2025 Week 3 Recap: Block Party!

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Walk to NFL Daily where if you try to kick a field goal, we're gonna block it and we might take it back for a score. I'm Greg Rosenthal here in the Chris Westling podcast studio with my friends Patrick Claybonn and my little buddy.

00:00:19
Speaker 2: Nick Sook all the way in Cleveland.

00:00:23
Speaker 3: Shok.

00:00:23
Speaker 1: We assigned you three games in the early window. All three included some of the most exciting field goal blocks that we've seen in NFL recent history, and you covered it all.

00:00:34
Speaker 4: Yeah. I mean, you don't get the title of little Buddy without being able to handle some barn burners all in the same window. And I was fired up to watch it. Let's get right after it.

00:00:42
Speaker 1: Let's go okay, Yeah, we'll just get right to it. And you know, we each assign out the games to start. But this is gonna be a heavy Nick show early because we've got all three of his games right off the top of the show, and we got to start in Philadelphia for the.

00:00:58
Speaker 2: Game Hold your breath.

00:01:01
Speaker 5: They blocked them the last time the bullet spotted.

00:01:05
Speaker 6: The kick is away blocked.

00:01:07
Speaker 7: It block, It's plucked up by the Eagles wing.

00:01:10
Speaker 2: What News Davis thirty twenty ten.

00:01:14
Speaker 6: Fun touchdown came over.

00:01:17
Speaker 2: George Davos, are you trinning?

00:01:19
Speaker 5: Man?

00:01:19
Speaker 8: Walk them?

00:01:20
Speaker 6: Are you trick?

00:01:21
Speaker 9: Mocked him?

00:01:22
Speaker 10: My good happy, weel.

00:01:23
Speaker 6: Seen anything like this. You don't believe in miracles, the standing style. They can't believe what just happened to them. Oh, MARYL.

00:01:34
Speaker 1: Reese and Mike Quick, I've never seen anything quite like it on WIP. That's the first time since at least nineteen ninety one that a kicker has had a field goal block twice in the fourth quarter of a game. I've definitely never seen a man of Jordan Davis's carriage running that fast. Next Gen Stat's actually backed it up. It was the fastest a three hundred and thirty pound man there you go, has since the next gen charting has happened. Man, the Eagles survive, escape a great Rams first half all the way back, and they win it thirty three to twenty six. We'll remember the blocked field goals shook, but we'll also think about this comeback in a game where it was as one sided as possible in the first half.

00:02:24
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's like, where do we start. There's so many different things we could talk about with this game. We could talk about the Eagles sleepwalking through the first half. The Rams dominating the first half in terms of yards two twenty one to thirty three. That's dominant. It looked like the Rams are gonna run away with this. They get the ball, they force a strip sack deep in Eagles territory to start the third quarter. They score off that too. I'm like, they're gonna run away with this. The Eagles have no life. Booz are raining down on Nick Sirianni Wow. And then all it took was Jalen Hurts hitting AJ Brown in a long completion and then hitting Dallas got it on a long touchdown at Boom. The Eagles have woken up. The comeback is on field. Goals are getting blocked, Craziness ensues. Stafford kind of misses a couple of throws. It was just madness, And of course that's the perfect way. Jordan Davis blocks that. We all just saw that. If you're watching on YouTube and he's right down the field and I'm going get down, get down, Jordan, just.

00:03:12
Speaker 2: Wait, that's the guy.

00:03:13
Speaker 4: That's the guy who blew up the combine with this forty yard dash a couple of years ago. He deserves to run that all the way back to the end zone. Nobody's going to catch it.

00:03:20
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I didn't want him to go down. I wanted to start slapping his helmet like Sae Quad or something.

00:03:25
Speaker 2: That was the highlight of the year. It certainly got to be the highlight of his career. I don't think.

00:03:29
Speaker 1: I mean, he could have big time moments, but he's not going to have a walkoff touchdown again.

00:03:32
Speaker 11: Now you're making me regret Greg that he didn't tap his helmet and go full Saquon airplane as he ran into the end zone as the person who was on the receiving end after picking the rams. Still still a great moment for Jordan Davis in a great moment for Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, Devonte Smith and this Eagles passing attack.

00:03:52
Speaker 12: Also, there was a huge play to Dallas Goddard late in this game.

00:03:55
Speaker 11: That where it was Hurts had this thirty two yard completion I believe to Dallas Goddard, which was the longest completion of the game at that time. And it reminds people that the Philadelphia Eagles won't throw the ball unless they have to. They get in a situation where they have to throw the ball they're good at that too. A very successful offensive football team. Despite the fact that the passing numbers were down when they didn't necessarily need to pass.

00:04:19
Speaker 1: Well, they should have passed a little more effectively in the first half of this game. They had negative one yardage passing in the first half For the ten quarters before this second half this season, Jalen Hurts had actually only attempted seven are yards seven passes that went over ten yards. That's outrageous only and he was two for seven in the second half of this game alone. He goes seven for nine for one hundred and fifty four yards in those types of passes. Let's actually listen to AJ Brown after the game talking about the team's aggressiveness.

00:04:51
Speaker 13: Me personally, I truly believe, man, we got so many good players on his team, you know, and and at times, you know, you can feel like we're being concerned. And I don't think it. I don't think it should be like that, you know, I think it should. You know, let's your let's your killers do do right then, you know, and and play fast and play aggressive.

00:05:11
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:05:11
Speaker 1: It's interesting because he continued to talk there and said, look, I believe that, you know, we should throw the ball early a little more so. Even it's kind of the perfect scenario, Nick that they maybe learn from being too conservative and got the win.

00:05:28
Speaker 2: You don't need a loss to learn from mistakes.

00:05:30
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's the beauty of it. It reminds me of the struggles that they went through late last season. The regular season. Everybody was making a big deal about AJ Brown being upset about his lack of targets and everything else, and then they go on to win the Super Bowl. Except this all happened within the span of four quarters. Really, I want to know what was said at halftime, because they looked absolutely dreadful. And it also made me wonder are the Eagles doing the whole like preseason, don't show too much thing, or are they trying to be something different than they are, or did Nixon you want to just say, screw it, I'm going to go back to throwing the ball because nothing else is working. And like AJ Brown said, we have killers out there. There are questions to be answered. But it's a great thing that they could learn this within the span of a game against it a quality opponent in the Rams who were dominating them. And it just shows that when you have a team that's coming off of a Super Bowl victory that is constructed like these Eagles, They're never out of the game. Sometimes they just have to get out of their own way.

00:06:17
Speaker 11: Those Hurts passing numbers that came in the second half, a majority of them came without Lane Johnson in the game. And this is in the same game where I think Kobe Turner as well as Jared Verse came off the edge. Jared Verse had a absolutely clean shot on Jalen Hurts.

00:06:32
Speaker 12: He did not see coming.

00:06:33
Speaker 11: It got blasted, and that Hurts bounced back in this game in a big way in the second half.

00:06:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, Hurts also took a big hit on a dB blitz I think it was a slot corner McCulloch in that And to continue Brown's comments, he said, personally, that's what I would like is us.

00:06:48
Speaker 2: Being more aggressive.

00:06:50
Speaker 1: Obviously we're going to run the ball, We're going to set up the run, the pass off the run.

00:06:53
Speaker 2: But we have a lot of players we should just let it go.

00:06:56
Speaker 1: I may be reading a little too much into it, where sometimes they do feel like AJ is talking to Jalen Hurts and the coaches through the media, they said, have you brought this up to the coaches. He said, no, but now it's out there, so drama, but in the best way possible.

00:07:09
Speaker 12: Have you brought this up?

00:07:10
Speaker 11: Yeah, I'd like us to be aggressive and trying to score more points, like breaking news aerial wide receiver once team passed ballmore fair.

00:07:18
Speaker 1: I just I can't believe the Rams lost this game. And our friend Jordan was watching it. She was waiting for her game to start. She's in Arizona, well, I mean San Francisco, watching that Cardinals game and just saying Stafford was not taking advantage necessarily in the first half of some opportunities in the red zone. What did you see out of the Rams offensively that that kind of led to this comeback happening.

00:07:45
Speaker 14: Yeah.

00:07:45
Speaker 4: And that's the thing is that if they had just turned one of those drives that ended up in the red zone and finished in at Joshua Cardifield goal, if that ends up in a touchdown, they probably win this game just a sheer fact of remaining possessions in the score that's on the board. But they didn't. They consistently just missed little It was a misthroat of Pooka and Akupa that's just outside of his arms, or it's just a lack of execution on a key down in the red zone that then you have to settle for a field goal. And it felt like that stuff kind of started a snowball as the Eagles started to claw back into this game in the second half, where they couldn't find that mojo and they never really had that rhythm offensively over the full course of the game. It was more like explosive plays and that sort of thing. I mean, if they capitalize in those possessions of the first set, they win this game, and I'm sure they're flying back to La thinking, ah, we let this one slip away.

00:08:29
Speaker 1: Not to mention, the Eagles needed four fourth down conversions to win this game, and the play I'll remember more than anything was actually a third and long on that last drive to AJ Brown at the beginning of the drive, and he is just too physical for any of those rams defensive backs essentially just mosses them and this pushes them aside. And it reminded me a little bit of that AFC Championship game of Tom Brady just going to gronk over and over on the sideline, and they just didn't have an answer for Aj Brown on these third downs. Let's listen to one more call from this game, the fourth down to DeVante Smith.

00:09:05
Speaker 5: It is fourth and goal, pers I go on de plus Perch, Perch looks Herks fires.

00:09:15
Speaker 7: Late clutch down by delate stuff Smitty's Smith Smith.

00:09:23
Speaker 12: Swimm to the bye deal.

00:09:26
Speaker 1: That was one of many clutch plays by Jalen Hurts, and you know this one's stings. The Rams have this one circled all off season. Sean McVay now one in six against the Eagles in his career, eighty nine and fifty two against everyone else.

00:09:41
Speaker 2: They've just found a way.

00:09:43
Speaker 1: And like I know, they're all humans and they're trying their best, and I thought it might be a Cardi party, and you know, things happen that I'm not changing my mind on how the Rams are going to look the rest of the year. But for you guys in Los Angeles with those Rams uniforms on to do this to my daughter Elis on her her birthday, living and dying with those Rams, how dare you?

00:10:04
Speaker 2: Rams?

00:10:05
Speaker 12: Let's go to Cleveland.

00:10:08
Speaker 2: Two check the best is back, kick is off and the kick is right.

00:10:13
Speaker 6: Don't put it up.

00:10:15
Speaker 7: It's gone right with the FuG it's gone.

00:10:20
Speaker 15: Now Man free bats rolling a hell days Tuckery, bas Oh Copley, the Great Backpackers.

00:10:31
Speaker 1: Oh, it gives me chills to listen to Drew Andrew Ceciliano and his buddy Nathan Zegera on w k R K Yes, Charlie Smith fifty five yards away. In a game that the Browns were trailing ten to three Packers ball with under three and a half minutes to go, they find a way to win in regulation, Nick whit where do you rank this in the regular season Browns? Like archives Di this is this was an amazing regular season game for the Browns.

00:11:06
Speaker 2: What did I say last week?

00:11:08
Speaker 4: The motto for the Browns twenty twenty five Cleveland Browns? How the hell did that happen?

00:11:12
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:11:13
Speaker 4: That just just fits with that too. Like there was a period in the fourth quarter where I'm like, they're cooked because they don't have the offense to move the ball down the field. Then they finally get a little bit of offense via Quinshawn Judkins running his tail off all the way down into you know, deep into Packers territory. But of course they settle for a field goal because they are the Browns and they're challenged offensively, and I'm like, all right, well that's just where it's gonna end. And then suddenly they have an interception. Grant Delpit picks off a pass that I will never understand why Jordan Love threw it against cover one on third down and he returns it inside the ten, and in that moment I went, oh, my god, they actually have a chance to score a touchdown because they only have to gain five yards. Did it take him a few tries? Yes, it did, but they got in the end zone. And the craziest part is then what happened after a blocked field goal when it looked like they were going to lose a close one again and the ability to actually get in field goal range. And then the kid who misses the pat and misses the field goal Week one and they lose the Bengals by one drills it from fifty five. I have no explanation for any of this. I'm getting text for my friends. Still, Wow, I can't believe that happened. Did the Browns cheat? I can't believe they won? How did this happen? Still not setting syncing in with me so again. The twenty twenty five Cleveland Browns. How the hell did that happen?

00:12:17
Speaker 1: I mean they just be who through two weeks looked like the best team in the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns did that and some of the things for the Packers that have been, you know, concerns. I would say through the first couple weeks, showed up Josh Jacobs sixteen carries, thirty yards. The Browns are a tough defense. Obviously, the Packers offense struggled for a lot of the day. Zach tom who is their best offensive lineman, got hurt, immediately played one play re injured is oblique that wasn't planned. And by the sound of it, the Browns really won their battles up front. But yeah, I think we have to go back to some of those moments late in the game. You mentioned the Jordan Love pick. So that's third down and three. Like I said a little bit earlier, Packers are up ten to three. If they don't pick it up. The Packers are still punting on a day where the Browns offense just hadn't gotten anything done.

00:13:12
Speaker 16: Yeah, Miles Garrett at right end, Elijah Maguire at left end, Chris plutched the back shotgun frol.

00:13:19
Speaker 2: Pick pick Delpi. He's got the twenty four sig.

00:13:23
Speaker 6: I tackled my love. Now he's still going inside.

00:13:27
Speaker 11: The far the Obviously, the call from Andrew there is great. Matt Lafleur saying the call on the play was bad. He takes the blame on that and Jordan Love with a rough throw. Don Tavian Wicks as Grant Delpit's running that ball back, he's saying he was held. I'm not sure how the hell the hold influenced the result of that play because it's a full like yard and a half behind Dontavian Wicks on a play where Delpit undercuts him. Maybe he pumps that. Maybe he's thinking about Miles Garrett, who had a half a sack today. The elite Collins had one and a half. Miles Garrett now one and a half sacks I believe, behind Reggie White for the most sacks all time before the age of thirty. He's got told December to get that, so, you know, knock on what you gotta feel confident in ninety five's ability to do that. But just a rough situation for the Packers and against a very good defense, where like you said, if you play that safe you play conservative, I think nine times out of ten you beat the Browns.

00:14:23
Speaker 1: Yeah, that was one of those throws where it was a bad decision. It was a bad throw too, like that was never going to get there. It should have gone into the dirt, and just the groner of a decision.

00:14:32
Speaker 2: What did you see?

00:14:33
Speaker 1: Because you know, when you look at all the numbers in this game, the advanced stats, it looked like two even teams.

00:14:39
Speaker 2: Yes, the blocks at the.

00:14:40
Speaker 1: End, will remember that though, the block field goal and then making the field goal in that interception. But it's not like the Packers were dominating this game. What did you see shook from the Browns defense stopping this Packers offense throughout the day.

00:14:54
Speaker 4: Through three weeks, the Browns had played almost identical first halves in which they completely shut down the opposing offense and give their offense ants and they just don't cash it in. And the only difference this time was that it carried over for four quarters and they were able to cash in because they had such short fields at the end there. That's the main difference. Because you're asolutely right, the Packers didn't look like world beaters offensively because the Browns defense has made life trouble for them, just like they have for every team they've played. They also, you know, we talked about Zach tom leaving that game. Aaron Banks also left that game. They're shuffling multiple guys on the offensive line, and the Browns are taking full advantage and consistently getting after Jordan Love. And I don't think he was comfortable enough by the time they faced that third and three to trust that he could pump thea can find somebody else because he'd been harassed all afternoon. So he just gets the ball out quickly. You can question that call. You could say, why don't you run the ball, keep the clock moving? Punted away to an offense that's not moving the ball, But ultimately the defense gave them a chance. They played well all seasons save for the last quarter and a half in Baltimore, and they put in another stellar performance today. And this is another measuring state game where it's like they're gonna be good against almost anybody as long as they stay healthy because they can get after the quarterback. They played pretty sticky coverage. Carson Swessinger had a great day at linebacker or the rookie And that's the last story. With the Browns today. All the rookies are playing well. Erb Fannon's playing well, quinch On Jenkins sweashing Earth like, They're all making a difference. So you know they're not a great team overall, but that defense gives them a chance every game, and this time they were able to cash it in and win.

00:16:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Browns fans were booing the hell out of the offense at one point. Joe Flacco was asked about that. Afterwards, he said, Look, we're human. I can't I can't lie. I gotta admit like that can hurt you if you let it, but you can't, Like you just have to be a pro and ignore it. You want to do something, but you know about it, but you just try to put that to the side. You mentioned the rookies. Mason Graham had a big time game in terms of pass rush win rate. Really everyone winning up front, so I could be eating some crow. I got a lot of tweets about Mason Graham having a nice day, and I looked at like the PFF grades for the Packers offensive line.

00:16:47
Speaker 2: It was across the board disaster. Basically.

00:16:50
Speaker 1: Whoever the Packers were thrown out there, and some of them were their regular starters like Rashid Walker. They were getting dominated by this Brown's front. Let's just because you know that we haven't had enough Ceciliano in our show this year, Let's make up for it.

00:17:04
Speaker 2: I want to hear that blocked field goal thirty three.

00:17:08
Speaker 16: This is a forty three yard field goal tried to get Green Day the league block off the ground.

00:17:15
Speaker 7: Hey, Greg, gos the goals on it the forty seven.

00:17:18
Speaker 6: Of the ground.

00:17:19
Speaker 7: There's the lord off the edge, just like I told you if he was so close to it on that extra point.

00:17:25
Speaker 6: He comes around the edge and gets it right there. Special teams, defensive turnovers.

00:17:31
Speaker 1: Oh that is awesome because you almost forget the Packers really had this game almost won at that point, twenty seven seconds left. Lining up for the field goal, they get the block from one of their you know, great veterans there and h man. Joe Flacco then gets it to James Thrash for three yards. They get a neutral zone infraction from Michael Parsons, they hit in Djoku for eight yards and that sets up the game winner and a game that probably knocked a lot of people out of their survivor pools this week, including yourths. Truly on this show, not actually in a pool, but I'm visibly heartbroken over this squirt. No, you're not, You're happy, everyone's happy. I think the Survivor segment.

00:18:15
Speaker 12: Just it's a better segment when we all picked to go.

00:18:19
Speaker 2: It's not surviving. Yes, we might have to pick as a group.

00:18:23
Speaker 1: Shook thought his day was done in terms of exciting block field goals, but he was just getting going because he flipped the channel at that point, he had all the screens up and he went to check out what's happening down in Tampa.

00:18:35
Speaker 11: Snap is down, kick is on the way, kick is good, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers our three.

00:18:44
Speaker 12: Well the first time since two thousand and five. It was not easy.

00:18:49
Speaker 11: But Chase McLaughlin's fifth field goal of the day, when's it three straight comebacks?

00:18:56
Speaker 2: I was like, who is that?

00:18:58
Speaker 1: To man by the name of TJ Rives, Jine decker Off was sick today on w FUS, but I'm sure he was watching and enjoying Baker Mayfield doing his thing. This Bucks team is fascinating, Shook. They have tied the NFL record for the lowest scoring margin for any team after three weeks. That has a three to zero record like six points. So they're winning just by the skin of their teeth every week. But they're doing it with these last second drives. Baker Mayfield, the second quarterback in the history of this league, have led three straight fourth quarter game winning drives in the closing seconds.

00:19:38
Speaker 2: And they did it after just a lot going on in this game. They found a way.

00:19:42
Speaker 4: Another quarterback that we'll talk about later and the show just authored his fourth career game winning drive. Baker Mayfield has three. Like you said, in the first three weeks, that is how fun this team is. There electric Offensively, watching Baker is just a thrill ride from start to finish. He's making all the plays you want. He's shaking off injury, firing passes to a Mecca Buca who's making highlight reel grabs. Their defense is playing well. Todd Bowles is blitzing with no regard for any negative outcome. He just doesn't care. He knew the Jets couldn't stop the blitz. Say he just sent the blitz all afternoon and it worked for the majority of the game. But they left the door open. They left the door open. They allowed Will McDonald to block a field goal and return it for a touchdown and Aaron Glenn with a great celebration on the sideline and suddenly the Jets are back in it until it's back at Baker's hands and he goes down and wins the game. And that is why the Buccaneers are my favorite team in the NFL. To WHOA, I am concerned about Mike Evans because he did have a hamstring issue and left this game, which showed up in that last drive you had Baker try to hit a receiver downfield and overshoots him, but he leans on a book again they get into field goal range. But overall, right now, Buccaneers are just an absolute joy to watch, even if you know you're on the edge of your seat thinking they might not win this one. Just it's been that much fun.

00:20:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, think about what they're facing on their offensive line. So if you missed it, Cody Mock their guard is out for the season. Luke Getticky is now an injured reserve. He's going to turn at some point. That's the right tackle. Left tackle Tristed Wurfs is out. They actually don't have a single offensive lineman as a starter that's playing in its intended position. You're losing Jalen McMillan, You lost Mike Evans late in this game. You know you had this killer blocked field goal in this game. You went one for five in the red zone, and you just find a way to win this game. And yet you got to give the Jets a little bit of love here. They were down twenty three to six, getting totally dominated in this game. The yardage was absolutely sick. Then Tyrod leads an eighty yard touchdown drive to cut it to a ten point lead. They give up a field goal drive back like the Bucks did a good job. It wasn't their offense collapsing. Tyrod leads another long touchdown drive eleven plays, but does it in two and a half minutes. And that sets up a moment, yes, where it looks like the Bucks are going to put the game away going for a field goal to go up nine.

00:21:55
Speaker 2: Todd Bowles chooses not to go for it on fourth and short.

00:21:59
Speaker 1: I think that it's a defensible decision, especially with McLoughlin, who's been good over the last few years. So though it hasn't been great this year, to be fair, uh, And then this is what happened, maybe the most electric moment in other than Jordan Davis in an electric day.

00:22:15
Speaker 2: Just snap clean the placement.

00:22:17
Speaker 7: Down check, let's blutch.

00:22:19
Speaker 6: Let's list a midfield it's step Will McDonald. Derry goes to the twenty. Timins goes old, that's a jet touchdown.

00:22:29
Speaker 2: That's a jet touchdown.

00:22:32
Speaker 6: Off of the blockfield goal. We're tied with nine to go. Unbelievable.

00:22:41
Speaker 2: Aaron gled with the absolute celebration of the year.

00:22:45
Speaker 12: And I love that.

00:22:46
Speaker 1: I hope no one gets on him at all for that. He was enjoying life right there. You watched it closely, Shookie, like, how did this all happen?

00:22:58
Speaker 4: Essentially, the offensive, the problems that plagued the Buccaneers in the red zone became problems in the fourth quarter, But more than anything, it was Tyrod being able to lead this offense that had gone nowhere earlier in the game, his experience suddenly just dotting the field, getting them down the field into scoring range, converting, converting, converting, preserving just enough hope for a play like that to tip the scales, because you know, like you just said, if they make the field goal, this game's over. We're not talking about this. It's not an electric finish, but they did the little things right in those moments. Yes, they lost the game, but this is what I kind of talked about in the preseason about the Jets thinking like, all right, they have like an adulting room now in Aaron Glenn, and they may turn the corner eventually toward like a competent franchise that's not always getting in its own way. And it showed for about a quarter quarter and a half in this game. They fought, they battled. They have talent on this team. Will McDonald pulls off what we call the Miles Garrett, which is leaping over the snapper to block the field goal, and it gives them a chance and it makes us all I think respect the more they're all in three, but they're like they're in three team that I enjoy watching, Like the vibes aren't bad with them, they're just losing games closely like this one. And and they battled. They absolutely battled against a team that's better than them. But I like the trajectory that they're headed in, even with playing with the backup quarterback.

00:24:07
Speaker 12: Yeah, oh and three.

00:24:07
Speaker 11: You could easily make the case that two of those games could have been wins, especially the first one where a special team snafu and a fumble by Xavier Gibson essentially cost them the game.

00:24:16
Speaker 12: Here are great play on special teams.

00:24:18
Speaker 11: While Will McDonald and I won't it was this was minutes after the other blocked field goals, and so we're coming back from break.

00:24:25
Speaker 12: Yeah, and I say it to my microphone.

00:24:27
Speaker 11: It's like, well, the Bucks got this one, unless, of course, the Jets blocked this field goal and return it for a touchdown seconds later. Will McDonald does it in one of the more proud moments of my career. Of course, it's not on air because we don't record things when I'm not on air because that will be dangerous.

00:24:41
Speaker 12: People lose their jobs, especially me.

00:24:43
Speaker 2: But ultimately, wait, what do you mean it wasn't on air? No, no, okay, okay, We're.

00:24:49
Speaker 11: Just you know, I know it sounds like sometimes because Greg's over there in the newsroom, it may sound like I'm doing the show because it's it's impossible to tell when I'm not, because you know, I'm just weird and yell things.

00:25:01
Speaker 12: The newsroom is upset.

00:25:02
Speaker 1: I mean, compared to Chris Rose, you're nothing. I love Chris Rose, but that guy has got it. Rose brings the energy set a pipe set him. But yes, Patrick is taping Game day live as it's all happening, and at that moment it really felt like, man, anything could happen to me, and that's right now, Like the NFL is just totally off its rocker, and I liked how positive erin Glenn was after this game, loving the fight and trying to spin it positive. On the flip side, though their success rate running the ball was like twenty percent in this game, you know, Breese Hall couldn't get anything done. Actually, the Bucks were almost as unsuccessful. Bucky Irving was under three yards per carry, so was Rashad White. Like, no one got anything done on the ground in this game. I do think the Jets have some clear shortcomings that are gonna bug them all.

00:25:49
Speaker 2: Year, But it just goes to show Shook there's there is.

00:25:52
Speaker 1: A big difference between them and the Bucks, a three and zero team and an zero and three team, especially with how injured the Bucks are. But like, man, it's it's just the details. Sometime, it's a long way to improve yourself on zero and three, And when you're three and oh, like the Bucks, now you can afford a loss or two here and there while you get healthy because you found a way in these early weeks.

00:26:12
Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, the details. I felt like I was a broken record writing up some of these games today because a lot of these games just came down to the details. What team was better at them than not. Usually, the teams that have won consistently over the last few years are better in the details. And that proved to be true in this one. And this was not the only game that was true. But I do want to tell you, guys, this two thousand miles away from you while you're enjoying it in the newsroom in La. I'm here in my house in Cleveland. My youngest sister lives with me. She comes home, she walks in, she sees the Browns blocked the field goal. She freaks out. She goes into her bedroom. And then they blocked the field goal in the Tampa Bay game and I start screaming and she's like, what what happened? And I'm like, another field goal got blocked.

00:26:47
Speaker 2: This is insane.

00:26:49
Speaker 1: That type of Sunday, It really is incredible like this, It was the best witching hour of the season the NFL. Like it took a couple of weeks. I feel like we've just been warming up and it just fully delivered here in a day. By the way, I just got to give a shout out to Yayad Dabby. If you get eleven pressures in one game, you're going to get mentioned on this show. Four quick pressures, eleven pressures. The amount of quick pressures on Tyrod Taylor today would indicate that his box score was an act of heroism by him, because it is. I've never seen it as crooked and number I'm counting him up here.

00:27:26
Speaker 12: I think I count defensive backs in on this as well.

00:27:29
Speaker 1: I think there's nineteen or twenty quick pressures, which is under two and a half seconds. That's what I've never seen a number near that big. So the fact that he even kept them close is a credit to him, and this win is a credit to Baker Mayfield, who noted this game was personal. I loved it.

00:27:47
Speaker 17: And it's also their decoordinator was the one that cut me in Carolina, so it was a lot of stuff was personal today, Son Reddick, former Jet, A lot of people.

00:27:54
Speaker 1: Ooh, little Baker Mayfield, Steve Wilkes, he that I wasn't expected, you know, ultimately that release when he was back with the Panthers and Steve Wilks was the interim head coach. I don't know if he had personnel decision making power at the time, although he did bench him for Sam Darnold. That led to Baker's career turning around and getting to the Los Angeles Rams for that game, and everything's been better since.

00:28:16
Speaker 11: Yeah, Baker knows to bless the broken road, you know. That led him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hassan Redicks beef with the Jets far more legitimate, significantly, So.

00:28:27
Speaker 2: That was an amazing three pack.

00:28:29
Speaker 1: But we've got more great finishes, more great games after the break. Let's take a look at the teams that I'm going to be watching in person and I'm going to be helping to announce the game on.

00:28:41
Speaker 2: Tok Sport Radio. Steelers and Vikings highlights.

00:28:46
Speaker 18: Next, Rogers has Warren to his left, crazy the foot, gets a snap back pass looking throwing left towards the.

00:29:01
Speaker 14: End zone, backed shoulder, touchdown, Pittsburgh Steelers.

00:29:05
Speaker 6: It's Calvin Austin in the end zone.

00:29:08
Speaker 18: Rogers to Austin, second touchdown, passing the game for Rogers and the Steelers every taken the lead at the two sixteen.

00:29:16
Speaker 2: Mark of the fourth quarter.

00:29:18
Speaker 1: Oh, Aaron Rodgers didn't have a lot of dimes on Sunday, but he saved the best for last. There touchdown to Calvin Austin. That was Rob King on WDV E. Steelers go into Foxborough and win twenty one to fourteen in a game where the Steelers are who we thought they were and we let them off the hook. It's like the defense full of holes. Patriots moving the ball throughout the day. Aaron Rodgers, looking old a whole zero for four on plays where he was pressured, didn't get much done after the first couple of drives, but five turnover for the Patriots, only one punt the whole day, and then a turnover on downs on their final drive, a fourth down completion from Drake may to do Mario Douglas Where to Mario Douglas to try to decided? After being one yard away or maybe right at the marker, decides to try to back up to pick up the first down and make someone miss. He admitted after the game. If he just kind of dove forward, he very likely gets that first down. And uh yeah, the Patriots, they've been a sloppy team. Both of these teams watching this game are sloppy teams. But the Steelers are a better sloppy team.

00:30:39
Speaker 11: Yeah, better sloppy team that in a game that featured and Aaron Rodgers bounce past fumble to a teammate that the Steelers were able to recover. But the Patriots did recover from not just the five turnovers. Two of those turnovers were inside the six yard line, one Drake May interception and then one that Remandre Stevenson of bald that got punched out where it's there. There's only so many opportunities you can give an opposing team, and the Patriots gave the Steelers literally every single one today. And the Steelers managed to survive despite having all.

00:31:13
Speaker 1: And yeah it felt like as despite giving up all those opportunities. And yes, that Drake May interception comes after a seventeen play drive to close out the first half where they overcame a lot of penalties.

00:31:27
Speaker 2: Drake made did so much good today.

00:31:28
Speaker 1: I feel better about Drake May after today, despite the two turnovers. But then he takes a huge hit where his head slams against the ground. They show it in slow motion. He holds his head.

00:31:39
Speaker 2: They never even look at him I don't.

00:31:41
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that that affected the next couple of plays, but he gets hit on the very next play. And then that was a tip pass where he could have arked the ball a little better. But Cam Hayward, who was a monster in this game in key spots, had a force fumble deflected that pass and that led to an interception. And then yes, Formandri fumbles the goal line. He also fumbled earlier in the game. There was a sequence where right after the Remandre fumble in the second half, they bring in Antonio Gibson. Then he fumbles right away, and yet you know, they had the ball with a chance to go win the game, take the lead in Steelers territory. And then Drake May fumbled after the pocket closes in on him very quickly. I am curious because I'm a dark fan, uh Like, I like to embrace the darkness of what it sounded like on Patriots Radio when Stevenson fumbled on the goal line.

00:32:35
Speaker 2: So let's check it out. I've not heard this yet.

00:32:37
Speaker 12: It's made under center.

00:32:38
Speaker 19: Hollins took the right two receivers kicks on the slot, Hooty to the outside handoff Stevenson tripped up behind line, but.

00:32:43
Speaker 13: He start.

00:32:49
Speaker 19: When the ball loose kin, it's a touch back. It is a fumble. The second lost fumble today by the Patriots, pitchburg Kenlmalterie Stevenson and the second turnover for the Patriots.

00:33:04
Speaker 12: You can't see anything from up here. What do you look at this again? So it's a given on side the three.

00:33:09
Speaker 2: It's out. Oh, Scott Zolac.

00:33:16
Speaker 1: Never want to call the touchdown before you know for sure. It did look like, you know, Stevenson scored there.

00:33:21
Speaker 11: It's interesting to hear denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance all in the call there. We went through all five stages instantly on the Patriots call.

00:33:31
Speaker 2: Yeah shook.

00:33:31
Speaker 1: You know, looking at this Steelers team through three weeks, ultimately like they did find a way to win this game. They after the first couple drives where Arthur Smith had it all over the Patriots defense and they were just dialing up easy play after easy play, you know, they went for a four drive sequence where they gained a total of six yards and Rogers threw a clunker of an interception and I thought, okay, they've kind of got him dialed in. But they they have found away here to go to and oh against the AFC East lesser team so far.

00:34:04
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's really hard to figure out who they are right now because of the way that these two games against the AFC East went. And I also take into account the Seattle game because for all the potential of the Steelers offense that we saw in week one, we also saw their potential for crushing mistakes last week and a little bit of both today. Yet they come away, you know, victorious. Like the drive chart for this game for the Steelers, really for both teams, but especially for the Steelers during that stretch is just gross punt, end of half interception, punt, punt, punt, and it's not until after they get that drake by fubble that they cash in for another touchdown that decides the game. So it's like, who are they at this point? Offensively? I feel like Arthur Smith is a better pairing with Aaron Rodgers than what he had at quarterback last year, and yet they you know, again, details it's just that in a matchup against a team like the Patriots who managed to fumble like you know, reminder Stevenson did on the goal line, you come away victorious. But I think it's going to be a bit of an up and down season for them unless they correct some of these small things. And the other thing that it kind of stood out to me the at which they blitzed in this game, considering how good their defense is supposed to be and how much money they've spent, they blitzed twenty times. They blitzed twenty times and got a pressure rate of nineteen. Like, that's a lot of blitzes for a defense that's not supposed to be manufacturing pressure. That should be able to get after the quarterback without blitzing. Now, Cam Hayward had a great game, like you said, but yeah, there are some some sneaky holes or weaknesses in this team that they still need to iron out.

00:35:27
Speaker 1: It was very confusing because you know, Nick Kubrick had an incredible game just killing Will Campbell.

00:35:34
Speaker 2: Will Campbell gave up seven or eight pressures. TJ.

00:35:36
Speaker 1: Watt had a ton of pressures in this game and gave Morgan Moses the business. The problem was that the Patriots were going to max protect like a decent amount of times, and it was either all or nothing. They were either getting quick pressure or they weren't getting anything, and Like I mentioned, it was a roller coaster game for Drake May. But man, I think Josh McDaniels has done an awesome job through three weeks. Maybe it just is comparing him to previous you know, Patriots offense is the last years.

00:36:00
Speaker 2: But guys are open.

00:36:01
Speaker 1: Guys make sense in an offense that clearly has a number one receiver in Hunter Henry. They've been remarkably efficient and had a lot of open plays. And I'm confident now when they're in third and long that like Drake May is gonna rip one or he's gonna have a good run, which he did today seven carries for forty five yards. Like they overcame a lot of negative situations, despite penalties, despite sloppiness, and then on the other side, like I mentioned, they kind of let Rogers off the hook. He had a fumble overturn by a penalty the first drive when they scored a touchdown, he skied one out that shouldn't have You know, they ended up they should have had a field goal, but a penalty bailed him out. They benched Alex Austin after another pass interference bailed out a throw way out of bounds.

00:36:43
Speaker 2: They've just been sloppy.

00:36:44
Speaker 1: Their mistackle rate is the highest that any Patriots team has had in nine years in this game, and last week it was like incredibly high screens killed him. They've just been undisciplined on both sides. But ultimately this year is all about Drake Bay. To me so good, I'm gonna.

00:37:01
Speaker 11: Once again, I'm just saying here, and this is in credit to Drake May, who saw his career yards per carry average actually fall today. He's still ahead of Michael Vick career in terms of yards per carry, and he made there was a multiple times today where he made the Steelers defense look old because they could not catch to Drake May.

00:37:20
Speaker 12: But a lot of people can't because he's one of the best runs.

00:37:23
Speaker 2: Let's go.

00:37:24
Speaker 1: The Pittsburgh Steelers two and one heading over to Dublin wanted that game to be as spicy as it could be, and the Vikings they did their part.

00:37:33
Speaker 16: Titan drew sample to the right of Jake Browning out of the shotgun, throws a quickie right caught Noah Fan his fifth catch. He he dropped the ball, Rogers picked it up a way too defensic touchdowns for.

00:37:51
Speaker 6: Two y say Rodgers Woll.

00:37:55
Speaker 2: Done young man.

00:37:57
Speaker 1: Oh, where were you for that Isaiah Rogers game sixty six yard fumble return. I wanted to hear like the incredulity in Paul Allen's voice there because it was it was the second touchdown that Rogers had of the game.

00:38:15
Speaker 2: That was on k f an.

00:38:17
Speaker 1: Let's not even wait around. Yes, I just want to hear the other call. Let's hear the pick six too.

00:38:23
Speaker 16: Browning second to nine from the Vikings twenty nine, takes the snap, four man rush. Jake quotes to the left.

00:38:28
Speaker 2: Now he looks to run to the right.

00:38:29
Speaker 16: Now he throws and it's intercepted.

00:38:32
Speaker 6: Hi Sayer Rogers.

00:38:35
Speaker 2: Thirty forty fifty is.

00:38:38
Speaker 6: Loose, Hi Saya Rodgers is.

00:38:44
Speaker 9: Ben eighty seven yard pick six?

00:38:48
Speaker 6: Bye ey say Rogers.

00:38:50
Speaker 1: Love that call, and I also, you know, love the fact that Isaiah Rodgers not only had two touchdowns, he had two forcefull most of this game outrageous Vikings win. By the way, he should have mentioned that forty eight to ten in Carson Wentz's first start, and.

00:39:05
Speaker 11: Carson Wentz didn't have to do much because, as you mentioned, the Isaiah Rodgers game that started where Jake Browning is hit as he throws the ball kind of goes off of Harrison Smith's hands. Also, welcome back Harrison Smith coming back to this game from injury. Also Christian Darasol returning from injury playing in this game after tearing his acl week eight last season, actually got the game ball from koc for his return.

00:39:27
Speaker 12: Played pretty good in it.

00:39:28
Speaker 11: But again, Isaiah Rodgers, if you saw that ball get tipped and he goes back for his first career touchdown, you may think.

00:39:34
Speaker 12: Oh, it was tipped. You know, is this really the Isaiah Rodgers game.

00:39:37
Speaker 3: No.

00:39:38
Speaker 11: In the Noah Fan fumble, it may look like his teammates smacked Noah Fan. That was after Isaiah Rodgers had already punched the ball. Hicks the ball up that he forced, the fumble that he forced, takes it back for the touchdown. Later he punches another ball away from Jamar Chase And it's just an incredible performance where the Vikings looked like Brian Flores Minnesota Vikings against an overmatched Cincinnati Bengals team with their backup quarterback. Five turnovers for the Bengals, and you know, we'll have a chance to talk about the Colts. But justice for lu Anrumo. I mean This was a rough one for al Golden squad and Carson Wentz comes in starts off the game with a touchdown to Josh Oliver where Christian Darosol had to keep block Like it's may It may be like undervalued and underdiscussed how much Christian Darisol meant down the stretch for the Minnesota Vikings. But if he comes back again, that's not a long time, like eleven months for the ACL and PCL injury that he had. Yeah, like that, it's a really impressive bounce back for Christian.

00:40:40
Speaker 1: Darisol, huge for them. I want to stay on the Vikings for a second because it's forty eight to ten. We'll get to the Bengals. It's literally the worst lost in team history. That's hey, they started doing oh though, Greg, I mean they are two and one, but the Jake Browning optimism is going away. And you look at this score and you think, okay, well that's fluky. The all these return touchdowns and everything was like okay. Jordan Mason also averaged seven point three yards per carry. They also just about doubled them up. They did more than double them up in terms of total yardage and almost yards are play Wentz gets Jefferson involved, and obviously their their defense played great, even on top of the five turnovers they had. What impressed you about like the Wentz offense? What did he look like to you today?

00:41:23
Speaker 11: Well, I don't want to say the game managed situation as fine as though as a critique, but it's all you can It's all you can ask for in a game where your defense is scoring touchdowns, right and you've you've got an opportunity to come.

00:41:36
Speaker 12: Back and play.

00:41:36
Speaker 11: I thought he had justin Jefferson on a couple of plays where Jefferson looked very, very explosive after the catch. But the most Jefferson Jefferson that we saw today was him on the sideline celebrating things that Isaiah Rodgers did. Like this was a game that was so dominant by the defense, where all the offense had to do was go move. Will Record hit a sixty two yarder right before the half. This was a little domination. Well, how did you just to see another dominated performance by another team today?

00:42:05
Speaker 12: But this was against the backup quarterback. The Bengals clearly were overmatched.

00:42:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, the numbers shook for the Bengals offense in this game were so rough for most of it. I mean they stayed that way. Eventually Jamar Chase finishes with five for fifty, But I know it's the Vikings defense. What does this mean make you think about, like what this team is going to look like by the time Joe Burrow gets back. If he does get back, we heard today that mid December would be the hope.

00:42:35
Speaker 4: I don't want to sound too extreme, but I think there were signs of this being a possibility in their win over Jacksonville last week, with the way that Jake Browning threw passes into traffic as if the speed of the game was too much for him, which shouldn't be the case. He's got experience as a starter in place of Joe Burrow, but it just felt like that, And it definitely felt like that today. Your offensive success rates below twenty nine percent, your quarterback is overwhelmed for most of the game, He's making crushing mistakes. It's not a good outlook. And yes, you're right, it is against a Brian Flores defense, a defense that is traditionally opportunistic, but also a defense I like some manufactured pressure. They put twelve times, so it wasn't a matter of like, hey, we have to create pressure and get him off his spot and harass him. It just happened naturally, and it concerns me about how they're going to handle. You know, some other competitive opponents. If you go look at their schedule, they played Denver next week, then they played Detroit, then they play Green Bay, then they play Pittsburgh. If they play like they did today, they'll lose all of those games, and that two and oh starts not going to matter a whole lot. So hopefully they get these things corrected because it is only one game, but it's just a bad sign of what could be possible.

00:43:33
Speaker 1: Yeah, Brian Flores is a unique challenge, I think, unlike really any other, and so Zach Taylor and Jake Browning together clearly we're not up for that challenge. And next week I'm really excited about being able to see that game live and we'll be helping on Sky Sports by the way, too, along with talk. To imagine the Aaron Rodgers against this defense is tricky. It is worth noting like Dallas Turner started this game because Van Gingink I think wasn't one hundred percent. They were rotating man. Harrison Smith came off the bench in this game too, So they are at a point with Wentz as their starter that they need their defense to carry them, and that's gonna be their recipe. I thought it was very interesting Patrick that right after the game, Kevin O'Connell said that Carson Wentz will be the starter next week. They're not even gonna kind of like see how much their young quarterback is improving.

00:44:26
Speaker 2: I'm reading a little into that. Call me a conspiracy theorist.

00:44:29
Speaker 12: Yeah, JJ is hurt.

00:44:31
Speaker 6: He's hurt.

00:44:32
Speaker 12: An extra few downs plane ride.

00:44:34
Speaker 2: It's not going to make him okay if he was, he's hurt.

00:44:37
Speaker 1: But let's say he's Kirk Cousins from four years ago or whatever, and he's a week off of that spring. I don't think they would be declaring Carson Wentz the starter on Sunday night already.

00:44:46
Speaker 2: It really don't.

00:44:47
Speaker 11: In the event, JJ McCarthy was multiple time Pro bowler and yeah, multi time huge contract receiver. Kirk Cousins, Yeah, yeah, it would probably be different, but Carson Wentz went out there. I got t J hocketson back involved. Jalen Naylor had five markus today.

00:44:59
Speaker 2: Bring it.

00:45:00
Speaker 12: Austin Jefferson got seven targets. Suns cop Yards. Carson Wentz is back, Baby, take a command.

00:45:06
Speaker 1: I do love a Carson Wentz redemption story, as we all know.

00:45:12
Speaker 2: Excited to really go ahead and start to take command. Let's go.

00:45:16
Speaker 1: I Missmoke earlier this week when I said he was the first quarterback to start for five different franchises in five straight years.

00:45:24
Speaker 2: No wrong, it was six.

00:45:26
Speaker 1: I did not recognize your game, Carson Wentz. Love to have you back in the league. Let's go to uh Los Angeles. Right across the street.

00:45:35
Speaker 16: Snap good, hold, good kick, stude camp kicker.

00:45:42
Speaker 12: The kicker.

00:45:45
Speaker 20: Secures victory as the Chargers start the season three and zero, knocking off each of their AFC West Division foes in the process.

00:45:56
Speaker 1: Oh what eight start to the season for Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.

00:46:03
Speaker 2: It truly gets no better like that.

00:46:05
Speaker 1: Money Smith pointed out there on KFI, good job editing Eric not letting Daniel Jeremiah.

00:46:11
Speaker 2: Into the highlight.

00:46:14
Speaker 1: Beating your three division opponents to start the season is incredible, And they did it Patrick in a way that is so opposite of how the Chargers used.

00:46:25
Speaker 2: To handle these late game situations.

00:46:27
Speaker 11: Yeah, there was such a sense of aggression and This is against a Denver defense that was all over Justin Herbert down the stretch. One particular played Nick Benito got such a great jump a Nick Bidino had I think two and a half sacks in this game. I'll go check here in a second. But the second step of Herbert's drop back from the shotgun, Nick Benito's there. Herbert was able to get the ball away just enough there. But the final moments what wound up being the game winner. We'll go through everything that went wrong for the Denver Broncos. Justin Herbert, showing just how talented he is, gets away from pressure, is getting hit in the face by Nick Benito and has a throw of the Year candidate to Keenan Allen for the game winning touchdown.

00:47:11
Speaker 4: Lad to the left, joined by Keenan Herbert to throw.

00:47:14
Speaker 2: They rush for Herbert has time. Now he doesn't climbs the pocket and now he's gonna use his legs. Slows to the end zone.

00:47:20
Speaker 20: Cautta touchdown touchdown chargers Sheenan Allen, Rry and Riley moss Is a backpack comes up with the grab and they're an extra point away from tying this game.

00:47:34
Speaker 2: Normal quarterbacks are tackled right there. If you're justin Herbert, you just shrug it off and throw a touchdown pass.

00:47:40
Speaker 1: Oh D Day was thinking, I can get into NFL daily if I jump into this fast enough. That is absolutely a Throw of the Year candidate. The more angles that you see it from, the better. It is like Herbert is having a moment right now. Yeah he is, and contrast it we're over on the other side. All that the game winning throw.

00:48:01
Speaker 11: Ultimately, it took another possession and a bow Nicks incompletion deep down the sideline to Courtland Sutton just off of the Autrex finger with tips, and then we go back a couple of other times Marvin Mims was opened deep in the third quarter, Nicks overthrew him, and then we go back to the first half Marvin Mimmes was opened deep and bo Nicks missed him. So those three shots all resulting in Broncos punts eventually, if I'm not mistaken. Two of them were on third down, one of them was on second down where the Broncos had opportunities to score, didn't. The last one to Courtland Sutton really kind of stands out to you because he put a whole lot of air under it and Sutton just could not quite get to it. But you just contrasts that with a great quarterback who's playing great making plays at home again, like getting his helmet spun all the way around as soon as he releases that ball, and yeah, good, good call, good call, and getting Keenan Allen to come back to Los Angeles.

00:48:56
Speaker 2: Kennan Allen's kind of changed this team, don't you think.

00:48:58
Speaker 4: Nick, Yeah, definitely, And it's really about his role in this bouncing out their receiving corps and the distribution that Justin Herbert is able to achieve on a week by week basis, Like if you look at their catches, you got six from Quentin Johnson, seven from Keenan Allens, six from o'marion Hampton, five from Gadsden, four from mcakee, including a big one that sets up the game winning field goal. Like he's got so many options, he's in complete control and comfortable and he's just spreading the ball around the field and they're moving down the field. And yeah, they didn't put up a ton of points today, and there was a stretch there in the game where you thought maybe they won't get this done, but ultimately he did. He's he's found that clutch gene because of the options that are at his disposal, and that's a big reason why they're three to o. Like, you cannot look at this three and oh start and say, Justin Herbert isn't the lynchpin of this offense. Isn't the key reason, the Jenga piece of that tower or whatever that they're having such a good start to the season. He's playing fantastic football and in the biggest in the biggest spots like he did today. He comes through in a game that, like you said, in years past, they would have found a way to lose that game. Instead because of him, they're winning these games.

00:49:58
Speaker 11: And you talked about the overall talent of that receiving group. I know Quentin Johnson's having a great season, and folks are like, oh, this is Quentin Johnson the one. Now, Vance Joseph showed you who they believe the one is because it was the reigning defensive player of the year. Patrick scrattan one on one with Lad McConkey in that gotta have it situation, Lad got the win. I know, you know Certan's playing coming off that injury. They finished the game last week. But just they're so They're so good in so many different spots, and a rough one is Najie Harris is most likely going to be done for the season. They're doing an MRI. Their concerns at see Achilles injury. But also, you know, Amarron Hampton finished the game great like the Chargers showed their talent and also on the sideline, Khalil Mack had the east Stem machine working. You could see the electronic stimulation on his elbow during the game. They're committed, Greg, they are committed the Chargers with three now.

00:50:50
Speaker 2: That is wild, really sad. Yeah about now j Harris.

00:50:55
Speaker 1: You could see the disappointment in his face as he was carted off the field in that game. Hampton finishes with one hundred and twenty nine yards and the offensive line, it sounds like, didn't play as well and that that's what great quarterbacks do.

00:51:10
Speaker 2: In time.

00:51:11
Speaker 1: Bo Knicks could be a quarterback that elevates rather than just kind of goes along with what his surroundings are. But right now, I feel like he is more of a product of the team. Not that he didn't you know, make some plays today, but they just haven't been consistent. They've been consistently bad in these one score games. Sean Payton's record in one score games with the Broncos is brutal, especially since the start of last year. But you pick up nine first downs in a game where the Chargers had twenty nine. I mean, that's a Jim Harbass stat if I ever saw one. They somehow scraped out twenty nine first downs and only three and only three hundred and seventy six yards. But that is a Jim Harbaugh station to station offense. And I love Shook just throwing Gadsden in there. That's a Ronde Gadzd. I don't believe he had a catch before today. I'm not sure if he was. He's been active for games, right, but he suddenly just pops in there and goes six for fifty nine. And they could use a little bit of a tight end threat too, so that that's nice for them.

00:52:13
Speaker 12: Yeah.

00:52:14
Speaker 11: The the talent disparity in previous years has been against the Chargers where it's been a top heavy roster, and now you see the way that they're filled out, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I was so many guys making plays. They did this without Khalil mackus. As we mentioned where you want to fall back to history and say like, oh, this is the Chargers where, But no, this is this is a very good football team that is in first place, and maybe you know, first place for a while.

00:52:43
Speaker 1: Long way to go, but a couple of games up in the division is not a bad place to be after three weeks. Let's go to another team that's three and l. They played in San Francisco, but I'm not giving away who won the game because it was a it was an undefeated matchup here between the car knows in the forty nine ers.

00:53:01
Speaker 2: So be a thirty five yard try for Pinero. It's now the kick is on the way, is.

00:53:08
Speaker 10: Gone and Pinner, what's it for the forty nine ers? What a game under the circumstances? Talk us up in this masshoutit of players with all the injuries, and you could say it on both sides of the ball, My god, is that inspiring?

00:53:29
Speaker 1: M Another game winning field goal sixteen to fifteen. Another season full of forty nine ers injuries? Why does this keep happening? And another good call thereby gate Guy Haberman and Tim Ryan on k s foh Eddie Pinero from thirty five yards out. He not only hits it, he lets you know afterwards that he's that dude. You don't talk about Eddie Pinero, because that's what will happen to you. Sixteen to fifteen, forty nine ers three and oh shookie, tell me what mattered the most in this game?

00:54:03
Speaker 4: Well, first off, it was a rock fight. If you like low scoring games with some mistakes and just the lack of overall offense and the lack of fireworks that you'd like to see from some games, then you enjoyed this one. It was a classic divisional battle between two teams and know each other very well, and two teams that couldn't get out of their own way in certain stretches, and they kind of mirrored each other for most of this game. It was six to three at halftime, it wasn't even It was thirteen to thirteen. Early in the fourth quarter, a safety because of a holding penalty in the end zone gives the Cardinals a two point lead, but of course they can't ice it. The third down in completion gives the ball back to the Niners. They go down the field kick the game winning field. Well, Mac Jones battling through a knee injury. They get stopped in a turnover on downs on the goal line because Mac Wilson's playing with his hair on fire and dex Christian McCaffrey right when the ball arrives. There was just a little bit of everything in this game. Mac throws a terrible pick and they still somehow bounce back, and then he leads that game winning drive. That's the quarterback I mentioned, by the way, fourth career game winning drive, Mac Jones. There's a fuzzle stat for you. He got the job done for the forty nine ers today.

00:55:06
Speaker 1: That's undefeated starting quarterback for the San Francisco forty nine ers, Mac Jones. And you know what, he's probably going to get to sit on that. And I'm a man who roots for healthy players for the rest of the season. Because Brock Purdy, according to reports, has a very good chance he is really expected to return next week, and so mac Jones did his job as a backup. I thought it was a legacy drive scenario. Now, of course, if Kyler Murray can actually move the ball when they get the ball back after the safety, then then mac Jones never gets a chance.

00:55:38
Speaker 11: If the Arizona Cardinals had caught the balls that Kyler Murray threw through the air, this would be a completely different game. There was a drop by Marvin Harrison Junior, albeit you could say he was going to score a touchdown. Fred Warner, as Fred Warner does, was screaming down the field. He might have caught him because Kyler got hit as he threw and so Harrison was coming back to the ball. And then the most egregious one was in the red zone of Mario demccardo had a walk in touchdown that he dropped.

00:56:05
Speaker 12: And the last one was Jay Jones.

00:56:07
Speaker 11: Glad Jay Jones is back in the NFL, but there was a play that got broken up by the forty nine ers that could have given the Cardinals a chance to extend the game and kneel the ball out where I've been watching this Cardinals offense and begging for some layups, but every single lay up the Cardinals got today they absolutely smoked at the rim and it felt like a touch greg. Now, I'm not saying not to take anything away from the gutsy effort from Mac Jones. Eddie Pinerro, who for some reason hates the Arizona Cardinals. I don't know what was going on in the celebration. I spent fifteen minutes trying to look up if there was a player on a coaching staff something. He's pointing at the field, like this is where we play. It's like, dog, you just got there. You had to use Google Maps to get to the stadium, like you have not been there for that long. But ultimately a touch of a donation from the airs the Cardinals with the opportunities that were.

00:57:01
Speaker 1: It's hilarious because the first person who's coming up to Pinero is Kendrick Bourne, who's familiar with how to get to the stadium, but has also only been there a couple of weeks and has caught key third downs in each one of these games. Man took like this was an all McCaffrey and Ricky Piersoll offense. It looked like for the forty nine ers they're playing on Thursday night, they have some injuries to worry about. I'm a little worried about the fact that McCaffrey had twenty seven touches in this game and is going to have a quick turnaround.

00:57:30
Speaker 4: Yeah, and he's had a lot of touches through the first three weeks because they've just lacked healthy talent around them. Ricky Piarsol has done a great job as the de facto number one. By the way, is the second game of one hundred plus receiving yards in his first three weeks of his second season. Remember this is a guy whose career was you know, the start was interrupted by getting shot before the start of the season, and now look at the season he's starting to put together for them. He's making clutch grabs. He had an incredible catch on a fourth and two ball. Mac Jones lays it up there down the sideline for him, snags it over a defender and keeps his feed in bounds. That's that's up the touchdown past Kyle Yuschek, which is a big moment in this game. He's just playing really well for a guy who still doesn't have a ton of experience in such a prominent role, and it opens up opportunities for guys like Kendrick Bourne on that last drive to make a couple of key catches. But you're right, the crux of this offense is Christian McCaffrey. A guy who finishes with ten catches for eighty eight yards also runs seventeen times for fifty two yards. He is the engine behind these offense, just because they don't have a lot of other options, especially with George kittleout, So I worry about that too, durability over the course of a long season. But we haven't since Week one heard about health, and that's an encouraging sign. Until we hear about health, I'm just going to say, continue doing it. Maybe manage the reps a little bit more as you get further into the season, but it's what they have to do right now, and they are winning these close games. Are three to zero for a reason.

00:58:44
Speaker 1: Now, they got to manage it better. They got to manage it better. They got Brian Robinson. This is not sustainable. They're doing twenty five to thirty plus touches every week, especially when you got a Thursday night. It's a problem. And we alluded to the injuries. So Nick Bosa left this game. After the game, they said the'll get an MRI. At first, Kyle Shanahan said they didn't think it was an ACL, but they can't rule anything out, so he'll get an MRI. And then James Connor on the other side, unfortunately had an ankle injury that did not look good, and well, we'll wait the word on that, but it could be Trey Benson's backfield for the Cardinals. They just they haven't been as consistent running the ball. I know Kyler scrambled. Their successory on their passing plays today was really low. And yeah, you mentioned you know Fred Warner. I mean he was just flying around. He's been everywhere. Bryce huff is helping out this defense. De Winters is helping out this defense. And ultimately they held the Cardinals two hundred and sixty yards. Big win for them. Every single team in the NFC West has a winning record, and yet with these two teams, especially Cardinals forty nine ers, I'm still not really sure what they were. But you know, it's early. We don't really know anything. We think we know something, You don't know anything. Let's take a break and let's come back to another division, which is a lot different than we expected going into the seasons.

01:00:15
Speaker 14: Twenty seven seconds jag seventeen Texans ten twenty seven seconds to play third and one Texans from the twenty eight of Jacksonville shotgun formation.

01:00:26
Speaker 12: Collins now on the near.

01:00:28
Speaker 21: Side dropping a C. J. Stroud, So he gets hit if you let it go. Football's floating up there, football pick up the Jacks. I believe that kicked it off. The judge picked it off. The judgah picked it off.

01:00:42
Speaker 6: Take over at the road four Lord Flood.

01:00:47
Speaker 1: What a wild, exciting call from Frank Frank Franjie on wg x L.

01:00:57
Speaker 4: C J.

01:00:57
Speaker 1: Stroud in an another frustrating performance was intercepted on a play where you can't blame him. You have to give the credit to Josh Heinz Allen. That is why you pay that man all that money. He beat the rookie rante Ersri We've talked about quite a bit on this show.

01:01:17
Speaker 2: Around the Edge.

01:01:19
Speaker 1: So fast gets his paw out, deflex it and then a great diving interception to cap off a great day for the Jaguars defense seventeen to ten, a game.

01:01:32
Speaker 11: Saving play by Josh Hans Allen. Because Christian Kirk playing it's his old team did win and they did hold him. He's calling for the flag, but Christian Kirk, the defender, none of them could see the fact that Josh Hans Allen got his hand on that ball causing it the fluff up. There is actually the second pick that CJ. Stroud threw on the day that was intended for Christian Kirk in a game that down the stretch. It was very twenty twenty five Houston Texans and kind of twenty twenty five Jacksonville Jaguars if you look the way that they made the donation to the Bengals last week.

01:02:03
Speaker 12: Both c J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence had some.

01:02:06
Speaker 11: Fourth quarter turnovers with the Jags had Nico Collins running through the secondary trying to get bonus yards, able to force a fumble there, gave them a bonus possession that they took advantage of in the fourth quarter to go ahead, where Trevor Lawrence hit Brian Thomas Junior for forty six yards after the quote unquote good conversations he had with Liam Cohen this week, So good on everybody in Duvall And then I can't tell if the Houston Texans let Travis Etn score they did on the go ahead tour it was it was a very easy La touchdown from about forty yards out.

01:02:38
Speaker 1: An Etn right when he scored was like, shoot, should I have done that? But that's on the Jaguars coaches for not talking about it. If if they wanted to, they had a situation where they could have gotten it very close to the end and kicked the field goal.

01:02:51
Speaker 11: Yeah, and considering Jack's history, go ahead and get into the end zone of your playing against the Texans team that's seen almost everything that could go wrong go wrong in terms of the results. They've managed to get out of some of these games healthy. But it was It's just a familiar refrain for the Houston Texans to see the way that the game ended. In your Hunter snapwatch, he has seventy nine totals.

01:03:14
Speaker 2: I don't want to talk about it right now.

01:03:15
Speaker 11: No, no, ever, go for it, Okay, Travis hunder snap watch, seventy non total snaps, played a majority of the offensive and defensive snaps, truly going both ways. Had one catch for twenty one yards. There are those out there's like, oh, he's given up receptions. I think Travis Hunter played just fun. He's a two way player. He makes contributions on both sides of the ball. Third game, give him time.

01:03:35
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not worried. It hasn't been a great first three weeks. I want to see the cornerback snaps especially. I am worried about his impact as a wide receiver early this season. He clearly isn't a consistent part of the offense. Neither's Brian Thomas Junior, at least in terms of being effective. For a lot of this game, everyone is just wondering is he in his own head, Whether it's drops, it's running the wrong routes, it's him not even really getting open. The numbers are showing, and you would hope that that catch to basically win the game, where he hit the fastest miles per hour that any wide receiver has on a play this year, just leaves him feeling better and that he is able to play with a little more confidence.

01:04:16
Speaker 2: They'll need him.

01:04:17
Speaker 1: Diami Brown got hurt in this game, and you know Parker Washington can't be leading them in targets every week. He did today though, and it worked. This defense shook against the Texans. Like this Jaguars defense I think is for real. I think this team in general is for real, at least in terms of being a team that can compete with most any team. And I just think they're gonna matter all season. I think they're just going to be in the mix. They certainly are here at two and one, and they really put the Texans in a spot at zero to three looking up at two teams in the division that they have not really had under Demiko Ryans.

01:04:54
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I'm not taking anything away from the Jaguars, but because they obviously, you know, have to create the problems that they created for you know, a play like the last play that we just heard, you know, the interception, you have to get that pressure and everything else. That's an achievement on your part. But I think that some of this story is also just a reflection of how bad of a state the Texans are currently in offensively, Like, they may score ten points, they had less than three hundred yards, and there's a game against a quarterback that completed just fifty percent of his passes and Trevor Lawrence finished twenty for forty and you can't capitalize on that. That's a project your defense being good in your office, just being miles behind. So yeah, I think you're right. The Jags are going to be in the mix. I think that they'll play spoiler, but they're also in a division that is pretty wide open. I mean, the Colts obviously on a hot start. We know what the Titans are. We don't know that the Texans can be good. Other than the fact that they have a strong defense because they're oh and three, So the Jags are in the mix. But this is this feels like a classic AFC South game where it's close because they're familiar. We don't really learn a lot other than our previous opinions potentially being reinforced in the first month of the season, and I feel like more of those were reinforced with the Texans and their struggles than the Jags. But a good win for them, of course.

01:06:00
Speaker 1: Right This is why I think it's good to check success rate because I look at, you know, Chubb and Woody Marks's numbers, and they split the carries pretty evenly today and it looks fine data designed success rate on their runs of thirteen percent. I mean that that is an offensive line that can't do anything. It can't pass protect, it can't pick up stunts, and it certainly can't run block either. And it's a really big test of two guys. I really believe in C. J. Stroud and Damico Ryans moving forward because they're in a spot they just never expected to be in, and they found ways to lose three games against three good teams, but they found ways to lose them all.

01:06:40
Speaker 12: At the end.

01:06:40
Speaker 1: That's going to be tough to recover from, especially when you got a juggernaut in your own division, a juggernaut led by Daniel Dimes, Daniel.

01:06:51
Speaker 17: Jones under center I formation. Tyler Warren is the h back. They give it to Taylor right up the gut, big hole. Forty cuts back to his right, spinning up field, still going tackle. He's at a twenty, he's at the track, he's at the touch down. Shoonathan Taylor rips it.

01:07:07
Speaker 9: From forty six shots out touchdown in d Why yes, sir, It.

01:07:14
Speaker 1: Was tough to pick a highlight from this game because the Colts, they're so watchable. That's the thing that gets me. I was about to call them the best team in the NFL. Why not coming into this?

01:07:26
Speaker 12: Why not do it?

01:07:28
Speaker 1: Well, I don't believe that they are the best team in the NFL in terms of you know, if you play that you know on a neutral field, who do I think is better? But who has played football at the highest level in the year twenty twenty five. I think they have the best resume. Their offense is just absolutely ridiculous. And you can say, oh, it's the opponents, it's Tennessee. You know, it's Miami. Hey how about they did it against the freaking Broncos a week ago, and then today their defense gets into the mix to forty one to twenty. It's not it's all just about the schedule. It's about the playmakers on this team. Michael Pittman running over guys Alec Pierce on a day where unfortunately he got checked for a concussion, his head slams on what you know almost was a great long catch. He still adds you four catches for sixty seven yards. Tyler warrens in the mix. Shane Steiken is in his bag. He is the coach of the year through three weeks, no doubt. The opening script with this throwback play that they had to downs down the field just beautiful. It's a lot of first streets for Daniel Jones. He looks better in the pocket than I would expect getting away from pressure. And then more than anything, Jonathan Taylor is just freaking amazing right now. He's just awesome. So you add that all up and their offense, Shooki is a juggernaut and the defense whatever, it's good enough, it's good enough to get out to these big leads and then just hold on and beat the Titans very easily on the road.

01:08:57
Speaker 4: Yeah, this was one of the least surprising results. Not because the Titans are terrible. I mean, we know that they have struggles, but because the Colts are the perfect team to win a game like this handily because of what you just said and because of offensive balance that has been the defining trait.

01:09:12
Speaker 12: Of this team.

01:09:13
Speaker 4: Through three weeks, they have been able to do it on the ground. They've been able to do it through the year with Daniel Jones, He's comfortable. He's not facing immense pressure because teams have to respect Jonathan Taylor. It makes them a tough team to defend. And he got Shane Steiking at the controls cooking everything up. I agree. I think he is a leader for Coach of the Year right now because this is what the Colts envision when they hired him as a former play caller, as you know, elevating him to the head coach role, and it felt like he just needed the quarterback. He needed the quarterback who could handle the operation. Daniel Jones is handling the operation really well through three weeks, and he's spreading the ball around. Tyler Warren being a part of this offense is huge, I think because it gives them the option outside of receiver that they've lacked in recent years. But it all starts with Jonathan Taylor. And by the way that touchdown run, I think in the last two weeks we've gotten two of the runs of the year. Yes, last week from James Cook in New York, this week from Jonathan Taylor and Tennessee. So we're on a hot We're on a roll right now.

01:10:03
Speaker 10: Baby.

01:10:04
Speaker 12: Yeah.

01:10:04
Speaker 11: I was been voning the lack of layups for the Arizona Cardinal. It feels like Dimes just gets all the layups, especially when you consider how versatile this team is.

01:10:13
Speaker 12: Because I know we talk about Tyler Warren during everything all.

01:10:16
Speaker 11: To Jonathan Taylor run, Tyler Warren was lined up in the backfield at fullback, and so you get your all world rookie tight end who's willing to make plays in the in the blocking game as well.

01:10:26
Speaker 2: It's made a great block.

01:10:28
Speaker 6: Yeah.

01:10:28
Speaker 11: This isn't something like oh give up you know this, you know, run in there and kind of getting the way like sometimes we do for backup offensive lineman or defensive lineman like on the goal line. No, like Tyler Warren had a great block in the hole for Jonathan Taylor to spring them there, and they can just get you so many different ways that it feels like, yeah, it's it's Shane Stychen at the buffet is picking and choosing how he wants to attack you.

01:10:53
Speaker 12: It's all led by dimes.

01:10:54
Speaker 11: And I am sorry, like I will pin an official letter to Daniel Jones because I'm like, oh, well, you know, don't get to use Alec Pierce taking the top off the deep. No, like there's a bomb to Alec Pierce every single game. And I hope he's all right, because it's it's fun to.

01:11:07
Speaker 12: Watch right now.

01:11:08
Speaker 2: It's crazy.

01:11:09
Speaker 1: And the game did start with a big cam Ward mistake where he threw a pick six to Kenny Moore, one of the best slot corners in the league whose mom was at the game, so it was cool that he brings the football to his mom. Great moment for one of the best, like veteran just real dudes in the league, Kenny Moore. Yeah, maybe maybe a candidate for Unk of the Week, although Tony Jefferson's back in the mix once again.

01:11:34
Speaker 2: Kim Ward, though, was.

01:11:35
Speaker 1: Under so much pressure in this game against a team that hasn't had a lot of pressure this year. You know, Quidy pay had a nice game, Taekwon Lewis had a good game, And I'm trying to figure out, like, is cam Ward inviting the pressure or is the pressure just happening because of a bad offensive line, And it's definitely both. But a lot of quick pressure on him today too, And I gotta say by the end of the game, I was in rest again with cam Word's performance. There were a lot of jaw dropping throws. He had a twenty seven yard ripped to Calvin Ridley. He had another throw across his body. I think it was to aomannor again like Oconco had a solid game. Calvin Ridley dropped about three to four passes, depending how generous you want to be. So they put up twenty points in this game. It absolutely could have been more. Ridley's having a bit of a nightmare season right now and they're not getting anything done on the ground. So I think Callahan is facing some heat in Tennessee. People wondering what is it that you are adding to the mix because you're supposed to be an offensive line guy, and just some of the decision making from Brian Callahan, to me, has been suspect. He goes a couple times early in this game lining up for these long like sixty four sixty three yard field goals from Joey Sly who misses them both and it sets up the Colts on these short fields in one case right at the end of the half, where it's set set up the Colts for a field goal.

01:13:02
Speaker 2: And shout out to NFL.

01:13:05
Speaker 1: Daily listener Amanda Balionis for asking a good, tough question to Callahan coming off the field about those decisions. Too often we hear like, oh, you don't get anything out of these sideline interviews, especially you know now they've added the ones coming off at halftime.

01:13:18
Speaker 2: But that was great.

01:13:19
Speaker 1: I like to hear a good strategic question, and I think Titans fans were asking those sorts of questions because this team really hasn't been overly competitive through a couple of weeks. They also lost Tovandre Sweat by the way to injured reserve. I hate these like late week injured reserve ads that it just like slips through the cracks of the show. So I just wanted to say Tovandre Sweat like they already weren't in good shape. Dray Greenlaw, by the way, is now an injured reserve for the Broncos, hasn't played at all this year.

01:13:47
Speaker 2: Just just wanted to throw that out there.

01:13:49
Speaker 11: Yeah, Tovandre Sweat definitely would have helped in this situation going up against Jonathan Taylor, who's the engine of the offense. But going back and looking at cam Ward and the way he played, and again it's another loss, and I understand he made. That was his first career interception, the pick six by Kennymore. In these hitch routes, he was seven of seven the plays to the sideline eight of nine total, where you see the arm strength and the decision making. The flat route of course, got picked by a veteran who caught him slipping there. But still a lot to feel positive about. But I'm with you on the things not to feel positive about for the Tennessee.

01:14:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, that was just a case of him being a little too slow to get to his checkdown I think on the pick six and a veteran really being able to read it. But overall, man, the Indianapolis Colts are one of these stories of the season undefeated. Let's go to the Chicago Bears, who entering today with one of the stories of the season for worse reasons.

01:14:51
Speaker 3: Toudy a gun too right, two left, takes the snap, looking scanning, now running right, Gonna.

01:14:57
Speaker 9: Throw a back at the end zone middle. J Moore touchdown, touchdown, Bears.

01:15:07
Speaker 2: Touchdown.

01:15:08
Speaker 3: I've done more high fives in my career from Bears fans today, Bears up thirty to fourteen.

01:15:15
Speaker 1: That wound up being the final score with an extra point added thirty one to fourteen, the Bears win.

01:15:22
Speaker 2: That's Jeff Joniac and I could.

01:15:24
Speaker 1: Watch that failed celebration from Alami to Zakias with DJ Moore again and again. He just goes flying through the screen expecting something to happen.

01:15:35
Speaker 12: Well know what he wanted to happen.

01:15:37
Speaker 2: Well, supposedly they.

01:15:38
Speaker 1: Had something planned where maybe Moore was going to jump up with him and more. Just was laughing and was clearly not on the same page. A great job by our producers Eric Roberts and Chris Bobona, just showing this thing on a loop that kind of day, and I wanted to make that the highlight, not just because this is happening.

01:16:02
Speaker 4: Again, it again, funnier every time.

01:16:04
Speaker 1: It reminds me of that pick six where Andy Dalton flew through the screen. Do you remember on a Monday night football after a pick and you're just like, where did he come from? I wanted to show that because shook. It was shocking how open Bears receivers were in this game. And Caleb Williams deserves credit for buying a little extra time in that play. And I thought he used his legs very well today and he got two hundred and ninety eight yards on twenty eight you know, reception twenty eight attempts. But man like Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams and the Bears receivers did such a great job just creating so much space today. And it was a revenge on what Eberflus did to the Bears fans for a few years. Yeah.

01:16:47
Speaker 4: Yeah, every time I had this one like a second screen, and every time I looked over, I just see a Cowboys player throwing their helmet on the sideline like they're just that frustrated with how they performed defensively. How do you have time for guys to get open and for Caleb to buy another second or a half a second in your pressure rate lands at twenty five percent, how do you get there. You lack effective guys that can get after the quarterback. That is the story of the Cowboys defense so far. Yes, we should not be surprised. This is a team that gave up a ton of points to the Giants last week. They're going to give up a ton of points to the Bears. Are the Cowboys the get right team for every offense in the NFL? We don't know that yet, but they've been that type of team for the last two weeks. And it's a perfect time for the Bears, who desperately needed this to really kind of give their fans a bit of evidence of the Ben Johnson offense and how it can work when they're not under constant duress. And then when you have a flea flicker that goes to Luther Burden for a touchdown and a play like that to DJ Moore that seals up a fantastic day for them. You just feel better about this team given what they've gone through in the two previous weeks, So good day for them, maybe a preview of what's to come. And Caleb getting to show off the arm a little bit is always good for his reputation.

01:17:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, roma Dunza opens up the scoring first drive of the game, Treyvon Diggs slips on the route, wide open for the touchdown. You mentioned the Burden play. I'm gonna go ahead and say it. It's a throw to your candidate. Just want it to be considered.

01:18:04
Speaker 3: And Catu Buttercentter Dredge come out into the backfield. You line up as a fullback for DeAndre Swift from the thirty five yard line.

01:18:11
Speaker 2: It's one safety back deep.

01:18:12
Speaker 12: Here's to pitch the.

01:18:13
Speaker 3: Swift passes it back to catub Williams looking deep down the left side, going for a party.

01:18:19
Speaker 7: Ten five hens up touchdown.

01:18:23
Speaker 9: Touchdown bears Ben's bag of tricks. Baby, that's number one, Ben's bag of tricks. Fans are going to serf.

01:18:34
Speaker 2: They loved it.

01:18:35
Speaker 12: Yeah, the bag of tricks.

01:18:36
Speaker 11: Well, going up against Mattieberfluss's twenty twenty five Dollas Cowboys defense, the bag runneth over with opportunities there. And I owe an apology to Greg Rosenthal, who have the number for this game. It's sixty seven points and they didn't get there. But I think the reason why was the injury by Noah Sewell making a tackle on Ceedee Lamb really limited the Cowboys opportunities to get involved in the score fest here in this one. But even if they did, just the allowance, I guess of this Cowboys secondary of opportunities, it's just it's a little too bountiful. But again, another solid performance by Dak Prescott. We saw that this Cowboys offense without Ceedee Lamb does take a little bit of a drop back, but he loaded up Ferguson with targets. One of those reasons that one helmet was being slammed on the ground was George Pickens had a ball out of his hands that was ultimately intercepted and he was frustrated about that. But a frustrating game for the Dallas Cowboys. Is there might be a few more of the season.

01:19:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, I can't believe that.

01:19:39
Speaker 1: Going into this game, Dak had the lowest yards per attempt of his career and it's going to bump up a little after this game, but not a ton. You got to watch to see how well he is actually playing in this game. Yeah, the two interceptions, we're off of a drop and then we're off of a fourth down desperation throw at the goal line, where Dak was right to just throw something up because he was under pressure. Sure that gets picked too. They did move the ball quite well all day. They actually outgain the Bears in this game, but they just couldn't make it happen. And without Ceedee Lamb, this offense is a little doa. They just don't have enough. I mean, they could be better than some of the offenses in the league, but not enough to remotely keep up with this defense. I misspoke earlier when I said that Roma Dunze, you know, made that catch on the first drive of the game. It was the first Bears drive of the game. But the game started with the Cowboys running the ball down the Bear's throat and Javonte Williams, who looks like a man possessed. He was incredible today, ten carries for seventy six yards, just crushing some people on some of these runs had the ball ripped out of his hands by Tyreek Stevenson, and that really set the tone for a Bears defense that it wasn't pretty, but they just need to be opportunistic make a few plays. And that was an awesome individual play from Stevenson, who made a couple also deflected a pass, and Montes swept made a couple plays and ultimately they were pretty good in the red zone. They force four Cowboys turnovers. Joe Milton played in this game. We had some surprising quarterbacks play today. Max Brosner played today for the Vikings. We haven't gotten to the Falcons, but we have a surprising quarterback appearance in that game too. This Cowboys team is one and two. Now, both of these teams are one and two. We'll see where they go. But it was a really necessary bounce back performance by the Bears. I think Shook hit the number one and most important point here. The Cowboys pass rush is a big problem, as Iraku hasn't looked great. I thought this group was gonna be one of the most dynamic in the league. As one of my preseason takes, that is the most wrong.

01:21:40
Speaker 4: Now.

01:21:40
Speaker 1: I thought Michael Parsons was part of it, but I thought the rest of the talent was so good behind Parsons that the whole group was going to be amazing. But I think we're learning that Michael Parsons is such a force multiplier that man, everyone looks worse, including his teammates on the defensive line when he's not there. All right, before we go, a lot of talk about Caleb and benj Johnson's relationship.

01:22:01
Speaker 2: Let's listen to Ben Johnson after the game.

01:22:03
Speaker 8: Two of the game balls went to Caleb. You know, I'm looking at his numbers, one hundred and forty two point six passer rating and four touchdowns. I thought he was He was really good. And you know, the thing that you don't see on the stat sheet is he's getting a lot more comfortable calling those plays in the huddle. We're able to get out of the huddle a little bit faster, and we were able to get on the line and operate a little bit cleaner as well. So was proud of him for that.

01:22:31
Speaker 1: At is noteworthy because I do think that's something they struggled with early in the season. I think they're still trying to figure out how to get DJ more and more involved. He looked frustrated at one point after making a catch. Never seen a guy look so unhappy like after making a first down. So not everything's perfect, but man, everything will taste better, everything his life will be better. In Chicago after a Bears win, Let's go to our nation's capital, where, dare I say it, the best backup quarterback in the league resides in.

01:22:58
Speaker 2: Motion Chris Moore.

01:22:59
Speaker 12: Here's the handoff right up the middle.

01:23:02
Speaker 6: That's Jeremy McNichols bounting off the play. Railers there, Jeremy McNichols.

01:23:17
Speaker 8: Game.

01:23:19
Speaker 1: Oh, it's our old friend Ram Weinstein wb ig Jeremy McNichols with a sixty yard touchdown run. It was a game full of big plays. You had McNichols. You had a punt return touchdown. We'll listen to that in just a second by Jalen Lane. You had a big time reception to Terry mcclaurin, unfortunately left the game with an injury. I think on that from that play fifty six yard catch and run where he nearly scored even had Luke McCaffrey get into the mix, got behind the defense on a busted play for forty three yards late when the Raiders we're making it a little more interesting forty one to twenty four. I came up with the hot take shook that Mariota could be the best backup in the league.

01:24:06
Speaker 2: And I just mean in this system.

01:24:08
Speaker 1: I'm just really confident when he gets out there, he can run this system and he goes for almost ten yards per attempt, and they keep his attempts right down at twenty one so that he doesn't have to do too much.

01:24:21
Speaker 2: That's a perfect recipe for the Commanders.

01:24:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, I was hoping, you know, when you're listening all the accomplishments made by the Commanders in this game, that you would tie it all together with the mention of Marcus Freakin Mariota leading a team that finishes with forty one points on a Sunday. And I'm glad you did. But yeah, I totally agree. He's an experienced backup quarterback who has seen it all and can handle this system very well. Has the tools and the skill set that kind of mirrors Jade Daniels in some ways. He gets two yard rushing touchdown today. For example, he still has the threat to run. You can run a read option with him one or two. It fits well. And even when they because we've talked about how this receiving courp felt a little thin after they lost guys like lamide As, a key As and other guys in the offseason, and yet in a day like today, the mention of mcaff are getting involved I think is important because mar Marriot is where it all starts, and he's able to distribute the football while keeping his attempts low enough. Obviously, it helps you with the big plays when you have a number of different running backs combined for you know, like one hundred and fifty rushing yards. That also helps too. But I think you'd be in a much worse place if you had a lesser backup. So totally on board with you on that. And I hate to pivot it this way, but at one and two now the Raiders are starting to concern me. We knew they were kind of maybe got worse on defense in the offseason, and a game like this raises a couple of eyebrows that maybe things aren't going to turn around very quickly.

01:25:35
Speaker 11: Yeah, you could call it a great run by jeremyvy Nichols for that sixty yarder. You could also say the Raiders exhibited some very poor tackling on that play. And I remember back when they initially made the kickoff change, the first thing I thought was Deebo Samuel. A player like Deebo Samuel can make a huge play. And that's how the game started, was with the kickoff return from Deebo Samuel, where you know, maybe a few years back, Deebo is celebrating in the end zone on that he got caught, but that's what put the Commanders in that position to get that early score with Marcus Mario to there.

01:26:05
Speaker 12: Marico had a great run in this game.

01:26:07
Speaker 11: He had the ball punched out, so it didn't quite make it into everybody's memory, but he showed the explosiveness a little bit there. Yeah, he had a good clip. I have to check next Gen stats to see what Marcus how much speed he gathered on that. But ultimately a game where it was never really in question and still had some scary moment for Michael Mayer and the Raiders offenses. Brock Bauers still looks to be a little slowan from that knee injury, and he's such a significant part of it. But the real winner down the stretch was just fantasy points in garbage time because the Commanders once they got up, decided like covering Trey Tucker was not something that they needed to worry about.

01:26:50
Speaker 12: He's your wide receiver one this week is not even close.

01:26:53
Speaker 1: It's outrageous. Trey Tucker goes eight for one and three. And now, to be fair, he looked good in the first half of this game too. He was getting open I said it this season. I love the way he snaps off his routes.

01:27:05
Speaker 2: He is so fast.

01:27:07
Speaker 1: That kind of speed and that kind of route running. Gino Smith, I think is going to love throwing to him. And on one hand, it felt like garbage time like it started. I was ten ten, like late in the second quarter. Then the Commanders go on a run and get it all the way to thirty four to ten. But there was a possession there, you know, before that McCaffrey play where it felt like like the Raiders are almost back in this game. You just never know ultimately watching the game, the biggest difference in these two teams was the line play in terms of the defensive lines. Especially Washington's absolutely dominated and Las Vegas was just fine, like Max Crosby did his thing. But otherwise Mariota had time and the running success rate was pretty good for Washington throughout the course of the game. Bobby Wagner a ton of pressure in this game as a blitzer. He's really turned himself into a good blitzer. Deron Payn ton of pressure in this game. Dorren's Armstrong a ton of pressure. And so there's the pressure on Gino Smith, who I thought played pretty well despite it. Even early in the game when they weren't moving the ball, he looked scrambled and harried, but he was avoiding negative plays and hitting some plays when he needed to. He ends up with two hundred and eighty nine yards and three touchdowns, a lot of that in garbage time, but even before that, his yards per attempt were pretty good. The problem was his offensive line stinks, and it stinks for Ashton Genty too. For the season, Ashton Genty is still getting contacted on average behind the line of scrimmage. He has negative yards before contact for the season. That is outrageous. I get it that you'd like to see him make people miss a little bit more and be a little more explosive, but he is running over guys a decent amount. He is breaking tackles. The offensive line, to me, is the problem, and they were not particularly competitive, as you mentioned for the second straight week.

01:28:58
Speaker 2: It's concerning.

01:28:58
Speaker 11: Yeah, like to get Ashton Genty in space, but I can see where the thought that he's going to be contact before he even gets the ball maybe starting to play a role in how he actually performs. Where the blocking was better for him from Boise State in situations where you could say Boise was overmatched.

01:29:18
Speaker 1: Right its state. I wish they were as creative as Poise State. Where where is it at, chip Kelly, I don't know. This freight raider seems frustrating. Shout out to dan Quinn, by the way, who took an absolute shot from Marcus Mariota on one of his scrambles got knocked backwards. They should have been checking him in the concussion protocol because it looked like it hurt and that he was seeing stars when his head slammed back. But his face is bloody and he's on the sideline. And never did a coach get more credit from his players in the locker room from being one of them dudes. And no one has ever questioned the toughness of backwards hat wearing dan quinns.

01:30:00
Speaker 2: This to me was a signature dan Quinn moment. And anytime you can win with a.

01:30:04
Speaker 1: Forty burger going away with your backup quarterback, and that means you're doing something right as an organization. Let's take one last quick break. We'll come back with a few blowouts on Sunday night.

01:30:26
Speaker 12: Pennick, shout of the gun.

01:30:27
Speaker 14: You're on checking down at eight from the sixteenth pal pitch motions to the rush picks the snap looking right now checks.

01:30:34
Speaker 22: Down low acepting by the Buddy Richardson who walks in it. Prol touchdown Shaw Smith Wade, Shaw Smith Wade and Nickel read the screen nicked it off after a little juggle and it's a walking touchdown.

01:30:50
Speaker 1: Oo Shaw Smith Wade with the pick six very similar play to the cam Ward interception earlier.

01:30:58
Speaker 2: Michael Pennix late going.

01:31:00
Speaker 1: Back to his checkdown in the flat good anticipation part of a balanced Carolina Panthers thirty to nothing victory.

01:31:11
Speaker 2: What I say, like, what's happened? Yeah?

01:31:15
Speaker 11: Literally watching this was just watching this disaster unfold for the Atlanta Falcons a week after a big defensive win over the Minnesota Vikings where the ground game takes over and you're playing against the Carolina Panthers team that has been very like historically bad against Remember for two straight weeks now, the opponent has not been able to hold true to the run game against the Carolina Panthers. It was ten to nothing when Shaw Smith Wade jumps in front of that pass that Michael Pennix throws to be Jean Robinson a little bit late in the flat close to his own end zone for the pick six. But he was two of eight for twenty six yards when pressured today, which matches the Blitz numbers. He was three of eight against the Blitz for thirteen yards. Where you're watching a game where Bryce Young didn't have to do too much the sixteen completions one hundred and twenty one yards. It's like we said coming into Yere, just take care of the ball. Let this historically good Panthers defense get you wins. But that's what happened today, like consistently making plays and maybe zero Evro and this defensive unit have figured something out, or the Falcons were just so bad that, like Kirk Cousins is coming in at the end of this divisional game to finish things out where it was just a Sunday to forget in Atlanta.

01:32:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, Raheem Morris confirmed afterwards. You know that's just because it's a blowout. Let's make sure Michael Pennix that stays healthy and that he will be starting next week.

01:32:36
Speaker 2: No controversy there.

01:32:38
Speaker 1: I'm not surprised that they asked it, but a lot of decisions weren't working out for the Falcons.

01:32:44
Speaker 2: They cut yng Waiku and John.

01:32:46
Speaker 1: Parker Romo comes in misses two kicks early in this game, just like establishes some bad vibes. I know that numbers weren't great for Bryce Young or the Panthers offense in general, but I do feel like, just thinking about that third down reception where Tetuoa McMillan just skies up to just pluck the ball away from the Falcons secondary they were without AJ threw, It's more important than almost any takeaway from these first three weeks for the Panthers.

01:33:14
Speaker 2: Like they did it.

01:33:15
Speaker 1: They finally drafted the right receiver. They got a dude, not just like, hey, he's going to be pretty good in the NFL, but a number one receiver, dude.

01:33:24
Speaker 2: I feel confident in that after three weeks.

01:33:25
Speaker 11: Yeah, the opening score for the Panthers saw a crucial third down where it was before that play, I believe you're talking about the passing the flat that was elevated over the defender and team Matt goes up and makes the grab where it's a twenty six yard gain and he absolutely just loses the defender up the sideline. A great route, great catch, great finish, got some run after the catch where you can see what he brings and clear number one, like there's no question he's their number one, and you can make a case he as well as Abuca in Tampa Bay. They could be going back and forth or for this Rookie of the Year conversation.

01:34:01
Speaker 1: Every once in a while, just a name will pop up in the show and it'll make me feel bad about what happened earlier in the show, like we didn't make up nearly a big enough of a deal about Abuka in this.

01:34:11
Speaker 12: Game, the one to catch down the sideline, I mean.

01:34:13
Speaker 1: Six six for eighty five, like Mike Evans is out in this game, hurt and you find your own number one. So yeah, the NFC South has found a couple of dudes. And I was surprised to get this text friend of the show, my friend Mike Burkwitz, who's helped us out over the years, helped out the program just killing Michael Pennock saying just in a week where I said he looked like a veteran, like beyond his years. A delay a game on a third and short, they kind of ran out of clock at the end of the first half. That can be on the quarterback that can be on the coaching staff, just a couple of clunkers of misses. He has been inaccurate at time, and then that pick six, so he takes a step back. It's funny how the season works out too, because like if this had been Week one, just the vibes would be so different with these two teams. But in the and beware the moral victory, the Falcons did lose that Week one game to the Bucks in the end, even though they outplayed them and the Panthers, they just beat them down. These two teams are both one and two. They're both two games now behind the Buccaneers and the Falcons defense, which got a lot of love this week on paper, did their job, but not well enough. Let's go to another blowout. But before we do, I do have to point out that was Jordan's survivor pick them now Jordan. I was moving on to the next game. I know Jordan is a loyal listener when she's not on the show. Even when she is on the show, she's just a pro. I wasn't even going to mention it, but Eric said, to mention it. You feel bad because she's listening right now. What would you like to say, I don't. I'm just going with continuity. You brought up yours, okay, so I figured we have to bring up hers. I don't know which is worse, losing on an eleven or twelve point favorite like I did with the Packers, or losing your Survivor pick thirty to nothing.

01:35:57
Speaker 2: They're both pretty shameful.

01:36:00
Speaker 11: I think there's any shame involved. You guys put your heart and soul, as you said. I was demean demeaned for, you know, not taking things seriously perhaps and taking the Dolphins in week one, and you guys who were taking it so seriously lasted two more weeks.

01:36:12
Speaker 23: There is some salt in the wound in both of these picks, because you pointed out that Jordan flipped on her beloved Panthers in the preview episode, and Patrick gave you an out because you forgot your pick. Yeah, brought it up during the Colts game, and he said you picking the Colts, and you said, I will do no such thing, and I'm back to pick against the Browns again.

01:36:33
Speaker 2: You know what's got.

01:36:36
Speaker 12: All kinds of receipts.

01:36:37
Speaker 17: Greg.

01:36:37
Speaker 1: You know it was the more obvious pick, such a transfer, because you should you should always go for home teams.

01:36:42
Speaker 2: I mean, why not. It's a survivor pool.

01:36:44
Speaker 1: Go for home teams. The obvious pick was playing out in the northwest well Kroger during.

01:36:49
Speaker 12: Warm ups, and he had a couple of rain makers and here's one.

01:36:52
Speaker 2: This is a long, high spiral.

01:36:55
Speaker 14: Horton back at his own five, gets one block, gets two blocks, turns up field got them for thirty thirty five.

01:37:01
Speaker 7: Who don't go fortyque o'clock commit field forty thirty twenty fifty ten five, mister Horty, touchdown, say Hawks, unbelievable.

01:37:16
Speaker 2: Blocks, great run by the rookie ninety five yard.

01:37:22
Speaker 1: Oh Steve rabel On k I r oh, I thought he was gonna say, mister Horton, here's a house call or something like that. What a first quarter for this Seattle Seahawks special teams really the entire teams, but the special teams alone had that punt return touchdown, also had a punt block, also had Sam Darnold playing at a very high level. They were up twenty one to nothing within about eleven minutes of this game starting. They were up thirty five to three midway through the second quarter. SHOOKI you just don't see beatdowns, this decisive, this fast in the NFL too often.

01:38:06
Speaker 4: Yeah, if you blinked, you missed the first three touchdowns. I mean that's how quickly that the Seahawks were in complete control of this game, and it just kind of snowballed from there. This was a great example of, I think the vision of what the Seahawks had in their minds when they made their change at quarterback this offseason, and also how certain matchups can't be a measuring stick, because I don't think you're going to look at this win over the Saints and be like the Seahawks are a jugger not But everything that they envisioned with getting Sam Darnold and changing their offense and kind of building it around his strengths came true in this game. He was great on the roll out. He threw a beautiful touchdown pass. It was timing, it was trust to Jackson Smith and Jigba and they were in the red zone. But the way that he rolled out to his left and found him was just it was beautiful stuff. It's stuff that you picture you want your Sam Donald offense to look like. But it's also that Tory Horton day we had the Isaiah Rodgers day in Minnesota, it's Tory Horton day in Seattle, because not only did he have that punt return to he caught a touchdown too, So a great day for him in the Seahawks, a dominant performance. And if you're the Saints, you get back on that flight across the country and you think we got a lot of things to figure out right now.

01:39:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's funny because I didn't think the Saints offense even played that poorly in the first half. They actually were up in time of possession twenty two minutes to seven, And part of that is just the Seahawks are scoring so quickly and on special teams, but the offense was moving the ball. It was just one of those days if your special teams plays that bad shook. He mentions Horton, by the way, who played about the same number of snaps as Cooper Cup and Jackson Smith in JIGBA, so that's interesting to me. And got more targets than Cup in this game, who's coming off a good game and had a couple nice grabs in this one. They can be a complete team. They're able to run the ball. Donald was efficient. I think they made a couple of nice catches on Donald's throws that weren't perfectly accurate, he had some that were amazing. He averages, you know, way over ten yards pert tenp and the defense is just full of beese Ye kind of.

01:40:00
Speaker 11: The recipe of the very aggressive deep passing attack that we saw from Sam Donald last year with the Minnesota Vikings. And you wonder how much Mike Mack was going to let him be that aggressive. Well they're like the governor was off and this one against the Saints considering the way things started, where like one of the things I'll remember about that Tory Horton return is Chaser Rock got that huge block and he's.

01:40:21
Speaker 12: Throwing his arms up to celebrate a touchdown. They have the forty yard line.

01:40:24
Speaker 11: Yeah, it was over from the onset there, and we saw how explosive Horton could be in the passing game. I just go back because it's fourteen of eighteen, two hundred and eighteen yards, two touchdowns, like almost a perfect passer rating.

01:40:39
Speaker 12: Like if Sam Donald is going to be that efficient, watch out.

01:40:42
Speaker 11: And again it was against the Saints, but I mean, if you want to play like transitive property football, like if you're a college football fan, and it's like, all this team beat that team, and it's like, we can't do that here.

01:40:51
Speaker 12: You gotta win every single game.

01:40:53
Speaker 1: No, they also were easy throws. The forty five yard throw to JSN was incredible, all the money down down the field. You mentioned the touchdown pass two, so he gets all the credit in the world. I'll continue to say that this Saints defense has been worse than I expected, and the Saints offense has been better unbalance than I expected, but obviously not good enough.

01:41:15
Speaker 2: Today.

01:41:15
Speaker 1: Kellen Moore with some curious decisions. I've just haven't loved his game management at times. Yeah, this season, he went for a fifty three yard field goal late in the first half on fourth and two when they were down I believe thirty five to three or or twenty eight to three at the time, and he missed it. He got punished, and then he did kick the field goal from twenty three yards out to end the first half.

01:41:41
Speaker 2: To make it thirty eight to six.

01:41:43
Speaker 4: You're like, you don't recall both of those. What sad field goals.

01:41:47
Speaker 12: That was one of the saddest field goals I've ever seen.

01:41:50
Speaker 1: The one at the end of the first actually thought the first attempt was even more egregious because because it was a long attempt from a relatively shaky kicker lately, and you're on four than too when you're down by five touchdowns, just play play some football.

01:42:03
Speaker 2: But you're right at the end of the half. It was sad.

01:42:06
Speaker 1: They asked him after the game about it, and his response was, we just wanted some points. Well, yeah, thanks, we know you wanted some points. Got go, gotta go and feeling positive when it's thirty eight to six.

01:42:16
Speaker 11: By the way, that's the answer for every coach if you're gonna ask why they kicked the fifth Yes, we know you would like the three points, coach, we want to know what played into the decision to try to get the three points there as opposed to doing something else, which is like scoring a touchdown where you're getting blown out on the road.

01:42:31
Speaker 2: And it's a small pick to it.

01:42:33
Speaker 1: But you could have brought Tyler Shuck into this game earlier, and I think get the rookie sometime it's forty four to six and you're not bringing in the rookie.

01:42:41
Speaker 2: He does end up coming in, and Drew Locke was in the game way before Tyler Shuck right in Spencer Rattler.

01:42:47
Speaker 1: I thought played like he's played this season pretty well all things considered, but bringing shuck and just give it, give him a fourth quarter or even a little more. He ends up going zero for two in limited duty. The Seahawks. They're frisky, they're interesting. They're two and one there on Thursday Night football against the forty nine ers. We're gonna say goodbye to Patrick right here, but we're not taking a break. We're going right to another primetime game in the Meadowlands.

01:43:12
Speaker 15: Twist in the middle of by the Giants, backing up as Mahomes now launching long again on the left side. The pass is going to be hot. It's caught at the one yard line. An incredible catch by Taekwon Thornton. If you don't do it the first time for thirty four the touchdown, you do it the next time for thirty three yards at the one yard line. Oh, my goodness, want to catch by Taekwon Thornton, his hands outstretched with Drew Phillips all over him.

01:43:40
Speaker 1: Oh you know, it's a different Kansas City Chiefs offense when Taekwon Thornton feels like the lynchpin to all of it. That was Mitch Holtis on k F and z FM, And yes, this was a Sunday night game without a ton of amazing highlights, to the point that we actually chose a catch that wasn't even a touchdown. Twenty two to nine, the Kansas City Chiefs get off the schneid. They are one and two, and yes, Nick, that was a beautiful throw. He's rolling out throwing it across his body and even better catch by Taekwon Thorton, And when his arm went up, you know, behind the Giants defenders, I thought, like, that's the best first down signal I've ever seen. Taekwon Thorton ends up with five catches, seventy one yards and a touchdown, and the Chiefs get out of a game that felt like it was Week sixteen, seventeen and everyone was getting fired, and yet it was week three, twenty two to nine, the Giants are h and three.

01:44:42
Speaker 2: Let's start kind.

01:44:43
Speaker 1: Of with the Chiefs taking a while to get going in this game. Did this make you feel any differently about this Chiefs group?

01:44:50
Speaker 12: Now?

01:44:51
Speaker 4: You know, all the promise of the explosive plays and everything, I think we left that behind in Week one when Xavier Worthy got knocked out, and I think that we've collectively accepted that this is what the Chiefs look like offensively, that they're not going to be a super flashy team, and that they are going to try to push the ball on the field, but you don't know if it's actually going to work or not. But ultimately they're going to do the things correctly that they need to do to beat a team like the New York Giants on the road. And I know the Giants give up a ton of points to the Cowboys last week, but I have respect for what they bring to the table in their front seven, and I felt as if it might give the Chiefs a bit of a challenge. So this is about what I expected, including the way the game.

01:45:26
Speaker 1: Ended, right it ended with. First of all, we should point out the Chiefs played well after halftime on offense. It was just an ugly first half nine to six at halftime with the Chiefs getting a late field goal, Really the game turned around. The play of the game was amazingly a Patrick Mahomes fumble slash Patrick Mahomes forced fumble. It will go down in the box score as a fumble. He throws a backwards pass, he realizes it, he runs after the play and he gets the ball right back. It was an amazing, like athletic play by Patrick Mahomes and heads up and just I can't believe that it actually happened. If the Giants were going to win this game, it was holding onto the ball in that moment. It was a backwards pass to Patchecko. There, Bobby Ocorque picks it up for a half of a second and then Mahomes swipes it away. They end up getting three points at the end of the half with this crazy pass interference call, and then played much better on offense after halftime. But it was one of those types of games shook where it still just made you uneven, Like the connection to Travis Kelcey is so weird. There was like the play with the triple pump fake where Mahomes just throws it into the dirt. They're trying to hit him deep that's not working, Like Juju Smith, Schuster is just too involved. They just cannot wait until Rahee Rice and Xavier Worthy are back in the field, and they needed to get this win because they have some tough games coming up with Baltimore. They have an at Jacksonville and a Detroit come up, Like all three of those are challenging and they had to get this one. You mentioned how the game ended. I think you're alluding to the Russell Wilson red zone fun. Was that the last that we see of Russell Wilson, because man, this performance was ugly from him.

01:47:17
Speaker 4: Yeah, you want to talk about ugly, I think that is ugly on the Giants side, And yeah, it felt pretty strongly like we were watching the final minutes of Russell Wilson as Giants starting quarterback, Which is hilarious because a week ago we were lotting him for a career day against the Dallas Cowboys and going over four hundred yards and all that magic. But this is the reminder of who he really is. In this Giant's offense, they're limited. They once again ran into issues in the red zone. It frustrated their fans so much that they were just raining booze down on them after every play. Russ throws it away on second down and gets an intentional grounding. He throws essentially throws it away on fourth and kind of it's the goal with the game on, kind of on the line, like it's their last ditch and it just kind of explains who they are with him at quarterback, and you could hear the cheers from the fans every time Jackson Dart came in as like a runner, as a quarterback who was just going to run some sort of option look, and how much now displeased they were when Russ replaced him. It's just like you could feel the tide turning torn it and I understand why. I thought Chris Collinsworth did a really good job of explaining why they bring Dart in to run and what he brings to the table as opposed to Russell Wilson, and he kind of diagrammed it with George Carloft is playing the edge and he was like, when Dart's in there, he has to stay home because Dart's liable to run outside, keep the ball and take off the outside. And then like three plays later they try to run the same thing with Russ and Karloft just swallows it because he doesn't have to respect Russ because Russ doesn't bring that to the table. And if Brian Dabele is going to save his job and maximize the potential of his offense, it's not going to be with Russell Wilson and I think we're real close to a change.

01:48:45
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think he's got to play next week. People are like, oh, you can't play him against the Charger. You got to play him at some point they play the Saints. The following me like, why are we just trying to time it it. I think he's going to play next week. We're taking this immediately after the game, so we're not sure what Brian Dabele is going to say in the postgame press. I don't think he's going to be thrilled. Cam Scataboo had an amazing game. Kim Scataboo led the team and rushing and receiving sixty yards, rushing sixty one yards, receiving on sixteen touches overall, with the touchdown and a backflip and a lot of misstackles. But if the whole offense is Kim Scataboo, that's not the greatest sign in the world. Malik Neighbors didn't have a catch until late in the game. Tyrone Tracy had an injury in this game. They did get Andrew Thomas back, which I really think is going to help at left tackle, but he was on a snap count, so he was not out there in the second half, and it is a bummer. Yeah, you mentioned that sequence at the end, just throwing balls out of the end zone and stumbling on an RPO that clearly Jackson Dart would be better suited for.

01:49:39
Speaker 2: It's kind of a bummer of a way to go out.

01:49:42
Speaker 1: This isn't a moment for the Chiefs where it feels like everything is solved, but they out coached them and Chris Jones and the defense ultimately has played pretty well in back to back weeks, so they are just happy to get out of there with a w. Chiefs at two in one are rather one and two, whereas the Giants now at oh and three. That is it for our Sunday Night Week three recap. We will be back on Monday Night. Yes, me and my little buddy, Nick Schook, who's really not so little. I'm sorry if this thing starts to stick because we keep hearing I'm your little buddy about the little buddy. But this is our Monday night show where we're on live after YouTube. But it won't be nearly as late as as it was, of course last week when we had the doubleheader. And it's a banger of a game. Lions and Raven so join us. It's fun in the chat and we'll have the recap right after the show.

01:50:45
Speaker 11: Man.

01:50:46
Speaker 1: It's going to be a big week. I'm getting ready. We're going to Dublin. But there's still a lot to break down with the rest of this week three, and we still got the Game of the Week coming. We'll see you Monday night.