September 11, 2025 • 39 mins
In today's episode, the Between The Horns crew sits down to recap the Los Angeles Rams' matchup against the Houston Texans, discuss position groups' performances, and what they expect to see from Los Angeles Rams - Tennessee Titans matchup.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
How's it going everyone? Welcome to a week two edition
of Between the Horns, presented by your Southern California took
you to Dealers.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'm JB.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Lung with my friends Maurice Jones, Drew and Marco Farr
the Rams in Nashville. This week it's cam Ward's home debut,
a chance to get to two and zero against the
AFC South for LA. Before we get to that matchup,
how's everybody doing good?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yes? Good? Good? So far? Week one win?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Right?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Happy?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's flying by.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I felt like we just got off the field.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Now we're back here for a Week two I turn
the page, Yes, sir, the next step.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I'm good to get off on the right foot. This year,
we talked about starting faster. The Rams didn't do it
in the first quarter, but they did overall a good
win against the Houston team. Week one, though, is known
for being dishonest. You know what I mean? Week one
can be misleading. And I went back and I looked
at some twenty twenty four storylines, headlines you might say,
(00:58):
not from LA, but across the league, and I wonder
if you guys might get a kick out of these.
So if we were sitting in these chairs twelve months ago,
some of the things we might be saying, Oh, look
out for that Saints offense Derek Carr in New Orleans
forty seven points against Carolina could be a problem.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
How crazy is that? Twelve months later?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Wow, everyone's everyone's gone.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
How about this one for your forty nine er friends
up in the Bay area, Jake Moody, Oh, he's going
to be an All Pro. They drafted the right kicker,
six field goals, NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
Week one last year.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I feel like that tackle where he hurt his ankle
kind of ruined him a little bit. Yeah, I think
that's been the reason. And really, to be honest, like
he's gotten the kiss of death like four times he
somehow he didn't get it and then Kyle gave it
to him again.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I'm just saying, after Week one last year, nobody would have.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Expected this day. I see where we're going.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Jayden Daniels pretty good last year as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Agreed yes Week.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
One, three fumbles, one hundred and eighty four passing yards.
So I'm sure somewhere in the football universe someone was saying, ooh,
Jaden Daniels might take.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Some Yeah right exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So in this show we'll do a little Week one
reaction as well. But first, some things from around the
league that I think warn't discussion. Kittle and Purty speaking
of the Niners, big story, Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
A month boats out? Probably a month?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yes, Kittle, we won't see in Week five at Sofi Stadium.
Party was a turf toe it sounds like.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And the shoulder, Yeah, I saw. I heard that this
morning when I woke up. They had it all on
the news.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
And you know me, I'd rather have your best players
out there when I beat you. But Kittle and Party
want to miss the game, then so be it.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
The game before that. The next time the Rams are
at Sofi Stadium, the Colts will be in town. They've
yet to punt in twenty twenty five, so maybe a
bit more frisky than we anticipated with Danny Dimes.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Or maybe or maybe the Dolphins just don't want to
play for that. That could be too Daniel Jones could be
better than we give them credit for. But I think
you might be right about Miami.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Miami. The arrow might be pointing the wrong way. Yeah,
I think it's I think they're kind of on their
way out.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
I got one more for your people in Jacksonville. Enough
is enough, but it's getting annoying.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Listen, brother, no disrespect, but I love Cody Trader, but
the thirty two on him in Jacksonville's a little kind
of rubbed me the wrong way. I just want to
put that out there. Okay, is rub me the wrong way?
I sent a couple of text messages out. I got
some responses back, but it's just like I love the guy,
I love the Rams, yes, but thirty two in.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Jacksonville is like that shouldn't be touched for a while.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
James Stone, Jake, Timmy, we love you. Yeah, you're kind
of setting up like a West Coast Jackson.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Bureau out here, but wow, listen, layoff.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Let me let them put the dirt on me before you,
before you put the thirty. It's been a while though,
as it's been like two years a minute.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, question for you guys, do you think that Houston
might be the best defense the Rams face all year?
And or do you think Houston might be one of
the most incompetent or dysfunctional offenses the Rams.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
I think that year.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And the reason I ask is because we're about to
dig into what conclusions we draw from rams.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
In week one.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I think that defense is legit. I love it. I
love those wide nines. I think they get after you.
I think the best part about Week one was you
played them here. If that was in Houston and they
had the benefit of crowd noise, that could have got ugly.
And they were doing great on the road. So I
think that defense is going to be legit. At some point,
maybe in the next month or so, you'll say, scoring
fourteen points against them.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Wow, how'd you do that? You know what I mean? Yeah,
So I think that.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
But offensively speaking, I still think there but when you
reshuffle your line, and again, if we were sitting in
these seats we were twelve months ago. We did the
same thing in Detroit. We had to make a last
minute line change on the road.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Houston's experience was like.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
The correct same thing. So they're still trying to figure
themselves out offensively. But I think until you get right offensively,
that defense can't carry you.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah. I was gonna say to me, it's the front
seven did amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I thought the back end did well. They just got
put in some different situations. Having CJ. Gardner Johnson cover
Pukana Kua is not your best match. We don't want
that match up on the field. But the way those
linebackers are hitting, flying around, the way that d line
was getting after the off to wine a little bit, I.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Mean, that's what you expect. That's a championship defense. That
defense can.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Go and win a Super Bowl right with the right
offense within in special teams and then they're playing at
a high level right now. You expect that from Demico Ryans.
I think on the other side, they had opportunity, they
had a great game plan.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I thought overall, they just didn't have their pieces.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
They don't have Joe Mixon, right, they don't have Dale Christian,
they didn't have a lot of these guys that can
go out there and play. And the defensive defense of
the Rams did what they were supposed to do.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
All right.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So if that does our backdrop kind of a fair
assessment of the Houston Texans a week one opponent. It's
time to play the game show that's taking La by storm.
Since I made it up yesterday over lunch. It's called
I've seen enough or let's wait and see. Okay, I'm
gonna have some knee jerk reactions to the Rams Week
one performance, and I've seen enough in what I'll present
(05:53):
them or wait and see or wait and see, Okay,
I want you to digest them, debate them, and decide
whether you agree with this is estimate or whether it's
going to take some more time. We have a buzzer, okay, yeah,
feel free to focus some back as well. All right,
now I have a few. You want offensive defense, first.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Defense?
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You want one on defense.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I was gonna say offense, Okay, I was gonna say
special teams.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Okay, I don't have one team, but let's start on defense.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
The best gift that the Rams got from the Falcons
this offseason is not the twenty twenty six first round pick.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Oh I've seen enough. I've seen enough. I've seen enough.
You're talking about Landman, the Landman punch. Yes, if he
can play like that weekend and week out, that was
a great Week one, he's player.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Of the week right, NFC defensive Player of the week.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Debut tremendous.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
And it's not just because of the Landman punch to
get the ball out at the end and a great
job by Braden Fist to scoop that thing up, but
it was the plays before that, how physical he played.
You know, you watch linebackers first, right, you had to
be impressed with how he played the run. It wasn't
even it's the fact that he's your green dot.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
That that right there said enough to me. That he
was a captain on this team in his first year.
Told me that that was better than the first round
pick because he's coming in and he's really the glue
to this defense. He's gonna get everyone set. Then when
you watch the game, I mean sideline, the sideline, the turnovers,
the physically all those things, that's what you're looking for.
We talked about it during our broadcast. The ability to
(07:24):
tackle without tackling. None of these guys played in prese
isn't preseason. I don't think they tackled live in practice
to the ground. But that defense rallied and he was
one of the guys that made a ton of tackles
as well.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
You want to go even bigger on land Man, Go ahead,
do you have some recent history?
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Okay, so being the you keep saying it been around
here a while, right that that might have been the
best inside linebacker performance I've seen in a long time.
And I'm trying to be nice to Bobby Wagner. Bobby
Wagner is going to the Hall of Fame, no question.
But as far as a guy getting downhill, splattering people,
being in the right gaps when you when you hit
running backs, they go back the other way. I haven't
(07:59):
seen that in a long time. I've seen a lot
of linebackers. They play it soft, a little bit, three yards,
four yards, that's fine.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
This was attacking.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
So if he can play that way from this point on,
absolutely the best thing you got from Atlanta was him.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Not the picks.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Well, I will tell you this too. One about Bible.
He's a tackler. He's not a thumper. He's not gonna
thump you one and two. We always know. September that's
when defenses fly around, right and you expect that, And
so I want to see how he plays in October.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
That's where I'll wait to.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
See if he's gonna be that same physical government landman
in November and December. But right now, this is what
you need, and he's giving you everything you need right now.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
It's Nate Laman, by the way, but he's cool. If
we lean into the land Man, I know I'm gonna
stay on defense I'll try and connect this to the
draft a little bit too. Remember in the spring when
everyone was flabbergasted that LA didn't draft a corner. Yes, like, wait,
they're just gonna run it back with that secondary. Well,
hold on a minute. They did draft a corner. They
just let the Commanders draft the corner and then they
claimed Emmanuel Fordes off waivers. So he's a starting corner
(08:58):
that you got for a waiver claim.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Agree or disagree.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
I agree. I thought he did awesome. I thought he
came out and played. Well, you look like you put
on some weight too, which you know, again, don't go
in there where this is. Don't go in there and
hit them big fellows late, stay out of the way,
push him to the ground because.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
You know we don't need that. But he was showing
his physicality too.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
He was where he needed to be to see Darius
Williams not even played that that That sounds a time.
It told you a lot, and so that to me, yeah,
you got a first round pick for a waiver claim, you.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Got to steal.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Watching him in practice, the guy can absolutely cover. He's
a corner, you know, top flight corner, and you see them.
The one thing that jumps out. Was how skinny he was.
Now he's packed on some weight fifteen seventeen pounds. And
I was impressed with how he stuck his nose in
there on the run. We don't need all that, but
that was the biggest question. Can you seal that edge?
(09:52):
Can you be that guy in this defense? It's required
Like the receivers here, it's it's a requirement to block here.
On defense, you're gonna have to seal the edge and
stick your nose in there, regardless of how your what
your body type is.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
So I was very impressed with that. I was watching
ESPN this morning.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Ryan Clark said this, and he said, this is the
pedigree for great defenses.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Your big guys run and your little guys hit.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
That's good. That's what you're getting. And that's what you're
seeing for the defense. And they have that pedigree, they
have that culture, and I think that's those are two
guys we talked about that are new guys that you're
seeing the culture kind of get in, you know, and
those guys are playing well.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
All right to offense. Now, either I've seen enough to
know or let's wait and see. I need to see
some more. The rams are no longer an eleven personnel offense.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Let's wait and see. I've seen enough. Really, I see
the twelve.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I mean, I think we're gonna start getting thirteen personnel
here pretty soon. Come on, yeah, we gotta find a
way to get him out there, I thought. I think again,
the Rams are leaning into and it's becoming a matchup
problem when you're out there in twelve personnel for defenses
to figure out, are we going to be a nickel?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Are we going to be in base? Mm hmm. Right.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
If we're in nickel, they're gonna run the ball at
our slot corner. If we're in base, we're gonna motion
to titan. Now, why take out your corner and have
Pooka Nakua and another in Devanta Adams running up the
seam on your.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Linebackers really quick on that. If you want to play
nickel on your Houston, you can get away with that
because you've got Petrie like that, big body, and maybe
Philadelphia can do that, but that's not universally the case.
And that's maybe something to your point that they will
capitalize on in the running game A bit down the line.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I completely a believe again, you can run the same
formations out of twelve personnel because you have receivers and
it just puts a defense.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
In a mind. And then this is the other thing.
Tight ends are the biggest mismatch on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
They're bigger than most linebackers or fashion and most linebackers,
and bigger than most corners and safeties.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
How are you going to stop that?
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Although I would say this, we would used to say
linebackers are now blown up safeties. I think safeties have
become miniature linebackers will everything's changing. So I would say
twelve personnel versus the Texans with wide nines actually makes sense.
But this is Sean McVay we are talking about, right, guys.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
You know he's going to go.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Back to eleven, so real quick on that guy. That's
his favorite number. You know this right.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
I know there's a comment, a question out there somewhere,
where's two two outwall? You paid two twelve to ten
million dollars. I don't think last week was a two
two outwall game for a number of reasons last week,
But I still think when he was on the field,
he impacted throwing lanes and winning, and I think it's.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's where I'm going. Yes, there's going to be a
plan for him.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Yes, quarterback or receiver next, let's two receiver. Okay, let's
let's save mister sixty thousand. I've seen enough, or let's
wait and see. Davante Adams is exactly what the Rams
needed for twenty twenty five and he is still a
dude ready.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
I've seen enough.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I've seen enough.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I've seen enough, but I want to see more though,
I want to Yeah, seen enough, but I want to
see more. And the reason is I thought the back
shoulder catch was more than enough. Like that against that
kid where you don't touch him and you put it
right there.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
That's I've seen enough. But also I want to see.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Him more involved in the game plan a little bit more,
catching more routes than just like out or hitches or
things like that. I want to see him on the
move a little bit more and do certain things like that.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
But that had to be the most impactful handful of catches,
handful of yards game I've seen from a receiver in
a long time. Like he took one of the best
corners in the league and said, you and me over
here and the rest of the guys are gonna play
ten on.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Ten and still have fun.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Yeah, and that's gonna be great things for Puka, who
had ten for one thirty and thirty eight snaps, and
he lined up in the slot sixty four percent of
the time, more than he has throughout his entire career.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
You could see the game plan. I'm still shocked. You
couldn't see the push off from Devonte. I didn't see
the pus. Did you see it? Everybody in the world
saw it. I don't see the push off level seven.
It was clean, really okay, it was so clear in
the corner.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
It was very professional. If you don't see it, you
can't call it. But it was there.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
But that's beautiful when you take that guy out and
you can beat him on that route. He and and
how I knew it wasn't that big of a deal
because the corner didn't go like this.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
It was so quick. So yeah, to me, that's not
a push off. The corner put his hands up like
he did, that's a push off.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
He did put a cup on the ground that he
probably would tell you he should catch, but the one
he plucked off the turf to get down to get
that third down that turned into David's house. We might
be talking completely differently here today. If he didn't make that.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I was impressed with the first one, the hit he
took and got, yeah, man, that was a that's a
kill shot, and got right up and pointed for the
first down. I thought that said a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Now, I want to be cleared. DeVante recently has been
killing it in the slot too, and if you put
him in motion, I think good outcomes can follow. However,
one of the first things that I think we said
back in the spring was watch how little he's in motion.
That was my hunch. My intuition is that you got
a true X that you can that you can just
trust to win against any coverage. And in the meantime,
(14:45):
guess who's free to roam pooka or you can send
your tight end to flip the strength or in that
blast motion like Cooper cup was running miles, so he
was running marathons pre snap in the last couple of years,
that's no longer the case. It's a different structure, and
I think it sets up well in terms of Marion
running pass together. Like we saw in that final sequence.
How devastating was that final.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Sea poss That was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Three identical looks and on third down you throw it.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
To Pooka ran the first the first play, on the
second play you had eight yards and I think like
seven yards, and then you come in off a play
action pass, have him to the flat tight and every
everything looks the same ball game game.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
I can't believe we've gone this far without mentioning QB
one because obviously he dominated the summer in our show
last week. So here's one more for you. On offense,
I've seen enougher. Let's wait and see. Matthew Stafford is
still the best quarterback in the NFC.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I've seen enough.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
He's you have to make two or three throws a
game that that most guys can't make. I'm gonna give
you the three that I say that Poola, the two
to pook up the scene, and then the back shoulder
to Devonte those are those are the that throw he
made to Pooka with Gardner Johnson covering him where he's
like he's looking this way and he flipped it that way.
(16:02):
And then the first one where he just right it
was up and over the linebacker.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
That ball.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I coached high school football, watch a lot of college
watch pros.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Obviously that pass.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Is the hardest pass to throw, where you have to
get it up and over at eighteen yards before that
safety gets there.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
That's the hardest throws, especially if you're rusty or you
don't feel great. It wasn't the box score that made
me say that with confidence. It was the way he
went out there with a termination and a chip on
his shoulder and played fearless football like he said he
was going to.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I'm gonna respectfully say I'm gonna wait and see, because
right before we started this, I was watching Eagles tape
and watching Jalen Hurts pull one down and scrabble for
a touchdown and then flip to that Jayden Daniels, who
is getting better. So I don't think the NFC has
decided as far as arm talent and what he can
(16:55):
do from the pocket, absolut freaking lutely, no doubt. We'll
see if that's gonna be enough to get you through
the NFC. But as of right now.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
He's one of could be absolutely so I'll say I'll
wait and see. I will say, too, lack of mobility
in the NFC is going to hurt you eventually, right,
because that's what helped the Eagles beat the Cowboys was
literally Jalen hurts the everyone's covered, there's no to throw to.
He runs fines to guess what save CJ. Stroud finding
a way out.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yes, that's gonna be especially pertinent as we talk about
the matchup with the Titans, which I promise is coming up.
But since you asked for special teams, here's one more
for you. This kicking game is suddenly as good as
it's been since Matt Gay left, or Bones Fossil left,
or you pick your point in time.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
But I would say two thousand.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I would say the best kicking game I thought we
had was when we went to New Orleans and won
the NFC Championship game.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Oh yeah, I thought that was the height of our kicks.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Greg Zuerline, Yeah, I mentioned Bones Fossil because he's in
Nashville with Johnny Hecker. Now, so we're gonna see this.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
I'm gonna say I've seen enough. I know Ethan Evans.
It's kickoffs, punts give you what you need. Either he
could flip field position or he's pretty good at placing
the football.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Cardi's gotten a whole lot better, or I think we
haven't we've just barely scratched the surface on how he's
going to do these kickoffs. I think he's really going
to be a problem with these dynamic kickoffs. So and
I think he's pretty good from fifty plus.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
You can hit from fifty seven and fifty eight against
the Seahawks last year at season's end, so.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
You feel pretty good about his accuracy. I think the
snaps are there, so I've seen enough. I think this
battery is as good as we've seen around here.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
And we talk about limiting a Houston offense to nine points,
no touchdowns, a drive that didn't reach any farther than
the fifteen yard line, like those long fields that you're
setting up where they start from their twenty instead of
their thirty five. It's a big deal.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
That is a big deal, I would say too.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
We talked about like I think he's become a weapon,
that the kicking game has become a weapon because now
I can be aggressive if I want to when we
get offensively, once we get past the fifty, knowing that
I have an opportunity to still have a field goals made.
But then also if we do stumble, have a pun
that can flip field position in the heart immediately.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Let's talk Titans and Rams pick a side of the ball.
We'll talk matchups first.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
I'm worried about mister Simmons. Man.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
It is a bad stretch of the season to be
dinged up at guard.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Bro Dude is huge.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
He's a monster. Even if you weren't dinged up, you'd
have problems slowing him down. I do think this like Davante,
even if he doesn't get the rock, it doesn't mean
you covered him, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
The ball just didn't get to him.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I don't think there is a guard in the league
that can handle this guy one on one at all.
He's just got He's so big, he's so strong, He's
got a myriad of moves he can throw at you.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
He's gonna be a problem this Sunday.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Do you remember when they drafted him, he had a
torn in cl in the first round. That should tell
you all you need to know right about Jeffers disqualify.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Whatever I didn't know then, after seeing what he did
in twenty twenty one and that no win November Man, forever,
We'll have my respect.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
That's not my fear.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
He's legit.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yes, So if Carter's coming down the pike in week three.
Don't overlook this channel.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
No, no, no, he's he is very similar to Carter,
if not, I would say possibly better.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I was a little older, but they the Titan. When
you watch their defense.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
One first and foremost, shout out to my guy, Brian Callahans,
my old high school and.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
College. He went to UCLA before me.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
And and but neither nor they're not your cousin though, right, No, no,
not my cos.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
That's my that's my dog. Here's my brother from David's South.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Okay, he has some things he has to do offensively,
and this defense is going to have to carry him.
Right And so speaking of Jeffrey Simmons, that's the key
to this defense. If you can get four hands on
him or four eyes on him, the other guys kind of.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Play towards us. You got to kind of limit him.
But if you don't, if you let him get going, oh,
then everyone gets going.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
And that's the problem. That's how you beat them. It's
like you got to limit his opportunities to make plays.
How do you do that?
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Well, I think you have to move the pocket. If
you're going to throw the football, sometimes you're gonna have
to challenge him.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
It is what it is, is football.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
But if you're going to get those half rolls, keep
Matthew Stafford as far away from him as possible and
keep two bodies on him. You got to bring the
tackle down, bring the center back, just keep him getting back. Yeah,
and frustrate him, just like Matthew Stafford did the Texans.
Even when they got good, a good rush, a good
get off, the ball was already gone. So by the
time you're done with your first move, you're in pursuit already.
(21:19):
That drives you nuts. Do the same thing to him.
But if you get caught in those if you're making
mistakes on first down, if you're behind the chains and
you get caught in a third and a mile and
you need to have it. I mean, that's instant pressure
right into the face of your quarterback that we just
said doesn't like to run.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
It can be a Screens are gonna go quicker receiver.
Screens are gonna be huge.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Getting him out outside, let him run and chase get downhill,
get four hands on him some downhill runs where you're
double team and keep testing them with the run game.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Yeah, keep them honest.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
They led the NFL with four takeaways in Denver, two
interceptions of force fumble, recovered a muff punt. They also
had two takeaways on down So to your point about
maybe this being a defensive driven team until cam Ward
gets locked in and they can up around him, it
seems like they were up to that task. And maybe
they're a little underrated defensively.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Oh, no question.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
I mean they were banged up last year, but like
I said, they have guys the corners are I would
say they're above average.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
You know what's interesting to that point is Lugerious Sneed
sounds like he's on a pitch count coming off.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Of that quad last year.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
He didn't play a full snapload, but played well last week,
and he's actually had some great head to head history
against Avante. Yes, so I'm curious.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Do they got Stafford throwing the ball he had Aaron Rodgers?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I'm just checkmate.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Do teams have any interest in traveling the way that
Houston did last week or was that unique to their guy?
Speaker 2 (22:38):
No, I think they'll travel them. I mean they paid
him to travel, to be honest. I mean that that's
what he did in Kansas City as well. So if
you're playing this game, of chess, I'm gonna put my
best corner on on your best guy to stop him.
The key is gonna be who's gonna cover Pooka, right,
And we've always talked about this, what the Rams have
the Queen. If we're talking chess, the Queen pieces Pooka
because he's bigger than every corner that he's gonna go against.
(23:01):
He's stronger than most of those guys, and to get
him to run on those safeties and corners consistently will.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Help your offense.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Speaking of Puka, I did hear from from our fan
base a little concern maybe that teams are head hunting Puka,
that he's got a target on his back coming into
year three.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Was that, I don't know head hunting. I think you're
as a huge sensor back.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Houston's just a different team.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
They were bringing it, they were they were hitting hard
like every like the Rams defense was. But I think
with guys like Puka, going back to hines Ward, it's
it's almost like you have to protect yourself against them
because of how they play. Because if you don't, if
you come up and you attack Puka high, like taking
DK Metcalf wrong, you're gonna get flat run over and
if he lines you up the right way, you're gonna
(23:42):
get hurt. So I think most of this is respecting
how he plays. You gotta play hard or he's gonna
bounce off.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I got a chance to talk to Henry Totoe after
the game. We'll talk to his dad, and he was like,
he's bigger than me. I can't take him on like
I would take on a receiver. I have to take
him on like a bigger back. You gotta hit him.
You gotta go and hit him. And that's just what happens.
You have a when you're again two hundred and twenty five,
two hundred and thirty pound guy, like they're gonna hit
you as such. Right if you're one hundred and eighty pounds,
(24:09):
they'll probably grab you and throw you around. But you
can't grab pook and throw them me too strong, So
you got to come in there with some force and
to be honest, when you're one of the best.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Players in the league. That's what happens.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
When if you're going across the middle, guys try to
get at you a little bit, and that's part of
the game.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Can I go back to your point about Houston being
able and willing to match a twelve personnel with base
am I being an apologist by saying, Okay, the running
game for LA didn't get off the ground in week
one because they had extra linebackers and big safeties and
they had their box count ride and so Sean McVay
and Matthew Stafford just choose to attack them through the air.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Well, you pick and choose, right, are you gonna be
heavy against the run? If you want to, then we'll
we'll we'll tack you up in there. If you want
to be light against the run, we'll run the ball.
And that's the game. That's the game.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
But he's so concerned about the lack of rushing results
in week one.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Necessary No, because Houston's really good, and I think we
don't we're not giving them enough credit for what they done,
what they've built there, and what they've done the last
couple of years. Defensively, I thought the game plan was
to tack them up the seams off of play action,
and that's what they did. So they got their big
chunk plays and that's how you do it.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
What about your level of concern when what sixty percent
of the Rams offensive line is nursing an ankle injury
as we record the show on Thursday's Game week scary.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
That's I guess the downside of not really going hard
or playing in preseason. You don't really develop that callous
So the first three weeks of the regular season is
getting into football shape. So I did worry about that
when you left the game in so far against the Texans,
hard hitting and you're left with bumps and bruises. Now
you've got to get ready to go play Tennessee. Can
you retool and regroup fast enough to do that? So
(25:42):
it is a concern, but at least you're going to
have the same group. We hope you're not really replacing
people as of right now.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
It is a matchup of quarterbacks taking number one overall
about a generation of part Matthew Stafford now sixty thousand
yards strong and cam Ward set for his home debut.
It was the worst offensive showing in the league in
Week one just about any metric you look at, and
I've I don't think I've ever seen as an admired
or beloved a six sack, no touchdown, one hundred and
(26:12):
twelve yard passing performance as I've seen and heard about
from cam Ward. The tape is telling a different story
than the box score. Apparently, what say you?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I agree, it's tough that you got to go against
Denver week one. It was probably, if not the best,
one of the top three defense in the NFL last
year with the defensive player of the Year at corner.
So that shuts out half of the field guys that
can get to the quarterback. And then it sucks that
you have to double back and go against the Rams
who have this young defensive line that flies around and
(26:41):
gets after you. Right so, and that's the NFL. And
I think for him, he made some really good throws.
They had a ton of drops. He had some really
good throws. He sat in the pocket, He never panicked.
He was that guy that you saw at Miami, the
confident guy that sits in the pocket, will make throws.
If he has to get out, he will try to
get out. And I think that's where him a little bit.
That he scrambled and tried to do like some stuff
(27:02):
that he did in college, and he got sacked a
couple of times for some big losses.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
But you know, you got to learn from that. I
think that he has his skill set.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
He made I mean there was one throw I think
a guy was going from left to right and he
threw it over two guys.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
It hit him right in the hands. I mean, if
it was an arrow, it probably would have killed him.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
What hurt is It was Calvin Ridley. It was his
number one who was putting balls.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Yeah, well that's what he does that. Sometimes he'll have
the drops here and there. But it was another kid though,
And I mean that ball is probably the best ball
thrown all all week and it just and so you
got to help your young quarterback out. Is that the
one that got his dad out of a seat?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
That was Calvin Ridley? The one he was wide op.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
You can't do that, dad. You gotta have a poker face.
But I'd say this, you got.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
To do that. I'm LeVar Ballet, I'm on the sideline.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
You're there, You're going crazy, Okay, But it's it's like
when you have a young quarterback, usually the offense, depending
on what team you are, like Minnesota, the offense maybe
ahead of the young quarterback. I think this is the opposite.
I think he was actually more ready to play than
the rest of the guys out there. So eventually they're
going to get on the same page. Hopefully it won't
be this week.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Quick word on their offensive line, Dan Moore was their
big investment at left tackle right You had to pay
a premium to get offensive line help this offseason. They
did first return not great in Denver. Their center Kushionbery
coming off an injury, really important piece. Right tackle seems
to be the injury report to watch this week. A
hip injury for JC Latham. That's a big matchup against
(28:23):
the Rams. Edges whether or not he can go both sides,
both organizations dealing with offensive line question marks and health
concerns going into this match up.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Still surprised he's on the right. The Alabama kid.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Yeah, I'm still surprised he's over there. He's three pounds huge.
I swear when you look at him on tape, he
doesn't look that big, no, which means that just really
really in shape. I'm surprised he's over there. But again,
I think the offense is a work in progress. I
think this offensive line might be a little bit better
than people give.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
It credit for.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
And you know, depending on how the Rams play, if
they can carry over from what they did versus the
Texans into Tennessee.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I have no doubts.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
But if you take a step back, this offensive line,
with the way it's constructed and the way it could
come together, could give you some fits.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, I'll say this for all our fans the NFC.
The way the NFC is built compared the way the
AFC's built, the NFC is more slender like outside zone.
When you talk about the AFC, you're talking about cold
weather places where it's downhill football, so you have bigger linemen,
bigger bodies.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
You think of Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Latham would be the right tackle, he would be the
left tackle, but they couldn't find a right tackle in
free agency. They felt comes enough of paying, so they
had to go get Dan Moore, who's preat down with
a left tackle.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
So that's why he's there seventh overall at the right.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Well, they wanted to move in the left where they
just couldn't find a guy to pay, which you have to,
you know, But I will say that's a concern because
they are they're gonna be bigger than our guys.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
If he goes right. If he doesn't, I think that
puts a dent in their hopes of moving the chains
with a running game that still has a lot of
question marks? Does that change the dynamic for you?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Yeah, If he's not there, it's gonna be a problem. Okay,
you're gonna have two weeks of guys shuffling guys around.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You saw Houston.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
They tried to get their running game going, and they
felt comfortable at times, but it was like a guy
would miss make a mistake here, miss a block there.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
You'll see that again. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
It feels like maybe the most obvious key to this
game is which which running game, Which offensive line can
take some of the pressure off its passing game, and
its quarterback steal some hits off of him by moving
the chains with chunk plays in the running game an
efficient running game, especially for Tennessee. That seems to be
the case. But I do see shades of Matthew Stafford
and young cam Ward two the way that you described him,
(30:31):
pocket manipulation, willing to read it out, take the hit,
make big time throws tough, tough. Yeah, looking forward to
seeing him. Other thoughts on that matchup before I spin
it forward?
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Let me see if I can get it.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Where do you go?
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Tayler Davis? Wow?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Where do you get the sack, big.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Fellou fist calling his shot. Remember, Brandon told us during
training camp that Tyler Davis was like the unsung hero
of that defense, and he shows up with his first
full sack in week one.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Dude, you have a a dearth of good interior defense
alignment and that should make you more multiple and unpredictable
if you're Chris Shulan, because you can line those guys
up anywhere and in different combinations, and then sprinkle in
all those edge rushers plus Stuart off the edge. He
looks like he's been here for a while, like it's
not too big for him. Yeah, that's another guy that
(31:18):
can give Byron Young or Jared versus a chance to
catch your breath and not lose a step on the field.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I thought that was a tremendous.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Question for you with the addition of Puniford and Tyler
Davis in your two. Is that part of why we
saw branden Fisk widening out his alignments.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Somebody's got to bump out if you've got Poona and
Tyler Devi And they had both of those guys, those
big dudes, Poona and Tyler Davis in the A gaps
and they went nowhere. They went nowhere, So Braden Fisk
has to be put somewhere. So put them out at end.
So you have a interior guy playing out over the
tackle on a rundown. Oh that's a win for us.
That's a win for the Rams. And then he led
(31:56):
the team in sacks. He's a pass rush threat. So
I think you have a lot of good interior guys
that you can move around, which should make you very
very hard to predict on game day.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
It's kind of like a running back by committee when
you have a multiple guys that can rush the quarterback
and you can just throw waves at people like, oh,
here'll give you this matchup this week. Up, we're gonna
do this that. Oh, and the in the game, we're
gonna flip and go to this. It just puts because
offensive linemen have to study each pass rusher because each
passers have had certain things they do well. If I
have to switch, if I'm going against Fisk or Puna Ford,
(32:26):
I have to play that different, right, So now I
have to mentally, I have to You're I'm making these
offensive linemen think not only just what play they have
or if it's a pass play, but how am I
going to set this guy. Is it strong? And you
do have to be more for a nest. It just
plays mind games when you have a ton of guys
that can rush.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
This a game bowl for player that can.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
I give this the bowl, Lummer, get it.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
Yeah, you start at as the backup and you wind
up as the starting left guard, and then you play
go forward to the other guard.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Yeah, it looks better in the run game than in
pass pro.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Is that's fair? Not fair? Definitely? Doesn't that track from
last season as well? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Yeah, especially presstonto duty as opposed to being part of
the game plan and that and your offense be built
around what you know you're getting.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
Yes, I think this week it might be smart to
keep up a few more guards just in case.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Interesting whereas you had both reserved tackles available last week, well,
I mean it's good to know what you have in
alert Jackson. I mean that was as much as we
talked about Matthew Stafford playing strong and playing to his
form in week one, that was equally important. Right, your
left tackle showing.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Up didn't have to call his name one time. That's right,
this is what he does. We talked about.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
It was it was it this this all season about
how important it was getting him locked in.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Because that was step one was renewing vows with Stafford
and then right neck.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
You got to get him.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah, ver thing Man probably the most underrated offensive lineman
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
What he's been able to do.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
It brought me back to just saying that brought me
back to him against Miles Garrett when he had when
he had the help make stuck. Yeah, I was frustrated
too if I was Miles because he was getting clamped up.
And that's what you get, like, that's you don't find
those guys all the time.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
That's an undrafted guy.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
You got Just looking down the schedule this week, some
interesting games. You got the DK metcalf for contests. Pittsburgh's
got a chance to send the Seahawks to zero and
two our super Bowl coordinators and meeting in Minneapolis. KOC
and the Vikings with a new quarterback against Rohie Morris
and the Falcons.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
That's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Arizona chance to start quickly again. What else is new?
Top half of their schedule is always seemingly successful. They've
got Carolina at home after beating New Orleans, so Arizona
could be two and zero. Here's another I've seen enough
or whatever it was, Who cares, stupid game. Arizona is
the biggest challenger to LA in the West.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
I need to see more.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
I do.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Kyler Murray is he's the King of September and that
I mean that with all sincerity. He always looks good,
he looks dangerous, and then something happens.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
He's so disrespectful and that's what he went to say.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
It was no disrespect right, you go to disrespect him?
I get it. They I I think last year I
was more concerned about Arizona than I am this year.
No way, because they're not as physical, they're not as
thirteen like I didn't. They were running the ball, but
it was it didn't look like the team that we
saw last year in this time like last like we
(35:08):
played them this week it was forty forty to zero, like,
oh we have a problem, Like this team doesn't look
like that.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
I think their defenses for real, though.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
It's better, you're supposed to treat the norms like that.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Though okayre too. Yes, I'm just saying be careful with Arizona.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
The corners are legit. The Michigan Corners legit, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Before we get to Philly, Philly has to go to
Kansas City. Kansas City needs a win coming back from
Brazil at zho to one.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Without a receiver, beat them all up.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
Yes, I'm hoping for double ot in that game on
triple Yes, keep going.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
And then I'm really curious to see how Houston bounces
back at home against an NFC contender in Tampa Bay.
That's one of those early season games that could have real, big,
outsized implications in the NFC playoff picture at the end.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Do you want to know what's funny? Tampa just knows
how to beat certain people. They have Philly's number. Philly
doesn't want to play Tampa ever.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
They don't.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Detroit doesn't want to play Tampa ever either. For whatever reason,
the Rams love Tampa. Yeah, And it's just one of
those things where like I don't know, and I'll say this,
I'm gonna say this on TV tonight, but Green Bay
is gonna win the North. You think it's over, You've
seen enough.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
I've seen it already.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
It's just one is.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
That how much before week one?
Speaker 1 (36:20):
But how much of that is them?
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Right?
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Is Micah and what's already there. How much of that
is who first return on the rest of that division.
You're anticipating the Detroit step back.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Well, this is I would say seventy thirty seventy percent
of everyone else, thirty percent of green Bay and the
reason being. The reason being is Detroit lost all their coordinators.
They don't look like they're in sync, which.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
It might be a week one overreaction.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
It could be. It could be, but you just don't know,
Like they just didn't look good right, and green Bay
handled them. Then in Minnesota that was kind of like that.
That whole game was kind of like, who's gonna make
the play to win this thing? Because we neither of
those one of us mistakes there was once to win
this We're just we're gonna run an r PO or
read option in our.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
Quarterbacks and are like, good play.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Yeah, it was, but it's just like two young quarterbacks
still learning. And then you have another organ another organ Detroit.
They just they got a lot of turnover and it's
not like the turnover here. They lost eight coaches. Think
about that a culture change. It's a culture change.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
It's a pretty big week one head to head to
put in your pocket. Too, Yes, anything else, I'm done.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Let me I've seen here.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
I need to talk to No, I have one more
thing today. I have one more thing to say.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I'm still waiting for our We're we're waiting for Kira
not to take every snap.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Oh yeah, we're still waiting. This just hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
Can I sorry you brought something else that I wanted
to ask. There's a discrepancy between how he's graded in
past protection and what we feel and we see every week.
Like the reason why he doesn't give way is because
he takes care of business back there and cleans up pockets.
At least I think that's.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
What we missed one. He missed one in Houston.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
He missed it or he was late scanning over.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
No, no, the late scanning over one and the problem
that was fine, That wasn't the issue. It was the
one where the guy came up in the a gap
and he cut up great. I'm just saying that.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I think part of the reason, maybe even the biggest
reason why he's in there down in is because he's
the one you can trust, especially in the reguard. But
like PFF or whatever, they don't give him his due
and pass pro So where's the truth?
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Yeah, I think no, I think it's more on our side.
I will say he the one where he came late.
He wanted to go right away, but like he hesitated,
and so Stafford's dropping.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
You have to.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Now I don't want to get in the quarterbacks drop right,
But I don't know how many times have we seen
Kyron just create the pocket right by blocking and yet
and so that to me more on that than I
do what I saw in Houston.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I do also really like the screen game, the hints
of an emerging screen game that we saw in week one,
including the one the Parkinson that got put on the ground.
Like I consider that part of you know, the tight
end delay. I think that's part of the portfolio, and
that it hit it turned into a fumble, unfortunately because
you know their linebacker. Great play, But I do like that.
(39:08):
Hopefully coming back to life here in twenty five. All right,
safe travels to Nashville, see you guys there week two,
a chance to get to two and zero. Thank you
as always for being with us, for between the horns
presented by your Southern California to deal
How's it going everyone? Welcome to a week two edition
of Between the Horns, presented by your Southern California took
you to Dealers.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'm JB.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Lung with my friends Maurice Jones, Drew and Marco Farr
the Rams in Nashville. This week it's cam Ward's home debut,
a chance to get to two and zero against the
AFC South for LA. Before we get to that matchup,
how's everybody doing good?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yes? Good? Good? So far? Week one win?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Right?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Happy?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's flying by.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I felt like we just got off the field.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Now we're back here for a Week two I turn
the page, Yes, sir, the next step.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I'm good to get off on the right foot. This year,
we talked about starting faster. The Rams didn't do it
in the first quarter, but they did overall a good
win against the Houston team. Week one, though, is known
for being dishonest. You know what I mean? Week one
can be misleading. And I went back and I looked
at some twenty twenty four storylines, headlines you might say,
(00:58):
not from LA, but across the league, and I wonder
if you guys might get a kick out of these.
So if we were sitting in these chairs twelve months ago,
some of the things we might be saying, Oh, look
out for that Saints offense Derek Carr in New Orleans
forty seven points against Carolina could be a problem.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
How crazy is that? Twelve months later?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Wow, everyone's everyone's gone.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
How about this one for your forty nine er friends
up in the Bay area, Jake Moody, Oh, he's going
to be an All Pro. They drafted the right kicker,
six field goals, NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
Week one last year.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I feel like that tackle where he hurt his ankle
kind of ruined him a little bit. Yeah, I think
that's been the reason. And really, to be honest, like
he's gotten the kiss of death like four times he
somehow he didn't get it and then Kyle gave it
to him again.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I'm just saying, after Week one last year, nobody would have.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Expected this day. I see where we're going.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Jayden Daniels pretty good last year as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Agreed yes Week.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
One, three fumbles, one hundred and eighty four passing yards.
So I'm sure somewhere in the football universe someone was saying, ooh,
Jaden Daniels might take.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Some Yeah right exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So in this show we'll do a little Week one
reaction as well. But first, some things from around the
league that I think warn't discussion. Kittle and Purty speaking
of the Niners, big story, Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
A month boats out? Probably a month?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yes, Kittle, we won't see in Week five at Sofi Stadium.
Party was a turf toe it sounds like.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And the shoulder, Yeah, I saw. I heard that this
morning when I woke up. They had it all on
the news.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
And you know me, I'd rather have your best players
out there when I beat you. But Kittle and Party
want to miss the game, then so be it.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
The game before that. The next time the Rams are
at Sofi Stadium, the Colts will be in town. They've
yet to punt in twenty twenty five, so maybe a
bit more frisky than we anticipated with Danny Dimes.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Or maybe or maybe the Dolphins just don't want to
play for that. That could be too Daniel Jones could be
better than we give them credit for. But I think
you might be right about Miami.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Miami. The arrow might be pointing the wrong way. Yeah,
I think it's I think they're kind of on their
way out.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
I got one more for your people in Jacksonville. Enough
is enough, but it's getting annoying.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Listen, brother, no disrespect, but I love Cody Trader, but
the thirty two on him in Jacksonville's a little kind
of rubbed me the wrong way. I just want to
put that out there. Okay, is rub me the wrong way?
I sent a couple of text messages out. I got
some responses back, but it's just like I love the guy,
I love the Rams, yes, but thirty two in.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Jacksonville is like that shouldn't be touched for a while.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
James Stone, Jake, Timmy, we love you. Yeah, you're kind
of setting up like a West Coast Jackson.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Bureau out here, but wow, listen, layoff.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Let me let them put the dirt on me before you,
before you put the thirty. It's been a while though,
as it's been like two years a minute.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, question for you guys, do you think that Houston
might be the best defense the Rams face all year?
And or do you think Houston might be one of
the most incompetent or dysfunctional offenses the Rams.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
I think that year.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And the reason I ask is because we're about to
dig into what conclusions we draw from rams.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
In week one.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I think that defense is legit. I love it. I
love those wide nines. I think they get after you.
I think the best part about Week one was you
played them here. If that was in Houston and they
had the benefit of crowd noise, that could have got ugly.
And they were doing great on the road. So I
think that defense is going to be legit. At some point,
maybe in the next month or so, you'll say, scoring
fourteen points against them.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Wow, how'd you do that? You know what I mean? Yeah,
So I think that.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
But offensively speaking, I still think there but when you
reshuffle your line, and again, if we were sitting in
these seats we were twelve months ago. We did the
same thing in Detroit. We had to make a last
minute line change on the road.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Houston's experience was like.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
The correct same thing. So they're still trying to figure
themselves out offensively. But I think until you get right offensively,
that defense can't carry you.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah. I was gonna say to me, it's the front
seven did amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I thought the back end did well. They just got
put in some different situations. Having CJ. Gardner Johnson cover
Pukana Kua is not your best match. We don't want
that match up on the field. But the way those
linebackers are hitting, flying around, the way that d line
was getting after the off to wine a little bit, I.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Mean, that's what you expect. That's a championship defense. That
defense can.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Go and win a Super Bowl right with the right
offense within in special teams and then they're playing at
a high level right now. You expect that from Demico Ryans.
I think on the other side, they had opportunity, they
had a great game plan.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I thought overall, they just didn't have their pieces.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
They don't have Joe Mixon, right, they don't have Dale Christian,
they didn't have a lot of these guys that can
go out there and play. And the defensive defense of
the Rams did what they were supposed to do.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
All right.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So if that does our backdrop kind of a fair
assessment of the Houston Texans a week one opponent. It's
time to play the game show that's taking La by storm.
Since I made it up yesterday over lunch. It's called
I've seen enough or let's wait and see. Okay, I'm
gonna have some knee jerk reactions to the Rams Week
one performance, and I've seen enough in what I'll present
(05:53):
them or wait and see or wait and see, Okay,
I want you to digest them, debate them, and decide
whether you agree with this is estimate or whether it's
going to take some more time. We have a buzzer, okay, yeah,
feel free to focus some back as well. All right,
now I have a few. You want offensive defense, first.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Defense?
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You want one on defense.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I was gonna say offense, Okay, I was gonna say
special teams.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Okay, I don't have one team, but let's start on defense.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
The best gift that the Rams got from the Falcons
this offseason is not the twenty twenty six first round pick.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Oh I've seen enough. I've seen enough. I've seen enough.
You're talking about Landman, the Landman punch. Yes, if he
can play like that weekend and week out, that was
a great Week one, he's player.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Of the week right, NFC defensive Player of the week.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Debut tremendous.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
And it's not just because of the Landman punch to
get the ball out at the end and a great
job by Braden Fist to scoop that thing up, but
it was the plays before that, how physical he played.
You know, you watch linebackers first, right, you had to
be impressed with how he played the run. It wasn't
even it's the fact that he's your green dot.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
That that right there said enough to me. That he
was a captain on this team in his first year.
Told me that that was better than the first round
pick because he's coming in and he's really the glue
to this defense. He's gonna get everyone set. Then when
you watch the game, I mean sideline, the sideline, the turnovers,
the physically all those things, that's what you're looking for.
We talked about it during our broadcast. The ability to
(07:24):
tackle without tackling. None of these guys played in prese
isn't preseason. I don't think they tackled live in practice
to the ground. But that defense rallied and he was
one of the guys that made a ton of tackles
as well.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
You want to go even bigger on land Man, Go ahead,
do you have some recent history?
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Okay, so being the you keep saying it been around
here a while, right that that might have been the
best inside linebacker performance I've seen in a long time.
And I'm trying to be nice to Bobby Wagner. Bobby
Wagner is going to the Hall of Fame, no question.
But as far as a guy getting downhill, splattering people,
being in the right gaps when you when you hit
running backs, they go back the other way. I haven't
(07:59):
seen that in a long time. I've seen a lot
of linebackers. They play it soft, a little bit, three yards,
four yards, that's fine.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
This was attacking.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
So if he can play that way from this point on,
absolutely the best thing you got from Atlanta was him.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Not the picks.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Well, I will tell you this too. One about Bible.
He's a tackler. He's not a thumper. He's not gonna
thump you one and two. We always know. September that's
when defenses fly around, right and you expect that, And
so I want to see how he plays in October.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
That's where I'll wait to.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
See if he's gonna be that same physical government landman
in November and December. But right now, this is what
you need, and he's giving you everything you need right now.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
It's Nate Laman, by the way, but he's cool. If
we lean into the land Man, I know I'm gonna
stay on defense I'll try and connect this to the
draft a little bit too. Remember in the spring when
everyone was flabbergasted that LA didn't draft a corner. Yes, like, wait,
they're just gonna run it back with that secondary. Well,
hold on a minute. They did draft a corner. They
just let the Commanders draft the corner and then they
claimed Emmanuel Fordes off waivers. So he's a starting corner
(08:58):
that you got for a waiver claim.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Agree or disagree.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
I agree. I thought he did awesome. I thought he
came out and played. Well, you look like you put
on some weight too, which you know, again, don't go
in there where this is. Don't go in there and
hit them big fellows late, stay out of the way,
push him to the ground because.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
You know we don't need that. But he was showing
his physicality too.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
He was where he needed to be to see Darius
Williams not even played that that That sounds a time.
It told you a lot, and so that to me, yeah,
you got a first round pick for a waiver claim, you.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Got to steal.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Watching him in practice, the guy can absolutely cover. He's
a corner, you know, top flight corner, and you see them.
The one thing that jumps out. Was how skinny he was.
Now he's packed on some weight fifteen seventeen pounds. And
I was impressed with how he stuck his nose in
there on the run. We don't need all that, but
that was the biggest question. Can you seal that edge?
(09:52):
Can you be that guy in this defense? It's required
Like the receivers here, it's it's a requirement to block here.
On defense, you're gonna have to seal the edge and
stick your nose in there, regardless of how your what
your body type is.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
So I was very impressed with that. I was watching
ESPN this morning.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Ryan Clark said this, and he said, this is the
pedigree for great defenses.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Your big guys run and your little guys hit.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
That's good. That's what you're getting. And that's what you're
seeing for the defense. And they have that pedigree, they
have that culture, and I think that's those are two
guys we talked about that are new guys that you're
seeing the culture kind of get in, you know, and
those guys are playing well.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
All right to offense. Now, either I've seen enough to
know or let's wait and see. I need to see
some more. The rams are no longer an eleven personnel offense.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Let's wait and see. I've seen enough. Really, I see
the twelve.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I mean, I think we're gonna start getting thirteen personnel
here pretty soon. Come on, yeah, we gotta find a
way to get him out there, I thought. I think again,
the Rams are leaning into and it's becoming a matchup
problem when you're out there in twelve personnel for defenses
to figure out, are we going to be a nickel?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Are we going to be in base? Mm hmm. Right.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
If we're in nickel, they're gonna run the ball at
our slot corner. If we're in base, we're gonna motion
to titan. Now, why take out your corner and have
Pooka Nakua and another in Devanta Adams running up the
seam on your.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Linebackers really quick on that. If you want to play
nickel on your Houston, you can get away with that
because you've got Petrie like that, big body, and maybe
Philadelphia can do that, but that's not universally the case.
And that's maybe something to your point that they will
capitalize on in the running game A bit down the line.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I completely a believe again, you can run the same
formations out of twelve personnel because you have receivers and
it just puts a defense.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
In a mind. And then this is the other thing.
Tight ends are the biggest mismatch on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
They're bigger than most linebackers or fashion and most linebackers,
and bigger than most corners and safeties.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
How are you going to stop that?
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Although I would say this, we would used to say
linebackers are now blown up safeties. I think safeties have
become miniature linebackers will everything's changing. So I would say
twelve personnel versus the Texans with wide nines actually makes sense.
But this is Sean McVay we are talking about, right, guys.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
You know he's going to go.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Back to eleven, so real quick on that guy. That's
his favorite number. You know this right.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
I know there's a comment, a question out there somewhere,
where's two two outwall? You paid two twelve to ten
million dollars. I don't think last week was a two
two outwall game for a number of reasons last week,
But I still think when he was on the field,
he impacted throwing lanes and winning, and I think it's.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's where I'm going. Yes, there's going to be a
plan for him.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Yes, quarterback or receiver next, let's two receiver. Okay, let's
let's save mister sixty thousand. I've seen enough, or let's
wait and see. Davante Adams is exactly what the Rams
needed for twenty twenty five and he is still a
dude ready.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
I've seen enough.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I've seen enough.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I've seen enough, but I want to see more though,
I want to Yeah, seen enough, but I want to
see more. And the reason is I thought the back
shoulder catch was more than enough. Like that against that
kid where you don't touch him and you put it
right there.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
That's I've seen enough. But also I want to see.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Him more involved in the game plan a little bit more,
catching more routes than just like out or hitches or
things like that. I want to see him on the
move a little bit more and do certain things like that.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
But that had to be the most impactful handful of catches,
handful of yards game I've seen from a receiver in
a long time. Like he took one of the best
corners in the league and said, you and me over
here and the rest of the guys are gonna play
ten on.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Ten and still have fun.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Yeah, and that's gonna be great things for Puka, who
had ten for one thirty and thirty eight snaps, and
he lined up in the slot sixty four percent of
the time, more than he has throughout his entire career.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
You could see the game plan. I'm still shocked. You
couldn't see the push off from Devonte. I didn't see
the pus. Did you see it? Everybody in the world
saw it. I don't see the push off level seven.
It was clean, really okay, it was so clear in
the corner.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
It was very professional. If you don't see it, you
can't call it. But it was there.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
But that's beautiful when you take that guy out and
you can beat him on that route. He and and
how I knew it wasn't that big of a deal
because the corner didn't go like this.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
It was so quick. So yeah, to me, that's not
a push off. The corner put his hands up like
he did, that's a push off.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
He did put a cup on the ground that he
probably would tell you he should catch, but the one
he plucked off the turf to get down to get
that third down that turned into David's house. We might
be talking completely differently here today. If he didn't make that.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I was impressed with the first one, the hit he
took and got, yeah, man, that was a that's a
kill shot, and got right up and pointed for the
first down. I thought that said a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Now, I want to be cleared. DeVante recently has been
killing it in the slot too, and if you put
him in motion, I think good outcomes can follow. However,
one of the first things that I think we said
back in the spring was watch how little he's in motion.
That was my hunch. My intuition is that you got
a true X that you can that you can just
trust to win against any coverage. And in the meantime,
(14:45):
guess who's free to roam pooka or you can send
your tight end to flip the strength or in that
blast motion like Cooper cup was running miles, so he
was running marathons pre snap in the last couple of years,
that's no longer the case. It's a different structure, and
I think it sets up well in terms of Marion
running pass together. Like we saw in that final sequence.
How devastating was that final.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Sea poss That was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Three identical looks and on third down you throw it.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
To Pooka ran the first the first play, on the
second play you had eight yards and I think like
seven yards, and then you come in off a play
action pass, have him to the flat tight and every
everything looks the same ball game game.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
I can't believe we've gone this far without mentioning QB
one because obviously he dominated the summer in our show
last week. So here's one more for you. On offense,
I've seen enougher. Let's wait and see. Matthew Stafford is
still the best quarterback in the NFC.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I've seen enough.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
He's you have to make two or three throws a
game that that most guys can't make. I'm gonna give
you the three that I say that Poola, the two
to pook up the scene, and then the back shoulder
to Devonte those are those are the that throw he
made to Pooka with Gardner Johnson covering him where he's
like he's looking this way and he flipped it that way.
(16:02):
And then the first one where he just right it
was up and over the linebacker.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
That ball.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I coached high school football, watch a lot of college
watch pros.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Obviously that pass.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Is the hardest pass to throw, where you have to
get it up and over at eighteen yards before that
safety gets there.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
That's the hardest throws, especially if you're rusty or you
don't feel great. It wasn't the box score that made
me say that with confidence. It was the way he
went out there with a termination and a chip on
his shoulder and played fearless football like he said he
was going to.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I'm gonna respectfully say I'm gonna wait and see, because
right before we started this, I was watching Eagles tape
and watching Jalen Hurts pull one down and scrabble for
a touchdown and then flip to that Jayden Daniels, who
is getting better. So I don't think the NFC has
decided as far as arm talent and what he can
(16:55):
do from the pocket, absolut freaking lutely, no doubt. We'll
see if that's gonna be enough to get you through
the NFC. But as of right now.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
He's one of could be absolutely so I'll say I'll
wait and see. I will say, too, lack of mobility
in the NFC is going to hurt you eventually, right,
because that's what helped the Eagles beat the Cowboys was
literally Jalen hurts the everyone's covered, there's no to throw to.
He runs fines to guess what save CJ. Stroud finding
a way out.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yes, that's gonna be especially pertinent as we talk about
the matchup with the Titans, which I promise is coming up.
But since you asked for special teams, here's one more
for you. This kicking game is suddenly as good as
it's been since Matt Gay left, or Bones Fossil left,
or you pick your point in time.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
But I would say two thousand.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I would say the best kicking game I thought we
had was when we went to New Orleans and won
the NFC Championship game.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Oh yeah, I thought that was the height of our kicks.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Greg Zuerline, Yeah, I mentioned Bones Fossil because he's in
Nashville with Johnny Hecker. Now, so we're gonna see this.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
I'm gonna say I've seen enough. I know Ethan Evans.
It's kickoffs, punts give you what you need. Either he
could flip field position or he's pretty good at placing
the football.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Cardi's gotten a whole lot better, or I think we
haven't we've just barely scratched the surface on how he's
going to do these kickoffs. I think he's really going
to be a problem with these dynamic kickoffs. So and
I think he's pretty good from fifty plus.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
You can hit from fifty seven and fifty eight against
the Seahawks last year at season's end, so.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
You feel pretty good about his accuracy. I think the
snaps are there, so I've seen enough. I think this
battery is as good as we've seen around here.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
And we talk about limiting a Houston offense to nine points,
no touchdowns, a drive that didn't reach any farther than
the fifteen yard line, like those long fields that you're
setting up where they start from their twenty instead of
their thirty five. It's a big deal.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
That is a big deal, I would say too.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
We talked about like I think he's become a weapon,
that the kicking game has become a weapon because now
I can be aggressive if I want to when we
get offensively, once we get past the fifty, knowing that
I have an opportunity to still have a field goals made.
But then also if we do stumble, have a pun
that can flip field position in the heart immediately.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Let's talk Titans and Rams pick a side of the ball.
We'll talk matchups first.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
I'm worried about mister Simmons. Man.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
It is a bad stretch of the season to be
dinged up at guard.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Bro Dude is huge.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
He's a monster. Even if you weren't dinged up, you'd
have problems slowing him down. I do think this like Davante,
even if he doesn't get the rock, it doesn't mean
you covered him, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
The ball just didn't get to him.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I don't think there is a guard in the league
that can handle this guy one on one at all.
He's just got He's so big, he's so strong, He's
got a myriad of moves he can throw at you.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
He's gonna be a problem this Sunday.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Do you remember when they drafted him, he had a
torn in cl in the first round. That should tell
you all you need to know right about Jeffers disqualify.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Whatever I didn't know then, after seeing what he did
in twenty twenty one and that no win November Man, forever,
We'll have my respect.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
That's not my fear.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
He's legit.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yes, So if Carter's coming down the pike in week three.
Don't overlook this channel.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
No, no, no, he's he is very similar to Carter,
if not, I would say possibly better.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I was a little older, but they the Titan. When
you watch their defense.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
One first and foremost, shout out to my guy, Brian Callahans,
my old high school and.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
College. He went to UCLA before me.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
And and but neither nor they're not your cousin though, right, No, no,
not my cos.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
That's my that's my dog. Here's my brother from David's South.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Okay, he has some things he has to do offensively,
and this defense is going to have to carry him.
Right And so speaking of Jeffrey Simmons, that's the key
to this defense. If you can get four hands on
him or four eyes on him, the other guys kind of.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Play towards us. You got to kind of limit him.
But if you don't, if you let him get going, oh,
then everyone gets going.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
And that's the problem. That's how you beat them. It's
like you got to limit his opportunities to make plays.
How do you do that?
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Well, I think you have to move the pocket. If
you're going to throw the football, sometimes you're gonna have
to challenge him.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
It is what it is, is football.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
But if you're going to get those half rolls, keep
Matthew Stafford as far away from him as possible and
keep two bodies on him. You got to bring the
tackle down, bring the center back, just keep him getting back. Yeah,
and frustrate him, just like Matthew Stafford did the Texans.
Even when they got good, a good rush, a good
get off, the ball was already gone. So by the
time you're done with your first move, you're in pursuit already.
(21:19):
That drives you nuts. Do the same thing to him.
But if you get caught in those if you're making
mistakes on first down, if you're behind the chains and
you get caught in a third and a mile and
you need to have it. I mean, that's instant pressure
right into the face of your quarterback that we just
said doesn't like to run.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
It can be a Screens are gonna go quicker receiver.
Screens are gonna be huge.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Getting him out outside, let him run and chase get downhill,
get four hands on him some downhill runs where you're
double team and keep testing them with the run game.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Yeah, keep them honest.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
They led the NFL with four takeaways in Denver, two
interceptions of force fumble, recovered a muff punt. They also
had two takeaways on down So to your point about
maybe this being a defensive driven team until cam Ward
gets locked in and they can up around him, it
seems like they were up to that task. And maybe
they're a little underrated defensively.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Oh, no question.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
I mean they were banged up last year, but like
I said, they have guys the corners are I would
say they're above average.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
You know what's interesting to that point is Lugerious Sneed
sounds like he's on a pitch count coming off.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Of that quad last year.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
He didn't play a full snapload, but played well last week,
and he's actually had some great head to head history
against Avante. Yes, so I'm curious.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Do they got Stafford throwing the ball he had Aaron Rodgers?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I'm just checkmate.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Do teams have any interest in traveling the way that
Houston did last week or was that unique to their guy?
Speaker 2 (22:38):
No, I think they'll travel them. I mean they paid
him to travel, to be honest. I mean that that's
what he did in Kansas City as well. So if
you're playing this game, of chess, I'm gonna put my
best corner on on your best guy to stop him.
The key is gonna be who's gonna cover Pooka, right,
And we've always talked about this, what the Rams have
the Queen. If we're talking chess, the Queen pieces Pooka
because he's bigger than every corner that he's gonna go against.
(23:01):
He's stronger than most of those guys, and to get
him to run on those safeties and corners consistently will.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Help your offense.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Speaking of Puka, I did hear from from our fan
base a little concern maybe that teams are head hunting Puka,
that he's got a target on his back coming into
year three.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Was that, I don't know head hunting. I think you're
as a huge sensor back.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Houston's just a different team.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
They were bringing it, they were they were hitting hard
like every like the Rams defense was. But I think
with guys like Puka, going back to hines Ward, it's
it's almost like you have to protect yourself against them
because of how they play. Because if you don't, if
you come up and you attack Puka high, like taking
DK Metcalf wrong, you're gonna get flat run over and
if he lines you up the right way, you're gonna
(23:42):
get hurt. So I think most of this is respecting
how he plays. You gotta play hard or he's gonna
bounce off.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I got a chance to talk to Henry Totoe after
the game. We'll talk to his dad, and he was like,
he's bigger than me. I can't take him on like
I would take on a receiver. I have to take
him on like a bigger back. You gotta hit him.
You gotta go and hit him. And that's just what happens.
You have a when you're again two hundred and twenty five,
two hundred and thirty pound guy, like they're gonna hit
you as such. Right if you're one hundred and eighty pounds,
(24:09):
they'll probably grab you and throw you around. But you
can't grab pook and throw them me too strong, So
you got to come in there with some force and
to be honest, when you're one of the best.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Players in the league. That's what happens.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
When if you're going across the middle, guys try to
get at you a little bit, and that's part of
the game.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Can I go back to your point about Houston being
able and willing to match a twelve personnel with base
am I being an apologist by saying, Okay, the running
game for LA didn't get off the ground in week
one because they had extra linebackers and big safeties and
they had their box count ride and so Sean McVay
and Matthew Stafford just choose to attack them through the air.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Well, you pick and choose, right, are you gonna be
heavy against the run? If you want to, then we'll
we'll we'll tack you up in there. If you want
to be light against the run, we'll run the ball.
And that's the game. That's the game.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
But he's so concerned about the lack of rushing results
in week one.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Necessary No, because Houston's really good, and I think we
don't we're not giving them enough credit for what they done,
what they've built there, and what they've done the last
couple of years. Defensively, I thought the game plan was
to tack them up the seams off of play action,
and that's what they did. So they got their big
chunk plays and that's how you do it.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
What about your level of concern when what sixty percent
of the Rams offensive line is nursing an ankle injury
as we record the show on Thursday's Game week scary.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
That's I guess the downside of not really going hard
or playing in preseason. You don't really develop that callous
So the first three weeks of the regular season is
getting into football shape. So I did worry about that
when you left the game in so far against the Texans,
hard hitting and you're left with bumps and bruises. Now
you've got to get ready to go play Tennessee. Can
you retool and regroup fast enough to do that? So
(25:42):
it is a concern, but at least you're going to
have the same group. We hope you're not really replacing
people as of right now.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
It is a matchup of quarterbacks taking number one overall
about a generation of part Matthew Stafford now sixty thousand
yards strong and cam Ward set for his home debut.
It was the worst offensive showing in the league in
Week one just about any metric you look at, and
I've I don't think I've ever seen as an admired
or beloved a six sack, no touchdown, one hundred and
(26:12):
twelve yard passing performance as I've seen and heard about
from cam Ward. The tape is telling a different story
than the box score. Apparently, what say you?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I agree, it's tough that you got to go against
Denver week one. It was probably, if not the best,
one of the top three defense in the NFL last
year with the defensive player of the Year at corner.
So that shuts out half of the field guys that
can get to the quarterback. And then it sucks that
you have to double back and go against the Rams
who have this young defensive line that flies around and
(26:41):
gets after you. Right so, and that's the NFL. And
I think for him, he made some really good throws.
They had a ton of drops. He had some really
good throws. He sat in the pocket, He never panicked.
He was that guy that you saw at Miami, the
confident guy that sits in the pocket, will make throws.
If he has to get out, he will try to
get out. And I think that's where him a little bit.
That he scrambled and tried to do like some stuff
(27:02):
that he did in college, and he got sacked a
couple of times for some big losses.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
But you know, you got to learn from that. I
think that he has his skill set.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
He made I mean there was one throw I think
a guy was going from left to right and he
threw it over two guys.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
It hit him right in the hands. I mean, if
it was an arrow, it probably would have killed him.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
What hurt is It was Calvin Ridley. It was his
number one who was putting balls.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Yeah, well that's what he does that. Sometimes he'll have
the drops here and there. But it was another kid though,
And I mean that ball is probably the best ball
thrown all all week and it just and so you
got to help your young quarterback out. Is that the
one that got his dad out of a seat?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
That was Calvin Ridley? The one he was wide op.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
You can't do that, dad. You gotta have a poker face.
But I'd say this, you got.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
To do that. I'm LeVar Ballet, I'm on the sideline.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
You're there, You're going crazy, Okay, But it's it's like
when you have a young quarterback, usually the offense, depending
on what team you are, like Minnesota, the offense maybe
ahead of the young quarterback. I think this is the opposite.
I think he was actually more ready to play than
the rest of the guys out there. So eventually they're
going to get on the same page. Hopefully it won't
be this week.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Quick word on their offensive line, Dan Moore was their
big investment at left tackle right You had to pay
a premium to get offensive line help this offseason. They
did first return not great in Denver. Their center Kushionbery
coming off an injury, really important piece. Right tackle seems
to be the injury report to watch this week. A
hip injury for JC Latham. That's a big matchup against
(28:23):
the Rams. Edges whether or not he can go both sides,
both organizations dealing with offensive line question marks and health
concerns going into this match up.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Still surprised he's on the right. The Alabama kid.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Yeah, I'm still surprised he's over there. He's three pounds huge.
I swear when you look at him on tape, he
doesn't look that big, no, which means that just really
really in shape. I'm surprised he's over there. But again,
I think the offense is a work in progress. I
think this offensive line might be a little bit better
than people give.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
It credit for.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
And you know, depending on how the Rams play, if
they can carry over from what they did versus the
Texans into Tennessee.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I have no doubts.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
But if you take a step back, this offensive line,
with the way it's constructed and the way it could
come together, could give you some fits.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, I'll say this for all our fans the NFC.
The way the NFC is built compared the way the
AFC's built, the NFC is more slender like outside zone.
When you talk about the AFC, you're talking about cold
weather places where it's downhill football, so you have bigger linemen,
bigger bodies.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
You think of Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Latham would be the right tackle, he would be the
left tackle, but they couldn't find a right tackle in
free agency. They felt comes enough of paying, so they
had to go get Dan Moore, who's preat down with
a left tackle.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
So that's why he's there seventh overall at the right.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Well, they wanted to move in the left where they
just couldn't find a guy to pay, which you have to,
you know, But I will say that's a concern because
they are they're gonna be bigger than our guys.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
If he goes right. If he doesn't, I think that
puts a dent in their hopes of moving the chains
with a running game that still has a lot of
question marks? Does that change the dynamic for you?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Yeah, If he's not there, it's gonna be a problem. Okay,
you're gonna have two weeks of guys shuffling guys around.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You saw Houston.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
They tried to get their running game going, and they
felt comfortable at times, but it was like a guy
would miss make a mistake here, miss a block there.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
You'll see that again. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
It feels like maybe the most obvious key to this
game is which which running game, Which offensive line can
take some of the pressure off its passing game, and
its quarterback steal some hits off of him by moving
the chains with chunk plays in the running game an
efficient running game, especially for Tennessee. That seems to be
the case. But I do see shades of Matthew Stafford
and young cam Ward two the way that you described him,
(30:31):
pocket manipulation, willing to read it out, take the hit,
make big time throws tough, tough. Yeah, looking forward to
seeing him. Other thoughts on that matchup before I spin
it forward?
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Let me see if I can get it.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Where do you go?
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Tayler Davis? Wow?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Where do you get the sack, big.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Fellou fist calling his shot. Remember, Brandon told us during
training camp that Tyler Davis was like the unsung hero
of that defense, and he shows up with his first
full sack in week one.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Dude, you have a a dearth of good interior defense
alignment and that should make you more multiple and unpredictable
if you're Chris Shulan, because you can line those guys
up anywhere and in different combinations, and then sprinkle in
all those edge rushers plus Stuart off the edge. He
looks like he's been here for a while, like it's
not too big for him. Yeah, that's another guy that
(31:18):
can give Byron Young or Jared versus a chance to
catch your breath and not lose a step on the field.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I thought that was a tremendous.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Question for you with the addition of Puniford and Tyler
Davis in your two. Is that part of why we
saw branden Fisk widening out his alignments.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Somebody's got to bump out if you've got Poona and
Tyler Devi And they had both of those guys, those
big dudes, Poona and Tyler Davis in the A gaps
and they went nowhere. They went nowhere, So Braden Fisk
has to be put somewhere. So put them out at end.
So you have a interior guy playing out over the
tackle on a rundown. Oh that's a win for us.
That's a win for the Rams. And then he led
(31:56):
the team in sacks. He's a pass rush threat. So
I think you have a lot of good interior guys
that you can move around, which should make you very
very hard to predict on game day.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
It's kind of like a running back by committee when
you have a multiple guys that can rush the quarterback
and you can just throw waves at people like, oh,
here'll give you this matchup this week. Up, we're gonna
do this that. Oh, and the in the game, we're
gonna flip and go to this. It just puts because
offensive linemen have to study each pass rusher because each
passers have had certain things they do well. If I
have to switch, if I'm going against Fisk or Puna Ford,
(32:26):
I have to play that different, right, So now I
have to mentally, I have to You're I'm making these
offensive linemen think not only just what play they have
or if it's a pass play, but how am I
going to set this guy. Is it strong? And you
do have to be more for a nest. It just
plays mind games when you have a ton of guys
that can rush.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
This a game bowl for player that can.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
I give this the bowl, Lummer, get it.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
Yeah, you start at as the backup and you wind
up as the starting left guard, and then you play
go forward to the other guard.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Yeah, it looks better in the run game than in
pass pro.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Is that's fair? Not fair? Definitely? Doesn't that track from
last season as well? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Yeah, especially presstonto duty as opposed to being part of
the game plan and that and your offense be built
around what you know you're getting.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
Yes, I think this week it might be smart to
keep up a few more guards just in case.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Interesting whereas you had both reserved tackles available last week, well,
I mean it's good to know what you have in
alert Jackson. I mean that was as much as we
talked about Matthew Stafford playing strong and playing to his
form in week one, that was equally important. Right, your
left tackle showing.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Up didn't have to call his name one time. That's right,
this is what he does. We talked about.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
It was it was it this this all season about
how important it was getting him locked in.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Because that was step one was renewing vows with Stafford
and then right neck.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
You got to get him.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah, ver thing Man probably the most underrated offensive lineman
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
What he's been able to do.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
It brought me back to just saying that brought me
back to him against Miles Garrett when he had when
he had the help make stuck. Yeah, I was frustrated
too if I was Miles because he was getting clamped up.
And that's what you get, like, that's you don't find
those guys all the time.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
That's an undrafted guy.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
You got Just looking down the schedule this week, some
interesting games. You got the DK metcalf for contests. Pittsburgh's
got a chance to send the Seahawks to zero and
two our super Bowl coordinators and meeting in Minneapolis. KOC
and the Vikings with a new quarterback against Rohie Morris
and the Falcons.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
That's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Arizona chance to start quickly again. What else is new?
Top half of their schedule is always seemingly successful. They've
got Carolina at home after beating New Orleans, so Arizona
could be two and zero. Here's another I've seen enough
or whatever it was, Who cares, stupid game. Arizona is
the biggest challenger to LA in the West.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
I need to see more.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
I do.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Kyler Murray is he's the King of September and that
I mean that with all sincerity. He always looks good,
he looks dangerous, and then something happens.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
He's so disrespectful and that's what he went to say.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
It was no disrespect right, you go to disrespect him?
I get it. They I I think last year I
was more concerned about Arizona than I am this year.
No way, because they're not as physical, they're not as
thirteen like I didn't. They were running the ball, but
it was it didn't look like the team that we
saw last year in this time like last like we
(35:08):
played them this week it was forty forty to zero, like,
oh we have a problem, Like this team doesn't look
like that.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
I think their defenses for real, though.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
It's better, you're supposed to treat the norms like that.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Though okayre too. Yes, I'm just saying be careful with Arizona.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
The corners are legit. The Michigan Corners legit, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Before we get to Philly, Philly has to go to
Kansas City. Kansas City needs a win coming back from
Brazil at zho to one.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Without a receiver, beat them all up.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
Yes, I'm hoping for double ot in that game on
triple Yes, keep going.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
And then I'm really curious to see how Houston bounces
back at home against an NFC contender in Tampa Bay.
That's one of those early season games that could have real, big,
outsized implications in the NFC playoff picture at the end.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Do you want to know what's funny? Tampa just knows
how to beat certain people. They have Philly's number. Philly
doesn't want to play Tampa ever.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
They don't.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Detroit doesn't want to play Tampa ever either. For whatever reason,
the Rams love Tampa. Yeah, And it's just one of
those things where like I don't know, and I'll say this,
I'm gonna say this on TV tonight, but Green Bay
is gonna win the North. You think it's over, You've
seen enough.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
I've seen it already.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
It's just one is.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
That how much before week one?
Speaker 1 (36:20):
But how much of that is them?
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Right?
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Is Micah and what's already there. How much of that
is who first return on the rest of that division.
You're anticipating the Detroit step back.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Well, this is I would say seventy thirty seventy percent
of everyone else, thirty percent of green Bay and the
reason being. The reason being is Detroit lost all their coordinators.
They don't look like they're in sync, which.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
It might be a week one overreaction.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
It could be. It could be, but you just don't know,
Like they just didn't look good right, and green Bay
handled them. Then in Minnesota that was kind of like that.
That whole game was kind of like, who's gonna make
the play to win this thing? Because we neither of
those one of us mistakes there was once to win
this We're just we're gonna run an r PO or
read option in our.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
Quarterbacks and are like, good play.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Yeah, it was, but it's just like two young quarterbacks
still learning. And then you have another organ another organ Detroit.
They just they got a lot of turnover and it's
not like the turnover here. They lost eight coaches. Think
about that a culture change. It's a culture change.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
It's a pretty big week one head to head to
put in your pocket. Too, Yes, anything else, I'm done.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Let me I've seen here.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
I need to talk to No, I have one more
thing today. I have one more thing to say.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I'm still waiting for our We're we're waiting for Kira
not to take every snap.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Oh yeah, we're still waiting. This just hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
Can I sorry you brought something else that I wanted
to ask. There's a discrepancy between how he's graded in
past protection and what we feel and we see every week.
Like the reason why he doesn't give way is because
he takes care of business back there and cleans up pockets.
At least I think that's.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
What we missed one. He missed one in Houston.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
He missed it or he was late scanning over.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
No, no, the late scanning over one and the problem
that was fine, That wasn't the issue. It was the
one where the guy came up in the a gap
and he cut up great. I'm just saying that.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I think part of the reason, maybe even the biggest
reason why he's in there down in is because he's
the one you can trust, especially in the reguard. But
like PFF or whatever, they don't give him his due
and pass pro So where's the truth?
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Yeah, I think no, I think it's more on our side.
I will say he the one where he came late.
He wanted to go right away, but like he hesitated,
and so Stafford's dropping.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
You have to.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Now I don't want to get in the quarterbacks drop right,
But I don't know how many times have we seen
Kyron just create the pocket right by blocking and yet
and so that to me more on that than I
do what I saw in Houston.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I do also really like the screen game, the hints
of an emerging screen game that we saw in week one,
including the one the Parkinson that got put on the ground.
Like I consider that part of you know, the tight
end delay. I think that's part of the portfolio, and
that it hit it turned into a fumble, unfortunately because
you know their linebacker. Great play, But I do like that.
(39:08):
Hopefully coming back to life here in twenty five. All right,
safe travels to Nashville, see you guys there week two,
a chance to get to two and zero. Thank you
as always for being with us, for between the horns
presented by your Southern California to deal
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