2021 Week 8 Preview

Around the NFL Podcast duplicative. Yeah, that's the writer in you and the editor, which you know, Dan's an underrated writer long time you know, journo little backhanded company right there. Okay, go ahead, I'm just saying no, I mean, there are people and I haven't I've encountered them that don't realize that we right, So it's good to point that out. That's where it's where we came from. But yeah, it it bothers you as a writer whenever you have the

same word like twice in the two See. I don't think it bothers every writer, um uh that are that's covering sports. But it should it should. I'm glad you mentioned Chris off the top here too, because that reminds me to reminder listeners to check out Lakisha's feature that that we talked a lot about. We had Keisha on our around the NFL broadcast. I know a lot of our listeners saw that because she sent it out in Social but some of you haven't. We haven't talked about

in the podcast. And it was amazing what she did. And they are going to be airing a shorter version of it on Game Day Morning this weekend, so that's cool. And but you can see the full version at Keisha's Social Hands literally the director's cut, and like I mean, it's amazing. They played it also in the huge theater here at our workplace where we watch um have watched a couple of terrible Sunday night football games for the most part, you know, some good, not some not so good.

The Lakisha did such amazing work and all the people behind the scenes that helped bring that to life, it was so well done. And Greg you spoke for the pod on in the segment, which was excellent, and Nick Westling spoke on behalf of the Westling Brothers and that was wonderful. And we heard from the doctors that uh and the surgeons that worked with West during his battle against cancer. So yes, check out if you're watching NFL Network,

check out the short version. Go, but finally seek out the long one, because that that is the way to go. It was a little it was a little toward of Greg. I know he's gonna say something nice, but to demand high fees to appear in the video that that felt and no one else did. Just it was special to have Keisha here with us, and I hope we do on on a podcast. Uh soon enough. But that's one benefit of yeah, watching the long version, we got to

talk about it with her afterwards. On that version, Mark, I would say that Greg's an underrated talking head, and like a sensitive piece like that, I would say, as he's been underrated. It is not a insult in any way. I just mean that that people don't think of the Zeus that way. He's you know, he's a podcast guy, he's a TV personality. Our writing has unfortunately, you know. I mean, you know, when Dan and I met, we were turning to the mill where you're doing fourteen blogs today.

I do remember Dan the writer quite distinctly. I mean, he still exists. I think about you as the writer. I remember that you guys are both time at your desks and I was just standing behind you with a whip going like, yeah you were. One day, when Mark and I do a spinoff show, it's just gonna be about like the two years where Greg was our boss. It's like four or five Terrell prior. Now he said

something and we're not gonna pull any punches. It's going to be the true, unvarned story that Greg twice has done the whipping motion but not the sound of It's like he affected he's expecting the drop to come in there, right right, But it's like this is an audience. It's like when drew up the double middle finger and thought it would be blurred out. And sometimes things are just for you guys here it's okay, right, and it's you know, you're quickly on the receiving end of that from what

we know about your outside of work. Let's all right, well, okay, we'll get into that a little bit later. Uh. This is week eight. Here we go, we're almost at the midpoint of the season. Of course, this season is longer now. I think the branding of it and dare we disrespect the branding of it? This is the biggest season ever. That's one way to put it purely in quantity. Although I think it's been a good season so far. I'd give it a solid B so far. What would you

give the season through seven weeks? B sounds about bordering on B plus. Yeah, I don't know that the quarterbacks are great. I always think you know, it's a lot of young quarterbacks, a lot of points. I mean, your personal fandom probably has to knock it down almost a full letter grade. It's just total terror. London trip for me knocked it up to an A personally for me, like everything leading up to Sunday kickoff was a plus, and then that then the the D minus game, uh,

and then the Sunday game against the Patriots. Now we're getting into f territory. But that's just me personally. So maybe I see the rest of the season as an A minus and it's got credit to the season that it's a base. I'm legitimately all right, let's get into the games of Week eight. You could check out the Thursday night recap Packers Cardinals speaking a lot of talk

the biggest, the greatest Thursday night football game ever. Well, six and oh against seven and oh six and one against seven and oh yeah, we'll see check out Greg's recap with special guests Patrick. So he agreed if he came around to I didn't follow up with him, but he said yes. In the moment, it was it was an awkward enough request that I was there for. It was that I actually had through what he had to

do that day. Which day is that Thursday? Where you know, that's that's what If you find yourself in a pinch, Greg, I will jump in and be your partner for recap. I felt I felt compelled based on revisit it, because yeah, Clay Bonn is a friend, and at this point we know enough that like asking a friend to do the podcast, that doesn't necessarily mean you're doing them a favor, they're doing you a favor. So I should revisit, whether it's a little later revisit honest, that was more like a

follow up later in the day. Hey man, sorry to put you on the spot there. If you have something else going on, let me know. And and Dan already said he would jump in, so it's fine. I thought about that. You know, get credit for thinking about sending that text, but I did forget. Let's start with the primetime games to come later in the weekend. Let's start with a gorgeous game on Halloween Night, Dallas Cowboys at

Minnesota Vikings. The Cowboys coming off their bye week at five and one, feeling good, looking good, playing good um and the Vikings are very hard to pin down three and three also coming off thereby, we had a reef asan on from the athletic last week, and we delved into all the drama around the Vikings. Who you know when we did that fact to exercise on Tuesday trying to pick a new team. The Vikings are team I always enjoy following. But again, I am not getting into

the pain rankings business. I'm not going from Jets to Vikings fan that's a terrible situation. And people like Banetta and everybody else say, oh, bad job with the Chiefs. Oh I might want to go to a franchise with a superstar quarterback that's going to the Hall of Fame and a great fan base and a winning culture. How absurd. It's a fair retort on your part. And you were immersis you know, we came after you and it was hard after me. So anyway, so there you go. The

Vikings a tough three and three to figure out? Mark, where do you come down on this game? Because I think hanging over everything, and I think how you watched this game, especially in the early the first half. How's Dak Prescott? How is that Calf? Because remember I had to check the notes the backup quarterback behind Dak Prescott? Does anybody know there's a string of the Cooper Rush? It's Cooper Rush who was thrown for I don't know. It used to be your guy Mike White. Now on

the Jets. He's thrown for three yards in five years. So if Dad goes down, everything's finished. Your thoughts, Mark, Well, it sounds like you know, they said in quotes, he did a lot of work on on Wednesday. He's doing it again today and they he's looked good, So you know there's real optimism that he can play, that he'll

be himself, which they need him to be. And if he is um and this, you know, I get the Packers Cardinals thing, but this is up there in that echelon of games because I think for us watching the vikings, like from I've been typically down on on the vikings, and my interest in them is climbing because of who they are on offense that you've got Clint kubiak Um allowing Kirk Cousins to throw the ball about forty times

a game. Justin Jefferson Adam thelan kJ Osborne who's in the last you know month become one of the more exciting young whiteouts. They're coming off there by both teams are. Dalvin Cook is healthy. So it just is it unlike the Green Bay Cardinals game. It's like everyone sounds like they're good. Michael Gallutt might be back. The one thing for me though, if you're looking at where this could just turn into a bit of a train wreck for Minnesota because to me, it vibes high scoring shootout that

like all Vikings games go down to the end. They lost to the Browns, Bengals and Cardinals by a combined eleven points. They lose close games, they win close games, um close fights, heartbreakers such as who they are, I expect this to go that way. But Patrick Peterson, who's played really well from Minnesota out of the lineup. You're asking Camlon Danceller to come in, who has not been a huge asset for them, but Shod Brilon has been struggling.

So you just look at what Dallas has on offense, and you wonder can they get to a point where they're suddenly up by, you know, seventeen points going into the third quarter. It's like every week that that that has so many mismatches to pick from and you're right losing Peterson is is key. It was bizarre that they bench Danceller, who was their best cornerback a year ago as a rookie. Seems like some sort of Mike Zimmer

personal thing wasn't happy about his attitude. He's gonna need him. Uh. These defenses have been underrated, like they're both top ten d v o A, but underrated defenses still give up thirty points when they play a real deal offense. And I trust the Cowboys offense and Mike McCarthy actually to realize that we are an offensive team. Let's play to it. Like I know, Kirk Cousins is playing more free and he's had to throw a lot, but a lot of that's because they fall behind. When they get ahead, they

kind of get into their little shell. They start running on first and second down, and they invite these close games when they don't need it. So I trust the Cowboys more to stay aggressive the whole game instead of just when they have the leader when they're behind. I think this is gonna be this is my prediction for and it's not too bold, but game of the Week.

I think it sets up really well that the Cowboys are going to score points, but Minnesota has the ammunition to fire back with Justin Jefferson Adam feeling a healthy Dalvin Cook coming off to buy. Uh, and he's gonna chew him up on the ground, I think. So we're gonna have they I think a shootout here and uh. I kind of like the Vikings here and I know I I just have a feeling that they are going to really show up in this game. He had Davina Cook had a hundred and forty three yards and thirty

one touches before Minnesota's buy. So you know the fact that he gets a chance now to get to get a blow. He's always banged up, he's had the ankle issues. He's gonna come out well. So I like the Vikings in an upset. I'm with I want to be with you. But part of me that's really enjoyed this Kirk Cousins season, and I think that the difference is he's throwing these balls up to Osborne and Jefferson when he could take

the underneath stuff. He's getting aggressive? Is that? Couldn't you see after all these games at you know, ten am Pacific that he's playing well that like, here comes the primetime game and Cousins has a Cousin like ending and everyone's like, oh, there's Kirk Cousins again. And I don't want to I know, but I'm now I'm like in Cousins corner and I don't want Cousins. I'm in Cousins corner. You're in the plexiglass box. I'm taken up. You know. I don't want to take West of Spot, but I'm

to be a kissing cousin. I'm gonna. I'm gonna apply for membership. I've just enjoyed that you guys can evolve, and I've enjoyed his his verb this year. And I and I've been out on the kissing things. So I said some verb. He's playing with a little verb. He's entertaining me. That's what's important. I like the idea of because that plexiglass cube that Kirk Cousins stays in not to give everyone COVID because he won't get the jab. It's a little tight for two people, but Greg is

a smaller framed man. You put Greg in there and he's gotta strip down and grease up. But then we just slide them right into the cube with Kirk Cousins and like, that's just I'm picturing that. I don't think technically how it would work. So it's like, I don't think.

I don't think removing your clothes would open up that much extra space, Ricky, if you think if you move the clothes but also lather Greg up in Greece, really, I'm like getting flashbacks to the sideline of the of the London game where you were doing those sound effects in reference to something I'm gonna throw up. Let's let's move on, Let's keep moving, let's I like working. It's technic clear how Greg would fix, you know, fit into

the structure again. We're getting his window into He's not wearing what's there, He's not wearing a puffy jacket and jeans. Get into that cube, smooth him down. I can take off the jackets and mask up. Dude. That's Giants a Chiefs is the other game Monday Night Football. This is November, now November one before into it, I had a message for you guys. Okay, hello heroes. We took a big loss last week when the Titans demolished the Chiefs. How

did it happen? Who knows, but it did. It's very upset we didn't let him lock up the Bengals over the Ravens. Like, oh, that's a good call. Tip. He's turning into a total elitist Bengals fan right now. In fact, he's sitting in his one bedroom apartment Higa Top Prace Hill on the west side of Cincinnati, sipping on a Sauvignon blanc from the board Due region of France. Anyway, we could pick this week since we didn't let him last week. So he's locking up the cowboys over the bike. Okay,

you may ask, why isn't Tim doing this recording? Well, Tim likes to sleep sometimes fifteen hours a day. How does he sleep fifteen hours a day? Well, Tim doesn't have a job. That's okay, we love it anyway, man, I would say, like, I understand that was like unmasked shots at Tim. But Tim has a lot figured out from what I for what I'm apparently not. According to Nick Wowep, Nick heard my message that Tim really brought

the heat and he came with it this week. He dever, Tim is one of those guys who looks like he sleeps fifteen hours and look batches up with the reality. Wow, Nick, I hope you have something to fire back on your brother when you do get the opportunity and you wake up. By the way, those standings for the locks Us are on a six game winning streak six and one, Mark five and two, the Listeners, and the Westling brothers four and three, Greg three and four, Ricky two and four

to and four. Seems pretty good for Erica. Actually, she's on a bit of a dynasty. Yeah. The first week I wasn't allowed to play, right, Greg was that was not comfortable man splaining the rules of a picks game. Alright, Giants at Chiefs, uh, Monday night football. You know, usually this game would not pack any intrigue because, al right, giants being led to slaughter at Arrowhead. But the Chiefs are so messed up right now, They're just so terrible

that they've become a curiosity. And I thought there was something very interesting that happened on third on Sunday's game. Um, and I'm sorry if I shared this already, but I just want to say it again. When the Chiefs lined up for the fifty seven yard field goal down to three late in the third quarter, it really just jumped out to me. I was like, whoa, where are we? How do we get here? And that's just the offense

and that's not even it used to be. We were worried about the turnovers, and we're still worried about the turners, but now we're worried about like, is all this stuff about the two high safeties? Have they flummixed the Chiefs and Andy Reid to the point where they no longer can function as an elite offense. So the Giants, who I'm kind of with you, gregor frisky and they're not a good team, but you know on the right day that you you catch them and they're kind of fun

to watch. They're still banged up, but it is going to be an interesting again test of where the Chiefs are. Yeah, if Cadarius Tony was available for this game, or Barkley or Golladay for that matter, I would like even he stepped on a guy's foot and now he's just gonna be It sounds like they will practice Friday. Okay, that then that that helps. They missed Thursday's practice and it is a Monday night game. That would make me feel that the Giants at least can cover this ten and

a half points. The Chiefs are four and fourteen against the spread in their last eighteen so that's just like a very clean way to say who's overrated, who's like

they're let their worse than people expect. And that started early last season and in the field goal moment is really well said, Dan, and it's kind of part of this largest part of that second half, which was those drives they were going on against Tennessee down twenty twenty seven points, where like these ten play drives, eight teen play drives, so even when they were behind, they could not speed up and that was really surprising to me.

I think Daniel Jones is playing well enough to keep them competitive, uh in this game, and it's because the Chiefs haven't really found that other option other than Travis Kelsey and Tyreek Hill, like Josh Gordon. Remember when they signed Josh Gordon. Josh Gordon has one catch. I'm not

shocked by that. I mean, I think that you're right though they're on a search for someone else other than that, because Tennessee, with a depleted secondary to some degree, took care of business last week against both of those guys.

Like there was they didn't show up in the first half, and you go back to like the playoff game where they were down to Houston, and to your point, Greg, you kind of would watch I remember watching that with West and we're like, the Chiefs are totally gonna win this because you completely were entranced by their explosiveness on offense. And it's not the case right now. They've trailed by fourteen plus three times this year. It happened like four

times in the last like four seasons or something. And I don't think that you can ask the defense to heal itself. I think the offensive line got worked over by the Titans last week, and the Giants, for all their ups and downs and all their injured players, they took care of business against a bad offensive line in Carolina with six sacks. We could go Leonard Williams is playing better. Daniel Jones, I think is sort of a do it all guy right now, and it's been an

optimistic couple of weeks for Daniel Jones. But this is also a team that gave up eighty two points to the Rams and Cowboys. So it's to me it feels like a get right spot for Kansas City. Everyone's falling for that for one more week, but then they have it's just pushing off much bigger questions down the road.

I'm glad you brought Daniel Jones because as I watched the game against the Panthers, three win, um, they obviously didn't play great on offense, but Caroline is a good defense, and I thought Jones as I was watching the game, He's such a difficult evaluation subject for the Giants because we know where they are as an organization, and they really are trending toward unless something changes here a hard reboot, and that would probably mean you get rid of the

quarterback too. But when you watch him on a week to week basis, I know the counting stats are just never there for him, and I just sometimes I wonder if that's if that's a that if that's on him, or if it's just been kind of a weird, funky career he has had. But I just come up, I'm impressed by him. Ways. I'm still impressed by him. The way he throws at times, the way he runs with the catch, of course, a diving catch that's not gonna be happening a lot, but it just shows you like

he's in that kind of Josh Allen mold. Is this a guy that you want to get rid of? Would you live to regret it? He's in his third year, so you don't have to worry about I don't think he's going anywhere. He's a good quarterback. He's an NFL starting quarterback. Now what now? He I'd be average, which means you will get paid. But he's going into his fourth year. Next year. You're gonna have him under control

for five. He's the least of their problems. And I think he's made a real step forward in year three and and shown like what you can do when everything is collapsing around you can still show that you're a good player. All right, let's move on to the draft. All right, the old Zeuser with the first overall pick, and I will start with a late game, and the game I will pick is the Buccaneers at the Saints. All Right, Okay, I love it. I love it. Saints,

NFC South. This is kind of Greg's domain. You love this stuff, Greg, But um, I just want to see rivalry. I like the rivalry. I want to see. This is the kind of game that I've been circling, Like, all right, let's see what you got, Jamis. Let's see what you're gonna do in a big time division clash where now a little deeper into the season and you're gonna need to make some plays. I came out of Day Night not impressed at all, um by the way he played

in that game. I mentioned it on the Tuesday show Eli, you know mild Mannard. Of course, Eli famously just killing Jamis for botching what should have been a touchdown on that last drive and he just didn't have the awareness and didn't see the play unfold what should have been an easy tight end screen pass for a TV. So Eli is a great analyst, he really is. He does

a good Yeah, he really did break that down. Well, So here we go now with a chance against the Bucks defense that is obviously tough, and I just want to see how good if the Bucks are gonna do, If they're just gonna keep getting better and just cressed and and roll into the playoffs as a Juggernaut's kind of how I see this. I see the Bucks as the UM. Even though I have the Cardinals EDD and power rankings, I think the Bucks are the team that are going to come out of this conference with the

number one seed. So this is a great challenge, and I love that it's at the Superdome, which even the scales a little bit more. Like a few things show me how much both teams have changed, and the Bucks to your power rankings point or a Super Bowl team that's gotten better, and like, can you imagine either result from last year where the Saints put it on in the thirty four to twenty three, then thirty eight to three. It just wouldn't happen to this week nine. It was

right about the same same moment here. It just wouldn't happen this time. And I think it's a great test for what the Saints are right now, because yes they are not UM necessarily they weren't a fun watch obviously on on Monday Night, but their defense is very spicy, and I think it's I just want to see how this shakes out. They've gotten healthier last week, they're getting healthier this week, and it's a great test for Tom

Brady for me. I mean, also, the Saints have brought mark Ingram back into the mix, and they've said that it is absolutely possible that he will play this weekend. And I kind of like that reunion for their backfield because post Latavious Murray, they need someone to help move Alvin Kamara around to different spots and spell them at times. I mean, good for him though he was on the tech good vibes. It's good vibes bringing mark Ingram back.

I mean, he's gonna make them happier. I think that this same defense present some problems for Tom Brady um that other defenses don't. I know those two games feel like a long time ago, but even in the playoff game, they forced a couple of mistakes. I know they put up thirty points in that game, but he was held under two yards passing if you remember it. They didn't do anything in the second half. It was really the Saints defense. Who are the Bucks defense who forced four

turnovers who won that game? And the Saints have done a good job against Tom Brady where I think there's a chance you could keep the Bucks under thirty. I mean, that's that's all you can hope for, is like to keep them to seven or something. Now, can Jamis Winston and this Saints offense get to thirty. I I have my doubts, even though I think six or something. I mean on offense, I mean, you gotta get it, Like,

can you score thirty on offense? And I'm thinking about another Manning cast moment, which is uh one play last week where the Seahawk zero blitz and they just go, We're gonna go man to man everywhere else and the Mannings were going crazy because no one was open, Like, you gotta have some receivers that can get open. And we talked about it in the off season, like are they really going to go out there with like Marcus Callaway and trade Kuan Smith and Adam Troutman and these

guys trying to win matchups? I mean that has to be taken into account. This group has not exceeded expectations. It's been right where you thought they would be, and they just don't have many playmakers you can get open until Michael Thomas Michael Thomas status it sounds like a couple of weeks away and Adam Troutman was the guy

that I think appeared and probably seventy thousand fantasy articles. Goodness, Well, they're going to explode because there is no other tighten on the is Alvin Kamara, and Jamis just isn't that great at the short routes. And he's a weird quarterback that's better intermediate and deep. And he put some nice deep throws on the Seahawks and they weren't complete. But the Bucks have the one guy who is kind of

the Akse stopper. They drafted Devin White to stop Alvin Kamara and for the most party slowed him down since he was drafted. All right, up next, Mark Sessler, you will select, Well, I'm gonna go where you know I have to go emotionally, it's going to be the Browns and the Steelers because it's a good game and I don't trust someone else not to steal it if I allow this, you know, process to go on for another four unit. That's a good game. That's one of the

best games. That's a big game. You think it's a big game. Two fan bases, it is. I'm just quarterback. Is where we had a Baker is practicing and he's practicing as the starter, and he's interesting, Man, did that he'll that he'll play? That's true? I think that like he I think there's more steps, but you know he isn't shelved. He is out there throwing. They said he looked good throwing short intermediate. They didn't report on it. It is funny thinking back, I kind of forgot that happened.

That Baker was like, I side whether I'm playing or not, Well that was la. They were like, that was not the case. I know. Here's the thing, because this game suddenly we're here and it's like an offseason. I know, it started with me ripping down the Steelers and having my fun, and then you start as the months creep up, it's like suddenly in July, it's September, it's October. You

kind of game. I was just gonna say that you cannot take this Brown's experience seriously if they don't go and back up what happened in that playoff game, because this is a Steelers team that's still vulnerable. Yet they are very healthy right now. I think they had almost no one on their injury report of note at all this week. Tomlin seems super fired up. It wasn't just the USC question, just in general. I think you got Tomlin coming off of by their four no in their

last four times coming off of By. They are three and oh against the Browns coming off of By, and I think it matters. They've had another week to look at where Cleveland's at, and especially that Denver game. You're not gonna surprise him way the Broncos got surprised. They haven't allowed dirty points all year long. T J Watt, Cam Haywards, Payol. And here's the X factor that really, really really for me concerns me. Jim Nance, Tony Romo

on the call. The Browns have had some of their most embarrassing, most frustrating performances with these guys, and you can just here Tony Romo just sort of being like, I don't know, Jim, like big Ben still got it, like just you know, riffing on Mark's Raider so hard. Oh he is, because that when Jim Nance and Roma are on the call, something in the building change too big,

it's too bid. Like now the Browns are finally reached the top of the mountain in terms of like they're playing in big games and they can't get over that. I will. Here's the one concession there in the cellar there, and that's the thing you're the there's an argument for you being the worst team in a very good division. Still a decent team, but that Denver game, I thought, I will say, I want to say one thing. I thought that Denver game caause one of my favorite Browns

performances under Stefanski. It wasn't flashy, but it kind of showed who they are and they were in a dark place and they come back. Then say that we would have come back. Well, you guys can have your way with it now. But it's like this game does make me nervous. I shouldn't be watching it. It's like I'm Vinny Testaverti's father. I don't need this on a Sunday ticker. Cannot handle it. Um, you know what Baker should do. He should go to the media and say, I demand

that I do not play this week. I am not ready, and they'll be like, I'll show you Baker put him in the lineup. It just kind of funny because I can't quite imagine any other quarterback saying that. So why is It's totally out of protocol. So so like you know, um, yeah, this is a big game and I don't know, man, I don't know Mark this is there. It's can't make sense of the Browns all season. They've been a little

bit of a tough team to read. So to get them now against the Steelers, and the Steelers obviously still peeved about what happened in January, they were They now

get a chance to get some revenge going to Cleveland. Um. If to me, it comes down to can the Steelers build off the last couple of weeks Um Naj Harris, Uh, you know he is if he gets a little more help, a little better blocking, If the offense can um do a little bit more through the air, I think he becomes an offensive Brookie of the Year guy because he's there, uh, number one receiver, he's their primary ball carrier. He's on the field and he's been been a good blocker. He's

doing everything they want him to do. They just need Ben and the passing game to get a little bit together and the blocking up front that's so important that they kind of continue to build on some uh some positive aspects of the last two weeks. He Harris has been solid, but he's not winning anything with with Jamar Chase, Kyle Pitts and Mac Jones in the it is just

not gonna happen. But they need him in the running game to be good because their offense has such a limited ceiling throwing the ball like there that game on Sunday night against the Seahawks was typical to me. That was one of the better games they had throwing the ball and as an offense. But then they needed overtime against the Seahawks defense that have been struggling to get to three hundred and fifty yards and in twenty three

points or whatever it was. It's just it's limited and I I don't feel like I'm struggling with with the Browns. They've just been injured. I want to know that Jarvis Landry's playing. It sounds like he is, says he is, but we don't know that Clowney, who's been great for them, like has been even better I think than they could have hoped for so far. He's a little banged up. Denz Award really changes their secondary when he's not in there, and he sounds quite iffy. But to me, they're just

a better team than the Steelers. They've got the assistant coach of the Year Bill Callahan. Let's start that movement. Doesn't matter who's on the offensive line. You can run the ball when you've got a Callaghan on your on your roster, on your coaching staff. He he really is like the most. It's not Ni Kareem Hunt and the rookie who's a real player. It's it's Bill Callahan. Okay,

let's give them the trophy. Give the trophy. Show me the teams that Bill Callahan did not dramatically improve their running game, they would not be the same without him. I I really believe that. And and so I think as long as this Browns are relatively healthy, and even if Keenam played, I really liked them in this game. I just think they're a better team. I think they're a good team. You gotta do it, though, it's I'm with you, gotta do it. Gonna be some big Sessler

energy going on in the early games. Looking forward to it. Let's take a break, all right, let's move on. Uh, Greg, you're up, buddy. All right, this is easy. I'm taking the Pats and the Chargers right across the street over at so far. I want you to know that I still have two jumps on you, and I very very nearly jumped you, but I said I don't want to be a mean guy, So you can jump me after you've already used your pick. Okay, I didn't. I could jump you at any time, and I've done it once

and I have two more. Were first you got herschel Walker level trade. It also wouldn't make sense you took the Bucks, Saints and the Patriots Chargers. Then I could have given it to Mark or something or Shook. I mean, I could just wheel and deal for destruction, but I chose not to go ahead. Sure Savior jumps that. It helps the show. It adds a little more at tension, and let me watch this. I haven't watched any Paths

live almost this year. I haven't wanted to. They haven't been that interesting, but I'm interested now they got my attention. Mac Jones is playing better each and every week. They're going to book against Herbert, who they held to no points a year ago. His worst game as a pro came against the Patriots. Don't think that's gonna carry over very well because they don't have the same defensive backs.

Stephan Gilmore's playing for the Panthers. They lost Jonathan Jones for the season, one of the most underrated cornerbacks, one of the better slot cornerbacks in the league. So now you're down two corners. I'm including that you're down Gilmore because when you're starting Jalen Mills and you're starting this guy Miles Bryant who just came off the practice squad, like you're down, they are not the same secondary. So

I think you're gonna have to stay aggressive offensively. You're gonna have to score points to beat this Chargers team, and I think they could potentially do it. I think they are rounding into shape on offense, and Damien Harris and this inside running game is great. They've stopped it with the outside runs. They've stopped trying to get to fancy. They've settled on an offensive line group now with own when you at right tackle, uh and the interior is

stabilized and Win at left tackle. That I think they like. They're gonna start the same group for the second straight week for the first time maybe all season, and I think they could give the Chargers a lot of problems that I think it'll be a fun game. I love the Patriots to cover five and a half. I don't know if they win this, but I really think they're gonna be They're gonna be competitive, and I thought a

few things were more impressive. And I know it was the Jets, so you can you can put it on that scale. But Harris just slashing the middle of of New York's defense over and over, and this is a good I mean, the Chargers run defense is one of the biggest issues. So you like that set up. I think Matt Jones, you know, throwing for three plus, it looked like the offense just took a tangible step forward with the chances they were willing to take. With some

trickery as well. They kind of just went for it and flex their muscles and they put it on on Justin Herbert a year ago. It's a different season and the Chargers. You know, the one thing I love about Brandon Stilly on a bye week is that he went deep into the lab. He's all about analytics, and you know, they've been a very good team on third down, um the sixth highest conversion rate on third down with Justin Herbert. But he basically said we've got to get much better

on earlier day. I think he's just he's coming up with some new plans. But their offensive line, also, which we were worried about, has been one of the better past protecting lines. In the league, which is a huge change from a year ago. We'll get to it a little bit later when we get to the forty niners. But like going into your off your bye week analytics deep dive, it usually only works if you have a

really good quarterback to execute everything they do. And I think Justin Herbert is going to have a big game here. I don't trust the Patriots defense. I actually trust their offense more. I think they are a better offense team right now. So I'm just I'm just saying that I think the Patriots, and you've been banging the drub on this, Greg that you look at the Patriots wins. They beat the Jets twice, they beat Houston, uh barely in in Houston, and I think, you know, the Dallas games show they

can hang with a good team. But am I soul that the Patriots aren't one of those teams Like they're gonna beat all the bad teams. They're gonna win about half of the matchups against the good teams and then get beat by anybody that is very good or above. The difference maybe a little better if you're a Patriots fan. The difference is Mac Jones Overcamp. So the whole thing.

When I look at the Patriots right now, is is mac Jones going to continue to ascend and then by the end of the year be seen as like the breakout quarterback. I think it's in play. I really do like him. But I like the Chargers this week a lot. In fact, I like them so much and it it is. It matters because there's something magic, there's something magical going on with it. I got some sprinkled dust here. Uh, Ricky, this is not personal, even though you're wearing the oversized

edel in jersey. Up. Yes, let's go Bolts. Show me a Bolts by the way little thing. Everyone wants to crown the Bolts as a superpower. Okay, come off your by in your building and spank the Patriots. They'll do it, and I'm counting on them to do it. They're healthier defensively, some guys like at the linebacker spot and Justin Jones at defensive tackle that aren't big names but are starters that they were missing against Baltimore. I think they have

three starters returning after. Are you worried about the sprinkle a little bit? You're using the the your dark magic um to make your Sunday more enjoyable by burying the team you dislike the most, and um in burying me in the process. This game in person, you could cross, you could. It's like a two yard strip up. It would be I mean, nailed all that analysis. By the way, I just want to say, um, yeah, which I should be able to do that, damn it. Just tell say

I'm Greg Rosenthal and then the door open. I entered the raffle, by the way, I've done that like twelve times. If I were to win the Raffle, I would I would consider giving you the tickets. Okay, I haven't heard yet. I'll let you know. All right, let's move on. I said, consider Greg. It's snakes, do you, buddy, It's a very active snake this. I know. I'm waiting for the end of this. I think you're primed to get jumped here. Pick um, big game, big AFC South game, nice early game.

That is a good game. That's a good pick. It's it's the chance for the Colts to get back to relevance. Now, if they end up three and five, if you look at their schedule the rest of the way, I still think they will get back into the wild card mix. It just doesn't end their season, but this really raises the ceiling. It gives you a chance to win the division. It gives you a chance to, you know, really look at themselves and and be proud that they overcame the

start that they did. They've outscored their opponents since they last played the Titans in their three wins by fifty points. They've got a runner and Jonathan Taylor, who I'm not gonna say he's better than Derrick Henry, but I take him in this game over Derrick Henry because I am the Colts. At the Colts, according to E p A and d v O a number one run defense in

the league. Titans, I have to believe it. And Taylor does the things as a running back that get me excited, which is that hesitation, that vision and just that explosion. I mean, he is fun to watch. West was on this early. I think he called him like a top five ten runner in the NFL quite early last season. I didn't. I didn't realize it then, but he he was ahead of it. And uh, I think there's it's a Titans team that they've historically had success with. Rabels

never been able to sweep Frank Reich. They got hired the same year, and I think Titans coming off two big wins, it's a coin flip game, but I think the Colts could pull this thing off. You know. The thing for me about Tennessee is that last week. I love that they came out biggest game of the year, fifteen runs, fifteen passes. They were totally balanced. It wasn't all about Derrick Henry. You know, this is a weird one where they close out their two game series in

Week eight, which is early for division foes. They held Jonathan Taylor to sixty four rushing yards that first time. That's you know, that's game script. They they the Titans never trailed in that game. Was the Carson Wentz is playing on two broken angles and like it was comical that he even was trying to play in that game.

Know it helps, it's different, but I I look at the Titans and I kind of feel like a huge X factor for me was if Todd Downing could come in and duplicate what Arthur Smith did as a play caller on offense. And it just did not look that way early on. Except since that awful Week one, they're averaging like thirty points a game. They're the team that's grown. I mean, if you're the Cults, you're thinking they have. But I look at the Cults. The Cults to me

are like I appreciate the Cults. They're kind of a meat and potatoes team their defense, they're your team long term now they are absolutely not because I see zero exciting X factors that tell me that they're more powerful and the Titans and I I I am comfortably locking up the Titans, comfortably interesting, digger. So you lock against the Titans one week, you lock in favor of them the next. Called learning. I'm sure that Graver does not feel as confident. I'm okay, I'm not gonna put words

to his mouth. I'm gonna ask him, Graver, just because the Colts have been a tough um test for Mike Rabel to solve, right, So you gotta worry. It's a division game. Don't let him, don't let him be a leading questioner. You come in with your own opinions based off of who you are. I got some stats if you guys want them. So this is according to the New York Times playoff simulator Thing Titans current odds to win. The Division one. If they win on Sunday, it jumps

to it. That's a terrible did two of the teams don't exist in that. It's a rap because yeah, it doesn't really matter if you have swept that head to head on top of having a huge lead. At this point it is, it's pretty much over here. Lennard called it a must win game, so you already in the heads of these players. Here's the thing, though, I'm picking the Colts in this game out right. I think they are.

They're a desperate team, they're playing better. Well now, I don't feel that come because I'm resepecting the Titans and what they've done the last two weeks obviously, but the Titans are not a flawless team. The Titans can be beat there on the road. They could lose and still be okay. Whereas the Colts, they know full well Frank reis good as coach. Frank Reig's drilling into their heads all week. Hey boys, we lose this, we done. We

need to protect this house. And I think with Taylor and Whens playing at a higher level, if the Titan come out of this, put it this way, grave digger, the Titans come out of this game and spank the Colts. In this setting, I look at the Titans at a level that I didn't even take out of them. After beating the two big time contenders. I see them as maybe not top four, maybe in the there there to me become like a top five to seven NFL team. That's how much I put into this game and how

much is against the Cults right now. And Greg said it, it is a huge letdown spot after those two wins that they're coming off of. And it's also a lot game, a lot different type of matchup because the Titans haven't really had to deal with stopping running games over the last two weeks. It's been the Bills and the Chiefs passing all over the field, So I don't know if the Titans came Bradon Brandon Smith, the right tackle for the Colts, sounds like he'll be back. T Y Hilton

did return for a limited practice on Thursday. Quentin Nelson was back last week, so Wentz is playing. I think the Titans are a better team, but I think it's hard to sweep a division opponent and this will be I just I feel like everyone sees more in the Cults than I do, but I they put me to sleep a couple of They are your favorite team. Now though spun the wheel that segment. You're the one that said that segment had some issues. It was your choice

to spin the wheel. I know it, I understand, but I learned a lesson and now I'll say something positive about the Titans, because I know Titans fans are always in their feelings about things, and I respect your passion, guys, but calm down sometimes, Um, Mike Rabel good coach. Let's just say it. I know we're always asking questions. It feels like entering seasons. It's Mike Rabel really a good coach. While the results are there and now the offensive architect

leaves and there's still a good team. They got a good guy, never had a losing record. He's Tomlin like I mean, he's only in year four, so wouldn't never insummation. I think it's a good lock. Mark, Good luck to you on it. Um. It wouldn't stunned me if they want. But the cults, I feel like they're gonna come. It could be a week because I actually planned to lock

a whole different thing. But for the showmanship aspect that on Twitter when you locked it up, I was thinking, Michael Jackson, it was like, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable with my grasp over that was It was like when the Moonwalk was debuted at the Soul Train Awards. Um, all right, let's go, Mark, You're up, buddy, your second pick will be I'm doing this for a friend. I'm trying to unburden a friend of something that's been

a burden, a green colored burden. I'm gonna take the Bengals at the Jets because while Cleveland is battling Pittsburgh, I want to monitor Suddenly. I must monitor the Bengals for the first time in half a decade, because they matter. They are the number one team in the a f C North. It's no fluke. What they did to the Ravens, and it took me a while to get to that game was incredibly impressive. The Jets are sitting ducks right now. I honestly, for all you want to say about the

Jets offense. By the way, no it's not right now, Gosh, I don't think so. I think the Bengals might be like ten points or so, yeah, more, and they're gonna and I think they have a chance to say we don't care. We're not gonna let the Jets anymwere close to that. They just start able to do everything on offense that it pleases the eye. Joe Burrow has nine touchdown passes the thirty plus yards. Watching Jamaar Chase catch that one uh long touchdown that began with here's the catch.

I'm spinning around. I've got three Ravens within arm lengths arms length of me. See all later. I'm out. Like there hasn't been a Bengals player like that in a long long time. I think this is a great set up for Joe Mixon after watching New York's reported run defense, um just get destroyed. But it was a little bit of a flukey game on Brandon Bold and is lighting

up your line your like fifth string line. Speaking of Brandon Bold, and I feel like he's been playing for like fourteen years at this point and still making plays for New England. But if if you're if you're the Bengals, and you don't go you talk about a letdown game, you've got to go absolutely drop a metallic camera on the racks. Worried about this game. He thinks that's what's gonna happen. That's where Bengals fans competing. It's crazy. Can

we talk about the Flacco trade? Yes, second, I'm not doing that. I'm so Flacco gets dealt to the Jets to sit for him, and I just kind of assumed, Okay, he's gonna start this week. Then there there's reports that no, actually Flacco is not going to practice till Friday. Such a bad look. Mike White is going to start this week, And I just started thinking, like it was the Flacco have to be convinced to show up, Like did he consider retiring, because I think that's what he asked for.

He asked for a couple more days to make the move. It's a short moves. He's an older guy. He was with it like he might not want to play, and because didn't they trade him to play and he's not playing this week. Mike White had a couple of moments actually last week where he didn't look terrible. But it's a tough situation. He's a new offense. It's not he's

not going into last year's offense. That he said like it was like Garret, you know, he's had experience in a similar type of which the building and the team. But it's a weird move, but it was always weird. The Jets played that poorly, of course they always do by having no experience on the roster behind Zack Wilson. Uh So the fact that you as soon as Zack Wilson gets hurt and you go and scramble and trade for the guy you had last year, it's just a

bad look. It shows that you weren't prepared. It didn't have the foresight that even all the beat writers and uh you know, jabronies like us had. So it is what it is. He will play probably, and the Zach Wilson I don't know if we even talked about on the show. He's out. It looks like two to four weeks with this PCL. He wasn't terrible before he got injured. He did, he had a couple of night. They're playing on Thursday night next week the Jets, unfortunately, so that

means Wilson's definitely out for that game. So it's either White or Mark game. This has this has a thirty to six final written all over it. We shall see. I do have one idea though, the Jets two things that they don't have yet an interception or a point in the first quarter, and um, I have an idea here. Play this. This is from an apologies to Catalan and Lofton. I kind of got after him on Sunday. Uh, you know, bad job not mentioning the whole bell check running up

the score. But you know you just were in the eye of a tornado. So sorry guys for getting after you on Sunday night. If you're listening, Um, but play Lofton and Catalan. In conversation late in the first quarter on Sunday, Robert Sale told us he made a couple of subtle changes to try to jump start the offense. One of them. Every day at Jets practice, there's a four play competitive period, the first team offense against the first team defense. If they tie each winning two, they

do a basketball shootout to determine the winner. But in any event, that's usually done at about in the afternoon. This week it was done closer to one o'clock, which is closer to the start of a game. They were hoping that little things like that would help to get them going on the quarter of games. So here's my idea.

We move that up to noon, so you do the basketball shootout at noon, and then by the time that happens, their internal clock will be one hour later for kickoff, which is usually when they start playing better noon, not one for the competitive basketball shootout. Yeah, talk about eyes on the prize. This is what's happening behind closed doors in Flora Park. Alright, Uh, okay, Mark, so you got the Jets there, that's okay, And Mark was a class act.

He approached me about it before we came on. And I am on a break from the Jets, so that is fine, okay, I am up now on and it's really pretty rough right now. There's not a lot of good games left to pick. I will check in on the Panthers and Falcons here. Uh, we know where Carolina is. They are in the tank. A report came out early in the week that the Panthers were in the mix for Deshaun Watson like an hour after the game, right

they were? They were now. I think the wording in the ESPN report is they were evaluating their search for a franchise quarterback after they had benched Sam Donald uh in the loss to the Giants. And then another report I think maybe it was rap sheet Um connected them directly to Watson. But then a report came out yesterday, uh Wednesday that the Panthers were not in on Deshaun Watson. So we'll see what's going on there. But I think it kind of makes sense because what Deshaun Watson. Forget

about all the you know, ugliness around the situation. He's not gonna save their season anyway. It's not like whoever gets Deshaun Watson, if he has moved before Monday or whatever it is, is gonna slot into the starting lineup. He's gonna make everyone there miserable, from the coach to the starting quarterback. Is what would happen, which is why

I still don't think it will happen. And maybe he does go to the Panthers, but maybe David Tepper, as much as he wants to Shaun Watson, potentially is like, well, I'm not gonna do it in the middle of the season. It doesn't even make sense. Um, now, you have to play the games. And you know that that Sam Donald because if their backup quarterback situation is going to continue to be the starter for the time being. Uh So that's where they are. And you got a Falcons team

in Atlanta that has been frisky on offense. Uh Like, I'll give him that, and I think they're gonna score points in this game. But I also think even against the Dolphins that win over the Dolphins they got the field goal to end Greg that this is a team that all season for the rest so far to this point, and I think for the rest of the year they'll score some points. They can get ahead, but the defense is always begging to give away games, and I could

see that happening even here. If Carolina could square even against the Jets, there was no reason away exactly, but they keep playing these really uh week offenses for the most part that they can get away with it, and this is another week they could have a winning record after this week. There's certainly a winnable game for for Atlanta. I I just don't know what happened to Carolina on

offense other than Sam Donald. I guess if we want to put everything on him, it seems crazy because they're twenty nine right now in e p A like they are one of the worst offenses in the league. It's not just that they're struggling, they're there. They're almost unplayable. This should be a matchup where seam Donald doesn't look uh terrible. But on the other side, you got some guys who are just looking amazing. I mean, Kyle Pitts

is that guy. Remember the first couple of weeks We're like, oh, yeah, Kyle pitt Where where is the guy that's gonna change change the face of the world. Well, here he is. Here, he's he was making every type of catch in that that was as good a game from a rookie tight end that's probably ever you know that's been played. Because he couldn't do anything more than he did every type of play that you would want someone to make like

he made it. If you were asking me, who would you take for the rest of your career, Kyle Pitts or Jamaar Chase, it's still a question. That's the guys who went four or five. I don't think that's a slamdunk. That's how good he is. To your point, if you

watch that game. The end of that game, so there's two big completions from Ryan too Pitts and get him in field goal range and then coo H's a kick Falcons be Dolphins on the play that really put them in field goal rangey yard or Pitts lines up on the outside against Xavien how Ward and all pro ball hawk who regularly shuts dudes down, and he beat him by a step and then just one with his size and athleticism and then just won the ball and won

the game. Like he's doing stuff that Darren Waller, when Darren Waller is locked in, can do that. Um. But that's it to me when you talk about tight ends, well, it's like he's a powerful enough type of presence where no matter what happens to the Falcons Falcons this season, you look back and say, Kyle Pitts is something you build around for forever here and there are other questions there, but I mean, their rebuild right now, and I never would have thought this a couple of weeks ago looks

a little more promising than Carolina's. It's not just Sam Donald though, because their offensive line has been bad and they have the most wide receiver drops since Week four. I mean, they're that group of wide receivers has killed Dona. They get Jack Thompson back this week, and they get Stephon Gilmore this week, which I'm very intrigued. I kind

of wish I made this on your radar. I'm into the Falcons, and I want to see Gilmore and how he by all accounts in New England, he could have played Week one and that he absolutely was sitting out and they knew that, and that's partly why they traded him, because they just like, I can't deal with this. I want to see him matching up against Kyle Pitts. That would be the matchup Kyle Pitts. You can call him a tight end. He's basically he is a wide receiver.

He's just a receiver, and he could be one of the best wide receivers in the league. It's not just tight end Kish Sunday not on a improving Patriots scene right now? What Uh? Sometimes it's just like, let's we're going separate ways. How about just make him play? How about just make him play or give him like a couple of million dollars because he's gonna make your team better. Money does not solve everything. Greg, I know that that's

counter to your thing. I think in this case, it was a percent about money that there was a lot of respect. Say in this situation last summer, remember that was another guy whod been with the team for while as a star, and he was unhappy with this contract, and the Charger said, hey, you know what, we respect you. You've done a lot for organization. Let's play ball. We're gonna of you some guaranteed money. We don't have to

give you. We're gonna move some things around. How about we get on the field and we do this together. And he did. But that's not how the Patriots and Bill Bill check out. Speaking of which Melvin Ingram wants out of Pittsburgh, they never play for the Steelers again. And that's just which we were saying, like, you know, this is just a total Steeler. It's just gonna we had a couple of great weeks and I don't know what's happening. All right, I have to take one more game.

These are nut that Panthers want to do. We'll see, all right. Let me let's toss the break and I got you one when we come back. All right, we're back. Uh, you might as well check in on the other bad No, I don't want to do that. Niners at Bears will grab this is pretty rough. These are this is some rough pickens right now. Uh, forty Niners at Bears. I want to see the last Jimmy Garoppolo start in the history of the fort. So this gives me a chance

to do that. I would imagine Trey Land, Uh, if he can get healthy, is at some point going to get in there. And I think it was Peter King did a interview that I read an article that was based off the interview, and I like King. I like King. I think he's uh, he has good insight of things. He's been out in Monday Morning Quarterback in her piece. Yes, I mean when Peter King is a guy, he's one of those guys that it's been around for so long that you can kind of take him for granted. But

then when he's gone, well, miss Peter King. That's my take. Um, all that said, I don't know why I'm talking about Peter King so much, Right, you're upset about being underrated. I mean, I hope he doesn't here this. He's like, what am I I'm saying? It was a legend. You're gonna you're gonna miss him when he's gone. Um, Peter King said that, why would have you gone? Though? Well, because he's not gonna be around. He's been doing this

for like or forty years. Not well, not life's fragile, although certainly it is It's just I think he's in a man. He's a man in his sixties. Now, we traveled very far banks enough money if he wants to just start traveling around and tasting those back the money where he can do it, the coffee nerdness anyway, that it gets you that mark if nothing else. I I just said, I can't be one materialistic all the time.

There are other things happening. Peter King said in this interview that I read an article based on the interview that he was all about where Kyle Shanahan was coming down on this Trey Lance situation. Don't play him. It's not worth trying to save this season if it's going to mess up the kids development. I guess, I guess

I buy in on all that. It makes sense, but at a certain point, uh, you're gonna have to turn to the kid if Grappolo doesn't show improve And I thought he was so bad on Sunday night, and yes, blah blah blah the weather and all that, but it's at a certain point you can't ignore it anymore that

he's a detriment to your offense. And I think when I was thinking about, like kind of more broadly about Shanahan because he's catching a lot of heat now and I think maybe a little too much heat, because I think what people don't typically realizes that with these quote unquote quarterback whis or these offensive geniuses that everyone falls in love with, it only works at the quarterbacks. Good like you don't look look at Shaunaka is a perfect example.

When GoF came into the league, when was playing at a high level, he was a genius. Then the last couple of years, all of a sudden, is mcveighs sttle genius. Now he went and got a better quarterback. He's a genius again, Like I think Kyle Shannon will resume being a genius as soon as he can get a quarterback

that can run an offense effectively. And until that happens, he's trapped in a twilight zone and the team will continue to lose more than the win and be continue to be disappointing, and he will continue to be a subject of talk. Is he overrated? No, he's not overrated. All offensive geniuses are overrated because it really goes back

to the quarterback. Yeah. I think like the whole cub whisper thing is typically the result of lack of information we don't understand, like how they communicate what they're doing. But there's no question that Shanahan before this season would have been looked at someone who had to deal with a lot of backup quarterbacks, mid level hype quarterbacks and would maximize them. That's not been the case this year

at all. And I thought that his comments after Week seven were and you know, a couple of writers mentioned this too, that he seemed humbled. It was a different version of Shanahan where he wasn't the genius in terms of the product we're seeing week to week. And they asked him about Lance and he said, I don't think it's fair to him, and I don't think it's right for our team to put him in the lineup right now.

And I think it tells me that the environment in San Francisco is not what it's been in the past in terms of like the dominant ground game, the offensive line has not been totally supreme. You've got guys like Brandon Auk who are one of the more mysterious, uh notable, strange not being used players in the league right now. And I guess you could also look at justin fields and say, yeah, if you put a young quarterback into a bad situation, they are going to struggle. He struggled

mightily a week ago. And the four worst quarterback rankings pastor ratings in the league right now are all rookies. They they're not that talented. There's this idea that the forty niners are really talented. But when you take Trent Williams who missed that game Sunday night and it sounds like you might miss another, and you take George Kittle out and he will be on i RM for one more week, They're not that talented. There's like they're trying

to convince themselves into Trent Shefield in the preseason. Where where did that go? They're not that talented at running back either. I'm surprised to see a Shanahan quarterback. Even Jimmy G struggled this much because this is the worst version of Jimmy G. It got me thinking how not all good trades and not our good values are good for you. Because Shanahan's entire tenure in San Francisco has been shaped by taking Jimmy Garoppolo for a mid second

round pick because the value was good. I don't think they really wanted Jimmy Garoppolo. I know that in a way because they didn't call about Jimmy Garoppolo. They called the Patriots about Tom Brady. Is Tom Brady available? No, you can have Jimmy g For a late second, they didn't have quarterback. They're just like, well, this isn't really like a permanent thing. But it's like, why don't we

just take him? But then they and here we are though, four or five years later, and because of a lot of things that happened, it's like they still have him. And I never have felt that he's been a perfect fit. I've never felt that Kyle Shanahan's felt that he's a perfect fit. And they it's taken him a long way

to like get out of it. Because the one year where they were they were healthy and they had him, they go to the super view, they were mesmerized by him because he had those six games when they have post trade where we all thought, wait a minute, they have it was better than what they had. So then they paid not take them. They paid him a ton

of money. And I also think because someone could come back on what I said to kick off this conversation, said, well, well he had they did thrive with Jimmy G once one. This is not the same Jimmy G anymore. I think the injuries of really taking a toll on Garoppolo uh all over his body, and I just think he's a

marginalized player of what he used to be. And I think you just got a certain point make a move because you're right and justin Fields on the other side, just to touch on the Bears real quick, they're in the same situation where it's it seems like it's one step forward, two steps back with a rookie quarterback. But I just feel like we have reached the point where Trey Lance is the in case of emergency break glass situation. Not for Kyle Shanahan's job security, but for this season.

In a lot of ways, his reputation right now is like, how do I get back to where I was? I need some fresh blood in here, and maybe it works out, but it is a risk, it's a gamble if you don't think he's ready. This NFC Wildcard race is quite open at the back end, so both of these teams are certainly not giving up on being part of that race. This is a big game for them. San Francisco is a heavy favorite on the road. I'm kind of past the point of San Francisco being a heavy favorite against anyone.

I mean, the Bears they did beat the Raiders. They they were competitive there with the Bengals, like they've they've once. They were the only team that won easily. I'm not like, I'm just not like penciling in San Francisco turning this around, I don't think anyone would be there after watching. But there's no Cleil mac and it's possible that Chris Tabor is the head coach, their special teams coordinator if Naggy doesn't get through the COVID stuff. All right, we have

two more picks, Mark, what's your third game? Well, let me look here. This is the offerings are becoming less pleasant by the minute. But I'm gonna go because I have to do for like the eighth week in a row, I have to watch Titty Teddy Bridgewater. Which it's fine. I'm gonna go Washington at Denver. He just called the Titty's well I called I did not intend to well, I didn't. That's not That's a great Halloween costume, by the way. You just you Teddy's costume then just like

a busty teddy Bridgewater. I did not call it that though, just when it gets put out in the individual you should wear that anybody. Um, I got for the first time in a long time. Um, we live in this this nice little town and out in l a Uh and uh there's like an adult a Halloween party that my wife got invited to Saturday night. And uh, you know I have to come up with the costume and it's a whole thing. Um, I don't know when's the last time you guys have done that or have done

it along? For me, it's been I don't think as an adum sup in a Halloween costume and I and I would go and I dress as like you, like the hardy boys and like a flannel. Eric is killing me because I didn't show up to our office dressed in the Halloween costume. But like you're like the only person. It was like three people that I've seen walking around in costumes and it's mostly your delightful crowd back there. But I'm not going to show up in like a ghost out fit or something. Why are you so mad?

Because because when I walked into the studio today, the first thing she said was like yuck looking at me, and I was like, that's an hr by the way, I know, but you don't tell I understand that I'm a guy, so you can say whatever you want to me, but you don't tell another human being yuck at that. But it wasn't a about you. That's what you said after the effect. But that's not my I wasn't my experience. It's not like we turned and looked at you and we're like, it wasn't a we thing. It was you.

I don't know who we is. What did you dress up as Brooks Brothers because that's what you look like. You just went to the outlet Erica is refashioning. Uh the what happened there? Anyway? I am. I'm checking Amazon right now because I'm going to be Vincent Vega when he had to get rid of his clothes and I put on the U S Santa Cruz banana slug T shirt with the blue shorts. Um, but wait, will she be Samuel Jackson or I don't think that would be smart. Um,

So he's gonna stay away from the Samuel Jackson. Uh, Marcel, what was what was Jackson's character? And that was Vincent Vega and uh, I don't know why I'm not Bana. Anyway, the Santa Cruz Banana slug t shirt is scheduled to arrive Saturday at seven pm. So that's right on the nose. So you know, let's hope that works out. That's the

Jets with their little basketball tournament right there. Yes, Mark's trying to get uh, you know, your poor wife like put on social media like I'm just saying they were paired together in the film. But that that I understand. All right, Let's where were we Washington at Denver. I'm picking this never never was in a Halloween costume once in his whole life. That's my prediction. You were born

at age thirty two, so you missed the childhood. I was in Halloween costumes up until the same age as everyone as a child, and I did go to multiple whatever thirteen or fourteen. What's one thing. There's that one year where you were like the people giving you the candy start looking at you side eye, being like, come on, you're a little too old. But I went you dressed up as a as a youth. I was gonna say, I did Abraham Lincoln in New York I grew the

beard for it. Um, you know, that's what I'm saying. I went to I went to some in my twenties in New York. I think I grew a beard for the Red Sox two thousand for playoff run, and then I shaved it down to the Abraham Lincoln and that was an outfit, so I did. Lincoln was the tallest president, right, so you know, it's kind of funny when a little short how tall? How tall would that make him? I think he was which in eighteen sixties or whatever, it was a giant straight up. Jules Winfield was the name

of Samuel Jackson's character. I don't think people have changed that much. There were six ft Broncos and football team fans are like talk about have you ever been to Wrigley Field Fenway Park? The size of those seats. I guess Americans have gotten broad. I think they've gotten broad, but I think they've gotten processed food from age four on. Yeah, of course, the entire the entire human population has gotten taller.

But I'm not I'm just saying that there were It wasn't like he was this um at six ft four, six ft five. No one had seen that before, but it was you have to us for height inflation. Dan's right, it was different. I like the show when Greg starts a green with Dan on something that I said, just as to your about the truth. Uh, let's say, all right, abe Lincoln was six four, George Washington was six too.

That's a nice size as well. That's also from ancient And then let's just say you have a tall yeah, tall people. Trump was six three. I mean so yeah, all right, oh people, men in their six foot region have been around for hundreds you know, get advantages like you can basically choose who's going to be like the CEO or whatever, just based on height and like facial structure. Biden is Joe Biden height. It's it's prejudice against the little men like me, the last like short president. That's

you got to go back a little bit. Clinton is not a tall guy. Is hel Denver? And Washington what a game. I honestly came out of watching the Washington Green Bay game thinking that Washington's offense, you know that all the red zone meltdowns were totally fun to watch. And Taylor Heineke like the it's the mobility and he's just completely unconcerned with just whipping the ball down field. I like this something. I like this idea of them, you know, battling tall presidents here a bunch of tall

Denver Broncos. But uh, the Broncos were just a hot mess and everything that you hired Vic Fongio for does not make any sense right now. They're, what the highest paid defense playing like the fifth worst unit in football. Have a good time with that. People from Denver. They are there twenty six in d v O A, and they've played easiest schedule, so they've played pretty That's where the three and o start came from, right but that they they But even since then, it's not like every

week it's been a juggernaut. It's been the Browns with case Keenum and I know only seventeen points went on the board there, but they could not get a stop. I mean they they basically were steam rolled by case Keenum. They were steam rolled by the Raiders, they were pretty steamrolled by the Steelers. It's crazy how disappointing they've been

on defense. This is kind of their last stand. I think if you lose to Washington at home, to fall to three and five, it just starts to feel very hopeless, and I was trying to figure out why are they so bad? They have no pass rush, but their linebackers have been decimated by injury. Where they're trading for Kenny Young from the Rams. They've been down a fifth and sixth linebackers, And it's become really cool to say, like, oh, off ball linebackers don't really matter. We're not gonna spend

any resources. Watch the Jets lately, Watch the Broncos lately, watch the Eagles lately. Like those teams stink at that position and they're rather not. They're getting flamed by running backs and tight ends who just can pick up twelve yards every play if if they want. It's it's sad. Alright, Greg, close out the draft. I will close out the draft, and then we got some more games to get to. But apologies to the Washington Broncos. I'll take the Bills

Dolphins early. You should know, Greg, by the way that Benjamin Harrison twenty third President, Martin van Buren, the eighth president. Five six. There we go, shortest President James Madison. I mean people didn't even some sort of a duel with someone. I mean, we literally had a disabled president and no one knew, so you know they were able to hide things.

There wasn't you know what It wasn't as much you refer of course the ad R. Yes, yeah, I'm just saying it's a different different times in a wheelchair they kept it away from We are not certain like half of them even existed. There's a lot of didn't exist. I'm just saying, like, like you don't think Benjamin Harrison existed. I am sure. I'm not saying all of them this all right here, we some president exists. I'm not saying that all presidents didn't exist, just some that's that's possible.

That's ridiculous. All right, go ahead, this is a big game. I know that the Bills are thirteen and a half point favorites. I am interested in this Dolphins team just because they're at an inflection point before this trade deadline. If they get blown out by the Bill. Sean McDermott's absolutely owned Brian Flores. They've won five straight games. The the average margin of victories outrageous. They're averaging way over

thirty points. So this is a problem going back to even if they get blown out right before the trade deadline, you just you just wonder what's gonna happen. I've been really impressed by to a as like a man, as is, like the way that he's handled this him answering those questions this week. I was impressed by like he's handled this situation with a lot more class and grace than

the organization he plays for. And he's improving. I'm not saying he's gonna be like a great quarterback, but for a guy that's only started like six more games than Trevor Lawrence, I do think he takes in an inordinate amount of criticism for a guy who looks pretty good. He's limited athletically, he has a lower ceiling than you would like at a top five pick, but he's playing

pretty well. I think that's in highly on the organization though too, just the way and you may agree or disagree with how they handle it last year with Fitzpatrick because they were trying to make the playoffs, but by taking him in and out of the lineup, and then as soon as this season rolls around, we keep hearing about the Shawn Watson. Of course we're going to view him as a guy that's on, you know, the hot seed before he deserves to be that just the way

it's been that's on the organization. Do you think also, because I think he's he is growing, but that's not enough today from quarterbacks, like you need these plays, these wow plays, these physical moments that Kyler Murray gives you, that Justin Herbert gives you that, Patrick Mahomes gives you and you don't to H. But do you need that? I do think you. I think one actually like young quarterbacks, especially when the organization is saying, hey, we have a

continuous wandering eye. Other mac Jones is not going to give you those plays, but he's showing you more and the Patriots feel good about that pig. Yeah, okay, I mean I'm saying I'm not saying it's everyone, but you're knowing to a kind of just like should be Like that's what you think perfect world to H was gonna be like a Drew Breese ish quarterback. That's who he was compared to. And you think about Breeze as a

young player bench for Doug Flutie. His ownership hated him, you know, like a guy who because he was short and because he didn't have a big arm, and because his advantages took a little while to show up and he had good moments early too, better better than to A start, Like you just don't totally see it. So I do think to A could be better as like a four or five year veteran than he is right now. That's all I'm saying. And he he has played better in these last two weeks. He Yeah, he has these

bad turnovers that kind of mar his games. But again, to the point he's barely played at the NFL. Still, you gotta give him the rope to understand that stuff. He could work through and hopefully get out of that funk. He might not ever, he might always be that mistake

prone guy. But I've I feel like you've seen enough Uh in his limited play to to continue to investigate him as your quarterback when the alternative in the widely you know, speculated situation here is that you would dump to A and bring in this guy that has all sorts of hideous allegations around him. It's like, is that is a movie you really want to make right now now? To ah if doing in the off season. That's what I've been saying is, don't think that's what's gonna happen.

I still feel like all the reporting I still feel like this is gonna end up not happening before the deadline, and I guess we'll have to do an emergency pot if it does. But um, potentially, But I just think like, you gotta let this kid finish the season. And if that means you miss out on Deshaun Watson, well that's the way it is. And guess what, it's probably the

best thing you could do morally anyway. So I think this is a tough spot though, because he's gone against two of the worst defenses in the league that he looked pretty good against and still made some big mistake. Now you gotta play this cohesive Bills team. He's a little angry. He's coming off of Bye who they were embarrassed defensively late in that game because they're just not used to giving up drives like they did. Like, this

is a tough spot. And the Dolphins defense is equally or worse, you know, um struggling compared to their offense, Like third down regression has hit them. Art if they lose my third year forty, you could just see the owner doing something. And also there have been there aren't many in division matchups that have been more uneven than

Buffalo in Miami. I mean, they wiped them out. They've wiped them out under Sean like McDermott's like entire reign there, And I don't trust a team more in the NFL right now to bounce back from bad loss by week in this situation, the bum it's fair to point out these two guys who are hired around the same time.

You know, McDermott was a couple of years earlier, but their defensive coaches and Brian Flores' defense is terrible right now, and his history of hiring coaches who he's cycled through has not been great, whereas McDermott seems like he has a very cohesive group who loves working there. All right, let's take a break and then we'll finish out Week eight. All right, let's quickly hit these last three games. We have the Philadelphia Eagles traveling to Ford Field to face

the lines the Eagles. You know, it is a great, a great stat and we've kind of mentioned it at times on this show, how the Eagles offense does not pass the I test when you actually watched these games in a lot of situations, Uh, they are getting kind of getting beat up badly, and then they have some late scores to make it look better. This from I was gonna say Road a World, but it's NBC Sports Edge.

But I actually, when I sent in this little nug within my power rankings this week, I purposely put Road to World and guess what the editors did that They change it to NBC Sports Age. Anyway, Jalen Hurts has scored forty three point four percent of his fantasy points in the fourth quarter of this season. And that's not like wow, when they've been, you know, winning dramatically. It's a lot of it's been your down twenty eight to seven in the fourth quarter and you end up losing

seven to twenty one or something. So I'm not totally into this experience with Hurts right now. And I'll say this as well. So they trade Flacco, they get Siriani, gets um Gardner Minshew. He's talking him up this week that he's a guy that they trust to move up

to the number two. And it just it would not be entirely shocking if Minshew gets playing time this year to me Um, because they might want to juice the offense a little bit when the game stills in hand and uh, I feel like Hurts is on um, you know, he he could be in trouble here. I think you're right. If they lose to the Lions, I think that change could happen sooner than than you would expect. Yeah, I mean they're like our friend of the show, bow Wolf.

I believe mentioned that he thought the same thing that you're gonna see Minshew at some point. That trade seems strange when they made it, but it starts to make a lot more sense. And they've trailed the Raiders Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Dallas each each of those guys by nineteen or more points in games before and some of them storming be in Carolina, the one to Gage now fair to be fair, he had he played great in a comeback win there, but that even that game they were

down big. I yeah, I mean it's a it's a season long evaluation. But their defense has been a total mess. Fletcher Cox, you know, came out this week and he openly based openly questioned like new coordinator Jonathan Gannon's schemes, saying it's not been aggressive, and it hasn't been. They allowed Derek Cardix complete his throws the last four winning

quarterbacks against him of complete completed eight plus. That's not that to me was one of the bigger stories of the week that slipped under the radar because the Eagles are no longer an interesting team. Cox, Fletcher Cox flamed his coaches immediately after the game. I mean he's straight up flamed them. And that is a tenure veteran, one of the great Eagles in their franchise history, who's won

Super Bowls. And some of these guys who were around when they won the Super Bowl are thinking Jason Kelsey almost retired, thinking we came back for this. It seems like some bad vibes with the coaching staff and the players right now. And if they somehow lost to the Lions.

I don't know. Do you think based on what you just explained, Um, do you think that if the head cock coach got in front of the team and started making a a strained flower we're a metaphor, that it would go over well play it, Ricky, No, No, you know the results aren't there right now. But what's going on here is is that there's growth under the soil. I put a picture of a flower up right, and that it's and it's coming through the ground and the roots are growing out, and the roots and the roots

are continue to grow, and everybody wants to see results. Shoot, we want nobody wants to see results more than us, right, we want to see results too. But it's really important that that the foundation is being built and that the roots are growing out. And the only way the roots grow out every single day and they grow stronger and

they grow, they grow better. Is this that we all put our we all water, we all fertilize, we all do our part, each each individual, each individuals, each individual player, each other. I think there's a lot of fertilizing going on on the Eagles offense, I'll put it that way. There's there's been plenty of fertilizer involved with the defense

has been worse to me too. Those stage of fertilized like they have, they have talent, it he they are being tested and I can just imagine guys like Cox listening in Kelsey and Derek Burnett listening to this mess terious slay they got. They gotta win this game. Lemon level I rolls. They need to win. The vibes are bad and the blow up there could be you know, they got to win some games. The fertilizer, by the way, that's what's it. And one of the power rankings. I

got the lines of oh and seven. But fighting hard every week. This feels like they're winning this game. I'm with you. Should we lock it up together? No, but I agree Rams at Texans. The Texans are the worst team in football. They are thirty two in the Power rankings. The Rams this is I mean, this feels like a walk in the park. Just stay healthy, get your three

touchdown win and say goodbye. Mark. I do want to see if there's a chance we get Tyrod Taylor just because they were like every number suggests they were so much spice here with him in the lineup. He's back at practice, but sound you know what, it sounds like one more week just because he's not getting the starters reps.

But I think he might play again. I think, like even last week with Detroit doing all their trickery, enjoyable chicanery to the Rams, they still before halftime put together these ten eleven and Levin play touchdown drives were Stafford finished like seventeen for twenty three with a hundred and sixty six yards two touchdowns. It's hard to evaluate who the Rams are with the last couple of teams. They're

on this tour of the Patsy Giants, Lions, Texans. Yeah, I mean, but but they've been she lacking them and I view them as a fairly unstoppable passing game. They're they're like Stafford has done, He's made less sneed Executive of the year. I thought that was his best game against the Lions and nose against the linesman in terms of the quality of the throws and the decisions that he makes. And they were actually putting a tough spot offensively, they barely got the ball, they were facing a big

and yeah they should row. And they move on to seven and one, feeling good about them. And finally the Jacksonville yea you are is coming off there By week after that win in London on the last second field goal to beat, the Dolphins travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks. Now this game here, Mark, you have forked the Seahawks up. Gino. This is your last chance. This there's a very good chance here Greg because he has flopped here as their backup. I'm sorry, um, this could

be it for Gino. This could be his last NFL start and in a lot of ways. Maybe that would be the old for the amount of time we've had to talk about Gino Smith on this podcast unnecessarily. Maybe the penance is that you must lock Gino Smith up at home about I mean too. It would really validate has gone undefeated against the spread this year in tough situations, covered both times against really good coin flips, all those

coin flips, great coin flips. His PFF grade this year higher and Jared Goff, Sam Donald, Ben Roethlisberger, Zach Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Taylor Heineke, Trevor Lawrence, justin Field. So this is guy. This guy needs to come out here and compete and beat the compet let him, let him beat beat the jaggon we way, this is a game about coaching, because they have enough talent, and they got to let

Gino throw the ball a little more. And they've looked a little better defensively since they've gotten rid of tree flowers and they got the six dB look. And Brooks and Wagon win this game, big. I think they think the Jaggers might win this game, and I think Gino and them are going to lock it up. You really should it only it's only fair. I would be a moment of total power. And I don't like moving. I

hate changing decisions on anything. It always seems like it's a bad move to change decisions I got I have. I do have a weird feeling that Lawrence is gonna light up the Seahawks. We'll fire one off to mom Adams face masks at some point. He won't be perfect, but he will move the ball against Seattle and score points. And then you need Gino to score points and that's just not a given since he's taken over. Uh, they

are not on first or second, Greg. You keep saying that, but there may be reasons why they're not allowing that to happen. Also, But I I I'm in a tough place with Gino Smith because I discovered during research this week that we share the same birthday. Libre power. So it's like it doesn't matter. Well, it matters to me, I know it clearly doesn't matter to you. I mean, well, I honestly can tell you you care about Baker Mayfield

and the ranking right near Patrick Mahomes and the pf gades. Wow, I'm looking at a list of like eighteen quarterbacks that Greg loves. They're all his babies. All right, there you go. That is week eight. Yes again, Thursday night football recap. You're not gonna want to miss a Packers Cardinals. Oh the game of the Center. I can't believe how that one played out. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure it was incredible. And Greg and maybe Claibon have the

analysis or maybe me. You just never know that fact. Should I text them? Now? You want to call him? I put him on speaker, give him a call. All right? There we go for it. Can you do that, Ricky? We don't have like a phoner here. Just just call him and just put him on speaker and just if I could start the convo or you could start it. It's up to you. Okay, I think Dan should but on Greg's phone, Yeah, definitely coming from Greg. Yeah, and you wanna you want to say it? I just wanna.

I think maybe it would be better for me as a third party to make sure hopefully he picks up. Let's see. Yeah, put that right now there, go straight to voicemail. It's like it went straight immediately, so you knew that he clicked it. The dismiss that was the dismiss Should I leave a message? Yeah, all right, to make sure that I gotta keep that phone infote private. That's just such a Do you think that maybe it's he did that on purpose? The well, what he's gonna

be there now? No, he's gone, you know, right? All right, Well, let's hope he's there Patrick Clayban, who does excellent work for us whenever he's on the show. Uh, and then we'll be back the television show, which is doing big numbers, like crazy numbers. I just got some actually from Stephen Manny and Research and Grave Digger gave me some of the data and some of the biggest numbers that you would imagine for a show that airs originally at four

AM on the West Coast. I want to be more surprised, But I I know how the show works, I know who's on it. Um, I understand what we're competing against. Its feels like a home run. Alright, good, So check that out on NFL Networks at your DVRs. And then, of course, yes, the flagship show where we recap every game we just previewed here drops Sunday nights, so make sure to be there for that Halloween night. But we have to come up with our Halloween names. Remember we

used to do that. We can't just use those same ones that became up. Remember Crypt Westling, what was yours? I was Dan Hanging Dark Dark Settler with the sea. Of course, Greg was Goola. We need ones for Ricky Hollywood. Oh, Ricky Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It wow, it's a good one. All right, good stuff, all right, let's go. Dan Hanson signing off for Quiet Storm. I really wish Patrick picked up there because we would know for sure he's gonna

be there. He said, yes, it's very reliable. You're not Storm, the old boss Ricky Hollywood. He the call to Pater