Top 7 NFC Contenders' Kryptonite with Ollie Connolly

Gregg Rosenthal and Ollie Connolly give you one thing that could get in the way of seven NFC teams that could make a run to the Super Bowl. Gregg and Ollie talk about the Rams (02:15), Eagles (07:50), Bears (14:10), Lions (16:10), Seahawks (24:55), Buccaneers (30:20), Packers (35:00), and 49ers (39:20). Gregg and Ollie finish up the show by putting a bow on the NFL's International Series (40:25).

Note: time codes approximate.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's a tough sports not for everybody. You gotta be
a little sick to love this game. And we got
some Welcome to NFL Daily where yes we're just a
bunch of sickos. I'm Greg Rosenthal and for the first
time breaking boundaries here on NFL Daily as a member
of the NFL Daily family, I want to welcome in

(00:21):
Ali Connolly. Ali, I've been trying to hire you on
this show for like a year and a half and
we actually did it. We're going to have you every
Saturday on the show, and yes it's a show just.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
For ciccos we did it. Look at us, who'd have thought.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
You're kind of joining us? You know, we're we're like
a winning organization. We have a lot of good players.
We can create open receivers. But we're putting you in
a spot that we think is gonna work. But it's
a lot of pressure on you. It's a lot like
the JJ McCarthy situation in Minnesota.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Oh, that's brutal to throw me in with JJ. I
hoping maybe like a Brandon Graham, like you bring a
guy and can you bring the last drops out of
someone for championship run.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Yeah, that's a better comp and you know, maybe JJ
can turn around. We saw the Minnesota Vikings in person
Ali and I. If you're not familiar with Ali's work,
you know he's done some great work at The Guardian.
Obviously you should check out his sub stack where you
can catch him in John Ledyard podcasting and in also

(01:30):
Ali writing. But we wanted to get you in Ali
in the door. At least for now. We're going to
be doing Saturdays and kind of taking like a step back,
like a look at the league overall, and just taking
some big picture thoughts. And it's a way for me
to just like wind you up and start the take machine.
So we decided today we're gonna talk a little bit
about the International Series at the back end and just

(01:52):
our impressions from it and yours covering some of the
games for Talk Sport. But we're gonna start by looking
at the content in the NFC. I can't remember a
conference that's this good but this deep at the top,
and kind of picking through what we think might be
the one thing that gets in the way the biggest
problem for each of the NFC contenders. And I'll have

(02:13):
you get us going with the Los Angeles Rams, right
now the number two seed. Losing that tiebreaker with the Eagles.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
The Rams one is hard. I think the special team
situation is obvious, but I do think hiding under the
hood and the Seahawks expose this slightly is against the
best of the best competition. I'm not sure the interior
the offensive line is up to snuff and has the
potential to kind of submarine everything else that's going on.
They are such a complete team. They've played well above
the expectation. I think that interior. But when you go

(02:43):
good on good and we saw what I thought of
fel played out like an NFC title game preview with
how good those two teams are, that it's not quite
on the level that they need it to be.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Okay, so you're not buying like a Steve Avula resurgence
because that's a former NFL Daily guest. I feel like
he's kind of been mowing down people to my untrained
eye the last few weeks.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
I love Steve Avila. I think he could be the
best center in the NFL if they moved him there.
They choose not to. They still play him out left guard.
I think he's incredibly explosive, But when you get them
all isolated one on one. They got real issues I
think in past per in term to speed off the ball,
and it limits some of the flexibility of what McVeigh
wants to do. I know Jordan's being out here talking
about the thirteen personnel stuff when they face the team's like,

(03:24):
we do not respect that in the slightest. So you
just take that off the table. We both have Imma
Wori and we don't respect it. Just conceptually and structurally
as a defense, what is their pivot point to try
and play more spread out to return to all class
at McVeigh bill. It puts those guys in more one
on one situations and they lose pretty quickly.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
See I'm glad you brought that up because it was
a point I meant to make on our previous show
this week because Jordan's beloved thirteen personnel. When they have
the three tight ends on the field and they go
heavy in that Seahawks game, if you look at the numbers,
you know they average under three yards per play out
of that personnel. The Seahawks were more than prepared for it.
They played fine, They played well when they were kind

(04:02):
of back to their regular McVeigh ball which is you know,
the thirteen I mean rather the three wide receivers on
the field. Like, what is it you think structurally that
the Seahawks did in that game to cause them problems?
Because the win was great and it was just a
great football game, but the win overshadowed the struggles that
the Rams ultimately had at home that they needed those

(04:25):
four interceptions from Darnold to kind of cover up that
the offense wasn't moving the ball enough.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, I think the downfall for Seattle is just so
dominant and deep as well, and they have so many
different skills and styles of plays. They can just roll
through to the deep and then whatever kind of ants
they need on the chess blow, they're going to throw
a different body out there, and then it's Dexilauren's next
Lenard Williams and they throw someone else in there. So
they just can create matchup night Mez for you. And
then on the back end, because of the monoory, they

(04:51):
can just get to different shells in a way most
defenses on equipped to do from what is that base
personnel with the big nickel stuff, with the monmoory out there,
It was just really really hot for the Rams when
you look even on the opening drive of the game,
when they're in the thirteen stuff and they try to
take a deep shot to DeVante Adams, you could see
almost the fu from McDonald on the sideline where it's
two guys out in the pattern, it's Davante Adams down

(05:12):
the field, it's Karen Williams leaking out underneath as a checkdown,
and seven defenders in coverage. It is a pure we
don't respect this as a true way to get to
chunk play action shots, which is how the Rams have
been successful, which is we put the big bodies on
the field, you match it up, we take our shots
from there. So if that's off the table and they
have to play more from the guns spread ball, which
they just have not been all season, they've really pivoted

(05:34):
the entire offense. I do wonder about that offensive line
holding against true speed when you might have to go
through the books in a wild card game, you might
have to go through the Eagles with Jalen cart when
everyone inside, and then maybe face the Seahawks again.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, that's it's kind of going to be a trend
here because I have the Lions and the Eagles coming up,
and the Bucks, and there are all some offenses that struggle,
and you think about how the NFC is built and
strong right now, and you're thinking of you could have
a gauntlet of defensive matchups. The Rams would be included too.
If you're facing the Rams, that you might have to

(06:07):
play the Eagles, the Packers and the Rams or the
Seahawks like all in a row, which is a brutal matchup.
How do you think they've looked just running game wise,
on the interior of their offensive line?

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Running game wise, I would say fine. When they have
a premium look, when it's like all set up by
design and there's some kind of overload, those guys get
after it. They are big, they are physical, they're explosive,
and they pop people. When it's a non premium look,
and you are then reliant on do we have superstar talent?
You can see the issues and a lot of run throughs,
so guys just screaming through untouched, which is where you

(06:40):
get down to do we have a superstar or not?
Who can cover that up? For as I, it's not perfect.
So when it's the perfect patron the ants they always
have is Stafford gets into premium looks eighty percent at
the time, he'll just move the pieces around and check
the play. He doesn't like it. So they're often in
premium looks way more often than they are in the
negative ones. But I just don't see. I love a Vila,

(07:01):
and if they could move him around and do a
little bit more with him in space, I think that
could ownlook more potential for the group. But because of
some of the struggles he's had, I think they've just
kind of put him back into a box and they're
just trying to play team football. And it works okay,
particularly when they were in the center. My concern is
more so around when they get into the passing game.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
See, this is just like inject it straight into my veins.
This is why I've gotten cold turkey off the Read
Optional podcast over last month. I was hoping this day
would happen, that we would get it done. Thank you
to iHeart in the NFL, and I thought, you know,
I want the Ali takes to be as fresh and
just just mainline it when he comes to join the show,
and I don't want it infecting some of my thoughts.

(07:40):
I'm listening to these guys and they're really sharp on it,
so I recommend everyone go get a subscription check them
out here. But I'm really excited. We're going to have
it every Saturday. So the idea is we're going to
go through the different contenders, and with the Eagles, that's
what I'm up with next. I had this whole thing prepared,
trying to be cute because when you look at the
numbers that well, actually like this was their passing game

(08:03):
last year and they won the Super Bowl, that the
real falloff is in the running game and the amount
that Saquon Barkley's getting hit in the backfield and lack
of explosive plays and how low their success rate is running.
I had this whole thing planned and then I turned
it on. I'm like, let me watch this game again,
and it's just like I should pick the obvious answer.

(08:24):
It should be Jalen Hurts and whatever the hell is
happening here. I just can't believe we're at a point
where they're literally the number one seed in the NFC
and the top headline, which to me is telling of
what America is interested in on ESPN right now, is
Jalen Hurts not concerned with the criticism that's happening inside

(08:47):
his own building, And it was mystifying to watch that film,
particularly because it just seems like they're running this really
basic offense that they go back to, where they're asking
their guys to just win matchups. I'm not an x's
and O savant, but i know enough to know what
I see there, Like what do you see and what
do you think could possibly be the reason why the

(09:09):
Eagles have regressed so much and have been so basic,
which to me, you know, they have to get out
of at some point to possibly win the Super Bowl,
no matter how good the defense is.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
Yeah, I mean it's nauseating to watch. And it's funny
you say that. I was seeing a clip before of
like Jason Kelsey on local radio crying about like the
locker room and the impact in the locker room. It's
like they still could go on and go back to back,
like that's still in play. The defense is absolutely dominant,
but because of the struggles and the quarterback and aj
Brown and whatever is happening there, it's just overshadowing everything.
The main takeaway when you watch them is just it

(09:40):
seems completely misset up to the talent. They have to
not have any sense of like man beating concepts in
there where you open guys through play design is just
frankly bonkers. And I know people always come back and say, well,
every time they change the coordinator winds up back in
this spot. It's just the quarterbat and that's how he
wants to play. And that is true. But you could
at least try and find some answers and then you

(10:01):
can go and bury the quarterback with the wink and
the nod at the podium saying guys are open, they're
not throwing him the ball. Their response to man coverages,
we have better guys than they have. Our man beta
is everything vertigal to aj Brown, Davonta Smith. They will
just win one on one and it just puts them
in such a bind when they have no running game
to support it. They have the worst what three and
out rate in the NFL. The explosive play rate is

(10:22):
dried up. It's a disaster, and there's just no fluidity
or ability to sequence the offense when the wrong game
isn't there. And honestly, one of the main criticisms that
I have is everything they've tried to do to course
correct at mid season has made things worse. I know,
everyone is like me, obsessed and excited about Oh, the
extra lineman is a major trend around the NFL, and
how do you get to explosive plays from there? And

(10:44):
they've dabbled with some of that. People are very excited
when they started rolling that stuff out. That makes them worse.
It condenses everything. They are so much more effective when
it's really spread out. When you give Hurts as many
options as possible, He'll probably not always pick the right one,
but you're just putting more options on the plate. Even
the Lions game, the big third and eleven conversion came
on the little rap concept they have with the center

(11:05):
wrapping around a little fullfold thing. With Jalen Hurts carrying
the ball spread to run. He had a quarter by draw,
third and ten spread to run. And even the numbers
they're running game, they're one of the best five in
the NFL when it's a spread formation and they're running
is they bring more of these bodies in to try
and play bully ball and mash things and get the
run game going. Things have got worse.

Speaker 1 (11:25):
Yeah, they are the fourth worst team. So what is
that twenty ninth in the NFL? If you look at
EPA per play on just straight dropback situations. I believe
there was a couple of funny teams in front of them.
I think the Jets were in front of them and
the Titans. I was really shy, like in just straight

(11:45):
like you know, nothing going on, take away the RPO
stuff and everything, just like they can't do it, and
watching it, it's crazy because we have seen Jalen Hurts
play as very best football when it matters the moment,
and yet they throw off and revert to it. To
my eye, like the biggest problem I see is just

(12:06):
like it just takes him a while to get to
the right read. Tell me if you think that's wrong,
because I saw that a couple of times, and yeah,
the concepts are not helping him and aj Brown, you know,
in a big play doesn't get open against rock Ya
Sin last week like that, that's not helping Jalen Hurts either.
But there were a couple of times when I saw like, Okay,

(12:26):
I think a lot of quarterbacks would have gotten to
DeVante here or would have gotten to aj Brown here,
and they are open, and he's just not necessarily getting
to that secondary receiver fast enough.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
No, but I do think it comes down to coaching.
He's not a relentless rhythmic thrower. He never has been.
His best games in the Super Bowl went not relentless
rhythmic games. There was like all time put the capon,
I'm gonna make something happen. There was some rhythm throws.
He can do some of that stuff. Everything he does
that is like the A plus skill in the NFL
is throwing the ball down down the field, often to

(12:57):
a spat, you know, just throwing it to a lemmarck,
letting a guy go make a play. You can still
design stuff to spring guys open. You go watch the
Ben Johnson offense. It's a bums away offense, but it's
designs get guys open. It's not just two by two static.
We've got two studs to receive a we think they'll win,
and we'll just either throw a deep hinged to the
sideline or we'll make it vertical and we'll try and
throw over people's heads.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
Well, maybe the Cowboys defense can help solve it. But
I did have an image suddenly last night. It's like,
I don't know, maybe this is actually the one where
they slip up. Going to Dallas, a familiar opponent, the
defense is a little better, and obviously they're playing a
much better offense. I'm looking forward to that, but we're
not previewing the game here, and I do feel bad,
like for your first episode, Olie, we're going pretty hard negative,

(13:41):
like in terms of the thing that could get in
your way. Like Ali loves him some ball. He's not
a dour guy just because you know he's from Manchester
and over in the UK. You are breaking ground. By
the way I'm thinking about this, you're the first overseas
NFL daily correspondent, maybe the first NFL media overse correspondent ever.
I don't know. I can't think of can't think of

(14:03):
any but let's stay dour. Give me the reason this
one seems easier. Are we putting the Bears? By the way,
in the contenders? Do they count or no? They're the
three seats based on we're skipping them, right.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
I think the Bears based on standing we have to
the schedule is pretty brutal coming up, but could also
tell us that they could be in the thing. I mean,
the defense is playing like a wagon, you know.

Speaker 1 (14:27):
Okay, give me, give me the Bears, then give me
your Bears. Unless I'm surprising you.

Speaker 3 (14:32):
Right.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
No, No, the pass rushes is not championship worthy. They
are to win the whole thing. To win the whole dance,
you have to win with a downfall. It's just that simple.
And you can try and do it creativity and sims
and zone pressures and all the different things people have tried.
We're now in probably year five of simulating pressure in
different creative blitz packages, being like the full crim of
most defense in the NFL. We've yet to see someone

(14:55):
rip through three full playoff rounds just playing that way
that at some point, because the quarterbacks are so good,
the opposing offense is are so dominant, you're gonna have
to just get pressure with four and hope you can
hang it on the back end and then have you
a quote about make plays at least through one of
those rounds to win the whole thing. They just don't
have the downfall to compete at the highest level. The
twenty seventh in full man pressure rate, and it's all

(15:15):
really really slow. They have like the slowest time to
pressure of any team in the NFL that now blitzing
oh wakad level. Dennis Allen is just coming after it,
and it is so unbelievably ineffective that it's almost not
worth the investment at this point. But it's the only
card he has to play. So they just don't get
enough pressure for me. And I think that will show
up during this really difficult strutch.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
Yeah, they weren't before Odengbo went out for the season.
It was a big free agent pickup. Although he personally
wasn't getting like a ton of pressure, but he was
still better than what they have. Montes Sweat is there,
who's a solid player but maybe not playing at his
absolute peak and not a huge difference maker. Perhaps they
can get the quarterback to hold the ball a little

(15:55):
longer when they get some of their players back in
the secondary. Kyler Gordon and Jalen j should be back,
whether it's this week or sometime soon, that would help
because their schedule is getting much tougher. Yeah, that one
see seems like a clear one. I'm going to go
with the Lions next, okay, And mine is is their

(16:16):
offensive line special enough? And I think you could have
gone a line with a lot of these teams. And
I don't think you're a fan of past block win rate.
Do you have any or run block win rate? At all.
I think I've heard you talk about that. First of all,
why is that true? And do you think it has
a little more credence like as a team wide stat
in comparing it year over year?

Speaker 2 (16:37):
Possibly as a team wide stat. I think you'd have
to sit down with the people programming some of that
stuff to find out just a lot of it doesn't
match up with the iteest. And when Brendon Thorn, who
is probably the best individual analyst covering the old line
so off, he literally goes through in childs every single
pressure in SAG in the NFL, and he's charting very
rarely matches up to any of the metric systems. And

(16:58):
I know that he's going through every single play one
by one. I get a big queezy around some of
the numbers.

Speaker 1 (17:05):
That's fair And uh yeah, Ali for the listeners out
there getting to know him has a scouting background, what
exactly was the scouting background? It's always very mysterious and
confusing to me though I used.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
To work helping teams the year before the draft would happen,
So you got to find out, is there a guy
Yyel playing tight end who is draft eligil, who we
should bother sending a scout to go see you got
to go through all the schools in the country. Then
I spend time at Western Michigan when the Broncos went
twelve and oh one won the MAC. No big deals,
Oh yeah, but some good players out into the league.
Who was still there right now, Corey Davis top what

(17:39):
fifteen pick was on that team? Taylor Motesen still with
the Panthers.

Speaker 1 (17:43):
Good thing you were doing what like advanced scouting for them?
What were you doing?

Speaker 2 (17:47):
That was the pre nil era with very specific staff requirements.
I don't want to get anyone in any kind of
bother or trouble about this international staffing with the Western
Michigan Broncos. Jalen Moore was on that team, was now
well was for a while the left tackle protecting Patrick Mahomes.

Speaker 1 (18:02):
That was a quick go yeah, okay, don't we don't
want to get into any trouble. Ali was not a
bag man though, just to be clear. So the Lions,
that was a long way of getting around to okay.
In terms of past block win rate run block win
rate like they're they're not in the top twenty this season,
and it's down pretty significantly from where they were last year,
and then it was the idea coming into the season,

(18:25):
will this be the problem? And when I'm watching them
on a week to week basis, like we know that
Jared Goff is better compared to you know, when he's
kept clean versus pressure, compared to other quarterbacks, Like the
difference is much more drastic. Just to put some you know,
numbers on that he is fourth in the NFL. I

(18:47):
believe in EPA per play when clean twenty ninth pressure,
it's pretty similar success rate, like second in success rate
when cleaned twenty six when under pressure. And you've got
a situation where Taylor Decker is sounding a lot like
Frank Ragnow this year, where he's playing through a serious
injury and retirement might be right around the corner based

(19:09):
on the way that he's stocked. Publicly, he's very close
with Ragnow by the way, So that's your left tackle,
and then who took over for rag noow is Graham Glasgow.
In the middle, you have a rookie and Tate Ratletz,
who's certainly had some struggles, and then you have a
replacement at the other guards bot Iowa Seka right now,
and you think of the path that this team has

(19:29):
and going back to that where it could be the Packers,
the Eagles and the Seahawks, let's say to try to go,
you know, make the super Bowl, especially if they don't
win the division, and it's tough. You can't quite imagine
this line necessarily holding up. And it's been what made
this team so special. It's true in the run blocking game. Two,
what are you seeing right now out of this offensive line?
Do you think there is a way out where they

(19:51):
could be special enough to get to the Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
No, I don't think so. I don't think specially enough.
And you saw it in the Eagles game when they
face a team that is just more them in the
trenches where you just starving to bring bodies in and
you're just hoping you can get through with numbers, and
all of a sudden you become a really static offense
where it's all outside the numbers, one on one shots,
looking like the Eagles offense frankly at times, and that's
just not who they've ever been and not the way
I think Jared Goff wants to play. He needs as

(20:16):
many options available as quickly as possible, and he will
just decode you on the fly. That's his superpower is
winning from the neck up. And so if you start
drawing extra bodies into try and cover up for errors
everywhere else, it kind of, you know, tilts the whole
thing downwards. I think the impact in the run game
is probably the most understated part of the lines. I
think just because the area of Dan Campbell's like, well,
they'll always have a physical dominant run game, but they're

(20:37):
really siloed now and how they can get after. They
used to be the most They had the deepest menu
of run plays in the league. And it was not
just that Ben Johnson was hanging around there and was
really smart. It was that the talent of the players
was everyone was available to do anything you could ever
dream up or drow up on a napkin. And now
they've just got these moles where it's all vertically based,
and it's the same in past, where these guys play
on like a linear plane. They don't really have to

(20:59):
speed or the g to move and pull and play
out in space, and it's really narrowed down what they're
able to get to, and it has had a big
knock on effect on some of the play action stuff
they can do. Even if you look at some of
their numbers rushing outside the tackles. They have the most
electric back in the NFL, probably the single best pound
for pound player in the NFL and Jamie Gibbs, and
they have a thirty six percent rush success rate, which
is one of the worst marks in the NFL. That

(21:21):
should not be allowed to happen. But it's because these
guys play really well. When it's all the combo blocks,
it's like mass on mass and just who wants to
fight for it and wants it more and who can
play with leverage. They can bully people when you've got
to try and be more intricate and have more of
a pin pull and guys out in space field to
the offense, things fall apart and has a real knock
on effect on the play action game, which, as you said,
is where they're at the best.

Speaker 1 (21:42):
I wanted to go back to what you just said.
You think Jamir Gibbs is potentially the best all around
player in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (21:48):
I think pound for pound, if you're putting people on
the podium, you'd have what Parsons, Garret Bijean, Jamir Would
that be a fair top four?

Speaker 1 (21:56):
That's a good one. I tried to make the case
in our show the other week that like, as great
as Bizon is, I don't know, just as a pure runner,
like Jamir Gibbs is my guy. And Patrick, you know,
Claybaugh and and Jordan were like, oh, you don't have
to always compare him. I was like, well, but you can.

(22:16):
That's I think I would take Gibbs. I'm glad you agree,
or maybe you don't. I don't know. You have Bizon
on the podium too.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, I just on the lines just so I get
this correct for the listeners. Mike consume with them the
offensive line, Robin just the talent is they don't have
any horizontal element in the offense anymore. Over then Jimmy
being special in space, that's like the only like advantage
edition they have is when just funnel the ball to
Jamarian space, he'll figure out and it's all the jet
sweeps and the motions and things like that. It's a

(22:47):
little bit more gimmickified than traditional Lions Ben Jonson's style offense.
And so now you have to play really vertically, and
that's where those guys are best in their past sets too.
It's just like straight drop back vertical play.

Speaker 1 (22:59):
Action game.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
They can't roll the pocket with Gared Goff because he
doesn't move. He's not a scrambler, so he just puts
them in this siloed style of offense, and they are
not a bombs away outside the numbers offense. So they
probably should be with Jamison Williams and rolling Teslaura in
there for a certain number of reps.

Speaker 1 (23:13):
I was gonna say they could be, couldn't they? I
mean Golf can make those yeah, bros. Maybe it's not
what he majors in, but he certainly can make those throws.
Get our guys to slaw in the mix like they
could be. Do you think they could potentially adjust a
little bit down the stretch?

Speaker 2 (23:27):
I think they should do. It would come down to
stuff we'd never know, communication between Campbell and Gough of
a willingness to say we're good with you throwing four
down there and then taking one away. We'll just live
with that. You know, if we give up a turnover,
we give one up. You'd have to kind of reprogram
yourself on the fly. But Goff has now made himself
as the closest fact similarly, not in production or overall talent,

(23:48):
but style wise to Tom Brady like, that's what the
game is modeled on. Hit the back foot, get the
ball out. Brady was able to adjust, and the greatness
of Brady was whatever playoff game demands, that is just
what I will produce. I'm not sure we can have
a suggest that Chard Guff has that kind of internal
n ten. I have exactly what a playoff game needs,
and so I just think that they are way more
get aftable than they have ever been during the dunkembol run.

Speaker 1 (24:12):
I'm not giving up on my Lions because I did
have them in the Super Bowl this year, but and
I do think they still will win the division. If
I have to take one of those teams, I think
they would be my team. But I just don't think
they're as complete a team as the Seahawks or the Rams,
and especially if they don't win the division, it's going
to be a really tough path. But that's true for
all these teams. It is deep. Let's take a quick

(24:33):
break and we'll come back. We're gonna do you know
the one thing that could stop these contenders from making
it all the way to the Super Bowl, And then
we'll talk a little bit about the International Series. Yes,
it's The Show for the Sikos, Episode one with Ali Connelly.
Back in a minute back on NFL Daily, our first

(24:58):
Saturday show with Ali Connolly, they called it the Show
for the Sickos right before break. That could work. I
feel like we need, we need a name, Ali, and
so you know, I know you've been a writer, you've
been an editor. I'm going to put you on this task,
but also put the listeners. If anyone listening out there
has ideas we need some sort of special Allie Connolly

(25:21):
Saturday Show branding, it's gonna be ours forever. I'm not
I'm not ready. I'm not ready to pick one quite yet, Ali,
But if you got any I'll take it.

Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, the listeners quo with unbelievable names. I'm slightly worried
that it opens up the door for some ad hominin
attacks on my possible smokeness nd al arrogance. Which would
is you know, some well concerning book Saturdays for the
Sickos or something like that.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
You know, something positive would be does that's pretty good?
Uh No, I don't think they would do that. You've
gotten a lot about the resemblance to Kirk Cuns over
the years. I think I feel like you're growing out
of that when you're not wearing the hat. I think
you don't. You don't see that the hair is looking
good here. And I that you were gonna say, because
I know when you've dealt with people within the NFL,

(26:05):
the first reaction is like, what really you know about
the American football as a British guy, like they cannot
get over it. But we're gonna put you to the test.
All right, you are up. Let's talk Seahawks. This is
one I was very curious to see where you went.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
With one I had the hardest time with because I
just think it's the most complete team in the league.
And say, for like a Donald meltdown game, is that
just the floor that both he can play like the
MVP of the league for seven eight weeks, but then
there's the full meltdown. I guess more big picture, there
is a slight concern of how adaptable enough of they
offensively given some of the issues with their run game.

(26:42):
We haven't seen them play form a negative game script
an awful lot the season beyond the Rams and then
things did snowball on Sam Donald. And although they throw
a lot of cool stuff, they have more personal packages
than any offense in the NFL. They're not all as
effective as one another, and I do just wonder if
they're not quite as adaptable as some of the best
offenses in the league. Having said that, that's a concern

(27:06):
I've had for them for like five six weeks. Then
they went and got Rashid Shaheed and they were like,
we're going to be pretty more adaptable now because we've
got under the absolute zoomer on the outside.

Speaker 1 (27:14):
Yeah, it was interesting that, you know, they had him
in the backfield a little bit. What did you see.
I know he hasn't gotten a ton of usage for
them with how you think they will use Shaheed to
make them maybe a little more adaptable.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah, I think before they just didn't have any three
level receiving threats that wasn't JSN someone who could attack short, intermedia, deep,
And now with Shihiedo, I think it's just a way
more nuanced all around receiver than he's been given credit for,
which is just like he's a burner. I think there's
way more to his game than that, and so opening
that up particularly, I think in the wrong game, just
having someone you can stretch the field and he has
that kind of os factor for safeties was like, oh no,

(27:49):
that's real speed. We got to back up and make
sure we're capping someone to that side and maybe you
can draw two bodies, like the gravitational pull of speed
is a real thing and clear people out to try
and free up the rung game. The main thing in
his first game was just not understanding what was happening
in the offense a lot of the time. It really
submarined that two minute drill. Greg Olsen was excellent on
it on the coal being like they out burning seconds
have to remind him where he is in the formation.

(28:11):
And it's kind of strange because he did work with
Kubiak last season, so hopefully he can get up to
speed pretty quickly.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yeah, the Donald, can you survive like it's a stretch.
Maybe it's the consistency in the run game. And Mike
McDonald indicated this week that they might go to Kenneth
Walker more like percentage wess. He said that before, but
the fact that he said it right now at this
point in the season after that performance, I thought was telling.
Maybe they're not quite consistent enough. And then you know,

(28:40):
Donald and Kubiak, especially offensively, doesn't mean they just because
they haven't done it before that they can't do it.
We've seen a ton of Super Bowl teams do it
that way. But it's gonna be very tough for them,
especially if they don't win the division, and now you
know they have to get that Rams game coming back
to make this defensive gauntlet too. Can those two guys

(29:02):
like can Kubiak put enough good game plans together and
can Darnell devoid the meltdown through let's say like a
three game NFC gauntlet would be pretty tough.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
He also is making some of the most absurd throws
you'll ever see, the highest degree difficulty not open. He
had the best, the most absurd rate you've ever seen
off tight window throws well under pressure, and they're all
complete fifteen plus odds down the field. So that just
doesn't happen. You don't complete those throws. To think that
will sustain throughout a playoff run against the best, the

(29:32):
best I think is you're asking for kind of an
ELI on the Giants level. Flacco with the Ravens level
of hot streak through a postseason when the degree difficulty
is really high, and we've seen one game when the
degree difficulty cranks up slightly and his brain just kind
of falls apot.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
I'm like the president of the don't allow Eli Manny
into the Hall of Fame committee. And yet I will
always point out to people if you watch his run
towards the end of the eleven season, it's like it
was so incredible, not just in the playoffs. He kind
of started it at the end of the regular season.
The Flacco comparison is good. He kind of did the

(30:08):
Flacco playoff thing, but for about seven or eight weeks
just hitting some low percentage, incredibly difficult throws that were
just all him for a couple of months. So Eli's
got that, all right, I will I'll finished with the
Bucks and it is Baker. It is stringing those four
games together. I think that is the right answer. Because

(30:30):
he's thirty first in success rate this year when having
a clean pocket. It's crazy, like the only people ahead
of behind him are Dylan Gabriel cam Ward and JJ McCarthy,
like the people with fifty throws, and it's just chaotic.
And I was curious for your take because I don't
feel like I've heard it of how he's played lately.

(30:54):
He does fit the profile of a guy like an
Eli or a Flacco that could get high and because
he is a streaky quarterback. But right now I'm seeing
a guy that's like just not necessarily seen the field well,
or he's not willing to take the positive plays that
are there and he's either hunting for big plays or
he's just holding on. That's at least my impression. I'm

(31:15):
curious what you think he's looked like on film.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
No, I agree with you. And one of the worst
things I think that could have happened to Baker was
getting any kind of like MVP buzzle being put in
Patrick Claiborne's conversation, because now he's just going pure hearable
at a times when it's completely unnecessary, there's wide open targets.
He's like, I'm just going to take off and do
my own thing. And those late game comebacks bailed him
out almost narratively, from the fact he was playing really

(31:40):
poorly for twenty five snaps a game during those games
and he had all the issues with the offensive line
and receivers going down. He deserves credit for overcoming that,
but you've just read off the numbers when pressured, even
when he's being blitzed this year. Bake has always roasted
the Blitz. It's always been one of his biggest strengths
dating back to college. He has had such a stark
decline this season against the Blitz, and it's just missing
wide open targets, misreading the field consistently. And the difference

(32:04):
with him, I think to someone like a Fleacco or
a Manning, all those guys who get hot during the
postseason is Baker's streaky in game, you don't know what
you're getting drive to drive with Baker. He's not a
guy who it's like, oh, the three weeks have been
absolutely electric than the next two weeks are a bit
of a struggle. That is kind of the general view
sometimes and true, but even within those electric games, there's
two or three drives. It's just like he buries the
offense on his own with bad decisions and trying to

(32:26):
do too much. So I just really struggle unless they
get all the guys back together, and Grizzard has like
a magical series of game plans for the postseason, which
you just don't get from first year OC's that's always
a mess throughout the first season. It's kind of wild.
The run they've been on to think you can go
three times in a row with just a great game
planning go see is really difficult to do. I just

(32:49):
I can't see Baker holding up without giving people plenty
of opportunities to get some takeaways in the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (32:54):
Yeah, I think the offensive line has a chance to
be really good, and they're getting healthier and their defense
I think overall, even though they've given up a lot
of big plays, it hasn't been great lately. I think
is better than the last couple versions. And that's what's
a little disappointing about this Bucks team is I thought,
I think a lot of people thought maybe this is
the year that they escape out of that. Well, we're

(33:15):
winning the NFC South almost by default, and actually we're
pretty talented, playing maybe our best towards the late in
the season, but we're clearly like a step below the
real deal teams. It felt like they've they've had enough
continuity coming into the season, and the injuries have hurt
on both sides of the ball, to be fair, but
it doesn't feel like they're escaping that. In fact, they
could be in second place, like by the end of

(33:37):
the weekend. If they lose that game to the Rams, Like,
do you see them a tick below some of these
teams we've already talked about in terms of the Eagles,
the Seahawks, the Rams, maybe even the Lions.

Speaker 2 (33:50):
Yeah, I think I put them right by the Eagles
because I don't think there was fundamentally flowed as the Eagles.
I think the Rems and just in a completely different tear,
they're own to everyone in the league in terms of
all around completeness. One of them does happen to have
Sam Donald. The other one can't play one of the
three elements of the sport, which is they can't play
special teams. So that's a little bit of a ding
on those two teams. But I just think they are

(34:11):
in a different strates for the books. To me, if
they were healthy, that is the best offensive line in
the league. It's them in the Broncos. Those are so
clearly superior to everyone else, and it puts so much
on the menu for them, as we saw in the
Bills game last week, how they're able to completely rechoreograph
the wrong game in one week in a way they
have not done all seasons, only available because of the
talent the offensive line. So if they were healthy particularly

(34:32):
with Hassam Reddick. Defensively, I think that they are as
loaded as any team in the league with playmakers and
then have a ton of stability in the secondary and
the old line, so they get the playmaking explosives, and
the stability is just so happens that the most important
guy who touches the ball every play offensively is the
most like destabilized portion of the team.

Speaker 1 (34:50):
Right and they basically are healthy on the offensive line.
They don't have Bretison right now who's at guard, but
the other four spots are solid and get a key
is back. Yeah, I'm not I'm not crossing the mouth
by any means of making around. I think they have
the talent to possibly do it. Last team we'll talk
about at length here is the Green Bay Packers. I
believe it was your Super Bowl team before they made

(35:13):
the micro Parsons trade, and then certainly you were sticking
with them afterwards. What do you think could get in
their way?

Speaker 2 (35:20):
Again? I think it's the offensive line. It may sound boring,
but the interior that offensive line has just been brutal,
some of the rung game issues of blown protections. I
just think they placed a bet on a style of
football that has just completely busted out and now they're
trying to like work them back their way out of it.
They got so big on the interior, and now you
look at Banks, Sean Ryan, Jordan Morgan that you just

(35:42):
cannot go into a game in Philadelphia. I think you're
gonna have any chance with that group unless you can
completely reorient the style of offense. And unfortunately, to reorient
the offense, you bas have to say we're trading off
any sense of efficiency. We cannot drive the field. Our
guys aren't good enough, so now we've got to go
hunt for big chunk plays and gets. You know, Jordan
Loove's eyes all big and excited, like, oh we get

(36:03):
to go hun chunk plays. Let's go have some fun,
and you kind of lay slightly into some of his
worst instincts where he goes chasing it on every single play.

Speaker 1 (36:11):
Wow, this is as down as I've heard you with
the Packers, because you know you're you're a lafleur believer.
And as as disappointing as some of these games have been,
they're still like in okay position. You look at the
overall efficiency in terms of DVOA, for instance, like they're
one of the teams that is in the top ten
of both categories, although it's like eight and nine, they're

(36:31):
not elite really at either. Like where where do you
think this offense in particular that you're mentioning, and this
is coming up for all these offenses, Like where do
you think they go in terms of like how they
want to adjust down the stretch?

Speaker 2 (36:47):
That is when I don't know. And that's why I
just love Mount Lafleux so much. I have. I'm just
excited to see what he comes up with. He's one
of those guys where the brain is so large. I'm
just like, I can't wait to see how he figures out.
I'm sure he'll get it right and I'll be all
excited the to figure out. However, is he ideed was
the solution? I don't think right now. Having on the
opening drive of the game, leaving Dex Lawrence unblocked, as

(37:09):
like the way he wants to go with this stuff,
you would think that would be maybe in the key
to the game. Let's make sure we block the best
player on the field, so they just have so many
breakdowns inside it's a problem. I did think that was
Jordan Love's maybe best game of the season, just snap
for snap, how he's throwing, decision making, and so you
kind of just need him to elevate to a level
that is I offset all interior line concerns. The tackles

(37:30):
hold that well enough, we've got enough playmaking. We can
at least go and get some chunks down the field.
And so he would just have to rise to a
level of consistency we haven't quite seen throughout his career.

Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, maybe Christian Watson, you know, continues to improve, Jaden
Reed gets healthy, like they can definitely get healthier.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
We'll see if you have I will say though Laflor himself,
this has been a really rough season play calling wise
for a guy who I think is the best in
the business. The situational play calling has been so off
all season long. The I just am concerned as a
fun of his work that he's misidentified his own team
and is now driving ahead with something philosophically like you

(38:13):
see with the Falcons and Psach Robinson, when it becomes
like a coach's quest to prove his philosophy as opposed
to looking at his personnel and going what will actually
help us.

Speaker 3 (38:21):
Get out at this situation, I can't believe the real
whispers beyond just like fans being mad about like could.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
This be it for Matt Lafleur and God to cunts
depending on how this goes and their schedule is tough,
Like there is a path towards that happening with and
it would be a mistake and it would be great
for content because there would be an absolute huge competition
to get Lafleur and maybe good counts. Maybe they're back

(38:52):
in the year. I don't know what their relationship is like.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Doesn't that just feel like the part in the America's
Game film at the end of the year with the
fly all the tweets and then it like ends with
them holding the trophy. Yeah, that's what it feels like
to me. It could still happen.

Speaker 1 (39:05):
It's I look, I love I love all the seasons,
you know, they're all they're all beautiful children, but this one,
especially in the NFC, it's why we started here. It
is so fascinting because the stakes are so high and
all these teams are so talented that they all have
a legit shot to change their story around except for
the forty nine ers. Sorry, I feel bad about this
because the more I thought about it, we decided the
forty nine ers weren't going to be in our mix

(39:27):
for contenders just because the defense, like there's just there's
just no path with that pass rush and just the
overall defensive talent. And yet, you know, the more I
thought about it this week, and I was like, could
they put up forty a game and Kyle like has
his best season as a play caller the rest of
the way, and it's just like the season you never
saw coming from the forty nine ers. You never know.

(39:49):
So we're not gonna talk about you at lank forty
nine ers fans, but don't be mad. You never you
never know. They could put a forty game or something crazy.

Speaker 2 (39:55):
Like.

Speaker 1 (39:55):
It's not like there is It's a smaller path I
think than the rest of these teams that we talked about, But.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
I think there's definitely a path to win a playoff
game and maybe win two. I think goes all the
way they put a faulty game, but they get you know,
cobD over the head for faulty five by the rams
or something right.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
You would have to have like the right matchups. I
don't know what that would be, uh to escape like
facing a great offense throughout the playoffs. But yeah, that
defense just doesn't seem like it's going to be competitive enough.
Before we wrap up, Ollie, let's talk a little international.
You know you've been back in Manchester. How long now? Oh?

Speaker 2 (40:31):
God, ten days? I think I had the Berlin flew
for seven days. Don't don't google what the Berlin Flew has.
Too many fun nights in the greatest city on Earth.
Oh wow, okay, well let's start there then. Wow, how
was the Berlin week? Beyond just like why and how
you got the flu? Berlin was incredible. It was that
I felt the first time, you know, every six months

(40:54):
or something, mister Goodell goes out and floats and floats
the idea of a London super Bowl and the wolfs
Rejournal whoever will write about could they do a game
in London? Yeah, you know, because all the owners read
that journal. This was the first time it felt like
a European super Bowl in Berlin. It was a really
really cool week where it like takes over a major
European international city. You've been to the London Games. The

(41:15):
London Games are great and cool. The NFL doesn't quite
take over the city, because there is so much going
on in an enormous international city, just is impossible to
have that degree of footprint, but in Berlin it did.
There was eleven teams who have the home market rights
and they were all on the ground there. Then you
have the league as well doing stuff and it was
just absolutely everywhere all over the week. So it was

(41:36):
really really fun to see that scale and have that
kind of Super Bowl feel.

Speaker 1 (41:40):
What was the vibe like in the city, Like among
like the NFL fan base there. I guess you're not
like an expert, you're not, you're not living there, but
like in terms of they're not, you know, we do
here from a lot of German listeners in general. I
know you were you were out and about. I don't
want to blow up your spot, but you might have
been like see and some teams out and about. How

(42:02):
do you think like that whole experience was out out
in the city.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
Yeah, it was in the city. It was incredible. Everyone's
having a fine time, wonderful time. Berlin, as I said,
probably the greatest city in Europe, So that was a
lot of fun. The level of knowledge is just different
to everywhere else. I mean, if you think of the
end of NFL Europe, every team but one was a
German teams. Like the domestic built in love for the sport,
is it like a granular feel it in your bones level,

(42:28):
as opposed to just the circus comes to town and
it's kind of the Erasmus as in the shiny helmets
that kind of maybe get someone interested initially. There's like
a real earthy feel and love for the sports. So
you're out there talking with guys at the at the
bar about DVOA. People are talking special teams DVOA at
the bar. You don't get that in many other international visits.
And then you also get on the top of it

(42:48):
all kinds of the big temp hole the league doing
all the different stuff they want to do.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
What player watching it live? So you were broadcasting the
game for Talk Sport with our friend Will Gavin and who,
by the way, I can break the news here is
coming back to NFL Daily Next Friday's actually gonna be
the three of us. So in general, Ali and I
are going to do Saturdays until the end of the
regular season and we'll figure out what's the right day
for us to do our shows. Once we get to

(43:14):
the playoffs, we won't do it Saturdays because there's games obviously,
but next week's a little weird with Thanksgiving, So you're
gonna join me in Will Gavin after the Black Friday
game to talk the Thanksgiving games and recap that. So
we'll get the three of us together. What player, I'll
put it this way, or players maybe stood out to
you the most watching them live? That just popped?

Speaker 2 (43:37):
Honestly it was Jalen Walker. Is my first time seeing
him live, and I think he's gonna be a super
dupe stuff the highest order.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
Yes, I love it. He's really improved to my eye
this season. Like the first month, the wasn't getting a
ton of run. He still is, you know, a part
time player, but he's getting more run. Seemed like he
was trying to figure out what to do. But you
can see the athleticism now popping, at least on tape.
What did you see in person?

Speaker 2 (44:06):
Yeah, I think the intelligence is what stands out with him,
whether it's in person on tape, the understanding of what's happening.
I mean, because they are such a package based defense
where it's like roll out different groups of people, I
think it just kind of limits how often he's on
the field more than it being like there's like an
issue in the in his game somewhere. He just bigger, quicker,
stronger than everyone else in the field. And sometimes you
just see it in person, it's like, wow, that guy

(44:27):
even when you go by the numbers and the weights,
like why does he look so much bigger than BERNARDA.

Speaker 1 (44:32):
Ryman.

Speaker 2 (44:33):
That guy's a huge human being, and he just looks
thicker and stronger than that guy. So he just completely
jumped down. And it's on a field with you know,
unbelievable athletes all over the place, and the guy moving
at a different speed with Dale and Walker.

Speaker 1 (44:45):
I gotta study him more because that's my type of guy.
I mean, totally different type, a different type of player
than Trevon Walker. But I do just like the guys
that are bigger, faster, stronger, and you can see it
because it's like I never fell out of love with
Jeevian Clowney and oh, by the way, he's still getting
it done at his age for the Cowboys. Okay, let's
let's I'll go back to Dublin because it was a

(45:07):
similar vibe to to start the International series, where it
did feel like it took over the town in a
way that I hadn't seen in London, and everyone was
so like thrilled that that the game was in Dublin,
and I just have to think that that has to
be in the heavy rotation, especially the vibe of I

(45:30):
walked to the game and just the vibe of the
entire city almost walking together leaving it. Now that I've
now left a Premier League game, it had a similar
vibe where it was just like absolutely packed getting out
of the stadium and it's like elbow to elbow for
streets on end leaving there, and it just it just
made a lot of sense there And in terms of

(45:51):
you know what stuck out, it was our guy speaking
a bigger, stronger, faster Darnel Washington to me, now I'm
mixing up the Dublin and London games, like Darnel Washington
in person was just like a site to behold and
you realize, like, this dude really is one of the
best players in the NFL at what he does and

(46:13):
almost no one really does exactly what he does. As
a long time Mott Washington believer, I just want to
give you the floor for a second to say how
you've enjoyed this season.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
Yeah, it's it's fun to see like the almost international
breakout of Donnell Washington. And if he was, you know,
on a team with anyone over the NOUTHA Smith, I
think would be like this huge household name of doing
the most absurd things in pro football. And I still
do have slightly in the back of my mind like
if he just moved to tackle, I know that's out
there quite consistently, could go and make himself fifty million

(46:42):
dollars a year. Jalen Moore is a backup with the Niners,
got like, well twelve fifty million dollars a year. It's
go be a swing tackle for the Chiefs. I feel
like he's only now, what twenty three pounds shy I
being like tackleweight three eleven might even be solid tackleweight
for him, and you can move so well. He could
consider that. But I think there's so much potentially him
as a truly explosive play threat. You see it with

(47:04):
him kind of just throwing small dudes off him down
the field. People just bounce off him. He's a truly
a unique weapon. Way. It's like Mercedes Lewis at the
tail end of Mercedes' career. But I think quicker down
the field way, you could do some really creative things
with him if you had the kind of offensive mind too,
you know, try to be creative.

Speaker 1 (47:21):
Yeah, the breakout last week in terms of you know,
just running over a couple Bengals, but I almost like
the play where he hurdled one of them earlier in
the game just as much. And that was a great
game to call because you're not sure exactly where to
look every play or before the play, There's so much
to look at. And I just found like, if you
just watched Darnell, like, first of all, it's gonna be fun,

(47:45):
but also like you'll figure out how that play is
going to work. He really is a skeleton key. And yeah,
I just dublin shout out to Michael McQuaid and as
we kind of wrap up like the International series, I
just I just I just think they made such a
great first impression and Croke Park is just like the
perfect place to play those games that I'd be shocked

(48:05):
if they're not doing an annual game. It just makes
so much sense. How have you seen the London game
experience evolve? And just sort of as someone who obviously
grew up loving the NFL, like, how that how you've
seen that change with the people around you in England.

Speaker 2 (48:23):
Yeah, the evolution has been interesting. I think the how
to put this, I don't know if it quite has
the same event feel as it once did, where you
know there would be packs of eight nine friends who
would build the year around we're going to that game.
I think the part of the international expansion, and I
met a bunch of these people in Billin was like

(48:44):
we chose to do the Berlin game rather than do
the Loving game. It's fun for us to go on tour.
It is such a regular feature of the scheduling to
make it a bit different though, Like we're gonna go
to Island this year, we're gonna go to Bilin this year.
Next year there's gonna be a game in Paris. Do
we do a weekend in Paris? Or do we do
a weekend in London? When we've got multiple London options?
So I think that is a kind of interesting pivot

(49:04):
point for the league in general. Is there any kind
of not necessarily staleness and a lot of that is
matchup base too, but how do you kind of inject
some more sizzle into London and make it have a
really special feel.

Speaker 1 (49:17):
Yeah. I mean the matchups didn't work out like like
they wanted to the games themselves. At least Broncos Jets
was close. But I was happy that that you were
handling that the next week, or that that was that
was happening the next week from that first game we
watched together. What is there anyone in that Vikings game

(49:37):
that that stands out to you?

Speaker 2 (49:39):
Well, I just want to see Brian Flores in person.
I just enjoyed Maya all the wizardry and madness up
close and personal, which I was I was pleased to do.

Speaker 1 (49:49):
Yeah, and that that was going up against a team
that really wasn't ready for them in terms of the Browns.
And watching justin Jefferson in person is always a treat
because it's just like so smooth if you just focus
on him every play just makes it look so effortless.
And he is someone that absolutely moves different than other
people and it's fun to see. One thing I've noticed
over the year is like going to London every year,

(50:13):
is it does feel like the like the casual there's
either more casual fans or the casual fan of the NFL.
They're just more aware of it. In a way that
I do compare it to how the Premier League is here,
where I think the NFL in England is almost like
where the Premier League is here maybe five seven years ago,

(50:33):
where now like sort of everyone has a base knowledge,
where like when I whenever people ask what I'm doing
in town, if it's like the uber drivers or whatever,
like they always know what I'm talking about, which is
a nice surprise.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
Oh yeah, oh yeah. And all the old stuff in
the stadium where they would tell you like what the
rules are, and sometimes they flush that stuff. But like
even the most casual like I'm going with my friend,
has a general enough understanding way you don't need that
stuff anymore. I will say, my favorite memory from that,
besides calling the game with you and Will, was Greg
Newsom getting into it with Kevin O'Connell and then Kevin
O'Connell dialing go play specifically to a tyg Greg Newsom

(51:06):
and is a great reminder for like a film dog
like me, like these people are human and real and
sometimes you just want to stick it to the colin it.
You're shouting at the head coach of the sideline and
you get the cold plays and it's like let me
go and embarrass the coin it the next two snaps.
I enjoyed that.

Speaker 1 (51:19):
That's awesome, and he put that on tape. So I
feel like other coaches have been copying the game plan
to just pick on Greg Newsom. Ever since, that was
an interesting moment in that season because you I remember
calling at the time Carson Schwessinger just drilling Carson Wentz
in the open field, and I do think back to

(51:39):
what if, what if he hadn't hurt that shoulder, And
after these last couple JJ McCarthy games, thinking like, would
they be winning these games with Carson Wentz the last one,
I kind of think the answer would be yes, Like
sometimes you know, you don't know how good you had
it when you had Carson Wentz.

Speaker 2 (51:56):
I agree, maybe you could even look at Brosman. Maybe
we could do another soft injury Benching.

Speaker 1 (52:01):
Well, that was one of the more exciting moments of
the game where we saw Brasmer warming up on the sideline. Okay,
last last thing has absolutely nothing to do with international
or the things that are going to get in the
way of contenders, But where where? What do you think
do you think they should go to Brosmer?

Speaker 2 (52:19):
I would like to see it. I would like to
have a quotesback who can throw it to his left.
If I'm playing in Pro football and I have the
best receiver in Pro football, would be helpful to be
able to attack the full field.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
And do you think it's like specifically a left problem.
I do know that on the past on the spray
chart from MGS. Yeah, it's it's not working out, Like
is that just random? Do you think this could be
salvage because there are positive plays? Vikings fans got mad
when I said that performance was TBO like, and it

(52:50):
wasn't saying he was at TiVo's level. It was more
just like it was Drek until the fourth quarter and
somehow they're gonna manage to pull this out, Like do
you think there could be improvement here in the shorter term?

Speaker 2 (53:02):
Well, that's one of those things with the Vikings fans,
like when your brother says something to you and you
know it's true deep down, so it hurts more. It's
because they know that that's what that game was like.
It's just production wise, it was a TBOS game, and
he's had multiple t West games where you can't complete
wide open passes and then you kind of get hot
in the two minute drill, and that for me is
the thing with O'Connell. We've had this weird thing with
them where they can't get lined up. The huddle is

(53:24):
a mess, the whole operation is a disaster. And then
every time they play in the two minute, which happens
with a lot of these young guys when they come
into the league, everything looks, you know, it clicks and
things look smoother and operate better. Why would you not
just play out the no huddle more? Why would you
not just clean things up more? And maybe you're a
little bit more restricted in what you want to do,
but the guy isn't. The complex stuff you're doing isn't
working anyway because the guy can't operate it. So you

(53:45):
may as well slim things down, put some more temp
in the offense, go and steal what Cliff did with
Jaden Daniels last season, where it's it's no huddle, it's
temple all the time. It's having a really small menu
of plays, it's packeding all the plays as one drivers
an eight play package, which is a lot of what
the command as dip with Jayden Dniels last week. Way
you just raped that throughout the week that I already
know what the next play is going to be three

(54:06):
and four plays ahead. That is a really clean way
to help these guys out. And then you can start
getting into the discussions of what low buddy mechanics, like
why is he struggling throwing to one side the field?
Why is he fall off throws only going one way?
You can start getting into the nitty gritty if you
get kind of the big picture right, and given way
his game's at I do think they failed him slightly
on the big picture. Stough.

Speaker 1 (54:25):
Oh, it is really fascinating different agendas O'Connell. And then
you got QUESSI, you got JJ McCarthy, and you got
obviously they are ex quarterbacks doing well elsewhere. I'm looking
forward to that Vikings Packers game. I'm looking forward to
doing this each and every week. I do not think
the Vikings are gonna raise their hand and be the

(54:47):
team that goes overseas for two games again after the
way this season has gotten for them. But they did
get that win over the Browns with us there. Thank
you to Ali Connelly, thank you for everyone checking out
our first Saturday show, and yes, hit us up and
give us some suggestions for what we should call this
Saturday show. We will be back on NFL Daily Sunday Night.

(55:09):
No Jordan this week. We're gonna wave to her as
she goes to Ramsbucks across the street to cover that game.
So it'll be me, Shook and Patrick for the whole show.
And yes, Oli will be back next week on Black Friday.
We will see them