Drive Time with Travis Wingfield begins. Now, let me check your pulse if you're not far though.
What is up? Dolphins?
And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. How's it going everybody? I am your host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, we're gonna welcome in the Giants Perspective from John Schmelk. He does radio and podcast for the Giants podcast Network up there in New York. Plus we'll hear from the assistant coaches and pick the week
five games in the National Football League. All of that and more from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is the Draft Time Podcast.
Maggie Gaffie, Sir, as we do every single Thursday. Let's kick off this episode with my guest, the Giants Perspective. John Schmelk joining me today for our crossover from the Giants perspective for this week five game down here at hard Rock Stadium. Is the host of an on the Giants podcast Network. He does pre and post both radio and podcasts with the New York Giants. He is John Schmelk. Almost got It wrong there, John, John, thank you for your time today. Appreciate you coming in here with us.
Grab is happy to do it.
Man.
How's it going down there?
It's going pretty good.
I know that as the weather turns poor for most places around the country this time of year, it starts to get nicer for us in terms of not melting. So that's always a very welcome site, although Sunday should be a nice little sweat box down here for the traveling Giants. And the Giants come into this game at one to three. And on these podcasts, John, I always start at the quarterback position because where else would you start.
And Daniel Jones was a pretty big storyline this offseason getting the big contract extension, and like I know, it's been tough going for the offense with the sacks piling up the last couple of weeks. But coming off a year last year where Jones played good enough ball to earn that contract extension, what do you think that he can do to get back to that aside from the surrounding circumstances, i e.
Pass protection.
Yeah, you know, I think at least last week, especially in the first half, I think you saw the mental toll the hits he had taken in the first three weeks of the season had kind of you know, put on him because even in the first half against Seattle, I thought going back and rewatching the all twenty two,
I thought the pass protection was was good enough. And I just think there were times where he was a little jittery back there, which by the way, is understandable given how much he's He's taken a beating over the first three weeks, and I just think he needs to make some better decisions. You know, a lot of his interceptions have been bad luck in terms of you know, passes hitting off of players and getting knocked in the
air and going to defensive back. So I think that number is probably a little bit more inflated based on
his level of play. But you know, you just can't make the type of decision and throw he made against Seattle on the fourth quarter when they have it first in goal at the five, and he probably throws it to the wrong player on the play, and he also throws it outside when he should have throw it inside, and that turns into a pick six, and instead of it being potentially fourteen to six or fourteen to ten, it's twenty one. To three and then all of a sudden the wheels fall off in and that the game
just becomes a disaster. So, you know, just avoid those type of mistakes, be a little try to be more comfortable in the pocket if you can. You know, if Andrew Thomas and John Michael Schmids aren't gonna play this week, and I'm sure we'll get to that, that's gonna make it probably difficult to feel comfortable in the pocket, to be quite honest with you, But I think those are the things he's gonna have to do because he's gonna have to get the ball down feel a little bit.
Last week, the Giants just said two pass attempts, not completions attempts Travis of ten plus air yards. I mean, it is a really low number. It has to be better than that moving forward if the Giants want to become a more dynamic offense.
You sometimes see that for twenty plus airyard throws, right those two high shells and sometimes three high shells to prevent teams from taking the vertical shots they want to. But yeah, nothing beyond ten yards besides those two passes was pretty surprising for me to see on that next gen chart and you kind of touched on two follow ups I have here regarding that question and answer.
One of those is the availability the offensive line.
I'm gonna put that on the back burner because I want to ask you about, you know, some of the scenes on the sidelines there with Dable and Daniel Jones, some of the frustration boiling over because you know, last year, first year there, dab All arrives and Daniel Jones has his best year as a pro, and again going back to the contract, he earns that and they put their faith in the quarterback going forward. But when you're winning games, not so much tests of adversity in terms of trying
to overcome that stuff. I just wanted to get your perspective on what you saw play out there in terms of that dialogue back and forth, the sideline shots, and how you think maybe they can grow from that and get better from here.
Yeah.
Look, I mean that's just I think both players, both the player and coach being a little frustrated.
Brian Dabele thought.
He dialed up the right play and if you look at it, you know there might have been an opportunity to get the ball the waller going towards the back of the end zone there, and I think he was basically showing Daniel Jones what he thought he saw on the tablet, and you know, I think he at that point was just frustrated. You know, he basically, you know, tossed the tablet into the lap of Sha Tyranny, the quarterbacks coach. And look, Brian David was an emotional guy.
It's gonna happen. There isn't any issue at the relationship. The guys trust each other. Dable and Jones get along really well. I don't see that being an issue. I think that's just the heat of the action, emotional game type of sideline thing that probably within the team is already forgotten.
Absolutely, I'm sure it's one of those things that kind of makes you know better going forward. They can have those honest conversations and come back and assess and correct the following day. Now, you mentioned a couple of offensive linemen and their potential availability, I should say Andrew Thomas, John Michael Schmidt and also Shane Lemieux in there as well. My first question is what do you think we'll see on Sunday in terms of the lineup, And then number two,
as far as the pass protection goes. Is it as simple as getting your franchise pro Bowl level left tackle back. Is that going to be something that can get things sworded from them up front?
Well? Help?
I mean it's been a he heard himself in a week one. He hasn't played since, and the pass probe has been disastrous.
So yeah, that would go a long way.
Given as of this recording, he has not practiced yet this week, I would say it's not looking great. John Michael Schmid's hurt a shoulder on a quarterback sneak attemp last week. He did not practice on Wednesday. We'll see if he practices on Thursday. But you know, Ben Brettison's a veteran, they'll move him from guard to center. If Schmids can't go, You'll probably have josh Azudu, who they drafted as a guard out at left tackle, which is
obviously not what you want. Veteran Mark Lewinski will play left guard probably, and Marcus McKeithen, who's a second year player, will be a right guard with Evan Neil at right tackle. And look, and I think even more so than the Andrew Thomas thing, I think the right side of the line just has to play better. Evan Neil's been very consistent. Marcus McKeithen has been inconsistent at the start of his career. So I think those two guys just have to be better at keeping guys out of the backfield.
But yeah, of course.
Getting Andrew Thomas back and having John Michael Schmidz healthy, because I do think Bretison is a better guard than he is a center, would certainly go a long way too.
John, you live in a different world than us in terms of the market and how things are covered up there. Obviously, the New York media can be pretty pretty harsh, and you've i mean, whether it's winning or you know, headlines, it seems to be like there's always something good for the New York sports franchises this part of across all sports,
right football, baseball, basketball. It's been a rough go recently, but you get the headlines this week, obviously the sideline stuff with Jones and Dable, but the Evan Neil stuff. You mentioned his name there, he's kind of been in the limelight as well. I'm just curious if you think all this stuff is will it reveal like character in terms of how they respond. Do you think it could potentially,
you know, derail them. What do you make of all the noise going on right now and how the Giants potentially respond from all that.
Yeah, I would push the sideline stuff away, but I do think, you know, I'm sure Brian Dabele has already talked to Evian Neil about what he said. And I don't think there's any problem with players saying I can't concern myself with other people.
Think I just got to play my game.
You know, that's something that players all the time, but you shouldn't, you know, take shots at the fan base that pays a lot of money to go see you play and is the reason you have a job, because if fans don't go see games, you can't pay players and just go right down the line. So I'm sure Brian Dabill have Evanuil walk that back, and he should walk it back because it's something he should have said. So you don't really know the character of a team until they face a lot of adversity and how they
deal with it. And this is adversity right now. So I think we're gonna see how this team pulls together. I have faith in the players and the coaching staff that they'll be able to do it. But I think it's something that you know, we'll see how it develops. Hopefully they'll get a win over the next couple of weeks. It's gonna be tough at Miami at Buffalo, but you know, when it gets tough, that's when you learn about the character and the chemistry and the togetherness of a group.
But I think we'll learn about that over the next few weeks.
I think we'll get two hungry teams in this game on Sunday as the Dolphins kind of facing their first bit of adversity with a substantial loss up in Buffalo in a big game against their rival up there, and for the Giants, potentially the return of I mean, I would say their best offensive player in Saquon Barkley. Saw him getting some limited work in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
What do you think about his potential availability and what kind of difference can he make if he returns to the lineup.
Yeah, I think he is a real chance to play, and look, it makes a huge difference, is one I think we've seen. You know, one of the few weaknesses of Miami's defense might be their rushing defense. You know, look, at some of the numbers, they aren't quite up there with a lot of the other you know, stats on both sides of the ball. And he's the Giants' most dynamic offensive player in terms of dietting the ball in his hands. He can go make something happen. You know,
Darren wall is probably the second name on that list. So, yeah, getting Saquon Barkley back would be a big deal. You look at the numbers in terms of just offensive production, even Daniel Jones's numbers, when Saquon is playing, they all go up as opposed to when he's not. So it would be a huge help. And I think, you know, the Giants aren't an offense that would be able to hang with Miami, you know if they get to where they usually get in terms of points per game, which is,
you know, thirty seven and a half. So I think the Giants would want to dirty this game a little bit, dirty it up, run the football, rely on Saquon Barkley and and try to keep the game in the twenties that they can.
Yeah, he's amazing man.
The ability to get back from the injury that was supposed to hold him out for I don't know, a lot longer than that, how apparently, But these guys heel so fast compared to you and I let's go ahead and flip it over to the defensive side of the football here and talk about an area that the Giants have been pretty productive this year.
Up front.
You know, Dexter, Lawrence cave On Thibodeau had a big game on Monday Night as well.
How have you seen teams kind of attack.
This defensive line, this pass rush front that wants to send blitzer after blitzer after blitzer.
How have teams successfully handled that? And teams that have not where have been kind of the shortcomings in that regard?
Yeah, I mean they have blitzed a lot. You're not wrong.
They're They're blitzer rate against the forty nine ers on that Thursday night game, for example, was set an NFL record only be broken by the Vikings on that following Sunday. In terms of blitz rate, It's amazing how it goes. And you guys are well familiar with blitzing. Given the defensive courting you guys used to have up there, you know, they have not been able to get home on the
quarterback as much as they would like. You know, teams have gotten the ball out relatively quickly, and I think you know, the pass rush and the coverage always works hand in hand. And the Giants came out this year and I'm sure you'll get to the corners started two rookie corners with Trey Hawkins and Deontay Banks. They moved the veteran of Dory Jackson inside. They've now put Cordell
Flat inside and put a Dory Jackson back outside. Trey Hawkins did not play a defensive snap last week, so IM my guess is that they'll probably go with that again this week. Dexter Lawrence has been getting his normal pressures, even Leonard Williams. They just haven't forced quarterbacks to hold the ball long enough for them to get home. And the edge rushers. Azol Jalari has been hurt, but once he got back last week, he got pressures. Keevon Thibodau had his best game of the year, so that should
be the strength of this defense. They just haven't been able to put enough production up there and create enough negative plays up front, whether it's tackled for losses or sacks, to really set opposing offenses back.
John Shmilk my guest here on the Draft Time podcast. You can find him on the Giants Podcast network as well pre and post game on radio also up there in the New York area. And you know, we talk about how this Dolphins how to attack this Dolphins offense. You just mentioned the pass rush, and that's obviously a key to get to uncomfortable and off of his spot.
But I think the most important thing we've seen from teams that have had success against the Dolphins offense the last two years is that second level of the defense and those off ball linebackers and their ability to both play the run and get the depth on those drops take away some of that deep, middle of past, middle of the field passing and the Dolphins love to excel with. How has Bobby Okareki and Isaiah Simmons fit into the folder.
I know Michael McFadden plays a lot there, but I look at Okareki and Simmons is two very athletic and long players that can do a little bit of that front and back stuff. How have you seen them impact the game so far?
Yes, Simmons has been more of a part time player since they brought him in. They brought him in at the end of August or beginning of September, maybe even as a for seventh round draft pick, as someone to help out the linebacker cord. They were trying to find that player to put next to Okaa Ke at middle linebacker. You know, like, for example, last week, I'm looking at the snap counts right now, Isaiah Simmons played eighteen snaps and that he's probably the most he's playing on defense
so far this year. But it's like thirty five percent of the snaps. That's kind of where he's been. He's been a situational pass rusher things like that. So I don't think they've really found the perfect role for him quite yet. But oh Kara Kay has been big for them, you know, the Giants defense. When issue they've had this year is tackling has been inconsistent. They had one play against Seattle even when Noah Fank got down the sideline broke a couple of tackles ended up getting the ball
down to the one. But other than that play, I thought the tackling was better against Seattle after being frankly poor against San Francisco, Arizona and Dallas. So that that's gonna have to get a little bit better as they move forward here, and I think oka Ka is a big part of that. He's the guy in the middle that leads the defense. He has sidelined the sideline speed, he can run, he's smart. He'd a handful of tackles for loss in the run game against Seattle last Monday night.
So he's been a huge part of the defense for sure.
So you touched on the defensive backs there a little bit because I was looking at the youth in that defensive backfield, Banks and Trey Hawkins, and obviously Cordell flowed
up there as well. Do you like you talked about a little bit, but I just want to kind of get some more in terms of what you expect to see with rotation and also how the safeties kind of impact this game, because the one of the players I spoke to back when he was coming out the same year as Tua was Xavier McKinney, and he talked a little bit about their battles and practice back at Alabama in terms of two of trying to look him off
and him trying to bait Tua into throws. Just curious to see how he kind of, you know, drives that defensive backfield maybe helps those young guys up front.
Yeah, I mean McKinney's probably their best defensive back at this point. He hasn't made a ton of plays on the ball in his NFL career so far, but he's always in the right spot. He anticipates well, and I think that will be a battle between him and Two throughout the game, where Two is trying to find that space in the middle of the field that the Dolphins are still good of exploiting and McKinney trying to help
shut that down. He's tried to help. But look, rookie Corners, you know, you know how this works, Travis, Rookie Corners. Even if you're good, it's rare you're good in your first year. It's just it's very difficult. Not everyone saw us Gardner, right. So DeAnda Banks has been solid. You know, he does really good bump and run. Sometimes he gets a little bit too physical deeper down the field. He's
had a couple like legal contact penalties. He doesn't get his head around necessarily as well as you might like at the catch point. We saw that for that with that DK Metcalf touchdown pass on Monday Night Football where Metcalf kind of loalled them to sleep and Banks did not anticipate the pass coming that turned into a touchdown. You know, not playing Trey Hawkins last week was a surprise. There wasn't any sign of that the week prior in
terms of what the coaches were talking about. But I would assume given the defense probably played their best game of the year. In Week four, we will see the similar setup in the secondary. So you'll have Banks on one corner, you'll have a Doorga Jackson on the other, and then when they go to nickel, Cordell Flatt will come in and play inside, and I imagine the Dolphins will probably be you know, yeah in eleven most of
the time, or least have three wide receivers out there. Look, you guys do use the pull back too, so we'll see how that works. But I imagine that's gonna be the setup. So Jackson and Banks to start, and then Flatt will be the nickel, will move into the slot when he comes in.
That's perfect.
I always love to look up the opposing defensive backs forty times and three cone times and how they move, because obviously the two guys we have on the perimeter down here move pretty well. But yeah, thanks gosh, his workout numbers were thin. He blew me away. When I looked those up. He was like almost a perfect almost one of the top dbs of all time in terms of the way they measure, you know, the physical traits that he brings to the table. So good stuff there.
I end these episodes the same way every time, John. The Giants will win this game if and then you fill in the blank.
They muddy it up.
Saquon Barkley runs for a lot of yards, they keep the Dolphins under thirty points. Saquon breaks a couple of long ones. The Giants do not have to take away this year. Yeah, Travis, They're gonna need a couple of those. If they want to beat the Dolphins. They're gonna have to get a takeaway, and they haven't gotten one yet.
They're desperate for one.
They're gonna have to get one or probably two to beat the Dolphins this week. And then defensively, you know, I think you have to cloud the middle of the field as much as you can. I think, you know, you make to a throw to the perimeter. You don't let them just pepper the middle of the field endlessly, which is so proficient at and so good at and I think that's how you do it. You know, the
Dolphins run game is underrated. It's you know, they don't have big names, but they're just so effective with the way Mike McDaniel schemes it up. You know, make sure you tackle muddy the middle of the field, force a couple of takeaways, and then run the ball on offense. And I think that's your formula.
Good stuff there. I appreciate your time today, John.
Why don't go ahead and tell the folks where they can find you for coverage on Dolphins and Giantsweak number five down here at hard Rock Stadium.
Let the folks know where they can find you, John.
Yeah. Absolutely, pregame and postgame on WFN up here in New York, and then our podcast network. You can check out Big Blue Kickoff Live and the Giants Huddle podcast, which is our two major podcasts we have on our podcast network. Check them out just go to the Giants app or search for them on your favorite podcast platform.
Travis, I appreciate it. John was playing her today. By the way, guys, Strip Thrower here doing a podcast with us. Appreciate your time today, sir, and we'll see you out there.
On Sunday.
Sounds good man, and there he goes. Let's go ahead and take our first break right there. Come back on the other side. Here from coach Fangio, Frank Smith, Wes Welker, Austin Clark. All that next Draft Time podcast to your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by I don't nation if you guys can hear that in the background, there is a practice going on with crowd noise being amplified into the practice. So if you hear that, I do
apologize for it. Let's go ahead and pick it up here in segment number two with the assistant coaches we heard from on Thursday, Vic incredibly brief in this press conference. If you want to check it out, I believe it'll be on the YouTube channel, just not a lot in there,
as well as Coach Crossman and Austin Clark. I wanted to focus on Frank Smith and Wes Welker and start here with coach Smith because he was asked about Devon a Chan's understanding of the offense and how he was able to go from inactive and Week one to the NFL's most productive running back the last two weeks so far, with Denver and Buffalo games in mind and how that might you know, play out over the course of the
rest of the season. And he touches on here the work ethic and the way that a chan is wired and how he is able to process things, and you know, the same tropes you hear over and over again, not
making the same mistake twice. But I do think it's valid in the sense that you can go back to my chat with Jimbo Fisher or really any you know, credited draft nick that did deep dives on player profiles who told you this kid just works, he only knows football, and his coach, Fisher totals, doesn't really worry about going out on Friday nights. He just wants to bury himself in the playbook and the weight room and be the best football player he can be. And I think there's
a lesson to be learned there. When you pair elite athlete with that type of work ethic and that type of mindset, you typically get the correct result of the player. And now not always, because I distinctly remember I used to be on the Dolphins message boards Finn Heaven back in the day, and when Dion Jordan got drafted I remember that conversation about how he works and how he was always so prepared at organ and it's like, well, he also has these elite physical traits.
No way he busts right.
But he did.
But with a Chan hasn't been the case. The work ethic with the elite level physical skills has turned into one of the most explosive options in the National Football League. And so here's Frank Smith talking about Devon ah Chan's understanding of the offense and the progress he made from day one back in OTAs to now as one of the leading rushers in the National Football League.
You know, when you're in college or as your progression goes through football high school, college, professional level, it's at first it's always it's just the volume is less. So by the time you get to the NFL, you just realize, like the mistake a lot of rookies make, oh, I'll be okay because you remember your last experience. The challenge they get is the volume that comes with it, because you know we have more time with them and it's a longer season and a longer hold process towards the
first game. So with Devaughan, yes, but it's all about your approach and how do you handle the process and the volume, and you know, how do we as coaches make sure the progression comes down in the right way and so he can grow and develop appropriately. And I think with him, uh, you know, it's not being in a rush of in spring and training camp. You know, it's every failure, isn't you know, an over a reaction of why that occurags going Okay, if it was a
good result, okay, reinforce the process. If it wasn't the the result we're looking for, okay, correct the process of you know, how are you looking at things? What what in your intent made you think to do that? And I think that's just been the great thing. I know that Eric's really worked with him. And then you're also learning the conversation and dialogue with your position coach, with
your you know, coordinator or the head coach. So I think that's just like all rookies, that's part of the process. And you know, how do you accelerate the process. What comes into all their approach, to their detail, how much extra work they put in, all these things that factor in. And then you know, sometimes wide receivers tight ends are a little harder. When we have to move them all over the place where you know running backs, obviously there's
their natural positions and then there's their external positions. And for him, I know that all the extra work that he's done with Eric has really helped. And off to start speaking Spanish. Don't see if he really does understand it.
That Spanish reference there was regards to what something DeVaughn said in the locker room regarding how the offense was at first like learning a new language, like learning how
to speak Spanish, and now it's second nature. Coach Smith was also asked about the environment in Buffalo and whether or not the crowd, noise and the Rockets fans there contributed to the dolphins inability to get some of their looks they wanted, as well as some of the pre snap in fractions, which were much more substantial this week than they had been the first three games of the season.
Here's coach talking about that, but also the lessons you can learn playing a game like that in a playoff environment early in the season, which I think goes back to what McDaniel has said in the past right about how the best the Super Bowl teams typically come from divisions where there's multiple playoff teams because you get those tests early in the season, hopefully from Miami this week four, gaming as Buffalo that didn't get the result they wanted can provide dividends.
Down the road.
Here's coach Smith on the hostile environment and how that challenged things for the Dolphins offense communication wise, pre snap motions and pre snap infractions.
Now you evaluate all scenarios for what occurs, and that was game foward is great test for us. I mean it was a playoff type environment, you know, and when you can get those early in the season, it's great ability to learn. So what we do and how we operate. I mean, I wouldn't say that. I mean, obviously there's scenarios and situations where we have to you know, maybe adjust, you know, some of the things that we came out of that game. We feel very confident that we'll be
able to, you know, make the corrections going forward. The hardest thing is when you have the week before you come out from one performance, is that it looks like it's in such contrast and reality is there's a couple of things that we know we can improve on that allow us to have great growth in the second quarter of the season, and you know that's what we're really addressing us, Dray and going to continue today.
Let's get now to wide receiver coach Wes Welker, who was asked about the parallels of using different sports and wide receiver release drills. We've heard the legend about Mike McDaniel and the Allen Iverson crossover and the utilization of eight hundred thousand hours of tape, whatever the heck it is at this point, and basketball tape to teach receivers like Andrew Hawkins back with the Cleveland Browns, who talked about how McDaniel created releases that never let them get
jammed in an entire season, all that good stuff. The question was posed to Wes Welker about the parallels between different sports, and I think that that question maybe didn't really get answered that well in terms of what you're looking for, But I thought the answer gave us something else great, just in terms of how the Dolphins and Wes Welker himself views the job with the receiver and how important it is to win at the release at the live scrimmage.
Yeah, I think a lot of that's from all the clips and all the tape that we've gotten over the years, and and you know different examples, you know where the dB is. Is he soft, is he softer on the on the press, or is he more on his toes? You know there there's so many different things that you can teach it till you're blue in the face type deal, but players start to understand exactly what you're talking about.
As far as you know, you always want to keep the dB where his hands can almost touch you, but he can't. You get too tight, he gets hands on you, you're too far away. He can still recover and and be able to get hands on you. So it's, uh, it's one of those deals. But as far as parallels, I mean, I think basketball is one that you always kind of talk about. I'm sure there's plenty others that have come up over whether it's one play or it's kind of like this, or it's kind of like you know,
whatever it is. You know, always trying to use you know, parallels or whatever it is to make it where the guys understand what you're saying. So it is used a lot. I'm trying to think of specific examples they can't come to mind.
Next, coach was asked about how the Bills limited Tyreek and Jalen and the game and if the Dolphins felt that way, and how you might get a chance to improve their production going forward. Again, more good stuff from Wessay, who talks about looks you get and how you have to be as we've heard from McDaniel from TUA, you have to be on your stuff in order to execute when you get the favorable looks that you are looking for.
Really all week long, one of those games where you know, we really needed to play really good, complimentary football across the board, and you know, with with the Bills, it's it's almost like a guessing game. Are they blitzing to stop the run or are they dropping everybody back trying to play coverage. So you get caught in a lot of those scenarios of all right, well what are they going to do here? Well, all right, they're right, we're wrong. You know, we're right there.
You know.
So it was kind of like a chess match in those regards. But you know, Buffalo did a heck of a job and you know, being able even when they were trying to stop the run. Maybe we had a pass play and we didn't execute the right way, or maybe they were in coverage and they were able to
stop the run more than they should have. You know, different things like that of everybody get on the same page and everybody being on their jobs and and what they need to do, and when the opportunity presents itself as far as the look that we're getting against the defense, we have to take advantage and Buffalo did a great job of livinging us when those situations came up.
And last one here from coach. He was asked about the Giants approach and how much more man coverage they play than other teams. And you guys heard that on the preview podcast with Wink Martin del what's happy man coverage heavy from this Giants defense? Do you have to change your approach? What coach says, no, because we always work on beating man coverage from day one all the way through day three sixty five.
Anytime you're talking about the receiver position or any position for that matter, but especially man coverage for receivers, like that's something that you're working all the time. That is an off season thing, that is through training camp, through everything, you're always talking about man coverage because at the end of the day, it's going to come down to a third and five third and whatever it is, and you
have to be able to beat man coverage. So you know, a lot of that goes without saying, but it's definitely an emphasis. They play a lot of cover zero being ready for all right, do you see the look? Do you understand the look? Do you see what it looks like? Because if you're on your stuff, it's a chance for a house call, and if you're not, it can be
a really bad play for us. So all those different things making sure they see those looks, understand the looks, and then how to execute it according to what we're seeing in front of us.
So there you go. That's Wes Wilker and Frank Smith.
Let's go ahead and take our last break right there, and then we have a brief third segment, just gonna come back and pick the games a week number five. It's been a lucrative picking season for you boy. Let's do that next Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Autoation. Let's go ahead and get right into the Week five NFL picks.
It has been a good season for you boy.
Forty seven and seventeen on the season, I think about eleven and twelve wins every single week so far, which typically this is the feeling out period.
Perhaps all that you know, all the.
Reason you with all of waits in the summertime, the reason you watch all that tape in the summer time is get your picks at forty seven and seventeen.
Let's go ahead and do week five.
We have fourteen games this week two or rather four bye weeks, I should say, and it starts tonight on Thursday Night Football.
I'm gonna watch it anyways. Give me the Commanders over the Bears. I just think things are.
Really bad right now in Chicago, and I actually think the Manders are going to be a team that contends for the playoffs this year. Give me Washington on Thursday night football in London. I hope it's the Jags, but I'm not picking anybody to be Buffalo right now, much less the Jaguars. Give me the Buffalo Bills in that one. The Dolphins over the Giants. You heard Wednesday's podcast, you know,
why give me the Texans over the Falcons. Like I was trying to temper my excitement and my expectations regarding CJ.
Stroud.
I thought he was going to be the best quarterback in this class. I thought he was gonna be one of the best quarterbacks of the last few classes going back to twenty twenty. And I thought that the Texans offensive line would be a reason why they couldn't have success the last couple of weeks, because this guy's passing for the fourth most yards in the NFL despite being down four of his five stars on the offensive line.
He is great.
He's going to be the next big thing.
Give me the Texans over a Falcons offense that just cannot get anything going with the quarterback of their own that they should think about maybe moving on from.
Give me the.
Lions over the Panthers. I think there's not much description there. One good team won, not good team. The Titans over the Colts.
This is a big match up here in the AFC South, and the Colts have had issues, you know, falling behind in games keeping Richardson upright for an entire game. I think the Titans ability to you know, pressure him and move him off his spot, enforce him into some bad decisions on defense could give their offense and enough to get over the hump here against the Colts and win a big game.
In the AFC South. Give me the Patriots over the Saints. I don't love this.
Pick either way, but I think the Patriots bounce back big after a victory or after I should say, humiliating loss on the road and Dallas come back home and get Bill Belichick his three hundred win in Foxborough.
Give me the Ravens over the Steelers.
I just don't think the Steelers offense has any life or juice right now, and despite the fact that their defense can be good, I think the offense really makes it tough for the entire team to enjoy success, kind of like the Jets up in New York.
Give me Baltimore to get to four and one.
Here, give me the Eagles over the Rams. I mean that pass rush against that offensive line. Good night Nurse. Give me the Bengals over the Cardinals in a game they have to have. Give me the Broncos over the Jets in a game that is that. I think it's a four o'clock kickoff, right. I really want to watch that game, although we'll be in the postgame radio booth.
Doing the show there, but I would love to watch the Hacket Rowl.
Here. Give me the Broncos to you know, stand up for their coach. I suppose behind Russell Wilson.
I just don't trust Zach Wilson's doing it. So give me the Broncos going with the Jets.
Give me the Chiefs over the Vikings to keep on rolling in that one. And then the best game of the week, maybe of the year so far, Niners over the Cowboys. I'm really conflicted here because it's in San Francisco and the fact that the Niners kind of have the Cowboys and over the last couple of years in the playoffs.
Give me the home team. And then Monday night, what are we doing with the schedule here? Packers and Raiders.
Give me Green Bay to bounce back after a rough one last week. Those are the week five picks forty seven and seventeen. Let's go ahead and keep that rolling here, and let's go ahead and get out of here for this podcast. Tomorrow, very special guest on the show, Raheem Moster, joins me here in studio. We'll talk to him about his foundation, his event coming up next.
Week here and Dave.
We'll also talk about his second year in the offense, playing under coach Mike McDaniel and how much fun it is to play for this team.
Really good interview. You don't want to miss that one.
Plus Kyle Krabs his five minutes on Dolphins Draft and much much more on the Friday episode. In the meantime, it's going to be my time you all. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
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You can follow me on social at Wingfield NFL the team at Miami Dolphins. Check out my guys Seth and Juice in the postgame show, but also on the fish Tank.
They have Drew.
Bledsoe on fish Tank Iconic coming up. Don't miss that for the Washington State fans out there. Also on the YouTube channel Media Availabilities, Dolphins a Day and so much more, and last but not least, Miami Dolphins dot Com. Until next time, Fins Up, Caroline Cameron, Daddy's Coming.
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