The Around the NFL podcast.
Doesn't like to mix friend groups. No, that's so true.
From the Chris Westling podcast studio, It's Around the NFL.
I'm Dan hansis.
Heroes here, Greg Rosehal and Colleen Wolfe in the sizzler chair.
What's up, gay ease?
See?
I love to mix friends group all the time. Like I love having different friends meet each other from different parts of my life.
But do they do they like it?
And you know what, I've realized over the past like two years that maybe I need to stop doing that.
Maybe it's not great.
Yeah I used to do it all the time, but what I realized was that that made things better for me. But for those people, especially people that are like me, that are a little less a little more introverted around people you don't know as well, it just made things a little bit more uncomfortable.
That's but that everyone's different.
Now. Dan had a very specific list of like it's like like this guy cannot mix with this broad it never happened. It's very tough to get the invite back to the hands of Christmas Party.
I should let everyone know that Dan just chugged a five hour Energy Extra Strength before this show.
Right as the song was playing essentially, which is a little it just felt dark for it was it was.
Half I will say it was half.
I used the first half maybe last season, and that was just sitting there and I said, oh, that's even worse.
It lasted you all season.
Just wow, do you think that expires? That's like nuclear like sludge basically.
It expires in twenty twenty five.
Okay, yeah, cover correct, Yeah, it's you know, I needed it. It's been It was a Tuesday was tough. I gotta say Tuesday was tough. I of course Aaron Rodgers and all that. Check out the Monday Podcast if you're not aware what happened on Monday night football. I was doing some like internal accounting on my way here is like what was my Tuesday?
Like?
It was like I had a vague recollection that yesterday was terrible. Things kind of set in a little bit. I slept in and then I was falling asleep repeatedly during the day. And part of that was I stayed up really late Monday night reading stuff, but also didn't want to go to sleep because I knew when I woke up in the morning and not feeling after really bad news the day before. When you're gonna realize it when you open your eyes that it happened. It's like
it hits again. Knew it was coming, didn't work out, made unhealthy eating choices. I contributed very little to a previously scheduled planning meeting we had.
I shot but cut it short.
I would say, actually, I shot down a neighbor's request to come over for a swim in the pool on a hot day.
Just said no, not today, neighbor.
I coached my son's fall ball baseball team, but I was like in full bad Santa mode to the kids the whole time.
It's like, mean, mean, new coach. I didn't even know me. It was the first practice.
That's not how you do an infield shift. Pricky this with the bottle of Tito's.
And I didn't bathe until about ten pm.
Oh my gods, that's a tough tuesday for Tugboat.
But then I woke up this morning and and you know, you start to hit that level of acceptance of situation and where things stand.
And That's where I'm at now. Now.
Is it is it difficult to do like a football podcast to work in football? Something like that happens and it feels so personal when that injury occurs. Yes, but that's what we do. Mark is so upset about Aaron Rodgers come through the show today.
Well, you also just might be feeling under the weather, which is also taking Mark out, because I too was falling, feeling like I was falling asleep a little bit in the.
Day long Monday. But oh, that was depression, I greg.
That's another symptom of depression, which I think I've lapsed into one, but I think I've come out. I don't know if that's how depression works or if I was just depressed.
Those are two different things. But sleep is a symptom for me.
An at POD, I can tell you all about it, right, I think, knowing though you were gonna see Connie and myself today and just make magic.
I'm just happy to have Hard Knocks a little twin.
We did have Hard Knocks, and that was special.
No one can ever take that away from us.
No, and they could take away Aaron Rodgers us being the Jets fans, but they can't take away that those fun five weeks. I did think about it, Colleen, we because we basically it was like Aaron Rodgers hype season that entire hard knocks. That's what we talked about, how important he was and how everything was built around him. Which keep in mind, anybody that's trying to, you know, get excited about the Jets is still being a contender.
Like this team was built for Aaron Rodgers to lead it, and now they have to pivot on the fly.
We'll get to sol on a second.
But remember in the first episode when and this is what I kept thinking about, and I can't even listen to it again. I was gonna say, we'll call for it, but I just can't hear it again. Jeff Olbrick, the defensive coordinator. In one of the early practices, Rogers throws across the hashes and hits. I think it's maybe Garrett Wilson in the back corner, maybe a lizard with a throw that maybe to other people on Earth can make.
And Oldbrick says to the team and the defense and meeting like that's our guy, that's our quarterback, and the whole meeting room was just like yeah, yeah, yeah, And he was speaking for Jets fans too, like that's our quarterback. So that is that is the world that we now exist, and that that guy's.
Gone, and but time heals all ones. I'm getting back.
I'm getting my juice back already and feeling like I could be watching a fun, plucky team this season.
I will.
Travis Kelsey, one of the.
Other listening to the Monday recap pod with you guys, when you talked about the comeback win for the Jets and you holding up like the kids and everyone embracing that, that kind of gave me the feels a little bit like I was on that roller coaster ride with you, not as you know, as you were, but I just I could feel it a bit.
You got to take a nod from your captain, Robert Sally. He's back in there the next morning talking up. He is great leadership.
And I want to thank everyone.
I got like a ton of whether it was listeners or just friends or people that I haven't even heard from in a while that just know how much I love the Jets. A lot of texts and and UH and dms and emails and.
It was all very nice because people people get it.
And uh and yes, uh now we move forward uh as as as.
We must, as we must, life goes on and uh.
Coming up on today's show by the way I like this one. Greg, you threw it out there. I was basically comatose, not really listening to you, but in that planning meeting yesterday and maybe a text thread that I looked at with one eye in between depression sleeves. You mentioned, what what's our segment today?
Only bad questions? I thought it was no dumb question, no dumb question. I don't even remember dumb questions.
I was told only dumb quest only dumb.
Question, only dumb question. No, that was it, and that was are they dumb questions necessarily? Well, we'll find out, like that's what they say, there are no dumb questions. But in this segment, we're going to try to come up with some dumb questions. And you see, that's that's my love language. I didn't send you a nice text, which actually I didn't send you a nice text. Now
I feel bad about it. Oh, thank you. I didn't send you like I feel bad of But you know, I knew this was this wasn't going to be a dan day. I'll come up with the sec that that was very But that's love language. That's good, that's sweet.
Like the text, I wasn't waiting for you like when is Greg and the send like, hey, how you doing, buddy?
No, I don't need that, right, That's what he's.
An active service kind of guy. That's the that's the love language.
Your therapist is really making sides of Suzanne.
Oh my goodness, I could go on and all.
Speaking of therapists, Packers fans need one after a bunch of them rolled into a bar in Milwaukee thinking, according to this promotion, hey Jets lose, you win, bar handles the tab.
Let's do some news. We're just gonna keep going.
Another condition is Aaron Rodgers must start the game, but the rules say nothing about him having to finish it. So there's a loud roar when Rogers leaves the game hurt in the first par Fans say, it's nothing personal.
I mean, I'm not necessarily opposed to Rogers, but tonight I'm thinking with my wallet instead.
Nice good human stuff, good human stuff from Packers fans. Let's get the PostScript on that little story from the tavern.
And the mood has changed considerably.
That is because the Jets just won the game on a long touchdown in overtime.
You could take a look.
This is the reaction to the bar where people are realizing the bar tabs they've been racking up all night thinking, certainly with Rogers hurt, it is setting in they were gonna.
Have to go to the bar and pay that tab. Pay up, so good, pay up. Oh, you got to watch the YouTube of this one, just so you can see the look on the face of the reporter.
It was just what about the guy in the background holding his hands over the face like he just witnessed.
Not good I missed local news.
Bad job by this pack, CBS fifty eight news in Milwaukee with the credit there, Good job by them, all right. Speaking of Robert Sala, let's check in with him. Of course, the Jets were seen by many as a potential Super Bowl team, and now most people, including the Desert Greggy, mostly writing them off as a team that can't get it done with the Zach Wilson instead of Aaron Rodgers.
Here's what Saul had to say on Tuesday.
I don't know why people are trying to put an obituary under our team name. You know, it's Aaron is an unbelievable piece to this whole thing, and we love them, but I think there's fifty two other guys in the locker room, plus the sixteen practice squad guys that believe that we can do hell of a lot of good things here. And we're excited about our group. We've worked hard over the last couple of years, players, coaches, Scouts,
GM building a pretty cool organization. And so there's still a lot of faith in the locker room on the things that we can still accomplish this here. So it's while the outside world can go ahead and write whatever story they want to write, there's still the true story being written in this building.
So Rob's and I could tell Rob's Tuesday was about the same as mine. Yeah, but he had to go up in front of the media. And then the other thing that you saw out there, which is almost as like depressing and frustrating, was all the articles and that's part of the machine.
And I get it. Now, what are the jets going to do? Who are they going to go get?
And I'm seeing like leads with Carson wentz In and all that, and all I'm thinking myself is you got to pay attention. They'll get somebody, maybe a veteran in the building, and they'll even turn to that guy maybe after say the bye. But right now, like the season is about Zach Wilson. That's the guy that was in camp. That's the guy that knows the offense. That's the guy that was QB two. He's the dude. And here's what Bob had to say about that. I call him bob'sou, but.
I do want to make it very clear to Zach's oar quarterback. We've got a lot of faith in Zach. We're really excited about his opportunity. But we're rolling with Zach and the excited for this, excited for him, and like I said, this opportunity that he's going to get.
If they were going to bring in someone that could actually take Zach Wilson's job, I don't think it would be right away. I think it would be maybe the bye week or closer. When is the BUI it's not till week six seven. It also might depend like they would have to thread a needle of winning enough games.
But Zach Wilson is clearly struggling that they start to think about this, like there are just so many contingencies that let's say a guy like like a Jameis Winston, who I think could be a like that wouldn't be right now, Anyways, he does have to play the Cowboys in the Patriots next, which is pretty brutal, and that was one of the reasons you could understand why Zach Wilson struggled against the Bills for the most part, you know, being thrown into that situation. I think it's a good defense.
Then he has to play two of what I think are going to be the five of the best defense in the league. So it is a brutal slate for Zach Wilson to start with.
Yeah, and so many primetime games still on the slate, and then you have the whole natural grass and turf debate going on, as.
Union came out and said, you know, we need to get rid of these these astra turf injuries, and it's like I hear it. And MetLife Stadium has certainly been in the crosshairs in the past, is having a bad turf, even though this was a new one that they installed for this season.
I just don't even know.
Sometimes people get so upset and you want to be mad at something, but the Jets and Giants shaff facility. So you tell me how any natural grass surface. And I'm no landscaper, but I was known as Danny doublecut and.
You do a lot of lawnwork.
Do a lot of lawn work.
I enjoy it. It's not going to hold up unless you have your own stadium and you have a little break. That's too much at least in that stadium. And otherwise, yeah, I understand it. I get it. Like they say, grass is better, but also those fields get ripped up to and.
Become very difficult to play on.
It.
That's true.
But even David Baktiari came out and made the point that for the World Cup that's coming here in twenty twenty six, it was an absolute deal breaker. They needed natural grass, and so so Fi and Dallas like they will be bringing in natural grass.
So Mett Life right isn't World Cup, but they could because they are.
There's exit games at met Life, whereas we're talking about the grind of a full football seam to same thing with so Fi. They can never have grass because they got that building as games like seventeen weeks in a row.
Basically, I mean, I don't know, I just know there's altos.
Get a landscape on the virus have been against it very much, saying that the numbers that don't say and I thought Sala the way he addressed it was pretty telling because he said he didn't think that injury was affected by it because it wasn't a non contact injury. But I think we would all just prefer grass. So he was trying to not bother his boss, but also speak for the players.
If we do have a landscaper on I just would love to know if you can still get turf toe on natural grass.
Good question.
That's what about four seasons escaping in Philadelphia?
Oh my god, you don't even know I have merch. I love those guys.
And PostScript for me on this before we move out of jets Land, two things need to happen for the Jets to be a playoff team this year and be a fun team to watch. The defense needs to continue to be special, which I think is possible, but they also to do something they did Monday night that they didn't do last year, which is continue to turn the
ball over and give their offense short fields. So it's got to not just be a great defense, but a opportunistic take the ball away d and then special teams also has to make plays like we saw in that game and Ken Hackett, Ken Rogers who's a coach now on this team? Can they just get Zach Wilson to average? I have my doubts right now, but that is the goal. Can they get him to average like Mark Sanchez level twenty ten bridge?
Can they?
That is the goal. That's a reasonable five hour go.
I just had a tremor in my hands. Everything's fine, by the way, my Nathaniel Hackett. Thanks, it's nice to see you out here.
You noted. Yeah, the Desert downgraded their Super Bowl odds. I went to go check it. There plus sixty five hundred now to win the Super Bowl, and they would have been much higher before, which is like eighteenth in the NFL. I don't think it's too disrespectful. I mean, they have their shorter odds than Mac Jones and the Patriots still so and the old tight Titans returning to the playoffs a handful of times.
I watched those games this week, and that makes sense.
Way out of the giant. Hey, Patriots out gained the Eagles by one fifty performance. Okay, okay, I'm just saying they haven't totally buried the Jets. They put them in the middle, all right, It sounds about.
Right, Okay, let's move on.
We have a bunch of Wednesdays are new and by the way, Colleen, Yeah, we got Colleen Steam music at Collien's first Wednesday show.
Wait, what happened to the original? We have to go back to the original at some point.
Let's listen to both.
Let's find for some of that find for today.
Thank you, thank you very much.
Try not to talk over Colleen Steam.
Colleen talk over Colleens music.
I thought it was much longer.
I like that.
That's good, you know what. That's great because it's just like a quick sort of sound drop. We don't have to always sit through the song.
Yes, all right, so we have four games to get to. Let's save that though. Let's let's bank that for the end of the show. We're going to we have a Thursday night game to talk about, Sunday night football and two Monday night games.
I hate it. I don't like it.
I can work on.
Yeah, I understand, listen, I understand that we work for a corporate machine and we have mels to feed and networks that want their live football. Just don't think it's as good as a product when there's two games on Monday too much.
I just would be in favor of it if they separated them out where they're not at the same time, just started earlier. People still watch it on ESPN if you started at six pm Eastern three pm Pacific and then just go back to back or something like that. I don't like that they're on at the same time. But if you didn't like it this week, you're gonna get next week. That's a first week, two and three they're doing it. I don't hate it.
I love my company, hate the decision making on this one. All right, Well, let's get to our sag that Greg cooked up, and that was you know, maybe technically alive during the phone call. We were on the zoom call, so I vaguely remember the pitch Greg, which was after watching week one. Yeah, we are going to ask, on the surface, at least dumb questions that have an obvious answer or.
Like as an obvious I'm.
Curious what years are going to be now, because yeah, it's only dumb questions. I mean, people say there are no dumb questions. We're going to try to prove that wrong and ask some dumb questions.
So I guess the premise here it's an obvious no is going to be the answer unless the person asking question.
It was a little bit more. You know, there's some there's a little something to it.
I don't I don't know. The five hour energy shot actually only lasted five minutes. Just it just ended. We go you want me to go first?
Oh ahead? You started off?
Okay? Okay, Because when I ask a dumb when I think of a dumb question, it's often one that it's just been stuck with me and I've and it's been proven to be a dumb question. But now it's like I've got a little window into like, hey, maybe that question wasn't so dumb before. After the Bengals Week one performance six first downs, six six first downs by an NFL team might be the worst offensive performance that is
done by any team all year, was already accomplished. Yeah, there was a lot of three announced in that game. Are we sure that Zach Taylor is gonna be the man to keep this keep adjusting to what defenses throw at him in a tough AFC North what's only dumb questions? That's right now? Dumb question? I mean, this guy's performed so well, they've they've done it back to back years.
Out and all this stuff. So in this case, it's not an easy note. It's an easy yes, yes, because they started slow. They went to the Super Bowl two years ago. Okay, I understand that was a little bit of a special year. A lot of things went their way.
Usually that happens when teams go to the superl right, but that year, especially if you go back and watch some of those games, that was a really special Cinderella rup for those Bengals.
But they the quarterback clicked and Jamar Chase took the world by storm and away we go. Last year, similarly, after the quarterback Joe Burrow had an issue appendectomy and and got back for Week one, they looked like dog poop against the Steelers in Week one.
You went through September and it was just like nothing's clicked yet.
Then check out the next.
Ten weeks about leading into that terrible demor Hamlin game. They were the best team in football and just killing people. And that was Greg the quarterback getting healthy, the coaching staff making adjustments, the rosterka being very good. So yes, I am. I look at it as like the Bengals have an issue with the Browns. So before I start to panic in now camp, fingers at the head coach. Let's let this thing breathe a little.
It's Week one, which Week one is always bloky division games. You never know what's going to happen.
Well, especially in that matchup, you kind of do the Browns.
Well, yeah, I'm that's true.
But in general, Week one is sort of the defenses are always ahead of the offenses because of the way that the preseason kind of everyone approaches the preseason. So I felt like the defenses this year in Week one delivered over offenses in general. But think about some of the teams that have had the most success, like the Patriots, they always started slow right when they would have their runs, and the Bengals have exactly and Joe Burrow, he's coming
back from the calf injury. Still, the conditions were bad outside, the weather was terrible. These guys didn't get any time together in the preseason, so just.
Give it a beat, okay, And they started. I actually went back and checked this. They were dead last and offensive DVOA through two weeks a year ago. Really, so they Joe Burrow missed all the preseason a year ago, and so I get all that. But my case of why, maybe it's not. The dumbest question ever is just this is year three of all this together. Te Higgins wants a new contract. Jamar Chase is there. The offensive line, especially on the interior, really struggled there and maybe it
was just a week one thing. I just think this offense needs to be special. They're built at this point to be a top three offense for the whole season. That's their recipe. I think the defense will be fine, but they need to be like elite, elite elite, and they've put a lot of tape out there the last couple of years, and I'm just saying they're in a tough division. A lot of teams have going to be
adjusting to them. Is Zach Taylor the guy to bring them through whatever troubles they have this year and come up with all the answers to make them illegally? Because to me, if they're the ninth best offense in the league this year, that's not gonna be good enough.
So you don't think that he's the guy.
I don't know. I'm just asking a dumb question.
Well, you've never really been in on Zach Taylor in general. Let's face it.
I think you've had doubts, and that's okay, but sometimes not the first time you've said sometimes it's players, not plays.
Well, I have I have a question, a dumb question.
The kind of dovetails nicely after that because talking about els dumb right exactly, Normally my dumb questions I just go straight to Google. So my Google search is just like a nightmare. But are we really thinking the preseason approach? Are teams actually going to change what they do in the preseason run because we just talked about it with the Bengals, and not that Joe Burrow could have been involved with the calf, but the Eagles, for instance, who
came out and played so flat against the Patriots. Even Nick Sirianni after the game said that he wrote in his little notebook that he's going to play the starters more in the preseason next year. But that is the thing that we hear all the time. Did it really make a difference? Does it make a difference?
Burrow said as much, and he lamented after the game, like, you know, I wish I was with the guys in the weeks leading up to the season, but the injury kept him off the field. So yeah, whether they I don't know what you think playing more in the preseason, I say no, But I see why they think that when Week one doesn't go their way.
Right, because you could look at the two teams that I associated with playing a lot in the preseason, the Chiefefs and the Steelers didn't have great week ones. I mean, Kenny Pickett and the Steelers scored a touchdown on every possession they played in the preseason. I do think there is something to play in football before having to play
that much football. And I get the injury concerns, like no one seems that concern that half the league's out for a month with a hamstring injury after Week one. I'm not saying that there would have been prevented by playing in the preseason or not. Just that, like lots of injuries happen in practice too, and it's football and you can't totally.
And the Rams they never play starters in the preseason, right, they.
Look good and they look good. So I do wonder. I feel like that toothpaste is not going back into the tube, that preseason is always now gonna be pretty useless, and it's and it's pretty much continued to go in that direction even more teams than ever this year didn't play play guys.
I had one of the kind of dumb tails off yoursils.
I'm just curious.
I call a little bit just like a feeling just through following the league for many many years that I'm watching that Eagles Patriots game and I'm thinking myself, is it gonna be totally stunning if without their play caller of a year ago and all the magic of twenty twenty two are the Eagles? Is this going to be a trend this year where it's just not coming as easy to the Eagles? And you look at the drive charts from that game, and you factor in that there
was a pick six early on. The Eagles did not move the ball well. They struggled to do the things that looked just so easy last year. You already had DeAndre Swift kind of lifting his eyebrows about eyebrow about not getting a lot of touches, like, is this going to be a season that it's not? They're just not going to steamroll like they did a year ago. Listen, Is that a dumb question?
Yes, it is a dumb question, because are we saying that about the Chiefs?
Are we saying that about the Bills.
Are we saying that.
True?
They still got their play caller, they still got Pat Mahomes, and they didn't have Travis Kelce.
Not worried about the Chiefs as an example.
Right, Yeah, Okay, that's fair, that's fine. I'm not worried about the Eagles. I think that Yeah, they looked absolutely flat and maybe maybe they just didn't take this as seriously because everything seemed to come so easily to them last year except in that final game against the Chiefs. But the play caller situation, he's been with the team for three years. Brian Johnson, their offensive coordinator, like they he has a relationship with Jalen Hurts. He's known him
since Jalen was five years old. Like these two, they obviously have a rapport and it just seems like they just have a lot of things that they need to clean up. And we'll get to a lot of those when we do the Thursday night previews since they're playing the Vikings.
But yeah, I mean the Eagles offense, they it looked terrible.
I mean, I don't know if it was just because Bill Belichick has such a good defense and guys like Kean White were making a which should be a good Eagles offensive line look a little shaky, and the protection for Jalen Hurts just wasn't there. But it was bad. I mean four for thirteen on third down conversions. That's awful and inexcusable.
So I don't know.
I think the way Dan phrased it, it's not a dumb question at all. It's actually quite natural. Because even in uh, what why are you laughing?
Colleen? Just like what was he about to say? He's gonna put anxiety bit.
Teresa? Like what did Greg say this time? There's not a therapist in the South, And like what did Greg say this time?
And how did it make it?
Let's work through it.
I'm just talking about the Eagles. I picked them to win the Super Bowl this year. But the way Dan phrased the question, is it going to be tougher tougher sledding throughout this season? That's how the NFL usually works. I guess that's where I was going with the Bengals too. Like these teams towards the top, with the exception of the Brady Patriots, the Manning Colts, the Rogers Packers. For the most part, there are exceptions that stay in the top three to four seeds almost every year. It's just
hard to keep staying there each and every season. And I think the Eagles can ultimately, but I think having a bumpy ride, certainly bumpier than a year ago. The schedule, everything is totally natural, and we'll test, We'll test them. Doesn't mean I'm giving up faith in them, but I think I'll test them.
It's not like I don't think the Eagles are cooked or anything. I think it's a full off season of all their opponents, including the division opponents, really studying what they did last year. It's a guy like Belichick having the summer to get ready for that game. It's just they're not gonna take people by surprise. Here is that drive chart, by the way. So they jump out three to nothing, then they get the pick six, it's ten
to nothing. Then they have a short field and they go twenty six yards and make sixteen nothing against the Eagles. After that, three and out, three and out, three and out, three and out. After halftime, they have a play a field goal drive, long goal drive, buch a long field goal, field goal drive, and then when it was close out time.
That was what really kind of last year. They just closed teams out.
Felt like they just hung on fumble bad.
Jalen Hurts fumble where it doesn't do that or unless it's the Super Bowl down and gave the Pats one more chance.
So not a great offensive effort. Let's see what they look like.
You know what, You're right, because I was thinking during this game, like why aren't they going to Dallas Goddard, Like he had zero catches in this game, He didn't get his first target until the fourth quarter.
He needs to be involved in the offense. He's so good. There was just a lot of questionable decisions.
They didn't get inside the Patriots thirty after their first drive of the game, other than when they turned it over that that one time. So that that's like ten straight drives not inside the thirty. And what you hit on with Swift and then you just did with Godard. I actually think that's the number one thing that's going
to be most difficult to manage. I actually had the conspiracy theory that maybe they didn't add like a really high level third receiver this year draft one just because like it's gonna be tough to keep a j Brown. DeVante Smith got her everyone happy, and that is something to manage when you have players that are all that good.
Even last year is a nice problem that week one last year when A. J. Brown had just gotten to Philly. DeVante Smith had zero catches.
In that game.
I don't even know how many times he was targeted, but he was not involved at all. And so they fixed it. They they pivoted and moved on the off season.
You ala keep cracking up four hundred and fifty yards a game to keep everyone happy like that.
Yeah, the annoyed T Swift quote was like someone asked. The reporter asked, Sirianni, Hey, two touches for Swift in this game, is like, that's not something that we intend to do. And then Swift was told about it and goes, oh, that's the first thing I heard that.
So there's just like Swift Swift, d Swift. T Swift is making some football news too. But we'll get back. We'll get to that later sometime this week. Go ahead, Greg, Oh, wait, I had I had a fun dumb question. All right, I'm gonna ask a dumb question after watching Dolphins and
Chargers over the weekend. I don't want to be a prisoner at the moment, but is it a dumb question to say that Tua tongue of vloa actually fits Mike what Mike McDaniel wants to do, maybe better than Justin Herbert even you know, I I am mister Justin Herbert in a vacuum. I would take Justin Herbert ten times out of ten, and you got you gotta worry about
what Tua is health wise and stuff. But just for that specific offense, kind of the McDaniel shanahan offense, is Tua kind of the the perfect guy for that specific offense, which is just get through your reads, get rid of the ball as quickly as possible.
He kind of looks like it, at least he did there.
I cannot believe dumb questions.
Okay, yeah, maybe that's you know what enough, it's kind of an obvious one, right, he's a perfect.
Well we were got to do one dumb question. You said to to make a second one. It fell apart. If that guy a five hour energy show, it works, it works, okay, perfect, All right, here's a dumb question. Then no, you can't get no, you just did one. Okay, well I would sign it. He's done. I was choosing to go ahead Colleen, but that's really good. Yeah, okay, you have one that you like, Colleen.
I do have one. I actually I need to write.
I wrote this down on a piece of paper last night because I was like, you know what, I need to throw this out to the group.
So there was a.
Movie shooting at our house. Our friends were shooting a movie for a couple of days, and actually the radio voice of the Titans, Mike Keith, his son Matt Keith, was there as a script supervisor. Oho, who oh my god, lovely that whole family. I just like shout out to them. But when they brought in all of the food for everyone that was there, it was a lot of Panda Express for one of the nights. So I just was wondering, do just Panda Express also give you guys nightmares?
Oh okay, so we're off the beaten path, like actual eating it makes me nightmares.
Like nightmare fuel.
Never never like sort of msg that gives you driving one hundred miles an hour up a one way street covered in snow on a windy breaks.
You're blaming that on the Express, not thinking about the extra work that you have to do with Stephanie or who is it Samantha Suan. I have never clocked it, but it's possible. I haven't had it since it's been a while. It's been a while, it's been since. Like it's right across the street. For this is like the second type in Express come up recently, right across the street from my kids elementary school. So I smell it, uh huh quite often, the waft of it, and I
don't I don't want it. There's too much good Chinese food around. I don't want it.
You know, Well, that's interesting because I kind of the growing up in New York, the cheap Chinese.
Food was so Chinese food's the best.
But food not here, and Panda Express falls under this.
It's like, I don't have a craving for Panda Express, and then when I have Chinese food like that takeout Chinese food here, it's like, what is this trying to be? Because this is not what it's like back on the other side of the country. So I don't really have a big connection. By the way, my nightmares are a little different. Mine always are rooted, and they make them
more terrifying. They're more rooted in a sense of reality, such as the one I had last night because we were talking about a potential trip to London for the podcast, and I had a nightmare that I'm at the airport and we're getting on the plane and then I don't have my passport.
Well, that kind of like the ones.
That literally that happened. Happened almost you one day one time we were going to London. You were on the way there and realized you didn't have a passport, and then Emily had to bring it to the airport. Am I right?
That was like some other weird card or something we needed. It wasn't the passport. I think it was like a VAX card or some erroneous I will say, though it perfect.
One of the others I had was you guys were all in it and Patrick Claybon and I told Clayvon this yesterday when I saw him in the garage, that we all quit to become construction workers.
Okay, so there is there is, there's a honesty to that work.
That's like at the end of Office Space, That's what the main character went into.
He just said, I'm gonna going to do construction. Yeahing wrong with that?
All right? I got a dumb question.
Are the Chicago Bear is going to have the first overall pick again, can I I want to pull up. I want to pull up something that's been going around the web on social media here, and it is Chase Claypool's effort level in week one against the rival Packers.
Do we have that?
Oh my gosh, Steelers fans have been talking about this all.
Remember the Bears traded away a high value.
Draft picked at the top of the second round.
Right, what do we got? Let's just keep an eye on this. There is a lot of outside perimeter blocking that he is opting out of entirely.
He also was targeted twice without a catch.
He went into the tent a couple of times, but has no injury designation, and notably, Matt Eberflus would not commit to him being active for week two.
Now a couple other things.
Here is reporting from Dan Whiderer, who covers the Bears beat reporter for the Tribune. Justin Fields acknowledged in his words that the offense was quote two conservative, with taking chances down the field against the Packers. Asked asked why, Field shrugged, I'm not sure. I don't know. And then finally this note from again Weirderer, I hope I'm pronouncing
that right. In my time covering the NFL, I can't really remember a time where on a Wednesday of Week two a building seems so apparently shaken by and or short on answers for what happened in Week one. That is to me a huge red flag. That is a coaching staff that we had questions about entering the season. That is a team that laid a major Week one egg.
We talked about how important that game was for the organization post Aaron Rodgers with the Packers at home after all the money and resources that came into that roster to flatline in that game, you wonder if the I got I'll just ask you, you wonder if the coaching staff has its arms around this team and have the ability to get them out of this funk.
I mean, do you think that they'll be worse than the Cardinals?
Is it a dumb question to ask that this is a potential train wreck and.
Anything after one week doesn't feel it feels like, yes, that's dumb to throw them up to the bus. But I am also the same person who went in on their under seven and a half and thought they had a ways to go. When we did that over Under pod with Bill Barnwell, and that was the most concerning Week one game, whereas I took an early look at the old schedule, just keep an eye on Locks because you know, we got these prime time games to get
to kind of consider it even earlier. And I was like, hmm, the Bucks at home against the Bears, is that a game you would look at. It's like, if you had told me I would be considering locking up the Bucks in Week two, that's a bad sign for the Bears. Maybe it's not.
I actually was even thinking about, for a dumb question, will the Bears ever be good again? That's I feel like every year I want them to be. They should be. I was talking up DJ Moore and DJ Moore and Chase Claypool were both complete non factors in this game.
It's early, it's possible, and they have a great Week two opponent to try to get off the schneid. Yeah, make you feel better, but there is something to the fact when you when you're the head coach and you have the same coordinator in the same quarterback and you've lost eleventh straight games. I mean, I know it's one season, it's a new season, but that that's something.
That's fair, Dog, that's fair.
All right, do you want to let's go, Let's take a break and then we'll hit the previews starting week two primetime games. That right, we're back. I'm back, let's go. Everything is okay, everything's fine.
I mean, you're you're your team is not involved in this super sized Wednesday primetime preview. I guess every every week we have London games though, too, we'll have an extra game.
How about that? How about that?
All right, let's get to the Thursday night football contest. First, the Minnesota Vikings. Oh, the Minnesota Vikings really tripped on their own wires in Week one against the Bucks, finding a way to lose that game at home, bad turnovers, couldn't get the big stop at the end to get the ball back, and the Bucks escape with a one
point win. Now the reward, Greggie, is they go to Philly to face the Eagles, who, as we just talked about, didn't have a great Week one, especially on offense, but their home and I do remember, Greg how the Vikings and specifically Kirk Cousins played in primetime against Philly one year ago around this.
Time, either that was Week two or Week three, that's exactly week two. Okay, so I believe that wasn Now we're here Thursday night. But that is such a tough ask and to uh spin it a little positive for the Eagles. They have to be so excited about what they got out of their Georgia Bulldog. Oh yeah, Jalen Carter in Week.
One, my defensive Rookie of the Year pick.
Yeah, had eight pressures. And oh, by the way, his old college teammate Jordan Davis had the best game of his career. Second year player, if you remember, an enormous man who certainly had a slow start to his career, was only getting ten to fifteen snaps per game. They had to sign some guys. He played thirty five steps, he had a fourth one, he had a sec. He was very active. And I think of those two guys, and I think these guys are gonna be a problem.
And oh, who are they playing this week? The team that gave up more interior pressures than any team in the NFL, who had Kirk Cousins getting killed all last year, and who didn't make any changes to their interior line. It's actually the exact same three guys. And what did you see in that Tampa game. You saw a lot of pressure up the middle, you saw them sending a lot of blitz I could see the Eagles being creative.
I can see them not needing to be creative because Carter and Davis are getting after I think it's a very positive sign for.
The And the Vikings already ruled out their center, Garrett Bradberry, so that's a huge huge factor in this.
I know it was probably the best of their three guys. Their two guards especially really struggle.
The Eagles line is just so talented, like no matter how you spin it, you're not going to be able to double everyone there. And Jalen Carter was absolutely that dude in this game. He was a force working against the Patriots guards who aren't that great, but still he was.
He looked really, really good.
But when you think about the game last year against the Vikings and how bad the Vikings look, the one thing that's really different this year is the defensive coordinator and the way that Brian Flores runs things because he blitzes so much. And that's one of the things that I'll be watching because Jalen hurts. He was blitzed a lot in the game against the Patriots, and he you know,
he was all right. I thought the offensive line didn't hold up as well as it normally does, but they were in a lot of situations where they were in obvious passing situations, in a lot of long third downs. I mean, they got to be better on those early downs. But this is I mean, they need to improve in that. But obviously Ed Donna Tell, who was the defensive coordinator for the Vikings last year, he didn't blitz nearly as much.
Rype of Flores led the league, and how many times he blitzed last week. But they only had two quarterback hits on Baker True holds the ball a little it so that's a little concerning, like they might not have the jew and theer a risk taking defense. I just they need to get a more is what I'm saying. If you're a Vikings fan, I've seen Kirk Cousins play great games. I've seen him play bad games.
We all have.
I've never seen him look as shook as he did. Hmm that game and you go back, you look at his box score. I don't even need to, but I know it was bad. If you watch the tape, I remember he probably could have thrown two or three more interceptions that even got credited with.
He was completely shook, and.
I m.
I did Thursday Night football lock last week, and.
It's not lockable.
Are you sure about that? That's not what I'm seeing. Let's go with DraftKings as our official.
Okay, you know these lines move sometimes. I look at him at one point and I see a big honkin seven and it's down to six.
Okay, we're gonna grab the Eagles.
Listen, this is the mirror, a little foggy. Give me a cut some slack. Okay, it's been a tough week. We're going to lock up the Eagles. I don't like locking up Thursday. I don't like locking up Thursday night games ever, because they're just funky. But I just don't love what I saw from the Vikings in Week one. Don't love the way Kirk Cousins played last year against the same opponent in the same setup. So I think the Eagles are going to get me back to five hundred in the locks.
Justin Jefferson, though, I mean, I know that he did not look good last year against the Eagles. Darius Lay completely locked him up. But James Bradberry's and concussion protocol on a short week, so they're going to be shorthanded cornerbacks, so that could be a problem because they also have Jordan Adison.
No, I you know how I don't like doing the same because this is probably the best one on the board. I don't have any issues with it. I mean, I just don't like the feel of it, you know, just like es are having different different ones.
It doesn't like me taking him by the hand and walking with him. He likes to lead with his chest.
I definitely don't like that either. I did think the Vikings offense, despite a few major blunders like the o lineman stepping on Cousin's foot in a wacky screenplay like they had some pretty big blunders, actually looked like the Vikings offense and threw the ball pretty well against Tampa. If you can attack Philly, it's in the middle of the field. Maybe their safeties they're linebackers, Dean like, That's
where the Patriots won over and over again. It was a good performance by mac Jones for the most part, so I think the Vikings could actually move the ball. I don't. I that said, I would even take Eagles, mindus six. I'd take them to cover. Yeah, I think the Vikings were far from hopeless.
On offense.
They moved the ball really well, especially through the air. Didn't love the running game, didn't have a lot of support there, and then just they made a bunch of dumb plays that cost him that game.
All right, I'm gonna lock it up too, wow.
I mean, guys, hold hands, I can.
I just know Nick's gonna get after us because you have this one.
Now, you have your own stuff with Nick. Don't bring me into it with this US stuff. That's you and Nick that's you, and Nick Westling that's you.
And we bring in Suzanne for this.
Get her in here, by the way.
During my deeply unemployed era in the late aughts early ten, I interviewed in person like over an hour with TMZ, who were launching a sports division. And you know the guy that with the dreadlocks, that's like Harvey Levin's guy. Yeah, like me and him one on one, just like talking for like ninety minutes maybe even it was like a long time.
Like, I guess I'm gonna get the job.
I didn't even really want it, but I needed a job.
Yeah, never called me back, that's fine. Whatever I thought about that just now when I looked at a text you sent last night, headline from TMZ Sports, NFL's Fletcher Cox sued, you ruined my marriage when you banged my wife.
Slammer.
Okay, I said, I did not think this should be on the show. This is from when I sent it to you guys.
Because I was putting together these notes, I was not thinking, and as I mentioned earlier, I asked Google a lot of stupid questions and I just typed in Fletcher Cox banged up instead of injury or anything like that, and that was what.
Oh, this is from twenty seventeen, and I was like, why is my computer doing this?
I thought this was like a current events story from the people.
To years old. It's basically when you were doing the TMZ interview, that's what.
This was, just a report Greg from TMZ years ago. I don't know what the outcome was.
I was not aware of this. Yeah right, I'm glad that I am.
I'm merely.
Sending along what was report from a news organization I once interviewed with, and perhaps I'm happy I ended up at a different organization.
As it turned.
Good, T and f game though, Al's gotta be happy. I know Al was, like, you know, really pumped up that the first Sunday or Thursday Night gave of the year Sunday Night gave. He's just rooting against that, and now he's got a hopefully a good one.
I don't know how many years have left on his contract. You never know how much Al Michaels you have left. I'm looking forward to it. Let's move to Sunday Night football.
But you feel good about the Eagles, right, Yeah?
If they lose this week, I won't feel good.
And I did say the last segment I was a little eye on their offense a little bit. I just think at home in primetime, yeah, they'll be all right.
Right. I also thought the Chiefs are gonna be all right in week one.
And right now I'm with you.
I think they're gonna You can't know anything until four weeks have been played.
That's my rule.
Hey, season doesn't start until they after Thanksgiving back after it is all right, let's move to Sunday Night football.
The game is a good one.
As I pull it up, it is Dolphins and Patriots.
Dolphins and Pats, a great AFC East matchup. I think some people are gonna be a little underwhelmed by this. For instance, how is the Tom Brady ringing this dumbbell thing and running on that, which is very cool. If I was a Patriots fan, I'd love him with a jersey on for the first time. How's that not the Sunday night halftime the Week one?
What's fine? Whatever?
But the way they played on defense, Connie, the Pats make me think this is a great, great game, because, yes, the Dolphins were unstoppable in Week one, but there's a difference between the Chargers at home with Brandon Staley and all the letdown juice that admits from every pore that they have, and Bill Belichick in prime time in his backyard. I'm Bill, and I'm gonna take care of business. It is gonna be different tho dime around.
Do you better be careful to see the game last night?
See the game? Did you watch a game one one day? Yeah?
The Patriots defense looked great.
Shocker that Bill Belichick's defense played really well and had a nice start there. They held the Eagles to nine points after the first quarter, which we talked about before, limited the Eagles to two hundred and fifty one total yards. I mean, but Tua and Tyreek like Ken, I would love to see. I can't wait to see how they play this game and if they can limit Tyreek Hill because it seems like he is someone that you absolutely can't I mean, he he played what he had two
hundred and fifteen receiving yards in this game. And then even Tua when he threw that interception in the game against the Chargers, he wasn't frazzled at all. He came right back and went deep again to Tyreek, so it was like no problem for him. He was completely unfazed. But I think the biggest thing that I'm watching for the Dolphins defensively, can they clean things up and like really play up to the potential that they have, because the Dolphins gave up four hundred and thirty three yards
thirty four points to the Chargers. Like I want to know if maybe the Patriots run game will actually come alive considering what this Dolphins run defense looked like against the Chargers. They were completely bolded by the way, and it was weird. It was just weird to see in that you looked.
But it's a lot of zeke. I mean they as you mentioned the guards that they had a bunch of injuries.
They didn't even start their two.
Rookie guards, Tonio Maffi and cityso playing the guard position. Calvin and Anderson kind of a retread who was on the NFI list for most of the preseason, started right tackle. They're playing to Mario Douglas, a late round pick. They're playing Kendrick Bourne more than Juju Smith Schuster. I mean not Kendrick Bourne. They're playing Kaishon Boody more than Juju Smith Schuster, an undrafted rookie. They got Zeke out there,
you got Time Montgomery. It's like the talent's not great, and yet I came away from that game being like Bill O'Brien got guys open. That was the best Mac Jones game. I mean, Mac Jones was way up and way down. He was third in the NFL last week in big time throws only behind Tua in Matthew Stafford. He was third in the NFL and turnover worthy plays. So it was like a big ups and downs Mac. But at least he got some ups. He didn't have that last year.
My first drive was brutal.
I think that the Dolphins, to your point, will kind of invite them to run that's what Panjo does, and I think Belichick will be happy to they try to.
Belichick's defense last year held the Dolphins under a three hundred and forty yards total in both games.
The second time, I think there was no two to it.
I went and looked too that. I think two has played them three.
Times in four times that has won all four.
And his numbers have been low. I just think that's going to be the storyline of one. I think that's the storyline of this game. I think people are going to be expecting the Dolphins to carve again.
I don't think it's going to be that type of game. And if they if they come out of this game in this environment, and I'm not really high on the Pats, but I feel like this is set up well for them to get a win and get back to five hundred.
If the Dolphins win a different type of game here where they're able to kind of go a little more smash mouth, hit passes and crunch time that are just you're not running all over the field uncovered, and they get out of here with like a twenty seventeen win, I'm gonna be like, all right, now, we're really starting to talk.
With the Dopins, I think they could win in different ways.
The Mac Jones side of it, I yeah, he was very watching him this morning, very up and down.
There was a pass.
Overall I would say quite good. That would have been as one of it. That would have been his best game is aline. He's definitely on my radar. That's not great.
It's there are balls that like there was a ball late and I think maybe it was Kendrick Bourne. Maybe Bourne should have caught it, but the ball kind of just floats in there.
Oh he got hit.
That was one of his best throws that I paid another one he got hit in the head where he threw one and crunch time a big spot in the game and it got almost intercepted at the line of scrimmaging to get away with it. So yeah, I'm not I'm not sold on Mac and know you see him as a bounce back guy this year. I think it's going to be a lower scoring game and I think that's what we're going to be talking about on Monday Night, that the Dolphins didn't have their way.
Now do they still find a way to win.
I hate this spot for the Patriots because I think the Dolphins are really good. They had sixteen explosives last week. That was the second most. I used this stat on our NFL Plus rewatch of Chargers Dolphins, and everyone should check out shoot that on NFL Plus. That was fun. Tu It just was so good. He was the best quarterback in the League's placement, his creativity, his deep stuff, like he looked like a guy ready to take the
next step. And that worries me because the weird reaction in Foxborough. It was like they won this game. Everyone in New England is all fired up. It's like the most the biggest moral victory party I've ever seen. I'm very surprised by this because I looked at it and I was like, you got to take advantage when you outplay the opponent, which I think they did against the Eagles. Overall, you
outgained him by one for it. You got to take advantage of that because you're not necessarily going to play at that level every week, and you have two straight home games to start the season. If you don't win this one, like that's great, here's your lollipop. You're owen too, Like this is almost it's not a must win, but you start at home zero and two, You're you're not gonna be.
Because after that they go on against the Jets and the Cowboys.
Right, So I think it's a big game and they could certainly win it. I think it's a coin flip, but it's a tough, tough one.
I you know, I want the Pats to win, so I wanted the well, I want the AFC East to be kind of muddled with everybody like around five hundred or one to one. And I don't want the Pats going against the Jets in Week three in cornered animal mode. Oh Belichick being like needing that win, so get a nice w here and then no show against the Jets.
I mean that Mac Jones just throwing wounded ducks.
Across the secondary, like you know, the Jets safety is like genuflecting and doing the sign of the Cross before they get the interception.
Mean playing Mac root against the Dolphins because I think they're a big threat to everyone, But don't root for that result because of what you said, because every Jets game is a cornered animal game. To Bill Belichick is he's not letting he is not letting Gott. But at this point it just seems like it's they bring out their best stuff.
He's a competitor.
If the Dolphins run rough shot over Belichick in primetime here on the road, that will be I know it's early, Gregy, but a major statement.
I agree, Yeah, I agree.
I feel like Belichick will just have like the red laser eyes.
They've got some weird things going on though, too. They have a lot of guys making a lot of money on their defense AGBA, Bradley Chubb, XAVI and Howard David Long who either didn't play much long in AGBA that was weird or just didn't play well. So they got some They got issues to.
Work, Greig, I have no idea how you read any of your notes. I've never seen handwriting this small in my life.
I feel like I need a telescope.
I got those contacts in you know.
Wow, you want to do that is impressive.
How do you like people looking at your stuff? I'm fine with it your private stuff. Yes, you did mark all the time.
I'm good. I want to show my work I have, Yeah, I have no problem. Maybe I'll send it out, send it on on my ig.
Little Christian Gonzales one on one of Tyreek. In this Gale, he looked I think he looked solid active. I'll give him that, Bill Belichick.
He takes away your best weapon. I look, Bill Bilchick has a lot of practice trying to take away Tyreek Hill, a lot of big Chiefs games. Not now twice a year with the Dolphins, I would think they'll do everything possible to uh bracket him and make Jalen Wattle, who's great, and everyone else beat them. They we didn't mention it on the show, but they lost Jack Jones. They're starting cornerback to ir right off the top, so they're a
little thinner than they'd like, all right. And then two Monday nights.
Monday Night games.
First one up is Saints at Panthers. Saints laying three points of wood. Here, Colleen on, I'm doing both thing.
I can do two things at once.
Yeah, I can. For the teams.
Yeah there, here are the Saints.
Now they're coming off at narrow win in Week one over the Titans sixteen to fifteen. You're gonna want to see some more from them, I guess on offense. The Panthers, though, Colleen set up as a nice matchup because that's a team that you kind of want to see more from an offense, But I don't know if they're ready to give you more on offense right now. So maybe another low scoring game, maybe one side of the fair we.
Shall see could be.
I mean, for Bryce Young, it's his first game at home, his first primetime game. I guess it's nice that it's his second division game in week two. But he needs to limit the turnovers as any young quarterback, as any
quarterback in general needs to do. But he was picked off twice last week by Jesse Bates, who looked really good, but he did sort of look poised, I thought at moments, and he kind of had a problem because the receivers couldn't really get a ton of separation except on that one where Jonathan Mingo like streaked the length of the
field and he completely overshot him on that. So for Bryce Young, it's one week in the NFL, so I'm curious to see how he'll look against the Singhs defense that looked really really good last week, especially that secondary. They combined for three interceptions against the Titans. They completely shut down Derek Henry. He couldn't go anywhere. But I mean, there's a lot to kind of unpack with this game.
I think I think it's a tough ask. I told Eric to get the lock sound ready, cause I was going to lock up the Saints at this spot before Dan alerted me to that would be chessed out a slightly a slightly better option. The only thing that worries me is the Saints always losing this spot. But that was like different coaching staff. They just really have struggled beating Carolina, especially in Carolina, and it's a Dennis Allen
team that I don't trust. But Bryce Young struggled. Let's be real, two for ten on throws over ten yards with two picks twenty three yards, and marsha On Lattimore, like a lot of cornerbacks, is a little up and down, but man, he has that look this year of a guy that's gonna maybe be in the mix for All Pro first team cornerback. To Mario Davis, I can't. He just gets better and better. It makes no sense. He
was dominant last week. And I just I think both offenses could struggle here because Carolina's defense certainly has talent and could look good, could stuff the run. I don't trust the Saints run game, but I think it's just gonna be tough. For the Panthers to score all season and especially in this match.
This is the second screen game for me. This is the iPad screen game for me on Monday night. But doesn't mean doesn't have value. Move the sticks. I had a good take, and he should. I mean, if he just had a platform to share these things, I can't believe that would be a huge mo into his career potentially. But he pointed out that he wasn't happy with the overall game plan and the scheme of the Panthers on
offense and week went against the Falcons. They were not challenging Atlanta downfield until very late in the game, and he referred I like the way he said he said it was that was half court basketball, twenty two bodies. The safety said, zero fear of anything over the top. They need to take more early shots to expand the field or Bryce is going to have a hard time all year. Do they have the dogs to do that?
I mean, it's not Adam Feelin at this stage. Like who who do you trust in a post Dymour world to make those plays?
Right?
Mingo is a second round pick who's got some vertical ability, but they were using him in a big spot a lot. And that's just it's a lot to ask of a second round pick.
Yeah, that's I don't I don't have.
I feel like they haven't really set him up yet to really succeed. But the Saints offense, they need to protect Derek Carr way better than what they did.
That's where the Panthers could win. Maybe.
Yeah, And he said, and we talked about it on Sunday. That was a very physical Tennessee defense, one of the better defensive lines in the league. He took up beating. And now he's on a short week. But Derek Carr is a tough sob in fact, stick a pin in that. And for you NFL Plus people, we're gonna talk about Derek Carr on our Thursday NFL Plus program. Let's move to the second Monday night football game. I love this one. Greens, love the Browns versus the Steelers at the catch a Bottle.
I still call it Hines across Hell. No, I'm not getting no pay check from across sure.
Esther, but I like Hines.
I do like to catch up if I am at.
The store and it is the like the Ralphs brand for two nineteen and then Hines for two thirty nine.
Maybe I'm paying the extra two.
Dimes three nineteen. It's a whole extra dollars.
Typically not, but then now we're talking we're going over dollar one or nothing.
I think. I think that's in the Heines family.
It's got to be right.
Oh, we'll look into it.
Hey, Eric, can you check if A one is produced by the Hines company?
Thank you. That's why you have to have a top right producer.
Brown Steelers, Browns.
I was so impressed watching the Browns, by the way in Week one against the Bengals. The defense, what else needs he said Greggy. But I thought the offense. While they didn't blow the doors off in a bad weather game, I saw enough there to also feel like they there's a lot of room for improvement. And I like them a lot in this game, especially Steelers.
Uh, he already did. I already did. But Cam Haybward kim Kem.
Hayward is a huge player on the Pittsburgh defense, A massive contributor, the biggest contributor other than what he's out half the season.
They think he could be out eight weeks.
And on the other side, Deontay Johnson, who's very talented wide out that gives their offense depth and a big time playmaker. He's missing a month at least with a hamstring. GREGI, so you have a shorthanded Steelers team coming off a horrific Week one performance and the Browns coming in feeling no pain.
Right, But that's partly why I think the Steelers at home. Definitely. I don't know. I guess it's not a quartern animal if you're zero to one, but they need this game, and you know I would lean Steelers just but barely. You're right. The offense for the Browns looked better. The run game looked good. It should, but the blocking was good. I know they lost Jack Conklin. We talked about that, but I thought Deshaun Watson was better. His eyes still came down a little quickly a few times and just
looking to run. But he is looking to run and he's a good runner, and that bailed him out a few times. But throwing the ball for a team that reportedly really struggled to put together multiple first downs in practice and camp, it didn't look bad. He had a couple old Deshaun Watson throws. I would say he was closer to just like the league average quarterback this week. It was not a great performance, but it was tough
weather situation, it was weak one. I think if you're a Browns fan, that's definitely something to hold on to. That that was progress. I would say that was better than any one of his six games last year because that was such a low bar. But he did clear it. And we talked about it this offseason that like, look, if he's even just okay, they have a chance to win a lot of games.
Yeah, and you will have to go and face TJ. Watt, who looked incredible last week. That was one of the bright spots for the stealers.
Only bright spot.
It was the only one spot three sacks in that game. He looked fantastic. But it's the Browns defense. For me and Jim Schwartz this they looked totally different. I mean, Miles Garrett and Zadarius Smith were all over Burrow NonStop in this game. The secondary was money. They had blankets on the receivers the entire time. And what a blow up for Grant Delpit. I mean he did not look like this with Joe Woods as the coordinator, and in
this game he had a team high eight tackles. He stopped a ton of first downs like he was great in this game. So yes, it was rainy conditions, but they absolutely shut down Cincinnati.
The reason why I was even more impressed with Cleveland.
After watching the game was it didn't feel like the Bengals ever even had a chance. Never that when Burrow dropped back the pass, the coverage was so good and they were so they had him cooked up so well, and then the defensive line, led of course by Garrett was getting home and it was just like a complete performance. And the weather again that factored in, and of course the opponent the quarterbacks layoff. I think it made maybe
Cleveland look like they were the eighty five Bears. I'm not saying they're that, but I think, especially the way Kenny Pickett played and the offense looked in weak one, this is gonna be a tough assignment and it's gonna be I don't know where Sizzlers heads at on this, because you got the Browns going to Pittsburgh here, and what would be a happy outcome from I think I
know what it would be, but Steelers. That for Pickett, that's gonna be a lot of pressure on him because there the Boobirds were out a little bit in Week one after all the positive press. He can't go out there and stink out the joint and primetime in week two and do that again, and the Browns are not going to make it easy on him.
He looked like a totally different quarterback than we saw in the preseason. He was accurate in the preseason, like they were scoring. This offense did not look like themselves at all. And when you go back to last year, I essentially no one won the week after they played the Niners because it is such a physical matchup.
So that's also bad for the Steelers.
That's a good one.
That is a good way.
Nobody wins after that.
I think it was like maybe I gotta go back and look, but I think it was only like one or two. It was a thing following week after playing the Niners. Someone check that.
I was taken by Mike Tomlins quote where he said, look that I watched the film and those cornerbacks for the Browns won the game for them. He just said it clearly, and on paper they do. It's maybe not as well known, but it's one of the better trios
in the league. Denwi de Ward people know I have been there a long time with Martin Emerson, Greg Newsom, and then with this defense where they're using Garrett on the inside more kind of lining up as a defensive tackle or even kind of a linebacker in rushing like he did it more in that game almost than he did all of last season. And Zadarius with defense. I've believed this for a long time. It's not as much on offense as offense as about the players. It is.
The players matter, but it's more about like and it can change from year to year. I remember the Bengals defense two years ago. Immediately you could see, Wow, they're playing just more together, with more energy, more physicality. They want it like they just you can see it, and you can kind of see that with Brown's defense. You think that could be consistent where they're just going to play with a great level of physicality and energy and that goes a long way on defense. It's it's a
big Week two game. That's what's great about the NFL.
Damn it's good.
Like the importance to the sport. It keeps stacking.
Up stacking importance.
Would I also be okay just pushing pause and coming back and with the NFL next September.
I would be okay with that.
Like week two, we do in like September seventeenth, twenty twenty three, and then anybody, anybody on IR or anything like that can play like that.
I would be willing to sit out a year of your life just to get to next season.
Well just yeah, just so like everyone could be on the field again, and I.
Would I would wait, Now, what about what's happening in your actual life outside of football, Like do you miss a year of your kids development?
All those basements, so everything else goes on the NFL pauses and when they come back after a year of rehab and rebuild it, I mean, after just a year of time passes, it's still the twenty twenty three season, and it'll be a little confusing because by the end of the twenty twenty three season will be twenty twenty.
Five at that point.
But we're all just gonna be like we get it, Like it was just a different type.
So also, like when you're you know, going to you're still coaching the baseball teams, Yes, are you working during this seas?
Yeah, exactly, We're just asking for a year of VICA.
When you are working what are you coming here and doing? Yeah, I'm doing construction in and around Englewood.
We're going to the site.
Okay, yeah, you guys could keep doing podcasts previewing the season. I'm taking a I think you could do that. I think if you if I go to HR and I'm like tough stitch for me, I'm talking to Teresa a lot.
Yeah, I need to do some Teresa.
Is your Suzanne?
Oh, Susanne talking to Susanne.
I gotta do some construction until Anon Rodgers' ankle and achilles is better.
And they'll be like, well, we can't tell you. You can't. Oh see Suzanne.
So you're gonna do it, and you're gonna do construction, and then here we go, a construction sabbatical.
Beautiful.
I think the Browns were slept on this offseason. I've said that. I think some of the reasons why people weren't picking the Browns were things that not necessarily are about football. And I get that too, But I think they're gonna drop a bomb on the Steelers. Almost want it up. But if I would have won in Week one, maybe I would have been feeling a little randy and do it a little big funk and I would have done it, but I'm not so. But I think this
will be a one sided Browns victory. People are flying, People will be quietly flying and not saying that they're flying, and some people will be out of their chairs flying. And people will be asking two questions on Tuesday morning, what's wrong with the Steelers?
And wow? Are the Browns gonna.
Win this steader?
Wow?
And if that happens, Yeah, I'm looking forward to the Monday night recap that we'll be doing with the Sizzler because my cold, empty and little heart would say, this is a game to me that circles like Steelers, because if this game was played a week ago, the Steelers would have been three point favorites, maybe three and a half. Two teams both expected to be at a similar level going into the season, but Steelers a little higher, a
little better, a lot of talent. I know they've had a bad week, certainly on the field and then the injuries. Fast forward a week, not that much has changed. They are now under There are now two and a half point underdogs in this game, and that that usually is the moment where you know the desert wins.
I kind of thought the Browns were I put the Browns above the Steelers going for season?
Okay, so both not by much? Both? You have it that way?
All right?
That's it, hey, Eric, behind the glass, do you have an answer? That's like the most important question?
Of course A one is in fact the Hines product. There we go, and after sure they did not wipe all.
Of the Heins references.
So I guess towards last the end of last season they put a Hins name above gate Sea guys.
I mean so.
Okay, and there is the behind what does that even mean? So they put like Hines logos above. I guess it comes out of the Allegheny Light Trail light rail system.
So that's there. He really went in the week like, I see what you're doing.
Corpos.
By the way, it's like what oh jiha Stadium at Arrowhead Field's like, f you it is? You want to call it Hines Field at akroshor Stadium.
Not gonna do it.
But the best part, guys is every time the Steelers enter the red zone, they enter the Heinz Ketchup red zone when digital ketchup bottles.
Pour all over the scoreboard. There you go, very good.
Nobody knows what accurate for sure? Is still all right? It hasn't worked.
We don't know anything about the Niners last year.
Team, Oh we do. Yeah, this was from Sam Sam. He sent this over there. They are what is it? One and twelve after playing the Niners this year. Let me say I pulled it up a lot.
I mean that's impossible. There's sorry anymore.
Yeah, teams are a one to twelve record in weeks after playing the forty nine ers.
Okay, I take it back. Maybe they had bie weeks the week after and that's what Oh that makes sometimes I stick the old the mouth.
Right in the old mouth. All right, that's it, Colleen, You've said it all.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Guys, should I come back next Wednesday?
If you're not booked out with Susan yeah, or at the site you don't.
Have a conflict, please join us?
All right now let me know I said hi, thank you?
All right, Thursday preview tomorrow till then eat the call.