We are just hours away from Week eleven kicking off in the NFL. BOYD, do we have a big one? Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Mike Garafollo, all the stars are coming out at Lincoln Financial Field. That is just the appetizer, main course. How about Patrick Mahomes versus Josh Allen on Sunday? Our Jeffrey Judea and Mark Ross are going to be here to help us break down the latest chapter in the Bills Chief Saga Jets Coles also a game that some people will watch on Sunday. Will it be one
of Aaron Rodgers' last games in the NFL? Here what the four time NFL MVP has to say? Now, go toward the light. Welcome inside with the insiders alongside Ian Rappaport, Judy Bautista Garifolo. I am Tom Pelissaro. It's a full house on this show today. You know what that means. It's Week eleven. Garrifolo's wearing some type of a trench goat thing while he's texting on the field and before we get to him, you know it's going down tonight in Philly.
We know who we are?
What was that?
This is a good football team anyway.
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The defender made it, Daniel didn't done it again.
And they hand them full up the bark play put down Daniel have to avoid him, run.
Run running round forty thirty by thirty.
What you're gonna do with Tomba right now?
You're floating good footmark player tell me Tom to night.
I've never seen that move, and I've been watching football Allline life.
Jade worked it.
Up, tornty on he rot it, get out.
Hurt the steep hurts, keep the bigle art down seven.
Fire. It is my love it at God dot down.
If you're not jacked up after watching this? How about this poster? I can't get enough of these? Is it a superhero movie? Has Jalen Hurt's actually been struck by lightning? Why is Jadeen Daniels burning in some kind of hell clouds? For more on those answers, let's go to the field at Lincoln Financial Field. That's where we find are Mike Karafola.
What do we got Mike there?
In Philadelphia?
We have got no shortage of story lines. Tom in this NFC East battle here with the Commanders looking to come off that disappointing loss to the Steelers. There a couple of things that went wrong lately that could have gone the other way. And this is a team that a lot of folks thought was we're playing with house money. You talk to them down there, They're like, no, we are in this to compete this year. Certainly that was why they made the trade for Marshawn Lattimore, who has
been ruled out. They will be without him once again.
Uh.
But the work week this past couple of days was these guys got right back to work, right back to that confidence that they have been playing with, so looking to put that on display tonight against the Eagles. They will have running back Brian Robinson back. My understanding is he's expected to be a full go in his return. I know both teams want to run the football. That's going to be a big key. Which team winds up
running the football. Bet are probably going to be the indication of who's going to win this game.
Tonight.
We got the return of Zach Ertz. Julie's going to be on hand here with his son Madden as well. I talked to him a couple of days ago. He says, I can't make it about that. If I start to make it about that, I'll come out of my game plan with regard to what he needs to do for this Commander's team to win. So an exciting NFC East matchup here for positioning at the top of a two horse race in the nfcas.
Well.
This is a huge litmus test for the Commanders because it is going to be a two team race in the NFC East and they are coming off a loss to the Steelers.
Let's place it.
They haven't had to come off too many losses this year, but they're coming off a loss to the Steelers where the Steelers were able to get people around Jayden Daniels and sort of sped him up. He did not play particularly well in that game, and as a matter of fact, something to keep an eye on is his completion percentage is off since he suffered the rib injury in Week seven, So that's something to keep an eye on if that's
bothering him. But again, the Steelers were able to get bodies around him, or the Eagles going to be able to get pressure around him. Will that affect him again tonight? Certainly the running games are going to be critical. These are two outstanding rushing offenses. As for rushing defenses, the Eagles have one of the top five wins that commanders have a bottom five rushing defense. That's certainly an inequity to keep an eye on.
Well for me, a couple of things to watch, I'd say, first of all, for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Who are really good and have really really put a good product down the field the last couple of weeks.
It's not like their schedule has been the hardest, right Like, obviously they've taken care of what they need to take care of, but I'm not sure how many big time tests there have been. Tonight is a big time test. It's in the division is a pretty feisty defense. It's a young quarterback that the entire world is talking about, entire world is watching, and you know this Eagles defense. Vic Fangio's defense has really garnered a ton of praise
as one of the top units in the NFL. We will see because I'm not sure how many quarterbacks lately like Jaden Daniels, they faced, So that is going to be fun to watch as teams try to figure out like how good each of them are, Like this will be essentially a Limus test for the egos and then the other side of it. You know, Jaden Daniels has had an unbelievable meteoric rise of good feeling and good fortune and you know, almost all of it caused by him,
and it has been very cool to watch. Didn't win last week, and as Judy mentioned, like it hasn't been quite as easy since that injury.
How well can he bounce back?
How well can he kind of stave off any sort of low or slump a lot on display tonight for.
All of us watching, and I am very excited about it.
No matter what happens tonight, I am sure there will be a measured response from that crowd in Philadelphia. It's not the only tasty divisional matchup, but they do on
the week eleventh sleek. Might I interest you in Packers Bears, a matchup that bell was notable in part because Caleb Williams, the number one pick, is going to have a new play caller at Soldier Field, but also because Jordan Love, who was dealing with a groin injury a couple of weeks ago, was not really entirely moving like himself in
the game against the Lines. He had the bye to rest listed as a full participant I in, which certainly bodes well for how he's going to be feeling here for the stretcher.
Yeah, and there's a couple of different parts of this thing, like remember when you remember because you did it, remember when you put out the initial injury estimate on Jordan.
Love and it was like, you know, three to six weeks, right, that was the knee.
And then it's like, well, he gets back, and then he wasn't himself for at least a couple of weeks, and then he was.
Back feeling to himself, probably by that six weeks.
Well, with this groin injury, he didn't miss any time, but probably wasn't exactly himself. Then you get to a couple weeks later and you're like, all right, now he's himself. Now he's one hundred percent. And I think that's the way it is with Jordan Love. It really does take on a different significance for him from being okay, he's on the field, that's cool, to being okay, he is back to his whole self fully, like he can be under center. More play action game can get a little
more Love here. Has he played his best football recently, No, but he's also been pretty banged up essentially, well, not essentially, he's been banged up the entire season.
Now, finally healthy, finally.
Full participate, you are going to see the Jordan Love that the entire NFL world fell in love with at the end last year. The entire reason the Packers gave him all that money to start the season. A very very good benchmark for Love this week.
Jordan Love already has a short term lease agreement on the Bears. Aaron Rodgers, I believe technically and legally still owns them, though he's now a member of the New York Jets. He's got his own issues to worry about. This week, they're three and seven, hitting do a game against the Colts. It feels like every game is an elimination game for New York. So what does all that mean about Aaron Rodgers in twenty twenty five?
And I think that the verdict's still not out on this season, yet, but I think it's it's always a challenge when when they're singing your praises or tearing it down outside the building, it's it's an important, important, challenge. You know, I don't really you know, look at it and stuff. So I'm I'm unaware unless the guy that's doing a voir deer right now is telling me what's going on with, you know, with the messaging out there. So I like to insulate myself, and I care about
the opinions of these guys in locker room. That's obviously not the case with everybody. You start going down that that path where you're interacting on social media with fans or any of you you people, it doesn't doesn't always end the right way, you know, And I think that's a good reminder for all of us. When you're right now, you can't be reading it and loving that seratonin that's coming from these positive things just saying about you when they're tearing you down.
You can't either.
So that's part of the lessons of the season so far.
You talked about wanting to play beyond this year. Therefore, has the way this season gone for you or as a team? Change?
Stop talk at all?
Not really?
Not for the negatives, No, not really.
So you still want to play in twenty twenty five, I think so.
Yeah.
At various points, Judy, we heard Aaron Rodgers muse not just about playing one more year, but maybe two, three, four more years. There is a blowing with the wind aspect to this. Nobody truly knows what Aaron Rodgers is going to do from year to year. But when you hear him say that, I think so yes, what's your reaction?
My immediate reaction was, that is a lot less certain sounding than we have heard him sound, even in training camp when he told Baldy and me he wanted to play two years this year and next year for the Jets because you wanted to to have two super Bowl opportunities, and even earlier in the offseason when he'said two, three, maybe four years. So keep that in mind, but also keep a really big piece of this. This may not be entirely his decision. We know there's going to be
a new head coach. There's very likely to be a new general manager. Woody Johnson, the owner could very well take a job in the new administration, and so Christopher Johnson could be running the franchise, and whoever is making the football decisions may not want to start with a forty one year old quarterback who is coming off what might be his worst season as a professional football player, So there are a whole lot of moving parts, and we don't even know who's going to be making the
final decisions for the New York Jets. But just keep in mind he did not sound as certain, and I think we have to see if the people who are running the New York Jets when these decisions have to be made, are all that certain about Aaron Rodgers.
I just have an observation because we run the Aaron Rodgers sound every week, and I'm starting to think that there's some kind of challenge or something behind the scenes. I know he's an educated guy. I know that, Like we know he's a smart guy. We know he's well read, just ask him. But seratonin, did I hear that there? I remember there being a Day new Mont earlier in the year. I feel like he's, you know, behind the scenes. I watch this word or maybe they're challenging him.
I think it is.
I think it is.
I think I think there's a challenge going on, and we are as he referred to us, there you people. He is using you people as a way of playing a little.
Game with the media.
That's right.
I would like to know more about this.
I get those word of the day emails I always open every single time, so they keep sending it. How did I get on that email list? I have no idea, but they keep coming and I keep learning a few more every day. Kirk Cousins, that seems like something he would do as well right now, though he's focused on
playing quarterback. Listen is limited on the injury report on Wednesday with right shoulder right elbow injuries, but upgraded to full participation today, Mike, which certainly would seem to erase any doubt that he's going to be out there this week at Denver. Yeah, that's it.
That's the report. Everything you just said was what I was going to say. He was upgrade at the full checked in with the folks in Atlanta, had got a sense that there was no concern over Kirk Cousins and his right shoulder and right elbow injuries. Just gonna repeat them, take some time, maybe punch a couple of words and make it seem like I said something different than what you just said, Tom, But that is the report.
Yes, if anybody ever had any doubt about whether this show is scripted, whether we have teleprompters, no, we do not. And sometimes I snip all over my colleagues here when I'm trying to just simply set.
Up the question in an intelligent manner.
I'm sure Aaron Rodgers has a word or two for that. Another quarterback in the AFC Strake May and the Patriots went into Soldier Field. They beat them nineteen to three. Last week. The offensive coordinator before Chicago got fired the next day. You're not supposed to lose to this Patriots team. Get here they are. They got three wins at a time that, as offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelton noted today, their young quarterbacks still learning a few things.
He's still growing, he's still pop, So that'll be one. I'm sure it'll hold him for the rest of the year and he'll learn from moving forward. That a thing we always say, if nobody's opened, there's one guy that's always open, and that's the tuba player in rote four. So I like to see him put that ball right in the tuba.
I'm not sure where. I mean, I know where Alex Van Pelt played football. Were there more tuba players twenty years ago? Judy in the league. Was that common at NFL games? Because you're not getting a ton of bands these days.
All I can think of is the minute men who are at Patriots games, like in one of the ends Z one, like, don't shoot at one of those rifles. Don't throw the ball at one of those rifles. That would be bad anyway. But Drake may is doing okay. He's playing pretty well, especially considering what's around him right We know the offensive line is not that Grady doesn't have a whole lot of weapons.
They're not.
They don't have explosive playmakers. But he's ascending. His trajectory is good. As a matter of fact, I think right now, given the Caleb Williams backsliding, you might say he's playing second best to Jayden Daniels among the rookie quarterbacks. You know, he's been good against the Blitz. Five of his seven touchdown passes have come against the Blitz. He's got to cut down on the interceptions, which is what Alex man Pelt was referring to there. But he's completing almost sixty
five percent of his passes on the whole. I think given the supporting cast that's around him right now, he's doing okay. He showed some real leadership ability and some toughness. I think the Patriots from their vantage point, are really happy with what they have seen from him during what they know is a rebuilding season, and I think they feel pretty confident they got their guy there.
You know, when we talked about the Colts yesterday and the decision about Anthony Richardson.
One of the things I talked about was Billy.
Thing that really matters is you come out of the season knowing whether or not you have a franchise quarterback for the Patriots and Drake May obviously rookie as was the second year guy, but the way he has played really does look like they got the guy that they thought.
Meanwhile, on the.
Other side of the ball, the Patriots got a guy back on defense and that is Christian Barmore.
This is an unbelievably cool story for the.
Patriots and for Barmore. He has been on the non football injury list. There he is big number ninety, one of the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL, and as his contract states now, one of the richest. He has been out the entire season on the non football injury list because of blood clots that started in his calf and worked his way up his body. As unfortunately, blood cuts do. It was undiagnosed, essentially, just thought he had some calf pain and thought it.
Was a little bit of a bruise.
Jim Whale and the Patriots had athletic trainer basically forced him to go get it checked out. Ended up saving his life. Did treatment came out well. Now back on the football field, I don't know if he's going to play this week. They want to measure expectations and say, you know, just because he's back, doesn't mean he's going to be the superstar that he was.
Does it matter?
The fact that he's back is an amazing win for everyone involved in a very very cool.
Thing to see.
Patriots hosts the Rams on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Ravens have a big divisional game that's the theme of this week against these Steelers. And a bit of good news for Baltimore in practice today. Safety Kyle Hamilton, who had suffered an ankle injury last Sunday, back on the practice field for the first time.
Here.
We'll see and monitor his participation level and whether or not he's good to go, but certainly a good omen that he's out there and moving around like this. Per Ryan Mink on the social media machine earlier today. Also good news for all of us who enjoy going to Indianapolis, having some shrimp cocktails, some steaks, and walking around in the climate controlled skywalks. The scouting Combine will remain in
Indianapolis into twenty twenty six. It was already going to be there this coming February, s last March, it will all straight back the following year. That announcement coming from the and the City of Indianapolis today. No better place to have the combine. And really, do you really care where you're watching Sam Hartman's hair bounce? I think I would take this regardless of the venue. We will all be watching a couple other quarterbacks. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes
on Sunday. It is a huge game in Buffalo. But who's got the edge and the matchup of a team that always wins in the regular season between these teams and the team that always knocks the other guys out in the playoffs. Our Jeffrey Todia Mark Ross will be here to help us break that down.
Next on the Insiders, this might be the game of the season coming up, and as the chief Social team said, they meet again. This is how it usually goes. The Bills generally win in the regular season. Last three in a row they've beaten the Chiefs in the regular season, and then the postseason comes around and it turns around and the Chiefs have won the last three times they faced each other in the postseason. Patrick Mahomes has some thoughts on.
That playing this I mean, the best of the best, that's what you want in this league. And I've been able to go against Josh a multitude of times, and every single game he comes down to the very end and he's the guy that competes and he has that fire. I think you can see that fire that he plays with and that kind of goes through his entire team, and a lot of guys have had a lot of success, and so we know it's gonna take our best football. I think that's what we know, and if we don't,
we're gonna lose. And we've lost them and we've won some. So I'm just hoping that this week we can get out there play our best football and find a way to get a win.
You would think the Chiefs would actually be happy with how this has broken down. Jeffrey Chidia and Mark Ross. It seems to have worked out well.
For the Chiefs.
But Jeffrey, I want to start with you, because the Chiefs have certainly had some protection issues on the left side in particular, How concerned are they about their left tackle situation?
Yeah, some protection issues is an understatement, Judy. They've got serious protection issues at left tackle. You know, Yanya Morris has been the starter and he went out in the last game against Denver and Kingsley Suamataia, their second round pick came in and it was a disaster. Denver Broncos line up with four sacks. They were dominant at times while he was in the game. More should be back. He yet a knee injury. That's been an up and down thing for him this season. But Patrick Mahomes said
he believes in these guys. He trusts that they will get the job done for him. But again, you're stalking about an offense that wance to throw the football down the field. They can't get Xavier Worthy going, and if they're not able to protect again, Mark, it's going to be a serious issue for a Buffalo Bill's defense that's.
Pretty good, yeah, no question.
And a part of that which he talked about, is this look that Kansas City is having all though he struggles and it doesn't matter, like, just get it too
the last play and we'll go win it again. But I think the biggest differential there is the Kansas City defense has really been holding this together once again, dare we say that the greatest head coach of the generation, Andy Reid, and the greatest quarterback and now it's a defensive team played by my man, Steve Spagnola, the architect of our two thousand, Seve and Giants Super Bowl wins. So once again I'm looking to see Kansas City defense.
Really they have to hold it together against Buffalo's third rank scoring offense and Josh Allen, And I think that's really going to be the key to the game because we kind of know what to expect from the Kansas City offense that at this point is a lot of struggles, but the defense has been holding it together. And for Buffalo's offense, we know what Josh Allen can do. They've
shown they can run the ball. Will Amari Cooper play to give them that extra playmaker for Josh Allen, he's been banged up, going to be if until game time. If he can play, then that makes the Buffalo offense even more potent, and we'll see what my man, Steve Bagnola has died up for it.
If that's the case, we.
All love spags.
But let's talk about the wide receivers, Jeffrey, because they do have some injury issues in the Buffalo wide receiver room. How they're going to manage that they do.
You're talking about not just Amari Cooper being her key on Coleman. Their rookie receiver is not going to play in this game because of a risk injury. Dalton Kincaid did not practice at least for not outdooring the public portion of the practice today with that knee injury. So
we'll see if they're down three receivers. But you know, Joe Brady, their offensive cordiator, talked about this and said that they're getting used to this because they've had the mix and match players throughout the course of this season. He joked that at some points it feels like his play call she looks like a Picasso painting because there's so many marks and scratches and scuffs on it because he's trying to figure out who to get the ball to.
But this is still a potent offense with James Cook and Dawson Knox and all those receivers, so they know it's a tough challenge. The bigger thing to look at here, though, is pass protection. This team is fourth in the league protecting the quarterback, and mark that Chiefs defense is not really getting after the passer as it has been in the years past.
Thank you, guys, Jeffrey Mark, thanks so much. And when we return, we're going back down the turnpike to Philadelphia. We're going to join Mike Grifola more on the big Thursday night football matchup.
Commanders Peoples for the lead in the NFC.
Yes, we talked yesterday about the detail, right. We talked yesterday about the physicality. We talked yesterday about the talent that we have, and we said we want to do special, and to do special, you gotta do it together.
There was a moment in this game, right, all right, we came out fourteen to six and a half.
All Right, defense gets a stop, special teams gets a big return, offense punches in.
That's complimentary football, right.
Continue to find ways that we grow closer together because about that's how you do special, right, and we're all into special, right, Keep coming closer together as a team.
I feel it.
I know y'all feel it.
It's a great win, all right, But we're gonna have to move on quick.
Oh yeah, battle for first place in the NFC East. The upstart Commanders, the Old Guard, I don't wanna call them the old Guard, but there. You know, they're the guys that have been pretty much the litmus test for the NFC East over the last couple of years. They meet tonight Thursday night, Football Commander's Eagles here at Lincoln Financial Field. You want some specials, we got some special Brian Boudinger and Mark Ross joining us.
Baldy.
I know we're talking about Jalen and Jayden, but I think I know what your key to the offense is for both of these teams, and I like it.
What it is.
I mean both teams. I mean there are two of the teams that run the ball more than they throw it higher percentage. The Commanders will get Ryan Robinson Junior back. He's their thumper. They need him in the lineup to be more effective. But honestly, I mean Sakwan came to the Eagles. He knows what the NFC East is all about.
He knows what these matchups, mean he's played in some of these games, not a lot, but some of these game to the Giants, and this team is built around his skill set right now, and they've got him going. And you know, right now he's averaging one hundred and ten yards rushing a game, only second to Derrick Henry at one hundred and twelve yards game.
He's having his best season.
And I would expect that the Eagles will do the very best tonight behind a powerful offensive line to try to get Saque going and really established that run game.
And everything has when it goes well to the Eagle, it starts with the run game.
Baldy, no doubt. As sat Quon has gone, the Eagles have gone. And I am going to talk about the quarterbacks. And I think the big difference of the finer point difference will be who doesn't turn the ball over. And our man Jalen Hurts has turned it over nine times this year, whereas Jaydon Daniels has only turned it over
two times. You think the rookie would be the one making the mistakes, and we've seen Jalen make a lot of mistakes this year that have cost them these last few weeks against these bad teams that has not cost them. But I think that when you get two teams this evenly matched, the fine line will be the turnover battle at all. You know, every game I've ever gone into
the coach they've talked about winning the turnover battle. And I know it's been constantly harped on with Jalen as Kenny stopped turning it over, and even last week he turned it over. So if he doesn't turn it over, obviously against the Eagles a better chance, But that will be the difference. And really the bigger picture is I know this, we're going to hype this game up. It's going to be great, but are these teams any good? Of fourteen wins? Two wins between these two teams have
come against teams with winning records. That was the Eagles first game, very first game against Green Bay, and the Washington beat Arizona when they hadn't become really the good Cardinals yet. So you know, are these teams just beating up on bad teams fellas or are these actually legitimate teams in the NFC?
Yeah, I know that's been the question about the Eagles, but you can say at least they handled those teams the way you're supposed to handle teams that have inferior
records to you. So now this has bit of a litmus test really for both teams tonight, Mark specifically with Jayden having trouble with this this week, Jalen Jaden specifically with Jayden Daniels coming off a long We know what he could do, like, we've seen the ability and all that stuff, but as a quarterback, especially in a short week after a loss like that, you got to get
these guys right. So Jaden Daniels, what was he need to do to make sure that the Commanders are ready for this NFC East matchup after that disappointing loss to Pittsburgh.
Well, he hasn't faced anything like this, Mike and Baldy, as you know, going into the link on a Thursday night. I know he's played at some big games at LSU and a few this year already. But this is a whole different deal here playing in Philly, work for him for eight years, right down the road now here going to go watch the game with my mob. I mean, this is going to be something different for him. But
I think he's built for this. There's certain players, there's certain quarterbacks that are just built for the moment, and every time this guy gets a moment, he just goes in there and pretty much crushes these moments. And I think he'll continue to do that if he plays great tonight. We don't know, but I think the moment will not
be too big for him. And I think the team has total confidence in what he can do and that he will have the ability to bounce back from the performance last week and say, you know what, I can do this, and everyone has confidence in that Baldy.
You know, Mark, he's an incredibly poised kid.
He just is.
Anybody that meets him, spends any time with him, they come away saying the same thing and then you see that carry over to the game. But you know, honestly, this Eagles defense and the resurgence and how they're playing, and maybe to your point, Mark, maybe they're just beating up on a lot of bad teams right now. But they've got two rookies after starting that have made a difference.
Gwinyon Mitchell at the right cornerback position. I can't find anybody who beat him this year, and he plays the game with poise and with his feet, and then Cooper dejen Once they've inserted him into the nickel back spot. He just keeps making big play after big play. And those two guys tonight are gonna see a lot of Terry McLaurin, a wide receiver who's been an Eagle killer over the years. And they're gonna see Zach Ertz, the former Eagle who's having a good season. They are the
two leading receivers. They will get matched up in man coverage or even in the matchup zone concepts that Vic Fangio has.
They're gonna see those two young players a lot tonight.
And I want to see how those guys hold up against Jayden Daniels and against Cliff Kingsbury Stephens tonight.
Are offense tonight.
I think those are two of the matchups I can't wait to kind of watch here in a couple hours.
Baldy h don't go far.
Got you coming up shortly here, Mark Ross, appreciate you very much. Jalen versus Jayden just a couple hours away.
You got it, You got it, Mike, what.
I'm good?
Here?
It drops straight back a bad right corner of the end zone.
Harrison home, want a cat for at much down Warburn Harrison Junior halls it in.
You can't talking down.
Come on, man, woo whoosh.
And he's gonna keep it running right to the outside ten the end zone for a second touchdown.
What how about the comeback of Kyler Murray and the first place Arizona Cardinals. Murray NFC Offensive Player of the Week Arizona right now one of the best stories in football. Look at the NFC West standings. It is the Cardinals on top. Obviously, the forty nine ers starting to get a little bit healthier at this stage, the Rams coming off of a tough loss, The Seahawks have slid since
their hot start. The Cardinals, Yes, the Cardinals are forks to be reckoned with right now in the NFC playoff picture. Welcome back to the insiders. Tom Pellisero here with Omar Ruiz, Brian Baldinger as well as Mark Ross. Omar, I'll start out with you, what do the Cardinals attribute this success to? With the fact that coming off of a four win season that was impressive by four win season standards, they've already got six on the board and potentially could be playing late into January.
Well, Tom, you looked at the highlight reel to start this segment with Kyler Murray getting blasted by Quincy Williams, who came in off the edge untouched. Kyler Murray's helmet goes flying. What happened after that, a drive that culminated with Marvin Harrison Junior's touchdown, is everything that the Cardinals have been talking about. Kyler Murray on full display and a big reason why they are in first place by themselves.
At six and four.
Murray gets smashed there on that play, gets back. Jonathan Gannon credits Drew Petsing, the offensive coordinator, for calling a handoff to James Connor. He gets eight yards, sets up a third and ten, They call time out, allows Kyler Murray to gather himself once again, hangs in the pocket after getting smashed by Williams a couple plays before, hangs in the crumbling pocket and hits Trey McBride on third
and ten. Converts in the clutch on that play and then the very next one dropping that dime in to Marvin Harrison Junior for that touchdown. So we saw everything about Kyler Murray how he's been playing this season. That particular sequence a microcosm of that. The toughness, the skill set,
the leadership all on display. Meanwhile, Baldy defensively, I specifically remember in training camp Darius Robinson, the other first round pick that the Cardinals drafted to go along with Marvin Harrison Junior back in April to help with the pass rush. He was just announced that he had that injury that we've yet to see him play so far this season. Bjojulari gets hurt. They're counting on him to take a
big step this year. He's out for the season, and Jonathan Gannon saying, I know it may sound crazy to you guys, We're not going to go after anybody. We're not going to make any moves. We're not going to bring in a star here in training camp. I believe
in the players that we have defensively. You'll see, we'll scheme them up, we'll coach them up, and we have a belief and weekend and week out, Baldy, it's a different player stepping up defensively, and they are coming together when they've needed it.
Big reason why.
As well, in addition to Kyler Murray's play, that defense has them in first place.
Baldy omar, this is a very.
Well coached team and they play like a a well coach team. They don't beat themselves. Kyler has turned it over six times in ten games. They're getting contributions. The offensive line is solid. You go around the league and you look at offensive lines. Now you look at Paris and Evan Brown.
And fro Hold. This is a good group.
And you know, Tristan Coloonne has stepped in and Beach has stepped in as you know, the third right tackle. But they run the ball well. They run the ball with power. They run the ball when they have to, when they have a leade. The defensive coordinator, Nick Rayalis, I think he's the youngest in the league.
He came there. I think he was twenty eight years old, you know, but they believe in him and the.
Way that he pulls out some of these pressures to get to Aaron Rodgers, to get to Rock Perty and key spots of the game. They've overcome some of the loss of those pass rushers. The thing that I look forward to in the second half is I think the schedules. Outside of these first two games on the road in Minnesota in Seattle, you know they're two and zero in the division. They get New England and Carolina at home.
They've got winnable games on the schedule. But I look for Marvin Harrison Junior to have a great second half. I don't think he's been utilized very well so far, even with the six touchdown catches. They're gonna get Darius Robinson back on the defensive front. They're gonna get some of these rookies back for the second half of the season, and I like rookie enthusiasm. They kind of pushed veterans into a playoff spot. I think they're gonna find one.
I think they're well led by Buddha Baker, James Connor, and Kyler Murray, and it shows up week in week.
Out right now, you guys touched on it. Why I like the Cardinals this year as opposed to the Cardinals of the past. I don't think toughness and physicality would have ever been associated with the Cardinals in their history there and when I watched them Omar you alluded to it with Kyler taking that hit. But they are tough and they are physical. James Connor is tough and physical. Trey McBride is tough and physical. Marvin Harrison Junior, when he gets his hands on the ball is tough and physical.
The defense despite all those no names there, led by Buddha Baker, is tough and physical. And I watched them and it's like, Wow, this team really brings it and that is bringing the energy, and that is bringing the wins. And then you get the magic of Kyler Murray and the things he can do playing at an outside of Lamar Jackson MVP level that this team I think is legit. Baldy,
you talked about they're well coached as well. So when you get those elements of a supreme playmaker, a lot of talent on offense, physicality and toughness and well coached, this is for real here with the Cardinals.
I don't think this is a fluke whatsoever.
Fellas NFC West very tightly packed at this point. Omar and games like this week for the Seahawks could play a big role in who comes out on top.
Yeah, the forty nine Ers probably the biggest threat to the Cardinals at this point. Mark talked about the toughness and physicality of the Cardinals. Well, obviously we've talked about the forty nine ers for years having those two attributes and reason why they have appeared in four or five NFC Championship games and appear poised at this point to make a run in the second half to have five of six potentially NFC Championship game appearances. And it starts
with the return of Christian McCaffrey. We talk about how he opens up everything in that offense. You see Brock Purdy going deep there for George Kittle. The five forty nine ers dot caught passes from Purdy on Sunday against the Buccaneers. Deebo, Jwan Jennings, Ricky pearsall, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey all had catches of at least thirty yards, so that big play capability them going down the field. You have to think that Christian McCaffrey's presence helping do that.
And here's McCaffrey himself getting his big play in that regard. Then you have the sideline spat between Deebo Samuel and their long snapper Tabor Pepper, something that Kyle Shanahan described as an overreaction. Pepper overreacting to the words that Deebo had for Jake Moody, their kicker who missed three field goals.
Shanahan saying that he and Jake Moody didn't have an issue with what Deebo Samuel was telling him, So Pepper overreacting in that regard and then Deebo Samuel overreacting and how he wanted Pepper to get out of his face. But sometimes those things can galvanize a team and really spur them in the second half to get on that
same page. They got some good vibes earlier this week when one of the most popular players in that locker room, Diamondor Lenor, had the huge contract extension, somebody who has been a tone setter for that defense starting last year and then rewarded into this season playing at an extremely
high level. So you look at all those factors in place for the forty nine ers to really turn it on here in the second half and make that surge to get to the top of the NFC where they've been for years and years and years.
Now, Omar NH might very well go on a run like they did a year ago when they came out of the buying, went six in a row, and you know, we're the team to beat in the NFC, But their special team problems have not gone away, and it's not just Jake Moody missing three field goals last week.
It's the buff punt, you know, It's it's week in, week out.
This team like really doesn't put anything special in their special team and it's an issue and it's cost him games this year, you know. And if you go around this division now, the Rams are still trying to get Kyrin Williams going. He was the key to the second half surge a year ago. The offensive line had struggled. They got a couple of starters back last week against Miami that didn't really you know, prove to be anything great.
You know, we got to see how the secondary with the Rams, you know, comes together here down to stretch, because it has not been a strength of theirs.
So far this season. And Seattle, look, they just released their starting middle linebacker.
They've had major issues on defense, trying to adopt Mike McDaniel when what he wants to do, you know, as far as Mike McDonald what he wants to do defensively right now.
And I don't trust their offensive line.
It's just they haven't figured out how to protect you well enough or to get Kenni's Walker going.
And so I feel like.
Arizona doesn't have a lot of these issues, and why I think they're still going to be standing here as they get ready to play the Rams and forty nine ers to finish out the season. Maybe this division comes down to those last two weeks.
In this league.
Baldy use the word I was thinking about trust, like who do you trust the most and who has the highest ceiling in the division? Seattle, I don't trust them at all. You talk about the offensive line. You watched Seattle game in a game out, like what is his team doing here? But and then the Rams don't After that lost last week against Miami, seems like things are going in the right direction. I don't trust them down the stretch anymore. So it comes down to San Fran
and Arizona and who you trust more. And when I watch San Fran, it just seems as if I don't know, just things aren't working out quite right like we've seen before.
But they're still in it. And ultimately I do trust Arizona the most out in this division because of the factors we already talked about with the quarterback and the physicality and the toughness and being well coached, and they've beaten San Francisco already in San Francisco, So that extra motivation of the extra confidence we can do this, you know, to be the man, you gotta beat the man.
They've done it once.
The last game of the season is in Arizona. That'd be the biggest game in Arizona in a long time if the division comes down to those two. So I think it'll go right down there to the end between those two and the other two out of it, and I'm going to ultimately go with the Cardinals there.
And we talked about the toughness and the physicality of the Cardinals and Tommy, you remember last year and speaking with Drew petsiing that's something that they were establishing last year. Maybe they didn't have the talent to find ways to win.
Well.
This year, they're finding those ways to win. They blow people out when it happens, they win games that they shouldn't win. They can win games going back and forth. So they're a young team that is finding its consistency and finding ways to win and obviously have been a huge factor for their success here.
Omar Baldy, Mark, thank you all very much. Enjoy Week eleven kicking off tonight in Philadelphia. We got some other good games. We've got some players coming back from injuries going into this weekend as well, including in that Seattle game. DK Metcalf was a full participate in practice on Wednesday, first time that he had practiced at all since he suffered that low grade MCL spring several weeks ago, missed a couple of games, had the bye week to rest up.
Certainly sounds like he is on track to be back and face the forty nine ers. San Francisco has had its own injury issues, to say the least, throughout the course of this season. One of the latest, George Kittle, their standout tight end, did not practice a practice on Wednesday because of a hamstring issue. Kyle Shanahan had downplayed it, said it was just some soreness, but certainly one to monitor. George Kittle tends to miss some practice time, usually shows
up on Sundays. We'll see if indeed that is the case. Also a significant injury with a two time defending Super Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs as they get set to go to Buffalo. I was told literally during that segment Cheeves kicker Harrison Bucker expected to miss three to four weeks, likely headed to injured reserve. He suffered a meniscous injury in his left knee. He's going to undergo
arthroscopic surgery to clean that up. I am told no concern that this is anything season ending for Butker should be back well before we get the playoff time. But for now, the Chiefs are signing Spencer Schrader off the Jets practice squad in Buffalo. But the way the win can go there, if it comes down to a game winning kick, no butt kicker for the Chiefs, It'll be
Spencer Schrader getting the call. Coming up after this, the Cowboys have their own injury issues to soar through, namely Dak Prescott out for the season undergoing season ending hamstring surgery. Mike McCarthy said, it's Cooper Rush again this week, but for how long? And could we soon see Trey Lance at least in packages as well? Nobody knows the Cowboys like our James. Later, she joins us next on the Insiders.
For better or worse, the Dallas Cowboys are going to be seeing a lot of that guy. There's been good a couple of years ago, went four and one, then won another game in relief.
He has played good football. Did he play good football last week?
Now?
He certainly did not. But this is the reality.
Now, It's gonna be a lot of Cooper rush now that Dak Prescott had season ending surgery on his hamstring.
The Cowboys want the good Cooper, not the not so good Cooper.
But either way, as Mike McCarthy notes today, they're gonna need to rely a lot on their run game, which now will take on a little bit of a different focus for Dallas.
Yeah, definitely gotta get them the ball. I mean, you know, that's that's my focus. You know, just continue to get him opportunities. Uh, he's you know, he's the lead back, and you know, I thought he had a really good first half and I think that's really illustrated by you know, the attempts. You know, Rico needs touch the ball.
Probably good news for those fantasy teams that have Rico Downell. I don't, by the way, welcome in Jane Slater are Cowboys guru.
And guru of obviously many many other things.
Okay, I want you to weigh in on the Rico'dowdell news slash declaration slash making official where it seemed to kind of be going anyway.
But the Cowboys have that injuries, as we've detailed, they got.
Other issues to take me through some of these scoring issues that the Cowboys have had.
Listen, third quarter has been an issue for them. But one way you might be able to address this is why don't you get a little bit of help on offense? In terms of consistency? Running back by committee is gone. It's been an internal debate, I think in this building.
Ian.
I mean at times we saw them rolling out four different running.
Backs, and you talk to a lot of players, you talk to coaches, and they will tell you that it is a philosophy that many of them disagree with back to the one position that needs to get in a rhythm. Now, you might push back and say, well, look, you guys had Tony Pollard in Dallas and Zeke mark Ingram and Camara go down the list. Yes, when you have change of backs are complimentary. Back the way they were doing it just wasn't working. So we started to see Rico
Daddle take that lead back role in games. And now it's official and it sounds like Mike McCarthy has finally won an internal debate. So maybe that will address those third quarter wos that I was telling you about. I have joked with Rico Daddel yesterday. I said, are you guys not eating enough uncrustables at the half?
Down?
All half laugh?
But he did say, in all seriousness, they've been outscored eighty two to twenty second in the third quarter.
That is a minus sixty differential. How does that stack up against the league?
Almost double that of the second worst brows. Now, Donald tells me they do come up with a plan at the half, and they know what they need to do based on the first half, but it isn't happening. He said, quote definitely something we've got to get fixed. And I went back and I looked at looked at the third quarter against the Eagles. Here's here's a way to help. But why don't you have drives that are more than
five plays? This was their third quarter punt, punt, fumble, fumble, interception, punt, and again most of those were three or four plays. The longest was five. So let's see if the running game can help them extend some of those drives.
I think that's sort of the focus here.
You left the lot out there by talking about the internal debate that Michae McCarthy one, which I'd like to ask you about. But the Cowboys are also playing another team this week. The Houston Texans say their offensive issues have been slightly under the radar, but very real offensive line issues have been real. They are getting a big piece potentially back this week. Talk to me about the Texans and Nico Collins.
The return of Nico Collins cannot be understated.
Ian.
If we look at the Houston Texans and some of their woes on offense, remember they start off the season four and one and they've been on a two.
In three run as of late.
Now.
Some of that has to do with some of the offensive line plays. I mean, when you look at c. J.
Stroud, he's been astonishedlyly sacked thirty four times this season, and this is with three veterans on the offensive line and just two young guys in Week nine eight times against the Jets for just this week. Now, when you get Collins back, he helps with the separation and the stats really show that. According to next Gen with Nico, the Texans saw less interceptions, less dropbacks, higher completion rating, and more touchdowns. But for Stroud specifically, less sacks, and
blitzes Titan Dalton. Schultz says, more than anything, it's his mentality that's contagious.
He said, look who he's running through. Watch how he transitions, how he gets the ball in his hands.
Schultz told me that's the mentality that they preached to the offense as a whole. So just getting him back really helps everything around them. So let's see if this offense turns around. But I do think it's really interesting when you start to see this offense struggle. It had a lot to do with having one of their leading wide receivers not on the field.
Yeah, it's like he left us for like five games.
We all forgot how believably good he was playing. Looking forward to seeing that for the Houston Texans. Jane, thank you very much for hanging out with us as always. Meanwhile, the Steelers and Ravens are going to be hanging out this week. One of the NFL's best rivalries, one of the NFL's toughest rivalries, has a new participant. Russell Wilson has been absolutely balling since he took.
Over these starting quarterback positions. But is he as good as Lamar Well, we'll get into it.
It's a rivalry week across the NFL, including the Ravens and the Steelers. Those two guys up at the top, they've done this a number of times. Sometimes one of them wanders into the field during a live play bottom line, John Harvard Mike Tomlin. They know each other.
Well, how you doing much?
Yeah?
Good?
You bet man?
Man.
We'dn't been in a bunch of these you.
And I have.
We have grown them up again, I guess.
I mean, what time talking.
About what our kids were for Halloween?
Yeah?
Grown?
How you doing? Bro?
That's cool?
It's good stuff with those two guys there. Judy, where do you put this one? What's your favorite rivalry in the NFL?
Uh?
Well, I have a few, but this is actually my current favorite because this is usually like the most these two games are usually the most brutal games of the entire season. Like these teams beat the crap out of each other usually, and so many great players have played in these games.
So I actually love this game.
Like for me, it's I was watching the Eagles Cowboys. I don't know where it came up or how it came up. With a Bounty Bowl clip from way back, that's the one that I grew up watching, so that that's it for me.
For me, it's it's this one only because of what Judy said, like, and I don't players talk about during the playoffs, how like everything's faster and hard, And I'm like, is that true?
Probably definitely true for this game. I'm looking forward to it on Sundays.
Sounds like the helicopters coming to get Mike. So we gotta go enjoy the game. Everybody, see you