October 22, 2025 • 44 mins
In the second hour of the show, the guys react to Wes's ACC Power Rankings for this week, discuss the challenge that the Bills offense will present this defense and talk about the improvement that we have seen from the Panthers' defensive line so far.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You were listening to the Wes and Walker Show. I
was defending Steve Clifford. Steve Clifford, I think he did
a great job. And just like that guy, it's Wes.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
He's gonna ask you to come and do press conferences
for him, just behind a black curtain so he doesn't
have to do it.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
And Walker, I like Clifford.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
The Big Red Dog was my favorite childhood book, getting
in Sheenanigans.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I like dogs in general only on Sports Radio ninety
two point seven FM WFNZ. That is a good book.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Welcome back, folks, Welcome to the one o'clock hour here
on the West and Walker Show, Sports Radio ninety two
seven w FNZ from the channel of Volta Studio, Cvinjurylaw
dot Com Atcvinjurylaw dot Com.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
One call.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
That's all the Carolina's personal injury lawyers. Let's get to it, baby,
Power Hour, Conference Power rankings for the ACC and the
quarterback Power rankings coming right up.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Founder, you know what to do. Drop that intro. All right,
let's get going, folks.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You know how we'd like to do it here, So
we're gonna start you off with that four pack starting
from the bottom number seventeen the Boston College Eagles. This
is a program in disarray right now. They got smashed
by Yukon. Checking out that game, they were giving a
big play after big play after big play.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I don't know what they're gonna do.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I'm seeing articles online talking about how this is a
dead program and they do not know what they are
going to do moving forward. At number sixteen, they're North
Carolina tar Hills, a feisty bunch. They were at Cal
They weren't able to secure the victory, but it's their
best showing of the season in my opinion against the
power for a team thus far. In the Florida State
(01:54):
seminoles ozero and four and acc play, they go to
Stanford and they just get a physical beating from the
Cardinal and this Florida State program is in complete disarray,
reeling whatever way you want to say it. And then
the Virginia Tech Hokies who had a flash for a
moment and then it absolutely went away. So seventeen Boston College,
(02:16):
sixteen UNC, fifteen Florida State and number fourteen Virginia Tech.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, that new coach bump didn't last very long for
Virginia Tech. After their win over NC State, which also
doesn't look amazing anymore. Right as NC State starts to fall.
Have no issue with Boston College being dead last. If
you would have had North Carolina did last, I would
have understood it. But I think based off of the
game that took place for both of these programs over
the weekend, North Carolina I do think they probably did
(02:43):
have their best shows.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
The show some signs of Life.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Go Lopez didn't look completely incompetent. Yeah, Still, they're the
sixteenth best team in the ACC. Albeit it's probably the
best showing that they'll have all year long. I just
can't them passing out SU All right, Well, I f
us you has a win against Alabama. I mean you
could argue that there is nothing that North Carolina could
(03:06):
do the rest of the year that would have them
above a team that beats Alabama, but they deserve to
be OVERBC.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
All right.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
So after that, at number thirteen clocking in, the Clemson
Tigers just absolutely disappointing across the board. Christopher Vezena, we'll
see if he will start the next game or if
kid Klubnick will return, But regardless of the fact, this
is easily the most disappointing team of the year, number
twelve Syracuse. The hits just keep on coming. Ricky Collins
(03:33):
and the crew, they just can't get the job done.
They will beat down by pitt at home in the Dome,
number eleven to Stanford Cardinal, though they are fighting, Frank
Right and the crew.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
They've got those guys believing.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And when you have a team smart like Stamford, just
good character guys, it's gonna be hard to kill a
team like that, even though sometimes they hurt themselves with
penalties and mistakes, but they play as hard as anybody.
And then NC stated at number ten they had the
week off and the last time we saw them, they
got absolutely beat down by the fighting hours. They were
(04:05):
not even able to get in the red zone against
Notre Dame in the second.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Half was brutal.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
My prediction looked okay, ten to seven, and then the
second half happened, and then the prediction looked absolutely terrible.
NC State being ten, it's not an issue I would
have Clemson over Syracuse.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Okay, Syracuse, yeah, yeah, but Syracuse beat them, No, they
beat him down.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Head to head, very different Syracuse team. Yeah, Syracuse would
not be an eleven or number twelve on this list.
If Angeli was still playing, I wonder how far up
the standings they beat after.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
I would have Clemson above Syracuse, but again, it's not
anything that is crazy egregious in my opinion, because Clemson
has not been a great football team outside of their
wins against bad football teams. That would be the only
change though I have in that grouping all right. At
number nine the cow Golden Beers.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
They're five and two to one game away from Bowl eligibility.
Number eight the Duke Blue Den. Hated the way that
went down against Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech didn't earn the victory,
but I felt like Duke made so many mistakes that
could have turned the tide in that game. At number seven,
Wake Forest Demon Deakins got SMU coming into town. Twenty
consecutive conference wins for SMU.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
But Wake Forest, man, they're getting a job done.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
They're running the football well, pretty decent defense as well,
number one pass efficiency defense in the ACC. Are the
Wake Forest Demon Deacons. And at number six the pit Panthers.
I like this team a lot. They, as I said,
went into Syracuse and beat them down. Raheem Bows, one
of the best linebackers in the country out right now
(05:40):
for them, So they've been having to overcome some injuries
and some quarterback play as well. But I've got the
pit Panthers at number six, who's number nine, and who
was number eight? Number nine was col Number eight was
Duke seven, wake Forest.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Pitt was number six who Duke fell. Huh yeah, explain
that one well.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I mean, you know, you get hammered by Georgia Tech,
and you were favored in this game, but it was
just the way in which that they played. Man, some
of those turnovers and issues that they had after going
two consecutive games without turning the ball over came back
to get them. You are botching, you know, field goals, handling,
the holding you boughtcht, you fumble on the goal line
(06:17):
to which Georgia Tech runs.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
It back ninety five yards.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I mean, they just made so many critical mistakes in
that game that hurt them.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I think it's probably a little harsh to have Duke
fall behind Pitt and wake Forest for losing by nine
points to an undefeated football team. I do think if
I had to pick had to head, it would be
a good argument I would pick them to beat wake
Forest I would pick Duke, pick Duke to beat Pittsburgh,
though that one I'm not nearly as comfortable with. That
(06:43):
One's a close one in my opinion. But you are
right in the fact that Duke, they kept making mistake
after mistake after mistake. So this goes back to the
problems we have with Duke at the beginning of the season. Right,
it's is this a one off? Is this actually a
really good football team hiding right in front of her
very eyes that continues to make these terrible decisions? Or
is this a thing you do and if you do
(07:04):
it again like they did to Georgia Tech and you
have these terrible turnovers in the red zone, Well, okay,
I can understand it.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I think it's too far.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
But also, Duke's not helping themselves in any stretch of
the imagination because of what they do in the red zone.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, I dropped them three spots. They were five last
go round. All right, I'm gonna give you two this time.
SMU at five and they are climbing. They're three and
zero in the conference. They haven't lost a conference game
since they've been in the ACC. They've got twenty overall
since they were in the American Conference and then at
number four Virginia, Virginia. They barely beat Washington State. They
(07:38):
did get the win, but it was definitely a struggle
for them. So I've got SMU five in Virginia four.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Okay, this top three is gonna be interest.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We should get to the top three because is going
to have an issue with being a number four on
this list.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
They might take it out on us.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, they just went all right number three, and definitely
I know as soon as I turn this in, said, boy,
my mentions and all that going to be on fire.
But I've got the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at number
three in the poll right now. Then I've got Louisville
at number two, and the Miami Hurricanes remain at number one.
(08:14):
So yeah, we can do some talking right here. Let's
do some talking. You lead us off, give us the reasons.
As soon as I said that Georgia Tech, to me,
the resume still isn't impressive. And I'm not a guy
that likes to sit there and blame refs. But we
all know what happened in Winston Salem. They did be
a good duke team this year, which you could probably
argue is their best win so far, but Louisville now
(08:36):
has on their resume going into the building of the
number two team in the country and beating them. It
wasn't enough for me to put them at number one.
But I still think that Miami. It's one of those
deals that, yes, Louisville beat them, but I still think
it's one of those types of scenarios that if they
played Miami ten times, I think Miami wins nine out
of ten. And I think that Miami still, in my opinion,
(08:58):
is the best team in the ACC when you look
at everything they bring to the table. Yes, they had
a bad game, Yes Carson back through four interceptions, I
understand all that. But when you look at this team
top to bottom, I still think that they would beat
Louisville if they played them several more times, and I
think that they would beat Georgia Tech and Virginia had
to hit.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
I think it gets a little messy up here. It does.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And I've liked pretty much every single ranking down to
the spot that you had before. This one's funky because
it really started with Duke at number eight because you
value so I think with them dropping a few spots,
you're inadvertently saying you don't value Duke as much. But
Georgia Tech with their best win being against Duke, now
(09:41):
they're top three despite not having all that impressive of
a resume. But I think that's contradicting one another with
the whole Duke the way we evaluate Duke, and then
Virginia beating Louisville on the road Louisville.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Virginia's has.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
I guess the four state win is now not as
impressive because Florest State is at fifteen.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
But I still give them the credit of what they
at that time.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, and so that well, if that's the case, I
think you should probably have Virginia still second or third,
even if Louisville did have the win against Miami. My
thing against Miami is Miami's had some close calls as well.
They had the close call early when they allowed Notre
Dame back in Carson Beck. Perhaps there's just my personal
bias of not being fully sold on Carson back, and
(10:24):
they did lose to Louisville, and Carson like we've seen
this from him before, kind of like we've seen it
from Darien Mins in Duke, right, I think those turnovers,
so those are my quarrels.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, Miami's got three ranked wins though they beat another
day team, albeit yes it was the first win of
the season. They beat down a USF team that's smashing
everybody else. And then at the time, if I'm going
to give people credit for what happened at the time
of the crime so to speak, they did beat a
ranked Florida State team as well. So they've got three
ranked wins on the season. So that's why I feel
(10:54):
like Miami's resume is good as well. Founder, What say you,
what do you think about audis?
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Yeah, I think it's I think it's tough to have
Miami still at number one.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
To me, I think Georgia Tech.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
We keep doubting Georgia Tech and we think eventually they're
going to lose one of these games, but they seem
to find ways to win these games.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
What say you about the fact that, again, like I said,
and I know that that's the one thing which I've
had Georgia Tech fan sam or you just thought because
they beat wake Forth, but this is the team that
had a call that should have gone against them, that
would have given them a loss against wake for right.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
But it didn't, And they're undefeated, So that's the that's
the thing. I mean, it's unfortunate. I definitely think that
that's certainly something that you could in terms of thinking
about this team nationally. Maybe that's where you have the conversation.
But I would put them ahead of Miami. I would
put them ahead of Louisville.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
We think Tech. You think Georgia Tech would beat Miami
straight up?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I do.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I do. I think that Haynes King wouldn't finish it because.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
I think they have a better coach and I think
that he is a guy that what does Brent Key
succeed most in beating ranked teams?
Speaker 1 (11:57):
That's all the man does.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I mean he he lose just to rang it to
unranked teams, but when it comes to beating ranked teams,
he gets his team ready for those types of games.
I think they would beat Miami if we if they
played tonight.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
The other thing too, is I mean, you have Wake
four to seventh, so it's even if they had the
luck of the call helped them out, it's still according
to these rankings, against a pretty good team in wake Forest,
who is in the top seven.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
So I think I don't.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah, they got the win against wake Forest which doesn't
look as bad with that margin of victory at the
time as it does now because Wake was really starting
to get some things going.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah, it's just for me with Georgia, tek, I just
don't I just don't really feel like that they which
I said, they've They've beaten some some good teams acc wise,
but I just feel like that their resume right now,
I'm just not a believer in them just yet. And
like I said, I just I don't think that they
would beat Miami straight up, and I don't think they
would beat Louisville straight up either.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
This is belief in Miami's talent and that and I
think that's fair. It's just at some point we're going
to get into the age old debate that happens every
year in college football. How much do you value head
to head? But like I said, they got three ranked wins. No,
well I know that, I'm just saying Louisville did beat Miami,
and I know they lost to Virginia, but now you're
talking about Virginia. It's a little messy at the top.
(13:12):
But that's the question that people are going to have,
is Okay, Louisville lost to a top four squad Miami.
I guess lost to a top two, but in that
case there is doubt. It's not easy, it's not straightforward.
But to me, I think the benefit of the doubt
would go to the team that has the head to
head win over the two teams in I.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Got a little college football playoffish on you guys lose,
and I knew that when I put it out, I said,
I got very college football playoffish, So I say, okay,
yes this happened, but I still believe this. So we'll
get into it some more on the other side, because
this is good to beate tough sign and I'll give
you the quarterback rankings as well. Sports read Down ninety
two seven w FNZ, Welcome back, folks, great college football
(14:00):
debate during the break going on. Let me know what
you think on the FANDOL text line seven O four
to five seven oh ninety sixteen. You can also hit
us up on the socials WFNZ on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
You can also hit us up at HTB Anthony at
West Bran Underscore seventy two, at Walker mel and most
importantly at Western Walker. But yes, Wes Bryant got on
his college football committee ish, Okay, Well I sit there
(14:23):
and I say, yeah, well, this team might have beat them,
or this team might be ranked this, but I still
think this, And yes, I still think that Miami is
the best team in the ACC because I also looked
at it. I'm like, Okay, if we go back in
retrospect when the season is over and Miami only has
one loss, we're gonna say that Miami's the best team.
And seeing these teams up close, and also watching pretty
much every game I watched, Like this morning, I spent
(14:45):
my morning watching the games from last week, watching extended
highlights the fifteen twenty twenty five minute joints of all
the games, and I think that Georgia Tech seeing them
up close as well, I think that they're a good team,
but I think that they are, for lack of a
better term, overrated in their ranking. I just don't think
that they're as good as the seventh best team in
(15:07):
the country. And I really think, to be frank, if
Miami played them, I think they would mash him.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
To be frank, that they would mash Georgia Tech.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yes, yeah, I don't know about mash him for me,
but I hear you on having a lot of the talent,
but one it's kind of what Miami is. They have
a lot of talent and somehow, some way, they end
up not making it. I've seen Carson Beck do this
thing before, and it's why he's not playing for the
college that he was playing for last year. It's because
(15:36):
Georgia didn't do everything they could to keep him, and
it was because he had a bad year.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Sometimes you need to go to a different spot. That's fine.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
But if he was amazing, Georgia probably would have done
a little bit more with all that money they got
down there in Bulldog Land.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Well, he talked about to a lot of the stuff
that was going on and took his love away and
what he didn't like a.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Little bit.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But also when you look, he had the receiving credit,
dropped the most passes in the country last year. That
receiving quote was not great for Georgia. But again no excuses.
He did not play great in that Louisville game, and
I get it. On the last play that was a miscommunication,
and it tells you that even with them throwing or
him throwing three interceptions, that they still were a field
goal away from winning that game. Well, being right there
(16:19):
to tie it to go to over time.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
We're getting close games, though, I think that all kind
of washes out because Georgia Tech it's the same thing,
but they're undefeated, and that ultimately has to matter if
we want to try to keep the integrity of these rankings.
Have you won every single game that you've played, you
have that has to matter. Now, I get it if
at the end part of this is that we don't
have a big enough sample size. So when we get
(16:41):
on the college football playoff ish, as you talked about,
then that's how you leave out an undefeated Florida State team.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
So I get that.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I don't think we've seen enough of that yet to
continue to put Miami over the team that did beat them,
and to put them over the undefeated team in Georgia Tech.
Because it's also not like the destroying all of these
teams that are good competition, because you could say they
have three ranked wins and that's true. They allowed Notre
Dame to come back in that game that was a
(17:09):
close one. The FSU.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
They smashed FSU. Yeah no, I know they did.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yeah, well an FSU it was a six point game,
But I get that they beat them. Also FSU is
ranked fifteenth, and that I don't think you're gonna at
the end of the college Football Playoff right when we
get to the time where we're deciding all of this stuff. Yeah,
the committee is not going to point to their win
over FSU and say that's a good win in favor
of them. That's not going to happen. They won't. So
I don't think we can do that here if we're
on our college football playoff fish.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So now you have are they simlish UCF? I mean
u SF?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
So they did USF at this point in the season,
and that's a good team. It is a good team.
So those are your I guess two good wins Notre
Dame and USF and Louisville they have what's their good wins?
Speaker 1 (17:52):
They have their win against them they beat Miami.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
That was that was a signature mom fit them because
their schedule was not sterling either until they beat I
guess it's two team on the road.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I guess that that win to me against Notre Dame
is carrying a lot, like that's carrying a lot for
me to have them number one of the aces, more
so than I think it should. Given you have an
undefeated team in Georgia Tech. And you have a team
that did beat Miami on their home turn. And I
still think that they're the most complete team when you
look at them top to bottom. I like I said
(18:21):
that they had a bad game against Georgia Tech, I
mean against Louisville, but I think they're the most complete team.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
And I also think that Louisville.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I think that they're a better team than Georgia Tech
in my opinion when you look at what they bring
to the table too, I think that they're very balanced.
Because the thing with Georgia Tech to worried you about
them if they get into big spots is their passing game.
I think they've been getting by with Haynes King a
lot running the football, which is great.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You win how you win.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I think he barely had one hundred plus yards and
oh I think he had two something in this game.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
He had two h five against Duke.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
But when it comes down to the nitty gritty, they
have a tough time kind of converting throwing through the air.
And that's the thing I think that Miami would do
to be able to beat them. I think they would
turn them a little one dimension them because it's hard
to just plug it up through there with in Georgia
Tech's offensive line. Now, they're really really good, but I
just think that the way Georgia Tech plays, I don't
think Miami is a good matchup for them. But again,
(19:16):
like I said, it's a lot of fun and that's
what I felt like this weekend. So I knew it
was gonna be. I knew I was gonna get plenty
of smoke with this one. But I'm built for it, man.
So let's get to the quarterbacks as well. Let's go
ahead and knock out the quarterbacks for this week because
coming in at number five, falling from number one, falling
like Alicia Keys Carson Beck, he had four interceptions versus
(19:39):
Louisville two hundred and seventy one yards, still third in
the acc and pass efficiency rating, He's gonna have some
making up to do because he took the al to the.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Cards and through four picks.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Number three, or excuse me, number four, Miller Moss makes
his entry into the quarterback power ranking versus Miami. He
threw for two hundred and forty eight yards two touchdowns.
In his last three games, He's been balling out sixty
six percent completions, three hundred and five yards a game,
ten TDR. Then at number three, Kevin Jennings against Clemson,
(20:13):
he goes two ninety two touchdowns with the dreaded interception.
He seems like the always he's gonna give you an
interception in every game, but he is undefeated as a
starter in acc regular season play.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Then I've got Hayes King at number two.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
He had three hundred and twenty five total yards in
the matchup the win versus Duke with a rushing score,
and he's got three games this season with one hundred
plus passing and rushing yards in the same game. Number one,
Walker Male, you predicted it, and I kind of felt
like this might be coming as well. Daria Mensa of
Duke is now your number one guy. He threw for
(20:49):
three hundred and seventy three yards and two touchdowns in
the loss to Duke, and he's got seventeen passing touchdowns
in seven games.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
That is a Duke record.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
I think the only reason that this would change just
because Duke's win loss record might be too much and
you might have too many l's to keep him at
the top. But I don't think it's going to because
of Darien Mensa's play. I think at the end of
the season, we're going to look at Mensa and say
that he's the best quarterback in the conference. And you know,
I got my love for CJ. Bailey every single time.
He's not on the list anymore. I have no quarrels
with that.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
I have.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I actually don't have any issues with this. Like we
had to have the debate and the conversation with the
top ten or so in your power rankings, I think
this is pretty spot on. I would go Mensa, King Jennings, Miller,
Boss Carson Beck pretty much down to the tee here.
And I do think Mensa in terms of individual quarterback play,
if we remove win loss record, I don't think Mensa
(21:40):
removing win loss record will be removed from this list.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
If that was a part of it.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
He's I'll ask you this, if you had to choose
a quarterback to quarterback your team, would it.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Be Darien Mensa in the ACC?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I would say so, yeah, would be mine, especially if
I'm putting together an Austar tea. And I mean he
makes some throws too. When you tu podtest, I mean
he had a couple well in that game. Against Georgia Tech.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
That will wow.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
I can't help but just give Duke all of the
credit in the world for targeting a guy early in
the process, saying, Oh my god, I want him. I
don't want anybody else. I want him. I'm gonna get
this done. I'm going to throw them all of the
money and not have to worry about quarterback anymore. And
it work out for you, right, It all comes, it
all goes according to plan. Duke continues to impress me,
(22:25):
and Darien Mensa continues to impress.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Man, So that is your quarterback power rankings for this
week if you are just tuning in, just to give
you a quick rundown. At number five, Carson Back from Miami,
number four, Miller Moss of Louisville, number three, Kevin Jennings
of SMU, number two Haines King of Georgia Tech.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
And number one Darien Mensa.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So let's get back in to some Carolina Panthers talk
previewing the game with the Buffalo Bills coming up. And
so when you look at this team and all of
the things that they bring to the table, we know
at number one it starts with Josh Allen and so
this is a quarterback that's.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Going to come in here on a war pad.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
The Bills are undefeated coming off of a bye since
twenty seventeen, and Josh Allen leads the NFL and wins
following a bye week as a starting quarterback as well.
Seven and oh they are and lastly fourth and most
points scored after a bye since twenty seventeen. So this
is the Bills team that when they get a little
bit of extra time to prepare, they come with it.
(23:24):
And so when we look at this matchup, who do
we feel like is the most important defensive player going
up against Josh Allen and this Buffalo Bill's defense. And
so I'm going to start the conversation with the guy
here that has been much maligned as we've been talking
about him throughout the season, but its last three games,
he's been playing solid football. And with some of the
(23:45):
things that I think that Gerald Everro is going to
do in this game, I think that this is a
game that Trevin Wallace has to be at his best.
When you look at his last three games advanced metrics,
he's been seventy or better because before that it was
really really bad. Also, a key stat when looking at
him zero mistackles in the last two games as well.
He's only been credited with only one misstackle all year long.
(24:07):
But I say all that to say that this is
a guy that I feel like in some passing situations
that he will be deployed as a spy to look
after Josh Allen if he starts to get out of
the pocket, and so that's why I selected him. I
feel like that he's been playing better football. The coverage
grades have been a lot better as well. But I
think that this is a guy that when you talk spies,
(24:28):
I think that Trevin Wallace will be used in that
fashion in some instances, and I think that it could
be a pivotal matchup in this game.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Yeah, I searched Trevin Wallace myself. I think maybe your
nickel corner and chown Smith Wade might be somebody that
you feel like can have a big impact in this
game because of Khalil Shakir being by far their best
wide out, but also Dalton Kinkaid, which I believe the
injury report, I haven't seen it from the Bills today.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Today should be the first day that they release it.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
But Dalton Kincaid was questionable if I'm not mistaken. I
don't know if he suits up, but you know this
team gets beat down by tight ends. So whoever is
in coverage on Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir, those the
guys that I really think you need to worry about.
I'm good with J. C. Horn and Mike jack On
anybody really on the outside. I'm not worried about Josh
(25:18):
Palmer as much. I'm not worried about Keon Coleman. I'm
I'm pretty confident that my big corners can stick with
the guy that can't get a lot of separation and
relies a lot on fifty to fifty catches. Even still,
that was themo on him coming out of Florida State.
I think that has remained true throughout his early tenure
in the NFL. So I'm good on the outside, man.
I think Shakier can hurt you. I think Dalton Kinkaid
(25:39):
can hurts you if he's back in this one. So
it's whoever's in coverage with those guys, all right.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
So now, when we look at this Bill's offense, do
we feel like that this is the scariest offense that
the Panthers will face all season long. Again, we know
some of the parts that they are bringing with them,
and I would say, yes, I think that this is
when you look at some of the major stats that
you want to look at when talking about an offense,
yards per game, this Buffalo Bill's team their third in
(26:06):
the league. Also, when you look at them from a
yards per play, standpoint explosive team, they are fourth in
the league in those regards. And then when you look
at scoring offense, this is the team that is right
there again at forced twenty seven point eight points per game.
So yeah, when you look at it, it may not
be a bunch of household names outside of Josh Allen
and maybe you could add James.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Cook to this mix.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
But this is also kind of a balanced receiving corps,
which they don't have one guy that's necessarily going to
kill you, but they want to go with the death
buy a thousand cuts type of deal. They have four
guys that have two hundred plus receiving yards, so you
have to worry about Dalton kin Ka, which is their
lead receiver, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, and so
I think that this is a Panthers secondary. We talked
(26:51):
about their yards per completion ranking near the bottom of
the league, and so I think when you present this
to them an offense that has this kind of balance,
I think that this is an offense that could be
a tough matchup for them. And I think that this
is the scariest offense that the Panthers will see on
this schedule. I think it's Dallas. The Dallas offense was
(27:12):
just destroying people. And when we just and I guess
I gave them the nod because we didn't get to
see it at four strength with the CD lak.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Yet no CD lamb.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
George Pickens still playing like a wide receiver one, and
I think George Pickens is the best wide receiver. If
you lump all of the Bills weapons and the Cowboys
weapons in a room with one another, it's still CD
at the top. And I don't know if don Kin
Kid's going to play, So that's one thing. I'm looking
it up on Twitter right now. I'm trying to find
some but he hadn't played since the New England matchup
in Week five. They rely a lot on him. That's
(27:43):
their pass, that's their I think primary target.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
For the most part. He had a.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Couple of four reception games, five against Miami, had six
in that game against New England. Hasn't played since. If
he doesn't suit up, that's a big deal for this
Panthers d. But also, I mean the run game is
actually with Buffalo with Josh Allen and James Cook. Dallas
was running the ball extremely well too, and Carolina kept
them in check. Javonte had not been held up really
(28:09):
outside of that game alone. He actually got back on
track the following contest and against the Panthers that was
the time they kept him in check. You also have
a tight tight end and Jake Ferguson that is really talented.
Dak Prescott playing at an MVP level, Buffalo Bill's talented offense,
I'd put him second. I think Dallas they were a
wagon man and they've only shown you that even after
(28:29):
they played Carolina. They were good against Carolina. It's just
the Panthers offense did a decent enough job of keeping
the football away from Dak Prescott in that unit to
stop them and win because they had the ball last
in that game. Dallas won, Buffalo not too far behind. Yeah,
And I think.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Too that when you look at it, I feel like
that Josh Allen is more of a wild card to
where that you kind of know, like he's gonna sit
on this spot, he may scramble. He's gonna scramble to
pass more likely than not to where Josh Allen, you
just don't know what you're going to get from Snaper
snap in a good way to where you know he
could run out and he could end up getting a
thirty yard game, or he could run and make a
(29:07):
big time throw and throw it down the field for
a touchdown. And so I know that the Panthers, when
you talk about is this a good or bad matchup
for them? I think that it's a tough matchup for
this Panthers defense because of the balance in the passing
game and because of the threat of Josh Allen's legs.
Because I think even if the Panthers are able to
take away the run again ten yards per completion, they're
(29:30):
giving up because the Panthers run defense during this three
game winning streak, they've only allowed one hundred and thirty
one rushing yards. And so I think that the Bills
are definitely going to want to establish a run. But
I think that they also know that, hey, you know
this team, we may have a hard time running against them,
So we're going to have to have our other ace
in and deck, which is Josh Allen making plays, loosening
(29:51):
up this defense, throwing the ball down the field. So
I would constitute this as a bad matchup for Carolina's defense.
But what would you would you call the Bills offensive
bit a good or bad man? I think it's fine.
I think there are worst matchups that you'll go against.
For instance, I think probably Dallas was a worst matchup
offensively for you. Josh Allen is a complete wild card.
(30:12):
The guy's awesome. He's been turning the.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Ball over a little bit more so the last couple
of games last year that was his big MVP selling
points that he didn't turn it over. He had gotten
rid of all that stuff and continue with the explosive plays.
This year's he's turning it over a little bit more so.
If you feel like a strength on a strength Derek Brown,
that inside rushing defense compared countering what you have in
(30:34):
James Cook as a wash, I'm a little worried about
Josh Allen and even James Cook running on the outside,
just because we have rookie edge rushers, can you set
the edge well enough? A little scared about that, but
I'm actually not worried about these pass catchers. I think
it's a weakness. And I know Brandon Bean got on
as Boys in Buffalo Radio when they ask about needing
a wide receiver and he pointed to the offense and
said that wasn't the issue. Our issue was defense. You
(30:56):
guys don't know anything. Okay, you have one injury. Who's
your go to guy? Cuz Keon Coleman, I like enough,
but I'll I'll take jac Horn in that matchup. I'll
take Mike jack to stave off enough production from him.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
I'm cool.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I'm worried about the small, shifty guys against Jackson and
j C.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Horn.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
Keon Coleman is actually the exact opposite of that. That's
why I worry about more of Khalil Shakir. But if
you do enough to shade his way, then I'm cool
with leaving guys on islands with these other options. If
Don Kinkaid comes back, I think that's a big deal
because again we've just gotten toasted by tight ends.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Doesn't matter who it is.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Jake Ferguson didn't have a ton of catches, but he
did have a touchdown. If Don Kid Kid comes back,
I think this maybe leans it more in a bad
matchup with Josh Allen, James Cook, and Kinkaid. If he
doesn't come back, then I think it kind of watches
out to be an interesting matchup for both sides.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Well, Milk Knyak on the Fandel Textallan says, has anyone
mentioned the Brady factor? Maybe wants to stick it to
the Panthers for getting fired under the rule like that.
Joe Brady might want to run up the score about
that at all.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
I think his.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Hatred is reserved for Matt Rula, not Carolina, because David
Tepper while the pressure was on Matt Rule, Matt Rule
had to get rid of somebody, and then you had
that weird Joe Brady wasn't fired when he was in
the building because he wasn't here. He was on vacation.
And I really felt like that story got really out
of hand because Joe Brady was gone, but everybody was
(32:22):
kind of on vacation. And then Matt Ruhle needs to
make a change during the bye week, and so that's
when he decides to do it, and then Brady is
chastised for not being in the building when he was
let go, but it just felt like a huge mess
if Matt Rule was still the head coach. Oh yeah,
I'm signing up for that psychological effect against a couple
coaches removed from that Now. I don't think he has
(32:45):
I don't think that he necessarily has the hatred for
the organization like he does.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Matt.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
All right, when we come back, we're gonna dig some
more into this Bills Panthers matchup and also talk a
little Derek Brown sports Ready on ninety two seven w FNZ,
And just like that, folks, we return here on the
Western Walkers Show, Sports Radio ninety two seven w FNZ.
(33:13):
On a war Cry Wednesday, Spoiled Sportsman says on the
FANDO text line, I can't wait to see what our
defense is capable of against these dudes.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
And yeah, I think that.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
That's a great way to start off this segment because
I think that this offense that we talked about in
the last segment, they bring a lot of issues.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
When you talk Josh Allen a.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Receiving cord, it doesn't necessarily have the alpha, but they
kind of get it done by committee and then James Cook,
who's one of the top running backs in the league
statistically and just from a star status standpoint, he's a
guy to spend on the come up for a few
years now and is a star running back. And so
that defense though, is led by Derrick Brown. And when
(33:54):
we talk about the game that he had last week,
it was absolutely phenomenal. I know, the Jets offensive line,
like we said, they're not the greatest. They gave up
nine sacks against the Broncos, they gave up six to
the Panthers. But still Derek Brown with that game that
he had two sacks, three quarterback hits, broke up three
passes to go with seven tackles. He was the seventh
player in NFL history to have seven tackles, two sacks,
(34:18):
and three passes defended in the same game since all
three of those stats have been recorded in nineteen ninety nine.
So a little bit of a historical performance by Derek Brown.
And so I think to me, this year he's been
kind of building and he's been regarded as one of
the best guys. But I think that this year he's
kind of really entered his name into the chat, so
(34:40):
to speak, of being the best at his position, in
my opinion, for the first time. I certainly think he's
taking a star turn this year. The sack that he
got against the Dolphins. There, he's starting to put it
together to where before the run defense was something that
you could certainly set a watch by, the pass to
us was something that was as far as pressures and
(35:02):
him being able to make a little noise push the
pocket like you want a defensive tackle to do. But
now I feel like it's starting to come together where
he's getting home, he's hitting the quarterback with a little
bit more regularity. I think that he's certainly starting to
become a superstar at that position.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I think part of it is the opportunity. Derek Brown
asked Dave Canalis Andajero Vero for more pass rushing opportunities
because I think that was a knock against him and
that there wasn't this nice, clean round number in the
sack stat line. You only saw two according to PFF
in twenty twenty three, despite having a really nice pass
rushing grade and having a really nice pass rushing grade
(35:38):
in twenty twenty two, but he only had one sack
in that season, So we asked for more pass rushing
opportunities to have that ability to get home. I think
he's been granted that at times this year because you
see the grade. He might be having a star turn
because now there's a lot of eyeballs on him. He
actually doesn't even have the highest grade of his career
right now. He actually had a ninety in twenty twenty three.
(35:59):
He's got an eighty nine.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Now.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
I think he's been absolutely dominant. I think there are
more eyeballs on him now. Part of this is just
out of side, out of mind. You didn't play a
whole year. He played the first game against the Saints,
and all the talk was surrounding Bryce is the number
one overall pick going to figure it out? Or is
he going to be a monster bust? So we were
all focusing on the offense. And then even if we thought, yeah,
(36:21):
it's gonna really hurt man, Derek Brown's out for the
year Week two, that storyline gets swept under rug because
Bryce Young has a bad game and now we're already
on to Andy Dalton. So we just haven't talked about Derek,
not nearly as much as I think you would want
him to be talked about, because he just missed an
entire season. So yeah, man, I think he is having
a star turn for a couple of different reasons. Pass
(36:42):
rushing opportunities, this defense just playing better as a whole.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Talk about it.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
With the Hornets all the time, needing talent to supplement LaMelo,
you needed talent to supplement Derek Brown also, and I
think you finally have that.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah, because Carolina ranks seventh in the league in total defense,
in their eighth against the run, and as I mentioned earlier,
they've only allowed one hundred and thirty one yards rushing
in the last three games. So yeah, when you look
at that talent, do you feel like that? And we
could go chicken out of an egg whichever way you
want to talk about it, but do you feel like
Derek Brown's a forced multiplier or he himself is benefiting
(37:13):
from the upgrades to around?
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (37:15):
I mean I think he's a force multiplier. Like you
could say that they were historically bad last year, but
they didn't have as much talent. How many times when
we would talk about a Jaro Rivero, we would say
Avero doesn't have enough ingredients to work with, and this
is why he had an unprecedented terrible rushing defense. All
you have to do against the Panthers. Just last year,
(37:37):
if Derek Brown was playing, all you had to do
was allocate three guys to him and then just leave
everybody else one on one. Allocate two guys to Derek Brown,
run away from Derek whatever, and you could get by.
But now that you have competent football players around him,
you also aren't asking the most.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
I mean, think about it.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Man Seay total played nine hundred plus snaps those tackle
last year. Guess what's going to look a little different
your rushing defense when you replace all of those snaps
from Shy and give them to Bobby Brown, Derek A'shawn Robinson,
Turk Wharton, got all these fresh, competent football players as
a part of a rotation, with even Pat Jones coming
(38:17):
in now he's out for the year, but coming in
in the first portion here had a nice run stop
win rate last season with Minnesota. Yeah, I think you
need talent around all great players in order to be
a successful unit. But Derek Brown allows those guys to
work out, and I think it's vice versa. I think
it's a symbiotic relationship. I think it's a little bit
of both.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
This well because when you talk about Derek Brown and
what he's able to do, he's going to be the
focus of the offensive game plan. And then other guys
when you do have competent talent, as you said, on
the other sides and around him, then it's going to
make it so that they can shine because he's going
to get a lot of the attention. And so with
Carolina's defense being where they're at, this is going to
be one of those games where this defense is going
(38:58):
to be tested. We've been talking about how good this
Bill's offense is, and so you feel like with this
game and some of the contenders they have coming up,
the Green Bays and the Rams and some of these
other teams San Francisco, do you feel like that this
defense is won because it can really help to have
a defense that's going to give you extra chances.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
That's why you have them.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
You have them to be able to get you the
ball back, you have them to be able to play
the field position game. This defense, I think one of
the big things that we're going to see and that
I think it's going to be one of the key
answers to the tests as far as just how good
is this Fanthers team. How much can we bind too
some of these wins? Is if this defense helps them
to stay in some of these games. Can you play
some defensive games with some of these teams that you're
(39:41):
going to go up against. That's the question right now.
How confident do you feel that this Carolina defense is
going to help them by keeping them in some of
these games coming up against some of these high powered offense.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Way more confident than I used to be, just because
of their ability to stop the run. I'm worried about
rushing the passer. That's still something that's an issue. You
can't fix every thing in an offseason. So Dan Morgan
he focused on being able to run the football a
couple of off seasons ago and protect your quarterback with
that offensive lineman that he brought in via Robert Hunt
and Damien Lewis. This past offseason, he decided, we got
(40:13):
to stop the run. It's the thing that we were
chastised most for. We were heavily criticized because we had
the worst rushing defense in NFL history. So maybe we
fixed that thing. That's exactly what you did. So now
you got to find some pass rushers. You tried to
do it with Nick Scurdon and Princely and Mammuellen, and
you might be high on them as edge rushers. Might
(40:34):
take a little time for them to cook, though, because
we're not even at the halfway point of their rookie
season yet, so I'm still worried about that. But yeah,
clearly their defense is a lot better than what it
was last year, and so that allows them to win
a game like they did against the Jets, even if
they have a terrible offense. Dallas had twenty seven points Miami.
They were held in check in the second half, not
(40:55):
so much in the first half, but the offense put
them in some rough situations. I think the defense, you
trust them a lot more to win some of those
types of games where it's a rock fighter.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Yeah, I think so too, And especially when this team
is capable of being able to slow the run down
and they don't have to do a lot of run
blitz is to be able to do so. I mean,
Carolina ranks near the bottom of the NFL and blitz percentage.
They only blitz around eighteen percent of the time, and
so I think that when you're able to do that,
that tells me that your front seven is capable of
being able to handle the run on their own. We
(41:27):
talked earlier about how Trevin Wallace has been playing better.
He's on a little bit of a heat of the
last three games. He's been playing solid enough football to
where you feel comfortable with him in the middle of
that defense.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
And so I think they're all together.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
With Turk Woarden coming back, I think that they do
have a defense it's going to be capable of keeping
them in some games. And I think that that's a
big plus for them, is that this is a crew
that's going to put a lot of these teams in
obvious passing situations. And that's the thing, man, is that
we get what the Jets offensive line is, but what
(41:59):
kind of momentum can they carry from that game to
this game? Can you go from six sacks to four
or can you even go to three. I think if
you get three to four sacks of Josh Allen, I
think that you have to be pretty happy with that.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
So that's the thing.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Even though the opponent did you find something, because just
like this team found, you know, a rushing attack that
was pretty potent against some bad teams, it kind of
carried over into the Jets game to where they've still
ran the ball pretty decent, even though that Jets defense
isn't great. But that's the thing is that did they
discover some things in this Jets game that could still
(42:32):
work against the Bills from a pass rushing perspective, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
So much of it is Derek Brown being better than you.
So that's going to play nicely against whatever offensive lineman
he's facing. That's excellent. Atlanta got pass rush on Buffalo.
Atlanta has a lot of good pass rushers, and I
think with Atlanta getting out in front, they were able
to really pin their ears back and go. So it
would help to get off to a good start offensively
(42:56):
for this Carolina Panthers team. That is a little harder
to do with Andy Dalton as your QB, but not impossible.
So if you can get off to a good start,
I think that would really help you rush the quarterback.
In Josh Allen's case, even if he's not going to
get sacked because it's really hard to bring down.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
He's strong as an ox. He's also really fast.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
He's as close to Cam Newton as you can possibly
get via the physical presence, in my opinion, So that's
a hard dude to bring down. We know it well
here in the Queen City from twenty eleven to twenty eighteen.
I think what you can do is use the page
out of the playbook that you brought up earlier with
Trevin Wallace. It really does make sense to just have
(43:34):
Trevin Wallace to be out, to be on lookout constantly,
right man coverage. All right, Well, now you're worried a
little bit about turning your back to Josh Allen because
he can pick up yards really easily. I was worried
about that with Justin Fields, honestly, but he played so
poorly he got benched. That wasn't a real issue anymore.
This is a whole different ballgame in terms of mobile QB,
(43:54):
So that does worry me. Even if you don't get
a lot of sacks, maybe flushing him out of the
pocket is great, but he can throw on the run. Hey,
this is the issue when you have a great quarterback.
It's the issue. You might put some points on you
and you just have to tip your cat because he's
one of the best quarterbacks in the lit Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
I also think too, Trey Merrick may be a guy
that they use as well to be able to us
by the haund too, so it'll be fun to see, however,
he tries to combat Number seventeen. When we come back, folks,
we start the two o'clock hour. Ashley Westwood of Charlotte
FC joins us to talk about the Crown on Sports
Radio ninety two seven w FNZ.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Listen to the Wes and.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Walker Show weekie's from noon to three only on Sports
Radio ninety two point seven FM.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Com UFNZ, the official home of the Charlotte Sports Fan
You were listening to the Wes and Walker Show. I
was defending Steve Clifford. Steve Clifford, I think he did
a great job. And just like that guy, it's Wes.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
He's gonna ask you to come and do press conferences
for him, just behind a black curtain so he doesn't
have to do it.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
And Walker, I like Clifford.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
The Big Red Dog was my favorite childhood book, getting
in Sheenanigans.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I like dogs in general only on Sports Radio ninety
two point seven FM WFNZ. That is a good book.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Welcome back, folks, Welcome to the one o'clock hour here
on the West and Walker Show, Sports Radio ninety two
seven w FNZ from the channel of Volta Studio, Cvinjurylaw
dot Com Atcvinjurylaw dot Com.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
One call.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
That's all the Carolina's personal injury lawyers. Let's get to it, baby,
Power Hour, Conference Power rankings for the ACC and the
quarterback Power rankings coming right up.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Founder, you know what to do. Drop that intro. All right,
let's get going, folks.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You know how we'd like to do it here, So
we're gonna start you off with that four pack starting
from the bottom number seventeen the Boston College Eagles. This
is a program in disarray right now. They got smashed
by Yukon. Checking out that game, they were giving a
big play after big play after big play.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I don't know what they're gonna do.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I'm seeing articles online talking about how this is a
dead program and they do not know what they are
going to do moving forward. At number sixteen, they're North
Carolina tar Hills, a feisty bunch. They were at Cal
They weren't able to secure the victory, but it's their
best showing of the season in my opinion against the
power for a team thus far. In the Florida State
(01:54):
seminoles ozero and four and acc play, they go to
Stanford and they just get a physical beating from the
Cardinal and this Florida State program is in complete disarray,
reeling whatever way you want to say it. And then
the Virginia Tech Hokies who had a flash for a
moment and then it absolutely went away. So seventeen Boston College,
(02:16):
sixteen UNC, fifteen Florida State and number fourteen Virginia Tech.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, that new coach bump didn't last very long for
Virginia Tech. After their win over NC State, which also
doesn't look amazing anymore. Right as NC State starts to fall.
Have no issue with Boston College being dead last. If
you would have had North Carolina did last, I would
have understood it. But I think based off of the
game that took place for both of these programs over
the weekend, North Carolina I do think they probably did
(02:43):
have their best shows.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
The show some signs of Life.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Go Lopez didn't look completely incompetent. Yeah, Still, they're the
sixteenth best team in the ACC. Albeit it's probably the
best showing that they'll have all year long. I just
can't them passing out SU All right, Well, I f
us you has a win against Alabama. I mean you
could argue that there is nothing that North Carolina could
(03:06):
do the rest of the year that would have them
above a team that beats Alabama, but they deserve to
be OVERBC.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
All right.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
So after that, at number thirteen clocking in, the Clemson
Tigers just absolutely disappointing across the board. Christopher Vezena, we'll
see if he will start the next game or if
kid Klubnick will return, But regardless of the fact, this
is easily the most disappointing team of the year, number
twelve Syracuse. The hits just keep on coming. Ricky Collins
(03:33):
and the crew, they just can't get the job done.
They will beat down by pitt at home in the Dome,
number eleven to Stanford Cardinal, though they are fighting, Frank
Right and the crew.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
They've got those guys believing.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And when you have a team smart like Stamford, just
good character guys, it's gonna be hard to kill a
team like that, even though sometimes they hurt themselves with
penalties and mistakes, but they play as hard as anybody.
And then NC stated at number ten they had the
week off and the last time we saw them, they
got absolutely beat down by the fighting hours. They were
(04:05):
not even able to get in the red zone against
Notre Dame in the second.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Half was brutal.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
My prediction looked okay, ten to seven, and then the
second half happened, and then the prediction looked absolutely terrible.
NC State being ten, it's not an issue I would
have Clemson over Syracuse.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Okay, Syracuse, yeah, yeah, but Syracuse beat them, No, they
beat him down.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Head to head, very different Syracuse team. Yeah, Syracuse would
not be an eleven or number twelve on this list.
If Angeli was still playing, I wonder how far up
the standings they beat after.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
I would have Clemson above Syracuse, but again, it's not
anything that is crazy egregious in my opinion, because Clemson
has not been a great football team outside of their
wins against bad football teams. That would be the only
change though I have in that grouping all right. At
number nine the cow Golden Beers.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
They're five and two to one game away from Bowl eligibility.
Number eight the Duke Blue Den. Hated the way that
went down against Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech didn't earn the victory,
but I felt like Duke made so many mistakes that
could have turned the tide in that game. At number seven,
Wake Forest Demon Deakins got SMU coming into town. Twenty
consecutive conference wins for SMU.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
But Wake Forest, man, they're getting a job done.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
They're running the football well, pretty decent defense as well,
number one pass efficiency defense in the ACC. Are the
Wake Forest Demon Deacons. And at number six the pit Panthers.
I like this team a lot. They, as I said,
went into Syracuse and beat them down. Raheem Bows, one
of the best linebackers in the country out right now
(05:40):
for them, So they've been having to overcome some injuries
and some quarterback play as well. But I've got the
pit Panthers at number six, who's number nine, and who
was number eight? Number nine was col Number eight was
Duke seven, wake Forest.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Pitt was number six who Duke fell. Huh yeah, explain
that one well.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I mean, you know, you get hammered by Georgia Tech,
and you were favored in this game, but it was
just the way in which that they played. Man, some
of those turnovers and issues that they had after going
two consecutive games without turning the ball over came back
to get them. You are botching, you know, field goals, handling,
the holding you boughtcht, you fumble on the goal line
(06:17):
to which Georgia Tech runs.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
It back ninety five yards.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I mean, they just made so many critical mistakes in
that game that hurt them.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I think it's probably a little harsh to have Duke
fall behind Pitt and wake Forest for losing by nine
points to an undefeated football team. I do think if
I had to pick had to head, it would be
a good argument I would pick them to beat wake
Forest I would pick Duke, pick Duke to beat Pittsburgh,
though that one I'm not nearly as comfortable with. That
(06:43):
One's a close one in my opinion. But you are
right in the fact that Duke, they kept making mistake
after mistake after mistake. So this goes back to the
problems we have with Duke at the beginning of the season. Right,
it's is this a one off? Is this actually a
really good football team hiding right in front of her
very eyes that continues to make these terrible decisions? Or
is this a thing you do and if you do
(07:04):
it again like they did to Georgia Tech and you
have these terrible turnovers in the red zone, Well, okay,
I can understand it.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I think it's too far.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
But also, Duke's not helping themselves in any stretch of
the imagination because of what they do in the red zone.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, I dropped them three spots. They were five last
go round. All right, I'm gonna give you two this time.
SMU at five and they are climbing. They're three and
zero in the conference. They haven't lost a conference game
since they've been in the ACC. They've got twenty overall
since they were in the American Conference and then at
number four Virginia, Virginia. They barely beat Washington State. They
(07:38):
did get the win, but it was definitely a struggle
for them. So I've got SMU five in Virginia four.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Okay, this top three is gonna be interest.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We should get to the top three because is going
to have an issue with being a number four on
this list.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
They might take it out on us.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, they just went all right number three, and definitely
I know as soon as I turn this in, said, boy,
my mentions and all that going to be on fire.
But I've got the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at number
three in the poll right now. Then I've got Louisville
at number two, and the Miami Hurricanes remain at number one.
(08:14):
So yeah, we can do some talking right here. Let's
do some talking. You lead us off, give us the reasons.
As soon as I said that Georgia Tech, to me,
the resume still isn't impressive. And I'm not a guy
that likes to sit there and blame refs. But we
all know what happened in Winston Salem. They did be
a good duke team this year, which you could probably
argue is their best win so far, but Louisville now
(08:36):
has on their resume going into the building of the
number two team in the country and beating them. It
wasn't enough for me to put them at number one.
But I still think that Miami. It's one of those
deals that, yes, Louisville beat them, but I still think
it's one of those types of scenarios that if they
played Miami ten times, I think Miami wins nine out
of ten. And I think that Miami still, in my opinion,
(08:58):
is the best team in the ACC when you look
at everything they bring to the table. Yes, they had
a bad game, Yes Carson back through four interceptions, I
understand all that. But when you look at this team
top to bottom, I still think that they would beat
Louisville if they played them several more times, and I
think that they would beat Georgia Tech and Virginia had
to hit.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
I think it gets a little messy up here. It does.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And I've liked pretty much every single ranking down to
the spot that you had before. This one's funky because
it really started with Duke at number eight because you
value so I think with them dropping a few spots,
you're inadvertently saying you don't value Duke as much. But
Georgia Tech with their best win being against Duke, now
(09:41):
they're top three despite not having all that impressive of
a resume. But I think that's contradicting one another with
the whole Duke the way we evaluate Duke, and then
Virginia beating Louisville on the road Louisville.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Virginia's has.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
I guess the four state win is now not as
impressive because Florest State is at fifteen.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
But I still give them the credit of what they
at that time.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, and so that well, if that's the case, I
think you should probably have Virginia still second or third,
even if Louisville did have the win against Miami. My
thing against Miami is Miami's had some close calls as well.
They had the close call early when they allowed Notre
Dame back in Carson Beck. Perhaps there's just my personal
bias of not being fully sold on Carson back, and
(10:24):
they did lose to Louisville, and Carson like we've seen
this from him before, kind of like we've seen it
from Darien Mins in Duke, right, I think those turnovers,
so those are my quarrels.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, Miami's got three ranked wins though they beat another
day team, albeit yes it was the first win of
the season. They beat down a USF team that's smashing
everybody else. And then at the time, if I'm going
to give people credit for what happened at the time
of the crime so to speak, they did beat a
ranked Florida State team as well. So they've got three
ranked wins on the season. So that's why I feel
(10:54):
like Miami's resume is good as well. Founder, What say you,
what do you think about audis?
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Yeah, I think it's I think it's tough to have
Miami still at number one.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
To me, I think Georgia Tech.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
We keep doubting Georgia Tech and we think eventually they're
going to lose one of these games, but they seem
to find ways to win these games.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
What say you about the fact that, again, like I said,
and I know that that's the one thing which I've
had Georgia Tech fan sam or you just thought because
they beat wake Forth, but this is the team that
had a call that should have gone against them, that
would have given them a loss against wake for right.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
But it didn't, And they're undefeated, So that's the that's
the thing. I mean, it's unfortunate. I definitely think that
that's certainly something that you could in terms of thinking
about this team nationally. Maybe that's where you have the conversation.
But I would put them ahead of Miami. I would
put them ahead of Louisville.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
We think Tech. You think Georgia Tech would beat Miami
straight up?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I do.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I do. I think that Haynes King wouldn't finish it because.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
I think they have a better coach and I think
that he is a guy that what does Brent Key
succeed most in beating ranked teams?
Speaker 1 (11:57):
That's all the man does.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I mean he he lose just to rang it to
unranked teams, but when it comes to beating ranked teams,
he gets his team ready for those types of games.
I think they would beat Miami if we if they
played tonight.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
The other thing too, is I mean, you have Wake
four to seventh, so it's even if they had the
luck of the call helped them out, it's still according
to these rankings, against a pretty good team in wake Forest,
who is in the top seven.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
So I think I don't.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah, they got the win against wake Forest which doesn't
look as bad with that margin of victory at the
time as it does now because Wake was really starting
to get some things going.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah, it's just for me with Georgia, tek, I just
don't I just don't really feel like that they which
I said, they've They've beaten some some good teams acc wise,
but I just feel like that their resume right now,
I'm just not a believer in them just yet. And
like I said, I just I don't think that they
would beat Miami straight up, and I don't think they
would beat Louisville straight up either.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
This is belief in Miami's talent and that and I
think that's fair. It's just at some point we're going
to get into the age old debate that happens every
year in college football. How much do you value head
to head? But like I said, they got three ranked wins. No,
well I know that, I'm just saying Louisville did beat Miami,
and I know they lost to Virginia, but now you're
talking about Virginia. It's a little messy at the top.
(13:12):
But that's the question that people are going to have,
is Okay, Louisville lost to a top four squad Miami.
I guess lost to a top two, but in that
case there is doubt. It's not easy, it's not straightforward.
But to me, I think the benefit of the doubt
would go to the team that has the head to
head win over the two teams in I.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Got a little college football playoffish on you guys lose,
and I knew that when I put it out, I said,
I got very college football playoffish, So I say, okay,
yes this happened, but I still believe this. So we'll
get into it some more on the other side, because
this is good to beate tough sign and I'll give
you the quarterback rankings as well. Sports read Down ninety
two seven w FNZ, Welcome back, folks, great college football
(14:00):
debate during the break going on. Let me know what
you think on the FANDOL text line seven O four
to five seven oh ninety sixteen. You can also hit
us up on the socials WFNZ on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
You can also hit us up at HTB Anthony at
West Bran Underscore seventy two, at Walker mel and most
importantly at Western Walker. But yes, Wes Bryant got on
his college football committee ish, Okay, Well I sit there
(14:23):
and I say, yeah, well, this team might have beat them,
or this team might be ranked this, but I still
think this, And yes, I still think that Miami is
the best team in the ACC because I also looked
at it. I'm like, Okay, if we go back in
retrospect when the season is over and Miami only has
one loss, we're gonna say that Miami's the best team.
And seeing these teams up close, and also watching pretty
much every game I watched, Like this morning, I spent
(14:45):
my morning watching the games from last week, watching extended
highlights the fifteen twenty twenty five minute joints of all
the games, and I think that Georgia Tech seeing them
up close as well, I think that they're a good team,
but I think that they are, for lack of a
better term, overrated in their ranking. I just don't think
that they're as good as the seventh best team in
(15:07):
the country. And I really think, to be frank, if
Miami played them, I think they would mash him.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
To be frank, that they would mash Georgia Tech.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yes, yeah, I don't know about mash him for me,
but I hear you on having a lot of the talent,
but one it's kind of what Miami is. They have
a lot of talent and somehow, some way, they end
up not making it. I've seen Carson Beck do this
thing before, and it's why he's not playing for the
college that he was playing for last year. It's because
(15:36):
Georgia didn't do everything they could to keep him, and
it was because he had a bad year.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Sometimes you need to go to a different spot. That's fine.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
But if he was amazing, Georgia probably would have done
a little bit more with all that money they got
down there in Bulldog Land.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Well, he talked about to a lot of the stuff
that was going on and took his love away and
what he didn't like a.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Little bit.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But also when you look, he had the receiving credit,
dropped the most passes in the country last year. That
receiving quote was not great for Georgia. But again no excuses.
He did not play great in that Louisville game, and
I get it. On the last play that was a miscommunication,
and it tells you that even with them throwing or
him throwing three interceptions, that they still were a field
goal away from winning that game. Well, being right there
(16:19):
to tie it to go to over time.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
We're getting close games, though, I think that all kind
of washes out because Georgia Tech it's the same thing,
but they're undefeated, and that ultimately has to matter if
we want to try to keep the integrity of these rankings.
Have you won every single game that you've played, you
have that has to matter. Now, I get it if
at the end part of this is that we don't
have a big enough sample size. So when we get
(16:41):
on the college football playoff ish, as you talked about,
then that's how you leave out an undefeated Florida State team.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
So I get that.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I don't think we've seen enough of that yet to
continue to put Miami over the team that did beat them,
and to put them over the undefeated team in Georgia Tech.
Because it's also not like the destroying all of these
teams that are good competition, because you could say they
have three ranked wins and that's true. They allowed Notre
Dame to come back in that game that was a
(17:09):
close one. The FSU.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
They smashed FSU. Yeah no, I know they did.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Yeah, well an FSU it was a six point game,
But I get that they beat them. Also FSU is
ranked fifteenth, and that I don't think you're gonna at
the end of the college Football Playoff right when we
get to the time where we're deciding all of this stuff. Yeah,
the committee is not going to point to their win
over FSU and say that's a good win in favor
of them. That's not going to happen. They won't. So
I don't think we can do that here if we're
on our college football playoff fish.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So now you have are they simlish UCF? I mean
u SF?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
So they did USF at this point in the season,
and that's a good team. It is a good team.
So those are your I guess two good wins Notre
Dame and USF and Louisville they have what's their good wins?
Speaker 1 (17:52):
They have their win against them they beat Miami.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
That was that was a signature mom fit them because
their schedule was not sterling either until they beat I
guess it's two team on the road.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I guess that that win to me against Notre Dame
is carrying a lot, like that's carrying a lot for
me to have them number one of the aces, more
so than I think it should. Given you have an
undefeated team in Georgia Tech. And you have a team
that did beat Miami on their home turn. And I
still think that they're the most complete team when you
look at them top to bottom. I like I said
(18:21):
that they had a bad game against Georgia Tech, I
mean against Louisville, but I think they're the most complete team.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
And I also think that Louisville.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I think that they're a better team than Georgia Tech
in my opinion when you look at what they bring
to the table too, I think that they're very balanced.
Because the thing with Georgia Tech to worried you about
them if they get into big spots is their passing game.
I think they've been getting by with Haynes King a
lot running the football, which is great.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You win how you win.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I think he barely had one hundred plus yards and
oh I think he had two something in this game.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
He had two h five against Duke.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
But when it comes down to the nitty gritty, they
have a tough time kind of converting throwing through the air.
And that's the thing I think that Miami would do
to be able to beat them. I think they would
turn them a little one dimension them because it's hard
to just plug it up through there with in Georgia
Tech's offensive line. Now, they're really really good, but I
just think that the way Georgia Tech plays, I don't
think Miami is a good matchup for them. But again,
(19:16):
like I said, it's a lot of fun and that's
what I felt like this weekend. So I knew it
was gonna be. I knew I was gonna get plenty
of smoke with this one. But I'm built for it, man.
So let's get to the quarterbacks as well. Let's go
ahead and knock out the quarterbacks for this week because
coming in at number five, falling from number one, falling
like Alicia Keys Carson Beck, he had four interceptions versus
(19:39):
Louisville two hundred and seventy one yards, still third in
the acc and pass efficiency rating, He's gonna have some
making up to do because he took the al to the.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Cards and through four picks.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Number three, or excuse me, number four, Miller Moss makes
his entry into the quarterback power ranking versus Miami. He
threw for two hundred and forty eight yards two touchdowns.
In his last three games, He's been balling out sixty
six percent completions, three hundred and five yards a game,
ten TDR. Then at number three, Kevin Jennings against Clemson,
(20:13):
he goes two ninety two touchdowns with the dreaded interception.
He seems like the always he's gonna give you an
interception in every game, but he is undefeated as a
starter in acc regular season play.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Then I've got Hayes King at number two.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
He had three hundred and twenty five total yards in
the matchup the win versus Duke with a rushing score,
and he's got three games this season with one hundred
plus passing and rushing yards in the same game. Number one,
Walker Male, you predicted it, and I kind of felt
like this might be coming as well. Daria Mensa of
Duke is now your number one guy. He threw for
(20:49):
three hundred and seventy three yards and two touchdowns in
the loss to Duke, and he's got seventeen passing touchdowns
in seven games.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
That is a Duke record.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
I think the only reason that this would change just
because Duke's win loss record might be too much and
you might have too many l's to keep him at
the top. But I don't think it's going to because
of Darien Mensa's play. I think at the end of
the season, we're going to look at Mensa and say
that he's the best quarterback in the conference. And you know,
I got my love for CJ. Bailey every single time.
He's not on the list anymore. I have no quarrels
with that.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
I have.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I actually don't have any issues with this. Like we
had to have the debate and the conversation with the
top ten or so in your power rankings, I think
this is pretty spot on. I would go Mensa, King Jennings, Miller,
Boss Carson Beck pretty much down to the tee here.
And I do think Mensa in terms of individual quarterback play,
if we remove win loss record, I don't think Mensa
(21:40):
removing win loss record will be removed from this list.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
If that was a part of it.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
He's I'll ask you this, if you had to choose
a quarterback to quarterback your team, would it.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Be Darien Mensa in the ACC?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I would say so, yeah, would be mine, especially if
I'm putting together an Austar tea. And I mean he
makes some throws too. When you tu podtest, I mean
he had a couple well in that game. Against Georgia Tech.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
That will wow.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
I can't help but just give Duke all of the
credit in the world for targeting a guy early in
the process, saying, Oh my god, I want him. I
don't want anybody else. I want him. I'm gonna get
this done. I'm going to throw them all of the
money and not have to worry about quarterback anymore. And
it work out for you, right, It all comes, it
all goes according to plan. Duke continues to impress me,
(22:25):
and Darien Mensa continues to impress.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Man, So that is your quarterback power rankings for this
week if you are just tuning in, just to give
you a quick rundown. At number five, Carson Back from Miami,
number four, Miller Moss of Louisville, number three, Kevin Jennings
of SMU, number two Haines King of Georgia Tech.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
And number one Darien Mensa.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So let's get back in to some Carolina Panthers talk
previewing the game with the Buffalo Bills coming up. And
so when you look at this team and all of
the things that they bring to the table, we know
at number one it starts with Josh Allen and so
this is a quarterback that's.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Going to come in here on a war pad.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
The Bills are undefeated coming off of a bye since
twenty seventeen, and Josh Allen leads the NFL and wins
following a bye week as a starting quarterback as well.
Seven and oh they are and lastly fourth and most
points scored after a bye since twenty seventeen. So this
is the Bills team that when they get a little
bit of extra time to prepare, they come with it.
(23:24):
And so when we look at this matchup, who do
we feel like is the most important defensive player going
up against Josh Allen and this Buffalo Bill's defense. And
so I'm going to start the conversation with the guy
here that has been much maligned as we've been talking
about him throughout the season, but its last three games,
he's been playing solid football. And with some of the
(23:45):
things that I think that Gerald Everro is going to
do in this game, I think that this is a
game that Trevin Wallace has to be at his best.
When you look at his last three games advanced metrics,
he's been seventy or better because before that it was
really really bad. Also, a key stat when looking at
him zero mistackles in the last two games as well.
He's only been credited with only one misstackle all year long.
(24:07):
But I say all that to say that this is
a guy that I feel like in some passing situations
that he will be deployed as a spy to look
after Josh Allen if he starts to get out of
the pocket, and so that's why I selected him. I
feel like that he's been playing better football. The coverage
grades have been a lot better as well. But I
think that this is a guy that when you talk spies,
(24:28):
I think that Trevin Wallace will be used in that
fashion in some instances, and I think that it could
be a pivotal matchup in this game.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Yeah, I searched Trevin Wallace myself. I think maybe your
nickel corner and chown Smith Wade might be somebody that
you feel like can have a big impact in this
game because of Khalil Shakir being by far their best
wide out, but also Dalton Kinkaid, which I believe the
injury report, I haven't seen it from the Bills today.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Today should be the first day that they release it.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
But Dalton Kincaid was questionable if I'm not mistaken. I
don't know if he suits up, but you know this
team gets beat down by tight ends. So whoever is
in coverage on Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir, those the
guys that I really think you need to worry about.
I'm good with J. C. Horn and Mike jack On
anybody really on the outside. I'm not worried about Josh
(25:18):
Palmer as much. I'm not worried about Keon Coleman. I'm
I'm pretty confident that my big corners can stick with
the guy that can't get a lot of separation and
relies a lot on fifty to fifty catches. Even still,
that was themo on him coming out of Florida State.
I think that has remained true throughout his early tenure
in the NFL. So I'm good on the outside, man.
I think Shakier can hurt you. I think Dalton Kinkaid
(25:39):
can hurts you if he's back in this one. So
it's whoever's in coverage with those guys, all right.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
So now, when we look at this Bill's offense, do
we feel like that this is the scariest offense that
the Panthers will face all season long. Again, we know
some of the parts that they are bringing with them,
and I would say, yes, I think that this is
when you look at some of the major stats that
you want to look at when talking about an offense,
yards per game, this Buffalo Bill's team their third in
(26:06):
the league. Also, when you look at them from a
yards per play, standpoint explosive team, they are fourth in
the league in those regards. And then when you look
at scoring offense, this is the team that is right
there again at forced twenty seven point eight points per game.
So yeah, when you look at it, it may not
be a bunch of household names outside of Josh Allen
and maybe you could add James.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Cook to this mix.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
But this is also kind of a balanced receiving corps,
which they don't have one guy that's necessarily going to
kill you, but they want to go with the death
buy a thousand cuts type of deal. They have four
guys that have two hundred plus receiving yards, so you
have to worry about Dalton kin Ka, which is their
lead receiver, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, and so
I think that this is a Panthers secondary. We talked
(26:51):
about their yards per completion ranking near the bottom of
the league, and so I think when you present this
to them an offense that has this kind of balance,
I think that this is an offense that could be
a tough matchup for them. And I think that this
is the scariest offense that the Panthers will see on
this schedule. I think it's Dallas. The Dallas offense was
(27:12):
just destroying people. And when we just and I guess
I gave them the nod because we didn't get to
see it at four strength with the CD lak.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Yet no CD lamb.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
George Pickens still playing like a wide receiver one, and
I think George Pickens is the best wide receiver. If
you lump all of the Bills weapons and the Cowboys
weapons in a room with one another, it's still CD
at the top. And I don't know if don Kin
Kid's going to play, So that's one thing. I'm looking
it up on Twitter right now. I'm trying to find
some but he hadn't played since the New England matchup
in Week five. They rely a lot on him. That's
(27:43):
their pass, that's their I think primary target.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
For the most part. He had a.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Couple of four reception games, five against Miami, had six
in that game against New England. Hasn't played since. If
he doesn't suit up, that's a big deal for this
Panthers d. But also, I mean the run game is
actually with Buffalo with Josh Allen and James Cook. Dallas
was running the ball extremely well too, and Carolina kept
them in check. Javonte had not been held up really
(28:09):
outside of that game alone. He actually got back on
track the following contest and against the Panthers that was
the time they kept him in check. You also have
a tight tight end and Jake Ferguson that is really talented.
Dak Prescott playing at an MVP level, Buffalo Bill's talented offense,
I'd put him second. I think Dallas they were a
wagon man and they've only shown you that even after
(28:29):
they played Carolina. They were good against Carolina. It's just
the Panthers offense did a decent enough job of keeping
the football away from Dak Prescott in that unit to
stop them and win because they had the ball last
in that game. Dallas won, Buffalo not too far behind. Yeah,
And I think.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Too that when you look at it, I feel like
that Josh Allen is more of a wild card to
where that you kind of know, like he's gonna sit
on this spot, he may scramble. He's gonna scramble to
pass more likely than not to where Josh Allen, you
just don't know what you're going to get from Snaper
snap in a good way to where you know he
could run out and he could end up getting a
thirty yard game, or he could run and make a
(29:07):
big time throw and throw it down the field for
a touchdown. And so I know that the Panthers, when
you talk about is this a good or bad matchup
for them? I think that it's a tough matchup for
this Panthers defense because of the balance in the passing
game and because of the threat of Josh Allen's legs.
Because I think even if the Panthers are able to
take away the run again ten yards per completion, they're
(29:30):
giving up because the Panthers run defense during this three
game winning streak, they've only allowed one hundred and thirty
one rushing yards. And so I think that the Bills
are definitely going to want to establish a run. But
I think that they also know that, hey, you know
this team, we may have a hard time running against them,
So we're going to have to have our other ace
in and deck, which is Josh Allen making plays, loosening
(29:51):
up this defense, throwing the ball down the field. So
I would constitute this as a bad matchup for Carolina's defense.
But what would you would you call the Bills offensive
bit a good or bad man? I think it's fine.
I think there are worst matchups that you'll go against.
For instance, I think probably Dallas was a worst matchup
offensively for you. Josh Allen is a complete wild card.
(30:12):
The guy's awesome. He's been turning the.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Ball over a little bit more so the last couple
of games last year that was his big MVP selling
points that he didn't turn it over. He had gotten
rid of all that stuff and continue with the explosive plays.
This year's he's turning it over a little bit more so.
If you feel like a strength on a strength Derek Brown,
that inside rushing defense compared countering what you have in
(30:34):
James Cook as a wash, I'm a little worried about
Josh Allen and even James Cook running on the outside,
just because we have rookie edge rushers, can you set
the edge well enough? A little scared about that, but
I'm actually not worried about these pass catchers. I think
it's a weakness. And I know Brandon Bean got on
as Boys in Buffalo Radio when they ask about needing
a wide receiver and he pointed to the offense and
said that wasn't the issue. Our issue was defense. You
(30:56):
guys don't know anything. Okay, you have one injury. Who's
your go to guy? Cuz Keon Coleman, I like enough,
but I'll I'll take jac Horn in that matchup. I'll
take Mike jack to stave off enough production from him.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
I'm cool.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I'm worried about the small, shifty guys against Jackson and
j C.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Horn.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
Keon Coleman is actually the exact opposite of that. That's
why I worry about more of Khalil Shakir. But if
you do enough to shade his way, then I'm cool
with leaving guys on islands with these other options. If
Don Kinkaid comes back, I think that's a big deal
because again we've just gotten toasted by tight ends.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Doesn't matter who it is.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Jake Ferguson didn't have a ton of catches, but he
did have a touchdown. If Don Kid Kid comes back,
I think this maybe leans it more in a bad
matchup with Josh Allen, James Cook, and Kinkaid. If he
doesn't come back, then I think it kind of watches
out to be an interesting matchup for both sides.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Well, Milk Knyak on the Fandel Textallan says, has anyone
mentioned the Brady factor? Maybe wants to stick it to
the Panthers for getting fired under the rule like that.
Joe Brady might want to run up the score about
that at all.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
I think his.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Hatred is reserved for Matt Rula, not Carolina, because David
Tepper while the pressure was on Matt Rule, Matt Rule
had to get rid of somebody, and then you had
that weird Joe Brady wasn't fired when he was in
the building because he wasn't here. He was on vacation.
And I really felt like that story got really out
of hand because Joe Brady was gone, but everybody was
(32:22):
kind of on vacation. And then Matt Ruhle needs to
make a change during the bye week, and so that's
when he decides to do it, and then Brady is
chastised for not being in the building when he was
let go, but it just felt like a huge mess
if Matt Rule was still the head coach. Oh yeah,
I'm signing up for that psychological effect against a couple
coaches removed from that Now. I don't think he has
(32:45):
I don't think that he necessarily has the hatred for
the organization like he does.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Matt.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
All right, when we come back, we're gonna dig some
more into this Bills Panthers matchup and also talk a
little Derek Brown sports Ready on ninety two seven w FNZ,
And just like that, folks, we return here on the
Western Walkers Show, Sports Radio ninety two seven w FNZ.
(33:13):
On a war Cry Wednesday, Spoiled Sportsman says on the
FANDO text line, I can't wait to see what our
defense is capable of against these dudes.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
And yeah, I think that.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
That's a great way to start off this segment because
I think that this offense that we talked about in
the last segment, they bring a lot of issues.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
When you talk Josh Allen a.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Receiving cord, it doesn't necessarily have the alpha, but they
kind of get it done by committee and then James Cook,
who's one of the top running backs in the league
statistically and just from a star status standpoint, he's a
guy to spend on the come up for a few
years now and is a star running back. And so
that defense though, is led by Derrick Brown. And when
(33:54):
we talk about the game that he had last week,
it was absolutely phenomenal. I know, the Jets offensive line,
like we said, they're not the greatest. They gave up
nine sacks against the Broncos, they gave up six to
the Panthers. But still Derek Brown with that game that
he had two sacks, three quarterback hits, broke up three
passes to go with seven tackles. He was the seventh
player in NFL history to have seven tackles, two sacks,
(34:18):
and three passes defended in the same game since all
three of those stats have been recorded in nineteen ninety nine.
So a little bit of a historical performance by Derek Brown.
And so I think to me, this year he's been
kind of building and he's been regarded as one of
the best guys. But I think that this year he's
kind of really entered his name into the chat, so
(34:40):
to speak, of being the best at his position, in
my opinion, for the first time. I certainly think he's
taking a star turn this year. The sack that he
got against the Dolphins. There, he's starting to put it
together to where before the run defense was something that
you could certainly set a watch by, the pass to
us was something that was as far as pressures and
(35:02):
him being able to make a little noise push the
pocket like you want a defensive tackle to do. But
now I feel like it's starting to come together where
he's getting home, he's hitting the quarterback with a little
bit more regularity. I think that he's certainly starting to
become a superstar at that position.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I think part of it is the opportunity. Derek Brown
asked Dave Canalis Andajero Vero for more pass rushing opportunities
because I think that was a knock against him and
that there wasn't this nice, clean round number in the
sack stat line. You only saw two according to PFF
in twenty twenty three, despite having a really nice pass
rushing grade and having a really nice pass rushing grade
(35:38):
in twenty twenty two, but he only had one sack
in that season, So we asked for more pass rushing
opportunities to have that ability to get home. I think
he's been granted that at times this year because you
see the grade. He might be having a star turn
because now there's a lot of eyeballs on him. He
actually doesn't even have the highest grade of his career
right now. He actually had a ninety in twenty twenty three.
(35:59):
He's got an eighty nine.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Now.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
I think he's been absolutely dominant. I think there are
more eyeballs on him now. Part of this is just
out of side, out of mind. You didn't play a
whole year. He played the first game against the Saints,
and all the talk was surrounding Bryce is the number
one overall pick going to figure it out? Or is
he going to be a monster bust? So we were
all focusing on the offense. And then even if we thought, yeah,
(36:21):
it's gonna really hurt man, Derek Brown's out for the
year Week two, that storyline gets swept under rug because
Bryce Young has a bad game and now we're already
on to Andy Dalton. So we just haven't talked about Derek,
not nearly as much as I think you would want
him to be talked about, because he just missed an
entire season. So yeah, man, I think he is having
a star turn for a couple of different reasons. Pass
(36:42):
rushing opportunities, this defense just playing better as a whole.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Talk about it.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
With the Hornets all the time, needing talent to supplement LaMelo,
you needed talent to supplement Derek Brown also, and I
think you finally have that.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah, because Carolina ranks seventh in the league in total defense,
in their eighth against the run, and as I mentioned earlier,
they've only allowed one hundred and thirty one yards rushing
in the last three games. So yeah, when you look
at that talent, do you feel like that? And we
could go chicken out of an egg whichever way you
want to talk about it, but do you feel like
Derek Brown's a forced multiplier or he himself is benefiting
(37:13):
from the upgrades to around?
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (37:15):
I mean I think he's a force multiplier. Like you
could say that they were historically bad last year, but
they didn't have as much talent. How many times when
we would talk about a Jaro Rivero, we would say
Avero doesn't have enough ingredients to work with, and this
is why he had an unprecedented terrible rushing defense. All
you have to do against the Panthers. Just last year,
(37:37):
if Derek Brown was playing, all you had to do
was allocate three guys to him and then just leave
everybody else one on one. Allocate two guys to Derek Brown,
run away from Derek whatever, and you could get by.
But now that you have competent football players around him,
you also aren't asking the most.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
I mean, think about it.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Man Seay total played nine hundred plus snaps those tackle
last year. Guess what's going to look a little different
your rushing defense when you replace all of those snaps
from Shy and give them to Bobby Brown, Derek A'shawn Robinson,
Turk Wharton, got all these fresh, competent football players as
a part of a rotation, with even Pat Jones coming
(38:17):
in now he's out for the year, but coming in
in the first portion here had a nice run stop
win rate last season with Minnesota. Yeah, I think you
need talent around all great players in order to be
a successful unit. But Derek Brown allows those guys to
work out, and I think it's vice versa. I think
it's a symbiotic relationship. I think it's a little bit
of both.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
This well because when you talk about Derek Brown and
what he's able to do, he's going to be the
focus of the offensive game plan. And then other guys
when you do have competent talent, as you said, on
the other sides and around him, then it's going to
make it so that they can shine because he's going
to get a lot of the attention. And so with
Carolina's defense being where they're at, this is going to
be one of those games where this defense is going
(38:58):
to be tested. We've been talking about how good this
Bill's offense is, and so you feel like with this
game and some of the contenders they have coming up,
the Green Bays and the Rams and some of these
other teams San Francisco, do you feel like that this
defense is won because it can really help to have
a defense that's going to give you extra chances.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
That's why you have them.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
You have them to be able to get you the
ball back, you have them to be able to play
the field position game. This defense, I think one of
the big things that we're going to see and that
I think it's going to be one of the key
answers to the tests as far as just how good
is this Fanthers team. How much can we bind too
some of these wins? Is if this defense helps them
to stay in some of these games. Can you play
some defensive games with some of these teams that you're
(39:41):
going to go up against. That's the question right now.
How confident do you feel that this Carolina defense is
going to help them by keeping them in some of
these games coming up against some of these high powered offense.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Way more confident than I used to be, just because
of their ability to stop the run. I'm worried about
rushing the passer. That's still something that's an issue. You
can't fix every thing in an offseason. So Dan Morgan
he focused on being able to run the football a
couple of off seasons ago and protect your quarterback with
that offensive lineman that he brought in via Robert Hunt
and Damien Lewis. This past offseason, he decided, we got
(40:13):
to stop the run. It's the thing that we were
chastised most for. We were heavily criticized because we had
the worst rushing defense in NFL history. So maybe we
fixed that thing. That's exactly what you did. So now
you got to find some pass rushers. You tried to
do it with Nick Scurdon and Princely and Mammuellen, and
you might be high on them as edge rushers. Might
(40:34):
take a little time for them to cook, though, because
we're not even at the halfway point of their rookie
season yet, so I'm still worried about that. But yeah,
clearly their defense is a lot better than what it
was last year, and so that allows them to win
a game like they did against the Jets, even if
they have a terrible offense. Dallas had twenty seven points Miami.
They were held in check in the second half, not
(40:55):
so much in the first half, but the offense put
them in some rough situations. I think the defense, you
trust them a lot more to win some of those
types of games where it's a rock fighter.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Yeah, I think so too, And especially when this team
is capable of being able to slow the run down
and they don't have to do a lot of run
blitz is to be able to do so. I mean,
Carolina ranks near the bottom of the NFL and blitz percentage.
They only blitz around eighteen percent of the time, and
so I think that when you're able to do that,
that tells me that your front seven is capable of
being able to handle the run on their own. We
(41:27):
talked earlier about how Trevin Wallace has been playing better.
He's on a little bit of a heat of the
last three games. He's been playing solid enough football to
where you feel comfortable with him in the middle of
that defense.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
And so I think they're all together.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
With Turk Woarden coming back, I think that they do
have a defense it's going to be capable of keeping
them in some games. And I think that that's a
big plus for them, is that this is a crew
that's going to put a lot of these teams in
obvious passing situations. And that's the thing, man, is that
we get what the Jets offensive line is, but what
(41:59):
kind of momentum can they carry from that game to
this game? Can you go from six sacks to four
or can you even go to three. I think if
you get three to four sacks of Josh Allen, I
think that you have to be pretty happy with that.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
So that's the thing.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Even though the opponent did you find something, because just
like this team found, you know, a rushing attack that
was pretty potent against some bad teams, it kind of
carried over into the Jets game to where they've still
ran the ball pretty decent, even though that Jets defense
isn't great. But that's the thing is that did they
discover some things in this Jets game that could still
(42:32):
work against the Bills from a pass rushing perspective, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
So much of it is Derek Brown being better than you.
So that's going to play nicely against whatever offensive lineman
he's facing. That's excellent. Atlanta got pass rush on Buffalo.
Atlanta has a lot of good pass rushers, and I
think with Atlanta getting out in front, they were able
to really pin their ears back and go. So it
would help to get off to a good start offensively
(42:56):
for this Carolina Panthers team. That is a little harder
to do with Andy Dalton as your QB, but not impossible.
So if you can get off to a good start,
I think that would really help you rush the quarterback.
In Josh Allen's case, even if he's not going to
get sacked because it's really hard to bring down.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
He's strong as an ox. He's also really fast.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
He's as close to Cam Newton as you can possibly
get via the physical presence, in my opinion, So that's
a hard dude to bring down. We know it well
here in the Queen City from twenty eleven to twenty eighteen.
I think what you can do is use the page
out of the playbook that you brought up earlier with
Trevin Wallace. It really does make sense to just have
(43:34):
Trevin Wallace to be out, to be on lookout constantly,
right man coverage. All right, Well, now you're worried a
little bit about turning your back to Josh Allen because
he can pick up yards really easily. I was worried
about that with Justin Fields, honestly, but he played so
poorly he got benched. That wasn't a real issue anymore.
This is a whole different ballgame in terms of mobile QB,
(43:54):
So that does worry me. Even if you don't get
a lot of sacks, maybe flushing him out of the
pocket is great, but he can throw on the run. Hey,
this is the issue when you have a great quarterback.
It's the issue. You might put some points on you
and you just have to tip your cat because he's
one of the best quarterbacks in the lit Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
I also think too, Trey Merrick may be a guy
that they use as well to be able to us
by the haund too, so it'll be fun to see, however,
he tries to combat Number seventeen. When we come back, folks,
we start the two o'clock hour. Ashley Westwood of Charlotte
FC joins us to talk about the Crown on Sports
Radio ninety two seven w FNZ.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Listen to the Wes and.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Walker Show weekie's from noon to three only on Sports
Radio ninety two point seven FM.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Com UFNZ, the official home of the Charlotte Sports Fan
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.