Davante Adams to the Jets! Amari Cooper to the Bills! Justin Fields to the Bench?!

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Colleen Wolfe and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic to react to the Jets trading for Davante Adams (03:17), the Bills trading for Amari Cooper (20:19), the Steelers possibly starting Russel Wilson over Justin Fields (32:47) and other news from around the NFL. After the break, the crew tells you stories that will change as the season moves along (39:42) including the NFC North being good, the Bengals struggling, Justin Herbert's conservative play, and more! The show is wrapped up with a preview of the Broncos and Saints facing off on Thursday Night Football (57:46).

Note: time codes approximate. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to NFL Daily or we're not waiting till November
to make some big trades.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Huh.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
I'm here in the Chris Westling podcast studio with my
friends Colleen Wolf and Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic and uh,
I'm just rolling around here. I'm losing my mind. Are
you on jet lag? I'm doing great? But uh I
told the NFL offices, I was like, give me, give
me a shot of adrenaline coming into this show. I

(00:34):
need the energy. So they made some big time trades happen.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh I did this? This was Greg? Greg. Can we
just talk about like how oppress of your schedule has
been over the last kind of the details?

Speaker 4 (00:45):
Why you going?

Speaker 3 (00:46):
We have Adams being traded, Shane, Greg, We.

Speaker 5 (00:50):
Have Amari Cooper being traded functioning right now.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
We have a TNF preview with Sean Payton.

Speaker 5 (00:56):
But answer this, when did you when did you land?
When did you get back from London?

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Like five o'clock or so. I was watching the first
quarter of the game on the on the way home.
We did the recap show last night.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
You did the recap show.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
We did the recap show. You haven't listened.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
It's great analysis me and Nick Schuck. Yeah, we're back
with London. That's old news. That was that was what
forty eight hours.

Speaker 5 (01:22):
A dangerous precedent for everyone else coming back from Internet.

Speaker 4 (01:25):
I no, that was not the play.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
I don't care. You're not gonna like that. I say this,
I'm sorry, and close your ears if you need to.
But like watching you work over this last week because
you're also consuming other podcasts, you're also prepping for every
single daily show. I know you're He's like, he's shriveling
in embarrassment right now because he hates this, But like,
I am so amazed by what you just accomplished. Oh, Greg,

(01:48):
so thank you for like making the bar so high
for the rest of us that.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
We can never I'm not really the world a belot.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
No, But in all earnestness, Greg like, hell, yeah, dude,
you're great.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
And yeah, coming back this side it, if I could
have scheduled the days differently, that would be.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
That would be perfect hindsight. I hated the no.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
No no, I loved it, but the sun the Sunday schedule,
doing the game at Tottenham to the Sky studios and
then doing this this show.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
The NFL Daily Show, Deep into the Night.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
That's one of the most fun days that that I'll
ever have working getting on a motorcycle you.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Go for next time one of our picture.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
One of our one of our Shadowy League figures. Actually
I saw and you know, a couple of them have
come to me like we wouldn't have been bold enough
to get on get on that motorcycle, flying through traffic
to get the sky by the kickoff.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
It was fun.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's fun.

Speaker 4 (02:37):
It was fun. I love that Colleen would have Definitely.

Speaker 5 (02:40):
You're like Jason Bourne out Hire.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Colleen would have jumped off a building, parachuted into we're talking.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
I totally would have. I wish I could someone bring
me that opportunity.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
I I'm like Jason Bourne.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Yeah, if Jason Bourne was like five six and one
hundred and forty pounds. Nothing will get you more conscious
of your size as a small man than watching Love
is Blind on your downloads on the way back from London.
It's just like everyone when they're about to see them,
he just says, I hope he's not small.

Speaker 4 (03:07):
We got to have Love is Blind. But it's just
like a bunch of.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Small guys scoring like statue esque women and see what happens.
Let's go and talk about some news. Oh my god,
I would kill it on Love is Blind by the way.
I would like win them over. And then then they'd
be like, what the hell? You know?

Speaker 4 (03:26):
Who is happy with?

Speaker 1 (03:27):
What was behind the door when they opened it up
this morning, Jets fans like, behind that Love Is Blind
door was a silhouette of Davante Adams. He arrived in
New York, New Jersey Monday night, maybe before the Monday
night football game even happened. And then we learned on
month Tuesday rather that the Raiders are trading Deavante Adams

(03:49):
to the Jets for a conditional third round pick in
twenty twenty five. I want to let you know the
conditions because it makes it pretty obvious that it's likely
to stay a third round pick. The Jets have to
either make the AFC Title Game or Super Bowl, or
DeVante Adams has to be a first or second team
All Pro, both of which are very unlikely. The Jets

(04:11):
making it that far would be more likely because we're
in week seven here, we're entering and Devanta Adams hasn't
played alf the weeks and his numbers weren't good. So
you're probably not getting the second team All Pro. That
means they picked up a great receiver for the a
mid third round pick, Colleen, And yet like no one
seems happy about it. People say, oh, this is all

(04:32):
the Jets doing Jets things again.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
I'm like, what am I missing? I think it's good.
I think it's smart.

Speaker 5 (04:36):
It's great for us just from a sheer entertainment value.
I mean, him going to the Jets, there's no better
place he could have gone. This is amazing, going with
Aaron Rodgers in New York, with that media scene and
a team that's two and four.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
The only thing that.

Speaker 5 (04:52):
They're really winning right now is all of our attention,
and it seems to happen every single Tuesday.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's very see you next Tuesday.

Speaker 5 (04:59):
Of them the name of our text chain and yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
It's there's winners and losers on both sides.

Speaker 5 (05:06):
And I feel like Garrett Wilson is both a winner
and a losing interesting in this trade because he's the
most targeted man in football and this will now sort
of things will ease up on him, but that will
maybe allow more opportunities for him to have positive plays.
But obviously he's not going to be the number one guy,
and how does that chemistry work in a locker room

(05:28):
that's filled with big personality.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
He was complaining about what was going on in the
offense before any of this happened. Now he's got a
guy who has like a mind lock with Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 4 (05:39):
But I think it's ultimately positive.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
Good point about the winners of this trade being see
you next Tuesday.

Speaker 4 (05:45):
You know NFL Daylight.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
I didn't even think about that the Robert Salad trade
was the last time that Robert salary. You're just gonna
have to be on this show.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
But you're You're absolutely right that we were here for
that one.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
And it is funny how after every crushing Jets loss,
they just completely flip the narrative, like before twenty four
hours or even up, so that everyone can be like, well,
now it's a fresh start, we're starting all over. It's
like that loss never even God.

Speaker 5 (06:12):
It's like, you can get bangs, you can get a
revenge body, but you're still going to be two and four.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Right, But if they lose to the Steelers this week,
it's like, what more can they do? I don't think
they can do many more things, but I thought it
was a I think it is a smart gambit by
the Jets.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
What do you think I can help thinking that not
only was this first of all the move that needed
to happen, It's been in the works even before this
last loss. You could tell with the timeline of everything
that this was something that was a priority for this
team to get done, regardless of whether they were going
to win or lose on Monday Night football, after especially
after firing Robert Sala, like, you have to do something

(06:50):
like this, You're basically pushing everything in on saying we
are going to rebuild or not rebuild, but give the
quarterback the things that he wants, the things that he needs,
DeVante Adams being a huge one of those things. I
also think that it's a chips are on the table
we're going to try to push. Woody Johnson is saying
such things at the league meetings this week, and we'll

(07:10):
tee up the sound in a second. But it's also
this makes the job vacancy look better. It makes this
job in general, job all year for next year look better.
And I do want to point out too, because well,
I mean, if you can keep some of this intact,
let's say you don't get as far as you want
because you have had this chaos right in the middle

(07:30):
of the season, but you believe you're now on the
right track and the right structure. You're extending some timelines here.
It does having weapons on this offense and promising somebody,
especially an offensive minded coach. And I love Old Rich,
I think he's a great coach, but saying hey, you
can come in and we already have this here for
you if you can basically be amenable to work with
with the quarterback, if he decides that's going to be

(07:52):
in the equation for him too. This does make this
job look a little bit better than it did three
days ago, or even you know, last week when we
first got the news of the Robert solid firing. And
also wanted to point out that Ian Rappaport was supporting
that he that DeVante Adams and the Jets have agreed
to a restructure. Even so, not only are you getting
him for this amount, which is way better than probably

(08:14):
what the Raiders would have wanted, we're kind of putting
out there that they would be agreeable to.

Speaker 1 (08:19):
Well, they not paying any money, so that was the
part of it. I guess the Jets somewhat comfort, but.

Speaker 3 (08:23):
Then the Jets get a restructure out.

Speaker 1 (08:25):
Of it too, right, But the restructure is just this year,
like kind of spreading in around, and he wasn't making
that much money anyways. He's making seventeen million dollars this year,
so they just owe that salary essentially for the rest
of the season, and they shuffled it around the next
two years, he is on the books for thirty five
point six million dollars in each season. I've yes, he
probably will want more guaranteed money coming into it, but

(08:47):
I kind of look at that. I was like, well,
that's about right. That's about what a DeVante Adams would cost.
So I think it's a good point that it's not
necessarily just the rental. If Aaron Rodgers is going going
to keep playing football next year, it is probably gonna
be with DeVante Adams as his teammate. And I keep
going back to a mid third round pick. So let's

(09:09):
listen to the sound that you very professionally.

Speaker 3 (09:12):
Teased getting better every week.

Speaker 1 (09:14):
Woody Johnson at the league meetings, explaining why he did
it's salvageable.

Speaker 6 (09:19):
We're gonna kick you know, you're gonna have the words
after that, No, we're gonna We're gonna.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
Do really well.

Speaker 7 (09:25):
We're gonna do well.

Speaker 6 (09:27):
Salvage is at the end, but this is the beginning.
You know, thinking is overrated. You have to look forward.
We have to look forward to the games we're gonna
play at each and every week and uh and try
to win all of them. Man, that's basic stuff, right.
I was saying, tell it, Tell Telladega Knights, you've heard
of that from that one stage he said, you're not

(09:49):
a thinker, You're a driver.

Speaker 4 (09:51):
Right, Well, that's what you want to hear about about
the person.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
That love seeing and Talladega Knights. Ricky Bobby is.

Speaker 4 (09:58):
Not a thinker. I love that.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
I Well, I think that was prefaced by a question
that said, well, the thinking is that you're gonna do this,
and so he's pushing back.

Speaker 4 (10:11):
He's going with instincts. He's extremely confident.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
Now, that's one of the reasons why Robert Salad doesn't
have a job is the expectations were so high because
there's so much confidence and everyone's buying it. Rogers, well,
he was in a great mood on the McAfee show
and everyone's talking up Brick, Jeff Ulbrick and you almost
wouldn't know that this team is two and four.

Speaker 8 (10:33):
Now.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
I don't think Woody Johnson is on the DVOA Future
Schedule rankings like I am, but the Jets do have
the easiest schedule in the entire NFL according to DVOA
for the rest of the season, and they've had the
sixth hardest so far. So when you do look at
the schedule, especially once you get past this week at Pittsburgh,

(10:55):
there is some reason to believe, and you saw the
offense play pretty well on Monday night, that this team
hurts yeat. This team has some has some winning left to.

Speaker 5 (11:04):
Sure, for sure, but I mean they also need to
figure out the Hassan Reddick of it all too. And
I guess Drew Rosenhaus was at the game last night.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
There's just so much that.

Speaker 5 (11:15):
Is happening with this team, and they had the primetime game.
It was a game that was super frustrating, obviously, DeVante
Adams today, the mid season firing last week, and now
Hassan Reddick changing agents and being given a forty eight
hour window for a trade to be figured out. There's
just so much happening in New York at once.

Speaker 1 (11:35):
Maybe they get a deal done with Reddick soon, and
Woody Johnson alluded to it in that press conference saying
that this was our week to make big moves like
and he essentially said more big moves are coming.

Speaker 4 (11:50):
What other big moves could there be?

Speaker 6 (11:51):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (11:52):
Now, right, so you can maybe get you can maybe
get the pickback that you sent for Devanta Adams. And
let's just talk about Davanta Adams for a second, because
I've seen some commentary that, well, you know, he's in
the decline phase of his career. You're not going to
get better trading for older players. And so I went
back and I watched a lot of his targets and

(12:13):
his snaps from this year, and DeVante Adams is excellent.
DeVante Adams is still a top ten receiver. Devanta Adams
is possibly when he's on the field, still a top
five receiver. So I thought this was a great move
for the price that they sent, which again, you're not
going to get that conditional to move it up from
a third to a second. We can assume that Jets

(12:34):
are somewhere in the middle of the third round. This
is a mid third round pick for either half a
season or a season, and a half of a top
ten receiver that is more than fair. You should see
the third round picks that they've made in the Joe
Douglas era. In the third round picks, just the average
third round pick that is out there. People get so
worked up about, Oh, you can't trade him for a second,
you can't trade him for a third half. Those picks

(12:57):
just don't work. And I know there's value in controlling
costs and you just don't want to give it away,
But those picks are being given away willy nilly. Once
you get into the draft, it's like, hey, we want
to move up ten spots in the third, we'll give
up a third Like that's what's happening there. And so
to me, I think it makes sense for what I
believe is a known commodity, which is DeVante Adams playing
with Aaron Rodgers. We know Aaron Rodgers is at his

(13:19):
best with guys who understand how he's thinking. That's why
Alan Lazard in twenty twenty four is a completely different
and better player than Alan Lazard was in twenty twenty three.

Speaker 5 (13:27):
James is one of the best route runners in the
entire league. So this is going to make Aaron Rodgers
so much happier.

Speaker 3 (13:33):
The one thing I still worry about with this team
is the offensive line. They make mistakes in singular spurts,
like they just don't feel like they're playing together as
a full unit. When they make a mistake, it is
one guy compounding mistakes, or it is penalties one guy
or two guys at any given time compounding errors. I
did like though, Todd Downing as the play caller. He

(13:54):
puts together a nice little pressure mitigation script to open
up a couple of those series include running the ball more,
including looking more balanced. I just think that not only
does DeVante Adams adding back into the mix give you
more options with some of those pressure beater route concepts
that they including some of those quick slants, in breakers
and outbreakers they're using in the beginning of the game,

(14:15):
but also it just spreads everyone out a little bit wider,
so you're not feeling so clenched and compressed as an offense.
In general, you have some breathing room. And I think
that to your point Greg earlier, it is usually generally
with the mean of teams, it is not generally sound
practice to over invest in veterans on the other side

(14:36):
of a certain number of years. However, this is not
a team that believes it is functioning in the mean.
This is a team that quite literally gathered pieces in
order to make a push. And so now if you
commit to that, you can't sit in the gray area,
can't sit in the halfway zone. You know, there's a
lot of chaos around the Jets right now. But one
thing that I do think is the correct thing to

(14:57):
do is to continue to push along the commitments that
you've already yeah, and the ethos that you've already decided
you're gonna have, not change your entire build structure just
because you fired the head coach.

Speaker 8 (15:11):
Right.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
So, I again I saw like getting put some pushback
on Twitter that this wasn't a good trade. It's like
they're not gonna go anywhere, They're not gonna win. It's like, yeah,
I actually agree with that. I don't think they're gonna
get the second round pick because I don't think they're
gonna make the conference title game. Trading for Devontae Adams
does not change it enough for me. But I'm looking
at this trade in a vacuum. They've already decided this

(15:31):
is the strategy. And after deciding this is the strategy
for this year. Everyone's all in that the GM could
be gone. It's an older team. You only have Rogers
for this year and maybe next year.

Speaker 4 (15:42):
Whatever.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
It's gonna be in that vacuum. I think it makes
total sense because you mentioned it like they're a receiver group.
Now that with Lazard as a three and Garrett Wilson
as a two, it's a fun group.

Speaker 4 (15:54):
I think they have issues on their offensive line. I
didn't have the big question.

Speaker 5 (15:58):
That's the offensive line, and I feel like you brought
that up like five minutes ago and I've been thinking
about it ever since. So with this offensive line, because
obviously last night with Todd Downing, they mixed it up
a little bit more and ran the ball, which was
something that we haven't seen this season. But the week
before when they were playing the Vikings in London, Aaron
Rodgers dropped back fifty four times in that game. For

(16:18):
the offensive line, at some point, aren't they fatigued because
they're they're going backwards. It's way easier to play going forwards,
like when you're run blocking. Just from that standpoint, I
would think being mixing things up with the run game
that might help the offensive line just a little bit
because of that fatigue factor.

Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yeah, you were. What they were doing was allowing pretty
much any defense to stay in their A plus pass
rush plan, which just means because of what you said
and then a bunch of other circumstances of what that
looks like structurally, you are basically facing the most arduous
and extraneous amount of pressure that you possibly can because

(16:58):
if you don't have dimension, because you're not running the
ball the way that they were able to a little.

Speaker 4 (17:02):
Bit lessing game of the season.

Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yeah, and like and he looked and he looked more
like himself than he has and certainly produced like that,
But and there was more balance and again, getting some
of the quick screens going, getting some of the quick
slants in the passing game going widens out the defense
a little bit more. You're accounting for those areas of
space on the field for the defenders. And then now
you're able to because you have a little bit wider
space upfront, you're able to run the ball through that space,

(17:26):
and it's the blocking becomes easier. So it all fits
together when you have just like that one extra layer,
but knowing what to do with it, Colleen, which is
the point you're making knowing what to do with that
extra piece in order to alleviate some of the stress
and like tightness that you're feeling, some of the errors,
some of the completely whiffed blocks because you're not letting
a team stay in their aplus pressure plan against you.

(17:49):
It's a ripple effect having him on the field but
using him in the right way.

Speaker 1 (17:52):
Playing the easiest schedule to the league. If everything is amazing,
like everything looks, it looks amazing when you just suddenly
start playing bad teams like the Bears are amazing now
because they have four wins over like one win teams
and play a bunch of bad defenses. The schedule really
does explain a lot.

Speaker 4 (18:10):
I mean, I'm just saying, you know what I mean.
Though like it.

Speaker 1 (18:12):
It helps a lot, and I think they need to
make the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (18:16):
We'll see if they do.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
Poor Mike Williams, who was thrown under the bus a
little bit by Aaron Rodgers in that postgame press conference
and then also on McAfee today Wally was on McAfee
or a little bit after like sometime in the same area.
Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported that Mike Williams could
be available in a trade, which just unfortunate.

Speaker 4 (18:36):
I wonder. I know it's a different scheme, but the
Chargers like just give up, like a conditional sixth for Mike.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
Williams toward your h Well.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
That's good.

Speaker 1 (18:47):
I haven't even mentioned the segment that's coming up because
we have so much news to get to.

Speaker 4 (18:51):
The segment is stuff that will change.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
Like we're in one mode of the season, but the
whole league is going to be so different by the
time we chopped get to December, and these teams that
made moves today, they're so different already than they were
what twenty four hours ago. I just want to before
we wrap up this part of the show, the Jets part,
I just want to say, the last two seasons that

(19:13):
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams played together, granted they were
younger men, were they were different men. They DeVante Adams
average one hundred and fifty nine targets, over fourteen hundred
and fifty yards and fourteen touchdowns in those two seasons,
and yeah, the I think he's just going to feel
so much more comfortable knowing what DeVante Adams is going
to do. But then again, Davante Adams thought it was

(19:35):
going to be great to play with Derek Carr and
that didn't work.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
O Rodgers is stacking friends. Sorry, yeah, you know he is.

Speaker 2 (19:40):
He totally is. It's fine.

Speaker 5 (19:41):
It's not even a great point, but it was just
going to be them in their subprime is an improvement,
that is, That is.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
A good point.

Speaker 1 (19:47):
And right I mentioned the third round picks that Joe
Douglas has made that everyone's such an up and arms
that they would dare to give away Umu Chuma Adogo
who's now with the Cowboys, Ashton Davis, Jabari Zuniga, Jeremy
Rucker halfway decent tight end for them, and Malachi Corley.

Speaker 4 (20:06):
Those are their third round picks. And the Joe Douglas
just just saying people don't need to go too crazy
about that.

Speaker 1 (20:12):
Let's go crazy about the other big time trade on Tuesday.
Amari Cooper is a member of the Buffalo Bills. He
is going there essentially for a third round pick. The Browns,
you know, those dirty dogs, they somehow got they somehow
got the Bills to give them back a pick, swap

(20:34):
a sixth or a seventh on the way in return,
so like they actually are moved the Bills are moving
up from the seventh to the sixth round and getting
Amari Cooper here, and so I just imagine when I
say those dirty dogs, I mean I can just imagine
the trade was essentially done and they're like, it'll really
be done if you give us more than that, and
the Browns are just like, God, I guess we really
really don't want Amari Cooper on our team. I think

(20:57):
it makes sense for both parties. Amari Cooper in a
different situation than DeVante Adams because he is in a
contract year. So that's an interesting element that on paper
it looks like a rental, but once you have him
in the building, you have more control. You could always
franchise tag him next year. You certainly could resign him early.

(21:17):
We saw the Bills last night not really get their
wide receivers involved too much, certainly on the outside, and
Amari Cooper would certainly seem to help out a group
that's given some concern for Bills fans.

Speaker 4 (21:30):
What do you think, Connie, I mean, I just.

Speaker 2 (21:33):
Love the answer from the Bills to the Jets.

Speaker 4 (21:35):
Hmmm.

Speaker 5 (21:36):
With first it's DeVante Adams, now it's Amari Cooper, And
I just wish that I was privy to all of
the behind the scenes workings, all of the phone calls
that were going between the gms and the agents and
the players. But in terms of this addition to Buffalo,
I guess everybody doesn't have to eat now because that
was their mantra. Everybody eats spreading the ball around. I mean,

(21:58):
Kean Coleman, He's not a number one wide receiver, but
he's a great compliment to have. So this is going
to add so much another layer, like Jordan was saying,
to the offense in general.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
But I think it was smart.

Speaker 5 (22:11):
Of them because they obviously had.

Speaker 2 (22:13):
A very little cap space.

Speaker 5 (22:15):
This deal worked perfectly because Cleveland converted the majority of
Cooper's twenty million dollar base into a signing bonus, so
that was why the Bills were able to afford this.
And yeah, Greg, they had to give up that third
round pick, but also they still have the pick that
they acquired from the Stuff on Digs trade an extra
twenty twenty five second rounder, so they really do win
out in this right.

Speaker 3 (22:36):
And the contracts lists in a million. I love this move.
This was in part because selfishly, this was going to
be a part of my entrance to this oh way. Yeah,
where I thought I said this could change would be
the Bill's roster because I felt like they really learned
and faced some hard truths about themselves over the last
couple of weeks. And I think some of it was

(22:57):
figuring out if things could work with that receiver and
how they were going to deploy everybody, but then just
seeing that it just wasn't gonna work. I love when
a team is honest with itself about itself and then
moves to activate those changes and sort of like fix itself,
you know, and the I can fix some era of
the Bills. And I think that you could see this

(23:19):
in the last couple of weeks. In these games, defenses
had no fear of their receivers. They were playing man
so much against these receivers. Again last excuse me Monday night,
even the rotational corners on the Jets were in man
against this receiver corp over fifty percent of their coverage stafts. No,
there was not a huge sample size because Josh Allen

(23:41):
only threw the ball twenty five times, but still there
was no fear about this. They weren't threatening defense. They
were having difficulty layering concepts in order to spring each
other open in different ways, and so I love this.
This opens up so much again. It spreads the field
a little bit wider. It adds an actual threat that
will dictate certain coverages towards a number one, a bona

(24:02):
fide number one receiver. Once he gets his feet under him,
he gets his rhythm. And I also love that the
Bills are starting to lean more into an identity that
doesn't necessarily have to depend on the passing game. They're
loading up in heavier personnel sets. Ray Davis, Welcome Ray
Davis to the freaking NFL. Love to have you here, man.
Like what a brilliant debut from him. I loved watching

(24:25):
him at the Senior Bowl this past year. And they
are using these north this north to south running, They're
using him in the passing game. They're using twelve thirteen,
twenty two personnel, extra tight ends, even a full back,
And they're leaning on this to where they can now
make this their identity and still have the multiplicity to
pop out in the passing game because they can now

(24:45):
actually with Amari, they can actually rely on this once
he gets his feet up right.

Speaker 5 (24:49):
That switched to Joe Brady last year mid season was
one of the best things that they ever did.

Speaker 4 (24:53):
Absolutely, they are a run first team.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
Josh Allen running the ball, I've pointed out on the
show a number times, is the most effective playing football
on like a statistical basis success rate, Like when he
runs the football is always successful and he helps the
running game. They have a great offensive ene. I think
they could have won the Super Bowl before this trade.
I think they have a better chance to win the
Super Bowl after this trade. I don't think Amari Cooper

(25:17):
is a number one receiver. I don't think he's probably
been the prototype of a guy who, throughout his career
is in that gray area, like, yes, he's a top
thirty two receiver. Is he a top ten receiver? Almost never.
But he's so streaky. He kind of reminds me of
the poor Man's Too in that there's always a honeymoon period.

Speaker 3 (25:41):
But when you say number one receiver, yes, When I
say that, I'm not saying he's going to have the
entirety of the target share. I'm saying this is a
coverage dictate type player.

Speaker 1 (25:52):
That's what I'm saying. I don't even know if he
was doing that in Cleveland this year. He's looked awful,
like he's been open, but he just hasn't executed like
his drop.

Speaker 3 (26:00):
Well, the drops are really bad. Context there is not great.

Speaker 1 (26:03):
No, it's not, but some of it when you watch
I did want to go watch these two guys's targets
him and Adams and the contested catches like uncatchable balls.

Speaker 4 (26:12):
He's just been out of it.

Speaker 3 (26:13):
And after a career year two right, So that's the.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
Thing is he's had a really interesting career. He seems moody.
I think now he's not like Tea.

Speaker 3 (26:25):
Yes, there's some Instagram stories about when he was coming
up in trade conversations. Yeah, some posts about like I'd
go there whatever, that kind of thing. I think, you know,
that might be what you're referring to here.

Speaker 4 (26:37):
I'm referring to his entire career.

Speaker 1 (26:39):
His career in Oakland, he was very moody, very streaky,
very up and down.

Speaker 4 (26:44):
When he was into it.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
He was into it until he wasn't into it, and
then he got out of it and he went to
Dallas and he immediately started playing better. He immediately started
being more focused. Everything was awesome. And then after a
little while in Dallas a few years, he was very
much not into it, and he was almost not unplayable
at points in his last year in Dallas, but he
was not into it, and they were sick of him,

(27:07):
and they got rid of it. And then he gets
to Cleveland and he's he's back into it. It's awesome,
it's honeymoon, it's working. And then this season it was
again kind of the Amari Cooper isn't happy season.

Speaker 4 (27:16):
So you would think they get.

Speaker 3 (27:17):
They get the are we talking we're talking about the bills?
They are they of any there? They know how to
capitalize on a honeymoon period. I mean they thought they
have precedent with this. I mean that's that's what I think.
We're talking about this contextually of what they believe their
ceiling is, and that is Super Bowl. So yeah, they're
making this move and they're probably depending on the honeymoon.

Speaker 4 (27:38):
Hell, they even had a nice honeymoon period with t
O back in the day. Now that was really old
t O.

Speaker 1 (27:44):
But if I'm just connecting it, but people forget how
freaking good Teo was that when he was thirty six
and thirty seven in Buffalo and Cincinnati for those one years,
it was like he was still sneaky kind of awesome.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
I just remember how good he was on Jerry Rice Day.

Speaker 1 (27:58):
Yes, yes, and like jillly Off, he was a perfect
so to me, he seems like the more low key,
maybe passive aggressive too Amari Cooper. But I'll say that
all to the point that I think it'll work.

Speaker 2 (28:09):
Yeah, it was very passive aggressive.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
Yeah, I think he was just aggressive aggressive occasionally.

Speaker 3 (28:13):
But yes, I love how you're existing in multiple time
zones at one time as you're sitting there still connecting
these dots like that's incredibly impressive.

Speaker 1 (28:21):
Now, if we trust next gen stats average separation as
a meaningful stat which I'm.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
Not sure you not trust it.

Speaker 4 (28:28):
What's happened that's that I'm not sure.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
I think it really is dependent on scheme, team season.
There's a lot that I think goes into it. But
for what it's worth, Marik Cooper average separation this year
is higher than it's been since twenty eighteen.

Speaker 3 (28:43):
He's certainly separated from the Browns.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
Twenty two million dollars in dead money on the Browns
books for next year for a Mari Cooper. So everyone
who's saying, hey, they did a great job, they gave
up a fifth for a mari Cooper, you got so
much value out of him, Absolutely true. Like the the
analytical way to look at this was they they did
a great job with this quote unquote asset and they
got a third round pick back here and that that's solid.

(29:09):
But they still do have Deshaun Watson and a Marii
Cooper on the books next year for one hundred million
dollars and I don't think either of them are going
to be helping that team. So that's like, from a
Brown's perspective, it did make me think, oh, where are
Like they're in a They're in a weird spot right now,
They're one in five? Are they going to go into
full tank mode? If you were going into full tank mode?

(29:30):
Is that a reason to keep playing Deshaun Watson. I'm
just saying, like, would you not want Jameis Winston to
go in there and get wins.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
I would start jams Winston And.

Speaker 1 (29:40):
It's craven and it's like calculated and it's cynical, like
if they would make Deshaun Watson keep playing in order
to lose. But this is the team that ignored everything
about Deshaun Watson to sign Deshaun Watson so I don't know.
I wouldn't put anything bast to this organization.

Speaker 3 (29:53):
Two more quick, very quick points I want to make
on the bills too. Still, one of the biggest concerns
I have with them is something that's popped up all year,
And I love that they made this move, even though
it quietly wasn't necessarily their biggest need, which was a
getting some defensive backs back healthy. Tarron Johnson really settled
in and made that huge play and Monday Night at
the end of the game. But then also they allowed

(30:14):
fifteen non penalty plays of ten plus yards. A lot
of that is struggling to tackle in the defensive backfield.
A lot of that is just these holes that are
happening against this Bobby Babitch Sean McDermott defense. And so
but what I love on the counter, what I love
about this team is that they were like, all right, well,
we're just going to not play close games anymore. We're
going to try to do whatever we can to lean

(30:35):
into this identity with and be a running team with multiplicity,
but also find a player. Go go out and get
a player, not necessarily one of our larger needs, but
a player who we know is going to shift coverage
after we've faced this difficult reality about our current receiver Gore,
We're just not going to play close games anymore. Solves
a lot of problems at once because they can play

(30:55):
ball control with their run game. They also won't necessarily
need to depend on their kicker as much.

Speaker 1 (31:01):
They need to get a new kicker. Tyler Bass is
missing kicks for a while. He's had a nice run
in Buffalo, but sometimes the run is just over. It's interesting.
You don't think it's one of their bigger needs.

Speaker 4 (31:10):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (31:10):
No, No, I do think it was one of their
bigger needs. I'm just saying my greater concern watching this
defense can just be overly porous at the back seven
step other teams in games. I do think receive. Like
I said at the very top of this, I do
think facing that truth about how teams were playing their receiver,
going out and giving a getting a coverage dictation guy,
that was really crucial.

Speaker 1 (31:32):
They are the number three offense according to d VA
after six weeks, so it's not like they've been struggling offensively,
but I think the hides of the first three weeks. Yeah,
they bills are something that will change. They will change
in Amari Cooper. Yeah, Amari Cooper is going to help
them out a lot. It all makes a little more sense.
Shakir and Kincaid as a two and a three, and
then the other receivers now just kind of helping out

(31:54):
his role players, Kean Coleman a little less Mac Collins.
That play by Mac Collins might have been just like
the Mic Williams play was like the one you remember
that played by Mike Collins where he didn't flatten out
and couldn't get the touchdown. It was like, Okay, we
need to bring in Amark Cooper. And it was a
great response because I don't think there's any wide receivers
else available. That might have been why they responded so quickly.
It was like DeVante and Cooper. I went and tried

(32:16):
to look to come up with who could be available
at wide receiver. Christian Kirk maybe huh, he's doue a
lot of money. But Christian Kirk maybe Tyreek Hill in
a different world where he things get wild. Yeah, he
doesn't think so. He likes Miami Deontay Johnson. The band
Panthers say they're not going to trade Deontay Johnson and

(32:37):
they want to sign him long term, which makes sense
to me, but he could be someone not many people available.
All right, one more big item today were was the Steelers.
Now it's not official. Mike Tomlin is not saying that
he's going to start Russell Wilson on Sunday against the Jets.
I mean, it's almost like when people come up with
conspiracies the fact that this game is the Sunday night

(33:00):
football game, like.

Speaker 4 (33:01):
NBC did it again.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
You're getting Russell Wilson versus Davante Adams Steelers Jets.

Speaker 4 (33:07):
That is awesome.

Speaker 1 (33:08):
Let's listen to Mike Tomlin basically justifying a quarterback change,
even though for now he won't announce a quarterback change.
R Ian Rappaport says Russell Wilson will be getting first
team reps and that the change is coming.

Speaker 4 (33:22):
Let's listen to Tomlin.

Speaker 9 (33:24):
Justin has been really good, and we've been really good
at times, but not to be confused with great man.
This is a competitive league, man. We're trying to position
ourselves to be that team, and we got a player
with talent we hadn't had an opportunity to play, so
we're going to potentially explore those things. Sometimes it doesn't
necessarily have anything to do with what Justin has done

(33:45):
or has not done.

Speaker 4 (33:47):
I don't like this move.

Speaker 1 (33:49):
No, I think Justin Fields has played better this season
than Russell Wilson has played since twenty twenty. Now you
can look at Russell Wilson stats in twenty twenty one.
In that six season, though, I remember that he was
not playing that well despite the stats, So at the worst,
it's better than he's played in a couple of years.
I think he's made the surroundings look better than they
really are. Justin Fields, that is, so I'm really surprised

(34:13):
by this news.

Speaker 4 (34:14):
Jordan, what do you think.

Speaker 3 (34:15):
I'm surprised by it as well, because I thought that
Justin Fields, even though it's not always pretty and sometimes
he takes a step back and then a couple steps forward,
and you know, he still to me, feels like he's
able to play the style of football that Art Smith
wants to play. And it was interesting. I'm looking for

(34:36):
it right now. I'm scrolling on my laptop here. I'm looking.
There was some things that came out a couple weeks
ago and even last week in the building, not just
from comments that Art Smith made enthusiastic about coaching Justin Fields,
but also players talking about have they liked playing with him?
So there seems to be there's a subtext here that

(34:57):
I'm not quite understanding. I'm certainly not understand why this
is happening. Now, Ye're not alone.

Speaker 2 (35:04):
I must be missing something not understanding. It's so curious
to me.

Speaker 5 (35:08):
At first, I just thought it was kind of almost
like a bit that Tomlin was doing.

Speaker 1 (35:12):
I did too, to be honest. I thought, there's no
way he's going to make this move.

Speaker 5 (35:17):
The Steelers are foreign too with fields and fields has
I mean even the X factor of his legs. And
I know Russell Wilson is known for that as well,
but Justin Fields is different with it. And Mike Tomlin
was even asked about it, uh, and he said, like,
you know, if Wilson has the same capability to use
his legs as Fields and Tomlin said, no, Justin's legs

(35:38):
are the X factor and it remains to be seen
how the offense would change with Wilson. And then he said,
I think that's one of the cute things about this discussion.

Speaker 2 (35:47):
So I don't know, Mike Tomlin is just messing.

Speaker 1 (35:50):
With all of us or what well, Plus he had
that press conference after Ian had put that report out,
and then he did you know, Tomlin did not say
that Russell Wilson's the stuff, that they'll both, they'll look
at them both, and that he could use them.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
They will play both.

Speaker 1 (36:05):
I think they could use a package of Justin Fields
potentially in the red zone. Would not surprise me. It
would kind of make sense if both quarterbacks were on
board with that, and that would make this move less annoying,
But it would still be annoying to me.

Speaker 3 (36:19):
This is Brian Botko, who covers the team for PG
Sports Now. So if the Post Gazette out there in Pittsburgh,
I found the quote, so Steeleer. This is his verbatim
from his post on social media. Steelers OC Arthur Smith
says he's really enjoyed working with Justin Fields.

Speaker 4 (36:35):
Quote.

Speaker 3 (36:35):
There's no drama to him. He doesn't try to live
through his avatar or create a perception. That's probably why
he was so endearing to his teammates in Chicago. Extremely coachable,
extremely bright. Brian Botco goes on to say Arthur Smith
also praised Justin Fields when it comes to his work ethic.
Same thing as a play caller. You get in this business,
people start making excuses, rationalizing, put whatever they want on

(36:57):
social media or makes sure narratives get leaked out. He's
old school.

Speaker 2 (37:02):
Well, so was that first one just a veiled shot? Yes,
I am.

Speaker 3 (37:06):
I don't know, but I'm double checking, ma sure that
this account is real. I know, Brian, but like that
because when I saw that, that's a good one and
that was from October tenth.

Speaker 1 (37:15):
Yeah, and Justin Fields is coming off what I would
say is his worst game as a starter, So it's
it's funny. I did see some Steelers accounts on Sunday
saying I wonder if this performance might make Mike Tomlin
think about it, because Mike Tomlin seems like he's had
a loyalty to Russell Wilson that hasn't been earned by

(37:39):
playing experience with him, but more by their relationship. There's
been some reporting alluding to almost that when he met
with Russell Wilson, it was almost like a promise like
I'm going to give you a chance to restart your career,
and that they had a connection there on a personal
level and almost that Tomlin, I don't know if he
feels bad that just hasn't.

Speaker 4 (37:57):
Worked out for Russell Wilson. I'm not saying in his career.

Speaker 1 (37:59):
I mean that he got injured and he felt like
he almost owed it to Russell Wilson to give him
a chance. Because a lot of the Beat reporters, not
the national guys, were saying all along that this was
going to happen, and they've been proven right.

Speaker 2 (38:13):
I don't know. I don't get it. I don't understand it.

Speaker 5 (38:15):
I mean, maybe we will get the answer, yeah, and
Russell Wilson will look great in this offense, and then
we'll understand what Tomlin has been talking about this whole time.

Speaker 4 (38:24):
But I just.

Speaker 2 (38:25):
Don't know why we're doing it here now.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
It is very surprising. We wrap up the news just
telling you where we will all hopefully be in twenty
twenty eight, which is Atlanta at the Super Bowl, Atlanta
hosting Super Bowl sixty two. Now I think I can
read Roman numerals sixty two. We're going back to Atlanta hopefully. Again,

(38:49):
no one knows if we're going to be on this
earth by that point of course, Like as Kyle Shanahan
likes to say, or more, how I was thinking, if
we're going to still have the opportunity. You can't take
these things for granted. But I hope to be there Atlanta.
The first time round was fun.

Speaker 2 (39:04):
I loved it.

Speaker 8 (39:05):
I liked it.

Speaker 5 (39:05):
The music scene is great. It was a great stadium
to be in. But I mean, we don't even know
if we'll be here tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (39:11):
Greg, that is absolutely right, which is a reminder why
we should go to break so we can make sure
we get this stuff that will change.

Speaker 4 (39:18):
Segment is swaffle House thang in a second, Oh Waffles,
that'll be there, that never goes.

Speaker 1 (39:24):
Away back on NFL daily. And in the time that
we went on break, we all survived.

Speaker 3 (39:41):
We're still hereted.

Speaker 1 (39:43):
But unfortunately Marcus Valdez Scantley's employment with the Buffalo Bills
did not survive, so that the news which would have
been part of that whole Bills conversation, that we learned
a free agent pickup that did.

Speaker 4 (39:53):
Not work out.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
Things that will change.

Speaker 4 (39:55):
Yes, for the Bills.

Speaker 3 (39:56):
Market still was right. The Bills roster still did change.

Speaker 1 (39:59):
From you were so right, you were you were presciate.
Were you annoyed actually that they stepped on you? Looking
very smart because if we had done this show yesterday
that the Bill's roster would change and Amari Cooper was
traded the day after to the Bills.

Speaker 4 (40:13):
That's a win. As a podcaster, that's a win.

Speaker 3 (40:15):
I am not you, Greg, but I think you're projecting
just yi.

Speaker 4 (40:21):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
I don't know what's going on with you guys.

Speaker 4 (40:25):
That was the news. There a little bit of a
other housekeeping. Tom Brady's officially a limited partner of the
Oh good for him, we expected that.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
And Richard finally a win for Tom Brady.

Speaker 1 (40:35):
Tom Brady owns five percent of the team, Richard Seymour
owns point five percent of the team, and then one
of Brady's business partners owns another five percent, so that
actually adds up to a lot ten and a half percent.
That's not that's not nothing. That's not like when they
gave Serena and Venus Williams like pointo one percent of
the Dolphins along with Gloria Estefan.

Speaker 4 (40:56):
I don't know if that is still a thing.

Speaker 1 (40:58):
That if you go to the Dolphins WinSite and you
looked at the owner web page, it always had a
picture of Gloria Estefan.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
I always thought it was as a Estefan or a.

Speaker 3 (41:09):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (41:10):
I always thought it was estefan.

Speaker 1 (41:11):
I mean, I'm I don't know. I'm not the person
to ask about correct pronunciations. Let's talk about stuff that
will change. Okay, it was in my head because we
just get to this point in the season. We think
we know something about the NFL, and I just look
at the NFL as a seasonal sport where November is
going to be totally different than October.

Speaker 4 (41:30):
December is going to be totally different.

Speaker 1 (41:31):
You want to be peaking at the right time, but
some of the things that we believe to be true
now will no longer be true as we get further
into the season.

Speaker 4 (41:39):
What is something that will change? Colleen Wolf, the.

Speaker 5 (41:42):
Bear's hype, the Bears, y will will It's at a
boil right now. It's going to come down to a simmer.
The Caleb Williams hysteria that's probably never going to subside.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
Because I was.

Speaker 1 (41:58):
Going to make the second one. I'm not buying it,
like stuff that has hypened. But I didn't want everyone
to have to go negative all the time. But then
you just came hard negative.

Speaker 4 (42:05):
Well I just like that.

Speaker 5 (42:06):
No, no, no, okay, it's not negative in I have a
reason for this, because.

Speaker 4 (42:11):
I say, you don't like hype them are.

Speaker 5 (42:13):
No, no, because of their remaining schedule. They still have
to play all of their division games. They have to
play the Vikings twice, who are first in defensive DVA.
They have to play the Lions twice, who are fourth
in defensive DVA, the Niners who are fifth in defensive DVOA,
obviously the Packers, They have the Commanders, the Seahawks, and
then like the Patriots and Cardinals. But this schedule is

(42:34):
an absolute gauntlet the NFC North in general. It's the
first division since the merger to have every team with
at least four wins through Week six.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
It's a killer.

Speaker 5 (42:44):
So yes, I think that Caleb Williams deserves all all
of the accolades and all of the love that he's
getting right now because he played a great game and
he threw some absolutely beautiful balls and placed them where
only he could for his receivers to get them and score,
especially that one to Keenan Allen the second touchdown. Maybe

(43:06):
that was his best pass of the entire season. But
the hype is going to diminish a bit because the
schedule's really, really difficult.

Speaker 4 (43:14):
Okay, so it's just more about the schedule.

Speaker 1 (43:16):
I think that's true of this, so we can kind
of combine ours, because yeah, mine was the NFC North
in general being this good. And part of the reason
that they have the top four teams in terms of
point differential for the first time ever through six weeks
is they haven't played each other at all. So that's
just like a quirk in the schedule. But you're right,
other than the Vikings, who have somehow gone undefeated despite

(43:36):
playing like a brutally different.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
I mean, Donald didn't really look that great.

Speaker 7 (43:41):
No, No, I mean it is funny part back Island.
We're gonna have to have another country, right. It is
funny that they have the number one defense in all stats.
They have the number one like running game in a
lot of difference stats like their passing games like solid
and Sam Darnold still gets all the credit.

Speaker 2 (43:55):
But I can't wait until they go to the Bowl.
We're like, I still am not buying the Vikings loved.

Speaker 3 (44:01):
I have loved how a steady and consistent Brian Flores's
defense has looked. I think that defense, unlike probably some
like for example, the Bears defense, gives me a little
bit of pause when you talk about being built to
play when it gets way colder, when teams are running
them all more when they're running heavier against you. But
I think that Brian Flores and that defense has showed
even though we are we talk so much about the

(44:23):
crazy pressures and those types of things. I think that
he is malleable enough and flexible enough. And Jeff Hafley's
defense is starting to look pretty good as well.

Speaker 4 (44:31):
Yeah, so that was actually part of my.

Speaker 1 (44:34):
Reasoning that the NFC North can't stay this good this long,
is that they have seventeen turnovers this year. They forced
seventeen turnovers, and that was an idea that they talked
about in the offseason, So maybe you can really coach
up turnovers, but that feels unsustainable. They actually have some
pretty big holes, I would say in their defense. Their
pass rus really hasn't worked. They're starting to play more
rookies on their defense, and I think that could help

(44:56):
them long term. But secondary line dogger. I think they
have holes on every level, but it's been covered up
by just this crazy turnover rate. And so that's part
of the NFC North equation. The schedule was a big
part of it. Though, So the Bears have had the
thirty first the second easiest scheduled league so far, and
they go to the hardest schedule in the league moving forward.

Speaker 5 (45:15):
That's kind of great though for k Lys to kind
of ease him in because it is unfair to him.
It's not like he can control all of the attention
that he's getting, and he needs time to grow and develop.

Speaker 4 (45:24):
No, and he's going to be the next three weeks.

Speaker 1 (45:26):
They have the Commanders, which you know for an offense,
is not a hard matchup, and then the Patriots and
the Cardinals, so two like three of the worst defenses
in the league in a row, so they could really
keep getting fat and then it gets brutal. But they're
not the only team where it's similar to that. The
Lions have had the twentieth schedule in the league, like
you know, easy, they're gonna have the second hardest moving forward.

(45:47):
The Packers have been right in the middle of the
pack so far, the third hardest moving forward. Now part
of that is just like everyone's got to play the Vikings,
and the Vikings are alowede. I think the Lions can
withstand and hold up. I think the Packers need to
keep getting better, and they are a team that you
would believe will but I do think their defense might
be a little unsustainable and it's hard. How can four

(46:07):
Can we really have four good teams in the same division?
Maybe we can maybe have four teams over five hundred.
It's pretty excited.

Speaker 2 (46:12):
Lions are the best team in the NFC.

Speaker 5 (46:15):
And then I mean when they the Packers, as long
as they have a healthy Jordan Love, they're going to
be relevant. And obviously Sam Darnold and those Vikings are
five and zero.

Speaker 1 (46:26):
Yeah, this is such a good division. It's more. Yeah,
A big part of it is just they're gonna have
to start facing each other. And they lucked out in
the scheduling just what divisions they had to play. We
thought the AFC South is going to be improved this
year and it's it's not. And so that's really helped
them as an out of division schedule. What do you
got next, Jordan, You give me something that'll change.

Speaker 3 (46:46):
One thing that I think will change is Jerry Jones's
general demeanor and vibe with a certain Dallas radio station,
his regular one oh five three the Fan, So he
does this regularly all throughout the season and offseason. That
interview got extremely heated, and we do have the audio
of that.

Speaker 8 (47:03):
Your job and to let me go over all the
reasons that I did something and I'm sorry that I
did it. That's not your job. Well, my job is
to ask one job, or I'll get another. I'll get
somebody else to ask these questions.

Speaker 5 (47:16):
Man, Arry Jones will fire you even if he doesn't
work for the company.

Speaker 2 (47:21):
Does he own the company?

Speaker 1 (47:22):
Well, your partners, if you're if they're your radio partner.
It's kind of like does NBC work for the NFL.
Not exactly, but you know, there's it's a symbiotic relationship
where they have influenced certainly on who's you know, hired
and who is Yeah.

Speaker 3 (47:38):
And let's not forget how open and amenable he is
generally to doing any interview anything.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
He loves the spotlightk Yeah.

Speaker 3 (47:47):
And even at league meetings today, a couple of the
national reporters who were there, we're talking about how he
walked in way later than he normally does and then
politely declined to speak with media because he was going
to be late for the meeting, even though he's always
early and he always holds court for you know, even
at times multiple hours. It's it's tough. He's going through

(48:08):
it right now. It's not just that it was the
lost to the Lions that we were just talking about
on his eighty second birthday. It's not that they got
blown out. It's that they lost to a team that
has no issues shape shifting into a variety of different forms,
who are essentially like comfortable just playing with their food
at the end of the game as he sat there
and watched. And it's also that the Cowboys feel like

(48:28):
they're helmed by coaches and have structured their team who
feel like the foundation and future. That the lines are
helmed by coaches who feel like the foundation and future
of a franchise, while the Cowboys sort of feel like
lame ducks from a bygone era and they're struggling, the
best players injured. The game's iced by your quarterback. You're
asking to do everything at the line of scrimmage. You're

(48:49):
still making throw blind into the sun because you can't
put a curtain over the ceilings. It is, it is.
It's a lot of things that are there's that are making.

Speaker 4 (48:58):
People there the side of the stadium.

Speaker 3 (49:01):
No, No, that's an option. There is one that exists
that can be burts there.

Speaker 2 (49:07):
Very good.

Speaker 3 (49:07):
But I'm just saying there's a reason for him feeling
like this right now, for bristling when people I think
are fairly and rightfully questioning him for all of the
either decisions they did make or the decisions they didn't make,
including the lame duck situation that it feels like in
so many areas of this franchise, inclusive to the coaching staff.

Speaker 2 (49:26):
I would be angry too.

Speaker 5 (49:27):
If my team couldn't run the ball, couldn't stop the run,
I had no home field advantage, when before that was
the main thing. There's no real identity. There's so many injuries.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
At every week. They're always like, we just got to
practice better. Our practices haven't been great, and like mccarthiel
say that too, and ooh and like those are your practices, bro?
There are Their offensive line, though, is the beginning of
It's why I don't think they have a very like
even if everything went right the rest of the year, Zimmer,
I think their defense begin things that could change. Like
if you told me that their defense is average or

(50:01):
better in December, I wouldn't be shocked.

Speaker 3 (50:03):
Yeah, they're missing so many.

Speaker 1 (50:05):
They're missing so many people, and it's a new system,
and it's a coaching stat a coach that hasn't been
in the league for a minute his system. I could
see that that there's a room for improvement. I think
the offensive line might be cooked. Zach Martin is a
is a problem for them right now. He's a future
Hall of Famer coming off the worst game I think
of his career. Some people are wondering if he's fully healthy.
But whatever it is, they've probably got four week spots

(50:27):
right now on an offensive line that used to be
what they were all about, and now they've got Tyler Smith.
He's a really good player, and four problem areas and
that's something I don't know if there's a solution.

Speaker 3 (50:39):
Don't you think the optics of this though? Are what
I was texting you a little bit about this over
the weekend with in reference to another another coach is
like in another building, It's like, don't you think the
optics here? This is you lose to this team, not
just that you're that you lose lose, but you lose
to this team that they are doing whatever they want
to do against you from a variety of different and ideas.

(51:02):
And then there's all these cuts to the sideline of
this young, younger, energetic and galvanizing head coach who clearly
has his entire team just like a good call everything
or not, and then cuts to the the hot shot
offensive coordinator on the side of the screen who's basically
like one of my plays off this play card and

(51:24):
try to just get a touchdown to an offensive lineman
and literally play with this food. And there's camera shots
to this guy who is the future of this league
on the sideline, and you're sitting there in your box
looking freaking miserable, like I think the optics have to
be bothering him.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
What a terrible birthday.

Speaker 1 (51:41):
Yeah, I agree with that that it was the most
embarrassing loss you could have. I mean, I don't think
it helps if we're going that far that a long
time Dallas Cowboys captain is coaching the Lions. Not only that,
but he was the protege of the guy that you
supposedly have been pining over forever, Sean Payton, and you
miss me.

Speaker 3 (52:00):
Yes, there's a layers anyway, that's the reason for the town.

Speaker 1 (52:03):
Okay, I love that. All right, let's go around one
more time quickly. Stuff that will.

Speaker 5 (52:09):
Okay, change the Bengals will rise from the dead like that.
They are sub five hundred right now. But they are
just too good. Joe Burrow's too good. They're eighth in
offensive DVOA. I mean, the offense is tenth and scoring
twelve and yards per game, and that's doing it without
t Higgins for every single game.

Speaker 2 (52:26):
I mean, maybe the defense, maybe this was a turning point.

Speaker 5 (52:29):
I know that they were playing the Giants, but maybe
this is just good for an ego boost at this point.

Speaker 2 (52:35):
Even marginally better.

Speaker 5 (52:36):
For the Bengals defense would be an improvement. And their
schedule they have some softballs coming up. I mean, they
have the Raiders, they have the Browns twice, the Titans,
who are a good defense though, the Cowboys, the Eagles,
which we just don't know what those.

Speaker 4 (52:51):
Teams are now look like food.

Speaker 2 (52:54):
It's so weird.

Speaker 5 (52:56):
So you know, if the Steelers start messing around with
Russell Wilson and then losing games, then the Bengals could
probably chase them at the end of the season.

Speaker 8 (53:04):
Love.

Speaker 1 (53:04):
That makes total sense to me. The Westling brothers and
I were texting over the weekend. Everyone is getting more
optimistic about the Bengals already.

Speaker 4 (53:14):
I think it's gonna happen.

Speaker 1 (53:15):
I'm gonna find a glimmer of hope here in what
Justin Herbert did over the weekend to the Broncos and
say Justin Herbert is not going to be playing conservative
ball for the rest of the year. That the real
Justin Herbert is gonna come out. He's going to be
allowed to come out from Jim Harbaugh. What a celebration

(53:36):
in this game. Yes, he's just like a beautiful little butterfly.
He's ready to come out of his cocoon.

Speaker 4 (53:42):
Ooh. I like that.

Speaker 1 (53:43):
He could be a candidate in a couple of weeks.
So they've had him under lock and key part of
it is the mindset of how they want to play offense.
But I think the bigger part of it is he
was just so injured that bye week was really important
for him.

Speaker 4 (53:56):
And I think it really showed up on film.

Speaker 1 (53:59):
This last week not only that he was a different player,
but that they treated him like a different player. So
more dropbacks, more yards, more plays outside the pocket, more
planting his feet and going down the field, more mid
range throws, more deep throws.

Speaker 4 (54:14):
It just looked like Justin Herbert again.

Speaker 1 (54:15):
So I think people maybe attributed so much of the
beginning of the year to all the Chargers are just
going to play this really boring style.

Speaker 4 (54:23):
That was part of it.

Speaker 1 (54:24):
But I think it was just he was so banged
up and now we're going to see the real Justine
for him.

Speaker 2 (54:29):
But I really love it for you, Greg, Yes, I
didn't need much.

Speaker 3 (54:32):
It's bringing you back to life after your travels. I
think it's lovely.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
It's re animating Greg, all right, wrap us up.

Speaker 4 (54:39):
Jordan, yeah quickly.

Speaker 3 (54:40):
I do think so. I don't want to undermine or
under sell like how brutal this aiden Hutchinson losses. First
of all, horrific to watch, hate it for that young man,
for the entire team, for the organization, for his long
journey ahead. But actually, after they sort of emotionally recover
from this situation, I still think this defense will ultimately

(55:03):
keep ascending. And so the initial panic that everyone's feeling
right now because of the severity of that situation, and
of course you're losing the top pass rusher in the
league right now, but after that subsides. I think that
then you'll start to feel some hope and optimism about
this defense, because every single week they're growing. I think
they have the ability on the interior of their defensive

(55:24):
line to sort of change around the identity one of
their guys. A couple of their players actually have some
position flex where you could pop them out a little
bit wider. And they're also getting good pressure. They are,
you know, seventeen and sixteen pressures between on Uzourique and
Alim McNeil and respectively, which is eleventh and fourteenth amongth
interior defensive line. And you can actually manufacture a little

(55:46):
bit more pressure coming from that area. And as you
see this secondary start to come to life, start to
settle in, I think Brian Branch in an age right
now that we're in that is becoming truly golden for
safety play where these safeties can do everything. They are
letting Brian Branch do everything, and he is showing up.
I really have faith in Aaron Glenn as a defensive coordinator,

(56:09):
and I think he'll keep this group on track and
ascending into what is gonna is about to be a
very difficult backstretch for the entire NFC North.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
It's a good call because he's very creative at making
up for what they're missing. And yeah, I don't want
to hear that they're under talented because they've poured a
lot of resources, a lot of draft picks, a lot
of money into that defense. Such a good job, right,
and so they can scheme around it. I also think
they might add someone, you know, the next couple.

Speaker 3 (56:36):
Yeah, I could so well they did. They picked something
fun pass Rusher, Yeah, they picked.

Speaker 4 (56:40):
I think that would make a lot of sense.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
No, yeah, I do think so as well. And they
also picked up I'm gonna have to go back and
look at it. They're they're scouring practice squads for depth
for rotational outside linebackers.

Speaker 1 (56:48):
So maybe like a bigger name like a Reddick, they
would make sense for I did look for some potential
trade cans. We might do a whole show on this
later in the month, but just for now.

Speaker 3 (56:56):
Just do it now, I see, Yeah, what time are
we at?

Speaker 1 (57:00):
I think is Jeffrey Simmons ever going to be available?
Harold Landry, Jadevian Clowney, Chase Young maybe from the Saints
if they bought him out. That The trick is, you
got to find a team that's bottom. Now, Zadaria Smith
I think would make a lot of sense from the
Brown So just someone. I think the Lions will probably
add someone at some point. All Right, we're gonna take
one quick break and then we will wrap up talking

(57:21):
T NF. All Right, it's the time of the show
for our T and F preview presented by Amazon Prime Video.

(57:42):
I was so excited about Broncos Saints a few weeks ago.
I'm still really excited, but in a different way. Unfortunately,
it's a little ghoulish. It's it's just wondering what could
happen if the Saints don't win this Gameronco's coming in
after a humbling performance of their own where they were

(58:03):
down twenty three to nothing. They made it look a
little better at the end against the Chargers, but that
was a little bit of a comeback to earth game
for them after a week in Denver where I was
following a lot of these Broncos beat writers and they're like,
here's why the Broncos are going to make the playoffs
out I was thinking, oh, hold on, then again, Colleen,
they could very easily be four and three after this
week because they are playing a Saints team that has

(58:25):
injuries just everywhere, not just three offensive linemen, not just
Chris o'lovey, which I mentioned on the Monday night recap
show with Nick Schook. Rashid Shad is very possibly missing
this game with a knee injury. So we're talking about
Spencer Rattler throwing to bub Means and Cedric Wilson as

(58:46):
his top wideouts against a great defense.

Speaker 3 (58:51):
Which combination. Yeah, Spencer Ratler to Bob me Yeah, I
love that.

Speaker 4 (58:55):
And it kind of worked on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (58:57):
Actually there was bub Means his first real action as
a and it was one of those things where those
two guys are throwing to each other a lot in
training camp as like the third stringers, and now they're
starting and Rattler overall looked good in the first Interesting, Now,
this is a Broncos defense that will probably not have
Patrick certain who also suffered a concussion on Sunday, so
that's unfortunate. But they're gonna throw a lot of blitzes

(59:19):
at a bad Saints offensive line in a rookie quarterback.

Speaker 4 (59:22):
That's a tough recipe for the Saints.

Speaker 2 (59:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (59:24):
I was just looking at the fact that you have
two rookie quarterbacks starting, and then two key players in
concussion protocol, one on each team in Certain and Chris Alave.
The Broncos offense has been tough to watch. They are
really struggling, almost shut out at home. But Bonick's intercepted

(59:45):
on his first attempt in that game just really set
the tone for the rest of the day.

Speaker 3 (59:50):
They nixed the play really truly.

Speaker 5 (59:52):
Now they have no run game, no pop whatsoever. So
it's either going to be a really good day for
the Saints defen who just gave up fifty one points
minus the one fumble return to the Bucks, or a
really bad day for the Saints at home in a
game that Sean Sean Payton Invitational.

Speaker 2 (01:00:15):
So it's it's gonna be tough.

Speaker 4 (01:00:17):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (01:00:18):
I don't know if obviously on a short week with
concussion protocol, I don't think that these guys will be
available for the game.

Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
I wouldn't expect them to be.

Speaker 8 (01:00:26):
No.

Speaker 3 (01:00:26):
And yeah, Sean Payton, you know, and meeting New Orleans again,
and he said earlier this week, you know, he's not
expecting warm fuzzies, and but to be put you know,
in the sense that he's expecting the Saints fan base
to rise to the occasion like they so often do.
And it's it's interesting because this could be a chaos
game in oh. I love a game just great, sloppy

(01:00:50):
but interesting ways. I mean, you're gonna see two young
quarterbacks I think, really work through some stuff in real time.

Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
Right now.

Speaker 3 (01:00:57):
Spencer Ratler is dealing with an offensive line and particularly
a center combination. They've had four different lineman play at
least fifty snaps at center this season, which is the
most of the NFL. In the NFL, they're rolling him
out a lot where actually he's throwing the ball pretty
well on these designed rollouts in order to sort of
mitigate some of the extra pressure that he's seeing. Which

(01:01:19):
you know that the Broncos, even minus Pat certain locking
down so much area of the field, so you are
able to send all these extra players and was playing
at a defensive player of the Year candidcy candidacy profile
to me, even without him, I think they're going to
try to get after Spencer Ratler as much as they can.
On the other side, I think the Saints are going

(01:01:40):
to have to try to manufacture some stuff against Bonix
as well. And the Saints defense is especially if Bonix
goes on the move, they're kind of missing tackles in
sketchy big spots right now.

Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
Their linebackers were terrible. That was a humbling loss for
Dennis Allen and the Saints. Yeah, he's supposed to be
a defense He is a defensive coach. He's been building
this up. This was the whole vision of keeping Dennis Allen,
who was the coordinator under Sean Payton for such a
long time. At the end of Peyton's run, the vision was,
we're going to keep this side of the ball as

(01:02:13):
our steadying force and we'll figure it out.

Speaker 4 (01:02:16):
On offense, they obviously haven't.

Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
That's why they hired Clint Kubiak this offseason to run
the offense. But now you're seeing some real decay on
their defense. The secondary's very talented Marshawn Latimore is having
a fantastic year. Overall, the secondary hasn't been their issue,
but their linebacker play to Mario Davis is one of
their best players. But it's almost like it got contagious.

(01:02:38):
All their linebackers aren't making tackles. Cameron Jordan isn't as
involved as he used to be in terms of playing
and yeah, I mean this Bronco's The offensive line for
the most part has been good this year, and if
Dennis Allen gets embarrassed by like a rookie quarterback at
home Sean Payton. It's an interesting organization in that I

(01:02:59):
think Mickey Loomis has more power than just about any
non owner in the NFL. Now that Pete Carroll and
Bill Belichick are out of the league, I think something
really drastic and dramatic would have to happen for him
to really get the attention of his boss ownership.

Speaker 4 (01:03:19):
Losing to Sean Payton and I'll do it.

Speaker 1 (01:03:22):
Yeah, losing to Sean Payton, and I don't think it
would be something where it would ever be in the
middle of the season. That just doesn't strike me as
something the Saints would do, But it would be maybe
the start of something of like, wow, this is not
going well because frankly, I think they have the more
talented rookie quarterback. I'm taking Spencer Radler long term over
bow Nicks.

Speaker 4 (01:03:39):
Come at me.

Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
Are you taking the Saints this week?

Speaker 1 (01:03:43):
I think I will. I haven't thought about that yet.
I guess we should part of this well. My official
picks come on on game.

Speaker 4 (01:03:51):
Debut later in the week.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
By the way, ripped off a perfect record last week
while I was over in No.

Speaker 4 (01:03:58):
Fourteen and oh, let's go, let's go.

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Good job.

Speaker 1 (01:04:02):
It was kind of a chalky week where some of
a favorites rained. I'm still Cynthia still beating me, you know, overall,
but good week.

Speaker 4 (01:04:10):
I think I would take them, just because I want
to root for it.

Speaker 1 (01:04:12):
We're having the guys from the Saints Block Party podcast
on live on YouTube after this game book that months ago,
you know, thinking this is the game to have them.
It's going to be crazy and I think it will
be fun. So it's either going to be like a
funeral for the Saints team because I think they become
sellers at the trade deadline if they go to two
and five here, But if they win their three and

(01:04:34):
four and the division's not amazing, at least you're like
still in the mix and you could hope that you
get some players back healthy and get better as the
course of the season goes on.

Speaker 3 (01:04:43):
I am going to pick the Broncos here. I am
really looking forward to that live recap because win or lose.
First of all, those guys have predicted so much of
what's actually happened this season for the Saints. But also
I loved when you had them on earlier because they
just are so plugged into their team and they're also hilarious,

(01:05:04):
and even if it's a chaos game like I'm personally
hoping for, I can't wait to hear their thoughts about
that and what the future of this team is looking
moving forward. But yeah, I'm going to pick the Broncos
in this. I think that Sean Payton, it's like, you know,
just enough juice, you know, the old cyclist, you know
who's in the Tour de France or whatever, and like

(01:05:25):
you got just enough juice to do the one giant mountain,
you know, and then you're then you're out.

Speaker 1 (01:05:32):
Like illegal substances that you're injecting into your body through
like a complicated formula and whatnot.

Speaker 4 (01:05:39):
Or no, that's not what you're talking about.

Speaker 3 (01:05:41):
I don't mean that.

Speaker 4 (01:05:42):
No, I mean you say juice and you say cycling.

Speaker 2 (01:05:45):
That's what I think I'm taking the Saints.

Speaker 4 (01:05:47):
Okay, oh look at that.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
Yeah, that was what the face was for.

Speaker 4 (01:05:50):
Greg.

Speaker 3 (01:05:51):
I was not figuring out why you're making that face
of me, And now I understand, got it.

Speaker 1 (01:05:54):
Saints and Broncos on Thursday night, I'm wondering, like, what
is the points in this game. The Broncos are favored
by two points on the road. I thought it might
be by more.

Speaker 4 (01:06:05):
Yeah, but when you can't really throw the ball too
well and.

Speaker 2 (01:06:08):
Your defense can't get off the field, I think.

Speaker 1 (01:06:11):
They will on Sunday, I mean on Thursday night rather
they have a good defensive line. My heart is saying Saints,
my head is saying Broncos. It's more important to lead
with your heart, so I'll stick with them. That was
this week's TNF preview, presented by Prime Video. Be sure
to watch the Denver Broncos take on the New Orleans
Saints this Thursday on Prime Video. Thanks for watching NFL Daily.

(01:06:32):
Thank you guys to forgiving me that juice today.

Speaker 3 (01:06:35):
Oh you're welcome.

Speaker 4 (01:06:36):
Not cycling, not the nothing illegal about it.

Speaker 1 (01:06:39):
We will be back on Thursday with our preview show
special guests this week. Stete Weis is still over in London,
so joining Patrick Clayban and I will be none other
than Brian Baldinger's on the show.

Speaker 2 (01:06:55):
That's great. That's gonna be so good.

Speaker 1 (01:06:56):
When you're talking about a tennis Allen team collapsing, you
know football was backh