First ten Dolphins from the eighteen yard line of the Rams first possession.
They fake the handoff.
Now they got the reverse them a League one because the ten the five puts down Miami.
What a gorgeous played by the Miami Dolphins, totally fooling the Rams defense.
Man.
What a drive, What an opening drive for the Dolphins. It was a great opening drive for the Dolphins. A great play. Not maybe a great night, but that was w B g C. Jimmy Sefhalo, Joe Rose in Miami, Malik Washington Getty had done just three minutes into the game. We have a touchdown. We think it's going back and forth. Doesn't end up being that type of game. The Dolphins win. In Los Angeles twenty three to fifteen. I am here
at the Chris Wesley podcast studio. We just raced upstairs maybe that race.
I'm still out of Brouth.
Just kind of waddled up the stairs from the studio where we were on in the UK doing Monday Night Football. I am here with Bridget Condon and congratulations Bridget, not just for doing a great job broadcasting tonight, but it's the first time you've been on the show since you were announced you were pregnant. So it's three of us here in the studio tonight, it's four maybe four.
We'll talk about that later. I'm excited to be back.
Thank you for having me. I will say the brain diminishes a bit when you're pregnant, So bear with me here. Been a little stupid lately, Okay, but yeah, I mean this game is good. Could also.
Be similar to that.
Let's not just okay, it's good. We're setting low expectations early and then we jump over them because I agree, we don't need to put lipstick on a pig for every game and say every game is a beautiful baby. This was not. But I think there were a lot of interesting takeaways from it and things that are going to matter moving forward, and we're going to talk about
some of those. Starting with the Dolphins getting a massive win in a surprising way where Tua tungo Ilo is under a lot of heat a lot of the night, takes some bad sacks, but they dial up some good plays early. They overcome a bunch of turnovers because their defense plays lights out, don't give up a touchdown all night to the Los Angeles Rams, and they have offense has looked awesome in the last couple of weeks. An ugly win matters more than looking good in a couple
of losses. And somehow this team at three and six is only one game out in the lost column in the AFC.
Look coming into tonight's game, these were two teams going in completely different directions. You have the Rams since their week six by that had won three in a row. You have the Dolphins since thereby that had lost three in a row. And you know, we thought after that first drive it was going to be a high scoring game. Of course, it did not end up to be that, but the Dolphins still found a way to win. Tyreek
Hill scored a five first touchdown since week one. They This was not a pretty game by either team, but somehow they found a way to win. And when you look at them at three and six, the fact that they are still in the hunt and then we can get into their schedule later.
But there's a real, a real possibility.
Yeah, we could be talking about a Dolphins team sneaking into the playoffs.
Well at least like playing meaningful games as late as like Thanksgiving is just yeah, three weeks away. But could they win the next couple of games against the Patriots and the Raiders. Hell, let's talk to the schedule now, why not and get to five and six heading to that Thanksgiving game against the Packers. Make that game much more interesting. By the way, I don't know if you've
piked at the Thanksgiving slate. It's not great. We got the Bears on Thanksgiving, we got the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Those games don't look as good. But Dolphins Packers I think could look better. And I think the Dolphins have a real chance because when you look at their team tonight, it helps explain why. Yeah two on the offense, especially the running game, was not as good as you would have liked to see. Their offense did not play well enough to win most weeks. But Tua was really good
out of structure. Surprisingly, he was five of six while throwing on the run for seventy nine yards. When I think of the best plays that Tua made in this game, I think in the first drive, quick pressure by the Rams, Jared versus awesome all night, Tua escapes it, steps up in the pocket, rolls a little bit to his left, hits a long play to Jaylen Waddle. Ends up being like the longest play they have right for a while
in that game. They have a play later in the game where he's flushed out of the pocket on a third and incredibly long third and nineteen he finds eight Chan for a big play that ends up leading to points at a huge moment in the game. And then also I believe later in the fourth quarter, after Sean
McVeigh got conservative. We'll get to that in a second again to a tongue of Iiloa on third down is fleshed out, finds Odell Beckham in his biggest moment as a a dolphin, settling down in the zone and Odell does a little bit of dance in I think it was a little bit of a Michael Jackson move in Los Angeles. You know, that felt good and they kick what ultimately was kind of the game winning field goal. There. So Ta creating plays where you don't expect it. That
is part of his game. We've wanted to see him improve, and that could separate, you know, him being just like a decent quarterback and him being a really good quarterback. On a night where frankly, the Rams took away a lot of their usual bread and butter plays.
Right, this was to his first win since Week one. When you think about it, we're already in week ten. This is his third game back after missing extended period of time because of his concussion going on ir But you know, those first two games, it felt like this offense still wasn't the two Toungo Iiloa, Mike McDaniel Miami intensive offense that we're used to.
But it kind of feels like they're working their way back to being that.
I thought we would be in here tonight after this game talking about the incredible play of Matthew Stafford. He has done great these past three weeks up until tonight, and for some reason, just couldn't get things going tonight.
I mean, when you look at the numbers too, it's really interesting.
The Rams had more first downs, they had more yards, they had more time of possession than the Dolphins, and they still lost. When you are leading in those three categories, there's a good chance that you're winning. Interesting too, I'd love to hear what Matthew Stafford and the Rams players say about the offensive line, because they have two key members back. You feel like this has got to be
his best game. Well, no, he's sacked four times. Yeah, they had three fumbles, there was a couple of bad snaps, he threw an interception. They finished the game with six penalties. It just felt like they from the first drive, the Dolphins first drive, it felt like the Rams were not ready to play. Sean McVay just got off the podium and said that, you know, this Rams offense has been inconsistent. That's how he summarized it this after this game, And it's true.
It's true. I don't think enough people watched that Seahawks game. To me, it was very concerned and it confirmed my priors a little bit about this Rams offense and Dolphins fans who are out there and want a little more level, we'll talk a little bit more about your defense and
what's happening here. But my priors on this Rams team watching them is the injuries weren't everything that's wrong with this team that sometimes, like last week, he was protected pretty well and their defense was carrying them in that game. Their offense played a d game. Stafford I think has had his worst season in a long time. Like I don't think Stafford is playing at the level that he's played since he got to Los Angeles. And you can say it's the offensive line. You can say it's Pooka
and Cooper Cup. But tonight, in the last few weeks, like I think he has been more up and down and made more bad decisions even when he is protected than usual, and missed more throws. Not that he's bad, but that he hasn't been like top twelve level.
Okay, I want to disagree with you there because there are still moments that this where I'm like, Damn, Matthew Stafford is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
We're not talking about him enough.
I think there are a lot of factors that go into what you're talking about, and I think one of them you kind of alluded to earlier is the play calling and some of these why are we running on third down? What were they on third down? I believe they were three for twelve on third down, and some of it was because of the decision making. And it does that fall fully on Matthew Stafford.
No, No, it's I think it's what you're saying is absolutely fair because he does more cool things on a weekly basis than almost any quarterback. It's the reason he's still been on QB Island. Although Jordan Rodrigg, our friend who will be on our show going up tomorrow on
Wednesday doing some awards. She saw the passive aggressive tweet I had where I put that it's okay, we can admit that this is Matthew Stafford's worst season in a long time, and she was like, I'm giving up the fight on Stafford for QB Allen because she knows I wanted Stafford QB Island last time around, and he's still doing all that cool stuff. But I just think on a play to play basis, if you look at his decisions,
shout out to Eric Roberts behind the glass. By the way, he's solo tonight, so he's running from his computer to like the soundboard, and when I call for a sound he has to get up and run. So for him to make that happen, just an outstanding performance. Way more calm under pressure tonight than Matthew Stafford or especially Sean McVay, Like we'll get to McVeigh. But I think the decision making, sometimes holding the ball, sometimes forcing it, sometimes getting away
with bad decisions, sometimes just missing throws. Like I said, he's not been bad, but to me, he hasn't been like a big asset and sometimes I know people don't loft the PFF grades, but I'm telling you, I think it is meaningful to me that his PFF grade and it doesn't shock me. In his QBR for instance, at ESPN, they're all way lower than they've been in a long time, and PFF is supposed to adjust a little bit for situation. And I do think on a play to play basis,
he just hasn't been as great. I don't want him to be the focus of all of this because I think the Dolphins had a good defensive plan. Do you do you think maybe like these two coaches know each other and somehow they knew how to miss each.
Other app I mean, you saw it feels like Sean McVay kind of got a little like off his uh, I don't know, like that first drive of the game, he kind of got like dumped.
With cold water, because it's like, oh, that was a shock.
But I do think Mike McDaniel is one of the smartest coaches in the NFL, very familiar with Sean McVay, and you could see that. I believe through his defense tonight and some of the plays that they were able to make. Matthew Stafford in this offense never really got going. For them to not score a touchdown at home in prime time is very rare.
They did not even get like past the singer was like two dreen yard line.
How many trips to the red zone?
Not a lot like two in what amounted to like one where he chose the field goal late and we might as well talk about that app and another one in garbage time. But before or that. Yeah, in the first half, they got so many possessions. They had seven possessions in the first half. They only got inside the red zone one time. They in their first six drives, they had a total of three first downs and two turnovers. That alone, like a lot of times, the game is
over by that point. The Dolphins should have had like a twenty to three lead, but the Rams offense defense was bawling out so much they deserve credit for keep keeping them in there. But yes, that decision late in the game. The Dolphins get down to the Miami four yard line, uh was their last line of scrimmage. The Rams get down rather to the Dolphins four yard line
was six thirty one left in the game. Stafford missed Kyron Williams kind of coming open on the third down, even though pressure wasn't there that Those are the types of plays I'm talking about, Like.
Yeah, I give you that. Yep, that was a weird play. Kyene was wide open.
And even the play before it was a little confusing to me who he was throwing too, Like he got sped up today, He got sacked four times, he got hit a lot, and so so some times that affects even the best of quarterbacks. And then McVeigh decides to kick a field goal.
I hate it. I hate that decision, especially when your kicker. Of course this is a chip shot, but your kicker already missed a field goal.
You are down and you're at home, go for it.
You're down to eleven, So all it does is close it to eight.
There.
If you're closing into eight, you're assuming you'll have to get a two point, right, You're assuming that you're not going to have give up any points the rest of the game, which to me, like isn't a great assumption when literally the last you have to have a feel of the game. The last two drives that they had given up to the Dolphins were a touchdown in a
field goal. Great, you know, one of them was on a relatively short field, but either way, it's not like the Rams defense was just absolutely shutting them down at that point. And there were two moments of the game where I thought McVeigh he almost got panicked like his team that was one of them. And then remember after
the Jonah Jackson bad snap. Yeah, in the third quarter at that point, I think it was like a second and very long and they ran it twenty something and they did the Sean mcvaything where they run it on second in twenty four or something. They get like four yards and it's like, Okay, we got Sean, we got Matthew Stafford, we got pookin a coua Tabarcus Robinson, like they can make these cool plays. That has Bridget saying like,
Matthew Stafford can still do this stuff. And what do they throw on third and twenty like a little screen and who sees it coming Mike McDaniel and Anthony Weaver, their defensive coordinators. There's a lot of credit and they lock it down and that forces the really long field goal that Cardi misses after a special team's false start another like special teams blender. So just a lot of self inflicted wounds.
I completely agree.
And when you have young players on this team, I've been in that locker room a bunch. They always say, Sean MCVAYX instills this confidence in us, he believes in us, he makes us play a certain way. Well, those two plays don't instill confidence in a team. If you if you call that play and even you don't get it, I just think you give Matthew Stafford a chance late in the game, four yards out from scoring a touchdown.
We could be talking about a completely different ending because you and I were watching this game and we kept saying, this is where they're going to score.
The Rams are going to win this game.
Like the entire night, I thought for sure that the Rams were going to find a way to come back, because that's what they do. But for whatever reason, is very untypical of Sean McVay.
Yeah, even you could tell he was a little bit on tilt because even that last drive, when it's essentially garbage time and you're trying to get the touchdown and then hit the on side kick, they were making bizarre decisions. They were running on third and one, not taking timeouts when you would have expected to keeping their time out and then they kick a field goal on third and ten with like forty two seconds off. This is like picking knits, but it just shows a coach that maybe
isn't thinking totally clearly. Now that's said, the Dolphins kind of put them in that position. Let's give some shout outs here, all right. Pick a Dolphins defensive player.
Khalais Campbell.
I'm gonna say it what he I think it was the tipped pass right that helped lead to the interception. A couple of them, yeah, but that was one of them. That how many sacks did he have? One? But he helped with then.
Had another hurry yep, yep.
I mean he was just fun to watch tonight. He was all over this Rams offense. He's a player that has completely elevated this Dolphins defense. And we talked about it, like pay this man because he's.
A different thing.
I love it. He shows up every year as like a one year contract, like hired gun, and he always ends up being one of the best players on the team. People thought like they might trade him, Like you can't trade him. He's one of their best defensive players. I think it was a big deal for them to have Zach Seeler and him together. Seiler is one of their best players too. On the defensive line, Chop Robinson made a couple of plays in this game, a great sack early.
I think the Rams were on tilt partly because they had big negative plays. The first play of the game on offense, Zach Sealer hit him for like a ten yard loss on a pass complete. Chop Robinson beats Joe Noteboom early a really nice sack, and Robinson's been coming on a little bit. When you look at this Dolphins team. The reason why I think they have a chance eight offense travels and this wasn't a great performance, but they
played much better the previous two weeks. Just happens to be in losses, but they played much better the previous two weeks against the Cardinals and the Bills on offense. And then when you look at their defense, I didn't expect their defense to be this bad. When you look at the officis and the efficiency metrics, like DVOA, they're towards the bottom because they have players Jalen Ramsey. He's been a little up and down this year. Though Kendall
Fuller left this game with a concussion. That's concerning, but he's a good player. I think they have a new coaching staff on defense. Maybe the defense comes together and the offense carries them and they're at least like in the mix. You can see it in a way that the rest of these two and three win teams coming into tonight, I can't really see it with basically all the rest of those teams.
When we're talking about two and six teams, I mean the Jet or what three and seven?
The Patriots are three and seven, the A in the AFC East.
It doesn't feel like the Dolphins should be in that category, but they're right around the same, and I agree to your point. They have the pieces and it'll be interesting. Is this the game that come December we're talking about that completely turned their season around?
It could. It's funny because I'm kind of talking about both sides of them out in my mouth because I believe that they are better than all of those teams. Do I really think they're gonna make the playoffs? No, Like I think the Broncos and the Bengals are better bets to make it what I think.
They also feel Tua is a great quarterback and like some of the I don't know some of the things he does.
If he's healthy, good there. I'm gonna give him good because he's still taking some bad sacks in this game, like where he just.
I mean, it looks like he was playing like he didn't just have a concussion on that block.
I was worried for him, Yes, on one of the that was an interception return and tried to yeah, and he lowered his head to try to make a tackle and I don't think they even checked him for that, and he started making some bad plays. I couldn't have been the only one who was thinking afterwards, like I hope this man is okay. Yeah, on a night where
Waddle only ends up with fifty seven yards. Tyreek Hill, who tells lisassaulters before the game that he had tore ligaments in his wrist and that it was aggravated by his arrest when he was put on the ground there, which is just a crazy story. And he's been out of practice. He was a game time decision for this game. And three catches for sixteen yards. Just a lot going on with this Dolphins team. But they're getting great play
out of their left tackle toront Armstead. I think their offensive line had a pretty disappointing night overall, and that the Rams won that battle. The Rams now at four and five, and yes, Odell with welcome back with a nice moment. You know, just because we spent so much time in the offseason talking about Odell Beckham. You know, our regular listener Nick right got on me for just always talking about Odell. It was for moments like this, a moment that turned a season around.
The lefty backfield trip to the left back to throw two are looking rolling through his left rolling throws it and it's caught by Beckham and he's got the first out.
I didn't here he does.
He had it by a bunch of dance moooves. That was a huge That was a really great play by to it. By the way, rolling out like he was under a lot of pressure, like he was on mine.
He looked moments of looking yes tonight for sure.
If he doesn't make that play, the Rams are getting the ball back. Although the way the Rams offense played tonight, they probably would have just gone down and kicked a field.
Goal, kicked on third down.
So there you have it, Odell Beckham actually making it happen. River Craycraft returned for this game. I just thought, like Dolphins fans were happy about that made a nice block, like they're just getting getting people back. I know, I'm getting to the bottom of the notes when I get to the river Creak craft of it all.
I mean, look, you have the Raiders, you have the Patriots. Let's see what we can make of this season.
How about the Rams here? Four and five really disappointing loss. It's the tricky part of falling to one in four is you just have such less of a margin for air. If you had said then they're gonna win three out of the next four games, you'd say like, oh, it's pretty good, Okay, get to four and five, But having won the three straight, it's really disappointing. They have the Patriots next week.
Which is actually a really fascinating game after Drake May and the Patriots just come off win against the Bears.
Yes, which is.
Interesting because now Drake May, I don't know.
Like people are buying into him.
It wasn't Drake May sacks nine times, it was Caleb Williams.
It's an interesting game. Absolutely. I don't think the Rams are good enough right now to just assume they're gonna win any game they have to go across the country on a short week, so that that's not easy. They're certainly the favorites in that game. But I just think, like like you said with McVeigh after the games showing
you saying like they haven't been consistent, he's worried. I think that Seahawks game was just a little bit of a worry because if you think about what they've done since the bye week, that Raiders game, they were awful on offense. Their defense carried them. Now, granted they didn't have Pukinakua back and so you're thinking, okay, we're not totally back there, but it was a really bad offensive performance. Then you have the one Thursday night gamey and you
think everything's fine, we're solved. It's good you get the offensive lineman back tonight. But when you really look at it, the last two weeks they were pretty just not right on offense. And maybe it's working out the kinks. It's like they're in their preseason getting these guys back in the mix, but they don't have much time to waste. Four and five in the NFC is not the same
as the AFC. It is going to be very difficult for them to get a wild card in the NFC, So it's probably division or bust for these NFC West teams who play each other a lot down the stretch.
Yeah, it's just going to be a test.
You know. Sean McVay, remember that bad season he had two seasons ago, and how on himself? He was like, I know that he's probably going to the offen right now, Like he's not going home to sleep. Like I saw him a little bit in his press conference. You could just tell he's pissed off. And you go on Twitter right now everybody's talking about Sean McVay and his coach.
Well, hopefully he's not Hopefully he's not well.
Hopefully maybe he gets a peep of it and he's in the he's in the lounge studying tonight because there were a couple questionable decisions that were made tonight. And you now have a chance to either fall into another trap against the Patriots on Sunday in New England, or you get a win then you host the Eagles, which is not going to be an easy game, but then you're at the Saints, so you could go you could win two of the.
Next three absolutely, but you got the Bills still on the schedule. You got the forty nine ers, you finished with Jets, Cardinals, Seahawks.
You could win. Those are winnable. The Niners they always play close.
It's a normal schedule. I wouldn't say it's overly hard or difficult, but they are right there in the middle of the end.
Find some consistency, figure out why it's been inconsistent, get back to the drawing board.
It's a long season. And yeah, I don't think Sean McVay is going to be easy on himself, but at his very core, he's sneaky conservative. Him and Kyle Shanahan have that in terms of their play calling and in terms of their game management. There is a core conservatism which is surprising to me. Jordan and our friend I
think said it well. The thing about this Rams offense is there will be a lot of simple, seemingly avoidable things that go wrong, and then there all of a sudden they'll do the most difficult thing imaginable and make it look at for lists. That really sums it up. They do the hard things well and sometimes they don't do the easy things. The running game not working tonight, but the Dolphins defense deserves a ton of credit, and I know to a Tongue of Iloa has to be thrilled.
His first win in the starting lineup since Week one. They have a little life in this Dolphins season. But we're gonna listen to to a Tongue of Iloa and then we're gonna take a break.
Felt good, and I think it's, you know, a testament to the character of this team. We've come a long way through, however, many losses in a row. The resilience of this team, with the external noise, everyone counting us out. You know, hopefully this is an opportunity for us to.
Not waste.
You know, hopefully we can go on a run with this win and find our rhythm towards the back end of the season.
Now back on NFL Daily doing the late night shift here in Inglewood. I just saw a tour go by and they said, that's that's where our podcast, NFL Daily tapes the late night shift.
Welcome back to NFL Daily. On your drive home, make sure to roll up the windows and turn up the volume because we're talking NFL on the late night ship. I feel like I should be in a radio booth late night.
Have you ever done that? No, He's done a lot of interesting things in your time. I wouldn't surprise me.
Maybe this is the beginning of Late Night Home with Bridget Condon. Let's break down what we just saw from the Rams and Dolphins. Make sure to call in. Caller Number one thinks to a Tongo vi Los taking his team to the Super Bowl. Fall in love or break your heart next on the postgame show, I'll work on it.
I was a little worried about you, Bridget, because you know we put put in a long date. You're you're eating for two now.
I thought you were going to say because of my parasite.
I wasn't going to bring it up. I'm trying to be polite on the air, but wow.
I'm carrying for three me, myself, my baby, and I have a parasite breaking news here.
Yeah, I don't know.
I don't know where I got it, Guys, I don't know what's going on Los Angeles County.
Beware.
There's some things walking around this uh walking around me and walking.
Around the water fountain.
Uh.
Yeah, I was I was gonna make that joke, but you know it's okay.
I'm an open book. People.
People got up anything you want to know about me, I got you. I have a parasite. We're doing well, me baby in parasite.
Yeah. My first question when you told me that, you know, as I'm eating dinner during our Monday night football bar, I was like, that's not contagious, is it?
Like, I guess we'll find out. No, I'm just kidding. I finished my antibiotics.
I'm fine. Yeah, hopefully fingers crossed.
Shout out to you.
No, it was my birthday last week, so it was just like a little happy birthday bridge it.
I mean, I I was truly asking about about your newborn to be, so like, that's the more exciting news. That's the more exciting addition to the Conton family. The parasite's only going to be with you so long. Unfortunately.
Oh that's sad. It doesn't get say with me for nine months. Okay, back to football.
Let's do some news. Let's talk about Matt Iberflus and what's been going on in Chicago. He had a press conference on Monday where he announced there will be changes.
There will be changes, adjustments being made. Again, I'm not going to disclose those right now. I'm not at that point in the process. You know, Monday's a long day, you know, in terms of the evaluation of everything, you know, in terms of you know, lineups, in terms of the you know, coaching, in terms of how we need to do better, you know in that coaching, and how we need to do better in a communication in game, during
the game, after the game, prior to the game. So it's important that we take time to make make those decisions and make the right decisions.
That's for the Bears.
Matt Iberflues says there will be changes. I don't want to go on too long about it because I have a feeling those changes will be announced by the time plenty of people hear that. It's pretty easy to surmise that an offensive coordinator change could be part of those changes. Caleb Williams being the starting quarterback will not be part of those changes. That should go without saying, but someone
did ask him that, So we'll see. Maybe there's some personnel changes like a benching some of those receivers and the routes that they're running.
If I'm Shane Waldron, I'm concerned. I mean, yeah, your quarterback sacked nine times, you're one for fourteen on third down. I'd hope there's some changes like you're not going to change. You're four and five after starting promising that NFC North is a very good division. You can be competitive. You just got to make some changes. And that's the Yeah. I mean, they've lost three consecutive games after they'reby haven't scored a touchdown in two straight games.
Yeah, now, multiple things some changes, right, Yeah, multiple things can be true. Like the expectations were too high in Chicago to begin with, and that market had this weird thought that this team was going to be a juggernaut because they're on hard knock blah blah blah blah blah. And it's like, no, maybe your third place of the division. Probably not in terms of total talent, you know, compared to Minnesota coming into the season. I don't know why
expectations should have been hard. Now that said, the tape they have put out offensively over the last two weeks is some of the worst tape any offense has put out in the last couple of years. And so that speaks to a dysfunction that is bigger than just Shane Waldron or Matt Eberflus. It's everything. There's so many problems and I don't know if Eberflus is the man to
solve it. His exchanges in Chicago are becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but he had one on ESPN Radio in the morning was Cap and Jay Hood on ESPN Chicago that was uncomfortable to the point of being comical.
If this isn't crisis, I don't know what it is. So I ask you again, is this a crisis that's going on right now in hallis hall?
And how does it get addressed?
You know, we're looking at this week and this week only. We do have evidence on tape that we've played good football during the course of this year. We got to pull those experiences.
Coach, coach, your cell phones as bad as the offense. Right now, we'll put them on hold and see if we can re establish. Oh come on, man, wow, twenty twenty four. Can we get a freaking landline? What are we doing? Seriously, get the man a phone that works, please.
We'll try to re establish for Matti refluse momentarily here on the I'm serious, Captain Jay Hood Morning show that.
Cap, You're not wrong. Communication issues prevalent all season for the football team.
I mean, his fall.
Lines as bad as Waldron's play calling. I mean, what are we doing?
Wow, I've got a couple thoughts right off the bat.
Have you ever been on a conversation with someone like an ex girlfriend when she's like asking you about you know, where you were last night and you just pretend that the call drops And.
Was it like you mean when I was actually when she was my girlfriend? I don't. I don't regularly speak with my ex girlfriends on the phone.
I mean, like we were in high schooler, Oh.
Okay, didn't pretending like the car call drop? No, I don't think I'm thinking I was to pull that off. I just would like not answer, like was.
This an actual call drop where he was like, I'm not going down this route.
I'm just gonna that is hilarious And that would be amazing And I would give Matt Eberflus more credit if that was the case, because that was actually the third time his phone dropped. Apparently in the conversation he had to call back a couple of times. I spoiler alert, he did not call back after that, and based on how that ended, I would guess he is never calling
back and doing that hit ever again. And when Matt Aberflus is the ex girlfriend of the Chicago Bears, which unfortunately is gonna be either after this week or after this season. That moment right there is gonna be remembered because I'm gonna bring it up. But I think locally, like I've seen this enough, that moment is like, oh,
you're done. Like I know that sounds stupid. It's just like a radio thing, but it's like, you're not coming back from this and it kind of sucks to have, just like when you're a dead man walking.
Well, it's interesting, Yes, that could be an issue too, but the players themselves talking about how frustrating this season has been, running Back DeAndre Swift said essentially like he was asked about what's going on, He's like, well, we can't be good on Sundays if we're not good Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. So there it feels like there's something going on during practice or they're not all. I think he used the word focusing enough, which whose fault is that?
I don't know?
Right, It's one of the things I think is amazing about football that it's sort of inexplicable and yet you can see it on the field. Like that Saints team they didn't really want to play for Dennis Allen and even in a game where they outgained the Panthers by like one hundred and seventy yards, and even with the Bears defense playing well, there is something that you can't define about a collection of these fifty three men that somehow actually comes out on Sundays. And you can see
it with this Bears team. They're not coming back. Like the line is six and a half against the Packers this weekend. I can tell you, like that line's gonna grow. Take it now. There's no freaking way the Bears are staying within a touchdown of the Packers on Sunday like they're done. They've been done. And like the film that they are putting up says, it all not on defense really, but on offense, like Roma Dunza and DJ Moore and Keenan Allen should not be running like the routes that
they're running. They're just an out there playing when you watch them like it, it's all very weird, is I guess the word I would use?
Isn't it interesting when you talk about a professional athlete though that like, for whatever reason, except it didn't happen with the Jets. It feels like the interim head coach win Right, Like, whenever you fire someone, it's like.
The next week, oh yeah, that's the back gone.
Together, and we it's like, well, why can't you do that every week?
I don't cat it.
It's a fair point. It's kind of human nature. Is one of the reasons why, in hindsight, maybe the Dolphins were always dangerous coming into this game, because a lot of times when I'm picking games and stuff, it's like which team just needs it? More like the two teams are relatively even, but like this game is bigger for the Dolphins. That team. A lot of times that team comes out and they play like it, and that I think that did happen on Monday night. Not to bring
it back to that game. All right, let's move on in the news. We got to get Bridge at home to her wonderful husband and her parasites. Got to go to bed, just getting sleepy. Let's get me off this.
Desk before we have an emergent.
Let's talk about Brian Dable, who essentially ended the Daniel Jones era without officially ending the Daniel Jones era.
Is Daniel Jones still your starting quarterback going forward?
Yeah, we're gonna we're gonna spend a lot of time here, uh watching, watching our tape and evaluating things, and you know we'll do that as a coaching staff over the next week here.
That's a little bit different, Brian than the yes that you give us to that question when we ask it every week. So I think to be clear, everybody's going to assume that assume that means yes, you're at least considering a change.
Is that fair?
Well, I would say we're we're evaluating, you know, our team at the BUYE week is what we're doing.
I don't know if I'm going to ever have a legacy as a podcasters as an analyst, but one thing I think I've I've helped to contribute to the conversation is that when a coach says we're evaluate on a Monday, that quarterback is getting benched on a Tuesday, it's one hundred for one hundred, and no one ever wants to report it at the time. And we did this a
couple of weeks ago with Anthony Richardson. I said, when they said he was evaluating on Monday, he's getting bench It's to the point now where people are just tweeting it for me. My friend Bill Barnwell said, that's Greg Rosenthal's music playing when Brian Dabele had that answer, So, yes, it's over. The Daniel Jones era is over. Drew Locke, I assume will be the quarterback and not Tommy DeVito after the bye week.
Well, okay, you're evaluating what have you been doing the past six years?
Well, I mean he hasn't been there the whole time, but no, no, But like.
The Giant, Daniel Jones has been there six years. Yeah, give me the stats of the consistency over the past six years.
It was just the second half of twenty twenty two, which happened to me when his contract came up. And I personally always believe that Brian Dable was lukewarm at best about that contract and that was an ownership move.
And this happened so long ago. Why is it taking this long?
Yeah, No, you're right. I think I love scouting. It's it's the mistake that bad organizations make more than any other, that people don't talk about enough. If you can't evaluate your own players, which wants to invest in, then you're done.
The Giants were shut out in the first half on Sunday in Munich by the league's worst defense. I'm not just saying that to be dramatic. Thirty two. They are ranked thirty two out of thirty two the Panthers defense, and the Giants were shut out by them.
And you're value right now. That's not even Bridget talking. That's her parasite. Look, I love it, You're mad. I just don't get it.
Why.
It's like, there are certain things that we talk about every day that drive me crazy.
I recently talking about the Cowboys.
Why, why are why?
Is?
I love Daniel Jones. Look, I covered him at Duke when I was in North Carolina. Humblebrock, humble Brock. Great guy, love him, amazing person. I wish nothing but the best for him. But unfortunately I don't believe that he should be the starting quarterback for the professional football team.
New York Giants.
Yeah, I agree. I also think the worst thing that you can say about Daniel Jones at this point about his NFL career is he's a nice guy. Everyone says that about Daniel Jones and they're like, he's a nice guy.
Unfortunately, maybe if he was in a better position, but look, he's not.
But the Giants in part did him dirty by giving him the contract. It never made any sense like that. That was the original sin and they've been stuck on it for a couple of years. It didn't make sense at the time. Also, he's coming off of torn acl and he's worse than he was before.
I think he should take his money, buy a house in the cabin, like, buy a house in the mountains, and.
Just like no. I think what he needs to be is a backup quarterback on like a McVey team, and he'll end up coming in on some Thursday night football game and playing a couple games, playing fairly well, and maybe have some fun playing football again. He's a perfectly fine backup quarterback and that's what he'll be. I think he's better than Drew Lock. That's the problem is terrible.
Put in Tommy DeVito, it's Tommy time. I want to see what his mom's been cooking. Like, give me some entertainment giants.
That could happen. I think by the end of the season. Let's wrap just in terms of quarterbacks with Shane Stikeen. He did insist that Joe Flacco is our quarterback moving forward for now. He did kind can.
You explain this to me Joe Flacco one in three as the starter to and two Richardson. I believe Flacco three interceptions, four sacks.
Yeah, it's gone as bad as badly as it could. That was What's is it?
Because he tapped his hat and said take me out. How much of an impact does that have?
I'm gonna actually listen to Shane Steiken talk about Anthony Richardson and him probably possibly even having a role to us on the offense at all, and I think this answer speaks to something that will answer your question. You guys have struggled in short yardage with Joe. Is there a thought to put Anthony in there?
What has kept you from using Anthony in a short yardage package?
Yeah, I'm not I won't get into the scheme stuff of it, but yeah, obviously he would he would help there.
Okay, now I'm I'm trying to like weed through things here, but obviously he would help there. After two weeks where he hasn't been helping there, they haven't used him at all.
But we're not doing it.
Support would support the conspiracy theory in Indianapolis that hasn't been overtly reported, So I don't think it's fair to say it's a report, but it also checks out and a lot of fans believe it, and maybe some media people do too, that this is not Shane Steiken's move because Shane stikeen all along said we're gonna leave Anthony Richardson in higher dry like we want him to be
in there in that maybe it's not Shane Stiken's decision. Now, I personally don't believe there's any chance it's the front office's decision.
So whose decision is it?
From the very top that ownership gets involved with interest with decisions this important, it's and.
They want to penalize him for what he did making them looking well.
They just want to get to I think they want to get to the playoffs. And maybe that there was an angle of the players being upset with Richardson that contributed, but that he thinks that.
We need cameras in the locker room right, that we have a reality show in front of us, because I want to know the real juice of what's going on in the Colt locker.
I mean him saying he could help in short yard. It almost sounds like Shane Steichen is stuck there and can't actually decide which wouldn't be the first time it's ever happened. Johnny Manzel was playing quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in what year was at twenty fourteen. Andrew Hawkins, our old colleague and friend you know, has told the
story publicly because yeah, it was. It was told to the coaching staff he had to play, even though Brian Hoyer was the better quarterback, And in this case, I think it was more that they thought Flacco gave him a better chance to win and they're just not winning, so they're getting the worst of both worlds. I think we will see Richardson sooner than later, but Joe Flacco will get another chance against a pretty bad Jets defense, so they do have a chance to win this week.
Moving forward, we're just gonna roll through a couple very quick stories. I thought it was interesting the Seahawks wave their starting linebacker Tyler Dodson today, who is a big free agent pick up. They signed two guys for pretty good money in the offseason, Jerome Baker and Tyler Dodson. He started every game and played almost every snap so far this season and they cut him after nine weeks. Just interesting.
It takes you wonder where are those cameras. What's getting on in this case?
I actually believe Mike McDonald is the one with a strong hand here as a coach. Maybe that was his signing, maybe it wasn't, Probably not, And he explained the thought very clearly, I think, and I think it's a case where he's like, I know what's not working. This is not working. I want to play some younger players. We brought in Ernest Jones self scouting, yes, and so he's making some decisive move. But that's crazy. You bring in two starting linebackers and a guy who's played every staff
for you has gone week nine ten. They're in a fascinating spot. Alex Heismith the Steelers edg Rusher is gonna miss two or three weeks according to reports. That's a big loss for them. He's very valuable. Tristan Wurf's one thing I regretted to mention on the Sunday Night recap show that the great tackle for the Bucks had an mcl sprain in that game. The MRI confirmed it. He is week to week man. That team has really been devastated with injuries. Just a couple of random QB news.
The Browns are sticking with Jamis Winston. The Cowboys are sticking with Cowboy Cooper.
Rush Cowboy Rush Baby.
I apologize to you for doing that game, but everyone should check out MJD and Bridgett on the Channel five coverage of Monday Night Football next week and Nick Shook and Eye on our podcast version. We're going to make it fun but Texans Cowboys in primetime next week and then finally.
It'll be good because they don't need to worry about the sun in primetime.
What a great host you are. I don't even know if that was intentional, but our last item of news is yes, the Cowboys versus the Sun. I just wanted to show you some of the pictures that were out there from their press conference on Monday. This is from Jonah Javid on Twitter and it actually shows Mike McCarthy who was at the podium and the sun was getting in his eye. So you know what the Cowboys did and the media did. They set up a little shade to block the sun. You can't make this up. You
really can't. Like they're multiples of it. It is the office.
This is hilarious. This is something you watch on TV.
This is why the NFL is the best reality show on television.
Because this is clowning, it's funny. Is this real?
It is absolutely real? And I love one thing. I will give Mike McCarthy a ton of credit for. You know, he's having to answer questions about these Michael Parsons comments which weren't great and you could interpret him a few different ways. We don't need to get him into on this podcast. And there's all sorts of stuff it's going. He knows the score and he handles it, Mike McCarthy about as well, I think as anyone could. And he even made a joke about that. He was like, oh, like,
what are we in the stadium there? He makes a little joke about it. So like Mike McCarthy, he's always doing it with a wink and a smile, like he's in the last year of his contract and he's still cashing them checks.
Absolutely, and get an umbrella while you're at it.
That is it for the news. It is now time for the Captain's Corner, presented by Captain Morgan Bridget. This is where we give some love to someone who excelled over the weekend. Who do you got?
All right?
So I had a little trouble with my pick because you'll understand why I don't like to give it to somebody who lost, But in this case, I had to.
I had to. I'm going with Jamar Chase.
I know the Bengals lost to the Ravens, but anytime you have a player rack up more than fifty five Fantasy points, how can he not be your Captain of the week.
Not totally his fault. They lost either. He said it.
I was open when they went for it on the two point conversion and it fell incomplete.
He said he was open. Two hundred and.
Sixty four yards, three touchdowns, eleven for seventeen. Look, I know the Bengals are four and six, but I'm not ready to write them off. I am not ready, and maybe I've been too high on them because they were my Super Bowl pick.
Them in the Packers, I.
Know, you never know. Sometimes it's that season. You start out four and six and then it's a magical run. That's how they kind of made it the last time they made the Super Bowl.
They got the Chargers this week here at so far, Sunday night gonna be a big game. But Jamar Chase, you know he played lights out Thursday night.
I love that pick. I love his comment, how he was open on the two point play. I love everything about Jamar Chase. Actually, I have a take related to that comment that I'm gonna save for our awards podcast. Is he one of your We'll see Bridget Condon is going to be involved. She is stepping in very excited. We're going to go through all the big awards.
As long as the parasite doesn't kill me.
Yeah, as long as the parasite doesn't take you out, you're gonna be here with Jordan, will make up some awards of our own. That's gonna be a really show Wednesday. So let's get out of here. I don't need to honk anymore. My captain is going to be Tyron Matthew, one of the captains of the Saints, and Cam Jordan. Let's us give it to them both. These two guys are two of my favorite defensive players of the last
ten years. Through comments that they had after the Dennis Allen firing, I think they were relieved maybe by the change, that they needed a vibe change, that they needed a scheme change, and for Cam Jordan to have a monster sack that helped change that game against the Falcons. And then in the crucible Falcons driving Kirk Cousins moving the ball down the field, and who steps in for a crucial interception late in the fourth quarter. It's the Honey Badger.
It's the future Hall of Famer. He's been doing that his whole career. For the two of them to have big moments in this particular game to get a win. I don't think they're going anywhere, but this was kind of their super Bowl against the Falcons. They are my captains this week. This was the Captain's Corner, presented by Captain Morgan. It's delicious and crisp, perfect for game day with friends. Spice it up. Visit Captain Morgan dot com
to find a captain near you. Please drink responsibly. You, my friend, have been a captain and wow, doing a doubleheader here. You were begging. You want it on the show, you want it in the NFL Daily Road. You're gonna say, I drink responsibly. I was like, no, Greg, I'm six months sober. I don't know. I don't know you that well, but I know you well enough that No, you're avoiding like Deli meats and stuff. You're serious about it.
I'm serious, and I'm serious about this football. I gotta go home and to get me study going because we got a big show tomorrow.
Maybe let's get out of here. He teased our Wednesday show, so you're gonna know all about it. Really excited for that, for Jordan Rodrig for Eric Roberts behind the glass do you oh my gosh, Well that's a compliment.
That's a huge compliment, maybe for Bridget Condon and parasite football is back.