Welcome to the best of the week for What's Right with Nick Right the best takes in moments from this week on the show. Enjoy.
So Mahomes came out and said, I'm going to do whatever it takes to win, whether that's passing for a lot of yards or not passing for a lot of yards. So we've seen Kansas City win in a number of different ways. How do you think that the offense or the Chiefs need to look in order to succeed this year?
Listen, I do think there's an element of they need to get their swagger back and pump the ball down the field. Now, I think people need to remember how we got kind of to the point that we got to with this offense being the way it is. And I talked about this yesterday on TV, but I think it's worth revisiting. Three years ago, they're playing the number
one defense in the NFL in the Super Bowl. They score third thirty eight points without a single play longer than twenty five yards and the longest play of the game is a Mahomes scramble. The very next year they come back, they're in the Super Bowl, having the offense having struggled all year long receivers just openly revolting against Patrick.
In the Super Bowl, the biggest drive up to that point of Mahomes's life eleven play, sixty four yard dank dunk DNK dunk field goal, and then in overtime one of the greatest drives in NFL history thirteen play, seventy five yard drive where the longest play once again is a Mahomes scramble, dank dunk, dnk dunk. No big explosives. Last year offense just eking along and pulling games out
of the fire. So why am I saying when they gone Super Bowl win, Super Bowl win, Super Bowl loss, after being seventeen and one going into the Super Bowl with Mahomes' starter, Because I think one of the reasons Patrick started to press early in that Super Bowl demonsay is because being down fourteen for last year's Chiefs felt so different than any of the previous year Chiefs. Down fourty eighteen three years ago was okay, we can start
playing now. Down ten in every Super Bowl they've ever played in, take the lead back in a heartbeat, And so because it was so death by a thousand cuts, they felt they needed to. I think Patrick felt like man we better score, right, because we don't have this one playability. So I think they need to get that back. And I think the better offensive line, hopefully healthier receivers, even though she's now dealing with the growing Hollywood Brown
still out with an ankle, that's not great. That should help that. I also saw there's an unbelievable stack courtesy an unbelievable stack courtesy of Warren Sharp that I would like to go over for a moment. But so, quarterbacks record when trailing entering the fourth quarter over the last five years. Let me give you the top three from three to one. Demonse in third place, best record when trailing entering the fourth last five years. Okay, Jalen hurts
eight and fourteen, so that's pretty good. I mean it's third best. That so thirty six percent of the time the Eagles are trailing going into the fourth, they win anyway when Jalen starts. Second place, Lamar Jackson seven and ten forty one percent of the time, So that's almost half the time bro that the Ravens are trailing entering the fourth, they win when Lamar's the quarterback. So third place is thirty six percent. Jalen second place is forty
one percent. Lamar is again courtesy Warrensharp first place record the last five years when trailing entering the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes fourteen and seven sixty seven percent. That means the Chiefs would be an eleven twelve win team if every game they trailed going into the fourth quarter and the other like CJ. Demonse is one two, three, four, five six seven, He's eighth on this list, two and
ten twenty percent. Josh Allen is above average three and fourteen eighteen percent, Joe Burrow four and twenty three fifteen percent, Brock Purdy one in ten nine percent. Like, so, I say that for this reason, it's under standable that the Chiefs kind of carry themselves like, eh, we'll figure it out. But it's harder to do that after you've got your teeth kicked in in the Super Bowl.
Yeah, and.
That is.
They need to.
They need to go ahead, Demani, Yeah, and I think Josh Simmons, the rookie left tackle, and Xavier Worthy's ascension is going to help that quite a bit. By the way, late the Madden ratings for this year, Xavier Worthy a higher rating than Marvin Harrison Junior and Rome A doonsday to top ten now just barely, but still like that is the highest rated rookie receivers were neighbors than Brian Thomas, then Xavier Worthy. So yeah, I do think they need to bring back, as brew would call it, the light
show a bit, and I'm optimistic that they can. All right, let's talk a little more cheap before we get some other stuff.
Andy Reid's been hyping up. You got Travis Kelcey. He's saying that he's calling him. He's calling him, felt saying he looks twenty, he's all slender. A year ago, you said, Travis Kelsey's got about eight more good games in him, games great games, not good, Sorry, got eight great games left at him.
Has that number changed since?
Like what would he have now at this time? Well? So this year? Yeah, so I felt he. I thought he used a couple last year. Certainly the playoff game against Houston Texans was peak Travis. And I also thought he left a lot out on the field the Christmas Day game against Pittsburgh that if they knew they won, they were going to get the long rest that they all desperately needed. Now, those aren't the only big games he had all year, but some of the other big games yet I just thought, were you.
Know, the.
Teams not being able to deal with him, or you know, the how the game play in philadelph So again, swifties, please, because I got absolutely crushed for this take last year because people misunderstood what I was saying. I think when you are Travis's age at that position, you have to be very diligent about when you go full throttle, and I think he knows that he only has so many
full throttle games left now. I think that added chip on his shoulder for the fact that he didn't play up to his standard he said last year, and the way they got their ass kicked in the Super Bowl, and the fact that he shed some weight, had probably a better offseason, maybe replenish some of those games that game count. Yeah, I've got to see him in Week one to give this a real answer. But I'm going to go out on a lemon say this. I think Travis this year will once again be one of the
three most impactful players at his position. I think Travis and brock Bowers and then maybe Kittle, maybe Laporta, maybe the kid in Arizona or the other candidates. But I think Travis and brock Bauers are going to be up there at and I'm Travis is especially because teams are gonna have to respect the deep ball more this year. He's gonna have a lot more room to work with over that intermediate middle where he wants to all right, dog days summer, which means it's time for the boys
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A Seleuca sign is three year, one hundred and sixty five million extension with the Lakers over the weekend. We've all been waiting on that. So now that's finally happened, do you think that it's time for eled to really press the gas on trying to succeed in the now?
Well, listen, I got it, I said after they didn't re sign Dorian Finney Smith that I thought there was a chance I put Lucas signing the extension. Was it ninety percent? I had it. I dropped it to like seventy five percent. So I do think this is good, important, real news. I also think that because he signed the extension, they are able to slow walk this a bit if they want to, because Luca is not going anywhere over
the next three years. And by the way, the next deal he'll signed Demons will be the league's first million dollar a game deal super Max.
Yeah, well, was that what he was supposed to? Was that what he was coming up on in Dallas?
No, it was No, he could have signed.
No, the.
He would have gotten the biggest deal ever in Dallas.
But it wouldn't.
We wouldn't have gotten that threshold yet. But three years from now his contract will average more than eighty two million a year, and there's eighty two games. It's a really remarkable thing. Here is though my general Lakers take that. No One, even the biggest anti lebron folks, haven't been able to explain to me where I'm wrong on this. I think it is overwhelmingly likely that over the lifetime of this extension, these next three years, Luca never has
a teammate better than Lebron is right now. Now, listen, maybe they're gonna get Yannis, and I'll be wrong. Maybe they're you know, they have their eyes on Joker, and I'll be wrong. But Shay ain't going anywhere, and Tatum's not going anywhere, and now we're like running out of
people who are better than Lebron right now. Okay, So I would, if I were the Lakers, prioritize trying to win right now, because if they think this is their last year with Lebron, I do not know that Luca is going to have a better running mate than Lebron over these next three years. Now, again, if they have real intel that if they keep the cap sheet clean in two years, Yannis plans on just coming there in
free agency, then so be it. Then you know what, if they like then see you know, it's not like they're drawing dead this season, like they've got a nice roster, then then keep it flexible. But that's a hell of a gamble to take, like a hell of a gamble to take.
Do you are you worried at all that there's like a riff potentially forming between Luca and Lebron or do you think that Luca knows that it's.
I don't think yeah, yeah, I don't think it's between Luca and Lebron at all. Lebron was Luca's all time favorite player. Luca is the guy Lebron tried to sign to his shoe line. Luca like, I don't think there is anything between them at all. I think there is some obvious frustration for Lebron, fair or not that the
Lakers are not pressing the gas even more on this season. Now, you can say that's unfair, that they shouldn't whatever, but that is to me, the entirety of the frustration is that right there.
Oh yeah, So Baker Mayfield came in into that number fifty in the NFL Top hundred list. He answers this year as the eighth best odds for MVP in Tampa Bay also just drafted Amika Agbuka and they're getting gowing back from his injury. What are your expectations for Baker this year?
Expectations already has another really good season. Ceiling is he is a frontline MVP candidate and they are a true contender in the NFC, Like, I think that's on the board. And here's the thing.
In order for.
Them to be a contender, he has to be an MVP candidate because that defense is not going to be great. They are gonna have to outscore people. But Baker had forty touchdowns last year. He was a badass, man. Yeah, I mean he was a badass last year. I'm so and he right now has I want to make sure I'm right about this that I didn't miss it yet. He's on the best non rookie contract in the NFL. Three years, one hundred million bucks for Baker Mayfield. He is one more good season away from getting a two
hundred and fifty million dollar deal. He's been that level of player and I'm just happy for him, man, because this shit went so sideways on him.
Yeah, and.
His teammates love him. He is true to himself. He's tough. He is a legit awesome playoff performer. Like this is the thing that people I think underrate with Baker. He has played I think five career playoff games. I'm gonna tell you what he did in the first playoff game ever. The Cleveland Browns go into Pittsburgh, hang forty eight on him. Baker throws for two sixty three touchdowns a one fifteen rating. Second playoff game ever, his only ever bad playoff game.
He's against the two time defending AFC champion. Uh oh, I'm sorry. He's against the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, and he's twenty three to thirty seven for two hundred yards, one touchdown, one pick, seventy five rating. But he's in arrowhead and round two against the twenty twenty Chiefs, like no shame in that. He then makes the playoffs with Tampa. His first playoff game ever against Philly, and again, it's so crazy, this is Philly. This game was in January
of twenty twenty four. Yeah, exactly, thirty two to nine, three touchdowns, no picks, a one to twenty rating. The next game against Detroit three hundred and fifty yards, three touchdowns, two picks, a ninety five rating, they lose by eight. And in the game against Washington last year, a wild one where he only throws eighteen times, but he's fifteen of eighteen for a buck eighty five, two touchdowns and
a one forty seven rating. In his playoff career, he's got a one zero six rating twelve touchdowns, three picks, like he's just been awesome in the big yeah. So yeah, So I'm a Baker believer through and through. All Right, let's do these last two real quick.
James Cook is holding in as he looks for his contract extension. After a few years a big dollar running backs paying off. It seemed like the debate was put to rest, but that conversation opens back up again. Or do you think Cook is just.
Not that guy? Well? No, I just I think Cook's really good. But I the Bills have no cap space. He's under contract for five million bucks. They know they can franchise tag.
Him for not much. And even if you.
Think he's awesome, do you think he's gonna be awesome four years from now?
So like go, I ask me a huge part of their offense last year, like huge buffalo the.
Last two years, right, I just think they think he's gonna blink. Bro. I don't think it's that they you know what I mean? I think that they think we'll give him a little more money, but not long term, you know what I mean? Nothing long term and then or maybe a one year extension. But the report is he wants you know, I don't know if it's what he wants. I don't want to get this wrong, but I saw four years forty million bouncing around, which is
only ten million a year. But I just think they think at that position, his style, in two years he could be done and they just it's just such a tough business for running backs. Man, It's just such a tough business for running backs.
So, yeah, the media has been super high on the Broncos. You have not been so is Sean Payton. He came out and said, the short term goal is winning the division. But this is a team capable of winning the super Bowl. I've coached six teams that I thought could win a super Bowl. This is my seventh. Yes, should we believe in this? Is he too high? Too low?
He also said Bo Nicks in the next two years is going to be a top four or five quarterback in the world. He also said he's going to be a superstar. Also, by the way, check out when you're subscribing to What's Right with Nick Wright on YouTube, there's another new channel you can subscribe to on YouTube. Did you see this? Demanse uh bo Nix's new YouTube channel?
And my my take that Bo Nicks My take going into the draft was bo Nicks was Mac Jones.
For those of you wondering how that has how that looks so far, well, Mac Jones. In year one with new the New England.
Patriots made a.
Somewhat fraudulent Pro Bowl as an alternate bon Nicks check. The team won ten games, kind of surprisingly made the playoffs. Bon Nicks check. The team played the Buffalo Bills in Round one, lost by four touchdowns. Bo Nicks check, and Mac Jones that offseason trademarked Mac ten and all this silly stuff because he was a future star. Go follow Bonnix on YouTube. Here is my problem with the Broncos hype and discussion. Gosh darn it, you know what I
you know what? I actually think it's value add it draws attention exactly right here is here is what I think people are not recognizing when they are talking about the Broncos as content. Broncos have an excellent defense and that matters now. Dre Greenlaw's dealing with a quad already, and Hufanga, who I love as a player, has been injured every year since his rookie season. Those are their two big additions. The other problem is this last year, demonse.
They ten games. Okay, the first game they won, they beat Baker Mayfield, salute, that's a real thing. Who's who they beat after that? Okay, Aaron Rodgers, who the Jets then got rid of. They then beat Spencer Rattler, who is in a quarterback the Saddus quarterback Battle of the year. They then beat Bryce before Bryce got hot. They then beat Kirk Cousins right before they benched him. They then beat Gardner Minshew who I left that out earlier. They
actually beat Gardner twice. They then beat whoever the hell was starting for the Browns at the time, Jamis, who is currently I think a third string quarterback. They then beat Anthony Richardson and they then beat Chad Henney. That's all their wins. Now we are now saying they're contenders. Well to be contenders, Let's just start with the conference. How did you do against playoff teams in your conference? Well, you played Pittsburgh week two and lost. You played the
Chargers week six and lost. You played the Ravens week nine and lost. You played the Chiefs week ten and lost. You played the Chargers week sixteen and lost. You played the Bengals, who weren't in the playoffs, but that was a playoff level game that game because they were still alive Week seventeen and lost. You then played the Bills in the actual playoffs and lost thirty one to seven. Why am I supposed to believe that team all of
a sudden is going to be great? Now? Folks out there like, oh, Nick, you always just hate on the Broncos. Last year preseason gambling show our favorite win total of the year Broncos over five and a half, even though I didn't believe in bo Nicks because that number was too low. They had a last place schedule. Russ, it was so terrible for him. I'm just calling it as
I see it. And right now, is there any other team this year or any year that you can remember that had the pretty universally accepted worst quarterback in their own division that we were like, yep, that team look out for him. Like, let's just look at the other teams across the league who have the worst quarterback in the division. What we think of them? Justin Field's and the Jets were we afraid of them? Whoever's starting for
the Browns, Lacko, how are they looking? The the Colts with Daniel Jones, the Giants with Russ, the Vikings with JJ, and again that's harsh on him, but he's just young now maybe Demondic. Maybe it's Caleb. Yeah, I mean the again, I don't think. I don't think people is even though Caleb stock is dropping, have JJ ahead of him. In the South, the Saints with whatever they're dealing with. And in the West Seattle with Darnold or Arizona. I guess with like I, I just they just believe in them.
I am.
They believe in themselves.
Sean Payton has talked a lot of ship though, and yeah, and listen, this is a tricky one because Sean Payton, as great of a coach as he is, he must be a better hang because the media loves him. So many of my colleagues at Fox just from the one year of working with him, they love him. I think Peter Schrager, my pal, he loves him. And we kind of give Sean Payton a you know, like he walks into Denver, does the interview about what a clown show it was under Nat Hackett, and by week three the
Dolphins are hanging seventy on him. Last year, after sneaking into the playoffs and then getting absolutely demolished by Buffalo has the audacity to say, if we had won this game, we really liked our next matchup, which was going to be against the Chiefs, a Chiefs team that then beat the Buffalo team that he lost to by one hundred and now he's like, talking Division isn't big enough for us, We need to be talking super Bowl when that team has not won the division since the last year they
won the Super Bowl.
I just now, I think, is what's going on?
Maybe?
And here's the other thing, Demanse, I am very, very prepared for a month into the year the Broncos to maybe be four and ugh and people and people are firing stuff back at me because their softest part of their schedule is the beginning in my opinion, home for Tennessee at the Colts at the Chargers, which is a home game home for Cincinnati. But I'm curious how the rest of that's going to go for them. And we'll see. But I am I this is one where I've put
my money where my mouth is. I'm in the process right now of negotiating a real Broncos bet with Poker Legend and one of the best sports betters ever, David Baker. I think I'm going to give him Broncos to win the division at plus three twenty. And I think we're also going to what demands you look fussered by that.
He wants to bet and give you money for the Broncos winning the division.
Well, I got to give him plus three twenty. So you know what I mean, if we bet one thousand bucks, he can win thirty two hundred. But yeah, he wants that bet and he but I'll also I think bet him make miss playoffs and so like maybe I'll be wrong, but I'm I want this take understood and I want to see and you know what, maybe I'll maybe I'll make a third bet with David if we can find a fair price on this and have it be an either or and if it's neither, then it's no action.
Which is the Broncos are so much more likely to finish last in the AFC West than finish first. They are like I think the Chargers are a are better than them. I know the Chiefs are better than them, and I think the Raiders, because of schedule, coaching, quarterback, I think the Raiders can pop. Now the most likely outcome is the Broncos finished third. I understand that, but I see no outcome whatsoever where the Broncos finish first. And we'll see, we'll see how the future superstar bo
Nicks looks come November. Maybe I'll be wrong. I doubt it, though, uh and boss Ajs says in the chat show us the team and quarterbacks the Chiefs beat, it's not that impressive last year.
If we can do that, that's pretty funny.
I let's see who are the teams in the who are the quarterbacks the Chiefs beat last year? Lamar, Josh Allen, Cousins, Herbert, Carr, Purty, Minshew, Baker, Nix, Bryce, Minshew Herbert. I thought, I said Burrow, oh Cleveland, whoever was their quarterback? Then CIJ whoever the Steelers quarterback? Oh Ross, then CJ again, then Josh Allen, So every single quarterback in football. Though, yeah, they didn't play their guys. They said everyone and U and then they got crushed in
the Super Bowl. They beat every So in other words, they beat every single good quarterback in football except for Jaden who they never played, Hurts who beat them, and Stafford who they never played. Good try good effort