Texas-Florida Keys to the Game, Cowboys Deep Dive, MLB Divisional Series Previews

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Happy Friday, everybody.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Jake Krbin here filling in for Craig as he flies
to the Sunshine State on this beautiful Friday afternoon. We've
got you covered from two to five here on AM
thirteen hundred the Zone and always free on the iHeart
Radio app. Got a big show the day before sec

(00:25):
play begins with the Longhorns taking on the Florida Gators
at two thirty Central time tomorrow. We're gonna get into
the weeds on that one with a big preview. To
start this show today, Cameron Parker will join us shortly
to share some of his thoughts. We will have inconceivable

(00:46):
coming up on this program today, a trip to Florida,
as we always do on Fridays. Then coming up later
during the three o'clock hour, we'll switch gears a little
bit talk NFL Big Thursday Night game, another NFC West
thriller on a Thursday night with the forty nine Ers
taking down the Rams in overtime, injuries and all. We'll

(01:10):
talk about what it means for both teams here from
those head coaches during the three o'clock hour, then through
the rest of the NFL slate, Big one for the
Texans with the Baltimore Ravens coming to town, and then
we'll have a special treat. Tommy Yarish of Dallascowboys dot
Com it's going to join the show and talk about

(01:31):
everything going on around the Dallas Cowboys. Feels like they've
already had two or three seasons packed into one. Hasn't
it a few thrillers to start the year. We'll get
Tommy on to get his thoughts on what's going right
for the offense, what's maybe going wrong for the defense?

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Where the Cowboys go from here.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Two winnable games coming up on the schedule for Dallas,
including the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Then they'll travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers.
You won't want to miss that. Three thirty Tommy Yurish
joins the program. Of course, a big night in baseball
as well. We'll talk about that sum during the four

(02:12):
o'clock hour on this program today. Three game threes in
the wild Card Series yesterday won a treat and you
heard Craig and the gang talking about those as they
unfolded live yesterday from Twin Peaks on Stashney Lane. If
you missed that episode of the show, it is posted
on the iHeart Apple wherever you get your podcasts. Craig Way,

(02:35):
Mike Hardball, Harj Mark, Henry Cameron Parker went for four
hours yesterday at twin Peaks their SEC kickoff special, and
if you miss that, that is available to listen to
on the podcast.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
We want you to be part of today's show as well.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
You could text us your questions, your thoughts, your comments,
things you want to be discussed on this Friday after
through noon. All you have to do is text the
word Texas, follow by your message to eight one five
three zero. That's the word Texas to eight one five
three zero. Standard messaging and data rates may apply there.

(03:17):
And then we'll wrap up the show later today with
some sound from Sark. Last night on Longhorn Weekly with
Craig Way, as he always does, Coach Sark gave us
a little preview, a little sneak peek into what he
thinks of this week's opposition and it was a really

(03:40):
fun show last night if you missed it. Bijon Robinson
on as one of Craig and Coach Sark's guests, so
that as well as the more keys of the Texas
Florida game you can look forward to late in the show.
We go until five o'clock today here on AM thirteen
hundred the Zone. All right, here's here's a little appetizer

(04:01):
for our Texas Florida preview.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Let's jump right in.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yesterday we heard from Start during his Thursday news conference,
his Zoom media availability, and let's start this show with
a little bit from the opposite side for Billy Napier.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
He talked about DJ Lagway this week.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
His quarterback, of course, willis Product, who has battled so
so many injuries.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
DJ Lagway.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
It's hard to keep perspective on how many injuries he's
had in his young career.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
This is the Florida quarterback.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
If you remember last year, the Gators were six to
zero in games that DJ Lagway both started and finished.
And when he heard his hamstring the middle of last
year against Georgia, the Gators were up ten to three
in the game he left late in the second quarter.
Florida was unable to hang on to that lead. He

(04:57):
played at a very high level last season, but he
had the hamstring injury first, then a shoulder injury during
the spring and then what they called a core or
a mid section injury. Long story short, Lagway couldn't really
throw during the spring. He was learning the system, getting

(05:18):
more comfortable. All of a sudden in fall, Campa left
calf strain pops up, obviously hampering some of his mobility.
We haven't necessarily seen that side of Lagway's game as
much this season as he still tries to get healthy. Then,
of course, he was in a boot at one point
during their bye week, But as coach Billy Napier said,

(05:41):
DJ Lagway one of his best practices of the season
leading into this Texas game.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
May be as healthy as he's been this season.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
And he just said there was kind of a look
in his eye that caught his attention during practice this.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
Week, looking toos.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
I think that's important, you know, I think that's all Way.
You know, I'm trying to get We're trying to do
our best for him, you know, in terms of creating
an environment where he can continue to get back in
his rhythm.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
You know, the Gators offense hasn't had a lot of
rhythm this season so far. They haven't been able to
sustain a lot of drives in their twenty six to
seven loss to Miami Florida was zero for thirteen on
third down. They had under one hundred and fifty yards
of offense in that game. Out of sixteen SEC teams,

(06:37):
the Gators are second to last three hundred and twenty
eight yards per game. Now, they have faced a relatively
difficult schedule compared to their SEC counterparts, but they've only
scored three touchdowns in three games. I don't care who
you play, that's not necessarily up to standard DJ Lagway
this season five touchdowns, six interceptions over those four games,

(06:58):
the last three of which have been lost. They had
the home loss to USF, lost twenty to ten at
LSU that was the game where Lagway through five interceptions
only through nine all of last year, and then the
loss at Miami, which was a one score game late
in the second half. Kind of got out of hand
late for the Gators against the Hurricanes. But this is

(07:22):
a question that has surrounded Billy Napier a lot throughout
his time as the Gators head coach, and that is
will you bring in a play call? Does this offense
need a fresh set of eyes, a fresh play caller
at the helm to sort of get out of this
funk that it seems they've been in really anytime. Lagway

(07:44):
was off the field last year and then most of
their twelve quarters of football sixteen quarters of football they've
played this year.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
So here's an exchange he had with the reporter. It's
funny enough.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
His name's Cam Parker, no relation to the camp Parker
joining the show in a few moments, about why he
still believes that Billy Napier should be why Billy Napier
still believes that he will call the place.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
Ye Bill, Going back to the play calling aspect of it,
some head coaches around the country have given that duty
up just because of everything going on with the change
of this work. What ultimately gives you the conviction that
this is the right decision for.

Speaker 5 (08:25):
You and your team.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Well, it's your eight for me, and I think it's
the way we've done it, and I think it helped
us get here, you know, and it helped us. But
I mean, look, I think that each Europe there's a
lot of guys that are still doing it too, right,
I mean, you could argue both ways here, right, So

(08:47):
watch several that we're doing it this weekend.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
So I think each year you're.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Evaluating what is best for the team, for the staff,
and certainly I think with who we had coming back,
you know, the quarterback in particular, I think is a
huge piece of that puzzle, right, in terms of the verbiage,
the system, the dialogue, how you teach the quarterback. I

(09:15):
think that's a big piece of the puzzle. And then
certain situations present maybe an opportunity for a reset, right,
And I think that you're always just evaluate and what's
best for this team, right, And I think and we're
trying that's ultimately what drives every decision that we do,
no different than a lot of the changes that we

(09:36):
made in the past, right, So I get it. Look
any anytime, you know, there's a lot of teams out
there this weekend that struggles, you know, and there's gonna
be criticism when you're not as productive, and that contributes
to the team not winning, no different than you know,
when you give up a lot of points, there's criticism
on the other side. Right, So I think we've got

(09:59):
to play compliment or football.

Speaker 6 (10:00):
And you know, this is a.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
Defense that we've worked four years.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
On building and preparing and they're playing at a high level,
and we have to continue that and now we have
to get back to playing better on offense. You know,
I do think that the kicking game has becoming a
weapon for us. The punt return game our specialists play.

(10:26):
So you know, we're we've struggled a little bit here
the first month, and I think we know we all
know that. I know that our players know that, and
certainly our fans know that.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, the Florida fans.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
And when Sean Kelly, the play by play voice of
the Gators, came on this program just Tuesday afternoon, he mentioned,
it's a very knowledgeable crowd at Florida and when when
it's buzzing there, it's a home field advantage that rivals
any venue in the SEC. But because of the things

(11:00):
have gone recently, if it goes south, and if it
goes south in particular for Florida offensively, yeah, they'll let
you know about it too, especially on a day where
there's an eighty eight percent chance of rain and with
their team on the wrong side of a three game
losing streak over under for the game set at forty

(11:24):
two and a half points, Texas a five and a
half point favorite that after they opened as about a
touchdown favorite, just under six and a half yesterday for
a moment that line had moved to four and a
half at some places, So the Gators were picking up
some bets out in the desert. As a home underdog

(11:46):
in this matchup, I think the start's gonna be huge,
and we'll talk about that with Cameron Parker among other
topics next as he comes on the program to help
preview Texas's SEC opener against Florida. It's a Friday on
The Craigway Show, a fire me Up Friday, and we're
ready to get you set where Texas is sec opener. Well,

(12:11):
glad you're with us here on Sports Radio AM thirteen
hundred The Zone and as always totally free on the
iHeartRadio app. Coming back with the Strokes on a fire
me Up Friday. A nice tradition on this program and
one that was started by the man that joins us now,
the former producer of The Craigway Show. That's our own

(12:33):
Cameron Parker. And Cameron, we're gonna obviously let you save
some things like your prediction for this game for tomorrow's
Longhorns game day program, but we're excited to have you
on here.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
Give us a little preview of this Florida matchup.

Speaker 7 (12:47):
Yeah, Jake, thanks for not asking for my prediction, because
I don't even really know what it is at this point.
I've gone back and forth this week thinking about tomorrow's
game between Texas and Florida. On one hand, you of
a Texas team that understand Steve Sarksian four and one
off of bye week, and that one loss team in
his inaugural season as the head coach for Texas Football.

(13:07):
So four to oh starting with year two, including a
two in oh spurt last season off of bye week.
So this Texas team under Steve Sarksian finds a way
to plays some great football following an open week. That
extra week of preparation seems to go a long way
for Texas and that's exactly what the offense needs with
Arch Banning, who we've obviously talked about it extensively, ups

(13:30):
and downs. But can you build off what we saw
against Sam Houston right by far his best game of
the season, but also against maybe the worst defense in
all of college football. So those two things possibly do
they go hand in hand and out On the Florida
side of it, Florida team that's lost three straight games,
in a row, and it's very easy to dismiss them, right,

(13:52):
You've lost three in a row, A lost with Florida
team at home in Gainesville, and then back to back
against top twenty five teams including LSU at the Swamp,
and then two weeks ago against Miami Florida team that's
ranked number three in the country. So yeah, the South
Florida lost probably not great, but the last two losses

(14:13):
a pair of top twenty five teams, and I know
LSU lost to Ole Miss a week ago. But this
SEC Conference is pretty tough. So Florida comes in with
the third strongest strength to schedule in the nation, behind
a group of five school and then Notre Dame and
then Florida number three, So there's certainly more battle tested
than Texas is. But on one hand, Texas has played

(14:35):
the number one team in the country already and a
great Ohio State Buck Guy defense, so a lot of
unknowns going into this game tomorrow and a big quarterback
battle Jake between arch Manning and DJ Loigway, two guys
who had lofty expectations entering the season, two Heisman contenders,
and now we find ourselves in this game. The SEC

(14:57):
Conference opener with neither quarterback in the Heisman contention.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
No, not at the moment.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
And look, we're gonna get back into some of the
nuts and bolts of this game, but I'm glad you
brought that up. Texas the last SEC team to play
a conference game, and as far as power rankings go,
they probably started the season well, they did start the
season near the top of almost every list. But I
was doing a little survey this morning among some of

(15:24):
the different outlets, and while some of the computers and
odds makers still have Texas in that upper echelon of
the SEC as far as power rankings and odds go,
the Statesman put out a SEC power ranking yesterday Texas
ninth SEC network dropped the Longhorns to tenth. Is that
an overreaction? Where do you think Texas kind of deserves

(15:46):
to slot in at the moment with all these things
still unknown?

Speaker 7 (15:51):
That's a good question. You know, it's such a long season, Jake,
it's hard to get wrapped up in the AP poll
or the Coach's bull or powers or power rankings. Hey,
they're great for us to discuss, great for content, great
for people to click on and read the comment section
and see some fans arguing that this is the stupidest

(16:11):
power ranking of all time, others saying we agree with
all of this. Let's just see Texas play a couple games, right.
They have not played an SEC game yet. Ole Miss
has played three for some reason. That's what happens with
this eight game schedule and al to be nine games
soon in conference play with sixteen teams in this conference.
Let's see Texas play a couple of games, right. If
you're going off the first four games of the season, sure,

(16:34):
I understand why you would put them ninth or tenth
in the conference. But the same token, they have not
played an SEC school yet. So let's see how they
look against a Florida team on the road, arch Manning's
first true road test. And if Texas goes in and
wins that game, I don't care. If Florida is one
and four, it's a very tough environment to win in
and it's still it's a good Florida team. You have

(16:56):
Steve Starcasion, you know, he thinks this is a really
good Florida team.

Speaker 8 (17:00):
They got some big boys on the defensive line. You know.

Speaker 7 (17:03):
They don't let the twenty six to ten score fool you.
They played Miami Florida pretty close. Now the issue is
offensively for Florida, they can't really move the ball right now.
With DJ Lagway throwing five picks against LSU, I think
Billy Napier almost pulled the reins back offensively in that game.
And unfortunately, what made DJ Lagway so good last season

(17:23):
was his ability to create explosive plays. Took that away
from him against LSU and orangst Miami Florida and often struggled,
and Lagway has struggled this season creating those big explosive plays.
So you know, I think if you told Texas fans, hey,
three and one entering conference play, that would have taken that. Now,
seeing the outcomes of each game and how they got

(17:46):
the three and one man maybe a little bit disappointment,
But I go back to the fact this is a
very young Texas team. You're replacing, you know, four guys
on the offensive line. You're losing your three big production
guys on the receiving front, two receivers in a tight end,
and you know, the running back room hasn't been very

(18:07):
healthy since Ohile Satan. Oh the by the way, you
got a brand new quarterback back there. I know we
started two games last season, but hey, an entire season
preparing as the quarterback, the number one quarterback, with all
the hype around him. Obviously it's had an effect on
mister arch Manning. So let's see how Texas can, you know,
build off the bye week. Let's see if those guys

(18:30):
can mature. It's such a long season, Jake, and this
this is a huge five week stretch, you know, four
games away from DKR and then they close at home
against the anable team that by the way, I would
not be surprised if they went into Brian Denny tomorrow
and pulled off a big upset against the Alabama team,
because once again they are the sleeping underdogs and BAM
was coming off a big win against Georgia this past week.

(18:52):
But it's such a deep conference, it's almost I feel
like it's impossible to rank any of these teams at
this point in the season. So let's see all Texas
looks this week. You know, Oklahoma next week won't be
the same without John Mattier, but hey, at Kentucky will
be tough. That'll probably be eleven ame tick off, that'll
be a snoozer. And then a pretty goodness to be

(19:14):
state team that's four and one overall. They're on one
in conference play, but I lost and overtime. They're a
talented team, and then mentioned Vanderbilt. So let's just see
how this week and next week and the next couple
weeks ago, before we get wrapped up in all the
power rankings put out by all these outlets.

Speaker 2 (19:31):
Well, at two thirty, they'll they'll snap the ball and
we can forget about all those rankings. And I think
you and I would both agree, as would coach Sark,
that a fast start on the road is essential. The
long Worns are twenty and one since twenty twenty three.
When they score first, how aggressive of a game plan
do you think we'll see from Texas to try and
achieve that fast start right out of the gates in

(19:53):
this one.

Speaker 7 (19:54):
That's a great question. Sark talked about it on Thursday
and his media availability. He wants to score fast, wants
to score quickly and set the tone. My question is
what's the weather going to be like? Expecting to be rain,
it's going to be probably very humid, probably not going
to be great for ball control in terms of, you know,
holding onto the football. So does that play in effect

(20:15):
into how Stark calls this game. I don't think so.
You know, he's been pretty aggressive with arch Manning, right,
you know, even against Ohio State on the road. I
thought he was coming out with a very aggressive play calls.
And unfortunately Arch just you know, didn't have his best
game and he connects in that first throw against Ohio State.

Speaker 8 (20:31):
Who knows what those were his confidence? Who knows?

Speaker 7 (20:33):
So that game plays out. But one thing we do
know about Sark and even Pekwakowski, the Texas fensive coordinator,
they're pretty aggressive, you know, they don't they don't hold
back too much. And I really don't know if we
have seen the true offense from Taxis yet. I think
he probably kept a couple of things hidden in non
conference play. And of course why would you you know,

(20:54):
use your entire playbook against Sam Houston and in UTEP.
But he talked about it on Thursday. He wants to
come out and be aggressive and would not be surprised
Jake if he sticks to that.

Speaker 1 (21:07):
And you mentioned arch Manning.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
Look, I mean the people listening, they don't need you
and I to tell them that arch Manning has a
lot to proof in this game, and that we can
learn a lot about him from this SEC road test.
What other areas of this team do you sort of
still have those questions about that you hope get answered
on Saturday afternoon.

Speaker 7 (21:26):
I think defensively, we feel pretty good about where Texas
is at.

Speaker 8 (21:30):
I think their top five, top ten defense.

Speaker 7 (21:33):
Offensively, I think that's where probably most people have the
question marks, right the offensive line. Florida has a pretty
good defensive line, So how does the Texas front young
guys handle Florida? Right, It's probably the best d line
they've seen sohouse date. I thought they were phenomenal against
the Buckeyes. If they can keep it up against Florida,

(21:55):
then you feel pretty good about the Texas's chances. But
I mean, outside the defense of line, my biggest question mark,
as is probably most of Texas fans, is how does
Arch Manning look come to Marrow at two thirty?

Speaker 2 (22:09):
Outside of the weather right playing a factor, what other
kind of details or facets of the game do you
think might flip it one way or another.

Speaker 7 (22:20):
I think turnovers will be a huge part of this game,
and I'm curious how PK decides to defend DJ Logway.
What made Florida is so good last year was his
ability to create explosive plays. We have not seen that
this year now. His weapons definitely a bit of a
downgrade as opposed to last season. They're getting back freshman
Dallas Wilson, who by all accounts in fall camp was

(22:42):
making all kinds of plays all over the field. He'll
be introduced to the Texas secondary tomorrow. But I'm curious
that this PK just come out and just play you
too high shell. Hey, DJ, We're gonna give you every
single throw underneath deank and dunk, but we're not going
to let you have the big play. Or does PK
come out and say, you know what, Dj, you have

(23:04):
not been able to create any sort of big plays
this year. We're going to be very aggressive with the
way we rush the passer with the blitzes. But you know,
PK is not the biggest blitz guy, and I think
he's gonna trust in his ability to let his front
or get to the quarterback. But you know, all to
talk about arch Manning, you know, DJ Lagway was one

(23:24):
of my favorite players coming to the season, and whether
it's just injuries keeping them out of spring and fall
camp and he's possibly, I wouldn't be surprised if he's
playing injured.

Speaker 8 (23:33):
How does DJ.

Speaker 7 (23:34):
Lagway look Because if either one of these quarterbacks straight
can can create big plays, that could be the deciding
factor in this game. But to Florida team that I
think has only scored two touchdowns in one game once
this season at that's correct. So it's an offense that's
been struggling mightily and now they're playing at Texas defense.

(23:55):
I mean, does Texas have a better defense mining Florida?
I think so South Florida for sure. LSU yes. So
if Florida couldn't crack twenty points against those three schools,
then what makes you think they're going to crack twenty
points against Texas and less Texas somehow turns the ball
over deep in their own side of the field, or
we see some pick sixes, Fumbel recoveries, anything like that.

Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yeah, I feel like that's another reason fast start is
such a key if you get this Florida offense into
obvious passing situations. Although stats get even worse in the
sense that they were trying to come from behind in
their LSU and Miami Florida losses and more often than
not that resulted in turnovers. So to the injury report, CJ.
Baxter downgraded, likely not going to see him on Saturday,

(24:40):
but Emitt Mosley and Trey Wisner both trending towards making
their returns. How big of a game changer is that
for this Texas offense?

Speaker 7 (24:50):
Well, the best rushing game we saw from Texas, not
including Sam Houston was Ohio State, I think, and who
did Texas have in that game? Trey Wisner, you know,
the leading returner from from last year's Texas team over
a thousand yards a year ago and I always felt
like Trey wisern got better as the game went along.
Having him back will be huge for this Texas rushing attack.

(25:14):
You know, I know, when you play inferior opponents, you
expect to run for you know, six seven yards per carry.
But there was definitely a drop off going from CJ
and Trey. And this is nothing against Jerreed Gibson or
Christian Clark or James Simon. They played phenomenal, but you know,
having your number one running back is huge for Texas
and Emmett mostly the Stanford transfer, who we heard good

(25:34):
things about, just has you know, came over the Texas
and springball was kind of nicked up and still the
Texas and Stark was was being very careful with him,
and I think that tells you possibly how important he
is this Texas offense.

Speaker 8 (25:49):
Can he be the the.

Speaker 7 (25:52):
All hands guy that Texas been looking for, right and
can you take away some some pressure from Ryan Wingo
or DeAndre Mormon. We know we can stretch the field
and Florida will probably put a lot of attention to
detail on Wingo. That could open up things for Emmitt Moseley.
So it's, you know, not the healthiest Texas has been

(26:12):
all season, but they're getting closer to that and Emmitt
Moseley is a big step forward. I'm glad we have
not seen Jack injuries on the injury report and tells
me he's ready to go. So Texas getting some key
guys back in the nicked time.

Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, hopefully in the nick of time to get that
offense to look the way I think a lot of
Longhorns fans thought it would look coming into the year.
Is there someone all this Texas team could be offense,
could be defense. We're maybe not talking about much right now,
but might make a big impact on this game.

Speaker 1 (26:43):
Besides injuries.

Speaker 7 (26:47):
I really could see Trey Wisner. I think Wisner if
Texas wins tomorrow, I could see him easily getting over
one hundred yards. I could see the weather is that bad,
and maybe our struggling a bit with the rain. Maybe
now I could see Sark, you know, really turning to
the run game, especially if Texas is leading the second half.

(27:07):
You know Sark loves to hit the ground and run
the clock out and really tire out the opposing defense.
Would not be surprised, Jake. If Trey Wiser has a
big game tomorrow and also Texas wins at the same time.

Speaker 2 (27:21):
Well, we'll save your official prediction for tomorrow. You might
have hinted at it right there, but why don't you
tell folks where they can hear you starting tomorrow in
the late morning.

Speaker 7 (27:31):
Yeah, we got a big day tomorrow on thirteen hundred
to soon, so remember our pregame coverage actually beginst Ten
thirty am with a Third and Longhorn preview podcasts Nick Schuley,
Jeremy Hills, Fozzy Whitaker, Alex okafor Rod Babers, all those
guys breaking down Texas and Florida. Then at eleven thirty
Longhorn's Game Day live from third Base in Round Rock.

(27:54):
I'll be out there with Mark Henry in my cards
the morning kickoff duo. We have special guests including Norman Watkins,
Storm and Norman. Former Texas Longhorn defensive lineman Rod Babers
also will be coming on from on Texas Football dot
Com and of course a lifetime Longhorn. Also going to
visit with Graham Hall, who covers the Florida Gators for
two four to seven sports dot Com. So we'll be

(28:15):
on eleven thirty. The one thirty, the network coverage begins
Greg Way, Roger Wallace and Will Matthews live from the Swamp.
It's their first time actually calling a football game down there,
so that'll be fun. And then following the network postgame show,
the third and Longhorn postgame show usually broken down Nick
Shuley and typically you see Aaron Williams, maybe Adrian Phillips

(28:38):
and Jeremy Hills on that show. They have have a
great rotating cast of former Longhorn players. So a fun
day four tomorrow and looking forward the scene you tomorrow, Jake.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
Yeah, should be a lot of fun. We'll see you then, Cam.

Speaker 2 (28:49):
Thanks for stopping by, Yes, sir as Cameron Parker, who
will be hosting Longhorn's Game Day tomorrow morning, starting at
eleven thirty right here on AM thirteen hundred The Zone.
Up next, a fun Friday tradition on The Craigways Show.
While Craig is on his way to the Sunshine State, Well,
guess what We've already been there scouting stories for Inconceivable

(29:12):
right here on Sports Radio thirteen hundred The Zone, second
hour on this Friday edition of the Craigways Show. I'm
Jay Curbin, the producer of this program, in for Craig
today as he flies down to Gainesville getting ready for
the call of Texas and Florida at the Swamp. If

(29:35):
you're just joining us you missed our preview last hour
Cameron Parker joined the show.

Speaker 1 (29:40):
Don't worry.

Speaker 2 (29:41):
This will be uploaded in podcast form a little later
on this afternoon. Plus we'll get back to a little
Texas Florida later on this afternoon with a little snippet
from Coach Sark in his Longhorn Weekly Show with Craig Way,
aired last night at seven o'clock right here on thirteen
hundred Zone. If you missed it, and during that little

(30:02):
snippet you'll hear Coach Shark offer some of his preview
of this Florida matchup. They also had Bijon Robinson on
last night as a guest. Some great stories and that
one was certainly a fun show. You can always go
back and listen to that on the iHeart Radio app.
But as promised, will shift gears and Talk NFL here

(30:25):
to start the second hour of the program. Coming up,
we'll hear from both Tamiko Ryans and Brian Schottenheimer, and
then we'll get Tommy Yarish on the phone. He is
a reporter for Dallascowboys dot Com inside the building giving
you some of the latest on how the Cowboys are
preparing for the New York Jets Dallas of course, one
two to one. After that forty to forty tie with

(30:48):
the Cream Bay Packers last Sunday night, almost had another
tie last night, but Sew McVeigh didn't want to play
it that way. Forty nine Ers beat the Rams by
a final score of twenty six to twenty three. On
Thursday Night Football yesterday, Craig Way's Rams fall to three
and two. Well, the forty nine Ers take over first

(31:10):
place in the NFC West at four and one. We
said it last week after Seattle in Arizona. A lot
of these NFC West games this year, I think are
going to be like this, come down to one or
two plays off in some wackiness late. You throw Thursday
night in the mix and short preparation, and you kind
of just rely on what you know in terms of

(31:30):
the familiarity and the teams in this division. But that
wasn't necessarily the case for the Rams last night because
the forty nine ers were down some key guys, brock
Perdy out with that turf toe injury, which it now
seems apparent he was rushed back from because he played
against Jacksonville in a losing effort a week ago, only
to then sit here on this Thursday Night against the Rams.

(31:54):
No George Kittle, whose return is a couple weeks away
from that hamstring, No Ricky Piersoll, who's got a PCL
problem in his knee, and no Juwan Jennings who's just
been banged up all year with that calf injury. Now
I think for him, one of those guys who was
holding out before the season, both him and Terry McLaurin
now banged up. Not sure if it's a correlation or

(32:17):
a causation there with those two. So the Niners were
using sort of a skeleton crew on offense, including mac Jones,
who has always been able to get the ball out
quick and compete just hang tough. I thought he got
a raw deal in New England. Mac Jones did, and

(32:38):
he once again showed he's capable of playing winning football.
But the big story in this game was Christian McCaffrey.
He was even more of a focal point for the
forty nine ers in this one with all of those
weapons out. I mean, he was essentially their number one
wide receiver. Now, Kendrick Bourne had a terrific game, but
Christian McCaffrey, drawing all of that defensive attention and handling

(33:00):
a heavy workload, carried the ball twenty two times. Only
got two and a half yards of carry in last
night's game, but eight catches for eighty two yards and
a score. Felt like every time the Niners needed to
stay ahead of the chains needed a big conversion, it
was going to McCaffrey or Kendrick Boord. And their tight
end Jake Tanis had a good game as well, really
well coached game by Kyle Shanahan, a good game plan,

(33:23):
Niners dominated a time of possession, had those two really
long drawn out touchdown drives early in the game, and
took advantage of some rams miscuse, which we'll get to
it a little bit. Here's what Kyle Shanahan, though, had
to say about the special talent of Christian McCaffrey. With
everyone knowing he was going to be the focal point,
how is he able to have so much success now?

Speaker 9 (33:46):
He's one of the toughest, grettiest guys I've ever been around.
I mean just how he approaches every day, how physical
he is. Christian's been unbelievable. He's been running into some
really tough looks, but he doesn't shy away from anything
on what he did in the past game today, even
what he did in the run game. Just for us
to be able to have thirty three runs when first
that run defense that's so important because you throw it

(34:07):
too much first that team, it's you're just you're gonna
end up getting sacks.

Speaker 1 (34:10):
It's a matter of time before you end up having
a turnover.

Speaker 9 (34:13):
So just being able to stay with it, which is
huge with third down but he's one of the reasons
we can stay with the run because of what he
does in the pass game for us.

Speaker 1 (34:20):
He's right.

Speaker 2 (34:21):
The Rams pass rush, led by Jared Verse and Byron
Young is outstanding, and the forty nine ers able to
sort of negate that last night really good game plan
from Kyle Shanahan. Could have easily felt like a throwaway
game for the Niners with all of those guys out injured,
and to their credit as eight and a half point underdogs,

(34:44):
they went into LA and got the win. Now, not
exactly the most hostile environment there in LA. A lot
of forty nine are read in the crowd, and it
sounded at times like they were playing at the old
Candlestick in that game, Not that I know what that's like.
Maybe Craig remembers that. But it went to overtime. The

(35:04):
Rams had multiple chances to win. They were down three
Layton regulation. Trying to punch it into the end zone,
Kyron Williams fumbled, it was punched out by former Longhorn.
Now for Collins, how about that the Cedar Creek product
making a huge play Leyden regulation that eventually forced the

(35:27):
Rams to spend their timeouts to get the football back
and then kick a last second game tying field goal
like Kyra hung onto that ball, the Rams might have
been able to score with no time left, maybe even
score a touchdown to win it in regulation, And maybe
Sean mcvayh would have gone for that touchdown anyway, because
he said after the game there was no second thought

(35:48):
about what he did in overtime, which was down by three,
deciding to go for it deep in forty nine or
territory where a chip shot field goal from Joshua Carty
might have tied the game up, but instead, on fourth down,
Sean McVay dialed up sort of a half back dive

(36:08):
right up the middle, and the forty nine Ers defense
led by Fred Warner was all over it. And Sean McVay,
critical of himself for this play call after the loss.

Speaker 10 (36:19):
Thought about maybe trying to draw him off sides. I
took one, they took the other, and it was a
porge and by me right there. But you know, give
the Niners credit. They made enough places to be able
to win the football game. We had plenty of chances
throughout this game. You know, we stayed in it, We fought,
we battled, but there's a lot of things that we
have to be able to clean up, and a lot
of football left. But I'm pretty sick right now. I'm

(36:41):
sick of the spot that I put our group in
to end the game.

Speaker 1 (36:44):
But hey, these are the.

Speaker 10 (36:46):
Tough beats that you got to be able to learn
from and.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
Move forward, and that's what we're gonna do. Yeah, a
lot of season left for the Rams. But Shawn's right.

Speaker 2 (36:52):
There were some mistakes in all three phases for the
Rams in that game. Lost a turnover battle, almost difficult
to win in prime time against a good team when
that's the case, And they also made a special team's
mistake or two. He had an extra point get blocked
early in the game, then another one missed or sorry

(37:12):
that was the same kick. But then Joshua Carty, who's
been so good at doing this specialty sort of squib knuckleball.

Speaker 1 (37:20):
Kick we told you about it last Friday.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
Now the Rams and the Panthers are giving their opponents
the worst starting field position of any NFL team under
these new kickoff rules.

Speaker 1 (37:31):
We tried to get out ahead of this last week.

Speaker 2 (37:33):
Alan Kirk were all over it on the Thursday night
football broadcast, which Al was struggling to keep track of
a couple of fumbles in that game. But we'll always
tip our cap to a legend there in al Michaels,
But he mentioned this too. The Rams have this tendency
to pin their opponents back with the knuckling kickoff, which
forces the returner to sort of not have any sort
of head of steam, forces the blockers to kind of

(37:56):
fly blind, not knowing where the run lane is on
our like that, I gave the Rams for the Niners,
I should say, pretty good field position to start their
overtime drive at the forty and kick a field goal
which gave them the lead. So here's how Sean mcvayh
wants his team to view this game moving forward as
a learning opportunity.

Speaker 10 (38:16):
Yeah, you have to, you know, ultimately it's my responsibility.
We weren't ready to go, you know. There was a
lot of guys that gave us chances, you know, but
I'm really disappointed, while also excited about being able to
use this as an opportunity to be able to respond,
right now, it doesn't feel good. You know, you were
hoping to be able to have a few days off
to be able to enjoy it, and this will certainly

(38:36):
not make for a great weekend, but it will offer
an opportunity for us to continue to show that we're
made of the right stuff, which I have zero doubt.
I do think our execution can be much sharper in
all three phases, and that'll be a focal point for
us when we come back.

Speaker 2 (38:50):
And when we come back here on the Craig Way Show,
it's time to look ahead. So the rest of Week five,
we'll hear from Demico, Ryans and Brian Schottenheimer as the
Cowboys and Texans prepare for a couple of gotta have
a games. You're listening to The Craig Way Show here
until five pm on Sports Radio A thirteen hundred The
Zone and they always free iHeartRadio app back with a

(39:13):
little Flip Turn on this Friday afternoon, a fire me
Up Friday with the Longhorns on their way to Gainesville
to take on the Florida Gators. Flipter and of course
a band that started in Florida. The more you know
on this Friday afternoon, So we're back to our NFL
preview and the Texans are going to Baltimore this week

(39:36):
a noon kickoff at M ANDT Bank Stadium between a
couple of teams that I'm sure a lot of you
thought would be a little bit better than a combined
two and six right now, and the Texans and Ravens
both need this win badly. Cooper Rush expected to potentially

(39:56):
be the starting quarterback for the Ravens. John Harbaugh was
sort of joking with the media that he was going
to keep it very tight lipped about his quarterback, who
still has not practiced. Remember, he was removed during the
second half of that game against the Kansas City Chiefs,
a lopsided road loss a week ago. Texans able to

(40:18):
get a lopsided win their first of the season when
they shut out the Tennessee Titans a week ago. But
the Ravens have kind of been a boogeyman for Houston
Baltimore eleven and two all time in this series. Demiko
Ryans very aware of that when he was asked about
it by the media this week, and he just says,

(40:41):
it's time to let the past be the past.

Speaker 5 (40:44):
Hey, to think about this game.

Speaker 11 (40:45):
We understand Baltimore and the success they've had at home
has been really well, and we understand where we've been
in that battle. Right It hasn't been good, but that
doesn't matter. The past is the past. It's all about
these teams this year at this specific time, like how
do we go out and do what we need to
do to execute, to play complimentary football, play as a team,

(41:07):
play together. How do we need to finish? We finished
the right way, we could go win the football game.

Speaker 2 (41:14):
So we mentioned Lamar Jackson has been missing practice this week,
He's not alone on that list, and the Ravens are
right now projected to be down five Pro bowlers in
this matchup. Eight starters didn't practice today, which obviously puts
their status for Sunday's game in major jeopardy. And even

(41:36):
beyond those guys, they lost a few guys long term
to injuries last year, including Madam e k on the
defensive line. A Woozi didn't practice, Kyle Hamilton their safety,
dealing with a groin injury, Marlon Humphrey at corner who
might have maybe drawn the Nico Collins assignment, he didn't
practice with a hamstring injury. A couple of linebackers, including

(42:00):
Away and rope Kwan Smith, both not practicing today, as
well as full back Patrick Ricard. They did get Isaiah
Likely back in the fold offensively a week ago. But
this is going to be a majorly shorthanded Baltimore Ravens
team hosting the Texans on Sunday, and John Harbaugh gonna

(42:21):
try and do what Kyle Shanahan did and just scrapped
together the right game plan to get a win in
a situation where they've got to have it and they
are majorly shorthanded. I mean, while the Texans they should
be close as they might get to full strength, and
they're starting to see some pieces fall into place, particularly

(42:43):
in the rookie class. Arianta Urseri, left tackle brought in
to replaced Laramie Tunzel who was traded over to my
Washington Commanders, starting to grow into his role a little
bit at left tackle. Jayden Higgins, rookie wide receiver, caught
a touchdown last week and that win over ten to see.
And then Whati Marx looks like a real game changer

(43:04):
for this Texans offense coming up with lots of explosive
plays on the ground. You heard Tamiko Ryan's talk about
him a little bit this week. Earlier on the program.
He was asked about all of these rookies here coming
into the week.

Speaker 5 (43:21):
From our rookies.

Speaker 11 (43:22):
Since Love's top four guys you mentioned, I've seen the
guys just put their head down work. They don't say
much at all, forget they're here, you don't even know.
But all of those guys you know, from Tay Higgins,
Noel Woody, all those guys just continue to get better
every week. And that's what you're seeing. You're seeing these

(43:44):
guys mature right before our eyes. You're seeing them get
more opportunities because of the trust that they've shown with
the opportunities they've given.

Speaker 5 (43:53):
They've been given. Like they give Higgs an opportunity.

Speaker 11 (43:56):
To go get the football, He's done it several times,
made a lot of big catches for us.

Speaker 5 (44:01):
We gotta get him more.

Speaker 11 (44:02):
Right, you see Woody and what he's done in a
run game, in passing game, He's earned the op to
get more opportunities, right and Tay, like we know how
tough it is to play left tackle in the league,
especially as a young rookie coming in starting at left tackle.

Speaker 5 (44:18):
He hasn't blinked. He understands.

Speaker 11 (44:21):
He takes under ownership of his job. He takes he
takes his role serious and he's working at it every
single day. Out at practice working on getting better, working
on and from our rookies. Since let's stay out at
practice working on getting better, working on the small fundamental
techniques of hand placement, right footwork, hat placement. How he's finishing,

(44:43):
he's there. I love the way they work right. And
Noel is another one. I go out to practice early.
He's out there early, catching punts, catching kickoffs, like he's
working at his craft and nobody beats him in a meeting.

Speaker 5 (44:57):
He's always the first one in the meetings.

Speaker 11 (44:59):
And he always works the right way. You can tell
he's he's raised the right way, like comes from a
really good family, good background, just asks really good qualities
about him that I love them. So I excited when
you draft guys and you're watching guys, you're watching their
college tape. You see things that you like. But to
see it come to life quickly here in the first

(45:22):
month of the season, it's cool. And to see where
their trajectory is going, it's we got some really good
young rookies, have a promise in future.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
Yeah, lots of reason for optimism surrounding those rookies there.
And I'm gonna preface this last SoundBite from Jamico Ryans
with a recent update. As of eight minutes ago, multiple
sources reporting Lamar Jackson has been ruled out for Sunday's
game against the Texans. They're calling it a hamstring injury.
He has not been placed on IR. But you look

(45:52):
ahead on that reven schedule. Their bye is two weeks
from now. Well, the less they lose this game, it's
it's tough to see him suiting up next week against
the Rams unless he's anywhere close to one hundred percent
of those soft tissue injuries, there's always that extra chance
of reaggravating Demiko. Ryans mentioned Lamar Jackson in this answer.

(46:15):
Obviously it's still planning for the possibility that the former
MVP would play. But here's what he said makes Baltimore
a dangerous team.

Speaker 11 (46:23):
But I say for Baltimore, they're an explosive unit, very
explosive on offense. Although they've lost some games, they scored
a ton of pump, a ton of a ton of points.
And you know it's they have explosive players all across
the field or is at the wide receiver position was
a Flowers, Babeman Hopkins, uh with their tight ends also

(46:44):
explosive players, and then in the backs as well.

Speaker 5 (46:46):
Henry is an explosive player.

Speaker 11 (46:49):
They have, I mean they have, they have people to
that you have to keep eyes on, you have to
be aware of everyone.

Speaker 5 (46:55):
And of course we all understand Lamar and.

Speaker 11 (46:57):
The caliber player that he is, right, He's an outstanding player,
one of the best players in our league, one of
the best players of this generation. He changes the game
tremendously and he's done an outstanding job with that team.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Yeah, pretty big game coming up for the Texans and
the Ravens. Texans trying to get their first road win
of the year as they take on the Ravens. That
game is at noon on CBS from Baltimore. Cowboys will
travel to the East Coast as well at MetLife Standium

(47:30):
to take on the to four New York Jets. Now,
we're gonna talk to Tommy Yarish in just a few minutes,
who writes for Dallas Cowboys dot Com.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
Get his thoughts.

Speaker 2 (47:40):
Kind of from the inside of that building, but everybody
outside right now starting to take notice of the season
that Dak Prescott is putting together. And in his press
conference yesterday, Brian Schottenheimer was asked, you know, with Dak
Prescott carrying such a heavy load for the offense.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
Is that by a design? Do you want to be
this pass heavy?

Speaker 12 (48:02):
Yeah, I wouldn't say that's how we want to play.
I don't think we want to throw the ball. Would
you say forty something times a game? Yeah, forty three? Yeah,
I wouldn't say that's how we want to play. I
think we know we want to be a physical football team,
that that that pounds the football, use our action passes
to create explosives. But I think it does show you
we can play the game however the game needs to

(48:23):
go ed.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
I think that's important that we can adjust.

Speaker 12 (48:27):
The Chicago games the big one that jumps out at
me in terms of we had to go in the
fourth quarter, so those numbers get elevated. Plus you're playing
into overtime two or four weeks and so, as we've
all learned, those overtime periods go fast, and so there's
a little bit more that you do in that regard
from passing.

Speaker 8 (48:44):
But no, you asked the question.

Speaker 12 (48:47):
It's not how I would love to When we put
it together on the board, we don't see forty three
passing attempts a game.

Speaker 2 (48:54):
Well, we'll see if that's the Way things unfold On
Sunday on the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York
Jets to preview that game and talk more about this
start to the Cowboys season. We'll visit with Tommy Yarish
from Dallascowboys dot Com. Coming up next here on sports
Radio AM thirteen hundred The Zone and he always free
iHeartRadio app. We do welcome your text, your questions, your

(49:16):
comments here on this Friday afternoon. Fire me up Friday
on the Craig Way Show, and I'm fired up to
hop on the phone with Tommy Yarish from Dallascowboys dot Com.

Speaker 1 (49:28):
Tommy, how's your week going?

Speaker 13 (49:30):
So far, so far, so good, Jake, really happy to
be with you.

Speaker 6 (49:34):
It's been a while.

Speaker 13 (49:35):
And tell Craig I said hello, and push him the best.
I'm sure that he is well with how hard that
guy works. I hope he's soaking up the sun a
little bit down in Florida. I don't know if there's
any beaches in Gainesville or nearby, but hopefully he's getting
some and hope he's doing well.

Speaker 2 (49:52):
Yeah, hopefully still sunny above the clouds where he is
kind of flying in at the moment, but it might
be raining today there when he lands Tommy Covering the
Cowboys is never boring, but it feels like in just
four weeks you've packed a couple of seasons worth of thrillers,
crazy endings, weird weather one offs. Has it been as

(50:13):
much of a whirlwind as it looks on the outside.

Speaker 6 (50:18):
A little bit?

Speaker 13 (50:18):
They've certainly made it interesting. This is a it's a
very interesting you know beat regardless, and there's always something
going on.

Speaker 6 (50:26):
But I mean that's the that's the.

Speaker 13 (50:28):
Fun part about it, right, I mean, how lucky or
am I to be able to cover this team? But no,
they've had some crazy games. You know, two overtime games
in the span of three weeks. It takes a toll.
And you're seeing that on this week's injury report. You know,
Dallas going to be without three of their starting offensive line,
then maybe four. Tyler Smith was just really questionable to

(50:48):
play on Sunday against the Jets, and that's because of
you know, the taxing toll that comes with playing physical
football for seventy minutes really in two straight games, in
two games in the last three I should say. And
then you mentioned the game in Philadelphia that was an
extremely physical game that went right down to the wire
too in Chicago. You know, it's just kind of deflating.

(51:11):
So it certainly has been up and down for the Cowboys,
but they're hoping they can write the ship up in
New York on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
Yeah, among all the highs and lows, you know, is
there anything that surprised you or maybe differed the most
from your expectations coming in for this twenty twenty five
Cowboys team.

Speaker 13 (51:30):
Certainly Javonte Williams, how well he has played and how
good this Cowboys.

Speaker 6 (51:34):
Run games has been.

Speaker 13 (51:36):
You know, coming into the year, you lose Rico Dabble,
who ran for a thousand yards last year, kind of
came on really strong at the back end of the season,
and you say, okay, you know you're bringing a running
back that's been pretty banged up over the last couple
of years in Denver, obviously had that terrible knee injury
early in his career and hasn't been the same since
his rookie season the last couple of years in Denver.

(51:56):
Now you bring Miles Sanders, who had a rough two
year stretching Caroline after broke out that last year with
the Eagles, and you get a rookie and Jayden Blue
and just a lot of really unknown and so you
weren't as confident going in. But you got a credit
Brian shot In Himer Clayton Adams the offensive coordinator, and
Derek Foster, the running backs coach, for getting this offensive
attack going, and Connor Riley the offensive line coach too,

(52:18):
for getting these guys schemed up really well up front.
I think the offensive line has played very.

Speaker 6 (52:22):
Well in the run game.

Speaker 13 (52:23):
And then Javonte Williams is playing really good football right
now for the Cowboys. I certainly did not expect them
to come out this strong in the pass in the
ground game, I should say, and it really opened things
up for Dak Prescott in the passing game too. He's
playing some of the best football he's playing his career.

Speaker 6 (52:38):
I think.

Speaker 1 (52:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (52:39):
I mean, he's put on the Superhero cape at times,
I think for this Cowboys team. Even though that running game,
i'd agree has been a pleasant surprise. What's impressed you
the most about Dak's play? And you know, how have
you seen his teammates sort of responding to kind of
a high level of football he's put forth over these
four weeks from from your seat on the bus well.

Speaker 6 (53:00):
I said this.

Speaker 13 (53:00):
I think coming into the year, I was saying that
this might be one of the best supporting tasks that
Dak Prescott has had in his career in terms of
skill guys at the receiver position, at tight end, Ceedee Lamb,
George Pickens, Jake Ferguson. It's a turpin and that has
certainly been the case. You've seen it with Ceedee Lamb
early in the season. I know he had those drops

(53:21):
uncharacteristically a little bit in that first game down the stretch,
which was a little concerning that he comes right back
and does normal Ceedee Lamb things, and then George Pickens
stepping up last week when you know you don't have
Ceedee Lamb. And it's been very impressive. But so much
of their success has been Dak Prescott playing at such
a high level. You can just see him in the

(53:43):
internal time clock is on the money. He's perfect with
the ball delivery on some of his throws, and he
has really made some throws that make you kind of
sit back.

Speaker 6 (53:52):
And just go wow.

Speaker 13 (53:53):
You know, you could never tell that this guy was
coming off an injury until twenty four. Frankly, he struggled
when he did play in twenty twenty four. So when
he when he was out there, at least I thought
there was certainly some up and down moments and he
did not seem like his twenty twenty three version of
himself last year. But this year he certainly is playing
like that twenty twenty three version of himself, and now

(54:14):
it's a question of can it continue.

Speaker 6 (54:16):
And they're going to really need him to play very well.

Speaker 13 (54:19):
Again here against the Jets because they're so banged up.
Cavante Turpin is going to be out. Don't know if
Jonathan Mingo's gonna play, and if he does play, they're
gonna have to make not only make a roster spot
for him, but it's gonna be his first game of
the season coming off the knee injury that he had
back in the preseason. So but no, Dak Prescott has
been very, very impressive. Some of the throws that he's made,

(54:40):
like I mentioned, have been off the charts, and you know,
that Green Bay game just one of the better games
you'll see from a quarterback, and really the Philadelphia game too,
some of the throws that he was making are just tacular.
And so he's playing confident. He was telling us that
the other day Brian Schott Hummer sees that confidence that
he has set up Dak Prescott in a really good
spot to get the ball in the right places and

(55:02):
move this offense down the field.

Speaker 2 (55:03):
You know, to talk with Tommy Yars from Dallas Cowboys
dot com where you can read a lot of his work,
and Tommy, one story that you put out mentioned seventeen
different injured players just yesterday, I mean, particularly upfront. How
big of a concern is that going up against Quentin
Williams and the Jets this week.

Speaker 13 (55:23):
Well, certainly it is a concern obviously. You know you've
got two backups interior already with brock Hoffman and TJ.
Bass filling in for Cooper BB and Tyler Booker, And
then you know, you don't know if Tyler Smith is
going to play.

Speaker 6 (55:37):
He didn't practice all week.

Speaker 13 (55:38):
He's got a knee injury that's bugging him and has
been bugging him since train camp, but he's been able
to play through it. So when you have an interior
presence like Quinnin Williams is one of the best defensive
tackles in the league, especially against the run, Yeah, it
is concerning. I'll say that Hoffman and Bass played well
last week against Green Bay, and they had typically played
well when they line up next to one another, but
this is a bit of a different animal here. And

(56:01):
the second level for the Jets defense too. They've got
two really good linebackers you can step up and fill
in the run lanes as well, but they as a whole,
they really struggled between the tackles against the run. I
think the the story that got published today about how
you know Jevance Williams is really going to have to
take advantage of between the tackles running because that's where
the Jets have been at their worst sometimes of defending

(56:22):
the run. But now you know that becomes all the
more difficult if you've got all three of your interior
offensive lineman not playing for you.

Speaker 6 (56:30):
But one thing that Dallas was.

Speaker 13 (56:31):
Really proud of this offseason in training camp was the
depth that they had on the offensive line. They feel
like they've got guys that can step in there if
Tyler Smith doesn't go. I think Akeema Denigy is going
to be the guy that goes in there and plays
left guard for him. And if they do, they're confident
that those three interior we can get the job done.

Speaker 2 (56:49):
Yeah, certainly going to rely on that depth to fill
in big because they've got a couple winnable games on
this road trip, starting with the Jets Sunday, then a
trip to Charlotte to take on the Panthers, So that
group's certainly going to have to hold up. But let's
flip sides of the ball for a moment and talk
about this Cowboys defense. I know there's a lot of
hyperbole going around about this unit. They're giving up eight

(57:11):
and a half net yards per pass. No team has
ever given up that many over a full season. So
if there's a way they can regress to the means,
stop giving up these explosive plays.

Speaker 1 (57:23):
What does that look like against Justin Fields and this offense.

Speaker 13 (57:26):
Well, against Justin Fields? Really, you know the main threat
that stands out of his legs. Only three rushing three
quarterbacks have ever rushed for over a thousand yards in
a season, and Justin Fields is one of them. His
ability to get out of the pocket, scramble turn up
field can really hurt you, and those are really where I.

Speaker 6 (57:43):
Think a majority of the big plays.

Speaker 13 (57:45):
If you see him on Sunday are going to come
because you know, this pass rush really has not gotten
home a lot, which is going to give Justin Fields
time in the pocket. And typically with Justin you know,
if he doesn't see anything, he has no problem. I'm
tucking it and running it. And he's so good at that.
And that's what Dallas's defense is going to have to
be ready for. Do they deploy a quarterback spy on him?

(58:07):
And so how much are you going to use that?
How much can you rely on your secondary? You want
him to beat you with his arm. But then again
you mentioned the big plays. Justin Field's got a really
good deep ball, and he's got a great receiver in
Garrett Wilson that can go out and beat you know,
any quarterback really in the league, I think, and make
a play on the football. So it's going to be
really tough.

Speaker 6 (58:26):
I think.

Speaker 13 (58:27):
You know, earlier in the season it was the deep
shots that killed the Cowboys defense. You know, you think
about the Chicago game, and then.

Speaker 6 (58:35):
Obviously the Giants game.

Speaker 13 (58:36):
Or Russell Wilson does for in your fifty yards, but
I think the Philadelphia game and then last week against
the Packers, you saw the little short game and dink
and duck dunk stuff really hurt them more. They were
trying to take away the big play and they did,
but they gave up a lot in the short to
intermediate passing game. And so they've got to find the
balance in between that kind of like what you were
talking about there, Jake, is.

Speaker 6 (58:57):
Where's the balance coming to play? And can they do
it consistently enough.

Speaker 13 (59:02):
Against an offense that can hum and really offensives have
hummed against them all year this year and a really
dynamic quarterback in Justin Fields. They struggled to bring guys
down when they scramble, quarterbacks down when they scramble, I
should say, Pavlo Jalen Hersey score two rushing touchdowns in
the first game. And now they're going to have to
be really keying on Justin fields here on Sunday night.

Speaker 2 (59:22):
Yeah, Keaden on Gibrett Wilson as well, just like you
wrote in the article, who lines up kind of everywhere
for that offense. All right, before we let you go, Tommy,
I'm going to throw a few kind of rapid fire
questions predictions at you.

Speaker 1 (59:35):
Let's see what you got.

Speaker 2 (59:36):
Your current Super Bowl favorite right now on October.

Speaker 1 (59:40):
Third is.

Speaker 13 (59:43):
Ool man That is a tough question. There is so
much parody in this league right now, and I think
you're seeing that with the amount of overtime games and
the amount of one score.

Speaker 6 (59:55):
Games and things like that.

Speaker 13 (59:57):
So I think it's going to come down to, you know,
what quarterback can you trust to get a game winning
drive or what defense can you trust to really step
up in the big moment and get a stop. And
I think the two teams that come to mind for
me are the Buffalo Bills and the Green Bay Packers.
I know you said one, but I'll give you two there,
just because I think those two teams have the quarterbacks

(01:00:20):
and Josh Allen and Jordan Love to be able to
do that. And then obviously Green Bay has got a
terrifying defense, so many talented pieces along there, and obviously
you add Michael Parsons to the mix and that super
charges things.

Speaker 1 (01:00:33):
Well.

Speaker 2 (01:00:33):
Sure you'll get double credit if we get a Bills
Packer super Bowl matchup. All right, we preview Texans Ravens
in the last segment. Can the Texans climb out of
this slow start and maybe catch up in the AFC South?

Speaker 6 (01:00:46):
I think they can. I think they can.

Speaker 13 (01:00:48):
I think the issue is going to be, you know,
can the offensive line developed to a point where.

Speaker 6 (01:00:51):
They give CJ.

Speaker 13 (01:00:52):
Stroud enough time to really go through his reads and
set up plays for Nico Collins and Stefan.

Speaker 6 (01:00:58):
Or not Stefan Tiggs, I'm sorry.

Speaker 13 (01:01:00):
And some of these rookie wide receivers, the Iowa State
guys Jalen Nole and Jayden Higgins, I thought those were
two really good draft picks. Xavier Hutchinson is a guy.

Speaker 6 (01:01:08):
That I really like. They don't really use him as.

Speaker 13 (01:01:09):
Much, but they really should call him the Houston Cyclones.
And how many Iowa State guys I've got in the
receiving corps.

Speaker 6 (01:01:15):
But no, I think CJ.

Speaker 13 (01:01:16):
Stroud is still a good quarterback and you just god
to give him time to sit in the pocket and
deliver a good football.

Speaker 6 (01:01:21):
They just haven't done.

Speaker 13 (01:01:22):
That right now. And granted, they knew they were going
to have their offensive line struggles, especially when they traded
Laramie Tunsel over it last year, and so now it's
just kind of living with that and needing to grow.
And if they give CJ. Stroud time, they have a
defense that is absolutely loaded, and so I think they
can get the job done for him. But if you
give CJ. Stroud time, I think they can reabout pretty well.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
And then on the other side of that matchup, Cooper Rush,
a guy you know well covering him as a cowboy,
is now going to start for the Ravens. You assume
maybe next week as well, with the by looming week seven,
Can the Ravens recover from this one and three star
still be a factor after what's been a pretty disastrous start.

Speaker 6 (01:02:04):
I think so. I think.

Speaker 13 (01:02:05):
You know, Lamar Jackson when he comes back, is going
to I think he'll write the ship and Cooper Rush,
give him credit, does a really good job of just
managing the offense really well. And he did that here
in Dallas. He was able to win them games. And
right now Baltimore's in a mode where they just need
a guy they can win them games, and I think
Cooper Rush can do that for him. Obviously, he's not
going to be as much of a rushing attack as

(01:02:26):
Lamar Jackson is. We really won't find that anywhere else.
But you know, Cooper's when he is asked to step up,
he typically does. He's not necessarily going to be a
guy that can win you games, I don't think, but
he is somebody that can put you in a position
to win games and get the ball in the hands.

Speaker 6 (01:02:44):
Of his playmakers.

Speaker 13 (01:02:45):
He had playmakers in Dallas with Ceedee Lamb, and he's
got some up there with with Derek Henry in the
backfield and Jay Flowers at receiver and the tight ends
that are playing really well too, So I think the
Ravens will be just fine.

Speaker 2 (01:02:57):
That's Tabby Yarish of Dallascowboys dot Com. Thanks so much
for joining us, Tommy. Any exciting content coming up we
should look out for. Where should we find you?

Speaker 13 (01:03:04):
Oh oh man, Dallas Cowboys dot com. We're gonna have
a ton of good stuff for you over the weekend
heading into New York. We'll head to over there tomorrow
and it should It should be a really fun game.
I think it'll be pretty close. You know. If Dallas
was healthy, I think they could they could.

Speaker 6 (01:03:18):
Maybe win this one a little bit more. But they're not,
and that's the reality of it.

Speaker 13 (01:03:21):
So I think we're going to get a pretty good
game here on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
Yeah, it should be a couple of teams that really
need to win. Leaving everything out there, Tommy, thanks for
the time and appreciate you joining us on the program.

Speaker 1 (01:03:32):
All right, thank you, Jake, have a good one man,
you too.

Speaker 2 (01:03:34):
That's Tommy Yarish from Dallascowboys dot Com and we were
back to talk about the rest of the NFL slate
and wrap up this three o'clock hour before pivoting to
some baseball and then hearing from Coach Sark as the
Longhorns prepare for SEC play tomorrow afternoon against Florida. Still
lots to come on this Friday afternoon edition of the

(01:03:56):
Craigways Show here on AM thirteen hundred the zone, third
and final hour on this Friday edition of the Craig
Ways Show. Hey, just one more sleep before the Texas
Longhorns are back in action with their first SEC matchup
of the year against the Florida Gators. We'll get back
to that as we come down the home stretch of

(01:04:19):
this show. For now, as promise is going to take
a look at the rest of this week's NFL slate.
We just caught up with Tommy Yarish of Dallas Cowboys
dot Com get his thoughts on America's team as they
go up to New York to take on the Jets
that game at noon on Fox. Other noon games include
the Broncos traveling to Lincoln Financial Field to take on

(01:04:43):
the unbeaten Eagles. By the way, they've won eighteen in
a row games where Jalen Hurts both starts and finishes.

Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
Big chance for the Broncos, who I think got.

Speaker 2 (01:04:55):
Some real kind of dark horse pun intended before the
season started, and it's just been okay so far. Obviously,
had that leverage penalty cost them a win in Indianapolis,
so they'd be three to one if not for that,
and maybe we'd be looking at them a little bit differently.
But can bo Nicks carry over momentum from that home

(01:05:17):
thrashing of the Bengals who look for all intents and
purposes out of things Right now, I know it's easy
to overreact in this parody filled NFL. Can the Broncos
take that offense to Philadelphia against the Eagles who are
just finding ways to win, making one more play than
their opponents.

Speaker 1 (01:05:36):
It hasn't always looked pretty.

Speaker 2 (01:05:39):
Four wins for one score games, four games where the
Eagles played really well for about a half and then
almost gave it away.

Speaker 1 (01:05:49):
That game's got my attention.

Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
At noon on CBS, Eagles a four and a half
point favorite according to the odds makers. Other noon games,
Raiders are at the Colts. Boy, the Raiders have fallen short.
I think of some people's expectations this year. Just got
absolutely battered by the Commanders a couple of weeks ago.
That win over the Patriots in Foxboro Week one still

(01:06:13):
the only victory for the Raiders so far this year.
Giants are in New Orleans against the Saints. That might
be one of the saints few opportunities to get into
the win column. Jackson Dark will start for the Giants,
but the Giants defense has really struggled to stop the run.

(01:06:34):
I know they put together a pretty solid game plan
against the Chargers to grab a home win last week.
Can that carry over to the Superdome where the Saints,
despite being zero to four, are a two and a
half point favorite. They played the Bills pretty close up
in Orchard Park last week. Speaking of the Bills, they're
playing in the Sunday night game against the New England

(01:06:55):
Patriots Buffalos four and oh. You know what their opponents
combined record is to start of the season. Gif youhn,
it's not good? Two and fourteen. So the Patriots at
two and two actually gonna be one of the stiffer
tests for Buffalo so far. They had that dramatic home
win over the Ravens come from behind fashion with the

(01:07:15):
Derek Henry fumble to start off the season. Then they
dismantled the Jets, beat the Dolphins at home, and then
beat the Saints in the game that was a little
closer than the thirty one to nineteen score. So Buffalo
at four and zero still have some questions about that defense,
but Josh Allen has looked very very sharp to start
the season. Other games Dolphins Panthers at noon, I don't

(01:07:40):
need to talk much about that one. Miami a one
and a half point favorite. Two teams at one and three,
that's probably a must win for both. Then you look
later in the day three point thirty window the Chargers
and the Commanders. That'll be the game most of America season.
Fox that's the Burkhard and Brady team this week and
the Chargers three and a half point favorite in Washington,

(01:08:02):
a Commander's team that will be without Terry McLaurin and
dealing with several key injuries on the defensive side of
the ball against a Chargers team that's also banged up.
Remember they lost for Sean Slater before the season. Now
Joe Alt their first round pick at left tackle, He's
gonna miss some time with an ankle spring. So Commander's

(01:08:24):
Chargers Herbert versus a returning Jayden Daniels who will be
wearing a knee race. Commanders deciding to hold Daniels out
last week in Atlanta where Marcus Mariota really.

Speaker 1 (01:08:39):
Just a couple of bad throws in that game.

Speaker 2 (01:08:41):
Interception was costly in a game where the Falcons kind
of got whatever they wanted offensively, was a real step
back for the Commander's defense. You know, Michael Pennocks Junior
has been a little bit checkying high this year for
the Falcons. There on by, we saw a really good
version of Michael Pennick. So I wonder what that means
for the Commander's defense as they take on the Chargers.

(01:09:01):
Big measuring stick game for both of those teams at
SOFI Stadium, which will probably look about as red as
it did last night with the forty nine Ers fans,
only it'll be burgundy there for Washington taking on the
Chargers in a quote unquote road game. Vikings and Browns
will start the day off at eight thirty Central Time

(01:09:22):
in London.

Speaker 1 (01:09:23):
That's at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Speaker 2 (01:09:26):
Dylan Gabriel will start for the Cleveland Browns against Carson
Wentz and the Minnesota vikingsy that's exactly what they want
to see over there, but the Browns run defense has
been pretty solid, so we'll see if they can force
Carson Wentz to air it out a little bit in
that one. Minnesota, a three and a half point favorite,
totals only thirty six and a half, so chances are

(01:09:46):
if you're planning on sleeping in Sunday morning, that might
be seven to seven when you wake up. That is
what starts the day in London and then other games.
Titans are in Arizona taking on the Cardinals. Bucks to
Seattle to take on the Seahawks, who will try to
keep pace with the Niners atop the NFC West. Niners

(01:10:07):
currently own that tiebreaker after that Week one win over
the Seahawks. Lions are in Cincinnati against the Bengals. They're
almost a ten point favorite there. Detroit has looked really
good on offense over the last couple of weeks after
green Bay really came out and punched them in the
gut Week one, things appear to be humming along just fine,
and the Bengals defense does not look like it's going

(01:10:31):
to stop very many teams this year. Then the Monday
Night game this week will feature the Chiefs going to
EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, always a party like atmosphere when
they get a night game in Jacksonville. Chiefs at Jags
seven point fifteen on ABC Monday Night with Bucan Akman
and the Manning cast going alongside it, and we'll see

(01:10:54):
just how this Jaguars defense looks. They have impressed a
lot of folks this year, forcing a lot of turnovers,
and Liam Cohen and this Jags offense, even though Trevor
Lawrence not quite clicking yet with his sort of exciting
new weapon, Travis Hunter and Brian Thomas Junior maybe not
producing the way he did last year, to this point,
they're running the ball well as all Liam Cohen teams

(01:11:16):
kind of tend to do, dating back to his time
at Tampa Bay and shoot even at Kentucky with Will Levis,
they were very capable rushing attack. Falcons, Bears, Packers and
Steelers are on by this week should be a fun
slate in the NFL last night, starting yesterday afternoon, three

(01:11:39):
teams advanced and three teams went home. In the MLB,
the Detroit Tigers were able to stave off elimination against
the Cleveland Guardians in a series that featured some wild
base running, including Jose Ramirez playing two to one an
air then getting thrown out at second base to kill

(01:12:01):
a potential rally in the eighth inning.

Speaker 1 (01:12:02):
Tigers hung on to win six to three.

Speaker 2 (01:12:04):
They move on to face the Seattle Mariners, and then
in the National League, the Chicago Cubs able to win
Game three behind some good pitching from Jamison Taijon and
their bullpen keeping the potent Padres offense in check, and
they did a really good job throughout the series against
San Diego's biggest bats, just to combine four hits from

(01:12:27):
these three guys at the top of the San Diego order,
Fernando Tatis, Junior Manny Machado and Luisa Rise. Arise, of course,
caught some flack on social media didn't hustle down the
line on kind of a funky infield bloop resulted in
an out in the middle of that win or go
home game. That's never what you want to see Machado

(01:12:49):
and Tatis combined two for twenty two seven strikeouts in
the series.

Speaker 1 (01:12:53):
Machado, of course, did hit a key home run.

Speaker 2 (01:12:57):
He was asked a question after the game this is
on a little bit viral at his locker after the loss.
Never an easy time to interview an athlete. He was asked,
how do you assess the season? And a little bit
of a prickly response.

Speaker 8 (01:13:11):
I know it, you just tended, But how do you
assess the season like this?

Speaker 1 (01:13:16):
I mean, I mean a type of question?

Speaker 6 (01:13:17):
Is that? Dude? My guy?

Speaker 1 (01:13:19):
How do I assess the season? We just lost?

Speaker 8 (01:13:22):
How do you think I assessed the seat?

Speaker 1 (01:13:24):
How do you think I assess it?

Speaker 8 (01:13:25):
I don't know that, says ask do you tell me
what's a loss? We lost? How do you assess it's
a loss you're lost?

Speaker 1 (01:13:34):
Come on, dude, I mean you could ask better questions
than that.

Speaker 2 (01:13:37):
Let's go yeah, kind of a no win situation there.
It is a little bit of a lazy question. I
agree with that assessment, So what are you You're either
going to get that kind of response right, or you're
going to get some kind of cliche from a player
in that moment, but certainly not necessarily the most poised
response from Manny Machado after another tough exit for the Padres. Meanwhile,

(01:14:02):
a totally different mood in the locker room for the
New York Yankees, who's pitching stole the show throughout the
series Against the Boston Red Sox. They strung together a
scrappy four run rally in the fourth bending off of
Connolly early tremendous young arm for Boston, who was outdueled
by the Massachusetts native Cam Schlittler, and Jazz Chisholm Junior,

(01:14:24):
whose hustle played a big part in the Yankees wins
in both Games two and three of that wild Card series, says, well,
that might be a rookie, but that's in name only.

Speaker 1 (01:14:35):
Look, you're picking a rookie on the mountain tonight. He
didn't love that.

Speaker 8 (01:14:38):
A rookie isn't But I always tell him, man, he's
a great guy.

Speaker 5 (01:14:42):
He's a great player.

Speaker 4 (01:14:44):
I would I would rather go out there and play
behind him one hundred two games every time he's I
want to be behind him.

Speaker 2 (01:14:51):
Yeah, that is amongst the locker room celebrations, the champagne
flowing for Jazz Chisholm Junior, who's benching in Game one
was a little controversial to some Yankee fans. Bull did
he deliver in Games two and three. Some dazzling defense,
some hustle on the bass pats, and the Yankees winning
games ways in which they did not when they struggled

(01:15:15):
kind of in that late summer swoon. They had doing
the little things right and getting consistent pitching, and as
much as their bullpen has been beligned, they delivered in
games two and three of that series. So the Tigers
move on, the Padres move on, and the Yankees move on.

(01:15:35):
That sets up it's divisional round that looks like this.
The number one seed in the American League, the Toronto
Blue Jays, will host the Yankees in game one of
the best of five alds. The Mariners, of the two seed,
they will host the Tigers. Then in the National League,
the number two seed Philadelphia Phillies will get the Los

(01:15:56):
Angeles Dodgers, who didn't have to play last night. They
wrapped up that series in two games over the Cincinnati Reds,
using some early offense in both enough early offense to
kind of cover up that bullpen, which had its share
of struggles throughout the season. And then the Cubs beating
the Padres to face their division foe, the Brewers. The

(01:16:18):
first ever playoff series between those two teams is on deck.
You know who's also on deck, good friend of mine,
Garrett Green, the voice of the Sugarland Space Cowboys triple
a affiliate of the Houston Astros. He'll help us break
down what to expect in the division series next here
on The Creig Way Show and Sports Radio AM thirteen

(01:16:39):
hundred The Zone.

Speaker 1 (01:16:40):
Back here on a Friday edition of The Craig Way Show.

Speaker 2 (01:16:43):
Jake Krman in for Craig as he flies out to Gainesville,
and I want to welcome Garrett Green to the show.
He is a former Longhorn and the voice of the
Sugarland Space Cowboys. Although, Garrett, this year that means that
you saw so many of.

Speaker 1 (01:16:58):
The Houston Astros.

Speaker 2 (01:17:00):
I mean, can you ever remember so many injuries forcing
this many call ups in a year?

Speaker 14 (01:17:04):
Thanks for coming on, Yeah, No, happy to be here.
This was by far and away. I think the most
major League rehabs, certainly in my three seasons here, without
a question here with sugar Land. But you typically don't
see that many rehab assignments. I think the final number
for us. I just talied it up. Was I think

(01:17:25):
twenty three different major league rehab assignments this year, so
there were quite a few guys who came through. And yeah,
there was a point where our starting rotation for a
series was Luis Garcia, JP France, Spencer Arighetti and Christian
Javier for a four day run and Jeremy Pania was
with us for a couple of days in that stretch

(01:17:47):
as well. So not something you ever want. It's kind
of a fun experience to see those guys and the miners.
I'm always gonna remember getting to see Justin Verlander pitch
here a couple of times in twenty twenty four. But yeah,
you don't want that many injuries, and I certainly think
that kneecapped the Astros a little bit this year.

Speaker 2 (01:18:05):
Yeah, Garrett, and at one point this year you got
a major league call up. But I was thinking to myself, Hey,
he's seen all these players already.

Speaker 1 (01:18:11):
They started the year in sugar Land.

Speaker 2 (01:18:13):
I don't think there's a team in baseball that could
have survived the amount of injuries the Astros did. But
after a second half like that, what do you think
the offseason priorities look like for Houston.

Speaker 14 (01:18:24):
There's a lot of different things that they're gonna need
to assess and figure out. Obviously, getting healthy is gonna
be the big one, but I don't think that you
can rely on saying, well, Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesnasky
and maybe Brandon Walter are gonna come back, because I
think that people have this misconception of how long a

(01:18:44):
Tommy John surgery, which is that UCL reconstructive surgery takes
to come back from. And I think there are a
few guys who have returned on a quicker timeline, so
maybe that is that's warped that perception, But the recovery
process for that is gonna be somewhere between fourteen twelve
to fourteen months, normally twelve to fifteen months, And so
I think that banking on those guys coming back is

(01:19:06):
not maybe your best idea. So starting pitching is gonna
have to be something they're gonna look at to figure
out what they're gonna do. They already know that they're
not gonna have Luis Garci. It was just announced today
that he had surgery at his flex are cleaned up,
so he's not gonna be available to come back either.
So I think they're gonna have to go and find
some starting pitching. They have some good starters here in
the minor leagues that I certainly think they could draw on,

(01:19:28):
which they did very well with this season. But I
think that going on adding another arm, because you're probably
gonna lose from or Valdez, is gonna be big. And
then they just need to assess and figure out what
they're doing offensively and what they want to do from
a position player perspective, and they're probably gonna have to
rebuild a little bit in their bullpen. But losing Josh Hater,
I think that was the blow that was just the

(01:19:50):
one they couldn't absorb offensively. They probably couldn't absorb a
few of those, but they were able to patch it
together for a while. I think that losing Hater ended
up being that one guy that ended up being a
bridge too far for them.

Speaker 2 (01:20:03):
Yeah, we saw that bear out kind of hitting that
critical mass of injuries with that bullpen unable to hang
on to some key games late for the Astros. All right,
So MLB Wildcard Series are in the books. You were
back from your postseason vacation able to take in the
action last night. You know, it's year four of this
new expanded playoff format with the you know, the three

(01:20:26):
game wildcard series.

Speaker 1 (01:20:27):
Where do you come down on it.

Speaker 2 (01:20:28):
Do you think that it's been a successful new piece
of the MLB postseason?

Speaker 14 (01:20:32):
I think so, and I think that this is the
first year that it lived up to I think what
Major League Baseball was probably looking for. The Yankees end
up bucking the trend. They become the first team that
loses Game one and then ends up winning the series.
The Brewers almost did it last year until Pete Alonso
happened to them laid on, so that was It creates urgency,

(01:20:53):
and it gives teams an opportunity, but certainly if you
win game one, that puts you in an ideal spot.
I think that a one game wild card is still
too short of a series. I think with baseball, with
how mercurial it can be and how it's so much
can change on a dime so quickly, that leaving it

(01:21:13):
to a one game wildcard not my favorite thing in
the world. And I think it also does incentivize you
to get one of those top two seeds, because if
you're the Brewers, if you're the Phillies if you're the Mariners.
How wild is it that the Mariners ended up getting
a buy and didn't end up having to play in
that three game series. You know, the Tigers looked like
they were gonna be sitting with their feet up this

(01:21:35):
last week, and they had to fight and claw their
way to get through Cleveland after they lost the division.
So I think it creates the proper amount of urgency
for what you want for baseball. I'm a big fan
of it unless your team is playing in it. And
then I think that there's maybe the Dodgers because they
were playing a kind of a Reds team that you
felt like, boy, if the Reds would have upset the Dodgers,

(01:21:56):
that would have been one of the bigger upsets in
postseason history, probably even with how the Dodgers did this year.
But everybody else that was a white knuckle series for
every other team that's out there. But I think that's
kind of the drama you won, and it creates excitement
here in this kind of spot where like college football

(01:22:17):
wasn't going over the course of the week, you didn't
really have the NFL to compete with, and I think
it created a.

Speaker 1 (01:22:21):
Good spotlight for baseball.

Speaker 2 (01:22:23):
Yeah, I'm with you on those on those TV windows,
although I know Craig Way, our Dodger fan host of
this show, currently on his way to Gainesville, was happy
that his team could put their feed up last night
and prepare for the Philadelphia Phillies. We'll get to those
division series in a minute. I want to talk about
the Cubs beating the Padres. It's one of those series
that definitely could have gone either way. Really quiet series

(01:22:45):
from some of the Padres' biggest bats. Did this result
kind of surprise you for San Diego after pushing so
many chips in on the season, You.

Speaker 14 (01:22:53):
Know, I think that it's there's definitely two sides to this.
So first of all, this is now back to back
playoff series that the Padres have failed to score, and
they they have all these star stud of names in
their lineup. They have Luisa Riaz, who's a batting champion.
They have Manny Machada, they have Fernando Tattis Junior, They've
got Sander Bogarts, They've got Jackson Merril Loose, one of

(01:23:15):
the great young up and coming stars. Like they have
all of these offensive pieces. But remember they pushed the
Dodgers to the brink last year. They had they had
them down to one. All they had to do was
win one game last year and they end up getting
shut out in both of them last season, and then
you know, they get one run in the ninth inning
yesterday to make it interesting. Because the back end of

(01:23:36):
the Cubs bullpen is still a little fraud. I think
that it's surprising that they didn't make a deeper run,
because certainly there were points and times this year where
they looked like the most dangerous team, and I really
thought that the back end of their bullpen, if they
could have gotten out of a three game series and
had enough offense, their bullpen was probably the most dangerous

(01:24:00):
one in baseball. They had it to where all you
had to do was get five out of your starter
and then you can turn it over to a lot
of flame throwing righthanders, even losing you know, Jason Adam
earlier in the season after the trade deadline.

Speaker 1 (01:24:11):
So that is where it is surprising.

Speaker 14 (01:24:14):
The other side of it, though, is that I think
a lot of people just forgot about the Cubs, and
it's because the Brewers went on this incredible winning streak.
The Cubs are the second best record in the National
League for a little while there, and they lost like
fifteen games in total standings in the division. So I
think that because the Brewers just ran away and hid
with the division, a lot of people kind of forgot

(01:24:35):
about Chicago and that this was a team that you
put them in any other division outside of the ninety
seven win Brewers, it probably win the division if they're
in any other spot. And so, but the question for
them was could they get their bats rolling and get
the core. Armstrong really scuffled in the second half. He
had some good moments of the postseason. I just still
don't know what their bullpen is gonna do. I think though,

(01:24:58):
for the Padres, it's an exceptionally disappointing season for them
because they really did feel like, well, we were just
right there on the edge last year of beating the
World Series champions, and we went in and got a
couple of really good pieces of the deadline, but offensively
they just couldn't piece it together.

Speaker 2 (01:25:15):
Yeah, certainly one of those head scratchers for the Padres
lineup throughout that series. And while we're on that short
series for a minute, the controversy last night the tying run,
of course, would have been Xander Bogart's had ball four
correctly been called rather than strike three. And next year
we'll see the automatic balls and strikes. The challenge system

(01:25:37):
coming to Major League Baseball. I'm sure you'll get asked
this a lot leading up to the season. You've seen
it now for a couple of years now in Sugarland
Triple A affiliate of the Houston Astros. We're talking to
their broadcaster right now, Garrett Green. What can fans expect
from this challenge system next year? And are you excited
to see it in the majors.

Speaker 14 (01:25:55):
Everyone should be exceptionally excited, exceptionally excited about it. It
takes so much less time, and I think that, honestly,
what we ran into a Triple A a little bit
is that the reviews almost happened too quickly. The best
thing they did was last season they put a mic
on the umpire and so the umpire could turn around
and say the batter or the pitcher or the catcher

(01:26:16):
is challenging, so you also know what which team is challenging.
But the internal system, unless it's gonna be different in
the major leagues, you only have twenty seconds from the
time the pitch crosses home until it can pop up
on the video board. So there's a very small frame
of time for you to be able to get that
animation up there. It speeds the game up and it

(01:26:38):
gets calls right, and it's you know, I think that
also it can give umpires a little bit of an
adjustment as well. They can see and you know, hey,
if early on in a game there's some borderline calls,
guys tap their helmet, they challenge, they lose, everybody moves
on and it goes on its merried way. I think
that people are gonna love ABS. What they're not gonna

(01:26:59):
love about it is whenever they're pitches that are right
on the borderline edge, and a pitch just the tiniest
bit of a baseball touches the edge of the zone
and it goes from you know, ball three to strike three,
or it misses the outer edge of the zone, and
the animation looks like it just doesn't round the ball
off all the way. And so you're like, how is
that possible that it should be a strike? It should

(01:27:21):
be right on the edge because there's no buffer zone
for it. It's a perfectly you know, straight edged box.
The last thing I'm gonna say about it, though everyone
who says why not just do full automatic balls and
strikes clearly never sat through a triple A game with
a full ABS zone.

Speaker 1 (01:27:39):
It is brutal. The human element is.

Speaker 14 (01:27:42):
Still well because, especially if you get into position players
pitching an ephis pitch or a forty nine mile an
hour lop, it could end up coming right over the
middle of the plate. It doesn't get tracked the same way.
And there are games where if it's twelve to three
and it's the eighth inning, if the umpire call pitch
that's two inches off the outer zone to ring a

(01:28:04):
guy up and move the game along. I've got no
problem with that. I don't even think that players mostly
have a problem with that. So when you get into
those situations with a fully ABS zone, it it just
it actually that does lengthen the game. So I know
there are a lot of people say we'll just go
to full robot umpires unless you sat through and watched

(01:28:24):
it for the entirety of like to it used to
be Tuesday through Thursday in twenty twenty three, in the
first half of twenty twenty four where full ABS zone games,
those games were brutal, so I think that they found
the happy medium. That's why they baitat tested it in
the miners. The challenge system can overturn calls like that.
I love the fact that they're going to give one

(01:28:45):
to the guys an extra innings, because that's not something
we do here in the miners. If you burn up
your challenges in regulation, you're just out.

Speaker 1 (01:28:52):
That's that's the way that it is.

Speaker 2 (01:28:54):
I always like how they can help the umpire too,
kind of find the edge early in the game. But
interesting stuff there on the chain system, and I'm excited
to see it implemented next year. All the different strategies
of it. And I like your point there about keeping
the the getaway call alive. So looking to looking ahead
to these division series, I mean there's one that jumps
out to me right away. It's the star power between

(01:29:16):
the Dodgers and the Phillies. And they've somehow avoided each
other in the postseason since two thousand and nine. So
these current cores as we know them have yet to
face off in a playoff series. We only get this
for a best of five. Who do you favor in
that one? And what do you see as the separators
between those two teams.

Speaker 1 (01:29:37):
You know, I know that they didn't.

Speaker 14 (01:29:40):
It didn't end up biting them, And the Dodgers look
great offensively. They're gonna face a lot better pitching from
the Phillies. The Phillies are lined up the way they
want to be. Now, the Dodgers don't have anything to
step out like they get to throw Shohayatani in Game
number one. Of course, that's a great setup for them.
But I think that they're about to see a lot
better pitching than they saw with the Reds, and and
the Dodger bullpen is still just a gigantic question mark.

(01:30:04):
There's not really you can ask Craig about this. Does
Greig trust anyone who's in the back end of that bullpen?

Speaker 1 (01:30:10):
No, he does, I don't think so.

Speaker 14 (01:30:12):
I know that Blake Trina kind of got it together
a little bit later, but they even almost found a
way to let Cincinnati get back into a couple of
the games the Reds.

Speaker 1 (01:30:21):
Had no business being in.

Speaker 14 (01:30:23):
And this is a Phillies lineup that is dangerous and
has a lot of really good hitters in it. So
I think you're gonna see the Dodgers' offensive numbers bumped
down a little bit, and obviously the Phillies are gonna
be a better hitting team. So I think that this
is where if the Dodgers can get past the Phillies
and their bullpen looks the way that they want it to,

(01:30:45):
then I think you absolutely can put them in as
probably the favorite to win the World Series again. But
I think that the Dodgers' bullpen is the deciding factor
because the Phillies went out of the deadline and they
went and got one of the best closers in baseball
and Joan Duran. They signed David Robertson, who's coming in
pitch well for them. They have some good guys on
the back end of their bullpen. So I think that
that's the tail of the tape, is what does the

(01:31:07):
Dodgers bullpen look like, because I think that's going to
be the separator in that Division series, which again I'd
love for it to be seven games, but even the
urgency it greats with a five game.

Speaker 1 (01:31:16):
Set is just remarkable.

Speaker 2 (01:31:19):
Yeah, that gets the six thirty Eastern time slot Saturday night.
The late matchup will be out in Seattle where the
Mariners will host the Tigers. They stop their skid cooled
off the red hot Cleveland Guardians. What are the chances
they can do it again against the best team over
the last.

Speaker 1 (01:31:35):
Month, the Seattle Mariners.

Speaker 14 (01:31:37):
Yeah, the I mean, the Mariners have to win these
two games at Team Mobile Park, that is the big thing.
And they've been fantastic at home. That has been kind
of their secret sauce. That's I don't know if that's
something that I got talked about a lot.

Speaker 6 (01:31:50):
Was that.

Speaker 14 (01:31:51):
Yeah, they won some road games, and obviously coming to
Houston and sweeping the Astros was gigantic, but they really
got to finish out their season at home, which is
where they have excelled this year. So if you are
the Tigers, if you can walk into if you can
walk into Seattle and come out with a win, which
I think that they'll probably line up to where Schooble's

(01:32:13):
probably going to go Game two for them, So that
gives them as good of a chance as any. But certainly,
I mean there's a reason that if you pay attention
to betting lines, I think the Mariners ended up being
the betting favorite to come out of the American League.
Auhaneho Suarez started hitting again. Obviously, cal rale had the
best season a catchers ever had. Offensively, Julio Rodriguez had

(01:32:33):
a pretty good second half. Josh Naylor has been a
gigantic boon that I don't know if enough people are
talking about. And then they their bullpen in the middle
innings is not as solid as most people would want
it to be, but they do have guys who can
spin it out there and then they can hand the
ball to a great closer at the very end of it.
So the Tigers, I think if they walk out with

(01:32:54):
a split and go back to Detroit, where they haven't
been for a while, right, and get back to Detroit
and get the Mariners out of their familiar element, then
they'll have a chance to go pitching chaos. But I
also just don't know if the Tigers can score enough
runs to win that series, and that I think. I
think that series probably sets up to be another low
scoring affair.

Speaker 2 (01:33:15):
And you said pitching chaos on the Tigers side, I
think if the Yankees are forced into that situation, they'll
be three and out against the Toronto Blue Jays. But
if they get starting pitching like they did against Boston
in that wild Card series, can they upend the top
seed in Toronto.

Speaker 14 (01:33:32):
Yeah, and I mean, obviously the game one starter is
going to be the question for them, But then they
should be able to roll back into what they did
in the wildcard rounds. So they should be able to
turn around Max Freed, who obviously was fantastic, and then
you can go to Rodonna and now all of a sudden, like.

Speaker 1 (01:33:47):
Cam Schlittler, come on down.

Speaker 14 (01:33:48):
How how can you not feel great about throwing that
guy in game number four? Probably if it lines upright
for him to go, So now all of a sudden
it becomes a strength. Yet again, the question with the
Yankee is what's their bullpen gonna do? Devin Williams was
a lot better down the stretch, and I think that
the maybe, if the Yankees can accomplish what they want

(01:34:09):
to this year, the most underrated trade of the deadline
is gonna be them getting David Bednar because of all
the chaos they've had and how bad the back end
of their bullpen has been at points this year. Bennar
went seven for seven and saved chances down the stretch
for them in September. He was a little rocky whenever
he first joined the team, but other than that, he

(01:34:30):
had a sub to Eer Ray and he's really steady
the ship. There's a reason he threw an all three
games in the Wildcard round for them. So I think
they've got a chance. But I went to sleep on
Toronto either. That's a team that they're incredibly deep. They
pushed a guy like Eric Lower, who had a fantastic
year into their bullpen. They've got some good front end starters.

(01:34:51):
Questions just gonna be Hoffman their closer. He is home
run let's say, snake bitten this year. Yeah and so
so that obviously that's what the Yankees want to do.
But if you can keep them in the ballpark, I
think a lot of people might be looking past the
Blue Jays, but the Yankees, they have to feel very
good about their starting rotation now heading into that series

(01:35:13):
north of the border.

Speaker 2 (01:35:14):
We breezed by the Brewers and we only have a
couple minutes left. But maybe that's just the way Milwaukee
likes it, just quietly winning, playing the game the right way.
I don't really see a clear weakness for Pat Murphy's team,
and yet we're not really.

Speaker 1 (01:35:25):
Talking about him.

Speaker 14 (01:35:26):
The absolute most disrespected team in baseball ninety seven wins,
most wins in franchise history. Everyone says, well, it's not sustainable. Well,
you know it's not going to work. Well, they beat
everybody this year. For people who might not know, I
worked in the Brewers organization for seven seasons, so I
had Sal Freelick in double A and Abner Uribay and

(01:35:50):
Bryce Terrang and a bunch of these guys you.

Speaker 1 (01:35:53):
See contributing to the Brewers.

Speaker 14 (01:35:55):
I think it is very good for them that they
stayed out of that three game wildcard because that is
what has bit them over the last couple of seasons.

Speaker 1 (01:36:03):
They get to be at home.

Speaker 14 (01:36:04):
It's a nightmare scenario if you're the Brewers to maybe
lose to the Cubs. But I think that the only
question for them is they did lose a couple of
arms out of the back end of their bullpen, and
they don't know what to do with Jacob Mazerowski because
obviously they're one hundred and one throwing you know right
hander who's a rookie this season. But I think that
the style of play they have, the aggressiveness that they have,

(01:36:27):
is going to play in October. They just they I
think also if they can get out of this divisional series,
that will lift a weight off of their shoulder, because remember,
the Brewers have not won a playoff series since twenty
eighteen when they went onto the NLCS. They haven't won
a series ever since then. But it looks like they've

(01:36:48):
got a group to be able to do it, and
I think that there will just be an exhale, especially
if they can knock off a division.

Speaker 1 (01:36:55):
Rival in the Chicago Cubs. Garrett gotta let you go.

Speaker 2 (01:36:58):
But first two predictions, first World Series winner and second
a Long Horns Gators prediction.

Speaker 14 (01:37:05):
World Series. I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say the Brewers
beat the Blue Jays. Now we'll get young wow chalk.

Speaker 5 (01:37:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (01:37:16):
I Well, there's a reason that they're the top teams
in there. But I think that I like the Brewers
to make it and I'd love to see them be
able to win it this season. Longhorns and Gators prediction
for the weekend. Come out with a win. You're going
on the road in the SEC. That's that's all that
you can hope for. As I have jokingly said to people,

(01:37:37):
this is me, as an unaffiliated fan of the team.
The best case scenario for the long Horns this weekend,
like the absolute A one top best is that you
play so well that billionapier gets fired. I think that
that would be if you could put the nail in
the coffin for the Gators. That's what's gonna be the
the the pinnacle of success. Honestly though, go and win.

(01:38:00):
That's going on the road and winning in the SEC
as all that matters. It doesn't matter what the final
score is. Just go in there and get a victory
and get out so you can head the Red River.

Speaker 2 (01:38:09):
He's optimistic and he's Garrett Green, the voice of the
sugar Land Space Cowboys.

Speaker 1 (01:38:14):
Garrett, have a great weekend. Thanks for joining us. Thanks, Jake,
appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (01:38:18):
We'll be right back with some audio from Coach Stark
on Sports Radio A.

Speaker 1 (01:38:22):
I'm thirteen hundred the zone.

Speaker 2 (01:38:25):
Yeah, just under fifteen minutes to go here on this
Fire me Up Friday, the Craig Ways Show, getting you
ready for your weekend, getting you ready for SEC play
for these Texas Longhorns as they travel to Gainesville. Craig,
Will and Roger on their way as we speak. They'll
give you the call starting at one thirty on Saturday afternoon,

(01:38:48):
at ten thirty, you can catch third Longhorn, Nick Schuley
in the Gang, we'll deliver their pregame show, and then
Longhorn Game Day Live from Round Rock comes your way
at eleven thirty tomorrow morning. Well, every week Craig Way
and Coach Sark sit down for a conversation. Long Home
Weekly aired last night at seven pm, And in case

(01:39:10):
you missed it, this was Coach Sark offering a little
preview into the Florida Gators from his perspective.

Speaker 1 (01:39:17):
Well, let's talk about your opponent, the Florida Gators. This
is one of those deals. And you said it, and.

Speaker 3 (01:39:22):
A lot of other folks have said as well, this
is a team that's much better than the one in
three record shows.

Speaker 1 (01:39:27):
Well, it really is.

Speaker 15 (01:39:28):
I mean you think about they've lost to the number
three and number four teams in the country the last
two weeks and both games are one score games late
into the fourth quarter. They are playing as good as
defense of anybody in the country right now. They're extremely
talented on offense with a really good scheme. This is

(01:39:49):
a dangerous, dangerous team and it's the home field advantage
is real when you go to the Swamp, when you
go to when you go down to Gainesville. It's a
it's a real environment, so we got to work cut
out for us, for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:39:59):
On you're quite well acquainted with the quarterback DJ.

Speaker 5 (01:40:03):
Lagway, Yeah, I am. You know.

Speaker 15 (01:40:04):
DJ was a great high school player at Willis High
School in Houston through for a million yards. And you know,
I think the plan initially when when Billy Napier recruited
him was to have him sit a year and wait
a year and the quarterback, I think Mertz was the
guy last year got hurt and DJ steps in. I
think he goes six or seven and one as a starter.

(01:40:24):
And so you saw the competitive spirit, you saw the
playmaking ability, you saw the physicality, tough to get on
the ground, and he's two hundred and fifty pounds and
so that's the odd part about right now. It's like, man,
they're just not clicking yet. We just want to make
sure they're not clicking Saturday at three thirty eastern, you know,
because he's got weapons around him. He's got a great
running back in Bay, he's got a good old line,

(01:40:47):
he's got a tight end who's really effective. So this
is a really talented roster. DJ's got a lot of
people around him to facilitate the ball too. He's got
a good offensive scheme. We got to work cut out
for us to defense in this one.

Speaker 2 (01:41:01):
Yeah, you heard Jaden Ball mention the Gators running back
Florida ran the ball pretty well against these long Horns
a year ago, one hundred and ninety seven yards in
that forty nine to seventeen loss. Of course, both dj
Lagway and Graham Mertz hurt in last year's matchup, a
game won by Texas forty nine to seventeen.

Speaker 1 (01:41:19):
Here in Austin.

Speaker 2 (01:41:21):
This is the Gators' first trip to Gainesville since nineteen forty.
I know Craig is excited to get there and deliver
the call. Jacobe Jackson, their other running back, was one
of only three guys to rush for one hundred yards
last year against Texas. He is going to be out
for this game, and stopping Jayden ball going to be
a high priority. You heard Billy Napier heap on some

(01:41:42):
praise for Ball in the way that he's showed out
this season so far. Texas so far this year allowing
only sixty rushing yards per game.

Speaker 1 (01:41:51):
That's best in the SEC.

Speaker 2 (01:41:52):
Obviously, Ohio State a very formidable rushing attack, but San
Jose State UTEP Sam Houston not exactly the most potent
rush offenses. You'll hear Mike Harge, Cameron Parker, Mark Henry
give their keys tomorrow at third base at Round Rock.
That will start at eleven thirty in the morning with
Longhorn's game day. That's my key to the game. kN
Texas stopped the run, make Florida a little bit one dimensional,

(01:42:15):
and force DJ Lagway to put the ball in Harm's
way through the air well. About twenty four hours from
right now, we'll be coming down the home stretch in
Texas's SEC opener in Gainesville.

Speaker 1 (01:42:26):
But for now we

Speaker 2 (01:42:27):
Head down the home stretch of this edition of The
Craigway Show right here on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred
The Zone

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Cardiac Cowboys

The Joe Rogan Experience

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Texas-Florida Keys to the Game, Cowboys Deep Dive, MLB Divisional Series Previews

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Stuff You Should Know

Cardiac Cowboys

The Joe Rogan Experience

All Episodes

Texas-Florida Keys to the Game, Cowboys Deep Dive, MLB Divisional Series Previews

Stuff You Should Know