2021 Week 2 Preview- First Day in the New Studio

He looked like one of the guys in the crowd at a Bulls game, like after a big Scottie Pippen dunk. And they just panned to some like white guy right in the front. So yeah, way to go. It's like, this makes me forget all the pets of at home. What a room that guy. This. I wish we could share this visually. I mean, this is a stunning studio with an there's in here well you know at some point, but and a cameraman. Right now, we've got it. We've got able to share it. NFL mandated photographer in here

taking photos of us. It's the first ever podcast in the Chris westleyan podcast. This is it and um, you know, we've done a couple shows. We did the podcast, we did the of course last week we did the third is than a football recap and we will never speak of that again from westling manor one of our best shows. Um. But this is our first proper podcast together since last March. Straight up. Still remember it to this day. We um did a show together. It was a Friday afternoon. Colleen

was with us, I believe West was with us. We after the show ended, went over to Roccos in Culver City, which is in a different part of the city from where we are now, and we had drinks and we had food and we had good times. We had some laughs, and then Tom Hanks got sick and it all changed, um, and that was it. We were never together again in the studio. And I will say this first of all, a couple of things. Thank you to everybody behind the glass.

Erica is back there, of course, but we have an entire team of people that have worked tirelessly to get this place up and running because it is our gargantuan effort. We are in the big building right next to Sophi Stadium that is now the headquarters of NFL Media the network side, the newsroom. Um, and it's been a ton of work to get us in these chairs and talking into these microphones. So we have the easy job doing

the podcast. Uh so thank you everyone else. My other my other thought, Greg is that's a big time like on air move like, hey, hey, what we do up here? Uh, that's easy. The real hero Like it's like, you know, Tony Romo and Jim Nance making twenty million, the real heroes, the guys with the tough job are making like seventy because it's a union. This job is tough enough for my Like, you know, I don't I don't need it to become more difficult. Thank you. There's a lot of

people back there too. It's a it's a little uh intimidating. But my other point is, yes, this Hey, we're just the kids on the playground over here. My other point is that yes, from now and until the end of the show. Uh, the fact that I'll introduce you boys, introduce my self, but also be introducing Chris Westling's name into the conversation every time we start a show here.

That is an awesome That is an awesome thing. And also shout out to everyone, Um, Matt Schneider and Jason Kleinman Um and everyone behind the scenes for getting the studio named with an awesome Chris Westling signage right out front, which I'm sure you've seen on social media. But we're set up well here, Greg, and it is great to have west with us, even if it isn't physically. Yeah, it feels right that Keisha came down. She's working right down the hall. This is It is gonna take some

getting used to being back in the office. We saw a lot of familiar faces in the hour before the show, but Lakisha came over from her editing bay. We took some pictures that had some hugs it all. It feels right.

I visited my cubicle, right, you know, I had. I had varying feelings about UM even being attached to a cubicle on any level, but I would say about this whole building, and I was telling one of our Christie, one of our producers, tipes out there that um, this is sort of like a gigantic evil spaceship that has been inhabited by nice people. It's been turned into sort of a nice spaceship. It's the building itself looks like

it's from about eight years from now. But if it's but if it's by its nature and evil spaceship, can you truly trust the people? Well, we took I've watched enough Twilight Zone episode. We took over the technology and we rid it of the it's most most of the

people here seems friendly. I did think about you this morning, Mark, because I know this is not an easy thing for you to be back here, and it made me think of I was just thinking of you going through the motions this morning, of you know, you woke up and it's like, I gotta get in the shower, Uh, I gotta make my smoothie. And then I was thinking, um, I was setting this in my mind to you know, an uncut gems the Sandler movie, the score to that movie where it's just like this kind of like weird,

almost like a menacing tone underneath everything. It's like Mark's making smoothie, Simone's talking to them, but it's just like and Mark said, it's like and then he gets dressed and he's like, which suit jacket? I guess the blue one. It's just like three of the same thing. Then you get in the car and you punch into your ways it's not wrong, and you're just like stone faced. Is this happening? Is this is this happen? Pulled into the lot,

go through the gate, up the parking garage. This is happening. This is really happening. This check out it does I will I'll quickly out a couple of should I throw in a couple more tweets about how I don't want to go back to work. No, no, I'll try set six to adjust my attitude on the whole thing. Um, I, you know, for the first time in a billion years, drove to work obviously and got on you know, I know the four oh five essentially how it works. It

goes north, it goes south. I got on the wrong, um part of the quarrel five, added like eighteen minutes to the trip, nearly crashed into like what I guess it's called like a tractor trailer of some sorts. Then when I pulled it into this building, I went into the completely wrong place, and um, a very stern woman told me I needed to go somewh else. Then I parked and Erica had to come meet me in the garage.

I was like a small child or a boy. She took me through all the steps to get into the building. Think you think Mark's gonna be okay here? Yeah, I mean the morning started off around eight am with texts with crying emojis, and Mark put his hand down because he knows week two. Yeah, And I met him in the garage and we walked through and I walked him directly to his desk, which is the first desk you see from the glass. Well, they punked me on that

that was a it's a fish. What I did with Harrison on his first day of preschool to differently didn't happen with Dan and I, like we figured out how to. I took him and I tried to get him to eat breakfast. He was too nervous, he wouldn't eat breakfast. Then I dropped him off, I got him his badge, got his badge, dropped him off at his desk. Um. And then also, you know, you guys are sitting in

different orders this time, which is very different. And so you know, Greg and Dan were outside and Mark had Mark came to me in in this you know, in the producers side of the of the studio and goes, well, we're not sitting in the same line, And I guess that is really stressful. So I feel like you guys should addressed. We take we have I I quickly backed down after Mark made it clear he wanted to be on the edge, as like, oh, well, I always I have sat on the edge for we can we can

change it, yeah, a little more. And I like that field though that that was its like the Social Network soundtrack if you know that one, the Phantom Thread one, just a dark sense of anxiety and four body, which is what it's like to live as Mark Sessler in the year and we have this awesome studio. We'll take it easy on you, Mark, um a lot more space. And our old studio UM in Culver City, they actually did like it was a closet. It was a broom closet, let's face it. And it was tucked way way up

and out of the way. It was right next to like where the janitor keeps his mops and everything, and we we lived in our own world. Now it's a fish bowl. So now you have like hide like video and we have the whole crew and on the glass in front of us. I don't feel that way, but speaking in Lakisha, and we're gonna get into the week to preview in a second way if you've never listened

to the podcast before. Yeah, we we cover football. We're very full of ourselves, talked about ourselves to start each show. But it is a big change in the other they'll forgive us today. But I you know, I told Lakisha I was texting with I have a great idea, and

she was like what she sent him all years? And I said, well, you know, we talked about the Chris Westling dossier um being found before it's thrown out in the old office and uh, and we found it and it was an amazing story and we don't need to go down that road again. But I said, what if in this new studio, I had this idea, you know how,

like the Declaration of Independence? Um, I guess it's in Philadelphia in case if it's sitting on like a black platform and then like a bulletproof glass around it with some tasteful lighting down on it. Like what if it was in the corner of the studio and like no no labeling, no other explanation. And let me tell you something. Lukisha hated that idea. And they're not all winners, but I want to tell you that I thought that would be cool. Like if it looked like something that Nick

Cage would try to steal in a movie. That's a little sign on it. That's what was wrong with Well, she had a she had good reason. She wanted to hold on to it. She wanted link to see it one day, and she didn't trust that if it was left unattended all the time. But I just wanted you guys, most of these articles are absolutely destroying one of our thirty two bosses. Technically, Um, that's worth but it's gonna.

It's gonna. You returned to Lukisha after the show. But I liked the I mean, we're looking at it right now. Just let you know, Dan, you pulled it out of a Deffel bag. It's it's beautiful to witness. I want to just take one rant, be careful to like, if we national treasured this thing, that would have been a cool thing. I I think number one, it's it's okay that you had a good idea. Um, she you know, she has the final say on that, So that's how

that works. I told her, I'm an ideas man. Not all of them sums are swings and missus all right now, if you're curious. Mike Brown wasn't totally sure if all the TV money that they were generating was a good idea. Think alright, So this is Week two in the NFL. Coming up later tonight, Mark, I got more band news for you. You and I will be recapping against the

Washington Football Team Premier matchup, NFC East Classic match up there. Um, so you have a mini pod coming up this pot of course, will be our draft of the week, two UH teams games and also of course um a full breakdown of all the games. So as we do every preview show, we do a draft style. Ricky, did you have any pop culture questions to get us going today? I did not. I thought we were going to rotate because who got the last You got the first pick

last week, so I will be the last pick. Second question. That means Greg's second, The New Old blue Eyes is third. Fourth back to Greg, Mark snakes to Mark great podcast, Greg, New Old Blue Eyes, tug Boat Okay one too, Okay, three games each? You can head it all that out Here we go. It's taken behind the process, big week of action. Mark with the first overall pick in the week to draft, what game are you giving us? I?

Am going to go I think you think I'm gonna go Brown's Houston and lock up a game that most people would not even pick um out of the gate. No, I'm not. I'm gonna go New Orleans at Carolina. Greg. I'm sorry if that UM isn't affront to you because New Orleans is sort of your pet team. UM. But after what happened last week with both of these clubs inside this division, I find this to be a very spicy showdown. You know that I'm a Matt rule it um.

I'm big on Sean Payton, and I want to see if the if the Saints number one, because I think that one of the biggest questions coming out of last week's action was the Green Bay New Orleans contest. Are either one of those teams actually those teams or was that something that just happened in a bubble and we're going to find out who they really are The Saints last week, We're up twenty four to three before Jamis Winson had even thrown for a hundred yards. They ran

the ball thirty nine times. They you know they had they had to fifteen yard drives in the second quarter. They were four for four in the red zone. They didn't turn the ball over. If I told you all that and switched the name from Winston to Rogers, you would have no problem thinking that was Aaron Rodgers versus the Saints, a team that we're being counted out. They're banged up, they're injured, They've got some injuries on defense.

Eric McCoy is out of the mix. But I just trust Sean Payton to essentially coach this team up in a way that no other coach. Ken. You gotta lock it up again, Matt rule light team. I'm not going down that road. But I also look at Carolina and think, what who are they? Because what they did to the Jets with their and the Jets their offensive line. We'll talk about that later, but Carolina ten QB hits, eight pass deflections, a forced fumble on Zack Wilson, a pick

Shaq Thompson was all over the place. There's a lot of young talent on Carolina's defense. I love the way their offense is run by Brady and I just want to see this showdown. This, to me, is one of the more interesting clashes that are out there in Week two. I'm with you this Carolina defense. I think they're gonna be legit if you if you looked at their team, you would think that a defensive code you know, was

their coach, because they've drafted so much on defense. They're so young, And you're right, Shack Thompson wearing that number seven. He switched to the number seven like an hour before the game, just to mess with the opponent. I don't like. I don't like. I don't like that. Well, you can't keep changing. It only works week, I guess, but he did. He looked five years younger. But it's all these young guys up front. I like Gross Matos, I like Derek Brown.

We we've talked about Derek uh Brian Burns, and I'm with you. It's gonna be a much tougher test. I think for New Orleans that was just like a perfect game. That was everything coming together on a day where I think they felt like it was a playoff game. But you're right, Winston didn't even have over a hundred yards until he hit that lot last throw against Deante Harris. So I also like it because it's the best running back matchup possible. It's the two best running backs in

the league, and Alvin Kamara last week. He's just on another planet. I know Christian McCaffrey is technically probably as good that it's you know, you could pick one or the other. But there is something about the smoothness in the way that Camara runs and how good he is on the goal line that to me, he is on another planet. He is different than any running back I've ever seen. Well, I disagree because to say he's on another planet, are you saying from a talent skill like

playing style because he is not enough. There is something indefinable about the way he moves and plays football that is unlike. I am not arguing that. I am not arguing that. But what I will push back on is Christian McCaffrey. And we hadn't really seen him much. We saw him three games last year and by the way, in an injury Rex season last year, he played three times and was awesome in those three games, which should have been a heads up, Hey, this guy gets healthy,

he's gonna get right back at it. He's like the King. He might not be as smooth and as impressive a specimen in terms of his ability to kind of I love how Camara he just has that ability to you know, plant his foot and then dart to the end zone from four yards out. He does things different and he's like a beautiful running back. I think the thing with CMC is like when he gets the ball, he will

always turn it into a positive play. And I know if you give him even a little bit of space, it's always like most running backs will get seven, he'll get twelve. Like he's that guy. And even in a game where he was like not a breakout superstar performance against the Jets, he still had almost two under total yards. So it's like a pedestrian outing for him. I think he is going to put up numbers that dwarf any other running back in the league this year. Um if

he stays healthy. And I guess that's there's a challenge from that rule not to over work uh McCaffrey, but it's tough because he's so much better than everyone else on the team. The one other thought I would say with this game is it's very interesting because it was a snowball game for the Saints. It was a Murphy's Law bury the ball game for the Packers, so you almost lose, like, how what do you take out of

this game? Uh? And I thought with the Panthers. I I didn't know what to take out of their defensive performance because the Jets seems so unprepared and over match an offensive line. So I want to see both these

teams a week removed from those settings. That the Panthers offense scored three points in the second half last week, But I think the Panther's offense especially you know, one reason that CMC is gonna get I think he used a ton is because you're not gonna take Sam Donald and throw the ball forty five times with him until they kind of know what The people are so like looking to praise Sam Donald and be like thee I

told you he's fine. That it's like they're overreacting to last week's game, which he was Okay, he was fine. He got rid of the ball quickly and actually used the fact that he has a cannon for an arm, which is nice. You know, Adam Gates didn't really do that. But when he has to get to a second read or make like any sort of creative play, we'll see. They're so well coached. I am with you on that

mark that they are a very well coached team. They're two coaches also who were nice to you at the UH at the owner's meeting, which is basically the maid. Matt Rule came up to me out of thin air and said, Hi, I'm coach Rule. Good to meet you. I said, hi, Mark Cessler, and all he needed to know. You know, we had match and I been on the show this week that if you give me any sort of compliment, I'm with you until the end. You cannot melt it away. I have no integrity on the reporting side.

Bradley Roby will play for the Saints here, but they are short in the secondary this week. Paulson Adibo their their rookie. There's no will be playing, but there's no Lattimore, there's no Davenport upfront. They have really been hit with injuries pretty hard. All right. The number two pick goes to Greg. I mean, I'm so glad you didn't take this. The only real game on the slate that I wanted more than any other was Tony Romo, Jim Nance, Justin Herbert,

dak Prescott Eastern. Are you kidding me? The rest of those afternoon games not even in the same ballpark, two of my favorite quarterbacks to watch, and Justin Herbert, I I apologize to Justin Herbert because he was my guy last year. He's one of the best rookie quarterbacks of all time. I like just love watching and I spent the whole off stud like, oh, is Joe Lombardi gonna ruin him? Julie. It's like no, no, like a quarterback

like Aaron Rodgers or Justin Herbert or Patrick Mahomes. And I think this is the level that this kid can get to. He is gonna overcome whatever the system is. I'm not slamming Joe Lombardi, but he's gonna make it look good. And and it was a totally different offense last week by the Chargers. He wasn't touched. He got rid of the ball quickly. His arm strength matters because you just he he throws it into zones before the

cornerbacks can get there. I loved it because he didn't have to do some any crazy place, but you know he can because we've seen it. So it's almost like more dangerous. It's like a crazy guy act insane, Like you know, he can go crazy if he needs to, but he doesn't even need to right now. You know, it's funny because you you gave that man plenty of

love last year, and West also loved him. So you guys like kind of took up all the oxygen in the room for Justin Herbert love, which was fine, Um, but I can as a result, I kind of stepped back. It's like, Okay, they're gonna be on this Justin Herbert beat. I'm gonna focus on other places this season. When I went into that game, Um, First of all, even though he had the fumble throw thing that went through the end zone and then he threw a pick, so he

wasn't perfect. But Justin Herbert is a savage from the pocket. That is, and you'll hear me say that many times this season. Justin Herbert is a savage in the pocket. What he did, that's gonna be a catchphrase. Er, that's a catchphrase. Put that on a T shirt or on a poster, because he is a savage in the pocket. First down completions in the fourth quarter on third down all four seventeen, Laser nineteen, Laser twenty, Laser nine Laser game over. Washington Football team not a push over defense

by any stretch. They could not stop the savage. And on top of it, I mean they had the most drops in the league last week. It took a while for his whiteouts too kind of warm up, I think with him. And so let's say that doesn't so that was an aberration. You remove that they're even more dangerous, and you know this whole thing that you know, just a couple of people like Justin Herbert, I mean he I'm not trying to claim him oxygen. There was a

lack of oxygen within how the show works. Within the first two or three weeks, they were just I we were we were saying this, you don't need to wait to see the greatness. I'm just saying you saw it right away. And I think the Tyrod Taylor is a by all accounts, a wonderful person. But what would our lives be had that medical technician not um in, you know, in process the faulty medical shot. I think I don't know.

I think it made the same except become he takes over in week four instead of weeks just that it's incredible that after what we thought of Justin Herbert, you know, coming out of Hard Knocks, which was which was in a ridiculous way to judge someone, but he seemed a little punchless and milk toast on Hard knocks and a little lost and then instead. The one thing about him

is he is physically tough. When he gets knocked and hit hard, I mean, he just gets right back up and like he also seems like a very wholesome individual. Um Erica sent us a video of him carrying the football from the field into the locker room and ultimately gives it to Brandon Staley, who is the other difference on this team. This isn't the team because I'm gonna steal the oxygen on Brandon's at a studio desk and we're gonna start pointing at each other like we're Stephen

staring at screens for you know you are. You're the Brandon Staley guy. You've had that beat covered last year. It early last year. Is that rules now? It's well, I'm on that beat too, well Staley versus multiple beats. You might be missing a beat if you're on too many beats. I can do both. It's too a lot of teams that we got to talk about them all like three times a week, the Cowboys, by the way,

and the Cowboys friends. Like wait a second, when you're preview in the game with Americas, you only talk about America's team. That's how it looks. No, we're talking about the other team more this week. But the Cowboys they are who I thought they were. We talked about it on the power ranks with that Money Smith. I think they're gonna be awesome on offense. I think they're gonna struggle to get stops on defense until they prove otherwise.

That's how I see it. I don't put a lot into the turnovers last week, and I think they're going to struggle in this game to stop just well, yeah, we're burying the lead on their defense. To Marcus Lawrence broke his foot at practice this week. Do you want to know how many times did the Dallas defense touched Tom Brady last week or their defensive line? It was zero one. They got one hit on Tom Brady and it was a safety, and that in DeMarcus Lawrence had

a great game. He had a vintage game. I was like, Okay, if they get vintage de Marcus Lawrence. I know he didn't get the QB hits, but a ton of pressure, is very active in the run game. Is easily their best player on defense. He's now out for two months. Randy Gregory, who's their other starting pass rusher is on the COVID list and is unlikely to play in this game.

No Dallas defensive lineman made a play. Meanwhile, you've got all this money in draft capital in Vander esh and Jalen Smith, who combined for thirty one snaps last week. I'm fascinated by that situation. The only reason why I give the the Cowboys any chance in this game is Dak Prescott with those two receivers, even without Gallup, who has also hurt. That one kind of slipped under the radar. He's on I R they had a really tough injury week.

Is one of the only guys who I think could possibly Outsmart Brandon's daily because I think before the snap, Dak Prescott is the guy who is kind of taking over for Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady is like the next guy who is just like winning from the neck up. But otherwise you don't give him much of a chance at all. And that's why I'm locking up the charge. Look at you, all right, I thought that was coming. I was wondering where I kind of forgot. And by the way, we need to clean it up as a group.

That was That was a catastrophe in week one all of us. Not only do we lose our locks, our respected teams are blown out and then the Westling brothers they got involved. They lost too. So you know, Ricky, we had to take her off the game because she was you know, well we didn't even talk about that. Was like, no, she's out, and you know I felt bad for your dad. He was really upset. Yeah, well upset about your performance last year, that you weren't involved

this year. No that I wasn't involved. You want to get guys are supposed to protect you. I wasn't aware of this drama. She was just not involved in the low I wanted to and Greg said no, It said Greg, why I don't remember that? I wasn't there for that. It was unslacked because she cheated and then she quit. Never cheated. Definitely cheating, Yeah what I mean what that's part that once you admit to it, that'd be fine. That's something you should be. You know, she's out, but

then she quit. She just stopped doing it halfway to have locked in week one, like well I wanted to do the rams, but that wasn't I'll give it to your one or no, they were they were over there. They were over the limit too. I think a one a one game suspension, that's all that was. It was just a one game, So give me a loss then for week one. No, I don't want to do that. If you pick the rams, we'll give it to you.

It's not I I do believe like a woman, you know, to quote the great great Omar, you know, played by the late great Michael Kay Williams, like a woman's got a coat. I gotta have a code if you cheat in the game, if you're in a competitive game and you cheat, and then you quit. On top of the cheating, the quitting was really the part that got me more stopped playing, Like there's suddenly more, this is something. This is tense. I mean, what are we what is happening here?

You're allowed back in the typically like doesn't care about anything, all of a sudden, now he has principle. He doesn't want I ever said about the locks. My problem with it is that if you're gonna have a game, it has to have rules. Eventually, we kind of made these rules. Seems like you're bending over backwards to kick Eric out of the game, which is called if if you if you cheat and you quit. You gotta respect the game, Ricky, I got your back. Thank you, you're back. Nice to her.

She listen, she had a tough season. I don't want to be around anymore. She had a tough season. Maybe she made some mistakes. But raise your hand if you've never made a mistake. I've definitely never cheated and then quit in a competitive game. Right, let's move on. Let's move on. You lock up. Let's keep talking about that for another ten to twelve minutes. All right, I'm up. M hmm, all right, Daddy Rich is gonna roll. This is the fourth name you've put on yourself during the show.

It's very confusing. Got to speed it up here, all right, here we go. Let's pick up the pace here. I will love this. A f c S matchup Buffalo at Miami. Let's go, let's do it. Love it. Did not get two worked up about the Bills performance. Not real. It was a little bit surprised by the offensive line. No showing there against Pittsburgh. Um, But like the coaching staff, love the roster. Obviously, I think they bounced back. And for me, the Dolphins at home here, I'm not taking

this game. Third. Overall, it's in Buffalo. But the fact that it's the Bills on the road in Miami against the Dolphins team, as you put it, well, Greg, last week they kind of Outpatriots. The Patriots, they just find a way to ugly things up and keep things closed. The Steelers did it to the Bills in Week one. Could the Dolphins do the same thing? Uh in Week two? And if they do, do we start to get a little nervous about the Bill's offense not being what it

was last year. Mark I, I really think that we're looking at a Week one scenario where the Steelers are a bad matchup for Buffalo. We talked about that on the Sunday Night Show. You could last year's matchup it was ugly for Buffalo on some to some degree they won. But you know, last week Allen was one for eight on pass of twenty yards. Little things like the flea flicker they attempted that was swatted down by the Steelers last year. That play works and because something electric, it

becomes a highlight. He took off on a scramble, he was stripped by t J. Watt, another mistake. They had two turnovers on downs. It just didn't go well for them. Five holding six holding penalties by the offensive. I'm with you, John Feliciano was abused last week. If that state, if that continues offensive line problems, I do think you have an issue because that's the kind of thing that can

on spool an offense. But last year or over, in four games against the Brian Flores, Josh Allen has a twelve to one touchdown and this has been a beautiful matchup for It's been great. And Stephon Diggs last year lit him up for about two and twenty nine yards over two matchups. So I like that. I like that. I liked for Buffalo the environment just because of the history. But I think there's a little bit of pressure for them to get off the schneide after last week. I mean,

they just weren't fresh. I think it's the biggest week to games just in terms of like the shape of the season and what matters from a contending standpoint, because yes, Dan, if if they lose in any fashion, there two games back in the division. I know you've got fifteen to play, but you're O and two and your two games back of the Dolphins and you're already down one, then you're

then you start to get a little concerned. The Dolphins don't have the defense to do the same game plan that Pittsburgh had, which was not rush anyone, drop everyone into coverage, force Alan to make decisions and make throws. That's not what Miami does. They don't have the players up front, and they blitz like crazy. Hasn't really worked against Josh Allen in the past, and I don't I'm

tending to think it won't work this week. But the offensive line issues you brought up has one sort of X factor that I haven't heard many people talk about. Dion Dawkins. They're highly paid left tackle, said he thought he was gonna die from COVID. He was in the hospital for a long time. If this had happened a year before, it would have been a huge story and highly paid NFL athlete who was worried that he might lose his life and was in really tough shape. He

hadn't played any meaningful snaps since then. He was he was run over last week, and he's like a guy that went on to be great. It's very possible that it's just a bad week, you know, and that he just needed to get into game shape. But I'd be a little concerned about that. If I'm a Bill saying he lost thirty pounds or something like that while he was in the hospital, it was not a small and that's not typically their natural body weight. They artificially at

weight where you're an offensive line. Um. Yeah, So we'll see if the Bills come out of this building, they're flying back to Western New York and they just put up seventeen points, I would wonder if some doubts starts creeping in. All Right, what's happening here? Well? Last week, however, however, I didn't like what I saw from to A in

Week one. I know he made a couple of plays, but man, some of those, some of those mistakes he makes, it makes me think that he might be one of those guys that every once in a while you're just scratching your head once a quarter, once a half about something he did. That's what it looks like in week one. I need to see more from him. The Dolphins need to see more from him. Will Fuller's back, but he also misspractice undiscoosed injury with an injury, So something to

keep an eye on, not even injury undisclosed. Something's cooking. There may be kidnapped and then they've they've found him. I mean anything, anything could be happy about it. We don't know. But anyway, I believe in the Bills. I believe they'll be okay, and I believe they get right in Miami. So I am locking up the Buffalo Bills. We allowed to say spreads here. I don't even know. Yeah, we can say them, we can't. Are favored by three and a half. I think they're gonna that's a good number.

And I think they're gonna win. And uh, the last game we're talking about by the desert, don't be afraid to look over your shoulder. I don't know. Can I say that. You could say there's gonna be a lot of points. We can say the say this, but this was a tough one. I took the Dolphins just to cover. But Dolphins fans calmed down, they got their backs up with toa It's the whole thing. When you have a young quarterback that's up and down. It's like the Trabisky

thing in Chicago, it's darnal in New York. It's every quarterback two is not at that level. But we can point out facts, which is he looked great when they had a quick game last week when he got the ball out quick and the kind of the play call one for him and he's good at that stuff and they're gonna do that. But when he had to hold the ball, it was a disaster. You want to talk about pressure. A couple of times he held the ball

last week. The Patriots won every down if they if they play poorly and two has a bad day, that's gonna be a big story heading into a week Week three from Miami. Al Right, it uh snakes to me and what what the hell? I'll sweep out the a FC East. I can't. I can't risk it Gregg taking patch jets um, So I will grab it and I'll tell you what I am noivous um after watching Patriots. By the way, Bill, what are you doing? You're the greatest coach of all time? Now, what are we doing

a TV studio show with Zolac for? What's that about? He's probably obligated to. I don't think he's doing it for his own enjoyment. I think Bill can do whatever he wants. Yeah, I mean it's like a Patriots per auction. But I think Dan's right and Bill is definitely dictating

the terms of whatever that involvement is. It's it's the thing where he is it the same thing he does every year now zolex involved, but it's he just breaks down, like one play a week, he comes in and talks about a thing he probably put his foot down on. He like came into the studio or he came up on the monitor and he saw Zola He's like, take off those sunglasses. Let me ask you know that Zolac knows that Belichick doesn't respect him, and that's all Belichick needs.

Would you rather talk to a former quarterback, even even if it's Zolak And I don't know Zolac personally, but we've got issues with him on the show, or or just some sort of reporter JABRUNI Well, it depends on the reporter. I feel like he'd rather talk to Mike greath and the Tom cerr And al right, so this is what this is what my point is. My point is not to talk Zolac. It's to talk Bellichick. Studying the Zach Wilson tape and this is on Twitter. You

could find it check it out. Um and Belichick going through not just one play, going through an entire game of footage um of Zack Wilson, and he was complimentary and UM, it's just it's interesting seeing Belichick breakdown tape and and I'm just thinking he's saying all these nice things, but you just know the boy who shall lead them is in grave danger because the hooded one is planning

something dire. So he's he's you know, he's on an autopilot going through the video and he's got zolac, you know, they're so he just feeding zolac what he needs. But you know, as watch the tape, he's studying Zach Wilson and he wants to ruin Zach Wilson. And Zach Wilson doesn't need more to help people trying to ruin him because his own offensive line almost got him killed last week.

Ten hits, six sacks, and now I will say this, as bad as the old line was last week against the Panthers, um, and it's not gonna get better because McKay Beckton's out at least six weeks with the knee injury. Wilson was responsible for some of those sacks as well. And that's just the issue when you have a first year quarterback with limited experience who ran a college um Ran was the college program that didn't have really a true pro offense where you have to make decisions in

the same way a pro quarterback does. Things are gonna take a while for Wilson to be comfortable in this setup. But from a positive stand positive standpoint was Wilson was when he was getting destroyed in that second half. It kind of could have snowballed and he would have had

a nothing burger game. Instead, he threw two touchdowns. He got drilled late in the game and got up and throw a beautiful touchdown past the Corey Davis, and I just thought there was a lot of good there, and it's just like, you cannot get this kid hurt because if they do what they did yet last week on that line and their protect protection schemes and Michael floores on on the spot here too, to be smart about this protecting the boy, he won't make it till October.

So that's a big thing I'm worried about. In this game. I was a little throne by how punished he was because I thought in this MICHAELA Floor offense that if anything, it's quarterback friendly and you find ways for to keep your quarterback safe. I kind of like that he had to go through so much last week because it taught me a lot about him. I didn't watch this game till last night, and UM, I'll make it justin Herbert comparison because it brought me a fair amount of excitement.

And you know, I'm at the point now I think there was a a Jets Brown's kind of rivalry between Dan and I because they were both in such dark places. But I am rooting for this guy because I find him to be a rugged human who every single time he got lamb based in last week got up and there are things he does with his arm, and I think Belichick at least um honestly complimented him about his live arm and what he can do outside of the pocket.

He's exciting to watch. I have never watched the Jets game with a quarterback like this, and so I think, no matter what the results are, UM arrow him, help you do and I like they had to come up with a better plan. But you you mentioned this on Twitter two because everyone likes Joe Douglas the Jets GM is first of all, if you picked the right quarterback,

everyone's gonna love him. But he's had years to get this line together and they poured, They've used draft picks, they've tried to make it work, but it's still not working. And the only thing you worry about. And I think of guys like Tim Couch back in the day, but there's fifty of these people that if you get too battered, that you start to lose it from the neck up. And does that affect you in year two and beyond?

I mean, you just cannot have him too punished. I tend to believe if you're the guy, you'll be the guy. And Zach Wilson, I think he looks like the guy to me. I think Zach, you know, to put it on a Patriots be fan being nervous about it. Zach Wilson has what Bill Belichick can't plan for, though, which is he's just like not afraid and he can make plays on his own. And those are the quarterbacks who have traditionally given Bill Belichick the biggest problems. Cam Newton

and his prime certainly Patrick Mahomes. The guys who's like, what am I gonna call for that? And yes, you can confuse the protection scheme the Panthers did last week. I don't know if the Patriots are good upfront, as as the Panthers are. I was not impressed by the Patriots defense last week. I thought they were lucky that they only gave up sixteen points. They didn't, you know, we there was a lot of buzz about them. They

didn't win a lot of one on one matchups. Um, you would think Belichick, you're right, can can cook him up a little bit. But he's got he's got that that thing you can't teach. I think it's gonna be fascinating though the offensive line conversation. There was a report that the Patriots were gonna take Elijah Avera Tucker. The paid the Jets first round pick, which the Jets gave up a third to move up ahead of New England. It's a it's a totally crazy sliding doors moment because

they wouldn't have drafted mac Jones. I have a hard time believing that like that, you know it's a report. Is that maybe the report's not right because they wouldn't have traded Matt you wouldn't have drafted mac Jones, and then everything would be very very I'm not panicking totally on the offensive line yet, but it is true. I think Joe Douglas has gotten a lot of rope early on here because he took over and uh, you know in a strange situation with Gaye getting the GM hired.

But now these are all his guys. These are all the guys he brought in, including, like Greg said, trading up to get the guard that he wanted, McKay Beckton, who's starting to get me nervous about can that guy stay healthy? Um, there are things that need to start to click there. And I think with Belichick, as we know, um, he likes to say, Okay, who's the guy the quarterback loves and trusts? Okay, for so far is Zack Wilson. It's Corey Davis. So I expect Corey Davis to have

some issues in this game. So Elijah Moore a camp hero, is he gonna be able to step up Jamison Crowder if he's back, is he able gonna make some place? Can the running game get going? You can't give it

to the kid and say do everything it doesn't work out. Um, I'll be interested to see how aggressive they let mac Jones be throwing, because it seems pretty clear the biggest weakness on the Jets is their secondary in their cornerbacks, and you would think the recipe here is don't be too conservative, throw the ball a lot, but they saw but he got hit a lot last week, and they they did call it pretty conservative for most of the game. So I'd like to see them be a gress. We'll see,

just I'm not feeling as confident. I feel as like the odds makers are. They're pretty heavy favorites, six point favorites, and Patriots fans are just thinking like this is an eleven twelve one team, all right, let's see it. And the Jets Patriots rivalry is just in a different place now than it than it was. Brady's gone now, gaze has gone to It's just like a whole different five two things. Mac Jones refusing the first touchdown ball is just like I know that stuff. It's just it's relentless,

like just keep the ball. He was going to be a Patriot enough. He waves it away and then the other thing. And I saw it immediately in reports, and this is the carrying of the water up there in New England, the reporters and everything. It's like Damien Harris brutal fumble there cost them the game. I understand. Xavian Howard, by the way, is a All Pro player who just made a great play, and immediately it's like, Okay, he's gonna be in the doghouse. The other kid that fumble

is gonna be in the doghouse. These guys will never get a main role in the offense. Again, All these things are gonna happen. Can we just calm down. Can a guy make him a steak? Can running back make a mistake in New England and live the tale? I mean, let's see scale. When you're as good as Damien Harris, who is clearly the best running back on the team

and looked awesome, then Bell doesn't. It's more a coverage thing of the Patriots, I think than even a Patriots thing, although of course there is something to it, Like I hope Damien Harris and not just because he's on my fantasy team, but it doesn't doesn't hurt. I hope Damian Harris doesn't get seven carries on Sunday because he fumbled once in a game. I'm not worried about that. But historically some of the backs that have fumbled were never

seen again by their families or anyone. So was there that was on Wes's radar. Who was a guy Jonas Gray who went over two hundred yards in his first game and then fumble that he was late for practice. West. Yeah, West never forgave I mean, change his life for not letting him play. He's imagined that. Imagine you go for two hundred yards and four touchdowns on Sunday Night football, and then your iPhone battery dies and you wake up and it's nine am at Patriots practice at A That's

what happened. I'm sure he went to bed earlier. I'm sure there was nothing else going on there with wife practice. Greg, you're up, Okay, I'm getting I got my dream draft. I really only wanted two games. I got them both. The second one is the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the San Francantino forty Niners. I picked the upset on the dot com. I took the Eagles to win this game because I think they're gonna be a tough matchup for teams right now. I still think the forty Niners are just a better

team and they're gonna have a great season. But I think this is a tough spot because like Baltimore a few years ago, and like some of these teams that run college type offenses. I don't know how easy they're gonna be to prepare for this Eagles team before they put some tape on the board, and I think they're gonna be able to throw new wrinkles in every week. I loved what Sirianna showed last week. They also were pretty creative defensively, but that's more just assist to me

see elsewhere. They're running a college type of running game, and the Lions had some success running up the middle against San Francisco. I think that might be the weak part of their defense if you can, and I think they can shorten games, and I think it's early in the season. I love the Jalen Hurts Nick Sirianni handshake. They got a special handshake. Did you see that? I

have like they're vibing. It's good, you know, like it teaches me a lesson because like Nick Sirianni was a joke to us for much of the off season because he is not necessarily like CEO front facing speech giver man. Although I swear he's gained ten pounds of muscles since then. It also like those speeches have gone away. But don't you I feel like we are gonna think completely different about Nick Sirianni by the end of the season, and we already do. I mean, he looks like a good

higher right. I always wondering, I'm I'm getting overly carried away because I love the Eagles, But I do think it's like a fun offense. They created a perfect offense for for Jalen Hurts, and it's like he's sort of Sirianni said, like, like my whole thing was and there are coaches that are not like this. Even still in He's like, I want to go in and build it around the players that we have, And like, I loved what I saw from Demontes Devanto Smith last last week.

I mean they needed one of these wide receivers to step up. Jalen Reagor had a good game for once. I mean that wasn't the case last year. And Next Gen Stats points out that Jalen Hurts his average pass traveled three point seven yards past the line of scrimmage, shorter and shortest of any started the league. That's yards after the catch. That's putting him into a scenario where

he can complete passes. He was twenty seven for thirty five and he absolutely does defensive coordinators on the ground. Here's the thing with that, it's like that's good, but good, good defensive coaches and better defenses are going to clamp down on that. That's what he has a deep ball too, though, And guess what the Falcons. Listen, we don't want to make too much of anything in week one, but they could be two and fifteen the way they looked in

that game. So they're They're one of the teams the Eagles that I'm I opened my mind more, my mind more than any other team. Like okay, maybe, yeah, okay, I see this now, but I also you have to factor in that the Falcons were a joke in Week one, so they didn't show up. So it's like, what do I take a team to do? Though? You blow out? Um, that's why, really I'm excited to see how they look against the team that's prepared and has more talent level

than the Falcons. One reason that Eagles are not a fluke. And it's like, you know, we know this, we knew this coming into the year to some degrees, all in offensive line, defensive line. That's that's how you win, go win ten games, even if you're lesser and stay healthy. So they hooked up Henry's boy Jordan my Latta hadn't mentioned it to a massive extension before the season. Yeah. Some people thought was like, oh, this is too early, like why are you paying this guy who hasn't totally

proven it yet? And I thought it was really smart because they got a little bit of a discount on a guy they've seen all offseason continue to develop and they believe he can be a top five left tackle and the way he played last week, he already And they just have those running plays where Lane Johnson and Kelsey and my Latta are destroying opponents that just kind of get you out of your seat if they if this is who Jalen Hurts is on a week to week basis still win ten or eleven games well, and

he's on on an audition, so good good. First, he can hit guys when you do protect for him, he can hit open guys, which sounds like not an obvious like and that's sort of like the baseline of whether you're a starting quarterback, like at least to be like an Andy Dalton. All right, Mark, you're up, all right, I'm gonna go. Uh. The Minnesota Vikings one wait one thing. Sorry to interrupt you, Ricky, I know you wanted to jump in. Yeah, definitely. I think that the forty Niners

are still figuring their stuff out. I mean, Trey Lance through the first touchdown for the forty Niners last week and go off through a pick six, So like that score, I don't necessarily think they haven't. As much as I trust Shanahan. There's so many injuries too that they're dealing with. And I'm gonna go ahead and side with Greg here, but I'm going to lock up the Eagle underdog. Alright. I like it, Ricky. Now are you okay with that? Does that make up for the RAMS lock? I mean, well,

the RAMS one doesn't count. She she volunteered to take a loss. I'm willing to consider. No, we said, she knew. You got to know the rules too. That was like, are we going we're going back down this avenue? Well, I don't know, Mark. You put it, well, it's dense, it's a dense and thorny and confusing. Uh, and it's it's trailing away from us. All right, go ahead, Mark, I as mentioned, I'm gonna go Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals,

and it is not because of the Minnesota Vikings. Yeah, they were kind of an annoying team to watch in Week one. Yeah, I has a twelve penalties, I mean a penalty ridden, um mistake prone team, and you know, Mike Zimmer obviously just more annoyed than ever. Her cousins through for three fifty one yards in that game. No, you and Zimmer are kind of kissing cousins in a

lot of ways. Like I see, if I had to say, who's the NFL coach you I most connect with, Mark, it's Zimmer really just like always kind of like ready like that. It's it checks out a lot of things that are yours. Kind of the coach I'm most worried about just um like just having too much stress in his life. I will, I'll process that. I'm not sure that I that the comparison, but a guy that's respected and everyone likes him now a lot of cooking a

lot of cooking and behind the eyes. Well, I'm not sure what I feel about Cliff Kingsbury yet, but um, I do think that last week, if anything, took some heat off a coach that you know, I think we put on the hot seat in one of our podcasts, not too far back, one of the hottest butts, one of the hottest butts. And one thing about the Cardinals physically, No,

well I don't know. He's he works out, but that's not what would mean No, no major issues there um Kyler Murray and we talked about offensive lines a minute ago. He went out of his way to say that Rodney Hudson, their center, has made an absolute ton of world of differentners.

Get rid of this guy, I don't under God. And good job by the Cardinals because there are a hundred teams, well there's only thirty teams, but there are a bunch of teams that could have used Roddy Harritt Hudson, and he went to the Cardinals on a on a trade that wasn't too rough in terms of what they had to give up to get him. Yeah, and we questioned their offseason the A. J. Green and J. J. Watt beyond the prime potentially, But Hudson has been a home run.

And I think that's for me as a reason to believe that what happened last week, there's no fluky nature to what happened last week for the Cardinals for me, yes, somewhat. Chandler Jones getting five sacks won't happen again four thousand generations. But um, it does tell you that they're able to generate pressure, that their defense looked so much better than

I thought it would a week ago. And Kyler Murray is an m VP candidate, and I had kind of fallen out of belief in Kyler Murray a little bit, or I just started to question it was it was hurt down the stretch. But also, you know our friend Jason Zumwald, Um, I think he makes a good point that his bickering about the Cardinals over the off season was tied to some degree about the fact that so much of the team, our guys were like five nine

and five ten and shorter. But when you've got the speed and when you can produce what are we doing here? It's enjoyable. It's enjoyable. Um. I just can't wait to watch the Cardinals. You know, in live It's it happened. This is also at four oh five. Well, it's not into teams short. I mean, I take offense. I don't know where he's at today. I think his movie The probably that many short guys other than Rondell Moore and Greg like He's not taking a shot at you being

five six point two. He's talking about footballs putting the ceiling on the athletic potential of short people, um, which has been done forever. I don't think you were included in the critique, but I'll check back with him on that. In fact, I'm not even sure what the critique is on his On his part, I will note this game is at four oh five, which is the way I like to do things. Get you get well, not the first games going forever, but you want to get that

four o'clock versus running late. You're banged in a big spot. It's you know, suddenly I'm tracking three games, um, you know, and bad job by you guys. I gotta say, what do you mean that, DLin Cook? I can't believe they that that changed that game and not I'm not saying the Vikings even deserved to win that game because the Bengals were even. Dalvin Cook didn't complain. He said it was a bang bang player and Dalvid Cook's gotta hold onto the ball. But I am just surprised. We're like

shocked that that was ruled a fumble. He was on his butt and the ball is still in his hands, and then they went and they reviewed it, and I know, you gotta stick with the call in the field, but if like if you see his buttocks like super slow motion and you didn't have the great anger, that's just a huge call to make in that spot. I guess hold onto the ball down the cook. I see that side of it too. I just mean, yeah, I'm not into getting mad at like replays anymore unless it's like incredible.

It's like we're we're it's like if you have to slow it down, it's I don't know, never as obvious as people make it. I don't think the Vikings were quite as bad as as I just find. My cousins played well, but their offensive line was was a problem. That's the reason the reason I picked the Cardinals. I like them to cover three and a half points is their defense Vance Joseph. I think people got to start

given Vance Joseph a little love. I love the way that Buddha Baker and these guys we don't even know about, Byron Murphy and Robert Alfred who hasn't played in like seven years, were just flying away there around There was some sort of like energy there that was that was special. We actually interviewed Robert Alfred one one evening. I don't recall that a number of years. Mark, all right, I'm

gonna go Cleveland Houston. I don't think it's a premier matchup, um, but I would say this, I want to just see after what the Texans did last week, the nervous Browns fan and me could could kind of go to the place like is this trap game potential? I think Cleveland, you have to look at what the Browns did again in Kansas City. They had the most yards in the league last week. They had four touchdown drives of seventy five yards or more. They had eight new starters on

defense and still hung around for the most part. I mean, they didn't stop Kansas City on any level, but you look at that first half. It was mistakes that undid them. And here's the other thing. They held the Chiefs running backs to forty nine yards. Houston wants to run the ball with four different running backs. They run and running all day long and keep a safe environment for Tyrod Taylor. There's no excuse for Cleveland not to win this game.

And also the one thing about the Browns now, I want to see where Jeddrick Wills is because uh, Chris Hubbard came in and did not play well at left tackle. And if you want to go back two seasons ago to that's when chaos started for Baker Mayfield. When those play well, I mean, it's it just gets worse and worse. So it's that that that that's a concert. It was. I have no internet, so I am unable to give you an answer to that. You could research that we're

getting getting us not expected to play. They're not going to announce it. It feels like he's week to week it Fields. I mean, if anything, it was like a sigh of relief that it wasn't a season entrance. That's what it looked like in the game to two new faces for Cleveland. Malik McDowell along the defensive line. Um was a beast last week and they if if he continues that a pace, they may have a top seven defensive line and that would be scary to think about. Uh. Secondly,

I think we all saw Anthony Schwartz his speed. They used him right away. He had sixty yards in the first quarter that used him on a seventeen yards sweep. I think if you're Kevin Stefanski. You love that you have this new aspect. We don't have Ojil O'Dell Beckham in this game. That's the only big news I love, Schwartz. I think they're being safe with Odell. I don't. I know, it's like, let's raise panic signals but not panic signals.

But I think they're just being very cautious because honestly, here's well he well, I mean, a year ago he was the final piece for this team, we were told, but I'm saying a week ago he's warming up on the field the four week one, thinking about whether I'm playing or not, and then three days later on Wednesday,

he's ruled out. And it's just like, hmm, well, it's this, I mean, the timeline of his recovery compared to plenty other A C. L or hooveries, it's clear that it's not going well, but it's hard to know much more than that. In in maybe when he does return he'll be fine. Swartz Um, you know, I love celebrating a Schwartz here on Jewish holiday. Yam Kapoor, you know they're

making us work on that. I think that's unfair. That is that it is Fineman and oh, I don't actually observe, So Gregg's had to come into the office for an hour and forty minutes, and I was lodging a complaining sort of tucking my cheek. I've never You're right, though, Kleiman and Schneider are big observers. Hi Holidays. McDowell is

turning from one of the best stories of training camp. Hey, here's this guy whose career was over because of the a TV accident and he made a team years later to like one of the best pickups in the entire NFL that they basically got this total diff maker who looks like Shaquille O'Neal out there, the largest defensive lineman i've i've ever seen, Malik McDowell. That's what Andrew Berry does.

We undersaw Tyrod uh not undersold them, but like I didn't make a big enough deal because I didn't have a chance to really zoom in on that game last week. If they get this Tyrode all season, they're gonna be That game was outrageous. He was one of the you know, five or six best quarterbacks in the league. But people do forget from seventeen. I went and checked the old QB Index I was just curious. Uh, Tyrode's end of your ratings were fifteen, seventeen seventeen. It was a solid quarterback.

Maybe he's only thirty two years old. He could be again. I think it would be truly enjoyable to see the Texans kind of go a weird nine and eight and tell everyone right and I feel better. I've thought about that, Mark, because they'd be kind of a to get behind. But they're also deactivating Deshaun Watson every week and are totally two faced with the media about that and to me have covered themselves um an inglorious fashion on at a team level of how they've handled it. So it's look,

it makes me hard to wrap my mind. It's convoluted. I'm just saying for the Tyrod Taylor's, the Mark Ingram's, the Philip Lindsay's of the world, the people that have nothing to do with that, like they have been told all offseason, you are floating trash. How about your boy Mark not Mark with the sea. He looked pretty good. I thought his career was kind of overt This Brown schedule, Dan's counting out the Texans maybe three wins. See, this is where if I had the internet that mark ingram

drop ready we got okay, the casey narrow loss. You've got the Texans. Look at this mark you got the Browns, I mean the Bears at home next week and then off to Minnesota. So pick up a dub here, get some momentum going. Let's on, Greg. Oh no, this is where not as prepared as I could be. But I'll just take I'll just take a random game. Let's go Tampa Bay Atlanta. That's early right, Uh, that is a late game. Set yourself up with after you already up at the body. We can take it back. We could

totally take it. Have taken it back. Look, yeah, rule, what are what's the game if it doesn't have rule? We ever said that as a rule? What are the rules of the rules and a rule? All right, let's do uh, we'll do Bucks Falcons at this point. Uh, what a disaster for the Falcons to have to play that team. I don't mean last week, because that was a disaster, but what about the Dean pas revenge game former Patriots old defensive coordinator against his old buddy Tom Brady.

There's just nothing they could possibly do to slow down this gear's offense. It's just nothing. They got ten days to plan for this team, the Bucks that was winning outside the numbers against cornerbacks and safeties. He was moving really well. He if he played like that throughout the season, that is a different element to their offense. Geo Bernard, your boy made a diving catch on their game winning

drive on I think it was third down. That was better than any route or any catch that the Buccaneers had from a running back all year. And I when I saw that play again, I was like, Oh, that's gonna register with Tom Brady, you know what I mean, Like, we don't want old old playoff Lenny and Ronald Jones

out here. I want my boy, Geo. When it matters, I would say this like The Athletic noted that the Falcons were the only team that did not produce a single gain of twenty plus yards last week, and they were of two offenses that didn't score a touchdown. If you want a bright spot, because I covered that game last week and after the first quarter it looked like it was going to be competitive and fiery from wire to wire, and then the Falcons fell off a cliff.

But the first two drives they drove down to Philly's nine and three yard line. They were both field goals. But if you watch those first two drives, that's what I think Arthur Smith wants to do Matt Ryan offensively. But I mean, they just they just have to do that right. They cannot be that bad again. But we keep talking about offensive lines. There's was a hot mess

last week, and you don't trust that. I'm gonna be super annoyed by the way if if we went through the entire draft process being told that Kyle Pitts is a legitimate god and then he does what every rookie tight end does, which is go for one week. I just I'm just getting it's it's on my radar because I will because you already already pulled this routine with me with O. J. Howard a couple of years ago. And this guy and that guy and this guy and that guy. Do not hit me with a bunch of

four two for Kyle Pitts. And my other thought with Ronck is I hope I hope he stays healthy. Um, I also know he's older, the body gets beat up as the season goes along. We might not see that version again at any point last year or the year before.

I'm just saying I hope he is able to stay healthy, he doesn't get dinged up and becomes lumbering Gronk again, because it was pretty cool to see him carving up um that secondary And also like man if Antonio Brown is going to be Antonio Brown again, if Gronk is going to be even close to that with Godwin and they didn't even need Mike Evans in Week one. By the way, Tom Brady is literally having another peak of

his career. He is making more big time throws than he did you according to PF at any point in his career, and it doesn't surprise me. It kind of goes back to people who thought his arm was going to like his arm streak never went away, and him in this offense. He's taking more risk and he'll probably have more negative plays, but he is making more big

time throws than he ever. You can't really look at his last eight or nine games and say he's anything but the best quarterback or maybe the second best quarterback in the NFL. Well, I think also, it's no stupid, it's no minor factor there. He's in an offense he feels super comfortable in now where a year ago. They you know, even they were seven and five at one point there were growing pains. All right, let's keep moving here. Last pick of the draft. I have to grab a

late game, so I will take Tennessee at Seattle. Not bad, Um, Tennessee, What do you make of that game? That was? You know when you fire up the old game pass and you watch these games, and you knew it was gonna be bad, but then you watch it like, oh, that was even worse than I thought it was gonna be. Just their inability to get anything going, the fact that midway through the third quarter Derrick Henry had ten carries for nine yards um and they couldn't get it first

down until it was almost halftime. The fact that it was in their building. I mean, the a bomb was dropped in the middle Nashville. All right, now you gotta spin forward, you gotta get away from all that, and you get a Seattle defense, which we're still learning what they're gonna be. Is this gonna be a capable unit? They certainly look that way against the Colts, but we know the Cults are work in progress. Um, but certainly a good start. It's in Seattle, So I think this

is a tough spot for the Titans. But I also think even though Arthur Smith isn't there anymore, and I know that jury is kind of out in this room on Mike Vrabel and it's not just this room. Um. I got a feeling that that's one of those type of games that is probably from a coach standpoint, easier to rally the troops around, like everyone thinks you suck now.

And now you're gonna go to Seattle and everyone's gonna pick the Seahawks and they have too many good players on that team and too much of a track record of success. I think for them to go and lay a second egg. I really like the Titans to go up there and win. I'm gonna pick the Titans to win this. I like the Titans to, uh to cover those five and a half points. I don't know, are we allowed to say that or not? Who really knows, but you can look you can look at it, okay.

I like the Titans to go out and keep bit closer than it's expected. It's a five and a half point spread. I think that's that's too big. I'm not used to Seahawks playing like these boring games. They're supposed to play the not normal games, these wild endings. That's Pete Carroll's m O. They do look a little more modern though. On offense they're doing tons of play action,

which seems to fit Russell Wilson all the motions. Like Seahawks, Twitter will have nothing to complain about if if this Shane Waldron offense continues to look like this grave digger um. So obviously I'm confident that they're bouncing back. Am I crazy? Or do you? Are you worried about this game? I am a little worried about this game, But Mike Vrabel is actually seven and oh coming off a double digit point loss as they have there you go, I'm talking

about lock it up? Well, I want to go that far. But do you now that was brothers have locked that's they've locked up the Seahawks. They're they're participating each week. I will get back to that in a second because we've got some there, but bury the ball game for the Titans. So you feel like they're going to be able to move on from this, I hope. So, so you don't sound confident, you're worried that game? You got spook? How could you be? I mean they're in Seattle. That's

one of the toughest. Even in a good scenario, they take me, Ricky, the Titans pass rush all right, And yes, the Westling Brothers well, I won't say it was unanimous, but the Westling Brothers have locked up the Seahawks in this game. And let's hear from one of them. Phil, Hi, guys and Ricky, thanks for including the Westling Brothers and the Locks this year. I know Chris would be thrilled. Let's be clear about one thing. First. Last week's lock was Nick's lock and not the Brothers Lack. I do

appreciate him setting this up there. This week we went with the Seahawks, they were the Titans. The reason for this is too fold. First, one of my brothers drink way too much orange kool aid over the weekend and was trying the lock up Bengals on the road against the Bears. I don't think this is a good idea at this point, and Chris would have none of it. Also, justin Field's place for the Bears, I like the way the Seahawks looked in Week one, wasn't too impressed with the Titans. So L O C K E T T

lock it up, baby. One next thing I'd like to say is hi t Kisha and Link we miss you, you can't wait to see you. And new tradition of the show. We're gonna get the Westling brothers involved with those locks. There's heat there in fact, you know, I think I don't know if it was Nick or Phil sent me the thread of them going back and forth. And when the the idea that the Bengals could be locked up, um uh it was. It was stated that they thought that the tree that was planted at the

farm could go up and flame. That would be it would be so ridiculous to do that. There'd be so much anger from the old Man and west together forever at the farm that the tree would go and flames. So I love this whole scenario. Nick. Nick is gonna come on when Nick comes on next, not only is he gonna be furious that Phil's voice has been on the show twice now without him getting on, He's gonna mock Phil's performance on the show. I am here for

it all. Well, let's be real though, I mean, it's it's a very nice story that they're doing this, but they've got to they've got to deliver a win here, although if they wanted to start with west they would struggle in the Yeah, it was never his forte um. All right, thank you Westling brothers. And by the way, yeah, Nick didn't want to provide the voice this week because he doesn't stand by the lock. It's just it's a lot of fun what's going on behind the scenes. Brothers

will be brothers. All right. Let's now, let's hit up the prime time games, and I'm gonna speed round the rest of the games this week because we've gotta get out of here. But let's start with Sunday night football, the Kansas City Chiefs at the Baltimore Ravens. Interesting game here, the Ravens. Tough situation. Not only do you do you find a way to lose that game? Mark in Vegas on Monday night and it was, you know, a weird game,

as we talked about on our last podcast. Then you get on the plane and you're flying back to Baltimore, bulletmore murder Land, and you are saying to yourself, now, we got to get the Chiefs and primetime Patrick Mahomes. We're gonna beat Patrick Mahomes in primetime. They are in

a very tough spot right now. I wonder if the Ravens, who probably just typically ignore the Cleveland Browns, can learn from something that the Browns did last week, which was their immense aggressiveness going for it over and over on fourth down. Um from the fifteen, they went for it on fourth and thirteen and converted. Uh. They went for it on fourth and one from the five on the next drive. And that is how you built a lead

the Ravens team. And I understand you know all the injuries that are banged up that I watched on Monday night. I just like when you the Chiefs in scenario the Chiefs is, they're essentially a video game. And unless you can stop Travis Kelsey. We saw what happened last week.

You know they're gonna score thirty something points. Do we trust this Ravens offense the way they're built right now to a build a lead where you put the Ravens are a much better team if they can get out in front of Kansas City and do what they want to do. I know they don't have all their backs, but they're gonna use four different running backs and try to control the ball and use Lamar or if they get stuck from behind. Do you trust them on any level air wise to hang around or come back in

a game. I mean, I think they've got they are an aggressive coaching staff, But I just think that the Kansas City Chiefs offer so many problems that there's really only two or three teams offensively in the league that can even come in with a chance to touch you. Well, the hits keep coming. There's a report on CBS that Ronnie Stanley, their left tackle, is unlikely to play this week and might be out multiple weeks. Don't totally shocking because he really struggled in that game. Bouk, Okay, there

goes your left tackle. Oh by the way, um, you know one of your slot corners who was forced into action? What's his name? Westby? I I don't. I don't even know these guys. They're new guys. He played thirty three snaps last week. He had a pectoral injury. He's gonna be out for this game. At the Chiefs are the easy pick, you know, they They are three and a half points in this game. And this is the game that that most of America agrees on more than anyone,

which is always a concern. And so you're thinking, Okay, I think the Ravens at least they're gonna be proud, They're gonna show up. It kind of reminds me of late last season when everything looked like it was lost and they were so injured. Was when the Ravens played their best, but not it wouldn't make sense for them

to be that competitive. They played eighties six players on defense last week before playing Kansas City on a on a short week, and that's the only way I see this not going going against the Chiefs if it's one of those things that, like sports, can actually figure these things out. Even though it makes all the sense of the world that the Chiefs are catching the Ravens at the perfect time, maybe you know, in their building, they put up a good fight, and I think they can.

I just I'm just sticking with the idea that my homes is just gonna shred everyone every week. Well, he's also owned the Ravens and Lamar Jackson has his worst numbers passing wise against the Chiefs of almost any team, So Spagnolo's kind of owned the Ravens. And oh, by the way, the Chiefs get back Frank Clark and Honey Badger, their two best defensive players are expected to be back

on the field they missed Week one. Holmes is eight no against the a f C North with the three touchdown to interception ratio last week, two hundred and seventy three of his three d and thirty seven yards went to Kelsey and Hill. Cleveland spent five months trying to figure out a way to stop Kelsey and Hill and had no way to do it. Can't. How with Baltimore you can't. You can't. And we talked about the crazy numbers um that Mahomes's career wise in September. I mean,

it's just we've never seen anything like it. So it's just this team is always gets out of the gates super fast, and the Ravens just to have their backup against well. I think the Ravens will be okay and they'll find their footing, but they might end up in a situation. And it's still very early and there's an extra game this year, But are they going to have to go on a run later in the year because they put themselves in a hole? Because I think oh

and two is where they did um all right. Monday Night football, Detroit Lions, that Green Bay Packers not a great game kind of a bummer Monday night round. Yeah, I mean, let's let's just be quick on it um because I do, I really do. I mean, listen, you want to talk about bad timing the Lions, we could pat them on the back and and give him a lollipop for getting back in that game against the Niners.

And we know there are all sorts of things behind that with Jason Rhett going out for San Francisco, which we don't I don't know if we really touched on um earlier, but that's a big deal for them. And then Detroit just got hot and garbage time. Now you've got green Bay coming off. They were humiliated in Week one. Aaron Rodgers was humiliated in Week one in prime time at Lambeau. They can't even put this game in ford Field.

I hate when they do that in primetime games. I know it's a better vibe at Lamboat for a prime time production, but at least give the other team a chance. To me, this is a sacrifice. Well, and also they lost Jeff Okuda, and I mean Jeff Acuda struggled last year as a rookie. It's not that he was a star cornerback. But they have so very little behind him.

They signed Daryl Worley, a veteran. But I mean, you just look at if if Aaron Rodgers is going to get right, and if last week was an aberration and something of a ghost affair, that maybe, uh, you know, you couldn't find a better matchup in the league secondary wise in this situation. I thought the Lions though last week, if anything, we're not boring. For the first time in my lifetime, they were frisky down the stretch. Jared Goff

showed a little bit after a pretty ugly stretch. I mean, the one thing about Golf his interception totally unspooled that team early on, and he's gonna do that again. I don't like the matchup at all. If you take t J. Hawkinson out, who was phenomenal, and I think he's gonna have a huge year because he's sort of like the center of their offense outside of the run game. Well, their their hope is that this Packers defense thinks, or the Packers stink, or the Packers have some bad ergy

I have. I'm not putting much. I don't think there's any chance the Packers offense is gonna stick. I think they're gonna be fine, and especially in this matchup for the reasons you just pointed about. How open were those forty Niners receivers. There was no one within fifteen yards of those guys. It's just they do not have a corner back room. So I'm not worried about Aaron Rodgers long term. I'm definitely not worried about this week. Uh. But the Packers had a little bit of h early

season Cowboys defense vibes last year. It was just like, hey, do you got them? Do I got them? And it's just like wide open guys running through prairie lands because they're trying to get a little too complicated in their defensive. That would be the hope. Because there was a little bit of professionalism and aggressiveness in the lines offense. I'll give that, like he's going for four downs. They looked like an offense. They didn't look like terrible that maybe

they could put up points. Alright, four more games, let's let's eight o'clock this. Oh no, yeah, let's do it. Disrespect Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears. Mark, give me something you're looking for in this game. I'm looking for essentially completely off guard. I was doing something else entirely. I'm looking for justin fields to play. I just I want to see it. I don't like this. This whole scenario to me is tiresome and and I'm looking for that.

And I'm looking for to see if Cincinnati is fun. They might be. I think they were very empressed. They changed last week play action, getting rid of the ball quickly. Totally different than a year ago. If anything, I think it was a little more boring, like run heavy, but it was they can run the ball again. They couldn't last Let's see if Joe Mexican stay healthy. But so far, so good. And I every year Week two when I go on NFL Now with Andrews Ciciliano, I have a standard.

Hey Bengals fund now did it again on Tuesday. Hopefully it's sticks. Moving on in the Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts, this is a good game. Look at Mark just pumped us fist. Take two. Here we are in the Rams stadium slash office buildings, and I have a one goal. I just determined this is not the Rams office building, but well, I am determined to be friends with Matthew Stafford. On some level, I know that he's

not here all the time. The wife of Leverkara Henderson Sneed, actually came at me on Twitter and said, you absolutely will not become friends with Matthew Stafford because you've not even picked our team to win the division. So this is a piece off bread and she doesn't even know the extent of your hatred. Well, I don't need you to verbalize, because this is this is a new day. I am part of this classic mark though. She came at him, and she and he he immediately I've learned.

He's like I've learned, and I've changed. Terrible reporting, terrible reporting, terrible reporting. Go read the entire thread. I I did not back down, and I'm telling you something. I'm locking up the Rams right here and that and you know what, um, I see it, and he's got a lot of stuff to work on. I did not like what I saw from the Cults, and I don't think they're dead in the water, but I think they got work to do on both sides of the ball. And the Rams, man,

they look good. The Colts are like Rams. They've got like a quarterback that can't really do the entire offense, and it's condensed and not very exciting. The Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steeler is good for Shookie. He's got some good games here. Greg, What do you think about this? Uh? Either I think I should have drafted this saying is what I think. I think Melvin Ingram is gonna make and has made already such a difference. Their pass rush

in Pittsburgh is somehow better this year. I think with him, Highsmith and Watt is probably the best trio in the entire league, and that could be a problem. The Raiders lost another offensive lineman good for the entire year. It's torn a c O brutal. Finally, Denver at Jacksonville. I wanted to lock this game up, but I thought you guys might give me some great It's a little I mean, it's a little early to just assume the Broncos are a jugg or not, even though I guess you guys

believe that the other side. Though, no, this is about that other side. I didn't do it. In the end, um Vic Fangio runs a very similar defense, but better in the studio than Love it does in Houston, where they can just back up and mix coverages. Trevor Lawrence the one one. I do want to say one thing was just like every throw he made was either amazing or terrible, but there were a lot of amazing throws. Might be a Peyton Manning night, but you maybe shouldn't

get lost in the mix. He was only hit or a sacked one time last week. It's going to be a different story here in Fongio. Last week, if I remember correctly went forward on fourth down three times, so it's a little bit more fourth than seven like on the first drive of the game. That's how you show Teddy two gloves. You believe in him. That's how you did. What a nice set up for Teddy two glows. By

the way, that's what I was talking. You got Giants, you know, who are poop potentially, and then you got this team, the Jaguars, which might be the worst team in football. We'll see your number one receiver in Jerry Judy Cortland. Sutton doesn't look quite all the way back. You also lost a starting corner. But that's a nice start, and I did look. I looked at their schedule. It tightens up considerably, as it should um in the weeks ahead.

But get off to two and our start. I love this wild card team of T H J O. We need like a song, you need to workshout that. I think you've gotten a song that that was a finished product there anybody, you know, those speed round teams don't get upset. It's it's just a product of So we can't stay here all day and there will be buys and you're everyone's gonna get their um proper conversation points come Sunday night, the flagship program when we recap each

and every one of these games. No speed rounds there. We also might not go twenty minutes off the top, you know, talking about our anxieties, and I mean we normally we've done about this has been about an hour and forty minutes of work today. That's as much work as I need to do on any day, that's true. And how do you feel, Mark, now that we've been here for you know, a couple hours and it already feels like we're settling in. How do you feel it's growing on me? I have one issue that my front

left highre um is essentially flat. It's in the garage, but my front left hire is sort of it looks dangerously at the A light came on and it is empty. So here No, I'll just be staying here until tomorrows show our network show tomorrow show the Around the NFL broadcast where we break down every team. We give the true Around the NFL um Moniker. We're really true to it because we hit all thirty two teams. So that's

another way. If you didn't like I didn't get my team got overlooked in the preview episode, I don't want to be here anymore, then check out the Around the NFL broadcast because you get two and a half minutes on every single every team gets equal time. It was fun that first week. I like to studio again. Does this was fun? Thank you again to everyone behind the glass for all the work. Um Erica as our leader. There's Stapleton the Giants fence. He's waving her arm. Everybody's

excited to really be back to work together. Uh and we will be back with you yes Friday, Sunday and the Wheel it's starting. It's been it Mark, Here we go, Baby Dan Hands signing off a quiet storm. The old boss were Yallywood behind the glass until Sunday Night Beat the col