2021 Week 3 Recap

minute ago after hearing it. But it does feel like the season kind of started today, just as like a bigger picture of you you know, I do that sometimes right at the beginning. You like that. Okay, Steelers one and two, Chiefs one and two, Patriots one and two, Seahawks one and two, Like these are some you know bucks get a loss. Uh, these are some you know, teams that have been regularly in the playoffs, are big name teams under five now, some with concerning losses, some

less so. And it's like okay, now, okay, now we're starting to sink our teeth into things. That was the point I was going to get into but you're helping me with my voice. No Mark Cessler here of course. Um and if you saw on Twitter, uh this morning, Mark gave a little update on his situation. He's continue to have some of those issues, healthy issues that it occurred last month and they're back this month. So we're without Mark now for our second show and hopefully we'll

have him back in the not too distant future. Um, but time will tell. But Mark's doing okay. We're in contact with him. He's getting better now, Am I getting better? I don't know. We're gonna see. I got a lot of podcasting to do today and a lot of games to get to. And yeah, you set it up well there, because the fact that the Bucks got humbled I think was their first loss since what November. Yeah, the Chiefs get beat again. I mean, those are the top two

teams in foot ball. Everybody kind of sees them that way, and it feels like maybe things aren't that way. Maybe they're like you're saying, there's a person The personality of the season is starting to come into focus in week three and we're gonna go through every single game including yes, I know, I know our fans really do love the Kicker Club. I hear about it all the time and my mentions, and this was the most important night in the history of the Kicker Club in terms of just

like the night's just starting. Yeah, just like the scope of the celebration is at a level that it's almost impossible to kind of put it in perspective. I mean, as we're taping this, I feel like it's just going off. Tucker's in the corner and U. It's gonna be a long night. It's gonna be a lot of a lot

of fun. It's like I remember being at ray Lewis's final game when the Ravens uh outlasted the forty Niners in the Super Bowl, and being in the locker room, and you know, all the all the journal journals, all the other teammates, everyone was crowded around the corner of the locker room for ray Lewis, and he was just slowly unpeeling the tape off his arms and taking off his like knee strap and and just quietly reflecting on a career. Um well done. I think that's Tucker right

now with the Kicker Club. It's good we can get some of our Tucker talk out now because I think we do have Kevin Patrick coming at you with another gut punch of all gut punch Lions losses later, So I mean, maybe we don't need to Patrick back on the podcast. And it's one of those sad Lions games that really the Lions do worse slash better than anyone.

But anyway, a lot of games to get to, and we're gonna dig into it right now, starting yes with the game that went on just across the sidewalk from us, where the defending champs went down. Staffer keeps his rings out the line, third down intent, we all protected, steps up launchers, keep down the right numbers all alone. Jackson over the shoulder at the thirty, he leaves his way through the end zone. Touchdown l seventy five yards. Welcome

home to Sean Jackson. There he is our buddy J. B. Long with the call ESPN Radio Long Long, DJ Long DeShawn Jackson. Touchdowns. Enjoy them, savor them, treasure them. Even we only get a couple every year, but they're always spectacular. Matt Stafford went off throwing four touchdowns, including that rainbow to d Jacksons. The Rams kind of had their way

with the Bucks. Win over the Champs. Greg being the best team in football in late September doesn't really mean much in the big picture, but I think that might be where the Rams stand right now. Yeah, I mean they gotta you gotta give him the respect on the power rankings. Later this week we'll find out. But it

makes sense. You beat the Champs, you beat him convincingly, you do it in a game where I'm almost having a hard time taking a big picture takeaway other than man Jackson's got that Deshan Jackson still got that juice, not just on that seventy year touch done, but on another throw up the sideline where he just goes zero to blinding in a couple of seconds. So I don't know, he might have a few more of these types of

days because Matthew Stafford is so well protected. That's That's probably my biggest takeaway is that the difference between Brady and Stafford today was there was nothing the Buccaneers defense could do to bother Matthew Stafford. It's not the running games. Neither team had a running game until the fourth quarter, when the Rams were just starting to running out the clock. Here Stafford on third and long, just as like patting the ball and Todd Bowls is trying to send blitzes.

That doesn't work. He's trying to not send blitz is. That doesn't work either. You lose Jamal Dean in this game. That's two of their starters in the secondary, a position that at cornerback where you felt like they were already thin and it was just felt like guys are open. And Stafford, uh can find the guys that are open. He can deliver it to any part of the field. And at one point they had I think sixth straight

scoring possessions. It is the first time in Sean mcveigh's coaching career where that happened, and you did it against the Bucks. It's amazing. Pretty good. That is pretty good. I mean, this is exactly what it was kind of advertised as going into the season that this would revitalize Sean McVeigh and his attack and and revitalize Matthew Stafford and kick his career into this like next stage and

maybe to a much higher plane. And yet doing against the Bucks is really special, and you know they actually things started off okay um. Stafford started one for six um and they were mostly miss throws. That's sort of a reminder to just how much open guys they were. It was about four miss throws in that one for six and then he went nuts, and like you said, they score on the next six drives. And I think with the with the Bucks, yeah, you're a little concerned

about the defense. Can they hold up in a big spot against a true contender like the Rams? Not today? And then I think it's it's time to get a little bit worried about their running game. And I know Ronald Jones is in the doghouse right now, but they had thirty five yards total. Brady was the team's leading rusher. That's Tom Brady, forty year old Tom Brady fourteen yards. So Brady is continuing to be indestructible. He won two touchdowns, added a rushing score. But that's not really what you

want to do. I don't care how good Brady is. You want to have some balance in there and the and the Bucks don't have it. They don't they don't have it. They didn't have Antonio Brown. But to me, it's more Brady trying to keep up with this defense. Once they got deeper into the game, you felt like when the Rams made a stop and you give her Heem Morris some credit. You give Aaron Donna. Leonard Floyd made a play they always have, like a role player

makeup play. Kenny Young made a couple of nice plays in this game. They've done enough defensively. Los Angeles has whereas Tampa Like, yes, it's gonna be there with the greatest passing games in the league, and I'm not too worried about them in general, but they need a little more. The pass rush has quietly been mediocre all three weeks, So it wasn't just the fact that j PP wasn't there today. Today they stepped up in class in terms of, you know, the offense that they were facing. I know

they had Dallas week one. They've had some tough matchups, but they just they weren't Sniff and Stafford pretty one sided. And because Tom Brady got to four thirty two, I don't know what the number is, but it's well under a hundred yards. Tom Brady will become the all time leading passer Erica next week Sunday Night in Foxborough, unless he gets injured in the first quarter. I can't think of like anything like it is just gonna be such of just a flame thrower of the like Gillette or

where No it's hot, it's not gonna standing when it's done. Well, yeah, we'll get we'll get to the Pats. But this, yeah, this was about the worst way that they could go into it, because the Bucks will be they're they're a champion and they're gonna be licking their wounds and ready to bounce back angry Bucks team Tom Brady, who's already known for having laser focus that no other athletes ever had in the NFL. I, yeah, I don't like your team's chances next week. Yeah, well, we don't need to

get to that. It's gotta it's gotta get pumped up, like push back that conversation until it's gone. But it's going to pop up. It's a week from today. And by the way, good job by the Westling brothers, whoa locking up. Oh that's nice locking up the Rams to beat the defending champs. Yeah they were in their building, um, the Rams, but still to beat Tom Brady and the Bucks who were two and oh and had it lost in forever. That's a nice. Last quick thing is that

the Rams crowd is a thing. It's almost like they were lucky they would never of course say this, and they and it's not really true, but it's almost perfect that they're entering the stadium with Stafford. You know, they've done a great job. The Rams really have to be given credit. You know, the personnel moves that they made, they're all paying off right now on both sides of the ball, what they did this offseason, but also that

they got this stadium bill. They slowly built this fan base up even more than when they got here five years ago. Was six years ago with Jeff Fisher, and that place was rocking. It was a real home field advantage. And I think that's something we wondered about. Lakisha Westling was in there having a great time, saying it was just going bananas, and they they delivered her a great

That's the optimistic way to look at it. You could also say, oh, so they used for like three decades Los Angeles is a pawn and leverage to get teams to build stadiums instead of giving Los Angeles professional football throughout the end of the nineties too. There there's a lot of missteps along, but I just say for this current Roys organization, man, it just does feel like they timed this perfectly with the with the fans in the crowd,

and I was impressed. I was a little surprised just how how loud it wasn't there in another big game for Cooper Cup Um that is a lethal connection Stafford to cup Let's check in on the other Super Bowl fifty four participant takes the snap, this is the game. Mahomes now retreating, climbing the pocket, lets it fly toward the left. It is going to reach the end zone. And that isn't complete in the Chargers win no flags. The Chargers come into Arrowhead, force four turnovers and get

out with a thirty lead. I'm a money smith. It was because the Chargers defense stonewallt Patrick Mahomes in the final quarter and Justin Herbert through four touchdown passes, including the game winner you heard there, like to Mike Williams, and win at Arrowhead. Herbert outplayed Mahomes in a game that felt like a statement of intent by the Chargers and great. We know that Justin Herbert is a savage in the pocket, but according to his head coach, there's

another way to describe him. Clearly, we need to Um have it be even a bigger emphasis because we can't play like we're fortunate we have a you know, a gangster quarterback, um, but we got a coach better a

gangster quarterback. And and Brandon Staley, who I thought really did a nice job in this game and in general seems to have his finger on the pulse of his offense and his quarterback more specifically that there were multiple points, including at the you know, the most important important juncture of the game, where he could have been a little bit more conservative, but he said no, I'm gonna put my faith and Justin Herbert, who he said for the

second straight week was the best player on the field, and Herbert did not let him down. And he said Mike Williams was the second best that was close behind him and Mike Williams because one and two he is embracing this new role. You love to see players put in a position to maximize their skills and just that like Mike Williams the same player that he was the last four years, but now he's a way more productive.

And you have to look at coaching as as the number one reason if you win the turnover back although forward and nothing and the Chiefs have been pretty sloppy, including Mahomes with the ball this year, like you better win. I mean they want they want turnovers forward and nothing. That is how you you be maybe a more talented team. Uh and wow the Chiefs one and two. Are you worried at all? A little bit? Um? Not really? I mean they killed themselves again in this game with turnovers.

And it started with three trips into Chargers territory that all ended with turnovers. And and Clyde Edwards Hilaire, who otherwise played a very good game, he put it on the ground. Uh, there was a Tyreek Hill fumble, there was an interception that went off hands that led to another turnover that that hurt them. And then what happens with the Chiefs is when you make those mistakes as the Kansas City offense, and when you have those turnovers as the opponent, you better take advantage of it. And

I thought the Charges did a great job. They were They did not get any points out of the first tone turnover, but then they turned the next two into touchdowns, got that four team nothing lead, which is what they needed to get comfortable, get into the groove. And when the Chiefs have inevitably went on their run, when they took over late in the second quarter, got a field goal, and then started second half touchdown touchdown, touchdown to seemingly

take control of the game. They had built up enough of the lead the Chargers early that they could weather that storm, and then they outplayed Kansas City the rest of the way. So I thought that was very, very important to take advantage of Casey mistakes, which have been more plentiful than I expected. On offense, I'll put it that way. Yeah, I do think, you know, they don't have a ton of dimensions to their offense beyond Kelsey

and Hill. We'll see if like the weight of carrying the entire franchise starts to wear on Kelsey, Hill and Mahomes are the rest of the guys get better. But it's it's very uncharacteristic of the Chiefs too, you know, get outscored Tod nothing in the last three minutes of the game. That that's the opposite of what they did last year. But it's a reminder they they made it to the Super Bowl laster by winning close games over

and over and over. They have not been a truly dominant team since you know, earlier of Yeah, no, I think that's certainly fair to say. And Andy Reid another subplot after this. After this game, we learned that Andy Reid was taken to the hospital after the game. And I'm looking at the ESPN reporting where we are now, um,

but he left the stadium in an ambulance following the game. UH. Source close to Read told ESPN's Jeff Darlington that the coach was in good spirits when he departed for precautionary observation after he felt ill. So you have, obviously you have this situation going on now. Read is sixty three years old, and it's something to keep an eye on. And hopefully everything is over hospitals. I don't want anyone to go to hospitals. I don't want anyone doing anything.

Come on, Andy Reid, we need you, We need you, Andy Reid. But yeah, that that's kind of where I come down on the Chiefs because the same thing happened last week in Baltimore against Baltimore where they're winning that game if they just don't shoot themselves on the foot. They did it repeatedly in this game. But even though that happened early in this game, I thought it was

very interesting and very telling in a positive way. For the charges that they basically got this game back to even and then outplayed, uh the Chiefs and Justin Herbert outplayed Mahomes who threw the big interception that led to the game winning points. So whoa good job Charges after they charged it up last week in Dallas to get this w that's a big one. Let's move on, Josh and shotgun takes the snap, looks to his left, looks nobody comes open. Josh rolls to his right, takes a look.

Gonna keep it. He's gonna run it in touchdown Buffalo Josh Allen Josh Allen from two yards time touchdown, Buffalo. John Murphy with the call w g R. Turns out Josh Allen is still good. The Bills quarterback through four touchdown passes ran for another Bills embarrassed their opponent for the second straight week. This time it was the Washington football team no chance one blowout at Orchard Park. Greg Buffalo has a cooking on both sides of the football. Now,

I was so impressed by this Bill's team again. The defense swarms to the ball. It was somehow a misleading forty three to twenty one. It didn't feel that close because if you break down the three Washington touchdowns, one comes on a screen play, you know, unbelievable play by Antonio Gibson. He watted that end zone. Was one of the best players of the game, but it was called

at a perfect time, great individual effort. Another touchdown on an extremely short field on what amounted to was an onside kick, and then one deep into garbage time, Josh Allen set the tone on a third and I think it was a fifteen on the first drive, beautiful throw on the outside the Sanders, and then an even better throw, you know, escaping the pocket for forty one yard touchdown the Sanders on that drive, and from then on it was just like Josh Allen firing bullets missed Diggs like

a couple of times streaking down the field. But otherwise Sanders has added so much they had no problem whatsoever. At one point in this game, they were almost tripling up Washington in terms of yardage and they are now the NFL leaders and score differential along with the Broncos. And I just think of this defense, and granted they've played three shaky offenses, but if this defense can play close to this well all year, to me, they are

the most complete a f C team. There's a lot of good a f C teams, but I think on paper, they're the one team that has the chance to have a truly great offense and a truly great defense. Yeah, and especially seeing the Bills really come to life on defense last week with the offense starting to fire up, and then this week and I didn't get a chance to this game, but hearing the way you're explaining it, it's this sounds like last year's attack, maybe with less

stefon dig still than we were expecting. Still go six for sixty two, had like ten targets. He just missed him a time that was on Allen. But but on the same day that the Chiefs again look mortal for the second straight week. If you're a Bills and you're thinking yourself, oh my goodness, this really is set up well for us to potentially make that push to get to the top of this conference, and that has to

be extremely, extremely exciting. Yeah, what did you see from Taylor Heineke by the way in this game, because I really I liked how he played against the Giants and Thursday night he had the MOXI made some big plays. Doesn't sound like much the same stuff. I mean, if I think if you look a week went two, he did make a couple of plays. I mean his touchdown run. Uh, it was unbelievable how he like you know, sought out the pilot like he's gonna make plays. I don't think

he played that poorly. They picked him off a couple of times. One one was a little lucky. But there's not much sustaining element in this. I don't think this is a team that's like going to go up and down the field on other good teams. They didn't protect that well. And yeah, your boys young and sweaty, they

were definitely quiet today. To chase defense, I don't know, it's been one of the worst defenses in the league because I I really when you look at that first Chargers game, they they got a couple of turnovers, but they couldn't get a This team has barely forced to punt all season. In three games, that's a trend. They're in trouble. They're they're lucky to not be o in three.

So Buffalo has I don't know how the Steelers beat the Bills in Week one after what we've seen since, but they have that one loss, and now they are back in a groove and we'll see you the Washington football team and a lot of these and they're the New York Giant says will get to a little bit better. There's some issues in the NFC East right now, as there was last year. Let's keep on moving to Greg, your favorite place in the world, Foxborough. I mean it's

it's not my favorite place. It's only been there like twice third Narnia three times. But that a case. And well, we made a quarterback and j mrs wide out to the left, power run right side Taysom Hill. We'll walk into the end song and what a play and want a drive by Taysom Hill a Taysom alert. The Saints backup QB gadget Boy rushed for his first score of the season, helping the Saints shake off They're grizzly Week two. Laws to the Panthers and over the Pats. Yes in

Foxborough Gilette Stadium. The big ball Greg New Orleans defense brought the goods in this one, uh intercepting rookie QB mac Jones three times. The Pets have some issues. They have issues, and they play consistently the most boring game

like on every Sunday slate. That's a problem too, Like I'm glad we're taping this at night, like so I have sort of had the stench of this game off of me because it was just it's just a slog is similar to your the Jets Pats game yesterday where if you you know, if you if you take the three turnovers away, it's like neither passing game could get going. They both didn't look great, but the Saints kind of do what the Patriots want to do. But I think they do it better right now. And what I mean

by that is offensive line getting it done. They lose Torn Armstead, they're all pro at left tackle or lee in this game, doesn't matter. They protected Winston well. Alvin Kamara had a very hard earned I think, what was it a hundred twenty eight yards from scrimmage, something like that, hundred eighteen yards from scrimmage, but you know, yards that I don't think other running backs were gonna get. On defense, they try to mix it up a lot. Dennis Allen's

I think very creative. Has guys up front, and they got after Mac Jones. They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides the ball, and I think that's what the Patriots were hoping to do coming into this season, but they can't do it. They're not running the ball well, their offensive lines not playing well, and then defenses, I mean, they look okay if you look at the Statueets the Patriots defense, but to me, they're just they're just like

they can't make up for a pretty boring offense. And yeah, we saw this last week against the Jets, and Pets it very little on offense. And in this game, there was some Sean Payton history greg two and fifty two totally yards for the Saints, the fewest in a road win in the Payton Era for New Orleans. So the Pats defense see that that's true. And it's the third straight week that that Saints have had a hundred and fifty yards are less passing, which is like, whoa, it's tough.

They had only had an under in ten yards net today and Jamis Winston had two touchdown throws, one of which was a play he tried to throw out of the end zone and he was hit and it turned into a Jamis Winston pop up, but Marcus Callaway comes down with the ball. It was that kind of day. Uh, you know for for the Saints, they got a couple breaks, but you can't. I don't think you can keep winning

that way. Yet when it really came down to it, and it reminded me a lot of Week one, Dan was the Patriots defense got on the field at the end of the game with a chance to get the ball back one possession and give it to their offense, and what do they do. That's the moment that the Saints marched down for a thirteen play seventy five yards uh, seventy five yard touchdown drive, you know, capped by that taste and play. It included a third and seven early

in the drive where Jamis was protected perfectly. So when it really came down to the Patriots defense, like didn't make a game changing type of play. They couldn't get a stop, all right, And I guess that's fair. I mean, they just need more balance and the offense is just not there yet. And I guess we haven't had any interceptions by Mac Jones before this game. He was very clean, notoriously um, notoriously clean. He was in the preseason slate

when we were just going nuts about that. Um uh, were you concerned at all by his playing this game, or is he just put in tough situations leading I thought he played better than the Jets game. He didn't get much help. But the thing I'm concerned about is they tried to go deep. You know how all week everyone's like they're not going to go to two of the first three plays of the game deep deep. He must have thrown a lot of shots downfield in this game.

I don't know what the number is, but I wouldn't surprise me. Seven eight nine, and he couldn't hit any of them, so that that's a little bit of a concern. The three interceptions, one came out of ball where he's sitting standing in the pocket a little too tall, kind of like Cam Newton gets hit while he throws. One was the last play of the game, uh, and another was just on a drop by John new Smith. So only one of those was really on Mac Jones. But I'm gonna put a lot on John new Smith. I mean,

there's one of the worst games you've ever seen. Four drops, four drops, one killed the drive, one turned into a uh almost the pick six, and uh Nelson Aguilar and Johnny Smith combined for fourteen targets in twenty one yard. So all these off season additions that they did on offense, Hunter Henry hasn't done much Like it's that part's not working right now. Yeah, I mean it is reminded it's still early, but how much was made of all the money they gave those two tight ends and what have

they given them through three weeks. They'll get better. I do think they're a team that will improve as the season gets along. But I think they lost James white Um to a hip injury which could be a long term injury by the sound carded and immediately ruled out, never a good sign. The Patriots lost each of their first two home games for the first time since two thousand,

Belichick's first season five and eleven. And I will just say this, and now by now Tom Brady enters for his first game, it's it's almost uh what is the word I'm looking for. It's almost too uh symbolic or it's too perfect. That the last time they were in a funk like this in their building was right before he came, and now they're back in this place as he returns. Oh, Greggy, if my team wasn't so miserable,

I'd be really imploying this. Uh there. They are very much another team, and you know maybe the last time they were like this was Onto since the Onto Cincinnati week where they were one two and everyone got crazy and they went on to win the Super Bowl. The difference is they don't have Tom Brady on their team anymore. You know, when they're playing in Foxborough, he's gonna be on the other team. So you don't get the feel that they could bounce back like that. I do think

they can bounce back somewhat. Two things. The AF the East, which we were honking a lot about entering this season, is not looking so hot right now outside of Buffalo and uh to the first round. Quarterbacks are really struggling. Um, pretty much across the board unless I'm missing someone, but Mac Jones had a tough time of it. Zack Wilson is really struggling. Trevor Lawrence is, you know, making big mistakes week after week after week justin fields. We will

get to that. Um, this is what I get for like investing in the preseason. I had this whole idea in my heart, like I don't know, West has gone, I'm gonna like really try to like love football and like really really focus have like a good season personally, and I'm gonna really like I'm gonna like watch all these preseason games. I'm gonna take all these notes like none of that anything seriously from the preseason I can.

I have thought about this a lot the last couple of weeks, Like almost everything I said about anything that happened in the preseason has almost gotten the opposite way of what the regular It's almost like you're doing your job in a hyper professional way actually hurt. That's what I'm saying. Next year, remind remind us all just let's not put it much on any of it. Um. Alright, we'll recap the Vikings performance against the Seahawks with Nick Shook.

Right after this Seattle blitzes again, Kirk steps up with this four touchdown this season lead just seventeen Cousins ceiling. The Vikings needed a big week. Vikings fans needed a

big week. Paul Allen, Let's be honest, he needed a big week, Cafe and they all got at Kirk Cousins through three touchdown passes before halftime, including that hook up with Adam Feeling, and then did great clock management on field goal drives in the second half to help close out a thirty seventeen win over the Seahawks, the first one of the season for the Vikings that first went

over the Seahawks in twelve years. Yes, Nick Shook now joins us and Shook always be wary of the wounded animal team, but winning without Dalvin Cook made this even more impressive. Yeah, let's give a tip of the hat to Alexander Masson. Why don't you know what I mean, who needs I'm just kidding it. We definitely need you definitely need Dalvin Cook in Minnesota, But I mean carries

for a hundred and twelve yards, pretty solid day. And what was most important about that, in my opinion, was it gave them the balance they needed to effectively execute their offense because the number one threat for that offense when Cook is out there is Cook. And if you don't have him, well, let's focus on stopping the past. Psych You got Madison instead. Her Cousins sych back like

it's been a solid twenty years. It's it's time a little So, yeah, it works out, But what's going on Chook with Kirk Cousins, Because I know he's everybody's favorite punching bag. And here we are a week after week. Now on these Sundays, you look up and he's playing mistake freeball. He's airing it out, he's throwing a bunch of touchdown passes. Now they get a win out of it.

This team could easily be three and oh, And if they were, it would be a huge story because Cousins has been playing some of the best ball of his career. I know, he's been playing like they are three and oh. I mean statistically, Um, you know, he leads the league in in like, for example, passes of ten plus air yards. Nobody's got a more pascerating in an instance than Kirk Cousins. Think about that. He hasn't thrown an interception. He's playing

great football. It's just a matter of They lost a close one and overtime to the Bengals because of a fumble that you know could have or didn't end up going their way, but could have potentially gone their way at the end of the Bengals game. Then they lose because Greg Joseph can't make a game winning field goal. I mean, this team, I was thinking about it today before they won. This might be one of the best. Oh, and two teams. Granted, you know I've ever seen a

Kirk Cousins. Yeah, I think he's played great. I think k j Osborne, I know, only had two catches today, but they were big catches. He's been like a third down, third down conversion machine. He's given them a little something that you didn't expect. Conklin goes seven for seventy as their tight end today with with a touchdown. And then I what I want to ask you, because he watched this closely, was man like Gary Kubiak. He's now in

year two only of being the solo coordinator there. And I thought that running game last week like was like vintage Kubiak type of running. And they dominated that game against Arizona. Did you see the same thing in Seattle was supposed to have a pretty good you know front, uh in terms of stop in the run. Yeah, you know,

they ran a kind of at will almost. I mean, if you had changed Jersey numbers and told me that, you know, Madison was wearing thirty three, and but you told me that was Dalvin Cook, I would have believed you on some place. And he had three carries of ten or more yards. I mean, so they were ripping off some runs in between there and he did his job definitely, And you're right, it was like a vintage zone scheme or they pounded and then they catch good

offensive team. Yeah they are, and they were today on the Seahawks side of things. How concerned are you now? They they You know, they got the Cults in Week one, and we knew that was a Cults team that had all sorts of issues, but they got the road victory. But now back to back weeks they've given up thirty points. Uh, And it's just that's not going to be good enough, especially that's type of ball they like to play on offense. What are you seeing with their defense? What's not working?

I mean today it was all about the short game. Kirk Cousins didn't have a single pass, a single deep pass attempt in the entire game, like according to next Gen stats, not one, and ended up storing for three yards without doing that. So they have to be better underneath. I don't know if the way they played Jamal Adams necessarily helps them. They love to bring him up on

the line and send pressure and everything else. I'm all, I'm all in favor of having a box safety, but I'm not necessarily all about bringing my safety up to the line as frequently as they do, because it does leave you a little susceptible to rely on other guys and then get that underneath stuff taken care of. But my biggest concern with them isn't even defensively. It's the fact that they can't score any points in the second half. They scored uh six points in the second half last

week and ended up losing that game to Tennessee. They scored zero points in the second half this week end up losing this game by thirteen. It's it's a it's a matter of our other teams making good halftime adjustments, so you them and they're just not responding, or just can they just not figure out who they want to be. It reminds you of that offensive struggle period that they went through down the stretch last year where the couldn't

figure out who they wanted to be. That's what they look like in the second half of these last week. In defense of like Russell Wilson and you know, Sean Walgent, they really only had three drives in the second half. Now you went punt punt and downs, but their defense not getting off the field back to back weeks and giving up these long drives and kind of being run over.

At one point in this game that the Vikings drives were nine for a touchdown, twelve for sixty six in a touchdown, sixteen for fifty that is some old school stuff, eleven for seventy, and then twelve eight, So that's like five straight drives where you you're a Seahawks defense, you just can't get on the off the field and I'm sick of banging this same drum. But they've been a mediocre defense for about five six years now and it feels like it's getting a little worse, not not getting better.

And the Adams point you made show because really interesting because we know what he's about. We know he's not a coverage guy. That's he has two interceptions his entire career, but you just gave him all the money in the world, so it's like you have to use them to what he does best. But if that's not exactly helping your defense, you're kind of caught in between. That's an interesting point

you made. Well, yeah, and they redirected a lot of their money to paying him and they haven't really spent a lot of money in other areas, and I think it's starting to show, as you know, as in whole. I mean the nine for fourteen on on third down Minnesota West today, that's not acceptable for you to try to be able to come back. I mean, we went to half time with a seventeen to seven lead, couldn't put any points on the board, couldn't really get the ball.

You know, Greg, you talked about that. I think three of those possessions they had two or three of them five plays in total. I mean, you're right, they're not giving their offense any chances. And when they did have the ball and weren't doing much either, they got the forty niners and the Rams. Next Seahawks, Twitter is going to be on or oh yeah, yeah, we might have to get our friend on from the Athletic again to check in on the Seahawks world because it seems like

a chaotic place. All right, let's head on now. Shook to a a f C South showdown Tannahill looking we are in complete to McNichols at the five, did it get in? Yes, he did, Jeremy McNichols, I mean, how come my voice is going and Mike Keith can do that, He's fine. W g F X Ryan tann Hill through for a d ninety seven yards of three touchdowns, including that hooked up with McNichols, leading the Titans to win

over the free Fall Colts in Nashville. Shook Um tell us how the Titans smiled as they put a nail into the coffin of the Cults season maybe the season. I mean, I didn't say final nail. I said, and nail in the coffin. You need like ten nails. There's about six or seven in there now, nails and coffins anymore. I don't know. I feel like the dirt would take care of it. Well. Then the nail in this game was a miss Rodrigo blanket ship field goal. I mean,

they were, they were. It was kind of like it was. It wasn't quite a sad field goal, but they still need to get the ball back again to be able to have a chance to go ahead. And then he just misses it, and he was like, well, that's that, like time to get out of here, because they can't even make the field goal when they're down by nine points. But um, I mean, if you want to look at somebody who symbolizes a nail on their cough, and yeah, a nail on their cough. At this point the season,

it's Carson Wentz, the guy cannot move. He's playing with massively taped ankles. Not the Ben Roethlisberger oversized shoe, but it looks kind of similar, and he just simply could not move to the point where it was obvious that he knew he couldn't move. There were a few times where he could have evaded pressure if he were healthy,

and instead he just throws the ball directly into the ground. Uh. And then at one point he tried to scramble for a conversion on third down, and he thought about scrambling, got about two steps up in the pocket, and then realized, oh wait, I can't run right now, and out of the corner of his eyes saw Nahem Hinds over in the flat tried to backhand pitch the ball to him and didn't even come close. And it was just like,

this is what they're working with right now. This just feels like roster mismanagement from the Cults, because as banged up as Wentz is, you would think there's got to be someone that gives them a better chance to in But that doesn't seem like their quarterback room is built that way between Brett Hunley and Jacob Eason. So it's it's send Wentz out there, and he's just lucky to get out of this game with another injury. We don't even know that they're leaving him to be feasted upon.

I mean, Tennessee pinned their ears back. Harold Andry had a career high twelve quarterback pressures today. Um, I mean it was it was. You know, he's still through for yards, but it was all in the short game. And the thing that I really hold against the Colts more than anything, and partially, you know, this isn't entirely their fault, but they show that they can move the ball with a quick game, whether it's just dumping it, offering screens, that

type of thing. They just didn't stick with it and and tried to push the ball down the field late. And that was before they were even down by nine points. And you know, when you have a guy who can't move, who's clearly not super confident on the messed up ankles that he's playing on, Uh, the last thing you want to do is give the defense more time to get

after him and not get the ball out quicker. So um, I thought schematically they kind of failed in the second half because I mean it was a close game until the fourth quarter, and that's really when it felt part that they might take it easy on Henry just he's a little bit after forty one touches last week, because for thirty one, he really does break every rule there is about running backs. It's just kind of amazing. And

Tennessee has to be love in life right now. I know this is a home game, so you want to like kind of knocked that one out and beat the Colts. But man, just looking at that division, they should feel pretty good. At two and one, it might not take that many wins to win this division, and especially with the way that the Colts have started this season the way they look so far, even in the close games,

they haven't been able to pull it out. So yeah, I totally agree, and you would think that, you know, I said, it's the sixth or seventh nail that they got to put in the Coffin sixth or seventh, they've only played three games games some of them were two nail games. And now I look at their schedule at Miami at Ravens Home Texans at nine or so, they're on the road for three of the next four weeks. There's still all sorts of messed up on offense and

banged out, banged up. And that's why, that's why Greg, you and I both locked up the Titans here, so big w for both of us. How about Dan's having fun because I for some reason switched switched the locker last minute to a loss, because you know, because you really got to be worried when when you can get Carson Wentz but like make them not mobile, that's what you really got to be worried about and change change

your pick. You know, like a week right that you've you've switched out of a winner, tore on switching out of winners the losers. So I deserve it, it's all, you know, you all you wanted it all to happen in the same samee. Well you got to save that for for the next tweet to use it because it was almost like, yeah, we're talking about nails in your coffee. It's nails. The nails are are in my back. Uh. Shook one more game and it was a great one

in Vegas. Good snap, good hole, shock pot baby. The writers become the first team in history of the NFL don't win their first three games against teams at all one at least ten games a previous season. Whoa that calls burn bongos say, I like when the strings come in there, it's just a banger. Yes, the Raiders did it again. They're three and oh they very nearly let this one slip away. Jake Brisket when the gutsy scramble with seconds to play and then converts the two point

conversion to Will Fuller for US. Over time they trade field goals, but shook Derek Carr as he's been doing all season, just making money throws in the biggest moments, and that gorgeous shot to Edwards that's set up the game winner was one of the best throws of the year. Yeah, I mean, Derek Carr is on fire. There was only one mistaking this entire afternoon, which is an ill advised throw into the hands of Eland and Roberts, who took it back for a pick six. Other than that, he was,

you know, pretty precise for most of the game. And the thing you really have to like about his development, I think from last year to this year is taking with the defense is giving him picking apart defenses and spreading the ball around the field as a result. I know they spent a first round pick on Henry Rugs and he is getting more involved. You know, he had that touchdown pass a reception last week, and he did

have four catches or seventy eight yards today. But he's not just relying on him or just relying on Darren Waller. He's throwing everybody. He threw a touchdown past to alec Ingold today who that was his reward for saving them from fumbling away a red zone opportunity on the previous play. I'm convinced, you know, they were just like a dialing up fringle and he just bailed us out, dump it off, touchdown. This was the best game of the day. I think

this is a great football game. These teams only play classics. We can only think of three. This one, the Sea of Hands game, Remember the Sea of Hands game. We weren't born yet, but it's a classic. And then the fits Pat Trick game of course at the end of last year that ended the radio season. I mean Jake Briskett, you know, through forty nine times for two and fifty yards, like some of these four yards attempt some of these

reception numbers like Waddle twelve. It's a little wild. But when Puss game to shop, he had a fourth and nine where he had to fit it into a mail slot. Got it. Fourth and twenty with the game on the line and overtime on the run, got it. So he added a lot of value, a lot of fun. I don't know, if I don't know, if to point no, who would love to have Jake Brisket right now? The team that originally had him Occults? How about the Patriots? No,

I don't know. Mac Chus is good. I've kidded about that seriously, Like this is the Dolphins you could get if you're a Dolphins fan. Even though they fought back here and this was a nice comeback. You're one and two and you're disappointed with the start of the season. The one thing that they've been smart enough to do, and other teams after your aren't. As we need to get a dependable backup in the building, Ryan Fitzpatrick the

last couple of years, Jake Brisket. Now these guys are not stars, but their hold the ford guys that can save your butt if your starter goes down and that's what nearly happened today. Yeah, and you know, you have to be encouraged by that because, I mean, they got their doors blown off last week, and yet they come back and play against a team that's on fire. I mean, I know it's only three games, but the Raiders are playing good football. Um, even their defense has really come around. You.

We also we already know about the front four and what they've been able to do in getting after the quarterback. So statistically, if you looked at it on paper going into this game, you're thinking, man, this is a terrible situation for Brissette to walk into. And yet Jake Brisket avoiding pressure, stepping up in the pocket, extending plays, scrambling and put against body on the line with two seconds left in the game, and then converting the two point conversion.

Like you said, I mean, it was that you're handed a lot of points. It was like a short field. It was it was a pick six. And then you know, Brisket also made the history books by being the first quarterback to complete a pass for a safety. So that was pretty Yea, that was a bad, bad situation by everyone, and this offense is just good. I mean, Peyton Barber goes for a hundred and eleven yards on four point

eight yards per carry. No Josh Jacobs again here. Kenyan Drake also in the mix obviously there but the past catchers with car playing at this level. Brian Edwards is a player. Henry Ruggs a couple more great catches today. He really is blossoming. Hunter Renfro third and Renfro Darren Waller of course has been maybe a little quiet after the last after the Week one explosion, but that's a

that's a great four pack. I mean, Ruggs had a play early where he looked like the error that you sometimes got in Tech Mobile where the guy just flies off the top of the screen. There was like a special way you could get that to happen, and that was like Rugs, My god, they should just throw like alley oops to Ruggs because just because it was fun to watch. He has to have one of the highest

vertical verticals in the league. And then Renfro had one play where he did like a quadruple move and literally spun around Xavian Howard and all pro like a top these Raiders are they're balling. Yeah, Renfro had a great catch and we talk about third Renfro. It was second in Renfro at least once today a fantastic catching the sideline.

It basically put me in this moment where I was like, who is his comparison like, because he's short, you know, he's the the gritty receiver whatever you wanna call him. And I want to say he's like maybe a welker, but he's not that type of athlete necessarily, but he is a guy that you can depend on to make those catches over and over again. And it's fun to see how car involves him but really involves everybody. They're

just a really fun offense to watch. Overall. They're now a team that I look forward to watching on a week to week basis. Shook your live via satellite from Cleveland in your home office, and I'm looking right now behind you over your left shoulder. It's the NFL helmet with the big shield logo that you only get at

the NFL if you leave the company. And then they put the helmet on the table in the newsroom and they say, everybody sign it wish Nick Well, of course, shook Ee went to the Browns and then came back, so Shook managed Greg to really pull something off here. He got the helmet where everyone said, you know, you're an amazing guy, best double luck to you, kept the helmet, has it on display, left the company, and then came back. It's it's having your cake and eat it too, right,

It's like he's like double dipping somehow. He's probably still getting paid by the Browns like all the other ex coaches. They have maybe much money there with the Browns. We know that was a mysterious exit. You know, you know if I if I hung around there long enough, my first stint there and have two of those helmets at this point, I mean, you're living the dream like you left, but you're still on this podcast. So it's perfect like you got you got, you got your cake and you're

eating it too. You know it worked out. You don't have to come up to the studio. You're just at home and Gregg, you don't. I don't even need to ask. We know there was no goodbye from the Brown's helmet. Just put it that way. It was well one day shot up that just a key card didn't work pretty much. You will see you in a week when you're covering us for somebody else. By the way, one more game was shooke. I misspoken, and that's a great thing because

I can't speak. Head to Pittsburgh. Joe and the gun catches the snap fakes the p rhyan Row said high and deep down the left s Chase hasn't in the end zone. Touchdown, mangals. What a throw by Joe Burrow to Jamaar Chase, who extended his arms and reeled it in for the thirty four yard score. It's like he's like, I gotta get out of that lock. I gotta get over to the ben Rothelsburger Steelers and two things. I

had a good day with picks too. I don't even know what happened, Dan Hard and Dave Lapham w c k y. Joe Burrow through for buck seventy eight, but with three touchdowns, including two more strikes to Jamaar Chase. Hey, that's working out. Speaking of stupid summer storylines, Jamar Chase can catch, and he catches a lot of balls in the end zone. Bengals are now two and one after over the Steelers shook. We knew Pittsburgh was up against it,

potentially without t J. Watt, their most important player. How big a difference did it make in this game? Massive? They recorded one pressure the entire game, their lowest pressure presentage pressure output in the next Gen stats era. The Steelers, I mean they they Joe Burrow had all time, all day to throw. H there was one play in which he actually was hit, and it was very questionable roughing the passer call which actually set up the first touchdown

pass to Jamar Chase just before halftime. Basically it was a matter of Burrow could pick apart the defense to a degree, uh and kind of just work with whatever he had, and the Steelers, knowing that the Steelers couldn't move the ball quickly at all, that they could just

kind of take their time. But I mean the second touchdown pass to Jamar Chase, he again had all data throw, was able to roll out right, wait for Jamaar Chase to break officer oute, come back over into the middle, wide open portion of the end zone, just throw it to him. I mean, it made it look easy. It was at one point a commanding lead, if not bordering on a blowout before things kind of settled down to this final score that you see here. Uh. I think

if you're a Steeler fan, you're stunned. Maybe not because of you know, considering who you didn't have on defense, but if you're a Bengals fan, you gotta be riding high man. This is a team that won the division last year. This is a statement win for your young Bengals. I mean, it will never get old beating Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. If you're a Bengals fan, or a Browns fan or a Ravens fan. That's just how this division goes. And teams are gonna be lining up to kick the Steelers

when you're down. I know I didn't watch this game closely, but sometimes I think the box score can tell you a story. And the story here is that Naj Harris got more targets as a running back than any running back in history, I think again in the next gen stats era. And that's like that tells you about their offense. Because the Steelers had thirty five more plays than the Bengals, which is usually a good thing, you know, in many

more yards. But the Bengals were able to hit some big plays, whereas Nick, the Steelers are going on like seven eight minute long field goal drive when they're behind. And so to me, that tell me if I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that is the box score kind of telling you the story of the difference between these teams. Yeah, it absolutely did. I mean the Steelers only scoring drive but produced a touchdown the entire afternoon, eight minutes and thirty two seconds, fifteen plays to cover

ninety yards. Get this, Greg, They went no huddle on a few of those plays in that and it still took that long. And they have explosive players. I mean, I want to point out by the way, it's not just what, it's what it's to it who's probably their next best player? And Lulu and Highsmith that is four of your top six, you know, front line players. So it's on defense that that helps explain it. It is the with the Steelers offense, and it's it's you know, you don't want to make it two on the nose

and connecting the things. But it felt that way last year with them down the stretch where the field felt like it was a hundred and twenty yards and they would going uphill both ways. And here we are again. Jud Smith Schuster went out with an injury in this game.

That doesn't make things any easier for Big Ben, but it just seems like to me that the Steelers are a a full step and maybe two below the actual contenders in this league and be their only chance to have a successful season i e. Playoffs, as if the defense dominates because the offense. I don't just I don't think they're gonna flip a switch. I think this is might be who they are as a team, and that

that's not a very optimistic viewpoint. But I feel like we're starting to get a handle on this team a little bit. Yeah, and it's becoming a recurring theme. It starts with the offensive line, the fact that they've got a bunch of new guys up there and they're still just not playing effectively enough to really help that offense

move now. Really, it shows up in the run game more than anything, when you try to hand the ball to Nigi Harris and he consistently has nowhere to run or very little space to run, and then it comes down to the Steelers trying to force feed him the ball through the air because they want to get him involved and they want to get the return on their first round pick, while also we all realize that they didn't spend that pick on a quality lineman that they

might have been able to use that at this point now instead of you know, finding a replacement level are better running back, instead of spending a first round pick on Nagy Harris. I mean, it's just they're stuck in the mud. They're they're trying to do too many things. None of it's working because they can't really protect all that well. And they I mean, the Bengels defense surprisingly got after a little bit today. They've been good all three weeks and they've they've got a home TNF game.

You know, it's big time when Colleen wolf Is head into your town and it's against the Jaguars. You can get the three and one here, Cincinnati have a little bit of a moment, and then you're you got the Packers in next Okay, that's tough, But then you got the Lions, Like they got a chance here to have like a nice little four and two type of star. Right. Let be Cincinnati beyond the fringes of the playoff race by Thanksgiving. I mean, any Cincinnati fan would sign up

for that. So they have that in front of them to get set up well. And I think just in general, if you're a Bengals fan, a lot of optimism after Week one, and then everything felt like in Week two that it might have been going down the path of what's been too familiar um over the last few years. And now you get this win and all of a sudden you're like, Okay, maybe we're making progress here, Maybe maybe Zach Taylor is getting through to these guys. Maybe

there's something cooking here. So we'll see if Cincinnati could build on this. And the Steelers are a team to keep an eye on here, because you know, we talked about it all through the off season that they felt like they had the biggest disparity potentially between ceiling and floor, and right now it is not trending well, despite the fact that they went on the road in week one beat the Bills. But look where they are now, Shook A Look where you are now? Yeah, high ceiling, high floor,

high motor. And the top of your head is pretty high too. It's like it goes to a nice it's very high in the screen. Yeah, let me lean back a little bit here about that high here. Somebody said I saw somebody on Twitter a few weeks back that was like Dan talks about Shook's head and baldness too much it's it's not nice, and I never thought it to be a thing where I was being mean or anything. But I'm going to just stay away from the commentary

on your head. I think you did a nice job with the decisions you made, uh, and people should to read into it anything else other than that one of the decisions I made today shaving my head. There you go. I mean, bald is beautiful and I enjoy being bald, so it's never. It's never a beautiful job, Nikki Shook, and you are a life saving for us every Sunday, but especially this one. There goes Shook back into the

Cleveland night. And up next the Jets. Right after this break double tight end set plus a fullback on first goal, the one they handed off running left side, Gordon hit and run, store a tackle and presses into the end zone, but they did for a touchdown. Well. The highlight is that the Broncos had two one yard touchdowns, a bunch of field goals, and the Jets in and score. So what am I gonna do? David Logan with the call ko A. The Broncos continue to feast on the top

of the draft class. One week after shutting down Trevor Lawrence Dever picked up Zack Wilson twice in zip shut out over the Jet at Mile High. The Broncos are three and oh for the first time since two thousand fifteen. Their opponents this season or combined oh and nine, but hey call a player schedule. The Jets provided zero resistance in this one. Greg and I tweeted about it, and sometimes I tweet from my feelings about being a Jet fan, and I wonder if there could be pushed back, but

I don't care because I'm just angry about it. Um, Jets fans were not looking for any Cinderella playoff run this season. We take it, but that's not what you're looking for. You just want something to look forward to on Sundays. You want to have some whiff of progress, just the idea that there's maybe some hope. But this organization, it's such a low bar. It's just above the floor and they can't clear it. It's really just they did not put up any type of fight against the Broncos.

And I give the Broncos credit. They executed there in their building. They're feeling good about themselves, So I don't want to make this a Jets conversation, but it's hard not to because the Jet are not competing and any team in the league was gonna beat the Jets. The Broncos were just lucky enough today to have them on

the schedule. Yeah, through three weeks, they've got a pretty strong argument for the worst team in the league along with the Jaguars, because they haven't really been competitive in any of the three games. Um, they had a moment, I guess in Carolina late work, but really they're they're

pretty outplayed. I'm not surprised with this Broncos defense, but it just shows you like they're down some players, and um, I don't know, I just I think the whole season is about Zack Wilson's development, and he got a tough draw. We didn't know how good that Panthers defense is gonna be, but it looks pretty good. I think you got a tough draw with these first three games, and you're just hoping,

uh for some progress. And if you're Denver, like like I said that, you're leading the league in point differential right now. Yet. Yes, um, they've they've played bad teams, but stomping bad teams, according to Football Outsiders, is literally the most predictive thing you can do to like to make the super Bowl. Like that is. The most predictive thing of a great team is stomping bad teams. And I don't think there's data that backs that up. But

that's ludicrous to me. But okay, go on, because basically the I the thinking is when you're playing other great teams, the game is probably gonna be close, and so a sign of of a great team is is you don't keep them close against the bad ones. I actually think that bron Goes have to be a little discouraged coming out of this geam just because they are, weirdly one of the most injured teams in the entire NFL. They had three starters lost in this game, two on the

offensive line. They're now down three starters on the offensive lines injuries. We'll see how serious they are. And then kJ Hamdler, the receiver had an injury, which well, we'll see how serious that is. That the initial word is maybe it's not as bad as it initially looked, and

it's going to just be multi week instead of season ending. Um, but they you know, Chubb's on the I R. I just saying that they're down about six seven starters from three weeks ago, and then that you would think is gonna start catching up to him now that they faced the meat of their skin, right Dalton, Dalton, Risner, Graham Glasgow foot knee injuries, respect respectively. kJ Hamler had the knee which was really bad in the moment, but hopefully

not too serious. Um yeah, I mean, I don't know how much to take out of this game other there than to say that, um, they could handle these teams. Look, I mean, he's doing exactly what you'd want out of Teddy, Teddy. He's been perfect Teddy. But he's like again, I want to see him against better competition. They got the Giants, the Jaguars, the Jets. Now they're going to get the Ravens, the Steelers, the Raiders, the Browns. Okay, now, let's see what Teddy is. But if you're asking how he played

today as well, it wasn't a dynamic performance. But he made some really nice throws. And when you're playing a team as bad as the Jets are right now, you just don't want to do anything to gift wrap the game, pick sixes or anything like that. Put the ball in the ground. He didn't do that. He's kind of stuck in games against Derek Carr, Justin Herbert and Mahomes where it's not gonna where you can't just like kick field goals. And so that's going to be the challenge for Teddy.

But what a start, I mean, it is. You could argue this was the softest start to schedule that any team has ever had. I mean, record wise it is. It's oh nine. But well, you can't take the you can't take the oh nine because they three of them are against the Broncos. But yeah, they're owing six otherwise. You know, put it this way, when I do the Power Rings on Tuesday, I think the Giants will be twenty nine, the Jaguars or the Giants will be thirty, the Jags will be thirty one, and the Jets will

be thirty two. And that's so they got one, two, three in the schedule. Again, you can only play your schedule. But I want to see how they do against the Ravens next week. That seems like a really good game, a barometer. Let's move on. I'll get mad at kicks away. You can only play who's on the schedule, and the ball game is over. Speaking of what was their own with the call w z g C. Young Waiku kicked the forty yard field goals time expire. Matt Ryan threw

two touchdowns. Is the Falcons top the Giants seventeen fourteen and they always vicious nasty clause out double wounded animal gain. The Giants had a seven point lead after se Kwon Barkley how to TD dive from one yard out and Daniel Jones then followed up with a two point version fourteen seven got Eli manning ceremony at halftime. It's the Giants specifically set this up. Let's get a dog team into our building when the weather is nice in September.

Make it a homecoming type game. When Eli there, he does his speech and then we roll. But guess what. The defense could not make the seven point lead stand up. The offense couldn't do anything in the final quarter after that touchdown, and the Falcon's offense that had struggled mightily in the first two weeks, came to life just enough to beat a Giant's team that might be very bad.

The fact that they're winless in what feels like a little bit of a softer portion of their schedule will as they now get into the teeth of their schedule. Bodes very poorly for New York and in general. There have been there have been times when New York football has had bad seasons. Uh, Jets and Giants together, this one could be as bad as any has ever been. That's where it's trending right now. Well, maybe they were trying to honor the last four years of Eli Manning's career.

You know, don't hit out Greg, you know, because there's a whole lot of losing then too, um Man. That is absolutely brutal to lose in this way to the Falcons, like Falcon stink by the way, you'll watch this game, like, okay, the Falcons one, and they actually their schedule softens up a little bit now and they have a chance to kind of get things together. But I don't see the Falcons is a good team at all. The the fact that you let this team beat you and you're building

is a very bad sign. You set up the halftime, you know, ceremony, and Eli Manning was emotional this week talking about it like he was really almost not surprise, but like it meant a lot to him. I've rarely seen him talk like that. And to Boo owned the owner John Mara. During that halftime speech, the crowd is booing Mara. I just go back to the year I lived in New York a decade and the reverence with which the New York Football Giants fan base in media

and the whole city. It's really a giant city, as you know, like in the city held the maras was was annoying frankly and uh and at the time because that's yeah, as a Patriots fan, but also just like I couldn't imagine, you know, they just got amazing coverage and it really shows how far they've fallen the last five or six years or eight years, I guess, um, and he's getting booed. I don't know that that amazes me.

And then I'm sure it's gonna be on the back page of the post in the Daily News tomorrow that I guess. There was a photo captured of a garbage can that um the owner kicked over after the Giants went down, And maybe he got kicked over because he got booted halftime. Either way, I mean, listen, if you look at what the Giants have done since they won the Super Bowl nine and seven, no playoffs one year nine and seven seven and nine, six and ten, six

and ten, eleven and five and under Ben McAdoo. I don't know how that happened, but then they had the boat thing and then they got wiped out in the playoffs three and third. This is since now two thousand, seventeen, three and thirteen, five and eleven, four and twelve, six and ten and now oh and three. So the fan base is as a Jets fan, I see it. Oh, they're spoiled, but you understand because you expect results when you run very well for a long period of time

and they just the results are not there. And they they're very banged up right now, and you have to factor that in because Daniel Jones um did not have Sterling Shepard who hurt his leg. The Darius Layton he left the game in the first half of the hamstring injury. We know Evan Ingram and Kenny Golladay are both banged up. Blake Martinez, who is a very important part of their defense, he got hurt in this game. Um, so they are not at full strength for a roster that doesn't need

it's core players to be disappearing. If you want one bit of good news for the Giants, I think Sae Kwan is getting closer to being Sae Kwan again. He had lead back type usage in Week three, so I think the restraints are off him. But an Atlanta team that went into this game being outscored thirty eight zero in the fourth quarter through week two weeks, to let them come back on you on this day. That's why they're booing. I mean, you gotta give young Wick Ku

a nice corner table in the Kicker Club tonight. I know it's all about Tucker, but COO's coming off that Pro Bowl. He hits the game winner. He's the man, right Quardurel Patterson, maybe invite him. He seems like he'd be fun at a club. He's he's a leading receiver. They've unlocked spat. Someone's actually done it. I don't think this can last the whole season, but someone has finally unlocked the offensive weapon. Quardurell Patters. These are different circumstances,

but I hope it tracks on some level. It's like you remember on June two thousand nine when Michael Jackson died and then Fara Faucet also died that day, and nobody talked about Fara Faucet, who was an icon in her time because Michael Jackson was that big. Justin Tucker is Michael Jackson and Fara Faucet is young Waiku? Is that track at all? Yeah? I mean he'll take that.

You know people had all posters up. Those people Faucet All right, Uh, let's move on Fields weight as the Browns load up, snap back, he's got it here, cups coral balla here, cups scaring. They got him a mile Scarret four and a half sacks on the afternoon. Oh, Jim Donovan with the called w K RK Miles Garrett. He's here now. You were wondering where he is, where

he was, He's here now. The super pass rusher said a franchise record with four and a half sacks as the Browns took down Justin Fields nine times to six. Win at the dog Pound. Now to talk about the game, we welcome in an old friend of the Around the NFL podcast, a legend, the great Kevin patra keV. How are you? First of all, pretty good? How's it going? Look at you? You're looking great. You're wearing a Dodger's hat, I mean, firefighter sweatcher. You're you're a real man there

patrastled Beard the whole thing. Patrick's with his dad. Um, Patrick, this was an interesting game to get you back, and we're gonna talk about the lines if you're okay with that. A little bit later, kevi um but U embattled coach and officially in front of Mattneggie's name, you have to say in battled coach. Mattege was left to try to wrap his head around the ineptitude of his offense after this game, an offense that managed a single netyard of

passing in four quarters. Here's what Naggie had to say after the carnage was through. Um, you know this is not how we wanted it to go. You almost can't even make it up. It's that bad. H So, but we got to get to the film and we got to make sure that we're hard on ourselves and we understand the wise Um, and and really just go from there. Patrick.

You almost can cannot make it up, he says. I just don't even understand how you can be such a failure, Um, coming from where he came from Cancer City, and like, what heck was your game plan? Ja taking justin Fields, one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the league, and trying to make him a pocket pastor it like he did he forget that Andy Dalton was out this week. It didn't make any sense the game plan. It's like as bad of a day as it was for Fields, and it was a struggle. It was ten times a

hundred times a thousand times worse for Matt Maggie. He I mean, I don't know how he survives another game like that. The only thing is by the grace of the ownership, who doesn't seem to want to make any changes. It was just piss poor, if I can say that from from a managerial standpoint of how you ran this game. What the GM put in front of your quarterback. The offensive line couldn't block a soul. Myles Garrett, you know, whipped Jason Peters. Anybody who thought that that was a

good matchup was fooling themselves. And how they didn't have extra protection justin Fields had zero chance in this game, zero zero chance. He was pressured on a set of his dropbacks like literally one out every two times, and every other time no receivers were open. There wasn't one schemed easy throw out in the flat you know, whatever,

where were there? Where were the wide receiver screens where and Naggio probably le we only had six team plays in first courter, Yeah, because you couldn't do with the ball anyway, So that's why you only had team placed. It's just from a coaching perspective, this was a disaster, an absolute It is so good to have you back

and have the fire here. And I was to say, if you could give me a little bit more perspective on how Naggie failed in your opinion, and it's sad where there are a lot of deep drops for fields as opposed to plays to try to get the ball out of his hand and get the offense moving in a different way. I think I counted like one through three quarters there was he moved the pocket twice, Like where were the rollouts to generate easy throat? Where were the split the fields in half? And he's got to

go here? Boom boom, just quick, no thinking about it, like you're a You're asking an offensive line who can't block anybody to block one of the best defensive lines in the league. And after the first six sacks you to think you to change something, But no, it was the same thing over and over again. It doesn't It was the biggest ineptitude. And I feel bad that we're harping on the negative side when when the Browns played out of their minds and the credit should go to

them at a certain level. But it's just the surprise. I don't think anybody thought that the Bears were gonna win, or most people should not have. But to be embarrassed in this fashion with your rookie quarterback, um, you know, just put I mean the number. We should point out some of the numbers they finished with. Forty seven yards they have in the first quarter or that was the whole game, seven total yards. Uh. They've finished with one

passing yard passing yard that was one. Uh. They average one point one yards for play, which I saw was the second lowest um of this century. I'm amazed that

forty seven yards wasn't like the all time record. The shocking thing to me is that you know, Fields finishes six for twenty, that he only runs three times, and so as much as all of this it makes sense, is on um naggie, you have to give the Browns defensive line a lot of credit, and you have to at least understand that Justin Fields's instincts are not at the point right now where he can come up with something because he took nine sacks and he only ran

three times. The sacks to me are partly a quarterback stat and so it's a combination of everything, isn't it. Yes, absolutely correct. And of those forty seven yards you mentioned forty one, they had not forty one yards in the first half, which ob was was good. But then he only got six in the second half. So where we where were the adjustment? That's what my question is. And to your point about running, he did try to get

up he a couple of those. I think three or four of those sacks were him just not getting back to the line of scrimmage, and then therefore it goes for a sack. He was escaping the pocket and the lineman did a good job of corraling him before he slipped the tackle last week to seal the win. He couldn't do that this week. That's how good the Browns were. How do b J look? Because uh, you know I saw something just that he was very efficient. His five catches,

all like picked up first downs, were big plays. They ended up with four eighteen yards, so they there they were plus you know, the three fifty and yardage like that to six and first downs, like had the running game going. But how did ob J look? He looked good. To me, he looked I didn't see any like hesitation on his cuts he went up for his best catch was wasn't an O. B J type perception ridiculous one

out of bounds where he's falling in. If Baker could have kept it in bounds a little bit more, it would have been a ridiculous. It would be on all the higher lights already, like squeeze that ball, and it was like, You're like, how did he come down with that? He just couldn't couldn't drag his toes. But that was that. That to me was the player Like that showed like, Okay, he's good, he's back like he might not have been bounds, but I don't care, like I think he's still got it.

And the total yards margin of minus three seventy one for the Bears was the worst since Week seven of nineteen seventies six, So we're talking historic disparity here between two teams. It should have been it should have been worse. Honestly, if the Bears defensive line didn't get five sacks early and forced to turnover on downs early when Stefanski went forward on fourth and short and they got stuff. The Browns got stuff. This would have been a complete laugher.

It should have been a fifty it should have been a fifty burder. There's no doubt in my mind they couldn't. U Hunt was unguardable. They the Browns to me to have like the best screen game the league right now. Uh, the Hunt screens are just they can't tackle him. He was pinballing off guys and then the combo with Chub

just just they just ground him down. And to make it matters, where Snaggy kicking a field goal when you finally got down and the score was filled, ten point game and he kicks a field goal and you're like, why the hell are you haven't you got in the red zone once, luckily, luckily once that you got there, and taking a field goal against the team that's glad? Are you becoming a fan? How you've lived in Chicago? Now? How long? Osmosis? I you know what? You know what

it is. I am so used to rooting for teams that I just, you know, it just warmed my heart. You speak, you speak for a angry fan. Base and I know Bears fans, as hard as it is to listen to today's show, are happy that you're here. A Patchel, Let's get off this game before your head explodes and head to Jacksonville, where another rookie quarterback struggled. Good job, Brownies, Lawrence takes turns, gives to hide. It's a flee flicker,

pitching it back to Lawrence Eason. Trouble jump ball pass picked off their side by Murphy at the thirty running at to the left of Byron Murphy after a horrible mistake by the rookie where the pick six and the Cardinals are back in front. Oh, Dave passed with the call k t a r A lot of ominous moments in that call leading up to it fleet flicker. He's in trouble. He throws it up. Byron Murphy intercept the

two passes, including when he returned for a touchdown. Following that botched fleet flicker, Cardinals rally to beat the still very bad Yeaguars thirty one nineteen the Red Birds of three and oh. For the first time since two thousand fifteen, Patra Arizona was able to overcome a catastrophe, but special teams will play that in a minute. But what are your thoughts on this game? UM? I think that good teams win on the road when they're not playing well,

they find ways to make place. And that's exactly what the Cardinals did. UM talking about another coach who could be on a hot seat and took him probably took himself off of it, Cliff Kingsbury. This looked like one of those like speed bump games which as as you mentioned, he decided to kick a six year field goal gets returned for a touchdown. Jags take a just they're just

running the ball down the throat. This is the best game I've seen from Trevor Lawrence until that pick and then it all comes all comes crashing down on the Jags and the Cards find a way to pull it out, and they just steamrolled their way away from it. It was it wasn't even close at the end of it. You know, they turned a ten nine point deficit into a fifteen point lead and like no time, it was over. And that's what good teams and I that's what good

teams do. It wasn't Kyler Murray's best game. He threw a pick that I don't even know what he saw the safety. It was like basically just then arm punt on like second down. He was this year. To be honest, actually he said one each week like total Groner that if like Jamis threw it, you'd be be like, oh, there's Jamis again. But the good thing is every other play Kyler Murray looks like you know, an m V peak in it right, And he did, and he made plays.

He didn't make as many plays with his legs, but he's like the when it's fourth and one, he's I don't think there's a team that can stop him. He had one year touchdown where nobody was within twenty yards of him, and then he converted a big fourth down to ice the game basically late uh and on a day where new Hopkins was kind of was quiet and he had three catches they couldn't they just couldn't connect, and they had a penalty on the white the way

one big play. I mean, I thought A J. Green, who I've been a big critic of, I think he showed what he can be at this stage of his career. Possession receiver, and Kyler is clearly not afraid to thread at him in the needle. I mean, he had one jump ball, like Kyler underthrew it by probably like six yards and he just boxed the defender out like he was getting a rebound. So I mean they had two

hundred yard wideouts and neither one was Hopkins. A J. Green best five for one or round dam more for that matter, and Kurt goes seven for one or four. They've sort of got the Cliff Kingsbury four wide receiver thing that we were sold on two years ago. They kind of got it. If Green can do just have

pop up games like that. And I thought even his touchdown last week showed like a little bit of agility, where like, okay, like now that you're the third most important receiver on this team, like that's okay, You're fine. I think I think they were over reliant on Hopkins way too much last year. And I think this is the signs of this offense is growing, which we've been questioning whether Kingsbury can grow this offense, and they're finally starting to show it and Kyler doesn't have to be

wild plays every other play. I think they showed that yer Oh sorry, Patrick urban Meyer said, um of the sleeve flicker that changed that game, It's going to be a hard one to get out of my mind. I would imagine Cliff Kingsbury, even though um, they had a victory in this game, it's gonna be hard to get out of his mind. A play that happened at the end of the first half. Let's listen to that. Yeah, you know, Gus was bummed when he saw his assignment that he got the Jaguars and he was going down

to Duval for the week. But he made a count on that field goal line up at bomb field goal is at sixty plus yards nine yards the other way. I almost swung that game, but Cardinals were able to correct it was It was one of those questions questionable calls at Kingsbury has at least once or twice a game that you're like, what are you doing, dude? What is your game management? I mean, Jamal ag Knew has been one of the most dynamic, if not the most

dynamic returner. For the last return touchdown this year before that, I think that's two for him. He's like half their office. I don't I don't understand what what what the player there was whatever they ended up not burning, but that

was the turning point. You thought, Holy crap. And then how Trevor Lawrence had a great touchdown throw, perfect perfect past I'm probably what I figured was his third read to get to get them up in the second half, and it was kind of like, Okay, this could be a dangerous game for Arizona because they came out flat, the defense wasn't really getting pressure, which I was kind of surprised about until late, and that pick six really changed the entire complexion of the game. Cliff Cliff's funny,

Cliff kings Are. He's funny because he's the type of coach. They asked him after the game, you gret it? He's like, Nope, I don't regret it. I wouldn't change the thing. You wouldn't change the thing. What are you talking about? Your kicker didn't reach and you gave up to touch that. Like, how do you say that you wouldn't change the thing. It's like it'd be like the Fox executive saying like, oh, I wouldn't change the thing. I would have just kept Gus Johnson on some BS like Big twelve Game for

eight years instead of having him on the NFL. What were we doing there for those eight ten years with without Gus Johnson. That's a certain that's a certain personality tick in a certain type of personality where you never admit that you did anything wrong fully confident in everything you do. You're supposing that's projecting strength. But sometimes you just want to slap him and be like, you know that was wrong. You should have just owned up to it.

But that's what it is. The longest kick in NFL history involving Patrick's favorite team. Right after this, this is going to be an epically long field goal, a sixty six yard field goal try for Justin Tucker. It would be the longest in NFL history. If it's good, a sixty six yard try. Tucker's kick is on the way. It is good and prost bar and it bumbles grow it is good. Time has expired Justin Tucker for the

longest field goal in NFL history. That he is in the bar and it say him on the field and dusky great call w B a L. It's midnight on New Year's Eve at the Kicker Club tonight. That's the type of party we're talking about. Pastor was not there. Justin Tucker said an NFL record with a sixty six yard field goal, bouncing it through off the crossbars, time expired nineteen seventeen, Ravens over Lions at Ford Fille. I mean, the place is going on, Patra, I don't know how

close do you watch this game? I coorse you're famously Alliance fan. I didn't watch one second. Yeah, you're very busy man, obviously on Sunday, So don't really need YouTube give analysis on a game you didn't watch. But I just maybe as Alliance fan, trying to give us some framing, some contact context on what's the latest kind of stomach punch in an absurd way in the histories, long and tortured history. Perfect law, perfect law, couldn't cold in the

print frame to any better. Get You get a scrappy kneecappers just fighting to the bitter end against the A F, C, AFC power, and you know they keep that perfect streak alive to have as high of a draft pick as possible. I couldn't any better. So you got that, you got that big picture look, I mean you, yeah, you weren't in the crowd though. People were heartbroken the the crowd shots. I mean Patrick, poor Patrick, he's tried to like divorce

himself emotionally. He's not even covering Lions games on Sundays now and then we drag him in, uh to talk about this one. You're helping us, Yeah, you're helping join it and we're just like burying you. I mean, it's amazing they were in that in this position though, Like Calif Raymond is their leading receiver and they're and they're

almost beating the Ravens. I know, Marky's Brown dropped a couple of touchdowns in this game, and maybe the score would be different, but it's pretty wild that Lamar Jackson had a fourth and nineteen from the Ravens sixteen yard line, uh, with twenty six seconds to go. I'd love to see the win probability at that point and they win the game, and they had no time outs at the at the time. And and it should be said because Dan Campbell wants you to know and Lions fans like you were just

pumping up Lions fans the other day. Greg. They're getting beat thirty seventeen by the Packers and they're cheering wildly for a random play. They're dying because after they pick up that first down on fourth and forever, the Ravens decided to run one more play where they sail the ball out of bounds on an incompletionent before bringing out Tucker for sixty six, but they didn't get the playoff

and the officials missed it. It should have been a five yard in fraction and made a sixty six yard or a seventy one yarder, and then it becomes a hell Mary most likely um and most likely a Lions win. I mean, just that type of game. And if you're the Ravens, you're like, man, we got lucky here because we did not play well in this game. We almost went to Detroit and lost a lines to that's probably gonna win win two or three games all season. So

Justin Tucker bails out the Ravens. It's something he's been doing for a decade now. He's the best kicker ever ever, and I don't want to hear anything else you can tell me out Infinitieri is is the greatest because of what he did in the playoffs. If Justin Tucker got that level of UM chances in the postseason, he would be universally seen as the best. He's just he's a weapon at a level that no one's ever seen in the sport. That play the fourth and nineteen and then

him hitting that kick. I mean, this really was like the moment of of his career. We said it like when him coming out to break the record on a game winner. It should be pointed out by the way the Ravens had four players all starters. Well maybe Jalen Ferguson isn't a starter, but three starters and Jalen Ferguson

all go on the COVID list Friday morning. They had something like fifteen guys on i R last week, so it's they were they are they are, Yeah, they are scrambling a little bit, and that helps put into context what happened here. But it's still surprising when you had a thirteen nothing lead that you left it up to Tucker.

But maybe it's more perfect that way. I mean, it's the perfect Lions loss at the perfect justin Tucker moment, perfect Lamar Jackson ending two for a second straight week, he comes up with some eroics and he breaks the Matt Prator record set the sixty four yard or in week fourteen. That was done in the elevation high altitude

of Denver. So this was obviously in perfect conditions as a dome at Ford Field, but I mean it is the real deal kick by Justin Tucker and really, I mean, just save the Ravens from what would have been a really bad, bad, bad loss. I like your theory though, Patra that Lions fans, it's okay to be hurt, especially if you're in that building you just want to w But when you're picking first overall because of this uh in April, you'll probably actually say, oh, that was good,

that's a good that's a healthy way to look at it. Yeah, I think you know you still you want to get one. You don't want to be and seventeen the first you're already the first team to go. And six you want to be the first team ever ago oh and seventeen, And I don't think they will. I think you take up positive, like, Okay, they play, they they battled, and they have all season, and I think that's what you're looking for, that young players are playing better. You know,

they don't get the number one overall. Picking like a draft without a great quarterback well who knows, yeah, like an Eric Fisher type of draft. There's not like a quarterback right now that everyone agrees on. But it's very early and per next Gen stats, Tucker had a field

goal probability of ten point four percent. There another Justin Tucker stats sixteen of sixteen on field goals in the final minute of regulation, the most makes without a miss in the final minute of regulation since at least nineteen eighty three when they started tracking this stuff. Everybody sucked at kicking before three. So this is the best ever. And he's never missed in the final minute of regulation. I mean, it's it's it's freaky stuff, first ballot, Hall

of Fame stuff. Patrick. I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you an option here because I when there are these type of things that happened on a Sunday, I'd like to hear the other side of it, the other radio call. But I don't need to subject you to that. If you don't want to hear it, you do want to hear it, Oh yeah, sure, all right? And I just want to like the pain. He likes the pain.

It's like him and doing workouts too. It's like that Miller, right, that's the burn, all right, Dan Miller's call of Justin Tucker's mastery of the kicking game. This will, in fact be a sixty six yard attempt for Justin Tucker. This game hangs in the balance with the longest kick in the history of the National Football League on the line. Tucker's ready, Bear's the snap, spot down kick on the way. It is off and it is off the craft bar

and throw. Oh my goodness, are you kidding me? Justin Tucker from sixty six hit the Croft bar and it bounced through and the Ravens are celebrating on the field the longest field goal in the history of the NFL. Here's just beaten Detroit Lions. Oh my goodness. All right, Patrick, thank you buddy, you're I mean, you're a warrior, and we really it's great to hear from you, and thanks for helping us out shorthanded and not me not being able to talk to him. Good to see your face,

Kevin Patrick. Appreciate you guys. See you, buddy, I mean Patcher's Patrick has been a lot around a long time here. When you know, he was here before I got here. He was like a utility man. He was doing stuff on the production side and switched over to writing like he's a lifer. He's a grinder. He is um. He doesn't suffer fools either. I think he broke. He's definitely leading the league and um, you know expletive beeps per minute on this show. I think he squeezed in three

in a solid twenty minute. I mean it's like he's taking his shots. It's good commentary, good football commentary, and it's salt of the earth commentary to what's Kevin Patra all right? Which takes us to Sunday night football n Crosby to try to win it, and the kick is good to win the game. The forty Niners couldn't take enough time off the plot. At the end, all Aaron needed was thirty seven seconds. It's a beautiful sport, isn't it.

The the they called soccer the beautiful game, But when when football is at its best, as it was on Sunday night between the Packers and Niners, it could feel like you're watching a movie. And that's what it was like. The Niners down six points with a couple of minutes

to go, Jimmy g leads him down the field. Robbie Gould hits the point after they're upper point, but Aaron Rodgers is on the other side and he hits two big strikes to his guy Davante, setting up a fifty one yard Mason Crosby field goal tents bang straight through the uprights, Packers thirty niners and after the game, Michelle Tafoya talk to Aaron Rodgers, who was also feeling the beauty of the sport. Man actually suggested, I play on

the sideline. Uh, that first play, which was something we actually worked on Friday practice, kind of scribbling on the dirt and it worked out perfect. Just put it right over, friends, got us kind of down there a little bit. We need one more play? Um, how could he not be romantic about football? Man? I know you believe that, Greg I do, especially in a night like this, a moment like that's for Rogers, where you're watching one of the

greatest ever at the very height of his powers. You know the numbers in the box score to sixty one and two, and you think, oh, that that's a solid game for Rodgers. This is one of the best games I've seen Rogers play. Mean, there's a million of them. But he was he was almost he was almost perfect. From the first throw was a gem to Lazard for

forty two. The touchdown to Valdes Scantling was beautiful. He had he had an earlier throw to Davante Adams in the game where it's just like there's no room there, and then the rest of the game they're doing all this quick game because that was the game plan and

that's working beautifully. Probably the only thing he did wrong in the Fleur can be part of this too, was blow all those time outs early in the half of you know what it did, It just made it more exciting that they made the degree of difficulty even greater. When he gets the ball thirty seven seconds left, no time outs, and they run those two plays and that

first throw to Adams is such a tough throw. It's such a great call against like a cover two uh in a two minute situation where they're trying to cover everything and you just can't cover that throw, and he makes it absolutely perfect, and he sets up Crosby who might not be in the corner. You know, Tucker is getting all the attention, but Crosby, Crosby's hanging out in the kicker club again. It's it's the Fara Faucet Michael

Jackson thing, because Crosby should be celebrated. Instead he's getting fauceted, He's getting the foss is getting turned on him. But he has been nails for them. And and Aaron Rodgers said after the game, in addition to the comments you heard that you know he sits next to Mason Crosby on every plane flight. They love each other. He respects him so much. And that was such. That was such a gutsy kick. Kickers are so much better now than

they used to be. That when a guy drills a fifty one yard or you know, years ago that would have been unheard of, but now just like, oh yeah, he drilled from you could you could make a case Greg that Rogers brilliant, but has the fante Adams of all people get wide open twice? He was not wide open. That's that's that first row, the degree of difficulty on that, how deep Adam's got, how far back Warner was as

like the linebacker. But he had to throw that so hard and yet over the zone like that is such an incredibly high degree of difficulty throw. So I'm not saying he's open at all, and he has to reset his feet moving two ft. I can't remember it was to his left or is right right before he threw it because he felt the pass rush going. I'm not buying that at all. I don't know if anyone else in the in the league makes that exact throw at

that moment, it was perfect. I think, Yeah, there's definitely something to be said for Maybe the defense wasn't perfect in that spot by the Niners, but sometimes one of the greatest of all time just beats you. And that's what happened. And uh, you know, there's a bunch of subplots to come out of this game. Because the Niners are getting shut out in the first half, it's so

hard for them to find the end zone. When they finally do in the final seconds to the second quarter, it's of course Trey Lance who does it on a one yard run after a what had to be a brutally painful sequence or Niners fans that like, why is

this so hard to score? And then I'm thinking to myself as the second half as playing playing out and Jimmy G has that bad fumble that seems to hand the game to the Packers midway through the fourth quarter, that oh, this is gonna be the week where Kyle Shanahan might have to make the change because this offense is just not getting done. And it makes me think what Jimmy G was able to do and on that seventy five yard drive in about two and a half minutes.

It would have been better for it was three minutes, but that's just the way it is. With Aaron Rodgers on the other side, Jimmy G really saved his own bacon, even if he wasn't able to save the Niners. But this is the Jimmy G experience. This is why they drafted Trey Lance because these sort of games drive you crazy watching Jimmy G. Just when you think you're out, you're you get back in and just when you think you're in, he does something that you come back out.

But it's still the same Jimmy G, which he is uh frenetick his feet like I you know. Tom Brady gets lauded for having very quiet fees, very calm in the pockeys move moving only the steps that he needs to, and Jimmy G is patting all around, he's petting the ball and he's turning around. This is the second straight week where he kind of threw the ball backwards because he didn't know where he was. And even on that touchdown drive. I don't want to knock the touchdown drive

too much, but Deebo Samuel makes an unreal play. George Kittle makes a great run after catch, use check makes a great play to score touch down. You kind of gotta give it up to the teammates too, and I'm gonna fall. I don't know if it's Shanahan or Jimmy g When they snapped the ball, there's thirty you know, there's about forty two seconds left, and there's twelve seconds still left on that play clock. They have all three time outs. The Packers had left themselves in a vulnerable

spot with no timeouts at all. Poor game management. And I tweeted the second that play happened. They snapped that ball with twelve seconds left in the play clock. Time was not a factor at that point, and it's given me. It was giving me flashbacks to a little Uh, Kyle Shanahan Falcon super Bowl. How about that? You gotta bring that up. I mean that was that was the all time.

You're snapping the ball earlier than you need to. But even in that moment, you're you're thinking, there's no need to be snapping it with twelve extra So well, that's fair, that's fair, and in general, tough a tough night for Kyle Shanahan, who there's a lot of drama We talked about it in the preview show on Thursday now between the Packers and the forty Niners connected to the potential pursuit or the legitimate pursuit of Aaron Rodgers in the off season, and how that led now to a potential

fracture of the relationship between best bros. Uh Kyle Shanahan and Matt Lafleur of Icy Bros. Gate got a little more pop and sizzle at midfield at the end of the game because these guys were these bros were icy and they just passed like two ships in the night. And then I was watching the postgame presser and of course the Niners beat reporter asks about it, and Shanahan feign's ignorance on It's like, oh, it's a busy game,

end of field goal. You know, I don't even really know what was happening, but we know we know it's Icy Bros Gate and I love it. That was some man Jennie Belichick stuff right there. I actually was surprised because earlier in the week we said are we on handshake? Watch here? And it ended up it ended up, it ended up delivery. I'm not happy the Packers won because I picked the forty Niners and I always root for my picks. But I do think this was the deserved result.

This was a game If the forty Niners won that I felt like they stole. I just don't think that they were the better team. I thought that the Packers were able to run the ball the forty Niners were not. Rogers was clearly the better quarterback. I thought they had the better game plan. Football is just a game of a couple of plays here, you know, the Packers had all these past interferences to uh, the couple of calls went against the Packers, and I just felt like they

looked like the better team. So even though it was a crazy ending, I think, uh, the deserved team got the result. It's funny that you used that word stole, because when I was in the NFL Network film Theater Humble with m j D tonight, I said the same thing when Crosby came on and hit the field goal to make one's like the Niners. I know it feels unlikely, but they could steal this game, and I would have said it to you, Greg, But even though I sent you multiple texts to come join me in the theater.

You didn't say it came, you knew it came, and you left me there. And when m j. D needed to go to the studio to join Chris Rose for the postgame show, it was the old Zeuser sitting alone in a movie theater watching the end of this game, and that hurt. Okay, this was this is the most damn story. I'm the come to the main character and in the movie uh plot line. Ever, you had your whole set up the whole second half because you wanted to watch Yankees and football, so we weren't in the

same place. They want to know what happened with that Yankee red Stock game while we're here, Well assume the Yankees one now based look at your face. So I'm watching, trying to catch up, trying to do things at my desk. Then you send me a text with five minutes left after I'm all set up. I've been doing my notes and you didn't even say come over. You just said I'm the m in the film room. I beg you to come. I'm in the film room, f y I.

At that point it was too late. You knew where I was as you could have come to where I was. Let's see, at eight oh five, I'm in the film room, f y. I mentioned that m j D is with us, m j D burying me about Robert Sala and then you wrote sounds fun slammer, and I wrote it was just the two of us. Now I'm alone in here, ha ha this kind At what point? Is? Is the light go on with Greg? But or maybe just Greg doesn't want to hang out with me? Maybe that's where it is. You in in a movie theater in at

NFL Network watching the best Sunday Night game. I'm watching the game at my desk the whole second half. You should have come to me. You you were the one that needed the whole setup. I didn't know where where you were. Now I really miss Mark anyway, it took that. Despite that, it was a great game to sit with you in the theater last Now I was doing in there. If you had been, if we had watched the whole second half there, I would have done it. That's what

I was, That's what I was expecting to do. But you wanted to do a different set up at that point, I'm not changing my setup. Five minutes left in the game. We should say we should do a contest, Ricky, like with a maybe a listener will want to sit with me in the NFL network. Yeah, I got a lot of people would Dan. Yeah, that's not happening. This place is locked down pretty tight. You can't even get family in here. Um. All right, good stuff and uh power rank is gonna be tough this week. This is a

really interesting week in the NFL. Kind of feel like we hit the reset button now as we reach October. Um, a little update real quick before we go. UM on Andy Reid, the Chiefs head coach who fell ill at the conclusion of the Kansas Cities lost to the charges today. This from the Chiefs came out about an hour ago. Reid was evaluated by our medical staff in the locker room and as a precaution, was transported to the University of Kansas Health System for further evaluation. Coach is doing well,

currently resting and in stable condition. Okay, stable condition sounds scary, but that that's a good thing. So get well soon, coach. Get to answer your question, Yes, I would like you to beg beg. I just I think sometimes like typical mail, bonding escapes you. UM and I don't say that as like an attack mechanism I gets you. I just say like I was kind of opening the door and then you would come roll in and we'd enjoy the end

of the game together. The door was opened the whole second traditional mail bonding, you knew where it was, you went to go hang out with m j D. We'll be back on Tuesday, and thank you everybody for dealing with my stupid voice today. Hopefully that will be better on Tuesday. Um, but I get well soon, Mark Cessler. I don't think we'll have him Tuesday, and probably not for this upcoming week, but we're gonna make sure Mark

gets completely well before he's back. Mark. Um, So get well soon, Mr Cessler, and thank you everybody for listening. And let's go Week three in the books. Oh we're just getting started. The beautiful gut heat the call