2019 Week 5 Preview

a human disaster known as Eli Manning Human Disaster. Well, it seems like a nice field mess. Uh. Yes, we all remember that Mark we have here. We are week five already in like what's seventy two plus twenty four ninety six hours or so, we will be on a plane to London. But right now our mind is strictly focused on the action ahead in week five. A little later tonight, you're gonna get rams at Seahawks recap from

me and the sizzler um from handsas manner Um. I believe my friend Bob demanded, if we're going to use the throwback equipment for these late night hits that it has to be called the throwback podcast Studio. I'm sure it was hard to twist your arm within the first minute of the show to get the name of your other podcast in. And then it will happen another seven or eight times on our separate Thursday night show as well. Well. People are asking, whatever happened to the Heat in the

Light podcast? Where is your vanity project? We were split apart by fate my my partner a it works at a different company, and I mean that wasn't an NFL property. It was before he left it. But the actual the the the technology platform that we use to to do it melted down. It was a startup of sorts and it's stop starting up. So there went the show. But you got to overcome those things. I'm sure there was another startup that launched in its place. Yeah, it was

called Connor's Child. And like my two children becoming more, you know, I don't I don't need, I don't need a second project in the third project. I feel perfectly happy with this one. More focus on this show. I like that, all right, So yes, you got that going on. Uh, but now we're going to focus on the rest of the week five matchups and again um okay, thirty two things doing those dames. I'm by those dames are previewed. Tuesday twenty eight, teams divide by two four teen teams

to talk about games. Some bangers too good week about bangers and some laster ones. But like the same man, teams are concentrated in the same games. There as the bye weeks get there's more teams will by next week put the copins. They're on a bye so that's nice. That's good. So we're gonna do a draft as we do every week here, uh and Mark, we have gone around the horn and back to you now with the

first overall pick. Don't Eric Fisher ittt Well, I was you know, I was lamb based I for picking Jaguars Broncos last week and it ended up being a fantastic game. And I'm gonna continue used to use my human senses that completely ignore this mass think. I don't really care what you guys think about my pick. My number one pick is a showdown between two expansion teams from and I could not be more excited to watch this matchup between the Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers. Two quarterbacks that

I've been interested in. Two very resilient teams. I love. Both of these clubs obviously lost their starting quarterbacks, and you could have easily written off the Jaguars. You could have written off the Panthers, who two weeks ago when they got knocked off by the Buccaneers. We were watching this at West's house. I thought the Panthers and their coaching staff were could put But two weeks later, three

weeks later, they look good. And I cannot detached myself from the experience of Gardner Minshew, but not just him as the Jaguars quarterback, but really the way they won that game in Denver on the road. I don't care if the Broncos are oh and eight. That's a tough place to go, assuming people still fill the stadium. They were down seventeen to three, and the Broncos, in a game they were their season on the line, had set the table seventeen to three against the Jaguars, had them

where they wanted him. The Jaguars were like over six on third downs to open the game. They were, they were five sacks on Gardner minshew is getting tossed and turned. They come out of halftime after a big Joe Flacco interception and absolutely ground the Broncos into dust. With Leonard Fournette emerging from total a wall status. They tired out that defense on the road, and it's set up Gardner Minshew's final drive, and he did some things on that on that drive and in other drives in that game

that our next level. He showed up at number one on Daniel Jeremiah's rookie rankings so far. Dan, I know that's not an article article you will read, but it is an important article if you're tracking rookies. And I cannot want to say, well, how Carolina is defense in Carolina tries to deal with Gardner Minshew and if Leonard four net can play the way he's still playing, And on the other side of the ball, you have an m VP candidate and Christian McCaffrey. So there's a lot

to like in this game. I think I don't know how bad Jalen Ramsey's back injury here is, and I've been pretty quiet on the issue, but he's got a loose face here. If he's healthy, he's wanted. He's embraced by the organization. His teammates are coming through. They have played exciting games the last two weeks. They're winning. Come on, man, play football on a good team, come back and play football.

Should be noted that part of that come back against the Jaguars last week by the Broncos was that Jalen Ramsey's replacement was getting roasted in that game and had a target on his back game and and yeah, maybe this is a real back injury for Jalen Ramsey. But I really like but I don't think it is. UM And I I really like Shad Khan coming out on Wednesday, uh the Jaguars own or telling the Associated Press that it's the best thing for the Jaguars to hold onto

Jalen Ramsey. I'm gonna read a little bit of his quote. Obviously, football is a team sport, and I'm sensitive to what individual inside or viewpoint or request there might be. But we have to do the right thing for the team. We value the value that Jalen adds to us, to the Jaguars. I think we value him highly. And we'll see there is and we're gonna get to another player a little bit later in the show. Um on the vikings that is unhappy and looking to play his way

or not play his way out of town. And I think if Jalen Ramsey is truly hurt, he's truly hurt. If he's not, it's a disgrace that he's not playing right now. And it's the word what kind of teammate would do this? It's way on my radar, way on my radar, and has been since day one. Every player on some level plays through injuries, so maybe it's something

where you're not playing. Who knows. Even trying to guess like his level of injury when it comes to back is is tricky, But I think it was smart of shot. There's a report that from Jason lacinfora that they turned down two first round picks for Jalen Ramsey. So what's the harm? And if you're Sean Conner, what's the rush to the trade deadlines a month away? You're it's only in in a world where this is still a problem

three weeks from now. You know the trade offers are only going to get better and you don't have to take them, but you can listen. I mean, if they start getting really wild, maybe it becomes a Laramie tons of situation where you have to take it, but they need him this week because they're playing another good second year quarterback. It came out of nowhere. Kyle Allen passes the eye test. I think him and Gardner Minshew passed the eye test. I think if they played their first

two games. You know, Kyle Allen's a second year player, but if you know if Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold played like this for their first two games a year ago, everyone would be going crazy. Kyle Allen, really, I think has the tools and can make every throw, and he's shown that he's had a fumbling problem that that needs to be fixed. But I look at him and he

looks legit. It doesn't seem like a fluke. One of those fumbles came off at g. J. Watt getting pushed away from Kyle Allen, puts the arm out and does something only J. J. Walt can do in almost any quarterback would have lost the ball in that situation, but that's the Minshew has also been extremely safe with the football in it for Jaguars team. I mean, it's been invaluable with while throwing in a few nice deep throws. But this is the toughest game for him on the

slate so far. Their fourth in the league in d v O A past defense or something in that Carolina sauce with between Buffalo and the Panthers, with that scheme that they have, that they're better as a group than they really are individually. Shack Thompson, their linebackers playing out of his mind right now. Rivera's big move to suddenly go to A three four after seven years is looking great. They lose Kwan short for the year and they're still

playing fantastic. Vera will be coaching their seventies six years from now. As an extremely old, big, big test for Carolina secondary against DJ Chark, who has made the leap and it's starting to give off Jordy Nelson vibes as a boundary boundary receiver. Uh, let us move on. A battle of windless teams in Cincinnati the Arizona CarH I got caught up in the old style. But you know what you reminded of us? How much how much better this new style is. That's good. You should just should

just draft the Cardinals, Bengals. Who's who's next in the draft? Okay, take the Recals, Cardinals. Okay, I'm not gonna I will take the Buccaneers. See it a sucker suit for Greg rosehal today by the way, heading to New Orleans. We not have that conversation right now. I don't think it's sear sucker see a initially, but it looks like that. I'm not going to argue the point anymore. UM had a German roommate when I lived in Hollywood ten years

ago that was auditioning for a role. He was an aspiring actor and he was told by his manager, you need to work on your American accent. And uh, He's like, all right, okay, because it was very thick his German accent. So he would go into his room for hours at a time working on his accent, and Um, the day before his big audition, he comes out of the room after hours of studying and Uh, We're like you ready

for this and he's like yeah. He's like, uh, you want to run the lines that you're gonna have to read? And uh he's like okay, okay. And then the first thing out of his mouth was yes, I'm here wearing my seious socker suit. And we're like, oh that is that does sound He sounds like a Midwestern man, So we tried to let up. He told me he was great, get a very nice guy. I liked him. He did not get the role. That's the that's the Hollywood wade people telling you that they're great, You're great, And I

don't know why that's the way. Why is he precluding until you're like like a ten out of ten mail looks? Why are you getting that role? He was? He was a very good looking guy and he was the role. Is this a man who walked around telling people about his suit? The point was we could have been honest, but like, that's terrible, but there was nothing he was gonna be able to do. He was going to go

to at that point in the morning. Yeah, you don't want to he was gonna build him up, bail on the audition, and then go back to journey, which is what eventually hard lessons in Hollywood. All right, Well, Gregg's wearing a Sierra soccer suit. You know, speaking of overseas, the Buccaneers are going to be headed to London next week with us and we're gonna be watching the Battle

of First Place. After Kyle Allen, you know, ends minshu Mania and after Jamis Winston goes to New Orleans, UH and gets a nice little road upset in a game where I don't think either team is gonna be able to run the ball very much. The Buccaneers have the best run defense in the league right now, two point nine yards for time. You can just see it when when you see their front line, they're gonna be tough to run against. Which passing game do you trust more?

It's weird to trust Jamis Winston, but I'm taking the guy with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans both on pace for over four hundred and fifty yards right now, and I'm not trusting Saints offense that has been under three hundred yards three straight weeks. You can't keep winning games like that. I like the Bucks. I rewatched the Saints Cowboys and had a really appreciation for how good the Cowboys defense was and how Bridgewater through better than I expected.

He threw pretty well, his ball placement was good, and it's tough to win in New Orleans. I've picked against him two weeks in a row, and I'm not the one of the third week. I wrote Upset Special at the top of this because after watching the Bucks against the Rams and it wasn't perfect, I thought Chris Godwin produced one of the better wide receiver showings of the

entire year. I think he can do everything, and Bruce arians talked him up in Fantasy heads went nuts over him, and it's one of the time is when it's actually it played out against the Rams entirely the Saints front seven is their line is so nasty. I don't think that you even try to run. The Bucks remind me a little bit of when we talk about like an air raid type attack. They were doing some of that against l A, like to the point where I don't

want to. I'm not gonna call the Cardinals air raid over what the Bucks do when they go all out with their passing game and they've got better weapons than almost any team in the league. When you want to go wide receiver wide and when when they need a run, Ronald Jones looking pretty good. You know he's making he's making people miss. Yeah, played the two thousand seventeen Offensive Player of the Year and last week's game. Do you

guys think about Teddy Bridgewater so far? Yeah? Yeah, I think he was I think he was better last week. But here's the reality. Yes, he he did his job. He's a really good back. He's a really good backup. Quarterback. I don't think he has the same feel for the position that he had when he was in Minnesota. To me, that was his best quality. Um kind of is inn eate. Nowhere to go with the ball, feel in the pocket,

feel a pressure around him. He doesn't have that right now, like a like a late career Alex Smith at his best and I and I don't think that he has that right now. I mean every quarterback sacrificing something in some way, and he's sacrificing scrambling ability and trying to make plays. If you see the quotes he's given, you know they're onegrees different than than what he was saying in Minnesota. He's saying, now I've learned that I can't scramble, I can't try to make plays. I just have to

take what the defense gives me. And he's playing with he just I think he's still getting used to who he is now. They were They had one play over ten yards that wasn't to Michael Thomas, and that was a screen pass. Right. I feel like Michael Thomas like his value decreases in a Teddy Bridgewater offense compared to

when Breeze is in there. Just maybe it's a chemistry thing, but it's Alvin Kamara catching fifteen or fifteen targets a game in the screen game and I and I just don't want to go against Jack Barrett right now because what he's doing, maybe it's just it's gonna end. Like Mark said, he's definitely to get to ten sex, he's

gonna have a good year. But the three game run he's had to follow up a three SAT game and then a four SAT game and maybe have your best game after that where you forced three turnovers in a win is just outrageous. What he's doing right now, and what what box scores don't show you. He's doing things like Brandon Cooks is wide open and Jared Golf misses him by three feet because Shaq Barrett forces him into a bad throw. These are the things that Shack Barrett's

doing every week. The big question for me for the Bucks is the protection was so good last week out of nowhere, and you almost never see Jamis Winston a protection like that. When he has protection like that, he's like a nineteen seventies style Darryl Lamonica back there and he's fun to watch, and that just never happens and If that starts happening with more regularity, then Bruce arians is gonna be flying. He's gonna be loving his job.

It's in a very interesting offense, especially if they get help from the running game, which they have been. They enter this game right tenth tenth in the League of offense, uh fifth and path sing And we talked about a little bit last week. Chris Godwin has stepped up. He is a legit potential star for them. We know with Mike Evans, and if this Winston thinks sticks, they could be a top ten offense this year. It could have

happened what they could happen parts. I don't know why you don't move Peyton Barbered to a much lower role if Ronald Jones is playing the way he is. But that's been going on week after week, and I'm a little rivalry here. Bucks have gotten the better of Sean Payton randomly over the years, but that does not mean anything with a new coach. This is the perfect Winston come down game. Though. This is the three interception pick six come down game in the past, so was the

Rams game, not that he was up before that. Yeah, but he's put together a couple of games and another pass have been picked. Yeah, he's gonna give them, He's gonna makena together. Yeah, he'll always be a bit of a bit of a high wire act. But can he give put together three really good games in a row this early in the season. There's a lot of reason to do it for sky Sports? All right, Yes, do it for sky Sports. That's the rallying cry that Tampa

Bay will just saying. Panthers Bucks game looked like it might have been a dog. It might be two three and two teams all right with a third overall pick. Um. Not too many late games today, huh this week? Not too many. Better take one off the board here and I'll grab a good one. Packers at Cowboys wasn't getting to me, never would be. And um, yeah, there's no way, Uh, you can't look at this game and get excited about it because the Cowboys are coming off a bit of

a humbling Sunday night loss. But nothing to get two worked up about. I think I think they went into a very difficult environment on the road in primetime against the New Orleans defense that is very good, and you know, sometimes you get beat and that's what happened to this game.

So I still believe in the ceiling of the Cowboys offense and their abilities, and now they get a Packers defense that, like the Cowboys last week a little bit of a humbling performance, with the Eagles able to do some things against them that we hadn't seen that against the Packers yet. Um. So, now you have two teams coming off disappointing losses that I think are near the top of their conference. UH in what should be a very good close game. I'm having a hard time figuring

out how the Packers score points in this one. As well as the Cowboys played defense last week, and as well as Robert Quinn is playing adoring adding a new element to their defense that wasn't there last year, and Davante Adams isn't practicing. It's not a good injury either to turf toe is something that can linger for weeks. Where are the playmakers on the Packers offense outside of

the quarterback, I'd be I'd be very worried. I don't necessarily see that this UH is gonna be a close game because because of that UH, and because I think the Cowboys have more answers. It's the best play in the Packers offense is Aaron Rodgers improvising and you might not have Jamal Williams either, which is I think a sneaky, you know, big factor just because they'd like to run the ball. And now you're just down to Aaron Joe.

If there was life to green Bay in that Eagles game early and they got up thirteen and seven, they were up tending nothing, it was big plays to Davante Adam. So if he's out, I mean, what are you gonna is it? Geronimo Allison, we're counting on to do that. For Dallas, I like, I don't worry about the Saints game because I think that that defense is going to do that two teams multiple times, that Saints defense this year. But Dallas obviously mopped up the Redskins and Dolphins. They

and and they beat the Giant. There was a lot of excitement around what was going on. This is a good test Saints into green Bay. I don't think green Bay's defense. Eagles got a little frisky on the ground against green Bay's defense late in the last game. But to me, Dallas, I am not panicking over the Saints loss at all. I still think what Kellen Moore is doing is great for so many players in that offense.

Zeke Elliott, though, you know, this is not running around him and circling around him the way it did in past years. He had thirty four yards. It was they faced their first the defense that wasn't a bottom five defense, and they had, you know, a d D performance a couple of it his fumbles. But I didn't like what I sawt of Kellen Moore running so much and insisting too on early downs. There wasn't a lot of play action.

You didn't see some of the same creativity. And they won't be without Tyranne Smith in this game very likely. And Lyle Collins, who's having in all pro type of season at right tackle, is expected to play but hasn't practiced at all yet this week. So that's two guys are one one left tackle you're missing, the other one's hurt, and you're going up against a very good front. I don't know if that was just a one game blip

for the Packers defense. I think they just kind of face the game plan that had their number go ahead. I would say if Kellen Moore watches, you know, the Eagles game, he's gonna see Okay. I gotta get the ball into Zeke and Pollard's hands as receivers more often because the Packers they have bad middle linebacker play when it comes to the passing game. And you saw that with guys like Jordan Howard, one of the worst receiving backs in the league, they had no answer for him

in the passing game. Zeke has been underutilized in the passing game. I don't think he's gonna watch the eagle scheme. My guests would be that he'd probably just say, you know, we're good operations. We're fine, Mike, Mike, get your boy Michael Gallo back this week to a little earlier than expected. It doesn't seem like a good accommodation. Zeke, who has the NFL record for most rushing yards per game against an individual team, against the Packers is average a hundred

and thirty three yards. Packers run defense is giving up five yards a carry right now. Um, yeah, I eat up last week, Like you know, I gotta say, I'm off to almost historic ohen four start with wes um our friend, um who runs these matters. Let us know that Mark, you went oh and five to start a season a couple of years ago. And you came back. I'll let you. I'll say it always before you do. You came back, and I believe one that year. I think, oh and five, it's in the NFL. Oh and five,

you're cooked in lock battle. Oh and five. So I gotta get I gotta get going. And I was was leaning towards picking a winless team um as my lock, which is just shows how lost in the woods I am right now. But what I'm gonna do at they're all this great conversation we just had. I'm gonna lock up the cowboys at home and have them take me back into contention. Let's go, Zeke, I want to buck and you know what, to West's point, give me sixty seven yards in a touch through the air one of

those monster Z games, and the cowboys roll. You know what. Let's tell men, Louise this thing, bash it out, bro, let's do it, Bom. I need to get off the schnide and this whole let's go. It's in my head too. I'm changing up my routines every week. Now. I have no idea what's going on. Let's go. I don't have a good feeling for you guys at all I had I had this as a blood too. I don't know why I didn't think of it. I didn't even need

to think about these Aaron Rodgers to enemy territory. All right, Here we go up next Chris Westling and that Hey, Ricky, did you get that snake drop we talked about? Yeah you did? Ready? Oh she didn't know. I'm about to hit it right now. You should do it after my first game and before my stad game. That's when, Okay, it just points me and I'll hit it. Didn't she didn't even think about it for one. Yeah, it's right here.

I have five different versions. I have my suspicions about what's happening here, but I won't say anything until it occurs. Wes you. For my first game, I am choosing the Baltimore Ravens at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nice choice, nice, nice value, grass field, Midwest. It's all my qualification, the only qualification. I mean, they do not consider themselves part of the Midwest. But that's we'll give it to you. But it's in the western part of Pennsylvania. Alright, what about what about

the game? Well, I I hesitated to say much about this because, um, he's a legend and I wanted him to go to the Hall of Fame. But Earl Thomas is slow now, and I hope he's playing through an injury, but he is one of the slowest safeties in the league now. He did break his leg last year, right, that's how the season ended. Maybe he's still getting back.

But um, the Ravens are one of the worst defenses in the league at yards after catch, and it's because their safety play isn't very good and their inside linebacker play isn't very good. I had to triple check myself because it is Earl Thomas. But when you see him lose the angle a couple of times when he should have the angle against the Browns, go back and watch Week three against Darryl Williams, who, in my notes I have written down is one of the slowest running backs

in the NFL. Earl Thomas lost the angle on him and was out run by Darryl Williams. I think, if I'm a Ravens fan, I have a hard time watching this djens right now. Not not only that, but when John Harbaugh is saying this week, a lot of our problems is about guys not carrying out assignments, I think he's talking about Tony Jefferson and Earl Thomas, two safeties who have made a great career. Jefferson is obviously nowhere in Earl Thomas's class. Great careers out of big plays

by using their instincts. And I think they're both liable to free ants a little bit. And they're both slower than they used to be. There was a line which would trouble me if I'm a Ravens fan. Uh in the Baltimore Sun this week that said, or in one of the Seattle papers this week rather that said, Earl Thomas can still run very fast in a straight line, but turning around uh and making cuts like it's pretty slow doing it, Well, that's kind of problematic in the

game of football. I beg to differ that you can still run very fast in a straight line. I just I don't see it um. And I think they have had miscommunications. Who was calling the defense the last few years, Eric Weddle, he's gone. Earl Thomas comes in to call the defense and he hasn't been there. That said, are the Steelers? I feel like the Ravens might be an offense first team now, But are there de dealers built to win a game that you score a lot of

points in. To me, they're coaching around right now their quarterback and how many weeks in a row can you do that? The Ravens wrote the book on that last year year in terms of not requiring a ton of throws to the outside, but they're at far advanced than that this year, and I would take them in a shootout type of scenario. The I would say one thing that coming out of that Ravens Browns game, watching it a second time, I think we learned more about the

Ravens than the Browns, and more about Baltimore's defense. They were schemed well against with pulling guards and centers and the big plays. And you guys mentioned that, you know, it was all big plays for the Browns. I thought that came though, by Cleveland beating them up over and over to create the big plays. For sudden, You've got Earl Thomas chasing Nick Chubb down the field. And when I looked at Baltimore's offense, they got in Lamar Jackson's head.

They got to Lamar Jackson. And if the Steelers can do that with one of the best pass rushes in the league, Lamar Jackson at thirty four yards at halftime in that game, they were not I thought he played pretty well up with good numbers, but a lot of that came with with them down by a pile of points. I got blitzed and he didn't have many answers for it. This is a for Lamar Jackson because yes, he looked like the new Mahomes the first two weeks against some

of the word teams in football. Last two weeks has come down there field. He's come down to earth a little bit, greg I do, but I think he played just as well last week ause he did Week two against Arizona. Didn't there He just felt like he wasn't the most important part of that. They were. They were winning up. Their defense was terrible. If they have to score thirty points a week, they're not built for that. Like this is a problem for the Ravens away there built.

They thought they needed to be like a top twelve offense, top fifteen and have their defense carried them. They can't expect them to score thirty points a week. I thought the Steelers defense played well too, and I'm not I'm not thinking that Lamar Jackson's going going to score thirty every week. I think teams are gonna start watching what what say the Browns did against him? The one good thing is they have great tackle play the Ravens maybe the best tackle duo in the league that can help

shut down T J. Watt. But the Steelers get a lot of pressure up the middle too. All right, it's time to snake. Oh gross, I know, I was in our library so weird. I thought that was Dan. It sounded like it. Can you do it again with the camera on you? Um no, the camera's broken back here, I see it right now. No it's broken. No, no, no, it's function at the full screen. Go ahead. Oh okay, let me just hit this real quick. She didn't prepare, prepare,

She just she didn't make a note of it. And I will say, she's so busy now with all our other programming. You know their fantasy lineup is set? Yeah it is. I mean, I mean, you have you do inadequate snake sound tweeting the show right now so your fans can listen. I'm doing three thousand things at once, and I downloaded a really cool snake drop. I'm sorry you don't like it. That's not my problem. Feuds of Adam Rank on Twitter. You got all that lockdown? I

want my snake dropped on. That's the one that we had in our sound All right, West, you're he'll be working at it at m VP's wedding this week or perhaps in Lisbon. Happy she doesn't get wrapped up at Emma was happy enough. How do I fit two weeks of luggage and a carry on? She tweets last night at some point, so you know, different concerns than some. I'm gonna pick the other four o'clock game since there are only two of them. Smart West, you know how to play the game? Isn't know how to play? Or

I was thinking, why picked the four o'clock game? Now I can just watch whatever I want at four o'clock. Whatever. You have different priorities than me. I like to be able to pay attention to my game so I can give people what I saw on the recap show Bell watching four shows. I'm gonna watch the same game that I wanted at four o'clock, whether I choose it or not. Like Sundays, a work day for me, not an enjoyment day.

I'm putting, I'm punching the clock, coming in and watching football so I can give the people with it on the hard hat. I mean, you know, flock a field of strawman being raised up. Punching the clock a good way to put it. West, You're punching the clock. Absolutely blue collar worker. I know, a punch in the clock. Meet you punch in, and then after twelve hours and probably sixty hours and overtime, you punch out. You go. I mean your figure family, Creig, that's what a blue

collar worker does. Your punch's hands. That's right. I'm popping in a couple of hours early. People should tune into game debut live at UH. He turned into a plug eleven thirties through is so ultra tree. I want to watch um a guy who is now rivaling Alvin Camara is the best receiving back in the NFL, Austin Ekeler in this game, he is so good. And we get

a little Melvin Gordon this week too. But I want to watch that, and I want to watch for how many people cannot resist talking about Joe Flacco in the twelfth raded Broncos offense when they should be talking about the seventh raded defense that could not get off the field for eleven minutes against Gardner and Shoe on one drive. The defense is the problem in Denver. These two these teams are similar. The Chargers defense is stunk. The Broncos

defense has stunk. The Chargers defense. No one's noticed because they've played terrible teams a lot of times. Your defensive rankings are basically just the ranking of who have you've played, And I think that's the case with the Chargers. So I think the Broncos can move the ball up and down the field in this game, that there might be this might be some a decent amount of scoring. Problem is they kick a lot of field goals when they need to score six downs. That it is a problem.

And no Melvin Ingram, I believe who's out like a month from the Chargers. They are starting people. There's a guy starting at safety and undrafted free agent named hold On Roderick teamer now starting from the Los Angeles just in the Chargers defense. They've had a ton of injuries, especially on defense, and that's that's part of the reason they've they've struggled. But I don't I don't look at them as a team that has any gimmes if they're If Chargers fans are kind of looking at this and

just checking it off. I know they're big favorites. There are two they're one of the worst two and two teams just in terms of how they've played so far. I would hate I'd hate to be I don't want to play an OH and four team at this point in the season no matter what. And let like the Broncos are different to me a little bit then that I know everyone is like, this is the new Dolphins. Oh,

the redskins of the new Dolphins. Oh the Broncos. They're they're tanking, not well, they're not like they're just a bad football team. Right now that that's incomplete, I don't I don't love the matchup for Los Angeles at all at all, but I would look at someone like Philip Rivers, who is playing awesome right now. Austin Ekeler has been awesome, Keenan Allen has been awesome. They've not gotten the pass rush, but they still have like their key star players playing

very well. And if you can't take they should have beaten the Lions, they'd be three and one and we'd feel a little bit differently about them. They have been uninspiring and there have been people tweeting us, why don't you guys talk about the Chargers. We've talked about them plenty in the past. They just have seemed a little off the radar this time and they need that signature and they get for all the jokes we've made about it.

They just need offensive weapons, and he adds one. Unfortunately, probably will you know, have to take Austin Ekeler off the field, which is a problem. Eckler's fifth in the league in yards. But even he can they can use them. They can use them together. And even if Gordon is playing thirty snaps and Ekeler is playing thirty five or forty, and I think that might be the type of split we see that still adds juice to an offense that has been really good and adding another weapon. They they

need to be an offense first team. That's that's the biggest challenge right now for the Chargers in terms of their offensive philosophies. Eckler has become one of the best all around running backs in football. It wouldn't be right, like Mark you're saying, it would't be right to remove him from the game plan. But Gordon before he disappeared, when he's been right he's been at a similar level

in terms of productivity. So you just got to find a way to balance that or is there a possibility and let me know if it doesn't make sense for whatever reason contractually, Uh, maybe you move Melvin Gordon before the deadline in three weeks? Why not? Just what did he have you? I don't you gotta give him a contract? But why why I not just do what you did last year? And before Melvin Gordon got hurt, they were averaging two hundred yards a game between the two of them.

They were the best duo in the NFL, and he was using them correctly. We don't know we're gonna get out of Melvin Gordon right away. Un right hand, Henry's back on the field, but he's not returning yet. I mean, they have some they've had so many injuries, like they can't I feel like they can't trade away any talent. Then that then Eckler get hurt and suddenly you know starting trying. I suppose, yes, they they are great one to tandem, but Eckler had had been able to prove

that he can do it as the lead guy. And that's I guess that's just part of team sports. So we'll see this West. The Broncos defense in the first half against Jacksonville looked like what we thought we would get all season. They just have to If they had done that for the full game, we would say they're back, they're ready to go. That was their last stand game, and you can see what the emotion they were playing with that that they were They wanted an orange crushed

day and they were feeling themselves. And then Gardner min she took it eleven minutes and they were never the same without Bradley, though, you get a nice home game in l A this week if you're a Broncos fan. So that's, by the way, by West's logic, which I think is good, the last stand game. If you lose your last stand game, there's no way you win the next week. Okay, there's no way. They they seem like you're saying they want no dignity and dignity Health Sports

Park this week. No. No, I mean if that, if that theory holds, West, if you lose the last stand game, you have to come out flat and dead, which makes this a lockable game. If you could look in the mirror now, I wouldn't be able to look in the mirror two and two or so and four. But if anybody else can see a reflection or Greg on his own rules, UM, I think it would just narrowly sneak under the my rules. But it is not my lock. I've soft locked the Seahawks, and I'm sort of still

considering that throughout the show. I'm not gonna go lock up against an OH and four team. A soft lock is like one of those you know, with your Schwin bicycle, with like the four letter combinations that's so easy to break through, and so you're a child sub combinations seven seven seven seven. It's the people like maybe you got an alarm home security system at some point, but you no longer pay for it. You just keep the sign up,

keep it up enough to sign the little sticker. I get that you are what your record says you are, and this is No. And four team, But it's like the intro to Greg's debrief this week, the vicissitudes of just to play here and to play there if not for too roughing the passer penalties. I think pieces are flying out right now about how Elway and Flacco have revived the two and two Broncos and and Flacco is just I mean, he's just a care about a team.

I just don't know that about Washington Bridge too far. It wasn't I'm just saying to plays, this is not your typical oh and four team. They are the weirdest oh and four teams we have. I hear you. But they should be one in three because here's how I look at it. They lost two games convincingly, and they split two at the buzzer, so it's like, you know, there, they haven't been a great team. I would be a

one in three the mask. I would argue that Jaguars come back the engine behind it was a terrible Joe Flacco intersect, and I would argue back, he's on the roller coast to stay with the last three weeks, what do you want your quarterback to do? Lead two minute drills to score the go ahead touchdown with only a minute left in the game, and he did it. I said it on last week's spot. I don't actually don't think Flacco is their problem. Flacco has been exactly as

good as they could hope for. They needed to be better all around. I don't know. Part of me is just like okay, But I mean I'm also not amped up as a human being. If accurate the problem with the Broncos, says my actress. He's he threw a killer interception that changed the energy and made up for it by scoring the Also, we had a bunch of drives that he didn't fly. This. Why did Flacco becomes uch? You know why? Because there needs to be This is

interesting how this podcast works. There needed to be a lightning rod because you didn't have Eli to kick around anymore. So now you have the new Eli, which is Joe Flacco, and but ronically it is West now who is not seeing the light and is staring at the good things and ignoring the bad thing. I am seeing the light. You want mis evaluating this. Joe Flacco has been an

average quarterback. But I'm saying, but all the analytics last season how Eli is like a top fifteen quarterback, doesn't matter. He doesn't pass the eyes Eli, No, that is not true. You're throwing out falsehoods and erroneous statements. Alright, Well, just everyone listened to every single football podcasts out there. You're not gonna hear this type of heat about Flacco anywhere else. We care about all thirty two teams. He's just been average.

That's all I'm saying. All right, let's move on, all right, I want that dignity is important. It's not just when you look in the mirror about what game he could lock up for. For the people in the room like me and Mark and to some extent Greg, you can say, oh, I'm not gonna take my favorite team because nobody's gonna double cross me and take my team there, so I'll steal him at the end of the draft. Now that's

not fair. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna put you guys in that position, and I'm not going to play the game that way. So even though this would have been a week to do it though I know, but I'm not gonna do it. I'm just not gonna do it because like that, there's a chance Sam Donald plays, and there's no way I'm gonna have somebody else watching that game for this podcast. So I'm taking the Jets at the Eagles. It's all. And uh, we'll see there's a tweet. Here's a tweet I heard from a very

good source, direct source. This is some real zuser insider stuff. Uh that there's a good chance Donald plays. But then I see, um, a tweet from Donald's availability today. This from Connor Hughes, who does very good work for the athletic Sam Donald says he wants to make sure he's

quote not going to die out there on Sunday. I mean, it would be the most Jets thing ever that Adam Gas and his mania to not be painted as the most miserable offensive mind in the league will kind of push his quarterback onto the field despite a large spleen, and that's something terrible happens. That would be a very Jets thing to have happened. Um, I'm just hoping that's not what happens here. I hope Sam Donald is active and also healthy, and there's a good chance that's gonna happen.

And now they go to the Eagles. Uh. And it's a really tough game. It's a very difficult game. But if there's one thing to hang your hat on, um, if you think this could be a game, is the idea of as a lot of things that have to happen. Donald has to play, the offense has to look a lot better with a healthy Sam Donald, and then they pick at the Eagle secondary, which has not been good. That's the only way this this becomes a game, otherwise it's gonna be grim. And I don't even know who's

calling this, Greg CBS. I imagine it is like a Marv Albert special, C SPAN, C SPAN Public Access. But that's that's the path is Donald plays and then has happen able to have some success against Philly secondary their line. They're one of these teams that concern me because when you go get the PFF rankings of everyone on offense from top to bottom, they're one of these two or three teams where their five starting lineman are the bottom five out of six players in rankings in deep red territory.

And it sometimes that doesn't translate and I know how these rankings are done for the lineman, but it translates with the Jets, their line has been it's been a big story. And the thing that's been the most kind of flummixing for people inside the building and out is that talent wise, it's not the worst line. There are guys that can play and then have played at an okay level in this league, so that has not been the issue. The worst of gas so I mean, but

the finish. The Panthers didn't want khalil Let me finish. Um. Yes, you could say that maybe they just got guys that were done, and that's possible, but there's also been talk for it to be as bad as it is that there's an issue with scheme going on, and it's it's a it's a coaching disagreement behind the scenes about how how to handle the attack on offense and they tried to in their most recent game before the bid against the Patriots, scale it all the way back to almost

a rudimentary form. And I'm not an offensive line expert, but I could say that they are on the fly trying to change their entire strategy and that didn't work either. So there's there. It's been a big, big soggy mess on that line, but I think it might be just beyond talent. You gotta be careful with Darneld. I also wouldn't want to put him out there and see anything like what happened in Week one when he was fully healthy and they were the worst offense in the league

that week. He was not fully healthy in Week one he had mono. Then yes, okay, so there, so maybe that that was part of it. The scheme hasn't looked good. This is a matchup you should be able to take advantage of. You know, if you're throwing the ball pretty well. You can't run on the Eagles, but you can throw on them. They they're they have not had a pass rush if three sacks this year. Derek Barnett's not really working out for them, like they're they're a beatable defense.

The Eagles defense right now, well, do they have enough warm bodies to start at cornerback? I think so. I think you know they're not gonna have Darby back, but I think Maddox is he back. He looked brutal before he got injured. The the other thing I'd be worried about it with the Jets though, is the is the Williams wall that we had talked about going into the season. Leonard Williams hasn't seemed to be a fit for Greg

Williams's defense hasn't made much impact. And then Quentin has just been out for a couple of weeks and he returned to see him making impact. Leonard Williams is a guy that's there's buzz about he could be a trade candidate because you know, to keep moving on from it's more it's more than a Greg Williams thing. He just has not ever become the guy everybody thought he would. He's a really good run stopper that's never been a pass rush guy, And um, do they want to give

him a big contract? Do they want to franchise tag him? Or do you want to trade him to a team who thinks they can unlock his sizeable potential. I think he could be a guy to look at who could

be on the move in October. I just I wonder what Jim Schwartz is telling his defense if Sam Donaldson for some reason, like it concerns me with the kind of injury and illness that he had, that they're being thrown out there that there that they don't really seem to trust Adam gas alone to make the decision because it's a deep committee with the GM involved and it has to be. But like they made a point of that, and like, I I don't know, it's not gonna He's

not gonna play unless the doctors say he's fine. So I'm assuming that's good. But the Jets and this stuff usually I just throw it have never in the history of the NFL beating the Eagles, and I would be if the if the if Philadelphia lost this game, and that's a team I talked about as maybe in my mind, the third or fourth best team, this would be one of the biggest disappointments of the decade for the Eagles to lose this game and it's not enough. It is a knock on the Jets, sorry on the sense of

their talent going in with situation they're in. In terms of like them being a favorite, You're probably right that they would probably might be the biggest favorite game they're What will happen on Philly radio if they ever lost to this team. I'm curious to see if Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard can keep it going because I kind of like that backfield the way they're they're trending. I

think Jordan Howard's run pretty well. Sanders gives you something if they if they don't play that well, I do wonder if they would add a running back at the trade deadline, but there's no reason to you at this point. Alight, All right, let's go to uh what were the one o'clock games? This is my backup game in the morning. I don't like to even think myself as having a backup game because there's so much focus. Let's see the

gable going around the wheel. And I'm looking for a rocking chair game for my later early game as well. We'll get to that. I'll take the Patriots. Come on, oh no, I don't want to watch the Patriots this week. Um live. I'll take the Texans and the Falcons because it's got DeShawn Watson involved. Uh And that's fun, partly because you don't know what you're gonna get some weeks. You get what you got last week, where they average three point three yards per attempt, which is a little wild.

I think they will be able to bounce back, partly because their offensive line, their improvement that we talked about in week three, it was there again last week. I know he took a few sacks, but man, they protected him really well against Carolina. Uh. And I think ultimately that's a good sign long term for this Texans team that has a lot of good things going for them. They got out scheme, they got out played a week ago, and talk about the last stand game. I think this

is it for the Falcons. Well, no, maybe it's a little early for that. Again. Later I rode here, Texans can break Falcons right here and and if you and if the falcon, if the Falcons lose, is it highlighted though ort Texans can break Falcons? Should be like we should have another spit OFUF podcast where Mark holds up his notes and just shows this different thing, but a little work marks highlighters if you get because the way it is I'm looking at it right now, is there.

Maybe we can hold it up for the camera. You have you have the standard black font, then you have red font, and then you have and this is important, highlighted black font, which I can only assume is the most important. It's called work and to me, it translates a lot of it. I just used to notes from week to week doesn't translate always when we've got three and a half minutes to discuss I like it. You

are super prepared, super prepped. The Texans defense is playing nine guys basically every snap, which is very out of the Norman Today's NFL. Whitney Merciless and J J Y

played almost every snap the entire season. This kind of speaks to how top heavy they are that we've talked about, like it's a very risky way to run defense playing nineteen, but they're playing they're playing well, they've got they've got a week spot in their secondary and rookie Lonnie Johnson, who teams are attacking, and I would expect the Falcons to go right at him. Falcons are a five hundred

teams since they're Super Bowl loss only. The Dolphins are worse in the first half in terms of point differential this year, and they're starting about eleven or twelve of the same guys they were starting when they were dominant and a couple of years ago. I think you have to wonder about the coaching. Quinn has regressed um or the defense has regressed. With Quinn is the play. They have no running game and we beat up Steve Sarkisian everybody did. Dark Cutter comes along and are we seeing

the old Falkins offense? Dark Cutter reminds me. It reminds me of the Bucks offense, where there's a ton of yardage, not a lot of drives going for touchdowns necessarily. No, they were Matt Ryan was sacked what five times? Last week?

They were stopped on fourth and short three times. They've totally fizzle against the They're not a balanced team, and I don't like the way that you're going into Houston and you're dealing with merciless and J. J. Watt, I'm regretting this pick right now here and now this, And this is one of those situations like in a fantasy draft, you get back to your computer, there's like seven seconds left and you buy you take Vacante Shanko to fill your tight end slot. Um, all right, let us move

on up next, Mark Sessler. So I typically it looks like it will be a week where I have to write a recap in one of these games. So I'm looking for one that's just a big, meaty blowout, hopefully over by halftime. But I also enjoy I enjoy seeing utter destruction, and I want to see talk about a team that's going to be paying the price when they get whopped once again, when the Patriots go into Washington and take the Redskins and scatter them into fifty parts.

I also I want to see how New England plays on offense. After last week. It's not obviously you're playing one fourth the team, but New England watching that game, looked bad on offense, and the Bills had a lot to do with it. But this is a team in New England that just had to put their kicker on. Ir Mike Nugent is your kicker? Now that is I'm not seeing Guskowski. Kai was in the running for that job, and Kai's Kai. We all know that. What does that tell you? But go get a job, Kai, Go win

a job in a big spot. It's been a while now, it's been a minute since you've been kicking in the NFL, and you're up against the news, and we all know the news is the news, and the news is about to see to see minus and they had five plus kickers in a I love that they're going that building and don't walk out of that building until you gotta you've got a contract in your head. It is delightful.

They've gone from Vinitary to Gustkowsky, no break in between, twenty three years, four games, and now you've got the nude and you've got young Way coup on the practice squad. Do you think it's it's not a huge step down.

I almost thought my first thing was that this might have been a phantom I R scenario because he's missed four extra points in four games, and maybe he's it's a It's amazing and a credit to Vinitierry, even with his struggles earlier this year, that he's still kicking in the league while the guy that replaced them, the kid fifteen years ago, might be nearing the end of the line potend. Now he's having left hip hip surgery. Apparently he's been playing through it for a while, and that

is potentially, you know, a career threatening injury. Be a kicker, he's been a great pro. He's been a you know, he's been a great kicker over the years. I will miss let's pick this game. Do you think that Belichick will be able to survive the game? Play need advantage that the Redskins have in this one? Whit whit well after Jake no idea, who's playing quarterback, they asked him, what is your planet? He said, we don't have one, but we I would love to see a little cult McCoy.

That's exciting. I would can I lock up cult McCoy starting because I feel like that is in your own little world. You can extremely safe unless he injures himself between Sunday, which is possible. I hate these type of games. Is there's a few real like dead butt teams right now. Redskins are one of them, and uh, I feel like we've learned nothing about this game. But like, if the Patriots score forty points, I don't I don't take anything from that. This is not how purbly the Redskins started

in offense last week. That is worse than some of them you'll see in the preseason. I think out of the eleven players who started for them on offense, not even half could make a roster for another. Well, they are very injured two and they're missing Trent Williams. Like it, there was distinct disadvantages going in, but you don't trust the coaching staff to coach out of any of them. Mcclarin is is back, but Sheriff might still be out. Jordan,

he hasn't played this year. Vernon Davis might be added to the mix. You know, you can watch Larry Guy, my guy, Lawrence Sky. You know, we're just gonna pick out a new role player on this Patriots defense. It's playing lights out every week. It's Larry Guy. It's it's a great defense. Josh Gordon's a problem. That's one thing I think that you can learn in this game. Josh Gordon and Tom are very much not on the same page. I watching rewatching that game. It wasn't about protection. It

was about Edelman's hurt. Gordon is hurt and out of sink. The receiver situation is not pristine. They are They were a three out machine in that game. You you blanked and they had the puncher back on. The punter is doing great, by the way, to Ben Watson returns by the way, former Patriots great after ten years away from the team. Minor yawn um, All right, can we get a full screen on Ricky because this is a snake

snake pick and we want to make sure. But like close ups, she ran downstairs and cut the drop maybe the audio and just don't care. But like getting on the ploores, You know what, why would you say that? Fair request? Let it? I'm a snake, alright, Mark, I'm a snake. It's a baby, and I am going to pick. You know we're going to London. Why not take the London game. I love that they've actually found a way to put this at our time ten a m l A time one pm Eastern, not any not sure at

all what time it is in the UK. They can figure that out six pm in London. I looked at the Bears game. I have I am so have been so down on the Bears because I cannot believe at all in their offense, in their quarterback position. My mind has changed at this point. I could see them becoming one of the last two teams in a non dominant team NFC. I really could. And I think their defense is truly special. And London games, oh, these seem to come with a bit of residual chaos, and I think

this is going to the Bears. Whoever plays the Bears, whatever happens, whoever loses that game, obviously is gonna come out with total nightmarish in house issues. We saw it with the Vikings. You know, you've got two one receiver complaining, the others on the trade block. Potentially everyone's wondering what's

going on with the Vikings. What will happen when the Raiders get utterly thumped in a game that I think will be about thirty three to seven, and the Raiders come out of London with no answers, looking totally lost, and we are looking at the last eleven or twelve games of Derek Carrett quarterback. Well, I'm sticking to that opinion.

You can shake your head. I just think that they're gonna be This is the beginning of a lot of changes on offense and the Bears are they defense travels to London, well, and they're going to drop the old Chicago hammer. And I don't care what Chase Daniel does. I just realized what's going on here marks organic tanking the draft here because you just you pick the biggest lop sided game of the week. This is not this is Patriots and you just predicted you predicted a thirty

three to three. Okay, well, two massive blowouts. You need to I don't need. First of all, we watched all these games during the week on Sunday. I'm fine with a couple distinctive. I enjoy football blowouts too. You don't. That's you. You're hitting on something. And this has become a fascinate for me in all sports and entertaining blowout is underrated. I love see greatness and have a destruction and wipe the floor like in tennis other sports too.

I I sometimes enjoy that better than like a close about a dude on the other side of the ball. Doesn't that take away from it a little bit? I would I would fume this mue like Chicago's defense. We're watching a truly great, memorable defense has answered all the doubters after people thought they couldn't do it again. I've said that a bunch in the off season, and to me, a wipe out like this it's purifying. Well, they've had great, they've had good, they've had good matchups overall. And this

is another one. You know, the Raiders offense, despite being two and two, has only two receivers over sixty yards. They could use like a number one type of receiver, like a Hall of Fame type of guy, you know what I mean. Because then Tyrone Williams, he's he's a good two who is now playing one. You have Darren Waller, he's broken out. Josh Jacobs is a great pick, but

you're so thin at receiver hunter renfro who. It was really the trendy thing after the draft and in the summer, it's like, hey, this is the guy you just stick right in there. He's gonna be catching seventy balls the next decade. He they've thrown the ball eighteen times to him. They have eighty eight yards on those eighteen throws. He's him and the rest of the outside receivers other than Tyroe Williams are guys who would not make other teams. I think I like the matchup for Chase Daniel. This

is a dream scenario. No Vantes perfect and Cleveland Furrel, the number four over overall pick in the draft. Among edge rushers with one hundred plus snaps this season, ranks dead last and win rate according to Pro pro Football Focus, which is basically the guy. I know Raiders fans don't see it this way, but essentially, you traded Khalil Mack and you used your top five pick on a pass rusher. He's essentially Clio Max's replacement. Well, there's that angle to

this game. To Khalil Mack having a chance to face the Oakland Raiders and John Gruden. I would imagine he's already on an m v P level tear right now. This would have a nice little narrative. What's gonna lead all your little prime time shows? If Khalil Mack has three sacks in this game, he knows how to trash Colton Miller if that's when he's going up against him. Trent Brown, by the way, who we also wondered, was that too much money? He's been fantastic for the Raiders.

Their offensive line in general has been fantastic. Not Colton Miller though, so that's if you get you get Mac or if it's Floyd when he's on Miller and you have a win. It is pretty wild. By the way, I thought about this couple days ago. We were so close to it and everyone was so exhausted by the storylines. Antonio Brown is not in the NFL anymore. He's just had a the NFL, the arguably the best wide receiver in football. They's just gone. Yes, someone was just because

he was us. He apparently got into it on social media with some player and like this baeld in some stories. Okay, I guess this was a big story in some circles, but in others like mine, I'm sure that's muted or you know, it's like even him screaming into the void is not really like making a big pop anymore. He needed to go off on like Scandinavian novels and then it would have hit Gregg's feet. But it was. It

was a relatively large store after wet in Baker. This is uh, this is a perfect game to open up Tottenham. The London crowd they know it. They love the ugly games, and I love them for that. They loved it, loved the defense, they love the kicking. There might be some rain here. It just could be messy fans in London, all right. Next up, Greg No, Well, I think, actually, here's what you do when you have I guess no trap board three games at one point at one time.

You gotta just take the battle of the windless teams. Because if there's any game that deserves the number three spot, it's the Cardinals and the Bengals. I mean the Cardinals here. Let's try to think of something interesting in this game. They're running. Game hasn't been bad. David Johnson, I think looks better each week. Was starting to do some of those ski slalom moves that he used to do a few years ago. Last week, Kyler Murray, when they do call a run for him or when he scrambles, his

footwork is just different. Like his footspeed and foot work. His feet are moving so quickly, like it's wild. I love and disappointed in him as as a runner. They don't use in an escape artist like Lamar Jackson is an explosive, elusive runner. I don't think Kyler Murray. Kyler is not looking to run. You're right, it's the couple of teams, right. That's when he's he's trying to buy time.

I don't think he's great buying time in the pocket, But when he actually makes the decision to go, he shakes people off and goes around him like it's nothing. And the running game hasn't been bad. They should be able to run all over this. I mean David Johnson has and he had this trait and this skill before he's become a primary receiver. Because they don't have a deep game the way that I thought they would necessarily. I when I watched the Cardinals, like they move the

ball really really well. They cannot finish drives. It's constantly going eleven. They have these long nine ten eleven play drives that finished with a field goal, and field goals that go south half the time too. To me, they're disappointing and I and I do wonder because it's too early to judge. They need more time to build what Cliff Kingsbury wants to do. They don't look to me that distinctively explosively different than a bunch of other teams

that are using three wide receiver sets all the time. Fine, they go for it's not translating into stuff we've never seen before that we're so bedazzled by. And I do wonder where you brought in Cliff Kingsbury. I think he's done okay job with not a lot of parts early on. What if you get a ten and eleven games into this and realize, wait a minute, this special offense isn't that special and they lost Kristen Kirk. Both John Rashian and Kristen Kirk are expected to missus game ross Are

they that impossible to the band? For though? From a defensive and points when Larry FitzGeralds is by far your number one and your two draft picks at their three draft picks at the position aren't making much of an impact. They're not that hard to cover. You get one on one matchups, but they're not hard to cover. I saw Larry FitzGeralds that that blew my mind. This week, you guys all know that he's now second only to Jerry Rice and career receptions. He has one thousand six receptions,

second on the active list. Take a guess, Wow, Antonio Brown doesn't count. No actively suiting up for NFL teams. I don't not just tell Jolio Jones has seven one, He's got like about half of Larry Fitzgerald's receptions. That is crazy. That is wild. And on the Cincinnati side, we saw, you know, how things how bad things have gotten on Monday night. Robert Maze of The Ringer wrote a piece this week about about Cincinnati basically their downfall

since he broke his thumb. Uh. He was an m v P cant in two thousand fifteen, broke his thumb and then everything that's gone downhill for Cincinnati since. Uh. He came to the conclusion what we've been talking about in years on this podcast, that he's essentially the prime Ridian and he's as good as the people around him allow him to be. And it can get really bad when you have bad people around him, which is where

he is right now. And made me think about if this is indeed the end of the Andy Dalton experience in Cincinnati and they have no more guaranteed money tied up with him after this season, if they did go in a different direction, does Andy Dalton get a chance to be a starter somewhere else or does he have to go to the Ryan Tannehill path of his career because by the same virtue of what we've been discussing, if you if you're a team that has a nice set up around it, perhaps Dalton could be closer to

the guy who wasn't h I'm curious what kind of value he would have a case Keenum, but only if only one or two coaches would would have taking case keenom to begin with. And I know I'm rough on Dalton. I think that I think that your quarterback has more meaning than than just simply his on field talents or ceiling. You have to sell your quarterback to a more savvy fan based than at any time in football history. I

think it's a tough sell. The answer is yes, so get a chance at some He's not gonna be the Broncos quarterback next year? Is it feels about right? J? J. Gruden will be coaching Andy Dalton in Denver. I mean they actually have links. It does. But they put John Ross and I R And you know a J. Green is bubbling up is a potential guy you ship out of the building because why is he there? Off? You

know you could see Joe Mixon. Joe Mixon is the one last guy who's like a real asset there and you can just see how fresh I for broke my heart and that after the steel The only time that game felt like it was competitive is a fumble by the Steelers. Since then, I takes over first ten for Pittsburgh's fifteen Tyler Eiffort on a third down on a pass he absolutely pulls in before his forty seven you know,

lower body injuries he had. It was like when Jimmy Graham couldn't come down with that pass on Thursday night, Like old Jimmy Graham's got that. Old Tyler would have had that ball I have. I've let Tyler go after that. You've been very into Tyler Rife first, I've had time, I've had a lot of patience. I always believed in him, but I think those injuries have taken away that elite athleticism. That's all I feel about Earl Thomas. It's tough, right it is to fash it out again. Boom is pick.

You know, I'm really surprised the way the draft fall in the last picks, because you know, in in fantasy dress, sometimes when you're like I really want to take this guy, but you take the other guy and then life is good and you end up getting the option to take that original guy. That's what happened for me here. Uh uh. I have the Minnesota Vikings to the metal Lands to face the Giants, and yes, we have a an epidemic

in the NFL. Stefon Diggs now is letting it be known that because times are getting tough in the modern NFL, times get tough, trade me, get me out of here. I'm not happy. I don't need to play out to my contract. I will be sick. I will go home and then I will try to force your hand to trade me. Uh. He came back to the team after missing a practice yesterday, Diggs, And this isn't a season in which we know everything has gone badly right now

going badly right now from Minnesota's offense. Very small sample size, by the way, but he is not getting targeted the way he did last season, not even close. Stefon Diggs. And on the same week that Adam Feelan called out the offense and the quarterback, leading to Kirk Cousins weirdly publicly apologizing to Adam Feelan, the other wide receiver, then lets it be known that he wants out of town.

So Minnesota has a lot of issues right now, and it's kind of an interesting time for them to go face a Giant's team that, despite back to back wins, known is gonna confuse this defense with the eight six Giants. Uh, Minnesota. If they just figure out some type of game plan and find some balance to their offense, you would think they should be able to move the ball. And if they don't and Danny Dimes and I don't think say Kwan Barkley is playing, but apparently he is. He is possible.

They say it's not practicing as a Thursday, but apparently he's such a superman that it's he's getting close. But even without say Kwan Barkley, if the Viking still find a way to win this game, and if they look bad doing it, we might have a mutiny in on our hand with the old Viking horn. I mean, you win, you win, it doesn't matter if it's a star you're saying. If they win ugly, no, no, if they lose or thirteen. Uh, and the offense is not moving, everyone's already talking behind

the scenes. I just this season could go up in flames, as sometimes happens in Minnesota. Something else, I wrote Death of the Vikings a question mark. I'm not saying it's gonna happen, but that a double pound sign in front

of the triple and that's just to separate it. So I remember to say more that held something against the Vikings ever since you gave their your heart to them as the team of a t L. That's but I would say this though, because something seems to systematically eerie with the Vikings, because Kevin Stefanski, their offensive coordinator, was someone that was getting a ton of buzz around the

league and got a head coaching interviewer two. The Browns are very serious about him potentially being their head coach, and analytic skies loved him and all this other business they bring in Gary Kubiak. But I feel like that was to quell to some degree Mike Zimmer, who for two years in a row cannot get by behind an offense that is actually modernized. It is run first, and that's great when you're in a situation where Dalvin Cook

is going to run the ball crazy. I know the offensive line stinks, but I look at the Vikings as a confused operation. What is it they are on offense? And if they ever the Giants are not a very good defense, obviously, but they looked better last week. I know who they were playing. I do not. I know who they're playing, but I'm not just gonna simply like like it was a step forward and Sequon Barkley or not win Gallman played Okay, they did not totally. They

were not dead on the ground. This is a frisky Giants team. I'm scared if this is a VI if you're a fan, this is the it's the sample size. And that's why the Diggs wants out thing really was like what uh, He's had issues for a while. But let me say, let me just say Week one, Week one of the versus Atlanta, they ran the ball very well twenty eight points and put up easy win. Week three against the Raiders rocking Chair game thirty four fourteen,

everything looked good. They've had two rocky games in between. But to act like this is some team that is in total crisis, they just need to see more. They are well above five hundred since Diggs got there. They pay their players well, I mean, what is the problem. He signed a deal last summer for forty million guaranteed. You're there, dude, stay there, And you know I went to coaches filmed this game because there's so much talk about Cousins. You know, play a little duck hunter on

coaches film. Whoever pops open, you you shoot the duck. There aren't many ducks open in this game. They're just and there aren't that many plays. They're running a lot of screens, they're calling run plays. What do you want Kirk Cousins to do on those plays? There's there's like a backstory here where you know, zimmers taking little shots at digs over the years. He once said they kind of have like, you know, a bunch of team guys in one celebrity that was a couple of years ago.

They call, well, they had a different offense back then. You're right. I'm not defending. I'm just saying I'm just trying to explain for context, like he missed some O t as this offseason and then um, they're tight end you call them out maybe for not being there. There's been talking like I don't I want to be there for my teammates when Diggs miss some O t A stuff. So it's been it's been boiling there for a little while, and yet I'm not really that worried about it. And

sometimes a little. It feels like a squeaky wheel. It's the grease game, and they do go bombs away on this Giant. And when no matter how frisky you think the Giants defenses. Now, when you're going from the Chicago Bears, who looked like they broke the Vikings last week, to the New York Giants, this is gonna feel like open prairie. They I think their offense is right, their defense is bad. They just played a preseason offense. But their front is

okay at stopping the run. They're really big. I mean they're the only team that has like a two pound defensive end trying to brush the pastor which does not work. Uh So this is the game you should be throwing the ball, not doing the Zimmer plan. And so I'm a little worried about that. But I think the Vikings defense is solid. I think Danny Dimes is fun to watch, makes quick decisions, he's calm, but he's gonna give both

teams a chance there. I mean we sort of over you know, look the fact that he could have thrown four first half interceptions a week ago, and this is a tough matchup. They had eleven drives and they scored seventeen points against the Redskins defense. That's not too impressive. And that's why I'm gonna lock up of Vikings on the road. I like that. I like it solid luck. We'll see. I mean, you guys had me worried the

things that things are falling. I mean, why you should wait on the Vikings and then not wait, and then wait and then not wait, and then wait and then not wait. There in eight and eight team, and they're gonna do this all season long. They're gonna be hanging around for a long time. But they're not at an eleven and five team. If they ever achieve that kind of a record, it's fraudulent. I'm not ready to give up. I know you're not. Why would it be fraudulent if

they went eleven and five. I'm just saying it won't be what you get eleven and five teams that are not eleven win teams they have like if they can unseen, he says, them going nine and three of the rest of the way will be just luck. Well, you know, I just think that the offensive line stuff going on,

it's not something you fix necessarily. I guess my point is, like it's four games, so the idea that no team can make adjustments can improve I I think that this is the still a team that could pull things together as long as it doesn't crumble from within. My biggest

concern is not so much the slow start. It's all this potentially anti Kirk Cousins stuff behind the scenes with their star wide receivers and how that can implode a locker rooms and they I mean, the whole thing that, like Kirk Cousins has a podcast is apologizing the feeling on the podcast. I don't know the whole not one I want from my quarterback, the whole Kirk Cousins thing

from day one. I think part of the February part of the reason why people have picked on Kirk, I think is because he feels like the type of leader who's always reading books about how to be a leader. Think what I mean. I think that's a fair criticism. That's not unfair. That's fat and he's playing timid and football players don't like timid. West. This is a This is a great Mr irrelevant game. There's nothing irrelevant about this game. This is the game I wanted this like

eight picks ago close it out. We got a Midwest game tratrol Grass. Yes, the Buffalo, but the Titans aren't pulling me back in yet. It's gonna take a long time. But the Bills never lost move this a Midwest. Titans are in the Midwest. Do you know where in Nashville is? I mean, I can't I hear what you're saying, but we never heard the na the Midwest too. No, I can't take this is getting ridiculous now, I just want it is the I hear what you're saying. It's it's

right in the middle of the country. It's the work at a map. Greg. Here, here's the thing about the Midwest has two parts to it. It's got the mid you could argue that in some ways it's like middle upper down. But then there there is the West and it's in the eastern time zone, so it does not have it does not qualify for the western portion of the Red West. There is only a west where the mountains start and that geography changes. That's the western part

of the United States. That's there is no like Iowa is west West. So there's the problem. The Census Bureau disagrees with you, but I understand. I know you don't cook at the geography of America. I'm just rolling that out. Ladies. Let's just take a second here, and let's just mark, let's just breathe for a second, right, everybody West taken in. I mean, it's just a ridiculous statement by West. Okay, this is the weirdest hot take I've ever seen. It's

not even a hot take. That Mountain Nashville is the West Mountain. Here's the map. I mean, it's much closer to the east than it is to the west. It's further west in Cincinnati, which I grew up. That's back on track here, we got all the maps out. This is this is outrageous. You think you think Titans, uh, you think Titans Bills is gonna top this argument for Tytoons. Tytoons are back and flying high west right now, and tell her little Wand's back. But here comes the Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills and Tremaine Edmonds, another guy who has made to leap their middle linebacker. I find myself watching him every plane. Now. I still like this defense. I know they're gonna be playing. Is Josh Allen Plaine or not. He's still in concussion protocol out of think he's trending towards it, because when the concussion guys are practicing, that usually means they're through step four and then they officially passed step five Friday afternoon, So I think they're expecting

him to play. I think that the unit I trust most in this game is the Buffalo Bills defense more than the Titans defense. I think they are a better version of the Titans defense. M I agree Matt if it is Matt Barkley, and it seems like the reporters are putting things closer to I do not like Buffalo's shot. I didn't like what I saw from that Barkley at all, and I know that was you want to talk a

tough assignment. So it's kind of unfair to say, oh, well, he came into the middle of the game against arguably the best defense in football. But does he does he a guy that wins games on the road. No. I think he's a less less athletic Ryan Fitzpatrick, he'll throw the ball up. He has for ERA adjusted stats. He has the second highest interception rting history, behind Nathan Peter. He's worse than Josh Allen. Yes, but you know they're

not winning the waiting. They're not waiting through quarterback play as it is. I mean, Josh, I don't think they were the best. You know, the Patriots defense wasn't the best defense, and on that field, the Bills defense right now, to me, is better it it. It totally shut down a vastly superior opposition last Sunday, and there's no weaknesses in that Bills defense. I think though it's easy to overlook the Titans defense, which has allowed twenty points only

once all year. They absolutely made life a nightmare for Matt Ryan last week. They're getting pressure there. Every level has talent. They're at home in the Midwest to host the Bills here, so you know, a Bill's offensive, even with or without Josh Allen, cannot climb out of a deficit with explosive plays. They don't have that in their arsenal. They're gonna have to run the ball a ton and

run its successfully. I think there's a big advantage for the Titans, and I don't mean that that means that Marcus Mariotto and A. A. J. Brown have to go off, which they seem to do once every third or fourth game. Looks like Evan Singletary will return which is big because they, like you said, they need playmakers. Although my boy, Frank Gore, we don't even talk about him anymore. We just take

his greatness for granted. He's been over fifteen thousand yards some some big places last week, and Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde might be there's some good safety tandems out there this year, but they are up there right now. Hide his ranked number one and be in PFF. There was a two play sequence in that Patriots game where Poyer just stuffed Sony Michelle. It was a total one on one matchup at the goal line at Michelle probably

should have scored on and players stuffed him. And then the next play Hide confuses Tom Brady and picks him off in the end zone. Those two guys have been awesome. I'm watching you. Marcus Mariotta. You know you've had some moments this year so far. You have no turnovers zero through four games, your passer ratings over a hundred. You've

had some shiny moments, you've had some not so shiny moments. Well, here's a nice little chance to make a statement, greg in your building against a defense everyone acknowledges is one of the NFL is best. Absolutely, take a name. What if it's I feel like the final score is gonna be thirteen to twelve no matter who wins. So I don't know what statement that would not be a statement.

Those are pretty stats from Marcus Mariotta, and yet he feels entirely unremarkable in yankable for Ryan fits front Ryan Tannehill at any moment. So he does have those pretty stats. Where do you stand on him? Dan, since you're monitoring him, I'm monitors, like, okay, you know what I'm I'm watching, I'm watching. I'm not ready to give up. The numbers are good right now. He needs to do it a lot more. Undeniably, the numbers are good. Is he passing the eye test is exactly enough? It was like, I

don't know, you think you've made this big progress? Lights him up in the first half and then they don't score after halftime. That's kind of the tight career ranks through four weeks. Uh number one yards for attempt, seven touchdown, those no interceptions. A message message mentioned the passer rating his passing plus yardage per game. These are all career best ranks, so statistically, he's taking a step so far this season. Yet they are two and two with two

really good performances and two really bad performances. So it's still you're kind of in the twilight throw pick when you just hold the ball and get sacked. The rear ranks means something different for Ryan Tannehill. In other quarterbacks, he has totals of nineteen thirteen and eleven touchdowns in other seasons. He has never been a great statistical quarterback, that is for sure. All Right, any other thoughts on this game was before we move up? Alright, let's hit

Sunday night football. Indianapolis Colts traveling to Arrowheads Stadium to meet the Kansas City Chiefs. I feel like it's a game that Greg is gonna be really excited. And you're excited about all games, Greg, but this one. I think you think Jake Briscot is gonna step up and open some eyes here, don't. I think it's a great week of games. But you're I mean Raven, I mean I'm

taking Raven Steelers Packers. Uh. The Monday night games amazing, Tampa say, there's a lot of great games, but the cults right now, you know something, if you look at PFF, depending on the scoring system, you use like they have a plus or minus rating. There are a team that's all right around zero. Like their defense, they're all right around zero. They're not They're all they're not gonna hurt you. They're not helping you that much. They're not putting a

lot on the table there. They don't have playmakers on either side of the ball. When t Y Hilton has hurt, Marlon Mack is a little banged up. Should be playing today, it looks like on Sunday. So he returned to practice to practice, which which is huge. And Mac did finish out that game for the most part. Or they said it wasn't injury related, so that would give them a chance. Watching the Chiefs any week is exciting, but the Colts

don't feel like they have a lot of firepower. I still like watching like I like what they're doing, but they're not as fun to watch as I was hoping. I mean that Raiders, they didn't move the ball very well through the air last week. The Colts, there's no doubt about that. Definitely sensed no t Y Hilton playing a big role in brissette struggles. Marlon Mac Chiefs defense, he's playing. I think he's got a new injury, it's

to his ankle, that offense goes for him. That's Kansas City at home on Sunday night, you know, and it's this is two different teams. But we're not that many months removed from Kansas City thumping the Cults big time in the playoffs. Does do they match up well? And no one, No one matches up to their The Chief's offense to be just about not in And that's I

guess that was my point. But to my point earlier, sometimes blow it's are fun to watch, and Patrick Mahomes is fun to watch in prime time in just about any game. So it's even if it's not that close, I think it'll be fine. I do think the Chief's defense, despite being thirty their eighteenth and efficiency, some of that is. Some of that is, you know, there's a lot of possessions. Those games get up. They've played pretty good offensive opponents.

I do think they're a little better overall. But Frank Clark has been a huge disappointment. That trade has been a disaster so far. Emmanuel Agba, who they signed for, you know, a fraction of them is playing a lot better than Frank Clarks. We just showed that play where Travis Kelsey flipped the ball hook and ladder style to Shady McCoy and Marcus Grant said that was like jazz music,

and the Chief's offense kind of is like that. It's when you're so fundamentally sound and having so much fun that your mind and body start to go outside and play a while. And you see that with the Chiefs. They're just like, let's just start playing and having fun. Right, all these teams still in the in their preseason in September, The Chiefs were not in a preseason. I believe that

play happened on the final touchdown drive as well. Right, it sounds right, have the double check that, but they Yeah, that show is just the looseness and confidence they played the way they played by the way not washed up. He looks fine. I'm not saying he's a game breaker, but he is getting five to five point three yards per carry. He's he's doing what he needs to do there. All right, let's move to Monday night football. The Cleveland

Browns two and two after that great win in Baltimore. Well, now they hit the road to play the San Francisco warty Niners, who got that dreaded early by. But before that early By they had won all three of their games, their defense playing really well, and um Mark Baker Mayfield had his way in and Nick Chubb had his way with the Ravens defense. That is trying to figure themselves out right now the Niners defense they have, they are not trying to figure themselves out. This is a good team.

There's a great defense and a very fresh team coming off of by challenge. A totally different matchup in in Baker Mayfield. You know, after three games of everyone questioning everything about his play and is he actually the guy? And is he regressing? And can you read defenses looked better when Baltimore couldn't really put a lot of pressure

on him. He's still doing Baker Mayfield things. But now to me, you got the matchup of Cleveland's offensive line still still suspect against Nick Boscott, d Ford, Eric Armstead DeForrest Buckner. You've got Kwan Alexander in there. On the flip side, Jimmy g has to deal with Joe Staley offensive line going against Miles Garrett, Olivier, Vernon, Sheldon Richardson,

Larry Ogunjobi. So I think this is one of these games that, barring something out of the ordinary, might be relatively low scoring if these two great defensive lines can keep the offenses in check. I believe in their their defensive line or defensive front the forty niners, But I think the rest of the team, we don't really know how good they are because they've beaten three teams with a combined two and eight record, and they've turned the ball over a ton on offense, just haven't paid for

it yet five times against the Steelers. Yeah, they're one of those teams that we just have to see more. I mean we It's almost true for every team, including including the Browns. Like I didn't. I didn't come out of that game thinking they solved everything because they get four plays I think that combined for almost three hundred yards, and they were good. You know, they were good individual plays. They have the individual talent to just have a different

guy pop off and dominate in any given week. And that's not a bad recipe, you know, if they can turn the play calling around. But it wasn't like an in rhythm. Hey we're just rolling on offense. But the defense is so consistent that you're right, Mark, Like I would be shocked if this game gets in the mid twenties, like I think this is in the teens. This is a defensive game. Turnover luck is a funny thing in the NFL, and the Services forty Niners are the ultimate example.

They have seven turnovers through three games. They had seven all of the last season, and their defense is playing better this year, but a lot of that is just the way the ball bounces sometimes. That's something to keep in mind that they've had a nose for the ball, because that seems strangely to also then carry over as the season goes on. Uh. The other part of the game for them is their running game, which they have two guys in Brita and Rahim who are over five

yards of carry breed to five and a half yards. Uh, most art is that any saying here? Yeah? I mean they were beating up the almost six yards and they are ranked they entered week four when they hit thereby ranked fourth in the league and rushing so they can run the football, the defense and get after it and it's just no matter then is Jimmy g gonna continue to make progress if that Happensastic fantastic. What a great

Monday night game. Two teams that are have have a lot of little stars have good you know, intrigue, and you don't really know about Tevin Coleman's returning, so I think he'll get into that running back mix. Two quarterbacks

who kind of have had similar ish seasons. I mean, Baker I think has played better, but you know where they're not necessarily processing super But you could say it's the most hyped quarterback of two off seasons ago, with Jimmy g Verse the most hyped quarterback of this past season, and Odell will all be on airplanes. One last one last note that Odell Beckham, who did not have a big role in last week's game, uh primetime game. Is

this a perfect spot for him to blow up? Or is it a game where he kind of disappears a little bit? Would that start to become a storyline if Beckham is not a part of this offense, does he get disenfranchised? Servis Landry is in concussion protocol as of Thursday, so they might need o'della to play a bigger role regardless.

All right, good stuff, all right, A little later tonight Thursday, you'll hear as I said earlier the Thursday night recap, and then Sunday we'll be back recapping all the games we just previewed. How about that it's just the wheel. The wheel goes round and round, Ricky, I'm I'm on the fence right now about whether we want to continue with you doing the personal snake sound drops or if we want to have something proper in there that shows some you know, dedication to the craft and all that.

I mean, yeah, I can try to download another drop if you didn't like the one that I It's not that I don't like it, it's a principal thing. Maybe what do you guys think? I mean, it was what I upside, It was a little different each time because you were doing it on the spot, and I thought that she did an adequate We could have gotten someone in that's doing a wrong type. Boy, isn't Eddie Eddie Spaghetti's producing our podcast when we get back from London, so we could give him a shot doing the big

chair the snake snake sound Yeah. Um Like, like I said, you guys, I really appreciate the you know, positive criticism, but unfortunately I can only do what I'm given with our our library, So deductive criticism, Yeah, I appreciate it. Um. I wouldn't called positive. Well, you know, we love you. I'm from the Midwest, so I don't I don't know the difference West. One of your low moments in the history of the show. Please, how is it that I grew up in Cincinnati. The whole whole state of Ohio

defines itself as Midwest. Nashville is more western than Cincinnati, and yet you're telling me it's too far east here. This feels like something we should ask the people from Nashville. They should decide. Well, of course they're going to claim South. The Census Bureau is telling you, I don't care about the census. Well, they are an official government, man. You work for the post Office. You respect the government, our government lately, all right, I got it before we signed

one moment. I mean you're telling that, yeah, the bright, happy people from Nashville that you know better for them than they. First of all, you haven't even heard from them yet. They're going to claim the South because of everything about the heritage. You know, we lost the Civil War, but we still like to think we're from the South and all that stuff. But they're in Tornado Alley, They're right there in the Midwest. Um, what's a different geographic location.

That's Tornado Alley. We're not talking about Tornado Alley is in the Midwest. Program note. Uh cool. Note for the youth and flag football enthusiasts out there, reigning Champs named official operator of NFL Flag. Does anybody know what that means? There's a really cool graphic. The NFL is named reigning Champs official operating partner of NFL Flag in January of Pretty cool. There you go, thanks guys, something to look forward to. What is raining Champs? It's the name of

the Company's the name of the company. I I guess, but I feel like that announcement. They not you know what that means? Well, oh well, apparently we're all gonna be fired for blowing this. No, no, it's a cool thing. So congratulations to the reigning champs. All right? Uh Dan has a signing off for a quiet storm and the mailman, the old Boss Ricky Hollywood, Jason climbing back behind the glass one show only and everybody else. Thank you guys, U til Sunday night. M