Twelve of the NFL's finest quarterbacks have left the comfort of their stadiums and luxury suites for the adventure of a lifetime. These brit iron heroes are used to leading their teams on the field, but can they outplay, outlast, and outthrow each other in the ultimate survival challenge?
You ain't everything you have with the Gobaine tied you.
We find a way to win, they.
No matter what.
The stakes are high and the competition is fierce. Only one can claim the title of the ultimate survivor. Who will rise to the top and who will be sacked?
They wrote me off.
I ain't right back, though, that's the problem. I'm right back. Let's go.
This is Quarterback Island.
This is Quarterback Island. Here on NFL Daily.
Usually we're in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio, but today, of course, we are on Quarterback Island. I'm Greg Rosenthal here with three time Quarterback Island resident Steve Weiss, a man of the Islands.
We're all in the same beige pellette right now.
We didn't dress for the island.
No, it's a breezy. It's a breeze, you know.
It observes the sun and yes, Jordan Rodrigue of the Athletic, who has been there from the very beginning. You're you're stressed this morning because you left your notes that you had made at four in the morning at home. It is contagious and now I'm I'm a little stressed out. I don't know what's going to happen on this QB Island. I gotta say, I'm coming into it with a very open mind, not sure what's going to happen.
Why, oh no, because I know what you're doing.
I don't know what I'm doing.
Yeah, it's on the island. You know, we're a watch here. You just kind of go when the sun's up and the sun's down.
So QB Island, what is it?
It's a place where the best quarterbacks in the NFL reside. Only twelve can stay on the island. Before the season even started, You two and Colleen Wolf and I we've all contributed to putting twelve quarterbacks on Quarterback Island and
they've stayed there throughout the course of the season. What it means to be on quarterback on You had some questions before the show, Steve, But to me, it means who is defining the position right now in twenty twenty four, who is playing the best and is the most important at the position.
And I like how you said right now because we've seen and with this being the third iteration, I think we've just seen certain growth, certain shortcomings as to where this is why we got to put guys on and cold guys off.
Yeah, and we will be the.
Twelve right now. Man, it is going to be hard to pull people off. We've done a good job.
It's been cool because we've seen as certain teams have ascended and become the defining teams of their respective divisions, even their respective conferences. We have seen quarterbacks leading those teams in certain ways. We've also seen some of the conference and division defining teams their quarterback maybe takes a step back from the superstars on the roster. It's been very interesting. I think all of these things factor in and weigh in Quarterback Island.
We're back.
Okay, Let's look at the current members of the Island. Good voted by the panel back in week eight or so. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, this is an alphabetic border, Jaden Daniels, Jared Goff, Justin, Herbert Lamar Jackson, very strong six pack right there, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray who was an addition last time around. Brock Purty, Gino Smith also got onto the island for the first time. Matthew Stafford, he's out there at the old Folks Home.
At the Island and CJ.
Ramp leading up to his villa.
And this time around, we're going to start the discussion with what quarterbacks aren't safe, and there's going to be a few that aren't safe because we are making a little bit of a change here on quarterback. There we go, we're reducing the numbers. We're getting to December less teams in the playoff mix, less quarterbacks, really defining the position. We are taking this number from twelve down to ten quarterbacks. So right off the bat, we got to get at
least two quarterbacks off the island. And you meant you also came up. You know, Jordan, you're an executive producer. You weren't in the meetings that decided this number. But with a riptide, you can choose at one point in the season if you want to, if you want to just stake your claiming a guy that has to be on the island. That's called the riptide you could use
that at any point in the season. So let's let's get started, and let's pick someone from that list of quarterbacks on the island who is no longer safe.
I'm I will lead this off because, as you know, and as our loyal and very vocal listeners know, I have been fighting the good fight for a one John Matthew Stafford who a long time, And I'm gonna come out swinging with this because, yes, I still think that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league year over year.
Yes he can make every throw.
Yes, when he is on and healthy and has his cast around him as planned, he can elevate that cast into levels that we have hardly seen production wise from not only the Rams but from any offense. But right now, the entire operation is playing slow. They're getting off to slow start after slow start. Nine consecutive or nine games of their games this season that they've been held without a touchdown in the first quarter. That has something to
do with who is playing quarterback. It has a lot to do with the cast and all of the issues that they've had, but it also is a part of being the quarterback of that football team. And as it stands now, he is fifteenth or lower in several major stats, including completion percentage, yards per attempt, EPA per drop back. He's at sixteen right now. We're defining the position right now.
Right now, right now, projecting forward, and it's about how they've.
Played Cpoe and I've I've thought he's had some absolutely outstanding, astounding moments this season, and he could again down the stretch. You know how the Rams turned it on this time last year. But if we're talking right now over the last several games, I'm gonna have to apologies to Matthew.
I'm gonna have to.
See him tomorrow, but I am kicking him off of quarterback.
You better hope Kelly's not listening.
This is a stunner right off the bat that you would lead with Stafford, the Rams beat writer.
Well, I have TV Craig.
I have to own it because I've been fighting for him and I believed in him and I do still believe in him. But if I'm looking at this group and I'm looking at the cutdown, I'm gonna have to say no to Matthew Stafford on the island for right.
Now, I'm with you. It's interesting.
I didn't think you were gonna go there, you too, all right, we are voting Matthew Stafford off the island.
You're watching it on YouTube. I have it.
I have to own it. I have to be the one to own it.
If I was the one fighting for him that hard, and this is appointed comment, then I also have to be the one to own it.
I own by the way, that I was pushing hard to get Kirk Cousins on the island last time.
I glad you guys talked to me out of that. Thank you.
I literally glad.
I never not even close.
Now, guy, you guys are seers, and I didn't think you would go here, especially off that because woman on the edge.
The only reason.
Why is because I think he has stabilized a little over the last three or four weeks. He's been consistent. But is he defining? Is he excelling? Is he the Stafford we used to know?
Not quite no, Because what they're doing now, after these slow starts, they have turned back to the run.
They have turned back to moving the ball on the ground.
And listen, you're gonna be hard pressed to hear me like legitimately criticize one of the best quarterbacks I think we've seen in a long time and somebody who overall in history, in the history of the league, is one of several quarterbacks who does define the position. But if we're talking talking about right now this year, this is a player who when he's on, when he's at his highest level, we've all seen it. He can lift this offense with the throws that he can make, with the movement,
the way he can navigate the pocket. It's hard to watch him even after the latteral ankle sprain not supposed to hinder him this week, but even before that lateral ankle sprain against New Orleans this last week, it's hard to watch him take these sacks. It's hard to watch him not be able to maybe move out of the way, pick up the easy gimme yards on the ground the way that some other quarterbacks, especially this late as the weather starts to get cold, it's important that you can
be able to do that. Now, You'll never hear me like demeaning his level of play.
No, he could be. It wouldn't shock me.
And I'm the one who argued so hard for him, and I'm not seeing the same Matthew Stafford that I expect to.
See and that's when he gets Puoka coocker Cup back. He's not doing that well. So that's that's why it's a major strike against him.
Okay, so he's gone. I think there's one real obvious name on the island right now that to go. But I'm gonna let my friend Steve Wall.
Well, I think I've got it. It's your boy. It's your boy, the fan club that you're the president of. Gina.
Wait a second, No, No, that's the obvious one, Gina.
No way, Gino, that is so far from obvious.
I was brave, Gino.
You weren't brave at all compared to this guy.
I I you know, look just because we're cutting it down to twelve, but we kept it at twelve, Gino, I wouldn't be here.
But I've got another guy.
I'm gonna let you probably go with the other guy who I think because there's another guy in the division too.
I'm not to sound off.
There's a few.
There's a few out there, you know, but we I think are much more obvious than Gina. Okay, but make your case, make your case against Gino, and we could have an or we could table him for lait.
We could take him for later, because my thing is they're not nastily winning because of him.
Yeah.
Is he making plays here and there, yes, but he's not like what he was doing earlier in the season. They running the ball a little bit better, their timely stuff with Sharbonne.
They're still not great offense though.
That's the one thing when you think about the Seahawks right now, still, what are they?
What are they?
I think if we're talking about quarterbacks who define the position, we know what they are. We know what Joe Burrow is, right, we know what Josh Allen.
What is Gino? In the Seahawks offense.
He's still up there in terms of just volume, you know, in terms of completion's yards, that that sort of thing, because they rely on it so much. To me, he passes the eye test on a week to week basis. Their offensive line's gotten a little bit better. Their running game hasn't. The running game is a mess. So I'll push time time, I'll push back on you there. I just think he's one of the best, you know, ten quarterbacks in the league. And he was on my not even discussing.
Wow, of course he was.
You are such a fan.
I'm ready to take him off for this for this round. I listen, if I'm if I'm going to take off somebody who to me watching the way that he throws the football, if I'm going to take Matthew Stafford off because the production is not necessarily like lifting the rest of the unit, and he's not necessarily playing at the level that you'd expec I think what I think is good, and you guys talked about it earlier this week on one of the shows, I believe the Recap show said
it very well. The rest of this team is starting to make it so that Gino doesn't have to play here all the time.
That's great, that's everything else, that's great.
But if we're talking about kind of where he's at and we're cutting.
This list down, I think my thing is, I don't think his level of play has gone down, even in the slightest in the last month.
I think he's actually played well.
And one thing that matters to me is how you play when the game is on the line, even the Ram, even the Rams game, getting them to overtime in that game, late for forty nine Ers game, big time comeback, Late Cardinals game was certainly up and down, but got the drive they needed late, and then against the Jets you have the game winning touchdown drive late, and so my thing is I test I think he stayed about the same level. Let's can we just table it? Can be
your favorite. I see where this is going. It's only three of us today, so two versus one. I could get out voted. But let's just table.
I think that's fair, okay.
I mean to me, there's by far the most obvious name is is I love C. J.
Stroud, but he's my next guy.
He's got yeah, he plus is hard because I put him under I have a bunch of quarterbacks under situations that affect quarterback production with two stars next to it.
To me, he's just not close. He's not playing good exactly. He's not playing good football. I don't even need to get into the numbers. You watch it on a week week basis. Yes, the offensive line is hurting him in the running games, certainly, but when he is protected, like that game against Jacksonville I think was a great example.
He was protected.
Finding that game, he just up and down, skittish, not reliable, not quarterback island.
Keeping his eyes I love him, yep. Not keeping his eyes up field. I think he's one of the lowest quarterback passer rating. He's right, he's below nine. He's like eighty sevens killing your fantasy team play.
I do have him in the section, and I actually I have Stafford in this section. I have brought Perty in this section.
I have Gino.
I do have Geno in this second where the situation around him is hindering what the true potential of the player could be. And that's kind of what I was saying about matth you too, It's like you're not transcending necessarily a situation around you, and in Stafford. In the Rams case, it's been chaos on the offensive line. It's been you know, not turning and leaning on the run
game until like the second half, bafflingly. And it's also like, you know, the receivers are slow, and so it's with with CJ.
Stroud.
It's been pressure, it's been missing weapons. It's been you know, dealing with some issues with the offensive coordinator and the way that they design their pressure and protection and not adjusting in that regard. I think that that's what is developed. You're seeing bad habits developed. Y. It sucks because we know what he's capable of. And the fact that that discrepancy is so massive right now. It's a bummer, But that means he's off the island.
He is off.
Although I appreciate you CJ for helping my boy Walker go one and oh in the picks when and we believe in you, we do. We didn't even discuss him as an option last time around, despite a lot of the issues that you said. But he's kind of caved in under that. So we have kicked We have kicked off Stafford, we have kicked out Stroud, We've tabled Gino for now out of the kind of you.
But because I think I think it's a fair conversation if we can go there.
I hope that.
We got to see if if someone else would be a better option. You mentioned brock Purty party, Yeah, we want to talk about I think Rock Purty.
I think it's fair. You know you were talking about not being able to transcend. He's got nothing, he has got nothing, he's left tackle down, may not play. Deebo Samuel has not played like Deebo Samuel in a long time.
The rest of his receivers are hurt. CMC and Jordan Mason are gone.
That's a recent development, But over the past few weeks he just has not been there. And again we could sit there and say it's no fault of his own, which it might not be. But if we're talking ten of the best quarterbacks, guys transcending bad issues, you know, you think Joey Burrow wishes he had some of the problems.
Rock brock Purty does still have Kyle Sanahan.
And defined but defining the position, defining defining what it looks like right now as we talk about it in this moment, what top ten quarterback play and the definition of that on their respective teams and the ethos of those respective teams. And it's not like we're projecting the forty nine ers to just like creak away into the distance, which they seem like they're about to. But and we're not using that to weigh the quarterback kind of well, you know, the bones and the joints probably.
Hurt a lot, maybe end their season that that felt like the last moment they were relevant.
But the thing is is, like, you know, we at the beginning of all of this, we weren't going to hold situations at the start of the season. We weren't going to hold like, oh, you're going into a positive situation or negative situation against them. If we did that, we probably would have had like Caleb to start on the island right, which we didn't and smartly so. But at the same that out on this site, you love changing the show out a whim at a like. So
that's why I think with with Brock Party, it's time. Okay, Like he's been definitively on the island since we started. It is time. It's you know, a lot of it is not his fault. That's That's kind of where I'm at with him.
Let's vote on it. I'm with you.
I vote on it hurts me man, because you know, I'm like the president of the Rock Party.
Okay.
So this is fascinating because these three dudes, they got in in August, they've been on the island throughout.
The position is changing.
We're saying goodbye to the oldest member of the island, Stafford. We're saying goodbye to what had been the youngest member at least original member in Stroud and then party. And it is interesting about Purty, some of his numbers over the course of the season actually still hold up pretty well. Yeah, he's ninth and success rate. He's sixth an EPA pri
place still, but you see the trend. I don't like that, as Kurt Warner was pointing out on Twitter this week, like some sometimes the lack of physical ability and timing can't show itself in a in a snow game like that.
But I don't like that.
He's not one hundred percent versatile to be able to excel, and the couple games before that he was not playing his best. He he has started to create some of his own problems, and so he gone.
He went to college in what Ames, Iowa as well, So it's like it's not like he doesn't have experience with.
Doesn't mean you have bigger hands though, No, no.
But I'm just saying, like, you know, I would say, like, yeah, this would be the time to continue ascension. Instead the splits say that things have declined. Now again situations, this was a time.
For him to prove he was more than just Kyle's guy.
Guys, he's getting his ass kicked out. Yeah he made.
I don't think that's.
I mean, he's out there playing with like like not even dudes. Okay, I mean again, like I said, Deebel, Samuel has not been Yeah, deebo shit.
She brought up the cold thing like, oh, I heard that a little bit.
I grew up in Massachusetts and people are always like, well, you grew up in Massachusetts. Your fight it was like, it's still it's still cold, you know, back island and speep it.
I mean when when we played in.
The cold, it was cold as the great Michael Irvin. It sucks for everyone. It doesn't matter if you grew up there or not.
It still sucks.
You brought up the cold. I simply brought up another point. Now you're all flared up. It's fine.
People always say that, he like, oh, it's cold, though you're used to it, you grow maas, why do you think I left? Because it sucks for everyone there too. Some people are get over.
The fact I will. And to push back a little bit on what you're saying. In terms of his full season averages, the reason why those are still sitting where they are part of the reason, not the entire reason, but part of the reason is because they.
Were so incredibly great.
Yeah, open the year, he has been like I agree with Steve that he has proved that he is more than just sort of going to run the system guy However, at a certain point, like I brought up a few weeks ago, you're going to hit a wall. There's only so much you can deal with and handle.
We're seeing it with c J. Stroud too.
We are and we have now looted three people off the island vacancy. We have created at least one vacancy, Gino, we've tabled. Is there anyone else out of the group to at least discuss now before we table?
I think so it's gonna sound like the craziest of all discussion with Patrick Mahomes. I mean, I mean, I'm just saying overall, I don't think we should kick him off. There's there's no way in the world I would say kick Patrick Mahomes off because he's probably gonna win on
the Super Bowl with the way things are going. But if we're talking about everything that's gone, it's just been all over the place for their offenses here, and it part it's because he's left tackles are just no good and he's really having to play in a different way. But you know, I think down to Stretch is gonna get better. He's you got Pa Checko coming back, Maybe
Juju's coming back. Guys like that. But when you look at some of the other people that could be coming on, you have to ask yourself, is he playing as well as We'll get to whomever.
But I think I actually think so. I still think so that he for instance, last week's game, how that game ended, where he makes two like fantastic plays in a row and one ends up a negative five to Kareem Hunt after he makes magic, and then another like bounces off Hopkins's hand when he makes magic. I do think he's actually improved his play overall since the first five or six weeks of the season. The numbers in terms of EPA per dropbacks still solid, top ten, like
ninth in the league, fifth in success rate. So I know the offense has been less efficient the last couple of weeks, and that's the that's right in our memory. But overall it actually has been a really efficient offense and he's been able to show kind of his off speed pitch.
Now, is he a top five quarterback this year?
No, which feels crazy to think about for Patrick Mahomes, But he's solidly on to me, I am on, Yes.
He's solidly on.
Yes'n Patrick Dock But yeah, I like it you brought him up that he's the reason why they're there. I mean, look, we could put about half these quarterbacks on there and say with the Chiefs to be winning ball games. I mean, would you know we win a ball games with him?
Right now?
Greg?
With the Chiefs, you give Mandy Reid and they've played some games. Yeah, I think they've been some games and a great defense. Until the last couple of weeks, I think they'd be winning some games.
I want to go to Greg Island. It seems like a nice place.
It's it's very, very self assured, it's beautiful weather.
Confidence like, let's talk.
Let's talk Jayden Daniels. I want to talk Jayden Daniels.
Going into last week, some of the limitations I think on this offense started to show up that he was inconsistently accurate pushing the ball down the field. He was for a number of games, but it's on it's on so few attempts that it's a small sample size. And actually the first couple of weeks of the season he
was struggling to throw it a little deeper. Then he then he was hitting it, and even last week when they got it going to me, it was more about he's running the ball well again, and his threat and the running game helps out his running backs, and they cooked up some great runs games even in that game against Tennessee, very little over ten yards from scrimmage, a lot of short stuff which he's great at, and he
is healthy and running again. I want to table him for now, but I want to put him in the geno bucket of just Okay, we'll think about these guys. Are our options to flip out because to switch out later? Because to me, he has defined helped define the position this year. Such an exciting player and he gets extra points for that to me. But is he playing better than some of these guys we'll talk about.
It's close.
I set him straight, Jordan, you know the deal.
Well.
I think he has and does define this rookie class of quarterbacks. And yes there are quarterbacks that there's a cluster of really exciting rookies Drake May, who I know you would love to talk about. In fact, I am really glad that I did not play a Greg mentioned Strake May drinking game earlier this week because I wouldn't have made it into work today.
But bo Nicks go back and count buddy what show all of those.
I wasn't going to bring him up today.
I don't know, but here's the thing I do.
I do want to bring him up because not not for someone to be put on the island, but to say, like, there's this really awesome cluster of ascending rookie quarterback play right now in Drake may Bo Nix. I mean, what like he'll still make his mistakes. That ninety three yard seamball versus Tampa two last night, the touchdown to Marvin Men's on Monday Night football just gorgeous.
Shows the from the end zone from the end zone on third eleven.
Just gorgeous.
And Caleb Williams is playing better than he has all seasons. And I think all of that's great, But I want to I want a rookie quarterback on the island because I think that this rookie class in part does define this season. And I think that Jaden Daniels is still the leader in defining what this rookie class is this season.
Yeah, we can talk about the passing numbers. I mean, you get, you throw, you throw in the running numbers, that's part of it. I mean, that's part of what He's a huge part of it.
And you know why.
And you know this, Cliff Kingsbury, They're gonna be free rushers coming at your quarterback in his games.
I mean that is just part of what he does.
Is part of the frustration of kind of watching this team, like run the damn ball. So when you ran in Arizona with James Connor, you were pretty good, right, you got Brian Robinson that he was coming back from injury. But run the ball sometimes, don't put it all on your quarterback all the time. That doesn't work in today's NFL. It just look at Jameis Winston, right, doesn't work.
His efficiency numbers two are still extra rest yards per attempt, so.
He's still top five and all of these advanced metrics, including EPA for drop back.
Despite the slump, your argument held water for me.
I'm gonna go ahead and call it vote early then, because she convinced me. You know I can be convinced by a successful argument. Was I kind of was thinking about taking taking Jayden.
We do all look great.
I mean we're here in week fourteen and it doesn't look like it. I mean, we look as fresh as when we arrived on the island.
Number all right, Jayden is safe.
The guys who you know we haven't mentioned, which just seemed like home runs are gonna stay on the island.
Josh Allen, Joe Burrow.
To me, losing games is not a disqualifying factor for QB Island, So he is obviously on. Jared Goff, yes, I thought has played better actually since the last time we've talked on QB Island, So he's solidly there too.
Is like he oftentimes we'd see especially in like maybe November back before he was with the Lions, and then obviously there was like a dark period with the Lions when they were just trying to build their roster up, but you would see slumps like in November for example. But Jared Goff from weeks five to thirteen actually has stayed with definition in the top five in EPA per drop back, like has stayed there, has not fluctuated, you know,
He's just been consistent. He's handled pressure well, he's operating that offense. It's interesting there's still to this point there is still whispers a lot of it's coming out of that local market, and I don't think that necessarily it's going to ring true when all is said and done, but he's still I think, making himself at least in the like underlying conversation about this, this MVP conversation.
Well you can he's out front, he's at the front guy, but he's.
Probably he wasn't in my five. He was not in Shook's time. Put it in that. We'll talk a little. Lions packers later have to say it.
He's got a teammate that should be in there.
He could be four or five.
We'll talk about that because we are going to preview that great Thursday night game with Jordan will be joining me on the recap.
So he's saved. Lamar is obviously save.
Justin Herbert, I think is solidly safe, still playing really well and the one last guy. Then I think I said Lamar there, he's obviously safe, playing outstanding.
Kyler.
Kyler maybe is worth putting in the table category. I think we voted on him at a peak. It was after that Miami game. If what Kyler's doing better than just about anyone. I was trying to figure out why why is he first in QBR right now? It really surprised me. I look at a lot of different metrics and I use my eyes and I think PFF is fine to look at, but epa drop back. You're a little down on PFF right now. But I'm just looking at everything and when one something stands out and he's
number one, it's very close. The top five are very close him, Josh Allen, Burrow, Lamar, and Jane, and I was trying to figure out because if you actually look at their different metrics, which are you know, pass run, sack, prevention penalties, something that they call like points above average, Like he's just fifth or sixth and everything. And I think what he's done well, which is which is why he deserves strong consideration to stay on the island, is
he hasn't been making any mistakes. He's really good at avoiding sacks, avoiding dumb penalties, avoiding interceptions. The big plays just haven't been there as consistency as consistently the last month. So to me, he's a table in my gut. I feel like he is kind of part of what's defining the position right now and he has a really good chance. But I'm not ready to put him back on the island quite yet. I want to see who the other options are.
If I like them, I think that's where we need to go because so right now we have what one true vacancy with two on the table.
Yes, we've made it tougher because, like I said, we reduced it from twelve to ten. Gino's on the table, Kyler's on the table, and we have a lot of guys to talk about it.
Let me tell you what I'm having a hard time with because I think I do think that, like I love watching Kyler play, I think he's played some of his best football of his career so far this year. We did catch him at a high point and you know, we're not projecting into the future, but we're sort of taking with the last four weeks and four games have been and just sort of some of the ebbs and
the flows. It's hard for me, especially to this point in the year, to not have Baker Mayfield on quarterback Island. And I'm not necessarily saying he's a overall a better quarterback than Kyler Murray. I think that they have a lot of similarities in their game. But what I think defines the position that Baker Mayfield does maybe almost better than almost anybody other than maybe like the top three guys on our list here is his team takes on his personality.
Okay, hold that thought right there. We're going to take a quick break. We'll talk a little Baker and yes, Kyler touchdown interception ratio very overrated, but last four weeks two touchdowns, three interceptions, haven't hasn't been running a ton.
The Kyler Baker comparison is very interesting.
We're going to talk about the guys not on the island that could potentially be joining. Before we broke on quarterback Island, got some my ties, took a little dip in the water.
Did you like reson screen though?
Yes, of course I burn.
I burned what Jordan you You talked about Baker Mayfield in your potential candidacy for him.
Yeah, I would not feel right not having him on the island at this point, you know, and I think in part of me taking off, you know, a Matthew Stafford, it is to make room for a guy like Baker Mayfield, a guy who I think is defining the position as we know it in the NFL right now in the sense of not just the intangibles right which you see it all over his tape. This team takes on his personality, this team. He wills this team to win. They win
in different ways. Liam Cohen can pretty much do whatever with Baker, even with a limited cast after Chris Godwin left right, still making it happen in clutch, crucial moments with Mike Evans, and really the stats are still he's you know, they're you know, they're they're in the hunt. They're trying to, you know, make sure that they secure their their playoff spot in the hunt's the wrong word,
but making sure they secure that playoff spot. And he's still number ten in EPA per drop back twenty five touchdowns, eleven interceptions. That's not great, but I think you do also factor in some of the limitations with the cast that he's had and three rushing touchdowns. He's still third in touchdowns thrown so far this season. And you just see him like just like like almost forcing this to happen his team. And anytime you flip on these games, you just see it.
Or he's lucky, like he's stunk. On Sunday, I was ready to put him on. I thought that was his worst game of the year. He was the reason that they were going to lose that game if Chuba Harvard doesn't fumble right, and that's right at the moment where I'm with you.
I'm with you, Jordan, and.
You need luck sometimes though, man like this time.
But I can't try. I can't trust I can't trust him. I was finally like, you're ready to trust him? And then he just starts making erratic decisions. He was spraying the ball all over the place into bad Panthers defense too, And it just got me back to where he's still Baker underneath it all. And and I and I have a hard time on a day where where we're cutting numbers saying that he's playing the quarterback position at a higher level in any respect over Gino or Kyler Murray.
I just don't.
I literally, I said.
Though I'm not saying he is playing the best of it like the quarterback, like as a top ten quarterback. I'm saying that where he's at, what the structure of his team looks like, what they're doing, what they're pushing for, the way that they're winning games, the ethos that they embody as they win games.
To me, he is defining the position right now.
One of many What do you think, Steve, I can't ride with Bake Bake like that.
You have a huge Baker I know I had you in the beginning of the year.
There's just there's just so many other guys who I think.
That's fair, you know, because we got to get Jordan Love on there.
I mean, let's vote on Baker then, Wow, you pushed hard, you were going to get it.
I'm voting no, yeah, just all right, I'll vote yes, but I want to get Jordan Love on there.
See, Okay, and that's let's listen to it. Let's listen to Jordan.
But like, here's here's where I'm stuck though, because now.
Jordan love I'm like, I'm riding for Jordan, and I'm riding for Sam Donald me too, I mean.
And I like and then we talked.
We talked earlier Steve about the clutch factor, that head to head.
Kind of thing.
All right, Sam Donald and Kyler Murray at the end of this game, Sam Donald, at the end of the last two games, the clutch factor is there. And he hasn't ebbed or yeah, that's the right word. We're talking about waves right island. He hasn't ebbed to the levels of low that he previously had.
And here's here's my point, why Donald, if we're talking about in the moment they're asking him to win ball games. You look at the number of attempts when they're at the five game winn streak at the beginning of the season, he's throwing the ball about twenty five twenty six times a game. He's throwing at thirty four to thirty five thirty six times a game. Now, all right, they're asked
him to win ball games. Last three games, six touchdowns, zero interceptions, right the Vikings, they got ten dubs now and it's but then, I like, Jordan Love is like playing you know, the giveaways. You know that's you know, he's had them, but he's kind of lost the last couple of games.
Okay, let's stay let's stay with Darnald for a second, because that Kyler comparison is really and he's talking about Kyler. No, but he she pointed that out and that wasn't head We talked about head to head, all right, Okay.
Those if you look at Kyler last two weeks.
Now, he's got to play the Seahawks this week and very well could win that game.
I'll probably pick them to win that game and even it out.
But in those two games, Seattle really ate his lunch and Gino played better against a pretty good Cardinals team as well. That Minnesota game, to me, was so perfect to make the point you were making about Sam Darnald, because if you watch the first half of that game, Donald's holding onto the ball a lot, a little bit skittish, a little bit confused about maybe what's going on.
Kyler's very steady.
They're moving the ball a ton, But I got to give it to you when push came to shove at the end of that game, Donald is dropping dimes with the help of his coach figuring things out there. Great at adjusting, but he's playing his very best at the end, and Kyler's he's just missing just a little something. And Donald has really played well I think the last few weeks after that, that little ebb that you mentioned in the middle of the season.
Games.
I now I'm talking myself through it. At least put Donald over Kyler and putting Gino over Kyler as well. So I'm ready to vote on Kyler. I'm ready to vote Kyler off because I want to open up another spot here.
At least we got some good names.
I'm now voting no on Kyler because I believe you, and I'm and I like.
Darnald over him, but Donald mine that make the cut. I did not expect that.
But I do want to point out this is it's a cool thing that Kevin O'Connell brought up last week. You mentioned it. They're asking him to win games.
They're not. Yes, he can set things up for the quarterback.
You can create the layered routes, you can scheme whatever, but you're still asking him to make super difficult throws in crucial moments. There's a second, second and fourteen in the fourth quarter. And like every coach from the Shanahan McVay, even the O'Connell tree, although that's now because he has different a different background, that's a little bit separate. But often they'll just try to get to a neutral down,
third down, third and manageable right. Instead, they draw up an option for Sam Darnold to through multiple reads to hit justin Jefferson ask the sticks on it and pure anticipation and like balls throw and like, and he hits it. And it's like they that is the definition of what you need to do to win your team games as a quarterback who is the expectation is to make a deep playoff runt and that's why I would like Sam Darnold on the island, and here I.
Think I'm thinking about him strongly now. Also the ten wins. It does matter to me somewhat that they are a defining team of this season.
But here's here's here's the thing that I think we do.
We have to eliminate from our thinking when it comes to Donald. Yes, of all these quarterbacks on the list, who's the most likely to step on the banana peel if they do get into the playoffs. We cannot have that because I think most of should probably.
Say out of all these guys or even in the next month, next month, that's not going to bother me too much because we are talking about right now, and of all.
Of these, I would you know, the rookie hasn't been there before.
I mean, he's played well again, he's pressure, which is what gets to me. The thing that you could always say about Golf and then you could now always say about Donald was yeah, but if you can get to him, it's is out and and in that game. Again, another example comparison, I can't believe we're taking Kyler off, but.
Let's review for a second.
He could come back from.
Stafford's off Stroud is off, Kyler is off. We have board booted.
Four guys, Gino and Darnald right Donald right now are on the table at least potentially take those two final spots. We voted Baker down after an impassioned beautiful, really heart wrenching.
I'm trying to butter me push for him. He still got a Geno vote.
Let's talk a little suck a little Jordan Love. Let's talk a little Jordan.
I want Jordan Love on the island, not just because he has an outstanding first name. I you know, spell though. Listen, he's cleaning up. He's cleaning up the errors and you saw him do it around this time last year as well. Yes, and we'll talk about it when we get to the preview, I know, but yes, he has probably one of the most phenomenally gorgeous beautiful I don't even have adjectives for it. Run games and run schemes in the NFL. Right now, you lean on and that's great. You have to know
when to lean on that as a quarterback. But what I like about Jordan Love over the past couple of weeks is cleaning up the erratic play that had so often kind of shot that offense in the foot a little bit, and in terms of his production against pressure, still not good. But his earlier averages are going to sync that right now until he has more data to help lift that a little bit more as they go down the stretch. He is still number ten and epa
per drop back. He's got twenty touchdowns and eleven interceptions. A lot of those interceptions have come against pressure. But like I said, cleaning.
That up over the path he puts up, he puts up numbers. Considering DIY this this is a team.
I'm not attaching this to the evaluation, but this is a team who based off of this the last couple of game, this last game, especially last couple of games too, It's like, man, nobody's gonna want to play these dudes. Nope, nobody in cana or who are more about.
The Thursdy night game later. I'll just leave it at that.
Okay, Yeah, this Jeordia.
The one thing with him is twenty seventhing completion percentage over expected. The the accuracy comes and goes a little bit watching him play. Right now, can I possibly say that I'm taking ten quarterbacks over this freaking dude?
Right now?
I'm putting him on the island, and I vote yes, I overrule you were playing.
I'm the sametaining that's a rule.
I'm making a yes or Jordan, Okay, you want to talk about some more guys.
There's two guys you got to talk about, Steve.
I know Steve.
There's a few more guys to talk about. Sure, but I thought maybe he is just to me. I'm putting my cards on the table of all the guys that we could talk about or have talked about, I think I'm putting love over all of them, and that there's two spots open for me. He's pretty safe. Let's talk about him. Who do you want to talk about?
As an executive co producer on Quarterback Island. As the co creator of Quarterback Island, I am creating behind the glass, I'm creating a new card.
It's to let Steve weish cook card.
Okay, here's the thing. I'm not going to slow burn this. There's three guys I'm gonna mention that you should consider. Jalen Hurts Okay, Russell Wilson. Ok And here's my out of nowhere guy who's playing better than just about any quarterback in the NFL.
At the moment. That is Tua Toungue of Iloa.
He did not have a great game against Green Bay, but look at his numbers since he came back since October twenty twenty five yards, fifteen toychdowns, four interceptions, one hundred and eight passer rating. He is freaking dealing down there. Again, he did not hit him in the cold.
That's not good.
That's not good for did he even play bad? I don't think he played bad in that game at all. He played well.
And what I am saying, if we're talking about problem, look we can't like I can't see putting him on over these other guys, but I can't defining the position and playing the position as well as or better than ten players in the NFL.
Right now, Tua Tongue of.
Iloa is in that discussion, my friends. Now do we put them both Jalen or Rush, both of whom are cooking, And we could say Jalen maybe not passing because they're not asking to throw the ball that much, but Tua is ball laying.
Gu would you put him over Gino Steve?
Yes?
But again I I just don't know if I if I could right now put him over Russer, Jalen or Jordan Love.
I mean, he's playing that well.
That's why I said.
I could put him over just about anyone that you've mentioned. Maybe not Love, I don't know. I just think he's playing in the position he's like, he can't ask so well, you can't ask him to play better. And even that game, like we're saying, was a bad game for him, they were down fourteen to nothing before they had any plays.
Hard to come back from an early turnover like that on specialty.
Right in the end, he threw for three hundred and fifty five yards and a couple of touchdowns, and some of them was late, but most of it was in the flow of the game when they still had a chance. And when I was watching him the three previous weeks to that, I just thought, playing great. This guy is playing football, is playing quarterback at a level that is QB island worthy.
It's tough. It's tough.
People tough because I mean, right now they're cut.
The number down from twelve to ten or else there would be more. But no, we all did the committee.
But since there's no slow burn, I mean, let's have the Jalen, let's.
Okay, rest to me, is not close. He hasn't been consistent enough. He hasn't put enough of a resume when you're getting pulled in the middle of a fiasco of a performance against Cleveland, he was.
Ten for ten on third down. They decided to put in justin fields. Okay, Russ was playing man. They were in a rhythm.
He's played well this season. I need a little more.
I don't think he's been as consistent as as you're saying as too.
Or okay I and I would say too.
With the with the Jalen argument, we talk about defining the position, and he is. He is the person I mean, Greg, it is in your description of quarterback Island, and he is on a defining team in the NFL in twenty twenty four, one of probably four defining teams in the NFL in twenty twenty four. He is the quarterback. And no, he's not the superstar of this team right now, like
it's Saquon Barkley. And that's great, but I think you at least have to talk about him and pay him his respects as one of the better quarterbacks in this He was the.
Last guy on my list of guys. We absolutely have to talk about you know what was Russell Wilson. Now, there were there were some fun just quarterback conversations. If we had all day to talk about quarterbacks, I would you know, you mentioned Drake May before, but I would mention how well Bryce Young is playing.
He's playing better than those rookies.
Great, if he plays as well as he played over the last five weeks for another four weeks, we might have to talk about Bryce Young at the end of the season. But you know, Jameis Winston is helping to define the season. He's not on quarterback island, but he'd be a great vibe to add to it. You mentioned Bo Nicks before, but yes, Russ was the last guy
that I think needed serious consideration. So if we're breaking it down at this point, and again, Jane Daniels is on the island, this is where I kind of thought about Jade Daniels is all right, Jade Daniels versus Love or Donald or whoever. But right now we have two spots available. Right now, Herbert's on there as well, on the island. Absolutely two spots available, Gino, Donald, Love, Russ if you want to throw him in there, and Tua,
I'm gonna call a vote. Now that we've talked about everything, there's five guys, Gino, Donald Love, Russell Wilson, and Tua and at this point, unless something changes, we need to find two spots for those five guys.
We already voted Baker.
Off and lets you vote Gino off.
Right, No, I'm saying, but either way, Yeah, it's two spots, right, Yeah, it's two spots off. At this point, I'm like, assuming he's off. So it's two spots for those five guys. Whether you vote Gino off or not. Oh my gosh, I am gonna at least call because I think it's the easiest thing left to do. A vote on Russell Wilson, great story, great season, not quite there yet.
I vote no.
I vote no.
I saw him throw for four fourteen against CINCINNTI Bengals didn't want to tackle anybody.
Yeah, about half of those were like little dump offs over the middle of the field. That Naji Aera is not Russell Wilson's fault. But my god, I can't I've never seen a simple play. We're crazy.
What is your vote, Jordan?
Oh?
I voted no.
Okay, so we have four four guys for two spots.
Okay, Gino, Donald Love and Tua. This is too much. I know.
I hope the listeners can hear that. That's that side that Greg just let out.
Are you calling a vote on Chief?
I need to take a picture of Greg's stressed as we I.
I am going to take a vote. I'm going to call a vote on the guy I believe deserves to be here more than anyone. That's Jordan Love as we head to these winter months. I want a big guy with a big arm who's playing football at a very high level. I am voting yes on Jordan Love. Jordan's yes, no enthusiastically.
You wies know I love him. This is not tough for this right now. But I'm saying no.
I know because I know you got we gotta I know I know why you're doing.
You just got voted out, voted. Jordan Love is on the.
Jordan is on the island. Jordan Jordan Is.
You have the English spelling?
All right, let's vote.
All right, let's just let's just rip the band aid off here, let's do let's do the thing. It is very difficult here at the table to do this, but let's call a vote on Eugene Cyril Smith, I vote yes on Gino for.
The listeners, I'm voting no.
I'm voting no because I think Tua should be on the islands.
Tua plane at a higher level. Gino is off.
Gino's off. He can he can earn it back on. I mean they're in a play point.
We'll release the the deep cut, the full cut of all the.
Discussions and all the confusion.
Where we of all the confusion, where Greg let out the deepest sigh I've ever heard, realizing that we still had to vote on ginas the reason.
Why we're not doing math type occupation.
Okay.
Jordan Rodrigue, the co executive producer, introduced the element to the show that they could use at any point of the season. Someone can pull a riptide and keep someone on the island.
And I am doing that right now.
Is it atrocity that you turn Coats tried to take him off the island?
Do you not know ball? Do you not see ball? Do you not watch the ball?
So that's a Simon Cowell, Blake Shelton, you know, you know what she came up with, this whole idea.
You're valid your valid use I'm using it once.
This is the one you get all year and you you have used it, and you are valid in using it now, in using it.
Let the audience know.
That also means that either Sam Darnold or to a tongue of Iloa will not be making it on the island, because that's what it's coming down to right now. So just to I thought about it and clean everything up for the listeners so that we're all organized. Right as my hair keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger, we're all organized, and you have riptide ripcorded Gino onto the island.
He's staying on controversial like that a controversial?
No, it's it's not it's not that.
Here's here's why it's great in part. These guys are all so close, right, and.
Andy reduced it from twelve to ten.
Greg, that's true. We could put them all on it. It could be a participation trophy. Everyone gets to stay on the island. Poor Jalen Hurts didn't even really get a discussion.
We'll save it for Connie when she's here.
Yeah, yeah, that's a good would totally. It is Donald playing the position better than Gino right now is.
To as a close can't take it back.
So let's talk Donald.
We're talking to Donald versus Tua. Is the argument for.
See.
I mean, this is tough because Tua is playing so well right now, but Donald's got I mean, it's hard to overlook the ten wins. It's hard to overlook the fact that they are asking him to win ball games and he's doing it.
Yeah.
Just look at the attempt the passing attempt numbers for Sam Donald over the past month. They have gone up again about seven or eight pass attempts per game with Tua. That's what the Dolphins offense is right him throwing the ball get into the playmakers again. He's playing great football. This hurts my heart. But I gotta say, Sam Donald, I would have to probably.
Take Darnald And you know what, Steve, I wanted to defer to you on that because I know how much you support like and I do too, and you know, we share a lot of the same sentiment about how just like exquisitely he does run that offense to such precision, and the way that he can hand the ball off and just some of the just the pre snap cadences
and the timing tour does to It's beautiful. But we're talking about now this quarterback and Sam Donald, who is being asked to step up and make these clutch, difficult plays on long downs and distances late in games to win those games, to keep this Viking streak alive. So I'm going to go, especially knowing your vote, now, gonna.
Go with Steve.
It's just too hard the way I came into today thinking I'm gonna push for Tua and that two is gonna make it, and it it became a numbers game here.
No, it became a riptide game, grit.
It certainly did not become a numbers game. First of all, you decided we're going to ten, and also you pulled your riptide.
So what's the argument.
I just assumed Gino was gonna be safe. I didn't even know that that was going to be a discussion.
I thought I could maybe get I would I would probably take Donald over Jane Daniels. But that's not It's not a conversation that we're gonna have today. Let's let's vote on Sam Darnold making it back. This man has been through so much and responded and he has just made history.
On Quarterback Island.
We are all holding up our yes placards. He is the first man to ever get booted off Quarterback Island to get back on and that that's typical of a guy who has fought back throughout it.
And let's put a chef's kiss on the Jets as two former Jets starting.
Quarterback are on the island and Gino Arnold.
I apologize. I apologize to uh Jalen Hurds. Yeah, Jalen, you're you're really playing like excellent football, but when you're the kind of secondary piece of your offense, it's tough.
And I want to personally apologize to Matthew.
Stafford before his availability tomorrow.
What a session of Quarterback Island. Uh, you were right to be stressed out before him. I am, I am stressed out. Now do we have do we have a full screen of the new members of the graphic?
I will?
I freed them aloud for the audio listeners. Josh Allen shout out to him. Yes, might be the m v P. Joe Burrow. We never doubt you. Jadeen Daniels wasn't sure, but this side of the table convinced me. Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, surprisingly little discussion, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and yes, Gino Smith, I used my ripcord here and for the first time all year, and I won't be able to do it ever again. He is on the island. We have added Jordan Love good job. Sam Darnold is absolutely
back on the island. And who am I forgetting?
Is that? It's it three NFC North QBS.
You did say Pat Mahomes, Right, yeah.
I did say, Pet. We will take a quick break.
Well, you will talk a little Thursday Night football after this.
The island is hot.
If any of us smoked cigarettes, that's what what I what I would have.
It's just done.
But screw a cigarette. I need a gummy.
Yeah man. Sorry, by the way, to the guys put it off. So you're CJ and Kyler and Jalen Hurst. But we found our twelve and I'm excited about it. You gotta have a code. You got to stand up for stuff you believe in.
Kids.
If you're out there, and I believe in Gino Smith, he's gonna prove this choice.
Correct. I got a great, great opportunity.
Okay, it is time for our TNF preview presented by Amazon Prime Video. Let's talk about two of the quarterbacks on quarterback Island who are playing on Thursday Night football.
I love it that Jordan Love got on. For some reason.
I came into today thinking that was gonna be my most difficult challenge would be get him on.
But you guys were.
With me, and here he is on Thursday night.
He goes to Detroit.
This was a rematch of a somewhat underwhelming game that.
It's a weird game because green Bay totally controlled the game. Remember Detroit only had like two hundred toty yards of offense, but they won twenty four to fourteen.
Yeah, they got out too quickly the tough weather game. I think Jordan Love's playing better now. They go to a Lions team that is banged up. Just before we even talk, I'm just gonna give it a little bit of an injury update for both of these teams. DJ Reader uncertain whether he plays in this game. Taylor Decker, they're left tackle the Lions, not looking like he's going to play. According to Dan Campbell, Carlton Davis, their cornerback is looking like he is going to play in this game.
So that's good news at least on that front. Josh Pascal Levi on Wrique Malcolm Rodrigez.
I mean that's tough up the spine of that defense. They are thin man.
Yeah, Pascal and Onrike isn't announced yet about their status, but it doesn't it doesn't sound great.
And yeah you mentioned Rodriguez.
They're now missing three of their top four linebackers. Derek Barnes. They could get back at some point, but not for this game. So there's some players that you probably have never heard of that are playing at line backer for the Lions. I did want to mention Jayra Alexander was back at practice and they're gonna you know that seems like it's going to be something of a game time decision. Elkton a good offensive lineman for the Packers, and Drin
Cooper their linebacker might be out for this game. So a lot of injuries, but especially on the Lion's side, really affecting them. We'll start with you, Steve. Let's start with loving the Packers' offense. Do you think they can take advantage of all these injuries in a nice climate. I know they're from Green Bay and all, but a nice climate control like how we like it?
Right? Yes, forget all the snow and the cold.
Yes, of course, I mean, who is when you think of besides Jordan Love, who's the offensive piece for the Packers, Josh Jacobs. I mean, he's a physical force. His run balance is like Marshaun Lynch's. I mean it's incredible. So I think you go up the middle of the defense. I mean, you know, Alee McNeil is a beast, but if Reader's not in there, man, that dude occupies bodies.
He keeps linebackers clean.
And if he doesn't play, you are going to see Matt Lafleur use number eight right there and get that push and clean some people up in the middle. Look at that run balance right during that vide we're watching. It's just absolutely insane. Plus Matt Lafleur is also going to scheme some things drag routest hook routes just to take advantage of some of that underneath middle zone that the Lions are gonna have to play. They can allow
anything explosive down the field. So I think that center of the field for the Detroit Lions is going to be vulnerable.
Yeah, you mentioned you know, very very new, brand new faces in some points, not only on the interior but
at linebacker. So I could really see Matt Lafleur doing that dastardly thing that we know he can do with this run game, but also with their screen game, with some of the ways that they manipulate their tight ends in space, not only as blockers, but disguising different gaps, making outside wider edges than you would normally think for the run game, and then pulling it back inside all of a sudden, giving them a lot to think about. And it will be you know, Jordan Love distributing the
ball and all of those things. I expect him to take a few shots downfield as well, but a lot of this is going to start up front because that is where the injuries have compounded in those first and second levels for the Lions defense.
Yeah, I think it's such a mismatch for both offenses. I think both offenses should look at this and think like we are offensive football teams, especially the Packers. The Lions defense has stood so tall, all sis safety are so good, and they've been such a good defensive team, and they are relatively healthy in the secondary still, and that's the strength there. Romeo Dobbs also in the concussion protocol not expected to play in this game, which is
a big loss for Green Bay as well. Whenever there's two teams that are reasonably close, and the Packers here are nine to three. This is a division matchup. When they played twice in a short amount of tempt, I tend to favor the team that lost the first time around. Now, this is the best division potentially ever that we that we've seen. They are the first, the first division in football history to have three teams this late in the season at a seven to fifty win percentage or better.
Like It's never happened, not since the merger when there were really divisions in everything like that. So there's never been three teams with this good of a record this late in the season as Packers, Lions and the Packers and the of course, well, the Packers are starting to peak defensively, I worry a little bit more about them.
But Kenny Clark started to make some noise, van Ness started to make some noise, or Shaun Gary started to make They have to get some sort of pressure on Detroit because the pass rush for Green Bay has been a weakness for them all season long, and if they revert back to kind of what they've been and they get bullied up front, by this Lions offensive line like so many teams do. Ultimately, I'm not I'm not sure they can keep up and attract me. Maybe maybe they can,
maybe they can't. But they need their guys because they're not banged up like these are their first round picks, the guys who are making all the money. They Sometimes it's just getting your guys to play better. Their best guys haven't played their best all season. But I think you've seen just a little bit of signs from from those big names Kenny Clark or Shan Gary over the least.
And this is huge for the Packers, right if they knock off the Lions, Okay, then you've got a two ways with Detroit Minnesota. But then Green Bay now is sitting right there with the rest of the season where they're now going to start talking about home field instead of those two teams thinking about they're playing in seventy six degrees.
I saw next gen stats had only four teams with a real chance to get home field advantage, mostly Lions.
Yep.
Then the Eagles were under fifty percent, Vikings a little smattering, and the Packers were sitting there at two percent. But that does go up and you know, if they win this game, then then it's more than the two percent.
You're right, they have a chance.
And if if the Lions lose this then the Eagles take over as the favorite for home field, which.
Is and nobody wants that.
I mean, look, I think the Lions are built to play outdoors in this weather, but they've only played they will only play when the season ends in three true outdoor stadium.
And we know that.
I mean, we saw it last week. The Packers are indeed built to play outside. Built like I said earlier in the show when I was gushing about the diversity of the run game and how multiple they can be off of everything that it builds, that is a team that you know the Lions, I mean, and as banged up as they are, it's the worst possible time for the Lions defense to be facing this physical Packers' offense
at the same time. I mean, like you guys said before, it's kind of a good foil game for either side. And Jared Goff, even when you rush four against him, he's not struggling like he used to, particularly inside, He's not struggling like he used to against any kind of pressure. He's been incredibly productive. Like we mentioned on quarterback Island, part of the reason he's on firmly so firmly on quarterback Island is if you just rush for like the
Packers have. You know, most of the time they blitzed a lot more in the last matchup against the Lions.
It wasn't super effective.
And when they drop back and rush, when they just sit and rush four like we've seen them also do with some effect against other quarterbacks this season, that's those types of things are just not working the way that they used to against Jared Goff. So you're gonna have to try to get your secondary activated the way they were taking the ball away earlier this season, you're gonna have to activate your secondary.
If you're Jeffley, it's yeah.
And that's where some mismatches are happening for Detroit. I mean, when Detroit as the ball, there's mismatches all over the place. This could be a great game for the Pine Suwell agenda running out.
I am pushing that agenda hard, my man.
Okay, yeah, I had him in my MVP ladder. I put it fourth to be there. I think you can do what you want with votes, and if you want him to kind of represent this Lions offensive line, and he obviously is the best player on it by a good deal, and maybe the best at his position.
You can vote that way.
And so I think him against these three young safeties that they're playing, so Xavier McKinney, I guess you wouldn't call him young anymore. He's right in the middle of his prime. But what they've done with some injuries at their linebacker level and just in cornerbacks, is they're playing their two rookie safeties Bullard and Evan Williams together and Bullard's in the slot a lot. Bullard's been quiet, Javon Bullard a second round pick, but you haven't noticed them
in a bad way. Evan Williams has made a lot of positive plays. So these three safeties on the field and you're running the ball against that kind of look. Quay Walker who has made some plays over the last few weeks, but drives Packers fans absolutely crazy. And I think is a weakness of their defense is their linebacker position.
Maybe this is this is a Sewel and a Jamier Gibbs, because as good as David Montgomery is, and he's awesome, they have the almost the exact same amount of rushing attempts and the exact same amount of catches this year, and yet Gibbs has two hundred and fifty yards more. He's a top five yards from scriptage guy in the the entire league. And I do think this is a week where you just got to win in a shootout. You feel bad almost for the Lions that, like's so
hard to get a one seed. It's so hard to win the super Bowl because after this, man, they come off that Thanksgiving game, you know, all these games in a short period of time. Then you got the Bills next week, you got the Vikings coming up, You're at San Francisco. We'll see what they look like. It's like, man, it is so hard to just get a freaking one seed. Of all the years for them to be eleven and one, this is a tough one for it.
I know someone was sort of commenting on different discussions that we've had, whether at the athletic or you know, on this show, and it's like, man, it's in a historic year, right, these other teams just will not start losing games, right, and it's driving then the rest of the fan base's nuts, which is fair, but like, hey, that's great for everybody.
But and they can all think that way, like Green Bay could be like Man, in a normal year, we'd be winning the division.
We're in third.
Play Vikings probably the Vikings have ten wins, right yeah, like the Eagles of one eight in a row.
They're like, wait, we got to wait for one of these other teams to win. It is so competitive. It's an awesome conference right now.
Ben Johnson, there's like a subplot within a subplot. It's not really a big deal, but it is kind of fun in it just doesn't happen often kind of way. And a little oopsie out of Detroit or Jamier Gibbs accidentally shared some photos of the Lion's plays on the whiteboard. Dan Campbell said that he wasn't concerned about it. Obviously they change calls every week. And also if you look close enough in certain reddit circles, you can find copies in every playbook in existence in these.
Circles that he coaches call sheet.
Yeah, and and this the close ups of the call sheet. And they change calls every week, they change words. Every team does this unless you are just an absolute fiasco of a team, and some are, and but teams who aren't know what they're doing. They change their calls every week. So but Ben Johnson did not mean to. Sometimes he just says things right, and he inadvertently gave the Packers
like a little bulletin board material. I think if I'm just reading this quote flat and he said, have you guys thought about maybe we wanted them out there so now we know what they know? And he was joking obviously on Monday, and he said, so he's now so he's like, oh yeah, oh god, what a comp He.
Said, no, if they lose this game that he's going to sue them afterwards.
Yeah, He's like, each week we try to keep guys off balance, teams off balance. We certainly don't want them to know what's coming. And then he said, look back at the first time we played the Packers this year, third and five. It was our first third down of the game. We made a check and you can see Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark giving the signal for a check right there, which is usually universal to check for a run. Well, we ran it and we got nine yards.
So his point was, even when they know what's coming, we still do the thing.
That's what pell do that's what football.
I don't think the Eagles are confusing anyone with their their fourth down, fourth quarter strategy.
I don't think the Ravens are confusing folks and what they're doing on third and one either.
Right.
If the Lions can win this game and somehow get that one seed, yeah, Campbell is my coach of the year. Because here, I just want to real quick, I just want to give you. I just want to give you some guys who are playing significant snaps for the Lions in their recent history in this game. Al Kahed Muhammad used to be a nice player for the Colts, got a nice second contract for the Bears. Actually didn't have a snap in the NFL all of last year. Was not on this roster because he was on the practice
squad until recently. Played significant snaps last week. Khalil Dorsey, an undrafted free agent from the Ravens back in the day, played a career high snaps last week at cornerback. Some of the linebackers that you mentioned that could be playing, Ezekiel Turner eighteen UDFA, who has never played this much in his entire career, started with the Cardinals. David Long, cut by the Dolphins, two weeks ago, and then Trevor Nuwaski, who has been an undrafted free agent with the Lions
now in his second season. These guys are all out there getting significant steps being trusted. We'll see if they can make it work. Jordan love you got to make them pay as much as we just said how much we love you.
He's only been averaging about.
Twenty three twenty four attempts a game during this great stretch. They haven't needed him to totally ball out and dominate. They're gonna need it on Thursday Night.
O qaick Dan Campbell over Tomlin.
I think if they get to the end the finish line, anyone can vote the way they want. I think it's okay to consider the breadth of the coaching job that you do everything that you did, and so Tomlin gets some credit for that too, But to me, since Campbell didn't win it last year, I think he deserves it.
I my pool of people who I would if I got a top five, I don't. If I got a top five, and in no particular order, I would certainly have Dan Campbell in the top there. I would also have Matt Lafleur. Think the breadth when the breadth of the last two years with such a young group and how they grew up. So this is a cool matchup between again we see it, you know, twice a year, but again between possible Coach of the Year candidates. I would have Kevin O'Connell in there, as you guys know.
I would have Dan quinn in there. Still, I would have Sean McDermott in there. I would have Mike Tomlin in there. That's six but it's fine.
Math is hard. As we earlier, there.
We go this episode bring full circle, Jordan, all Right, that was this week's teen have preview presented by Prime Video. Be sure to check out the Green Bay Packers when they take on the Detroit Lions this Thursday on Prime Video.
I'll pick the Lions in this game. I can't pick. I can't pick.
Against the line right now, but nothing would nothing would surprise me in it'd get spicy if the Packers win this one. I'm looking forward to recapping this with Jordan on Thursday night.
And I'm picking the Packers because of the way they ran the ball.
I could see it.
I'm a little like it just feels like Lions are like America's team you just want.
I want.
I want the Lions to go all the way. But on this game, I am picking the Packers.
That is it for today's show. Let's let's play us out. I need to get out of here.
We'll be back if even plus one equals.
When we're when we're struggling with basic bath. Oh my god, you know football is back. Quarterback Island was back as well. See you next time.
Sorry, let me get one more sip. Sorry, so stressful as fun.