The Richard Sherman Podcast - NFL Week 4 PREDICTIONS: Broncos-49ers, Chargers-Seahawks, Chiefs-Raiders, Lions-Panthers

Richard Sherman and Mitch Eisenstein break down and predict every major matchup in NFL Week 4, including Denver Broncos vs. San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders, Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers, and Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots. Richard shares his updated NFL power rankings, explains why the Niners remain his No. 1 team, previews a potential Raiders’ upset of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and names the Panthers over the Lions as his Week 4 upset alert. The guys also discuss the Seahawks’ response to their loss to Washington, the Bears’ rise with Case Keenum, Josh Allen and the Bills facing Drake Maye’s Patriots, and whether the Rams can bounce back against the Eagles. Plus, Sherman reacts to the reported trade talks involving Joey Porter Jr. and the Detroit Lions, J.J. McCarthy landing with the New York Giants, Tyreek Hill’s potential next team, Brian Flores’ revenge game against Miami, and the biggest NFL storylines heading into Week 4.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. It's week four,
and is it parody in the National Football League, Mitchell?
There are upsets. There are games I didn't ever think
would happen. There were teams winning with backup quarterbacks against
teams we know or thought were contenders. You got Case
Keenum having a day on Monday night. I wasn't expecting that.

(00:26):
Marcus Mariota shredding a Seattle Seahawks defense. Wasn't expecting that.
But before we get into each game this week, we'll
do something different and start with our top five going
into week four. Mitchell, who do you have in your
top five?

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Richard, like you just said, there is an awful lot
of parody in this NFL season. We talked about it
last podcast. It's almost like these first three games have
been the preseason where teams that you expect to be
good look bad and teams that you expect to be
bad look good. And it's tough to shuffle these guys out.
I mean, When you look at our top five, we
got these in front of us here. I'm rolling with

(01:03):
the Bills, number one. I know that might be a
little controversial to folks in San Francisco, but having seen
the Bills firsthand, what they did to my Detroit Lions,
I got to put them number one. They had a
horrendous game last week, still came out victorious despite turning
the ball over five times.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
I like the Bills.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
The Niners are two for obvious reasons. 3-0 look dominant
offensively and defensively. Brock Purdy looks like an MVP candidate.
I like the Niners at two. I'm very, very confident
in them in the top two. Number three, the rise
of the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes with a fresh ACL.

(01:42):
Kenneth Walker, canine. I saw in the comments section after
last episode, Richard, a lot of Seattle Seahawks fans wishing
they paid canine and not Rashid Shahid. Was that a mistake?
I don't know, but I like the Chiefs. Number three
in my ranks. That brings me to number four, and
that is the Seattle Seahawks. Despite losing on the road,

(02:03):
I will give them some grace. They have been dominant
over the last year. I'll cut them some slack in
losing this game against Washington. We'll call it a little
time zone hangover situation, having to play at 10 a.m.
Pacific time. We'll see how they rock out this upcoming
weekend in five. That's where there's so many teams up

(02:23):
in the air. But after watching Monday Night Football and
what Ben Johnson did with a third-string quarterback and a
38-year-old Case Keenum, I'm rolling with the Chicago Bears at
number five. Richard, what did I get wrong?

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Mitchell, you started your whole list wrong. At number one,
I got the San Francisco 49ers playing the best football
in the National Football League on both sides of the ball.
And I know, I know, injuries, injuries, injuries. They are
devastating right now. But the guy who gives me the
most confidence in the San Francisco 49ers, and I'm going

(03:00):
to knock on wood, is healthy. And that's Brock Purdy,
who should be in the lead for MVP. But I'm
sure Vegas might have Josh Allen. I thought after all
the turnovers this week, Josh Allen would fall and Brock
Purdy would rise. But that didn't happen. Christian McCaffrey continues
to look fantastic. Again, Kalon Black is doing a great
job spelling him. George Kittle looks fantastic in the pass game.

(03:23):
Had a big game last week. Might have stolen a
touchdown from Brock Purdy after a phantom holding call. There
was some sabotage there, allegedly. But Defensively, Fred Warner and
Dre Greenlaw continue to just change the outlook of these games.
Dre Greenlaw goes out with a quad injury. Mike Evans
goes out with a rib injury. Trent Williams goes out

(03:47):
with a stinger. Again, things you do not want to
see if you're a San Francisco 49er fan, but I
think they're going to be able to overcome these things.
It looks like all those guys are potentially going to
be available this week, so that's great news. This is
on top of all the other receivers that they've lost.
Deshaun Stripling, Demarcus Robinson, Ricky Persall. I mean, the list

(04:11):
goes on and on. Obviously, they'll get some of these
guys back as the weeks progress, but they're still the
best team out there. And I think as they continue
to develop, Grayson Halton. Grayson Halton. It just sounds like Halton,
but I feel like Halton is the way you should
say it. But he's been playing fantastic football. He's a

(04:32):
diamond in the rough. Found gold for the San Francisco 49ers,
so I like him. Number two on my list, the
Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills are a really good football
team with an MVP candidate, a quarterback, but there are
a lot of question marks, especially on the defensive side
of the ball. They played really, really well this week

(04:52):
against the Chargers, but the Chargers haven't really played that
well against anybody. They scored the most points they've scored
all season this against the Bills, and that's not saying
much because they've scored 14 against the Raiders and 14
against the Cardinals, which, I mean, it is what it is.
But the Buffalo Bills, the reason they moved to two
instead of one in my rankings is the five turnovers
they had. They were at home. Josh Allen with some

(05:15):
uncharacteristic mistakes, pushing the ball down the field into double
coverage against DJ, I mean, with two DJ Moore. That
play got intercepted. Another interception in the game. Gave up
a fumble in the game. No, yes. Yes, gave up
a fumble in the game. James Cook gives up a
fumble early in this game. Just too many turnovers for

(05:38):
me to be comfortable putting them one. Number three, the
Kansas City Chiefs. Again, Kenneth Walker. He's a guy that's
making a huge difference for this team. As Patrick Mahomes
continues to find his legs, continues to find his rhythm,
he's going to go through the ups and downs of
the season, but they have somebody else they can lean
on when things aren't going great through the air. defensively,

(05:59):
some young defensive backs learning on the fly, I still
like Noel Williams, and again, anytime they got an Arias,
you guys think I'm joking, but anytime the Kansas City
Chiefs have an Arias, they make it to that last game,
and I know, you guys reminded me, there was an
Arias I forgot about, there's Legereus, there is Charverius, and

(06:22):
then there was Kadarius, Kadarius Doney, with the punt return
in the Super Bowl, like, When they have an Arias,
they end up in that last game. So I feel
good about their chances. The Seattle Seahawks at number four.
Really head-scratching loss against the Washington Commanders. You thought, hey,
backup quarterback Jaden Daniels is out. Marcus Mariota steps in.

(06:43):
You thought the Seattle Seahawks defense has been consistent. But
Mike McDonald's teams have been consistent on the road. They
were 16-2 before taking this loss to the Commanders. They
gave up 33 points. So it's kind of back to
the drawing board. I'm sure this is going to be
a very motivated team when they go back to Seattle
to play the LA Chargers. The Broncos. The Broncos beat

(07:05):
the LA Rams. They beat the LA Rams, the team
that everybody coming into this season said had the potential
to go undefeated and be world beaters. And just nobody,
how could anybody compete against this team and all the
talent that they have on paper? Again, this game isn't
played on paper. It's played on the grass. And these
are grown men, and grown men, against grown men. Somebody's

(07:25):
going to impose their will, and somebody's not. And right now,
people are getting the better of the L.A. Rams. And
not to say that they're not playing great. Matthew Stafford
has had some really great moments, especially to Devontae Adams.
They're missing Puka Nakua, which is a huge part of
their offense. They're finding a way. They started the game
really fast against the Denver Broncos, but the Denver Broncos

(07:46):
turned around in the second half and figured it out,
figured it out. Bo Nix figured it out, started pushing
the ball down the field. They started to make big plays.
started to find his playmakers defensively. They started to put
some pressure on Matthew Stafford, started to force some mistakes,
some misthrows, and found a way to pull out a win.
And Sean Payton said it. He said, I mean, we're
great in these games, and they've been doing a great

(08:07):
job coming back in a lot of these games that
they had to have. But you don't always have to
come back. Sometimes you could just be winning outright. So
I feel good about this top five. But as always,
this NFL– Anybody can beat anybody, and that's showing more
than ever.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
I'm already predicting the future here, Richard. There's going to
be a couple fan bases that are going to be
barking at you here a little bit, and they're going
to be barking at me, too. We left out two
undefeated teams, that being the Raiders and that being the
Minnesota Vikings.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
Why?

Speaker 2 (08:36):
I mean, because we both are in agreeance on this.
I think the Raiders just need one more week to
prove themselves. If you look at their schedule, I mean,
some would call it Somewhat lucky and weak to open
up against the Dolphins, the Chargers who have not been
who people thought they were, and obviously the Saints. But
I really do like the Raiders. They're right on the cusp,

(08:58):
but they're more in the 8-9 range for me. And
then the Vikings, man. Vaunted defense. However, what do they
look like offensively? They allow the Tampa Bay Bucs to
hang in that game. I'm still not a believer in
the Vikings just yet. Why did you leave them out
of your ranks? Well, for that reason. I mean, I'm
a believer in that defense.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
I'm a believer in Brian Flores, Dallas Turner, Blake Cashman,
Andrew Van Ginkle, and everything that they've done. Isaiah Rogers,
Byron Murphy, those guys, Harrison Smith, no question about it.
But the offense is a concern. Now, do they have
a talented offense? No question about it. And Aaron Jones

(09:38):
can get it done at any time. But Kyler Murray,
you know, he has to find his sea legs. He
has to be more consistent for me to feel comfortable
with this offense. Yes, he threw a nice pass to
Addison for a touchdown, which was great. But I don't–
he just doesn't have the comfort level in this offense

(09:59):
yet that gives me uh confidence that they're going to
be like a top 10 top five offense consistently this
year maybe that'll change they're not playing a really tough
schedule uh they got the Miami Dolphins then they got
Tyler Shuck and the New Orleans Saints then they got
uh Indiana Jones and the Indianapolis Colts and then they
got your Detroit Lions so You look for a game

(10:21):
where you can say, hey, if they beat these guys,
then we'll give them respect. Obviously, if the Raiders beat
the Kansas City Chiefs, who are in both of our
top fives, I think that puts them in the discussion.
But until then, it's tough. Now, if the Minnesota Vikings
start off 5-6-0, you're going to have to put them
in there. This is the National Football League. It's hard
to win that many games in a row. And regardless

(10:42):
of what it looks like, they're undefeated. They're going to
have to get in the top five. No question about it.
I want to take a second to tell you about
this new sports trading app called Polymarket. It's the best
new way to trade in sports. In the past, if
you wanted action on a game, you'd put some money in,
and if your team was doing well and you wanted
to cash out, they'd lock the trade or take a

(11:05):
huge fee.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
But Polymarket is a prediction market, Richard. It's a stock
exchange for sports. Buying in and selling out on your terms.
When your team goes down to 20%, you can buy
in and sell it off at 40% when they come
back to double your money.

Speaker 1 (11:21):
And I've tried them all. And Polymarket is simply the
best prediction market. Better than DraftKings, better than FanDuel, CalSheet,
you name it. They're so confident that you'll never go
back to the other guys. They're giving you a free
$ 50 on your first trade when you deposit just $ 10.

Speaker 2 (11:40):
And now they've launched a new feature called Squads, a
group chat where you can see what everyone is trading on.
So download the Polymarket app today and use code Richard.
That's Richard to get $ 50 free after you trade just $ 10.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Football is back. And if you're getting ready for the season,
pull up to your local Lids. The exclusive 47 NFL
collection is available only today. in store at lids and
this gear is the gear you're gonna need if you're
going all in all season.

Speaker 2 (12:13):
No doubt about it we're talking nfl graphic tees the
iconic 47 hitch headwear silhouette richard you like this man
i love this the detroit lions 47 hitch headwear i
got on and fan gear that looks good on game
day monday morning and every day in between.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
And listen I know a little something about being all in.
The Legion of Boom energy, it was not casual. We
didn't walk on the field hoping people noticed us. We
set the tone. We brought the energy. We made sure
everybody knew exactly who they were dealing with.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
That's how you should rep your team, Richard.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
Confidence.

Speaker 2 (12:52):
No apologies.

Speaker 3 (12:54):
Whether you're hosting the crew, watching the family, tailgating before
the game, or sitting across from somebody wearing the wrong colors.
Get to your local Lids and rep your squad the
right way.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
Football isn't just a Sunday thing. It's a rivalry. It's tradition.
It's pride. It's who you are all week long. So
don't wait until kickoff to get ready. Pull up to
Lids and go all in, all season, only in store
at Lids.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
Let's talk about the number one team on your power ranks.
They take on the Denver Broncos in San Francisco. The
49ers against the Denver Broncos. Richard Polly Market gives the
Niners a 57% chance to win this game. Denver looked
good on Sunday night. I mean, some would call it
an officiating win, a phantom P.I. call towards the end

(13:44):
of that game, but that defense kept them in it.
The Rams were hot early, up 16 to nothing, and
ultimately lost. Matt Stafford throws a big-time pick six to
let the Denver Broncos take the lead and take control
of that game. The Broncos head into San Francisco, a
team that you obviously love, 3-0. What does the San
Francisco 49ers have to do to come out with a

(14:05):
victory in this game?

Speaker 1 (14:07):
They have to play mistake-free football. They have to run
the ball. They have to do what they've done all season,
which is score the football. They're second in the league
in scoring 32 points a game and third in points allowed.
So that's the way they have to play. But that
starts with running the football, allowing their defense to rest,
getting chunk plays when they're there. And I think Brock

(14:28):
Purdy has done that as well as anybody this season
is just taking what the defense gives him. If it's
an explosive play, he goes, he finds it. If it's not,
if it's a check down, he's going to take four
or five and he's going to keep the ball moving
down the field. They got to continue to run the
ball at a decent rate. I think they're looking for more.
And Kyle Shanahan would tell you he's disappointed in the
run game and he expects more. I think their offensive line, Again,

(14:50):
as much as I was tough and on this offensive
line for the San Francisco 49ers, especially the interior offensive line,
they deserve a ton of credit. They have kept Brock
Purdy clean. He has yet to be sacked this season.
So I expect that to continue. Some of it has
to do with his mobility. Some of it has to
do with them doing a great job protecting him. He

(15:12):
has to continue that. Who are they going to have
at receiver? That's a big question. Who's going to be available?
Is Cooks going to be available this week? Is he
going to line up? Is he going to be out there?
Is he going to get up to speed fast enough
to be available to be put out there? Are they
going to use more tight ends? Are they going to
use more Kyle Hughes check, George Kittle, those guys in

(15:32):
the past game? Can we see some two running back
sets with Kalon Black and Christian McCaffrey on the field
at the same time? I don't know. Kyle Shanahan is
one of the more creative minds in the National Football League.
I know it's going to be fun. On the other side,
Is Drake Greenlaw going to be healthy this week? Or
do they sit him another week and rest? Because, again,
that changes the dynamic in a big way on that defense.

(15:54):
He is a big-time factor, a big-time just attitude, Mitchell.
He's a tone setter out there. And when you don't
see him, when he's not out there, you can feel it,
and it's different. So hopefully he can play. But just
like Polly Market, I got the San Francisco 49ers winning
this game. They're signing Matthew Judon to practice squad. He's

(16:15):
a guy, year 11, veteran, four-time pro bowler. He can
get some juice, maybe give them some juice, some pass
rush juice. They're not running a super complex game up front,
so he should be able to get up to speed
pretty fast, and we'll see if he can help them
put some more pressure on the quarterback because they have
had trouble doing that, and they're definitely going to need
it against Bo Nix.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
This will be a great test for the Niners. There's
no question about it. The Denver Broncos, again, come off
a big win. A lot of folks expected them to
lose against the Rams. They proved that they're still one
of those teams contenders in the AFC with that victory
if they go and knock out the San Francisco 49ers
on the road look up they will be climbing up
your power ranks and certainly into mine as well let's

(16:56):
talk about another team in your top five that's the
Seattle Seahawks they take on the 0-3 LA Chargers and
you went into detail last podcast Richard about what is
wrong in LA and it starts with Justin Herbert enter
LA into Seattle 0-3, potentially 0-4. And now you're dealing

(17:17):
with a Seattle team that's fresh off a loss. You
know they're going to be very hungry. How do you
see this game playing out in Seattle on Sunday, Richard?

Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well, I see it very similar to what Polymarket has
it at. The Seattle Seahawks winning this one in a
very convincing fashion. The offensive line for the L.A. Chargers
has been abysmal all season, and I don't expect that
to change anytime soon, even their good players. Joe Ault
is leading the league in penalties. Rashawn Slater has not

(17:48):
won at the rate that we have come to expect
from a guy of his caliber. I think he has
a 76% win rate right now in the season, which
is very low of the 66 tackles in the National
Football League. I think it's like 52 or 55, and
that's not good enough. And obviously we put a lot

(18:09):
of pressure and a lot of blame on Justin Herbert,
rightfully so, because you have to be able to execute. Sure,
the offensive line hasn't been great. There are other guys
who offensive lines aren't great. The pass catchers have to
catch the football. That's a big part of it. The
pass catchers have to catch the football. When he throws
accurate passes, they got to hold on to it, especially
in critical situations. I think that's been a big deterrent

(18:35):
for the L.A. Chargers. And they're going to have to
get that fixed. But on the other side of the ball,
their defense did a great job taking the football away
last week against a very good Buffalo Bills team. They
took it from Dalton Kincaid, forced a fumble there. They
took it from James Cook, forced a fumble early in
that game. Two interceptions from Josh Allen, forced fumble on

(18:56):
Josh Allen. So if they can play like that against
the Seahawks team that turned the ball over a number
of times, Jadarian Price, and has only three career games,
and has fumbled in two of them. So that's going
to be a point of emphasis. How can they improve that?
How can the Seattle Seahawks improve their running game? They
have to have a better showing on the ground in

(19:16):
order to open up the pass game. Sure, Sam Darnold
still is able to be effective getting the ball to
Jackson Smith and Jigba, but where is Rasheed Shaheed? You
paid him all this money to stay. He's supposed to
be a big factor in the offense. They're not targeting
him enough for me to even feel comfortable with the
money they're paying him. Usually when you throw that money,

(19:39):
they're feeding Jackson Smith and Jigba, but we're throwing a
lot of tight end screens. And they're working. They're effective plays.
And they're slowing down the pass rush. And it's smart offense.
And Brian Fleury's doing a great job calling it, but
you have to get your speedster involved. Are people going
to just start ignoring him and doubling J.S. Hinn. And,
you know, J.S. Hinn has found a way. I think

(19:59):
the reason that he's continued to find success is Brian
Fleury is doing a good job moving him around. So
you can't get a beat at where he is. It's
hard to double a player when he's in the slot
one play and he's outside one play and he's in
the backfield another play and he's motioning back and forth
the next play. It's really hard to double that guy.
You can't keep swinging your safeties and checking and saying, hey,

(20:20):
we're running cover two to this side. No, we're bracketing
to that side. Oh, he's motioning. All right, move the bracket.
Things are happening too fast, so I commend Brian Fleury
for what he's doing offensively, but you have to get
your other big-time receiver involved. Cooper Cupp has been involved,
which is great. Cooper Cupp is a big-time receiver, former
Triple Crown winner. But Rasheed Shahid, I mean, I can

(20:43):
understand why the Seahawks fans are complaining about seeing K-9
have the success that he's having in Kansas City and
not seeing Rasheed Shahid, who got a big-time payday, not
even get targeted enough to have that kind of success,
to have the kind of impact that you would expect. Now,
do I think that K-9 would have the success that
he's had in Kansas City and Seattle? No, I don't.

(21:04):
I don't. They're just not opening the holes right now.
The run game just has not been as successful. And
maybe he would factor in. You know, obviously he's a
guy that has a ton of yards after contact and
breaks tackles and makes a lot out of a little bit.
But at the end of the day, you've got to
open up some holes. And I'm sure that they're going
to be very cautious and have a very short lease

(21:26):
with Jadarian Price if he can't hold on to the football.
As a running back in the National Football League, that's
one of the worst things you can have on you
is if you fumble the football, you can't do it.
So if they can keep the ball safe, if they
can take care of the football and the Seattle Seahawks
can run the football, take some shots with Rasheed Shaheed,

(21:47):
obviously feed Jackson Smith and Jigba, Feed my guy A.J. Barner.
He's been eating. I can see them winning this game handily,
but I'm very cautious to say that after me saying
that last week against the Commanders with all the circumstances
and everything going against the Commanders, the Commanders found a
way to hang 33 points up on this team, take

(22:10):
the ball away three times, including a pick six. So
I think the Seahawks win this game.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
I'm with you, Richard, but The LA Chargers, there's no
doubt about it. I don't think it's debatable. They got
a lot of talent on that team, including their quarterback,
Justin Herbert, who's struggling mightily. There might be no team
more desperate in football than the Chargers. And the Seattle
Seahawks losing to Washington shocked me. Them losing to the
Chargers would not shock me. But Seattle needs to come out,

(22:39):
and they need to be aggressive and get hot early.
And back to the Rashid Shahid topic. Richard, his highest
number yardage total he's been with the Seahawks for 12
games ever since getting traded from the Saints his highest
yardage total is 74 yards next highest from that is
67 next highest from that 35 Richard so I mean

(22:59):
it just goes to show you and you can understand
why there's some frustration in the fan base when you
pay a guy 17 million plus a year and you
let a running back walk who's getting 14.5 so I
get the internal debate I like Seattle in this game.
They need to find a way to get Rasheed Shaheed
more involved and unlock that next level of this offense.

(23:21):
Let's move on to the next game. And Richard, this
is my no doubt about it lock of the week.
I'm taking the Kansas City Chiefs on the road to
beat the Las Vegas Raiders, the 3-0 Red Hot Raiders.
We'll get knocked off this week by Division 4 Kansas
City Chiefs. That's my no doubt about it. Lock of

(23:42):
the week. And this next game preview is sponsored by Polymarket.
We got the Raiders versus the Chiefs, and both teams
are undefeated. It's a must-watch TV on Sunday. Raiders at home,
and Polymarket has Kansas City with a 65% chance to
win this game, while the Raiders are just at 35%.
With all that being said, Richard, Do you agree with

(24:04):
Polly Market's assessment of this game?

Speaker 1 (24:07):
Do I agree with Polly Market's assessment, Mitchell? I don't
think I do because this has upset alert written all
over it, and it's obviously not my biggest upset of
the week because I got another game, and I don't
know if you're going to like what I have to
say about that, but we'll get there eventually. But this
Raiders offense, nothing too crazy, nothing too shiny, nothing– like

(24:29):
to write home about just effective. Clint Kubiak is using everybody. Obviously,
Brock Bowers had a big game last week. He's going
to be incredibly involved in this game. Trey Tucker. Trey
Tucker has just been a reliable target. Has 15 targets
on the season, 11 catches for 189 yards and one touchdown.
And then again, Kirk Cousins, not doing anything crazy in

(24:51):
three games. He's completing 67% of his passes, about 220
a game, 661 yards, nine touchdowns, only three interceptions. Solid football.
And he fits well in this scheme. He's one of
the better quarterbacks in this scheme. And I think people
are starting to finally understand with Justin Herbert's struggles within

(25:13):
this offense that, hey, maybe this offense isn't as easy
and simple and plug-and-play as we once thought. But there
are certain guys who, once you plug them into this offense,
it just works. And he's one of them. I also
like Mike Washington and Ashton Gentry and how they're spelling
them and how they're back and forth. But Hezekiah Masses,

(25:35):
Hezekiah Masses, the fifth round rookie corner who's got three
interceptions on the season. I just like it, Mitchell. First off,
I like his name, Hezekiah Masses. But a fifth rounder
making plays, catching a football, turning a ball over, he's
going to factor in. That defense, N'Kobe Dean. N'Kobe Dean

(25:56):
is a tone setter, Mitchell. You turn on the tape.
of the Las Vegas Raiders, and you will see 17
everywhere the ball is. So, Mitchell, not so fast. Now,
do I think it's going to be an upset? There's
a maybe, baby. I don't know if this four-and-a-half-point spread
that Polly Market has is going to happen. I know
the Raiders are going to fight. I don't know, because

(26:18):
they played the Miami Dolphins, and not that it was
a close game, but it was closer than you would
expect the Miami Dolphins to be to the Kansas City Chiefs.
This isn't your same old Raiders. Mitchell, this is a
team that's well coached, formidable, and playing good football on
both sides of the ball. I'm going to give Kansas

(26:39):
City the win in this one. I don't have them
covering the spread.

Speaker 2 (26:43):
I don't hate that breakdown, but if you're not joining
me in my no doubt about it lock of the week, Richard,
I thought we saw eye to eye on this kind
of stuff, man.

Speaker 1 (26:54):
I guess you're right.

Speaker 2 (26:57):
I got the Chiefs. I got the Chiefs covering with ease.
I think they're going to win by two touchdowns. This
is a division rivalry game, and I just know how
Patrick Mahomes plays. He gets up for big games, and shockingly,
this is turning into a big game. Give me Patrick
Mahomes and the Chiefs to cover, and I'll take the
money with laying it on them on Polymarket as well. Richard,

(27:18):
another thing. The Raiders' offense has been rolling. Polymarket gives
them a 66% chance to score. More than two and
a half touchdowns in this game. Do you see that
playing out?

Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, yeah, for the reasons we just talked about. In
the red zone, they have two big targets and Michael
Mayer and obviously Brock Bowers, Trey Tucker, Speaster can get
down the field. And then Ashton Gentry and Mike Washington Jr.
are going to do a great job in the run game.

Speaker 2 (27:46):
Make sure you guys check out Poly Markets and alternative
traditional sports books that keeps you in control of your trades.
Check out Polymarket now. Richard, let's move on to the
next game here. In Cleveland, the Browns, led by Deshaun
Watson and Jared Verse. No more Miles Garrett over there,

(28:07):
but they're doing just fine. 2-1, the fan base in
Cleveland's all fired up to have a winning record this
early in the season. And then they take on division foe,
AFC North Battle, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh looked good last game, Richard.
They were pounding the rock. Jalen Warren was getting after it,
125-plus yards. And Cleveland also has looked good over these

(28:29):
last couple games. Who do you like winning this AFC
North showdown?

Speaker 1 (28:35):
This is the epitome of a grinder. The AFC North
has always been the grinder division in football. It's always
cold in the winter. You've got teams that are going
to run the football playground Gritty, grimy defense, the Baltimore Ravens,
the Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals, just cold, you know,

(28:57):
cities that are industrial. Hmm, this is a tough one
to call because which Aaron Rodgers are you going to get?
You know, are you going to get the Aaron Rodgers
that got beat up and look old? Are you going
to get the Aaron Rodgers who was flicking the ball
all around the yard and having a lot of fun
last week? It's a good question. What DK Metcalf are
you going to get? I don't, I don't know. The

(29:21):
Cleveland Browns defense has played solid. They played really well
against the Carolina Panthers. It's tough because I got to
give Deshaun Watson credit and I give Cleveland credit because
when he's playing well, you know, they started the season
booing him every chance they got. Obviously they cheered incredibly

(29:44):
loud when Shador got his one snap. But I think
that he's starting to kind of win them back because
they see he's fighting for every yard. He's putting his
body on the line. He's doing what he can to
try to get this city win and earn their trust.
They're at home. It's a beautiful, it's going to be
a beautiful environment. We're going to be there Thursday night,

(30:06):
starting TNF tonight, 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Pacific. Mitchell,
the Pittsburgh defense, without Joey Porter Jr., who's out. Is
he coming to Detroit?

Speaker 2 (30:20):
He might be on a flight to Detroit, I see.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
I don't know, but he's not playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers,
and they're still playing great defense. Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt,
Cam Hayward. Sante Samuel Jr. Jalen Ramsey. Those guys are
playing good football right now. Solid football. This ought to

(30:43):
be crazy. Neither one of these offenses are great right now.
Pittsburgh's 26th. Cleveland's 24th. Pittsburgh defense is playing a little better.
Deshaun hasn't turned the ball over a ton. That's been

(31:07):
his biggest thing. I'm trying to talk myself into this,
Browns fans. I'm trying, Browns fans. I'm trying to talk
myself into giving you guys a win. I'm going to
be doing this all week. I probably have a different
answer now than I do Thursday. Hmm. This is tough.

(31:31):
This is tough.

Speaker 2 (31:35):
Every time you do this, I feel like you just
try to talk yourself into a team that's hot in
the moment. Instead of picking the team that's proven it
year after year after year. I don't know if I
can convince you easily or not, Richard, but I just
think this is an obvious Pittsburgh Steelers win. Polly Market's
got them at a 58% likelihood. I know you like Cleveland.

(31:57):
But I'll let you sit there and internally debate for
another few minutes. I know you're inevitably going to pick
the Steelers, though.

Speaker 1 (32:05):
Yeah, but it's their receiving threat. Are you really going
to depend on Darnell Washington to be your top receiver
week in and week out? Or is DK Metcalf going
to show up? Jalen Warren had a great game last
week and really was a lot of their offense. Can
you depend on him to be your bell cow every
week and, you know, have 127 yards on 17 carries?

(32:30):
Can you depend on Aaron, you know, throwing for 292
and three touchdowns? Browns. Browns fans. I can't do it. Pittsburgh.
I got Pittsburgh by a touchdown.

Speaker 2 (32:45):
Call me a Mayan reader predicted that a couple minutes ago, Richard.
Like you said, DK Metcalf, it's time for him to
step up. 11 receptions on the season for 98 yards
and a touchdown. He's a lot better than that. Everyone
knows it. This team needs to be more dynamic offensively
if they want to convince Richard Sherman to pick him
a lot quicker than he just did right there. I
like Pittsburgh too. This one's going to be a grinded

(33:07):
out game, like you said, but give me Pittsburgh. Richard,
let's talk a little bit about the Buffalo Bills, number
one team in my power ranks, number two in.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, Mitchell.
Wait a minute. We're getting some breaking news that your
Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers are making progress towards a
trade for Joey Porter Jr. Not going to get a first,
obviously holding out for a second rounder. I can tell
you my thoughts about this. I don't think Pittsburgh thinks

(33:38):
as highly of Joey Porter as Joey Porter thinks of
Joey Porter, and I think that's where the divide is.
He wanted over $ 33 million a year. I don't know
if I would be in the $ 30 million range for
Joey Porter, not because he's not a talent, but because
their defense right now isn't a ton different without him there.

(33:58):
And when you have a big-time corner and you want
to pay that, you want to know that, hey, with him–
on and off the field, you can tell the difference.
And I don't think Pittsburgh feels they can. The concern
I have if I'm Detroit is not picking him up
because I think he obviously helps your defense in a
big way, but what will you pay him? What will

(34:20):
you have to pay him? So it's paying twice. It's
not only just paying in draft capital, but then paying
$ 30- plus million to a guy who has not yet to
play for you or make an impact, and you're hoping.
This is midseason, so you're not getting to do All
the research, you're not getting a whole training camp to really,
really bring him into your team, a whole offseason to

(34:41):
really get to know and I don't know. I don't
know if they if they trade him and don't have
to pay him yet. I support this trade a lot more.
If they trade him and immediately have to pay him
over $ 30 million a year, I think that changes.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
I agree 100% with you. And this tells me one thing.
Brad Holmes must have been listening to the Richard Sherman
podcast over the weekend because I called this. This Lions
team is set up to win right now, but they
have a glaring weakness and it lies in the secondary.
This team, if they're serious about winning the Super Bowl
this year, not four years from now, not five years

(35:19):
from now, this year, They need to address this in
a meaningful way. Joey Porter Jr. does just that for them.
If they give up a second round pick and they
choose not to pay him right away, I'm fine with
punting on a second round pick. But like you just said,
I am not fine with giving $ 33 million plus to
a corner that's never stepped foot in a Lions uniform

(35:40):
and strapped on cleats for the Detroit Lions. So, you know,
I would wait and see before I paid the guy.
You know, I know it's not going to make him happy,
but The franchise tag is always there, and the Lions
need to get crafty here because they've got a lot
of other guys in their locker room to pay before
just them. Richard, let's take it to the game. Let's

(36:01):
take it to the Detroit Lions game because this is
a Sunday night game, and it's going to be featuring
two teams that have high-flying offenses early in the season.
The Detroit Lions travel to the Carolina Panthers, and I
think you've got a little something to say about this game.

Speaker 1 (36:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mitchell, this Carolina Panthers offense is one
that can score the football. They can put the ball
in the end zone. And your Detroit Lions are also
a team that can put the ball in the end zone.
The problem is they don't do a great job of
stopping anybody from putting the ball in the end zone.

(36:39):
And if Carolina can play as they have majority of
this season, they're one of the top scoring offenses in
the National Football League, uh, Mitchell Carolina is fifth in scoring,
but 26th in defense. Detroit is third in scoring offense,
but 32nd in defense. It's a more even match than

(37:01):
Poly Market is giving credit for. They have your Detroit Lions,
Honolulu Blue Boys, 64% chance of winning this game. Mitchell,
this is my upset alert. I know you don't like it.
I know this isn't going to sound great to fans
in Detroit. or E-Troit, whatever, because until they start playing defense,

(37:23):
I don't know if I can call them Detroit. But Mitchell,
this has all the smells of an upset. It just
smells like Detroit is going to go in there and
score 31 points but give up 36. Say it with–

(37:44):
I got carried away. Oh, shit. There it is.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
I was going to tell you to say it with
your chest, but you just said it. Caroline, you're not wrong, Richard,
in your breakdown, because this is something, this game could
be in the 40s. This game could be a 42
to 41 thriller. But oftentimes when we think games are
going to be like that, they go the total opposite. Detroit,

(38:08):
in breaking down their gameplay against the Jets, Dan Campbell
was super impressed with his defense, which I don't quite
understand why i mean they gave up 16 fourth quarter
points to the jets when they were up 16 points
and allowed the jets to get back into that game
and make it a lot closer than it needed to
be uh detroit's got a lot to prove in this

(38:28):
game at carolina like you mentioned got a high flying
offense i got a bunch of offensive weapons we'll see
the health of jaylen coker he's a good young wide
receiver for them they've obviously obviously got ted arolic mcmillan
um You know, that being said, I like the Detroit Lions.
I think this is a prove-it game for the Lions.
They've held close with their opponents that they've played throughout

(38:49):
the first three games. This is the first one I
think the Lions win in controlling fashion. Give me the
Lions to win by 10 points. I expect Aiden Hutchinson
to get after the quarterback. DJ Wonham got two sacks
last game. Aleem McNeil's proven that he's healthy again. Watch
out for the bowling ball in the middle, Richard. Skyler
Gil Howard, the rookie out of Texas Tech. But that

(39:12):
back end, man, that secondary, that's where they got a
lot to prove. We cannot just cross our fingers and
pray for Kirby Joseph to return and pray for Brian
Branch to return and pray for Joey Porter to be
traded for. These guys in the room have got to
step up and the Detroit Lions have got to show
that they can do it. are a contender in this
NFC because right now that offense have shown it, but

(39:34):
that defense, oh boy, the Detroit Lions, as you called them,
can we put the D back in Detroit, please, for
the love of God, Richard?

Speaker 1 (39:44):
We're going to see. We're going to see. And we're
going to see, because Tedderon McMillan, Crocker, Xavier Leggett, Chubba Hubbard,
those are names you're going to be familiarizing yourself with
this weekend. And I hope, I pray, that the Detroit
Lions play some defense this week. I know that Dan

(40:06):
Campbell spoke life into them, as he should. Good kid, coach,
guy who wants his defense to show up in a
big way. If they don't, conversation.

Speaker 2 (40:20):
Richard you want a dc job in detroit i'm not
i got a spare bedroom you can just lay your
feet up on man you can chill out here for
a couple weeks until you find a place around here
it'll be great it'll be great.

Speaker 1 (40:34):
I appreciate that i appreciate that well we would have
a lot of changes in the back end and we
would have some conversations and we need a whole training
camp off season maybe another off season And I'd need
some other coaches to– but that's, you know, we're not
going to go down that– we're not going down that path, Mitchell.
They're going to keep Kelvin Shepard and good luck.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
Well, Richard's calling for an upset Carolina Panthers, victorious against
the Lions per Richard Sherman. Let's talk about the number
one team on my power ranks. This is the Buffalo Bills.
They take on the New England Patriots at home. The
Buffalo Bills' opportunity to start the season 4-0, Coming into this,

(41:13):
when you're looking at the schedule, coming into week four,
you thought this was going to be the matchup of
the week. The New England Patriots have truly laid an
egg the last couple weeks. Drake May looks like a
rookie all over again. He's really struggled turning the ball over.
What do you expect to see in this matchup of
division rivals.

Speaker 1 (41:31):
Here, Richard?

Speaker 2 (41:31):
Can Drake May right this ship and lead the Patriots
to victory on the road? Or does Buffalo keep this
train rolling and roll out to a 4-0 start?

Speaker 1 (41:43):
It's a division game. So I got to give him
a puncher's chance, but it just looks like Drake may
has lost his mojo. And that's the most sad part
about this. Um, it's hard for them to open up
the run game for, for Trey, Trey, beyond Hendricks, Henderson, and, uh,
remind Dre Stevenson because Drake may can't push the ball
down the field. Obviously they're without their guy who they

(42:03):
brought in this off season, who they were really excited about.
AJ Brown. Um, and just haven't really found anybody else
to fill the void. Matt Collins is a guy who
just keeps finding a way, no matter where he is,
to be productive and to get targets. You would think
that Romeo Dobbs would have been the guy, or Demario

(42:25):
Douglas would be the guy to step up when A.J. Brown,
but of course it's Matt Collins. But they're not scoring
the football, and not that Buffalo has the best defense
in the world, but Again, he just looks like he
has no confidence. And when you don't have confidence in
this league, you don't have anything. And they asked Vrabel

(42:48):
what he felt about it. He said his level of
concern was very high. And you can see why. His
quarterback isn't playing well. And you don't really see the
same things that you saw last year. And obviously, everybody's
going to point to the easy schedule last year. They
never played anybody. But this was, you know, they were
in the same division last year. And they beat the
Buffalo Bills. So we aren't going to act like, He

(43:08):
can't play well against the Buffalo Bills, or he never
played well against the Buffalo Bills, but the way Josh
Allen's playing, the way he struggled against the LA Chargers,
I think he comes back with a vengeance. I think
Joe Brady is going to be trying to make a
point to get Josh Allen back on track with everything,
get James Cook back on track. He had a good
game last week. I just don't see a way that

(43:31):
the New England Patriots, playing the way they have the
last few weeks, can win this game. They haven't run
the ball well. They've played solid defense. They're They're sixth
in points allowed. So, you know, we can't put all
the blame on their defense. But if you can't score
the ball in this league, Mitchell, you're going to struggle.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
Give me the Bills as well. They had a rough showing,
turning the ball over five times last weekend. I expect
them to be a lot sharper in this game and
take care of business. I'm rolling with the Bills for
the foreseeable future here, Richard. I can see them making
a run for a while here.

Speaker 1 (44:07):
Support for today's episode comes from Square, the system powering
so many of the places we all use every day.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
Seriously, you can go into a packed sports bar on
game day, grab food, tap your card, and you're out.
When it runs that smoothly, there's a good chance Square
is behind it.

Speaker 1 (44:25):
And that's what's so great about it. Square gives businesses
one connected system to take payments, manage inventory, send invoices,
run payroll, and keep everything organized. Whether it's a local
spot here in Seattle or a business expanding to multiple locations.

Speaker 2 (44:42):
Richard, I've seen it at some of my favorite neighborhood
places here in Detroit. The checkout is fast, receipts are easy,
and even when the line is crazy, everything just feels
more in control.

Speaker 1 (44:53):
No complicated installs, no hidden fees and tools that work
in person, online and on the go.

Speaker 2 (45:00):
So if you're starting a business or already running one
and want better tools, Square can help you sell, manage
and grow without slowing down.

Speaker 1 (45:09):
Right now, get up to $ 200 off. Right now, get
up to $ 200 off Square Hardware. when you sign up
at square.com forward slash go forward slash Sherman. That's S-Q-U-A-R-E.com
forward slash go forward slash Sherman. Run your business smarter
with Square.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
Let's move on to one of the most overhyped teams
in recent memory. Coming into the season, the Los Angeles
Rams were being talked about as a team that was
going to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl and
everyone's Super Bowl favorites. They brought back Aaron Donald. They
traded for Miles Garrett. They brought in the two-headed monster
of Watson and McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs. So

(45:55):
they have addressed a ton of needs, especially defensively, yet
they start the season 1-2. And yes, they are dealing
with injuries. Puka Nakua has been out with an injury. Obviously,
Myles Garrett's on IR. Now they head to the Philadelphia Eagles,
and they take on Philly in Philly, which is not
an easy place to play. Puka Nakua is still questionable.

(46:16):
They're going to be without Myles Garrett. Richard, is it
time to sound the alarm in LA? They could be
potentially out to a 1-3 start here if they don't
pull off a win on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (46:28):
I don't think it's quite time to sound the alarm
just because of how well their offense is playing. They're
the top offense in the National Football League in terms
of yards. They're 428 yards per game, but they're not scoring.
They're not scoring the football. They're not scoring in the
red zone. And so they're getting a lot of yards.
They're getting to the red zone. They're moving it well,
but they can't finish. And that's something that I think
is going to change. I think that's something that when

(46:52):
Pupin Nakua returns, is going to change. Give them another weapon.
Give them another way that they can attack a defense.
So I expect that to change in a big way.
I think on the other side of the coin, the
Philadelphia Eagles looked terrible the other day. I can't say
terrible because they only looked terrible in the second half.
In the first half, they moved the ball well in

(47:16):
the air, on the ground. I thought that I thought
that Saquon Barkley was doing a good job. I thought
their offensive line was giving him room to run. He
had some explosive runs. Jalen Hurts was taking what the
defense gave him. He ended up getting– he didn't get hurt,
but it ended up being a critical play and a

(47:37):
critical hit penalty decision in the game when he was
forced out after a big hit and put into the
tent for a concussion check. They were in the red zone.
they got all the way to the one-yard line, a
position that I think, and if Jalen Hurts was in,
they would have push-pushed their way in and likely scored. Instead,

(48:00):
they get a false start penalty, back it up, allow
the Red Rocket to throw a pass, an option route
in the back of the end zone. He throws it
to the other team. It ends up not working out.
And then they really don't get very much going outside
of of a tush push late in the second half, right.

(48:22):
As time expired because they, they didn't have time to
spike it. You know, they could have, they could have
not scored at all in this game. And if you're
a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and you're watching this
and you watch the Tennessee game and you watch the
commanders game, you gotta be, you gotta be concerned. Um,

(48:42):
I think they're amongst the league leaders in three and outs. Um,
And I'm not going to sit here and say, oh, man,
it's because you lost A.J. Brown. Like, if A.J. Brown
was here, this offense would be through the roof. No,
because it wasn't that great last year with A.J. Brown.
Something's broken in this offense. And, again, over the middle

(49:07):
of the field. Mitchell, it's an area over the middle
of the field that they have to attack more. And
it looks like Sean Mannion's. Drawing plays up for for
Jalen Hurts to attack the middle of the field and
he's not necessarily finding them consistently enough and that's obviously
not the only issue in this offense but that's an
issue I see popping up consistently and they got to

(49:30):
get it fixed if they can't get explosive on offense
and then on defense. They're not, you got to give
the Bears a ton of credit. The Bears offensive line
is the best in football. They were moving this Philadelphia
defensive line in a way that not many people move them, period,
point blank, in the National Football League. Menungai and DeAndre

(49:50):
Swift were finding gaping holes. They were protecting Case Keenum,
but even when Case Keenum was getting pressured or getting hit,
he was still delivering passes on the money. And I
know Vic Fangio is very frustrated because they went into
this offseason. They got two all pros back there. They
got Tariq Woolen, who got a couple penalties, ticky-tack penalties

(50:13):
in this game. But they've been very excited about what
he brings to the secondary. But then you look up
and you get beat 27-7 against the Bears team without
Caleb Williams. It takes you back to the drawing board.
And things don't get any easier when you're going to
face Devontae Adams, who, despite being older in age, is
having one of the best seasons of his life and

(50:33):
one of the best starts to a season in his career.
And Matthew Stafford, he and Matthew Stafford have a better
chemistry and rapport than they have had since he's been
in L.A. So, again, this is a dangerous team to
run into. The Philadelphia Eagles are not expected to win
this game. I don't expect them to win this game,
and Polly Market doesn't expect them to win this game.

(50:54):
And unless this Philadelphia defense steps up in a big way,
I can't see a way they pull off a win.

Speaker 2 (51:00):
If Puka Nakua plays, give me the Rams. If he doesn't,
give me the Eagles. Like you said, there's an identity
crisis going on in Philly. That offense looks broken. Jalen
Hurts needs to utilize his legs more on the ground.
That's my two cents. They do not have the playmakers
they once had. Dallas Goddard is hurt. A lot of

(51:20):
question marks in Philly, and there should be after that
Monday night performance. Let's move on to a team that
disappointed both of us last week. We had them both
in our power ranks. At number five, the Cincinnati Bengals
are hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars. And a little bit surprising here,
Polymarket gives Cincinnati a 57% chance to win this game.

(51:42):
So they like Cincinnati, especially at home. But yet we
saw Jacksonville take it to New England last week and
look like a team that was just getting started. They've
got a number of offensive playmakers. wide receiver room that
is absolutely loaded in Parker, Washington, Brian Thomas, uh, junior, uh,
Jacoby Myers, et cetera, et cetera. Do you think Cincinnati

(52:05):
can bounce back here after a disappointing loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers last week and take care of the Jacksonville
Jaguars at home?

Speaker 3 (52:15):
Hmm.

Speaker 1 (52:19):
I don't know. I don't know. I want it. This is,
This is one of those games that could obviously go
either way. Both teams have played really good football at times,
and both teams have struggled in games that you expect
them to win. And the Cincinnati Bengals defense, as soon
as we gave them credit and said, hey, they did

(52:41):
a great job stopping the run the week before. We
were giving Dexter Lawrence his credit, Jonathan Allen his. You know,
those guys up front, all the additions they made in
the offseason, like, wow, Cincinnati Bengals finally putting it on.
And then Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Warren just up and
down the field. Darnell Washington up the sideline. They scored
30 points on them. So the Jacksonville Jaguars coming off

(53:05):
a game where they scored 35 points. They only gave
up six. They got one of the best receiving cores
in the National Football League. But on the opposite side,
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals receiving cores. Nothing to...
Nothing to snuff at, Mitchell, at all. You got Jamar Chase.
You got T. Higgins. Both of them had fantastic games
last week. I feel like this Jacksonville defense is the

(53:28):
difference in this game. They're number one in the league
in scoring defense at 12 points a game. They're opportunistic.
They can get after the passer with Jonathan Hines-Allen, with
Javon Walker, our guy Alua Khan. Travis Hunter got a
pick last week. He's starting to play more and be

(53:52):
a little bit more consistent. I hope they will just
leave him on the field and let him consistently get
rep after rep. The only way you can get better
in the National Football League is playing. Let him stay
out there. I know Pauly Market has the Bengals winning
this game, but I got Jacksonville. I got Jacksonville. Come on, Duvall.
Don't let me down this time.

Speaker 2 (54:11):
I'm not even going to debate you on that. I
think the Jags are the hotter team right now. Cincy
disappointed last weekend. Give me the Jags to roll in Cincy.
Some big news out of New York. The Giants trading
for J.J.

Speaker 1 (54:22):
McCarthy.

Speaker 2 (54:23):
We talked about it on Sunday night. We said, are
they in a position where they need to make a
move at quarterback? We threw out names like Jimmy G
and Mack Jones. Here it is, J.J.

Speaker 1 (54:34):
McCarthy.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
They take a swing at a bust in Minnesota. Kudo
to the Vikings for Moving on from JJ, obviously they
just saw what they saw and they tried everything they
could and realized, hey, we're not going to sit here
and try any harder because we need to move on
from this mistake on our end. It's time for JJ
to enter a place of new scenery. He's obviously got

(54:57):
an opportunity here if Jameis Winston falters. What do you
think about this move and this change of scenery for
JJ McCarthy?

Speaker 1 (55:08):
Uh, Good for J.J. McCarthy. You know, new scenery sometimes
helps guys. He's with a hardball again. He played for
Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. I'm sure they had many conversations
about him. He got to watch him live, and I'm
sure Jim has a ton of confidence in him, and
he expressed that to John. I just don't know if

(55:32):
it makes a difference. This Giants team has been pretty
solid defensively. I think they're ninth in scoring. Javon Holland
is a guy that I have a lot of respect for.
I think he's playing at a high level for this defense.
Abdul Carter has at times been disruptive, but there's questions
about his motor just consistently. They lost Brian Burns, obviously.

(55:54):
I just don't know. Arizona gave the 49ers the game.
They scored 30 points against that defense. I think the
Arizona Cardinals are a better equipped team. Jacoby Brissett is
playing better. Trey McBride is one of the best tight
ends in the league. Michael Wilson. Does Marvin Harrison Jr.

(56:18):
start to come on? Yeah, I think Arizona wins this.

Speaker 2 (56:23):
I agree with you. The New York Giants, they need
to step up. I know they got the ninth best
scoring defense in the league, but they only have one
sack on the season. They've got a lot of big names.
They invested a lot in the trenches, specifically on the
defensive line. Arvel Reese, Abdul Carter. Like you said, Brian Burns,
unfortunately injured. Kayvon Thibodeau. The list goes on. That's a
lot of top 10 picks on that D-line. We got

(56:44):
to see more from this Giants pass rush game. Give
me the Arizona Cardinals as well to win this one
on the road. And then we talked a lot about
it on Sunday, the Brian Flores revenge game. Minnesota hosts
the Miami Dolphins here. How ugly is this going to
get for the Miami Dolphins?

Speaker 1 (57:04):
Well, I think Brian Flores is going to empty the
clip on the Miami Dolphins. This is a revenge game
for him. He has a lot of, it seems like,
I can't speak for him, but it seems like there's
some animosity there from the way things went in Miami
and the way He was let go. Obviously, there's some

(57:24):
legal ramifications to that, but I think he's going to
have his guys dialed in and really attacking. I got
the Minnesota Vikings in this one a lot to a little.

Speaker 2 (57:35):
I agree. And Dallas, they go to Houston, an 0-3
Houston Texans team. Again, looking at the season early on,
this will be one of the better, bigger games of
the week, yet both of these teams have losing records.
Dallas put up a fight last week against the Baltimore
Ravens down in Brazil. And now they head to Houston.

(57:57):
A team, another team, absolutely desperate for a win. Polly
Market gives Houston the edge of 56% likelihood to win
this game. Does Houston get their first win of the
season this weekend, Richard?

Speaker 1 (58:13):
I hope so. They got a defensive player of the
year candidate in Will Anderson. And they got Daniil Hunter
opposite of him. Aziz Alshair in the middle, one of
the best corners in the league, and Derek Stingley on
one side. They got a great secondary, Kamari Lassiter on
the other side of Derek Stingley, Kalen Bullock in the secondary.

(58:34):
They should. They should. They should be better than what
they are. I think they're 19th in defense. Last year,
they were a top five defense, so I think they'll
get back to form, put a lot of pressure on
Dak Prescott, a very explosive offense with C.D. Lamb and
George Pickens and Javante Williams. Dak Prescott has been going.
I think they're seventh in scoring. But Dallas hasn't been

(58:56):
able to stop anybody. And I think this is a
great game for C.J. Stroud to find his rhythm, to
find it, get it going, and finally get a win
for this team.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
CJ Stroud needs Nico Collins back. He needs Tank Dell back.
This team has not looked the same since Tank Dell
went out two years ago. This offense has lost their
mojo completely. That being said, if Nico Collins plays, I
think Houston wins. If he doesn't, Dallas with ease. Let's
move on to this next game here. The Chicago Bears, Richard.

(59:28):
I think they shocked everyone that watched that game on
Monday night. They dismantled the Philadelphia Eagles as we already
broke down. But with your third stringer, Case Keenum, taking
the ball under center for the Chicago Bears, a lot
of folks thought it would be a slow, grinded-out kind
of game. That did not happen at all. Case Keenum
threw for over 240 yards, was hitting Luther Burden all

(59:49):
over the field, and Chicago rolled. They host the New
York Jets, who gave the Detroit Lions a fight. This
New York Jet team looks different than the last couple
of years. Aaron Glenn has some legitimate weapons offensively, and
that defense is formidable. Do you think the Jets have
what it takes to upset the Bears this weekend?

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
Well, you know, Geno Smith threw for 320, so 321
yards last week, three touchdowns, had a really high QBR.
you know, he's spreading the ball around. He's been relatively
efficient with it and really accurate. But if Chicago plays
the way they did against the Philadelphia Eagles on both
sides of the football, they're going to be a very

(01:00:32):
tough team to beat. It seems like Case Keenum is
a coach on the field and with Tyson Bajent taking
a little longer to return from his concussion, I expect
him to, even though Tyson Bajent was available last week,
I expect him to go with Case Keenum again. He's
the hot hand and I expect Ben Johnson to ride
with the hot hand. I got, I got the, Chicago
Bears in this one.

Speaker 2 (01:00:51):
I like Chicago as well. It pains me to say that,
but I'm giving Chicago credit. They're number five in my
power ranks. A Detroiter put in Chicago. I had a
Detroit in the power ranks. It's a sad day for me, Richard,
but I'm going to keep it honest. I'm going to
keep it a buck, as the kids say.

Speaker 1 (01:01:07):
Keep it a buck. No Milwaukee. Richard, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
Next game, the Washington Commanders. Big time upset this past weekend,
but you wouldn't know it based on Polymarket's prediction here.
Polymarket gives the Washington Commanders a 37% chance to win
against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts head into Washington. Indy
got their first win in America with Sauce Gardner. I

(01:01:33):
guess Sauce Gardner's first win in America in 600 some days,
which is a wild statistic. Do they keep this win
streak going? Can they make it two? At the Commanders.

Speaker 1 (01:01:47):
Well, I don't know. If the Commanders play like they
did against the Seattle Seahawks, Marcus Mariota shredded that defense
and had his way, made a ton of plays with
his arm and his legs. They're going to be a
tough team to beat. Defensively, they stopped the run. If
they're able to stop Jonathan Taylor the way that they
were able to stop Seattle's run game, they could be

(01:02:11):
a really formidable team. Maybe that was a one-off. You know,
they just got up to play the reigning Super Bowl champs,
and maybe this is going to be a letdown game
for them. But, you know, those kind of games give
a team confidence that they can go out there and
beat anybody. Obviously, they're still 31st in defense, but I
don't know. Dan Quinn can motivate some guys. But Indiana

(01:02:34):
Jones and Jonathan Taylor, they're not playing great defense either.
I just feel like if I go with the commanders,
they're going to, They're going to go back to the
old commanders, not the commanders that played the Seahawks. They're
going to just go back to their old ways, and
I'm going to look silly. Heaven, I got to go

(01:02:58):
with the commanders. They made me a believer. They beat
the Seahawks and scored 33 points on them, and that's
one of the best defenses in the league over the
last two years. Well-coached team, you know. Again, that's the
unpredictability of the National Football League.

Speaker 2 (01:03:15):
I'm not even going to debate you on that. This
game could go either way. I like the Indianapolis Colts,
but I totally get why you like the Commanders here.
Let's talk about the Baltimore Ravens. They host the Tennessee
Titans here. Tennessee is ice cold. They have been for
years now. Cam Ward under center really hasn't shown a
whole lot of pop here with this team offensively. Is

(01:03:37):
it too early to really sit back and question whether
cam ward is the right guy in tennessee.

Speaker 1 (01:03:48):
No it's not too early um i think you got
to start questioning that and you got to start uh
finding answers and and obviously you got to keep putting
him out there and keep giving him opportunities but you
know some of the plays out there i mean i
know it's just the style it's the same way he
was in college when he stops his feet and he backpedals,
and he's just reading the field, and guys are just

(01:04:09):
blocking their butt off, and then he just nonchalantly flings
the ball. It was effective in college. It just doesn't
look right in the National Football League for some reason.
I don't know if it looked right in college. But
they're not winning games, and when you're not winning, people
are critical of everything, and people are going to start
to criticize that. And if he can't start to string
together some wins and string together some consistent performances– it

(01:04:31):
may be time to look at other options, especially if
they're going to be picking high in the draft again
this year. I got Baltimore winning this game. Baltimore played
really well out there in Brazil when they needed to
have it. Got a big play late in the game
to get themselves in field goal range, a long field goal,
walk-off field goal in that game. Again, Lamar is Lamar.

(01:04:52):
Derrick Henry, King Henry is King Henry. They're great on offense.
They're still only 21st on defense, and I'm sure Jesse
Minter wants to change that. I'm not sure how that's
going to change, but playing the Tennessee Titans and what
they've done offensively should help.

Speaker 2 (01:05:06):
I know the Kansas City Chiefs were my no-doubt-about-it lock
of the week, but this is my absolute guarantee lock
of the week. Give me the Baltimore Ravens as well.
The Green Bay Packers, fresh off a demoralizing, deflating loss
against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, a game
that you witnessed firsthand. head to Tampa Bay, a team

(01:05:27):
that's 0-1-3, without their starting quarterback in Baker Mayfield. They
turn to Jalen Daniels, an undrafted free agent. Richard, Todd
Bowles has gotten a lot of pressure on him, I
would have to believe. He's lost his top coordinators over
the last few years. Dave Canales, Liam Cohen, both going

(01:05:51):
on and showing that they are having success at their
new That being said, Todd Bowles has kind of been
a letdown of recent. His defense has always been decent,
but this year it's struggling. Richard, what gives with Tampa Bay?
Do you have any hope that they can pull this
game out without Baker Mayfield?

Speaker 1 (01:06:12):
Well, I think one thing you're missing is Mike Evans,
the loss of Mike Evans. A guy who was a
walking 1,000-yard season for the past, what, 11, 12 seasons
in Tampa Bay, and you lose that guy. You lose
Devontae David, who's been a stalwart in Tampa Bay for
his entire career. Vitavia is trying to work his way out,

(01:06:36):
obviously playing hard and doing what he needs to do,
but a guy who wants to be paid or he
wants to play somewhere else. And I think the combination
of those things makes it tough on a team. But
With all that said, Green Bay really put a bad
taste in my mouth last week. We had them winning
that game in an abysmal performance by Jordan Love. Their

(01:07:00):
offensive line has been really, really, really... I mean, they've
been beat up with injuries. They got a guard playing center.
They got two centers playing guard. They got guards playing tackle.
Everybody's out of position right now, and it's hard to
play that way. And hopefully, you know, obviously as a team,

(01:07:23):
as an offensive line plays more games and more reps together,
they get better, but I expect Todd Bowles to put
pressure on them and, and, and try that integrity and
see how, how much better they are this week and
how much better they can pick it up. Obviously Christian
Watson and Golden can get open, get down the field.
Both speedsters can, can make explosive plays, but, I just

(01:07:47):
don't know. This is not a great game to call.
Can Tampa Bay do enough offensively to win this game?
I think so. We'll see. Obviously, they feel good about
Jalen Daniels, or they would have picked somebody else up.
Bowles still thinks they can win this division, and he's right.
This division always just comes down to the last few

(01:08:09):
weeks and who wants to get over. 500. They're only
one back in this division. I would love to pick
Green Bay. It's going to be hot in Tampa. Green
Bay just hasn't played good enough for me to pick them.
And Matt LaFleur, I know we want to say, is
Matt LaFleur going to be on the hot seat if
they go 1-3? He's not. They just signed him to

(01:08:30):
an extension in January. Give me Tampa Bay. Give me
the old Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mitchell, in this one. I
know Polly Market only gives them a 36% chance to
win this game, but it just feels like They're right
that this is the time. Obviously, Baker has struggled this season,

(01:08:51):
and I'm not sure what that's all about. But these
backup quarterbacks have been leading upsets the last few weeks.
I think that trend continues. continues.

Speaker 2 (01:09:01):
The other thing with Green Bay, Richard, they lost Ontavian Wicks,
they lost Romeo Dobbs. Those were some unsung heroes for them.
We always joked about it last year, but they seemingly
had five number two wide receivers, and now they only
have two number two wide receivers, because Christian Watson and
Matthew Goldner are there, and then Jaden Reed suffers the injury,
so There's a lot of questions in that wide receiving room.

Speaker 1 (01:09:22):
And Josh Jacobs. You're missing Josh Jacobs.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
And Josh Jacobs. But what was once an embarrassment of
riches for Green Bay has now become a major question
mark for their team. Let's talk about the team that
absolutely blew the doors off of Green Bay last week,
and that's the Atlanta Falcons. They traveled to the Saints.
Both teams won in two. We called for it last podcast.
The NFC North. Will one team please step up? Fortunately,

(01:09:47):
I guess personally, More than likely, one of these teams
is going to win this game this Monday night. Who
do you think has got the upper hand at the
end of the Monday night, the Saints or the Falcons?

Speaker 1 (01:09:59):
Well, the Atlanta Falcons benefited from a boost from Michael Penix. Obviously,
you're not expecting Drake London to have 194 receiving yards
every week. You're not expecting B. John Robinson to have
194 yards on the ground every week. Their defense was
very impressive. They were aggressive. I really like Xavier Watts. C.J.
Henderson played a fantastic game in replacement of A.J. Terrell.

(01:10:28):
Mike Hughes was solid. He gave up some plays, but
that's the life of playing corner. I really like Xavier Watts.
On the other side, Tyler Shuck has been really good
this season. I want to say he might be still
leading the league in passing yards. Uh, he's been, he's
been playing well. They've been putting up points. Uh, he's
had them in every game, but again, this is an

(01:10:50):
NFC South matchup. Uh, Jeff old brick is a, is
a guy that I want to do well. Um, but
Tyler Shuck has been feeding Chris Olave, uh, The feet. Mitchell.

(01:11:27):
Give me. New Orleans has been great offensively, not the
greatest defense. Atlanta, if they play like they did against
Green Bay, but Green Bay hasn't played well. Oh. Give

(01:11:49):
me Atlanta on the road. Oh, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:11:53):
Give me the Saints. I like Tyler Schuch. I think
we're going to see a vintage Saints offense this week.
Travis Etienne, or Etienne as he's being called now, I guess, correctly.
Alvin Kamara is going to be the starting running back
for the New Orleans Saints, more than likely heading into
Monday night. I think we might see some vintage Alvin Kamara.

(01:12:14):
Chris Olave was active. I mean, second in the receiving
behind JSN. I like the Saints. So you and I differ,
my friend. Before we wrap things up, I got one
burning question I got to ask you. Tyreek Hill went
down with a nasty injury last year. He's working back
from that injury. You know, assuming he's on pace, middle

(01:12:35):
of the season to come back and be healthy. Who
do you think would be the best team to pick
him up? What do you think the best fit is
for Tyreek Hill?

Speaker 1 (01:12:45):
Well, a lot of that depends on Tyreek Hill's price.
If he's asking for $ 20 million a year or $ 10
million with a ton of incentives, I think that puts
out a lot of the top contenders. I think a
team like the Houston Texans have to obviously do their
research into that. The San Francisco 49ers don't have the

(01:13:07):
money to pay him anything, but if he's trying to
take a high– low-risk, high-reward type of deal and go
out there and prove himself, then I think they'd take
a shot at him. It could be any team. There's
a ton of teams that need receiver help and can
use an explosive receiver like Tyreek Hill, depending on where

(01:13:29):
he actually is in his rehab process, what he looks like,
can he come back and be the same player that
he was. Shoot, the L.A. Chargers. I mean, can he
have a reunion with Mike McDaniels? Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. I
think that would make sense for both parties. But we'll see.
We'll see. I think any team can use a player

(01:13:51):
like Tyreek at this point.

Speaker 2 (01:13:52):
Give me the Las Vegas Raiders. You heard it here first.
Mitch Eisenstein on the Richard Sherman podcast. I like Tyreek
Hill to the Raiders. Stick it to the Chiefs. Stay
in the division. Help out Kirk Cousins. That's what I like, Richard.
It's always a pleasure sitting with you midweek here, calling
these predictions. You got to get better with your calls.
I got to get better with my calls too, man.

(01:14:13):
But week after week, we got a chance to go 17-0, 16-0.
One of these weeks, we will do it. Richard, always
a great time sitting down with you. I will let
you sign us off, my friend.

Speaker 1 (01:14:24):
Thank you guys for continuing to join us. Whether you
joined us for a minute, an hour, or watched the
entire episode, we surely do appreciate your support. Hit that
like and sub button, please. so we can keep giving
you great content. As always, we will see you next time.