Headlines, TNF Preview, & NFL Pep Talks

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Speaker 1: The Around the NFL podcast has a heart out at ONEm probably the Chris Wesley podcast studio. It's around the NFL. I am a heart out in one hour. My name is Dan Hansis got heroes all over the place here, Mark Sessler, Gregg Rosenthal, Colly Wolf back in the building, and how sweet it is? What's up gang? What's up with you and your heart out? All of a sudden, suddenly you're You've got constrictions, agenda, and he's gonna stick to it too. I'm not in any rush. The show is going to be the show, and it's gonna be excellent as always. Um due to a series of confluence of events, rain out Yankees are playing in one hour. But we're gonna you know, we're gonna do this, and then I'm gonna go do that. I think the difference is when I say there's a heart out because I gotta be somewhere, I actually do have to do something, versus what is necessary that I don't know why you need. If anything, I said that I'm excited your Jets are doing well. I'm excited that your baseball team is in the playoffs. You turn around and do that. I didn't mean, there's a shot. Why did I ll just accused of of lying regularly, So that's that's a shot. Did I Every time I've suggested that I needed to go somewhere, I went somewhere. Greg, you can respond to that. I'm staying out of this. I like it. You guys, just get into it. It is good to be with the whole gang for the Tuesday show coming up for about an hour, well for exactly an hour, in about three minutes. I mean, that is what the Tuesday Show is every week. To be fair, right, You'll notice this thing will come in at the same amount of time or maybe even longer, because that's integrity that the zuser is that your tagline. Just like if this thing came in all of a sudden at thirty seven minutes, like you could you could be like Dan's kind of looking out for Dan on this one. Yeah, but that's not how this is going to go. In fact, we're already kind of yeah, we're kind of chewing the cut a little bit here up top, but that's fine. Allows us to stretch out during the intro, which that was me that you do have integrity to some degree an original point of contention, very early days on the Around the League podcast. I think Dan and I would both but heads a little bit because I would say, like, let's get to the football stuff, and Dan would be like a little more chewing cut up top. That was like one of the original sort of w for the old zeus. I know, what's the what's the common the common um advocacy about the opening the show? People love it. They love the Yeah, they don't want to just get straight to the you know, it's it's like, come for the football, but you're staying for your friend, your friends in the whatever your pieces you use friends, captive audience. They don't really have a choice. They could just do like the forward thirty seconds thing, but that would be rude. Before we get into all the football stuff. I do now want to offer a formal apology to you Mark that that that you don't have places to go sometimes and you just want to get out of the building as fast as possible. That is not necessarily the case. I think both things can be I mean necessarily really took a little bit of the wind out of that can be accurate. All right, let's get to it coming up on today's show. It feels like now that we're six weeks in. There are some teams, players, coaches, whatever that things have not gone to plan. So we're here again beacons of integrity as we are uh to head out some PEP talks for those who need them. That's a service in its entertainment. Also, the Thursday night Football preview, as we look at the week seven, the Saints at the car we got you got Russell Wilson in prime time and then we're going straight to Cliff Kingsbury and Kyler Wilson, Kyler Murray his name is in prime time. At least they're different. We haven't seen them. There are more humans, they're more interest. That's progress. I mean, it's a it's a minor disaster unfolding. I think that's good televisions. Yeah, that only goes so far. The only go so far. But they're not They're not just simply boring in back. There's an element of chaos with the Cardinals that I enjoy. Yeah, you cannot say, and maybe last week is an exception. It is with the Cards, but for the most part they they've had someone entertaining insane games, whereas the Broncos just like sucks the life out of everything. All right, let's get to the Broncos first. Let's hit the news. All right, how about if you get a little taste of land coming right down your throat? You know, I really Lenda Dickerson was a guy that I vouched for ahead of the pre drafts process. In one I thought he was a real impact player and absolutely has been. He's been a nice draft picked. I'm one of the best offensive lines in football. Your Eagles. You vouched for him based off of um like the draft research, and Collinsworth on a certain level does as well. You wanted the Jets to take him? Who did they take over him? Do you remember second round? Tick was probably yeah, maybe, I don't know. I forgot a lot of things have happened since then. Let's move on. Yeah, let's get into the news. Yes, Russell Wilson and the Broncos offense once again went down in Flames on Monday Night Football. You could check out the reaction to that with Greg Rosenthal's Monday Night Football recap of the Chargers overtime win over the Broncos. We knew Russ had a shoulder issue going on. Now he let the media know that. He also said hamstring issue and it leaves his availability for Week seven against the Jets in question. Uh, Greggy, and I think I saw it reported by Tom Pella Sero. I believe it was on our air right before we came on, that it's being labeled a significant hamstring issue. So I think this is all pointing in a certain direction that could lead to Russ missing a game, perhaps more, and maybe maybe a reset for Denver and its spiraling offense right their backup quarterbacks, Brett Rippon, I don't know about a reset. I hadn't surprised. I guess I will hold judgment because usually if you finish the game in the NFL, you play the next game. It's just how it almost always works. And he did finish that game. Although we're gonna get to another quarterback in a bit where the same case is happening in Washington. It's absolutely fair and uh, maybe a reset wouldn't be bad for everyone involved. We're at the problems like this is a video game, we could reset this it that said they would fall further and further, you know, out of the mix potentially, but I don't think their quarterback play would get too much words. We're at the point where it doesn't feel fun anymore to be hitting on how bad Russell Wilson's playing, because he's he's kind of at the level he has a pretty strong cases the worst quarterback in the league. Like he's there, He's in that mix with whatever Baker has done this year. I guess Davis Mill like I would put them below that, where like he's struggling that much where maybe a week or two off could help things. Yeah, I've been wanting to believe in the concept of a like a turnaround for Russell Wilson, and in the evidence we're getting, it becomes more grim and I it sort of seems like, you know, we got all these quarterbacks that are playing into their forties and that's what they're announcing that they're gonna do when they're in their thirties, And I am watching Russell Wilson just wondering, like, how long does this go on for? If this is the version of Russell Wilson and the body and this is what he's dealing with physically, because it's been like every game there's an announcement about physical issues. Yeah, but also when when you look at the fact that he said got him in the fourth quarter and everything was like feeling good before that, and it's unfortunate. And I think that I knew something was up in the postgame press conference when he left out a Broncos Country Let's ride. He just finished his presser and walked away. So maybe this is pretty serious. Maybe he heard the feedback from a week ago that a week ago. It's been months, I get it. But last week after the loss, which was the low point of the Bronco season until this week's lost, and he did the let's ride, people gave him a lot of grief just for that, for doing it in that spot. And if nothing else, we know he's active on the social Uh. In other Broncos drama news, Melvin Gordon had his big homecoming uh in Los Angeles. The team that had drafted him did not go to plan. In fact, he was benched in the game. Essentially, he ended up with three carries for eight yards, and the second half and overtime was filled with sad um sideline shots of Melvin Gordon. Uh. Here's what he had to say in the locker room after the game. I'm not gonna lie hurt a little today watching UM. You know they do up the little the little clown logo with my face up there, and um, you know I noticed it all and uh, it sucked. It sucked. Hey, game day operation of the Chargers. Clean it up? Bad job, clean it up? What are you putting especially know the situation. I don't know when in the game you're putting the clown face on Melvin Gordon, who I guess. Maybe there's some bad blood there with their things set in the media. I don't even know. But in general, I think the Chargers that's a bad looking for Gordon, especially with Connie Latavius Murray. You know, he's not a guy that's an impact player at the stage of his career. Him getting a ton of carries and not doing anything had to be especially frustrated. Well, especially when Javonte Williams goes down and Melvin Gordon had come into the season with Javonte there knowing that everybody wanted Javonte to be the guy. Then he goes is down. So Melvin Gordon has a little bit of an opening, and I'm sure that that messed with his head too coming into the season, just in general, having the way that the running back room is lined up, but then to go through against the chargers like this, and he wasn't given a heads up at halftime that he wouldn't get on the field again, and all of the shots. It was just so mean spirited for them to put the clown up there. I mean, I'm not a soft person. I love taking shots to other people, but it just felt like kicking someone when they're down. Literally, what's very filly, not not l as. You can't get me with that. You can't surprise me. That's even in the protocol that put that up there because it is your former player. And like, I mean, he I don't remember there being bad blood. Even if there was, It's like we we watched on the video the look on his face when he was talking to Bridget Conton. It's like, oh, this is actually a human being. I keep forgetting about that, and you're clowning them in front of the stadium of people. What's out funny. He lost four fumbles and that's the reason why he's in the doghouse, So he does have culpability why he's not playing. And I don't even think like it's on the coaching staff to have a sit down in the middle of the game to say, hey, you're not playing. Anymore, but because they might have used him again, but also just sitting and waiting and I'm not hearing your number at all in that spot like empathy. Yeah, I do too. I think they might say, maybe not on record, that the way he was there without his helmet on on the sidelines was maybe contributing to him not getting back in the cave, like making a little bit of a scene, because do you see that normally because there's a lot of players that aren't playing, they they generally are kind of sitting there where they're waiting to go. And he was disappointed. He was heartbroken. I think that he was benched pretty early in the game, it was in the first half, and then he he sits there like that as if like I'm not going to go back in, and then they didn't use them again. It's weird though, because he had a hundred and three yards last week from scrimmage and he didn't fumble uh last week. And that was a great interview Bridget Condon. That was exclusive, that dynamic on networking. It was about two minutes long. She took the time to really ask him and wasn't afraid in a tough, tough situation and um, let's move off the No Bridget did amazing work. Let's move off the Broncos because he's just kind of a sad topic and now something more, um, you know, energizing. Carson Wentz has to have surgery on his finger. He's gonna miss time. The Commander's quarterback is facing a four to six week recovery period, according to Ian Rappaport, after fracturing his finger. And he did he finished that game. He was on the follow through of a pass that smacked the hand of another player, played through it obviously was in discomfort, uh Mark. But now he exits the lineup and kind of similar to the Russell Wilson situation where the Commanders are right now not the worst time for a break and and see what Heineke can do with Sam how the rookie waiting in the wings. Yeah, I mean, I think for it's been a rough um season for a lot of offenses in general, and I think it's definitely plagued the viewer and for those of us that watch every team. Um, the Commanders have becoming they've been well, I mean you just literally just doing what we're supposed to be doing. Become a visually um less appealing entity weekly on offense, and I think I got to imagine underneath it all. Sometimes, Oh yeah, I want to get out there and play on a competitor. There's gotta be times like your car soon what you're thinking, I'm good taking four or five weeks off from that's kind of the old Sessler thing where you're like, you know, put me in a hospital for four weeks, nothing too serious, just like that needs that needs to build sympathy to where it's like, yeah, this guy is a game. I believe he's not. He was the number sixteen ranked quarterback on Mark Sessor's QB I think he's been terrible. First of all, that was shocking to me. I don't think he's been terrible. Also, like the thing when you say you have to look at though, they're like, you look at the rest of that list. After you gets like five or seven, it's a disaster. You know what I'm taken. You know what I'm taking. Greg the originator of the QB Index, Mark has taken over and done great work so far. I've got a little special episode around the NFL, a QB Index special that would be fun. That's a good idea. We could do that. I like that idea. Yeah, I like that idea as a surprise drop. But now it's no longer a surprise. Oh well, we could edit it out so we still have the power. I think either way is people don't know when it's gonna be on the lookout for it. Maybe people are rearranging their schedules now what a surprise content coming Key, by the way, is a little bit of an interesting choice. I thought they might go to samehow I mean, Sam Howell, depending on where they are in a couple of weeks. But I get it. They're they're two and four. They're certainly not giving up of, you know, making the playoffs, and they think Kinniki is more ready right now than they had some success with him. Maybe Terry McLarin looks better with him. I don't know. It's just like a less expensive Carson Wentz who might be better than Carson Wentz. In other news, Greg, you got a guy. His name is Terek wool and he came down with the game clinching interception for the Seahawks and a win over the Cardinals. As he came down, he landed on Mark's Hollywood Brown and busted up his foot or an ankle something down there. Not good. He's out at least six weeks, so bad news for the Cardinals. He's been really one of their only bright spots on offense, and right, of course, when DeAndre Hopkins is coming back, the team pivoted quickly and traded for Robbie Anderson, the disgruntled wide receiver who was last seen being booted off the sideline by the Panthers with Steve Wilkes over there in the interim role. So out goes Brown for a month and a half. Incomes Robbie Anderson, Connie and as well as DeAndre Hopkins. Maybe, just maybe the Cardinals get a little more juice to their vertical attack. I'm dying to know what was said between Robbie Anderson and the receiver's coach, Like I know that I probably will never find out this information. However, I'm searching for it and I'm working my sources and I'm trying to find out because it's kind of crushing me. But to see him get sent off the field and then traded like not even was it twenty four hours later, that's pretty unprecedented Arizona quick turnaround. I mean something ridiculous had to have been said, and obviously they had been I'm pretty sure shopping him before that. So that was just the last kind of straw. But the Cardinals, I'm not sure how much it's going to help Robbie Anderson arriving there. They have DeAndre Hopkins coming back this week. We'll get into the preview coming up against the Saints. Yeah. I know Robby Anderson a little bit, not personally, but from his time with the Jets. He's a mercurial guy. He's uh, he loves ball obviously, but can get frustrated. Uh. I saw it New York saw it and how it ended in Charlotte. I'm a little concern cest dog that you send him to Arizona and it's pretty functional offense there, that you might end up seeing more sideline shots of a frustrated Robby Anderson in the desert. It's possible because I think the it's uh, the timing of his meltdown in Carolina. You know, days after Matt Rule his college coach at Temple with a rue reason he was there, I think to begin with, or was still there, Um was intriguing. But I I think if if you're the Cardinals. I know everyone was just killing them when they traded for him initially, and it's like, look at I'm they were killing the Cardinals. There were just they're not giving up on their season. At least that you went and got someone that can help you on the outside as a deep threat. I mean, that's that's necessary. To get DeAndre Hopkins back. You might get a little honeymoon Robbie Anderson, you know what I mean. You get a little like I know, I need to have some production here to keep my career going. Anderson, he had a rough year a year ago two, I think, and I hate to say this, because I think A. J. Green's one of the most underrated players of his generation and we'll have a legitimate Hall of Fame case just because of his all pros. He's the least effective receiver in the NFL right now by far in terms of yards per route run. He's basically a starter, and he has fifty six yards on the season, and they've said they they've sent him like twenty seven targets and he has fifty six yards out of those targets. Some of that's on the scheme, but it's it's not happening anymore, so anyway to get him off the field. I think it is probably going to help them. You know what I think, Greggy, I think A J. Green was basically right in that class with Julio Jones for about eight years or so, maybe just to tick below, but he fell off so precipitously. I don't think he's a Hall of Fame guy, which is not taking anything away from a j because but he was so awesome. He was a slam dunk for the first eight years. But this has been a tough clothes to it. Also white else it's getting tougher and tougher to seven. Yeah, yeah, it's a little I I tend to agree with you, so I'm not gonna argue. Uh. In other news, rejoice Texans fans, but no Texans. Yeah, I mean we know seth pain on the pain I mean, is he is he more a media guy or a text He is a combination of the I feel like we answered so confidently, and then you named the guy that works in the Houston media. He is a fan of I was also thinking of Stephanie Stradley, who was a longtime fan and kind of a media member too. But she's sort of like a fan of media metal connection, So I don't I would not say Cardinals fan right when you sports parts probably got the lowest team you see like Jerseys sad Well. Tiffany Simon's a former co worker of mine who has very close He went through a wedding, big text, I was great, and uh there was someone in our old news room. I just remember one time where they gave away the hats and I had a Texans at It's like, oh, the people, you don't need to know their names. That's why? Who are those people? Just giveaway? Guy? You know I I don't need to know his mark Perez is a big Texans fan. Why are we doing this? I don't know. I don't know the Texas And now we're talking how the sausage gets made. Where you're gonna hear from like your best friends in life that are all Texans fans and you don't even know it, certainly, and I have deep Texan ties with my wife. But there are no Houston Texans fans the team, but there are many. And that's what I was trying to say. They're celebrating because the team announced on Monday that they have parted ways with executive Vice President of Football Operations, Jack easter Be, a long time favorite of the Sissler. Here is the missive from Cal McNair, chair and CEO of the Texans. I've met with executive vice president of Football Operator, just call him Jack, and we have mutually agreed to part ways. I'm sure for the remainder of the season, effective immediately, his responsibilities will be absorbed so corporate by our football operations staff. We acknowledge Jack's positive contributions and wish him and his family the best in the future. So I would say to my son Jack when he gets on my nerves, like I want to thank you for your contributions and wish you the best of luck in the outside world outside of my home. Um, you're kicking your child out if necessary. That's sometimes sometimes sometimes dogs can't really talk back. Connie boys, they can. Um, I love you, Jack. He doesn't listen. Mark uh Easterby we learned after the fact that mostly been stripped of his powers in the past year, but still he was kind of a sore point for an organization that's kind of been in transition for a couple of years. I think it's just interesting to see the overwhelmingly overt response to what unfolded. I think Andre Johnson, who really You know, when you get bad management and they don't know what to do with um star players from the past. You see that she's them vanished from like events for half a decade. I mean, Andre Johnson basically said, ever since jack Easterby walked into that organization, nothing good has happened. Jalen Strong, another ex Texan, had very strong words. John McClain, the legendary long time people watching the show. Yeah, go ahead and read it. Markis Well, I wish I could read that from here, but you know, I'm happy to read it. I can read. Actually, all right, set for the season, I thought this would be Jackie Easterby's last with the Texans, had no idea he'd be fired during the season. As reported by Adam Schefter, they will be rejoicing throughout all right now and read the other one the next one. Firing Easterby is one of the best decisions in the history of Houston Sports. If the McNair family wants to make another great decision that will be met with approval, they should bring Andre Johnson back into the organization. He was Easterby his most outspoken critic. Love me some McLaine. He is a legend amongst Baylor folk. Again my Texan connections. I've spoke with him, good dude, He's respected and plugged in on that scene. So that is just a snapshot of people wanted easter be out of the building. A former chaplain turned football man, and it just, I guess, never made sense for a lot of people. He was a like power hungry, like striver, a riser who for about one month two years ago, dominated this podcast. I mean, do you remember that there was like a whole month to the point where conversations were had with certain figures connected to the Mark. I was told to back off, told to stop tweeting about Jackie Easterby. You were walking in the parking lot late at night and a guy in a trench coat stepped out of the shadow said quit it with the Easterbat. Essentially the cigarette down, stamped it out and just walked back into it. I love it because Mark had a a visceral anger about what Easterby was doing, and it was it made for great content where you said it he's a striver. He named himself GM at some point with zero football back Okay, we just I love the like the word choice of rejoicing. Everyone is rejoicing the fact that they are just so happy. And well, the crazy thing it was, it was like he was brought in as a team chaplain and when you watch his videos that he would speak to the team, it's all about love and forgiveness and treat you know, and treating everyone fairly. And then these are the reports that come about. He was most interesting to me though, because he was a great example of a guy who had a lot of national reporters in his pocket. And it was very easy to see that. And they were very quiet this week when this happened. They just reported the news. They sort of just put it out there. But if you go to two to three years ago, there were a lot of little pushback, you know, I'm just saying that. There was just like this is what he's done, and this is like what you know he's done, and it was just a very interesting look at like if you've got some reporters in your pocket. I think that helped him get higher in the football game. Jack East to be forget the name, you never hooded guy, but steps from uh in other news. Finally, Todd Bowles. We know what happened with Brady. Hey, Connie, we talked about in the Power Rankings podcast, which everybody should check out. Uh this week that Bill Belichick who had another masterclass um on Sunday in Cleveland, beating up on his old team, the Browns and tying. Uh. George hallis in the Career Wins ranking. He didn't go to Robert Craft's wedding and he works for the Patriots. Tom did and it became a big story. And uh, he missed the Saturday walk through and then was uncharacteristically erratic in his passing and another frustrating Tampa loss. Todd Bowles went to the media and had to answer to questions about whether Tommy gets preferential treatment. He works as hard as anybody in a special treatment. There's been a few guys that missed some meetings and some practices for us, some special thing that just doesn't get publicized because they're not him. So it kind of comes with the territory. You don't worry about it too much. Greggy Todd's right here. Of course he gets preferential treatment. He's Tom Brady, right, And I don't think Tom Brady missing practice had anything to do with like why they lost or why they were the worst rushing you know team in the NFL, and why their guard can't tackle and why Tom Brady is like letting go the ball too quickly. But uh, every this is another place where just bad vibes. No one's having fun there. I that seems true. They're not fun to watch. Um, it is bad vibes. I don't think that the fact that he went to like Robert Craft's wedding and probably had like a glass of milk there um has a major impact on this. Well, right, that's the wrong but but non alcoholic drink. I just to me, it's kind of like, if you want to say, he doesn't have preferential treatment or a huge voice inside the organization, why is Bruce Arians watching games from a box forty five yards up north of the of the seats. I was thinking about Bruce Arians this morning when this story popped into my head about how okay, well, Bruce Arians is kind of like freelancing his assignment more or less the fact that he's not the head coach anymore. But we really don't know what he's doing, but he is some type of figure within the organization. And then it's like, well, Tom Brady has also been taking like certain liberties that you normally wouldn't see with a starting quarterback, especially Brady. And I wondered to myself, like, would Brady be doing this on a different team at a different time in his life or has he gotten to the point where he's kind of like, all right, well, you know, I'm Tom Brady. I am getting specialty. That's the whole thing. I don't have to retire. You have my personal life too, if you still on the Patriots. And Bill wasn't going to the wedding, Tom wasn't going to go to the wedding either. He wanted to have some more freedom to make his own life to anyway. UM developing news what Amazon and the National Football League announced today Tuesday that two thousand three Prime Video will excluse of Lee stream a newly scheduled Black Friday Game the Friday after Thanksgiving Day. The first ever NFL Black Friday Game will take place Friday, November three, already stated there with the expected kickoff of three pm Eastern noon Pacific to Participating teams will be announced when the two thousand twenty three schedule is released. Mark your reaction. Uh, the league has zero ability to chill out on its own um branding and expansion. I mean that said, it is a masterful move because think about I don't know, um, besides the fact that holidays don't really exist. If you cover the league, that doesn't matter. If you're a fan, you're probably sitting at home. If you're in America, they exist. We just worked during them. Sure, you're just sitting at home with a bunch of tired, bloated relatives. You're telling me if football game is gonna come on at noon Pacific, thank you, Yes, I'll be watching. If you hosted Thanksgiving, you have an entire refrigerator of leftovers just waiting, and Thanksgiving leftovers are better and Thanksgiving Day, so then you get football and leftovers. It's a great pitch. Yeah, I think, yeah. The only thing because we've been working inside the machine for so long. I feel bad for you know, there are a lot of league employees and media people that get pulled into this when otherwise maybe you'd be spending your Friday with It's usually a nice quiet day after Thanksgiving. But otherwise, as a football fan, that's cool, that would be nice. That's a good little spot. Like this year we have something amazing, which is the World Cup England USA match the day after Thanksgiving. This is not being played this game obviously will be next year when there will be no world There's also the Friday Fun Show that's a big Friday. Maybe we're not doing that year. What's the Friday Fun Show theme song? Again? It's like Friday game, does it? Do we have a theme song? You mean the tickdown like song as well as the viewers wait to join. You don't know that we have a theme song for the Friday I thought that was more just um like a library selected like waiting for the show to begin kind of thing, which I guess each time. But then our show starts and there's a theme song. It sounds like show is especially important to mark one. Do there are of the shows that we do I have no memory of. Ah, that's what's happening in the news. That sounds like a nice pull for a sound drop. Let's take a break and we will hit PEP talks for those who need them. All right, we're back. We have a responsibility, Colleen, to help people in need, and it is the holiday seasons right around the corner, so this is fitting that we'll kick it off by delivering some pep talks for people who could use them in the NFL. Get us gone, okay, this is great because I'm just naturally inclined to give pep talks. I like to pick people up when I see that they're feeling down. So this is my department. Um. So this one goes to a and base that's really been through some tough times. A lot of commanders in Washington, d C. And the Pentagon, so you know, in fact, when I try and remember back, it's tough. The last time the commanders fans were genuinely happy, I'm not even sure when that was. It's got to be at least like two name changes. Clinton was the president, maybe so Herbert Walker. Commanders fans, I know all of your wins, well all two of them can sometimes feel like losses. But you're built for this after five losing seasons and and you know more before that. But you are a resilient group with plenty to be optimistic about. Your pass rushes top three in the NFL, and sacks. Brian Robinson. He's back. He has a chance to be a serious difference maker in the run game. Um, Carson Wentz. He threw a shoulder at Roquan Smith. That was cool, but shoot, you know cars and once is out for four to six weeks. But Taylor Heineck is coming back, guys, and that could mean that this offense is coming back. He might get things running again, commanding again, looking great again. I've always been told embrace competition because it only makes you stronger, unless you're in the NFC East. Because they're taking a turn out of the episode. Forget about the penalties in three games. Things will get better, I know it. And and if they don't, I have a gift from the bottom of my heart. I'm going to send you some of my paper bags because I don't need them anymore, and I believe in recycling. I think that we all should do that. So let's together take command. Guys. You're slightly evil. You are a petty to them, those people monster. I think you're wonderful. Thank you. I accept the petty compliment. This is my department. I love petty in the heartbreak, punching down. This isn't just some proud organization that's you know on hard times. This is to beaten lost fans who barely know what to do with themselves at this point. That's I think the virtual in the back handed like hissing there. Um. If it was going towards members of the front office, I would be like, yeah, go for it. But it's kind of like just like being me into a puppy those things. Listen. You know, I love puppies and I'm trying to help the puppies. So it sounds like you're like putting the um. Alright, great, how about you? Okay, any more music? I like, I like that is all right. I'm gonna talk to directly to my guy, Tom Brady. Fifteen more games, Tommy, He's done this for twenty three seasons, three d and sixty nine starts. You've sacrificed so much, but there's no looking back, there's no looking forty. There there's no reverse gears. There's only right now, right now, right now, this is all that matters. Like maybe, in hindsight, blowing up the personal life for this last go around, Like guess it's a lot to handle. Um like that that contract with Fox, Like okay, maybe playing grab ass with Terry Bradshaw's not worth million a year, but what a focus pay attention to now the storm is behind you. The endless days of searching is in front of you, and it's all the more reason to drink in the now. On the field is where you are whole. Like, maybe ease up on those offensive lineman. Yeah, they're playing pretty well other than goodeki Like, maybe maybe you have that guy benched. Uh then, and I apologize for yelling Adam. Trust your protection more. Be willing to hold the ball. Be willing to take a hit. There's only one season left. Be willing to let Mike Evans go make a play. Stop throwing as Scotty Miller. That's never gonna happen. It's never gonna work. Get Gronk to come back, just for red zone targets, except that LETTERD for net. It's probably never gonna turn into Jerome Bett. It's like expect less. You've got a good defense, You've got a hand pick plate caller. You got fifteen sundays, including the Super Bowl, to live simply and fully on a football field until life grabs your shoulders a little tighter. Watch it like you're you're doing it again, just right now. Stick this landing. You were an m v P a year ago. You're gonna be the one that never did gradually decline. Make that monster hands this right. You have fifteen games to make it all right, to feel like a god again, to make this slow start a preface to another sports stock that not most people probably won't finish. But fifteen starts and then you start worrying about everything else. Very good? Very good? Was that was I essessedly trop alert. There were you telling Tom Brady just simplify his life. I was just saying, like, there's there's noise and disaster behind you, in front of you, but right on the field is like where you are, Tom Brady, where you're a Godok. Focus, that's the moment. That's tough love. I know he's an important figure. That's what I want to That's what I want. Are we seeing a little bit of gradual decline this year, Well, that's what I am fearing. That's what's what I want. I wanted Landing to be stuck. He could have done it. Last year was close enough, almost all right. I will give a pep talk to Kirk herb Street. That's surprising, I know. The I'm intrigued color man of Thursday Night Football, presented exclusively by Amazon NFL Plus by Mobile unmobile only. Um I want to talk to you, Kirk about Al al Michael's, of course, who is a treasure but also is entering a phase of his public and most likely his private life that appears to be putting you in a difficult position. To put it bluntly, he is a soon to be seventy eight year old loose cannon who could use the gentle guidance of a friend or a colleague he respects. If you if you're like me, you had a grandfather or two who reached the stage of life, you know they popped the hood on the main frame and flip the switch to d G A F. You might be wondering at this moment why I'm not giving this pep talk to Al himself, But that would be missing the core element of the issue. There's nothing I can say that will do anything to dissuade Al Michaels from wandering in a wildly cavalier manner into naughty sociological matters like gender, race, politics, and power dynamics of the most influential figures in the civilized world. Yet, um, probably Al is gonna talk about this stuff. I'm gonna shoot from the hip and it's gonna put him and perhaps all of us. We don't know how how high this can go in grave danger. All I ask Kirk is that you talk to him. You take him to Moonshadows in Malibu, you have three cocktails, get a driver, and let him know that he is in the victory lap. Kind of like Tom Brady of an unparalleled broadcasting career. We'd hate to see it end with an unceremonious dismissal or even worse, a missing person's report. Seventy seven year old man last seen challenging Jeff Bezos on his own network. Wow, that pops up. It's a warrant assessl It's gonna be warning Michael. I don't know if al Michaels would listen to anyone at this point, um including herb Street, but he does. He does, he does, He doesn't gender respect. He seemed like a very colm individual. He I also would say, like, get some sleep, Kirk. His his schedule is Bruto right now, got the games on that Saturday night, He's got the game day Thursday, multiple streams of income. So there is he made his decisions. I'm sure he's happy with him. He sleeps on a pile of money. I'm sure, Kark, but we need his help. Based um Mark before we get to Thursday Night football and the Saints and Cardinals. I think you had a pep talk show. There is a link to tnf UM and so I want to talk to Kyler Murray and the only way. I feel like. We've talked to Kyler Murray a lot, but sometimes people need to just you need to stick with him. You can't just say, oh, I've talked to you once three months ago. Your days away from an island game, the entire country, multiple countries, multiple nations, kingdoms, the Hague, the Netherlands will be zoned in on it's you. They're coming to see. So which will which you? Will they see which Cardinals team? Are there multiple versions of you? Other versions? Is there another Cardinals team within? Beyond what you've gifted us with so far, a disorganized, melting product on offensive looks entirely unsure of what it wants to be. I've seen the studies, studies that I dismiss about how your play ebbs and flows depending on whether Call of Duty has staged a gaming event the weekend of the game. Now this season alone, the Call of Duty Max Double XP Weekend in Vanguard or war Zone Unfolded, the Call of Duty Modern Warfare Tube Beta Weekend Unfolded, the Call of Duty war Zone Double XP Weekend, all unfolding during this football season. But here's the thing. You can go game all you want if probably does affect, But I can't control that the same way we can't control Al Michael's. I don't really think it has much to do with you the player, but you the player, and you, as part of this offense, are wanting. You are wanting crumbled with the Saints, and very real changes are coming to this organization, and you are the asset they will cling to. What is it they're clinging to? Who is Kyler Murray? Come show us, Come show us who you are on TNF exclusively on Amazon Prime or an NFL plus Black Friday game Master, Bezos, we hope we have given you joy, make you proud. Great job, Mark. You know these PEP docs were um negative at times. The Commanders one, I don't know what you're talking about that, and even the Kyler one, it's definitely hitting in with that. It's tough. I mean, we times was I guess Tom I gave time some tough love. But Petty and the Heartbreakers over here. But that was that was a ten minutes to right it before this started. So get off my back. It's great. It was amazing. It was just the tone I wanted. Good. See, that's how I don't know any other way. All I wanted. Girl, we've done twelve and thirty seven shows. I'm looking at a surprise, and that that was. That was a surprise. All right, let's um take a break and then hit thursdayn football. All right, here we go. I love this game. I don't care that they're both doing. I'm sure you do. You love every game. I just know that's not true. But this they're interesting to enforce to be all right, the Saints, okay, I'll buy that. I'm in on that. And we don't know who's the quarterback is of right now. Probably Andy Dalton. He was taking the first team raps on Tuesday. There you go, so most likely Andy Dalton will make his fourth start for the Saints when they travel to Glendale, Arizona to face the Cardinals, a team, as you just heard with Mark, that really needs their quarterbacks step up. But it's you know, Connie, it's not just on Kyler. Of course, it's on the coaching and the scheme and an offense that just has no explosiveness to it despite having a highly explosive quarterback, Robby Anderson's in the building. We'll see how much you can give them on this short amount of time getting ready for his first game. Probably just run some go deep couple. Here you go, Saints and Cardinals in and a reminder, This TNF preview is presented by Prime Video, the new exclusive home for Thursday Night Football. Yeah. Look, the I mean we've covered the Cardinals problems, but the offense, like specifically the decisions that are being made when this team gets into even like field goal territory, they're still going for it on fourth down and they're they're leaving all of these points on the field because they're not converting. I mean, they didn't convert on three fourth downs against Seattle in field goal terror tory. So that's points on the field. And then the defense is having to play from behind and they can't sustain that either. So when you have, uh, your kicker missing extra points, I mean there's just problems top to bottom. I don't know how much DeAndre Hopkins is going to help the team. Maybe he comes back and everything is like, you know, working fine. Even with Marcus Brown apt he was a little up and down last year, but I had some ops and got busted for using performance enhancing drugs. So now that's hypothetically out of his system, so his performance is no longer being enhanced as a age thirty wide receiver. Just a general fly mark like that's that's that's fair. I mean Ron Deal Moore has been used a ton of theory. I'd see if Hopkins, you got a good version of Hopkins. Let's say Robby Anderson does simple things and hits the ground running and Ron Deal Moore is used creatively. I like the idea, like they've just been such a we talk about on Sunday, such a horizontal passing it attack. I mean Carl Murray like in that last game, and like at four point five yards per attempt or something. It's it's absurd. They're not using these players correctly and this this is a chance for the offense to turn around if it's gonna happen against the Saints defense. But I've just seen how disorganized they are. If you're Cliff Kingsbury, you came into this league, and no one knew what we were gonna see, and it was successful out of the gate. But you've been proven incorrect that you're bringing something that's special and sustainable. So Murray's averaging five point eight yards per attempt. That's one of the lowest of any quarterbacks in the league. It's by far the lowest of his career. And I thought it was interesting he told the broadcast team last week, I want to start running this week, and then he ran for a hundred yards and it was so helpful, and it was a big part of the offense and scrambling some design runs. And before that in five games, he had run for a hundred and twenty three yards. It's just like everything seems erratic, like Okay, let's have Kyler start running again. It's just like there's not a great planning. Now this matchup could work. They did lose Justin Pugh for the season, who's one of their starting offensive lineman. Rodney Hudson hasn't been playing lately, and their offensive line really struggled against Seattle. They've been up and down this year, but they really struggled a week ago and now they have more injuries. They're going up against the Saints, who are now nineteenth and d v O A on defense, they're just average, Like it is not working the secondary. We killed them for trading Chauncey Gardner Johnson, who your Eagles are loving right now, after a couple of picks. It just felt like a disorganized move of Hubris and their secondary went from total team strength to weakness so fast. And some of that's injuries. Maybe they get back Marshall Latimore, but some of it's just personnel. Tyrone Matthew is struggling that the team doesn't tackle really that well. I think the Cardinals should be able to move the ball. The Saints offensive or defensive line has been erratic to like some games. Cam Jordan looks amazing. Old school Cam Jordan's Marcus davonbo had a good week last week. But they're a team you can run too, so I expect to see a lot of those little scoots, those little which is which are fun to watch. Like when you watch someone run for a hundred yards last week, you're like, oh, let's do more of this. That was amazing. Yeah, Mark your thoughts. I mean I provided some previous but some more now. I think like if anything the Cardinals. So that first week that Yankees gave it started, I'm concerned with your time, but their defense better, Like they've not given up twenty three points since that Week one destruction against the Chiefs, and I think that's something you can point to. J. J. Watt's been pretty good, Buddha Baker, Zach Allen, Like, they've got some pieces, and I think the Saints offense has been a erratic to it. The one thing that's working a little bit with if it's Dalton in there, he's getting the ball to Kamara a lot in the through the air, and there's that that's that was not happening with Jamis Winston. But they're missing, They're missing a ton of guys on offensive. How many of these wide receivers or are they going to have back Michael Thomas and have not practiced, They're they're gonna be out. Andrew's Pete is out, Adam Troutman, you're tight end. They still moved the offense though, right they scored twenty six points against a really good defense with their without their top four receivers. Actually, Andy Dalton I think has played even better than like the Dalton line that you would have expected. I think Saints fans are like, okay, because there's an argument whether you play Jamis R. Dalton. This has been a better version of Dalton than I expected, but it's been in in a tough spot, and like Mark said, it's actually a tough matchup this week, and the Cardinals have been playing better. It's more yeah there, it does seem like the jigsaw puzzle of this offense from New Orleans. It makes a little more sense with Dalton in concert with Taysom Hill. I kind of like that vibe. I think I'd be surprised if they went away from it. Um. But this is also I am just concerned. I gotta say, I'm concerned about the Cardinals at the their state on a short week now, trying to add a wide receiver and probably will return, by the way, bring back DeAndre Hopkins. I just don't trust the Cardinals not to look like a mess in this game and be disjointed trying to put these pieces together on a short week. I hope I'm wrong. Just talked about Alan Michael's part of the reason he's going nuts is because you know, all these games are so up and down and quite frankly bad in my opinion, in these last two weeks. I think the Saints have a good match up here. I think the Saints it's an important game for them. They lost, are going to do it to start the season. I will not be locking into the car. I don't actually thought about that night Thursday night. It's too wonky for me. I like to stay away typically, but also it ruins you're like going into the weekend, you've already lost your lock, Like what are you doing? That's why we get out of bed exactly. I will think negatively about it. Which offense do you trust? More? So? Like do you I just made my statement down a bunch of receivers. I mean I trust Andy Dalton as much as Kyler Murray. Right now, with the environment to Kyla Mura, I think the Saints offense looks better. Yeah. They They've been getting some things going on the running game, mark Ingram and Camara, and then I swear the success rate of Taysom Hill plays this year is one thousand fifty. I don't like every Tasom Hill play feels like it's twelve yards automatic more Tasome Hill, Let's do it. Their offensive line is actually playing better lately. But the Saints and Saints fans will will push back on this a little bit. They are completely unpredictable. They every unit is completely different from one game to the next. Their strengths and weaknesses are different from one game to the next. And they they're a team that finds ways to lose despite the good things happening there thirty feet and special teams. But I have one stat I just have to get out here before we leave. It is Uh one of the most samarried about me rushing than I actually am. But that's fine. Keeping I'm not worried. I just figured I've I've hit my quota of previous day. Back to you again, like you for three hours, I won't be here. Uh. The Cardinals last one a game in their home. Is it still State Farm Stadium? It's in Glendale. You're gonna have a super Bowl there. They last won a game at home on October one. That was a game against the Houston Texans that made them seven and oh last season. Remember that they have not won a game there since. That's that's amazing, It's ridiculous. How is it possible. I don't know. I just I'm thinking back to the Friday Fun Show last week when I was asked why I hate the Cardinals, it's stats like that. This is just a wandering lost team right now with a a front office and coach. They just all got extensions and everybody was celebrating, and everyone everyone that follows the sport was wondering, Man, not only do we not know if this is the right combination for success, they just re up with all these guys. Well, you reap what you sow. I was about to just kill him for having Matt Ammendols still is the kicker, which I couldn't believe he kicked last week. He's been struggling all season long. Matt prators back, so they actually waved Ammondola to bring to make space for don DeAndre Hopkins. I was gonna say Will Lutz is an underrated kicker. Um, that would have been a big This game screams to me nineteen seventeen. Um, because of what we've seen on Thursday night and scoring in generals down in the league and everything else that's going on right now, Um, the kickers to make a big difference. I'm gonna go twenty three Saints just to give a little more points for Al I just want to think positive. Give l one of these you know, one of these teams, to me is very much in this ste in the NFC with the three and four record. But one of these teams is like the spiral and the coaching questions, and there will be many for Dennis Allen too if they lose. We'll all start if they lose. So it's a sneaky big game. Yeah, give me nineteen seventeen Saints. What happens to al and by um linkage Kirk herb Street. If the Cardinals win this game, as I predict three nothing, do not do not put that out there. Well now it won't happen, but I could see I could see a strange their defense. What was that article? We read an article by Dan Bickley, who's like a long time dot com maybe the most influential guy in Arizona who all but said fire Cliff Kingsbury in Higher Vance Joseph if they lose this d who's interesting. And there's some other media members in the Arizona you know, uh sphere that are kind of really putting the heat on the bid Whales to make a change. Already, I don't think it's gonna happen. They just handed out extensions to everybody. It's not gonna I don't know if it's a move. When it happened, they got at least gonna wait till after the season. I mean, this is the same team that also drafted a first a quarterback in the top ten, then drafted a quarterback in the top ten. I guess anything's possible. They did do the right thing, but that's a huge acknowledgement of failure. If they fire Cliff Kingsbury before the end of the season, even let alone two years from now, it would be all right, that's enough. Well get excited for t N S says, won't let this be boring. I promise their games are not boring this year. They're Honestly, I'm not worried weird Saints. I think the Saints will give us something to root for. It. We need the Cardinals to step up. I mean that's another Hey, Cards, we believe we already got Kylers covered. We got the Cards covered. He's motivated. It's gonna be a great um ultra weirdness. I think the Cardinals will be also. Um let's have some JJ some j J Watt shots of like him. Firing up his teammates, like, let's go get what back in the mix. That was the TNA preview presented by Prime Video. The new era of Thursday Night Football is officially here, and it's only on Prime Video. Anything else? Big night of baseball? Oh, the fills, the fighting filled. Right, it's the San Diego Padres. I'm excited. Wow, that is a big It's a big night in Philadelphia Opening Night. What a day of American sports? Mark, what's your choice? You have all the what a buffet of sports? Check out at least a year. I'm going to check out part of this Yankees game so that I can leave understand what you're going through. Cleveland Ciciliano, who I really like, Andrew. He's a really good dude. He is a very serious Guardians sports fan. And he was not even down to talk about the circumstances beyond the behind the rain out. Uh and a potential Yankee conspiracy. He's one of those. And I loved it. And Uh, either way, it's like I'm tiptoeing around Siciliano win or a loss, because he either is gonna be gloating potentially or very salty. He talked to me about in the office and gave me the lowdown because I made it clear I'm not a baseball So they are the Yankees and commissioner. They conspired with higher authorities to bring rain into the New York area. Is that that is their power to rain out to essentially postpone a game that they could have gotten in yesterday, which then is to present themselves. You could have started the game at ten pm or something. You could have done it two and half. That's ridiculous, Hey, talk to talk to Secilian on about it. What are you gonna be playing at one in the morning. Kids can't watch these games anyways, and now now I'm missing the game to talk about. The season goes on often the heart outs become harder. Thank you, and you set out that conversation. I'm Switzerland. Yes, always, whenever I think of Gregg, I think Switzerland. We'll be back on Thursday with the Thursday Night Uh are the what do we do on Thursday show? Yes, we preview all the games and then of course Thursday Night we used to do a recap. I don't even know what's happening anymore. Friday Fun Show will recap the Thursday night game. We just previewed. That's it until then Dan Hands is signing off. Four the Quiet Storm, Come on, you got it there It is a brave digger. What's up? Grave? They are you going in here? From you to day? Oh? Hey what what? I can't do it. At the same time, great job on the Monday night break. Job recap there, Grave Jack, keep a cal