December 29, 2022 • 35 mins
It's Week 17 of the Game Preview Podcast with Ethan Greenberg and NFL Network Analytics Expert Cynthia Frelund, and the duo dives into Jets-Seahawks. They begin the first quarter talking about the what the return of Mike White means to the Jets offense (1:20) and if this is a favorable matchup for the Jets offense against the Seahawks defense (5:44). In the second quarter, they talk about the play from Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (11:15) and the way the Jets defense can slow down the Seahawks offense (14:15). In the third quarter, Frelund gives her take on the impressive rookies classes on both sides of the field this week (27:30). and discusses the play specifically of Seahawks rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen (29:30). They finish in the fourth quarter talking about the recent play of the Jets offensive line (32:15).
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to another edition of the Game Preview Podcast. I'm
rested up. Cynthia is not because she was had a
busy Christmas weekend for her real job, you know, the
NFL network kind of a big deal now joining us
as she does each week. We're talking Jet Seahawks as
the Jets go to Seattle in week seventeen, the longest
trip of the season for the New York Jets. And
(00:26):
look when they flight Thursday Night Football, they lose to
the Jaguars, they get ten days on the back end.
Mike White heels up the ribs acceptable now for contact,
so he's back in the lineup. Cynthia like, how big
of a difference do you think that Mike White in
the lineup will make? And let's just start there in
the first quarter, because it feels like from when you're
(00:48):
looking at like a temperature check on Twitter and social media,
everyone's like, it's like a craze that Mike White is back.
Is that too much expectations on the shoulders, Like, what
do you think he's gonna bring to the table Sunday?
But we all know Twitter is the absolute best resource
for the most cutting edge, truthful news to come out
in any moment at any time. But that being said,
(01:10):
they are kind of right because when I look at
Mike White and the difference that he makes in this offense,
it's really about the ability to complete the downfield passes,
as in those ten plus air yard attempts that are
game changing place. If you cannot complete downfield passes, it
becomes extremely hard to consistently win. So when you're looking
at Mike White's performance on such passes, five and fifty two,
(01:33):
that's the number of yards he has on those passes,
and when he was playing during that span, that ranked
first in the NFL. And by the way, he has
a one o eight point two pass rating on these
passes that ranks sixth best in the NFL. And by
the way, when you're looking to see the difference between
what happens with your guy, Garrett Wilson, when he's getting
(01:53):
to have the Mike White passes, that means fantasy gold,
because I know this might be championship week for a
couple of people's fantasy Yeah, it's first of all, I
know a couple of people who are in their fantasy championships.
Where do you stand? You're the reigning champ, aren't you yeah, up, No,
it's fine. Look our researcher Karine, who is awesome and
(02:16):
she is like one of the best human beings on
the planet. She won this year, and I'm very happy
for her. I'm gonna have, like, you know, to give
up my trophy. But other than that, you know, no,
I'm actually really you know, Karine crushed it. She deserves
to win completely. I will, like everyone else, I'll say
I was hampered by a series of injuries. But no
one cares about your fantasy league. All they care about
(02:37):
is their own. So Garrett Wilson, fantasy owners rejoice. Intermediate
passes are back. That's where Garrett Wilson has a hundred
and thirty five receiving yards over expected that leads the
league this season. And by the way, a hundred and
two of them came with Mike White. So like, we're
going to focus on positives here, Garrett Wilson all day. Yes, yes,
positive vibes only. And for Garrett Wilson, four yards away
(03:01):
Cynthia from reaching a thousand, he'd be the first Jets
rookie receiver to do so in franchise history. You would
imagine that would come in a couple of days when
the Jets take on the Seahawks in Seattle. But for
Mike White, the passing numbers they speak for themselves, Like
he's hit three hundred yards in each of the first
two games that he played this season against the Bears
that MetLife and then in Minnesota he had a great game.
(03:24):
Is this kind of like a similar matchup? Do you
think in terms of defense going up against the Bears defense,
the Vikings defense, and now playing against the Seahawks defense Sunday?
Are they all in the same area to you? Or
do the Seahawks rank better or worse than those two teams?
I just said, I'm gonna say so, all right, the
(03:46):
Vikings are really susceptible to the past, but they're better
against the run the Bears because justin fields runs so much.
They're just different because it's it's just it's just different,
because the possession and timing is a lot different now
this team they're not. So they have some points of vulnerability,
(04:07):
and in fact, the one that stands out to me
the most are on short passes, so anything under ten
are yards. They're the most vulnerable in the league. Highest
passer reading given up on short passes, which means Mike
White has a lot of different opportunities and looks both
because this team isn't so great against the run. They're
not so great against the past overall, but specifically those
(04:28):
short passes. That's a pretty dangerous way to live if
you're the Seahawks defense, because that's the way you escape pressure,
that's the way you use your running backs creatively. Who
does that well, Jets? And then you're really looking to
see the mixing up of the different looks for all
the receivers and your tight ends of this. So that's
that's a it's a dangerous path that the that the
(04:48):
Seahawks have chosen. Well, you know, when you look at
the Seahawks statistically, and this is not like next yen Steth,
these are is like very bare bones stats. They're passing.
Defense is statistically the strength of their defense. Their ranks
seventeen against the past, the twenty nine overall, defriends thirty
(05:09):
one against the run on third down twenty nine and
scoring allowing an average of twenty five point three points
per game. And then takeaways the pretty good. So takeaways
is actually the strongest statistic one total and that's tied
for tenth in the league, and we're gonna talk about
Trek Woolen, the Seahawks rookie corner, much like Sauce having
(05:32):
a very good year for Seattle, Sauce having a great
year for the Jets. We're gonna talk about the rookie classes.
But for Mike White, like you would imagine that it's
a favorable matchup all things considered, considering the last game
that he played was against the Buffalo Bills. Right, Yeah,
a little bit easier at this time around compared to
(05:53):
the Bill. But but look, the reality is is the
whole point, the way that the Jets win this game
is achieving balance. What we saw I know it wasn't
I know last week wasn't Mike White. But what we
saw when you can't have that balance with the run
game is that things become really, really difficult. Now, Mike
White is a really good passer, I'm not taking anything
(06:14):
away from him, but in general, the fact that the
Seahawks are so like generous to opposing rushers means that
you shouldn't be in these like third and crazy situations.
You shouldn't be in second and crazy situations. You should
be a nice, manageable downs and distances so that you're
keeping the flow of the game in the favor of
the Jets. You've got to run the air out of
the football because we've seen we'll talk about Geno Smith
(06:36):
in a minute, but he's done really well in those
downfield passes to harder task this week. But the point
is is controlling the football makes it harder for the
things that the Seahawks do well to actually happen. Yeah,
and Mike White in three games this year, it's it's
interesting because he's one and two in three games. He's
thrown for ninety two yards. That's an average of over
(06:59):
three it in fifteen yards per game. He has three touchdowns,
two interceptions. The Jets very well could have and potentially
should have won the game in Minnesota. They went one
of six in the red zone. That's obviously gonna be
a big focus for the Jets, who really haven't found
the end zone a whole lot recently. And then you
think about what the Jets did in Buffalo. Everyone's considering, like, oh,
(07:19):
Mike White played pretty well in Buffalo given the circumstances
where the game was, the weather, just how good of
a team Buffalo is. And so it's an interesting kind
of Um, I don't know what the right word is.
But on one end, people, I think look at the
situation and you're like, you know, Mike definitely gives us
the best chance to win. That's why he's named starter.
(07:40):
And then on the other hand, the Jets are one
and two with Mike White in the game. Do you
think that the missing pieces as simple as the balance
on offense or is it something more than that. I
think that there's a couple of theres a few missing
pieceas number one, the balance on offense is the key
to this one. Also, you said it before, I think
he said there are the twenty nine ranked scoring defense
(08:01):
the Seahawks meeting. This is the team where you can
see how the red area really works. We're also kind
of being a little unfair to Mike White in the
sense of, sure, those passing numbers are out of control,
but I don't think he passes for yards of this
one because I don't think you'll have to because of
the balance. But also, it's only three games. That's like
preseason if you think about it, right, So the ability
(08:22):
to create a little bit more consistency in the red area,
that's what this game will be all about because again,
I know he started last year, but the totally different season,
totally different opportunity, totally different pass catchers. So when you're
looking at the opportunity, it's really now we're starting to
see what can really happen. Because sure, those passing numbers
(08:42):
are fun, they're very cool. Fantasy managers are really happy
about them. But in real life, the reality is is
he'll be getting better and better and better the more
chemistry and the more opportunities. Just like you and I
take reps together. I say it all the time, we
get better every single podcast because we kind of can
anticipate where the other ones going. Same thing with Mike
White and disability to connect with his pass catchers and
(09:04):
also diagnose the defense this Pete Carroll is very good
at mixing up coverages, showing weird leverages, meaning is it
man is its own ahead of the snap, is trying
to confuse someone who doesn't have a lot of NFL experience.
So this is a game where Mike White will be
smarter and smarter, and we'll be able to see that
become kind of one of those things where it just
(09:25):
you're like, oh, like he only asked, he only has
to pass for two d and seventy yards, but this
is three touchdowns, right because it's a lot more efficient. Yeah,
it's gonna be interesting to see how it all shakes
out on Sunday. I think the crazy part for me
is that this is Mike white seventh start in the
NFL and the passing numbers are off the charts. Definitely
something to keep in mind as the Jets keep on
(09:47):
moving forward. Here only two weeks left in the season,
which is crazy. Okay, how do I get one of
those Mike White T shirts? Who do? I gotta know,
get he's shirt. I think we can make something happen.
You know, I want to wear not coming into game
day morning at like three in the morning. My like
(10:08):
every you know who will love it more than anything.
Rich Eisen, biggest Jet span around. If I had a
Mike White T shirt, that would be so funny because
you may be a little jealous, and I kind of
like making Rich jealous. Okay, I'll play some calls, you know,
I'll write some letters if I have to. Will make
it happen. Mike White, please have a T shirt? Thank you?
(10:30):
That boom there it is sign seal delivered right in
from wherever they ship, wherever they manufacture boom right to
Cynthia Freeland in Newport Beach. Hermosa, Hermosa Beach, I always
get that mixed up. Give a commute to Inglewood, it
would be really hard to commute Newport would be like
(10:51):
I mean, it's like another it'd probably be like an
hour and a half com you I understand that doesn't
seem like a lot. That'd be an hour and a half,
like no traffic that which could be like seven hours
with traffic. Yeah, that's that's not it, okay, Hermosa Beach.
I'll never forget it after that. Now we're going to
the second quarter. We gotta talk about Gino Smithy because
this is like have you ever seen anything like this?
(11:13):
Where By the way, Gino smith before this year, his
career high in passing yards was three thousand, forty six.
That was in two thousand thirteen as a rookie with
the New York Jets, and now he's having a career
year three thousand, eight hundred eighty six yards, career high
twenty seven touchdown passes, nine interceptions. His career high as
(11:36):
a starter was thirteen and that was back in two thousand,
fourteen and he's completing a league high seventy seventy point
seven percent of his passes, Like, have you ever seen
anything like this? To be in year nine and to
have this, to have the type of year where you're
not only having a career year, you're having one of
the best years in the NFL, I mean, I love it.
(12:00):
I don't know if I've seen it before. I feel
like it's a great comeback story. I love that of
those twenty seven passing touchdowns, twenty five of those are
on those downfield passes that we talked about, the ten
plus area passes. So what I'm trying to say is
that it's not just his receivers creating magic for him
after the catch. There's no run after the catch there necessarily,
(12:20):
it's really he's doing the work to the downfield passes
are working, the deep ball is working. That's it's been
really fun. I just need to know you remember that
after the first Broncos game and he's like, I told
him that whatever that quote was, I want to know,
like how long he had been rehearsing that, Like how
long has that one been in the can waiting to
come out? You know? Yeah, So if you don't know
(12:44):
what Cynthia is referring to. Week one, Russell Wilson plays
his former team as a Denver Bronco. The Seahawks win,
and I think it was Lisassalters of ESPN. I think
it was an ESPN game, and she I think it
was Monday night and she goes, you know, what do
you say to the people that have written you off?
And Gino Smith says, well, I didn't write back that
that line went viral because one, it's a fantastic line
(13:07):
rehearsed or not. The fact that he thought of it incredible,
I think. I mean, it's it's a great story. To
your point, this is like what makes the NFL the NFL.
You could try to write this kind of stuff as
as you wish. And going into the year, I think
the the thought around Seattle was like, this is a
team and a rebuild. They'll have a mediocre year, they
(13:29):
will have a potentially top five pick, which they do
because of the Denver Broncos, because they have the Denver
Broncos pick, which is a top five pick, and the
Seahawks are definitely not in the top five. This Jets
and the Seahawks both seven and eight as we enter
week seventeen, both fighting for a chance at the playoffs.
So I think that that's really going to be an
(13:51):
interesting The whole thing is really cool, right, But for
the Jets on Sunday going up against Gino Smith, he
has good weapons, DK Metcalf, Tyler Locke, it will see
if he plays. Noah Fan very talented, what's the way
to slow him down in terms of Gino and the
rest of that offense. Well, I think that so first
(14:12):
of all, when I was up there for training camp,
remember they traded for Drew Lock and Noah Fan, and
everyone's like, if they're not starting Drew, luck, are they
even doing it right? Like that's what the buzz was.
Can you imagine, like like this is longest People are
like it can't be Gino, No way, it's Gino, blah
blah blah blah blah. But I think that the one
person we didn't mention when it comes to Gino is
(14:34):
they need to be able to figure out the Kenneth
Walker puzzle. This rookie has been absolutely great. Pete Carroll obviously,
Shane Waldron actually their offensive coordinator, has dialed up so
many of the right things for this running back from
Michigan State. I don't know I had had that in
there because you know, another Green school of course my hometown. Um.
But but ultimately, Kenneth Walker has been really really special
(14:56):
and his ability to gain yards after contact out side
the tackles, all of the areas that are really really
helpful for them. They've schemed really good ways to get
him going, to keep Geno Smith in these manageable downs
and distances situations so that on like second and two
they can take that deep shot that ends up working
out for them. Right, if it's second and two, you
(15:16):
think run buddy is Pete Carroll. All the man knows
how to do is run the football and then they
throw the ball instead. So you know, it's it's understanding
that Pete has deviated from some of his play calling
ways now that he doesn't have Russell Wilson. And now
you're seeing, you know, the rookie is doing a really
good job of helping them. But also they're mixing up
the looks a little bit differently than they used to,
(15:38):
the Seahawks not running in short distances. Where have we
seen that movie before? I don't know. I think Robert
Salom might have been in Seattle at that time. It
does mean a lot for Robert Sala though, because he
did he did coach under Pete Carroll, and he today
and and other times in the has to said like, look,
(16:01):
Pete Carroll and my time in Seattle means a lot
to me. Actually, if we're gonna bring this full circle,
Robert solace tenure in Seattle ended with a Super Bowl
ring at MetLife Stadium. So that's some freaky foreshadow that
happened way back when. But for the Seahawks, Tyler Lockett
has been a staple there for a long time, way
(16:22):
before DK Metcalf was even walked through the building with
or without his shirt on, by the way, And so yep, yep,
I totally agree with that. And so but like Tyler Lockett, Cynthia, like,
is he the straw that stirs the drink for that
whole offense? A little bit in terms of yes, over time,
(16:43):
but this year, right now, he's dealing with some injury
like if he doesn't play, and we don't know right
now as we record, if you will, like how big
of a loss is that for Seattle. So it's a
pretty significant loss for two reasons. Number one. Tyler Lockett
is one of the those receivers who you know, we
talk about like like route running precision, like being where
(17:05):
your quarterbacks expects you on specific routes at specific times. Right. Well,
Tyler Lockett is not only great at that, he's also
excellent and adjusting when the play breaks down and things
are nonsense. I mean, I think he got a lot
of firsthand experience doing that because that's like Russell Wilson's
bread and butter. Right things breakdown, Russell Wilson improvises, that's
how it worked. So Tyler Lockett not only is a
(17:28):
beautiful route runner, but also the ability to adapt is
something he has maybe instinctively or maybe he's learned, or
maybe it's both. So that's a big loss because DK
is a bit of a different type of a receiver.
DK is massive in like stature in every way possible,
but he also we've seen him be prone to some drops,
We've seen some interesting things that just the polished that
(17:49):
Tyler Lockett has DK just doesn't have as much of them.
I'm taking nothing away from d K. He's an excellent receiver,
but he doesn't have the same level of polish as
the Tyler Lockett, who maybe he's one of the more
underrated receivers in the entire league because we don't ever
talk about him amongst the ranks of like Davante Adams
or anyone like that, Right, So you know, that's that's
a really huge loss. However, in this game, in this matchup,
(18:12):
it's gonna be tough even if they have their full
complement of receivers. Perhaps No. A Fan should be the one.
That's like, if you're like looking in fantasy, like, oh
I got to stop No. A Fan, that's kind of
I don't know like that, that one seems more I
don't know, like likely if they're all playing. But when
I'm looking at you know, okay, look five point two
and five point six. That's the respective yards per attempt
(18:36):
allowed by both dj Read his first five point two
and then of course Sauce Gardener at five point six.
So this is not a great opportunity on those downfield
passes for a lot of connection. And in recent weeks
we've seen that number from Geno decline. It has, it's
just it's a fact. Maybe it's because Tyler Lockett has
been banged up. You know, there's some egg and there's
(18:58):
some chicken here. But at the same time, we've seen
those numbers decline and we've seen the Jets numbers increase.
So perhaps and by the way, Jets are playing a
little bit more man now and man on K or
man on Tyler is a little bit harder to for them. Okay,
so a couple of things here. I got two things.
(19:18):
We call it a two minute warning before we go
to halftime. One is and and they're just comments. They're
they're they're not even questions, there's just comments. You mentioned
Noah fan Well, Evan Ingram for the Jaguars last Thursday,
lad all past catchers and the Jaguar seven receptions thirteen
yards something to think about for this Sunday, especially if
you're in the Fantasy Championship. And then the other thing
(19:38):
that I'm really interested to see in terms of the
matchup Sunday, you mentioned d K and Tyler Lockett and
DJ Reid and Sauce Gardner. Obviously this is gonna be
like a fun matchup to watch between those four guys.
I want to know if or I'm curious if maybe
the Jets try to shadow a little more than they have.
We've only seen it a couple of times. We saw
(19:58):
it against the Bills when Fon Diggs lined up against
Sauce in the beginning of the game, that was mostly
DJ read. Well. DK Metcalf is a lot taller and
thicker than DJ read but if you lined up against
Sauce Gardner, you're talking about six four DK Metcalf six
three Sauce Gardner. DK's thirty five pounds heavier than Saw.
So it's just something to keep in mind as the
(20:21):
Jets line up defensively, who's gonna be where. I think
it's gonna be interesting now for halftime. You know, I
figured this is gonna be unique because usually we talked
about something non football related, but because this is the
game preview podcast, I think that we're not really gonna
touch on this in terms of one of the four quarters.
But it's very pertinent because they're only two weeks left
(20:41):
in the season. Jets and the playoffs, those two words
have not really been synonymous as late. They have a
ten year drought. The path is crystal clear for the Jets.
You win each of your next two. The Patriots lose,
slash tie one of their next to against Miami. This
(21:03):
week against the Bills next week, and if the Jets
win both the Patriots lose one or taie one, the
Jets are in simple as that. With that being said,
what is your take on the situation that lies ahead
for the Jets and how big of a loss is
to a tongue of voloa for the Dolphins going up
(21:24):
against the Patriots. First of all, I have the Patriots
holding up their end of the bargain for the Jets
this week, really backward. I have them losing. So you
have the Dolphins beating the Patriots even with Teddy Bridgewater.
Teddy Bridgewater is a good quarterback. Let's just put it
(21:45):
that way. Number one and number two. Look, I'm very
worried about Teddy Bridgewater just on a human element, Like
I hope he's okay. Like that's really scary, you know.
Oh sorry, I hope too was okay, Yes, very scary.
We hope Teddy's okay too. But I hope everyone's okay.
But to specifically, like like for his whole life, like
(22:07):
you know, there are things that are more important, you know,
like so like please get better, Please get better. That
being said, they have had a full week to figure
out how to game plan for this specific matchup, and
the Patriots secondary is quite beatabul So I think that,
you know, I think the Tyreek Hill Jalen Waddle, the
(22:27):
fact that I saw them blocking for each other betting
you watch the Jalen waddle like deep passes or you
watch the TA to you know, Tyreke, like all of
the run after catch stuff, and you know who's a
lead blocker the other one, Like I don't care which
what it is, it's the other one that's blocking for them.
So I think that the Dolphins, and especially because we've
also seen some nonsensical things getting away from the run
(22:49):
game and now they're to run arms that should be
back who left I don't know, left tackle is important
a k um. But at the end of the day,
like they'll get back to more of a run attempt
as well. So to me, I think that the Dolphins,
even kind of inexplicably, they take care of business in
this one, so they help the Jets out. I have
the Jets, oh my god, I don't want to you know,
(23:11):
I have the Jets doing their part to stay playoff
eligible as well. So nothings, you know, like everyone gets
mad at me because they're like, oh fifty percent, but
they like, that's a lot, folks, that's not a small number.
Like I understand some other models, like you know, ESPN
has an awesome model. A lot of people have great models.
(23:33):
They're more their models have huge fluctuations. My model, I
don't have any time where a team maybe once where
a team is like chance to win and then the
other team wins, because that's just not how it works
over twenty seasons, right, So it's rare these big fluctuations.
They don't happen with the way that I'm model. So
fifty six is a lot. So okay, I'm glad you
(23:55):
said that. First of all, I feel that way. Just
as a side note, I feel that when people like
rate Food they're like, oh, it's a seven. I'm like, listen,
seven is a big number because five is average. So
if AMIL is average, it's a five. Simple as that.
That's not a harsh grade. You have to keep that
in mind. So with that being said, to put a
ball on that you have next week Week eighteen being
(24:19):
a win and in situation for the New York Jets
and the Miami Dolphins, because in your model, you have
the Dolphins winning, which eliminates the Patriots and the Jets winning,
which means that the seventh seed in the a f
C comes down to the Week eighteen season finale in
South Florida Jets Dolphins in what should be? And I
think a lot of fans would hope to be the
(24:41):
Sunday night game because that would be incredible winning in.
The man who runs Sunday Night Football is a very
smart man. It's all about I didn't. I didn't. I
was saying too, I give my unsolicited picks for who
which game I'd like to watch in that window. He
never asks, but I tell him anyways. And I'm like,
can we do this one? And there's some rules about
(25:03):
which network broadcast network has it? I'm like, just go
get it. I'm just flex lovely blue blah. I don't
know any of it. Just go get the good gangs.
We want the good games. No more of this. I
almost I almost fell asleep watching the Colts. The Colts.
That game was like the Colts in the Charge was like,
(25:25):
I gotta I gotta go. I gotta Oh good thing,
I'm getting paid to do this. I gotta go. I
gotta go. So, So what you're saying is that you
would want Jets Dolphins in there that I need Jets
Dolphins there. I need it. Okay, I'm glad that was
That was a great halftime. And now no one wants
Jaguars Titans. If that's what it ends up being, I
will lose my mind. No one wants that. That's the
(25:47):
game no one wants because if Derrick Henry isn't a
hundred percent, that's not even be a good game. Everyone
crossed your fingers that Cynthia's model comes to fruition because
next week would be a true winning incident area and
it wouldn't be anything but controlling your own destiny. It
would be a lot of fun. Okay, make it happen.
(26:07):
I can come to a playoff game, come on, I
love it. Before that, though, the Jest needs to take
care of business Sunday in Seattle. So yes, they end
the season back to back road games. With that being said,
this is kind of for the third quarter. This is
kind of a it's kind of a storyline for the game,
I would say, but it's not individually matched up in
(26:28):
terms of player and player. But these two teams Jet
Seahawks have debatedbly the top two rookie classes in the NFL.
You have Pro Bowl corner Sauce Gardner. You have Pro
Bowl corner Terreek Woolan, who ties for the NFL lead
with six interceptions. Then you're talking about two starters for
the Seahawks on the offensive line, left and right tackle
(26:49):
in terms of Charles Cross the number nine pick Abraham Lucas,
the third round pick Kenneth Walker in the backfield, the
second running back taken in the draft. The first one
was of Bruce Hall, who will not play in Sunday's
game because he's to be factored in there, yes. And
then in the secondary, also for the Seahawks is Sauce
(27:10):
Gardner's teammate Kobe Bryant, who the Jets coach at the
Senior Bowl. A lot of storylines here. All this to say, though,
it's like, how rare is this like for to have
the amount of rookies on each individual team playing at
the level that they are. I mean, look every season
before this past year, I think when we thought about
(27:32):
Pete Carroll, you're like, well, he has Rosald Wilson, and
then you're like, okay, well, uh but I guess maybe
this is my like we gotta give Pete Carroll his
Flowers because the man can coach, the man can figure
it out. No, Russell Wilson, everyone thought this team was
garbage and now look at where they are right like,
so lots of lots of great storylines here. I mean,
(27:52):
look like we love the coach at the Jets, of course,
but his mentor they learned each other. Like that's that's
a very that's a very cool kind of situation. And
the fact that these teams like the Seahawks are known
for having good drafts, but the Jets just absolutely have
rushed not just this past draft, of the draft before
like so many great players coming out of the the like
(28:15):
since I mean, we're like, I think we have to
give lots of credit, lots of credit do here. Yeah,
I think it's a great point. And I think the
I think a lot of classes get compared, like when
you have a good draft class, everyone, I think immediately
the comparison is like the two thousands, seventeen Saints draft class,
because it felt like that was a franchise altering draft
(28:36):
class to New Orleans with Ryan Ramcheck, Alvin Kamara, Marshawn Lattimore,
Trey Hendrickson. The Cincinnati Bengal was a part of that
as well, Like there were a lot of core pieces
there and for the Jets between last year in two
thousand twenty one and this year in two thousand twenty two,
Elijah Barra, Tucker, Elijah More, Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall,
(29:00):
Jermaine Johnson, Like, there are a lot of pieces here
for both for the Jets moving forward and a lot
of young, young pieces here. So that was a fun
little note. But for the Seahawks as we end the
third quarter, just Tarik Woolen, we got to talk about
him because it seems like he's getting the most one.
He's getting the most loved considering he's a pro bowler,
(29:20):
but the flashy numbers are there in terms of the interceptions.
How is he playing on a down in and down
out basis. He's a he's a risk taker, right, Like
I mean for me, it's maybe not as true anymore,
but you know, you think of like the old like
Marcus Peters, like like jump and you get this, like
(29:41):
you get this interception or you can get beat. That's
kind of it's a more risk he's more of the
risk taker. But that's a good, like good compliment to
what they have going on with their total secondary. So
that's the cool part about what you've seen from Darick
Woolen is he's been able to handle himself. This is
not a good defense overall when your run defense is
(30:03):
as vulnerable as the Seahawks run defense has been and
you're asked to come in and like like, that is
not fun. That is not a fun situation to be in.
So when you're getting those passes, you're getting them in
situations where you don't know if a path is coming
right second and two, like I keep saying that, or
third and two they could run, they could pass whatever, right,
So you're being asked to defend like some pretty gnarly passes.
(30:27):
And you have to remember he was putting up these
good numbers before the rams got bad. That's not very
nice to say, but it is the truth. And also,
I mean, look Cooper Couples there, he's great, like obviously,
so you know these are against some real teams, Like
nobody thought that the NFC West would shake out the
way that it has shuck out. But you know that
is where there I get him a ton of credit.
(30:49):
He has done really well. That their secondary is their
young secondary is a really bright spot of this team. Look,
I'm not gonna say that there's a pipeline between the
senior in the Seahawks, but just because Jim Naggy used
to be a scout in Seattle. But this draft class,
Kobe Bryant, Abraham Lucas, who was who was the other
guy was just Tarik Wiolin all senior Bowl guys. Jim
(31:11):
Nagy doing a great job in Mobile, Alabama. Shout out
to Jim. And then let's wrap up in the fourth
quarter here, Cynthia, the Jets offensive line and the rushing
game for the New York Jets. They're running game because
when the Jets run the ball over a hundred yards,
which is not like a huge number to begin with,
They've only lost one game this year, they've won five.
So clearly, when the Jets run the ball, they have
(31:35):
success as a team. How did the Jets get back
to their winning ways in terms of the offensive line
and is it as simple as having Mike White complete
some of those intermediate passes. So Mike White was short
passes because by the way, last week, at the beginning
of the game, before things got out of hand, you
saw Patrick Mahomes target pass catchers out of his backfield,
(31:57):
because some of them weren't even just running backs, but
they were passed stras out of the backfield and be
super successful from them. So that's an interesting note. But
I think, like if It's only mid Night doesn't have
a touchdown in this game, will lose my mind because
this is the perfect opportunity for what he does really
really well. If I'm a fantasy manager, i am all
shares in. I am not worried. Do not even like
(32:17):
no hesitation there for me and that one at all
it's going to be. This is like the type of
game that the offensive coordinators like, Ah, this one makes
a ton of sense to me for a lot of reasons.
One experience with Seattle the number two. This is a
run opportunity where creative run plays and short passes. Oh,
(32:39):
let's make that the bread and butter, and then we
can get Mike White slanging it when it's the opportunity
to have that nice deep pass that they're looking for.
This one feels like it is the right chess piece
for what this team does really well. As opposed to
you know, other other defenses. The matchup business great. This
is the game where the run makes total sense. Look,
(33:00):
I've loved a lot about this podcast, nothing more than
you just saying, Mike White slanging it. Did you think
I was just gonna let that slip? That was incredible.
I don't know if we can come back from that.
I will say though, in terms of the Jets running
the ball, the Seahawks each of the last three home
(33:21):
games have allowed and average of a hundred fifty yards
per game on the ground. That bode well for Zonovan
Bam Knight, bode well for Michael Carter, the Jets offensive line.
Dwayne Brown George Fant two former Seattle Seahawks going back
to Seattle a lot of time in Brown's career. Yeah, yeah,
like that read revenge, there's a lot of like potential
(33:44):
revenge narrative. I wonder which revenge put we need to
pick a list of, like this one revenge versus this
one revenge and see which one. I don't know which
one there's more of. I think I think that the
DJ read Dwayne Brown dynamic is probably a little more
top of mind because this is the first time that
they're playing their former teams. Now. Geno Smith has been
(34:07):
in the league nine years. However, not as a starter
for all nine. So this is probably his first crack
at going against the Jets as a starter. Yeah, he
came in what in relief after Russell wasn't through through
a bunch of touchdown pads Like that doesn't count. I
think the DJ read on's funny because he'sna be like hey,
it's like like like his revenge body because he's like
so so so good this year, right, Like he's like
(34:29):
Chloe Kardashian coming in and being like, hey see me, now,
just put me on the outside. That's where I play best. Wow,
we got a Kardashian reference on the pod. This is fantastic.
This is officially gone crazy. Okay, Well, on that note,
I'm gonna wait to ask you your New Year's resolution
(34:49):
for week eighteen, because that's what we're gonna do. Maybe
even maybe even after that, who knows. But happy New Year, Cynthia.
Thank you again for the podcast that was the game
preview pod past week seventeen Jet Seahawks in Seattle. I
hope you have a wonderful New Year's and we'll talk
to you next week, hopefully after your model comes to fruition.
Let's go um and maybe next week we'll get a
(35:11):
surprise appearance from the little fuzzy one over there, because
right before I turned the lights on, he was in
here with this cute little face just and then I
turned the lights on in all best one. Okay, next week,
next week you're seeing Gordy. And if you're listening, maybe
you'll hear a bar and that's how you're happening. He talks,
Welcome to another edition of the Game Preview Podcast. I'm
rested up. Cynthia is not because she was had a
busy Christmas weekend for her real job, you know, the
NFL network kind of a big deal now joining us
as she does each week. We're talking Jet Seahawks as
the Jets go to Seattle in week seventeen, the longest
trip of the season for the New York Jets. And
(00:26):
look when they flight Thursday Night Football, they lose to
the Jaguars, they get ten days on the back end.
Mike White heels up the ribs acceptable now for contact,
so he's back in the lineup. Cynthia like, how big
of a difference do you think that Mike White in
the lineup will make? And let's just start there in
the first quarter, because it feels like from when you're
(00:48):
looking at like a temperature check on Twitter and social media,
everyone's like, it's like a craze that Mike White is back.
Is that too much expectations on the shoulders, Like, what
do you think he's gonna bring to the table Sunday?
But we all know Twitter is the absolute best resource
for the most cutting edge, truthful news to come out
in any moment at any time. But that being said,
(01:10):
they are kind of right because when I look at
Mike White and the difference that he makes in this offense,
it's really about the ability to complete the downfield passes,
as in those ten plus air yard attempts that are
game changing place. If you cannot complete downfield passes, it
becomes extremely hard to consistently win. So when you're looking
at Mike White's performance on such passes, five and fifty two,
(01:33):
that's the number of yards he has on those passes,
and when he was playing during that span, that ranked
first in the NFL. And by the way, he has
a one o eight point two pass rating on these
passes that ranks sixth best in the NFL. And by
the way, when you're looking to see the difference between
what happens with your guy, Garrett Wilson, when he's getting
(01:53):
to have the Mike White passes, that means fantasy gold,
because I know this might be championship week for a
couple of people's fantasy Yeah, it's first of all, I
know a couple of people who are in their fantasy championships.
Where do you stand? You're the reigning champ, aren't you yeah, up, No,
it's fine. Look our researcher Karine, who is awesome and
(02:16):
she is like one of the best human beings on
the planet. She won this year, and I'm very happy
for her. I'm gonna have, like, you know, to give
up my trophy. But other than that, you know, no,
I'm actually really you know, Karine crushed it. She deserves
to win completely. I will, like everyone else, I'll say
I was hampered by a series of injuries. But no
one cares about your fantasy league. All they care about
(02:37):
is their own. So Garrett Wilson, fantasy owners rejoice. Intermediate
passes are back. That's where Garrett Wilson has a hundred
and thirty five receiving yards over expected that leads the
league this season. And by the way, a hundred and
two of them came with Mike White. So like, we're
going to focus on positives here, Garrett Wilson all day. Yes, yes,
positive vibes only. And for Garrett Wilson, four yards away
(03:01):
Cynthia from reaching a thousand, he'd be the first Jets
rookie receiver to do so in franchise history. You would
imagine that would come in a couple of days when
the Jets take on the Seahawks in Seattle. But for
Mike White, the passing numbers they speak for themselves, Like
he's hit three hundred yards in each of the first
two games that he played this season against the Bears
that MetLife and then in Minnesota he had a great game.
(03:24):
Is this kind of like a similar matchup? Do you
think in terms of defense going up against the Bears defense,
the Vikings defense, and now playing against the Seahawks defense Sunday?
Are they all in the same area to you? Or
do the Seahawks rank better or worse than those two teams?
I just said, I'm gonna say so, all right, the
(03:46):
Vikings are really susceptible to the past, but they're better
against the run the Bears because justin fields runs so much.
They're just different because it's it's just it's just different,
because the possession and timing is a lot different now
this team they're not. So they have some points of vulnerability,
(04:07):
and in fact, the one that stands out to me
the most are on short passes, so anything under ten
are yards. They're the most vulnerable in the league. Highest
passer reading given up on short passes, which means Mike
White has a lot of different opportunities and looks both
because this team isn't so great against the run. They're
not so great against the past overall, but specifically those
(04:28):
short passes. That's a pretty dangerous way to live if
you're the Seahawks defense, because that's the way you escape pressure,
that's the way you use your running backs creatively. Who
does that well, Jets? And then you're really looking to
see the mixing up of the different looks for all
the receivers and your tight ends of this. So that's
that's a it's a dangerous path that the that the
(04:48):
Seahawks have chosen. Well, you know, when you look at
the Seahawks statistically, and this is not like next yen Steth,
these are is like very bare bones stats. They're passing.
Defense is statistically the strength of their defense. Their ranks
seventeen against the past, the twenty nine overall, defriends thirty
(05:09):
one against the run on third down twenty nine and
scoring allowing an average of twenty five point three points
per game. And then takeaways the pretty good. So takeaways
is actually the strongest statistic one total and that's tied
for tenth in the league, and we're gonna talk about
Trek Woolen, the Seahawks rookie corner, much like Sauce having
(05:32):
a very good year for Seattle, Sauce having a great
year for the Jets. We're gonna talk about the rookie classes.
But for Mike White, like you would imagine that it's
a favorable matchup all things considered, considering the last game
that he played was against the Buffalo Bills. Right, Yeah,
a little bit easier at this time around compared to
(05:53):
the Bill. But but look, the reality is is the
whole point, the way that the Jets win this game
is achieving balance. What we saw I know it wasn't
I know last week wasn't Mike White. But what we
saw when you can't have that balance with the run
game is that things become really, really difficult. Now, Mike
White is a really good passer, I'm not taking anything
(06:14):
away from him, but in general, the fact that the
Seahawks are so like generous to opposing rushers means that
you shouldn't be in these like third and crazy situations.
You shouldn't be in second and crazy situations. You should
be a nice, manageable downs and distances so that you're
keeping the flow of the game in the favor of
the Jets. You've got to run the air out of
the football because we've seen we'll talk about Geno Smith
(06:36):
in a minute, but he's done really well in those
downfield passes to harder task this week. But the point
is is controlling the football makes it harder for the
things that the Seahawks do well to actually happen. Yeah,
and Mike White in three games this year, it's it's
interesting because he's one and two in three games. He's
thrown for ninety two yards. That's an average of over
(06:59):
three it in fifteen yards per game. He has three touchdowns,
two interceptions. The Jets very well could have and potentially
should have won the game in Minnesota. They went one
of six in the red zone. That's obviously gonna be
a big focus for the Jets, who really haven't found
the end zone a whole lot recently. And then you
think about what the Jets did in Buffalo. Everyone's considering, like, oh,
(07:19):
Mike White played pretty well in Buffalo given the circumstances
where the game was, the weather, just how good of
a team Buffalo is. And so it's an interesting kind
of Um, I don't know what the right word is.
But on one end, people, I think look at the
situation and you're like, you know, Mike definitely gives us
the best chance to win. That's why he's named starter.
(07:40):
And then on the other hand, the Jets are one
and two with Mike White in the game. Do you
think that the missing pieces as simple as the balance
on offense or is it something more than that. I
think that there's a couple of theres a few missing
pieceas number one, the balance on offense is the key
to this one. Also, you said it before, I think
he said there are the twenty nine ranked scoring defense
(08:01):
the Seahawks meeting. This is the team where you can
see how the red area really works. We're also kind
of being a little unfair to Mike White in the
sense of, sure, those passing numbers are out of control,
but I don't think he passes for yards of this
one because I don't think you'll have to because of
the balance. But also, it's only three games. That's like
preseason if you think about it, right, So the ability
(08:22):
to create a little bit more consistency in the red area,
that's what this game will be all about because again,
I know he started last year, but the totally different season,
totally different opportunity, totally different pass catchers. So when you're
looking at the opportunity, it's really now we're starting to
see what can really happen. Because sure, those passing numbers
(08:42):
are fun, they're very cool. Fantasy managers are really happy
about them. But in real life, the reality is is
he'll be getting better and better and better the more
chemistry and the more opportunities. Just like you and I
take reps together. I say it all the time, we
get better every single podcast because we kind of can
anticipate where the other ones going. Same thing with Mike
White and disability to connect with his pass catchers and
(09:04):
also diagnose the defense this Pete Carroll is very good
at mixing up coverages, showing weird leverages, meaning is it
man is its own ahead of the snap, is trying
to confuse someone who doesn't have a lot of NFL experience.
So this is a game where Mike White will be
smarter and smarter, and we'll be able to see that
become kind of one of those things where it just
(09:25):
you're like, oh, like he only asked, he only has
to pass for two d and seventy yards, but this
is three touchdowns, right because it's a lot more efficient. Yeah,
it's gonna be interesting to see how it all shakes
out on Sunday. I think the crazy part for me
is that this is Mike white seventh start in the
NFL and the passing numbers are off the charts. Definitely
something to keep in mind as the Jets keep on
(09:47):
moving forward. Here only two weeks left in the season,
which is crazy. Okay, how do I get one of
those Mike White T shirts? Who do? I gotta know,
get he's shirt. I think we can make something happen.
You know, I want to wear not coming into game
day morning at like three in the morning. My like
(10:08):
every you know who will love it more than anything.
Rich Eisen, biggest Jet span around. If I had a
Mike White T shirt, that would be so funny because
you may be a little jealous, and I kind of
like making Rich jealous. Okay, I'll play some calls, you know,
I'll write some letters if I have to. Will make
it happen. Mike White, please have a T shirt? Thank you?
(10:30):
That boom there it is sign seal delivered right in
from wherever they ship, wherever they manufacture boom right to
Cynthia Freeland in Newport Beach. Hermosa, Hermosa Beach, I always
get that mixed up. Give a commute to Inglewood, it
would be really hard to commute Newport would be like
(10:51):
I mean, it's like another it'd probably be like an
hour and a half com you I understand that doesn't
seem like a lot. That'd be an hour and a half,
like no traffic that which could be like seven hours
with traffic. Yeah, that's that's not it, okay, Hermosa Beach.
I'll never forget it after that. Now we're going to
the second quarter. We gotta talk about Gino Smithy because
this is like have you ever seen anything like this?
(11:13):
Where By the way, Gino smith before this year, his
career high in passing yards was three thousand, forty six.
That was in two thousand thirteen as a rookie with
the New York Jets, and now he's having a career
year three thousand, eight hundred eighty six yards, career high
twenty seven touchdown passes, nine interceptions. His career high as
(11:36):
a starter was thirteen and that was back in two thousand,
fourteen and he's completing a league high seventy seventy point
seven percent of his passes, Like, have you ever seen
anything like this? To be in year nine and to
have this, to have the type of year where you're
not only having a career year, you're having one of
the best years in the NFL, I mean, I love it.
(12:00):
I don't know if I've seen it before. I feel
like it's a great comeback story. I love that of
those twenty seven passing touchdowns, twenty five of those are
on those downfield passes that we talked about, the ten
plus area passes. So what I'm trying to say is
that it's not just his receivers creating magic for him
after the catch. There's no run after the catch there necessarily,
(12:20):
it's really he's doing the work to the downfield passes
are working, the deep ball is working. That's it's been
really fun. I just need to know you remember that
after the first Broncos game and he's like, I told
him that whatever that quote was, I want to know,
like how long he had been rehearsing that, Like how
long has that one been in the can waiting to
come out? You know? Yeah, So if you don't know
(12:44):
what Cynthia is referring to. Week one, Russell Wilson plays
his former team as a Denver Bronco. The Seahawks win,
and I think it was Lisassalters of ESPN. I think
it was an ESPN game, and she I think it
was Monday night and she goes, you know, what do
you say to the people that have written you off?
And Gino Smith says, well, I didn't write back that
that line went viral because one, it's a fantastic line
(13:07):
rehearsed or not. The fact that he thought of it incredible,
I think. I mean, it's it's a great story. To
your point, this is like what makes the NFL the NFL.
You could try to write this kind of stuff as
as you wish. And going into the year, I think
the the thought around Seattle was like, this is a
team and a rebuild. They'll have a mediocre year, they
(13:29):
will have a potentially top five pick, which they do
because of the Denver Broncos, because they have the Denver
Broncos pick, which is a top five pick, and the
Seahawks are definitely not in the top five. This Jets
and the Seahawks both seven and eight as we enter
week seventeen, both fighting for a chance at the playoffs.
So I think that that's really going to be an
(13:51):
interesting The whole thing is really cool, right, But for
the Jets on Sunday going up against Gino Smith, he
has good weapons, DK Metcalf, Tyler Locke, it will see
if he plays. Noah Fan very talented, what's the way
to slow him down in terms of Gino and the
rest of that offense. Well, I think that so first
(14:12):
of all, when I was up there for training camp,
remember they traded for Drew Lock and Noah Fan, and
everyone's like, if they're not starting Drew, luck, are they
even doing it right? Like that's what the buzz was.
Can you imagine, like like this is longest People are
like it can't be Gino, No way, it's Gino, blah
blah blah blah blah. But I think that the one
person we didn't mention when it comes to Gino is
(14:34):
they need to be able to figure out the Kenneth
Walker puzzle. This rookie has been absolutely great. Pete Carroll obviously,
Shane Waldron actually their offensive coordinator, has dialed up so
many of the right things for this running back from
Michigan State. I don't know I had had that in
there because you know, another Green school of course my hometown. Um.
But but ultimately, Kenneth Walker has been really really special
(14:56):
and his ability to gain yards after contact out side
the tackles, all of the areas that are really really
helpful for them. They've schemed really good ways to get
him going, to keep Geno Smith in these manageable downs
and distances situations so that on like second and two
they can take that deep shot that ends up working
out for them. Right, if it's second and two, you
(15:16):
think run buddy is Pete Carroll. All the man knows
how to do is run the football and then they
throw the ball instead. So you know, it's it's understanding
that Pete has deviated from some of his play calling
ways now that he doesn't have Russell Wilson. And now
you're seeing, you know, the rookie is doing a really
good job of helping them. But also they're mixing up
the looks a little bit differently than they used to,
(15:38):
the Seahawks not running in short distances. Where have we
seen that movie before? I don't know. I think Robert
Salom might have been in Seattle at that time. It
does mean a lot for Robert Sala though, because he
did he did coach under Pete Carroll, and he today
and and other times in the has to said like, look,
(16:01):
Pete Carroll and my time in Seattle means a lot
to me. Actually, if we're gonna bring this full circle,
Robert solace tenure in Seattle ended with a Super Bowl
ring at MetLife Stadium. So that's some freaky foreshadow that
happened way back when. But for the Seahawks, Tyler Lockett
has been a staple there for a long time, way
(16:22):
before DK Metcalf was even walked through the building with
or without his shirt on, by the way, And so yep, yep,
I totally agree with that. And so but like Tyler Lockett, Cynthia, like,
is he the straw that stirs the drink for that
whole offense? A little bit in terms of yes, over time,
(16:43):
but this year, right now, he's dealing with some injury
like if he doesn't play, and we don't know right
now as we record, if you will, like how big
of a loss is that for Seattle. So it's a
pretty significant loss for two reasons. Number one. Tyler Lockett
is one of the those receivers who you know, we
talk about like like route running precision, like being where
(17:05):
your quarterbacks expects you on specific routes at specific times. Right. Well,
Tyler Lockett is not only great at that, he's also
excellent and adjusting when the play breaks down and things
are nonsense. I mean, I think he got a lot
of firsthand experience doing that because that's like Russell Wilson's
bread and butter. Right things breakdown, Russell Wilson improvises, that's
how it worked. So Tyler Lockett not only is a
(17:28):
beautiful route runner, but also the ability to adapt is
something he has maybe instinctively or maybe he's learned, or
maybe it's both. So that's a big loss because DK
is a bit of a different type of a receiver.
DK is massive in like stature in every way possible,
but he also we've seen him be prone to some drops,
We've seen some interesting things that just the polished that
(17:49):
Tyler Lockett has DK just doesn't have as much of them.
I'm taking nothing away from d K. He's an excellent receiver,
but he doesn't have the same level of polish as
the Tyler Lockett, who maybe he's one of the more
underrated receivers in the entire league because we don't ever
talk about him amongst the ranks of like Davante Adams
or anyone like that, Right, So you know, that's that's
a really huge loss. However, in this game, in this matchup,
(18:12):
it's gonna be tough even if they have their full
complement of receivers. Perhaps No. A Fan should be the one.
That's like, if you're like looking in fantasy, like, oh
I got to stop No. A Fan, that's kind of
I don't know like that, that one seems more I
don't know, like likely if they're all playing. But when
I'm looking at you know, okay, look five point two
and five point six. That's the respective yards per attempt
(18:36):
allowed by both dj Read his first five point two
and then of course Sauce Gardener at five point six.
So this is not a great opportunity on those downfield
passes for a lot of connection. And in recent weeks
we've seen that number from Geno decline. It has, it's
just it's a fact. Maybe it's because Tyler Lockett has
been banged up. You know, there's some egg and there's
(18:58):
some chicken here. But at the same time, we've seen
those numbers decline and we've seen the Jets numbers increase.
So perhaps and by the way, Jets are playing a
little bit more man now and man on K or
man on Tyler is a little bit harder to for them. Okay,
so a couple of things here. I got two things.
(19:18):
We call it a two minute warning before we go
to halftime. One is and and they're just comments. They're
they're they're not even questions, there's just comments. You mentioned
Noah fan Well, Evan Ingram for the Jaguars last Thursday,
lad all past catchers and the Jaguar seven receptions thirteen
yards something to think about for this Sunday, especially if
you're in the Fantasy Championship. And then the other thing
(19:38):
that I'm really interested to see in terms of the
matchup Sunday, you mentioned d K and Tyler Lockett and
DJ Reid and Sauce Gardner. Obviously this is gonna be
like a fun matchup to watch between those four guys.
I want to know if or I'm curious if maybe
the Jets try to shadow a little more than they have.
We've only seen it a couple of times. We saw
(19:58):
it against the Bills when Fon Diggs lined up against
Sauce in the beginning of the game, that was mostly
DJ read. Well. DK Metcalf is a lot taller and
thicker than DJ read but if you lined up against
Sauce Gardner, you're talking about six four DK Metcalf six
three Sauce Gardner. DK's thirty five pounds heavier than Saw.
So it's just something to keep in mind as the
(20:21):
Jets line up defensively, who's gonna be where. I think
it's gonna be interesting now for halftime. You know, I
figured this is gonna be unique because usually we talked
about something non football related, but because this is the
game preview podcast, I think that we're not really gonna
touch on this in terms of one of the four quarters.
But it's very pertinent because they're only two weeks left
(20:41):
in the season. Jets and the playoffs, those two words
have not really been synonymous as late. They have a
ten year drought. The path is crystal clear for the Jets.
You win each of your next two. The Patriots lose,
slash tie one of their next to against Miami. This
(21:03):
week against the Bills next week, and if the Jets
win both the Patriots lose one or taie one, the
Jets are in simple as that. With that being said,
what is your take on the situation that lies ahead
for the Jets and how big of a loss is
to a tongue of voloa for the Dolphins going up
(21:24):
against the Patriots. First of all, I have the Patriots
holding up their end of the bargain for the Jets
this week, really backward. I have them losing. So you
have the Dolphins beating the Patriots even with Teddy Bridgewater.
Teddy Bridgewater is a good quarterback. Let's just put it
(21:45):
that way. Number one and number two. Look, I'm very
worried about Teddy Bridgewater just on a human element, Like
I hope he's okay. Like that's really scary, you know.
Oh sorry, I hope too was okay, Yes, very scary.
We hope Teddy's okay too. But I hope everyone's okay.
But to specifically, like like for his whole life, like
(22:07):
you know, there are things that are more important, you know,
like so like please get better, Please get better. That
being said, they have had a full week to figure
out how to game plan for this specific matchup, and
the Patriots secondary is quite beatabul So I think that,
you know, I think the Tyreek Hill Jalen Waddle, the
(22:27):
fact that I saw them blocking for each other betting
you watch the Jalen waddle like deep passes or you
watch the TA to you know, Tyreke, like all of
the run after catch stuff, and you know who's a
lead blocker the other one, Like I don't care which
what it is, it's the other one that's blocking for them.
So I think that the Dolphins, and especially because we've
also seen some nonsensical things getting away from the run
(22:49):
game and now they're to run arms that should be
back who left I don't know, left tackle is important
a k um. But at the end of the day,
like they'll get back to more of a run attempt
as well. So to me, I think that the Dolphins,
even kind of inexplicably, they take care of business in
this one, so they help the Jets out. I have
the Jets, oh my god, I don't want to you know,
(23:11):
I have the Jets doing their part to stay playoff
eligible as well. So nothings, you know, like everyone gets
mad at me because they're like, oh fifty percent, but
they like, that's a lot, folks, that's not a small number.
Like I understand some other models, like you know, ESPN
has an awesome model. A lot of people have great models.
(23:33):
They're more their models have huge fluctuations. My model, I
don't have any time where a team maybe once where
a team is like chance to win and then the
other team wins, because that's just not how it works
over twenty seasons, right, So it's rare these big fluctuations.
They don't happen with the way that I'm model. So
fifty six is a lot. So okay, I'm glad you
(23:55):
said that. First of all, I feel that way. Just
as a side note, I feel that when people like
rate Food they're like, oh, it's a seven. I'm like, listen,
seven is a big number because five is average. So
if AMIL is average, it's a five. Simple as that.
That's not a harsh grade. You have to keep that
in mind. So with that being said, to put a
ball on that you have next week Week eighteen being
(24:19):
a win and in situation for the New York Jets
and the Miami Dolphins, because in your model, you have
the Dolphins winning, which eliminates the Patriots and the Jets winning,
which means that the seventh seed in the a f
C comes down to the Week eighteen season finale in
South Florida Jets Dolphins in what should be? And I
think a lot of fans would hope to be the
(24:41):
Sunday night game because that would be incredible winning in.
The man who runs Sunday Night Football is a very
smart man. It's all about I didn't. I didn't. I
was saying too, I give my unsolicited picks for who
which game I'd like to watch in that window. He
never asks, but I tell him anyways. And I'm like,
can we do this one? And there's some rules about
(25:03):
which network broadcast network has it? I'm like, just go
get it. I'm just flex lovely blue blah. I don't
know any of it. Just go get the good gangs.
We want the good games. No more of this. I
almost I almost fell asleep watching the Colts. The Colts.
That game was like the Colts in the Charge was like,
(25:25):
I gotta I gotta go. I gotta Oh good thing,
I'm getting paid to do this. I gotta go. I
gotta go. So, So what you're saying is that you
would want Jets Dolphins in there that I need Jets
Dolphins there. I need it. Okay, I'm glad that was
That was a great halftime. And now no one wants
Jaguars Titans. If that's what it ends up being, I
will lose my mind. No one wants that. That's the
(25:47):
game no one wants because if Derrick Henry isn't a
hundred percent, that's not even be a good game. Everyone
crossed your fingers that Cynthia's model comes to fruition because
next week would be a true winning incident area and
it wouldn't be anything but controlling your own destiny. It
would be a lot of fun. Okay, make it happen.
(26:07):
I can come to a playoff game, come on, I
love it. Before that, though, the Jest needs to take
care of business Sunday in Seattle. So yes, they end
the season back to back road games. With that being said,
this is kind of for the third quarter. This is
kind of a it's kind of a storyline for the game,
I would say, but it's not individually matched up in
(26:28):
terms of player and player. But these two teams Jet
Seahawks have debatedbly the top two rookie classes in the NFL.
You have Pro Bowl corner Sauce Gardner. You have Pro
Bowl corner Terreek Woolan, who ties for the NFL lead
with six interceptions. Then you're talking about two starters for
the Seahawks on the offensive line, left and right tackle
(26:49):
in terms of Charles Cross the number nine pick Abraham Lucas,
the third round pick Kenneth Walker in the backfield, the
second running back taken in the draft. The first one
was of Bruce Hall, who will not play in Sunday's
game because he's to be factored in there, yes. And
then in the secondary, also for the Seahawks is Sauce
(27:10):
Gardner's teammate Kobe Bryant, who the Jets coach at the
Senior Bowl. A lot of storylines here. All this to say, though,
it's like, how rare is this like for to have
the amount of rookies on each individual team playing at
the level that they are. I mean, look every season
before this past year, I think when we thought about
(27:32):
Pete Carroll, you're like, well, he has Rosald Wilson, and
then you're like, okay, well, uh but I guess maybe
this is my like we gotta give Pete Carroll his
Flowers because the man can coach, the man can figure
it out. No, Russell Wilson, everyone thought this team was
garbage and now look at where they are right like,
so lots of lots of great storylines here. I mean,
(27:52):
look like we love the coach at the Jets, of course,
but his mentor they learned each other. Like that's that's
a very that's a very cool kind of situation. And
the fact that these teams like the Seahawks are known
for having good drafts, but the Jets just absolutely have
rushed not just this past draft, of the draft before
like so many great players coming out of the the like
(28:15):
since I mean, we're like, I think we have to
give lots of credit, lots of credit do here. Yeah,
I think it's a great point. And I think the
I think a lot of classes get compared, like when
you have a good draft class, everyone, I think immediately
the comparison is like the two thousands, seventeen Saints draft class,
because it felt like that was a franchise altering draft
(28:36):
class to New Orleans with Ryan Ramcheck, Alvin Kamara, Marshawn Lattimore,
Trey Hendrickson. The Cincinnati Bengal was a part of that
as well, Like there were a lot of core pieces
there and for the Jets between last year in two
thousand twenty one and this year in two thousand twenty two,
Elijah Barra, Tucker, Elijah More, Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall,
(29:00):
Jermaine Johnson, Like, there are a lot of pieces here
for both for the Jets moving forward and a lot
of young, young pieces here. So that was a fun
little note. But for the Seahawks as we end the
third quarter, just Tarik Woolen, we got to talk about
him because it seems like he's getting the most one.
He's getting the most loved considering he's a pro bowler,
(29:20):
but the flashy numbers are there in terms of the interceptions.
How is he playing on a down in and down
out basis. He's a he's a risk taker, right, Like
I mean for me, it's maybe not as true anymore,
but you know, you think of like the old like
Marcus Peters, like like jump and you get this, like
(29:41):
you get this interception or you can get beat. That's
kind of it's a more risk he's more of the
risk taker. But that's a good, like good compliment to
what they have going on with their total secondary. So
that's the cool part about what you've seen from Darick
Woolen is he's been able to handle himself. This is
not a good defense overall when your run defense is
(30:03):
as vulnerable as the Seahawks run defense has been and
you're asked to come in and like like, that is
not fun. That is not a fun situation to be in.
So when you're getting those passes, you're getting them in
situations where you don't know if a path is coming
right second and two, like I keep saying that, or
third and two they could run, they could pass whatever, right,
So you're being asked to defend like some pretty gnarly passes.
(30:27):
And you have to remember he was putting up these
good numbers before the rams got bad. That's not very
nice to say, but it is the truth. And also,
I mean, look Cooper Couples there, he's great, like obviously,
so you know these are against some real teams, Like
nobody thought that the NFC West would shake out the
way that it has shuck out. But you know that
is where there I get him a ton of credit.
(30:49):
He has done really well. That their secondary is their
young secondary is a really bright spot of this team. Look,
I'm not gonna say that there's a pipeline between the
senior in the Seahawks, but just because Jim Naggy used
to be a scout in Seattle. But this draft class,
Kobe Bryant, Abraham Lucas, who was who was the other
guy was just Tarik Wiolin all senior Bowl guys. Jim
(31:11):
Nagy doing a great job in Mobile, Alabama. Shout out
to Jim. And then let's wrap up in the fourth
quarter here, Cynthia, the Jets offensive line and the rushing
game for the New York Jets. They're running game because
when the Jets run the ball over a hundred yards,
which is not like a huge number to begin with,
They've only lost one game this year, they've won five.
So clearly, when the Jets run the ball, they have
(31:35):
success as a team. How did the Jets get back
to their winning ways in terms of the offensive line
and is it as simple as having Mike White complete
some of those intermediate passes. So Mike White was short
passes because by the way, last week, at the beginning
of the game, before things got out of hand, you
saw Patrick Mahomes target pass catchers out of his backfield,
(31:57):
because some of them weren't even just running backs, but
they were passed stras out of the backfield and be
super successful from them. So that's an interesting note. But
I think, like if It's only mid Night doesn't have
a touchdown in this game, will lose my mind because
this is the perfect opportunity for what he does really
really well. If I'm a fantasy manager, i am all
shares in. I am not worried. Do not even like
(32:17):
no hesitation there for me and that one at all
it's going to be. This is like the type of
game that the offensive coordinators like, Ah, this one makes
a ton of sense to me for a lot of reasons.
One experience with Seattle the number two. This is a
run opportunity where creative run plays and short passes. Oh,
(32:39):
let's make that the bread and butter, and then we
can get Mike White slanging it when it's the opportunity
to have that nice deep pass that they're looking for.
This one feels like it is the right chess piece
for what this team does really well. As opposed to
you know, other other defenses. The matchup business great. This
is the game where the run makes total sense. Look,
(33:00):
I've loved a lot about this podcast, nothing more than
you just saying, Mike White slanging it. Did you think
I was just gonna let that slip? That was incredible.
I don't know if we can come back from that.
I will say though, in terms of the Jets running
the ball, the Seahawks each of the last three home
(33:21):
games have allowed and average of a hundred fifty yards
per game on the ground. That bode well for Zonovan
Bam Knight, bode well for Michael Carter, the Jets offensive line.
Dwayne Brown George Fant two former Seattle Seahawks going back
to Seattle a lot of time in Brown's career. Yeah, yeah,
like that read revenge, there's a lot of like potential
(33:44):
revenge narrative. I wonder which revenge put we need to
pick a list of, like this one revenge versus this
one revenge and see which one. I don't know which
one there's more of. I think I think that the
DJ read Dwayne Brown dynamic is probably a little more
top of mind because this is the first time that
they're playing their former teams. Now. Geno Smith has been
(34:07):
in the league nine years. However, not as a starter
for all nine. So this is probably his first crack
at going against the Jets as a starter. Yeah, he
came in what in relief after Russell wasn't through through
a bunch of touchdown pads Like that doesn't count. I
think the DJ read on's funny because he'sna be like hey,
it's like like like his revenge body because he's like
so so so good this year, right, Like he's like
(34:29):
Chloe Kardashian coming in and being like, hey see me, now,
just put me on the outside. That's where I play best. Wow,
we got a Kardashian reference on the pod. This is fantastic.
This is officially gone crazy. Okay, Well, on that note,
I'm gonna wait to ask you your New Year's resolution
(34:49):
for week eighteen, because that's what we're gonna do. Maybe
even maybe even after that, who knows. But happy New Year, Cynthia.
Thank you again for the podcast that was the game
preview pod past week seventeen Jet Seahawks in Seattle. I
hope you have a wonderful New Year's and we'll talk
to you next week, hopefully after your model comes to fruition.
Let's go um and maybe next week we'll get a
(35:11):
surprise appearance from the little fuzzy one over there, because
right before I turned the lights on, he was in
here with this cute little face just and then I
turned the lights on in all best one. Okay, next week,
next week you're seeing Gordy. And if you're listening, maybe
you'll hear a bar and that's how you're happening. He talks,
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