Colin Cowherd Podcast - Reaction to Chiefs-Jets, Patriots-Cowboys, Dolphins-Bills, Bears-Broncos - podcast episode cover

Colin Cowherd Podcast - Reaction to Chiefs-Jets, Patriots-Cowboys, Dolphins-Bills, Bears-Broncos

Oct 02, 202354 min
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Episode description

Colin Cowherd reacts to wild NFL Week 4. Colin shares his takes on Russell Wilson vs Justin Fields and calls out the Bears coaching. Later he gives his takes on the Eagles struggles despite starting 4-0 and is everything fixed between Josh Allen & Stefon Diggs after their monster performances vs the Dolphins. Lastly he gives his takes on young QBs Kenny Pickett & C.J. Stroud and which one is heading in the right direction.

Then John Middlekauff - host of "3 & Out" - drops by to break down all the NFL action including the Chiefs holding on vs the Jets & the Patriots getting destroyed vs the Cowboys.

 Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates! #Herd #Volume #3andOut

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Speaker 1

The volume.

Speaker 2

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welcome in great podcast. We're going to start it off with fifteen minutes my observations on the early games, and boy do I have strong opinions on this. I've been very critical of defensive coaches not understanding how to help young quarterbacks. Two examples of this today. So there's about a buck fifty five left tie game twenty eight, twenty eight, Matt Eberfluse fourth and one has the opportunity for Justin

Fields to kick a field goal. Right, he leads the team down field goal, take a thirty one to twenty eight lead on the Broncos. And what would the feeling be. Justin Field's had a good day. Justin Field's got you in scoring position. Justin Field's got you the lead, regardless if Denver comes down and wins it. The vibe all week is positive for Justin Fields gave you the lead,

not his fault if the defense couldn't hold it. Instead, Eberflus and I don't care what analytics say, decides to go for it instead of at home for a team that hasn't won in forever, instead of kicking a field goal for the lead as a defensive coach and trusting your schemes. Nope, they go for it. Fail. Denver goes down, takes a lead, then you give the ball back to Justin Fields very little time left, Hey, kid, go save us. Terrible managing of a young quarterback. I don't care what

analytics say. Justin Fields had a good day, showed promise, you had to feel great. He leaves the field, you have a lead. It would just be the way to support a young quarterback. And by the way, if you can take a lead at home and you haven't won, how many games do it? Prime example. I don't think Denver's very good. I think Russell, Wilson and Sean Payton have found a comfort zone. I think they sort of understand now what they are and what they're not a

lot of it's under these stuff. In the first half, I think Russell was twelve to thirteen for seventy nine yards and seven first downs. But they've come to an understanding of what each other offers. And that's not the huge issue for this team. They have to do with the trade deadline or probably in the draft just to drafts the defense and maybe the defensive coordinator. But it was the use of the clock and late game managing which drove me nuts for the Chicago Bears. Protect your

young quarterback. So let's talk about a second game defensive coach Ron Rivera. It's thirty one, thirty commanders, drive down Sam Howe get within a point. Now, remember in this instance, Philadelphia's got the better roster had averaged almost seven yards of play. At that moment I went online, they'd averaged six point six yards of play. It's in Philadelphia, they're huge favorites. You had momentum. Eagles defense has been on the field a while. You get the touchdown there, you

go for it. Different circumstances with the young quarterback, steal a win, big dog on the road. If you lose in Sam Howe can't deliver. Listen, Sam Howe has over Achie to this point. He's not justin fields whose jobs on the line. Sam Hall has overachieved. Even if you lose that game, you talk about the guts and the toughness and the willingness to make a play, and Ron Rivera's trust in him going forward against a super bowl

team in Philadelphia. Nope, they kick the easy extra point, go to overtime against the better team, and the better team eventually wins. The better quarterback wins, the better O line and D line win. So in that instance, you kick the field goal for Justin Fields. The kid needs positive vibes. You're not a good team. Washington's a better team on the road, huge dogs steal a win in Philadelphia. Now it's easy in hindsight to say this, but this is what I have been. One of my knocks is that

how do you handle young quarterbacks? There is a way to do it, and I thought Washington made the wrong call. Chicago made the wrong call. So one of the things I thought about what watching Buffalo hammer Miami and I had a very good early day today. I went four and er my picks and Buffalo was one of my favorite plays. Dolphins couldn't stop man. We never thought the Dolphins had a great defense, but it was just you get into Buffalo they get some momentum. I've called them

the Mike Tyson of the NFL. When they get rolling and punching and swinging and delivering, they are they are an avalanche. They're coming downhill one hundred miles an hour, and Miami found out about it. But you know, it's really interesting when I watched that game, is that now that we've moved to seventeen weeks, gms and coaches manage the roster differently. Almost no starters are playing in the preseason. So in Week one, Buffalo looked awful this morning, this afternoon, tonight,

they may be the best team in the league. Week one, the Jets look competent offensively with Zach Wilson. You know, Week one the Rams destroyed Seattle. Seattle looked completely over their skis. We now think Seattle playing the Giants tomorrow is pretty good. So Week one and to some degree, Week two. You know, I'm trying to figure out what everybody is because I think gms and coaches manage rosters differently, and so Buffalo, Aaron Rodgers goes down, it's a very

emotional night. They're on the road. It just felt like the Jets night. Since then, they have dismantled teams. The offense is cooking. They're running the ball more. Josh Allen not the primary ball carrier is often and I think Buffalo looks really good. And again we've seen this from Buffalo. They are a momentum team. Josh Allen is a momentum player, a power thrower, a power runner. They play with a

ton of emotion. Now it's a defensive head coach. I still think at times the offensive line and run game are inconsistent. But I do think what Miami has been doing. They're a little bit ahead the league with all the motion, and they had a very good first half. But you just can't keep that up. At some point, players get hurt, you go on the road, you fall behind. It's a different game playing with the lead and trailing. It's a completely different game for a coaching staff and a quarterback

into it. So now you're behind, Buffalo knows you have to throw. It's at Buffalo. They're getting a pass rush two is not highly mobile. Oh suddenly they look like everybody else. The way to always beat a great offense. It can be the fastest show on turf, it can be Miami. It doesn't matter who it is the way to beat a great offense has always been the same. The ability to get a pass rush with four, don't have to bring extra people, don't have to take big risks.

You get a pass rush with four and it disrupts even Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, fastest show on turf, all the great offenses. And I do believe Miami is going to drop a lot of points on a lot of teams. In fact, I don't know what the line is next week. I would take Miami next week because Buffalo is playing downhill football and they look like the best team of

the National Football League. So I had said during the off season at one point on the Houston Texans, they were making a lot of solid b moves in free agency, not big swings.

Speaker 1

You know, c J.

Speaker 2

Stroud doesn't cost anything. They're not paying their quarterback, so they could have taken some big swings. They didn't. Solid running back, solid linebacker, solid people in the secondary. They were just really solid acquisitions in free agency, no hype,

no big egos, just easy stuff for CJ. Stroud to enter into a building slow growth, and so far c J. Stroud has been remarkable for a rookie quarterback remarkable, a professional, stands in the pocket, delivers strikes, doesn't have nervous feet, has nice mechanics. His comp was Jared Goff, which I know you like Jared Goff, but he was a number one pick and is the best quarterback in the NFL

last six years against the spread. C J. Stroud, Lance Zerline, who's a Houston radio host, dad coached in the NFL, works for NFL dot Com. I rely on him, bring him on the herd often. You know, during the draft season, his comp was Jared Goff. Not going to give you a lot of juice on the outside, but if you can protect him, stands tall, throws a beautiful ball, accurate when not hurried. C J. Scroud's been terrific and again Nico Collins had a big game for them. You know

it's different. Bryce Young has nobody to throw to, Nobody separates. Houston did a good job finding receivers in the mid round. Guys that have a little wiggle, a little juice. They've got just enough speed to make you uncomfortable, make Pittsburgh uncomfortable defensively, and the Houston Texans and c J. Stroud listen, this stuff is so much fun to me. You never know what you get.

Speaker 1

You know, c J.

Speaker 2

Stroud at Ohio State walks into every game with a personnel advantage. But I think c J. Stroud reminds me a little of Justin Herbert, where they didn't move much in college until their final game. Herbert against the Badgers at the Rose Bowl, Stroud against the Georgia Bulldogs and the coach knowing it was potentially the last game, right, let him run. And then you look at Herbert and you're like, oh, he can move. And you look at c J. Stroud against Georgia and you're like, oh he

can move. It's not who he is. But if c J. Stroud is Jared Goff with better mobility, that's a hell of a quarterback. The only thing I'm surprised at because I thought the comp I said up multiple times I thought it was a reasonable comp, is that he was this good this early. He looks very composed. Got to give the coaching staff credit. Demico Ryans was the DC at San Francisco, beloved in the building, heartbroken when he left. They really they knew he was going to get a

head coaching job. He's been horrific, But again, CJ. Stroud, no egos to deal with rookie coaching coordinator. They're all in it together, putting them in situations to succeed. And they've done this with all sorts of offensive line injuries. So the Texans hammer the Steelers. I'll hammer the Steelers later this week. But I thought the story, the positive vibes on the Texans managing expectations. Stroud, big kid sits in the pocket and delivers strikes the goff with more

mobility comp was reasonable. Didn't think he'd beat this good this early. It's been fantastic, really really good early window. A lot of fun. Okay, I went four and oh on my picks that made it more fun. Zero and five to start the year, four and oh today cross my fingers. Good stuff.

Speaker 1

A lot of.

Speaker 2

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the full season. Get it before it's gone. John Middlecoff three and out in the volume. If you put the twenty five to thirty best throws of Zach Wilson's career on a film on a tape twenty or tonight, he was you know what was interesting?

Speaker 1

John?

Speaker 2

So he didn't play with a ton of confidence. First quarter Chiefs made some mistakes, he had a good drive game confidence, third quarter played with a ton of confidence, and then fourth quarter played well, had a fumble, But it's interesting. He is a player and I saw a little bit of this with Justin Fields today. He's a momentum player like you know, when Mahomes started struggling, it sort of empowered him, like, hey, we're all human here,

I'm playing pretty well. He's always had a good arm, but it was like he found some golden touch, some confidence. You saw him grow in the game. And if he was just that, which is you know, missed an open throw in the Endzo should have had a fumble. If I got this, this is a this team could win five six in a row. I mean, I don't know,

it's just it's it's strange. Both Justin Fields and Zac Wilson today it was like something happened star quarterbacks, you know, came back down to earth and they felt empowered and played pretty well.

Speaker 1

I think confidence is a powerful thing for young players. I mean, I think confidence is a powerful thing for young people, right, I mean I think it was on full display today, right, Guys like Canny Pickett and Mac Jones completely unraveling. It's not like they have a ten year career to lean back on. And you saw Mac jon or i mean Zach Wilson today it looked for a second like the Chiefs were gonna win this game

fifty to nothing. I mean early on it was like they're gonna play a lot of Taylor Swift here to keep this thing going. The safety then it flipped. Then he hit a couple passes and listen the players, whether they love the guy or not, they want to play well. So that what happens. A lot of the receivers start going over there, they start picking him up. He makes a couple of plays and the place kind of erupts.

I mean, they've had two nights now in the first month of the season where when it's been going good, that place has been electric. I've watched a lot of games. It's not the most you know, it's not exactly an SEC football game, but this Jets team and just what's going on this year, especially tonight, Rogers in the house, Swift in the house. That was That was fun. I mean it is something that didn't feel like it was gonna happen, kind of came out of nowhere. That was an enjoyable three quarters.

Speaker 2

Well, I think it's mostly a young team with a young, highly passionate coach, and you can sometimes mirror your coach, and I think they play like Solo would play young teams Green Bay. You make more mistakes, you tend to play in streaks. I mean, the Packers have been like, terrible first half, great second half. The Jets do that terrible first quarter, great second quarter. So I think I think young teams. You see this in basketball all the time.

Young player Jordan Poole's a great example. Just depends on the quarter. They're very streaky. So you know, I think the Jets. Listen after watching Buffalo today, it's like, and the Jets beat Buffalo, either we should disregard the first game of the season, or we can see that the Jets can line up pretty much with anybody physically. Becton was okay tonight. You know, he's not great, but he

was capable. And if he becomes capable your old line Vera Tucker is good on the inside, then you're like, okay, we can hang around. Early in the season you had bad Zach badole line. Now Dwayne Brown's out, Becton comes in and can block a little. It's like, okay, this is a because Brice Hall Garrett Wilson are really nice players.

Speaker 1

I talked to a personnel guy this week and he said, if you look at the way the Jets built their defense, what happened when Rogers went out, It really screwed him because they weren't built like with Tony, Sarah Gusa and Luke Keigley. You know CJ. Mosley is an overrated player. But they were built to get a lead and then just tee off Peyton Manning style, you know with Dwight

Freeney Mathis and just get after you. They got one good corner and they were built to have a seventeen to seven lead and know you were going to pass. But what happened the moment Rogers tears Achilles. They've been down and they get in these rock fights and they're not built that way. You know, you can run it on them. But if they get a little lead or they're just in the game, and Andy, regardless what the score is, historically likes to throw the ball that plays

to their strengths on defense. The last couple of weeks, you know it's a ten to nothing game and it's like they can just run it. The Jets have no shot. But tonight when it's third and ten, if they can get you in third and long and you're not, you know, have a ten point, fifteen point seventeen point lead, they got a shot. Because their defensive front is pretty special as pass rushers. They're not just gonna hold the point. I mean, they wouldn't play the ninety two Cowboys very well.

But a team like the Chiefs, maybe a team like the Bills, they can at least hang because you like the pass and I think you saw that tonight and obviously you know Zach. I think the hard part is, though, Colin, you know a lot of play. Once you get to that level, you have the talent. What makes you just a solid player is just being able to consistently do it. And we'll really only see and be able. He said

two last year he had a Steeler game. I remember he was really good, and this year he's had one game. But like, what's the likelihood of doing that again?

Speaker 2

Yeah, I mean I think that's That's one of the reasons C. J. Stroud has been so remarkable is I feel like I get the same game from him. He doesn't even have Zach's arm. That's not what he's about. He can move better than GoF, but that was his comp you know, sit in the pocket, give him protection, throw it. But with Stroud, I feel like you get the exact same every time I watch him, I'm like, yeah, I kind of know what I'm getting, and it's pretty

high functioning. And with Zach you get fumbles, you get you know what's interesting too. He's six two and two eighteen and I always think he looks small. Rogers is six one and a half two twenty five, and I never think that Mahomes is six two two twenty five. I never think small. It's the shoulders. He's got kind

of a Johnny Manzel build at like small hills, small shoulders. Yeah, And so he is one of those guys that I think he throws to me, he throws the ball better on the outside because he has a clear pass lane. You know too has talked about that before. You can see it with sometimes Russell Wilson. You know, there are certain player I feel like Zach when he's throwing, moving and throwing outside. He's got a whip, he's got a beautiful arm.

Speaker 1

Well. I think Fields falls under that today too. Once you get him moving around using athleticism, you don't have to think it's not one two three, Mississippi. I gotta get rid of this ball. I gotta go from right to left. I got to diagnose the defense. Move him to the right, move him to the left. I basically have one option maybe too, and then I'm and then

I'm running forward. You can't. That's the simplicity. Even at the highest level of football, only so many guys, right, and Mahomes, you know, for his standards, was pretty shitty tonight. But he, like many other great players, can just sit in the pocket and pick you apart when they're dialed in. That's very difficult to do. Only a small percentage of people at that position have been able to do it.

Zach most guy, he's not alone, but you can put him in more advantageous situations, and then once you hit a couple of those, you're more likely to hit the pocket pass, which he did to night, which you went, damn that like a guy that you would draft high. He definitely had some of those throws to Night.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and I think Sola deserves credit. They ran the ball enough, play action, they rolled the pocket. I thought they set him up to succeed tonight. They moved the pocket. It looked different. Used a lot of different players, you know, I think, And to your point is at any one time I remember Mahomes talking about and I think Mahomes cognitively, I've never seen a player who can see something and get the ball there faster.

Speaker 1

He just is a whip just I mean, look at how that game ended. How many guys walk right into the end zone. No one would have blamed him. The game ends too, Yeah, hits the ground. That was like a Brady Belichick level move in their prime, wasn't it.

Speaker 2

Yeah, he's he's playing he's playing chess. I mean, Mahomes is going a thou and he and Reed are going on thousand miles an hour upstairs. But I do think there's ways as players develop to let them succeed, and I think it's moving the pocket play action, leaning into your run game. Now. I thought Sala was super conservative on fourth downs in the first half, more conservative than

I would have been. But in the end, you know his takeaways, let's get like there was a fourth and one, He's like, hey, if we don't get it, it's points for Kansas City. So he was a tad Sala more conservative than I like. But I also understand that he was seeing in the second quarter how much Mahomes was having trouble. That's about as poorly as Mahomes plays. So I'm not a huge moral victory fan, but I think you come out of that game a little impassioned. I

think you're energized if you're the Jets. I mean I sat back and I said, they're giving Kansas City. Some of these problems are just New York is speeding up the game. For Mahomes, It's hard to me.

Speaker 1

The key, though, is you got to build on it next week, like your next game. You have to look good or they turned because you could feel the last couple weeks the Jet, the New York negativity. It was coming and rightfully so they had earned it. And then

tonight it felt like a completely different football team. So all of a sudden, you win a game next week or I don't know, I don't think they have a buy and you're two and three, then all of a sudden, it feels like like you said, why couldn't you rattle off four or five? And then all of a sudden being the wildcard mix. And I think on the flip side, this Chiefs team is just a completely different version than

the first iteration of the Mahomes era. I mean they are defensive, they have I mean Andy's had some good running backs over his career. Obviously, when he got to Kansas City, Jamal Charles Shady McCoy, some of the Westbrooks induce Daly this Isaah, but Jaco is like a throwback guy from the eighties. So you get this physical presence and even Andy, who wants to pass it every play, knows he's got to give it to this guy. And now he's clearly right. Kelsey's their best weapon. This guy's

our second best weapon. And they defensive run game tight end. This is not different than the you know, scoring forty eight points a game Chief Chiefs, but it's this is sustainable too.

Speaker 2

Yeah, I mean one of the reasons the Chiefs had trouble in the second quarter. The Jets corners are outstanding for sure, and so the bottom line is nobody was open. And I do think I think at the trading deadline, Kansas City, yeah, I think they'll I feel like they would go if there was a Juju Smith Schuster type player just who was very productive for them, just a guy that's good after the catch, kind of a physical banger and experienced guy. Because I think that's the whole.

But to your point, this is the best fastest defense Kansas City's had under Mahomes. It's the youngest cheapest and fastest. But also by the next draft, you have to start considering for Kittle and Travis Kelcey drafting tight ends. These guys take a lot of hits and so overall, great teams win on bad nights on the road. That's Kansas City. Philadelphia didn't play very well today. I mean they know their defense got shredded.

Speaker 1

Washington has their number though, you know, I mean certain teams in certain sports. The Trailblazers forever would Lillard and CJ always played the Warriors well, even when they had Durant Washington now two years in a row. Remember they beat him last year. I think on Monday a fe football today, they easily could have won that game. They were to control the majority of it until some of

Philly's athletes just made plays. That's the thing. Like you watch a team like Philly, the Niners, their skill guys look more like the nineteen Chiefs than this Chiefs team, right, I mean the talent at the high end. When you have that much firepower a sixty minute game, if your quarterback's good, you're just never really out of the game unless you're down twenty.

Speaker 2

All right, let's talk Patriots, Cowboys, so Zach Wilson can struggle, Justin Fields can struggle, but I never doubt they have talent. They both move and controw. Today Mac Jones looked untalented, looked overwhelmed. So here's what we know to be true. The Patriot coaches. I've been told this and it's been written, We're furious with him last year, like just didn't like him as a player, you know, McEnroe, Jones, Braddy, the cheap shots. It just looked bad for the culture. And

so we know that's documented. Belichick was furious with him. We also know he's had several of these moments, and I've been told last year he was called out by one of his offensive linemen. He's had several of these moments. You know, chippy hitting, guys kicking. That doesn't play well in pro sports because what players think is if you're doing that to them, they can do that to us. So that doesn't play in a locker room at all. This chippy stuff, the Grace and Allen stuff doesn't play.

And then today completely listless, no energy, completely overwhelmed, with Trayvon digs out, Micah parsonshurt. Briefly, I thought it was one of those I wrote this down is that I think there's five. I think there's ten teams that are going to draft quarterbacks. Some of them I think Atlanta, you know, Vegas, Tampa very early, and then probably you know Rams, Green Bay, Minnesota maybe a little later. I put down ten teams, and I put in New England

in the sooner than later. Like he's not popular in the locker room. He looks overwhelmed and untalented, the braddy cheap shot stuff. I don't know where his alliances are in the organization. I don't know justin fields. Those guys still in that locker room, I think they like him. Zach Wilson. You can see his teammates, his receivers come to him. Watch Mac Jones on the sideline. Who's an ally in that locker room.

Speaker 1

My thought coming into training camp, once we knew all the AFC rosters is that Mac Jones was inevitably gonna get in Bill Belichick's career. Now, I hate to say get him fired because it sounds like, you know, Joe Judge gets fired. You know, if coaches like that get fired. I don't know how this ends, mutual departation. It's over like this This team's terrible, and it starts their quarterback play is horrendous. Like you said, he he's not talented enough.

I remember when Kyle Shanahan liked him and I thought it is insane. No player of this talent has ever been drafted this high. In my opinion, he's more even based going back to college. More third fourth round pick. That's where guys of Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, those guys go in the third fourth round. And unlike those guys, his floor he can't reach it right now because he's so mistake prone. His turnovers are outrageous. I mean they and they never end. It's pick sixes. He could have

thrown multiple pick six today as a fumble. He just feels like most lopsided game and loss of Bill Belichick's career. I mean the Cowboys they're not bad. I mean they're solid, twelve win team, thirty eight to three. I mean that was a full that was a bloodbath in Belichick. There was the one when he was going like this on his said, what's his other pitch? It's not like, well I just throw a change up? Now what does he do? You can't go to the bullpens it's like Zappie's any good.

They're screwed. And listen, they missed the playoffs last year. This team feels worse. Judon got hurt. Now it's starting to unravel a little bit and it's clearly not well. It's Matt Patricia calling the place. No, they got a grown up call in the place. I mean, this team looks. I know he's an all time great coach and I believe that, but this individual team, even with him five six wins. I mean, look how hard the division is, let alone just how they play in general.

Speaker 2

You know what's interesting too, he's regressed. So when he first gets to New England his rookie year, again, you haven't lived with him long. You haven't traveled with him much, right, you haven't been through crisis with him. He had a pretty good rookie year.

Speaker 1

I made the playoffs.

Speaker 2

Just like when you're a coworker, you're an employee. The first year, you win some games, you're like I kind of like Bob. And then you work with him a second year. You travel with him, multiple camps with him, practices with him. Have you noticed he seems less popular today, He has less allies today, He's one of those players. I mean, I had somebody who I respect, a former Patriot recently out east, use the word brat like he's bratty like, and you know, I think you told me

this last week or the week before. As long as you're loved in the room, nobody.

Speaker 1

Cares outside of the room.

Speaker 2

I do not think. I think the coaches have tolerated him. I think I mean today, I know it feels like I'm being hyperbolic here, it feels like today was a tipping point, like the coaches are just like, all right, they have to go to craft and say, what do Bob, we have to draft the quarterback?

Speaker 1

Do you think that if this thing gets really ugly and it's trure headed that way? They win six games. Bill's always been a little prickly with Robert, but he's making him so much money. They're winning so big. You deal with it. Now, this back to back years, Let's say they win thirteen games over a two year span. Maybe they just go it's time for a change, does Bill? Because I was thinking about this, like if you're the chart or some of these other teams, or is he

just too old and too crimogeny. He's kind of fascinating, right, because his resume is unprecedented. I mean yeah, but it's like, you know, this is he's not a spring chicken. He's not mister get along with everybody.

Speaker 2

Here's the other thing. We always thought they were just such a smart football team. They make the same mistakes as everybody post Brady, they're not. They make special teams blunders. So you know, Brady covered up a lot of issues with this team. He was so good pre snap. He got you out of trouble. It's like a good boss. You don't really know the trouble you would have been in. He gets you out of it before your company's in it. Brady got this team out of a lot of trouble.

Speaker 1

But it gets back to Tom also worked basically as like his second job was also a coach. I mean you talked to Adelman and Gronk and all these guys. What was tolerated in practice? It wasn't just Bill setting the tone, it was Tom setting the tone. So they screw ups didn't happen in practice. What's Mac gonna do yell at you for running the wrong route on Thursday. So it kind of unravels from within because Tom set

the tone from a leadership standpoint, it's unreplaceable. And it shows now their talent, I mean, their margin ferrer was already so slim. They were gonna have to win games what like seventeen to fifteen, and if Max's gonna play, you know, like a bottom five quarterback, they don't have a snowballs chance in hell at this rate.

Speaker 2

The you know the other thing, and I I there's a lot of different things to talk about, so I'd feel like we're sort of you know, you have a Niner take. I had a brand and Staley take. So when Assante Samuel at the end of that game intercepted the ball and apparently Brandon Staley was telling him to get down, get down, and I thought to myself, there's been so many gaffes, so many snaff foos from Staley. And my takeaway is if there had been forty eight

seconds or a minute four but there wasn't. There was like two thirty two forty on the interception and you're deep in your own territory. And my takeaway was as a code, which if the Sante Samuels had intercepted that and just gone down the sideline as he was going down the sideline. You know, you could say sit at the fifty, but to sit at like you're eight or wherever it was. So my takeaway was, oh, god, you're just overthinking it. There's just I don't know what the

analytics are. If you intercept the ball and it can be a pick six and go up fourteen, just go, just go. Now, the theory is, well, you may never get the ball back. They could get the on site. There's like two fifty left. So that really bothered me. Should it or analytically that's understood.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I mean I just let him run. Why are you telling him get down at all? They play in the same game every week for two years and four games, don't they. I mean, they got a big fourth down with under three minutes to go, the other team is driving, with a chance to tie or to take the leak. They play Honestly, you could even go back to the Philip Rivers days. It feels like this team's cursed. I mean, the Raiders are so far gone it's they're not even

worth saving. But the Chargers with this quarterback who he's proven his physical capabilities, his production, his toughness. Now a couple of years in a row, what was it last year he had the rib or splint injury. This year his fingers pointing the other way and him battling through. What more could you want? I think how many franchises are watching this, and how many gms and former gms what they would have done for a chance of a talent like that when he had a coach.

Speaker 2

He bailed Staley out, so you know, then they try to they run the ball on the clock and the Raiders use a timeout so they have to get a first out or they're punning it from their end zone. And he hits a beautiful, perfect deep throw and you're like you and I are on the West Coast. I wonder if people like Midwest who are watching their own games East understand what's happening here with the Chargers. Justin Justin Herbert is literally saving the franchise Staley is making.

They sometimes they overthink, then they underthink, I just I watched this team, and if I'm Tom Telesco, this roster's really really good. Today they were six acts, so it's it's it's they won this game without five starters. I mean, they have depth. They have players everywhere. I even if they're a playoff too. It's pretty remarkable that a coach would go playoffs back to back and be fired. But I think it's been so discussed. Los Angeles is a

very kind of laid back, chill market. It's not Philly, Boston, New York.

Speaker 1

No.

Speaker 2

You read the La Times, you go to messageboards, you listen to sports talk radio in La. Staley is the topic of conversation every Monday.

Speaker 1

Yeah. I mean, I think because the quarterback's so good, he might be able to will into ten wins and you're right there in the playoffs. But with their lack of discipline, decision making, defense, you never know what you're gonna get. It's hard to see them winning a playoff game,

let alone several. So I think that the elephant in the room, though, is even if they were to get rid of him, would they ever be willing to pay for a big time coach, because you see around just this sport the impact of high end coach, I mean San Francisco Christian McCaffrey. I think I can't imagine there's ever been a better midseason NFL trade in the history of the league. Last week, he broke Jerry Rice's record twelve straight tds. This week, he tied Emmitt Smith's record

thirteen straight touchdowns fourteen. Next week he has a chance to break it longest since nineteen ninety. So you're talking about a guy that and I thought it was kind of crazy too. Running Backs twenty twenty two, he had been banged up. I'm like, wait, you're gonna give a second, a third, and a fourth. He would have been worth three seconds, thirds and fourth for his impact on the forty nine ers. Yeah, he is easily. I think Josh

Allen threw his hat back in the ring. You know, Lamar's having a pretty awesome season, but he's right there. If it ended to day, he would be have every bit as good of a chance as anyone to be the NFL MVP. And he's clearly one of the best players in the league. And he's taken a team that was pretty damn good, right, they were in the conference title a couple of years ago, they were in the Super Bowl, and Purty's an upgrade over over Jimmy clearly.

But Christian has become like a superstar. I remember being a kid when they signed Dean Sanders. Niners never looked back and they dominated. It's different because he's an offensive player, but it's similar in terms of the impact. It's like it's impossible, despite his production, which is freaking elite, to quantify how good this guy is.

Speaker 2

Well, listen, Deebo is a Hall of Fame talent and Kittle probably makes the Hall of Fame. They almost shrink when they're on the field with Christian McCaffrey. I mean they're I mean, like Kittle two years ago, pre McCaffrey, that was your third down target. You couldn't wait to watch Kiittle play. He's still remarkable when he's on the field with Christian McCaffrey on a big third down, it's like Deebo and Kittle become second tier players and their

Hall of fame. Kittle's gonna make the Hall of Fame. So it's like McCaffrey is that rare athlete that among other great athletes, it doesn't even it doesn't. I mean, it's like this kid for the Rams, Pooka Nakua. I keep waiting and it's like this is insane. He's physical, he gets open, he reads corners like a twelve year veteran. He manipulates him. It's like, oh, that's just different. I mean,

among other elite players. So, and the thing about McCaffrey, despite his size, he's one of the most physical running backs I've ever seen. And I mean seriously, he plays three inches taller and thirty pounds heavier.

Speaker 1

Well, David Shaw have pounded the table when he was coming out. I was wrong. I thought, you know, I bet he turns into more of like an Edelman Whelker and he's more receiver than he ever is true down running back he is. I mean, it's gonna sound like a Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith. I mean he's a true I mean Kyle's getting into him twenty twenty five times a game, and it's not at the corners. It is right up the gut, yeah, and breaking tackles, he shoulder.

He's really more of like a throwback to his dad's era of a guy that would have thrived in the nineties. And now I think, you know, to me, the Cowboys a little bit of a front running team. When they get a lead on you, which they've done three out of the four games, run you out the building as they did, and they're celebrated, and it's awesome. Their defense pins their ears back. They got into one kind of dogfight when they were down and they crumbled, and now

they're playing the Niner Sunday. The Eagles, I give them some credit. They have not played their best football, but their talent, like the Niners, they've been through, you know, the ups and downs they've handled like today was not an easy win, right, And I think when you look at the Niners and the Eagles, the amount of high end I mean, both teams could have ten Pro Bowlers. I mean like ten, you know, all pro guys when those two teams shake out. But the Cowboys, you know,

I just don't think they're quite on their level. I think those two teams in the top tier of the NFC, and then the next tier is the Cowboys and probably than the Lions.

Speaker 2

Yeah, I think there's a way Dallas has to play. And I think again, Buffalo, I think is more talented, but is similar. They're an avalanche. When Buffalo gets a lead on you and you're struggling with Josh Allen and he's in a groove and Davis is getting open with Diggs and now Kincaid and Knox, it's like, shit, this is just too much. They play down.

Speaker 1

Hill and he turns into John Elway basically like he did today.

Speaker 2

You know, so like I think, whereas I think Stan Francisco and Philadelphia can win multiple ways, I tend to think certain teams Buffalo's this way. I think Dallas is this way. They're momentum teams, and when they're headed downhill, watch out. They're even more lethal than a Stan Francisco or Philadelphia because they can score so quickly and they're so aggressive, so hyper aggressive Miami. Let's talk Miami Buffalo. What is interesting because I did think Buffalo would win.

I did not. I had a good day of gambling four and one, four to zero in the afternoon games. But my takeaway is what really changes is when you can get pressure with four guys without bringing people at Oliver today was very good. Is that the way to disrupt Miami is very it's it's it's tried and true. It was the way to beat Peyton Manning or any great quarterback is you get pressure with four and then

you occasionally bring other people. Were you should I read into anything that Miami was just boat race, just overwhelm man overboard. Should we or is it just one of those that came off a huge game on the road against the rival. It was bound to happen.

Speaker 1

I think it's more they're going on the road to a team that's won their division three years in a row, who two of the last three years won thirteen games, and have a quarterback who I'd say this year has got a chance to be the MVP of the league. I mean when he's on and he's been like this last couple of years. Buffalo had to win that game, right, I mean you're talking about they've already lost, so all of a sudden, Miami would have technically, you know, they'd

have two losses, they would be undefeated. This was a team that they should have beaten twice last year. Remember Buffalo had the weird loss of them when they outgained them and every statistic was in there, you know. On the side. To me, this was a draw in the line game from Seohan McDermott, who's taken over the defensive coordinator and like you said that he got after him too. Hasn't been touched, right. And the other thing is they've been running it down the hill like untouched on everyone.

So slow him down from the running game, hit to a and have Josh Allen be an all pro level guy that formula. In general, you're gonna be able to play with anyone in the league, right Stefan Diggs when he's humming, he's a top two or three quarter or a wide receiver in the league. And that in terms of home field advantage and big picture, is Miami going on the road in the AFC to Kansas City to I don't even know. I guess you know, obviously Buffalo.

I don't know who would be in the north, maybe Baltimore. That's you know, historically hasn't always been. Miami doesn't win those games under forty or thirty five degrees. What would change the way this team plays? Their defense is terrible?

Speaker 2

Yeah, no, I think that's the in the AFC. The best team's Buffalo can get after you defensively. Kansas City can get after you defensively. You start looking even the heightens the way they played today can get after you defensively. We know Baltimore always figures out a way to get after you defensively. And then you start looking around and you're like, yeah, Miami already can't. Now Jalen Ramsey comes back. Listen,

this is Vic Fangio and they're struggling. So the players they just don't have the players, and so listen, New England gave them fits in Foxborough in the second half. Like, yeah, I think Miami is. I think they're the best team to watch offensively. I think they're smart and clever and it's a little bit of a firework show. But today is a great example of and I think they're really well coached. They just have some personnel limitations. They're just they don't have a lot of guys that would start

for Buffalo on defense. Maybe two.

Speaker 1

Yeah, Yeah, I just think today was a day when you know Tua once everything's not schemed and there are some plays in their first couple drives, you're like, geez, Luise, Mike, he's got you know, Tyreek Hill in the backfield, these guys guys motioning. I don't. I thought it was incredible. He was the MVP so far. You realize how special

their offensive coordinator is. But once you just have to play football straight up against a team that you're equal, maybe even slightly, yeah, it becomes a lot more difficult. So to me, they got a lot to prove just historically they've never done it, you know, and think of all the teams in the AFC that play in the cold. I like Buffalo. If he's going to play under control,

their quarterback has a chance. I mean, he is an all time great talent, but to have the best year of his career, because after that first week clunker where it was like god, we had to red flag that situation, the last three weeks he's been brilliant. I mean he's been you could argue the best player in the league. Yeah.

Speaker 2

I think I think I talked about this earlier. Is that because once the schedule was length in the game, I think a lot of GMS and coaches scaled back on playing guys in the preseason and they kind of used the first week as a little bit of a regular season game with a preseason feel. On snaps, you can't take much from the first game. Seattle looked awful, Buffalo looked awful. Maybe that is what Pittsburgh is. They

looked awful. I will say this before we go. I had said during the summer, is that I always think, because I would love to be a GM in the NFL, never gonna happen. But if I didn't do this, that would be my choice, probably yours. Just to run an NFL franchise is that. I always think in free agency the big mistake is the splashy moves. There's a lot of B. If you take your time and get through the first four days, there's a lot of B moves,

and I thought Houston made several of those. Just get a little better at running back, a little deeper receiver, a little better on the offensive line. And Tamiko Ryans, as we both know, was really respected and loved in San Francisco stud They really felt like they lost a

little bit of the soul of their defense. And then all of a sudden, it's such a dysfunctional organization, but they made a lot of these kind of like B moves, B plus just get slightly kind of bill parcels, get better in the locker room, the weight room, the culture. Just get a second tied, a backup, just interior lineman. Everything feels better. And they did. And then CJ. Stroud The team makes no noise, they don't talk a lot. Stroud just sits back and throws the ball confidently. And

there's not a ton of juice. But I gotta tell you, I don't think it's a fluke. I think they look I think they look like a well coached team that knows exactly what they are. And I sat there today and I watched them, and I thought, this isn't a fluke. Now we're in Week four, that's a good That's a pretty solid football team. That's my view on the surprise

team in the league. Houston's a solid, not great. They'll meet up with their talent level at some point, but I think they're a pretty solid team that's well coached.

Speaker 1

Yeah. I mean, I think he's got a little burrow to his game. You know, he's not a great athlete, but he can move. He's really accurate. I mean he has thrown the ball, pushed the ball down the field, very calm and collected. I mean, you watch him the last couple of weeks. He doesn't look like a guy playing the fourth game of his career. He looks like a guy who's been six years in the NFL. And obviously, from a coaching standpoint, this guy, I think he's got

a chance to be like a Mike Vrabel. I think he already is. I mean, he's a stud. I mean he's the real deal. I don't know how good they will be as the you know, as the season goes on. Are they more likely to win six than nine? Probably? But this is definitely a team. They got a lot of firepower in the draft. That's the other thing. Remember they're not done getting that back from Cleveland. Cleveland still owes them. I think their first round pick this year.

So I think Houston, who knows that division? I mean the Titans are just this gritty, ugly I mean Jacksonville. I think Atlanta is terrible. One thing that hit me this morning, how come like last night? Lsu Ole Miss I have zero ties to the South. I don't care about Like, I've never been I don't know anyone that goes SEC schools. I've honestly never even been there, Like it didn't go there scouting or whatever. I just mesmerized

by their games. I'm I'm glued to my couch watching lsu Ole Miss. Yet whatever the NFC and AFC South like the morning game does, I don't even want to turn. I just think it's irrelevant. Why does college football for them feel so gigantic on TV? And then an NFL game, even one that sat by itself this morning felt like I'm gonna watch the news or something before the morning games come on.

Speaker 2

Yeah, well it's there's been some quirky owners.

Speaker 1

There's not the brands too.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and I also think there haven't been I mean, Brady drops in on the Buccaneers, but before Brady, they'd never had a great quarterback in the in the entire franchise. They'd had great players everywhere, they'd never had a great quarterback. Atlanta's had a lot of Chris Chandler's Matt Ryan. You know, Matt's more than capable. But I think here, Jamie, I mean, if you look at Carolina, Jake Dell, Holme, Cam Newton.

Speaker 1

Ryan, Tannehill, Mariota. Yeah, these players down.

Speaker 2

There, it's always been athletic conference. Those rivalries are bigger if you live in the South. You know, the Saints in Atlanta is a bigger rivalry if you live in the South. But I tend to think AFC South, NFC South, that the SEC is so big. It's almost why pro sports is so big in the Northeast and the West that it shrinks college football, right, And I think college football is so big in the South it kind of

pulls down the NFL. But they're just it just seems to me that the NFC South, you know, Breeze wasn't drafted by the Saints. They went and got him. It's Brady entered at the end of his career. I don't I don't see a lot of historically great quarterback play in that division. Maybe it's some of its ownership.

Speaker 1

I don't know.

Speaker 2

I feel like in the Northeast, baseball and the NFL mean more, you know. I feel in the West, the NBA just means more, and so you get better GMS, better scouts. The owners pay a little more. You have really wealthy owners bal or Joe Lake of Paul Allen, You've had some really wealthy Western owners. Now the Suns have one of the richer owners. So I always tend to if if there's a theme or a trend, I always looked to ownership or passion, Like if you don't

win baseball games, they'll just fire you. In the Northeast, you're just done, right, Stave. In the West, you don't win. I thought Terry Stott was a good coaching Portland boom out, I know, right, So yeah, so they're just I think in certain regions, certain things matter more.

Speaker 1

Last thing on college really quick. It really hit me yesterday. This year's wide open right, I mean, there are teams that can win. How is this this is Harbaugh's opportunity? I was. I think his team's pretty good. Yeah, that quarterback is better than I thought he was. Yep, like this is I mean, he'd have to beat a sark. This Georgia team's not as good now. LSU's down Notre Dame, Ohio State. You know, USC can't play any defense. Two years ago that Georgia team he ran into a buzzsaw,

got his ass kicked. Last year, drop the ball. You gotta be TCU in that situation. This year he's got to beat Ohio State and then it's wide open for him. I think. I think the gates have opened for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan to take advantage. And if he's an all time great coach, which I think he is, you gotta win a championship and this year is right there for him. Yeah.

Speaker 2

The interesting thing is we know now he's very successful. He not only it took him, you know, it took Brian Kelly a lot of years to get noted at these northern schools. They're not LSU, USC, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, where you know your state has so many players that you can really you can really dominate your state it Brian Kelly, you have to ask kids to come play in cold weather. Jim Harbaugh, you have to ask players. You know, it's convinced that school, school's hard, school's hard.

So if Northern you know, James Franklin now feels like he has his best team. I think it's about a four or five year process. In the North Washington Chris Peterson got it going I think year two to year three. But I always feel it's a little easier in the South because the states are so productive with recruiting. So I think it took Kelly and Harbab about five or six years to really I mean they were good early.

I mean I think Jim won ten games year one and Kelly won big, but they were kind of fraudulent teams right like they couldn't run with Ohio State or Georgia. I think right now after now, Georgia's quarterback played well this weekend. But I think the question becomes if he gets to the championship winn or lose, and I think

they could win. He can be really picky because I think Jim realized something in the NFL, is you can be a great coach, but if you don't have the guy pulling the trigger, they're just limitations on what you can do. And now we who have Josh Allen in his prime and Lamar and is prime, and Herbert is prime, Mahlmes his prime. You can't take a second. You can't go into this league with a second tier quarterback. Jalen hurts like, you just can't do it anymore. So it's

different than when Jim left. It's more quarterback centric. And there's all these guys that weren't in the league and they're all in their primes. So I think you have to be really picky Chargers job. I would absolutely take. If Zach Taylor got run in two years, I would look into that. But it's when Jim. When Jim left this league, you didn't have all these Trevor Lawrence, Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Lamar, the guys weren't in the league. So it's just a

it's a whole different ballgame. You can still be physical, but as great as Rabel is as a physical guy, he's kind of a one and donner in the playoffs. He just doesn't have And Tannehill's not terrible he's competent.

Speaker 1

Yeah, and he's even maxed out even if he maximizes the team what he's doing, what's he gonna win nine games?

Speaker 2

Yep?

Speaker 1

Right, I mean he can only go so far, so not going on. I mean, what a what a first month of football.

Speaker 2

It was great. John Middlecoff three and out the volume. Good, see anybody see you Colin

Speaker 1

The volume

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