2023 Week 1 Recap

They Around the NFL podcast.

Now football is back from the Chris Wesley podcast studio.

It's around the NFL.

The flagship program back for an eleventh season. Dan Hans is here, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler. Week one of the twenty twenty three NFL season is here, and now Mark, we talk about it.

That's what we do, you know, this is what we do.

Here is if we've been doing this because I, you know, I will put my math skills to work. If we've been doing this for eleven years. Yes, And there's that floated between seventeen and eighteen weeks week uh seven hundred and fourteen flagship Sunday night shows.

That checks out to me. I just double checked the math for you.

We're good. The numbers are correct. Do you mean like we're good, Like we don't have to do this anymore? No, we don't need No one needs to check that total.

That total is so incorrect. But I don't blame you. We're all feeling a little crazy. Is a nice little witching hour there with the late games. I just mainlined some coffee right before the show, as if I wasn't gonna be loud and annoying enough.

Once we get completely. You know over at all.

Who's the first of us to go full Jack Collinsworth and and force the sun into the studio?

Oh well, Greg, Greg is already crafted like a pro football robot.

My son will force himself.

You guys know so little about my relationship with my son to think, yeah, we.

Have been over your house in twelve years, let's start there.

I like physical walls.

You know that I could take anything like I'm over Mark. Let's give me a break.

You're welcome anytime.

Big slate of Week one action a little bit of a funky week, but you know what, Yeah, we've been doing this for over a decade. Week one is funky, and I think the one thing to take away suck. Kyle Brand tweeted this, and I've always felt the same thing. There are teams that we're gonna talk about today that played awesome and there'll be nowhere to be seen when relevant football's played in January. The teams that look like dog poop today that will get it together.

So and players on both sides of that court.

Players, This is not a time to panic. It's not a time to celebrate an incoming Super Bowl. But you know what part of the fun is reading too much of the week one and we're about to do that.

In some case, when your team gets a bomb dropped on it in week one, there's no way that doesn't feel terrible. You can be as like philosophical and stow about it as need be, but it's a terrible feeling.

I mean that l counts the same as it does in week seventeen if you lose a big time division matchup.

I mean it sticks.

There a lot of football, I guess at the point and mark to that point. After a lot of excitement around the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was time for real football to be played. So let's start with a game that was played in Pittsburgh against a Titan of the NFC.

They did pick up the first down stretch run coming left to McCaffrey, stays play side. Breck's a tackle forty five block from our yoke down the sideline thirty cuts back it's side twenty selling bombs on the sage on a diving for the inside touchdown.

See m see.

In the Dynamite explodes on his first run in the third quarter.

Greg Papa, good to hear you again, Buddy, and Tim Ryan with pecall knbr healthy version of the forty nine Ers offense. It just feels unfair. Christian McCaffrey took any drama out of Pittsburgh with a sixty five yard touchdown run to kick off the second half. The Niners cruise to a thirty to seven win over a baffled looking Steelers team. Boys, this was a compelling blowout because of

I am shocked by this.

I mean, it's a big loss for the player guys in the preseason brigade because who played the most and looked the best in the preseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers in the Kansas City Chiefs didn't really help.

I mean, there's so much to point to because I'm looking at their drive chart and the Steelers who looked as crisp and clean on offense as anyone because they had starters in there. But like, it's like you're searching for something to take away from in August, and I guess maybe none of it matters at all. They don't have a single drive in their first five marches that crosses five yards.

This was your game, Dan, Like, well, what happened to the Steelers?

They just could not get it going. I mean it started with a three and out. Their next possession, Kenny Pickett threw into coverage, which he did a lot in this game. A receiver slip led to an interception, and then you know, the just started turned into a snowball effect and before you knew it, they were down three scores. And even when they were able to get a late touchdown at the end of the first half, it was

Ayuk.

Here's the other thing about this this Niners offense. If Brendan Ayuk is going to become a superstar this year. I mean, forget a turn out the lights because he looked unbelievable. Patrick Peterson got cooked up on the first touchdown. The second touchdown, it was again Ayuk on a beautiful party throw right on the money with Patrick Peterson tight in coverage. But it didn't matter. Like I said, his blocking was on point. So he just played an elite game.

What Brandon Io gets in this game.

So they the defense turned it up on Pickett, who just you know, and it is true he looked good in the preseason and you heard all the positive talk about him taking the next step. He kind of played like button this game, and it was It's part of the concern for the Steelers, but he's not the only reason they lost.

They just kind of no showed on offense.

There were a couple of things you were thinking that the Steelers might be that they weren't at this time last year. Was an improved offensive line. They gave up five sacks. That tells me. Also, the Niners, like Steve Wilkes is like your eighteenth defensive coordinator in his many years, and the defense absolutely baffled Pittsburgh's offense. It's like they couldn't run the ball. I'm just for a lot of it confirms for me what we hoped and thought about

Well, I've mentioned how on the previous show how they've started slow over the last few years, and like this team just feels much more ready to go as long as they keep their health. I mean, you don't even have Nick Bosa plane like all the all his snaps and making all the impact that he's gonna make in the future. Nine qb hits, five sacks, eight tackles for lost,

And it was a disaster of a day for Pittsburgh. You had.

In addition to the lopsided score, Cam Hayward leaves the game with a groin injury.

He didn't return.

Deontay Johnson left the third quarter after hurting his hamstring on a twenty six yard game.

He was gone.

That didn't after that, and you just you get it was kind of a worse case scenario. In fact, the only person that showed up for the Pittsburgh Steelers was TJ. Watt, who was a monster. He had three sacks and two forced fumbled fumbles, recovered one of them. But that was it. It was just it was as one sided as a game as as you can imagine.

And I think the final score tell you you that.

The one other thing that I think is a takeaway from this game, brock Purdy his consistency, like you could put it in the bank. We talked before we started Marcus, you have him in your fantasy team, like I never stated my opponent too, right, Oh congratulations. He might not be a guy that's gonna win fantasy leagues, but if you need two touchdowns and two hundred and twenty yards

He looked very healthy, very sharp.

He took a couple of big hits in this game, so you got to keep an eye on that and and the news to come in the upcoming days.

But he got out of there healthy. I was a little surprised Kyle Shannan kept giving Christian McCaffrey the rock in the fourth quarter when this game was well.

Does not need to be doing it.

Mitchell, Elijah Mitchell was not a part of the game plan really, But yeah, when you when you get topp Tier and that part of the thing about Ayuk is sometimes he's a little enigmatic.

You don't know which version you're gonna get of him. But when you get this guy and Deebo's chipping in and Kittle, who's quiet today does his thing, it's almost like in that passing game, he has so many options party and he's blocked up front. Well, Trent Williams got beat up a little bit in this game too. Keep an eye on that. We have a Monday show now, by the way, which is good. That will track all these different injuries, guys that got banged up, and the and the subplots to.

Watch what a value add for the listener exactly.

The passing game is so deadly that when you pitch it to Christian McCaffrey, it's like this feels unfair. It felt unfair on the field and that's not what the Pittsburgh Steelers were expecting today.

No.

I would ask you this though, because you're said, I get a week one. Everyone chill. It's a long season. Like there are Steelers fans out there tonight who I think thought this was a good bar for them, a good test, but that they would compete and like they were not competitive, Like is there reason for panic or is it just go back and start O.

No, it's a good test. Next Monday night they get the brown and we'll get to it. But there's gonna be a lot of pressure on them to show up. And Cleveland balled out. We're gonna get to that soon on defense, there's gonna be a lot of pressure on Picket and that offense to show that this was just an aberration.

And they got boat raced in a in a surprise way.

In a week where a lot of last year's superpowers, the best teams from last year didn't look like the best teams in Week one. It's nice to just see a forty nine Ers group of marauders just like, we're here.

We're superheroes.

Absolutely, you paralleled that to that effort to us. No, but I like, we're here, we're superheroes.

I'm we were already going on. I was embodying. I was embodying the forty nine Ers. I am the forty nine.

You have any statement, Mark, you're obviously very high on the Steelers throughout the summer that you'd like to make before we move on.

No, I'm gonna take your your typical route on this and say I don't own any of this. It's a long season. We'll talk to me. You know too well.

You've got they've got to get to twelve. You have four loss May you have four losses to play with?

Still you have four loss that's to play with? That one down one down.

Fine, we just played the best team in football, So all right we did. I just say we for the Pittsburgh Steelers, right, But it's the dart gun.

That's what I've always thought.

Maybe there's a little reverse Jink Saxon in here, and you're off to a great start. If that's the case, let's move on now. The other NFC superpower is the Philadelphia Eagles. They're going up to Foxborough and it's gonna be a cakewalk, or is it?

Now?

The Patriots are looking at a fourth down and ten plus with forty seconds in counting left here in the fourth quarter, three receivers wide of the right, one left snapped to Jones format watch Max stands.

In throws it left fort got it?

Why do you gotta do this?

Eight?

Get a play? Let's go time out.

But remember reviews initiated for the booth, so I don't pick.

That left foot got.

In, bottle out. Hold that thought on the bid.

Completed pass is under further Ooh you heard there from WBZ the sension power aide bottle Scott sol I got excited, but it just wasn't happening. In the end, the Eagles kept opening the door for the Patriots on Tom Brady Day in Foxborough, but Mac Jones and company could not bust in for an upset, the defending ANC champions, holding on for a twenty five to twenty win after Jones's fourth down conversion to Kaishan Bhute was overturned on review in the final minute.

Greggy, tough one for you. Bittersweet for you.

You love your Eagles and your heart is in Western mass This game started out looking like a laughter, but you know, the Patriots made it close.

They just couldn't get over there.

Hey, I mean it's that bittersweet.

I'm rooting for the Patriots in this game, and it was a huge missed opportunity. You could talk the whole offseason about all this stuff and who's built up the Eagles and the charts and what the Patriots have done with Bill O'Brien, and then you get to Week one and the Patriots I think clearly outplayed the Eagles in

Which was just surprising to see.

So there were just little things that they still made mistakes, even if the overall defense especially, but the team looked better than it did a year.

It's a difficult, frustrating loss for Patriots fans because you wipe out the first part of this game and you get what they had, what they were for the final like seventy percent and they beat the Eagles, But that first five offensive drive set pick six, fumbole then three straight three and ounce, It's like it took a while for these guys to get going. And I would say one thing like, if you're relying on that wide receiver

Now they already feel like a little bit of a banged up team a wide receiver and throughout the roster.

And you know, Jacobe Myers, by the way, had some success in his Raiders' debut, So they are short at playmakers or mac Jones, so they have a better scheme, Greg Ye, but it's obviously a work in progress on offense still the Eagle side of it, Greg, Like what but I'm looking at you know, Jalen Hurts. His numbers aren't popping off the screen. What was not working for this team because you factor in the pick six and they didn't really roll on offense.

In this right.

So for a little background, the Eagles were up sixty to nothing very quickly. A pick six on a drop pass in the rain, not a good throw by Mac Jones and then another quick short field touchdown where they took it over after Ezekiel Elliott fumbled, and after that they had four straight three and outs. They couldn't run the ball. It was all Kenny Gainwell, so that that was a surprise. I think the fantasy owners almost nothing

Like so, do you see an issue with the double coordinator switch switch which I did not really was was it weather. It's like Jalen Hurts had a characteristic fumble at this point. They're kicking field goals, not scoring touchdowns. They have four straight punts at one point. I mean, this is this doesn't look like any box score from last year's Eagles team.

They were very conservative when they got the lead, as if it was like the fourth quarter, like making some runs on third and ten and not going for any points late in the first half.

So I think it was partly the weather.

It was driving rain early about the first quarter, then it led up, and I think it was more about what I believe to be a top five defense playing well for the most part at every level, and five months for Bill Belichick to plan for this game. Romo kept pointing it out, you can scheme for this game. You know this upon all summer long, and I think the Patriots defense is going to be difficult for most offenses dealing.

Were you okay with what.

Gave New England that second life after the Henry failure to convert on the drop they had fourth and two Philly at New England's forty four. They go into shotgun so they could even you know, they could have punted and buried him back there they going shotgun. They passed it incomplete and that opened the door for New England to have one more shot.

Well, I was okay with it as a Patriots fan. Yeah, you got Christian Godales, the first round pickout there, who looks like a real dude. And to answer your question, the way that game was going, I actually thought, Wow, the Patriots have a better chance of stopping him here than I think they do of going ninety yards. I would have felt differently at almost any point last season, but the way this game had been going, it was so disjointed. I thought, Okay, they can maybe get a

He threw the ball fifty four times.

I know there were some hurries and hits and sacks, but he threw the ball fifty four times with two rookie guards starting. For injuries, there's all sorts of injuries on the Patriots offensive line, but they did a good job protecting They could not run the ball whatsoever against Eagles big front. But a little surprise, how little uh pressure they got up there.

Said seventy sacks a year ago when we came in a week ago thinking like the Patriots offensive line, right, it might be an apocalypse, right.

And they got two in this game.

And they totally stuffed for Andre Stevenson and Zeke for the most part on the ground, but passing they did a bad job.

Interesting we shall say, I mean, Philly gets the win, but everything seemed to be just come so easily to that team. Is it gonna be the same way this year? In Week one, it wasn't easy, but they got it done. Let's now move to the best game of the day. We were just warmed up. Let's head across the sidewalk Sofi Stadium.

Dolphins up by two.

The Chargers have a football people their old territory.

They gotta pick uptim again.

He blitzed them. They did not pick up the blitz. I mean it was wide open.

And the cut to vic Fansio, I love it and the bongos are out. You know you made a huge play when your QB throws for four sixty six and Tyree goes over two hundred and we're talking a sack. But that sack was the difference for the Miami Dolphins, who score thirty six to thirty four win over the Chargers in a great back and forth shootout. The door had been left open a missed extra point after the second Tyreek Hill touchdown from to I think I.

Predicted thirty seven thirty four.

Got ub by you.

I won't go back to the preview. I just would like to say, good job, make.

The extra point. I don't know if that's right, but keep those bongos going, bro. But but what a performance, What a great game. But what a performance by Tua and company. And let's welcome in a man who watched this game. I watch it too, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. The great Nick Shook.

Look at him.

Back for another year on the flagship Show Shook. We got the shootout we wanted and it was glorious.

Glorious.

Indeed, as somebody who's tasked with writing the what we learned.

I was gonna ask you, how do you do this?

That would have really this game, that would have sent Mark into a dark place.

I would have got I would have I would have Hubert.

Home and playing to us about it the whole time.

Late in the fourth I'm just sitting there, going what did I learn from this game?

I don't even know.

I think one thing I learned because to a tongue of by Lowa and Justin Herbert are forever linked because of where they were drafted. And I have received so much hate from Dolphins fans over the last three years anytime I praised Justin Herbert, because they always have to make up for their insecurity. Regarding to a tongue of my low, well, guess what, Dolphins fans, you got your answer today. You're no longer insecure. He threw for four

Herbert, you don't need it anymore. You got it today.

This is your super Bowl.

I like this.

You know what it's a it's a this is not this is a battle that was one by two of the war. Well we'll see who wins the war and

Nick, I think were to mean the difference between this and maybe if you think about that Bill's game early last season and some of the great two of performances, there was two was making rows in this game that were because he's special. I mean, the scheme was great, but some of those throws were just outrageous, and that's what you think of when it's Justin Herbert. And it was weird because Justin Herber was just kind of moving the ball down the field and they're running the ball.

But Tua, to me, made throws in this game.

And Tyreek Hill helped him out a lot with those late hands on that game winning touchdown. But his throws were all about him being excellent, not just the scheme.

Last drive alone, he had two great throws a Tyrek Hill the one that you just mentioned. He also had one down the right side where he just dropped it right over the defender and it was a beautiful past. And the funny thing is is I saw somebody tweet Tua is like the master of getting just enough on a throw, like not too much and not too little. I think that there's an argement to be made that he does sometimes leave too little on the ball, but today was not that day.

Today he was putting it.

In all these different places, just putting it right on his guys, operating the offense efficiently. I mean it looked effortless at times, and the pairing with Tyreek is just it's something.

It's marvelous.

It truly is, like I two hundred fifteen yards is nothing to you know, scoff at of course, statistically, but the way it looked was so much more than that. The way Tyreek ran his route and got himself open, the way too would flow with the play action fake and find somebody, whether it was Tyreek or it was River Craycraft or somebody else. He was operating this offense as if he'd been there for a decade and he's healthy,

Yeah.

It's like the polar opposite of that Monday night meltdown from a year ago when these two teams faced each other. I would ask you from a Chargers side, because I didn't love this that it's thirty one to thirty. They're driving down the field. The Chargers and you get that illegal holding on the Dolphins. It puts them right at Miami's doorstep. They're thwarted and come out with a field goal.

Oh, that's the same thing.

It's the same thing.

Yes, I do think it's a different type of offense for him.

I'm sure, sure it's a different play caller, but this is this is the same stuff, Like they couldn't find a way again.

Yeah, but that's Brandon Stealey's defense as much as anything else though.

But that's part of it too with this team, Right, I'm.

Saying, do you think that Herbert's in a better environment to you know, sixteen weeks from now, we forget about this one and just say this is a good news.

I mean in that other world, I'm a millionaire, so you know we can't all you get the best of everything here, but I worry. Yes, thirty four points again nothing just GoF at but my one can with them is something that happened a lot, especially when Austin Eckler was hurt last year. Was when he's out of the ball game, their offense is just not as good. Yeah, And he looked like he got a little dinged in this game. He kind of like hobbled off a little bit.

Conversion could end this game.

Yeah, they didn't go to him and they looked like they didn't know what to do, and they were mixing tempo. Who was noted on the broadcast they were mixing up tempo. Then they went up tempo, going to that third down play as if they were in a catchment a personnel missmatch when you're seven yards away from the end zone and you're forcing yourself to throw and guys don't even they're not on the same page. So I think that there is potential there, but a lot of the same issues are still.

Yeah, but they they were the worst running team in the league last year. They ran for two hundred and thirty four yards. This is very different. They talked all offseason, We're going to be a North South running team. You got Joshua Kelly going for ninety one yards, you got Austin Eckler going for one to seventeen. That's the story. If the defense can make any stops. I mean, they kind of did what they wanted in terms of being a power running team. That's positive, But give Mike McDaniel

There is an asterisk there though, and it is the roller coaster ride that is the J. C. Jackson experience. He had a terrible PI on that play. There's no reason that he should have been right.

That's why for it in that situation, just to make them make a mistake.

He also had an interception where he tried to bring out of the end zone and then they had the ball in their own two yard line.

Couldn't do anything with that takeaway.

But and then he.

Also gave up a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill who just toasted him down the sideline.

Well, very up and down there.

And it should be non that the Dolphins also went straight down the field in the first possession of the game and then had a muff snap, so they were they did whatever they wanted in this game to had a pick as well.

But he was brilliant.

And I don't think maybe sometimes we give Tyreek Kill enough.

Credit, like for how different he is.

This is a Hall of Famer who has been everything the Dolphins have could have asked for and more, quite frankly, and we saw it again in this game. That is interesting, uh, And that Chargers defense has to get better.

We think we might have to. We might have to rewatch this game as their NFL bust game.

I think we might have Oh oh no, who.

But you know who? They were honking up a storm.

I see your little tweet snick whistling and come come with a Week one win.

If you're going to lock up, I.

Wasn't daring lock though, and frankly, strategically bizarre lock.

Well, that's kind of a in this in this Sinnati zoo, sometimes they they're a little flip and that's what happened here.

Oh to one, they joined me in that world.

Let's head down, Yes, let's head to Cleveland, Shookie, your hometown where the Browns made a statement.

Burrow, actually, the last time they had the ball on a fourth down and three wanted to go and was upset when they sent the punt team on. Now they're going at the thirty one. They need the thirty five fourth out and four. Burrow claps his hands.

He watched the ball. He's got the ball.

Hop in the pucket.

They chase him right, they got him, and they took him down.

Wals God got him all the way back inside the twenty yard live.

The Browns hit the ball. That is my defensive Player of the Year pick. Everybody. Miles Garrett chas him down.

It bewildered Joe Burrow for a sack that basically put the kaibosh and any hopes for the Bengals In a twenty fourth three Browns win in Cleveland, Joe Burrow, freshly signed to a deal that made him the highest paid player in NFL history, could not move since the offense that managed just one hundred and forty two yards total and shooky, I mean, listen what.

It died in the world.

One hundred and forty two.

Browns fan, It's been quite a ride the last couple of years. This is a dream start for Cleveland.

Yeah, my longtime best friend went to the game today and has not stopped texting me since he left the game. And just to confirm that the Browns did in fact win this game, because it does not happen in Cleveland in week one.

What's the last time that happened?

When is the last two? At home?

At home?

Two thousand and four, Jeff Garcia led them to a victory over the Baltimore Ravens, who also only scored three points that day.

Fun fact, you have three opening week wins since ninety nine. That's absurd.

Six first downs for the Bengals. I can't believe it.

They went three and out. Let's see.

Eight nine times. I mean, it was just it was an abysmal performance. This is a team that has Joe Burrow and George Chase and t Higgins and Joe Mixon, and they showed life on exactly one possession and gotten field goal range and converted that field goal. Evan McPherson missed his second field goal. The weather was bad, I'll give you that. But the other team put twenty four points on the board. You put three on the board.

Remarkable.

If they could play like this in a weekly basis, I would actually feel really good about their chances to win the division and be a legitimate contender in the conference.

It's only one week, but it.

Was it was between.

Last year and this year.

They've done this to Cincinnati before, and like we kind of talked about this in the previous show, that there's some sort of weird connection between these two teams where Burrow's going to get a game a year where he's absolutely massacred by this defense, but these guys look different. I mean, this has to be one of the wildest stats of the game, t Higgins targeted eight times without

Yeah, that speaks to the transformation, is that guys like Grant Delpit, who was lost in Joe Wood's defense, was arguably their best defender today.

He led the team in tackles.

He was there to clean up multiple receptions, stopping guys short the sticks on third down, all over the field all day. Every defensive back was really like that. No matter where they threw him, they were always right in the hip pocket. I was just completely stunned by how effective they were and consistent they were after how bad they'd been with arguably the same personnel, safe for some

It's crazy getting Jadavian Clowney out of a locker room. What that could do?

Oh, transformative.

Joe Burrow had two point six yards per attempt. That is like, that's that's blamed. That's sub Gabbard zone. That's half of the Gabbard zone.

I do like his comments, though he owned it and sort of said like this is what happens when your guy doesn't see you know, training camp practices or reps or even a single preseason snapped that like, yeah, they had a slow start last year. He's had one of the worst luck for off seasons around by star quarterback. And it happened again, and it showed up again.

Well they also that was really evident when in that game.

It's just that like they look like they were rusty, like they hadn't had a lot of reps together. But for you stat nerds, just to finish that point there, Joe Burrow completion percentage over expected negative thirteen point nine today is worst CPOE performance of his career.

It feels it feels more significant than them steamrolling the Bengals in very similar fashion in primetime halfway through last season. I mean, that did happen, but that did happen, And that's where we started the show wondering, like, Okay, which Week one games are going to totally stick?

Is this just a division thing?

To me, just from the outside, it says probably more about where the Browns could go defensively than it does about the Bengals.

But but it's it's concerning Jamar Chase.

After the game he had made some comments apparently. I'm sure you were tracking it shook about Elves mocking your mascot guy at center.

Mascot guy.

Yeah, yeah, I don't know exactly what it is.

It's a mythical bean.

They paint the elve on the field, you know.

I know that, But I still don't know like what it is and how it relates to the Browns. I've never quite but it's a fair question.

I think I think what Jamara was getting at.

In the locker room, not happy and and owning up to Uh, maybe you shouldn't have said so much about that.

It's frustrating because I called the ass Elves and we just lost as an LS, So I'm pissed on my I'm not I'm pissed on that. And like I said, man, we got missed opportunities. We didn't capitalize on this and we lost.

And that's how we loved m Rough Rough star for Cincinnati. Let's talk about the quarterbacks real quick? Did Burrow real quick? Did Burrow look healthy to you? Was he moving well?

Okay?

And then finally just looked like he was harassed?

All with that we should mention since our last show he signed a contract that makes him the richest play it did in the league.

Oh you did, you did? Did?

And then Deshaun Watson, Gregg should mention it after you. Yes, Deshaun Watson. Obviously he was not the deciding factor in this game. What did you see from him? In the sloppy conditions?

Early pressure made him very skittish and it took him a while to settle in. He missed a lot of throws, something that had to do with whether it was similar to what Burrow was doing, which is a lot of these passes just died just right into the ground. Both him and Watson were doing that. Some of them were just bad throws. But he did put it together on

Maybe he won't have to do it all alone on this team. The way it looked in Week one, shooky, you are flying high. I could tell you got a little skip in your step. Enjoy your Sunday night. And we'll see you again next week.

I'll skip on out of here, guys.

See, yeah, there you go.

All right, let's take a break and then we will continue onward Week one the flagship program.

All right, welcome back.

It's time now for the Sunday Drive presented by the first ever Toyota Grand Highlander.

Hit it.

Fields takes the SNAM, scans the secondary with time now, fires it up in the middle, cutting what breaks it?

Tackle spins to a.

Slap wat fifty oh.

Touchdown.

Had an opening day dagger.

Oh big funk behind the glass. He's a Packers fan, right he had his arm up and finger outstretch like name it that the Orange Bowl six watching you know listen. We were told then that was of course Wayne Larravie WRNW. We were told, is this the bearst time to take over the NFC North?

Not so fast.

The Packers began life without Aaron Rodgers with an easy twenty eight to twenty win and Soldier Field. It was not as close as that final score seems to indicate. Mark Jordan Love gets a victory in this first Week one start, and the Green Bay defense didn't seemed to be phased by Justin Fields and his new collection of weapons.

They were not phased by Chicago's offensive line, that is for sure, and I'll get to that in a second. But before that pick six happened, which obviously the game fully out of hand at that point. You know, we went into this thing wondering, well, maybe post Aaron Rodgers of Aaron, if Love is just middle of the road, then a team like Chicago, who was getting a lot of positive buzz for months, might be ready to make a leap and become an eight to nine win team.

Last year.

Their offensive line put Justin Fields in peril over and over, and this is a good defense. This is the best you're gonna face. They went and spent a lot of resources on their offensive line, draft picks, added some guys, and it just didn't look like it nightmare it was,

We talked about it on Thursday, what an opportunity this was as a clean the slate, new era in the NFC North, new era for the Bears. And again what we said at the top of the show, it's just one week.

But when Justin Fields and what's supposed to be a superstar year after you gave up chance to have the number one overall pick, can't get protected and it still looks like the same old Bears blocking. And then you, after years of Aaron Rodgers bullying you, you let Jordan Love come into your building and throw three touchdowns. It's just not a good look, Greg.

And it's one week, but you're gonna have to win in lambeau Field later in the season or you got swept by your division rivals. Like these division games in Week one mean a little more to me, and this one especially, I just wonder, like, what is your identity if if if you're the Bears, because if you're the Packers, you think man Watson didn't even suit up for this game, Bachtiari did. I want to apologize to to our listeners for just making it sound like David Bochderry's not gonna

I mean he had he looks like who hold the phone?

He had practice in like three weeks and he was and he he made the Alan Iverson joke after after the game He's like practice, Like I don't need practice, and.

He takes veteran weeks.

Right, He's out there and they got three QB hits on him. Where on the other side, the Packers have to feel good. Lucas VanNess makes it play DeVante why it makes a play some of their young guys. It's like this is a very good organizational type of win for Lafleur.

I'm sure this was.

Very Yeah, they kept like kind of flashing up to Bears management and you could just sort of see like, well, the rebuild is just this is a legit rebuild. You were the worst team in the league last year. I thought that, you know, DJ Morris, like, is DJ mortganage, Like help Fields make a jump and a leap, and it's like they've got to find a way to get him involved. Earlier, he didn't even get a target until like their third.

Or fourth try it twice the entire game, right, So.

But I will say one thing on this. On one drive he had two catches, and that is when I thought, maybe the Bears can turn this around because DJ Moore is the kind of wide receiver that Bears fans, automatics, physical, they just like you could tell they loved him. But then he vanished totally gone.

He was targeted twice in one drive. Yeah, never again before or aft.

I mean, but also that speaks to it speaks to the total chaos that Fields was dealing with. And it was like he had a bad fumble one point, just like Fields is not gonna survive, or I guess he won't. It's gonna be tough to grow if this is what he's dealing with.

It's a bad combo too, because he holds onto the ball a lot and he takes a little while sometimes to make his decisions, so that combination with a bad offensive line just kind of compounds it.

Yeah, and as bad as the start was for the Bears, like we're saying perfect, I mean in a very sensitive time for the Packers as an organization, Aaron Rodgers about to take the field for the Jets on Monday Night football.

Now you can go watch that game and be like, oh, Aaron whatever, and how about we're moving forward?

And you know it's like, oh, Matt lafora only winning games because Aaron Rodgers was there, Like this was a great job by him, preparing everyone to get to this place.

Ta, we can do it without Aaron. That's what they're saying now. And that was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota. Let's go places learn more at toyota dot com. Slash Grand Highlander. All right, let's keep on moving.

First town was.

Essentially in this game block is only have one time outlet Hooper, the tight end goes to the right motion.

Here come the Broncos with pressure. Hey pick it up.

Garoppolo, still with time in the pocket, escapes out to the thirty five.

Get to the thirty hen he gets out of attack of.

The twenty five ye.

Jason Bomba the first down, he polo with his legs about to seal this game for the Raiders here in Denver with an eight yard scramble.

Oo Jason Harrowinz missed the note on that shared Uh, well, I ain't.

I'm just watching the monitor there.

And Jimmy Garoppolo was Swagger incarnate when he.

Got up from that. That was awesome.

And you hear it all the time about Jimmy G.

Maybe not the most talented quarterbacks, certainly not the most durable passer, but his teammates love him. He's a he's

So I thought this was an interesting game.

Wasn't the uh, maybe the most exciting game, but it was a It was two teams that are to me felt very evenly matched, and you saw it.

It went right down to the end with the Raiders taking it.

Well, and it was there was the first kind of there were a lot of injuries today but in around the league, but out of the gate. It was like the first time our newsroom had sort of a collective sigh. Was that you saw Jimmy g you know, on the ground with what looked like maybe a head injury, but then he comes back in and it seemed to completely change things. It's like I have been as down on the Raiders as possible. I don't think the Broncos are a Super Bowl contender here, so, uh, you know, you

I thought he was pretty good.

I don't think he he didn't look like maybe the playmaker of yesteryear during his Seattle heyday. But certainly Cleaner moved well, I thought, in and around the pocket. Threw two touchdown passes through good balls to Myers on the on the scores, there were other plays that kind of got bogged down.

There's a lot of dinking and dunking.

You know, average five point two yards per attempt, so you're gonna pop it in there and you're gonna say, all right, he's he had a he had a very fortunate to have a a fumble early in the third quarter overturned on penalty. But overall, did you know, a better job protecting the football, which is something that was a major issue for him last year. Only took two sacks in this game. That was an improvement. So yeah, it looks like he's better coached. He looks physically better,

Because I don't see the guy jumping out at us.

Well, they're leading receivers running back in the tight end.

Right with samaj p Ryan was a leading receiver in Adam Troutman, who Sean Payton brought over from New Orleans is like a backup level tight end. It's worrisome. Jerry Judy didn't play in this game, and I heard a lot of positive Yeah. I was curious of how Russell Wilson looked because they ended that second quarter well and everyone's like, wow, that was almost a perfect half by

And it is one of those games.

Though when you look at the stats, there was only six drives by the Broncos. There might not be a team all season that has let that's about the minimum you can possibly have. So it's just like one of those long, slow drive type of games where neither team really has the ball much.

Yeah, And I think maybe the difference for this game with Wilson was. It was kind of similar to the stilted offense of last year with Hackett, but without the turnovers and all those backbreaking mistakes that he was making.

Difference, it's progress.

I think if you're a Broncos than he's like, all right, it looked a little better, but now we got to get We gotta get Jerry Judy on the field. We got to get Courtland Sutton more involved, adult Chit's there, tight end. He goes out with an injury. He's an important player for them as well, so you take him out of the mix. I don't know if it's a serious injury. We'll know more by tomorrow, you know, but there you go for the Raiders.

I did like Sean Payton right out of the gate back in the league, goes for the on sides kick on the opening kick, and it seemed like they maybe got it, and then they reversed in that sort of deflating.

Bringing back memories the Super Bowl with the Saints when they that is so showing.

Peyton by the way, totally. I love it.

It's it's a move that screams like, you know, I'm pretty gutsy guy.

I take chances. Hey, look at me. That's part of it as well.

Also a little bit like I've been saying, like a guy playing the greatest hits at the end of it, a.

Little bit that it's like, hey, look at me. Remember when I did that. I'm doing it again because I'm back. It was a little bit about and it came with then a hair of being recovered to which would have been badass, but it wasn't.

So le Bronco's close. But no, Cigar Raiders get the winning.

Good job because you got Buffalo next week and the Steelers the week after that, so that's a big w to get.

Let's keep Apparently the Steelers are an object of nothing at this point, though.

Well this week they were. Don't you never know? Mark hanging there.

I'm already slightly peaked by the season.

You haven't watched that game yet, have you. It's gonna be even crazier when you watch it. Was it was that bad. Let's move on to another game that didn't make any sense based on what we perceived football to be ahead of Sunday.

Let's head to Seattle, goorth And.

Going from inside the Larne Acres, the single back stafford under center brings two two in motion.

It's a toss left to Acres pill go oh, that was easy touch.

On fourth of goal from the one Acres to Peters and the Rams have a double digit lead.

No, they talk about all Los Angeles. It's just a big sprawl of the city. That's JB. Long.

Guess what Me and JB go to the same barber, small town life in the big city.

A great friend and neighbor of the Wesselings and a friend of our show.

How about that? I guess it is a community point made Rams Radio.

JB.

Long, Mayberry by the sea.

There it is.

Matthew Stafford threw for three hundred and thirty four yards without Cooper cup Cam Acres jogged into the end zone one of three touchdown runs and them stunned the Seahawks thirty to thirteen in Seattle.

The Pacific Northwest. In shock, Mark, you're in shock. You fucked them up?

I am again. I said, there's already a couple of things that are thorns in the side. I like a good comeback story.

Same.

SI's Matt Stafford fifty eight three hundred yard passing game in his career. I like that because it's like a Matt Stafford. Hey, I'm not dead. I'm not dead yet. I won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. Oh, Cooper, Cut's not playing. We're gonna win three games. Look what you just did. Nice job by Attie, Stafford and Coump.

I mean not just I'm not dead. Maybe I'm the best quarterback in the league this week. I don't know if I saw a quarterback play any better. I know, fantasy wise, you didn't get a touchdown out of it. That's unfortunately. You got three short rushing touchdowns too, out of Kyra and Williams. It might be a nice little fantasy pickup for you. But Stafford took these young receivers, Puka Nakua. We've been talking them up in this offseason. Ten for one to nineteen Are you kidding me? A

He looked trim.

There was a great run that he made that was very crucial, and I came out of this game just thinking, my god, Matthew Stafford, for as long as he stays upright, and maybe maybe it's just facing a Seahawks pass rush that was non existent, as long as he stays upright, he's gonna ball.

That was really impressive.

I became concerned about the lock part of this, which is a minor story to most every human except myself, but early on because.

I like, for you, it's the overriding storyline of the.

Entire no But it's like you're watching these things. It's more like, when do you start to feel like maybe you didn't have all the information on the way that Sean McVay felt about his own roster, at least on offense, for sure. But Jordan rod Reeg wrote that that opening sixteen play scoring drives sixteen plays seventy five yards, ate up a lot of time, was about as physical, she

Gino three for one hundred and twelve yards in this game on twenty six attempts. All we talked about through the summer I heard about Greg Gain the summer was this is a team, the Rams, that had no names other than Aaron Donald that you really could bank on. And yet they go up there and Ginos the comeback player of the year last year, they shut down this passing game.

I know DK metcalf. I think he was three for forty second forty seven and a touch in the second quarter that's where he ended. Yes, he just shut the whole thing down it seems.

I mean, the stats in the second half are preposterous. It was two hundred and fifty seven yards to three until Pete Carroll, who knows people are box score checking, went for a nine yard run with six seconds to go, you know, risking his running back getting hurt. So it ended up two fifty seven to twelve. That is out praidous.

I am looking at the second half drive chart for Seattle. Five drives, two total yards. I mean, it's from a Rams team that got looked like they were gonna get run over, Like what does this say about Seattle's defense?

Though?

Wait, and the weird thing was that I think the Rams are gonna be so proud that they ran the ball forty times because they actually didn't run it very well per carry. I mean, Akers went twenty two for twenty nine, which is preposterous.

Whoa.

But they just kept sticking at it.

And I think it was what Jordan Rodrieg was talking about in terms of being physical. But you can only do that if you've got a freaking magician at quarterback, playing lights out and saving you in a lot of third down situations.

And that's what Stafford did.

Man the Rams, if this is a sign of things to come, are going to make a lot of people look stupid.

Well almost everyone.

Well, this is and I mentioned it historically a matchup that McVeigh has dominated, and even last year where the teams were so far apart, they were decided by one or two plays, and so I think it was a couple of different things coming together. But if I'm the Seahawks, I'm very concerned about those tackles, and I'm very concerned my defense had no pass rush.

That's the thing.

If you give Matt Stafford time, he can cut you up, and they they just had nothing going on getting after him. So maybe it's the old line for the Rams do getting better.

Here's the other thing before we move on. I always liked your theory. Greg there. What's your number you put out?

There's five or six or seven NFL head coaches who matter will make a difference. Rams have one of them.

Mm hmm.

Maybe we shouldn't count him out. Let's see what happens. It's just one week. Let's take a break. Actually, should we take a break? What should we keep going? Probably sneaking another one in? All right, sneaking another one in. We're flying. Blew through? He blew through?

Uh one of those games pretty quickly. I think it was the Raiders game.

Now we're gonna hear from them. There you move.

What other podcast has been talking up your good defense for a month?

You came through, Raiders?

Raiders enjoy a moment. Get off our ace.

First down at the twenty six yard line of the Colts. The clock is it four fifteen?

R'SVTN tries the mountain outside, He's got a little bit of row, twenty fifteen yard line.

The ice touchdown they have extendedly, How good.

Is that twenty six yard touchdown run?

Holy mackerel.

Frank Franjie with the call, he does the games with Jeff Logoman. Nice nice little pass rusher for the Jets back in ninety two.

Otherwise dark days w okv stmber working Remember Logoman?

Yeah, absolutely sure.

Travis DTN's twenty six yard touchdown run with four oh eight to play. That was the clincher for the Jags, who overcame a costly gaff gaffe from Tank Bigsby and a thirty one to twenty one win over the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mark We'll get to Anthony Richardson's debut in a bit. Let's start with what you saw from the defending South Champs.

A weird game like not certainly not the heights that we witnessed, the flawless Trevor Lawrence performances down the stretch last year. Took him a while to get going. They weren't really running the ball very well early on. They were struggling on third down at the Colts. I didn't expect this from the Colts, but they they really like

The gaff I was, I'm gonna spread a sandwich on Buckner. Not defensive player of the week.

I like TJ watch chances.

He's just fine.

He's on the Colts and he gave they gave up thirty one points. It's not five. They're just weird.

I don't.

I just say, for your own enjoyment, go watch him. Just it was a dominant performance and like from a team that most people rode off, but the Lawrence made some throws down the stretch, and the biggest story for

Don't say rain maker with Calvin Ridley though, that that is something.

Well, that's that's actually very fair. Please, But you're right, I.

Was trying to make that was a tricky one. That was a tricky one.

But he looked great.

Anthony Richardson, he exited the game in the final minute is not ideal. It looked like he was standing on the sideline. That not anything too serious. What did you see from him?

Overall? I thought he's pretty good box score, Yeah, you know what.

I thought that, like for all the concept that he's gonna no matter what, it's gonna take him so long to kind of comfortable and the accuracy issues. Well coached today, but like made some throws show that he could kind of hit people all over the field, had a pretty a couple of great runs. He had a touchdown run. There was a one on one where he just blew up the middle of the team like on an RPO, just run for twelve yards, Like he's gonna be doing

Wow, yeah they were winning. What halfway through the fourth quarter.

They just looked they looked like they could steal us. They did last shit.

I thought Stichen was a little sleep of the switch too. They had a seventeen play drive late in the fourth quarter. They're down ten, they get stopped, they're in the they're in field goal range. You can get it to seven and then kick it away and then maybe get a stop and have a chance to tie. They went for the seven, didn't get it and it was over.

Yeah, they're just they're just thin. And they had sixteen non Athena Richardson carries on the day for twenty five yards. And the whole idea is Stikeen. I think eventually is going to bring a good running game and Richardson will be a force multiplier. But for now that's rough. Although they did.

Get your boy Jake Funk into an NFL game here Alec Pierce.

Their second receiver also got hurt, and they're also they're a little thin at receiver to beginning.

Yeah, Jake Funk, Jake, Jake fuck, Jake Funk, Jake forget about Jake Funk.

Five yards per carry, got.

Big Funk behind the glass, Randy Shop anything else, Mark, No.

I'd say go watch it for yourselves. And what was the injury to Richardson exactly near the end of the game that I don't know, Like they didn't they weren't clear about that. He was like he walked, he he left the field, alright, It wasn't like.

He was ostensibly the games on the line and it's still in the bounce and he's not on the field.

It's hard to me. I think they're playing it safe with him. But we'll wait and see.

What's one of those little wins too, where it's like they were trailing here. It's like at the end of the season when they're going to be hoping to win this division and battling for seeds.

It's like he's put it in your pocket. Put in your pocket, pocket, pocket, win pocket.

That wasn't an escape, but they just took him.

While the heat up to Baltimore, we go.

Beckham to the left, Flowers to the right. Now Flowers goes in most of the left Jackson inside handoff, Justice Hill spins.

In for six touchdown raven.

That works too, same speed week look taking a Toza, giving the ball back into a counter, coming back across the field, finding their rhythm.

No in the second half for this offense, and.

After the defense stops the Texans on a fourth and one, the offense.

Cash is in MM Jerry Sandusky with Rod Woodson on the call w B A L. Justice Hill scored twice in the second half after JK. Dobbins exited with an achilles injury. More on that in a second. The Ravens pull away twenty five to nine win over the Texans. Baltimore had just two hundred and sixty five total yards.

In this game.

Lamar turned them all over twice, but the defense did the job against CJ. Stroud in his NFL debut. Greg the Ravens Bank will win start the year, but at a serious cost.

Yeah, we have unfortunately lost JK. Dobbins here for the season. It's a torn achilles according to our guy, Ian Rapport, I mean rappaport, and this is one of those injuries that you know right away had that thing before they came out of halftime, and you know the injury was late in the second quarter. I'm just thinking, man, what a deflating way to like come out of the locker room if you're John Harbaugh, who probably at least had

Here's a harball on Dobbins, who you may recall was trying to get a contract ahead of this year and now kind of a devastating personal setback.

JK has a torn killing unfortunately, so that's going to end his season. That's just feel bad for him. It's not the way we expected just to go, and he's worked really hard. But Jk's a strong minded individual. He's got a big heart, very large spirit, and he's going to bounce back from this as well.

I mean so torn Achilles also leaves and questioned what he'd even look like when he returns, you know, a year from now. If it's then like you've lost your best running back, wait and see on two fifths of your offensive line. We already talked about how how like shallow this cornerback group was, so to lose your safety behind them, it's like we're three or four hours into their season and they're in tatters.

Yeah, I think they survived training camp for once without major injuries, and they'll come out of this hoping that Dobbins is the only one that's really long term. But that's that's what we'll have to wait till to Monday to find out. He could be multiple weak injuries. The the positive is some of the things they talked about all off season in the room to me, bore fruit,

I do think Monkin's got to work on his uh when they because he's up in the booth. He's not a sideline guy like they cut up to him. And I know things were a little shaky out of the gate, but every time they showed Monk and he looked kind of frazzled and nervous as he get just gotta work on, like I got this under control. He just struck me that way because.

They were a little frazzled offensively, Like this game, the score and everything it was it wasn't that competitive, but they only had two hundred and sixty five yards of offense. Lamar was kind of sloppy. I mean he had an interception, he had had two fumbles. Uh, it wasn't like the cleanest offensive performance, but their defense was too good.

What did you see from Stroud in his debut?

I actually saw a lot of good I think he made five or six throws in this game that just made you excited if you're a Texans fan. Their offensive line, though, was a total mess and didn't give him a chance for much of the game, Like there was a lot of pressure on him. I think if you're a Ravens fan, David Ajabo where they're hoping can make some impacts, stepped up a dafe Oway, Like their pass rush really got

All right.

And by the way, Odell Beckham back in the league.

Did he look like Godell two catches.

Yes, he didn't have a catch until late in the third quarter, but he did have two nice catches and drew two pass interferences. Bateman had a couple plays. It was like they did enough where it's like, okay, you see the beginnings of it.

All right.

So we'll head from Baltimore to Minnesota, where the Vikings set an NFL record going eleven to zero in one score games. Weller alert another one score games or their twenty three season with a different outcome.

Both of heirs line up in a shotgun formation.

Third down ten to two minutes left, are snapped good bell.

High tho farce and it's clock Bawl. Is it in bounds? It is bounds that Godwin has a huge catch plump. Third down to ten. It's a diving catch on the far sideline. Cane this game.

Now, this is a ten yard speed out.

The defender has his back to the sideline and Godwin makes a fingertip catch just beyond the first down marker, and we should be able to run it out from here.

J Duckerhoff with the call wwus Baker to Godwin, you didn't hear that a lot in this game, but when it mattered most, the two connected on the strike that iced a twenty seventeen win for the over the Vikings. So yeah, and it would be very very on brand for this particular Starcross franchise, the Vikings to go winless in one score games this year, putting him out there, just putting it out there. It's let's start with the Bucks. It's a lot to get to with the Vikings in this game, my god.

But let me start with Baker, who looked utterly lost with the rest of the offense early in this game. But it all kind of changed on their last possession before halftime, Like the Vikings kept leaving the door open with dumb turnovers and not taking full advantage of opportunities.

So there was this feeling that a game that the Vikings were totally in control of. Well it wasn't.

So it was only ten to three when Baker takes over and goes right down the field sixty one yards in ninety seconds and hits Mike Evans in stride for a touchdown pass gets the game tied at half. Then he comes right out after the half and then Baker, And this is the thing we know about Baker. Baker is a very inconsistent quarterback who's prone to long lapses

But sometimes that's such a Todd Bowles decision.

Sometimes though, like I say that, and it is very Todd Bowls and I felt like they should have gone for it, but man kickers hit fifty seven years now, it's in the dome and the perfect conditions, and he hit it, and then they made it stand up. After the Vikings go three and out on offense, Bryan Flores's defense needs to get a stop to get the ball

I saw Mayfield also convert with his legs on a very Baker mayfieldish run. Yes, I got this start. I think he's obviously just fuels off of emotion and self emotion, what's going on around him, and probably all the doubts of people that just sort of rode him off entirely. I don't think any of this happens without these Vikings turnovers though.

Yeah, they had three turnovers on the first half alone. They had an off sides on defense on fourth and less than five that took a three point field goal off the board and led to the touchdown in the third quarter by Tampa Bay that you know, look at the final score. That was painful, and uh, it was just it's that thing and you look at the you look at this.

Is the thing about the Vikings. Oh my god, they'll just drive you crazy.

Kirk Cousins thirty three of forty four, three hundred and forty four yards, averaging nearly eight yards in attempt, two touchdowns, a pick passer rating over one hundred. That's always a good past it's always a good box score. But then the game, you watch the game and it just it doesn't all come together. And the first the game plan in terms of a running game without Dalvin Cook was very stilted. They averaged less than two and a half

Was technically the biggest upset of the week because I think that the end closing line that was bigger in this game than it was even for the Lions or for the Rams, which which were both big upsets too.

And also if you're like we're coming off we're coming off a week okay, where like the Lions, uh, everyone feels great about the Lions, you got to feel good about the Packers and the Vikings, Yeah, won the division last year. It's like this is about as big of a letdown in Week one as you could have imagined for them.

Yeah.

They when they got the touchdown to tie it up at seventeen, they have two more possessions after that, U three and out game three yards and punt three and out game three yards.

Wow.

And and I'm not gonna put it on floor, are the d But then they couldn't get the ball back in those last four minutes of game time, so it was just kind of the whole team did not have an ability to seize the moment. So while this doesn't make me feel necessarily bullish about the Bucks, it does plant a seed of doubt about the Vikings and everything that went well last year. What if things what they

I don't think claybon should like maybe maybe just like like all of us, stay quiet on one of the few offseason narratives that we all sort of hit on. The Vikings are regression?

Are you telling the imaginary Claybond.

No, I'm just saying, if he's listening to this, I think there's a little more of mathematical like a.

Lot of Clay don't want to put Pat in a situation where you can't answer to these comments. However, Yeah, the Vikings won a lot of games like this last year, and this one they didn't. And I think that building's empening out in Minnesota today and they're like, wait.

How did we lose that game? And last year every time there was a game like this is like, wow, how do we win that? They did well? One more weird note. This is courtesy of next Gen stats.

For Sean White of the Bucks recorded a negative thirty eight rushing yards over expectation in this game.

It's hard to do under expectation, I guess would be the way to do it, but I know that's how they say it.

That's that's a tough spot.

I don't know even how that works. That's beyond me, but that seems like something would be hard to do from that angle.

It's an achievement minus thirty eight.

Did he just trip and fall a couple of times?

I'm not sure that one's you know what, I'm Gonnaggie, I'm.

Gonna put you on that one. I finished seventeen for thirty nine.

I gotta say, when I watched this game, and I'm curious, second, I thought maybe this would be a good NFL plus. Next day watch because because it was so weird. But when I watched this one on game pass and NFL BUS, I will keep an eye on how he lost thirty seven yards, thank you under expectation.

And then we could reconnect ahead of.

So that's like, that's a lot.

There's a lot. There's lots of break.

Maybe they put the wrong person on that grade.

Let's take a break and we will finish out the games. All right, Let's add to the Bayou. What's it to lane? That's you? How about the green wave they won this weekend?

Joy get wide open.

That is gonna be a touchdown too for sheet shut.

Great name.

Speaking of great names, little Jordan Humphrey scored a touchdown today in Denver.

Friend of the Show, Yeah yes, kind Mike Keith with the call w g f X.

Derek Carr in his Saints debut, passed for three hundred and five yards and a touchdown and a forty one yard passed to that man Rashid shahed on thirty six in the final minutes, helped the Saints run out the clock in a sixteen to fifteen win over the Titans.

Who's on this one? I was Reggie.

We just talked about a Vikings team and fan base that are sick about losing this game. I saw some angry Titans fans maybe Grave Digger in my feed and others.

How do we not find a way against the Saints in this one?

This was there were some questionable calls and we can get to that. But the Titans fans should stop crying because sometimes the game is won by who has the guts. You know, who's the bold team. And after getting beaten down in the first half, Derek Carr took four sacks and eight QB hits in the first half alone.

This is out rated.

Wow, he came back strong in the fourth quarter and I want to compare him to what Mike Crabel did late in this game. They had a second in fourteen. They're leading by a point. There, Derek Carr's first game of the Saints. The Titans are running short on timeouts. You think that the Saints would run the ball. Then no, they have faith in Derek Carr. They throw it on second and fourteen, eight yards to Michael Thomas. Okay, then it's third and medium. You think maybe they'll run, maybe

They dial it up forty one yards down the field.

To Rashid Shaheed with the one point lead and they get it done. And comparing that to Mike Rabel who had one of the most cowardly field goals I've ever seen, oh No, on the eleven yard line with two and a half minutes to go. To me, that was different. The Titans played not to lose, the Saints played to win.

And the Saints defense, to their credit, did not allow touchdown, picked off Ryan Tannehill three times, sacked him three times, stop.

Tennessee on ten of twelve third down plays. Speaking of Grave Digger, our former producer shout out to Justin he said he thought it was Tannehill's worst game ever.

Is a title.

I mean, Hill has been underrated as a Titans quarterback from wire to wire, and I've always thought that, like he was more fun to watch in my type of passer than others out there. But when I see the three picks and eleven passes defense, was it Tannehill? Just like is he is he at the end? Or does he? Is he working with a cast of receivers who aren't getting open for him?

I mean, on some level, two the receivers maybe weren't that open and he definitely forced him in there to DeAndre Hopkins almost felt like desperate.

But it was a nightmare game. If any if either.

Of those guys behind him, Willis or Levis played well in the preseason, it was such a bad game, you'd already be here and talk about it. Because he had the three picks, there were two more that were dropped, and then there were two more plays that they dialed up. One was kind of a flea flicker type of play where they passed it back to Tannehill and it was

Oh still wild and.

So maybe, but what was I gotta say is like maybe it was just like.

My quarterback stakes right now, zero confidence that they're gonna write.

So I'm gonna kick through the wars together.

And you got gotten to that Hopkins on your team now one of the great red zone receivers in the last fifteen years.

And to be fair to Tannehill, you had two fairly long drives in the fourth quarter, both of them ended in field goals, but he got them down there with with some nice throws. He just kept throwing it into tight windows and it was tough to watch, Like, I.

Don't come out of this like whatever, I want to examine this deeply, but like the Derek Carr experience, I I've just been insane. I think it's gonna be frustrating for Saints fans when they go through it from week to week. And like I don't know, I don't this was dealing with here, Like yeah, but.

This was kind of it though, Like he he was disappointing the first half and there was a play he made in the fourth quarter where a titan almost took his life. He hit him so hard and Carr put it right on the money, okay, and then in money time he puts it to Shahid. So after such a brutal first half where where I kind of was having similar comments Mark and we were talking about it lot on Twitter.

Yeah, he was frustrating me.

He struggled, But the fact that he kind of bounced back from that and played well at the end, you got to give it up to him. Chris Alavi eight for one twelve two. By the way, offensive player of the Year candidacy is alive.

Uh So your point about the brutality, car said, that was one of the more physical games I've played in my ten years. We showed that we could win the ultimate physical type of game. Well, we'll see about that.

Right, His offensive line needs to have it not be so physical as left tackle Trevor Penny got worked by Ard and Key.

Titan's just got to be better on offense. Henry didn't break the big one. And you know, obviously tenne Hill's got to play better. And how did Hopkins look?

Did he make any plays where he looked like old new Cockins Hopkins or is he tough?

Some tough contested catches but not a lot of separation there at thirteen targets, seven catches sixty five years. They just don't have a lot of other players on this team. Trailing Burk's two for eighteen.

All right, let's head to Atlanta, a town you got out.

Chier and Smith and an I you got too, Pitts and Smith.

Here's the gift, Algier A little pawky, but Tyler will score the left side, goes Tyler out cheer and he bangs home his second touchdown.

Of the day. Bang it home. I like that, Bang at home?

They Smith.

The Smith looks like he's going down the conference table after a FedEx quarterly meeting.

He looks for three billion for the week. Now West Nham with the call w ZGC yip Tyler Algier suppose it afterthought after the arrival of Beejean Robinson but not so outtouched the rookie phenom scored twice was the goal line guy? What you know what?

I am convinced that Arthur Smith is a terrorist. At least it's a fantasy realm.

Like he's got two good running backs and they'll both get used.

Okay, but I got like eighty three yards.

Falcons over Panthers in a game that a take care of business game.

Yeah, I see you burying this down at the very back end of the lineup. That's cool.

Is this a was this a game that deserved higher placement?

Enjoyed it? Reg enjoyed it? I know for certain reasons, I would say this, after all the buzz A very slow start for the Falcons. I can I think you're You're right, he's going to continue, Arthur Smith to annoy people because it's like, how long does it take to get Kyle Pitts into the game? Why are we not giving Jon Robinson the break catches? You did not? But I think part of this problem I've not seen a

Uh.

Then he threw a pass to Bjon Robinson who was stopped for six negative six yards. Then he got twelve yards on the two. It just went on and onward. Was like they couldn't get uncorked. But I will say, Tyler Joe.

As they count that mark in the box score, it is yeah, yeah, one catch.

For for a while it was like he was one for one for negative six yards. It was like, I love this, this is cool. Although I don't love it for like what it means. Ritter was not a disaster, but there's a lot they need to uncork, like Pitts in London and have that be part of their game. I think the thing that I saw though, if you want to like project this out, you do have two running backs Tyler Aljeler Algier on a second big run in a row. Guy, Well, he's my guy, but you.

Know Algae Algae here he is officially your guy.

Yeah, he like I could see it in his eyes a little bit that he's sort of just been written off as like now you're Bijon like this, this guy who was the best rookie runner a year ago is just simply an afterthought like they used in him both Bijon Robinson. Though it's he's gonna have bigger box scores than this. It's the running, Like he had a couple of runs where you're just like, oh, absolutely he's the guy.

Well, the Falcons only had two hundred and twenty one yards of offense at one point. I remember, uh, you know, the Panthers were out getting him like two twenty to eighty. But Bijon just a slow start that stops start on the touchdown. Just chef's kiss. I mean, that's all you need to see. That's special.

Good That was.

You know what else is good?

By the way, Well, while we have a little break in the action, I locked up this Falcons team over here on Falcons corner.

Damn, we gotta should have joined me to.

Do something if you wanted out start to the season.

For the could you create a more annoyance start to the season.

Then then I hit, I hit my lock and everyone else goes, oh.

And what no, we could like to answer your question, he could not create a more annoying So you definitely as annoying as possible right now, thank you.

But credit to you got an early lead, early lead.

Very early, very early.

But that's that's taking uh, you know, taking out your lollipop just yet for a lick.

You know, it's just when, it's when, it's when you when you won it last year, and then everyone goes just say it.

It's oh, it's it's rare to have a.

Week like we want to talk about Bryce Young or more about Greg I just had to get okay, what did you see from Bryce? I was up and down. He had Jesse Bates, who was looks like he's going to be an incredible offseason addition for the Falcons, picked him off twice. The first one, I just he just didn't see Jesse, he just didn't see the field. And the second one was as bad and like he nearly

Hey, hated Hurst, come back to me.

You have a very celebrated young man as your quarterback, a high profile rookie. You catch his first touchdown pass and you fire the ball into the second level.

It was not the right thing to do.

They got it back.

They got it back there.

Yeah, But I mean he created that eight people probably to go do all that to get the ball back, you know, and a fans annoyed anything else on this one.

Mark.

I mean, I think we can Brian Burns was awesome.

I just think I think they don't have to say, but I think the job about it.

The Falcons, Like, I get it, they didn't go blow their doors off, but I just think it's weak. It was a very weak one scenario.

This is a Falcons type of game.

I mean, even if, even if this season goes exactly as we hope, there's gonna be a lot of games like this.

Yeah, all right, So you got your little gimme against the Panthers Packers next week.

I like that, God one.

That's a test with the potential team of around the NFL waiting in week three. Wow, so a lot a lot to be settled. Let's head to landover twelve.

Minutes to go, third and goal at the seven. Three wide receivers to the right, to the right, one to the left. Antonio gives it, flares out to the right. Cardinals break four. Hell's got a good pocket, steps up and now he's get out.

The rood board at the fire, comes back to your door.

Push on touch down Washington seven yard stamper.

A little bit of redemption for Sam.

Has been a rough game for him.

You'll love to see the young quarterback be able to put some points up on the board.

Sam Howell let's Bram Weinstein and Julie Donaldson on Wbig Scrambles and the Washington Commander is avert a disaster in Week one, Let's call like it is where the tanking Cardinals ahead in the fourth quarter before that Hal Scramble, allowing them to get out of town with a twenty to sixteen win over the Cardinals. Greg, what did you see from how you are high on these commanders? Was your faith shaking it all by their performance in week one despite getting the dub.

Yeah, a little bit.

Howell was such a roller coaster that I was just thinking this will be fun, but a little worrisome that it was this much of a roller coaster even against the Cardinals.

I mean he had to find the roller coaster. Yeah, Like what makes it?

He had a bad pick, He had a very Baker mayfield in fumble. It was a lot actually a lot of it was Baker mayfielding. I don't know, that's not a word, the good and the bad. Like he was just trying stuff, like after he made the bad fumble though though he had some darts that he almost shouldn't have, tried to get some points late in the first half, and then you see him with the rushing touchdown that ultimately gets him to win.

So it was just like it was it was a lot. That was what I would say. It was my Sam Howell experience, but I think he'll be a fun watch that he didn't. He didn't dissuade me from that.

So it wasn't like you weren't spooked by it. It was more just like, oh, this is gonna be a roller coaster.

Yes, I mean, maybe the Cardinals defense will be better than expected. I did not expect them to be winning sixteen to ten, you know, in the fourth quarter of this game and really limiting. But credit to Washington's defense played quite well. They were putting bad spots throughout the game. There was a sequence when the Cardinals had the ball up sixteen ten where it was like negative one run, saw Dobbs then sacked for four and then Montes Sweat forced to fumble with a sack and that led to

This was one of those games where, like I heard someone talk about the fact they were in a survivor pool with like three hundred and eighty people and like eighty or one hundred and twenty of them had picked Washington. It's like, you would just love to see that thing get torched down. I kind of found myself like rooting for Arizona. Just say f you to everyone. You've been telling us all off season that we stink up the joint,

He was competent. I was thinking it would be a tough competent if.

You're trying to get the number one. I mean, no, I make him disappear.

He's been so much. He's the perfect level of competent. Okay, because I mean, let's be real. He averaged four yards per attempt here. I mean, it wasn't that's he just like, but he was under he was under duress. It was a lot of short stuff. Hollywood Brown was open a couple of times, but yeah, shout out to Dennis gar Though a couple a couple of big time sacks. I mean, like the sacks howl would take. We're like eighteen yard sacks.

Shout out to five sacks. Shout out to Commandos fans by the way, who filled that building. It was loloud, It was loud. It was the first game with Josh Harris.

Is that the owner?

Now that's right?

Uh?

And there were chants goodbyes to former owner Dan Snyder. You had a bunch of legends show up that haven't been around lately. John Riggins, Champ Bailey RG three. Speaking of RG three, there's a lot better energy, Griffin said, per the ap, the team doesn't have the distractions.

The community is back together.

There was something sneaky big about this win because that with all that having been said, and there was a great vibe in the energy and everyone's going crazy, like when they were down sixteen ten in the fourth grass like, and this is a dark way for this to feel like all of this is just more of the safe. So even if they have a sligh disappointment that this is the first game.

Isn't it You could just picture, you know, Snyder in some balcony with a giant like cigar cackling if they would have found a way to lose this game. But they did not, and as a result, it's a new beginning for the Commandos, all right, which.

Takes us to Sunday Night football.

The newly minted, re signed and enriched Graham Gano.

He is nine year veteran, just sign a new contract.

We'll try a forty five yard field goal from the left hash hand. That dollar is mishandled, blocked and picked up by the Cowboys defender on the right side line.

It is Noah Igan banomaghee, and he runs it in for a touchdown.

Our friend Brad Sham the sham god, with the call, and you'll he'll tell you who scored.

Noah egg mcnagany, Very nice, Gregg.

One of the most.

Grizzly Sunday night affairs in the history of the game, at least on NBC. The Dallas Cowboys return a blocked field goal attempt seventy five plus yards and then just roll from there to a forty to zero win over the New York Giants, which is I'll tell you what, boys there are bad losses, and then there are are we just talking about week one, it's just week one. And then there are losses like happened to the Giants tonight and your fan base filling up that building and

And it was like every phase of the game put it to the Giants. The Cowboys had twenty six points, twenty six to nothing, and it only put up two field goals. So it's like it was a complete and total collapse to the point like I know everyone's gonna say, this is going to confirm everyone's you know, issues and suspicions about New York. But I almost think this was one of these games you had well. But I think this is one of these games that got so out

Yeah, the old I can almost guarantee it, and maybe they'll ask them about it after the game.

The old.

We just wanted to get something pop out of the end of the game that we could like roll into next week. But I thought that was foolish and he got creamed a couple of times, and uh yeah, but but but for the Cowboys, Greg, this is a game that and we talked about like I picked the Cowboys to win the division because when we're there in the summer and we look at their roster, it's like it's all there, like this is We've been waiting for this team to get over the hump for years and years

You could see the path to greatness for this team, right Tomorrow's partnerdog.

They're not. They're not anybody's underdog.

Like, yes, it's somewhat fluky that you get Igbonogay running up the silence just traded for him, by the way, for Kelvin Joseph. I mean that it worked out nice and then you get a They called it a pick six on Daniel Jones, but it was ultimately a drop by Barkley. I thought, I thought it should have been a catch and a fumble that's returned for for six.

I'm not writing it off no event.

All I mean is these.

Fans can't get tonight back and the next week back Like that was just the most miserable experience possible that like that happened, and that was terrible. But there was a point in this game they had had a perfect first drive. They had they were running the ball well. Saquan had a bunch of good runs double buck, It's third and two. And then it all started with a Andrew Thomas false start and then the new rookie center throws a groundball for ends up getting sacked for Daniel Jones,

An NFL's dying on Park Avenue. You know they circled. This is a big opener to the season.

Will they make a profit this season? Tbd.

They absolutely absolutely lost the entire country by halftime because it was just an It was a non event, it was a non competition. This from Andrew Siciliano, the Great Siciliano via OPTA stats. Cowboys have now beaten the Giants eleven out of the last twelve by a combined plus three eighty nine This is no rivalry. This is one

Well, and we grew up in Giants' territory, and you know, like we both have in Greg's maybe less so up in mass Chuss, but like there're so many friends that I am just on textreads with who are Giants fans, And it's easy for us to say, hey, you know, be chill about week one. Look at it from a distance. It's a long season, Like this is your rival. You just got wiped forty to nothing on television with the

Well the last time they were on the field too, they weren't competitive against the division rival in a much bigger spot.

The division shows you where they might be at.

And I think they'll be better. And they're very lucky to have the Cardinals in Week two. That's a perfect opportunity.

And it gets it goes, it goes forty nine Ers, Seahawks, Dolphins.

I just mean, you really are needing to win next week, and that's a good Jase.

I think they'll be better.

They'll be better.

It will be better next.

They will be better. So that's good.

But the things that came into the season having concerns about, namely their pass protection, their explosive UH plays on offense, and then they're they're cornerbacks and we didn't see a lot of that because Dak only had to throw the ball twenty four times for one hundred and forty three yards.

But your your boys, Addy, who's got to be feeling good right now.

Yeah, he had a couple of nice plays where they got ceedee lamb pretty wide open early.

They just didn't need to do much.

A couple of nice red zone plays too, so they did everything they needed to do off.

I mean, that's a head coach prepares an entire team, and they dominated in every phase. And that Giants bar is subterranean right now, so they will clear the bar next week and the week's follow.

Well, there might be some bars filled with Giants supporters tonight.

Soaked, soaking, wet. I mean, it's one thing you lose.

You go to the stadium, you pay eighty five dollars to park, you buy twenty dollars beers, your tailgate for hours, You you build a whole day round. You might even get a fight with your spouse because it's like, I thought you were just going to the game, but now you're leaving at two pm? What about the kids? What about the And then you come home at night and

New York Taay, okay, save it Monday night football recap.

There you go.

Could get worse. Just put it that way.

Well, what's the weather report?

You you did?

Yeah, you did not, You didn't have it. I have a good time on top of all that.

That's what I'm saying.

I mean, when you when you justser is like I thought it was an eight o'clock kickoff. It's like, yeah, but I gotta go pick up Tom. We gotta stop over at shop, right, we gotta gotta do this and that they.

Go, Oh, I was gotta say, this is the worst, the worst primetime performance scenario there was since there was a Josh Freeman game that was crazy. There was one against Cam Newton in primetime that was particularly dark. But this might be even This might be even worse. This might be even worse.

To start the season, I think Dane and I watched that Giant's Cam Newton game.

We did at that old bar and uh that rat hole westside that hole, We's side rattle tomorrow's weather for who cares.

Let's get out of here. But before we do, a reminder that Tomorrow, Monday is a new era for Around the NFL. We have our Monday Reaction Show. It's a shortened version of the podcast that just is almost like.

A news rundown.

The Rundown, it's a news rundown of everything that in the old days in the past for this podcast, we'd be sitting on for a day or two too long, and now we are going to give you an instant reaction in the latest from the fallout from Sunday's action, whether it's injury updates or press conferences, things that kind of slip through the cracks today. Now we're going to be covered a Monday with a short show also Monday Night Recap Monday Night Football Jets versus Bills. Oh my god,

I thought it went well. The fans seem to enjoy it.

It was fun.

Yeah, and the people international viewers are wondering when it would arrive it did land as we work out the kinks and you were able to check it out hopefully by now. So check out that one, and we got another one. Every Monday, we have our.

NFL Plus exclusive Game of the Week, and the game of the week this week.

Is Mark Dolphins Chargers Bangs.

So we're gonna watch that game together, and we have.

With a condensed runtime of seventy four minutes. I'm predicting now.

Much shorter like thirty to forty.

Drew Christiansen are a super producer, will work with us on that, putting together a fun package reliving that game, and we'll react to it as we watch together.

I feel like we're missing a chance here, though.

I know that was what we had decided on, but that was before Cowboys forty Giants not I personally would love to relive this.

I'mould imagine that there's parts of your inner psyche that enjoy what happened.

How I my outer psyche is into it too. It's all good.

Can't make up what happened though, on those two days, those two Sundays in February. Nothing's gonna ever change that.

Second, the second one, can't keep it. Don't believe it but the second one that was when it was even worse, all.

Right, So that's it.

So two new podcast on Monday and the NFL Plus for people that are subscribed, the NFL Plus Monday Night Recap, and you can get that on his own as well international people.

That's it.

Thank you to a big funk, Randy and Eric Roberts and they're made in voyage together on this particular program.

Not an easy one.

Gotta get Erica sexier nickname e the Call