NFL Cover Zero: Injuries Mounting and NFL Week 5 coming!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is
a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome into a new episode of NFL Cover Zero, the
NFL podcast featuring Matt Jones and Drew Franklin. You're used
to hearing Matt Jones right now, but I am Drew
filling in in the host seat today. Matt is finally
on his way home from South Africa. Our longtime listeners
know that he spent the last few weeks over there

(00:40):
on a safari and hanging out with people in his
fellowship group that travels the world a couple times a year.
We did a good job checking in with Matt from
I think he was in a hut last week. We've
talked to him in Cape cod when he's been putting
his life on the line to out and get yogurt.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
But today he.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Is actually on a fight on his way home in
all day travel days, So I am taking over the
reins of this midweek edition for Week five of the
NFL season. I'm gonna preview the Week five games, talk
a little bit about the biggest.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
News of the week.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
But I won't be alone because Billy Rutlich who usually
here on this podcast in the third chair. He produces
the show but occasionally pops in with stats. He's just
sliding on over to chair two and Billy, it's good
to have you here as a co host. As we
get by with one episode without Matt before we return
to our regular routine when he gets back.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, I'm honored. Who needs a guest, Drew, just bring
your producer in to fill in the second host chair.
Wishing Matt a safe travels as he come back from
South Africa. I'm hoping he has a bottle of wine
for me and a Tate ratlitch Jersey. But you know what,
beggars can't be choosers, Drew, So just hoping he can
make it back safe and sound.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
And then Hyena he's been carrying around in his luggage.
We know that he won't have a phone. He's still
been without that his entire trip. He told that story
on the show a couple of weeks ago, how he
lost it on a ferry going across it some cape
down there in South Africa on his way to see
where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned at Robin Island. He's made
it without a phone so far, down there. But Billy,

(02:12):
now he has the travel day without the phone, and
this is a whole other animal. This is a different
beast because I'm playing in my head a typical travel
day for me, just domestic United States, you know, direct flights,
and I mean I need my phone, just I keep
my boarding pass. You know, I'm uber into the airport,
scrolling at the airport bar, checking Twitter. Matt is having

(02:35):
to do an international all day travel no phone. Can
you even imagine?

Speaker 3 (02:40):
I can't. I mean, I can't imagine being in a
foreign country without a phone, let alone an airport one
of the most boring places of all time if you're
not having an airport beer. He's a guy that'll read
a magazine at a Reds game, So I'm sure he'll
be fined for the most part. But if you're like me, Drew,
I put the boarding pass on there. I do everything
on the phone, So it might be a little difficult
to get around, But if anybody's gonna do it, it's

(03:02):
gonna be Matt. But how great was him whispering in
the tent, trying to wake people up in the bush
in South Africa, trying to do an NFL show that
was great last week I've been on I call it
glamping trip where we say tint, but it's a nice tint.
Mine wasn't South Africa, but it was out in the wild,
miles and miles and miles from civilization, and that is

(03:23):
just a level of quiet that we don't experience in
our everyday life. And I'm sure that all the people
around him were expecting that as they put their head
to their pillows that night out there in the middle
of Kruger National Park. And then right and around midnight,
they probably heard welcome in NFL cover zero and Matt
doing that show. So we were able to get it done.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
I'm surprised we got connected and put an episode out,
but I know the people around him heard every word
that he was saying, well, half of our conversation, but
his side of the whole podcast.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Right, you might expect to hear some hyenas in the background,
maybe some exotic birds chirping, but him talking about Jackson
Dark and the New York Giants is probably not what
they expected. The nine other women that are with him
on his fellowships so and.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Didn't his Reds make the playoffs in the that too,
so he probably screamed that a little bit out there.

Speaker 3 (04:08):
And could be out of the playoffs before he even
gets back. So a typical Reds fandom thing. But yeah,
they did make the playoffs and haven't had too much
success yet.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Back to the traveling without a phone thing. It's just
now hitting me. I forgot how long his flight is,
but it's ours time's hours time hours. It's just an
unfathomable amount of time. Yeah, he said he's blurgs for
first class. So hopefully they have a screen set up
where he can watch all his favorite movies. But if not,
I'm just thinking about that. Has If it were me,

(04:39):
I would have podcasts. I would have downloaded maybe some
Netflix onto my phone. I have books on my phone
games if he doesn't have like movies. But does he
just stare at the back of the seat for fourteen
hours whatever it is.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
That has to the flight path where you can see
the airplane go over the water, and oh, you can
only watch that for so long. He's gotta be raw
dog in that for at least fourteen to fifteen hours.
Do you talk to the people around you, Drew, or
is that like you're at the gym you don't want
to talk to anybody you're locked in. No, Matt hates flying.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
He usually has noise canceling headphones on and he's got
something going on.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
I'm sure that's out. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
I guess you could read the pamphlet that teaches you
how to get your mask down and the flotation device.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
You could read that over and over. There's usually a menu.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
You can probably memorize the nutrition facts on, like the
ginger ale and the free coffee.

Speaker 3 (05:27):
But other than that, that sounds like the worst day ever. Yeah,
there's a lot of responsibility. If you're on the emergency exit,
make sure you have a flotation device as well. He's
going to be going through all those checks if you
don't have a phone. So he's just taking it back
to a simpler time, Drew. Maybe he'll connect with the
people around him and look out the window for fourteen hours. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Well, he'll be back on Sunday to recap all of
the games. He'll be back stateside here here within the
next twenty four hours. I guess for our KSR listeners,
he's back on Friday's show this week to the regular routine,
and then he'll be back, as I said, for our
week five Sunday Night recap.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
But today I guess it's just me and you, Billy.
We'll go through the normal ground. It's we know ball,
you know ball.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Even though you don't talk as much as Matt and
I do on this, I mean we hear you chime in.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
You know what's going on. Let's see this thing, man. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Because of match travels, as you mentioned, we had the
Hut Show last week, we had to do a little
earlier so you could get out of there, and we
didn't even get to the two primetime Week four games.
Usually we wouldn't look backwards on this episode, but we
got to talk about the Dallas Cowboys and the Packers
in the Micah reunion. I know it's a little old news,

(06:34):
but the fact that it ended in a forty forty tie,
a Sunday night primetime game, high scoring game that ends
in a tie, which you think, Billy, and are you
one of these people that, like you hate soccer and
it's just completely unacceptable to have a tie.

Speaker 3 (06:48):
They should just play it out until their legs fall off.
I'm not somebody that hates soccer, but it does feel
Unamerican to end a game and a tie. You know,
these overtime rule changes where each team gets a possession,
you know, makes it a little bit more fair for
each team until you get to the playoffs. And unfortunately
this just ended in a forty forty tie. I feel
like everybody was watching this game all because of Micah Parsons,

(07:10):
who didn't do squat until the overtime period, so that
actually worked out for him. But how about Jordan Love
just lase fair, not caring, throwing that ball in the
ends of one second left. Luckily they are able to
kick a field goal and tie it. But I'm ready
to banish ties. What about you, Drew?

Speaker 2 (07:27):
It's not fun ending in a tie. But you might
notice today, Billy. You know, every day I'll wear Titans
gear because I'm a Titans normally always wear my Titans gear.
You know, this year we asked now, and we asked.
T shirt hasn't gotten here yet, so I'm wearing Cowboys
gear today, my second favorite team, because I can't support
a loser anymore. I need a team that can at

(07:49):
least tie. None of my teams can win. I haven't
found a winner yet. You know, Ryder Cup didn't win,
Kentucky Football can't win. Titans can't win, so I'm head
to toe my favorite team that can at least tie.
I will say though, one of the players on this
team that tied, Pickens, George Pickens, had a great game.
He's a big reason they won two touchdowns, eight catches,

(08:09):
phenomenal filling in without ceedee Lamb. He is a pro athlete.
And after the game he admitted he did not know
you could tie.

Speaker 3 (08:16):
In an NFL game. George, Come on, George, even if
that happens, you can't admit that to the media afterwards,
you just shut up and you don't say anything about it.
Say that was a good game. But he didn't know
the rule, didn't know the rule.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
He was maybe an MVP in the MVP conversation of
the entire game kept the Cowboys in it. As you said,
Love and Dak, they were back and forth. I think
a lot of that says about their defenses. Our boy
Carrington Valentine from Kentucky got Torchy's on a play. But
it was an entertaining game that ends in a tie,
and a star player there didn't even know the rules before.
We keep going with some news and things people have

(08:51):
asked because I don't believe in people that like two teams.
You don't like two teams, that's unaccepted.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, you gotta like one.

Speaker 2 (08:57):
But there are circumstances, and as I am rocking my
Cowboys gear right now, but I still love the Tennessee Titans,
I would like to explain and quickly circumstanced that I
think is acceptable that I have lived out. I grew
up a Cowboys fan. Got it from my father, my aunt.
The whole family liked the Cowboys. If you want to

(09:18):
talk about picking a front runner, talk to them. It
was handed down to me. We all have grown up
in families where you like the teams that are people
before you like. Yeah, Cowboys fan. Growing up, my whole
room was decked out in Cowboys gear. I had like
this this picture that says welcome to Texas Stadium Drew Franklin,
where it's like photoshopped on the on the scoreboard.

Speaker 3 (09:36):
It looks like they really did it.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
The Cowboys, the metal trash can recliner, all Cowboys, Fred
bens you.

Speaker 3 (09:42):
If I could come hit that star on it, I
had it.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
I had an eight by ten signed by Emmett and
eight by ten signed by Michael Irvin and won by
Troy Aikman all in a row above my bed. Couldn't
have been a bigger Cowboys fan. But I live an
hour from Nashville a little bit more, and out of
the blue they say, hey, we're getting an NFL team.
At that point, I'm still, you know, thirteen years old,

(10:07):
maybe even a little younger. Cowboys they're starting to get
in a little bit of trouble off the field, and
that's a little kid. I'm like, they're doing what that? No,
we can't do that. And then literally the Titans pop
up in my backyard. So that is how I'm a
die hard Titans fan. I adopted them the moment they
weren't even the Titans yet, didn't even have a stadium.
They're practicing at Vanderbilt. I said, hey, I got to

(10:27):
like the local team, but I can't undo my childhood,
so Billy, that is why, at least in the NFL,
I'm a Titans fan but still love the Cowboys, and
you might see me wearing both. Otherwise, you can't just
start picking teams and deciding who you're gonna like. But
that one, I feel like is a little bit understanding.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
Yeah, normally I'm a you need to have one team
and stick with them till the end. But I think
that's acceptable. When they create a team out of thin
air in your living area, you should have every right
to root for that team.

Speaker 2 (10:55):
The local radio, the local CBS broadcast, I could go
to games.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
Now, I'm sure you had a great time that first season. No,
well the first yes, early early that first season was
a lot of fun, right, But do you regret the
decision to go from Cowboys, No Dahard Titans?

Speaker 2 (11:10):
Okay, Cowboys aren't much better. But I had to get
that off my chest because people. No one's accusing me
of being a front runner by wearing Titans and Cowboys.
But you had to explain that because so many people
have asked, how did you become a Bucks fan?

Speaker 3 (11:20):
By the way, while we're on it, Well, everybody's got
their story, right. Some people just that was the only
game on back when there was only three channels. That's
why they liked the Cowboys so much. I grew up
in it. I'm originally from Saint Petersburg, Florida. My dad
had season tickets, so we used to go to the games.
Some of my first memories were going to Bucks games,
specifically in the two thousand and two season when they
won the Super Bowl. I went to two games that year,

(11:43):
both against the Saints and both losses. So they win
the Super Bowl, and I go to all the games
that they lose, but made me a fan for life.
Went through plenty of suffering after that, whether it be
Josh Freeman or Jameis Winston, who I absolutely adore now.
And then Tom Brady came and saved us and won
us a Super Bowl. I moved from Tampa, Florida Saint
Petersburg area to Kentucky Oldham County, Kentucky when I was

(12:05):
a teenager. Talk about a culture shock, but I kept
my fandom because Kentucky obviously doesn't have an NFL team.
So I have hit all the bases, you know, you
go to Cincinnati, you go to Nashvilley, go to Indy
to watch those games. But always been a Bucks fan
and always will be.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Well, we're gonna talk a lot about your Bucks as
we get onto the NFL news here, But there's a
little little intro on how Billy and I got to
like our teams, and then and yeah, how about we
get some news. Start with the big headlines from the week.
I'll tie in the first one. Also looking back to
Monday's prime time games, Bengals Broncos blowout whatever. But in

(12:39):
the Dolphins game, Dolphins get a win. But in one
of the biggest news pieces of the entire week, Tyreek
Hill out for the season. You know, Dolphins didn't have
promising aspirations this season, but Tyreek Hill, your vert vertical threat,
one of the speediest guys in the NFL and one
of their biggest, if not their biggest playmaker, dislocated his
knee and tore multiple ligaments. Gruesome injury on prime time

(13:03):
and that's one of the talks of the league right now,
is him being out.

Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah. I had to take him to the hospital. Just
hope he's okay. Wishing him the best. You know, hate
to see that from a guy that's so explosive. Probably
never returns to the form that we saw him in
Kansas City. But a lot of people made comments on him,
like laughing and clapping as he was getting escorted off
the field. I thought that was a little low brow.
You know, you're you're kind of high at that point, right,
I mean, you don't really know what's going on. Yeah,

(13:30):
So I mean you got to think that guy is
just doing everything he can to keep his motions attack
and get into the locker room. But I did like
Tuus comment on it. I don't know if you saw this.
After the game, the Dolphins won and much needed win
for Miami, and Tua went on to say, all glory
belongs to God for keeping us safe for the most part. Yeah, well,
kept mostly safe except your star player, star player who

(13:52):
is going to absolutely hamper your ability to make the
playoffs this year. You know, I already have a tough
time watching to a play just because of all the
head injuries, but to see Tyreek go down like that
was tough.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
Yeah, And you know he had had some frustrations before
the injury of how things are going there in Miami
and then to lose your season on an ACL like that. Yeah,
there's clips of him grinning, but I doubt he was
thrilled to blow out a knee.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
It's not like he just wanted to stop playing with
the Dolphins. It was so bad people were making that opinion.
I thought that was crazy.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
But also from the same weekend, another star NFL receiver,
Molik Neighbors, torn ACL for the Giants. Another guy was
a little bit of frustrated earlier in the season, but
the Giants made the big QB change.

Speaker 3 (14:32):
Gotta win.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
You'd think, you know, maybe Neighbors get some excitement back
pairing up with Dart. Future looks bright and then his
torn acl just excruciating injury for him. Second year guy
in the Giants, right when they find some swagger, losing
their star playmaker.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
Visibly frustrated with Russell Wilson for the first few weeks,
finally gets Jackson Dart. You know, Billy r Sports is
doing his victory lap for his touchdown early on in
the game, and then it just comes crashing down with
Malak Neighbors. You know, I love everything about the Giants actually,
Scatibo and Dart. You know, it seems like they've got
a young core and the fan base is getting behind them.
But yeah, that was tough. I mean, that is your

(15:09):
superstar and you've got a pretty good defense this year too.
We'll have to wait till next season to see more Neighbors.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
It's kind of eerie, but he's their best receiver since
Odell Beckham. And listen to these comparisons. Yeah, Odell Beckham
and Elik Neighbors both went to l S U true,
both first round picks. Both were playing against the Chargers
when they tore their acl in MetLife on turf.

Speaker 3 (15:33):
I don't like that.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Both were catching a pass from an Ole Miss quarterback.
I know that's getting deep. Yeah, Dart playing the Chargers, Okay,
on the met Live turf first round pick from LSU
and Odell Beckham came out and said like, we got
to get rid of turf, Like this is this is
happening too much, and you know, I don't know if

(15:55):
they'll get rid of turf.

Speaker 3 (15:55):
But here we are.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
We're going over the headlines of the week, and it's
I didn't just decide to talk about injuries. Two of
the stars of the NFL and more that we'll get to,
but these two, especially two huge uh leg injuries early
in the season that are costing those teams.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, that's tough. And while we're talking about turf, the
turf held up in the International game in Dublin, and
I think a lot of eyeballs were on that. But
even like MetLife, these stadiums are going to be a
little different than playing on that natural grass, and so
that's a tough injury for the Giants.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
No, down, we won't sit here and continue to do
the NFL cover zero injury report and just oh, sucks
for this guy. But there are a couple more of
that's huge news because another injury report that we don't
have official news. But Lamar Jackson, oh yeah, you know,
an MVP candidate or he was until one and three start,
but he's dealing with a hamstring. They haven't officially said

(16:43):
anything about their game coming up, but.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
Originally it was two to three weeks.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
Now I saw today in rap report said it's more
week to week. But regardless, looks like there could be
some Lamar Jackson downtime. Another huge name dealing with an
injury right now.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, and before that injury, he really seemed to be
struggling with Kansas City in that matchup last week. So
Derrick Henry gets the fumblesmar Jackson pulls a hamstring. The
Ravens are suddenly one and three, and this is a
team that was supposed to be a Super Bowl favorite
now kind of on the brink here. So do we
know who the backup is? Is it Cooper Cooper Rush? Yeah?
Do we know much about Cooper Rush?

Speaker 2 (17:19):
Well, I'm a Cowboys guy, secondary Cowboys guy. So I
know some Cooper rush. We'll get into what that means
when we break down their game a little later when
we go through the games. But you know, just big
injury report this week. Another this one not an injury,
but a big QB change. That's a headline. We're finally
gonna get Dylan Gabriel in Cleveland, the Browns are switching
from Flacco. Flacco is not hurt. He's just forty years old.

(17:42):
I recently turned forty years old, so I can just
say everything hurts. Flacco is dealing with and everything. If
he's like me, when he walks up steps, he's like,
why is my right knee throbbing? Or maybe randomly your
elbow will just start making a noise and singing. Who knows,
but forty year old Flacco is out. They're turning to
the rookie Gabriel. Brown's with the one and three start Billy.
What do you think about them handing over the keys

(18:03):
to the young rookie.

Speaker 3 (18:04):
Well, I've kind of come to love Joe Flacco, not
only because people say that he's an elite quarterback and
probably not being an elite quarterback even though he won
a Super Bowl, but just the whole thing with his
kids being fans of other teams, like the were the opponents. Yeah,
they wear the opposion jerseys and let Joe know about
it all the time. Like like I think one of
them was a big Saint Brown fan and they played

(18:24):
the lines last week and he's like, oh, yeah, he's
going to score a lot on you. And he's like, okay, thanks,
you're my blood. You're supposed to be supporting me. So
I am a Joe guy. But you know, Dylan was
a surprise in the draft, right. You know, Shadur was
rumored to go to Cleveland very early on. I mean
many thought he'd be a first round pick. He did
eventually go to Cleveland, but the fact that they not

(18:45):
only took him and Dylan Gabriel, you know, it was
there's been a lot of question marks. Now Dylan has
been in a couple of games, He's thrown like three passes,
he's looked okay, But you know it's just it continues
the the Browns musical chairs of quarterbacks and Drew I
want to ask you a question. Do you think that
Joe Flacco's age or the amount of quarterbacks the Browns

(19:05):
of since nineteen ninety nine is greater? Which number is greater?

Speaker 2 (19:09):
Oh, I've seen the famous jersey where they keep adding
the names and it's so long, like it's there's like
duct tape hanging that's not even attached to the jersey anymore. Okay,
So I just said Flacco's forty. I know that for
the same age. I feel like the Browns jersey's got
to be in the forties. Though that thing's been They've
been tracking that thing for twenty five years.

Speaker 3 (19:28):
I'm going over forty. It's close forty one, all right,
at it? Forty one, I'll ring the bell for you. Yeah,
forty one quarterbacks since nineteen ninety nine, and Dylan Gabriel
will be forty one. Can you name them all?

Speaker 2 (19:40):
Just kidding that that would be That would be a true,
very impressive Kentucky's own Tim Couch trend.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
Yeah, Johnny Monzel's in there, so Johnny Monzel.

Speaker 2 (19:48):
Oh, you got Trent Dilfer, Little Ken Dorsey, Brandon Whedon,
Josh McCown, Josh mcyeah, Derek Anderson, how about some Derek Anderson.

Speaker 3 (19:58):
Brandon Weedon.

Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yeah, there's some names do that all day zero reference.
But you know, Brown's making the change they needed needed
to do it. They have a great defense, but averaging
fourteen points a game, they're like one of the worst offenses,
similar to what we were saying about Jackson Dart and
Russell Wilson a week ago. If nothing else, it just
gives you some swag and something to look forward to. Like,
no one is looking at Joe Flacco saying this is

(20:19):
our future, So just go ahead and give it to
the young guy and see as you have.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Yeah, and I'm thinking about Brown Spider and First Lady.
I'm hopefully they're on board with this. I wonder what
they would think about people rooting for two different teams
in the NFL. That's probably blasphemy to the people that
get married in the parking lot of a tailgate. They
would not like my reasoning, but I'm sticking with it. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
The other big news from the week, we have a
Super Bowl halftime performer Taylor Swift. Yet it does not
time Left Billy What that's the betting favorite Taylor Swift?

Speaker 3 (20:49):
It was not her? What do you mean? Roger Goodell
teased it.

Speaker 2 (20:52):
I know, you know Taylor's She's got to keep her
her rights to her stuff. Then you know they had
that whole that's all above my pay grade. But you know,
Taylor's music's untouchable. She's her own super Bowl. But they
have the next best thing. Oh who do they get?
Are you a Bad Bunny fan? Bad Bunny was announced
bad but the halftime show last weekend. I know that's
been out circulated. Not breaking news here on NFL Cover zero,

(21:15):
But one thing we do is break down the news
and Billy.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
Again.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
I'm forty little past myb Bad Bunny era, So tell
me all about Bad Bunny, because if he's the super
Bowl performer, somebody's driving around and just listening to Bad Bunny, I'm.

Speaker 3 (21:30):
Sure it's you. Somebody's going to be entertained by this
Super Bowl halftime show. I don't know if it's going
to be most people in the United States. But this
is an international game. Roger Goodell said that he wants
sixteen international games in a season coming up. You're playing
in Dublin and then in London. If you're the Minnesota Vikings,
you just stayed over there, So I get what they're
trying to do to welcome in a bigger audience. But

(21:50):
you know, he was good and happy. Gilmore two in wrestling.
I think he was like the Royal rumble. Oh he's
the right intro. Well, that's about all I know about
Bad Bunny, and I think most people in this country
is that it probably is about the knowledge that they have.

Speaker 2 (22:04):
Yeah, I know, he's he's a megastar, Grammy nomination, the
thing he's won. A few mentioned the wrestling, he's Saturday
Night Live.

Speaker 3 (22:10):
He does it all. But I've I've just accepted, you know.

Speaker 2 (22:14):
I remember being young and like Nelly came out and
my parents were like, who's Nelly? And I'm like, Mom, Dad,
Country Grammar's the greatest song.

Speaker 3 (22:22):
You know, listen to Yo. You're the young kid and.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
You're trying to teach your parents. I am accepting that.
I am going to need someone at the super Bowl
party to tell me more about that Bunny. I support
him getting a gig. I'm not one of these people
like it needs to be my crowd, But where's my
favorite music? I get it, it's not for me. But
I've finally reached a point where the super Bowl performer
I cannot name a song?

Speaker 3 (22:44):
Is it like the Rider? It is a little said
you're getting old. We all get old, Drew, But remember
the Ryder Cup that can't lay complaining that none of
the players get paid or anything like that. You know
they don't pay for the super Bowl halftime show. You
think Taylor Swift didn't get that. I guess she doesn't
need any money though she and I think she has
all the money. Yeah, she's fine, But I want to
come up.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
I won't be the guy eating Nacho's at halftime saying
getting bad Bunny off my where's you know whatever?

Speaker 3 (23:08):
I like?

Speaker 2 (23:08):
I mean, it's I'm very excited to see it, but
I'm just having to accept that I'm no longer the
demographic for something like the halftime soon.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
No, I'm sure I'll be gyrating at some point, and
you know all our wives and girlfriends will sit down
to watch it too. They'd rather watch that than the
rest of the game. Anyway.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
They caught Latin trap music. I know it's a lot
of it's Spanish speaking. Yeah, get your hips going.

Speaker 3 (23:29):
I can't.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
I can't sing it all. One of the songs I
he's called Mia maybe with Drake, So maybe I know,
ah bad bunny.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
Look at you. You said you're the old guy at
the party. It sounds like you know a bad bunny song.
That's more than the average I think at this party.
Don't put me in the retirement home yet. Kids.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
I'm trying to hang in there and keep up. This
one has just thrown me for a loop.

Speaker 3 (23:48):
But we're talking cameos on cameos, right, Like if the
main performer isn't English speaking, we're gonna get some good guests.
I'm sure.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
Yeah, it'll be fun. We got a long time before
the super Bowl. That's you know, Titans could get hot.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
And Okay, now we're getting into fantasy Lantic.

Speaker 2 (24:03):
Let's let's get into some actual football. That was a
long intro for us. Had fun going over the headlines,
even though a lot of them were were injuries or
did you have any other headlines for I just gloss over.
You know, you bring a lot to the table, That's
what I had. Any other exciting newsbits. You were telling
me something fun about block punts ear there?

Speaker 3 (24:18):
Yes, yes, that's what it was. I was trying to
remember the headline I did want to bring up. You know,
there's been a lot of blocked field goals and block
punts in the NFL this year. I mean, my Buccaneers
have had three straight games where they've gotten a kick
blocked in that regard, and so CBS Sports did an
investigation and asked some current coaches and players about special
teams and what's going on. And I could not believe

(24:40):
the answer to this. Drew, a special teams coach anonymously
said that they don't have enough time in the day
to practice blocking on field goals and punts because all
of their emphasis is on the new kickoff, new kickoff rules. Yeah,
and the primetime game reviously where they didn't hit the
ball inside the CWN. Apparently to the according to these

(25:01):
special teams coordinators, they are practicing so much on the
kickoff that there's not enough time I'm in the day
to practice scoring plays or punts. Drew, do you can
you believe that in the NFL there's not enough time
to practice them.

Speaker 2 (25:14):
I get that they're having to put an emphasis on
these kickoffs because you mentioned it just last Thursday night.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
Completely changes the.

Speaker 2 (25:20):
Game where you don't hit the uh, don't get it
inside the twenty, right, But I don't believe that you
just couldn't.

Speaker 3 (25:26):
Possibly figure out how to block pump block.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
I mean, there's only so many hours of the day,
how could we possibly focus on two things.

Speaker 3 (25:33):
I don't believe that whats whatever, that's that's my thing.
I mean, these guys are making millions of dollars to
practice twice a day for five days a week. Right,
you ain't got time to practice fueld goal blocking and
punt blocking, like come on?

Speaker 2 (25:46):
And the technology we have now, like back in the
day at practice, you're drawing stuff up in the dirt.
You might be lucky enough to roll a TV out
on a cart that's hook up to a VCR where
you can see if you plays. Now, we got a
camera angle for everything, a next gen stat for everything.
You've got a staff member for everything with an iPad
that can do more than our brains could ever comprehend.

(26:09):
And you're telling me, with all that technology, all those resources,
all those people, all this money invested in your organization,
you can't possibly figure out how to get a couple
things into a practice tie out of my first time
of the day's insulting billing. There's only three phases to
the game.

Speaker 3 (26:25):
We can only focus on two of them, Drew, because
the third one's all messed up with new rules and
new kickoffs.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
So our average listener right now, they're working a forty
hour job. They might have kids, they might have to
get them to practice, they might have two jobs.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
They got to cook dinner every night.

Speaker 2 (26:40):
And we all have busy, busy, busy lives, and we
would all love to have the problem of having to
figure out a punt block or how to land it
inside the twenty, being paid all this money with everything
inter disposal.

Speaker 3 (26:51):
So get out of here with that excuse. Oh, it's
got to be worked. It's the kickers that are drinking
the MJ juice recently. I mean, sixty five yarder from
the Bucks kicker last week. The Cowboys guy might hit
a seventy yarder this year.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
Oh oh, he's amazing. Aubrey just a soccer player. There
was like, I'm bored.

Speaker 3 (27:07):
I can't really play soccer anymore.

Speaker 2 (27:09):
I'm getting a little old hard to you know, get
out of breath, can't run for ninety minutes.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
I guess I'll just go be the best kicking. It
used to be. A fifty yarder was like news, right,
Like all right, you really got into that one now,
I mean that is the minimum for these guys.

Speaker 2 (27:22):
Yeah, well, let's let's get into our games. We'll start
with do a top five games. The slate isn't awesome.

Speaker 3 (27:29):
It's kind of an ud. We were very blessed for.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
The first four weeks with some just monster matchups of
playoff teams and Greaven had a Super Bowl rematch up
in the season.

Speaker 3 (27:38):
This week we're getting, you know, teams are separating.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
Not any huge market games, but we can narrow down
to five. We'll run through all of them, but I'll
I'll go kind of chronologically with what we think is exciting.
We started to get some by weeks. So Falcons, Bears, Packers,
Steelers fans take a couple of plays off. Keep listening,
but we don't have a lot to say about you all.
Enjoy your rest. Let's get to our top games, and

(28:15):
we got to do a little Thursday Night. A couple
three and one divisional rivals here with forty nine ers
heading to the Rams Billy Thursday Night football. Rams are
a big time six and a half point favorite. Rams
almost lost last week to the Colts. They were lucky
to pull that one off, but otherwise it's been a
good year for the Rams. Had the ugly loss to
the Eagles before that one, they should have won. Forty

(28:38):
nine ers same record, but don't feel like they're nearly
as dominant and they are just so banged up. But
it's our first game, Billy Thursday Night football.

Speaker 3 (28:46):
Who you like? Yeah, the other day I think it
was Ricky Pearsall couldn't enter the medical tent because Juwan
Jennings was already in the medical tent. I mean, this
forty nine ers team is beat up, and Brock Purdy
comes back and he could be already out again. He's
dealing with some toe issues. Mac Jones could be the
guy that comes in. Really, all I can think about
is the defensive coordinators and his comments with Liam Cohen

(29:08):
from the last week. He talked about the sign legal
sign stealing and how Sean mcvay's coaching tree is really
good at legal sign stealing. Well, here we go, now
you play Sean McVay. Liam Cohen said, keep my name
out of your mouth as they met at half field.
It was pretty dramatic between Sala and Liam Cohen last week.
So that's all I'm thinking about, is how are the

(29:29):
Rams going to legally steal the signs of the forty
nine ers this week?

Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah, we didn't get into that much last week where
Cohen and Sala had their big interaction. But I'll admit
knowing that and then picking up the schedule this week
and seeing forty nine ers rams. You know I have
an actual schedule, Billy, I'll lifted it up off the
table with the printed schedule.

Speaker 3 (29:47):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
My brain Emi went, oh, this is like the worst
opponent for this story to go. He Salla wants this
to disappear. He does not need mcveay. Thursday Night Prime Time,
I saw Shanahan was asked this week. I don't know
what reporter has the nerve to ask this, but they
can come hang out with us anytime. NFL covers later.
But they were like, what coaches can beat up Robert Salah,

(30:09):
and Shanahan said I can, but I'm the only one.

Speaker 3 (30:13):
Something along those lines.

Speaker 2 (30:14):
So we just got like Shanahan saying he can beat
up his own defensive coordinator. But it has added some
juice to an already big divisional game out there in
the NFC West.

Speaker 3 (30:22):
Well, you know, if you didn't want the story to
go the way. What Sala said after the game was
puzzling too. He said he was genuinely trying to give
Liam Cohen a compliment. He said he regrets his word
choice instead of using legal signs stealing in preparation of
the game. He could have said film study. But I
guess Liam took that personally, brushed him off at midfield
and that's when he said, keep my name out of

(30:44):
your mouth. I guess that's a nod to Will Smith,
you could say without the slap. Yeah, but yeah, a
little dramatic. I kind of love the drama between coaches.
Give me more of it, and let's bring that reporter
on NFL cover zero. It sounds like a side with
Cohen on this.

Speaker 2 (30:57):
If you say you're stealing signs, that's not really a compliment.
I feel like he's trying to twist this to get
out of a hole. I mean, you said what you said, man.

Speaker 3 (31:05):
Yeah. Also, Liam's been a little feisty down there in Jacksonville,
yelling at Trevor l Every week he's yelling at somebody. Dude.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
I thought you'd get down there and palm trees are
around you and it's like you're in retirement.

Speaker 3 (31:17):
But he's worked up one after coaches his own quarterback. Yeah,
and to his credit, maybe we'll talk about this more
when we talk about Jacksonville. They're in a good spot.
I mean them and Indy. They're going to be fighting
for that division, certainly not the Titans. So yeah, any
team that plays the Titans twice in one year, of
course you're in a good spot. So who you like here,
forty nine Ers or Rams Rams?

Speaker 2 (31:35):
It is the NFC West pre stacked through four weeks
though you got three three and one teams and the
Cardinals are two and two. I expect the Rams to
win this though. Forty nine Ers are just so banged up,
and you know Matt has his big case. He thinks
they're going to be just not a good team but
ends up having a good record at the end of
the year. I think you spot on with that. But
the Rams get them Thursday night. Pooking a cool wiz,

(31:58):
just been unreal thirteen catches and like one hundred and
seventy five yards and a touchdown against the Coles last week.
He's uh leading the NFL. Just they signed Vante Adams
and you know you lose. Uh Why am I drawing
a blink on Cooper Cup? Yeah, and you wonder, you
know what will poo Pookinaku look like with things changing

(32:19):
up like that, just has become the top leading receiver.

Speaker 3 (32:22):
In the NFL think that was his first touchdown last
week too. Their team with a lot of yards long
flowing hair as well, I think helps. I'm jealous of
that hair. Let's move on.

Speaker 2 (32:30):
This game not that exciting from a matchup standpoint, and
neither team has a winning record. But I love a
good London game. So we'll go to nine thirty on
Sunday where the Vikings back to back a morning games
for Viking fans. They're playing in London. They got the Browns.
What do you think about how the Vikings just said
you will hang around?

Speaker 3 (32:52):
Well, I think that they're fine with it since they
both count as road games for Minnesota. You know, you
really get the short end of the stick when you
go overseas and that counts as one of your home games.
You've got to win every game in this league to
give your best you give yourself the best chance Frank
in the playoffs. So I think they're fine with it.
You know, we went through the logistics with Matt last week.
That was super interesting about the thousands of pounds of
equipment that they had to ship over and the meals,

(33:14):
the passports and things like that. It's too bad that
the international crowd has to watch Carson Wentz for two
weeks in a row. But at the same time, now
they get the Cleveland Browns and Dylan Gabriel starting, and
can we get into Shade a little bit and what
he did today?

Speaker 2 (33:30):
Yeah, yeah, of course, So we touched on Dylan Gabriel
a little bit, but we didn't get into how they
could have gone with Sanders.

Speaker 3 (33:36):
Yeah, and then he was asked about it in the
locker room, Dylan Gabriel is a new starter, what do
you think? And he was miming to reporters moving his
mouth but not actually speaking, and on the heels of
it coming out that he told the Ravens he didn't
want to be behind Lamar Jackson, so don't draft me.
And then what Rex Ryan went off about recently where

(33:57):
Shader said that he was more than capable than several
of the starters in the NFL currently, Drew, did you
see the video because it's one of the more bizarre
things seen from an NFL player. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
And I was sympathetic for Shadur when he fell so
far on draft Day. AM one of those people I
didn't think he should have been a top pick, but
I didn't think you should fllow that far.

Speaker 3 (34:16):
Either.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
I felt bad for him, and I thought he was
very mature and how he handled it. Thought he seemed
pretty mature in camp. I think we're starting to see
some cracks.

Speaker 3 (34:25):
You're a pro.

Speaker 2 (34:26):
You're in the locker room with TV cameras in front
of you, asking you a question about the QB room,
and you're just like pretty much trolling the people talking
to you. You can't give a genuine professional answer, like
I'm going to be ready right if it's my term.
I wish I'd won the job, been side by side
with Dyln in camp. You know he wanted out, But
I'm right here, ready to go if they call my

(34:48):
number or if they need me plenty of stock answers.
You can say this was pretty childish. The easiest thing
in football, the canned answers to the media. You just
get on the same page at the beginning of the
year and you can not have drama in the locker room.

Speaker 3 (35:00):
It's a pretty easy thing to do. But when losing,
with losing comes people lashing out, people getting emotion, and
Shaudur Sanders pulling this stunt, you know, the better question
is why would you become a mime like you know
these people they don't ever talk, but you know they're
dressed in makeup and you know, like to try to
make people's day. Drew, was that ever in the career
path for you?

Speaker 4 (35:20):
No?

Speaker 2 (35:20):
I I talk way too much. I am disappointed in
his miming. He didn't do like the wall the wall
or the ladder, or pull.

Speaker 3 (35:28):
On the rope.

Speaker 2 (35:29):
If you're gonna go mom, commit to the bit. Maybe
you don't have the costume handy, but he could have
added the hand motions. But you know, he's a guy
already facing criticism. He's trying to beat the immature, selfish
allegations already. It's kind of like read the room a
little bit. You're trying to help your reputation now if
you drive it farther into the ground.

Speaker 3 (35:48):
But if he started pulling the rope or like doing
like the fishing line or something like that with the reporters,
like I may ask him to leave, like right then
and there. You cannot be miming in the locker room, shoulder, But.

Speaker 2 (35:59):
Do you have faith in Dylan Gabriel's Jackson Dart moment.
It's very similar circumstances where you had the old veteran
who was It's fine, he's doing all right, but he's
not gonna take you anywhere, so you hand it over
to the rookie. Is there any chance that it's just
a repeat of a week ago and a rookie gets
a big win and it takes over and starts a
new era.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
No, I'm a little worried aboutdig I mean, not only
the fact that he's a lefty, but Cedric Tillman just
went on injured reserve. They can't figure out what they're
doing at the tight end spot. I am worried against
a pretty good Vikings defense that what do they play
Cincinnati and the cornerback broke a record for you know,
a pick six and a fumble recovery touchdown all does
it in the first half and sacks as well, So

(36:39):
this could be a long day. You know, Minnesota's already adjusted.
They've been waiting for Cleveland to come over, so they've.

Speaker 2 (36:46):
Already got accents, their teeth have already rotted. They've fully
committed to the London.

Speaker 3 (36:51):
The beans and toast. I mean, it's just part of
their natural diet at this point. Yeah, I like a
good English breakfast.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
You got your beans, your toasts your sausage. I think
there's like a little tomato well egg compning lots of that.
We talked about the logistics.

Speaker 3 (37:04):
What do they do.

Speaker 2 (37:04):
I think about when a game's over and all the
recovery these guys need and the teams they're in are
they just did like the Marriotte lobby, taking turns on
whatever spas available or whatever gym's in there.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
That's a good question. How many cold tubs are available
to the NFL players. These are big soccer stadiums, right,
so you got to think that some of them have
some pretty good interiors, but there's probably some that don't. Right, Like,
it's not everyone is going to be pristine, But for now,
I think they're still going to the mega stadiums that
do have the cold plunge in the sauna, and believe me,

(37:38):
I would need it after playing the rounds.

Speaker 2 (37:39):
Well, congrats to Vikings fans. I love the nine thirty
am Sunday game.

Speaker 3 (37:44):
You just wake up and it's just there, you know.

Speaker 2 (37:46):
I hate that I don't get to see Jane Poly
and CBS Sunday morning at that point, but not having
a wait for NFL, just get out, let's get started.
I would love to have that at least once Titan's
I guess they did a year or two ago. But
congratulations to Vikings fans on get it two weeks in
a row.

Speaker 3 (38:01):
Well, Goodell says he wants a season with sixteen international
games in one year, so that could be on the horizon.
But I do like it much more than the double
Monday Night football.

Speaker 2 (38:10):
I just I don't love that either. You know, we're
big Roger fans. We work for the company. Now, we
get Rogers emails. You know we're big Roger guys here
at NFL Cover zero. We fully support the international games,
mainly because I just want to get up right away
and start betting on football without having to do chores
and other Sunday things. Next game, how about a little
Broncos Eagles. Okay, Eagles, of course, one of the best

(38:32):
teams in the NFL. Depending who you ask, you might
have them ranked one. I might have him ranked two.
But they're are undefeated hosting the Broncos, who just destroyed
the Bengals on Monday Night Football. We glossed over that
a little bit, but I think that was said more
about the Bengals than it did the Broncos. Regardless, huge
win for them. Denver leads the NFL with fifteen sacks

(38:53):
this season, and the Eagles are just absolutely loaded. What
do you think of Denver? Is we kept wondering who's
going to keep the Eagles from going undefeated? Your bucks
gave them a run for their money last week. Is
there any chance Denver can be the team to knock
off the defending champs?

Speaker 3 (39:07):
Yeah? Absolutely, they've got a shot. I think Matt has
been pretty negative about bo Nix and saying that's going
to be a regression year for him. Denver ranks ninth
in total offense this year. Meanwhile, the Eagles are thirteenth,
so not too far away. But the Eagles are thirty
first in passing. I mean, Jalen Hurts had zero passing
yards in the second half versus Tampa Bay. It feels
like the Eagles forget how to play football for a

(39:27):
quarter each game.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
They've had some wild finishes in their undefeated say like
the Rams game.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
I mean, it's just a little confusing what Philadelphia does.
They've also run the quarterback sneak ninety two times since
twenty twenty two. The ninety we can't do that.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
That's a lot we can't do another toush push breakdown.
I feel like every NFL show, every day of every week,
has a toush push conversation. I want to go back
to you saying they don't throw the ball. My guy,
AJ Brown, my favorite receiver in the league, former Titan.

Speaker 3 (39:56):
Yeah, Arthur Juan Brown. I love him. He's unhappy, it seems. Yeah,
what's he doing? Is he just being a deepa receiver?

Speaker 2 (40:02):
I mean he's got some devatendancy. He's the best receivers
of Diva. It comes with the territory. But did you
see his tweet after the game? I guess this is
a Bible verse. I need to brush up on my
Bible reading. But he tweeted, if you're not welcomed and
not listen to quietly withdrawal, don't make a scene.

Speaker 3 (40:22):
Now.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
He'll play that off as I'm just putting now a
little scripture, doing my weekly Bible study. But doing that
right after you had like what two catches?

Speaker 3 (40:29):
I think last Sunday?

Speaker 2 (40:31):
Is there trouble with the AJ Brown, Jalen Hurds Eagles
magic there?

Speaker 3 (40:35):
Yeah? Probably? I mean, you know, last year was Saquan's year, right,
and he kind of took a back seat and let
Saquon run for two thousand yards and let the Eagles
win the Super Bowl. Now, I think he kind of
wants his a little bit, and now that he's not
getting it, you're seeing tweets, You're seeing these cryptic things.
The guy had nine targets, so it's not like he
was just ignored the entire time. Only two catches, but

(40:56):
nine targets drew. That's a pretty good day for most
receivers in the NFL. But you know, it makes me
think of trell Owen's doing sit ups in his driveway.
Maybe a just receiver just have a little bit of
diva in him. It needs to come out every now
and then. Jamar Chase is yelling at Zach Taylor on
the sideline. You know AJ was reading books to bring
that up. That was last year. He was reading The

(41:17):
Inner Excellence on the sideline.

Speaker 2 (41:19):
Been following AJ very closely since he his rookie year
in Nashville. I love him, but you know, he has
a tendency to do a little bit of this kind
of stuff.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
Hard Trailon Burkes and the expectations that came with replacing AJ.
But are are you still rooting for aj Or is
kind of like watching an X.

Speaker 2 (41:34):
I don't blame him. Aj actually wanted to stay in Nashville.
It's rare to get a superstar come through the Titans
and like be open about I want to be here,
I want to I want to stay here. He went
to Old miss which is very close to Nashville. I
believe he's from right outside Memphis, Northern Mississippi.

Speaker 3 (41:49):
That area.

Speaker 2 (41:50):
So it's like we've finally have a receiver, which the
Titans have never had, always had good running backs. It's
like we have a young receiver that we can call
our own. He loves it here and then just shipped
him away in that draft for nothing. But don't get
me started on that we asked. We all know that
the we asked. Moving on, let's get to your team,

(42:10):
all right, your Bucks, you wanna do that one, Yeah,
let's do it. Big game for your bucks. Hosting the Seahawks,
a couple three and one teams, Let's see your Bucks
could be undefeated. Came tried to come back on the
Eagles last week. That was a tough task. Baker Mayfield
had an interception in the end zone down eight. Still
a good showing for them. What do you think about
having Seattle this week?

Speaker 3 (42:31):
Both of these teams are gonna be wearing throwback uniforms. Oh,
I didn't know that today. This could be the best
uniform matchup of the year if we're talking about those
throwbacks for Seattle and Tampa Bay.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
And it's in Seattle, I said, Bucks hosting Off flipped that, yeah, in.

Speaker 3 (42:45):
Seattle at four o'clock game. It kind of makes me
think of the redemption arcs for Baker and Darnald, both
in the same class. Baker goes one, Donald goes three,
and twenty eighteen, they go through multiple teams. I even
saw a reporter ask Baker, do you reminisce of the
good old days when you and Sam were at Carolina?
And he goes, what did you say, good old days? No? No,

(43:06):
absolutely not. And so just for these guys to see
this resurgence in their career, Sam with Minnesota last year
and Baker obviously with Tampa, it's been a lot of fun. Also,
two really good Ohio State receivers I believe Jackson Smith
and Jibba was the Ohio State receiver, and then Emique Ubuka,
who has been really good for Tampa. Both of those
guys tearing it up right now. But Seattle sneaky good.

(43:28):
You mentioned they're three to one, They've had time to prepare,
They've played on Thursday night against Arizona. I think I
would die for Baker Mayfield at this point. Oh, it's
that kind of it is. But I think this is
a game that Seattle might come out on top of. Now.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
You mentioned the receivers. Whuk has been awesome for real
early and then Smith and Ja but I think he's
second in the NFL and receiving yards this year. Yeah,
a couple of couple of young stars. Bucky Irving, I
think his status is still up in the air. He's
that'd be a tough long.

Speaker 3 (43:58):
Not long term serious, but could miss some time. So
that would be Rashaun White getting the carries there. But
this should be a good game between two good teams
that I expect to make some noise in the NFC
this year. I've always wanted to go watch a game
in Seattle too. The way that they've got that stadium
of shape that makes it a little bit louder, I
think that would be cool.

Speaker 2 (44:16):
I've seen the stadium empty like it was just when
they're just in Seattle walking by it. Even just seeing
it from Afar with no one in it looks awesome.

Speaker 3 (44:24):
But I would like to.

Speaker 2 (44:25):
See the twelve man in per person. You got me
excited about these these throwbacks. Oh yeah, these are two
of the best, maybe the best. I mentioned this because
your Bucks wore the cream Sickles just a couple of
weeks ago, and I think Matt asked me, like, what's
another classic? In My answer was the old Seahawks. I
didn't like them at the time, but it's one of
those as time goes on you look back on it fondly.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
Very eve large it or something like that back in
the day, way back then. And the creamsicles, you know,
Tampa was so bad in them for so long, and
now that they've come back, and you know, people just
forget that they were zero and sixteen wearing those things
back in the day. So it should be a great
uniform matchup and a fun four o'clock watch.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
How excited are you about the Bucks? It's the Eagles
and the Lion are your NFC you know, favorites. Do
you think you can maybe join that mix or maybe
knock one of them off if you get to the playoffs?

Speaker 3 (45:17):
You're on a great pace to get to the playoffs
in that division.

Speaker 2 (45:19):
Well do you think you can you can knock down
another door and join that NFC championship conversation.

Speaker 3 (45:25):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean, you get to the playoffs, anything
can happen, right, And they're in such a bad division.
They've won the division four years in a row, and
it looks like they're going to do it again, so
they'll have their chance. You know, Tom Brady coming in
went in a Super Bowl is great. Then he does
one more year and then the leaves and you think
we're back to irrelevancy. And Baker's resurgence has been incredible.
I think at this point I like Baker more than

(45:46):
I ever did Tom Brady, which is saying a lot.
They're they're pretty beat up. Mike Evans got a hamstring injury,
Tristan Wurf just came back with Chris Godwin. This is
not the healthiest Bucks team, as they lost Collaga can't
see as well. But absolutely, there's nobody in the NFC
that really scares me to the point where if Tampa
were to play that game, they would have no shit.

(46:06):
I mean, to win the first three games on game
winning drives in the final minute. That's unheard of. It's
been fun. They have been incredible. I've been jealous of you.
So if they can stay healthy, I think that they
have absolutely as good a chance as anybody. And then
it's just a matter of you know, probably Buffalo in
the Super Bowl, maybe Kansas City if they can draw.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Already picking out who your AFC opponentcy, Yeah, I mean
the attitude though I'm already looking ahead.

Speaker 3 (46:31):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (46:31):
I mean, you gave the Eagles a run. Oh, let's
get our last Marquee game in. Then we'll be quick hitters.
On what's left? I say Marquee Chargers. Losing to the
Giants last week brought them down a peg. But they're
at the Commanders Jayden Daniels expected to return to uh
TO for Washington this week. Another big matchup. I keep

(46:52):
getting backwards on at it's the Chargers. I don't know
what schedule I have here. Chargers are at home? What
are they backwards in my notes?

Speaker 3 (47:00):
Sorry?

Speaker 2 (47:00):
I apologize, Commanders at LA Commanders two and two, Chargers
three and one. After lose to the Giants last week,
What do you think of that?

Speaker 3 (47:09):
Was that a fluke?

Speaker 2 (47:10):
Was that just some Jackson Dart magic that took out
the Chargers, who already have three huge wins on their resume.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
You know, they lost their right tackle in the draft
pick Joe Alt, I believe, and after losing Rashaun Slater
at the beginning of the year. There's not another team
in the NFL that doesn't have both of their tackles,
so that is definitely concerning. But as much as Justin
Herbert is throwing the ball, I have to be encouraged.
I they are the favorite I think to win that
division over Kansas City. I mean, even though they have

(47:37):
a one game lead over Kansas City. I by the
way that they've started, I think they'd be the favorite. Uh.
They are clearly a team to be reckoned with in
the in the AFC, and if they can get just
a little bit healthier, you know, Najie Harris goes down
as well. I mean, they're getting bit with a little
bit of unluckiness here. But yeah, I think that was
a blip. That's a that's a motivation game. If I've

(48:00):
ever seen one, Jackson Dart right neighbors goes down mid game.
Scatabo's running like my all stop back in the day.
For Tampa Bay, and that's why that was just there's
parody in this league, and sometimes the worst team is
going to get the best of a different team. But
I am fully on board with the Chargers and they
deserve fans drew they do.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
I take the Chargers here, even though Jaden Daniels is back.
I don't know how much better the Commanders are going
to be getting Jade and Daniels back. Because I got
a shout out by man Marcus Mariota not really a
drop off in the two games he had to fill in.
They went one and one, but their loss of the
Falcons still scored nearly thirty points. He played well in
both those games. And I'm a pro football focused guy.

(48:40):
I get into the nerd stats they said he was
in the two games Marcus Mariota filled in, he was
the highest rated pfif graded QP. Really, it's good to
get Daniels back, but how about gray haired Mariota trying
to hold it together while he was gone.

Speaker 3 (48:54):
I'm happy for him, you know, personally, I was working
in the city of Nashville when he got drafted. Got
to work and meet him a couple of times at
training camp with the Titans, So yeah, meeting name drop.

Speaker 2 (49:03):
Also earlier, you called Dylan Gabriel DGG.

Speaker 3 (49:06):
I mean quarterbacks you know over there. I don't know Dylan,
but I thought that was a natural jump there. I
do know Marcus, and despite him quitting on the Falcons
last year and just going to Hawaii when he felt
like it was okay to leave, I do root for him,
and he looked pretty good. It's just everywhere else for
the Commanders at this point, right. I mean, Deebo looks good,
but they can't get their running backs to stay healthy. Hell,

(49:27):
Chris Rodriguez, maybe somebody that's playing for quite a lot
last week, right, so you know, mclaurin's been in and out.
Daniels might have a little bit of a regression year
here after all the expectations that got put on him
after beating Tampa Bay and the run that they made
in the playoffs last year. But I think this is
a Chargers win.

Speaker 2 (49:46):
I'm going to join you in going with the Chargers.
I still think they're they're good and that was a
fluke last week. Let's run quickly through the rest of
the games. If you don't have anything to say, we'll
just pass. We went really long on an intro. I'm
not trying to do a two hour episode here. I
guess I'll just go kind of chronologically. We got Raiders
Colts Colts. Even though Lou you should have won that game.

(50:08):
We talked about it last week on the show. You
have an eighty yard touchdown that you fumble because the
receiver cannot simply just hold onto the football for another
split second. He fumbles out on the back of the
end zone, celebrating completely changes that game. On the other end,
you got Raiders with three straight losses. Billy, you were
telling me this, there's this Ashton Genty fact out there.

Speaker 3 (50:27):
Yeah, you wanted me to go quick on these games.
I gotta gain. We gotta talk about this because Ashton
Genty from Boise State was really good when he was
in his Michael Meyers stance in the backfield where he's
just standing straight.

Speaker 2 (50:38):
Up, so he does you know, normally you get low
hands on your knee back, but at Boise he would
just stand stiff as a board. And you're telling me
that there's actual results. Well, he came into the NFL
and they said you got to stop that.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
Yay, no one does. Yeah, I mean put your hands
on your knees and act like an actual running back.
But he actually went back to the Michael Meyers stance,
and the stat difference between stances is significant. In games,
without the Michael Meyers stance, he averaged seventeen touches a game,
forty nine yards a game, and point three touchdowns. But

(51:10):
with the Michael Myers stance, Ashton Genty averages twenty three
touches a game, one hundred and fifty five yards in
three touchdowns. That's nuts. That's absolutely nuts. That should not matter.
So is there any correlation to the man standing up
in the backfield and it actually making a difference to
the yards that they gain.

Speaker 2 (51:27):
I can't argue with the numbers. I mean the man,
he's got a routine.

Speaker 3 (51:31):
I think they see him standing like that Michael Myers
in the backfield and probably think about it more when
they should be thinking about something else. It's true, it's
throwing him off.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
They're like, well, truly, he's not gonna run, He's not
even set, he's not even.

Speaker 3 (51:42):
A ready position. He ain't gonna run towards me. That's
going to be a random stat that's hard to top.
I think we should keep keep eyes on that stat
to see if it continues, and if so, then this
will just be a weird oddity of the season.

Speaker 2 (51:54):
It's October, now, can he wear the Michael Myers mask
under his helmet?

Speaker 3 (51:58):
Just commit to the bit, Commit to the bit. He's
got to be Michael Myers at his Halloween party this year,
no doubt.

Speaker 2 (52:03):
I'm committing to the Cowboys bit because we have the Jets.
Oh boy, the winless Jets seeing the one two and
one Cowboys telling you I like.

Speaker 3 (52:14):
A team that doesn't lose. Yeah, oh boy.

Speaker 2 (52:17):
This one obviously was not one of our marquee games,
but it is a game. Uh. Cowboys are interesting because
Dak is having an MVP like season. He has answered
all the questions people had about him. He is trying
to prove that he's worth the big deal they gave
him a couple of years ago. Uh, He's leading the NFL.
The Cowboys are leading the NFL in offense, but the
Cowboys defense is absolutely terrible. They've given up thirty points

(52:41):
in three straight games. Dak can't do enough to hang on.
We just saw the tie. It was a shootout. The
Giants game a couple weeks ago was a shootout. If
if you want to get your quarterback some confidence, pad
some stats, play the Cowboys. It's it's Dak has no
help on the defensive side of the ball.

Speaker 3 (52:57):
Beilly. Yeah, and it's really good if you are attack
Prescott owner in fantasy. I know you guys said that
you aren't. I am a fantasy player. I have Dak.
It's been great. But that defense, it's like the little
Giants out there, Drew, it is unbelievable how easy it
is to score against the Cowboys Giants Urbana icebox made icebox.
I mean we can spike, don't play with girls, annexation report,

(53:20):
whole mos do that.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
That's your favorite o'shae. Brother, we're not speaking through. If
you want to get me on the Little Giants, that's
a whole podcast in itself. It is one of, if
not the best sports movie of all time.

Speaker 3 (53:31):
It's up there. There's no doubt. I mean, we've already
got Happy Gilmour references Little Giants. We could keep doing
this for a living Drew. But at the same time,
I don't have much to say here. Justin fields is
a good fantasy option. But crazy run last week. Yeah
he did. Yeah, he's exciting. Yeah, but hopefully Cee comes back.
Dallas is going to put some points on the board,
but so is their opponent. Pickens now knows the rules
of football. Yeah, that's another thing. And then they always

(53:53):
cut to Jerry in the owner's box watching every game
with a scowl on his face. A guy can't be happy.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
I don't know the over under on this, but I'm
saying to take the over because the Cowboys can't stop
anyone and they'll probably score a bunch of points. How
about a little Dolphins Panthers another riveting game, a couple
of one in three teams. We mentioned Tyreek Hill out
for the year. Dolphin's dealing with that. Jalen Waddall's gonna
have step up to play well. On the other end,
you have the Panthers, who two weeks ago won by

(54:21):
thirty points in a shutout, and then last week what
lost Bob about thirty So about a sixty point swing
between weeks for the Panthers. How do you feel about
the Dolphins and Panthers?

Speaker 1 (54:30):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (54:31):
I really don't know what to think about Carolina and
Bryce Young because they ended Bryce ended the year last
year so good, but this year, like you said, It's
been bizarre. They lose thirty to zero, or they beat
the Falcons thirty to zero and then lose to the
Patriots forty two to thirteen. I don't know if patients
is running thin with Bryce in Carolina or what.

Speaker 2 (54:51):
But the only reason to watch this game there is
the Darren Waller story from Miami Alma tight end leaves
football to rap, going through things beyond football, decides to
come back and on Monday Night football just just a
couple of touchdowns. Waller, Hey, just revolving that career. He's
not the vertical threat of Hill obviously, but they are

(55:13):
finding a weapon for two as they're losing one in
this week.

Speaker 3 (55:15):
Yeah, and this is, you know, a probably a big
game for Mike McDaniels. I don't think the guy is
able to I know the owners said that they were
going to have patience with him during this slide, but
I mean, you lose to the Panthers and that probably
just escalates things even quicker at this point. So Miami
I think had some high aspirations and now that Tyreek's
gone and they've been a little bit of a shell

(55:37):
of themselves that hopefully Jalen Waddle can step up, but
I'm not too optimistic for the rest of the year,
but they'll probably beat Carolina This week. Let's go to
New Orleans, where when you add the team's records together,
there's one combined win. Last week Jackson Darts win. We
have the one in three Giants at the zero to
four Saints. Gotta give the Saints a little moral victory

(55:58):
credit though. Last week.

Speaker 2 (55:59):
It was their biggest spread as an underdog since like
nineteen seventy five, and they gave the Bills, if we'll
call it a fight.

Speaker 3 (56:07):
But they hung in there with the Bills. They weren't
out of it. They only played football. They sewed up
with their pads on, and you're on the field, you
sure did. Those were my survivor pick last week, so
I had to sweat that out a little bit as
the Saints kept it close. I did enjoy going through
the zero to ten quarterbacks throughout NFL history, as Spencer
Rattler has become the newest name to that. But this

(56:29):
is a lot of excitement for Jackson Dart obviously to
continue what he's doing Skataboo. As we've already mentioned, you know,
the Giants have a good defense and let's see if
it if it transfers. You know, if you're Russell Wilson, though,
I don't know what you do. If you're Russell Wilson,
you just looked for another team because it seems like
people hate Russell Wilson. Yeah, I mean, Jackson Dart's got
so much over Jamis Winston has beloved and then Russell Wilson.

(56:52):
You can make an argument as like one of the
most hated players in the NFL. Would you agree with
for really not even doing anything like he hasn't. Yeah,
he just like an awkward commercial. He's a bad person.
It's just that he's corny. He's guilty of being corny.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
Jackson Dart was very nice about Russell Wilson, talking about
how howd it.

Speaker 3 (57:09):
Was on Russell taking his job.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
You know, Jackson's got some of that young swag, you know,
trying to be pretty cool, but he had very mature
comments about taking Russell Wilson's job. My only takeaway from
this game you mentioned camp Scataboo. I love him. Everyone
loves him. He is like the old Mike Allstart running
type that you don't see anymore.

Speaker 3 (57:28):
But I'm very confused by one thing. Billy.

Speaker 2 (57:30):
We mentioned earlier the Giants lost their star player because
of the turf. Odell Beckham's like, get rid of the turf,
Get rid of the turf. The Giants play on turf,
Why after the game is camp Scatibo covered in dirt
his uniforms.

Speaker 3 (57:45):
Like ripped up?

Speaker 2 (57:47):
Someone noted like that's like a gritty football player. However,
we're playing on carpet. Is he faking it?

Speaker 3 (57:55):
How did he even do that?

Speaker 2 (57:56):
Does he just roll around in a trough before he
runs out there to get that badass look? Because that
is a great question. How is he so mangled after
a game when they're playing on carpet, He's just he's
on the ground every single time he runs a play.
I mean, there's no mud to rolls. He could be
like the balls on the other side of the field.

Speaker 3 (58:15):
They're throwing it to neighbors who's injuring his acl and
Scatba is doing like a dive onto a water slide
onder the turf just to get dirty. I guess you know,
there's like those black material on these these turf fields.
They're getting your shoes. Yeah, so maybe that's it, But
that is a look that I don't see a lot
in the NFL when you're playing on turf, because it

(58:35):
looks like grass stains. The guy has got on right now,
that's just how tough he is.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
He manages to get tackled and he comes up and
he has just that, you know, the big pile of
dirt that gets caught in the face mask and the
grass and.

Speaker 3 (58:45):
Someone has to come pull it out for him. Yeah,
he's doing that on turf. I don't understand.

Speaker 2 (58:49):
I don't know if he keeps a bucket of dirt
on the sideline and he's rubbing it all over himself
to make it look like he's working hard.

Speaker 3 (58:55):
We all know he's working hard.

Speaker 2 (58:56):
By how he plays. It's just amazing that he's getting
so gritty and playing so hard that he has found
a way to get dirty on their.

Speaker 3 (59:04):
Perfectly clad Well, as long as you keep Jack's darts
jersey clean, that's the one that you need to keep clean.
Scatbo though, I mean, you could expect that thing to
be dirty, and then I'm sure some people are gonna
want that jersey swap to it may be dirty, Drew,
but well he's fun. Let's get the Arizona State guys. He'sful.

Speaker 2 (59:19):
Yeah, a team that's supposed to be fun Baltimore Ravens. Wow,
I mean, no one saw this happening. One in three,
Lamar questionable with a hamstring injury, Derrick Henry fumbled three
times in three games. They're hosting the Texans this week.
I can't believe I'm saying this Outoued Houston also one

(59:41):
in three is the betting favorite. Yeah, this is in
the world. How did this happen in just four weeks?
That Bill's Ravens game when we set here. We turned
it out on week one, But I mean that what
felt like we watched a super Bowl. If you had
told me the Ravens would be one and three on
down the road, I wouldn't believe you.

Speaker 3 (01:00:00):
Yeah, Dereck Henry had some fumbling issues. They have, Isaiah
likely hasn't been on the field. Mark Andrews hasn't been
himself ever since that drop, and even last year he
was non existent, and now Lamar hurt. He turned to
Cooper Rush, who I think you asked me to give
you a bioblast. Let's say about Rush, former Dallas cowboy
Cooper Rush. Yeah, well, I don't have much of a
bile blast. That's why I was going there. He did

(01:00:21):
play at Central Michigan from twenty twelve to twenty sixteen,
played my alma mater, Western Kentucky in the Bahamas Bowl,
in which they lost. That's your bioblast, I guess for
Cooper Rush. But Cowboys, Giants, Cowboys, and Ravens are the
teams that he has played in the NFL, and the
second team All Max selection in twenty fifteen. Is now

(01:00:42):
in charge of the Baltimore Ravens, which is hard to believe.

Speaker 2 (01:00:46):
Meanwhile, the texts if I told you he's nine to
five as a starter, it's not a bad record for
a backup.

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
Quarterback, especially if you've been in Dallas and New York. Yeah,
two stops. Houston has their own problems. I mean c J.
Stroud was, you know, Patt and Caleb Williams on the
back saying, you know, keep your head up, rookie, and
you'll be there one day acting like a Hall of Famer.
And a couple of years later he's one and three
and the only wins versus the Titans. So I mean
there's got to be some urgency there for the Texans soon. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
No, one grade the Texans positively by beating the Titans
twenty six to nothing. That says nothing about the Texans.
I don't know if I've mentioned this, but we asked
in Nashville. One interesting thing about the Ravens and we
gotta get moving on. I saw the power rankings on
Pro Football Focus. Okay, they dropped the Ravens. They updated
every week. They dropped them twenty one places from third

(01:01:33):
to twenty fourth.

Speaker 3 (01:01:34):
Wow is it what a fall? Shows you how bad
that defense is.

Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
I'm sure there's a little Cooper Rush mixed in with
that too, but just crazy spot for Baltimore. Also crazy
spot for the Bengals injury related there without Joe Burrow
till well, probably the whole season, but no one expected
him to be this bad. They got a couple wins
with Joe that you thought could get him a cushion,
but since he's been out, they've done nothing. Jamar Chase
has been absolutely mia this season, and they don't have

(01:02:02):
a good draw this week. They aren't home, but you're
getting the Lions, who, since losing their opening game to
Green Bay, look like.

Speaker 3 (01:02:07):
One of the best teams in football. This has to
be a double digit spread. I mean, even with Detroit
on the road. I think ten and a half. Yeah,
that sounds about right. I mean, I'm and ross Aint
Brown probably the best receiver in the league this year,
not by passing yards, but I think he's got six
touchdowns for six touchdowns and four games, so really impressive stuff.
Gibbs has become the runner that they expected him to be.

(01:02:28):
They you know, they reached and drafted him so early,
and he's been so good. Cincinnati doesn't look like they
practice like I feel bad for Jamar Chase out there
or Jake Browning who has to survive with that offensive
line in front of him. I don't think any quarterback
could do well with that offensive line in front of them.

Speaker 2 (01:02:45):
Did you see the clip where they're trying to block
a three man rush? Yeah, five off and they can
do it. It lives in four player embarrassing smash. Yeah, lines
are going to smash them. Speaking of getting smashed, the
Cardinals are lucky enough to draw the Titans this week.

Speaker 3 (01:03:01):
Here we go. I've been waiting for this.

Speaker 2 (01:03:03):
No, you're not going to get a ram from me.
I'm dead inside. I couldn't even wear my Titans gear
this week. I love you Titans. If any of you
all with the Titans. Listen to this. I want to
be a good voice for the franchise. I'm die hard.
I will love the Titans blue until the dad die.
But cam Ward was right. Oh and four going to Arizona.
Arizona is a seven and a half point favorite. I

(01:03:25):
have nothing to hang on to with the Titans. Cam
Ward through a fun cross body throw again last week,
but other than that, I got Brian Callahan telling reporters
to shut up. There's stats out there that show that
Will levis much better through four games than cam Ward.
We're imploding, Billy. I keep saying we can't get lower,
and then we get lower.

Speaker 3 (01:03:46):
Immediately after that. And I appreciate his anger honestly. You know,
I get tired of canned answers a lot of times
on oh and four teams. Well, we'll get back to work.
You know, it'll come together. We'll keep doing what we're doing. No,
I mean there should be some frustration. This is your livelihood,
and I think cam brings that energy. That may be
the one position you guys do have figured out because

(01:04:06):
the rest I good luck finding another one. And Jeffrey
Simmons ain't gonna be on that team for much longer.

Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
I don't think I love Big Jeff. We gotta we
got to ship him, get some pieces. He's like our
one asset we have right now.

Speaker 3 (01:04:16):
But you're right, you know, fighting Paul Kaharski and the media.
You know the media scrum or, you know stats about
Will Levis actually being just as fine, if not better
than cam Ward. It's it just piles on, piles on.
And now you get Arizona, who doesn't look like they're
going to have a running back. I mean, I don't
even know who they've got playing it running back at
this point with all the injuries. Probably a game most

(01:04:37):
people won't see many updates on the red zone for Drew.
You think that's fair.

Speaker 2 (01:04:40):
They certainly won't see when the Titans have the ball.
I will watch every minute of this game. I've subscribed
to Sunday Ticket so that I can live this misery
every Sunday. I don't think we're gonna win. I'm going
with Arizona. Arizona is two close losses. It's Seattle and
San Francisco. You know they could be a really good team.
They're two and two, but just narrowly lost a couple

(01:05:01):
of NFC games last couple weeks. They're gonna get a
w now though, congratulations Tennessee.

Speaker 3 (01:05:08):
Let's keep holding on to that new stadium, Drew, and
it'll just be like nineteen ninety nine overall, all over again.
No expectations. So I'm going through.

Speaker 2 (01:05:15):
I'm going through the pony show of the season. Tickets
for the new stadium.

Speaker 3 (01:05:19):
Got to get them.

Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
I've already gotten the tour, have had the meeting, but
I'm not committing clearly. I mean, who would commit to that? Yeah,
but they do. They bow your phone up. I have
them saved as Titans in my phone. I get all
these miscalls from the Titans. Not right now, Titans, you
figure out your own problems before you call me. But
a few days ago they sent an email and it
literally says it's not like directed to me specifically, it's
clearly gone out to a lot of people, but it says.

Speaker 3 (01:05:42):
We miss you.

Speaker 2 (01:05:43):
You are not answering our emails, and I want to reply,
I miss you too. You aren't winning football games. Please
go fix that and then talk to me about the
new stadium.

Speaker 3 (01:05:52):
Well that just happened this week. Somebody responded to one
of those automated texts that the Titans send out complaining
about firing Mike Rabel and putting themselves in a rebuilding situation.
They got a text back from the Titans that said,
we are seventy five percent sold out on the new stadium.
We just converted all of our current members over, so
our fan base is very happy. They're not. And the

(01:06:14):
nice guy that calls me, I won't to say his name.
He's great.

Speaker 2 (01:06:16):
I've had several conversations with him. If you hear this,
it's not you, it's not you at all.

Speaker 4 (01:06:20):
It's me, it's us, it's everyone.

Speaker 3 (01:06:37):
A few more games left. Bill's Patriots.

Speaker 2 (01:06:40):
Okay, nice litt match up here. Pat's looking pretty good.
My guy Vary Bull up there, got him rolling. Drake
may might have figured things out. He's looking good, but
it is. The Bills had their first turnover the season
last week against the Saints. That's crazy in itself. Pendled
to us eleven times against the Saints. I don't want
to say they nearly lost, because it was never really

(01:07:02):
in doubt, but they didn't cover and the Saints played
a little closer. Is there a chance that they're some cracks.

Speaker 3 (01:07:06):
In the Bills and it could show up this week?
Absolutely after that Saints game. This is a primetime matchup
Sunday Night football. I'm calling this a double revenge game.
Cool now, Billy Rutligs. Double revenge game. Double revenge game.
Not only for the Bills, who the Patriots sent into
irrelevancy for two decades when Tom Brady and Bill Belichick
were rolling, the Bills were just non existent for a while,

(01:07:28):
but also Stefan Diggs who returns to play the Buffalo Bills.
Congratulations to Cardi b and Stefon Diggs on the pregnancy
and the future kid on the way. But Stefan finally
started getting things going a little bit in the last
game for New England. Like you said, Drake may is
playing a little bit better, so I think Diggs is
going to play well. But the Bills beat down New
England and they cover the spread.

Speaker 2 (01:07:50):
Drake's got a little swag. He's doing like the Cam
Newton Superman last week. A fun little stat he's the
first player in NFL history under the age of twenty
four to throw two touchdowns and complete seventy five percent
of his passes in three straight games. That's pretty good
and come together. I did, like Bill Simmons's nickname for
Drake May.

Speaker 3 (01:08:10):
They gave it Drake Maybe. Okay, I think I think
he may just be made. I think I think he
may be him well, after last week, it may it
may be that he is the right guy in New England.

Speaker 2 (01:08:21):
Yeah, I would say the Bills win, but to spread
seven and a half, I got Pats keeping it close.
You got you got Vrabel uh leading the leading the Pats.
What's the I'm drawing of Blake Stevenson, the young running back.
I keep betting Andre Yeah, I keep betting on him
to get anytime touchdown.

Speaker 1 (01:08:39):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:08:39):
He and Henderson both I keep loading up. They're they're
not they haven't been hitting. Stevenson is the one that's
been there a while. But I've lost a little bit
on them. But that's mainly because Drake May has just
been dialed in.

Speaker 3 (01:08:50):
Yeah, I know. If you know that spreads probably around
seven and a half or so, then I think I
would pick New England to cover that. These division games
are tough, and primetime I think makes it even tougher
at times to cover a spreads and.

Speaker 2 (01:09:00):
The Bills have to be guessed what they've done been
through through four weeks stare last game Monday Night Football,
Jaguars Chiefs Jaguars Wires, Jack Wires.

Speaker 3 (01:09:11):
Wars out a fear.

Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
I'll say for you Jaguars first, Kansas City Chiefs God
Xavier Worthy back and immediately turned into a great offense.
Can we just say that Travis Kelce running into him
in Brazil at the beginning of that game is the
reason the Chiefs look bad. You gotta think the offense
was based around him a lot this season because the
moment he comes back, he completely He helped him light

(01:09:35):
up the Ravens last week, huge win. And you think
that's permanent.

Speaker 3 (01:09:40):
Yeah, I could be, because I mean your two losses
this year are against two pretty good playoff teams in
the Chargers and Eagles. Right, and then you come back,
you beat the Giants, You're able to beat the Ravens.
You could put a beat down on the road in
Jacksonville and it's like nothing ever happened.

Speaker 4 (01:09:54):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:09:55):
You're waiting for Rashi Rice to come back, and that's
another weapon as well, just a couple weeks away. Right,
So you know Mahmes goes off throw us for four
touchdowns last week. I'm sure it's not all Xavier Worthy,
but he is a big part of it, and Kansas
City is just gonna kind of get back on trap
for that. But keep my name out of your mouth. True,
all right, this is Liam Cohen and Jacksonville ready to go.

Speaker 2 (01:10:18):
I head on a swivel near Liam Cohen because he's
going after whoever he gets in his way. Oh Worthy
had eighty three yards receiving and forty yards rushing. Just
shows you how din That win last week shows you
how dynamic and how usefully he is different ways they
can get him the ball. I'm not saying the Chiefs
are back in the super Bowl mix, but I think

(01:10:38):
I might have been a little quick to question the
kingdom the last few weeks. You mentioned how good the
opponents have been, and then they look good last week.

Speaker 3 (01:10:45):
I know, Ben the knee to Mahomes.

Speaker 2 (01:10:47):
They're not getting back, they're not getting to the super Bowl,
but they have more life in them than I have
been saying.

Speaker 3 (01:10:52):
The last few weeks was so long ago. Marcus Mariota
was catching his own passes beating the Kansas City Chiefs
in the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (01:10:57):
Man big show from Marcus Mariota. I remember that I
was watching that game in the iHeart.

Speaker 3 (01:11:01):
Studio because iHeart Studio. Yeah, I was.

Speaker 2 (01:11:04):
Doing some kind of ok postgame show when that play happened.
It's live on the radio talking about Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (01:11:10):
I remember that.

Speaker 2 (01:11:10):
Well, we can't do Survivor League this week. With Mad
being out, we can't get his picks. He's on a plane,
he doesn't have a phone. I will just say I'm out,
So you guys have fun. Billy, do you want to
do one out of the kindness of your heart?

Speaker 4 (01:11:23):
Or no?

Speaker 2 (01:11:23):
You want to put this on pause till next week.
Everybobably gets a bye.

Speaker 3 (01:11:26):
A second by five weeks into the NFL season for
us on the Survivor League. I picked the Bills last week,
Matt picked the Lions. You picked the Chargers, so you
are out. But I would like to do a touchdown
parlay if we can still do that.

Speaker 2 (01:11:39):
No one loves touchdown parlays more than me. Tucker Craft,
You're never allowed at my house. I never want to
see you, Tucker Craft. I got absolutely host on a
touchdown parlay last week.

Speaker 3 (01:11:50):
Billy, I do I do well? I do one.

Speaker 2 (01:11:53):
It's one player from every one o'clock game. It's usually
nine or ten players. But when I do that. I
understand that's an extreme long shot. I've come close a
few times, but every time I bet it. It's not
that serious. Always do one with four players that I
that I do take some money maker. Yeah, I mean
it's hit a couple of times. You only need to
hit a couple of year. Last week Tucker Craft had

(01:12:14):
three of the four Tucker Craft playing the Cowboys. Packers
tight end just needed him. It was like ten dollars
to win, like nine hundred or something crazy that might
be a little yes, like six or seven hundred. Tucker
Craft gets stopped on the goal line, then measure, they
decide he was down at the one I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:12:31):
Losing my mind. He's right there.

Speaker 2 (01:12:33):
One more inch. They punched in with a running back.
Later in the game, big play to Tucker Craft. He
gets tackled at the goal line. Review it again determined
he was down at the one inch. So the touchdown
parlays are hitting me at a moment where I'm not well, Yeah,
this week, I'm going to bring you in. Let's do
a fore man, my usual foremn, but you do two.

Speaker 3 (01:12:55):
I do too. I like it, and you know Packers
are on a bye, so you can he can't hurt
me Gurt right now, he's out of the picture. That
one's done. Like, if you lose whatever, I'll lose every weekend.
That's fine. Don't get down to the ench line twice
on my last week. That's all asked. It's like having
Saquon and Jalen Hurts doing tush pushes all night. So
Matt usually we do the mad game. He's not here.

(01:13:17):
He does like you do a tight end, I'll do
a receiver running back.

Speaker 2 (01:13:21):
Still don't really know what we're doing with that, but whatever,
and it's fun. This week, me and you were just
picking two touchdowns scores for our fourth example.

Speaker 3 (01:13:28):
Yeah. I do like to do different games, so like
you know, if I do.

Speaker 2 (01:13:34):
Different Okay, Derrick Henry, don't pick another Raven or whoever
wherever they're playing.

Speaker 3 (01:13:38):
Yeah, that works.

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
I'll just let you go first receiver, quarterback. If you
want to do Jackson Dart again, that was your big
money maker. It's all in your hands. You get two
picks first. Let me know your first one now. Yeah,
definitely the high point of the year for me. Jackson
Dart scoring last week. I am going to go to
a four o'clock game. Commanders Chargers. Give me Omaron Hampton

(01:14:01):
to score a touchdown. You know, with Naji Harris going
down a couple of weeks ago, he had twelve r
He's for one hundred and twenty eight yards and a
touchdown against a good Giants defensive front against the Commanders,
who are the twenty fourth ranked defense against the run.
I'm bringing his next gen stats here. Give me Omaron
Hampton to be my first touchdown score Drew, do you
like it? You don't even know this, but I mentioned

(01:14:23):
I hit three out of four last week. One of
them was helly oh, come on. I think he might
even been the first to check the box in my
four leger. So of course I like your hamping tick.
He's already been good to me. Let's keep it ride,
keep riding with him. I'm gonna go with a player
we named earlier. My big thing on anytime touchdowns is
somebody that's really good that's in a drought, kind of

(01:14:43):
like the team. You know they're gonna throw, they got
their their game plans.

Speaker 3 (01:14:47):
They got a run. But occasionally it's like, hey, we
gotta get so and so engaged. Yeah, get him in all. Yeah,
he's kind of been checked out. A little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:14:52):
We need him dialed in, and there's no one better
right now than Arthur Jahan Brown. We just said he's
doing cryptic tweets over on the sideline. He's calling him
Bible verses. But it sure reads like a guy who's
not happy with a situation. Eagles are a Super Bowl contender,
they're defending champs. They can't reach their goal if AJ
Brown isn't happy. So I think mister scripture, mister walk

(01:15:17):
away when things aren't going well, whatever it said. He's
getting the ball a lot, They're gonna they're gonna try
to make him happy. AJ Brown finds the end zone.

Speaker 3 (01:15:25):
Well, definitely comes in spurts, right. I mean, he had
that big second half versus the Rams where he had
six sketches for one hundred and nine yards in a
touchdown and then barely does anything this past week. But
I like the motivation here, the the receiver diva, gotta
get him involved. It's it's these guys screaming on the sideline.
Let's make them happy. He's been making a lot of noise.

(01:15:45):
So yeah, I don't think they go away from him.
They're gonna need him this year if they don't trade
him away. I think that's a I'm with you, Drew.

Speaker 2 (01:15:51):
It stinks picking a receiver with the Eagles, though, because
I'm gonna watch him do five touch push touchdowns and
Barkley and Hurts. You're gonna do all the scoring. But
I'm gonna roll the dice with getting Arthur one happy
because he deserves to be happy.

Speaker 3 (01:16:03):
Billy, that is the risk. So we got it.

Speaker 2 (01:16:05):
We got We got a Mario and Hampton with the
Chargers and AJ Brown with the Eagles.

Speaker 3 (01:16:10):
Let's do two more. Who do you have next? All right,
I'm gonna keep it rolling with the receiver. AJ Brown
was close to your heart. I'll give you one that's
close to mine. About Amike Abuka, the rookie who has
just been sensational this year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Amik through four games has eighteen catches for two hundred
and eighty two yards and four touchdowns. Had a seventy

(01:16:30):
seven yarder last week without Mike Evans. Chris Godwin has
come back and has gotten a little bit more attention
to allow Abuka to continue to do his thing. He
is healthier than he was last week, so that means
I think Tampa gets him back into the game plan
even more. Give me a Mike Abuka, who I've wanted
to pick for the last four weeks as my touchdown score.

(01:16:51):
I've never really gotten into work out with our game.
I think the rookie is gonna have a big game.
I love it. Love that pick.

Speaker 2 (01:16:57):
He has been awesome. Figured he'd be pretty good as
a rookie coming out of Howse State.

Speaker 3 (01:17:02):
But you know that's good. Yeah, yeah, right away? What
do you have?

Speaker 2 (01:17:04):
Like two touchdowns against the falcon in his first game,
had the big one last week against the Eagles.

Speaker 3 (01:17:08):
Loved this pic, Love this pick.

Speaker 2 (01:17:09):
So we got a Hampton Brown Ubuka.

Speaker 3 (01:17:14):
I'm gonna go on with this one. So you've done
running back receiver, right, I've done receiver. You normally go
against the Titans. Are you doing that this week? No?
I did that last week with Nico Collins. It didn't
work out.

Speaker 2 (01:17:26):
I'm gonna go running back another player we just mentioned.
I'm gonna I'm gonna highlight our boy camps kataboo. Oh yes, okay.
Each week the Giants are just giving him the rock
just a little bit more, just a little bit more,
and he just keeps getting dirtier and dirtier. I still
don't know how he's getting that dirt on him, but
he's going to work and this week he's gonna get

(01:17:47):
in the end zone for US. I like Cam Skataboo.
It looks like he's about plus one ten. Okay, wanted
a little more juice there, but it's still plus odds.
I'm taking Cam as my fourth pick. So we got
running back, running back, receiver receiver at twenty five carries
last week in the game versus A Chargers. Don't think
he scored a touchdown because Dart had the one rushing one.
But he's been really impressive. Fourth round pickout in Arizona State.

(01:18:10):
We all saw how tough he was in the playoff, but.

Speaker 3 (01:18:13):
Now that he's doing it with New York, I got
to think that market loves him, is going to continue
to embrace him and let's ride. I mean that sounds
like a good of a four parlay that I've ever heard. Yeah,
it also fits my my thing of like a guy
that's been scoring that didn't score last week's when need
to get back in the end zone.

Speaker 2 (01:18:29):
He had a little streak off scoring games, So so
that's it. I wish I could pull up the odds
what it is overall, but because some of these are
night games like Abuka actually a year two. I'm not
blaming you, but they don't have odds for Hampton or Mike.

Speaker 3 (01:18:45):
Yes, because they know they're sure sure bets. I mean,
why would they want people. Maybe they're there because they're
so sure. But I'm definitely betting it.

Speaker 2 (01:18:51):
The odds will certainly be long with a bunch of
players with plus ow is there anytime touchdown scores?

Speaker 3 (01:18:56):
It's the Drew and.

Speaker 2 (01:18:57):
Billy four leggeru aj Brown A, Mario and Hampton, Cam
Scattaboo and Mike Buka.

Speaker 3 (01:19:04):
I don't see the way it doesn't hit. You bet it.

Speaker 2 (01:19:05):
If you We're not going to sit here and encourage
it to you use DraftKings if you'd like. We prefer DraftKings.
The crown is yours. This won't be on there. This
posted like the KSR parlay. But just know that your
friends Billy and Drew picked it and we're on it.

Speaker 3 (01:19:18):
And when Matt gets back, that'll be our entire first
ten minutes of the show is talking about the parlay
that hit for us.

Speaker 2 (01:19:24):
Drue, if it hits when he gets back, we have
to tell him his little game of different, you know,
running back, whatever that is.

Speaker 3 (01:19:30):
We're out until the Drew Billy party.

Speaker 2 (01:19:32):
Leave it to us because you had Jackson Dart last
week at like plus three sixty For anytime touchdown, this
will be crazy odds. Let's make it happen. But it
was a fun, fun week filling in for Matt. We'll
be excited to get him back. It's been a long
three and a half weeks on the KSR Morning show,
NFL Cover zero, all the things he normally does, We've
miss having him around, but we know he had fun
on a South African trip. Billy, did you have fun

(01:19:54):
today taking on a larger role? You already do so
much for this podcast. It's not like you're stepping into
something brand new, but you did get to do a
lot more talking today.

Speaker 3 (01:20:03):
Did you enjoy it? I'm very honored to be in
the second chair here along with you, Drew. Normally I
get told five minutes before the show starts the bit
that I'm gonna have to do on the show. I
got to prepare a little bit and talk a little
bit more. So I'm having a lot of fun with
this show, and I hope the listeners are too.

Speaker 2 (01:20:18):
Yeah, thanks everyone for listening. This was the mid week
edition before Week five. Appreciate y'all letting us do kind
of a makeshift show here with me hosting and Billy
sliding over into chair two. As I said, Matt will
be back on Sunday as we recap all these games.
Let's hit that four leg parlay, Let's keep everybody healthy
so we're not doing a linky injury report, and I

(01:20:38):
guess I'll say, tighten up.

Speaker 3 (01:20:39):
I love you all. We'll get through this. Titans fans,
tighten up. Thanks for listening.

Speaker 1 (01:20:50):
NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is
a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast. For more
podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Cardiac Cowboys

The Joe Rogan Experience

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}NFL Cover Zero: Injuries Mounting and NFL Week 5 coming!

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Stuff You Should Know

Cardiac Cowboys

The Joe Rogan Experience

All Episodes

NFL Cover Zero: Injuries Mounting and NFL Week 5 coming!

Stuff You Should Know