2025 NFL Week 5 AFC Preview

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue, Patrick Claybon, and Steve Wyche to preview the Week 5 AFC home games from around the NFL. The crew starts with Commanders at Chargers followed by Chiefs at Jaguars (10:00), Texans at Ravens (17:20), Cowboys at Jets (24:00), Raiders at Colts (34:42), Patriots at Bills (41:55), Lions at Bengals (49:40), and wrap the AFC preview up with Vikings versus Browns (57:19).

Note: time codes approximate. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we love our afternoon tea.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
I am Greg Rosenthal here.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
In the top sports studios in London, joined by my
friends over in Los Angeles and the Chris Westling podcast studio,
Patrick Clayban, Jordan Rodrigue, and Steve Weisch.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
This isn't going to be awkward at all. Guys.

Speaker 4 (00:27):
Why would it be awkward. We've spent a whole pandemic
doing all this zoom discussion and everything. This is this
is life.

Speaker 5 (00:35):
Now it's awkward because Greg still has converted the US
dollar to pounds.

Speaker 6 (00:39):
He's still trying to figure that part out.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
I can be awkward on any continent I want to be.
And yes, this is NFL Daily. If you're just joining
the preview show, we break it up between the AFC
and the NFC home teams, and this week we're going
to do the AFC teams first. We're four across, We've
gotten through just about a quarter of the season. I

(01:02):
feel like we have things to say and big games
to get to.

Speaker 4 (01:06):
All the biggest games and the most things to say.
And if you're a fan of the NFC, well, wanting
for teams is featured right here. The Washington Commanders coming
across Solosa status, who needos, who play the Los Angeles Chargers,
who were favored by three points.

Speaker 6 (01:20):
The over under is forty eight and a half.

Speaker 4 (01:22):
You know this game is big because Kevin Burkhart, Tom Brady,
Aaron Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi are on the call. Greg,
we were you were afraid.

Speaker 6 (01:30):
You're like, it's.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
Tough to throw my heart between behind this Chargers team
because bad things happen to the Chargers.

Speaker 6 (01:36):
Well, they've started to happen. Where do you stand right now?

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yes, I think it was a response to Jordan calling
them the best team in the league. They just had
to take the pressure off that was like a little
too much for the Chargers to handle. We learned as
we talked about our last year that Joe All is
going to be out for this game, and that makes
me wonder kind of something more big picture. I'm wondering
what you guys think about this Washington defense. I know

(01:59):
we'll get to the offense, which is gonna have Jade
and Daniels back. By all appearances, watching their defense lately,
it's almost like they got freaked out by the first
couple of weeks of the season. They want to be
an aggressive man coverage team and Joe Witt and dan
Quinn is gonna throw all this different stuff at you.
And I've noticed the last couple of weeks they've been
much more conservative. They're kind of hanging back. Their bla,

(02:22):
their pass rush is blah. It's almost like they're afraid
now of giving up these big plays. And I wonder
with this matchup whether they'll get back to kind of
being the fun, aggressive Washington defense.

Speaker 7 (02:34):
Well, I think in the case of some of the matchups,
it's just it was smarter to play zone. They were
coming right off that Gino game where they not last
week here Greg is everyone Holy cow, they were a
mess last week.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
That's all I mean.

Speaker 7 (02:51):
Okay, No, a couple of weeks ago when they you know,
everyone thought dan Quinn was going to stay in zone
playing against like Gino Smith and all of those types
of matchups, you know, it actually was smarter to play
Geno in zone based off what the Chargers themselves just
had done a week previously. So yeah, you can ramp
up and get a little bit more aggressive, especially if
you're going to test this Chargers front minus Joe al

(03:14):
also minus as of now, Mackai Becton because he's still
in the concussion protocol. So it's a lot of backups
all along that front. They're only intact, is what Zion
Johnson at left guard and Bradley Boseman at center, and
they hadn't really made a lot of moves, you know,
in order to fix you know, fix that in the

(03:35):
off season, which is one of the frustrating points I
think for some of the media members in this market.
Here sort of commenting on that this week, I think
the Commanders will get out in testom early, not just
with their front, which when they have been aggressive they
look pretty solid, kind of hovering at the middle and
pressure and sacks right now.

Speaker 5 (03:51):
Yeah, what they've done is they built their their defensive
front to be better on first down. They're terrible against
the run last year on first down, so that's what
they've done. So obvious spect the Chargers come on, throw
the ball in first down a little bit, and your boy,
Frankie Louvo is gonna be coming through that.

Speaker 6 (04:05):
A and BF all day long.

Speaker 5 (04:07):
Based on some of the issues that they're having, They're
gonna come I think they're gonna give you know, even
front look, but a lot of odd front numbers, mathematics.

Speaker 6 (04:15):
I don't they're gonna and back end. They're playing zone.

Speaker 5 (04:17):
They're not gonna let your boy Justin Herbert get out
and run the ball in man coverage. So I'm interested
to see, you know, how how Washington's offensive line is
gonna hold up. I think they've been a little spotty too.
And Jaden coming back, he covers up some of the
stuff because my guy twuly Twey up below two, who's
been playing his tailoff right, and so he's gonna be
a problem. They've they've gotta they've got to watch out.

(04:39):
This is gonna be a really good game. I like
the three number with the Chargers. I think I think
Washington covers, but I don't know coming all the way across,
as you said, the country. If if they get the
w here, this is gonna be a good game because
Washington's been real jeckying.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
Hide they have, but they've managed to hold one of
the top scoring offenses and terms of points per game
even without Jayden after these last two games. Now, some
of that we could play over at the Falcons defense
perhaps and take a closer look at the way they've performed.

Speaker 6 (05:05):
But the Chargers.

Speaker 4 (05:07):
It popped out to me they've missed tackles at one
of the highest rates in the NFL, which that's crazy
considering how like good they've been in coverage. There's spots
where like we saw Jackson Dart and Cam Scattaboo, like
guys making plays with the ball in their hands against
this Chargers defense when they've been so good in other places.
And then Bobby Wagner hasn't missed the tackle all season,

(05:28):
which is like something we've come to expect. But I
just want to acknowledge that Bobby Wagner is still still dealing,
still playing to that extent. With Dan Quinn playing so
much nickel and everybody's is obviously the twenty twenty five NFL,
you're gonna play a lot of nickel. But when you
have Bobby Wagner and being able to play the way
that he does, that's the that's the bright spot. I
am concerned about Max Sandras still in some other spots

(05:52):
in this secondary where Marshun Lattimore got targeted a lot.

Speaker 5 (05:55):
Man people this week. Teams are going after him, Teams
are going after him. You know, I don't know if
that Hamstaker is still bother him, but that Giddy being
giddy and up like it used to, its teams are recognized.

Speaker 4 (06:06):
So maybe a chance for because I know, especially in
the fantasy community, people have wondered where Ladd has been
Obviously like QJ breaking out and teams being focused on Lade.
It's just it's gonna happen at some point. This feels
like the spot for the Ladd McConkie twenty twenty five.

Speaker 7 (06:21):
I think he's he's going to be a tough cover
in the middle of field, and either you're going to
send Frankie Lufu on pressure or you're going to send
him to try to help with some of this coverage
because their perimeter guys are going to be tangled up.
That is one thing I will compliment you know, I
did jinx the Chargers, apologies to the Chargers, but that
is another that's something I really will compliment them on
is they actually have a lot of multiplicity at receiver

(06:42):
and they've got depth at receiver with guys that can
challenge your perimeter corners. And then this does open it
up for Ladd McConkie to potentially break out. But I
think we're kind of we're burying the biggest lead, which
is Jada Daniels being yack yeah, And I'm curious how
much he will actually run. I feel like the entire
Commanders offense and Cliff Kingsbury and Jade and Daniels especially
is watching, you know, Jackson Dart of all people, carve

(07:05):
up the or the Chargers defense on the ground and
find these big creases to run through, these big lanes
to attack. Jade and Daniels is one of the best
in the NFL at knowing, picking his spots, understanding how
he can challenge a defense like that, And I'm just
curious how much they'll cut him loose and let him
do it. But because he's coming off that injury.

Speaker 5 (07:25):
My old thing is if your boy Cliff is going
to run the football, got that it's a trigger finger
to throw it. Run the football. I mean they've shown
you know that they can run it. We've seen some
games when they lock in, like against the Raiders, they
can run the football. Terry McLaurin, he's still if he
if he's gonna play this game, they got to run
the football.

Speaker 6 (07:43):
They want to have a shot.

Speaker 5 (07:44):
And we know dayon Henley there's great of a lot
the linebacker playing this game as insane Henley for the Chargers, Greg,
he's also a good spy in case Jayden wants to
go ahead and take off and run.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
I mean, they're one of the best running teams in
the league. Bill Is, I think as fun a running
back that gets extra yards as anyone, and they were
running when they wanted to all over Atlanta. It is
funny to think in this matchup, like which coordinator will
actually run enough? Because Jesse Minner, I know, was this
one game, but he was given Chargers fans Brandon Staley
vibes laster.

Speaker 2 (08:14):
He just refused to get out of that defense.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
And he took a lot of criticism too, because they
were just like, Okay, you're gonna give us five yards
every time, We're gonna keep doing it. And Henley in
that group like they couldn't hold up up front.

Speaker 2 (08:26):
So I agree with you.

Speaker 1 (08:27):
It's so weird to be criticizing him and both in
Greg Roman for not running the ball enough.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
Like the forty one.

Speaker 1 (08:34):
Plays that they started last week, the first forty one
plays in the game, so it was while the game
was close, they ran at six times and Omario and
Hampton looks like a total beat looks as good as
almost any running back in the league. Every time he
touched the ball in that game, he did something outstanding,
and yet they just refuse to run the ball.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
So I think it's gonna be, yeah, who can run
the ball a little bit?

Speaker 7 (08:55):
Yeah, And I do to that point, who can run
the ball a little better? I think Washington will be,
you know, running it even more with even more frequency.
John Bates might be back this week. He's expended to
come back, and he's their backside blocking tight end and
one of the key elements of their run game that
makes it function the way it does out of that
heavier personnel. So I do think that they're going to
come out and try to see how well the Chargers

(09:15):
can try to stop the run, not just from their
front with their back, but also with Jayden Daniels.

Speaker 6 (09:21):
Oh, I just can't wait to see Anthony Lynch strong
arm and cliff on.

Speaker 4 (09:26):
The ball.

Speaker 7 (09:27):
We're running it him at a headlock on the side.

Speaker 4 (09:30):
They're averaging a full point three yards better this season
and runs to the left behind Laramie Tunsel. So as
folks in Houston are considering, like, wait, what you know
that that third round pick hopefully it's great because that
the trade's looking not so great in the light. Right now,

(09:51):
Let's go to our next game, Monday Night football, the
Kansas City Chiefs, who are world beaters. They can't be
stopped now at three and a half point favorites on
the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The over under his
forty six and a half. Joe Troy and Lisa Salters
and Laura Rutledge on the call, Ken Liam Cohen Jordan
summoned the motivation of being besmirched by Robert Salah for

(10:13):
a second week in a row and get another win.

Speaker 7 (10:16):
We were kind of talking earlier this week that he
is a former quarterback, but he kind of acts like
that tweet about wide receivers. Remember the enemy carries a
knife that speaks, he holds a knife. Yeah, and so,
but no, I love it. I think honestly, I'm expecting
points points points. The Jaguars defense is obviously so good

(10:39):
right now, and they're leading the league in takeaways and
they are swarming to the ball. Devin Lloyd is having
an incredible season. Josh Heines Allen having an incredible season.
They are so complete in every phase of this defense.
But I also think that this just has the smell
of a points game, of like a throwback Chiefs and

(11:00):
and the system that this offense comes out of. Massive
maybe not historic this time around, but massive, massive points
game for both sides of the ball. And I think
this offense, you could see the Jaguars offense and the
Chiefs offense both. You can see the pieces starting to
come together more and more and more every week that
in primetime on Monday Night football, it's like where both

(11:22):
of these coaches and these organizations want to put everything together.
Defense be damned.

Speaker 6 (11:28):
I don't see points like crazy.

Speaker 5 (11:30):
I think I saw some signs with the Chiefs or
defense coming together. It's going to be itching both sides
because I think Eric Armistead is playing quite all. He's back,
there's some vulnerabilities where he plays against on the Chiefs
offensive line. This, you know, forty six and a half
is the number. I think that's probably a pretty good number.

(11:51):
I don't think it's going to be an abundance of
points here. I think these defense Monday Night, they're going
to be better on both sides. I see the Chiefs
defense playing better. I think Trevor's get into that groove
where he's gonna give him one or two. I think
there's gonna be a turnover game, and I like the
Chiefs getting some short field to put some points up.

Speaker 7 (12:07):
I love this because first of all, we will be
texting about this. I already know it all Monday. But
then also Steve takes a little bit of a subtle
like side swife at Kingsley Sumtea. I think every show
for good, you know, for rightful reason.

Speaker 6 (12:21):
He just struck.

Speaker 7 (12:22):
I'm clocking it.

Speaker 5 (12:23):
I'm just just now like our third left guard right
tackle conversation.

Speaker 7 (12:28):
It's it's not going unnoticed, just to say, I.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
Just hope they play well in this game, that it
is close, whether it's points or not, so that Troy
Aikman and Joe Buck like continue announcing games because they
felt like they were just about done by the third
quarter of that Broncos game, like they did not want
to be there anymore. And this is maybe my favorite
matchup of the week. You mentioned trav versus Spags. That
seems like a pretty big mismatch in terms of Liam

(12:55):
Cohen is gonna have to protect his quarterback and you
do that with the running game. We spent fifty twenty
minutes on the Jags on Tuesday, because we just think
they're so much fun and at the mismatch when they
run the ball. This is the weakness of the Chiefs
defense is their rush defense. Twenty fourth in DVOA And
I'm with you, Jordan, Like, there was something about Xavier

(13:15):
Worthy just returning that sparked Joey for Patrick Mahomes and
for Andy Reid that they just felt like, Okay, we're back.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
And I saw some things.

Speaker 1 (13:24):
It's like, when was the last time we actually saw
the Chiefs offense look like this? It's been so long
And I was like, well, how about the divisional round
in the conference championship last week? Last year, like when
they were the best in the biggest spots, it wasn't
all last year. They were kind of amazing in the
AFC playoffs, and I would expect them to be good
in this one too.

Speaker 4 (13:41):
Yeah, congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs and surmounting the
herculean task of the twenty twenty five Baltimore Ravens defense.
Or if you look at the top scoring offenses in
the NFL, the thing that they have in common is
either Lamar Jackson is playing for them or they played
the Baltimore Ravens, Like it's I just I'm interested to

(14:01):
see how things turn out in this particular game because
the Jags defense isn't getting lost to the extent to
Baltimore world, like the pre steps shifts aren't going to
have the entire line like over correcting and not reacting
properly to the what's it seen in front of them,
And we get to see Josh Simmons biggest test to
go up against Josh hens Allen, where we've got a

(14:25):
rookie who's top ten in the league in terms of
allowing pressures and Josh Allen just reaching that stage in
his career where that's like he becomes a benchmark. Like obviously,
like playing against Miles and TJ becomes something. But how
you're going to be measured is how you perform in
games with opposition like Josh hens Allen. And for the
folks in Duvall to be at Everbanks Stadium on Monday

(14:47):
Night football with this with this record in this season
against this team, like, I'm just excited for that because
they deserve this and I'm taking the Jags.

Speaker 5 (14:57):
I like how you said Duvall, Hey, Gregor the jag
fans over there in London. Luck champion this game as well.

Speaker 1 (15:04):
I did see a lot of Jaguars jerseys over in Dublin,
you know, not so much in London yet, but they
better show up for this game. It's a little bit
of a thing, like they're doing the last minute ticket push.
I don't know, if you saw their first game of
the year, there was no one in that crowd.

Speaker 6 (15:18):
It is.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
It is pretty rare to see ten twenty thousand empty
seats at an NFL game, So I think they're actually
a little nervous about this game, like making a big push, like, hey,
it's Monday night, it's not hot. It's the Chiefs, like,
let's show up with good reason. I think they've been
a little I don't know what the word would be

(15:39):
disappointed in this franchise over the.

Speaker 7 (15:41):
Last Cautiously optimistic is what I would use after watching
these this version of the Jags for the last couple
of weeks, and I still think I just think there's
something in my gut that just is telling me. As
great as this defense is, I don't think the Chiefs
are going to try to run it very much against
this Jaguars front. That's stopping the run at a seventy
five success rate. Incredible, And the Chiefs are twenty fourth

(16:04):
in the NFL with this sort of like herky jerky
kind of running rushing attack that at first was going
all through Patrick Mahomes. And still Pacheco is sort of
finding it not really kind of thing. And there's a
two back system now, and like all of these different things,
I think that he especially because he can now with
if you're worthy back or he thinks he can. I

(16:24):
think they're just gonna throw and throw and throw and throw,
and I think that leads to a lot of explosives.
As much as I love how this jag zone defense,
how clean their eyes are, how disciplined they are, how
they don't get fooled like you guys said by the
motions and all of those types of things, still this
might be Pat Mahomes feeling himself. And this might be
Liam Cohen trying to put on a show with his

(16:46):
offense that's taken a while to come to where he
needs it to be as well.

Speaker 6 (16:50):
I like that number forty six and a half. I'm
taking the under. Oh wow, taking the under.

Speaker 4 (16:55):
I'll take an under on targets for Devin Lloyd because
he's been targeted twelve times.

Speaker 6 (17:00):
He's made a play.

Speaker 4 (17:01):
On the ball on a quarter of the times that
Devin Lloyd's been targeted and covered.

Speaker 5 (17:05):
And that's huge for him because because people were worried
about Devin Lloyd and he's.

Speaker 6 (17:08):
Playing his butt off in this scheme.

Speaker 7 (17:09):
He looks awesome.

Speaker 6 (17:10):
Leave him alone, Patrick, Leave him alone.

Speaker 4 (17:13):
The Houston Texans are favored by two and a half
because they should be over the Baltimore Ravens. The over
under is thirty nine and a half. Ian Eagle JJ
Watt Evan Washburn on the call as Greg No to
Lamar Demetris Jackson. In this game, we will have Cooper
Rush playing.

Speaker 6 (17:34):
He's good. He's gonna be fun.

Speaker 7 (17:37):
Laugh at Patrick. I was laughing at Patrick's face, not
at Cooper Rush.

Speaker 4 (17:41):
Well, I mean those those two things similar, similar categories
and similar feelings. Greg, how do you feel?

Speaker 6 (17:49):
Well?

Speaker 1 (17:49):
First, I want to get to Sunday and know for
sure that Lamar Jackson is out. I just it's just
one of those things. I don't know if they're going
to announce it before Sunday.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
You just never know.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
Assuming that he is out, like I am, worried about
this Ravens offensive line because they can't pick up the
blitz like that has been a huge problem over the
last couple of weeks. Is their communication, and the Texans
don't need to blitz and they're not really a team
that blitzes that often. But obviously two great pass rushers
will see if Fronnie Stanley is back, but Tamiko Ryans

(18:26):
has had a really good history of calling the right
blitz at the right time. And if you're doing that
against Cooper Rush, like if it's working against Lamar Jackson,
you know it is going to work against Cooper Rush.

Speaker 5 (18:38):
Yeah, I don't think Wyney Stanley's playing this game. And so,
I mean, the one thing we know with the Ravens
is that they haven't able to run the ball. I mean,
look at Derek Henry's numbers. It's been like all Lamar
are Justice Hill's getting to run the short passing game.

Speaker 6 (18:49):
But this Houston defense is no joke.

Speaker 5 (18:52):
So to me, this game is going to tell us
everything we want to know about Houston's offense, because Baltimore
is having all kinds of issues but on defense, but
Houston's offense has just looked a freaking mess.

Speaker 7 (19:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (19:06):
Now they've got injuries, are running back and this and that.
But if they don't get well and this game, this
is when you know the red flag goes up, warning
there's gonna be a long season. So I think this
is gonna be an interesting Tell im, we look at
the number thirty nine and a half, So I think
Baltimore is gonna score and they're not having a lot
of faith in Houston's offense right here.

Speaker 7 (19:27):
Yeah, sixteen points per game, which is less by the way,
you want to talk about Scots stats, Houston's offense is
only getting sixteen points per game right now. Baltimore's defense
is giving up thirty three points per game.

Speaker 5 (19:39):
That's unreal. Thirty three points in the NFL allowed is airable.

Speaker 7 (19:43):
Insane, and it is. Yes, it is the worst in
the NFL right now. And it's interesting because the Ravens
can't really get a pass rush. Kyle van Nyt might
be back at Travis Jones might be back. Obviously, these
guys were injured, and potentially of the eleven starters that
are injured, we don't know about Lamar yet. Obviously, we
don't know about a lot of these guys yet. Obviously,

(20:04):
but maybe eight or nine of these eleven starters that
are injured will play. They need to get some pass
rest going. But it might be an opportunity for Houston
to like just catch a breath for a second, start
to put together a little bit more of this plan
for this offense. We saw it what in one quarter
one half last week. Okay, do it against a depleted

(20:27):
defense that is playing too loose and giving up too much,
and then I'll believe that you really found a spark
last week.

Speaker 6 (20:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (20:34):
I'm just banking on the team that has tried and
been able to over the past few years to do
so many different things on offense, to focus on executing
just in the pure fundamentals of the game without clearly
like if you know, I appreciate Greg being hopeful that
Lamar plays in this game, I'm out on that considering

(20:58):
the way that the game happens with you, because if
he could have played against the Chiefs like average Harbal
said he would have played in the game, and going
back and watching that game, like the interception by Leo
Chanel where the Chiefs send the blitz and Derek Henry's
picking up Drew trankwill and Fallele is blocking absolutely nobody.
He's He's spinning around looking for somebody while Lamar is

(21:18):
trying to get the ball to Mark Andrews and Chanelle
picks it off. And there's so many plays like that
where the assignments any people will forget more about offensive
line play than I'll ever learn in my entire life.
But the unit just hasn't seemed to be able to
operate in the past game. And so much is on eight,
which is always going to be on eight. But let's

(21:41):
let's go back to prom Derrick Henry hopeless Titans team.
You knew he was going to get the ball twenty
seven times. That's that's the only thing that I can
try to look forward to in this game because having
that defense on the field is a recipe for a
bad Sunday.

Speaker 5 (21:58):
And let's not forget ro Quand Smith and Marlin Yeah
it's are are not playing. I mean they're out for
a while. On top of that's up the middle non
de matic week A, ro qwand Smith, Marlon Humphrey plays
in and out like that is a bad That's what
I'm saying to me. This game will tell us everything
we need to know about the Texans offense, they've looked
terrible and if they don't look better this game, this isn't.

Speaker 6 (22:21):
Gonna be it.

Speaker 7 (22:21):
That's what I'm saying. Yeah, exactly, It's a.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
It's a get out of jail free card, though.

Speaker 1 (22:25):
Steve like, even if they just look okay to bad
in this game, but get out of there with the
win because you're playing Cooper Rush and the one of
the worst defenses, if not the worst defense in league.
They do get their bye week. I feel like maybe
it's the schedule. God's helping them out. Titans and then
banged up Ravens back to back weeks before the bye.
Can you reset after that because the schedule is very tough.

(22:45):
After that, you have at Seattle and you have the
forty nine ers and the Broncos and the Jaguars all
in a row, these really great defenses. So you're right point,
it'll show up. I think I think it'll be more
Woody Marx wood Marks a good last Yeah, I think
Nick Schubb is a good compliment maybe to Woody Marks.
And you look at the success rates of NFL teams
in terms of rushing, it won't surprise you that the

(23:08):
Texans are twenty seventh. It does surprise me that the
Ravens with Lamar Jackson and Dereck Henry on the field
are twenty ninth, and that's in design runs. It's not
counting the Lamar Jackson scrambles. So like the Dereck Henry
game is not really working. He's hitting some big plays,
but on a down and down basis, it has not
been working.

Speaker 7 (23:26):
Woody Marx had a couple nice reps of pass pro
last week. That'll get him on the field fast too.

Speaker 2 (23:31):
All Right, it's time to take a quick break. That's
three games down. We will be back with a little
more ugly football. Jets Cowboys back on NFL daily.

Speaker 1 (23:48):
And yes, six days into my sojourn Overseas, my mind
is completely mush.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
That's also true.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
Of how I felt at the end of that Cowboys game,
like watching that on replayed, like don't know what the
heck happened there. They are going to MetLife Stadium this week,
and I'm stuck between a rock and a hart place
here Patrick, because you know, on game debut I have
incorrectly predicted the Jets will win for four straight weeks.

(24:18):
It's become almost a bit and this is a tough
one because I truly do believe Dak Prescott is playing
quarterback at the highest level of any quarterback in the NFL.
I put Josh Allen right there, but those would be
my two. So to pick against a quarterback that good again,
you know for a team that hasn't won a game

(24:39):
will be different.

Speaker 4 (24:39):
Yeah, you're picking against the guy down the sideline. The
dack's looking at it, inspiring him to score all those touchdowns.

Speaker 6 (24:44):
It's Patt Eberflus.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
The Dallas Cowboys are three point favorites at the New
York Jets the over under his forty seven and a half.
Jason Benetti, g Rag and Pam Oliver on the call.
Steve As we've seen the Jets lose some heartbreakers to
the Dallas Cowboys. I don't even know how to describe
the heartbreaking tie that could have been a win because
the Packers made a weird clock decision at the end.

(25:08):
Or it also like could George Pickens have not have scored?
But then like it would have been a weird finish there.
How do you feel about this football game?

Speaker 5 (25:18):
I like Dallas to a point because you look at
what the Jets did to the Dolphins. They moved the
ball up and down the field, but then they went
back back back penalty, negative play, negative play. Offensively, they
got the potential to do some things against a defense.
It's more than kind and I'm gonna leave it that way.
But the self inflicted mistakes, and as much as people

(25:40):
are all over Aaron Glenn about these self inflicted mistakes,
this is almost in the DNA of the Green and White.

Speaker 6 (25:46):
This has been going on for years.

Speaker 5 (25:48):
So I don't know if it's a type of player
they're drafting, if it's a type of coaches they keep
rolling through there. But the lack of discipline in the
in the the mistakes they make, especially in the look
back last year, look back the year before, It's been
a nightmare for the Jets, which is why I think
it opens up a door for Dallas, which is like
I like the three, the Dallas is getting not much

(26:11):
more because I think the Jets are gonna be able
to moin the ball on them, but it could end
up being like a game like last week because this
great Jets defense is not shown up either. So again
I like Dallas in this game, but that's about a
soft of a pick as I'm going to make because
I think the Jets have it in them. But if
they just stop stepping on the land mines that they

(26:33):
planted themselves, they've got an opportunity to be a pretty
good football team.

Speaker 7 (26:38):
Yeah, I think, you know, we have some sound of
Breis Hall. I think he actually summed it up the
best this last week when he was talking about the
self inflicted penalties.

Speaker 8 (26:49):
Just the tale of you know, three out of our
four losses, you know, teams will shoot ourselves in the
foot and then we come back and shoot ourselves in
the head. So that's been a frustrating thing because you know,
we're moving the ball up and on the field that
will how we want to or will come down and
you know, get to the strike zone and then boom,
fifteen yard penalty, ten yard penalty and teams that just

(27:10):
sit back and zone and you know you can't really
you know, they're willing to give up that three and
I give.

Speaker 6 (27:14):
Up that seven.

Speaker 8 (27:15):
So that was a frustrating part. Turnovers and they make
mistakes on you know with you know, fumbles and all
the all the type of stuff. Crazy penalties has just
been frustrated.

Speaker 7 (27:27):
Yeah, So thirteen penalties accepted penalties for over one hundred
yards last week by the Jets. And I actually kind
of have a hot take about the Jets penalties that
isn't like they were isn't like sunk into the grass
or the turf and the fibers of the building. A
lot of the penalties that I'm seeing are on alignments

(27:48):
and motions and shifts, and that's a getting used to
your offensive coordinator thing, and that's the quarterback and the
offensive line and all of the players who are in
motion just understanding timing better about this with the Jacksonville
Jaguars too, Like this was a similar thing too with
the Ben Johnson offense, not just with the Bears recently,
but back when Ben Johnson took over the Lions offense.

(28:09):
This is what it kind of looked like in terms
of some of those penalties early on, specifically with those
types of timing penalties. That's why I worry less about
the Jets in that regard. And I think the fumble stuff,
I mean, it changed the entire game this last week.
Don't get me wrong about that. The Jets had to
move from their aplus plan of running the ball down
people's throats to their C plan essentially facing that large

(28:32):
of a deit double digit deficit so early in the
game because the Dolphins were able to march back against
their defense on the other side. So I think this
is a points game because yes, you're still going to
see some of that stuff and that will get, in
my opinion, get cleaned up over time. And I think
that's going to be an emphasis this week with Aaron
Glenn and Tanteringstrand who comes out of that lion's tree

(28:53):
as well. And I think that to you guys's point,
like you're gonna see a lot of points because these
defenses are not played discipline, solid sound football at all.
They're not playing, you know, they're playing loose football, and
teams are getting to just do whatever they want against them.
For the most part, run in pass and I think
Dak and Schottenheimer together is kind of magical. And I think,

(29:15):
you know, Schottenheimer and Clayton Adams and Javonte Williams is
kind of magical. So I have no doubt that some
that you know, points and points and points will actually
happen in this game. We won't be able to find
these defenses.

Speaker 4 (29:26):
Yeah, you're mentioning that the c plan against the Dolphins
being the passing attack, guess the A plan against the Cowboys.
The Cowboys are the number thirty two ranked pass efficiency
defense in the NFL. And it gets to a point
where it's shocking. Yeah, just that. How to see an
offense without C. D. Lamb go out there and play
against a good Packers defense and have the performance that

(29:47):
they and not able to win the game, not able
to have any sort of separation between them and the
Green Bay Packers has to be demoralizing for the guys
on the offensive side of the ball because I'm having
difficulty imagining what more they could have done and to
see and right, like all respect to to Jordan Love,
to Jeric Off. The Cowboys have played against you know,

(30:09):
some some good quarterbacks here in twenty twenty five, but
this is it's not sustainable.

Speaker 6 (30:16):
No at all, three levels too, this level.

Speaker 4 (30:19):
Rush, linebackers, secondary, bad all around.

Speaker 1 (30:21):
Greg Well, do the Jets have a passing game that
could take advantage of the worst like these?

Speaker 2 (30:28):
Yes, yes, yeah we'll find out. I mean they did
in Week one.

Speaker 1 (30:33):
And shout out to Garrett Wilson, who is better I
think than he's ever been, unlike Sas Gardner, who I
think is having a rough start to his year after
getting that big contract. I think Garrett Wilson has been fantastic.
I feel bad for him. I feel bad you mentioned
that early Lion staff Jordan. I'm sort of getting more
of an Anthony Lynn vibe as the offensive coordinator for

(30:55):
Dan Campbell and wondering It's early in the season, but
at some point Aaron Glenn is going to look at
Steve Wilkes, who was not in the NFL last year,
and how this defense has been run and it might
take till the very end of the year, and wonder like,
is this the right guy to be running my defense?
Should I be running my defense? Because it's not going
very well and that is not likely to continue with.

Speaker 2 (31:18):
The assassin Dak Prescott. I didn't get to that.

Speaker 1 (31:21):
Game until later in the week, and so I humbly
submit to you guys a Throw of the Year nominee
from Dak Snap's back.

Speaker 6 (31:31):
Good block from the white, tackling rolling White.

Speaker 5 (31:34):
Prescott throws on the run to the white side on
that ball hawk, Oh, please tell me he caught that.

Speaker 6 (31:40):
Tolbert didn't catch it the same catch he did his
best Michael Gallop ballot the.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Five yard line.

Speaker 6 (31:48):
Guy, don't know how Prescott got it there or how
Tolbert caught the ball for thirty four.

Speaker 1 (31:53):
Sometimes you got to consider the situation for that moment
in the game.

Speaker 2 (31:57):
It was also just a great catch, which helps.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
You also got to consider like breaking expectations, Dak Prescott
doing a little more off script than you expect. He's
been doing that all year while getting like hitting the
stomach throwing at downfield.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
That was amazing.

Speaker 4 (32:10):
How do you even think of that throws unconscious?

Speaker 7 (32:15):
It's unconscious, but that's where it was.

Speaker 5 (32:16):
He knows he's got a receiver on that route. I mean,
that's just and look if he wasn't gonna catch, it
was going out of bounds.

Speaker 6 (32:23):
So yeah, but that, I mean, what an incredible play.
Dak is playing out of his head.

Speaker 7 (32:27):
Yeah, and you're not going to find any argument on
that submission from me, Greg, because Nick Schuck and I
covered it on the Sunday Night recap and we were like,
we got to make sure Greg submits this to the
Throw of the Year and the candidacy. Okay, So I
really like this statistic that kind of explains Dak right
now that Ben Baldwin does it's called adjusted EPA and

(32:47):
basically it's adjusted DPA, but it's adjusted for past protection,
receiver drops, dropped interceptions, fumble recoveries, et cetera. It also
accounts for the defenses that the quarterback is facing. And
Dak Prescott is number one one. So not only not
only is he playing unconscious football right now, he's also

(33:07):
doing it with you know, factoring out like CD earlier
on the season, factoring in the fact that the Packers
came in with a really good defense, like it's it's
he's he's climbing to the top and then some. And
I think it's also elevating some of the playmakers and
skill guys around him. That all those guys really stepped
up for him the other night.

Speaker 5 (33:28):
That's a hell of an analytical breakdown, by the way,
to take all that stuff into account, Which isn't that cool?

Speaker 6 (33:33):
Yeah, I mean, because there's a lot of whole lot
of quarterbacks who do.

Speaker 7 (33:36):
It's my favorite quarterbacks who.

Speaker 5 (33:38):
Did get that mercy you know there for I don't
think Baker Mayfield got that mercy with you.

Speaker 6 (33:42):
He's playing with the Browns. I love it.

Speaker 7 (33:44):
It's really cool. It's Greg's gonna really hate who's second,
But it's really really cool. I love context. I just
love context. It's awesome. Yeah, grades love context.

Speaker 4 (33:57):
It's all we can aspire to is to fully contextualize
the thing that we're discussing. And looking back at that
throw once again, Tolbert was four yards deep in the end.

Speaker 6 (34:05):
Zone when dak said that Tolbert's a punt returner. That
was a punt.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
Yeah, just imagination going well for rain Dakota Prescott again
looking forward to that game, also Breeze Hall. The analogy
there was very, very heavy, but they have made a
lot of mistakes. The Las Vegas Raiders, speaking of mistakes,
taking on the Indianapolis Colts, who are favored by six
and a half. The Colts suffered the defeat in Sofi Stadium,

(34:32):
Jordan and a fantastic game. The over under in this
one forty seven and a half. Chris Meyers, Mark Sanchez
and Christina Pink on the call. They're gonna want to
burn some of the tape. Do they bounce back at
home against the Raiders.

Speaker 7 (34:45):
Well, one player plus his heart because I feel horrible
for Aidie Mitchell, but one player specifically will be the
one who wants to burn some of that, because I
think collectively the Colts still looked really, really good. Some
of the quick pressure or some of the all out
wrecking ball bulrush pressure right up the middle by Jared

(35:05):
Vers got to Daniel Jones from time to time, but
overall I thought he played well. And the irony of
this game is interesting to me because it all, it's
two quarterbacks and new homes. Obviously, one is working out
very well. The other one he's having some struggles because
in part he's missing some of the players around him,
not just up front, but also guys like Brock Bowers

(35:26):
who's been banged up for a while. And the irony
of it is that on the other side, the other
offensive sideline, Tyler Warren and Daniel Jones building that rapport
is showing exactly how a schemed up tight end can
help a quarterback, especially in a new situation. Especially surprising
these defenses that have not seen a lot of tape,
or at least only a couple games worth of tape

(35:47):
on them. And I hate it for Gino because I
wish that they had, that the Raiders had this available
to them. I wish Gino had this type of player
who's on the roster, but banged up in brock Bowers.
I wish he had this available to him.

Speaker 6 (36:01):
Yeah, I mean he's speaking of Gino though. I mean
Ashton Genty.

Speaker 5 (36:05):
We saw him come alive last week and he was
somebody and we talked about it. I was a little
concerned with it after his first couple of games because
he wasn't getting a ton of toats and he was
physical in the first half and it wouldeem the Wayne
as the game went along. And now we saw as
the game went on here he just got better and better. Yeah,
so continue to feed him. The thing is this Colts
defensive front. I mean, I absolutely love I mean, you

(36:28):
look at the talent, but you know Grover Stewart, Quitt,
he pay DeForest Buck, the Latu Latu.

Speaker 6 (36:33):
We know Zia Franklin's a tackling machine. Like this is
a bad matchup for the Raiders.

Speaker 5 (36:38):
I mean just just all the way across and again
like Lattu is just a fantastic player, but they've got
depth on that front.

Speaker 6 (36:47):
Boy Luanna Arrumo, Boy, I don't.

Speaker 5 (36:49):
Think he was the issue. It's it's lady, now was it?
He went there and there got some players and he's
showing to do his thing. I like the Colts in
this game. I like the number six and a half
as well. It's gonna be a tough, tough run for
bad match Greg for you, boy, Gino.

Speaker 2 (37:02):
They're all bad matchups right now. Actually that's not true.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
I think he's played really well two games, and the
two worst starts of his entire career, including some of
those Jets starts, certainly the worst two starts since he
joined the Seahawks were the ones that everyone watched that
three interception game last week, and it's just weird. He's
holding the ball longer than he's ever held it, he's
throwing it deeper than he's ever thrown it, and he's

(37:28):
just not throwing it accurately. It doesn't seem like you
see in the field or liking what he's seen. He's
throwing interceptions on like the exact same play against the
exact same defense, which maybe tells you a little bit
about where they're at offensively. And I'm with you, it's
a tougher matchup than I would have expected. Steve a Lot, too,
is playing awesome. He kind of is showing why he

(37:49):
was the first defensive player drafted last year. I really
loved him coming out, and he's taken a little bit
to get going, but he's sweet and they don't need
to be great. I think the recipe for the Colts
is just to have an average defense.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
I don't think they're great.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
I think they're probably average overall, but that's that's a
big upgrade from where they work. They have some holes
in their secondary, and the offense is going to possibly
carry this team. This is kind of a new test
for the Colts. So like they're a heavy favorite, they're
coming off a loss. They're playing a team like I
think when you become like a potential division winner, you
have these little check marks throughout the year, and this

(38:24):
is just like an early one, like this is a
game they should win.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
Go go win a game, you should win.

Speaker 6 (38:29):
Great point, that's good stuff. I like that.

Speaker 4 (38:31):
It kind of felt like the offense, especially in the
Rams game, was was missing Alec Pierce, Like he is
my favorite player and I will continue to bring up
Alec Pierce, and I think Alec Pierce not being there
gave Ady Mitchell a chance to make that big play.

Speaker 6 (38:44):
Yeah, of course it didn't.

Speaker 4 (38:45):
It didn't necessarily work out, but to have that amount
of talent on the field where you kind of started
to notice that we've been saying it for years, like
wow for interesting get things together like Stiching and Dimes
have got this thing figured out and the full display
of the talent versus were on the other side where
we can celebrate. And I'm glad, like Ashton Genty went
back to a stance, I'm glad.

Speaker 7 (39:05):
He No, I loved it. I was like Leo pointing
at why.

Speaker 6 (39:08):
Would that hold up? Yeah? Why would that ever be
an issue?

Speaker 5 (39:13):
Because Kelly, why would you take a guy who thrives
in something as minute as a stance and.

Speaker 6 (39:22):
Break him out of that? What the hell was that? Like?

Speaker 5 (39:26):
I didn't pay that much attention to it, So I
heard about and I'm like, why the hell would you
mess with a stud stance?

Speaker 7 (39:32):
Because coaches love control?

Speaker 4 (39:34):
Yeah, because a massive recruiting budget and the success of
several very talented players at Oregon got you anointed as
a genius and ultimately the results since then have not
necessarily justified.

Speaker 6 (39:47):
So you're shotting. The talent at Ohio State's pretty good too.

Speaker 4 (39:49):
Yeah, I think the Ohio State football program was very
talented as well. Because Ashton Genty still got hit behind
the line of scrimmage on fifteen to twenty one carriers
in the Ashton Genty game where it's just he made
some great plays. And you know Kevin Byrt who was
able to sneak around in the middle of the field
and pick off Geno twice when he had to be
out on the edge and make a playoff ash Genty.

(40:10):
Like you saw what what Genty was talking about in
the pre draft like draft the guy they can't tackle
like Byr had every opportunity to get him, could.

Speaker 6 (40:16):
Not even really slow him down.

Speaker 5 (40:17):
Now I saw that and was like why, like what,
like really that that's what got to Mario and Hampton.

Speaker 6 (40:26):
You know, you got him in the proper stance. That's
why he was so good at Ohio State. O Tradio
hends all his stance. What the hell? Yeah, it's one
of those.

Speaker 7 (40:33):
See it's a confidence thing too, and it's sort of.

Speaker 4 (40:35):
A come on, And I don't I don't necessarily think
like the change of the stance was like the ultimate result.
Just Genty was eventually going to hit a long run
or two, and it happened.

Speaker 7 (40:46):
Against the Bears, And you know, I actually just I
also tend to think that it's a small like we
always talk about opening scripts right and how a lot
of especially coaches sometimes quarterbacks will show you kind of
who they want to be and what they want to do,
or how much autonomy they have, how much control they
themselves have within a certain plan. And so for me,

(41:06):
it's like, no, I don't think it's the biggest deal
in the world. The stands thing. At the same time,
like I do think that him feeling like himself and
feeling comfortable on a professional football field is important for
any player. I don't give a crap how high you
were drafted, Like, be you and run free. Like that's
just that's how I feel about it.

Speaker 4 (41:25):
Yeah, one of the worst teams in the NFL in
terms of turnover differential. If the Raiders can take care
of the ball, maybe they'll give us something to watch.
But this Colt S team play pretty good football at
the moment. It's time for the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota.
Let's go places on Sunday night football. It's the New
England Patriots at the Buffalo Bills in this bruising division

(41:51):
in the AFC East, where the Patriots have a chance
greg they have a chance to make a push. The
Bills favored by eight and a half points, the over
hundred is fifty and a half.

Speaker 6 (42:02):
He has to make a push. And Melissa Stark on
the call, can they do it? I'm gonna look at
Eric while you say it, Kret.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
They could absolutely Why not?

Speaker 1 (42:14):
In New England they're saying, is this the biggest game
of Drake May's career. It's like, yeah, well that's going
to be literally every game until they're out of playoff contention.

Speaker 2 (42:23):
Yes it is. I guess it's a mismatch.

Speaker 1 (42:27):
I think of massive proportions when the Bills have the
ball and the Patriots defense is on the field. It's
the number one offense now in the league in terms
of DVOA, and they.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
Can run the ball.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
And the Patriots defense looks better against Carolina, but they've
got holes that you can pick on. I think at
linebacker and at safety. We haven't mentioned on this show,
and I did want to get in that. You know,
they're without their defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who has prostate cancer,
and it's a big blow to Mike Frable's first coaching staff,

(42:58):
like he he was counting on Trell Williams first time
coordinator to be his guy, and he had coached with
him before, and he's been kind of off and on
the team since starting camp, and so that's maybe part
of it.

Speaker 2 (43:12):
And so Rabel has to take a bigger role and
can he.

Speaker 1 (43:15):
Scheme up anything that gives the Bills problems because you
know they don't really have the players, And to me,
it's it's a big proof of concept and just show
me who you are game for their defensive line, because
that's where their best players are.

Speaker 2 (43:27):
Milton Williams has been great.

Speaker 1 (43:29):
Good, Christen Barmore is coming off his best game of
the season, and Harold Landry has been great. And they're
going up against what I think is at this point
the best offensive line in the entire NFL. So can
they do something up front that's they're really their only
chance to meet Jordan is like, can those three guys
just be great and actually get some pressure and some

(43:49):
run stops in a way that no opponent for the
Bills has so far this year?

Speaker 7 (43:52):
They have to make the entire unit uncomfortable. It's going
to take a lot of discipline and a lot of physicality, right,
because that is you're right, I agree with you. One
of the best top two for sure offensive lines in
football right now and has been and has the continuity right.
I have no doubt that this Bill's offense is gonna
score plenty of points eventually. But watching the Bills and

(44:16):
the Saints last week, I was stunned at times by
how many mistackles I saw from the Bills defense. This
is no secret all year, but if you can scheme
a couple guys into space and get a couple of
like hard run after the catch plays, if you get
your backs moving in the passing game a little bit
the way that the Saints did with some of the

(44:37):
versatile players that they have on the roster, and if
your quarterback can make some plays with his legs, which
again was the sort of what the Saints did when
they made it really close and a little trickier than
I think even the Bills expected, because that defense is
so questionable with its tackling, with its ability to bring
players to the ground. I have no doubt that the

(44:57):
Bills win this game, and they eventually, like they did
last week, put up a lot of points in doing it.
It is the best offense in football right now. It
is also one of the more questionable defenses, not necessarily
in terms of philosophy, but in terms of execution and
also in depth in some areas. So that's where I
really stay concerned with this. We shouldn't forget that this

(45:18):
is a Stephan Diggs revenge game either, so we're gonna
get some sort of meat it is. We might not
get a big Stephan Diggs game, but we will get
a meme out of it.

Speaker 6 (45:27):
I think Stefan Diggs is gonna have a good game.

Speaker 4 (45:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (45:29):
I think Drake May is playing greg He's you know,
I'm a big Drake May guy, and he is getting better.

Speaker 6 (45:34):
You can just see him feeling himself. You know.

Speaker 5 (45:39):
His his OC Josh McCanns is not going to make
it easy on him because he's going to change the
game plans week to week. He's can screen to death,
try screen death teams every week. Le Drake May play football,
but him and Sefon Diggs got something working, you know,
as he does with Hunter Henry.

Speaker 6 (45:53):
You know right, you're seeing right here when he get
in the red zone.

Speaker 5 (45:56):
So I think New England gonna put points on the board.
I mean I don't. I don't think this is going
to be a game where you know, they get wiped
off the map. Buffalo is a better team, But I
think New England's going to score some points and make
this a little bit more intriguing.

Speaker 7 (46:07):
Don't you love Hunter Henry still out there doing it?

Speaker 4 (46:09):
Yeah, and he's he's got an opportunity to do it
because in terms of like if you go to overall
next Gen stats, you can sort by the wide open
percentage that a defense is allowed. The Bills are at
thirty five percent.

Speaker 7 (46:22):
I call those wow plays. Remember from last week why open?

Speaker 6 (46:25):
Yeah? Yeah, wow, And your acronym game is.

Speaker 4 (46:30):
And there's been plenty of wow opportunities wow against Buffalo
and so yeah, like Hunter Henry and Stefan Diggs, like
these guys are in play.

Speaker 6 (46:37):
I think there's reason to believe, Greg. I think there's
reason to believe.

Speaker 2 (46:41):
Oh, I did too. I think they have a chance
to win this game.

Speaker 1 (46:44):
I would be surprised if they did, but I certainly
would like the eight and a half.

Speaker 6 (46:48):
I would too, you know, I would take it's like.

Speaker 1 (46:51):
A litmus test because I think the lowest moment, quietly
of Bill Belichick's tenure in the beginning of the end
for him in New England. Was that playoff game where
he became the first coach to ever have a defense
that didn't get a single stop in a playoff game.
Josh Allen scored every single time and Mac Jones was
game that day. Mac Jones coordinated by Josh McDaniels. You know,

(47:14):
they scored their points that they like. Josh McDaniels does
a good job coordinating the New England Patriots. In any
other job that he's had in the NFL, there's been problems,
including even coordinating the Saint Louis Rams back in the day.

Speaker 6 (47:28):
But I didn't you mentioned.

Speaker 1 (47:30):
Putting a lot on on Drake May's play, Steve I
would say that they're scheming up a lot of open receiver.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
I mean, it's not like they have guys who win
one on one.

Speaker 1 (47:40):
It's a highly schemed and controlled offense where I think
May is, as you're saying, look at really comfortable. I
think his pocket feel is much better this season, and
so he's gonna have some big plays that he creates
with his legs. But otherwise I think it's like a nice,
tightly managed, controlled thing. It's like a young I don't know,
Josh Allen, if you want to get a little frisk.

Speaker 7 (48:02):
Is this a Mac Collins revenge game too?

Speaker 6 (48:05):
I like that all sorts of reveals. Mac Collins got
like seven of them.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
I know he's collecting a lot, you know how.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
I knew Drake May was starting to finally feel himself
as a pro when he broke out that Superman for Cam.
I was so fired up. And then he gave a
really almost emotional speech after the game, saying Cam Newton
is his all time favorite quarterback because of the way
that he played, because of the way that he led.
And he even admitted he stopped being a Carolina Panthers

(48:35):
fan when they got rid of Cam Newton.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
So that made me even a bigger Drake May fan
than I already.

Speaker 1 (48:39):
All Right, let's take one more break on this AFC
show and we will be back on the other side
to talk about maybe the best team in the NFL
against maybe the worst team in the NFL.

Speaker 6 (48:58):
That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota. Let's go places.

Speaker 4 (49:01):
Toyota is all in all season with another year of
Toyota Game Day giveaways, giving football fans the chance to
win big every week at the NFL season. Terms of
conditions applied to individual giveaways.

Speaker 6 (49:12):
Enter to win and learn more at Toyota's Game Day
Giveaways dot com.

Speaker 9 (49:16):
No purchase necessary, void where prohibited ends two eight twenty six.
Open to legal residents of the fifty US States and
DC eighteen and over. For complete details, how to enter
prizes and official rules, visit Toyota's Game Day Giveaways dot com.

Speaker 2 (49:34):
Back on NFL Daily and Yes, I Teasday before the break.

Speaker 1 (49:38):
As big of a mismatch as we could possibly have
in the NFL right now. It is the Detroit Lions
coming in on a three game winning streak facing the
Cincinnati Bengals, having been out gained patrick by five hundred
yards in the last two weeks combined.

Speaker 4 (49:54):
And which is why it's an eye popping number that
it's not higher. The Detroit Lions favored by ten on
the road at Cincinnati. The over under is forty nine
and a half. Kevin Coogler, Moose Johnston, and Alison Williams
on the call. Hopefully they have their calculators out, Jordan,
because I cannot imagine a situation where Dan Campbell's Detroit
Lions do not score fifty points in this game.

Speaker 7 (50:15):
The carnage Wow, the carnage potential of this game is
kind of astounding to think about the potential. Now, anything
could happen. Guys. I'm not one to roll out like
any perceived possibility here. But I think about that Jeff
that circulated a couple of years ago about the young
child in the automatic like toy car just rolling over

(50:39):
the upper child in the front law, not able to stop,
not able to reverse, just goes right over. That's kind
of what I picture when I think about and I
and I'm guys, because I've been you know, me and
Nick Schuck fillin in for Greg on Monday Night Show
this week. I watched that entire game start to finish,

(51:01):
Broncos putting up five hundred yards against the Bengals. The
Bengals only play because they can't run the ball at
historically low rates. Only play being let's try to draw,
let's try to drop p I down the field to
t Higgins or Jamar Chase. I mean, it is bad
and they could not adjust. They didn't change anything there
and shotgun the entire time Steve.

Speaker 5 (51:22):
And then no quick passing game. Yeah, I mean this
is one, you know. Look, I I like Jake Brown.
I think he's a very capable backup. But when he's
getting his brains knocked in, like get a quick pass, game,
do something some some bubble screens, something to get it going.
And they just like, let's just stand back there and
take shot plays. Yeah, three and out, three and out.

(51:44):
But let's go to this defense though, I mean this
is one like, first off, Pokinaku and amh Rossaint Brown
at two best wide receivers in the NFL. Right, m okay,
we can go by skills setting everything Jamar Chase and
Joshin Jefferson.

Speaker 6 (51:55):
But Pokinaku and amh Ross.

Speaker 5 (51:57):
Saint Brown are sick, right, and a mon Ross can
have some he might throw a touchdown pass.

Speaker 6 (52:02):
Right, They're gonna they're gonna have They're gonna have some fun.

Speaker 5 (52:05):
Because Cincinnati on defense, Trey hendrickson or not, it is
a sieve. And now if if all of a sudden
they come out and Detroit comes down and gets up
fourteen to nothing, real quick, Okay, now there's gonna be
some picks going on, you know, Kirby Joseph, these guys
are gonna start making plays. Eight and Hudson's gonna make
the Pro Bowl in a game like this, And I
don't think it's gonna be well, yeah, I do.

Speaker 6 (52:27):
I think it's I.

Speaker 5 (52:27):
Think let's just let's just go ahead, lan slide it,
avalanche at whatever this is. This is, you know, I
do like Zach Taylor there after the game, it gets
it gets the Broncos.

Speaker 6 (52:38):
He came out.

Speaker 5 (52:38):
We're two and two. We're in a good place. Yeah,
those last two games haven't been Greg You didn't like that.

Speaker 2 (52:44):
Huh, well, you know what that reminds me of.

Speaker 1 (52:47):
There's a scene in the show Quarterback where Joe Burrow
goes over to you know, Zach Taylor goes over to
Joe Burrow on the sideline who is furious during a
Titans game because they had like six before the snap
penalties on the offense and they won that game thirty
seven to twenty seven. And he is so pissed and
Zach's like, hey, you gotta come you gotta try to

(53:09):
enjoy the wins. And he's like we're terrible today, Like
I'm not gonna enjoy this.

Speaker 2 (53:13):
We're brutal. And Zach's over there like, oh, come on,
we gotta we gotta try to enjoy this.

Speaker 1 (53:17):
Life is short, and Joe Burrow is like having a
much higher standard than the head coach of the team,
who is kind of going over to him like he's
a substitute teacher, like just trying to calm the student down.
And I love thinking that that's a bad dynamic, and
I don't like that dynamic for this Cincinnati Bengals organization.

Speaker 6 (53:34):
They deserve better.

Speaker 7 (53:35):
Can you do that voice one more time?

Speaker 2 (53:38):
That my Zach Taylor voice.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
I gotta say, as someone who has been politicking against
Zach Taylor for years, to get to this moment is
actually unsatisfying because it's it's just unwatchable, Like this is
the worst situation. Fox took this game and made it
the four. You know, it's a four to twenty five
game because they thought it's Joe Burrow versus one of

(54:00):
the best teams in the league, and instead it's it's
just one of the best teams in the league.

Speaker 2 (54:03):
One thing I like, though, Patrick, this Lions defense.

Speaker 1 (54:06):
I mean, I was thinking, Jake Browning, Okay, now you
don't have to play Minnesota in Denver.

Speaker 2 (54:10):
It's not as crazy.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
I mean, if you're looking at DVA, the Lions defense
actually ranked higher than both of them. They're a top
five defense right now. They're really playing good, good team ball.

Speaker 6 (54:18):
Let me so.

Speaker 5 (54:18):
I was at the Monday night game where they played
the Ravens. The game plan was fantastic, but they're linebackers.
The way they were able to spy Lamar Alex Angeloni,
who's a great open field tackler, the way they spied Lamar,
and the way they just locked up the receivers, I
was is impressed. I know they lost Aaron Glenn, I
know they're going through some changes on Vin Shep, but

(54:40):
Kelvin Shepherd is he's got it, putting together some stuff
and the players are so excited. I mean, when Alex
Angeloni is spying Lamar from seven yards deep from and
stopping him like closing as soon as Lamar takes off,
that means nothing else is going on for the other team.
So Detroit is it together with these new coordinators and

(55:03):
Jake Brownie, ought they got a quick game of just
get it to just get it to those receivers as
quickly as possible and get the ball out of his hand.

Speaker 7 (55:11):
Part of the problem why they can't adjust is because,
like I said before, everything's coming out of the gun,
which if you have Joe Burrow, that's fine. And I
get some of it's too where you're just like, hey,
I would like the quarterback to be able to see
the defense for as long as possible. But they're not
getting any any help because they have no run games.
So they can't go under center because they're not going

(55:31):
to run the ball because they have to make sure
that they're in the gun the entire time, and they
can't run the ball anyway, so they can't even go
into the pistol to keep some semblance of the gun
intact and go into their play action game. They have
nothing that helps protect the quarterback and it shows. And
I just think, and Kelvin Shephard, you I love watching
him coach on the sidelines because if you want to

(55:52):
talk about the kind of defeatist like participation trophy esque
mindset of like what Zach Taylor was talking about, right
like enjoy the wins and it's not good enough for
Joe Burrow. Calvin Shephard is not coaching like that. He's
coaching with so much energy. He's like all of his
guys are with him. You can totally feel it. You
can almost feel it through the TV screen.

Speaker 5 (56:14):
In a short sleeve great T shirt. Yes, like he's
just totally go on boot camp. Yeah, in the wardrobe
on the sideline.

Speaker 7 (56:20):
And and what did we say at the very beginning,
because this this whole conversation nationally about oh, new coordinators
on one on each side of the ball, and then
all this stuff. Dan Campbell has an eye for talent.
He has showed this over and over again of when
to promote, when to uplift, when to amplify the right
coaches for the right situations. And I think he's doing

(56:43):
that on both sides of the ball.

Speaker 1 (56:44):
And as if the Lions needed any more good news.
If you're watching our show on YouTube, we just you know,
threw up a little graphic moment in time of the
Bengals offensive line in that Broncos game where they have
four players blocking. Meanwhile they're bookend tackles who sneakily are
a big part of this whole problem. Both get beaten

(57:06):
very quickly by Nick Benido and Jonathan Cooper, and poor
Jake Browning is about to get absolutely hammered. So that's
bad coaching, bad execution, bad resource allocation, bad coaching. It's
all bad right now for the Bengals. It's good for
those of us who took that Lions over ten and
a half wins before the season. I'm feeling good about. Also,
Alee McNeil returned to this week. Not gonna play this week, but.

Speaker 2 (57:29):
That is good for that Lions defensive.

Speaker 4 (57:31):
Line now fully operational. Lions team. Love to see it.
Let's get to London. The Minnesota Vikings, oh yeah, get
to stay away from the country. They are favored by
three and a half. The home team is the Holyland Browns,
but the Vikings a bit over there for a while
again the over under thirty six and a half. A

(57:53):
family on NFL Network hosting the game, Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma,
Sarah Walsh, Rise, shine and watch. Second week in a row.
We care about each other over here. I'm glad you're
watching this game on the NFL Network. And Steve Wise.
We get to see Dylan Gabriel make us first start
in the NFL.

Speaker 6 (58:10):
Dah. Oh, yes, there it is. We got, we got.
That's really good. I'm thinking politics right here with that.

Speaker 5 (58:18):
Yeah, But Dylan Gabriel makes you start against his Vikings deep.
But Carson Wentz also makes another start against I guess
this brown steep.

Speaker 6 (58:28):
But let's go Dylan.

Speaker 5 (58:28):
Gabriel because this is gonna be interesting, the fact that
Cleveland decided to make this change international game against someone
who's gonna scheme the hell out of anybody he plays,
and Brian Flores in this defense, but scheme up Dylan
Gabriel where there's not a lot of tape. You got
about a five nine, five to ten quarterback lefty. But

(58:49):
he gets the ball out. I mean he he runs
Stefanski's scheme the way it needs to be run. Now
he has not run it in a game, but everything
you can talk about he's in the book. He's doing this,
and that he's Jim rack guy, been a training camp.
Watch him operate it. It looks good again, we'll see
it in a game. And I'm actually excited to see

(59:09):
Dylan Gabriel. I was very I loved him at Oregon.
I love how he plays. Again, this defense is gonna
be hard. But I think if you're gonna make this
move and you go to Dylan Gabriel, everyone's gonna compare
him against should or Shouldur's still a third on the bench.
You know, I find it interesting, and you guys tell
me a lot of times. Season reporters like Jordan Patrick

(59:31):
Gregan myself, it's what people say but don't say. Joe
Flacco when asked about Gabriel today, Hey, look, he puts
in the time, he does the work, he does the
little things, and I want people to interpret that the
way they might as to why Dylan Gabriel is getting
the start and Joe Flacco is still the number two.

Speaker 1 (59:52):
I also think you just got to look at the preseason.
That had a solid first appearance, and after that it
went her and it went south. I was impressed by
Dylan Gabriel way more than I expected to be in
the preseason. I thought his arm was a little more
juicy than I expected. Obviously it's not going to be
even NFL average, but he's putting a lot into it.

(01:00:14):
He made some difficult throws, and I think he knew
how to run that offense.

Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
And I'm more excited.

Speaker 1 (01:00:19):
I don't need to fake the enthusiasm for this game.

Speaker 4 (01:00:26):
I care about these people and we get a chance
to felt like broadcast a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
You know who doesn't fake.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
So right now I'm taping in the Top Sport studios,
and right next to me, I'm going to take advantage
of the fact that the host Will Gavin is in
the studio who I'm going to be calling the game
with on Sunday. And Will, never a man to miss
an opportunity to promote himself, said hey, we have a

(01:00:53):
viral video going on right now. I share that with Will.
By the way, we have a viral video up right
now of calling the game on Sunday. He said, well
we should, we should talk about this game a little
bit in the studio, so welcome. Well, we'll also you know,
getting the pump prime for the listeners. Will also be
joining us on the Sunday night recap show again this year.

Speaker 2 (01:01:15):
So I'm excited for this game.

Speaker 10 (01:01:16):
Thank you for having me sensational Staffatrick, I want to
steal that and can we use that on the broadcast
on Sunday, because I.

Speaker 2 (01:01:23):
Think that's going to be everyone going more than anything else.

Speaker 10 (01:01:25):
We're just kind of out of one of the outbreaks,
no context whatsoever, just you screaming about Dyvin Gabriel sounds good.

Speaker 6 (01:01:31):
Oh no, you have to put the Howard. You have
to put the Howard. They're going to miss the context
on the Howard Dane scream.

Speaker 4 (01:01:36):
But Will, and I promise you, Greg will accuse me
of having faith enthusiasm.

Speaker 7 (01:01:40):
As someone who was sitting next to it. That nothing
big about that as someone who is sitting right next
to it.

Speaker 1 (01:01:48):
And you know what, watching that Browns game last week,
if you only watched the Browns defense when the Lions
offense was on the field, and I'm looking forward to
like talking about that during our broadcast. Work like that
felt like a matchup of one of the best defense
in the league against one of the best offense in
the league. And the Browns got their share of wins.

(01:02:09):
So if I'm Kevin Stefanski, I think he's looking at
what happened last week to Minnesota. I think he's thinking
about the way to attack. Also, this Vikings defense is
on the ground, and he's thinking, we can keep this
a low scoring game, and maybe Dylan Gabriel does give
us a better chance to them.

Speaker 10 (01:02:24):
The thing is the lot you see last week, and
you see the Lions scored thirty four points, but realistically
actual points scored on the Browns defense is ten because
seventeen of those points came off turnovers, seven off that
huge punt return, but three of their touchdown drives started
from the three, the five, and the twenty yard line.
Like you're not putting your defense in a position to win.
And when you consider the injuries on the Minnesota Vikings line,

(01:02:47):
if Brian O'Neil is seems like he's gonna be out
for significant time, Ryan Kelly with a second concussion in
a space of three weeks, they're already missing one of
their guards as well.

Speaker 2 (01:02:56):
Like Dynavan Jackson is gaming they announced already.

Speaker 10 (01:02:59):
H it's a huge, huge mismatch and actually like thirty
six and a half points is the over under I
think might be generous.

Speaker 7 (01:03:06):
Yeah, I agree with you will absolutely. I mean, I
know you're shocked that I agree with you on something
anything you said, you know, any I know, I know
it's it's you know, it's just just keep an eye
on it, That's all I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (01:03:23):
I think about it rather than saying just keep.

Speaker 2 (01:03:28):
An eye on it.

Speaker 7 (01:03:30):
Every every time you speak, though, I find myself nodding
and smiling just because you're just amazing and a delight
of a person. But I do think, like it's it's interesting,
like I do think that this line is generous to
your point, very much so, because I think this this
does end up being uh a defensive battle, and I

(01:03:50):
think part of the reason there's twofold some of the
reasons why Dylan Gabriel is is getting the start now
and in this place. And I think it's kind of
like baptism by a little bit, because you're gonna see
a lot of stuff that you're not used to seeing.
You're going to be in a very unfamiliar environment. The defense,
as they have had to do all year, is going
to have to lift this offense up as much as

(01:04:12):
it possibly can. And it's still in Gabriel playing with
a bunch of guys that he came into the same
path class with a lot of these offensive guys are
are playing really really well right now, and it's like,
what do we actually have together collectively against one of
the most difficult and confusing defenses to play? Like what
actually is there? And so whether or not the Browns

(01:04:34):
win or lose this game, there's gonna be a lot
of tape that this coaching staff and this organization is
going to pour over to try to understand what actually
is here among this young collective group that they all
came in at the same time. And and I, Dylan Gabriel,
I will say this not to like humble Bragg or whatever.
But when I got to spend a lot of time
with the Rams scouting department for a series that I

(01:04:55):
did a couple of years ago, people were already scouting
ahead onto the next draft class, the one after, the
one that was incoming. And when they were scouting tackles,
when they were scouting receivers, when they were looking a
lot at Oregon, I kept hearing from other teams, some
from the Rams, but from other teams how much this
guy reminds them of Tua when Tua is playing on time,

(01:05:17):
when he's doing some of the ball handling that he does,
when he sees the field well, when he can get
the ball out quickly. He's got good pronation on it
for a lefty quarterback, and he just he plays sort
of He's very small, but he plays sort of collected
within whatever that system is, if the system fits him,
and I think, and that's the comp that I kept
hearing well.

Speaker 6 (01:05:36):
And he broke all to his records over in Hawaii
as well.

Speaker 5 (01:05:39):
And one thing that Dylan Gabriel will do because he
is a little bit more mobile than Tua, but because
he's short, I mean, he's really like when you see him,
but he will move to the point to get passing
the lanes that yeah, aren't necessarily there for Joe Flacco,
who statuesque. So again, they're going to do some more
fluid things with their offense. It's what they have to do.
So it's you know, it's it's intriguing. But will let

(01:06:01):
me give you props because dude, you hit on something
that I've been screaming about for fifteen years. Right when
defenses get scores like an interception for points whatever?

Speaker 6 (01:06:13):
Oh this a couple of years ago.

Speaker 5 (01:06:14):
Oh, the Cowboys, you know they led the NFL in
scoring when they had ten non offensive touchdowns. Their offense
did lead the NFL scoring, their team did.

Speaker 6 (01:06:24):
Yeah, so I'm.

Speaker 5 (01:06:25):
Glad he clarified that point. That's a pro right there,
and talking about the defensive scores and non offensive scorers
going against a team's defense or working against a team's offense,
however you want to put it, So well done, because
this is where numbers sometimes fool you.

Speaker 10 (01:06:44):
I'm kind of a little bit on the Dylan Gabriel
bandwagon right at sixty four starts in college. They might
not have been against the kind of level of opponent
that he's going to be facing with Brian Flores and
the Vikings defense, but you just you learn how to
do all the operational stuff. Like it's the opposite of
what we saw from J. J. McCarthy, even though he
had plenty of starts in college himself. In those first
two starts this year, I just feel like, are we

(01:07:06):
going to see like we had we've had with Shane
Steichen and Daniel Jones and like we saw with Jackson
Dart this weekend. Finally a coach who's just got a
quarterback who's just going to do what he's told and
run the system.

Speaker 6 (01:07:16):
And he's mobile enough to do it.

Speaker 10 (01:07:18):
And so even though I think they keep it simple
for him, I think the marriage, I think Stefanski's excited about.

Speaker 1 (01:07:23):
H Yeah, And it's such a mismatch up front for
both sides. This Browns defensive line is so great right
now and they're going up against three backups for the
Vikings and the flip side, Dylan Gabriel will be running
for his life. So I feel like the London crowd,
for whatever reason, likes ugly defensive game. We're gonna bring
on for you and will the challenge will be for

(01:07:43):
you to come up with another viral clip, A great car.

Speaker 2 (01:07:48):
He's gonna be a challenge. You can't lean into it.
We're at I'm checking at now, we're at one point
three million views.

Speaker 6 (01:07:55):
Coffee.

Speaker 2 (01:07:55):
You did that, Thank you Will.

Speaker 1 (01:07:57):
He will be back, as I mentioned on NFL Daily,
and yeah you could. You could listen with us if
you wanted on talkSPORT during the game. We're gonna be
back in just a second and go over all the
A f C games. So we'll say bye to you, will,
and uh, stay right here.

Speaker 2 (01:08:13):
Let's do the NFC games next