2023 Week 9 Recap

They Around the NFL podcast.

It's Spongos time from the Chris Wesley podcast studio. It's Around the NFL the Flag Shift Program Week nine. Dan Hans is here with heroes Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler and boys.

I have to say, came.

In to the office today, or I would I should say, you know, settling in for the ten am or the one pm Eastern games today.

And I'm thinking to myself, Oh, I don't know.

I do not know, because let's face it, the Case Miami game had a nice ending, but it wasn't kind of what we were expecting or hoping for, which was like a glorious shootout. And then I looked at six rookie quarterbacks starting on the slate for Sunday, and even beyond those six rookies, a bunch of like backups or kind of journeymen dotted across the landscape, and I was thinking this could be a bad Sunday rough seas and then Gregy the game started and we got some bangers.

I think this is the best Sunday. Not only does that have the most big games. So that's important. And I think the Dolphins Chiefs was intriguing in that it felt like a big game.

And we'll get into all that.

But if one Sunday deserves bongos just as a Sunday, this is it.

Some all hit it.

Yeah, I think there's almost no close second place. I mean it delivered in ways that I think to the point where this is the first Sunday that I recall the three of us gathered around Dan's screen watching the old one of these games, holding hands, embracing together. That hasn't happened a lot in the late window.

NFL is kind of undefeated when he can get like mini classics out of Texans Bucks and what was the other one?

Vikings Falcons in week ten?

Yeah, some unexpected bangers today, But yes, I think everyone expected Philly Dallas to bring the goods and it did.

So why do why not start there?

Let's head to Philly where the Cowboys were looking to make a statement and the Eagles were looking to keep pace or maintain pace a top.

The NFC Eagles.

Are five stuconds away from going eight and one.

What happened?

Prescott back again?

He steps up, he pumps he fires and it's caught, but he's tackled.

Tackled of Ceedee Lamb at the two yard line.

I think gave us over the Eagles win.

What a heavyweight fight we've witnessed.

This is great football.

There you go, mel Ree and Mike Quick with the call w IP.

It was. It was a great fight. We talked about it on Thursday.

It's like, hey, Dallas win a game, a mega statement, or let's go back and forth, you know, show up, and they certainly did. But ultimately, despite the Eagles kind of doing everything they could down the street much to blow that game the Cowboys and this was a theme in this game, just we're falling short time and time again, ending with that Ceedee Lamb reception and tackle inside the five yard line. Final score Eagles twenty eight, Cowboys twenty three.

I did not at all like it.

Just the wholeso rides on you nailing the tone.

I don't need anything.

I am summing it all up succinctly.

Sure, well, we'll see if that happens. That's not my skill set.

And we could we're going to go through them.

But the Cowboys had so many little micro moments where they could have stole this one, and yet they fell short each and everything.

The word because I think the theme when we previewed this was to your point, like, Okay, asking for a win out of pocket or everything else is worthless, is a lot, but don't go and fold the tent out of the gate, And they did not. I thought you got a really high quality game out of Dak Prescott's ceedee lamb gives you one hundred and ninety one yards. I mean a lot of what you were asking for happened.

Them, right.

I mean, in those final minutes it was third and twenty six because Dak gets sacked on back to back plays and Greg the Eagles allowed fifty six yards of penalties that allowed the Cowboys to get to the six yard line. And these are penalties not just bad in terms of, you know, not taking care of business at

Brad Bury gets hurt on the first DPI. He's been having a bad year. There was a you know, just a mental mistake by Hassan Reddick. There was an encroachment by Carter and yet I look at this game and it's a fun game to analyze because I think every part, every aspect of both teams had great moments and bad moments. So it's not easy like pin blame or this guy's the hero. But ultimately it's another game where at the very end of the game, it's Philly's pass rushers who

Like it ever was.

I was getting flashbacks to the Patriots Super Bowl with that play that Brandon Graham almost ended the game. I thought Doc did a nice job even just holding onto the ball. And yeah, the Cowboys are gonna be really wishing that they had taken these opportunities because I think they played the Eagles well. But it's just not surprising to me because Philadelphia has so many different areas, and it's always those guys up front on defense that end up closing it out.

Let's talk about some injuries that the Eagles incurred in this game. Jalen Hurts will start here. He gets whacked in the knee right before the half and he limps off the field. They show him coming out of the tunnel after the half and he's got a real limp and it's like, Oh, what's going on with him? They promptly leads him right down the field for a touchdown after the game. Didn't make up any didn't make anything of it, but it was a scary moment for them.

The tight end went down hard on his arm after the game.

In the locker room, he saw him in a sling and it looked like he's going to be missing significant time as well.

So they don't get out of this clean.

We mentioned the secondary injuries on that last drive, so Philly paid the price.

But they're eight and one.

They get a buye, they.

Get up, they get a they're going into a buy now to get healthy. They're eight and one and the Cowboys are now five and three. Uh, and it does. Although this was a much better Dallas showing than we saw against San Francisco. God, that's you start to get that feeling if you're on the on the Cowboys, like are we ever going to get over the hump against these guys?

Yeah, because you know, in a long season there's real estate that can be made up down the road. But losing this game puts you in a tough spot, puts everyone in a tough spot in the NFC East. And it's not we're not too far away to think about which one of these teams is going to get that that one buy in the And it's like this was a kind of a necessary lever pull for Dallas. I think to make a statement and you know, make up ground, and the opposite happened, and yet I don't come out

Well, Deck, Deck's playing really well.

The end about gaining, he played awesome, I thought. I think he's been near perfect for three weeks. Although that one throw it at Tovert really it was a big spot and it was like the one really bad thing.

That's what I talking about.

And the City Lamb, I mean, I know he's been huge the last two weeks of them, but this guy cannot be covered in this game. He's in one on one coverage in the end zone. Give Cede Lamb a chance to win a jump ball and win that ball game.

And that one that one spot. Yes, but they did target him sixteen times.

It wasn't told.

It was in ferget. Ferguson is stepping up as a real guy. I mean, he has replaced Dalton Schultz and maybe maybe not extra, but he's at least replaced Dalton Sultz.

They have certain things to be proud of. I did.

Their defense was disappointing, you know, especially in the third quarter. But in the first half of this game, Dallas is putting up touchdowns and the defense is just letting Philadelphia do the same. Right back and the Eagles get touchdowns in four of their first six drives, but you can't kill them that much when they forced three to three and outs in the fourth quarter to set it back up for the offense. And so that's why I look at this and both teams have a lot to work

And I'll throw out the next two games for Dallas or maybe against the two worst teams in the league or two of the three worst teams. You got Giants on their fourteenth string quarterback and then at Panthers. So like I mean, if they could have found a way in this game, they really would have had some momentum. And then who knows where this division goes. It's still

But they're figuring it out and winning as they go to They can't, I said, I mean.

They're not healthy.

You can't.

You can't demean them for that, because that's one of the hardest things to do is to win while you're you know, not playing your best ball. But I don't get the feeling that they're playing like at a high level, at least compared to what we were seeing from them last year.

I think that they keep getting compared to themselves from a year ago. And you're right, it's and they were such a contrast last year's team to the Eagles team from the year before, and so we want what happened last year, and it's like it's been imperfect. But I love the by coming up right now because I don't know, like Jalen Hurts has been testing when been asked about his knee and when he went down today, I did not look good to me at all.

Well, and he looks slow on a play before that knee injury. Yeah, and happened where I forget which Dallas defender ended up runing him down by I'm just thinking like that would not have happened if he is healthy I just I.

Don't know if a solves all that, but it couldn't come in a better time because they're banged up all over the place and Goddard was playing really well for.

Them twenty four and three with Jalen Hurts as the starter. That's including the playoffs in the Super Bowl.

Damn good.

So it's even better in the regular season. But twenty four and three, I mean they I think winning becomes a habit there. They're winners. They find different ways to win. They can win any style of game. If they're not running the ball, like they haven't been able to last two or three weeks, I think that's concerning, but they still can find a way.

They have the same DNA as the next team we're about to talk about, a team that did outlast them, just barely in the Super Bowl, where when it does come down to those last couple of minutes the crucible, they always seem to find a way. That is the Kansas City Chiefs.

M let's head to Germany.

Very nice, Well, the Dolphins at the Kansas City thirty Chiefs lead fourteen or nothing.

They'll throw it in near site.

Tyreek Hill him right, Oh no, Tyrek col tumble, recovery, cut the side down.

Pick cups, Bi gets high stepping.

Touchdown chanceas City Whi Edwards.

Hit Tyreek Kill right in the stomach.

The ball came out and Brian Cook would not.

Let the play in.

Welcome to Jeremany, chief safety would turn this out.

All day long.

Chief safety Brian Cook took a fumble returned fifty nine yards for what turned out to be the decisive touchdown. The Chiefs are up twenty one zip after that late in the first half. They hang on for twenty one to fourteen win over the Dolphins at Deutsche Bank Arc in Frankfurt, Germany. Great vibe, they're great scene. Great job by rich and Orlowski and the mccordy and the whole crew there was. That was a good vibe, good game.

Fun.

The comeback fell short when Tua Tungevailoa could not handle a snap on fourth and ten from the case thirty one with one o three to play. Greg This game was again it's it's hard to what it's confounding watching the Chiefs this year because everything is so hard on offense and we're right now back into this.

It's two weeks weeks in a row.

Where you're just like watching and you're like, man, Mahomes is going on and off the field and the punter keeps coming out, and I thought it was an interesting, it was kind of funny, quite frankly moment when before their last possession, their last real possession, they had done nothing in the second half and they were about I want to say, around three minutes left. Don't hold me that it was about two to four minutes left, but

And then what happens three and out again and they had.

To to a third down play call there too.

Bizarre, I don't know.

So there are a lot of things where it's just like scratching my head about what's going on with the Chiefs. But anyway, the defense got the big stop in the end, and it was the defense that saved him.

It's a defense Greg.

That has you know, this team, you know, in position again for home field advantage. But it's hard not to think about the other stuff.

It is, but they're very they're symbolic of this season, like these are the two best teams in terms of seeding heading into the day in the AFC. This was a show piece game. I mean, the NFL network looked at this at the beginning of the season. They thought, oh, this could be great, and it ended up being a winner. But like twenty the rest of twenty twenty three, defenses are winning like points are down, yards are down, big players are down. Everything is down, and even in a

On the last two drives.

The Dolphins got two different chances after they had already caught up twenty one to fourteen, which was largely because of their defense holding the Chiefs under fifty yards fifty in the second half, forcing a turnover on Mahomes, which gave them a short field, and they took advantage of that.

Yeah, the Dolphins, you know, atypical to everything else we've seen this season except when they seem to play Super Bowl contenders, did not convert a third down until six minutes left in the third quarter, and it looked like it. And it's like I thought this was one game where Tua and Miami kept getting into second and long, third and long.

They were not making the plays. The early three quarters, they couldn't do much.

And like I, this is a star even though defenses might be you know, trending up in across the league. Like all we we asked questions about Kansas City's offense week upt a week and that's fine, but they have like a super Bowl level star defense, like Trent McDuffie is has been out of this world and like, these guys are making plays. And I thought that today Steve Spagnola like to basically undo Miami's passing game.

The way they did was a real feat.

And it leaves me with some questions about Miami because when they've had to go and play the better teams, this offense has not shown up the way it has against lesser company.

Offense hasn't been good enough against good teams.

That's yeah.

They're now zero and three against you know, every big team they've faced, and they can and Dolphins fans.

Great today by the way their defense standing.

It was their best defensive showing it and they.

Say, oh, that's just you know, everyone's talking about that. It's like, well, it's true. Like that is now three true Super Bowl contenders you've faced, and they've all beaten you, and this one, you least you made it interesting. But you got your butt handed to you at the half and then weren't able to dig out of the hole. And yeah, you got to put I mean you got to put the loss on Tua ultimately, I think because

Was a miscommunication.

He clearly thought Wilson was gonna look at the coverage break off the route.

And he was wide open.

He beat his man and was and waving his hands and it didn't get close to him.

Uh.

And then right after that he's unable to hold on to the snap and that leads to the turnover.

Here's too on those two plays, that essentially decided.

Things with what happened with me and said that was just miscommunication. And you know, in big time moments, those things like that can happen. So you know, I I I gotta throw a better ball.

You know, it was just miscommunication there.

And then with with the last play of the game. I mean, I'm always gonna blame myself. I I you know, I got to catch the ball. So whether that's getting in a in a better position to catch it or whatever it is. Can't end the game like that when we have an opportunity like that against a really good team.

And I'm not going to flame Tua like overly because listen, ultimately it was against a very good defense and the snap could have been better and if there's a miscommunication there, that there is. But at the same time, you have to find a way in that spot, and he didn't, and they didn't.

No, they're an offensive team and they were sloppy. Sometimes the game is lost in the first half. Like Tua's best throws of the day were totally blown by his teammates. They also had injuries on the offensive. I think about the great back shoulder he had to Tyreek Hill, except in the first half, except there was an illegal shift on Cedric Wilson where he just like messes it up. That's points, Dan, like, that's either three points or seven points.

It does not look this way in the box score, but I thought that the Chiefs there were little moments of hope where they got some helping hands because the Dolphins defense mcfonto did a nice job of essentially removing Travis Kelce from this game, but Kadarius Tony had little moments. Sky Moore had a big catch on second and twelve Jerreed McKinnon had that catch and run into the end Zone's like, it's just it's a start.

Rashie Rice, I.

Think, is like becoming the guy you hope he can become. And it's like it doesn't look like a whole sale operation at this point. But it was a better than it was better than other weeks considering Kelsey was a raised.

Just absolutely disagree.

I thought it was more disheartening as the season's going deeper now, and it made me think about how, oh the trade deadline just happened and they sat on their hands and didn't bring in another real weapon here, I thought, Rashid Rice, he gets the touchdown on the first drive, he has that great catch there, and that's good. Those are the only two targets he had in the game.

And that's sort of on mahomes the team.

And this is what and and Mark you know this the Chiefs Browns playoff game a few years back on that ballzy call with the backup quarterback on third and short, Like they've had so many plays in their back pocket where they're confident they could execute a pass play in those situations. But the fact that that was like no, hope. I was like, who are these guys? And I don't know. I don't want to say because Kelsey could easily go off Greg for ten for two oh five and three

You want to talk yoh, was just a little bit.

I think I would not talk any because look, he's on pace for like twelve hundred yards.

Yeah, but we could say that all day and the weapons around him, I can't say that.

And I've thought the same thing you mentioned on the Thursday show. You see it on Twitter. It's like everybody's going nuts about the Chiefs offense, but they're seventh in DVOA and those like, But it's like, no, they don't pass the eye test a truly dangerous offense anymore.

I agree with that.

It's the people around him, and I think that play at the end. At some point you got to grow up and let Patrick Mahomes sneak the ball. The game was literally over. There was one player between the A and the B game. There's one player between the center and the two guards. The Miami decided to set up in that spot like we know you're not gonna sneak it. Like if that's Tom Brady, if that's Jimmy Garoppolo, if

Got hurt got Banks.

Yeah, So you either got to be able to run forward with Pacheco for a yard or in that scenario, you have to give him the choice to do it. One last thing I want to say on this game is I think Brett Beach is loving this game because Trent mcdovey made that play and Trent mcdovey might make the Pro Bowl this year as a cornerback, and Trent mcdovey is on the Kansas City Chiefs in part because in large part because they traded Tyreek Hill. They ended up making trade, so it's not as like thin but

Absolutely on and that's one reason this defense is what it is. But flip side, I think Brett Beach would acknowledge, like, yeah, not only have we not replaced Tyreek Hill, like it's it is potentially our achilles heel this season.

You know what's gone, The baps, the big ass plays, they're just gone from the offense. And that's what Mahomes built his legend on and he was able to win the Super Bowl last year in the VP without baps also, but now you're stripping off another layer this year.

And this just I hear you.

It's not bad.

You play to win the game. It's it's seven and two. They're a different sort of team. They're a different team.

I understand. Maybe I'm just a little you know what I wanted. I kind of wanted forty one thirty eight to minute.

Yeah, I'm with you, Yeah, I think wanted it. But you know what they ended up getting. I was worried when I was twenty one nothing. I'm like, man, is that is this? They gonna get a stinker?

I can't And I was the one early in September saying let's let the Chiefs figure this out. But I'm just I guess the reason I'm now like honking about this is it's like we're a little too late in the season now and again after the trade deadline to still be asking when are they going to figure things out?

They are the hea, They're a I would say because of the schedule, they're a sizeable favorite to be the one seed.

You are less concerned than I, maybe, but.

No, I'm just saying, just they're seven and two and their schedule, and I.

Hear you, and you have every right to be confident in the team.

And I like, they're seven to two with Mahomes and Reid and things could be a lot worse.

It's just a little strange watching them now. Just weird, all right? You know what else? Is weird.

I did like the ref taking a call in German?

Oh yeah, added a gate.

I'm sure that was planned.

Just it's done, number eighty forty.

I don't know. We're gonna have to be hooked on phonics for this game?

Was that.

All starting German did?

That's a var rich, it's a var.

My goodness, it's chose Claypool moving.

That game happened about twenty seven hours ago. It just came to my mind now. But like it was, it seemed like they probably I think they cooked they cooked that up probably before, like the guy knew we would be saying, you know, saying that line, but uh, there you go.

You know what else is weird?

Remember on this very show a Sunday late in the season when we were like freaking out because Lovey Smith.

I don't even remember the circumstances anymore.

But wild stuff went down that allowed the Texans to win a game that allowed the number one overall pick to go to Chicago.

Oh does that? Greg love that game?

And it was the Texans now locked in at number two, and there was so much freaking out about it because hy would Houston win that absurd game and they were not going to get the guy that they.

Want, Davis Mills's finest moment against the Colt.

Right, And so that led to the Carolina Panthers trading for the first pick and getting Bryce Young and we'll get to that later, and the Texans having to quote settle CJ.

Stroud, that feels like a very silly thought.

Now, first down of the Bucks, fifteen ten seconds to go. CJ gets the snap, CJ looking throwing to the Enzell.

So with the reception, rock Acrol.

Want to come back. Oh you got it.

Oh it deserves it, you got it.

Strap strap strap struck strap strop from struck struck.

CJ.

Stroud threw for five touchdowns and a rookie record four hundred and seventy yards. What the final yardage and touchdown coming on a brilliant touchdown drive when they were down four with less than a minute to go.

And I love this quote. Shout out to the AP.

Here's what he said, give me the ball, call the plays. I'm gonna make the plays. And he did so, rookie lifting the Texans to a thirty nine Oh keep it going, lifting the Texans to a thirty nine, thirty seven win over the Bucks. Let's welcome in a friend. Mark VanderMeer, he's got that rock and roll play call. Or we're gonna start hearing that again. Nick Schuck, we got you, We got you one and done today. But man, it's quite a one.

CJ.

Stroud, he just locked up. He just locked up Rookie of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the year. And I'm wondering where he's gonna be on the next QB Index top top eight.

Oh, it's tough that you'll do this to me right now.

I mean, what was it?

Sitting twelve thirteen for a while, four hundred and seventy yards? He just said it the rookie record for most yards in a game. He also posted the highest Next Gen Stats passing score of any quarterback in the league on Sunday at ninety six.

And it was a game that.

Was absolutely fitting of that score. Do I can I explain that scored?

Please? Ok? But we gotta keep it, keep doing that, Yes.

Exactly, guys. This is a game in which the Buccaneers went to halftime in relative control. Okay, let me just break this down for you real quick. They come out, they kick a field goal. It's twenty to ten.

Early third.

From then on, they were outscored twenty nine to seventeen. The Texans drives from there. This is how stupid this is. From their first possession in the start of the third quarter, go touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, field goal kicked by a running back Dario and Goombawale by the way, Oh we'll get to that.

Kyami Fairburn was my good punt.

And then a touchdown drive that covered seventy five yards in forty seconds with no timeouts with a rookie quarterback. Okay, this was one of the greatest games I think I've ever seen, not because it was perfectly played football, but just because it was incredibly thrilling. It had everything, and the final play of significance made me shout in my future mother in laws spare pedrim metterhouse. Okay, that's the type of.

Game it was, Nicholas, are you Okay?

Luckily she wasn't here.

But I can't believe the buck this Bucks defense too, Like it's a sign that the way they've constructed this roster, where like Carlton Davis is getting all this money and their defense getting all there, and they're built on this defense and Davis gets fried for three touchdowns in this game and they give up thirty nine points to a rookie on the road, Like, even if they had found a way to win this game, it's sort of an indictment on the structure, Like what is it about Stroud and

It was interesting because the first half it was a lot of CG. Stroud kind of hanging on the ball for a while and not really being too sure of where he wanted to go with it. And then it started to open up with some deep passes over the middle of the deep ense kind of the thing that you see Miami do so well. Houston started to do that well. But what was most intriguing to me was something that Davis pointed out on the broadcast, which is that a sign of respect or appreciation for who CJ.

What does he do?

He finds Dalton Schultz in the right corner of the end zone with a perfectly placed pass. They need a huge conversion late in the game, he drops a dime on Tank Dell. The next play he throws the game winning touchdown. It was that type of play from the second half on. It wasn't a four quarter performance. They wouldn't a halftime He had one hundred and thirty passing yards, he finishes with four to seventy. An absolute second half explosion.

About so much better home too.

They have a nice little home, everything changes for Texans fans. I mean you have to win or lose.

Like what is happening right now is like a franchise altering moment.

And we came into this year kind of wondering, like, m is CJ.

Stroud at a disadvantage because we don't really have If anything, we're curious about the lack of talent around him. They have three one hundred yard pass catchers today. They don't run the ball that really well, it doesn't matter.

Either that they're terrible. They had zero run get the.

Team in the Leaguey's turn and absolutely nothing thirteen for two.

Yeah, I just I think the thing I took away was after Baker Mayfield goes and does what he does.

This is a rookie. The look in CJ.

Stroud's eyes was one of total calm, like on the sideline, and then he just goes in there and like executes complete magic. And it's like, this is a quarterback that is change. He's the one of the biggest stories of the entire season. And this fan base was lost at sea and now there's like intense hope.

And that's that's how quickly it can happen.

It's and and the Texans now and quite frankly before everything that turned his career into what it was or what it is now. They had a guy into Shaun Watson that looked like it was the future. And some organizations walk the earth for decades looking for a guy and they might have found another one here in stratt I never thought I'd lived to see the day that Dalton Schultz went ten for one point thirty in a game. Three players on the Texans went over one hundred and

Yeah, the Buccaneers, I thought, finally kind of lift themselves out of the doldrums offensively. A lot of that had to do with Rashad White, who finally started to find some success on the ground started to happen I think in the week prior, but really picked up this time. He's also pass catchery total over one hundred yards from scrimmage combined between those two efforts, and he found Mike Evans for a long pass that ended up on the goal line.

They were converting, they were keeping up.

It's just that they gave Houston a little bit of a peak through the door, and they went right through the door. They just knocked it down. I'll tell you what you talk about Deshaun Watson and how he had that period with them and how he was, you know, a superstar and everything else. If it's me right now, if I had to pick between Deshaun Watson and CJ. Stroud and building a franchise, it sounds hyperbolic, but I'm saying it definitively, it's CJ.

Stroud.

The kid has an incredibly bright future. This is like a Justin Herbert level effect with the Texans. I think that we're going to see.

Also, I don't think that's a hot take.

I think there's probably about thirty front offices that would be right there with you.

I think also, like the Bobby Slowick, you know, Shanahan esque offense has a little this is a well coached team like kind of all over. It's a complete sea change from what they went through the last two years.

I love this list, but I'm glad Stroud got to the top of them. This is a record, by the way, most yards in a game. That's a big time record, especially because there's it's actually a lot of like slightly older players that the top of list. So I was like, Wow, he's gonna pass all these legends of the game. The list is kind of bizarre. Mark Boulger was next, but he was like an old, weird rookie that was somewhere else before Aaron Brooks underrated career but still Jeff Garcia

I think, But yeah, have we heard from Demiko Ryans on the show. Let's listen to Demiko Ryans on his young star quarterback.

It's a gutsy performance from him. It wasn't all clean, but he gutted it out. He was tough in the pocket, made some plays right, made some big time throws for us. And the receivers they were reliable for him. They made those catches. They made tough catches, made big plays for So it's all those guys working together. But CJ was just very gutsy performance by him.

And before we say goodbye to Shuck and good job Demiko Ryans, I think he's gonna stick for more than one Coach of the It's funny how it works out. Uh, what's funny how you get coach of the year. Sometimes when you know a quarterback falls into your lap like that, not taking anything away from it, but that's pretty nice too. It makes you look good having a great young quarterback.

Mess it up, dary Ogon. Let's listen to the call on k I lt.

Of gun the running back for the lead, snap us down, the kickers off. But it's good story for three and the Texans are packing front.

Are you kidding?

We may be watching the changing of the game today and how it's played and how rosters are filled out.

Okay, well, I think at least we might have seen a good Mowal's career extended a couple of years. It's like, let's keep him on our special themes for a while, and we got a nice back up joke.

I hope it was. I hope he's just.

Having caught in the moment. He's enjoying himself anyway, Bottle.

Service Day, you could stay all night?

Yeah, thanks, Bud.

Hey, he's got the best swag of any kicker in history with the dark Advisor.

You'll never see that again.

You'll never see it again. It's such a good call, all right. It imagine imagine Shook on like in a nightclub. He would take up some real estate, his fist pumps and knock you out.

I can imagine him working the front door, like you're.

Yeah, he would fit as he's a bouncer or that's fair. Yeah, and but you could obviously see Shook in a bouncer role. But imagine him owning the dance floor. And it's like people are giving him a wide berth because of his immense size and strength.

But the ladies they're still finding their way.

Feel like you've spent some time pondering this.

Let's move on.

Let's head to the other big fun, surprise, silly quarterback performance.

It went down in Atlanta. He weapons play of.

A sixty nine yard possession, dops back to pass on third down, he stays in the pocket, fires to the inzol touchdown.

Brindin pow the further Falcon past Dayton the Atlanta Falcons with a six yard touchdown pass.

From Josh Dogs thirty twenty eighth Minnesota.

Was twenty seconds ago. Oh boh, he did it.

Dah.

They say you never go double bongos.

You went double bongos.

Love it the big week.

I think it's where that these two games are so they're bongos, their bongo worthy.

This is like dropping the A bomb and not like having any media beforehand.

You just hit the button. I like it.

I'm dropping it twice.

But you know it's interesting because you know I love the bongos.

But actually I think I would like you to play another song, if.

You may, producing Eric from the chair, and.

I think Eric knows what I'm talking about.

MM crank it.

This is a very special honor entering son.

I had already given up even the thought that it could be something that was still in play for twenty twenty three.

We said it was too late.

It felt like it was. And then a couple of things happened.

The Kirk Cousin's injury, the spirited play of the Vikings in recent weeks, Josh Dobbs ending up on the roster, and then Josh Dobbs just he doesn't even know the names of his teammates, never needs to, but he knows how to make them winners. It's like a redo of what we saw with Baker and the Rams last year. The ubiquitous Journeyman through two touchdown passes, including a go ahead six yard at Brandon Powell twenty two seconds of play.

But it's interesting.

It's interesting that the Vikings are supposed to be dead and yet there's a lot to root for for this team, including this quarterback who seems to keep forrest gumping his way into very interesting places in his life.

I mean, there is something about this team, they have got juice, they have got mojo.

Whatever you want to say.

This player, Josh Dobbs, maybe he could just be the player of atl I mean, we've been honking about him all week, all year, enjoying him, and what he did today was special and the way that they talked about it after the game that look, he hadn't introduced himself to anyone yet. O'Connor is literally describing the plays into the headset as he's talking to him, like Okay, first you know he's going this way and then to do this and this that, and Dobbs is able to process

Mark It's almost like a redundant tale in the sense that Dobbs has done this three places now, and I mean the what O'Connell did say, like, you know, but.

He didn't win the first ones in the other place.

This is no.

He just was like fannas last year Arizona.

This year he was like respect he played well and gave it, but there was a rum this one.

There was a drum beat of this play in Arizona. And I know that it was like, oh, we don't look enough with the with the Cardinals and stuff, but it was like dobb was doing this, especially on the grounds. I mean we even had like an NFL Plus segment about Dobbs's ground ability. It's like he led them in rushing today. You you I just say, I because well no, but it's a team effort. But like it was very flashpoint focused.

Well also, I.

Was thinking we did it like, well, this is going to get snowed under because it's not timely. He may not even start this speek, but bang, like the NFL gods said that will not be the way it is. I would back this as team of atl in a second, because we're right back to them winning strange one score games with a quarterback who's got a little bit of magic to him and it doesn't matter what's happening around him.

I mean, do you want to in terms of like the story around it? Two weeks ago you nominated them for the fork and and that was when they still had Kirk Cousins.

Yeah, there's something in there you did. I don't recall that, but.

Does anybody remember anything?

Yeah, that's right, that's right.

Let's have a let's let's let this, let's sit on this for a couple of days.

Okay, Well I would have said a team we just talked about the Texans are in that world for me too.

Well, they're very similar. They're both angling for the seventy feed right now.

Let's come back to that on Wednesday show. How about that?

But they at least they got it to John new Smith twic.

But what once Dobbs got settled into the game, that's when he really started too. And it's just a credit to him because that's a nearly impossible situation. So you know, credit to the Vikings who started oh and three and they are in playoff position in the NFC and they've done it without Justin Jefferson for a month and he's gonna be I think he could come back as soon as what next week.

He could.

I think the latest reporting calls. Some question whether it'll be that quick, but we'll see.

And they lose kJ Osborne to a concussion in this game as well. Running Back Cam Akers, who who's already dealt with an achilles injury in his career, had another achilles injury in this game.

So I don't know if it's you know, the end.

Type of Achilles injury, but that doesn't sound great at all.

Dared left tackle got hurt during the week, Deresaw who's a pro bowler and ended up getting downgraded on the injury report. They didn't have him either, and they won.

So from Owen three to five and four, and yeah, it was it was a really it was a fun game to watch. And it just shows you, you know, the power of these games sometimes where or you just don't know what's gonna happen. I don't even know how they were competitive the Vikings and they and they win somehow.

I've got a I've got a theory their opponent that they were playing, the Atlanta Falcons, a team that looks at opportunity and looks at great players, and they just find a way to blow it, to blow things and and Heinike, you know, you you watched it closer than me, But I was keeping an eye on this one because I'm just fascinated by it.

You know.

He made miss some mistakes, but he made some good plays too, Like they were running the ball, like this is a team that I I just don't trust him. It was why I said it in the previo, was like four and a half points is way too much for this Falcons team against any team with some self belief. And there's there's something about him that's just it's just bad vibes.

Was heinike and or any Was it another an uptick over ridder or is it just like we've seen.

Definitely an uptick because I think Ritter is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league.

Heinike is he was true to forem.

Basically what Greg said is true is that he plays with that he plays with more confidence than perhaps he should.

And he threw the ball a lot, He pushed the ball down field.

He had a very bad interception in the third quarter that that really hurt them.

They really is a game that.

Also had a game winning drive, like they should have won the game. They go up four with two minutes to go after like their best drive.

Of the They had multiple opportunities that first and goal from the one as an example, And there were different spots in this game where they should have really took control and instead they left the door open, which is like the opposite of like the Eagles and the Chiefs of the world. Like middling teams or poorly coached middling teams always seem to find a way to let teams

This NFC South is gross in this seventh seed for Minnesota, it's it's attainable.

You look at their schedule.

If they can settle dobs in there, I'm assuming he'll keep this already job if Faul gets healthy.

But who knows.

You got it now? Right?

Yeah, I don't think you should.

This is all they when they think they.

Were excited about holl and then they were excited how that went. So it was a tough break for him as a rookie. But yes, but now that you saw it, you saw Dobbs.

The thought in that building now is okay, Now let's get him comfortable. Let's actually hear him like, you know, he can learn some of the names of his teammates. Let's actually hear Josh Dobbs introduce himself at his postgame pressler.

What's up, y'all?

Josh Dobbs honor to be in Minnesota, introduced myself to.

Everyone, well, class act, what a flex And you mentioned that this is not the first time he's been thrown into active duty out of nowhere. All he does, he's comparing this to when he got thrown into the playoff basically a play in playoff game last January.

Here's what he said about that.

Last year in Tennessee. So we had per se a couple first team routes. We played on a Thursday, so played Saturday to a Thursday game, so quick turnaround, late in the season, last second, last week of the season.

So it didn't get a.

Ton of reps, but we at least got, you know, two walkthroughs, a chance to communicate on the same page. This one was you know, kind of like learn as you go, hairs on fire, hold on to your seat. But guys were able to respond, you know. Obviously being in a similar situation allowed me to be able to not be too prideful, communicate when I'm when I don't know what's going on, but also tell the coaches, hey, what I need to be successful.

That is a fiery leader. And nice job by the Cardinals giving away your best quarterback.

Wow, I think I don't think they regret it.

I think Kyler mur is probably a little better, not anymore, I guess don't agree.

I think they're angling to get an even better quarterback in April.

See how that works.

I think everything ended in its right place, which is Dobbs in the middle of a playoff race. All right, let's take a break. Hey, let's let's ruminate. Let's just let that sink in. Team of around the NFL Nominee Minnesota Bike.

Got some candidates and some competition.

All right, let's take a break. All right, we're back.

It's time now for the Sunday Drive, presented by the first ever.

Toyota Grand Highlander.

Hit it Eric Mark Andrews alone, split to the left, inside hand off Keith Mitchell, price attack leased to thirty five thirty.

Who's he's in the ten touch con right in Keaton Mitchell and with twenty nine seconds left in the third quarter that hey's in the barn.

Hey, that was Jerry Sandusky, of course, w BA l Hey, Keaton Mitchell, you're a celebrity now with the five foot eight, undrafted rookie from East Carolina, a child practically who had zero NFL carries before Sunday, ran for a buck thirty eight and his first pro touchdown.

The Ravens absolutely hammer.

Greg's beloved Ravens absolutely hammered Greg's beloved Seahawks thirty seven to three.

Greg. I think I kind of hinted at it on Thursday.

I didn't love your decision to lock against Gino because you've been kind of.

Defending Gino for weeks.

Yeah, like you're kind of maybe getting a little contrarian like and pushing back against this idea that Gino hasn't been playing well. Yeah, and then I didn't see this game, but it doesn't appear that Gino played.

Well once more, and the result in part is a total blowout.

I with you, I'm with you, but I think if Gino is your main takeaway, you got them. I'm just saying.

I'm just saying the fact that you locked against Gino after telling me for a month straight that you're not watching.

It, because I think the Ravens are the best team in the league.

That's like, I think it's not even that close, and so I'm gonna be locking them when I can't.

They're going up two.

Teams six and that's a tough situation, that's all, you know.

Some would say it was, you know, foresight, five hundred and fifteen yards to one fifty one. I haven't seen two lines as uneven in this NFL season. The Ravens ran for seven point seven yards per carry today, not counting the two Neil downs at the end, they had almost three. They had three hundred yards before the nel Dowbs Keaton Mitchell is a dude. He had more yards over expected than any runner in three years in this game.

Where was this guy in the practice squad?

He was hurt earlier in the year, an undrafted rookie that they had some high hopes for, I believe, and then they yeah, kind of getting getting ready to play. In almost every one of his runs, he broke a tackle or showed really special speed. Gus Edwards is obviously running really well. They are a truly dominant offensive line right now. They're on a heater, and that's that's kind of why I'm just with the Ravens because they have

But they're scary.

Twenty nine first downs mark to six, and that that is not That is not about a quarterback. It's not about Lamar or Gino. It's not about anything other than one team just beating the ever living crap out of the other team on both sides.

And beating the everliving crap out of a good team from the NFC.

They all run defense too, by the way, going into this game.

Right they shattered the lions.

They've done this week's later, and this was this was a team that you know, came into the season with a new offense, and it looked that way even when we were back in London. They a completely different team at this point, and it's like, if you can we're in November. If you can control the offensive line and the defensive line this way, I mean, there really is

Lamar didn't even play in the fourth quarter, so you get and they had more sacks and points allowed in this game, and it just it just this is greg. If you're a Ravens fan, you just want to make sure this keeps rolling and you're not peaking too soon, because right now it's you know, if I was still in the power rankings game, this team has a very real case now to be number one for the the play they put together.

Really going back now about a.

Month right, it's them getting healthier. I think on the offensive line was step one, and even in the secondary they have gotten healthier. A lot of those they had so many injuries early and they were surviving him and then they get these guys back. But you mentioned van Ney, Matt Abike, like Brandon Washington, they were just they're all controlling it. And Tony Romo, I think did a good job describing why Mike McDonald's so tough to play against.

Gino completed fewer than fifty percent of his passes through an interception.

Lost the fumble too. That one wasn't really on him, but he could have had another interception.

Are we about to go to our third Ravens Super Bowl in our time here?

Dan? No, Well, you don't know that's four straight games or do you know at least turn two turnovers in a row? So they listen.

Drew locks his backup so that we're not there yet, but he's got to start cleaning things up. We'll see if he does. But man, Ravens, Man, they're good. I don't want to peak early, though. They don't want to peak early.

You don't want to peak early, but you also want to win your division. You'd love to get as high as a seat as I.

Know who's nervous about the Ravens in the black jacket right there. Why Browns are up next?

I mean they shadowed the Browns a couple weeks ago. I think the Browns should be nervous. I don't feel too much about it, Like we'll see what happens there.

So we're just lying to each other.

No, but it's like, I mean, go take care of business if you're for real, We'll get to the Browns down the road.

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 moving. I mean the lock competition's over. I mean you are just you want to talk.

About hot I think it ended a couple of weeks ago.

It's over. Yeah, enough with this, that's not true. How many times you lost so farther one?

I mean we all lost it together.

Ex give him a little round of applause, give him a give greg. The lock competition is already over on November fifth round of a clause.

Yeah, I stopped thinking about it around Columbus Day.

We're literally we've got like sixty percent of the season to go. We're nine weeks. That's how you'd answer twenty.

This is about how we feel.

All right, let's head to the super Dome.

Saints up by seven to sixteen to play in the football game.

Come on dire four looking for reason.

The ball is out.

The ball is out, still out, he's pulling doll on a peak.

Warner picks it up.

Pete Warner has it inside the twenty.

The Saints didn't yet another.

Turnover forced by Tomorrowo Davis, and then Pete Warner finally picked it up.

Wow, what a huge play.

The Saints are a roller coaster. Mike Costs with the call there. WWL.

This is a game that you know, they kept leaving that door open for the Bears.

They should have closed the game out in a couple different ways in the second half, and they just candn't do it, because that's just this team that's in their DNA, but also in their DNA is when their defense gets hot, they cause a lot of ruckus and they did against the Bears for seeing five turnovers, intercepting Tyson Badger three times, they recovered two fumbles, and that final play was the difference in a twenty four to seventeen win. That was

On the offensive side of the ball. You have Chris Olave we were talking.

About on him on Thursday, kind of joined he joined us amongst the living at a touchdown. He made some plays. Derek Carr is playing mistake free football, and Taysom Hill is really he's on a heater as well.

Right now.

He had a touchdown reception, he had a touchdown pass, and I feel like Mark, they've found a nice little flow to this offense now where it's Carr, it's Taysom, it's Camara and a team that's had a lot of trouble in the red zone. You saw some of that starting to melt away in this game because they're starting to just kind of find their identity a little bit on offense at last.

I don't like the game ending with downs upon a missfield goal and the end of the game there for the Saints. But I think you're getting it. I mean, Carr, if he's healthy last couple of weeks, there's some hope there. I do think that they continue to be like a nasty secondary and it helps to play a Bears team. I think it's been better of recent weeks, but you're still dealing with Tyson bage.

I mean, it's like this is that should be a gimme.

And like they're you know, they're five and four, they've got the second third most wins in the NFC.

I mean, but I don't know if I trust them at all.

I mean, Beijen puts up you know, two and twenty yards averages seven point three yards per attempt. They actually outgained the Saints that they put the moments where it's surprising.

Was actually moving the ball well and he plays with the sound like first half they did Yeah, he plays. He plays with some like swagger again maybe a little bit unearned at this level, but still you like it. Like he he obviously believes himself and but he started throwing the ball up for grabs and that's never gonna end.

Well.

I want to give also a special shout out on the defensive side of the ball to cornerback Paulson Debo the defensive Player of the Week award. It's a rap two interceptions, he forced the fumble and he recovered a fumble. So that is that's like the equivalent of like the egot, you know when you get the Emmy, the Grammy, the Oscar and the Tony.

Yes, I mean that's that's for a defender. He did that, so they gave that a week.

He is coming off as good at two games as a cornerback can possibly had no doubt. Last week was the best game of Paulson a Deevo's career. I was really surprised when he won the starting job over Lante Taylor. They ended up moving to a lot that is a great cornerback trio with a Devo playing like that, So it.

Sounds like Montes Sweat played well too. Led the bears and pressures.

Yep, he popped up here and then not not a dominant outing, but obviously he makes them better. And I thought in general and and Justin Fields is now throwing, so he's edging towards playing. They're on a short week this week, so you'll probably get one more bage and start. But there were things to like. They looked like a professional offense in this game, Lucatzi called a good game, but the turnovers just killed them and that will do it.

We should mention Montes Sweet signed a monster extension.

You know what I loved about that this last week?

Yeah, it happened like over It's like last week He's like, you know, yeah, I'm interested potentially, but I want to take a little bit of time and see that Thursday. Yeah what I feel about you know, like my experience here like bang two day later, a ton of guaranteed money, let's do it.

Yeah here would you?

Would you?

Like four years?

And what was it?

Ninety eight million dollar extension and people are going crazy like, oh they paid too much and it's like, oh, calm down, costs. It was first of all, was the extension. So if you do the whole deal, it was like twenty per year. It's like that's what they would call. He would have cost more than that in free agency. I actually it's weird to be defending the Bears front office, but I have no problem with that trade and definitely don't have a problem with that contract after the trade.

No, And you know he's gonna he's a consistently right, he's a good player, and like I look, it'll look good in a year or two.

And my last thought on this game, bringing it back to you know, Taysom Hill, who's thirty three now former BYU Cordback, a favorite of West back in the day. He after when he caught the touchdown in this game, he became the first NFL player since Giants Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, who retired you know, fifty years ago, sixty years ago, to score ten or more times each as a passer eleven times, runner twenty six times in a receiver ten times. Dennis Allen said after the game,

Most partyday night football announcer.

But yeah, I mean so I can't I get like that was a long time ago, and it's more a tribute to how he is one of one in this league. You might not think he's like a big time player, but nobody else does what he does this series.

He's a big time player. He led them in rushing today. By twenty he doubled the Galvin Kamara. I mean, it's kind of ridiculous.

I mean, Sean Paper was signing to those three or four contract extensions over the course.

I know those contracts look as bad anywhere. I'm like, actually, you know, thirteen of years not too crazy for Taysom uh Greg.

This is always a dark portion of the show for a certain segment of our listeners. It was once the throne of ease. It's not it's not. It's not so easy in New England it's lazy. It's pretty slee eazy. In fact, let's head to Gillette, step to Jones.

Washington breaks forward, pressure up the middle, throws over the center of the field.

That was popped up the air picked off and it picked off Kuan.

Martin at the thirty two yard Linde and Washington's gonna get a win in New England.

They had not had a turnover yet.

There you go, they get it and it is the young guy Kwan Martin all right, gave over.

Brian Weinstein and Julie Donaldson with the call w B I g yes Mac Jones through that interception, would you say, Guama Martin, Kuan Kwan, I'm seeing its jar tiedius in a in a different way.

That's uh, that's his nickname though or it goes by that.

Yeah.

One good job by mister Martin, whose interception helped hold off the Patriots twenty to seventeen. It is the first game obviously for the Commanders after trading away both young and Sweaty, and it is a game in which Mac Jones was outplayed by Sam Howell, who threw for three hundred and twenty five yards and a game tying touchdown.

Mark Sessler, what was going on there today?

Patriots made it interesting out of the gates.

This is the game that happened? Huh, Mark, Well it was. It was slightly flavorless game, to be honest. The Patriots kind of just did Patriots things from wire to wire. But I thought you got the best throw of mac Jones's seats. I saw our pat When you say that, what does that mean this year? Dull to the eyes, not productive, like, not a lot of inspiration on offense.

But I kind of believe in Sam Howell.

I know we've sort of seen evidence week after week, but he was doing some wild stuff in this game, where it's like he just seems to see the field in a certain way, do stuff kind of off schedule, and then has the daring do to whip the ball where he wants to, and some incredible things unfurled in this. I thought that, you know, this is a classic O Bill Belichick will take someone like Sam Howell and put

The problem is the odds on him having the same coordinator next year. I don't think that really smart. I don't think that will like really matter, though I don't think why not. I don't think that's because I don't think this is like a we Washton.

How about this? How about this from this?

If we all agree that and I know the commanders, and I think a large portion of their fan base, if not all of them see this kid as somebody with an actual future at this point that he could be a guy for them, You've got to make decisions that put him in the best position to be successful. So, like, I know, after the young and Sweaty trade, the ideas

Well.

It also could, potentially, if they really played well offensively, be a candidacy for Eric Bienemy to just stay and Ron Rivera goes.

That, I like, I like that you're not losing, You're not losing like OC every every week. I mean, he just I think like he seems to thrive. I know he had a terrible interception in this game too, and that's gonna come when you're when you're young and you're just beginning to do all this. But like on third and long, in certain situations, like he just uses his legs.

And he did it a number of times today.

I just think that the Patriots are so sloppy, Like they special teams penalties, they benched j. C. Jackson and Jack Jones to start the game and won't say why like that when you said the Patriots, well, Belichick just said they played like like you know, but they each one set out the first two or three drives and the other set out the entire first qu order, and they wouldn't say why they're the usual starters. It's probably some punishment that he doesn't want to talk about. And

Well, and before that four straight punts.

It just they can't get out of their own way, even in a game where they had some of their better plays early on.

Jeff Howard reported that both Jackson and Jones entered the game late due to performance issues, and neither of them seem very happy. It's the vibes are not good and the and the Patriots are two and seven for the first time since Bill Belichick's first season as head coach way back in two thousand and they're also winless in non division games. They're the only team in the NFL without a win outside their division. Rough rough times. Let's take a break and then we'll finish out the games.

But don't, don't fall on your face and make a uncomfortable situation worse.

Checking down an eight have it at the Colts thirty four yard line. Colts twenty Panthers ten thirteen to sixty one to go. Here's the fourth quarter play action. Bryce Young left home and it's picked off by the Colts. They're running the other head with it.

It's Kenny Morgan.

He's at the thirty twenty fifteen ten touchdown two of the day, a pick six by Kenny Moore.

Touchdown indeed, why climber twenty three PAA day.

It's twenty six to ten.

And you see the shot on the telecast of Bryce Young pulling the chin strop off, walking dejectedly back to the sideline.

He threw two pick.

Sixes to Kenny Moore at home on Sunday in Charlotte and the Colts cruise to a twenty seven to thirteen win that snaps a three game losing streak for the Colts and gets.

Them, you know, back in the AFC playoff hunt.

Gregie, you tell me where you want to start, we could look at from the Bryce Young side of things, or we.

Can talk some cults here.

I want to set up where that pick six from because it was twenty to ten at that point. Young had probably the worst half of football, definitely that I had seen him play seven for fourteen for thirty four yards in the first half, holding the ball too long, had the pick six.

That was the play calling. I know we've had a change in play callers.

Not a I mean, not much positive was happening.

You know, when you're seven for fourteen for thirty five yards, just holding the ball and nothing down the field. And then they came out for the second half. I was thinking the same thing. It was like, okay, let's show up in the second half. I had one of their best drives of the year. I would have said, wasn't all Bryce Young. It was a running game to fifteen plays, get a touchdown, get a stop. Then he hits a fifty yarder to Hayden Hurst. We're cooking here. And that

You just never expect pick six on a screen pass.

And the play was blown up a little early, like the timing was off, but there were multiple defenders and offensive players in between. And he threw you know, he hit like a four iron when you needed a pitching wedge, you know, to go up nice and high over the thing and have a nice touch pass.

And caddy, aren't you.

I was the guy in the back room that would wash the guy's clubs. Also, yeah, the clubhouse attendant. Also if it was raining, you go to the bottom of the hill and you drive the guys up the hill who don't have their own carts, or maybe you hold the umbrella.

So rich guys stuff like that.

Yes, Bryce Young, I mean, I don't think he's gonna be working at a golf course or anything like that.

I'm not as worried about him at this That's what I'm saying.

I'm not as worried about him as you I certainly you know, I don't think it's a big deal to me. I know it's uncomfortable for Panthers fans, but I've seen enough that I'm not worried about him having like a solid NFL I've seen high picks look like so much worse than him.

I can see it. Everything around him is bad.

But it's also obvious that Stroud and even Richardson when he was in there, like showed really special enough to get more clarify.

I'm not saying that I feel like they have a bust on their hands, but it just stinks. I mean, it's stinks for everybody connected to that building right now.

I Metro and the Texans literally last factored that game in two I thought he looked good in that game, and he gave me evidence that he can do it.

I think it's compared to what we saw C. J.

Stroud do in front of a national audience today, Like the Colts end with five scoreless drives and you take away the two pick sixes and the Panthers.

Played in this the Colts didn't even top two hundred yards. I mean, minshew. They had a couple of drives early in this game where Taylor got going. They won field goal, touchdown, field goal in the second quarter. They only had four drives in the first half. After that, they did absolutely nothing. The Panthers defense played well enough for them to win and they didn't.

It's tough.

This was his worst game, Bryce ng even if you took away the pick sixes, I would say this might have been his worst game.

And I think the part of it is the disappointment too.

That did seem set up well for him to take the next step today after having that nice win last week, and you're at home against the struggling Colts team and it doesn't work out.

So Colts have it off here. By the way, they're four and five. They've got the Patriots and Frankfurt next week on NFL Network.

There.

I think they only play two winning teams the rest of the season.

It us like no Germany, like you get like try to stay awake watching the Patriots.

I mean, that's an old rivalry Manning Brady. Remember, I'm sure we'll see some some nice ones. They I think they had the second easiest record based on strength the schedule the rest.

Of the way. The Colts they're not totally out of it either.

They just can't get in their own way because they feel like they're prone to get in the.

Right I don't.

I don't think they're built or enough in any area. And with minshe as their quarterback, to win enough of those games, they'll probably more like, you know, go eight and nine something like that, but they do have a chance.

Hey, moving on, you can only play your schedule, and you don't you don't ask for you know, you don't give anything back or say, oh you shouldn't, you know, put too much into this game. No, forget about that, because everything evens out. But the Browns had the Cardinals today and they also got Clayton Fune and the Browns in that situation absolutely should dominate, and that they did.

My friend Deshaun Watson under center, hands of the Hunt running right side, had courses his way in for a touchdown. Kareem Hunt on a three yard touchdown run. He's third of the season and the Cleveland Browns now have a twenty six nothing leaves.

And for Kareem Hunt now he has scored in four straight games for the Browns. That's four straight with a rushing touchdown, the longest active streak in the NFL.

That was very informational. Where's Ceciliano?

I want to know He's on NFL Fast Channel this morning. That's where he is.

Paul Keels with that call with Nathan Segura, w k R Kay.

The Cleveland Browns got Deshaun Watson back in the lineup, and he threw two touchdown passes and then they leaned down a defense that once again dominated and a twenty seven to Zilch win over the Cardinals market is the first Brown shutout.

Since Man, I'd have to go back to maybe even Bill Belichick and night No, night.

Was well, I don't think it was that far back.

I will get that too, first shoutout since two thousand and seven, and you got Watson back?

How did Watson back? We'll get to the defense in a bit, you know.

I think it's one thing that's been like consistent with that offense is that I thought Amari Cooper's sort of shown Chemist Street with anyone who's in there to some degree. And there was there was a great fifty nine yard pass from Watson to Cooper, some good things, a little

A little bit of an uptick, but I don't trust him right now.

Well, he'll love a tough test next week against Baltimore. We'll get to that during the week.

I'm with you.

By the way, You've been talking about Cooper all season, and it's one of those like Cooper's had really great seasons mixed in with lesser. I don't know why that is, but if he was on a better offense, like he would be putting up fourteen hundred.

And this is he's made plays every week.

Another helmet ricochet touchdown, which I've never seen before.

This was very strange.

And now that he has two in the last two or three weeks.

Yeah, wow, that's in their playbook at this point.

That was also how they lost last week's game.

So I guess helmet ricochetes giveth and Helmmett ricochets takes true.

I mean, yeah, and got to watch this game, but statistically, Watson looked like he played okay, and the fact that he made it through the game, they're just I feel like you're just trying to get to the point where he's no longer It's like this soap opera around him week to week.

Is he gonna play?

Think we're there, We'll see.

I think.

So he stays in the lineup and builds off this, we'll see, because we've been saying it all year. Mark you if you can just get you know, solid quarterback play with this defense, you could do damage in the AFC and in that division. And the Cardinals stink they're one and eight, but again like this is they can flex on teams and it is. That's I think a very interesting game next week against the Ravens because it's a real uh gut check for that.

Well, the Ravens totally outclassed them in the first matchup, so I think it's like it's an opportunity for Cleveland to suggest who they actually are. This defense though, and yes, it was the perfect situation where Clayton Tune is just simply not ready to play. The team has broken down post Josh Stobbs. They were out yardage three hundred and twenty six to fifty eight.

No, no, no, no, what that's a typo. No, they had fifty eight yards fifty eight.

If I know Mark, the entire game, I fifty eight total yards.

They had it.

They was for twelve on third down, like I wrote down, you just don't see games like this.

I don't recall.

This is like destroying your younger brother in Madden or some sort of computer outposts.

If I know you, Mark and I would have been the same way, So I don't want to project here. I would have been rooting like how those last few Cardinals drives, You're like, don't just get like some random big play.

Don't like go on like a seventy yard field go drive.

I want these beautiful, ridiculous stats for the podcast later. They don't deserve to go over fifty eight yards. Josh, I think it was Dubo of the Associated Press said they're the fourteenth team since the merger.

That's a long time ago to be held under sixty years.

You know who else was hoping that they weren't going to give up a field goal at the end, People like me that started the Browns and fantasy they get that twenty nine point outing. Here's a parallel mark that I want to let tell me if you agree because we talked about the Dolphins when they've been playing lesser opponents, they don't just beat them with their offense, they embarrass them.

So again, I do like it.

I think that's an ideal, that's an ideal parallel because it's like when the Ravens started to crack through and become what they were with their ground game. The first kind of hints of that, We're lashing Cleveland's defense right up the middle, and I think, so the next week is a big test.

But how often does this happen?

Shit noted this as well, that fifty percent of Arizona's forty eight plays went for zero or negative yards.

That just doesn't happen in the NFL.

That's not the first time we've had this type of conversation on the Sunday this year about the Browns.

They've done this to a couple of teams.

Now, absolutely half the plays went for zero yards or less.

I would notice, I wouldn't know that they're left tackled. Jed Will's went out with it looked like a very painful knee ankle injury.

Carted off.

Uh, you've been on on that.

Marky s Goodwin was hurt. They traded away Donovan People's Jones, so we'll see. I mean, health could be a factor.

But the Browns are five and three.

There's a lot of drama around this team, and there has been for a couple of years, but they're in good position now as they head towards the second half. Let's move now to lambeau Field where the Packers are trying to get their mojo back.

Jones on the slot right now.

He orbit routes to the left and they faked the past to Joe swinging over the middle of musk Grave ten the end zone, touchdown and a dagger, excellent bull fake bye the quarterback Jordan Lovey found Musgrave.

Why not?

But at the ten end of the end zone, pull the touchdown. It's nineteen to three Green Bay.

You know, I know it's different when you're beating up on Brett Rippon in the Rams as opposed to Matthew Stafford. But again, like with the Browns, the Packers needed a game like this, a nice rocking chair win take care of business, which they did twenty to three over the Rams, snapping a four game losing streak. Yes, you had the dagger there, as explained by Wayne Larravie of WRNW, but you also got Aaron Jones.

Back in the end zone.

And I believe I believe this that finally they scored a touchdown in the first half, which is something that just has not been happening this year. So Greg, you tell us if it was a sign of things to come, or just take you know, catch an opponent at the right time at home.

I leaned toward the latter, baby. Look, they ran for one hundred and eighty four yards, Aaron Jones and Dylan combined for one thirteen. Like for them, that's an explosion, and some of that was early, but Brett Rippen and there the Rams offense was essentially non functional, even on Jordan Love's best play of the game, which was a deep shot to Watson on that game you know, ceiling drive. Although at that point it was thirteen to three and it felt like the Rams weren't gonna possibly get the

You didn't sound excited when sorry Packers.

I tried, but I was wondering.

About the defense, dominated I told Mark, I said, if there was one game to not watch so far, of all the games this year, this would be my choice.

So far, we haven't gotten to Giants Raiders yet, but yeah.

But that's sort of I want to see Giants Raiders. I don't know why I ate in O'Connell or whatever.

It's the opposite of what we think November football is because it's like, if you're the Rams you've lost your starting running back. You're stuck with Brett Rippian at quarterback.

It's just like you did it again.

That's how I'll always call him that.

Yeah, you're handing off to Royce Freeman. I mean Ripian, you can you can get a.

I think it was his dad is literally Super Bowl MVP.

I know, but I've been I've been calling him Rippian since like the early nineties. It's weird because that's how I see it.

With the way I'm remembering you calling him Rippian over and over again.

And this is back in Culver City.

This is I'm actually surprised Brett Rippian has been in our life that long.

How much more Brett Rippian do we need to see? By the way, there's got to be somebody better.

Well, yeah, they thought John Wolford, I think was better, and the Bucks wouldn't let them.

They also did draft a quarterback who was winning national titlers in Georgia, and that has sourced out.

Well, yeah he's not available, and so that that was their plan. That was maybe a questionable plan to begin with, but it's not working. And mcvai didn't help him by going run, run pass Seemingly every can't do that.

And that's the old Hackett movie.

It does not work with a quarterback you're trying to hide, you just end up putting them in worse You're trying to protect him and the team, but you end up putting him in worse situations.

In it, Saniel Hackett. Yes, nice, it's okay to throw on first down.

Pal, Okay, let's come up with one positive thing about the Packers and then move on. Who's their guy? Carrington? Oh, Carrington Valentine their cornerback who started? They traded Razil Douglas like. He looked quite good this game, so maybe they knew what they were doing. Their inserting the young player and jyr Alexander played really well and said that he feels healthier than he.

Has all year, So maybe and I'll throw one more out there, give him something wide receiver Dontavian licks four for forty nine. They need somebody else to step up, especially Wots and missus time and he was, ah, dang, Greg.

I'm trying.

He had the most Packers playing fun behind the glass.

I'm trying, but he was reaching for a first down. You know the play I'm talking about. Randy At the beginning of the second half when was only seventy three and he dives for the first down and he just slams it on the ground and he hits the ground, and then the Rams just pick up the back touched him at that point, So that was a fumball.

And finally, let's give the floor over to one of the great actors of his or any generation, who's finally asking the question that apparently everyone has been sitting on quietly.

Samuel L.

Jackson tweeted, at what point do we start the RAMS coaching conversation? Double question mark, double slammer viewed over five hundred thousand times of a couple of hours ago.

Is that a thing?

I don't know if I'm like, if I'm like Sean McVay.

Wait, oh, Sammy Jackson thrown out a flashpoint focus.

I don't think that sam l himself.

This is not the year for it.

Sam I don't think that he's this is not I love that he's invested enough in the Rams that he's acting like an irrational fan, because I think that's I think the most again, the most irrational of RAMS fans that are too emotional in the middle of a game. Maybe they're sending out that type of tweet.

You never know what else is going on.

One that I trust is football acumen, but you know.

It's the wording that I enjoy and also that his like avatar is a picture of him with a very serious face.

At what point do we start the RAMS coaching conversation?

This is somebody had to say it a group convo that he's part of with a bunch of people discussing.

It's truly because this the RAMS, they could be in the mix.

They should have been winning this Like this was a great case for Matthew Stafford to make the Pro Bowl this year because like the difference between him and Brett Rippian is them either winning you don't do it too Wait.

Now I'm doing it.

We are a professional podcast here. His father won the Super Bowl MVP.

One of the great teams of that are the nineteen ninety two Redskins were a super underrated team and they stopped the ball.

They destroyed people the entire way.

Best Samuel L. Jackson film Mark performance for me pulp fiction, Jules.

I mean, now that's all I'm going with. What else am I going to go with?

You could go with the Jackie Brown character he played.

Jackie Brown, he's a scouter.

How about deep Wait what was the shark one? Deep Bluecy?

No, probably not that one, but I I can't say the full line because I can't. But my fait one of my favorite lines in all of Quentin Tarantino universe, uh is when he says.

Bully for you or was it bully to you? Bully for you? For you? I believe I can't finish it, but it was like a great deliver Yeah.

I think people probably know what the next you know, few words classic Samuel.

Daky Brown would would be a good choice.

Yeah, all right, and deep Lucy. You know you could throw it out there. It's it's one of the more populist works. But all right, one more before sunder football. We got to talk about it. Giants Raiders o Connor. He gives it to Jacobs, calling the offensive line way more jus fact lose.

But they called a touchdown.

Wut to Washington?

Tell me if it stood over the line before it popped out of his hands his second rushing touchdown of the day.

How the Robertson pick isn't Jacob's touchdown?

Hey, it's twenty to nothing here late in the.

Second Yeah, city, we take out that fork, Dan, I mean, I think it's time.

Time.

You know, if they didn't blow that game last week, I thought they had a chance to make some noise.

But also there are a couple other factors going on with the Giants right now. By the way, I was in Vegas this morning. I was there over the weekend.

I checked out the U two shoe at the Sphere, which was incredible, the only good thing James Dolan's ever done.

Great time. I loved it. And there were a lot of Giants fans flying into Vegas over the weekend.

And as watching that game, I'm like, oh my god. People spent a lot of money to go to this game, which was a easy, I mean easy, thirty to six win for the Raiders. And remember this is the Raiders that are in absolute tumult. They call it the dead Cat, the dead Cat bounce. It's a temporary uptick in I guess, some stock performance. But also in the case of sports teams, they'll probably go back to stinking next week. Maybe probably, but with a new head coach the Raiders, Antonio Pierce,

No, this is not like a Jeff Saturday scenario where like the bump in their first game was like, well that can't possibly last.

I don't know what will happen here.

But Antonio Pierce, who Mark Davis got to know better over the last during this season, has the locker room like we can get into the Josh McDaniel stuff, but it's like I think in a way. This is like kind of like a lot of vented frustration. We've all in our lives like had bad leadership over us, and like it can suppress you. And I think, like this is a team with talented players, they've had it all along.

And it's like, I don't know, in a weird.

In a weird bottom half of the AFC, I kind of think this coaching switch came at the exact right time and saved a lot of worse stuff from happening.

They did not play a very good team today.

I mean, this is an all time fired coach principal. It's Brad Spicer, the Spice Racks favorite. I mean, he thinks he locks it in to have this like taking Josh McDaniels away as the fired coach principal. It's like an extra bounce, you know, because yes, they were trying to say that they weren't celebrating a practice, but they all seemed kind of like.

They were celebrating.

And it's crazy that they hadn't scored twenty points in a game all season. It had been the longest streak of not scoring twenty points in a game in Raiders history other than a JaMarcus Russell stretch. So they won't break that. And they had twenty four points a half time. I mean, you kind of can't make it. These kind of things up. The biggest halftime lead they had before this game Dan was twenty ten. It was against the Denver Broncos. Was the last time they had a halftime

Josh freaking McDaniels.

You can't write this, Yeah, not a guy who's going to get another head coaching job. That's just my no, my theory. I don't know if it's true or not.

I think it's a solid theory.

There was a reporter.

It was reported by Ian, but also came from all different directions, So this was something that was not a well kept secret that the Josh McDaniels firing came after a revolt against him, Like remember the John Voight character in Varsity Blues where they all revolted against him before the Babe game, like where they it was a team meeting this from Ian and others in which everyone took turns basically venting and getting emotional and angry with McDaniels

Obviously, at least they were on Sunday.

Well Glazer's nugget Jay Glazer's particular nugget that Pierce brought up, you know the Giants team back in O seven, saying like, no matter who we played, we thought we could beat them. We had a game plan to beat them. It's all about self belief, no matter what situation you're in. And then after he finishes the speech, McDaniels goes up to him and says, don't ever talk about the Patriots like that.

I mean, that's just I mean, he's sighted.

I thought you were also filling out to you know, who is the play caller of that team yet.

But the fact that if this is true, and this is where I almost start to feel bad, like he's getting piled on. And I don't doubt the truth of the story, but man, that makes him look small in that moment.

Yeah, crazy, Brian Table's not having a great coaching situation.

Now we're burying the lead here, uh somewhat.

I mean, actually the Raiders winning that big and Antonio Pearson's no game is big, but Daniel Jones going down with the knee injury that looks like a potential torn acl is just a really sad way for this already really sad giant season to get even and.

Listen, the Jones thing was really a tough watch too because of what happened, Like they are Tyrod Taylor's and I are. We know Tommy DeVito is a guy that really has no business playing in the NFL, and they wouldn't even let him pass against the Jets last week. So Jones takes a shot on his knee and he just missed a bunch of time, and he knows there's a lot of pressure on him after he signs of

And now we're hearing that it's a potentially serious injury.

It's probably the end of his season, and you know, this is a I mean, in terms of disaster seasons, I don't think there's any team that from where they what they thought of themselves on September first to where they are now on November fifth, Like you can't even script the worst case scenario to a Giant fan. They wouldn't believe you that could be as bad as it has been. And I don't know what happens the rest of the way. I don't know how many wins they have.

Now, well, you cannot stick like this version of Tommy DeVito into the lineup. It just doesn't even seem vaguely safe, Like I don't know, unless you're trying to you know it, well, I don't know if you, I don't know.

There's some interesting franchises now with a chance for that one pick. Giants, Patriots.

Yeah, I don't think there's anything else really to share from this guy. I was happy as a local New Jersey kid. DeVito did throw a touchdown late in this game that avoided the shutout, and now he could always say I threw a touchdown. But like this, this guy shouldn't be starting games in the NFL and they don't have another option on the roster right now.

So I mean, I wonder if you if this is when Carson Wentz returns to Our Lives or or someone like that, because it's like this is just uh, if you're Brian Table, you can it.

Couldn't get The only thing I could make their season more depressing is if Carson Wentz becomes their quarterback the rest of the way. But I don't disagree, but they might just they're a proud organization and maybe they they will make a move like that just to try to don't you have to they get finish line.

These two quarterbacks, Drake Man and Caleb Williams are quite intriguing that I think some of these teams that are buried you just ride it out, just you just DeVito it out here. I mean, it reminds me so.

Much you never go full divido.

It reminds me so much of Ben mcadow's second season. I mean, Ben McAdoo. People kind of forget went to the playoffs, like Brian Dable went eleven and five, actually better than Brian Dable and didn't make it to the end of year two. Now there's not as much like off the field bumbling and you know, rough press conferences from Dable and there's I don't think there's any chance he would get fired.

But the year it's very similar though.

It's very similar though to how mcadow's two years first two years ago.

I mean, he's back and having that terrible like luck with the health of his players, so the previous coach had.

Yeah, I can'd of remember Joe Judge being somewhat popular after the first year even though they didn't have success, and then that thing went sideways. It's been a really rough run for the Giants since that last Super Bowl. All right, Next up and finally a huge Titanic AFC Sunday night football matchup.

Big third down and seven play coming up.

Williams in the game.

He lines up to the left off Joe Burrow.

Joe has the ball, Hunger pressure dumps it off, short caught.

True Sample has a first down to the ten tonight the pie line.

He's in touchdown beautiful Bengals.

True Sample catching a short pass from Joe Burrow and doing the rest on a twenty.

Two yard TD.

I mean Drew Sample's just gonna make a miss how works? So what they say, that's what Drew Sample does. Dan Horde with the gall w see k Y. It was a showdown of AFC Titans. Only one could be victorious, but unfortunately for our producer Eric Roberts, it was the Cincinnati Bengals who came out ahead with a twenty four to eighteen win. The Bengals, now after their slow start, have really solidified themselves in the AFC. There are now five and three, and man, that is going to be

Fall to five and four. How about that?

Four losses now here as we reached the midway point, Now a lot of people would have predicted that.

And Mark the Bengals, you know, got a little dicey at the end.

They needed a conversion after a late Bills score and two point conversion to put this thing game away. But they were clearly again we're the better team, just like they were in January's playoffs.

Yeah, I didn't feel like immense tension around what the end result would be. You know, they went into a few corners here, But what I love is when Buffalo comes storming back, they make it twenty four to eighteen, that Burrow and the Bengals turn around and Burrow hits that thirty two yard shot to Tyler Board, Tyler Boyd to essentially set the table for Joe Mixon to seal

They detonated the Niners a week ago.

They're the one team that has shown the DNA to be able to beat both Kansas City and Buffalo.

And here we go, we're sailing away.

I mean, I love it's three now, we're locking things up.

We are locking things up.

We never and the West we didn't even discuss it along with the West Brothers because there was another sense.

Of drama around it.

We knew it no one more. I love that call. Mark.

I'm glad you brought it up because so many teams would have opted to try to milk as much of the clock as possible, maybe run it twice and then all of a sudden, it's third and six and you're on your own end, and then who knows what happens, but instead and Greg, as they so often do, Zach Taylor says, Joe, you are the man. We trust you, and if you can throw it thirty yard out here, hit.

It, it's crazy because it's not like it was like a safe pass or a play action pass or anything.

So it was just a straight drop back.

And that's how we're gonna start our three and a half minute drill, four minute kill the clock. They haven't run the ball great for much of this season, and they didn't tonight, but they were able to in that last spot when they absolutely needed to get a first down. But to me, it's just like, what do you do with Joe Burrow seeing these two games back to back, Where last week he could argue is one of the

He's just thrown dots all over the field. He's that special. And again we talked about it after the Niners wipe out. He is obviously healthy now, yet another scramble in this game, Greg, and I think you're right. And you know what they talked about in the offseason about some of his training, he's moving so well. This is a guy that had a fairly serious calf injury that blew out his knee in a gnarly way as a rookie, and yet he's

Yeah, I mean there was you talk about his confidence because we've seen that. I think you saw it visibly on his face against the Niners, just this relief that his body was back. And there was a point tonight on a third and six and this is what triggered a field goal. They didn't score here, but Burrow had this incredible, like quick release shot to t Higgins that

Of the same thing.

Maybe it wasn't as complete a dominant performance. I was a little bit more up and down. But I can think of one underthrow deep to Chase. But other than that, like he is doing things on a weekly basis where it's like, this is the quarterback of the AFC right now.

For me, Well, you're also getting Higgins involved. This was t Higgins' best.

Mahomes is like what, well, no, I don't mean like career wise, but if you look at the two quarterbacks, Burrow right now in the last two weeks is like a sizzling watch.

Sure you're saying who's playing the best at this very moment, this.

Very moment, I don't have to take one year quarterback for one game next week.

Josh Stubbs.

Getting Higgins involved eight for one. He hasn't been doing anything this season. You got Tyler Boyd who who's finally making big plays again. And then there is something about this defense and I know they gave up the late touchdown, but there was like a stat Paul Daner at the Athletic had that you know, over the last two years under you know, Captain Lewo and Rumo. They were twenty one percent better than any other team in goal to

And that fumble doesn't happen without Jermaine Pratt punching.

He's always one of those guys.

Yep. And I'll use some Paul Daaner reporting as well.

It does great work for the athletic and this is a testament to Captain lou of course, Joe Burrow, but Greg and our ongoing discourse around Zach Taylor. This is all under Zach Taylor's watch that they are the best team in football over the past three years when it

And you can make the case nobody.

The fact that they're in the same division and only one team's gonna be able to come out of there with the home game and potentially a bye. That is the best division race in football as we look at to the second well.

All four of the teams in the division would be in the playoffs as of this moment.

But I don't know, maybe you disagree, but I think we have a no disrespect to the Steelers and Browns, but there's a very different buy between Bengals Ravens to me than the other two teams.

Well, I think like Cincinnati, like everything that we thought about them changed in the last couple of weeks. And like Cleveland's got an excellent defense, I think their offense is very up and down. The Steelers obviously are an up and down team like Yes Bengal or Bengals Ravens is and they play in a couple of weeks is essentially like this sort of ultra clash waiting to happen.

And this is a huge test of the Seohn McDermott era and defense. Right now, there's nothing about their defense that's special. And they lose to El Bernard early in this game. We know they've lost Milano and Dayquon Jones and Tredavious Way and they're not getting those guys back. It's a long season right now. They're really ordinary, especially on defense. On offense, you know they're good, they're not quite good enough, and they're certainly not consistent running the

Here's another kind of ongoing conversation we had going into the season, that the feeling that this is such an important season for the Bills, not because they don't have

Have you been shaking the confidence? Why at this point now this season is different. I don't know.

There's there's something missing and every points like there's a second piece missing on the offense, and we were kind of hoping that was Kincaid and he's kind of come around the last two weeks, specially with Knoxby, you know, being out with the wrist injury. He's a good, tough, tough fumble. What are you gonna do? That's that's a big that's a big play by the Bengals defense. But no, there's it's a hard watch. Like they always sneak in this last little touchdown to make it kind of close

Yeah, And I like, I think kin Kaid is a great development.

And it was you know, that was the hope and even in the summer, but it almost tonight came in replace of like until the end, Stephan Diggs had you know, a massive touchdown and two point conversion, but largely taken away gave Davis taken away like you're leaning on different people, but they're not special characters.

And so I look at the Kincaid's night and be like, I like that.

But it's like the Bills can't work themselves out of a corner with so many weapon rich layers like the Bengals cant for.

As much like you know, crap that Josh Allen got for doing the hero ball stuff, even that's not really there like that that like he had a weird like interception that he just kind of missed the throw.

Today he overthrew some like something.

Made some great throws too, and that's why there's reason for home.

But yeah, but those things there at the back, yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah, you know what he can be, but something is something is missing. I don't know if it's you know, doors see in the play calling, but that's the.

Healthy at least. Yeah, you know, the shoulder was concerned going.

You don't want him getting forty four of your sixty eight rushing yards. We are kind of back to like we need Josh Allen to run. And I and one thing I like the schedule makers. You know, all these teams seem to be playing each other down the stretch. The Bills have a couple easy games, but then they have an at Philly, they got they got another and at Kansas City coming up. So all these teams are playing each other coming up.

The Bills being in.

Third place at the midway point was not what we predicted, and the Jets Chargers playing Monday night.

The Jets can find a way in that game.

You got the Dolphins who took a loss at six and three, The Jets can be five and three, Bills five and four. Interesting division going down the stretch. Interesting, anything else good? Sunday now fun. It's like almost like the it is is that the Germany game and even the Sunday night game. Maybe you wanted a little bit more about everything in the middle that you weren't expecting as much from the middle of the sandwich. Very nice word and the bread was fine, fine, but it really

Yeah it was Eagles Cowboys not delivered.

That was the meat. That was the meat. Okay, I think we got this kind of gross, But why do you back in the meat?

No, it's not I'm not saying that.

Just like everyone Sessler housed that double cheeseburger. We didn't even notice it until he was halfway through it.

Tom, Tom, Just like the inards were.

I don't make those sounds like make it bloody, bloody as hell when the waiters like, yes, sir, it's not to go.

Oh okay, the man after my own heart.

You sound like someone that woke up in Vegas. It's time to fifteen hours.

Eric, please hit the music. We gotta go.

All right, good stuff, Thank you everybody for sitting. Thank you Eric and Funk behind the glass.

Some one to night. Heed the call.