2020 Week 3 Preview

You know, you can already can look at a couple of teams and say, I am not m scheduling you for a postseason birth. I'd like to get rid of some teams early, and they already have a few fork some teams. You hear every year the stat if you start oh and three, you're pretty much cooked. Now, that is not across the board, but that is certainly something that portends to doom if you can't get that first w within the first three games. We have a bunch

of oh and two teams. So this is I wish Chris Westling was here, But this is what we often talk about as the caged animal game or the cornered animal game. And they're going to a bunch of them, because there are teams that no full well the pressure and what they'll put themselves, the position they'll put themselves in if they can't figure out a way to get to one and two through three weeks. So we're gonna break down all those games. Uh, and it's gonna be fun.

And by the way, mark this time, about ten days from now, a quarter of the regular season will be over, so think about that already. Honestly, I think part of this thing about being home, the way that we are NonStop. It just feels like it's suddenly always um, We're suddenly doing the show, and then the rest of the week races by. Maybe this is the only thing of importance that I have in my life. Maybe that's what I'm learning. But we're here. I get your kids, don't it's the

door closed listening to this. They they're not listening to any thing I'm saying. So the theme there is consistent. All right, So you know the theme of our Thursday shows. We have a draft where we pick each of the games, and it just so happens that the old Zeuser is

picking first. And it is the no brainer of no brainers to get us going here it is Monday Night Football, it is the Ravens, it is the Chiefs, and my goodness, this feels like and it doesn't take a football genius and I'm not one to guess that this could be an a f C game championship game preview. And how exciting it must be for the Monday Night football booth. Wow, Bob Greasy in a big spot there, Riddick. I mean, everyone has got to be on their top game because

this is excellent. And you know, you look at what the Ravens have done the first two weeks. They've been dominant. I had to bump them up to number one of my power rankings a week because they're clicking in all cylinders. And the last thing that we were waiting for them to do is look like the Ravens of last year on the ground. And then what do they do against Houston? They run for a hundred and fifty three yards in

the fourth quarter to go well over two hundreds. So you've got Lamar Jackson passing better than ever, you have the running game just as dangerous. You have the defense making life hell for the opposition. I just think the Ravens are the best team in football right now. But the Chiefs, of course, greg are the defending Super Bowl champions and they're also off to a two and oh start. So uh, make the case why the Chiefs can win

this game? Well, because it's Patrick mahomes Because it feels so wrong that everyone is picking the Ravens here, that the Ravens are a significant favorite and that Patrick Mahomess has a significant underdog in any game seems wild. But I'm doing it too because I don't. You have to judge it based on what you've seen, and the Ravens are better right now then the Chiefs. You look at the matchup when the Ravens are on offense and the young players that they had, they and just come back

and be the same. They're better, they're younger, they're faster. Guys like Devin du Varney is faster. J K. Dobbins is faster. Myles Boykin is back and he just looks faster to me. And you think of those guys matching up against the Kansas City Chiefs linebackers who so far has have really struggled. I mean, you can't name them. It's it's Nieman, it's Wilson, it's mismatches against the tight ends and the running backs of the Ravens, and I think that this Chief's defense is gonna have a hard

time getting stops. You know, I would look at Baltimore's defense to which you know it's gonna get overlooked because of all the all the weapons and Lamar Jackson. But two weeks in a row. I mean, you you watch what the Browns did against the Bengals, and you go back to the way that Cleveland looked against Baltimore and the way that Houston looked against Baltimore. Baltimore's defense turns

the opponent into an identity free offense. The Houston Texans, to me, did not look like themselves at all, because you've got guys like Patrick Queen, the rookie linebacker making plays. Klaias Campbell has been an awesome signing for Baltimore, and Marcus Peters seems to pick the ball off in a big spot week after week. I just think this is a fascinating matchup to see if the Chiefs can look

like the Chiefs against this defense. And you know, boys, that I am the owner of the Kicker Club, which is a place where all kickers could come in and gather and dance to some hot club music and get bottle service. And not only is this the matchup of arguably the two best teams in football, it's the two best kickers in football. Justin Tucker is off to another indestructible start for the Ravens. He might go down as

great as kicker of all time. But what Harrison Bucker did on Sunday put the whole league on notice that he is right there in that conversation and and and you know, I kid about the kickers, but it is a reminder how great these teams are at all three levels and how they and the Chiefs. You know, they didn't play great against the Chargers, but it was interesting to me to see how the defense and special teams was able to pick up Patrick Mahomes. It's not just

a bunch of saddle. It's around Mahomes. And I know their defense might not be an all time defense, but it is a reminder that they can really win a lot of different ways. They just it's not just Mahomes and pray not against the Ravens. Though you gotta score points. They're they're relying a little too much on Bucker. They are not the same Chiefs offense. So far, it's two weeks. It is nothing to worry about. But Patrick Mahomes has completed one pass that went over twenty yards in the

air the entire season. I mean that is not Patrick Mahomes. He he has less twenty yard completions this season. That includes runs after catch, then Dreff Jeff driscoll. So I'm not that worried about them. But early in the season, and this was similar to when they played last the Chiefs started out and they looked like the better team, and the Ravens were very lucky to hang with Kansas City last year, also in Week three. Why why are

we playing in this in Week three? By the way, later in the season, And I don't think the Chiefs are ready right now, just like the Ravens weren't quite ready for the Chiefs early last year. I mean, Chief's hat a couple games last year where they were a little slow out of the gates. Mahomes had sixty yards passing at the half last week. So the idea that they're this invincible spaceship ready to just rip through sixteen opponents is not the case. They have to work through

a few things themselves. But I kind of. I mean, I would rather this be late in the year maybe, but I like seeing this right now, just to get a measuring stick for where we are with the a f C. Because everyone clumps Baltimore in Kansas City together at the top, and they should, I mean, then the fall off is steep after that. But I'd like to know right away who who's going to take this thing. And I think it's an interesting test for mahomes. I really do. And I I mean, I'm just gonna sit

down on my couch and watch this thing. Shut the doors no one's allowed in and correct me if I'm wrong. There's a different structure now at the playoffs, where only the number one seed has a buy. So think about what this could mean. The winner of this team, winner of this game has the tiebreaker head to head, which means whoever loses not only has to finish UH with an equal record, No, they have to finish one game better if they hope to have that number one seed.

If it does indeed come down to the two teams, do we all have the Ravens because that would feel like the kiss of death. Yes we do, alright, Congratulations Chiefs on a three and oh, start al right. Up next in the draft, Gregenthal, Okay, surprise pick here. I am going with the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams in Buffalo. I'm excited about this game. Two undefeated teams. Farrell fourth overall reach. Well, you know what, Farrell made

a game winning play last weekend. I love the I love this matchup early because I know that Josh Alan believers are gonna be out in force. It's a great litmus test. I've been seeing them come after me because I'm kind of I've been a bit of a doubter over the last few years. Even Mark Sessler is coming after me. I mean he he puts a tweet out he says it was an ugly Sunday for Josh Allen Hayter types he and then talking about Alan he floats

today as a godlike figure from the wilderness. And all I want to say to you, Mark is like, why don't you just at me? I mean, if you're saying put my name in the tweet, just say what I mean. Like this says a lot more about Greg than it does Mark. I'm clearly in your head. I mean, there are people all over the place on Josh Allen. That was not specifically a Greg's centric missive from me. Well, maybe maybe it should have been, because I I've I've killed this guy, and uh, he might be a system QB.

But you know what, that's okay, Jared Goff's system QB to like, that's what quarterbacks are there in a system and the way they've built this system around Josh Allen's legs in short passing, which he's undeniably improved. I mean, he's been more accurate, his touch passes have been better, and the players around him are awesome. They're they're fun to watch. But I do have some doubts too that when he plays a better defense in this RAMS defense

I think counts. Um let's see how they do. Because he has played the Dolphins and the Jets and some dropped interceptions last week. You know, I'm until a little doubt. Yeah, let me tee you up on this mark, because Alan is still a bit confounding to me. And I'm not saying I'm I'm holding out and all this, but you watch the two games. The numbers are through the roof compared to last year, and you can't take that away

from he's really producing at a high level. But if you watch these games, he's still doing the things that killed the team in January that have had doubters like Greg and to a lesser extent myself, sitting back a little bit, putting the ball on the ground, throwing balls up for grabs and he's not been getting busted for it yet. Will that happen as the competition gets better and it is better this week? The Rams have come out of the gate very good on defense. I'm I

kid Greg. I think it is a good pick because I think it's a great game mark. Have you seen that from Alan? Some of these mistakes that are hit in a little bit by the stats, I think that's fair because I could I could look at a past last week where he clearly could have had Steffon Digs for a touchdown and it was overthrown and you get some of that malarkey down field a little bit. I would also say that was maybe one of only two

or three ill passes he threw. All I just think that the overall Josh Allen experience, it has been improved, and it's markedly improved over these two weeks. The productions there. I think that Brian Dable is someone whose name is going to continue to get magnified as the season goes along. He works really well with Josh Allen, and he works really well, and Stephan Diggs is fitting. I mean, there's another world we live in where Stephan Diggs is upset

right now and you know, not making plays. He has fit right into that offensive think called easily John Brown. They've got a good group of wide receivers, a good backfield, so it doesn't have to be all on Josh Allen alone. And on the Rams side of things, here's a great stet we've we'd speculated as Sean McVeigh feeling more free, uh now now that he doesn't have to worry about

feeding Todd Gurley. Uh. Seven players had rushing attempts and Sundays win, so six different players had at least two catches. Are more so, the Rams are spreading things out on offense. McVeigh looks like he's having the time of his life. Jared Goff looks comfortable again. How much of this greg goes back to the offensive lines seeming to be getting back on track. Rob Havingstein, the right tackle, has gone from one of the best in the league to a

disaster last year. Because he was banged up to now he looks great again, and that makes a huge difference. And they have a system where they rely on guys to make plays after the catch, you can get rid of the ball quickly. Cup is playing awesome. Woods is playing awesome. Higbie is playing awesome. And that's why I picked the Rams this week because I think the Bills defense has had some concerning elements over the first two weeks.

Levi Wallace at cornerbacks really struggling. Their linebackers are a little banged up. They haven't quite been the Bills defense that we expect. So I expect this game to come down to the end. But I kind of like the Rams offense putting up a lot of points. I'm with you, Greg, I think the Rams, like watching their game last week and reflecting on the Cowboys game two, are playing really um like top seven in the league football right now. And I mean, you're a little banged up at running back,

Darryl Henderson probably will get a lot of work. But to your point, Dan, I mean Higbie, who really was not at part of the equation a couple of years back when they were so centered and funneled around Girley is a huge part of the offense. Now. I think that this is like Rams two point oh and McVeigh probably was driven he heard everyone saying he's not the little boy genius anymore. We'll look at he's reorganized the

entire attack. They're fun to watch, and I mean they put it on the Eagles, and I know the Eagles are having the issues, but the Rams are for real. We saw Sean McVeigh. He made it be known that he's been working hard in the gym and that hard knocks premier. He doesn't want to be seen as a boy anymore. He's a man, He's not a boy. All right, Mark, you're up next. I'm up next. And I love what's happened here in the draft so far. You guys took

the obvious picks. There, at least Dan did. I'm going one out of the blue Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots. This game to me, you know, you look at you look at the slate every once in a while you say, this sticks out to me. The Raiders were fascinating on Monday Night football. And you know John Gruden, who I basically dismissed a couple of years ago is

doing a good job. Can you imagine if you're John Gruden and in the course of a week you knock out Sean Payton and now have a chance to take out Bill Belichick. That's telling everyone put me back up there on top of that mountain. I'm not a has been hanging out in the desert. The Raiders are built around some really interesting star players and Darren Waller, who was incredible on Monday Night, and Josh Jacobs, who I think is as fun to watch right now as any

running back in the league. He has completely grown as a running back in terms of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. I think this Raiders offensive line, which is a little banged up incognito out of the mix now too. That's a little bit of a concern against the Patriots team that is well coached as any sports team in all of sports right now. And I'm telling you the idea of seeing Cam Newton go up against the Raiders. I like this game. Guys. Wow.

Giving Belichick love even over the Tampa Bay Lightning coaching staff right now is a big I'm fascinated by this. Belichick and Gruden have always had a mutual appreciation society, and I think the way they're running their offenses says a lot about where the NFL is in. I think the Raiders and the Patriots offenses are built specifically to go up against these dime defenses like the Patriots have. I think the Raiders are perfectly positioned to grind defenses

which count on these cornerbacks into dust. You mentioned Josh Jacobs. Uh. They also have a great group of tight ends including you know, Fabian Moreau and Jason Witten's and they're blocking and they are a power team. And I think the Patriots built their offense in a way to go up against these nickel and dime lightweight defenses and grind them down. So I think it's a mismatch this week when when both offenses have the ball, they're bigger, they're stronger, and

I think they're gonna have successful long drives. It's one of those games. I don't expect a lot of possessions and I don't expect a lot of stops by either defense. You know, I thought it was maybe the kiss of death for your fantasy team if you're uh, if you owned Darren Waller in your leagues when Bill Belichick started this week off by saying, you know, it's been a long time since there's been a guy in the league

like Darren Waller. So now you think about it. Okay, So it's definitely on Belichick's radar that the Raiders offenses running through Waller, and you get a feeling that he's gonna go out of his way to try to shut down Waller and see if Derek Carrent company can make things happen without that dynamic tight end because Waller was so important. And I know he's a little banged up this week too. He's on the injury report with the knee, so you wonder how that factor in factors in, but

you know he is. He was so important. Every time Derek Carr needed some needed somebody you need to pick up, whether it was ten yards or three yards or fifteen yards, Waller was the guy. And that's why he only had a hundred and three receiving yards on twelve catches, but it felt like he had three hundred yards because every time they needed a plane and to move the sticks there, he was. Yeah. I mean the Saints had no answer

for him. I would also want I think Brian Edwards is an interesting rookie and wide receiver too, and I mean they need some of their young white else to make a contribution. For Derek Carr, who I think. You know, they had three sacks in the first quarter and somewhat one of those was definitely on car just holding onto the ball too long too. I I to me, I I cannot wait to see what Josh McDaniels does. Though.

I think Josh McDaniels because he's been in New England forever and had Tom Brady, you know, it's like, yeah, we get that he's good, But I mean to come and create this entire offense around Cam Newton and and trust Cam Newton on the ground, but also to throw the ball the way he has been and now Julian Edelman play the way he has last week, Julian Edelman that was the best game of his entire career and it looked like it. I just I to me, this Patriots team, you can point it to all the weaknesses,

but I don't really care about that. With New England, they find a way to get it done no matter who's on the fields. McDaniels with Cam Newton, but just don't trust him with a handshake. That's all. That's a fair point. I mean, McDaniels, let's let's give him some credit. And you know they're they I know what it means. They're steaming up some plays, I think because they don't really have a ton of athleticism. But let's give most of the credit to Cam Newton. I mean, give me

a break, this guy. It's not like it's the old Cam Newton. This is better. I mean, he's throwing the ball better. And it was one performance in terms of how he was throwing it, but that was as accurate down the field consistently as he's ever been in his entire career. So whatever the reason for that is. And the past protection has been awesome, and so that's part of it. If he throws like this, I mean, it is outrageous that he's on the Patriots right now. They

didn't want him, No one wanted him. I mean they they're paying him less than Brian Hoyer. He was a free agent for three months and he's out playing and throwing the ball like he's never done it, and with the threat of the run, that's going to change defenses. I'm so impressed. I think it's one of the biggest developments of this young season. How how good Cam Newton looks. It's outrageous. You're you're mad, Dan, because you said the

Patriots weren't special anymore. Cam Newton's special he can make he does look special. I mean one and one is not that specialist. Let's calm down. But you know what, the Patriots have been blessed with more than their share of luck over the last twenty years, and this is more of it. I mean, there's no reason. You're right, there's no reason he should be on the Patriots playing

for one million dollars. But when a little bit of like excellent preparation, though, Dan, it's not when you've been by the hand of God, but luck when you're touched by the hand of God the way the Patriots have been. I don't know what they did to deserve this, but good for them. Uh. And Cam Newton, who does look truly excellent. All right, Mark, it snakes to you. I'm gonna go somewhere a little weird here. Um. I don't think maybe this is where you guys would go with

this pick, but I'm gonna go Bengals at Eagles. Uh. And it really starts for me for one reason. Joe Burrow. Well, there's two things. Number one, Joe Burrow, I really cannot. I want to track every one of his games. I

think this is one of them. You talk about Cam Newton being a big story in New England, and it is, but Joe Burrow raising the Bengals out of you know, they were basically glee sleeping uh six ft under the past couple of years, past couple of decades, and Joe Burrow comes in and he's sort of a transformative guy under center that can make you think entirely different about this team, about Zack Jackson at Jack Taylor at head coach.

So I like the situation. But the flip side of it is the Eagles um in a place of immense chaos, your oh in two, your sound operators are unfurling booze at Carson Wentz is interception in the end zone in your home stadium. No other team is thinking that way

right now, no one's dealing with that. So I think this is an interesting situation where if you're an Eagles fan, you're thinking the way that I was as a Browns fan of we could go, but Joe Burrow could come in and completely cause and spend total madness inside your organization. Can the Eagles hold off Cincinnati? The Eagles offense, to me, has looked formless identity lists. I cannot figure out what they're trying to do at this point. Carson Wentz looks

a little bit lost. I think he has a reason to feel lost with what they put on paper so far. Twenty nine yards per play their their thirty second and t and over is their thirty one and in yards per tect. I mean they're they're a disaster and they're losing Jalen Reagor, who looked pretty good in the first few weeks. And Peterson, Uh, Doug Peterson, their coach. You know, got mad at a reporter a little bit this week, who said, have you ever played quarterback? On these? These

throws he's missing aren't lamps? Well, I mean he some of them are over the middle of the field. This was a great interception by the Rams last week that turned the game around. Um, but he also Carson Wentz missed the third and five early in the game where zach Ertz is wide open and it goes fifteen feet over his head. And those are the type of throws that you're just like, what what is happening here? Uh?

And the drive stop stops because of that, And this is a great matchup for him to turn it around, but he's feeling it. There are reports in Philadelphia how his teammates aren't really trying to console him. I mean, it's getting ugly early. But the Bengals are slump busters. They were slump a slumpbuster for Baker Mayfield. I think they can be for Carson Wentz. I'm hoping that that reporter shot back at Doug Peterson. Have you ever filed a gamer on deadline for early edition? Because it is

actually pretty scary. Uh. Yeah, Whence was a mess last week, and I was so surprised by and by and you look at this game and it does feel like a perfect get right game. But I was shaken by that week two performance and and the Rams obviously are a good team, but his inability went to get things going and get in a groove. He's been when he's been healthy, he's been just such a consistent player. The fact that he has not been that guy for them when they

need it, Uh, that's that's a problem. And I think everyone's excited to see Joe Burrow back on the field. He's quickly becoming appointment television for football fans, and it will be ten days between games, so we see what what he does. I mean, can you imagine what happens? And I don't think the players can hear those piped and booze on TV, but can you imagine what would happen if Cincinnati went into Philly and dropped the Eagles

to own three. I almost want to lock up the Eagles, but again, you just can't trust them based on what I've seen with you. I I try. The one thing that to me is another X factor is you know, we all watched a J. Green look like a J. Green fourteen years from now on Thursday, last Thursday night. So this is a key centerpiece of their passing game. If he's not going to be who we expected him to be, that is a ugly development for the Bengals. Well for a J. Green. He has basically missed a

year and a half. He missed all of training camp. He's someone who's hurt throughout August. So I'm gonna give him a little, you know, a wider berth to get into form. But I do think we need to calm down a little on Burrow because he's very exciting and I think he's playing really well and he's promising, but they're passing attacks bad. I mean, the Bengals offense is bad. He's he's lasting the league in yards per attempt by a lot. I mean, he's deep into the Gabbard zone there.

There's no one even close to him to his five point two yards protempted. So they're very condensed. They're limited. They have a bad offensive line. He can look good despite the surrounding, but they are not an effective offense. Right. But I just like people watching you can see some flaws in the overall scheme, but you're not looking at Burrow and saying he doesn't see the field or he's

not making the throws. You can see everything there that you see in other quarterbacks that bloom into something great. Excitement is complete legit. You don't want to be that guy and be like, oh, get your head out of the numbers, nerd. He passes the eye test, but he does. I mean, if you're watching the games, you see the plays that it's all there for him, uh, and you know it's one of the craziest stats. And Greg that wasn't a shot across your bow. Don't worry, I know

you watch it. Greg's getting a lot of subtweet action here. Show he had sixty one attempts Burrow against the Browns and didn't throw an interception for a rookie making a second start, That is remarkable. Anyway, I might say more about the Browns Mark, Well, it might. There's something else to look out there, but I like Burrow, Greg Europe. All right, I will take the primetime game Saints and Packers on Sunday night. Good one for Alex Oh yes, and it is time now for a Road to Victory

presented by the United States Marine Corps. Oh, what a perfect game. Makes me even more excited. You're going to New Orleans. You can't have the fund that you normally have. It's all business, and you can put a big time NFC rival, the Saints UH into into a big hurt. I know they're not owing to the Saints, but it feels like it feels like this is almost a cornered animal game for the Saints because you look at the two quarterbacks and Breeze is trying to figure out what

plays work. Sean Payton's trying to figure out what plays work for him. Meanwhile, on the other side, you have Matt Lafleur and Aaron Rodgers in as good a sink as we've seen. I think of an image at the end of last week's game where you just saw Rogers and La Fleur, and Rogers puts his arm around La Fleur, kind of like La Fleur is the little brother, and he's like, you know what, buddy, you're doing pretty well now.

I do respect you was learning your light and guys open you're having uh, you're having the running backs in the past, you know, in the passing game. It's really good. I love I love the sink that they have. It's so different than the storyline we came into a year ago. A lot of detail that you pick up on the condensed game watch. That's a guy that watched, you know,

the entire broadcast. I'm definitely one of the people that put Green Bay into the soft thirteen and three category that I'm so annoyed not only Dan our Host, I believe, but um, Aaron Rodgers and others, And maybe it was a little disrespectful. This team, though, is what I think of when I think of a thirteen and three team. This is a much better Packers team than a year

ago on offense. And I think when you're getting this m v P level version of Aaron Rodgers, it makes Aaron Jones in the running games so much more dangerous. And we saw you had two hundred total plus total yards last week, Aaron Jones, And it's a whole another dimension. And I can't believe there was a month ago that we were basically writing Aaron Rodgers's ull G and now it's being written for Drew Brees. And the idea that we're watching this Saints team potentially fade in two straight,

two straight primetime games. I'm just not ready to write off Breeze yet. I see what you're seeing. I see the arm strength and not, you know, diminishing to some degree. But you don't think Sean Payton is in the lab cooking up a little surprise here saying I'm not going to go out like this yet. I'm with you, Mark. And interesting stat that popped up this week that and West has been beating the drum on this that Drew Brees.

Drew Brees can't beat teams downfield. His arm has become a liability to the point where the offense is being heard by it. But if you look back over the last three or four years, when Brees was still manning an elite offense and they were scoring a ton of points, he was near the bottom of the league every year in the average air yards per attempt stat that I like to throw around for Teddy Bridgewater, so they he doesn't. He's he hasn't been a mad bomber for years now

and it's worked. So I'd be more concerned by what we saw on Monday night with his loss of accuracy, which could be a simple mechanical flower just a bad night, uh to to start to pick up whether or not he's truly in a deep decline, because saying he doesn't beat teams downfield with throws, he hasn't been doing that for a long time. It was his un breezed an interception that you've seen that was just one of the worst picks he's thrown in years. If he's not accurate,

who is he? I mean that he needs these brings to you. He needs it, and but he needs a good running game, and I think he's gonna get it this week. I mean, that's the thing. I think you can minimize the pain of Drew Brees by just handing the ball off to Alvin Camara. It is a perfect match of Mike Petton's defenses are allergic to stopping the run. I mean they they've never done it. They love giving up big even this year, Like they got six defensive

backs on the field. They're just inviting you to run all over them. And Camara looks back to his like little Wayne, I'm a freak. There's no running back like me in the entire NFL mode that he was in for the first two years of the league. So I think he has a big night. Yeah, I'm with you on that. And and keep an eye on what's going on Davante Adams and his healthy exited um week two with the hamstring. I saw it again in the week

to win for the Packers. There are yards being left on the field by these non Davante Adams pass catchers. As much as we want to pump up the Alan Lizards and the mbs is of the world, they're gonna need to be better. If Adams is compromised or not around for the Packers, I'm up snake into me in a big spot. All right, let's start here. Speaking of Cornered Animal game. The Houston Texans have to go up to hein s Field now to face the Steelers, and this has been the unholy terri Trio of the NFL

to start the season for the Texans. Oh my good, Chiefs Ravens Steelers on the road one to three, and you gotta win one of these games to really be a player. And I listen, this Bill O'Brien Texans team doesn't have a good vibe around it right now. But this is also right around the time when you write off a Texans team and then they deliver a big performance and they get themselves back upright, and then they win a few games in a row and then all of a sudden, like you forgot. Oh, I remember when

they were on the brink. So I feel actually good despite what we've seen on the field, that Bill O'Brien and Deshaun Watson are going to come to play up in Pittsburgh. But that I don't know if that's gonna be enough, Mark, because the Steelers look as good as anybody in the league just about through two weeks, and they're in their building and a defense that's been given everyone fits is gonna probably do a good job, you would think against the Texas offense that has not figured

out where they are post DeAndre Hopkins yet. Yeah, I mean, I guess you could. You could make a case and say we don't know who Houston is right now because they've played the Kansas City Chiefs in the Baltimore Ravens. What it tells me is this is a playoff team of old um potentially still, but one that is not at the upperschelans of a f C. And if I count on one thing in this game, it's Pittsburgh's pass rush, It's t J. Watt and I I don't know if

you're Houston, how you counteract that? When I look at this offensive roster, who is extremely special outside of Deshaun Watson, what does he have around him? That if you're if you're Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator, you are absolutely being kept up at night. I'm not trying to harp on DeAndre Hopkins being sent away, but the but the wide receivers who are adequate um are not making a difference, not in

these two games. This is another team that I thought was rendered rather uh, you know, formless over the last two weeks. I'm trying to figure out who the Texans are right now, right they're they're searching because you know what they don't have is Deshaun Watson running the ball. Either his rushing yards have gone down each year, remember his rookie year where the offense is kind of built around his athleticism. That's not there right now. I think

they're offensive talents fine, except for the line. But we just saw it. You just warmed up against a Chiefs defense that loves the blitz and you didn't really protect him. Then you play the Ravens who love to blitz. How about we play the US pass rushing team in the league.

On the right side, it's t J Watt. He is the best pass rusher in the NFL right now, and he's mostly gonna be lining up against Titus Howard, one of those draft picks for the Texans who it looks like they've missed on and they need to hit their draft picks because they don't have any draft picks, so when they miss it, it really hurts double And on the Steelers side of things, you know their offense is very turned into a pick your poison situation with Chase

Claypool at the four yard touchdown a week two. He's made himself an instant difference maker on this offense. And when you add him with Deante Johnson and Juju Smith Schuster and James Conner and Ben Roethlisberger who has not missed the beat and his return to action, this offense is extremely difficult to deal with. So the Houston Texas defense, which is also not being doing the job to start it just as much as again to circle back, not

to be labor the point. This feels like such a spot where Bill O'Brien team gets right, but nothing feels right about the Texas in this matchup. And that's why I still think the Steelers are gonna win and the Texans will be three. Yeah, I mean, I do think Bill O'Brien has um probably some concerns about what is exactly happening in the NFL schedule making office. Who did he offend to get this scenario out of the gate.

But still, I mean, if you are the team that people thought you were, you need to take one of these three games. And I for me, Pittsburgh they're just getting they seem to be growing each week, and you look at like you mentioned Chase Claypool and to me, Big Ben like when his If you have got Big Ben with of the arm, big problems, that's not happening. This team is kind of stacked on both sides of the ball right now. They are they still struggle to

beat Jeff Driscoll. It should be pointing out that Driscoll had the Broncos in the red zone with a chance to win the game right at the end, and they came up short. So they haven't been perfect, but it's great to win games if you're the Steelers with a chance to get better. Their offensive line looks like it will be a little healthier this week, and I feel fine about it. And that's why I am locking. Okay,

I feel very confident. You know, sometimes when a team shows you they're bad like the text, and you just gotta believe them. After a couple of weeks, I believe them, all right. That's fair. Alright, it's snakes to the old Zuser and that's why I will move to the four pm slate and check in on the Cowboys at the Seahawks. Okay, first of all, what a great value add in the draft here this late in the draft, the Cowboys coming off that win where still you come out of that game.

These guys got a ton of problems but also flukey. Ultimately, the four fumbles in the first quarter, I believe it was against the Falcons. That's not typically typically gonna happen. So even though there are blemishes with the Cowboys overall, and you worry about their defense, especially going on the road against Russell Wilson and God Mode right now Mr

Unlimited truly has been that so far the season. Um, you also wonder that a forty nine kind of like all time Cowboys regular season win, if that inspires, gets the juices flown and they go to Seattle and really put up a big fight. So if you that's what this game comes down to. For me, there are a lot of people and I was a little bit on the fence, but probably more on the side of the fence of the Cowboys are good this year. The Cowboys

are at ten eleven maybe twelve win team. Uh, then you think there's no reason they shouldn't be able to go up to Seattle and hang with the Seahawks. For all their greatness at quarterback, in their ability to score points themselves and what they did against New England at the big goal line stop at the end. This is an unbeatable team. So I think the Cowboys are hanging in this game. But the Seattle I understand that they're

the favorite. I just have concerns about the fact that, you know, if you're the Cowboys, you were flamed by Jared Goff, you were flamed by Matt Ryan. I mean, and now you've got a The Cowboys are a good team. We agree, we did Dan. The Seahawks are a special team. There's something going on there that just, um, it has me feeling something that I'm gonna be locking up Seattle in this game, all right, because I'm two in the locks.

It's about to get to three. And oh the special sauce in Seattle is Jamal Adams on defense two games in a row, all over the place. They don't have pass rush. He created against Cam Nember him dragging Cam down. He was all over Newton in various ways, and I cannot wait to see. But I'm just saying he could do a lot of things I don't want to hear about. You know, safeties don't matter anymore. He matters, and you've

got to deal with him all game long. And you know, Dak Prescott coming off maybe one of the best games he's ever had. This matchup of Jamal Adams and Dak Prescott signed me up. Well, I mean that the Seahawks defense can't stop anyone. Though. I love this matchup because I'm with Dan that I think it's gonna be in the mid thirties. I think it's gonna look like Falcons Cowboys a week ago, a week ago, where it comes down to the end because both teams are great offensively

and the Seahawks have no pass rest. The Seahawks have really nothing that can stop you on defense. If if you look at what Dk metcalf has done though the first couple of weeks. To me, that's a big time development. The route he ran against Stefan Gilmore, the fact that he really won that matchup against Gilmore. I believe Tyler Lockett's a true number one in Metcalf is a true number one in a in a much different sort of way. And so they're unstoppable right now. And the Cowboys are

so banged up. They're banged up in the secondary. They have as many starters injured really as any team in the league. I believe in the Cowboys to put up thirty five and doc to look great and to entertain us. But I think the Seahawks weirdly are better position right now to win a shootout. Yeah, and I think to your point the DK Metcalf performance, I think, and sometimes it works out this way that it happens in primetime where you know there's millions and millions of people watching it.

I think he announced himself as a star in that game. We knew he was a promising rookie last year who got better as the year went along. But once you start giving Stephan Gilmore the business in primetime, your based be putting it on notticed that you are going to be one of the top guys and you could be an all pro level talent. So they are right. The ROLESO. I mean, Chris Carson has been helpful in the past game too. I mean Russell Wilson had seven touchdowns before

he had seven in completions. I don't know how else to describe a quarterback can sink at the moment, Greg, you're next, All right, let's go down to Atlanta. This is absolutely a cornered animal game. The O and two Falcons against the two and O Bears that the two quarterbacks that the Falcons have faced on defense have turned out to be the offensive player of the week in

the NFC. So if that happens a third time and Mitchell Robinsky is the offensive player the way, I don't know if Dan Quinn gets a fourth crack at it, and uh, for his sake, I hope it doesn't happen. In his best route to win is just to ride the arm of Mattie Ice. Matt Ryan is playing about as well as you possibly can for an O and two teams, and the offensive line in Atlanta has also played really well. I think that's been a big change for them. They put a lot of resources into it,

and for the most part they've protected him well. Now they've got to go up against Khalil mac Robert Quinn looked really good, Akeem Hicks. When those three guys are together for Chicago, you know they're they're cooking with gas. So this is a big time matchup for the Falcons offensive line. But I trust Mattie Ice right now really against anyone. Yeah, well, if Ridley is plane, Yeah. We write all these columns and over the summer in our writing duties for The Dot com One of them was

the Superstar Club. I had Calvin Ridley in there, and I'm feeling really good about that through two weeks. He was he was very good for them the last couple of years. But there's something different than what's going on with him right now where you get the feeling this could be one of those double digit touchdown seasons that

is shaping up right now. I just gotta wonder. You gotta wonder when some of these NFL teams, what is happening inside the locker room, because the Cowboys last week, you got the Falcons offense plane as well as it ever has. The Cowboys had a two percent chance to win the game at one point last week, and the Falcons defense allow Dak Prescott in Dallas to score on

seven of their last eight drives. I mean, how I don't I'm not saying Chicago can do that, and I'm not sure they have the guys, but I would just go three wide all day long and forget about the fact that Trabinsky had about thirty yards passing in the second half last week and two interceptions wipe it out. You're playing a team that just invites you into the end zone. March after March. Alright, so here here's my thought on this game. I think the Bears are very

bad too, and O team, I think they've been. They stole Week one from the Lions with one good quarter of offensive football. They got off to a nice start against the Giants, but the Giants were essentially, you know, just mortified after se Kwon Barkley went down. So I can't put a team in shock beating that Giants team. I can't come too much credit for that either, So I think the Bears are well overdue for a loss.

I also think, even though it's a couple of weeks later than we expected, you're gonna start hearing about Nick Foles soon as they that needs centered the picture at quarterback and uh with cornered animal game factored in for the Falcons, Yeah, it's a cornered falcon. Order a falcon. See what happens. I'm locking it up for the Atlanta Falcons to get a W and bring the Bears down to earth, because that is not an undefeated team, and I don't imagine it will last much longer. We keep

roland Mark Sessler. Alright, another game. I don't peg you guys as um you know, heat seeking, uh, in terms of your draft picks. So I'm gonna I'm gonna take this one. Cleveland Washington, UM, not a big surprise. Uh, I want to There's some things I want to see though, and I really uh, you know, for the for the

positive aspects that the offense produced in Cleveland last Thursday night. UM, I thought Baker Mayfield probably played with more confidence, um, and more organization than we've seen in a long long time, probably all of last season. Can you continue with that? Can the running game where you know, Nick Chubb and Cream Hunt are both have major roles. That was not the case last year. Hunt was you know, dabbled in

towards the end of the season after his suspension. These guys both are accounting for a hunter plus yards a game if you set them up for that. Can Washington stop the run? Cleveland's defense, Uh, Myles Garrett has a great chance here to have an impact game. Washington's line Garren Christian at left tackle, West Martin and left guard have been a disaster. Brandon Schurf, your rock at right guard is out of the lineup. So Haskins, who has seven sacks in the first two weeks, and a lot

of pressure. This is an offense that put up one drive last week of more than twenty yards, and you know, you get minutes into the game, they only had one drive over fifties. So the offense has issues. Cleveland really, uh you know, I know, I understand they're still figuring themselves out a little bit on defense. Um, they're getting healthier, They've got some guys back in the secondary. There's really

no excuse to lose this one. I mean, Cleveland, you'd like to see them um pick up where they left off and control both sides. Right. This is such a perfect too for the Browns. I mean, they get the Bengals and the football team, uh back to back weeks. For Brown's defense, it's kind of been a mess so far. They're a little healthier now in the secondary, so so that should help them out. But they're they're playing a team that's in the third week of their preseason, that's Washington.

I mean, they're they're they're not ready. They're sort of remedial, and they're playing a defense that's good rushing the pastor. But I don't think the Browns need to rush the pastor. I mean, you should just hand the ball off to Nick Chubb and Hunt the whole game. Washington has not been very good stopping the run so far, and that's kind of what you would hope if you're a Brown span that Kevin Stefanski brings just sort of let's not beat ourselves. And to me, that's the only way you're

gonna lose to Washington is if you beat yourself. I think we all got excited week one when Washington had the eight sacks of Carson Wentz and you said, oh, there's a path here to winning some games and hanging around in the NFC's Maybe that's still the case. And I think it's a good test of the Cleveland offensive line and Baker to make the right decisions when he

is dropping back to pass. But yeah, like it seems like a perfectly set up that if Stefanski UH does the right thing, that you don't put this on Baker Mayfield and you you lean on this running game that

was so dominant UH in week two. I just you know, Washington comes off that performance in Week one and then they're down twenty to nothing at halftime and it almost was like, Okay, this is really might be closer to who they are than the team that scared people in Week one, I think, so, I mean, you know, this is this is a classic what could go wrong after everything we've just said? I you know, I'm you have

me slightly concerned, but the script um is positive. Alright, let's keep moving, Mark, you are up again on the Snakes. All Right, I'm gonna I'm gonna go Tampa Bay Denver. And I get that the wattage just low on the

Broncos side right now. But watching that Bucks game during the week, I'm just seeing a team that I understand that there have been some chemistry issues early on, and Tom Brady dropping some f bombs on the side line last week after humble by Ronald Jones and well, you don't you know he's not someone that dips into blue language too often, I don't imagine. Seems like a pretty well and go. Isn't that like the whole thing you

screamed the people? Well? I think so. During these games, it just showed me that if he's been doing that before, we're not getting a less fired up version of Brady. He was animated. He was animated, and he cleaned up something. The chemistry with Mike Evans in that last game was they were on point. I just see an offense that's gonna drop forty on the reg like over and over down the stretch. This team, to me, is just beginning on the leg right there, just to show what they are.

I don't like their backfield situation at all, but I mean to me, the Bucks are going to be the story of November and December said, you think that is gonna be dropping on the reg forty points on offense? I'm not seeing that their two weeks. Look at the points they left on the table last week and they well, Arians was fired up. Yes, I think Arians went out of his way to say that the they had seven drops worth a hundred and twenty five yards, which is a weird stat to like roll out to the press.

But Arians is a different type of dude, so he's in his mind, and I guess Mark Sessler's mind. Tom Brady should be coming off a four yard game with four touchdowns. Maybe that is the case, it is right, but he was playing the Panthers. He had absolutely literally zero pass rush against him the entire game. So you better deliver in that game. Uh, this will be different because the fighting fo Gio's you know what they do

is they lose close games. They lose close games against good teams, and their defense plays better than you think. For for all the love we gave the Steelers, that game was imminently winnable for Denver. And I tell you what, I don't know if he could do a two straight weeks and the Todd Bowls defense will send a lot of crazy blitzes at him. And that worked somewhat last week. And Pitts Driscoll played great there. Driscoll, he made plays.

I'm just if they did. Watched that game and you said luck was gonna give you that Drew Drew lock rather you would have taken it. I mean, Jeff Driscoll made a lot of big time plays in that game because he's got big time players. kJ Hamdler out there for his first game and Jerry Judy together those two guys, what a combination of route runners. And Bruce Arians said no a fan maybe the best tight end in the

league right now, I'm buying. I'm buying uh that in terms of best the I mean, I'm not gonna put him ahead of Kittle and Kelsey, so that's too far. But in terms of a receiving threat, he's right there. That's a big league right here with those guys. Fan was like a drop machine during parts of last year, so that he's made a big leap into year two. I think Jerry Judy I love to see that. You know, it's not the way they wanted to happen, but with Courtland Sutton out of the picture, Judy is going to

be a primary part of this offense. We've all talked about it. The dude looks like a star, so I mean, you know, it's not lights out on Denver entirely, you know, especially with Greg falling in love with their backup quarterback. I'm not falling in love. I'm just basing it on that one game that that the history tells us. Drisk will not keep it up. He is somewhat entertaining to watch,

but he played a pretty good game against Pittsburgh. I mean, if we're gonna give if we're gonna give Daniel Jones credit for moving the ball up and down the field, coming pretty close, drist call did even more. He really did know. The Broncos are in a lot of trouble. A lot said Courtland Sutton is a killer, but they do a lot of guys, Melvin Gordon looks pretty good. This is a tough to matchic. I think the Bucks are gonna win games because of their defense. I'm not

with Mark. I'm not convinced their offense um is ready yet. Eventually they will be. They should get Chris Godwin back, which helps a lot. Would you say that they would score twenty five on the regg on the reg the re the rega, They're gonna get worse. They're gonna get Chris Godwin back and get worse. Okay, they're not playing the Panthers every week. That's the worst defensively, I'm I'm telling you, And I didn't say it was right now. I said in November they would be the story of

November and December. Check back with me in two months, gentlemen. Alright, greg by Europe, I believe, all right, and I need a late afternoon game and I'm gonna take one. I'm I'm truly intrigued by the Lions heading to Eras Zona. Clions need this one bad there. Oh and two, I said last week was a huge game for Matt Patricia. I mean, now you're at the point if if you lose this game in your own three, and and you head into the bye week, which is only in a

couple of weeks, and they haven't won a game. He he might not get to close out the season. Matt Patricia and and I'm not that surprised that his defense is not playing well. They're banged up and they never play well. I am a little surprised that Matthew Stafford and the Lions offense has been very met I think Stafford has been a little worse even than his conventional stats say. They get Kenny Golladay back this week, I'm not ready to crown this Cardinals defense just because they

slow down Washington. So I this should be an opportunity for Matthew Stafford and Golladay in that backfield to put up some more points. Because we expected a lot out of this offense. They've they've been pretty average so far through two weeks, they have been I mean, I just I feel like we just haven't really had a chance to see what Darryl Beverl and the Lions wanted to

do with this offense yet. I mean, you know, three or three or four weeks ago, no one was saying Adrian mash And would be in the backfield well, because Goladay has not been on the field. I mean, Adrian Peterson has had to come in for what has been a really disappointing performance so far. Far from DeAndre Swift, I mean, forget just the Week one stuff. He just hasn't been the guy on the ground they thought either

so either that happens or it doesn't. But it's I'm with you that it's been a very disappointing start for an offense that a lot of people talked about as being potentially high powered a month ago. The Cardinals are a tough matchup for them as well, especially with Kyler Murray has never been playing with more confidence at the NFL level than he's right now. And he's you know, he had two great rushing touch downs in Week two

against Washington. Again to bring up Washington, the team everybody was talking about, Uh, coming out of Week one, the damage that they did to Carson Wentz in that Eagles line. Well, Kyler Murray seemed pretty okay back there, and DeAndre Hopkins again led the team and targets catches yards. Uh. This feels like a great spot for the Cardinals to be three and oh and everyone in the league talking about them coming out of Sunday. I don't think these two

teams are so far apart. I really don't. I guess I gotta see a little bit more out of Arizona there there there two games. In terms of their opponents, UM, I do think Jeff o'cuda, the number three overall draft pick for the Lions, is a guy that they'll probably look to attack. I mean, what what Aaron Rodgers did

to him was unfair. I mean, he just went after him the whole time, and if it wasn't for a couple of mistakes by the Packers receivers, it would have been about a hundred and eighty yards on this one guy. And this is where like the lack of a preseason, he reportedly struggled in camp. I think it hurts a guy like that. They have injuries so they have to

play him. Um, and it looks like he's just started, does not have the confidence right now to stick with a guy like DeAndre Hopkins or whoever it is that he's matching up against. I don't I don't see how you say that there. The teams are similar in the sense that for me, if if I'm like a Cardinals fan, you know a year ago, you're wondering, can Cliff Kingsbury can this thing work? We get that he what he

did in college. Well, it's working, and it's one of the more exciting developments on that side of the ball in the entire league. Where the Lions feel somewhat lost to me, and they have a banged up secondary, it's it's not a very good secondary. And now you're gonna go against a four wide receiver offense that is completely on fire. I don't know. I mean last year these two teams tied. That was a long time ago Week

one for a Kyler Murray offense. And I don't want to belabor the point because I feel like everyone's kind of on the same page about what's going on at head coach in Detroit. But they've now dropped four straight games where they've had a double digit lead. That has never happened in the history of football. And they have blown seven seven double digit leads in eventual losses since last season. If that does, defensive coach, If that is not an indictment of coaching, I don't know what it is.

Because you look and I'll use the Rams as an example. Sean McVeigh and the Rams are now twenty seven and oh in games in which they've had the lead at halftime. Coaching matters when it comes to closing out games, and you see it when a bad coaches involved. I don't know. I don't want to payle on, but it just seems like you're getting close to time right And to your point, Dan, when I got on my little August Um Detroit Lions bandwagon thing with a few other media types already had

you're not sticking with it. You're not sticking with it. No, I mean, I'm just saying the bandwagon is like basically hit a wall. I'm still sitting in the bandwagon. It's not going anywhere. But I immediately had someone text me and say, bad idea. You don't know what's going on in that locker room in the way they feel about their coach. So e I was like, well, you might be wrong about that, and he might have been right. So if you're on the SPA, didn't let's pick this

game then? So I have the Cardinals. Gregg has the Cardinals. Mark. If you are still in the bandwagon, obviously they're not starting going three right, Well, I'm on it because like it's seems it's lacks nobility to jump off it. The bandwagon, I said, is crashed into a wall. I'm not gonna like. I've not didn't like take my and these teams weren't even close. I'm saying, I think the Lions. You know, I'm not buying the Cardinals as a heavy favorite out

there in the desert. You know, here's what I'm saying. To be a nice close game. I am taking the Cardinals um with eyes open and no concerns that the Detroit Yeah, then you're off the bandwagon. You're not, Then you're not allowed. I guess I'm the first person that you know, made some sort of offseason, you know, got excited about something in the off season in the NFL that three or four weeks in doesn't look so hot. I being the only person I'm gonna have to feel

that situation in the way that I do. All right, let's move on. It's my pick. I will take Titans Vikings, another wounded cornered animal and the Vikings and a team that is very hard to get behind right now, because what have they showed you in the first two weeks

that makes you think they're gonna turn it around? And you can't even say, well, they're up in there in their building up there in Minneapolis, because there's not seventy thousands screaming Midwesterners, and and and everything is so weird. We've already seen them get lit up at home in week one against Darreon Rodgers. So I feel I still, you know, speaking of bandwagons, Mark, I was on the bandwagon of the Vikings this summer, and I said this team had the highest floor of any team in the NFC.

I thought, and I can't get off the bandwagon. But if you you can't be on the bandwagon, Mark, I guess this is my point. But then also not be on the bandwagon. So that's why I still think the Vikings, in spite of all their problems, have enough to get this thing, the ship righted. But the ship doesn't get righted if you get bombed out again in week three in your building and you head into the quarter pole of the season at a windless Mark. So I think

the Vikings get right. I'm putting this one on Mike Zimmer. I'm putting it on Big Mike's shoulders and saying, hey, get this team coached up, and get this team ready to beat the Titans because it's not gonna be an easy one either. This is a tough game, Greg and once again, Ryan Tannehill, a lot of a lot of people in the football Cognus sent date mm hmm, yeah, said Tannehill was one and done. It was not going to be the same guy. But he looked just like

the Tannehill of two thousand nineteen of this past Sunday. Yeah, against the Jags. And and this is another favorable matchup where I think he'll be protected. Well, um, they're a little healthier up front. This was the game that I had the hardest time picking for um in my column this week. Also, it's gonna be on game debut check

that out on NFL Network Friday, eight pm DVR. Uh. And I was thinking the same way as you were, Dan, That's just like, well, this is one of those games that a decent enough team, a good coach that has some talent finds a way to win. And I think the Titans have been a pretty soft to know. I think they've played two so so teams and and they've had a little bit of luck in both of those games. But you know, I just couldn't do it because I

don't know that. I just have to trust that the Vikings problems that they've shown are potentially going to continue because they seem uh just personnel related their defensive line other than in gok Way last week again for a second straight week, was was miserable. I don't expect Kirk Cousins to be that bad, but the receiver groups pretty rough,

and then you have the cornerbacks are struggling. You're having to have the safeties help out the young cornerback, so that hurts them in the running game, and you just start like adding up all these different problems and uh, by the end of the week, and maybe it's because I watched that Vikings Cults game last and and seeing Kirk Cousins six for fifty nine yards and three interceptions in the middle of the fourth, I just couldn't pick them.

I couldn't do it. That the Titans are too professional. What they do is they beat bad teams lately, and they deserve their respect um of my pick. And that's the nice respect you can really have. I mean, Greg going through a personal crisis over whether or not to pick the Vikings. I see a team in crisis, and I mean they to your point, Greg, they have four quarterback hits and two sacks over two games. The defensive line is providing no pressure. I mean, the secondary is

getting swallowed up. There's nothing here that Mike Zimmer does well that the Vikings are doing well. It's just not matching up. I don't I don't think this is a team that finds its way necessarily. I think they're just probably a six and ten type of team, uh that got a really bad start and at some point games at some point, sure, that's what six and ten would indicate. They would have to at some point win six games.

I hear you, But the Titans. I don't have a problem with the Titans starting a little bit soft and slow, because I think they've been They've been figuring themselves out. But they've come out of these games. And I like Tannehill. To me, the one thing that he has is this like to He completely invites guys right into the pocket to destroy him as he's unfurling like a perfect pass down field. Four touchdowns last week, one of the prettiest

games we've seen from a quarterback. And I think people were saying, you're not going to get the same statistical outlier version of Ryan Tannehill, but he did it last week. So I don't know if this is like Arthur Smith is like the perfect play caller for this team and understands Tannehill, or if it says a lot about the Dolphins where he was before, or a little bit of all of it together. I think that Tannehill is the

tougher dude than perhaps we give him credit for. But also you take a few more shots like Josh Allen gave him on that beautiful touchdown throw to Adam Hunt Humphreys. He's gonna be visiting the clavical surgery doctor soon. I mean he's getting walamp in the pocket the first two weeks. And that is the rest to pe for disaster for Mr Tannehill, no matter how tough he is. Um okay snakes to me, all right, I'm gonna give you guys

a break here. Speaking of bandwagons that are doomed, the New York Jets hopped on that bandwagon in about seven and I would say it's not going that well. It's it's a it's a trail of tears. Um Jets at Cults. Uh, beautiful game for the Colts, awesome set up for them at home against what's been the worst team in football for the first two weeks of the season, and a team in the Jets, that, on top of all their

other issues, can't stay healthy. So you take a team that had a suspect roster entering week one and then you strip away multiple players from it, whether it be due to injury or even COVID nineteen opt outs with c J. Mosley, and what you have is a total disaster at the Hindenburg level. So brush out Perryman is doubtful to play. Um, excuse me, Bashad Perriman is. I don't know what his status is, but he's got an ankle issue, likely not to likely not playing. Uh Crowder

Uh he is their best wide receiver. He's doubtful to play with an ankle. Denzel Mims parts unknown with a hamstring injury. Here are the three wide receivers scheduled to line up for Sam Donald on Sunday, Chris Hogan, Braxton Barrios, Josh Malone, who's been on the practice cloud the last three weeks. No chance. Look, I mean the Cults should walk to win. This game, should be uh done by halftime,

and if it's not the Cults have done something very wrong. Greg, you watched the Vikings Cults game, I mean Indianapolis controlling the ball for like thirty eight minutes. Uh, that was a statement game to me. And you don't hear you know, good times are bad. The players seem to line up for Frank Reich and I one thing that concerns me a little bit. I mean a lot of things concern me about the Jets. I mean, yes, you got it, you did a great job. Macky Beckton has been awesome

at tackle. I mean that's been a bright spot for them. But then you've got guys you brought he's been he like they needed that to talk about, Like no McKay Beckton, Well you know, there we go first name uh not

first name basis with him at this point. But this this story that came out with like Bradley Bradley McDougald and Avery Williamson saying that, um, you know, coming from other teams that practice Jets practice has been, um, such such a telling indicator of why they've not shown up on game day and saying that after two games to the press, I just think that, you know, come on, guys, you've got to give yourself the best shot here, and

they just seemed disorganized, disorganized as possible on top of the injuries. Yeah, the other problem coaches, Go ahead, No, I was gonna say that. Adam Gates comes out on Thursday and says the media, Uh, we're just looking for warm bodies for wide receiver. I don't want my head coach saying that. I mean that you just sounded defeated.

You sound like a guy that's making excuses. And this comes off a Week two performance by Gates where he just played scared and he coached scared, like he had no interest in really being aggressive and trying to win that game. I don't think. Yeah, everything's pointing to the same direction, which is the Gates with the Jets have not fired a head coach in season since Lou Holtz,

I believe in nineteen seventy six. I would not be surprised if that streak ends in because you're gonna continue to hear chatter and you're gonna continue to see the losses pile up. And the whole thing with Donald with Adam Gaze was they're tied at the hip. He's supposed to make him better. If Donald's showing progress, through this season. There's zero reason to keep gays in the building, even

through sixteen games. Gays coaches like he thinks his players stink and you know what you know, and he in that that con that press conference kind of said it, and like I get it. Yeah, you've got the Patriots leftovers at receiver with Hogan and Baryt. Like that's rough. But you can't go show your team knows you're coaching that way is so many throws short of the sticks on third down. He's trying to win with five yard throws. I actually thought Donald played a solid game last week.

The whole question is how do you evaluate Donald um stack games like this. If if Donald keeps playing games like this where you can tell he's better than his surroundings, then okay, that's a positive. You know, you're making good decisions and you're making the right throws and reads and and your team is terrible. I thought he played pretty well. You know, Quentin Williams played well. Mackay Beckton, they found

a left tackle. There's a couple of little things here, but otherwise, man, in both of these games, the eight yard run by Mostard on the first play and then the way the Bills games started, it felt like those games are over in five minutes, so just hang around for a quarter, for a quarter, and I think they maybe can. The Colts offense was not impressive to me um a week ago. They weren't really not in sync. Their defense played outstanding, and I don't know if they're

just gonna blow out teams the way they play. And two plus seasons, Sam Donalds played with seventeen different wide receivers that have caught at least one past, eighteen different starting offensive lineman and not a running back who has gained more than eight hundred yards or nineteen. It's it's good to get Gore in there. They're kind of building the offense around Gore. I thought Levy on Bell was don't get me started on that getting a lot of runs all you, Frank Gore. People get so quiet once

the season starts. Once he delivers one of his three games, I mean, Michael p. Ryan in there, I get the kid in there, Frank Gore, I don't, with all due respect, Greg progress stopper, that's what he is at the stage. I mean, he's he's he's the only one, uh in the Jets uniform that's going to be going to Canton someday. You should appreciate him. Greg, you're up. You can't hurt me, am, I now all right, Um let's uh, let's go for what early games are left here on the schedule. Oh,

there are there's one. It's forty Niners and Giants. All right. Um, I'm curious how the Giants come in into this game. You lose se Quon Barkley and Sterling Shepherd, I think is a bigger loss than people realize. But you are really playing the forty nine years B team, and I think you almost take for granted Kyle Shanahan, that that he's such a good coach that his backups, you know, blew out another NFL team, And I know is the Jets. This will be a tougher matchup. I think for the

forty Niners. Uh, you're not gonna have Jimmy g to start the game. Jimmy G played well last week. Jerick McKinnon started a running back. He's looked good, but that's relying a lot on him. George kill might be back, but their defensive line in San Francisco, um man, if you think about the players they lost, Buck DeForrest Buckner is gone. De Ford is gone now you know, maybe for a while, and nick Bos has gone for the season. They are they don't have the same identity, and I

think this is a winnable game for the Giants. I do not see the forty niners, with so many players out um, winning games easily against a competitive NFL team. I think the Giants can be competitive. I really do think they're a little better this year that than we thought. There are people as there are people asking that the Giants might find their way on offense um a little bit of a Ewing theory scenario without without Barkley in there.

Is that just completely absurd? Yes, when Dion Lewis is your backup and now it's Devanta, it's Freeman, I mean we have to see what DeVonta Freeman is. I'm not like, I I find it absurd because he's a he's a complete star. But who's actually saying that that is that's a stupid thing to say. I'm just like, it's seen tweets about it, and I'm not saying that. You know, like, if you're one of those people that set out the tweet, you're a fool. Barkley is the most talented guy on

that team. Give me that ewing theory stuff. Marc, go ahead. Sorry, no, I mean, I'm with you. I don't agree with it either, but it does put like extreme press. You're on Daniel Jones to uh step in and remove some of the fumbles and the gaffs and the turnovers, because if you're gonna grow into what I mean I think Daniel Jones can be, you've gotta you've gotta kill the mistakes. But I don't know that for me the Niners, this has got to be the most depressing season around um based

on the injuries. I mean, it was with them all through camp. It's now reared its head in terrible ways in the regular season. And you know, before the last year's Super Bowl run, we were asking if Kyle Shanahan on our pod was on the hot seat and if John Lynch was on the hot seat. It was basically because two for two straight years prior, they had dealt with nothing but injuries. And you know, they're right back there and there and you and you can't ask a

team to just overcome this. This is the equalizer. Yah Simon is a big, big your wife. I mean, you could imagine that on the list of you know, stressful scenarios here in with kids home all day long. Um, the Niners are not something that Simona is overly concerned about. I don't hear a lot of like, you know, frantic Niners commentary in our kitchens. Can I give her a pep talk? Can I give her a pep talk? We did the pep talks on Tuesday. I've got one for

the forty Niners. Uh, your schedule the next three weeks, three weeks Giants, Eagles, Dolphins. Just beat the Jets. You can eat, you can even lose one of those games. And you get to three and two when when the tough part of your schedule starts. And listen to all the players that should be coming back. I mean, Deebo Samuel is coming back, Richard Sherman is coming back. Your two best running backs, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Moster is coming back. De Ford. You know, we're not really sure.

He hasn't helped you out that much, but at this point they're expecting him to come back. So Jimmy Garoppolo, he's coming back. Get get your guys healthy, get the three and two, and um you're fine. I think are gonna be fine. This is a crisis moment for the forty Niners, no doubt. But to get the Jets and the Giants arguably the two worst teams in the league back to back, and then the Dolphins after that, who

aren't that far behind, Yeah, you're right. They could definitely come out of this and kind of get their feedback under them and real quick. On the Giants, Yeah, losing se Kwon Barkley is nothing short of an organizational disaster for that team. So it kind of takes them out of the mix to be even a compelling, buzzy wild card team that scores a lot of points and maybe hangs around in a socio division. I think that's all out the window. That's the level of loss that is.

But you could still use this as an important development season for Jones and he still has weapons out there to put up some points. He's not like you look at his situation compared to Sam Donald him earlier. At least he has some pieces and you could see whether he's developing in year two, and that's so important for this Giants team. I like Greg suddenly, you know, offering inspiring speeches about the nine is after he's been burying them and pronouncing them as dead after the last eight

or nine opportunity to survive this. I was impressed. Kyle Shanahan can blow any team out with what he's got going on. And if you can win a couple of games, at least you can survive season. So we'll see that we got one more game on the schedule if I'm not mistaken Mark Sessler, and that is I believe Carolina at the Chargers. Well, where are we right now with the quarterback situation? Because it's held on. I gotta gotta get my act together. Well, yeah, let's touch on that

we have. Let's start here what happened with Tyrod Taylor. It was a big mystery last week. Uh, he was slated to start. He has some type of medical issue involving his chest. He goes to the hospital justin Herbert gets his first start, plays well in a loss to the Chiefs, and then it came out was reported, uh this week that there was some medical uh failures involved an injection that led to a collapsed lung, which is

just how can that happen? And and it gives a little bit more Uh, Mark, greg you were talking about it earlier this week on the podcast, trying to piece together what what is actually going on with this team and Anthony Lynn's thought process about saying Tyrod's our starter when he's healthy, it makes a little more sense. Leafly

changes that. It completely changes that, and like and I and I gave the pep talk that Anthony Lynn need to be forward thinking and start Herbert, but we found all this out after and I think that it just shows that Anthony Lynn is probably someone that's going to protect and care about his players as much as anyone in the league. I would not have wanted to be the team doctor. Uh that's already dealt with a lot

um with this team to begin with. Had to walk up to Anthony Lynn, you know, five minutes before kickoff and say, I just want to let you know, not quite easy to describe this, but I've just punctured the lung of our starting quarterback with an ill advised needle um entry for hiring. So you get for hiring Dr Leo Spaemen as your team doctor. I mean he's got to show up to work to you know every day too.

He's still there at where I I appreciated Lynn actually saying, you know, you know, he didn't appreciate all the piling on on the doctor too, because this gout. You know, that's the last thing he wants to do. It was a mistake that happened. That is almost unprecedented. Someone found a similar situation with Jerome Bettis about a decade ago for a playoff game. Um, but it's gonna change Tyrode's career and they might get sued the Chargers for it,

and you know the money could be involved. But for now, justin Herbert steps into an unbelievable matchup for for his first start that he knows about going into the whole week because the Panthers I have. The craziest that I've seen in this entire NFL season is that the Panthers almost have a Gholston through two weeks. That's that's our old word for not having a QB hit or a

sack in a game. They have one QB hit. But the that's not even the craziest That the craziest stat is according to Pro Football Reference, they have a total of three pressures in two games this season. I mean, that's on, but that is unbelievable. To put it in perspective that the Steelers have over seventy. Wow, so it's like this is a great matchup to just run the ball and do whatever you want and be hanging out back there and throwing passes. The Panthers defense is rough

right goodness, And now no Christian McCaffrey. He's got a high ankle sprain and it's a four to six week timetable. He says he can accelerate that timetable, but we'll see, certainly not going to play in this game. I mean this, Matt Rules in a very, very tough spot to start his career. He is I would say the couple of positives for the Panthers though I thought that I think that Robby Anderson has fit in really well with them. Um d J. Moore is they didn't you know that

you're losing Christian McCaffrey. That is an absolute killer. Uh. You know they talked about the Panthers as a one in fifteen team. I don't think that's who they are, but it is. It is a problem when your first round pick on defense, Um has not played well. Kan Short has not been himself. I mean, their whole crew. They need to start back the right. He's still iffy and it's like, you their their whole defense is essentially

dudes that were in college a year ago. And sometimes that can create these wonderful stories where it's like, wow, it works and we should all do that. It's like, or you get this and they're getting this and that's why they're giving up thirty points a week. Yeah, this always felt like when Rule took the job, with everything that was going on to developmental year for them, and uh,

so far it's heading down that road. All right. That's every game that will be played Sunday and Monday, including that Monday Night football Ravens Chiefs My goodness, Brian Greasy be ready, all right? Dan has a signing up or Quide still him the old boss Ricky Hollywood in West Hollywood until Sunday