Jerry Jones is back on the radio, and this week he's not talking about firing anyone, including the host, which is, you know, probably good for us too. Hear what the Cowboys owner did say about Dak Prescott. In a Dallas team that's back from the by and needs a big win Sunday night against the battered forty nine ers. Nobody is hotter right now than the Ravens, and Lamar Jackson just gave them five more reasons to believe they've got
the championship formula at last. Can anybody stop them? Our buddies Baldy and Mark Ross will help us break that down. These Seahawks also got a big win on Sunday, thanks in part to a Patchfork secondary led by tonight's guest. Kobe Bryant got his first career interception. Tonight, he makes his first career appearance on The Insiders to tell us what they've got brewing now in Seattle, guests probably does taste like more w you know, Welcome inside with the
Insiders alongside Judy Battista and Mike Gariffalo. I am Tom Peliicero. It is The Insiders presented by Progressive Insurance. Tonight we're going to deliver you some breaking news right off the top of the show. Mike, We're going old school on this break some news for us right now.
Saints fans have not had a whole lot to feel good about lately, so I'm gonna give you a little bit of something right here. Alvin Kamara and the Saints have agreed to a two year contract extension. You're seeing the numbers right there, twenty four and a half million dollars over the next two years for Camara to now be under contract through the twenty twenty six season. Now, remember he was under contract technically for next year, but
that number was twenty five million. It was only to inflate the value of the deal that he did years ago. So for all intents and purposes, he was slated to be a free agent in the spring. Now under contract with the only team that he has ever known through the twenty twenty six season. According to sources, this deal confirmed by Kamara's agent, Brad Skala of Quality Control Sports.
The deal includes nineteen ish million dollars fully guaranteed and then another three that's going to trigger soon, so effectively, twenty two million fully guaranteed for Kamara, who denied that he ever requested a trade in a tweet. I think it was a couple of days ago when he said that. So this proves that he is proud to be a Saint, wants to continue to be a Saint into the future, and hopes to eventually retire a Saint. This deal is
going to give him a chance to do that. So the New Orleans Saints some.
Good news there for you guys, as the.
Season started off so great and then kind of went downhill. There you go a reason to be excited about the future.
It also allows everybody in New Orleans to exhale as the trade de line approaches, because this was going to be if there was nothing done.
Before that time.
This was one of the situations we were going to be keeping an eye on, and I would imagine all the lip readers are probably disappointed now. Right a few days ago when they thought he was saying to Sean Payton's ear, come get me, he is not coming to get you anymore. So he's going to be there.
In New Orleans.
It is good news for Saints fans and the Saints organization, which, as you said, it's been kind of an up and down start here. With a lot of down recently for the Saints, this is some bright news for the future, certainly.
And this has been a long time coming here, Mike. We were talking about this for months, literally going all the way back to March, of whether or not this was going to get done. It sounded like it was close at one point, and then there was the walkout during the OTA's or mini camp. A lot of twists and turns, but Alvin Kamaria, at age twenty nine, has shown when they've actually been a healthy team what he
can still do. And even though right now well five game losing streak, they should get Derek carrbacks sooner than later. They're only two games back a first place in the NFC South, and let's just say Monday night might have opened things up even more in that division. That's because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost not just a game, but one of their most important players in that game in the final minute last night, wide receiver Chris Godwin on
this play, suffering a dislocated ankle. There is additional damage. He had an MRI this morning, expected to undergo surgery later this week. Todd Bowles left the door cracked just a tiny bit on the possibility Mike that we could see god Win back if the Bucks make a deep playoff run. They also had Mike Evans get banged up in that game. He suffered a hamstring injury, not going
to play in the coming weeks. Here a lot of different elements to this, but probably the biggest one is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were so good on offense at the start of the season, now have major questions about who exactly Baker Mayfield's throwing the ball to.
You know, we talked about the lip readers, or we joked about the lip readers Judy did just a couple of moments ago. If you read Godwin's lips, I believe what he said when he was on that cart, which is incredible perspective. A guy who had had an ACL injury before said back to work, meaning he knew that there was going to be a lengthy rehab process ahead
of him. So for him to in that moment, no, it's going to take a lot of work to get back maybe maybe potentially, Like you said, Tom this year, I thought that that was a poignant moment to see that for Chris Godwin.
There it's a tough one.
It's losing Mike Evans for at least the next what's at three games? They'll keep him, it sounds like off I are with a chance that he'll be back for the fourth game, potentially, So to lose those top two guys, Look, Sterling Shepherd has kind of been rejuvenated down there, the veteran former Giant Jalen McMillan. They've thought highly of him since they drafted him this year. Kate Otten has been a reliable target at the tight end position. They're still
really good on defense. But to lose these two guys for the next couple of games, and there are some tough games coming up here for the Bucks in the very near future, it is incredibly.
Tough for them. But you know, Todd Bowles, he's a veteran coach.
He's been around, He's been through a lot of things in his career, both as an assistant coach and a head coach. I expect this team to come out and play some tough football this upcoming weekend against the Fountains.
All right, let's take a few steps back. First of all, Chris Godwin was having a career season, which makes this all the more devastating that now it's over. Mike Evans came into the game hobbling with a hamstring injury. He had appeared on the injury report, and he was hobbling even at the start of the game. He caught a touchdown pass and he came up hobbling even though he
was wide open in the end zone. And then on the second touchdown pass that was intended for him, he dropped it and that is when he grabbed the back of his leg in what looked to be agony. Todd Bowles said it is in the same area as the hamstring that landed him on the injury report from the week. He said he's heard pretty badly. They're not putting him on IR because they do have a bye weekend there.
So they've got three very difficult games coming up, including the Falcons this week, which obviously this week could turn the entire NFC south right now, they've got three tough games and then the buye So they're not going to put them on IR because the bye buys them a little time and he could potentially return. I believe it's November twenty fourth against the New York Giants, but clearly for now the Bucks are going to have to piece it together. Todd Bowles said today they're going to have
to creatively deploy their running backs. Our old friend, Sterling Shepherd, as Mike mentioned, is going to be in the mix. But this was a top five This is still a top five scoring offense that now is going to put an awful lot of pressure on its defense and an awful lot of pressure on Baker Mayfield to make it work until at least Mike Evans can get back.
And going back to the Chris Godwin injury for a second here, that play is being reviewed like all plays are, but if you watch it very carefully, there the tackle by Rokuan Smith does feature will look like all the elements of a hip DROC tackle. It occurs very quickly. You can see Rokwan Smith unweighth himself pull him down. That's why the NFL has been trying to get that play out of the game. It is entirely possible, if not probable, the Roquan Smith will end up being fined
for that injury to Chris Godwin. We've seen so many of those in recent years, whether it was Tony Pollard or Mark Andrews or Joe Mixon earlier this year. There's a lot of questions about why can't you throw flags on it? This plays a perfect example. It's bang bang, It happens really really fast. They're trying to enforce it with fines. A devastating injury for Chris Godwin and that Buccaneers team as they now try to move forward and potentially be active in the trade market to supplant him.
Same thing for the forty nine ers, who just lost one of their top targets. It is Brandon Ayuk who is going to be out for the season with a torn acl and MCL. It occurs on this play, not a common mechanism. It didn't seem like he doesn't take a direct shot on that knee, but knew instantaneously that this was going to be a very bad injury. So after an off season full of drama that ended in a contract extension for Brandon Ayuk, San Francisco now is going to be moving on from a player that they're
still paying thirty million dollars per year. There's optimism they will get Deebo Samuel back. He barely played in that game on Sunday, was listed before the game with an illness. Kyle Shanahan said he was struggling to breathe dealing with something that resembled pneumonia yet fluid in his lungs. Actually
ended up in the hospital on Monday. The good news today, Deebo Samuel now out of the hospital, will see you whenever you're coming off of respiratory illness, how quickly he can get back to full conditioning and be back on the field. But the good news is not something more serious. Deebo posted on social media a short time ago too that he is going to be playing for his guy, Brandon Ayyuk. Otherwide receiver injuries to keep note of here, dk metcalf bang that knee along the sideline in the
game on Sunday. Sounds like he should be okay, you've got Juju Smith Schuster dealing with a hamstring. He's not going to play this week, Chris Olave. The Saints are hopeful they're going to get him back. One bit of good news. Pooka Nakua, who has been out for some time because of his knee injury, having his twenty one
day practice window open. Probably not going to play Thursday night against the Vikings, but sooner than later Jerry Jones also, I mentioned off the top of the show back on the radio, No, he's not trying to clean out the hosts this week, but you going to offer some thoughts on exactly what might be going on with that offense that notably, Yes, that's right, the Cowboys do not have Derick Henry.
The types of things that we all think we should be looking at is well, we're designing bad plays or we're designing bad concepts, And the facts are that there's some of that, but there's also some of the execution. There are some of the talent. I like our talent. I really do like our talent. I like our young talent, but young talent has a few more mistakes associated with it than than if you are dealing with a veteran player.
So here's the thing here, Judy, and I'm not entirely certain what Jerry was driving at. That was a little bit meandering in terms of making the point about it started out talking about Derrick Henry, why it wouldn't have fit, It kind of got into this broader conversation about why they haven't been better offensively. It bears noting the Cowboys are starting what four or five rookies on a weekly basis. Right now, now you're down Brandon Cooks. He's not playing.
Your veteran running back, Ezekiel Elliott is essentially a non factor in this offense. You spent a lot of time over the years, Judy, around Jerry Jones. What do you take away from what he's saying right now in advance of a huge game Sunday night against that beat up forty nine ers team.
Well, one of our colleagues in Dallas, and I can't remember if it was Clarence Hill or Calvin Watkin somebody else said, is he saying the quiet part out loud?
Is this what he thinks?
I mean, it certainly sounds like he was throwing Mike McCarthy under the bus there, intentionally or not. I do think what this all comes back to is how very much that blowout loss to the Lions at home on national television stung and is still stinging Jerry Jones. He was embarrassed by it, right, They were embarrassed by the Lions. They were running all kinds of trick plays. He was stung in the moment that Sunday evening, and he is
still stung now. And that I think is where all of this is coming from, and he is venting his frustration with it. He was praising the players, which certainly means that if he's praising the personnel, that means he is not very happy with some aspect of it. And that goes to coaching. We know Mike McCarthy does not have a contract after this season. Certainly as we get later in the season, going to be talking an awful
lot about that. The bottom line is Jerry Jones is not happy and that is probably not a good thing for anybody in the Dallas Cowboys building until they win some games.
You know, I have felt, and I continue to feel, that Jerry Jones really does believe in Mike McCarthy, maybe more than the average fan NFL fan does. You know, Tom, We've talked about a plenty, Like I believe that he is a very capable to good NFL head coach. It's a tough job to be the coach of the Cowboys because you've got to kind of deal with this every single week.
That that's going on.
But I just and you alluded to it, Tom, Like this game against the forty nine ers on side, they got housed against the forty nine ers last year on a Sunday night in Santa Clara. They've been getting housed by multiple teams this year. You just can't afford that kind of a game in the spot, Like, I just
feel like you really can't. We tend to overstate how important these games are as we go throughout, like this one is huge, huge, just especially with the chance to prepare extra for this one, Like it's just gotta be. You can't have your owner then on the radio in a couple of days talking about scheme and.
Some of this other stuff.
So I just I don't want to overstate it, but I feel like I have to win this case.
This is a huge game for Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys.
Ford and Iyers also the team that knocked them out of the playoffs twice both in the twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two seasons. It's kind of been a bugaboo for them. Might be catching that team at the right time. We shall find out. It'll be interesting on Sunday night. That NFC West right now seems pretty wide open, and one of the teams that's at the top right now is these ones. The Seattle Seahawks went into Atlanta, snapped the losing skid, got big plays by that guy
number eight along the way. So where does Kobe Bryant and that defense go from here? Well that's Kobe when he joins us right after this on The Insiders presented by Progressive Insurance.
Cousin's gonna throw down the middle, and it's intercepted by Kobe Bryant out of the forty yard line and.
He slides down.
Take your time, everybody at every seat off, take your turns Kobe Bryant with the second pick of the game off.
Of Kirk Cousins.
First name is spelled cob Y.
It's their third takeaway today on three consecutive series.
Is in his third season played.
At the University of Cincinnati. Well, the Jim Thorpe forward back in twenty one, he was they have the top dB in the nation without Ray Shawn Jenkins, Riepoolin, Trey Brown, right, some of the others had stepped up big as Bryant comes up with his first career pick.
Kobe Bryant had waited for that moment. I assume he had also waited for this moment making his debut right here on The Insiders presented by a Progressive Insurance along with me, Tom Pelisero, Judy Batista, and Mike Garriffalo Kobe. I know your rookie year, you had a couple interceptions called back on penalties. This was the first one. Yeah, actually get to go to the sideline, you get the hugs, you keep the ball. How does that moment feel for you?
It was?
It was definitely special first one. The first thing I kind of did was like look for flags to make sure it actually counted this time. And you know, icually Teas, one of my former teammates who's like a big brother than me Quandre Diggs, My text him and told him, you know, just joking with them about you know, this is no flags this time. So this one comps so.
Right, this was your first start at safety. You just got moved to safety this season. I would ask how the transition is going. It sure looks like the transition is going well for you right now, but how do you feel you are adjusting to playing safety.
I feel like I'm doing pretty well. Obviously, there's always room to grow, you know, that's the biggest thing. But just having fun and taking on all the communication, you know, just have open ears and learn it from, you know, guys like Julian Love and you know other guys as well.
This game for you guys was huge.
I mean it started off the season hot, a couple of losses in a row. There needed to come east, you guys, still, even with Mike McDonald, you did this under Pete Carroll doing a great job of coming east, getting acclimated. You come out a day early, and you wind up winning games in the Eastern time zone. What was the feeling like on the plane ride home, knowing that you'd stop that streak and potentially started a new winning streak.
Yeah, definitely. You know, we had fun on the plane ride. A little long, you know, the plane ride is always long coming or going to the east, coming from the East coast, I mean, but just an enjoyable plane ride, you know, just being able to smile and seeing everyone happy that you know, we came out and got the job done.
What do you do, Kobe, I mean, you played in college right in the middle of the country. You're not taking long plane rides from You're playings instead, he got like, what a six hour flight there? You're bringing crossword puzzles, like what do you do to pass the time?
Yeah, I'm definitely always like watching movies any more movies, it doesn't matter, or I'm joking with my teammates or most of the time, I try to sleep as well too, because you know a lot of them they like to mess with me on the plane, so I just try to, you know, get as much ress or just watch movies.
All right, we heard on that clip as you were introduced, like sort of what a patchwork secondary. It was so many guys out, so many new people in. How did you guys sort of keep it together? How did you get together, especially when you know you were facing a pretty prolific passing attack.
Yeah, well, the biggest thing is, you know, you always want to be number. Be ready when your numbers called. That's the biggest thing. And just be prepared. You know, we prepared all week.
We have fun.
Just made sure that, you know, we hounted on the little things. It just went out to execute it time.
Mat I got it back up.
I got other questions about football, but they like to mess with you on the plane.
I need to know what that's about.
And like, when you get a pick, you can't be messed with at that point, right.
Huberd said, But you know, I do it to myself. You know, I always mess with them every day, you know, so they just kind of give you back on the plane. So you know, it's all I love at the end of the day.
Okay, So tell me about Mike McDonald. He comes in, he's replacing a legend in peak Carrol. Obviously, he changes a lot of things. There are things culturally, changes a lot of things schematically. He's also a really young dude. There's not many guys that young were head coaches in the NFL. Just tell me, well, what that guy brings the table on a daily basis for the Seahawks.
Just extremely smart, you know, he challenges challenges every day, you know, and just allowing us to take that next step, not just as a defense but just as a whole team. And you know, we have fun with him as well, and you know, it's actually nice. You know that he's young, and you know he can relate to a lot of us, and you know, we're extremely thankful to have him, and you know.
It's just been fun, all right.
It handled the big challenge with Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. She got another big challenge coming up with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
How are you preparing for that?
Now that you've got the big win behind you? How do you go forward with Buffalo?
The biggest thing is just stay level headed, you know, obviously learn from our mistakes. Obviously a great team we're about to face, and just be ourselves and go out and just you know, execute in every way, and you know, just play our game.
Kobe, I know you've been asked about this before, but I'm sure there's people out there watching there being introduced to you for the first time. Your name rhymes with Kobe Bryant, spelled differently. Your parents wanted to make sure that you were able to create your own identity by naming you co b Y, but also it was an honor of Kobe. Was there ever a time in your life where you're like's you know, it's a pretty big weight to bear to be named after a guy like that.
Or have you always kind of leaned into it.
I've loved it from the day, you know, obviously when I was born, but you know, just growing up actually in like lunch lines, the people didn't used to believe my name, and it's so crazy. When I was getting on the plane to come back from from Atlanta the late he didn't believe it was my name because I didn't have my ID, so I had to have DK I was for me, and you know, a couple other
guys too, So it's always fun. You know that had his name and you know, just try to carry on that legacy as much as I can.
That's awesome. The Kobe Bryant co b y on the show. He got his first interception, first start of the season at safety, first appearance on the inside. We appreciate you man, good luck the rest of the season.
Thank you, thank you for having me.
All right. Coming up after this day, gon to gonna be able to stop Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and those Ravens. If so, how do you do it? Step one, get like five guys in front of Derrick Henry because he's run wild at this point. We'll talk Lamar and all things Ravens coming up after this. Brian Baldinger Mark Ross breaking all down on The Insiders presented by Progressive Insurance.
Hey case you're just joining us here. On The Insiders, we had breaking news Alvic Caamara, who was for all intents and purposes, slated to be a free agent, after this season. He had a dummy year on the end of his deal. Says, I never requested a trade. I want to be here. I'm gonna prove it. Two year, two twenty four point five million dollar extension. He's now under contract in New Orleans through twenty twenty six.
He wants to retire a Saint.
This deal now going to give him a chance to do so. And guess what, they still have a shot in the NFC South because the Ravens and Lamar Jackson went into Tampa Bay last night and here is Jackson. They were down early. He really should have been down fourteen nothing or almost down fourteen nothing. Next thing at oh, they're.
Up twenty seven to ten.
Lamar Jackson to Rashan Bateman forty nine yard touchdown. And then right here, I texted my friend Nick, and I said, what did I say?
Nick?
I'm putting you on the air right now.
Tell him what I said. You told me watched this Neford play for ninety yards? Were sold?
What happened?
He did not go for ninety yards.
It was eighty one.
Thanks Nick, I'll call you later.
But I called him because you wouldn't believe me if I said it I told him it was going to happen.
It almost did.
Eighty one yards and then the fourth quarter Ravens up now thirty four to eighteen. Lamar Jackson, the Derrick Henry, thank god he didn't curse on air, thirteen yard touchdown, forty.
One thirty one.
The Ravens take this one. And here, I mean just I didn't want to say anything. Just look at that. You can read that.
Okay, most career games with five touchdown passes, zero interceptions.
I mean to get three more.
He's got like one hundred and eighty more games to get it done, to rest Drew Brees.
And then Tom Brady after that.
It's just amazing game flow presented by Progressive right here, Baldy is here he always and Progressive Insurance, by the way, it's sponsoring this segment. Baud, you heard that accent. That's definitely one of my friends. That's a Philly accent that you heard right there.
No, I heard it a straight from South phild fake friend, fake friends.
Mike, Come on, now, okay, both we talk about a lot of things in the offseason, and then those things don't happen. What we talked about with Derek Henry and Lamar Jackson in the seat.
We're seeing it now.
Yeah, No, it's it's it's unreal because they complement each other. And so if you try to take Derrick Henry away, Lamar Jackson has all kinds of time to make throws down the field of Rashad Bateman one of his five touchdown passes last night. But really, I mean, Lamar is just an improving player. When you put that last set up there, five touchdowns, no on receptions. I mean, these kind of throws, it's every part of the field right now. It's the deep ball, it's the crosses, it's the checkdowns
like this throw right there to Mark Andrews. Every throw right now he had. Look, he had five incompletions last night, five touchdown passes, I mean, and his reads are spot on. He's finding the open receiver and this when this happens like this, and he can just launch these bombs like he does right there to uh, Rashad Bateman. He's almost indefensible at this point right now, this screen pass, beautiful set up to Justice Hill got the convoy out in front right there.
But he's large and in charge.
And look, uh they were down ten to seven to the second quarter last night, and Lamar and the offense scored on six straight drives to go up thirty four to ten and really put the game out of reach. So they finish it with the Derrick Henry touchdown right there. Really, he's doing whatever he wants to do right now. And defense, look, I mean, Todd Bowles said every blitz that we could draw up on a blackboard right now, and he was
unfazed by it all like it just it. Really, teams are really having a hard time struggling trying to figure out what you could take away from this offense right now, Baldy, one agree with you.
And I completely believe in this Ravens team. I don't have to call a fake friend to verify this. Just go to the NFL dot com preseason predictions where I picked the Ravens and go win the Super Bowl and Derrick Henry to be the offensive Player of the Year.
But my game flow, presented by progressive moment of the game is when Marlin Humphrey saved the game last night with his interception in the end zone, where it looked like, oh my gosh, here we go again with this Ravens defense just giving up all kinds of points, all kinds
of yards. But his first interception, that was the second one, the first one in the end zone, that would have had them down seventeen to three, but instead, to me, that changed the whole entire tide of the game, the whole complexi of the game.
Ba's when Lamar really started getting.
Getting cooking with Zay, with Andrews, with everybody else, but without Derrick Henry.
Okay, now what do you do?
Well, here comes Derrick Henry in the spirit of the Yankees being in the World Series. He's like Mariano Rivera. Now you know he's coming. They plan entered the Sandman, and then here comes Derick Henry and here comes this eighty one yard run and the game is absolutely completely over by then. It's just such a toll on a defense to know that Derek Henry's not even doing anything, and then in one play he just rips your heart out. So yes, Baldy that this is completely the game flow
on defense with Marlon Humphrey saving it. But then here comes the closer, the new Mariano Rivera. There the new Samman, Derrick Henry crushing the dreams of the Bucks, and they're gonna be tough to beat. The only team that can beat the Ravens are themselves. You saw a bunch of the mistakes last night once again. That's why they lost to the Ravers. Raiders eleven penalties, two bad ones at the end. So to me, they're the only team that can beat themselves is the Ravens, and.
They have high expectations those Ravens do.
For proof of that, let's go to Derek Henry's tweet about that touchdown last night.
His post on X excuse me.
He said, should have scored SMH, slow af face palm much love flock. I think he did just fine on that play, right there, Derek Henry.
You guys did.
Brian Baldinger and Mark Ross.
This was your game Flow of the Week, presented by Progressive Insurance, and we have some updated power rankings here. Baltimore right up there at number two. Eric at Hoolmer guy at NFL dot com says, listen, if you're undefeated, you're number one. About style points, It's about how many games you win.
Judy and the Kansas City Chiefs still a top.
This is going to be one of the biggest stories of the week, maybe one of the biggest stories of the season. To a Tugo Violoa, the Dolphins quarterback is coming back from a concussion. He is off ir He is expected to start practicing tomorrow. Still has to be cleared through the concussion protocol, but all signs indicate that he is going to be able to play on Sunday. To a total reporters yesterday, he hasn't had a concussion symptom since the day after he suffered the concussion. In
Week two. Cam Wolfe is joining me in. Before we start talking about this camp, we should note there was a big reaction when Tua said he was not going to wear a Guardian cap. But Tua all along wears a quarterback specific helmet that is designed to offer special protection to quarterbacks, extra protection two quarterbacks. It's a really highly rated helmet, and quarterback have always been exempt from wearing Guardian caps, so I thought him saying he was
not going to wear one was not that unusual. Having said that, he said a whole lot of things in that press conference. As he gets ready Cam to start practicing. What do you expect to see from two of this week.
Well, Judy, I expect two a tongue of ilo. I'm told to practice fully tomorrow, which is a key step for him as he enters the final stages of concussion protocol.
If all goes.
Well he practices fully, he will be cleared towards the back end of this week and scheduled to play Sunday versed Arizona Cardinals. And this is what this team has been leading up to for multiple weeks now. As Tua mention, he hasn't felt concussion symptoms since the day after concussion.
He's told people around him he could have returned earlier if he wasn't on injured reserve, But when I asked him about it on Monday, he mentioned that he understands the team put him on injury reserve to protect him from himself, his competitive nature and the vice they got for medical esperts initially was that too a needed time.
It will be for five days on Sunday, removed from that concussion, and as you mentioned, Judy, there was a lot of reaction from a frustrated too as he explained himself talking about how he went about the process and what is next. As far as the Guardian cap, it's a personal choice, he said. For him. I'm told the Dolphins, including Mike McDaniel talk to him about the Guardian cap, but per the NFLPA, they can't force a player to
wear the Guardian cap, so it's his choice. And as you mentioned, he is wearing a Vices helmet, which is actually the safest of the quarterback specific helmets as you was mentioning Judy, So they feel like they have protection for him as far as the helmet. And as he said, he just plans to be smarter with decision making. He certainly hears all the noise, a lot of people saying that he shouldn't play, he should retire, that he maybe quote unquote foolish with his decisions.
He said, he doesn't listen to any of it.
He said that for me, I made this decision. He said, I love football. I love it to the death of me. And he said, there's a lot of risk in anything, and I'm willing to take those risks. And so Tua is ready to go back on the field, and everybody else just has to, whether you like it or not, get prepared for the Dolphins quarterback to get back there. His teammates can't wait to have them back.
I've heard from several of them.
They've been the lowest scoring offense in the NFL without two as their quarterback, and they hope that he will provide that spark for them.
Well, Kim, I will be there. I know you'll be there to watch it too. And welcome to a back to the playing field. Thank you Cam Wolf for joining us. We're going to talk a little bit about Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions and their statement win last week. It's time for Tuesday Takeaways presented by Chipotle. I'm Judy Batista, Mike Carafalo, and our friend Jeffrey Chadiu who has his article on NFL dot com with big statements that were
made in Week seven. Let's start with Jeffrey. I thought was the biggest one made by the Detroit Lions.
Yeah, oh, no question.
You're talking about a Lion's team going into Minnesota and facing that Ryan Flores defense and really just dominating the statement they made. They have the best offense in the NFL by far. Look at what Jerry Golf did going twenty two for twenty five, one hundred yard day from Jamior Gibbs, one hundred yard day from Aman Ross Saint Brown,
four straight touchdowns on fourth rate possessions. They made a huge statement in saying that, hey, look, we know eight Hunderson is gone, but this offense with Jamison Williams and San Laporta, all the weapons and golf playing at an MVP level is going to be hard for anybody to deal with.
All Right, the Chiefs when they whenniversity hits. You know, if you're going to be a champion, you got to be the strongest when university hits. That's what they seem to be doing on their way to an under unblemish mark right now.
Yeah, they keep defying gravity somehow here, and it's amazing to keep They keep losing players. They lost Juju Smith Schuster to a hamsterring injury. They'd already been without Rashi Rice and Hywood Brown, Isaiah Pacheco's out, but still they find ways to get it done. And really what you're seeing is this defense step up and get to back
to where they were last season. I know the Niners lost Brandon I well Saniel didn't play, but they still found a way to take advantage of the opportunities there with three interceptions.
And I got to tell you, it feels as.
If the Chiefs are getting so much good luck with these injuries. They're going to face the Buccaneers coming up here a couple of weeks. They just lost Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, so they know how to get it done when it matters, when opportunities arise.
All right, jeff we all spent a lot of time talking about the Davante Adams trade last week, But is Amari Cooper actually going to make a bigger impact on the AFC East than DeVante?
I think that will be the message we see throughout the season from the Bills. The statement here is, yes, Amari Cooper is going to have a bigger impact on this race. Only had four catches for sixty six yards and a touchdown, But I think this offense was not that bad before he showed up. Josh Allen has not had a turnover. You give him a weapon like this to go along with the other things they have there
and James Cook and Dalton Kincaid. I have to imagine that he's going to play a huge role in this team's run. And as far as Vante Adams, that's an Air and Rogers thing. Aaron Rodgers is not playing very well right now.
Jeffrey Saquon Barkley downplayed, at least publicly the rematch with the Giants, but just saw the motivation there and then even after the game, he retweeted a clip with the Giants audio of the Hard Knocks with them talking about not bringing back Saquon Barkley while he was training.
It was quite an absolute cinema.
As Martin Scorsese might say, do you think this is something that's going to haunt the Giants for quite some time?
It will haunt the Giants, that's a statement that was made. And you live in that area of the country. So much gets made of the giant of the Philadelphia Eagles and Nick Sirianni and all the drama and Jalen hurts quietly.
Saquon Barkley has become the heartbeat of this team and you saw it in this game with one hundred and seventy six yards and three explosive runs of thirty yards or more and could have gotten more if he wanted to go back in the game until Nixy Ryan let the backups go, get go eat, you know, for the rest of the game. So I love what he brings to this team. This offense is going to get better with him in there, and the defense has probably been
playing better. So Saquon Barkley off needs to go through him the rest of the season. But the Giants are going to hate losing him to their NFC East rival.
All right.
Before the big Sunday night came, there was a whole lot of head scratching about why Mike Tomlin would make a quarterback switch now when the team was four and two at that point. I think maybe Russell Wilson answered that question why he would do it?
That's right, you guys smell that, yes, smell some cooking.
I smelled some cooking in Pittsburgh. It may be the Dino nuggets. My sixth grade son loves.
To eat out of the microwave and not the lame Minyon.
But it's he's cooking. He's doing some good things in Pittsburgh.
Thirty seven points scored re touchdowns to were the sixty four yards passing.
He's taking some chances.
With the football justin fields would not take, and you're seeing this offense come alive. I know it was it's a low bar there, but I love what he brings to this offense, and I think he proved that he should be the guy for the job moving forward.
We used to do a segment on Good Morning Football Weekend who said that where we had the quotes of the week, this one would have been on it. It was Mike tom and asked about starting Russell Wilson, which was a gutsy call. He replied, quote, that's why I'm well compensated flank.
He could say whatever you want right now, my friend.
And credit to the offensive coaching staff for switching quarterbacks and getting Russell Wilson ready to go. Finally, we showed the highlight a little bit earlier the Ravens and their statement in Tampa Bay number two on our NFL dot Com Power rankings.
They look legit.
Should be number one if I'm doing the ranking.
I know Eric, a lot of respect for him, but the way they're playing right now, the statement here not too many answers to what they're doing. Lamar Jackson is probably going to be get his third MVP if he continues on this pace. Derek Henry is probably going to be the Offensive Player of the Year. And I just don't know how you stop this offense right now. What they're doing. They are destroying teams, and I know the
Chiefs beat them in Week one. If they stall the Chiefs right now, it would not be the same result. This team is on fire and right now I feel like they're going to win the AFC the way they're playing well football.
God's willing they will see the Chiefs again in the postseason, because I think we would all like to see that at this point.
You know what, we'd like to see more of Jeffrey here every week.
And on NFL dot Com Backslash First Read for all of its hot takes at opinions out there, appreciate Jeffrey to deal. Despite what you may have read on ex Matthew Stafford still the quarterback of the Rams.
Not the Vikings.
Gonna face the Bikings, However, that guy as well Sam Darnold are Sam our guy.
Sam Schwarzstein gonna.
Join us after this the Prime Video and Thursday Night Football analytics expert.
You're not gonna wanna miss it.
Thursday Night Football on Prime features and explosive NFC battle which justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams this Thursday, eight fifteen pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Welcome back to the Insiders presented by a Progressive Insurance. Let's bring in Sam Schwartzstein Prime Video in Thursday Night Football's analytics expert to give us next gen stats to help us break down this matchup.
The Brian Flores defense head Alts could handle. Last week it was fire versus fire, as he might say, against the Detroit Lions. What are you looking for from this defense against the Rams?
Yeah, this is going to be the most unique defense at the rams C all year. It's because they're going to present some exotic looks. What do I mean by that?
They're going to walk every player up to the line of scrimmage on defense and make it look like it's going to be Cover zero, which they run the third most in the NFL, but they'll also from the exact same position drop into Cover two, having Harrison Smith maybe starting at the end of the line of scrimmage and getting all the way to the deep middle of the field. And this is what's going to confuse him. You see Jared Goff before the snap trying to process it, and
then after the snap's seeing a completely different look. This was their game in London. Andrew Van Ginkel, who amongst the Inside Football people is one of the key players. He starts out as a D lineman and gets right into the passing lane. Brian Floor's defense almost knows what the offense will check into once they see these Blitz looks and then get them to the exact right spot. It's difficult for these quarterbacks.
So how is Matthew Stafford done this season when he's facing the Blitz.
Well, historically he's been one of the best quarterbacks against the Blitz, especially since he came to Los Angeles. This year, he's having his worst year negative point two four epa per dropback. And that play right there was the exact same look that the Vikings gave the Jets and that led to a pick six. Here's the same one Splayne gets a tip and this is what they want to do as the Rams. He wants to get the ball
out quick. Nobody gets the ball out of their hands faster against the Blitz than Matthew Stafford and their fortune to get Cooper Cup back back this week because what he likes to do is throw that crossing route. We saw the exact same play back to back. Here's the difference when it's Cooper Cup catching the ball back in twenty twenty two able to take it all the way to the house.
Cooper Cup versus Justin Jefferson on Thursday night, presuming the Cup is still a la Ram by Thursday, he gives us the twenty twenty one twenty twenty two Offensive Players of the Year, both on the same field. What are the next gen stats tell us about what makes these guys so special?
Yeah, Tom, both quarterbacks come our coordinators have the same type of mindset. Kevin O'Connell coach under Sean McVay, and so you think they'd be similar type players. But actually, Cooper cuple lines in the slot fifty six percent of the time and he's in motion fifty five percent of the time. He's the guy that want to get moving, get the pre snap reed, get a speed advantage by moving him early, and then he can break out of
his routes from there. On the other side, Justin Jefferson, he's more of a outside player and a stationary player. They'll use other players like Jalen Naylor to get the pre snap reed so that ultimately Justin Jefferson can make those big time plays. And yes, he is saying he's like that, He's like that we all know you're getting paid like it. Better make some big plays. Coming up on Thursday.
You can get Sam Schwarzstein every Thursday night on Thursday foot Ball's Prime Vision with next Gen Stats on Prime Video and NFL Plus. Sam, thank you as always for being here. Saquon Barkley, you might have heard as we look one more time at the promo for Thursday Night. Yes, it's those two guys. One beard a little bit thicker than the other, but they're both quarterbacks and they'll be
out there on Thursday Night. Like I was saying, Saquon Barkley, I think he's still running through that Giants defense, or at least he could have if he hadn't had a little bit of an unselfish moment at the end of that game. Saquon Barkley still rolling in Philly. A good day for the Eagles offense. One hundred and seventy six yards and a touchdown for Saquon against his old team,
the Giants. He had the opportunity to go for even more, which led to this cool micd up moment with him and Nick Sirianni on the sideline.
You're thirteen yards away from their career high. I would love for you to get that, but that's up to you.
I don't know.
I just don't want I like, I'm gonna take out all the starters if they don't school let me sure.
Yeah good, I promise.
I'll listening.
I want you to do what if you want to do.
So I want to see the young boys, Judy. I feel like this is where you're playing your buddy in a video game and you're like, ah, I'm gonna start just kind of like, you know, half assing it a little bit here, because I don't want to blow him out so bad in the game that he never wants to play again. Just I like these guys, right, Judy.
I would just say to young players, get yourself a teammate like Saquon Barklay, because that is pretty special right there.
Unbelievable coaching is like when you're talking to your kids and you get down to their level. He sat down on the bench to talk to him, wanted him to know, wanted him to have the call, and then for Barkley to not do that against the Giants in their stadium.
Amazing. Hey, we got zach Ertz on the show tomorrow, so be here seven pm. Eastern time, more of the insiders. We will see you then