And now Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. What's up, everybody? Welcome to Move the Sticks. DJ Rhett with you on a Monday as we look back at a eventful week six of games.
Right, how you doing, Bob.
Oh, fantastic, Excited to be back here with you, Rocket and rolling here through week six in the league. Was on Game Day Live with my buddy Mark Ross on Sunday, So we had some we had to those six games, and then we were coming off that Jaguars Bears game.
Boy.
Yeah, I know we're gonna get to it here in the next couple of minutes, but Caleb's rolling.
Yeah, we were going to have you know, obviously we're gonna have Bucky on, but you know, we put the we put the microphone in the end zone, and the fact that he is with the Jags, he couldn't he couldn't make it there in order to join us today.
So he'll be back.
He'll be back tomorrow for the flag goodness, curacious. I am looking forward to his take on Caleb. We'll get to that and in just a little bit here in the show, but let's start off with I think one of the bigger stories come out of yesterday, and that's uh, that's a Dallas Cowboys getting trounced. A big injury in this game, which which we'll discuss obviously could have implications.
You hate to see that.
But before we get to the good side of things with the Detroit Lions and you know how dominant they were in this ballgame and the injury to Adon Hudgson, let's start on the Cowboys side of things and to ts up, let's get Jerry Jones thoughts on how that went for the Cowboys.
Generally speaking, I think my message is is, I know you don't need to hear me say this, but I'm well aware that we're in the proverbial right now.
Jerry Good, what would it take you to value in making a head coaching change? Did season? I haven't you considered that. I'm not considering that. We're so you're clear, I'm not considering that, but you've done it.
I wouldn't be hypothetical in that matter.
Do you think I'm an idiot?
Do you?
Okay? Well, I'm not hypothetical with you about one.
I considering coach and change and a lot of the timing we're sitting here with I'm not at all.
By the way, Jerry Jones eighty second birthday not a great birthday present there, uhret for the performance by the Dallas Cowboys. We'll get to the Lions and how dominant they were. We'll get to Avian Hutchinson. But just I mean, I'm not surprised he's not gonna he's not gonna air out that laundry there in terms of whether he would make a change, and I don't think he's inclined to make a change. I think they're three and three. He's gonna, he's gonna he's gonna ride this thing out this year.
Uh with coach McCarthy.
Yeah, And that's the thing, Like, I the weird thing is, like I don't necessarily think this team is overall like underperforming that that I mean, like I think that there are deficiencies that we've talked about in this team. The run game is certainly one of them, you know, targets outside of Ceedee Lambs, certainly one of the quarterbacks to
play a little better. It'll be a bit uh with a little bit stronger discernment with some of those uh, some of those throws and decisions that he's making right there. I mean, just some inexplicable uh you know, kind of interceptions the last couple of weeks. But the thing that I come away with and I went on the defensive side of the ball and started to look at a few things. Here at DJ and the Lions at eight
explosives on the ground. So you think, Kundt an explosive is ten plus you know, a run for ten plus yards like that, it's almost one hundred yards of explosives on the ground that can't happen. I mean like when they took Mazzie Smith, you know, out of Michigan. I remember thinking, okay, like this is this is a place for this to the run game, right That was for this reason. You remember when he was dominant, you have to go like to Michigan, like it has not shown
up yet. He's getting moved off. It's like Kevin Zeitler was a moving van in this game at right guard for the Lions, and the d tackles were all boxed up and marked for next week somewhere. Because I mean, like whether it was Mazzie Smith or Lynval Joseph, I mean, Zeitler and Ragnow were just moving guys. All over the place. I mean they left the backside b gap like completely unaccounted for a couple of times on those first couple explosives, and I mean it was like it was stealing candy
a couple of those times. There's not already upfront to me, and I think the linebackers on the second level, you know they're they're going a round Blox you got over shown back. There a couple other guys that de Mont Clark like. It's not a physical front seven in my opinion at this point.
DJ, Yeah, those are issues along the front defensively. Offensively. I went back and watched all Dak stuff. There's four picks and there three of them are Daks. Obviously you get one late when he's out of the ballgame, but not just some mechanical stuff.
Just not get into throws.
Just balls are sailing, floating balls off his back foot. Those are things that I'm like, Okay, if that's their biggest issue, then that can correct that. I've seen him correct that, and you know they'll be okay. The problem is when you look at it, I think, let me, I pulled the number out. There were twenty one pressures allowed in this game.
Twenty one.
So if you're looking at two teams that have hopes in the NFC, you're looking at the Detroit Lions team that we can all agree better up front offensively, better up front defensively, the quarterbacks playing more sound football. He's more technically sound, he's throwing the ball more accurately, he's making better decisions. I mean, I don't know that it's very complicated when you look at the issues that plague the Dallas Cowboys, and I don't think it's very complicated
to figure out why the Detroit Lions are good. They are a line of scrimmage team that is physical, and then they are creative on the offensive side of the ball as well. It's just that that was a forty seven to nine game, and that's how big the gap felt between these two teams. And I think really at those three important areas offensive line, defensive line, quarterback, I thought they were just far superior to the Dallas Cowboys.
And that's why I said, like, I don't necessarily feel like this team is completely underperforming. They've certain they certainly could play better, but the gap is big between the Lions and the Cowboys right now. And I think that's yeah. You know, for once the score really accurately paints the picture that.
One as you see big Skipper on the screen here at this point in time, just absolutely with them Ben Jonson having fun. Anyways, We'll see what happens with the Cowboys going forward. But that was that was not good. The big story though, Aiden Hutchinson getting hurt in this game feel terrible for him. Obviously a grewsome injury. Not
something I care to watch multiple times. Of course, it came right when he you know, he gets another sack and he's coming off of really a start to the season that was Defensive Player of the Year type stuff like he was playing at that level, obviously a leader for their team and one of their best players. You hate seeing that with him going out, and you know, now we have to look and say, okay, you get to the trade deadline. I guess I'll pose you that question.
Rhtt.
I mean, they've got other guys, They've got serviceable players they can throw in their nothing to that level.
Are you going to start kicking some tires? But I think we have seven teams.
I have to double check this, but I was when I was doing the Charge game yesterday I was looking this up. I think we have seven teams in the league with one win, Like, there are a lot of teams that you could make a case should be sellers at a normally quiet NFL trade deadline. It's not baseball, it's not basketball, usually not on that level. But I feel like this year there's a lot of teams that could be looking forward to next year and maybe you can pry a pass rusher from somebody.
It's just so tough at that position, right because they're just they're so difficult to find. So I know, it's like we saw that the edge rusher trade this year sent Brian Burns up to New York from Carolina. I saw Bradley, Yeah, Montes sweat right going from the.
Cast last year. We've seen these pass us We've seen it traded.
Yeah, No, that's that's that's true. Like I mean, could Gdevian Clowney be available from Carolina? I mean, does that does that tickle your fancy if you're if you're Detroit. I mean they they were went out there with Isaac Uku and Trevor Nawawski, like who were undrafted guys from me to the last couple of years, and and push them out there on the edge man. It's uh, it's kind of an interesting one to think about there, because
they they're down. Detroit's down Marcus Davenport too, right, so like they've they've really James Houston out in this game, so like they're running out like Josh Pascal is like their their most reliable edge guy right now. I mean, is are we are we gonna? Are we gonna talk to Son Reddick here?
Yeah? I mean it's Son Reddick. We'll see what happens.
He's got a new agent now, Drew Rosenhower stud He wants to get into the Jets. We'll see, you know, Jets are playing tonight, obviously not gonna be there in time for that thing. We'll see what that trans what transpires there over the next week. That's an option, I guess.
Uh.
And by the way, Drew got me. There's six teams with one with one win, so not seven, but still a big number.
Six teams.
And the other one is that they brought up is a great is a great name? Is that Cam Jordan who has ties Daron Glenn in the New Orleans Saints.
Obviously he is the most recognizable New Orleans Saints Oh like that is I I'm just saying, and we'll get to that game in a little bit, but that could be a team that now as a rookie quarterback who did some good things in Spencer Rattler, maybe they started looking towards the future. So anyway, it's just some ideas, some thoughts to kick around with the with the big
there to Aiden Hutchinson again, speedy recovery to him. We praying that he he has a smooth, smooth recovery and gets back to being what he was, which is one of the best defensive players in football.
All Right.
One of the more into entertaining games of the week, we had the Commanders Jayde and Daniels going to take on the Ravens and Lamar Jackson. I you know, I was excited to watch Jayden Daniels in this one because even though the Ravens defense is nothing like it's been in the past, it's still an intimidating place to go
in there and play. And I thought early in the game there were some jitters with him and I thought you could just see him settle down, and then I saw he took two huge shots still found a way to get completions. You see the fourth down touchdown here on the screen just a minute ago, I saw somebody who if I was a fan of that team, I would be very excited that that showed the calm and the poise that he had to be able to kind of calm things down, settle down after kind of a
shaky first quarter. I thought he played excellent, and honestly, of all the stuff I watched and going through all this tape, what Cliff Kingsbury's doing scheme wise, creativity wise, is the most fun watching football right now. It's not only Jane Daniels playing lights out. Cliff Kingsbury with what he's doing with orbit motion and just all the eye candy that they're giving you and uh and then some of the leak stuff they're doing with their tight ends
like it is. It is fun to watch how creative they are offensively. So I know they lost the game. I don't want to bury the lead. We'll give the Ravens their flowers here in a minute. But I did want to see jayde and Daniels how he responded in this type of environment, and I thought he was excellent.
It must must feel pretty good for an offensive coordinator to be able to put that kind of mental workload on a rookie quarterback, right if you're if you're Cliff Kingsbury, I mean it's together there with jayde Daniels. I mean that is that is certainly fun to Well, I thought they missed their run game, and I mean obviously the you know, the numbers tell you that, but I thought
they missed Brian Robinson in this game. But look, I think on the flip side, then you got to you gotta really tip your cap to what the Ravens did on defense in this one, especially from that run game perspective, where I thought Travis Jones, you know, was was really good and you know, justin Mattabike gets a lot of credit for what goes on in the interior that defensive line,
and rightly so really good player. I feel like, you know, the Ravens found another good one third round pick out of Yukon right, Travis Jones, Yes, yeah, zero explosive runs that they allowed to the Washington Commanders this week. He's had a really nice year. I went back after watching you know this week, went back and watched a couple of his games earlier in the season and I mean
he's been really good, especially against the run. Violent hands, he has constant pushback, like just from all over the place, first quartersack in this game, he's kind of got, you know, when you watch it, like he's kind of got like a little like Diet hump move, like hump move that we you know, Reggie White obviously made you know, very popular and was his signature. He's got kind of you know, light the light version of that, and it really does
kind of shock the interior offensive lineman. Got a really good ball awareness too. For an interior d lineman. How many times do you see you know, a detackle just get you know, so kind of caught up with, you know, his responsibility, trying to be physical with the offensive lineman that the ball kind of sneaks out past them. That doesn't happen with Travis Jones. He's right there, stout at
the point of attack. He's got good combo, a quickness and power with his hands, folent shedding that look that kind of forced Jaydon Daniels on a play where he was trying to get out of the pocket. Travis Jones forces him to like spin around and come right back into the waiting arms of Rokwan Smith. He is a good player right there.
Yeah, no, he was in my top fifty, not mistaken there. He was a very.
Talented player coming out of Yukon, big, big jumbo athlete. And look, you're you're darned if you do darned if you don't against the Ravens. You want to try, and you want to try and load up and stop Dereck Henry. Well that's probably still not going to work. And now you've depleted your resources in the back end where Lamar and Jay Flowers can take advantage of it, which they did.
This is an offense.
It's kind of fine and its groove a little bit, and it is uh, it's an offense with a lot of different ways to get you.
Mark Andrews, by the way, still with us.
I didn't know, you know, he's been just kind of invisible there and kind of wondering what his future would be with Isaiah likely there and he found his way into the end zone. But you've got Lamar as a threat, Derrick Henry's still rolling, and then when you want to dedicate resources, Zay Flowers is turned into a nightmare to deal with. It's in a copycat league and you're seeing the Ravens, you know, coaches and personnel. You know, he got him up in Seattle. We've got them with the Chargers.
Like there's these ties to the Ravens that you're kind of spreading around the league right now. And we'll get to the Charger game later, but I'm seeing, okay, like where the.
Chargers are in their development.
They have you know, they've developed the offensive line, they've got the run game going, and now it's like, okay, you can look at it and say, man, if they could get a dynamic receiver, now you can really pay off all the attention you're going to get because of this run game. Zay Flowers is a perfect example that is the perfect player to complement what they're doing on the ground.
Because he's going to have a bunch of space.
You got a bunch of space with him, and that's just he is a nightmare cover, uh for everyone. So I applaud you know, Eric the Coast and the job they've done building out this roster. They more than any other team in the league. The Ravens know who they are and they know what they're looking for.
Good way to put it, certainly, And man, I just there's so many different ways that they can attack. Now. Rashan Bateman even got going a little bit here too. So you think of the fact that they spent you know, first round picks on wide receivers in a couple of the last drafts. Is you're now starting to bear the fruit of that labor. So that's that's definitely a piece of their personal puzzle that's working.
Yeah, let's get to London. Buck again will be with us tomorrow. Time change issues. Couldn't have him with us today to break this game down that he was at. The Jags are a mess. We'll we'll get to them in a minute. But let's give Kleb last.
Is he uh? Is he coming back and then going back and then coming back again.
He's staying at school. He's got to coach the high school team.
So he's got to come back and then turn around and go right back to London two weeks in a rowatch. So he's a soldier. He's not us around. I don't know how Buck, I'll be tired about it. Yeah, tip of the cap, but he'll be with us tomorrow. We'll get to the Jags in a minute. But Caleb was excellent. The game plan was excellent. I posted on Twitter that, look, this is why you don't make declarations about players after two games of their NFL career.
You're seeing Caleb a couple of things.
They're run the ball well, they're protecting him, and game plan wise, they're figuring out how to really feature him. And the other thing is what we've always said, right, you've got to you know, in the pocket on time has to be the ice cream, and the scrambles have to be the sprinkles. And that's what That's what he did in this game. He gave me just a few sprinkles of what he can do with his legs and
making things happen. I got a couple of big first downs, had a sweet little dump off to comet on a broken play. But outside of that, he was excellent of just being able to, you know, look, get the ball out on time. They utilize the screen game. He's getting comfortable with Keenan Allen more time together, timing. What's the word of timing, right, it's time spending some more time with these receivers. All of a sudden, now you're able to you're able to connect on some of these back
shoulder throws. In some of these timing throws. So look, we've said it consistently, Caleb Williams is getting better every single week, and don't give me the well they've played a terrible team. The signs of this game coming have been there, and he just keeps getting better.
I'm glad you brought up all that with the receivers too, because you kind of read right out of my notes on that. I went and watched Keenan Allen just because I've inadvertently left him on the bench after acquiring him in my one of my fantasy leaks. Yeah, and just watched him go off. So I was like, all right, let me go look at what I was missing here but not having him in the lineup. He actually caught
six balls on six targets. One of them didn't count because of penalty, so he ends up with five catches on five targets forty one yards, with two of those catches going for scores. Almost all of it, in fact, all but one came on third downs or fourth down. And that kind of chemistry, that kind of understanding of where your guy's going to be, how he's going to get open again, is something that goes back to your root word of timing, which is time time spent on task.
With those two that first cash the third down, final minute of the half, Keenan on his slant. The window is tight already and closing. It was a great throw, but a terrific top of the route by Keenan Allen. And again that's where he is one of the best in all of football, right getting off the release and then generating separation at the top. Another one on furnet third down, he had a free release, access to the sticks and I'm telling you, Caleb fits it in there
within milliseconds of closing defenders. The next one is just an incredible throat. It's from I think it's his first touchdown. He comes from motion. It's basically like a stick nod type of concept from Keenan. But he's not, you know, faking going outside. He's faking like he's going to settle down and then sneaks into the back of the end zone.
And then the coverage was actually pretty tight I think was Devin Lloyd the linebacker and the way that Caleb manipulates the coverage to hit him on the back shoulder there and again Keenan to go up and get it. I mean, it's it's really good and those two getting getting rolling, like now we just got to see more from Roma Dunsa and this thing's really gonna take.
Me and Roma Dunsay had a couple of big grabs on on some third downs too, like a couple and working in the middle of the field, doing a lot of dirty work in the middle of the field. That's a fun It's fun, you know all I think I lament about the Bears. I wish they played all. I wish they had a home field where they played indoors. I wish we could see them outside of the elements. I know that's very not old school traditional, but because of the pieces they have, I am soft, but the
screen game was swift. How that plays on a good field, not to go along with these big receivers and no win like I just anyways, that's that's the old quarterback in me saying that box yeah, gag side of things. I don't have anything to add. I guess the only thing I would add off of saying that, you know, Trevor hadn't been playing well. Trevor's been missing throws. There's
no rhythm to what they're doing offensively, I don't. I think they've regressed on the offensive line, all the stuff that we've kind of been mentioning in the past offensively. I guess the only thing I would add to that is having really studied and paid attention to their defense this week. Unorganized, undisciplined penalties, blown coverages, uh, mistackles a.
It's bad, man, It is bad. It is bad, bad, bad all the way around.
It was on Andre Cisco at a quote about seeing some quit waiting.
When you start hearing players talking about guys quitting, this is, dude, it's this.
They've only played six games and this is this is.
Where we are, and to the point where I don't know, everybody's going to be talking about what's going to go on with Doug Peterson, what's going to happen with Trent Balk The first thing I'm doing and these are this is one of those six teams with one win. I'm if I'm a contending team. I am looking up and down at that roster and saying, who can we cry out of there? You know, is there is there a way to get You're a team that needs a receiver and there are plenty of them.
Is Christian Kirk going to be available, Like.
Are we gonna start Thomas isn't Yeah, Ryan Thomas ain't going anywhere. But I mean, are you going to start trying to trying to lift some players off of this roster because this team's not going anywhere?
And Ingram had a huge game. It's really the only positive I can point.
But even and when he's not fumbling the ball, yeah.
Right right, think Bigsby. We thought it was kind of coming. You know, it was a breakout in seven.
Nice kick return, nice kick return in that game. All right, this is too depressing to talk about Jackson.
Let's move on. Let's move on Houston, New England.
Drake May in his debut was fun to watch it, Uh, going through that and taking some notes on that one, some of the let's give you the good stuff. The reason why it made sense to go to him is because of some of the issues that they have up front with Drake. You can move the pocket, he's sudden to he he escaped a bunch, made some things happen. Even when footspace got a little tight around him, he was able to make some throws. He's got plenty of arm.
There was you know, there's a beautiful deep ball in this game. I mean, the production was good. Three touchdown passes. You'll take that for an offense that's really just hadn't been able to.
Move the ball.
He gave you a lot of excitement, a lot of energy. He has two picks. One of them's on a tip ball, you know, I don't put that was not great. The other one, but yeah, theah the one he first when he sailed, he's just on his back foot and just kind of sales it. The ball takes off on him. There's still like the mechanical stuff with him. He's his eyes move a lot faster than his feet at this point in time. It's just connecting those two. It's going to eliminate a lot of the issues that he has.
But he's seeing everything really fast. It's just now you've got to get your feet connected to your eyes, and that's going to help some of the accuracy stuff that that can leave him at times. But for the first time out against an outstanding defense that we've already seen gobble up a rookie quarterback this year, I was very encouraged by what I saw from Drake may and and and truthfully gave a lifeless boring, unwatchable offense some much needed juice.
One on the last line. I mean, that's what I came away with. There's some optimism now, Like it's not like, oh boy, here comes the offense. It's like, all right, let's you know, let's see, let's see what Drake's got here. Now. The thing I will say, like, did you know if Drake may knew much or was acquainted with Will Anderson at all before this game?
Yeah, I think they got to know each other quite well.
We got to know each other pretty good in this game. Three sacks. I mean Anderson just absolutely beat up both the tackles, but I mean each one of them got some a lot of people tackles too. Well, that's that that that's part of the issue. Get a near thirty percent win rate on his rushes, like one out of every three, you're affecting the offense. Like that's that's pretty dang good right there. He made quick work, as I said,
of both those tackles and a number of rushes. I think on one of them, like the guy did the right tackle, did a pirouette like twice trying to find Will Anderson and just couldn't just couldn't find. It was like a blur. He makes plays though, That's the thing, Like he makes those splash plays on passing downs, but he makes so many plays on the backside of run plays away, like just coming down the line of scrimmage with that with like the effort and the intensity, it's
just it's relentless. And I remember, you know, talking to folks there when they drafted them in just like the phrase that kept coming back with junkyard dog, you know, and that's like when you got that kind of dude that has that kind of talent. That's what you see with Max Crosby, That's what you see with Aiden Hutchinson, and that's why those guys are some of the best. And that's what Will Anderson's trending towards.
Yeah, I mean that's you know, honestly, you go back to that draft.
I said at the time when they when they made those two selections back to back, you have two guys that could be the face of each side of the ball with C. J. Stroud and Will Anderson, and two guys who are are lauded and praised for their you know, their work ethic, their leadership kind of a lead by example, a way that they go about their business, and that absolutely has been the case with the Houston Texans, who again, I don't know how many teams you're taking over them
if we're gonna draft contenders, super Bowl contenders, and you're going to open it up to the entire league, not going to wait long before the Houston Texans come off the board with how Competexico.
But being back was huge, Like again you saw you know, we saw it in Week one, right, how much of an emphasis that was going to be for him this year? He goes for one hundred and fifty nine yard run, which was his career long by the way, and it comes in his one hundredth career game. They're getting the most out of him if he stays healthy. I just
it's going to be. So it's like the Ravens really is as we're talking about trying to deal with, you know, the run in the past now, I mean like and then that was the other thing about the Digs acquisition that made so much sense to me, is like you lost Tank Dell for a big part of last season, right, so it was mostly Nico Collins trying to hold up, you know, as a one man show. They got some contributions from other guys, but now you have three top
tier type of players at wide receivers. So if you lose one, like the Texans are without Nico Collins for the next four weeks, you really don't miss a beat within that offense with those other two guys, Dell and Diggs. So it is just a lot to like there.
I'm going to give you this.
I want Drew to give me a number one to ten in my ear who's producing. Then you give me a number one to ten. And if you're listening and you're driving in the car, give me a one to ten on this. Because I'm I have a fledgling marketing company. I'm trying to get up off the ground. So this Sunday we have from London. We've got Patriots, We've got Jags. That is six thirty West coast, nine to thirty East coast. So when you wake up, how about little Drake and
eggs there on Sunday morning, one to ten? What do we got here? Drink taking eggs two shoe that's terrible. Come on, that's at least he's six.
He's not your brand. Come on, that is your that's your brand. Though, and so like that is you know understanding that I give that like a seven and a half eight like it's thank you. That's that is your wheelhouse right there.
That's right there, that's right there. I see the graphic the promo right now. Well, I'm sure the network will steal it. That's fine, free of charge. I'm just here to help. I'm just team player.
I'm just gonna say, on Thursday night up all this week, when I'm on game day kickoff and they give me a promo to read for London, I'm going to change rise shine and watch football to let's go get some Drake and eggs.
Drake and Eggs. Now, we're talking all right. If you think of anything better, let me know. But that's what I've got so far. That'll be nine to thirty Eastern. You can watch Drake May and the Patriots take on the Jacksonville Jabbar and we are going to look at
the Tampa Bay Bucks and the New Orleans Saints. By the way, I have cruise to victory out of New Orleans before, I've taken a cruise out of New Orleans, so I feel like I'm prepared and qualified to touch on this subject here a game that featured Spencer Rattlers. Of course you have, you're a New Orleans guy. That featured Spencer Rattler's debut. I'll get to that in a second. The Bucks put up fifty one. Why don't we start there on the Tampa side of things? What they're doing offensively, well.
I just think it's so fun to watch, you know, two receivers who everyone knows are going to be focal points, right, and while the Saints were able to take Mike Evans away, Chris Godwin is there to pick up the slack right. Eleven catches on thirteen targets, one hundred and twenty five yards and a pair of touchdowns. Still one of the best in the business at that and especially coming out of the slot too when they can get him in there. And then you know, there without Rashad White in this game,
they're their lead running back. But do we have a report on Sean Tucker? Do we need to go back in Shawn Baby? Yeah? Second year player year?
Is that twenty two?
It would have been twenty three. I think this was year two two or twenty three, depending on depending on like experience. Right, that's always kind of funky, So Sean Tucker fourteen carries one hundred and thirty six yards, and then you know, Bucky Irving's still you know, and Tucker. Most of Tucker's came towards the end of the game. Bucky Irving is such a nice piece for this offense, like both in the air on the ground. I mean,
he is he is an explosive quotient. Mike arguably their most explosive player on offense, which is a lot of fun to watch. And you know, like Baker just the three interceptions. You know, you you look at that and you're like, all right, that's that's a tough one. But they just like they're so mentally tough. I feel like this team is, and I think Baker's a big reason for that, like just always the competitor in him, the
edge in him, is always looking for more. Uh. It's like they so they you know, they were up seventeen to nothing in this game. They end up going down twenty seven to twenty four in the half and then just shut out the Saints in the second half, I mean shut them out to the to the tune of was it twenty seven to nothing in the second half?
Like that is a mentally tough team to deal with, kind of the roller coasters in a you know, a game like this that's a division game and it's always heated between these two teams.
Uh.
Sean tucker Well five h nine to two, so five nine and a quarter, two hundred and seven pounds. Uh, he had thirty eight catches. They used him some in the slot, choppy stepper. He's physical on the perimeter, he's a little bit tight. He struggled in pass proge, a little bit overpowered there.
Uh.
I thought he was physical. I didn't think he was super dynamic. He was one hundred and eighty fifth player. Did you say he was undrafted? Is that correct?
I'd say that, but I was sure we will.
Get confirmation on that before the show was over. But uh, yeah, no, that's uh, that was a good year, you know who. I had one spot ahead of him, there you go. So I'll take that as a w at one hundred and eighty five on my list. But Keith Mitchell was one spot, one spot ahead of him. It's always interesting when you look back on these lists and go back through these players and see some of the guys that have found good spots.
And around them.
Yeah, Yeah, they kind of similar type guys there. Keith Mitchell get a little more juice undersize, but uh, nice to see him have a really nice game there for the Bucks.
On the on the Spencer Rattler side of things.
For the Saints, you mentioned it second half didn't go quite as well, but man, they moved the pocket a ton with him.
Boots, rollouts to the right to the left.
It seemed like a very simple game plan, which was when we're in the pocket, we're going to get the ball out quick. We're not going to ask you in your first start to hang in the pocket, read everything out. We're gonna for when we take some shots down the field, we're gonna move the pocket. We're gonna split the field in half. Let you operate that way, and then when we're inside the pocket, we're gonna get you some quick
hitters and get you some layups. It was actually a pretty good plan to get him off to a good start. So I was impressed. The ball comes out, well, he's got a live arm. Just had a little bit underthrown deep ball on a pick. But you know, in terms of the you know, just the way the ball came out of his hand, the athleticism, moving around shoot first time out against a team and a defense that can give you a lot of different looks and and and
some pressure looks as well. I thought Spencer Ratler held up held up quite well there.
Yeah, you know, and on the defensive side for New Orleans, I feel like it's getting a little loud down in New Orleans with Dennis Allen after you know, starting out to and oer and now losing when it's.
Your side of the ball.
As a head coach, that's always tough, man, when you're battling your expertise.
Yeah, there's nobody to you know, there's nobody thrown to the bus here, you know, and you know when you look at this thing, like just just looking at the surface, right, which is what we consider the box score. Your five leading tacklers are defensive backs, like a Debo Lattimore, Howden, Abram Alante Taylor. Your five leading tacklers ten, ten, ten, seven, and six. Like you're not getting a lot of help
up front, you know, when when that's happening. And now there's a lot of different reasons for that, but just that that was one thing that kind of stood out to me too.
Yeah, I mean this.
I feel like we've been showing highlights for this entire discussion. I haven't seen the same play twice. They're just throwing it all over the place against them. So good win for Tampa four and too they're rolling. Let's get to the next game here Arizona Green Bay. No show from the Cardinals.
We'll get to that.
I'm gonna give you a little saucy nug here, a saucy nug on. Can you tell me who has more touchdown passes at this point in time when you can consider all of last year and to where we are at this point in the season right now than Jordan Love who has more than him. That's why it's a saucy nug because it's nobody.
That's why zero.
Yeah. No, he was so good as been back half of last year. And the fact that it was all through a car wash.
Did you did you see.
The throw that he made through the car wash in that game where there's like six different hands of defenders and the ball just just smoothly goes right through him. It was an incredible throw in the middle of the field. But he's that that is a confident dude. Right now, He's had the talent. We knew that coming out of college in Utah State. Now I had a chance to learn develop and now you're seeing just the confidence that he's playing with is is pretty ridiculous.
And having Christian Watson back as we see that touchdown grab there and a great throw from Jordan Love, I mean, they they've got they've got some targets. Now we talked about them. You know, Romeo Dobbs comes back and finds his way into the game plan once again. And then you throw in Jayden Reid, who we we both kind of felt like had assumed that wide receiver one role. That's that's pretty special. I want to take a quick second to give a tip of the cat to Zach
tom Well. I think he's having a really good season at right tack Packers. He did fourth round pick out a weak four as we saw at the East West Shrine Bowl on an NFL network, and kind of got the sense there that the coaching staff, you know that's a you know, mix of player, mix of coaches around the league were really impressed with what he did in that game. He played I think he played some garden
center in that game. And then in that week and now of course, is a mainstay at right tackle, where the majority of the Packers rushing yards were coming from in this game. In fact, five of their six explosive runs came off the right side, and the one that didn't was a reverse going back to the left side. So like they know when they need, when they want yards, that they're going to go off to the to the
right side. With Zach tom like he is, he has been a guy the last couple of weeks that that really stands out to me is becoming one of the better right tackles in football.
Yeah, no, he's He's played really well for a little while now. So they found a gym there. On the Cardinals side of things, Marvin Harrison Junior gets a concussion early in this ballgame. Couldn't get anything really going offensively that they are kind of they've got a little bit of a hero or zero vibe to him on the
offensive side of the ball. I was actually more disappointed just the defense didn't give you more because I thought on that side of the ball they've been, you know, a little bit more consistent at least from you know, an effort standpoint, and having a better feel for what you're going to get. But it's a it's a it's a team that's it's tough to predict what you're gonna see what you're gonna get from them on a weekly basis, And they just got their tails kicked by the Green
Bay Packers. I'll see them next week, so I'm looking forward to really studying the Cardinals this week. They'll host the Chargers on Monday night, so I think we have two Monday nighters next week.
They will be one of them.
So I'll have some more thoughts on them later in the week because I really dig into the tape the game I was at Chargers. They go on the road, they beat the Denver Broncos tailor two halves. Chargers completely dominate the first half. They end up they're up twenty nothing at half. They end up, you know, only getting
a field goal in the second half. And bow Knicks led a little bit of a charge there in the in the second half and got the Broncos within one score and had a chance with an on side kick to get the ball back and maybe try and send this thing to overtime. I love the competitiveness from bo Nix. I'll talk more about that in a second. I do, by the way, have another saucy nug for you if you want a bonus saucing nug. That's the first time
the Chargers have won in Denver since twenty eighteen. It has been a house of horrors for them going up to Mile High. So a big win for them there.
But it showed years for Denver. Wow.
I know it didn't matter.
They split.
It feels like they split almost every year that I think that. The Broncos had one three in a row coming into this game yesterday, but it has been a pretty competitive series their home and home style. But Chargers, they got the run game going. They had Slater and alt back which makes all the difference for them offensively.
JK.
Dobbins ran the ball well. Pat certain gets a concussion early in the game, so you take Certan out. That's a huge blow to the Denver Broncos. Camani Vi Deell he gets some work with Gus Edwards on ir he catches a wheel route for a touchdown. Good to see some of those young players. But a lot of injuries in the secondary and in that comeback in the second half. The Chargers are out there with two fifth round pick rookies tarheeb Still and cam Hart and they had a
tough time with Courtland Sutton and company. And for how bad things looked for Bonix in the first half, helter skelter just not just it seemed like it was moving way too fast for him. He used his legs, created some things and made some nice throws. In the second half, especially having those corners down, they found something with Cortland Sutton. So I love the fight. I love the fight from Bonix.
I love his athleticism, I love his competes. He's still I mean, it's it's a work in progress for them to be more consistent just working from the pocket right.
You know, kind of been a you know, one of those guys that you always kind of pay attention to in LA is obviously Derwin James, But I think another guy who your eyes kind of go to even when Derwent's out there, but especially when he's not, is a lowie Gilman kind of flies under the radar a little bit, deech, I feel like, but you get them each and every week. Yeah, a good player comes up with a sack in this
game and is the leading tackler. Just a guy that kind of seems to be in the right place quite a bit. What's your what's your take on Gilman's importance to that defense.
Yeah, he's a nerve center.
So I've always been an advocate of having kind of that communicator, someone who's a leader, someone who's who's versatile heat.
I wouldn't say Louie Gilman does any one thing at.
An elite e lead level, but he can do everything at a at a solid level, and he's an excellent communicator. He's incredibly smart, so he can get everything, all the checks, all that stuff lined up and allows you, you know, with a lot of the three safety stuff that they do, you know, with Derwin to be able to move down and do some different things because of Louie Gilman can kind of, you know, communicate everything and make sure everything's covered up there on the back end.
He is a very good player.
Like if you talk about any sport, in glue guys is a is a popular term, and in personnel, he's one of those. He is absolutely a glue guy. I'm glad you brought up his name. But you know, as Chargers team, if you look at the schedule, they could go they could rip off four five in a row. Here They've got a very favorable schedule upcoming.
Arizona, Saint Cleveland, Titans, Bengles before a primetime game against the Ravens.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, which you know, I think Jim will be motivated for that one. I don't know, maybe our bubble noah, Yeah, a little bit of tension on that one. But anyways, big win for the Chargers, and I did like the fight I saw from the Broncos there in the second half. Let's get through one more game in this rip here, and that's Pittsburgh taking out the Las Vegas Raiders thirty two to thirteen. I think maybe more was made of Max Crosby, Chevin coach Caldwell on the
sideline than anything that really transpired in this game. But you know, look, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense just kind of they just kind of locked up the Vegas squad led by eight and O'Connell.
I you know, what do you do now at quarterback? You go back to Gardner, Minshew, because like this is the nightmare scenario, right, you have the early hook on on Gardner. Now you go the O'Connell and it looks worse. So now what do you do? Like, are you going to play this thing now throughout the rest of the season and kind of go back and forth. That's man,
that's that's hard to deal with. And I don't know, you know, I can't imagine a scenario where Devonte Adams, you know, I know there was that talk that maybe that they're coming to some kind of you know, resolution here and he might end up staying with the race. I don't know how that happens now, based off seeing
the product that you're thrown out there. Offensively, it's just it's a it's a tough look and when man, it just paints the picture like when you feel like you don't have when you don't have a top fifteen quarterback, like obviously there's only a couple of teams that have those, you know, that really up upper level, elite tier quarterback. But man, you don't have like a guy that's in the top half of the league. You're really fighting and
you're struggling. And that's especially for a team that's got no run game like the Raiders. There's just nowhere to turn right now.
Who is going to get approved as a minority owner for the Raiders, by the way, that's close to coming down.
What's his name is part of that that ownership. Can't play in games, tom Brady just gonna.
I'm not saying tom Brady's not going to play in games, but if tom Brady's gonna own a little piece of the pie, right?
Uh?
A quarterback in college? Is there a quarterback in college that tom Brady's been mentoring? Is there anybody has anything? We've been reported about that guy up in Colorado that he's you know, has his cell phone number and they communicate all the time, and he's mentored him as of his relationship with Dion. Yeah, exactly, he's tight Colorado State baby. Uh No, I mean, I'm I'm looking at that. Why I've watched a lot of Shador over the last week.
He's still on the ball, really really well, really talented. And every time you watch the broadcast, they mentioned about how how tom Brady's been his mentor and all this kind of stuff. But I'm like, well, need a quarterback. You've got obvious connection to him. I think that Dion would be happy to see him play all his games indoors there in Vegas, and and the kind of the mystique in the marquee that the Raiders bring. Marketing stuff too. Yeah, yeah, he kind of fits. I think he actually kind of
liked that fit. We got plenty of time to get to the draft and mock drafts and all that stuff. But that was just my thought today. I'm like, I could see hid in the all black. They're the silver and black with the Raiders, would make some sense. All right, we'll get to some more games in just a moment. Let's rip through the remaining games here. Cleveland Philly, this is a game. Look, Browns, they are in trouble. I mean they're one in five. There's Kevin Stefancy came out.
He's not going to make a change of quarterback. This is what you got, Deshaun Watson. It's not pretty. It's ugly football. It's hard to watch. It is what it is. The story of this one, though, is on the other side with Philadelphia getting to win. They get to three and two, but it doesn't feel like a positive three and two, and it's just you know, look it. The story that's going to dominate is what uh coach Siriani
you know, did when he's interacting with the fans. So before we give our thoughts on that, let's hear what coach Sirianni had to say after the game.
I was having fun. I was having fun, and they kind of got some feedback from the guys. Is the sense of like, we need we need you and back Nick, we need we need your we need your energy, we need your your your focus, we need your like I've gotten that from a couple of players, and you know when I'm when I'm operating and having fun, I think that that that uh breeds to the rest of the football team.
So, uh, there's the interaction you see big dom there as as coach Siriani is talking to the fans, uh giving.
It to him. I I don't have his big issue with this, as everybody else does.
I know it's been kind of a popular topic to just be like, hey, you know you got to act to act like the head coach, and that's beneath you and it's immature and it's silly.
But I also think if we're.
Going to talk about out what we do every year when the coaching hiring cycle starts, right, we always say, hey, be yourself, be authentic. That's the most important thing. Don't try and be somebody else. We've seen everybody that's coach for Belichick try and be Belichick doesn't work. You've got to be who you are. I can say this honestly,
Nick Sirianni's one of one. There's nobody else like him in the NFL, and some people don't care for it, but the guy has had pretty good results if you just want to look at the win loss record of what he's done.
By the way, they're a little easier to watch when Aj Brown and Devonte smith A're playing like That's also that that was a much better product than what we've seen the last couple of weeks. So do you care?
I mean, it just seems like that was the big storyline coming out of that.
Do you really care?
You know what? I find it entertaining so have at a coach like I'm don't bother me at all, Like let's let's let's go have some fun. Yeah, I mean, like, be you right if that's if that's what it is, but hey, be ready for it right when it goes the other way, right, and when.
They're talking about that's what you get when you do that, that's what you yet.
Yeah, I don't really care. I don't really care. Just go win games.
Whatever you want to do after that, knock yourself out, but just go win football games. I don't want to pile on Cleveland. We've done it every week. They're one and five. Let's move to the next game. By the way, Cincinnati, go ahead.
Zadarias Smith, would he be on the edge rusher, trading block here?
You can throw him on the list for Detroit.
Yeah, he's been in that division a different times.
It's not gonna be Miles Garrett ain't going anywhere. You're not getting him, so we might as well look at some of those other names. Cincinnati and the Giants. Not a pretty performance from the Bengals, but they did what they had to do. Seventeen to seven. Defense looked good with what they were able to do. The first time the able a team in here ten points since twenty nineteen. That one kind of surprised me. Burn Chase Brown.
They've got a running back.
Yeah, that's what I took away exactly. And you know, especially after the efforts that you've seen on the defensive side from Cincinnati the last couple of weeks, like that, that's encouraging. Now, look, it's this is a again, a elite neighbors less New York Times. Did you get a replacement, by the way. For the rookie draft, I don't remember.
Yeah, I think I think I had McConkie. I don't think it scored me any points. It could have been a rough one for me. We'll find out tomorrow, but I don't think I had a good tomorrow on the rookie draft.
Yeah, it's so like, Look, I think that that is going to limit the New York Giants. Obviously they found a way to get it done last week without Neighbors against Seattle, but you know, they had those those touchdowns come from the blackfield goal and all that. So I didn't have that this time and felt like they were limited and so they need they need Neighbors back. Hopefully he comes back here.
Yeah, yeah, I'd like to see him back there. He's just been fun to watch. Let's get to Atlanta, Carolina. This game was close for a little bit and then all of a sudden, you know, you had the turnovers and the Falcons kind of opened it up late. They're four and too kind of I think right where we thought they would be looking at the landscape of the division right there in the mix.
Yeah, did you think they'd be rushing for two hundred yards. Though with with.
With Kirk, that sounds surprising when you look at the backs. They've got us solid offensive line, and when you actually have a credible quarterback, you can scare some safeties out of there. And also, it's not a good ball club their playing.
No, no, it's not not a lot of blue players on that team that was wearing blue.
And so I heard a lot from the Panthers after they got their one win.
By the way, those fans were all over me for saying I thought they'd have the first pick in the draft.
Oh, they're still on track at this point. I think it was good to look on the positive sicking. Yeah, things are tracking. Jatavian Sanders, you know, five catches forty nine yards in this game. Deontae Johnson showed up in this game. You know, Xavier Legette got a touchdown. If look, if you're looking for things to get excited about, you know, there's some young guys there that you're hoping to account on moving forward. But they're going to obviously have to
figure out the quarterback thing. And I would imagine if things continued down this track that we're probably going to see Bryce Young again here pretty soon.
Yeah, that was rough, by the way, the clip that was circulating around of of Mark Sanchez. You know, you need a prefer reception. He's talking about having a professional to be able to follow and emulate. And then we should have been a pick six if they don't take a knee and away the end zone. But anyways, not fortuitous there, Uh, Indie Tennessee, Uh you get it looks like the sound of it, we're gonna get We're gonna get Anthony Richardson back. I don't know if if the
Colts are excited about that or not. With the way Flacco has been rolling.
What would the Raiders give the Colts for Joe Flacco right now?
I don't think the Raiders necessarily want to Joe Flacco. They don't know.
They are motivated to win a lot of games this year rt. They need a quarterback of the future much better he's playing on Saturday.
Situation than the Raiders. That's considerably too.
But is your goal to win seven games or is your is your.
Goal to you know, finally solve that issue quarterback deal?
Yeah? I get it. Yeah, So look, I think it's uh, it's watching Joe Flacco play. It's fun what I think it's going to be. You know, I can't wait to see what happens, you know, when Anthony Richardson comes back. But like, do we still get Josh downs, you know in this game plan the way that he has been same with Michael Pittman. You know, they did all this without Jonathan Taylor in this game. So the Bolts are
in pretty good shape here. And I think, you know, and I know that Brian Callahan on the flip side said that he's still sticking with Will Levis. They need to show some signs of progress on that side.
Yeah.
Yeah, speaking of Will Levis, one of his targets not happy we can roll the audio. Calvin Redley eight targets, no receptions, his thoughts, I had its targets.
In the part of the game, fourth quarter.
A lot of them, all right, man, So need some in the beginning too, and they're like crazy for me. So I'm just know it is.
Yeah, but I gotta get the ball early in the game so I could be in the game and here with the team so I can play well.
Also, I don't know, we just don't know. We want to win the games, but I don't know.
Thoughts, thoughts, on that one.
It's like I, I mean, I understand where he's coming from. It's tough to verbalize that right in in in the public. I guess it's tough for anyone to take that. You know, it's easy to take that the wrong way, right, or maybe the way he's intended. But it's not a good It's not the look you want post game after your fourth loss of the team. I think is more the moral of the story. That's probably an internal conversation, but I understand the frustrations mounting eight times your targeted zero
catches and the majority of those targets come. You know, at the end of the game you need you need to get He's a guy's getting a rhythm. I understand that.
Part of it.
You know, I've I've uh, you've heard me say this before with quarterbacks. I've offered and I've said this when I've met with college quarterbacks coming into the process. I've given them the the answers to the test on how to handle the media, which is, hey, when you know, when things go wrong, it's me. When they go right, it's we like we always share credit and I'll own blame.
That's just quarterback press conference one oh one. Here's I've never done it with whiteouts, so here would be my free of charge advice to whiteouts to basically get the same message across that you just heard from Calvin Ridley, but just with this little twist, all you have to do is say, hey, man, it's look, we lost a ballgame. Nobody wants to win more than I do, and I just I want to be able to help us win. You know, I just would love to be more involved so I can help us win the game. I think
I can help us win. I'd love to get more opportunities, you know, to help my offense and to help us win ball games. Like you're saying the same thing, but you're just saying the motivation behind it is more like, Hey, I want this for the offense, I want this for the team, but you're still saying the same thing. Throw me the ball for crying out loud, give me some targets early in the ballgame.
See see. But then on move the sticks on Monday, you're going to have you know, somebody you know listening to that and saying, like, you know what I'm gonna read between the lines on what that selfish wide out Jeremiah is saying.
It's just such a nicer way.
It's just an easier way to say it is a nicer way.
Yes, you know, hey, look, we got a young quarterback, and I mean, I think I can help him. I really think I can help him. You know, I believe in him. But man, they got to give me some chances to help him, you know. And then it's always like you're not blaming the quarterback, you know. Yeah, workshop, we workshopped it, right, Yeah we did.
We got there.
You go Monday night. We've got a gain Media Services. Yes, that's our that's our little side business. My marketing company of apparently is fledgling. According to Drew is uh the bills Jets I have. I have maintained this is the best it's the best shoes to step into for an NFL head coach in NFL history. Literally, your first game, if you win, you're in first place. You're in first place. Your first game as a head coach. You will be lauded as taking them from basically the outhouse to the
penthouse like that. And it's one game at home against a team who would buy reputation is up here. But by actuality, how they are is really a little bit lower. So you're gonna get credit for beating the historical Buffalo Bills of the last five years versus what the Buffalo Bills have actually been this year.
The stadium is going to be raucous.
I mean, it's a Obrick is in a great situation to come in there and uh and get himself a win and really kind of take ownership of the entire franchise, the.
Emotional lift that they're gonna get. You know, they've been playing in front of the home crowd. I mean like yeah, I mean, I remember my dad was with the Saints, you know, Jim Mora and the Saints go and Mora's last year zero and five to start, he resigns. Rick Venturi comes in to be the interim head coach and you're like, well, and he's talking about we burn the ships. You know, we gotta get you. It's it's time in it. And you're like, coach, We're shoot, you know, pass by
pretty quick here, you know what I mean? But yeah, you gotta fight for first place in the AFC East. Not exactly the most juggerna GA visions one game and you're sitting pretty at the top now you got to stay there. You gotta find a way to stay there and find some consistency. Does the play color thing matter to you that much?
I don't.
I don't know that.
I know one thing.
TD todd down is going to have that play into Aaron's headset so fast he's now even to know what to do with it. Man, that barely when they turn on the system, he's ever going to have half the play call out of his mouth so he doesn't have to worry about Aeron on National TV looking over the side this gesture. So I'm anxious to see it. I'm akexious to see what it looks like. Again, it's all right there for the Jets and Buffalo. Buffalo's beat the
bad teams lost to the good teams. So this Jets team, I would say, is probably somewhere in the middle right now. So we'll see what Buffalo looks like. But I don't think they're you know, they have it all rolling like we had seen in the past with them, So big opportunity for the Jets tonight. Anything else you want to before we jump out of here.
No Hoosiers, Allie, so sick of hearing about the Hoosiers.
The padres are out. I hate baseball. Enjoy Monday night football. Everybody, We'll see you next time. Right here, I'm moving stick