November 7, 2025 • 69 mins
New York finally feels like it has a plan—and we’re laying out every piece. We open with the Jets’ shockwave trades and why keeping it quiet mattered more than the headlines. Picks, cap space, and a contract strategy that turned Sauce into leverage point to a front office acting like adults for the first time in years. We map the path forward: Brees and Garrett as day-one help for the next quarterback, multiple routes to land that QB, and a realistic timeline from misery to menace if this regime hits in the draft.
Then we turn the lights on in Jersey blue. Brian Daboll’s seat is scorching, and the assignment is crystal clear: coach risk into discipline with Jackson Dart and prove the defense still cares. We share the specific growth markers to watch so fans can judge progress without false hope. After a quick Week 9 rewind and a sharp Week 10 watch list, we head to the Garden where the Knicks’ identity is humming—Brunson steering, Big Cat punishing, OG locking, and Mitch bulldozing the glass. We make the case for one more dependable big and explain the type of center who actually fits this system.
On the diamond, urgency reigns. For the Mets, the offseason starts with an ace or it doesn’t start at all—Scoobal if possible, real contingency plans if not. Lock Diaz at a smart number, decide on Pete with eyes on the window, and stop bleeding coaching value to Atlanta. The Yankees’ puzzle is different: buy certainty at first and in center, align prospects with contracts, and commit to the core without inviting drama. We close by setting your Week 10 fantasy lineup with matchup-driven calls and serving a five-play betting card you can ride with confidence.
If this hit your brain just right, tap follow, share it with the sports friend who loves receipts, and drop a review so we can keep growing this group chat that actually feels like home.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:25):
We are free from the kickoff in Jack because we are
back at 9 30 a.m.
kickoff life this weekend.
If you're new here, I'm IanRice.
Welcome to Rice on the Mics.
This is episode 38.
The only show where New YorkSports feels like a group chat
that you actually want to be apart of.
(00:46):
Let's talk about the headlinesfirst.
The Jets blew up your timelineand for once maybe did the right
thing.
Sauce to Indy, went into Dallas,draft capital stacked to the
ceiling, and somehow, miracle ofmiracles, none of it was leaked
until it was done.
I got context, I got why itmakes sense.
I'm giving you the rant, butwith some hope.
(01:09):
And I've got your poll receiptson the matter too.
Consider this my burning memoment.
Once again, I am asking you tobelieve.
I'll lay out why keeping Breeswas right and what the cat
picture looks like goingforward.
Giant fans, your turn.
Dable seat, warm to say theleast.
We're gonna lay out the recordsince year one and why it's fair
(01:29):
to be skeptical.
And then we'll pivot into whatmatters for the rest of the
season.
Jackson Dart's growth andwhether this defense actually
wants to play for Dable or not.
We'll hit a quick week ninerewind.
Carolina shocking Green Bay,Bills over the Chiefs in the
regular season again.
And Sunday Night Football in DC,where Jaden Daniel's elbow
(01:49):
turned a bad night into a badmonth.
Then we're peeking ahead to somegames in week 10 you should keep
your eye on.
Knicks, folks, come on, come sitdown.
Three big home wins.
Big cat handled his business.
Brunson's cooking, Mitchvacuuming up the glass, and your
pulse as the ceiling is movingup.
A fold and a sharp mailbag takeabout adding another center and
(02:11):
what kind actually makes sensefor this team before we do a
quick lap around the MLB freeagency openings, the qualifying
offers dished out, the Metscoaching exodus to Atlanta, and
the Padres losing Darvish for2026.
We'll close the show with thefantasy and rolling the dice
with rice segment for week 10.
Plus, media and money, ESPN'sDraftKing deal, and why the
(02:36):
optics matter.
Got a lot to cover.
So let's do it to it.
So let's just get right into itwith the NFL.
The New York Jets didn't justmake noise this week.
(02:57):
They changed course of the NFL.
Sauce Gardner to the Colts,Quentin Williams to the Cowboys,
Michael Carter has already beenshipped off to the Eagles.
Quincy Williams got benched, andnot one peep of it was leaked
until the paperwork cleared.
And here's why that matters.
(03:20):
Finally, finally, we're seeing agrown-up building and a tight
lip organization.
As far as the Quinning trade,reports came out that when it
got real, he was going to bemoved.
(03:43):
So that means two things.
One, that they had multipleoffers for big Q, which no one
knew about, and two that theyfinally had some respect for a
player who's been here for along time and actually granted
him his wish.
(04:04):
The building kept it in-houseand actually honored it.
This is exactly what you need tostart repairing your reputation
with players around the leagueand make your organization more
appealing to play for, to makepeople want to come play for the
Jets.
(04:25):
So here is the big picture ofwhy this works.
So the Jets have now convertedtwo defensive cornerstones into
a long-term runway for this newregime.
You now have five first roundersacross the 2026 and 2027 drafts
(04:51):
and extra day two ammo, which isequally important if you plan on
throwing that in to sweeten adeal on a trade.
Not to mention you've givenyourself a lot of cap
flexibility.
And a lot of fans are asking,well, why did you pay sauce in
(05:12):
the first place if you weregoing to trade him anyway?
Well, the sauce extension wasstructured light on early cash
with rolling guarantees for thisexact opportunity.
Look, if you started hot earlyand won some games and actually
looked like a team that couldmaybe make some noise, well then
(05:35):
great, you got sauce locked upfor the next four years at a
pretty decent contract.
But if everything falls apartlike it has, come trade
deadline, he now becomes amovable blue chip asset because
of said contract extension.
And it turns into money clearedoff of your books.
(05:58):
As far as moving QuinnenWilliams, this was a move that
no one really saw coming.
A lot of people, a lot of theexperts, I should say, we're
talking about Jermaine Johnsonand yada yada yada, but no one
really had Quinnen getting movedon their radar.
And to be honest, the Cowboysare drunk for the offer that
(06:21):
they gave us.
But fine.
This now avoids the inevitablequote more guarantees stare down
that was going to come fromQuinnen this offseason in a
season that was going nowhere,and if he was going to be part
(06:42):
of this defense moving forward.
The net, you got picks, you gotcap space, and for the first
time in a long time, you got aquiet organization.
Real G's move in silence likelasagna, right?
(07:04):
The poll this week echoed thesame vibe from you guys, too.
Fine with the rebuild, beat outthose were the guys to build
around by a landslide.
And most of you graded that thesauce deal was that the Jets
fleeced the Colts or it was fairvalue.
That's not delusional.
That's appetite for a reset donethe right way.
(07:27):
And that's instilling confidencein a new regime that most people
wanted fired right away.
And as far as keeping BreesHall, if you've been listening
the last couple weeks, you knowthat I think that this is the
right decision.
Uh, you don't trade one of yourbest offensive players for a
(07:47):
mid-round shrug with the capspace you have now acquired, you
have now shown your hand, andBrees now becomes the bridge for
whoever the next quarterback is.
If you go with a rookie thisyear or next year, fine.
If you leverage all these picksand try to pry a franchise
(08:10):
quarterback away from anotherteam, i.e.
Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson,fine.
But regardless of who it is, youwant him aligned to a real skill
player on day one.
And the combination of BreesHall and Garrett Wilson and this
ever-growing offensive line isexactly how you build a team for
(08:36):
success.
Now, because of who you tradedaway, that doesn't exactly make
Sundays in the near futurepretty to watch.
But at least there seems to be auh long-term plan in place, or
at least some sort of plan inplace.
(08:56):
And now, to be fair, there isalways two sides of the coin.
And I will give you the rantfrom both sides because both can
be true when it comes to being aJet fan.
The pessimistic rant.
(09:39):
And just to bolster thisargument, from the Rex Ryan era
on, here's a graveyard roll callwith a couple bright spots of
first-round draft picks.
2009, Mark Sanchez, AFCChampionship Games, great, but
he was never really the guy.
2010, Kyle Wilson.
(10:01):
Depth, I guess, but not theimpact corner he was supposed to
be.
2011, Mohammed Wilkerson, greatto start.
Got paid, fizzled out.
2012, Quentin Koppels, miss.
2013, D.
Milner and Sheldon Richardson,both pretty much a miss.
Sheldon was tough, but neverlived up to it.
(10:23):
2014, Calvin Pryor, miss.
2015, Leonard Williams, good,but moved on, nothing great.
2016, Darren Lee.
Huge miss.
2017, Jamal Adams.
Best thing to come out of himwas uh the haul that we got from
Seattle for him.
2018, Sam Darnold.
Couldn't develop him.
(10:44):
What else is new?
And now he's killing it.
2019, Big Q, Quinny Williams,stud, a rare hit for this
franchise, but just got traded.
2020, Mikhail Becton, Highway77, showed flashes, but always
hurt.
2021, Zach Wilson and ElijahVera Tucker.
Zach Wilson is now the backup toTua Tungo Valua, and AVT, as
(11:08):
much as we love them, can neverstay healthy.
2022, this is where it turnedaround.
Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson,and Jermaine Johnson all in the
first round.
Offensive rookie of the year,defensive rookie of the year,
and a current solid buildingpiece.
Well, you just traded one ofthem away and you're starting to
build around the other.
2023, Will McDonald, he showedsome promise, had 10 sacks last
(11:32):
year.
We'll see how it goes.
2024, Ole Fashion, solid lefttackle.
And this year, 2025, ArmandMemou, solid left tackle, turned
into a right tackle, also looksdominant.
So going all the way back to2009, realistically, you've hit
on six, five draft picks in thefirst round.
(11:59):
That's why the fans are gun shy.
Overall, there is a lot more badthan there is good in those
draft classes.
And that's what I've beengetting all week.
Saying I've seen this moviebefore, I've read this book
before.
And I get it.
It's tough to be a Jet fan.
(12:21):
Hell, it's not tough.
It's damn near impossible atsome points.
But there are two sides to everycoin.
And the optimistic rant, theother side of this, and where I
personally fall on this massiveoverhaul trade deadline.
(12:54):
Look, the way I see it, thisleague reshuffles fast.
The AFC is a gauntlet of goodteams, but it's also hinting at
an arms race to shake things upa little bit.
And if you want to be at the bigboy table, you need to make big
(13:15):
boy moves.
And in this pending arms race,well, guess what?
The Jets have now stockpiled themost ammo.
If this new regime hits on aquarterback this draft and adds
in some depth, this goes frommisery to menace in 24 months.
(13:38):
If they don't like anyone thisyear and want to posture
themselves to maybe draft ArchManning next year, maybe he
looks good, then so be it.
If they want to package allthese picks for a monster like
Joe Burrow behind an actual goodoffensive line, then so be it.
(14:02):
Regardless of whatever way theygo, there seems to be a plan.
There seems to be some hope.
And there seems to be a trueculture change brewing at
MetLife, which is what we talkedabout from the moment they hired
Aaron Glenn.
From that Bill Parcell'sdiscipline, that get with it or
(14:27):
get on movement, that clearinghouse movement, that culture
change that you're either withme or against me.
Kind of ideal.
A quiet front office, cap spacecoming, with the cap going up,
(14:47):
by the way, and multiple routesto go and get your guy at
quarterback, whether it be draftor veteran.
Once again, I am asking you tobelieve.
Once again, I am asking you todo the unthinkable and put some
hope in the Jets franchise.
Woody will always be there, andWoody will always be a mess.
(15:10):
But Muji and Glenn, I don'tknow, man.
SPEAKER_00 (15:15):
You're starting to make me believe.
You're starting to make me feelgood about it that there's
actually something to do here.
SPEAKER_01 (15:23):
Anyway, all right.
I know I'm delusional.
It's fine.
While I'm on the Jets, let'spreview this week's game.
Uh pre-deadline, the Jets wereminus two and a half.
Then post-deadline, the Jets arenow plus two and a half.
I get it.
I get why you moved leaders inthe front seven, and you're
(15:44):
facing one of the league'snastiest defenses.
I mean, Miles Garrett is playingout of his mind, and it doesn't
really bode well for Brees Hallor Justin Fields this week.
But this is uh this is a pridegame for Aaron Glenn's locker
(16:05):
room.
You got some new voices now ondefense, some new voices that
can be heard, some opportunisticball.
And honestly, a stadium that'sthere's gonna be some fans there
ready to back a reset if thisteam actually shows out with a
little bit of effort.
It honestly wouldn't shock me ifthe Jets steal it here.
(16:28):
At minimum, I think you'll see adefense flying to prove a point,
showing that they uh believe inAaron Glenn's message and
actually want to play for him.
Now.
Enough of the green and white,time to get to the blue and
white.
Giants time.
(16:48):
And Brian Dable's seat isn'tjust warm, it is scorching hot.
After last week's loss, peopleare really starting to dig into
his record over the last fouryears, and it just keeps
trending the wrong way.
You had a year one high, went tothe playoffs, won a playoff game
(17:10):
that was against the shittiestMinnesota team I've ever seen in
my life, and they got blown outby the Eagles, then six and
eleven, then three and fourteen,and now you're two and seven.
The poll that I put out thisweek on the Instagram was loud.
Patience is fading with BrianDayball, and it's a fair
(17:35):
conversation.
It's a fair conversation tohave.
You were billed as thequarterback whisperer and the
guy that turned Josh Allen towhat he was, and then you took
over Daniel Jones, and it lookedgood to start, and injuries
aside it looks so much worse onyou now that he's flourishing
(18:02):
with the Colts because what arethey getting out of him that you
couldn't?
And now you lucked into JacksonDart who you deemed was your
guy, and he looks good, but healso looks reckless.
And that's something that youneed to teach out of him in
(18:26):
these next ten games, ninegames, whatever's left.
You need to teach him how to benot just a daring quarterback,
which he already is, but a smartquarterback.
Make the throws, don't dive headfirst, um read the defense
(18:48):
better, you know, make thepre-check calls.
That's what Giant fans need tobe looking for for the rest of
the season.
They need to be paying attentionto Jackson Dart's growth, his
processing on the money downs,his middle of the field throws,
(19:09):
how to handle play action, andhow many carries he's getting
week to week and when he shouldslide.
The other thing the Giant fansneed to be paying attention for
is whether the defense keepsplaying for the staff or just
starts giving up and leaking outexplosive plays.
If the defense fights even whenthey're down, you'll learn
(19:32):
something real about that room.
You'll learn that they actuallydo care about what Dayball or
even Wink says.
But in the coming weeks, if youstart going against opponents
and you put up 14 points becauseof Jackson Dart being the hero
that he is, but the defensegives up 37, they gave up.
(19:54):
They don't care.
And that's how you get yourselffired.
Now the question is do you fireDable or do you fire Shane and
Dable?
When Gettelman was in here andhe was the GM, he was able to
hire Pat Schirmer and thatdidn't work, and then he was
(20:14):
able to hire Joe Judge, and thatdidn't work out great.
So does Joe Shane get the sameopportunity of hiring a coach
the first time and now hiring asecond coach?
Or do you just clear housecompletely?
Both New York teams are not ingreat spots here, but good in
(20:38):
their own right.
Giants look like they have foundtheir quarterback, and the Jets
have now acquired enough ammo togo get their quarterback,
hopefully.
But it's important to see the uhforest through the trees here.
Both franchises are still not ingood places.
(21:02):
So, now with all the uh doom andgloom out of the way for the
local teams, let's do a littleuh week nine rewind.
Uh a couple games that matteredlast week that you might have
missed.
First on the list, Panthers,Packers, Panthers getting the
win in Lambeau, the big upset.
(21:25):
Rego Dattle, another full tonesetter weekend, 130 on the
ground, two touchdowns.
This is one that uh nobody hadon their list, and I'm sure
killed a bunch of parlays acrossthe whole week.
A two-touchdown dog goes intoLambeau and gets the job done on
the money line.
(21:45):
The flip side of things, GreenBay squandered red zone chance
after red zone chance, and Tad'sinsult to injury.
They lost their star tight end,Tucker Kraft, to an ACL.
He was on a pace for historictight end season.
That loss now changes how theyoperate the rest of the year.
They have a bunch of goodreceivers, but no alpha.
(22:09):
Tough sledding for the Packersgoing forward.
We'll see how it looks.
The next game on the list that Iwant to cover is Chiefs at the
Bills.
Bills pulled out 28-21.
Josh Allen was surgical 23-26with two rushing on the ground.
Just solid, clean answersagainst a rough, tough Spagnola
(22:33):
defense.
And the Bills' young DBs madeplays in space.
The regular season Buffalo overKansas City is always a bit.
It's always they're now five andoh against Kansas City in the
regular season.
But every year in January is theproblem.
(22:54):
This was a complete plan andexecution combo, and it looks
good, but when I see it in theplayoffs, I'll believe it.
Great game to watch, though.
I thought it was going to be alot more high scoring, turned
out not to be.
Credit where credit's due.
Lastly, uh Sunday nightfootball.
(23:15):
Seahawks commanders.
This was a complete route by theSeahawks.
38 to 14.
Sam Darnold opened up 16 for 16with four, four, one, two,
three, four touchdowns.
Jackson Smith and Jigba justcontinues to prove why he's a
wide receiver one.
Another Ohio State product.
(23:37):
The bad part, Jaden Danielsdislocated his non-throwing
elbow late in the game when heprobably shouldn't even have
been in.
And head coach Dan Quinn ownedup to leaving him in too long,
but you know, too little, toolate.
Uh Washington's seasontrajectory now shifts hugely
(24:00):
with Mariota taking over and awide receiver room that is in
triage.
You want to uh you want to talkabout sophomore slump or
regression.
How about uh dislocating yourelbow for a sophomore slump?
(24:20):
And I root for Jaden Daniels.
I'm an LSU fan.
I I want the kid to succeed.
But man.
Not great.
He's been riddled with injuriesin his second year.
They really need to take care ofhim if they plan on competing in
the NFC East for the next 10, 15years.
Otherwise, you're looking at RG32.0.
(24:43):
So with the rewind out of theway, let's do a little uh week
10 look ahead here.
Circle these games.
These are the ones you're gonnawant to watch.
And we're starting off brightand early.
Colts, Falcons, Berlin, 9:30a.m.
Brunch ball is back, baby.
(25:06):
Sauce Gardner cleared fromconcussion protocol and is
expected to play.
DeForest Buckner did not travelwith the team.
Indy's offense has been abuzzsaw with Daniel Jones and
Jonathan Taylor and TylerWarren.
But Atlanta is nasty on the backend and suffocates tight ends.
(25:26):
The tell here will be whetherIndy can live in early down
efficiency without Buckneranchoring the other side.
And not to mention, you got twoof the best backs on the planet
with Atlanta's pass defenseleading the league and fewest
pass yards allowed.
Indy's got to live on early downefficiency if they want to win.
Otherwise, I see this being agood morning, Germany.
(25:48):
Let's run the ball game.
Next game to watch out for,Patriots at Bucks.
Tampa off the bye with a chanceto prove they're more than a
beats who they should outfit.
Mike Vrabel has that defensesolid and assignment sound.
(26:08):
They sit atop the division for areason and they didn't beat
Buffalo by accident, but theyhave been living on tight
margins.
So if Tampa can protect the balland finish its drives in the end
zone, might be a nice statementwin for them.
God forbid you let Baker get theball with three minutes down
(26:31):
three points.
Tampa might be walking out witha win.
But if they sputter, Mike Vrabelknows how to will his team to a
win.
Last game on the list, Steelersat Chargers.
Sunday night football.
The old vet versus the young gunat QB.
(26:54):
Both with something to prove.
LA is patching the edges afterlosing both tackles, which is
why they went and grabbed TrevorPenning.
And Herbert can dice you up, butTJ Watt is nothing to be messed
around with.
If Pittsburgh's rush gets homewithout sending the house, it's
a field position grind rightinto Tomlin's wheelhouse.
(27:18):
If the Chargers hit explosiveplays, stadium might get loud
and it might flip.
But if Herbert gets pressuredearly and the terrible towels
seem to make their way into LA,Chargers might be in for a rude
awakening.
So those are the games youshould keep an eye on this week
(27:39):
while your favorite team isgetting blown out.
Something you should tune into.
A couple quick hits on the otherdeals and the news that should
have been on your radar that youmight have missed.
As I mentioned, Colts go all in,traded for sauce.
They want him up immediately inBerlin.
Symbolic as much as tactical.
(27:59):
Sauce cleared protocol onThursday.
Full go target on Sundaymorning.
Cowboys had Quinton Williams andlinebacker Logan Wilson from
Cincinnati.
Clear message to fix the middlealong with Kenny Clark.
Cowboys should be much harder torun against for the rest of the
year.
Seahawks by some speed.
(28:20):
Rasheed Shaheed gives Darnold areal lid lifter and juice
returns while JSN can work overthe middle.
Jaguars also land Jacoby Myers.
Sure hands for a wide receiverroom that has been crushed by
injuries all year.
Perfect fit while they wait onhealth.
Eagles, uh Eagles being Eagles.
(28:42):
Jalen Phillips to bolster therush behind Saquon.
Jair Alexander and MichaelCarter to deepen the banged up
secondary.
Couple injuries to Cardinalsplaced Kyler Murray on IR with a
foot, but hope that he returnsin December.
I don't know if it's worth it,to be honest with you.
(29:04):
Jacoby Brissett fills in, keepsthe wheel steady while they can.
And the Jets demoted QuincyWilliams after shipping off his
brother.
And he said, quote, I am now anon-starting jet, end quote.
And that the coaches want moredownhill and better hands.
(29:25):
So rookie Kiko Mayoga is now inthe mix.
But little Q says, quote, he'splanning on working as hard as
he can to get his job back.
We'll see how that pans out forthe kid.
I'm hoping for him.
I root for him.
But that'll do it for the NFLthis week.
(29:45):
We'll weave in some fantasyangles and the roll in the dice
with rice picks later in theepisode.
For now, we're going to shiftgears into some hoops.
Big week at the garden.
Three straight at home.
Big cat handling.
His whole team.
Brunson's been dealing.
Mitch has been vacuuming upeverything.
OG has been in rhythm.
(30:07):
Mike Brown quietly tweaked somethings.
Got some mailbag questions toanswer about the Knicks.
Stick around.
We're just getting started.
Like I said, lots to cover thisweek.
Keep it right here.
(30:48):
All right, hoops time.
Pull up a chair, cause it's timeto cover the only team that
matters in New York.
Surprise, surprise, the gardenis a fortress once again.
5-0 at home now.
And this week was exactly theblueprint that I begged for
(31:10):
seven days ago last week on thispot.
It's almost like Mike Brownlistened to my show.
Play through Big Cat, letBrunson pilot, crash the
offensive glass like your lifedepends on it, and get Josh Hart
back to being the pulse of thesecond unit who can close out
(31:32):
with the starters.
Let's start off with the BullsKnicks second game.
And that was the get right gamefor them.
Brunson gave you 31.
Kat stacked a 2015double-double, and the whole gym
caught fire from three.
20 for 42 as a team.
(31:53):
You had seven guys hittingmultiple triples, and the bench
tossed in 46 points.
This has been a key theme underthe Mike Brown era that the
bench is actually contributingpoints.
Chicago came in leading theleague in three-point defense,
and we walked him straight outof that comfort zone.
(32:16):
And also a quick heart note, headmitted post-game he still
doesn't have full feeling in hisshooting hand.
Tingling, nerve damage.
Still went 14 and 9 whileplaying like a heat-seeking
missile.
That man is the definition ofculture.
So from the Bulls to theWizards, Cat becomes the big cat
(32:42):
that he's supposed to be.
Put on his big boy bib, had aseason high 33 with 13 boards.
He lived at the line and settledthe offense every time it felt
wobbly or the starters were out.
Not to mention OG gives you 16and a defensive hammer.
(33:03):
Clarkson comes off the benchgiving you 15.
Josh Hart had anotherdouble-double, giving you a 12
and 10.
The game looked like a team thatfound its base sets and just
kept stamping and stamping onthem.
Early post touches for Kat.
Brunson snaking his way to themid-range, hitting those weak
side threes, rinse, repeat, andnow for the headliner.
(33:28):
The Wolves coming into theMecca.
Big Cat's former team, JuliusRandle and Dante DiVincenzo
coming against the Knicks.
Even though this isn't the firsttime for them coming back to the
Garden, you could tell there wasstill some uh animosity in the
(33:51):
air.
And the Knicks took care ofbusiness.
Minnesota did have a halftimelead, and then the Knicks just
threw a bowling ball into any oftheir plans and took care of
business.
Which is so surprising becausethe old adage under Thibodeau
(34:14):
used to be when the Knicks cameout in the third quarter after
halftime, it was a mess.
They go 83 and 56 in the secondhalf.
They put up 40 plus in both thethird and fourth quarter.
OG drops 25.
Brunson Punchedon 23, 10, and 7,almost having his first triple
(34:34):
double.
Yeah, believe that.
And Mitch, oh Mitch.
Mitch was the sledgehammer thatdrove home the nail.
Had nine offensive rebounds byhimself and literally matched
Rudy Gobert's total rebounds onthe game.
The Knicks turned 21 offensiveboards into 31 second chance
(34:55):
points.
That is how you break a goodteam spirit.
That is how you drive it homethat you are a real contender.
And as for Big Cat, he had somecomments about seeing his old
jersey and saying he was he'sstill stunned about the trade.
(35:16):
My brother, you're here now.
You're a Nick.
You're a Jersey kid.
Bullied switches, dragged help,kicked out the shooters.
That's the job.
You are a Nick.
You are not a wolf.
Stop worrying about it.
(35:37):
Stop giving them credit.
Dragged help over.
You kicked out the shooters andyou made your threes when you
had to.
Don't worry about the wolves andyour jersey and the trade.
You're a Nick.
You're here.
Now go be a dog.
(35:58):
Go be the guy that we tradedfor.
The poll that I put out on theWednesday mic check.
Finals was the number oneanswer.
Eastern Conference Finals wasright behind it.
And the way that this team isplayed, it's not delusional.
(36:20):
That's saying that the ceilinghas moved.
Brunson is a dog.
OG is a defensive monster.
Mitch has seemed to have foundhis shot in the mid-range and
the three.
Not to mention Deuce coming offthe bench.
(36:41):
This team is deep.
This team is gritty.
And this team is dangerous.
The East is wide open.
And if they continue to playlike this for the rest of the
year, we might be walking downBroadway watching a parade.
(37:06):
Come July.
Now, sure.
Are there flaws?
Of course.
How long can Mitch stay healthy?
If needed, can Big Cat move tothe five?
How is Brunson's hand?
Is OG gonna stay healthy allyear?
(37:30):
What's Hart's role coming offthe bench?
They're still figuring it out inthe Mike Brown offense, and
there's still a lot of questionsto be answered.
But in the early returns here,they look pretty good.
But this brings me to one of mymailbag questions this week, and
(37:51):
it comes from Justin, who I knowpersonally, and I know he is
more of a diehard Knicks fanthan anybody listening to this
podcast.
So I trust his opinion when itcomes to the Knickerbockers.
But Justin asks or says, Ishould say, the Knicks need
(38:16):
another center if they want togo on a real run.
They can't rely on Mitch'shealth, and they can't rely on
Big Cat playing the five.
And he's right.
I don't hate that.
The problem is there's two pathsto that conversation.
(38:38):
So okay, fine.
We need another center.
Not that Huck Porty is bad, buthe's not good.
But if Mitch isn't healthy, whatdo we do?
Do we get let's say at thedeadline or the trade deadline,
which is in the NBA, it's alwaysa mess.
(39:01):
Do you go for a Huck Porty 2.0to just build depth?
Or do you actually go for amonster center like Rudy Gobert?
Not saying you would trade forRudy Gobert, but a true
seven-footer that's gonna bangaround in the paint.
(39:23):
Maybe Bam?
Maybe someone like ClintCapella.
I don't know.
What's the level of center thatyou're looking to trade for if
that's what you think you reallyneed?
If you want a mid-level pieceand they can fill in those eight
(39:47):
to twelve low mistake minutes,sure.
But if you want somebody to playthe five while Big Cat plays the
four, unfortunately, you'reprobably gonna have to pay up.
But realistically, that's noteven kind of really what you
need.
You really I do agree that youneed another center, but you
(40:08):
really just need like a you needa 16-minute a game bouncer.
You need a Draymond Green kindof player.
Someone who keeps you out of adrop coverage jail when Mitch is
on the bench.
And if Mike Brown keeps Hart induring those closing lineups,
(40:33):
you already have the uh therebounding connective tissue to
support that kind of profile.
The bottom line on the Knicksright now: the roles make sense,
the glass is a weapon.
Brunson is Brunson and isrunning the show.
And Kat has to keep winning hismatchups.
(40:57):
Couple all that with Mitch atthe five, and this team looks
unbeatable right now.
So just keep that formula, keepthe minutes sane for everyone so
they don't tire out later in theyear, and one more trustworthy
big body by spring, and you gotthe bones of a championship
(41:20):
level team.
Alright.
Take a breath.
We are on to the other side.
We will zip through some MLBfree agency openings, some
qualifying offers, and how theMets might have just
single-handedly given the Bravesthe best staff they've had in
(41:45):
years.
Then after that, we will hit youwith some fantasy angles and the
rolling the dice with rice picksfor week ten.
Keep it right here.
Honey more, you're gonna want tohear.
(42:23):
It's off season, and free agencyhas just opened up today.
So a bunch of qualifying offerswent out to some pretty nameable
names.
Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber,Fran Bravdez, Dylan Sees, Ranger
(42:45):
Suarez, Zach Gallen, ShotaIminaga, Michael King, and yes,
Edwin Diaz for the Mets.
Most of these guys are gonnatest free agency anyway.
The qualifying offer is just away to get a draft pick back for
(43:06):
any of the teams that they wereon if they go to sign somewhere
else.
But I really want to get intothe Mets here.
And this part isn't optional.
You start this winner off byplanting an ace at the top of
(43:27):
the rotation.
And the cleanest path is TariqScooba.
You call Detroit every singlemorning, and you pay the price
if it's in the realm of sanity.
It's definitely gonna cost you alot.
At least a real headliner, anMLB ready arm, and probably a
(43:54):
solid AAA prospect, but that'swhat needs to get done.
You don't win these trades withleftovers, and Scoobul changes
the room, the schedule, andhonestly, how often your bullpen
has to play hero ball.
(44:14):
If, and it's a real if, theTigers wall you off.
There are other aces out there,but they come with uh a little
bit of pain or politics.
You can go after SandyAlcantara, but you're gonna have
to pay the indivision tax.
(44:37):
You're gonna have to give up aheavy prospect or three, but he
is a true horse and he's underteam control for the next like
three years.
You'd overpay on principle andjust deal with it.
The next guy on the list wouldbe Mackenzie Gore, also in
division tax from the Nationals.
(45:00):
He's still ascending, reallycoming into his own, nasty from
the left side.
The cost could be enormous, butthe timeline fits your win now
window.
And lastly, would be HunterGreen from the Reds.
He's got elite stuff, he's undercontrol, he's a strikeout
(45:24):
machine.
The price would probably be ayounger core premium, because
the Reds are trying to buildstill.
They want to pair somebody withEllie, and they're not gonna pay
anybody anytime soon.
So I think uh that could be avery, very solid option if Scuba
(45:49):
falls through.
The bottom line, however you doit, you need to get a real
number one.
You need to get the ace.
Then backfell innings and someleverage.
This is a good transition to oneof the mailbag questions I got
(46:09):
this week because the questionwas if you are the GM of your
favorite team, what is arealistic move that you want to
do?
And TJ wrote in and said, Let'stalk money in Queens.
First off, Edwin Diaz at threeyears, 66 million, and then Pete
(46:33):
Alonzo at five years, 180million.
Well, on Edwin Diaz, just sowe're all speaking the same
language and understandingwhat's going on here, he just
opted out of the last threeyears of his deal that would
have paid him 15, 16, and 17million after making 21 million
(46:58):
this season.
So a three-year 66 milliondollar deal puts him at about
around a 22 million AAV.
So you're essentially keepinghim at the very top of the
closer market through age 35,which is exactly where he's
(47:21):
already been living.
If you want the number to rhymewith what he just made, maybe
make it three for 63 at 21million AAV.
Either way, you're paying forleverage and you're paying for
certainty in the ninth.
(47:43):
And it lets you stack two morelate inning weapons without
turning every win into a bullpenhigh wire act.
Now, as far as Alonzo, fiveyears, 180 million, it's a
different story.
If you land the ace in Scuble,you're gonna have to pay him
(48:10):
pretty much right away.
And he is two years younger thanMax Fried, who just got an
eight-year, two hundred andeighteen million dollar deal.
So you're realistically probablygonna look at eight years two
thirty, two forty.
(48:32):
I think uh every player knowsthat Steve Cohn is rich, so
they're gonna hold out for more.
Either way.
If you land the ace and you wantto re-sign Pete, and it's five
years one eighty.
(48:56):
I I would say I'm good with it.
Uh, I would front load the twofirst years while the World
Series window is open and loud.
Maybe bacon a club option orsome escalators slash incentives
(49:19):
to maybe protect the back end.
But knowing last year andknowing Pete, something tells me
he's going to really try andforce his hand, maybe to his own
detriment, too.
He might really screw his ownmarket and then come crawling
(49:43):
back to the Mets like he didlast year.
Look, if you miss on the ace, Itry to keep Pete, but I am also
not afraid of pivoting to acheaper on base percentage plus
damage bat and reallocate thecash that we would have given
(50:09):
him into two arms and a uh plusdefender up the middle.
I'd love to see Pete finish hiscareer in a Mets uniform, but
when push comes to shove, I'dmuch rather see the Mets win a
World Series than appeasing a uhhomegrown legend.
(50:32):
The scoobal domino decides howaggressive you should be.
That needs to happen first, andthen we'll let the chips fall
where they may.
Couple other Mets notes that arejust terrible, in my opinion.
(50:52):
You fired your whole staff, andthen two of your best staff
members went directly to a hateddivision rival in the Braves.
The Braves have hired JeremyHefner and the first base coach,
(51:13):
Anton Richardson, who helpedsupercharge Juan Soto's base
stealing, and Jeremy Hefnerbefore this year was known
throughout the league for fixingeverybody's mechanics.
That's not just optics, that'spitcher dev and base running IQ
(51:34):
walking to a rival.
Not great.
I wouldn't be surprised if Akunasteals 80 bags next year.
So if you're a Met fan, ifyou're the Mets organization,
how do you get better?
What's what's your to-do listthis month?
Well, first and foremost, theScoobyl pursuit at all costs.
(52:01):
And if you can't get the dealdone, you need to go after
Mackenzie Gore, Hunter Green,Elkantara, shit, Paul Skeens, I
don't care.
But you need a top of therotation number one ace.
After that, you close Diaz andmaybe even add a heavy sinker
(52:24):
setup to keep you out of thehome run trouble.
Then you need to decide onAlonzo by at least Christmas.
You need to structure it to winnow and protect later, or move
on completely and try to find120 ribbies in your lineup.
(52:45):
Then you gotta add uh 160 plusinnings in uh mid-rotation
players and replace the stafflosses with uh specialists,
pitching lab, base running,matchup X and O's, all that
(53:07):
stuff.
The Mets have their work cut outfrom.
You know who else has their workcut out from?
The Yankees.
The Yankees have a big Rubik'sCube to solve this offseason.
First off, first base.
Who's the everyday?
Are we rolling with Ben Rice?
(53:28):
Are we moving Bellinger?
Are we teaching Judge to playfirst?
Do you raid the Mets for Alonzo?
If not, what's plan B?
And then in center field, whoowns it?
If you re-sign Cody Bellinger,which you should, that's the
(53:50):
cleanest fit.
But if you whiff, do you throw abag at Kyle Tucker?
Do you try and go after both ofthem?
How committed are you to buyingoffense up the middle?
And then let's say you do signBellinger or Kyle Tucker or
both.
What do you do with uh SpencerJones and Jason Dominguez?
(54:14):
What do you do with Volpe?
Do you lock him in at shortstopand buy a second base bat?
Or do you slide him in second?
Are you committed to jazz?
Does he fit your plans that youwant to do for the next three,
four, five years?
Because that's the contract he'sgoing to be looking for.
(54:37):
And also, Yankee fans, justbecause Don Maddenly shook
himself free from Toronto, spareyourself the bring in Maddenly
conversation.
Boone is already always managingunder a microscope.
(55:00):
The worst thing that you coulddo is plant a Yankee legend who
has managerial experience nextto him and just dare the back
pages to stir up a mutiny.
I know that you guys have beenclamoring for him for years and
years and years, but that is notthe move for the Yankees.
(55:25):
The last thing you need is moredrama in the club ass.
So the big picture for both NewYork clubs in this offseason.
The Mets version is buy an aceand align the roster
accordingly.
(55:46):
And the Yankees version is buycertainty at premium positions
and commit to the core.
Either way, the winter startsthe same.
Make the move that changes yourseason first, and then let the
rest cascade and figure itselfout.
(56:09):
Alright, that's the hot stove.
Scoobyl first, contingency aceson deck, and the Yankees with
more questions than lockersright now.
We'll keep an eye on anyqualifying offer ripples, but
let's win you this week rightnow.
Fantasy triage, who to start,who to sit, who to stash based
(56:33):
on best and worst matchups,little panic meter pulse check,
and then we're dealing the rollin the dice with rice card.
Jags Texans, Ravens, Vikes,Rams, Niners, and our local
picks.
Browns at Jets, Giants at Bears.
Numbers you can actually bet.
(56:56):
Top off your coffee.
We're about to set your lineupand your slips.
Keep it ready here.
Okay, now what you've all beenwaiting for.
Lineups first, tickets second.
(57:16):
Let's set the table for week 10.
Fantasy people, come closer.
Listen in.
This is the part where we winSunday at 1258.
Quarterbacks, simple and clean.
Justin Herbert againstPittsburgh is a don't overthink
it.
The Steelers are giving up acountry mile through the air,
(57:41):
and Herbert's been playing likea locked-in QB1.
You start him, you live with theoccasional YOLO ball, and you
thank him for the points.
On the flip side, Daniel Jonesin the Berlin game, yes, he's
been awesome this season.
We all see it, but Atlantastrangles passing volume and
(58:06):
keeps everything in front ofthem.
I'm not saying bench your QBeight this season.
I'm just saying look at yourbench first and make sure you
really don't have a bettermatchup.
If you do, fine.
If not, take the 16 and move on.
(58:27):
As for running backs, this iswhere you win your week.
Kyle Manungay, Rucker's kid,versus the Giants, is the total
green light.
Even if DeAndre Swift suits up,Menungay earned work and he is
running into the league's secondsoftest run matchup behind the
(58:49):
Bengals.
Flex him with a smile, be happywhen you win your matchup.
Brees Hall, look, I love BreesHall, the player.
You know that.
But Cleveland's front eatssouls.
Okay.
Elite success rate defense,elite run fits, and now your
(59:14):
team total is basement levelbecause of the trades.
You don't have to bench him.
Volume is volume, right?
But understand that this is oneof those 16 carries for 58
yards, and you're praying for ascreen or a touchdown kind of
weeks.
(59:35):
As for wideouts, two verydifferent vibes.
Wandell Robinson versus Chicago.
Yes, please.
The Bears bleed points to slotreceivers, and Wandell basically
lives in the slot.
In a PPR, he is a borderlinewide receiver two this week.
Take that all day.
(59:57):
On the flip side, Khalil Shakir.
At Miami.
Surprisingly enough, theDolphins actually suffocate wide
receiver production, not namedrunning back angle routes.
And Shakir's usage is volatileto say the least.
(01:00:19):
If you have a set of your widereceiver three, I would think
about maybe swapping them in.
And two quick ads for this weekif they are available.
Jacoby Myers landing inJacksonville is a perfect hands
and reliability boost whiletheir wide receiver room gets
(01:00:42):
healthy.
Playable is a high floor widereceiver three.
And Rasheed Shaheed to Seattleis your boomer bust dart throw.
He's got legit lid liftingupside.
So if you need a uh 15 pluspoint in one swing guy, that's
(01:01:04):
your guy.
And as far as tight ends thisweek, well, they're both in the
same game.
Kyle Pitts against Indy andGermany is the rare lean in.
The Colts, as good as they havebeen, have quietly bled tight
end points all season.
And Pitts has lived in that likefive to eight target pocket.
(01:01:28):
You won't love it, but you'lllike it at the end of the day.
And on the other side of that,Tyler Warren versus Atlanta,
temper your expectations.
The Falcons have been nailsagainst tight ends this whole
season.
Like whole position group,nothing burger nails.
(01:01:48):
You can still roll them becausehe is a monster and special.
Just understand you're notlooking at a 15 to 18 point
week.
You're probably looking at moreof like a six to eight point
week from him.
So just temper your expectationsa little bit.
Okay, with fantasy out of theway, and hopefully you've been
(01:02:11):
doing well all year by taking myadvice.
Time to get the slips out.
Time to build that ticket.
It's time for rolling the dicewith rice.
Went 3-1 last week.
That brings our record to 18-22.
We started out 5-17.
(01:02:33):
We are slowly but surelyclimbing back.
And with nobody on a bye thisweek, I got uh I got five games
for you.
So let's kick it off right atthe top.
And the first game on my card isJacksonville at Houston.
This is about the helmets undercenter.
(01:02:56):
No CJ Shroud.
And I've seen enough Davis Millsin my life to know what it looks
like when the car seat facesbackwards.
Jacksonville just added JacobyMyers, and they've been a better
road team than people want toadmit.
The number is short.
(01:03:17):
I'm laying it.
Give me Jags minus one and ahalf.
Next on the list, Ravens addVikings.
Lamar flat out said, win out orwere out.
That's the leadership talking.
And Baltimore is built to chokethe life out of momentum teams,
(01:03:37):
especially in a letdown spot.
Minnesota had their bigdivisional chest thump last week
against the Lions.
This is where it wobbles.
I'm laying it easily.
Ravens minus four and a half.
Next game on the list, Ravens at49ers.
Don't overcomplicate this one.
Both offenses can score inbunches.
(01:04:00):
Both defenses give up explosiveplays.
And the Rams have found theirrhythm.
Puka Nakua is back.
This screams track meet.
Gimme the fireworks.
Give me over 49 and a half.
And as for the locals, Browns atJets.
The line flipped post deadline,and I get it.
(01:04:23):
You move the leaders in thefront seven, and Cleveland's
defense is a meat grinder.
But this seems like in anidentity game for Aaron Glenn's
locker room.
You've got new voices, youngplayers trying to make a name
for themselves.
They're going to sprint to theball.
And a crowd that might actuallyshow up and reward this team for
(01:04:46):
having a plan.
I'm not mad at a tiny sprinkleon the money line, but the move
here is to buy the hook, takethe cushion, and deal with the
rock fight.
Give me Jets plus three and ahalf.
And as for the Giants, Giants atBears.
(01:05:06):
Well, Chicago's offense has beenripping apart bad secondaries.
And the matchup tilts their wayagain this week, too.
Ben Johnson seems to have foundhis rhythm with Caleb Williams,
and he is always going to dialup some plays to put your
cornerbacks in a blender.
(01:05:27):
I'll ride the script and thebuilding.
Give me Bears minus four and ahalf.
If you hate the four and a half,buy it down to two and a half
and sleep like a baby.
Unfortunately, I don't see thisgoing the Giants' way, and uh
looks like another black mark onBrian Daval's ledger as Giants
(01:05:48):
head coach.
So that's this week's card.
Set smart lineups, don't chaselosses, and please, please bank
the early wins when you havethem.
On the other side, we'll buttonit up, we'll land this plane,
and we'll get you out of herewith the outro.
Thanks for sticking around.
(01:06:20):
Alright, let's land this thing.
If you stuck with me today,salute.
We covered a lot for sure.
The Jets tore it down to buildit up and for once did it like
adults.
Quiet phones, clean moves, realrunway.
I gave you both sides of thatcoin, the scars from a decade of
(01:06:42):
first-round whiffs, and thereason to believe when you've
got the ammo, the cap, and aplan, they can make things
happen.
Giant fans, we kept it honest.
Dable C is hot, the record iswhat it is, and the mission now
is simple.
Track Jackson Dart's growth andsee if that defense keeps
(01:07:04):
fighting.
As for hoops, the garden feelslike home again.
Big cat playing hard, Brunsonpiloting the offense, OG in
rhythm, and Mitch bulldozing theglass.
Your poll said finals, and foronce it didn't feel crazy.
Baseball was tight butnecessary.
Mets start with an ace hunt,scoobal or a creative pivot,
(01:07:29):
lock in Diaz at a sensiblecontract, and be adults about
Pete.
And stop letting good coacheswalk to Atlanta.
As for the Yankees, answer yourown test.
Who's at first?
What's at second?
Who's in center field?
And how serious are you aboutStar Bats right now?
(01:07:49):
For the fantasy heads, we setyour lineups, and for the
gamblers, this slip is posted.
Jags minus one and a half,Ravens minus four and a half,
Rams over 49, Jets plus threeand a half, and Bears minus four
and a half.
Don't chase shop numbers, besmart.
Wednesday mic check rolls everyweek.
(01:08:12):
If you want your take right onair, make it sharp.
Sign your name to it too.
If you dug the episode, do methe two-tab favor.
Follow the Instagram.
It's at Rice on the Radio.
And rate and review the pot.
Share it with that one groupchat that still argues about
whether the Bills can beat theChiefs in January.
(01:08:34):
It does a lot more than youthink, and it really helps the
show.
New episodes every Fridaymorning, reels and picks
throughout the week, but that'sgonna be it for me.
Hydrate for some brunch ball inBerlin in the morning.
Be good to each other and spreadgood energy in this world.
Make sure you tell somebody youlove them today.
(01:08:56):
I am Ian Rice, this has beenRice on the Mics, and I'll catch
you next week.
Same time, same place.
We are free from the kickoff in Jack because we are
back at 9 30 a.m.
kickoff life this weekend.
If you're new here, I'm IanRice.
Welcome to Rice on the Mics.
This is episode 38.
The only show where New YorkSports feels like a group chat
that you actually want to be apart of.
(00:46):
Let's talk about the headlinesfirst.
The Jets blew up your timelineand for once maybe did the right
thing.
Sauce to Indy, went into Dallas,draft capital stacked to the
ceiling, and somehow, miracle ofmiracles, none of it was leaked
until it was done.
I got context, I got why itmakes sense.
I'm giving you the rant, butwith some hope.
(01:09):
And I've got your poll receiptson the matter too.
Consider this my burning memoment.
Once again, I am asking you tobelieve.
I'll lay out why keeping Breeswas right and what the cat
picture looks like goingforward.
Giant fans, your turn.
Dable seat, warm to say theleast.
We're gonna lay out the recordsince year one and why it's fair
(01:29):
to be skeptical.
And then we'll pivot into whatmatters for the rest of the
season.
Jackson Dart's growth andwhether this defense actually
wants to play for Dable or not.
We'll hit a quick week ninerewind.
Carolina shocking Green Bay,Bills over the Chiefs in the
regular season again.
And Sunday Night Football in DC,where Jaden Daniel's elbow
(01:49):
turned a bad night into a badmonth.
Then we're peeking ahead to somegames in week 10 you should keep
your eye on.
Knicks, folks, come on, come sitdown.
Three big home wins.
Big cat handled his business.
Brunson's cooking, Mitchvacuuming up the glass, and your
pulse as the ceiling is movingup.
A fold and a sharp mailbag takeabout adding another center and
(02:11):
what kind actually makes sensefor this team before we do a
quick lap around the MLB freeagency openings, the qualifying
offers dished out, the Metscoaching exodus to Atlanta, and
the Padres losing Darvish for2026.
We'll close the show with thefantasy and rolling the dice
with rice segment for week 10.
Plus, media and money, ESPN'sDraftKing deal, and why the
(02:36):
optics matter.
Got a lot to cover.
So let's do it to it.
So let's just get right into itwith the NFL.
The New York Jets didn't justmake noise this week.
(02:57):
They changed course of the NFL.
Sauce Gardner to the Colts,Quentin Williams to the Cowboys,
Michael Carter has already beenshipped off to the Eagles.
Quincy Williams got benched, andnot one peep of it was leaked
until the paperwork cleared.
And here's why that matters.
(03:20):
Finally, finally, we're seeing agrown-up building and a tight
lip organization.
As far as the Quinning trade,reports came out that when it
got real, he was going to bemoved.
(03:43):
So that means two things.
One, that they had multipleoffers for big Q, which no one
knew about, and two that theyfinally had some respect for a
player who's been here for along time and actually granted
him his wish.
(04:04):
The building kept it in-houseand actually honored it.
This is exactly what you need tostart repairing your reputation
with players around the leagueand make your organization more
appealing to play for, to makepeople want to come play for the
Jets.
(04:25):
So here is the big picture ofwhy this works.
So the Jets have now convertedtwo defensive cornerstones into
a long-term runway for this newregime.
You now have five first roundersacross the 2026 and 2027 drafts
(04:51):
and extra day two ammo, which isequally important if you plan on
throwing that in to sweeten adeal on a trade.
Not to mention you've givenyourself a lot of cap
flexibility.
And a lot of fans are asking,well, why did you pay sauce in
(05:12):
the first place if you weregoing to trade him anyway?
Well, the sauce extension wasstructured light on early cash
with rolling guarantees for thisexact opportunity.
Look, if you started hot earlyand won some games and actually
looked like a team that couldmaybe make some noise, well then
(05:35):
great, you got sauce locked upfor the next four years at a
pretty decent contract.
But if everything falls apartlike it has, come trade
deadline, he now becomes amovable blue chip asset because
of said contract extension.
And it turns into money clearedoff of your books.
(05:58):
As far as moving QuinnenWilliams, this was a move that
no one really saw coming.
A lot of people, a lot of theexperts, I should say, we're
talking about Jermaine Johnsonand yada yada yada, but no one
really had Quinnen getting movedon their radar.
And to be honest, the Cowboysare drunk for the offer that
(06:21):
they gave us.
But fine.
This now avoids the inevitablequote more guarantees stare down
that was going to come fromQuinnen this offseason in a
season that was going nowhere,and if he was going to be part
(06:42):
of this defense moving forward.
The net, you got picks, you gotcap space, and for the first
time in a long time, you got aquiet organization.
Real G's move in silence likelasagna, right?
(07:04):
The poll this week echoed thesame vibe from you guys, too.
Fine with the rebuild, beat outthose were the guys to build
around by a landslide.
And most of you graded that thesauce deal was that the Jets
fleeced the Colts or it was fairvalue.
That's not delusional.
That's appetite for a reset donethe right way.
(07:27):
And that's instilling confidencein a new regime that most people
wanted fired right away.
And as far as keeping BreesHall, if you've been listening
the last couple weeks, you knowthat I think that this is the
right decision.
Uh, you don't trade one of yourbest offensive players for a
(07:47):
mid-round shrug with the capspace you have now acquired, you
have now shown your hand, andBrees now becomes the bridge for
whoever the next quarterback is.
If you go with a rookie thisyear or next year, fine.
If you leverage all these picksand try to pry a franchise
(08:10):
quarterback away from anotherteam, i.e.
Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson,fine.
But regardless of who it is, youwant him aligned to a real skill
player on day one.
And the combination of BreesHall and Garrett Wilson and this
ever-growing offensive line isexactly how you build a team for
(08:36):
success.
Now, because of who you tradedaway, that doesn't exactly make
Sundays in the near futurepretty to watch.
But at least there seems to be auh long-term plan in place, or
at least some sort of plan inplace.
(08:56):
And now, to be fair, there isalways two sides of the coin.
And I will give you the rantfrom both sides because both can
be true when it comes to being aJet fan.
The pessimistic rant.
(09:39):
And just to bolster thisargument, from the Rex Ryan era
on, here's a graveyard roll callwith a couple bright spots of
first-round draft picks.
2009, Mark Sanchez, AFCChampionship Games, great, but
he was never really the guy.
2010, Kyle Wilson.
(10:01):
Depth, I guess, but not theimpact corner he was supposed to
be.
2011, Mohammed Wilkerson, greatto start.
Got paid, fizzled out.
2012, Quentin Koppels, miss.
2013, D.
Milner and Sheldon Richardson,both pretty much a miss.
Sheldon was tough, but neverlived up to it.
(10:23):
2014, Calvin Pryor, miss.
2015, Leonard Williams, good,but moved on, nothing great.
2016, Darren Lee.
Huge miss.
2017, Jamal Adams.
Best thing to come out of himwas uh the haul that we got from
Seattle for him.
2018, Sam Darnold.
Couldn't develop him.
(10:44):
What else is new?
And now he's killing it.
2019, Big Q, Quinny Williams,stud, a rare hit for this
franchise, but just got traded.
2020, Mikhail Becton, Highway77, showed flashes, but always
hurt.
2021, Zach Wilson and ElijahVera Tucker.
Zach Wilson is now the backup toTua Tungo Valua, and AVT, as
(11:08):
much as we love them, can neverstay healthy.
2022, this is where it turnedaround.
Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson,and Jermaine Johnson all in the
first round.
Offensive rookie of the year,defensive rookie of the year,
and a current solid buildingpiece.
Well, you just traded one ofthem away and you're starting to
build around the other.
2023, Will McDonald, he showedsome promise, had 10 sacks last
(11:32):
year.
We'll see how it goes.
2024, Ole Fashion, solid lefttackle.
And this year, 2025, ArmandMemou, solid left tackle, turned
into a right tackle, also looksdominant.
So going all the way back to2009, realistically, you've hit
on six, five draft picks in thefirst round.
(11:59):
That's why the fans are gun shy.
Overall, there is a lot more badthan there is good in those
draft classes.
And that's what I've beengetting all week.
Saying I've seen this moviebefore, I've read this book
before.
And I get it.
It's tough to be a Jet fan.
(12:21):
Hell, it's not tough.
It's damn near impossible atsome points.
But there are two sides to everycoin.
And the optimistic rant, theother side of this, and where I
personally fall on this massiveoverhaul trade deadline.
(12:54):
Look, the way I see it, thisleague reshuffles fast.
The AFC is a gauntlet of goodteams, but it's also hinting at
an arms race to shake things upa little bit.
And if you want to be at the bigboy table, you need to make big
(13:15):
boy moves.
And in this pending arms race,well, guess what?
The Jets have now stockpiled themost ammo.
If this new regime hits on aquarterback this draft and adds
in some depth, this goes frommisery to menace in 24 months.
(13:38):
If they don't like anyone thisyear and want to posture
themselves to maybe draft ArchManning next year, maybe he
looks good, then so be it.
If they want to package allthese picks for a monster like
Joe Burrow behind an actual goodoffensive line, then so be it.
(14:02):
Regardless of whatever way theygo, there seems to be a plan.
There seems to be some hope.
And there seems to be a trueculture change brewing at
MetLife, which is what we talkedabout from the moment they hired
Aaron Glenn.
From that Bill Parcell'sdiscipline, that get with it or
(14:27):
get on movement, that clearinghouse movement, that culture
change that you're either withme or against me.
Kind of ideal.
A quiet front office, cap spacecoming, with the cap going up,
(14:47):
by the way, and multiple routesto go and get your guy at
quarterback, whether it be draftor veteran.
Once again, I am asking you tobelieve.
Once again, I am asking you todo the unthinkable and put some
hope in the Jets franchise.
Woody will always be there, andWoody will always be a mess.
(15:10):
But Muji and Glenn, I don'tknow, man.
SPEAKER_00 (15:15):
You're starting to make me believe.
You're starting to make me feelgood about it that there's
actually something to do here.
SPEAKER_01 (15:23):
Anyway, all right.
I know I'm delusional.
It's fine.
While I'm on the Jets, let'spreview this week's game.
Uh pre-deadline, the Jets wereminus two and a half.
Then post-deadline, the Jets arenow plus two and a half.
I get it.
I get why you moved leaders inthe front seven, and you're
(15:44):
facing one of the league'snastiest defenses.
I mean, Miles Garrett is playingout of his mind, and it doesn't
really bode well for Brees Hallor Justin Fields this week.
But this is uh this is a pridegame for Aaron Glenn's locker
(16:05):
room.
You got some new voices now ondefense, some new voices that
can be heard, some opportunisticball.
And honestly, a stadium that'sthere's gonna be some fans there
ready to back a reset if thisteam actually shows out with a
little bit of effort.
It honestly wouldn't shock me ifthe Jets steal it here.
(16:28):
At minimum, I think you'll see adefense flying to prove a point,
showing that they uh believe inAaron Glenn's message and
actually want to play for him.
Now.
Enough of the green and white,time to get to the blue and
white.
Giants time.
(16:48):
And Brian Dable's seat isn'tjust warm, it is scorching hot.
After last week's loss, peopleare really starting to dig into
his record over the last fouryears, and it just keeps
trending the wrong way.
You had a year one high, went tothe playoffs, won a playoff game
(17:10):
that was against the shittiestMinnesota team I've ever seen in
my life, and they got blown outby the Eagles, then six and
eleven, then three and fourteen,and now you're two and seven.
The poll that I put out thisweek on the Instagram was loud.
Patience is fading with BrianDayball, and it's a fair
(17:35):
conversation.
It's a fair conversation tohave.
You were billed as thequarterback whisperer and the
guy that turned Josh Allen towhat he was, and then you took
over Daniel Jones, and it lookedgood to start, and injuries
aside it looks so much worse onyou now that he's flourishing
(18:02):
with the Colts because what arethey getting out of him that you
couldn't?
And now you lucked into JacksonDart who you deemed was your
guy, and he looks good, but healso looks reckless.
And that's something that youneed to teach out of him in
(18:26):
these next ten games, ninegames, whatever's left.
You need to teach him how to benot just a daring quarterback,
which he already is, but a smartquarterback.
Make the throws, don't dive headfirst, um read the defense
(18:48):
better, you know, make thepre-check calls.
That's what Giant fans need tobe looking for for the rest of
the season.
They need to be paying attentionto Jackson Dart's growth, his
processing on the money downs,his middle of the field throws,
(19:09):
how to handle play action, andhow many carries he's getting
week to week and when he shouldslide.
The other thing the Giant fansneed to be paying attention for
is whether the defense keepsplaying for the staff or just
starts giving up and leaking outexplosive plays.
If the defense fights even whenthey're down, you'll learn
(19:32):
something real about that room.
You'll learn that they actuallydo care about what Dayball or
even Wink says.
But in the coming weeks, if youstart going against opponents
and you put up 14 points becauseof Jackson Dart being the hero
that he is, but the defensegives up 37, they gave up.
(19:54):
They don't care.
And that's how you get yourselffired.
Now the question is do you fireDable or do you fire Shane and
Dable?
When Gettelman was in here andhe was the GM, he was able to
hire Pat Schirmer and thatdidn't work, and then he was
(20:14):
able to hire Joe Judge, and thatdidn't work out great.
So does Joe Shane get the sameopportunity of hiring a coach
the first time and now hiring asecond coach?
Or do you just clear housecompletely?
Both New York teams are not ingreat spots here, but good in
(20:38):
their own right.
Giants look like they have foundtheir quarterback, and the Jets
have now acquired enough ammo togo get their quarterback,
hopefully.
But it's important to see the uhforest through the trees here.
Both franchises are still not ingood places.
(21:02):
So, now with all the uh doom andgloom out of the way for the
local teams, let's do a littleuh week nine rewind.
Uh a couple games that matteredlast week that you might have
missed.
First on the list, Panthers,Packers, Panthers getting the
win in Lambeau, the big upset.
(21:25):
Rego Dattle, another full tonesetter weekend, 130 on the
ground, two touchdowns.
This is one that uh nobody hadon their list, and I'm sure
killed a bunch of parlays acrossthe whole week.
A two-touchdown dog goes intoLambeau and gets the job done on
the money line.
(21:45):
The flip side of things, GreenBay squandered red zone chance
after red zone chance, and Tad'sinsult to injury.
They lost their star tight end,Tucker Kraft, to an ACL.
He was on a pace for historictight end season.
That loss now changes how theyoperate the rest of the year.
They have a bunch of goodreceivers, but no alpha.
(22:09):
Tough sledding for the Packersgoing forward.
We'll see how it looks.
The next game on the list that Iwant to cover is Chiefs at the
Bills.
Bills pulled out 28-21.
Josh Allen was surgical 23-26with two rushing on the ground.
Just solid, clean answersagainst a rough, tough Spagnola
(22:33):
defense.
And the Bills' young DBs madeplays in space.
The regular season Buffalo overKansas City is always a bit.
It's always they're now five andoh against Kansas City in the
regular season.
But every year in January is theproblem.
(22:54):
This was a complete plan andexecution combo, and it looks
good, but when I see it in theplayoffs, I'll believe it.
Great game to watch, though.
I thought it was going to be alot more high scoring, turned
out not to be.
Credit where credit's due.
Lastly, uh Sunday nightfootball.
(23:15):
Seahawks commanders.
This was a complete route by theSeahawks.
38 to 14.
Sam Darnold opened up 16 for 16with four, four, one, two,
three, four touchdowns.
Jackson Smith and Jigba justcontinues to prove why he's a
wide receiver one.
Another Ohio State product.
(23:37):
The bad part, Jaden Danielsdislocated his non-throwing
elbow late in the game when heprobably shouldn't even have
been in.
And head coach Dan Quinn ownedup to leaving him in too long,
but you know, too little, toolate.
Uh Washington's seasontrajectory now shifts hugely
(24:00):
with Mariota taking over and awide receiver room that is in
triage.
You want to uh you want to talkabout sophomore slump or
regression.
How about uh dislocating yourelbow for a sophomore slump?
(24:20):
And I root for Jaden Daniels.
I'm an LSU fan.
I I want the kid to succeed.
But man.
Not great.
He's been riddled with injuriesin his second year.
They really need to take care ofhim if they plan on competing in
the NFC East for the next 10, 15years.
Otherwise, you're looking at RG32.0.
(24:43):
So with the rewind out of theway, let's do a little uh week
10 look ahead here.
Circle these games.
These are the ones you're gonnawant to watch.
And we're starting off brightand early.
Colts, Falcons, Berlin, 9:30a.m.
Brunch ball is back, baby.
(25:06):
Sauce Gardner cleared fromconcussion protocol and is
expected to play.
DeForest Buckner did not travelwith the team.
Indy's offense has been abuzzsaw with Daniel Jones and
Jonathan Taylor and TylerWarren.
But Atlanta is nasty on the backend and suffocates tight ends.
(25:26):
The tell here will be whetherIndy can live in early down
efficiency without Buckneranchoring the other side.
And not to mention, you got twoof the best backs on the planet
with Atlanta's pass defenseleading the league and fewest
pass yards allowed.
Indy's got to live on early downefficiency if they want to win.
Otherwise, I see this being agood morning, Germany.
(25:48):
Let's run the ball game.
Next game to watch out for,Patriots at Bucks.
Tampa off the bye with a chanceto prove they're more than a
beats who they should outfit.
Mike Vrabel has that defensesolid and assignment sound.
(26:08):
They sit atop the division for areason and they didn't beat
Buffalo by accident, but theyhave been living on tight
margins.
So if Tampa can protect the balland finish its drives in the end
zone, might be a nice statementwin for them.
God forbid you let Baker get theball with three minutes down
(26:31):
three points.
Tampa might be walking out witha win.
But if they sputter, Mike Vrabelknows how to will his team to a
win.
Last game on the list, Steelersat Chargers.
Sunday night football.
The old vet versus the young gunat QB.
(26:54):
Both with something to prove.
LA is patching the edges afterlosing both tackles, which is
why they went and grabbed TrevorPenning.
And Herbert can dice you up, butTJ Watt is nothing to be messed
around with.
If Pittsburgh's rush gets homewithout sending the house, it's
a field position grind rightinto Tomlin's wheelhouse.
(27:18):
If the Chargers hit explosiveplays, stadium might get loud
and it might flip.
But if Herbert gets pressuredearly and the terrible towels
seem to make their way into LA,Chargers might be in for a rude
awakening.
So those are the games youshould keep an eye on this week
(27:39):
while your favorite team isgetting blown out.
Something you should tune into.
A couple quick hits on the otherdeals and the news that should
have been on your radar that youmight have missed.
As I mentioned, Colts go all in,traded for sauce.
They want him up immediately inBerlin.
Symbolic as much as tactical.
(27:59):
Sauce cleared protocol onThursday.
Full go target on Sundaymorning.
Cowboys had Quinton Williams andlinebacker Logan Wilson from
Cincinnati.
Clear message to fix the middlealong with Kenny Clark.
Cowboys should be much harder torun against for the rest of the
year.
Seahawks by some speed.
(28:20):
Rasheed Shaheed gives Darnold areal lid lifter and juice
returns while JSN can work overthe middle.
Jaguars also land Jacoby Myers.
Sure hands for a wide receiverroom that has been crushed by
injuries all year.
Perfect fit while they wait onhealth.
Eagles, uh Eagles being Eagles.
(28:42):
Jalen Phillips to bolster therush behind Saquon.
Jair Alexander and MichaelCarter to deepen the banged up
secondary.
Couple injuries to Cardinalsplaced Kyler Murray on IR with a
foot, but hope that he returnsin December.
I don't know if it's worth it,to be honest with you.
(29:04):
Jacoby Brissett fills in, keepsthe wheel steady while they can.
And the Jets demoted QuincyWilliams after shipping off his
brother.
And he said, quote, I am now anon-starting jet, end quote.
And that the coaches want moredownhill and better hands.
(29:25):
So rookie Kiko Mayoga is now inthe mix.
But little Q says, quote, he'splanning on working as hard as
he can to get his job back.
We'll see how that pans out forthe kid.
I'm hoping for him.
I root for him.
But that'll do it for the NFLthis week.
(29:45):
We'll weave in some fantasyangles and the roll in the dice
with rice picks later in theepisode.
For now, we're going to shiftgears into some hoops.
Big week at the garden.
Three straight at home.
Big cat handling.
His whole team.
Brunson's been dealing.
Mitch has been vacuuming upeverything.
OG has been in rhythm.
(30:07):
Mike Brown quietly tweaked somethings.
Got some mailbag questions toanswer about the Knicks.
Stick around.
We're just getting started.
Like I said, lots to cover thisweek.
Keep it right here.
(30:48):
All right, hoops time.
Pull up a chair, cause it's timeto cover the only team that
matters in New York.
Surprise, surprise, the gardenis a fortress once again.
5-0 at home now.
And this week was exactly theblueprint that I begged for
(31:10):
seven days ago last week on thispot.
It's almost like Mike Brownlistened to my show.
Play through Big Cat, letBrunson pilot, crash the
offensive glass like your lifedepends on it, and get Josh Hart
back to being the pulse of thesecond unit who can close out
(31:32):
with the starters.
Let's start off with the BullsKnicks second game.
And that was the get right gamefor them.
Brunson gave you 31.
Kat stacked a 2015double-double, and the whole gym
caught fire from three.
20 for 42 as a team.
(31:53):
You had seven guys hittingmultiple triples, and the bench
tossed in 46 points.
This has been a key theme underthe Mike Brown era that the
bench is actually contributingpoints.
Chicago came in leading theleague in three-point defense,
and we walked him straight outof that comfort zone.
(32:16):
And also a quick heart note, headmitted post-game he still
doesn't have full feeling in hisshooting hand.
Tingling, nerve damage.
Still went 14 and 9 whileplaying like a heat-seeking
missile.
That man is the definition ofculture.
So from the Bulls to theWizards, Cat becomes the big cat
(32:42):
that he's supposed to be.
Put on his big boy bib, had aseason high 33 with 13 boards.
He lived at the line and settledthe offense every time it felt
wobbly or the starters were out.
Not to mention OG gives you 16and a defensive hammer.
(33:03):
Clarkson comes off the benchgiving you 15.
Josh Hart had anotherdouble-double, giving you a 12
and 10.
The game looked like a team thatfound its base sets and just
kept stamping and stamping onthem.
Early post touches for Kat.
Brunson snaking his way to themid-range, hitting those weak
side threes, rinse, repeat, andnow for the headliner.
(33:28):
The Wolves coming into theMecca.
Big Cat's former team, JuliusRandle and Dante DiVincenzo
coming against the Knicks.
Even though this isn't the firsttime for them coming back to the
Garden, you could tell there wasstill some uh animosity in the
(33:51):
air.
And the Knicks took care ofbusiness.
Minnesota did have a halftimelead, and then the Knicks just
threw a bowling ball into any oftheir plans and took care of
business.
Which is so surprising becausethe old adage under Thibodeau
(34:14):
used to be when the Knicks cameout in the third quarter after
halftime, it was a mess.
They go 83 and 56 in the secondhalf.
They put up 40 plus in both thethird and fourth quarter.
OG drops 25.
Brunson Punchedon 23, 10, and 7,almost having his first triple
(34:34):
double.
Yeah, believe that.
And Mitch, oh Mitch.
Mitch was the sledgehammer thatdrove home the nail.
Had nine offensive rebounds byhimself and literally matched
Rudy Gobert's total rebounds onthe game.
The Knicks turned 21 offensiveboards into 31 second chance
(34:55):
points.
That is how you break a goodteam spirit.
That is how you drive it homethat you are a real contender.
And as for Big Cat, he had somecomments about seeing his old
jersey and saying he was he'sstill stunned about the trade.
(35:16):
My brother, you're here now.
You're a Nick.
You're a Jersey kid.
Bullied switches, dragged help,kicked out the shooters.
That's the job.
You are a Nick.
You are not a wolf.
Stop worrying about it.
(35:37):
Stop giving them credit.
Dragged help over.
You kicked out the shooters andyou made your threes when you
had to.
Don't worry about the wolves andyour jersey and the trade.
You're a Nick.
You're here.
Now go be a dog.
(35:58):
Go be the guy that we tradedfor.
The poll that I put out on theWednesday mic check.
Finals was the number oneanswer.
Eastern Conference Finals wasright behind it.
And the way that this team isplayed, it's not delusional.
(36:20):
That's saying that the ceilinghas moved.
Brunson is a dog.
OG is a defensive monster.
Mitch has seemed to have foundhis shot in the mid-range and
the three.
Not to mention Deuce coming offthe bench.
(36:41):
This team is deep.
This team is gritty.
And this team is dangerous.
The East is wide open.
And if they continue to playlike this for the rest of the
year, we might be walking downBroadway watching a parade.
(37:06):
Come July.
Now, sure.
Are there flaws?
Of course.
How long can Mitch stay healthy?
If needed, can Big Cat move tothe five?
How is Brunson's hand?
Is OG gonna stay healthy allyear?
(37:30):
What's Hart's role coming offthe bench?
They're still figuring it out inthe Mike Brown offense, and
there's still a lot of questionsto be answered.
But in the early returns here,they look pretty good.
But this brings me to one of mymailbag questions this week, and
(37:51):
it comes from Justin, who I knowpersonally, and I know he is
more of a diehard Knicks fanthan anybody listening to this
podcast.
So I trust his opinion when itcomes to the Knickerbockers.
But Justin asks or says, Ishould say, the Knicks need
(38:16):
another center if they want togo on a real run.
They can't rely on Mitch'shealth, and they can't rely on
Big Cat playing the five.
And he's right.
I don't hate that.
The problem is there's two pathsto that conversation.
(38:38):
So okay, fine.
We need another center.
Not that Huck Porty is bad, buthe's not good.
But if Mitch isn't healthy, whatdo we do?
Do we get let's say at thedeadline or the trade deadline,
which is in the NBA, it's alwaysa mess.
(39:01):
Do you go for a Huck Porty 2.0to just build depth?
Or do you actually go for amonster center like Rudy Gobert?
Not saying you would trade forRudy Gobert, but a true
seven-footer that's gonna bangaround in the paint.
(39:23):
Maybe Bam?
Maybe someone like ClintCapella.
I don't know.
What's the level of center thatyou're looking to trade for if
that's what you think you reallyneed?
If you want a mid-level pieceand they can fill in those eight
(39:47):
to twelve low mistake minutes,sure.
But if you want somebody to playthe five while Big Cat plays the
four, unfortunately, you'reprobably gonna have to pay up.
But realistically, that's noteven kind of really what you
need.
You really I do agree that youneed another center, but you
(40:08):
really just need like a you needa 16-minute a game bouncer.
You need a Draymond Green kindof player.
Someone who keeps you out of adrop coverage jail when Mitch is
on the bench.
And if Mike Brown keeps Hart induring those closing lineups,
(40:33):
you already have the uh therebounding connective tissue to
support that kind of profile.
The bottom line on the Knicksright now: the roles make sense,
the glass is a weapon.
Brunson is Brunson and isrunning the show.
And Kat has to keep winning hismatchups.
(40:57):
Couple all that with Mitch atthe five, and this team looks
unbeatable right now.
So just keep that formula, keepthe minutes sane for everyone so
they don't tire out later in theyear, and one more trustworthy
big body by spring, and you gotthe bones of a championship
(41:20):
level team.
Alright.
Take a breath.
We are on to the other side.
We will zip through some MLBfree agency openings, some
qualifying offers, and how theMets might have just
single-handedly given the Bravesthe best staff they've had in
(41:45):
years.
Then after that, we will hit youwith some fantasy angles and the
rolling the dice with rice picksfor week ten.
Keep it right here.
Honey more, you're gonna want tohear.
(42:23):
It's off season, and free agencyhas just opened up today.
So a bunch of qualifying offerswent out to some pretty nameable
names.
Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber,Fran Bravdez, Dylan Sees, Ranger
(42:45):
Suarez, Zach Gallen, ShotaIminaga, Michael King, and yes,
Edwin Diaz for the Mets.
Most of these guys are gonnatest free agency anyway.
The qualifying offer is just away to get a draft pick back for
(43:06):
any of the teams that they wereon if they go to sign somewhere
else.
But I really want to get intothe Mets here.
And this part isn't optional.
You start this winner off byplanting an ace at the top of
(43:27):
the rotation.
And the cleanest path is TariqScooba.
You call Detroit every singlemorning, and you pay the price
if it's in the realm of sanity.
It's definitely gonna cost you alot.
At least a real headliner, anMLB ready arm, and probably a
(43:54):
solid AAA prospect, but that'swhat needs to get done.
You don't win these trades withleftovers, and Scoobul changes
the room, the schedule, andhonestly, how often your bullpen
has to play hero ball.
(44:14):
If, and it's a real if, theTigers wall you off.
There are other aces out there,but they come with uh a little
bit of pain or politics.
You can go after SandyAlcantara, but you're gonna have
to pay the indivision tax.
(44:37):
You're gonna have to give up aheavy prospect or three, but he
is a true horse and he's underteam control for the next like
three years.
You'd overpay on principle andjust deal with it.
The next guy on the list wouldbe Mackenzie Gore, also in
division tax from the Nationals.
(45:00):
He's still ascending, reallycoming into his own, nasty from
the left side.
The cost could be enormous, butthe timeline fits your win now
window.
And lastly, would be HunterGreen from the Reds.
He's got elite stuff, he's undercontrol, he's a strikeout
(45:24):
machine.
The price would probably be ayounger core premium, because
the Reds are trying to buildstill.
They want to pair somebody withEllie, and they're not gonna pay
anybody anytime soon.
So I think uh that could be avery, very solid option if Scuba
(45:49):
falls through.
The bottom line, however you doit, you need to get a real
number one.
You need to get the ace.
Then backfell innings and someleverage.
This is a good transition to oneof the mailbag questions I got
(46:09):
this week because the questionwas if you are the GM of your
favorite team, what is arealistic move that you want to
do?
And TJ wrote in and said, Let'stalk money in Queens.
First off, Edwin Diaz at threeyears, 66 million, and then Pete
(46:33):
Alonzo at five years, 180million.
Well, on Edwin Diaz, just sowe're all speaking the same
language and understandingwhat's going on here, he just
opted out of the last threeyears of his deal that would
have paid him 15, 16, and 17million after making 21 million
(46:58):
this season.
So a three-year 66 milliondollar deal puts him at about
around a 22 million AAV.
So you're essentially keepinghim at the very top of the
closer market through age 35,which is exactly where he's
(47:21):
already been living.
If you want the number to rhymewith what he just made, maybe
make it three for 63 at 21million AAV.
Either way, you're paying forleverage and you're paying for
certainty in the ninth.
(47:43):
And it lets you stack two morelate inning weapons without
turning every win into a bullpenhigh wire act.
Now, as far as Alonzo, fiveyears, 180 million, it's a
different story.
If you land the ace in Scuble,you're gonna have to pay him
(48:10):
pretty much right away.
And he is two years younger thanMax Fried, who just got an
eight-year, two hundred andeighteen million dollar deal.
So you're realistically probablygonna look at eight years two
thirty, two forty.
(48:32):
I think uh every player knowsthat Steve Cohn is rich, so
they're gonna hold out for more.
Either way.
If you land the ace and you wantto re-sign Pete, and it's five
years one eighty.
(48:56):
I I would say I'm good with it.
Uh, I would front load the twofirst years while the World
Series window is open and loud.
Maybe bacon a club option orsome escalators slash incentives
(49:19):
to maybe protect the back end.
But knowing last year andknowing Pete, something tells me
he's going to really try andforce his hand, maybe to his own
detriment, too.
He might really screw his ownmarket and then come crawling
(49:43):
back to the Mets like he didlast year.
Look, if you miss on the ace, Itry to keep Pete, but I am also
not afraid of pivoting to acheaper on base percentage plus
damage bat and reallocate thecash that we would have given
(50:09):
him into two arms and a uh plusdefender up the middle.
I'd love to see Pete finish hiscareer in a Mets uniform, but
when push comes to shove, I'dmuch rather see the Mets win a
World Series than appeasing a uhhomegrown legend.
(50:32):
The scoobal domino decides howaggressive you should be.
That needs to happen first, andthen we'll let the chips fall
where they may.
Couple other Mets notes that arejust terrible, in my opinion.
(50:52):
You fired your whole staff, andthen two of your best staff
members went directly to a hateddivision rival in the Braves.
The Braves have hired JeremyHefner and the first base coach,
(51:13):
Anton Richardson, who helpedsupercharge Juan Soto's base
stealing, and Jeremy Hefnerbefore this year was known
throughout the league for fixingeverybody's mechanics.
That's not just optics, that'spitcher dev and base running IQ
(51:34):
walking to a rival.
Not great.
I wouldn't be surprised if Akunasteals 80 bags next year.
So if you're a Met fan, ifyou're the Mets organization,
how do you get better?
What's what's your to-do listthis month?
Well, first and foremost, theScoobyl pursuit at all costs.
(52:01):
And if you can't get the dealdone, you need to go after
Mackenzie Gore, Hunter Green,Elkantara, shit, Paul Skeens, I
don't care.
But you need a top of therotation number one ace.
After that, you close Diaz andmaybe even add a heavy sinker
(52:24):
setup to keep you out of thehome run trouble.
Then you need to decide onAlonzo by at least Christmas.
You need to structure it to winnow and protect later, or move
on completely and try to find120 ribbies in your lineup.
(52:45):
Then you gotta add uh 160 plusinnings in uh mid-rotation
players and replace the stafflosses with uh specialists,
pitching lab, base running,matchup X and O's, all that
(53:07):
stuff.
The Mets have their work cut outfrom.
You know who else has their workcut out from?
The Yankees.
The Yankees have a big Rubik'sCube to solve this offseason.
First off, first base.
Who's the everyday?
Are we rolling with Ben Rice?
(53:28):
Are we moving Bellinger?
Are we teaching Judge to playfirst?
Do you raid the Mets for Alonzo?
If not, what's plan B?
And then in center field, whoowns it?
If you re-sign Cody Bellinger,which you should, that's the
(53:50):
cleanest fit.
But if you whiff, do you throw abag at Kyle Tucker?
Do you try and go after both ofthem?
How committed are you to buyingoffense up the middle?
And then let's say you do signBellinger or Kyle Tucker or
both.
What do you do with uh SpencerJones and Jason Dominguez?
(54:14):
What do you do with Volpe?
Do you lock him in at shortstopand buy a second base bat?
Or do you slide him in second?
Are you committed to jazz?
Does he fit your plans that youwant to do for the next three,
four, five years?
Because that's the contract he'sgoing to be looking for.
(54:37):
And also, Yankee fans, justbecause Don Maddenly shook
himself free from Toronto, spareyourself the bring in Maddenly
conversation.
Boone is already always managingunder a microscope.
(55:00):
The worst thing that you coulddo is plant a Yankee legend who
has managerial experience nextto him and just dare the back
pages to stir up a mutiny.
I know that you guys have beenclamoring for him for years and
years and years, but that is notthe move for the Yankees.
(55:25):
The last thing you need is moredrama in the club ass.
So the big picture for both NewYork clubs in this offseason.
The Mets version is buy an aceand align the roster
accordingly.
(55:46):
And the Yankees version is buycertainty at premium positions
and commit to the core.
Either way, the winter startsthe same.
Make the move that changes yourseason first, and then let the
rest cascade and figure itselfout.
(56:09):
Alright, that's the hot stove.
Scoobyl first, contingency aceson deck, and the Yankees with
more questions than lockersright now.
We'll keep an eye on anyqualifying offer ripples, but
let's win you this week rightnow.
Fantasy triage, who to start,who to sit, who to stash based
(56:33):
on best and worst matchups,little panic meter pulse check,
and then we're dealing the rollin the dice with rice card.
Jags Texans, Ravens, Vikes,Rams, Niners, and our local
picks.
Browns at Jets, Giants at Bears.
Numbers you can actually bet.
(56:56):
Top off your coffee.
We're about to set your lineupand your slips.
Keep it ready here.
Okay, now what you've all beenwaiting for.
Lineups first, tickets second.
(57:16):
Let's set the table for week 10.
Fantasy people, come closer.
Listen in.
This is the part where we winSunday at 1258.
Quarterbacks, simple and clean.
Justin Herbert againstPittsburgh is a don't overthink
it.
The Steelers are giving up acountry mile through the air,
(57:41):
and Herbert's been playing likea locked-in QB1.
You start him, you live with theoccasional YOLO ball, and you
thank him for the points.
On the flip side, Daniel Jonesin the Berlin game, yes, he's
been awesome this season.
We all see it, but Atlantastrangles passing volume and
(58:06):
keeps everything in front ofthem.
I'm not saying bench your QBeight this season.
I'm just saying look at yourbench first and make sure you
really don't have a bettermatchup.
If you do, fine.
If not, take the 16 and move on.
(58:27):
As for running backs, this iswhere you win your week.
Kyle Manungay, Rucker's kid,versus the Giants, is the total
green light.
Even if DeAndre Swift suits up,Menungay earned work and he is
running into the league's secondsoftest run matchup behind the
(58:49):
Bengals.
Flex him with a smile, be happywhen you win your matchup.
Brees Hall, look, I love BreesHall, the player.
You know that.
But Cleveland's front eatssouls.
Okay.
Elite success rate defense,elite run fits, and now your
(59:14):
team total is basement levelbecause of the trades.
You don't have to bench him.
Volume is volume, right?
But understand that this is oneof those 16 carries for 58
yards, and you're praying for ascreen or a touchdown kind of
weeks.
(59:35):
As for wideouts, two verydifferent vibes.
Wandell Robinson versus Chicago.
Yes, please.
The Bears bleed points to slotreceivers, and Wandell basically
lives in the slot.
In a PPR, he is a borderlinewide receiver two this week.
Take that all day.
(59:57):
On the flip side, Khalil Shakir.
At Miami.
Surprisingly enough, theDolphins actually suffocate wide
receiver production, not namedrunning back angle routes.
And Shakir's usage is volatileto say the least.
(01:00:19):
If you have a set of your widereceiver three, I would think
about maybe swapping them in.
And two quick ads for this weekif they are available.
Jacoby Myers landing inJacksonville is a perfect hands
and reliability boost whiletheir wide receiver room gets
(01:00:42):
healthy.
Playable is a high floor widereceiver three.
And Rasheed Shaheed to Seattleis your boomer bust dart throw.
He's got legit lid liftingupside.
So if you need a uh 15 pluspoint in one swing guy, that's
(01:01:04):
your guy.
And as far as tight ends thisweek, well, they're both in the
same game.
Kyle Pitts against Indy andGermany is the rare lean in.
The Colts, as good as they havebeen, have quietly bled tight
end points all season.
And Pitts has lived in that likefive to eight target pocket.
(01:01:28):
You won't love it, but you'lllike it at the end of the day.
And on the other side of that,Tyler Warren versus Atlanta,
temper your expectations.
The Falcons have been nailsagainst tight ends this whole
season.
Like whole position group,nothing burger nails.
(01:01:48):
You can still roll them becausehe is a monster and special.
Just understand you're notlooking at a 15 to 18 point
week.
You're probably looking at moreof like a six to eight point
week from him.
So just temper your expectationsa little bit.
Okay, with fantasy out of theway, and hopefully you've been
(01:02:11):
doing well all year by taking myadvice.
Time to get the slips out.
Time to build that ticket.
It's time for rolling the dicewith rice.
Went 3-1 last week.
That brings our record to 18-22.
We started out 5-17.
(01:02:33):
We are slowly but surelyclimbing back.
And with nobody on a bye thisweek, I got uh I got five games
for you.
So let's kick it off right atthe top.
And the first game on my card isJacksonville at Houston.
This is about the helmets undercenter.
(01:02:56):
No CJ Shroud.
And I've seen enough Davis Millsin my life to know what it looks
like when the car seat facesbackwards.
Jacksonville just added JacobyMyers, and they've been a better
road team than people want toadmit.
The number is short.
(01:03:17):
I'm laying it.
Give me Jags minus one and ahalf.
Next on the list, Ravens addVikings.
Lamar flat out said, win out orwere out.
That's the leadership talking.
And Baltimore is built to chokethe life out of momentum teams,
(01:03:37):
especially in a letdown spot.
Minnesota had their bigdivisional chest thump last week
against the Lions.
This is where it wobbles.
I'm laying it easily.
Ravens minus four and a half.
Next game on the list, Ravens at49ers.
Don't overcomplicate this one.
Both offenses can score inbunches.
(01:04:00):
Both defenses give up explosiveplays.
And the Rams have found theirrhythm.
Puka Nakua is back.
This screams track meet.
Gimme the fireworks.
Give me over 49 and a half.
And as for the locals, Browns atJets.
The line flipped post deadline,and I get it.
(01:04:23):
You move the leaders in thefront seven, and Cleveland's
defense is a meat grinder.
But this seems like in anidentity game for Aaron Glenn's
locker room.
You've got new voices, youngplayers trying to make a name
for themselves.
They're going to sprint to theball.
And a crowd that might actuallyshow up and reward this team for
(01:04:46):
having a plan.
I'm not mad at a tiny sprinkleon the money line, but the move
here is to buy the hook, takethe cushion, and deal with the
rock fight.
Give me Jets plus three and ahalf.
And as for the Giants, Giants atBears.
(01:05:06):
Well, Chicago's offense has beenripping apart bad secondaries.
And the matchup tilts their wayagain this week, too.
Ben Johnson seems to have foundhis rhythm with Caleb Williams,
and he is always going to dialup some plays to put your
cornerbacks in a blender.
(01:05:27):
I'll ride the script and thebuilding.
Give me Bears minus four and ahalf.
If you hate the four and a half,buy it down to two and a half
and sleep like a baby.
Unfortunately, I don't see thisgoing the Giants' way, and uh
looks like another black mark onBrian Daval's ledger as Giants
(01:05:48):
head coach.
So that's this week's card.
Set smart lineups, don't chaselosses, and please, please bank
the early wins when you havethem.
On the other side, we'll buttonit up, we'll land this plane,
and we'll get you out of herewith the outro.
Thanks for sticking around.
(01:06:20):
Alright, let's land this thing.
If you stuck with me today,salute.
We covered a lot for sure.
The Jets tore it down to buildit up and for once did it like
adults.
Quiet phones, clean moves, realrunway.
I gave you both sides of thatcoin, the scars from a decade of
(01:06:42):
first-round whiffs, and thereason to believe when you've
got the ammo, the cap, and aplan, they can make things
happen.
Giant fans, we kept it honest.
Dable C is hot, the record iswhat it is, and the mission now
is simple.
Track Jackson Dart's growth andsee if that defense keeps
(01:07:04):
fighting.
As for hoops, the garden feelslike home again.
Big cat playing hard, Brunsonpiloting the offense, OG in
rhythm, and Mitch bulldozing theglass.
Your poll said finals, and foronce it didn't feel crazy.
Baseball was tight butnecessary.
Mets start with an ace hunt,scoobal or a creative pivot,
(01:07:29):
lock in Diaz at a sensiblecontract, and be adults about
Pete.
And stop letting good coacheswalk to Atlanta.
As for the Yankees, answer yourown test.
Who's at first?
What's at second?
Who's in center field?
And how serious are you aboutStar Bats right now?
(01:07:49):
For the fantasy heads, we setyour lineups, and for the
gamblers, this slip is posted.
Jags minus one and a half,Ravens minus four and a half,
Rams over 49, Jets plus threeand a half, and Bears minus four
and a half.
Don't chase shop numbers, besmart.
Wednesday mic check rolls everyweek.
(01:08:12):
If you want your take right onair, make it sharp.
Sign your name to it too.
If you dug the episode, do methe two-tab favor.
Follow the Instagram.
It's at Rice on the Radio.
And rate and review the pot.
Share it with that one groupchat that still argues about
whether the Bills can beat theChiefs in January.
(01:08:34):
It does a lot more than youthink, and it really helps the
show.
New episodes every Fridaymorning, reels and picks
throughout the week, but that'sgonna be it for me.
Hydrate for some brunch ball inBerlin in the morning.
Be good to each other and spreadgood energy in this world.
Make sure you tell somebody youlove them today.
(01:08:56):
I am Ian Rice, this has beenRice on the Mics, and I'll catch
you next week.
Same time, same place.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!