November 16, 2025 • 53 mins
New York sports lit up like a switchboard this week, and we dig straight into the chaos. The Giants finally pulled the plug after another blown lead, and we map what that decision really says about the Jackson Dart bet, the draft capital math, and the kind of coach this roster actually needs. Over in Florham Park, a split city wrestles with Aaron Glenn’s media blackout while the locker room rallies, Garrett Wilson hits IR, and we call the verdict on Justin Fields with Tyrod Taylor hovering. We also break down the Thursday night cover and why a division dog on a short week was more than a vibe—it was value.
Zooming out, we rewind Jonathan Taylor’s Berlin takeover and the AFC shakeups that followed, then circle our Week 11 targets: Bengals-Steelers script warfare, Chiefs-Broncos as vibes vs structure, and a Lions-Eagles identity check that could swing NFC seeding. On the hardwood, the Knicks’ offense hums under Mike Brown’s pace-without-panic blueprint, but Brunson’s ankle turns the volume down. We talk redistribution without your engine, playoff-proof habits, and why “show me in May” is the right tension for a contender that wants its style to survive whistle-swallowing.
Baseball ties it together with MVP and Cy Young clarity: Judge and Otani’s value in plain numbers, and why the offseason is about making your star matter in October. We examine the Cy Young economics that separate windows from mirages and argue for Pittsburgh to keep and pay Paul Skenes. Then it’s fantasy triage—avoid landmines, buy usage, stash roles—and a betting card built on pace, yards after catch, and script-locked volume, including two totals we love and a Jalen Warren prop. Tap play, hit follow, and drop a quick review to boost the show. What move would you make first: hire the hotshot coach, bench the QB, or pay the ace?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Eli siis mun.
(00:19):
Carlin Killer woke you up andJonathan Taylor fucking back in.
Coffee in one hand, phone in theother, 244 yards and three TDs
from JT overseas.
Danny Times or Indiana Jones, ashe's now known, was running
point like it was a seven onseven.
If your fantasy day was settledbefore brunch, either you were
(00:41):
peacocking all day, or you weremapping out a 4 p.m.
bar crawl.
What's going on?
I am Ian Rice.
This is episode 39 of Rice onthe Mics, and we'll get into the
Giants first.
A ball's out after another blowndouble-digit lead.
The mic check poles lit it up.
Most of you said long overdue,but I got a thoughtful note from
(01:02):
a non-Giants fan who said heshouldn't have been fired at
all.
We'll unpack that and we'll getinto what type of coach you guys
actually want next.
Culture guy, old vet,specialist, or even a hot young
stud.
Jets fans, come on in and have aseed too.
Garrett Wilson to the IR, AaronGlenn's injury blackout has the
(01:22):
city split.
Half of you said it protects theplayers, the other half said it
has a bad look here.
We'll touch on that.
Rewind the Browns rock fight.
And talk about Justin Fields'leash with Tyrod warming up in
the shadows.
And yes, Thursday Night Footballis going on as I'm recording
this, and my pick is already onthe board.
Trust me, I've got plenty ofthoughts.
(01:44):
Hoops-wise, the offense has beenhumming for the Knicks, but
after the Magic Loss, the Knicksare now 7-1 in the garden.
And now it's a grade one anklescreen for Brunson.
He's out this Friday andday-to-day moving forward.
The vibe check came back as showme the offensive main, just
edging out the undefeatedswagger.
So we'll thread that needle oncewe get there.
(02:05):
For my baseball heads, stickaround.
The votes are in for MVP and CyYoung.
I'll let you know who won what,plus what it means for the
off-season chessboard.
Then we'll end the plane withfantasy.
A couple lineup landmines toavoid, a few buy lows to steal,
and the gambling segment,rolling the dice with rice.
Two totals I like, a prop betthat I love, and both local
(02:27):
games.
And yes, the heater has beenreal after that 5-17 start.
We're now looking at 22 for 23.
So lock in, turn the volume up,tell a friend to pull up a
chair.
It's time to talk some sports.
Let's do it to it.
(02:48):
Tranquility base here.
The Eagle has landed.
Alright, well, let's dive rightinto it and start with the major
headline this week.
And we'll start with the Giantsbecause the Giants did the New
York Jet thing.
And that is fire the coachmidseason and hope for the best.
Dayball is now gone afteranother blown double-digit lead.
(03:13):
And our Mug Check poll this weekbacked it up.
Long overdue, took it by alandslide.
But I uh I did get a DM from anon-Giants fan that actually
said I should have included ashouldn't have been fired option
on the poll.
And I asked him, I said, Soyou're saying that Dayball
(03:34):
shouldn't have been fired?
And he said, and I quote, thatthe firing was premature.
And then he went on to say thatDayball pushed his chips all in
on Dart, and it actually workedout.
And Scatabow flashed before hegot hurt, and with neighbors on
ice, that there is a core if youcan bridge it right.
(03:56):
His biggest gripe was that theyshould have never let Russ see
the field again, that theydidn't go to Jameis when Dart
went down.
And now we get the answer key inreal time.
Russell Wilson is now benched,and Jameis is getting the start
this week since Jackson Dart isout with concussion.
(04:19):
So we'll see if there's any gasleft in that tank.
We'll see if uh he's planning oneating any W's anytime soon, or
he throws for three touchdownsbut four interceptions.
Also, be honest.
How would this fan base feel ifDart never came in and Wilson
just continued to play thiswhole time?
(04:41):
I mean, you're two and eight, sothe record is probably the same,
maybe worse, but if he doesn'tplay, all the hope that he has
given you moving forward forthis franchise is null and void.
And that's what matters heregoing forward.
(05:03):
The moral victories, I guess.
The hope for the future, thehope.
Look, you find yourself in theopposite position of the Jets.
No draft picks because youtraded some away to go get the
kid, but it looks like you foundthe kid.
(05:25):
Found the guy that's gonna leadyour franchise for the next, you
know, hopefully 10-15 years.
As for what's next, coachingwise, well, that's a whole
nother story.
Uh our poll that we put outleaned towards that you guys
want a young hotshot over thequote unquote culture guy.
(05:49):
So basically that tells me thatyou guys want edge and ideas,
not a resume, which hasn'tworked for the Giants as of
late.
Joe Judge, Brian Dable, youknow, they were all the new
young hot shots.
If a guy like Mike Tomlin opensup, you take him.
(06:12):
Kafka holds the wheel for now,and if things look good, there
could be a chance that he keepsthe job, but this team is still
a mess.
There's no kicker.
The defense continues to looklike it quits in the fourth,
which, by the way, the defensivecoordinator was a day bull guy.
(06:35):
And for God's sake, someone hasto teach Jackson Dart that every
rushing play isn't going to winhim the Super Bowl.
They've been in just about everygame, too, which is like the
most maddening thing if you're aGiants fan.
Like, at least when the Jets getblown out, they get blown out.
Or they keep the box scoreclose, but it was never as close
(06:57):
as it finished.
Giant fans have been in everygame.
Realistically, they might theymight be five and five if they
held on to some of these games.
Maybe even six and four.
The division is terrible.
We could be mid-November talkingabout the Giants have a chance
at the division, but insteadwe're two and seven and going
(07:20):
nowhere fast.
But Giant fans, keep the lightson.
There is hope.
The schedule going forward isbrutal.
So, you know, take it with agrain of salt.
But right now you should belooking for the microwins.
While also being able to see theforest through the trees and
(07:42):
knowing that you might have yourquarterback of the future, and
you hope he develops more andmore and more.
Now, on to the Jetsies.
Jets time.
And even with the two-game winstreak, it is not pretty.
(08:03):
Garrett Wilson, after he justgot back, goes down in the
Browns game, and now isofficially landed on the IR.
A real gut punch because at thedeadline, they weren't just
active in selling their players,they were active in making some
moves for the future, and theydid their best to bolster this
(08:27):
wide receiver room at least alittle bit.
I mean, you finally added someactual NFL talent with John
Michi and Adonai Mitchell.
The problem is it's not likeJustin Fields has any idea how
to throw a guy open or evenactually even throw the ball.
But I do wish we got to see amonth of that trio together.
(08:49):
Look, worst case, those twowould have taken some
distraction off Garrett, who hasshown that he has elite
separation, and maybe thepassing game could have turned
into something, but we won'tknow till end of December or the
new year when Garrett comesback, if he even comes back for
(09:11):
the year.
Now, as for the coach, well, itdoes look like these guys are
starting to buy in to whateverhe's selling.
After that Browns win, I saw alocker room video of A.
G addressing the team and givingout game balls and hyping the
boys up, and when they all gavetheir speeches, the team
(09:34):
couldn't look happier or speakabout the process in a better
light and how they're all goingthrough the same thing together.
It's amazing the deodorant thatwinning provides.
I mean, this team is two andnine, two and eight now, but
(09:57):
after the win, the guys cametogether like they just won the
biggest game of their life, andthe media was happy, and this,
that, and the other.
Which my next talking point,Aaron Glenn in the media.
Glenn at the podium has been anightmare, to say the least.
(10:21):
He's doing this injury blackoutand a vendetta against the
media.
So I ran a poll, put it out, andyou guys were kind of split on
it.
Half of you voted protects theplayers, and it barely edged out
that it's a bad look in NewYork.
And both things can be true.
(10:43):
Look, I understand being BillParcells.
I understand being BillBelichick, going that route of
keeping everything close to thevest and not giving anyone any
bulletin board material.
But that really only truly workswhen you're winning games.
(11:06):
And in this media market, youkind of want to be semi-friendly
with the beat reporters.
Look, Robert Salah's biggestdownfall was that he was too
nice to everybody.
He was a player's coach, he wassweetness, he was too nice, he
was, you know, kept everybodyhappy, and everybody kind of ran
all over him, including AaronRodgers.
(11:30):
But going out of your way at thepodium to be an ass to the folks
who get paid to craft headlinesand sell papers, it's just not
smart business.
Those are the guys and girlswho, even in the dark times, if
they like you, they can spin itin a way that makes the casual
(11:53):
fans that don't see what'sreally going on behind the
scenes get behind you.
Like you don't always have to bebuddy buddy.
And personally, I love the firethat he brings.
I love that hard nose, salt ofthe earth, how's your mother?
Oomph.
(12:13):
But I only love it if ittranslates in the locker room
and on the field.
But to quote your mentor, BillParcells, you are what your
record says you are.
Right?
And right now you're two andeight.
Two and nine after the Thursdaynight game.
That doesn't cut it.
(12:34):
I'm gonna give you some slack.
You know, you're signed here forfive years.
You guys are gonna have thechance to build your team.
But uh I don't know, man.
I got some news for you.
This this media vendetta and thelike vitriol that you have
(12:55):
towards them, I don't know ifit's an act and you're a nice
guy, or you're really just adick like that, it's not gonna
play unless you start winning.
So you need to start winning.
And speaking of on the field andwinning, the jury has now
officially deliberated on JustinFields.
(13:18):
Look, he was on thin ice before.
Now it is official.
He is just a running backpretending to be a quarterback
under center.
He might be the worst playerI've seen under center in a Jets
uniform, and I've watchedChristian Hackenberg take seven
sacks in one game, and the backof the New York Post headline
(13:38):
was Christian Sackenberg.
I mean, he can barely read adefense.
His speed is great, but it'suseless when they stack the box.
His throwing mechanics areterrible, and he holds on to the
ball way too long.
I honestly believe he's neverthrown a guy open in his life,
which is a huge thing at the NFLlevel.
(14:01):
This isn't school yard, you runleft, you run right, you run
deep.
When you're watching the game,if you see a man open on the
screen and the ball hasn't beenthrown already, it's too late.
At this level, corners andsafety close way too fast, and
only elite level arms can sneaka ball in that type of a window.
(14:24):
Which, spoiler alert again,Justin Fields doesn't have an
elite level arm.
The Browns game was won by thespecial teams and a screen to
Brees, not the passing game.
Tyrod is basically the cursorhovering over the replace
quarterback button in Madden.
(14:48):
One more stagnant night, and theclick is coming.
But the problem with that isTyrod Taylor is the player of
yesteryear.
He's not even the guy that wasstarting over Justin Herbert
with the Chargers when we whenthe when the Chargers were in
San Diego.
He's a shell of a shell ofhimself.
(15:12):
With Adonai Mitchell active, Imean, at least you've got one
clean speedster and someone tobuild a plan around on a short
week.
The Thursday night footballpick'em pole leaned toward Jets
plus 12 and a half.
The line eventually went up to13 and a half, and then
(15:32):
eventually covered.
So philosophically, divisiondog, short week, defense that
travels, that's a real angle,and it ended up hitting.
Really, I was just hoping forthe Jets not to embarrass
themselves in prime time likethey always do.
Which they got the ball rightout of the gate, went right
(15:53):
down, took six minutes off theclock, drived for a touchdown,
and then didn't score againuntil the fourth quarter.
So they didn't embarrassthemselves, but they sure as
hell didn't prove anything.
Alright, I've uh I've had enoughwith the local embarrassment
football teams in New York.
(16:17):
Let's talk about some teams lastweek that actually did some
things in week 10.
And it starts off in Berlin at9.30 in the morning.
You might have slept in.
It's tough to catch those 9.30games, I get it.
You might not even have checkedyour fantasy lineup, and then
(16:37):
you might have woke up andseeing that Jonathan Taylor
didn't just go off, he erasedyour entire morning and made you
roll over and get back in bed.
Indy rode him like a collegebell cow.
And Daniel Jones, aka IndianaJones, kept the plane level, hit
(16:58):
Tyler Warren up the seam, didhis job, came out with a big W
against Atlanta.
It was one of the games that wefeatured last week in the look
ahead.
I thought Atlanta might put up alittle more of a fight, and they
did.
They brought it all the way toovertime, but Jonathan Taylor,
Jesus Christ, have yourself aday.
Really ruined people's daybefore they even woke up for
(17:18):
their bacon, egg, and cheese.
Down in Miami, the upset, nobodyhad stapled to their parlay,
nuked everybody's slips.
Miami beats Buffalo handily.
Talk about a trap game.
And it's a costly loss for theBuffalo Bills because they are
(17:40):
chasing New England for adivision that New England
already holds a game over them.
With New England now beating theJets on Thursday night, they go
to 9-2 in the division, and theBills have some serious ground
to make up.
And let's not forget, let's showsome love out West.
The Seattle Seahawks offensejust continues to be efficient
(18:04):
and dominant.
They didn't need 40 passes toprove anything.
Sam Darnold hit his spots.
Jackson Smith and Jigba, theleading yards receiver in the
NFL, just kept stacking.
And then the run game closed itout.
Arizona continues to not reallyknow what or who they are.
(18:25):
They're a two-man elevator.
I mean, you got Trey McBride inthe wide receiver one wearing a
tight end jersey.
And Marvin Harrison is good whenhealthy, not great, but he can
still draw moonshots.
No Kyler Murray, but JacobyBrissett seems to be alright.
(18:48):
I don't know.
They're uh Arizona's in troubleand they've been in trouble for
a long time.
So, with the games of last week,now let's go on to our week 11
look ahead.
Some of the games that youshould keep on your radar while
you're at the bar and 15 TVs areshowing eight different games.
(19:11):
First on the list, one o'clock,Bengals at Steelers.
This is a huge game in thedivision for the Steelers, but
Cincinnati has proved that theywill not roll over and die.
The offense has found a new popwith Joe Flacco, and Joe Burrow
(19:31):
is right around the corner tocome back.
Chase is still a cheat code.
Higgins can win on the boundaryif he's right.
And Chase Brown in the backfieldgives them yak.
The defense is the issue.
They have been gashed on theground, they've been gashed
through the air, they've beenkilled by tight ends.
(19:52):
That's the script for Pittsburghto win.
Play downhill, Jalen Warrenbehind the pads, a little play
action to Friarmouth.
Force Cincinnati to win ashootout on the road, maybe.
But if they can win, bigdivisional leverage game for
Pittsburgh.
This kind of feels more like a30-27 game than a 17-7 game.
(20:18):
Pittsburgh's defense has beenokay, not great.
Cincinnati's defense isliterally ranked 32.
Next on the list, Chiefs atBroncos, 425.
You've finished your 1 o'clocklunch.
You've had a couple beers.
Should I go home?
Should I not?
Nah, I think I'm going to stayfor the Chiefs Broncos game.
(20:39):
Because it's the first meetingof the year, somehow.
And it's vibes versus structure.
Mahomes is coming off one ofthose pressure-heavy, off-timing
days last week.
But Rasheed Rice is the alpha.
Hollywood is the changeup.
Sprinkle in a little XavierWorthy and some Travis Kelsey.
(21:01):
It's no wonder that they'vescored at least 28 points in
their last five games.
But Denver's defense has quietlybecome the team that makes you
color inside the lines.
If KC finds a run game, which ithas struggled to do all year,
but if they can find the rungame, it'll loosen everything
(21:21):
else up.
If they can't, don't be shockedwhen the Broncos keep a lid on
the explosive plays and theydrag you into a fourth quarter
coin flip.
Denver currently sits atop thisdivision and the Chiefs are just
one game over 500.
(21:42):
If they can get a game on theroad in Denver, this is a huge
win for them.
But if the Broncos pull this outat home, they might run away
with the division.
Last game on the list, Sundaynight football, Lions at Eagles.
This is a who are you really miccheck?
(22:03):
Dan Campbell has taken a biggerhand in calling plays moving
forward.
And Detroit's identity is theGibbs Montgomery Thunder
Lightning.
Jameson Williams is one jukeaway from a monster play.
And golf in rhythm is death by athousand eighteen-yard dig
(22:27):
routes by Amon Ra.
So how does Philly answer?
Well, when their protection isclean, AJ Brown can play
demolition derby and can flip adrive in one snap, to be honest
with you.
But if he's covered up, Devontaon the other side of him has
chunk play capability.
(22:47):
This offense for the Eagleslives on timing throws and
pounding the rock.
So if this is a track meet, AJmight be able to write the
headline.
If it's a mid-range boxingmatch, Devonta could win on
points.
If it's a brawl in a phonebooth, Saquon has the potential
to be Superman.
(23:09):
But unfortunately, that's notreally what the Eagles offense
has looked like the past coupleweeks or even this whole season.
And yet, they're still the oneseed in the NFC at 7-2 tied with
Seattle.
This is going to be a real knockthem down, throw them around,
(23:29):
see who's got that dog in themSunday night football game.
I'm actually really lookingforward to watching this.
So with the games from last weekcovered and some games to watch
this week told, a couple leaguestories that are worth a minute
or two.
The NFL put out a memo talkingabout trying to clamp down on
(23:52):
specific prop bet markets,whether it be injury adjacent
bets or officiating single playoutcomes, even trying to draw a
line in the sand with somenon-common prediction markets,
aka offshore betting sites likeCalShi and Polymarket.
(24:14):
What this really is is after theMLB and NBA headlines, the
SHIELD is fortifying theirwalls.
Practically, most legal sportsbooks were kind of already
headed there.
Philosophically, it's probablythe right call.
A good amount of betters will beupset in the future when they
(24:38):
can't bet on some random playersunder yardage to try and bet
$2,000 to make$2,100.
But from a league integritylevel, it's the right call.
And last thing before we closethis NFL segment, I ran a poll
on the Mic Check this weekasking who your MVP vote is
(25:02):
right now.
And I gave you the optionsbetween Drake May, Matthew
Stafford, Jonathan Taylor, andSam Darnold.
I was going to throw in PatrickMahomes, but I just couldn't fit
him.
And the results tilted heavytowards Jonathan Taylor.
And I get it.
He has been outrageous.
But here's the problem contextmatters.
(25:25):
No running back has won MVPsince Adrian Peterson in 2012.
And before that, it was LadanianThompson in 2006.
Look, fair or not, the awardalways leans quarterback.
Unless the running back has ahistoric year, breaks a record,
and also has a number one seedbehind him, they usually don't
(25:49):
win it.
But for Jonathan Taylor,November is resume season.
Let's see if we can keep thishistoric pace.
Let's see if he can uh chase therecord for all-time rushing
touchdowns.
Okay.
So that's the NFL.
Let's take a quick breather.
And then we're jumping into theNBA.
(26:11):
We'll touch on Brunson's gradeone angle screen, which is
great.
The Knicks' 7-1 start at thegarden.
What Mike Brown's offense lookedlike in the Nets and Grizzlies
blowouts.
And we'll go over your pollresults.
The show me in May vibe checkedging out the undefeated
(26:32):
swagger.
Knicks fans don't go anywhere.
NBA is up next.
Net fans, sorry, not much totalk about.
So from the gridiron to thehardwood, let's uh let's get
(26:54):
into some hoops because the weekat the Garden told the story in
three acts.
First act, beat up on theannoying neighbors, Knicks 134,
Nets 198, and it wasn't eventhat close anyway.
Kat put his elbow in the chestof the Nets and adds another
double-double to his resumegoing 28-12.
Brunson and OG both had 19, andBridges found his shot dropping
(27:18):
16.
The bench did what Mike Brownwants the bench to do, which is
run you off the floor.
They go on an 8-0 run before youeven blinked, and then they go
up 40 to 22 after the first.
77 points at the half.
That's now 11 straight overBrooklyn, and that's no longer a
rivalry.
Not that it ever really was.
That is now just a consistentsubscription that auto-renews to
(27:42):
lose to the Knicks every year.
Now the second act was abouthandling business.
The Grizzlies come into town, ayoung scrappy team, even with
John Morant, you know, theycould take advantage of you.
Has the potential to be a littlebit of a trap game.
And the Knicks take it easy133-120.
Brunson authors a beautiful32-10 night, while Big Cat goes
21-13, another double-double inthe books.
(28:04):
Bridges and OG with cleannights.
The Knicks rip off a 12-0 run toclose the first, and then they
come right back out with a 7-0run to start the second.
And it's another 77-pointhalftime game.
This is the Mike Brown imprintwe've been talking about.
Pace without panic.
Early threes out of the flow,Kat as a handoff hub, and
(28:28):
Brunson slicing and dicing tofind his shot.
You're seeing 77 point halvesand 130-point games tonight more
often than not this season.
And over that five-game stretch,they had three games over 130
and scored 128 in the Bulls gameearlier in the week.
The spacing is real, and thedecision tree is simple.
(28:50):
Hit the paint, kick out, findyour shot, rinse and repeat.
The third act was the realitycheck.
Orlando comes in and young,scrappy team, good playoff team.
They added some guys.
They snapped the streak.
Knicks dropped the game 124-107.
But the important headline ofthe game was Brunson rolled his
(29:13):
ankle, unfortunately, the sameone from last year that caused
him to miss some time.
The worst part is it happens inunder two minutes left in the
game, so they were pretty muchout of it.
As soon as that happened, MikeBrown cleared the bench and
seceded the loss.
So he's out Friday versus Miami.
He was in a boot and crutchesafter the game, his day-to-day.
(29:35):
That's the headline.
That's the big headline.
But the sub headline is the vibecheck poll I put out this week.
The options were Show Me and Mayor Undefeated Swagger, based
upon how we feel about thisoffense.
And Show Me and May just edgedit out a little bit, and I love
it.
That's the right tension forthis group.
You gotta enjoy the fireworks.
(29:56):
Seven and one at the garden isreal.
But if you want me to talkApril.
And May, it's the stuff that youcan bank on when the whistle
gets swallowed.
The defensive glass, theturnover control, the second and
third creator when Brunson sitsor needs a breather.
So, on that note, what does itlook like going forward without
(30:16):
JB?
Well, you don't just replace 32and 10 with one dude, right?
You gotta redistribute the job.
So you need more deuce minutesto steady in the first action.
You need more Clarkson on theball and off the ball to get
downhill.
Bridges has to be the closeoutkiller, which he usually is.
(30:36):
And OG needs to either shoot histhrees or play lockdown defense.
And more importantly, Kat needsto be the late clock pressure
valve.
He needs to be the guy that he'ssupposed to be in this offense
rolling forward.
Not to mention, if Mitch ishealthy and back, which he
rested front of the week for theback-to-back, so he should be
(30:56):
ready to go.
Him and Hart have to own theglass so you can play early
again.
Because Miami is going to tryand wall you off.
They're going to test yourpatience.
They're going to dare somebodynot named Brunson to beat them
with the smart decisions.
Hell, maybe even a little TylerKoelick action.
Let's see if Dick can play, orhe just had some flashes here
(31:18):
and there.
And I do want to go back to thisweek's tape for one more second,
just a couple things to touch onbecause it it matters for the
bigger picture.
Look, against the Nets, you sawwhat this can be with Nefloor of
space, and five guys touch it.
Seven for eleven from deep.
Everybody was eating.
The pace choking the opponent.
And against Memphis, we saw youcan build a lead with defense
(31:41):
and runs play.
They strip it, they sprint it,they stack it.
But against the magic, you sawwhat happens when the ball
sticks.
You don't win first contact atthe rim.
And you lose your engine late.
All three knights live in thisteam.
And Mike Brown's job, and he'soff to a great start, is
(32:03):
hardwiring the first two andshrinking the third.
The poll matters here.
Show me and May isn't hating,it's homework.
You've got the shooting, you'vegot the pace, you got real
grown-ups in OG, Bridges, andHart in the room.
The next layer is playoff proofplayoff proof habits.
(32:23):
Say that three times fast.
You need the late game countersthat don't start and end with
Brunson playing hero ball.
You need rebounding as afive-man religion.
And you got to keep thatturnover number boring.
Do that, and 7-1 at the gardenturns into bring anybody in here
and we'll send them home.
(32:45):
So short term, Friday is a gutcheck without JB.
I expect more quick hitter setsto get bridges, some touches at
18 feet, OG in the corners, andyeah, again, some Clarkson,
maybe some Tyler Kolick.
But I also expect Kat to be theinitiator against switches.
And I do expect Brown to leaninto the identity that built
(33:06):
those Nets Grizzly wins.
Run on the catch, pass ahead,hunt early threes before Miami
can get hands on you.
We'll see how it goes, and we'rehoping for the best.
But this team goes nowherewithout Brunson.
So let him take as long as heneeds.
We'll stack some wins.
We're better than most teams.
Let him come back healthy whenhe's ready.
Alright, Nick fans.
(33:28):
Breathe.
Hydrate.
Hell, ice your own ankle forsolidarity with 11.
We'll keep tracking theday-to-day on Brunson and the
tweaks around him as they comein.
But up next, baseball headsdon't move.
The votes are in.
MVPs and Cy Young's are on theboard.
Aaron Judge, Shohei Otani, thewhole conversation and what it
(33:50):
means for the hot stove movingforward.
Keep it right here.
Baseball's next.
Two MVPs on the board, one razorclose, and one was a layup.
Aaron Judge first, third MVP infour years, and it came in a
(34:11):
photo finish, believe it or not,over Cal Raleigh.
But the case is simple forJudge.
Batting title at 331, led thesport in OPS and WRC Plus.
And this matters, he drew an ALrecord 36 intentional walks.
Translation, teams literallychoose to put a free base runner
(34:32):
on rather than pitch to him.
And just an explainer for thestat heads and the cousins
listening in the Uber.
WRC Plus is weighted runscreated plus.
So that bakes in park and ERA.
100 is usually the leagueaverage.
150 means that you're 50% betterthan the league average, right?
(34:54):
Judge is living around 200.
So that basically means he's hitlike two guys at once in your
lineup.
For the NL Otani, yeah, we getit.
He's ridiculous.
Unanimous, yet again, four MVPsin five years.
And I'm not throwing rose petalsat his feet, but here are the
(35:15):
facts.
55 bombs, a 179 OPS, comes backto make 14 starts with a sub-3
ERA after the elbow last year.
And then to close the show, Rexit in October.
Six scoreless in the NLCS,reached base nine times in that
18-inning World Series marathonthat we all stayed up till 3
(35:38):
a.m.
for.
Look, you don't have to bepoetic about it.
The Dodgers paid$700 million fora unicorn, and they got
back-to-back Octobers that endedin jewelry.
He's just he's just better thanyour pitcher and your cleanup
hitter, and he leads off.
As for the offseason Yankeeswinter, this is the show, right?
(35:58):
Every move is judged againstJudge.
First, I think you need to makea real play to keep Cody
Bellinger lefty, runs, defends,lengthens the lineup, changes
the math around 99, can playfirst, can play left.
You know.
But the other important decisionto make is the kids.
Do you trust the farm and bringthem up to grow next to Judge?
(36:23):
Or are we finally ready topackage these prospects and move
on to some proven adults?
There is a world where you canthread it both ways.
You hold on to one or two bluechippers and then you move the
surplus, add maybe one more highon base percentage player.
But the goal isn't another greatregular season.
It's making Judge scary inOctober, not stranded and walked
(36:47):
and taken out of the game.
As for the Cy Young's, well,they tell the real offseason
story and why pitching,scouting, and development is
really the whole name of theballgame.
Paul Skeens, last year's rookieof the year, wins Cy Young at 23
years old with five years ofcontrol left.
(37:08):
That's a cheat code for a frontoffice.
Scoobyl repeats Cy Young's at 28with just one year of control
left.
An elite arm, and I would lovefor the Mets to trade for him.
But a totally different teamcalculus.
If you can grow just one scheme,you save nine figures, and you
(37:30):
set your culture and you buyyourself some time if there are
some lineup mistakes.
That's why these dudes get paidwhat they get paid.
And why player development isand always will be more
important than analytics andgoing to the binder.
Which now brings up your poll,brings us to your poll that I
(37:50):
put out this week.
And it was Pirates and Skeens.
Do you keep him because you owethe fans or do you trade him now
for the King's ransom?
And believe it or not, keep himwon by a single vote, 19 to 18.
And I'm actually with the keephim crowd.
I mean, look, unless somebodyoffers you an obscene multiple
top 50 prospects and a bigleague bat with control kind of
(38:14):
offer.
An ace in your uniform is thething that Pittsburgh's been
trying to sell for a decade.
They even offered whoever pulledthe Paul Skins one-of-one
trading card season tickets forthe next 30 years behind home
plate if you turned it in forthem to them so they could put
it on display.
Don't overthink it.
(38:34):
When the time comes, don't beafraid to open up the checkbook
for a monster of a pitcher thatyou may never see in your
franchise again.
Don't be the team that doesn'tspend.
Don't be the team that makes itwhy we have to have a salary cap
moving forward, or there's goingto be a lockout.
God, recognize your talent.
(38:55):
Pay your talent.
Enjoy your talent.
Let your fans enjoy your talent.
I guarantee if you do sell outfor him and you do pay him, that
more people will show up to thegames.
That fan base is loyal as hell.
But if they can know they canwatch schemes for the next 10
years, I bet you they'd be realhappy.
Alright, Diamond Talk is done,short and sweet.
After the break, we're divinginto some fantasy talk.
(39:18):
A couple lineup landmines toavoid.
And the roll in the dice withrice segment.
I got two totals I like.
Jalen Warren's number and thelocals leading.
Stick around.
(39:55):
We're doing two things rightnow: fixing your lineup for week
11 and setting the slips for theweekend.
Quick, sharp, useful stuff to gooff of.
We'll start with the lineupsfirst.
If you're staring at big namesand getting a little queasy, you
aren't alone this week.
Patrick Mahomes versus Denver isa real hold your nose spot.
(40:17):
He's been awesome this year, nodoubt, but that Broncos defense
is the mud.
Second fewest points to QB's,and they turned the game into a
field position math quiz.
If you got a viable pivot likeJoe Flacco at Pittsburgh this
week, I'm not entirely mad atit.
Flacco's been a top-end streamerwaiting for Joe Burrow to get
(40:39):
back, and the Steelers bleedpassing yards.
If you're playing points, notjerseys, Flacco might be the
play.
Saquon Barkley versus Detroit isanother one too.
The volume is there.
The efficiency, not so much.
And the Lions just suffocate rungames.
You can still start Saquon, buttemper your expectations a
(41:00):
little bit.
Think floor, not fireworks,right?
Derrick Henry at Cleveland, samekind of story, different helmet.
If he's not catching passes, theBrowns turn him into three yards
and a cloud of sadness as oflate.
At receiver, Debo Samuel againstMiami could be a trap.
His usage has dipped, andMiami's quietly stingy against
(41:22):
wide receivers.
Washington's likely to get runheavy without Terry.
Xavier Worthy versus Denver, Ilove the talent, but I hate the
matchup.
Broncos corner, squeeze you evenwith Sertan Hurt and the catch
point, they don't give up widereceiver touchdowns.
If you picked up K Dotten, Ilove his recent run he's been
on, but Buffalo has been a hardno on tight ends all year.
(41:45):
So if you need a plug and play,maybe think uh Jonu Smith versus
Cincy.
That kind of makes sense.
Bengals are a tight end funnel,and Jonu leads the room in
routes for Pittsburgh.
Now, some moves to make beforethe trade deadline, which are
generally this week for mostleagues.
Big names that you want to buyon that you don't really care if
(42:07):
you're going for the league andsomeone will sell to you.
First on the list is CeeDeeLamb, and that is the exact
profile you overpay for andstill feel good about it.
He's got elite share, his endzone looks are always there.
The points are coming, trust me.
Drake London is a buy, also.
The usage is alpha, thechemistry with Penix is real.
(42:29):
Jalen Waddle, same thing.
You can buy a legit widereceiver one for the rest of the
season while Miami just keepsleaning on him.
Bichon, look, if there is even asniff of a discount, you pounce
on it.
Bichon will be the running backthat will carry you into the
playoffs and win you somematchups.
(42:50):
Same thing kind of goes forJalen Warren.
The usage is there, and he's gotsome good friendly matchups
coming forward down the stretch.
The talent is nowhere near B.
But Jalen Warren could be a nicelittle cheap pickup.
If you want to buy a tight end,obviously the premium right now
is Trey McBride.
He's a league winner, period.
End of story.
Ten catches a game, always 80yards, good for a touchdown.
(43:14):
Trey McBride is a camp miss snagif someone's willing to sell
him.
And maybe a little bit on thedeeper side, a couple deeper
swings to pick up.
DK Metcalf, Tetra Toy McMillan,JJ McCarthy.
If you need a late quarterbackupside, maybe somebody's just
not performing.
Aaron Jones as a running back,he's the one that you'll feel
gross about trading for, butthen you'll look up in like
(43:36):
three weeks and he's carried youto a couple wins.
For the waiver wire crowd, someguys to stash and add.
Theo Johnson on the Giants,Kafka loves 12 personnel.
And he's been getting some realtargets.
Added I Mitchell on the Jets isa true speedster, a clean
separator.
And with Garrett Wilson on theIR, somebody has to run an
(43:57):
actual route tree.
You just got to hold your hopesup that field can actually throw
the ball to him.
Chase Brown in Cincy, if forsome reason he's on the waiver
wire just happens to be outthere, the passing down juice is
one that you'll want when theweather starts to turn.
And Dawson Knox with Kincaidout, Joshua Palmer as the
Chargers wide receiver who canactually win downfield when he's
(44:19):
healthy.
If you're streaming defensesstill, which usually is the
right play, Ravens, Browns,49ers, they all make sense.
If they're floating around, theygot some easier schedules to
coming up.
It's not the worst idea to grabone of them or even two of them
and stash them, play thematchups.
And as far as some sells beforeguys stop answering DMs, these
(44:43):
aren't the guys that I'm tellingyou to get rid of.
I'm just saying that if someonecomes knocking with a decent
price, you can entertain it.
First name on the list, NicoCollins.
The schedule turns ugly.
He's been good as of late, butit turns ugly later.
Get out on a spike, get aplayer.
It might even be the name tothrow in for a guy like B.
(45:04):
John.
Rashad White, you can start tosell.
Sean Tucker has already beencarving into the pie, and Bucky
Irving has been coming back topractice.
So that was fun while it lasted.
Brees Hall, look, if someonewants to pay full fright for a
highlight and some pass catchinghere and there while the offense
just wheezes, go for it.
(45:25):
Same thing with Travis Etienne.
If someone thinks that he'smatchup proof through the
playoffs, he's probably not.
Not to mention that Jacksonvillehas looked lost as of late.
So again, you don't have toforce it.
But just be open if someoneoffers you January points today
(45:46):
for a player that's going todecline later.
Okay.
Now on to the segment you've allbeen waiting for.
The rolling the dice with ricegambling card.
Let's bet some edges.
The record is now 22 and 23.
The heater is real.
We started at 5 and 17.
We climbed our way out of thiscrater.
(46:07):
And yes, Thursday night footballplay is already out there.
Jets plus 13.5, and that's ahit.
So we're actually 23 and 23.
Don't you just love to see that?
Okay, let's get the card out.
Let's fatten up your wallets.
First game I love, love thisweek.
Bucks at the Bills, I love theover 48 and a half.
Buffalo at home generally meanstempo and explosive plays.
(46:31):
They have two bad losses back toback.
And Tampa keeps drives alive inthat 10 to 19 air yard window.
The Bills can stress youhorizontally and then rip a
seam.
And the Bucs counter withlayered middle of the field
shots and end zone work to bothK Dotten and Ibuka.
Both offenses live in themid-20s without being perfect.
(46:54):
A single short field turns thisinto a track meet.
I love this over 48.5.
Next game on the card, Seattleat Rams.
Same thing.
Over 48.5.
Stafford has been on firelately.
He's been in rhythm, and McVay'splay action shot menu against a
defense that bleeds yards afterthe catch is a recipe for
points.
(47:15):
Seattle doesn't need 40 attemptsto explode either.
Darnold has been superefficient, and JSN gets open,
keeps stacking up chunk plays.
They'll hit on crossers all day.
And on the other side, the Ramsin breaking game creates
explosive plays without needing70-yard go balls.
Puka is a stud.
Kyron Williams is a stud.
And both kickers can finishdrives if the red zone bogs down
(47:38):
too.
So that's points right there.
This has trade touchdownsenergy.
Give me the over at 48.5.
Another one, love it.
Third on the list.
I'm actually giving you guys aplayer prop this week.
I usually only do games, butwe're going to do a player prop
this week.
Jalen Warren over 76.5 rushingyards.
This is the this is acenterpiece.
(47:58):
Cincinnati has been the mostgenerous run defense in the
league by yardage, by a mile.
Pittsburgh's line wants tohammer the ball, and Jalen
Warren wants to be the nail.
The script fits either way.
Lead, you get volume.
You trail, Tomlins still feedsthe run to keep the defense on
their heels.
Add in the fact that the Bengalsmissed tackles and Warren's
(48:20):
yards after contact, 18 to 20touches gets you home.
If the books hanging at 74 and ahalf, pounce on it.
I'd even play this up to 79.5,to be honest with you.
For the locals, I already gaveit out because the Jets were on
in Thursday.
I put out the reel on theInstagram.
You got to check it out.
We went with Jets plus 13.5 andDrake May anytime touchdown.
(48:41):
Divisional dog, short week,defense that travels somewhat
well.
That's a real angle.
And it matched our poll vibestoo.
The Jets cover number is aboutthe defense and special teams
keeping it respectable.
That's it.
They've already stolen gamesthat way.
The May touchdown is a red zonecheat code.
One design keeper from the fivecashes it.
(49:03):
Unfortunately, New Englanddidn't call that.
So the Drake May touchdown lost,but the Jets did cover the 13
and a half number.
And lastly on the card, Packersat Giants.
Well, new install for Jameis ona short week.
Fourth quarter leaks on defense.
And still, still the kickersaga.
That's a lot of friction for theGiants.
(49:26):
Green Bay, two ugly losses.
Offenses look shoddy.
Green Bay can lean on Jacobs,set up Jordan Love's
intermediate game, and then letthe pass rush just tee off on
Jameis.
Giants have been in games late,but they've been gassed late
too.
And the Packers physically tendto pull away in the third.
I want the minus six and a half.
(49:47):
If it hits seven, maybe considerbuying the hook the other way
for the Giants, but I feel likethis is a touchdown game.
Give me the Packers at minus sixand a half.
Okay, that's the card.
Set your lineups with some plan.
Fade the landmines they gaveyou.
Buy the usage.
Don't chase the names.
And on the bets, price mattersmore than feelings.
(50:08):
Shop it out, set your limits,and live to fight another day.
Shit, live to live to the 4 p.m.
window.
After the break, we're going tobutton this episode up with an
outro, plug the socials, andsend you on your way into the
weekend properly.
Stick around.
(50:32):
Well, alright, everybody.
That will do it.
That is the show.
We hit the Giants first.
Gable out after another blownlead.
And your mic check said longoverdue.
Then we kicked around the realquestion.
What kind of coach do youactually want next?
And should they have waiteduntil the end of the season to
fire him?
Next, we slid to the Jets.
(50:53):
Garrett Wilson to the IR, theAaron Glenn injury blackout
split the city.
Fields is on thin ice with Tyrodhovering right behind him.
And we got our Thursday nightfootball angle locked into.
We checked the Knicks, 7-1 atthe Garden, but Brunson's ankles
day to day.
The offense is still hummingthrough the Nets and Grizzly
Winds.
Baseball heads got their flowerstoo.
(51:14):
MVP and Cy Young Awards crowned.
Plus, why pitcher scouting anddevelopment could decide the
future of your franchise.
Skiing's at 23 with years ofcontrol, scoobo repeating, and
what that means for when you'rebuilding a new roster.
Week 11 fantasy talk, a fewlineup landmines to avoid, a
couple by lows to steal, andthen we closed with your
wallets.
(51:35):
The cards in Bucks and Bills,Seattle and Rams, PlayerProp,
and both local teams.
Responsible units, shop yournumbers, don't chase.
If you rocked with me today, dome a solid.
Follow and sub everywhere.
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube.
It's all at Rice on the Radio.
Rate the pod on Apple andSpotify.
(51:56):
Drop a quick line.
It helps way more than you thinkand pushes me up to the top of
the list.
Literally only takes you threeclicks.
My DMs are always open.
Start, sit, panic, bet talk,show takes, guest ideas, a good
meme.
Hit me anytime.
And make sure you tap into theWednesday mic check on the IG
stories.
Your votes steer the show.
(52:18):
You literally saw it today.
Thank you again for listening,though, truly.
Talking sports is something thatI love, and without y'all
listening, it would just be metalking to the wall.
So share the podcast with thatone friend who needs better
sports takes.
As always, spread some goodenergy in this world.
Hold the door for someone.
Tip your bartender a little morethan you usually do.
(52:41):
Tell someone you love them andactually mean it.
I Amine Rice.
This has been episode 39 of Riceon the Mikes, and I'll see you
guys next episode.
Good luck and go get 'em.
Eli siis mun.
(00:19):
Carlin Killer woke you up andJonathan Taylor fucking back in.
Coffee in one hand, phone in theother, 244 yards and three TDs
from JT overseas.
Danny Times or Indiana Jones, ashe's now known, was running
point like it was a seven onseven.
If your fantasy day was settledbefore brunch, either you were
(00:41):
peacocking all day, or you weremapping out a 4 p.m.
bar crawl.
What's going on?
I am Ian Rice.
This is episode 39 of Rice onthe Mics, and we'll get into the
Giants first.
A ball's out after another blowndouble-digit lead.
The mic check poles lit it up.
Most of you said long overdue,but I got a thoughtful note from
(01:02):
a non-Giants fan who said heshouldn't have been fired at
all.
We'll unpack that and we'll getinto what type of coach you guys
actually want next.
Culture guy, old vet,specialist, or even a hot young
stud.
Jets fans, come on in and have aseed too.
Garrett Wilson to the IR, AaronGlenn's injury blackout has the
(01:22):
city split.
Half of you said it protects theplayers, the other half said it
has a bad look here.
We'll touch on that.
Rewind the Browns rock fight.
And talk about Justin Fields'leash with Tyrod warming up in
the shadows.
And yes, Thursday Night Footballis going on as I'm recording
this, and my pick is already onthe board.
Trust me, I've got plenty ofthoughts.
(01:44):
Hoops-wise, the offense has beenhumming for the Knicks, but
after the Magic Loss, the Knicksare now 7-1 in the garden.
And now it's a grade one anklescreen for Brunson.
He's out this Friday andday-to-day moving forward.
The vibe check came back as showme the offensive main, just
edging out the undefeatedswagger.
So we'll thread that needle oncewe get there.
(02:05):
For my baseball heads, stickaround.
The votes are in for MVP and CyYoung.
I'll let you know who won what,plus what it means for the
off-season chessboard.
Then we'll end the plane withfantasy.
A couple lineup landmines toavoid, a few buy lows to steal,
and the gambling segment,rolling the dice with rice.
Two totals I like, a prop betthat I love, and both local
(02:27):
games.
And yes, the heater has beenreal after that 5-17 start.
We're now looking at 22 for 23.
So lock in, turn the volume up,tell a friend to pull up a
chair.
It's time to talk some sports.
Let's do it to it.
(02:48):
Tranquility base here.
The Eagle has landed.
Alright, well, let's dive rightinto it and start with the major
headline this week.
And we'll start with the Giantsbecause the Giants did the New
York Jet thing.
And that is fire the coachmidseason and hope for the best.
Dayball is now gone afteranother blown double-digit lead.
(03:13):
And our Mug Check poll this weekbacked it up.
Long overdue, took it by alandslide.
But I uh I did get a DM from anon-Giants fan that actually
said I should have included ashouldn't have been fired option
on the poll.
And I asked him, I said, Soyou're saying that Dayball
(03:34):
shouldn't have been fired?
And he said, and I quote, thatthe firing was premature.
And then he went on to say thatDayball pushed his chips all in
on Dart, and it actually workedout.
And Scatabow flashed before hegot hurt, and with neighbors on
ice, that there is a core if youcan bridge it right.
(03:56):
His biggest gripe was that theyshould have never let Russ see
the field again, that theydidn't go to Jameis when Dart
went down.
And now we get the answer key inreal time.
Russell Wilson is now benched,and Jameis is getting the start
this week since Jackson Dart isout with concussion.
(04:19):
So we'll see if there's any gasleft in that tank.
We'll see if uh he's planning oneating any W's anytime soon, or
he throws for three touchdownsbut four interceptions.
Also, be honest.
How would this fan base feel ifDart never came in and Wilson
just continued to play thiswhole time?
(04:41):
I mean, you're two and eight, sothe record is probably the same,
maybe worse, but if he doesn'tplay, all the hope that he has
given you moving forward forthis franchise is null and void.
And that's what matters heregoing forward.
(05:03):
The moral victories, I guess.
The hope for the future, thehope.
Look, you find yourself in theopposite position of the Jets.
No draft picks because youtraded some away to go get the
kid, but it looks like you foundthe kid.
(05:25):
Found the guy that's gonna leadyour franchise for the next, you
know, hopefully 10-15 years.
As for what's next, coachingwise, well, that's a whole
nother story.
Uh our poll that we put outleaned towards that you guys
want a young hotshot over thequote unquote culture guy.
(05:49):
So basically that tells me thatyou guys want edge and ideas,
not a resume, which hasn'tworked for the Giants as of
late.
Joe Judge, Brian Dable, youknow, they were all the new
young hot shots.
If a guy like Mike Tomlin opensup, you take him.
(06:12):
Kafka holds the wheel for now,and if things look good, there
could be a chance that he keepsthe job, but this team is still
a mess.
There's no kicker.
The defense continues to looklike it quits in the fourth,
which, by the way, the defensivecoordinator was a day bull guy.
(06:35):
And for God's sake, someone hasto teach Jackson Dart that every
rushing play isn't going to winhim the Super Bowl.
They've been in just about everygame, too, which is like the
most maddening thing if you're aGiants fan.
Like, at least when the Jets getblown out, they get blown out.
Or they keep the box scoreclose, but it was never as close
(06:57):
as it finished.
Giant fans have been in everygame.
Realistically, they might theymight be five and five if they
held on to some of these games.
Maybe even six and four.
The division is terrible.
We could be mid-November talkingabout the Giants have a chance
at the division, but insteadwe're two and seven and going
(07:20):
nowhere fast.
But Giant fans, keep the lightson.
There is hope.
The schedule going forward isbrutal.
So, you know, take it with agrain of salt.
But right now you should belooking for the microwins.
While also being able to see theforest through the trees and
(07:42):
knowing that you might have yourquarterback of the future, and
you hope he develops more andmore and more.
Now, on to the Jetsies.
Jets time.
And even with the two-game winstreak, it is not pretty.
(08:03):
Garrett Wilson, after he justgot back, goes down in the
Browns game, and now isofficially landed on the IR.
A real gut punch because at thedeadline, they weren't just
active in selling their players,they were active in making some
moves for the future, and theydid their best to bolster this
(08:27):
wide receiver room at least alittle bit.
I mean, you finally added someactual NFL talent with John
Michi and Adonai Mitchell.
The problem is it's not likeJustin Fields has any idea how
to throw a guy open or evenactually even throw the ball.
But I do wish we got to see amonth of that trio together.
(08:49):
Look, worst case, those twowould have taken some
distraction off Garrett, who hasshown that he has elite
separation, and maybe thepassing game could have turned
into something, but we won'tknow till end of December or the
new year when Garrett comesback, if he even comes back for
(09:11):
the year.
Now, as for the coach, well, itdoes look like these guys are
starting to buy in to whateverhe's selling.
After that Browns win, I saw alocker room video of A.
G addressing the team and givingout game balls and hyping the
boys up, and when they all gavetheir speeches, the team
(09:34):
couldn't look happier or speakabout the process in a better
light and how they're all goingthrough the same thing together.
It's amazing the deodorant thatwinning provides.
I mean, this team is two andnine, two and eight now, but
(09:57):
after the win, the guys cametogether like they just won the
biggest game of their life, andthe media was happy, and this,
that, and the other.
Which my next talking point,Aaron Glenn in the media.
Glenn at the podium has been anightmare, to say the least.
(10:21):
He's doing this injury blackoutand a vendetta against the
media.
So I ran a poll, put it out, andyou guys were kind of split on
it.
Half of you voted protects theplayers, and it barely edged out
that it's a bad look in NewYork.
And both things can be true.
(10:43):
Look, I understand being BillParcells.
I understand being BillBelichick, going that route of
keeping everything close to thevest and not giving anyone any
bulletin board material.
But that really only truly workswhen you're winning games.
(11:06):
And in this media market, youkind of want to be semi-friendly
with the beat reporters.
Look, Robert Salah's biggestdownfall was that he was too
nice to everybody.
He was a player's coach, he wassweetness, he was too nice, he
was, you know, kept everybodyhappy, and everybody kind of ran
all over him, including AaronRodgers.
(11:30):
But going out of your way at thepodium to be an ass to the folks
who get paid to craft headlinesand sell papers, it's just not
smart business.
Those are the guys and girlswho, even in the dark times, if
they like you, they can spin itin a way that makes the casual
(11:53):
fans that don't see what'sreally going on behind the
scenes get behind you.
Like you don't always have to bebuddy buddy.
And personally, I love the firethat he brings.
I love that hard nose, salt ofthe earth, how's your mother?
Oomph.
(12:13):
But I only love it if ittranslates in the locker room
and on the field.
But to quote your mentor, BillParcells, you are what your
record says you are.
Right?
And right now you're two andeight.
Two and nine after the Thursdaynight game.
That doesn't cut it.
(12:34):
I'm gonna give you some slack.
You know, you're signed here forfive years.
You guys are gonna have thechance to build your team.
But uh I don't know, man.
I got some news for you.
This this media vendetta and thelike vitriol that you have
(12:55):
towards them, I don't know ifit's an act and you're a nice
guy, or you're really just adick like that, it's not gonna
play unless you start winning.
So you need to start winning.
And speaking of on the field andwinning, the jury has now
officially deliberated on JustinFields.
(13:18):
Look, he was on thin ice before.
Now it is official.
He is just a running backpretending to be a quarterback
under center.
He might be the worst playerI've seen under center in a Jets
uniform, and I've watchedChristian Hackenberg take seven
sacks in one game, and the backof the New York Post headline
(13:38):
was Christian Sackenberg.
I mean, he can barely read adefense.
His speed is great, but it'suseless when they stack the box.
His throwing mechanics areterrible, and he holds on to the
ball way too long.
I honestly believe he's neverthrown a guy open in his life,
which is a huge thing at the NFLlevel.
(14:01):
This isn't school yard, you runleft, you run right, you run
deep.
When you're watching the game,if you see a man open on the
screen and the ball hasn't beenthrown already, it's too late.
At this level, corners andsafety close way too fast, and
only elite level arms can sneaka ball in that type of a window.
(14:24):
Which, spoiler alert again,Justin Fields doesn't have an
elite level arm.
The Browns game was won by thespecial teams and a screen to
Brees, not the passing game.
Tyrod is basically the cursorhovering over the replace
quarterback button in Madden.
(14:48):
One more stagnant night, and theclick is coming.
But the problem with that isTyrod Taylor is the player of
yesteryear.
He's not even the guy that wasstarting over Justin Herbert
with the Chargers when we whenthe when the Chargers were in
San Diego.
He's a shell of a shell ofhimself.
(15:12):
With Adonai Mitchell active, Imean, at least you've got one
clean speedster and someone tobuild a plan around on a short
week.
The Thursday night footballpick'em pole leaned toward Jets
plus 12 and a half.
The line eventually went up to13 and a half, and then
(15:32):
eventually covered.
So philosophically, divisiondog, short week, defense that
travels, that's a real angle,and it ended up hitting.
Really, I was just hoping forthe Jets not to embarrass
themselves in prime time likethey always do.
Which they got the ball rightout of the gate, went right
(15:53):
down, took six minutes off theclock, drived for a touchdown,
and then didn't score againuntil the fourth quarter.
So they didn't embarrassthemselves, but they sure as
hell didn't prove anything.
Alright, I've uh I've had enoughwith the local embarrassment
football teams in New York.
(16:17):
Let's talk about some teams lastweek that actually did some
things in week 10.
And it starts off in Berlin at9.30 in the morning.
You might have slept in.
It's tough to catch those 9.30games, I get it.
You might not even have checkedyour fantasy lineup, and then
(16:37):
you might have woke up andseeing that Jonathan Taylor
didn't just go off, he erasedyour entire morning and made you
roll over and get back in bed.
Indy rode him like a collegebell cow.
And Daniel Jones, aka IndianaJones, kept the plane level, hit
(16:58):
Tyler Warren up the seam, didhis job, came out with a big W
against Atlanta.
It was one of the games that wefeatured last week in the look
ahead.
I thought Atlanta might put up alittle more of a fight, and they
did.
They brought it all the way toovertime, but Jonathan Taylor,
Jesus Christ, have yourself aday.
Really ruined people's daybefore they even woke up for
(17:18):
their bacon, egg, and cheese.
Down in Miami, the upset, nobodyhad stapled to their parlay,
nuked everybody's slips.
Miami beats Buffalo handily.
Talk about a trap game.
And it's a costly loss for theBuffalo Bills because they are
(17:40):
chasing New England for adivision that New England
already holds a game over them.
With New England now beating theJets on Thursday night, they go
to 9-2 in the division, and theBills have some serious ground
to make up.
And let's not forget, let's showsome love out West.
The Seattle Seahawks offensejust continues to be efficient
(18:04):
and dominant.
They didn't need 40 passes toprove anything.
Sam Darnold hit his spots.
Jackson Smith and Jigba, theleading yards receiver in the
NFL, just kept stacking.
And then the run game closed itout.
Arizona continues to not reallyknow what or who they are.
(18:25):
They're a two-man elevator.
I mean, you got Trey McBride inthe wide receiver one wearing a
tight end jersey.
And Marvin Harrison is good whenhealthy, not great, but he can
still draw moonshots.
No Kyler Murray, but JacobyBrissett seems to be alright.
(18:48):
I don't know.
They're uh Arizona's in troubleand they've been in trouble for
a long time.
So, with the games of last week,now let's go on to our week 11
look ahead.
Some of the games that youshould keep on your radar while
you're at the bar and 15 TVs areshowing eight different games.
(19:11):
First on the list, one o'clock,Bengals at Steelers.
This is a huge game in thedivision for the Steelers, but
Cincinnati has proved that theywill not roll over and die.
The offense has found a new popwith Joe Flacco, and Joe Burrow
(19:31):
is right around the corner tocome back.
Chase is still a cheat code.
Higgins can win on the boundaryif he's right.
And Chase Brown in the backfieldgives them yak.
The defense is the issue.
They have been gashed on theground, they've been gashed
through the air, they've beenkilled by tight ends.
(19:52):
That's the script for Pittsburghto win.
Play downhill, Jalen Warrenbehind the pads, a little play
action to Friarmouth.
Force Cincinnati to win ashootout on the road, maybe.
But if they can win, bigdivisional leverage game for
Pittsburgh.
This kind of feels more like a30-27 game than a 17-7 game.
(20:18):
Pittsburgh's defense has beenokay, not great.
Cincinnati's defense isliterally ranked 32.
Next on the list, Chiefs atBroncos, 425.
You've finished your 1 o'clocklunch.
You've had a couple beers.
Should I go home?
Should I not?
Nah, I think I'm going to stayfor the Chiefs Broncos game.
(20:39):
Because it's the first meetingof the year, somehow.
And it's vibes versus structure.
Mahomes is coming off one ofthose pressure-heavy, off-timing
days last week.
But Rasheed Rice is the alpha.
Hollywood is the changeup.
Sprinkle in a little XavierWorthy and some Travis Kelsey.
(21:01):
It's no wonder that they'vescored at least 28 points in
their last five games.
But Denver's defense has quietlybecome the team that makes you
color inside the lines.
If KC finds a run game, which ithas struggled to do all year,
but if they can find the rungame, it'll loosen everything
(21:21):
else up.
If they can't, don't be shockedwhen the Broncos keep a lid on
the explosive plays and theydrag you into a fourth quarter
coin flip.
Denver currently sits atop thisdivision and the Chiefs are just
one game over 500.
(21:42):
If they can get a game on theroad in Denver, this is a huge
win for them.
But if the Broncos pull this outat home, they might run away
with the division.
Last game on the list, Sundaynight football, Lions at Eagles.
This is a who are you really miccheck?
(22:03):
Dan Campbell has taken a biggerhand in calling plays moving
forward.
And Detroit's identity is theGibbs Montgomery Thunder
Lightning.
Jameson Williams is one jukeaway from a monster play.
And golf in rhythm is death by athousand eighteen-yard dig
(22:27):
routes by Amon Ra.
So how does Philly answer?
Well, when their protection isclean, AJ Brown can play
demolition derby and can flip adrive in one snap, to be honest
with you.
But if he's covered up, Devontaon the other side of him has
chunk play capability.
(22:47):
This offense for the Eagleslives on timing throws and
pounding the rock.
So if this is a track meet, AJmight be able to write the
headline.
If it's a mid-range boxingmatch, Devonta could win on
points.
If it's a brawl in a phonebooth, Saquon has the potential
to be Superman.
(23:09):
But unfortunately, that's notreally what the Eagles offense
has looked like the past coupleweeks or even this whole season.
And yet, they're still the oneseed in the NFC at 7-2 tied with
Seattle.
This is going to be a real knockthem down, throw them around,
(23:29):
see who's got that dog in themSunday night football game.
I'm actually really lookingforward to watching this.
So with the games from last weekcovered and some games to watch
this week told, a couple leaguestories that are worth a minute
or two.
The NFL put out a memo talkingabout trying to clamp down on
(23:52):
specific prop bet markets,whether it be injury adjacent
bets or officiating single playoutcomes, even trying to draw a
line in the sand with somenon-common prediction markets,
aka offshore betting sites likeCalShi and Polymarket.
(24:14):
What this really is is after theMLB and NBA headlines, the
SHIELD is fortifying theirwalls.
Practically, most legal sportsbooks were kind of already
headed there.
Philosophically, it's probablythe right call.
A good amount of betters will beupset in the future when they
(24:38):
can't bet on some random playersunder yardage to try and bet
$2,000 to make$2,100.
But from a league integritylevel, it's the right call.
And last thing before we closethis NFL segment, I ran a poll
on the Mic Check this weekasking who your MVP vote is
(25:02):
right now.
And I gave you the optionsbetween Drake May, Matthew
Stafford, Jonathan Taylor, andSam Darnold.
I was going to throw in PatrickMahomes, but I just couldn't fit
him.
And the results tilted heavytowards Jonathan Taylor.
And I get it.
He has been outrageous.
But here's the problem contextmatters.
(25:25):
No running back has won MVPsince Adrian Peterson in 2012.
And before that, it was LadanianThompson in 2006.
Look, fair or not, the awardalways leans quarterback.
Unless the running back has ahistoric year, breaks a record,
and also has a number one seedbehind him, they usually don't
(25:49):
win it.
But for Jonathan Taylor,November is resume season.
Let's see if we can keep thishistoric pace.
Let's see if he can uh chase therecord for all-time rushing
touchdowns.
Okay.
So that's the NFL.
Let's take a quick breather.
And then we're jumping into theNBA.
(26:11):
We'll touch on Brunson's gradeone angle screen, which is
great.
The Knicks' 7-1 start at thegarden.
What Mike Brown's offense lookedlike in the Nets and Grizzlies
blowouts.
And we'll go over your pollresults.
The show me in May vibe checkedging out the undefeated
(26:32):
swagger.
Knicks fans don't go anywhere.
NBA is up next.
Net fans, sorry, not much totalk about.
So from the gridiron to thehardwood, let's uh let's get
(26:54):
into some hoops because the weekat the Garden told the story in
three acts.
First act, beat up on theannoying neighbors, Knicks 134,
Nets 198, and it wasn't eventhat close anyway.
Kat put his elbow in the chestof the Nets and adds another
double-double to his resumegoing 28-12.
Brunson and OG both had 19, andBridges found his shot dropping
(27:18):
16.
The bench did what Mike Brownwants the bench to do, which is
run you off the floor.
They go on an 8-0 run before youeven blinked, and then they go
up 40 to 22 after the first.
77 points at the half.
That's now 11 straight overBrooklyn, and that's no longer a
rivalry.
Not that it ever really was.
That is now just a consistentsubscription that auto-renews to
(27:42):
lose to the Knicks every year.
Now the second act was abouthandling business.
The Grizzlies come into town, ayoung scrappy team, even with
John Morant, you know, theycould take advantage of you.
Has the potential to be a littlebit of a trap game.
And the Knicks take it easy133-120.
Brunson authors a beautiful32-10 night, while Big Cat goes
21-13, another double-double inthe books.
(28:04):
Bridges and OG with cleannights.
The Knicks rip off a 12-0 run toclose the first, and then they
come right back out with a 7-0run to start the second.
And it's another 77-pointhalftime game.
This is the Mike Brown imprintwe've been talking about.
Pace without panic.
Early threes out of the flow,Kat as a handoff hub, and
(28:28):
Brunson slicing and dicing tofind his shot.
You're seeing 77 point halvesand 130-point games tonight more
often than not this season.
And over that five-game stretch,they had three games over 130
and scored 128 in the Bulls gameearlier in the week.
The spacing is real, and thedecision tree is simple.
(28:50):
Hit the paint, kick out, findyour shot, rinse and repeat.
The third act was the realitycheck.
Orlando comes in and young,scrappy team, good playoff team.
They added some guys.
They snapped the streak.
Knicks dropped the game 124-107.
But the important headline ofthe game was Brunson rolled his
(29:13):
ankle, unfortunately, the sameone from last year that caused
him to miss some time.
The worst part is it happens inunder two minutes left in the
game, so they were pretty muchout of it.
As soon as that happened, MikeBrown cleared the bench and
seceded the loss.
So he's out Friday versus Miami.
He was in a boot and crutchesafter the game, his day-to-day.
(29:35):
That's the headline.
That's the big headline.
But the sub headline is the vibecheck poll I put out this week.
The options were Show Me and Mayor Undefeated Swagger, based
upon how we feel about thisoffense.
And Show Me and May just edgedit out a little bit, and I love
it.
That's the right tension forthis group.
You gotta enjoy the fireworks.
(29:56):
Seven and one at the garden isreal.
But if you want me to talkApril.
And May, it's the stuff that youcan bank on when the whistle
gets swallowed.
The defensive glass, theturnover control, the second and
third creator when Brunson sitsor needs a breather.
So, on that note, what does itlook like going forward without
(30:16):
JB?
Well, you don't just replace 32and 10 with one dude, right?
You gotta redistribute the job.
So you need more deuce minutesto steady in the first action.
You need more Clarkson on theball and off the ball to get
downhill.
Bridges has to be the closeoutkiller, which he usually is.
(30:36):
And OG needs to either shoot histhrees or play lockdown defense.
And more importantly, Kat needsto be the late clock pressure
valve.
He needs to be the guy that he'ssupposed to be in this offense
rolling forward.
Not to mention, if Mitch ishealthy and back, which he
rested front of the week for theback-to-back, so he should be
(30:56):
ready to go.
Him and Hart have to own theglass so you can play early
again.
Because Miami is going to tryand wall you off.
They're going to test yourpatience.
They're going to dare somebodynot named Brunson to beat them
with the smart decisions.
Hell, maybe even a little TylerKoelick action.
Let's see if Dick can play, orhe just had some flashes here
(31:18):
and there.
And I do want to go back to thisweek's tape for one more second,
just a couple things to touch onbecause it it matters for the
bigger picture.
Look, against the Nets, you sawwhat this can be with Nefloor of
space, and five guys touch it.
Seven for eleven from deep.
Everybody was eating.
The pace choking the opponent.
And against Memphis, we saw youcan build a lead with defense
(31:41):
and runs play.
They strip it, they sprint it,they stack it.
But against the magic, you sawwhat happens when the ball
sticks.
You don't win first contact atthe rim.
And you lose your engine late.
All three knights live in thisteam.
And Mike Brown's job, and he'soff to a great start, is
(32:03):
hardwiring the first two andshrinking the third.
The poll matters here.
Show me and May isn't hating,it's homework.
You've got the shooting, you'vegot the pace, you got real
grown-ups in OG, Bridges, andHart in the room.
The next layer is playoff proofplayoff proof habits.
(32:23):
Say that three times fast.
You need the late game countersthat don't start and end with
Brunson playing hero ball.
You need rebounding as afive-man religion.
And you got to keep thatturnover number boring.
Do that, and 7-1 at the gardenturns into bring anybody in here
and we'll send them home.
(32:45):
So short term, Friday is a gutcheck without JB.
I expect more quick hitter setsto get bridges, some touches at
18 feet, OG in the corners, andyeah, again, some Clarkson,
maybe some Tyler Kolick.
But I also expect Kat to be theinitiator against switches.
And I do expect Brown to leaninto the identity that built
(33:06):
those Nets Grizzly wins.
Run on the catch, pass ahead,hunt early threes before Miami
can get hands on you.
We'll see how it goes, and we'rehoping for the best.
But this team goes nowherewithout Brunson.
So let him take as long as heneeds.
We'll stack some wins.
We're better than most teams.
Let him come back healthy whenhe's ready.
Alright, Nick fans.
(33:28):
Breathe.
Hydrate.
Hell, ice your own ankle forsolidarity with 11.
We'll keep tracking theday-to-day on Brunson and the
tweaks around him as they comein.
But up next, baseball headsdon't move.
The votes are in.
MVPs and Cy Young's are on theboard.
Aaron Judge, Shohei Otani, thewhole conversation and what it
(33:50):
means for the hot stove movingforward.
Keep it right here.
Baseball's next.
Two MVPs on the board, one razorclose, and one was a layup.
Aaron Judge first, third MVP infour years, and it came in a
(34:11):
photo finish, believe it or not,over Cal Raleigh.
But the case is simple forJudge.
Batting title at 331, led thesport in OPS and WRC Plus.
And this matters, he drew an ALrecord 36 intentional walks.
Translation, teams literallychoose to put a free base runner
(34:32):
on rather than pitch to him.
And just an explainer for thestat heads and the cousins
listening in the Uber.
WRC Plus is weighted runscreated plus.
So that bakes in park and ERA.
100 is usually the leagueaverage.
150 means that you're 50% betterthan the league average, right?
(34:54):
Judge is living around 200.
So that basically means he's hitlike two guys at once in your
lineup.
For the NL Otani, yeah, we getit.
He's ridiculous.
Unanimous, yet again, four MVPsin five years.
And I'm not throwing rose petalsat his feet, but here are the
(35:15):
facts.
55 bombs, a 179 OPS, comes backto make 14 starts with a sub-3
ERA after the elbow last year.
And then to close the show, Rexit in October.
Six scoreless in the NLCS,reached base nine times in that
18-inning World Series marathonthat we all stayed up till 3
(35:38):
a.m.
for.
Look, you don't have to bepoetic about it.
The Dodgers paid$700 million fora unicorn, and they got
back-to-back Octobers that endedin jewelry.
He's just he's just better thanyour pitcher and your cleanup
hitter, and he leads off.
As for the offseason Yankeeswinter, this is the show, right?
(35:58):
Every move is judged againstJudge.
First, I think you need to makea real play to keep Cody
Bellinger lefty, runs, defends,lengthens the lineup, changes
the math around 99, can playfirst, can play left.
You know.
But the other important decisionto make is the kids.
Do you trust the farm and bringthem up to grow next to Judge?
(36:23):
Or are we finally ready topackage these prospects and move
on to some proven adults?
There is a world where you canthread it both ways.
You hold on to one or two bluechippers and then you move the
surplus, add maybe one more highon base percentage player.
But the goal isn't another greatregular season.
It's making Judge scary inOctober, not stranded and walked
(36:47):
and taken out of the game.
As for the Cy Young's, well,they tell the real offseason
story and why pitching,scouting, and development is
really the whole name of theballgame.
Paul Skeens, last year's rookieof the year, wins Cy Young at 23
years old with five years ofcontrol left.
(37:08):
That's a cheat code for a frontoffice.
Scoobyl repeats Cy Young's at 28with just one year of control
left.
An elite arm, and I would lovefor the Mets to trade for him.
But a totally different teamcalculus.
If you can grow just one scheme,you save nine figures, and you
(37:30):
set your culture and you buyyourself some time if there are
some lineup mistakes.
That's why these dudes get paidwhat they get paid.
And why player development isand always will be more
important than analytics andgoing to the binder.
Which now brings up your poll,brings us to your poll that I
(37:50):
put out this week.
And it was Pirates and Skeens.
Do you keep him because you owethe fans or do you trade him now
for the King's ransom?
And believe it or not, keep himwon by a single vote, 19 to 18.
And I'm actually with the keephim crowd.
I mean, look, unless somebodyoffers you an obscene multiple
top 50 prospects and a bigleague bat with control kind of
(38:14):
offer.
An ace in your uniform is thething that Pittsburgh's been
trying to sell for a decade.
They even offered whoever pulledthe Paul Skins one-of-one
trading card season tickets forthe next 30 years behind home
plate if you turned it in forthem to them so they could put
it on display.
Don't overthink it.
(38:34):
When the time comes, don't beafraid to open up the checkbook
for a monster of a pitcher thatyou may never see in your
franchise again.
Don't be the team that doesn'tspend.
Don't be the team that makes itwhy we have to have a salary cap
moving forward, or there's goingto be a lockout.
God, recognize your talent.
(38:55):
Pay your talent.
Enjoy your talent.
Let your fans enjoy your talent.
I guarantee if you do sell outfor him and you do pay him, that
more people will show up to thegames.
That fan base is loyal as hell.
But if they can know they canwatch schemes for the next 10
years, I bet you they'd be realhappy.
Alright, Diamond Talk is done,short and sweet.
After the break, we're divinginto some fantasy talk.
(39:18):
A couple lineup landmines toavoid.
And the roll in the dice withrice segment.
I got two totals I like.
Jalen Warren's number and thelocals leading.
Stick around.
(39:55):
We're doing two things rightnow: fixing your lineup for week
11 and setting the slips for theweekend.
Quick, sharp, useful stuff to gooff of.
We'll start with the lineupsfirst.
If you're staring at big namesand getting a little queasy, you
aren't alone this week.
Patrick Mahomes versus Denver isa real hold your nose spot.
(40:17):
He's been awesome this year, nodoubt, but that Broncos defense
is the mud.
Second fewest points to QB's,and they turned the game into a
field position math quiz.
If you got a viable pivot likeJoe Flacco at Pittsburgh this
week, I'm not entirely mad atit.
Flacco's been a top-end streamerwaiting for Joe Burrow to get
(40:39):
back, and the Steelers bleedpassing yards.
If you're playing points, notjerseys, Flacco might be the
play.
Saquon Barkley versus Detroit isanother one too.
The volume is there.
The efficiency, not so much.
And the Lions just suffocate rungames.
You can still start Saquon, buttemper your expectations a
(41:00):
little bit.
Think floor, not fireworks,right?
Derrick Henry at Cleveland, samekind of story, different helmet.
If he's not catching passes, theBrowns turn him into three yards
and a cloud of sadness as oflate.
At receiver, Debo Samuel againstMiami could be a trap.
His usage has dipped, andMiami's quietly stingy against
(41:22):
wide receivers.
Washington's likely to get runheavy without Terry.
Xavier Worthy versus Denver, Ilove the talent, but I hate the
matchup.
Broncos corner, squeeze you evenwith Sertan Hurt and the catch
point, they don't give up widereceiver touchdowns.
If you picked up K Dotten, Ilove his recent run he's been
on, but Buffalo has been a hardno on tight ends all year.
(41:45):
So if you need a plug and play,maybe think uh Jonu Smith versus
Cincy.
That kind of makes sense.
Bengals are a tight end funnel,and Jonu leads the room in
routes for Pittsburgh.
Now, some moves to make beforethe trade deadline, which are
generally this week for mostleagues.
Big names that you want to buyon that you don't really care if
(42:07):
you're going for the league andsomeone will sell to you.
First on the list is CeeDeeLamb, and that is the exact
profile you overpay for andstill feel good about it.
He's got elite share, his endzone looks are always there.
The points are coming, trust me.
Drake London is a buy, also.
The usage is alpha, thechemistry with Penix is real.
(42:29):
Jalen Waddle, same thing.
You can buy a legit widereceiver one for the rest of the
season while Miami just keepsleaning on him.
Bichon, look, if there is even asniff of a discount, you pounce
on it.
Bichon will be the running backthat will carry you into the
playoffs and win you somematchups.
(42:50):
Same thing kind of goes forJalen Warren.
The usage is there, and he's gotsome good friendly matchups
coming forward down the stretch.
The talent is nowhere near B.
But Jalen Warren could be a nicelittle cheap pickup.
If you want to buy a tight end,obviously the premium right now
is Trey McBride.
He's a league winner, period.
End of story.
Ten catches a game, always 80yards, good for a touchdown.
(43:14):
Trey McBride is a camp miss snagif someone's willing to sell
him.
And maybe a little bit on thedeeper side, a couple deeper
swings to pick up.
DK Metcalf, Tetra Toy McMillan,JJ McCarthy.
If you need a late quarterbackupside, maybe somebody's just
not performing.
Aaron Jones as a running back,he's the one that you'll feel
gross about trading for, butthen you'll look up in like
(43:36):
three weeks and he's carried youto a couple wins.
For the waiver wire crowd, someguys to stash and add.
Theo Johnson on the Giants,Kafka loves 12 personnel.
And he's been getting some realtargets.
Added I Mitchell on the Jets isa true speedster, a clean
separator.
And with Garrett Wilson on theIR, somebody has to run an
(43:57):
actual route tree.
You just got to hold your hopesup that field can actually throw
the ball to him.
Chase Brown in Cincy, if forsome reason he's on the waiver
wire just happens to be outthere, the passing down juice is
one that you'll want when theweather starts to turn.
And Dawson Knox with Kincaidout, Joshua Palmer as the
Chargers wide receiver who canactually win downfield when he's
(44:19):
healthy.
If you're streaming defensesstill, which usually is the
right play, Ravens, Browns,49ers, they all make sense.
If they're floating around, theygot some easier schedules to
coming up.
It's not the worst idea to grabone of them or even two of them
and stash them, play thematchups.
And as far as some sells beforeguys stop answering DMs, these
(44:43):
aren't the guys that I'm tellingyou to get rid of.
I'm just saying that if someonecomes knocking with a decent
price, you can entertain it.
First name on the list, NicoCollins.
The schedule turns ugly.
He's been good as of late, butit turns ugly later.
Get out on a spike, get aplayer.
It might even be the name tothrow in for a guy like B.
(45:04):
John.
Rashad White, you can start tosell.
Sean Tucker has already beencarving into the pie, and Bucky
Irving has been coming back topractice.
So that was fun while it lasted.
Brees Hall, look, if someonewants to pay full fright for a
highlight and some pass catchinghere and there while the offense
just wheezes, go for it.
(45:25):
Same thing with Travis Etienne.
If someone thinks that he'smatchup proof through the
playoffs, he's probably not.
Not to mention that Jacksonvillehas looked lost as of late.
So again, you don't have toforce it.
But just be open if someoneoffers you January points today
(45:46):
for a player that's going todecline later.
Okay.
Now on to the segment you've allbeen waiting for.
The rolling the dice with ricegambling card.
Let's bet some edges.
The record is now 22 and 23.
The heater is real.
We started at 5 and 17.
We climbed our way out of thiscrater.
(46:07):
And yes, Thursday night footballplay is already out there.
Jets plus 13.5, and that's ahit.
So we're actually 23 and 23.
Don't you just love to see that?
Okay, let's get the card out.
Let's fatten up your wallets.
First game I love, love thisweek.
Bucks at the Bills, I love theover 48 and a half.
Buffalo at home generally meanstempo and explosive plays.
(46:31):
They have two bad losses back toback.
And Tampa keeps drives alive inthat 10 to 19 air yard window.
The Bills can stress youhorizontally and then rip a
seam.
And the Bucs counter withlayered middle of the field
shots and end zone work to bothK Dotten and Ibuka.
Both offenses live in themid-20s without being perfect.
(46:54):
A single short field turns thisinto a track meet.
I love this over 48.5.
Next game on the card, Seattleat Rams.
Same thing.
Over 48.5.
Stafford has been on firelately.
He's been in rhythm, and McVay'splay action shot menu against a
defense that bleeds yards afterthe catch is a recipe for
points.
(47:15):
Seattle doesn't need 40 attemptsto explode either.
Darnold has been superefficient, and JSN gets open,
keeps stacking up chunk plays.
They'll hit on crossers all day.
And on the other side, the Ramsin breaking game creates
explosive plays without needing70-yard go balls.
Puka is a stud.
Kyron Williams is a stud.
And both kickers can finishdrives if the red zone bogs down
(47:38):
too.
So that's points right there.
This has trade touchdownsenergy.
Give me the over at 48.5.
Another one, love it.
Third on the list.
I'm actually giving you guys aplayer prop this week.
I usually only do games, butwe're going to do a player prop
this week.
Jalen Warren over 76.5 rushingyards.
This is the this is acenterpiece.
(47:58):
Cincinnati has been the mostgenerous run defense in the
league by yardage, by a mile.
Pittsburgh's line wants tohammer the ball, and Jalen
Warren wants to be the nail.
The script fits either way.
Lead, you get volume.
You trail, Tomlins still feedsthe run to keep the defense on
their heels.
Add in the fact that the Bengalsmissed tackles and Warren's
(48:20):
yards after contact, 18 to 20touches gets you home.
If the books hanging at 74 and ahalf, pounce on it.
I'd even play this up to 79.5,to be honest with you.
For the locals, I already gaveit out because the Jets were on
in Thursday.
I put out the reel on theInstagram.
You got to check it out.
We went with Jets plus 13.5 andDrake May anytime touchdown.
(48:41):
Divisional dog, short week,defense that travels somewhat
well.
That's a real angle.
And it matched our poll vibestoo.
The Jets cover number is aboutthe defense and special teams
keeping it respectable.
That's it.
They've already stolen gamesthat way.
The May touchdown is a red zonecheat code.
One design keeper from the fivecashes it.
(49:03):
Unfortunately, New Englanddidn't call that.
So the Drake May touchdown lost,but the Jets did cover the 13
and a half number.
And lastly on the card, Packersat Giants.
Well, new install for Jameis ona short week.
Fourth quarter leaks on defense.
And still, still the kickersaga.
That's a lot of friction for theGiants.
(49:26):
Green Bay, two ugly losses.
Offenses look shoddy.
Green Bay can lean on Jacobs,set up Jordan Love's
intermediate game, and then letthe pass rush just tee off on
Jameis.
Giants have been in games late,but they've been gassed late
too.
And the Packers physically tendto pull away in the third.
I want the minus six and a half.
(49:47):
If it hits seven, maybe considerbuying the hook the other way
for the Giants, but I feel likethis is a touchdown game.
Give me the Packers at minus sixand a half.
Okay, that's the card.
Set your lineups with some plan.
Fade the landmines they gaveyou.
Buy the usage.
Don't chase the names.
And on the bets, price mattersmore than feelings.
(50:08):
Shop it out, set your limits,and live to fight another day.
Shit, live to live to the 4 p.m.
window.
After the break, we're going tobutton this episode up with an
outro, plug the socials, andsend you on your way into the
weekend properly.
Stick around.
(50:32):
Well, alright, everybody.
That will do it.
That is the show.
We hit the Giants first.
Gable out after another blownlead.
And your mic check said longoverdue.
Then we kicked around the realquestion.
What kind of coach do youactually want next?
And should they have waiteduntil the end of the season to
fire him?
Next, we slid to the Jets.
(50:53):
Garrett Wilson to the IR, theAaron Glenn injury blackout
split the city.
Fields is on thin ice with Tyrodhovering right behind him.
And we got our Thursday nightfootball angle locked into.
We checked the Knicks, 7-1 atthe Garden, but Brunson's ankles
day to day.
The offense is still hummingthrough the Nets and Grizzly
Winds.
Baseball heads got their flowerstoo.
(51:14):
MVP and Cy Young Awards crowned.
Plus, why pitcher scouting anddevelopment could decide the
future of your franchise.
Skiing's at 23 with years ofcontrol, scoobo repeating, and
what that means for when you'rebuilding a new roster.
Week 11 fantasy talk, a fewlineup landmines to avoid, a
couple by lows to steal, andthen we closed with your
wallets.
(51:35):
The cards in Bucks and Bills,Seattle and Rams, PlayerProp,
and both local teams.
Responsible units, shop yournumbers, don't chase.
If you rocked with me today, dome a solid.
Follow and sub everywhere.
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube.
It's all at Rice on the Radio.
Rate the pod on Apple andSpotify.
(51:56):
Drop a quick line.
It helps way more than you thinkand pushes me up to the top of
the list.
Literally only takes you threeclicks.
My DMs are always open.
Start, sit, panic, bet talk,show takes, guest ideas, a good
meme.
Hit me anytime.
And make sure you tap into theWednesday mic check on the IG
stories.
Your votes steer the show.
(52:18):
You literally saw it today.
Thank you again for listening,though, truly.
Talking sports is something thatI love, and without y'all
listening, it would just be metalking to the wall.
So share the podcast with thatone friend who needs better
sports takes.
As always, spread some goodenergy in this world.
Hold the door for someone.
Tip your bartender a little morethan you usually do.
(52:41):
Tell someone you love them andactually mean it.
I Amine Rice.
This has been episode 39 of Riceon the Mikes, and I'll see you
guys next episode.
Good luck and go get 'em.
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