Nick Wright previews his Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Buffalo Bills in the 10th meeting between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Later, Nick reacts to John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens' handling of Lamar Jackson's injury leading up to their NFL Week 8 matchup with Caleb Williams' Chicago Bears. Nick breaks down the long history of the Ravens and Lamar not seeing eye to eye on his injury status and whether that spells trouble for Baltimore moving forward. Then, the guys discuss "Nick's Picks" for Week 9 of the NFL season including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs battling Josh Allen's Bills, Aaron Rodgers leading the Pittsburgh Steelers against Daniel Jones' 7-1 Indianapolis Colts, and Jared Goff's Detroit Lions hosting JJ McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings. #Volume
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Best of the Week for What's Right
with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this
week on the show. Enjoy. Let's get to the annual
the Bill's annual super Bowl, their regular season game against
the Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Uh yeah, it is super Bowl week over there in
Buffalo and Buffalo's home home dogs this time. I know what,
what do you think we're gonna learn more from? Or
which team do you think we're gonna learn more from
in this game?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So a lot here, right, and the Bill's likely without
Ed Oliver, which is brutal for them. The Chiefs definitely
without their starting left tackle Josh Simmons. I do expect
him back, by the way in November, but he's not
(00:51):
going to be there for this game. Trey Smith should
be back, which is important. Those are the maybe most
noteworthy injuries or absences for the Bills. The real question
to me is can this defense slow down what has
become the most with respect to the Colts, the most
(01:13):
prolific offense in the NFL. Is that that's the question
for Buffalo and for Kansas City. It is actually a
similar question in this regard, which is the Chiefs have
the defense the last two weeks has been unbelievable. But
(01:34):
you're playing Mariota and you're playing the Raiders when they
have played legitimate quarterbacks. Those teams have moved the ball. Now, listen,
the Lions only scored seventeen points, but they moved the ball.
The Prince and the Jags moved the ball. Baltimore in
(01:58):
the three quarters Lamar play moved the ball. Philly actually
struggled a bit moving the ball, but the Chargers moved
the ball. So this Chiefs defense can't generate enough of
a pass rush without having to send blitz after blitz
after blitz to disrupt Josh Allen. So those are the
(02:19):
real The focus is going to be on Allen and Mahomes,
But as far as learning more about either of these teams,
it's going to be more about the defensive side of
the game. But I will also say this, if I
were just to name a few Bill Simmons or Mike
(02:44):
Greenberg or Jim Rome or Joe Montana or Steven Ruiz
or Dominique Foxworth, some of these people are my good
friends or colleague or Colin Cowhert m mentor and dear
(03:07):
dear friend, any of a dozen people who in September
or August definitively declared that the best quarterback in football
is Josh Allen. I'd be a little nervous this week
because twenty some million people are going to watch the
(03:33):
Chiefs go to Buffalo and what very well might be
the last time Mahomes and Allen ever play in that stadium,
and I think they're going to watch Patrick put on
an absolute masterclass. And I understand that it was very
(03:59):
in vogue, as it is every September, and again, I
have been very complimentary of Josh the last couple of years,
but it was very in vogue to just flatly assert, oh,
Josh Allen's the best player in the league after the
(04:20):
first few weeks of the season, and since then he's
been good, but not great. The team has been just
fine since that three and zero start two and two,
and right now this year, the only win the Bills
(04:42):
have to hang their hat on is a Ravens win.
That Ravens win that has not I guess I think
it's fair to say aged amazingly because the Ravens were
such a mess the first six weeks of the year.
And this gets us to demons the rivalry question, So
(05:04):
go ahead, I'll let you yes.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Like, like you said, this is going to be the
tenth time that they face each other, So what would
Allen need to do in this game for it to
be considered a rivalry or a true rivalry.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So I under it is a rivalry. I want to like,
I don't think it's not a rivalry. It's the two
best quarterbacks in the league. And it is two of
the three best teams in the league over the last
(05:37):
five years. I don't think you can call it the
two best teams in the league because I think you
have to get Philadelphia. It's credit, they've been to two
Super Bowls, they've won one, But it is It is
unlike any rivalry we've seen in NFL history, where despite
(06:01):
the fact that the teams are you know, in any
given year, even or one guy just has a slight advantage.
Early on, when they were playing, the Chiefs clearly had
the better offensive weapons. The Bills clearly had the better defense.
The last couple of years, the Bills probably had the
(06:25):
better offensive weapons, offensive line, running back, core tight ends,
you know, and the Chiefs might have actually had the
better defense. And on one team has consistently won the
regular season matchups, and one team has won every single
one of the postseason matchups. And it is and I,
(06:51):
you know, ranted about this on the TV show yesterday,
so I don't have to spend too much time on
it here. But people so badly wanted to be Brady
Peyton and it has just been nothing like Brady Peyton,
and it's maddening to me. Brady Peyton.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Was.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Peyton was the guy with the multiple MVPs. Peyton was
the guy with the crazy stats, and Brady was the
one with the rings in this instance. And by the way,
Peyton in their third playoff matchup beat Brady, and in
their fourth playoff matchup beat Brady, and in their fifth
(07:39):
and final playoff matchup beat Brady. Fact that nobody seems
to remember but me is Peyton finished the Brady Peyton
playoff rivalry with a winning record. He was one and
two with the Colts and two and zero with the Broncos.
But set that aside Josh and Patrick, Josh is the
(08:04):
Patrick is the one with multiple MVPs. Patrick is the
one with the gaudier stats, and Patrick is the only
one that's ever won, so it is far closer to
Jordan Ewing or Lebron Toronto than it is bird Magic
(08:29):
or Peyton Brady. What are you laughing at?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Le Bron Toronto is crazy?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, I mean that's what it's been. I mean, that's
what that they even when Toronto had the better regular
season record than Cleveland, even when they were the favorite
in the series, which people will pretend didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
But twenty eighteen what Mahomes has always had the gaudier stats.
I feel like some years Josh Allen has beating Patrick
Mahomes out.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
No. I mean, last year Josh was literally League MVP,
and the year before Josh had better individual numbers. But
I'm talking about for the totality of their careers. Patrick
has more passing yards, more touchdowns, fewer turnovers, a higher
passer rating and no, no, no, the last two years Josh
(09:18):
has had the the better numbers, and the last two
years they've played in the playoffs, once in Josh's building,
once in Patrick's. The last two years, Josh has had
the ball in his hands less than five minutes, remaining
down three points, chance to go slay the dragon, and
(09:41):
the last two years the Bills have walked off the
field getting zero points from those drives and the chief celebrate.
I mean, that's just what's happened. And so I just
people so badly want Patrick to have peer and he
just doesn't at this point. And as far as can
(10:05):
this game change that, no could They would the Bills
beating the Chiefs in the playoffs finally change that? Sure,
but we're far a long way from it. All right,
let's talk MVP.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Uh yeah, how far do you think that this game
will go and decide in the MVP? Well, and also
another follow up on this, could the loser still be
eligible for v Oh?
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Yeah? I mean again, we do too much. It's week
eight or we just finished Week eight. A lot of
people are still eligible for MVP. They're not knocked out
of it here. But Josh's MVP case right now to
me is very shaky. And listen, I was on the
(10:52):
record throughout last season that I thought at the end
of last season he was the MVP. But right now
this moment, Josh's team has a good but not great record.
But that's the same with Patrick. They both have five wins.
Josh is, however, twentieth in the NFL in passing yards.
(11:16):
He is tied for fourteenth in the NFL in passing touchdowns.
He is ninth in the NFL in passer rating. And
you can say, well, you know we've got to and
we do have to give Josh credit for the rushing
(11:37):
piece of it. So he's rushed for two hundred and
sixty yards and has rushed for five touchdowns. The touchdowns
more impressive than the yards. Obviously, on that note, Josh
has not up to this point played like an MVP,
and the point I was making earlier after he was
(11:58):
unbelievable in that Ravens game, and he was unbelievable in
the Dolphins game. That was the game after the Dolphins
game when Mike Greenberg said he's never seen anyone play
the position better than Josh Allen. Since those three game,
those opening three weeks, he's been mediocre. Against the Saints,
(12:21):
threw for two hundred yards, two touchdowns and a pick
against the Patriots and a loss. Threw for two touchdowns
or two touchdowns, one pick and two hundred and fifty
three yards against the Falcons and a loss. Was bad
two touchdowns, two picks at seventy three rating one hundred
and eighty yards. And against the Panthers last week didn't
have to do anything, and I mean they won forty
(12:42):
to nine. You don't hold it against him. He threw
for one hundred and sixty yards. So it is right
now if we were talking NFL MVP as far as
not projection demons on who's going to win it, but
on who if the award were given out, if we
(13:07):
had a mid season MVP, better candidates than Josh would
be Drake May, who honestly I think would be the
mid season MVP. I think right now this moment, Drake
May has you could argue has been the MVP. Drake
(13:29):
has a better case. Jonathan Taylor, if we're going to
open it up to running backs, has a better case.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Matthew Stafford fly isn't Baker like I know, he got
knocked out, but given the totality his his season has
been Yes, cool, if not better than Josh Allen's.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Up to this point, yes, I And so the right now,
if again, if we're voted on right now, my my
top five would be Drake, Stafford, Taylor, Baker and Patrick
And then I think you well, I'm going with Jonathan
(14:14):
Taylor as the MVP of that team. If it's a
quarterback only then Daniel Jones would have to be involved.
Jared Goff some would argue, and Jalen hurts. I wouldn't argue,
But the twenty touchdowns to two turnovers, something else, and
the insane passer rating, you know, with something else. It's
just his yards are so low. It's a tough one.
(14:38):
But all those guys set Jalen aside because it's such
a unique case, have stronger MVP cases at this moment
than Josh. Uh. All right, let's a couple more questions
on this.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So you joked on Tuesday Show that if the Chiefs
lost the or won the regular season matchup, that they
might be in jeopardy to lose the postseason matchup. Are
you all worried about that with this game coming?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Well, here's what I find really interesting. This is the
first time these two teams since Patrick and Josh have
been there are playing in the regular season with neither
one of them in first in their own division. Usually
both are in first. This is the only time that
(15:27):
neither's been in first. And I do feel that the
Chiefs historically have had an edge in the playoff matchup
against Buffalo Demonse because Buffalo goes all out for that
(15:47):
regular season game, and the Chiefs to me, have a
pretty vanilla game plan. They obviously want to win and
they've been important games, but a pretty vanilla game plan
and try to use that regular season game as a
scouting opportunity for the postseason game. I don't know that
(16:07):
Kansas City or Buffalo for that matter, really has that
luxury this matchup because neither one of these teams say
it again.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Oh, I was gonna assume with folks being hurt, like
you can't.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
No, no, no, it's because both of these teams are in
a real divisional fight. Neither one of these teams wants
to be a wild card. Since Josh and Patrick have
been there, they've never neither one of them ever has
been a wild card like and so that where you
have to start the postseason on the road. Both of
these teams, I'm sure believe they are still very alive
(16:48):
for the number one seed. The Chiefs get to play
the Colts. That. I don't think the Bills and Colts
play each other, do they?
Speaker 2 (16:58):
They don't say both of them are going to be
going going as I would think.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I yeah, because it's the Chiefs lose this game. I
mean they'll be going into Week ten to seven seed.
The Bills lose this game and New England takes an
even stronger hold on the division.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
So it is.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
It's a super important spot for both teams. And I
am pleasantly surprised that the Chiefs are road favorites, like
we've seen the Bills come to Arrowhead and the Bills
be road favorites. The Chiefs being road favorites with what
(17:42):
people were saying about Kansas City just four weeks ago,
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Speaker 2 (19:30):
Let's talk about Lebar Jackson and how it seems that
Baltimore amount of lied on their injury report. You know,
we've got the whole thing going on with the NBA
right now, so it's a sensitive time. But you think
that everybody's missing the real story and this debacle? What
what was?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yeah, so listen, I don't I understand why of all
the weeks to be like, oh, our bad our quarterback
that we said was a full participant was actually limited
and he didn't take any reps with the ones. He
was actually out with the scout team, and that everybody
thinks he's playing is not playing. Why this was the
worst week imaginable to make that mistake From a conspiratorial perspective,
(20:11):
I understand that, but I do not think that's the story.
I think that's secondary to the story, and the story
is I believe the Ravens lied on the injury report
(20:33):
not to get a competitive advantage, but they lied on
the injury report as a way to pressure Lamar Jackson
into playing and this demands follows a pattern, and I
am going to lay it all out for you with
(20:56):
John Harbaugh's own words in twin. And keep in mind,
Lamar has no agent, Lamar is self represented. There's mom
does it. And the reason I say that is because
whenever you hear reports about Lamar's status, it only can
(21:16):
come from the team. He doesn't have an agent feeding
rap reporter schefter stuff and so. And by the way,
can we please get just a sidebark? Can we please
get real news at some point? Again, I mean we
(21:38):
Carson Wentz evidently has been at a broken entire left
side of his body for three weeks, not reported anywhere.
Trayvon Diggs it suffered a concussion at home that has
now put him on the IR We have no info
about it. Lamar Jackson, nobody had a clue he might
(22:01):
actually miss time and didn't really practice until Saturday morning.
And yet in place of that, instead of getting that
real info, what we get is the same five people
racing to publish the exact same information seconds ahead of
each other about extensions and undrafted free agents signing with
(22:26):
practice squads, with agents cited, and agencies credited, it's just gross.
And you also, I like, you saw it again yesterday
with with who is it that? Oh uh, what's his name?
The great Sir Tan, Sir Tan, Sir Tan got hurt
(22:52):
and Jordan Schultz, to his credit, had it first and
it's like, hey, this is multi week four to six weeks.
Maybe I are is a question and then we get
this and this might seem unfair, but from one of
the you know, biggest insiders, Patcher Tan, the reigning defensive
(23:15):
player of the Year, suffered a pecking strain in the
win over the Cowboys. He's considered weak to weak and
could land on IR But solid news what that's not
solid again? That's not a positive news story. It sucks.
It's football. There's injuries. But everything doesn't have to be
framed as avoiding catastrophe. Better than expected. The team is relieved.
(23:42):
If everything is better than expected, then nothing is better
than expected. But I digress to go to the Harball
Ravens thing, a Harball Lamar Thing twenty twenty one. Lamar
hurts his ankle Week fourteen, John Harbass says about him
(24:08):
playing Week fifteen again, there are games Week fifteen, sixteen
seventeen eighteen about him playing Week fifteen, I'd say he
has a chance. It's one of those things. It's an
ankle spring. If he starts feeling good and everything is
all right, we'll check him out, probably pregame. So Harbaugh's
(24:29):
saying he's going to be a true game time decision.
He's in all the preparations and all of that. We'll
see where we're at. Lamar did not play again that season,
and then after the year, John Harbaugh says, quote, Lamar
felt like he was going to be back. The first week,
(24:50):
he thought he had a chance. The second week he
assured me, he said, I'll be back. He missed four
straight weeks. Then next year, Lamar gets hurt in Week
thirteen during the game. There are five games left plus
(25:10):
the playoffs. Harbaugh says, it's not a season ending type
of knee. Will get more tests tomorrow and let you
know how long it's going to be. We'll see if
he can go back. If he can go back this
week for Week fourteen, if not, he'll be some time
(25:32):
after that. Shortly, Lamar missed the rest of the regular season,
missed five straight games. The Ravens schefter than reports because
Ravens made the playoffs anyway that Lamar is expected to
play in the playoff game according to sources. Again, there
(25:55):
are no Lamar's sources other than the Ravens. Then misses
the playoff game, and then if you remember tweets out
about how it's a grade to almost a grade three
PCL strain, and a lot of us, my self included,
speculated I do with remember he didn't have a contract,
that he was protecting himself because of the contract, which
(26:17):
is totally reasonable. Then there's the hamstring injury this year.
After the Rams game sixteen days ago, John Harbaugh was
asked about Lamar about his optimism surrounding the team going
into the buy and he said, quote, our quarterback is
(26:41):
going to be back. That's probably a big one. And
then Friday after practice, Harbaugh said, full practice today for Lamar,
So that was good. There is only one way to
(27:02):
read those sequence of events. That sequence of events. Lamar
and the Ravens are consistently not on the same page
about Lamar's injury timelines, and I believe the Ravens listed
(27:23):
him as a full participant and talked about him as
if it was a certainty that he was going to
play on Sunday as a way to pressure him into playing,
and then Saturday morning Lamar shut it all down. I'm
(27:44):
not saying who's right and who's wrong in this. It's
certainly in play. The Ravens are just far too optimistic,
and it's in play that Lamar is the type of
player who if he just doesn't feel close to one
hundred percent, he doesn't feel comfortable going out there, so
(28:05):
be it. I'm not judging any of that. I am
saying failing to acknowledge that that is the clear cut
inarguable history year is failing to just read the transcripts.
(28:27):
And it is because of that demanse that I while
I think Lamar is going to play Thursday night, I
am not certain of it. And even though Harbass said
yesterday it's full practice or expecting him to play, I
(28:51):
don't think you.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Can understand that. There's like you're saying, Lamar doesn't have
an agent, but Lamar has somebody that's looking at his
body when he goes to get checked on on the this
type of stuff. Why are they not just talking into
the Ravens. I'm kind of confused on why there's not
just a doctor or somebody telling oh, he's out for
X amount of weeks.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Because what's pretty clear is to me because yeah, he
has a doctor. It's the Ravens doctor. And Todd Munkin
alluded to this a week ago about whether or not
Lamar had been cleared. What is pretty clear, given Harbaugh's comments,
(29:35):
is throughout all of these injuries and again, maybe the
Ravens team doctor is doing a bad job, but he
has been cleared to.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Play each time, and he is.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Saying I can't right, and that I think is frustrated
has frustrated the Ravens over the years because it the
way it works is this, you cannot play without the
doctor clearing you. But once the doctor clears you, you
then have to be comfortable to play, obviously, right, And
(30:12):
I am reading this as a very obvious pattern of
the doctor clearing him and him saying, no, I'm not
comfortable playing. Again, maybe it's the Ravens team doctor issue.
I'm not I'm really not banging on Lamar on this.
I am saying that there is a clear disconnect between coach,
(30:36):
medical staff, and player. Now, with all that said, Demonse,
the Ravens are now the favorite to win the division
and the Snoop Huntley saved their season, saw some performance.
And if you look at their schedule coming up, and
you look at the Bengals blowing a game, just blowing
(31:00):
against the Jets, and the Steelers getting thoroughly outplayed by
the Packers, you fully expect Monsey the Ravens to win
their next four, correct.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
I mean they could win the rest of the games
with yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
The I mean, sure they could win any of those
individual games, but you would be stunned if they lose
any of the next four. At Miami Thursday night, at
the Vikings, who are a mess, at the Browns, who
have the worst offense in football, home for the Jets.
(31:44):
So they should be six and five going into the
meat of going into the stretch run, where in those
final six weeks they have two games against the Bengals,
two games again against the Steelers, a Packers game, and
a Patriot game. And throw that schedule back up. They
(32:10):
will be favored in every game they play until week seventeen.
They will be favored obviously in all their home games,
and they will be road favorites against Tua JJ McCarthy,
whoever the Browns quarterback is at that point, and Joe
(32:33):
Flackham and then they'll be so they've got a shot.
Now here is a real scenario we've got on our hands,
which would be hilarious. Let's say the Patriots have some
gaudy record, which they cook. They're six and two already.
(32:56):
Let's say that Patriots go twelve and five, and it's
totally reasonable given I think the Patriots play one game
the rest of the way against AFC teams currently in
the playoff picture. Okay, they it's their second Bills game.
So let's say they go twelve and five and win
(33:18):
the AFC East, and the Bills also go twelve and five. Okay,
but the Patriots win the AFC East. This is a tiebreaker,
and the Ravens go eight and nine, but that's good
enough to win the AFC North. They split with Cincinnati,
(33:41):
they split with Pittsburgh, they lose the Packer game, and
what's their record right now, two and five. Yeah, it's
whatever it is. They go eight and nine, but it's
enough to win the AFC North. The Ravens, the eight
(34:02):
and nine Ravens hosting in the playoffs, the twelve and
five Buffalo Bills or the twelve and five New England Patriots,
or the twelve and five Denver Broncos, or if I'm
wrong about the Chiefs, the twelve and five, like the
worst division winner, no matter the record, will host the
(34:25):
best wildcard and the best wild card in the AFC
this year is gonna have a great record. Be it
the Pats, be it the Bills, be it the Chiefs,
be it the Chargers, be it the Broncos. One of
those teams is gonna win eleven, maybe twelve games and
have to go to an eight or nine win Baltimore
(34:47):
or Cincinnati or Pittsburgh, and it's just what's gonna happen
and so hard, all right? Flip side is the Bears game.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
The Bears, Caleb made some more errors that Ravens defense
that everybody's been talking trash about. They looked pretty good,
well he has.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
People were talking trash or they were just watching it.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
They've been bad, they've they've been pretty bad. But yeah,
how many more errors or how long were you give
Caleb before you give up on him?
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Well I'm not going to give up on him anytime soon.
But he wasn't good. I mean I'm not going to
act like he was good. And that was a huge
missed opportunity for them, for him and for them, and
you'd like to give him a pass, be like, oh,
they were on a four game winning streak, they were
bound to lose, but you can't losing that game in
that fashion to Tyler Huntley and Caleb playing that mediocre
(35:43):
is a huge disappointment. Now, I still think, as I
was saying when I was doing the playoff picture before,
they're super live. Right now, they're in eighth place, and
I think San Francisco is going to be trending in
the wrong direction, and their next to Demanse. Their next three,
I should say, are Bengals, Giants, Vikings. So the Bears
(36:07):
should be seven and three. They should be seven and
three going into a really tough stretch of games. And so,
but Caleb's got to play better. There's no way around it.
Caleb flaty has to play better.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
And I think at this point, I think everybody can
acknowledge and accept.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
That Chicago or committed to Caleb or Ben Johnson.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
He's fully committed to both. I mean, the thing is this,
Ben took the job because of Caleb, so the he
wants to make this work. But Caleb's got to play better.
There's no there's no sugar coating that. By the way,
if you're thinking about upgrading to the all new iPhone
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Terms of course do apply. Here are my five picks
this week.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
First pick is Detroit minus eight and a half going
up against Minnesota Golf.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Evidently's eight to zero against the spread against the Vikings
in his Lions career. The Lions are on extended rest.
Minnesota right now might be a total man. Yes, I
think the Lions defense, which against bad quarterbacks, really can
get after you. Could give JJ McCarthy hell. And we
don't know if JJ McCarthy, how hurt was he or
(38:13):
how much were they hiding him. And what we do
know about the Lions, The Lions love pouring it on.
The Lions love annihilating teams, and so I don't mind
laying the eight and a half points. I love the
Lions in this spot. One of maybe my favorite play
(38:34):
of the week. It's the first one, Detroit minus eight
and a half.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Yeah, never been so sure about minus eight and a
half spread. I'm very confident in that one, Pittsburgh plus
three versus Indy.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
So I'm very you saying you're very confident in that
one you're getting on I am no, no, no, not
at all. I'm just curious if that means it's gonna
be the Detroit honeyline. Is going to be a leg
of your teaser?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Oh yeah, because you like eight.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Point teasers and if you like them, minus eight and
a half like that, to me is a pretty good
for your eight point teaser. Pretty good teaser leg a
good all right. Pittsburgh plus three against Indy, Tomlin at home,
getting at least a field goal with all these numbers,
we win against them last week Green Bay. We said
(39:28):
we didn't care, and we were right. We're going back
with them this week. Awful lot loss. Tomlin's sixty one
and forty seven against the spread. They're twenty five and
fifteen against the spread as an underdog off and outright loss,
and twelve and four against the spread as a home
dog off a straight up loss. Tomlin twenty two eight
and three UH as a home dog against the spread. Now,
(39:51):
the Steelers defense against that offense does worry you a bit,
but Rogers has been good again. I'm getting three points.
I don't feel spectacular about this from having watched that
Steelers defense over the course of season and watched the
Colts offense. But there is just all of Tomlin's history
(40:15):
says if you're giving him at least three points at home,
he doesn't loose. He covers. That was the case last week,
and he didn't and we sniffed it out. I don't
think it's gonna happen back to back. I like Pittsburgh
plus three next.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Dan Francisco minus two and a half going in because
the Giants.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
I listen, this is just a play that the Giant
season ended with the blown game to Denver, and last
week they got bullied by the Eagles, and they lost
another key player in Scataboo due to injuries. So no Skataboo,
no neighbors. Weird noise this week surrounding their d line
(40:58):
with Carl Banks calling out Dexter Lawrence, with Thibodeau potentially
being on the trade block. I think the Giants are
floundering a bit. I don't really think it matters which
Niners quarterback plays. All lay the two and a half
with the Giants going east coast to west coast. All
(41:19):
lay the two and a half with San Francisco next.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Who would have thought you got the Chiefs midst one
and a half at Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
Listen. I just think the Chiefs are the best team
in the league, and I'm laying less than a field goal.
This is the sharp side is going to say. I
would imagine getting points with the Bills at home. You
have to do it. I don't care about that. And
a lot of Mahomes is against the spread, grizzly against
the spread. Numbers of the last few years have to
(41:48):
do with the Chiefs being big favorites. They are not
big favorites here, They're tiny favorites. I think the Chiefs
win by at least a field goal. I'll lay the
point and a half and last one. This is the
one I added when I took out Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Yes, Seattle to minus three at Washington.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Yeah, listen, I don't love the West coast to east. However,
Washington is banged up, the defense has been bad. I
do think Jaden's gonna play. But I think Seattle is
one of the more underrated teams in the league right now.
And Seattle is one of the only teams that going
(42:27):
west coast to east actually helps them as far as
covering seventeen eight and two over the last basically basically
half decade when they're playing on the East coast. I
think Seattle's really good. I think Washington is bad and injured.
I'll take Seattle minus three. So we are going to
Monte with four favorites. We are going with Detroit laying
(42:50):
eight and a half against Minnesota, San Francisco laying two
and a half against the Giants, Kansas City laying one
and a half at Buffalo, Seattle laying three at Washington,
and the one dog is Pittsburgh plus three at home
against the seven and one Indianapolis Colts,
Welcome to the Best of the Week for What's Right
with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this
week on the show. Enjoy. Let's get to the annual
the Bill's annual super Bowl, their regular season game against
the Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Uh yeah, it is super Bowl week over there in
Buffalo and Buffalo's home home dogs this time. I know what,
what do you think we're gonna learn more from? Or
which team do you think we're gonna learn more from
in this game?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So a lot here, right, and the Bill's likely without
Ed Oliver, which is brutal for them. The Chiefs definitely
without their starting left tackle Josh Simmons. I do expect
him back, by the way in November, but he's not
(00:51):
going to be there for this game. Trey Smith should
be back, which is important. Those are the maybe most
noteworthy injuries or absences for the Bills. The real question
to me is can this defense slow down what has
become the most with respect to the Colts, the most
(01:13):
prolific offense in the NFL. Is that that's the question
for Buffalo and for Kansas City. It is actually a
similar question in this regard, which is the Chiefs have
the defense the last two weeks has been unbelievable. But
(01:34):
you're playing Mariota and you're playing the Raiders when they
have played legitimate quarterbacks. Those teams have moved the ball. Now, listen,
the Lions only scored seventeen points, but they moved the ball.
The Prince and the Jags moved the ball. Baltimore in
(01:58):
the three quarters Lamar play moved the ball. Philly actually
struggled a bit moving the ball, but the Chargers moved
the ball. So this Chiefs defense can't generate enough of
a pass rush without having to send blitz after blitz
after blitz to disrupt Josh Allen. So those are the
(02:19):
real The focus is going to be on Allen and Mahomes,
But as far as learning more about either of these teams,
it's going to be more about the defensive side of
the game. But I will also say this, if I
were just to name a few Bill Simmons or Mike
(02:44):
Greenberg or Jim Rome or Joe Montana or Steven Ruiz
or Dominique Foxworth, some of these people are my good
friends or colleague or Colin Cowhert m mentor and dear
(03:07):
dear friend, any of a dozen people who in September
or August definitively declared that the best quarterback in football
is Josh Allen. I'd be a little nervous this week
because twenty some million people are going to watch the
(03:33):
Chiefs go to Buffalo and what very well might be
the last time Mahomes and Allen ever play in that stadium,
and I think they're going to watch Patrick put on
an absolute masterclass. And I understand that it was very
(03:59):
in vogue, as it is every September, and again, I
have been very complimentary of Josh the last couple of years,
but it was very in vogue to just flatly assert, oh,
Josh Allen's the best player in the league after the
(04:20):
first few weeks of the season, and since then he's
been good, but not great. The team has been just
fine since that three and zero start two and two,
and right now this year, the only win the Bills
(04:42):
have to hang their hat on is a Ravens win.
That Ravens win that has not I guess I think
it's fair to say aged amazingly because the Ravens were
such a mess the first six weeks of the year.
And this gets us to demons the rivalry question, So
(05:04):
go ahead, I'll let you yes.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Like, like you said, this is going to be the
tenth time that they face each other, So what would
Allen need to do in this game for it to
be considered a rivalry or a true rivalry.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So I under it is a rivalry. I want to like,
I don't think it's not a rivalry. It's the two
best quarterbacks in the league. And it is two of
the three best teams in the league over the last
(05:37):
five years. I don't think you can call it the
two best teams in the league because I think you
have to get Philadelphia. It's credit, they've been to two
Super Bowls, they've won one, But it is It is
unlike any rivalry we've seen in NFL history, where despite
(06:01):
the fact that the teams are you know, in any
given year, even or one guy just has a slight advantage.
Early on, when they were playing, the Chiefs clearly had
the better offensive weapons. The Bills clearly had the better defense.
The last couple of years, the Bills probably had the
(06:25):
better offensive weapons, offensive line, running back, core tight ends,
you know, and the Chiefs might have actually had the
better defense. And on one team has consistently won the
regular season matchups, and one team has won every single
one of the postseason matchups. And it is and I,
(06:51):
you know, ranted about this on the TV show yesterday,
so I don't have to spend too much time on
it here. But people so badly wanted to be Brady
Peyton and it has just been nothing like Brady Peyton,
and it's maddening to me. Brady Peyton.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Was.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Peyton was the guy with the multiple MVPs. Peyton was
the guy with the crazy stats, and Brady was the
one with the rings in this instance. And by the way,
Peyton in their third playoff matchup beat Brady, and in
their fourth playoff matchup beat Brady, and in their fifth
(07:39):
and final playoff matchup beat Brady. Fact that nobody seems
to remember but me is Peyton finished the Brady Peyton
playoff rivalry with a winning record. He was one and
two with the Colts and two and zero with the Broncos.
But set that aside Josh and Patrick, Josh is the
(08:04):
Patrick is the one with multiple MVPs. Patrick is the
one with the gaudier stats, and Patrick is the only
one that's ever won, so it is far closer to
Jordan Ewing or Lebron Toronto than it is bird Magic
(08:29):
or Peyton Brady. What are you laughing at?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Le Bron Toronto is crazy?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, I mean that's what it's been. I mean, that's
what that they even when Toronto had the better regular
season record than Cleveland, even when they were the favorite
in the series, which people will pretend didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
But twenty eighteen what Mahomes has always had the gaudier stats.
I feel like some years Josh Allen has beating Patrick
Mahomes out.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
No. I mean, last year Josh was literally League MVP,
and the year before Josh had better individual numbers. But
I'm talking about for the totality of their careers. Patrick
has more passing yards, more touchdowns, fewer turnovers, a higher
passer rating and no, no, no, the last two years Josh
(09:18):
has had the the better numbers, and the last two
years they've played in the playoffs, once in Josh's building,
once in Patrick's. The last two years, Josh has had
the ball in his hands less than five minutes, remaining
down three points, chance to go slay the dragon, and
(09:41):
the last two years the Bills have walked off the
field getting zero points from those drives and the chief celebrate.
I mean, that's just what's happened. And so I just
people so badly want Patrick to have peer and he
just doesn't at this point. And as far as can
(10:05):
this game change that, no could They would the Bills
beating the Chiefs in the playoffs finally change that? Sure,
but we're far a long way from it. All right,
let's talk MVP.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Uh yeah, how far do you think that this game
will go and decide in the MVP? Well, and also
another follow up on this, could the loser still be
eligible for v Oh?
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Yeah? I mean again, we do too much. It's week
eight or we just finished Week eight. A lot of
people are still eligible for MVP. They're not knocked out
of it here. But Josh's MVP case right now to
me is very shaky. And listen, I was on the
(10:52):
record throughout last season that I thought at the end
of last season he was the MVP. But right now
this moment, Josh's team has a good but not great record.
But that's the same with Patrick. They both have five wins.
Josh is, however, twentieth in the NFL in passing yards.
(11:16):
He is tied for fourteenth in the NFL in passing touchdowns.
He is ninth in the NFL in passer rating. And
you can say, well, you know we've got to and
we do have to give Josh credit for the rushing
(11:37):
piece of it. So he's rushed for two hundred and
sixty yards and has rushed for five touchdowns. The touchdowns
more impressive than the yards. Obviously, on that note, Josh
has not up to this point played like an MVP,
and the point I was making earlier after he was
(11:58):
unbelievable in that Ravens game, and he was unbelievable in
the Dolphins game. That was the game after the Dolphins
game when Mike Greenberg said he's never seen anyone play
the position better than Josh Allen. Since those three game,
those opening three weeks, he's been mediocre. Against the Saints,
(12:21):
threw for two hundred yards, two touchdowns and a pick
against the Patriots and a loss. Threw for two touchdowns
or two touchdowns, one pick and two hundred and fifty
three yards against the Falcons and a loss. Was bad
two touchdowns, two picks at seventy three rating one hundred
and eighty yards. And against the Panthers last week didn't
have to do anything, and I mean they won forty
(12:42):
to nine. You don't hold it against him. He threw
for one hundred and sixty yards. So it is right
now if we were talking NFL MVP as far as
not projection demons on who's going to win it, but
on who if the award were given out, if we
(13:07):
had a mid season MVP, better candidates than Josh would
be Drake May, who honestly I think would be the
mid season MVP. I think right now this moment, Drake
May has you could argue has been the MVP. Drake
(13:29):
has a better case. Jonathan Taylor, if we're going to
open it up to running backs, has a better case.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Matthew Stafford fly isn't Baker like I know, he got
knocked out, but given the totality his his season has
been Yes, cool, if not better than Josh Allen's.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Up to this point, yes, I And so the right now,
if again, if we're voted on right now, my my
top five would be Drake, Stafford, Taylor, Baker and Patrick
And then I think you well, I'm going with Jonathan
(14:14):
Taylor as the MVP of that team. If it's a
quarterback only then Daniel Jones would have to be involved.
Jared Goff some would argue, and Jalen hurts. I wouldn't argue,
But the twenty touchdowns to two turnovers, something else, and
the insane passer rating, you know, with something else. It's
just his yards are so low. It's a tough one.
(14:38):
But all those guys set Jalen aside because it's such
a unique case, have stronger MVP cases at this moment
than Josh. Uh. All right, let's a couple more questions
on this.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So you joked on Tuesday Show that if the Chiefs
lost the or won the regular season matchup, that they
might be in jeopardy to lose the postseason matchup. Are
you all worried about that with this game coming?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Well, here's what I find really interesting. This is the
first time these two teams since Patrick and Josh have
been there are playing in the regular season with neither
one of them in first in their own division. Usually
both are in first. This is the only time that
(15:27):
neither's been in first. And I do feel that the
Chiefs historically have had an edge in the playoff matchup
against Buffalo Demonse because Buffalo goes all out for that
(15:47):
regular season game, and the Chiefs to me, have a
pretty vanilla game plan. They obviously want to win and
they've been important games, but a pretty vanilla game plan
and try to use that regular season game as a
scouting opportunity for the postseason game. I don't know that
(16:07):
Kansas City or Buffalo for that matter, really has that
luxury this matchup because neither one of these teams say
it again.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Oh, I was gonna assume with folks being hurt, like
you can't.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
No, no, no, it's because both of these teams are in
a real divisional fight. Neither one of these teams wants
to be a wild card. Since Josh and Patrick have
been there, they've never neither one of them ever has
been a wild card like and so that where you
have to start the postseason on the road. Both of
these teams, I'm sure believe they are still very alive
(16:48):
for the number one seed. The Chiefs get to play
the Colts. That. I don't think the Bills and Colts
play each other, do they?
Speaker 2 (16:58):
They don't say both of them are going to be
going going as I would think.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I yeah, because it's the Chiefs lose this game. I
mean they'll be going into Week ten to seven seed.
The Bills lose this game and New England takes an
even stronger hold on the division.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
So it is.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
It's a super important spot for both teams. And I
am pleasantly surprised that the Chiefs are road favorites, like
we've seen the Bills come to Arrowhead and the Bills
be road favorites. The Chiefs being road favorites with what
(17:42):
people were saying about Kansas City just four weeks ago,
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Speaker 2 (19:30):
Let's talk about Lebar Jackson and how it seems that
Baltimore amount of lied on their injury report. You know,
we've got the whole thing going on with the NBA
right now, so it's a sensitive time. But you think
that everybody's missing the real story and this debacle? What
what was?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yeah, so listen, I don't I understand why of all
the weeks to be like, oh, our bad our quarterback
that we said was a full participant was actually limited
and he didn't take any reps with the ones. He
was actually out with the scout team, and that everybody
thinks he's playing is not playing. Why this was the
worst week imaginable to make that mistake From a conspiratorial perspective,
(20:11):
I understand that, but I do not think that's the story.
I think that's secondary to the story, and the story
is I believe the Ravens lied on the injury report
(20:33):
not to get a competitive advantage, but they lied on
the injury report as a way to pressure Lamar Jackson
into playing and this demands follows a pattern, and I
am going to lay it all out for you with
(20:56):
John Harbaugh's own words in twin. And keep in mind,
Lamar has no agent, Lamar is self represented. There's mom
does it. And the reason I say that is because
whenever you hear reports about Lamar's status, it only can
(21:16):
come from the team. He doesn't have an agent feeding
rap reporter schefter stuff and so. And by the way,
can we please get just a sidebark? Can we please
get real news at some point? Again, I mean we
(21:38):
Carson Wentz evidently has been at a broken entire left
side of his body for three weeks, not reported anywhere.
Trayvon Diggs it suffered a concussion at home that has
now put him on the IR We have no info
about it. Lamar Jackson, nobody had a clue he might
(22:01):
actually miss time and didn't really practice until Saturday morning.
And yet in place of that, instead of getting that
real info, what we get is the same five people
racing to publish the exact same information seconds ahead of
each other about extensions and undrafted free agents signing with
(22:26):
practice squads, with agents cited, and agencies credited, it's just gross.
And you also, I like, you saw it again yesterday
with with who is it that? Oh uh, what's his name?
The great Sir Tan, Sir Tan, Sir Tan got hurt
(22:52):
and Jordan Schultz, to his credit, had it first and
it's like, hey, this is multi week four to six weeks.
Maybe I are is a question and then we get
this and this might seem unfair, but from one of
the you know, biggest insiders, Patcher Tan, the reigning defensive
(23:15):
player of the Year, suffered a pecking strain in the
win over the Cowboys. He's considered weak to weak and
could land on IR But solid news what that's not
solid again? That's not a positive news story. It sucks.
It's football. There's injuries. But everything doesn't have to be
framed as avoiding catastrophe. Better than expected. The team is relieved.
(23:42):
If everything is better than expected, then nothing is better
than expected. But I digress to go to the Harball
Ravens thing, a Harball Lamar Thing twenty twenty one. Lamar
hurts his ankle Week fourteen, John Harbass says about him
(24:08):
playing Week fifteen again, there are games Week fifteen, sixteen
seventeen eighteen about him playing Week fifteen, I'd say he
has a chance. It's one of those things. It's an
ankle spring. If he starts feeling good and everything is
all right, we'll check him out, probably pregame. So Harbaugh's
(24:29):
saying he's going to be a true game time decision.
He's in all the preparations and all of that. We'll
see where we're at. Lamar did not play again that season,
and then after the year, John Harbaugh says, quote, Lamar
felt like he was going to be back. The first week,
(24:50):
he thought he had a chance. The second week he
assured me, he said, I'll be back. He missed four
straight weeks. Then next year, Lamar gets hurt in Week
thirteen during the game. There are five games left plus
(25:10):
the playoffs. Harbaugh says, it's not a season ending type
of knee. Will get more tests tomorrow and let you
know how long it's going to be. We'll see if
he can go back. If he can go back this
week for Week fourteen, if not, he'll be some time
(25:32):
after that. Shortly, Lamar missed the rest of the regular season,
missed five straight games. The Ravens schefter than reports because
Ravens made the playoffs anyway that Lamar is expected to
play in the playoff game according to sources. Again, there
(25:55):
are no Lamar's sources other than the Ravens. Then misses
the playoff game, and then if you remember tweets out
about how it's a grade to almost a grade three
PCL strain, and a lot of us, my self included,
speculated I do with remember he didn't have a contract,
that he was protecting himself because of the contract, which
(26:17):
is totally reasonable. Then there's the hamstring injury this year.
After the Rams game sixteen days ago, John Harbaugh was
asked about Lamar about his optimism surrounding the team going
into the buy and he said, quote, our quarterback is
(26:41):
going to be back. That's probably a big one. And
then Friday after practice, Harbaugh said, full practice today for Lamar,
So that was good. There is only one way to
(27:02):
read those sequence of events. That sequence of events. Lamar
and the Ravens are consistently not on the same page
about Lamar's injury timelines, and I believe the Ravens listed
(27:23):
him as a full participant and talked about him as
if it was a certainty that he was going to
play on Sunday as a way to pressure him into playing,
and then Saturday morning Lamar shut it all down. I'm
(27:44):
not saying who's right and who's wrong in this. It's
certainly in play. The Ravens are just far too optimistic,
and it's in play that Lamar is the type of
player who if he just doesn't feel close to one
hundred percent, he doesn't feel comfortable going out there, so
(28:05):
be it. I'm not judging any of that. I am
saying failing to acknowledge that that is the clear cut
inarguable history year is failing to just read the transcripts.
(28:27):
And it is because of that demanse that I while
I think Lamar is going to play Thursday night, I
am not certain of it. And even though Harbass said
yesterday it's full practice or expecting him to play, I
(28:51):
don't think you.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Can understand that. There's like you're saying, Lamar doesn't have
an agent, but Lamar has somebody that's looking at his
body when he goes to get checked on on the this
type of stuff. Why are they not just talking into
the Ravens. I'm kind of confused on why there's not
just a doctor or somebody telling oh, he's out for
X amount of weeks.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Because what's pretty clear is to me because yeah, he
has a doctor. It's the Ravens doctor. And Todd Munkin
alluded to this a week ago about whether or not
Lamar had been cleared. What is pretty clear, given Harbaugh's comments,
(29:35):
is throughout all of these injuries and again, maybe the
Ravens team doctor is doing a bad job, but he
has been cleared to.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Play each time, and he is.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Saying I can't right, and that I think is frustrated
has frustrated the Ravens over the years because it the
way it works is this, you cannot play without the
doctor clearing you. But once the doctor clears you, you
then have to be comfortable to play, obviously, right, And
(30:12):
I am reading this as a very obvious pattern of
the doctor clearing him and him saying, no, I'm not
comfortable playing. Again, maybe it's the Ravens team doctor issue.
I'm not I'm really not banging on Lamar on this.
I am saying that there is a clear disconnect between coach,
(30:36):
medical staff, and player. Now, with all that said, Demonse,
the Ravens are now the favorite to win the division
and the Snoop Huntley saved their season, saw some performance.
And if you look at their schedule coming up, and
you look at the Bengals blowing a game, just blowing
(31:00):
against the Jets, and the Steelers getting thoroughly outplayed by
the Packers, you fully expect Monsey the Ravens to win
their next four, correct.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
I mean they could win the rest of the games
with yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
The I mean, sure they could win any of those
individual games, but you would be stunned if they lose
any of the next four. At Miami Thursday night, at
the Vikings, who are a mess, at the Browns, who
have the worst offense in football, home for the Jets.
(31:44):
So they should be six and five going into the
meat of going into the stretch run, where in those
final six weeks they have two games against the Bengals,
two games again against the Steelers, a Packers game, and
a Patriot game. And throw that schedule back up. They
(32:10):
will be favored in every game they play until week seventeen.
They will be favored obviously in all their home games,
and they will be road favorites against Tua JJ McCarthy,
whoever the Browns quarterback is at that point, and Joe
(32:33):
Flackham and then they'll be so they've got a shot.
Now here is a real scenario we've got on our hands,
which would be hilarious. Let's say the Patriots have some
gaudy record, which they cook. They're six and two already.
(32:56):
Let's say that Patriots go twelve and five, and it's
totally reasonable given I think the Patriots play one game
the rest of the way against AFC teams currently in
the playoff picture. Okay, they it's their second Bills game.
So let's say they go twelve and five and win
(33:18):
the AFC East, and the Bills also go twelve and five. Okay,
but the Patriots win the AFC East. This is a tiebreaker,
and the Ravens go eight and nine, but that's good
enough to win the AFC North. They split with Cincinnati,
(33:41):
they split with Pittsburgh, they lose the Packer game, and
what's their record right now, two and five. Yeah, it's
whatever it is. They go eight and nine, but it's
enough to win the AFC North. The Ravens, the eight
(34:02):
and nine Ravens hosting in the playoffs, the twelve and
five Buffalo Bills or the twelve and five New England Patriots,
or the twelve and five Denver Broncos, or if I'm
wrong about the Chiefs, the twelve and five, like the
worst division winner, no matter the record, will host the
(34:25):
best wildcard and the best wild card in the AFC
this year is gonna have a great record. Be it
the Pats, be it the Bills, be it the Chiefs,
be it the Chargers, be it the Broncos. One of
those teams is gonna win eleven, maybe twelve games and
have to go to an eight or nine win Baltimore
(34:47):
or Cincinnati or Pittsburgh, and it's just what's gonna happen
and so hard, all right? Flip side is the Bears game.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
The Bears, Caleb made some more errors that Ravens defense
that everybody's been talking trash about. They looked pretty good,
well he has.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
People were talking trash or they were just watching it.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
They've been bad, they've they've been pretty bad. But yeah,
how many more errors or how long were you give
Caleb before you give up on him?
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Well I'm not going to give up on him anytime soon.
But he wasn't good. I mean I'm not going to
act like he was good. And that was a huge
missed opportunity for them, for him and for them, and
you'd like to give him a pass, be like, oh,
they were on a four game winning streak, they were
bound to lose, but you can't losing that game in
that fashion to Tyler Huntley and Caleb playing that mediocre
(35:43):
is a huge disappointment. Now, I still think, as I
was saying when I was doing the playoff picture before,
they're super live. Right now, they're in eighth place, and
I think San Francisco is going to be trending in
the wrong direction, and their next to Demanse. Their next three,
I should say, are Bengals, Giants, Vikings. So the Bears
(36:07):
should be seven and three. They should be seven and
three going into a really tough stretch of games. And so,
but Caleb's got to play better. There's no way around it.
Caleb flaty has to play better.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
And I think at this point, I think everybody can
acknowledge and accept.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
That Chicago or committed to Caleb or Ben Johnson.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
He's fully committed to both. I mean, the thing is this,
Ben took the job because of Caleb, so the he
wants to make this work. But Caleb's got to play better.
There's no there's no sugar coating that. By the way,
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Terms of course do apply. Here are my five picks
this week.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
First pick is Detroit minus eight and a half going
up against Minnesota Golf.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Evidently's eight to zero against the spread against the Vikings
in his Lions career. The Lions are on extended rest.
Minnesota right now might be a total man. Yes, I
think the Lions defense, which against bad quarterbacks, really can
get after you. Could give JJ McCarthy hell. And we
don't know if JJ McCarthy, how hurt was he or
(38:13):
how much were they hiding him. And what we do
know about the Lions, The Lions love pouring it on.
The Lions love annihilating teams, and so I don't mind
laying the eight and a half points. I love the
Lions in this spot. One of maybe my favorite play
(38:34):
of the week. It's the first one, Detroit minus eight
and a half.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Yeah, never been so sure about minus eight and a
half spread. I'm very confident in that one, Pittsburgh plus
three versus Indy.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
So I'm very you saying you're very confident in that
one you're getting on I am no, no, no, not
at all. I'm just curious if that means it's gonna
be the Detroit honeyline. Is going to be a leg
of your teaser?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Oh yeah, because you like eight.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Point teasers and if you like them, minus eight and
a half like that, to me is a pretty good
for your eight point teaser. Pretty good teaser leg a
good all right. Pittsburgh plus three against Indy, Tomlin at home,
getting at least a field goal with all these numbers,
we win against them last week Green Bay. We said
(39:28):
we didn't care, and we were right. We're going back
with them this week. Awful lot loss. Tomlin's sixty one
and forty seven against the spread. They're twenty five and
fifteen against the spread as an underdog off and outright loss,
and twelve and four against the spread as a home
dog off a straight up loss. Tomlin twenty two eight
and three UH as a home dog against the spread. Now,
(39:51):
the Steelers defense against that offense does worry you a bit,
but Rogers has been good again. I'm getting three points.
I don't feel spectacular about this from having watched that
Steelers defense over the course of season and watched the
Colts offense. But there is just all of Tomlin's history
(40:15):
says if you're giving him at least three points at home,
he doesn't loose. He covers. That was the case last week,
and he didn't and we sniffed it out. I don't
think it's gonna happen back to back. I like Pittsburgh
plus three next.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Dan Francisco minus two and a half going in because
the Giants.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
I listen, this is just a play that the Giant
season ended with the blown game to Denver, and last
week they got bullied by the Eagles, and they lost
another key player in Scataboo due to injuries. So no Skataboo,
no neighbors. Weird noise this week surrounding their d line
(40:58):
with Carl Banks calling out Dexter Lawrence, with Thibodeau potentially
being on the trade block. I think the Giants are
floundering a bit. I don't really think it matters which
Niners quarterback plays. All lay the two and a half
with the Giants going east coast to west coast. All
(41:19):
lay the two and a half with San Francisco next.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Who would have thought you got the Chiefs midst one
and a half at Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
Listen. I just think the Chiefs are the best team
in the league, and I'm laying less than a field goal.
This is the sharp side is going to say. I
would imagine getting points with the Bills at home. You
have to do it. I don't care about that. And
a lot of Mahomes is against the spread, grizzly against
the spread. Numbers of the last few years have to
(41:48):
do with the Chiefs being big favorites. They are not
big favorites here, They're tiny favorites. I think the Chiefs
win by at least a field goal. I'll lay the
point and a half and last one. This is the
one I added when I took out Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Yes, Seattle to minus three at Washington.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Yeah, listen, I don't love the West coast to east. However,
Washington is banged up, the defense has been bad. I
do think Jaden's gonna play. But I think Seattle is
one of the more underrated teams in the league right now.
And Seattle is one of the only teams that going
(42:27):
west coast to east actually helps them as far as
covering seventeen eight and two over the last basically basically
half decade when they're playing on the East coast. I
think Seattle's really good. I think Washington is bad and injured.
I'll take Seattle minus three. So we are going to
Monte with four favorites. We are going with Detroit laying
(42:50):
eight and a half against Minnesota, San Francisco laying two
and a half against the Giants, Kansas City laying one
and a half at Buffalo, Seattle laying three at Washington,
and the one dog is Pittsburgh plus three at home
against the seven and one Indianapolis Colts,
Host
Nick Wright
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