It's the NFL Report Week four edition.
I've Seve White you is my guy, James Palmer, And after that game Sunday night, JP, I think I am more swift Fer than swift Tea. Not really sold on all of the shots of Taylor Swift, but what a great game we did see Sunday night between the Jets and the Chiefs. Kansas City eked out for the dub.
Big time. Steve. It's so interesting.
We're just seeing shot after shot of Taylor Swift walking through a security line at MetLife and everything. Every Twitter account Taylor Swift's at the game and standing right behind her is like Blake Lively, you Jackman, Brian Reynolds.
No mention of.
These megastars by any stretch of the imagination. As they walk in to MetLife, it is just Taylor Swift or bus because she is directly connected to those Kansas City Chiefs. And we'll get into it a little bit later with Jeff Chidia as we break down this Chiefs team where we've told up before with him about how good this defense has been, maybe one of the best we've seen
in Mahomes's time in Kansas City. But we're also seeing them work through some of these growing pains with all these young pieces around Patrick Mahomes during training camp, I kept hearing Steve it was like Skymore is going to take a jump, and mvs' is year two of the system is going to take a jump and all of these It just hasn't happened or clicked entirely as an offensive unit, Yester yet. And you also have two new tackles as part of this as well.
Yeah, that's clearly one of those tackles has been an issue as we saw some more penalties get called on him last night on the right side. But James, again, I think defenses are playing the Chiefs differently. This was like a couple like last year when they had to adjust to a couple things. How defenses are playing them differently. And here's something I thought about last night with the way, I mean, the Jets just really gave them a lot of trouble on both sides of the balls. We saw
Zach wilsoner quarterback play well. For as much as we want to malign Nate Hackett, the Jets offensive coordinated for the job he did his head coach with the Broncos. He did have the game plan against the Chiefs twice last season, so he may have had something in his pocket and understanding the Chiefs personnel, some of their principles and what they like to do when he went into game plan. Maybe that's why Zach Wilson played fairly well.
I thought he played really well. I mean, maybe Aaron Rodgers being there made HI feel a little bit better. I mean, who knows, but I thought he played really well. But the fact that Kansas City James seems to have an answer for everything, like Isaiah Pacheco, you know, and Patrick Mahomes running when he has to, They're just so tough to beat when their defense, as you mentioned, is.
Playing this well.
Certain teams know how to win, Steve, we're gonna get into that when we talk about Philadelphia, talk about the Niners, some other teams in the NFC. We're gonna break those down. Sherry Burriss was at that Eagles commander's game. We're gonna talk to her. She'll be on the show. Cameron Wolfe's gonna talk about that big showdown that happened at Orchard Park between the Bills and the Dolphins. But let's start off with America's team.
I hate to use that term.
But I just did the Dallas Cowboys, Steve, they get a bounce back when over Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, the worst defeat of Bill Belichick's tenure with
the New England Patriots losing thirty eight to three. Your initial thoughts on this one, because what we have seen one of the identities of the Cowboys are when they have a bad loss, and they've had a couple of them under Mike McCarthy, they do bounce back and play really well and put a lot of points on the board in the next week.
Yeah, we saw Week three, they had the tough loss against Arizona. No one really saw that coming. But here's the ultimate tale of what Dallas thought about what they did to the Patriots. I reached out to somebody with the Cowboys Monday morning. I was like, man, that was just a virtuoso defensive performance. The text I got back, big game coming up this week.
They're already onto the forty nine ers.
Their attitude was almost like that shell lacking of the Patriots was almost a throwaway game, like, Okay, we came out there, we buzzed through them. Now let's move on to the forty nine er. We're gona talk about that little later on, but just think about this. They made Mac Jones look absolutely terrible, and I know all the New England is like, get rid of Mac Jones, get rid of this guy. The Cowboys are going to do
that to teams. Their defense is that good. They're gonna want to make you fire your head coach because they are going to stifle your offense. But jp they got two more defensive touchdowns. They have four defensive touchdowns on the year, another in the return game five non offensive touchdowns. This reminds you of two years ago when their defense had eight defensive touchdowns and they had a couple of
touchdowns in the return game. If they continue to play this well on that side of the ball, Oh, that game against the forty nine ers, which they are so focused in on, is going to be something special.
They are beyond focused in it.
They didn't just start really, I would think honestly after halftime Steve for that game on Sunday against the Patriots. I got a text from one of the coaches this morning that said in Dallas, that said, we've had this game circled since.
The end of last season. I mean, that's the way they felt.
Remember the forty nine Ers ended their season last year and the year before, and this has happened.
I don't know if people at home know this.
But if you're in a game, you're like on the Dallas Cowboys sideline, and you're going through a blowout of a team like they did with the New England Patriots, and you have an opponent coming up the next week like they have circled with the San Francisco forty nine Ers, the mindset steve switches in game for some.
Playoffs, doesn't it.
Guys like Micah Parsons already turned the key before they even hit the locker room.
As we're on to the forty nine ers.
The entire postgame press conference or anybody speaking in the locker room was talking about San Francisco, not talking about the New England Patriots. That's where this team's mindset is right now. That's wild. Michael Parson is calling it a playoff game. Jerry Jones saying postgame that if we go up and compete and beat the forty nine ers, that will show everyone that we should be in the conversation
for a Super Bowl this year. That's how big these guys are talking this game, is what I am concerned about before we move on. That zone still is a problem, yep. For the Dallas Cowboys. Four trips in there, one touchdown is about a three yard run, I believe it is.
It's not like the forty.
Nine Ers are incredible so far the season in the red zone, but if you get down there against San Francisco, you have to be able to convert in the red zone.
You have to be able to score touchdowns. And just real quick as you move on, JP, with the Cowboys treating the Patriots like an afterthought, we are going to discuss a little bit later on on if they actually are an afterthought based on how they have come out of the gate.
All right, j P.
Let's move on.
Because we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers go down to Houston and get slapped around. I mean, no one saw that coming the way it happened, especially my head coach Mike Tomlin. Here's what Tomlin had to say postgame about what's coming next.
Hell yeah, we got to make some changes.
Man.
That was an ugly product we put out there today, and so we're not going to do the same things and hope for a different outcome. What those changes are. Man, we'll put together a plan in preparation this week.
Hmm, JP, when is the last time you've ever heard Mike Tomlin make a public declaration like that about we are going to be making changes. Look, we know JP, the quarterback is going to change. Can He Pickett sustained to knee injury. He's probably going to be out for a little while. Based on some of the reports we've heard from our insiders, he and Rappaport and Tom Pelasero, this doesn't sound like it is an injury induced type of change that Mike Tomlin is talking about.
Yeah, he's only done this a very few times in his career, Steve, and he has been extremely successful during his entire tenure in San Francis. How many losing I mean his tenure with Pittsburgh, how many losing seasons has he had? That'd be zero for again, that'd be zero that he's had. Now, they remember last year they made some changes Minci's nobody really knew what they were after their bye week, and that kind of helped them catapult themselves into the postseason. The second half of the year,
they said they made some subtle tweaks, subtle changes. It wasn't a declaration like we saw from Mike Tomlin right there, and everybody's calling for Matt Canada's head the offensive coordinator. You would think if something was to change, that would have happened this offseason, right and that would have been another offensive coordinator for your young quarterback and Kenny Pickett.
That would have also went against what we've seen in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the way they operate. You don't usually change coordinators, Let's be honest, within a season. I'm curious what they want to change. The two things that I think are the biggest issues are a defense that hasn't been able to stop the run. Against the Houston Texans, I believe they ran the football.
Let's look at this.
Thirty eight times or one hundred and thirty nine yards. That team had struggled to run the football through their first three weeks, and their inability to stick with the run within their offense because the players in the locker room post they came out of the remember they came out of halftime and they ran the ball down the
throat of the Houston Texans Najie Harrison Company. And then what happens, they get away from it again, and even guys in the locker room were saying, we're not staying consistent with the run game with Kenny Pickett and operating in the play action. I feel like, Steve, you have to stick with the run game if you are the Pittsburgh Steelers and have a consistency in rhythm with your
run game, if you want this offense to click. To me, that is essentially coaching on calling these plays in those instances. What's your take on what you think could possibly change.
It might not be the play caller, but it may be a directive to the play caller to run the damn ball. Stop putting pressure on our quarterback, who we really don't know what he's made of, whether it's Mitch Timiski the next couple weeks or Kenny Pickett when he comes back, and run the football. Stick with it, like you said, when it is working. This has been the Steelers brand for decades. The ruinies will tell you, cold Weather, run the football, stop the run. That's why we're always there.
Mike tom Lowhen he came out and said we're not going to continue to do things the same way and hoping that they work.
That means we're gonna change. He's hot.
Like we said, he does not make public declarations like this ever unless something is very serious. In JPU and I both know last year you talked about some of those subtle changes. Very similar things happened with the directive, let's say, on what they needed to do offensively.
What I remember, Steve, this is my last point on it, that it's gone on with the offensive side of the ball. There were some comments coming out of the locker room after the win over the Raiders saying that in our first two weeks when we had to put up a game plan to stop Nick Bosa and to stop Miles Garrett, we kind of lost a large chunk of our offense because we were so focused on stopping those pass rushers. There were things we weren't even going to do as
an offense. They kind of scrapped that in a sense when they were going against Max Crosby. To me, that's an interesting comment coming from guys on your offensive line saying there's things that we just eliminated, large chunks of our playbook that were gone because we're trying to accommodate ways to stop these pass rushers. There's a lot you can't do offensively if that's your main focus. That haends to do with how you're developing this scheme and this
game plan. All right, let's move on to the other team we want to evaluate, because this was kind of teams that we were talking about last Thursday heading into the quarter mark. Another team that we were going after and looking at was the Baltimore Ravens. So far, we have seen the Ravens go on the road against the Bengals and win, go on the road against the Browns in the division and win. They have a Week five game on the road against the team we just mentioned,
the Steelers. They could be three to oh Steve on the road in divisional games by Week five, and that could be a tremendous advantage. After they beat the Browns this past Sunday in the AFC North.
Yeah, think about that. I mean, they beat all those teams on the road. They're going to get him back in Baltimore later on in the season. To be able to start your season like that while your offense is still developing, right, this is hardly a finished product. We know they've got a lot of injuries. I mean, Ronnie Stanley still didn't play the starting left tackle Odell Beckham.
He still hurt.
We still don't know the full functionality of this offense, which is why they kind of went back to what they did, which was Mark Andrews from Lamar Jackson. Look at this ball, those folks who are watching it, tell I mean, just beautiful passes. Lamar only through the ball nineteen times, but he ran the ball well.
We saw some.
Different techniques and some of the things that they did with the passing game to Andrews in the run game with Lamar. But the fact that this offense can explode like that against this defense now again, Cleveland gave them three interceptions and I think another turnover right there to shortens and fields. But the fact that they could hang twenty eight to three on a Browns defense that was
absolutely dominant. I mean, it's kind of frightening saying with the potential with this offense can be while they're still working out a lot of the kings.
JP.
We were talking at the top of the show right about teams that know how to win. I think the hardball teams know how to win a lot of times in situations, and I think you're right we do have to look at this situation with a bit of a caveat going I myself even reported everybody, including Deshaun Watson, the Browns were confident that the pregame workout was gonna go well and he was going to play in that game. That is a late scratch for Deshaun Watson, which really
put the Browns in a hole. But a banged up offensive line, as you mentioned, the injuries a little bit to be able to hold tough against this Brown's defensive front, I think shows a lot of toughness and like we mentioned, to get out to this start dealing with the injuries that they've been dealing with. Gonna start getting guys back in the next few weeks on both sides of the ball. This could be a fantastic advantage for the Baltimore Ravens if they'd win that game in Pittsburgh.
After Week five, coming up.
With more on the NFL report, We're gonna have boots on the ground. Sherry Burst was at that thriller and overtime between the Eagles and the Commanders, as well as Cameron Wolf right after this talking about the game of the week. We thought it was going to be between the Bills and the Dolphins.
Bills showed us they are still contenders.
Coming up more on the NFL Report.
Cook in the backfield, Allen back to pass, Gonna roll.
To his right, steps up cross the Diggs for a touchdown.
Eleven yard touchdown reception.
Took the loan stepback play action passed as time pros to the left sideline, complete the Diggs, but there's a flag tinna spin away.
From the tacklers that he does thirty five.
Thirty twenty five, twenty headed to the end zone.
Touchdown step five Diggs.
Fifty five yards to paydirts.
Holy moly, digs by himself on the left side.
Here's the snap, takes the handoff to Murray to the inside. It's a try Christophon Diggs thirteen yard touchdown reception.
Can you dig it?
Can you Stefan digs it?
We are now welcome on the NFL Report by Cameron Wolf Cam Steve I. We were talking before we had cam on off camera. You called it, Cam, you called it. The big boss of the AC East is still the Buffalo Bills.
Forty eight to twenty right.
Hold that high power Dolphins offense that drops seventy on the Broncos a week ago down to twenty points, which I think everybody would say is a phenomenal effort. Knowing that the offense just giving up twenty, it's like giving up three to most other offenses. Cam, what did you see? What did you predict? Give yourself a pat on the back.
Yeah, James, I'm a big fan of the wire. And there's a saying from the wark you come at the games.
I missed right, It's not missed.
The Bills have long been the kings of this AFC East, and the Dolphins have been the hot team.
They scored seventy points.
Everybody's crowning them, and I think the Dolphins are well on their way to being a playoff team. But this was a check mark, and we talked about this on this platform Thursday. This was a checkpoint to see were they ready to overtake the Bills, and we saw Sunday they were not. The Bills had a statement to make of their own, and it was very interesting seeing the game plan the Bills had for Tua and the Dolphins offense. We saw all the motion they did, all the speed,
the seventy points. The Bills went back with a good old fashioned physicality, punch you in your mouth. They beat them in the trenches. They had four sacks onto a nine quarterback hits. Tua came in with one sack over three games, and so the whole thing about the Dolphins offense is we're going to get the ball out quickly. You got to get credit to Sean McDermott. They messed up their timing. Matt Mlano and Bernard had a really
good game in the middle. They did not take the bait on the motion with Tyreek Hill over the middle of the field, and they really showed the Dolphins that they had the personnel to be able to cover their receivers Tyreek Hill and Jalen Wadlin. So they're gonna have another chance. The Dolphins will at the end of the season. But I thought it was very interesting. After the game, Tua said this was a humbling performance and it was
something they needed. And the Bills are doing this motion on their face that all day because that's what the Dolphins had coming off their team plane. And so the Bills feel like they got the upper hand and they're still the Kings of the AFCs.
I love the wire reference.
One of my favorite reference is one of my favorite memes that I like to use on social media. But I also like the fact you point out the physicality, because the one thing about all of the schemes from this coaching tree other than Kyle Shanahan, whether it's the Bengals, the Rams, some of those teams teams know if you hit them in the mouth enough times, these finesse teams, so to speak, might not be able to hang.
But you also talked about the strategy.
What about what Ruffalo did to have such a great connection with Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs.
I mean three tds for Digs.
Yes, Steve, that.
Was probably one of the best games I've seen of Josh Allen of his career. And what you mentioned with Stefan Diggs is so interesting because coming into the game, Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Vangio said they had a scheme, and their scheme was not going to follow Stefan Diggs with their top corner xaviing Howard and then Ken Dorsey, the Bills offensive coordinator, drew up an excellent plan. They made sure every chance they could they were going to get Stefan Diggs on Cater Kohu.
The Dolphins second year corner who's usually in the slot.
He had to play outside corner because Jalen Rams is injured and Diggs, as we see on these highlights, was abusing him all day. Six catches, one hundred and twenty yards, three touchdowns. They moved Stefan Dicks in motion like the Dolphins do in their motion to make sure they get those one on one coverages against them, and Digs exploided them. I think a lot of times we forget how good the Josh Allen thinks combo is because of sometimes there's some drama. Steph can get a little bit of motion
nor at times. But when they're on like they were on Sunday, they are one of the best duos in football. And they really explored vic Vango's d They did not adjust, they did.
Not put extra help on Digs.
They did not put Exavin Howard on Diggs, and that was a big mistake and Josh Allen really exploited them. One other thing that I thought was very interesting, they established the front on their offensive line as well. They slowed down the defensive front of the Dolphins and they did not get home to Josh Allen. And they also were able to get that play action game off. Josh Allen killed them in the play action because they had to stay honest with the run game.
And so the.
Bills once again are the big boss of the AFC's and they proved it really dominating and bullying.
Them on both us of all super quickly. Cam, is that a blueprint what the Bills did to isolate?
You know, digs, if you have the digs, if you have a digs, yes, I mean not a lot of teams have a digs.
But hopefully Vic Vangel adjusts.
That's the thing that you know, he's a very good defensive coordinator, but he's also a guy who's won his way, and so a lot of times those guys, they do their style, do their scheme. When they came into the season, they thought Jalen Ramsey and Xavin Howard are going to be on a less side and the right side. You don't have to move either of those guys. But no, Jalen Ramsey, you have to adjust. I hope that he had just gone forward for that.
Guys, just raise your hand if you're just kind of happy this outcome happened. Because I believe in this offseason and through training camp, the entire world just kind of either rode off for God, moved on from the Buffalo Bills for whatever reason, and Josh Allen put himself back
in that MVP conversation. I love can that we've seen him actually using his legs less, taking fewer hits, which he's wanted to do the last couple of years and actually is able to do it so far this season, and outside of that Jets debacle, the offense hasn't missed a beat, right, they'd still been very effective as an offense, very effective on Sunday, even with him not taking as many hits.
Can appreciate it by it.
And taking over.
And Von Miller should be coming back Soon's a big time yep, yep.
Von Mill right on the corner. Let's go. This is what he wanted. Dude down the stretch. Appreciated camp you see anybuddy, Well, listen to this, Steve.
We have our second international matchup this week and it can be watched exclusively on NFL Plus. It's the Bills, It's the Jags at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London, a fabulous venue. October eighth, nineteen thirty am Eastern. So if you want to watch that game. Sign up today at plus dot NFL dot com. All right, now we are welcomed in by Sherry Burris, who Cherry was at Commanders Eagles overtime.
Sherry, take us to.
The sideline, the Eagles sideline and Jalen Hurts, because I'm fascinated. You spend a lot of time being a sideline reporter at all these different college and pro games. Like what did you observe from Jalen Hurts on the sideline?
Well, it was so interesting.
You know, we were able to go down on the field with two minutes left in regulation. I kind of was watching the Commander side, but then realizing that they'd have the ball last I litch really sprinted through the end zone. So the Eagles fans, if they're watching, they'll know what I was doing to get to the other side.
And the tension on that Eagles sideline as Washington was driving, you could just feel it like there was a belief that the Eagles were going to hang on, but there was that sliver of like maybe Washington will tie the game. So as we're getting set for overtime, I was just tracking Jalen Hurts. He was pacing at a towel over his head, but his facial expression, his.
Emotions really they weren't really even there.
I mean, he was very even, Stephen even keel. If I was just watching him, guys, I wouldn't know if this was the first quarter, the fourth quarter, overtime. He was just very steady the entire time until the offense went back out there.
So, Sherry, you know, we saw you. They go out there, they drive, they get the.
Field goal, eventually win it in overtime, and the Eagles are four and oh. And it's so weird because all you're hearing about the Eagles is they still don't look right.
You said to me earlier we were prepping for the show. It feels like a weird four and oh. Four and oh is four and oh to me in the NFL.
But why does it still seem like these aren't the Eagles you know that we know of last year.
I wonder, Steve if it's because we are so used to the Eagles being the juggernaut and blowing teams out and there being no question if the Eagles are going to win a game. They were trailing in this one. This was the first game Washington had a lead going into the half if you could believe it. So the fact that the Eagles are having to come from behind. It was this week Nick Sirianni is saying, they've won each game this season a different way, and that's showing
the character. It's building trust and resilience throughout this team. And if you talk to a bunch of different guys, they'll just tell you they're all still works in progress, which is a little frightening. I would have to imagine the fact that they are one of two teams right now that are four and oh, they are the defending NFC champions, and they still feel like they have progress, like they need to get better. We aren't seeing the
impressive stats from jaln this year. He didn't have any turnovers against Washing but three interceptions in the first three games, which is not usual Jalen. He is still one of the top rushing qbs, but there are so many questions about the run game and his arm and you know, has he taken this step back? But you're right, four and Oh is four and oh. But I think most of you know, some of these teams that we expect to do really well, they almost like being sort of
off the radar. Not maybe an on the radar team, but something I'd love to be able to ask the Eagles that they're okay with this not being, you know, picked to win the Super Bowl right this second. But it is interesting that it's it's a quiet four and O If that makes sense.
I love to share that. You bring up the character of the Philadelphia Eagles. And this is what stands out to me most about this win. That phenomenal deep ball that Jalen Hurts connects with AJ Brown on he gets flagged for the taunting penalty in the end zone, and that drive that ended with Zeros on the clock to send the game into overtime was only sixty four yards
because of that AJ Brown penalty. What fascinates me and makes me realize some teams just know how to win is the conversation that Aj Brown and Jalen Hurts had immediately after that touchdown. It wasn't celebrating we took the lead in the closing minutes of the game. It was you can't have a penalty like that, Aj. That's best friend, a best friend telling you you can't put us in that spot. That's Jalen Hurts, one of the leaders of
this team. This Steve doesn't show up in the box score about how you manage your entire sideline and manage your roster. You find a way to make sure those mistakes don't happen. They got away with it in this one, and aj Brown was accountable after the game.
About the position he put his team in.
But I just think when you have that type of leadership Steve on the sideline in game and the wherewithal to bring that up in game to know the importance of it. Him and Kelsey Hurts and Kelsey halftime also made a big part, I'm told in how this game proceeded in the second half because of the penalties and issues in the first half. We mentioned, as Cherry at the top of the show, I hope you were watching
or listening. Team just know how to find ways to win, and the Eagles did it in the Friday ways in this one.
All right, great point, JP, Sherry, thank you so much, really really good stuff.
Now go hug up that cute little daughter yours.
You know one team when you talk about leadership issues and knows how to win.
It's another four and old four and oh team.
And I'm talking about the San Francisco forty nine ers right out JP. The forty nine ers, I mean we're looking at their them against the Arizona Cardinals. Christian McCaffrey going skeets. Neamaya, former world champion hurdler who also played for the forty nine, is hurtling someone into the end zone on a swing.
Here he is on a short run. This is one of they had.
He had four rushing touchdowns. This was just offensive wizardry. I mean, they didn't do anything extra dynamic other than just great performances. But JP, we heard last week we had safety Talano Hufanga on the show.
They wanted to get out of the gate quickly.
They wanted to be in mid season form week one because they didn't want any early season losses to come back and bite him down the road for playoff seating things like that. They want the playoffs to come through Levi Stadium. They're in Santa Clara.
When you look.
At the forty nine Ers, let's say, juxtaposed to the Eagles who are still working on things and the Chiefs who are still working through some things, and maybe in a.
Team like the Bills, I mean, what are you seeing.
Out of this team that just seems so good in every facet of the game.
What I'm seeing is a quarterback that doesn't make mistakes. He went twenty of twenty one. Yeah you heard me right, yea twenty one on the game. A quarterback that gets this entire offense going, and a creative offensive mind that has every weapon you could imagine to go out there and beat you with Steve, And I think that's what stands out to me the most. Christian McCaffrey was the one. I mean, Christian McCaffrey played so well in this game.
He put himself in the MVP conversation. So, yeah, sixteen first downs by himself, that's crazy.
Nine rushing, seven receiving.
That's crazy to think of that, and to think of that combat with event that George Kittle had one target, one catch, Deebo Samuel had zero.
Targets in this game.
Now, I don't think that's going to be the case against the Cowboys next Sunday. But when you have the ability to be this dominant and have dominant players like the two I just mentioned not even really be included in terms of how you were attacking a team, doesn't mean they weren't included in this offense. We know what they do in other aspects of this offense with their physicality as well. But you have the ability to lean on different players in different instances, in different games. I
think we need to be talking about now. I remember doing this game against the Chiefs last year. It was Christian McCaffrey's first game his arrival with the San Francisco forty nine ers. Is there a better player in your mind, Steve, for a better system fit than Christian McCaffrey With Kyle Shanahan, you.
Know what, I'll sell you this for the running back position, however, and this is where I think Christian McCaffrey's value has been totally understated.
I think he's opened things up for Kyle Shanahan.
Sand I've got a running back who's got track speed, who.
Runs physically tougher.
He runs physically tougher in San Francisco than he did in Carolina Point. And that's a mandate when you play for Kyle Shanahan. And to me again, their Hall of Fame running back coach Bobby Turner, if you play that position, you better finish runs that snap people's head back when you're hitting them in the.
Chest or something like that.
So the physicality has the receiving aspect that he had.
He could throw it too, right. We see him throw a touchdown, so.
I think he's I think he has expanded the offense to a point where Kittle was probably thrilled to death to be blocking for him downfield. We saw one of those touchdown debo cleaning up a dB so McCaffrey can get into the ends.
I think they love that because he is such a threat.
And the fact that we can be talking about a running back in an off season that we've had with conversation about running backs as a potential MVP.
I'm all about it, all about it, you right.
That's a great point. That's great.
Trent Williams was saying this after the game, saying, I knew he was a good back.
I knew he was versatile.
I didn't know he could pound the football between the tackles and be as physical as an eye formation type of back if you wanted him to be. And the other point I'll make is since brock Party became the quarterback, Brandon Nyuk, Steve oh Yeah has catapulted onto the scene. Another monster game for the wide receiver for the San Francisco forty nine ers. All right, that's wrapping up a couple of teams that are undefeated. What a lot of roses and a lot of smiles in San Francisco and Philadelphia.
How about when we come back, Steve, the teams that are on the other side of the spectrum. If you have a friend that's a Bears fan, oh I'm a hug today, just show him some love.
Again.
We're going to break down the absolute mess that's going on in Chicago as well as Cincinnati. We're going to be joined by Jeff Shadilla coming up on the NFL Report.
Well back at the NFL Report, and it's time for our regular Monday First Read segment, and for that we bring in Jeff Shadea whose column First Read is on nfl dot com slash first Read. How about that three first read references in about the first ten seconds of the bot Jeff hideah, oh, just good to hear it.
Yeah, I know you are, hey man, make it happen. And it's really good.
You got so much good stuff in there, you know, But we have to hit the negative. It's just that time because we see the Cincinnati Bengals, right, a team that I think most of us still believe in just because of all the talent they have. But right, I mean, they got smoked by the Titans this week. This is a team you know that's gotten well, teams have gotten well against in the Tennessee Titans. What is actually going
on in Cincinnati? I mean, it's just Joe Burrow's calf is the way defenses are playing their offense differently because they are not functioning right now.
Well, it's a little bit of both. And you look at last year when they started zero to two. The problem they had then was that Joe Burrow was trying too hard to make plays down the field.
They want.
You mentioned the talent, they wanted to make.
Those big plays, and they had to start taking what teams were giving them. I think Joe Burrow's calf is a real problem for them. He saw it two weeks ago against the Rams and how limited he was. He looked better this week, but again, they really can't do a lot under center with him. They really can't push the ball down the field. Play action is such a huge part of their offense as far as creating those big plays, and that's not available to them with him.
Dealing with this calf strain, so it's a lot going off for them. And Tennessee always seems to have games like this early in the year where they they got the Chiefs one year, a few years ago they got the Rams when they were riding high in their bow year.
They will get teams if they're not ready to play football.
But I do believe the Bengals have enough talent and enough pedigree to overcome this and get back into the playoff race.
I do think, Jeff, we are we're in a bit of an interesting spot. I was with the Bengals early in the season. It was what Week one, it was on the weather. Week two, it was wow, Joe Burrow wasn't there throughout the entire preseason, entire preseason and training camp.
We're gonna We've been here before. Zero to two. We're gonna be fine. Look at us.
Week three it was against the Ramss. Well least the second half. The offense started to get a little bit better. We're back on track. And now it was like this time after this game, though, Steve, it was a little bit the frustration was boiling over. It was a little bit of we're gonna be okay early on and now it looks like with guys like Jamar Chase and company
are are a little bit frustrated. What stands out to me is teams are blitzing Joe Burrow to a higher rate, vastly higher rate than they did a year ago, obviously because he can't move. He is a much better athlete than probably a lot of people give him credit for in terms of the ability to throw in the run, the ability.
To escape pressure.
He has been pressured like thirty five percent of his dropbacks and he has the second lowest time to throw the football. There's been some changes on that offensive line, and maybe that's another edition of this Steve that is playing, you know, rearing its head in a sense to where he hasn't had a whole lot of time and he can't move.
Just speaking of time, what's the deal.
They have not scored an offensive touchdown in the first half all season.
That's a staggering That is a staggering stat to me.
Unbelievable. Unbelievable.
Yeah, and really, you know, it's I think James Bit's a good point. You know, even though most of the corp is still there, I think especially on defense, because Tennessee is not an explosive offensive safety. I think they miss von Bell. I think they missed Jesse Bates. I think they're more athletic in the back end. But you're not seeing them take control of games. And I say this, you know again living in Kansas City, I see it with the Chiefs. They're going through their own offensive struggles
right now, but the defense is stepping up. You see that with the Jets. Zach Wilson is not getting done last last night. They step up with the defense. They got to get some plays from somebody else. Can't wait till Joe gets better and everything it will start going in the right direction. It's a team game. They got good players. Other guys have to start doing more.
All right, jee All.
Right, Jeff, you've been covering this league for a long time. Steve, you've been covering this league for a very long time. I want to ask both of you. With the Chicago Bears, have you seen an organization in let's not say a week's time, let's say an entire season, had their quarterback come out talk about certain things in terms of coaching, his.
Opinion about what's happening to the offense.
Then have to in the locker room speak again to clarify his statements, then have a head coach say things about Claypool w Chase Claypool about how things were going to how things went down, about him not being at the game on Sunday, and then then have to come out with a statement when the writers are up in the press box later.
In the day.
How many times have you seen teams have to go back around and clarify communication errors within a season, in a whole season. I think we've had three of them with the Bears in one week.
Well, I can tell you this.
You know, my first year covering in the NFL was nineteen ninety six and they covered the Oakland Raiders. And then my first year covering the team, John fought for the defensive coordinator. He vanished in training camp. Anthony Smith was the starting defensive end. He vanished in week four, Whard he lost his job, and then by weeks by seasons then Tim Brown was threatening to call the play because he was so upset with the offense. So that's
my barn, That's that's what I consider. But the Bears are getting close.
Right now, Oh my god, what's going on there?
And it really is?
Look, I do start to fear for people's jobs at this stage, because after the way Kansas City beat them down, and after blowing that, you know, twenty one point lead against the Denver Broncos, they're not in a good place. And we were talking about Chase Claypool having a stay away from the facility. I don't know what he's doing or what he's saying, but that to me is a huge red flag about what's happening in the locker room and how people are feeling about Justin Yield as a quarterback.
But but again, Steve, you know this, It's like when when teams come in and you have a young quarterback and draft at high so you feel that the need to build the offense around it. But you have a defensive minor head coach, and so you got to find a way to get that side of the football going. They've just been all over the place. And when that happens, and at least at the top of the food chain, it affects everything.
Sooner or later, what's the adversity hits.
And and you know what, it's It's funny because yesterday, for most of that game, Justin Fields was playing the game.
Of his life.
He looked unbelievable.
He looked fantastic. Right, he's the best player on the field. Yeah.
Their defense, their defense looked like they actually had a clue and you know, how to stop somebody. And then of course it was like, okay, how are we not going to lose this one?
Too late?
You blinked, you lose the ball game. But to get back to James's point, this is a bigger issue what's going on with the Bears, because it's funny, you know, are the draft, everybody was ballyhooing their draft. Now we're saying these guys can't play. Now people are you know, there's whiskers off. Maybe Ryan Pole's got into this as a general manager a couple of years too early. Matt Ebraflus is not the guy. And when you start seeing things like these clarifications, you have to make Yeah, Jeff
and I we've been covering this game for decades. And Jeff, by the way, my bar is the Bobby Petrino year in Atlanta. After the dog fighting scandal, Patrino quits in the middle.
Of the season.
We had all kind of chaos, We all kind of chaos going on with that team.
But again, not being in Chicago.
I can feel the constant churning of guts from all the way out here in Los Angeles, like.
It is not good.
And like you said, this latest thing Matt Evenflus, the head coach, came out Monday saying Chase Claypool has been told not to be with the team all week because we have a Thursday night game. They haven't suspended him, right, So whatever is going on there is real peculiar. But again, we're probably not going to find out the real story until they do another mia culpa or slash clarification.
Based on the way things are going.
I almost feel bad for people now because they can't get their stories straight. You know who always gets a story straight, Jeff Bill Belichick. Right, he benches his quarterback during a shelaking a thirty eighth to the Sheilaki by the Dallas Cowboys with the Patriots yesterday. He says Mac Jones was he benched. Wides felt it was best for him just not to be in there. It was almost like, we don't want to get our guy killed because this
isn't going well and we want to pretend. I don't know, but you know, we talked about the Bills early in the show, how good they're playing. We know the Dolphins are really good, and the Jets actually show the signs of life Sunday night life. The Patriots, Jeff, I mean, we've we've held on for years now since Brady. Well,
they're in the Patriots, they'll be there. I don't think anyone can say that right now because they don't look like they have any playmakers or any real idea of how to work themselves out of a jam.
Now, and they're really you know, for so many years when Brady was there, there was the belief of we can just find certain guys, fit him into our scheme, coach him up, and we'll get great results. And they still operate that way, and Bill still operates that way. And the reality of it is, the teams that are winning consistently year in and year out right now have a lot of good players. They have playmakers, and they have a really good defense. They've got players on that
side of the football. But Mac Jones is not a quarterback who can get them over the top. They haven't given him a great supporting cast to work with, and.
It shows up each week.
You know, I watched that Dallas Patriots game and it was watching it was it was painful because he was making decisions that you can't do. You can do him if you're Josh Allen or if you're Patrick Mahone, right you can roll to the right side of the field and throw the football back to the left and think you're gonna make something happen. You can't do it if you're Mac Jones. And I understand how Bill felt, and I've seen him do this before where he's pull players
and put him back in. But that team right now is operating as if it's nineteen, if it's two thousand and eight, and it's not.
I look at the Caleb Williams article Jeff and GQ saying, I don't want to go to the wrong organization.
A I don't want to go to the really Arizona Cardinals is what he's saying.
What was mac Jones going through his mind when he was drafting and walking with his straight arms across the top of the top of the stage going to missionear. He was probably going, I'm going to the Patriots. This is phenomenal. And what if they given him now three offensive coordinators in three years and honestly doing their opener
against the Philadelphia Eagles. Talking everybody up there that covers the team on a daily basis, on a great, great embedded beat, they were, like I was told, universally, I don't think they have a whole lot of talent, and that's been the problem, from skill position players to anchors on that offensive line. And then your two most talented guys on the defensive side of the ball go down in that game on Sunday and Matthew Judon and the talented rookie and Christian Gonzales.
That's a big.
Blow to a defense that you were going to hang your hat on. It's been tough sledding for Mac Jones. Maybe go talk to Kayla Williams just say, hey, organizations can change very very quickly, and you know one that did. The Houston Texans. Oh very We're gonna keep round on the NFL Reporter as we talk about c J. Stroud and Damico Ryans, what this young quarterback is doing in four games?
Historic Oh h NFL Report.
I were back at the NFL Report, and as Leonardo DiCaprio said in Django, you have my attention, that would be you Houston Texans, Jeff Shediah, the Texans.
Whole things are gonna go from house. No, no, no, we're just staying right there.
C J.
Stroud, Jeff, what do you got? Oh?
You know, I talked to a friend of mine, personnel director about him last week and just raved about him and just talked about just how clean he is mechanically and just seeing the same things you saw.
At Ohio State.
Great process of information. But really the point he made, which I think is appropriate, is that the Tectors has done a great job of putting a good group around him. You see the depth of their offensive line they've had makeshift offensive line after makeshift offensive line, he still goes
out there and feels comfortable. Nice connection with Nico Collins and James You know, it's nobody believed in this team, but c J. Stroud from your Ohio State university is proving to be the best chy quarterback in his class.
He really is.
And I'm going back to a couple of things that I was told during the draft process about him, And now it's a chance to see these four games, Jeff and see them kind of come to light. Because you mentioned that makeshift offensive line, he wasn't sacked by the Pitts.
That's crazy. That was crazy.
I couldn't believe that happened, right, And to me, I go back and look at some of the stuff that's got this said.
You know themotion's a little bit funky. He's kind I don't know, he's kind of a pusher of the ball.
But I'm not saying that in a bad manner because the ball is out quick, his motion is short, He's decisive, he doesn't really hesitate. Steve don't all those things kind of come together and culminate going I don't have a whole lot of time back here, and I'm gonna make a quick decision, and I'm not gonna make a bad decision. That's the other part he's thrived in early on, but to make sure the ball's out of his hands quickly. To some of these guys, it's not like he lit
up the world against the Steelers, you know. I mean, I think hat like a fifty percent completion percentage, but going over three hundred yards again, it's he's not hurting his team by any stretch. But he gets through the ball quickly because he knows that this offensive line has been littered with injuries. He plays this game, I believe without Laramie Tunsel again, right, And so it's it's been very impressive of what he's been able to do when you've got a guy like TJ.
Watt bearing down at you.
I mean, he's been so good and the fact they're playing such complimentary football, it's almost like he's saying, I've got to do my share. I mean, the kicking game is has been very good, the defense has played very well.
And I love love what he.
Said after the game, because they said all the Steelers fans that were in the stadium and in our g stadium. He was like, oh no, we're gonna make it so people feel good about wearing the Texans brand gear around here. That stuff that happened in the past doesn't fly with me. That is music to the great football fans down in Houston, Texas to say, now we have a quarterback who is not only certain of himself, but he understands the importance of this game and the way he is playing it.
You talked about getting the ball out.
Quickly, them jet designing an offense to fit around him.
It is a really really good setup.
And when this offensive line comes back fully, I mean, I'm.
Kind of wondering where this thing can go.
I mean, we need to start talking about them as potential winners of this AFC South, the division we already know is up for grass wincy Damian Pierce finally be able to run the ball like he did yesterday too against his defense. Guys, this is a dangerous team because CJ. Shroud absolutely looks like the leader, Jeff. Once again, we want to thank you NFL dot Com Slash First Read Jeff Todia every Monday here on the first Read segment.
That's right, CJ. Shroud did not get sacked.
The boy did Aid and O'Connell, all because of one dude. Calif Mack comes in with a half dozen of the dirty dirty against the hated Raiders.
What more we come back here on the NFL.
Welcome back to the NFL Report.
As we closed things up, James Palmer, Steve Whitch with you, we want to recognize one player that stood out to each of us, Steve fire Away.
Well, you know, I think Khalil Mack hurt us really propping up his teammate Tully to a below to last week, the edge rusher who was getting all of the sacks leading into this game. Because Khalil Mack comes up to play the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that drafted him but didn't want to pay him.
He hits him with six sacks. I was at this game. Six six sacks he's won away from Derek Thomas's record.
Not only that, ten tackles, five TFLs, four hurries, and two forest fumbles.
After the game, Raiders.
Had goa Josh mccaniel said, hey, we were chipping in, we were doubling him.
Went back and looked at the tape. The answer to that was no, you didn't not once.
Maybe that was in the intent JP, but Khalil Mack reminded everybody he is still a dude.
Six sacks he had. What do you got? JP?
He had those six sacks with like twelve minutes to go. It was a fourth quarter.
It was insane. It's a time here.
It was unbelievable. Listen.
He didn't get the w But I was blown away by the comeback that Anthony Richardson led in the Colts attempt to take the down down twenty three to nothing and comes back and comes back in this game and never gets the football in overtime, which was a bit of a shame because your guy Poka Nakua and Sam and Matthew Stafford take care of business and overtime. But seeing the calmness that Anthony Richardson had Steve seeing how after the game he said, you know, and Aaron Donald's
a tremendous player. It took me a minute to figure out, you know, how physical and how fast he is. To me, that's a player that's really having things click very quickly.
Right.
He goes, oh, I understand about what Aaron Donald does. And then you see him what thirty eight yards Aaron Donald draped all over him.
He gets pierced down the sidelent for a brilliant pass.
Like he was figuring things out, the physical ability he has. I heard Matthew Stafford raving about him to Albert Breer and his Monday Morning quarterback saying, this guy's a limit. The guy's just incredible, incredible, just like this show.
Steve. Great to be with you again. See a Thursday. Everyone in the NFL Report