September 9, 2025 • 42 mins
The Drive highlights Week 1's best fantasy football performers, as well as taking a look at the NFL power rankings.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Back on the drive here our number two on a Tuesday,
and that's gonna mean some things around these parts, namely,
it's time for a little fantasy football focus. All right,
Matt Week one in the books, what do you say
we go through some some winners, some losers of the
Week one fantasy slate here Number one feels like you
(00:50):
gotta talk about a Mecca Abuka pretty quickly in this
in this conversation, he had the most points by a
wide receiver fantasy points in his first career NFL game
since Hollywood Brown in twenty nineteen. Wow, including that game
winning touchdown with just about a minute left.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, and I'll be honest his we won't talk about
like preseason ADPs and things like that much longer, but
it's relevant with only one game in the books. It
starts shooting up and shooting up and shooting up, and
you had to use a higher pick every time to
get them, and I kept moving them up my list
at a rapid rate. People that saw him at joint
practice year, we saw him, you know, in acta sure
(01:31):
live all the reports, Godwin being out, McMillan gets hurt
against the Steelers too. It's a good offense. Mayfield played
quite well in this game too, him and Evans getting
all the targets they don't want to throw the tight ends.
Those are all check marks in his favor. And rookie
receivers are not a bad investment. And he's way ahead
of the curve.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh, he absolutely isn't.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Every year there's some of those sleeper guys that they
get taken really high some drafts, not as as you
expect in some and it can end up sometimes working
out really well, sometimes biting you in the butt. This
seems like one that is gonna gonna work out really well. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I think you're gonna be real happy no matter where
you got him. I wish I would have got him
more in drafts because I tried.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
To absolutely, and I mean especially with Godwin sidelined, I
mean he is, He's gonna have a big role.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
I think those Ohio State receivers have translated pretty well
to the league too, And got one coming here next week.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, second on this list, we do. And we just
saw one as well too. I who finds himself on
this list and Garrett Wilson. Garrett Wilson and Justin Fields
both listed here on ESPN Fantasy as winners. I mean
that's I think what everybody thought was going to be
tough sledding, a slow day, a slog for the Jets
(02:45):
offense was anything but.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Anything but anything but I mean, he got well start
with Fields. The Fields played the best game of his career.
Read something today, I don't know who even wrote it,
but it was just really well phrased that Fields made
strides as a fantasy related as a stealer, He's gotten
better every year, and he got better as a Steeler,
(03:09):
but in an offense designed for Russell Wilson, not him.
This Jets offense is designed for Fields, you know. And
the Steelers didn't want to run him a ton, especially
when Wilson was hurt. But this team is going to
run him a ton. And I think people might have
even been shocked how fast he gets to the edge.
I mean, he out runs Watt to the edge and
big time players defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
There was a couple there was a couple of times
Patrick Queen read it perfectly, yeah and can't get it
and still and still was it even within two yards
of him, right, he couldn't have read it better and
reacted better. And he was still when he wasn't even
within two yards of them.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
It's like Lamar Vick stuff, you know, like you know
he's fast, but then you're on the field with him, like, whoa,
this is a different cat and Fields is definitely that
and most and that's not the most startling thing in
the world. But he was great from the pocket, yeah,
I mean just within the confines of the pocket, throwing
accurate balls. I watched a lot of Field stuff this morning,
can tell you know, tight window stuff, ball coming out
(04:05):
on time. I mean, I'm happy for him. I mean
it's it's really good. And a lot of people shied
away from Wilson because super low volume. Everyone's gonna he's
gonna get quadruple covered. Fields is a very good quarterback.
Sometimes Wilson's just a great player, you know. And he
showed up in a big way in this game too. Yeah,
(04:25):
I would do Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Those two again, Jets have.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Some building blocks. I mean they aren't fancy related. I
was really impressed with eight to ten Jets players one week.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
One data point. You got it. Nothing is proven, nothing
is solved, nothing is concrete. Certainly after one game. Yeah,
I think you and I talked about this a little
bit yesterday. There's no like moral victories in the NFL.
You only have seventeen games. You gotta win. But if
I were a Jets fan, I think I'd be feeling
about as good as you could after a You.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Feel better about my team after the game than before.
Brownies could even say that too. I think the Browns
could say.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That too, certainly, certainly, But for the Jets, I don't
think it's even particularly close.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I think this is, you know, steeler note, but you know,
a post game note. The Jets are going to have
an O line. Membo and for Shanu are big time dudes.
And Tipman was really good at guards, really good at center.
I mean, yeah, they're gonna have an NO line.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
They sure are. Your boy, Membo good could start for him,
certainly finding himself on this list of winners as well
to Matt and I mean, man, I don't think anybody
saw this coming. How about the Sunday that Daniel Jones had.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yes, now, we kind of did a segment on this
just stock up, stock down teams today on Peacock and
Williamson and the easiest stock down team on the planet,
the Dolphins. I mean, that's a disaster. And then I
even mentioned I'm like, Carolina is so happy that Miami
exists because everyone's because they were the second most diss
(05:53):
So I don't know to overreact. What I think how
I phrased it today was a lot of these things.
Was you know, was this team bad or is this
team good? It's yeah, it's forty five to fifty five,
it's fifty to fifty. But in this one, I'm like,
I'm pretty sure that was eighty percent the Dolphins being horrible.
So I'm not ready to be like, oh, the cults
are gonna win eleven games Daniel. But Daniel Jones, it
(06:16):
is a fantasy segment. Like Fields has been way more
fantasy relevant than he has been on the field.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
He don't because he runs. He runs, running touchdowns, rushing
touchdown really good.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Right, Like, if you're starting Daniel Jones, he's probably not
in a lot of leagues. He's startable because he runs.
I can't stress that enough. I mean, if he gets
benched and Richardson takes over, start him, He's gonna run.
That's all the matters. He's not gonna complete zero passes.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I think he will be uh, you know, for for
a guy that was well, let's see, was available in
ninety five percent of ESPN leagues, right, right, right, I
think that number is gonna be much different though heading
into the much certainly.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Like you're starting him way over Tua. It never runs
at all, absolutely right, right, absolutely. I mean as great
as Rogers was, I mean, as great as Rogers was,
you start him over Rogers. He's not gonna throw four
touchdowns every week. It's just the nature of the game
you're playing. It's fantacy football. It's not real football.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
And you had that, Like you and I were texting
last night. I was shocked that Pro Football Focus had
Aaron Rodgers ranked with the twenty second of the twenty
fourth best warback. I don't agree with and you, like,
I don't agree with it. But they also ding quarterbacks
that don't run. Yeah, but then Matthew Stafford was number
one on their list.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Buzzy. I didn't study it too hard. Yeah, I didn't
approve of that list.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Again, it's it's a it's a resource. It is it is.
I think you and I are pretty level headed on
Pro Football Focus we it's certainly a resource, but not
everything they say is gospel at the same time, and
we don't have to act like it is, and.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I forget what it is. I cut and pasted and
quoted something from them on this morning that was still
related I thought was really good, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
So you know, another quarterback on this list was Aaron Rodgers.
They are saying, they are saying he is now an
extremely viable number two two quarterback options for two quarterback
and super flex leagues.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Agreed, But I think this is a much different test
this week because, as we talked about an hour one,
obviously in hindsight, a major game plan was throw at
every defensive back not named Sauce. Well, you're not going
to do that this week because all their defensive backs
are good. They may not have a Sauce Witherspoon's really
good because mostly a slot. They don't have a weak
(08:27):
spot in their secondary. So does that mean that the
past percentage will go down? I'm sure four touchdowns is
not the norm, and one of which I'm not taking
away from Aaron Rodgers, but it bugs me to no end.
This is mahomes thing too. The pitch thing is not
really a touchdown pass folks in the real world. I
don't know why the NFL calls with that.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
That's just you know what, well, you know where that
kind of started and became the original. Is this Is
this a jet sweep? Is this a past? It's Gino
Smith and Tavon Austin say, is this WU two thousand
and nine. Do you remember Dana Holgerson, He was like
the hot, upstart offensive coordinator, became the w head coach
and Austin perfect for that, and Tavon Austin was perfect
(09:08):
for it and had seven hundred yards against Clemson and
the Orange Bowl using that play, and the next year
it was in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Okay, it just shocks me they call it a pass.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That that was the that whole thing, that whole year
there was.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
That Geno must have threw a million touchdown passes.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
He had a game against Baylor Matt we scored seventy points.
This was my this was my this was my senior
year of coin.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
You're a student, Okay, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Forty six of fifty one Gino was for eight touchdowns
and six hundred and fifty six yards and not all
of that, obviously, but a few of those were one
of those little pop passes.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
That we got to complete.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Tavon Austin took forty sixty seventy yards to the house,
and it was like a lot of people started looking
at that and going, hmm, there's something there.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Yeah. I had no problem using it fifteen years ago
for fantasy. It drives me crazy that that's a touchdown
pass homes I was like twelve him in his career.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
I could certainly see why why that? Why that would
be okay? Another name on this list. Good to see
him back doing the things that we expect him.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
To real quickly. I wouldn't go running to the waiver
wire to get Rogers yet, Like, I'm not starting him
next week. There's no way he's a top twelve guy
for me yet if one, because he's have zero rushing.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
That's that's the thing I think, if you're really desperate
for a backup. Yeah, different conversation at this point, but
let's let's see it. Let's see it one more week.
Another guy who we have to talk about here, Matt
as A as a winner. Good to see him back
doing his thing in healthy Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yes, and wow, I mean we talk a lot of
Niners on our podcast, and now Jennings has banged up,
Kittle's going to ir he's banged up. The workload's going
to be nuts. And I forget what my co host,
who hosts Locked on forty nine or said, but something
like and it's it's obviously it's a one, one game thing.
(10:56):
But he's like he's on pace for like six hundred
touches this year. Well that's all you need to know.
I mean, he's running back one right now. Yes, just
because the workload is gonna be insane, does he hold up?
I don't know, it doesn't matter, but if he touches
the ball thirty five times, he's gonna score a million
fantasy points.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I did want to run a couple of these fantasy
football arrows down after Week one for you. Where are
you out on Joe Burrow?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
I'm not worried too good at a football player. I
don't think the Browns have this miraculous I think the
Browns defense played really well. I thought they out coached
the Bengals to some degree. Bengals are slow starters. I
don't want to give that too much of an excuse,
but Burrow's gonna throw the ball and throw the ball well.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Seven yards in the second half. So it's still insane
to me.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
That's still insane to me. But like I'm not selling
Chase or Burrow, true, I just know they're good at football.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
They could have run the push push every play in
the second half and gotten more than seven yards, right,
That's incredible. Also listed as a arrow down all playmakers
on the Detroit Lions offense. I don't know if I'm
that's a lot.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
That's a big leap. I mean, those guys are pretty good.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
To say that they aren't going to produce on offense
quite like they did the last couple of years, I
might buy into maybe, but I also don't think like
it's going to look like it did at lambeau Field
for the next sixteen guys.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
They walked into a Hornets nest that just traded for
Micah Parsons, and I know Ben Johnson isn't there anymore.
And frankly this is a side note, but I mean
they obviously lost a good coordinator that went to the
Jets as well, you know, I mean I was really
impressed with the way the Jets were coached. I mean,
that's gonna have ramifications just on the Lions overall, but
(12:36):
I'm still starting online. Ross ain't Brown and Gibbs and
you know, right right right.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
One hundred one hundred hundred percent and a heck of
a catch by by Isaac Tesla.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
He's not quite fantasy relevant yet.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Not yet. He might be a who yeah by week four,
week five, week six, if you need a wide receiver,
he has his feet wet.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
He oh, he's their number three.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
He's there, he's their number three and solid preseason and
solid start to his NFL career. A trio of wide
receivers listed as arrow down, AJ Brown, Tyreek Hill, Nico Collins.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Tyreek worries me to no end because he might. He
reminds me of end of career ab starting to lose
his mind a little bit without a Tomlin to keep
him under wraps. And vibes in Miami are horrendous. I
think A Chan's really the only guy I'm comfortable with
because they'll still dump it.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
To him, and you know, you gotta run the football.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
They don't run the football. So Miami scares me. You
knew this when you when you when you drafted AJ
Brown the second or third round, you have to know
that there's two or three games a year where they
just run like crazy and go elsewhere. It just happened
to get one a week one, you know. Yeah, get
over it, Nico. If he's stock dropped a penny, I'm
(13:58):
buying at that price. I think he's a under superstar there.
Our line was a problem, but Nico will be absolutely fine.
I'll put my reputation on it.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
I think you will too. Houston feels like one of
those teams that started slow a little bit lately, Yeah,
and then started to figure it out. It was, It
certainly was, but I'm not betting on that being the
norm for as talented as that team is and what
they have at quarterback and with some of their playmakers.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Like I'm not interested in like Higgins and Noel and
those guys as much anymore. But Nico, fire them up.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I'm with you. There's some fantasy football up and down
for you for Week one. We will have more fantasy
conversation as the week rolls along. But Matt, what do
you say we get into some power rankings Little Tuesday
power rankings when we return here, we'll go over those.
Give some thoughts. You start at thirty two and work
your way to one.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Do it.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It's the Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
About Drive on your twenty four We're seven, home of
the Black and Goals, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Week one in the books across the National Football League
after last night's crazy one in Chicago. We will discuss
that before we get out of here, little Monday night
football recap, before we are finished with this second hour
of the Drive. But Matt, now, with all the Week
one results in the books, we do have just one,
(15:32):
but we have some data points. Now for all these teams,
you're gonna roll through some power rankings. Yeah, sure, from
NFL dot Com. Number thirty two the New Orleans Saints.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
So I'm gonna be honest. I mean, I'm not saying
they shouldn't be thirty two, but every on the planet
had the Saints and Browns thirty one, thirty two, thirty two,
thirty one wherever, And I'm not saying that they shouldn't
be there. But I thought both teams played way better
than I expected in Week one, and Rattler was not terrible.
(16:03):
I mean, they played the Cardinals hard, and I don't
know that Like if you said who's you get the
first pick in the draft. You can have the Browns
and Saints or the field field.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I think I take the field Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah. I mean there's some teams that are not looking
so good right now, you know so, and before I
probably would have taken those two. You know, you can
have the other thirty give me those two. And I
don't want to overreact, but they were pretty respectable.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I agree. I was surprised to see them at thirty two. Yeah. Yeah,
I thought Carolina had a worse performance. I thought Miami
certainly had a worse performance.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
And they were the worst two teams of Week one.
It's just how far do you want to drop.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Them in this? Like power rankings are supposed to be
a reaction. They're supposed to be hyperbolic in the moment,
not big picture. Well, okay, the Panthers looked worse than
the Saints, but we still think the Panthers are a
better team. Like, No, that's what power rankings are for
week the week move movement.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yeah, I think how good the team is this second
that I jotted on a piece of paper.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
You can't have the chief, second or third on your
list this week after they just lost their.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Opener, right, It doesn't mean they have they have to
be behind the Chargers though, either.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
It doesn't mean they have to be behind every team
that won a game, right, right, right, right. But but
you also you have to take that week to week
ebb and flow and how they just performed in their
most recent performance. Yeah, and I don't think you can
put the Saints at thirty two. I'm with you.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah, they were okay.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Carolina at thirty one. I think you could certainly have
put it third.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
It was miserable. It was miserable, young looked bad, defense
was terrible. They were pretty.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
That's about it.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
That was about the only bright spot. Glad you brought
that up.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Cleveland at number thirty.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Again, I don't think they're good, but they played pretty well.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I think you can look at it and you can
say their defense is going to be good enough to
keep them in a lot of games. Yeah, but that
their offense is going to struggle mightily.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
I'd imagine, And I think Flacco is going to be
a real roller coaster. And the O line didn't play
very well. I mean, they weren't great, but they they
were a respectable sixty minutes. They put out there.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
You know, absolutely absolutely weren't a joke. I think they
held the Cincinnati Bengals offense to seven yards in the
second I know I've said that about five times in
the last.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Two ten points or fourteen points or something for the
whole day.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Very very impressive. The New York Giants check in at
number twenty nine. We're going to see Jackson Dart this weekend.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
No, but we are going too soon, and I think
they're trying to chomping at the bit to get him
in there, which I totally understand. Russ was fine, he
wasn't the problem, but he's not the answer. O Line
was pretty miserable. I don't have a problem with him this.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Low twenty eight. Those Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Okay, now do they say where they were last week?
For whoever's last week?
Speaker 2 (18:50):
They were twenty fourth last week, so they fell four spots.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
And they had to fall. I mean, they were the
most embarrassing, non serious team out there. Lord, I was
thinking that too, like man, maybe, I mean, what do
you do? What's weird is the way I think his
contract structured is they can even trade him at the
deadline too. Yes, yes, they might.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Start I'm not saying. I'm not saying he's going to
do like Tyreek Hill type things, but.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
He could be a pretty uncomfort.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
They might get the week four, Week five and he's like.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Hey, they two or three games like that.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I don't oh, man, I don't want to be here.
This is not what I'm trying to do. Can we
can we get me moving?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I think their head coaches Hot Seed is the hottest
of any I bet in Vegas. You know, you can
always bet on first fight coach, which is pretty rude,
but anyway, I bet he's the shortest.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Odds going into the season. I would have probably had
Stefanski and Glennon from Arizona ahead of him.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Okay, Giants, I knew we're high too.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
But but right now I think you're right. I think
right now.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
It's just a miserable situation.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
It just sits in it. Man. The a lot of
the messaging in the press conferences and things since then
of not sounding out at all.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
The vibes are terrible.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Twenty seven. I don't get this. The Jets are at
twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Ooh.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
I'm not saying they should be seventeen, but I think
they should be higher than twenty seven. They were thirty
last week. They moved up three spots.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
They could crash and burn, but that version of the
Jets would have beat a lot of teams last week,
a lot of teams. I think they're really trending the
right direction. I hope it keeps up for them, because
Fields is kind of easy to root for.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah, I'm with you on that. Tennessee number twenty.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Sex say Tennessee needs to be low.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
They need to be low. Certainly some encouraging moments from
cam Ward, but yeah, Tennessee, I mean they are. They
are at the very bottom, the very start of a rebuild.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
He didn't get much help, you know. Ward was doing
a lot of stuff on his own, a lot of drops,
a lot of penalties. They gave the The Broncos though
a legit game, but Denver didn't play very well. I
would drop Denver from wherever they were at too. Nicks
had a really rough day.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Nick struggled. I thought some just some questionable decision making
by Denver and Sean Payton and there as well too.
Twenty five the New England Patriots.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Pretty underwhelming against a not great Raiders team at home.
I may be in a little harsher on them. I'd
got the Jets over the Patriots right now.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I would as well too. Yeah, yeah, I certainly would
as well. I think that that's an easy yeasy one.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Twenty four up four spots after their big dominating win.
It's the Indianapolis Colts.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Okay, I'm looking to overreact to them. I don't think
they're all of a sudden gon to win double digit games,
no anything.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I think that's about right for them.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah, yeah, you got to move them up. They dominated
a football team, so yes, but let's see it again.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, and I don't think like I. You know, if
they go out and lose next week, I wouldn't drop
them a bunch of spots. I think that's I think
that's about right for the pretty even Stephen twenty three.
You just mentioned them, those Las Vegas Raiders up two
spots after winning a New England.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
You know, it was really good, your boy.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
He was the one hundred and sixty two yards.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
It was a good article on ESPN talking about all
the quarterbacks their first start with new team, and they
ranked him one, Rogers two field three. I got a
problem with that. You know, they all three of them
are really successful with their new teams.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I almost sent you a tweet. I think it was
yesterday maybe, or maybe Sunday night. You and I often
send each other goofy things at goofy hours of the day,
and I think it was someone from the Football Outsiders
that they just tweeted out like a good litmus test
of your football knowledge, is what you think of Gino Smith?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that's a great way of
looking at it. Right. Oh, he.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
He's a bump. Yeah, yeah, right now, if you think
he's the best quarterback in the world, obviously goes the
other way too, but he is. He is in that
he is in that tier of good NFL quarter certing p.
Twenty two also one to zer and feeling good about themselves.
The Jacksonville Jaguars.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Yeah, they thumped the Panthers. That game really wasn't close.
It was pretty much over at the half.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Dallas, I haven't talked about them for a while. They've
been inactive for a few days, playing that Thursday game
in Philadelphia and following dropping that contest. Part of me
to the Eagles. Dallas comes in at twenty one.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
And they hung around with two Bowl champs pretty well.
I don't have real high hopes for them overall, but
you know, I think they'll be okay.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I think between DAK and CD, and I expect George
Pickens to have a bigger role, I think they'll be okay.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yeah, Levante Williams was better than I thought, and defense
was better than I thought.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
But they strike me as a middle of the road,
eight or nine win team.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Oh sure, don't see him a little under but yeah,
I hear you. Maybe I don't. I just believe.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
I think, Yeah, I think they've got a floor with
that offense. Number twenty the Atlanta Falcons. What'd you think
about Penix? We didn't didn't talk about him much in
these past two.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Yeah, he's really growing on me. I mean, he wasn't
tremendous or anything. I mean they London was banged up,
and they're trying to get him the football a bunch
and I need to watch more Bucks Falcons probably tonight
I'll throw it on or whatever too. But I think
they're real happy with him. And so that's about right
for Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Good starting point. Yeah, yeah for one. You know, despite
the loss, it is and they got a tough one though.
They gotta go Sunday night football at Minnesota the Falcons.
The Falcons do. Yeah, after they're starting zero to one,
that's always tough. Number nineteen, the team that we are
going to see next, the Seattle Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Yeah, I don't want to talk too much about them.
I love their defense, their offense has major problems.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I think it's that simple for Seattle, and I don't
I expect that to be the tune that everyone will
sing for eighteen weeks talking about that Seas team. Number
eighteen some good things last night, but still lost. The
Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Yeah, I think they're still learning. I think there are
a bunch of puppies trying to figure things out. Rode
the momentum early in home and then the water level
started even.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Out a little bit, you know, big one. Next week,
they've got the Lions. One of those teams.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Wouldn't want to love the We wouldn't love to play
the Lions after they got beat pretty bad last week.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
And if you start two in that division.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, good point two division losses, that's tough. Yeah yeah,
those division losses.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
That would be that would be that would be very
very tough to recover from. I know the if you
start oh and two, you're doomed. Isn't quite to the
same extent now that the regular season is seventeen games
and there's an extra wild card team in both conferences.
It's not the traditional thinking behind that. But you start
oh and two in your division, good luck. You're digging
yourself a big hole.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah. Right.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
The Arizona Cardinals come in at number seventeen after their
victory against those Gnawlin Saints. They they get their home
opener against the Panthers this week. They could be very
easily two and oh by the time we get Yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
I bet they will. I'm sure they're favored by five
or six as they were in New Orleans. Again, I
was kind of more impressed with the Saints than I
was impressed with the Cardinals, even though New Orleans lost.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
It's a nice start to the season for the Cardinals.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Yeah, it's a nice Saints.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Saints and Panthers. That's a nice one too. Number sixteen
right in the middle the Pittsburgh Steelers. Okay, so that
at NFL dot Com says they are fortunate to have
won on.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I think there's some truth to that. I mean, you
hit a sixty yard field goal, I mean, and there's
an art to some of these things too. I said
this a couple of times. I thought, on a play
by play basis that New York was the better team.
But that doesn't mean you're better at winning football games
the way you have to win football games in this
league and make big plays when it matters most, and
(26:31):
have your best players the Ramseys and Boswell's and Rogers
come through in the clutch, you know, they're something said
for that.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
San Francisco at number fifteen, I don't, I don't know.
It's a little rich. It's a little rich for me.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I know they're not in a great spot right now,
you know, injuries and whatnot. Their defense played better than
I expected, But is that the Seattle's being bad? That's offense, you.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Know, you know, and got some big injuries as you mentioned. Yeah,
that Seahawks d defense is good. But I don't think.
I don't think they, you know, went on the road
and beat some great team Week one. It's fifteen. It's
not like they're right eleven, probably the Steelers. I think
I have the Steelers over the Niners as well too.
Number fourteen, the Houston Texans, a you know, surprising lackluster
(27:19):
effort out in LA to start the season. But it's
just one game. I think they're still the clear cut
division favorites. Yes, I think fourteen's about right for them
after Sunday.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Yeah, I expected more, but I also expected that to
be a low defensive minded game, which it was. Their
defense is still really good. The line thing, I don't
know is anything close to being fixed.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I don't It's been an issue for them.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Yeah, it's a big problem.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Since I was in high school. Number thirteen the LA Chargers.
I thought they might be a little bit higher.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yeah, that was a propressive performance. Herbert was phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Great.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
I would have bumped them more.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I think I would have two, especially considering right in
front of them. Number twelve the Cincinnati Bank.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
I think you have to put the Chargers over the
Benk I think now.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I think you do as well too. Yeah, I think
you do as well too.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
And the quarterbacks are at least comparable. It's one of
the few teams that can at least hang with Cincinnati
quarterback wise. You know.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Number eleven the Minnesota Vikings. What a roller coaster for
JJ McCarthy and his debut last night.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
I thought he was really overwhelmed early on, and that
was a tough environment. I mean Chicago.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Yeah, we'll talk about that a little more specifically to
skip those in the next segment, number ten, the Los
Angeles Rams. After the defense held the Texans to just
two hundred and sixty five yards.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Stafford played really well, so I mean that my big
concern with them is his houses back. I was getting
hold up, but I don't think you can go down
that road for this exercise. He played great and he's
out there, so you treat him like any other quarterback.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think you'll get a kick out of this in
some of the drive listeners as well too. I wanted
to make sure to laugh about this real quick with you.
You know my pension for messing up first names, right,
I called Sky with Thompson Tristan Thompson a couple of times,
like a hard times, No, A couple of times all right,
like four or five during training camp.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Kobe Durant, who obviously made that huge play for the
Rams against Houston, the defensive back. Oh, okay, Kobe Durant, this.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Is screaming NBA problem when we were.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Out when we were out there two years ago. I
think it was. It was mean. Billy Hillgrove was still
the voice of the Steelers, and he called him Kobe
Bryant and Kevin Durant two separate times throughout the game.
That's great Kobe Durant. Though important, important interception in that
one for the Rams. Number nine, Uh, not impressive. Still
get a victory. Still find a way to get it done.
(29:39):
I think this is maybe about right for them. The
Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Yeah, the Knick stuff started to worry me a little bit.
That kind of like how Stroud took a step backwards
after his rookie year, or at least had a harder
go of it. I'm a little worried about Nicks. You
know that that was not a good performance by him.
But one game, let's let's tap the brakes a little.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
And he's certainly got the head coach that you would wan.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Yeah, and they got great defense.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Get him back in the groove. Number eight. The Detroit
Lions dropping three spots after that loss to the Packers.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Yeah, I'm a little concerned that the windows closing, but
the window's still open.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I think the windows still open for them to be
a really good team. Yeah, maybe wins the division and
goes to the playoffs, but I certainly don't think that
window looks as open as it did for a Super Bowl.
No great, agreed, but it is also only Week one.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yeah, they had a tough game too, a really tough
place to play.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Number seven, up one spot after their divisional victory over
the Giants. It's the Washington Commanders.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Defense played pretty well, but they didn't play a juggernaut.
Offensive line did a really nice job against Abdel Carter
and Lawrence more than I expected. Daniels looks like the
same guy, give or take. So that might be a
little high for me. But I'm not totally sold on
the team. But they had a nice performance. They ran
the ball well.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Number six into the playoffs for the last five years.
Starting off strong again the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They're up
one spot this week.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Yeah, and they'd overcome some things like they took Graham
Barton the center, put him at tackle, and you I
mean like they they moved some things around to get
that win. The credit.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Yeah, that was an interesting one with Graham Barton.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah, right, he was a tackle of Duke that they
made a center and they.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Were played I think all five positions at some point
in his career at k but he was a tackle
towards the end of his duke career. They drafted him
as a center. But he has some nice UH position flexibility,
Like I remember Alan Fanica kicking out the tackle the time.
But a center kicking out the tackle, that's not something
that's not something you see every day. Although he's built
like a tackle. Yes, he is at the center position.
(31:37):
UH number five after they're lost to the Chargers, the
Kansas City Chiefs, I think this is about fine.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't put him in the upper tier.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
No, maybe I would have him at six or seven. Five,
But I think this is about right.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
I mean, they're probably favored if they played the Bucks
right now.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
You know who they play, though, the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Another Sunday Nights night, because.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I think Sunday Night is Minnesota and Chicago.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
I want to say the schedule usually to like Thursday, but.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
That's a man, that's a If the Chiefs start zero
and two, it is the four to thirty National Game
on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Important note, Okay, I wonder if they're favoriting in that game.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
They they also have the Ravens coming to town in
a couple of weeks. Like, man, they've they've got a
they've got a bit of a bit of a start,
tough start here to their schedule. I'm trying to find
a Chiefs are one and a half point favorites.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I would think at home, slight.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Favorite at home in the Super Bowl rematch.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
They don't lose back to back games very often. It's
funny you brought up the Ravens. We have not mentioned
them yet. They must be in the top three somewhere.
Of course, I would have been harsher on the Chiefs
losing to the Chargers and the Ravens losing to the Bills, though, Okay, yeah,
I mean I just think that Bill's Ravens game was
a tie.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
To me.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Yeah, I mean it was a blast. And the Ravens
have this terrible Bill to lose close games.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
You just love the Ravens. Man, I'm starting to pick
this up. I'm starting to pick up what you're putting
down here.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
But I would not have dinged the Ravens heavy for
that loss. I mean, they gaither way a game a
little bit, and that's a trend under Harbaugh.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
But they also played a true road game whereas and
the Chargers was a neutral game.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Good point that was in Brazil.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Yeah, number four on this list. I know that my
co host Matt Williamson was high on this team coming
into the season. I'm sure he's even more on the bandwagon.
Now up two spots the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
They played like maybe they should be one. I mean,
I'm not sure anybody was more impressive against the high
quality opponents.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
We'll do our inaugural Best of the West rankings tomorrow
where I give you my top ten teams in the NFL.
I'm gonna tell you this right now. They will be
higher than four.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
I get it. That was a real impressive performance.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Number three Matt's favorite team, the Baltimore Ravens.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Sure, I get it. You have to put the Bells
ahead of them.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah, we have to absolutely neck to begin with. That
was a one spot drop for Baltimore. You know, not
not the end of the world. Number two is the
Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Fine, I got no problem with the Eagles ahead of them.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
And then number one, the defending Super Bowl champion one
to zero the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Okay, yeah, the top five or so need to be
the top five.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I agree, I agree, might have a slightly different order.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Yeah, me too, But I think to top five are all.
It was the Chief number five, Chiefs for number five,
I thought they were noticed. Tho. Those fives are better
than like the Bucks at six, you know. And I'm
not sure the Chiefs are in contention to be number one.
I'm not saying that, but they should be pretty high.
You know, there's some respect factor there too.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
As much as these power rankings are a week to
week thing, they certainly deserve to get a little benefit
of the doubt, right.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
I don't think they're going to go three and fourteen.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Correct, even if they lose the Eagles to start zero
to two, I still don't think it is. It's far
from the Skies falling in Kansas City. Let's get to
our final break. When we come back on the other side,
I do want to talk a little little bit more
with Matt about that Monday night football game last night. Yeah,
interesting what we saw from two young quarterbacks, a Vikings
performance that you know, really I think turned some heads
(35:12):
and you know, this team is dangerous once again this year.
Let's talk about all that as we close down the show.
On the other side, West Wheeler Matt Williams, and it
is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
And Goal, Steelers Nation Radio. Closing down the Drive here
on a Tuesday, and we will do so with some
(35:57):
thoughts on that first Monday night football game of the season,
of course, last night at Soldier Field in Chicago, an
early important NFC North clash between the Vikings and the Bears,
a back and forth one matt ends up twenty seven
to twenty four Minnesota as the Vikings score twenty one
(36:18):
fourth quarter points to win in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Fun game, and I gotta get the Vikings credit. I mean,
they walked into a firestorm, you know, a Monday night,
lubed up Chicago crowd, super psyched about their head coach.
First overall, Pick is gonna be the best quarterback in
Bears history. And they started beating up on the Vikes
pretty good. And I thought McCarthy was in wighing over
(36:43):
his head and swimming, But I also had a lot
of faith in Flores and O'Connell to let's well, it's
a long time, long game, yeah, and the Bears could
have went up even heavier, you know, like they had
him on the ropes and they didn't fin even after
that pick six. I'm like this, his score should be
(37:03):
more lopsided than it is. But if I'm a Bears fan,
I think I still come away with a good taste
in my mouth. That Williams looked much better than he
did as a rookie. And yes, he's holding the ball
too long, but he was eluding people and making plays,
and the offense was much crisper, many more outlets for
(37:25):
him to get out of trouble, a lot of receivers
doing well. Defense looked okay, but I think the better
team eventually won. And it was a twelve I used
a boxing mat reference. It was a fifteen round fight,
and tide started turning by about round ten or so,
and You're like, okay, and Jefferson's getting more involved, McCarthy's
getting more you know, comfortable, and that's his first start
(37:49):
to I mean, Williams had played a whole year before McCarthy,
even though in the same draft class. And it's funny.
I was texting my buds, and you know, I got
several Michigan alum in my group, and it was like, man,
your guy is looking terrible and you know, making fun
of the Michigan stuff, and they're like, yeah, but he
usually finds a way and like, I know this isn't NCAA,
(38:12):
but that's kind of what he did at Michigan too,
Like it was always pretty sometimes you throw the ball
ten times, fifteen times, but it was all said and done.
He often finds a way to get the w you know, yeah,
and see, but it was, you know, he righted the ship.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
He did, he did, and it was it was an
interesting kind of juxtaposition I think there because I think
at the start of the game, first half of the game,
people are like, wow, Caleb Williams looks like he's making plays,
looks like.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
He's settled in, looks like the first overall PA, looks
like the first overall. Yeah, he's singing it.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
You're talking about group chat with your buddies. I've got
one with with my buddies, and we've got a friend
in there who is big hockey guy, casual football fans
ok ok. And he was like everyone's been calling Caleb
Williams a bust, Like what's everyone talking about? He looks great,
he's got this rocket arm and we're like, he's right,
just give it. I said to him, I used your line.
(39:06):
I said, you know, like my my new co host
now Matt Williamson likes to say he likes to take sex.
He loves it, he loves to take sex.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Yeah, he was better about it. I mean there was
times he was running around behind the line of scrimmage
is longer than I would like.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
But I think for in this this can obviously be
too much of a simplification. But for Chicago new regime,
new era, it's about. This year is about figuring out
if Kayleb Williams is the guy or not.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
Yeah, do I have a coaching quarterback? Forget everything the
answers yes, then it's a successful.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
Year, no matter how many games you won, no matter
how many games you lost. If the answer is yes,
it's a successful year.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
And that's a valuable learning experience.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Last night, even if it's a definitive no, at least
you know, I don't think it's you don't call it
a successful year, but it's you need you need to
have a definitive answer.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Last night was a lean towards a lean towards yes.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Yea.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
I was about to do the whole preface it with
a it's one data point out of seventeen, like, you know,
but I think you should be a little more encouraged
about Caleb Williams. Not to the level of maybe, like
we talked about with the Justin Fields, to continue to
talk about Chicago Bears quarterbacks here, but I think I
think it was an encouraging performance from from Caleb Williams. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
And if I'm a Bears fan, and if I'm wise
enough to look at it through the lens of do
we have a coach, do we have a quarterback? I
think the answer is yes. On Monday morning, tough loss,
you know, you probably should put that team away at home.
But the Vikings are better than you right now.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
They didn't win what fourteen games last year? Yeah, yeah,
but you're right, you're kind of boxing analogy. There was
on the money, there was a couple of times the
Bears had them on the ropes and they just needed
to land one more body shot or one jab to
the jaw to knock them out.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
And they just couldn't quite do it.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
And that that you know, in the National Football League,
the game of inches.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
You let these guys stick around.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
A team like the Vikings that you got to bury
them when you can. Absolutely, you have to bury everybody
when you can, but especially those type of teams that
are winning double digit games going to the playoffs. Knows what.
Minnesota very good in one score games last year.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
I bet the Jets are looking the same way, like
we couldn't put the Steelers away.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Yeah right right, yeah, we're up nine late in the
second quarter, opportunity, we're certainly on the ropes, and then
we give them the ball back on special teams, flip
the field, make it easy.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
For him to Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
To Eric bleeping Rogers, what are we doing? You know, hey,
he is still even at age forty one, A bad man,
that Aaron Rodgers. Matt good stuff today. I enjoyed this
show today thought we uh, let's we covered a bunch
of different bases and I enjoyed that. And we will
certainly do it again tomorrow for our video producer TV
(41:48):
and for the best co host in the business, the
Mario Lemieux of NFL Broadcasting in this town. If I will,
Matt Williamson, unless Yueler, take care everybody, We'll talk to
you tomorrow. As always, you know where to find us
it's on your twenty four seven home of the Black
and Gold at Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio
Network
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Back on the drive here our number two on a Tuesday,
and that's gonna mean some things around these parts, namely,
it's time for a little fantasy football focus. All right,
Matt Week one in the books, what do you say
we go through some some winners, some losers of the
Week one fantasy slate here Number one feels like you
(00:50):
gotta talk about a Mecca Abuka pretty quickly in this
in this conversation, he had the most points by a
wide receiver fantasy points in his first career NFL game
since Hollywood Brown in twenty nineteen. Wow, including that game
winning touchdown with just about a minute left.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, and I'll be honest his we won't talk about
like preseason ADPs and things like that much longer, but
it's relevant with only one game in the books. It
starts shooting up and shooting up and shooting up, and
you had to use a higher pick every time to
get them, and I kept moving them up my list
at a rapid rate. People that saw him at joint
practice year, we saw him, you know, in acta sure
(01:31):
live all the reports, Godwin being out, McMillan gets hurt
against the Steelers too. It's a good offense. Mayfield played
quite well in this game too, him and Evans getting
all the targets they don't want to throw the tight ends.
Those are all check marks in his favor. And rookie
receivers are not a bad investment. And he's way ahead
of the curve.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh, he absolutely isn't.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Every year there's some of those sleeper guys that they
get taken really high some drafts, not as as you
expect in some and it can end up sometimes working
out really well, sometimes biting you in the butt. This
seems like one that is gonna gonna work out really well. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I think you're gonna be real happy no matter where
you got him. I wish I would have got him
more in drafts because I tried.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
To absolutely, and I mean especially with Godwin sidelined, I
mean he is, He's gonna have a big role.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
I think those Ohio State receivers have translated pretty well
to the league too, And got one coming here next week.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, second on this list, we do. And we just
saw one as well too. I who finds himself on
this list and Garrett Wilson. Garrett Wilson and Justin Fields
both listed here on ESPN Fantasy as winners. I mean
that's I think what everybody thought was going to be
tough sledding, a slow day, a slog for the Jets
(02:45):
offense was anything but.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Anything but anything but I mean, he got well start
with Fields. The Fields played the best game of his career.
Read something today, I don't know who even wrote it,
but it was just really well phrased that Fields made
strides as a fantasy related as a stealer, He's gotten
better every year, and he got better as a Steeler,
(03:09):
but in an offense designed for Russell Wilson, not him.
This Jets offense is designed for Fields, you know. And
the Steelers didn't want to run him a ton, especially
when Wilson was hurt. But this team is going to
run him a ton. And I think people might have
even been shocked how fast he gets to the edge.
I mean, he out runs Watt to the edge and
big time players defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
There was a couple there was a couple of times
Patrick Queen read it perfectly, yeah and can't get it
and still and still was it even within two yards
of him, right, he couldn't have read it better and
reacted better. And he was still when he wasn't even
within two yards of them.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
It's like Lamar Vick stuff, you know, like you know
he's fast, but then you're on the field with him, like, whoa,
this is a different cat and Fields is definitely that
and most and that's not the most startling thing in
the world. But he was great from the pocket, yeah,
I mean just within the confines of the pocket, throwing
accurate balls. I watched a lot of Field stuff this morning,
can tell you know, tight window stuff, ball coming out
(04:05):
on time. I mean, I'm happy for him. I mean
it's it's really good. And a lot of people shied
away from Wilson because super low volume. Everyone's gonna he's
gonna get quadruple covered. Fields is a very good quarterback.
Sometimes Wilson's just a great player, you know. And he
showed up in a big way in this game too. Yeah,
(04:25):
I would do Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Those two again, Jets have.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Some building blocks. I mean they aren't fancy related. I
was really impressed with eight to ten Jets players one week.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
One data point. You got it. Nothing is proven, nothing
is solved, nothing is concrete. Certainly after one game. Yeah,
I think you and I talked about this a little
bit yesterday. There's no like moral victories in the NFL.
You only have seventeen games. You gotta win. But if
I were a Jets fan, I think I'd be feeling
about as good as you could after a You.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Feel better about my team after the game than before.
Brownies could even say that too. I think the Browns
could say.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That too, certainly, certainly, But for the Jets, I don't
think it's even particularly close.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I think this is, you know, steeler note, but you know,
a post game note. The Jets are going to have
an O line. Membo and for Shanu are big time dudes.
And Tipman was really good at guards, really good at center.
I mean, yeah, they're gonna have an NO line.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
They sure are. Your boy, Membo good could start for him,
certainly finding himself on this list of winners as well
to Matt and I mean, man, I don't think anybody
saw this coming. How about the Sunday that Daniel Jones had.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yes, now, we kind of did a segment on this
just stock up, stock down teams today on Peacock and
Williamson and the easiest stock down team on the planet,
the Dolphins. I mean, that's a disaster. And then I
even mentioned I'm like, Carolina is so happy that Miami
exists because everyone's because they were the second most diss
(05:53):
So I don't know to overreact. What I think how
I phrased it today was a lot of these things.
Was you know, was this team bad or is this
team good? It's yeah, it's forty five to fifty five,
it's fifty to fifty. But in this one, I'm like,
I'm pretty sure that was eighty percent the Dolphins being horrible.
So I'm not ready to be like, oh, the cults
are gonna win eleven games Daniel. But Daniel Jones, it
(06:16):
is a fantasy segment. Like Fields has been way more
fantasy relevant than he has been on the field.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
He don't because he runs. He runs, running touchdowns, rushing
touchdown really good.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Right, Like, if you're starting Daniel Jones, he's probably not
in a lot of leagues. He's startable because he runs.
I can't stress that enough. I mean, if he gets
benched and Richardson takes over, start him, He's gonna run.
That's all the matters. He's not gonna complete zero passes.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I think he will be uh, you know, for for
a guy that was well, let's see, was available in
ninety five percent of ESPN leagues, right, right, right, I
think that number is gonna be much different though heading
into the much certainly.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Like you're starting him way over Tua. It never runs
at all, absolutely right, right, absolutely. I mean as great
as Rogers was, I mean, as great as Rogers was,
you start him over Rogers. He's not gonna throw four
touchdowns every week. It's just the nature of the game
you're playing. It's fantacy football. It's not real football.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
And you had that, Like you and I were texting
last night. I was shocked that Pro Football Focus had
Aaron Rodgers ranked with the twenty second of the twenty
fourth best warback. I don't agree with and you, like,
I don't agree with it. But they also ding quarterbacks
that don't run. Yeah, but then Matthew Stafford was number
one on their list.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Buzzy. I didn't study it too hard. Yeah, I didn't
approve of that list.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Again, it's it's a it's a resource. It is it is.
I think you and I are pretty level headed on
Pro Football Focus we it's certainly a resource, but not
everything they say is gospel at the same time, and
we don't have to act like it is, and.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I forget what it is. I cut and pasted and
quoted something from them on this morning that was still
related I thought was really good, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
So you know, another quarterback on this list was Aaron Rodgers.
They are saying, they are saying he is now an
extremely viable number two two quarterback options for two quarterback
and super flex leagues.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Agreed, But I think this is a much different test
this week because, as we talked about an hour one,
obviously in hindsight, a major game plan was throw at
every defensive back not named Sauce. Well, you're not going
to do that this week because all their defensive backs
are good. They may not have a Sauce Witherspoon's really
good because mostly a slot. They don't have a weak
(08:27):
spot in their secondary. So does that mean that the
past percentage will go down? I'm sure four touchdowns is
not the norm, and one of which I'm not taking
away from Aaron Rodgers, but it bugs me to no end.
This is mahomes thing too. The pitch thing is not
really a touchdown pass folks in the real world. I
don't know why the NFL calls with that.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
That's just you know what, well, you know where that
kind of started and became the original. Is this Is
this a jet sweep? Is this a past? It's Gino
Smith and Tavon Austin say, is this WU two thousand
and nine. Do you remember Dana Holgerson, He was like
the hot, upstart offensive coordinator, became the w head coach
and Austin perfect for that, and Tavon Austin was perfect
(09:08):
for it and had seven hundred yards against Clemson and
the Orange Bowl using that play, and the next year
it was in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Okay, it just shocks me they call it a pass.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
That that was the that whole thing, that whole year
there was.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
That Geno must have threw a million touchdown passes.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
He had a game against Baylor Matt we scored seventy points.
This was my this was my this was my senior
year of coin.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
You're a student, Okay, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Forty six of fifty one Gino was for eight touchdowns
and six hundred and fifty six yards and not all
of that, obviously, but a few of those were one
of those little pop passes.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
That we got to complete.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Tavon Austin took forty sixty seventy yards to the house,
and it was like a lot of people started looking
at that and going, hmm, there's something there.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Yeah. I had no problem using it fifteen years ago
for fantasy. It drives me crazy that that's a touchdown
pass homes I was like twelve him in his career.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
I could certainly see why why that? Why that would
be okay? Another name on this list. Good to see
him back doing the things that we expect him.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
To real quickly. I wouldn't go running to the waiver
wire to get Rogers yet, Like, I'm not starting him
next week. There's no way he's a top twelve guy
for me yet if one, because he's have zero rushing.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
That's that's the thing I think, if you're really desperate
for a backup. Yeah, different conversation at this point, but
let's let's see it. Let's see it one more week.
Another guy who we have to talk about here, Matt
as A as a winner. Good to see him back
doing his thing in healthy Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yes, and wow, I mean we talk a lot of
Niners on our podcast, and now Jennings has banged up,
Kittle's going to ir he's banged up. The workload's going
to be nuts. And I forget what my co host,
who hosts Locked on forty nine or said, but something
like and it's it's obviously it's a one, one game thing.
(10:56):
But he's like he's on pace for like six hundred
touches this year. Well that's all you need to know.
I mean, he's running back one right now. Yes, just
because the workload is gonna be insane, does he hold up?
I don't know, it doesn't matter, but if he touches
the ball thirty five times, he's gonna score a million
fantasy points.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I did want to run a couple of these fantasy
football arrows down after Week one for you. Where are
you out on Joe Burrow?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
I'm not worried too good at a football player. I
don't think the Browns have this miraculous I think the
Browns defense played really well. I thought they out coached
the Bengals to some degree. Bengals are slow starters. I
don't want to give that too much of an excuse,
but Burrow's gonna throw the ball and throw the ball well.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Seven yards in the second half. So it's still insane
to me.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
That's still insane to me. But like I'm not selling
Chase or Burrow, true, I just know they're good at football.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
They could have run the push push every play in
the second half and gotten more than seven yards, right,
That's incredible. Also listed as a arrow down all playmakers
on the Detroit Lions offense. I don't know if I'm
that's a lot.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
That's a big leap. I mean, those guys are pretty good.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
To say that they aren't going to produce on offense
quite like they did the last couple of years, I
might buy into maybe, but I also don't think like
it's going to look like it did at lambeau Field
for the next sixteen guys.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
They walked into a Hornets nest that just traded for
Micah Parsons, and I know Ben Johnson isn't there anymore.
And frankly this is a side note, but I mean
they obviously lost a good coordinator that went to the
Jets as well, you know, I mean I was really
impressed with the way the Jets were coached. I mean,
that's gonna have ramifications just on the Lions overall, but
(12:36):
I'm still starting online. Ross ain't Brown and Gibbs and
you know, right right right.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
One hundred one hundred hundred percent and a heck of
a catch by by Isaac Tesla.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
He's not quite fantasy relevant yet.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Not yet. He might be a who yeah by week four,
week five, week six, if you need a wide receiver,
he has his feet wet.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
He oh, he's their number three.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
He's there, he's their number three and solid preseason and
solid start to his NFL career. A trio of wide
receivers listed as arrow down, AJ Brown, Tyreek Hill, Nico Collins.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Tyreek worries me to no end because he might. He
reminds me of end of career ab starting to lose
his mind a little bit without a Tomlin to keep
him under wraps. And vibes in Miami are horrendous. I
think A Chan's really the only guy I'm comfortable with
because they'll still dump it.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
To him, and you know, you gotta run the football.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
They don't run the football. So Miami scares me. You
knew this when you when you when you drafted AJ
Brown the second or third round, you have to know
that there's two or three games a year where they
just run like crazy and go elsewhere. It just happened
to get one a week one, you know. Yeah, get
over it, Nico. If he's stock dropped a penny, I'm
(13:58):
buying at that price. I think he's a under superstar there.
Our line was a problem, but Nico will be absolutely fine.
I'll put my reputation on it.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
I think you will too. Houston feels like one of
those teams that started slow a little bit lately, Yeah,
and then started to figure it out. It was, It
certainly was, but I'm not betting on that being the
norm for as talented as that team is and what
they have at quarterback and with some of their playmakers.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Like I'm not interested in like Higgins and Noel and
those guys as much anymore. But Nico, fire them up.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I'm with you. There's some fantasy football up and down
for you for Week one. We will have more fantasy
conversation as the week rolls along. But Matt, what do
you say we get into some power rankings Little Tuesday
power rankings when we return here, we'll go over those.
Give some thoughts. You start at thirty two and work
your way to one.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Do it.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It's the Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
About Drive on your twenty four We're seven, home of
the Black and Goals, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Week one in the books across the National Football League
after last night's crazy one in Chicago. We will discuss
that before we get out of here, little Monday night
football recap, before we are finished with this second hour
of the Drive. But Matt, now, with all the Week
one results in the books, we do have just one,
(15:32):
but we have some data points. Now for all these teams,
you're gonna roll through some power rankings. Yeah, sure, from
NFL dot Com. Number thirty two the New Orleans Saints.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
So I'm gonna be honest. I mean, I'm not saying
they shouldn't be thirty two, but every on the planet
had the Saints and Browns thirty one, thirty two, thirty two,
thirty one wherever, And I'm not saying that they shouldn't
be there. But I thought both teams played way better
than I expected in Week one, and Rattler was not terrible.
(16:03):
I mean, they played the Cardinals hard, and I don't
know that Like if you said who's you get the
first pick in the draft. You can have the Browns
and Saints or the field field.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I think I take the field Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah. I mean there's some teams that are not looking
so good right now, you know so, and before I
probably would have taken those two. You know, you can
have the other thirty give me those two. And I
don't want to overreact, but they were pretty respectable.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I agree. I was surprised to see them at thirty two. Yeah. Yeah,
I thought Carolina had a worse performance. I thought Miami
certainly had a worse performance.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
And they were the worst two teams of Week one.
It's just how far do you want to drop.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Them in this? Like power rankings are supposed to be
a reaction. They're supposed to be hyperbolic in the moment,
not big picture. Well, okay, the Panthers looked worse than
the Saints, but we still think the Panthers are a
better team. Like, No, that's what power rankings are for
week the week move movement.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yeah, I think how good the team is this second
that I jotted on a piece of paper.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
You can't have the chief, second or third on your
list this week after they just lost their.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Opener, right, It doesn't mean they have they have to
be behind the Chargers though, either.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
It doesn't mean they have to be behind every team
that won a game, right, right, right, right. But but
you also you have to take that week to week
ebb and flow and how they just performed in their
most recent performance. Yeah, and I don't think you can
put the Saints at thirty two. I'm with you.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah, they were okay.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Carolina at thirty one. I think you could certainly have
put it third.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
It was miserable. It was miserable, young looked bad, defense
was terrible. They were pretty.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
That's about it.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
That was about the only bright spot. Glad you brought
that up.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Cleveland at number thirty.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Again, I don't think they're good, but they played pretty well.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I think you can look at it and you can
say their defense is going to be good enough to
keep them in a lot of games. Yeah, but that
their offense is going to struggle mightily.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
I'd imagine, And I think Flacco is going to be
a real roller coaster. And the O line didn't play
very well. I mean, they weren't great, but they they
were a respectable sixty minutes. They put out there.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
You know, absolutely absolutely weren't a joke. I think they
held the Cincinnati Bengals offense to seven yards in the
second I know I've said that about five times in
the last.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Two ten points or fourteen points or something for the
whole day.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Very very impressive. The New York Giants check in at
number twenty nine. We're going to see Jackson Dart this weekend.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
No, but we are going too soon, and I think
they're trying to chomping at the bit to get him
in there, which I totally understand. Russ was fine, he
wasn't the problem, but he's not the answer. O Line
was pretty miserable. I don't have a problem with him this.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Low twenty eight. Those Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Okay, now do they say where they were last week?
For whoever's last week?
Speaker 2 (18:50):
They were twenty fourth last week, so they fell four spots.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
And they had to fall. I mean, they were the
most embarrassing, non serious team out there. Lord, I was
thinking that too, like man, maybe, I mean, what do
you do? What's weird is the way I think his
contract structured is they can even trade him at the
deadline too. Yes, yes, they might.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Start I'm not saying. I'm not saying he's going to
do like Tyreek Hill type things, but.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
He could be a pretty uncomfort.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
They might get the week four, Week five and he's like.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Hey, they two or three games like that.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I don't oh, man, I don't want to be here.
This is not what I'm trying to do. Can we
can we get me moving?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I think their head coaches Hot Seed is the hottest
of any I bet in Vegas. You know, you can
always bet on first fight coach, which is pretty rude,
but anyway, I bet he's the shortest.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Odds going into the season. I would have probably had
Stefanski and Glennon from Arizona ahead of him.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Okay, Giants, I knew we're high too.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
But but right now I think you're right. I think
right now.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
It's just a miserable situation.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
It just sits in it. Man. The a lot of
the messaging in the press conferences and things since then
of not sounding out at all.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
The vibes are terrible.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Twenty seven. I don't get this. The Jets are at
twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Ooh.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
I'm not saying they should be seventeen, but I think
they should be higher than twenty seven. They were thirty
last week. They moved up three spots.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
They could crash and burn, but that version of the
Jets would have beat a lot of teams last week,
a lot of teams. I think they're really trending the
right direction. I hope it keeps up for them, because
Fields is kind of easy to root for.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah, I'm with you on that. Tennessee number twenty.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Sex say Tennessee needs to be low.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
They need to be low. Certainly some encouraging moments from
cam Ward, but yeah, Tennessee, I mean they are. They
are at the very bottom, the very start of a rebuild.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
He didn't get much help, you know. Ward was doing
a lot of stuff on his own, a lot of drops,
a lot of penalties. They gave the The Broncos though
a legit game, but Denver didn't play very well. I
would drop Denver from wherever they were at too. Nicks
had a really rough day.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Nick struggled. I thought some just some questionable decision making
by Denver and Sean Payton and there as well too.
Twenty five the New England Patriots.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Pretty underwhelming against a not great Raiders team at home.
I may be in a little harsher on them. I'd
got the Jets over the Patriots right now.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I would as well too. Yeah, yeah, I certainly would
as well. I think that that's an easy yeasy one.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Twenty four up four spots after their big dominating win.
It's the Indianapolis Colts.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Okay, I'm looking to overreact to them. I don't think
they're all of a sudden gon to win double digit games,
no anything.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I think that's about right for them.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah, yeah, you got to move them up. They dominated
a football team, so yes, but let's see it again.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, and I don't think like I. You know, if
they go out and lose next week, I wouldn't drop
them a bunch of spots. I think that's I think
that's about right for the pretty even Stephen twenty three.
You just mentioned them, those Las Vegas Raiders up two
spots after winning a New England.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
You know, it was really good, your boy.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
He was the one hundred and sixty two yards.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
It was a good article on ESPN talking about all
the quarterbacks their first start with new team, and they
ranked him one, Rogers two field three. I got a
problem with that. You know, they all three of them
are really successful with their new teams.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I almost sent you a tweet. I think it was
yesterday maybe, or maybe Sunday night. You and I often
send each other goofy things at goofy hours of the day,
and I think it was someone from the Football Outsiders
that they just tweeted out like a good litmus test
of your football knowledge, is what you think of Gino Smith?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that's a great way of
looking at it. Right. Oh, he.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
He's a bump. Yeah, yeah, right now, if you think
he's the best quarterback in the world, obviously goes the
other way too, but he is. He is in that
he is in that tier of good NFL quarter certing p.
Twenty two also one to zer and feeling good about themselves.
The Jacksonville Jaguars.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Yeah, they thumped the Panthers. That game really wasn't close.
It was pretty much over at the half.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Dallas, I haven't talked about them for a while. They've
been inactive for a few days, playing that Thursday game
in Philadelphia and following dropping that contest. Part of me
to the Eagles. Dallas comes in at twenty one.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
And they hung around with two Bowl champs pretty well.
I don't have real high hopes for them overall, but
you know, I think they'll be okay.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I think between DAK and CD, and I expect George
Pickens to have a bigger role, I think they'll be okay.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yeah, Levante Williams was better than I thought, and defense
was better than I thought.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
But they strike me as a middle of the road,
eight or nine win team.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Oh sure, don't see him a little under but yeah,
I hear you. Maybe I don't. I just believe.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
I think, Yeah, I think they've got a floor with
that offense. Number twenty the Atlanta Falcons. What'd you think
about Penix? We didn't didn't talk about him much in
these past two.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Yeah, he's really growing on me. I mean, he wasn't
tremendous or anything. I mean they London was banged up,
and they're trying to get him the football a bunch
and I need to watch more Bucks Falcons probably tonight
I'll throw it on or whatever too. But I think
they're real happy with him. And so that's about right
for Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Good starting point. Yeah, yeah for one. You know, despite
the loss, it is and they got a tough one though.
They gotta go Sunday night football at Minnesota the Falcons.
The Falcons do. Yeah, after they're starting zero to one,
that's always tough. Number nineteen, the team that we are
going to see next, the Seattle Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Yeah, I don't want to talk too much about them.
I love their defense, their offense has major problems.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I think it's that simple for Seattle, and I don't
I expect that to be the tune that everyone will
sing for eighteen weeks talking about that Seas team. Number
eighteen some good things last night, but still lost. The
Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Yeah, I think they're still learning. I think there are
a bunch of puppies trying to figure things out. Rode
the momentum early in home and then the water level
started even.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Out a little bit, you know, big one. Next week,
they've got the Lions. One of those teams.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Wouldn't want to love the We wouldn't love to play
the Lions after they got beat pretty bad last week.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
And if you start two in that division.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, good point two division losses, that's tough. Yeah yeah,
those division losses.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
That would be that would be that would be very
very tough to recover from. I know the if you
start oh and two, you're doomed. Isn't quite to the
same extent now that the regular season is seventeen games
and there's an extra wild card team in both conferences.
It's not the traditional thinking behind that. But you start
oh and two in your division, good luck. You're digging
yourself a big hole.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah. Right.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
The Arizona Cardinals come in at number seventeen after their
victory against those Gnawlin Saints. They they get their home
opener against the Panthers this week. They could be very
easily two and oh by the time we get Yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
I bet they will. I'm sure they're favored by five
or six as they were in New Orleans. Again, I
was kind of more impressed with the Saints than I
was impressed with the Cardinals, even though New Orleans lost.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
It's a nice start to the season for the Cardinals.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Yeah, it's a nice Saints.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Saints and Panthers. That's a nice one too. Number sixteen
right in the middle the Pittsburgh Steelers. Okay, so that
at NFL dot Com says they are fortunate to have
won on.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I think there's some truth to that. I mean, you
hit a sixty yard field goal, I mean, and there's
an art to some of these things too. I said
this a couple of times. I thought, on a play
by play basis that New York was the better team.
But that doesn't mean you're better at winning football games
the way you have to win football games in this
league and make big plays when it matters most, and
(26:31):
have your best players the Ramseys and Boswell's and Rogers
come through in the clutch, you know, they're something said
for that.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
San Francisco at number fifteen, I don't, I don't know.
It's a little rich. It's a little rich for me.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I know they're not in a great spot right now,
you know, injuries and whatnot. Their defense played better than
I expected, But is that the Seattle's being bad? That's offense, you.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Know, you know, and got some big injuries as you mentioned. Yeah,
that Seahawks d defense is good. But I don't think.
I don't think they, you know, went on the road
and beat some great team Week one. It's fifteen. It's
not like they're right eleven, probably the Steelers. I think
I have the Steelers over the Niners as well too.
Number fourteen, the Houston Texans, a you know, surprising lackluster
(27:19):
effort out in LA to start the season. But it's
just one game. I think they're still the clear cut
division favorites. Yes, I think fourteen's about right for them
after Sunday.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Yeah, I expected more, but I also expected that to
be a low defensive minded game, which it was. Their
defense is still really good. The line thing, I don't
know is anything close to being fixed.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I don't It's been an issue for them.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Yeah, it's a big problem.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Since I was in high school. Number thirteen the LA Chargers.
I thought they might be a little bit higher.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yeah, that was a propressive performance. Herbert was phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Great.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
I would have bumped them more.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I think I would have two, especially considering right in
front of them. Number twelve the Cincinnati Bank.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
I think you have to put the Chargers over the
Benk I think now.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I think you do as well too. Yeah, I think
you do as well too.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
And the quarterbacks are at least comparable. It's one of
the few teams that can at least hang with Cincinnati
quarterback wise. You know.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Number eleven the Minnesota Vikings. What a roller coaster for
JJ McCarthy and his debut last night.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
I thought he was really overwhelmed early on, and that
was a tough environment. I mean Chicago.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Yeah, we'll talk about that a little more specifically to
skip those in the next segment, number ten, the Los
Angeles Rams. After the defense held the Texans to just
two hundred and sixty five yards.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Stafford played really well, so I mean that my big
concern with them is his houses back. I was getting
hold up, but I don't think you can go down
that road for this exercise. He played great and he's
out there, so you treat him like any other quarterback.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think you'll get a kick out of this in
some of the drive listeners as well too. I wanted
to make sure to laugh about this real quick with you.
You know my pension for messing up first names, right,
I called Sky with Thompson Tristan Thompson a couple of times,
like a hard times, No, A couple of times all right,
like four or five during training camp.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Kobe Durant, who obviously made that huge play for the
Rams against Houston, the defensive back. Oh, okay, Kobe Durant, this.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Is screaming NBA problem when we were.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Out when we were out there two years ago. I
think it was. It was mean. Billy Hillgrove was still
the voice of the Steelers, and he called him Kobe
Bryant and Kevin Durant two separate times throughout the game.
That's great Kobe Durant. Though important, important interception in that
one for the Rams. Number nine, Uh, not impressive. Still
get a victory. Still find a way to get it done.
(29:39):
I think this is maybe about right for them. The
Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Yeah, the Knick stuff started to worry me a little bit.
That kind of like how Stroud took a step backwards
after his rookie year, or at least had a harder
go of it. I'm a little worried about Nicks. You
know that that was not a good performance by him.
But one game, let's let's tap the brakes a little.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
And he's certainly got the head coach that you would wan.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Yeah, and they got great defense.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Get him back in the groove. Number eight. The Detroit
Lions dropping three spots after that loss to the Packers.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Yeah, I'm a little concerned that the windows closing, but
the window's still open.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I think the windows still open for them to be
a really good team. Yeah, maybe wins the division and
goes to the playoffs, but I certainly don't think that
window looks as open as it did for a Super Bowl.
No great, agreed, but it is also only Week one.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yeah, they had a tough game too, a really tough
place to play.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Number seven, up one spot after their divisional victory over
the Giants. It's the Washington Commanders.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Defense played pretty well, but they didn't play a juggernaut.
Offensive line did a really nice job against Abdel Carter
and Lawrence more than I expected. Daniels looks like the
same guy, give or take. So that might be a
little high for me. But I'm not totally sold on
the team. But they had a nice performance. They ran
the ball well.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Number six into the playoffs for the last five years.
Starting off strong again the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They're up
one spot this week.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Yeah, and they'd overcome some things like they took Graham
Barton the center, put him at tackle, and you I
mean like they they moved some things around to get
that win. The credit.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Yeah, that was an interesting one with Graham Barton.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah, right, he was a tackle of Duke that they
made a center and they.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Were played I think all five positions at some point
in his career at k but he was a tackle
towards the end of his duke career. They drafted him
as a center. But he has some nice UH position flexibility,
Like I remember Alan Fanica kicking out the tackle the time.
But a center kicking out the tackle, that's not something
that's not something you see every day. Although he's built
like a tackle. Yes, he is at the center position.
(31:37):
UH number five after they're lost to the Chargers, the
Kansas City Chiefs, I think this is about fine.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't put him in the upper tier.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
No, maybe I would have him at six or seven. Five,
But I think this is about right.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
I mean, they're probably favored if they played the Bucks
right now.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
You know who they play, though, the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Another Sunday Nights night, because.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I think Sunday Night is Minnesota and Chicago.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
I want to say the schedule usually to like Thursday, but.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
That's a man, that's a If the Chiefs start zero
and two, it is the four to thirty National Game
on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Important note, Okay, I wonder if they're favoriting in that game.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
They they also have the Ravens coming to town in
a couple of weeks. Like, man, they've they've got a
they've got a bit of a bit of a start,
tough start here to their schedule. I'm trying to find
a Chiefs are one and a half point favorites.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I would think at home, slight.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Favorite at home in the Super Bowl rematch.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
They don't lose back to back games very often. It's
funny you brought up the Ravens. We have not mentioned
them yet. They must be in the top three somewhere.
Of course, I would have been harsher on the Chiefs
losing to the Chargers and the Ravens losing to the Bills, though, Okay, yeah,
I mean I just think that Bill's Ravens game was
a tie.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
To me.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Yeah, I mean it was a blast. And the Ravens
have this terrible Bill to lose close games.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
You just love the Ravens. Man, I'm starting to pick
this up. I'm starting to pick up what you're putting
down here.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
But I would not have dinged the Ravens heavy for
that loss. I mean, they gaither way a game a
little bit, and that's a trend under Harbaugh.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
But they also played a true road game whereas and
the Chargers was a neutral game.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Good point that was in Brazil.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Yeah, number four on this list. I know that my
co host Matt Williamson was high on this team coming
into the season. I'm sure he's even more on the bandwagon.
Now up two spots the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
They played like maybe they should be one. I mean,
I'm not sure anybody was more impressive against the high
quality opponents.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
We'll do our inaugural Best of the West rankings tomorrow
where I give you my top ten teams in the NFL.
I'm gonna tell you this right now. They will be
higher than four.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
I get it. That was a real impressive performance.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Number three Matt's favorite team, the Baltimore Ravens.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Sure, I get it. You have to put the Bells
ahead of them.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah, we have to absolutely neck to begin with. That
was a one spot drop for Baltimore. You know, not
not the end of the world. Number two is the
Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Fine, I got no problem with the Eagles ahead of them.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
And then number one, the defending Super Bowl champion one
to zero the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Okay, yeah, the top five or so need to be
the top five.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I agree, I agree, might have a slightly different order.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Yeah, me too, But I think to top five are all.
It was the Chief number five, Chiefs for number five,
I thought they were noticed. Tho. Those fives are better
than like the Bucks at six, you know. And I'm
not sure the Chiefs are in contention to be number one.
I'm not saying that, but they should be pretty high.
You know, there's some respect factor there too.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
As much as these power rankings are a week to
week thing, they certainly deserve to get a little benefit
of the doubt, right.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
I don't think they're going to go three and fourteen.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Correct, even if they lose the Eagles to start zero
to two, I still don't think it is. It's far
from the Skies falling in Kansas City. Let's get to
our final break. When we come back on the other side,
I do want to talk a little little bit more
with Matt about that Monday night football game last night. Yeah,
interesting what we saw from two young quarterbacks, a Vikings
performance that you know, really I think turned some heads
(35:12):
and you know, this team is dangerous once again this year.
Let's talk about all that as we close down the show.
On the other side, West Wheeler Matt Williams, and it
is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
And Goal, Steelers Nation Radio. Closing down the Drive here
on a Tuesday, and we will do so with some
(35:57):
thoughts on that first Monday night football game of the season,
of course, last night at Soldier Field in Chicago, an
early important NFC North clash between the Vikings and the Bears,
a back and forth one matt ends up twenty seven
to twenty four Minnesota as the Vikings score twenty one
(36:18):
fourth quarter points to win in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Fun game, and I gotta get the Vikings credit. I mean,
they walked into a firestorm, you know, a Monday night,
lubed up Chicago crowd, super psyched about their head coach.
First overall, Pick is gonna be the best quarterback in
Bears history. And they started beating up on the Vikes
pretty good. And I thought McCarthy was in wighing over
(36:43):
his head and swimming, But I also had a lot
of faith in Flores and O'Connell to let's well, it's
a long time, long game, yeah, and the Bears could
have went up even heavier, you know, like they had
him on the ropes and they didn't fin even after
that pick six. I'm like this, his score should be
(37:03):
more lopsided than it is. But if I'm a Bears fan,
I think I still come away with a good taste
in my mouth. That Williams looked much better than he
did as a rookie. And yes, he's holding the ball
too long, but he was eluding people and making plays,
and the offense was much crisper, many more outlets for
(37:25):
him to get out of trouble, a lot of receivers
doing well. Defense looked okay, but I think the better
team eventually won. And it was a twelve I used
a boxing mat reference. It was a fifteen round fight,
and tide started turning by about round ten or so,
and You're like, okay, and Jefferson's getting more involved, McCarthy's
getting more you know, comfortable, and that's his first start
(37:49):
to I mean, Williams had played a whole year before McCarthy,
even though in the same draft class. And it's funny.
I was texting my buds, and you know, I got
several Michigan alum in my group, and it was like, man,
your guy is looking terrible and you know, making fun
of the Michigan stuff, and they're like, yeah, but he
usually finds a way and like, I know this isn't NCAA,
(38:12):
but that's kind of what he did at Michigan too,
Like it was always pretty sometimes you throw the ball
ten times, fifteen times, but it was all said and done.
He often finds a way to get the w you know, yeah,
and see, but it was, you know, he righted the ship.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
He did, he did, and it was it was an
interesting kind of juxtaposition I think there because I think
at the start of the game, first half of the game,
people are like, wow, Caleb Williams looks like he's making plays,
looks like.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
He's settled in, looks like the first overall PA, looks
like the first overall. Yeah, he's singing it.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
You're talking about group chat with your buddies. I've got
one with with my buddies, and we've got a friend
in there who is big hockey guy, casual football fans
ok ok. And he was like everyone's been calling Caleb
Williams a bust, Like what's everyone talking about? He looks great,
he's got this rocket arm and we're like, he's right,
just give it. I said to him, I used your line.
(39:06):
I said, you know, like my my new co host
now Matt Williamson likes to say he likes to take sex.
He loves it, he loves to take sex.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Yeah, he was better about it. I mean there was
times he was running around behind the line of scrimmage
is longer than I would like.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
But I think for in this this can obviously be
too much of a simplification. But for Chicago new regime,
new era, it's about. This year is about figuring out
if Kayleb Williams is the guy or not.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
Yeah, do I have a coaching quarterback? Forget everything the
answers yes, then it's a successful.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
Year, no matter how many games you won, no matter
how many games you lost. If the answer is yes,
it's a successful year.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
And that's a valuable learning experience.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Last night, even if it's a definitive no, at least
you know, I don't think it's you don't call it
a successful year, but it's you need you need to
have a definitive answer.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Last night was a lean towards a lean towards yes.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Yea.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
I was about to do the whole preface it with
a it's one data point out of seventeen, like, you know,
but I think you should be a little more encouraged
about Caleb Williams. Not to the level of maybe, like
we talked about with the Justin Fields, to continue to
talk about Chicago Bears quarterbacks here, but I think I
think it was an encouraging performance from from Caleb Williams. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
And if I'm a Bears fan, and if I'm wise
enough to look at it through the lens of do
we have a coach, do we have a quarterback? I
think the answer is yes. On Monday morning, tough loss,
you know, you probably should put that team away at home.
But the Vikings are better than you right now.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
They didn't win what fourteen games last year? Yeah, yeah,
but you're right, you're kind of boxing analogy. There was
on the money, there was a couple of times the
Bears had them on the ropes and they just needed
to land one more body shot or one jab to
the jaw to knock them out.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
And they just couldn't quite do it.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
And that that you know, in the National Football League,
the game of inches.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
You let these guys stick around.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
A team like the Vikings that you got to bury
them when you can. Absolutely, you have to bury everybody
when you can, but especially those type of teams that
are winning double digit games going to the playoffs. Knows what.
Minnesota very good in one score games last year.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
I bet the Jets are looking the same way, like
we couldn't put the Steelers away.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Yeah right right, yeah, we're up nine late in the
second quarter, opportunity, we're certainly on the ropes, and then
we give them the ball back on special teams, flip
the field, make it easy.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
For him to Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
To Eric bleeping Rogers, what are we doing? You know, hey,
he is still even at age forty one, A bad man,
that Aaron Rodgers. Matt good stuff today. I enjoyed this
show today thought we uh, let's we covered a bunch
of different bases and I enjoyed that. And we will
certainly do it again tomorrow for our video producer TV
(41:48):
and for the best co host in the business, the
Mario Lemieux of NFL Broadcasting in this town. If I will,
Matt Williamson, unless Yueler, take care everybody, We'll talk to
you tomorrow. As always, you know where to find us
it's on your twenty four seven home of the Black
and Gold at Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio
Network
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