NFL Cover Zero: Injuries Mounting and NFL Week 5 coming!

00:00:06
Speaker 1: NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcast.

00:00:20
Speaker 2: Welcome into a new episode of NFL Cover Zero, the NFL podcast featuring Matt Jones and Drew Franklin. You're used to hearing Matt Jones right now, but I am Drew filling in in the host seat today. Matt is finally on his way home from South Africa. Our longtime listeners know that he spent the last few weeks over there on a safari and hanging out with people in his fellowship group that travels the world a couple times a year. We did a good job checking in with Matt from I think he was in a hut last week. We've talked to him in Cape cod when he's been putting his life on the line to out and get yogurt.

00:00:57
Speaker 3: But today he.

00:00:58
Speaker 2: Is actually on a fight on his way home in all day travel days, So I am taking over the reins of this midweek edition for Week five of the NFL season. I'm gonna preview the Week five games, talk a little bit about the biggest.

00:01:12
Speaker 3: News of the week.

00:01:13
Speaker 2: But I won't be alone because Billy Rutlich who usually here on this podcast in the third chair. He produces the show but occasionally pops in with stats. He's just sliding on over to chair two and Billy, it's good to have you here as a co host. As we get by with one episode without Matt before we return to our regular routine when he gets back.

00:01:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm honored. Who needs a guest, Drew, just bring your producer in to fill in the second host chair. Wishing Matt a safe travels as he come back from South Africa. I'm hoping he has a bottle of wine for me and a Tate ratlitch Jersey. But you know what, beggars can't be choosers, Drew, So just hoping he can make it back safe and sound.

00:01:50
Speaker 2: And then Hyena he's been carrying around in his luggage. We know that he won't have a phone. He's still been without that his entire trip. He told that story on the show a couple of weeks ago, how he lost it on a ferry going across it some cape down there in South Africa on his way to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned at Robin Island. He's made it without a phone so far, down there. But Billy, now he has the travel day without the phone, and this is a whole other animal. This is a different beast because I'm playing in my head a typical travel day for me, just domestic United States, you know, direct flights, and I mean I need my phone, just I keep my boarding pass. You know, I'm uber into the airport, scrolling at the airport bar, checking Twitter. Matt is having to do an international all day travel no phone. Can you even imagine?

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Speaker 3: I can't. I mean, I can't imagine being in a foreign country without a phone, let alone an airport one of the most boring places of all time if you're not having an airport beer. He's a guy that'll read a magazine at a Reds game, So I'm sure he'll be fined for the most part. But if you're like me, Drew, I put the boarding pass on there. I do everything on the phone, So it might be a little difficult to get around, But if anybody's gonna do it, it's gonna be Matt. But how great was him whispering in the tent, trying to wake people up in the bush in South Africa, trying to do an NFL show that was great last week I've been on I call it glamping trip where we say tint, but it's a nice tint. Mine wasn't South Africa, but it was out in the wild, miles and miles and miles from civilization, and that is just a level of quiet that we don't experience in our everyday life. And I'm sure that all the people around him were expecting that as they put their head to their pillows that night out there in the middle of Kruger National Park. And then right and around midnight, they probably heard welcome in NFL cover zero and Matt doing that show. So we were able to get it done.

00:03:42
Speaker 2: I'm surprised we got connected and put an episode out, but I know the people around him heard every word that he was saying, well, half of our conversation, but his side of the whole podcast.

00:03:51
Speaker 3: Right, you might expect to hear some hyenas in the background, maybe some exotic birds chirping, but him talking about Jackson Dark and the New York Giants is probably not what they expected. The nine other women that are with him on his fellowships so and.

00:04:04
Speaker 2: Didn't his Reds make the playoffs in the that too, so he probably screamed that a little bit out there.

00:04:08
Speaker 3: And could be out of the playoffs before he even gets back. So a typical Reds fandom thing. But yeah, they did make the playoffs and haven't had too much success yet.

00:04:17
Speaker 2: Back to the traveling without a phone thing. It's just now hitting me. I forgot how long his flight is, but it's ours time's hours time hours. It's just an unfathomable amount of time. Yeah, he said he's blurgs for first class. So hopefully they have a screen set up where he can watch all his favorite movies. But if not, I'm just thinking about that. Has If it were me, I would have podcasts. I would have downloaded maybe some Netflix onto my phone. I have books on my phone games if he doesn't have like movies. But does he just stare at the back of the seat for fourteen hours whatever it is.

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Speaker 3: That has to the flight path where you can see the airplane go over the water, and oh, you can only watch that for so long. He's gotta be raw dog in that for at least fourteen to fifteen hours. Do you talk to the people around you, Drew, or is that like you're at the gym you don't want to talk to anybody you're locked in. No, Matt hates flying.

00:05:10
Speaker 2: He usually has noise canceling headphones on and he's got something going on.

00:05:13
Speaker 3: I'm sure that's out. Yeah.

00:05:14
Speaker 2: I guess you could read the pamphlet that teaches you how to get your mask down and the flotation device.

00:05:20
Speaker 3: You could read that over and over. There's usually a menu.

00:05:23
Speaker 2: You can probably memorize the nutrition facts on, like the ginger ale and the free coffee.

00:05:27
Speaker 3: But other than that, that sounds like the worst day ever. Yeah, there's a lot of responsibility. If you're on the emergency exit, make sure you have a flotation device as well. He's going to be going through all those checks if you don't have a phone. So he's just taking it back to a simpler time, Drew. Maybe he'll connect with the people around him and look out the window for fourteen hours. Yeah.

00:05:47
Speaker 2: Well, he'll be back on Sunday to recap all of the games. He'll be back stateside here here within the next twenty four hours. I guess for our KSR listeners, he's back on Friday's show this week to the regular routine, and then he'll be back, as I said, for our week five Sunday Night recap.

00:06:03
Speaker 3: But today I guess it's just me and you, Billy. We'll go through the normal ground. It's we know ball, you know ball.

00:06:08
Speaker 2: Even though you don't talk as much as Matt and I do on this, I mean we hear you chime in.

00:06:11
Speaker 3: You know what's going on. Let's see this thing, man. Yeah.

00:06:14
Speaker 2: Because of match travels, as you mentioned, we had the Hut Show last week, we had to do a little earlier so you could get out of there, and we didn't even get to the two primetime Week four games. Usually we wouldn't look backwards on this episode, but we got to talk about the Dallas Cowboys and the Packers in the Micah reunion. I know it's a little old news, but the fact that it ended in a forty forty tie, a Sunday night primetime game, high scoring game that ends in a tie, which you think, Billy, and are you one of these people that, like you hate soccer and it's just completely unacceptable to have a tie.

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Speaker 3: They should just play it out until their legs fall off. I'm not somebody that hates soccer, but it does feel Unamerican to end a game and a tie. You know, these overtime rule changes where each team gets a possession, you know, makes it a little bit more fair for each team until you get to the playoffs. And unfortunately this just ended in a forty forty tie. I feel like everybody was watching this game all because of Micah Parsons, who didn't do squat until the overtime period, so that actually worked out for him. But how about Jordan Love just lase fair, not caring, throwing that ball in the ends of one second left. Luckily they are able to kick a field goal and tie it. But I'm ready to banish ties. What about you, Drew?

00:07:27
Speaker 2: It's not fun ending in a tie. But you might notice today, Billy. You know, every day I'll wear Titans gear because I'm a Titans normally always wear my Titans gear. You know, this year we asked now, and we asked. T shirt hasn't gotten here yet, so I'm wearing Cowboys gear today, my second favorite team, because I can't support a loser anymore. I need a team that can at least tie. None of my teams can win. I haven't found a winner yet. You know, Ryder Cup didn't win, Kentucky Football can't win. Titans can't win, so I'm head to toe my favorite team that can at least tie. I will say though, one of the players on this team that tied, Pickens, George Pickens, had a great game. He's a big reason they won two touchdowns, eight catches, phenomenal filling in without ceedee Lamb. He is a pro athlete. And after the game he admitted he did not know you could tie.

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Speaker 3: In an NFL game. George, Come on, George, even if that happens, you can't admit that to the media afterwards, you just shut up and you don't say anything about it. Say that was a good game. But he didn't know the rule, didn't know the rule.

00:08:29
Speaker 2: He was maybe an MVP in the MVP conversation of the entire game kept the Cowboys in it. As you said, Love and Dak, they were back and forth. I think a lot of that says about their defenses. Our boy Carrington Valentine from Kentucky got Torchy's on a play. But it was an entertaining game that ends in a tie, and a star player there didn't even know the rules before. We keep going with some news and things people have asked because I don't believe in people that like two teams. You don't like two teams, that's unaccepted.

00:08:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, you gotta like one.

00:08:57
Speaker 2: But there are circumstances, and as I am rocking my Cowboys gear right now, but I still love the Tennessee Titans, I would like to explain and quickly circumstanced that I think is acceptable that I have lived out. I grew up a Cowboys fan. Got it from my father, my aunt. The whole family liked the Cowboys. If you want to talk about picking a front runner, talk to them. It was handed down to me. We all have grown up in families where you like the teams that are people before you like. Yeah, Cowboys fan. Growing up, my whole room was decked out in Cowboys gear. I had like this this picture that says welcome to Texas Stadium Drew Franklin, where it's like photoshopped on the on the scoreboard.

00:09:36
Speaker 3: It looks like they really did it.

00:09:38
Speaker 2: The Cowboys, the metal trash can recliner, all Cowboys, Fred bens you.

00:09:42
Speaker 3: If I could come hit that star on it, I had it.

00:09:45
Speaker 2: I had an eight by ten signed by Emmett and eight by ten signed by Michael Irvin and won by Troy Aikman all in a row above my bed. Couldn't have been a bigger Cowboys fan. But I live an hour from Nashville a little bit more, and out of the blue they say, hey, we're getting an NFL team. At that point, I'm still, you know, thirteen years old, maybe even a little younger. Cowboys they're starting to get in a little bit of trouble off the field, and that's a little kid. I'm like, they're doing what that? No, we can't do that. And then literally the Titans pop up in my backyard. So that is how I'm a die hard Titans fan. I adopted them the moment they weren't even the Titans yet, didn't even have a stadium. They're practicing at Vanderbilt. I said, hey, I got to like the local team, but I can't undo my childhood, so Billy, that is why, at least in the NFL, I'm a Titans fan but still love the Cowboys, and you might see me wearing both. Otherwise, you can't just start picking teams and deciding who you're gonna like. But that one, I feel like is a little bit understanding.

00:10:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, normally I'm a you need to have one team and stick with them till the end. But I think that's acceptable. When they create a team out of thin air in your living area, you should have every right to root for that team.

00:10:55
Speaker 2: The local radio, the local CBS broadcast, I could go to games.

00:10:58
Speaker 3: Now, I'm sure you had a great time that first season. No, well the first yes, early early that first season was a lot of fun, right, But do you regret the decision to go from Cowboys, No Dahard Titans?

00:11:10
Speaker 2: Okay, Cowboys aren't much better. But I had to get that off my chest because people. No one's accusing me of being a front runner by wearing Titans and Cowboys. But you had to explain that because so many people have asked, how did you become a Bucks fan?

00:11:20
Speaker 3: By the way, while we're on it, Well, everybody's got their story, right. Some people just that was the only game on back when there was only three channels. That's why they liked the Cowboys so much. I grew up in it. I'm originally from Saint Petersburg, Florida. My dad had season tickets, so we used to go to the games. Some of my first memories were going to Bucks games, specifically in the two thousand and two season when they won the Super Bowl. I went to two games that year, both against the Saints and both losses. So they win the Super Bowl, and I go to all the games that they lose, but made me a fan for life. Went through plenty of suffering after that, whether it be Josh Freeman or Jameis Winston, who I absolutely adore now. And then Tom Brady came and saved us and won us a Super Bowl. I moved from Tampa, Florida Saint Petersburg area to Kentucky Oldham County, Kentucky when I was a teenager. Talk about a culture shock, but I kept my fandom because Kentucky obviously doesn't have an NFL team. So I have hit all the bases, you know, you go to Cincinnati, you go to Nashvilley, go to Indy to watch those games. But always been a Bucks fan and always will be.

00:12:19
Speaker 2: Well, we're gonna talk a lot about your Bucks as we get onto the NFL news here, But there's a little little intro on how Billy and I got to like our teams, and then and yeah, how about we get some news. Start with the big headlines from the week. I'll tie in the first one. Also looking back to Monday's prime time games, Bengals Broncos blowout whatever. But in the Dolphins game, Dolphins get a win. But in one of the biggest news pieces of the entire week, Tyreek Hill out for the season. You know, Dolphins didn't have promising aspirations this season, but Tyreek Hill, your vert vertical threat, one of the speediest guys in the NFL and one of their biggest, if not their biggest playmaker, dislocated his knee and tore multiple ligaments. Gruesome injury on prime time and that's one of the talks of the league right now, is him being out.

00:13:08
Speaker 3: Yeah. I had to take him to the hospital. Just hope he's okay. Wishing him the best. You know, hate to see that from a guy that's so explosive. Probably never returns to the form that we saw him in Kansas City. But a lot of people made comments on him, like laughing and clapping as he was getting escorted off the field. I thought that was a little low brow. You know, you're you're kind of high at that point, right, I mean, you don't really know what's going on. Yeah, So I mean you got to think that guy is just doing everything he can to keep his motions attack and get into the locker room. But I did like Tuus comment on it. I don't know if you saw this. After the game, the Dolphins won and much needed win for Miami, and Tua went on to say, all glory belongs to God for keeping us safe for the most part. Yeah, well, kept mostly safe except your star player, star player who is going to absolutely hamper your ability to make the playoffs this year. You know, I already have a tough time watching to a play just because of all the head injuries, but to see Tyreek go down like that was tough.

00:14:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, And you know he had had some frustrations before the injury of how things are going there in Miami and then to lose your season on an ACL like that. Yeah, there's clips of him grinning, but I doubt he was thrilled to blow out a knee.

00:14:14
Speaker 3: It's not like he just wanted to stop playing with the Dolphins. It was so bad people were making that opinion. I thought that was crazy.

00:14:20
Speaker 2: But also from the same weekend, another star NFL receiver, Molik Neighbors, torn ACL for the Giants. Another guy was a little bit of frustrated earlier in the season, but the Giants made the big QB change.

00:14:32
Speaker 3: Gotta win.

00:14:33
Speaker 2: You'd think, you know, maybe Neighbors get some excitement back pairing up with Dart. Future looks bright and then his torn acl just excruciating injury for him. Second year guy in the Giants, right when they find some swagger, losing their star playmaker.

00:14:48
Speaker 3: Visibly frustrated with Russell Wilson for the first few weeks, finally gets Jackson Dart. You know, Billy r Sports is doing his victory lap for his touchdown early on in the game, and then it just comes crashing down with Malak Neighbors. You know, I love everything about the Giants actually, Scatibo and Dart. You know, it seems like they've got a young core and the fan base is getting behind them. But yeah, that was tough. I mean, that is your superstar and you've got a pretty good defense this year too. We'll have to wait till next season to see more Neighbors.

00:15:15
Speaker 2: It's kind of eerie, but he's their best receiver since Odell Beckham. And listen to these comparisons. Yeah, Odell Beckham and Elik Neighbors both went to l S U true, both first round picks. Both were playing against the Chargers when they tore their acl in MetLife on turf.

00:15:33
Speaker 3: I don't like that.

00:15:34
Speaker 2: Both were catching a pass from an Ole Miss quarterback. I know that's getting deep. Yeah, Dart playing the Chargers, Okay, on the met Live turf first round pick from LSU and Odell Beckham came out and said like, we got to get rid of turf, Like this is this is happening too much, and you know, I don't know if they'll get rid of turf.

00:15:55
Speaker 3: But here we are.

00:15:56
Speaker 2: We're going over the headlines of the week, and it's I didn't just decide to talk about injuries. Two of the stars of the NFL and more that we'll get to, but these two, especially two huge uh leg injuries early in the season that are costing those teams.

00:16:08
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's tough. And while we're talking about turf, the turf held up in the International game in Dublin, and I think a lot of eyeballs were on that. But even like MetLife, these stadiums are going to be a little different than playing on that natural grass, and so that's a tough injury for the Giants.

00:16:22
Speaker 2: No, down, we won't sit here and continue to do the NFL cover zero injury report and just oh, sucks for this guy. But there are a couple more of that's huge news because another injury report that we don't have official news. But Lamar Jackson, oh yeah, you know, an MVP candidate or he was until one and three start, but he's dealing with a hamstring. They haven't officially said anything about their game coming up, but.

00:16:47
Speaker 3: Originally it was two to three weeks.

00:16:48
Speaker 2: Now I saw today in rap report said it's more week to week. But regardless, looks like there could be some Lamar Jackson downtime. Another huge name dealing with an injury right now.

00:16:57
Speaker 3: Yeah, and before that injury, he really seemed to be struggling with Kansas City in that matchup last week. So Derrick Henry gets the fumblesmar Jackson pulls a hamstring. The Ravens are suddenly one and three, and this is a team that was supposed to be a Super Bowl favorite now kind of on the brink here. So do we know who the backup is? Is it Cooper Cooper Rush? Yeah? Do we know much about Cooper Rush?

00:17:19
Speaker 2: Well, I'm a Cowboys guy, secondary Cowboys guy. So I know some Cooper rush. We'll get into what that means when we break down their game a little later when we go through the games. But you know, just big injury report this week. Another this one not an injury, but a big QB change. That's a headline. We're finally gonna get Dylan Gabriel in Cleveland, the Browns are switching from Flacco. Flacco is not hurt. He's just forty years old. I recently turned forty years old, so I can just say everything hurts. Flacco is dealing with and everything. If he's like me, when he walks up steps, he's like, why is my right knee throbbing? Or maybe randomly your elbow will just start making a noise and singing. Who knows, but forty year old Flacco is out. They're turning to the rookie Gabriel. Brown's with the one and three start Billy. What do you think about them handing over the keys to the young rookie.

00:18:04
Speaker 3: Well, I've kind of come to love Joe Flacco, not only because people say that he's an elite quarterback and probably not being an elite quarterback even though he won a Super Bowl, but just the whole thing with his kids being fans of other teams, like the were the opponents. Yeah, they wear the opposion jerseys and let Joe know about it all the time. Like like I think one of them was a big Saint Brown fan and they played the lines last week and he's like, oh, yeah, he's going to score a lot on you. And he's like, okay, thanks, you're my blood. You're supposed to be supporting me. So I am a Joe guy. But you know, Dylan was a surprise in the draft, right. You know, Shadur was rumored to go to Cleveland very early on. I mean many thought he'd be a first round pick. He did eventually go to Cleveland, but the fact that they not only took him and Dylan Gabriel, you know, it was there's been a lot of question marks. Now Dylan has been in a couple of games, He's thrown like three passes, he's looked okay, But you know it's just it continues the the Browns musical chairs of quarterbacks and Drew I want to ask you a question. Do you think that Joe Flacco's age or the amount of quarterbacks the Browns of since nineteen ninety nine is greater? Which number is greater?

00:19:09
Speaker 2: Oh, I've seen the famous jersey where they keep adding the names and it's so long, like it's there's like duct tape hanging that's not even attached to the jersey anymore. Okay, So I just said Flacco's forty. I know that for the same age. I feel like the Browns jersey's got to be in the forties. Though that thing's been They've been tracking that thing for twenty five years.

00:19:28
Speaker 3: I'm going over forty. It's close forty one, all right, at it? Forty one, I'll ring the bell for you. Yeah, forty one quarterbacks since nineteen ninety nine, and Dylan Gabriel will be forty one. Can you name them all?

00:19:40
Speaker 2: Just kidding that that would be That would be a true, very impressive Kentucky's own Tim Couch trend.

00:19:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, Johnny Monzel's in there, so Johnny Monzel.

00:19:48
Speaker 2: Oh, you got Trent Dilfer, Little Ken Dorsey, Brandon Whedon, Josh McCown, Josh mcyeah, Derek Anderson, how about some Derek Anderson.

00:19:58
Speaker 3: Brandon Weedon.

00:19:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's some names do that all day zero reference. But you know, Brown's making the change they needed needed to do it. They have a great defense, but averaging fourteen points a game, they're like one of the worst offenses, similar to what we were saying about Jackson Dart and Russell Wilson a week ago. If nothing else, it just gives you some swag and something to look forward to. Like, no one is looking at Joe Flacco saying this is our future, So just go ahead and give it to the young guy and see as you have.

00:20:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I'm thinking about Brown Spider and First Lady. I'm hopefully they're on board with this. I wonder what they would think about people rooting for two different teams in the NFL. That's probably blasphemy to the people that get married in the parking lot of a tailgate. They would not like my reasoning, but I'm sticking with it. Yeah.

00:20:38
Speaker 2: The other big news from the week, we have a Super Bowl halftime performer Taylor Swift. Yet it does not time Left Billy What that's the betting favorite Taylor Swift?

00:20:49
Speaker 3: It was not her? What do you mean? Roger Goodell teased it.

00:20:52
Speaker 2: I know, you know Taylor's She's got to keep her her rights to her stuff. Then you know they had that whole that's all above my pay grade. But you know, Taylor's music's untouchable. She's her own super Bowl. But they have the next best thing. Oh who do they get? Are you a Bad Bunny fan? Bad Bunny was announced bad but the halftime show last weekend. I know that's been out circulated. Not breaking news here on NFL Cover zero, But one thing we do is break down the news and Billy.

00:21:19
Speaker 3: Again.

00:21:19
Speaker 2: I'm forty little past myb Bad Bunny era, So tell me all about Bad Bunny, because if he's the super Bowl performer, somebody's driving around and just listening to Bad Bunny, I'm.

00:21:30
Speaker 3: Sure it's you. Somebody's going to be entertained by this Super Bowl halftime show. I don't know if it's going to be most people in the United States. But this is an international game. Roger Goodell said that he wants sixteen international games in a season coming up. You're playing in Dublin and then in London. If you're the Minnesota Vikings, you just stayed over there, So I get what they're trying to do to welcome in a bigger audience. But you know, he was good and happy. Gilmore two in wrestling. I think he was like the Royal rumble. Oh he's the right intro. Well, that's about all I know about Bad Bunny, and I think most people in this country is that it probably is about the knowledge that they have.

00:22:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, he's he's a megastar, Grammy nomination, the thing he's won. A few mentioned the wrestling, he's Saturday Night Live.

00:22:10
Speaker 3: He does it all. But I've I've just accepted, you know.

00:22:14
Speaker 2: I remember being young and like Nelly came out and my parents were like, who's Nelly? And I'm like, Mom, Dad, Country Grammar's the greatest song.

00:22:22
Speaker 3: You know, listen to Yo. You're the young kid and.

00:22:24
Speaker 2: You're trying to teach your parents. I am accepting that. I am going to need someone at the super Bowl party to tell me more about that Bunny. I support him getting a gig. I'm not one of these people like it needs to be my crowd, But where's my favorite music? I get it, it's not for me. But I've finally reached a point where the super Bowl performer I cannot name a song?

00:22:44
Speaker 3: Is it like the Rider? It is a little said you're getting old. We all get old, Drew, But remember the Ryder Cup that can't lay complaining that none of the players get paid or anything like that. You know they don't pay for the super Bowl halftime show. You think Taylor Swift didn't get that. I guess she doesn't need any money though she and I think she has all the money. Yeah, she's fine, But I want to come up.

00:23:02
Speaker 2: I won't be the guy eating Nacho's at halftime saying getting bad Bunny off my where's you know whatever?

00:23:08
Speaker 3: I like?

00:23:08
Speaker 2: I mean, it's I'm very excited to see it, but I'm just having to accept that I'm no longer the demographic for something like the halftime soon.

00:23:16
Speaker 3: No, I'm sure I'll be gyrating at some point, and you know all our wives and girlfriends will sit down to watch it too. They'd rather watch that than the rest of the game. Anyway.

00:23:24
Speaker 2: They caught Latin trap music. I know it's a lot of it's Spanish speaking. Yeah, get your hips going.

00:23:29
Speaker 3: I can't.

00:23:30
Speaker 2: I can't sing it all. One of the songs I he's called Mia maybe with Drake, So maybe I know, ah bad bunny.

00:23:36
Speaker 3: Look at you. You said you're the old guy at the party. It sounds like you know a bad bunny song. That's more than the average I think at this party. Don't put me in the retirement home yet. Kids.

00:23:44
Speaker 2: I'm trying to hang in there and keep up. This one has just thrown me for a loop.

00:23:48
Speaker 3: But we're talking cameos on cameos, right, Like if the main performer isn't English speaking, we're gonna get some good guests. I'm sure.

00:23:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, it'll be fun. We got a long time before the super Bowl. That's you know, Titans could get hot.

00:24:01
Speaker 3: And Okay, now we're getting into fantasy Lantic.

00:24:03
Speaker 2: Let's let's get into some actual football. That was a long intro for us. Had fun going over the headlines, even though a lot of them were were injuries or did you have any other headlines for I just gloss over. You know, you bring a lot to the table, That's what I had. Any other exciting newsbits. You were telling me something fun about block punts ear there?

00:24:18
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, that's what it was. I was trying to remember the headline I did want to bring up. You know, there's been a lot of blocked field goals and block punts in the NFL this year. I mean, my Buccaneers have had three straight games where they've gotten a kick blocked in that regard, and so CBS Sports did an investigation and asked some current coaches and players about special teams and what's going on. And I could not believe the answer to this. Drew, a special teams coach anonymously said that they don't have enough time in the day to practice blocking on field goals and punts because all of their emphasis is on the new kickoff, new kickoff rules. Yeah, and the primetime game reviously where they didn't hit the ball inside the CWN. Apparently to the according to these special teams coordinators, they are practicing so much on the kickoff that there's not enough time I'm in the day to practice scoring plays or punts. Drew, do you can you believe that in the NFL there's not enough time to practice them.

00:25:14
Speaker 2: I get that they're having to put an emphasis on these kickoffs because you mentioned it just last Thursday night.

00:25:20
Speaker 3: Completely changes the.

00:25:20
Speaker 2: Game where you don't hit the uh, don't get it inside the twenty, right, But I don't believe that you just couldn't.

00:25:26
Speaker 3: Possibly figure out how to block pump block.

00:25:28
Speaker 2: I mean, there's only so many hours of the day, how could we possibly focus on two things.

00:25:33
Speaker 3: I don't believe that whats whatever, that's that's my thing. I mean, these guys are making millions of dollars to practice twice a day for five days a week. Right, you ain't got time to practice fueld goal blocking and punt blocking, like come on?

00:25:46
Speaker 2: And the technology we have now, like back in the day at practice, you're drawing stuff up in the dirt. You might be lucky enough to roll a TV out on a cart that's hook up to a VCR where you can see if you plays. Now, we got a camera angle for everything, a next gen stat for everything. You've got a staff member for everything with an iPad that can do more than our brains could ever comprehend. And you're telling me, with all that technology, all those resources, all those people, all this money invested in your organization, you can't possibly figure out how to get a couple things into a practice tie out of my first time of the day's insulting billing. There's only three phases to the game.

00:26:25
Speaker 3: We can only focus on two of them, Drew, because the third one's all messed up with new rules and new kickoffs.

00:26:31
Speaker 2: So our average listener right now, they're working a forty hour job. They might have kids, they might have to get them to practice, they might have two jobs.

00:26:39
Speaker 3: They got to cook dinner every night.

00:26:40
Speaker 2: And we all have busy, busy, busy lives, and we would all love to have the problem of having to figure out a punt block or how to land it inside the twenty, being paid all this money with everything inter disposal.

00:26:51
Speaker 3: So get out of here with that excuse. Oh, it's got to be worked. It's the kickers that are drinking the MJ juice recently. I mean, sixty five yarder from the Bucks kicker last week. The Cowboys guy might hit a seventy yarder this year.

00:27:02
Speaker 2: Oh oh, he's amazing. Aubrey just a soccer player. There was like, I'm bored.

00:27:07
Speaker 3: I can't really play soccer anymore.

00:27:09
Speaker 2: I'm getting a little old hard to you know, get out of breath, can't run for ninety minutes.

00:27:13
Speaker 3: I guess I'll just go be the best kicking. It used to be. A fifty yarder was like news, right, Like all right, you really got into that one now, I mean that is the minimum for these guys.

00:27:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, let's let's get into our games. We'll start with do a top five games. The slate isn't awesome.

00:27:29
Speaker 3: It's kind of an ud. We were very blessed for.

00:27:31
Speaker 2: The first four weeks with some just monster matchups of playoff teams and Greaven had a Super Bowl rematch up in the season.

00:27:38
Speaker 3: This week we're getting, you know, teams are separating.

00:27:42
Speaker 2: Not any huge market games, but we can narrow down to five. We'll run through all of them, but I'll I'll go kind of chronologically with what we think is exciting. We started to get some by weeks. So Falcons, Bears, Packers, Steelers fans take a couple of plays off. Keep listening, but we don't have a lot to say about you all. Enjoy your rest. Let's get to our top games, and we got to do a little Thursday Night. A couple three and one divisional rivals here with forty nine ers heading to the Rams Billy Thursday Night football. Rams are a big time six and a half point favorite. Rams almost lost last week to the Colts. They were lucky to pull that one off, but otherwise it's been a good year for the Rams. Had the ugly loss to the Eagles before that one, they should have won. Forty nine ers same record, but don't feel like they're nearly as dominant and they are just so banged up. But it's our first game, Billy Thursday Night football.

00:28:46
Speaker 3: Who you like? Yeah, the other day I think it was Ricky Pearsall couldn't enter the medical tent because Juwan Jennings was already in the medical tent. I mean, this forty nine ers team is beat up, and Brock Purdy comes back and he could be already out again. He's dealing with some toe issues. Mac Jones could be the guy that comes in. Really, all I can think about is the defensive coordinators and his comments with Liam Cohen from the last week. He talked about the sign legal sign stealing and how Sean mcvay's coaching tree is really good at legal sign stealing. Well, here we go, now you play Sean McVay. Liam Cohen said, keep my name out of your mouth as they met at half field. It was pretty dramatic between Sala and Liam Cohen last week. So that's all I'm thinking about, is how are the Rams going to legally steal the signs of the forty nine ers this week?

00:29:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, we didn't get into that much last week where Cohen and Sala had their big interaction. But I'll admit knowing that and then picking up the schedule this week and seeing forty nine ers rams. You know I have an actual schedule, Billy, I'll lifted it up off the table with the printed schedule.

00:29:47
Speaker 3: Okay.

00:29:48
Speaker 2: My brain Emi went, oh, this is like the worst opponent for this story to go. He Salla wants this to disappear. He does not need mcveay. Thursday Night Prime Time, I saw Shanahan was asked this week. I don't know what reporter has the nerve to ask this, but they can come hang out with us anytime. NFL covers later. But they were like, what coaches can beat up Robert Salah, and Shanahan said I can, but I'm the only one.

00:30:13
Speaker 3: Something along those lines.

00:30:14
Speaker 2: So we just got like Shanahan saying he can beat up his own defensive coordinator. But it has added some juice to an already big divisional game out there in the NFC West.

00:30:22
Speaker 3: Well, you know, if you didn't want the story to go the way. What Sala said after the game was puzzling too. He said he was genuinely trying to give Liam Cohen a compliment. He said he regrets his word choice instead of using legal signs stealing in preparation of the game. He could have said film study. But I guess Liam took that personally, brushed him off at midfield and that's when he said, keep my name out of your mouth. I guess that's a nod to Will Smith, you could say without the slap. Yeah, but yeah, a little dramatic. I kind of love the drama between coaches. Give me more of it, and let's bring that reporter on NFL cover zero. It sounds like a side with Cohen on this.

00:30:57
Speaker 2: If you say you're stealing signs, that's not really a compliment. I feel like he's trying to twist this to get out of a hole. I mean, you said what you said, man.

00:31:05
Speaker 3: Yeah. Also, Liam's been a little feisty down there in Jacksonville, yelling at Trevor l Every week he's yelling at somebody. Dude.

00:31:13
Speaker 2: I thought you'd get down there and palm trees are around you and it's like you're in retirement.

00:31:17
Speaker 3: But he's worked up one after coaches his own quarterback. Yeah, and to his credit, maybe we'll talk about this more when we talk about Jacksonville. They're in a good spot. I mean them and Indy. They're going to be fighting for that division, certainly not the Titans. So yeah, any team that plays the Titans twice in one year, of course you're in a good spot. So who you like here, forty nine Ers or Rams Rams?

00:31:35
Speaker 2: It is the NFC West pre stacked through four weeks though you got three three and one teams and the Cardinals are two and two. I expect the Rams to win this though. Forty nine Ers are just so banged up, and you know Matt has his big case. He thinks they're going to be just not a good team but ends up having a good record at the end of the year. I think you spot on with that. But the Rams get them Thursday night. Pooking a cool wiz, just been unreal thirteen catches and like one hundred and seventy five yards and a touchdown against the Coles last week. He's uh leading the NFL. Just they signed Vante Adams and you know you lose. Uh Why am I drawing a blink on Cooper Cup? Yeah, and you wonder, you know what will poo Pookinaku look like with things changing up like that, just has become the top leading receiver.

00:32:22
Speaker 3: In the NFL think that was his first touchdown last week too. Their team with a lot of yards long flowing hair as well, I think helps. I'm jealous of that hair. Let's move on.

00:32:30
Speaker 2: This game not that exciting from a matchup standpoint, and neither team has a winning record. But I love a good London game. So we'll go to nine thirty on Sunday where the Vikings back to back a morning games for Viking fans. They're playing in London. They got the Browns. What do you think about how the Vikings just said you will hang around?

00:32:52
Speaker 3: Well, I think that they're fine with it since they both count as road games for Minnesota. You know, you really get the short end of the stick when you go overseas and that counts as one of your home games. You've got to win every game in this league to give your best you give yourself the best chance Frank in the playoffs. So I think they're fine with it. You know, we went through the logistics with Matt last week. That was super interesting about the thousands of pounds of equipment that they had to ship over and the meals, the passports and things like that. It's too bad that the international crowd has to watch Carson Wentz for two weeks in a row. But at the same time, now they get the Cleveland Browns and Dylan Gabriel starting, and can we get into Shade a little bit and what he did today?

00:33:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, of course, So we touched on Dylan Gabriel a little bit, but we didn't get into how they could have gone with Sanders.

00:33:36
Speaker 3: Yeah, and then he was asked about it in the locker room, Dylan Gabriel is a new starter, what do you think? And he was miming to reporters moving his mouth but not actually speaking, and on the heels of it coming out that he told the Ravens he didn't want to be behind Lamar Jackson, so don't draft me. And then what Rex Ryan went off about recently where Shader said that he was more than capable than several of the starters in the NFL currently, Drew, did you see the video because it's one of the more bizarre things seen from an NFL player. Yeah.

00:34:08
Speaker 2: And I was sympathetic for Shadur when he fell so far on draft Day. AM one of those people I didn't think he should have been a top pick, but I didn't think you should fllow that far.

00:34:16
Speaker 3: Either.

00:34:17
Speaker 2: I felt bad for him, and I thought he was very mature and how he handled it. Thought he seemed pretty mature in camp. I think we're starting to see some cracks.

00:34:25
Speaker 3: You're a pro.

00:34:26
Speaker 2: You're in the locker room with TV cameras in front of you, asking you a question about the QB room, and you're just like pretty much trolling the people talking to you. You can't give a genuine professional answer, like I'm going to be ready right if it's my term. I wish I'd won the job, been side by side with Dyln in camp. You know he wanted out, But I'm right here, ready to go if they call my number or if they need me plenty of stock answers. You can say this was pretty childish. The easiest thing in football, the canned answers to the media. You just get on the same page at the beginning of the year and you can not have drama in the locker room.

00:35:00
Speaker 3: It's a pretty easy thing to do. But when losing, with losing comes people lashing out, people getting emotion, and Shaudur Sanders pulling this stunt, you know, the better question is why would you become a mime like you know these people they don't ever talk, but you know they're dressed in makeup and you know, like to try to make people's day. Drew, was that ever in the career path for you?

00:35:20
Speaker 4: No?

00:35:20
Speaker 2: I I talk way too much. I am disappointed in his miming. He didn't do like the wall the wall or the ladder, or pull.

00:35:28
Speaker 3: On the rope.

00:35:29
Speaker 2: If you're gonna go mom, commit to the bit. Maybe you don't have the costume handy, but he could have added the hand motions. But you know, he's a guy already facing criticism. He's trying to beat the immature, selfish allegations already. It's kind of like read the room a little bit. You're trying to help your reputation now if you drive it farther into the ground.

00:35:48
Speaker 3: But if he started pulling the rope or like doing like the fishing line or something like that with the reporters, like I may ask him to leave, like right then and there. You cannot be miming in the locker room, shoulder, But.

00:35:59
Speaker 2: Do you have faith in Dylan Gabriel's Jackson Dart moment. It's very similar circumstances where you had the old veteran who was It's fine, he's doing all right, but he's not gonna take you anywhere, so you hand it over to the rookie. Is there any chance that it's just a repeat of a week ago and a rookie gets a big win and it takes over and starts a new era.

00:36:17
Speaker 3: No, I'm a little worried aboutdig I mean, not only the fact that he's a lefty, but Cedric Tillman just went on injured reserve. They can't figure out what they're doing at the tight end spot. I am worried against a pretty good Vikings defense that what do they play Cincinnati and the cornerback broke a record for you know, a pick six and a fumble recovery touchdown all does it in the first half and sacks as well, So this could be a long day. You know, Minnesota's already adjusted. They've been waiting for Cleveland to come over, so they've.

00:36:46
Speaker 2: Already got accents, their teeth have already rotted. They've fully committed to the London.

00:36:51
Speaker 3: The beans and toast. I mean, it's just part of their natural diet at this point. Yeah, I like a good English breakfast.

00:36:57
Speaker 2: You got your beans, your toasts your sausage. I think there's like a little tomato well egg compning lots of that. We talked about the logistics.

00:37:04
Speaker 3: What do they do.

00:37:04
Speaker 2: I think about when a game's over and all the recovery these guys need and the teams they're in are they just did like the Marriotte lobby, taking turns on whatever spas available or whatever gym's in there.

00:37:16
Speaker 3: That's a good question. How many cold tubs are available to the NFL players. These are big soccer stadiums, right, so you got to think that some of them have some pretty good interiors, but there's probably some that don't. Right, Like, it's not everyone is going to be pristine, But for now, I think they're still going to the mega stadiums that do have the cold plunge in the sauna, and believe me, I would need it after playing the rounds.

00:37:39
Speaker 2: Well, congrats to Vikings fans. I love the nine thirty am Sunday game.

00:37:44
Speaker 3: You just wake up and it's just there, you know.

00:37:46
Speaker 2: I hate that I don't get to see Jane Poly and CBS Sunday morning at that point, but not having a wait for NFL, just get out, let's get started. I would love to have that at least once Titan's I guess they did a year or two ago. But congratulations to Vikings fans on get it two weeks in a row.

00:38:01
Speaker 3: Well, Goodell says he wants a season with sixteen international games in one year, so that could be on the horizon. But I do like it much more than the double Monday Night football.

00:38:10
Speaker 2: I just I don't love that either. You know, we're big Roger fans. We work for the company. Now, we get Rogers emails. You know we're big Roger guys here at NFL Cover zero. We fully support the international games, mainly because I just want to get up right away and start betting on football without having to do chores and other Sunday things. Next game, how about a little Broncos Eagles. Okay, Eagles, of course, one of the best teams in the NFL. Depending who you ask, you might have them ranked one. I might have him ranked two. But they're are undefeated hosting the Broncos, who just destroyed the Bengals on Monday Night Football. We glossed over that a little bit, but I think that was said more about the Bengals than it did the Broncos. Regardless, huge win for them. Denver leads the NFL with fifteen sacks this season, and the Eagles are just absolutely loaded. What do you think of Denver? Is we kept wondering who's going to keep the Eagles from going undefeated? Your bucks gave them a run for their money last week. Is there any chance Denver can be the team to knock off the defending champs?

00:39:07
Speaker 3: Yeah? Absolutely, they've got a shot. I think Matt has been pretty negative about bo Nix and saying that's going to be a regression year for him. Denver ranks ninth in total offense this year. Meanwhile, the Eagles are thirteenth, so not too far away. But the Eagles are thirty first in passing. I mean, Jalen Hurts had zero passing yards in the second half versus Tampa Bay. It feels like the Eagles forget how to play football for a quarter each game.

00:39:29
Speaker 2: They've had some wild finishes in their undefeated say like the Rams game.

00:39:32
Speaker 3: I mean, it's just a little confusing what Philadelphia does. They've also run the quarterback sneak ninety two times since twenty twenty two. The ninety we can't do that.

00:39:43
Speaker 2: That's a lot we can't do another toush push breakdown. I feel like every NFL show, every day of every week, has a toush push conversation. I want to go back to you saying they don't throw the ball. My guy, AJ Brown, my favorite receiver in the league, former Titan.

00:39:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, Arthur Juan Brown. I love him. He's unhappy, it seems. Yeah, what's he doing? Is he just being a deepa receiver?

00:40:02
Speaker 2: I mean he's got some devatendancy. He's the best receivers of Diva. It comes with the territory. But did you see his tweet after the game? I guess this is a Bible verse. I need to brush up on my Bible reading. But he tweeted, if you're not welcomed and not listen to quietly withdrawal, don't make a scene.

00:40:22
Speaker 3: Now.

00:40:22
Speaker 2: He'll play that off as I'm just putting now a little scripture, doing my weekly Bible study. But doing that right after you had like what two catches?

00:40:29
Speaker 3: I think last Sunday?

00:40:31
Speaker 2: Is there trouble with the AJ Brown, Jalen Hurds Eagles magic there?

00:40:35
Speaker 3: Yeah? Probably? I mean, you know, last year was Saquan's year, right, and he kind of took a back seat and let Saquon run for two thousand yards and let the Eagles win the Super Bowl. Now, I think he kind of wants his a little bit, and now that he's not getting it, you're seeing tweets, You're seeing these cryptic things. The guy had nine targets, so it's not like he was just ignored the entire time. Only two catches, but nine targets drew. That's a pretty good day for most receivers in the NFL. But you know, it makes me think of trell Owen's doing sit ups in his driveway. Maybe a just receiver just have a little bit of diva in him. It needs to come out every now and then. Jamar Chase is yelling at Zach Taylor on the sideline. You know AJ was reading books to bring that up. That was last year. He was reading The Inner Excellence on the sideline.

00:41:19
Speaker 2: Been following AJ very closely since he his rookie year in Nashville. I love him, but you know, he has a tendency to do a little bit of this kind of stuff.

00:41:27
Speaker 3: Hard Trailon Burkes and the expectations that came with replacing AJ. But are are you still rooting for aj Or is kind of like watching an X.

00:41:34
Speaker 2: I don't blame him. Aj actually wanted to stay in Nashville. It's rare to get a superstar come through the Titans and like be open about I want to be here, I want to I want to stay here. He went to Old miss which is very close to Nashville. I believe he's from right outside Memphis, Northern Mississippi.

00:41:49
Speaker 3: That area.

00:41:50
Speaker 2: So it's like we've finally have a receiver, which the Titans have never had, always had good running backs. It's like we have a young receiver that we can call our own. He loves it here and then just shipped him away in that draft for nothing. But don't get me started on that we asked. We all know that the we asked. Moving on, let's get to your team, all right, your Bucks, you wanna do that one, Yeah, let's do it. Big game for your bucks. Hosting the Seahawks, a couple three and one teams, Let's see your Bucks could be undefeated. Came tried to come back on the Eagles last week. That was a tough task. Baker Mayfield had an interception in the end zone down eight. Still a good showing for them. What do you think about having Seattle this week?

00:42:31
Speaker 3: Both of these teams are gonna be wearing throwback uniforms. Oh, I didn't know that today. This could be the best uniform matchup of the year if we're talking about those throwbacks for Seattle and Tampa Bay.

00:42:42
Speaker 2: And it's in Seattle, I said, Bucks hosting Off flipped that, yeah, in.

00:42:45
Speaker 3: Seattle at four o'clock game. It kind of makes me think of the redemption arcs for Baker and Darnald, both in the same class. Baker goes one, Donald goes three, and twenty eighteen, they go through multiple teams. I even saw a reporter ask Baker, do you reminisce of the good old days when you and Sam were at Carolina? And he goes, what did you say, good old days? No? No, absolutely not. And so just for these guys to see this resurgence in their career, Sam with Minnesota last year and Baker obviously with Tampa, it's been a lot of fun. Also, two really good Ohio State receivers I believe Jackson Smith and Jibba was the Ohio State receiver, and then Emique Ubuka, who has been really good for Tampa. Both of those guys tearing it up right now. But Seattle sneaky good. You mentioned they're three to one, They've had time to prepare, They've played on Thursday night against Arizona. I think I would die for Baker Mayfield at this point. Oh, it's that kind of it is. But I think this is a game that Seattle might come out on top of. Now.

00:43:42
Speaker 2: You mentioned the receivers. Whuk has been awesome for real early and then Smith and Ja but I think he's second in the NFL and receiving yards this year. Yeah, a couple of couple of young stars. Bucky Irving, I think his status is still up in the air. He's that'd be a tough long.

00:43:58
Speaker 3: Not long term serious, but could miss some time. So that would be Rashaun White getting the carries there. But this should be a good game between two good teams that I expect to make some noise in the NFC this year. I've always wanted to go watch a game in Seattle too. The way that they've got that stadium of shape that makes it a little bit louder, I think that would be cool.

00:44:16
Speaker 2: I've seen the stadium empty like it was just when they're just in Seattle walking by it. Even just seeing it from Afar with no one in it looks awesome.

00:44:24
Speaker 3: But I would like to.

00:44:25
Speaker 2: See the twelve man in per person. You got me excited about these these throwbacks. Oh yeah, these are two of the best, maybe the best. I mentioned this because your Bucks wore the cream Sickles just a couple of weeks ago, and I think Matt asked me, like, what's another classic? In My answer was the old Seahawks. I didn't like them at the time, but it's one of those as time goes on you look back on it fondly.

00:44:45
Speaker 3: Very eve large it or something like that back in the day, way back then. And the creamsicles, you know, Tampa was so bad in them for so long, and now that they've come back, and you know, people just forget that they were zero and sixteen wearing those things back in the day. So it should be a great uniform matchup and a fun four o'clock watch.

00:45:02
Speaker 2: How excited are you about the Bucks? It's the Eagles and the Lion are your NFC you know, favorites. Do you think you can maybe join that mix or maybe knock one of them off if you get to the playoffs?

00:45:17
Speaker 3: You're on a great pace to get to the playoffs in that division.

00:45:19
Speaker 2: Well do you think you can you can knock down another door and join that NFC championship conversation.

00:45:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, I mean, you get to the playoffs, anything can happen, right, And they're in such a bad division. They've won the division four years in a row, and it looks like they're going to do it again, so they'll have their chance. You know, Tom Brady coming in went in a Super Bowl is great. Then he does one more year and then the leaves and you think we're back to irrelevancy. And Baker's resurgence has been incredible. I think at this point I like Baker more than I ever did Tom Brady, which is saying a lot. They're they're pretty beat up. Mike Evans got a hamstring injury, Tristan Wurf just came back with Chris Godwin. This is not the healthiest Bucks team, as they lost Collaga can't see as well. But absolutely, there's nobody in the NFC that really scares me to the point where if Tampa were to play that game, they would have no shit. I mean, to win the first three games on game winning drives in the final minute. That's unheard of. It's been fun. They have been incredible. I've been jealous of you. So if they can stay healthy, I think that they have absolutely as good a chance as anybody. And then it's just a matter of you know, probably Buffalo in the Super Bowl, maybe Kansas City if they can draw.

00:46:26
Speaker 2: Already picking out who your AFC opponentcy, Yeah, I mean the attitude though I'm already looking ahead.

00:46:31
Speaker 3: That's right.

00:46:31
Speaker 2: I mean, you gave the Eagles a run. Oh, let's get our last Marquee game in. Then we'll be quick hitters. On what's left? I say Marquee Chargers. Losing to the Giants last week brought them down a peg. But they're at the Commanders Jayden Daniels expected to return to uh TO for Washington this week. Another big matchup. I keep getting backwards on at it's the Chargers. I don't know what schedule I have here. Chargers are at home? What are they backwards in my notes?

00:47:00
Speaker 3: Sorry?

00:47:00
Speaker 2: I apologize, Commanders at LA Commanders two and two, Chargers three and one. After lose to the Giants last week, What do you think of that?

00:47:09
Speaker 3: Was that a fluke?

00:47:10
Speaker 2: Was that just some Jackson Dart magic that took out the Chargers, who already have three huge wins on their resume.

00:47:16
Speaker 3: You know, they lost their right tackle in the draft pick Joe Alt, I believe, and after losing Rashaun Slater at the beginning of the year. There's not another team in the NFL that doesn't have both of their tackles, so that is definitely concerning. But as much as Justin Herbert is throwing the ball, I have to be encouraged. I they are the favorite I think to win that division over Kansas City. I mean, even though they have a one game lead over Kansas City. I by the way that they've started, I think they'd be the favorite. Uh. They are clearly a team to be reckoned with in the in the AFC, and if they can get just a little bit healthier, you know, Najie Harris goes down as well. I mean, they're getting bit with a little bit of unluckiness here. But yeah, I think that was a blip. That's a that's a motivation game. If I've ever seen one, Jackson Dart right neighbors goes down mid game. Scatabo's running like my all stop back in the day. For Tampa Bay, and that's why that was just there's parody in this league, and sometimes the worst team is going to get the best of a different team. But I am fully on board with the Chargers and they deserve fans drew they do.

00:48:17
Speaker 2: I take the Chargers here, even though Jaden Daniels is back. I don't know how much better the Commanders are going to be getting Jade and Daniels back. Because I got a shout out by man Marcus Mariota not really a drop off in the two games he had to fill in. They went one and one, but their loss of the Falcons still scored nearly thirty points. He played well in both those games. And I'm a pro football focused guy. I get into the nerd stats they said he was in the two games Marcus Mariota filled in, he was the highest rated pfif graded QP. Really, it's good to get Daniels back, but how about gray haired Mariota trying to hold it together while he was gone.

00:48:54
Speaker 3: I'm happy for him, you know, personally, I was working in the city of Nashville when he got drafted. Got to work and meet him a couple of times at training camp with the Titans, So yeah, meeting name drop.

00:49:03
Speaker 2: Also earlier, you called Dylan Gabriel DGG.

00:49:06
Speaker 3: I mean quarterbacks you know over there. I don't know Dylan, but I thought that was a natural jump there. I do know Marcus, and despite him quitting on the Falcons last year and just going to Hawaii when he felt like it was okay to leave, I do root for him, and he looked pretty good. It's just everywhere else for the Commanders at this point, right. I mean, Deebo looks good, but they can't get their running backs to stay healthy. Hell, Chris Rodriguez, maybe somebody that's playing for quite a lot last week, right, so you know, mclaurin's been in and out. Daniels might have a little bit of a regression year here after all the expectations that got put on him after beating Tampa Bay and the run that they made in the playoffs last year. But I think this is a Chargers win.

00:49:46
Speaker 2: I'm going to join you in going with the Chargers. I still think they're they're good and that was a fluke last week. Let's run quickly through the rest of the games. If you don't have anything to say, we'll just pass. We went really long on an intro. I'm not trying to do a two hour episode here. I guess I'll just go kind of chronologically. We got Raiders Colts Colts. Even though Lou you should have won that game. We talked about it last week on the show. You have an eighty yard touchdown that you fumble because the receiver cannot simply just hold onto the football for another split second. He fumbles out on the back of the end zone, celebrating completely changes that game. On the other end, you got Raiders with three straight losses. Billy, you were telling me this, there's this Ashton Genty fact out there.

00:50:27
Speaker 3: Yeah, you wanted me to go quick on these games. I gotta gain. We gotta talk about this because Ashton Genty from Boise State was really good when he was in his Michael Meyers stance in the backfield where he's just standing straight.

00:50:38
Speaker 2: Up, so he does you know, normally you get low hands on your knee back, but at Boise he would just stand stiff as a board. And you're telling me that there's actual results. Well, he came into the NFL and they said you got to stop that.

00:50:49
Speaker 3: Yay, no one does. Yeah, I mean put your hands on your knees and act like an actual running back. But he actually went back to the Michael Meyers stance, and the stat difference between stances is significant. In games, without the Michael Meyers stance, he averaged seventeen touches a game, forty nine yards a game, and point three touchdowns. But with the Michael Myers stance, Ashton Genty averages twenty three touches a game, one hundred and fifty five yards in three touchdowns. That's nuts. That's absolutely nuts. That should not matter. So is there any correlation to the man standing up in the backfield and it actually making a difference to the yards that they gain.

00:51:27
Speaker 2: I can't argue with the numbers. I mean the man, he's got a routine.

00:51:31
Speaker 3: I think they see him standing like that Michael Myers in the backfield and probably think about it more when they should be thinking about something else. It's true, it's throwing him off.

00:51:39
Speaker 2: They're like, well, truly, he's not gonna run, He's not even set, he's not even.

00:51:42
Speaker 3: A ready position. He ain't gonna run towards me. That's going to be a random stat that's hard to top. I think we should keep keep eyes on that stat to see if it continues, and if so, then this will just be a weird oddity of the season.

00:51:54
Speaker 2: It's October, now, can he wear the Michael Myers mask under his helmet?

00:51:58
Speaker 3: Just commit to the bit, Commit to the bit. He's got to be Michael Myers at his Halloween party this year, no doubt.

00:52:03
Speaker 2: I'm committing to the Cowboys bit because we have the Jets. Oh boy, the winless Jets seeing the one two and one Cowboys telling you I like.

00:52:14
Speaker 3: A team that doesn't lose. Yeah, oh boy.

00:52:17
Speaker 2: This one obviously was not one of our marquee games, but it is a game. Uh. Cowboys are interesting because Dak is having an MVP like season. He has answered all the questions people had about him. He is trying to prove that he's worth the big deal they gave him a couple of years ago. Uh, He's leading the NFL. The Cowboys are leading the NFL in offense, but the Cowboys defense is absolutely terrible. They've given up thirty points in three straight games. Dak can't do enough to hang on. We just saw the tie. It was a shootout. The Giants game a couple weeks ago was a shootout. If if you want to get your quarterback some confidence, pad some stats, play the Cowboys. It's it's Dak has no help on the defensive side of the ball.

00:52:57
Speaker 3: Beilly. Yeah, and it's really good if you are attack Prescott owner in fantasy. I know you guys said that you aren't. I am a fantasy player. I have Dak. It's been great. But that defense, it's like the little Giants out there, Drew, it is unbelievable how easy it is to score against the Cowboys Giants Urbana icebox made icebox. I mean we can spike, don't play with girls, annexation report, whole mos do that.

00:53:22
Speaker 2: That's your favorite o'shae. Brother, we're not speaking through. If you want to get me on the Little Giants, that's a whole podcast in itself. It is one of, if not the best sports movie of all time.

00:53:31
Speaker 3: It's up there. There's no doubt. I mean, we've already got Happy Gilmour references Little Giants. We could keep doing this for a living Drew. But at the same time, I don't have much to say here. Justin fields is a good fantasy option. But crazy run last week. Yeah he did. Yeah, he's exciting. Yeah, but hopefully Cee comes back. Dallas is going to put some points on the board, but so is their opponent. Pickens now knows the rules of football. Yeah, that's another thing. And then they always cut to Jerry in the owner's box watching every game with a scowl on his face. A guy can't be happy.

00:53:58
Speaker 2: I don't know the over under on this, but I'm saying to take the over because the Cowboys can't stop anyone and they'll probably score a bunch of points. How about a little Dolphins Panthers another riveting game, a couple of one in three teams. We mentioned Tyreek Hill out for the year. Dolphin's dealing with that. Jalen Waddall's gonna have step up to play well. On the other end, you have the Panthers, who two weeks ago won by thirty points in a shutout, and then last week what lost Bob about thirty So about a sixty point swing between weeks for the Panthers. How do you feel about the Dolphins and Panthers?

00:54:30
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:54:31
Speaker 3: I really don't know what to think about Carolina and Bryce Young because they ended Bryce ended the year last year so good, but this year, like you said, It's been bizarre. They lose thirty to zero, or they beat the Falcons thirty to zero and then lose to the Patriots forty two to thirteen. I don't know if patients is running thin with Bryce in Carolina or what.

00:54:51
Speaker 2: But the only reason to watch this game there is the Darren Waller story from Miami Alma tight end leaves football to rap, going through things beyond football, decides to come back and on Monday Night football just just a couple of touchdowns. Waller, Hey, just revolving that career. He's not the vertical threat of Hill obviously, but they are finding a weapon for two as they're losing one in this week.

00:55:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, and this is, you know, a probably a big game for Mike McDaniels. I don't think the guy is able to I know the owners said that they were going to have patience with him during this slide, but I mean, you lose to the Panthers and that probably just escalates things even quicker at this point. So Miami I think had some high aspirations and now that Tyreek's gone and they've been a little bit of a shell of themselves that hopefully Jalen Waddle can step up, but I'm not too optimistic for the rest of the year, but they'll probably beat Carolina This week. Let's go to New Orleans, where when you add the team's records together, there's one combined win. Last week Jackson Darts win. We have the one in three Giants at the zero to four Saints. Gotta give the Saints a little moral victory credit though. Last week.

00:55:59
Speaker 2: It was their biggest spread as an underdog since like nineteen seventy five, and they gave the Bills, if we'll call it a fight.

00:56:07
Speaker 3: But they hung in there with the Bills. They weren't out of it. They only played football. They sewed up with their pads on, and you're on the field, you sure did. Those were my survivor pick last week, so I had to sweat that out a little bit as the Saints kept it close. I did enjoy going through the zero to ten quarterbacks throughout NFL history, as Spencer Rattler has become the newest name to that. But this is a lot of excitement for Jackson Dart obviously to continue what he's doing Skataboo. As we've already mentioned, you know, the Giants have a good defense and let's see if it if it transfers. You know, if you're Russell Wilson, though, I don't know what you do. If you're Russell Wilson, you just looked for another team because it seems like people hate Russell Wilson. Yeah, I mean, Jackson Dart's got so much over Jamis Winston has beloved and then Russell Wilson. You can make an argument as like one of the most hated players in the NFL. Would you agree with for really not even doing anything like he hasn't. Yeah, he just like an awkward commercial. He's a bad person. It's just that he's corny. He's guilty of being corny.

00:57:06
Speaker 2: Jackson Dart was very nice about Russell Wilson, talking about how howd it.

00:57:09
Speaker 3: Was on Russell taking his job.

00:57:11
Speaker 2: You know, Jackson's got some of that young swag, you know, trying to be pretty cool, but he had very mature comments about taking Russell Wilson's job. My only takeaway from this game you mentioned camp Scataboo. I love him. Everyone loves him. He is like the old Mike Allstart running type that you don't see anymore.

00:57:28
Speaker 3: But I'm very confused by one thing. Billy.

00:57:30
Speaker 2: We mentioned earlier the Giants lost their star player because of the turf. Odell Beckham's like, get rid of the turf, Get rid of the turf. The Giants play on turf, Why after the game is camp Scatibo covered in dirt his uniforms.

00:57:45
Speaker 3: Like ripped up?

00:57:47
Speaker 2: Someone noted like that's like a gritty football player. However, we're playing on carpet. Is he faking it?

00:57:55
Speaker 3: How did he even do that?

00:57:56
Speaker 2: Does he just roll around in a trough before he runs out there to get that badass look? Because that is a great question. How is he so mangled after a game when they're playing on carpet, He's just he's on the ground every single time he runs a play. I mean, there's no mud to rolls. He could be like the balls on the other side of the field.

00:58:15
Speaker 3: They're throwing it to neighbors who's injuring his acl and Scatba is doing like a dive onto a water slide onder the turf just to get dirty. I guess you know, there's like those black material on these these turf fields. They're getting your shoes. Yeah, so maybe that's it, But that is a look that I don't see a lot in the NFL when you're playing on turf, because it looks like grass stains. The guy has got on right now, that's just how tough he is.

00:58:39
Speaker 2: He manages to get tackled and he comes up and he has just that, you know, the big pile of dirt that gets caught in the face mask and the grass and.

00:58:45
Speaker 3: Someone has to come pull it out for him. Yeah, he's doing that on turf. I don't understand.

00:58:49
Speaker 2: I don't know if he keeps a bucket of dirt on the sideline and he's rubbing it all over himself to make it look like he's working hard.

00:58:55
Speaker 3: We all know he's working hard.

00:58:56
Speaker 2: By how he plays. It's just amazing that he's getting so gritty and playing so hard that he has found a way to get dirty on their.

00:59:04
Speaker 3: Perfectly clad Well, as long as you keep Jack's darts jersey clean, that's the one that you need to keep clean. Scatbo though, I mean, you could expect that thing to be dirty, and then I'm sure some people are gonna want that jersey swap to it may be dirty, Drew, but well he's fun. Let's get the Arizona State guys. He'sful.

00:59:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, a team that's supposed to be fun Baltimore Ravens. Wow, I mean, no one saw this happening. One in three, Lamar questionable with a hamstring injury, Derrick Henry fumbled three times in three games. They're hosting the Texans this week. I can't believe I'm saying this Outoued Houston also one in three is the betting favorite. Yeah, this is in the world. How did this happen in just four weeks? That Bill's Ravens game when we set here. We turned it out on week one, But I mean that what felt like we watched a super Bowl. If you had told me the Ravens would be one and three on down the road, I wouldn't believe you.

01:00:00
Speaker 3: Yeah, Dereck Henry had some fumbling issues. They have, Isaiah likely hasn't been on the field. Mark Andrews hasn't been himself ever since that drop, and even last year he was non existent, and now Lamar hurt. He turned to Cooper Rush, who I think you asked me to give you a bioblast. Let's say about Rush, former Dallas cowboy Cooper Rush. Yeah, well, I don't have much of a bile blast. That's why I was going there. He did play at Central Michigan from twenty twelve to twenty sixteen, played my alma mater, Western Kentucky in the Bahamas Bowl, in which they lost. That's your bioblast, I guess for Cooper Rush. But Cowboys, Giants, Cowboys, and Ravens are the teams that he has played in the NFL, and the second team All Max selection in twenty fifteen. Is now in charge of the Baltimore Ravens, which is hard to believe.

01:00:46
Speaker 2: Meanwhile, the texts if I told you he's nine to five as a starter, it's not a bad record for a backup.

01:00:50
Speaker 3: Quarterback, especially if you've been in Dallas and New York. Yeah, two stops. Houston has their own problems. I mean c J. Stroud was, you know, Patt and Caleb Williams on the back saying, you know, keep your head up, rookie, and you'll be there one day acting like a Hall of Famer. And a couple of years later he's one and three and the only wins versus the Titans. So I mean there's got to be some urgency there for the Texans soon. Yeah.

01:01:12
Speaker 2: No, one grade the Texans positively by beating the Titans twenty six to nothing. That says nothing about the Texans. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but we asked in Nashville. One interesting thing about the Ravens and we gotta get moving on. I saw the power rankings on Pro Football Focus. Okay, they dropped the Ravens. They updated every week. They dropped them twenty one places from third to twenty fourth.

01:01:34
Speaker 3: Wow is it what a fall? Shows you how bad that defense is.

01:01:38
Speaker 2: I'm sure there's a little Cooper Rush mixed in with that too, but just crazy spot for Baltimore. Also crazy spot for the Bengals injury related there without Joe Burrow till well, probably the whole season, but no one expected him to be this bad. They got a couple wins with Joe that you thought could get him a cushion, but since he's been out, they've done nothing. Jamar Chase has been absolutely mia this season, and they don't have a good draw this week. They aren't home, but you're getting the Lions, who, since losing their opening game to Green Bay, look like.

01:02:07
Speaker 3: One of the best teams in football. This has to be a double digit spread. I mean, even with Detroit on the road. I think ten and a half. Yeah, that sounds about right. I mean, I'm and ross Aint Brown probably the best receiver in the league this year, not by passing yards, but I think he's got six touchdowns for six touchdowns and four games, so really impressive stuff. Gibbs has become the runner that they expected him to be. They you know, they reached and drafted him so early, and he's been so good. Cincinnati doesn't look like they practice like I feel bad for Jamar Chase out there or Jake Browning who has to survive with that offensive line in front of him. I don't think any quarterback could do well with that offensive line in front of them.

01:02:45
Speaker 2: Did you see the clip where they're trying to block a three man rush? Yeah, five off and they can do it. It lives in four player embarrassing smash. Yeah, lines are going to smash them. Speaking of getting smashed, the Cardinals are lucky enough to draw the Titans this week.

01:03:01
Speaker 3: Here we go. I've been waiting for this.

01:03:03
Speaker 2: No, you're not going to get a ram from me. I'm dead inside. I couldn't even wear my Titans gear this week. I love you Titans. If any of you all with the Titans. Listen to this. I want to be a good voice for the franchise. I'm die hard. I will love the Titans blue until the dad die. But cam Ward was right. Oh and four going to Arizona. Arizona is a seven and a half point favorite. I have nothing to hang on to with the Titans. Cam Ward through a fun cross body throw again last week, but other than that, I got Brian Callahan telling reporters to shut up. There's stats out there that show that Will levis much better through four games than cam Ward. We're imploding, Billy. I keep saying we can't get lower, and then we get lower.

01:03:46
Speaker 3: Immediately after that. And I appreciate his anger honestly. You know, I get tired of canned answers a lot of times on oh and four teams. Well, we'll get back to work. You know, it'll come together. We'll keep doing what we're doing. No, I mean there should be some frustration. This is your livelihood, and I think cam brings that energy. That may be the one position you guys do have figured out because the rest I good luck finding another one. And Jeffrey Simmons ain't gonna be on that team for much longer.

01:04:11
Speaker 2: I don't think I love Big Jeff. We gotta we got to ship him, get some pieces. He's like our one asset we have right now.

01:04:16
Speaker 3: But you're right, you know, fighting Paul Kaharski and the media. You know the media scrum or, you know stats about Will Levis actually being just as fine, if not better than cam Ward. It's it just piles on, piles on. And now you get Arizona, who doesn't look like they're going to have a running back. I mean, I don't even know who they've got playing it running back at this point with all the injuries. Probably a game most people won't see many updates on the red zone for Drew. You think that's fair.

01:04:40
Speaker 2: They certainly won't see when the Titans have the ball. I will watch every minute of this game. I've subscribed to Sunday Ticket so that I can live this misery every Sunday. I don't think we're gonna win. I'm going with Arizona. Arizona is two close losses. It's Seattle and San Francisco. You know they could be a really good team. They're two and two, but just narrowly lost a couple of NFC games last couple weeks. They're gonna get a w now though, congratulations Tennessee.

01:05:08
Speaker 3: Let's keep holding on to that new stadium, Drew, and it'll just be like nineteen ninety nine overall, all over again. No expectations. So I'm going through.

01:05:15
Speaker 2: I'm going through the pony show of the season. Tickets for the new stadium.

01:05:19
Speaker 3: Got to get them.

01:05:20
Speaker 2: I've already gotten the tour, have had the meeting, but I'm not committing clearly. I mean, who would commit to that? Yeah, but they do. They bow your phone up. I have them saved as Titans in my phone. I get all these miscalls from the Titans. Not right now, Titans, you figure out your own problems before you call me. But a few days ago they sent an email and it literally says it's not like directed to me specifically, it's clearly gone out to a lot of people, but it says.

01:05:42
Speaker 3: We miss you.

01:05:43
Speaker 2: You are not answering our emails, and I want to reply, I miss you too. You aren't winning football games. Please go fix that and then talk to me about the new stadium.

01:05:52
Speaker 3: Well that just happened this week. Somebody responded to one of those automated texts that the Titans send out complaining about firing Mike Rabel and putting themselves in a rebuilding situation. They got a text back from the Titans that said, we are seventy five percent sold out on the new stadium. We just converted all of our current members over, so our fan base is very happy. They're not. And the nice guy that calls me, I won't to say his name. He's great.

01:06:16
Speaker 2: I've had several conversations with him. If you hear this, it's not you, it's not you at all.

01:06:20
Speaker 4: It's me, it's us, it's everyone.

01:06:37
Speaker 3: A few more games left. Bill's Patriots.

01:06:40
Speaker 2: Okay, nice litt match up here. Pat's looking pretty good. My guy Vary Bull up there, got him rolling. Drake may might have figured things out. He's looking good, but it is. The Bills had their first turnover the season last week against the Saints. That's crazy in itself. Pendled to us eleven times against the Saints. I don't want to say they nearly lost, because it was never really in doubt, but they didn't cover and the Saints played a little closer. Is there a chance that they're some cracks.

01:07:06
Speaker 3: In the Bills and it could show up this week? Absolutely after that Saints game. This is a primetime matchup Sunday Night football. I'm calling this a double revenge game. Cool now, Billy Rutligs. Double revenge game. Double revenge game. Not only for the Bills, who the Patriots sent into irrelevancy for two decades when Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were rolling, the Bills were just non existent for a while, but also Stefan Diggs who returns to play the Buffalo Bills. Congratulations to Cardi b and Stefon Diggs on the pregnancy and the future kid on the way. But Stefan finally started getting things going a little bit in the last game for New England. Like you said, Drake may is playing a little bit better, so I think Diggs is going to play well. But the Bills beat down New England and they cover the spread.

01:07:50
Speaker 2: Drake's got a little swag. He's doing like the Cam Newton Superman last week. A fun little stat he's the first player in NFL history under the age of twenty four to throw two touchdowns and complete seventy five percent of his passes in three straight games. That's pretty good and come together. I did, like Bill Simmons's nickname for Drake May.

01:08:10
Speaker 3: They gave it Drake Maybe. Okay, I think I think he may just be made. I think I think he may be him well, after last week, it may it may be that he is the right guy in New England.

01:08:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say the Bills win, but to spread seven and a half, I got Pats keeping it close. You got you got Vrabel uh leading the leading the Pats. What's the I'm drawing of Blake Stevenson, the young running back. I keep betting Andre Yeah, I keep betting on him to get anytime touchdown.

01:08:39
Speaker 1: Uh.

01:08:39
Speaker 2: He and Henderson both I keep loading up. They're they're not they haven't been hitting. Stevenson is the one that's been there a while. But I've lost a little bit on them. But that's mainly because Drake May has just been dialed in.

01:08:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know. If you know that spreads probably around seven and a half or so, then I think I would pick New England to cover that. These division games are tough, and primetime I think makes it even tougher at times to cover a spreads and.

01:09:00
Speaker 2: The Bills have to be guessed what they've done been through through four weeks stare last game Monday Night Football, Jaguars Chiefs Jaguars Wires, Jack Wires.

01:09:11
Speaker 3: Wars out a fear.

01:09:12
Speaker 2: I'll say for you Jaguars first, Kansas City Chiefs God Xavier Worthy back and immediately turned into a great offense. Can we just say that Travis Kelce running into him in Brazil at the beginning of that game is the reason the Chiefs look bad. You gotta think the offense was based around him a lot this season because the moment he comes back, he completely He helped him light up the Ravens last week, huge win. And you think that's permanent.

01:09:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I could be, because I mean your two losses this year are against two pretty good playoff teams in the Chargers and Eagles. Right, and then you come back, you beat the Giants, You're able to beat the Ravens. You could put a beat down on the road in Jacksonville and it's like nothing ever happened.

01:09:54
Speaker 4: Right.

01:09:55
Speaker 3: You're waiting for Rashi Rice to come back, and that's another weapon as well, just a couple weeks away. Right, So you know Mahmes goes off throw us for four touchdowns last week. I'm sure it's not all Xavier Worthy, but he is a big part of it, and Kansas City is just gonna kind of get back on trap for that. But keep my name out of your mouth. True, all right, this is Liam Cohen and Jacksonville ready to go.

01:10:18
Speaker 2: I head on a swivel near Liam Cohen because he's going after whoever he gets in his way. Oh Worthy had eighty three yards receiving and forty yards rushing. Just shows you how din That win last week shows you how dynamic and how usefully he is different ways they can get him the ball. I'm not saying the Chiefs are back in the super Bowl mix, but I think I might have been a little quick to question the kingdom the last few weeks. You mentioned how good the opponents have been, and then they look good last week.

01:10:45
Speaker 3: I know, Ben the knee to Mahomes.

01:10:47
Speaker 2: They're not getting back, they're not getting to the super Bowl, but they have more life in them than I have been saying.

01:10:52
Speaker 3: The last few weeks was so long ago. Marcus Mariota was catching his own passes beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.

01:10:57
Speaker 2: Man big show from Marcus Mariota. I remember that I was watching that game in the iHeart.

01:11:01
Speaker 3: Studio because iHeart Studio. Yeah, I was.

01:11:04
Speaker 2: Doing some kind of ok postgame show when that play happened. It's live on the radio talking about Kentucky.

01:11:10
Speaker 3: I remember that.

01:11:10
Speaker 2: Well, we can't do Survivor League this week. With Mad being out, we can't get his picks. He's on a plane, he doesn't have a phone. I will just say I'm out, So you guys have fun. Billy, do you want to do one out of the kindness of your heart?

01:11:23
Speaker 4: Or no?

01:11:23
Speaker 2: You want to put this on pause till next week. Everybobably gets a bye.

01:11:26
Speaker 3: A second by five weeks into the NFL season for us on the Survivor League. I picked the Bills last week, Matt picked the Lions. You picked the Chargers, so you are out. But I would like to do a touchdown parlay if we can still do that.

01:11:39
Speaker 2: No one loves touchdown parlays more than me. Tucker Craft, You're never allowed at my house. I never want to see you, Tucker Craft. I got absolutely host on a touchdown parlay last week.

01:11:50
Speaker 3: Billy, I do I do well? I do one.

01:11:53
Speaker 2: It's one player from every one o'clock game. It's usually nine or ten players. But when I do that. I understand that's an extreme long shot. I've come close a few times, but every time I bet it. It's not that serious. Always do one with four players that I that I do take some money maker. Yeah, I mean it's hit a couple of times. You only need to hit a couple of year. Last week Tucker Craft had three of the four Tucker Craft playing the Cowboys. Packers tight end just needed him. It was like ten dollars to win, like nine hundred or something crazy that might be a little yes, like six or seven hundred. Tucker Craft gets stopped on the goal line, then measure, they decide he was down at the one I'm.

01:12:31
Speaker 3: Losing my mind. He's right there.

01:12:33
Speaker 2: One more inch. They punched in with a running back. Later in the game, big play to Tucker Craft. He gets tackled at the goal line. Review it again determined he was down at the one inch. So the touchdown parlays are hitting me at a moment where I'm not well, Yeah, this week, I'm going to bring you in. Let's do a fore man, my usual foremn, but you do two.

01:12:55
Speaker 3: I do too. I like it, and you know Packers are on a bye, so you can he can't hurt me Gurt right now, he's out of the picture. That one's done. Like, if you lose whatever, I'll lose every weekend. That's fine. Don't get down to the ench line twice on my last week. That's all asked. It's like having Saquon and Jalen Hurts doing tush pushes all night. So Matt usually we do the mad game. He's not here. He does like you do a tight end, I'll do a receiver running back.

01:13:21
Speaker 2: Still don't really know what we're doing with that, but whatever, and it's fun. This week, me and you were just picking two touchdowns scores for our fourth example.

01:13:28
Speaker 3: Yeah. I do like to do different games, so like you know, if I do.

01:13:34
Speaker 2: Different Okay, Derrick Henry, don't pick another Raven or whoever wherever they're playing.

01:13:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, that works.

01:13:39
Speaker 2: I'll just let you go first receiver, quarterback. If you want to do Jackson Dart again, that was your big money maker. It's all in your hands. You get two picks first. Let me know your first one now. Yeah, definitely the high point of the year for me. Jackson Dart scoring last week. I am going to go to a four o'clock game. Commanders Chargers. Give me Omaron Hampton to score a touchdown. You know, with Naji Harris going down a couple of weeks ago, he had twelve r He's for one hundred and twenty eight yards and a touchdown against a good Giants defensive front against the Commanders, who are the twenty fourth ranked defense against the run. I'm bringing his next gen stats here. Give me Omaron Hampton to be my first touchdown score Drew, do you like it? You don't even know this, but I mentioned I hit three out of four last week. One of them was helly oh, come on. I think he might even been the first to check the box in my four leger. So of course I like your hamping tick. He's already been good to me. Let's keep it ride, keep riding with him. I'm gonna go with a player we named earlier. My big thing on anytime touchdowns is somebody that's really good that's in a drought, kind of like the team. You know they're gonna throw, they got their their game plans.

01:14:47
Speaker 3: They got a run. But occasionally it's like, hey, we gotta get so and so engaged. Yeah, get him in all. Yeah, he's kind of been checked out. A little bit.

01:14:52
Speaker 2: We need him dialed in, and there's no one better right now than Arthur Jahan Brown. We just said he's doing cryptic tweets over on the sideline. He's calling him Bible verses. But it sure reads like a guy who's not happy with a situation. Eagles are a Super Bowl contender, they're defending champs. They can't reach their goal if AJ Brown isn't happy. So I think mister scripture, mister walk away when things aren't going well, whatever it said. He's getting the ball a lot, They're gonna they're gonna try to make him happy. AJ Brown finds the end zone.

01:15:25
Speaker 3: Well, definitely comes in spurts, right. I mean, he had that big second half versus the Rams where he had six sketches for one hundred and nine yards in a touchdown and then barely does anything this past week. But I like the motivation here, the the receiver diva, gotta get him involved. It's it's these guys screaming on the sideline. Let's make them happy. He's been making a lot of noise. So yeah, I don't think they go away from him. They're gonna need him this year if they don't trade him away. I think that's a I'm with you, Drew.

01:15:51
Speaker 2: It stinks picking a receiver with the Eagles, though, because I'm gonna watch him do five touch push touchdowns and Barkley and Hurts. You're gonna do all the scoring. But I'm gonna roll the dice with getting Arthur one happy because he deserves to be happy.

01:16:03
Speaker 3: Billy, that is the risk. So we got it.

01:16:05
Speaker 2: We got We got a Mario and Hampton with the Chargers and AJ Brown with the Eagles.

01:16:10
Speaker 3: Let's do two more. Who do you have next? All right, I'm gonna keep it rolling with the receiver. AJ Brown was close to your heart. I'll give you one that's close to mine. About Amike Abuka, the rookie who has just been sensational this year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Amik through four games has eighteen catches for two hundred and eighty two yards and four touchdowns. Had a seventy seven yarder last week without Mike Evans. Chris Godwin has come back and has gotten a little bit more attention to allow Abuka to continue to do his thing. He is healthier than he was last week, so that means I think Tampa gets him back into the game plan even more. Give me a Mike Abuka, who I've wanted to pick for the last four weeks as my touchdown score. I've never really gotten into work out with our game. I think the rookie is gonna have a big game. I love it. Love that pick.

01:16:57
Speaker 2: He has been awesome. Figured he'd be pretty good as a rookie coming out of Howse State.

01:17:02
Speaker 3: But you know that's good. Yeah, yeah, right away? What do you have?

01:17:04
Speaker 2: Like two touchdowns against the falcon in his first game, had the big one last week against the Eagles.

01:17:08
Speaker 3: Loved this pic, Love this pick.

01:17:09
Speaker 2: So we got a Hampton Brown Ubuka.

01:17:14
Speaker 3: I'm gonna go on with this one. So you've done running back receiver, right, I've done receiver. You normally go against the Titans. Are you doing that this week? No? I did that last week with Nico Collins. It didn't work out.

01:17:26
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go running back another player we just mentioned. I'm gonna I'm gonna highlight our boy camps kataboo. Oh yes, okay. Each week the Giants are just giving him the rock just a little bit more, just a little bit more, and he just keeps getting dirtier and dirtier. I still don't know how he's getting that dirt on him, but he's going to work and this week he's gonna get in the end zone for US. I like Cam Skataboo. It looks like he's about plus one ten. Okay, wanted a little more juice there, but it's still plus odds. I'm taking Cam as my fourth pick. So we got running back, running back, receiver receiver at twenty five carries last week in the game versus A Chargers. Don't think he scored a touchdown because Dart had the one rushing one. But he's been really impressive. Fourth round pickout in Arizona State. We all saw how tough he was in the playoff, but.

01:18:13
Speaker 3: Now that he's doing it with New York, I got to think that market loves him, is going to continue to embrace him and let's ride. I mean that sounds like a good of a four parlay that I've ever heard. Yeah, it also fits my my thing of like a guy that's been scoring that didn't score last week's when need to get back in the end zone.

01:18:29
Speaker 2: He had a little streak off scoring games, So so that's it. I wish I could pull up the odds what it is overall, but because some of these are night games like Abuka actually a year two. I'm not blaming you, but they don't have odds for Hampton or Mike.

01:18:45
Speaker 3: Yes, because they know they're sure sure bets. I mean, why would they want people. Maybe they're there because they're so sure. But I'm definitely betting it.

01:18:51
Speaker 2: The odds will certainly be long with a bunch of players with plus ow is there anytime touchdown scores?

01:18:56
Speaker 3: It's the Drew and.

01:18:57
Speaker 2: Billy four leggeru aj Brown A, Mario and Hampton, Cam Scattaboo and Mike Buka.

01:19:04
Speaker 3: I don't see the way it doesn't hit. You bet it.

01:19:05
Speaker 2: If you We're not going to sit here and encourage it to you use DraftKings if you'd like. We prefer DraftKings. The crown is yours. This won't be on there. This posted like the KSR parlay. But just know that your friends Billy and Drew picked it and we're on it.

01:19:18
Speaker 3: And when Matt gets back, that'll be our entire first ten minutes of the show is talking about the parlay that hit for us.

01:19:24
Speaker 2: Drue, if it hits when he gets back, we have to tell him his little game of different, you know, running back, whatever that is.

01:19:30
Speaker 3: We're out until the Drew Billy party.

01:19:32
Speaker 2: Leave it to us because you had Jackson Dart last week at like plus three sixty For anytime touchdown, this will be crazy odds. Let's make it happen. But it was a fun, fun week filling in for Matt. We'll be excited to get him back. It's been a long three and a half weeks on the KSR Morning show, NFL Cover zero, all the things he normally does, We've miss having him around, but we know he had fun on a South African trip. Billy, did you have fun today taking on a larger role? You already do so much for this podcast. It's not like you're stepping into something brand new, but you did get to do a lot more talking today.

01:20:03
Speaker 3: Did you enjoy it? I'm very honored to be in the second chair here along with you, Drew. Normally I get told five minutes before the show starts the bit that I'm gonna have to do on the show. I got to prepare a little bit and talk a little bit more. So I'm having a lot of fun with this show, and I hope the listeners are too.

01:20:18
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks everyone for listening. This was the mid week edition before Week five. Appreciate y'all letting us do kind of a makeshift show here with me hosting and Billy sliding over into chair two. As I said, Matt will be back on Sunday as we recap all these games. Let's hit that four leg parlay, Let's keep everybody healthy so we're not doing a linky injury report, and I guess I'll say, tighten up.

01:20:39
Speaker 3: I love you all. We'll get through this. Titans fans, tighten up. Thanks for listening.

01:20:50
Speaker 1: NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.