Club Shay Shay - Nightcap - Hour 1: Tee Higgins talk, Rodgers historically bad, Bowers breaks rookie TE record

Episode Date: January 1, 2025

Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson recap the top stories from Week 17 of the NFL season including all the latest in Cincinnati Bengals Tee Higgins contract talks, New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers puts up one of the worst games for a QB in NFL history, Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers now has the most receiving yards for a tight end in his rookie season in NFL history and much more!03:19 - Tee Higgins contract talk07:19 - What kind of tight end is Brock Bowers?10:26 - Who would make a good head coach candidate for the Raiders?14:17 - Unc thinks Jamal Adams should have stayed with the Jets20:00 - Was Aaron Rodgers a part of one of the worst games in NFL history?32:30 - The quarterbacks weren’t the problem with the Panthers35:32 - Brock Bowers sets a rookie record(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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See dkng.com slash promos for deposit, wagering, and eligibility restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources. Thank you guys for joining us again. Y'all know me. I'm your favorite. I'm Shannon Sharp, that guy Liberty City legend, bingo's ring of fame, artery, pro bowl of the hall pro that's Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson. I just read an article today that T Higgins market

is gonna be somewhere a little bit, a little north of 30 million a year on the free agent market. Yes, sir. Now look, that's his choice. I think he's saying all the right things and you don't wanna come because you know, Ocho, if he goes, oh, he's selfish.

Why is he selfish? Mike Brown done made all that money he ain't paid, but a handful of people since he owned the team. You got to talk to him. I can't say it no more. I mean, can you please tell the people in the chat? I'm sure we have... Listen, I know we have a lot of Bangalore fans in the chat right now. I know we do. Can you please tell them the importance of your first contract as a player after you put all the work in to get to this point? And I know, I know he means well. I know he does.

I would love to see him stay, but you got to say something. Cause I done said it. I don't think people listen to me because they've been arguing me down. You know, my, my fans, you know, that I love they've been arguing me down based on what I said, maybe if they hear from you, I don't know. First contract, especially T Higgins was a second round pick if I'm not mistaken. Your first contract is what solidifies everything.

Now that gives you, if you want to down the road, Ocho, if you wanna take a little less money or you wanna give them a little haircut, now look, when I say give you a haircut, I ain't getting no damn bald head now. I ain't getting no Cojak. That's what you used to call the bald head when I was growing up Ocho.

Hey, the old man going to, hey, hey Green, give me that Kojak. That meant a ball head. No, I ain't getting no ball. Now, if you say, okay, I'm gonna stay, I could go get 30, 31 million as a free agent. Now you gonna give me 28, 29. So when I project it out, that's about,

okay, I'm gonna lose 10 million. I can, you know what, Ocho, with a couple of, with a couple of incentives here and there, I do a couple of appearances, I can make that up. But when you tell me on the free agent market, I can get five years, 160 million with 80 million guaranteed and what y'all can only get to is 120 million? Oh, hell no 20 when you

strike once you get past 20 30 million right I can't even hear nothing y'all saying yeah yeah y'all bull driving I can't give because here's the thing oh no yeah the networks where to go to the NFL and say, y'all cut us a deal. What you think they gonna say, Ocho? No, they not get no deal from the NFL is not given. Cause I don't think y'all understand. Chat, let's stay with me right here.

Do y'all realize that even though like ESPN has paid 2.2 billion and Fox has paid 2 billion and all these networks, do you realize even on playing the 2 billion, the 1.8, the other 2.2 billion, that in order for ESPN to show video clips, they gotta pay for that too? Oh yeah.

11 minutes of video clips is about $2 million. Let that sink in. Chad, listen to me. 11 minutes worth of video clips, how many video clips do you think ESPN show in a day? Right. How many do you think they show in a week? Same for Fox, same for CBS, same for NBC, same for Amazon.

Think about that. So I just pay, hold on, it's like, Ocho. Yes, sir. I go pay $200,000 for a car. You mean to tell me I gotta play for the umbrella that come in the car too? You can't give me that as a discount? God dang!

Yeah. I mean, listen, listen, I just, I don't understand and I think about the nature of the business when it comes time to get paid. For one, the teams aren't gonna come to you with your best interest in heart or in mind. They gonna low ball you. They gonna low ball you.

Of course. They gonna low ball you, you know? I understand, I know the game that they're going to play as much as I love the game of football, but I understand the bidding war. It's almost like, Ocho, this reminds you of like in Pennsylvania, Montana, Marino name of yeah Kelly all of them from that little pocket so many, you know, uh What's your name?

Rebus yeah, aliquippa Tony George said aliquippa I mean that that little small little Pennsylvania a lot of Hall of Famers came out of there But this is I mean within 120 miles of each other, it'll be interesting. They probably, Chase and Jefferson, they probably know each other before. They got a pretty trail.

You know why they know each other? You know what I'm saying, Ocho? Whatever parts of Louisiana they were from, they didn't just start getting good. They've been good. Yeah. They've been good way back then. Oh yeah.

So obviously, you know players in different counties and different cities that are playing well. So I'm sure they know each other, especially the seven on seven stuff when they were coming up with me. And I'm sure they cross paths in those type of areas and environments. Chase is gonna win the Triple Crown.

Jetta is having an outstanding season. He's over 100 catches. Malik neighbors, he's on pace. Well, the only thing is that he's got Brian Brock Bowers who needs nine catches to set the single season record for tight ends. He has eight, four more catches than Malik neighbors. He has one Oh eight neighbors.

That's a lot like this. I, Brock Bowers was the real deal at Georgia. He was a real deal. I didn't know what he would be in NFL. We've, we've seen many players. We've seen many players dominate, you know, at the college level and to get to it and absolutely disappear. Yeah, Brock Bowers is everything is advertised, boy. Everything is advertised. You know why I thought you? Yes, sir. You know why I thought he would be good, Ocho? Because he's not a finesse tight end. Right. He's an old school, put his hand in the dirt, tight end. That's tremendous run after the catch. He has great body control.

He got great hands, can catch the ball in traffic. He's good at run after the catch. Now is he Gronk, is he Mark Bavaro or some of these big, George Kittle? No, no, no, no, no. He's not that. Now I'm not saying he's that, but he's a decent. And what I tell guys all the time,

are you more of an asset in the passing game than you are a liability in the run game? Because if you are, you can play, you can be special in this league because that's all I'm asking. And that's what I told myself, Mike, I'm going to be more of an asset than I am a liability. Now, now if you want me to try to hold up against Reggie and straight hand and bruise, it ain't happening. So I'm going to go ahead and tell you right now, go ahead and put somebody else in there. And when it come to passing down, let me go and get my little passes and I'll come on out.

But they ain't gonna just wear me out all day long. I'm gonna get me a couple of wins back. And so that's the way you gotta approach it. But four leading receivers, all within 120 miles of each other. Chase, Justin, Jefferson, C.D. Lamb, Ryan Thomas Jr. and Malik Mab neighbors for good measure. There's been speculation that the Raiders co-owner Tom Brady really like Brian

Flores as a potential head coaching candidate. Flores has done damage. Some amazing things with the bikes. Remember, he he was the defensive coordinator when they won the Super Bowl against the Rams, right? In Atlanta. And then he got the head coaching job at Miami. Okay.

He was a linebacker's coach? When did he become the DC? He was never the DC? Okay. So he was a linebacker's coach that got the job, okay, because Patricia was the DC. Okay. You like that the DC. Okay. You like that? You like Brian Florence to the.

Now, listen, I think Brian Flores and what he was able to do with the Vikings defense, obviously the personnel and the talent and skill level may be a little different, a little bit more upside when it comes to the Viking defense. But I think it would be good. I think, I think he'd be a good fit. I don't like the fact that they're firing or getting rid of AP when AP hasn't had a chance because he's been going through a goddamn quarterback carousel

and got them made around the quarterback. So it's hard to be able to, again, I say it all the time, you can't compete unless you got a quarterback. You can't. No, zero chance. He hasn't had a chance or opportunity. And who did he have? Who did he have, Ocho? He had Jimmy G.

He had Gardner Mentschoo, Aiden O'Connell. Those are the main three that I do remember. And there's no disrespect to them. No disrespect to them. But you know, we talk about tier two, tier three quarterbacks. What am I supposed to do with that? No disrespect to them. But you know, we talk about tier two, tier three quarterbacks. Don't grow. What am I supposed to do with that? Nothing you can't do, so unfortunately. You give me chicken poops and make me some chicken salad and I need it to be yummy.

Nice. You're right. I mean, I like Ryan Flores. I think he's done a great job of rehabilitating himself because all the things that were coming out weren't favorable. You hear Tua say things, you hear Ryan Fitzpatrick say things. There are some other people that have come out and said some things. But look, at the end of the day, Brian, if I would tell you, all I would say is this, be you. You're not Coach Belichick. And I think that is the one mistake they made. All the coaches under that tree as made.

Right. They try to be coached. That way of coaching wouldn't work in this area anyway. If you look at, look at the guys that come out of Mike Shanahan, I'll be Kyle Shanahan street, Sean McVay, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur is Matt LaFleur. Kevin O'Connell is Kevin O'Connell. Mike McDanielay, Sean McVay. Matt LaFleur is Matt LaFleur. Kevin O'Connell is Kevin O'Connell. Mike McDaniel is Mike McDaniel.

Don't nobody try to be like him. I don't know why, when that's not your personality, when they look up there and they hear you sound like Coach Villachick, but they're like, you Brian Flores. You Matt Patricia. You Josh McDaniel. You Bill O'Brien.

You Charlie Wise. You Romeo Crenel, you're not him. Why try to be him? So that would be my advice to him. I hope he gets another opportunity. Normally the second time around is better than the first. Where you go is very important, but you have some pieces you get to work with over there.

Jack Jones, Max Crosby, now you got some other young bulls. Yeah, yeah, you got- You got Christian Wilkins. Yeah. You got Brock Bauer, you gotta get a quarterback. You gotta get a quarterback. And they got a lot of,

now they got, well how much cap space do the Raiders have? Raiders got a lot of cap space. Now they gonna have a little dead cap space on there with Devontae Adams dealing him. They gonna have a little dead cap space on there with Devontae Adams dealing him. They're gonna have a little dead cap space. But Ocho, that's it, they got money. They had to spend it. I mean, listen, you don't wanna spend on anything.

You wanna. Rayden's got the second most cap money to spend. You don't just wanna spend on anything. You wanna spend on the right thing. I just, you know, I thought Jamal Adams should have stayed at the Jets. I don't know, maybe it was his contract, he wanted to get paid.

Sometimes, bro, the grass ain't always greener. And it's really difficult, it's rare. It's really, really rare, Ocho, that you can build up something here and then go somewhere else and it be the same. It's difficult. And I remember having a conversation with a very, a great player.

And he called me, he said, tell me what you think I should do. I said, I said, I'm gonna be honest with you. I say, where you're thinking about going, they're never gonna love you like they do where you are. I say, never. I don't care what you do. You're being loved where you are.

You're just gonna be another piece. He stayed. And I don't think enough guys realize that. Yeah, I mean, I get Ocho, my sure. I free agency and they won't pay you. But when you request things, I mean, was fair, is fair. Based on where he was at the time being a safety. You got to hit it when the stove is hot and the stove was hot for him. Right. And that thing about it,

because think about had he not did what he did and he had gotten hurt, then he wouldn't have got that money. Jets are reportedly set to interview Ron Rivera and Rex Ryan for the head coach and vacancy at the Jets. Ocho, who would be the better fit? I'm biased, so don't ask me. You know, like Rex going back? No, but I'm saying I know Rex.

Sexy Rex, he was on the staff in Baltimore. His dad came and worked me out when I was at the Broncos, not the Broncos, when I was in Savannah State, Ocho. Buddy, his dad, rest his soul, came and worked me out. He said, son, I and worked me out. He said, son, I've watched the tape. He says, right, we're gonna take a bunch of receivers. He said, we're gonna put all

the ads in the bag. And the best ones are gonna play. Not what he told me. He drafted all those receivers that I remembered him telling me he's like, is that after he said we took a bunch of receivers, but none of them was you. They took a Fred Barbnet, they took Calvin Williams, Mike Bellamy, they took like four receivers, Ocho. None of them ain't shadow charmed. That's motivating.

And it's... Oh yeah. That is motivating in itself. Who you like best, Ocho? You like Ron Rivera or you like Rex Reitz? I don't think Ron has the right, personality's not the right word to use. He just doesn't fit the New York atmosphere,

the New York meter. I mean, the New York. Rex has been there, done that. He knows, he definitely knows how to talk to big guy. Mm-hmm. Rex has been there, done that. He knows, he knows, he definitely knows, he definitely knows how to talk to the media. He has the personality. Yeah, Ron is very, he just doesn't fit. He just doesn't fit.

I mean, good coach, he just doesn't fit in that atmosphere. I don't think that's what they need. So you like Ron. I like that, I like that. I mean, you like, especially I mean you like uh. Especially Rex. Rex is a defensive mind as well too right? If I'm thinking.

Yeah. Yes. We definitely have that defense playing well. But let me ask you this. What are you doing with who are you bringing in as an offensive coordinator and what are you doing with the coordinator? See that's the scary part. So it doesn't matter you switch coaches.

If you don't have nobody at the helm that can be able to get the ball and deliver that thing, it ain't no point. It ain't no point. You're signing yourself up for suicide, basically, which you're not going to be able to compete when you don't have a quarterback. Hey there, it's Michael Lewis, author

of Going Infinite, Moneyball, The Blind Side, and Liar's Poker. On every season of my podcast Against the Rules, I take a broad look at various characters in American life. The referee, the coach, the expert. My next season is all about fans and what the rise of sports betting is doing to them, to the teams, and even to my family. I'm heading to Las Vegas and New Jersey and beyond to

understand America's newest form of legalized gambling. Listen to Against the Rules on the Oh Joe, check this out. The Bills defeated the Jets 40 to 14. At one point the score was 40 to eight. Aaron Rodgers had a 1.2 QBR today versus the Bills. It was one of the 20 worst games by quarterback in NFL history. It was the worst game since Davis Mills in 2021. The Bills forced three turnovers, notched the safety, sacked Aaron Rodgers four times.

Rodgers had a forgettable game with season lows and passing yards 112, quarterback rating 44. Aaron Rodgers benched himself in the fourth quarter essentially, saying, you know what, Ocho, this is what he said. I mean, it was 33 to nothing. We're sitting there. And I said, at some point, you'd probably go to Tyron. Huh? Yeah.

Probably should have went to Tyron about five games ago. Huh? You know what? Hey, Bills, I need you all to give me your vaccination status. Because that probably that probably why you all want. Hey. So I can ask you a question on a check. Can I ask you a question? A check. Listen, listen to me. Yeah, sure. Is this any different question than Anthony Richardson saying he required

and coming out the game. And everyone is saying, you know what? I'm going to mention myself. I guess what? Maybe based on my play when there's nothing wrong with it. There any different? I'm just curious. I'm here to chat.

I'm curious on your thoughts. I just want to, I don't get it. I've never heard of a player actually mentioning himself unless he's saying he been himself and unless they actually did it. Yeah. No, that's not what he said. He said he went to the co basically went to the coaches that we're sitting there. And I said, at some point, you can't give up a team in the middle of a game,

no matter how bad you're glaring, you still got to keep fighting to the end. You have to. I'm sure. I'm just trying to figure out. I mean, but in fact, they probably, look, I mean, he done begged enough for a job. Oh, if they draft a quarterback, I would mentor him. You know, that's not a conversation for me.

I mean, he's begging to stay there. He know he's playing bad. And y'all getting people have given him every excuse. And when you say that he's played bad, you're talking about vaccination status. That ain't got nothing to do with him playing bad. That ain't got nothing to do. And that was four years ago.

Ain't even nobody talking about COVID. He keeps bringing that up to try to, what he's trying to do, he's playing, he's playing the shell game with you, Ocho. Mm-hmm. I'm playing bad. Let's talk about COVID. So you, so you're trying to say you're trying to distract us.

I see the right hand is what you're playing bad with. Yeah, you're right. He trying to distract, that's why he keeps bringing it up. Don't nobody. Don't nobody bring up that he misled people and see, you know, immunization. And he thought, but, you know, if he vaccinated, he immunized, nobody brings that up. We're talking about your play in twenty twenty four. Right. Has been abysmal. Right. There's no there's no way around it.

He's played bad. He's still a four time league MVP. He's still a Super Bowl champ. He still has grown 499 touchdowns. He's done all of that. And I say that, but he's played bad in 2024. There's nowhere around it, chat. There's nowhere around it, Jet Fass.

Even the most diehard staunch supporters of Aaron Rodgers can honestly can't look themselves in the mirror and say something played good because of the heaven. The season was abysmal. It's been bad. It's been really bad. Does he get an opportunity to redeem himself next year? That's the question. I don't believe he redeemed himself in New York. That's just me. I don't believe he redeemed himself in New York. That's just me. I think, I mean, Woody Johnson, if the reports are to be believed that Woody Johnson tried to bench him earlier in the season, I don't know why you would bench him and then have him back.

That's just my thought. Now look, owners have done things that made me scratch my head before. But all I know is this, they fired the coach, so the office coordinator. And like I said, you know, play, play, play, as you know, which is fire. No, but Ocho, the thing is, is this what you have to understand? And when you bring a guy like that in you basically turn the you turn the organization over to it Tampa did that but Tampa did that for Brady Broncos did that for Manny the

problem that you have to be careful with is that people sometimes they have power they'll abuse that privilege. It'll tell you a lot. Give a person, if you want to know what a person and people say, well, give him money, give a person power. That'll tell you exactly who a person is. That's telling you a lot. And Aaron Rodgers has 499 career touchdowns, suddenly 500, a look at certain things.

It's going to be interesting to see. Does he play? Does he start next week? Does he play next week? It's being reported that Garrett Wilson will reportedly request a trade if Rogers comes back as quarterback. So I remember having a conversation with you

this off season when they were in training camp and he kept talking to Roger. I said, Ocho, that's not a good sign. You said, oh, it's just the preseason. I said, Ocho, I'm telling you, he keep talking. And I don't blame him. Y'all keep telling me, all I know is that when I had a left quarterback,

I was offensive rookie of the year. I'm not saying he's not being utilized the right way, but I know what he can do. I know what he can do. And there's nothing wrong with him. There's nothing wrong with him, but the quarterback has been abysmal. And we've seen Aaron Rodgers before

be able to facilitate the ball and be able to addition and deliver it to multiple players at a time because he did it for a very long time at Green Bay. Maybe he's just not the same quarterback we're used to seeing. Cause there's no reason Garrett Wilson to be upset. There's no reason Garrett Wilson with his talent, with his skill level, and whether he can contribute to that offense. There's no reason for this.

And his time, his young United in his prime yet is being wasted in New York. It's been wasted. It is. And that's a look, guys. Y'all Ochoa have a little of a different way. I just call it like I see it. I don't have anything personal against anybody. I don't think I'm better than anybody.

I don't care what somebody else is doing. I just look at it and say, okay, the guy's playing good. The guy's not playing good. And let me try to explain to you why he's not playing good or why he is playing good. And so that's why I just don't look at touchdown, interception, sack, blah, blah, blah. I'm trying to look at how it came.

I'm trying to look at how it came to be. That's why we were able to look at the players that, oh, that interception that y'all blaming on Russ. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, that wasn't Russ. That was Pickens. He quit on the route. And so once he quit on the route, the safety said, why the hell am I gonna get wide when there's not a threat wide?

The danger is screaming up the seam here. Let me just cheat this here. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Russ. I appreciate that. And everybody like, Russ, how could you throw that? Had Pickens not quit on that route. And he stayed wide.

That means Reed would have had to stay wide. And that means Frymuth would have got over the top of it because he picked it. You have to understand everything ties together. We're talking about from a standpoint of running routes. We know how things tie together. Front side, we got to, maybe the front side, we got a dagger hoping that safety get nosy

that we got the post on the backside. That's what they did with the Dino route. The Broncos ran the Dino to Marvin Mills Jr. Safety's already outside, so I'm gonna get them a little further. Now I'm gonna head back to the post. Safety ain't paying attention on the backside. Now I'm past you.

So in offense, things tie together. It's almost like, you know, rice and gravy. You know, cornbread and this, potatoes and that. They go together. And so you trying to say, okay, this went together. But guys, at some point in time, even even even our favorite players, they're not what they once were. And they can't do it. And that's the one thing is that you learn is that you

can't do it consistently. You could have a game or two. But Aaron Rogers to throw three hunks to 50. Aaron Rogers, how many intercepts the the man got he probably got three seasons in 20 years In which he's had double-digit intersection Rodgers was throwing 45 touchdowns with six picks. Yeah, he's got downs with four picks routinely. Yeah I saw the graphic come up and I'm looking up though. I'm like, man, what in the hell? If he does, he might not have but one hundred and two. He has the greatest touchdown to interception ratio in NFL history. So he had four hundred and ninety nine

touchdowns, one hundred and3 picks, which is crazy. And that's why he's afforded opportunities. That's crazy, Ocho. That's why he's giving grace to the quarterback. Because of that, when people understand it, you know, they're going to use that as a crutch over and over and over. He's going to get another opportunity to play. I don't know if it's going to be New York. I don't know if it's going to be in New York.

Knowing Aaron Rodgers and the way he is and the way he operates, he gonna wanna come back. He gonna wanna come back. But here's the thing, Ocho. Yeah. Ocho, as you get older, you don't get to make the decisions. Yeah.

Think about it. Tom Brady didn't get the right his ending. Peyton Manning didn't get the right the decisions. Yeah. Think about it. Tom Brady didn't get to write his ending. Peyton Manning didn't get to write his ending. Montana didn't get to write his ending. Emmett Smith didn't get to write his ending. There are not very many guys, because once you get older, you don't get to write the ending that you want.

We just have a very small problem. Aaron Rodgers might not be able to write the ending, right? What's that? They can't close the page on that chapter because they don't have nobody to open the new book. Ooh. Yeah, they do. Why wouldn't you go back to Sam Darnold?

I like, you know what? I like what he did. You see, Ocho, it's a lot. Sometimes, sometimes, even in a relationship, the individual, the female or the male can be paralyzed because they're so afraid that somebody might not out there. What am I going to do?

Yeah, I know he don't pay for, I know he beat on me. I know she cheat on me. I know she cheat on me. I know this, but am I gonna be able to find somebody else? Yes, sir. You get paralyzed by that because you overthink that situation. I refuse to be in a situation like that. I refuse to.

I am not going to let you hold me hostage because I don't see it right now, something on the other side. Right. Because the Jets cannot see, well, who is the quarterback right now that we can definitively say, are you saying that there's somebody out there

that can be worse? I mean, are you telling me, you mean to tell me you can't find somebody out there that can go five and 11? I mean, five and 12, that can go six and 10? That can go seven and, what, nine and eight? Yeah. Yeah.

You got to be kidding me. There are no quarter of a chat. Tell me if I'm wrong. Do y'all believe that there's another, there's not another quarterback out there that can do what Rodgers did this year? Now, if you tell me you you gonna give me 2020, 2021, Rogers I say, hey, bring his ass back.

But that guy, Ocho, that guy, you would be in the playoffs. But he's not that guy anymore. Carolina has Sam Darnold and they have Baker Mayfield. I don't know if y'all know, but Baker Mayfield got like four or five games where he thrown four touchdowns this year. Now he threw five today with over 300 yards. Sam Darnall threw three today.

He's thrown 35 touchdowns, which is the third most for a Viking. So, clearly these guys can play given the right set of circumstances. Now look, they were devoid of talent. They didn't have this level of talent in Carolina. So you have to take, look, I'm not saying that it's all Carolina fault,

but Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, you look at what they got in Tampa now, even though Chris Godwin has gone down, they still have quality receivers and they have a nice running game. You look at what they, obviously look at what Sam Darn is throwing to. He got Aaron Jones in his backfield.

He got Hawkinson who's been a pro bowl player. He's got Jetta, he's got Addison, he's got Naylor. I mean, look, he's got guys that he can throw the ball to, but it just goes to show you, I don't care. Without talent around you, now you got some guys now, guys like a Mahomes or guys like some guys, can elevate like Brady. They used to elevate, could elevate, you know, not,

if you're in the league, you're good, but everybody is not gonna be a Jetta. Everybody's not gonna be Randy Moss, T.O. and so forth and so on. But what a great quarterback like Mahomes, he can elevate those guys' plate. When you're not that level of player, you need guys to elevate your plate.

And that's what the great skill position players around you are able to do. Baker Mayfield has been better since he got to Tampa than even when he was in Cleveland, because he got more talent around Sam, Darnal was never going to be this good and the Jets and at Carolina, because he didn't have this level of talent around it. And so if you go out and sign a Sam Darnal, look at what you have. Do you have the roster that's equipped to help

continue to elevate him? Because if you don't, he's not Mahomes, he's not Burrow, he's not Lamar, he's not Josh Allen. That's not what he is. And I'm not finna sit here and tell you because he's having an outstanding year. I'll give credit what credit is due. But I don't look at him as a guy that's a multiplier.

That no matter who you put out there on Joe, he's gonna make him times two. That's not what, that's Lamar. That's reserved for the top four or five quarterbacks in the league. That's not for him. You're one quarterbacks or your elites that regardless of what you put around them,

they always gonna get the job done. Always get the job done. Then you have your tier two quarterbacks. Your tier two quarterbacks, sometimes they need a little help. Now they're good, but they're not great. Now you put some good receivers around them. Yes, but they can have a game or two where they are great.

But more times than not, you need to have that hedge around them to support them. Brock Bauer's record setting day pushing the Raiders to a win versus the Saints. The Raiders posted back to back wins for the first time this season with a 25-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Rookie tight end Brock Bauer led the Raiders

in receiving with seven catches, 77 yards, and set several records. Bauer set an NFL record for the most receiving yards by rookie tight end in a single season. And the most reception by rookie in a single season. Hold on, the most reception by rookie in a single season? In the, oh, in the second quarter, right? Is that what you're saying?

Yeah, exactly. Okay, in the second quarter, okay. Bowers also set a rated single season record for the most receiving yards by a rookie and the most receptions. I mean, what's the record, the most reception by a tight end is Jason Witten, 116? Ooh, 116?

For Zachary. They would deal anymore. Cause he has, what does he have now, 108? Cause I think Malik Neighbors has like 106 does he have now? Hundred and eight? Because I think Malik neighbors has like one hundred and six. He's right there on it. But Zach, it's OK. Zach, it's as one sixteen. Brock Bowers has how many? One oh eight now.

So he's nine catches away from breaking the record. Hey, all I know, I'm throwing in the ball. I'm going to the ball every day. I'm to every day. Oh, I forgot. Pass or take on get some votes too. Cause when he covered Jamar Chase after on what six, seven targets, he had three catches for 27 yards against Surtain.

And when Surtain wasn't on him, what's it called? Joey, Joe Burrows, hunting him. Well, hey, oh, you're going to guard somebody else? Jamar, get ready. Yeah. So Sir Tan is going to get some, he's going to get some votes. He good, man.

That's a little fluid. Oh, Joe, that's a little effortless. To be that size, to be that big. Yeah, they tall. Hey, listen, to be that fluid. Yeah, he tall, he tall. He like, think too what I am. Great hips, great technique. He can, listen, to be that fluid, to be that smooth, to have great hips, great technique, he can play off, he can play man. He's really good and always in position to make

a play. Always in position to make a play. I like him. I like him a lot. Hey there, it's Michael Lewis, author of Going Infinite, Moneyball, The Blind Side, and Liars Poker. On the latest season of my podcast, Against the Rules, I'm exploring what it means to be a sports fan in America and what the rise of sports betting is doing to our teams, our states, and ourselves. Join me and listen to Against the Rules on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search Against the Rules.

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