2021 Week 8 Recap - Happy Halloween

teams that had unsung, unheralded backup quarterbacks in big spots. Yeah, if you, uh were once coached by Adam Gate, you had quite a day. It was a fun It was a fun Sunday. I mean because of the surprising results. Uh and because we got to do it at home, and um that was that was nice get a little tricker treating in while after we watched some of the football is perfect. There is an immense um rager happening about four teen feet from my head out the window

at my neighbor's house. I can't decipher what actions are taking place, but it's a very um festive Halloween night here in the neighborhood. I'm also glad that we did what we did because we all got a chance to take our kids out trick or treating a little bit um amid a wild Sunday night football game, if you want to use that word. But it only capped off not only for the Jets, but other teams a pretty

dramatic we gate. Yeah, the Jets are one of those teams that had an unlikely performance from a backup when you say that there's something crazy going on next door. Because Halloween is itself, they're the parties and things of that nature. And yes, my Vincent Vega T shirt did come in time, and I had a good time last night at an adult Halloween party. But usually it's about the kids on Halloween proper. But you seem to hint before we jumped down that there might be something a

little bit more zesty happening next door. Right now I can only you is um. You know the evidence provided audio wise to my ears, and there is UM station next door to my house. UM our rental house because we'll never own a house in California ever. UM A gigantic camper that's continually parked there. And you know, I am assuming that, like older sleepy relatives typically inhabit that vehicle. But what I've been hearing um would suggest other events

UM not involving old sleepy. So when the air stream is a rocking, don't blank a blanket. That's that's well said. I think you've you've put it into No, I'm not saying that's been continuous. There are other things too, but there was, you know, maybe that was part of it. Let's get grave digger in this car, send him over to your neighborhood and maybe he can get some like boots on the ground reporting on what's going on next to Settler's house. So we'll continue to track that situation.

But yes, there were many a football game played on this Sunday, Halloween Sunday. Let's start a great scene down in New Orleans at the Superdome where the defending champions ran into a buzz saw. Time to pro that one has picked off, picked off with the right hand side

and it's gonna be touchdown. Ne Orleans want a play pick six Peppy Halloween my costs with the call for w w L. I don't know if it was the fact that it was Halloween and you know, everybody's in a good mood and then a little you know, dressed up in costumes and maybe getting a little loose at the stadiums, but there were some great vibes at some of these stadiums today and the Superdome, that place was rocking.

After P J. Williams intercepted, Tom Brady returned at forty yards for a touchdown with just to play, and that was the key play in the Saints thirty win over the Bucks. So a huge win for the Saints, who really, you know, that's what you call the old statement win, saying we are a true conference superpower who can beat anyone, including Tom Brady in a big spot. However, there was the bad news of Jameis Winston, who got pulled down on a horse collar type tackle in the first half

of this game, suffered a left knee injury. Ian Rappaport reported after the game that it's an a c L injury UH and also potentially MCL damage And when Sean Payton spoke on UH the injury after the game, he had this to say, Yeah, I'm gonna get an update here. I think it's significant. Um he felt something, UM and

he's on crutches right now. UM. I don't want to say until I have a chance to talk with the doctors, but UM, you know it was something when you know when he got up and then had to go back down, you know you were a little concerned. So as we tape this, Greg, you know, we're bracing for the news that I think a lot of we were expecting that Jamis Winston season ended tonight or today in New Orleans. So it is a bitter sweet moment for the Saints. The biggest win of the year but also the biggest

loss of the season injury was Yeah, it is. And I don't think they were letting it get them down. I know that even Jamis wasn't letting get him down.

You know, they did their club Saints thing in the locker room afterwards and mark Ingram's on the i G stories And it's the most Jamis thing ever that I will remember his Saints season as a starter for swinging his crutches around while he awkwardly dances on a tour in a c l after just a ridiculous victory which got kick started by like an unreal throw on his one touchdown of the day to tra Kwon Smith as

he was getting hit. It like gave you that that window into maybe what could be um And it's just a reminder maybe that the Saints defense though maybe they are one of the only defenses that matter. And I was thinking even as this game, you know, the Bucks were gonna put when he's seven up, but they have

Tom Brady's number. Like at this point, I feel like we can say that they are the one defense Dennis Allen that consistently scrambles up Tom Brady first team ever or maybe the second team ever since the Peyton Manning Broncos to beat him three straight times in the regular season. Yeah,

I mean, it's uh, I thought. Jeff Duncan, they're one of their great beat writers, put out this amazing stat that Brady with the Buccaneers verse everyone else in the regular season throws an interception every eighty three point nine attempts, which is, you know, relatively very good. But in his in his three games in the regular season versus Saints, it's been one every sixteen point two and that you know it's they put it on him last season. They

did it again. They have found a way to track Tom Brady and unseat him at times, and he looked uncomfortable, and it just goes back to me. I think that along with a defense that might really be a difference maker, Greg.

I think that in Sean Payton, and this is not breaking news, but he is one of those coaches that not only you know the way the whole defense operates today, you know they had Trevor Simeon have to come into the game, and we've seen a lot of bad from Trevor Simeon and some good, and what the Saints did with him, I think that I thought that they didn't

change their game plan. They threw aggressively. I feel like Sean Payton could get NFL editor David Eliot to go fifteen twenty one for a hundred and eighty four yards and two touchdowns if he needed to. He's just one of those coaches. And it completely changes the way that I feel about the Saints because it was the old completely changes. Well. No, here's the thing. I mean, obviously obviously like their their fortunes are dimmed big time, but I just have total respect for how they're run from

top to bottom, from Sean Payton on down. I mean, it's like they are totally resilient team. I thought they were gonna be a Hammond Egger this year and they've not been. Things changed without the quarterback well that that's the kind of that's why this is such a bittersweet game because I think could be wrong, because Sean Payton is a great coach and there's some really good players

on that roster. Still, I think they're cooked. I think, you know, if you lose Drew Brees to retirement and then you bring in Jamis Winston and I think we all get kind of robbed, some of us more than others uh sneaky Saints fan Greg Rosenthal, all the real Saints fans. I mean, this was, but even just football fans, such a compelling story to track Jamis Winston in his redemption season, in this incredible once uh second opportunity to

kind of put a stamp on his career. So if this is the end of his season and who knows where the Saints go once the offseason hits, uh man, that's really tough. I just don't. I mean, I've seen Trevor Simeon play before. We know basically what Trevor Simeon is. I thought, you know, he was pretty lucky in this game. He had a horrendous pick that was wiped away by a penalty, And I just think they're going to be

very limited, uh with him. Now you have Taysom Hill obviously coming back from the concussion, maybe as soon as next week, and then you can get into that business if you can talk yourself into this offense being able to score points with Taysom Hill. I am uh definitely more on the side of a pessimistic on that. Uh.

So that is like the bad side. I don't want to be the doomsayer here because they do will deserve a lot of credit because I think even the staunch of Saints fans thought this game was lost once Winston went out and once Brady got hot, and they wiped out that sixteen point second half devasit. Brady did throw four touchdowns, by the way, so he was doing things

in this game. So to be able to step up on defense and do just enough on offense really nice moment for the Saints, even if it might in the big picture me and the end for them right might be the high point of their season. And you know there will be a lot of teams that won't have a point high point like this, a raucous Halloween where you beat the defending champs, who they who they really hate.

I did think Gronk going out after five plays with another back injury was significant just for the long term um health of the of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Um, all right, before we move on. UM, I just want to just the overall thing because Tom Brady is such a larger than life figure it is. It did cross my mind at one point that, um, the Saints fans

just going nuts and enjoying beating Tom Brady. Like there's a whole other segment of sports fan or NFL fans that are getting this treatment now that he's in the NFC in a different division. Uh, just Brady, the tales of Brady. It's just, uh, you know, he makes things more fun when he's around. Tom Brady, win or lose. Um, all right, let us move on. So there you go. The Bucks go down the Saints with the w but

they lose their quarterback. Let's head to another big division matchup this in the a f crand Bullock Sam said kick that was so good and tight with a treat at Lucas Oil Stadium. I've called nearly five these games and I've never seen one like this. Hey, Mike Keith Sell It paint a picture Mike Key w g f X with a guy I like the idea that we're gonna get a bunch of these Mark, a bunch of like Halloween references within each final call of big plays. Where two for two so far, how many more I'm

gonna set it at four and a half. Do you think we'll get the over? On that? I think we'll get the over. I think that UM in general, to play by play man as a as an entity, cannot shy away from it on any level. I'm going I'm banging the over, just like Kevin Bayer lean into being

a hero. He picked off Carson Wentz and cults territory and overtime, setting up Randy Bullock big bone Randy for a forty four yard field goal, wild ending to this one at Lucas Oil Stadium, and it ended with a thirty four thirty one win for the Titans over the Colts. And Um, you know, just like we talked about Greg leading into this game, this was a very dangerous game, uh for the Titans. Mark, hats off to you get the lock. But this kind of played out how I

thought it was gonna play out. A desperate Colts team fighting every inch to to try to stay alive. I'bout to actually take your hat off when you say that you're wearing a hat right now, take it off when you talk about me dominate competition. You can't tell you what I'm suggesting it. It's not a colloquialism. Actually do what you say. I decline, but maybe at some point I'll take my hat off to you when you're not expecting it. How about that? There it is anyway, this

is a game, Greg. They got off to a fourteen zip lead the Cults, and then the Titans did their Titans thing. They clawed back and find a way. This was a great game that this. You know, they gotta put this on the NFL network Prime time. Little set up, you gotta put it first up in your game pass. You look at the score and you think the defenses didn't play that well, but actually they both defenses held the up the opposition I think under five yards for play or five and a half yards for play. They

both made a couple big turnovers. The overtime was essentially four straight defensive stops, uh, including the Titans setting up a long field goal to win it, which you know, big bone Randy just barely snuck it in there, and we could be questioning Mike Rabel, you know, getting very conservative at the end. But I don't blame him. It was two defenses that basically we're daring the other quarterback

to beat them. They were daring Ryan Tannehill to beat him, and he started out with two ugly interceptions uh in the in the first half, but then played well in the second half, and the Titans defense dared Carson Wentz to beat him, and he beat the Colts. He this

was the Carson Wentz game that you were afraid of. Um, not just the ugly interception at the end of the fourth quarter and then the ugly interception in overtime, but miss throws which led the lad the Titans back into the game, just inaccurate throws where where guys were open. I couldn't believe how much guilt and wait Frank Wright put on himself, and that the writers that I've seen, uh put on Frank Reig for the play calling in this game. When I'm like his play callings, why they're

in this game. Carson Wentz is missing these throws and uh, it was just kind of a nightmare game, and especially a finish for Wentz. I don't like that with Wentz. You know, the the interception that came on a terrible decision to unfurl the ball out of his own end zone was just it. It looked like someone that had, you know, just been introduced to the sport at the position.

To me, I thought it was just a terrible move. Um. The thing that's stuck with me because you know, I was kind of watching this while this stuff was going on. Ryan Tannehill really wasn't a really rough spot early on, made a couple of big errors, and they were they could not kind of get find their groove. There is this element of toughness to Ryan Tannehill though, I mean his teammates were having He got hit a bunch of this.

His teammages were pulling them up off the turf at one point, and he battled and he fought, and I there is just something about this Titans team that mistakes aside. They were more resilient. Um. I was wrong about the cults though they are not. I called them I think sleepy and boring on our NFL Network show. They were not today, but they are not the class of this division. They're why why their game? Their game? Out of the A F C. Walker they're done in the division. They're

done in the division. There three and five wild card maybe, but there. Yeah, Tennessee is a three game lead through eight games and the tiebreaker courtesy of the sweep, So barring a major injury to one of the principal players of the Titans, they will coast to the a f

C South title. That's how big this game was, and that's how that's that's how much it has to just kill Frank Reich And you know Carson Wentz who you know, maybe it was knowing how much the game meant that led to the two interceptions at the end that you

know he's pressing a little bit. I think we have the the audio from the cover your fans, Cover your ears, Colts fans, but we wanted to hear the indie call of that left handed pick six deep in his own end, one of the worst passes you'll ever see, especially given the circumstances. Play action wins. He said, that's that's all away. There he does, let's picked off, then it's picked off by Elijah Malden and then if they touchdown, this game cannot end. Like, oh god, I'm sick to my stuff.

This game has been too good for him to end like that. Absolutely one. Come on, guys, you've dis you've disappointed Matt Taylor and Rick Van Terry of w F and I and Greg too. Wentz is credit to the Cults. Credit they go down the field to get a big p I and scored a tie it. Maybe they should have a win for two there. Maybe they should have because yet they were getting so many calls in the second half of this game. This game had a lot

of luck going in each direction. I mean, you didn't watch it and think like, oh, the Titans are a better team. They just sort of they made the play at you know, they basically didn't have Carson Wentz on their team, but it could not have been more. Even the Colts got so many lucky calls in this game. But the Titans also had this incredibly lucky sequence where Tae Kwon Lewis picked off Tannehill on the third down play and blows out his knee while running the ball

back and fumbles the ball right back to Tennessee. At that point, I think it was fourteen nothing and then A. J. Brown had a long touchdown the very next play. It's similar to so when it was fourteen nothing. The Colts got aggressive and went for it on fourth down, and I really remember that sequence well, where Wentz missed a wide open Hilton streaking down the field for a touchdown

that would have made it twenty one nothing. Then they go for it on fourth and everyone's killing Reich for going for It's like when smissed an open throw, and that's like, I don't kill him for being aggressive at all. They shut down Derrick Henry. He had sixty eight yards on twenty eight touches um. Jonathan Taylor had a hundred and twenty two yards and twenty touches. Uh, and you kinda if you're a Colts fans start wondering, like, uh, why don'd we throw the ball fifty one times and

run at sixteen with Jonathan Taylor? Like they they That's what the Titans were asking for and that's what they got. Yes, five turnovers between the two teams, UM, a bunch of wild swings, two touchdowns, the final eighties, six seconds of regulation, twenty penalties. It wasn't a beauty, but it was a lot of fun to watch. Let's now move on to another big division game, this one uh in Cleveland with the Steelers looking for some revenge. Fourth and goal with

the two. Here's the snap, he's back, he pops, he fires for the end zone and it's jug all through the back of the end zone. What do they call touchdown? Pitchburgh pet prayer, the pitch State rookie and the Steelers forge I had, Oh is that a sweet play? Bill hill Grove and Craig Wolfley with the call for w

d V Ben Rothelisberger. He knows how to get it done against the Browns, who had the advantage of the Steelers losing their place kicker, which caused all sorts of issues for the Steelers and led to them do to do things like going for it in that instance, and it led to the pat fire mouth touchdown. The put the Steelers ahead. They stayed ahead, getting some stops on defense. Fifteen ten the final, uh, Steelers over Browns and Mark. Nothing's gonna wipe away the playoff glory of last January

and that great win for Cleveland over Pittsburgh. But what happened here today is too familiar script over the past twenty years. I think it wipes it away. It wipes it away for me because like that was meant to be the start of something where there's continuity, and the Browns um proved today that they really you know, they kept talking about it as big brother, little brother, and it's a totally fair comparison. Um it's they are the little brother. And and like the credit goes to Pittsburgh

because I think this began. Um it's a it was a culture win. Um Nick Shook mentioned that in his right up and I really agree with that. The Cleveland still figuring out their culture. But I think Mike Tomlin set the tone early this week with a furious press conference for he basically blew up any concept of him going to USC but all so talked about the Browns in this game in a way that I think set

a tone for Pittsburgh. And you know, it's like everyone wanted to wonder ken Pittsburgh's offensive line do this so that their offensive line I thought helped them win this game. Cleveland made key mistakes, which if you go track Cleveland's games, they have they have issues with penalties, they have issues with key mistakes. That came from Jarvis Landry today with a terrible fumble caused by former Brown Joe scho Schobert uh oh b J who is just lost in this offense.

Had one catch for six yards and you're you nailed it with Chris Bobs while going out early on a fake field goal past attempt that went totally awry, knocked out of the game. And I think Pittsburgh showed we can rally around anything that happens to us, not only in the microcosm of this game, but in the macro cosm of this season where they came in with weaknesses and you see them getting a little bit better each week and they they're figuring out how to win, and

they were the better team today, no questions about it. Um. I think it leaves the Browns in a really rough spot. And I you know, look at UM, I understand that someone like Myles garrett A who has ten and a half sacks and leads the league in sacks, um likes to have fun with putting gravestones in his yard and walking into the stadium with a cape about every quarterback he's sacked. But that's not what it's about. Their formed

four and they couldn't get it done. And you know this is not a Baker Mayfield lost the game type of game, but it was a total team melt where guys like Nick chubb Um didn't do what he normally does. They got away from who they were. They've done that in a couple of their losses, and I you know, talk if I had a hat on, I take my hat off to the Pittsburgh Steelers because I think they basically nullified and and largely erased what happened last January

by telling Cleveland you're still not us man. I mean, I I still I know it hurts today and it's things, but it's take that playoff, win and run. I mean that that is a memory that you know that that's something that I know Mark saying. What Mark saying is that what happened in January was supposed to be the springboard to the start of a whole new era, not just for the Browns but in this rival reef so to be right back where we are now, that is annoying.

It is it also like comes down sometimes too. You know it's more than one play, but the way that the Steelers offenses, if you know friar Muth made a unreal catch on that fourth down, you know the Browns might win that game if if friar Muth this this rookie made a couple of big catches like that in that first preseason game I remember, yeah, I think that was that the Hall of Fame game I don't even remember. And here he is showing up like hasn't been huge

this year. But if he doesn't make that catch, I don't know if the Steelers go score another touchdown in this game. This was a defensive game. Did you have there was some There was some Mike Tomlins sound um marketing. Yeah, let's let's throw that on there. Let's see it. His mentality. He plays like we got no kicker anyway, He's Ohio boy man, he trying to win when he comes home. See, Like I would just say one thing, I really I

like that. Common reason I wanted to play that was because he basically said, you know, he said, Big Ben plays like we don't have a kicker all the time, and this isn't the old Big Ben, but um, it felt like the old Brown Steelers games to me in many ways. And back in the past, before we did this, I would go after a game like this and watch like three movies back to back to back in like a discount movie theater, you know, and start to think

that there are still great books to read. There are still things to do, there are still luscious people out on the street. But um, I had a four John and watched like a Washington football team game in the middle of this, I was in a hot, irritated mood in my garage. I don't want to feel this way again. They unplugged me. I'm not doing this again, nobody. Nobody's gonna have a camper next door. You see what's going on.

I'm gonna go right over there after this. Um, nobody's ever gonna feel sorry for us, because we're very lucky to do what we do for a living. But I will say this, like and Mark, you are just like me, uh, super passionate about our team, and it kind of sticks with you more than you know. You're a typical sports fan.

Just put it that way. And when we have a particularly bad loss for our teams, like for me last week with the Patriots Jets game, with this game, when you have to stay locked in the NFL world for another nine hours and talk about it on a podcast that people listen to, that is that's the hardest. That

is the hardest part of an otherwise amazing job. Yeah, Like I like I tweeted something that I really felt, um in the middle of this nonsense, and also at one point I did predict correctly that Jim Nance and Tony Romo would be highly annoying. Um. Jim Nance had his little Halloween like, is this gonna be a trick or a treat for Pittsburgh on a play where they're

going like forty five yards to the end zone. I mean, but I basically said, female assassin, don't walk run because this this basically again, I'm not getting involved with this team for a long time. I come out there. It doesn't imagine Mark doing a trick or treat and I with the kids just like, just take the amend joy,

just take it right work. But I saw. I don't know if it's true or if I miss reddicks that popped up real quick quick on my tweet deck, but I think the Browns are Owen six on robo Nance games. I told you like it is it is they are. It boils down to this. They try to shove the Browns into the big moment and outside of the playoff game, they are not ready for the big moment. You gotta go back and figure out who you are right now.

You are floating. I think these two teams just quickly are similar though, Which is that the a f C is a morass right now? This is this like lower wild card group is just a big jumble, and they all got a shot and probably none of them are real super Bowl contenders. And they're both in that mix. You know, the Steelers are now in that mix. You can't say that they're morass. Is a great way to

describe it. So great that an insane person like me thinks about my Jets team and I'm like, hey, if we could beat the Cults on Thursday, yea sloppy down to get some magic. Look that you see how quickly they wrote me back in. All right, Mark, I'm sorry that this game turned out the way it did, but hopefully brighter days ahead. Uh, let's toss to a break and then get to that. Jets classic takes the snap, drops back, looks like, looks laugh, fires in the crop.

He's got it. That's a Jet touchdown. Tyler croft on alone. Mike White finds him for the go ahead scar with three unbelievable Oh yeah, Rick, you gave me the fong goes. I'm back, I'm back, I'm back, I'm back. I'm back, I'm back. I wish I could put you New York Jets. Bob was Shusan the call where w E p n he's a great played by blay guy. We don't get the heir a lot from him on the show Mike eight.

Mike White threw for four hundred and five yards and three touchdowns and caught a two point conversion pass on a Philly special Marquis Uh the go ahead score and two point conversion and the Jets come back from two scores down late in the fourth quarter to to beat the Bengals thirty four to thirty one at the Meadowlands. Another building, it was going off. And I'll tell you why that building was going nuts. At MetLife Stadium today it has been and I was talking to Keith Hansas

about this after the game that it was. It was the rare, such a special win, uh and memorable one that you got a call that it's not just it's not a text one, it's a call. And if you aside from the two thousand fifteen Ryan Fitzpatrick ten in six season that didn't even produce a playoff bid, that was the last time anything like remotely special happened um

with the Jets, a game that was true memorable. I know there were little flickers of hope in the Sam Donald earra, but nothing truly memorable for anyone outside of Jets fans. This is a straight up, like great, like classic Jets win and it's been so long since it's happened.

And the fact that it was Mike White, a guy that's just a complete unknown, a former fifth round pick out of a non big time school, bounced around, was with the Cowboys, didn't make that team, lands with the Jets, and for him to just kind of be fearless in this game, uh, was really something special to watch. Mark. You grabbed this game in the draft because I was

on a break, uh. And that break lasted as long as the first Jets strive when they scored their first touchdown of the season in the first quarter, and I said, okay, they look like they actually showed up to play a football game. And that's exactly how it played out and they gotta win as a result. Yeah. And I had this, you know, late in the fourth quarter at a text um the I was gonna send a Dan and said, why don't you know, I'm I covered this, and I'm happy to chime in, but this is a this is

something greatst happening here. Do you want to maybe have your thoughts out there? Obviously? Um, And then I was like, wait when do I send this? Because I waited until it was completely over because it was such a bizarre game, But I I thought that it had a special feel to it early on. By the way, it's supposed to be fun watching your team, UM play a sport at least once in a while, and the Jets fans have made that real tough. But Mike White was kind of like,

I don't care about the history of the Jets. I don't care that no one in Jets history has thrown for four hundred yards and three hundred and twenty seven games since Vinny Testaverdi did it before the Y two K scare. It's like, let's make this thing enjoyable for Jets fans. He starts eleven for eleven. At one point he hit another nine in a row. He went totally off and they pan over to Joe Flack on the sideline. It's like, why did you sign that guy? Mike White

is gonna start on Thursday night number one? He should I'd like the idea that Mike lafle Or is up in the booth they kept. They kind of said that they thought that made a difference in this game, that he was just where an O C should be where you know, totally get it that when Zach Wilson, a rookie quarterback, is there, he's down on the sideline with him and stuff. But it just seemed like the offense

found a little bit of a comfort zone. I also thought real quick that and early goal line stuff by the Jets after a Jesse Bates interception where this thing could have gone totally off the rails, basically showed me that this Jets team is still playing really hard for Robert sala Um. The defense I thought showed some spice. They made plays down the stretch. Burrow had a killer interception late. By the way, that's his fifth fourth quarter pick this year. It leads the NFL. He's been awesome,

but it has been an issue for him. And you know, the Bengals could have won this in a variety of ways to but the Jets refused to stop fighting. And look at they've beaten the Titans, they've beaten the Bengals. So when you talk about them is on the fringe of the playoff race. It's not because they knocked out to total Uh, you know, go most Ham and Eggers like they are not they are. Something about them can be a little spicy. You'd like it to have been

with Zach Wilson. It was with Mike White. Take it. How about sala After the game, they asked him, you know, is what's going on with Mike White going forward? Does he have a chance here to to run with this? And of course this is not this is Zach Wilson's team, But Salad at least said, hey, you never know, well, you know he's gonna, of course play on Thursday. Anything can happen, Anything can happen. Could Mike White be the franchise copies like anything can happen? Yeah, I like that answer.

If it's not gonna, you know, be the case. Most likely, maybe Mike White comes down to Earth Greg as soon as three days from now. But you can't take away in this game from him or the Jets of the fans. This is the most first downs they've had the Jets in a game since nineteen eighties six I saw, I mean, this was completely out of this world. And what does it say about Cincinnati, Greg, I mean it says um that Spice Rack had a beat on them, being like, oh,

they're gonna lose this game. I was like, what it was like? You mean cover? Its like now he's they're gonna They're gonna lose. I think they're gonna lose straight up. They can't handle like a situation like this that that's shocking to me. But it's shocking the way it happened that they give up over five yards thirty two first

downs the Jets have. You know, they the Jets lost the turnover battle by two and they won the game, which is, you know, extremely rare in the NFL and usually only happens if you're like a vastly superior operation.

It's wild. Flacco is so pissed right now. That's all I could think about it, because in his quotes on Friday, he was like, oh, I came here to play, And I was like, well, you should have come here on Wednesday then, or you know, right after you got traded, because you would have played I think this week if he had showed up. But they really, um got some good fortune to have Mike White play because we don't. We don't need to see Joe Flacco on Thursday night.

That's for sure. We will not. And yeah, like I said, MetLife Stadium was jumping and they were chanting Mike White, Mike White, Mike I you know what, the football gods. I feel like a bone was thrown to me and many other of Jets fans. Don't give up, hope. Uh, you could still have fun watching your team. And I had a lot of fun watching the Jets bad Bengals,

because it's one thing. I mean, any of the loss to the Jets is bad, but what do they have a ten point lead in the fourth quarter At some point they were in total control of this game, and they just they let it slip away. All right? Now, the team that destroyed the Jets last week, Uh, they were on the road here in Los Angeles and they

continued to look like a playoff team. Shotgun snap to Herbert, is interesting that my Phillips prizes from the tower runts left side ten five pick six can sucking an acemption of the day. That's a touchdown for the Patriots. I like this. We're just rolling through all all our teams in our row. Um, Bob Sochy with Zolac grunting like a set essention gatorade bottle in the background. W b Z safety Adrian Phillips intercepted two passes against this former team,

returned one of them for the go ahead touchdown. Is the Patriots rally to win over the Chargers? You know, I felt so good about the Jets that didn't even bother me that the Patriots ended my lock streak by beating up on the Chargers team that might not be actually that good anyway, Greg, It's become the go to cliche. That's fine. It's become the go to cliche of the post Brady Patriots whenever they have a nice win. Hey, that was a vintage Patriots style win for Belichick, but

this kind of was. It was because, you know, they got contributions from all three phases. Their quarterback didn't play well, that's not too vince. I thought this was what Mono mac Jones is worst games. My My biggest takeaway was that they had seventy place for the Chargers before the Chargers went on a ten play kind of garbage time drive. I guess it's the defense they cooked up. Justin Herbert pretty good after a couple of early touchdowns by the Chargers.

They had four three and outs forced and a four and out and two interceptions uh in their neck like seven out of the next eight drives. But it wasn't like a game I looked at where I felt that much different about the Patriots. The two interceptions that they had were both either drops or miscommunications by the Chargers.

Kind of felt like a lucky bounce game relatively not to get like not to put too much damper on it, but just like they look like the same fine team that they've been greg Like, I asked you real quick because if you look at I think we all think that obviously Justin Herbert is like already a star and all those things. But last two games, he's completion percentage, three touchdowns, three picks. I mean, obviously it troubles against

Baltimore today, you know, not a pristine effort. Like, does does it concern you at all that people are just getting more tape on him? Or is it just like not at all? Just keep rolling. He's gonna be no a little bit, a little bit with how they're you know, defending him a lot of like changing the snaps post look, a lot of blitzing. Uh. The offensive line did not handle like the pressure that they sent. They got after

Herbert pretty good. But like I said, the two interceptions, one was a drop by Ekeler and the other one was like the classic Jared Cook play of all Cook plays. Like you know, I have like a text thread of just like another friend who like finds it funny that

Cook Cook just like always ruins the teams. He's on a couple of games the year, and like there was a game where he had a penalty where he took away the game winning touch done for the Chargers earlier, and this was one where he just didn't turn around and pretty sure it was on him and that was the pick six. Not not to take away what the Patriots did well in this game because mac Jones hit

a couple of throws deep. He really struggled in the first half and got it together in the second half, which was nice to see because he was eight for twenty two at halftime in this game. And they ran the ball. They settled on an offensive line, like they are a physical team. They know what they want to be and there four and four and when they get the right game plan defensively, like they can make problems. They got Carolina next, Like, that's a chance to go

to find four. We we talked about, you know, the idea of Belichick, um, you know, beginning to trust mac Jones more. You saw things earlier in the season and how they they gain planned and how they handled certain down and distant situations when it was very clear that he was a rookie quarterback that they had on a tight leash. And this game was interesting to me because I feel like they were throwing more than they should, especially early in the game, and Mac Jones just didn't

have it. I think that's why I was kind of impressed by the Patriots to be able to go on the road, even though it's like forty thou Patriots fans at Sophie Stadium, including Ricky Hollywood, to get a kind of relatively bad game from your quarterback and still find a way to win. That's impressive to me. And I think in an a f C, I still think it's the Bill's division, Um, even though I don't think they're without any concerns right now either, but I think this

they're gonna win that division. But I think the Patriots are absolutely a team that needs to be seriously viewed as a wild card contender. And on the Charger side of the things, you know, in in four their seven games they have twenty points, seventeen points, six points. They had twenty four in this game, but it's really seventeen. That was a garbage time kind of a miracle catch at the end. So it has been a little hot and cold at this offense. And of course they the

game before this two games skid. They put up forty seven against the Browns and looked invincible. But there's some inconsistencies here that if you're a Charger's van, it's on your radar at this point. Uh, the offense specifically, it took Herbert making some great plays against pressure to get those touchdowns early to like there's not much in the

flow of the offense. You're you're right it. I thought the Patriots would wind up blowing this because when it was fourteen thirteen or seventeen sixteen Chargers, it was like the Patriots felt like they should have been up by twenty. They had a first and goal at the two or at the four, and then um, you know, third and

goal at the two. Couldn't get that and kept throwing the ball, like you mentioned, had another time inside the ten where they settled for a field goal and then fumbled the ball on the way into a potential other touchdown. It like felt like they should have been steamrolling, and yet the Chargers like could not muster anything. I am curious, Ricky, you you were at the game. You are, I don't see you here, But what was what was that experience like there? It sounded like a like a Patriots crowd.

It was a Patriots crowd for sure. The stadium wasn't even sold out, and I mean, granted it's such a big stadium, but I have a feeling that if it was a Rams game, it would have been. Yeah. I mean everyone, first of all, everyone talks about how like amazing that stadium is, and you you don't realize it until you're in it, Like it is absolutely unreal with that that screen that they talked about. I mean, there's not a bad seat in the house. So I was just so blown away by even being in it um

and it like a Pat's home game. I was super excited to see Justin Herbert and like you just sort of said, I was like, this kid is like the real deal, and it just kind of felt like they couldn't get it going, which was great for me. I had a ball the best day. He's missed a lot of throws lately, He's missed makable throw. Even though the two picks weren't on him. In this game, he did not.

I don't think he played well in this game. Um. I don't think it was nice of jet Um to keep calling mac Jones fat Jones and that he was blowing the Patriots game. And did she text you that? Because she was saying that you you were texted. You texted me that, but you were probably drunk at the time, you know, since yeah, I don't remember, Ricky, Like, what did you purchase at the concession stand? Was there any

notable sort of sofie? Yeah? No, I just got bottled water Mark, Yeah, Um bottled water and this and it probably was like the glory days of when Ricky was a team age. You're watching the fourth quarter because, as someone who had a front row seat to this hocum for years, they get the big play on defense, the pick six to to go ahead, and then really they go on the four teen play, fifty four yard, seven minute field goal drive that ends the game, and they

do over and over. Just oh, we're staying in bounds, were making the right decisions. That was That was that was the drive that made me feel good. That was like a lot of a lot of running a lot of Patriots. That was Yeah, that was very on brand. So anyway, if you're a Pats fan, you're feeling good. The glory days are gone. They're not coming back because Tom's not here. But you have a team. I think that's gonna be relevant in December. And if you're a

Chargers fan, it's okay. I mean, I want to Jude on Jersey. I'm just putting that out there. You have a what Jude on Jersey? I'm gonna I might go bar more Man. I love me some Christian Barnment. I'm just saying that he is the he is the best interior defensive player they have drafted since I don't know, at least a decade. I can't think of it. They

haven't had anyone. He's he's good, he's ricky. I need you to go um like the full red sleeves underneath the judea on Jersey if you go down that road, Yeah, definitely. All right, Let's now move on another uh, Division matchup in the NFC Panthers Falcon somebody how to win. We can go shopping after we go to Brooks Brothers, Mark will be fine. Wilmore and Jackson the corners. Matt Ryan in the shotgun with Davis to his left, asked for the snap. He's got it. Davis stays into block. Ryan

hit over the medal. Gilmore at the fifteen yard line. Old friend up New England Patriots. Stephan Gilmore makes the big play the Panthers and that's mcmixon of w BT the Panthers. Panthers leaned on their defense to snap a nasty losing streaks. Jack Thompson was a star in his return to the lineup, and Steph Gilmore had the game ceiling interception in his Carolina debut in nineteen win over the Falcons. This was a I mean, I wouldn't say

that I enjoyed this game. And this game was happening at the same time as the Jets were playing their first like fun game and about you know, thirty seven years uh So was I enthralled by what was going on in Atlanta? No, but I was tracking it. And I will give Carolina credit here for getting off the mat here and like I said, it's because there d because Sam Donald he goes out with a concussion in this game. But they're not really moving the ball uh

much at all, at least through the air. Uh. They lean on their run ground that went over a run game that went over two hundred yards uh, led by Chuba Hubbard who overcame an early fumble and finished with eighty two yards and a touchdown. Donald had sixty six yards himself. But yes, it was the defense that shut down the Falcons. I mean, this is Matt Ryan's one of the worst games I've seen from Matt Ryan ever. A hundred and forty six yards passing. He was sacked

three times, he got his hand stepped on. It was gushing blood at one point. Super gross and HALLOWEENI and the Falcons finished finished Mark with two d and thirteen yards of total offense. So Caroline is d steps up and gets it done. You know, I wonder like with Atlanta Limited, because you've got Calvin Ridley out and he you know, he's tweeted about the fact that he's dealing with um, you know, working on some mental health stuff's he's been unavailable and they don't know when he's gonna

come back. That obviously helped UM put an extra guy on Kyle Pitts, like his torrid pace slowed down a little bit. And when you mentioned like Carolina is just gonna need to win with their defense, and you know, like Shack Thompson coming back just the way he's been playing. I look at some of their that you know, they were coming off a four game losing streak. They lost to the Eagles, UM, a pretty junkie team by three points.

They got nipped by the Vikings at the end. I just wonder if their fortunes be a little it different if he had been available, because he wasn't in in those games. UM. But yeah, I think you are what you are with the with the pandas at this point because when before Donald left with was it a concussion? Like you know, he didn't have the ugly turnovers, but you're still getting the Donald experience. With the endless wide

receiver drops, they're not helping him at all. Nine yards with four throws, they ran the ball forty seven times and through it, which I think rule basically said that it was a close game. You know it, rule said after the game, this is what I should have done last week, so you knew he's desperate to get away from Sam Donald and you know, uh so that's just

where they are now since the Falcons. And if you have that defense, and if you have Zane Gonzalez hitting fifty yard bombs over and over, it was kind of a kicker game. Coo coo missed a short one. Yeah, And you know, Christian McCaffrey I believe is eligible to

come off uh the injured reserve next week. So if if he's back, you know, with Stephan Gilmore now on this defense, with Shaq Oompson back from the foot injury and playing well, you can again start to look at Caroline as a team that maybe has a run in them and and can go for a playoff spot. But that's where I stand on them. I don't they don't while me, they don't excite me. Uh and Donald keeps the ceiling on this thing. But hopefully he's okay and

they get back on track here. Atlanta, I mean we I think you set it up Mark on our TV show on on Saturday that Atlanta was sexy now and all this stuff. I tell you, I didn't buy it. And I said, Arthur name Arthur Smith. I know, but you and about they were becoming fun to watch. It is all I'm asking for. Apparently not when they play the Panthers. I mean is not in there too, But I know, but they've been fine with that. Redley, he hasn't done anything all year, and I'm just trying to

build a case Greg for you as well. But being the Falcons are one of those teams like, all right, if you don't have if you cook up a good game plan against Matt Ryan at this stage, it can get really ugly and things get slowed down and they become very hard to watch. So that's where we were again. With Atlanta was more like the beginning of the year. So I think I just froze up because the TV lights were on me. It was too big of a stage, and I started to say crazy things. Anyway, Carolina back

on track. We'll see if Donald will be ready and Christian McCaffrey as well when they play again. All right, in other realms, let's head to Soldier Field, where the Niners are trying to get off a losing schneide. She ain soon she a first ate twice. Nothing is shin. Jerry Rapatos got a second touchdown of the game, touchdown said France, just go here. You gotta see, you know,

break popping. Tim Ryan for k N b R has been a lot of fun watching the Niners for large swats of this season, so when they get hot like they did on Sunday at Soldier Field, you can enjoy it. Jimmy Garoppolo through for three two ran for two touchdowns the Niners beat Bears team missing their coach Met Naggy and other players including Khalil Macko. That ends the four game losing streak for the Niners, and San Francisco just got scorching hot on offense. This is what we've been

waiting for. That was expected of San Francisco. I believe they scored um five straight times in the second half. Garoppolo led three touchdown drives in the second half, another possession ended with a field goal, and when he scored on that run um in the fourth quarter to put San Francisco head thirty two, he fired the ball up in the stands and you could tell a wight had been lifted. Often because everybody knew the pressure was really on at this point, and Kyle Shannahan even said as much.

Mark after the game. Uh, Shannah had said coming back home, this is Garoppolo's from Illinois, his back against the wall. Uh. For him to step up and play the way he did today was huge. So with Tray Lance maybe waiting in the wings, Garoppolo definitely bought himself some more time in the starting lineup well and maybe limited um. The idea that a trade Lance package today like near in the red zone running um could become bigger and you know, it's something to just become a larger part of the

offense until he just inevitably starts, and he will. But there's something still a little depressing about it because we already understand that Jimmy g is you know, he's fading, he's on the way out, and it's sort of it's it's nice to see him play well and they needed it. They needed this. Um. It's still just delays. But I mean see when you watch this game, you'll see there's it was huge because it wasn't like, you know, a mirrage.

It felt like, okay, maybe this is because you remember Garoppolo. He's always been kind of hot and cold since that initial Roman San Francisco. But he could get in these grooves in the Shanahan era where he would look really good and be moving the offense. And it kind of reminded me a little bit of that. So let's see, maybe this is something they build on. Maybe he's healthier now, and you know, he wasn't playing in the rain last week with a bad calf. Maybe he gets on some

type of run here. I thought it was extremely um big in a again a wide open playoff race. He's probably one bad start away from getting benched because Ian Ravaport gave him the kiss of death Sunday morning. Uh, news bomb. That's like Trey Lance's time maybe coming, which is like he's getting benched today if he struggles the first three quarters. Uh. You know he did get you know, an a d yard touchdown on like a swing pass

the Deebo Samuel where Debo does all the work. Uh. And Samuel is now just putting together a season that's relatively under the radar, considering he has more yards in his first um what is it seven games than Jerry Rice ever had. Uh. And it's just at an outrageous pace right now. Like he he is a top three receiver in terms of production and just the beast if they can just get kittled back, then you know, the

average over eight yards for play. I know Khalio Mac wasn't there, but that's impressive against any NFL defense, especially a decent one like the It does sound like it was Justin Field's um finest performance. I mean, you know, doing kind of everything you'd want Justin Fields to do. You saw elements of it. Is that true? Yeah? There was a he ran for a hundred yards in this game. He had some nice plays as a passer as well. And of course everybody going nuts on Twitter because Matt Naggy,

he's got the COVID. Uh, So he wasn't around to be involved with what was the best start of Justin fields pro career to this point. So you kind of damned if you do either way because this Yeah, he held on his win loss record exactly exactly. But there was a there was the first kind of eye opening Okay, here we are this could be something moment, uh, and

it got them. It should have tied the game, but there was a missed extra point but it was a fourth and one and uh kind of a botched uh play execution initially, and then Fields with his athleticism was able to dodge some tacklers reverse field and not only convert the uh fourth down on a bus at play, but getting the end zone. And it was just like, WHOA, Okay, this guy, this is why he's special, why he's highly touted,

why he was the first round pick. So hopefully there's something to build off there for the Bears, and hopefully Matt Nagy, wherever he was on Sunday, saw the things that worked and so it doesn't didn't work and maybe learn from it and it isn't too hard headed about things, although I think he's kind of a hard headed dude. So we'll see what happens whenever. Naggy Now he's like Kingsbury. He was already working on the next pot. He's very competitive,

I think. Any and we we've we had one little running I'm not gonna get into details where he seemed a little peeved Matt Nage that another head coach was in the room and just like that guy over there thinks he's so great. It's like, whoa, these guys are you know? There? Um, they're temperamental. But do you think that he actually was doing the Kingsbury thing or was he watching the game like I would just watch the game. But I think you revealed a little too much of

that story. But I also we could keep it right there and let people, you know, put a pin in it. I've never I don't even that's that's just do that. It's up you know, Nagat Can. We'll see if he brings it up when he's you know, working at NFL Network. And that sounded means, oh my goodness. All right, let's head back to the a f C East where the Dolphins and Bills did battle. Alan Takes gonna throw it down the middle, caught my digs at the five cruisers

into the end tone touchdown Buffalo. Stefon digs On nineteen yards strike from Josh Allen, touchdown. Bills having an annoying fantasy season and I got Stefon Diggs and he's driving me crazy good. He scored tonight at forty yards. Every game? What are we doing? He's supposed to have a hundred nineteen catches for fifteen hundred yards and thirty seven touchdowns for me, That's why I drafted him. He'll save it.

I think it's coming. I think the explosions coming. John Murphy with the call w g R. Josh Allen lad the Bills on scoring drives in each of the Bill's final I believe five possessions a late flurry of scoring that was more than enough against the feckless Dolphins. Final score Bills twenty six, Fish eleven, Buffalo stays ahead and the AFC East. The Dolphins are on a seven game losing streak. All low now in the seller in the division. Greg Buffalo took a while to get going here, but

they took care of business. I thought it showed maturity from Josh Allen. You know, he keeps checking these boxes as he gets older. He they had five first downs in their first five drives. They were dominated. I mean, Miami was handing it to them. H He was so frustrated. But after the first drive of the second half, because they just couldn't believe it. Miami should have had a lead.

At that point it was still three three. Miami blew some chances, and then he kind of started taking what the defense would give him, whether it was his legs, making good decisions on third and long. Beasley Cole Beasley had a great week. He deleted his Twitter smart uh and then he converted a third and fourteen, third and thirteen, got the jab a third and eleven. I don't know, Yeah, I don't think he got the job. I think that's why the to this twitter he was sick about here.

He goes over a hundred yards and it's like just every big play when you thought Miami could get a stop, they just don't have a pass rush. Uh without blitzeeing Jalen Phillips, their first round pick hasn't done much and then when they do blitz Alan was figuring it out in the second half, and I just thought it, you know, as bad as it was for the first five drives or so, for him to kind of solve it and then go touchdown, touchdown field, go touchdown to end, it's

pretty awesome. I view um greg and Cole Beasley as sort of ideological twins, so you know, I thought that it's a nice day for him. Is similar body types, no doubt. That's all I'm offering. No, that's all I'm offering. I mean, I like I I you know what, the Dolphins, I'm a little I'm there there are another team that depresses me right now, and the Bills, like you know, have thumped this Dolphins team. So hard that people were like, oh, well, is it gonna be. It's not a good, great game

because it's not thirty five to nothing. It's like, I I respect Buffalo working themselves out of the fix they were in earlier they were they were and it felt different. It felt like a game. Even in the fourth quarter, you didn't know how it go and but Buffalo came through and we get you know, we're gonna get to

the Texans a little bit later. But since the Dolphins are connected directly to everything Deshaun Watson related, the report came out on Sunday morning that now the belief is that Deshaun Watson won't be changing teams ahead of the

trade deadline on Tuesday. So just file that away with two uh who will get most likely what he absolutely deserves and what the Dolphins should want, which is a full season audition and they're going nowhere there, one and seven now, So at least turned this season now over to a full developmental look at your young quarterback so you could decide what you want to do next, even if that means bringing in a highly problematic pass are

currently wasting away in Houston. Um, all right, Buffalo in control of the division in the Pats getting better though, So a little heat there. Uh, let's take a break and then hit the rest of the games. Hurts gives Buster Scott pushing hut Buster Scott, Buster Scott. It's so powerful, all right. Merril reads with the call, Nikki Shook joining us now. Technical difficulties took the man out, but the pipe always finds a way to bash his way back.

In Boston, Scott and Jordan Howard each scored two touchdowns on the ground in place of Miles Sanders. Uh and the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Lions in a forty four to six win on Sunday. Schookie, we talked about it on the around the NFL broadcast the Boys and I, uh have it was a little weird. Everyone was getting excited about this is the game, the Lions are gonna win. They did not even compete. What happened here? Yeah, I actually picked the Lions to win. That was a big

failure on my part. Wasn't alone. I was not alone in that regard. Uh, they didn't really show up. Um, you know, we've looked at this roster all year and seeing that, you know, it's pretty talent poor. They lack weapons. Offensively, they they lack a lot of you know, blue chip level players across the roster, and it totally showed today. I mean, not only did they not show up, they had nothing in the tank to really mount much of

a comeback effort. I mean, before you know, a halftime at seventeen nothing and it felt like it was thirty five nothing. The Eagles dominated up front. They won the battle of the trenches. A week after letting Kenyan Drake uh run down their throats for a touchdown against the Raiders and and kind of being the Lions in that game and getting you know, falling way behind and never

having a chance of coming back. Uh. They then became the team that was the aggressor and just dominated at the point of attack on both sides of the ball. They sacked Yared GoF five times to get to the point in the third quarter. I was like, man, if there was an opportunity to to simulate to the end or to forfeit the remainder of this game, this is the game for this to happen. Let's get a running

clock or something going. It was that lopsided. It was the worst showing of the Lions mat that Mark to the competition committee. Years we've had we won't we have games for just like a ten minute runoff at the end when they're just this this unfun to watch now and again you couch it Chookie as player safety, that's what it's really about. But what it's really about is jabronies like us being able to move on to the next game. Yeah, exactly pretty much. I mean, in a nutshell,

it was. It was an unexciting affair. It was inspiring for the Eagles because they didn't have Miles Sanders and they ran the ball really well, um and he didn't need too much from Jalen Hurts and he's fun to watch no matter what. So, uh, you know, a nice little bounce back win for them, and I think a low point for these lines. I mean, the Lions have been competitive in the majority of the games they've played.

Today was not one of them. That's simple. And it's like a week ago they were, you know, tortured by Matthew Stafford. Darius Slay had a what a humble touchdown in this um. There was a bit of a narrative killer for the Eagles after you know, we we were gonna run the ball less than any team in NFL history. They had like two hundred and thirty six yards and it was a narrative killer. Uh for the listeners who locked the Lions, Let's get your act together on on

these fronts. Let's think about what we're doing this. That's a collective group. There wasn't one single drunk person making a terrible, just you know, life decision. There's a group of people that agreed on the Lions. Please. I think we got sucked into and I didn't pick the lines, but I see why it happened, because we got sucked into how hard this team is playing and how they seem to be, you know, playing their hearts out. And the Eagles just seemed like a team that was ripe

to be picked off. But that's just not what happened. Chok No, it's it's the exact opposite of what happened. And I was in the same train of thought, and I definitely wasn't drunk. Mark when I sent my in on a Tuesday afternoon, give give Fletcher Cox like, uh, you know, a little love here, because you know, he basically went after the defensive coordinator Jonathan in and for like not being aggressive, not mixing things up, not blitzing, and you know, accordingy of the Philly reporters, they did

all of that. So maybe, like maybe, maybe sometimes it takes like a player leader just be like, let's go, let's go, especially a player who's kind of playing out a position in this defensive coordinators scheme. I mean, statistically, it's not like he blew things up, but as a group, yeah,

they do. They're gonna they're gonna mess up the score differential thing in the in d v o A with these blowouts because they've now outscored their opponents this year because of week one in this you know by Laden, So you're you're pointing out though some people are slavish in their love of uh d v o A, that that it could be maipulated by scores that are well they love I love it, loves a big big blowouts. You know there was unsounded, unscientific. Well you gotta go,

you know, you gotta go. E p A two, you gotta mix it exposed. Last word on this a f I'd have last run in this game. Let's just move to the next week for the Lions because it was bad. Yeah. Detroit safety Tracy Walker said, if this doesn't get better.

We're going to be oh and seventeen ys. All right, let's head to sea at all shotgun formation, play, fake looks, far aside, throws, puts the ball up, reaching up making a catch, DK met Jeff touchdown, Shawks, Hey, Hey, Steve Rabel k I r O, Gino Smith ran for one score through four a parent touchdown passes the DK metcalf and the Seahawks beat up on the jack You are thirty one to seven ending they're losing streak, big win and shook for Seattle. It doesn't matter the opponent. They

needed a w and Gino got it done. Yeah, the winds all count the same. I think they looked out getting Jacksonville the week after their most recent loss to the Saints in prime time. But I'll tell you what if if you wanna choose a non lock situation to play the prices right losing horn that we're so fond of on this show, play it for me and my game assignments this week, because this one was about as ugly there. It was as about as ugly as that

that Eagles Lions. I'm sitting back watching this going, man, I'm just getting all the blow us that was one blowout. Shy, I'm just hitting the trifecta. But um, I mean yeah, from from a Seahawks perspective, you're you're happy to see urban Meyer lead his team out of the tunnel, knowing that this is another talent, poor roster that all you gotta do is not screw up too much and you and hopefully Gino plays well enough for you to win a game. Man, it's not like they they dominated on

the ground. They didn't. They rushed for uh sixty nine yards total. But Gino Smith did what pretty much anybody with a brain would do in that situation. Throw the ball two dk metcalf when you're inside the opponent's thirty yard line. He had two touchdown catches. One was a great catch right in front of the inside pilot on the other one just inside the pilot on the opposite side of the end zone. And they did their job. And and the Jacksonville Jaguars often can't get out of

their own way save for that came in London. I mean, they committed twelve penalties today. They had three turnovers on downs uh when they reached Seattle territory. And the funniest thing about it is the Seahawks got short olds a lot. As a result of that, their touchdown drives started inside their own thirty. So, you know, the challenge wasn't as

great this week. And I know it's any given Sunday in this league, and we all know these are the best fourteen hundred football players on the planet, but there was quite a talent discrepancy today. Yeah, but everyone was ready to just like slam if if it flipped the other way that, you know, blew it. I mean, you're kind of under selling it here. He's thirteen out of his first thirteen for a couple of touchdowns in a

hundred and thirty three yards. And I couldn't help but notice DK metcalf with a little bit of a sub tweet of his starting quarterback after the game saying, you know, I haven't you know, talking about the jump ball touchdown that he got, saying like, I haven't really gotten a ball like that since I've gotten here. You know that that takes trust from my quarterback, and I like, I like seeing that. I was like, that's the thing is great. I couldn't get into Gino because this is your thing.

You know, we gotta we gotta leave some up for you and Alley you there right, I'm just looking for you because you know I haven't closely yet, but I'm looking for you to like accurately analyze, you know, what's happening on the football field as Gino Smith just cast a check in the NFL. With this performance that's happening, He's gonna make it. He's gonna make it one more year at least. Now he's gonna spend every one of those dollars proudly. And you know what else is gonna

be happy after this one? Tyler Lockett, who has not really been involved in their offense in recent weeks. He had twelve catches for a hundred forty two yards. He probably ended up on a few fantasy benches this week, and myself included are probably like I should have played him. This is the one week but they actually did something with him. But you know, it all spends the same. I'd like to see Urban Meyer purchase a book on Amazon called Here's what you actually are supposed to do

during a bye week? I mean they, I mean, how do you come out this stale and this putrid after you've had a chance to go tinker with your offensive? And put Trevor Lawrence. Yes, well, Dan, you were high on Trevor Lawrence coming into this game that I was asked to come up with a thought or type of hot take for the taking show that I didn't believe in. Um My take is that Urban Meyer is not good at this and uh, that's why things didn't work out.

I mean, Dan Arnold is your leading receiver. I mean, and as I watched it, I was like, man, I don't even know how to really analyze Trevor Lawrence because I just don't really believe what he's working with and we don't believe in that. I mean, I like Marvin Jones, but I mean, they're they're still lacking a lot. And Trevor was very up and down. There were times where he misses open throws, guys right in front of him,

He's putting it in the dirt. Um. I think he's he's in a bit of a Tim Couch situation right now, where he's just he's on a team that that lacks, you know, talented players and and this is what it's gonna look like. For a while, it was a it was a Pete Carroll and Seahawks fans revenge game against the Darryl Bevil and Brian Schottenheimer like the ghosts of annoying offensive coordinators passed on the opposite sideline. And of speaking of d v o A after this game, Seahawks folks,

I can't remember exactly who it was. Somebody from the Seahawks was like, hey, see the d v A numbers were pretty good. I think it's Pete Carroll. He was like, yeah, it was better than our record shows. Just look at d v o A. Carroll said, yeah, he did. It was kind of shocked by that. Yeah. Um, and Greg, you're right because Gino failed miserably the first three weeks where he's going in. He literally covered the spread three straight.

He played two great defenses the first if but he needed you could be a rich man, but I know his job is not to cover the spread, Greg, you do. It's like he from a different angle. He's supposed to do a little. Don't let him get you. Mark Seattle hits the buy now and then Dangerous probably is going to be back. But we don't know. But probably will, I mean unless they decided to go with Gino because he's you know, according to spouting reports, he's the timing

couldn't be better. Let's get to the vio Let's get Russell Wilson back in there. Have this be the last exactly the Gina had one more chance to make sure he was going to stay in the NFL. He did it. So let's let's put the cap on another season of everyone's favorite show. And that was another edition of Sipping on Veno. Checking. That means Frags and Her Drop is gonna be back in two as well, and I'm not

mad about that, Nick Schuok, thank you. Not only did you get two dog games, the tapings different right now because the Halloween night and it's one am where you're at and we know we love you, man, We will make it up to you somehow. I promise you that. Yeah, I wanted to give you a little bit of inside

baseball here. People watching this, uh, we'll notice that I don't have the typical backdrop because it was midnight and and honestly I wasn't gonna do everything necessary to set the table up to get behind that pretty background when this will suffice for right now. But I will say this, Greg, once you retire from football and everything, I don't know when that's gonna be retire from football. Are you trying to retire? Yeah, you'll still have more hair than me.

But you also have a great job opportunity in front of you, and that is Geno Smith is gonna run for office and you will be his campaign manager. And it will be like that retirement job that you're doing just because you're bored. Oh, I like that high paid consultants job. Yeah, I can just imagine Gino you know, you know, kissing babies and pressing flesh. Yes, there's one thing I think about Gino. It's like he's a people person.

He knows how to connect babies the people around him. Um, all right, there you go, Nick Chuck, thank you buddy, have a good night, good slumber. There he goes. All right, we have two more games. Let's let's hit him quick and say good night. Denver rushes four again. Pinokey steps on the pocket, loads it up, home run ball. This is gonna be out of the back of the end zone. Incomplete riff. No time left. Let me make sure it is over in Happy Halloween. That's three. I think we

set it at four and a half off mark. So we've got a problem here. Justin Simmons and the Broncos held after a fumble game Washington the ball back with a chance to tie the game. The Broncos also blocked two field goals. What a set up. You know the game's bad when this is the set up for the game win. They stopped before games losing streak. I feel like four teams stopped a four game losing streak today. Anyway, Mark,

tell me something about this game that's interesting. I would point to the reason that they were saying, like, let's check if this game is really over, because it should have been over, um a minute or so earlier. And I actually, you know, we we in our in our channel where we can communicate with each other. I'm not allowed to say the actual company's name, I think, but uh, we will send the play that we want to use

for the call. And I was gonna be the Justin Simmons interception that ended this thing, but then you know, the this drove me nuts the Broncos and this was such a Vic Fongio type of scenario where he was going he was very annoyed. But they basically just had to get just get a first down or run the clock out. And instead Melvin Gordon fumbles the ball like within less inside a minute, and this came after Javonta

Williams fumbled a few plays earlier, recovered it. Then Teddy Bridgewater through a terrible wayward pass on second down that didn't take any time off the clock. They've almost gave the game away. Point being I go watch that just to see how mismanaged that was. But other than that, I would say this about the broncos Um, it was an inspired defensive effort for the most part with no

Von Miller in there. Guys like Shelby Harris So I think had both blocks on those field goals played out of his mind, and you got from Teddy Bridgewater outside of you know, that one little last minute which really wasn't his fault. Um, it really solid kind of Teddy Bridgewater game that you thought you'd get. And Washington, Um, the red zone woes hurt them early on. You know, Ron Rivera said after the game, we're basically a team in search of ourselves still, and they are and they're

just not there. And the idea that they were gonna, like other teams, pick up from where they were a year ago. No, Um, this maybe gives you a little bit hope for Denver because if they if they can get this from Teddy and they can get this from the defense, arrow up. But I think you just played another average team. This game felt six and a half hours long to me. I mean, yeah, can you can't

even give the defense that much love. When I think Washington had eight drives that went to the thirty six yard line of Denver's or further and they finished with ten points. That's almost impossible to do. So they lived deep in Broncos territory. And then Heinik happened. I mean that last couple of I did watch the very end of this game, and that's it. The last couple of Washington sequences were We're unreal how badly executed they were on offense. And I'm sure it was somewhat good defense,

but it was more just bad offense. It was well, it was better than like the Denver defense that we've been watching, though, but it has a lot of right. I just mean, it was it was rough. I know we've Heinik's doing his best, but it's tough. It was a hard watch. It's a tough sitch. That big stand at the end prevented the first windless October for the Broncos since nineteen six seven. Let's take a break and

then close this thing out. Second in ten Stafford from the gun, looking right, throwing end zone, Cooper Cups got it touchdown l A and eleven yards strike to the NFL's leading receiver to put this one on ice. Matt Stafford through for three five yards and three touchdowns and three quarters. That's J B. Long CASPN with the call, by the way, and the Rams dominated the Texans. That doesn't even tell the story. Los Angeles had a thirty eight ZIP lead when Sean McVeigh pulled his quarterback from

the game. So as four straight wins uh for the Rams, seven straight losses for the Texans. Uh. Who are the worst team in football. And there's some bad teams in football, there always are, but I think Texans are the worst. Cooper Cup continues to be on the record setting pace. Guys. It's exciting. No, I mean this is a tough situation. Um, My daughter really enjoyed it. I mean she is. It was fun to be at home and just see how locked in she is the Rams game and she was

living it. She was dying. She loves the blowouts. She's dying when they give up some plays up thirty eight nothing, Texans scored twenty two points in the span of six minutes to get one of the all time back door covers. I think the line ended at sixteen and a half. They go for two as if they knew what the line was to cut it to sixteen and get it depends when you know you you picked the game. But if you did it like right before game time, that's in all and all timer. Um. I don't know what

else to say about that. Yeah, the Texans, I think that what seventy seven yards of offense going into the fourth quarter. It's that you're right, how to run the clock in. They're the worst. They are the worst team. I totally safe. We talked about this last week actually you know, off air, but that I totally supported them at thirty two despite you know that when they won the won win. Yes, so there you go, and uh, that is the longest losing streak for the Texans since

they lost fourteen games in a row and season. They stink and Deshaun Watson will be on that roster until the off season. It sounds like that is at least the story. I guess if there's anything for the Texans um in terms of a reprieve here, Yes, you're not gonna get Deshaun Watson out of your life. But once the trade deadline passes and it's now very clear that he is not going to play a snap on the field, it wouldn't make any sense on a number of levels.

He this is that stories. I think it's gonna disappear and then come back with a vengeance come the off season. But Stephen Ross was that I don't know. I still but there's nothing I could happen. The story can't run forward after the deadline right now, Yeah, we need to pass that deadline. De Sean Jackson will not be on the Rams by the way, by the time we get past the deadline. I don't know if they'll find anyone to trade him, but it sounds like they're just gonna

cut him. They brought in someone I was not familiar with late in this game, Square Neck, who was catching passes down the field, and I was like, oh, he looks Okay. I guess de Sean Jackson really will never play. Problem and for any team that trades for Deshaun Jackson is he's He's already passed the window, the two week

window in September where he's awesome. So I don't know unless it resets when he joins a new team and you get that first month back, I don't know, or or you're building for next September and you just you're stashing him. He's gonna get caught. He's gonna sign with someone as a free agent. That was all right. Before we say goodbye, let's talk the last game that was

played on on day Sunday Night football from Minneapolis. Do not ever count out Cooper Rush Sunday Nights to Lee and John Kennedy's hill for the touchdowns Cooper Amari Cooper over Cameron Danceler seventy five yards in eight place to take the lead. I love this Cowboys team. I do, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. Even people that hate the Cowboys are like, man, this team knows what it's doing. With Dak Prescott sidelined as a precaution with that cap injury, Cooper Rush steps in.

It looks good. He wasn't perfect. He threw a bad pick, he lost a fumble, but he also threw yards with two touchdowns, including that go ahead and score late Tomari Cooper after Zeke Elliott had a huge third down conversion. Uh and the Cowboys drop of twenty sixteen loss on the Vikings Mark. I mean, we'll get to the Vikings. It's a brutal loss for the Vikings that really takes

a lot of wind out of their sales. But for the Cowboys there six and one and what almost felt like a giveaway game and they went and won the damn thing. It's the kind of win that UH makes you I I also am really enjoying this Cowboys team.

And the ceiling feels completely unknown, just because you know, eking out something like this where a Cooper rush didn't didn't know, you know, short shortly before the game if he was gonna play or not, and you know, they had Dak Prescott doing a variety of workouts for I thought he looked Spry looked pretty good. And it's like suddenly Cooper rushes in there. And I thought that he grew after a couple he could have had maybe three interceptions in the first half. He had he had one

that was you know, ricocheted off someone. I thought he grew more comfortable as the game went on. Obviously made some big path US is down down the stretch, uh to me, Like the ending was also delightful because, and this was from NFL research, the Cooper rush to a Mari Cooper touchdown, and I know everyone was saying Cooper to Cooper. I get it, we all understand that. But it is the first time in NFL history where the pastor's first name and a receiver's last name are an

exact match. Thank to Liz, Thank you to listeners who sent that my way. But I just thought it was a win where the Cowboys. I start to think more about Mike McCarthy, I start to think more about the whole coaching staff, the way that they're able to overcomes well until we hit that Cooper Cooper the first time

in NFL history. That's kind of that's kind of insane, right, I mean, you couldn't you could think in your head that there would be the last to be totally honest, I know, but you know what, there's a pocket of our audience, maybe a very small pocket, like that little, tiny, tiny pocket in your jeans where you just put some coins. Yeah, the little pocket, like some people are like this kind of stuff. Greg take it from there, Greg over to you, what what um, what a defensive performance. I mean, I

think that's that's what we're learning. I know, you know, defense has mattered based on how good the offense is that they're playing against sometimes, but these were two top tennis type defenses coming into the game, and one looked much better, you know, I know Patrick Peterson was missing, but one of them gave up four hundred yards to Cooper rush and and a game winning touchdown drive when all you had to do was at least just stop, you know, making a field goal and at least you

can go to overtime. Zeke Elliott you mentioned runs through that tackle by Anthony Barr, Cooper, Mosses Danceler. I mean, that was just an awesome play. It was not an underrated catch. Everyone knows it was an awesome catch. But that was a difficult catch to win the game. Uh, they held him under three hundred yards. The Viking, the Kirk Cousins, I think through the ball twenty times for seventy nine yards in the second half. It's like, we gotta give him love. It's all sorts of dudes up

front to It's a diggy zoa. Michael Parsons is a beast obviously Gregory has been great, but it's a lot of guys contributing, and we all have friends that are Vikings fans and they are an agitated fan base. And Dan, I think you mentioned on the last show how the Vikings go to sleep on offense, and we saw that tonight and it was embarrassing. I mean, the same thing

happened against the Browns a few weeks back. As I recall, they go right down the field on the first drive, Cousins hits Adam Feeling and you're thinking they're often running and Cooper cup Cooper rushes the other quarterback on the other side, and this is gonna be a four quarter party for the Vikings, and then just a completely different game broke out and I think Cousins was you know, he was pretty amped up and agitated throughout this game,

I thought, and Mike Zimmer looked very annoyed with the offense, uh and how it performed in this game. And when you look at you know, the weapons, Dalvin Cook was held in check. Um. He wasn't bad, but did not have a big time game. I thought he would in this game. And then you look, you know, Feeling did some things had the touchdown. But justin Jefferson had two

catches for twenty one yards and four targets. kJ Osborne, who had been talking up, he had two catches, uh for ten yards, and there just wasn't anyone else that was able to step up and make the big play. So like the and you know, I've been talking about the Vikings on this podcast that they're interesting to me. When you have a game like this, it's just like, man, I don't know if this team is ever going to

figure it out. They might just be one of those one step forward to step back teams all year and then by the time you get to January, you look up and they're eight and nine, and being like, I can't believe we let the season slip away. I'm starting to have some real doubts about them after this performance. One for thirteen on third down another indicator that they

can go real, real silent on that side of the ball. Um. I think Mike zimmer Um coaches like it's nine still at times it's not, you know, entirely on everyone, but I'm with you. They're an eight win team that or they had nine win team that we're gonna we we already you know, how I feel about this, But they're gonna get hard objector seated out of this situation at some point, and I don't need to put my faith into what they're doing. I don't know. I see, I

know what you're saying there, Mark. Sometimes that's one thing where we just have a different viewpoint on football, where you will write off a team if they're not gonna win the Super Bowl, Like I think not only could the Vikings despite what I just said, if they found their way to win a couple of games, I think they could take somebody out in January. I still think they are a team that could be a thorn in

someone's side and and have a run in them. But this this type of loss is just like, man, are you just never going to figure it out? And maybe that's not being fair to the Cowboys, who had an awesome performance, especially on defense and what Rush was able to do um, But the frustration is real because you know there is a winning team somewhere in that locker room in Minnesota and it just refuses to come out. And if there isn't right, there's some bad luck involved.

I mean, Cooper Rush did this game winning touchdown drive by throwing the ball directly into Bishod Brelan's gut, who and then it bounced off the gut into his hand up in the air into Marie Cooper's hands. For like the forty yard games, it was like the game was over if if Freeland makes that play. But but they had seven drives of four players or less. I I we we look at you know, we try not to like think that like it's at this prime time or big game thing. But I don't know, man, I've watched

every Kirk Cousins game this year. This was the worst one, you know, it really was. I know they only had seven points about Cleveland, but this was this was the first one where it was like he he was a big part of the problem. He was he was, he was freaking out. I'm glad you mentioned that. He just seemed amped up. It's like it was like the game's bigger, so me and Zimmer are gonna be more amped up. And it doesn't seem like it helps out that way.

So yeah, amped up doesn't translate unfortunately, where it does for some other quarterbacks. There was a there was a play in the first half. I think it was maybe their third possession, uh, when it was a third down conversion attempt, and they showed it on the replay NBC. Cousins is going through his progressions. Someone flashes I believe open over the middle, and the receiver I'm thinking based

on the reaction, does something that Cousins didn't want. So Cousins looks away and then dumps it off for a some type of dump out pass that didn't get the first down. And he's like screaming and anger as he's moving down to the checkdown, and I'm like, who does that in the middle of the play, Like he was so amped up. Uh, maybe the moment did get too big for him. I don't know. I don't want to

have those Kirk Cousins conversations anymore. I knew they drove West crazy as well, But man, I see what you're saying, Greg, he didn't play well with a lot of people watching them tonight. Well how about this? How about right before the half when they were trying to get something going and they had the seconds for running out and they looked like it looked like the second preseason game with a quarterback that had been in college three months ago.

They couldn't get the snout. I mean it was just no. It was just like hyper disorganized, and it's just the ear mark of a team that's gonna get caught off guard at some point and it's gonna be bye bye, see you later, check you, check you again. In two Marks is trying to CROSSLF teams and I it's not

like a bold take mark. I don't think anybody sees the Vikings right now as a Super Bowl team, Like, yes, eventually they will be crossed off and you won't have to We're calling them super fun and I think the problem is that if you ask most Vikings fans, it's fun for us because we can jump out of it when they suddenly do this. But if you're following this team week to week, you are being driven nuts. It's like you're running through a field and you've got like

eight people shooting arrows at you. You're gonna go down. It's not gonna work out for you. I'm with the man. It is fun when they win. It's just really not fun when they lose. This team, I don't know. There's the highs are highs and the lows are low. Good for the Cowboys, though, Man, I got a lot of work to do with the power rankings that that be now begins tonight after this podcast wraps. I don't know what to make of the top ten is like very

why don't you do something really um like that? Imagine there's like twelve people doing power rankings, like if not a hundred and twelve people, but like the twelve main guys you're in that group that crew of writers, like do something so bizarre that it's like it catches total fire, like illogical Number one. I don't mean, I mean like someone out of remember one upset Pat McAfee. I have his trust, so I talked. I remember after last Sunday, I was like, put put that Cowboys team number one?

Maybe yeah, put that put that they're looking good, Like you got the Packers at seven and one, the Rams are seven and one, the Cowboys are six and one. Probably one of those three teams or number one Arizona is going to drop out of the past number one. Let's go oh man, all right, Ricky, I'm glad he had a good time at the game, speaking quickly on very quickly, you know, for the New England sports scene. You know, I'm glad to do it, but it's no I just wanna say rest in peace to Jerry Remy.

What what a great broadcaster he was, um for the Red Sox, um just bringing like joy, No one had more fun like I am so happy I got to spend like twenty years just listening to him every day because no one had more fun and made sports more fun than him listening to him every day. So it's sad. Yet he had cancer seven different times and he battled battlet and was on the air for a lot of it. Um,

but but lost lost his life today. But what what an influence he had for like a bunch of you know, millions and millions of kids in New England watching those games. Sure I remember when I went to uh college and and up in Boston and and you know, the Red Sox are always on in the background, um with all the you know, natives of the region at the school. And uh you know, even as a Yankees fan, I love I love Remy because he was so it was a real dude. He had a sense of humor, he

had that accent. He was a Massachusetts dude through and through a New England guy. And uh yeah his uh his hilarious to legit funny, which almost no one I feel like not made. That's not fair, but like legit funny for that's true. That's true. One of the great broadcasters, gone too soon. All right, there we go, week eight. I mean, we're all messed up now, mark because of the seventeen game season, but we're kind of at the halfway point now of the regular season, and that's yeah.

I mean, it wasn't really week never was really the halfway point of anything, and even in the regular just the regular season to begin with last time, because just to prevent any tweets or whatever, the end of next week would officially be halfway because there's now eighteen weeks and next week's week nine. So if we're looking for a halfway nine eighteen divide, oh man, we gotta go through an entire full week just to get to the halfway point. Now that that's dark, All right, good stuff.

I hope everybody had a happy and save Halloween, and we will be back on Tuesday. It will be the trade deadline edition of the Round the NFL Podcorse podcast, or maybe just a regular edition of the podcast if nothing notable happens on the trade landscape, But either way, we hope you're there listening and thank you for always tuning in. This is Dan Hanson signing off for Quiet Storm, the old boss Rookie Hollywood. There's a happy grave digger somewhere.

The pipe good stuff until Tuesday. He the car. I just sat grave bigger, put on the side, Make make it tightens number one. That would be cold that that would be a pay s