2025 NFL Week 8 Early Games Preview

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Speaker 1: Uh yeah, yeah, there's a keeper into the show.

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Speaker 2: No beeps.

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Speaker 3: This is NFL Daily. It's week eate. We're doing the preview show. We're in the Chris Westling podcast studio. Yes, we're going to make you beat that. Eric, Steve Weisch, Jordan Rodrigue, and Patrick Claiban are all here today. What a day it's gonna be. What a way to start we Kate.

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Speaker 4: I love it.

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Speaker 2: It's the eve of the midway point of the season and we got it.

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Speaker 3: I was trying to think of the actor's name who I was called a low rent version of it was related to our conversation Adam Brody, Adam Brody, yes, earlier today, and I couldn't like it.

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Speaker 4: That come to me so quickly.

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Speaker 3: I couldn't think of his name, and we were having a conversation about lookalikes and whatever, and I wanted to say, I'm not a low rent Adam Brody. I'm like a medium rent, you know, maybe not like Santa Monica prices, but like you're not saving money on me as as Adam broog That's.

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Speaker 5: A pretty strong cop. I'm say they're looking at it right now, like I mean, I definitely no rent part to it.

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Speaker 3: I mean I would take it like well, like literally lower maybe lower ceiling like I.

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Speaker 2: Just I won't. I won't take too much of everybody's time.

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Speaker 1: But there's a segment of the population that over indexes in offering their I'll save you the beep's opinion, saying that people look like other people. Yes, and they're constantly wrong. They meet a stranger and the first thing they say to the human being who has existed for the entirety of their life is that they look like somebody else. It's like, has anybody ever told you look like this? No, idiot, nobody's ever said that. What about Hello? What if you could talk and meet with and greet with somebody in a normal sense, you tell them.

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Speaker 3: Who they look like?

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Speaker 2: They look in the mirror every day? Shut up.

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Speaker 6: Yes, I recently had an experience with this where not only did and I have a twin sister, so I'm used to being alike.

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Speaker 3: You guys do look alike.

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Speaker 4: Yes, we do look alike.

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Speaker 6: I was recently told by a man that I did not know at.

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Speaker 4: All who was up there in age, that I looked like.

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Speaker 6: Somebody and he could have just left it there, And then he decided to add and she was my childhood crush.

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Speaker 4: Good for you, and I was like, I'm gonna walk away.

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Speaker 2: Now that leaves the segment of people I was talking to.

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Speaker 4: Yes, there's a ben diagram happening here.

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Speaker 3: That's track. That's just bad, old old man.

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Speaker 4: You told me you were in line behind Adam Brody.

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Speaker 3: I was. I probably told this story on the same show like a year ago, and like everything else, I forgot all about that. So Adam Brody over indexing on NFL Daily, Big Fan check out Nobody wants this Season two coming up on Netflix. We were actually paid. This whole thing was spowned out. It's our preview show and it's a little different this week. We're breaking it up. But we decided this week because the AFC, the NFC, it wasn't making sense this week. There was there wasn't enough too many buys, NFC games and everything. So we're going to do the early games and we're going to do the late games just how you watch it on Sunday. And I'm excited for that.

00:03:08
Speaker 2: I'm excited for it too because shout out to chronological order.

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Speaker 1: I know the algorithms got rid of that in social media because the worst people in the world to get to dictate how we consume content and made those decisions.

00:03:17
Speaker 2: How about this.

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Speaker 1: We're in chronological order, baby, and we start with the New York Giants at the Philadelphia Eagles, who have a chance to get revenge from the start of their disaster of stretch where.

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Speaker 2: They lose two games. Oh yeah, they won agains the Vikings. They're back. They're good.

00:03:29
Speaker 1: They're favored by seven and a half over under forty three and a half. Steve Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady on the call. Does Jackson Dart befuddle the Eagles once again? Seven and a half? Is this the Brandon Graham bounce? A big number? That's a big number.

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Speaker 2: Look.

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Speaker 5: I love the way Philly played last week. I mean he'd be able to hit the big plays. Now can they do it consistently? We'll see against his defense. I like footuff in this game. That number is way too big for me. I like the fact that Jalen Hurts though, showed up. He took everything and said, you know what, let me throw it, let me get it to my guys. Let's calm everybody down, unlet's play ball.

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Speaker 3: Did he calm everybody down?

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Speaker 6: Though?

00:04:05
Speaker 3: Because AJ Brown ad another weird.

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Speaker 1: It's just at some point like AJ can just post on Instagram, yeah, like we don't have to say deep, and it's like it's like Taylor Swift tweets before an album release every single week and people are like, oh, so AJ said this, This clearly means that, like, let's just.

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Speaker 3: Use it me but not using me. We don't have to delve deep. I think they'll be using him a lot though this week, because this Giant secondary already had issues. If they don't have Paulson Adebo and Javon Holland, who were out of practice on Wednesday, they are in deep trouble because the drop off to Deontay Banks, who was a first round pick for them. You could see it in that fourth quarter comeback by the Broncos. Javon Holland was actually out for a lot of that game. Drew Phillips is about the most targeted player in the league, and he has made a lot of big plays and he has given up a lot of big plays. But you have a lot of Giants fans who are not happy with that secondary, and I think that Eagles are admitting, basically they should be a pass first team they're not a good running team, not that they have to give up on the run, but they should be better at passing the ball.

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Speaker 4: It is October season of Halloween.

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Speaker 6: I just kept having this image in my head of that famous I now I can't remember the name of it because I've been ill, but it's the famous movie with the three Witches and they pull out ocus Pocus and they pull out this giant book and it's got an eyeball on it and a creeks open and all the dust comes off of it. That's the play action passing game.

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Speaker 3: Oh, let's go.

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Speaker 6: Okay, that's the only time I will yell today.

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Speaker 4: Sorry to the listeners there on that one.

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Speaker 6: But yeah, I think that them showing that a little bit more diversity in what they want to do and how they want to move.

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Speaker 4: Jalen Hurts spot. Yes, it was only technically four.

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Speaker 6: Plays, highly highly productive passing plays thirty yards per throw per completion on those play action passing game game concepts, And I just think that this is a promising start for Eagles team that, yes, as Lane Johnson said.

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Speaker 4: Had to get a little bit more predictable in that regard.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, And I was Greg, I mean after seeing what Denver did to that giant secondary once those injuries happened, there's no reason why Philadelphi's not going to attack that early sort of so often it's a Saquon can go ahead and get some and gets his old team.

00:06:15
Speaker 6: On the other side, Vic Fangio has been blitzing more to try to manufacture pressure, and Brandon Graham coming back is is great.

00:06:23
Speaker 4: But I don't know how many snaps he's gonna.

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Speaker 6: Actually play right off of the podcasting couch shout out, but our friend bo Wolf and phl Y podcast over there.

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Speaker 4: But if you can rush Jackson Dart with four.

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Speaker 6: He is way way worse than he is against the Blitz. He's actually playing pretty well against the Blitz's getting blitzed a lot, and he's completing the fourth highest amount of passes per next Gen in the NFL against the Blitz specifically, But if when he just rushes for the numbers almost invert and he sort of fritzes out, and then you.

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Speaker 3: Kind of see it because they just don't have a drop back passing game where he hits guys on like his best plays create a play, which he's he's been great at, but it's there's not a lot of conventional offen and and to.

00:07:05
Speaker 1: His defense, you know, you get late in that game, there's no Elikue Neighbors. Yeah, all right, wande All is seeing coverage by some of the best secondary players in the NFL.

00:07:13
Speaker 2: So it's tough.

00:07:13
Speaker 1: But the one thing that we didn't see because he's there, he's averaging twelve plus epa on scramble runs since he took over. He didn't have a scrambling first down against the Denver Broncos as well as he played in that game. And so this is our first chance to get a defense's second look through at the at the RPA game with Brian day Bowl and Jackson Dart and I'm interested helpful, great point, it's got a great point patch.

00:07:38
Speaker 3: And it they're going for a sweep. This is such a big game in the Giant season. I think people have just kind of crossed them off. They could easily be three and four coming into this and trying to get the sweep. If they get the sweep, like that's a massive moment in the Brian Dable experience. But if not, they're one and three in the division already. They've played so many division games they're pretty buried there at two and six, and that that little uptick is now really just a nice part of the season and the rest of it is just about developing their quarterback. Here's the thing, though there's zero chance the Eagles get pressure with four this is the best tackle combination maybe in the league right now. I mean Nick Benito, he had he didn't just get shut out last week. In terms of pass rush win rate, you don't see this too often. It was a zero percent. And immediately you think Andrew Thomas, no sight everyone. That's happening against everyone with the Giants, But it wasn't all Andrew Thomas. There's actually a lot of Germaine illumin or so they were a really good pass protecting team on the edges, and I think the Eagles. That's a weakness for the Eagles this year.

00:08:43
Speaker 4: And here's a tease.

00:08:45
Speaker 6: Go read my pal Charlotte Carroll at The Athletic, who has a feature coming soon on why and I won't spoil it here on why that offensive line is playing so well together right now. Somehow their cosmic timing has all seemed to link up well.

00:09:00
Speaker 4: And that's all I'll say about that. But it is interesting.

00:09:03
Speaker 6: We're talking about the Giants offensive line as one of the better groups in the league and they look at and we're also talking about the Eagles offensive line that needed a bounce back game and kind of sneaky got.

00:09:14
Speaker 4: It last week in a big way, which I think is important.

00:09:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, especially in terms of the Blitz pick up. You would like to see Saquon get back because he's almost a full two yards on yards per carry behind where he was last year on outside runs.

00:09:27
Speaker 2: And you know, we talked about imagination.

00:09:29
Speaker 1: They literally ran the same run play within five plays and they just ran it to the other side last week. So all the celebration of Jalen hitting those deep balls to aj and Devanta last week, the run game is so kind.

00:09:41
Speaker 4: Of look away.

00:09:42
Speaker 1: Needs to get a little more diversity to the same extent that they had last year.

00:09:47
Speaker 3: It's weird, like, I mean, no Sequin Barkley's not on pace for a thousand rushing yards this year.

00:09:52
Speaker 2: I mean no explosives.

00:09:53
Speaker 5: I mean every week we saw him hit one for a minimum forty five yards. That just has not happened this year.

00:09:58
Speaker 3: Landon Dickerson came back from an injury though, and look better. We also should know the Giants cut their kicker. Jude, Yeah, I got Tamney, you know from Ireland. You feel for that kid.

00:10:08
Speaker 2: They let him get back on the plane.

00:10:10
Speaker 3: You feel for him. A guy who kind of came from a non traditional football background got his chance. It did not go well, and we'll see. They could go with young Waku who lost the battle to him supposedly in practice, or Graham Gano is coming off an injury and was activated.

00:10:28
Speaker 5: We real quick to say that Graham has been activated, so that.

00:10:34
Speaker 3: It's on them, by the way, they went into that season with a thirty eight y old kicker who hasn't been good and has been hurt two straight years. So Joe Shane, I'm watching you well.

00:10:42
Speaker 1: When you're in a place where a couple folks needed to be somebody else's fault, it's a it's a difficult place to kick footballs because hard to kick footballs in the NFL. To our next opportunity, the Chicago Bears, winners of two consecutive games. The round game is going and we get to ask Greg Rolls and Thals. The Baltimore Rave are at home favored by six and a half, who after coming off not being able to stop anybody in the over unders forty nine and a half iron eagle and Justin James Watt on the call, what is the value Greg of a buye and was it good enough for the Baltimore Ravens to fix things?

00:11:14
Speaker 3: Yes, if it means that Lamar Jackson's back on the field. Sometimes you wonder how much does Vegas know because this number was there before they know us.

00:11:23
Speaker 2: Greg.

00:11:24
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, if he's not out there, obviously that's not the number. And he was out there on Wednesday practice, but they said he was taking reck limited behind Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush, So that's obviously the biggest factor. Maybe there's a thought Patrick and they are healthier on defense. They're getting a lot of guys back, including Rokwe Smith. That sounds like that defensive performance they did show something in their last game before the bye. There were signs there that they made some improvements. The pass rush, to me is still the biggest problem, maybe against Caleb Williams, Like this isn't that big of a week where you need the pass rush because he's going to hold the ball anyways and hasn't really been seeing things.

00:12:07
Speaker 5: Yet, but they've been running it they've been running the ball well. I mean Deandres who said back to back, good game. We talked about it before. The offensive line, especially some of the combinations they have on each side, is performing really well. In the run game. You see in the outside well, this is inside zone right here. The way they're blocking on the video the folks watching on YouTube, and that's what's setting up in the passing game.

00:12:27
Speaker 2: I do think Baltimore is going to be better. They have no choice.

00:12:30
Speaker 5: Actually, I think if they come out and stumble right here, it's not over for them, but it's over for them.

00:12:37
Speaker 6: Chicago looks really one dimensional right now. To you guys's point, it's good for them that it's in the run game. It's good for them that this is the foundation that's being set, especially post by. We talked about it on a previous show, especially their zone runs. Coming out of that bye week, it's like everybody finally got on the same page. And it's not just that the omenadae is in has has replaced the previous starter, but also this whole group is communicating really well, and DeAndre Swift is picking up more than what he's been blocked for and prior to the bye he was picking up less than what was being blocked open for him. So that's a huge swing and a huge change, and it's good because Caleb Williams is still having kind of these up and down games. This last game against the Saints. The Saints can't really rush the passer. The Saints can't really get pressure effectively, and he was holding the ball and it's not like they were covering a crazy amount. He just wasn't like fully sure of what he was seeing and when he was scrambling and when he was kind of moving out of structure, he was not picking his spots where he could run and stead he was throwing and then vice versa.

00:13:44
Speaker 4: He talked about it in the media and Ben Johnson did as well last week.

00:13:47
Speaker 6: It's like being a little bit more decisive, being a little more quick with his decision making.

00:13:51
Speaker 4: And Ben Johnson also put some of that on his.

00:13:53
Speaker 6: Own shoulders as the play caller as well, setting up a little bit more layers.

00:13:56
Speaker 3: They though had five fight false starts. That's pretty embarrassing.

00:13:59
Speaker 7: Yeah, but you can at least with this staff, because you know, Ben Johnson had said he had lost sleep personally over the lack of success in the ground game where he said sometimes they were they were blocking it up properly, and the holes weren't getting run through.

00:14:13
Speaker 1: Sometimes every hole they tried to run through wasn't necessarily blocked up properly. And I love the way that he has kind of vocalized the accountability for everybody without being mean spirited or like.

00:14:26
Speaker 2: Hunder running that doesn't happen in the NFL.

00:14:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, perhaps we'll get to some other teams where that's not necessarily the case. And and the buye was had that value for them. And then you look over at the Baltimore Ravens, where you know, the bye gave a lot of Ravens fans chances to look at what was going wrong. And even when eight was playing the protection from Daniel Filele, it's it's been highlighted, and so you look at where they were successful. Lamar was completing ninety one percent of his passes on play action before before the injury, and I really think that that was a virtue of well, you you have a play that looks like a run block to start things off, and then Lamar figures it out. The rest of everything needs to be figured out, and this one and I'm interested to see one if Filele is playing in this game and to what the play calling looks like if he's in there, and if, of course, if it's in.

00:15:17
Speaker 3: There, and they got some they got some outside zone working with Derrick Henry at least early in that game against the Rams where they kind of look like themselves. Again, your boy, Nate Wiggins, I don't know if it's your boy, but he's just on the Ravens. He's been playing.

00:15:28
Speaker 4: Great, but he's on the Ravens.

00:15:30
Speaker 3: I just assume like anyone on the Ravens, he's been great. So not everyone is struggling, but they're their rookie Malachi Starks has been in the middle of a lot of problems. And then Marlon Humphrey was not at practice Wednesday, which is surprising because he was there Monday. Jyr Alexander still getting his knee drained. So people always think like, oh, the bye, that's going to solve all of our injury problems. But it's like it's one week. It doesn't necessarily solve that.

00:15:51
Speaker 5: Yeah, and you talk about Malachi Starks, I mean, were the Ravens for two years in a row. Now I've gotten tagged this in the middle of the defense. You know, everyone thinks Kyle Hamilton can solve everything, but you can't just move into a certain position and think, okay, because because he's back off the line of scrimmage, it's going to solve everything.

00:16:04
Speaker 2: Everything else has to work.

00:16:05
Speaker 5: They have their interior linebackers to do a lot in the past in the run game, and this is one right here where I think Chicago with their tight ends could do a little something and cause him some problems.

00:16:16
Speaker 1: The amount of a lot for everybody in that second and third level gets to be more when, as Greg pointed out, you can't get pressure on the quarterback, and then you're asking guys who, let's be frank, with the injuries, who could not run to cover people that they can't They can't cover anywhere. So it was a rough opportunity, but perhaps to buy well, we'll.

00:16:37
Speaker 2: Have a chance.

00:16:38
Speaker 3: It feels like kind of a massive game. I agree. I know you're a Raven. I might have to take this game. I just feel like this the Raven's got to win this game. And if the Bears actually can get this done, then it starts feeling like, okay, this is a real thing.

00:16:51
Speaker 2: All right, let's discuss another team.

00:16:53
Speaker 1: That just keeps winning despite all the obstacles going on the road where they are favorite. It is Kyle Shanahan San Francisco forty nine ers one and a half point favorites against a rough look at Houston Texans offense that got the loss on Monday night in Seattle as Jordan is the over unders forty one and a half. Kevin Coogler and Mouse Johnston on the call. What can Nick Kyley squad do against this forty nine ers defense, this resurgent, youthful group despite the injuries, Keith getting stops.

00:17:24
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's just a really master for coaching job by Robert Sala and partnering with Kyle Shanahan again kind of back in his happy place.

00:17:34
Speaker 4: I remember talking to him during training.

00:17:37
Speaker 6: Camp about just the level of competitiveness that Kyle Shanahan, I think, especially after Robert Sala was a head coach himself, really has leaned on him and there's been I think a little bit more like pure collaboration versus pure competition, and several years ago when Robert Sala was there before it was an all out battle schematically at practice, even trying to figure out different advantages in each other's defense. It famously led to Robert Solaz White nine and all of these types of things trying to stop Kyle Shanahan's outside zone and all of his like hybrid freak players that he had. Well, now there's a lot of collaboration purely for the growth of the roster, and they really, I think, in their scouting and their talent identification departments, have found young players who are fully bought in and have this energy and like I know, forty nine ers fans don't want to hear it, but it reminds me a lot of the twenty twenty three Rams, where there is no expectations that was self inflicted by the Rams. In terms of the roster overhaul, this is less so because there's so many injuries everywhere.

00:18:35
Speaker 4: But you've got like Tatum.

00:18:37
Speaker 6: Bethoon coming out of nowhere having just an absolutely electric game filling in for Fred Warner, wearing his jersey to the stadium. You have guys like Upton Stout playing bigger than his size a week after week. You've got Alfred Collins who looks really good in the middle. Mikel Williams looks especially good, you know, against the run, And I just feel like this is a group they're playing without the way to of expectations and like every single opportunity is one for them purely to grow and then the results sort of are speaking for themselves. I think it's a fantastic job by that entire organization to come this far the way that they have.

00:19:13
Speaker 5: I had a Falcons team that didn't challenge them. Yeah, I mean they just ransom obvious. Okay, let's run a screen, Let's throw everything outside and see if they can catch us. It was a terrible game plan by Atlanta. Houston doesn't have that opportunity. Their play calling was a mess against Seattle when they.

00:19:30
Speaker 2: Went for it. You know, the the off you.

00:19:33
Speaker 5: Know they off tackle run two plays in a row on third and fourth down when your offensive line is getting reset.

00:19:38
Speaker 2: And the numbers weren't there. They weren't, it's there.

00:19:41
Speaker 5: They ran it to the freaking weak side of the offense and got stood up twice. I it's frustrating. You know, people can come down on TJ. Stroud all they want, and he's not blameless in all of this, but we've seen it when he doesn't have any time and he doesn't trust what's in front of him, it's a disaster and most quarterbacks are like that. Now, we don't know if Nico Klein is going to be able to play in this game.

00:20:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, it sounds like he won't. He's in the concussion. Did suffer a concussion. He was not a practice Wednesday, and neither was Christian Kirk.

00:20:10
Speaker 5: Well, then then that's going to if you're not a practice at all, because usually on Wednesdays you're on the field in some way, shape or form. Thursdays you're going through it. That's kind of leading to the track. So, I mean they just don't have a threat. Yeah, offensively, and and and that's an issue, you know. Defensively, those dudes are playing their hearts out. I mean, so maybe they can get some takeaways. I mean, you never know what's going to happen with that. Maybe they can rattle Mac Jones because that defense is legit as it comes.

00:20:36
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:20:37
Speaker 5: Offensively, man, it is a nightmare. You I didn't think it get worse than it did last year. It is worse.

00:20:43
Speaker 3: It is worse.

00:20:43
Speaker 6: Yeah, it looks certainly the tape looks where points per game is still about the same, But the tape looks.

00:20:48
Speaker 3: Because of that one game other than that there's sixteen points a game other than the right against the Rave against the Ravens, that's it against the Wors.

00:20:57
Speaker 6: I would say this is going to be I think a game because you're looking at the practice reports this week, injury reports this week, and you potentially are without a couple of like still dependable guy in one, very good player and Nico Collins. These young receivers Jayden Higgins and Jalen Nole have I see their potential, I see their upside, but they're making mistakes. They're not in the right spot. Sometimes they're dropping passes. Sometimes c J. Stroud is not hitting them. Other times when this is a game where you, if you're Robert Sala, I just don't think that you trust that their receivers. I just don't think you respect their receivers. I think you send everything you've got at CJ. Stroud, who I've got some pressure stats for him from last game. He was pressured on thirty one point five percent of his dropbacks. You only had fifty five yards on those plays, four for fourteen, one touchdown, one interception, So that's a twenty eight point six completion percentage when under pressure. But when he was not pressured. He's also not because there's there's just ghosts or something's going on. That offensive line is what it is, and the scheme is not good either. When he was one hundred and seventy four yards nineteen to thirty five, no touchdowns, no completions or no no interceptions, only throwing five yards per attempt on those when he's not pressured, and just a fifty four percent completion percentage, and it's just it's all none of it's looking good and you're you're seeing sort of the the bad habits could could start to set in and the like we joke about ghosts with Sam Darnold, but like, this line is not giving him anything to work with. Neither is the play calling. Neither is the run game because they look slow on the ground too.

00:22:33
Speaker 2: They're just and think about this straw. I got bailed out on that safety.

00:22:36
Speaker 3: Oh he got They got bailed out a couple times. Should have been a defensive Touchdo I mean that's the potentially against the best team, best defense in the NFL. Those numbers tell a story though to me, because the fact that he was only pressured on thirty one percent of the passes and he's throwing so deep is like he's they're not even trying to let plays develop because exactly when you talk about like the ghosts, it's just not having faith that the offense is going to work if you do throw the ball. And I do think we are seeing a different CJ. Stroud, unfortunately because of all the free rushers and sometimes it's set early early in that game. I bet if we looked at the first two drives of the game, that pressure percentage was a lot higher because there were free rushers everywhere the first quarter, and then after that he's just kind of getting rid of the ball and hoping and it's hard to blame him, but man, it's depressing that they are an underdog, like against the team without you know, without Purdy, without Bosa, without Warner and Zuma, without everyone. That's true, you do have CMC. You do have Mac Jones whining now one hundred thousand dollars every time he starts. Mac Jones. Oh, actually, we don't know that mac Jones is starting. It's Wednesday as we're taping this, and it could be Rock Perdy returning, but I don't think they're in a hurry. And turf Toe is troubling and he can do enough at least Maybe I don't know this, This is bound to be ugly.

00:23:52
Speaker 1: Or yeah, ugly just for one team considering where things have gone. But hey, maybe Will Anderson can get in there or make seventeen plays and get as Texans.

00:24:03
Speaker 5: Maybe maybe you know, to go full circle, we could say maybe Houston looks like a team we saw a couple of years ago that.

00:24:08
Speaker 3: Would be good And like the forty nine Ers did get the running game going for pretty much the first time all season last week against Atlanta, where it was consistent success rate high. It is the Robert Sala versus Damiko Ryan Oh bowl. I kind of like that, like which one took took the recipe in San Francisco and did better.

00:24:26
Speaker 4: But Demiico's not calling the defense right now.

00:24:29
Speaker 3: Wow, but they do have his defense.

00:24:30
Speaker 1: They do have something in common. During their tenures as head coach, both of them didn't get to make all the decisions they would have liked to been in there.

00:24:37
Speaker 3: We are and keep an eye. Derek Stingley not having a good year Like sometimes I like he's had more penalties this year than the last two years combined. He's given up a lot of completions where he's in coverage which are just not used to seeing, you know, in this matchup unless Pierce. I mean, I don't know who's going to really bother him, but it has been interesting to see him not having as good a season. Let's take a quick break and we're going to be back for another organizational rivalry game.

00:25:06
Speaker 2: Man, no love for Kenchick porn.

00:25:10
Speaker 4: The Bourne identity.

00:25:14
Speaker 3: Back on NFL Daily And yeah, I mentioned a revenge game. I don't think Sean McDermott and Brandon Beaner looking for revenge because Carolina helped set them up back in the day for success.

00:25:25
Speaker 4: And imagine if they kept them both.

00:25:27
Speaker 3: Right at various points over the last seven years, David Tepper should have been thinking, hmm, maybe I had the right guys in the building back then.

00:25:35
Speaker 5: Well, there's a lot of guys who are the right guys for one organization, but they're another organization.

00:25:41
Speaker 2: They're not quite the right.

00:25:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, they would not be looking as good if they were with that team. You know who is looking better? Patrick? On Wednesday, surprisingly Bryce Young doing cardio but out a boot on at practice. Maybe these reports that he was missing this week or premature if nothing else. It doesn't seem like a long term injury.

00:25:59
Speaker 1: Yeah, everybody's body is different. They're not machines. High could mean one thing for one person and something else for.

00:26:07
Speaker 3: I've never seen something reported as a high angle screen and someone moving the way that they had cameras on Bryce Young how he was moving on Wednesday. I've never seen that.

00:26:15
Speaker 2: But but we allude, we allude to it.

00:26:17
Speaker 1: He is light a couple, a couple of franchises where you think back a generationally talented, large mechanized quarterback with perhaps some underperforming aspects around him spurning to long term success.

00:26:31
Speaker 2: It's the Buffalo Bills and the Carolina.

00:26:33
Speaker 1: Panthers in different eras as the maybe, look there were a lot of former Panthers when they both got there. Oh yeah where things have fallen off since then, those former Panthers have gone elsewhere.

00:26:45
Speaker 3: Jack Thompson on this Bills team, How about that.

00:26:47
Speaker 4: Jack Thompson revenge game?

00:26:49
Speaker 1: The Carolina Panthers looking at the Buffalo Bills actually seven point favorites. Who better to be on this call than Adam Amine and g reg for this particular matchup where Steve Bryce playing seems to be the main looming issue. But other than that, can the Buffalo Bills find somebody that could separate? Do they need to make a trade and go get somebody? Oh well, do they need to make a trade. I mean they can find someone to help out the secondary. I mean, but every team needs, you know, secondary help right now.

00:27:19
Speaker 2: And so I'm looking at it. Bryce, youunk doesn't play Andy Dalton.

00:27:23
Speaker 5: They've got some running backs in Carolina who can do their thing. So if they could run the ball, and I think you run the ball in Buffalo a little bit. I mean, this is a way to play keep away. The number is big, I get it, it's Buffalo, but Carolina is playing better defensively. I mean that defensive line is starting to show some of the talent that's there Dan Morgan. I don't know if some of that was there for Brandon Bean. I don't think so. I think it's so Dan Morgan. But they're starting to come together a little bit. And so again, I like Buffalo to win this game. I don't know if I love the number, but I don't know if it necessarily hinges on Bryce Young playing.

00:27:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's two of the biggest mismatches of the entire weekend. Are in this game, Yeah, Accordion Dvoa. The Bills have the worst rush defense in the entire NFL. Yeah, And the Panthers running game has been excellent their top six or seven on the season, and if you just looked at the last handful of weeks, it's even better than that. Then again, on the other side, Derek Brown's a great player, and he can rush the passer a little bit, but this is one of the worst pass rushes in the entire NFL in Carolina, and it's going up against a great offensive line. So could it.

00:28:26
Speaker 7: Because they got rid of all their pass rushers right like when Josh Allen.

00:28:31
Speaker 3: I know, as receivers haven't been separated, but when Josh Allen drops back to pass, he should have all day. And that is a dangerous scenario for this Panthers defense.

00:28:40
Speaker 6: But their dbs are playing better in recent weeks too. They're taking the ball away a little bit more.

00:28:45
Speaker 3: This against terrible competition, it should be said.

00:28:48
Speaker 4: Sure, but Buffalo's receivers aren't separating, right and.

00:28:52
Speaker 6: Josh Allen it's kind of like we're seeing this a little bit with a less great offensive line but with still similar kind of stakes. Is like as justin Herbert where it's like, Okay, all of this resigns now on, Josh Allen, go do something cool, right, And that's what kind of the story has been because yes, this Panther's two headed running game, and not just their running game, but the way that they were deploying some of their screens to me, you do that on purpose a little bit to get that tape into Buffalo's heads a little bit. Buffalo is not defending not just the run game will, but also not defending second and third level stuff like those screen passes when they start to get rolling, and Chuba Hubbard was great on some of their screen design. Could have picked up ten more yards on that long one. He pulled down a lot of that. You shouldn't wait, Yeah, you should not wait for your blocking. However you're blocking probably needs to fast layer more inside faster the thing that he could have a touchdown. The thing that's cool though, is like, Okay, from you know, being in Carolina for as long as I was, and then like man, the last several years, this fan base who I think will really show up for this game because they've got hope and they and maybe more importantly than hope, They've got a freaking run game. Yeah, for the first time in a while. This fan base has been dying for a run game. Since the prime days.

00:30:10
Speaker 3: Of John Stewart Williams. It has been.

00:30:13
Speaker 4: Rolling downhill on people.

00:30:14
Speaker 6: And this is just so fun to know that, like, Okay, if you can't have hope, you got something better. You got a good run game. Beheen a two headed monster. And I know they want to know who the starter is. That's more fantasy football whatever, but like, this is cool. This is potentially very very cool and stabilizing if you're not really sure who your quarterback is going to be or what they're going to do.

00:30:33
Speaker 2: Wow, the shadow John Fox hovering.

00:30:36
Speaker 4: I think this does as he ever does.

00:30:38
Speaker 1: Tuba was great in the in the past game and I understand his utilization, but getting Rico the ball, thank you. Against this Bill's team, especially, I'm thinking about the way xavererly Get has been playing with him and Tartaroa out blocking. It's just a rough matchup for a Bill's secondary that really gets like kind of exposed every single week, every week making plays on the ball carrier. I think Carolina should take whether it's Andy or Bryce, especially if it's Andy or getting the ball in five's hands and letting them do work.

00:31:09
Speaker 3: In Dalton before that car accident last year, was playing solid football. One of these years, this happens with these backup quarterbacks that we just assume are the same forever. At some point he will turn into a lesser version of Andy Dalton. But frankly, we haven't really seen that, like he was solid last year. I know, I know you're talking about that if you want to, if.

00:31:29
Speaker 2: You want to talk about seeing it, seeing it, Okay, the Jets.

00:31:33
Speaker 3: Maybe maybe that ball is not coming out as crisp but basing it on his twenty twenty four tape like he was. He's now turned in. You know, we used to do the Dalton scale on the show, which if you have a guy above that now I would say it's kind of the Dalton scale for backups. If you don't have a backup better than Andy Dalton, you need a new backup. But he is a good backup until absolutely proven otherwise. And yeah, I'm curious. We mentioned a lot on the show out coaches show their work after the bye. Sean mcdermot's been excellent at that over the years, diagnosing what's wrong with the team. So I am curious to see what personnel changes, schematic changes do they blitzmart like, what sort of changes he does on his defense? Leaning on you know, Dan Walker, They're gonna have to Da Kwon Jones, who's been solid for them, another former Panther hurt his foot in practice on Monday and sounds like he's going to be out for a few weeks, and he is a big contributor for them.

00:32:25
Speaker 1: You talked about the line and evaluating quarterbacks. What about having to play against the Cleveland Browns in twenty twenty five when they have been great on defense the offense. Eh, they are at the New England Patriots. The Patriots and Drake May who is all that matters? Favored by seven points, the over under is forty and a half.

00:32:43
Speaker 2: Chris Myers and Mark Zlrath on the call.

00:32:45
Speaker 1: Hopefully with no audio issues for Chris Myers, as he's been getting chased around by weird audio bugs in the past three weeks.

00:32:51
Speaker 2: Something I'll pick.

00:32:51
Speaker 1: Paper really, Yeah, he sounded like he was calling the game from a ten can in nineteen fifty five. Oh, last week for like a quarter and a half, Greg, Yes, how concerned are you about playing the Browns defense.

00:33:02
Speaker 3: I am excited to watch it. I'm not playing them. I think it's nice because I'm trying to I'm trying to tell the Patriots fans in my life, like I get it, and Drake May is all that matters. So this season is beyond a huge success no matter how it ends, as long as Drake May continues to show that he's that guy and he has at a level that I don't think anyone could expect. But you cannot overstate how easy this schedule has been. Like I do think as I get older, I don't know what it is. I do think schedule really explains like more than we want to talk about the NFL. Okay, right, it's it really is on a week to week basis. Older, I just mean though, like, no matter how much we think schedule matters, you know, as I continue on this existence on this rock scheduling, I just mean, like so much like the Commanders, for instance, Like, yeah, their schedule's harder than this season, Like so like a lot like the AFC West, Oh they're coming back to the pack, Like it's like, yeah, the Chargers schedule is harder this year, Like so much is explained by that that I don't think we can overrate it enough. And then this is a week where you get to find out how good that offensive line is. I have my doubts about the left side, like Jered Wilson has been struggling a little bit. Who's their left guard? So when the Patriots have the ball like it is as good a test as ever. And to my point, Aaron Shotts's numbers say that Patriots have the single easiest schedule in the NFL since nineteen seventy nine. Wow, and that's evaluating how the teams have looked through the first seven games as well.

00:34:39
Speaker 5: I mean, think about that for all the years where the AFC East was just Adams salute dog stuff, and this is the easiest schedule.

00:34:46
Speaker 2: Wow.

00:34:49
Speaker 5: This is an intriguing game to me because this is where I think Kevin Josh mccannon is your OC and the way he can change things up week to week with a different game plan. I think you're can to see a lot of quick passing games and they're gonna make eyes chase and we don't. And we know that the Browns can chase tackle on the open field of this and that, but some horizontal stuff to get him chased early, because you know, see if they can get him a little fatigued and then take some shots. I think we're going to see some of that action from the pages. And that's where Drake May's fine if he doesn't turn the ball over. I don't see why they don't cover that seven because Cleveland can't score.

00:35:21
Speaker 3: For Saver group has been better than anyone expected.

00:35:24
Speaker 4: Drake May's more more than fine.

00:35:26
Speaker 6: I'm not talking to you, Greg, because I know you know all of these numbers, because I don't lay awake at night and scroll through next gen Drake May stats and tape. But Drake May has the best, the highest right now, the highest downfield passing passer rating in the NFL right now. And so yes to your point, Steve, move them side to side a little bit at first, and then start taking shots, get some of the quick passing game going, and then start just blowing the doors off of this defense or trying to. Now, he's gonna have a challenge getting protection long enough for that, especially against Miles Garrett, because the left side, that's Will Campbell.

00:36:01
Speaker 4: So now you're back in the game here.

00:36:02
Speaker 6: Greg, Will Campbell's side, Miles Garrett is getting a lot of quick pressure. Will Campbell is giving up the ninth most quick pressure in the league among left tackles right now.

00:36:12
Speaker 5: Wow, I did not realize that her next gen Stony, you'll do the Miles Garrett, I'm screening to death.

00:36:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, and just go ahead and do.

00:36:21
Speaker 4: Some slip screen throw it far to the right.

00:36:24
Speaker 3: It'd be nice that was Trevion Henderson in it, But something tells me it's actually got to be Remandri and Terrell Jennings.

00:36:30
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:36:30
Speaker 1: Ray, we'll coming out just celebrating Torell Jennings hoisting up the Cherel Jennings. Also, it's like the preseason I guess just does not matter, especially for those in the in the fantasy.

00:36:41
Speaker 2: Community, like it's it's it's time.

00:36:43
Speaker 1: Uh, maybe we should uh be a little more skeptical of the hope for Travion.

00:36:48
Speaker 4: I believe Mark, that guy is so special.

00:36:52
Speaker 3: I believe. On the other side, like it's a good test for the Patriots really built their defense around run defense, and they really do look like a pretty good un defense. And if you can stop Quinjohn Junkins, who when he gets in the open field and forget about it.

00:37:06
Speaker 5: Guy, I had no idea he had the type of burst he has, I mean, his balance and his strength is crazy, but he look at this acceleration.

00:37:14
Speaker 3: People making business decisions at points in the hole against Quincho dunkinsh because he he is so aggressive and he, especially the Dolphins, delivers hits. But hell, like on that field in Dublin against the Vikings, I mean, I I love him, and yet that was the highlight of Dylan Gabriel's three game career so far. Since then, my optimism about Dylan Gabriel has been dimmed. Now last week was a little bit of a weather game, but like they had like one hundred and fifty yards against the Dolphins late in the you know, midway through the fourth quarter. He he needs to improve.

00:37:49
Speaker 2: I think.

00:37:51
Speaker 4: Very take from a very mature He is very.

00:37:54
Speaker 3: Lucky not to have about eight interceptions and I think he has none or one.

00:37:57
Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, there's a couple of d ways to take all the Wildcats snaps from quin Shawn Jukins. In one way, it's like, yay, Junkins get the hands of the ballplayer, but also like maybe they're taking the hands out of another particular player. But when I see quin Shawn Jenkins. All I'll see is offensive genius from Chip Kelly Man. Yeah, there it is in terms of a football player.

00:38:18
Speaker 3: In shout out, Shout out to, like these guys on the defense that like Alex Right and Grant Delpit, like they're obviously Carson Schwestener who we've mentioned before, like man, he's playing Maguire on the front, Like they have guys who are just playing their hearts out, and that's not always easy with a bad offense like that.

00:38:36
Speaker 1: Let's go over to another team that maybe has a chance to play their hearts out. It is the New York Jets going on the road to take on the now Joe Flacco lead Cincinnati Bengals, who are favored by six and a half point. The over under is forty four and a half as we get an opportunity, Jordan to see what Joe Flacco can do for the second consecutive You.

00:39:00
Speaker 6: Know, I started writing these notes before last week, actually knowing that some of the deck was going to be stacked against me in terms of just workload and schedule.

00:39:09
Speaker 4: So the first thing I forgot to delete it this week.

00:39:11
Speaker 6: The first thing I've written down in this game slot depression, and it was and tell the Flaco bump not anymore, and tell the Flaco bump hit Cincinnati. They have some hope, They have a little hope if they can just manage maintain. You rattled off some of their upcoming games, Cincinnati's upcoming games.

00:39:29
Speaker 4: Here in a previous show, Greg in.

00:39:31
Speaker 6: Terms of like, if they can just hold on, if they can get to six wins.

00:39:34
Speaker 3: Got to get to this, got to get this one.

00:39:35
Speaker 6: Yeah, by the time Joe Burrow gets back, this is obviously a every game from here on out is a bit of a desperation game for the New York Jets. I don't really see them making changes at their coaching staff or front office or anything like that.

00:39:50
Speaker 4: Certainly at quarterback.

00:39:51
Speaker 6: Well, yeah, where there's a little drama unfolding earlier this week apparently from the owners meetings.

00:39:57
Speaker 2: Not apparently. I mean that was very uncool.

00:40:00
Speaker 5: I mean Woody Johnson coming out and taking a dump on Justin Fields, you know, saying, oh, if we can complete a pass, the rest of the team's getting better, but our quarterback is terrible.

00:40:10
Speaker 3: Fields' response, though, on Wednesday, was fascinating.

00:40:14
Speaker 5: You pointed out, Yeah, I mean, he's a fade at their media relations team, Like, I didn't see if response because I don't have social media. Nobody briefed me on the comments before I got up here.

00:40:23
Speaker 2: And this is the New York media man. You you have to let him know what's coming.

00:40:27
Speaker 3: Yeah, the crazier thing is that he said he doesn't know who's starting at quarterback and he's splitting reps with Tyrod Taylor, and Tyrod might not be healthy. It sounds like he has a knee injury and they consider him day to day. So if you want to, would have disasked specifically, cite why making those type of comments aren't a great idea, like that could be your starting quarterback justin fields this week.

00:40:55
Speaker 5: It's just so uncol I mean, you pay the guy thirty million dollars, you hired a coaching staff what you hope can develop him, and you come out you're just gonna You're just gonna deuce on him like that publicly. You know this is where you say, you know, owners don't meddle this. He meddled right now. Aaron Glenn is in a real tight spot, Like I got to bench the guy because my owner came out and said that he sucks.

00:41:19
Speaker 3: I think he was ready to bench him anyways.

00:41:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, fine, fair might let him bench you well.

00:41:23
Speaker 1: And also, you know, to in defense of the media relations folks, because we say it so many times with being able to make these decisions, a lot of people's job is to keep their job, and so it's like, how how aggressively do you want to tell Justin Fields about this, considering the ultimate boss who has no issue right terminating right or terminating the person above you, you know, in that particular situation where it's everything's bad, everything's bad.

00:41:50
Speaker 4: Depression.

00:41:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, like the run game is sneaky bad, Like they're twenty fifth or twenty sixth in rushing efficiency right now.

00:41:58
Speaker 5: Well that's how we're saying Breetholl is in the block right because you know he can't you can't get anhing going.

00:42:02
Speaker 3: And the quiet thing is the defense. You know, if they could have just combined one of the defense has played well last week, I mean the last two weeks they haven't given up more than thirteen points in two straight games. But this will be a much bigger challenge. No, Sauce Gardner, it sounds like in this game he's coming off a concussion. Garrett Wilson is very uncertain, So I think this is where you can absolutely crush Darren Muji in this front office for showing up to this season with a receiver group like this, because does with Wilson out like they have no chance Jamar.

00:42:33
Speaker 2: Chasell also get more than twenty three targets. Why not? Maybe? Why not?

00:42:38
Speaker 6: It's I thinks long as Joe Flacco can lift his arm above his head throw the.

00:42:43
Speaker 1: Ball, well, I think the most important thing for Joe Flacco is being able to put both of his hands under center. And I can't believe that I didn't think about this initially because I was so skeptical of the idea, but they they had. If you take out empty and shotgun snows, Jake Browning just edged out Joe Burrow after starting more games in terms of being under center. Yeah, and already Joe Flacco has had more under center dropbacks than Jake Browning. And you could see like the improvement generally and the offensive line they're able to protect better.

00:43:13
Speaker 2: Chase brown got loose.

00:43:14
Speaker 1: He had his longest carry game and then seven plays later he had his longest carry.

00:43:18
Speaker 2: Of the season.

00:43:19
Speaker 1: Once again, like the football team seems to exist. The defense is everything got.

00:43:22
Speaker 3: In defense is not better. The defense is trash.

00:43:26
Speaker 6: Jake Turner, the corner, is playing well. He's one of the bright spots on this Bengals defense. The corner who got demoted before the regular season began and then won his job back.

00:43:33
Speaker 4: He's playing really well.

00:43:34
Speaker 3: He's playing great. But the defense is maybe the worst. I think it's the worst defense in the NFL, at least when Drey Andricks it's head of the field.

00:43:40
Speaker 2: The Miami Dolphins, Dolphins, I would like to work Dolphins.

00:43:44
Speaker 6: I love that point you made Patrick about being under center versus being in the gun or even in the pistol, which I love, But they don't really do that there. They do either mostly out of the gun. But when Jake Browning was playing well a couple of years ago, Greg's glory days of his Jake brown love, where it first developed and blossomed, was he was. They were mixing it up a little bit like that, and then they moved him back in the gun the same way that they've had Joe Burrow keeping so much of this offense that doesn't necessarily work for every style of quarterback and for every experience level of quarterback. Even the most experienced quarterback currently in football right now? Who is playing for the Cincinnati Bengals or second most or whatever. I don't know how many years he's got on Aaron Rodgers, but he's even saying, I'd rather play under center. Why is it that this is the change they make for Joe Flacco? But you can't make life easier on your backup knowing you have some gotta have it games coming up. Why is any of this Like I love seeing this offense click, I love seeing.

00:44:45
Speaker 4: The receivers get the ball.

00:44:46
Speaker 6: Joe Flacco playing football is just fun, right, But why is it taking this to change around what you're doing and make your offense a little bit easier on the quarterback?

00:44:58
Speaker 4: You know, I just I don't understand you.

00:45:00
Speaker 3: They're a staff that kind of likes the quarterback to dominate a little.

00:45:04
Speaker 5: You know.

00:45:04
Speaker 3: That's just like they're yees their flow. They're just like they like they care a submissive you know. You know, different partners are different. Maybe a coaching staff that's just like kind of a submissive part is Joe Flacco is the only reason he came in. Yeah for a oh, I think he's just calling the plays out there. Hitting Jamar Chase is calling the plays thank you.

00:45:27
Speaker 4: I'm getting the ick.

00:45:28
Speaker 3: Speaking of the ick.

00:45:30
Speaker 1: What about them twenty twenty five Miami Dolphins who are taking their show once again on the road. Uh, there's hopefully they get the If there is rain, they'll they'll close the roof of Mercedes been staying okay, taking on the Atlanta Falcons, who are favored by seven coming off the lost Steve forty four and a half the over under the voice of God Kevin Harland as well as Trent Green on the call.

00:45:52
Speaker 2: Are the Dolphins okay? No, no, they're not. At question, they're disaster. You know once to it came out and said that it was over. It was over. I mean they may came out and compete.

00:46:03
Speaker 5: And that's why this is a cheeky game to me, because the Falcons game plan offensively was terrible against the forty nine ers. And you talk about how you love the pistol. That's when the pistol gets you into trouble. When you're not creative, when you're not running Texas routes with your running back against a team that's without its starting linebacker, when you don't put any stress on your weaknesses and you play right into sidelines hash marks and things to give them an extra defender, So they're going to have to be more creative in their short passing game, quick passing game against a terrible Dolphins defense. Atlanta's just one of these teams where it is a week two week you can't get a feel of what they are Defensively, they're a good football team and that's why they're gonna win this football game because Dolphins offense is just non existent.

00:46:48
Speaker 2: It's an absolute mess.

00:46:49
Speaker 5: But I'm interested to see if Atlanta should come out and put up the big numbers as they should offensively.

00:46:56
Speaker 6: Darren Waller was their bet, was Miami's best offensive player, and he's on injured reserve. Yeah, and I am mad at Atlanta. I'm mad at the Falcons because it is exactly what you said. They come out two weeks ago with an absolutely incredible game plan offensively that funnels the entire offense through one of the best football players on the planet right now, who can do everything, who did do everything in this game, and then just a few days later they almost like put one hand behind his back because they're not giving him even and they were aligned with him to the side as well. And yes, they still run a lot of pistols had. They did not give the same autonomy. They didn't attack the second level. Part of what I loved about when they ran so much out of the pistol two weeks ago was he was directly attacking the second level. Whether you could see it obviously or not, every single movement and shift that he's able to set up affects the middle of the defense, whether they're having to flow side to side or come and crash down. This was not the same stress points that they put and they should have. And I don't want to take anything away from Tatum Bathoon, who played awesome, saw it well, read everything great, played it awesome, But Atlanta is not stressing defense is enough in enough types of ways. And that makes me annoyed because they are better than this and they know it and they're not doing it. I do.

00:48:15
Speaker 3: I struggle with them, and I wonder if they're coaching around whatever Michael Pennox's limitations are and you.

00:48:23
Speaker 2: Know, not getting understood right.

00:48:26
Speaker 3: If you listen to collins Worth, it it's thrown over the middle, and you know he's he's such a good thrower to the perimeter, and that's a great skill to have. But it doesn't really show up when you look at this team. The baseline for Penix this year has been a little lower than I would have expected in the passing game, Like they are a team where their quarterback holds onto the ball quite a bit, but they don't push the ball down the field, which to me is it's a frustrating combination to watch. For whatever reason that's happening. That's what the numbers tell you. That he's holding onto the ball a lot and it's not going. It's not like they are bombs away deep type of offense.

00:49:02
Speaker 1: Well, I think one of the questions that we had last year was about play action, and we thought it was related to the health of Kirk Cousins.

00:49:08
Speaker 2: What did J. J.

00:49:08
Speaker 1: McCarthy, Cooper Rush, Jake Browning, Marcus Mariota, I could go on and on have in common. Their completion percentage with play action is better than Michael Pennixt. They're actively not running a whole lot of play action passes, and when they do, they're not successful. And some folks have pointed directly that they've obviously pointed oddly enough at the pistol.

00:49:29
Speaker 4: Well, yeah, that's exactly knock.

00:49:32
Speaker 6: Actually, that's why that's part of the reason why, because that's part of the reason why you run it so much, because it gives the illusion. And now it's not doing that for them, let me be clear, but in theory, and it did this for the Rams a couple of years ago, when the quarterback didn't want to be turning his back to the defense so much and wanted to see everything in front of him. It gives the illusion that you still could get the play action game out of that even though you're in sort of a more gun look.

00:49:58
Speaker 4: That's the thing.

00:49:59
Speaker 6: You still are trying to to keep the run fakes available to you, but just moved backwards out of the stack of offensive linement so that the quarterback can see everything in front of them, which then should lead to a deeper.

00:50:11
Speaker 4: Downfield passing game, but is not in this case.

00:50:13
Speaker 6: So all of these things that we're talking about are very much connected here, and it's all of them not working the way that they should in theory or an execution is what the falcons, well.

00:50:21
Speaker 2: Here's it.

00:50:22
Speaker 5: Sometimes they do. That's the thing that they're hot and cold. Sometimes they look brilliant, sometimes they look terrible. Take a page out of the Bengals book would they do with Joe Flacco. I mean, no bullst off here. They must have thrown eighty percent of their passes were slants. When you're playing a team that is struggling in the middle and you've got those receivers, you have, especially have two big bodied guys slant in the death.

00:50:43
Speaker 2: I owe them do whatever.

00:50:45
Speaker 3: Like my number one test of you know, do you have an effective quarterback? Like are you going to have a long career as a quarterback? First of all? And you are you have a good passing game, which is like, are you good like you mentioned before, when you're not pressured, because almost any NFL quarterback can be good if he's not pressured. And Panix does have some of the worst numbers this year when not pressure, which does point back a little bit to scheme because I don't think it's personnel. Now. I know they don't have a right tackle, but overall their pass protector is fine. Like it's in the middle, it's absolutely fine. On the flip side, Mike McDaniel, like, there's many cries for help that he's had, the fact that he said publicly that they played hard, but they're not playing hard executing his assignments. Is the most insane quote I've maybe ever heard from a coach in terms of just like I'm done, they don't listen to me. And you see that in the running game more than anything. They are thirty first in the league in success rates, the missed assignments. What you see from the offensive line is crazy. And that was supposed to be Mike McDaniel's thing. Like run game coordinator Davon A. Chan pushes back at your best offensive player, you know, so does Jalen Waddle? Is Darren Waller like, because Devon Ahchan looks awesome this year and Jalen Waddle is like a good player, but like, they can't figure out their running game at all.

00:51:58
Speaker 2: It is.

00:51:58
Speaker 3: It is brutal to watch, you know what, You know, it's not brutal. Breaking it up between the early games and the lakes. That's it for the early game. It's a pretty light early slate. Seven games early. We're going to talk about the late games and a really spicy Sunday night football game in our next one. Is it just go right over to that show