October 31, 2025 • 51 mins
A porch light, a candy bowl, and a message: nobody hands you the win—you take it. We start by honoring Nick Mangold, not just for the Pro Bowls but for making center cool and setting a Jets standard built on toughness and wit. That lens sharpens everything else: the Jets finally exhale after breaking the skid, the Brees Hall question becomes a culture test, and the Giants face a grim injury week with a ruthless assignment looming against San Francisco.
We widen the frame to a clean, high-impact look at the NFL slate. Denver’s offense breathes when Bo Nix is Bo Nix. Indy pairs structure with a confident quarterback and turns red-zone math unfair. Chiefs at Bills promises fireworks, Bears at Bengals is a tackling referendum, and Lamar strips distractions in Miami to set a tone you can feel. Then it’s hoops: a Knicks rant that’s all spine and details—win the glass, kill transition leaks, give Brunson some off-ball air, and demand that Cat set tone, not just collect numbers. Add a quick, sober check on the league’s gambling guardrails, because the game’s integrity is the bedrock under every highlight.
Baseball turns cinematic. An 18-inning classic, a rookie carves up Dodger Stadium, and the Blue Jays’ role players stack the little wins that decide rings while Yamamoto looms as the Game Seven variable. We thread that urgency into your roster and your wallet: fantasy adds before the crowd wakes up, fades where schedule and usage point south, and confident starts lined up with real totals, not vibes. We finish with a four-play card—Falcons with the hook, Rams to boat race, Chiefs–Bills over, and 49ers at a short number—that matches context with conviction.
If this mix of sharp analysis, honest rants, and practical edges hits home, tap follow, drop a quick review, and share it with the friend who argues sports like it’s their job. Your clicks keep the mic hot—and your votes steer next week’s show.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:28):
Welcome everybody.
Welcome back to Rice on theMicrosoft.
This is episode 37, and it'sHalloween weekend.
The portchlight is on, the bowlsays please take one.
But something tells me that thisgroup isn't going to be abiding
by those rules.
And that's the theme tonight.
No one hands you your dream.
You gotta go take it.
Quick roadmap for the episode.
(00:49):
We'll open up the NFL block byacknowledging number 74 in your
playbook, but number one in yourheart, Nick Mangle.
The player he was, and what hemeant to Jet fans all around the
world.
For the locals, we're keeping ittight.
The Giants are trying to breatheafter a gut punch last week.
The Jets finally exercised their0-7 demons, and we'll stitch in
your mic check poll results aswe go along.
(01:11):
We'll hit a few games from weekeight and circle the games in
week nine that actually matter,yes, including a quick Thursday
night look with Lamar back inMiami.
Some hoops later.
I didn't think I would have todo this four games in, but the
Knicks rant is coming.
We'll talk immediate fixesversus overreactions, sprinkle
in a one-liner on why Phil wasnever the fit anyway, after he
(01:33):
mentioned something in his book,Dissing Carmelo.
And give a quick update on theleague's gambling guardrails
without turning it into a civicsclass.
Baseball has been straight chaosin the best way possible.
18-inning epics, rookies makinghistory, and heavyweights
trading haymakers.
The World Series is headed backto Toronto with records falling
(01:53):
left and right and momentumswinging like a boomerang.
Then we'll take care of yourfantasy team and your wallet.
Some mid-season check-ins androlling the dice with rice.
We went four and one last week,and I got four plays I like,
including that Kansas CityBuffalo total, and a low number
at MetLife.
But we'll save the ammo for thepick second.
Alright, costumes on, the mic ishot, let's do it to it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:18):
Lift off and the clock is started.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Okay, let's dive into some football.
And first things first, number74.
Nick Mangold.
The franchise icon passed at 41from kidney disease
complications just 12 days afterpublicly seeking a transplant.
That one lands heavy.
Seven Pro Bowls, two first teamall-pros, the Jets Ring of
(02:59):
Honor, and one half of the Nickand Brick combo with the
Brickishhaw Ferguson.
But the resume is just theframe.
What's inside the picture istoughness, wit, reliability.
I grew up watching Mangold.
The backwards cap, the bigbeard, and the even bigger
(03:20):
heart.
Center is the quiet job.
And Nick made it cool.
He set the protections for ayoung rookie quarterback,
brought the fight play afterplay for all 60 minutes, and
then he cracked a beer and wouldmake you laugh.
He was there for the good times,the bad times, and then the
(03:41):
really bad times of Jetsfootball.
Rex Ryan's tribute nailed it.
Mangold played hurt for hiscoach and for his locker room to
the very end of that era.
When you picture Jets footballthat travels, Jets football that
was a winning culture.
Yes, believe it or not, therewas a time when that was an
actually true statement.
(04:02):
That cold, loud, hard nose beatyou up in the trenches culture,
you picture number 74.
So rest easy, big fella.
You set the standard and youwere the standard.
So with that being said, theJets exercise their demons.
Exercise your demons.
(04:24):
At least for one Sunday theydid.
0-7 to a wild 39-38 win inCincy.
And eerily enough, the finaltotal almost landed on 74.
The fight home finally soundedlike a football team that's
bonded and happy.
Apparently there were smiles,jokes, and some pressure lifted,
(04:44):
finally getting a check in the Wcolumn.
And good for Justin Fields, bythe way.
Gets publicly dragged by theworst owner across all
professional sports, got benchedbecause his coach's hands were
basically tied behind his back.
Gets the start last minutebecause Tyrod, what else is new,
is hurt, went out there, foundsomething, and stuck it to his
(05:07):
doubters at least for one game.
Then post-game opened up on thepodium saying how he was crying
during the week and prayed toGod for an answer.
Aaron Glenn has been tellingeverybody that this is a
foundation year.
That the ugly bricks stillcount.
And you saw a few of thosebricks set in place this last
weekend.
On a bye week this week, and youshould expect some names to get
(05:30):
shuffled around.
The front office already made amove.
Michael Carter the second out toPhilly, John Michi the third
into the wide receiver room.
And it tells you two things.
They're auditioning receiversbehind Garrett, and they're not
done shaping 2026 just yet.
Which brings us to our nexttopic: Brees Hall.
(05:50):
Our poll was tight, but tradenow for picks, edged out, extend
him this winter.
And I get both sides of theargument.
Look, he's your best offensiveplayer behind Garrett, maybe
even in front of Garrett, but heis still a blue chip asset on a
team that's still pouring thefoundation in the basement, not
exactly remodeling the bathroom.
(06:11):
So my read if you're seriousabout growing something for
real, you usually extend yourculture pieces, not ship them
out.
More than likely, you'll bepicking at the top of the draft.
More than likely, you'll bedrafting a rookie quarterback.
More than likely, he'll be goingthrough some growing pains.
So a premier running back behinda one-year older offensive line
(06:35):
will do wonders to take somepressure off of whoever you land
on.
But, and this is a BBL level,but if a contender does come
knocking, if a contender doescome calling, and they are
really desperate, and somehow,some way you can squeeze a one
out of them, or maybe a two, youpick up the phone and see how
(06:56):
serious they actually are.
But for now, Jeff fans, enjoythe bye week air.
Enjoy not going winless on theseason.
Enjoy the moment.
And hey, at least you can't losethis week either, right?
Giant fans, your turn now.
And take a deep breath becausetwo of your future star players
(07:18):
went under the knife this week.
The neighbor surgery wasplanned.
He had to wait for the swellingto go down.
Everything went well, and thetimeline lines up for next year.
First year back from an ACL isalways a learning curve, but
when healthy, he is a truly topfive wide receiver in this
league, and he should be fineeven at 80%.
(07:39):
The gut punch was Cam Scatabow.
The team's energy justevaporated when he went down.
Open tibia fracture, ankledislocation, ruptured deltoid
ligament, emergency surgery,season over, and some queasy
stomachs on the broadcast.
And yet, Philly lives up to itsnickname of brotherly love.
(08:03):
Big Dom DeSandro, the Eagles'chief of security on the
sideline, showed up to thehospital with pizza and
cheesesteaks.
That's sport at its best.
Warriors on the field andgentlemen off of it.
The fan polls from the MikeCheck lined up too.
The trick-or-treat poll cameback mostly scat loss as the
story for this week withofficiating mess in second
(08:26):
place.
No shock there.
Meanwhile, Dexter Lawrencecaught a stray from Carl Banks
on the podcast, said, quote,nobody respects you anymore.
And then when asked about it,Dex just shrugged the double
team data onto the table.
League high 75% double teamrate, quote, he's delusional,
(08:46):
said Dex.
The tape backs him.
Similar to Quinn Williams on theJets, he's eating up two linem
up the middle so that Burns andthe Edges can feast.
That being said, though, CarlBanks isn't just some beat
reporter with a microphone.
He's a legendary player inGiants lore and part of their
vaunted defense that broughthome two Lombardi trophies.
(09:10):
He kind of knows a thing or twoabout defensive fronts.
Now the reality check, weeknine, you get the 49ers at Mad
Life.
And McCaffrey has been playinglike a cheat code.
Kittle is back in rhythm.
Jackson Dart does settle inbetter at home, and the crowd
should be there to support, butthis is a treacherous week for
(09:33):
Winx Group.
Close the edges, put a roof onthe explosive plays, live with
the underneath stuff, and try tokeep the game close.
We'll talk some numbers later inthe pick segment, but that's the
assignment for this week.
Don't let it be a repeat ofSaquon sprinting down the
(09:53):
sideline.
So now with the locals out ofthe way, let's move on to some
quick week eight rips.
The games that you might havemissed out on because life is
like that sometimes.
You don't have all Sunday todevote to some guys running on
the field.
That's what I'm here for.
I gotcha.
Here's a couple of the gamesthat I think are worth
(10:16):
mentioning from last week.
First on the list, Cowboys atBroncos.
One of my picks from last week,too.
Denver has quietly been winningwhile Sean Payton and Bo Knicks
try to figure out the balancebetween Peyton's offense and Bo
being Bo.
Knicks finally leaned into hislegs in that Giants comeback win
(10:38):
two weeks ago, threw two passingtouchdowns and two rushing
touchdowns in a quarter.
And then you didn't need thewheels much versus Dallas
because their secondary isSwiss.
But the bigger point, whenKnicks plays like Bo, not like a
Drew Brees tribute act, theoffense breathes.
(10:58):
If you blitz him and turn yourback, he'll gut you with
keepers.
If you sit in zone, he'll takethe profits.
Denver is six and two, and it'sbeen erratic, but they're
learning what they are, and toquote Parcells, you are what
your record says you are.
Next game, Titans at Colts.
(11:21):
Indies offense is a fire hoseright now.
League's best scoring, top sixin both pass and rush.
And yes, that's the same DanielJones looking comfortable in
Shane Steichen system.
13 touchdowns, three picks, 109pass rating, getting the ball
out on time, with explosiveplays layered in, add in
(11:45):
Jonathan Taylor finding his formagain and detonating weakly.
Their red zone math is justunfair.
And even the optics match, too.
The late Jim Ursay's daughter isnow on the sideline in a
headset, keeping the train onschedule and finding out who is
messing up.
It's an interesting new take tobeing an owner.
It's different than the JerryJones, I played D1 college ball,
(12:10):
so I know what I'm talking aboutact.
And it's different than the StanCronky just throw picks and
money at the problem philosophy.
She's keeping the right peopleaccountable with a gentle touch.
And this is what competentstructure plus quarterback
confidence looks like.
I mean, could you ever imagineWoody Johnson even ever thinking
(12:30):
of something like this?
Kudos to the Colts and trying tobring the game into a new age.
Last game, Packers at Steelers.
Sunday night, the quote unquoteRogers revenge game, he swore up
and down all week, didn't meanmuch to him, and it was just
another game.
(12:51):
Well, Packers came out big, andPittsburgh's defense is
wobbling, and they've now gonethree straight games without a
takeaway.
Add in a pass defense that hasbeen a bottom tier unit by the
numbers.
Rodgers is putting up countingstats.
He's doing fine.
But it just felt like GreenBay's speed stressed their
second level out all night.
(13:12):
And if TJ Watt isn't wreckingthe game, that defense looks
very, very ordinary.
That's unfamiliar territory fora Mike Tomlin team.
And I can hear the terribletowels calling radio stations
already, calling for his head inthis offseason, which would be
the dumbest thing possiblebecause there will be a line out
the door of his office to hirehim as another team's head
(13:36):
football coach.
So with the week eight recap allset and done, time to look
forward now to some week ninegames.
You should circle.
First on the list is Bears atBengals.
And Chicago, Chicago's beenmoving the ball, but face
planning in the red zone.
(13:56):
Penalties have just beenstepping on late down scrips
left and right.
They've only got five touchdownsin their last 16 trips.
Caleb's accuracy has ticked up abit and seems to have found a
little bit of a rhythm with BenJohnson's offense, but he's also
been prone to throwing somesoul-crushing interceptions late
(14:16):
in games.
That's something that needs toget cleaned up first and
foremost.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati's defensecalled a players-only meeting
after letting the winless andpathetic, I'm just kidding, not
pathetic, Jets hang 39 on them,and they're leading the league
in missed tackles.
So what comes?
(14:37):
Extra tackling drills, leadersairing it out.
That's either a galvanizing gameor a full-blown alarm.
Style clash incoming here.
Bears pass pro has quietly heldup strongly, and the Bengals
have to tackle in space and stopbeating themselves.
There's potential for Joe Flaccoto not play this week.
(14:58):
If it's Jake Browning, it'sgoing to be a long day in
Cincinnati yet again.
Next game on the list, Falconsat Patriots.
I'm not going to gas up NewEngland too much because later
I'm on a side in this game, butthe matchup is real.
Drake May has been lethal deep.
(15:20):
13-17 on 20-plus yard throwswith five touchdowns.
And Josh McDaniel, say what youwant about him as a head coach,
the man can dial up a playbook.
Atlanta, though, has the NFL'stop-rated pass defense by
yardage allowed and getshealthier by the hour.
If Michael Penix Jr.
goes and Drake London go, thathelps him chase, helps him stay
(15:44):
in this game.
But this could be decided by whoruns it the best when it's
obvious.
New England's defense hasn't leta single running back hit 50
yards all year, and Bijan hasbeen the engine that keeps the
Falcons alive.
Keep that in mind for later.
Next game on the list, Chiefs AdBills.
AFC title game rematch thatnever misses.
(16:07):
Kansas City's offense woke upfive straight with 28 plus
points.
And Rasheed Rice coming back haschanged their spacing
completely.
Buffalo got right last weekversus Carolina, but the
question is whether they canstring clean series together
against a defense that's beenbetter than advertised.
Our Mike Jack on Thursday nightfootball picked Ravens big, but
(16:28):
for Sunday, this is thefireworks show.
We for sure will be coveringthis game in the peg segment
later.
And speaking of Thursday, Ravensat Dolphins.
Lamar Gar quoted saying thatit's win or go home for the rest
of the year.
And he's acting like the leaderhe's supposed to.
Yank the ping pong table, thevideo games, the cornhole, the
(16:51):
pinball, all of it.
All of it out of the lockerroom.
Says his hamstring feels good.
He's been practicing full.
If Baltimore protects the edge,Miami is going to get a steady
diet of controlled aggression.
Our pole leaned Ravens minusseven and a half pretty
decisively, and I 100% get it.
If Miami can't make Lamar playleft-handed, this tilts purple
(17:13):
and big.
Lastly, before we get on, acouple quick hit items around
the league to weave into yourSunday viewing.
In New Orleans, Kellen Moore isre-evaluating starters,
including quarterback, afteranother slog.
Yeah, you're one and seven.
Doesn't surprise me at all.
And that's notable with the Ramslooming off of a bye week and
(17:35):
Puka Nakua coming back.
Stafford can put you down threescores before you even find your
seat in the Superdome.
Keep an eye on Moore's run passearly script as they try to
throttle down the turnovers, butgood luck.
You might be walking into abuzzsaw here.
(18:05):
And the Eagles could use somenickel secondary help.
College football footnote beforewe bounce, Brian Kelly out at
LSU.
Joe Sloan out the very next day.
Frank Wilson wearing the interimtag for now, and Kirby Smart
basically says the quiet partout loud, saying that this is
the world that we live in now.
Boom or bust.
(18:26):
Add in James Franklin's oust atPenn State two weeks ago.
And the carousel in college isalready spinning.
I'll whisper this because BatonRouge folks are superstitious.
Don't be shocked if you hear EdAugeron's name floated by
boosters.
Go Tagas.
Ed Augeron.
They want that Louisiana.
(18:46):
They want that Soldomboy, thatvibe back.
Go Tigas.
G-E-A-U-X Tigas.
Also, keep tabs on Texas.
Archie Manning, excuse me, ArchManning is in concussion
protocol.
And if he can't go, Texas turnsand the next man up.
And all of this rolls into thetheme for tonight's episode.
(19:08):
No one is handing anybodyanything.
You take the hard job, you livewith the heat.
You want something bad enough,you have to take it and make it
yours.
Okay, with the locals handled,week eight sorted out, and week
nine mapped out.
Next up, we'll cool down as bestwe can with some hoops.
(19:30):
And then the World Series chaos.
But don't wander too far.
We're closing later with fantasytriage and a four-in-one heater
rolling into the pick segment.
Keep it right here.
Alright, let's take a 20 hereand get into some hoops.
(19:54):
Pull up a chair because I have alot to say about the Knicks, and
it's only four games in.
Let's start in Milwaukee becausethe tape doesn't lie.
The Knicks coughed up a 12-pointhalftime lead.
Giannis drops 37 with that Idon't forget things energy.
And Ryan Rollins, yes, RyanRollins hit us up for a career
(20:18):
high 25.
The game flipped on its headwhen Brunson got the leg scare,
dives on a loose ball, pops uphobbling, then tries to steady
it, and then goes down againnear the Bucks bench and loses
the handle right away.
Giannis yoinks it, ties it at103 with a big dunk, points to
his chest, yelling, This is mycity, and it was an avalanche
(20:40):
from there.
Credit to Jalen, 36 and stillfighting, but you could feel the
momentum shift for the entireteam the second his legs
screamed at him.
They all know it.
No Jalen, no season.
Now the rant.
And I didn't want to do thisfour games in, but we're here
(21:00):
and it needs to be said earlyand get ahead of it early.
The Mike Brown era cannot openup with entitlement.
You don't get to just walk intothe East, see no Tatum, no
Halley for a minute, and decidethe conference is a costume
party and hand fed to you.
This isn't please take onecandy.
(21:23):
This is take your dream or gohome.
The poll from you guys said itplain and simple.
Glass and defense ran away withthe priority this week.
Not more touches for cat, notbench spark, not manage
Brunson's minutes, though.
Yes, we have to be smart thereafter that scare.
It's boards and stops.
(21:45):
Period, stop.
And Cat, I said it last year,and I will say it again.
He's gotta be a dog, not a cat.
New York is a tough town, man.
And Knic fans are literallyinsane.
But you know what else they are?
They are smart.
If you play soft in this town,you will hear about it right
(22:08):
away.
I didn't want him when we madethe trade, but he's here now,
and now we need to find a way tomake it work with him.
And I'll say it because I don'thave the FCC on my back, and I'm
not on a radio station.
Big Cat plays like a big puss.
15 points and 18 boards looksnice in the box score, but it
(22:31):
has to translate to tone.
He took one shot in the firsthalf.
Not first quarter, first half.
Then postgame said I was doingwhat they asked of me, but
stayed warm if they needed me togo.
My brother in Christ, you arethe second most important player
on this team.
Realize that and play like it.
(22:54):
I highly doubt Mike Brown isasking you to wander around
aimlessly through the paint.
Call for the ball.
Set up outside, bust offscreens, do something, do
anything.
I'm sick and tired of seeing youtrudging up and down the court
like red in Friday, gettingbullied by Debo and swinging
your arm saying, my grandmamagive me that chain.
(23:15):
That's the gig here.
If Mitch is out and he's goingto be out more often than he is
in, then Kat, you have to becomethe bouncer.
Verticality, second jumps,elbows first, own the glass.
We're not asking for prime BenWallace.
We're asking for some toughness,something you've been
(23:36):
questioning on your entirecareer.
You're seven feet two sixty.
Play like it for God's sakes.
Make the other team feel you onevery screen and every rebound.
You want the city, you want theNew York glory being known for
doing the hardest thing insports, which is bringing a
title to New York.
Well, it's right there for thetaking for you.
(23:58):
Reach out and take it.
So how do we fix this early?
Well, simple.
Simple and boring.
My favorite kind of fixes.
One, stop hemorrhagingtransition points off lazy floor
balance.
Two, own the defensive glass.
Stop giving up offensiverebounds.
(24:18):
And three, let Brunson breathewith a tempo pocket where he's
off ball for two possessionshere and there.
That's where the bench sparkpeople on the pole have a leg to
stand on.
Ten good Obi-Style chaos minutescan change an entire night.
And yes, more cat touches can besmart if they're not stand there
and wait for a kick out minutes.
(24:40):
Elbow touches with movement,split actions, invert the floor
a couple times to punishswitches, make it easy, and then
go earn the tough ones.
Zooming out league-wide, just aquick integrity update and not a
civics class.
The Rogier Billups indictments,memo from the league on risk,
(25:00):
and Senate letter asking Silverfor details.
I asked you guys what you thinkshould change with player props,
and our poll was basicallysplit.
There was a small edge to keepplayer props as is, with tighten
them and lose them entirely,close enough to matter behind.
My read guardrails are coming insome form, whether it be
(25:23):
education or enforcement, maybemake a couple tweaks around
certain markets, but theconversation is not going away
anytime soon.
If you're a player, be a leader,protect your locker room.
If you're the league, protectthe game.
It's as simple as that.
And you know what?
Actually, back to the Knicks,because I'm not done with them
(25:44):
yet.
Keeping with the Halloween themehere, enough masks.
It's time to show your face.
Here's the immediate checklistfor Chicago on Friday, who you
also have in a back-to-back, onehome, one away.
First off, win the first sixminutes of the third quarter.
We've lost that stretch twicealready, and it's where the
(26:06):
bleeding starts.
Number two, gang rebound likeit's a playoff possession.
Josh Hart is coming off thebench with a splint on his
finger.
And you think he's happy aboutplaying 28 minutes a game?
No, he's sacrificing for theteam.
He wants to be out there everypossession causing a ruckus.
Maybe take a page out of hisbook, see his energy.
And three, manage Brunson's rampwithout neutering him either.
(26:29):
He's your compass.
He leads the offense.
But he's also not a decoy.
If you want a swing lever, leaninto Mikhail's cuts.
He had 24 Milwaukee and theBucks still lost him a few
times.
Make that a diet item.
And if the jumper isn't there,let him gut a defense with a
straight line cut or an earlysteal.
Or devote time to him shuttingdown their star player while the
(26:51):
rest of the unit catches abreath.
And the Milwaukee contextmatters too.
Giannis said he remembered thesweep last season, 0-3, and we
beat him by 22 each time weplayed him.
You felt him play with an edge,and that's the standard he wants
to set.
Not just the result or the edge.
The standard.
All the rumors of him gettingtraded here aside, one thing has
(27:14):
always been consistent in hismessaging, and it's he wants to
play somewhere that he has achance to win a championship.
I'm sure after that win andbeing able to completely take
over the game, doing whatever hewanted, he looked at the East
and is saying, Yeah, this ismine for the taking.
Who are the Knicks?
So if you're the Knicks and youwant to be on top of the East,
(27:35):
let this early game in Octoberbe a lesson that sticks with you
for the rest of the year.
You're gonna have to take itevery single night from teams
who think that they also arethat team that can make some
noise, that have a chance to getto that next level.
You want to be the best.
You need to act like the best.
(27:55):
And again, that's the theme ofthe whole show today.
Nobody's handing you the crownbecause of some media day
graphics.
Here's where I land.
No panic, but no passes either.
You're two and two with a latecollapse in Milwaukee and a blah
night in Miami.
(28:16):
Take care of the glass, cut thecute shit out, let your best
player dictate the whistle.
If Kat wants to make astatement, make it at the rim.
Two hands, hard and loud.
If Brunson needs a six-minutepocket to recover, somebody from
the bench has got to manufacturepace and pain.
You can fix this in a week, butyou gotta take it.
(28:41):
Alright.
Now that I got all that off mychest and out of my head, deep
breath in, deep breath out.
We'll pivot to the diamond next.
Got an 18-inning game to cover.
I got rookies making history anda World Series that's turned
into a bar fight headed back toToronto.
(29:02):
Then we're circling back to thefantasy roster, and you're wild.
Stay right here.
(29:35):
So turn the volume up and let'stalk ball on the diamond.
Because if you haven't watched,for whatever reason, this World
Series has been pure chaos.
In the best possible way.
God, it feels like yesterday Iwas just talking about opening
day with you guys.
And now it's gonna be all over.
(29:56):
So let me break it down for you.
Game three first, because Thatwas an instant classic.
18 innings, six hours, 39minutes.
The game ended 12.07 Californiatime.
But I was up till 3 a.m.
watching because I just couldn'tturn away.
(30:16):
Both bullpans emptied.
Both fan bases were aging in dogears.
And Freddie Freeman, of courseit was Freddie Freeman, finally,
finally walks it off in thebottom of the 18th.
The 18th.
That comes on the heels ofShohei Otani doing more record
setting Shohei things.
(30:36):
Two home runs, four hits on basenine times in the game.
Oh, and not to mention he wouldbe due on the hill to pitch
later that night in game four.
Look, if you listened to thePoba 4, you know my stance on
Altani.
I can't stand him.
But I can no longer deny thetalent he brings to a baseball
(30:59):
diamond.
This man was made in a labdesigned to be the best baseball
player of all time.
And with that win, the Dodgerslooked like they'd seized the
series pulse up to one.
Will Klein, the quote, lastreliever left guy, someone who
has never thrown more than 37pitches in and outing in his
(31:20):
career, someone who was tradedfrom the A's and then DFA'd by
the Mariners, comes in, throws72 pitches across four scoreless
innings.
That's hero stuff.
It matched the longest game byinnings in postseason history,
and of course it happened in LAagain.
Hard not to be romantic aboutbaseball, huh?
(31:44):
So with the Golden Boy on theHill, a 2-1 series lead, two
more games in LA.
The public was writing the J'soff and thought that they were
all looking at back-to-backtitles for the first time since
the Yankees in 98 and 99.
But hold the phone.
Toronto answers the bell.
Game four flips the script.
(32:05):
6'2 J's and the series getstied.
Vladdy nukes one, and they hanga four spot in the seventh for
insurance.
They did it with George Springeron ice after he heard his
oblique swinging, called himselfhour to hour, is what he's
labeling it as, I guess.
But that's been the Jays thing.
Depth.
(32:26):
Nathan Luke's up top.
Ernie Clement doing a job.
Addison Barger punching in a bigribby.
Shane Bieber gives him five anda third of control.
Then the pen comes in, slams thedoor, and suddenly the champs
are wobbling yet again.
But game five.
Game five was the one thatchanged my math.
(32:46):
Trey Yesavage, rookie, 22 yearsold.
He started his season in frontof 327 people in double-A ball.
Goes into Dodger Stadium andcars out 12 strikeouts with no
walks.
His first pitch to Shohei,inside paint, strike one, and he
looks him dead in the eye andsays, Yeah, I'll be here all
(33:09):
night.
Don't you worry about that.
That's a World Series rookiestrikeout record, including 23
swing and misses.
The most in a series game in thepitch tracking era.
God, at 22 years old, I barelyknew my ass from my elbow.
Never mind throwing darts in apivotal World Series game in
(33:30):
front of 56,000 people.
It also helps when your leadoffman, Davis Schneider and Vladdy,
go back to back on Blake Snell'sfirst and third pitches of the
game.
Toronto wins game 5'6-1.
They take a 3-2 lead, and theDodgers bats flail.
(33:51):
They're hitting right around 200in the series, even with all the
Shohei heroics.
And on top of it, they have zeroextra base hits with runners in
scoring position.
Add in a World Series record offour wild pitches, two by Blake
Snell, and Dave Robertsshuffling the lineup, dropping
Mukey from the two-hole, whichhas worked all year.
(34:13):
That didn't conjure a spark.
That's not just some panic.
That's the reality through five.
So here we are.
Back to Toronto.
Roger center ready to shake, andboy, does that building shake.
The board is simple for bothteams.
Dodgers, win two or try againnext year.
(34:33):
Jays, win one more home game,and you get to crack champagne
on their field for the firsttime since 1993.
Game six is no slouch, though.
Heavyweight rematch.
You got Yoshinobu Yamamoto, myfavorite name to say in
baseball, who threw a four-hitcomplete game in game two, first
World Series complete game since2015, and first back-to-back
(34:57):
postseason complete game byanybody since Kurt Schilling in
01 versus Kevin Gaussman, whohis last outing gave you six and
two-thirds of solid pitching.
If Yamamoto shoves again, we'reprobably getting a game seven
Sunday heartbeat monitor.
If the Jays can drag him intotraffic, though, foul balls off
(35:19):
and stretch counts out, makethat defense work, then their
depth has been the difference inthis whole series.
IKF finding grass, Varsho'sspeed, Clement's contact, and oh
yeah, of course, Vlad living inthat my whole batter's box is a
red zone.
There's a good chance thisseries could be over Friday.
(35:41):
So quick roll call for bothteams here.
Springer's hour to hour, buteven in his absence, they've
manufactured runs with sacrificeflies, opposite field knocks,
and opportunism, honestly, justtaking bags when they can.
Toronto's pen usage is cleanafter your Savage went seven.
(36:01):
Dominguez and Hoffman have beenefficient closers to say the
least.
So Schneider's got options.
And for LA, well, the path isobvious.
The top four have to show uptogether.
When Otani is somewhatsilent-ish, and Will Smith and
Mookie and Freddie go one forfifteen like they did the other
(36:22):
night, they can't expectYamamoto to pitch a shutout.
And they also have to cash inthe few runners in scoring
position looks that they get.
Your team is not built to stringsix singles together in October.
They're a home run hitting team.
You need to double in the gap ora mistake in the middle third.
Someone's got to take it, notwait for it.
(36:45):
The Mike Check poll fits thevibe, too.
I updated it after game five.
Dodgers and six is dead.
But Dodgers and seven had sevenvotes.
That's how it feels.
Toronto's favored, but theYamamoto variable looms.
(37:05):
My lean, I like the Jays andsix.
If they can touch Yoshi early,if not, I still like the Jays
and seven.
Their bottom half has simplyoutplayed LA's bottom half.
More pressure, more little wins.
That's October baseball.
Your stars trade haymakers, butyour role guys decide the rings.
(37:28):
And that's tying it back totonight's team before we even
leave the yard.
No one hands you a title.
You have to take it.
Toronto needs one more swing,one more seven-pitch walk, one
more diving catch.
And LA needs two perfect nightsand their core to act like the
core that it is.
(37:50):
Either way, we got a bar fightfinishing up up north.
And I'm here for all of it.
This series is exactly why welove the game of baseball.
So with the diamond wrapped up,it's time to get to what you've
all been waiting for.
The weekly fantasy update.
And the gambling picks.
(38:10):
Coming off a hot week, and Igave you all Miami last week.
I hope you listened.
So grab a fresh drink, open upthe notes app.
Let's make your roster and yourwallet a little fatter.
Keep it right here.
(39:00):
Quick, sharp, and useful.
We're going to run throughfantasy here with some
breakouts.
The ad now before your leagueremembers to crew.
First on the list, Jalen Noel.
Houston has been stubborn aboutthe snapshare, but the last two
weeks tell the story.
Elite targets per route, realyards per run juice.
(39:24):
If the throttle opens uppost-by, he's a league swinging
wide receiver three with widereceiver two upside.
Next, Byshell Tootin.
This is the classic rookierunning back timing play.
Post-by usage, ETN second halffade history, and Tootin'
shoulder is trending the rightway.
(39:44):
If he's available, you shouldstash him now so you don't have
to pay some big money fab later.
And Trevion Henderson in NewEngland.
I know, I know a lot of peopledrafted him, expecting more out
of him, but it's coming.
He's begging for more edge runsand screens instead of getting
(40:04):
slogged up between the guards.
If and when they do lean intothat, your December will thank
you.
Now for some bus players.
And I'm bracing for a come downwith these guys.
Travis Etienne, just like Imentioned before, has the name
and the role, but the arrows arepointing to some squeeze.
(40:27):
Tough front seven slate andTootin lurking right behind him.
If someone wants to pay 2023prices, you take that.
Take it and run.
And I hate to say it, JacksonDart.
I love the player.
But I hate the situation forfantasy.
Nearly 40% of his points havebeen on the ground.
(40:50):
And he just lost two of his bestweapons for the year.
If he's your only QB in a one QBleague, start building a backup
plan now.
A couple bounce back candidatesI really like.
Brian Thomas Jr.
If he clears the health hurdle,his late season perimeter
schedule is chef's kiss.
(41:11):
Same thing goes for JuwanJennings, Brock Purdy back,
volume plus just pure talent.
The kid can play, just needssomeone to get him the ball.
And he needs to be able to stayon the field.
And also Nico Collins.
CJ Stroud has struggled early,but Nico Collins just has too
(41:32):
much talent to be sitting atwide receiver 30 right now.
And again, the upcoming run ofmatchups has so much sunlight.
Nico Collins is primed for a bigbounce back second half.
Now some start sits, some actualcalls for this week.
And I know some of these soundvery easy, but you would be
(41:54):
surprised how much peopleoverthink things when it comes
to a fantasy roster.
So starts first.
Because yes, we like points.
Start Tyler Warren, no-brainer,Colts tight end.
Indy has been creative with him.
Daniel Jones is slinging it.
He's getting backfield looks,he's getting split out.
(42:16):
He's even under center.
Oh, and by the way, the Steelersjust let Tucker Kraft set career
high numbers last week.
Next, Rasheed Rice in KCBuffalo.
It's going to be a track meet,and he has really opened up
their offense.
Usage plus total equals completegreen light.
And two guys that I justmentioned before start Juwan
(42:38):
Jennings, start Nico Collins.
Juwan Jennings is going to get alot of uptick and usage.
And Nico Collins is just too bigand too strong to be this bad.
He's going to figure it out.
Now for the sits, the landmines,the stuff that you don't need
exploding up in your lineup.
Sit Bo Nicks.
(42:59):
Hate to say it.
He's been playing good all year,and I know I talked him up
earlier in the podcast, but thatTexans pass defense has been
solid all year.
Sit Ash and Janty if you have anoption behind him.
I know a lot of people probablydrafted him early.
A lot of people have beenrelying on him.
He's coming off a bye.
Chino Smith has been terrible.
Brock Bowers is back, so we'llsee if it opens up, but that
(43:22):
Jaguars front erases runningback touchdowns this year.
Sit Alvin Kamara.
If you again, if you need to,fine.
But if you have options, AlvinKamara is the guy you sit.
Saints are going to LA.
The Rams are coming off a bye.
They're getting Puka Nakua back.
(43:43):
Tyler Shuck is getting thestart, and I'm sure Alvin Kamara
doesn't have a lot of chemistrywith him.
This game script could get outof hand fast.
I'd recommend sitting Alvin.
And if you're streaming at tightend, I would avoid Hunter Henry
this week against Atlanta'sfunnel.
Their pass defense is actuallyvery good.
(44:05):
And like I said, Drake May lovesHunter Henry, but he might force
the ball.
They got some good linebackersand some good safeties over the
middle.
If you absolutely have to starthim, by all means go ahead.
But if you are streaming, Imight avoid Hunter Henry this
week.
And a quick dynasty slash keeperupdate on Brees Hall.
For fantasy, you're good eitherway.
(44:28):
If he's extended or he getsmoved, if someone offers you a
change your season kind of deal,sure.
Entertain it.
See what you can get out of it.
Otherwise, just enjoy theworkload.
He's going to get the rest ofthe year either with the Jets or
on another team, but he will beuseful the rest of the year.
(44:48):
Alright.
Now.
Now.
Cards on the felt, boys.
Rolling the dice with Rice.
And we are coming off afour-and-one heater that really
should have been 5-0 last weekif the Jets didn't pull off that
miracle comeback.
So the Jets are on a bye.
So you're going to get threenon-local picks and one local
(45:08):
pick.
Let's dive right in.
Game one, Atlanta Falcons at NewEngland Patriots.
Look, Atlanta has beenstruggling as of late, and they
have a big task in front of themgoing into New England.
The defense just got embarrassedby the Dolphins, which if that
wasn't a gut punch, I don't knowwhat was.
(45:29):
But they do hold tight ends to aleague minimum.
That has been Drake May's safetyvalve all year.
Couple that with a bad run gamebetween the tackles.
I think Atlanta can keep it justclose enough to cover the
number.
But if I want to be safe, I'mgoing to buy it up over the
touchdown.
Give me Atlanta plus seven and ahalf.
(45:51):
Game two, New Orleans Saints atLA Rams.
Another game I just mentionedbefore.
Rams are fresh off of bye week.
They get Puka Nakua back.
Stafford has been able to keepthe boat afloat without him.
And a bad Saints team starting arookie quarterback going into
LA.
This has boat race written allover it.
(46:13):
The line is LA minus 14.5.
And I wouldn't be surprised ifin the third quarter red zone
pops up and it's 30 to 3.
Feel comfortable with thisnumber, but if you feel a little
shy, don't be afraid to buy thehook if you want.
I'm taking Rams minus 14.5.
Game three on the card.
(46:35):
Kansas City Chiefs at theBuffalo Bills.
We're taking the total and we'regoing over.
Look, it's no secret that theBills have been reeling as of
late and coming off their bye,they had their get right game
last week against Carolina.
But the Chiefs have been thehottest team in football over
(46:58):
the past four weeks, putting up28 points a game.
And this game is the hardest ontheir schedule for the next
couple weeks.
This is the big game for bothteams.
This is the game that willdetermine playoff seating and
honestly, potentially the SuperBowl.
Every single time they haveplayed the last three years, it
(47:19):
has been a non-stop back andforth points machine.
I'm really surprised that thisgame wasn't flexing to Sunday
night football, to be honestwith you.
But it will be the marquee gameof the weekend for sure.
Over-under is 52.5, and I'mgonna hammer it.
Fully expect both teams to comeout slinging the ball.
(47:39):
Over 52 and a half is the pick.
Lastly, for the locals, well,local, San Francisco 49ers at
New York Giants in MetLife.
No scat, no neighbors, D-linebeing criticized by former Giant
legends, coaches fighting fortheir jobs.
(47:59):
Jackson Dart does seem to playbetter at home, but Christian
McCaffrey has been putting on anabsolute show this season.
And the Giants also just hadtroubles keeping Saquon Barkley
in check.
Not to mention George Kittle isback in action and looking in
rhythm.
The line is low, and even if thebooks are trying to beat me into
taking it, I don't care.
(48:21):
Give me San Francisco minus twoand a half.
So that's the ticket for theweekend.
Atlanta plus seven and a half,Rams minus 14.5, KC Buffalo over
52.5, and Niners minus two and ahalf.
Four plays, same confidence aslast week.
Screenshot your lineups, placeyour slips, and let's go get two
(48:41):
wins this week.
One in the standings and one inthe bank roll.
We'll land the plane with theoutro next, get you out of here.
Thanks for sticking around.
(49:12):
We opened up with 74 and whatNick Mangled meant to a winning
Jets identity.
We caught our breath with thelocals, Giants reeling after the
scatterbo injury, Jets finallyexercising the 0-7 demon, and we
stitched in your mic check votesalong the way.
We hit the week 8 rips, circledthe week 9 sleep, got a little
(49:36):
honest about the Knicks, andthen lived on the diamond with a
World Series that refuses to benormal.
Then we wrapped it up with themid-season fantasy tune-up and a
fresh slip on the 4-in-1 heater.
If you're new here, welcome.
Make sure you follow, subscribe,so you don't miss the next one.
(49:57):
Apple, Spotify, YouTube, all ofit.
Rate the show, drop a review,takes two clicks on your end,
and helps grow the show morethan you could ever imagine.
And tell a friend who arguessports like it's their job.
I got the hot takes for him.
Hop on the Instagram, it's gonnabe at RiceOnTheRadio, just how
(50:17):
it's spelled.
Wednesday Mic Check is whereyour votes steer the show.
And I'll post the roll in thedice with rice picks on the feed
and stories.
The theme for the episode stillstands.
You gotta go take it.
Same for your fantasy lineup,same for your bankroll, and same
(50:38):
for how you should approachlife.
Thank you for listening.
Truly, without you, this show isnothing but a guy yelling into a
microphone.
As always, spread some goodenergy in this world.
And make sure you tell someoneyou love them.
Life is short.
Live with no regrets.
Happy Halloween.
I am Ian Rice.
(50:59):
This has been Rice on the Mics,and I'll catch you guys next
week.
Welcome everybody.
Welcome back to Rice on theMicrosoft.
This is episode 37, and it'sHalloween weekend.
The portchlight is on, the bowlsays please take one.
But something tells me that thisgroup isn't going to be abiding
by those rules.
And that's the theme tonight.
No one hands you your dream.
You gotta go take it.
Quick roadmap for the episode.
(00:49):
We'll open up the NFL block byacknowledging number 74 in your
playbook, but number one in yourheart, Nick Mangle.
The player he was, and what hemeant to Jet fans all around the
world.
For the locals, we're keeping ittight.
The Giants are trying to breatheafter a gut punch last week.
The Jets finally exercised their0-7 demons, and we'll stitch in
your mic check poll results aswe go along.
(01:11):
We'll hit a few games from weekeight and circle the games in
week nine that actually matter,yes, including a quick Thursday
night look with Lamar back inMiami.
Some hoops later.
I didn't think I would have todo this four games in, but the
Knicks rant is coming.
We'll talk immediate fixesversus overreactions, sprinkle
in a one-liner on why Phil wasnever the fit anyway, after he
(01:33):
mentioned something in his book,Dissing Carmelo.
And give a quick update on theleague's gambling guardrails
without turning it into a civicsclass.
Baseball has been straight chaosin the best way possible.
18-inning epics, rookies makinghistory, and heavyweights
trading haymakers.
The World Series is headed backto Toronto with records falling
(01:53):
left and right and momentumswinging like a boomerang.
Then we'll take care of yourfantasy team and your wallet.
Some mid-season check-ins androlling the dice with rice.
We went four and one last week,and I got four plays I like,
including that Kansas CityBuffalo total, and a low number
at MetLife.
But we'll save the ammo for thepick second.
Alright, costumes on, the mic ishot, let's do it to it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:18):
Lift off and the clock is started.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Okay, let's dive into some football.
And first things first, number74.
Nick Mangold.
The franchise icon passed at 41from kidney disease
complications just 12 days afterpublicly seeking a transplant.
That one lands heavy.
Seven Pro Bowls, two first teamall-pros, the Jets Ring of
(02:59):
Honor, and one half of the Nickand Brick combo with the
Brickishhaw Ferguson.
But the resume is just theframe.
What's inside the picture istoughness, wit, reliability.
I grew up watching Mangold.
The backwards cap, the bigbeard, and the even bigger
(03:20):
heart.
Center is the quiet job.
And Nick made it cool.
He set the protections for ayoung rookie quarterback,
brought the fight play afterplay for all 60 minutes, and
then he cracked a beer and wouldmake you laugh.
He was there for the good times,the bad times, and then the
(03:41):
really bad times of Jetsfootball.
Rex Ryan's tribute nailed it.
Mangold played hurt for hiscoach and for his locker room to
the very end of that era.
When you picture Jets footballthat travels, Jets football that
was a winning culture.
Yes, believe it or not, therewas a time when that was an
actually true statement.
(04:02):
That cold, loud, hard nose beatyou up in the trenches culture,
you picture number 74.
So rest easy, big fella.
You set the standard and youwere the standard.
So with that being said, theJets exercise their demons.
Exercise your demons.
(04:24):
At least for one Sunday theydid.
0-7 to a wild 39-38 win inCincy.
And eerily enough, the finaltotal almost landed on 74.
The fight home finally soundedlike a football team that's
bonded and happy.
Apparently there were smiles,jokes, and some pressure lifted,
(04:44):
finally getting a check in the Wcolumn.
And good for Justin Fields, bythe way.
Gets publicly dragged by theworst owner across all
professional sports, got benchedbecause his coach's hands were
basically tied behind his back.
Gets the start last minutebecause Tyrod, what else is new,
is hurt, went out there, foundsomething, and stuck it to his
(05:07):
doubters at least for one game.
Then post-game opened up on thepodium saying how he was crying
during the week and prayed toGod for an answer.
Aaron Glenn has been tellingeverybody that this is a
foundation year.
That the ugly bricks stillcount.
And you saw a few of thosebricks set in place this last
weekend.
On a bye week this week, and youshould expect some names to get
(05:30):
shuffled around.
The front office already made amove.
Michael Carter the second out toPhilly, John Michi the third
into the wide receiver room.
And it tells you two things.
They're auditioning receiversbehind Garrett, and they're not
done shaping 2026 just yet.
Which brings us to our nexttopic: Brees Hall.
(05:50):
Our poll was tight, but tradenow for picks, edged out, extend
him this winter.
And I get both sides of theargument.
Look, he's your best offensiveplayer behind Garrett, maybe
even in front of Garrett, but heis still a blue chip asset on a
team that's still pouring thefoundation in the basement, not
exactly remodeling the bathroom.
(06:11):
So my read if you're seriousabout growing something for
real, you usually extend yourculture pieces, not ship them
out.
More than likely, you'll bepicking at the top of the draft.
More than likely, you'll bedrafting a rookie quarterback.
More than likely, he'll be goingthrough some growing pains.
So a premier running back behinda one-year older offensive line
(06:35):
will do wonders to take somepressure off of whoever you land
on.
But, and this is a BBL level,but if a contender does come
knocking, if a contender doescome calling, and they are
really desperate, and somehow,some way you can squeeze a one
out of them, or maybe a two, youpick up the phone and see how
(06:56):
serious they actually are.
But for now, Jeff fans, enjoythe bye week air.
Enjoy not going winless on theseason.
Enjoy the moment.
And hey, at least you can't losethis week either, right?
Giant fans, your turn now.
And take a deep breath becausetwo of your future star players
(07:18):
went under the knife this week.
The neighbor surgery wasplanned.
He had to wait for the swellingto go down.
Everything went well, and thetimeline lines up for next year.
First year back from an ACL isalways a learning curve, but
when healthy, he is a truly topfive wide receiver in this
league, and he should be fineeven at 80%.
(07:39):
The gut punch was Cam Scatabow.
The team's energy justevaporated when he went down.
Open tibia fracture, ankledislocation, ruptured deltoid
ligament, emergency surgery,season over, and some queasy
stomachs on the broadcast.
And yet, Philly lives up to itsnickname of brotherly love.
(08:03):
Big Dom DeSandro, the Eagles'chief of security on the
sideline, showed up to thehospital with pizza and
cheesesteaks.
That's sport at its best.
Warriors on the field andgentlemen off of it.
The fan polls from the MikeCheck lined up too.
The trick-or-treat poll cameback mostly scat loss as the
story for this week withofficiating mess in second
(08:26):
place.
No shock there.
Meanwhile, Dexter Lawrencecaught a stray from Carl Banks
on the podcast, said, quote,nobody respects you anymore.
And then when asked about it,Dex just shrugged the double
team data onto the table.
League high 75% double teamrate, quote, he's delusional,
(08:46):
said Dex.
The tape backs him.
Similar to Quinn Williams on theJets, he's eating up two linem
up the middle so that Burns andthe Edges can feast.
That being said, though, CarlBanks isn't just some beat
reporter with a microphone.
He's a legendary player inGiants lore and part of their
vaunted defense that broughthome two Lombardi trophies.
(09:10):
He kind of knows a thing or twoabout defensive fronts.
Now the reality check, weeknine, you get the 49ers at Mad
Life.
And McCaffrey has been playinglike a cheat code.
Kittle is back in rhythm.
Jackson Dart does settle inbetter at home, and the crowd
should be there to support, butthis is a treacherous week for
(09:33):
Winx Group.
Close the edges, put a roof onthe explosive plays, live with
the underneath stuff, and try tokeep the game close.
We'll talk some numbers later inthe pick segment, but that's the
assignment for this week.
Don't let it be a repeat ofSaquon sprinting down the
(09:53):
sideline.
So now with the locals out ofthe way, let's move on to some
quick week eight rips.
The games that you might havemissed out on because life is
like that sometimes.
You don't have all Sunday todevote to some guys running on
the field.
That's what I'm here for.
I gotcha.
Here's a couple of the gamesthat I think are worth
(10:16):
mentioning from last week.
First on the list, Cowboys atBroncos.
One of my picks from last week,too.
Denver has quietly been winningwhile Sean Payton and Bo Knicks
try to figure out the balancebetween Peyton's offense and Bo
being Bo.
Knicks finally leaned into hislegs in that Giants comeback win
(10:38):
two weeks ago, threw two passingtouchdowns and two rushing
touchdowns in a quarter.
And then you didn't need thewheels much versus Dallas
because their secondary isSwiss.
But the bigger point, whenKnicks plays like Bo, not like a
Drew Brees tribute act, theoffense breathes.
(10:58):
If you blitz him and turn yourback, he'll gut you with
keepers.
If you sit in zone, he'll takethe profits.
Denver is six and two, and it'sbeen erratic, but they're
learning what they are, and toquote Parcells, you are what
your record says you are.
Next game, Titans at Colts.
(11:21):
Indies offense is a fire hoseright now.
League's best scoring, top sixin both pass and rush.
And yes, that's the same DanielJones looking comfortable in
Shane Steichen system.
13 touchdowns, three picks, 109pass rating, getting the ball
out on time, with explosiveplays layered in, add in
(11:45):
Jonathan Taylor finding his formagain and detonating weakly.
Their red zone math is justunfair.
And even the optics match, too.
The late Jim Ursay's daughter isnow on the sideline in a
headset, keeping the train onschedule and finding out who is
messing up.
It's an interesting new take tobeing an owner.
It's different than the JerryJones, I played D1 college ball,
(12:10):
so I know what I'm talking aboutact.
And it's different than the StanCronky just throw picks and
money at the problem philosophy.
She's keeping the right peopleaccountable with a gentle touch.
And this is what competentstructure plus quarterback
confidence looks like.
I mean, could you ever imagineWoody Johnson even ever thinking
(12:30):
of something like this?
Kudos to the Colts and trying tobring the game into a new age.
Last game, Packers at Steelers.
Sunday night, the quote unquoteRogers revenge game, he swore up
and down all week, didn't meanmuch to him, and it was just
another game.
(12:51):
Well, Packers came out big, andPittsburgh's defense is
wobbling, and they've now gonethree straight games without a
takeaway.
Add in a pass defense that hasbeen a bottom tier unit by the
numbers.
Rodgers is putting up countingstats.
He's doing fine.
But it just felt like GreenBay's speed stressed their
second level out all night.
(13:12):
And if TJ Watt isn't wreckingthe game, that defense looks
very, very ordinary.
That's unfamiliar territory fora Mike Tomlin team.
And I can hear the terribletowels calling radio stations
already, calling for his head inthis offseason, which would be
the dumbest thing possiblebecause there will be a line out
the door of his office to hirehim as another team's head
(13:36):
football coach.
So with the week eight recap allset and done, time to look
forward now to some week ninegames.
You should circle.
First on the list is Bears atBengals.
And Chicago, Chicago's beenmoving the ball, but face
planning in the red zone.
(13:56):
Penalties have just beenstepping on late down scrips
left and right.
They've only got five touchdownsin their last 16 trips.
Caleb's accuracy has ticked up abit and seems to have found a
little bit of a rhythm with BenJohnson's offense, but he's also
been prone to throwing somesoul-crushing interceptions late
(14:16):
in games.
That's something that needs toget cleaned up first and
foremost.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati's defensecalled a players-only meeting
after letting the winless andpathetic, I'm just kidding, not
pathetic, Jets hang 39 on them,and they're leading the league
in missed tackles.
So what comes?
(14:37):
Extra tackling drills, leadersairing it out.
That's either a galvanizing gameor a full-blown alarm.
Style clash incoming here.
Bears pass pro has quietly heldup strongly, and the Bengals
have to tackle in space and stopbeating themselves.
There's potential for Joe Flaccoto not play this week.
(14:58):
If it's Jake Browning, it'sgoing to be a long day in
Cincinnati yet again.
Next game on the list, Falconsat Patriots.
I'm not going to gas up NewEngland too much because later
I'm on a side in this game, butthe matchup is real.
Drake May has been lethal deep.
(15:20):
13-17 on 20-plus yard throwswith five touchdowns.
And Josh McDaniel, say what youwant about him as a head coach,
the man can dial up a playbook.
Atlanta, though, has the NFL'stop-rated pass defense by
yardage allowed and getshealthier by the hour.
If Michael Penix Jr.
goes and Drake London go, thathelps him chase, helps him stay
(15:44):
in this game.
But this could be decided by whoruns it the best when it's
obvious.
New England's defense hasn't leta single running back hit 50
yards all year, and Bijan hasbeen the engine that keeps the
Falcons alive.
Keep that in mind for later.
Next game on the list, Chiefs AdBills.
AFC title game rematch thatnever misses.
(16:07):
Kansas City's offense woke upfive straight with 28 plus
points.
And Rasheed Rice coming back haschanged their spacing
completely.
Buffalo got right last weekversus Carolina, but the
question is whether they canstring clean series together
against a defense that's beenbetter than advertised.
Our Mike Jack on Thursday nightfootball picked Ravens big, but
(16:28):
for Sunday, this is thefireworks show.
We for sure will be coveringthis game in the peg segment
later.
And speaking of Thursday, Ravensat Dolphins.
Lamar Gar quoted saying thatit's win or go home for the rest
of the year.
And he's acting like the leaderhe's supposed to.
Yank the ping pong table, thevideo games, the cornhole, the
(16:51):
pinball, all of it.
All of it out of the lockerroom.
Says his hamstring feels good.
He's been practicing full.
If Baltimore protects the edge,Miami is going to get a steady
diet of controlled aggression.
Our pole leaned Ravens minusseven and a half pretty
decisively, and I 100% get it.
If Miami can't make Lamar playleft-handed, this tilts purple
(17:13):
and big.
Lastly, before we get on, acouple quick hit items around
the league to weave into yourSunday viewing.
In New Orleans, Kellen Moore isre-evaluating starters,
including quarterback, afteranother slog.
Yeah, you're one and seven.
Doesn't surprise me at all.
And that's notable with the Ramslooming off of a bye week and
(17:35):
Puka Nakua coming back.
Stafford can put you down threescores before you even find your
seat in the Superdome.
Keep an eye on Moore's run passearly script as they try to
throttle down the turnovers, butgood luck.
You might be walking into abuzzsaw here.
(18:05):
And the Eagles could use somenickel secondary help.
College football footnote beforewe bounce, Brian Kelly out at
LSU.
Joe Sloan out the very next day.
Frank Wilson wearing the interimtag for now, and Kirby Smart
basically says the quiet partout loud, saying that this is
the world that we live in now.
Boom or bust.
(18:26):
Add in James Franklin's oust atPenn State two weeks ago.
And the carousel in college isalready spinning.
I'll whisper this because BatonRouge folks are superstitious.
Don't be shocked if you hear EdAugeron's name floated by
boosters.
Go Tagas.
Ed Augeron.
They want that Louisiana.
(18:46):
They want that Soldomboy, thatvibe back.
Go Tigas.
G-E-A-U-X Tigas.
Also, keep tabs on Texas.
Archie Manning, excuse me, ArchManning is in concussion
protocol.
And if he can't go, Texas turnsand the next man up.
And all of this rolls into thetheme for tonight's episode.
(19:08):
No one is handing anybodyanything.
You take the hard job, you livewith the heat.
You want something bad enough,you have to take it and make it
yours.
Okay, with the locals handled,week eight sorted out, and week
nine mapped out.
Next up, we'll cool down as bestwe can with some hoops.
(19:30):
And then the World Series chaos.
But don't wander too far.
We're closing later with fantasytriage and a four-in-one heater
rolling into the pick segment.
Keep it right here.
Alright, let's take a 20 hereand get into some hoops.
(19:54):
Pull up a chair because I have alot to say about the Knicks, and
it's only four games in.
Let's start in Milwaukee becausethe tape doesn't lie.
The Knicks coughed up a 12-pointhalftime lead.
Giannis drops 37 with that Idon't forget things energy.
And Ryan Rollins, yes, RyanRollins hit us up for a career
(20:18):
high 25.
The game flipped on its headwhen Brunson got the leg scare,
dives on a loose ball, pops uphobbling, then tries to steady
it, and then goes down againnear the Bucks bench and loses
the handle right away.
Giannis yoinks it, ties it at103 with a big dunk, points to
his chest, yelling, This is mycity, and it was an avalanche
(20:40):
from there.
Credit to Jalen, 36 and stillfighting, but you could feel the
momentum shift for the entireteam the second his legs
screamed at him.
They all know it.
No Jalen, no season.
Now the rant.
And I didn't want to do thisfour games in, but we're here
(21:00):
and it needs to be said earlyand get ahead of it early.
The Mike Brown era cannot openup with entitlement.
You don't get to just walk intothe East, see no Tatum, no
Halley for a minute, and decidethe conference is a costume
party and hand fed to you.
This isn't please take onecandy.
(21:23):
This is take your dream or gohome.
The poll from you guys said itplain and simple.
Glass and defense ran away withthe priority this week.
Not more touches for cat, notbench spark, not manage
Brunson's minutes, though.
Yes, we have to be smart thereafter that scare.
It's boards and stops.
(21:45):
Period, stop.
And Cat, I said it last year,and I will say it again.
He's gotta be a dog, not a cat.
New York is a tough town, man.
And Knic fans are literallyinsane.
But you know what else they are?
They are smart.
If you play soft in this town,you will hear about it right
(22:08):
away.
I didn't want him when we madethe trade, but he's here now,
and now we need to find a way tomake it work with him.
And I'll say it because I don'thave the FCC on my back, and I'm
not on a radio station.
Big Cat plays like a big puss.
15 points and 18 boards looksnice in the box score, but it
(22:31):
has to translate to tone.
He took one shot in the firsthalf.
Not first quarter, first half.
Then postgame said I was doingwhat they asked of me, but
stayed warm if they needed me togo.
My brother in Christ, you arethe second most important player
on this team.
Realize that and play like it.
(22:54):
I highly doubt Mike Brown isasking you to wander around
aimlessly through the paint.
Call for the ball.
Set up outside, bust offscreens, do something, do
anything.
I'm sick and tired of seeing youtrudging up and down the court
like red in Friday, gettingbullied by Debo and swinging
your arm saying, my grandmamagive me that chain.
(23:15):
That's the gig here.
If Mitch is out and he's goingto be out more often than he is
in, then Kat, you have to becomethe bouncer.
Verticality, second jumps,elbows first, own the glass.
We're not asking for prime BenWallace.
We're asking for some toughness,something you've been
(23:36):
questioning on your entirecareer.
You're seven feet two sixty.
Play like it for God's sakes.
Make the other team feel you onevery screen and every rebound.
You want the city, you want theNew York glory being known for
doing the hardest thing insports, which is bringing a
title to New York.
Well, it's right there for thetaking for you.
(23:58):
Reach out and take it.
So how do we fix this early?
Well, simple.
Simple and boring.
My favorite kind of fixes.
One, stop hemorrhagingtransition points off lazy floor
balance.
Two, own the defensive glass.
Stop giving up offensiverebounds.
(24:18):
And three, let Brunson breathewith a tempo pocket where he's
off ball for two possessionshere and there.
That's where the bench sparkpeople on the pole have a leg to
stand on.
Ten good Obi-Style chaos minutescan change an entire night.
And yes, more cat touches can besmart if they're not stand there
and wait for a kick out minutes.
(24:40):
Elbow touches with movement,split actions, invert the floor
a couple times to punishswitches, make it easy, and then
go earn the tough ones.
Zooming out league-wide, just aquick integrity update and not a
civics class.
The Rogier Billups indictments,memo from the league on risk,
(25:00):
and Senate letter asking Silverfor details.
I asked you guys what you thinkshould change with player props,
and our poll was basicallysplit.
There was a small edge to keepplayer props as is, with tighten
them and lose them entirely,close enough to matter behind.
My read guardrails are coming insome form, whether it be
(25:23):
education or enforcement, maybemake a couple tweaks around
certain markets, but theconversation is not going away
anytime soon.
If you're a player, be a leader,protect your locker room.
If you're the league, protectthe game.
It's as simple as that.
And you know what?
Actually, back to the Knicks,because I'm not done with them
(25:44):
yet.
Keeping with the Halloween themehere, enough masks.
It's time to show your face.
Here's the immediate checklistfor Chicago on Friday, who you
also have in a back-to-back, onehome, one away.
First off, win the first sixminutes of the third quarter.
We've lost that stretch twicealready, and it's where the
(26:06):
bleeding starts.
Number two, gang rebound likeit's a playoff possession.
Josh Hart is coming off thebench with a splint on his
finger.
And you think he's happy aboutplaying 28 minutes a game?
No, he's sacrificing for theteam.
He wants to be out there everypossession causing a ruckus.
Maybe take a page out of hisbook, see his energy.
And three, manage Brunson's rampwithout neutering him either.
(26:29):
He's your compass.
He leads the offense.
But he's also not a decoy.
If you want a swing lever, leaninto Mikhail's cuts.
He had 24 Milwaukee and theBucks still lost him a few
times.
Make that a diet item.
And if the jumper isn't there,let him gut a defense with a
straight line cut or an earlysteal.
Or devote time to him shuttingdown their star player while the
(26:51):
rest of the unit catches abreath.
And the Milwaukee contextmatters too.
Giannis said he remembered thesweep last season, 0-3, and we
beat him by 22 each time weplayed him.
You felt him play with an edge,and that's the standard he wants
to set.
Not just the result or the edge.
The standard.
All the rumors of him gettingtraded here aside, one thing has
(27:14):
always been consistent in hismessaging, and it's he wants to
play somewhere that he has achance to win a championship.
I'm sure after that win andbeing able to completely take
over the game, doing whatever hewanted, he looked at the East
and is saying, Yeah, this ismine for the taking.
Who are the Knicks?
So if you're the Knicks and youwant to be on top of the East,
(27:35):
let this early game in Octoberbe a lesson that sticks with you
for the rest of the year.
You're gonna have to take itevery single night from teams
who think that they also arethat team that can make some
noise, that have a chance to getto that next level.
You want to be the best.
You need to act like the best.
(27:55):
And again, that's the theme ofthe whole show today.
Nobody's handing you the crownbecause of some media day
graphics.
Here's where I land.
No panic, but no passes either.
You're two and two with a latecollapse in Milwaukee and a blah
night in Miami.
(28:16):
Take care of the glass, cut thecute shit out, let your best
player dictate the whistle.
If Kat wants to make astatement, make it at the rim.
Two hands, hard and loud.
If Brunson needs a six-minutepocket to recover, somebody from
the bench has got to manufacturepace and pain.
You can fix this in a week, butyou gotta take it.
(28:41):
Alright.
Now that I got all that off mychest and out of my head, deep
breath in, deep breath out.
We'll pivot to the diamond next.
Got an 18-inning game to cover.
I got rookies making history anda World Series that's turned
into a bar fight headed back toToronto.
(29:02):
Then we're circling back to thefantasy roster, and you're wild.
Stay right here.
(29:35):
So turn the volume up and let'stalk ball on the diamond.
Because if you haven't watched,for whatever reason, this World
Series has been pure chaos.
In the best possible way.
God, it feels like yesterday Iwas just talking about opening
day with you guys.
And now it's gonna be all over.
(29:56):
So let me break it down for you.
Game three first, because Thatwas an instant classic.
18 innings, six hours, 39minutes.
The game ended 12.07 Californiatime.
But I was up till 3 a.m.
watching because I just couldn'tturn away.
(30:16):
Both bullpans emptied.
Both fan bases were aging in dogears.
And Freddie Freeman, of courseit was Freddie Freeman, finally,
finally walks it off in thebottom of the 18th.
The 18th.
That comes on the heels ofShohei Otani doing more record
setting Shohei things.
(30:36):
Two home runs, four hits on basenine times in the game.
Oh, and not to mention he wouldbe due on the hill to pitch
later that night in game four.
Look, if you listened to thePoba 4, you know my stance on
Altani.
I can't stand him.
But I can no longer deny thetalent he brings to a baseball
(30:59):
diamond.
This man was made in a labdesigned to be the best baseball
player of all time.
And with that win, the Dodgerslooked like they'd seized the
series pulse up to one.
Will Klein, the quote, lastreliever left guy, someone who
has never thrown more than 37pitches in and outing in his
(31:20):
career, someone who was tradedfrom the A's and then DFA'd by
the Mariners, comes in, throws72 pitches across four scoreless
innings.
That's hero stuff.
It matched the longest game byinnings in postseason history,
and of course it happened in LAagain.
Hard not to be romantic aboutbaseball, huh?
(31:44):
So with the Golden Boy on theHill, a 2-1 series lead, two
more games in LA.
The public was writing the J'soff and thought that they were
all looking at back-to-backtitles for the first time since
the Yankees in 98 and 99.
But hold the phone.
Toronto answers the bell.
Game four flips the script.
(32:05):
6'2 J's and the series getstied.
Vladdy nukes one, and they hanga four spot in the seventh for
insurance.
They did it with George Springeron ice after he heard his
oblique swinging, called himselfhour to hour, is what he's
labeling it as, I guess.
But that's been the Jays thing.
Depth.
(32:26):
Nathan Luke's up top.
Ernie Clement doing a job.
Addison Barger punching in a bigribby.
Shane Bieber gives him five anda third of control.
Then the pen comes in, slams thedoor, and suddenly the champs
are wobbling yet again.
But game five.
Game five was the one thatchanged my math.
(32:46):
Trey Yesavage, rookie, 22 yearsold.
He started his season in frontof 327 people in double-A ball.
Goes into Dodger Stadium andcars out 12 strikeouts with no
walks.
His first pitch to Shohei,inside paint, strike one, and he
looks him dead in the eye andsays, Yeah, I'll be here all
(33:09):
night.
Don't you worry about that.
That's a World Series rookiestrikeout record, including 23
swing and misses.
The most in a series game in thepitch tracking era.
God, at 22 years old, I barelyknew my ass from my elbow.
Never mind throwing darts in apivotal World Series game in
(33:30):
front of 56,000 people.
It also helps when your leadoffman, Davis Schneider and Vladdy,
go back to back on Blake Snell'sfirst and third pitches of the
game.
Toronto wins game 5'6-1.
They take a 3-2 lead, and theDodgers bats flail.
(33:51):
They're hitting right around 200in the series, even with all the
Shohei heroics.
And on top of it, they have zeroextra base hits with runners in
scoring position.
Add in a World Series record offour wild pitches, two by Blake
Snell, and Dave Robertsshuffling the lineup, dropping
Mukey from the two-hole, whichhas worked all year.
(34:13):
That didn't conjure a spark.
That's not just some panic.
That's the reality through five.
So here we are.
Back to Toronto.
Roger center ready to shake, andboy, does that building shake.
The board is simple for bothteams.
Dodgers, win two or try againnext year.
(34:33):
Jays, win one more home game,and you get to crack champagne
on their field for the firsttime since 1993.
Game six is no slouch, though.
Heavyweight rematch.
You got Yoshinobu Yamamoto, myfavorite name to say in
baseball, who threw a four-hitcomplete game in game two, first
World Series complete game since2015, and first back-to-back
(34:57):
postseason complete game byanybody since Kurt Schilling in
01 versus Kevin Gaussman, whohis last outing gave you six and
two-thirds of solid pitching.
If Yamamoto shoves again, we'reprobably getting a game seven
Sunday heartbeat monitor.
If the Jays can drag him intotraffic, though, foul balls off
(35:19):
and stretch counts out, makethat defense work, then their
depth has been the difference inthis whole series.
IKF finding grass, Varsho'sspeed, Clement's contact, and oh
yeah, of course, Vlad living inthat my whole batter's box is a
red zone.
There's a good chance thisseries could be over Friday.
(35:41):
So quick roll call for bothteams here.
Springer's hour to hour, buteven in his absence, they've
manufactured runs with sacrificeflies, opposite field knocks,
and opportunism, honestly, justtaking bags when they can.
Toronto's pen usage is cleanafter your Savage went seven.
(36:01):
Dominguez and Hoffman have beenefficient closers to say the
least.
So Schneider's got options.
And for LA, well, the path isobvious.
The top four have to show uptogether.
When Otani is somewhatsilent-ish, and Will Smith and
Mookie and Freddie go one forfifteen like they did the other
(36:22):
night, they can't expectYamamoto to pitch a shutout.
And they also have to cash inthe few runners in scoring
position looks that they get.
Your team is not built to stringsix singles together in October.
They're a home run hitting team.
You need to double in the gap ora mistake in the middle third.
Someone's got to take it, notwait for it.
(36:45):
The Mike Check poll fits thevibe, too.
I updated it after game five.
Dodgers and six is dead.
But Dodgers and seven had sevenvotes.
That's how it feels.
Toronto's favored, but theYamamoto variable looms.
(37:05):
My lean, I like the Jays andsix.
If they can touch Yoshi early,if not, I still like the Jays
and seven.
Their bottom half has simplyoutplayed LA's bottom half.
More pressure, more little wins.
That's October baseball.
Your stars trade haymakers, butyour role guys decide the rings.
(37:28):
And that's tying it back totonight's team before we even
leave the yard.
No one hands you a title.
You have to take it.
Toronto needs one more swing,one more seven-pitch walk, one
more diving catch.
And LA needs two perfect nightsand their core to act like the
core that it is.
(37:50):
Either way, we got a bar fightfinishing up up north.
And I'm here for all of it.
This series is exactly why welove the game of baseball.
So with the diamond wrapped up,it's time to get to what you've
all been waiting for.
The weekly fantasy update.
And the gambling picks.
(38:10):
Coming off a hot week, and Igave you all Miami last week.
I hope you listened.
So grab a fresh drink, open upthe notes app.
Let's make your roster and yourwallet a little fatter.
Keep it right here.
(39:00):
Quick, sharp, and useful.
We're going to run throughfantasy here with some
breakouts.
The ad now before your leagueremembers to crew.
First on the list, Jalen Noel.
Houston has been stubborn aboutthe snapshare, but the last two
weeks tell the story.
Elite targets per route, realyards per run juice.
(39:24):
If the throttle opens uppost-by, he's a league swinging
wide receiver three with widereceiver two upside.
Next, Byshell Tootin.
This is the classic rookierunning back timing play.
Post-by usage, ETN second halffade history, and Tootin'
shoulder is trending the rightway.
(39:44):
If he's available, you shouldstash him now so you don't have
to pay some big money fab later.
And Trevion Henderson in NewEngland.
I know, I know a lot of peopledrafted him, expecting more out
of him, but it's coming.
He's begging for more edge runsand screens instead of getting
(40:04):
slogged up between the guards.
If and when they do lean intothat, your December will thank
you.
Now for some bus players.
And I'm bracing for a come downwith these guys.
Travis Etienne, just like Imentioned before, has the name
and the role, but the arrows arepointing to some squeeze.
(40:27):
Tough front seven slate andTootin lurking right behind him.
If someone wants to pay 2023prices, you take that.
Take it and run.
And I hate to say it, JacksonDart.
I love the player.
But I hate the situation forfantasy.
Nearly 40% of his points havebeen on the ground.
(40:50):
And he just lost two of his bestweapons for the year.
If he's your only QB in a one QBleague, start building a backup
plan now.
A couple bounce back candidatesI really like.
Brian Thomas Jr.
If he clears the health hurdle,his late season perimeter
schedule is chef's kiss.
(41:11):
Same thing goes for JuwanJennings, Brock Purdy back,
volume plus just pure talent.
The kid can play, just needssomeone to get him the ball.
And he needs to be able to stayon the field.
And also Nico Collins.
CJ Stroud has struggled early,but Nico Collins just has too
(41:32):
much talent to be sitting atwide receiver 30 right now.
And again, the upcoming run ofmatchups has so much sunlight.
Nico Collins is primed for a bigbounce back second half.
Now some start sits, some actualcalls for this week.
And I know some of these soundvery easy, but you would be
(41:54):
surprised how much peopleoverthink things when it comes
to a fantasy roster.
So starts first.
Because yes, we like points.
Start Tyler Warren, no-brainer,Colts tight end.
Indy has been creative with him.
Daniel Jones is slinging it.
He's getting backfield looks,he's getting split out.
(42:16):
He's even under center.
Oh, and by the way, the Steelersjust let Tucker Kraft set career
high numbers last week.
Next, Rasheed Rice in KCBuffalo.
It's going to be a track meet,and he has really opened up
their offense.
Usage plus total equals completegreen light.
And two guys that I justmentioned before start Juwan
(42:38):
Jennings, start Nico Collins.
Juwan Jennings is going to get alot of uptick and usage.
And Nico Collins is just too bigand too strong to be this bad.
He's going to figure it out.
Now for the sits, the landmines,the stuff that you don't need
exploding up in your lineup.
Sit Bo Nicks.
(42:59):
Hate to say it.
He's been playing good all year,and I know I talked him up
earlier in the podcast, but thatTexans pass defense has been
solid all year.
Sit Ash and Janty if you have anoption behind him.
I know a lot of people probablydrafted him early.
A lot of people have beenrelying on him.
He's coming off a bye.
Chino Smith has been terrible.
Brock Bowers is back, so we'llsee if it opens up, but that
(43:22):
Jaguars front erases runningback touchdowns this year.
Sit Alvin Kamara.
If you again, if you need to,fine.
But if you have options, AlvinKamara is the guy you sit.
Saints are going to LA.
The Rams are coming off a bye.
They're getting Puka Nakua back.
(43:43):
Tyler Shuck is getting thestart, and I'm sure Alvin Kamara
doesn't have a lot of chemistrywith him.
This game script could get outof hand fast.
I'd recommend sitting Alvin.
And if you're streaming at tightend, I would avoid Hunter Henry
this week against Atlanta'sfunnel.
Their pass defense is actuallyvery good.
(44:05):
And like I said, Drake May lovesHunter Henry, but he might force
the ball.
They got some good linebackersand some good safeties over the
middle.
If you absolutely have to starthim, by all means go ahead.
But if you are streaming, Imight avoid Hunter Henry this
week.
And a quick dynasty slash keeperupdate on Brees Hall.
For fantasy, you're good eitherway.
(44:28):
If he's extended or he getsmoved, if someone offers you a
change your season kind of deal,sure.
Entertain it.
See what you can get out of it.
Otherwise, just enjoy theworkload.
He's going to get the rest ofthe year either with the Jets or
on another team, but he will beuseful the rest of the year.
(44:48):
Alright.
Now.
Now.
Cards on the felt, boys.
Rolling the dice with Rice.
And we are coming off afour-and-one heater that really
should have been 5-0 last weekif the Jets didn't pull off that
miracle comeback.
So the Jets are on a bye.
So you're going to get threenon-local picks and one local
(45:08):
pick.
Let's dive right in.
Game one, Atlanta Falcons at NewEngland Patriots.
Look, Atlanta has beenstruggling as of late, and they
have a big task in front of themgoing into New England.
The defense just got embarrassedby the Dolphins, which if that
wasn't a gut punch, I don't knowwhat was.
(45:29):
But they do hold tight ends to aleague minimum.
That has been Drake May's safetyvalve all year.
Couple that with a bad run gamebetween the tackles.
I think Atlanta can keep it justclose enough to cover the
number.
But if I want to be safe, I'mgoing to buy it up over the
touchdown.
Give me Atlanta plus seven and ahalf.
(45:51):
Game two, New Orleans Saints atLA Rams.
Another game I just mentionedbefore.
Rams are fresh off of bye week.
They get Puka Nakua back.
Stafford has been able to keepthe boat afloat without him.
And a bad Saints team starting arookie quarterback going into
LA.
This has boat race written allover it.
(46:13):
The line is LA minus 14.5.
And I wouldn't be surprised ifin the third quarter red zone
pops up and it's 30 to 3.
Feel comfortable with thisnumber, but if you feel a little
shy, don't be afraid to buy thehook if you want.
I'm taking Rams minus 14.5.
Game three on the card.
(46:35):
Kansas City Chiefs at theBuffalo Bills.
We're taking the total and we'regoing over.
Look, it's no secret that theBills have been reeling as of
late and coming off their bye,they had their get right game
last week against Carolina.
But the Chiefs have been thehottest team in football over
(46:58):
the past four weeks, putting up28 points a game.
And this game is the hardest ontheir schedule for the next
couple weeks.
This is the big game for bothteams.
This is the game that willdetermine playoff seating and
honestly, potentially the SuperBowl.
Every single time they haveplayed the last three years, it
(47:19):
has been a non-stop back andforth points machine.
I'm really surprised that thisgame wasn't flexing to Sunday
night football, to be honestwith you.
But it will be the marquee gameof the weekend for sure.
Over-under is 52.5, and I'mgonna hammer it.
Fully expect both teams to comeout slinging the ball.
(47:39):
Over 52 and a half is the pick.
Lastly, for the locals, well,local, San Francisco 49ers at
New York Giants in MetLife.
No scat, no neighbors, D-linebeing criticized by former Giant
legends, coaches fighting fortheir jobs.
(47:59):
Jackson Dart does seem to playbetter at home, but Christian
McCaffrey has been putting on anabsolute show this season.
And the Giants also just hadtroubles keeping Saquon Barkley
in check.
Not to mention George Kittle isback in action and looking in
rhythm.
The line is low, and even if thebooks are trying to beat me into
taking it, I don't care.
(48:21):
Give me San Francisco minus twoand a half.
So that's the ticket for theweekend.
Atlanta plus seven and a half,Rams minus 14.5, KC Buffalo over
52.5, and Niners minus two and ahalf.
Four plays, same confidence aslast week.
Screenshot your lineups, placeyour slips, and let's go get two
(48:41):
wins this week.
One in the standings and one inthe bank roll.
We'll land the plane with theoutro next, get you out of here.
Thanks for sticking around.
(49:12):
We opened up with 74 and whatNick Mangled meant to a winning
Jets identity.
We caught our breath with thelocals, Giants reeling after the
scatterbo injury, Jets finallyexercising the 0-7 demon, and we
stitched in your mic check votesalong the way.
We hit the week 8 rips, circledthe week 9 sleep, got a little
(49:36):
honest about the Knicks, andthen lived on the diamond with a
World Series that refuses to benormal.
Then we wrapped it up with themid-season fantasy tune-up and a
fresh slip on the 4-in-1 heater.
If you're new here, welcome.
Make sure you follow, subscribe,so you don't miss the next one.
(49:57):
Apple, Spotify, YouTube, all ofit.
Rate the show, drop a review,takes two clicks on your end,
and helps grow the show morethan you could ever imagine.
And tell a friend who arguessports like it's their job.
I got the hot takes for him.
Hop on the Instagram, it's gonnabe at RiceOnTheRadio, just how
(50:17):
it's spelled.
Wednesday Mic Check is whereyour votes steer the show.
And I'll post the roll in thedice with rice picks on the feed
and stories.
The theme for the episode stillstands.
You gotta go take it.
Same for your fantasy lineup,same for your bankroll, and same
(50:38):
for how you should approachlife.
Thank you for listening.
Truly, without you, this show isnothing but a guy yelling into a
microphone.
As always, spread some goodenergy in this world.
And make sure you tell someoneyou love them.
Life is short.
Live with no regrets.
Happy Halloween.
I am Ian Rice.
(50:59):
This has been Rice on the Mics,and I'll catch you guys next
week.
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