October 22, 2025 • 52 mins
Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue, Patrick Claybon and Steve Wyche to preview the early window Week 8 action starting with the Giants at the Eagles (03:15) followed by Bears at Ravens (10:50), 49ers at Texans (16:52), Bills at Panthers (25:13), Browns at Patriots (32:25), Jets at Bengals (38:35) and Dolphins at Falcons (45:30).
Note: time codes approximate.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Uh yeah, yeah, there's a keeper into the show.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
No beeps.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
This is NFL Daily. It's week eate. We're doing the
preview show. We're in the Chris Westling podcast studio. Yes,
we're going to make you beat that. Eric, Steve Weisch,
Jordan Rodrigue, and Patrick Claiban are all here today. What
a day it's gonna be. What a way to start
we Kate.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
It's the eve of the midway point of the season
and we got it.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I was trying to think of the actor's name who
I was called a low rent version of it was
related to our conversation Adam Brody, Adam Brody, yes, earlier today,
and I couldn't like it.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
That come to me so quickly.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I couldn't think of his name, and we were having
a conversation about lookalikes and whatever, and I wanted to say,
I'm not a low rent Adam Brody. I'm like a
medium rent, you know, maybe not like Santa Monica prices,
but like you're not saving money on me as as
Adam broog That's.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
A pretty strong cop. I'm say they're looking at it
right now, like I mean, I definitely no rent part
to it.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I mean I would take it like well, like literally
lower maybe lower ceiling like I.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Just I won't. I won't take too much of everybody's time.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
But there's a segment of the population that over indexes
in offering their I'll save you the beep's opinion, saying
that people look like other people. Yes, and they're constantly wrong.
They meet a stranger and the first thing they say
to the human being who has existed for the entirety
of their life is that they look like somebody else.
It's like, has anybody ever told you look like this? No, idiot,
(01:36):
nobody's ever said that. What about Hello? What if you
could talk and meet with and greet with somebody in
a normal sense, you tell them.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Who they look like?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
They look in the mirror every day? Shut up.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
Yes, I recently had an experience with this where not
only did and I have a twin sister, so I'm
used to being alike.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
You guys do look alike.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Yes, we do look alike.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
I was recently told by a man that I did
not know at.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
All who was up there in age, that I looked like.
Speaker 6 (02:09):
Somebody and he could have just left it there, And
then he decided to add and she was my childhood crush.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Good for you, and I was like, I'm gonna walk away.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Now that leaves the segment of people I was talking to.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Yes, there's a ben diagram happening here.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
That's track. That's just bad, old old man.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
You told me you were in line behind Adam Brody.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I was. I probably told this story on the same
show like a year ago, and like everything else, I
forgot all about that. So Adam Brody over indexing on
NFL Daily, Big Fan check out Nobody wants this Season
two coming up on Netflix. We were actually paid. This
whole thing was spowned out. It's our preview show and
it's a little different this week. We're breaking it up.
(02:53):
But we decided this week because the AFC, the NFC,
it wasn't making sense this week. There was there wasn't
enough too many buys, NFC games and everything. So we're
going to do the early games and we're going to
do the late games just how you watch it on Sunday.
And I'm excited for that.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I'm excited for it too because shout out to chronological order.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
I know the algorithms got rid of that in social
media because the worst people in the world to get
to dictate how we consume content and made those decisions.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
How about this.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
We're in chronological order, baby, and we start with the
New York Giants at the Philadelphia Eagles, who have a
chance to get revenge from the start of their disaster
of stretch where.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
They lose two games. Oh yeah, they won agains the Vikings.
They're back. They're good.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
They're favored by seven and a half over under forty
three and a half. Steve Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady
on the call. Does Jackson Dart befuddle the Eagles once again?
Seven and a half? Is this the Brandon Graham bounce?
A big number? That's a big number.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Look.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
I love the way Philly played last week. I mean
he'd be able to hit the big plays. Now can
they do it consistently? We'll see against his defense. I
like footuff in this game. That number is way too
big for me. I like the fact that Jalen Hurts though,
showed up. He took everything and said, you know what,
let me throw it, let me get it to my guys.
Let's calm everybody down, unlet's play ball.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Did he calm everybody down?
Speaker 6 (04:05):
Though?
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Because AJ Brown ad another weird.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
It's just at some point like AJ can just post
on Instagram, yeah, like we don't have to say deep,
and it's like it's like Taylor Swift tweets before an
album release every single week and people are like, oh,
so AJ said this, This clearly means that, like, let's just.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Use it me but not using me. We don't have
to delve deep. I think they'll be using him a
lot though this week, because this Giant secondary already had issues.
If they don't have Paulson Adebo and Javon Holland, who
were out of practice on Wednesday, they are in deep
trouble because the drop off to Deontay Banks, who was
(04:43):
a first round pick for them. You could see it
in that fourth quarter comeback by the Broncos. Javon Holland
was actually out for a lot of that game. Drew
Phillips is about the most targeted player in the league,
and he has made a lot of big plays and
he has given up a lot of big plays. But
you have a lot of Giants fans who are not
happy with that secondary, and I think that Eagles are admitting,
(05:04):
basically they should be a pass first team they're not
a good running team, not that they have to give
up on the run, but they should be better at
passing the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
It is October season of Halloween.
Speaker 6 (05:14):
I just kept having this image in my head of
that famous I now I can't remember the name of
it because I've been ill, but it's the famous movie
with the three Witches and they pull out ocus Pocus
and they pull out this giant book and it's got
an eyeball on it and a creeks open and all
the dust comes off of it. That's the play action
passing game.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Oh, let's go.
Speaker 6 (05:34):
Okay, that's the only time I will yell today.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Sorry to the listeners there on that one.
Speaker 6 (05:38):
But yeah, I think that them showing that a little
bit more diversity in what they want to do and
how they want to move.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Jalen Hurts spot. Yes, it was only technically four.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
Plays, highly highly productive passing plays thirty yards per throw
per completion on those play action passing game game concepts,
And I just think that this is a promising start
for Eagles team that, yes, as Lane Johnson said.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Had to get a little bit more predictable in that regard.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Yeah, And I was Greg, I mean after seeing what
Denver did to that giant secondary once those injuries happened,
there's no reason why Philadelphi's not going to attack that
early sort of so often it's a Saquon can go
ahead and get some and gets his old team.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
On the other side, Vic Fangio has been blitzing more
to try to manufacture pressure, and Brandon Graham coming back
is is great.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
But I don't know how many snaps he's gonna.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
Actually play right off of the podcasting couch shout out,
but our friend bo Wolf and phl Y podcast over there.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
But if you can rush Jackson Dart with four.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
He is way way worse than he is against the Blitz.
He's actually playing pretty well against the Blitz's getting blitzed
a lot, and he's completing the fourth highest amount of
passes per next Gen in the NFL against the Blitz specifically,
But if when he just rushes for the numbers almost
invert and he sort of fritzes out, and then you.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Kind of see it because they just don't have a
drop back passing game where he hits guys on like
his best plays create a play, which he's he's been
great at, but it's there's not a lot of conventional
offen and and to.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
His defense, you know, you get late in that game,
there's no Elikue Neighbors. Yeah, all right, wande All is
seeing coverage by some of the best secondary players in
the NFL.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
So it's tough.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
But the one thing that we didn't see because he's there,
he's averaging twelve plus epa on scramble runs since he
took over. He didn't have a scrambling first down against
the Denver Broncos as well as he played in that game.
And so this is our first chance to get a
defense's second look through at the at the RPA game
with Brian day Bowl and Jackson Dart and I'm interested helpful,
(07:35):
great point, it's got a great point patch.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
And it they're going for a sweep. This is such
a big game in the Giant season. I think people
have just kind of crossed them off. They could easily
be three and four coming into this and trying to
get the sweep. If they get the sweep, like that's
a massive moment in the Brian Dable experience. But if not,
they're one and three in the division already. They've played
so many division games they're pretty buried there at two
(08:01):
and six, and that that little uptick is now really
just a nice part of the season and the rest
of it is just about developing their quarterback. Here's the thing,
though there's zero chance the Eagles get pressure with four
this is the best tackle combination maybe in the league
right now. I mean Nick Benito, he had he didn't
just get shut out last week. In terms of pass
(08:24):
rush win rate, you don't see this too often. It
was a zero percent. And immediately you think Andrew Thomas,
no sight everyone. That's happening against everyone with the Giants,
But it wasn't all Andrew Thomas. There's actually a lot
of Germaine illumin or so they were a really good
pass protecting team on the edges, and I think the Eagles.
That's a weakness for the Eagles this year.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
And here's a tease.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
Go read my pal Charlotte Carroll at The Athletic, who
has a feature coming soon on why and I won't
spoil it here on why that offensive line is playing
so well together right now. Somehow their cosmic timing has
all seemed to link up well.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
And that's all I'll say about that. But it is interesting.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
We're talking about the Giants offensive line as one of
the better groups in the league and they look at
and we're also talking about the Eagles offensive line that
needed a bounce back game and kind of sneaky got.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
It last week in a big way, which I think
is important.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yeah, especially in terms of the Blitz pick up. You
would like to see Saquon get back because he's almost
a full two yards on yards per carry behind where
he was last year on outside runs.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And you know, we talked about imagination.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
They literally ran the same run play within five plays
and they just ran it to the other side last week.
So all the celebration of Jalen hitting those deep balls
to aj and Devanta last week, the run game is
so kind.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Of look away.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Needs to get a little more diversity to the same
extent that they had last year.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
It's weird, like, I mean, no Sequin Barkley's not on
pace for a thousand rushing yards this year.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I mean no explosives.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
I mean every week we saw him hit one for
a minimum forty five yards. That just has not happened
this year.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Landon Dickerson came back from an injury though, and look better.
We also should know the Giants cut their kicker. Jude, Yeah,
I got Tamney, you know from Ireland. You feel for
that kid.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
They let him get back on the plane.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
You feel for him. A guy who kind of came
from a non traditional football background got his chance. It
did not go well, and we'll see. They could go
with young Waku who lost the battle to him supposedly
in practice, or Graham Gano is coming off an injury
and was activated.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
We real quick to say that Graham has been activated,
so that.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's on them, by the way, they went into that
season with a thirty eight y old kicker who hasn't
been good and has been hurt two straight years. So
Joe Shane, I'm watching you well.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
When you're in a place where a couple folks needed
to be somebody else's fault, it's a it's a difficult
place to kick footballs because hard to kick footballs in
the NFL. To our next opportunity, the Chicago Bears, winners
of two consecutive games. The round game is going and
we get to ask Greg Rolls and Thals. The Baltimore
Rave are at home favored by six and a half,
who after coming off not being able to stop anybody
(11:04):
in the over unders forty nine and a half iron
eagle and Justin James Watt on the call, what is
the value Greg of a buye and was it good
enough for the Baltimore Ravens to fix things?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yes, if it means that Lamar Jackson's back on the field.
Sometimes you wonder how much does Vegas know because this
number was there before they know us.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Greg.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Yeah, well, if he's not out there, obviously that's not
the number. And he was out there on Wednesday practice,
but they said he was taking reck limited behind Tyler
Huntley and Cooper Rush, So that's obviously the biggest factor.
Maybe there's a thought Patrick and they are healthier on defense.
(11:44):
They're getting a lot of guys back, including Rokwe Smith.
That sounds like that defensive performance they did show something
in their last game before the bye. There were signs
there that they made some improvements. The pass rush, to
me is still the biggest problem, maybe against Caleb Williams,
Like this isn't that big of a week where you
need the pass rush because he's going to hold the
(12:05):
ball anyways and hasn't really been seeing things.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yet, but they've been running it they've been running the
ball well. I mean Deandres who said back to back,
good game. We talked about it before. The offensive line,
especially some of the combinations they have on each side,
is performing really well. In the run game. You see
in the outside well, this is inside zone right here.
The way they're blocking on the video the folks watching
on YouTube, and that's what's setting up in the passing game.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
I do think Baltimore is going to be better. They
have no choice.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
Actually, I think if they come out and stumble right here,
it's not over for them, but it's over for them.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
Chicago looks really one dimensional right now. To you guys's point,
it's good for them that it's in the run game.
It's good for them that this is the foundation that's
being set, especially post by. We talked about it on
a previous show, especially their zone runs. Coming out of
that bye week, it's like everybody finally got on the
same page. And it's not just that the omenadae is
(12:59):
in has has replaced the previous starter, but also this
whole group is communicating really well, and DeAndre Swift is
picking up more than what he's been blocked for and
prior to the bye he was picking up less than
what was being blocked open for him. So that's a
huge swing and a huge change, and it's good because
Caleb Williams is still having kind of these up and
(13:20):
down games. This last game against the Saints. The Saints
can't really rush the passer. The Saints can't really get
pressure effectively, and he was holding the ball and it's
not like they were covering a crazy amount. He just
wasn't like fully sure of what he was seeing and
when he was scrambling and when he was kind of
moving out of structure, he was not picking his spots
(13:40):
where he could run and stead he was throwing and
then vice versa.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
He talked about it in the media and Ben Johnson
did as well last week.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
It's like being a little bit more decisive, being a
little more quick with his decision making.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
And Ben Johnson also put some of that on his.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Own shoulders as the play caller as well, setting up
a little bit more layers.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
They though had five fight false starts. That's pretty embarrassing.
Speaker 7 (13:59):
Yeah, but you can at least with this staff, because
you know, Ben Johnson had said he had lost sleep
personally over the lack of success in the ground game
where he said sometimes they were they were blocking it
up properly, and the holes weren't getting run through.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Sometimes every hole they tried to run through wasn't necessarily
blocked up properly. And I love the way that he
has kind of vocalized the accountability for everybody without being
mean spirited or like.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Hunder running that doesn't happen in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, perhaps we'll get to some other teams where that's
not necessarily the case. And and the buye was had
that value for them. And then you look over at
the Baltimore Ravens, where you know, the bye gave a
lot of Ravens fans chances to look at what was
going wrong. And even when eight was playing the protection
from Daniel Filele, it's it's been highlighted, and so you
(14:49):
look at where they were successful. Lamar was completing ninety
one percent of his passes on play action before before
the injury, and I really think that that was a
virtue of well, you you have a play that looks
like a run block to start things off, and then
Lamar figures it out. The rest of everything needs to
be figured out, and this one and I'm interested to
(15:10):
see one if Filele is playing in this game and
to what the play calling looks like if he's in there,
and if, of course, if it's in.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
There, and they got some they got some outside zone
working with Derrick Henry at least early in that game
against the Rams where they kind of look like themselves. Again,
your boy, Nate Wiggins, I don't know if it's your boy,
but he's just on the Ravens. He's been playing.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Great, but he's on the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I just assume like anyone on the Ravens, he's been great.
So not everyone is struggling, but they're their rookie Malachi
Starks has been in the middle of a lot of problems.
And then Marlon Humphrey was not at practice Wednesday, which
is surprising because he was there Monday. Jyr Alexander still
getting his knee drained. So people always think like, oh,
the bye, that's going to solve all of our injury problems.
But it's like it's one week. It doesn't necessarily solve that.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Yeah, and you talk about Malachi Starks, I mean, were
the Ravens for two years in a row. Now I've
gotten tagged this in the middle of the defense. You know,
everyone thinks Kyle Hamilton can solve everything, but you can't
just move into a certain position and think, okay, because
because he's back off the line of scrimmage, it's going
to solve everything.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Everything else has to work.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
They have their interior linebackers to do a lot in
the past in the run game, and this is one
right here where I think Chicago with their tight ends
could do a little something and cause him some problems.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
The amount of a lot for everybody in that second
and third level gets to be more when, as Greg
pointed out, you can't get pressure on the quarterback, and
then you're asking guys who, let's be frank, with the injuries,
who could not run to cover people that they can't
They can't cover anywhere. So it was a rough opportunity,
but perhaps to buy well, we'll.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Have a chance.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
It feels like kind of a massive game. I agree.
I know you're a Raven. I might have to take
this game. I just feel like this the Raven's got
to win this game. And if the Bears actually can
get this done, then it starts feeling like, okay, this
is a real thing.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
All right, let's discuss another team.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
That just keeps winning despite all the obstacles going on
the road where they are favorite. It is Kyle Shanahan
San Francisco forty nine ers one and a half point
favorites against a rough look at Houston Texans offense that
got the loss on Monday night in Seattle as Jordan
is the over unders forty one and a half. Kevin
Coogler and Mouse Johnston on the call. What can Nick
(17:16):
Kyley squad do against this forty nine ers defense, this resurgent,
youthful group despite the injuries, Keith getting stops.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
Yeah, it's just a really master for coaching job by
Robert Sala and partnering with Kyle Shanahan again kind of
back in his happy place.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
I remember talking to him during training.
Speaker 6 (17:37):
Camp about just the level of competitiveness that Kyle Shanahan,
I think, especially after Robert Sala was a head coach himself,
really has leaned on him and there's been I think
a little bit more like pure collaboration versus pure competition,
and several years ago when Robert Sala was there before
it was an all out battle schematically at practice, even
(17:59):
trying to figure out different advantages in each other's defense.
It famously led to Robert Solaz White nine and all
of these types of things trying to stop Kyle Shanahan's
outside zone and all of his like hybrid freak players
that he had. Well, now there's a lot of collaboration
purely for the growth of the roster, and they really,
I think, in their scouting and their talent identification departments,
have found young players who are fully bought in and
(18:22):
have this energy and like I know, forty nine ers
fans don't want to hear it, but it reminds me
a lot of the twenty twenty three Rams, where there
is no expectations that was self inflicted by the Rams.
In terms of the roster overhaul, this is less so
because there's so many injuries everywhere.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
But you've got like Tatum.
Speaker 6 (18:37):
Bethoon coming out of nowhere having just an absolutely electric
game filling in for Fred Warner, wearing his jersey to
the stadium. You have guys like Upton Stout playing bigger
than his size a week after week. You've got Alfred
Collins who looks really good in the middle. Mikel Williams
looks especially good, you know, against the run, And I
just feel like this is a group they're playing without
(18:59):
the way to of expectations and like every single opportunity
is one for them purely to grow and then the
results sort of are speaking for themselves. I think it's
a fantastic job by that entire organization to come this
far the way that they have.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
I had a Falcons team that didn't challenge them. Yeah,
I mean they just ransom obvious. Okay, let's run a screen,
Let's throw everything outside and see if they can catch us.
It was a terrible game plan by Atlanta. Houston doesn't
have that opportunity. Their play calling was a mess against
Seattle when they.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Went for it. You know, the the off you.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Know they off tackle run two plays in a row
on third and fourth down when your offensive line is
getting reset.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
And the numbers weren't there. They weren't, it's there.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
They ran it to the freaking weak side of the
offense and got stood up twice. I it's frustrating. You know,
people can come down on TJ. Stroud all they want,
and he's not blameless in all of this, but we've
seen it when he doesn't have any time and he
doesn't trust what's in front of him, it's a disaster
and most quarterbacks are like that. Now, we don't know
if Nico Klein is going to be able to play
(20:02):
in this game.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah, it sounds like he won't. He's in the concussion.
Did suffer a concussion. He was not a practice Wednesday,
and neither was Christian Kirk.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Well, then then that's going to if you're not a
practice at all, because usually on Wednesdays you're on the
field in some way, shape or form. Thursdays you're going
through it. That's kind of leading to the track. So,
I mean they just don't have a threat. Yeah, offensively,
and and and that's an issue, you know. Defensively, those
dudes are playing their hearts out. I mean, so maybe
they can get some takeaways. I mean, you never know
(20:32):
what's going to happen with that. Maybe they can rattle
Mac Jones because that defense is legit as it comes.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Offensively, man, it is a nightmare. You I didn't think
it get worse than it did last year. It is worse.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
It is worse.
Speaker 6 (20:43):
Yeah, it looks certainly the tape looks where points per
game is still about the same, But the tape looks.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Because of that one game other than that there's sixteen
points a game other than the right against the Rave
against the Ravens, that's it against the Wors.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
I would say this is going to be I think
a game because you're looking at the practice reports this week,
injury reports this week, and you potentially are without a
couple of like still dependable guy in one, very good
player and Nico Collins. These young receivers Jayden Higgins and
Jalen Nole have I see their potential, I see their upside,
but they're making mistakes. They're not in the right spot.
(21:19):
Sometimes they're dropping passes. Sometimes c J. Stroud is not
hitting them. Other times when this is a game where you,
if you're Robert Sala, I just don't think that you
trust that their receivers. I just don't think you respect
their receivers. I think you send everything you've got at CJ. Stroud,
who I've got some pressure stats for him from last game.
He was pressured on thirty one point five percent of
(21:39):
his dropbacks. You only had fifty five yards on those plays,
four for fourteen, one touchdown, one interception, So that's a
twenty eight point six completion percentage when under pressure. But
when he was not pressured. He's also not because there's
there's just ghosts or something's going on. That offensive line
is what it is, and the scheme is not good either.
When he was one hundred and seventy four yards nineteen
(22:01):
to thirty five, no touchdowns, no completions or no no interceptions,
only throwing five yards per attempt on those when he's
not pressured, and just a fifty four percent completion percentage,
and it's just it's all none of it's looking good
and you're you're seeing sort of the the bad habits
could could start to set in and the like we
(22:24):
joke about ghosts with Sam Darnold, but like, this line
is not giving him anything to work with. Neither is
the play calling. Neither is the run game because they
look slow on the ground too.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
They're just and think about this straw. I got bailed
out on that safety.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Oh he got They got bailed out a couple times.
Should have been a defensive Touchdo I mean that's the
potentially against the best team, best defense in the NFL.
Those numbers tell a story though to me, because the
fact that he was only pressured on thirty one percent
of the passes and he's throwing so deep is like
he's they're not even trying to let plays develop because
exactly when you talk about like the ghosts, it's just
(22:57):
not having faith that the offense is going to work
if you do throw the ball. And I do think
we are seeing a different CJ. Stroud, unfortunately because of
all the free rushers and sometimes it's set early early
in that game. I bet if we looked at the
first two drives of the game, that pressure percentage was
a lot higher because there were free rushers everywhere the
first quarter, and then after that he's just kind of
(23:17):
getting rid of the ball and hoping and it's hard
to blame him, but man, it's depressing that they are
an underdog, like against the team without you know, without Purdy,
without Bosa, without Warner and Zuma, without everyone. That's true,
you do have CMC. You do have Mac Jones whining
now one hundred thousand dollars every time he starts. Mac Jones. Oh, actually,
(23:37):
we don't know that mac Jones is starting. It's Wednesday
as we're taping this, and it could be Rock Perdy returning,
but I don't think they're in a hurry. And turf
Toe is troubling and he can do enough at least
Maybe I don't know this, This is bound to be ugly.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Or yeah, ugly just for one team considering where things
have gone. But hey, maybe Will Anderson can get in
there or make seventeen plays and get as Texans.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Maybe maybe you know, to go full circle, we could
say maybe Houston looks like a team we saw a
couple of years ago that.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Would be good And like the forty nine Ers did
get the running game going for pretty much the first
time all season last week against Atlanta, where it was
consistent success rate high. It is the Robert Sala versus
Damiko Ryan Oh bowl. I kind of like that, like
which one took took the recipe in San Francisco and
did better.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
But Demiico's not calling the defense right now.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Wow, but they do have his defense.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
They do have something in common. During their tenures as
head coach, both of them didn't get to make all
the decisions they would have liked to been in there.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
We are and keep an eye. Derek Stingley not having
a good year Like sometimes I like he's had more
penalties this year than the last two years combined. He's
given up a lot of completions where he's in coverage
which are just not used to seeing, you know, in
this matchup unless Pierce. I mean, I don't know who's
going to really bother him, but it has been interesting
to see him not having as good a season. Let's
(24:58):
take a quick break and we're going to be back
for another organizational rivalry game.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Man, no love for Kenchick porn.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
The Bourne identity.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Back on NFL Daily And yeah, I mentioned a revenge game.
I don't think Sean McDermott and Brandon Beaner looking for
revenge because Carolina helped set them up back in the
day for success.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
And imagine if they kept them both.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Right at various points over the last seven years, David
Tepper should have been thinking, hmm, maybe I had the
right guys in the building back then.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Well, there's a lot of guys who are the right
guys for one organization, but they're another organization.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
They're not quite the right.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah, they would not be looking as good if they
were with that team. You know who is looking better? Patrick?
On Wednesday, surprisingly Bryce Young doing cardio but out a
boot on at practice. Maybe these reports that he was
missing this week or premature if nothing else. It doesn't
seem like a long term injury.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Yeah, everybody's body is different. They're not machines. High could
mean one thing for one person and something else for.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I've never seen something reported as a high angle screen
and someone moving the way that they had cameras on
Bryce Young how he was moving on Wednesday. I've never
seen that.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
But but we allude, we allude to it.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
He is light a couple, a couple of franchises where
you think back a generationally talented, large mechanized quarterback with
perhaps some underperforming aspects around him spurning to long term success.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
It's the Buffalo Bills and the Carolina.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Panthers in different eras as the maybe, look there were
a lot of former Panthers when they both got there.
Oh yeah where things have fallen off since then, those
former Panthers have gone elsewhere.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Jack Thompson on this Bills team, How about that.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Jack Thompson revenge game?
Speaker 1 (26:49):
The Carolina Panthers looking at the Buffalo Bills actually seven
point favorites. Who better to be on this call than
Adam Amine and g reg for this particular matchup where
Steve Bryce playing seems to be the main looming issue.
But other than that, can the Buffalo Bills find somebody
that could separate? Do they need to make a trade
(27:09):
and go get somebody? Oh well, do they need to
make a trade. I mean they can find someone to
help out the secondary. I mean, but every team needs,
you know, secondary help right now.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
And so I'm looking at it. Bryce, youunk doesn't play
Andy Dalton.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
They've got some running backs in Carolina who can do
their thing. So if they could run the ball, and
I think you run the ball in Buffalo a little bit.
I mean, this is a way to play keep away.
The number is big, I get it, it's Buffalo, but
Carolina is playing better defensively. I mean that defensive line
is starting to show some of the talent that's there
Dan Morgan. I don't know if some of that was
(27:44):
there for Brandon Bean. I don't think so. I think
it's so Dan Morgan. But they're starting to come together
a little bit. And so again, I like Buffalo to
win this game. I don't know if I love the number,
but I don't know if it necessarily hinges on Bryce
Young playing.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Yeah, there's two of the biggest mismatches of the entire weekend.
Are in this game, Yeah, Accordion Dvoa. The Bills have
the worst rush defense in the entire NFL. Yeah, And
the Panthers running game has been excellent their top six
or seven on the season, and if you just looked
at the last handful of weeks, it's even better than that.
Then again, on the other side, Derek Brown's a great player,
(28:16):
and he can rush the passer a little bit, but
this is one of the worst pass rushes in the
entire NFL in Carolina, and it's going up against a
great offensive line. So could it.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
Because they got rid of all their pass rushers right
like when Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
I know, as receivers haven't been separated, but when Josh
Allen drops back to pass, he should have all day.
And that is a dangerous scenario for this Panthers defense.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
But their dbs are playing better in recent weeks too.
They're taking the ball away a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
This against terrible competition, it should be said.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Sure, but Buffalo's receivers aren't separating, right and.
Speaker 6 (28:52):
Josh Allen it's kind of like we're seeing this a
little bit with a less great offensive line but with
still similar kind of stakes. Is like as justin Herbert
where it's like, Okay, all of this resigns now on,
Josh Allen, go do something cool, right, And that's what
kind of the story has been because yes, this Panther's
two headed running game, and not just their running game,
but the way that they were deploying some of their
(29:15):
screens to me, you do that on purpose a little
bit to get that tape into Buffalo's heads a little bit.
Buffalo is not defending not just the run game will,
but also not defending second and third level stuff like
those screen passes when they start to get rolling, and
Chuba Hubbard was great on some of their screen design.
Could have picked up ten more yards on that long one.
(29:35):
He pulled down a lot of that. You shouldn't wait, Yeah,
you should not wait for your blocking. However you're blocking
probably needs to fast layer more inside faster the thing
that he could have a touchdown. The thing that's cool though,
is like, Okay, from you know, being in Carolina for
as long as I was, and then like man, the
last several years, this fan base who I think will
(29:57):
really show up for this game because they've got hope
and they and maybe more importantly than hope, They've got
a freaking run game. Yeah, for the first time in
a while. This fan base has been dying for a
run game. Since the prime days.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Of John Stewart Williams. It has been.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
Rolling downhill on people.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
And this is just so fun to know that, like, Okay,
if you can't have hope, you got something better. You
got a good run game. Beheen a two headed monster.
And I know they want to know who the starter is.
That's more fantasy football whatever, but like, this is cool.
This is potentially very very cool and stabilizing if you're
not really sure who your quarterback is going to be
or what they're going to do.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Wow, the shadow John Fox hovering.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
I think this does as he ever does.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Tuba was great in the in the past game and
I understand his utilization, but getting Rico the ball, thank you.
Against this Bill's team, especially, I'm thinking about the way
xavererly Get has been playing with him and Tartaroa out blocking.
It's just a rough matchup for a Bill's secondary that
really gets like kind of exposed every single week, every
(30:59):
week making plays on the ball carrier. I think Carolina
should take whether it's Andy or Bryce, especially if it's
Andy or getting the ball in five's hands and letting
them do work.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
In Dalton before that car accident last year, was playing
solid football. One of these years, this happens with these
backup quarterbacks that we just assume are the same forever.
At some point he will turn into a lesser version
of Andy Dalton. But frankly, we haven't really seen that,
like he was solid last year. I know, I know
you're talking about that if you want to, if.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
You want to talk about seeing it, seeing it, Okay,
the Jets.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
Maybe maybe that ball is not coming out as crisp
but basing it on his twenty twenty four tape like
he was. He's now turned in. You know, we used
to do the Dalton scale on the show, which if
you have a guy above that now I would say
it's kind of the Dalton scale for backups. If you
don't have a backup better than Andy Dalton, you need
a new backup. But he is a good backup until
(31:55):
absolutely proven otherwise. And yeah, I'm curious. We mentioned a
lot on the show out coaches show their work after
the bye. Sean mcdermot's been excellent at that over the years,
diagnosing what's wrong with the team. So I am curious
to see what personnel changes, schematic changes do they blitzmart like,
what sort of changes he does on his defense? Leaning
on you know, Dan Walker, They're gonna have to Da
(32:15):
Kwon Jones, who's been solid for them, another former Panther
hurt his foot in practice on Monday and sounds like
he's going to be out for a few weeks, and
he is a big contributor for them.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
You talked about the line and evaluating quarterbacks. What about
having to play against the Cleveland Browns in twenty twenty
five when they have been great on defense the offense. Eh,
they are at the New England Patriots. The Patriots and
Drake May who is all that matters? Favored by seven points,
the over under is forty and a half.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Chris Myers and Mark Zlrath on the call.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Hopefully with no audio issues for Chris Myers, as he's
been getting chased around by weird audio bugs in the
past three weeks.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Something I'll pick.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Paper really, Yeah, he sounded like he was calling the
game from a ten can in nineteen fifty five. Oh,
last week for like a quarter and a half, Greg, Yes,
how concerned are you about playing the Browns defense.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I am excited to watch it. I'm not playing them.
I think it's nice because I'm trying to I'm trying
to tell the Patriots fans in my life, like I
get it, and Drake May is all that matters. So
this season is beyond a huge success no matter how
it ends, as long as Drake May continues to show
(33:22):
that he's that guy and he has at a level
that I don't think anyone could expect. But you cannot
overstate how easy this schedule has been. Like I do
think as I get older, I don't know what it is.
I do think schedule really explains like more than we
want to talk about the NFL. Okay, right, it's it
(33:43):
really is on a week to week basis. Older, I
just mean though, like, no matter how much we think
schedule matters, you know, as I continue on this existence
on this rock scheduling, I just mean, like so much
like the Commanders, for instance, Like, yeah, their schedule's harder
(34:03):
than this season, Like so like a lot like the
AFC West, Oh they're coming back to the pack, Like
it's like, yeah, the Chargers schedule is harder this year,
Like so much is explained by that that I don't
think we can overrate it enough. And then this is
a week where you get to find out how good
that offensive line is. I have my doubts about the
left side, like Jered Wilson has been struggling a little bit.
Who's their left guard? So when the Patriots have the
(34:24):
ball like it is as good a test as ever.
And to my point, Aaron Shotts's numbers say that Patriots
have the single easiest schedule in the NFL since nineteen
seventy nine. Wow, and that's evaluating how the teams have
looked through the first seven games as well.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
I mean, think about that for all the years where
the AFC East was just Adams salute dog stuff, and
this is the easiest schedule.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
This is an intriguing game to me because this is
where I think Kevin Josh mccannon is your OC and
the way he can change things up week to week
with a different game plan. I think you're can to
see a lot of quick passing games and they're gonna
make eyes chase and we don't. And we know that
the Browns can chase tackle on the open field of
this and that, but some horizontal stuff to get him
chased early, because you know, see if they can get
him a little fatigued and then take some shots. I
(35:11):
think we're going to see some of that action from
the pages. And that's where Drake May's fine if he
doesn't turn the ball over. I don't see why they
don't cover that seven because Cleveland can't score.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
For Saver group has been better than anyone expected.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Drake May's more more than fine.
Speaker 6 (35:26):
I'm not talking to you, Greg, because I know you
know all of these numbers, because I don't lay awake
at night and scroll through next gen Drake May stats
and tape. But Drake May has the best, the highest
right now, the highest downfield passing passer rating in the
NFL right now. And so yes to your point, Steve,
move them side to side a little bit at first,
(35:47):
and then start taking shots, get some of the quick
passing game going, and then start just blowing the doors
off of this defense or trying to. Now, he's gonna
have a challenge getting protection long enough for that, especially
against Miles Garrett, because the left side, that's Will Campbell.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
So now you're back in the game here.
Speaker 6 (36:02):
Greg, Will Campbell's side, Miles Garrett is getting a lot
of quick pressure. Will Campbell is giving up the ninth
most quick pressure in the league among left tackles right now.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
Wow, I did not realize that her next gen Stony,
you'll do the Miles Garrett, I'm screening to death.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Yeah, and just go ahead and do.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Some slip screen throw it far to the right.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
It'd be nice that was Trevion Henderson in it, But
something tells me it's actually got to be Remandri and
Terrell Jennings.
Speaker 5 (36:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Ray, we'll coming out just celebrating Torell Jennings hoisting up
the Cherel Jennings. Also, it's like the preseason I guess
just does not matter, especially for those in the in
the fantasy.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Community, like it's it's it's time.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Uh, maybe we should uh be a little more skeptical
of the hope for Travion.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
I believe Mark, that guy is so special.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
I believe. On the other side, like it's a good
test for the Patriots really built their defense around run defense,
and they really do look like a pretty good un defense.
And if you can stop Quinjohn Junkins, who when he
gets in the open field and forget about it.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
Guy, I had no idea he had the type of
burst he has, I mean, his balance and his strength
is crazy, but he look at this acceleration.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
People making business decisions at points in the hole against
Quincho dunkinsh because he he is so aggressive and he,
especially the Dolphins, delivers hits. But hell, like on that
field in Dublin against the Vikings, I mean, I I
love him, and yet that was the highlight of Dylan
Gabriel's three game career so far. Since then, my optimism
(37:37):
about Dylan Gabriel has been dimmed. Now last week was
a little bit of a weather game, but like they
had like one hundred and fifty yards against the Dolphins
late in the you know, midway through the fourth quarter.
He he needs to improve.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
I think.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Very take from a very mature He is very.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Lucky not to have about eight interceptions and I think
he has none or one.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
But yeah, yeah, there's a couple of d ways to
take all the Wildcats snaps from quin Shawn Jukins. In
one way, it's like, yay, Junkins get the hands of
the ballplayer, but also like maybe they're taking the hands
out of another particular player. But when I see quin
Shawn Jenkins. All I'll see is offensive genius from Chip
Kelly Man. Yeah, there it is in terms of a
football player.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
In shout out, Shout out to, like these guys on
the defense that like Alex Right and Grant Delpit, like
they're obviously Carson Schwestener who we've mentioned before, like man,
he's playing Maguire on the front, Like they have guys
who are just playing their hearts out, and that's not
always easy with a bad offense like that.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Let's go over to another team that maybe has a
chance to play their hearts out. It is the New
York Jets going on the road to take on the
now Joe Flacco lead Cincinnati Bengals, who are favored by
six and a half point. The over under is forty
four and a half as we get an opportunity, Jordan
to see what Joe Flacco can do for the second
(38:59):
consecutive You.
Speaker 6 (39:00):
Know, I started writing these notes before last week, actually
knowing that some of the deck was going to be
stacked against me in terms of just workload and schedule.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
So the first thing I forgot to delete it this week.
Speaker 6 (39:11):
The first thing I've written down in this game slot depression,
and it was and tell the Flaco bump not anymore,
and tell the Flaco bump hit Cincinnati. They have some hope,
They have a little hope if they can just manage maintain.
You rattled off some of their upcoming games, Cincinnati's upcoming games.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Here in a previous show, Greg in.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
Terms of like, if they can just hold on, if
they can get to six wins.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Got to get to this, got to get this one.
Speaker 6 (39:35):
Yeah, by the time Joe Burrow gets back, this is
obviously a every game from here on out is a
bit of a desperation game for the New York Jets.
I don't really see them making changes at their coaching
staff or front office or anything like that.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
Certainly at quarterback.
Speaker 6 (39:51):
Well, yeah, where there's a little drama unfolding earlier this
week apparently from the owners meetings.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Not apparently. I mean that was very uncool.
Speaker 5 (40:00):
I mean Woody Johnson coming out and taking a dump
on Justin Fields, you know, saying, oh, if we can
complete a pass, the rest of the team's getting better,
but our quarterback is terrible.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
Fields' response, though, on Wednesday, was fascinating.
Speaker 5 (40:14):
You pointed out, Yeah, I mean, he's a fade at
their media relations team, Like, I didn't see if response
because I don't have social media. Nobody briefed me on
the comments before I got up here.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
And this is the New York media man. You you
have to let him know what's coming.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Yeah, the crazier thing is that he said he doesn't
know who's starting at quarterback and he's splitting reps with
Tyrod Taylor, and Tyrod might not be healthy. It sounds
like he has a knee injury and they consider him
day to day. So if you want to, would have
disasked specifically, cite why making those type of comments aren't
(40:50):
a great idea, like that could be your starting quarterback
justin fields this week.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
It's just so uncol I mean, you pay the guy
thirty million dollars, you hired a coaching staff what you
hope can develop him, and you come out you're just
gonna You're just gonna deuce on him like that publicly.
You know this is where you say, you know, owners
don't meddle this. He meddled right now. Aaron Glenn is
in a real tight spot, Like I got to bench
(41:16):
the guy because my owner came out and said that
he sucks.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
I think he was ready to bench him anyways.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Yeah, fine, fair might let him bench you well.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
And also, you know, to in defense of the media
relations folks, because we say it so many times with
being able to make these decisions, a lot of people's
job is to keep their job, and so it's like,
how how aggressively do you want to tell Justin Fields
about this, considering the ultimate boss who has no issue
right terminating right or terminating the person above you, you know,
(41:46):
in that particular situation where it's everything's bad, everything's bad.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
Depression.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
Yeah, like the run game is sneaky bad, Like they're
twenty fifth or twenty sixth in rushing efficiency right now.
Speaker 5 (41:58):
Well that's how we're saying Breetholl is in the block
right because you know he can't you can't get anhing going.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
And the quiet thing is the defense. You know, if
they could have just combined one of the defense has
played well last week, I mean the last two weeks
they haven't given up more than thirteen points in two
straight games. But this will be a much bigger challenge. No,
Sauce Gardner, it sounds like in this game he's coming
off a concussion. Garrett Wilson is very uncertain, So I
think this is where you can absolutely crush Darren Muji
(42:25):
in this front office for showing up to this season
with a receiver group like this, because does with Wilson
out like they have no chance Jamar.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Chasell also get more than twenty three targets. Why not? Maybe?
Why not?
Speaker 6 (42:38):
It's I thinks long as Joe Flacco can lift his
arm above his head throw the.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Ball, well, I think the most important thing for Joe
Flacco is being able to put both of his hands
under center. And I can't believe that I didn't think
about this initially because I was so skeptical of the idea,
but they they had. If you take out empty and
shotgun snows, Jake Browning just edged out Joe Burrow after
starting more games in terms of being under center. Yeah,
(43:03):
and already Joe Flacco has had more under center dropbacks
than Jake Browning. And you could see like the improvement
generally and the offensive line they're able to protect better.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Chase brown got loose.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
He had his longest carry game and then seven plays
later he had his longest carry.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Of the season.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Once again, like the football team seems to exist. The
defense is everything got.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
In defense is not better. The defense is trash.
Speaker 6 (43:26):
Jake Turner, the corner, is playing well. He's one of
the bright spots on this Bengals defense. The corner who
got demoted before the regular season began and then won
his job back.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
He's playing really well.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
He's playing great. But the defense is maybe the worst.
I think it's the worst defense in the NFL, at
least when Drey Andricks it's head of the field.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
The Miami Dolphins, Dolphins, I would like to work Dolphins.
Speaker 6 (43:44):
I love that point you made Patrick about being under
center versus being in the gun or even in the pistol,
which I love, But they don't really do that there.
They do either mostly out of the gun. But when
Jake Browning was playing well a couple of years ago,
Greg's glory days of his Jake brown love, where it
first developed and blossomed, was he was. They were mixing
(44:04):
it up a little bit like that, and then they
moved him back in the gun the same way that
they've had Joe Burrow keeping so much of this offense
that doesn't necessarily work for every style of quarterback and
for every experience level of quarterback. Even the most experienced
quarterback currently in football right now? Who is playing for
the Cincinnati Bengals or second most or whatever. I don't
(44:27):
know how many years he's got on Aaron Rodgers, but
he's even saying, I'd rather play under center. Why is
it that this is the change they make for Joe Flacco?
But you can't make life easier on your backup knowing
you have some gotta have it games coming up. Why
is any of this Like I love seeing this offense click,
I love seeing.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
The receivers get the ball.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
Joe Flacco playing football is just fun, right, But why
is it taking this to change around what you're doing
and make your offense a little bit easier on the quarterback?
Speaker 4 (44:58):
You know, I just I don't understand you.
Speaker 3 (45:00):
They're a staff that kind of likes the quarterback to
dominate a little.
Speaker 5 (45:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
That's just like they're yees their flow. They're just like
they like they care a submissive you know. You know,
different partners are different. Maybe a coaching staff that's just
like kind of a submissive part is Joe Flacco is
the only reason he came in. Yeah for a oh,
I think he's just calling the plays out there. Hitting
(45:25):
Jamar Chase is calling the plays thank you.
Speaker 4 (45:27):
I'm getting the ick.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Speaking of the ick.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
What about them twenty twenty five Miami Dolphins who are
taking their show once again on the road. Uh, there's
hopefully they get the If there is rain, they'll they'll
close the roof of Mercedes been staying okay, taking on
the Atlanta Falcons, who are favored by seven coming off
the lost Steve forty four and a half the over
under the voice of God Kevin Harland as well as
Trent Green on the call.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
Are the Dolphins okay? No, no, they're not. At question,
they're disaster. You know once to it came out and
said that it was over. It was over. I mean
they may came out and compete.
Speaker 5 (46:03):
And that's why this is a cheeky game to me,
because the Falcons game plan offensively was terrible against the
forty nine ers. And you talk about how you love
the pistol. That's when the pistol gets you into trouble.
When you're not creative, when you're not running Texas routes
with your running back against a team that's without its
starting linebacker, when you don't put any stress on your
weaknesses and you play right into sidelines hash marks and
(46:26):
things to give them an extra defender, So they're going
to have to be more creative in their short passing game,
quick passing game against a terrible Dolphins defense. Atlanta's just
one of these teams where it is a week two
week you can't get a feel of what they are Defensively,
they're a good football team and that's why they're gonna
win this football game because Dolphins offense is just non existent.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
It's an absolute mess.
Speaker 5 (46:49):
But I'm interested to see if Atlanta should come out
and put up the big numbers as they should offensively.
Speaker 6 (46:56):
Darren Waller was their bet, was Miami's best offensive player,
and he's on injured reserve. Yeah, and I am mad
at Atlanta. I'm mad at the Falcons because it is
exactly what you said. They come out two weeks ago
with an absolutely incredible game plan offensively that funnels the
entire offense through one of the best football players on
(47:16):
the planet right now, who can do everything, who did
do everything in this game, and then just a few
days later they almost like put one hand behind his
back because they're not giving him even and they were
aligned with him to the side as well. And yes,
they still run a lot of pistols had. They did
not give the same autonomy. They didn't attack the second level.
(47:37):
Part of what I loved about when they ran so
much out of the pistol two weeks ago was he
was directly attacking the second level. Whether you could see
it obviously or not, every single movement and shift that
he's able to set up affects the middle of the defense,
whether they're having to flow side to side or come
and crash down. This was not the same stress points
that they put and they should have. And I don't
(47:58):
want to take anything away from Tatum Bathoon, who played awesome,
saw it well, read everything great, played it awesome, But
Atlanta is not stressing defense is enough in enough types
of ways. And that makes me annoyed because they are
better than this and they know it and they're not
doing it. I do.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
I struggle with them, and I wonder if they're coaching
around whatever Michael Pennox's limitations are and you.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
Know, not getting understood right.
Speaker 3 (48:26):
If you listen to collins Worth, it it's thrown over
the middle, and you know he's he's such a good
thrower to the perimeter, and that's a great skill to have.
But it doesn't really show up when you look at
this team. The baseline for Penix this year has been
a little lower than I would have expected in the
passing game, Like they are a team where their quarterback
(48:47):
holds onto the ball quite a bit, but they don't
push the ball down the field, which to me is
it's a frustrating combination to watch. For whatever reason that's happening.
That's what the numbers tell you. That he's holding onto
the ball a lot and it's not going. It's not
like they are bombs away deep type of offense.
Speaker 1 (49:02):
Well, I think one of the questions that we had
last year was about play action, and we thought it
was related to the health of Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
What did J. J.
Speaker 1 (49:08):
McCarthy, Cooper Rush, Jake Browning, Marcus Mariota, I could go
on and on have in common. Their completion percentage with
play action is better than Michael Pennixt. They're actively not
running a whole lot of play action passes, and when
they do, they're not successful. And some folks have pointed
directly that they've obviously pointed oddly enough at the pistol.
Speaker 4 (49:29):
Well, yeah, that's exactly knock.
Speaker 6 (49:32):
Actually, that's why that's part of the reason why, because
that's part of the reason why you run it so much,
because it gives the illusion. And now it's not doing
that for them, let me be clear, but in theory,
and it did this for the Rams a couple of
years ago, when the quarterback didn't want to be turning
his back to the defense so much and wanted to
see everything in front of him. It gives the illusion
that you still could get the play action game out
(49:55):
of that even though you're in sort of a more
gun look.
Speaker 4 (49:58):
That's the thing.
Speaker 6 (49:59):
You still are trying to to keep the run fakes
available to you, but just moved backwards out of the
stack of offensive linement so that the quarterback can see
everything in front of them, which then should lead to
a deeper.
Speaker 4 (50:11):
Downfield passing game, but is not in this case.
Speaker 6 (50:13):
So all of these things that we're talking about are
very much connected here, and it's all of them not
working the way that they should in theory or an
execution is what the falcons, well.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Here's it.
Speaker 5 (50:22):
Sometimes they do. That's the thing that they're hot and cold.
Sometimes they look brilliant, sometimes they look terrible. Take a
page out of the Bengals book would they do with
Joe Flacco. I mean, no bullst off here. They must
have thrown eighty percent of their passes were slants. When
you're playing a team that is struggling in the middle
and you've got those receivers, you have, especially have two
big bodied guys slant in the death.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
I owe them do whatever.
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Like my number one test of you know, do you
have an effective quarterback? Like are you going to have
a long career as a quarterback? First of all? And
you are you have a good passing game, which is like,
are you good like you mentioned before, when you're not pressured,
because almost any NFL quarterback can be good if he's
not pressured. And Panix does have some of the worst
numbers this year when not pressure, which does point back
(51:07):
a little bit to scheme because I don't think it's personnel. Now.
I know they don't have a right tackle, but overall
their pass protector is fine. Like it's in the middle,
it's absolutely fine. On the flip side, Mike McDaniel, like,
there's many cries for help that he's had, the fact
that he said publicly that they played hard, but they're
not playing hard executing his assignments. Is the most insane
(51:29):
quote I've maybe ever heard from a coach in terms
of just like I'm done, they don't listen to me.
And you see that in the running game more than anything.
They are thirty first in the league in success rates,
the missed assignments. What you see from the offensive line
is crazy. And that was supposed to be Mike McDaniel's thing.
Like run game coordinator Davon A. Chan pushes back at
your best offensive player, you know, so does Jalen Waddle?
(51:50):
Is Darren Waller like, because Devon Ahchan looks awesome this
year and Jalen Waddle is like a good player, but like,
they can't figure out their running game at all.
Speaker 2 (51:58):
It is.
Speaker 3 (51:58):
It is brutal to watch, you know what, You know,
it's not brutal. Breaking it up between the early games
and the lakes. That's it for the early game. It's
a pretty light early slate. Seven games early. We're going
to talk about the late games and a really spicy
Sunday night football game in our next one. Is it
(52:19):
just go right over to that show
Uh yeah, yeah, there's a keeper into the show.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
No beeps.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
This is NFL Daily. It's week eate. We're doing the
preview show. We're in the Chris Westling podcast studio. Yes,
we're going to make you beat that. Eric, Steve Weisch,
Jordan Rodrigue, and Patrick Claiban are all here today. What
a day it's gonna be. What a way to start
we Kate.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
It's the eve of the midway point of the season
and we got it.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I was trying to think of the actor's name who
I was called a low rent version of it was
related to our conversation Adam Brody, Adam Brody, yes, earlier today,
and I couldn't like it.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
That come to me so quickly.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I couldn't think of his name, and we were having
a conversation about lookalikes and whatever, and I wanted to say,
I'm not a low rent Adam Brody. I'm like a
medium rent, you know, maybe not like Santa Monica prices,
but like you're not saving money on me as as
Adam broog That's.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
A pretty strong cop. I'm say they're looking at it
right now, like I mean, I definitely no rent part
to it.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I mean I would take it like well, like literally
lower maybe lower ceiling like I.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Just I won't. I won't take too much of everybody's time.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
But there's a segment of the population that over indexes
in offering their I'll save you the beep's opinion, saying
that people look like other people. Yes, and they're constantly wrong.
They meet a stranger and the first thing they say
to the human being who has existed for the entirety
of their life is that they look like somebody else.
It's like, has anybody ever told you look like this? No, idiot,
(01:36):
nobody's ever said that. What about Hello? What if you
could talk and meet with and greet with somebody in
a normal sense, you tell them.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Who they look like?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
They look in the mirror every day? Shut up.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
Yes, I recently had an experience with this where not
only did and I have a twin sister, so I'm
used to being alike.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
You guys do look alike.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Yes, we do look alike.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
I was recently told by a man that I did
not know at.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
All who was up there in age, that I looked like.
Speaker 6 (02:09):
Somebody and he could have just left it there, And
then he decided to add and she was my childhood crush.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Good for you, and I was like, I'm gonna walk away.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Now that leaves the segment of people I was talking to.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Yes, there's a ben diagram happening here.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
That's track. That's just bad, old old man.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
You told me you were in line behind Adam Brody.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I was. I probably told this story on the same
show like a year ago, and like everything else, I
forgot all about that. So Adam Brody over indexing on
NFL Daily, Big Fan check out Nobody wants this Season
two coming up on Netflix. We were actually paid. This
whole thing was spowned out. It's our preview show and
it's a little different this week. We're breaking it up.
(02:53):
But we decided this week because the AFC, the NFC,
it wasn't making sense this week. There was there wasn't
enough too many buys, NFC games and everything. So we're
going to do the early games and we're going to
do the late games just how you watch it on Sunday.
And I'm excited for that.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I'm excited for it too because shout out to chronological order.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
I know the algorithms got rid of that in social
media because the worst people in the world to get
to dictate how we consume content and made those decisions.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
How about this.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
We're in chronological order, baby, and we start with the
New York Giants at the Philadelphia Eagles, who have a
chance to get revenge from the start of their disaster
of stretch where.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
They lose two games. Oh yeah, they won agains the Vikings.
They're back. They're good.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
They're favored by seven and a half over under forty
three and a half. Steve Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady
on the call. Does Jackson Dart befuddle the Eagles once again?
Seven and a half? Is this the Brandon Graham bounce?
A big number? That's a big number.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Look.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
I love the way Philly played last week. I mean
he'd be able to hit the big plays. Now can
they do it consistently? We'll see against his defense. I
like footuff in this game. That number is way too
big for me. I like the fact that Jalen Hurts though,
showed up. He took everything and said, you know what,
let me throw it, let me get it to my guys.
Let's calm everybody down, unlet's play ball.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Did he calm everybody down?
Speaker 6 (04:05):
Though?
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Because AJ Brown ad another weird.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
It's just at some point like AJ can just post
on Instagram, yeah, like we don't have to say deep,
and it's like it's like Taylor Swift tweets before an
album release every single week and people are like, oh,
so AJ said this, This clearly means that, like, let's just.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Use it me but not using me. We don't have
to delve deep. I think they'll be using him a
lot though this week, because this Giant secondary already had issues.
If they don't have Paulson Adebo and Javon Holland, who
were out of practice on Wednesday, they are in deep
trouble because the drop off to Deontay Banks, who was
(04:43):
a first round pick for them. You could see it
in that fourth quarter comeback by the Broncos. Javon Holland
was actually out for a lot of that game. Drew
Phillips is about the most targeted player in the league,
and he has made a lot of big plays and
he has given up a lot of big plays. But
you have a lot of Giants fans who are not
happy with that secondary, and I think that Eagles are admitting,
(05:04):
basically they should be a pass first team they're not
a good running team, not that they have to give
up on the run, but they should be better at
passing the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
It is October season of Halloween.
Speaker 6 (05:14):
I just kept having this image in my head of
that famous I now I can't remember the name of
it because I've been ill, but it's the famous movie
with the three Witches and they pull out ocus Pocus
and they pull out this giant book and it's got
an eyeball on it and a creeks open and all
the dust comes off of it. That's the play action
passing game.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Oh, let's go.
Speaker 6 (05:34):
Okay, that's the only time I will yell today.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Sorry to the listeners there on that one.
Speaker 6 (05:38):
But yeah, I think that them showing that a little
bit more diversity in what they want to do and
how they want to move.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Jalen Hurts spot. Yes, it was only technically four.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
Plays, highly highly productive passing plays thirty yards per throw
per completion on those play action passing game game concepts,
And I just think that this is a promising start
for Eagles team that, yes, as Lane Johnson said.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Had to get a little bit more predictable in that regard.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Yeah, And I was Greg, I mean after seeing what
Denver did to that giant secondary once those injuries happened,
there's no reason why Philadelphi's not going to attack that
early sort of so often it's a Saquon can go
ahead and get some and gets his old team.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
On the other side, Vic Fangio has been blitzing more
to try to manufacture pressure, and Brandon Graham coming back
is is great.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
But I don't know how many snaps he's gonna.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
Actually play right off of the podcasting couch shout out,
but our friend bo Wolf and phl Y podcast over there.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
But if you can rush Jackson Dart with four.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
He is way way worse than he is against the Blitz.
He's actually playing pretty well against the Blitz's getting blitzed
a lot, and he's completing the fourth highest amount of
passes per next Gen in the NFL against the Blitz specifically,
But if when he just rushes for the numbers almost
invert and he sort of fritzes out, and then you.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Kind of see it because they just don't have a
drop back passing game where he hits guys on like
his best plays create a play, which he's he's been
great at, but it's there's not a lot of conventional
offen and and to.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
His defense, you know, you get late in that game,
there's no Elikue Neighbors. Yeah, all right, wande All is
seeing coverage by some of the best secondary players in
the NFL.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
So it's tough.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
But the one thing that we didn't see because he's there,
he's averaging twelve plus epa on scramble runs since he
took over. He didn't have a scrambling first down against
the Denver Broncos as well as he played in that game.
And so this is our first chance to get a
defense's second look through at the at the RPA game
with Brian day Bowl and Jackson Dart and I'm interested helpful,
(07:35):
great point, it's got a great point patch.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
And it they're going for a sweep. This is such
a big game in the Giant season. I think people
have just kind of crossed them off. They could easily
be three and four coming into this and trying to
get the sweep. If they get the sweep, like that's
a massive moment in the Brian Dable experience. But if not,
they're one and three in the division already. They've played
so many division games they're pretty buried there at two
(08:01):
and six, and that that little uptick is now really
just a nice part of the season and the rest
of it is just about developing their quarterback. Here's the thing,
though there's zero chance the Eagles get pressure with four
this is the best tackle combination maybe in the league
right now. I mean Nick Benito, he had he didn't
just get shut out last week. In terms of pass
(08:24):
rush win rate, you don't see this too often. It
was a zero percent. And immediately you think Andrew Thomas,
no sight everyone. That's happening against everyone with the Giants,
But it wasn't all Andrew Thomas. There's actually a lot
of Germaine illumin or so they were a really good
pass protecting team on the edges, and I think the Eagles.
That's a weakness for the Eagles this year.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
And here's a tease.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
Go read my pal Charlotte Carroll at The Athletic, who
has a feature coming soon on why and I won't
spoil it here on why that offensive line is playing
so well together right now. Somehow their cosmic timing has
all seemed to link up well.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
And that's all I'll say about that. But it is interesting.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
We're talking about the Giants offensive line as one of
the better groups in the league and they look at
and we're also talking about the Eagles offensive line that
needed a bounce back game and kind of sneaky got.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
It last week in a big way, which I think
is important.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yeah, especially in terms of the Blitz pick up. You
would like to see Saquon get back because he's almost
a full two yards on yards per carry behind where
he was last year on outside runs.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And you know, we talked about imagination.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
They literally ran the same run play within five plays
and they just ran it to the other side last week.
So all the celebration of Jalen hitting those deep balls
to aj and Devanta last week, the run game is
so kind.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Of look away.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Needs to get a little more diversity to the same
extent that they had last year.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
It's weird, like, I mean, no Sequin Barkley's not on
pace for a thousand rushing yards this year.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I mean no explosives.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
I mean every week we saw him hit one for
a minimum forty five yards. That just has not happened
this year.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Landon Dickerson came back from an injury though, and look better.
We also should know the Giants cut their kicker. Jude, Yeah,
I got Tamney, you know from Ireland. You feel for
that kid.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
They let him get back on the plane.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
You feel for him. A guy who kind of came
from a non traditional football background got his chance. It
did not go well, and we'll see. They could go
with young Waku who lost the battle to him supposedly
in practice, or Graham Gano is coming off an injury
and was activated.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
We real quick to say that Graham has been activated,
so that.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's on them, by the way, they went into that
season with a thirty eight y old kicker who hasn't
been good and has been hurt two straight years. So
Joe Shane, I'm watching you well.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
When you're in a place where a couple folks needed
to be somebody else's fault, it's a it's a difficult
place to kick footballs because hard to kick footballs in
the NFL. To our next opportunity, the Chicago Bears, winners
of two consecutive games. The round game is going and
we get to ask Greg Rolls and Thals. The Baltimore
Rave are at home favored by six and a half,
who after coming off not being able to stop anybody
(11:04):
in the over unders forty nine and a half iron
eagle and Justin James Watt on the call, what is
the value Greg of a buye and was it good
enough for the Baltimore Ravens to fix things?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yes, if it means that Lamar Jackson's back on the field.
Sometimes you wonder how much does Vegas know because this
number was there before they know us.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Greg.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Yeah, well, if he's not out there, obviously that's not
the number. And he was out there on Wednesday practice,
but they said he was taking reck limited behind Tyler
Huntley and Cooper Rush, So that's obviously the biggest factor.
Maybe there's a thought Patrick and they are healthier on defense.
(11:44):
They're getting a lot of guys back, including Rokwe Smith.
That sounds like that defensive performance they did show something
in their last game before the bye. There were signs
there that they made some improvements. The pass rush, to
me is still the biggest problem, maybe against Caleb Williams,
Like this isn't that big of a week where you
need the pass rush because he's going to hold the
(12:05):
ball anyways and hasn't really been seeing things.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yet, but they've been running it they've been running the
ball well. I mean Deandres who said back to back,
good game. We talked about it before. The offensive line,
especially some of the combinations they have on each side,
is performing really well. In the run game. You see
in the outside well, this is inside zone right here.
The way they're blocking on the video the folks watching
on YouTube, and that's what's setting up in the passing game.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
I do think Baltimore is going to be better. They
have no choice.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
Actually, I think if they come out and stumble right here,
it's not over for them, but it's over for them.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
Chicago looks really one dimensional right now. To you guys's point,
it's good for them that it's in the run game.
It's good for them that this is the foundation that's
being set, especially post by. We talked about it on
a previous show, especially their zone runs. Coming out of
that bye week, it's like everybody finally got on the
same page. And it's not just that the omenadae is
(12:59):
in has has replaced the previous starter, but also this
whole group is communicating really well, and DeAndre Swift is
picking up more than what he's been blocked for and
prior to the bye he was picking up less than
what was being blocked open for him. So that's a
huge swing and a huge change, and it's good because
Caleb Williams is still having kind of these up and
(13:20):
down games. This last game against the Saints. The Saints
can't really rush the passer. The Saints can't really get
pressure effectively, and he was holding the ball and it's
not like they were covering a crazy amount. He just
wasn't like fully sure of what he was seeing and
when he was scrambling and when he was kind of
moving out of structure, he was not picking his spots
(13:40):
where he could run and stead he was throwing and
then vice versa.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
He talked about it in the media and Ben Johnson
did as well last week.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
It's like being a little bit more decisive, being a
little more quick with his decision making.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
And Ben Johnson also put some of that on his.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Own shoulders as the play caller as well, setting up
a little bit more layers.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
They though had five fight false starts. That's pretty embarrassing.
Speaker 7 (13:59):
Yeah, but you can at least with this staff, because
you know, Ben Johnson had said he had lost sleep
personally over the lack of success in the ground game
where he said sometimes they were they were blocking it
up properly, and the holes weren't getting run through.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Sometimes every hole they tried to run through wasn't necessarily
blocked up properly. And I love the way that he
has kind of vocalized the accountability for everybody without being
mean spirited or like.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Hunder running that doesn't happen in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, perhaps we'll get to some other teams where that's
not necessarily the case. And and the buye was had
that value for them. And then you look over at
the Baltimore Ravens, where you know, the bye gave a
lot of Ravens fans chances to look at what was
going wrong. And even when eight was playing the protection
from Daniel Filele, it's it's been highlighted, and so you
(14:49):
look at where they were successful. Lamar was completing ninety
one percent of his passes on play action before before
the injury, and I really think that that was a
virtue of well, you you have a play that looks
like a run block to start things off, and then
Lamar figures it out. The rest of everything needs to
be figured out, and this one and I'm interested to
(15:10):
see one if Filele is playing in this game and
to what the play calling looks like if he's in there,
and if, of course, if it's in.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
There, and they got some they got some outside zone
working with Derrick Henry at least early in that game
against the Rams where they kind of look like themselves. Again,
your boy, Nate Wiggins, I don't know if it's your boy,
but he's just on the Ravens. He's been playing.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Great, but he's on the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I just assume like anyone on the Ravens, he's been great.
So not everyone is struggling, but they're their rookie Malachi
Starks has been in the middle of a lot of problems.
And then Marlon Humphrey was not at practice Wednesday, which
is surprising because he was there Monday. Jyr Alexander still
getting his knee drained. So people always think like, oh,
the bye, that's going to solve all of our injury problems.
But it's like it's one week. It doesn't necessarily solve that.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Yeah, and you talk about Malachi Starks, I mean, were
the Ravens for two years in a row. Now I've
gotten tagged this in the middle of the defense. You know,
everyone thinks Kyle Hamilton can solve everything, but you can't
just move into a certain position and think, okay, because
because he's back off the line of scrimmage, it's going
to solve everything.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Everything else has to work.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
They have their interior linebackers to do a lot in
the past in the run game, and this is one
right here where I think Chicago with their tight ends
could do a little something and cause him some problems.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
The amount of a lot for everybody in that second
and third level gets to be more when, as Greg
pointed out, you can't get pressure on the quarterback, and
then you're asking guys who, let's be frank, with the injuries,
who could not run to cover people that they can't
They can't cover anywhere. So it was a rough opportunity,
but perhaps to buy well, we'll.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Have a chance.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
It feels like kind of a massive game. I agree.
I know you're a Raven. I might have to take
this game. I just feel like this the Raven's got
to win this game. And if the Bears actually can
get this done, then it starts feeling like, okay, this
is a real thing.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
All right, let's discuss another team.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
That just keeps winning despite all the obstacles going on
the road where they are favorite. It is Kyle Shanahan
San Francisco forty nine ers one and a half point
favorites against a rough look at Houston Texans offense that
got the loss on Monday night in Seattle as Jordan
is the over unders forty one and a half. Kevin
Coogler and Mouse Johnston on the call. What can Nick
(17:16):
Kyley squad do against this forty nine ers defense, this resurgent,
youthful group despite the injuries, Keith getting stops.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
Yeah, it's just a really master for coaching job by
Robert Sala and partnering with Kyle Shanahan again kind of
back in his happy place.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
I remember talking to him during training.
Speaker 6 (17:37):
Camp about just the level of competitiveness that Kyle Shanahan,
I think, especially after Robert Sala was a head coach himself,
really has leaned on him and there's been I think
a little bit more like pure collaboration versus pure competition,
and several years ago when Robert Sala was there before
it was an all out battle schematically at practice, even
(17:59):
trying to figure out different advantages in each other's defense.
It famously led to Robert Solaz White nine and all
of these types of things trying to stop Kyle Shanahan's
outside zone and all of his like hybrid freak players
that he had. Well, now there's a lot of collaboration
purely for the growth of the roster, and they really,
I think, in their scouting and their talent identification departments,
have found young players who are fully bought in and
(18:22):
have this energy and like I know, forty nine ers
fans don't want to hear it, but it reminds me
a lot of the twenty twenty three Rams, where there
is no expectations that was self inflicted by the Rams.
In terms of the roster overhaul, this is less so
because there's so many injuries everywhere.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
But you've got like Tatum.
Speaker 6 (18:37):
Bethoon coming out of nowhere having just an absolutely electric
game filling in for Fred Warner, wearing his jersey to
the stadium. You have guys like Upton Stout playing bigger
than his size a week after week. You've got Alfred
Collins who looks really good in the middle. Mikel Williams
looks especially good, you know, against the run, And I
just feel like this is a group they're playing without
(18:59):
the way to of expectations and like every single opportunity
is one for them purely to grow and then the
results sort of are speaking for themselves. I think it's
a fantastic job by that entire organization to come this
far the way that they have.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
I had a Falcons team that didn't challenge them. Yeah,
I mean they just ransom obvious. Okay, let's run a screen,
Let's throw everything outside and see if they can catch us.
It was a terrible game plan by Atlanta. Houston doesn't
have that opportunity. Their play calling was a mess against
Seattle when they.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Went for it. You know, the the off you.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Know they off tackle run two plays in a row
on third and fourth down when your offensive line is
getting reset.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
And the numbers weren't there. They weren't, it's there.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
They ran it to the freaking weak side of the
offense and got stood up twice. I it's frustrating. You know,
people can come down on TJ. Stroud all they want,
and he's not blameless in all of this, but we've
seen it when he doesn't have any time and he
doesn't trust what's in front of him, it's a disaster
and most quarterbacks are like that. Now, we don't know
if Nico Klein is going to be able to play
(20:02):
in this game.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah, it sounds like he won't. He's in the concussion.
Did suffer a concussion. He was not a practice Wednesday,
and neither was Christian Kirk.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Well, then then that's going to if you're not a
practice at all, because usually on Wednesdays you're on the
field in some way, shape or form. Thursdays you're going
through it. That's kind of leading to the track. So,
I mean they just don't have a threat. Yeah, offensively,
and and and that's an issue, you know. Defensively, those
dudes are playing their hearts out. I mean, so maybe
they can get some takeaways. I mean, you never know
(20:32):
what's going to happen with that. Maybe they can rattle
Mac Jones because that defense is legit as it comes.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Offensively, man, it is a nightmare. You I didn't think
it get worse than it did last year. It is worse.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
It is worse.
Speaker 6 (20:43):
Yeah, it looks certainly the tape looks where points per
game is still about the same, But the tape looks.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Because of that one game other than that there's sixteen
points a game other than the right against the Rave
against the Ravens, that's it against the Wors.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
I would say this is going to be I think
a game because you're looking at the practice reports this week,
injury reports this week, and you potentially are without a
couple of like still dependable guy in one, very good
player and Nico Collins. These young receivers Jayden Higgins and
Jalen Nole have I see their potential, I see their upside,
but they're making mistakes. They're not in the right spot.
(21:19):
Sometimes they're dropping passes. Sometimes c J. Stroud is not
hitting them. Other times when this is a game where you,
if you're Robert Sala, I just don't think that you
trust that their receivers. I just don't think you respect
their receivers. I think you send everything you've got at CJ. Stroud,
who I've got some pressure stats for him from last game.
He was pressured on thirty one point five percent of
(21:39):
his dropbacks. You only had fifty five yards on those plays,
four for fourteen, one touchdown, one interception, So that's a
twenty eight point six completion percentage when under pressure. But
when he was not pressured. He's also not because there's
there's just ghosts or something's going on. That offensive line
is what it is, and the scheme is not good either.
When he was one hundred and seventy four yards nineteen
(22:01):
to thirty five, no touchdowns, no completions or no no interceptions,
only throwing five yards per attempt on those when he's
not pressured, and just a fifty four percent completion percentage,
and it's just it's all none of it's looking good
and you're you're seeing sort of the the bad habits
could could start to set in and the like we
(22:24):
joke about ghosts with Sam Darnold, but like, this line
is not giving him anything to work with. Neither is
the play calling. Neither is the run game because they
look slow on the ground too.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
They're just and think about this straw. I got bailed
out on that safety.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Oh he got They got bailed out a couple times.
Should have been a defensive Touchdo I mean that's the
potentially against the best team, best defense in the NFL.
Those numbers tell a story though to me, because the
fact that he was only pressured on thirty one percent
of the passes and he's throwing so deep is like
he's they're not even trying to let plays develop because
exactly when you talk about like the ghosts, it's just
(22:57):
not having faith that the offense is going to work
if you do throw the ball. And I do think
we are seeing a different CJ. Stroud, unfortunately because of
all the free rushers and sometimes it's set early early
in that game. I bet if we looked at the
first two drives of the game, that pressure percentage was
a lot higher because there were free rushers everywhere the
first quarter, and then after that he's just kind of
(23:17):
getting rid of the ball and hoping and it's hard
to blame him, but man, it's depressing that they are
an underdog, like against the team without you know, without Purdy,
without Bosa, without Warner and Zuma, without everyone. That's true,
you do have CMC. You do have Mac Jones whining
now one hundred thousand dollars every time he starts. Mac Jones. Oh, actually,
(23:37):
we don't know that mac Jones is starting. It's Wednesday
as we're taping this, and it could be Rock Perdy returning,
but I don't think they're in a hurry. And turf
Toe is troubling and he can do enough at least
Maybe I don't know this, This is bound to be ugly.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Or yeah, ugly just for one team considering where things
have gone. But hey, maybe Will Anderson can get in
there or make seventeen plays and get as Texans.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Maybe maybe you know, to go full circle, we could
say maybe Houston looks like a team we saw a
couple of years ago that.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Would be good And like the forty nine Ers did
get the running game going for pretty much the first
time all season last week against Atlanta, where it was
consistent success rate high. It is the Robert Sala versus
Damiko Ryan Oh bowl. I kind of like that, like
which one took took the recipe in San Francisco and
did better.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
But Demiico's not calling the defense right now.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Wow, but they do have his defense.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
They do have something in common. During their tenures as
head coach, both of them didn't get to make all
the decisions they would have liked to been in there.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
We are and keep an eye. Derek Stingley not having
a good year Like sometimes I like he's had more
penalties this year than the last two years combined. He's
given up a lot of completions where he's in coverage
which are just not used to seeing, you know, in
this matchup unless Pierce. I mean, I don't know who's
going to really bother him, but it has been interesting
to see him not having as good a season. Let's
(24:58):
take a quick break and we're going to be back
for another organizational rivalry game.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Man, no love for Kenchick porn.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
The Bourne identity.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Back on NFL Daily And yeah, I mentioned a revenge game.
I don't think Sean McDermott and Brandon Beaner looking for
revenge because Carolina helped set them up back in the
day for success.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
And imagine if they kept them both.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Right at various points over the last seven years, David
Tepper should have been thinking, hmm, maybe I had the
right guys in the building back then.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Well, there's a lot of guys who are the right
guys for one organization, but they're another organization.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
They're not quite the right.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah, they would not be looking as good if they
were with that team. You know who is looking better? Patrick?
On Wednesday, surprisingly Bryce Young doing cardio but out a
boot on at practice. Maybe these reports that he was
missing this week or premature if nothing else. It doesn't
seem like a long term injury.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Yeah, everybody's body is different. They're not machines. High could
mean one thing for one person and something else for.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I've never seen something reported as a high angle screen
and someone moving the way that they had cameras on
Bryce Young how he was moving on Wednesday. I've never
seen that.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
But but we allude, we allude to it.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
He is light a couple, a couple of franchises where
you think back a generationally talented, large mechanized quarterback with
perhaps some underperforming aspects around him spurning to long term success.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
It's the Buffalo Bills and the Carolina.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Panthers in different eras as the maybe, look there were
a lot of former Panthers when they both got there.
Oh yeah where things have fallen off since then, those
former Panthers have gone elsewhere.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Jack Thompson on this Bills team, How about that.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Jack Thompson revenge game?
Speaker 1 (26:49):
The Carolina Panthers looking at the Buffalo Bills actually seven
point favorites. Who better to be on this call than
Adam Amine and g reg for this particular matchup where
Steve Bryce playing seems to be the main looming issue.
But other than that, can the Buffalo Bills find somebody
that could separate? Do they need to make a trade
(27:09):
and go get somebody? Oh well, do they need to
make a trade. I mean they can find someone to
help out the secondary. I mean, but every team needs,
you know, secondary help right now.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
And so I'm looking at it. Bryce, youunk doesn't play
Andy Dalton.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
They've got some running backs in Carolina who can do
their thing. So if they could run the ball, and
I think you run the ball in Buffalo a little bit.
I mean, this is a way to play keep away.
The number is big, I get it, it's Buffalo, but
Carolina is playing better defensively. I mean that defensive line
is starting to show some of the talent that's there
Dan Morgan. I don't know if some of that was
(27:44):
there for Brandon Bean. I don't think so. I think
it's so Dan Morgan. But they're starting to come together
a little bit. And so again, I like Buffalo to
win this game. I don't know if I love the number,
but I don't know if it necessarily hinges on Bryce
Young playing.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Yeah, there's two of the biggest mismatches of the entire weekend.
Are in this game, Yeah, Accordion Dvoa. The Bills have
the worst rush defense in the entire NFL. Yeah, And
the Panthers running game has been excellent their top six
or seven on the season, and if you just looked
at the last handful of weeks, it's even better than that.
Then again, on the other side, Derek Brown's a great player,
(28:16):
and he can rush the passer a little bit, but
this is one of the worst pass rushes in the
entire NFL in Carolina, and it's going up against a
great offensive line. So could it.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
Because they got rid of all their pass rushers right
like when Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
I know, as receivers haven't been separated, but when Josh
Allen drops back to pass, he should have all day.
And that is a dangerous scenario for this Panthers defense.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
But their dbs are playing better in recent weeks too.
They're taking the ball away a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
This against terrible competition, it should be said.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Sure, but Buffalo's receivers aren't separating, right and.
Speaker 6 (28:52):
Josh Allen it's kind of like we're seeing this a
little bit with a less great offensive line but with
still similar kind of stakes. Is like as justin Herbert
where it's like, Okay, all of this resigns now on,
Josh Allen, go do something cool, right, And that's what
kind of the story has been because yes, this Panther's
two headed running game, and not just their running game,
but the way that they were deploying some of their
(29:15):
screens to me, you do that on purpose a little
bit to get that tape into Buffalo's heads a little bit.
Buffalo is not defending not just the run game will,
but also not defending second and third level stuff like
those screen passes when they start to get rolling, and
Chuba Hubbard was great on some of their screen design.
Could have picked up ten more yards on that long one.
(29:35):
He pulled down a lot of that. You shouldn't wait, Yeah,
you should not wait for your blocking. However you're blocking
probably needs to fast layer more inside faster the thing
that he could have a touchdown. The thing that's cool though,
is like, Okay, from you know, being in Carolina for
as long as I was, and then like man, the
last several years, this fan base who I think will
(29:57):
really show up for this game because they've got hope
and they and maybe more importantly than hope, They've got
a freaking run game. Yeah, for the first time in
a while. This fan base has been dying for a
run game. Since the prime days.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Of John Stewart Williams. It has been.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
Rolling downhill on people.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
And this is just so fun to know that, like, Okay,
if you can't have hope, you got something better. You
got a good run game. Beheen a two headed monster.
And I know they want to know who the starter is.
That's more fantasy football whatever, but like, this is cool.
This is potentially very very cool and stabilizing if you're
not really sure who your quarterback is going to be
or what they're going to do.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Wow, the shadow John Fox hovering.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
I think this does as he ever does.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Tuba was great in the in the past game and
I understand his utilization, but getting Rico the ball, thank you.
Against this Bill's team, especially, I'm thinking about the way
xavererly Get has been playing with him and Tartaroa out blocking.
It's just a rough matchup for a Bill's secondary that
really gets like kind of exposed every single week, every
(30:59):
week making plays on the ball carrier. I think Carolina
should take whether it's Andy or Bryce, especially if it's
Andy or getting the ball in five's hands and letting
them do work.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
In Dalton before that car accident last year, was playing
solid football. One of these years, this happens with these
backup quarterbacks that we just assume are the same forever.
At some point he will turn into a lesser version
of Andy Dalton. But frankly, we haven't really seen that,
like he was solid last year. I know, I know
you're talking about that if you want to, if.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
You want to talk about seeing it, seeing it, Okay,
the Jets.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
Maybe maybe that ball is not coming out as crisp
but basing it on his twenty twenty four tape like
he was. He's now turned in. You know, we used
to do the Dalton scale on the show, which if
you have a guy above that now I would say
it's kind of the Dalton scale for backups. If you
don't have a backup better than Andy Dalton, you need
a new backup. But he is a good backup until
(31:55):
absolutely proven otherwise. And yeah, I'm curious. We mentioned a
lot on the show out coaches show their work after
the bye. Sean mcdermot's been excellent at that over the years,
diagnosing what's wrong with the team. So I am curious
to see what personnel changes, schematic changes do they blitzmart like,
what sort of changes he does on his defense? Leaning
on you know, Dan Walker, They're gonna have to Da
(32:15):
Kwon Jones, who's been solid for them, another former Panther
hurt his foot in practice on Monday and sounds like
he's going to be out for a few weeks, and
he is a big contributor for them.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
You talked about the line and evaluating quarterbacks. What about
having to play against the Cleveland Browns in twenty twenty
five when they have been great on defense the offense. Eh,
they are at the New England Patriots. The Patriots and
Drake May who is all that matters? Favored by seven points,
the over under is forty and a half.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Chris Myers and Mark Zlrath on the call.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Hopefully with no audio issues for Chris Myers, as he's
been getting chased around by weird audio bugs in the
past three weeks.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Something I'll pick.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Paper really, Yeah, he sounded like he was calling the
game from a ten can in nineteen fifty five. Oh,
last week for like a quarter and a half, Greg, Yes,
how concerned are you about playing the Browns defense.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I am excited to watch it. I'm not playing them.
I think it's nice because I'm trying to I'm trying
to tell the Patriots fans in my life, like I
get it, and Drake May is all that matters. So
this season is beyond a huge success no matter how
it ends, as long as Drake May continues to show
(33:22):
that he's that guy and he has at a level
that I don't think anyone could expect. But you cannot
overstate how easy this schedule has been. Like I do
think as I get older, I don't know what it is.
I do think schedule really explains like more than we
want to talk about the NFL. Okay, right, it's it
(33:43):
really is on a week to week basis. Older, I
just mean though, like, no matter how much we think
schedule matters, you know, as I continue on this existence
on this rock scheduling, I just mean, like so much
like the Commanders, for instance, Like, yeah, their schedule's harder
(34:03):
than this season, Like so like a lot like the
AFC West, Oh they're coming back to the pack, Like
it's like, yeah, the Chargers schedule is harder this year,
Like so much is explained by that that I don't
think we can overrate it enough. And then this is
a week where you get to find out how good
that offensive line is. I have my doubts about the
left side, like Jered Wilson has been struggling a little bit.
Who's their left guard? So when the Patriots have the
(34:24):
ball like it is as good a test as ever.
And to my point, Aaron Shotts's numbers say that Patriots
have the single easiest schedule in the NFL since nineteen
seventy nine. Wow, and that's evaluating how the teams have
looked through the first seven games as well.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
I mean, think about that for all the years where
the AFC East was just Adams salute dog stuff, and
this is the easiest schedule.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
This is an intriguing game to me because this is
where I think Kevin Josh mccannon is your OC and
the way he can change things up week to week
with a different game plan. I think you're can to
see a lot of quick passing games and they're gonna
make eyes chase and we don't. And we know that
the Browns can chase tackle on the open field of
this and that, but some horizontal stuff to get him
chased early, because you know, see if they can get
him a little fatigued and then take some shots. I
(35:11):
think we're going to see some of that action from
the pages. And that's where Drake May's fine if he
doesn't turn the ball over. I don't see why they
don't cover that seven because Cleveland can't score.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
For Saver group has been better than anyone expected.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Drake May's more more than fine.
Speaker 6 (35:26):
I'm not talking to you, Greg, because I know you
know all of these numbers, because I don't lay awake
at night and scroll through next gen Drake May stats
and tape. But Drake May has the best, the highest
right now, the highest downfield passing passer rating in the
NFL right now. And so yes to your point, Steve,
move them side to side a little bit at first,
(35:47):
and then start taking shots, get some of the quick
passing game going, and then start just blowing the doors
off of this defense or trying to. Now, he's gonna
have a challenge getting protection long enough for that, especially
against Miles Garrett, because the left side, that's Will Campbell.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
So now you're back in the game here.
Speaker 6 (36:02):
Greg, Will Campbell's side, Miles Garrett is getting a lot
of quick pressure. Will Campbell is giving up the ninth
most quick pressure in the league among left tackles right now.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
Wow, I did not realize that her next gen Stony,
you'll do the Miles Garrett, I'm screening to death.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Yeah, and just go ahead and do.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Some slip screen throw it far to the right.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
It'd be nice that was Trevion Henderson in it, But
something tells me it's actually got to be Remandri and
Terrell Jennings.
Speaker 5 (36:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Ray, we'll coming out just celebrating Torell Jennings hoisting up
the Cherel Jennings. Also, it's like the preseason I guess
just does not matter, especially for those in the in
the fantasy.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Community, like it's it's it's time.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Uh, maybe we should uh be a little more skeptical
of the hope for Travion.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
I believe Mark, that guy is so special.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
I believe. On the other side, like it's a good
test for the Patriots really built their defense around run defense,
and they really do look like a pretty good un defense.
And if you can stop Quinjohn Junkins, who when he
gets in the open field and forget about it.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
Guy, I had no idea he had the type of
burst he has, I mean, his balance and his strength
is crazy, but he look at this acceleration.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
People making business decisions at points in the hole against
Quincho dunkinsh because he he is so aggressive and he,
especially the Dolphins, delivers hits. But hell, like on that
field in Dublin against the Vikings, I mean, I I
love him, and yet that was the highlight of Dylan
Gabriel's three game career so far. Since then, my optimism
(37:37):
about Dylan Gabriel has been dimmed. Now last week was
a little bit of a weather game, but like they
had like one hundred and fifty yards against the Dolphins
late in the you know, midway through the fourth quarter.
He he needs to improve.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
I think.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Very take from a very mature He is very.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Lucky not to have about eight interceptions and I think
he has none or one.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
But yeah, yeah, there's a couple of d ways to
take all the Wildcats snaps from quin Shawn Jukins. In
one way, it's like, yay, Junkins get the hands of
the ballplayer, but also like maybe they're taking the hands
out of another particular player. But when I see quin
Shawn Jenkins. All I'll see is offensive genius from Chip
Kelly Man. Yeah, there it is in terms of a
football player.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
In shout out, Shout out to, like these guys on
the defense that like Alex Right and Grant Delpit, like
they're obviously Carson Schwestener who we've mentioned before, like man,
he's playing Maguire on the front, Like they have guys
who are just playing their hearts out, and that's not
always easy with a bad offense like that.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Let's go over to another team that maybe has a
chance to play their hearts out. It is the New
York Jets going on the road to take on the
now Joe Flacco lead Cincinnati Bengals, who are favored by
six and a half point. The over under is forty
four and a half as we get an opportunity, Jordan
to see what Joe Flacco can do for the second
(38:59):
consecutive You.
Speaker 6 (39:00):
Know, I started writing these notes before last week, actually
knowing that some of the deck was going to be
stacked against me in terms of just workload and schedule.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
So the first thing I forgot to delete it this week.
Speaker 6 (39:11):
The first thing I've written down in this game slot depression,
and it was and tell the Flaco bump not anymore,
and tell the Flaco bump hit Cincinnati. They have some hope,
They have a little hope if they can just manage maintain.
You rattled off some of their upcoming games, Cincinnati's upcoming games.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Here in a previous show, Greg in.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
Terms of like, if they can just hold on, if
they can get to six wins.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Got to get to this, got to get this one.
Speaker 6 (39:35):
Yeah, by the time Joe Burrow gets back, this is
obviously a every game from here on out is a
bit of a desperation game for the New York Jets.
I don't really see them making changes at their coaching
staff or front office or anything like that.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
Certainly at quarterback.
Speaker 6 (39:51):
Well, yeah, where there's a little drama unfolding earlier this
week apparently from the owners meetings.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Not apparently. I mean that was very uncool.
Speaker 5 (40:00):
I mean Woody Johnson coming out and taking a dump
on Justin Fields, you know, saying, oh, if we can
complete a pass, the rest of the team's getting better,
but our quarterback is terrible.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
Fields' response, though, on Wednesday, was fascinating.
Speaker 5 (40:14):
You pointed out, Yeah, I mean, he's a fade at
their media relations team, Like, I didn't see if response
because I don't have social media. Nobody briefed me on
the comments before I got up here.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
And this is the New York media man. You you
have to let him know what's coming.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Yeah, the crazier thing is that he said he doesn't
know who's starting at quarterback and he's splitting reps with
Tyrod Taylor, and Tyrod might not be healthy. It sounds
like he has a knee injury and they consider him
day to day. So if you want to, would have
disasked specifically, cite why making those type of comments aren't
(40:50):
a great idea, like that could be your starting quarterback
justin fields this week.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
It's just so uncol I mean, you pay the guy
thirty million dollars, you hired a coaching staff what you
hope can develop him, and you come out you're just
gonna You're just gonna deuce on him like that publicly.
You know this is where you say, you know, owners
don't meddle this. He meddled right now. Aaron Glenn is
in a real tight spot, Like I got to bench
(41:16):
the guy because my owner came out and said that
he sucks.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
I think he was ready to bench him anyways.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Yeah, fine, fair might let him bench you well.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
And also, you know, to in defense of the media
relations folks, because we say it so many times with
being able to make these decisions, a lot of people's
job is to keep their job, and so it's like,
how how aggressively do you want to tell Justin Fields
about this, considering the ultimate boss who has no issue
right terminating right or terminating the person above you, you know,
(41:46):
in that particular situation where it's everything's bad, everything's bad.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
Depression.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
Yeah, like the run game is sneaky bad, Like they're
twenty fifth or twenty sixth in rushing efficiency right now.
Speaker 5 (41:58):
Well that's how we're saying Breetholl is in the block
right because you know he can't you can't get anhing going.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
And the quiet thing is the defense. You know, if
they could have just combined one of the defense has
played well last week, I mean the last two weeks
they haven't given up more than thirteen points in two
straight games. But this will be a much bigger challenge. No,
Sauce Gardner, it sounds like in this game he's coming
off a concussion. Garrett Wilson is very uncertain, So I
think this is where you can absolutely crush Darren Muji
(42:25):
in this front office for showing up to this season
with a receiver group like this, because does with Wilson
out like they have no chance Jamar.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Chasell also get more than twenty three targets. Why not? Maybe?
Why not?
Speaker 6 (42:38):
It's I thinks long as Joe Flacco can lift his
arm above his head throw the.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Ball, well, I think the most important thing for Joe
Flacco is being able to put both of his hands
under center. And I can't believe that I didn't think
about this initially because I was so skeptical of the idea,
but they they had. If you take out empty and
shotgun snows, Jake Browning just edged out Joe Burrow after
starting more games in terms of being under center. Yeah,
(43:03):
and already Joe Flacco has had more under center dropbacks
than Jake Browning. And you could see like the improvement
generally and the offensive line they're able to protect better.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Chase brown got loose.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
He had his longest carry game and then seven plays
later he had his longest carry.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Of the season.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Once again, like the football team seems to exist. The
defense is everything got.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
In defense is not better. The defense is trash.
Speaker 6 (43:26):
Jake Turner, the corner, is playing well. He's one of
the bright spots on this Bengals defense. The corner who
got demoted before the regular season began and then won
his job back.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
He's playing really well.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
He's playing great. But the defense is maybe the worst.
I think it's the worst defense in the NFL, at
least when Drey Andricks it's head of the field.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
The Miami Dolphins, Dolphins, I would like to work Dolphins.
Speaker 6 (43:44):
I love that point you made Patrick about being under
center versus being in the gun or even in the pistol,
which I love, But they don't really do that there.
They do either mostly out of the gun. But when
Jake Browning was playing well a couple of years ago,
Greg's glory days of his Jake brown love, where it
first developed and blossomed, was he was. They were mixing
(44:04):
it up a little bit like that, and then they
moved him back in the gun the same way that
they've had Joe Burrow keeping so much of this offense
that doesn't necessarily work for every style of quarterback and
for every experience level of quarterback. Even the most experienced
quarterback currently in football right now? Who is playing for
the Cincinnati Bengals or second most or whatever. I don't
(44:27):
know how many years he's got on Aaron Rodgers, but
he's even saying, I'd rather play under center. Why is
it that this is the change they make for Joe Flacco?
But you can't make life easier on your backup knowing
you have some gotta have it games coming up. Why
is any of this Like I love seeing this offense click,
I love seeing.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
The receivers get the ball.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
Joe Flacco playing football is just fun, right, But why
is it taking this to change around what you're doing
and make your offense a little bit easier on the quarterback?
Speaker 4 (44:58):
You know, I just I don't understand you.
Speaker 3 (45:00):
They're a staff that kind of likes the quarterback to
dominate a little.
Speaker 5 (45:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
That's just like they're yees their flow. They're just like
they like they care a submissive you know. You know,
different partners are different. Maybe a coaching staff that's just
like kind of a submissive part is Joe Flacco is
the only reason he came in. Yeah for a oh,
I think he's just calling the plays out there. Hitting
(45:25):
Jamar Chase is calling the plays thank you.
Speaker 4 (45:27):
I'm getting the ick.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Speaking of the ick.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
What about them twenty twenty five Miami Dolphins who are
taking their show once again on the road. Uh, there's
hopefully they get the If there is rain, they'll they'll
close the roof of Mercedes been staying okay, taking on
the Atlanta Falcons, who are favored by seven coming off
the lost Steve forty four and a half the over
under the voice of God Kevin Harland as well as
Trent Green on the call.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
Are the Dolphins okay? No, no, they're not. At question,
they're disaster. You know once to it came out and
said that it was over. It was over. I mean
they may came out and compete.
Speaker 5 (46:03):
And that's why this is a cheeky game to me,
because the Falcons game plan offensively was terrible against the
forty nine ers. And you talk about how you love
the pistol. That's when the pistol gets you into trouble.
When you're not creative, when you're not running Texas routes
with your running back against a team that's without its
starting linebacker, when you don't put any stress on your
weaknesses and you play right into sidelines hash marks and
(46:26):
things to give them an extra defender, So they're going
to have to be more creative in their short passing game,
quick passing game against a terrible Dolphins defense. Atlanta's just
one of these teams where it is a week two
week you can't get a feel of what they are Defensively,
they're a good football team and that's why they're gonna
win this football game because Dolphins offense is just non existent.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
It's an absolute mess.
Speaker 5 (46:49):
But I'm interested to see if Atlanta should come out
and put up the big numbers as they should offensively.
Speaker 6 (46:56):
Darren Waller was their bet, was Miami's best offensive player,
and he's on injured reserve. Yeah, and I am mad
at Atlanta. I'm mad at the Falcons because it is
exactly what you said. They come out two weeks ago
with an absolutely incredible game plan offensively that funnels the
entire offense through one of the best football players on
(47:16):
the planet right now, who can do everything, who did
do everything in this game, and then just a few
days later they almost like put one hand behind his
back because they're not giving him even and they were
aligned with him to the side as well. And yes,
they still run a lot of pistols had. They did
not give the same autonomy. They didn't attack the second level.
(47:37):
Part of what I loved about when they ran so
much out of the pistol two weeks ago was he
was directly attacking the second level. Whether you could see
it obviously or not, every single movement and shift that
he's able to set up affects the middle of the defense,
whether they're having to flow side to side or come
and crash down. This was not the same stress points
that they put and they should have. And I don't
(47:58):
want to take anything away from Tatum Bathoon, who played awesome,
saw it well, read everything great, played it awesome, But
Atlanta is not stressing defense is enough in enough types
of ways. And that makes me annoyed because they are
better than this and they know it and they're not
doing it. I do.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
I struggle with them, and I wonder if they're coaching
around whatever Michael Pennox's limitations are and you.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
Know, not getting understood right.
Speaker 3 (48:26):
If you listen to collins Worth, it it's thrown over
the middle, and you know he's he's such a good
thrower to the perimeter, and that's a great skill to have.
But it doesn't really show up when you look at
this team. The baseline for Penix this year has been
a little lower than I would have expected in the
passing game, Like they are a team where their quarterback
(48:47):
holds onto the ball quite a bit, but they don't
push the ball down the field, which to me is
it's a frustrating combination to watch. For whatever reason that's happening.
That's what the numbers tell you. That he's holding onto
the ball a lot and it's not going. It's not
like they are bombs away deep type of offense.
Speaker 1 (49:02):
Well, I think one of the questions that we had
last year was about play action, and we thought it
was related to the health of Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
What did J. J.
Speaker 1 (49:08):
McCarthy, Cooper Rush, Jake Browning, Marcus Mariota, I could go
on and on have in common. Their completion percentage with
play action is better than Michael Pennixt. They're actively not
running a whole lot of play action passes, and when
they do, they're not successful. And some folks have pointed
directly that they've obviously pointed oddly enough at the pistol.
Speaker 4 (49:29):
Well, yeah, that's exactly knock.
Speaker 6 (49:32):
Actually, that's why that's part of the reason why, because
that's part of the reason why you run it so much,
because it gives the illusion. And now it's not doing
that for them, let me be clear, but in theory,
and it did this for the Rams a couple of
years ago, when the quarterback didn't want to be turning
his back to the defense so much and wanted to
see everything in front of him. It gives the illusion
that you still could get the play action game out
(49:55):
of that even though you're in sort of a more
gun look.
Speaker 4 (49:58):
That's the thing.
Speaker 6 (49:59):
You still are trying to to keep the run fakes
available to you, but just moved backwards out of the
stack of offensive linement so that the quarterback can see
everything in front of them, which then should lead to
a deeper.
Speaker 4 (50:11):
Downfield passing game, but is not in this case.
Speaker 6 (50:13):
So all of these things that we're talking about are
very much connected here, and it's all of them not
working the way that they should in theory or an
execution is what the falcons, well.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Here's it.
Speaker 5 (50:22):
Sometimes they do. That's the thing that they're hot and cold.
Sometimes they look brilliant, sometimes they look terrible. Take a
page out of the Bengals book would they do with
Joe Flacco. I mean, no bullst off here. They must
have thrown eighty percent of their passes were slants. When
you're playing a team that is struggling in the middle
and you've got those receivers, you have, especially have two
big bodied guys slant in the death.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
I owe them do whatever.
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Like my number one test of you know, do you
have an effective quarterback? Like are you going to have
a long career as a quarterback? First of all? And
you are you have a good passing game, which is like,
are you good like you mentioned before, when you're not pressured,
because almost any NFL quarterback can be good if he's
not pressured. And Panix does have some of the worst
numbers this year when not pressure, which does point back
(51:07):
a little bit to scheme because I don't think it's personnel. Now.
I know they don't have a right tackle, but overall
their pass protector is fine. Like it's in the middle,
it's absolutely fine. On the flip side, Mike McDaniel, like,
there's many cries for help that he's had, the fact
that he said publicly that they played hard, but they're
not playing hard executing his assignments. Is the most insane
(51:29):
quote I've maybe ever heard from a coach in terms
of just like I'm done, they don't listen to me.
And you see that in the running game more than anything.
They are thirty first in the league in success rates,
the missed assignments. What you see from the offensive line
is crazy. And that was supposed to be Mike McDaniel's thing.
Like run game coordinator Davon A. Chan pushes back at
your best offensive player, you know, so does Jalen Waddle?
(51:50):
Is Darren Waller like, because Devon Ahchan looks awesome this
year and Jalen Waddle is like a good player, but like,
they can't figure out their running game at all.
Speaker 2 (51:58):
It is.
Speaker 3 (51:58):
It is brutal to watch, you know what, You know,
it's not brutal. Breaking it up between the early games
and the lakes. That's it for the early game. It's
a pretty light early slate. Seven games early. We're going
to talk about the late games and a really spicy
Sunday night football game in our next one. Is it
(52:19):
just go right over to that show
Host
Gregg Rosenthal
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