2022 Week 11 Preview

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Speaker 1: The Around the NFL podcast is not afraid to venture into the bearcase. From the Chris Westling podcast studio, It's Around the NFL. I am Dan Jansas, I have heroes here, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler. It is the week eleven preview episode. Here we are And can I say, Can I say that it's very nice? Um, when you see a talented broadcaster like Paul Allen of Vikings Radio, go national, go mainstream as he has this week viral, as the kids say, Um, but it's almost for me, like fans of Nirvana in nine in Seattle that had the Bleach record and then all of a sudden, never Mind comes out and is, all of a sudden, Nirvana is not yours anymore. It's everyone's. It's a little on my radar that it took until now for people to be like, oh, the guy who calls the Vikings game is amazing, when we've been talking about that four years on this program. Give it to us. It's a tough dynamic, um, I think for you, especially your champion. Uh. These play by play announcers across the across the United to US, I hear you. It's slightly possessive, but that's okay. Yeah, I think you a little bit, Paul. I also think Paul Allen's work he's done over the last twenty years incredible. He had that call when Josh McCown knocked him out of the playoffs back in two thousand and three, which is a famous call, and I would say his work has been much better than Bleach ultimately, Like you listen to Bleach say it's a couple of good songs like Calm Down about Nirvana pre you know, I'm just saying Allan's been at that top call there was your take is shaky there. It's like each was a debut record from a revolutionary band. It wasn't a masterpiece. It was the start of something. Didn't have to be brilliant. But totally, I'm just saying Paul Allen has been like brilliant. He's been. He's been writing never mind on a weekly basis. Can I tell you one when I was in college like four thousand years ago, like Dave Matthews. So I'm not touting his Nirvana or Paul Allen like was was playing essentially just at U v A across the country and my friend was sending me mixtapes and I'd play them in my dorm and like all these people would stop and me, like, this guy sounds gross. Then like four weeks later, everyone's blasting him out of the window of their dorm rooms. Does kind of sound gross and just they just couldn't stand him. And then later they all loved him. That's all. It's to your thing where it's like suddenly I was like, well, it's not mine anymore. It was my secret mission to like And that was our weekly segment that I wonder if they'll take out of the TV show, television show, So here we are. Let's move on. Week eleven is upon us. Nice week Nice And it got off to a good start. Titans Packers Thursday Night football. Looking forward to that when you get that recap on the Friday Fun Show tomorrow morning. But we will start as we always do with the primetime games, and that takes us across the sidewalk to Sofi Stadium where the Los Angeles Chargers we'll meet the Kansas City Chiefs. Now. I do remember the last time the Chiefs were in Sofi Stadium. I was there. It was the first football game that I took my sons uh to um with my wife, my wife, and great um that you took your wife. Also, that's nice that you did. Why would be a humble because she's a woman, she shouldn't go to the football game. Also, I mean, who, why would that come to your mind? Is a reason that any would would ask? The question? Says more about you. I don't I don't know. I don't know why we're talking about this. But I was happy to take my entire family. That's nice of you. And it was a great game, and the Chargers should have won that game, and they were an exciting dynamic offense. Now we fast over a year. That was December. Now we're in November, and I don't feel about about feel that way about this game. I remember being excited to watch those two teams play at Sofi Stadium. This this year. I feel like the Chargers are not as good as their record indicates, which is not even that great record. I think the Chiefs are in the conversation, certainly is the best team in football. And I don't see any way that the Chiefs go to Sofa and lose. I just don't see. You know what I am If you give me this is what I have. They are in the zone if you get me in the lock zone, Patrick Mahomes in prime time against the Chargers team that's all beat up, I'm locking it up. Well, it's a totally totally solid luck. I mean, I know it almost feels I don't generally locks six point favorites, but if it's in the zone, I'm gonna take it in this case because I'm not a fan of this Chargers team. And I have to say, Sunday Night, Greg, the last time we saw the Chargers, it was when and I know Keenan Allen might be back in this game. It was the first time. Like you know, I love Justin Herbert, but he's not making this he's not saving this team. There's just too much, too much wrong with it. So they were my first sensing to lock up as well. When I checked early in the week, they were actually above the lock zone at seven and a half. It's gone down two whole points. I think because of multiple factors. One just people thinking that's a good value. That's probably the number one value. And I would tend to agree. It's a division game, it's at home. They always played the Chiefs very tough. If you remember the Week two game in Kansas, City. I know it's a long time ago, but that was a game you kind of felt like the Chargers outplayed the Chiefs for most of it, and the Chiefs ended up sneaking away with that win with a with a couple of big plays. It's also the game that changed Herbert season because he got hurt and hasn't been the same. I don't think until the buy. I think he's played better the last couple of weeks. That's part of the reason now I'm leaning against locking it up. I'm in the mark space where I actually don't know what I'm gonna do. But the reason is maybe injury situations that yes, they could get Keenan Allen back, that when I'm not sure about Mike Williams. Seems like he will be back and he had a great game against the Chiefs and that's huge. And then you look at the Chiefs receivers and Marc has vowed the Scantlings out of practice with an illness. It sounds like he'll be available, but Juju Smith Schuster, I have my doubts he hasn't been at practice and Nkole Hardman. So that's that's two of their key receivers. Although you're kind of replacing Hardman with Cadarius Tony. I just look at like you're the Chargers, and I know that, uh, you know, all these teams are so banged up at this point, but you don't have Joey Bosa. Their defensive line was so compromised by the end of that Niners game last Sunday night that San Francisco was running at will at the moving the ball. And that's not situations not a whole lot better. I I look at the winds that the Chargers have, and and you know, as they were unfurling these winds, it was harder to know who these other teams were. But it's against the Raiders, who are a flaming mess, the Texans, the Browns, the Broncos, and the Falcons. They don't have a signature win. I don't feel a lot of confidence that they're gonna be able to do much to Patrick Mahomes, who is maybe the one quarterback in the league right now who is consistently on fire week to week. I mean, he's dominated. I don't even know who I picked number two because we're because of where we are with Josh Allen these last couple of weeks, people trying to throw to a right in the top of them. Two has been totally consistent. But I think that's because there's a vacuum of other there's a lack of other quarterbacks. Give me the top three right now. I have my Homes at one easily. I still have Allan at two because I feel like he's like he's gonna be slumpy, that's the way it is. And from there I go Jalen Hurts. I mean, I just two was five yea, But but I think two. It's not a knock on too. It's just that Justin Herbert's the guy that kept hanging there up there in the top five or six, and it's like, I can't do it anymore. Mahomes the way he's controlling the game, and I mentioned it on Sunday, Romo had a good, you know view on it, and especially in terms of his eyes. Almost every play he's moving the opponent, and I just feel like he's in a place that he wasn't in two years ago, that Justin Herbert is not in yet. And he's obviously got better coaching around him than Justin Herbert in terms of creating big plays. But I also think it's mahomes is mine that's really taken like the next step after take you know, after taking a punch in his career metaphorical punch last year in terms of defense, is kind of making a good move against him. I think he's now kind of outsmarting defenses again, and he's using his legs more than ever. He's he's going to set a career high in yards if he keeps it up on the ground. And it just feels like how do you stop it? Like he's somehow added an element to his game. Yeah, And I think these players, these quarterbacks, it's such a it's such a a hack to be able to uh bail out your offense with your legs, and he's always had the ability. It just seems like he has such great instincts with his legs. Two things, um Brandon Staley said yesterday that you mentioned Joey Bosa not playing. He's not even close. So you have seen another way bossa injury being ruined uh boast a season being ruined by injury. And you mentioned, yes, the Chiefs are a little beat up, but the Scadarius Tony acquisitions, it's coming in big now. You feel you feel it as a potential seismic addition. Because the players seem to love him, obviously, the coaching staff found a way to get him involved. Last week, Travis Kelsey said he can he cannot believe um the Giants led him out of It's like the chiefs of all teams pulled off this trade for a guy that the Giants had in their doghouse. Smart teams. I mean, Mahomes has not lost in November December since whoa supporting? Why? Why? I was thinking of locking maybe, but I'm already locking. You know, you got to do that. I think either way would guarantee I'm gonna welcome. Can the Chiefs run on the Chargers to like? If they can, then it's really over. Everyone runs on the Chargers. And the Chargers have so many injuries that at this point we barely even mention them. But they lost too defensive tackles for the season. Last week they went three healthy defensive tackles on the rona I believe it's how you pronounce it. And then Christian Covington, who was basically brought in as a replacement for their other injuries. So they lose two more guys on their defensive interior. They're terrible upfront, and I think the Chief's offensive line is really good. I the reason I'm hesitant to do it, though, Dan is I do think the Chief's defense is maybe vulnerable, and Herbert, I think is playing better if it hasn't showed up. That's all I think. The Chargers, I don't think they're going to but I could see Herbert having his best game of this in a long time with Mike Williams and making it interesting. These two teams have played each other very close. Herbert's three and four against the Andy Reid Mahomes team, including the lost earlier this year. They've always played these close games. How about this? Because of course I want to get my lock, but I'm loyal to football, not as loyal football as Greggy. He didn't do it. He didn't do it on Sunday Night Football. We're giving Justin if you're gonna do back to bet not you justin. If you're gonna justin Herbert, If you're gonna give me, if we're getting back to back Herbert primetime games, give me a big one. You got to give me a big show everybody what a stud you are and lift your team to a higher place. Maybe it happens when we get a fun shootout like last December, or the Chiefs keep kicking, but we shall see. Let's move to Monday night football the San Francisco for this. It's just like the same teams playing in primetime every single week. Is that where we're happening to bring us? It's in Mexico City. The Chargers game was flexed into prime time to get the Steelers off our screen. So I'm not complaining as five and four, Uh, the Cardinals four and six from Estadio Asteca and ot all our uh listeners in Mexico and surrounding territories. Here we go, Uh, Kyler Murray in this game, we don't know. We don't know. Again the hamstring. I think there's a lot of speculation that, um, he's going to take another week here, although it's not written in stone at this point. And also Mark, there was a local columnist who is speaking on the idea of oh yeah, leave Cult in there. In fact, just leave him in period. The offense is better with him. I didn't read it. I'm assuming that's what it was about. Um. Your thoughts on this game, well, I think one thing about Cult McCoy Last week against the Rams, the Cardinals offense to me seemed more organized. I just seemed their characterization week after week was like mind numbing gaffs. And I'm not putting that all in Kyler Murray. I think they've just been a disorganized offense in general. But cal McCoy, I mean, if you watch Hard Knocks and Greg and I have been tracted to some degree, it was notable to you. We actually were just having private conversations on the phone. Just the point of talking if it's not into a microphone and people can't hear it. Well, ever, I mean Greig and I have, we've evolved beyond that necessity. I guess. So you guys are now having private phone calls to play it to each other, Well, play it to our own you guys don't have private But I will tell you something happened on that show, and you do learn little things like call McCoy number one, the way he just walks around so comfortable in his own skin, going up to certain players and practice and asking how they prefer where do you want the ball? To show off little details and like there was a section on that show where during the game, a bunch of like wide receivers and skill position players like call McCoy's experienced. He knows what he's doing out here. We love playing with them defensive players, and they were like, that's why he's been in the league so long. Balls out he knows where he's just it's there is something notable to me about that's that situation. I kind of think the Cliff Kingsbury hit a bit of a comfort zone last week with call McCoy just being in there. So I'm not saying you go colin us and say don't start Kyler Murray, but you've a the you're the guy that anti anti cardinalson's thought. They've been a total mess last week. They were not. I can't get on this train either. He has one good game against the bad Rams team, well he beat the Niners last year, and it's like, oh, maybe Kyler Murray shouldn't rush back. I mean, all I'm saying is what I said is said I think he's a good leader. That's all something. There is something there that with his experience in the way he helps run the practice with Cliff, he knows Cliffs offense so well. By now that there is a veteran sort of attention to detail that Kyler Murray, as a younger player, maybe doesn't have, and Kyler Murray, you know, relies on his athleticism more. Of course, that said, I don't think their offense did anything last week that Kyler Murray couldn't have done. They didn't have three hundred yards of offense. It looked a lot to me like the Kyler Murray offense for the most part, five six yards per attempt. Colt McCoy gives a level of comfort that you feel, like Steve kim Has and Cliff Kings, I think there is something there. You know, I'm just a cult McCoy and too, That's where I'm coming from. He also helps make up for an understand an offensive line. We haven't given them a lot of um leeway here that they're missing four starting offensive linemen that you know, so are the Rams, and we're like, oh, they're seasons over. I guess there's no way they can try. They're missing four offensive line But the Cardinals have been doing the same thing the last three weeks and they should be, uh, you know, given some credit for overcoming that. I think that ends this week, though, you okay, so I mean they're gonna get crushed by the forty Niners defense. Like, that's a nice story against the Rams, and then the forty Niners are gonna you know, here's what, here's the staff of that. So I'm my interest level is so disconnected from your guys interest level on the Arizona Cardinals that I struggle sometimes. But then within the sake for the sake of of the of the view of the listener and the show, we need to we need to problem teams are compelling. We can't just go where you have no interest. So we just skipped the game. I'm just saying, I feel like you're trying to sell me on the Cardinals. Here's one day night. Mexico games are always crazy. We haven't had one in three or four years years, so they forgot I forgot two thou nineteen. Here's a stat that I think kills Arizona because this is this is San Francisco strength. They no team in the league allowed some more yards after the catch than the Cardinals. And what did the Niners do better than anyone in Shanahan's So yeah, I don't like that for Arizona. I bet this is a devo game, in a Kiddle game, whenever those two guys are totally silent like they were the week before, and then they get them involved. I think the run game is coming each week. I think Jimmy's playing well. I think Fred Warner, who I don't think at his best start to the season or best year last year, has been making plays week after week. You could see him blitzing. Like I just I like this forty Niners team a lot, and I think it's a mismatch. I do too. I mean, I've had them hovering around the top five of the Power rankings for weeks, and I think, you know, I thought it was interesting the way their offense was used last week. Some of it gave me the vibe that Kyle Shanahan and of course Jimmy g are trying to figure out, all right, now, let we have everybody on the field, how do we how do we put this together? So you had an interesting things like Elijah Mitchell in his first game back out touching Christian McCaffrey on the ground. I found that interesting. I wonder, what, what what kind of share do we have in the running game between these two players, because obviously Shanahan likes Mitchell a lot. You know, Deebo had just two catches on six looks last week. I think to your point, they'll probably make a concerted effort to get him involved. George Kittle, who is great as Kittle is. It's such interesting how he just comes and goes in this offense at times, he's not the same guy. He's still really valuable, but he's not many Gronk that he was earlier. He was targeted just twice um last week. So Brandon and you got his There's just a lot of mouths to feed. And isn't it kind of a it's great, it's rich people problem. I also think you're like you're it isn't the worst thing to have a game where if you're in control. Christian McCaffrey doesn't need to have thirty five touches. Now. I think you're resting these guys. I think it'll be closer to fifty fifty than his. His fantasy owners want the rest of the way because it keeps them both fresh. They're thinking about going winning a Super Bowl. I read a stat that they can measure this on secondary markets. More than eight percent of the tickets are being sold to forty Niners fans. So on paper, I think this is a Cardinals home game, but it's gonna be a forty nights spirit. One more note on this, well, DeAndre Hopkins did not practice on Thursday. Marcus Brown we talked about, Oh, Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins together. We'll see, We'll see if Hopkins plays, and also we'll see if Hollywood Brown comes back. He actually participated in Thursday's practice for the Cardinals. So deal More's been looking pretty good. That makes them a little more interesting perhaps if both those wide receivers are not asking you to be interested, it's not Yeah, it's fine. We're not asking you to it's fine. I guess you're getting a lot of JJ. I'm a little surprised how in you guys are on this Cardinals team, considering the product that I'm not in on them as like I'm a fan. I just find that their whole thing compe. I do like this version of hard right now. There's a little more. I do like that, there's more at stake, there's more tension. You should like that. I like Hard Knocks because this has been interesting. I like it because it's about it. It's got a disastrous implosion kind of feel to if he wants. He just wants the downloads. Dan is just a monster when it comes to the analytics, and he just wants we can have upload the conversation that Greg and I have had the past. He wants more advertising for for our ads. I want money. No, I like issues like two things can connected to the Cardinals, Jason Zomalt, my friend and cult. There you go. I like that connection. Guess what m is going to be my guest on the Monday Night. We've booked him the voice, the new voice of the around you could have had if you asked h That's a must listen on Monday night football. All right, let us take a break and then we'll get to the draft. All right, we are back and in his time to be again the week eleven draft for Around the NFL, and this week Greg has been doing a lot of belly aching about whenever it's his first pick, it's there's never a good game to take. Let's see mark what he says right now now, I think there's two good games to take. I was very torn on it. I decided if if Jets Patriots had the right announcer crew, I'm just gonna take him from Dan. I don't care about this. I always let Dan have it because it actually is a really compelling game. But I'm not gonna do it. I'm taking Tony Romo on the Cowboys Vikings to start out. When I saw that they were the crew on that game, I was like, Okay, I'm taking that game. Cowboys Vikings is not a referendum on these two teams, but I think it's the best matchup between between two quality teams that I'm curious about at this point of the season. Uh. They actually asked Mike mccarthny this week in a press conference setting if he puts anything to the fact that the defense hasn't played as well when Dac is at quarterback. I mean, what kind of question. But this is like, but this is like what happens. Like people are like, well, they're they're averaging fifteen more points per game given up when Dak's at quarterback. It's like, yeah, that's why you shouldn't have given Cooper Rush all the credit. Uh, there's a lot that goes into football games. Their opponents have been much tougher. But as someone who believes in the Cowboys as a potential super Bowl team. I'm a little on my heels here that the Cowboys, especially their run defense, have not been as impressive the last couple of weeks against Chicago and against Green Bay, and so I want to see how they respond against Dalvin Cook. They certainly haven't been just shutting people down. People have adjusted, I think getting the ball out quickly against their past defense as well. And I think Minnesota's slightly getting better each and every week. I know we saw them as a middle of the pack team that was like getting lucky, but you can get better, and I think they are getting better. And I think that's a great matchup to why and and another litmus test for the Vikings. I know they just beat the Bills, but for the Vikings offense and a controlled setting against this Cowboys team, I'm really excited to see it. And I got admit I'm excited to see how Tony Romwood calls it. From him, that's good. And we just had Mark Sanchez on the show learning more about the craft in the booth. This is a really great stretch for Minnesota because obviously they have this dramatic, exciting win in Buffalo. Now, as we said, we have Dallas this week. We get New England next week at home, then we got the Jets the week after that, also at home. Uh. And you know those are all games that are there's no gimmes there, so it's gonna be interesting to see what Thanksgiving night they got the Patriots. Yummy, yummy. So I'm looking forward. I'm the same way. I mean, every anybody that had hesitations got about the Vikings, and that included me, came out of that Buffalo game being like, man, that was that was impressive. But do they have it in them to sustain this and really be a team that by the end of the regular seasons, like, oh yeah this, they might take the number one seed. They might win a when get a buy and that would be interesting. But this is a nice test I'm looking forward to. Haven't they reversed up for me? At least? And I feel like you're sort of saying the same thing the way that I felt about the Vikings for the entire run of the show. I mean, teams that are winning miracle games and having incredible times on the plane ride home become dangerous. I know that our friend Patrick Clayban doesn't believe in momentum x Y and z. I think it's there's something psychological about winning a game like that in Buffalo that was so highly improbable. It was a litmus test and they passed. And I don't see any reason they couldn't do it against Dallas. I would be concerned, though, Christian darry saw their star left tackle, who'se pffs number one left tackle is in concussion particle to not practice early this week. We'll just see what happens there. I mean, that's the kind of thing where you look at Dallas's defense and the way that they can disrupt Kirk Cousins, whose numbers fall off a cliff under pressure. And I think Cousins is having an enjoyable season. There's there's not taking anything away from what he's done, especially in the fourth quarter when he's been so clutch. But how how many times has the incredible talent of Justin Jefferson saved Cousins on a couple of his throws. I mean last week was a perfect example. He did not played great in that game until the end than he did in the fourth And when you mentioned played that well before in that game, you mentioned that that Justin Jefferson on Sunday Show at that not nine receptions with a sub fifty percent completion probability, and that's not just part of that is just his talent, but that's more than anyone in the next Gen stats era in a single game. How about step up, Trayvon Diggs. I've been uh looking forward to watching this matchup. I think Diggs has played better this year. I think he's better this year, even though he's not getting the interceptions. I think he's taken a step to you know, one of the best cornerbacks in the league, which last year was maybe just about the big place. But I think the Cowboys lost in part last week because they got cute and they played like man coverage the entire game. They played it more. At one point in the game, I remember next Gens that's had said than any team had for years, like they were just daring the Packers to beat them one on one, and it kind of happened. But I think Digs and Jefferson, not that you're not gonna have a safety here to help, but that's a great matchup. Yeah, And you know the thing about the defense and the stupid question about the way it's played with Doc bag is you know you got to look at the schedule as well, and you know, there's a lot of factors, but one is the schedule. So they've got since that came back. He came back against Detroit and uh, they played well in that game. Chicago justin fields is exploding right now. And then you get the Packers in a you know, desperation with Aaron Rodgers on the field and they made play. So I'm not freaking out about that. I think it's more about the peaks and valleys of the season. There are not many eighty five Bears defenses are two thousand Ravens defense. You're gonna have these moments where you know, you come down a little bit. The idea now is to come back up by the end of the season. So I'm not concerned about the defense at all in this game. And I it's a tough game to pick now. You know, I saw this and new right away I'm picking the Cowboys. I mean, I think they're a better team. I think Ceedee Lamb is a is a grown man who's really showing like like he's such a strong receiver. I think Tony Pollard has shown what he is as a primary back. Town He's a grown man, I'm just saying. All these players are legally adults. But you don't think a Ceedee Lamb is like for his toughness and he man, he's tough and Pollard two six yards of last week. I just think they're a better team, and I think they're gonna be hungry or coming off that loss and get that win. I'm telling you what's gonna happen right now? Is it Minnesota wins its second straight game and overtime? Is he? Is he gonna do it? No, I'm just telling you, But you're telling I feel definitive about another game. Okay, go ahead, I have a prediction of how this game is gonna go. Actually, I'm gonna let Paul Allen same. I'm locking up the VI games that I love that of that sounddrop is Paul Allen? Uh? You know he spoke too soon premature. They ended up giving up the game tying field goal and that game went to over time. Well, he was correct, he was correct in the end. I go I'm I was. My confidence in the Cowboys were shaken by the way that game played out, both sides of the ball, and are they kind of at the end of the day, is this kind of the same old Cowboys team. But then on the flip side, it's like the Vikings, this does not this is not how it works. They are seven and oh and one score games. And you could say that everything's flipped and the Vikings are a different team now, or he could say that no team is more in line for some aggression to hit than the Vikings. At the end of the day, I'll go with the home team in a great game, I will go, you know, thirty four thirty one Vikings over the Cowboys. Love it. That's a good game, good number one, Picky, I wasn't I that's a slam dunk Marquis. Okay, I'm gonna ask I'm gonna ask you to understand, um why I'm picking what I'm talking us through. Okay, because one thing I've learned if you, if you're new to the show, when we picked these games, these are the games that we watch on Sunday and have to deal with for three and a half hours. There's only three late day with you deal with. I feel like you focus less than your games. Maybe you may think that that's not accurate. Question the strategy of your game watching on Sunday. Here's the thing either here nor there. There's only two more late games. I'm taking Cincinnati at Pittsburgh because by the time it comes back around to me, if I'm stuck watching the Denver Broncos first the Raiders for three and a half hours, you're taking energy out of my Sunday. But I also like this game because I last, well, the last time we saw these two teams. Cincinnati, Yeah, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati is the number two overall pick. Yeah, because I think the logical explained why. And I literally don't care what your responses. The logic is sound. There's any great games, and we can't take Dan's Presh's Jets away from like that. By the way, actually part of it, Partner, I don't care you could take that game. I'm watching it anyway, so right, so I go ahead take it. It's a football. I'm also loyal to the show. I want the best show, passive, and I don't want to take the Jets from you. I MR, I don't like watching the Patriots on the game wanted to take I'd say that not every week. It's like especially I I want to see like like like the mixing five touchdowns and he had two scrimmage yards that was like the Bengals from last year. Can they sustain that against the Steelers? But t J, I'm not saying that's gonna be every week. Can you run the ball that well? Though? The Steelers had two seventy yards rushing after being one of the most unwatchable ground attacks all year, So I don't buy that that that's going to happen either. But I do want to see what happens with this. The Bengals are owing three in the a f C North. This is absolutely a time for them to awaken or I've stopped. I'm gonna start to shut off on them. I'm gonna lock up the Cincinnati Bengals because I believe in Pittsburgh. There's no way after what happened in Week one Joe Burrow needed five interceptions for the Steelers to take that thing into overtime. There is no way this Bengals team, if they believe in themselves the way that they should crumble again against the Steelers. You cannot go in two against Pittsburgh and try to convince me the you're an item in the a f C. Well, yeah, I think getting that says standings feels more important than convincing you that they're an item. Not in my world. I'm gonna lock it up to I'm with you, alright, I can see I can see it going wrong. Actually, it's a road game. In the lock up together, it always works out well. None of us was bound to change before Sunday. That's what happened. I know I was. I've been torn between them and the and the Chargers. But the Chiefs rather, this is good. I don't know if I see them as like a fixed team. I think they're gonna have their ups and downs. But yes, since but Pittsburgh is who I'm picking in this game, I'm picking against them. Nothing that happened last week made me feel any different. I think t J. Watt being back is good. I think Naja Harris did have a little bit of uh juice to him last week that he didn't have previously. And now he's dealing with knee pain. That's a positive. I didn't know that, and that's uh. That's good information to tell our listeners. That's a negative to counter. I'm glad you read it. Throw that out there. It might inform my son's fantasy, you know, decision he was what's what's his record now, he's up to three and seven. He's rallied. Let him down initially, but okay, I mean, yeah, the value of losing. He's very you know, he also refuses. I guess I've let him down because he refuses to drop Gino Smith during a bye week, even though if he doesn't do that, he'll have an empty spot on his roster. I was like, that's not worth it. You just have to you have to take Mike Evans out if he's off this week and drop Gino. He's like, I'm keeping him and I'm just gonna take a zero. I'm gonna try to convince him otherwise, but I'm not going to convince myself out of this lock this. Does he know that you built road World aware? He's not aware. He's not aware. Can you pick it? Show me something, can you pick it? I'm convinced the Steelers would have a better chance to win with Mitch Drobiski. I just haven't seen it from Kenny Pikett yet. It happens. It's a rookie quarterback, but I you know, I think it's fine. Like, I mean, I don't know what their plan is, Like they're not they're not going to the playoffs. Like, maybe you just give him as much. He's no worse. He's certainly as good or better than some of the rookies were doing last year. It's what happens. But he's not helping them win. And you know, it wasn't like he came into the league as a slam dunk prospect to start with. Kenny, he's older than justin fields like he's a year older. Uh So they hit the by. It was good to see Cincinnati, obviously, um get healthy and and beat up on the Panthers before they hit thereby. I know Jamaar Chase is still out of the mix. Um. The last time they played a defense that was competitive, Cleveland shut him down on Halloween Night. But I think you guys are in good hands on this lock unless t J. Watt, who was active but didn't make much of a box score present. He made a big difference in that game. But he was very active, And I think you're only the danger you're in here is that Cincinnati offensive line that's been up and down this year gets housed and gets the clown suit put on it and t J. Watt changes the game. But but but I mean, you know, I think these AFC North games, that's that's what happened that in Trouble, But at Akershore Stadium it's a little bit different. Let's do this thing about Burrow Burrow against the ANFC North this season, five touchdowns, six picks against every other team thirteen touchdown, zero interceptions, and I know a bunch that came against Pittsburgh, but that's who they're playing. I know they were so good in the division last year, including a couple of romps over the Steelers, but but that week one kind of set the tone that they just played bad in the division, all right. The third overall pick is the New York Jets at the New England Patriots. Uh from Foxboro. See what we did for you? I'm I'm saying, like I know you don't you are you don't care about anything? But Greg and I under were intentions were nice. No, I think I think that's really swell of you guys. But um ultimately sounds keep gonna watch the game and talk about it on the show regardless. So I had if I in the future, if Charles Davis was on this game, I'd be watching it when I saw it was Trent Green. If it was Romo or Charles Davis, I was gonna do it. And I was like, that's a trend Green game. That's gonna be my tie breaker. I'm going over the everything. Maybe you're two reliant on like who's calling the game and not is plugged in on the teams themselves, and I try to spread it out. I'm plugged in. My point is we all have different things we value. For me, that ten am game, that's the game I'm gonna watch the closest of all the games in the day. I want to be in good, good hands, all right, So I'm loyal to football. So the Patriots are typically in very good hands. Um when Bill Belichick is coaching against the New York Jets, a team that he has historically owned. We had Mark Sanchez on the show on Tuesday, and um he of course we discussed a little bit the last time the Jets beat the Patriots in New England and believe it or not, wait, that was the last time. Yeah, grave digger, how how old were you in January two thousand left? He was four years old. No, I was nineteen years so you were literally our producer was a teenager. The last time the Jets beat the Patriots in New England in the playoffs since the last time they beat them in the regular season. Greggy, it was the Brett Farve year. You were and you saw the Jets winning overtime. It's Matt Castle and the Patriots. Brady was out with the a c L. Randy Moss had a at the clock touchdown catch the force overtime. Great game. Thursday night. I called my dad from Big Wings in Hollywood and I said, Dad, this is it. This is the year with Brett Farve. Next week he tears his uh arm like a bicept injury, and that the team went down the drake doesn't matter. We spin forward. The Patriots are no longer the big bad Patriots to anybody else but the Jets. And I think that is very important to keep in mind here with this matchup, because I think the Jets on paper and what we've seen this year, are the better team. But I do absolutely think that New England lives in the Jets heads who saw it two weeks ago at the Meadowlands. When, of course Zack Wilson, who was even younger than Justin Graver the last time that Jets one of the playoffs. He's not aware of the ghosts as much. But at the same time, he's had two games against the Pats and they've been nightmare experiences. So he's in the club with Sam Donald and all the other Jets quarterbacks of the past. You know, twenty years can the Jets come out not kill themselves? And we talked to Patrick Mahomes and how what's made him even better this year is his ability to make plays with his legs and just have incredible instincts of when to you know, when to hold him and when to fold him and get out of that pocket. Zack Wilson, one thing that really jumped out to me in that Buffalo game was instead of the pirouette spinning away, running away in a panic, throwing the ball up for grabs, sometimes out of bounds, sometimes not, he used his really underrated athleticism, got out of the pocket and made plays. He needs to do more of that and less overthinking things inside that pocket. I think that's a big part of this game. I was great at least that we all went into that game saying this is exactly what needs to happen with Zach Wilson, and he accomplished it. There was some element of more control, um less distress, less chaos, and some growth. And I look across the field and think, you know, Matt Jones is a big problem for New England. To mean Matt Jones. It's like there's been a body switch to some degree. I just don't see the guy from especially early last season. And it's their offense, which outside of like Romandre Stevenson, what are they right now? I mean, that just seemed to me like this is a space, a space where the Jets, if their defense continues to do what it's been doing, there is no reason they couldn't knock out the Patriots. I was talking to our friend Judy Batista down in the makeup room and she said, it's so true. He said, none of the players care about this Patriots business. The coaching staff essentially wasn't around for any of that. They care. But it's it's so many other people. There's so many other people in that building though, who aren't the players or coaches where this Patriots thing is still alive and the media. But that's what they foe Gussan when they talked to the players and the coaches, and it just it perpetuates around the organization. Well, and Robert Sala's own three and that's it's live and that's not the two great Patriots teams. You know, they got all worked up and they really talked up. They're like, oh, we're mad that they put forty five on us last year. It was like that was the mac Jones Patriots that put forty five on them, and that anger didn't help them. That none of the pregame narratives helped them. What hurt them was that Bill Belichick came up with a game plan to stymy Zack Wilson into total submission. Helped out and touchdown that would have made it sevent wasn't bogus, but it was had nothing to do with the play and absolutely changed it. Zach Wilson got up the rid of the ball so quickly against Buffalo. He was so disciplined. His time to throw was like a second left then less than it was the rest of the season. If he does that, then they're fine because he'll miss, he won't make big mistakes, he'll use his legs. I think the running games should be okay. I don't know what that think about this Patriots defense. Their number one in the league and e p a per play right now. But if you look at the opponents that they've played in the in the games they've they've what they've done is truly dominate some erratic offenses, like dominate in a way teams don't in the Browns, who are good offense, but the Colts and and the Jets and in the Lions and some of these games some of them are okay offenses where they just they just win. I kind of can't see them doing that again. They are a good run defense. You're gonna need better Mac Jones. And for me, like Belichick sees, football is like a problem to be solved and he just had the bye week. Maybe this is why I always think teams are gonna come out of their bye week and really fix some things, and it never happens. Because I've been a Patriots fan my whole life, and Belichick, I think, really does use that bye week to address things. And so how are you gonna solve Mac Jones because I don't know it right now? These these are two of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league right now if you just look at like how they've played, and I'm shocked that Mac Jones is one of them. He's not going through his reads. He's like making panic decisions. He's just throwing balls up for grabs. Their often seems to be like they're trying to be a vertical offense. He's not accurate, which seems boggles my mind, like it it doesn't seem like he suits him. So I doesn't seem like a confident quarterback not taking his confidence away. He's been mismanaged. It's a weird thing inside New England's So that gets to what I'm saying is like, what do they come out with this week? Because they have to recognize what they were doing wasn't working. What will they do? What will they do on the offensive line, which, oh, by the way, they've benched their first round pick Cole Strange and back to back weeks they have a rotating group of right tackles who either get benched or hurt. Now they're probably back to Isaiah Win who they had bench. But because Marcus Cannon got hurt, their offensive line hasn't been great either, and then that's trouble against the Jets. I picked the Jets to win this game online, and I have a terrible I have a terrible Jets for you, not I. You never pick against the Patriots. I just like the only quarterback with Christmas no no, I. I'm been a Jet supporter of this whole season, and I'm rooting for you. I just think this is this is the ghost you can slay. Right here, though, the only quarterback with three plus starts in a lower passer rating first Bill Belichick on Earth is Sam Donald. Sam. I don't care. That's what you have to not care about. You've got to slay those ghosts. I don't care the ghosts. This for people like me and people like the media. The Jets are the better team. They need to win this game. The Petrid's gonna win by running the ball. I know your offensive line is suspect, but the Jets are without Sheldon Rankins, who has a dislocated elbow. He's an important part. There little a little thin um in terms of stopping the run, and he was one of the best run stuffers. I think that will be. I think Belichick's gonna try to protect Mac Jones and hope they can get the run game going. That would be And I wonder if because Bailey's appy was not very good. Uh, the last time we saw him. I wonder if that will calm down the natives up there in Foxborough, or if we're gonna see more garbage like booing mac Jones after three and out in the first quarter and cut to some yah who in the crowd that spent two hulls on a Bailly's happy jersey because he thinks he thinks he gets to Tom Brady every time a backup is unheralded and takes the field. It's not how it works. A big game. Because the Jets, if they go into against the Patriots, that's at his deeply disappointed. And the Patriots if they lose this game, they're in Minnesota on Thanksgiving night, and then they have the Bills on Thursday night. After that. They've got three games here and pretty short span, and the next two are against two really good teams. This are they going to be part of this season or not? I think this this game will make a pen It's a devastating loss. Of the Jets lose, because you've got Chicago, then at Minnesota, at Buffalo, the whole thing could go up in flames. Win this game, Win the game. Please, I beg of you Jets, all right, Let's take a break and we'll be right back. Hey listeners. Quick editors note for everyone out there. After we take this episode, we learned that the Bills Browns game would be moved to deach Froit, so we didn't know that while previewing this next game. I hope you will still enjoy it. Okay, now back to the show. All right, welcome back, and it is time now for the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota and it's snakes to the old juser Zeus, What are Greg and I doing here? The new old blue Eyes. Who's hey, Zeus? Who is What is up with your short term memory? Greg? It's almost like it's been impacted through years. You can always say that, but my mom suffers from the same thing, And don't bring your I live in the moment and I just throw away. Remember the interior of my suit. Oh yeah, that's a nickname. But that's funny. That's good like that, bro. Okay, So here's the here's the pick, and I'll cite some of boarding from Adam Schefter. This is developing news. By the way. Five hours ago, forecasts calling for snow totals of three to six feet by Sunday in Buffalo, including possible what mark thunder snow, snow. Last time snow forced NFL to move a game out of Buffalo. When the Jets and Bills played that Monday night in Detroit. You and I were at the Motor What was that place called Culver City, the Motor Bar and grill or the cozy in No, no, no, no, the motor Remember the motor, the garage, the garage. There are there is something that located inside a garage. Christ here, Well, the motor. It was it's a car themed it was, it was auto themed. Whatever. Yeah, I'm getting old. I feel like I'm really high. Anyway, the Jets and Bills got moved. The NFL, according to Schefter, is monitoring. That's a tough word, the storm. They're talking to the Bills and Browns unless fans are in peril getting to and from the stadium. And you know those people, you know those people in Orchard Park. How could they not be it in three to five because they're made of different materials. The people of Western New York are tough, Okay, they can handle thunder snow. They drive big old trucks with chains on them. Okay, on the same. They got to clear those roads. They good. They not only will they get to and from from the stadium safely, they'll be tailgating in that building. Went outside it, well you could build it glues out in the out very warm, which is saying Friday, by the way, So they will have a little time to maybe replay the game in Buffalo. This is one of the best things about the sport of football is that you play in the elements and if for nothing else, uh Mark. And this is the last stand for the Cleveland Browns in my opinion, they're already in a deep hole right now in terms of their when lost record. The innocence comes to a conclusion around this organization in less than two weeks when Deshaun Watson takes the field against Houston in week thirteen. So here we are now with the Browns needing a win. And maybe, as they say, whether is the ultimate equalizer, maybe this will help the Browns with their studily running back, uh Nick Chubb if he gets the ball more than twelve times and they take a w in the snow and Buffalo, I mean, these two teams played an incredible snow game way back in two thousand and seven, and so it's interesting that this is what the environment could be all over again. On the flip side, Cleveland's run defense is the worst total defensive rushing e p A in the league. Right now, you can run on them. Now can Buffalo take advantage of that with their backfield? And Josh Allen. I think it's a great situation. This could be a really weird game. And you've wanted all along for Nick Chubb just to lead the league and carries. He's up there in all that business. But it's like it's Nick Chubb or Bust. I think this game it really is, and it's like kind's you can run on the bills. So it's like I love I love it for Cleveland. Uh In it's in a scenario where if this were in a dome, I'd hate this game for Cleveland. This is a true equalizer. And you know Jacoby Brissette, there was that period where he was killing you late in the game with a turnover. So was their defense killing them. Jacoby Prisett has been relatively clean week after week and a pretty good backup quarterback for Cleveland. I mean he's not been perfect at all, but I don't think he's been destroying them the way that maybe earlier in the year. No, I never thought he was because even those plays, just those interceptions, partly because he was in he had put them in position in like a thirty to thirty game. And he's a distraction to me from what's happened to the Browns this year, which has been just an unbelievably poorly coach defense. I mean I I think they're there maybe as the worst coaching jobs of the year, and that's partly on Stefanski. You gotta be able to hire the right guy or change the scheme because they have enough talent on paper and they have games where they Okay, I'll put it on I'll put it on the players as well, especially in the secondary, that those moves and those players are not playing well, and so there's not a lot of reason to think that they're gonna suddenly have one of the one great game this week. But you mentioned running on the Bills that the Bills are shockingly last in the league in terms of time of possession allowed per drive. So teams do have a way of shortening the game against Buffalo, and it only works so well. But the Browns are as well equipped to be in the snow and their offensive line. I have a lot of confidence in them and maybe they can run it enough that this is a nervous game for the Browns, especially if Tremaine Edmonds is not playing. I don't believe he practiced on Wednesday. And that that Hills defense, when they have Mulana and Edmunds out there, that's a great tandem and they've done well and I think they the whole defense is set up for those guys to make plays in the running game, and when they're missing one of them, they're just not the same, not the same. I love this game, not just because of the thunder snow, but I want to see, um how Josh Allen and the Bills what they should do with the bill. If the Bills are as good as we all still think, and for instance, there's still number one in d v o A team rankings that they're they're viewed as a team that's going through a little bit, but also special and talented, well coached. They should destroy the Browns in this game, right like they except for this weather expensively. Yeah. But and and Josh Allen unless we's something we don't know about about his health, but it seems like a lot of the mistakes he's making our mental errors more than physical ones. He should learn from them. And I kind of this unless the weather really does play havoc, I can see this being an outrageous Josh Allen game where he runs for a hundred yards and throws for three drid and they stamp a Brown's defense that is underperformed and they kind of get right a little bit. Um throws interesting in thunder snow, which, by the way, unless the weather really messes with things, that's the only thing to me that could save this Cleveland team is the weather, but even that might not do it. I just feel good about this. He'll run so much. He's been running more this year than he ever has in his career too, which is crazy when you think back to the end of that rookie year when he really was running well. He's on pace for over a thousand yards. He has more rushing yards this season than he had in all of the COVID season, when he almost was making a point not to run, like I'm not that guy, and now he's back to I'm gonna just will join all the rest of these quarterbacks and just run like crazy. Um are the worst red zone scoring percentage in the league. Buffalo. That's it doesn't make sense. I mean it's been his his red zone turnovers last couple of weeks. Too, very strange. This is taken a unexpected turn this season. But I think they're just too good. I think they come out of this far can get hot starting here. All right. That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota Mark. The draft is back to you, all right. UM, I just take games I like, and I think this is interesting. The Eagles at the Cults. What happened last week with the Colts? They are like they It is a fascinating matchup to me because does everything was? Was that a mirrage against a very bad, poorly coached Raiders team? Uh, this will be an ascid test, no doubt about it. Well, you say yes, But here's the thing that here's what changed for them that Frank Rake didn't have was he didn't have Matt Ryan playing his best game in the season or one of them. And he didn't have Jonathan Taylor suddenly becoming Jonathan Taylor. And one thing you can do on the Eagles is you can run. That's why I've been asking we got to eat what's their weakness? What's the weakness Eagles? They're not totally perfect. You can run on them. And I think that right now when you don't have Jordan Davison there with their defensive coordinator said, he is essentially the pivot point that our whole run defense and what we want to do centers around. You don't have them. You went and signed involved Joseph. We'll see what version of Lindvall Joseph you get. Because I'm just saying, if you want to be the Colts and you want to just be what you are bread and butter, involved Joseph Slander here from the Oh, I just don't know. I mean like that he he was available. So if he was, if he was, you know, a premier player at this point, he wouldn't be. Oh. You know what, I hear what you're saying. I just is it not interesting? Interesting team now? The Colts to me not It was the interesting last week to me because of all the hoopla and the circus around them. We never meet in the middle on this. I know it's okay, but Matt Ryan, for instance, like he has these games in him still. But Matt Ryan more often than not. At this stage of his career, I think he's gonna just mixing stinkers, especially up against the bad big pass rush which the Eagles can bring. I don't like the Jonathan Taylor thing to me is more interesting. But we've been talking all season about how bad their offensive line is, and now is it just magically fixed? Was Jeff Saturday played center in the two thousand's, I don't know. I don't think so. I mean, there there, it's I think it's a better chance that that was the one week post firing bump that many teams get. Also us against the world. Everyone thinks we're team that can't. Raiders are absolute disaster right now. It was just like everything aligned for them to have a nice week. Now that said, I get why they're the team of STL because you like things. Um okay, Sestio developing news. Oh all right, Ian rap report with the report rap sheet rap sheet they call him and Dominican Sue has signed with the Eagles. Um called Joseph and Sue and Robert Quinn. That is very interesting. That's wild. So now the Eagles are so funny, man, They just like they do all the things that all the fans want their team to exactly right. So Donathan Gannon has been quoted saying essentially like my defense doesn't work without a nose tackle. They are we're sort of built that they invite you to run and they're willing to give up some you know runs in exchange for being a better past defense. And then when they lost Davis, it just went crazy. I don't know if that's what Sue's role is gonna be or not, him and Joseph combined, but Sue was the best defensive player on the field. I always remember rewatching that Bucks Rams playoff game, and I was just like men and Dominican Sue, what a weird career. He was thirty four years old and he was the best defensive player on the field for the Bucks in that game. And I heard reports he wanted eight or nine million dollars this year or he wasn't gonna play, and so he no one gave it to him. His buddy Lee iacco just like chopping it up. It's like, you don't go back unless they pay your top dollar. But now it's like if you're it was like on the car line, go ahead, It's okay. The words has been dead unfortunately, rest in peace. He could add something, you're sue, I think that you're picking a Super Bowl contender. I'm just saying it's from the humans. We have no respect for the legacy left behind Cocus. So Gregg had to come in off the top rope with an r. I p Anyway, I think it's you know, he's a death piece at this point, but I like it as a pivot many people. It's got to be more than we have a young listenership. We have an international listenership. I don't think people are reading. They could be into history, Greg, the history of the automotive industry. You don't, you don't know for certain that's not true. But the um I mean, come on now, the our team around the NFL, the lines from the Motor City. That's probably plugged people back into that aspect of the motor the bar there, the the garage, the garage. I don't think they have the same autobiography as uh I A Coca and autobiography which my dad had. I remember and this is the this is his pose on the cover of the book. He did it hands over the head um Leedo Anthony Leia Coca passed away in two thousand nineteen was an American automobile executive best known for the development of the Ford and Mustang my dad's first car. Yeah, I tend to think this won't be making it NFL Network three. The Ford pinto a bit of an infamous car with Ford, and then he revived the Chrysler Corporation as the CEO in the eighties. That's where his fame mostly was mostly born. I believe he was one of the few executives to preside over the operations of two of the big three auto makers. Was a Titan. I think thank you. I think your cults can get interesting if they compete in this game. Jonathan Taylor, I thought last week looked like also for the first healthy and people are like, oh, well, Jeff Saturday fixed the offensive line is like, yeah, A, you played the Raiders B That's true. He did have better blocking, but use your eyes. If you watched early in the season, he did not look like Jonathan Taylor. There were a couple of plays where he did have room early in the season where he wasn't making people miss. He didn't look as explosive and he did last week. So him and then their defensive tackle combination Grover, Stewart and and Buckner are really creating issues there. I think they're probably a top ten defense right now, you know. And because of those two guys. All right, let's let's see something. So let's see something. Parks Fraser, their young offensive coordinator. They asked, like, oh, because he looked a little flustered up there. He said, West is all guy in Paris Campbell who year after year would like wait to see maybe this is the Paris Campbell. Ye, now it's kind of been the Paris Parks Fraser. They said, like, why, how did it feel it there? He just said, everything just felt natural. Maybe, you know what, Like we would love this if it were a movie. It's nice to be we could be as cynical as we want. But it's it's an interesting this is turning this not if they finished six ten and one, it wouldn't be a good movie. So isolated to the couple of weeks here, you're a shrewd man. And I mean that is a compliment. Shrewd in a collared shirt. Yeah, because one of your the mark things is when everyone else is bagging on something, you go to that thing. So when that thing surprises people, but then there's the real country, and then they do the real then they do then I do the Nirvana thing because everyone's gonna be the Colts two weeks from now, and I'm on board of it. That's that's contrarian move right there a little bit. But we'll see. And the Eagles, let's see if they get right after a frustrating loss their first of the season. Obviously, UH goes to you, Greg Rosenthal. All Right, I'm going to pick a game that I'm surprised Mark Sessler didn't take here. Well, you had to get that Pittsburgh Steelers game and pick two, Well, I had to not get the Broncos game. I do. I have already explained that process to you. It's justin Field Sunday with six G. I love watching this guy live. How can you not? And I think it's gonna be a fun game Bears and Falcons on Sunday because both of these defense stank. They're kind of mirror images of each other right now. These two teams to run heavy offenses that go two hundred plus yards a week and two defenses that I don't trust whatsoever, And you don't you feel like the Bears are better at this style of play. You know, they keep losing right now. The reason I give the Falcons a chance certainly in this game, I mean, the Bears are not under you know, some great team since they've traded Robert Quitn. I went and checked e p a per play defensively one through eight, Bears were just like they're fine since then dead last thirties second. So the Falcons should also get theirs and it should be a lot of offense. They should. And I think with the Bears, it's important to realize that this team with Justin Fields is just a lot different now. And I think that what you want to watch here. And Hey, Dan, Okay, who's that? It's me, God, that's God's That's that's how Gods. Wow, this is crazy. Hey God, So listen, I noticed you were really enjoying the play of undrafted Bears linebacker Jack Sanborne during your Monday tape dogging SESSH for Power Rankings. WHOA, yeah, actually, I really you know, yeah, you really are on that epodent, aren't you. God, Yes, seriously, I'm always watching. You need to know that. Anyway, Yes, I do love me some Sandborn. He's a high motor grinder. Local boy made good who's in the middle of everything, bro, I literally created him. So anyway, he's your guy. Now, Oh my god, I gotta say that is that's unexpected. But what about you know the standard processing? Wait? Oh wow, wow, this is nuts. Thank you got it before you go. I feel like I'll kick myself forever if I don't ask, not just for me on behalf of the guys at the studio and everybody. What's it all for? I mean everything life said it for the theology podcast tug Boat, okay, even got alright? Sorry? Anything else? Tell Mark Mark Sessler? That is? I see him too, And man, that guy is a free I mean a frequently. I mean what what? What? What? Rack all right? Got out? Wow? Uh? Whoa you know? Sometimes liked It feels like God walks into the studio and then it actually happened. I'm left, um, feeling vulnerable. He's not He's not wrong. He is a freaking, freakingly freak. I didn't realize that. Um, the way that God works is that he is able to observe all things. I didn't know that that was the know that's what they said. And now that he might jump in with the Tyler Algier your guy update from Mark, but that's still going through well that I think the lead it's buried a little bit. But Jack Sanborne, the undrafted linebacker, is my guy. He's on my list, um, which is crazy that he would get involved with that, but it is what it is. And I mean, apparently God does not care about me in that process or I don't know what I I don't think so much going on with you. I think that he's just distracted and he hasn't been able to get to the Algier say I left with himnse um concern. Anyway, let's go on with the analysis of the game. Do we have to I have one sandwich prop um item here. I did before the season say that we would witness the fastest game of the year. This one on paper sets up where both teams they ran the ball combined like eighty two times. Maybe you get there, you get close. It's just really hard to do it because we've seen some greg on Sundays when we're monitoring some of these outliers strange games, and they're not getting close enough even a fast one. Yeah, they get the NFL games, by the way, I've gotten way faster this year. Is this on your radar? Dan? The time is faster than any year since there's I think, like I mean long drives. He's like the way down. But Roger Goodell and the league office also taking some credit, as they should with with much less replay time. Um on that So a couple of little things called at might not play in this game. A J. Terrell might be back and Khalil Herbert on in make a play. Yeah, that's a good point. Not as deep. Uh, make a play Mariota off script with with your arm. It just never happens. And when you have a when you have a running quarterback, which he ultimately is, and he's good at running, they and he's part of their great running game, you need to be able to come up with plays on your own sometimes like playmake and he he doesn't make any plays. And the previous I forget who the crew was, it was maybe Vilma. Last week they him and Pitts. Pitts has to be at fault somewhat because they are never on the same page. Sometimes Mariota just misses him. But about three times a game it's just like one of them thinks the other is going to do something else. Lack of chemistry is like almost shocking. But I have a solution. It's terrible. I have a solution for you. How about make a play Desmond rid Or when I mean, at some when to the Falcons at some point to tell you, I'll tell exactly one. They're gonna stick with him until the season's over a week thirteen, and then at week fourteen they'll hit the bye and then he'll start starting week fift. I just wonder what it says about Desmon Ridder or Arthur. I don't think it says anything. A third round pick, yea, why not try him out? Okay? I think if he loses this game, Ridder starts next week. And two of the reasons I think that as Arthur Smith was indignant this week, he's like, what situation, There's no super Mario. And then, more importantly, Jeff Saltz for The Athletic, who is as plugged in as any columnist has been there a long time, said he thought that it's like getting to be game to game, that it's it's gonna be Ridder soon if if Mario does better, I just said, he's as I meant, in the country, he's in there. Yeah, you're right, Orlando lad better, but he's more of a big guy. I don't think he can say you know, he can't opine as much. He gives you the facts. Shultz just comes in and I don't have access to the journal constitution anymore, you know, which I totally respect. Why don't you support your local news institutions sporting literally across the country, journalist, I'll have a paid subscription to every newspaper in the country. You absolutely do. There's no way for you to check. You would never know, you all. You are surrounded by our paywalls. I I support the athletic and uh that that kind of gets it all done. And we think we can expense that. I think I thought that we could have among other things. Let's get on the teat al right before we snake. Let's take a break. God would like that. Thank you God, by the way, and I will be a good boy, all right, don't okay, it's snakes, Greggy, someone tweeted at me last week. I'll pay ten books if you know you never do the snakes out again, about ten million, and then the check across the table, and I'll light it on fire just to stick it to that guy. Snake forever. It's the power move. It's a long process, a complex power move. It is Mark's choice. I have made two selections in a row or apology. Yes, no, wait, no, you didn't know. You didn't. No, you didn't, I didn't know you did Chicago Atlanta. Oh my god, I made the wrong choice first. Well, Drew knows where I'm going with this. Lions and Giants. That's actually my primary game if you care in the morning, I'm excited about this. Nobody except I'm just letting you know. It's a good game. Though I like it, it's a good pick it. Let's be real. Dan Is supported the Lions incredibly. He believes in him with his heart. Mark not so much. But on Sundays, the Lions, just because of the way the drafts have fallen, have become the team of th h a l because you guys have almost not watched the Lions all season, because I think I've had them almost every week. I'm excited for them this because I think they're gonna go win this game in New York. This is a great litmus test. That's such a weird setup. It's like I've been completely supportive of the team. I did the Hard Knocks podcast. I fought with you to try to get That's why I wanted to point that I put a dagger in the middle of my I even just tried to point out I think it's just random, but I just can't. I just have the Lions every week, and all their games are kind of the same. They're not quite as compelling actually as a football operation as uh I think, just because they're so consistent. Like we know who Jared Goff is. DeAndre Swift can't figure out how to play more than ten snaps a week because he's not healthy enough, I guess, and Monroe st Brown's getting open again. The offensive line I think can protect Golf and move the ball on the ground in this game. The big question whenever Golf plays like a heavy blitz team is that he struggles with pressure, and so that's the big matchup there. But on paper, I like this Lions offensive line being tough enough, and I just I feel like the Giants have to have a passing game at some point, and I know they've coached around it, and Daniel Jones has done well enough for when he's given the opportunity, but this is a game where he should be able to light up the Lions defense, and I just think it's a rare team that won't light up the Lions defense. Yeah, it's like there, their strengths don't totally work with Detroits. Outside of the fact that the Lions of the thirty first run defense in the league. That's said, I think that that's really pretty heavily weighted on. Earlier in the year. They were solid against the Packers against their run. It's solid against Dolphins. The Dolphins on the in the run. They were destroyed by the Bears. But everyone's getting destroyed by the Bears. Not a lot to do with justin fields. They also had three takeaways against the Packers in that tight game. They had to pick six against the Bears in the game they lost by one point. They're gonna need to find a way to get I think a turnover to in this Daniel Jones hasn't thrown an interception since Week three. The Giants have been clean, They had been clean, and I do think this is a it's it's in New York. You've got Sekuan Barkley playing out of his mind and you just on leash him against Detroit. Are doing it to me? Really tight. But I don't know why I'm hearing this all over the place that the Giants this is the week the Giants go down. I love Wink Martindale making life hell for Jared only three point favorites. There are seven and two team against a three, and people just do not want to believe the Giants. Not only not only Lines are three and six. Their win on the road last week was their first in two years under Dan Campbell. So this is a bad road team that Lines don't travel well. They're very up and down. Jared Goff, I don't know what the weather is going to be in uh Northern New Jersey this weekend, but it's um, so keep an eye on that. I think this does set up well for the Giants. And you know, if anybody that's been listening to the show knows, I've always been, you know, kinder to the Giants and some other people, Greg and West certainly, but Mark, you've kind of taken the baton because yeah, I don't, and I got I was getting a lot of fire um in my East Coast text thread for having Giants at thirteen in the Power rankings, because there is a part of me that's just like, I have a lot of respect for what they've done to get to this point, but do I have to buy in that that they're actually a good team? And then just out of curiosity, I do not use UM Football Outsider as a guide when I do the power rankings, but sometimes, like after the fact, they'll check it. Giants will rank nineteenth in the league and team d v O A and that that to me tells the story also of a team that is well coached, They win close games, they've had a cush schedule, and this is again sets up well for the Giants to get to eight and two. So I don't know what to make of them, because they're gonna go to the playoffs and they're gonna win eleven, maybe even twelve games most likely. Um, but I've yet to buy in. I think a big part with Daniel Jones. Like Daniel Jones, what he's doing is what the Jets wish Zack Wilson was doing, which is he makes occasional plays, he doesn't turn it over, and he leans on other aspects of the team that are stronger. You gotta credit him for that. Can the Lions put the Giants in a situation where Daniel Jones needs to make plays. I don't know about that. I don't think this is a matchup that sets up well for Digital. I think like that if the Giants are a pet team of mind, it's more just the story around them. And I think Brian Dable I kind of love Brian Table and I think the team does and they're enjoyable, but they're flawed, and I think it's a great opening year for Brian Dable, and I could see them having a record next season. If they don't have major new elements to the team and probably a new quarterback, the record won't be this. It's like they're they're not the record. But they're also like better than people think on defense. I think they create more problems than people think on defense. They don't turn the ball over, they can run the ball really well, and they've been money in the fourth quarter. I think they're a tough team to prepare for and all these you know, as the coaches say, it's like a one week season, and I think Dable, the combination of Dable and Martindale are very good at game planning week to week and changing what they're gonna do. And that's that's a huge battle in a in a in a huge asset in a league without a lot of separation. But they're like number two and three receivers last week where Isaiah Hodgson's Hodgens and Tanner Hudson Henry Hodgson. I don't know, we are I am we are too hard. I am too hard on the Giants. We I am sometimes And they also let's give some flowers, which is just Dexter Lawrence is a Pro bowler this year. Dave Gedlman got one of those hog Molley's right. Took a few years, but he's playing outstanding. Andrew Thomas is a Pro Bowl left tackle. They hit on that pick too. And one example of a good coaching staff I like to look for, do they take a player the other coaching staffs had no use for and make them really valuable. Remember Jalen Smith Cowboys couldn't use them last year and the Giants with a different coaching staff didn't know what to do with him last year. He was a lost player, and he's come in for this Giant's team. So I would flip it around and said, they also apparently couldn't do anything with that. That's why I didn't it seemed personal. But also, I mean the story is not written in Kansas City, you, I mean on paper. Before last season, you would have thought Kenny Golladay would be their star wide out. He's been a disaster he had. I don't think there's yeah, I don't think there's any means. Did you know se Juan Barkley has nine and thirty one rushing yards east week, He's on pace for seventeen fifty eight at thirty five carries out of the by last week. I would imagine I'd be very surprised unless this game gets out of hand and they can rest him. If he gets thirty more touches in this game, keep an eye on it. It's it's actually pretty crazy. I looked it up earlier this week and he's up to a d carries uh in nine games after eight one carries in combined. Um. So you hope he doesn't wear down. You certainly hope he doesn't get injured, because you take Barkley out of this mix and it could be Crater City problem. It's a little weird just how he hasn't really leaned into that. All Right, there you go, so Mark, it is now back to you all right. Um, God knows that. I like chaos. Oh, God knows everything. Darkness, Um, you know, intrigue of that nature. Ram Saints, it could get. It is ugly. It is an ugly situation. I want to still see how Sean McVeigh because but you don't love the same You can still watch this now. I mean I think we will have someone with very large muscles that likes to lift weights. Watch he little still be watching. I hate this for the I mean, the Rams are just it's like kind of impressive to watch how messy things are. Alaric Jackson, the left tackle, was diagnosed with blood clots. He is out of out for the rest of the season. That's very serious. Chandler Brewer, the right guard, has a Grade three m c L. He's out for like three or four weeks. I mean, they have had ten different line combinations, stringers almost everywhere right and even and even in Week one when that wasn't the case, and many along the look across the board. They were a disasters. They have. It's been an unfixable issue and it's getting We've talked about it every week on this thing. While the rest of the league is embracing the ground game against smaller defensive players and succeeding. The Rams cannot run the ball. They just lost Cooper Cup, who accounted for thirty seven point eight percent of their receiving yards. Matthew Stafford's passer rating to anyone not named Cooper Cup is this would be fine in nineteen seventy two. Two it's a disaster. It's seventy seven point two is his passer rating to anyone not named Cooper Cup? How on earth? Well? I mean, but seventy seven point two is awful in this day in age, and yet they could they could win this game. This is They're playing another disaster. This is the bad vibes Bowl of the week. There's a couple, but this is this is the worst vibes. I think the Saints Vegas Denver's raising a tan but right those would be the two. But Jamis Winston this week and what's gone on with him, I think speaks to something larger going on with the Saints. He had an interview with Mike Triplett, who now works for Nick Underhill site. Check it out. It's good stuff. I think New Orleans football. Not to be confused with Jeff Triplett, a long time, long time beat guy, and Jamis talked to him, and he he spoke about how he's not really fully healthy, that he hasn't been fully practicing, and so the fact that he hasn't been listed on the injury report over last month, Okay, you just told on yourself there. I wouldn't be surprised if the league is checking into that. He also said that one of the reasons he struggled so much to recover from the back injury is that they put him on a plane to London when with broken backs and problems, and that really exacerbated it. He wasn't sitting in those seats that we were sitting in. Apparently, well, I think I don't think that as nice as you can like lie down, you know, you're saying, yeah, I don't know if that would solve everything of being in a plane for for ten hours. It sure sounds like to me. When Dennis Allen spoke, and I listened to him because I'm just like, what's going on with Dennis Allen? When he spoke this week, he almost kind of hinted that, like Jamis isn't ready to start, and that maybe they were ready to go back to Jamis and then he spoke about it with both quarterbacks and he kind of hinted on Monday that he was gonna go to Jamis, but on Wednesday it's back to Dalton. And you don't want to speculate too much, but it wouldn't be surprising if Jamis was like, nah, I'm I'm good. I think it's like, what kind of situation. It's just and like marsha On Lattimore. Remember Marshall on Lattimore. Great? What happened to him? Not so great. They never put any guys on injured reserve. They just have guys that are out and they're out for day to day and then they're out for eight weeks. Just something. Just get on the phone together. It's like, oh, I got a great idea to mess up my guys this week with their injury stuff. Listen to this just like conspires. Can I borrow that? So don't put him on IR. Yeah, he's really hurt and he's not anywhere close and we could free up roster space and give that guy. No no, no no, keep him in the mix, get him and get him on a plane, send him to Europe. Yeah, very good, keenan on him. It's like two bad guys. They're probably they're probably gonna I mean, here are some players. By the way, I put him in coach middle seat, that's delicious. Marsh On Lattimer, Cameron is so wicked. Go ahead, it doesn't why the way, why this game doesn't matter? I mean that the players out Lattimore, Cameron, Jordan's Davenport, Pete Werner, ram Check, some of these guys will be back place Andrews. It's crazy, like almost like I don't know what's going on. I know my my guys at Saint Twitter Pockets are convinced they won't win a game the rest of the season. That there's no way they're even winning this game. I don't know if it's that bad, but I gotta say they've been kind of on top of how bad it was going to get for a while, so maybe maybe they were onto something. I mean, I don't I know, you had a little Andy Dalton thing going on. I'm not sure what the argument was to keep with him, but uh, he was a disaster again. I actually am standing on that. Dalton and is not like he's just he wouldn't be solving anything, but he's just a symptom of what's going on? Brandon, hear me out on this. After Jamis gets off the planet, he throws, we have him load the bus all the luggage. Lift lift lift. Oh you're deliciously wicked. Alright, watch what I do this week? Keenan Allen? Oh my goodness, his hamstring is killing him. Put him back on the field. It works at it works for Dennis Allen, drinking like a big glass of shardon a. Oh, we are so bad. Alright, where are we at? Okay? I will grab because you know, uh, Mark, you know what, Vegas at Denver. It's not too bad for me. I like the drama. I don't like it, but you know, there is again some car crash theater here. The Raiders obviously having a dreadful season, and that was, let's face, they had given everything around the team. A humiliating loss to the Colts after the Colts were presented to the outside world as the worst organization in the NFL with a zero amount of um you know, big picture of you and how to run a football team. Then they go to your building and you're charging the fans like two hundred bucks a ticket, and then they just beat you. That can't happen. So then Mark Davis comes out, he defends um, the team. He says, this is we're playing the long game here. And then you have Derek Carr and others coming out in the media and saying, hey, we really needed that. That's gonna help in the locker room, which I wondered about earlier in the week, if that would have a positive effect of them not feeling like, uh, the walls were totally caving in with an owner about to fire everybody. But at the end of the day, there's still a mess. They go to Denver now to face a Broncos defense that is good, still good, even after they moved Bradley Chub. You saw that again as they shut down Derrick Henry. So Josh Jacob's good luck here in this game. Um that said, Uh, Russell Wilson, as we talked about a little bit um on Sunday, and as we've been talking about all season, it's just kind of a mess. And this could be a big Max Crosby game where he makes several huge plays. I just think Russell Wilson is not going to fix this offense. He's in fact, perhaps the problem with his offense and you're gonna see a low scoring game, and I think the Raiders actually win this game. I feel like, uh, something like you know, twenty two and you get a happy Derek Carr on the podium talking about what a relief it is afterwards. I mean, Russell Wilson's sack rate right now is point seven when he's under pressure. That is by far over the last for his last half decade. It speaks to the fact that he just looks lost out there. In Tyler Plumbus, the former bronco um, who said that he's been speaking with people inside the organization, this is a crazy thing that Russell Wilson has been losing his mind out there. He said in a quote. He's using audibles from the Seahawks. The guys don't know the audibles. He's using code words that guys don't know. That's stunning. I mean, it just speaks to the fact that like you would have thought, okay, would would the Nathaniel Hackett Russell Wilson duo combination experiment struggle for the first month, maybe six six weeks. We saw that. You think, are they gonna grow their way out of it? They're not. Because the coach and the quarterback are not up to speed, and I don't know what the future. Yeah once it once a game he makes a big play. It feels like now where it's like a seventy yard touchdown of some kind and then you're think, Okay, they're gonna build on a build on that, and then three quarters later they have like downs. They don't build on anything there. This is the the clay Bon team. There is no momentum around the Denver Broncos and what they do on offense. They make a couple of big plays a game and it is surrounded by slop um. It is. It's a bad situation. I just I think about what the financial commitment is to Wilson and what they're gonna have to think what the move they're gonna make Greg in the off season. We don't need to get there yet. It's still only in November, but that will be a major supply. Like what does new ownership do knowing they're kind of in deep with a guy that maybe can't play anymore. I don't think they have uh any choice. They also won't have their draft pick. I mean right now that would be I think the number three picks. I don't I could be wrong. Maybe that was the Raiders that were that high. Raiders do have their pick, did not give up their own pick for Davante Adams, so that's good. Davante Adams has actually come in as advertised by the way. He has the almost the exact same numbers as he did with the Packers at this point a year ago. But they just they don't have depth on their offense. They're gonna struggle. They these two teams have played before. It was the week we were in London, and I remember that was Russell Wilson's best game. He played pretty well against Raiders, like everyone does. It was definitely the Raiders best game offensively. They put up thirty. They were the only team that like had a great day against Denver. Josh Jacobs had a nice day. I don't know if that has any meaning. The the teams are missing him a lot more players than they were backfields like four decades ago. The weather will be very different the the brown The Broncos are getting back Baron Browning and Justin Simmons on defense potentially two really good players who were gone last week. But on offense they're thin like the Raiders too, So I know we don't have to spend too much time, but there their second and third receivers. Last week, who was it? It was Justin Virgil who I was not familiar with previously, Jalen Virgil and then Kendall Hilton hitting our old friend who started that game at quarterback is now like a starting receiver for them. He had always been kind of their fifth receivers. So they're they're hurting, even in a disaster, and I throw a sexy deep ball um even for even for um a sad Raider season, Davante Adams makes multiple plays every week. You're like, man, he's so much different the way just not just his speed but his wiggle and his getting away from would be tacklers and turning seven yard game into a seventeen yard game. He's exactly what you're saying, as good as advertised. So he's just kind of it's weird to watch in a little bit frustrating to see his another great prime season of his be wasted while the Packers and Aaron Rodgers desperately need him. It just for me, there's like some type of like cognitive disconnect, like why isn't he back there in the past the football too. I think you're thinking about football. I wanted to play with his best friend. Well he got it doesn't always work out, all right, I think he'd rather be there. Still, let's be quirker finish this thing out. Um, grave digger, I want you to get involved with this one. So I'm gonna give you the choice of two games here, you ready, Commandos at Houston or the Panthers at Baltimore. I've got Lamar Jackson on a few fantasy teams, so I'm gonna choose the Can you keep keep some eyes on this game? Then? Justin absolutely help help me with this? Uh? Why are you so mad? Mark? What about this game? I have one more I have one more um game assignment, and I'm going to be stuck with the game the other game you mentioned? Now, thank you very much. All Right, you're welcome. Okay, you got the commander, you got the commanders, the Ravens, uh and the Panthers. So we have um Baker Mayfield starting for the Panthers. We'll see if he finishes that game. And the Ravens obviously now, uh he stinks. Well, I guess you're right. I don't think he's gonna get you think you get bench for There has been reporting that there's people inside the Panthers org that want to see Donald before the end of the year. I don't know why, but right there is a report out there, So I'm just saying, I don't know if if he's completely going down in flames again in the first half, if they think Donald's healthy, he'll play. But I think this this game is more about again the Ravens, who have been just to me kind of fun to watch. I enjoy obviously the way Lamar plays and you know, they're running game is their identity because it has to be on some level they they're missing pieces in the passing game. Mark Andrews is practicing, I believe, so that's that's an important If they're gonna win the Super Bowl, Mark Andrews not only has to be on the field, but he has to be healthy and making plays. But for now, especially against lesser than teams, they could absolutely just Leon Lamar, who's averaging seven point four yards per attempt on eighty six carries. But you know, Gus Edwards, Kenny and Drake Justine Hill, these guys have all when called upon, done things as well, and a lot of that goes back to the offensive line and you look at a big time draft hit on Tyler lind Linderbaum. Ronnie Stanley is stabilized things on the left side. This team is built to roll over a lot of teams, including the Panthers. That's what's gonna happen here. When you had Jordan Rodrigan to talk about the Saints Ravens game, you guys did a great job because it was like the way that they confused New Orleans um. And there's this one play where I think it showed the running game completely opening up opportunities in the passing game for Lamar Jackson where it looked like he was gonna sweep right behind like four or five giant bms and the Saints are preparing to deal with Lamar Jackson. Yeah, just like I say Behemoth, I just say it that other way. That's how I say it. But hold on, so it might be the British pronouncer came from a different world, from a different world. Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure that I can like truly charted to that, but it's yeah, well have to like let us know, listeners if if that's how it's because like controversy is definitely spoken differently in England controversy why don't we take the lift? Like? WHOA where come from? Oh? Surrey six weeks. I still say one thing I get flagged on all the time is instead of sweatpants, tracksuit pants. That's what I was raised to say Connecticut. I was in England till I was from age three to almost seven, so there's a lot of developmental stuff happening there. I don't know if you know how children work. I don't know where my lexicon came from. We're just a bunch of I was just gonna mention that on that sweep though, they're so focused on Lamar Jackson that he throws this incredible past Isaiah Likely and it's just there's their finding ways to open up opportunities for him, and in every possible way they're they're getting healthier. I think they are a great example of what good coaching staffs do. I think they figure out their team as the season goes along, and they start focusing on strength and they start dialing, and you can see the improvement from their running game in terms of their offensive line as the season's gone along, you can see the improvement from their defense as the season's gone along and they've kind of figured things out, either their defense or offense can kind of win them a game. And there's just not that many teams like that. They're very good at like changing the game plans depending on the half. They're only the fifth team in NFL history DAN to have a double double digit lead in each of their first nine games. How do they lose so many games? Right? And so that that like right puts them with like some of the most dominant teams ever. And now they're they should have a double digit lead in this game. They are thirteen point favorite. Baker Mayfield will feel the revenge from Lamargo and oh, all those teams took you number one overall. Oh, you wouldn't have liked me in Cleveland. That's not really a narrative, but no one was thinking about them, but they should have. Finally, Mark Sessler, John Harba, it is yeah, it is fitting that the only member of around the NFL to regularly go commando gets the Commandos against the Texans with those poems? Are you wearing underpants right now? Why did I tell you that? I don't know, I just never do anyways, Like, um, sometimes I just like yeah, uh, justin seems delighted. Christie stayed stone faced and professional. I see your laughing right now. Christie hasn't blink since you heard Drew. It's hard to tell. He's the six ft seven man who's never smiles at parting to Dan. No underpants for me, but he doesn't say that loud. It's in his monologue. If I weren't on this show, this would not be known. I get asked that question, answer of Mark, here's my can. It's almost everything that's true. It's a little personal, but you kind of open the door. I'm not I'm not necessarily required to answer them whatever. And this isn't judging because I'm the same way. Sometimes sometimes I will notice you'll wear the same jeans multiple times in a row without underpants. Um, I don't know, is do you wash your jeans? It's not everything. I don't do this every day, first of all, and secondly today secondly, I don't really I don't really care about the experience experience for anyone else. You just checked your watch, you gotta you got a heart out or no, it's just it's shaked and it said I have a low power a ten percent left, So we but we gotta get out of here. Okay, how do I I'm not discussing this game after all that, you discuss it, all right. The Commander is just coming off the biggest win that they've had in a long time, one one and there against the worst team in the league. But one one Commandos fan did tweet at me, Hey, Dan, do I know you might think that you should lock up the Commanders this week? Do not do it? Do not try? Yes, justin somebody did. Oh no, Heroes, we took another l Nick. We're not doing so hot. I guess I should say I'm not doing so well. The rest of the brothers won't ever give me their picks before I need to do this recording, so I just make something up on the fly now. I reached out to Larry because he's eight and one in the substanding. He waited three days, but he finally got back to me and gave me three picks. So I guess we're gonna go down to Houston and why two boring teams that have terrible quarterbacks that are going nowhere here. It is a little bit interesting close game. Commanders, probably the better team on the road, makes for a pretty lockable game for the Westlings. That's what will we do. Well, we're going down to Houston and we're going commando baby, lock it up. You know. You see they turned out the light on Nick. Yeah. I put this on the brothers because I think Nick, when it was originally conceived, the idea was, yeah, it's a brother's thing, you know, it's carrying on the legacy of that that family and Chris. And then one by one they just left Nick out in the cold. And now Nick is buried himself with a lot of bad picks this year. So I would say I would say it's partly on Nick. Sure, but he's Record six. He's the prodigals, prodigal son. He's wandered away. And what happened we know because Odd literally was in the room earlier when the prodigal son came home. Mark was he turned away by the father. The father accepted him. In fact, it caused a problem with the more officious, dutiful son because he's like, I've been here the whole time, doing all your chores and mowing the lawn, and then this guy rolls in from who knows where, and he's just his favorite Aszion. Perhaps the Westling brothers, Nick accepted need to bury their nose in the Bible and Uh realize it's time to forgive Nick and come together as a family. I don't think that would be a popular I don't think that's gonna podcast tug. Alright, alright, sorry, I think I do think that the Vikings, his Bill's lock over the Vikings seemed to have taken a lot of Yeah. Yeah, it's not fun um to see Nick so beaten down. He used to be so excited and happy each week. Hopefully we'll get a back, a better version of Nick, and hopefully the Commanders come through. Although I don't feel confident, I'm kind of with your friend. I was really this was the hard one of the hardest games. I thought it was a hard game to pick because the Texans gotta win a game at some point, and this feels like a game they could win. There in the fourth quarter every single week. The Commanders are in the fourth quarter every single week, so it's probably gonna be close. And Ron Rivera is buying time. He doesn't want Carson wants to play anymore. So I was like, take another week, take another week. He's buying time in multiple ways. I was thinking about that. The way this season was going, he was almost certain to be a casualty. I think if there was a change in ownership, which there's expected to be in March because usually coaches are. He was actually in the exact same situation when he was in Carolina, and he staved it off for like a year or half a year. I don't even remember if he lasted it year, but he did stave it off for that offseason. And now he's gonna be in a similar situation. But if they keep winning, he's auditioning and there's no if they win seven or eight nine games, I don't think he's going in anywhere. Also, like I, you know, Heineke at least, I think has had awesome chemistry with Terry McLaurin during their run together. He's turned scary Terry your guy into the eight most valuable Fantasy wide out, and they had legit chemistry. They were really good on third down against the Eagles. I just that was scheme. I like their ski like Scott Turner. He maybe it's too complicated, but there's a lot of fancy little plays and one last little command Curtis Samuel Yes, three yards receiving a hundred and thirty four rushing. He actually is kind of doing the Deebo Samuel role and doing it very well. Every week he has about four or five really key plays where you're like, wow, Curtis, Samuel's valuable. He actually has more yards in both of those categories. Samuel, that's what they signed him to be in his first season was ruined by injury. Uh, and after the defensive line kind of dominated and made plays against an undefeated. Anyway, they're five and five and they're in the they're in the playoff mix right now. Maybe a win, maybe a win by the Commanders will help bring the brothers together since we don't take Nick, you know, seriously as a competitor anymore. Now we're rooting for I don't feel that where are they in the standings are at the at the bottom. There, very far at the bottom. All right, thank you everybody for listening, Thank you everybody for watching. Uh. This show is on NFL Network every Saturday morning. Check your local listings. UM. Thank you again until Friday and the Fun Show and then of course the Flagship Show, in which we break down every game we just previewed. Remember to do one thing as Chris Westley lose know what to say? He the call, oh the meaning of life. I mean, it's really simple. It's in my book. Have you read my book? I mean one foot in divinity and another foot in the world of man. Or render under Caesar's what is Caesar's? And render under God's what is God's? Read my book, man, it's kind of a big deal. Ben around for a little while, all right. I think it's still on some best seller's list. Jesus we at least audible. It got out. It seems nice.