Breaking Down the Big Week 10 Games

Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein open the show with their reaction to the Giants parting ways with head coach Brian Daboll and explain why it may be the most coveted opening entering 2026 (1:01). Then, they recap the biggest games from Week 10, including the Texans’ stunning comeback over the Jaguars to keep their playoff hopes alive (10:02) before diving into Bills - Dolphins (17:10), Steelers - Chargers (20:45), Patriots - Buccaneers (27:10), Ravens - Vikings (35:32), Rams - 49ers (40:41), Falcons - Colts (52:37) and Saints - Panthers (1:00:20).

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
What's up? Everybody? Welcome to move the six.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
I'm Bucky Brooks today stepping in for Brian Baldinger and
Daniel Jeremiah. It's the one and the only, Acetown's Finest.
We're not talking about Paul Weezy Paul Wall. We're talking
about Lance and z Lance.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
What's going on?

Speaker 1 (00:21):
What's up?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Buck?

Speaker 4 (00:22):
How are we doing?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Man? We're good. You know, we chilling. You know how
it goes. How's everything with you?

Speaker 4 (00:28):
It's good?

Speaker 1 (00:29):
I mean, you know, I'm digging in on my tape
and I got the call from the bullpen. They said
the Dodgers needed another art as Dave Robertson run through
the entire bullpens.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
I mean it's hard when you when you back to back,
it's hard.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
I said, step in and give you that Clayton Kershaw
real quick and try to step in and see what
I could do.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Well.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Just make sure we're not probably betting on the first pitch,
so you don't go it in the dirt. Be sure
we keep it just keeping above board. Lances. We're talking
about the news and everything that's going down.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Man.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
The New York Giants, let go of Brian Dayball. Today
some would say let go party ways fired. However you
want to say it, that's what happened. And man, you
talk about a guy who was coach of the Year
a few years ago, did a great job in twenty
twenty two, got those that team to the playoffs. But

(01:24):
three plus seasons twenty forty and one team decided wanted
to go in a different direction. Right now, Mike Kaffka,
the offensive coordinator, will take over as the interim head coach,
and away we go.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
The carousel is spinning already.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Yeah, and you know, it looked like there was a
chance once once Dark and Scatterbow were doing what they
were doing early on, you know, I kind of thought, well, maybe,
you know, this may turn into a few more wins.
It was an exciting team to watch. But you know,
since that win against the Eagles, that's surprising, seventeen point
win at home against the Eagles, it's been four straight losses.

(02:06):
Some of them have been competitive, some not as much.
But I think, you know, once you start stacking these losses,
Buck two and eight, he didn't have a whole lot
of leeway even coming into the season, so I think
that the next question is going to be does Joe
Shane make it out? I think that's the next question asked.
Do they do a is it a clean sweep with quarterback?
I mean with you know, head coach and general manager?

(02:29):
Or are they going to let Joe. I think they'll
let him stay. It looks like he had a pretty
good draft. I mean, Jackson darts a lot better than
I expected him to be. To be honest with you, Buck,
He's got a little mentality to him that I think
could lead to him being a pretty good quarterback.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
So I think Shane may it another year.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
But we'll see, because you know, a lot of times
teams like to make the clean sweep, but because they
just drafted a quarterback, you know, it is buck. A
lot of time it's head coach, GM and quarterback all
in the same year.

Speaker 4 (02:59):
But that obviously won't be the case this year.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
I think Dave Balls a pretty good coach, you know,
just he never sustained anything. He had that one year
where Daniel Jones looked like, hey, maybe Daniel Jones is
a guy that gave Daniel Jones good money. Daniel Jones
wasn't the guy and Dave Ball just just couldn't get
it done and just never sustained. He had that one
good year and it just didn't sustain after that. So

(03:24):
not a complete surprise other than you know, I thought
he might get a finish out the year. But in
this day and age, nothing should surprise you. It's just
you know, you going the middle of the year. You
going to the middle of the year. That's the way it is.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, that is the way it is. That he cycled
through coordinators.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
You know, some would say Wing Martindale did a really
good job for them on defense, got rid of him
and Winks guys brought his own guy in Shane Bowen.
The defense has been okay, but it certainly hasn't played
to the level that they play that Underwink. They've had
four games this year where they live by ten or
more points on the road and they've lost all four
of them.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
And so when you.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
Get that, and you know, the people are frustrated and frustrated,
somebody has to be the sacrificial lamb. And unfortunately for
Brian day Ball, who did do a really good job
with Daniel Jones early, I mean, look, he's the one
to go.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Now.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
The interesting thing is Jackson Dart, Cam Scataboo and Elik Neighbors.
They were only together for like a quarter and a half,
but you could tell the energy and the juice that
they brought and so you feel like there's some pieces
in place for the next guy. But I'm gonna be honest,
it's the fourth time for Jackson Dart that he's been
in protocol. All those haven't been diagnosed as concussions, but

(04:44):
you know how theything goes. You start having a few
of them, you just wonder long term viability. But look,
he looked like he had the juice and the spark
and he was giving them something. So it'd be interesting
to see one how they finished the season. Two the
direction they go when it comes to the next coach.
Who wants to be the guy that takes on that

(05:06):
job with that quarterback that's in place because the quarterback
is there.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
So you get the quarterback like it or not.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
You get Scataboo coming off an injury, and you have
Elak Neighbors also coming off injury. So you have some pieces,
but those pieces have some damage to be interesting to
see who takes that job, who wants that job?

Speaker 1 (05:23):
You know it feels like a pretty good job, I
mean on the surface, but Scataboo's coming back.

Speaker 4 (05:28):
From a really tough injury. Elak Neighbors.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
We know, acl tear you start when you start talking
about being in in you know, a protocol or being
observed in the middle of a game for a potential
head trauma. That does and especially for a quarterback who's
not afraid to get out of the pocket and you know,
try to get some tough yards. That's something that you
find out pretty quickly. I can't do all this college

(05:52):
football stuff. This has got to be your livelihood and
your importance to your team as a quarterback supersedes any
kind of of ego that you may have, especially in college.
No one slides in college. Everyone's kind of expected. Quarterbacks
are going to take on the contact and pros. You're
expected to slide unless you absolutely are trying to get critical.

Speaker 4 (06:14):
Years, you know, and that's and I'll be honest.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
I mean, I think Jackson Dark has the kind of
swagger that you have to have in New York. He's
got the kind of confidence. I mean some of that,
you know, it kind of made me laugh, some of
the trap house stuff he in Scataboo were doing. I'm like,
I laugh, But at the same time, he's got that
like that's real.

Speaker 4 (06:35):
You can see it.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
I saw it on the field of the combine. You know,
you don't know how it's going to translate. Like, just
because you have that doesn't mean you're going to be
a quarterback. But if you've got some ability and he's
an accurate quarterback he has. He's a pretty average arm
but he's an accurate passer and he's not afraid of
the moment. He's not afraid of the situation. He's got
tremendous He's a tremendous competitor with a lot of confidence.

Speaker 4 (06:55):
And that's something you have to have in New.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
York because if you don't and it goes sideway, you
can't get out the media, the fan base will roll
downhill on you. And so you have to have the
right coach for that market. You have to have the
right quarterback for the market. They might have gotten the
right quarterback right, but as you mentioned, as we see
with the Commanders and Daniels, quarterback health is just not

(07:18):
a given.

Speaker 4 (07:19):
It's just not a given.

Speaker 2 (07:20):
No, it's not a given.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
And here's the thing that I say about Jackson Dart
as we pivoted from Brian Dabel to Jackson Dard. I
think the best quality that Jackson Dart has is his
ability to connect.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
I feel like his teammates rock with him.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
I think some of that, as you say, trapout stuff
that him and Scataboo have on top of the talent
and the energy that they bring ingratiated themselves to the
rest of the team. And I don't believe it's a
coincidence that they played better when he was in the
lineup and they were in the lineup and they had
that thing rolling, I think a day ball. The tough

(07:56):
thing for him is the decisions that he made when
it came to the coordinator, particularly on defense.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
The defense couldn't hold on to it.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
You felt like the defense could be even more dominant
than it's being given. I mean, man, if I tell
you who they have on the front line, Brian Burns,
Desha Lawrence, you have Kemeon Thibodeau, you have a dual Carter.
I mean, they have some hunters. So you would like
to think that they could be able to do it.
And when you look at the recipe for success in
New York, that has been it solid play on offense,

(08:28):
dominant defensively, led by a disruptive front line. Those pieces
are in place, so the next coach has to build
upon that and find a way to just put it
all together so it can be a better product. And
what is a very competitive division with the Eagles, the Commanders,
and the Cowboys all kind of load to a talent.

Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah. I mean, I think when you think about the
NFL job openings that are going to be out there
this year, they're going to be you know, the Titans
just seem like a really tough one, to be honest
with you, But I think the Giants you just mentioned,
I mean a lot of it's going to be based
on health of that running back, health of that wide
receiver that you mentioned previously. But there's there's some pieces

(09:08):
to work with, Like you've got some pieces to work
with over there. So I don't think it's going to
be a job that I think there will be some
pretty good coaches who are interested in that job. For
day Ball. He's been a good play caller in the past,
he's been a good coordinator of offenses. I think it's
going to be interesting to see whether or not he
takes some time off or gets right back into it,

(09:29):
because there will you know, there's gonna be there's always
offensive coordinator positions open. I don't think he'll get a
head coaching job, another pro job anytime soon. I think
that's that ship may have sailed for him. But we'll see.

Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, yeah, it's interesting, but that's the news today. Brian
dayball out as New York Giants head coach nine seventy one,
six and eleven, three and fourteen, and in two and
eight before he is pink slipped out the speaking out
the door Lance, I had the rundown and all this order.

(10:06):
But because you're the representative, U bun be so many
other Houston dignitaries in the building yesterday at that game
where the Houston Texans come back against the Jacksonville Jaguars,
is twenty nine to ten, one minute left in the game,
and then h Town issues a beatdown or takes advantage

(10:28):
of a meltdown, however you see it and find a
way to win. Just give me your thoughts because I
know in Houston, I know the votes have been circling
around the offensive coordinator and what's going on.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
Just tell me what you saw.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, You know, it's interesting because there was so much
expected of the Houston Texas this year and they've and
it's failed to materialize. And there was a lot of
hope that a new offense coordinator of the Fans wanted
Bobby slowly gone. And I would argue that it's actually
worse this year than it's been in the past. They
can't get a yard a short yardage when they get
inside the three yard line. I mean, they can't get

(11:04):
it in from first and goal at to one. It's
been a massive issue for this team. But I'll tell
you no one ever quits on Demiico Ryans.

Speaker 4 (11:12):
Number one. The defense is I mean, it's an elite defense.
You've got to take away hear it.

Speaker 1 (11:20):
On the back end, You've got you got some physical linebackers,
and then you've got a rush that's an extremely potent rush.
I think you can run the ball a little bit
on them if you choose to, but for the most part,
they swarm to everything. They really play hard. For Demico Ryans,
it's just offensively, there just has never been that perfect
connection between and they missed Joe Mixon a lot, but

(11:43):
the running back, offensive coordinator, quarterback, offensive line, that combination
is never fully You know, they didn't have the old
line last year, and the coordinator and CJ, I'm not
sure they always saw eye to eye. But the running
back was great the rookie year. CJ was great, coordinator
was good, offensive line was beat up. But they played okay.
But you didn't have a running game. So now you

(12:05):
go into the Jacksonville game and you're missing your starting
right tackle, your starting right guard. They pulled Trent Brown
off the practice squad. He's been an NFL starter CD.
So neither one of these guys who played a snap
all year. They plugged them in against the Jacksonville team
that put in work on them. The first game, and
you have no starting quarterback, you have no kicker, You're
starting kicker's gone, you're starting nickel corner, Jalen Petrie is out.

(12:30):
And then you're down nineteen in the fourth quarner and
I'm like, man, I'm trying to watch tape. I'll put
this on in the background, but I got guys I
got to write up, so I'm just listening like a touchdown. Okay, Well,
let me just pop the video screen on here at
let me watch a little bit of it. And what
really stood out to me was that it's two things. Yes,
a lot Davis Mills never gave up, never gave in.

(12:52):
He was very he was played with a lot of poise.
He's a guy who's been through adversity, Bucky, I mean
he was he was five and nineteen going to that game.
He went through the David Cully and Lovey Smith eraon
Texans that was terrible. And so he's been through adversity
his whole life, so it didn't really rattle him. What
stood out to me is that that game is really

(13:14):
over if Jacksonville has any confidence at all, and I
think it starts at the quarterback.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
And honestly, you know, when you.

Speaker 1 (13:22):
Watch Trevor Lawrence, this is a guy who should be
able to with all those traits, right, he should be
able to shut the door on games way more frequently
than he does.

Speaker 4 (13:31):
And it's just not happening. It's just not happening.

Speaker 1 (13:35):
And you know, he looks nervous at the most important
you know, I had an interesting text exchange yesterday, and
you know, the idea that he's the kid that doesn't
doesn't doesn't want the ball hit to him in the infield.

Speaker 4 (13:47):
He's the guy that doesn't want the shot, like I
hope MJ shoots.

Speaker 1 (13:50):
I hope you don't kick it up to me. I'm
not trying to take this last shot.

Speaker 4 (13:54):
That shouldn't be who you are.

Speaker 1 (13:55):
If you're Trevor Lawrence, you should always want that big moment,
and uh, it just doesn't.

Speaker 4 (14:01):
It's never materialized.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
And that defensive front against a beat up offensive line
and a nineteen point lead. That should never be a
game that you lose, and yet you did because Houston
didn't give up and Jacksonville was just trying to hang
on and just back into a win.

Speaker 3 (14:17):
Yeah, you know, it's so crazy, it's so surreal, men,
and left in the game, you go up twenty nine
to nineteen, You're looking at it and you're like, man,
they're not enough possessions remaining in this game for them
to be able to come back, like Jacksonville will have
to offer up and then Lance When you look at
the play sheet in the fourth quarter, so I think
that Texans finished with sixty nine plays. They had thirty

(14:40):
three plays in the fourth quarter. They had fourteen play
drive eighteen play drive, I mean just two long extended drives.
And it reminded me of the twenty eight to three
game with the Falcons in the Patriots, where after a while,
if your defense is on the field that long game
pass rush mode getting they don't have anything.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
So by the time you got.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
To the end of the fourth quarter and they started
running the ball, they started, man, you could push, you
could tip them over with a feather like they were toast.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
It was. It was.

Speaker 3 (15:12):
It was a done deal. And you can sense it
and you can feel it. And if you were in
the building, the building won. I didn't realize how loud
it gets in there, like when they're when they're kind
of putting it down like it it kind of got
louder and rockets in there.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
And I was like our listeners today on the radio,
arned listeners were wondering if there was a noise being
piped in there, like how did so many people leave
and it's still so loud in there, Like.

Speaker 3 (15:36):
I don't know, I know this, I know the sideline
on the sideline, it was really loud.

Speaker 4 (15:42):
I'll say for okay, I got to get a call
next time you're in town.

Speaker 1 (15:46):
Now, I got spots for you. I got to get
a call.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
Let you just keep it.

Speaker 4 (15:50):
I know how you are though you probably just keep
it in a hotel, keeping a low profile.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
Well, we were at the Galleria, so we went to
Del Frisco's.

Speaker 4 (15:57):
Yeah, right across the street.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
We went there, and you know, I got that the
Galleria still jumps. The younger me would have been all
over it. The older meat was like, oh lord, it's
a lot of folks up in this joint. And then
there's Joey's uptown which is right there too.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
So yeah, so it was cool.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
But I will say, man, the Texans defense is good
enough to get them back in the race. And because
Jacksonville didn't close the door on them now they messed
around and gave them life with c. J.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
Stroud coming back.

Speaker 3 (16:25):
Whatever Demico has to tell them to get it done,
they certainly can get it done. Because daneil Hunter, I
think had four s acts on his own. You got
Will Anderson over there, Seldon Rankins was creating problems. And
when the secondary is fully back with Petrie Stingley lasted in,
those guys they're really good. They just got to figure
out a way to put some points up on offense
because they.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yeah, they got to take the threes in Tournament of
Seven's and that's been a problem all year long, and
and unless they do it, they won't they won't get
back into the hunt.

Speaker 4 (16:54):
But this game, they got the Titans coming up.

Speaker 1 (16:57):
You expect them to go five and five, and then
you got the Buffalo Bills out after that, and that
can lead us into this Bills game.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
Let's take a break right now and we'll be back
with more of the recap.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
Listen, I would have said that Texas don't have a
chance against the Bills, even with the Bills coming into town,
But after what I watched from Miami yesterday, I don't
know where that came from. If you were worried about
the team quitting on Mike McDaniel, not yet. They haven't
quit just yet. And I got to ask you, like,
what is going Is this just a case of so

(17:32):
you lose Dalton Kinkaid, he gets hurt, he's out for
the game. It feels like they just they maybe made
a mistake by not targeting a wide receiver before the
trade deadline.

Speaker 3 (17:44):
I will say that the Buffalo Bills are funny because
they may be the quote unquote best team, but when
you look at the individual parts, I don't know if
you're wowed by anybody outside.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
Of Josh Allen.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
If we really talk about like the blue chip players,
if we're talking about it from a scouting standpoint, who
are the guys that you're clamoring for on their roster
outside of Josh.

Speaker 2 (18:10):
Allen and James Cook.

Speaker 3 (18:12):
James Cook is an upper echelon guy. Some people will
say Deon Dawkins could be in that conversation, but lams
who else? And so they are a team that plays
really well together. But they kind of remind me of
like a service academy, you know how you can see
the Service Academy.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
They can snatch down those good teams.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
But when they play like a Taunton State, Taunton Sate
be Army early in the year because Army didn't play
their A game. To me, I feel like the Bills
need to play their A game against everybody because they're
vulnerable and susceptible to lose to anyone. They can knock
off the Chiefs, but they just as easy can lose
to somebody else if they don't bring it. And against

(18:52):
Miami they didn't bring their best and they're not talented
enough to just roll out the balls and go win
the That's what stood out to me when I watched them.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
Yeah, they're not good enough defensively. You know, they haven't
been the same on defense since they lost their two
safeties to age. Basically, it's it's just it's not something's missing.
You're right, Bucky, there's there's just something missing. Kean Klem
has never developed in any type of wide receiver one
they've got. They've got a variety. It's kind of like

(19:22):
having a fantasy football team where you've got a variety
of good but you're not sure to who to start,
and so you end up, you know, end up leaving
points on the you end up leaving points on the
bench because you didn't start the right guy. Because there's
too many hard decisions. There's not a decision about who
to start here. But my point is, you're right something
you've got. You've got some good pretty goods to goods,

(19:45):
but there's not enough greats and not enough difference makers.

Speaker 4 (19:48):
I think on this team, I think you hit that
dead on the head.

Speaker 1 (19:52):
And so if that's the case, you really can't afford
to have you can't just flip the switch. I thought, Buffalo,
you know they're down sixteen and a half. I thought,
can and they flip a switch. They could not swip
a flip a switch. They just couldn't do it. Now
haven't been able to do it really most of the year.

Speaker 3 (20:07):
Yeah, and it's crazy to watch because we love Josh
Allen's heroics, but in a game like that, I don't
know if he has enough with him to be able
to pull it off. Because he was running around and
doing his thing, and he had the numbers in the yards,
but he turned it over a few times and that
he just I don't know if he has enough dudes
with him. And so now I'm worried about them when

(20:30):
we talk about like title team, they still can't get
to Super Bowl. They still can do all the other
stuff and win it. But I think it's really imperative
for them. Man, every game they show up. Man, they
guys got to show out or they don't have a
chance to be able to get it done.

Speaker 2 (20:43):
Speaking of showing.

Speaker 3 (20:44):
Out, let's talk about this because I think this game
really set out to me. Pittsburgh LA Chargers Sunday Night game.
There was a lot of intrigue in this one because man,
everyone respects Jim Harbaugh and the bullies that he tends
to build, but This was like the litmus tests. If
the charges are what they think they are, they'll be
able to take care of business against the Steelers, because

(21:06):
the Steelers are going to show you one way or
the other, are you rough and tumble or not. Charges
got it done, and he did it and what I
think is classic Harbor fashion.

Speaker 1 (21:18):
Yeah, and I know exactly what you mean by that,
because listen, it is a mess at the tackle position
for them. I really worry long term. I thought this
was a great win. You're going up against that rush,
those edges with tackles who just frankly, you know, are
just have no business starting for a playoff caliber team.
But of course they're there because of the injuries, and

(21:39):
they still win and win convincingly, and justin Herbert was
under duress, he was, but they ran the ball. I mean,
what Harball did was say, we're not going to change
our identity.

Speaker 4 (21:50):
We're going to do what we do. We're not going to.

Speaker 1 (21:53):
Make drastic changes to game plan because you know, we're
worried about protection. I think I think he did what
he needs needed to do from a philosophical standpoint, to
try and protect his quarterback as much as he could.
But the fact is the team just came out there
and didn't let they didn't let the Steelers get off offensively.

(22:13):
If you get behind and you're the Chargers and you
have Pittsburgh being able to pin their ears back knowing
you're passing, you're cooked, you're done well. I mean, the
Chargers defensively stood up and showed out and they said,
we're not going to let you get that lead, so
that we're going to be able to control how this
game flow goes. And I thought, and Na's classic hardball football.

(22:34):
I know exactly what you mean, because this game didn't
get away from him from a game flow standpoint. He
kept it right where he needed to so that the
Steelers couldn't just pin their ears back, because that would
have been a real problem if had they been able
to do that with a ten point lead, for example.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
I mean, look, I think you just have to be
impressed with what you saw from the Chargers. I mean,
from all of it, right, you saw a running game materialized.
Like you think, Hey, they don't have a Mario Hampton
and Lord Bow. They get Vidal and some other guys
to contribute and make the greatest You know what I mean,
You know you get them running the football effectively. You
see Lab McConkie make plays when they need plays in

(23:10):
the passing game. Keenan Allen Sessta record for the Chargers
in terms of like all time receiving leader, and then
Justin Herbert just doing Justin Herbert stuff. Whatever they need
him to do, he can get it done. And as
you talked about that defense being able to hunt and
get after it. The thing about the Chargers, they kind

(23:31):
of remind me of those classic Alabama teams with Nick Sabin,
had the heavy hitters on defense and it was defense
run game, kind of efficient playmaking, and you look up
and you felt like they dominated the game, but it
was like a twenty four to three beat down. I
felt like that game. Once they seize control, the score

(23:51):
is what the score is. But it never felt like
the Stealers were going to get back in the game.
It always felt like the Chargers had their game under control.

Speaker 4 (23:59):
Yeah, I agree, and I do wonder.

Speaker 1 (24:02):
I'm not going to say the Steelers are a paper Tiger,
but this has not been an attack down the field defense,
I mean offense. This is one that there's a lot
of Deakin and Duncan by Aaron Rodgers. He doesn't throw.
It's not the same pass concept we've seen in the past. So,
you know, I think that I am curious to see

(24:23):
if they can get into a shootout and win in
a shootout against a good team. And it never materialized
because they just they couldn't find their offense. They couldn't
find they are missing. They're another team that's missing something offensively.
I like Jalen Warren. He is he's a tough, versatile
running back, but he's not going to hit you with
a ton of explosives. DK Metcalf has kind of a

(24:45):
limited route tree. They're trying to do a lot of
you know, he's at his best old school Green Bay Packers,
Aaron Rodgers throwing a lot of you know, over outs,
posts goes. But it's turned into a lot of catch
and run stuff. And that's not really what DK is
all about. That's not where he's that's not where he's
at his best.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
Not at all.

Speaker 3 (25:03):
And you know, one of the things that I found
weird when they made the move and they were so
adamant about getting Aaron Rodgers, was I was like, well,
the deep ball is not in play, Like this is
a guy that doesn't want to get hit, so he's
not gonna hang in the pocket for a long time,
and they're not gonna be able to push you down
the field. So now you have a deacon offense with
vertical playmakers. So it's it's a it's a hodgepodge of

(25:24):
players that don't that don't match how you really want
to get down. I just don't know how that that
fits short term or long term. When we think about
how teams begin to really hone in on what you
do the second half of the season, they take those.

Speaker 2 (25:41):
Things away, what are they gonna do, How are they
gonna fix it?

Speaker 3 (25:45):
How they gonna find a way to be very productive
because you need the explosive plays to score points. Last,
they can't score points because they can't make the twenty
yard plus pass plays and they're not breaking off the
big runs. I don't know how they can efficiently put
enough points to deal with the heavyweights.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
Yeah, I'm looking at his average depth of target dk metcalf.
It's it's his average depth of target is twelve point
one yards this year. It's the lowest of his whole career.
It's been primarily fourteen one, fourteen, nine, thirteen, four, twelve seven,
one year, fourteen one, fourteen one, and now he's down
to twelve one. That is just shows you there's a

(26:24):
lot of uh, there's a lot of throws that are
being made short for him, and he's a guy that
you got to let those legs stretch. Man.

Speaker 4 (26:31):
You got you got a.

Speaker 1 (26:32):
Weapon that's made to be stretching the field vertically, and
they're just it's just not it's not happening.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
No, it's not happening. I don't know how, how is
how it's gonna how it's going to change. Then they
got a tough one coming up because about the Cincinnati
Bengals on the horizon. Luckily they may not have to
face Trey Hendrickson because with that offense with Aaron Rodgers struggling, Yeah,
I just I don't, man, I don't know how to
steal his bounce back. But they'll find a way to
kind of like be in that conversation. But man, this

(27:00):
was a game for them to kind of confirm their
standing with the heavyweights, and they took a step back.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
In my estimation, when it comes to.

Speaker 3 (27:09):
It, I want to go back the New England Patriots
knockoff the ten Bay Buccaneers twenty eight to twenty three.
Drake may Is continued to do Drake May things, and
I got to ask you, this man, remind me of
what you thought about Drake May when he was coming out.
I was too close to the fire my allegiance to Carolina,
like wanting more from him. But you tell me what

(27:30):
you thought about Drake May when he was coming out,
and is this diversion that you expected to see as
a pro.

Speaker 1 (27:38):
Stage. I gave him a sixty five, which is a
boom bus grade, and I felt like he's the classic
boom bust player. And this is what.

Speaker 4 (27:46):
Is what I said, challenging evaluation with top flight.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Measurables and tools, but inconsistencies and create a lower floor
than some teams might be comfortable with his size and
arm talent, Jump off tape immediately there's another throw on
the field he can't make, but there are definitely throws
he will try that he shouldn't. The gunslinger mentality creates
fearlessness that can turn into interceptions, but also gives him
a chance to win in tight windows. YadA, YadA, YadA.
There's an undeniable energy to May's game that can create

(28:11):
momentum or turn chaotic when players come off schedule. The
combination of traits and tape make them a boombus prospect
who may need a good situation and patient management and
slash coaching to help shepherd him towards his potential. I
did not expect to see what we saw this year
so far. I did not expect this. I think the

(28:31):
job that Vrabel has done should not be understated. I
think the patients that you know that's in the building
right now, with Elliott Wolf and ownership and whatever, they
were perfectly willing to wait on Drake to become that player.
It's just it's happening way sooner. And I think a
lot of it gets to I talked about that energy
that is undeniable. He's got a level of confidence, you know.

(28:54):
We talked about Trevor Lawrence has all this and that,
but the confidence seems to be missing.

Speaker 4 (28:58):
Drake May has never been missing confidence.

Speaker 1 (29:02):
And you know, I always hesitate. Everyone wants to have
an inaccurate quarterback or guy who's missing throws be the
next Josh Allen. Just think it's going to get fixed,
you know, because they're big and they got a big arm.
The fact is he has made some real changes to
his game. And I didn't see this happening this quickly

(29:23):
with this team. Look at what he got out of
mc collins long throw. Mc collins went for one oh six.
This is a guy who you know, he's a nice
wide receiver to have. But you got Stefan Diggs with
a touchdown, Kyle Williams one catch, seventy two yard touchdown.
He's letting that the big dogs getting to eat and
that's what he needs. Men, he needs to cut it loose,

(29:43):
and that's what's happening. But the other thing that happened
is the guy that I know, we both love, Trevon Henderson.
What a big game for him. I've been waiting for
this breakout and this is what he's capable of adding
to a team.

Speaker 4 (29:57):
Remind me what you thought about Drake, because I.

Speaker 2 (29:59):
Mean, it's very much it's very much the same.

Speaker 3 (30:01):
Because so many people celebrated him, and I was like,
because I knew too much. One I was in school
right after his dad graduated, so I knew the dad,
and the dad was a great athlete, a legend back
where I'm from.

Speaker 2 (30:16):
And then you know the kid didn't play his last
year of.

Speaker 3 (30:19):
High school ball because of COVID, and then he sat
behind Sam Howell early and then he played two years,
so he didn't have a lot of experience when he
made his way to the pros. He comes to the Pros,
they threw him in right away, and whatever it was
last year, it was like in terms of dry Mayo,
that system, what they were trying to do.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
And so you're sitting there and he has all.

Speaker 3 (30:43):
The prototypical stuff that you look for in a new
school quarterback, big arm, size, athleticism, swag as you saw
him celebrate the Cam Newton thing when they played against him.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
He got all of that. But I just didn't know
how he's.

Speaker 3 (30:59):
Going to job with Job McDaniels, because I didn't know
if Josh could make it right for young quarterback. But
I think the thing that I underestimated was the Mike
Rabel factor, the connectivity that they have as a team,
Josh McDaniels trying to unlock some things, and how look, man,
and when you're a player and you play for a

(31:20):
smart coaching staff that sets you up to win the
masters situations, it just seems like it just all clicked
because this dude is playing at an MVP level, and
you can't deny it.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
You can't like it's him and Matthew Stafford and.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
John wants to say it. No one wants to say
it because no one feels comfortable saying Drake may MVP.
But when you look at the wins and you look
at the stats, it's true. I mean it's just true.
And they're a better team than Buffalo right now. I
mean they just are. Weekend and week out, they played
better football.

Speaker 3 (31:52):
I mean it'd be a really good Tampa Bay team. Yeah,
good in Tampa Bay team in Tampa that is. I
mean that is a big feather in the CA And Bucky.

Speaker 1 (32:01):
I watched so a lot. Alonzo Heismiths, who is who's
up there in New England right now, is a longtime
friend and he was in town. Shout out to Zoe
who lost his wife very yeah and uh, and he
was in town in Houston for Game one, so he said, Hey,
meet me up here at the sports bo let's watch
a game. So I watched the game against the Raiders

(32:23):
and it was rough. I thought, Man, New England, it's
got a long way to go. Drake's got a long
way to go. This this may be a you know,
a three or four year pro three year process minimum
for him.

Speaker 4 (32:35):
That game was the outlier. Ever since that.

Speaker 1 (32:37):
Game, it's been a completely different team and they didn't
play well in that game. But I think it's a
credit to Mike Rabell something you said about Rabel. You know,
I was thinking and Josh McDaniels. When you have when
a team has confidence that the head like they got
the they got the boss man, like Dan Campbell. You know,

(32:58):
it's that feel where every one knows, we got our guy,
our guy will take care of us.

Speaker 4 (33:04):
We're good.

Speaker 1 (33:04):
We know he's this is big Daddy, and he's got it.
I think Mike Rabel gives you some of that. There's
no concern about it. I wonder if this head coach
knows what he's doing. There's no concern with jos Josh McDaniels.
For whatever you want to think about his personality, how
it ended in Denver and then he skipped out on
Indianapolis or whatever. He's good with quarterbacks, he is, And

(33:25):
I think that the entire team has clearly has a
belief in the people in charge so that they're able
to just focus on going out and doing their job
and I think they have a confidence that the guys
who run the show know what they're doing and have
them headed in the right direction, so all they have
to do is just lock in and play ball.

Speaker 3 (33:46):
Yeah, man, I think everyone they'll never admit it. In Tennessee.
I think everyone underestimated how good of a coach that
dude is. And like Rabel, and then with Josh McDaniels,
I think, man, some guys are destined to just be
great in a particular role, and Josh mcdameels is great
in a role as a coordinator.

Speaker 4 (34:08):
So what do you think about that idea though? Of
Tennessee getting ready?

Speaker 1 (34:11):
You know, when you know you I get the fact
that everyone gets frustrated and they want their pound of
flesh and they want to we just need to make
a change, Buck, I know you.

Speaker 4 (34:19):
Can go all the way back.

Speaker 1 (34:20):
I remember when Steeler fans wanted to get rid of
Bill Kawer years ago, and Bill Cower was kind of
creeping around at five hundred mark and he wasn't and
then it turned into you know, Super Bowl with Bill
Cower turned into the Steelers were never going to make
a quick change, or they were never going to make
a ration. They were always going to air on the
side of caution, and he ended up becoming, you know,

(34:43):
a tremendous coach over there. Tennessee had the guy, they
had the guy, Mike Vrabel's a dude, And I get
that it wasn't you know, maybe the GM and head
coach thing wasn't perfectly a line.

Speaker 4 (34:56):
There, but look where they are now, Look where Tennessee
is now.

Speaker 1 (35:01):
Wasn't work.

Speaker 3 (35:02):
I just think so many of the errors that we
make in our business are just ego things, like like,
hey man, let's get in the room and figure this
thing out one way or the other.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Let's hash this out. Let's try and find a way
to make this work.

Speaker 3 (35:12):
Because it was a good thing, and that good thing
is certainly rolling in New England. And I hate to
say it's funny man, because he's not Belichick, but it
has that BELICHICKI and feel in terms of they're just
a smart football team that doesn't beat themselves, and they
got a young quarterback that is playing at a high level.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
Baltimore Ravens. Lance. I heard you pour dirt on them.

Speaker 3 (35:36):
You said it was over, and he was done, Like
we need Harbrough out of there. And all they've done
is reel off three straight wins. They knock off the
Minnesota Vikings. They get a twenty seven nineteen win over
the Vikings, and looky, looky here right in the mix,
and people are saying they may be the team to

(35:57):
beat in the North.

Speaker 2 (35:58):
Let's talk about the Ravens.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
Steelers lose, Ravens win, and here we are look good
and looking like you said, looky, looky.

Speaker 4 (36:06):
Pretty much everyone had them win in the North.

Speaker 1 (36:08):
I tried to fade that and say I got a
little two game head start when we did our NFL,
you know, our mid season stuff. I said, I'm going
to put the Steelers because I'm going to take this
two game head start. Well, we don't have a two
game head start anymore. It's now one, and soon it
will be completely wiped out because they're playing defense again
and the return of Lamar Jackson obviously is huge, but

(36:29):
the defense coming back from the brink of disaster is
maybe a bigger story because that defense. I watched the
Texans just roll through their defense and now they had
some injuries on defense, but that didn't look like a Ravens.
It was the worst Ravens defense I've ever seen since
their inception is Ravens and they've actually been able to

(36:51):
right the ship. There's another one where the head coach
is just steady Eddy all the time, Harball and you
get your quarterback back. You got King Henry back there,
Zay is still Zay. You've got you know, Mark Andrews
when he's healthy, can play a little bit obviously still
and defensively you were able to get it back on track.

(37:15):
I'm curious what the ceiling is for this team, because
I think they are going to win the AFC North.
They have been, they were inconsistent before Lamar got hurt.
I am curious to see if they can play their
best football on both sides of the ball enough so
to compete in the AFC, which is you know, I don't.

(37:36):
I don't think there's no Killers in the AFC this year.
I don't think. But there's still a lot of good teams.
I mean, there's still a lot of depth over there
in the West. The Colts are are causing some real
problems for people, obviously with that offense, and you know,
I just think you don't. I don't know if New

(37:56):
England's ready. I don't know if New England's ready. The
Bills don't look like they have that kind of team
right now. So why can't the Ravens jump up and say, hey, Tada,
here we are Ravens and Chiefs back at the top again.

Speaker 3 (38:09):
Yeah, they can be right there now.

Speaker 2 (38:13):
I would say this.

Speaker 3 (38:14):
What gives them a chance is when you have the
quarterback and Derrick Henry, it allows them to control the game.
We talked about game control and Harbor, Jim Harbaugh and
what they do with the Chargers. No one really wants
to deal with the Ravens in terms of having to
deal with Lamar Jackson in a one game deal where

(38:34):
he can explode and do that, and having deal with
the combination of Lamar and Derick Henry where they're running
the ball and controlling it and just dominating time of
possession is problematic. If they can continue to fix the
defense like they're doing, where they just don't give up
the explosives, don't give it, the big plays, the one
two drive to play touchdown drives, those are the things

(38:55):
that gives them a chance. They they're coming and we
talk about the best teams heading into the postseason are
playing their best ball December and they're beginning to kind
of find their way and kind of get back to that. Yeah, man,
it looks good and it looks like they're gonna be

(39:15):
the team that we thought they were going to be.
It just took them aroundabout way to get there. For
the Minnesota Vikings, JJ McCarthy kind of came back to
earth a little bit. He didn't put a big numbers
the week before, but there was a buzz some energy
that he brought. He played against the big boys, and
the big boys kind of went out this time.

Speaker 4 (39:34):
Gotta remember he's a rookie.

Speaker 1 (39:36):
I mean, we can say he's not a rookie, but
this is a player didn't have a lot of experience
in college, had missed all of last year, a big
chunk of this year. He's still learning to be an
NFL quarterback. He's in his infant stages and there's no
way you can rush it. There's no way you can
get through it any faster than you know, other than
just taking snaps, going through adversity, having success, learning what

(40:00):
you can and can't do, figuring out the speed of
the game, getting comfortable and making changes at the line
of scrimmage.

Speaker 4 (40:06):
All of that's going to come with time.

Speaker 1 (40:08):
You can't rush it so, but it's a necessary process
for Minnesota. It sucks and it has to come halfway
through a second season, but it is what it is.
I mean, you got to get through it.

Speaker 4 (40:22):
So they'll always be a dangerous team.

Speaker 1 (40:23):
You saw they had a lead at half and they
were they were playing some pretty good football. But then
you know, the cream of the crop just just rows up.
The team that knows how to win did what they
had to do early in the quarter. They put their
foot in the throat early in the quarter and it.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
Was a rap, and it was a rap.

Speaker 3 (40:41):
Now, let's talk about this this transition quickly to it
being a rap. Elie Rams San Francisco forty nine ers,
Matthew Stafford making the case to win an MVP. We
talked about Drake May but Matthew Stafford just doing the deal.
But I got to tell you just lance on a
note so where your dad will be laughing.

Speaker 2 (41:00):
The other Rams tried it out.

Speaker 3 (41:01):
Three tight ends and they're running a thirteen personnel package
and they're playing musical chairs with those three tight ends.
They're going from the eye to like unbalanced line to
all kinds of funky stuff and they are absolutely giving
people problems when you look at the RAMS and all
the creative stuff they're doing on offense, what stands out
to you?

Speaker 1 (41:19):
Well, I think that's what you talk about, is that
you know, from a personnel standpoint, learning how to personnel
your way into mismatches because you have to remember, teams
are not a lot of teams are not prepared. They're
coming in with stuff that they haven't seen or been
prepared for in practice, and I think it really tests.
I remember my dad always told me in game, he

(41:41):
always felt like in game, and especially halftime halftime, what
changes you know when you make your halftime adjustments. He
always thought that was a little a little overrated. He said,
you know, you don't have a lot of time on
the sideline. You try to figure out what they're doing
against you and what you can do to counter that.

(42:02):
And it's a quick discussion halftime, it's almost no discussion.
I mean, you have such little time. And so I
think with the RAMS, if they start showing you looks
that you're not used to, which is what they're doing
now with the thirteen personnel, at thirteen personnel can be brilliant.
I saw Gary Kubiak, you of the preseason game years
ago against the San Francisco forty nine ers, and I'll
never forget how he was able to throw out of

(42:23):
that and then like he didn't want to show too much,
but it really opened my eyes to the fact that, man,
you thirteen, which is one running at three tight ends,
you really have If you've got some flexible tight ends,
you can really number one, you can unlock the running game.
But if you threaten people with a little bit of
passing attack, they have to stay base and you can

(42:45):
really get after teams. You know, they can't go to
a heavy package, they can't go to heavy personnel. And
it just speaks to what the rams of. This is
the rams, this is what McVeigh does. McVeigh is one
of the great coaches. I think he's a younger version
of what John Gruden was at one point when he
was in the league. They're very similar personalities. But mcveigh's

(43:08):
just so creative. There's a reason everyone wants to hire
his coaches off the tree because Shanahan gets that all
the time. And I get that he came for that
Shanahan tree, But I think McVeigh has done just an
absolutely brilliant job at getting the most out of his
quarterback and getting the most out of the offenses. And
I think what gets overlooked is they know who they are.

(43:29):
Never have they not had their identity. They know what
their identity is. They may make some tweaks, but it's
not like they're searching. They just say, we're going to
do something different this game. It's not like we don't
know what our identity was. And how about the addition
of DeVonta Adams, how big that's been for that offense.

Speaker 3 (43:45):
I mean, look, it's just so great for them, right,
Like you're talking about knowing who they are, Like they
have a way of.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
Being solid, sound, and sexy all at once.

Speaker 3 (43:55):
Right, you're solid and sound in terms of like the
schemes that they use are super sound. They're time tested,
tried and true. We talk about how your dad would
just love the thirteen personnel package they basically have, you know, like,
and people won't get this, but old line coaches get this.
When you have three tight ends on the field, if
you put all three of them on the side, you

(44:15):
create a five man's surface. And in creating that five
man's surface, you now have created an unbalanced line without
really moving all the people over and so now as
a defense, you have to figure out, hey man, do
we make the guard the strong side guard, the new center?

Speaker 2 (44:31):
How do we bump over to this?

Speaker 3 (44:32):
And then they can flip and move and then you
can go from a five man's surface to now, hey,
let's go I formation tight end wing wide receiver on
the backside. Now let's go I formation tight ends separate
size wide receiver out wide. I mean, they can create
so many problems for you shift and moving with the

(44:55):
personnel because they're versatile. So you got that part of it.
You got the running game that is a test to that.
You have a one of the best quarterbacks pocket passages
that we've seen in NFL history in Matthew Stafford. You
got two big receivers that can get it done, and
DeVante Adams and Pookuin Nakua, and they've created an environment

(45:15):
where everyone just doesn't care about this stasty just want
to win.

Speaker 2 (45:19):
So you know how hard it is.

Speaker 3 (45:21):
To deal with a team that can throw so much
at you and that players don't care where the ball
goes to me. That's a special thing and that really
allows Sean McVay to just, hey man, whatever we need
to do today to win this game.

Speaker 2 (45:36):
That's what we'll do.

Speaker 1 (45:38):
And this helps having a guy like DeVante Adams, a
veteran who's wanted the highest, like he knows what it's
supposed to be. He just wants to win right now.
And so you have pookin Aku, who's an unselfish guy.
You have a veteran who just you know, wants to win.
He'll get his he'll get his looks when he gets
his looks. And that's still quite a bit. I mean
it's pretty frequently, but I think it's you talked about

(45:59):
when you have that of so on an unbalanced line,
you're able to get hat on hat. They can't get enough,
they can't get enough personnel for you not to have
an advantage. You're gonna have your linebackers back, so you
now have an automatic advantage in terms of your you know,
your two main games working up to linebackers. Yes, you say, well,
you're a little more limited. You're not going to be

(46:20):
able to stretch the defense. That's more compact, it's a
more condensed formation. I mean that's true, but at the
same time it allows you opportunities to increase it and
hit bigger gash runs as well. And you've actually got
the numbers in your favor in the box there typically,
and if you want to get a little a little
if you want to get a little frogy with your safeties,

(46:41):
all of a sudden you're getting play actioned and you
are you are having some issues down the field. So
I think it's just I think it's brilliant the way
that the Rams are saying, you're going to play our game.
We're going to dictate the type of game that you're
going to play.

Speaker 4 (46:55):
And I think having.

Speaker 1 (46:56):
Two friends McVeigh and Kyle and Kyle Shanahan and having
him throw that thirteen out there at Shanahan, I think
that was also just a kind of a that's one
they'll kind of laugh about in the offseason. I don't
know that Shanahan laughs a whole lot, but they will
have them. They'll have a little conversation about that at
some point.

Speaker 3 (47:13):
Well let's talk about this, because on the other side, Shanahan,
say what you will. They lost the game, but mac
Jones put on another impressive performance. Mac Jones is certainly
setting himself up as a reclamation project. But here is
where some of that reclamation project goes to the wayside.
You know, mac Jones signed a two year deal with
the forty nine is when he came on board. So

(47:34):
all of this good stuff where people are like, hey,
he's gonna be able to parlay this to something.

Speaker 2 (47:38):
No he's not.

Speaker 3 (47:40):
But are we going to have a quarterback competition in
San Francisco when brock Purdy's ready and available? Are we
getting to the point where we have to respect mac
Jones in that system where maybe just maybe not that
this buyer's remorse when it comes to brock Purdy, but

(48:00):
they even go to training camp, mag Jones did a
whole lot of playing and a lot of succeeding.

Speaker 2 (48:05):
What does that look like for the Niners in the future.

Speaker 4 (48:08):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (48:09):
You know, always I'm a big believer. One of my
biggest sticking points right now is the NFL has a
methodology where average to above average quarterbacks just because they're
next in the in the line is the queue. As
they would say in England, they just get this elite salary.

(48:29):
And I'm like, it doesn't happen in baseball and baseball
you're going to get what the true, truly what the
market bears. The market's bearing this amount just because it's
a hard to find position. And you had something I
think you actually wrote an article about, and I know
you and I talked about this, about who would be
the first team that would try to just rotate quarterbacks and.

Speaker 4 (48:49):
Not look at quarterbacks almost like a college would look.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
I think you wrote that article, and that's that's an
interesting philosophy. It's it's probably easier to discuss than implement.
But at the same time, Bucky, what happens when you
are Jacksonville and you plugged Trevor Trevor Lawrence never played
like an elite quarterback, but he's getting paid like it.
Kyler Murray, you were, You were ready to put stipulations
in his contract about video games and watching tape.

Speaker 4 (49:14):
You thought that was gonna go well, and you give
him the money that he got.

Speaker 1 (49:19):
And so I don't I don't know the last time
that an average quarterback got that elite money and performed
at a high level, performed to the standards of the contract.

Speaker 4 (49:27):
It simply I don't think it ever happens.

Speaker 1 (49:30):
But what I so, Rock Purdy got a big payday,
and so they're gonna have to pay him. I mean,
they're gonna have to play him I'm curious if San
Francisco doesn't try to dangle a little carried out to
the Jets who have all these draft picks right now,
say hey Jets, here's Daniel Jones two point zero, Matt Jones.

Speaker 4 (49:50):
Yeah, man, it is not a great quarterback draft by
the look of things.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Hey, look, I don't we got time to get to
that on another podcast. Hey man, the people that are
trying to sell me on this twenty twenty six quarterback
class for the draft, Like I'm just writing my notes,
do not change.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
Don't let TV change you when you get up there.
We're talking about these guys all the time.

Speaker 3 (50:14):
Because Lance I don't see it, and because I don't
see it, each and every week they keep trying to
bring up somebody to do. We talked about Gary Nutsmer.
He got bitch last weekend against Bama, sat him down.
So what us So now the guys like your Mac Jones,
is your Daniel Jones is Those guys have value because

(50:35):
there's simply more jobs than people that can feel those jobs.

Speaker 2 (50:39):
What are we going to do with quarterback? If you
have an issue?

Speaker 4 (50:42):
Baker?

Speaker 1 (50:44):
So the reclamation projects with reclamation success with Baker, with
Sam Donald so I knew my Sam Donald Gray was good, Bucky,
it just took like six seven years for him to
get there.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
There's no inspiration date on it.

Speaker 1 (50:56):
That's right, Baker, Sam Daniel Jones, it really does. Frankly,
everyone wants to know who's the next Daniel Jones instead
of drafting his quarterback draft. Well, that's where San Francisco
is going to have some They're gonna they're gonna find
that they're going to have a nice offer or two
for Mac Jones in the offseason. So that's gonna be

(51:18):
that's gonna be interesting because Max still has one year
left on that contract, as you mentioned, so he comes
at a very very favorable price. So he's either going
you got a chance to trade for Mac Jones and
you either get a bridge quarterback or you're giving him
one year to prove that he could be the next
potential Daniel Jones, which will run us into the Colts.
And I thought, my man, I was like, I was like, man,

(51:39):
I need to get up to Indianapolis and see Chris
Baalers nice house again because I'll before the season start
on my this might be my last shot, you know,
because I don't know what's going to happen this year.
But I'll be damned if all the pieces haven't finally
fallen in place, those lines that he's been drafting for years,
the wide receivers he's been accumulating, Jonathan Taylor with one

(52:00):
uncompetent quarterback, and frankly, I think some really good play
calling by Shane Steichen. It's come together now. There have
been signs the last couple of games that there's a
law of diminishing returns with Daniel Jones. If you ask
too much of them, the turnovers will start to crop up.
But Man is at an explosive.

Speaker 3 (52:18):
Offense, explosive offense, and we've seen it come together. I
would say that bathers commitment to fielding, the all combined team,
all the guys with the measurables and all that is
coming together because they are fast, they are physical, and
when they got the right distributor turnovers and all it
works out.

Speaker 2 (52:35):
Let's talk about this last game.

Speaker 3 (52:36):
Let's talk about Atlanta Falcons and the Coals, because we're
talking about you got.

Speaker 2 (52:39):
Bathered, hey man, the shoes real huh.

Speaker 4 (52:44):
I'll tell you what, when you look at what the
Colts are doing right now.

Speaker 1 (52:47):
The first thing that comes to my mind is why
can Jonathan Taylor not be MVP?

Speaker 4 (52:52):
He is to me, the most valuable player.

Speaker 1 (52:54):
And I get these arguments from Twitter, argument guys that
you can't look, the running back can never be the
most valuable. It's always the quarterback is the most valuable.
Let me tell you something, See how good the Colts
offense would be if if Jonathan Taylor wasn't a major
factor and they couldn't utilize that play action pass. Jonathan
Taylor is making Daniel Jones better. Jonathan Taylor is making

(53:17):
Shane Steiken better. Jonathan Taylor's success, to me is the
number one reason I know Daniel Jones is going to
get the love because he's the quarterback. But to me,
it all begins with the physicality and the ball control
and frankly, the explosiveness of Jonathan Taylor. And I hate
the idea that a running back cannot be an MVP

(53:39):
when I think he is the most valuable player, or
at least is in that discussion along with as you mentioned,
Stafford has really jumped up there. Drake may should be
in that conversation. Jonathan Taylor should be have a seat
at that table, in that discussion.

Speaker 3 (53:53):
Look, he's done a really good job of getting them
up and going two hundred plus yards against a Falcon
is terrific. This explosive place six seven years into the league.
You're not supposed to be that fast running away from
defenders like he's doing.

Speaker 2 (54:08):
And look, man, it's the Bell Cow effect. You have
such a talent.

Speaker 3 (54:12):
A challenge dealing with the Colts because you got to
stop him first, no matter what we say, you got
to stop the run to set up everything else.

Speaker 2 (54:20):
And so you can't stop him.

Speaker 3 (54:21):
So now Ty Warren, Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, Alec Pearce,
they're one of their one on ones. On the backside,
that offensive line is beefy as physical. And then defensively,
lou Ana Roumo coming over maybe the most slept on
defensive coordinator because for whatever reason, the Beagles thought they
could get better than what they had in him. And

(54:42):
now you've given him some weapons, some playmakers. You make
a trade to get Sauce Guarden, and you put Sauce
out there, which eventually.

Speaker 4 (54:49):
Gonna give them what you think of that deal.

Speaker 2 (54:53):
So from the Jet.

Speaker 3 (54:54):
Standpoint, and I love ag and I understand the fact
of having five first round picks. But we've seen how
hard it is for teams to turn picks into players
and those those upper levels. Now, if they can do it,
it'll be great, but we just haven't seen many teams
do it now. I will say a couple of years ago, Sauce,

(55:15):
Garret Wilson, Jermaine Johnson, where the three today took. They
had three first round picks, and two of those guys
were offensive and defensive Rookie of the year.

Speaker 2 (55:24):
Sauce was a two time All Pro. So you get that.

Speaker 3 (55:28):
But man, that's a lot of picks, and so you
can hoard them all trying to find a quarterback or whatever.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
But that's gonna be tough.

Speaker 3 (55:34):
But then they mess around and somehow won a game
against the Browns that we're not gonna talk about, but
they found a way to win the game. I just
think for the Colts, this was badly saying I'm all in.
I'm going all in, not just for this year, but
for the next few years. We'll figured got a way
to keep Daniel Jones. But the weapons that they have,
the firepart they have, they gonna be around for a minute.

Speaker 1 (55:53):
Yeah, And that was and frankly, you know, the ironic
thing is Balorder has never really believed in running backs
I mean, sorry, wide receivers, terbacks in the first round.
Kind of philosophical thing going back to his time with
Jerry Angelo over in Chicago. And then he gives two
first rounders for a corner. You know, that's the irony,
But I think it's also a nod to the fact
that he thinks his roster is where it needs to

(56:13):
be and maybe the first round picks late in the
twenties won't have as much value as getting a position
they know for a fact they need badly. And Sharvari's
Ward is going to come back from concussion, so you're
gonna have wardback, You're gonna have Kenny Moore, you're gonna
have obviously, Sauce Gardner. I mean, man to go from
where the Colts were to where they are right now,

(56:35):
where this doesn't look like a flash in the pan.
Provided Daniel Jones can take care of the football, the
Colts are going to be a really tough out once
their secondary you know, gets healthy. I mean, I mean, look,
well they're really tough out right now, regardless.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
I mean, that's the only thing that you worried about
By right, is the only thing that you worried about
with them is them being healthy enough to take advantage of.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
The stuff that they have.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
And as Daniel Jones is really coming back to earth
with the turnovers, can he manage those turnovers and not
give the ball away? But they're good enough where they
they can overcome it. Now, let's talk about quickly the
Atlanta Falcons. Michael Pennix didn't look great. And I know
we're only in kind we're in year two, but it's

(57:19):
kind of the end of his rookie season. What do
you think about the former first round quarterback in Atlanta.

Speaker 4 (57:25):
He's right where I thought he'd be.

Speaker 1 (57:27):
I had him behind Nix and May and Caleb and Jayden.

Speaker 4 (57:33):
I wasn't as high on him as others.

Speaker 1 (57:35):
I thought that Ryan Gruff's system, and I thought he
played really well in Washington. I was very bothered by
three years where he was. You know, he had three
seasons where he had seasoned Indian injuries that always concerned me.
There was some problems with him throwing accurately when he
got outside of the pocket on the run. He had
really low completion ratings, which kind of bothered me. And

(57:59):
I think you're seeing right now. He was late on
some throws yesterday and an out rolly through that it
was a deep out and got there so late the
receiver jumped caught it and he landed outside of the
white so he was like way out.

Speaker 4 (58:13):
I'm like, man, that's that's got to come out quicker.
I look quickly. But you know, Drake London has Drake
London has been good.

Speaker 1 (58:21):
I mean, he's got some weapons over there. But for me,
Pennis isn't really unlocking anything. He's not doing anything that
an average quarterback wouldn't do. And it's a shame because
you've got Vijon over there, You've got Drake London. Pitt's
still will flash and give you some you know, give
you some looks here and there. Tyler Algiers done a
nice job as a finisher when he gets inside the

(58:44):
red zone. So I don't know. I'm just not feeling
with with with Pinnis and he still needs time. Not
saying give up on Pinis, but I got to start
seeing some more flashes from Pinnis. I'm not seeing enough
flashes right now.

Speaker 3 (58:55):
I thought that he would be doing a little more,
just being able to kind of like down in lock
it and give them Explosi development and whatever. He's showing
flashes thought, of course the season just didn't have a
great performance yesterday, and I think when you're Atlanta, like
everyone kind of has to get it done. Now, not
saying that a Raheem Morris's job is on the line,
but I just know in this in this league.

Speaker 2 (59:18):
And you don't have a whole lot of time to
kind of figure it out.

Speaker 3 (59:21):
Maybe you can turn around, maybe you can find his way,
Maybe Zach Robinson can find a way to kind of
integrate everything into the package. Because they're talented enough to
get it done, and they're playing better on defense than
we ever imagine. They let a game slip that they
had they just needed to finish it out and they
couldn't get it.

Speaker 2 (59:35):
They couldn't get it done.

Speaker 4 (59:36):
And I think with Penis it's really going to be
about consistency. I mean that completion rate.

Speaker 1 (59:42):
It started in Washington's seventy six point nine in that game,
then sixty two five against Buffalo, and then since then
fifty five three, fifty nine to five, and then against
the Colts forty two nine, then no third down conversions.
It was Yeah, it was a it was a rough game,
and the Falcons, as you mentioned, wa better defensively than
we thought. And I thought the Falcons were gonna end

(01:00:02):
up being a serious threat to Tampa. But the Saints
really good win beating out I was I was hoping
Carolina was kind of turning the corner. I'm cheering for them.
I want to see them do well, but that was
not a good one.

Speaker 4 (01:00:15):
They're losing that one at home.

Speaker 3 (01:00:20):
The Panthers, they finally get you excited about who they
are and what they could be, then they lay in
an egg, like the.

Speaker 4 (01:00:27):
NFL in a nutshell.

Speaker 1 (01:00:28):
This is why the NFL is is this way. Is
any given Sunday is a real phrase that actually has meaning.

Speaker 2 (01:00:37):
I mean just it just drives you crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
Or any given Thursday, or any given Sunday, any given Monday,
or any given Saturday late in the season when we
also have Saturday games general we all put together.

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
Yeah, it just drives you crazy because that should have
been one where they they should I mean, you would
think that they would be able to stack it together
and started to get some wins. But that's the league, man,
that's the league.

Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
Just crazy. But you know what else is the league,
lan Z is in a league of his own.

Speaker 3 (01:01:07):
Man, I appreciate you stepping in for the boys, chatting
up with your boy, just talking about all those things.
But you know what, I really get excited tomorrow. We
got read what's coming on. He's will talking about the
Ricky draft whatever.

Speaker 2 (01:01:18):
That look like.

Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
I don't even know if my guy's gonna play, but
no one cares, But I'm excited. Lance says, You're beginning
to dig into this draft class and look at some
of these dudes.

Speaker 2 (01:01:28):
And we may not have quarterbacks, but boy, there's some
talent though.

Speaker 1 (01:01:31):
Oh, I'll be looking at rets quarterback from Indiana sometime soon.
I'm sure you're gonna hear a lot about that went
over Penn State. I'm sure that's gonna come up on
the show.

Speaker 2 (01:01:40):
I mean, yes, it's gonna come up. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:01:42):
I can't wait for you to dig into Mendoze because
I'm sitting here trying to figure out, like, man.

Speaker 2 (01:01:46):
Is Mendoza for real? Are we for real?

Speaker 4 (01:01:49):
We might be?

Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
I'm waiting to see it's Ty Simpson for real, It's
Ty Simpson out? You really want to be that guy
who plays one year college football?

Speaker 4 (01:01:57):
Come out?

Speaker 1 (01:01:57):
Not a great success rate, that's all the stuff.

Speaker 4 (01:02:00):
We'll get you down the road.

Speaker 3 (01:02:01):
But hey, man so much man, Hey, this is mooda sticks.
I'm going Brooks this landesdy Until next time we'll catch
you with you