Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Patrick Claybon and Steve Wyche to preview every Week 11 game from around the NFL. The show starts with a look at Browns at Saints (01:16) followed by Bengals at Chargers (07:17), Chiefs at Bills (13:17), Falcons at Broncos (20:08), Ravens at Steelers (25:30), Colts at Jets (33:56), Rams at Patriots (41:00), Packers at Bears (46:36), Vikings at Titans (51:28), Seahawks at 49ers (56:17), Texans at Cowboys (01:02:02), Raiders at Dolphins (01:06:39), and Jaguars at Lions (01:11:29).
Note: time codes approximate.
Welcome to NFL Daily, presented by Draft Kings Sportsbook, where we're always playing Rizzy ball.
I like it.
The new Coach bumpkin. It lasted extra week. We'll find out.
We're here in the Chris Westling podcast studio. I'm Greg Rosenthal with my friends Steve Weiss and Patrick Claybond, the preview crew.
My guys, you.
See we get stretched. Are we getting ready for it?
Yeah, we're getting our ten thousand steps in this show, Greg.
We are, And yeah, it's a beautiful time of the week to spend a little over an hour with my friends.
Yeah, you wake up, you get the research document the night before we come in here to the preview show, get lathered up. Not starting the day like Darren Rizzy did. We'll have to see if Darren Rizzy starts his game day in a similar fashion that he did in his first win little vomit.
I want to know.
I don't think that was the issue, but like, yeah, they're in an opposite boll.
I believe it could last.
I think the new Coach bump you know, could last longer than we They just got a flush last week.
There it is.
Greg Rolsenthal, a professional at this and yes, we start, guys with our first game going smallest to biggest spreads in the week, as we customarily do, with just how loud things might be. When Jameis Winston makes his appearance in Mercedes Benz Super Dome Cleveland at New Orleans, the New Orleans Saints a one point home favorite. Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivey on the call. It was once the Mercedes Benz usurper Dome greg when he famously led a charge to score a touchdown against the will of Dennis Allen. That was one of the most consequential instances of deliberate insubordination to lead a movement to lead to.
The house of Dennis Allen.
The Browns, the Brown's coming off the buye the Saints coming off snapping a seven game losing streak, a game we'll probably discuss before next April's draft.
How do you see it going?
Yeah, this is the one game all week actually between two teams that I would say have no chance to make the playoffs. There's a lot more teams this year that seem like they're out of it, but this is the only game where two of them and yet I'm looking forward to this one. It's Jamis coming off the bye week. We're seeing if this Saints team can keep it rolling and make it feel like they are a new team again. And defensively, I can kind of buy it that was the side of the ball that played with a different energy, that they had different schemes that they had up front in terms of how they were going to attack the passer. They know Jamis will give them a chance at a couple of plays. So it's a good day for to be honey badger and maybe get a pick.
You know, the fact that the Saints would only a point up at the Dome tells you all you need to know. That bump they got last week, Yeah, that's gonna be an negga.
Well, the fact that they're favored at all against another professional football team. Look at their wide receivers, like, look look at what they've been this year, the Browns actually without Shaun Watson. If you take away Watson, I would say like they have more things going for them, more good players, better defense.
I mean, that's what I mean.
Jamis is gonna go back and eat the w in the white and orange uniform. Okay, I think when you look at this. You mentioned it. First off, they had the byeways. The Browns will clean some things up defensively, that's a problem.
The Saints have to score.
They're able to manufacture some points against the Falcons, who they know well. But this is when Jamis is gonna push the ball down the field on them. They're gonna take some risk try to get to Jamis James gonna have a big game in the Dome. This is not I just I just don't think the Saints are team that's gonna start stacking wins. They just don't seem like that Cleveland coming off the buy. They'll clean things up. They're gonna go down to the five O four and do theres well. Darren Rizzi's second game is the Saints underm head coach. He could become the Saints first interim head coach in franchise history to win his first two games. Those are the stakes after he dropped that big win in his first start. But I'm you mentioned the receivers Greg the Marquez Valdez Scantling game, which was really the Marquez Valdez Scantling first half, three catches over one hundred yards and two touchdowns, Derek Carr, It's fair to say he's one of the better downfield passers in the league, especially on those deep like forty plus.
Yards protected yep.
And I don't know how much more MBS can offer, but I'm willing to be surprised because the Browns had those nasty blown coverages in the Chargers games, where if they can avoid that and pressure car it's difficult to imagine like Alvin carrying the team to victory.
This Brown's The rest of their season is going to be interesting for them. They have to make some decisions on certain players, whether they're going to bring them back, like in the secondary, Martin Emerson, that sort of guy like Denzel Ward has played great all year. I thought Miles Garrett was like kind of like the B version of Miles Garrett for five or six weeks this season, and he's cranked it to be all the way back the last few weeks. They just have outstanding players on that defensive side. Ward is, you know, and I don't know who Denzil Ward covers in this game, but when he's firing, he's as good as as anyone. I think they actually might have to show something down the stretch or the ownership there might be tempted to pull the plug on this, this whole group.
Wow, to blame Andrew Berry, to blame Kevin.
That would be absolute nonsense.
That would be utter nonsense if they I mean not to say they wouldn't do it, but that would be utter nonsense to pull the plug on Kevin Tefanski, who's a hell of a coach, Andrew Berry, who knows what he's doing. Like you said, it's a talented roster. There's been one position that has taken this thing. You know, they pulled the cork out of the tub, and he's not.
Their offensive line. Still kind of stinks they lost Callahan. Jedrick Wills. It was a little bit of a story in Cleveland that said publicly. Now I listened to what he said, and he said, look, he was upset that he was benched because the week before he had made a business decision and sat out the game with an injury. But if you listen to everything that he said, he said, I was about seventy percent and I'm trying to not hurt the team by playing through that injury, knowing the guy can replace me and play better. Right, I don't know where he's when I listened to it back, I don't think he meant anything bad by it, but he's upset because now he's been benched since then, he's not getting his job back. And this was a guy who at one point people thought was like the future left tackle this team.
Yeah, and I think he could be a quality left tackle for a lot of folks. But we've got to contextualize these trigger terms that the tough football guys really don't like, like like soft was apparently a huge issue, that's that was ruining lives, and now we've got business decision, which, as Greg pointed out, when putting the proper context, it's something that's much easier to understand versus like, oh, I don't care about the team, I'm only worried about Well, yeah, it's his body if he wants to be concerned or if you don't want to run out there, like the Cleveland Browns put half of Baker Mayfield on the field for several weeks in his final season there for I don't know what reason.
And so if Baker they put half of Deshaun Watson out there this whole season, I don't know what reason. And that's and that is where like, yeah, you can't. Sorry, sorry to make it about Watson and I cut you off.
No, you're good.
Let's go to a better game.
Let's go to a much better game.
Let's go to a game that's going to be across the I always say across the street. It's not even really a street. There's not a lot of traffic on the street. On the on the other side of.
The sidewalk, it's like twenty five feet. I I tell people, like, you could hit. You could hit a golf ball from here to the like the fifty yard of the putter.
I want one so bad. I want to shot out on our demo field with a sandwich. If we could get if you.
Know, over the over the roof, and then yeah, it.
Would have to go through the score. We're gonna have to get some some clearance from stand stand. If you're listening to podcast, let me know I would like to try to hit.
They wanted to be safer. I mean I think they had a tennis ball over. That's how close it is. I mean, yeah, it's very close either way.
Lo case, what we're talking about it so far, Saiding.
The Cincinnati Bengals, losers of two of their last three, a one and a half point underdog on the road against the Chargers team that's won three in a row, including four or five coming off their buy with their quarterback player spectacular level Steve Over a ninety passer rating in every game this year. That all being said, there are still the Bengals. I still believe. Can they make this close as they have all year, maybe even win the game.
This is one where styles make fights, and I think this is a bad match up for Cincinnati. I really do the number feel small to me because of that. I mean, and you know, we're talking about so much of the Bengals offense. The Chargers defense, Yep, they've got thirty one sacks, right, they get after Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Twully twee Upolow two, they get after it. And they're good overall defensively. And we know the Bengals don't run the ball well. And I just think we know some of the long developing routes that's gonna be an issue for Cincinnati.
To pull off with with this defense, you know.
And look, they're second, the Chargers second the NFL turnover differential. They don't turn it over right, and they've got thirteen takeaways and eleven of those are picks. This is a typical Jim Harbaugh coach team that doesn't beat themselves.
What do the Bengals do? They beat themselves.
So that's why I'm like this is stylistically this is a bad matchup for Cincinnati.
I almost feel bad for the Bengals because they come off that one, that game against the Ravens, and they feel like, oh, are we almost falling out of it?
Okay, actually we are a good team.
We just keep losing these tight games to great teams, and then here they go on Sunday Night against a team. I'm not gonna say it'd be a letdown game for the Bengals because every game is so big for them. But you look at and you think the Chargers could be a gettable team, and I'm with you. I trust the Chargers a little more now. We haven't seen them beat a lot of good teams like this is a step up in competition, especially for their defense. I'm curious if Orlando Brown plays in this game. That worried me on the Thursday night game. How Joe Burrows offensive line played. I think that's kind of eroded over the course of this season and going up against his pass rush. Joey Bosa looked a little better last week. He's getting healthier. They're deep, as you mentioned, and they're just really sound. T Higgins was practicing on Wednesday on a side field, which normally isn't a great sign, but he was doing a lot more than the week before. Same with the Orlando Brown. So it is trending towards getting those two players back, and they're.
Gonna need everything and everyone.
I love having this Chargers team in the national spotlight with Chris collins Worth like in this moment of the season because it's like, Okay, are you are you just better than the bad teams? Are you like the you know, the best bad team or are you really gonna be a huge part of this season? Beat Cincinnati in this game and they're seven and three.
This would be the best offensive team that the Chargers have played this season that they've only given up a maximum of twenty points this year. That was the highest output that was in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and justin Fields in Week three. But as much as I love because I love Tooley, he's having a great season. He's a South Bay resident, the Chargers of South Viey residents. I'm a South Bay resident. I appreciate Justin Herbert's fun to have him, watch him have all success.
But these are the offenses that they played.
Raiders, Panthers, the Field, Steelers, the Chiefs after the receivers rice injury before they got NW Hopkins early season, Denver Broncos early season, Cardinals, the Saints during the seven game losing streak, the Browns, and then the Tennessee Titans with Will Levis coming back and making a.
First Shark first start. I'll believe more after this game.
That's it's just difficult to put the crown on them, right.
I agree with you, and I think that's why they're eighth in total efficiency. If you look at DVOA, which takes intwo opponents strengthen, that sounds about right to me.
They're like a top ten defense, very solid.
They're gonna give up points and yards to great offenses because it's twenty twenty four, that's what happens. But you look at the Bengals offense and you think, like, well, which is the bigger mismatch? Because the Bengals offense not really consistent you know, running the ball, they make a few too many mistakes. As good as Joe Burrow has been this season, I do think it's fair to point out how many times late in games they've just needed to make one play and they haven't.
And maybe that is all just bad luck.
But he even said it, like he regrets how he handled that two point convergent, he regrets that interception against Baltimore. There's just been these little moments where they have had a chance to get over the hump in these games against good teams and they haven't done it. And sometimes that's just your personality for that season. I don't think that's their personality forever, but maybe it's this season.
And then you flip the other side.
The personality on the other side is a defense that really can't get their act together. And this Chargers team, they do have a good offensive line right now, at least pass protected, and they do have a good quarterback. So maybe that's the bigger mismatches. Justin Herbert, you know, running some power in the red zone and making plays down the field and not making any mistakes. He's found the right coach for him to accentuate what he does well, which is just like totally avoid negative plays, but now he's popping in the big plays too.
Yeah, it doesn't turn the ball over. I think they could get Gus Bust back this week too.
He played last week, was back yet, So I mean that's that's just gonna add to it.
Looking forward to the game, CASESE wait to see how Sunday Night Football turns out. We'll go to our next game because as much as we love that one, guys, it's time for the Game of the Week presented by Draft Games.
It's the Buffalo.
Bills, who are two point favorites at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Allen Gregg without Keon Coleman. Last week, Keon Coleman already out, Amari Cooper questionable in this game. He threw his first two interceptions against zone coverage last week. Now here comes Spags as defense. They're two point favorites to try to beat the unbeaten Chiefs.
I hate that.
As that game was ending in Denver, I was thinking, like, this is gonna be a bad spot for Buffalo because everyone's gonna pick Buffalo this week.
Like this one, Achie, Like it just is like.
Oh, they've been you know, Rickety and they've got all these issues. And that's just the spot where it's like Patrick Mahomes rips off the Scooby Doo mask and it's just Patrick Mahomes underneath, the greatest football player I've ever seen, going up against the Bills defense that's very sound year after year, and yet he shreds them year after year. So I think the way you win this game for the Bills, man, I don't know who I'm going to pick in this game, but I think you got to win a shootout, and I think I actually think they can. I think the Bills offense, they would be great to have Amari Cooper back, but I do think that they can move the ball. And we know the Chiefs are going to move the ball, and it's like not a heavy possession game.
And I do trust Josh.
Allen in the red zone a little more than this Chiefs offense right now in the red zone.
Well, I'll tell you this, this is you know, style against styles make fights, and this is gonna be a great game. I like the Chiefs defense in this one because they've got players that match up well. Right they're inside linebackers, you trank Will and Nick Bolton. They can spy Allen, they can spy Cook, they can run and pursue.
They've got different guys in the state. They roll through.
It seems like they roll through like sixteen different dbs every game. Kind of playing the opponent in the field situation that can match up well with the tight end as well for Buffalo. I just think again, I'm like you like, oh, this is the one where the Chiefs lose. I thought it was Remember last week I said, I thought they're gonna lose to Denver. I thought it was a trap game for him.
But this mean you were you were a block field goal away.
Yeah, I mean, but I think this one Kansas City's like, Okay, let's go, let's go get I like the Chiefs in this game.
Yeah, It's difficult to see it because the one spot where things have been vulnerable for Kansas City on spags, this side has been tied ends and Dalton K and K not practicing as of Wednesday.
See how much Dalton knocks they can work it.
It's just I'm just wondering about the passing options for Josh Allen, because I know Khalil has had a great season, getting a lot.
Of yards after the catch. But it's tough to do that.
It's tough to have YaKB be the basis of an offense against the Kansas City Chiefs defense with his solid sound tackling, as they've just been sound everywhere on that.
I mean, it's one thing to have a very efficient, effective offense that the Bills have put together with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, an MVP candidate, and a great offensive line and smart decision makers and like good role players around. It's another thing to do if you're without your three most dynamic pass catchers, so Amari Cooper and Dalton Kincaid's availability is really important to me. We know Coleman is not going to be there. That that's a you feel for them in that spot. And it's a different matchup against this the Chiefs defense than normal because they just stopped the run. It's really amazing how this defense has transformed that even last year when they were playing so well, even at the end of the season, that was probably the vulnerability that maybe you could push them around a little bit and run. And the Bills have been a good running team this year, and yet this Chiefs defense is just they get better every year, and they are great stop in the run this year. So it's one thing I guess to stop your running backs. Maybe this is just a let Josh Allen cook type of game and just like go crazy, like you know how you've been a little more conservative lately, Like, don't be as conservative.
Let's just run.
Here's a chief. Get ready to get Charles and men who back. He may not be back this week, but he could be back.
But check o too, they think might be next time.
I mean, real quick, can we highlight a player for the Bills. Let's do it. Taron Johnson their slot corner. I think he might be He's topped one or two in the NFL at his position, so he's someone he's not going to clamp, you know, d Hot because of the size or Kelsey because of the size.
But he will be a problem.
There will be played, there will be positions on the field where he will eliminate them as a top receiver and the primary receiver on certain routes because he is that good.
Of a player.
He has been great.
I say, I say all that in my head like this super Bowl, Yeah, this is my Super Bowl pick. I'm gonna take the Bills to win this game. It is, but the reason why is because of the Chiefs offense. I still remain a little unconventioned no left tackle. The left tackle obviously struggled a lot last week. Greg Russo is playing fantastic, their D line is playing great. They're just so They're so slow. And I get that Kelsey is a unique He's a unicorn right now. He's just out doing whatever he wants to do almost and that that works.
But Xavier Worthy is a little bit of a problem.
Like for this Chiefs offense, they have not been able to figure that out.
Or get him going.
De Hop is a great addition, but certainly not fast Kareem Hunt. It's going to be a big upgrade, I believe when Isaiah Pacheco is back, but he's not going to be back for this game. So it's just a it's just a slow offense and their margin for error and the way that they're playing offense is really small against a good team like the Bills. So I as much as it's like a show me something game for the Bills, like it's to show me something game for the Chiefs too, Like this is a step up in competition for them.
Yeah, it is.
It's a step up and again that narrowly a Leoshan all smash the goal ultimately does it. And it's just that type of intensity that they offer on special teams and defense that just makes it difficult to go away. And I know, you know, we need to see more from the skill position players, but the Buffalo doesn't have theirs.
Right.
Well, we'll see to my point about the running game for the Chiefs though, and that is actually the way you normally beat Buffalo, and they've been very effective running against Buffalo. And for what it's worth, Josh Allen has been money against the Chiefs in the regular season. As he pointed out, like it doesn't mean anything in the regular seas like what.
Does mean anything? Does mean something?
You guys are trying it's the matt But it's also like when the Chiefs are beating the Bills regularly in the regular season, that's proof of concept to me. Obviously it doesn't mean as much, but both teams are doing everything possible to win, and the Bills are winning these games in the regular season, that means something. The Chiefs running backs have recorded and ninety one rushing yards, genering the fifth fewest rushing yards over expected in the NFL.
I see that with my eyes. I don't think they're.
Getting very good running back play, and they have a very good offensive line, and so maybe they don't take advantage of what the Bills weakness is as much as they normally would because of Kareem Hunt. That was our game of the week. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now use the code daily. New customers can bet just five bucks yet two hundred dollars in bonus bets only at DraftKings Sportsbook with Code Daily.
The crown is yours.
We'll leave Buffalo and go to Denver, Colorado. Steed the Atlanta Falcons, coming off of being on the wrong side of a nasty loss in New Orleans. They are two and a half point underdogs on the road against the Broncos team that was a properly protected field goal away from giving the Chiefs their first loss of the season. The Falcons win could give the both of these teams the same record. Reg likes to make picks on the record, Vibe Yeah, I feel that's about the moment.
But Patrick, this is a this is the kicking game redemption game because young young way Ku Yeah, I mean that was.
That was an issue. I like the number.
I liked it. I liked the to the two and a half number for Denver. Here, Atlanta's a good road team though, right they're three and one so far. They're offensive lines good enough to deal with this splitz. But you look at Denver and this Greg I'm coming right down, right down your strike zone. Kirko Chains cannot move and Denver has really struggled against quarterbacks who can move right the last couple of weeks Laburn, Patrick Mahomes. But you look at some of the quarterbacks they've played before. Who of the Kirko Chains mobility scale, which is what from zero tobout point plus zero, and they've they've played really well. Again, this is going to be a challenge. Atlanta's going to have to run the football against this defensive front. And we still don't know what the Falcons defense is. Like, they've shown us no identity.
The identity is you can't you can't win multiple playoff games with this pass.
No, there's no way, like you can maybe make it to the playoffs.
I looking at the Bucks schedule, I actually I actually think no, it's easy. Yeah, they don't play the rest of the way they don't play anyone good. They have like one game against a team that's not one of the worst in the NFL. I don't think this division has decided. I'm glad you pointed out my sort of records theory, which is like, because these two teams, they both they both look like six and five teams to me, they do. Like I I'm glad the Falcons lost that game last week, which they probably didn't deserve too. They dominated that second half and found a way to because because a pass rush this bad where you have ten sacks on the season again, yet your pressure rate is still like is among if not like the lowest in the NFL too, Like they don't do anything well at all, and this Broncos line can protect.
Bnix is getting a little better every week.
Nick Bonito's out there making plays, Jonathan Cooper getting after.
I think they're better up front.
I think the Broncos are a legit six and five team, and I think the Falcons are a legit six and five. They're just like a funky team. So that that makes me feel like, let's let's ride Broncos today.
Yeah. I may I may have inceptioned you into picking the.
You kind of did six and five.
I'm fine with that.
We saw what Bonnicks because Baltimore really especially in the first half. I know that they got those ten points and then nothing really happened after that. But bon Nicks had a whole lot of time in the pocket and there's been time for him to value what things might be like in a game against the team that cannot get pressure. And all love to Ajterrell and Jesse Bates and god love the folks the Falcon secondary. They're just back there, man, They're just back their run around for dates.
Well, they're hanging.
They're getting no help, like, just trying to make the plays, uh that are available. And over on the offensive side, Darnell Mooney and Drake London shout out to them. It's the first pair league wide to both have over six hundred receiving yards. You have to deal with Moss and Patrick's or Tan could be a big Kyle Pitts game, but.
It's tough. I'm gonna have to this is this is like a believe type situation.
Much like the Chargers game. I just got to find out which team is the team and this is a great week for this matchup.
To figure it.
Out, coming down to the kicking game, coming down to a field goal.
Okay, I trust Denver.
Well that's the case. I got redemption.
One note for Denver is that Odric estimate. I don't need to tell you this. I'm sure you've been talking about it on Fantasy Live every day. He took over as the starting running back last week. Javonte Williams. They kind of put in that third down like Samaji p Ryan that used to be his old roll roll with the Broncos.
And estimate he's got some juice. Yes, he does, nice speed, powerful guy.
I picked him up on my fantasy uh in my fantasy league, and uh yeah, maybe maybe he has a big game here for.
And the Foal Because you don't have downhill linebackers. Their linebackers are chase linebackers. Even though Kaien Nellis is stud I mean he can do it money.
Nellis leads the team in pressures. He's an off ball linebacker.
Off ball linebacker, and he blitzed up to that A and B gap. That's where that's that's.
Where they are.
I like, I like a heavy blitzing team against Kirk Cousins and well, I don't know I'm I'm torn. That's a talented Falcons offense. They make a lot of plays. Kirk Crow is getting it done. Don't you say that scale it's like zero to Aaron Rodgers, I guess in terms of mobility.
But Kirk Go's outplaying Aaron Rodgers by quite a bit.
Yes, it's not. We'll have time, just not saying much.
All right, we hit a couple of the best games of the week, but we are not done yet. The best game of the early window on Sunday, really looking forward to, Yes, sir, which one? It's Ravens Steelers. We'll talk about that after the break back on NFL Daily. It's the game that's gonna have Patrick Clayband's heart fluttering in the early window.
Well, now, thanks to our two point conversion, miss my necessary begels, it's not as consequential. It's the Baltimore Ravens three point favorites at the on the road at the Pittsburgh Steelers with the over under forty eight eight Eagle Charles Davis Evan Washburn on the call. It's also the Deontay Johnson revenge game, coming back on the other side of the division, playing against his old team. Greg there was a Steelers defense that gave the Commanders all kinds of problems. What kind of issues can they face for right now the best player in the NFL on Lamar.
Jacks Well, I think the way to go at the Steelers defense is to run at them, so that it's gonna be a big test for them too. But I think the thing they did against Jane Daniels that you can't apply to this week is they're so disciplined in how they rushed the passer and that was clearly the plan.
Last week. TJ. Watt was not flying up the field.
Maybe he didn't have as many pressures as he normally would, but they kept him contained. That is tougher to do against Lamar Jackson, especially when he's got Derrick Henry and you're having option plays. But if any defense in the NFL can do it, this is the one that will do it because we've seen them do it.
Steve like, Yeah, I don't think.
There's a defense in the NFL that's consistently given Lamar Jackson more problems than the Steelers and Mike Donalin No.
I mean, like you said, they're disciplined and they've got the players to play against him.
I mean, all their guys can run. They've got guys who can do things.
I look at the other side of the ball though, I mean Pittsburgh's strength with Russ Cooking is Baltimore's weakness. And my favorite player over the past couple of weeks has been George Pickens. He has been absolutely deep ball catch and run, breaking tackles. And it is week after week with the Ravens where their secondary is getting tackled, they're missing tackles, they're giving up big plays, and they're giving up intermediate yard.
Plays to let the change move.
So the way that the Steelers are playing right now, this is kryptonite to what's going on. And paired with that defense, I just don't see necessarily Baltimore winning a shootout in this.
I'm getting to the point, Patrick, and I just wanted to frame it to you, Okay, Like I am starting to wonder, like, are the Ravens ever gonna figure it out on defense? And because the great because if they don't, I don't see them as a favorite anymore.
So I've just.
Been expecting, because of the jersey they wear, they will figure it out.
What is your level of concern with this defense.
Oh, clearly the level is very high.
Unfortunately, they don't have to play Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase again.
I get it.
But they've looked bad against some place, and they'll have they might have to play them again in playoffs.
Yeah, they look bad with bow Nicks throwing to Courtland Sudden. They look bad with Courtland Sudden throwing a bow Nick. It's been bad here in week eleven, which is also a euphemism for the Baltimore Ravens defense in twenty twenty four where I have the only thing historically I can go to is the return of Bob Sanders for the old Colts team where they couldn't do anything and all of a sudden, Bob Sanders came and fixed it.
They go to the super Bowl. Maybe that's the historical precedent. I don't know.
I don't know who the Bob Sanders would be on this Baltimore rage.
It was Dean P's they brought him back five weeks ago. It doesn't work though, it's.
It's just it's tough, you know, George Pickens, Mike Williams down the sideline, those one on one plays. Baltimore hasn't been able to defend all season. But the hope would be if you're a Baltimore Ravens fan, which you know clearly I am, if if those are low percentage plays, lower percentage for a lot of other quarterbacks other than Russell Wilson. If you go to next Gen Stats and you sort deep passing attempts since since twenty sixteen, it's Russell Wilson and literally then everybody.
Yeah, he's the bingo card, like he's he's the one that makes that go.
It's it's not fluky, and we could talk about Russ target in the middle of the field.
He's just so effective outside of the numbers.
Now he has two really talented players, including George Pickens, who's just must see TV because you don't know what he's gonna do on any given play before he catches the ball. After he cashes ball, anything goes wrong, and it's it's a concerning one. But with the the Baltimore line playing better and Lamar playing the way he is, I mean, that's that's what you hang your hat on.
It's being Deontay Johnson. Everyone else has stepped up since he's kind on join the Ravens TM.
He barely plays. All these was fall down on a play would have got Yeah, but here here's.
Speaking of it. Let's let's listen to Mike Tomlin.
He was actually asked this week about preparing for his old player Deonte Johnson, to be.
Honest, which I hadn't thought a lot about it. He's not on a lot of their video and so you know, at this stage of the week, I don't know that I've weighed, you know, what he might mean to the matchup. They got more significant pieces with larger roles that are occupying my attention at this part of the week.
The best he's this year, just the best quote machine. He just gives dandy and he says it was just like this absolute philosophical Well.
There was like a hit.
There was a little smile when the question was first asked, because that smile was like I'm going to flame this guy in the nicest way possible and say it very calmly.
Well, what's crazy though, I want to flow back to the Ravens Steveh. Yeah, when you look at the players, when you look at the roe quandt Smiths, when you look at Kyle Hamilton, who's you know, I know he's a little nicked up, Like I just do not understand, you know, Nomdi Madabik. He's finally starting to come on up front and upfront they're fine, like they don't allow running yards and they do put pressure on the quarterback. But I mean again, maybe is Zach Orr some of the stuff they've done schematically, but it is not happen here.
But we got to communicate, communicate better.
It's the same players that you've had, So to answer your question, I don't know if it's going to get better.
Yeah, it's a coaching issue at this point. I mean, you can't point to anything else that the coaching staff changes.
On the defense.
You have so many of the same players and it's just this bad week after week. Kyle Hamilton was seen working lightly at practice on Wednesday, which actually is a good sign. You know, he has a chance, it sounds like, to play in this game. But without him, oh that's trouble. And I do think because they stopped the run, and Pittsburgh obviously wants to run, and they've been a little better lately running. Their offensive line has gelleden better. Jalen Warrens certainly is playing better than he did when he was kind of fighting through some stuff early, Najre Harris running hard, I think they'll be able to stop the Steelers run.
Can someone just just play too deep against.
You know we this is the mel Kuiper playing like mel Kuiper tried to ban to you know, the two high safeties. It didn't happen. It's still allowed. But nobody does it against Russell Wilson. If ever, there's a team to just play back and let Russell Wilson dice you up. Let's see if he can do it just throwing short over the middle, like dare him to just play back. Marcus Williams is gonna miss every tackle anyway, so just let him like play forty yards back.
As got Eddie Jackson there to back him up.
I'm just like, don't don't allow that.
If not.
If it's George Pickens making moves in the matrix, that's one thing. But if it's Mike Williams like beating you one on one like that, just come.
On, we'll see.
We'll see what Zach wore and the defense, and maybe that's the silver lining. It's a whole lot easier to fix play calling in defensive strung sure than it is to acquire players after the trade deadline, which is something.
One last thing on this game.
If the Steelers win it, they are in control of the AFC North in a very real way.
And I think they can win this game at home.
Look they they split with the Ravens pretty often in bad years for the Steelers. Why can't they now? And they would be in the mix. Let's say, let's say the Chiefs lose in the in the Steelers win, it's like a four way race for the number one overall seed.
But Patrick and I were talking about, look at this.
Tell them the Steelers schedule week fifteen, Joe at the Eagles, Week sixteen, back again at the Ravens week seventeen against the Kansas City Chiefs, Week eighteen, finishing the season against Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Okay, that's a stretch. This is the first division game.
Doubt them at their at your peril, Oh, I.
Adopted no less less.
Mike Tomlins says something about me in a Wednesday news camp ahead of a division game.
Let's get two.
I haven't watched a lot of his programs, yes, like when is Game Day Live on?
Again? I have to I have to DVR. It's on it four am Pacific.
Yeah, it's while you're coaching, coach, so I understand no offense taken. Let's go to the Indianapolis Colts, who have made a change at the quarterback position. Steve, it is not Joe Flacco playing a revenge game. It's Anthony Richardson making a start on the road at MetLife. The Jets of three and a half point favorite. I love Drew Catalan, Ticky Barbara, Jason mccordyon, A j Ross on the call.
They go back to the youngster, Steve.
I love it.
It feels like it bullied them into put again. I love it. I love it.
Look the perfect timing to do it too, because the Jets would have gotten to Joe Flacco.
They're not gonna get to Anthony Richardson.
You're gonna get a heavy dose of Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson running the football because of Jets or mishmash. She gets to run. They can get after the quarterback in certain situations. But this changes things for me. I know the Jets are three and a half. The Jets have scored more than twenty points in just two of their last seven games, six of which were losses. They're not scoring the ball offensively, and you know, defensively they're in and out because the defense gets putting so many bad situations. But I think with Anthony Richardson coming in, they're not going to take away superpower. Go ahead and run, move right, pocket, Let's go ahead and let's let you do you Okay, maybe we learned some things watching Joe Flacco that we need to do to help you out a little bit better.
And I.
Have no trust in the Jets right now, absolutely none. So I think the Colts that three and a half number, not half. And I think the Colts, who win this went out right.
I think they will too. You know what's that says like when someone shows you who they are, believe them. And the Jets, well done. The Jets have shown us who they are.
And it's like.
It's unfortunately, like the dead animal I saw on the on the side of the highway on the way to work today, Like that's what they've been. They weren't there, like they weren't there last week. They weren't there. They did not show up. You can run on them. I really do believe there's a chance that they watched that Jets film and the like, we should get r back in here, because like, we don't need to throw against this team.
This is gonna be perfect.
This will be a soft landing for him and as bad as it's been in Indianapolis. Just based on the way Shane Steichen was answering some of those questions, I personally believe he wanted to start Anthony Richardson and maybe his hands were tied a little bit even earlier this week, until until he convinced the powers that be to untie his hands and go back to his quarterback.
Well, well, now that we have the benefit of hindsight about the decision and perhaps foresight some of us felt at the start of the season.
So Anthony Richardson starts.
One and two games against the Texans, who we saw pickoff Jared Golf five Tom's and promptm last time out of the Green Bay Packers during the Xavier McKinney pickstreak, and the Chicago Bears when that defense was very, very good, and then they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and Joe Flacco gets in the game against the Jags, has success against the Titans, and it's like.
Oh, Joe Flacco the twenty twenty three Joe Flacco's back.
Well, now that we know, it was probably just the schedule playing out the way that the schedule does because they have these last two games against the Vikings and the Bill. So incomes Anthony Richardson. The place that I'm not confident about this Colts team is defensively. Yea, we know Gus Bradley plays all of that zone. Aaron Rodgers right now EPA wise against man is negative fifty one. He's the worst quarterback against man coverage in the NFL. That's Aaron Rodgers in the situation.
Also DeVante Adams and Garrett Wilson. It's hard to figure.
Now, oh man, they'd be cooking right.
Well, now, the reprieve is they get to play a team that's going to play most of their coverage snaps in the zone. And so if there is a spot where Davante has a lot of success, it feels like it could be here.
Let's actually listen to Anthony Richardson. You know we're taping this on Wednesday. I was surprised because normally the quarterback move you would have heard about it earlier in the week and Stich and said, you know, Joe Flacco is our quarterback moving forward Monday and Tuesday, and then they flipped it. On Wednesday, Richardson spoke to the media about what the last few weeks have been like.
As a competitor, you know, you never want to just be on the sideline. You always feel like there's an opportunity for you to go out there and help the team. But just sitting on the sideline, it just allowed me just to you know, just look and see the certain things I could, you know, correct about myself, you know, certain things that the team needed help with, you know, And I'm just forever grateful for the opportunity. You know, I'm glad that same feel like I'm the guy again once once again. So like I said, I'm just forever grateful and I'm just thankful.
He said separately that he low key thought it was good for him that he was low key grateful for the last couple of weeks. You have heard quarterbacks talk before about that feels like the worst thing that could happen to you, and it almost is a weight lifted off your shoulder to just go play football, like you know how to. So I know, ever, you know, you were upset that they benched him. I did not think it was a bad idea to bench him based on how he was playing. And I said at the time, I promise you, I put it on Twitter like I promise you. He will be starting again sooner than later, certainly by December. I mean he got way before December. And I think it's okay that players who aren't playing well don't play for a couple of weeks. He just happens to play quarterback, and now he's going to play again. And I wouldn't be surprised to see a better version well at.
That position again, because you watched him play. He got to the point where he was he was mentally swimming upstream. So this is one sit back watch when you're hearing the play call come in, how it's supposed to be executed, whether it works or not. But being able to see the oh, okay, I see in this situation where I'm not having to process it in the microsecond, but I see how it's supposed to unfold, whether it does or not. Again, you understand a little bit better, so now we'll see. I mean a lot of people does help some people. It does mean Bryce Young is playing freaking great right now, He's not great. He's playing really good, much better than how he looked earlier in the season. So he's the one who took a step back. The coaching staff is coaching for him a little bit more as well.
And he thought then Patrick to extend this idea further, that maybe bring in tyrod for a couple of weeks.
Give give Aaron Rodgers this a little mental break. It seems like he needs it.
He's now recycling his old bits on Pat McAfee, like, Hey, there's something great in life called hope.
It's like you did that one two years ago. You got to come up with new stuff.
Yeah, And in fact, everybody, if you want to be better at something, stop doing it.
That's the that's.
The overall advice that we're coming up good on Anthony Richardson to pick up his head coach, and everybody say, yeah, it was a great idea. Look, I'll learned to watch on the sideline. Maybe he learned to not be so yolo with his body.
If you gave me he's gotta go this week, I wouldn't I wouldn't ever want to do it.
But if you said, Greg, don't like your performance lately hosting NFL Daily kind of been You've been a little bit of a mess. Take two weeks off and come back. I bet you'd get a better performance out of him.
Yeah, rest rest is good. We never we'd never go to the head coach though and talk to make a move. We never. Do you like that, though, Greg, So, Yeah, I don't want you to go anywhere.
No, I don't either. I'm just saying some time he's getting a little mentally refreshed. It's not the worst thing ever.
We love rest for everybody, hope everybody listening against proper rests and compensation as well. Let's go to a team that might need some coming off of a disappointing into a wind streak. The Los Angeles Rams five point favorites in Foxborough against Drake May and the New England Patriots. Adam, I mean, Mark Sanchez, Christina Pink on the call, Greg, you get to see Drake May go up against Matthew Stafford maybe some similarities and the young Gunslinger in the Super Bowl champ How do you see the matchup?
Yeah, I like that comparison. Obviously, Drake May is getting a lot of his value from those scrambles, like his ten plus yard scramble plays is now there with the top quarterbacks in the entire NFL for the season right off the bat. It's funny going back through that Bears tape, I thought play for Play might have been his worst game of the season, Like he made a couple of big plays, but that pass defense seemed to have him scrambling, holding the ball for a long time.
He won't be holding it in.
This game because he'll have no choice, which I actually think is not the worst thing for him. It just puts him on Hey, if that first read isn't there, I'm into create mode and that's the best. Drake may could be a little bit of a dangerous spot for the Rams because I do think the Patriots are a little more cohesive defensively than they were earlier in the season, and so in this Rams offense not really cohesive right now.
No, look, this is one I know the Rams plus five look early start, short week going across the country. You talked about the disjoint of play. I mean now, I will say this, watching that game, I was over at the stadium, Anthony Weaver. Some of the coverage looks he was given the Rams and tricking him at the line of scrimmage. And you heard Stafford talk about, you know, some of the simulated pressures. It was a game plan of a lifetime. It was fantastic. But the Patriots are physical football team, right, We'll see. I think the Rams are going to have to run the ball some We don't know what the weather's going to be.
Like.
My big thing is that Rams defensive front is Jared Verse. We've talked about it before. He is fantastic, young, fantastic. They're gonna be all over Drake may against this offensive line. I mean you heard you heard. Why am I blank on the head? Coach uh dried Mayo for the Pagequan say, hey, this would be great to have the offensive line Paige together for the second consecutive game.
Might not be against the group.
It's actually no one news in there. So yeah.
But the Rams, I mean they're looking therefore or five man front looks were fantastic and they can really really put.
Pressure on the QB.
The next collection of offensive lineman that they play will be the twelfth unique combination of offensive lineman and that would put them in the league. They're currently tied with the Bears, the Browns and the Saints for the most combinations and starting offensive line.
A couple of their starters weren't in the league at the start of.
This No, they got some guys off the street.
They have they have played a little better.
Although dried Mayo like sometimes he just says things that like he said on Wednesday, you know, he trying to big up his coach out Van Pelt and he's like, hey, like, no one deserves more credit for how Drake You know, Drake may is playing than Alex Van Pelt And I'm like, are you high man?
Like this is one of the worst offenses in the league right now.
Let's not like spend the week patting Alex Van Pelt on the back because Drake may is playing pretty well. It's mostly just Drake May. I'm not giving their offensive scheme any of the credit.
Avp was the Browns oc last year and he got Joe Flacco going.
Okay, come on man, Yeah, I'm not seeing it.
Maybe maybe is who we thought Dave Kanalis was, Greg I'm not.
I'm not seeing it. I'm seeing I'm not.
I'm seeing a young quarterback who's making a lot of impressive plays on He's going to be a good player. But like I said, I thought he was maybe maybe his worst game if just play for play was against the Bears, which makes sense.
It's a good pass defense and everything.
That's all.
We're watching his scramble late score to Ramondre Stevenson where he.
Had forty seven seconds.
Then in Alex Van Pelt's defense, he did have Hunter Henry open early in that play, drake Man went on an adventure and later apologized for not hitting him. But going back to Jared Versu and Braden fisk Man, they've generated seventy one pressures as a duo this season. You go back through ten weeks in the past seven seasons, no other rookie duo has done that.
Wow.
An incredible draft for the Rams who got a long time without having picks that early. They hit on both of them. But issues in this I mean talk about issues in the secondary. That's for games against a different team, that's for games against the Miami Dolphins. It's just tough to imagine them going into Foxborough.
I don't know their floor is so much higher because of their defense. I do have concerns about their offense and just something's missing. Stafford's not having his best season. The running game is much more inconsistent than you would expect out of the Rams, and New England might get Kyle Dugger back. They made some changes in their defense where John Jones, Jonathan Jones has been there forever, he's now the guy who is in the life going how we feel about a Pittriot's victory? Oh yeah, you know how they do that. They were still doing that from Belichick, but now that's Jonathan Jones who's doing that. He was playing safety last week and it kind of cleaned things up. They're playing a little better up front, so defensively, I think they'll play well. But man, I don't think this Patriots offense is going to get much of that.
And get some quick passes off like the Dolphins. We saw the Rams were not tackling great stuff like that.
One note Jordan Rodrieg said when she was in the office was, you know, Jonah Jackson came in off ir and they kind of rushed him back into playing center and that was where a lot of the problems happened last week. Communication the line calls pressure. So that's just something to watch that didn't really work out for them last week.
All right.
We'll go from a new England Patriots team where Greg is concerned about the offense and the offensive coordinator to the Chicago Bears, who fired Shane Waldron earlier this week. They or five and a half point underdogs at home against the Green Bay Packers, coming off of their by Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Aaron Andrews and Tom Ronaldi on the call, Steve, what do you think.
The new look Chicago Bears will be?
Like?
Wow? First off, that five and a half numbers too small for me. It'll be aching.
I know Thomas Brown well, I mean I actually covered him when I worked in Atlanta when he was a running back University of Georgia.
And this wow.
And this is a guy who has had experience.
Sean mcvaigh thought very highly of me coach running backs with the Rams and tight ends with the Rams was the assistant head coach.
And that's where I think is going to get this offense too.
I think whether it's it's throwing it or running the football with the running backs and getting the tight ends more involved to get Caleb and tempo. When did this offense actually function well when they played tempo? They sped it up. They know huddled, they got into a rhythm and then it's just all over the place. It worked for a couple of games and then Shane Waldron, Shane Waldron like, get away from it. Get this guy, get Cole komet going, let him be your primary target a lot. Let that set things up. The only problem is they're going up against the pack coming off. I mean, they could be playing catch up real quick, and that's not where you want Caleb to be. But I think Thomas Brown will keep the more steady. It's gonna be more of a run gate, a running back tight end centric offense may not be music to DJ Moore, but this could free him up a little bit. I don't expect a radical change, especially this week, because they're facing the pack.
Right.
You don't get the fired coach bounced with the coordinator, no, because you can say he's Shane Waldron. Shade Waldron's put a lot of tape out there and numbers as an offensive coordinator, and they've all been pretty good, like better than league average to Lee Adrid and what metric I'm saying with Seattle and the Rams in the past, like I'm saying, he's run offenses that were competent, that were fine.
He didn't run him in LA.
The consistency is Matt Eberflus. Matt Eberflus has been there for a minute and all those offenses stink. And you can say, oh, he's a defensive coach, it's not his fault. He's saying I meet with Caleb every day. Maybe stop bro, because all you're like, hey, we can't turn the ball over. I'm just looking at like, just we're gonna play to the defense. Caleb hasn't thrown an interception for three straight games. How's that going for you? He doesn't make a play, he doesn't make a decision. He just sits back there and waits. The pass rush for the Patriots wasn't even that good in that game. There were moments, certainly in the second half as it got worse and worse, where they were dominating. But in the first half of that game, a lot of it's just him standing there and he's good, and then he's looking over. Okay, my primary read is not there. Oh, who's how about my secondary read? Oh, there's Dj Moore just loafing out there, just kind of running around. There's Keenan Allen looking a little washed, like there's a bunch of backups on the offensive line.
One.
I don't know, man, I don't know if a coordinator change can fix it. But to me, eber Flus is the consistent of it. That's the original sin they should have. They should have, they should have changed it before this season started.
With not a person in a league who won't tell you otherwise.
Sorry for that rant.
No, it's nice right on, nothing to apologize for.
They do get Cole comment because he had he had one target against the Commanders, no targets against Arizona.
I guess Shane Waldron had.
Gotten Kaylob's here and he's like, hey, load up, load up eighty five so I can try to keep my job. He got four targets, caught two of them. Apparently that wasn't necessarily enough. And over on the other side, it's just this defense still a good defense, but they've just had to deal with their offense doing next to nothing for several weeks. And here comes a healthier Jordan Love with a chance to come back after the bye in a Packers team in a good division. Things are all good in one place and they're all bad in another. It feels like unless Chicago can really pull the right off a miracle, it's going to continue to stay that way.
I'm banging on Matt Eberflys, I mean, and you can say that his defense, like, they're still a good defense, thirtieth in the NFL in DVOA in terms of their rush defense.
Which is crazy. They led the NFL on rush defense life.
So you know what's going to happen on Sunday.
Josh Jacobs with those duo runs and that well coordinated Packers offensive line, they're not happy. They kind of got they got their stuffed into the locker by the lines the last time they played, and now they're coming off a week off.
They need this win.
They're just gonna run straight through this Bears team. And I'm with you, well over five and a half, let's take another break. We're gonna come back. We're going to talk about one of the weirdest seven and two teams of my life.
Back on NFL Daily.
I wonder if during the commercial break, people are bringing up the NFL dot com standings and thinking like, who is the weirdest seven and two team of our lifetime?
Who do you think it is?
Well, I mean, we have some options here, okay, and the lifetime consider we want to have to weirdess, they said. There have been some things that have happened for the twenty twenty four Minnesota Vikings, who were a six point favorite on the road against Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans. Greg spiro DDAs, Adam Archoletta and Adida Kikwalla on the call.
The over under a firm solid thirty nine and a half.
Points, as Tennessee did score in their limited opportunities against the Chargers Sam Darnold coming off a three interception game.
Could this be closer than the experts think at six?
Yeah?
With the Titans at home, I thought Will Levis had his best game of the season. That's a low bar, but he played fine. I think when he threw the ball it went where he wanted it to throw. He had a couple of nice plays. They pushed the ball down the field a couple times. They thought their defense was gonna be carrying them this year, and that just hasn't happened because they give up a lot of yards through the air. And that's why I don't really think they have much of a chance to win this game, because with Hockinson back.
This offense is just so varied.
They're getting a lot of good production that the Vikings are out of Josh Oliver. And yeah, Donald fritzed out a couple of times, as as he's known to do, but they they're moving the ball like on a play to play basis. I don't think it was a terrible game for Donald outside those interceptions. And man, if you have two tight ends both producing. Josh Oliver, like I said, has had a lot of big catches, yeah, and you have Addison Naylor's like, this is a dynamic passing attack and this is one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL by the numbers of the Titans.
So it's a pretty big missman.
And they can't score. I mean, this is a team where Brian Florest can warm them up. I mean, they've got just so many guys. Hopefully we get another Cam buying them ray Gun touchdown televisions.
Well, he mixes it up, he changes it time.
That one went MiG so he's not he's not going to duplicate it.
He did the parent trap. I mean, Cam buying him is sneaky star of the season.
Yeah, I mean, man, that was so good because Ray Guns is retired. Was a sad day in the break dancing world. I don't know if look this this is on the number six is fine. I mean Tennessee, you know, both coast countin horseshoes. They're a for efforting in it right now. I mean, I look on they're not tanking it. But the Vikings understand what's happened. Detroit is starting to pull away. They see green Bay coming off the by. They know what they'll tighten. U Kevin O'Connell, get them right right.
The Titans offense has allowed a league high forty three percent pressure rate this season, including fifty three point six against the Blitz.
That's also a league high.
So a team that gives up more pressure than any against the Blitz with Will Levis at quarterback and Brian Flores coordinating the other team seems like trouble. And the Vikings are getting a little healthier on defense lately too. They had Blake Cashman returned last week and really helped them.
Yeah, in that metric, it's number eight against number thirty two, So congratulations to the Titans offensive line. On the bright side, since Nuke got traded, Calvin Ridley is seen as target rate increase from twenty point three percent to thirty two point three percent. You had those two touchdowns where you go back a few weeks ago and he had a prefer they lace tired about not being involved in the offense. It turns out swearing it is good and it gives you opportunities.
He played well. It's just which Titans team are we gonna get?
Are we gonna get the defense that fantasy wise only allowed one top ten quarterback in the first five weeks to three out of the last four weeks for Tennessee where it has not been that good.
And it's such an advantage for these NFC North teams to play the AFC South out of division this year because we look at the Vikings last couple of weeks. Those are a couple of ugly wins. That Colts win that was ugly, Jaguars win that's ugly, but they all count. And if you look at the Vikings schedule, they just got to keep winning these types of games. They're gonna get to eleven wins without even beating other good teams. And if you can just get some of those wins, I mean they get to twelve to thirteen, which is really crazy if you think about it.
I mean they might have to though when you look at some of the other divisions. Now, okay, there could be a waldcard coming out of the NFC East. We didn't necessarily see that a couple of weeks ago. Right, It could either you know, Philly or Washington. There could be a wild card coming out of the nc West.
Like it's you know, it's.
Possible, but I I know it's early, and I mean they're gonna get wrong.
It does feel like three teams in the North get in and two teams in the East your playoffs.
They've got to play each other. I mean there's gonna be some campibalism in there too. That's why Minnesota has got to show up. Now is not the time to have a clunker.
Speaking of the NFC West, Steve, let's get to Seattle Seahawks on the road at the San Francisco forty nine Ers, who survived a bad Jake Moody kicking game with a Jake Moody game winner six and a half point favorites against the Seahawks, who have lost, is that five of their last six games beat the Falcons. The only thing keeping them from a six game losing streak, Greg, Can they get back in this hunt in this tight division with a win on the road in Santa Clair.
Probably not.
What a tough week for them to come off the by a game they really need to have to play in Santa Clara. This has been the matchup in the Gino Smith era, and even before that, the Seahawks just could never figure out under Pete Carroll.
In that first matchup.
We were in London at the time, so we did not watch it live Steve Weisch, but Seattle San Francisco that Thursday night was so similar to all the other Seattle it just felt like a redo where they're not tough enough and they've made changes. They get rid of Tyroll Dotson, their starting linebacker. They're green dot player who's played almost every snap this year is suddenly not even on the team anymore. They're going to change up how they do things. So I am curious kind of how they come out of their by and what changes, because this is why you hired Mike McDonald. He was supposed to be the Shanahan Tree stopper. He did a good job. I thought against the Rams before the bye that was maybe their most encouraging defensive game almost of the whole season. They end up losing it, but they played well enough to win on defense. It's a tough match, but they always look like a team that's just not as physical as the forty nine ers, and they happen to catch them when Christian McCaffrey is back in the mix.
Yeah, I think the six and a half number is big.
I think it's a tighter game just because it is what it is and San Francisco getting McCaffrey back, I know it was a first game last week gets a tough, you know, Buccaneers team.
They still they're still just not there yet.
Like I think in two weeks from now, San Francisco can really start rolling offensively.
I think Seattle understands like this is it like they've got a man up. They've got to show up or else it's going.
To get sideways real quick with the rest of the division, especially Arizona playing the way it is playing as well. So Arizona has raised the stakes for everybody in the NFC West. I think Seattle will come out and play a pretty good game. They're not going to win, but I think the six and a half number might be big.
Yeah, it's it's an opportunity where h Mike McDonald optimistic about DK Metcalfs return.
The Seahawks have needed him back.
The forty nine Ers traditionally do all they can to bother DK, trying to get in his head, but the most impactful aspect of that is the way he's covered uh and they have done a good job with DK in the past.
The Seahawks offense has seen some changes.
We got more prominent Jackson Smith and Jigma during h DK's points time out, and so perhaps that's an opportunity for some positivity there and the by giving them a chance to to come back and do things differently defensive than the first time they had this matchup. It's but it's a it's a it's almost a healthy forty nine Ers team. Ricky Piersoll coming in on the way up.
That's crazy. That's a great call of Patrick.
Here they are again, Greg, as he pointed out, forty nine Ers after the buy going on a run hole he had dumb dumb.
Every year, right, Like, yeah, Jennings really played the X last week that you know. Instead it like they had debo in a little bit of a different role, and Juwan Jennings maybe is the guy who's going to get a lot of receptions and targets down the stretch. He's someone I think could have a big close to the season now that he's healthier and they rework their offense, and McCaffrey really helps so much in the passing game. It's obvious he's a good runner, but he's one of the best pass protecting running backs I've ever seen, and he's so good as a receiver that it really helps unlock I think everyone else. So that it's gonna be tough for Seattle. They just have to avoid on offense negative plays on first and second down. I couldn't believe this stat that Ben Solak from ESPN sent out the Steelers. I mean, the Seahawks right now on third down faced the longest average distance of any NFL team since nineteen.
Eighty No way, no way.
I couldn't believe it. And it's because of these negative runs. It's because of these sacks. It's partly because there's such a inexplosive offense there that they don't even get to third down when things go well, like they're just hitting big plays, but when they do I'm shocked they're even the worst in the NFL this year. Like, wow, they're worse than the Panther.
Yeah, I would think a team like that.
They're the worst since nineteen eighty and that's when ESPN Stats and Info started keeping track, So for all we know.
They're the worst one ever.
Well, they also have two thirty yard losses.
In there, right, But so what it's like, that's that's still just a couple of plays, Like in one of those one of those losses, they actually got it back to third and nine. I know what you're talking about. They keep having those like the ball goes over Gino's head and stuff.
But you see it if they memory poll by you, Greg.
Thank you very much, very The Seahawks games they stick in my head, man, the like the ken Walker negative six runs and the sacks and.
But still, I mean, I mean, just to I would think a team like Jacksonville, it has all these freaking holding penalties or something like that on situations like that, would be one of those teams.
This is that's a mind blowing.
Number if they come out and they lose a close game. But it looks like two pretty even teams that'll actually show me something that they're a little different, because I maybe it's the fan in me coming out, but I I worry for them in this spot. So show me something, Mike.
That's a good, that's a good. If not a victory, get a moral.
Victory, I'll take it.
That's why I'm not I'm not a real fan that because I would take a moral victory.
Let's go to a team that hasn't had any victories moral or otherwise. The Dallas Cowboys playing host to the Houston Texans, coming off of that heartbreaker to the Lions. Seven and a half point favorites, and it's Monday Night football. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, So we won't have to worry about our stellar neighbor, that bright object ninety three million miles away being an issue A touchdown away.
Steve So, I guess there's that going for him. Can they beat the Texans?
No? No, And that's seven and a half numbers plenty good. I mean, Houston just they know now where they have to be. They have got to start winning to ball games. I mean, this is the point. If they're going to be a player in the AFC, they've got to start playing well. Defensively, they've been fine and that's where they're you know, they're gonna win this game. I mean, the way their insire linebackers played, They're gonna get pressure on Connor Orr or Trey Lance or whomever the Cowboys trot out there.
You know.
Look, offensively, they still gonna have their issues. We did see Dallas show up a little bit, you know, on defense last week. But Houston, their defense, I think is really gonna have to turn a corner. Still don't know if Will Anderson's gonna be back, but again, the way this guy's in a secondary and inside linebackers play, I think that's what's gonna get them over the hump and they're gonna beat that points one.
Yeah, show me something with your run blocking, with your their early down runs, they've become very predictable Houston. A lot of first second down runs and then they're in a third and eight, similar to what Seattle's been going through.
I'm with you.
I thought that Cowboys defense in the first half of the Eagles game played as well as I've seen them play in a long time. Funny how when you insert one of the best defensive players I've ever seen into the lineup that that they get a lot better. But they really did look good, Like it took the Eagles got like seven first half possessions to get that second touchdown, and they had you know, they were playing hard and then then the roof fell in a little bit.
But Overshowing's playing great.
Sounds like he's gonna be healthy enough to play in this game and they might get Deron Bland back for this game on Monday night. So defensively, I actually think they could ugly it up Collins this game. That's a huge one that that changes the offense. Our friend Seth Payne, who is on the show, has pointed out over and over like like, I know the offensive line is bad, but if you put Nico Collins in, the offensive line will look better, you know, because c J.
Stadd will just be getting the ball to his guy, Nico Collins.
Yeah, you know who leads the Houston Texans and the receiving yards this season despite not having played since Week.
Five, it's still Nico Collins.
And I think the other as we saw John Metchi again all congratulations, great coming back from having his breakout game getting the end zone for the first time on Sunday Night football.
A lot to look forward to there.
I just I'm gonna need forty five passing yards in the game for the past for the Dallas Cowboys.
And Cooper Rush is starting again.
Yeah, okay, here we are.
But they've told us what they think of Trey Lance then, but I mean Trey Lance came in the game, they got some positive yards.
Then Cooper Rush came back in and immediately fumbles. He goes to turnover back to the Philadelphia Eagles. Everything's a mess there. So seven and a half feels feel solid to me.
Okay, should we do our survivor pick real quick?
Before we do it?
Is this you know? Now last year Bobby Slowick was the whiz kid, and yeah, we're questioning what you just talked about, the early predictable rundowns, Like, is he really that that craven O sass?
You know, this is the OC pick pick on the OC.
Show that happens.
I believe we give too much credit and I do it as much as anyone, So I'm putting myself in this like we give too much credit and too much blame to the coordinators.
It's just sort of the move we always do.
If you have a good year, coordinators go get hired and interview around and I don't know, but there's a lot of variants, a lot of luck to it.
But yeah, Slowick hasn't been great despite that. I mean last week we went against the Cowboys with the Eagles. Oh yeah, let's just keep it rolling.
I rolling.
I do not want to hear about Cooper Rush's five and one stretch in twenty twenty one ever again.
I will gladly Greg.
Okay sign on to make this our survivoral Eric behind the glass, Eric Roberts doing a great job, did go back and track it. We've hit all of our Survivor picks after we started off bad, Patrick miss one, then I missed one week two, and we decided to restart as a team in week three.
We've hit them all and the Lions actually have not been used. And they play the Jaguars this week.
They got to save it. We'll save them.
But I think let's save them. I think just fading the Cowboys is a good move. Let's let's go Texans.
If we want to finish this thing out, Yes, let's get going to keep the timeouts in the bag.
And Okay, see how things going, let's get Let's go Texans.
Yeah, let's go to our next game.
The Miami Dolphins, coming off of a win on the West Coast, are back at home as the Las Vegas Raiders off of the bye seven and a half point dogs forty for the over under Tom McCarthy, J Feeley, Ross Tucker, and our friend Tiffany Blackman on the call. Greg Miami showed us a little something, especially defensively against the Los Angeles Rams.
How are they gonna do against the Raiders off the ball?
I think they'll do well.
I'm really curious to see if Anthony Weaver in this defense is starting to build something, you know, Yeah.
Because they've they've not been great most of the season.
No, but that was a fantastic performance.
Sometimes a new defensive coordinator takes a little while for it to get going. The schedules tourney in their favor now coming up, including this matchup. Gardner Minshew is starting for the Raiders. There was some question. There actually was even some light reporting that it was going to be Desmond Ritter, and I think they lost their stomach for it.
I'm still questioning it in general.
I don't know, Yeah, I don't know.
This Raiders team, Scott Turner's first game as offensive coordinator. They have some of the worst rushing stats of any team this century. So he'll try to turn that running game around some historical you know, yeah, you dropped like in my lifetime twice.
Yeah, ever seen once and now in this century since nine eighty made it appearance, this was yeah, I mean.
Yeah, I think it's epa per rush. They have the worst number since since two thousand. They're the Raiders.
Yeah, I mean, look, and just know Miami's offense is just getting ready to hit. You know, they're they're trying to help you. So, I mean they're trying. They're they're using their running backs a lot. I mean, you're not seeing a guy with a hot hand kind of stick with the ball. They're rolling a chn and most shirt and right twenty five they're rolling them through instead of I just think they're getting ready. You know, their offensive line there there's a big concern in the right tackle with Austin Jackson going on. Ir they are really they know, there's some certain things we have to do, and the one is get the ball out quickly. But in this game, right here, a seven and a half is plenty. I mean, the Raiders are just right now. They're a mess, but I think Miami is this win right here, I think made them feel pretty good about their talent. We know, if they can play up to their talent, very very dangerous football team. It made me feel good about their talent because it's tough.
I was trying to go back and remember a game where we saw to a tongue of Aoloa under pressure as he was like that on the road and the Dolphins still winning. Nonetheless, a lot of that was the defense, a lot of it was Jason Sanders and ain't that Colletch kick late in the game. But despite all the pressure that, they still look serviceable offense, and they made plays and they had big plays a couple of them as well. Where you know, this this Raiders team, I don't know what changes on the buy.
I don't know. Max Crosby gets some time off perhaps, Yeah, that could help that that helps.
Jakobe Myers helped them when he came back into the lineup, that he really made a big difference for them. Man, this Raiders team, it's sad they are the least interesting team in the NFL. I was thinking about this and for a race. Even when the Raiders are bad, I always thought they were kind of interesting. Antonio Pierce is interesting, like as of just a personality. But I would actually say, like if I could, like they they are the lead, They're the most under the radar, Like I just don't really want to watch them team just about in the NFL. You could throw the Titans in there, I guess, but like for a Raiders team to be that team, that's sad.
Yeah, I mean, look, Max Crosby, you know, you love because he's he's one of the you know, the better best I'll say, one of the best defensive players in the NFL. But he's like Nanda Austin waet Nondi had all those great years with the Raiders and never played on a team with a winning record. And that's the direction that Max Crosby's head in, you know, with his career. Salute to him, he's take he's gonna handsomely compensated. He's mister Las Vegas. He's going nowhere, you know, Salute to him for not saying, get me out of here. But man, I just don't know, even looking at future years, if they get a quarterback, you know, is ap going to be around like this. This team still has a lot of turnover to get some competitive players on that roster.
Yeah, and it's a big game for the Every game is a big game for the Dolphins. At this point, six losses, you can get back in the AFC playoff picture. It's a big for our Thanksgiving Night podcasts, which I think I'm planning to do this year because that doesn't that schedule doesn't look great. But Dolphins, if they're coming in on a three game winning streak against the Packers, that's a good nightcap for the Thanksgiving slate. So I want them to get to that game on a three game winning streak, and you gotta win this one the second game of that streak to make.
It happens the best one since the century.
Patrick, I'll hop on to that because the middle game on Thanksgiving is gonna need to pick me up because we're gonna get the Dallas Cowboys. Yeah, and potentially Cooper Rush again on that one. But speaking of Thanksgiving, let's wrap today up with that. Kevin Harland, Trent Green and the crew on the call for Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road against the Detroit Lions, where they are thirteen point favorite Steve with an over under a forty seven A Jared Goff get right game after five picks in Houston.
Yep, Okay, yeah, Jered Goff get right game.
Look, this is one where Detroit could very easily kind of sleepwalk a little bit, and that thirteen number might be big. I mean, they're not gonna lose this game, you know, even if Jerry Goff throws those types of interceptions, because Jacksonville just can't I mean, they can't do enough consistently right on both sides of the ball offensively and defensively to get past what Detroit offers, especially if Detroit runs the ball.
But yeah, the Lions check that box.
I think they're in a perfect spot to cover the thirteen and maybe make it thirty because they're so well coached and I think are so focused and hungry that it's like they're coming off a loss, you know. I say great teams respond well to a loss. I think they'll feel like we did not play our best last week. We can't let that happen again. We're gonna be ready to go in front of our home crowd and we're playing Mac Jones with one of the best secondaries in the league. It's amazing how these two teams I'm thinking out them together and they could be in the NFC Championship, the Eagles in the Lions. What was the problem last year for both these teams their defensive backfields? What did their front offices attack, attack, attack all off season in personnel, defensive backfield, secondary, And it's the secondary that makes the Lions special. I mean, Mac Jones isn't going to get anything done against this team. It's just no way, right. I mean maybe Travis etm But they're a good run defense too, like because one of the reasons is they they're so good in the back end is they don't they don't send extra guys. Even without Hutchinson, you get Zidaria Smith playing in this game, I'm going forty one to seven, Like, forget this game.
I like that.
Let's go all right, that's a significant forty one to seven. H even not even Garbagetan points. When did they get the seven? That could be the biggest thing.
Actually get it early. It's seven to seven, and then the Lions take that person.
This might be the biggest differential in this century.
That might be the biggest number we've seen all year. I've been waiting for We're mid those.
Let's get to it.
There was another big one last time. It's time to start having big numbers. It's it's there's a lot of dead teams. One new news item in this game, Doug Peterson said he was optimistic Trevor Lawrence will return after the bye, which is interesting because there was some reporting, I believe from our network that he could be out for the season. When that happens, just having worked in the business, you do wonder, like where is the information coming from? Like Dak Prescott, for instance, to use a different example, spoke with CBS Tracy Wolfson over the weekend. She was like he and he said, I was a little surprised. I wasn't put on IR yet and it was like going back and forth of like is he out for the season?
Is he not?
And sometimes there's you know, different agendas going on.
So you do wonder what Doug puts that out publicly that he's optimistic Trevor Lawrence is coming back, but we heard from another report that Trevor Lawrence might be out for the season, and who's mate. I'm just curious just something to watch. I don't know, you know what I'm get, yeah, and I know what you're getting. I remember it's like maybe the agent or maybe that some part of the team thinks it'd be better for Trevor long term to just start that process now, and if they get a higher draft pick, so be it. And Doug Peterson wants to win games. I don't know, like you know, all of that happens, right I don't know if it's happening here, but it just makes you think about it.
Well, yeah, ultimately, I do remember Ian quote tweeting Jake Rudin who said that he's hearing that Surgery was gonna have surgery, and Ian said, we you know that's we don't know, yeah, exploring all options.
They're considering all the options.
I will say, like, if Trevor Lawrence needs surgery, if he's gonna have to have surgery anyway, then go ahead and have it now. We don't know what the changes are going to be in Jacksonville. Why not give him an off season where he's with the team and not recovering from surgery.
Right here, here's another thing with that, the Jacks learned this to play portals. If he was unable or if he was on the roster by a certain date bonuses kicked in. He held off wrisk surgery until after the season where they could not cut him injured he was on the roster.
Not a concern for Trevor Lawrence, but also a fascinating thing that can happen with the player because as.
I was thinking, like, because it's always teams want to have the player have the surgery on their own time.
Yeah, right, they want to play there.
We prefer not necessarily they want to play role to hobble around on vacation, but just to play when you could play and then have the surgery when you can't play.
But we'll see how they treat trev and then situation.
But a mac Jones playing against the Lions on the road is not something that anybody wanted.
No, what a world.
The Lions is the best team in the NFC, and yes, what a world. I get to spend it with you guys every Wednesday talking out here in the Chris Westling podcast CEO. That was a lot of fun. Thank you for watching and listening to NFL Daily. Yes we will be back Thursday Night Football one of the best games of the season Commanders Eagles Steven Ruiz the Ringer will be joining me.
For the recap show, so check that out.
Yes, when we're talking about players avoiding surgery, you know football is back.