Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
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(00:24):
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get there? Unmatched election, fast, free shipping, free road ass protection.
I said, free road ass protection or ten thousand recommended
stallars tyrat dot com. It's the way that tire buying
should be. Wow, this is crazy right. The Steelers beat
the Giants on Monday Night football. Russell Wilson looks very
(00:48):
much back, and I've been a Russell Wilson. I don't
want to say hater. I want to feel like realist
for a long time here. But if we're a realist,
Russell wasn't play good football last night. It wasn't perfect,
but through balls you're like, they got they got a chance,
they got a chance. And I've operated on the premise
that the Steelers do not have next year starting quarterback
on the roster. Russell Wilson looked like he could be
(01:10):
next year starting quarterback again. It's it's only a couple
of games in and Russ will be Russ at some
point in time, you'd think. But in terms of the
diminishing the diminishing value in Russell Wilson last night, he
looked pretty good. He looked pretty good. But let's start
with Game three in New York, where I I like
(01:31):
Fat Joe, I have no First of all, the the
one issue with being named fat Joe is that, well,
fat Joe isn't fat anymore, right, He's He's just not
He's just Joe, which would be funny. But you can't
really change your name to just Joe once you're fat Joe. Right.
(01:55):
The The issue is that, I think, on one hand,
I understand what Major League Baseball is trying to do. Hey,
they broke out, you know, they they broke out ice Cube.
Ice Cube was popular in the nineties, and will break
out Fat Joe, who you know, lean back was what
four actually probably more relevant more recently in the hip
(02:16):
hop world than ice cubeiz, But I wouldn't say that
Fat Joe is as relevant in the world as ice
CUBEI is in totality, And it felt like they were
trying to top the Dodgers atop La and be something
they weren't. And it just felt really forced, felt really
(02:38):
really really forced. Oh and then there was baseball as well. Yeah,
then there's then there's baseball. Freddie Freeman hits his third
home run, his third consecutive game, and of course you
have the struggles of Aaron Judge getting thrown out home plate.
He'd looked like he was racing a pregnant woman, assuming
(02:59):
Stanton looked like he was racing a pregnant woman and
would have come in third. Like John Carlostan was a
football player, was a big time athlete, but man, he
has become a baseball player in his later years here
and he was he dragging a dead body when he
was running anyway, what'd you say he had? What legs?
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Well, he's got those drunken legs, right.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yeah, playoff legs, playoff legs. Here's Aaron Boone. He had
this exchange with reporters in regards to his superstar Aaron Judge,
who continues to struggle. Aaron, do you think that Judges
is at the point here where the struggle is so
complete that he's not going to be able to bust
out of it at this point. No, I don't believe that.
(03:43):
What do you think he has to do for it
to happen? Come ready to go tomorrow he's Aaron Judge
and just continue to work and hopefully get on time
and connect on some I mean, look, it's a we
talked about this earlier in the year, and I under
Stan Jackson Holiday is not Aaron Judge and probably will
(04:04):
never be Aaron Judge. I understand that. But it's you know,
sometimes you can hit a slump and at a at
a inopportune time. Right, Aaron Judge has one hit in
this series one. He has seven strikeouts in this series.
Now he's a high volume strikeout guy. He had home
(04:25):
runs in back to back games against Cleveland was a
game two and three, and that's pretty much all he's
done in this postseason. So whether he's whether he's it's
how he's being pitched, which is probably a portion of it,
or that he's you know, kind of stressing and gripping
and that's probably a portion of it, or there's something
(04:47):
mechanically or he's not seeing it. That's probably a portion
of it. But man, and what should be the crowning
achievement of another great year for Aaron Judge. Then when
you have all eyes on you, and if we're honest,
like shoeo, Tony has been okay. Now, part of it
was remember Showhyo Tani was he walked on four pitches
to start the game.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
That's confirmed, yep.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I think it was four pitches to start the game.
And we don't even know like at that point time
we know if you can swing a bat and you
walk them on four pitches and then you know, a
couple of batters later, Freddy Freeman goes and hits a
home run. Now it's it's too nothing before you can
even you know, go up and get a beer from
the fridge before you and sit down in between innings.
So what happens inherently is you get down to to
(05:31):
nothing and you're at home and there's already pressure on
you to win, you automatically put more pressure in yourself.
Whatever it is. It hasn't been very good. And the Dodgers,
who are good, but I think even the most ardent
Dodger fan, we have one here on the show's name,
Jason Stewart is our producer. Even he would say, like, yeah,
like roster wise wasn't great at the end of the year,
(05:52):
especially starting pitching some holes there, and the Padres probably
had the better roster. But what's what we're gonna be
left with is the Dodgers winning World Series being the
best team in baseball. It wasn't even close. Why do
we even for completely forgetting that after three games they
were down two games to one to the to the
San Diego Padres. Like, I get that, to the victors
(06:13):
go the Spoils. I get that they were really good
against the Mets. I get that they've been great against
the Yankees and in the most important times like Game
one when Freddy hit that walk off Grand Slam, Like
all of those things are and they did win a
ton of games, But I'm not sure if we were
honest that they were actually the best team in baseball
in the regular season and this level of dominance in
(06:34):
the postseason it kind of hides the fact that they
were dead to rights with the Padres. Only the Padres
gagged it up, especially in Game four. Chase two. How's that?
How accurate is that?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I think the Dodgers are the most talented team in baseball.
I think their roster, or their clubhouse, their roster from
top to bottom, is the most talented. I always thought
the Padres had a better team. The Padres were playing
better baseball and they had the Dodgers' number. So yeah,
winning that series exercised the demon of postseasons past and
(07:09):
got the annoying NAT the Padres off our back, and
they've been almost unbeatable ever since. But I will never
say that any other roster when we step on the
field is more talented than the Dodgers. We've paid for it.
We got the best player in the world, and we
should win. We should win the championship. There's no doubt
(07:30):
about it.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Stug Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports Radio. What one
game away from winning? I don't know if it feels
like a foregone conclusion anybody else, it does to me.
It just does. There's that malaise that runs over There's
not just losing Game three. Gosh, there's just no real
energy in Yankee Stadium, and the idea that have the
(07:52):
Dodgers lost four games in a row all year long,
I mean, without even looking I'm guessing the answer is no.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Maybe, maybe, But I mean, you do a national radio
show and you're you're on Twitter a lot, as I am,
and Dan is as well. Do you think Judge is
getting the grief he deserves for having one hit in
the World Series that was a single? Do you think
he's getting I mean, if you look at the numbers
(08:20):
he put up in the regular season, I was shocked
when I saw them recently. I didn't know they were
that good. And then you see a guy go one
for whatever he is fourteen with a single. Is he
getting the criticism and grief that he deserves for that?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I don't know. I'm sure in New York he is.
I just don't think we do that as much in baseball.
I actually think we're much more reasonable about baseball than
we are about any other sport in regards to you know,
just look the fact that it's a small sample size.
I really believe that that baseball is covered for the
most part reasonably so. But there's no denying he's not
(09:05):
seeing it. There's no denying they have a great plan
and they're executing that great plan. I would say, you know,
how many remember show Hay was was struggling in the
previous series, and part of it is, you know, like, look,
there's special attention to detail about pitching around Shoho Tani
(09:26):
and you know, only giving him things to hit that
he doesn't want to hit, and it's really caused him
to struggle. So I think it can happen to anybody.
I do think the best players in the world kin
and it is. But part of it is like you're
asking Steven A and Skip to go full on and
they don't cover or care about baseball. And I know this,
Skip's not on anymore, but you understand the point. You
(09:48):
understand the point.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Did anybody here get the sense that this series was
over as soon as Freeman hit the home run?
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Grand Slam? Yes, yeah, it was over, right, I thought
so as well the Grand Slam.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Yeah, the Grand Slam. Yeah, not the Game three, But
in Game.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
One, no, I thought. I thought yesterday, I thought it
was over when he hit the home run.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
I thought it was over. In the Grand Slam, the
Yankees should have won Game one. And how it played
out in there, just little fielding errors, you know, throws
back into the infield, the lost key k Hernandez to
get to to third and you know, we talked about
the heroics of Freemen and what that moment was, but
(10:27):
that was it. That series was over. You had colon
Game one, you had opportunities, you had a three to
two lead, and when he goes yard. It's one of
the few times that I wish I would have tweeted.
A lot of times I tweet and I wish I didn't,
but I just felt that the series was over at
that way.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
To the Vince Carter It's thing was that what you
were going to do, Billy Packer.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Yeah, I felt it was over at that time, and
everything is played out the way. Just I think it
sucked so much out of the Yankee and now we've
seen that offensively over these last two games. Not that
they were Juggernauts, but when you're only scoring runs and
basically the ninth.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Inning, everything you say is I could be completely right
and you are objective, Dan, and people listening to this
the show right now are probably very objective and they
agree with you. I am far too much a pessimist
and cynic to ever have said that after that home run.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
You are a pessimist and a cynic. I don't I
don't believe that for one second.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, Sam could affirm them. I certainly think that the
Grand Slam left the Yankees shook. I think it got
in their head and it has it left since. And
now we're down there, down oh three.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Well, here's something that's kind of interesting. Let me kind
of flesh this out. Dan and all you guys. You know,
for years baseball has had like one closer, right, you
have all these teams, they had one guy, and that
one guy always had the cool music. That one guy
always had something quirky about him. Right, go back and
(12:01):
look at all these teams. They always one guy. And
now so much of it is really based upon matchups.
You know, you have to pitch the three batters and
you're looking right you right, he left, he left you. Whatever.
The way they lost Game one, here's where I will
I will agree with Dan. It's like the way they
(12:22):
lost Game one left you wondering what the hell are
we doing here? You know, you have a guy who
hadn't pitched in a month, and then you're not throwing
breaking balls to on lefty lefty like that was that
was the pitch they choose. It was that was where
the glove was too. It wasn't like he missed that
badly missed, But it wasn't like he missed. You know,
he's trying to throw a ball on the first pitch
(12:45):
and he threw a strike. Like, no, they're trying to
throw a strike. It just wasn't right where he threw it.
But whatever, I think what happens there though. When you're
the player, you're like, Okay, we had our best starter
on the hill. We had a chance to win the game,
and then like, what what are we doing? We're bringing
in a guy who hadn't pitched in a month, and
oh yeah, by the way, in terms of pitch sequences,
(13:06):
what's going on there? So I think that part may
lend itself to what Dan's talking about.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
I think in a series that we thought was pretty even,
when you give away a game that you should have won, yeah,
it really puts you behind the eight ball and then
it's just kind of snowballed.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
I thought it was over after last night's Freddy Freeman
home run. I really did want. I also want. Everybody
doesn't tweet now because they're scared of being like old
takes exposed toever. But it felt like it was over there.
You're like, oh, this game's over and he's like, wow,
it's the top of the first day. Like, now this
one feels over over, You're saying, Jay stut Gottlab Show
(13:53):
here on Fox Sports Radio. So the Dodgers are up
three games to none on the Yankees, chance tonight to
sweep the Pinstrives and win a World Series, the first
World Series during this run when there's actually you know,
full people in the stands. Obviously that some people don't
give them credit because of the COVID year one.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
This is the best of the Done dot Leaf Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
What upout you? Doug gott Leap Show, Fox Sports Radio,
coming to you from the Direct dot Com studios Direct
dot Com. Might we get there? Unmatched election, fast, free shipping,
free road ASP protection, over ten thousand recommend installars tirect
dot com. It's absolutely, absolutely the way the tire buying
should be. I hope you're having a great day. It's
actually a beautiful, warm day in Wisconsin. We're at seventy
(14:42):
seven degrees or breeze coming in from the west. Well
Indian summer. It's Colin Coward used to like to say,
this is global warming. Now I'm gonna buy a Hummer
and leave it running in my driveway. Right, Yeah, not bad.
He also used to say that Jordan Love couldn't play football.
But I listen, di digress, I digress. We got a
(15:06):
lot to get into. Ooh, I like this topic, and
we got buyer's remorse up coming in twenty minutes. I
already expressed some of my own buyer's remorse. But how
do you feel now personally? And while ask the guys,
I give my opinion a second and you can share
this with you. How do you feel now about Russell Wilson.
My feelings about Russell Wilson for a long time have
(15:29):
been super cheesy, not really relatable, you know, almost almost
like a caricature of what a star quarterback is supposed
to be, right like, there's just no real person there.
But always really good at throwing on the move, and
every Russell Wilson game in Seattle seemed to be on repeat.
(15:52):
It was Russell would have the ball, they'd be down
a couple points, and he'd run around and make plays,
and more often than not they'd win games. There'd be
a lot of pedestrian stuff during the meat of the game,
and then end of the game he'd find a way
to pull a rabbit out of his backside. But that's generally,
and I know there's more to it than that, but
that's kind of the thirty thousand feet belief. And Dan respectfully,
(16:16):
because Dan watched every one of his games. He's a
huge Seahawk fan and has a far more educated opinion
on Russell Wilson than I have. But I will say
that if you asked me before last night or before
he got the starting job back, and I said it
on the radio, did I think Russell Wilson is quote
unquote good, I'd say no. I think he's passed his prime.
(16:37):
I don't think that he's a guy who you can
count on. I don't think the Steelers have their quarterback
for next year. And then last night he played really well,
which did it make me rethink my position? Of course?
Of course, what I've never understood about politicians is no one,
very few of them have the ability to go like
you know, you know twenty years ago you said, like, yeah,
(16:58):
it was twenty years ago, right, wethought my positions the
world life has changed. I've changed, the world has changed,
and some of the semantics of these things have changed.
Very reasonable, It doesn't mean that I'm coming down off
of my high horse thinking, you know what I was wrong.
Russell Wilson's going to be the starter for the next
ten years in Pittsburgh until you choose to retire. But
(17:21):
if he plays as well as he played last night,
then you got a starting quarterback. What I think we're
gonna find is what you find from some man of
these older players, and I'll relate it to the best
one is Shaquille O'Neal. Do you guys remember when the
Miami Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
(17:41):
That NBA Finals, Shaq was on the Heat. Most of
the discussion was over Dwayne Wade the MVP. Anytime he
did anything, he got to the free throw line, Like
the free throw disparity was just ridiculous. It's like the
NBA like Dwayne Wade so much they wanted to make
him into a superstar. That's what a lot of people thought.
But what's lost than it was. Remember Shack was on
that team as well, and Shack only had is a
(18:04):
six game series. He had one dominant Shaquille O'Neil game.
So what happens when you age is you don't just
usually go from being good to off a cliff. You
go from being good to well, and look what, even
when you're great, even when you're Mahomes. Like Mahomes, you know,
(18:25):
four games in five he's incredible. One game in five,
eh one game in ten he might be like man,
Mahomes was bad today. And then the best of the
best find a way even when they're bad, to somehow
figure it out and keep you competitive at the end.
He does that really well. The ratio changes slowly over time.
(18:46):
The point is that if you go back to previous
NBA Finals. In the NBA Finals, MVP, if the Lakers
played four or five games, three or four of those games,
he would be dominant. Saquille O'Neil when he was longer
in the tooth. His last NBA Finals with the Miami Heat,
it was one out of six games when he Shaquille O'Neil,
and after that couldn't really help you. I think this
(19:06):
is more of a ratio thing with Russell Wilson. You
go back three four years ago, four or five years ago,
it was three games in five to four games in
five that he was really really good. Maybe one of
those four he was outstanding, Maybe two of those four,
he came through late in the game with the play
even if he was just average during the regular meat
(19:27):
of the game. And now a couple years later we're
into the he's had two starts. Last game was eh,
this game is pretty good, And if we have five starts,
there might be one more pretty good and two more eh.
You know, very rarely do you go from being an
(19:48):
all pro pro Bowl level quarterback two can't play dead. Now, Look,
once it goes, it's gone. It's not coming back. But
I don't think it's gone. I just think he's not
as athletic as used to be. He's obviously lost some weight.
They simplify the playbook because he does have a tency
to hold onto it too much, and he's got some
down around him. They established a running game. He was
(20:09):
good last night, but they're not going to handle the
ball and say, you know, go empty backfield and go
oop to oop and let him just pick and jews
and pick a team. Part that's not who he is. Byer,
you've seen at least ten x the number of Russell
Wilson games I've seen. What are your thoughts on him?
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Well, you know this, this whole scenario and it's not
even the Russell Wilson specifically. I think that's even a
part of this whole, whole scenario. It's number one, Russell
Wilson having the success that he's had in the last
couple of games has shown just again on how much
the NFL is dependent on the passing game and quarterbacks
(20:49):
in the National Football League. We thought justin fields was fine,
and justin fields, you know, could have served the Steelers well,
but it is a difference when you can just throw
the football downfield and have some and do it in
a competent fashion. He is You're correct, he is not
the same quarterback that he was with the Seattle Seahawks,
never will be. The mobility is not there. There's not
(21:10):
going to be any runs for Russell Wilson. When he
tried to run last night, it was a disaster in fact,
so that's off the charts. But to your point, if
he can just play well enough, whether it be in
three of five games or four of five games, and
get the ball to George Pickens and get the ball
to Pat Fryermuth and Najee Harris continues to run like
he does, they're going to be fine and they're going
(21:33):
to be in the thick of it now with the
again expanded playoff. Maybe this will be the last year.
I say expanded playoff because it'll been there for a while,
but mediocre teams getting to the playoffs. And when you're
sitting there at six and two right now, you're leading
the division. I'm sure they feel they have bigger fish
to fry, but worst case scenario, they should be right
there for a wild guard at the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
So I agree with you on all all of those fronts.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
Can I give you another layer of this because it
has to do and I actually said this on the
I Want Your Flex podcast as well. The Pittsburgh Steelers
are who the New York Jets wanted to be. And
you had a defense, you needed to just have something
on offense. You needed to have some capability of your
quarterback to be able to do something with a good
(22:19):
running back and a target at wide receiver that you
need to get the football too. And this is before
the Devonte Adams trade. But be a defensive football team
and when your quarterback needs to make plays, he has
experience making plays. And it's been the exact opposite for
the New York Jets, and it has worked for the
Pittsburgh Steelers. The way that Pittsburgh won the game last
(22:40):
night is a way that I think that the New
York Jets would have loved to have won a game.
And if you needed Aaron Rodgers to go and save
the day, then maybe he could. But that ship has
seemed to pass. Their defense has completely fallen off will
Pittsburgh is thriving at six and two with a recipe
that isn't too different than what the New York Jets
wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I don't know if I understand what you're saying about
playing off of their defense, but they didn't try and
build running game first. They didn't, and I think acquiescing
to Aaron Rodgers so much offensively proved that it was
a bad plan. So I guess I'm going to agree
(23:21):
and disagree or maybe agree. But their plan was so
out of whack, right, Like.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
I, this is who they should be, but who they should.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Be by the way, it's who the Green Bay Packer.
The greenyod Pckers defense wasn't good enough, but if you
saw what made him into a multi time MVP in
the last stint with the pay with the Packers. Once
they changed coaches, they became a team that ran the
football a ton. Yes, they had a late thirties quarterback
and they ran a ton and he hated it because
(23:50):
he didn't understand exactly where he is now. They're like
trying to Aaron Rodgers wanted to be the old Aaron
Rodgers and run the old Aaron Rodgers offense. And one
it's little bit arcane too. He's not good enough anymore.
Like he's not that guy. He's just not.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
Yeah, this was their recipe for success, and you're.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Not that guy.
Speaker 6 (24:11):
Trust me, you're not that guy.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
No. I mean, like, look, it's I was watching the
Lakers last night and and Lebron looked old last night.
He just did. He got shut down really by the
kid from Virginia who's a really good rookie pro. I
forget his name, he's he's I like him. And it
was a weird game where the Sons got out to
a lead and the Lakers had to lead, and and
(24:35):
and I would I would actually say that, you know,
I do think that on some level, Lebron, even though
he can't stand it, can't help himself. He knows, like
Anthony Davis is probably the best or second best player
in the league when he's healthy him He's right, he's unbelievable.
And you know, there they have a couple of other
(24:57):
dudes who maybe not maybe not at the level that
Anthony Davis or you know, Lebron James or whatever are,
but they got a couple others that can really really play.
I mean, actually one other that can really really play
in Austin Reeves. But I think Lebron is smartly for
(25:18):
the most part, he takes like, hey, I'm the third
best player in this thing. I just am. And that's
what Russell Wilson is kind of playing like like he's
the it's the defense, it's the running game, and it's
let me just make enough plays and get it out
to guys, Whereas Aaron Rodgers is still in the mindset
of if I play well, we're gonna win. Like we don't.
(25:41):
It's just not possible your age, coming off of this injury.
That's just not who you are. So I agree with
your point. I just think the whole their whole plan
was so out of whack and that's why they are
where they are.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
This was the this is the point that I made,
maybe my word choice wasn't great. This was the path
to success for the New York Jet.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Yeah, no, no, you're you. I understood it, and I
actually agree with you. I just I think that it's
really interesting when you know, people don't know who they are.
A franchises don't know who they are. And by the way,
it's probably why the Pittsburgh Steelers have been so successful
for so long. So hey, like, we don't have a quarterback, Like,
(26:21):
all right, so let's build up a sick defense, get
a good running game, see what we can do, and
just and play off the defense, and we just get
good enough quarterback player. I mean, that's really what Mason
Rudolph did last year. M hm, Like, Mason's a friend
of mine, but let's not act like Mason Rudolph is
Johnny Uniitis, right, But he was just comfident enough to
get them to win games. It became harder this year
(26:41):
and they felt like they need a little bit more
and Russell Wilson last night game a little bit more.
So You're absolutely right, and it's just it's gonna be
I'm really interested by what so many these teams that
need a quarterback do this offseason. Who's who said Jamis
Winston yesterday, who said somebody should pick up Jameis Winston.
Don't remember if that was our show. I've listened to
(27:02):
a lot of sports, but like, these are these trends.
You know, we went through a everybody trying to get
a rookie quarterback, and especially a rookie quarterback outside the
first round. And then you look at Baker, you look
at Flacco, you look at Ian Jamis this year, you
look at some of these. We point out geno is
not necessarily the problem in Seattle. It's there's a world
(27:23):
there where you get those middle class quarterbacks that have
achieved something or failed somewhere else, and yeah, you don't
You're not going to be able to pay them a
million dollars a year, but you don't have to pay
them thirty or forty and fifty. And you put a
good team around him. Gotta know who you are, as
as I think Dan pointed out, and if you have
a really good defense, get competent quarterback play, be conservative offensively,
(27:44):
just explosive enough to take advantage of it. But that's
that's the that's the recipe for success. That's the that's
the roadmap to success, and it should have been for
the Jets, and they chose to go to the route.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
Fox Sports Radio had the best sports talk lineup in
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Radio dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
Let Express Employe Professionals. Help hire your next pro. Forget
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Find location near you, that's Expresspros dot Com. It's downtime
for our Express Prospro Theweek, it goes to Freddie Freeman,
right hit a home run each of the first three
World Series games, ty Major League record for consecutive World
(28:27):
Series games with the home run with five, and of
course he hit a walkoff Grand Slam and what Dan
Beyer said essentially started and ended the World Series. Congrats
to Freddie Freeman for being our Express Prospro of the Week.
I went to the Colts Packers game in was that
week two? I think that was Week two, and I
(28:49):
tweeted it out and again I don't profess to have
the ability to watch a quarterback in college and understand
what skills trail. I don't I have opinions, but I'm
not going to sit here, and I know a lot
of people in our in my chair, and when I
say in my chair, not my particular chair, but other
(29:10):
radio shows whatever. They speak with authority about things that
we don't really know all that much about, you know,
unless you've been in the front office, unless you've been
a scout like Middlekoff wasn't a high level scout, but
like look, once you've done scouting, you have a good feel. Obviously,
Daniel Jeremiah was a college quarterback. He's he's been an
analyst for a long time. Plus he has connections, so
(29:32):
he uses his own thoughts, own intuition, and then runs
it by people in the NFL and comes up with
I'm sure his own personal opinion. My opinion is generally,
when I tell you what I think of somebody, it's
generally either one I've seen them in person, or two
I've talked to a bunch of people. It's not I
watch somebody on TV. He can't really totally tell. I
(29:54):
watch anthrow Richardson play against Packers, and I thought, that's
not an NFL quarterback, you know, and they were, And
I know also those Shane Stikeen's are really good play caller.
He was with the Chargers, he was with the Eagles,
and I think he is with the Colts. So if
he can't now guys up or there were plenty of
guys open, but he couldn't see him. So not as
a pristunner to me that Anthony Richardson was bench Joe
(30:17):
flat Coos could start. Here's Anthie Richardson. Remember this was
him after the game on Sunday when asked about his
poor completion percentage and why he deserves to be the
starting quarterback.
Speaker 6 (30:26):
You know I could play football. You know, I've been
doing it my whole life. You know, I don't necessarily
look at numbers. They said Vic didn't have a great
completion percentage the first couple of years, you know, and
he's probably one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever do it.
So I don't necessarily look at numbers, you know, I
just look at each play, you know, for itself, because
you know, I don't have the ability to control every
single things that happen every play. You know, I can
only control what I can control, and I'm just trying
(30:47):
to do my part out there. So if my numbers
are low and they just low as he got to
pick him up and I just got to play better.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Yeah, I just it's it's if you watch he he
doesn't see it. He got had some tunnel vision. I mean, look,
it's it's the perfect example we say this to when
we're meeting about recruits. You know, don't find me the
best athletes, find me the best basketball players. And Anthony
(31:14):
Richardson checks so many boxes. You know, doesn't have any
outfield issues, very very young, so you feel like and
a lot of times when you see young people like, wow,
he's really really young, Like and the thought when you
draft a guy that young is, well, he's at an
age where he's going to develop and he's going to
learn and he's going to improve more rapidly. But it's
just really hard to get guys to see when they
(31:34):
can't see, and then he's just not accurate. John Mentalcoff
joins this three and OW podcast plus the Courses, a
former NFL scout, and he joins here on the Doug
Outlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio. Where were you and
Anthony Richardson when he came out of Florida?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Uh, you know, I like taking big swings and after
the combine talking to buddies that had interviewed him during
the process, they really liked the kid and thought that
it was worth the risk, you know. So, I mean,
when you get a guy with that arms, trenk, that speed,
that athleticism, I'm willing to take chances on that. I
(32:11):
mean that I was around Coach Hill at Fresno States
that had to do that because they weren't some Power
five program, And then Andy Reid has made a living
off stuff like that, So I'm inclined to do it
when you know the character and the competitive character checks.
And I think everyone, all the former players are crushing
him for tapping out, and that's my first reaction. But
(32:33):
I texted with like a number two for a really
good team and he said, listen, it's easy to crush
him right now. But he's twenty two years old. He's
barely played his entire life. So it's not like this
guy has one hundred starts in high school, in college.
He was hurt in high school, he was hurt in college,
and so, like I do think there was a chance
that he actually is a very competitive guy that he
(32:55):
almost doesn't even know what he doesn't even know if
you looked at him more like a freshman or off
more in college. Like, I don't think we would judge
a college kid as crazy as we're judging this situation. Sure,
but once he does it, given how hard I mean
every time I looked up at that game, Jonathan Taylor's
running his butt off. Their defense was playing really hard
hitting CJ. Stroud that they have their worst quarterbacks that's
(33:19):
stressed out on the field. So I think there's just
a black and white football decision that, like, we're trying
to win these games because we have a playoff level
roster in our opinion, to bention them. But I don't
think this is the end of the world for the guy.
But like that also can't happen, so that it was
a pretty crazy situation, especially when you factor in part
(33:41):
of the reason he's in because he's the number four pick,
not because he's the best quarterback. So there are so
many variables here.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
It's a unique situation, no question about it. Doug gotlib
show here on Fox Sports for you. John Mintakoff's our guest.
He goes to three and Out podcast It's out Stats
on the Volume podcast network. What did you see from
Russell Wilson last night.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Well, he's definitely expanded their explosive passing games. And you know,
I don't think his arms as strong as it was
in the prime of his career. Clearly he entered. Threw
a couple of balls last night, but he still throws
a very, very catchable beat ball. And we have George Pickens,
who clearly a freak. You know, just throw him up,
let him make plays. We've seen Jefferson for years be
a contributing member. They have a good tight end, their
(34:25):
running backs are playing well. The Austin returner who had
obviously the punt return and the touchdown cash like is
a vertical threat. So like, they haven't really had that
since Rothsburger, and really even the last couple years of Roethlisberger,
he couldn't push the ball down the field. So like,
I didn't think that he would look like this. He's
(34:45):
been way better than I think most people around the
NFL thought. But he clearly throws the ball a lot
better than the guy they benched. So Tomlin, it's like
a baseball game, right if you pitch hit the guy
and he strikes out, the manager gets crushed. He comes
in hits one off the wall and you take the
lead in the eighth inning. The manager's a genus, so
you gotta get toll him the credit. It looks like
(35:07):
a pretty good move because they definitely upgraded.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
They did, and I was I've always been, I've been
a doubt over the last three or four years. But
he threw a couples that ball to Pickings. You know,
they were talking about what a great route it was,
but what an incredible throw you know where I mean Pickings.
It hit him in stride over his shoulder, you know,
kind of in traffic there.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
That was just got the touchdown pass that were it
didn't count, but he got both. He got the same
foot down twice, like they just weren't really doing it,
and it got overturned. They ended up kicking a field goal,
but like that play was not happening three weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
That's the best incomplete reception I've ever seen.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Do you do you think obviously two foot totally like
you should have but.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
To right foot tap, are you like you're gonna tell
me two right foot tap should equal two feet?
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Well, I think if you get the same foot down
multiple times, that goes back up to me. That was
the catch, like there are something like is it a
catch or not? Like that's a catch.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
It was a catch, but you have to have both
feet down. I mean again, it's just the rule, you know, I.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Know, but I very impressive, very impressive.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
It was, it was, and you know, it's one of
those things. Pickens has been a pain in the ass.
But you can like you probably would be too if
you didn't have anybody could throw you the football.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
So wonder too, like are they you know, the Giants
aren't exactly you know, the Bill Parcells nineteen ninety squad,
but the last two weeks, the ferocity and violence in
which they're running the ball. I wonder if they're running
backs have more confidence because they feel the offense gonna
be better. Their offensive line, which has been a question mark,
just has a little more juice to them because from
(36:44):
just a power running game. I mean, I've been watching
Nazie Harrison high school. You know, I think he's been
a little underwhelming in the pros. He looks he looks
pretty darn good. We know, Jalen Warren. I mean, that's
that's an incredible change of paceback. You know, it's kind
of like a little US Meckler version and a younger player.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yeah, yep, I'd agree. Stut Gottlieb Show. This is Fox
Sports Radio. John Middlecoff is our guest man. There's a
bunch of other stuff. Let's let's go to the Cowboys.
You know, I understand this season feels like it's slipping
away because of injuries, and maybe they can get it
(37:21):
back in time. But they re signed Dak Prescott, and
I don't know, every time they really really need him,
it feels like he throws a couple of picks and
sets him back. I mean, I just what it feels
like Groundhog Day again in Dallas.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Yeah, I mean it's I can't put this the entirety
of this season on him, No, but I hear you.
He has played the Niners now four straight times, right
in two playoff games and then two massive regular season
games both on Sunday Night football. And in the two
playoff games they basically had the equal team. Last year
was a mismatch, you know, in the Sunday night game,
(37:59):
but Onday night like the Niners were. The only difference
is the Niners and Cowboys. Their owner doesn't talk like
they were in shambles two and he has thrown eight
interceptions in those four games against the forty nine ers,
and they aren't just you know, that was an unlucky
tit pass by a defensive tackle that bounced off a
news helmet. They are hitting guys in the hands. Sometimes
(38:20):
it's stride. I mean he has thrown I think of
those eight, at least three or four of those are
lollipop pops to the safety who cuts across the middle
of the field. And it's just it cannot happen. Like
your team might be under man it's going to be
very tough to win the game. But like they got
very lucky to win the Steelers game when he was
turning the ball over at a rap and rate, and
(38:40):
against the forty nine Ers, they just were not going
to win that game on the road with their defensive injuries.
If he had multiple pearls and he immediately throws a
pick to start the game, they come out in the
second half, I think the score is thirteen to ten,
and he throws a pick on their first drive, and
then you know it's already on the Niners happening field
(39:02):
and maybe markdu course twenty to ten for even blank
and to me, that's killing him obviously, you know, I
think the universal take on his careers. Listen, he's never
been a top five quarterback, but when he plays well,
he can be a really good starter. You can't afford
to turn the ball over like he does. And finally,
just against the Niners, right like last year against the
(39:23):
Packer game, he just he just kind of unravels sometimes
in these games. That is just and maybe that's the
reason why we why such a polarizing player. But his
contractor isn't polarizing. It's it's premium. I mean, he's paid
like Lebron James or show heyo time relative to the
NFL players. So yeah, just not an ideal. I mean,
(39:44):
if you're a cowboy fan, I think you have to
kind of acknowledge like this has got a chance to
be seven and ten, doesn't it. I Mean that's what's
looking at right now.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
It's they look awful.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
Remember that's that's a defense thing.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Now now is the defense? Is it? And obviously they
have some injuries and how much of it is that
zimmer style is like you you lost dan Quinn. I
think that's the base thing. You lost dan Quinn.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Yeah, clearly.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Yeah, Now everybody likes Zimmer. Everybody likes Zimmer, but how
much of it is just their defensive styles are so
polar opposite or different that that it's it's like it's
like you come to my house and trying to, you know,
turn on my TV and find my you know, find
my channels.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
I think it's very difficult to transition when you've been successful.
I also think obviously every human being is different, but
I would put Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer, in terms
of coaching style and personalities, on the opposite ends of
the spectrum. I don't think when you have a style
that is very predicated on blitzing linebackers and pressure, well,
(40:46):
Eric Kendricks is an old, slower player now, so when
you were blitzing him when he was much younger and
they just had better personnel, it looked a lot better
if you gave Fred Warner to Mike Zimmer. I think
his defense would be pretty effective when he was with
the Bengals as a coordinator before he became a head coach,
like they had big time defensive personnel. Well, it doesn't
(41:07):
work the same with the Cowboys when your d tackles
aren't any good. So part of the reason they consistently
get gashed. Is they can't you know, even pretend to
hold the point of attack, and then they get put
in these positions where they're just getting leaned on. And
to me, that like run defense. Yeah, in high school maybe,
and even in college effort obviously, but in the pros,
(41:30):
like you either got good defensive lineman or you go.
I mean, all these guys are trying pretty hard, and
to me, without and Micah, let's face it, he's not
like some run defender. But to me, the run defense
ugly starts with the defense tackles, and definitely your edge
guy's being able to just to hold the point and
they simply cannot. So like remember Dan quint stole some
(41:50):
of their guys with them to Dallas. Like Dallas is
just a way less deep team now in terms of
some of the auxiliary, not the stars, but you know,
just solid starters for years. I mean, they played for Washington.
I think if you watch Washington, obviously they're one of
the sexiest stories of the league, but part of it
you're watching him, Like, I think they got pretty solid players. Yeah,
(42:11):
I mean they signed a bunch of just good free agents,
not stars. But you have to overpay a little free agency,
but they just got a lot of guys that you're like, yeah,
that kind of start from my team.
Speaker 1 (42:23):
Did you see the decline of Aaron Rodgers coming.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
Yeah, I think anytime you get a forty year old
player like Lebron and Tom Brady are historic outliers. Most guys. Honestly,
if you just look at Tom Brady relative to his peers,
he's dramatically different. Right, Drew Brees fell off a cliff
Rosthlisberger fell off a cliff Payton Manning literally, I mean
after like the first driver too in a game. We
(42:50):
couldn't throw that last year and that's most of our
lifetime now. Obviously medicine and rehabilitation and diets and all
these things have made it easier. But like he can't
really move and the other thing, Doug in you and me,
I mean have been talking about this guy, probably have
been supporting him when people were coming after him over
(43:13):
his career, just because the guys I mean, in the
peak of his powers. I wasn't old enough to quite
feel Lay and Marino in their prime, but like he
was that he had it all, and now he throws
these passes because he doesn't want to get hit. He's
not stepping into anything. Nothing is with authority, and it's
not I talked to a buddy the other day in
(43:33):
the NFL. They're like, you could get right now Vinnie
Testaverdi or Dan Marino or take him out to a
high school football field and have them throw a dart,
like his arms always gonna work. But it's he doesn't
want to get hit, so he's always falling back. He
can't scramble anymore, which was his like you know, I.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
Mean, that was his bar, that was that was the superpower.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
So it's like, if he can't scramble and he doesn't
want to get hits, to me that the pass is
coming out. He throws more now of these like lollipop, unconfident,
just kind of throws it into places that he never
did before because he used to step in or just
had more arm power and trust his leg. And part
of it doesn't look like a guy who's I don't
(44:18):
think he's like thinking about his achilles constantly, but he's
a little sensitive to that area. He plops down on
the ground more, which is understandable, and the Jets like
their downfall is as much him as it is I mean,
they're coaching staff terrible. You can't create a team full
of mercenaries in the NFL. I mean, hell, it barely
works in basketball. Right He usually takes like the Suns
(44:40):
this year looked way better than they did last year. Well,
they also, like Kevin Durant right now is way better
than their rout. You do need your best player to
be elite if you are going to go to the
mercenary route. And still in the sport of football, I
would say it's still very, very difficult to overcome the
lack of quote unquote cohesion and chemistry.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
No question about it. Scott Gottlieb Show here on Fox
Sports Radio. That's the voice of one John Middelkoff. John,
last thing, can you figure out the Ravens for me?
Or or is the story jamis? I don't know, but
like the Ravens dominate the league, lose to the Raiders,
lose to the Browns.
Speaker 3 (45:19):
You know, I was thinking of watching the Steelers last
night because I looked at both their schedules and both
teams didn't get to play DeShawn Watson. So the four
games that the Ravens and the Steelers have to play
against the Browns, like they just become a competent team, right,
especially at home, Like that's not And I would say
the Ravens, unlike the Steelers, like their past defense is
(45:40):
just terrible. So like if both those two teams would
have got to Shaun Watson, I think most people would
be like, that's four to zero and at best it
would be one to three and it would be considered
a massive upset. But like you watch the Browns, like
that's a tough place to play. You hear those right
that ten where the fans fit and they bang on
it and they get a little life like they do
(46:00):
have really good players. So I think the Ravens past
defense has been bad all season, But like the Browns,
if they just get middle of the road quarterback play,
let alone a guy willing to kind of flinging around
like that, they could be kind of a swing team
in that division. Not because I mean they're out of it,
but just what if they beat the Steelers or you know,
beat the Ravens again, Right, that was something that didn't
(46:23):
exist before Deshaun pop that Achilles. So to me, you
could argue it's a little more about the Browns just
being one of those teams that's gonna end up with
probably six seven wins, probably not seven. I guess they
got a long way to go, but they are going
to beat some people because I mean they were playing
their butt off, and we know in that division. I mean,
all six of those games Bengals included are just a knockdown,
(46:47):
drag out.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Listen, I think the same thing happened to the Browns
that happened to the Steelers, where all of a sudden,
now they had competent quarterback play, and the defensive line
was better, and the run game was better. Guys were
playing hard.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
It's human nature, right, Yeah, if you're doing anything, especially professionally,
and you're like, we're going to know what's the point
of this, and then all of a sudden it's like, Okay,
I believe in this. It's just you just get more lights,
you know, win or lose. These players are humans. So yeah,
I saw the Browns. If I'm a Browns fan, I'm
stick to my stomach because I go, listen, are we
(47:18):
winning the Super Bowl with Jamis? No? But could we
have competed for a wild card if that's how we're
going to look?
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Hell yeah, I don't think that I don't think it's
still out of the question. That's John Middloff three and
now it's the podcast. Johnny, are the best. Appreciate you
joining us.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
See that