2020 Week 8 Preview- DJ Trolls Gregg

Right with this podcast. Mark used to talk about your young son saying is Daddy ever coming home? Now it's is Daddy ever leaving home? The answer is no. Right, we could see less of daddy and be thrilled with that, I think would be the answer. So yeah, it's a it's it's a tough time. I saw you celebrating the Dodgers World Series when with the kids outside they're jumping on board with some fireworks. That's good. Let your kids

pick pick a winner for one way to go. That was a that was a good, that was a evening. It's good. Like if there's one thing to do, teach your children early about the fun associated with illegal fireworks celebrations during a drought in high wind conditions. Um. Yeah, this is weird. It's weird. You know, life is weird.

It's almost like if you took if you took your home situation as youngish fathers of children and then you combine your entire work life and then put it in a house that's the size of the Potions postage stamp, it could lead to maybe madness right on the eve of Halloween here. So we're just put we're fighting through it, though we did it. We're halfway through the regular season almost. Um. And yes, this is the Week eight preview program. You

could check out. Of course the recap of Thursday Night Football Falcons and Panther is, but this will give us a full rundown of everything to come on Sunday and Monday. And as everyone knows, we do a draft style and picking first. Yes, right, I'm excited about this one. I was gonna take this game no matter what. It's Steelers Ravens.

I mean, this is the best rivalry in the league unless you count the Seahawks forty niners, and we get that this week too, So it's a great week for rivalries, and it's a great week to kind of find out how different this Ravens team is. I love watching Lamar every week. You guys know that, so I'm happy to have this with the first pick. But I have to admit they're not the same Ravens this year, and I think this is the game we kind of find out, like how different are they? Because I don't think you

can run on the Steeler. I know the Ravens will try to run, and they'll run fairly well, and Lamar will get his scrambles, but I think this is a game Lamar has gotta throw the ball over the top because that's how you beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their secondary has had some problems this or their cornerbacks not playing nearly as well, and their run defense is just so good, and the Ravens rushing rushing offense hasn't been nearly the same.

That it's got to be Lamar to the outside. It's gotta be what we heard in the off season in terms of speed, in terms of uh the outside throws, the marks Brown, Miles Boykin, I think has had a little juice Devin du Varney. There's been flashes they just haven't thrown the ball that much, and I think this is the week. If you're gonna beat the Steelers, it's gonna take a big time effort from Lamar as a thrower.

You know, I'm with you, Greg, because I want to be more impressed with Baltimore's offense in general general than I have. Um may they beat in Cleveland a bad Houston team Washington since he and Philly and they got handled by the Chiefs. Now, I will look at that Eagles game and say, the one thing that is not a disappointment on any level is Baltimore's defense. I mean, Pittsburgh and Baltimore like second and third in dB O

A on defense, and it looks like it. Baltimore adds Joanna Concoquated the mix, thank you will have that player too, Why not add him to the rotation here alongside clay As Campbell. I mean, Pittsburgh's offense has a lot of pick your poison scenario weapons to it, but Baltimore has thumped teams left and right on defense. So to me, this is a classic old school a f C North matchup. We know these teams, but I think this is the best Steelers team that we've had in a long time.

I really do. I think that they are so ultra powerful. Mike Tomlin is operating like coach of the year right now, So you know, I this is this is classic stuff. And for me, I'm gonna do something special right here. I'm gonna do something special right here, and I don't even tell our producers about it. I'm locking up the Steelers and it's gonna be in Baltimore. I think they're gonna take care of business. I'm telling you why this Steeler's team is a super Bowl team and waiting all right, Well,

that's very interesting on the road. Is that's the gutsy lock. I like it, Mark and the Steelers. Geez, I'm trying to make sense of last week's game because I want to just put a blanket over it and say, listen, they went down to Nashville and beat an undefeated team, but they were very lucky for that not to be

an infamous loss for the Steelers. They were up twenty points in the third quarter and they needed bad Stephen Gaskowski to show up to save the day and and push that field goal wide right otherwise they're playing for overtime most likely and you know, we've talked about Ben

Roethlisberger on this podcast a lot. I think this is a big game for him too, because um, I was I was against you, Greg on your Big Breeze comparisons, and I still think that Roethlisberger obviously huge upgrade over what they had last year, but it's time for him to maybe step up his game. He should have been able to put away the Titans last week. I didn't like the way their offense played in the second half last week. So this is a tough assignment for him though.

And the in Gokway acquisition by the Ravens is a big one because now you could bookend him with Matthew jude On and now they're gonna be able to potentially get to a guy like Roethlisberger without having to blitch, which is the Baltimore way to get to pass. And we know Big Ben goes down for a lot of sacks. Right. I want to explain my big Breeze things, so I've been calling that it's a stylistic thing. I'm saying big breezes like like good breeze two thousand, nineteen eighteen seventeen breeze.

There even earlier. But you watch that game last week, Dan, what were the drives that were successful? It was like fifteen plays sixty three yards, eleven plays seventy two yards, those sort of short passes where you're counting on your receivers to make plays after the catch, and they've got the right receivers for it, and so I think it's smart. He's just not. They're just not the bombs away Steelers offense that they were, but they've been pretty effective. You're right, though,

this is by far their toughest test. But I like a quick passing offense against this Ravens pass rush, like that's how you gotta beat him. And Mark mentioned how you know that the Ravens haven't played anyone any good defense. The Steelers really haven't either, including last week. Titans are in a great defense. So this is easily the steelers offenses biggest test this year. Let's let's pick this game obsolutely, know Mark is, what do you got? Greg? I took

the Steelers too on the old game picks. Check them out. Not a lot of respect for the Ravens. You know this. I don't know. This one feels like maybe it is even against the top defense. Maybe Lamar Jackson reminds people why he's a special player and and gets Hollywood Brown involved with some deep strikes. I like the Ravens holding court at home and handing the Steelers their first loss. It's gonna be fun, all right. The draft turns to Mark Sessler coming off. Oh, I mean that lock. I'm

still in a state of shock. I'm excited locking up the Ravens. Who would have seen it? Okay, here we go or the Steelers. I actually locked up the Steelers and let's not go ahead. You're alright? So I love this second pick because I don't see a big drop off from the first game. And and Greg, you mentioned this rivalry weekend here in week eight, and look at this San Francisco and the Seattle Seahawks. That's where I'm going. You know how I do this thing. I'm about two

hundred and seven pages in to a pamphlet. I'm writing about Kyle Shanahan, who I think is the best coach in the league in coaching around injury. Pamphlet, if it's going to be that at this point, that's a buck. It's over two. Like a pamphlet feels like, you know, like Edgy and kind of political and disturbing. And that's where I let's what I feel about Kyle Shanahan. He is all those things, and I just I I love this the way that he handles injuries. I mean they

have been battered. I mean right up there with the Eagles, and yet you watched them last week. He's got a third string running back Jeff Wilson running for a hundred plus yards. Jeff Wilson goes out and hey, sorry, New England, We're gonna bring undrafted Jim Michael Hasty and he's gonna run for six point three yards per carry. This offense, and I mean it's not a secret they're passing game is originates off the run game. I think that Kyle Shanahan,

he's been doing this for years, his father did. It makes life as easy as possible on the quarterback. I just think that this offense, no matter who's in there, he maximizes guys. And I mean, what coach in the league does a better job of using his fullback thanky than Kyle Shanahan and Kyle use Check. I don't know if it's because they have the same name, there's some affinity there, but I love every little part of this Niners offense, and I you know, they they have a

lot Deebo Samuel's out at this point. He's not looking, he's not healthy, but they find a way. And I think that they are literally the better team in Seattle. They just have not been healthy. I really do. I think that they're there four and three and there in last place in the best division in football. But this story, this story is not yet over. For some that is a bit of an about face because you have been leading the Seahawks are unstoppable train, and it sounds like

now you're saying the Niners are a better team. That's pretty I just think we'll be seeing the Niners at full power. I mean, the Niners have been very banged up. You put all their parts in place, and they've got a better defense than Seattle, and they can do a lot with their offense. I think Mark's right. You know, the forty Niners best right now is better than the Seahawks is best. The forty Niners are one of only two teams in the NFL that are top eight in

d v o A on offense and defense. It's the Bucks and it's the forty Niners. The fact they've done it with all these injuries. Yes, it's a credit to Kyle Shanahan, but they're they're also like a really top end team, whereas the Seahawks every week they have to sweat out that defense, and they've they've matched up pretty

well with the forty Niners in the past. But it's like they're letting rest rust Cook and that's great and I and I know like the fans love it, but I if I was a Seahawks fan, I'd be like, Man, I wish they let rust Cook when we had a defense because this is the worst Pete Carroll defense we've ever seen. And it's and I know they bring in Carlos Dunlop, He's not gonna be available this week. That is a good risk rewards scenario. But with Jamal Adams, you know, still up in the air and the secondary,

it just doesn't make sense. They're the worst passing rush team in the league in terms of getting pressure and if you can't pressure Garoppolo even with Deebo Samuel, I'm with you, Mark, I think the forty Niners will be able to move the ball well, the forty Niners be able to stop Seattle, probably not and that's why it should be such a fun game. Yeah. Well no, I

mean I've been saying this from the start. You may remember while everybody was singing praises and Osana's about the Seahawks as like, but they have the worst defense and the only way that's going to continue. They're not just gonna go sixteen or all because everyone loves the way Russell Wilson is playing for their fantasy teams. No, you

need to actually play balanced football. And what we saw on Sunday night, which I thought was interesting, was and that loss of the Cardinals when Russell Wilson actually did finally get some pressure and his play dropped just a little bit with the interceptions and unable to move the ball at the end of the fourth quarter in overtime, you see what happens when Seattle doesn't have that safety net of of let Russ Cook and they blew a

lead and then they lost in overtime. So yeah, Seattle is major issues that was covered up by a five and oh start and the Niners. Yeah I I I'm with you, eyes. I think when it comes down to it with with Shanahan and the scheme is just so sound. I like that it doesn't really matter what their players situation is with the injuries. It's like, we know, for instance, against the Patriots, we are going to run the football. We're gonna run the football, We're gonna use play action.

They did it on their snaps, which is the most by any team this season, and it's still gonna work even if Jeff Wilson is running the ball. So yeah, uh do I think they win in Seattle? Though, I don't know. I don't know. That's it's a big test because they are despite everything I just said. And you guys just said, you know, Nick bos is not coming back, you know, Deebo Samuel we said is out. This team is banged up, and that I think this is a

coin flip game. I really do it is. And I mean I say, I think the a concept of home field advantage that this season is it's very different than usual. I mean, I don't like the idea of going into a hostile environment in a normal year, but it's like you're stirring in a bunch of empty seats. So this is this is not the same situation for San Francisco. It's like, oh yeah, it's hard to take an air take an airplane trip north. That's the that's the biggest

problem there. One of the final subplot for you in this game, it's it's Fred Warner, my guy who I think is the Defensive Player of the Year candidate, coming in and taking the middle linebacker belt from Bobby Wagoner. Bobby Wagner has had it three or four years, He's a future Hall of Famer. Warner shows up, he swipes it from all right, that's that's fair. And since we're loving the Niners this week, my favorite SoundBite from week eight, let's play it back right now, courtesy of the Great

George Kittle. Yeah, I mean football is a violent sport and if you don't kind of go to that dark place to be violent, um and be physical, you're you're not gonna last very long. And uh, Coachan always talks about, you know, find the dark place, so longer I've been here, and the more Kyle talks about it, the more there's everybody kind of goes to that dark place. And like

I said, it's a violent game. And it's just it's fun to be a part of a team with a bunch of psychopaths because I fit in really well here. How do you. How do you not like George Kittle? And how can you not root for the Niners? Let's get a w San Francis gona be move on? What What are we doing here? What a match up? And to do that is going a very special guest? What now? Why? What is going on here? Who is that? What is lost? Like? If I get lost? What am I doing in? Here?

Is the sticks? What is this? It's Daniel jeremiahs What is this? What has happened? Look? I told you guys, Dan, Dan, Dan, We talked about this. I said I would agree to come on. You guys ask me this every week. I said, I will agree to come on, but not with Greg. If Greg's gonna be on, I'm not coming on. I'll come on with Mark, I'll come on with Wes, I'll come on any other cast of characters you have. But

I hear I get here and here's Greg. So let's set the table here if people are not aware and we want to get to Chargers Broncos where, of course, Move the Sticks does the color analysis with Matt Money uh every game for Charges Radio. But there is an issue here between our podcast and the Move the Sticks podcast. There always has been but things have really heated up on Twitter in recent days. Let's check out the tweet.

This one was sent out by Greg It's awkward that moved the sticks will announce every game of Herbert's Hall of Fame career, knowing he ranked Ross Blacklock, Andrew Thomas, and seventeen others ahead of Justin and Herbert, the rookie sensation for the Chargers, to which move the sticks replies, Oh boy, I'm the happiest guy in the world to be wrong about this one. Also to celebrate how well he's playing, I bought you a little something, Greg. I

mean that is that's a little lot of bounds. So it got personal, Greg, and uh, but you know in another way, you kind of took a shot at him personally as well. I mean, how is what happened? How this is what happened? This is what happened, This is what this is what happened. Dan, Okay, let's let's go to the to the back east where you guys will

be familiar with this and alogy I got Van Gundy. Okay, me and Dan are involved in a big fight and then here comes Greg grabbing onto my leg and tries to Van Gundy me you know, I'm like, I wasn't expecting that. I'm thinking this is gonna be like a Charles Oakley type fight. And now I've got I've got a little pest grabbing onto my lady. Second, Greg has way better hair than Jeff Van Gundy in fairness, Yeah, and I'm like, I'm like an inch taller than Van Gundi.

DJ I noticed with your response and with your little slippers thing, It's like, no one tried to argue the point um that I made in my in my tweet that you are gonna be called this guy an all time legend. You're like, no, if I would have taken black block, I mean that's me. I'm the NFL Draft X. First of all, taking black block over Herbert. First of all, Greg has become what all of us to test. He's a headline reader, so he reads the headline. He looks

at the ring as he doesn't read the reports. Let me go back. Let me go back and read you the report here. This is a justin Herbert report. Okay, Herbert has exceptional size, mobility, and arm strength. Quick feeting is set up, bounced on his toes. Once he gets the top of his drop is most could be a little robotic at times when the ball comes out with tight and high RPMs. Has a big arm, but his placement is a little inconsistent. His front side will fly

open at times, impacting his accuracy. That can be corrected. He has shown the ability touch up the ball underneath and makes some impressive throws on the run. He's a good runner, build speed, He's effective on the road, reads biggest area, and needs to improve his lack of anticipation.

He waits too long to cut it loose. According to everyone Oregan work ethic character off the charts, and here it is Greg Overall, Herbert has some special physical tools, but needs to play with less caution and learn to embrace and intacking mentality. So that's exactly what Justin Herbert has done. That was the correction that needed to be made. And hats off to Justin, Hats off to the Chargers because he's taken what he was in Oregon and he's

he's improved on it. You're just reading headlines. Let me jump in and play Devil's advocate. I don't want to get in the middle of this. Oh, this is gonna be tough for you to play devil's advocate here stretch stretch roll, but DJ the fact that you ranked him a little further back in the pack, and you know you weren't alone. There are a lot of people that

had some doubts, minor doubts. If you thought those were easily correctable flaws are things that could be corrected immediately, he would have been near the top of the class. You have to be surprised, especially getting the front row view, to be how incredible he's been right out of the gate.

How did this happen? Well, first of all, like I I was, I was in responding to Greg, I said, it made me the happiest person in world, because, trust me, when you're when you're assigned to a team and you work for a team to call sixteen games a year, you want to have somebody to be fun to watch. And this, this team with Tyrod Taylor, was going to be very conservative, play low scoring games, kind of rely on your defense. That's fine, but this has turned into

one of the more dynamic and explosive offenses. Uh, courtesy of Justin Herbert and the thing the lessons that you learn and this is you know, on the scouting side of things, you're gonna make these types of mistakes every single year, so you try and figure out what can

you learn from it. And one of the things I thought of was when you have a when you're playing for a coach that's either a defensive minded college coach or an offensive line head coach, which Mario Cristobal was, sometimes you can tend to try and rein in some

of your quarterback play. You don't want turnover is you're gonna be able to run the ball, play great defense, so you can, for lack of a better phrase, you can take a little bit of their stinger away, like just be a little bit more cautious, a little more conservative. It worked, I mean, and that's no shot at Mario Cristo ball. I mean, the guy won the pack twelve and won the rose ball. It's a formula that works.

But I made the note to myself next time, when you see a guy that's that big athletic, uh, smart, tough, competitive, While maybe some of the gaps aren't filled in, let's you know, just be smart about it and say, Okay, I think once he gets the opportunity, he'll be able to figure those things out. So that's that's the lesson that I learned there on on that evaluation, DJ my one concern because you know, scouting issues aside um, and you know, you're you're talking to three bloggers that don't

watch a lot of college football. So I'm gonna take your word on these things. But you know, are you going into now You're sitting on a gold mine here with a quarterback who looks like maybe the next are you gonna are you to turn into like Scott Zolak on these broadcasts as as this young man's career blossoms into total stardom. I'm a little about you, please, Oh man, I saw I saw Zolak when the Chargers lost to

the Patriots of the playoffs a couple of years ago. Um, and it was a freezing game, if you remember, freezing in Foxboro, and so me and Money like come walking out and normally the radio guys. It's kind of a cool little fraternity. I've I've learned it over the last couple of years. But everybody's just real kind of one another. What we do, appearances on each other's pregame shows, and um, you get to know a lot of these guys, especially inside the division. You see him over and over again.

We passed Zolak and I think it was right before the game, like in the hallway, and it was straight game face, not gonna acknowledge us, straight ahead, we do not exist. And it was everything that I imagined it would be ahead of time. It was fantastic. No one has told Zilac that he's not on the Patriots anymore. I want to I wanna hit the I wanna you know, actually I want to close up this vieud hopefully between Rosenthal and Jeremiah. But since we're talking this game Chargers Broncos,

we let's touch touch on the Broncos real quick. Here DJ and Drew Lock another guy that a lot of high hopes for him this season, it hasn't It hasn't panned out. Are you worried about him watching his tape so far this season? Well, I mean you still see some of those glimpses. Um, he just hasn't been consistent. Um, So I'm still hopeful there. I I kind of I

like that forty start role. Right. If we can get forty starts, that's you know, two and a half years worth of starts before we get a feel for a quarterback. So I don't think we know enough about Drew Lock yet. But I'll tell you guys that the most surprising thing that I saw looking at the Broncos this week. You know who's actually playing pretty good is Garrett Bowls. He

had been. He's played really well. I mean, and for all the heat that he's taken um and them not picking up his fifth year option, all those things, if you look, I'll watch the cut up of all their you know, ten plus runs, ten plus yard runs, and if they're either running left behind him or they're running right and cutting back and getting to him, He's he's played really well. Last week was an embarrassment for the Broncos, but man, they have a lot of juice on that offense.

I'm still not giving up. I'm fascinated by this game because both these teams are better than their two and four record, I think, and whoever wins, I think is kind of a sneaky playoff contender because the Broncos have a lot of juice. They're really well coached on defense. Last week was an embarrassment, and DJ knows it's nothing personal. I'm just saying, you know, when it comes to Herbert, what Herbert is thinking every time he's in one of those little calls with DJ, you know they talked to

the radio guys. He's thinking, this guy had me below Andrew tom. I think Andrew Thomas just gave up another sack actually, and this guy has been ranked behind him. And I do have a little problem of people jumping in our mentions, these little DJ fan ways at our network, like you got in here. They come in here and the slippers, the slippers comment and they're like, oh, Howitzer score one for D. I mean, are you kidding me? I came in with a machine gun. He's given me

free slippers. That those things, the comfy I'm fine with that. That is you're opening up the war. You're saying, bring more of these people at me. I enjoy it. Yeah, this is this is what I've learned. You know what I've learned. This is why my feud with Dan has been a good training ground for this Greig, because I made a Twitter mistake with Dan, which is I replied

with my comeback, so I replied I didn't retweet. So when you look at it, you're like, man, Dan, Dan hits me, and look at all the look at all the retweets and all the mentions and all the buzz and then I reply, and I get no juice because if they don't follow me and Dan, they're ain't seen it. So now I've tried to use the power of the platform and just bring the full force of the army at you with a retweet. So I've learned to get those sticks listeners on your side. You know, that's that's

your army. Wow, I'm just bring not always nice. I'm just glad to see that Sessler jumped in here because I was wondering having been on the line where you guys are getting ready to go on the air, and and watching him trying to figure out something that probably all four of my children could have figured out in thirty seconds, how to make his microphone work. I'm just happy Mark was able to join us for this conversation.

It was a Yeah, I'm dealing with a technical apocalypse in my house and and times are tough, and I you know it's there. It's the green but the red button turns you off. The green button is what turns you on. That's how That's how this whole thing works. Right. Well, d J, you've you've equitted yourself quite well here. Good luck. I heard you're starting up a podcast. See we'll see how that goes. Uh, and thank you for joining the Around the NFL podcast, which also is on television. This

is great. I don't I don't speak German, so I just hope all your fans see me there and at him. Yes, at his time. Now for Road to Victory, presented by the United States Marine Corps. I am up, and I'll tell you what, Mark. This used to be easier when the brown stunk. You know, we would just leave the draft. You always leave it to you and you go grab him in the back of the round. But now when I look at this slate, I can't just overlook the

best games of the week because Cleveland's involved. And I wouldn't expect you to do the same thing with the Jets, but we certainly don't have to worry about that right now. So I am selecting Raiders at Browns and we can start it out personally, Mark off Air. I just like this game a lot. The Raiders are very kind of hard team to figure out. This is the week where no one cares about them or thinks that they have any chance to compete because they did not play well

in wee eate and a lopsided loss. But you know what, it was right before the bye that they went to Arrowhead and spake the Chiefs. So there you go. So you don't know which version the Raiders you get the Browns man, they're even tougher to figure out. And uh no Odell Beckham obviously this week or for the rest of the season after he tours a c L. But just a huge, huge game for Baker Mayfield. I mean,

it was his performance against Cincinnati. And yes it is the Bengals and you have to keep that in mind, but his ability to you know, when he started over five with a pick, it was all set up for this to be the week where the coach Stefanski is getting tons of questions about K's keen um. Instead, he completes about four passes in a row and throws five touchdowns and nobody's talking that way. So the Browns feel like they're in a good spot there at home. The

Raiders are a team that's hot and cold. But both these teams are kind of hard to judge right now. Who's gonna show up when uh kickoff comes? Yeah, I'm with you. I mean, it seems like we say this every week about Cleveland, but this to me reads like a shootout, and uh, you know Cleveland's defense. I think they're still in search of themselves in many ways, but I will say watching every one of their games closely, that they're best players on defense have impacted them tremendously.

I don't think that they're anywhere close to the record without the combination of Miles Garrett, Ronnie Harrison, and Denzel Ward Ronnie Harrison, who they traded for earlier in the year. You look at the two Bengals games, Myles Garrett strip sacks of Joe Burrow completely opened the door to those wins. Last week, Myles Garrett strip sacks Joe Burrow, It's recovered by Ronnie Harrison, leads to a Browns field goal. The

Browns win that game by three. Week two, Garrett strip sacks Burrow at the Bengals one yard line, it's recovered, the brown score a touchdown. They win that game by four points. These shootouts do not come out positively for Cleveland unless these players on defense are creating these turnovers. They don't do a lot well as a unit, but they do do that. I would point to the Colts game. Also, when Ronnie Harrison picked off Philip Rivers on a forty

seven yard pick six. They won that game by nine and the and the Colts had the ball at the end. So you know, for a unit that his you know, maligned and verbally kind of taken apart by critics. Understandably these guys and Myles Garrett. You know you mentioned a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and Fred Warner, Myles Garrett right now is the leader in the clubhouse for that award because of these game changing plays. M I just still go Aaron Donald, but those would be my

top two. I I love this game because there's a lot about this season that feels familiar, and these two teams are different. I think one of these teams is gonna make the playoffs. I think they both have a good chance, and so this sets up as a big one. You're right, Mark, it sets up as a shootout. But can Baker Mayfield keep up in the shootout again? A lot of last week's throws where his first read well

called plays he gets to it. I think that could be there this week again because he's playing a bad Raiders defense. The Browns have played a lot of bad defenses, and so I think he can keep up in the shootout. But it got me thinking, I gotta calmp for you. I don't know if you're gonna like it, Mark Sessler, you know who. Baker Mayfield reminds me of the more

and more I watch him. He's a little bit of like uh, Kirk Cousins, with a stronger arm, like if everything's okay and and set up for him, it's there and he can run an offense. But it's a little bit of a system guy. He's not gonna make too many plays off script structure, and if the pressure gets there, it can go a little like Haywire and there's these little brain like just blips. But against a bad defense like this week, he puts up a lot of numbers.

I think. I mean the comp works because you know this the same coach operating Kirk Cousins last year, and you see a lot of the same stuff. I thought you're gonna go like Eric Hippel or something. So I am not that disappointed by the comp but I think he's got a little bit more to offer in the kind of flatir and the exciting plays that I don't

see from Kirk Cousins. But you know last week, You're right then, was this was an important game for Baker May because had that gone south, the questions would have been ceaseless about bringing in case. And here's the thing, because yeah, I think like a lot of people were all on the fence with Baker this maybe this is a shootout, but maybe there's another game where Baker doesn't play well and then all that criticism and that question and comes back. He's just kind of a hard dude

to figure out. Maybe he's definitely a better actor and commercials than Kirk Cousins. That that I got. I think he has charm, that's for sure. He's got He's got more charisma. You know who's getting me more excited watching him though, is Derek Carr lately? Like I kind of trust the Jeers just as much in a shootout. He's playing more aggressive. They threw more deep balls over the last two weeks than they did in the first four combined. Like they are embracing what they are, which is an

offensive team, and they're getting a lot healthier. They should get Trent Brown this back this week. They're getting Brian Edwards back. There's a lot of guys on injured reserve who might come back for the Raiders. And so I think it's gonna be tough for that Brown's pass rush to get to Derek Carr Myles Garrett needs a little help from those other guys who are are making a lot of money to Ogan job uh and and Olivier Vernon.

All right, that was road to Victory presented by the United States Marine Corps and what a fine game that will be. I'm happy about the placement in the draft there. Mark, Again, that was not personal. You are now up after I've taken the Browns off the board, So how do you react to that? Yeah, I'm slightly annoyed with what you did there, but we can you know, like you said, we can sort that out off the air, not on NFL network. Um, I'm gonna go there. Is that there

are a lot of good games this week. This is probably one of the better weeks out there. I'm gonna go Rams at Dolphins. I mean, why not sign up for a chance to see two and his first NFL start? And I know I know that they love the idea of giving him the bye week to prepare. But you've got Aaron Donald on the other side. I want to ask you, though, I think it's time that we go and do something a little different and play one of our favorite games from our podcast. All right, and that

is what's more likely? What more? And I'm gonna pose a question to you, guys, Okay, what's more likely? Alright?

For this Dolphins team? The three and three Dolphins turn ultra frisky behind the Electric TOA and snatch the seventh wild card spot, making Greg Rosenthal's loins tingle as he observes their rise on game pass or are A scheduled packed with the NFC West, the Chargers, the Chiefs, the Raiders, reveals that Miami is still basically an average outfit in need of another big season before they start to think about January. I like that you're kind of catching that

I'm digging this Dolphins team again, something that's differently. I think it's more likely that that you gotta wait a year and uh, they're closer to eight and eight because to me, eight and eight with this roster and two at quarterback is a victory. And the a f C is so deep that they're gonna need to win games like this. But this is our first chance to see

if toa is an upgrade. I don't think enough conversation about the change to from Ryan Fitzpatrick recognize the possibility that this offense is gonna look very different short passes using to his athleticism, and that there's a chance in the long run without turnovers that actually it's better for this Dolphins team. I'm not saying that's likely to happen, but I think there is absolutely a chance. We've seen, uh, justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, how ready for the NFL

they are. Now we get to start seeing if TA is ready as well. Yeah, I'm gonna just like go optimistic because it would be more fun that it puts them in the race more. They're looking for the Herbert lift, and that is capital H, capital F. And I think it's a worthy dice roll for Brian Flores and the Dolbins. It's like the type of move that lowers their floor but raises their ceiling. And if and if he struggles, well,

just stick with him. That's the only mistake you can make is if you get in your head too much as an organization and say, oh, too has lost three starts in a row. He's not passing very well. Let's get fits Magic back in there to say no, no, no no. Once you make this move, you stay with this move and hopefully to it hits the ground running, you get the Herbert lift. Because if you do, this goes from a team that's just like you said on the periphery of the playoff race, to genuinely fun team

to watch. And guess what, listen, the Patriots are a mess. The Bills. I know they finally got off the losing schnide against the Jets, but they didn't play very well in that game. There. This division is a little more wide open than it's been in many years. Yeah, I'm with you. I love that. Brian Floores basically said that he told to uh, just be yourself. Don't worry about being something else, just be who you are. And this

is an electric player. And you know, Dolphins fans sneaky have gone decades post Dan Marino with an absolute you know, dearth of non talent at quarterback. And I mean, you had a nice little run there for a bit with Ryan Tannehill, but that was the old average milktoast Ryan Tannehill. Touah is someone that could completely change this franchise for years and years to come and change the life of Brian Flores and every assistant coach on that team if this thing works out. So I cannot wait to see

how this goes. Except for that outside linebackers coach. I don't think he has any business being in the league. I don't know who that is. I don't know um. All right, I'll throw out of what's more likely. I

know this. What's more likely the Rams offense with Sean McVeigh at the controls improves and gets back to be ing UH scene as one of the NFC's best units in that regard, or this is now a defensive team and the Rams win because Aaron Donald Uh he leads the way and they win a bunch of games twenty four to seventeen. It's it's more likely that the offense uh leads the way because because I think they kind

of are already. I mean, they're there ranked hire in offense and defense in d V O A. I think people are missing that there's not a lot of flash on this offense. There's a lot of efficiency. Darryl Henderson is one of the best young running backs in the league right now. They are blowing holes open for him. They're a team that plays at a slow play pace

rather so their yards aren't that big. But in terms of yards per rush, in terms of yards per pass, Jared Goff is near the top, Darryl Henderson's near the top. They don't make a ton of mistakes. They're a little boring, I'll give you that, Like it's not as fun as those old Rams team, But to me, they're They're deadly efficient. And yeah, they got the superstars on defense. It's a nice combo. And I don't know if they win this week.

I think it's a coin flip game, but I'm gonna give the win to the Rams and that the offense does play pretty well. That's a great answer, Greg, and you backed it up with some data. You showed the receipts as they say, I guess it is. I'm thinking back remember in the good old days where people gathered and people went to stadiums and and there were no masks. And I believe it was a Rams Vikings Thursday night game.

It was like Pete Gared Goth Sean McVeigh or. I think this might have been early in the season, and he's just bombing away and Brandon Cooks is streaking down for seventy yards for touchdowns. I guess I missed that version of the Rams offense. But there's yeah. I guess you could say they are more efficient and as long as they're winning, this is fine. Well, and I their identity under Sean McVeigh is going to have to stay offense.

I loved how they played with pace against the Bears and caused disruption with quick snaps and you know, caught Chicago off guard. I mean, I feel like this is part one of this new Rams offense, and maybe part two is the second half of this season or even next season, where you know, this is a different attack than it was in the past. And I think that's

shows a lot of flexibility by Sean McVeigh. Um. I think that's Super Bowl loss caused a lot of introspection and it came out with a completely different looking attack. I do see them go to sleep at times, though in the passing game there's been a couple of misconnections with golf and cup and when that's not the case, when they're on, they're still very dangerous. But I don't know if I can really count on them week to week on offense yet. All Right, let's move on, Greg,

You're up next in the draft. Alright. I need a late afternoon games, So I'm going Saints against the Bears. And there's a lot of complaining going on in New Orleans right now about this defense. There's even more complaining in Chicago about their offense. But this looks like a get right game for this Saints defense. There's misscommunication problems in the secondary. You know who's great to play? Uh in a week that that happens the Bears, especially if

Allan Robinson is not in this game. He's in the concussion protocol. There's a lot of complaining in New Orleans that the past rush isn't really that good, that Cameron Jordan's not getting it done, and old to first, Marcus Davenport has been quiet until that game winning sack last week. Don't hear people chirping about that. By the way, everybody, I'm not really a Saint. I'm trying to say that

you should get off Davenport. But you know what, this is the match if they should win because the Bears offensive line has been dreadful this season, and every defensive line is winning against them. And that's why I feel really confident the Saints defense balls out and they go they gotta win on the road, And that's why I'm locking it, waiting around and let's see. You know, we're gonna take a look at the lock of the week standings later. But let's give some respect to Greg. He

is seven and oh to start the season. So when he's locking up, the Rainmaker locks a team up right now, it's best you pay attention. Yes, you should pay attention. Rain fallen from the sky. Can we do that? I think I don't know if that's allowed. You know, the Bears, there is some like Adam Gates light stuff going on around this team. Now. It's starting to the naggy heat is getting turned up, and they kind of need a

performance here a home game. They're coming off the loss, but they're still obviously in great shape at five and two. But if you if you bomb out against the Saints, uh, then people are going to really start to ask questions about is this a team that's about to kind of go up in flames? Uh? So that's that's what I'm looking for. I know, Nick Foles is never gonna turn this into an explosive offense. They don't have a ton of big time players, especially if their number one wide

receiver isn't involved with the game plan. But find a way to get this offense going, Matt Maggy, because that's what you were hired for. Well, it's I'm with you on the Adam Gates light. And it's really just like the issue with bad teams, where one side of the ball is holding the entire operation hostage. I mean, when

will the in fighting begin? When will the anonymous quotes start to filter in from the defense because they're basically saying, we don't win games unless this defense scores points are sets up very easy points for the offense. I and it it becomes almost tiresome to disc gus Chicago's offense because the narrative used to be the Mitch Robisky thing.

And they went out and they got Nick Foles, And if you really wanted to paint an optimistic picture, maybe you could sign up for Nick Foles as someone that you could have as a starter. But it's still always felt like a patch and the patch is ripping off and there's just a big hole underneath it, and the hole is basically Chicago nice record to start the season.

I wouldn't be surprised if they're six and eight. At some point, I just feel like this thing isn't heading into troubled waters, right And when you're when you're a great offense and a bad defense, you're you're the Seahawks or you're the Packers. But like when you're a good defense with a with a terrible offense, then you're the Bears. Keep an eye on Marcus Callaway. He really impressed me for the Saints last week. They could use another receiving option.

He's a little banged up, but if he can become a legitimate threat week after week, then they can keep surviving without Michael Thomas, because we still don't know if Michael Thomas is ever going to return for this and we might not ever see that man again. And I see you, I see all of you out there, all you people that count it out and through dirt. And Drew Breeze is grave after two weeks. And oh he

can't play anymore. He's got an arm that basically matches as six year old and my son's zoom kindergarten class whatever. I don't see it so much anymore. I know he's not gonna be a deep downfield passer, but he never really was in the first place. This guy is getting done. He was super efficient this past week. That offense looked really good with Drew Brees at the control. So everybody calmed down. We'll be right back after this. Greg, it's snakes back to you. Well, earlier in this show, you

took the Browns from Mark. I'm gonna go ahead and take the Jets from you. You didn't see that coming early. I like having bad games as my backup games in the morning. If I'm gonna be focused on on Ravens Steelers, yeah, let's just have a Chief Jets blowout as my backup. And you know what, any game with Patrick Mahomes is watchable. And for such a bad team that the Jets are, they do have something to watch every week, which is the same Donald development and whether he's gonna ever show it.

And this is a really tough matchup for him. I think because Steve Spagnolo, if he spelled, specializes in anything. It's cooking up these young quarterbacks. He did it last week that Drew lock. They love showing a lot of things before the snap, after the snap. I think the Chiefs are more dynamic defensively with Bashad brelan back. He's a really underrated cornerback. And I think if you're a Sam Donald believer, the number one concern for him is

his processing time. It's his decision making, it's his slow decision making. And maybe that's all Adam Gaine's fault. I don't really know, but to me, that's the thing that

really hasn't moved forward. That you can just see his mind not moving quickly holding the ball, and that's kind of like a rookie quarterback thing, and and we haven't seen a ton of that, and this is a really tough matchup, I think for him in that regard, I do wonder you look at the base numbers, you look at the analytics, Donald's regressed in year three, and so you if you're the Jets, you have to figure out, like, is that on him, which it obviously partly is because

it's him, Or is did it was he broken by a completely inefficient and um out of date and ineffective Adam Gaze offense. That's what they have to figure out. He is sometimes slow, uh in the processing and he'll miss receivers and he threw one of the worst interceptions

of his career last week. As an example, was off his back foot into like triple coverage right before the half against the Bills that essentially marred what was otherwise a fairly strong first half for the Jets offense with Dowell, Donald, Dowell, Loggins,

Dowell calling the plays the offensive coordinator for the first time. So, yeah, that's what it's all about for the Jets, figuring out if if he is the guy, although if they go oh and fifteen or oh and sixteen or one in fifteen, and the decision, even if he plays well is almost taken out of his hands and he's auditioning really for

thirty one other teams. I you can feel his career turning if that happens, and he'll he'll be somewhere else, and that maybe the best thing for Sam Donald's in the end, because you know, we don't have a really crystal clear answer to this, but what is the coaching impact on Sam Donald's career under Adam Gates? I mean the idea that Adam Gates has been sold to us over the years as a as a quarterback whisperer. Well, I don't think he's saying anything. You're not whispering any words.

Uh in in Sam Donald's here at this point. I don't know what's going on with that team. I it's it's a depressing watch. You want to see someone like Denzel Mims. Uh, you know develop as well. I mean, I've gotta wonder though, if you're Andy Reid and you've got Levian Bell coming into this situation against the Jets, are they cooking something up special there? Is it gonna be one of those types of games where they really

allow him to show the Jets who he is. I mean, the only thing is like Clyde Edwards Hilaire is tied for second in the NFL with ten plus R brushes. Yeah, that's saying I want that. I just this is the game you bring in Bell be a set up for Levian Bill, right the This the game you bring Bell in for because you have a big lead and you don't want a layer to be too banged up. And you know what, Bell is running better this year. I thought he was for the Jets um than he did

a year ago. I'm not saying he's old Levy on Bell, but I think he's a good, useful running back, and it with being surrounded by the talent that he is in Kansas City. He's obviously going to have more more production. Now. Yeah, I just I would just like calm down with anybody that's like, Oh, Levy on bell revenge game. The Jets gave him a bigger contract than any other team would have given him in free agency last year, and it

didn't work out because the Jets stink. But it's not like it was like something where he needs to get his revenge. I guess against Adam Gaze, but Adam Case doesn't know how to judge anybody. I mean, it's just like you're right though, you know what's gonna happen. I mean, he's gonna have a huge game because that's the way it works for the Jets, and then I'll have to talk about it on Sunday night. But that's that's what

I'm doing you a favor. I will trade with you after you know, we get off the air if you want, if you want to watch the Jets, I'm not gonna take that away from you. But maybe I'm doing you a favor because it does feel like the Chief's offense of stats are pretty low, like Tyreek Hills, not even on pace for a thousand yards. Mahomes it's pretty low. It's like, don't they need a game where they just cut up a lot of yards? Totally not be a fun one. Who feels the fifty burger coming on? I

certainly do. I do want I watch. I always watched the Jets. The only time I don't watch the Jets is when Joe Flacco is playing in adamses the coach. If one of those is not involved, no I'll be I'll be watching it on my own TV. But yeah, McKay backton, he's back and healthy. I hope jameson Crowd

has involved in. Denzel Mims did look good. I will say in the first half before you take you take the Browns game away from me, but you get you handed me the Flacco Jets era to observe on Sunday, and it literally affected my mood and my overall experience. You know this is not that wasn't right. I apologize. All right. Let's by the way, the people in the desert they are flying with this with that, that's that's a three touchdown differential plus over there. Crazy stuff. Um Mark,

you're up. Well, I'm gonna go with a game that I find quite interesting because this team new England. I'm going New England. Buffalo. To me, this like Patriots team. No matter how ugly things get. For some reason, they're still fascinating to me. And I mean they are in an altar. These are two offenses in a bit of a slump right now. I mean Buffalo, you know, came out of the gate real hot to start the season.

Not the case right now. And with the Patriots, I mean, the Cam Newton experience that I think peaked in Seattle um has been horrendous. He just does not look right

to me. He It's almost like it does remind you that when you had someone like Brady in that system who was just processing before and after the snap with such magical abilities, that you put anyone else in there and it's not you know, they had they had the Hoyer Stidham disaster from a few weeks ago, and you thought, you get Cam back, and you're gonna get Cam Seahawks Cam and that's all gone away. We have Julian Edelman has just had surgery today. But Julian edelmen is that

a huge loss right now? He's not been involved in the offense on any level. I think they want to run the ball I mean I made a joke about it on our other episode from the week about you know what could happen to New England. They would just went totally into a run mode where they run the ball like sixty five times a game. But that's not working.

And I just to me this team, like I I'm ready to sit let this let the ship's sail on New England, because I think they were badly outcoached, outplayed last week against the Niners and it revealed a roster that's not been built. Well, well, this is the week. I mean, this is their season right now. They lose to the Bills to go to in five and with their four games back and lost column, that's that and

they've they've shown who they are. They win in Buffalo and then it's an ugly a f C East where you got to consider them a contender, the Dolphins a contender, and the Bills as a team that have serious struggles. Because the Bill should win this game. Sean McDermott has never beaten Bill Belichick, and he's got way more talent,

he's got way more juice on offense. The Patriots d defences, uh struggles to me are as concerning as Cam Newton's because they're they're a little more surprising and you've got to play uh Josh Allen team who started great, but the last three weeks they're averaging seventeen points a week. The only teams that are worse than them right now over the last three weeks are the Patriots a nice matchup, the Jets, no surprise, and the Cowboys with their rotating quarterbacks.

So it's like the Bills off and the Bills haven't been playing great defenses either. Uh, so they need to get going and some teams are really backing off Alan, making them work for these long drives and hoping Alan makes a mistake and gives them some chances. The Jets had chances to intercept him a few times. The Patriots need to take advantage when he gives them those chances. You know, this is kind of bitter sweet for me.

I've been waiting for years for the death of the Patriots as a relevant franchise in the NFL, and it's finally here. And the Jets are historically awful, so they have nothing to do with the Patriots coming back down to the buddy, yeah, fats, Oh, that would be that would be sweet um, But you know what it's like, the Bills have to be the ones like if the Jetski do you, you're the one. You're the one that's got to do it. You're the one that lets everyone

know that this didn't happen for nothing. It's the guy from Rocky four, the trainer, uh that was telling Rocky after Apollo was killed that he needs to step up to draw go. Well, the come on, Bills, don't take care of business here. This is a wounded Patriots organization that are they're they're they're not very strong in terms of personnel. They know that Tom Brady is lightening it up in Tampa. It's like adding more pain and misery

around that building potentially, which I love. And the Bills, despite not playing very well, go win a football game in your building here and really really put the clamps on the Patriots and put them in a situation where you can almost stick a fork in them. Where are you gonna say, Garette, I'm just saying, I was just saying. I I don't have much hope. But if there's ever a matchup that favors the Patriots, I think this is it.

Not just that they've won sixth straight. But the styles of the way they play that the Bill's defense tends to give up these short passes in the running game, give up these long drives. You shortened the game. And the Patriots defense, if they do one thing well, I think they can just slow an offense down with their cornerbacks, and the Bills haven't shown they can run the ball. I think you beat the Patriots by just like beating them up. And right now, the Bill's offense and their

offensive line, they're not really like beating anyone up. I would Here is the darkest timeline scenario, Sam Donald. You know, as the season progresses, here starts to show something and he takes out New England and by then Bill Belichick has already spoken to Cam Newton said, you're gonna do a favor for me. You're gonna continue to throw interceptions and not touchdowns. I'm gonna set you up financially for life.

You're gonna have a high rise, um, you know, penthouse apartment in Fox Broke for the rest of your life. Things are gonna look good. You gotta take a bullet here for me, and we're gonna reverse engineer this allow the Jets to beat us twice. We will go onto into the end of the week for Sessler, how do we get here again? I'm just saying, Patriots fan, Remember West used to like the Patriots because so that makes sense.

He likes bad page just think he's it reminds him of the Browns if they ever, if they ever, you know, tanked for Trevor and and they got it four or five weeks into this thing and said, we know how to win, but we also know how to lose better than anyone. Good coaches would know how to lose a game better than anyone too, So Belichick secret edge d in okay, but Stefan gilmar by the way looking at his phone in between series seeing if he's been traded yet.

Maybe Stefan dig sneaks behind him a couple of times. I love the Bills here. I love it just for the fact that they're a better team. I love what it represents it. That's why I'm gonna lock up the team from Western New York. Uh to put the Patriots underground for And that brings the draft over to the old Zeuser. Oh that one caught me by surprise. Don't

you hate when that happens? All right? Yeah, you don't pack these brakes and then suddenly we're you know, you're you're scampering for Alright, let's go with um Tennessee at Cincinnati. How about that. Let's see how the Titans are looking um after a tough loss at home, but not a

loss to hang your head over. I mean it was it was what it was a game where you fell behind seven and then once you figure out a way to get a couple of stops, uh and get your offense on the field, you damn near tied the game. And a big issue for the Titans against the Steelers was third downs. They could not get off the field. I think Pittsburgh was thirteen of eighteen uh in that game, and that led to just, um, a destruction in the time of possession realm and that's ultimately what got the

Titans beat. So I don't take that as a loss like, oh, time to take restock and uh, you know where what we think about the Titans, I still think is a very good team and I think they're gonna take care of business obviously in Cincinnati. But you know what, Joe Burrow makes these games interesting. This isn't watching uh, you know, late period Andy Dalton or who are some of the other Hammond Eggers that played when Dalton wasn't in Cincinnati? A. J. Mccaren.

I think there was somebody else. I mean, I think their names were ham and Egg. Yeah, exactly. So Burrow, if nothing else, makes the Bengals fun to watch because he keeps it close. They lose all these close games, and but that's part of like the journey for a team figure out how to win close games. The Titans have played a lot of close games this year. It's in Cincinnati, so it would not surprise me if we

have another close game. But ultimately I think the Titans get back on the winning track uh in week I would view the Bengals as trap game material for every team they play, I mean outside of maybe the upper echelon like Pittsburgh Ravens type teams because Burrow. The one thing I love about Burrow and your this is what takes you know, other quarterback years too to grow into

or maybe they never do. But he sees and feels pressure pretty well, which you know fits well with an offensive line that just is a little bit above a total disaster. I mean, but he keeps him in these games. And I think it's his running ability to There was a play last week against the Browns where they were stuck in like a third and eleven scenario, and he just saw this open prairie land to just dart into. And it's like a lot of quarterbacks just don't see that,

or they do that when they shouldn't. Um, he doesn't give up, give up on plays. He's a fighter. I mean, he is just a magician in the pocket. And I mean, you know, he's not been perfect, but I think he is growing every week. And I wouldn't be surprised if he gives Tennessee a little bit of a run for their money, because I mean he he basically almost beat the Browns twice. It's their defense that forces him into these shootouts. Well, this is sneaky good matchup. You know

you mentioned the third down stand. The Titans were last place in third downs on defense before they played Pittsburgh, so now their last by a mile. Like it's it's a sneaky bad defense. Had a lot of pass rescjuice. My guy, Jadevian Clowney is having the worst season I think of his career. He's banged up, as he always is, but he's not playing well through it. Remember Vick Beasley.

Remember the Titans signed Pick Beasley, And you know last week Vick Beasley made a play and I was like, oh yeah, Vick Beasley was the most like in terms of doomed acquisitions that everyone knew was terrible even before it started. That has to be right near the top of the list. It never had a chance. It's not working. And and for UM fans who don't watch the Bengals every week, who last saw them on Thursday night, they're

a different team right now. I think there are a lot better offensively even than they were in Week two. Their line is playing better. I'm not saying it's great, but it's played better. They've had a couple of weeks where they protected Burrow pretty well. Tee Higgins is a legit starter. I mean, their first two picks looked really good. Um and and Zach Taylor. I think as the offense looking like you would you would want it to look,

that you feel better about it. I can't tell. I know this is your corner, Dan, but I'm with you, and I can't tell if Zach's like the worst three and nineteen and one coach in NFL history or the best you know what I mean, because they're in every game, the best one coaches probably the only one. So I guess he's bold, But I mean I can't tell because they do look better. To Mark's point, I really do think they're improving, but they can never get these wins.

I mean, Taylor went to the Anthony Lynn school of how to manage close games, because it's like, you know, they're in these games, but they're not winning them, and it's hard. I think Zach Taylor flies under the radar a little bit, but I mean, where do you if you get to the end of the season, how do you assess? I think he'll be safe because of because of the Brown's history. I mean the Browns. I mean that the family, the Browns, the Bengals. Um, I think

he'll be safe if if Burrows playing well. I don't think you mess with that. If we say that Zach Taylor is flying under the radar enough times on this show, will he ceased to be flying under the radar? Because I feel like we preface every statement about him that no one really pays attention to him. But it's he's got to find a way to win. I think some of these games in the back half of the season just insure management. You know, it's like, okay, we've seen it,

we've seen it. Joe Burrow, by the way, is on pace for forty two pass attempts per game, which would be the most ever by a rookie UM since nineteen seventy, breaking Andrew Lux records. So I don't know what that really says. It tells us that the Joe Mixon thing hasn't worked out this year. It tells us that they believe in so much in this kid that they're handing him the game script and saying, let's win with you. Uh. And it also it does leave him in line to

get hit a lot, which has happened. So I don't know. They're just they're fun to watch. But you do that offensive line, it scares you. If you're said having him drop back that many times, you know, God forbid, you know he gets hit and falls the wrong way? All right, am I up again? It's snaking to me. Look at the old on his heels and the biggest of them all spots. All right, let's grab we have any late games left. No, there's gonna be a lot of late

trading this week. Yeah, let me grab then Colts at Lions, um cults at lines, you know, Detroit. That was the win they needed. That was such a big win for the Lions because they've they've lost so many close games under Patricia. They've it's the same old Lions mentality that

permeates the place and it sinks seasons. But being able to outright steal a game they had no business winning against the Falcons where Todd Gurley falls into the end zone and then Stafford runs them down the field seventy four yards in like sixty seconds without a time out. And now if they can just find a way at

home to beat the Colts. You take a look at their schedule after Indian it softens up a little bit and then all of a sudden, the Lions left for dead earlier this year are right in the mix in the NFC, in the wild card race. So but let's see if they can do it. Because if we've learned one thing, and Kevin patro if he's listening, he's nodding his head right now, our resident line and fans of NFL media, lyons fan of NFL media, If we've learned one thing, they tend to fall on their face when

they are presented with these opportunities. And the Colts, obviously, greg are not a layup. This is a very good defense. I know they've been kind of up and down offensively this season, but this will be a test for the Lions if they are uh, under the radar is a kind of a halfway decent, potentially good team. Though you you should be able to hold servant home. Yeah, I think the Lions defense has come out of their biplane pretty well. Uh. And and this is an offense the

Colts that is that you should slow down. They don't have a running game. You're curious if the Philip Rivers resurgence which lasted about two quarters against Cincinnati and he was he was hot on the mid range game, whether that keeps up right now? Um, But like, this is a game I don't have I still were in Week eight. I don't have a feel of these teams, which maybe is just who they are there. This is a game that I know Chris Wesley doesn't want to watch two

Dome teams. Uh, you know at ten am in the in the soft middle of the NFL without you know, really explosive offenses like That's what this game is to me right now. I'm gonna defend the Colts uniforms. I do not think they're bad, and I like the logos class that's fair. It's more just like when it's at

the indoors and the lighting. I don't know, yeah, And I think with Philip Rivers, if what happens if he if he bombs out again, is there any way Greg that you see Jacoby Brissette play without an injury, Well, it have to be a just a terrible month by Rivers. You know, I do want I watch this Colts team. I do wonder like is their offensive line as good as everyone says it is every time they mentioned it,

because they can't run the ball. And I don't know if Rivers has been protected as well as you'd expect. They do get Darius Leonard back, though, I think that the games without Darius Leonard for the Colts defense showed you why he is one of the more valuable play defensive players in the league. They kind of just weren't the same And they're getting healthy and a few spots like Michael Pittman might be back, Comico Terray, this speed rusher.

I like like the Cults are one of those teams that have a lot of guys coming back throughout the season, so that should make them a little bit better. They they should win this game. Give the Titans a run. I like the Lions. I think they're gonna shake it up. Mark, Where are you on the Lions bandwagon? By the way, I know you were on a bureau a donkey trying to catch up to the bandwagon you abandoned in week two? We're able to hop back on or did it pull away?

Uh and leave you in the dust. Well, I mean it's it's picking up steam. But I mean you're the one that suggested that I was on like a slow animal. I I said I was gonna take a vehicle and follow the bandwagon, and the vehicle is swift. It's catching up. Um, I'm about to jump off the vehicle kind of Indiana Jones style, into the back of the bandwagon and find a seat there. I'm firmly involved. What about the other

people in the national media? Uh, like Amena Times, there are a few of you that were talking big about the Lions. Will they welcome you back to the bandwagon if you do pull off the Indiana Jones and make it back up. I mean, I think that we all experienced a pause in our fandom. Uh. I didn't hear a lot from Mina Kimes during that first month. But Mina Kimes is probably sitting up in the front seat, nice air condition on or I'm sure you know, getting

snacks that drive throughs. I'm stuck in the back, So I gotta ways to go here. You wearing a helmet, right, I don't this jump? I don't. A man in your forties, I don't. I would be the same way. Do I trust my athletic ability to make the Indiana Jones leap? No, it's fair. It's it's a man in his forties who's not exercised during corona time once. So there are there are concerns about making that, um that move beach body.

All right, Mark, you're up in the draft. Alright, I'm gonna go up Minnesota at Green Bay and and uh, you know, I look back at that Bucks game that that we're Aaron Rodgers went south. The whole team did as just an aberration. They would they ran up. They'll probably meet him again in the playoffs. They ran up against a great defense. Thankfully, Um, you know you're up against the Vikings defense. That's basically said, I don't care what you know. I saw Matt Lafleurs. You know, this

is still a very intriguing Vikings defense. They're strong. Come on, that's all lip service. They traded Yonic Negaqua. We talked about that. Danil Hunter is basically at a commission, and so you have no like what you went into the season envisioning, and you're thinking, if you're the Vikings, are chore is to deal with Aaron Rodgers twice a year and a bunch of other good quarterbacks. We better be able to rush the pastors. They can't do that at all.

I mean, the chore here is for Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense to try to keep up with a green Bay attack that I think should have a pretty a pretty easy day here. And I mean, you look at what Davante Adams did last week. I mean, he is giving us the DeAndre Hopkins treatment from the old Houston days. I mean it's just I like this. I like this situation for green Bay a ton. I think they are maybe the second or third best team in the NFC. UM there for real. The Bucks game was

something different and so keep riding Aaron Rodgers. Nothing should be slowing you down on Sunday. We need we need to see the next time the Packers have a big opponent how they match up, because if they don't there, then you're starting to ask questions about whether they are truly one of the big boys. But for now, just look at it as a blip on the radar. With the Vikings, It's like, I don't know. I like Mike

Zimmer a lot, and he just got an extension. He's not going anywhere, um, But how do you ask that coach to keep that team invested when you bring in Yannick and gock Way to win the Super Bowl, you trade him out of town. I don't think it's a bad trade. You're obviously one in five the opportunity to recoup draft capital on a veteran on an expiring contract. I get all that, but it's a tough message that sent to a locker room with this much football to

be played. I wouldn't be totally stunned if they go in the tank. It's not like you have fearsome leader and Kirk Cousins that's gonna hold the locker room together. This could turn into train wreck territory for the Vikings. You're You're right, and I do think it's like it's personal accountability. It's like you're playing for your paycheck. That that's what I think is motivating players and and a lot of people more than anything is you're playing for

your careers. I get it. Like I'm just saying, if everyone takes personal accountability, I don't think their effort level has been their problem. It's the fact that they have no pass rush and their cornerbacks have been young and terrible, and by the way, they're banged up this week, so it's like a terrible matchup. But people, you need to have a group of players that take accountability and the ones that don't. It's like you gotta get rid of

those players at some point. And so you do learn a little bit about that, and you're gonna learn something about Kirk Cousins because remember I said Baker is morphine into kirk Cousins. Well that the kirk Cousins um, you know body is only available because Kirk Cousins is now Jamis Winston. I don't know how it happened, but kirk Cousins exactly on pace for thirty three touch stuns and thirty interception with the Jamos Winston stats from a year ago,

his favorite stat of the year. Kirk Cousins tells you who he is with his first throw of the game. He throws an interception that you never saw coming and you're like, oh, it's gonna be one of those Kirk Cousins. That's Jamis Winston's move. Who throws deeper on a higher percentage of throws than anyone in the NFL out of nowhere this year. That's Kirk Cousins. That's famous Winston's move. It's been some sort of freaky Friday that he's on pace for thirty thirty. I had no idea it had

gotten to that point. And that was like the one thing with Cousins, like love him or hate him, and it's always been like, yeah, Cousins puts up the numbers, but then in prime time or in the playoffs, you know he's gonna lay down this new version where in addition to you having all those other concerns about what happens when the lights are on, uh, that he's just like a total winston Ian mess. That is that's the stan to be fair, I as someone who always defends Winston.

There's the good and the bad. I mean games like this where your defense isn't gonna show up. It's like he'll probably put up a lot of garbage time points, will put some fantasy points up. It'll be like thirty eight to thirty at the end. Then you'll have a little bit of fun at least. I do wonder if Justin Jefferson winds up being I know, because the quarterback situation, he probably doesn't have a shot. But this is an offensive Rookie of the year tight performance from Justin Jefferson.

I mean, he his numbers have been incredible every week. Take him off the offense, and what is Kirk Cousins then, I mean, that is one thing to build on. I would wonder if Kirk Cousins, you know, I just look at the salary stuff. But I mean, is he still in their long term plans? I mean, this feels like a team heading into a pretty ferociously build at least on one half of the all I have I have an answer what I think is going to happen. At least his new extension gave him one more year of

guaranteed money after this year. That was it. It was basically a one year attack on so you draft someone, you have cousins there next year, and that's either it or you just evaluate how it goes. But I think next year is like out there. But it's like that one year is at high level starter money, right, It's like the extension, I guess is what I'm trying to say. What he gave them in the first two years. Were

they really going in the right direction with him? I guess you did it to keep the peace and all that, But I don't know, Man and Greg, you seem to your your body language. My take on the Packers no reason to worry about them until they lose against the big team again. Are you either completely confident in them right now or do you see them as a bit of a flawed contender. Well, I haven't been a fan of their defense, but I'm not going to kill him for that one game. I think it was a matchup

game where the Bucks defense just won that. And they're just so good when they can put up the points they do without Aaron Jones on the field, or without David Bactieri or without Davante Adams at points of season, like I trust them to be in it against the NFC contenders because their offense will be too good. All right, good stuff. Let's close up the draft and hit the

primetime games. Good draft, guys, good stuff. I enjoyed it. Draft. Um, let's start with Sunday Night Football Dallas at Philadelphia Modewn. I mean, we don't need to dwell on this. We we were. We were banging on about with Connie Fox on Tuesday Show, how we gotta stop it with these

primetime games and nfcas because it feels relentless. And then I sent a link to you guys story I read about, you know, television ratings and like the Arizona Seattle game from last week did a third or two thirds of the audience that some random NFC East game did the year before. And that's what it ultimately comes down to. People watch these teams, so we just have to swallow it and deal. But Benny, the new team might be playing in primetime. That's where we're at, Mark, Benny the

Lucci who's taking a lot of snaps this week. I think part of the reason that the ratings will still skyrocket is because it's a little bit of a Patriots factor. I mean, people, big chunks of the country love watching a Cowboys team um spinning into total chaos. And it's pretty amazing where we are now with this team compared

to where we were three or four weeks ago. Where I mean, how many people on their fantasy squads have Zeke Elliott and Ceedee Lamb and guys like this, thinking you know you're gonna ride these guys into your championship round. They've all gone mute. They've all been muted, and the offense has completely fallen in on itself. The defense is

a total disaster. It's hard to watch. The chaos thing has its limits though, Like it's a good conversation during the week, but when you actually have to sit and watch the team and they're getting beat three by the Washington football team, I don't get much joy out of that. I don't They would have flex this game out if if Dalton had been hurt the week before and given them time that they knew Ben Denucci was starting this game, they would not have put Ben de Nucci in prime time.

I believe that, and I've you never see the Cowboys get flex that, but I think they would have just for the good of like the the NFL because all you gotta do is blitz this line into oblivion. They were the worst team in the NFL with Andy Dalton, and it's just opposing defensive coordinates are just blitz blitz, blitz, blit blitz against this terrible offensive line. Now you're gonna do that against de Nucci with a pretty good defense.

I think the last five minutes of that Giants Eagles game will go down as the most important um five minutes in the NFC East this year because the Eagles snuck that game out and now the reserves are coming Dallas, God or maybe maybe not this week we'll see Jalen reagor Miles Sanders, Jason Peters like they're coming back. The Eagles snuck out that win. Now they get you know, de Nucci, and they're they're gonna be a real team. They're gonna say there, I think they can get to

eight wins something like that. They'll be a real team, and that will just be the NFC. You're right, they've got Dallas, they've got there By, they've got the Giants. Take care of business. Your four four and one and and then and some of the jokes about the NFC East will stop applying to Philadelphia. But if you look at the rest of their schedule, they're gonna have to be a legitimately good team. But they're getting they're getting

a lot of players back. That's that should matter. I like uh, I like watching Carson Wentz this year because it's so frenetic and all over the place. And post fifty four Carson Wentz, you know those last six minutes. I was on a text chain with Giants fans Thursday night last week, and uh, I said, watch out, guys, this guy he might get you in these lass six minutes. And sure enough, he throws two touchdown passes, throws for a hundred and thirty seven yards, and steals that game away.

And he still has stretches where he's misses open receivers and throws a bad pick. But then the last couple of weeks, you see it. You see that guy is still there and he's making plays, and like Greg said, got it returns they start getting some guys back. Jalen reagor um this idea that the NFC East will be one by a team that's gonna go with six wins or something. I wouldn't stun me if the Eagles right

the shipping. They're not gonna go crazy, but eight seven and one and that's like, okay, that won the division. That's where rat though, this is real bad. If if the Eagles somehow blow this game, if Benny Delucci goes off and they lose this game, this will be the lowest the NFC East. We might already be there, but like the darkest moment for the NFC East. If there's an ugly like twelve ten game, Uh do Nucci wins?

I mean, if that happens, I would say, put our podcast on pause and and dial in Philadelphia talk radio as soon as possible. Very true. All right, Finally, Monday Night Football another NFC Ah. The New York Giants play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So at least you get the national stage here for the Bucks, who are the last three weeks or so, maybe even you go

big further. Uh really, since that Thursday night game, which is a little funky, the one they lost to the Chicago they've been the best team in football, and the last three quarters against the Packers were dominant and then they just absolutely opened up a can of whip himy uh in we in week eight against the Raiders. So uh, there's no reason to think that Tom Brady, who will You know, He's played enough primetime games and enough playoff

games to last several lifetimes for many players. So it's not like this moment is gonna be any different from him. He's just gonna continue to thrive, I think. And I'm looking to see if this Patriots offense greg keeps on firing excuse me, Bucks offense keeps firing on all cylinders against the Giants team, which doesn't have a terrible defense but probably will be no match for Tampa. Yeah, I don't. I think the Bucks offense matches up beautifully even without

Chris Godwin. You know what the Giants defense has done pretty well without great personnel is slow teams down, make them kick field goal, make them work down the field, and you know, see if the exposing quarterback makes a mistake like that's Tom Brady eats that for breakfast. Joe Judge, the former Patriots, maybe he has an idea how to slow down tom Brady after being with him all that. I don't think it matters because he doesn't have the

players the Bucks offensive line. I'm just gonna keep hammering it might be the best offensive line in the league. You have Tom Brady with the best offensive line in the league. He had he got touched one time in forty nine dropbacks last week. One QB hit almost a Gholston on forty nine dropbacks for Tom Brady. And there's no reason to think the Giants pass rush is gonna get there. And Gronk moving better is a real thing. I think I'm putting this he he's in the moving

better in October than September. All Star Team. I might have to do this as a a written segment or something. Guys who are you know, guys improved during the season. It happens sometimes they don't start too well. James Conner is another one that comes to mind, and they play they look a lot better in October. They really the Bucks are shy mining and evolving weekly. And it's it's I you know, you think about watching football like we

have for thirty years, and it is. It can't be overstated how fascinating of a case study it is for Tom Brady to go into a completely new offense um at his age and what he's done, and you know, the first couple of weeks you kind of wondered what you were dealing with. But this feels like a legit um raging jugger not and I don't I'm not sure who's gonna stand in the way. It's not the Giants. And of course with the Giants, we've got Will Hernandez, who um is on the COVID list right now. We'll

see what else happens with that. But that's that's part of your offensive line, trying to protect Daniel Jones character who is not throwing the ball deep. Well, well, it's just something. I just feel like the shine is off

Daniel Jones. I was so excited about him and the whole offense going into this season, and it's just not materialized to the point where if you're a if you're a Giant Um front office executive, of any of them are even there after this season, You've got to take a hard look at that situation at quarterback, depending on

who else become is available, give him some time. I mean, you know, Daniel Jeremiah just on the show, he talked about how you want to give a quarterback about two and a half seasons, thirty starts or so um that that seems fair, but you have to wonder, and I crossed my mind, having grown up in New York and knowing how the media operates there and just you know, covering this hour league long enough, if Jones and like this entire era of Giants football is going to be

remembered for the would be breakaway touchdown run that was ruined by that the turf monster, because it wasn't like the butt bumble or anything like that, but it was a cut type of low light that can define a player. And if he's lucky, he has a long career and it becomes just something people remember, but it's it doesn't

stick with him. But if if this doesn't work and then they go and they sweep out the Dave Gettleman regime and totality, we'll all remember Jones's on and then how it ended so cruelly as kind of this was Giants football in this time. It was that it was that way and oh not for nothing, And Giants fans who are listening screaming at the podcast that still believe Danny Dimes. Evan Ingram catches a football on third down

there falling and that's just the way sports are. It sucks, But Evan Ingram has been killing him this year with drops and not being able to step up his play, and that was I mean, that was a season ruining drop. Potentially, well, Danny Dimes has played better the last two weeks. I thought he played very well in that game. Um the run. It's funny. It points out the thing that people don't notice that Danny Danny Dimes is one of the fastest

quarterbacks in the league. He does not have the running instincts, so I'm not putting him anywhere near the top five rushers. Um, but he's got speed, he's got good throws. I think he's played pretty well the last couple of weeks. That Thomas is killing them. I mean, you take a tackle number four overall, to me, that's that's a bigger Gettleman indictment.

If that doesn't turn around, then anything, especially uh, when you got Jeddrick Wills and and you're you're in McKay Beckton and justin Worst they all happen to be hitting like the top tackles. They're supposed to be four great tackles. Three of them look amazing. One of them is getting Danny Dimes killed. Yeah, and you don't have tackles that like, oh, in year four, this first round tackle evolves into a

functional tackle. I got one for you, though, DJ. Just DJ just brought up Garrett Balls, who we've kind of killed for two years. He's been incredible this year for the Bronco. But I would look at like you look at the Joe thomas is and the McKay Beckton's, it's like you kind of know right away that they're your functional starters. I'll tell you one reason you're not gonna get a Daniel Jones, uh seventy yards scamper that ends up in dirt. I'll tell you right now. Devin White.

I thought the game he played last week was amazing, and there's a couple of things he does athletically closing speed to blow up guys in the backfield from like eighteen yards away. There aren't that many players that can do that. And so there's this defense is just so functional in their in their studious and they're kind of remind me of the offense kind of growing each week.

And think about the butterfly effect. Just circling back to uh, Tom Brady before we um close things out, I think back to about entering Week sixteen of last year, the Patriots with with Brady, we're steaming towards another UM playoff by and obviously the a f C East title over in Tampa. Jamis Winston had been up and down as the oases, but it was up enough where I remember Bruce Arians clearly remember Arians, or they're being a report

out there entering week sixteen. I think it was ahead of a Saturday Football UH week Week sixteen game for the Bucks. You know, he's not going anywhere. Winston's still the guy. Then Winston totally bombs out in that Saturday game, bombs out again in Week seventeen with the pick six to end the season, and all of a sudden they

sour on him finally. Meanwhile, with the Patriots, they lose Week seventeen to the Dolphins, lose the by, then go to UH and lose the game to the Titans, and that sours the situation in New England and page the way for the divorce of the Patriots and Brady. All these things had to conspire together to get Tom Brady now in Tampa with the best offensive line of football, with all these skilled players, with Bruce Arians butterfly effect. Man.

But I've got I've got it. Addistance for you on this one too, The Raiders, John, you know the Bucks did it to you again, John Gruden. If Jamis Winston hadn't played that well, tom Brady's leaving New England. No matter what I'm can, I'm a hundred percent convincing that he'd be he'd be a Las Vegas Raider, the Raider. I'd be lighting it up with Tom Brady. That's what I That's what I bet. All right, good stuff, good stuff. We'll we'll be back on Sunday night to recap every

game we just broke down. And yes, if you catch this um during the weekend or a little later, just know that the Thursday night recap also where we go to go over Panthers and the Falcons. Okay, there we go, got it out? Does Day have to sign it out? Four? Uh? The Old Boss, the Quiet Storm, Daniel Jeremiah, thank you, buddy for stopping by Still Sunday