Welcome to NFL Daily, presented by Draft Kings Sportsbook, where we never like to be reminded of Super Bowl forty six, but we are today. I'm here in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio with my friend friend Patrick Claybond and yes joining us, I believe from NFL Films, wearing the Super Bowl forty six hating it the man Brian baldingder.
How you doing, Greg, Patrick, I'm doing great, putting week eleven to bed and starting to look ahead to here like you guys, to week twelve, and it's almost it's almost hard to bleed. But we're just about in the stretch run right now. So anyways, I'll be a good shape here, guys.
Going to be with you.
Yeah, and if you do, check us out, you know on the on the YouTube or on the NFL channel streaming. Yeah, bald he's wearing that Super Bowl forty six hat. And I have what I think is a lukewarm take, but it tends to get pushed back from Patriots fans. I think that is the worst loss in Patriots history. Number One, that Giants team was not very good super Bowl forty six.
That was the second time round. Number two, at that point.
It was the second time they had lost to the Giants, and at that point they had had a lot of really good Patriots teams. I know, no one's crying for the Patriots, but it had been seven or eight years since and they had come up short in the end. So I was there in the stadium, and I believe that was actually the worst loss in Patriots history.
Well, Bill Belichick is one floor below me right now, Greg, I can knock on his door.
Just see what he thinks about I would knocking his door, see what he thinks.
He seemed pretty jovial the other day with Eli and Peyton on the Mamanni Cash though.
Yeah, who knows, Yeah.
And that's a lot. Baldy walked into work today rocking that Super Bowl forty six, So he could go right to Bill Belichick's face and say, look at this hat. Stick it Bill.
That would be Greig. That would be an interesting question for him.
I'm sure if I was the coach of the team like him, maybe losing the undefeated season would stick in your craw a little more.
All Right, this is the previous show, four week twelve.
As always, we go from the smallest to the biggest spread each and every week.
And we start with a huge matchup greg in the NFC West, and guess what it's not Niners Rams Baldy, it's the division leading Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks. The Cardinals at one point favorite. We get to Adam me and Mark Sanchez and Christina pink there with this one in Seattle. The Seahawks ranked in the thirties Baldy in rushing efficiency defense play action defense and the Cardinals
top ten in both metrics. But Mike McDonald's defense looked much better against the forty nine ers a week ago. How do you see this going?
Well, they made a big change at linebackers. Patrick.
You know when they started the season they were starting in Terrell Dotson and Drome Bakers. They're out. The rookie Charise Knight is in there from UTEP and he made it. He seemed to make a big difference. I think that middle layer right now, between Knight to rees Night, the rookie Devin Witherston, they look much better in the passing.
Game that they had.
They were very good against Christian McCaffrey in the run last week. They really shut him down a number of plays. They didn't give up any explosive plays. He seemed like to're playing a lot better then you know. Just watching Gino go eighty yards in eighty seconds to win that game. Jackson Smith and Jigmo was huge. I think he's gonna have a big role. They look, they look if they're gonna make any kind of a run this really tightly bunched up NFC West.
Now's the time to do it. Now's the time to do it.
Winning on the road in San Francisco is always always nice, But Arizona is a well coached peskey bunch. They take care of the football, they run the football well. They're gonna get a good test from this Arizona Cardinal team coming off of bye week right now, and a team I think that could be better the second half, guys, because I don't think they've really utilized Marvin Harrison Junior well enough. That's one of his six touchdown catches right there.
But I think if he really comes on in the second half the way we've seen Lad mcconki and some of these rookie receivers, I think they could have a lot more points, a lot more explosion left in and offensively right now.
Yeah, I love everything you said about the changes that the Seahawks mad. It's a really interesting time for these two teams to play. I don't think you can overstay how important a win that was for Seattle. San Francisco has owned them. Seattle was already zero and two in the division. They were going to get buried in this division early. Now they have a chance. They're at home. Arizona's coming off the buy and yes, does this Seahawks change that they made during the bye week, you get
Ernest Jones in that trade. I actually thought they played very well defensively against the Rams before the buye as well. They end up losing that game in overtime. Matthew Stafford does Matthew Stafford things. But if they are a little more cohesive and Mike McDonald, really he is the Shanahan Tree Killer, and he just came off two pretty good games where now he's got another challenge of a very good run game. And we'll see if they're run defenses as well. And they played a lot more man coverage
last week. I think that plays to the strengths of their team with Riek Willen and Devon Wetherspoon and then on offense, there was a lot of changes to Patrick, like Gino was under center a lot more. And I do think the mismatch here for the Seahawks is is Smith and Jigba and DK. He makes such a big difference against these cornerbacks, I know, Starling Thomas and Max Meltin, like they've they've played well this year.
But I got to think that those are good matchups.
Though for him, you got to think, like you're play our players are better than your players.
What do you think, Baldy, Yeah, but I mean.
You look at Williams and Melton right now and Starling Thomas, I mean.
Picky Gain Okay, game here recently they've played really well.
They've defended the pass, they're not afraid to play man coverage. They've got a blitz to get pressure. But they also, uh, you know, Nick Raylis is their defensive coordinator. I mean I knew Nick when he was like a kid, you know, just to get into a public you know, he's liked all of thirty or thirty one. But his ability to pull the perfect overload blitz at the right time, it's kind of uncanny. He's done it to brock Birdy. He
did it in the last game. He kind of times this stuff up pretty good, and they generally get home and effect the play. So I don't know, they just looked well coached. You know, we always say this is a cliche, but it's but it's true. Like more games are lost than one, and I feel like the Cardinals don't lose games because they beat themselves.
And that's the thing that we're maybe in hindsight we come back a few years. I call this defense the search bar because I'm always having to actually google who the particular players are. But perhaps in a few years we look back, Baldy and say, you know, this was a bunch of dudes. They came out there and played and executed well despite the fact that they really haven't
been able to generate pressure of the season. The only team in the NFL without one defender that has twenty pressures because that's they have so many guys contribute to that. And Greg, you mentioned Gino going under center more, perhaps to protect him, or it also helped that Bosa was out in that final drive of the game where they breezed down the field. But if you can't get pressure on Geno Smith, the Seahawks are gonna score points. That's
just something that always happens. And so it's an intriguing matchup between two teams that I really almost feel the same about. And they're playing in this division at this point in the year. It's I can't wait.
And Kyler Murray's under center a lot more too that. The moment where I just thought this Cardinals team is different. There's just something about them is when the Jets defender absolutely blasted Kyler Murray and the helmet flew off. I think it was Quincy Williams, okay, and then Kyler Murray just started laughing. He's like a crazy man. He just started laughing. And you know what he did. He completed right, and he had a blue like immediately after.
He had a beautiful third day.
I think it was to McBride and to coverage and then he hit that dime to Harrison for the touchdown right afterwards, and I'm saying, oh, this team is different.
They're laughing.
They're laughing.
Well, I mean, you can't talk about the Cardinals and not really brag about James Connor and Budda Baker. I mean, they're the team leaders of the whole team, but they show up every week, you know, and so I give him a ton of crap. Buddha's like, I mean, here you go, James Connor right now, I mean that looked like the Jets defense, right I mean, you gotta laugh.
But now, I mean, mister James Connor, he's been going to two years in a row now, and you know, and then you know they're starting to work Trey Benson in there. But what we're not talking about is Paris Johnson and Evan Brown and fro Holt and you know, Kristen Cologne up front right now, like they're doing a really good job. The tight ends, Elijah Higgins, they fit in the.
Run game really well. McBride is a.
I mean, I know he doesn't have a touchdown catch, guys, but he's I mean, he's got everything but a touchdown catch. He's a legitimate star tight end in his business right now.
And you mentioned James Carves forced to mistackle on thirty seven percent of his touches this season even when they don't block it up, fifth highest rate among running backs with over fifty touches. Let's leave that game, go to another big game in the NFC, also featuring a team
from the Division. In fact, the team the Seahawks beat last week greg the San Francisco forty nine Ers two and a half point underdogs at the Green Bay Packers, with Kevin Burkhardt a couple of dudes named Tom and Aaron Andrews on that call as we get a chance to see how San Francisco bounces back, green Bay survives what would have been a loss in the first one a while to the Chicago Bears. How do you see it? Plan?
Oh, I don't know. This is the toughest game of the week to me. You can see that with the number. When the home team is favored by two and a half. It's just holding up your heads because both these teams they're very similar to me in that we know they have the pieces to be good. We know that they're well coached, and yet I'm not totally convin what's happening on the field for them. I'll ask you, Baldy, because it's been something I've been thinking about, like, are the
Packers good? They have an excellent offense in a mediocre defense, and that's that's kind of a similar formula. But I don't know if the offense is as good as it was previously. Do you think the Packers are are a good team.
Well, I mean, I think they've the changes they made, Jeff Hefley coming in there running the defense. They've you know, they've got nineteen takeaways. There's something they wanted to do. They wanted to play more man coverage. They do see vulnerable. Caleb Williams had his best game in a month last week against him. You know, they had a field goal block to lose the game, which is unfortunate for Chicago.
I think offensively they they can be very good. I mean they were good replacing Jordan Love with Malik Willis. They seem to work around whatever weaknesses they have pretty well. By Couch, the coaches good, But I wouldn't say they're a great team. I mean San Francisco, though, isn't either. And you could see without Kittle and without Boast in the lineup, they were a very average team. And I don't know if McCaffrey is McCaffrey yet because he doesn't
look like him. I think Jordan Mason looks and his two carries looked a lot better. It's just very limited sample size. Maybe they want McCaffrey to be ready if they get to the postseason, but they can't get explosive plays right now in their offense, and that's something Kyle Shanahan has always prided himself in to be able to get the ball down the field in big chunks.
Yeah, and unfortunate that they're having to do this again without Brandon Ay. And you look back to the trade saga and the potential of him leaving and the draft Ricky Piersoll, you kind of see, even though Ricky Piersoll got in the end zone, this offense really needs BA
to be in there to be successful. And so we'll see how they utilize Deebo and CMC in this game against Green Bay where the Packers are kind of making me think of last year's Packers where they really didn't get hot and start playing good football until later on in the season. And it's tough to kind of turn it on to get to that spot and kind of expect that. And so we're I think we're gonna learn
a lot about both of these teams. But I'm wondering how Jeff Hafley approaches Brock Party because in that playoff game, they played zone ninety percent of the time against Brock Party, and we know how it turned out ultimately at the end, but Brock dealing with the shoulder injury this week, where Kyle Shanahan kind of mumming and tamping that down. We talked to Tom Pellisero on Fantasy Love this week, saying
it's not necessarily that big of a deal. I think it might be a big deal with the way that everything is kind of hanging on by a thread in Santa Clara right now. They need everybody that can be one hundred percent to be.
D Yeah, and I think these two quarterbacks remind me more of each other than you would think, because I think brocks highs this year and even in that game last week against Yeah, they're so high, but he's a little streakier than maybe his reputation would be. And Jordan Love is like that too. He Jordan Love played it awesome last week. And yeah, I think the Packers have a few more answers right now. And third down, like for
the forty nine, you know where it's going. It's going to Jennings, Like Deebo is a great player and yet it's diminishing returns using him as a runner. I hear you on CMC Baldy because he had a higher workload in that game in terms of snaps in any game all last season but one, and I'm thinking you Jordan Mason a little more. I do think this is a better matchup for them because Jayer Alexander is out of practice. He's really important for the Packers. We'll see if he plays.
And Kenny Clark in this pass rush really hasn't gotten going. So if you give Brock Purty time and Kyle Shanans some time, they'll be able to scheme some things up.
I would think, well, I would you know.
I'm nick Bosa goes out of the game last week early in the third quarter.
The injury looks serious to me. I don't know what a status is.
Yeah, he's not practicing early in the week, I don't think yeah, no, but.
He I mean he was.
They said it was a bleak muscle, but I saw him hopping on one leg off the field, so I don't know if that's a bleak or not. But when he's done in the lineup, there's nobody that scares you, including Leonard Floyd.
There's nobody in the pass rush that scares you.
And so unless they blitz and they're not a good blitzing team. They have a hard time pressuring the quarterback and Gino had plenty of time to make decisions. They didn't rush him particularly well, and so I don't know, they look very vulnerable defensively to me right now.
Just off Bald these like vibes in tone. Now I'm thinking I'm leaning Packers because the one thing the Packers do have, I would say I'm confused about this team. Like whatever the Bengals don't have, the Packers do, Like they are winning all these games. I know you can say a field goal blocks lucky or whatever, but they are finding a way to win these games where they're not at their best, and that is a skill.
Well, I think two things specifically player wise, right you have a tackle breaking runner in Josh Jacobs on offense and a playmaking safety on defense. And Xavier McKinney. And again I'm going to echo your point. The way Baldi's talking about this non boat or hurt Bosa forty nine Ers defense, I'm picturing Josh Jacobs, you know, getting the edges. The Packers have been one of the teams fortunate enough to be able to start the same five up front
for most of the season. I think Josh Jacobs might go big in this.
One that I love like see.
At first I thought there was this wasn't a good week, not a lot of games between teams with the winning record. But these NFC West teams are all intriguing.
Yeah, because they've all almost got winning records. Still a little Sunday Night football, Yeah, let's do it. In fact, let's do it across the street at Sofi Stadium. With two prime time games this week at SOFI, the Philadelphia Eagles two and a half point favorites Baldy against Cooper Cup Pooka Nakua and the Los Angeles Rams with over under of forty nine. Of course, it's Sunday Night Football. Mike Torico, Chris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark on the call.
A fan base that's upset Baldy about one of the better teams in the NFC going up against the Rams scene. He's just trying to hang on in this division. Nick Sirianni have a happy exit from so Far on Sunday Night.
Well, I mean they're playing great football right now. You know, we've won six in a row. The defense is, you know, ranked number one in the league. Not the fewest points, but ranked number one. The rookies have been fantastic for him in the secondary.
But I would say, you know, this team is all built on Saquon and Lane.
Johnson told me a couple of weeks ago that basically our offense is just built around running and hitting people, just running and hitting, and they do that long enough you get these breakaway way runs. They've had ten days since they've played the Commanders to get ready for this game, and so they've had plenty of rest. They're pretty healthy right now as a group. Everybody is out there that needs to be out there, including Malatta and AJ Brown
and some other guys that have been banged up. But I thought early in the year that Saquon would lead this league in rushing. I still think he's gonna win the rushing title totally yards from scrimmage.
He's just that good right now, and they're that good upfront. The Rams.
Last week they made a subtle change. They put the rookie bow Limmer in at center. Yeah, Kyron Williams got his best game in a month. He got off, so did Blake Korum, and then at the end of the day Stafford. You know, wasn't sacked, was barely touched. They really played well up front, and when you look at the run that they made a year ago around starting around this time, it started with the offensive line really coming together Avila.
You know, bow Limmer Dotson.
Like they they played well last week, they got to play great this week because if you give Stafford time with his receivers, I don't care who's covering, like he's gonna he's gonna find those guys right now.
Yeah, this is such a good matchup because you can look at the Rams record and see five and five, but they're four and one in their last five games. That's that's about the level they're playing at it And it was fascinating because you mentioned they put Limmer in at center and they have played good games with him, et cetera lately when he's been out there. That that means the Jodah Jackson signing, they're almost taking an l
on that right now. They gave him thirty four million dollars guaranteed he is right now going to be coming off the bench just as a sixth offensive lineman. But that shows they believe in the group that they have, and it just wasn't working out. I think it's such an interesting battle of the trenches because, yeah, the offensive
line for LA's gotten better. Defensive line for Philly has also been getting better, but that defense might be a little more back to front, where it's the secondary helping
out the guys up front. But then you flip it around, Patrick and I think of these pass rushers for the Rams, these young pass rushers who we have been talking about and love, What a test for them to have to face in run defense, these road graders that the Eagles have, and to try to get to Jalen Hurts when he does drop back to pass like this is a big time test for these young players for the Rams.
It's a defense that the team that's got five wins, and those those five wins this season, they have a pressure rate of forty five percent or higher. It's the largest number of games of that particular stat category in the entire NFL, and if I'm not mistaken, it is all five of those wins. As a much credit as
we want to give Matthew Stafford. And when these two receivers are there, Brayden Fisk and Jared verse Young, this defensive line is played incredible, but on the other side, Landed Dickerson, Jordan Mailatta, Lane Johnson, who's allowed just fifteen pressures in two sacks the entire seasons. It feels hard you're considering all that, the way that the Eagles are playing, the matchup with the offensive line of the defensive line, it's hard to go away from Philly. It's going to be hard.
I think they could put it off, but I like the extra rest, Baldy. I want to ask you about Jalen Hurts. I don't know what to think about Jalen Hurts this season using the eye test, So I want you know better.
What do you think?
Well, I mean, look, he played I don't know two or three games, well three games. Two games for sure are probably three without Devonte Smith, Dallas Goddar and aj Brown. So I mean, you know they had their backups in and there playing. That's one thing the offense has adjusted as the season. They're playing a lot more play action players. During the buy we talked to Nick going, look, we can't have the quarterback holding the ball five seconds like
he's got right to the offensive line. And so they did adjust it a little bit more right there, play action Jaalen's doing a little bit better of getting the ball out quicker. But you know, he's cut way down on the turnovers in the six game win streak. He's not turning it over. He's taking care of the football better, and so I think he's playing a lot better football.
And you have to account for him as a runner in any situation, whether it's the tush push, whether it's a scramble, whether it's a design run.
He's an excellent runner. And he's healthy right now.
So a couple of these years he hadn't really been healthy this time of the year, and so you have to account for him, and he's difficult.
He's a real good compliment.
To Saquan right now, and he loves to throw the deep ball to AJ Brown. That's his big play guy, and so he trusts him to go get it. So I think he's playing really well and he's a perfect guy in the style of offense a Kellibar's running.
Yeah, I think that's really well said, especially saying he's a compliment, and that's sort of how this offense has evolved.
And that's where I've settled in too, is that.
Yeah, sometimes he holds onto the ball a little bit, but He's a big play maker. They get a lot of big plays. They're set up by the run. His running is helped. And so I'm forecasting where I'm gonna be when we talk QB Island in a week and a half with Jalen Hurts, because he deserves, I think, to be on QB Island. And Yeah, you got two of the most valuable wide receivers in football in this game.
You can see the ab test when AJ Brown is not on the field, different Eagles team, when Pukinaku is not on the field, Different Rams team.
They're about as good as it gets. Yeah, and glad that all four of these guys are able to play in this game and we get a chance to see it on Sunday Night Football at so far A Stadium is going to be a fantastic event and experience, I think for all, because you know, we've got some prom tim games up here in the next couple of weeks that aren't going to be as fun as the ones we get on Sunday and Monday.
I know they didn't they didn't flex out the Browns Broncos I was really surprised about that.
They're leaving that one in there. Anyways, it's one of those duovers that we'd like to add on. Where a note before we move on, the Eagles have gone under center way more. They went from eight point seven percent under center in weeks one through four since the bye twenty one percent of the time Jalen Hurts lining up under center. Probably a lot to do with Saquon being the guy on that offense and Jalen Hurts kind of taking a step back to becoming the compliment to their all star.
I don't know, you might have.
That numb December, Pat, but the Eagles have run the ball ninety eight more times than they've thrown it. Think it's a huge disparity the most of the NFL. I think they're right around fifty six or fifty seven percent run first. And you look at the teams that are winning Buffalo, you look at Detroit, you look at some of these teams Washington that are winning. They're running it more than they're throwing it. The trend is strong, but Philadelphia is at the very top of that list.
This might be the like the most Brian Baldinger Eagles team we've seen in a long time, since since Jerome Brown was out there.
Wreaking havoc in the backfield.
All right, I have to listen to some of the offense linemen gripe bat me on Mondays when they don't run it.
Enough, So I have to listen to some of the stuff that's awesome.
All Right, we'll go from that prime time game to another. It's time for the game of the week for someoning about DraftKings sportsbook. The Baltimore Ravens a two and a half point favorite at SOFI Stadium on Monday Night Football against the Chargers with an over under of fifty. Joe Bucktoyite and and Lisa Salters on the call, Greg, we saw a score fest against the Chargers last time out. In comes a hurt Baltimore Ravens defense. They couldn't stop
anybody when they're healthy. Are there eighty points scored in this football?
Patrick? Not happy with this defense? You like they're coming off one of their better games of the year. At least I've been saying all year when this Ravens team loses that, great teams respond, and I expect them to respond, and they have they after that Raiders lost. I guess they didn't in weeks one and two, but they bounce back in the last two games after a loss, and
I think they will here as well. I just want to know, can the Chargers and their pressure group, and Khalil Mack wasn't out there last week, he would help a lot if he returns. Joey Bosa looked better. He played a lot more last week, so that helped him
out a lot. Can they consistently get pressure? Can they be as disciplined as the last two teams that have faced the Ravens, Because if they can, and they've been quite good at getting pressure, then I do think they have a chance in this game to hold that Ravens offense down.
Well, it's really amazing what the charge are doing. And they're starting two rookie corners, two fifth round picks on the corners corners, one of them slot one outside cam Hart and Kristen Folds the other corner. They filled up and they played great against Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter. Now Joe had some unbelievable plays too him to tie it up. But you know, Daylon Henley is a guy that I don't know. People talk about him out there enough.
I don't nationally don't, but he's he's a phenomenon. He never comes off the field and he wears number zero for the Chargers second year player, Like he kind of does everything for him, including blitz and so when they want to get pressure, extra pressure, they will blitz him. They will bring Derwin James off the edge.
They'll do what they have to do because they feel like they're tackling much better in the secondary and they're holding up in man coverage much better than they were at any point under Brandon Staley.
Yeah, this is why you got to listen to NFL Daily.
Even going back to trading camp, I was at Chargers camp. I asked our guy, Matt mney Smith, like, who's the Chargers player standing out that they look and his name was Dayon Henley.
That this guy they really think is going to be the dude. I thought that was interesting.
Because they drafted someone they brought in free agent. But he was right on it in early August. That's that's why you got to listen to Patrick.
Yeah. Well, yeah, of course, of course listening to NFL Daily. Glad to be a part of this franchise.
I think he leads everybody in the Charges by like over forty tackles in total tackles so far this year.
And this is a game for him to have another big performance in prime time, going up against this Ravens offense that has accumulated five hundred and ninety eight yards before contact on outside runs this season. As they kind of got the O line situation figured out early, we're waiting for him to get the defensive situation figured out.
Greg Where Justin Herbert when he is not pressured, averages three point two more yards per attempt when you don't get pressure on Justin Herbert, and this team has struggled to generate pressure. I think back to the Broncos game where Bo Nicks was back there forever in the first half, and now we see Herbo with Quentin Johnston really coming on. Baldy. People kind of overrated those drops and his rookie season turns out, if you can get open, still a valuable
skill set, and he's been able to do that. So it's hard to picture anything other than just a whole bunch of points here in this game, just from both teams. I love a score fest. I would prefer to not have the stress, yeah, but score fest why not?
Baldi Patrick is a closet no longer in the closet. So what do you think, how do you think his defense the secondary holds up here?
I announced that game in Pittsburgh last week with the Ravens. You know, they you know, Derrick Henry got it knocked out of his hands by Nick Herbig on the second play the game that led to points.
You know, they Peyton Wilson, the rookie.
Ripped the ball, you know, right out of Justice Hills hands on a wheel route. You know, they got three takeaways which really really helped the Steelers in their offense and the points. Justin Tucker, I'm not sure what to think like because he's missing extra points and field goals regularly right now. But the thing that's bizarre to me about this team is if they're behind or if they want to throw it, they take Derrick Henry off the field.
And there's long stretches of games again, games against Cincinnati this year where they had to win late or in overtime, or even last week where Henry's not on the field. And honestly, I mean, Justice Hills, Fine, he's a good player, but he doesn't scare you.
Maybe Keaton Mitchell, well, he didn't get much play.
Last week, but I thought they got good pressure, you know, on Lamar last week enough where it really affected the way that he played. And so I think that's the key, when you can pressure Lamar and make him try to be Houdini back there regularly. When you take the threat of Derrick Henry and the big runs away, they seem to looked a little bit more pedestrian than what the statistics.
Say right now.
That's a great point.
And yeah, I just think there's too many penalties from this team Baltimore on both sides of the ball. They're leading the league, just just a little sloppy. See if they can get it going. One mismatch in this game, I think is when the Chargers run the ball. They just haven't been consistent in terms of their success rate, consistently being able to run. Ravens have been able to stop it. So I think it's gonna have to be all Herbo, and he's shown that he can do it.
He's gonna be going up against Trey White, who's had some good snaps for the Ravens last week.
We'll see how that goes.
Before we move on, I do want to play this clip of Jim Harbaugh in the locker room after last week's game, and if there was any doubt about how much this team is buying in, you can forget about it now.
This could be one of the best high fives ever give each other.
Derwick Jamis is so intensive.
I mean, they've got to like they're just like, that's the good stuff, right, Baldi.
Well, it's interesting, you know obviously JK Dobbins, you know, finish that game off eighteen seconds ago with that touchdown run, and you know there'd be a lot of coaches like maybe that one in Chicago that says, all right, we got the ball to the twenty six yard line, let's just kick the field goal. And he runs another play and JK takes it to the house and game over Chicago does and they just kick a field goal with
thirty seconds ago and they get it blocked. Like there's just something about the way that hardball just has their pulse and knows when they're not a big, crazy fourth down, go four team, they're not like that.
They take the points that are there.
They kick field goals, all that stuff, But there is like an attack mentality that he still does. You're seeing the ball to Will Disley last week. I never thought Will Disley could run a seam route. I never seen him run. They hit him on two of them last week, you know, and all of a sudden, the ball's going
down the field. And I thought, you know, as much as I want to see the Chargers win and pulling for hardball and it's good for La La sports all that, I thought, like, they're not going to be This is a showtime city. You got to put some points on the board. You gotta be fun. And they're starting to look a little bit more like showtime right now the way they played that game last week.
Yeah, and the crowd was jamming some of the videos that came from that. That was probably the best moment of in Chargers so Fi Freeze fiftory. I think was that JK. Dobbins touchdown because they went absolutely crazy.
So I love it.
I love that the atmosphere there, it has really taken hold. That was our game of the week. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now use the code daily. New customers can bet just five bucks. You get two hundred dollars in bonus bets only at DraftKings Sportsbook With Code Daily. The crown is yours. We're going to take a quick break, we'll be back. We got Baldy for a couple more games before he moves on to one of his many other jobs. Back on NFL Daily and yes, every week
we go from the smallest spreads the biggest thread. Doesn't always mean the best games are up top, but it worked out that way this week.
So we got the good.
Stuff with bald Because this NFC North game, to me, is a.
Lot more intriguing than than it was a week ago. It's not paper much more.
And in fact, if that kick, the circumstances changed with that kick, it gets a little more interesting. It's the Minnesota Vikings three and a half point favorites. Baldy at the Chicago Bears, who suffered the heartbreaking loss. They get a chance to face their old friend Aaron Jones once again. Kevin Coogler, Darryl Johnston and Laura Oakman on the call over under his thirty nine. Not a lot of points expected in this one. We saw Sam Donald play well
against the defense that started the season. Well, the Bears started the season. Well, what's Sam look like this?
Tom Baldy, Well, I think he's playing just fine, you know, I mean, he's got a lot of targets to throw too. They've replaced the left tackle, which looked like it was going to be a difficult loss.
They made a good trade to get Cam Robinson in there. That helped.
He's not Darrisol, but he's a lot better than their backup they had, So they've got good bounce. They're well coached. They do a lot of creative things in the passing game to help Sam out, whether it's putting Justin Jefferson in the backfield, I mean, there's a.
Million different things they do.
And Aaron Jones has been fantastic for them, as good as Josh Jacobs has been for Green Bay.
Aaron Jones has been that guy.
He doesn't miss a hole, his vision is unreal, and he's just a great receiver. So they got everything rolling right now. Offensively, I think they've got what it takes. And then defensively, you know, they take the ball away. I think they've got sixteen interceptions right now. They give the offense a lot of extract bats, So I think they played pretty good, complimentary football up in Minnesota right now.
Yeah, it's been really interested to see how Brian Flores has sort of backed off all the Blitzeres the last three weeks that maybe it was matchup related. He just wanted to confuse like a Will Levis, let's say, with just guys in coverage. But they went from being at the top of the league in terms of their blitz rate to the last three weeks about average being about thirteen.
And they've now installed so many different crazy things in this Florists defense over the last year and a half that I feel like with this veteran crew and when Cashman's out there, they're doing all these disguised pressures and look, I'm I'm not a football coach, but I can see that they're throwing a lot at these opposing quarterbacks. They now have such a menu of different options that they can go to and these veteran players who can execute it at a high level that you don't know what's
going to happen week to week. And spinning that to this week's game, I thought Caleb Williams was fantastic in that game a week goo easily his best game to me, even better than the one in London because of the types of places he had to make. And I'm really curious how Flores decides to attack him because his legs obviously were a big part of their offense early, and I would think that'd be maybe job one is trying to prevent that from happening.
Well, he also got the ball out quicker. Yeah, he dropped his time to throw almost a half a second from two point nine seconds to start the season to in week eleven against Green Bay two point four to two seconds. Making decisions to get the ball out of his hands. Now, another thing that that did, it really decreased the air yards per attempt to DJ Moore, who was mainly doing his work on screen games in the outside.
So it kind of takes the downfield threat away from DJ, but it gets some catchable balls, something that he struggled to get during that bad stretch for the Bears offense where it's we don't necessarily we're trying to figure out what this Bears team and offense is going to look like. It's kind of changed week to week, and so now we get two weeks in a row of an offensive coordinator where some positive things to believe with it. They always they almost came away with the win against the
Green Bay Packers. So I'm excited to see just what version of the Chicago Bears, we get Baldy well, I.
Mean to Greg's point here, Patrick, you know, they lost to Detroit and the Rams back to back weeks, and they gave up basically thirty points a game, and all that blitzing cost him, you know, when they played real varying quarterbacks right now in Stafford and Golf, and so he backed off I think because of that and said we can still win playing more traditional style.
Now.
I think they're gonna throw a lot of junk at Caleb because the offense line in front of him is very good, and so you know, whether it's attacking Matt pryor or attacking you know, Darnelle right or whoever. I mean, I think there's some matchups that they know they can win, so they might they might do a little bit more than what they have done this week to see how Kalbe handles it. Like, I know Caleb played better last week, but I don't know. Like I'm not a big fan
of the quarterback. Running nine times, he gained seventy yards. A lot of them were scrambles. I understand a couple of design read option runs. Okay, to get yourself you know, you know, five or six yards on first down or get a convert a third down.
But there's a lot of runs.
Where I mean, he's taken off at the first sign that there's some pressure and I think that's too soon still, so we'll see how patient he is because this is not the team you want to do.
That too, No, and that'll be tricky. And they've been getting pressure without blitzing.
That's the thing is Jonathan Grenard and Van Ginkle like those are good players. It's a good test for Darnald too. I'm really fascinated by this game. I'm looking forward to it because Darnald's coming off a really great game against Tennessee. But the running game hasn't been as consistent for the Vikings lately. Maybe it was matchup base. We'll see, but this is a team the Bears, that you want to run the ball against it. They're a tough secondary to
throw consistently against it. And man, the Vikings have they've just been about perfect beating everyone they should. You mentioned the two losses like that was a road game in LA. Those are two tough games that they lost, but all the teams that they should beat they have, which is really impressive.
They are at eight and two.
Also impressive Baldy's arms right there, he's showing them off the biceps. He's still getting the pumpin when he's not by the pool or grinding Hape. We appreciate Shabaldi, Thank you for for joining us, Thanks.
For having Patrick. Good seeing my buddies up there in LA.
Keep it down.
I hope to get out there one of these days, maybe going to playoffs or whatever. So call me anytime, Happy to join you, guys.
Man.
Love breaking the stuff down.
I love having you. Appreciate Shabaldi And yes, okay, let us know back in La we'll be holding it down here in the Chris Westling podcast here. So we still got a bunch of games to go here, Patrick, Yeah, let's go to a.
Team that blew out the Atlanta Falcons a week ago. Now, Bo Nicks and the Denver Broncos go on the road where they are five and a half point favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders and brock Bauers. Kevin Harlan aka God, Trent Green and Melanie Collins on this game, looking forward to will it be a game for them? Greg? Because other than brock Bauers, what are we excited about in Las Vegas right now. Nothing.
I don't know what to say about the Raiders.
I used to kind of think when you see this on shows, right get you get towards the end of the year, it's a bad team. You just start skipping those teams, or it's just people that don't know what to say, and I'm like, well, that's lazy. You know, you gotta there's always things to find that are interesting. There's little angles to talk about. But this Raiders is tough for me. Beyond Bowers, who's awesome, it's tough.
I don't know.
I don't know what to say about this team anymore.
To me, it's just more of a test of how much is Sean Payton cooking can they can they be a team that does what they did last week, which is not just win the games you're supposed to win, and they're they've gotten quite good at that, but cover five and a half points on the road in the division. Because that's a different sort of team that to me
is a playoff team. I don't know if they win games in the playoffs, but if you're the type of team that you're that reliable with a rookie quarterback on a week to week basis to take care of what you need to because your line play is so good on both sides of the ball. I just give Payton all the credit in the world because he is creating some open receivers for Nicks. I want to give Nicks credit. He's got three or four throws each game that he
was not making early in the season. But also, man, I'm not gonna give him that much credit for the two touchdowns where he just throws a smoke route, like one of them's on third and goal at the fourteen, the type of throw that's like, why are you throwing that? It's a give up play, And like Mims is just walking into the end zone.
And there was another one like that. Like two things can be true.
Peyton can be absolutely in his bag and Knicks can be doing what he needs to do.
Yeah, both things can be true. And that's why I feel comfortable with the five and a half points, because I think Denver does win the game, and we have seen it late in several games this season, Sean Payton will run it up and I'm not sure not being.
Critical on all, they're just now he hears about stats, and I like that he cares about the numbers.
But hey, something interesting about the Raiders. I just pulled up spot wreck. Jack Jones is gonna ben understated free agent in twenty twenty six. Maybe there's that cold. We could keep our eye on Max Crosby, who has been not not the typical Max Crosby type season, but he does lead the team in pressure sixteen quick pressures, which is very important, very valuable, which is pressures under two and a half seconds. Other than that, we've got Gardner
Minshew starting another game. We've discussed Brock Bauers, who had a rookie record with thirteen catches and would have been noticed more in the fantasy community if Taysom Hill didn't go nuclear.
Notice by me in my fantasy community, I beat the number one team in my league with Rock.
Yeah, congratulations to Brock Owers for powering Greg to the win there. But then on top of that, Bence Joseph's defense playing very very well at issue and again we have to asterisk the Kirk Cousins performances where I don't really know what was going on with the Atlanta Falcons offense this past week. Tough to evaluate whether that was mostly Broncos or mostly.
I get Broncos credit because we haven't really seen that consistently out of Kirk. I give it to the offense too, actually, because it's complimentary. I don't think Kirk played bad the first half of that game. There were just weren't many drives, and they settled for a couple of field goals and one ended in a funky way with the penalty, and then suddenly you're down twenty one to six and these
pass rushers are are just getting after you. I think the last thing I'll say on this game is just I think Sean Payton and this team kind of had a statement of intent. They haven't given out many new, big contracts to hold over players since he got there.
It's a bunch of new guys.
They gave a big contract right before the season to the man with the belly, Quinn Minors, not a nationally known name, but just kind of a lunch pale, really strong guard, and that actually, I think was a little bit of a statement of intent of like, this is where we're going to try to be good, and they really have been.
Yeah. I remember it because I was in Denver for training camp and it was before there's a Tan deal, and I asked Patrick because like, hey, how much do you think about this is I'm not worried about it. And I was like, oh, okay, And then a few weeks later, Yeah, big money are going to number two as well. So congratulations to a team that we think is playoff bound in the in for Broncos, well maybe not. I don't know. Spoiler alert, we'll see I do. Oh, well,
there we go. We both think the Broncos are going to the PA.
That's which is bad news for the Bengals. That's kind of the team that they need to fall off.
Let's go to a team that is not going to the playoffs in fact, might be making more changes. As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get Mike Evans back. They are six point favorites against Tommy DeVito and the New York Giants. Andrew Catalan, Tiki Barber, Jason mccordy and aj Ross on the call. The over under is forty one and a half points. Greg I was thinking for the past few
weeks that this would be Drew Locke. There's questions about whether or not Drew Lock's contract plays into the decision, as well as Danny dimes.
No, I don't buy that, not at all. I don't not even.
All Vito all the time.
No question that the Giants are not starting Tommy DeVito, Okay, because Drew Lock has like five hundred thousand dollars in incentives. And by the way, if you looked at those incentives, the incentives are based on Drew Lock being great. He's not like he wasn't even gonna hit those and said, I don't buy that for a second. I truly believe Dr Brian Dable does not like Drew Lock like he doesn't it doesn't like a few people, this is, this is,
and he likes Timmy DeVito. Yeah, so I truly believe he does not like how Drew Block Drew Locke plays football, maybe even personally with some of the ways that they've I've just been noticing some of the little things they say.
I just something's going on there. It's weird. Yeah, and it's it's been it's been a couple of years, and they do it. Uh, start de Vito at home against a Bucks team that has been fighting, Greg scrapping and calling since Chris Godwin and Mike Evans go down, and that loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Mike Evans practicing this week, the big piece of the offense literally and figuratively comes back. MVP Baker back right with Mike Evans back.
I'm not gonna go that far, but it's funny since I gave you the most grief about talking to him about the m v P. I actually think on balance he's played better more consistently. You know who he is on a week to week basis. The numbers are great. There was that game against the forty nine ers before Thereby where at a certain point it was like, Okay, the ball's coming out too quick, like he was barely
holding it. It was like a touch pass. He was getting the snap and immediately it's just like it was like a push pass. And it was like, it's hard to build an offense that way, like it's all running backs and tight ends because they're wide receivers. Just aren't those dudes. But now you get that dude back. And I mentioned Puka and aj Brown, the difference between when they're on the field and not. I don't think Mike Evans is at that level anymore. I think that's fair
to say, but he's close and for this team. He's so important and what a great week. My most lukewarm take, because I don't think it's that how to take is that the Bucks are still going to win this division. Maybe that's a medium take. I'm gonna put it out there on Blue Sky and see what people think.
It was much warmer before the Falcons went and got.
Dominant, right, But that's what I was expecting to start happening, Not dominant, but just them to come back to earth.
One thing that's really come back to earth is the opportunity for Malik Neighbors. Since week five, Darius Slayton's actually the leading receiver on this team. Is that probably also Advito's spot. Do we go to Tommy Cutlets because Dimes was not feeding Malik. That's an interesting theory.
I just got to imagine it's something to do with the defenses and how they're coming after Neighbors, although they managed to get it to him earlier. I mean, Dimes wasn't hitting balls down the field. I don't know if Dafedo, well.
Both of them on the Flicker.
Right, I don't know if Davido will I know Dexter Lawrence said that's my best friend on the team. He's also the best quarterback on the team. They came in together in that draft class that Dave Gettleman, you know, probably set the franchise back a little with that pick with Daniel Jones and yet got it all pro with pick number seventeen. So that's you know, batt in five hundred.
That's not that bad for for drafting. I really want to see them take advantage now that Evans is on the field of how good these running backs are playing. I'm really impressed by Bucky Irving and Rassadwahy. It is a really nice combination. They're complementary. Sad White is so good on passing downs, really good pass blocker. Irving makes
people miss These are the bizarro Bucks. It's all about the running backs again, and I hope that their defense comes out of the by with some solutions because they just it just wasn't the Bucks defense were used to seeing. Antoine Winfield was not the Antoine Winfield we're used to see. He he I don't think has been healthy this year, so hopefully the week off helps him, and I think it was a hamstring injury that he was playing through.
It. It's an interesting bind that when it comes in where you at least coming into the game, you see the game script. If it's a passing game script, then you know Rashad White. If it's a rushing game script, you know Bucky Irving. But do you want to tip the plays by having them back there and doing that? And how did they approach that? Not as much we think of a problem.
I'm go make a run Bucks, I'm on with six points, Greg, I'm not. I'm gonna I'll take the Giants covering that six on game debut, and I'm on a heater right now on game debuts.
So watch out.
But I still would take the Bucks to win this game and start beating the poor sisters of the NFL.
You got the Panthers, you got the Raiders next, Like, let's stack some wins.
But Cutlets does not have the Giants in that category. Greg Rosenhall a believer. Maybe I can talk Greg into picking the Giants. No chance. Speaking of teams that Greg loves the New England Patriots at the Miami Dolphins, who are a seven and a half point favorite. Spirodinis, Adam Marchiletta and our friend a Dita Kikabwala on the call the Dolphins defense playing spectacularly greg in these past few weeks. To go with a complimentary performance, but by their offense
where two in company taking care of the ball? John who Smith really getting involved? Is Drake May enough to beat the Dolphins?
Probably not, because I think Miami just has better personnel and better coaching overall. He went back and forth Jordan Rodrigue and I about Alex Van Pelt on the last show and at you know what, they have made more sense. They've looked like an NFL offense, and maybe give him some grace to that. It took a little while to get it going. You got the new quarterback. But I think it's mostly Drake May making them look better. But
it has been better. They're finding ways to get to Mario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne open, and those are your two best players. Kendrick Bourne makes a huge difference on this offense. He didn't play a snap. No one cares about the Patriots, but he didn't play a snap two weeks ago, and like no one talked about it. I'm sure it was like a team discipline move, and yet there was like no reporting on it whatsoever. Anyways, I don't know if the Dolphins defense is playing that well.
I don't think they played well last week. Actually, you give up four straight drives of like fourteen plays to the Raiders and give up a lot of points for drive.
I know.
I don't think they played that well. They're a very unpredictable group. Jalen Ramsey is playing great. Their linebackers kind of like the Seahawks. They figured it out. They're different with Seler in cam in there together. Top Robinson's playing better. So I'm talking myself into it, but I do not think that was a good performance against Gardner Minshew. How do you let brock Bauers just be open? He's the only guy.
Well, maybe Jacobe Myers is just too much of a factor. They get him back. I do want to shout out seventeen year veteran Kalaiis Campbell, top eleven in pressure rate among defensive tackles this season, still doing it, playing at a very high level. I'm glad that both Steve and Jordan were able to tag team you to get you off of this Alex Van Pelt mission of justice where you were bemoaning it and now here we are a week later.
Oh, I don't feel that much differently. Their offensive lines still trash. I'm just saying it looks more like an NFL offense. It makes a little more sense me. By the way, we asked Anthony Weaver, the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, on this very program, NFL Daily, about Kalays Campbell. He had some great stuff and that's going to be part of the Thursday night I'm looking recap show,
so check listen for that. This was the game Christian Gonzalez's rookie year, which made me and plenty of film watchers believe that this young man could be a really special pro because he played man to man on Tyreek for most of that game, and you just don't see that Tyreek got one on him, but for the most part he really battled. So I'm really looking forward to that.
They didn't use Gonzales that way against pokin Akua last week and everyone got all up in arms about it, so we'll see if that's what they do this week. That would be really fun because he's been a little under the radar, but I still have all my Christian Gonzales stock. I think he's been fantastic this year. If he doesn't make the Pro Bowl this year, he will in future years, and I think he could make it this year, that's how good he's been.
The foundational pieces. Greg loves some Christian Gonzales, Drake May. We'll see how things go for those England patriots looking forward.
Speaking of Alexy and Pale, I'm glad you brought this up.
Okay, get him, I'm not getting him, Oh okay. There was a story by Albert Breer, our old coworker, that Robert Kraft was calling around asking like who would be the right offensive mind to pair with Drake May. And this really got under Drodmeo's skin to the point where he addressed it publicly, I believe multiple times and once I think, even unprompted about just these reports are totally
this is bogus. And I believe in my guy and Van Pell, and he's been really pumping up Van Pelt that he should get a lot of the credit, and we love Van Pell. And it felt a little bit like a DOFT protest. Too much situation, but just interesting that maybe me and Robert Craft are on the same page here. He might be looking around to see or just calls folks. Has it got out there? I know how the game is played. I mean, it's interesting that
that is just out there. Let's take a quick break, because we got more games to get to a fun game. I said, all the good games were up top, but a fun game coming up the Lions and the Colts. Back after after this, back on NFL Daily, I feel bad because I think I took this game in terms of our assignments on Sunday, hoping that Colts Lions.
It's fun. It's a fun game, A fun game with a couple of teams. The Detroit Lions seven and a half point favorites against Anthony Richardson, coming off a win against the Jets that I loved and hated because of a dumb pick that I made fifty and a half the over under Kenny Albert, Jonathan Bilba, and Meghan A. Leeviy get to watch Greg. This Detroit Lions offense that, aside from that random night Sunday night in Houston, has
been on fire for a month plus. A'mon Ross Saint Brown looking to extend his touchdown streak to nine games. He's already got a franchise. Wow, this what do Anthony rig So? Then the Colts and the Colts defense and Gus Bradley, How can they contend with this juggernaut right now?
Greg, I don't think they can.
Defensively, We're at the point where you see seven and a half for the Lions on the road against a competitive team, like an average team is what I would call the Colts, and you think, like that's probably not enough, like cause just on that side of the ball, it's always it's always a mismatch. DVA numbers go back to the eighties or to I think the late seventies now, and that's like a total efficiency metric that I really love that evalue its play by play. It takes opponents
into account. Through ten weeks of the season, they're third all time. The two teams ahead of them were the seven Patriots and the ninety three Washington team, which are two of the greatest teams of all time, or was it the ninety one team in Washington? Like, there's no chance the Colts have enough answers defensively. Now the other side of the ball is more interesting, and the Colts defense I think has played better. But let's not get carried away, like the Jets put up twenty seven points
in the end against them. This Colts defense to me is hoping to be average and like the Lions, they just It's the most consistent thing in the world. By the way, is if you own Jamiir Gibbs and David Montgomery and fantasy like my son does he drafting them both, like literally every single week they come through.
Every single week they come through.
Yeah, the highest rush success rate on design runs this season, where they only get contacted behind the line of scrimmage thirty five percent of the time. It's and with both David Montgomery and Jamior Gibbs, who can make you miss in the open field in two different ways. I think people kind of conceptualize Jamiir Gibbs as the home run hitter, but when David Montgomery's breaking tackles like he is, I mean,
you get explosive plays off of that as well. That combined with golf and i'man Ross Saint Brown JMO comes back from the suspension, he scores the long time great. It's there's so much to deal with. Not to mention Sam Laporta, I guess I am mentioning here Tim Patrick flashing across the screen as well.
Like they're indoors. I always like them a little better indoors. When I like any offense better indoors than they will be indoors, maybe they'll maybe they'll open up the roupe at Lucasfield. The other side of the ball is more interestingly, what do you think about Jonathan Taylor needing to get going, because actual he actually really didn't against these was kind of concerning. Clearly, Sheen Steiken went into that game saying,
we're gonna win by running the ball. The very first play of the game was a quarterback power run to the outfit outside.
Didn't really work.
To be honest, Anthony Richardson's runs didn't really work no other than the goal line runs. So that worries me because I think matchup wise, I think I'd much rather be a team that is passed first against the Lions. They're very good stopping the run. They're pretty tough up front. I think the best way to beat the Lions is a true drop back passer that can really sling it. And that's as good as Richardson was, and he hits them very difficult throws last week.
That's a tough ask. Yeah, uh, throws with a high degree of difficulty. I think the completion percentage over expected in the positive side for Anthony Richardson. And I think this game at the very least changes, uh, the perception of Anthony Richardson where he had those those bad games against good defenses. And then Joe Flacco comes in and of course that whole charade happens, but he gets his job back, and here.
Is that Claybohn victory lap on poor Joe. It's unseemly frankly, you know it's not.
It's not on Joe Flacco. This is not nothing personal against. I'm just evaluating the things that I see, much as the way that you feel.
About I love I love I love seeing Patrick like subtly spike the football.
You're just so professional about it that.
I wouldn't say that I will literally spike of football. I'm just I'm glad he's playing. Glad he's back playing. He gets a chance to develop and be I think the player that that he can be. And when it doesn't work against the Detroit Lions, people aren't gonna say, oh, he's you know, he's not viable. It's like, oh, well, he's playing against a good football team. The other team's going up and down the field at will we just need to give him some time. Yeah.
The Lions rush defense is fourth in success rate over the last month. They've got playmaking safeties who love to come down, especially Brian branch in the in the box. So I do think this is a tough matchup, like like I said, because of just the way that I think you need to be able to beat the Lions. And I do not think this will be the fourth game that the Lions win by more than thirty five points.
I think it'll be much more competitive.
But I do worry that Anthony Richardson, just because of the game script, will take a step back, and I would take the Lions, you know, winning by fifteen points something like that.
A fantasy note for folks out there with six teams on a buy this week, if you would like to to lean hard on hoping for some Alec Pierce garbage tom points, I think this might be a good week to do that if he is available in league. Let's go to another team in the AFC South, the Houston Texans at home against the Tennessee Titans, a divisional matchup. They are eight and a half point favorites greg where they haven't really had those dominant wins that came late
against the Dallas Cowboys. Going up against Will Levison Company over under forty two. Tom McCarthy, J Feeley, Ross Tucker and Amanda Ballyonis on the call. Does C. J. Stroud get things going back better in the second game with Nico.
Collins better because I like the matchup because I think there's some familiarity that could go both ways, certainly, but they did sweep the Titans last year. One was in overtime, it was close. I think through you know, you'll be able to get some open receivers against Tennessee's that's how you beat him. But I think it's still a dangerous game for the Texans because I really doubt Joe Mixon is gonna get going in this game the title. That's
the one thing that Titans really do well. They totally shut down Minnesota last week on the ground, and so you make Seach Stroud one dimensional, and I think he's better because of the matchup. But man, I just don't think the Texans not to give away our Man Versus Machine show on Friday, but man eight and a half points, the Texans to me are just not a team that should be that favored in a division matchup over anyone.
I do think the Titans have played a little better with Will Levis at quarterback the last couple of weeks. Hasn't totally showed up on the scoreboard, I know, but eye tests wise, I do think they're a better team with him at quarterback. And I think it's a little bit of a dangerous game. So I am forecasting a little of what you can look forward to on that show on Friday, which, by the way, I mean, I'm gonna just keep honking about it.
Do it.
The two of us are fifteen and three combined of them last three weeks.
That's pretty good. Yeah, better than better than pretty good. I do want to speaking of streaks in terms of making picks, would you be willing to survive on the Houston Tech.
Oh, I kind of forgot about survivor.
We don't have Steve wa so I guess you could put an asterisk on here.
I'm going to go look at the teams that we've taken so far. I'm going to say no, because my vibes are that the Titans keep this game close.
I think it's a dangerous game.
I do not want to do the survivor, and I do see our next game I think is one that I feel even better about. And Eric, our producer, will check to make sure we haven't taken that team.
If it is closer. The Texans interior offensive line giving up the third most pressures in the league this season, one hundred and twelve. They have to deal with Jeffrey Simmons coming in this week, and you mentioned Will Levis playing a little bit better. The penalties took off a Calvin Ridley, yes touchdown. Ever since Calvin Ridley went on a profanity lace tirade, more targets going in this direction.
It's good. Things have worked out. And even if plays get called back, the vibes from initially going in the end zone, Yeah that's going they'll count well. He seems like a vibes guy. He has five hundred and fifty yards this season. Do you know that no one else has even half that on the Titans this season? Can you guess who their second leading receiver is?
It?
Nwy it is now? Yes, because he had ninety eight last week. Now he's up to like two twenty something.
Does Nukes still on there?
Nuke's like, yeah, he's one ninety two it's ugly.
Lewis though surprisingly not in the top ten in the league and turnover worthy play percentage. It just was the interceptions that he had. He actually doesn't have that many interceptions either. He looks very mechanical to me. I don't think he's gonna be it. I don't think that's controversial. Like when he's like going through his reads, you can almost hear the coaching. It's like one to two to three.
And he's taking a ton of sacks the last couple of weeks, I think in an effort to not make mistakes. And I think that's positive because when he's thrown it, he's thrown it pretty well. So what I think he is gonna be is an NFL quarterback that has a long career as a backup in maybe a frisky bridge type of guy. That's where I see him as. But I think that's an upgrade from Mason Rudolph at least.
And it's division game. I just think their offensive line gets so confused too, like they never know who to block, and it's bad.
He's gonna have to make the mistakes, Like you don't have a quarterback that is a Will Levis that that makes plays like you're gonna have to take some risks. We don't want to see safety Will Levis. We want to see the guy that you know gets people fired up and maybe he's gonna make pushes and fan bases to try to take somebody's job. Here, I have some breaking news for you.
Eric has let us know the Texans, the Commanders, and the Chiefs have all been taken already this season for our survivors. So we're gonna have to We're go back. We're gonna go back. Let's wrap the show with that. So we'll think about it in between. Yeah, raps for all you with our with our final pick, let's go to Let's go to the NFCS game.
Why not? Yeah, let's do it. Greg. It's a revenge opportunity for Dan Quinn, whose defense has had twenty five sacks since Week four, playing against Cooper Rush, who threw them all fifty five times for some reason. On Monday Night Football, the Washington Commanders eighteen and a half point favorite.
Joe Davis, g Rag and Pam Oliver on the call, Greg, we saw Dallas kind of have a similar situation where they weren't able to run the ball, had to throw the ball a ton against Houston without Will Anderson Junior if he was playing, which he's back. As we look back to that last game, congratulations of the Texan. Good him back, But it could have been even worse, Greg, so much worse.
It's one of the reasons why I don't really believe in the Texans that much right now. They just haven't shown it. The Commanders really haven't either. They haven't been at the level I think of concern of the Texans offense throughout the courts of the season. But the numbers are the numbers last two weeks under six yards per attempt for Jade and Daniels.
I mean, that's far from where he was.
He's taken six sacks over those two games, hadn't been taking a lot of sacks and provided next to no rushing value. People want to make it like it's the ribs. I have a hard time with that because just speculating about injuries is difficult, and the the first two games after that injury he played really well. So maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. I just think that's irrelevant to me right now. He's just not quite as accurate. The decision
making hasn't been as comfortable. He's certainly not running well, but the run game overall hasn't been nearly as good in terms of Eckeler and Brian Robinson consistently getting five or six yards. So I do like that they have a little extra rest here. I think that makes a difference.
And I do thank the schedule gods for serving up this Cowboys team at the perfect time, because I think this they need to get right game Washington, and not just they let's win the game, but let's feel good about like a twenty eight thirty two point offensive performance where we get the Cliff Kingsbury falling off a cliff people off our backs and just feel better about this season.
And I do believe they'll be able to do that. I I didn't want to be greg I'm I think I'm one of those Cliff Kingsbury offense falling off the ledge at the end of the season. I might be too type people. Terry McLaurin, perhaps get Nuke Hopkins on the phone and see how to work this out. Maybe Nuke has some hindsight that he could turn into Terry's foresight because he's aligned as the left outside receiver on seventy five point eight percent of his snaps this season.
Isolated on twenty six and a half percent of those snaps, we saw Quinnon Mitchell, who's over on that side all the time, the Washington commanders.
Just with the safety too. It's not like it's just him just.
Accepted that this was the matchup that we're gonna give Terry and I went and if you if you have NFL Pro I think you should if you're listening to our show, go use it because you can go to the film room and look at a whole bunch of different scenarios. Terry mcclarin has been in motion five times this season.
Greg, that's concerning five and just thinking about this matchup too, you know, I guess maybe it's Trevon Diggs. I actually do think the Cowboys defense has been more competitive.
It helps when you.
Add Mike Goes back, but I just overall they've been more headed over the last couple of weeks, and they've just they hold on and they hold on until their offense just makes it impossible in their their doors get kicked in at the very end. But I think they've been more competitive. So this to me is a stay away. I mean, I want to watch it. Well, I just mean, like they're such big favorites and everything I've been saying
the Cowboys are. They're the worst team in the NFL, and I stand by that they would be number thirty two for me. But I just want to go watch this game and I hope Washington's offense shows up.
That's all. Well, it's the Cowboys, so you're gonna have a chance to watch it.
No, I got the power of the Cowboys that they get g Reg in this game.
Give me a break free money check and shout out to g Rec who isn't isn't pouting as it, just taking his operation work and putting in great work, good stuff on film. You'll be back on that squad any moment, g Reg. Let's go to our final game, Greg before we make our Survivor pick. It's not eligible for Survivor pick. Fun fact about this game. There's been a TikTok trend for weeks citing that the Kansas City Chiefs would fall in their first game to Bryce Young in the Carolina Panthers.
Has been a fun meme. It did not happen because the Bills went head took care of business. Kansas City ten and a half point favorites at Carolina coming off of the buy with the over under a forty three iron eagle against. Shout out to my man who pointed out that I'm saying Big Bird's name wrong. It is, in fact iron I didn't know. I don't know why. I guess it's Rapaport's fault. Charles Davis and Evan Roshburn on the call. Jonathan Brooks may play in this game.
That's fine, cause Carolina do this. Greg Does the Chiefs lose two in a row?
Can Panthers win three in a row? I want to watch it.
Yeah.
Is the Bryce with Canals thing a thing? Because I've seen it. I've seen consistency. Now you're coming off of bye against a much tougher opponent than who they face so far, and that's that's what real quarterback growth is doing it on a week to week consistent base. And so I am intrigued to watch that. When the Panthers have the.
Ball, and again this Chiefs defense doing things that we haven't seen them do. And all credit going to Buffalo for making the plays that they did, but that was just a rough performance by Spags squad on the road and here's a really let's be honest, an overmatched Panthers offense are going up against this group where.
Good line coming off of bye? Yeah, I don't know, I'm not good do it? I mean, I'm not on TikTok. I'm too old for that.
I'll post some of those. They're fun.
Actually, I do think this is a big game for the Chiefs. Oh, just for how I feel about them? Like, how does it?
I said?
Great teams respond to losses, right, they respond, They come back the next week or the next game. If it's an NBA team, just a little more. It's just human nature, Like can we get a blowout? Can we get the Chiefs like with a great offensive performance I'm not even talking about the defense, Like can we get d Hop with like eight for one twenty? Can Patrick Mahomes have a good fantasy day for once? Ken Zavi are worthy?
Like not make a big time mistake just for one game, look like the twenty like twenty one Chiefs or the twenty nineteen Chiefs, whatever, just do it for one game in Carolina. I don't think that's too much to ask. Do it do it for Greg?
He needs to see these things to believe even Mahomes.
I thought he was really improving this season, but he really did not have a great game against the Broncos.
I thought he played well.
Enough against the Bills.
I'm not gonna be smirch him or anything, but what I'm saying is a wow game. Give me that, because I know obviously they're capable of it and we'll probably see it eventually, But just give it to me at ten am and Bank of America Stadium. That's when I want it. When it's Charles Davis and not Tony Romo, that's what I want it.
Show it to us, all right, Kansas City, and now we need to show you greck. We need to get all the way back, open up our first page and try to keep the survivor streak going e because, uh, we've been on We've been on a hot one. Okay.
Do we believe in bow Nicks and the Broncos enough on the road in the division. The Buccaneers I believe are an option.
But you love Cutlets, You're you're I do tell me, guy, I do not. I'm gonna run the tape back.
Are the Dolphins available too? I'm sure we haven't taken the Dolphins. They have the Patriots. Okay, all three of those are available and being told Buccaneers, Dolphins.
The Bucks on the road. The other two are division games.
You want to go Bucks, Let's do it. Now, let's do it. I think that's what I feel best about too.
But you talked me into the cutlass I was gonna take. I was gonna take the Broncos.
Okay, should we do it? Do we believe that much?
What do you guys think back there? Nicks phone Knicks thumbs up. Okay, we both leave on this show, Greg something about it doesn't feel right. Uh oh oh no, we'll blame Steve for not being here, Broncos fans if you lose this game, all that honkin that you've been doing in my mentions all season long.
And then I send out like one video that was positive and they were like, oh, Greg finally said something positive for the first time since twenty fifteen.
Well, they're finally giving me something positive.
Bo Nicks was.
The first AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Denver Broncos.
Since Brandon Marshall.
I don't know Trevor sime in, trev we were.
All team Trev a million years ago.
Yeah, Patrick and I when we bonded over being on Team Trev in the newsroom in twenty sixteen. That's when it last happened. Come through for US Broncos in Vegas. Fun show. We'll be back on Thursday night and like I said, yeah, we have the Anthony Weaver interviews. It's going to be part of that episode. But we will be recapping Steelers Browns, Steelers have a bad record on Thursday nights.
Mike Tomlin on the road in the division, like it's.
It's a thing. I think it's gonna be fun.
Bo Wolf from p h l Y will be joining me and uh yeah when when we got Baldy.
And he's not even by the pool.
You know, football is back. See it Thursday