand miles an hour upstairs. But I do think
there's ways as players develop to let them succeed, and
I think it's moving the pocket play action, leaning into
your run game. Now. I thought Sala was super conservative
on fourth downs in the first half, more conservative than
(22:07):
I would have been. But in the end, you know
his takeaways, let's get like there was a fourth and one,
He's like, hey, if we don't get it, it's points
for Kansas City. So he was a tad Sala more
conservative than I like. But I also understand that he
was seeing in the second quarter how much Mahomes was
having trouble. That's about as poorly as Mahomes plays. So
(22:29):
I'm not a huge moral victory fan, but I think
you come out of that game a little impassioned. I
think you're energized if you're the Jets. I mean I
sat back and I said, they're giving Kansas City. Some
of these problems are just New York is speeding up
the game. For Mahomes, It's hard to me.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
The key, though, is you got to build on it
next week, like your next game. You have to look
good or they turned because you could feel the last
couple weeks the Jet, the New York negativity. It was
coming and rightfully so they had earned it. And then
tonight it felt like a completely different football team. So
all of a sudden, you win a game next week
or I don't know, I don't think they have a
buy and you're two and three, then all of a sudden,
it feels like like you said, why couldn't you rattle
(23:08):
off four or five? And then all of a sudden
being the wildcard mix. And I think on the flip side,
this Chiefs team is just a completely different version than
the first iteration of the Mahomes era. I mean they
are defensive, they have I mean Andy's had some good
running backs over his career. Obviously, when he got to
Kansas City, Jamal Charles Shady McCoy, some of the Westbrooks
induce Daly this Isaah, but Jaco is like a throwback
(23:30):
guy from the eighties. So you get this physical presence
and even Andy, who wants to pass it every play,
knows he's got to give it to this guy. And
now he's clearly right. Kelsey's their best weapon. This guy's
our second best weapon. And they defensive run game tight end.
This is not different than the you know, scoring forty
eight points a game Chief Chiefs, but it's this is
sustainable too.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, I mean one of the reasons the Chiefs had
trouble in the second quarter. The Jets corners are outstanding
for sure, and so the bottom line is nobody was open.
And I do think I think at the trading deadline,
Kansas City, yeah, I think they'll I feel like they
would go if there was a Juju Smith Schuster type
player just who was very productive for them, just a
(24:11):
guy that's good after the catch, kind of a physical
banger and experienced guy. Because I think that's the whole.
But to your point, this is the best fastest defense
Kansas City's had under Mahomes. It's the youngest cheapest and fastest.
But also by the next draft, you have to start
considering for Kittle and Travis Kelcey drafting tight ends. These
(24:32):
guys take a lot of hits and so overall, great
teams win on bad nights on the road. That's Kansas City.
Philadelphia didn't play very well today. I mean they know
their defense got shredded.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Washington has their number though, you know, I mean certain
teams in certain sports. The Trailblazers forever would Lillard and
CJ always played the Warriors well, even when they had
Durant Washington now two years in a row. Remember they
beat him last year. I think on Monday a fe
football today, they easily could have won that game. They
were to control the majority of it until some of
Philly's athletes just made plays. That's the thing. Like you
(25:07):
watch a team like Philly, the Niners, their skill guys
look more like the nineteen Chiefs than this Chiefs team, right,
I mean the talent at the high end. When you
have that much firepower a sixty minute game, if your
quarterback's good, you're just never really out of the game
unless you're down twenty.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
All right, let's talk Patriots, Cowboys, so Zach Wilson can struggle,
Justin Fields can struggle, but I never doubt they have talent.
They both move and controw. Today Mac Jones looked untalented,
looked overwhelmed. So here's what we know to be true.
(25:47):
The Patriot coaches. I've been told this and it's been written,
We're furious with him last year, like just didn't like
him as a player, you know, McEnroe, Jones, Braddy, the
cheap shots. It just looked bad for the culture. And
so we know that's documented. Belichick was furious with him.
(26:07):
We also know he's had several of these moments, and
I've been told last year he was called out by
one of his offensive linemen. He's had several of these moments.
You know, chippy hitting, guys kicking. That doesn't play well
in pro sports because what players think is if you're
doing that to them, they can do that to us.
So that doesn't play in a locker room at all.
This chippy stuff, the Grace and Allen stuff doesn't play.
(26:29):
And then today completely listless, no energy, completely overwhelmed, with
Trayvon digs out, Micah parsonshurt. Briefly, I thought it was
one of those I wrote this down is that I
think there's five. I think there's ten teams that are
going to draft quarterbacks. Some of them I think Atlanta,
(26:53):
you know, Vegas, Tampa very early, and then probably you
know Rams, Green Bay, Minnesota maybe a little later. I
put down ten teams, and I put in New England
in the sooner than later. Like he's not popular in
the locker room. He looks overwhelmed and untalented, the braddy
(27:14):
cheap shot stuff. I don't know where his alliances are
in the organization. I don't know justin fields. Those guys
still in that locker room, I think they like him.
Zach Wilson. You can see his teammates, his receivers come
to him. Watch Mac Jones on the sideline. Who's an
(27:35):
ally in that locker room.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
My thought coming into training camp, once we knew all
the AFC rosters is that Mac Jones was inevitably gonna
get in Bill Belichick's career. Now, I hate to say
get him fired because it sounds like, you know, Joe
Judge gets fired. You know, if coaches like that get fired.
I don't know how this ends, mutual departation. It's over
like this This team's terrible, and it starts their quarterback
(27:58):
play is horrendous. Like you said, he he's not talented enough.
I remember when Kyle Shanahan liked him and I thought
it is insane. No player of this talent has ever
been drafted this high. In my opinion, he's more even
based going back to college. More third fourth round pick.
That's where guys of Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, those guys
go in the third fourth round. And unlike those guys,
(28:20):
his floor he can't reach it right now because he's
so mistake prone. His turnovers are outrageous. I mean they
and they never end. It's pick sixes. He could have
thrown multiple pick six today as a fumble. He just
feels like most lopsided game and loss of Bill Belichick's career.
I mean the Cowboys they're not bad. I mean they're solid,
(28:42):
twelve win team, thirty eight to three. I mean that
was a full that was a bloodbath in Belichick. There
was the one when he was going like this on
his said, what's his other pitch? It's not like, well
I just throw a change up? Now what does he do?
You can't go to the bullpens it's like Zappie's any good.
They're screwed. And listen, they missed the playoffs last year.
This team feels worse. Judon got hurt. Now it's starting
(29:04):
to unravel a little bit and it's clearly not well.
It's Matt Patricia calling the place. No, they got a
grown up call in the place. I mean, this team looks.
I know he's an all time great coach and I
believe that, but this individual team, even with him five
six wins. I mean, look how hard the division is,
let alone just how they play in general.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
You know what's interesting too, he's regressed. So when he
first gets to New England his rookie year, again, you
haven't lived with him long. You haven't traveled with him much, right,
you haven't been through crisis with him. He had a
pretty good rookie year.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
I made the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Just like when you're a coworker, you're an employee. The
first year, you win some games, you're like I kind
of like Bob. And then you work with him a
second year. You travel with him, multiple camps with him,
practices with him. Have you noticed he seems less popular today,
He has less allies today, He's one of those players.
I mean, I had somebody who I respect, a former
(30:04):
Patriot recently out east, use the word brat like he's
bratty like, and you know, I think you told me
this last week or the week before. As long as
you're loved in the room, nobody.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Cares outside of the room.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I do not think. I think the coaches have tolerated him.
I think I mean today, I know it feels like
I'm being hyperbolic here, it feels like today was a
tipping point, like the coaches are just like, all right,
they have to go to craft and say, what do Bob,
we have to draft the quarterback?
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Do you think that if this thing gets really ugly
and it's trure headed that way? They win six games.
Bill's always been a little prickly with Robert, but he's
making him so much money. They're winning so big. You
deal with it. Now, this back to back years, Let's
say they win thirteen games over a two year span.
Maybe they just go it's time for a change, does Bill?
Because I was thinking about this, like if you're the
(30:59):
chart or some of these other teams, or is he
just too old and too crimogeny. He's kind of fascinating, right,
because his resume is unprecedented. I mean yeah, but it's like,
you know, this is he's not a spring chicken. He's
not mister get along with everybody.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Here's the other thing. We always thought they were just
such a smart football team. They make the same mistakes
as everybody post Brady, they're not. They make special teams blunders.
So you know, Brady covered up a lot of issues
with this team. He was so good pre snap. He
got you out of trouble. It's like a good boss.
You don't really know the trouble you would have been in.
(31:33):
He gets you out of it before your company's in it.
Brady got this team out of a lot of trouble.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
But it gets back to Tom also worked basically as
like his second job was also a coach. I mean
you talked to Adelman and Gronk and all these guys.
What was tolerated in practice? It wasn't just Bill setting
the tone, it was Tom setting the tone. So they
screw ups didn't happen in practice. What's Mac gonna do
yell at you for running the wrong route on Thursday.
So it kind of unravels from within because Tom set
(32:00):
the tone from a leadership standpoint, it's unreplaceable. And it
shows now their talent, I mean, their margin ferrer was
already so slim. They were gonna have to win games
what like seventeen to fifteen, and if Max's gonna play,
you know, like a bottom five quarterback, they don't have
a snowballs chance in hell at this rate.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
The you know the other thing, and I I there's
a lot of different things to talk about, so I'd
feel like we're sort of you know, you have a
Niner take. I had a brand and Staley take. So
when Assante Samuel at the end of that game intercepted
the ball and apparently Brandon Staley was telling him to
(32:41):
get down, get down, and I thought to myself, there's
been so many gaffes, so many snaff foos from Staley.
And my takeaway is if there had been forty eight
seconds or a minute four but there wasn't. There was
like two thirty two forty on the interception and you're
deep in your own territory. And my takeaway was as
a code, which if the Sante Samuels had intercepted that
(33:02):
and just gone down the sideline as he was going
down the sideline. You know, you could say sit at
the fifty, but to sit at like you're eight or
wherever it was. So my takeaway was, oh, god, you're
just overthinking it. There's just I don't know what the
analytics are. If you intercept the ball and it can
be a pick six and go up fourteen, just go,
(33:24):
just go. Now, the theory is, well, you may never
get the ball back. They could get the on site.
There's like two fifty left. So that really bothered me.
Should it or analytically that's understood.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Yeah, I mean I just let him run. Why are
you telling him get down at all? They play in
the same game every week for two years and four games,
don't they. I mean, they got a big fourth down
with under three minutes to go, the other team is driving,
with a chance to tie or to take the leak.
They play Honestly, you could even go back to the
Philip Rivers days. It feels like this team's cursed. I mean,
(33:59):
the Raiders are so far gone it's they're not even
worth saving. But the Chargers with this quarterback who he's
proven his physical capabilities, his production, his toughness. Now a
couple of years in a row, what was it last
year he had the rib or splint injury. This year
his fingers pointing the other way and him battling through.
What more could you want? I think how many franchises
(34:20):
are watching this, and how many gms and former gms
what they would have done for a chance of a
talent like that when he had a coach.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
He bailed Staley out, so you know, then they try
to they run the ball on the clock and the
Raiders use a timeout so they have to get a
first out or they're punning it from their end zone.
And he hits a beautiful, perfect deep throw and you're
like you and I are on the West Coast. I
wonder if people like Midwest who are watching their own
(34:48):
games East understand what's happening here with the Chargers. Justin
Justin Herbert is literally saving the franchise Staley is making.
They sometimes they overthink, then they underthink, I just I
watched this team, and if I'm Tom Telesco, this roster's
really really good. Today they were six acts, so it's
(35:16):
it's it's they won this game without five starters. I mean,
they have depth. They have players everywhere. I even if
they're a playoff too. It's pretty remarkable that a coach
would go playoffs back to back and be fired. But
I think it's been so discussed. Los Angeles is a
very kind of laid back, chill market. It's not Philly, Boston,
New York.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
No.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
You read the La Times, you go to messageboards, you
listen to sports talk radio in La. Staley is the
topic of conversation every Monday.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Yeah. I mean, I think because the quarterback's so good,
he might be able to will into ten wins and
you're right there in the playoffs. But with their lack
of discipline, decision making, defense, you never know what you're
gonna get. It's hard to see them winning a playoff game,
let alone several. So I think that the elephant in
the room, though, is even if they were to get
(36:07):
rid of him, would they ever be willing to pay
for a big time coach, because you see around just
this sport the impact of high end coach, I mean
San Francisco Christian McCaffrey. I think I can't imagine there's
ever been a better midseason NFL trade in the history
of the league. Last week, he broke Jerry Rice's record
twelve straight tds. This week, he tied Emmitt Smith's record
(36:30):
thirteen straight touchdowns fourteen. Next week he has a chance
to break it longest since nineteen ninety. So you're talking
about a guy that and I thought it was kind
of crazy too. Running Backs twenty twenty two, he had
been banged up. I'm like, wait, you're gonna give a second,
a third, and a fourth. He would have been worth
three seconds, thirds and fourth for his impact on the
(36:50):
forty nine ers. Yeah, he is easily. I think Josh
Allen threw his hat back in the ring. You know,
Lamar's having a pretty awesome season, but he's right there.
If it ended to day, he would be have every
bit as good of a chance as anyone to be
the NFL MVP. And he's clearly one of the best
players in the league. And he's taken a team that
was pretty damn good, right, they were in the conference
title a couple of years ago, they were in the
(37:11):
Super Bowl, and Purty's an upgrade over over Jimmy clearly.
But Christian has become like a superstar. I remember being
a kid when they signed Dean Sanders. Niners never looked
back and they dominated. It's different because he's an offensive player,
but it's similar in terms of the impact. It's like
it's impossible, despite his production, which is freaking elite, to
quantify how good this guy is.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Well, listen, Deebo is a Hall of Fame talent and
Kittle probably makes the Hall of Fame. They almost shrink
when they're on the field with Christian McCaffrey. I mean
they're I mean, like Kittle two years ago, pre McCaffrey,
that was your third down target. You couldn't wait to
watch Kiittle play. He's still remarkable when he's on the
field with Christian McCaffrey on a big third down, it's
(37:54):
like Deebo and Kittle become second tier players and their
Hall of fame. Kittle's gonna make the Hall of Fame.
So it's like McCaffrey is that rare athlete that among
other great athletes, it doesn't even it doesn't. I mean,
it's like this kid for the Rams, Pooka Nakua. I
keep waiting and it's like this is insane. He's physical,
he gets open, he reads corners like a twelve year veteran.
(38:18):
He manipulates him. It's like, oh, that's just different. I mean,
among other elite players. So, and the thing about McCaffrey,
despite his size, he's one of the most physical running
backs I've ever seen. And I mean seriously, he plays
three inches taller and thirty pounds heavier.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Well, David Shaw have pounded the table when he was
coming out. I was wrong. I thought, you know, I
bet he turns into more of like an Edelman Whelker
and he's more receiver than he ever is true down
running back he is. I mean, it's gonna sound like
a Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith. I mean he's a true
I mean Kyle's getting into him twenty twenty five times
a game, and it's not at the corners. It is
(38:57):
right up the gut, yeah, and breaking tackles, he shoulder.
He's really more of like a throwback to his dad's
era of a guy that would have thrived in the nineties.
And now I think, you know, to me, the Cowboys
a little bit of a front running team. When they
get a lead on you, which they've done three out
of the four games, run you out the building as
they did, and they're celebrated, and it's awesome. Their defense
(39:17):
pins their ears back. They got into one kind of
dogfight when they were down and they crumbled, and now
they're playing the Niner Sunday. The Eagles, I give them
some credit. They have not played their best football, but
their talent, like the Niners, they've been through, you know,
the ups and downs they've handled like today was not
an easy win, right, And I think when you look
at the Niners and the Eagles, the amount of high
(39:38):
end I mean, both teams could have ten Pro Bowlers.
I mean like ten, you know, all pro guys when
those two teams shake out. But the Cowboys, you know,
I just don't think they're quite on their level. I
think those two teams in the top tier of the NFC,
and then the next tier is the Cowboys and probably
than the Lions.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
Yeah, I think there's a way Dallas has to play.
And I think again, Buffalo, I think is more talented,
but is similar. They're an avalanche. When Buffalo gets a
lead on you and you're struggling with Josh Allen and
he's in a groove and Davis is getting open with
Diggs and now Kincaid and Knox, it's like, shit, this
is just too much. They play down.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Hill and he turns into John Elway basically like he
did today.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
You know, so like I think, whereas I think Stan
Francisco and Philadelphia can win multiple ways, I tend to
think certain teams Buffalo's this way. I think Dallas is
this way. They're momentum teams, and when they're headed downhill,
watch out. They're even more lethal than a Stan Francisco
or Philadelphia because they can score so quickly and they're
so aggressive, so hyper aggressive Miami. Let's talk Miami Buffalo.
(40:45):
What is interesting because I did think Buffalo would win.
I did not. I had a good day of gambling
four and one, four to zero in the afternoon games.
But my takeaway is what really changes is when you
can get pressure with four guys without bringing people at
Oliver today was very good. Is that the way to
disrupt Miami is very it's it's it's tried and true.
(41:07):
It was the way to beat Peyton Manning or any
great quarterback is you get pressure with four and then
you occasionally bring other people. Were you should I read
into anything that Miami was just boat race, just overwhelm
man overboard. Should we or is it just one of
those that came off a huge game on the road
(41:28):
against the rival. It was bound to happen.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
I think it's more they're going on the road to
a team that's won their division three years in a row,
who two of the last three years won thirteen games,
and have a quarterback who I'd say this year has
got a chance to be the MVP of the league.
I mean when he's on and he's been like this
last couple of years. Buffalo had to win that game, right,
I mean you're talking about they've already lost, so all
of a sudden, Miami would have technically, you know, they'd
(41:49):
have two losses, they would be undefeated. This was a
team that they should have beaten twice last year. Remember
Buffalo had the weird loss of them when they outgained
them and every statistic was in there, you know. On
the side. To me, this was a draw in the
line game from Seohan McDermott, who's taken over the defensive
coordinator and like you said that he got after him too.
Hasn't been touched, right. And the other thing is they've
been running it down the hill like untouched on everyone.
(42:12):
So slow him down from the running game, hit to
a and have Josh Allen be an all pro level
guy that formula. In general, you're gonna be able to
play with anyone in the league, right Stefan Diggs when
he's humming, he's a top two or three quarter or
a wide receiver in the league. And that in terms
of home field advantage and big picture, is Miami going
(42:33):
on the road in the AFC to Kansas City to
I don't even know. I guess you know, obviously Buffalo.
I don't know who would be in the north, maybe Baltimore.
That's you know, historically hasn't always been. Miami doesn't win
those games under forty or thirty five degrees. What would
change the way this team plays? Their defense is terrible?
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Yeah, no, I think that's the in the AFC. The
best team's Buffalo can get after you defensively. Kansas City
can get after you defensively. You start looking even the
heightens the way they played today can get after you defensively.
We know Baltimore always figures out a way to get
after you defensively. And then you start looking around and
you're like, yeah, Miami already can't. Now Jalen Ramsey comes back. Listen,
(43:12):
this is Vic Fangio and they're struggling. So the players
they just don't have the players, and so listen, New
England gave them fits in Foxborough in the second half. Like, yeah,
I think Miami is. I think they're the best team
to watch offensively. I think they're smart and clever and
it's a little bit of a firework show. But today
is a great example of and I think they're really
(43:34):
well coached. They just have some personnel limitations. They're just
they don't have a lot of guys that would start
for Buffalo on defense. Maybe two.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, Yeah, I just think today was a day when
you know Tua once everything's not schemed and there are
some plays in their first couple drives, you're like, geez, Luise, Mike,
he's got you know, Tyreek Hill in the backfield, these
guys guys motioning. I don't. I thought it was incredible.
He was the MVP so far. You realize how special
their offensive coordinator is. But once you just have to
play football straight up against a team that you're equal,
(44:04):
maybe even slightly, yeah, it becomes a lot more difficult.
So to me, they got a lot to prove just
historically they've never done it, you know, and think of
all the teams in the AFC that play in the cold.
I like Buffalo. If he's going to play under control,
their quarterback has a chance. I mean, he is an
(44:24):
all time great talent, but to have the best year
of his career, because after that first week clunker where
it was like god, we had to red flag that situation,
the last three weeks he's been brilliant. I mean he's
been you could argue the best player in the league. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
I think I think I talked about this earlier. Is
that because once the schedule was length in the game,
I think a lot of GMS and coaches scaled back
on playing guys in the preseason and they kind of
used the first week as a little bit of a
regular season game with a preseason feel. On snaps, you
can't take much from the first game. Seattle looked awful,
(44:56):
Buffalo looked awful. Maybe that is what Pittsburgh is. They
looked awful. I will say this before we go. I
had said during the summer, is that I always think,
because I would love to be a GM in the NFL,
never gonna happen. But if I didn't do this, that
would be my choice, probably yours. Just to run an
(45:16):
NFL franchise is that. I always think in free agency
the big mistake is the splashy moves. There's a lot
of B. If you take your time and get through
the first four days, there's a lot of B moves,
and I thought Houston made several of those. Just get
a little better at running back, a little deeper receiver,
a little better on the offensive line. And Tamiko Ryans,
(45:37):
as we both know, was really respected and loved in
San Francisco stud They really felt like they lost a
little bit of the soul of their defense. And then
all of a sudden, it's such a dysfunctional organization, but
they made a lot of these kind of like B moves,
B plus just get slightly kind of bill parcels, get
better in the locker room, the weight room, the culture.
(45:58):
Just get a second tied, a backup, just interior lineman.
Everything feels better. And they did. And then CJ. Stroud
The team makes no noise, they don't talk a lot.
Stroud just sits back and throws the ball confidently. And
there's not a ton of juice. But I gotta tell you,
(46:21):
I don't think it's a fluke. I think they look
I think they look like a well coached team that
knows exactly what they are. And I sat there today
and I watched them, and I thought, this isn't a fluke.
Now we're in Week four, that's a good That's a
pretty solid football team. That's my view on the surprise
team in the league. Houston's a solid, not great. They'll
(46:41):
meet up with their talent level at some point, but
I think they're a pretty solid team that's well coached.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Yeah. I mean, I think he's got a little burrow
to his game. You know, he's not a great athlete,
but he can move. He's really accurate. I mean he
has thrown the ball, pushed the ball down the field,
very calm and collected. I mean, you watch him the
last couple of weeks. He doesn't look like a guy
playing the fourth game of his career. He looks like
a guy who's been six years in the NFL. And obviously,
(47:10):
from a coaching standpoint, this guy, I think he's got
a chance to be like a Mike Vrabel. I think
he already is. I mean, he's a stud. I mean
he's the real deal. I don't know how good they
will be as the you know, as the season goes on.
Are they more likely to win six than nine? Probably?
But this is definitely a team. They got a lot
of firepower in the draft. That's the other thing. Remember
they're not done getting that back from Cleveland. Cleveland still
(47:32):
owes them. I think their first round pick this year.
So I think Houston, who knows that division? I mean
the Titans are just this gritty, ugly I mean Jacksonville.
I think Atlanta is terrible. One thing that hit me
this morning, how come like last night? Lsu Ole Miss
I have zero ties to the South. I don't care
(47:52):
about Like, I've never been I don't know anyone that
goes SEC schools. I've honestly never even been there, Like
it didn't go there scouting or whatever. I just mesmerized
by their games. I'm I'm glued to my couch watching
lsu Ole Miss. Yet whatever the NFC and AFC South
like the morning game does, I don't even want to turn.
I just think it's irrelevant. Why does college football for
(48:13):
them feel so gigantic on TV? And then an NFL game,
even one that sat by itself this morning felt like
I'm gonna watch the news or something before the morning
games come on.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
Yeah, well it's there's been some quirky owners.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
There's not the brands too.
Speaker 2 (48:26):
Yeah, and I also think there haven't been I mean,
Brady drops in on the Buccaneers, but before Brady, they'd
never had a great quarterback in the in the entire franchise.
They'd had great players everywhere, they'd never had a great quarterback.
Atlanta's had a lot of Chris Chandler's Matt Ryan. You know,
(48:48):
Matt's more than capable. But I think here, Jamie, I mean,
if you look at Carolina, Jake Dell, Holme, Cam Newton.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Ryan, Tannehill, Mariota. Yeah, these players down.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
There, it's always been athletic conference. Those rivalries are bigger
if you live in the South. You know, the Saints
in Atlanta is a bigger rivalry if you live in
the South. But I tend to think AFC South, NFC South,
that the SEC is so big. It's almost why pro
sports is so big in the Northeast and the West
that it shrinks college football, right, And I think college
(49:21):
football is so big in the South it kind of
pulls down the NFL. But they're just it just seems
to me that the NFC South, you know, Breeze wasn't
drafted by the Saints. They went and got him. It's
Brady entered at the end of his career. I don't
I don't see a lot of historically great quarterback play
in that division. Maybe it's some of its ownership.
Speaker 1 (49:43):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
I feel like in the Northeast, baseball and the NFL
mean more, you know. I feel in the West, the
NBA just means more, and so you get better GMS,
better scouts. The owners pay a little more. You have
really wealthy owners bal or Joe Lake of Paul Allen,
You've had some really wealthy Western owners. Now the Suns
(50:06):
have one of the richer owners. So I always tend
to if if there's a theme or a trend, I
always looked to ownership or passion, Like if you don't
win baseball games, they'll just fire you. In the Northeast,
you're just done, right, Stave. In the West, you don't win.
I thought Terry Stott was a good coaching Portland boom out,
I know, right, So yeah, so they're just I think
(50:27):
in certain regions, certain things matter more.
Speaker 1 (50:30):
Last thing on college really quick. It really hit me yesterday.
This year's wide open right, I mean, there are teams
that can win. How is this this is Harbaugh's opportunity?
I was. I think his team's pretty good. Yeah, that
quarterback is better than I thought he was. Yep, like
this is I mean, he'd have to beat a sark.
This Georgia team's not as good now. LSU's down Notre Dame,
(50:52):
Ohio State. You know, USC can't play any defense. Two
years ago that Georgia team he ran into a buzzsaw,
got his ass kicked. Last year, drop the ball. You
gotta be TCU in that situation. This year he's got
to beat Ohio State and then it's wide open for him.
I think. I think the gates have opened for Jim
Harbaugh and Michigan to take advantage. And if he's an
all time great coach, which I think he is, you
(51:14):
gotta win a championship and this year is right there
for him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:18):
The interesting thing is we know now he's very successful.
He not only it took him, you know, it took
Brian Kelly a lot of years to get noted at
these northern schools. They're not LSU, USC, Texas, Alabama, Georgia,
where you know your state has so many players that
you can really you can really dominate your state it
(51:40):
Brian Kelly, you have to ask kids to come play
in cold weather. Jim Harbaugh, you have to ask players.
You know, it's convinced that school, school's hard, school's hard.
So if Northern you know, James Franklin now feels like
he has his best team. I think it's about a
four or five year process. In the North Washington Chris
(52:01):
Peterson got it going I think year two to year three.
But I always feel it's a little easier in the
South because the states are so productive with recruiting. So
I think it took Kelly and Harbab about five or
six years to really I mean they were good early.
I mean I think Jim won ten games year one
and Kelly won big, but they were kind of fraudulent
teams right like they couldn't run with Ohio State or Georgia.
(52:23):
I think right now after now, Georgia's quarterback played well
this weekend. But I think the question becomes if he
gets to the championship winn or lose, and I think
they could win. He can be really picky because I
think Jim realized something in the NFL, is you can
be a great coach, but if you don't have the
guy pulling the trigger, they're just limitations on what you
(52:45):
can do. And now we who have Josh Allen in
his prime and Lamar and is prime, and Herbert is prime,
Mahlmes his prime. You can't take a second. You can't
go into this league with a second tier quarterback. Jalen
hurts like, you just can't do it anymore. So it's
different than when Jim left. It's more quarterback centric. And
there's all these guys that weren't in the league and
they're all in their primes. So I think you have
(53:05):
to be really picky Chargers job. I would absolutely take.
If Zach Taylor got run in two years, I would
look into that. But it's when Jim. When Jim left
this league, you didn't have all these Trevor Lawrence, Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Lamar,
the guys weren't in the league. So it's just a
it's a whole different ballgame. You can still be physical,
(53:27):
but as great as Rabel is as a physical guy,
he's kind of a one and donner in the playoffs.
He just doesn't have And Tannehill's not terrible he's competent.
Speaker 1 (53:36):
Yeah, and he's even maxed out even if he maximizes
the team what he's doing, what's he gonna win nine games?
Speaker 2 (53:41):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Right, I mean he can only go so far, so
not going on. I mean, what a what a first
month of football.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
It was great. John Middlecoff three and out the volume. Good,
see anybody see you Colin
Speaker 1 (53:53):
The volume
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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