Cornered Animal Power Rankings + TNF Preview (Browns-Steelers)

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Speaker 1: Around the NFL podcast as hard eyes for the tiny box, all right back to the workshop from the Chris Westling podcast studio. It's around the NFL. I am Dan Hansis got heroes here, Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal, Ms Hard Eyes herself. That's our new voice of God. Jason Zumwalt. Jason Zumwalt, did I say your name? And that is that's a Jason special and that he's kind of going into the Mark Sanchez bag there a little bit. I actually I texted with with umwalt a bit a couple of days ago and we were work shopping some ideas that would maybe surprise the rest of you down the road, not immediately. What did not include? That sounds like a sneak attack. I like it, though. Now it's not a sneak attack. It's just more what Jason and I would talk about in our own free time. I think we's it encouraged. Like if mark is putting some time in, putting some time into the show away from where, we should encourage do you everyone? Mark, I don't like what you're suggesting there, but that's mark. You know I love you and I love Jason, who's a long time friend but have you ever noticed when you make those you drop those kind of hints or Asides, like, Oh, when me and Jason Have our private conversations, I never asked what they are because it's better I don't know, because I kind of know what they're probably about. It is better that you don't know. I have no idea, I don't you don't want to know. I'm with the listeners. Let them have their thing. Did this happen? Often we text? I mean we were texting about the cardinals game, for instance, during the cardinals game on Sudday. But then it we'll branch out a variety of topics. Stay wholesome. Star Wars mostly right now, actually, that I know that, I don't think that's what Dan's referring to. That never comes up. Oh No, almost never. This is the Tuesday show Connie's yere Um. In case you missed it, go check out Greg Rosenthal, a reef Hassan, who, by the way, Greg needs you to know, has a new job and Justin Graver himself chopping up the double header Monday night football. And I don't know about Connie, I don't know about you. As your theme song plays, did it kind of feel like maybe we the two super bowl teams you're playing on Monday night. Okay, you need to stop and Um the world is not ready for that. I mean you were kind of getting on me a couple of weeks ago. You didn't like that I picked the eagles to the superb bathing in the hype. Okay, good, yeah, it was very strange to watch the eagles last night be so good and the feelings that I felt while watching them. You know what we haven't felt in a little while. We had you on the night after Carson Wentz, before we knew what would happen with Carson Wentz, when he was on an M v P t. You came on after, I think it was against Washington that they just destroyed them on a Monday night football game, and you had the same level of anxiety where you were a little bit unwilling to embrace what was going to happen. But what did happen? Why not just jump in and enjoy it? The career changing injury? But they did. Talking a wider thing like team, because in general, I like to set the bar very low, like I have the bar on the ground, because I don't like to be disappointed. So anything that happens. It's a nice surprise. Um. So I like to expect that the eagles are going to be trash every year, so then I can find happiness later on, maybe like enjoy it while you can't, because, because that that's a great point, um. That's a great point. That's a you know, counterpoint. Um, I found covering this league for for many years for me about your time covering the first the first two weeks of the year almost always entirely points out what's going to happen. The rest of the snarkiness from Greg, by the way. Um, how are you doing, Greg? You were ethered by UH, colleen's husband in a very public forum. You tweeted out booing Jalen Reagor feels unnecessary, which I agree with, by the way. To the Eagles fans, John Responds, your extra g is unnecessary and this is notable. And I actually think, Greg, I'm gonna pay you accomplished. Is that ethered? I think that's like a very reply. Guy. Joking, just let me pay you a compliment. Okay, just chilled. It got ninety four replies, nearly five retweets and over seven thousand likes, and I think because triple GS got some swing. It gave Johnny the pop he needed to get over on social there so a lot of things, but he you were ethered and I don't know if you'll ever be the same. I'm just your thoughts now that you get a public forum, maybe swipe a job. I wasn't aware of that. It Um would not stop talking about it during our ranking. Not The cool guy that never looks at your mentions. I do, but we had the Monday night football recap. We were doing the channel five show and I guess, yeah, I haven't tuned in too. I wasn't like checking John's twitter feed. Do you feel like one of your G's is exposed too much now? No, I mean hanging out the G is totally necessary. If there wasn't the extra G, it would be fifty g. That like ruins it. Sixty is the number. I love that. Gy wouldn't reply, though. You can't just let him take you out like that, take you behind the woodshed. You represent the entire show, Greg. I'm not just saying that. That I was unaware of. Like, I hadn't thought about it since I saw it. I think it's nice. I think it's nice for for friends and this is what Philadelphia people do to Zing each other. This is the sort of relationship I want. That that's my love language. Compliments are gonna make me feel uncomfortable since the summer. So this is the pick eagles to go further than they go every single year, including to the playoffs last year. So maybe John Owes you an apology. Sure. I stand by the Reagor thing, though, and like eagles fans are funny because all they do is complain about like, oh well, you guys always bring up the batteries, you bring up the sand, like this is why this is in the same ballpark, like it was unnecessary one time. A little bit like it's talk about punching down. You're punching down at Jalen Reagor. He has failed in his career. He knows that he's he's a bust. He they should be happy that they got a draft pick for him. They're doing great right now. So so all it is is like maybe one time you give him a little bit, but it just seems strange, because how unimportant is Jalen Reagor to the eagles? Much less the last was. You know what it was? It was kind of mean girls behavior and the and they, you know, the mean girls at the table to cafeteria. They're the poor nerd at the other side of the cafeteria. It's like great, you guys are really enjoying yourselves, but the rest of US think you're kind of right. It's like what I think if it's Russell Wilson or if it's kyrie irving coming back to Boston, or it's something like huge starts, Jalen reagor absolutely. But then don't be like, Oh, stop bringing up the Santas like this was so long ago. Don't bring up the same it's the same thing that will bring up the right we just see greg on a large screen at the Eagles Stadium moralizing the whole thing to them, and then see how that plays over. It's great to do it here, but I think the eagles fans kind of know they're but embrace it, don't. Don't whine that everyone you're a celtics fan, right, and that's just no new material. Right. Okay, so now we go just to put a bow on things, because Greg, you know, this is his front facing version. He did say into text to me and mark. This is uh, Justin on the our private uh text channel. Did you see this Gonzo, that cloud chasing mother for? So that's what you were looking for. So that is pretty hard words for colleen's husband. And I thought that you guys were pretty close. Correg, I know that. You know wouldn't happen, because Dan wouldn't want to like step on anything before the show himself. Right now for the show. Who is that, connor? Or there is Love Connor? Alright, today's show, yes, but again, check out the Monday night football recap. Had a grave digger comport himself, by the way, very professionally. The Titans. That did not go well on it was more anger than sadness, which plays well on this show. We've all been there. Um. So, speaking of the Titans, today's show shortened to the point we'll not shut probably. Uh. The titans are one of seven teams that will enter week three without a victory. So this feels like a good time. Two, colleen, you and I do the power rankings PODCAST, which you can get right now. Uh, listeners, a good time for the cornered animal power rankings. What is a cornered animal? Mark? What is a cornered animal in sports terms? Now you're backed into a rough place and you're gonna do everything you can and you're being to claw your way out of it. Yes, exactly, a perfect answer by Mark Sessler. So we're gonna go using, uh, to call back to another podcast that you and I have, colleen, the hard ncks podcast. We use the vector, the vector voting system, to figure out who is the most dangerous of the cornered animal and on the other side of the spectrum, who is a little kitty cat? Is that a dying cow? Dinosaur? Maybe just a little. So what we start there? Do you want to get into it please? That is the sound of a Carolina Panther. Oh, according to our vector voting system, they have six points total, which is very low, which means they are the least dangerous corner animal. Or maybe not. Well, I'll give you a little update in a few minutes, but let's start with the panthers. It's like an update that. It's a tie. There's a tie at the bottom. Okay, but we'll start that. We're gonna, like, update the voting system, which is what we do in this country now, and we don't like the results. So it's it's good now. That was good. That was on point. Johnny here that you want to know what's unnecessary time that chain you're wearing around. Okay, you know you couldn't do it. You Knew Greg was gonna come back, and maybe I played a role in this, but I was I didn't think he was going to but now he's come back. Why? Why are you know? Actually, I like it that you've talked about how you could. We talked about it. Those of us who haven't seen John with he has a chain, a Chane. He only were just water. Really, where is it when he goes pull it off? I like Canzo can pull it off. I like it. I mean this is everyone can. By the way, I sometimes worried that I don't have feelings, because the listeners should know that. Mark looked directly Greg Greg has come up with the snare that he wants to have a chain. It's like Gonzo, is one of the rare people I know that could wear it and you wouldn't even think the hell. And I wasn't saying I wanted I was saying Gonzo and Connie, we're trying to tell me that I could pull a chain, that I could wear a chain. At the end of the show. Can we get John on to sort some things out. All right, let's get to it. Let's Talk Panthers. So collectively, we all are not high on the panthers digging out of this hole. Um. In fact, let's see, Greggy UH and Connie both had them at the bottom of the list. Connie, I'll start with you. So the panthers I'd owned to unimpressive in the two losses. You think they're totally cooked already. This just is a team that is floating in mediocrity right now. It's a team that there's nothing exciting about them. I I just don't like what they're doing on offense. It feels like they're completely stuck. They're worse than I expected them to be this year. Everything is just like very choppy so far. I know it's only two weeks, but the offense is just constantly up and down. Um, Baker Mayfield, I guess they thought that he would bring a little bit more explosion to this team, but not through these two games. Christian McCaffrey, that usage is kind of weird. It's just the whole thing doesn't give me any optimism that they're going to turn things around. At least like play a game that I'm excited to watch right like when I thought about cornered animal power rankings and this exercise, I thought, like which one is going to be the angriest to like get out at that corner? Which one is gonna like take some clause out? It wasn't really about talent. It was more about, like our season is now on the line, we're in trouble. WHO's gonna fight to like save where we are? And, yeah, I don't know, the scrappiest team like the vibes. You hate to save vibes because they lost these two games by three points. It's not like the players aren't trying, but you don't get a center that there's like a center of this team that is going to hold them together. What is it that they do? Well, maybe Christian McCaffrey is that center, but the offensive line is still a bit of a mess. Baker Mayfield, I would say. If I had to rank the quarterbacks this week, I haven't seen your QB index, I would say thirty one or thirty two would be my choice. Okay, so they're just, in terms of these two weeks alone, not looking and their defense isn't special. It's solid, but it's not special. I mean, first of all, I think players are really keyed in on the coaching staff, what's being said about the coaching stuff, what the coaching staff says to them, what the proven results are of the coaching staff. Matt rule is essentially sort of a dead man walking. I don't mean that in a personal sense, but like these guys understand, they're looking at the results. Baker Mayfield has come in and I thought played the worst football of his career and first of all, when he's not protected well, you're gonna get the worst version of Baker Mayfield, and that's what we've gotten. I mean the first game against Cleveland, four fumbled snaps, their line is a huge mess. Their defense, which last year at this time when they got out to the three and no start, was a difference maker, and I just I don't see what you can cling on too and say this is what's pulling them out of that corner. Baker is not what they wanted in the last couple of years. They were looking to find a difference maker and staid. They found a guy that I think plays he needs to have a lot around him to thrive and we're seeing he doesn't have a lot around it. But he also does have he has Christian McCaffrey, he has D J Moore. There there are some pieces, but obviously this isn't a very deep team. They're in a lot of trouble. Makes Sense. Are We gonna see Sam Donald in a few weeks? What does that do for me? He's not healthy either. How much of it is Ben Macadoo too? Like that Rock Star Offensive Coordinator? He doesn't fit to me. Like Matt Rule has a very boring, but maybe it could be effective offense. But it's like getting the ball out of your hands and making quick decisions, which is the last thing that Baker Mayfield is good at. Okay, so there's a tie. As I said, I think you guys can guess who they are tied with. Oh, one and one. Let's move to the A F C south. Um, I have them at the very bottom of the power rankings, the Houston Texans. So yes, very much. So. Maybe this would be what's say the text in it's like a bull. Is that the logo? What's a kiss? I'm not. I'm not into I don't know all farm animals the way that some do. Yeah, some do. Um, this is my concern. Don't worry concerns and I know there was some positive vibes around Houston entering the season, and I'll let you the kissing Cuz is here. Uh new kissing cousins with the UMLOT get their saying. I'm curious where you guys come down now. But this offense stanks right so far anyway, they have managed. They managed two and thirty four yards and three field goals and that loss to the broncos. Mills fumbled. Davis Mills has not played well. He's fumbled twice on Sunday, average less than five yards per attempt and they go four and out in the final minute and it's just like there isn't a lot of juice going on with this offense and the defense is and a difference maker. I think we talked about it on the podcast on Sunday and I'll say it again after watching a lot of the Games yesterday, like how many teams beat the Broncos on Sunday? How many teams should have beaten the Bron broncos had no business winning Sunday the product they put on the field. But Houston's that bad right now. That's why I have him at the bottom and that's why they tie for last in our cornered animal power and my optimism to some degree, was what we saw from David's mills at the end of last season. I feel like right now he's regressing, or he has regressed, and you're attached to a coaching staff that, I think again, what are you telling your team when you go for that tie in week one, and that was a tie against the colts, who are looking to me like maybe Um, a lot less of a pristine operation than we thought in August. I thought Damian Pierce would be making a big difference. I thought someone like Nico Collins when it was more like I thought this team, this offense, would these young guys would come together and maybe it would work. But that's not been the case. I mean, I don't think they're an abject disaster, though. No, that's I think that's the defining storyline to these two weeks. is like the bottom doesn't seem that different than the middle in the NFL and there's not many teams really at the top. It's just a big morass, and I would say that like the Texans hasn't been like it. Like it. The Texans haven't been disappointing. This is basically what we thought. I think they're frisky. I think actually, uh, you put them in a corner. They have been so far. They've played two games. Okay, everyone right. They have an average defense. They played two games. In both of those two games came down to the last minute. They're in the NFL. They're they're like they're the slogan in the NFL. The point is, like we're they're very talent poor, whereas the rest of the other seven teams on these on these cornered animal power rankings, have some more talent to it. And the Texans have been in both of these games. There they're not technically uh, I guess they are winless. Are Oh, one and one, but they got some pressure on Russell Wilson. They sacked them three times. They picked them off to like the defense, I thought was kind of the bright spot, if there was to take away from that game. By the way, it's a bull torokas this week. That's what a baby bull is. Yeah, don't ask US Open ended animal questions. It makes and then and post on the podcast. Just slide in a little whatever the baby bull is. Um One reason that I put them like ahead. It's called a calf or these are things we should know. My wife grew up on a farm, so that's where, as I said, calf, and I was correct. Why did they make up their farm? They had cows, they had goats. They made cows or they it wasn't a slaughterhouse. Well, why did they produce milk? So it's a milk farm. Was Milk. It was goats and chickens and chickens. Sounds disorganized. It's like the Denver Broncos. That was my wife's childhood home growing up. This is a bull roar, but that's too fierce for the Texans right now. I need to see something on often, especially these last the ends of these games. Wolf like the their inability to the point where lovey Smith got scared and played for a tie. That's how helpless they were down the stretch in week one, and then we didn't see much better again. This is a very soft start to their schedule. The culture disaster and Denver is completely out of sorts to not come out of that with a wind. It's I heard. My thing is like. So they are the kiddy cat for me, because I think the Panthers, at least the coaching staff understand they're gonna all need to be moving to another town very soon if they don't win games. Where the Texans have said we're rebuilding. To Greg's point, we're low talent and we've already told you that we're giving a quarterback that probably won't be an NFL starter next year a year long tryout. We didn't trade for anyone. So it's like, are they a wounded animal? There? Kind of said we are the word. We are probably the worst team. Or expected them to be better than this. Why they fire the last coach? That was weird. He was bad at the job. You're rebuilding. They were building last year too, and well, I think you know what last year they were. There was a lot of rest going on. They had a plan to hire someone else than the man that they ended up hiring for a variety of reasons. All right, we'll get to the next team right after this break. Okay, let's now. So all of us, by the way, had the Texans and panthers in some order at the bottom. So now the vector voting system heats up a little bit here. The number five, five team uh in the cornered animal power rankings. Co Co Cole the Falcons Fourteen points. Connie, your thoughts on Atlanta? Okay, I had Atlanta a little bit higher because I think that they're a team of chaos and that they can completely kind of, if we've seen it the last two weeks, Co Co, Co Co, they can dismantle a team's plans just when a team is getting comfortable in their lead. The fact that what they did to the rams, I mean they were dead in that game and then came back and then they blew it against the saints. So I think that it's a team that I going coming into the season. I had no expectations for them to be a good team and they've actually surprised me the past two weeks by putting on the performances that they have. Want to hear something interesting. Connie had the falcons third in her personal animal power. I love it. I also think do they they're not a sit down and wait to see what happens to us. Arthur Smith has some bite to him. He's annoyed about the Kyle Pitt's questions, saying he's this is not fantasy football. He's telling them. Back in May, I remember all of you that said we wouldn't do anything and they are a couple of plays away to yeah, there are a couple of plays away from being I mean, they're incorrect. Win Games because he said right, whatever you want. Some guys had US ranked. Well, there's that's impossible. There's only thirty two teams. He's like, you buried us and may bury us again. We don't care, we'll get back to work. You ranked us. I mean, that's that's not how the power rankings worked. Is that what you're you're asking where? I had him in the power rankings this week. That's what you're doing. Up One spot, though you are. You're a little stubborn on that. Well, that's nice to hear they went up a spot, but I feel like you're not a falcons person, not yet. That first game was flukey and terrible, but they did play, uh, pretty great football for for three and a half quarter. They are frisking. See, to me they feel like a cornered animal. They are kind of China fight their way out of this paper bag and they have to take out your eyeballs with a beak to get out of there. They will do that. I mean, you know what the fastest animal on earth is? The Cheetah, the Peregrine Falcon. Very Good, Huh, got my ass. Did Not know that. Thought it was the cheating. Like Falcons. It should advertise itself more if that's true, because no one is terrible for this Animal Falcon Marketing. They showed pluck there. They nearly dug out of that crazy hole um against the rams, which deserves some love, but I do listen Arthur like a art it is a problem that you haven't been able to get kyle pitts involved in the offense in two weeks. That's a bad look. That guy is special, so let's see it, and I'm not saying that as a fantasy owner of Kyle Pitts, which I am, but imagine if this offense has drake London, who's absolutely showing he's a big time player, and you're finding a way to scheme you're potentially generational talent tight end open. That's some juice. With a quarterback who can move with his legs and can get hot anyway. This team's got hard. The team's got hard. Then these the heart rankings, increasingly confusing. What we're rankings that just do a team slogan for every team. Team, Hey, this and they're almost all. This team's got hard, they got hot. UH, here we go up next with sixteen points. Interesting the Indianapolis Colts. I was on Good Morning Football this morning and hell the boys and and Jamie, they really gave it to old tug boat said, how could the colts not be thirty two in this league right now? And I have and yeah, and, but you absolutely, mark, can make a case that the colts have been worse than anyone in football. Coming off the obviously shut out loss now to the Jaguars, it could not be lower. Now I have them higher. Personally. In my corner and animal rankings, I had him third, actually, because it's always darkest before the Dawn, dark night, and I think that this is going to be a team that climbs up off the mat when they get healthier and and Ryan, the offensive line starts playing a little better, which it will, I think, and Ryan gets more comfortable. But at the same time, if you're just looking at from from a two week perspective, absolutely can make the case that this is a quartered animal without a pulse. It is a corner animal. I think there's a pulse because this is sort of the Frank Reich way. They started three and five a year ago and I was counting them out and then they rolled back to eight, at six at one point. But I also look at with the two games they played and after all the summary Conversation About Matt Ryan and what he brings and how much better he is than Carson Wentz. If you had to take the two games you got from Matt Ryan and the two Games we've seen from Carson Wentz, I know which quarterback I'd like better. But the problem is Carson Wentz back into this colts offense with a bad line. You're missing Michael Pittman, Jonathan Taylor did nothing last game. Matt Ryan is running around throwing or awful picks, not seeing the field, looking like he wants a long vacation. I don't like the situation for Matt Ryan at all. Carson Wentz right now, by the way, leads the NFC in passing yards and touchdowns. The NFL in touchdowns, he's tied for the League a little bit of well so Matt Ryan has one touchdown, which is also Fugazi in the other directions bad. Yeah, I read Um the tweet from another sixty percent g Greg Doyle, who to me is uh one of the great local columnists in the Greg twitter a long time. He writes for the Indie Star and can't even get a follow on twitter. He said he's tired of writing how much he likes the colts coach in general manager, and it's time to grow up. Gentlemen, look in the Mirror. What are you doing? Moment it's not dot, dot dot, and then I click and you've got to be a subscriber, so I don't know what it's not um and he also said like they can't pretend that everyone's like how I actually feel. Psych and article that there greg should help with Greg. They're they're facing like serious heat, so they should feel like cornered animals. But this team, I think, more than any team, should have felt like that coming into the season. They certainly should have felt like like it going back to the scene of the crime in Jacksonville to come out that flat not making any farm noises. But what did we think that? That's just a cow. That's the cow. A cult is a horse coming back did Jacksonville and get shut out. They're playing like cow. That's Gus Bradley's defense, by the way, plays the opposite of a corner like a corner animal. It's just like hey, you want to have an eight yard game, sure, just go for it. All days. Just suggested that would be the case with Gus Bradley's defense. But the cults living their own universe. A week sixteen, because you're gonna know my answer by the way I set it up. Are the colts within a game of first place in the AFC south? They always do this, but I mean they're only half a game out right now. They play in the worst division. Yes or no? I think there'll be three games behind the Jaguars. Then they are a dead quartered animal. I think highly of the Jaguars. Well, either way, if they're three, if they're three games Jaguars, they're they're in trouble, no matter why. Even if the Jaguars are ten and five, that means they're don you have no integrity. If the owner said what he said about the team losing to Jacksonville the end last season and ship Carson Wentz out of town and what we just saw now, the owners cool with that? I mean I think the thing could be set on fire for a month or now, like nineteen one George Steinburn or stuff going on in that building right now with Jim er say he must be completely house fires. Probably. Probably that all. It all rolls downhill. The anxiety, a don stress that's probably sitting with that coaching staff, with the general manager, goes down to the roster. I'm not sure what they do. A Lot. They had four pressures in that game. They have the chiefs this week. It's just a lot of confusion. Like next Gen stats measures separation from the receivers and I guess if you're looking at Ashton Dolan as your number one receiver, it shouldn't surprise you that they had by far the least separation of any receivers in the league last week. Matt Ryan has gone to a much worse situation right now, which was not supposed to be what was this was supposed to be my team. The colts, were supposed to deliver on all of their promises. Certainly didn't, and when I was looking at these rankings I kept flipping the colts and the titans. I couldn't quite well, those are your bottom two teams in D v O a through two weeks, the to Wurst teams in football, and it's important. I feel like maybe we should have been doing it earlier, but I'm gonna Start doing it now. If you're talking about a corner and animal game, like, what is their path out of the corner? The Path out of the corner is not good for the cults they had. They host the chiefs right now, uh, coming up on Sunday. Then they host the titans, which we'll get to in a second. Somebody's gotta Win and somebody's gotta lose that. Then they go to Denver, which who knows. Then you have Jacksonville, then you go to Tennessee. So it's like they gotta figure it out now. A F C south is the path, the idea that eight or nine wins will keep you within that one game going in two weeks. Let's work under the idea. And who knows, football is funny that way, that the chiefs take care of business. All of a sudden you're own three with an almost equally desperate titans team, potentially that the only way they're dead is if they yeah, oh, that's right. Also, can I like if you if you're oh in two and the way that you got to own two was, um, in a drab fashion, tie the Texans. That get blanked. How many shutouts even exist anymore? Twenty to nothing by the Jaguars. You are in two sees. Once they scored zero points, they should have made a mow into number three on the cornered animal power rankings, which is not to be confused with the NFL power rankings out right now. On the podcast with colleen and I, the Tennessee Titans. Yes, nineteen points, so three points ahead of the cult. So as a group we believe the titans are in slightly better what is a titan anyway? Slightly better shape. And again you can check out justin in full morning mode on the Monday night football recap with Greg. But Justin does this feel to you? Um, I know you weren't involved with the vector voting here, but does this feel like a fair spot or overly generous? Where do you come in on the titans where they are right now? I think it's fair. UH, titans twitter is in full meltdown mode, which happens when you lose. I'm not getting any tweets from titans fans. Yeah, I feel like you could spike on them, honestly, but you're you're above that. So and you know traylon barks has not been the problem. There no traylon. You know what? Ted Hill hasn't been the problem. He too. He threw a pretty bad interception last night, but that was sort of desperation. The game's over. The offensive line, which was the biggest concern about the team coming into the season, has been bad. Run blocking, bad, past protection poor. The titans gave up a ton of pressure last night, even though they only took two sacks, which is a credit to Tannehill. The defense does not look good. They're very injured already. Harold Landry's loss felt, was very felt last night. Christian Fulton didn't play, but dupre left in the first quarter. It was a bad game. Taylor Lawan likely done for the year. So offensive line gets worse. Five of the most important players on their team. It's very tough. The outlook for the titans right now is not good. Um, so it is what it is. Maybe it's I'm fine. You know, I am emotionally detached from this. Everyone's emotionally detached. Literally a website. Everybod break with that. I mean, I am I am ready for you know what, this is my my real overreaction is that, like Derrick Henry was fun, but it's time who evolved into a modern NFL offense, because when Derrick Henry is shut down, thirteen carries for twenty five yards or whatever he had last night, the whole offense is is completely it doesn't move at all. So I thought it was notable in that game and I'm guessing you guys might have talked about it, so we don't need to dwell on it. But like when the game started to get away from them because they don't have a j Brown, because they don't really have a passing game that they have figured out yet, they're still giving it to Derrick Henry and it's like, I understand why you're doing it, because he's your dude, but it just shows that they were just kind of in a different weight class than the bills, which was not when it's also not worth game, like Henry is not running um effectively. I think he's actually looked like he has plenty of juice, I think, any better than he did at the end of last season. I had them number two, though, because of institutional history here that tightens remind me a lot of the Patriots, probably more than any other organization. That's sort of been a patriots offshoot and that they are figuring things out and I think they can probably them solved and that the whole is usually better than the some of their parts, and I think there's a lot of animalistic, Nice, you know, institute inside of them. You know what I mean. They're gonna fight. Their team is not gonna go down easy and it might take a little while. It's a long NFL season, but I think they're going to get out of that corner somehow. You're in the perfect division. And also I wouldn't really want to be anyone using the bills as a measuring stick. And that game got away from them in a rowdy environment. Like the look on Rabel's face about eight minutes into that thing was like they're out of here. They're such a small, you know, margin between being in this segment or not and being in O and two and not. And like almost all of these teams had like one flukey play go against them in one of their losses. Not like the titans look great against the giants, but you know, you had a bad had some bad luck in that game. You end up losing it and it feels a lot worse than into who are the Ad Wizards in the NFL Home Office that had the titans and colts play both their matchup by week seven. I was gonna say I'm looking forward to the December matchup where it's really packed tight, as much as you you're like, Oh, it's the AFC south, you know whatever. That would be fun because I want to see I think both those teams potentially are going to be in the mix still in that division, unless the Jaguars do get hot and become something. I think they've foreseen that the Jaguars will be the story, not the same old cults titans matchup, and that's why they put titans jags week eighteen, battle for the division. And Yeah, I just okay, maybe they, maybe they, maybe they're playing chess here, maybe they've galaxy brain this thing, and it was like, I know the Jaguars have been the worst team in football two years in a row, but now let's get them into a big spot. We'll see, but it's just weird that you have both these games knocked out by week seven. Realistically it was a bad move. I just love how much titans and colts fans hate each other. So that's why I wanted a late season game like that. Rivalry is so stick do a Thursday night game in the middle of December like it's you know, you check some boxes and it's gonna have big division ramifications. Seems like a gimme, I mean or flip side. Both teams actually do stink and let's get this over with sooner than later, because it will matter in late December. Number two. It was pretty close, but not you know, it didn't come down to one voter. The raiders, the silver and Black Raiders, very disappointing star and going to uh, coming off a narrow loss to the chargers in week one, uh here in L A, and then they go and bring the cardinals into their building and go up, I think it was twenty nothing at the half and then melt down and blow that game. Um, I think. Did anybody have the raiders as their most no, everyone had them two or three. Um, Greg, why did you? What do you what are your feelings about the raiders? To me that this feels like something even though the division is tough, they can they can handle this, but they just got to get a dub. They gotta get the club DUB quickly. Yeah, I believe in in Derek Carr playing better overall than he has through two weeks, I believe, in the defense looking more compton overall. That said that, that sort of collapse, it was jarring. We tend to like put more weight in some way on like Oh, they look so dominant in the first half, like that was the real raiders. Well, no, you got dominated just as much in the second half and made a lot of mental errors and it wasn't a flukey comeback. It was right. The offense totally struggled in the defense totally struggled. That's how you blow a twenty point lead. So there there are like it like inside the building, concerns, but I think the players are pretty good right. That's why I had him third. I only had them third. Adam behind the titans. I trusted the titans as an organization where but I just think talent wise, raids play on PM Eastern in Nashville. Is that a loser goes home. That's a cornered animal. There is a cornered animal showdown. Only one animal comes out alive. This has been Dan's UH thing for years. There animal, the cornered animal, has been my corner right west. Would get very excited for the corner animals, the TV, within the TV, within the TV, with this game early on Thursday. Yeah, I have the second overall pick in our draft. Yes, so go ahead, take graids, take, but mark sessler holds all the cards. I will tell you now. You'RE gonna be watching that game if you want to. Okay, I feel power. It doesn't attract me the way it attracts you. It's like I call yes, let me take a look at this schedule. Yeah, at Tennessee home, Denver, at Kansas City and then the by they gotta figure out a way to win two of those three. You're gonna be okay. I want to believe that they are the team that played in the first half of that game and not the team that completely fell apart in the second half, but I think they're both. It's the overtime position. was a hunter, renfro fumble, Derek Carr up for grabs ball where he badly missed his target, Duvante Adams, who did nothing in that game. Uh, and then another hunter, Renfro UH fumble, scooped and scored. Well, I think it was this too. That's pretty rough. Like the cardinals shifted into like cornered animal sooner than these teams. Their season was going away and they were looking at the end to put baby in a corner. They broke out and became what they are, like, I think, like you saw, like Kyler Murray's nucleus explode in the second half of that thing and like they they caught the raiders by surprise. Now the raiders who spent all ofb scene saying you're overlooking at US like we're the team that no one believes and well, you're own to go win a game, win a ball game. I mean that's the rare cornered animal at halftime of week two. We don't want to be sometimes we come out at the corner. Like I was looking for some sound effects before the show and I got sucked into a youtube video of an animal control officer putting the old the long stick thing with the hook to grab a coyote who was literally cornered in the backyard. and Um, this is what you were doing before the show? Yeah, no, that's why. That's why I was like getting to the studio and uh, he pulled it in and threw it into the truck. was really impressive. Maybe I'll tweet it out. Um, but this guy. This is the version of the cardinals. Like being led. Here comes the guy with the hook, with the hoop thing. They said no, they want to know part of that. You're not putting me in the cage. Look at that. That's a good mentality. It worked for them. Number One, the bengals. Um, listen, we have a soft spot in our heart for this team. Obviously Chris westling his boyhood team before he emotionally detached. I guess we all do, because there's a lot of emotional detachment of well, maybe you need to look in the mirror. Maybe. I mean, he never claims it. If anything, he embraces the attachment rights. That's who I am. I can't I can't go away, but you want other people to change. That's my concern. I want you to do what you want to know. That is I am simply pointing out that there's a lot of emotional detachment around this. There's some edge to point. Paul Rudd understands it, even Greg even Greggy. He goes on national television and D says I used to be a fan until you know, I became professional, which is a lie. But it's an emotional detachment as well. Why did you say? You said emotionally about not emotionally detachment the jets, even though I should probably be wise. I mean I think everyone's situation is different, and now you're just sticking everyone in the same bucket as these people are attachment. It's hard to love in the same way that you did uh as a child, um, because I after incredible you know, and historical success. Again, just like mark's expressing like like how you feel is how you feel. I was merely pointing out there's been a lot of emotional detachment that Syah. I see that too, though I think everyone it makes sense. When you're in the sports media, it's tough. Everything's connected and you want to at least try to create that, that barrier. So for me it's more protection, to protect myself. So I try just keep like an arms distance. Sometimes I'm with you. I could care less in sports media. I know what you're saying about other people, but I thought what made our show special actually was that we actually openly rooted for certain teams, and I'm pointing out that Chris wessing also detached emotionally from his team and put a lot of thought into it. WHO ARE NUMBER ONE? They are number one in the cornered animal power rankings. Brings it right back to the ranking. How could they not be? Because they're the defending a F C champions, like we're not going to quit on them after two weeks. Right, no way. There are Bengal Tigers. I mean, which animal out of all these actual animals? I mean, I suppose the panthers, like maybe it's like a panther mythological, you know, being led by Baker Mayfield and Matt rule, or a panther being led by Joe Burrow. I mean a tiger. I'm going with the time. Yeah, very concerning. But the blocking front that could be sending right the Bengal on track eleven times this season is not good for led by Zach Taylor, who's like should I go for the Green Polo or the Black Polo today? What does that mean? I know what I mean. I think I know what I mean. Well, I would like an elaboration on that. I mean I think he's going for a certain tone. You're going for a vibe. Yeah, that's just that's how I see Zach Taylor. He's always just kind of looking like he's going out for like eighteen holes at the local municipal. He doesn't have a cool black bomber jacket. That's not so. We talked about that when he was hired, that he just he's not bringing a lot to the table. That's fine. Coaches win the Super Bowl sometimes the average, average coaches when the super bowl. There's lots of things that go into winning the Super Bowl. Chance being probably up there and they and they had some. You're saying he's a simpleton. No, I'm saying. I'm saying he's not bringing a lot of Verve, a lot, a lot of he doesn't just come after you, he comes after Greg too. It's equal opportunities. So I'm well aware at this point. But I compared to Mike, compared to Mike Rabow or or some of these other coaches here, is he? Is he feeling like a cornered coach, or is he making excuses about while those thirteen sex aren't as bad as you think, just just fix it. It's been four years before, with the line issues down the stretching in the playoffs, there was no ability to other teams can do that and they went and got these guys in. The line is worse. So there's some void there in the teaching, instructional part of our team. That's a good point you made, Mark. Yeah, that's a great point. Mark. That's a good point. Mark. How long, that much longer are we doing this? That's it. There it is, the cornered animal power rankings. We believe their defense is good. We should get I'm not worried about I'm not that worried about the bengals at all. Close the show them the actual subconscious. We didn't give them any real football adalysis. We talked about his shirts. I wasn't trying to make it gonna get plenty of analysis on Cincinnati, who go to the meadowlands to face the jets in week three. Then their home against the dolphins, which all of a sudden it seems like a Frisky game in prime time, by the way, Thursday night football. Then they go to Baltimore, then they go to New Orleans. So yeah, when you didn't get grab a W in those first two weeks, I talked about it all the time on the show. The schedule makers set things up for a reason. They figured that you were going to beat the steelers at home in week one. They said, oh, they could a good chance, they could take care of business against Dallas. So they're either one in one or two. And Oh, when we send them on the Gauntlet section of their schedule, will you take two else? Oh, that's how you end up a cornered animal. And don't overlook the jets. Thank you. It's another great point, building a bridge with the host smart. I uh. I think we should take a break, hit the Thursday night football preview and then tie up a loose end. All right, welcome back. Let's get to the first game on the week three docket now, and it is, oh it's a spicy one, an a F C north showdown in Cleveland, Pittsburgh steelers against the browns. And a reminder, this TNF preview is presented by Prime Video, the new exclusive home for Thursday night football. MMM, mm hmmm. Now, as I promised on Sunday show or hinted, I was going to, for the first time, sit down with my boys and watch a jets game, and I did it this morning. We watched the end of the jets browns game and it was outrageous. Um actually kind of just soaking it in. The browns had six different points in that game, from one to the end of the game, where they could have won the game just by executing on a very simple scale, and yet against the jets of all teams, they found a way to lose this game. So now here they are with a chance to get back on track. There in their building, Mark Sessler. But the steelers are a familiar nemesis. I like the matchup for Cleveland, I think. Number One, you've got a steeler's offensive line that is a mess and you've got miles Garrett, who is playing at defensive player of the year levels right now. Dev and Clowney made a big play in the jets game before that thing went totally south. That right there says problems from Chard Robinsky. The steeler's offense is one of the most limited offenses I've watched in a long time. I mean, if you look at the throw chart of where Drabinsky has been throwing the ball, it looks like a pop warner game to me, with someone who's just learning to put the ball in the air. They're not using their weapons. And I think you've got Cleveland Secondary is going to be annoyed after what happened last game. Cleveland is the best rush team in the League right now. They don't have t j Watton Pittsburgh. I don't think Cleveland, despite Jacoby Perscid, who played pretty well last week, there's not really an excuse to lose this game at home. Well, I think the excuse might be they're just banged up. CLOWNEY is out for this game. Miles Garrett missed practice and they said we'll see whether he plays. I believe you finished Garrett's gonna play. I think he finished the game. But they also lost chase winovitch, who's, in theory, their third rusher. There there thin there. I do think the St suffered a lower leg injury that so he might not be himself right now and he already is not a big mobile guy. The browns is not on the injury report. Offensive Line has been the best unit that's in this game, despite some concerns going into the season. I mean they are getting it done. I do think we've reached kind of the tipping point with the steelers not throwing a deep ever, that the fact everyone's talking about it as the only point this week and then and there's some grumbling that they're gonna at least try to do it. Deonte Johnson said we can only do what they tell us to do and execute it. UH, Claypole said, we have claypole said we have to call the right plays to get down the field in the right ways. Even even Mitchell Robinsky sounded like he was like, Hey, man, I just work here, I'm calling the plays that are that are asked. And so we said. They're arguing in the huddle with each other. Right, it's a mess. It's some ugliness concert in there. One and one, which you would have taken if you're the steelers going into the season, and I think this could be a case where all that chatter forces them to throw it deep, and ultimately that's a good idea. The best chance they have is just throw up some passes to their playmakers. It happen for the steelers, is Miss Robinski throwing the ball deep, compared to what it can be, worse than what they're doing with you on that, but I don't think that's the quarter. I'll tell you one thing. CLEVELAND, for as long as I've watched them, have one special power, and it's not the power that helps them. They are the team that consistently fields massive debuts by players that become legendary players, and I think this is a perfect time at the midpoint for Kenny Pickett to come in and change every and do what you're talking about. You're with all the steelers fans. There were so many penny pick a chance and Mike Tomlin said that, oh, he didn't hear it, of course, like Rabinsky was like yeah, it is what it is kind of deal. But if JOE FLACCO was able to do that on the Brown Secondary, Hey, I mean, why not let Mitch Try and throw it? Has So many things to clean up, so many miscommunications, so many misques like that is what led to their demise. The next closest team in terms of like yardage allowed on bow blown plays has like a third as many. There's two and fifty yards. Their offense is actually ranked much higher than it was a year ago, dv. It's just dv O eight's two weeks it's the running game. They've had like a top seven or eight offense and their defense has not shown up considering the talent they have, with the exception that his last throw, the interception, played very well last week. In general, the meltdown was almost unprecedented. What happened the last two minutes, but for fifty eight minutes it kind of went the way you would inc and it was like a Cleveland team. That again to the point where they're putting up the graphics. That was the other thing mark when he was watching the game today, putting up the graphics of the last two and Oh start Jurassic Park was number one of the box office Milli Vanilli had to hit. It was just like they played well last week until everything felt of the browns week one game, exact same thing happened and they because they had a good kicker who finished it off. They won it, but the defense kind of gave it up. More thing, I could see them having similar success with the blueprint if Brissette can avoid turnovers and had that great running game. Um, I think they they're my pick in this game. I'M NOT gonna lock it up, but I also wonder. It's gonna be interesting to see Connie. Mike Tomlin is his own dude, but he's never really had to deal with this quarterback conundrum like this in his life because as a head coach with the in the NFL, with Ben Roethlisberger the way he was for years and years. Will he pull the trigger if the offense, which has not or three yards. Yet if they're at a hundred and twenty five yards at halftime and Cleveland's up thirteen three, maybe it is the day, maybe it is time, maybe it is but I don't think that Mike Tomlin is a reactionary guy. I think that he's someone that has patience and is calculated and we'll see things through. But you're right, he doesn't have a ton of experience with this either. I think the whole key to the game here in Cleveland is whether or not Brownie the Elf will be part of it on the field the whole season. Yeah, I mean bean, okay, and play. That's a new take. Yet there was he like he's going to be, and the timing of the game, as bad as the ending of the game was for the Browns, and Sunday it's nice that they get to get out there and if they put together a good performance there two in one and you kind of move past the ugliness. Let's see if they can do it. It's gonna be a slobber knocker. If you like a little fun in this game football dork stuff. Jeremiah Cormo is becoming like one of my favorite players in the league. Just watch every single play. Watch where he is. He's always in a different spot and he's like the future of linebackers the way he can move in coverage and move all over the field. He has been the man. All right, that was the t n F preview presented by Prime Video. The new era of Thursday night football is officially here and it's only on prime video. You get the recap of that on the as part of the Friday fund show. Colleen, you're part of the NFL network coverage. So check out Connie. She handles that. The anchor. All right, before we say goodbye, your anchor, colleen, uh is your husband of many, many years, the Great John Gonzalez of the sports illustrated fame. He has the SI podcast, a man of many talents and now he joins us. This is I said I want here because John, by the way, welcome back to the show, Yang. Always good to see you. CONGRATS on the eagles. Um, you should know at the top of today's show I did check in with Greg because you ethered him on twitter. You went viral, uh, and Greg pretended like he didn't even know that he had been ether. I look at it differently. I look at it like a friend that's how that's your my love language with John. You give each other grief. You know that's what he's doing with friends. So I didn't consider it an ether the way you positioned. Then he took a shot at you for your chains. At that point I felt uncomfortable because I was like, John needs to be here if Greg's gonna be firing off shots like that. Just because Gregg chose not to answer to the tweet, you should still have the option to answer to the chain heat. Uh. So here's your chance. John gonzals versus Greg Rosenthal, cornered animal match. You know, I agree with Greg that you're setting us up to each other when we love each other. I think your your listeners and uh, that how I feel about you guys. Certainly people on twitter who see US interact. No, but just in case, because we did get a lot more people involved with that tweet than I anticipated. Like I showed up to colleen before I tweeted it and she said that's funny and I had said and then it was just a million people in and Rosie's mentioned. So apologies for that, Rosie, but just to make it clear, I love Rosie. He's my brother, as all of you guys are. But sometimes, when you come for Philadelphia and you want to behave your shame, you get what you ask for. It don't want none. Don't start none. I wanted it. That's why I got enough problems. Like I feel so good about that extra G in my name. Like, like you, you could never rock my foundation of how vital and necessary and important that extra G is. It's really a huge part of who I am, John Always. But that's that's the irony here. As I know that Greg loves his Jeez. I love Jeez too. I honestly didn't think anything of it. I figured Rosie would see it, laugh and roll his eyes at me being stupid, and that would be and from my vantage point. Yeah, but Philadelphia had other ideas well. It's fine, I love I love Philly. I like I picked the eagles to win the Super Bowl here. But philly does sometimes try to have it both ways. It's like, Hey, we're fun, we like to make jokes, and then when you just throw in a silly joke, it's not like I was like coming after the core of WHO Philadelphia is as a human. It was just a silly joke. This feels this is unnecessary and they take it, they take it inside their heart and, like some people got very upset, but you know, twitter is gonna be a bit sure about it and think about it on that level of NUANCECP. And and to Greg's comment that you perhaps are too old to have chains, John, uh, yeah, I mean, you know what, I'm comfortable with WHO I am at my age and uh, you know, I rocked that chain with pride. You know, my dad gave me that chains. So that Greg, that you picked it up in Greece. You know that I admires. Yeah, but he came as a compliment when I was talking about how how John like came to get together really, you know, casual but well dressed, when it was like next level and everyone I was saying what I was impressed by it, Um and I was saying like, Oh, I'm a little too underdressed here, right, and it was really the chain that dresses it up. What your take is on this, then you're actually old to wear a chain, though. Okay, that's that's if you can pull it off, John Ken, he can definitely. I don't think I could, and it's also late to add it like if I, if you, if I was always a chain guy. That's one thing if you're ADA and you're nobody knows that here. A chain guy, though, because you could have just like happened under your look. I don't see Gonzo is putting himself into these age categories where he hits he hits forties, so suddenly he has to remove eighty elements from his life and become like every other four year Olgo a Gonzo does. He places his own trip like that always, colleen knows, we've discussed this many times. Got To be your own person in this world. So train, no chain, as long as you're comfortable being you. That's good. An unbelievable appearance here, taking the high road. Beautiful. All right, that's it for today's show. Next time you hear from us it will be what John didn't have to be thrown off the show like. Yeah, that was all fun done. I'm never speaking to you again. That was it. We'll be back Thursday with a full preview of every week three game to come, so make sure you check that out. Check out the power rank this podcast, check out the QB index, check out the game debut program and, yeah, yeah, what day mark? I know it's Thursday, September. It's nine days from now. So I know math is not your thing, but this is for me. It's in nine days. It's next Thursday. You could come see us in London in nine days. Where we go with the cut out of myself? We are working on it. That can I not even get a cut out there in production. That is the word, the corporate jargon, efforting cut out it colleen Wolf for England. Alright, Thursday he the call s