2023 Week 3 Recap: WAT!?!

The Around the NFL podcast.

Already used all three timeouts from.

The Chris Wesley podcast studio. It's Around the NFL, the Sunday Flagship Edition. I'm Dan hansis here with Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler's heroes, both.

Boys.

By my calculations, which is always little, you know, a little bit of a high wire act.

Put it that way. That's true.

This is our one hundred and seventy fourth Sunday Flagship program.

Don't check the math.

And we've done so many now and many of them they float away.

It's just the nature of the beast. Is our eleventh season.

But sometimes in these on these Sundays, something happens that you'll always remember that week and that Sunday and what happened with Miami Dolphins today. And we're gonna get to it in just a second. I'll always remember Week three of the twenty twenty three season cursed. However it may be from a personal standpoint for seeing something that I had never seen previously.

We're in a brave new world in Miami.

I would say, when I think about my own memory skills at this stage, I don't know if I'll remember that it was in week three a couple of years from now, but I will remember it. I will because these beatdowns stand out is something totally unique, and we were watching it happen.

In real time.

They beat They covered the spread by forty three points, forty three and a half points.

It doesn't happen too often.

Yeah, I think it was a good lock by the little Boy by the West Bros.

That's spread in there.

I thought you were gonna say something happened that you never have seen before that you'll remember forever in the luxury box in Kansas City, because that you will remember too.

Is this perhaps the most memorable Week three in the history around the NFL?

Perhaps it's in the conversation a strong candidate.

And we'll end this show because we you know, we had a BF two heavy two last Sunday two hours. We're going for a heavy three because the final hour today we'll just be cataloging every Week three since two thousand.

Oh boy, a lot.

Of work for a big funk behind the glass and Eric just start pulling data. Yeah, pull like a butt ton of data from the history of our show.

Big Funk thought he was going out for like a nice evening martini.

Don't think so he gone, all right, let's get to it.

Let's start where we must start, not in the luxury suite at Arrowhead, although.

Pretty interesting place to be.

And we had a spirited conversation that I'm still trying to figure out if we could have that conversation.

On this show. No, I figured it out.

No, okay, Well hold that thought. Let's start in Miami, where history was made.

Change.

The running back chose a flank to the right.

We got Barrios in most and it pitched to a change upside point fifty.

He's gone thirty. Nobody's gonna catch the eight chan. Wow.

You want to see a change speed out its best one a day, the rookie.

Out of Texas A and I has had. He just outruns everybody. They make this extra point, They're going to seventy points on the day in an NFL game. You don't see that.

Wow.

Devon eight chain rush for two hundred and three yards and four scores, including the sixty seven yard fourth quarter dash that allowed Miami to enter rarefied air in football history. The Dolphins scored the most points in the game by an NFL team since nineteen sixty six, destroying the Broncos seventy to twenty.

What what give us a wait wait wait wait what what?

What?

What?

What's what?

Give me another one's.

Fats whyspots, whatspot, make it a hat tricks whysots, watts spots.

That's not Greg, that's Sean Payton.

Unbelievable. Yes, Mike McDaniel, masterclass and doing it to Sean Payton, who I have to say? And otherwise rough Sunday, and what's going to be a season of rough Sundays for the old Zeusser.

It doesn't suck?

Sing Sean Payton get a seventy burger dropped on him. Yes, So a historic performance by Miami's offense that just scored at will Greg in this game?

How at will?

Like just paint a picture of how often and how easily they dominated this game.

Well, they didn't attempt a field goal, so you know, seventy divided by seven, that's ten touchdowns. No stopped on downs at one point, h they went forward on fourth down and they were stuffed like ten touchdowns. They scored ten.

They had over seven hundred total yards. Just the NFL record. Give us some data.

Points, Okay, I know, like I want to talk about who did well, but sometimes just the stats are so overwhelming. The seven hundred and twenty six yards this actually may be crazier to me than the points, is the second most in NFL history. The record is by the Rams in Week one to fifty one against the Count against a team I did not know existed called the New York Yanks. I mean, that's not even a football that's a baseball team.

You know what we work for the NFL close enough, we decide what ye rule book on this one. This is the record for most yards.

Right, and I'm like four earths ago.

And frankly, the seventy two points, which was the regular season record, only happened in sixty six, which is like, that's a completely different sport. And that coach Otto Graham had to take a time out with two seconds left to get those final three points because he wanted the record, whereas Mike McDaniel could have kicked a field goal at the end of this and they put up seventy in fifty two minutes.

A few more, Okay, go ahead. You want to hear from McDaniel why he didn't choose to do it.

Sure, I try to think through all my decisions and hold him with.

You know the importance that they do have. It felt like chasing points and chasing a record. That's not what we came to the game to do. That doesn't have a bearing on the overall season come and I just didn't.

I saw it, as you know, and that ten times out of ten you you can see kneel down in those situations because there was a there was an attainable record.

That was cool, But the message that I thought it would send wasn't really in line with how I viewed.

Think, Oh, he's one of a gun. He really is everything he says. He's like one of those guys are no matter what he says.

It's kind of funny. I don't know why. Well, certain delivery.

Yeah, there's so many weird stats in this game. One of them that struck me was they were five for nine on third downs, good percentage, And I thought, well, they scored ten touchdowns, they ran seventy plus plays, they only had nine third downs. Isn't that an insane stat that you only got the third down nine times? And when you guys rewatched this whole thing, I know you saw plenty. What I think will take you well is

And like last year, despite the explosive nature of the offense, the run game was not always consistent and reliable. And you're right, like, he the reason Deebo Samuel kind of became this explosive runner was Mike McDaniel. And then he goes to Miami and now you're seeing the effects again, and it's like, I know it's a copycat league and we're like, oh, this is gonna be a Shanahan offense.

Well, it's a Mike McDaniel offense.

Is completely running into its own new worlds and territories, and there are things you can't duplicate. And I think they broke Denver's will out of the gate because these players are too fast and so next gen stats And I know we kind of make fun of this because it's like, oh, so and so everyone's running twenty two miles an hour.

Twenty but right the five, if people around twenty two, it would be more notable.

Sure, the five fastest registered times this season are all by Dolphins.

That's the thing. And that's the thing.

You can't You can't like the next team that wants to like copy this scheme. Cool, you don't have those players.

Let's hear from Sean Payton, who uh uh you know, was embarrassed obviously by this performance. He came out of retirement or left a cushy job at Fox to become the head coach. Obviously had some big words about the previous head coach and how it was the worst coaching job in the history of the game, I believe, checkmate, and how they are zero to three and just uh, we're throttled in historic fashion.

Yeah, you could imagine he's not in a great mood. I know that you said, it's embarrassing, but this has kind of been a store a.

Third time.

The team has scored seventy points over seventy what's a question?

What's the questions?

Next question? Hey man, you got to wear it. You you did not have that team ready to play? You know who?

Also want to hear from Garrett Bowles, an offensive lineman who has been there, I believe for seven years. And I think one thing that gets slept on a little bit is that the Denver Broncos had a long, long period of success and they won the Super Super Bowl fifty. We were there with that great Von Miller led defense, and they have been a bad team ever since. Here's bulls kind of encapsulating like sneaky dark dark times in Denver, and it's been going on for a while right now.

What are the emotions like going through your head? Personally? It's tired of losing. Man, I've been here for seven years and all I've done is loss and trustrating.

I mean that shot of him, it's from nine News Denver, sitting in his locker just looking like, you know, the world has caved in.

He looked kind of has yeah, Broncos. He looked defeated.

I mean, it's it's I kept thinking the fact that, like it's Vic Fangio, Miami's new defensive coordinator, that the one thing that Broncos had through all their up and down quarterback play and lost nature on offense was at times like a really great defense. And it's like vig Fangio's watching many some of the players he coached get totally boat raced today and it's just that's an interesting contrast.

Not too many are left and Justin Simmons was out in this game. In Creem Jackson, I felt like it is playing hard at his age, but he had a man I've been in the NFL a long time, on that Tyreek Hill touchdown that started it all off, where he just seems so open and Jackson tries to take an angle and Tyreek just breaks defenses. Because with no Jalen Wattle today, like no wide receivers other than Tyreek Hill had more than two catches. Barrios had two for

Tua, who you know obviously a couple of months ago, like he's the question mark can you stay healthy? Is he was whereas high marks a year ago? Actually who he is or he's somewhere in the middle. It's like twenty three for twenty six. It's that quick release is just as you said, because week after week he's been doing that with Tyreek Hill being somewhere of a superhuman nature down the field, where your other next NFL wide receiver wouldn't betting more close to what he's doing.

You know, I think the differences between this team and last year's team. All this talk, you know, and understandably so, is about Tua and the summer Kenny stay healthy.

Nobody really picked this team to make the playoffs in our neck of the woods.

I think even if Mike Whites has to take over, I think this offense is gonna hum It just seems like they are set up.

To do something.

So Mike White's got a perfect passer rating on the season, two for two sixty seven yards the West Bros.

You know what, after the madness of last week's lock we we kind of said, okay, take the six and a half and jumped by forty.

I mean, when you when do you GotY three?

Yeah, when you win by fifty, you gotta give it credit. When when Robbie Chosen is burning one of the best cornerbacks in the league, Patrick.

Chosen Anderson, formerly Robbie Anderson, it.

Was Robbie Anders Robby with a Y, not Robbie with an I E. He also switched it to I E. He was Chosen Anderson, but he has switched it now this year in Miami, Robbie chosen.

Does the government ever step in and say too many name changing the NFL? Does Robbie Anderson have more different names in the last three years than catches? And I'm not even joking.

Good so well, he's averaging sixty eight yards per catch with a touchdown on every catch this season.

You know, this game is so crazy because we got to keep moving.

I think we should make this the around the NFL Game of the Week on NFL Plus this week. Okay, Dolphins fans, make sure you tune in because this this deserves a deep dive.

I love it, a dumpster dive if you're a Broncos fan.

I mean, because it's our nature to gravitate towards for those plus games, like you know, back and forth battles. Uh, this is just a good old fashioned beatdown. One of the things I love the most, old bomb drop And.

That's what this is.

Russell willsont shout up to. This game is like, hey, I played a pretty good game, like I actually was one of my better games, and I just lost by fifty.

Unbelievable, very crazy. And by the way, you if this if it was if the roles are reversed. You know, Sean Payton's going for that lpen. Of course, record this is sometimes it's good to see somebody take some humble pie. Shovel it down, Shawnee, shovel it down. Let's move on.

The Cowboys running on a time. Here the clock at three fifteen.

They're gonna huddle third and goal on the six they trailed twenty eight to sixteen. They're gonna send Cooks out to the left and two receivers.

To the right.

Shotgun formation for Dak Prescott, Pollard to his left. Twenty three carries for Pollard, Prescott the pass straight, drop fires, middle of the end.

Zone, Pickcock Pizer White with they intercepted, and then by do in Dallas, Wow Pizier.

White in the middle of the end zone.

I don't know that Prescott ever saw him. Just bizarre, just bizarre.

The Dallas Cowboys look better than everybody save maybe the Niners in the first two weeks of the season, and they're going to Arizona and play the Cardinals, and everybody's predicting boat race and they get spanked.

They get absolutely spanked.

Dak throws a miserable iront at the end there, and even if he does get that win in through coverage, they're still down by five, I believe with three.

Minutes to go or so. So like that just gives you an idea of a game that got.

Away from the Cowboys, who were flat and listless a few days after they lost Trayvon Diggs for the year to win ACL tear and credit to the Arizona Cardinals and Joshua Dobbs who come up with the twenty eight sixteen win in Glendale.

Mark this one's a hard one to figure out. NFL's weird sometimes.

Well, I think things happened that you would go into the game not expecting from what we've seen, especially from like the Cowboys defense over the last season and part of this season. They got wiped out on the ground one hundred and eighty two yards rushing in the first half. Now it was only they only had you know what, efros far less than that in the second half because the Cardinals didn't have the ball as much. But it's like the Cardinals came out. We've seen this two games.

Josh Sabbs just keeps making plays.

And I also think that what's what we're seeing happening is when you've got a lot of backups, like on your offensive line in other places, penalties start creeping up. And they had ten in the first half, which Cowboys the most. The Cowboys the most, the most in the

That's not what happened.

Because this Cowboys offense that we assume is explosive, they've looked explosive. Three straight red zone drives, all right, The first one falls apart on fourth and three on downs on an complete pass to Ceede Lamb. The next one they kick a field goal after a third down and complete pass from the eight to ceed Lamb. The third time, it's their chance to get back into this game. Dak Prescott terrible pick, and it's like the Cardinals just did not allow them back into this game. And it was

Sure, yeah, it's a nice win for again.

And I think, like a lot of people, that the Cardinals played their hearts out the first two weeks and then had the hearts ripped out and then here comes the big bad Cowboys and this smelled like thirty eight ten and yet two big runs that kind of jumped out to me. Dobb's going for forty four up the sideline, right all the way, a little bit of an eyebrow raiser, like, oh wait a second, that was even that just one

Right, It's a great example of something I try to remember and then you just forget it, which is like the best and the worst NFL teams really aren't that far apart. Like even these guys who are out there playing cornerback for the Cardinals, like Ken Treull, Clark came out of nowhere, like an undrafted type of guy who's just they're trying to pick on him. They're trying to pick on over and over. But Mark you watch is tighter,

I really think, like we've greg we've been watching these games together like you on these Sundays, and it's like we talked about James Connor a couple times that you kind of get the pro James Connor season, then the other one hot and cold.

There's been injuries, there's been ups and downs.

He's running so hard, and I think he kind of broke the will of this run defense in the first half along with the big plays you mentioned, and it's like it's just ultra surprising, like you would I would have thought this would have been the game for the Cardinals were after two kind of plucky performances, here comes a wipeout against the much more talented team that feels like a super Bowl team. And this is this is if you are someone that has and this is me

Dig Losing Digs is just is so big. I know you guys hit on that, but that that's something you can't come back from the Cardinals. I mean you can't like get that player back. I uh, the Cardinals are sneaky becoming the team of Cestio. I don't know if you know this, Dan, don't say that.

I just see they're having such a nice start.

You put that bed you No, he's just enjoying the Cardinal I know they've been surprised.

I'm not doing what you don't verbalize it. I'm not doing into anything like.

I'm just seeing his heart of fletter.

You know. I think the thing is like I think.

They're one of these teams where it's like all off season long, we think we know what they are and they're completely different, and it's like kind of goes against everything you think about. This whole concept of tanking in the NFL. It's like, don't tell the twenty coaches and seventy two players that that's the case.

It was a good Sunday, and that's why I'm not going to make too much of the Cowboys losing here, and I'm not going to.

Go over the moon and say that the Cardinals are a feel good tale. But for one that's fleast, it's.

Yeah, very nice.

This happened though, and that you're not erasing it, not you, they are. They can't do it, won't do it. Dave passed by the way, k MVP with that call and a good one, all right.

Up next the you know the rare not so rare actually, but two teams that were playoff teams a year ago in a double wounded animal game zero and two O two. And on top of that, it's the effing Chargers and Vikings, the two weirdest teams in NFL history.

You know it's gonna get funky, and it did.

Thirty seconds, the seconds down to fifteen seconds, totally freaks.

Tragic cousins to.

Pass to the end zone up in the arecepted, then our scepted in the end zone.

Tenneth Murray, Oh the ball was up in the air for an eternity. Ben Murray has the concentration to secure it. That's Nieman who popped that up. Yeah, we could fade out. Did she just fade out on Daniel Jeremiah?

I like that, a nice hard fade out on the We call him the other guy in the booth. It's untoward, but that was Matt Muney Smith with the call KYSR.

I love it.

After Brandon Staley completely lost his marbles and gambled needlessly on fourth down and lost, giving the Vikings a chance to steal one yes interception Kirk Cousins after they make a bit of an odd move. Greg and this game in that sequence as well, converting the first down and then not spiking while seemingly rushing into that.

Were they trying so hard to be what they are?

In?

Sure?

You know not to mention Greg e the Justin Herbert who was fabulous in this game. Finally, his big go ahead touchdown actually goes through the cornerback's hands into his receiver's hands for the touchdown. Just as weird as you would expect a game like this to be. Final score twenty eight twenty four Charger it.

Was the most chargers of Vikings cornered animal game possible. They each ended up with exactly four hundred and seventy five yards. There was nothing to separate this except for like a goofy Kirk Cousins as he we'll return to the Brandon Staley fourth down because okay, I disagree.

A little bit. Okay, I knew Greg would make that decision, but.

Well, yeah, well, I mean you can't just judge the results. But it was about who can kind of botch the end of the game in some way more than the other. And when TJ. Hockinson caught that ball for the Vikings inside the red zone, where was it exactly? It was at the six yard line. It was thirty five seconds were left in the game, thirty five That snap went off at twelve seconds. And there is something about Kirk, and I put this a little on Kirk and the

I don't know. So here it is.

Here's the setup, fourth and one at his own twenty four yard line. Gregie, Yes, they are up. They're winning the football game. Correct, They're up by four. They're up by four points.

So the other Vikings need a touchdown.

With one minute and after the play goes through, one forty seven to play, so they had the choice to punt it away and again four point leads.

So you need to surrender a touchdown to lose this football game. Field goal.

It's not a field goaler or anything like that. They choose to go for it and Austin Eckler out again in this game. Instead, they give the ball to Joshua Kelly, who gets stuffed in the hole by Jonathan Bullard and the Vikings get the ball. I mean, Greg explained to me, what's the take other than wow, he's got some real stones, because that doesn't matter.

That doesn't matter. You gotta protect the team and protect the players that you represent.

Don't love to play call. I think it gives you two chances to win the game either way. You have to get them to you have to stop them either way. Granted they're starting at the twenty five yard line, but I think Staley's looking at his defense, which Bosa was barely on the field. He was off and on, but mostly off. Derwin James is off and injured at that point. I know it only says twenty four for the Vikings, but four hundred and seventy five yards twenty nine first downs.

There.

They tried to run the ball three times in that sequence, first and second out, and that's where I really think they mismanaged. They charged the end of this game. Just let Justin Herbert get a freaking first down and you win the game. He's playing the best game I've ever

We're in the world of the butt push and like the almost indefensible fourth and short quarterback sneak, and Herbert is the size, the power, the everything to do it. Kelly's last week, I thought he had problems last week. Today you mentioned how ineffective he was. Uh, Kellen Moore looked a little frazzled after that, I think for obvious reasons, because you're gonna be the center point of conversation for the next like seven.

I mean it maybe could have lost his job if they I think so too.

It's possible. How about a direct snap on a punt?

How about a little fake punt if we're gonna we're feeling so or so ballsy here or I'm kicking it away. But I understand now what we're dealing with now, Gregy. And we should get to Herbert in a second, because his numbers are out of this world, not to much a Keenan Allen eighteen for two o five and he threw a fifty yard touchdown.

Best all are crazy? Yeah? Is this not the game of the week for NFLUS. I don't know.

I know, struggling with this one, Uh, Greggy, but I lost my train of thought. I'm so I'm so pumped up about this game you talk about Herbert.

Herbert went forty for forty seven for four oh five three touchdowns. Now the worst throw really out of forty seven, I think he really only made maybe two bad throws and one of them was could have been an interception, and it went for the last touchdown that the Chargers scored the go ahead to Josh Palmer, so he got a little break there. But before that, it was maybe the best game I've ever seen Herbert play because there were four or five shots twenty plus down the field,

The Kellen Moore thing's working. I think it's working for Keenan Allen.

I mean the flexibility of like, if you're gonna give us this, we'll take this instead today, and it's arrow up on Herbert, Like I know, maybe Dan, you wanted to be a little more fire up or I rate in certain situations like, I mean, he's that's.

Exactly what I want. Well, that's whatever. Get irate.

Technically, this is a fantastic game, but this would have been This would have been the same story though, because unless he had enough time, it would have been another one where the offense, even though it dominated, didn't get the first down when it needed to. This time, the defense just made the play. I want to shout out, who is it? Twoey Poloto? Their defensive tackle was dominating this game, but it was kind of a pyrrhic victory, as they would call it. Derwin James mri and his hamstring,

J C.

Jackson was a healthy scratch. Oh that's weird.

I mean, like still trouble.

I don't really feel like, Okay, everything's fine, but it's worse for the Vikings who are.

Yeah, that was the point I meant to make, which is like the fact that they went for it on fourth and one at the twenty four tells you that Brendan Staley, the defensive guy, is completely at a loss. He trust the defense to get any stops at all. And the thing, one of the things I love about sports is how dumb they are. And we we're in a new Arab sports where you know, the nerds have

Everything right hinged on that happening, although everything would have changed after that. I always like to play it.

Now you got the ballacy of the predetermined outcome.

You're saying, you've got the vikings in that deep lake of regression. Oh in three and one score games next love it.

I said it as a joke in Week one that they would lose every one score game after winning every single one last year in the regular season.

We're eleven zero.

I mean, if Kirk Cousins was ever going to become a jet. We don't need to go deep on this one, but it's setting up that way.

Save that for the Dan and Keith Hans's emergency, all right, and yes, you know, you know, you know, Dan pounding that table. I want an irate Justin Herbert. I got a good quote from him, I got a good one.

I'm sure it's I'm sure it's anything other than miltest. Here we are, finally, we're after what a game he had. It was a hard fought win, certainly not the way we drew it up. Let's take a break and we welcome in Nick Chuck. All right, we're back and it's time for.

The Sunday Try, presented by the first ever Toyota Grand Highlander.

Hit it baby out of the Huddland to the line, golf is gonna work out of the gun, Gibbs to his left, third and goal. Lions leading by ten, looking for more Golf takes, keeps it himself.

Left side touched down.

Detroit lyons I see you sixteen, I see you now.

Just a little option there for Jared gofugh, oh my, nobody saw that comment.

Sure that man and Jared he could put him up and down, and he made sure he put him up.

And down into that in that school, Dan Miller and Lomas Brown with the call wx quy t he could put him up and he could put him down. We sure know that.

Love Jared Goff. I love Jared Goff's career. What a nice little like Zoni's in right now. Lead in the Detroit Lines once more to a twenty to six victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field, the ie bounce back and formance for Detroit after an ugly week two uh lost to the Seattle Seahawks. Let's now welcome him in from Cleveland, Ohio or thereabouts, mister Beef himself, Nick Shook.

Mister Beef is a new one, that one.

Yeah, actually I kind of thought I hit on something with Soda Popenske from Punch Out once part time.

I'd run with mister Beef. That could take you places.

Yeah, but pick him up and put him down, I think is in reference to his feet, Jared Goff can pick him up and put him down faster than Lomas Brown ever could.

What you said, not known fleet to foot golf passer, a pocket passer, but.

Not a lot of leap there when he tried to go into the stands.

Yeah, but faster than than Lomas Brown to your.

Points, definitely hit the weight room's.

Beefy anyways, Shook, Uh, it looks like the Lions. This is a nice little performance for them.

It seems like after yeah, all the all the hype around the Chiefs win, crash back to earth and now we're back to just bite knee caps off.

Yeah.

I got to give credit to the Lions fans who did not let last week's loss deter them from showing up at Ford Field and making it another raucous environment, almost collegiate and how passionate these fans have.

Yeah, I don't know about the blue masks.

That's going to make that two I mean season. Yeah that was bad.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's kind of tough.

But this was an interesting game because you know, so this is it was an intriguing matchup. The Falcons are two and oh what a surprise. Never thought Arthur Smith's team might be here, and they played like a two to zero team. In fact, they went to totoe with the Lions for most of this game. It's just that their offense never showed up. Statistically, it was similar. They were both four for fourteen on third down, they each

What do you get back on.

Track, I'm seeing the Falcons two point eight yards per play, abysmal.

Lions doubled that.

It's kind of a red flag, or it is a red flag, it's not kind of one that if you essentially are a team that can gather your defense and stop Atlanta on the ground and the previously mythologically unstoppable Bejean Robinson with thirty three yards today, nothing else from anyone, and then you're forced to take Desmond Radder and throw the ball thirty eight times like that's the that's a formula for disaster, and that's a that creates a lot of suspicion around a team that you know, we could go.

I felt very hopeful about.

I'm seeing the same thing shook at the Meadowlands, where there's a talented running back, but a quarterback that maybe hasn't earned the trust or the you know, the the opposing defense's respect.

Are they just up on the line?

Is this?

Are they got stack boxes all day in this game? Yeah?

I mean, Detroit deserves credit for getting after them and stuffing the run lanes. But it's also like Bijon didn't get a ton of opportunities. A strange approach really, And it also offers us kind of a look at the two sides of desn Ridder because last week, you know, they're playing Green Bay, and he authors this great comeback and he makes a number of throws where I'm like, wow, look at him.

Maybe he is taking the next step forward.

He just wasn't that guy this week, So why are you having him throw it thirty eight times when you're down ten points at most going into the fourth quarter. It just felt like a poor approach for a team that was pounding on the ground so successfully. But it's hard to pound on the ground when you're averaging three point three yards to carry with your lead back.

So just a tough day for them offensively.

Probably something where they can look back and say, we should have done this, that and the other at different times in these situations.

Should have approached it differently and they'll be better for it.

Not everyone agrees, but are there Smith believes on ridd because we're seeing it now a week after week he's letting him throw the ball.

I mean, he he's becoming a problem, But I I am looking forward to watching this. But seeing Laporte to go eight for eighty four, Yeah, it's yet another week where it's like, hey, tight ends, rookie tight ends. They'd ever matter except for Sam freaking Laporta week after week he's six past eight catches.

Sam Laporta, here's a stat for you. He's eighteen catches, the most by an NFL tight end through three games.

Keith Jackson for the Eagles at eighty eight.

Three time All Pro previously had the record with seventeen. So he's off to a good start.

Yeah.

He forty five of those yards came on one catch, his first career touchdown pass, which I really enjoyed because he scored in the broadcast, goes get that one for the mantle, and just as he says that, Laporta trots over the sideline and just drops the ball to Allo picks it up. But you know what I love about this Lions team, Guys, you know how we spent so much time in the off season people were arguing about positional value. You overpicked a lot of these guys in

This is a good group.

You got to start to trust this front office. I liked all their picks and I'd like to see them producing.

So far, the whole team feels like and I mean organization, feels like they're in sync right now.

And they had it.

They're missing about eight starters today. They lost a couple offensive linemen during the game. They've been tough to withstand that.

And that was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota Let's Go Places. Learn more at toyota dot com. Slash Grand Highlander. All right, chook, let's talk about your Cleveland Browns.

Hit it second and fifteen.

Watson under center with Ford in the backfield, fake handoffs down.

The middle, Chris Cooper wide up and pour touchdown, and Coop finally has that score with DeShawn Watson.

Chris Rose with the callur Buddy Sunday Nights here at the NFL Network, filling in for Jim Donovan, the longtime voice of the Browns, who is fighting a serious illness. So best wishes to Jim Donovan and his family. Rose filling in and Deshaun Watson hits Amari Cooper the exclamation point on an easy win as the Brown steamroll the Titans twenty seven to three.

Shooky.

This is obviously a big win for Cleveland because you get a good Watson performance, you get another great defensive performance like Jim Schwartz's guys, and with Nick Chubb gone for the year, all of a sudden, it doesn't seem like everything is lost, because there's enough here for this team to keep moving forward and succeed.

Yeah, there was a paul over the city on Tuesday after they lost Nick Chubb for the season. You know, he's a beloved player here and everybody was pretty heartbroken over the fact that they would have to proceed forward without him. But really because he just is such a

They used a lot of people in the ground game, But I am with you that, like I'm trying to remember a post Bill Belichick Browns team because they their defense back then and we're talking the ninety early nineties remarkable, first or second best in the league. Ninety four yards you gave up today, Like that's essentially like competing against like a drunk toddler in Madden.

This is like, wait, the toddler's been drinking.

Yeah, it's that dysfunctional of a situation. If you beat someone down that hard.

Oh, I always give my Butler's there's a way.

Bigger issue going on here. There's video game outcome.

Sure, but the ninety four yards still stands out as an achievement in that situation. But in this and to see it, this team doing this, and it's like, oh, finally Miles Garrett, who when he was the only guy there in that front seven, was still doing it. It's like you are surrounded not only by better talent than you've had in your entire career, but like Jim Schwartz.

The vaunted Assistant Coach of the Year.

Award is he is the clear front runner, right, he may be more head coach than Kevin Stefanski.

Mark, You're not even hiding it at it, No, I'm just like, this is stuff.

I think if you're a Browns fan, right, if you're from Cleveland, like they always say, we're gonna play Browns football, Well, no one, what has that been for the last twenty five thirty years?

Now? It was Nick Chubb that I agree with one hundred percent.

But defense like this is like it's it lasts through any season, any part of the year, winter, cold, ice, rain, and it's like it's not going away.

They have a great Yeah, mids Midwestern fans like to pride themselves on, oh it's cold weather football. It's gonna be smash mouth football, and the Browns have not been that, and they are that at least on one side of the ball right now. It's remarkable again to see a

Just a really good performance.

Well, when the Bengals had six first downs in Week one, I said that very well could be the most dominant defensive performance any team has all season. The Titans had six first downs in this game, didn't crack one hundred yard Shiocapatia the ringer at a good status success rate, which isn't like a perfect stat but the best three single game performances all season defensively. Number one Browns in Week one, Number two Browns in Week three, Number three

Condone it, and it's a bigger play football.

I don't, I don't condone it. I'm just saying, before you play Madden, if you get him drunk, you're probably gonna win.

It's a great strategy from a certain if from.

A cutthroat already got the authorities on the horn, Hey real quick before we say goodbye, because I'm curious, Watson his numbers are great.

I think twenty eight of thirty three. What were you seeing were there? I know there was one insane, hideous play where he's falling backwards and threw the ball ten yards back was scooped up for like a sixteen yard loss. That was the viral moment.

Anything else that jumped out to you, like, why weren't the numbers matching up with the eye test for you?

Yeah, that was very Jamis Winston of him. I think his internal clock is still not quite at the speed it needs to be at. He's still just slightly slow, but he is starting to speed up a little bit. Watching him in the pocket, he always makes you a little nervous, just because you're like, all right, deliver, get to the next spot in your progression. Just not quite there, but he's finding way to make it work. And especially on the run, he was pretty good at getting out

Oh, because I was watching exactly on Habits like this is it's just like an officiating breakdown.

Yeah, Titans are a good It's so funny.

It was like welcome back, that's all that was, like, we should not have those officiating gaps.

Should not be happening to any of the thirty two teams. So you're the.

Chargers, Like if the Chargers had lost this week, maybe the number one reason why Brandon Staley should be in trouble is look at what the Titans have done when they haven't played the Chargers. They've gotten about one hundred yards a game. I haven't scored a deck.

Point by you, shookey.

Always a pleasure, get some good pumps in, spend some great time with your fiance.

Yeah, she's in California for three months, so I'm here by myself.

But but you've been flying out there you know, yeah.

Yeah, we'll have another trip planned yourself.

All that rage pumping he's doing with the with the girl out in California, you know what I mean in the gym, in the gym, all right, Chuck, bye bye, buddy crazy until next week.

Let's see you guys.

Rage pumping.

I am rage pumping because we're heading over to the Swampson Jersey.

You have the final play this game for the coming one second left Ballby snapped on the forty six bar hashmark. Three receivers wide the right wand of the left for the Patriots, and I mean deep at the five. I'm sure the pulls up, steps up, steps up. He lost a high throat towards the end zone. That ball will come down in the crowd.

It's better way nearly cut by coming and go line.

It's in complaint and the Patriots winning.

My god, hey, at least by Wilson man two yards deep and allows for the deflection and the potential catch. And boy did they almost get it.

It's city, New York City.

I'm so cheez, got so leg city. Carlson wb Z.

Mac Jones threw a touchdown past the Pharaoh Brown, who I don't know tight end Matt Schudon had a late safety and a desperation hail Mary heave by Zach Wilson just missed the hands of Randall Cobb. The Patriots extend their winning streak over the Jets of fifteen games with a grizzly fifteen to ten win on a rainy Sunday at the Metal Ends. It's it's interesting, Gregy, how it's different now, Like fifteen games is fifteen games I think

Five point loss in the solid era.

It's now competitive, but it is the Patriots that always make kind of one more play, and you're seeing these games are kind of more the norm.

So fifteen to ten and you know, here's this is what we thought was gonna happen.

And then when I saw it was gonna be a weather game, it was like first thing I did, for instance, I get Garrett Wilson out of my fantasy lineup. You knew it was gonna be bad, but I thought even by Zach Wilson's standards, it was worse than usual. And you saw two notable people turn on Zach Wilson in

And you just saw that over and over again.

So the Jets who sent Dwayne Brown to IR and kick McKay Beckton over to the left tackle and shift to two other guys around too, move Vera Tucker to right tackle to musical chairs, and I thought it was very notable, Gregy that this game, where the Jets, especially in the second half, really tightened up on defense, gave that offense two chances to either tie or win the game late, and that's not even counting the possession with the hell Mary and on the mat Judon sack. That

Right now, Zach is the best player in the m He's who gives us the best chance to win. Well, you know, so that's basically that that would be the cleanest answer I could give you.

See, I had not actually heard that I read this quote. Here's my question to you, Greg, is that Sala subtly letting everyone know that Tim Boyle, with no real experience and not a guy that I believe in, is my only other option and my GM won't take the l on this guy and bring someone else in. Or is Sala's head in the sand and not willing to give up on Zach Wilson, who clearly is not gonna do it at this level.

Well, I think it's in between, because I'm I'm gonna give Sally the benefit of the doubt that him and Douglas both believed in Wilson throughout this offseason. I don't think they were faking that. I think it's Robert Salas searching for the perfect words that he can couch what he wants to say, which is that, yeah, he's the best option have. It's not about Joe Douglas, but I think he's would be very open to having another option. Like I don't doubt that Wilson is maybe better than

Yeah, I'm with you.

I mean I think number one this was sort of this has become a perfect storm of problems for the offense, like you're going up against a Bill Belichick run team that has beaten down Zach Wilson. The Jets in general, they've lost fifteen straight games to the Patriots that haven't scored more than seventeen points.

Only once they even scored seventeen.

So it's a particular matchup inside your division that no matter who's been in there, it's unsuccessful the offense. I was coming into work today and seeing the offensive line changes that they were gonna go to. It's like, I hate that in this particular matchup against the Patriots, Like if you even said we're gonna lose Dwayne Brown, we'll find when we to plug one person in and keep

Like an egg.

And the Boobirds reached the metal ends at fourteen oh two to play in the second quarter. That is only going to inten fi and last year, this isn't a projection, this is we already saw it happen with the exact same corps roster and the exact same quarterback. There was a revolt within that locker room that forced Robert Solid to turn to Mike White. But there's no Mike White. Now, there's no Joe Flacco.

Now there could be Josh Johnson, for instance, who was on that team.

It's overdue. It's overdue.

I just think, and I said this throughout the summer, that it was never comfortable with Wilson is number two. And I think we're now three weeks after the events of Monday Night Football with Aaron Rodgers. The fact that the only thing they've done is checking to see if Chad Henny wanted to come out of retirement is indefensible. And the fact that Jet fans are furious right now because we're sick of watching the same thing with with

Night and in New York.

I hate.

I don't like that such Oh.

Just imagine, and the Rogers injury continues to compound. I knew it was gonna be miserable, but as the weeks pass. Week one ruined by Rogers, Week two trip to Dallas ruined because now Rogers isn't there. Week three, Pat's revenge,

Take the L. Joe Douglass.

I mean, look, wait, like we just talked about the praise the Browns get for holding the Titans to one hundred hundred yards in the game. They had ten yards passing the Jets in the first half. This is a great Patriots defense. It's very good, Like we saw that against the Dolphins. They're very competent, especially against this opponent, but every opponent is going to look competent against Zach Wilson. It's like this is going to explode on Monday night,

I mean, the Patriots defense is good, but they also were missing three of their top four corner wrecks, Jack Jones, Marcus Jones, and Jonathan Jones. They hit the Jones trifecta. Their offensive line is a total mess. And this game shouldn't have been just you know, numbers wise, as close as it was. At one point it was two hundred and six, at halftime was two hundred and sixty yards to thirty nine. At what point it was one hundred

I think Christian Gonzalez, he's announcing himself as a study.

He shut down Tyreek Hill last week.

Garrett Wilson was rarely I mentioned he was opening some crossing patterns and the quarterback was late, but he was covered very well by Christian Gonzales in this game.

Also, Zeke Elliott getting a lot of work in this game.

Romandra Stevenson hasn't done a lot in the first three weeks, and now Zeke kind of split carries with him in this game. I don't know if maybe Stevenson was banged up. We have to see what that potentially means. And this is also now the third straight week and we talked about him earlier this week, and I just want to see more Damil Cook not making anybody miss. But Resall's not make anybody mess either right now because the offensive line is such a mess. But uh yeah, I'm starting

I don't know. He's a defensive guy, got to be going crazy. I think he's trapped either way. It's a very tough situation. All right, let us move on.

We were talking up, we were talking up the commanders as a potential team of ATM well with a caveat with a caveat.

Wanted to see how this went. Wanted to see how this went. He didn't go well, This didn't go well, not at all. Spoiler not great, Bob.

Two receivers to the right too, to the left, howling the shotgun Gibson next to him in the backfield. Here's the snap five step drop rolling to his left, gonna step up in the pocket and it's.

Picked off lockers.

It brought to the five talks down Buffalo, Hey J Appanessa with.

The fifth takeaway of the day, and this one goes for a pick six.

Whoa Chris Brown, a little Rick Claire w t Har Good job by you, yes, aj Epinenza, Is that how you say it? Eessa Epanessa with the pick six, one of four interceptions Sam Hell threw to Buffalo Bills defenders and the Bills.

Eric Roberts behind the glass, Eric are.

Feeling no pain. In these last two weeks thirty seven to three. They routed the previously undefeated Commanders. Mark Here's a quote from Michael High. It looks like I didn't even play today, all white jersey, not even dirty. The guys up front were getting after the quarterback.

It was just awesome to see.

Not even dirty on a day where it was pouring rain during for the game, not even muddy. It's like you didn't even touch the ground. Mike hyd A couple plays huge plays in this. It was you know, it's like Sam Howell's been frisky, fun to watch, and like, I think that's why we had the conversation we did about the Commanders.

It's like there might be something, I mean, likely, conversation needs to be had. Likely or the floor is gonna fall out at some point when you're playing a Bills team that you know, we thought of they are.

Is there too much pressure here? Are they have the Has the window closed a little bit too much? Are they not really the cream of the crop in the AFC. It's like and all we talk about is Josh Allen and the offense, and they were fine today.

They were great. Stephan Diggs had a huge game.

The defense, and it's the defense to me, is looking as good as it's ever looked under Sean McDermott. It is just absolutely generating total chaos. Five turnovers, nine sacks, You allowed three points, the commander's drive chart, interception punt downs, interception, interception, punt fumble, interception, punt field goal, wacky little field goal at.

The end, you prevent the shutout. This was a dominant performance.

Two weeks in a row, we've seen Josh Allen, I think re enter that world where he just looked completely in command, and you know, I think you just they broke They broke the commanders early. If I said to Greg and he didn't, you didn't know where this was in the game, but he hit Gabe Davis on a bomb early on where it was like there was probably five six of the game to still go.

I said, game over and then then how Will?

The Commanders started to climb back and like got deep into Bill's territory.

That why did I say?

That's a g It was technically a two score game entering the fourth quarter sixteen nothing, which is kind of wild.

Then they just exploded. But like, how Will really? How really melted this game? He really melted, And it's like it was a systemic disaster.

For why that doesn't surprise me, just because he just is a guy who's gonna try to keep making plays and like if it keeps getting worse, he's gonna keep trying. And sacks are a bit of a quarterback stat or they are a quarterbacks that nine sacks, like that's partly on him, But it is crazy when you just look fifteen quarterback hits for the Bills. That is a crooked number. And then over on the other side, young and sweaty one qb hit, no sacks. Almost a Golston in.

Washington still trying to make Gholston the thing all these years.

It is officially when you have no.

One other person says Golston, then you know, maybe becomes a thing, but it's still just you.

It's just but it's my thing. I know.

It's like ir Boomerang hanging in that scene. No, that's is it different? I feel like that's that kind of heat. I think West and I created that literally a decade ago, and I've heard no one myself our show.

But I think I started Holden and I'm not getting any royalties for that. I don't even talk about it. So do you think you're I think I started a mulligan essentially on Golston. It's never taken off because Holden's Golden is great.

Holden has become the part of the life.

If Golston wasn't a jet who the Patriots had tried to trade up for but they then they were snagged or whatever the Jets, you wouldn't have a problem with it.

Yeah, But also, I.

Don't think you have ever made it that name if he was If he was wasn't a jet, babe. Maybe, So it's just the masshole within you just pouring.

I guess at this point it is time to let go. I'm gonna let me just say, I'm gonna promise, yes, Balston is dad. We're gonna think of a new guy. We're gonna think of a new name, and I'm gonna try.

To make that someone's gotta be that bad though.

Yeah, it's kind of mean to.

Ron Paige, Jonathan Allen, mates, sweat, Chase Young, Everything's gonna kind of roll through them if if Washington's actually gonna have a chance the season to go to the playoffs. Uh, no sacks and thirty two past attempts by Josh Allen and like you said, uh, it's it's a QB stat as well. And Josh Allen again after a miserable Week one in primetime, has bounced back with two very good games.

I really also think that like James Cook.

Uh, we talked about his brother Dalvin, but James Cook makes a real difference in this offense. They've never really had that consistent goal. And it's three games in a row where he looks uh superb.

All Right, Bill's roll. Let's move to Embo field where the Packers we're looking to make magic.

They did line of scrimmage, twenty eight yard line of Green Bay. Man, he's gonna want it spotted down to the thirty six yard line. Left hash forty six yard field, go to ten Zach Wood, I'm a snap Lou Headley down.

On one knee. Do I trust a guy named Blake? Groupie Blake not a good name, not a ton to get New Orleans of the lead. Here's the snap placement. Kick is up end over ran, It is no good good under is your dagger?

Oh my goodness, Julilation here at Green Bay, come on, big funk celebrate baby behind the glass.

Seconds ago, New Orleans has one time out left. What a fourth quarter by the Green Bay Packers? Wow? Hello, Hey? Can I get Big Funks music for this?

No?

I think I love that Randy Chavez real deal Packers, Oh for sure, So let's give it to him. Play Groupie forty six yards wide right with one o five to play, and Jordan love rallies the Packers from a seventeen point fourth quarter deficit. What to an eighteen to seventeen win? A big what week?

Sorry?

I think the podcast title what Slammer question marks slammer week three week cap.

I just feel like it's that's the other word of the day. We're heading in playoffs territory.

This game could not have started worse for the Packers, who were shut out through through three quarters. And then four minutes into the fourth quarter, and then they score eighteen points in the final eleventh minute to win their eleventh consecutive home opener, and big Funk knowses they played like hot garbage for three quarter. They were penalized like mad,

Actiari was out again.

Baktari out once again, even though he's playing on grass

Could not be a more disappointing loss if you're a Saints fan. Because of what you said, I think there was a feeling and there's a belief that this could be a special Saints defense. And as much as it's terrible to lose car in the fourth quarter, you give up an eighty two yard drive, but then you stop him on fourth down and you think, Okay, that's probably gonna end the game. Then you give up a field goal drive, you give up a touchdown on a short field after a turnover, and then you give up the

Yeah, Like, I think I think it if they're like again, if there's a benefit to having some of these guys out. It's like the Jayden Reids of the world, the Romeo Dobs, Like they're developing and growing and you kind of see this Offen screing together. One thing is like the Aaron Jones. Thing I think is steiny them two weeks in a row. He was so explosive when he was on the field. It's like they have if you take thirty nine yards away from Jordan Love and that's a big part of

And it's time. I mean, the Packers came very close to get into three and oh here and they've survived. I mean this game, like I said, I mentioned Watson, we mentioned back to our, I mentioned Jones. Also without JayR Alexander, Elton Jenkins on the line.

This is crazy that they just saw their best players other than Rashan Gary, who had three sacks. I saw in four quarterback hits. He's a great ball player.

Yeah, they they have to get healthy and it's like, do they have the week five by That would be tremendous. I don't know if they do, but this is a loss that that will will haunt them potentially, because you know this is the type of game potential playoff ramifications down the line. Two teams can't let this one get away.

I kind of like it though, just because I feel like I like both of these teams. Being two and one, Saints didn't totally feel like a three and zho team.

And now the Saints are going to get Allen Kamara back next week and hopefully the Packers get their dudes.

Man Green Bay plays also the thirs night against Detroit, so it's at a break.

Another great week by the way for Chris Alave greg.

One O four Offensive Player of the Year. He's so smooth, it's.

On track booth so good and uh, you know, Michael Thomas again, he's staying on the field. So far, so good as a nice second banana, but a labbe is the dude on this offense?

How much for trading Jamis? By the way, I guess you need Jamis? Yeah, I think you need him to do better.

Well also, yeah, you might find out you don't want to trade bricks for everybody.

All right, let's take a break and we'll continue on. All right, we're back Texans Jaguars. Easy dub for Jacks, right.

Right, Brandon McManus.

We'll kick off from left to right with Mike Boone back deep one yard deep at the end zone.

Last time he let it bounce, and this is going to be inside the ten.

Don't get in the way.

Full up Beck, Beck still going. Beck has some He's going to turn the corner. He's at the fifty's the Jackson Bill bet thirty. That's what the fifteen ten five? Are you kidding? Rock and roll touchdown was instead? My god, what what?

What?

What?

I love that these announcers have no idea. They're in a five minut booth. All of a sudden, the.

Earth started shaking in North Florida and he ran on the right size into that crowd the end zone.

The up back.

Wow, Andrew Beck, the two hundred and fifty five pounds full back. He became the heaviest player. This is a great stat from the AP. The heaviest player in NFL history to return to kickoff for a touchdown.

That is a great stat.

Here's pretty fine. I does want to find that out.

He's pretty fast.

I'm gonna tell you one other quick stat like, yes, he's the first full back, yes, since twenty sixteen, to reach the vaunted twenty miles per hour mark, not twenty one, but twenty though he had twenty full back first time.

It's a job. It's a good job. I Beck.

He also did a bad joy I'm stealing the kickoff from the kickoff guy and then.

Fumbled it like he ran right in front of him.

Like, honestly, I know he's not the intended kickoff guy, but after he does that, you might want to give.

Him an extra I'll try him out again anyway. Thirty seven to seventeen. This is a weird week. The Texans pound the Jaguars in Jacksonville. Weird wild stuff. Greg what, Yes, I can't do that. That sound but anymore? Mark vander what what?

Mark marks Head's gotta exploded. I've only said it naturally in this show. I'm not asking for it a lot of what. I almost feel bad that we didn't give C. J. Stroud in Tank Dell the highlight just because Andy Beck needs it, though yeah he needed it. But Stroud was the big takeaway yet again. Four starting offensive lineman out Larry Mutunsel didn't return, and Stroud was under pressure in this game, and yet he didn't take a single sack.

You can take that S two score and stick it where the sun does not exist. That's true. I forgot about that whole thing.

I mean, he just looks like a guy we talked about the first three weeks like it doesn't matter what the rookie, it doesn't matter what you do if you have a good record quarterback. And now you're in Jacksonville by twenty points.

Yeah, this is a troubling performance by the Jaguars. And you know, what did you see from Trevor Lawrence here? I mean, I'm expecting him to take the leap this year and this doesn't seem to point took.

It last year.

I think he was just okay, and I think he's been okay for most of this season. The broadcast talked about him just not seeing the field because mostly he's just hitting short guys and they're punting. But it was also kind of one of those everything that could go wrong did go wrong in the first half. I just want to go through their first half stats. I mean their first half drive, Ridley dropped a dime from Lawrence that would have been a thirty yard touchdown, just beautiful throw.

Yeah, you're giving up thirty seven points to an information offense that we thought might slow cook the entire season. Instead, there were very much in this AFC South race. If they're gonna play like this, I mean, and it makes like the Jaguars loss last week to Kansas City like all the more troubling because they came so close in that one. And now you're one and two and we assumed they'd be three and zero and just running away with this division.

And the Texans are just finding players. To me, that's what the seedon's all about. Tanked Del nice slot receiver. He's not gonna go five for one to forty five often. But I think a nice rookie slot receiver Nico Collins exploded last week like they're they're finding players and instr.

Did Will Anderson that field goal?

Yeah, yeah, that was. It was one of the best field ball blocks I've seen a long time because he just steamrolled the guy in front of him and his vertical leap was just outrageous.

It was not on the kicker.

It was actually the first miss kick or block kick of McManus's career. So it was I wasn't on the.

Tough special teams day for Jess, very tough, very to. I mean, you gave up a freaking kickoff return for touchdown to a full back.

And agnew, Oh that was on offense, but he is their kick returner lost the fumble, So it was it was just like an ugly, ugly game.

Let's get out of the let's get out of the theater of the bizarre, and you know, no more upsets.

Enough upsets.

So the Ravens at home will take care of business and Bolts playing with their backup quarterback.

All right, let's get this under control. So this again a yard field.

Goal from Matt Gay. It's between the hash marks. Roads will snap it measuring the kick is Gay waiting on the long step there it is play spat.

The kick is on its way, it has the distance, it's up. Oh my goodness, Oh my god, what a r mad gay stroking the fifty three yarder in ot in the house the Tucker Bill Is this the kicker corner? Oh, we are in the club, baby, and deep in the club. Gay. It's gay night in the Kicker club. Behind the velvet ropes popping bottles.

By the way, also hit another fifty three yarder in a fifty four yarder in this game.

And I thought justin Tucker was short on a box. Yes, I want to talk about why I think that happens. Mark, Yeah, Anthony richard and out with the concussion.

We know Gardner Minshew is a very capable backup had the Ravens not take care of business at home here.

Well, number oneing Shane Stiken is like turning out to be what we hoped and like Gardner Minshew was, I think in this situation not a major downgrain from Richardson.

I think we kind of felt that way going in. He was very competent.

The Ravens, though uncharacteristic to what Baltimore typically looks like, they had some weird stuff going in this game. So Gardner Minshew the one major error he made, he had like a dan Orlovsky esque safety where he stepped out of the back of the end zone tofee that made it nineteen to sixteen late in the game, okay, And so the Ravens get the ball back with two ZHO three left on the ensuing kickoff after the safety, and

They have the ball for twenty two seconds. The Colts get the ball back.

That's where you get Matt Gay's first fifty three or field goal that ties at nineteen nineteen. All right, but the Colts themselves did that so quickly that they left fifty seven seconds on the clock. A second problem I have here because Lamar Jackson opened up wonderfully five for five. You only had seven completions in the first half, like their offense was kind of hinky. And at one point, now you're on this drive and you need to get

It's a clear place for you throw the ball away. You're not in a good situation.

It's raining, and instead of it, Lamar, like, you know, assuming that he's got this escapability, which.

He does, he doesn't escape. The Colts are all over him.

He's being dragged to the ground and then at that point tries to whip the ball, flinging out of bounds, but it's ruled that his knee touches. So you're now sitting at third and twenty and he hits Nelson Aguila for eighteen yards. But then you're in this fourth and two position where had you been smarter, you might have gotten further up. That's why Justin Tucker is forced to try to hit a sixty one yarder.

That is like a foot short.

He made it, though he thought it looked announcer stuff.

He did.

First he thought it was Tucker Knight, and then suddenly this guy who doesn't get a lot of credit. But oh, by the way, hit a ton of big time kicks to win the Super Bowl, gets the biggest contracted kicker history.

And it's Matt Gay Knight. Hey.

Yeah, well, I think it would have been justin Tucker Knight had they done a few things in the final two minutes of that game.

There, he thought he made it, though he was disappointed it.

It was right down the middle.

They can't see if it went in or not if you're in front of it. But like, they are missing so many guys.

I like, I don't know it. They didn't have Justice Hill or Gus Edwards at one point in this game.

Their injury report was prepossibly Friday. It was seven starters.

Yeah, and I think like the ARLN Humphrey absence, Marcus Williams, Like that's where some of the big players came for the Colts. Pass I want to mention one wonder guy before I passed off, Like Kyle Hamilton three sacks in the first half. He tied the record for most sacks in the game by defensive back in NFL history. Was absolutely dominant tackles in the backfield. Batted passes created so many problems for the Colts. They have a potential star player.

Hmm, annoying loss for the Ravens. You got to get the three?

And oh here, how about the first place Colts three weeks into the season.

All every week, fist every week this season. They've been interesting to watch and for the most part successful. In fact, the game they lost was the home game. They've won both their road contests in this in that AFC South. This Duck's gonna hunt.

Pittman's a real player too. I think they've a slack guy in Downs. Pittman having a nice contract year.

Let's hope Anthony Richardson's on the field next week.

It's signs are pointing toward him clearing concussion protocol and you put him back on the line. But as much as I like Minshew, the team gets dangerous and Jonathan Taylor hypothetically returns.

At some point. All right, let's keep moving. Uh all right?

Seriously though, enough time to restore order. Chiefs against Bears. Wait a second, not just kidding.

It was in blood blat the third down goal to go for the Chiefs with the three yard live Mahomes looking right back of.

The U zone, cut touchdown Kansas City for the forty eight times finds Travis Kelcey nine yards deep in the end zone and the Chiefs lead forty to nothing, three touchdown passes.

For Patrick Mahomes.

I'll tell you what that felt strangely important because the game obviously is way out of hand.

The Bears aren't even a real team right now.

But yeah, Taylor Swift, Swift potentially the most famous woman on the planet right now, flying to Kansas City. Oh yeah, Travis Kelcey, if you're boat racing a team the way the Chiefs are doing and you got te Swift up there, better get Kelsey a TD in this game. And I really think they were that last drive and Homes exited shortly after. He's like, we're Kelsey's scoring here and then

But there's just wide open prairie lands for these Chiefs receivers. And in fact, if Juwan Taylor, who got benched again by the way, their right tackle doesn't continually offside or an illegal procedure by being too far off the line of scrimmage, they would have scored another touchdown at the end of the half on a completely uncovered Chiefs receiver wandering into the end zone.

That costs MBS a score. So the Chiefs make it easy look easy, and the Bears have never looked more lost.

Well, I think you can put it like, yes, it's the Chiefs, but it's the twenty twenty three Chiefs who had struggled in back to back weeks against defenses who've had pretty bad days this season, you know, So you can't put it on iber Flus, he's a defensive coach, and his defensive coordinator left. There was some more reporting about that that was something that he did in the building. But they were dead last in every single possible defensive category since the day eber Flues took over in twenty

I think they came in with an essentially on paper non existent pass rush. I'm with you, Dan, they stand out. It's it's the terrible week they had off the field too, you know. I think on top of everything else that we've talked about, you know that thieves robbers broke into Soldier Field during the week and stole over one hundred thousand dollars of loot.

I don't sure what the loot was. It's like, you're having a bad week, You're having a bad year.

Bears and Mahomes has made a lot of defenses look sorry in his brilliant career, but it never looked easier than it did for Pat Mahomes in this game. His his numbers are great for he played like three plus quarters twenty four thirty three, two seventy two, three touchdowns, no picks, wasn't sacked, pass rating one twenty seven. He could have easily had five touchdown passes in the first

That's just the way it seems.

It's it's the second week in a row where they're spending the second half panning the Bears bench, and they about a tangible kind of downbeat, low energy a week ago, and like you saw it all over again, and I Justin Fields, like I got hurt at one point in this game for like the fifth time in like a year, and like Justin Field's the passer who seemed to grow at the end of last season. Obviously we saw we

And again he's also this is a team wide meltdown. He throws a beautiful dime to DJ Moore, who is supposed to be the guy now goes right through his hands. You could not have thrown a better ball. That's like a fifty yard game wiped away because his number one

Well you heard you saw some disturbing reports. If if I was eber Fluse on Sunday morning, kind of like, actually, we rally the troops and it brought us together and there was high energy, and we had great practices. When you hear the great practices, you know, it's it's it's trouble. Like we feel really good about this going into the game, and then you come out and this shows up. And I think Eubrafluse could lose his job Dan, but there's no one to replace him on the roster because gets

And not that I doubt it.

I know a lot of football fans are not even interested in the tailor swift side of things and find it annoying how many times they were cutting back to the booth. But like, she exists in a very special tier of celebrity right now, Like, there are very few people in pop culture that have attained a level of success and fame that she's at. Like if she is actually dating Travis Kelcey, Now this is I'm not gonna use the D word distraction, but it's a it's like

I mean you You've been a big time Swift fan for as long as I've known you. So what are your feelings? I know you haven't watched Catching Kelsey Wes and Keisha's you know favorite show back in the day.

They were the only two people that watch. Are you happy with? Just like, what are you?

What are your feelings? What are your feelings?

I think, yeah, I think he's a he's a good catch, nailed it. I also think, uh, it probably feels pretty doomed.

I don't know. It seems I don't.

Really good girlfriend points for like the way she was interacting with Donna Kelcey up in the little suite there.

They seemed to be getting along for real. It seemed real and organic to me. There's no way to talk about what we're talking about. The name. No, but no, there is not not on this show. No.

I'm looking at some footage of her, her and Travis leaving with like the chief's jacket wrapped around her rais.

And asked this one question. Mark, answer this one question, then we'll move on. Are they both having a light dinner tonight?

I'd say certainly, yes, I believe it. Let's move on for the first time, and they having a light dinner? Absolutely not in my mind.

On second down and goal now from the five, let's leave it.

Don play fake.

Gino's gonna throw it back at the end zone, reaching up making the catch.

It's in a touchdown. Agree to disagree? Do you disagree?

Hard down Seahawks, We're still waiting.

Yes, touchdowns Boks.

Jake Bobo high throw.

Back line of the end zone that took the official forever.

Ye throw that official under the bus. I love it. Who said, who said that cool names are gone? Who said there are no more cool names? Jake Bobo?

Yeah, Baby, Steve Ray with the call k I r Oh. The Seahawks were back at it on offense after a tough Week one, big Week two, and now a big Week three. They rushed for one hundred and forty six yards on the ground. Gino Smith throws a touchdown, throws are nearly three hundred, and the Seahawks roll thirty seven to twenty seven over the Panthers greg ten point final. This is a pretty close game throughout with Andy Dalton starting.

For the rookie Yeah, and Andy Dalton I think gave them a much better chance to win. He played well. It just proves the infinite wisdom of the Dalton scale.

I think the Dalton.

Scale still exists. I think Andy Dalton is still the perfect person for the Dalton line in twenty twenty three because you throw him in there in a terrible situation where he's has no running game and he's under pressure, and he kept them in it for like three and a half quarters only because he could deliver under pressure. I think the numbers were crazy, with something like seventy percent of plays he was pressured on, and their offensive line is terrible, and the Seahawks, who I don't think

Is there any world where like maybe you keep Dalton in there for a while, or is it like, you know, no matter what, we just need Thrice young to I mean, I think it's the latter.

But it's just like, oh, why would you don't you want the rookie to develop? Oh but I do. I do, But I think it just they they seem more competent. I don't know.

Yeah, So Thielan goes eleven and a touchdown. DJ Shark had four for eighty six, including you know beautiful throw by. Dalton really played quite well in this game under the circumstances. I would say he outplayed Gino. I guess for most of it. Gino had a couple turnover where he plays early that got away with. Did have one interception, and then he played really well in the second half and they steamrolled. The injuries on both sides are though this outrageous.

CG.

Henderson, who had replaced J. C. Horn, Frankie Luvu, who's been maybe their best player this year. Xavier Woods starting safety Jonathan Mingo had concussion at receiver. The Seahawks at one point lost the fourth of their fifth starting offensive lineman, so they're playing without three starters. They actually got him back later in the game, and Jaren Reid played well in metcalf and I'm encouraged that they have a running game ken Walker. Some of the moves when you see

In this game that took my breath away, like Sharon too, and Mark yeah, Mark and Greg yeah.

Zach carbonated what he did to Sam Franklin that was on the goal line.

I'm sure if you want to get it like a detailed, multiple angle look at it.

I have a good feeling, without consulting with the talent or the producers, that that is the angry run of Good Morning Football Monday telecast, that poor man Sam Franklin got thrown five yards near the goal line, Like you don't really you don't come back from that. That's kind of it.

Now I need to see the replay because I feel like, I feel like he got up so quickly. I hadn't heard of him either. I think he's like the backup to the backup.

He's I think he's gone.

Remember in the old video games where the bad guy would die and then he would just like disappear. Sure, that's what happened to poor Sam Franklin.

It's unfair because I think I got to watch it again. But I think he might have done the thing where he popped up and pretended to try to celebrate, almost to throw the people off the set because it was it wasn't a touchdown he did. He did go out at like the one yard light, so he was like, yeah, I stopped you.

But Roberts and Chavez are all over this. We're going to watch watch us on YouTube. We haven't seen it. This is not fair and this is what you're talking about watching the finish.

No, Jesus Christ, give me a little Jonathan Jesus Christ, just preach all he went not an exaggerations.

Also like.

His left leg and that it almost propels him even farther away from the scene.

That's Sam Franklin is probably the greatest high school athlete that ever graced his particular school right and he was just thrown seven feet seven yards and then evaporated.

Not a high point, toughy anything else.

I mean this, you know, was a courageous lock. That Gino came through for me in the clutch.

We see what you're doing.

Thanks Gina for Jack.

All right, well one more game. It's Sunday night football. Canny run over ten yards is chunk now? This big bootleg left.

Goes from the end zone, touchdown Steelers pet Tyler Mooth his.

Second of the year. Feels it sweet move it is right there. What a great job. I'm telling you what. That's a great corner route by the moon. No the Mooth Bill Hillgrove with the call WV.

Beautiful drive there led by Kenny Pickett uh the clinching score for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who withstand a late comeback attempt by the Raiders in a twenty three to eighteen win in Vegas in a game attended forget about Taylor Swift.

Carrie Underwood was in the truck.

At NBC watching her own Sunday Night football team and like bobbing her head.

Well, that okay, a bona fide star. But I don't even forget about Taylor Swift.

You know who I want to forget about. And we're gonna talk about the Steelers. Josh McDaniels.

I can't do it.

I mean, and I imagine how Raiders fans feel. I mean, what are we doing?

Like, what what are we trying to do?

Okay, it's twenty three seven and they score a touchdown, they get a two point conversion, it's twenty three to fifteen.

It's an eight point game.

They get stopped what around the twenty five or so, Gregie, and they bring out the field goal team and then they kick the field goal. But wait, there's a penalty leverage. Kind of a soft call. But whatever, absurd call I didn't believe. I didn't agree with the first decision to send out Daniel Carlson was fourth and six, you're down by eight.

It's in the second half.

Of the fourth quarter, three point fifteen to go.

They then get down inside the ten yard line. It's fourth and four. You're down eight four yards six.

Plus two equals eight, and you kick a field goal because you're so confident all of a sudden in your defense to get a stop and get the ball back, which of course they don't because the football gods are like up your nose of the rev a hose, I mean, Josh McDaniels. That boggles the mind, like this is this is an offensive guru who has like four hundred Super Bowl rings.

I'm surprised we didn't choose Daniel Carlson's twenty six yard field goal as the highlight. It's a description sas mcdaniels's favorite play. It's so insane, like make a monument to cutting the lead to five, fash McDaniels, because in the world that you're this confidence world that the two twenty twenty three Raiders are going to get a three and out,

What's happening?

This is like a under Josh McDaniels. The Raiders are an identity free offense beyond DeVante Adams, where other coaches around the league have gotten more aggressive. This is how he approaches the end of the game. We watched this in a different place. I was sitting there.

Baffled by this, like what are we doing?

Because what is suggests number one that you're gonna get out of a second drive without a Jimmy g interception or turnover.

He leads the league and picks they can't run the ball.

Beyond DeVante Adams, you got nothing going on, and you're gonna put yourself into a perilous situation like that. Josh McDaniels he literally lowers my enjoyment of the game. I was watching that being like this raid I am friends with some Raiders fans or the texts are coming in left and right on this group that and like they've lost. They're just like, how how dull to the eyes? Can the Raiders possibly be?

What do they do?

Well? What is their identity? But it's like dull to the eye. Sure, but I'm saying, just a strategic standpoint, there's nothing dull about twenty three fifteen, fourth down inside the opponent's like five yard line with a chance to potentially tie the game.

I must have been fourth and seventeen, right, and then you kick the field Oh no way, it's fourth and four, say four.

Yards, and you kick the field goal, and and you know what, it wasn't just me, Greggie, I think you felt the same way.

Mark. I'm sure you felt the same way.

When Matt Canada, to his credit, has the perfect play call on that third down or second down to pick up the first down, that effectively the end of it.

You know what, good take it, yep, Josh McDaniels, learn from it, yep.

But the clock's ticking, my friend, because I would imagine I don't know what you guys think about Mark Davis and his football acumen and his level of patience, but that had to be a re annoying game to watch. Is the owner as well watching the decision making those made in crunch time.

I mean, you've given Jacoby Meyers sixteen million dollars guaranteed he's an incredible number two receiver. He's three times the receiver that Juju Smith Schuster is, who got the same amount of money from the Patriot.

Rag was going through some things all I mean, sir, it's the one.

Receiver the Patriots have developed in the last fifteen years and you let him walk away for Juju Smith Schuster.

Toughy.

Then that's on one side of the field, match up against Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson. On the other side of the field, you have a first ballot Hall of Famer who has one hundred and seventy two yards and two touchdowns. How about we give one of those two guys a chance to get five yards.

Couldn't do it. Wouldn't do it.

On the Steelers side, progress for offense and you needed that, you needed something. I'm not saying they were over the moon here with offense, they only have three hundred and thirty three total yards. But like I said at the top, that drive finishing with the fire move touchdown was really clinical. It was it was you guys watched the games that I didn't in preseason. I bet that's what it looked like. That's what That's how they drew it up in preseason

Yeah, I'll take it in streaks.

I mean, they had a period in this game where they scored on five of six drives and then they kind of quiet at the end and that you know, it's like you can't count on them the whole game. But I just see guys like Calvin Austin, Jalen Warren, George Pickens, and then Kenny Pickett in that stretch where they were productive tonight.

I thought he threw the ball with confidence.

It's like he was pretty well protected and like he had one near terrible pick six on a throw to Marcus Peters that didn't happen, so changed the game absolutely, But like, but you got a better version of Kenny Pickett tonight. It's They've been a mystery to me because man, Matt Canada obviously like the subject of much higher I I don't. I'm surprised he's still on the team, to

So it's like you build off it.

I mean it helps, you know, going against the Raiders pretty limited pass rush outside of Max Crosby. Uh, but I agree with you. They got into a rhythm. He made some throws inside the pocket, which was nice to see, not just scrambling, and you know they do have a defense to rely on. Look TJ. Watt another couple of sacks. He's up to six. This defensive Player of the Year race. I hate people talking about races after week three, but it is it is kind of a race.

I feel like there is something hand once and for all.

I think there is something here between him, Wat Garrett especially and Parsons starting off the three of them like a house on fire. Those are three truly great players that are gonna have this race, and then they they found someone else they have they always uncover these defensive linemen Keanu Benton, who's more of a no tackle defensive tackle, but getting up the field like he's had another couple of good weeks here, and he took over that game for a little bit in the second half.

Set that's sack he had, he was in the backfield in the blink of an eye. And the takedown of Jimmy g all right, any other thoughts.

Big win, Now, that's it.

I don't. I will not select when we do our drafts.

I will not select a game involving the Raiders unless I'm forced into it, and with the final pick.

Again this season, I cannot. I have to do it. Well, this is in self.

Well, this is a primetime game and they have I think four more mark so you can't.

That's that's general. Why on earth were they given four of these games? I mean, I know why.

It's the Raiders. By the way, you're in Las Vegas and your shiny new stadium. You guys didn't have sound where you were like, it was essentially three Rivers.

It was terrible. Towers left and right, I don't have AirPod we in the.

In the film room, which, by the way, I got off a joke that got Steve Smith.

In that place. Just turned back to Greg the row behind me and just bang game the thumbs up. I saw. I saw.

That's why you're in the film room to get that type of reaction from a Hall of Famer from Steve Smith. And yes, the sound wasn't on in there, and there's like fourteen guys sitting in there just listening, watching a screen with no sound. And then I just my mind was blown that everyone was just sitting in there in total silence.

Well that was my reactions. I don't have my air pods with me. I'll bring him next week at the place is going to be non functional. It's like I was out of there smart right, right, didn't make it. I didn't make Steve Smith laugh with my exit or entrance, but uh, you know.

It was a guffaw.

I also got some good juju juju takes from him.

I mean, leave it there, let him share those if he chooses to. What was the What was the bit I want to hear the juju much more? Was my bit?

It was something about nothing a thumbs down is.

Oh yeah, it just so happens that on a p I call in the end zone, the defender for the Steelers gave a thumbs down to the referee and I said, you know, good, I think, I said, a good thumbs down is kind.

Of like underrated. You don't see it enough. And Smithy went off with laughter, and I just turned back. I look at Greg him the thumbs up. Yeah, as you should.

I think that, you know, you know, in life, especially as you get older, it's kind of like the little things that you take joy in wherever you can find it, little pockets of happiness.

Good at, good at.

By the way, I was off by one, you guys reminded me that the eighteen game second year of the eighteen game schedule, I thought this was this is the third, Yes, so I think this was our set seventy fifth Sunday flagship show in the regular seas. One hundred and seventy fifth feels that way, one hundred and seventy five. Yeah, that's because it is according to our conversation.

All right, this is this is when you know it's on. It's like Sunday night at nine pm. Give me a break, all right, see you Monday night. Heed the call