They Around the NFL podcast passes the y text.
Yeah we do.
From the Chris Westling podcast studio.
It's Around the NFL. I am Dan Hanss. I am joined my heroes.
Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler. What's up, guys? Whoa good? Who's on the camera today?
There's a lot of that.
There a lot of cuts.
Whoa Sammy did a trip?
Check out the YouTube show Sam did the triple do it again? Sam ready started on they I'm Dan Hanss and I'm joined by heroes Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler.
Get him a round of applause.
Terrence malickpack there.
This is like, it's like we've got our own family sitcom. Sam's is Jazz that biggest you know, Celtics fan, I know, like in that Drew holiday trade.
Oh very good.
Don't get too excited, though, Sam the New England Sports Fan, because, uh, in just a minute or two, we're going to bring back a staple of Around the NFL. It is, of course, our famous segment, flashpoint Focus is back.
Ooh those pipes. La said, it's back. Reggy.
She's excited to be receiving that one dollar and seventy five cent check for she gets every time we play it.
I think when we uh PA, when I reached out to Sid and asked to do that, I said, I actually cleared it with a shadowy league figure to get you a you know some It was a modest sum of money, and she was like, okay, she didn't ask for it. And then when I circled back a couple you know, weeks or a month later, and I was like, did you get paid on it? I was like, they sent me like fourteen pages of paperwork and I just so we got maybe start doing some under the table payments.
Yeah, red tape of a mass of corporation coming to get you.
Great. Good job.
By the way, before we get to Tom Curran on the Patriots, you pointed out in a recent tweet eleven seasons in the Around the NFL podcast had our best month ever in September over three point six million down loads.
Thank you all. That is very cool.
It is exciting.
I would have rounded it up to four.
They wouldn't know. People don't know what they don't know. But Greg's honesty, integrity was.
I did think of the FO I actually could have round it up three point seven. I was like, do I want to go to the one hundredth decimal point here, but it just felt unnecessary. It is really special, I mean, and some people responded, you know, talking about their relationship with the show, which is which is the most exciting thing about sending out information like that, and like and and people.
The most exciting thing crushes our enemies when they see, well, that's it.
I do like the second with the number out there just as a show of four. That's nice, yeah, because for some reason they don't do that with podcasts as much like if if a television shows up four percent, they'll point it out. It's like we're up to five hundred and thirty seven thousand, But they don't really do that.
With the podcast.
Let's do it pointed that out our own, not that you need to get like that, you know, and the NFL to retweet it.
We're the podcast bosos, but we're doing so.
We're time to check the sink on these podcast posos.
And we couldn't do it without you guys. And I added a little quote retweet on that, what do they call it now? Because they already a rex a rex now they call it a repeat.
Well, I call it a rex completely. Why not lean in you've rebranded. I'm not saying I agree with the rebranding, but like, why not lean into it.
I added little emojis of all the different countries along with the USA that listened to the show, and then any that I missed please add in their prices, and then just.
People all over the world have supported our show and we're so thankful, So thank you everybody. Now to the business of today's show.
Coming up later we have the Island Games and another London game is where a week away now from our and thank you to the Shadowy League figures for sending us to London every year.
We'll be heading there next week.
Cannot wait, and we're going to talk about the London game and then our Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday Night affairs.
But before that, it's back.
People have been waiting for this, That's what I've been hearing.
Journalistically.
We're at the top of our game when flashpoint focus is the focus of an episode, and this week the flashpoint focuses on the New England Patriots. And who better to break down what's going on on the Patriot Way than the Pats. Insider for NBC Sports Boston and a friend of the show, the great Tom Curran, a legend in his own time.
What's up Tom, Tom, tom.
My, guys, thank you very much for having me. No one's calling me anymore to say, how's the matchup in the AFC Championship.
What's it been like? Because really that's yeah, no, it's a good way to get into it. What has it been like? Obviously for Patriots fans it's been a come down to earth and a transition into this different era. But for people that have covered the team where it was, you know, a fifteen eighteen year run of dominance, what's it like being like the have notts once again?
As someone covering the sport.
It's jarring. It really is jarring because you know, you realize that when you're a training camp where you'd sit on the hill and watch Randy Moss and Wes Welker and Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski and Darrell Reeves and you know, Teddy Bruski, Mike Vrabel and on all the way through High Tower and Edelman and guys who either were on their way to the Hall of Fame or were writing their names in the War of the postseason.
And now you're looking down at guys and you see a fifty four where you see a twenty four and you're like, who is twenty four now, Josh Lent So okay. So it is jarring because they are very much a have not talent wise. And I think the most disorienting thing about this team, and what's hard for folks outside the region to fathom, is when we watch a game and Greg, I'm sure you still digest plenty of them. They are so unpatriotic. They are so far from a
well coached team that's disciplined and situationally smart. I contend that they were the worst coach team in football last year when you look at some of the starts to games that they've had. In nine of their last ten games, they've trailed by at least a touchdown, and obviously this year seventeen to three, sixteen to nothing, in twenty eight to three in the first portion of games. They're not ready to play the football games when they begin.
Yeah.
I listened to the Tom Karn's Patriots Talk podcast with it what do you call them? The Senator Phil Perry on, and I thought it at Phil Perry, I thought it
was intersting. Last Sunday, I put it on when I was driving home from work, and I was like, Oh, they've lost Tom, because because you because I and I've kind of been, you know, half cribbing your point that when everyone says like, oh, well, the Patriots like they're you know, they play a certain style where they're not gonna make mistakes or they're just gonna try to limit turnovers and penalties. It's like, no, that that ended the minute Tom Brady left. Like that hasn't been the case
the whole time. That is not the Patriot way. They've been rather sloppy. But You've thought this team had potential and and I'm curious to see where you think they go from here. But after that performance, between Mac Jones and the coaching staff, it very much felt like, oh, they they've lost They've lost Tom. You don't think this team is necessarily coming back to having like a fun season. And now it gets to a week where I'm sure they're just talking about what's gonna happen with this team
in the future. They're like the deep Yeah.
Like who lasts longer? Bill or Mack? Where do they both go at the same time. I Mean, that's kind of the conversation and it's actually a plausible when we don't have to delve into quite yet. But just in the context, why did they lose me? They lost me because I kept explaining away the penalties and the turnovers early in games, and the lining up off sides of the false starts that get him into third and fifteen, which is a place they can't live. Because Bill's done
such a horrendous job staffing the roster on offense. I mean, God bless him. But Trent Brown was a seventh round pick. He's had some great years. Cole Strange was a reach as a number one over as a twenty ninth overall pick in the first round. David Andrews is undrafted, Michael When is a sixth round pick. They don't really have a right tackle. But I'm showing you these guys can play capably, but they don't invest in the offensive line.
So if you don't invest in your offensive line, you better have an athlete a quarterback who can really create when the floodgates open. Well, they don't have that. Well, shoot, you better have an outside receiver or a tight end or a slot who you can throw to. Sorry, don't
have those either. So you can look at all these mistakes and say, well, if they fix those, they're gonna with a magic wand start to you know, do the meat and potatoes, run the ball, getting third and three have their way with teams by being smarter, and they can't do that. They're dumber than most of the teams they play. Literally dumber they are. Since they lost forty seven to seventeen to the Bills in the twenty twenty one playoffs, they were one in three going into that game.
Down that stretch, they lose forty seven to seventeen, they go eight and nine, and that's actually kind of a miracle. They won eight games and now they're one in three. The only team that they beat with regularity is the Jets. I think there's like five or six of those or wins against the Jets. So I think it's like sh I can't write, did the math the wrong of the mind? But it's thirty and thirty four? Since they were eight, no, and twenty nineteen you.
With a Super Bowl title in there? Oh no, not twenty nineteen.
Calm down, Greg, it's over and by the way, Tom title, Yeah, as I was thinking twenty eighteen as a Jets van Tom, you have no idea of all the frustrations I have as a Jets van the fact that we still can't beat the Patriots and they suck. Now, that's almost worse than anything else. I'll turn it over now to Mark Sessler.
Well, fair point on the Jets. You mentioned in your show consequences that you know in the past if we're running back fumbled, like you don't see that guy for two weeks necessarily under Bill Belichick. But in today's role, with all the mistakes you said, there's sort of a lack of consequences, and I really question, like there's been whispers like the Robert Craft Bill Belichick relationship. It's sort of heading towards this flashpoint. That's why we're sort of
talking about this. And if you're Robert Kraft, is it win loss record or is it the Bill Belichick experience and where your faith is in this coach in twenty twenty three, while you've got Mike McDaniel and other young coaches like Kyle Shanahan just turning the league over into something new, We're watching this Patriots team sort of stuck in neutral and so I'm wondering, like, what is it that Craft, what would compel Craft to move on from outside of these seasons the best coach in NFL history.
The interesting thing is the evidence Mark is lying kind of in plain sight. Robert Craft in twenty twenty, right after the twenty twenty one free agency, Binge said, we can't keep drafting like we've done, and we've done a poor job of the draft. You can't live like this.
So that was a saber rattle, so calling Bill out of his drafts, and then twenty twenty one, excuse me, twenty twenty two, he said, look, we haven't won a playoff game in the last three seasons, and I'm not used to that, and I expect that we're going to compete for the playoffs now. And Bill puts Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in charge of the offense of the year quarterback who showed promise and basically ran him aground while he's on his rookie contract. I mean, you got
to maximize that the dollars and sense of it. And then we asked him in March, will Bill be allowed to chase Don Shule's record by FIA. You know, he said, look, we have all the respect in the world for Bill. He's done an unbelievable job. But we've never been about individual goals here, we're about wins and losses. So he's done enough saber rattling to indicate he wants results. The question you pose, what does the team look like? How many wins does it take?
To me?
It's about quality control, and I said that all off season. Craft even kind of started to hedge his bets by saying we are of a really tough schedule. He wants to see the team pointed in the correct direction, improving, cutting the crap with kickoff return touchdowns and pivotal games like you saw two times against the Bills last year. Stop digging twenty two to nothing deficits like they did
against the Bengals last year. Stop throwing the ball backwards over your head on the final play of a game. Bless you. It's like they did against Raiders last year. But instead we've seen it exacerbated this year. And now you see the quarterback who Craft had faith in going in the tank. So it is very much Mark coming to a head.
Our cop button, our cough button, struggling as much as the Patriots special teams.
Apparently I needed the sneeze button.
I got I hit it.
I thought I hit it.
I missed it, Bro, or maybe it was so loud it picked up on our mics. I think, you know, I think it's there.
That's where it is.
That's really where it is.
Robert has if he if the team gets to one in seven and they keep getting their doors blown off, and Robert Craft says, we're making a change here this week, you guys can all say, well, it's not like this is out of the blue. I think the nationwide people think it's out of the blue because they're not playing close enough attention, which they can be blamed for. They got a lot going off here, you can tell.
And I think there's a bit of a wicked irony here that you know, during that beautiful run when it was Brady and Belichick, there was chicken and egg talk like who's really responsible? And they were both responsible. But now I'm wondering where we are now. Is that the quarterback position that's the problem. Is that the head coach that's the problem, And will that be a decision at the end of the season. Does that buy Belichick another year?
Does he get another quarterback? And maybe there's something more to it, Tom, and you tell me, is there an avenue here where let's say this does go to hell and they do move in a different direction to quarterback. But Craft also wants changes in terms of how the roster is constructed. Is there any scenario where Bill would loosen the reins on control of the fifty three but stay as the coach or is that really where the divorce heads if things come down to it.
Bill tries to intimate that he has deferred a great deal to Macro. He tries to intimate that he allows his people around him to make the decisions. But you know, from guys who've worked in this building, who've worked in personnel, it's not the case. Bill still oh is the overlord and the people that he's hired have been reared under his guidance, So their answers are going to align with
whatever Bill would generally say. So I don't know if divesting Bill of any offensive responsibility period you can't pick an offensive player you're done with, that would work. But I mean, that's what kind of needs to happen. It's the offense. It's killing them. But mac Jones, you have to allow him to finish his rookie contract. He's not beyond salvaging. It was an embarrassment. The other day he
melted down. He made high school quarterback level decisions. But in the first three games, especially the first two, aside from the idiotic turnovers. Again, here I go with the caveats. He played good football against the Eagles, he played good football against the Dolphins. He just shot himself in the foot this one. I've never seen a meltdown like that from him in his thirty six games that he started
for the team, But he did it. I think if Robert Craft has asked who goes or Bill says we got to get we can't keep going with this, Craft is going to go why, Well he makes bad decisions. Well, it's because he's looking at the jail break every time he drops back. How come that is, Well, we don't have any offensivelignment. Why so? Craft is very much aware of the landscape around mac Jones and why mac Jones is who he is right now, very very against and
unspoken about the Matt Patricia Joe Judge thing. But he deferred to Bill, And at the end Robert Craft does have I told you so power in that instance. Yeah, he's kind of used it.
Yeah, And I think There's always been an underlying ego tension between Robert Craft and Belichick and Brady too, because of course they all have big egos. They were all part of the greatest, you know, run of success any NFL team ever had. It's totally natural and they've handled it well enough. But I think Robert Craft is like thinking about the Hall of Fame and he's thinking about his legacy. And that's why I said, coming into this he I was like, I think they got to win.
I think I don't know if Belichick can survive a six and eleven type of season here, because I think Kraft will want to start thinking about his legacy. I do want to hit you on just because we had news today and it speaks to what you're talking about, which is jac Jackson coming into the Patriots, and which which looks like a nice trade for the Patriots on paper. You're basically getting him for free. It's a late round swap. You're not paying him anything. But he's repraising Christian Gonzales.
And I remember something you said. It was in the middle of training camp, and you said, I think on your podcast that Christian Gonzales might be the best player on the team. Which I was like, that is a crazy statement. He hasn't even played in the preseason. But then you sort of explained it, and first of all, you watch him in the first three games. He might have been the best player on the team. But the way you explained it just highlights how talent poor this
team is. Because you were looking at him, You're like, well, here's a physically dominant, really smooth athlete who's really good at his craft in position, and they don't actually have anyone else on the roster that would qualify for that. You could say Trent Brown, I mean the fact that Trent Brown might be the best player on their roster. Matthew Judon would be another candidate. But it's it's freaking crazy.
A first round rookie is the best player on their roster and that they're having to replace him with Mark.
He's got an emotional I am concerned about.
He's inflamed, Like, look at their best players. Kyle Dugger, nice player, he's not a pro bowler. Matt Judon really good player. He's a top ten, maybe top seven.
Edge rusher maybe maybe maybe.
Hunter Henry Okay, he's top dozen tight ends. Romandre Stevens and he's a top ten.
Back, maybe not even well, he's had a.
Tough start, but that's that's what we're looking at. Hey, where's the talent. Well, these are the guys everybody has. Everybody's second best guy, at least among good teams, is as good as their best guys. It's really tough. But you know the Mac Jones and the wrestling match that I wanted to lob to you guys is with Craft's legacy.
What will be damaging to his legacy or could be painful to his legacy is Robert Kraft, whose Patriots team suffered a severe decline after Tom Brady left and he fired Bill Belichick in twenty twenty three, and the team went into a funk and was a three and fourteen team for several years. And he has that on his head. He not only allowed and Brady was the one who believed this Bill was just being Bill, when Bill was just being Bill and moving on from Brady, Brady expected
Robert Craft to intervene. Robert Craft said, it's Bill's decision. That's why in general, and I think it's all passed out. But Brady was more pissed a Craft than he was a Bill but Robert's matt at that still taking the heat for that. And now if he takes Bill out behind the woodshed yellers, then he's good. Now he's fired. He let the best.
Where did that go?
And then he fired the greatest coach?
No easy answers.
Yeah, you are one of the you know, less than one percent of humans on earth that have spent like hundreds of hours with Belichick in these press conferences. We all nationally think we know who he is left and right,
and like he's always grumpy. But do you sense with all this happening over the last couple of years and they you know, whether he hears it or not, this Brady verse Belichick thing, which gets a little tired, but still it's Belichick thinking about his pride and his own legacy, like in these pressers, I thought you were an interesting comment that he's gotten to a place now where maybe he was always doing this like he doesn't like answering
the question obviously, Like Mike Greasa thought the other day had an excellent follow up to the mac Jones why he sat then, why aren't you sitting? In Jude on right, And it was just like it wasn't even a pregnant or a dramatic pause by Belichick was like a ten second silence where it's like what happened to Bill in that period? But then he kind of starts spinning things in his own way, Like, is Belichick getting testier, more grunt? Is he getting grumpier less community? Can you feel the heat?
Or is that is he just Bill?
Is Bill?
Nope, he's less communicative. I think he feels under siege. I don't blame him. There's probably aside from aside from us, aside from the fan base. I bet he's more tortured that he can't figure it out, that he can't get the team to play the way he wants to. I don't think he's quite as look, he drafts generally players from the same programs frequently, his free agent signings are unimaginative, and often are guys that played good against his team.
He's just not the same worker that he was previously, nor does he have the same network of young coaches around him that he did in the two thousands. All these guys rising up at once, He's got guys who came up in the same sphere as him. It's a hard place to work, so guys have short money, long hours, and kind of a humorless atmosphere to work in, so it's not a fun place to be. So he doesn't have a great, experienced, huge coaching staff. How is Bilo
was the question? He's under siege and there was an interesting comment Remember this, Greg Gill, Remember this. A woman asked something about after the twenty nineteen playoff loss where they lost to Tennessee. A woman asked a benine question, not a great question for Bill, but after the loss, what do you have to say to the fans? I mean, they've been with you through thick and thin. And Bill looks at her, cuts her off and says, I mean,
I'll due respect. I don't think there's been a lot of thin around here, and I that is very much. I think his mindset, whether it's me who used to have a great eye Bill, we're having a good time and now I'm kind of a dank as far as he's concerned. Probably he probably looks at me and goes, you know what, I got a nice life right now because you covered the Patriots while I was here, and
look at you, you know, look at you now. You had a pretty good I made it pretty good for you, didn't I And look at you.
You weasel now.
So I think that there's a lot of that out where he's bitter that he delivered so much to this region. And now we're all saying, I mean on the hot seat.
Yeah, And I think that's fair too, Like multiple things can be true. You are a dink, Multiple things can be true.
You're gott to try and get rid of me. But here's the interesting thing. And I have felt bad about talking about Bill's hot seat, but whether it's Logan Mankins or Richard Seymour or Tom Brady or you name it, Bill had no problem when those players had outlived what he considered to be their expiration date. Sam, sorry, we got we can't keep go on with this, right, And so it's weird that I feel badly and he walking about.
It with Bill and Tom.
He was famous for getting a guy getting rid of a guy a year or two too soon before it was way past the expiration date. And maybe now Craft is going to do the same to him before we say goodbye.
And by the way, check out the Patriots Stock podcast.
Check out Tom on NBC where he's got hot takes and he uses mccorkel, and it's all fun. It's circling back to what you said. You lobbed it to us. The legacy of it all from my perspective, and I'm curious what you guys think that. I think Craft's legacy is secured. Six rings, nine conference titles. Yes, it got a little sloppy in the back end. Even Belichick, you could say his legacy is a little bit tarnished at this point. But Washington, what I'm saying is, I think
he's okay too. I think the person who really came out on top here tom is Brady. I think Brady is the ultimate winner of the way this all played out. I think everyone else is going to go to the Hall of Fame, but it was Brady who left, and then the Patriots dynasty crumbled with him not there.
That's where I come to.
And he's such a nice guy legitimately, and I know that after twenty three years of watching him, we see his eccentricities and wonder if he's genuine. I do believe he's a genuine guy. He's such a nice guy that I bet he feels so friggin bad for Belichick. I bet he does. He does not take any pleasure in it because he's a he is a card carrying good fella and he gets it out of a system that he was pissed, I think. And he doesn't want to see Belichick go down in flames. I mean I don't really either.
Who does?
I mean some people do, Dan does? This guy does. That's fine, I get it.
You care.
It's smart.
He's gotten his come up in, but he's had a great run. Tom, Thank you, sir. You are if you well, it's Bill that called you a dink. I don't think you're a dank.
Didn't he didn't call him a dnk.
Well you think he might find it to be a dink.
We are dinks, So maybe if you are a dink and Bill is right, that's why we get on so well, just for dinks, chopping it up, chopping up the Hey, maybe we'll do a spin off pod fo dinks. All right, Thanks Bob.
Thank you, Thank you guys.
Great talking to you, all right.
Love Tom Kurrn. He is the man.
And again that's why in a lot of ways, Mark, this is the crown jewel segment around the NFL. Yeah, oow, the flashpoint focus because it's not just it's not just about talking about the NFL and what's happening now. It's letting people know what's ahead.
Yeah, I mean our inaugural episode came out of a combine thing tank where there was a lot of whispers around at that time. Baker Mayfield and Cleveland's like, how would you even suggest they move on from him? Back then? Then like a week later it was a national storyline. We dug in on the cults. About a week later, national storyline going into bizarre areas. People are talking about this. There's some surmising, except I think he went deeper with us.
In a week from now, everyone will be talking about it.
It happened so many times over the past ten or so years. Greg didn't see it, and I'm like, Greg, you gotta come, come on this journey with us. Come And He's like, no, pushing back, pushing back, and now.
What you're trying to bring this old canard back.
This was when we brought the showman scenario and that you just have to.
Have it does all connect because as he was talking about Tom Brady being such a good fella, I was thinking he's getting tested with that because a certain Baker Mayfield the first flashpoint focus subject is out playing what Tom Brady was doing in twenty twenty two. It's kind interested for four games.
Doesn't feel like a nash for four games.
That's not a national story line, but for for four games, and it's great. It's crazy that Patriots are so underground that like trading for J. C. Jackson, who was got the most you know, guaranteed money of any free agent just a year and a half ago. It just feels like that's a nothing burg.
Yeah, but that's to his point that he Bill's just bringing back one of his guys, right right. Where's the imagination, where's the creativity? It doesn't exist?
Uh, pretty wild, Pretty wild? And Mark was co executive producer of that segment. Yeah, let's go get a drink AUP.
Yeah, it's another victory.
I mean I don't get a producer credit for tech exteen. Tom My longtime relationship with Tom. I used to work with him back in the day.
You I like that.
If you didn't mention that publicly, but you just kind of did it quietly and humbly behind the scenes, we would want.
To know you you not so humbly just gave yourself Well, this is what I read executive series.
You've joined us now and if you want, if you want a credit production credit, Mark and I would be happy that more than station.
Yeah, you can't verbally spar with us, but then also want the title. So and while taking credit for securing the guests, there's a lot happening.
Well, that's where the producer credit comes from. Securing the game.
Oh, it's the idea of the original idea conceived by market.
What's I created by what's the idea? Talk about a topic?
See, this is what I know.
Well, it's ault.
It's vision over visibility. And that's it was never just the topic. It's about what people aren't talking about.
Yet we're going to take massive strays for the rest of the show. After what you've just tried to do to Greg.
I know I couldn't do that to Mark on haircut day.
He looking good? Oh yeah, I like it.
Pivot So this is this is London haircut Sessler give him is a guitar. This is Sessler two point zero. I love it because you got the Vicious v Black tea, right, you got Harley Levi Yeah, and now you got the cut, so Frash, you're ready for London.
Yeah, I needed a haircut for London. My hair was turning into a disaster. But it was more like looking good. There's a little birthday boy haircut. Now you either come in like two art because I've like, literally my entire wardrobe is in that locker room downstairs. Either I go through the Shenanigans of changing into another shirt and I was like, no, not doing that today.
This is this is your look now.
I was in two point oh, Like I was like, there's many, you know, changes throughout life. I would say I didn't go from a child's clothing into this.
But startorally there's a lot of everybody gets self conscious in the studio about it. Okay, I'm saying if you look at and we've all evolved in different ways, if you look at what Mark was wearing twenty sixteen on the.
Show, yeah, flash point. This could be a flashpoint focus.
Yeah, if we wanted to and the off season Marks look great.
I I, uh, you know, wear this almost every day. So it's like an action figure type scenario. But thank you if you mean what I'm going back to. I think Greg has been a Greg the bigger fashion change.
Point five though, I believe this is the oldest T shirt I own. It's a Dice game mat shirt from about two thousand and Dice G eight.
I don't know when did he pop over. I think he got there around O six and was there maybe untill ten or so in that zone. Nobody care. All right, let's take a break and when we get back we will hit the previews of the Island games ahead of
week five. Stay right there, all right, welcome back, and yes, a week from tomorrow, speaking of London and our connection with the great fans of the England, the United king Them and surrounding territories, will be at the Shaw Theater in London next Thursday for our latest live show, and that will be a great old time, a gay old time. All right, let's get to it, starting with Thursday Night football. Is we dig into week five? Here we go, man, we're at the quarter pole.
Guys.
It is nice before all the bye weeks start messing up with like, you know, the stats, like now, oh, the leader in passing yards. Yeah, but this guy only played four games, you know, so I like the quarter pole.
A good time to check in. It's the beginning of the bye week. Brown's Chargers, Seahawks and Bucks are off. Let's start with Thursday night, though, where the Chicago Bears still looking for that first win after.
A just oh brutal, brutal.
Loss to the Broncos, a game they were up twenty eight to seven in they're building and hope it finally infiltrated Soldier Field, only to be snuffed out by poor play down the stretch and some real suspect.
Coaching decisions and execution blurg.
Now they head to Landover to face the Commanders and Mark Sessler. Let's start with the Commanders here, because I checked that game out this morning before he came in, and there are a lot of things I liked about the Commanders, even though they fell short in Philly in overtime. I love how you had the young quarterback Sam Howe throwing four interceptions in a blowout the previous week. And what do they do? What does Riverboat Ron and company do?
They come out that first drive and he's throwing right off the bat, two passes connecting with Terry. They score a touchdown on the first possession, then the second possession, and then they go kind of punch for punch with the defending conference champions. So you're feeling good about this team and their progress moving forward. This seems like with new ownership in primetime against a franchise in the wilderness, Bears in the Wilderness, a great setup for a celebration for the Commanders.
It's so interesting because one of my notes right here was this is one of those Island TNF games that will turn into a celebration of a Midlean home team. I'm not calling them Midley, but they're just part of the mix that looks like a world beater because you come out of these TNF games, it's a separate environment than Sunday where it be lost in a fog, and I think Washington has all the pieces to absolutely take
care of business in this game. I watched that Eagles showdown too, and they open with that fourteen play seventy five yard drive, and I think it kind of showed different pieces of their offense who they are, and that with Sam Howell, you're gonna live with the sacks, You're gonna live with the mistakes for now because of the upside, and this Commander's defensive line on the flip side is going against Chicago's worst ranked run blocking U That sounds like chaos for a team that has not dealt with
duress at well at all, and Howell is facing Chicago's PFF ranked them as the worst ranked pass rush and it shows they don't have the horses there on that part, on that side of the field. So if you can get a safe howl, and I think you can run on this team and keep it kind of exactly what you want. These thirst games. It's like you go do what you would do well as a core and then you look ato like Washington's defensive line Toron Payne Montes sweat,
Jonathan Allen, Chase Young. I kind of just loved this whole Formula four, as you said, a celebration for Washington after twenty plus years as.
A mess I was surprised early on. I peaked at the line in this game. It's Washington now by five and a half. It was over the lock zwone even seven right, which.
I'm seeing at six, which is too much.
Respect, I think to me, Chicago last week at least had a really encouraging offensive performance, and Washington's got to look at this. And you mentioned the roster they have on defense. They've built up this defense as the core of their team and have to look at last week as a missed opportunity because they got an a game out of how I mean, that was as good as you could hope for against Philadelphia. They're moving the ball up and down the field. He's playing clutch. You put
up over thirty points against the Eagles defense. You want to get out of it with no turnover? Do you want to get out of there with a win? But the defense let them down. I don't think Sam Howell lets him down though this week. Like look right now, he's probably the best quarterback from his draft class. I guess forty nine Ers fans would would push back pretty hard on that with brock perty, but it's one of those two guys I would push either the last guy in the draft or a fifth round pick.
In terms of you think that Howl has been better than Party so far, I know he's in a much better situation.
No, he needs to play more to know. But he did things in that game certainly that you haven't seen Pretty do. It's tough to take Pretty out of that.
You're that disrespect No, I totally, I totally disagree, but like I do not disagree that Sam Howel's been a nice surprise.
Yeah, I think we've seen enough to know that, like he's not a fluke. Now, his ups and downs might be a little crazy. His numbers kind of speak for in QBR, they have rushing value. Quietly, Sam Howell is the fourth ranked quarterback in terms of rushing value. He's brought a lot in terms of his scrambling. He needs to get down somewhere. I mean he'll take some big hits. He's dead last in sacks in terms of sack value,
like taking negative plays so that kills him. And then he's in the middle of the pack in terms of his passing, which makes sense because there's a lot of great passes and there's some every like seventh throw is like four feet over the guy's head. But he, to me, is what you thought Baker Mayfield could be when when he was a young player, except he's a little more physically talented. That's why it's so crazy. I was talking
about with this with someone in the league this week. Actually, it's like, it's really crazy that the same howl was a fifth round pick, because he's very talented.
A lot of people said that on drafting, right, not that he.
Wasn't like a first round pick, but that he kept falling between two and four. Yeah, because he gives his wide receivers a chance. That's one thing you can't measure in college. Like these wide receivers are good, and he's given Terry and Johan Dottson and Samuel a chance to make plays. He's not afraid.
It's a game of inches, and he throws a beautiful ball in overtime.
I think was McLaurin.
Was it who got one foot down and then a second foot comes down I believe on the hand of the dB, and then maybe he's out of bounds. It seems like he might have even been in and gotten the second foot, and even though he stepped on the hand of the opponent, they rule it at of bounds, which leads to the punt, which leads to the game winning field goal for Philly. So it was that close to how making a money throw to potentially win that game.
He was called sneaky athletic about four times in that telecast. He's athletic, he moves.
Is any NFL player sneaky athletic?
Josh Dobbs If Josh Dobbs.
Well, no, but I mean, like to get to the NFL, you're the requisite for athleticism is already higher than ninety eight percent of the earth.
Yes, Josh doabs stuck up on me where it's like, oh, if he was white, he would be called, you know, feisty and sneaky athletic, and it was like, wow, he really is a moxy.
Yeah, like howl is built like Ryan Fitzpatrick, and he'll surprise you, I guess. But I think he's gonna he's never gonna be boring, and I think that's a thing.
I liked the way, not just the game plan early on.
Last week. I also liked the way Howe looked early on. He didn't look gun shy. He's not one of those rookie quarterbacks who get jarred the week before and then comes back in his gun shy and he's gonna do it every week. On their second drive, he threw up for grabs on first and goal, which you just cannot do. He's gonna make mistakes, but he's gonna be fun to watch. So that that's good. And they're gonna and we'll see what they do. They should take care of business in
this game. The Bears side, Yeah, where do you go? After last week? The positives are obvious that Justin Field's look way more comfortable. They move the ball at will in the first half of that game before getting bogged down and ibra flus with a dreadful we don't need to talk about that again, but dreadful decision not to kick the field goal when that team really needed a chance to close out a win there and they didn't
even get that chance. So now I want to see how Fields if he could string together another good game. The game ended poorly. He took a grounding penalty in the last minute, then the I NT on third down to close out that game. Let's see if good Justin Fields is back for another week.
I mean, I think it's like the important that they got DJ more involved. Last week. He had nine targets, eight receptions one hundred and thirty one yards. Before that, he had been targeted on about seventeen percent of routes in these terrible earlier three weeks, which was the lowest of his career. It's like the guy that you were kind of linking to Fields all offseason is what wouldold
unlock Justin Fields through the air. It's not happened. I don't get what Luke Getsy's doing on some level too. It's like we've got justin Fields. What makes him special? What made him special last year? It's like no one's saying is passing like he can do it to some degrees, got to grow, but it was him on the ground. He has forty three fewer rushing yards per game than last year. They have only had eight design runs for
him this entire season. Luke Getsy has him doing boot action left and right all over the place, and it's not working, and he's well, he's not better protect than he was a year ago.
Right.
I think part of it is they can't run back, and that's why I'm worried. Like Fields can play well like last week, and I know he made some mistakes at the end of the game, but he played well, more than well enough to win, and everything else will fall apart, whether it's his offensive line that's a tough matchup. I think cath Young is shown up well so far
this season. It's been a kind of a quiet story that since he's come back, he's looked a little more like the rookie Chase Young, which is which is nice. But when you have this bad of an offensive line in this bat of a defense, even if Justin Fields was playing at a much higher level, what are you gonna do? I have a stat here. I couldn't believe this stat. Matt Eberfluss, defensive coach, Chicago Bears. I know they're short in the secondary, and they're still short. Jalen
Johnson's out. I think Eddie Jackson's not going to play in this game. They have given up at least twenty five points in fourteen straight games. Stop, that's never happened. I was like, that can't have ever happened.
How many wins in that window? Well, I think they've lost thirteen or fourteen straight two.
Wins maybe tops.
I think they ended last season with about a ten game loose. Yeah, I think they to be fair.
To be fair. The one thing that to be fair to elus like it's like, can you check that out?
Now?
I'm not gonna be fair, but mid mid seed.
One thing is like, are you a defense a coach that came in with the guys to you can do your system with. It's like they they but.
That's where they've put all their draft picks and all their free agency capital too.
They've spent all this They did not add for a super key free agent on the defensive line until the very end of the offseason. It's like, but they they spend so much money right away rope On Smith, I'm not looking. I think Eberlus has probably gone in less than a month and done.
They're spending more at linebacker than almost any team in the league. Tremaine Edmunds and t J. Edwards. They they dropped second round picks on these defensive tackles. This year. They spent all their first three picks on guys in the secondary. Last year, they've actually spent more on their defense. I know it hasn't been on the defensive line, but they ended up doing it withinway just about any team.
And no pass rush and cant affect the quarterback. They're like in the bottom of the league of that, and like league, Ibra flu has no he's not been able to show what he's special up but he may not be special anything.
He loved the show and you guys don't agree.
Yeah, I mean, I I just mean, though, I think their whole point, like I think Ibra Flus and Ryan Poles, their whole point has been like, let's make Eberflus look better. Let's spend so much on your defense and you're the worst defense.
In the league. Yeah.
I almost thought about the locking this, but I stay away from Thursdays and it's yeah, kind of a mirror game as well.
It was interesting. It was over seven for a minute.
All right, let's head to London with a second of three games in the annual London Series again.
We'll be there next week for Titans.
And come on, that's a great game. We're going to see Lamar live.
What do you mean with that? Excited me? I saw it to you to build the excitement. I knew it, clearly. I knew it. Jaguars v. Bills now this.
And I know the Jags have been underwhelming so far this year, but this is one of the better London matchups I can remember. This is a Jacksonville team that made it to the second round of the playoff last year. The Bills also made it to the second round. So these are two teams that have big aspirations. Three and one Bills, GREGI here, who are playing better then pretty much everyone in the AFC and maybe outside of San Francisco, the best team in football. One uh sets up well
for them. But this is a Jacksonville even though it's a Bills home game. Technically it's a Jacksonville it's on their turf. Does that matter at all?
This I think the fact that they've played so many games there and that they've been there for the extra week can't hurt, right, right, I adapt and they they will have.
We know how we feel three days after getting there. You're lost in space, right.
The Jags really do have a nice fan base there, so they'll have more support than the Bills. But the Bills, I'm sure will have plenty because they do everywhere, and those games kind of feel like a super Bowl anyways. Just everyone's just loving football. Everyone's loving that Josh Allen's in this game. I mean, we'll talk with Nick Shook later this week. Hell yeah, a little bonus up every Josh Allen. I mean, he might be my QB one
right now through four games. I know the first game was rough, but part of that is because he's got a good offensive line now, and to me, that's right there. I mentioned Stroud to me is one of the big stories this season. I think one of the big stories of this season is that Sean McDermott has the best offensive line probably he's ever had in Buffalo. And that the best O line D line combo the Bills maybe
have ever had. They've had some good D lines over the year, that this one's playing really well, and they're gonna potentially add von Miller in this game mark And even if they don't, I think they have big advantages against the Jags up front on both sides. So now you're looking at, Wow, a Bills team that can steamroll you a little bit, that can protect Allen and get after the quarterback. That's dangerous.
Just to remember back to what they were when they had von Miller, the way they wrecked the Super Bowl champion Rams and the opener, and then to lose them, I think the whole Bills team journey in general last year started to go a little south. Von Miller coming back to this would be incredible, But like without them, this defense and what they did to Miami and rewatching
that game, it's just that schematically. I think McDermott took okany handle being head coach and called the defense no issues, the one little part of their defense that would concern me a little bit, And where Trevor Lawrence they had not. They've been like twenty six in explosive plays and it kind of looked like it. It's not really Trevor Lawrence's fault have been a lot of drops. There have been some weird stuff in the red zone. I think Lawrence
has looked really good. But the Bills were down to the last two outside corners last week. They've lost tore Davius White, so there's an opportunity to make plays, I think for Jacksonville. But that said, like you've got to find a way to unsteamroll a stream steamroll in offense that can run the ball there more balanced than ever. You're getting the best version of Josh Allen after that week one where I think the talking point was like who is this guy at this point the post Brian Dable,
who is he? And we're like, he's him now, so unsteamroll, stop the steamroll. Yeah, you'd have to like find a way to unsteam it. Uh, yes, that you mentioned it, Greg. The offensive line they added, they redid the interior of the line with two new guards. They drafted the tight end and they're playing a lot of two tight end sets. They got two running backs that are really playing well right now, and and and they also have Tavius Murray, Damian Harris, They're kind of they kind of break your
back a little bit. They're they're kind of a mean team to face on offense.
And when you played Josh Allen playing at this level, Stephan Diggs playing at this level, I just feel like this is a team right now where the steamroller is not going to be stopped. And I would not be surprised if this is a winning streak that continues, because you just get the feeling there. They've reached a level of comfort and and they've found a place here on both sides of the ball where I think they're.
Going to eat and start to even run away from with this.
Isn't it interesting that like in the off season where we were kind of looking at the way they're draft and their free agency, it's like, oh, they're lack a key weapon or they're lacking weapons in general. And then it's like they're the team that might be the window closing a little bit. Now four weeks it's like day the AFC.
It was not silly.
It was because their best players are young. That's why it was silly.
But changes occur greg and there was frustration around the organization, and it's not everything's fixed by the way it's weak four part and the reason why there's tension and this idea is like, all this is great and they can win thirteen fourteen games, but this core needs to get over the hump in the playoffs.
Sure, but in terms of window closing, I'm with Joe Burrow saying the windows while I'm here, and especially because the front office is good.
But I'm not talking about right, I'm not talking about the quarterbacks window. I'm talking about the group as the greater group that's been the nucleus that's been contended.
Like there was a period and it's you know, this stuff maybe is overhyped in this age, but like we're Stephan Diggs. People were like, what's going on with Stephan Diggs? Like there's something going on with him and Josh Allen. It feels like there's a lot of pressure. The butts are tight and like that can lead to something like it, right and here they are. They kind of brush that all away.
That's a great matchup in this game. Diggs has been playing out of his mind. I mean that was as dominant performance. But part of it is coaches in front office. And that's why I think the windows wide open because the players will all change quite a bit. I know mikeah Hyde's been there and he's he's a guy that they build a defense around. Poyer won't be there forever.
But like when guys leave, like a Tremaine Edmund who got huge money from the Bears, they replace him with Trel Bernard and like you fit them in and it's like, is better then than Tremaine Edmonds because he's been falling out. And that's why I'm with you. I think the steamroll keeps steaming. I have not been big on this Jack steam I think they're worse than their two and two records shown. That's why I'm locking up the bills.
You son of a gun, you sandbag in son of them.
You can lock the bills.
Oh yeah, you sure can, because I'm doing it to.
Well yes, well it feels unoriginal, like I've been squeezed out, but I don't really give an f I'm locking them to. I've gotta win. I'm down, I gotta start at zero and too, I don't. I'm taking no prisoners the rest of the season.
I might, for.
Show's sake, I might bounce out of this one tomorrow. And I would love if you.
Did tune in for the previous Yeah, I might look at other games.
That is a delicious result if both of you move on.
If we what if we bounce out and then the Jags upside the Bills.
How how would that go.
For I'd be agitated because you know, like I love the London game when I'm America, but that's you're starting to morning. So if I've already lost my lock by you know, nine am, and it'd be long Sunday.
The Bills scored on eight of eleven drives against Miami, including two kneel downs that ended drives or ended half for me, and then their defense shut down essentially Miami in the last three quarters of that game.
So I'm feeling very good.
About Jackson was capable of playing better, but through four games they've been quite mediocre, like like like the twenty best team.
In the league.
They need some serious jet lag on their side, and they could get it that I am not looking. That's the one thing that I dread. Flying from LA to London is rough thirteen hours or so. We're gonna we're gonna sold your throat and we're doing a live show less than twenty four hours after we Land.
We'll see.
It'll be fun.
See how it goes.
Sunday night football. Oh, it could be a potential game of the year situation. The Dallas Cowboys three and one, the San Francisco four undefeated, and they have been a steamroller as well as have the Cowboys other than a Week three hiccup against Arizona. So this is a wonderful matchup. We gotta we got the Niners at home, which you gotta you gotta keep that in mind. They're laying four points here against Dallas. That sounds about right to me.
Mark.
We know your stance on the Cowboys personal hell is them advancing to the Super Bowl.
Well all right, but I I've done some thinking on that.
But okay, let's go. I'm gonna throw it to you. Do you see this as a one sided game? Do you think doubts up?
Absolutely?
I do.
I think they absolutely show up. I guess what I'm looking at when I look at their schedule is like a period of utter domination. You take you take the two disappointing New York teams, you win by a combined score of seventy to ten. You beat the Patriots thirty eight to three. These teams had no chance against the Dallas Cowboys on either side of the ball. That's seventy five percent of this season. So I don't disvalue that.
I do wonder, like in general, when I think about what the Niners can do well with Christian McCaffrey, who's on pace right now to break the NFL record for scrimmage yards and has looked fantastic and unstoppable, why did you allow How did you allow two hundred and twenty two yards to the Arizona Cardinals. I can call it an aberration, but I wonder if someone like Kyle Shanahan can look at that tape and other little chinks in the armor over the course of four games and attack it.
I certainly think he can. I think it's what I think about the Niners right now we talk about a steamroll, is like they don't, like you said on Sunday Show, they're not putting their foot on the gas to win these games. The way they're winning them their offense almost and it's not effortless. That's ridiculous to say that, but it's like if one guy like Deebo had six yards last game, takes a bit of a nap or he's not in full health. Suddenly Brandon Aiyuk blooms into like
an unstoppable power. Christian McCaffrey's an unstoppable power. I just wonder with the Cowboys defense because it's like, can you stop all this? No one else has been able to brock Perdy. We just talked about him, who went twenty for twenty one last year. Brock Perdy has the highest quarterback passer rating in the league since he start. Since Week fourteen last when he took over, and the Niners lead the league in scoring. There hasn't been a hiccup
on the Niners side. That's that's not a massive hiccup in little quarter drive to drive shirt. We can nitpick, but brock Purty has been almost perfect.
Some of that scheduling too, though, I mean, this is the first.
Well some is scheduling for the Cowboys too, to play the Giants.
That's what I mean. This is the first real deal test for both teams. And that's fine. That's what makes it such good and it's interesting.
The one game where Party didn't look so hot was the Thursday night against the Giants, and the Giants pass rush kind of was in his face a lot, and he threw some balls up for grabs. I think, Greg, this this matchup in a lot of ways, and I hope and it would be good to get an update if we can on Michael Parsons.
Is he practicing? Is he okay?
He was in and out of the lineup last week. Mcarthy indicated he didn't think it was too serious.
Yeah, so Michaeh Parsons and that Dallas pass rush making pretty uncomfortable and part of the reason why I think, and sometimes I think Mark, it gets on your radar a little bit, and I see where you're at that people don't get pretty enough credit because it seems he's in such a great position and the offense is drawn up so well and he has so many weapons around him that he's doing a great job distributing rather than being a playmaker or an actual like big talented quarterback,
which doesn't really matter because scoring is scoring and moving the balls, moving the ball. But it's gonna be great and interesting, Greg to see Purty specifically against a top flight defense. And I know without Trayvon Diggs there, the Dallas is a little less but Bland has stepped in well in the back end, seeing Purty against this Dallas defense and specifically Micah Parsons is gonna be really interesting.
Yeah, it'll be awesome. And seeing like the right tackle Calton mckivitz has not been great, you know, we'll see like maybe he does give up a lot of pressure to this Dallas I think you have to because to your point about looking at the Cowboys Cardinals tape, I think what the Cardinals did really well is put a balls on Layton Vander Vander esh and Damon Clark, who are their linebackers, Like that's the weakness of that team.
And when you think about what Kyle Shanahan has done better than anyone in the NFL over the last few years, it's putting a circle on those linebackers on either running downs where you surprisingly pass or it's a play action pass or whatever it is. It's like, hey, you actually need to have six defensive backs out there or we're going to roast those guys. And he can create those mismatches,
whether it's against Kittle or against Debo. And I think it's a great coaching matchup because I think this is why Mike McCarthy wanted to get rid of Kellen Moore.
Is this game and the way the last two seasons end against.
That's what I mean, literally this game that their running game wasn't ready for it, and the passing game certainly wasn't ready to make up for it. And I think I think if you look at the Cowboys this year, and schedule is such a big part of it, but I think they've been able to block their in their run game pretty well, and they've had some injuries on the offensive line, but they're mostly healthy there now, and
I think they're going to try to run. They have run, They've run well, it's been a little different, Like McCarthy's definitely put his scheme into it, and I think they're gonna want to try to control the game that way too, and I think that's a good way to attack the forty nine ers defense if you can. So it's a big It's a big McCarthy game.
One thing that I find so annoying is like every time you go out to a restaurant, a tavern like and they've got four sports stations on, it's like the crawl line is always like Dak Prescott this or that, something about Dak Prescott the right, and it's like, I love that we got this far without making him the focal point, and I don't I really find it tedious, but there are there is a fit.
In the background this year. He's just kind of been there and not.
But isn't this But he was not in the background in the two San Francisco playoff losses, obviously, and they ended in disastrous fashion. Built times that it's like, we don't need that this game to end that way. But there's gonna be a moment or two in this where it's like, Dak Prescott, don't throw the end zone interception
or the the red zone gap. You've got to make the play in this game, and it's like that's who that defines This is one of these games I think is like, you will not forget how Dak Prescott performs in this you will not forget how the Dallas Cowboys perform in general. This is a big kind of inflection point for who they are and who they who they think they are.
And I don't think I almost locked up the forty nine ers here, but then I thought this game is more important than the Cowboys. Man, It's so important to.
Them, that's underlog And I don't think Trey Lance is gonna be knocking on the door at Dak.
Prescott craps the bet in this game. But no, I think there is a fair open question about what is Dak at this stage of his career.
Is he going to be the guy that rises to the occasion in the biggest spots? And we might have to wait till January to really get that answer again, but this is a big spot as far as regular season goes, this is about as good as it gets.
So I was singing, this is the biggest Cowboys regular season game that I can remember, oh in five plus years.
This is a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert Him.
Wait, are we okay?
The purpose is to maintain and improve a warning capabilities at the federal state.
I didn't get territory.
Are you yeah? Are you on the uh like the dark web of I don't know that. I didn't know. I'm not.
This is why you had to get that new computer. He's just he's just doing all sorts of.
Crazy stuff and a work computer. I don't think so all right, think so all right? So Sunday Night football cannot wait. Let's get that Sunday Night Flagship program started a little early, yes, yeah, that seweet. Let's see what we can do.
I don't know, people understand what happened. Maybe moving well, we'll try to move at a faster pace. We do have the bye week, so that helps.
I don't they get it though. We start recording the show right after, soon after.
His kickoff is yeah. Yeah, And it's been a nice couple of weeks here for Tarico. You get a nice, nice Jets game.
Now we're talking about the sausage gets made.
With Taylor Swift, and now you get the game of the year.
I didn't mind missing the first happen It was like Cowboys thirty and zero or whatever it was at the break, But this game, I want to see the whole thing. You gonna have to be a little quicker on Sunday night.
Can we do that?
No?
Yes? All right.
Finally, Tremaine Johnson was also held on that Pat Mamas scramble.
We're going back there.
Yeah, okay, that one was unquestionable. The other one, you know, I've seen worse calls, not mate. Ye that the dramane one was tough.
You know, maybe maybe maybe we got a job there, but I won't say anything else. Taylor went home happy all right last game. It is Monday Night football. It is I mean, I feel like we just saw these teams in primetime, and yet here we are again, the Las Vegas Raiders, once again at home against the Green Bay Packers, this time on the road, and it was I'm not crazy, right. The Packers were on Thursday Night Football last week, yep, And the Raiders were.
On Sunday Night Football two weeks yep.
Okay, it feels like maybe we let's get some other all right, we'll talk to three forty five Park about that immediately.
They will not listen for yes, So here we go. Mark, the Raiders.
Nearly nearly came away with a win last week with their backup quarterback, but they're one and three and just there's not a lot of juice around this team right now, and Josh McDaniel seems to be potentially heading towards the crossair. So this feels like a fairly important game for at least a head coach who doesn't want to drop to one and four after a bad year, one in prime time on an island game with the owner and the suite upstairs, you know what I'm saying. And the Packers,
who really let's start there. The Packers, who kind of know showed for the most part last week on Thursday Night football, and it's hard to right for me anyway get too excited about the Packers being anything else other than a loge level team.
M Yeah, I think that game was a pretty decisive turning point for of them because shifted from mezzanine to loge but the same meaning. Yeah, I'm speaking of the loge in the streets, like Mark Davis like got into a verbal tiff with a fan who was demanding that the team fired Josh McDaniel. So it's already getting a little hot. Really, Yeah, You've got Devonte Adams who's probably wondering, like, wait, do I really want to be on this Raiders team
versus this like young Packers. Mark Davis is the only owner in this league that would go into a verbal spot. I don't think he sparked it. I think it was the fan probably coming coming at him. I mean, yes, I mean I met Mark Davis, A nice, nice person. We saw him at a Mark a Lot year, nice nice person.
Always out and about, sometimes wearing Zubas always white track suit.
I feel like he took over for his dad. He wears less zu bas but I definitely he has and.
I love it.
And I don't think this is telling tales out of school. This is part of the experience of covering the sport. Yeah, especially the ten pole events Mark and maybe a little less now, but maybe like a decade ago, was literally every ten pole event if you were at the league hotel or that happened to house, like the owners and stuff. Mark is always at the bar and he's always having a good time, and he's always always wearing white jeans
and a white long sleeve Raiders T shirt. Yep, it's amazing and I think white sneakers.
Yeah, he's got a you know, one of those wardrobes where you it's just like eighty of the same thing.
It's kind of one of those school things working for the league. And then oh there's Al Davis's son at the bar doing it up.
Yeah, so he's you know, he's he was getting into a verbal argument with a fan. Not a great situation.
So there is I think there is this. You're right about this Raiders team, it's like at some point in their space for it, like in this matchup, I think you got to show up the one area like that you kind of thought last year for me, when I thought the Raiders under McDaniel were starting to develop an identity on offense, which they've been kind of identity free, was like when they were just running the ball Patriots esque down people's throats. There were a couple of games
like that, then they went away from it. But the one area with Joe Barry running the Packers defense and again put to two hundred and eleven rushing yards to a good rushing Detroit tream a week ago while running
for like twenty seven on themselves. With Aaron Jones back in the lineup, I think he'll be healthier this week if Josh Jacobs could have one of these kind of island game at home, like this is the spot, like you can run on this defense, And I really wonder outside of that, like how the Raiders like through the air,
like can actually get this done. I think DeVante Adams is going to be a big part of that, for obvious reasons against the team he's playing, but I really like the idea of trying to control the ball, take it out of Jordan Lum's hands, and have Josh Jacobs have that game.
We've been waiting for We don't even know as we're taping this, you know who's going to be the quarterback for the Raiders. It might be something that goes throughout the week. Jimmy g When last you know heard from Josh mcgaanne was still in concussion protocol. But that's not surprising considering missed the game. He could get out of it by the end of the week. He did confirm
he will start. It's not like they're going to stick with O'Connell, who had you know, more bad than good for a rookie, but it wasn't a total disaster like could have been worse. They need him. They need Devonte Adams who went out of that game hurt and then played through it. And it's definitely banged up. Both these teams have had a lot of injuries. The Packers get back Elton Jenkins at practice early this week, which would be big. We know David Baktiari is now expected to
miss the entire season. But you had Aaron Jones back in the mix last week, you had Christian Watson back in the mix. Their snaps were a little limited in that Thursday night game, and now hopefully you get a full compliment. I feel like we still haven't quite seen this Packers team exactly offensively as we want. They were quite dominated by Detroit and now they get to play a Raiders defense. It was not going to dominate anyone.
I mean, they're getting some good play here and there from some players, but it's crazy to look at their pass rush, which is last and close to it in a lot of categories pass rush, win way and pressures and all this stuff, and think like they've got Max Crosby playing as well as he's ever played. He was a demon last week. He's been a demon all season.
But as Browns fans, no, you can have a pretty bad defense with a Defensive Player of the Year candidate on your defensive line and they are getting no pressure outside of him. Number two on their team and pressures is actually their inside linebacker Robert Splaine, who they have like blitzing every now and then. They're just getting absolutely nothing from anyone else on that.
It was probably doubly painful to see former Raider Khalil Mack bring up six sacks against them last week. Yes, Josh Jacobs, it feels like he's been kind of getting into football shape in the front of the season, but last week he had about one hundred and forty total yards and a touchdown. I'm with you, I kind of like the I don't know if I'm gonna pick the Raiders here, but I think that Jacobs is gonna have a big game here, and I think this is gonna be his first.
Like, hey, I'm Josh Jacobs, the guy you remember from last year. Now will the Packers be able to match that? We shall see. But yeah, I guess I'm a little book by the Packers I've seen.
I know there was a really nice comeback mixed in there, but there's been a lot of quarters of not so hot football.
They've been very banged up, and that's part of it too. You shall see.
For the most part, they've had a close game, easy matchups in terms of the defense as they face, except for Detroit and this is another one. And uh, I want to see some Love flour specials.
I mean, he's been having some nice Jordan loves you, protect Love and you should be able to move the ball on the Raider. Jordan loves QB rating has dropped fifty points in week three and four from where the last one hot. Yeah, I think that's part of it, is like, I mean, I have a lot of forgiveness for their offense in terms of like all these new pieces. I think they've got like ten players aged twenty five
or younger with a reception on that offense. Yeah, it shows you how raw and young they are.
And they you know, look at their last eight quarters. Take out that eighteen point fourth last week. It's been a lot of.
It's been rough. It's been rough at times this year for the Packers. It's a transition for them that they're two and two but one two all right, there we go. By the way, the Raiders they're five and eleven in one score games last year, right, so that's that's a lot of one score games just there at sixteen in what twenty two games or whatever?
I was like, why is this game in primetime? And then I thought it's the DeVante Adams revenge game. Actually think that is part of it. I saw, we mean, we bought in new stadium. I mean, Packers fans care, but you're right at the I mean, he's a national revenge you know what I mean. It's Davante Adams Yaya, a future Hall of Famer. I believe it's hard.
For me going against and I love storylines and narratives around football, but like to get into revenge games unless there's a QB involved. Like QBS, it feels a lot.
Well, I think just over sold in general.
But it wasn't revenge either. They say they gave them what do you wanted?
Davante Adams like leaves the Raiders like before the trade deadline and gets with another team that faces the Raiders. That feels like a revenge game because I think DeVante Adam is behind the scenes, who was you know, kind of annoyed with if you want out of a Green Bay so you can go to the Raiders', I don't think this one is.
And he got paid.
The Raiders thing feels like it's getting a little uglier by the week. That could play out on national.
The whole thing like there's no like, you know, the Chandler Jones thing was you know, unfortunate for for everyone, primarily Chandler Jones. It's not like Josh McDaniel's is saying anything that's driving any one crazy, but just there's there's not a lot of life there. You feel like there's gonna be a lot of packers fans at this game. I saw our old uh oh yeah, our old Frian Will Blackman saying there's not a hotel room to be
found in in Vegas for this game this weekend. He was asking if you could yeah someone so, yeah, that's that's the thing. I guess that's why they put him on Sunday night and early in the season. It's like this, It is a scene there.
I wonder to that point, sneaky, big time pressure on McDaniel's for this not to go sideways. Could uh yeah, I think I'll just yeah Tuesday morning.
Could there be a bombshell if the Raiders get stomped in this game based on their lack of success so far and maybe behind the scenes issues around the team.
I mean, not if the owners arguing with fans in the in the in the in the opposite direction.
But that's that.
There is also this weird thing.
Maybe this has no I.
Don't know about the back of he's been telling her, do you have Tom Brady?
Tom Brady is a minority owner right.
For the Raiders. I don't know if they have signed the paperwork all right, well.
But that was heading in that direction. It's like it's like super tight with Josh McDaniels. Does that keep him around?
I don't know.
He is officially uh an owner of the Las Vegas Aces in that w n B finals.
I feel like you've brought that up too now, that is multiple.
Liberty trying to bring New York a title. I'm just saying Brady and Mark that might I'm I'm making your point that Mark Davis owns that team. Their their business part.
You know what, Rebecca Lobo is taking it home for the Liberty.
I think she's far removed from the lineup.
H They actually have the m v P they traded for.
You are on top of it.
I'm not tracking this.
Listen, a New York sports fan will take any success we can find.
Sure, let's go lib all right, anything else, that's it.
Thank you to Tom Curran, Thank you to you the listeners again, and we'll be back on Thursday with a full preview of Week five and the NFL Plus show is back as well.
Till then, he the call